vaynes and other secrete partes I passe ouer likewise the fiue senses the comely and necessarie vse of the haire with other suche lyke thinges The more curious handling whereof to them chiefly appertayneth whiche professe suche learning and kinde of knowledge For deare brother I will appeale to thine owne conscience Howe thinkest thou Dothe not thys that I haue touched already sufficiently sette oute vnto thée that cleare lyghte that shyneth of hys owne accorde Who can wander in darkenesse that hathe suche torches in the firmament to giue hym lyghte Who can pretende ignoraunce that hathe hys Scholemaister teaching him in his bosome Who so dull and blockishe of vnderstanding that can not learne so sensible and plaine a lesson looking neuer besides his booke Onlesse wée be growen to suche a desperatenesse that wée wyll wylfully beréeue our selues of both our eyes Howe can wée not perceaue and sée that which so dayly and hourely is before oure face Before oure face quod I nay I pray you howe can wée looke besides it for if thou caste vppe thy face towardes the skie the heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handie workes If thou looke downe vppon the earthe the very earthe it selfe is full of the Lordes goodnesse wherein thou haste so many argumentes of his Prouidence as there bée beastes in the fieldes or the wylde forestes fishes in the maine Sea â—trées hearbes flowres growing vppon the soyle if thou turne thée on the rightâ— hande or on the lefte the wynde blowing in thy face the ayre besettyng thée rounde about will caste thée in the téeth wyth Gods benefites and very heynously charge thée if thou fynde faulte Lactantius telleth vs of one Archimedes a Sicilian who with a globe of brasse which he deuysed coulde so counterfeite the making of the whole world that he resembled the rising and setting of the Sunne the waning and waxing of the Moone the mouing and remouing of the Starres and Planets in suche order as they go forward and turne in the very heauens The lyke Tullie wryteth of Posidonius his familiar friende And Patricius speaketh of a Doue that was so frained by Architas Tarentinus and according to the arte of Geometrie so cunningly measured by due proportions that the tempered ayre that was shutte into it forced it to flye Certaynely these were straunge deuises whereof no man coulde doubte that sawe them but that by great sleight and conueyaunce they were brought to passe What then mighte wée conclude of him that with a worde made heauen and all the earthe Whose power and wisedome in inuenting if we must néedes bée driuen to confesse to bée vtterly vnsearchable and paste finding out shoulde wée then mistruste hys goodnesse in protecting that sée the mightie hande of his Maiestie so playnly before vs in creating The .viij. Chapter Epicures cauilling at the vvorkemanshippe of mannes body is confuted BVt abide you whyles we stande thus reasoning of the matier was there neuer any Momus in a corner y could espye an hole to creepe oute at Yea as sayth the sect of Epicures there be too too many things out of square Goe to then let them tell vs hardely what they be O say they there is no order and many things come to passe otherwise than they should Wherein Man whom you so aduaunce is borne vtterly so weake and féeble that he hath no shifte in the world to helpe himselfe The brute beastes are armed euery one with a certayne naturall defence the buls with their hornes the Beares with their téeth the Lyons with tearing and deuouring the beast called Bonasus with his dongue casting the Cuttle fishe with an incke that he flinges about him some with flying other with hiding of them selues all one way or other can safegarde themselues But man coÌ„meth naked into the world in daunger of fire and water impotente bothe of hande foote so tender of body that in cold weather he is benummed with cold in sommer he is parched with heate néedle and sickely subiecte to all casualities that may happen griped eftsoones at the harte with inwarde gréefes of the minde passions pangs and perturbations which other liuing creatures be frée from With these and other the like words these Epicures dilate mannes misery affirming that nature to mankinde is a stepdame rather than any mother Not vntruely in déede altogether if the marke they shot at were not open blasphemie against God but their conclusion vtterly is to be detested For what if God haue not geuen a maÌ„ great clawes and talantes nor couered him with an héerie skinne like a beare which as they were nothing séemely for so gentle and milde a creature so neither were they commodious for mannes vse For howe shoulde he scale a wall or climbe vppe a ladder when he attempteth the building of an house or set sure foote when he goeth vpon brick or hard stones if he were pawed and talanted like a Lyon Man therefore being amiable louely of his shape hath not in déede any such thing but what then he hath that which by all meanes is farre better I meane reason and vnderstanding by the which we haue affinitie with God himselfe Man hathe no scales lyke a Dragon wherby he may beare off a cruel blowe But he hath arte and pollycie lodged in his tender brayne whereby hée was not onely able to inuent complet harnis for hys bodie but all engynnes and instrumentes of warfare yea not onely al engins and instrumentes of warfare but whatsoeuer else you coulde imagine eyther profitable or pleasaunt for mankynde Man is not so strong of coÌ„stitucion nor so well fensed by nature agaynst heate and colde as bée shéepe Oxen and other beastes But their wooll and skinnes be at his commaundement wherewith hée maye be clothed from top to toe For this purpose of all other creatures God hathe onely gyuen man handes to the intente he might put in execution that whyche reason willeth too bée done With them therefore hée maye make himselfe not onely all kinde of apparell but he maye tyll and sowe the grounde hée maye graffe trées and plant Vyneyardes wyth them he maye mowe the grasse and reape the corne inne it thresh it grynde it bake it and make breade of it With them hée may make conserues siropes preseruatiues and all manner of confections Wyth them hée maye write bookes and letters into farre countries and put in vre and practise all Sciences Whereof the huge numbre the greate skyll the subtyle inuention the moste profitable and holesome vse too nought else but the gifte of reason can iustly and truely bée ascribed The power whereof is so great that there is no Serpent so venemous no Lyon so fearce no Elephante so strong no birde so swifte no dumbe beaste so furious eyther by Sea or lande whyche by mannes industrie and wisedome cannot lyghtely and easely be brought vnder So true is that saying before rehearsed out of the Psalmes Thou hast made him to haue
eye of his Prouidence Could he not know this which the Prophet Esay telleth him of so plainly that the euerlasting God the Lord of all vvho created the endes of the earth dothe not faint nor is vvearied vvith any paine and that his knovvledge and vnderstanding is vnsearchable Who surely is so farre of from fainting himself that as the same Prophet addeth he giueth strength vnto him that fainteth vnto him that hathe no strength he encreaseth power But very Tullie thoughe an Ethnicke and heathen wryter yet could wel haue said thus muche that non ea quae agit molitur Deus cum labore operoso ac molesto not that which God doeth he attempteth w any busie or painfull labor And his reason is Von enim venis et neruis ossibus continetur c. For God dothe not consist of vaines sinnowes and bones nor is nourished with suche meats and drinks that he shuld gather either too sharp or too grosse humoures neither is he of suche a constitution of body that he shuld drede mischaunces or any stripes or stande in feare at any time of being sicke by occasion of the wearinesse of his limmes If Tullie thought so wel of God being prophanely broughte vp in gentilitie what else then becommeth vs hauing in manner suâ—ked Christianitie with oure mothers milk to conceiue of him that made heauen and earth but that as he himself is moste perfitte without any blemishe or defecte so his goodnesse so his power so his wisdome and knowledge of hys creatures so his forsight and prouidence in welding the gouernment of the word by all meanes moste absolutely is perfitte For séeing these his annexâ—d properties appertain to his very substance very reason and nature forceth vs not to iudge any otherwise of them than of him himselfe The .vij. Chapter Gods speciall Prouidence is proued to extend to small creatures as vvell as great out of the sacred scriptures BVt what néedeth all this adoe Let this commentatour passe hardly in the name of God and let vs giue eare an other while to the scriptures What say they Doe they teache vs that God lightly looketh to his poore creatures or that he suffereth the worlde at any time to be caryed away headloÌ„g with a blinde raunging course Nay rather we learns by Gods woorde that euen those things which seme most to procéede of fortune are yet ordered by God. For what things come more at an aucnture than lots which be throwne into a mannes lappe Yet these be Salomons owne woordes Lottes sayeth he be cast into the lappe but the vvhole disposition thereof is from the Lord. What can be more soden than when a body is slaine at vnwares yet in Exodus if a man sayeth Moses hath not laid vvaite but God hath offered him into his hande then I vvill appoynte thee a place of refuge shewing that there also wher manslaughter is neither thought of nor pretended of either side yet Gods Prouidence beareth a stroke Many cal riches possessions frends dignities and promotions the goodes of fortune yet we read in the. 75. Psalme that promotion commeth neither from the East nor from the VVest nor from the Southe but that God vvhich is iudge bothe humbleth and setteth vp And to vse the very woordes of oure sauioure Christ are not tvvo sparrovves solde for a farthing yet as simple and base as they be notwithstaÌ„ding not one of them lighteth vpon the ground without Goddes Prouidence Well but this wryter yet vpon Abacucke is of an other minde framing his talke farre otherwise than our sauioure Christe Woormes flies and gnattes sayeth he for their homely simplicitie may not be looked to but for all their sleÌ„der and small value poore simple sparowes sayeth our sauioure Christe are not the lesse regarded of their creatoure And what haue silie flies or vermine offended God that their basenesse shoulde hinder them more than the sparrowes But this author God be thancked bringeth but one Doctoures opinion which is his owne The .viij. Chapter Auncient fathers are alleaged to the same purpose WHat say other of the ancient wryters Are they also of the same mind nothing lesse For ClemeÌ„s Alexandrinê° one the liued before thys mans time many yeres telleth vs an other lesson Chryste sayeth he being the vertue and povver of his father easlie goeth ouer all things as he vvill himself not leauing the least thing in the vvorlde vvherof his gouernement dothe not take the care For doutles vvithout the regard of euery seueral part the vvhole could not be vvrought in good order And surely as I take it to goe throughe vvith a diligente care and ouersighte of all partes of the vvorlde euen till vve come to the very leaste is a token of an exceeding greate povver S. Basile when he had giuen vs a straighte charge that we shoulde ascribe nothing to Chaunce or Fortune saying it was an Heathenishe kinde of talke not fitte to be in Christen mennes mouths Thou seest novve sayeth he concluding the eye of God hovve there is not the leaste thing in the vvorld that can escape it vnloked to and vnregarded Chrysostomus also as me semeth disputeth vppon the matter very substancially it coulde not be sayeth he that God could make smal base things to haue their being in the vvorlde and yet cast avvay the care of the simplest things neglecting bicause of his great honoure to looke to those things vvherof he disdained not to be the vvorkman So doth Gregorie the Great very pithily proue vnto vs the same cause saying the he vvhich gouerneth the chefest things doeth not also leaue the meanest destitute bicause the care of his gouernmeÌ„t is so bestovved vppon the greatest things that neuerthelesse the same ouersighte is not kept avvay from those things vvhich be small For he that is euery vvhere present and euery vvhere present alike euen in the gouernmeÌ„t of those things vvhich be not matches is yet like himself Therfore proporcionably he regardeth all things alike and equally he disposeth all things in their order Sée ye not these worthy fathers howe plainly and sensibly they tell their tale And doe they tell it only Nay they confirme their assertion with strong reasons What therfore should we néede to goe any whit further in the cause It is liked well inoughe of oure sauioure Christe if a truth be established by two or thrée witnesses at the moste Not only ye haue heard the scriptures from the which all things coÌ„mended for any truthe draw their whole puissance and force but also that nothing mighte be wanting euen by the iudgenient of the greatest aduersary ye haue heard agréeably to the same the verye mindes of interpreters which haue liued before vs But wherfore should I séeme to any man to deale in this case lyke a niggarde Or why should I in any wise leaue him out which is chéefe captaine maintoiner of this doctrine Austine I meane whom although he be
standeth still inuincible Cap 1. pag. 268. That Gods Prouidence is neither Destinie nor Predestination and what it is cap. 2. pag. 271. Of this that Gods Prouidence is an order what may be gathered ca. 3 pa. 279. That Gods Prouidence beeing an order thoughte vppon from euerlasting is immutable cap. 4. pag. 281. Gods Prouidence alwayes beeing certayne whether chaunce and fortune may take place cap. 5. pag. 291. An answere to them that deny Gods especiall Prouidence to extende to all his creatures aswel smal as great ca. 6 p. 294. Gods speciall Prouidence is proued to extend to small creatures aswell as great out of the sacred scriptures cap 7. pa. 314. Auncient fathers are alleaged to the same purpose cap. 8. pag. 316. That Gods speciall Prouidence pertayneth also to the meanest creatures he sheweth out of Plotine and Plato hym selfe cap. 9. pag. 324. He answereth an obiectioÌ„ made against him out of S. Paule wherby it would seme that God hath no care of oxen ca. 10. p. 327 He intreateth of prouision to be made for Ministers and namely of tithes declaring how far foorth they depend of Gods worde and what they borrowe of mans lawe cap. 11. pag. 332. He returneth thither from whence he digressed and sheweth that the gouernement of Gods Prouidence is continuall cap. 12. pag. 357. That God gouerneth all things according to the state of their owne nature cap 13. pag. 362. The Chapters of the fourth booke Of the ministerie of Angels in general and of the order and maner of Gods gouernement wherin a sentence of Gregorie and Aristotle is discussed Ca. 1. pa. 379. The preheminence of Angels their authoritie is proued by the circumstance of reason cap. 2. pag. 386. The gouernment of Angels is proued by Scripture cap. 3 pag. 392. The authoritie of Angels is made manifest also by the learned fathers c. 4. p. 393 The fifth chapter conteineth a disputation touching a proper Angell which the consent of antiquitie ascribeth to vs and sheweth that it is a probable doctrine and not directly as some learned thinke repugnant to the authoritie of holy scripture cap. 5. pag. 399. The ayde and furtherance that we haue by the ministerie of Angels is shewed by the exaÌ„ples of the sacred Byble c. 6. p. 405. The furtherance that we haue by Angels is declared also by the examples of our tyme cap. 7. pag. 409. Angels notwithstanding their gouernment must not be called vpoÌ„ in our praiers more thaÌ„ any other creature c. 8. p. 414 The profit that is to be takeÌ„ by gods ProuideÌ„ce as also by al other things staÌ„deth in the due vse and application ca. 9. pa. 424. The coÌ„fort which we receiue by Gods Prouidence cap. 10. pag. 428. VVhat lessons we may pike out of Gods Prouidence for the mayntenaunce of godly life cap. 11. pag. 448. Gentle reader I pray thée in perusing this discourse obserue diligently these faults escaped in the print hereafter noted if there be any other smal errors I shal desire thée to vse both thy pacience and iudgement and to correct them as thou séest cause In the fifth page of the Epistle Dedicatorie and first line for Rabinio reade Rabirio In the sixth page of the Preface to the reader line 4. for thy reade their In the 13. page of the Preface line 23. for power reade maner Pa. line  Fault  Correction 2 16 for wayes read thus way ibi 21 godly godlily 13 8 Achams dial Achaz his dial For so I haue since found it in printed copies And so neither doth the note in the margente altogyther holde for I find it touched Esai 38. and also 4. Reg. 20. 22 34 which we which if we 38 23 posidonius Possidonius 48 10 trieth trie 49 12 ninth foure ninetie foure 52 2 param paratae 69 2 to worke to worke them 70 8 a thing of a thing 75 5 Chareas Charras 77 20 brayded broyded 86 26 the stayednesse stayednesse 89 1 honoured honoured 93 1 abashed abashed 98 4 auaile auale ibi 15 quodthey making answer quod they making answere 110 20 the salte and the salte 111 21 fantasie phrensie 114 13 to approche approch 115 23 Gods. Gods 138 8 creature creator 146 15 Saying Sauing 168 8 decrée decre 169 18 destinie destinie 180 16 methink this methinketh is 181 21 reason reason 182 1 sense sense 257 14 doluor dolour 280 8 in and 290 2 no not 299 6 alone all one 307 22 séeme sée 310 3 debating debasing 316 24 doutlesse the whole doubtlesse without the regard of euery small seueral part the whole 330 23 liberally litterally 336 12 will fully wilfully 356 25 not all not at all 366 16 it please him it might please him 367 12 shalt not that shall that 371 11 Bertrome Bertrame 424 1 in selfe in him selfe 465 12 you him The first Booke of Gods Prouidence The first Chapter VVherefore the Author vvrote this vvorke EVer since the time that our father Adam offending agaynst the Maiestie of almighty God had wilfully desperatly cast down him self into the gulf and whirlepoole of all mischiefe so importable hath béene the penaunce that mankinde hath suffred that neuer after he hath enioyed any quietnesse or any safetie and assuraunce in this wretched worlde For whither coulde he cast his eyes to sée any matter of comforte The earth he knewe was accursed for hys sake the freshe ayre so comfortable to him before did nowe fayle him when he most néeded the fire and the water was as ready to swallow him deuour him as to minister any thing for his necessarie vse yea the very powers of heauen the sunne the moone and the stars vapouring downe contagious exhalatitions crossing him in all his doings with their crooked and ouerth warte constellations séemed often as the very instruments of Gods wrath moste cruelly to conspire agaynst him By meanes wherof man béeing gréeuously encombred hath bene driuen as it were by force to séeke out some refuge for himselfe And many wayes surely it hath bene attempted of many sundry kindes of men Some one ways some an other according to the measure of their capacities Worldly nâ—m haue alwayes thought of worldly ayâ—es Therfore the stay they sought for coulde not be surer than the world it selfe Such as wer godly affected shot euermore at a further mark not contented with the vanities of thys present life but ernestly aspiring preaâ—ing forwarde to that their peaceable countrey in the world to come Therfore where their tresure was there also they reposed their comforte that is to say with their God. Whom guiding their ships they neuer feared any tempests nor rashly ran to their destruction vppon the rude ragged rockes Therefore nothing more rife in their mouth thaÌ„ the saying of that kingly prophet Although I vvalk in the middest of the shadov of death yet vvil I not be agast bicause thou art vvith me Agreably whervnto Isahac not knowing what sacrifice his father ment yet bicause
oure dueties and thankefull heartes for the same but contrarywise wée be so farre off from béeing pricked with any remorse of oure vnkinde behauioure that furiously lyke madde dogges wée barke and byte at the throne of Gods iustice and open oure mouthes wide agaynst heauen it selfe The hounde acknowledgeth his bringer vp and is alwayes about his elbow when he is at home and in his absence is desirous to sée him and at his returne sheweth no smal signes of his reioycing hanging his eares and wagging hys tayle thereby to shewe his submission and greate kyndenesse to his maister For albeit that he wanteth discretion and haue not the vse of reason as men haue yet with hym acquayntaunce of long continuaunce beareth suche a stroke and the dayly benefites whiche he taketh at hys maysters hande that he canne easily distinguishe a knowen manne from a straunger and hys maister that kéepeth him from one that he neuer sawe The Elephant as Cassiodorus doth wryte in his booke de Opere variorum béeing a beaste mightie of his limmes but yet without ioyntes and sinnowes by meanes whereof he is not able to bowe his legges but is forced when he taketh hys reste to leane directly wyth his whole body agaynst a trée is thus daunted and broughtee into subiection The hunter that pursueth him obserueth well the trée that he hath recourse to when he woulde take his ease in the nighte season which afterwardes he saweth so farre a sunder harde at the very roote that the Elephante after repayring agayne to the same trée with the very peyse of his vnweldie body falleth downe togither with it to the grounde ▪ and béeing not able after hys fall to gette vp vppon his féete agayne by reason of hys greate styfnesse before specifyed commeth the hunter in the morning and helpeth hym vppe Whiche the kinde Elephante so gently accepteth at the hunters hande that from thencefoorth mindefull of his benefite the beast taketh him to his master wel content to submit himselfe to his order and to be ruled alwayes after at his becke Thus can the brutish dumbe beastes consider of such as haue done them good where as we that be reasonable creatures hauing wisedome and vnderstanding to leade vs the way than the which nothing is more swifte For the very swiftnesse of the Sunne in his reuolution is nothing comparable to the liuely agilitie of the mind the one going round about the earth within the space of foure and twentie houres the other within the twinkeling of an eye bothe fetching his vagarie about and with the wynges of his thought fléeing vp strayght to heauen and yet mounting vp hygher too that it may as muche as is possible both enioy the contemplation of Gods maiestie and viewe the number that is infinite as well of the Angels as the Archangels Wée I say that be capable of vnderstanding and haue a reasonable soule to guide vs haue not yet any féeling of Gods benefites nor any weightie and graue consideration of his manyfold and sundrie guiftes but contrariwise wée spurne dayly withoute ceassing at the prouident care that he taketh for vs conuerting those excellent qualities wherwith so liberally he hath endued vs to the very infamie and slaunder of his holy name For euen to touche the quicke and to come nighe to the matter which wée take in hande what coulde God oure moste bountifull father doo more for vs or howe coulde he more effectually shew foorth and expresse his deare loue which continually he beareth towardes vs than in holding vs vp when we are ready to fall vnder the foote in setting vs straight when we gadde out of the way in making his holy angels our seruants and ministers to directe vs in preseruing vs day and night from very desperate and dredefull daungers Finally to let many other thinges passe whiche it were an endlesse labour to rehearse in tourning the reprochfull vesselles and heauie instrumēts of his deserued wrath to the furtheraunce and comforte of his electe Yet so thanklesse haue some bene in all ages yea I might say also so godlesse and so vtterly giuen ouer to themselues that neither the highe heauens setting foorthe the glorie of almightie GOD canne bryng them to a sounde iudgemente or a righte conceauing of Gods workes nor the Sunne procéedyng lyke a brydegroome oute of his chaumber and wyth hys beames gyuyng lyghte to the whole worlde nor the Moone wyth hir waning and waxyng bryghtnesse that causeth the Sea efte-soone to ebbe and flowe nor the Starres that one whyle shewe them selues in the Firmaments an other whyle withdrawe their presence partelye conducting the marryners that are tossed wyth the waues of the wylde sea and partely giuing warning to the husbandmen when they mighte beste take in hande their tyllage nor the vapours ascending from the earthe the salte and the freshe waters into the middle region of the ayre and conuerted afterwardes into cloudes and resolued eyther into swéete showres of rayne as in the lustie spring sommer season it befalleth or else into hayle frost snowe as in winter commonly it chaunceth nor the maruelous coniunction of the earthe and the sea nor the continuall course of the running streames nor the cold springs of the cleare and pure waters nor the great abundance of al kinds of frute nor the varietie of birdes and beasts and of salt and fresh fishes of all sortes and the commoditie that ryseth by them many wayes nor the feat framing of mans body with an agreable shape to a nature endued with reson nor the immortalitie of his soule that with wisdome weldeth the whole body nor artes and sciences innumerable not onely seruing for oure necessitie but ministring also thinges delectable that serue for our plesure and recreation finally none other thing that is bestowed vpon vs by Gods bountiful and frée dispensation can make mad mē sober againe or reclayme them frō their fantasie to their right minde but when they haue all thinges that can delyte them or do them good as it were furious firebrands blowē forward with the sends of hel incensed to mischeue mischaūce they attempt asmuche as in them lieth to depose god of his empire and to thrust him downe headlong from his throne carping cauilling at his wise gouernement and with the poysoned arrowes of their crabbed and cursed eloquence directly shooting agaynst heauen Wherein they deale as me séemeth muche like vnto Caius Caesar mentioned by Seneca and Suetonius and I feare it will happen to them not muche better This Caius as it is written of hym hauing ordeyned a riche and a royall feaste for his counsaylers and peeres of his Realme it chaunced that the very same day that this great feaste was kepte there was suche thundring and lightening in the element and suche terrible tempestes of winde and rayne as though heauen and earth shoulde goe togither and that dreadfull day of doome were nowe ready at hande Whereat the vnwise Emperour taking snuffe in
Gregories farre auncient yet haue I reserued him to vtter vnto vs his profound iudgemeÌ„t in this place is woorthy to stande out for a moderatoure and chéefe decider of this controuersie Giue then O reuerend father thy definitiue sentence Let youre charitie sayeth he listen to me and take good hede vvho disposed in such comely order the preatie members of the fleas gnattes so that they haue their conuenient place they haue their life they haue their mouing Consider but some one litle shorte beast as thou vvilt thy selfe of as small a quantitie as can be thought of Thou vvouldest vvoonder if thou marke but his little limmes hovve euery one of them standeth in order and the quicke nimblenesse of his life that maketh him to bestirre himselfe that in his ovvne defense he may flie from deathe he loueth life he desireth pleasure he shuÌ„neth grefe he hathe the vse of diuers senses he is liuely in that mouing that is onuenyent for him VVho gaue the gnatte such a byting sting to sucke bloude vvith hovve slender a pipe is it that he supperh vvith vvho ordred this geare vvho made them Arte thou stricken vvith horroure vvhen thou thinckest of to little and small matters Prayse then that greate God vvhich vvas the authoure Therfore my brethren keepe this vvell in minde Lot no manne make you to fall from the saithe and from a catholicke and sounde doctrine He made a sille vvorme in the earth that made an Angell in heauen but an Angell in heauen for a celestiall habitation a sily vvoorme in the earthe for a terrestriall dvvelling Did he make an Angell to crepe in the mire or a poore vvoorme to be lodged in heauen Nay he appoynted the enhabitantes to their seuerall mansions he limited incorruption to vncorrupte places and corruptible things to roumes fitte for corruption Marcke it vvell euery vvhit and praise God for all Thus sayeth the good father Austine determining of Gods Prouidence yée sée after what manuer Howe skilfully doth he espie oute the very steppes and tracâ—s as ye woulde say where Gods Prouident care hathe sette foote And woondering thereat very muche not only whiles he considereth it in Goddes Angelles but no lesse also whiles it sheweth it selfe so notoriously in the fashioning of the silie gnatte with what woordes doeth he lay it before our eyes And a righte godly consideration is it oute of doubte and well woorthy to be déepely thoughte of For if God had such a curious eye in his firste framing of the poore gnattes proportion What shoulde we thincke that he will do afterwards who is alwayes moste constante in all his doings Surely as he beganne his greate Prouidence in the creation and woorckemanshippe of the poore beaste so will he holde on with the like fauoure in preseruing a creature of his owne making But yet héere stayeth not S. Austine Who truely is so farre of from depriuing any thing of Goddes gouernement that the very hayle frost and the snowe by his iudgement is not priuileged from Goddes subiection For very sone after examining and scanning these woordes Ignis grande nix and so forthe These things considering sayeth he the spirite of prophecie vvhen he had sayde fire haile snovve frost and the spirite of tempest all vvhiche things some fooles thincke to be oute of order and to be tosted as it vvere by happes aduenturous he added thereunto the clause VVHICH DOE HIS COMMAVNDEMENT Let not those things then seeme to thee to be moued at a venture vvhich neuer fall nor moue any vvay but to doe suche homage and seruice as God appoynteth The .ix. Chapiter That Gods especiall Prouidence pertaineth also to the meanest creatures he shevveth out of Plotine and Plato himself WIth what face then can it be saide of Tullie that the harme and damage which is done by tempests falleth not out by the woorcke of Gods Prouidence Howe can he say that God careth not for small things Iwis if he had hard but his owne secte the Platonickes I meane and Plato himselfe the authority of whose very name he woulde séeme so highly to aduaunce coulde he euer haue fallen into suche a foule erroure Plotine without question who estemed as much of Plato as euer Tullie did whiles he clarkly reasoneth of Gods Prouidence proueth by the beautie that is in floures and leaues that procéeding froÌ„ the highe God whose amiable and louely grace might be sooner conceaued than vttered it goeth forward reaching to these earthly and base things in the worlde All which things being in manner as cast away and tootoo soone fading and falling downe he maketh it plaine to vs by a strong argument that they coulde neuer haue suche a passing feature of their proportion ne were it not that from thence they had fetched their shape where the intelligible fourme that is vnalterable hauing all graces together in himselfe hathe his abyding Plato himself in his tenth booke which he wryteth of Lawes maketh a certain Dialoge betwixte one Clinia and hys hoste of Athens The very scope wherof directly tendeth againste Tullies Doctrine Which to this ende and purpose that it may be the better knowne I wil bring in the speakers talking with the very same woordes that they do in Plato The hoste The Physicion if he loke not to small matters appertaining to his pacients health shall it goe vvell vvith hys vvhole cure Clinia Noe it shall not The hoste No more shall gouernoures nor graunde capitaines nor suche as haue care of housholdes nor any officers or magistrates in commoÌ„ vveales nor none other suche vvithoute a fevve and small things set in order deale vvel in many and great affairs For neither say the masons can the greate stones be vvell laide in the building of an house vvithoute the small stones be vvell tempered and layed vvith morter Clinia That is true The hoste Let vs not therefore suppose that God is inferioure to these common mortall artificers but that he is bothe vvilling and able also to haue care of small matters asvvell as greate The .x. Chapiter He ansvvereth an obiection made against him out of S. Paul vvherby it vvould seme that god hath no care of oxen PLato goeth forwarde for he debateth the cause more at large But what is Tullie or any other euer able to reply against that which Plato hath already spoken Yes for soothe there coÌ„meth now somewhat to remembraunce that commonly oute of the scriptures is obiected For S. Paule wryting to the Corinthians when he had applied these woordes of the law to his purpose Thou shalt not mustell the mouthe or the oxe that treadeth out the corne he addeth Doth God take care for oxen But tooto manifest it is to them that well weighe the place that S. Paules meaning was nothing lesse than to debarre anye Oxen from the tuition of Goddes care Which if he had done how shoulde he haue agréed with that saying of the Prophet Dauid who wondering at the depth of Gods Prouidence when he
But let him not deceaue you For if you will but viewe his life and conuersation you shall sée he fareth much like a trée which Alexanders souldiers founde in India a mightie trée in dede to loke to very faire and of a goodly heighte Whiche nathelesse when they beheld with much wondering and woulds néedes bring it away with theim they founde that what so euer was at the roote of it was forthwith tourned into baye salte Wilt thou sée now how like the case is Thou séest this worldling very highe and mightie in his owne conceate fayre mouthed well visaged And thou wonderest at him But he is rotten at the roote if thou wel examine him he is hollowe he is altogether as bitter as baye salte Therfore he rangeth loosly as one that had neuer a bridle imagining secretly with himself that there is no god to controlle him or kéepe him vnder The .iiij. Chapter As there is a God that created the vvorld So there is a God that doethe gouerne it BVt that this is an erronious doctrine of them that teache so and a godlesse and senselesse imagination of them that thincke so in their hartes to the intent I maye open it and make it plaine I will begin with that as my fouÌ„dation which is the chiefe principle and groundewoorcke of all religions And firste I woulde demaunde this question of them whether they beleue that there is anye God For he that vvill come to God sayeth the Epistle to the Hebrewes firste muste beleue that God is and that he is a revvarder of them that seke him Which were it not well setled and depely fixed in our mindes all truthe godlinesse deuotion should be vtterly trodeÌ„ vnder the féete What say they then to the matier If they deny it I might proue it vnto them by the same reason that Dionysius vseth to Apollophanes who wheÌ„ he was willed of Polycarpe that he would wryte somewhat vnto him whereby the said Apollophanes might be conuerted vnto the faith by his own Principles being couÌ„ted excellent in Astronomie Dionisius wryting to the blessed Martyr dothe frame vnto him this argument in forme folowing Séeing the order saith hée wherby the bodies aboue moue is according to a certaine rule If that order by any should be altered it were manifest that the same so altering it shoulde be god But the ordinarie course of the celestiall bodies was once chaunged and inuerted as Apollophanes hym selfe coulde tell Ergo it was his part to haue concluded said Dionysius folowing the groundes and the Principles of his own Philosophie that the cause of that alteration was the true God ruling in the heauens And therefore consequently abandoning his Maumetrie and his foolishe Idols that he should only woorship suche a god That the ordinarie mouing of the bodies aboue had bene chaunged he maketh it euident by thrée examples First by this that we read in the tenthe of Iosue that the Sunne cleane contrary to his custome stoode still for the space of a whole day and went neither backewarde nor forwarde vntill the enimies of Gods people were put to flight Secondly he proueth to him the same conclusion by the mounting vp of the Sunne appearing in Achams diall And this was so great a miracle that it made the Babilonians to be astonied meÌ„ that diligently obserued all the courses and mouings of the supernall bodyes By meanes wherof without any field foughten or weapon drawne they yéelded to Ezechias of their owne accord Wherevpon the Priestes of the Persians noting that day made afterwardes an annual feast which they called the feast of the tripled Sunne And the Priests that celebrated that day hauing their name of the feast were termed the Priestes of the tripled Sâ—nne But bicause Apollophanes myghte chaunce to deny this example albeit he had séene before his face the very testimonie of the Priestes against him therfore Dionysius wryteth to Polycarpe that if he happen so gaâ—nsay these aforenamed demonstrations he shoulde put him in minde of the thirde to witte of the Eclipse that befell at the time of Christes passion which being contrary to all course of nature he sawe notwithstanding with his owne eyes and could not in any wise say against it What caÌ„ Atheistes or Epicures bring into contrary this reason Which as it notably setteth before vs the diuine power and maiestie of almightie God So doeth it well disproue their fonde error that woulde tie God to the necessitie of seconde causes saying that he can rule none otherwise but as destinie draweth him to and froe For if so excellent a creature as the Sunne so muche swarâ—ed and declined from his woonted course that Goddes will and pleasure myghte with due submission be obeyed shall the aspecte of any inferioure â—arre or the influeâ—re of any planets make vs feare And where is that fatall faste lincked chaine that so brideleth and restraigneth the liuing God Which if it be of suche force and efficacy as the Stoikeâ— dreame Then hys scepter wrested oute of hys handes must be left to the arbitrement of his creatures yea Protagoras with his complices might face vs down there were no God. But howe blinde an assertion that is for I will not say nowe howe blasphemous although we might iustly some to haue made alredy a sufficient proofe yet hardly let vs go on a litle farther Surely the very heathen wise meÌ„ albeit they were destitute of that knowledge which more plentifully is ministred by the word of God Yet woonder it is to consider howe farre then were hable to set their foote hauing noâ—â— other lightâ— to guide them buâ—â—he very power of reason and common sense Especially touching this matter the disputing and reasoning of Chrysippus is well woorthy to be waâ—ed Who being meruailously sharp witted as Tullie sayeth handleth this case in suche a sorte that he semeth to haue learned it of natures selfe and not to haue inuented it of hys owne braine For sayeth he if there be any thing in the world that mannes wit reason and power cannot compasse that thing surely that dothe compasse it is better than man But the Angels the starres in the firmament and the Planets wyth all such things as moue continually in their course can not be wrought by any man That thing therefore whereby they are wrought is better than man And that by what name should I rather cal it by than by the name of God And by and by after going forward if thou behold saith he a goodly portly great house although thou sée not the Maister of it yet canste thou not be made to beléeue that it was builded of Mise and Rattes And shouldest thou not séeme to be starke madde if so great furniture of the worlde suche great varietie beautie and comelynesse of things in heauen suche a largenesse and hugenesse of the sea and lande thou shouldest wéene to be thy house and not the house of the immortall God You sée the drift of the
remayning still notwithstanding the redemption of our sauiour Chryste and that euen to the regenerate Now so lōg as death is not yet throughly swallowed vp neither shal the sting of death which is sinne be vtterly remoued or putte away for the effecte continuing in his full force it is necessarily to bée presupposed that the cause wente before Not that this temporall resolution of oure soules and bodies the one from the other is precisely absolutely wroughte by oure sinne the rewarde whereof is rather a deathe that is euerlasting or that it abideth as a punishment that the godly suffer for the same but that sinne and deathe bée so ioyntly conioyned together that so long as the one of them taketh place the other by the course of Gods ordinaunce can not of necessiti◠be far of Suche deare affinitie there is betwixt them and such straight cosinage and alliaunce Nowe where sinne is there also is bondage as Saincte Peter telleth vs in playne wordes And where bondage is residente there truely canne be no tarrying for fréewill Where then is become at laste the fréedome of oure renued nature The harde necessitie whereof as Saincte Augustine tearmeth it precéedeth from none other fountayne or spring than the offence and trespasse of oure father Adam Surely where so euer it be if it be any as I denye not altogither but that it is this I must nedes say of it it is maimed it is mangled it is muche defaced with the remaining relikes of oure olde man. But let it be hardly what they will for what dothe Gods Prouidence anoy it Hath it a natural possibilitie wherby we can doe the workes of nature eate drinke walke and talke and suche like Let it haue so still Yet though will also be ioyned with our power oftentimes euen in suche things we come to shorte How many lustie and strong men haue appoynted on this or that day to take such or such a viage when such occasiōs sodainly haue fallen out by the will and prouidence of God that they were faine to alter their minde and tary at home Howe many haue bene on their iourney to goe this or that way and were preuented The king of Babilon purposed to inuade the Moabites yea he purposed it not only but he now made thitherward with all his power And yet euen in the midst of his iourney God tourned him an otherway and caused him to come against Ierusalem Wherupon the Prophete Ieremie crying oute I knovve Lorde sayeth hée that mannes vvaye is not his ovvne neyther is it in man to gouerne or to directe his ovvne steps And Salomon very agréeably vnto the same sayeth in déede that mannes hearte aduiseth him of the vvay vvhither he vvill go but that God guideth his steppes notvvithstanding How many purpose to do this or that which their strengthe serueth them to doe very well and yet are letted The Prophet Balaam being sent for by Balac the king of the Moabites was minded more than once to haue curssed the people of Israell But when it came to the poynte he confesseth himselfe that he coulde not no though the king would giue him an house full of siluer and gold Why then chaunceth all this For that oure will is compelled by violence No not so For so voluntary a thing is oure will that if it be forced to any thing it is no more a will. Therefore thus Austine defineth it Voluntas est animi motus cogente nullo ad aliquid vel non amittendum vel adipiscendum That is to saye Will is a mouing of the minde without compulsion either to saue or else to get somewhat Haue we also a strengthe naturall in ciuile actions pertaining to outwarde conuersation Wel may we so haue for any foraine force Yet the very Heathen men coulde say this that if mankinde haue any vnderstanding faythe vertue or concorde they coulde be povvred vpon the earthe from no vvhere else but from aboue Whereby what else doe they declare but that nature of it selfe is noughte else but a barraine soyle vtterly vnhable to yéelde fruite if the dewe of grace comming from heauen wyth hys wholesome licoure doe not moysten it Is there say they in oure refourmed nature a certaine libertie and fréedome to doe things acceptable in Gods sight I will not stand héere to alleage the falles and frailties of Goddes children nor shewe how little they are able to satisfie from pointe to pointe the comaundementes and lawes of God nor proue that euen after their regeneration they are yet by the consent of graue fathers like the soyled cloth of a woman in hir flowers All this and more to I will let alone nay I will graunte vnto thē rather of mine own accord the by faith in Chirst Iesus our workes be accepted in very déede yea moreouer that they vs ghostly holy and pure sacrifices which must be offered and dedicated vnto god For it liketh me not nowe to dispute with them in that But this will I say and say againe what so euer possibilitie we haue either in déedes naturall or morall or in actiōs which spring from faithe and be spirituall Gods Prouidence hurteth it not at all The propertie wherof is such that it conducteth vs alwayes as it were by the hand and driueth nothing by violence againste nature Therefore aliter agunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one maner of mouing haue those things that be voide of choice an other kinde of mouing haue those things that be moued of their owne arbitrement And both of them in déede serue Gods ordinance but yet not bothe after one sorte Stickes stones can not stir to or fro but a violent hande must first moue thē Therefore in them the similitude that Chrysippus vseth in the defence of destiny may take holde to witte of a roller that is caste downe a stéepe hill which althoughe it begin not to goe downe voluntarily at the first yet afterwards the swift tumbling of it downewardes is to be ascribed saith he to the roundnesse of the proportion after the which it is framed But men and reasonable creatures haue an inwarde motion of their owne not moued by compulsion as such senselesse things be but of their frée choice deliberation Neither is it consequent as Austine setteth it out very wel that if the order of all causes be certaine to God therefore nothing should be in oure fréewill For euen our wils themselues be amongste the order of those causes which be certaine to God and comprehended by his for knowledge in as much as mennes willes be also the causes of mennes woorkes Therfore it is so farre off that our willes should be excluded in this case that contrarywise I take them to be the very instruments whereby the will of God woorkes The .iij. Chapter God is not the author of sinne ANd hitherto we are burdened but as iniurious to man This accusation
escape safe without shypwracke A good magistrate will kill none of his citizens the preseruation of whome he knoweth is committed to his charge But yet if there be any man that is a théefe molesting and troubling the common weale to the intente suche naughtie packes mighte be punished and other men frayed by hys example from the like leaude practises and attempts suche a one he can be wel content to dispatche and ridde out of the way Be it spoken that we haue sayde for example sake not to signifie that God is vrged to doe any thing in like manner who hath all his creatures at his commaundement and most fréely dealeth in all things that he taketh in hand but rather to shewe and make it manifest that for these and those considerations which may moue vs or not moue vs as occasion may serue vs to or fro we may once and at one present time bothe will and not will the same thing Which as I haue examplified it of our selues so truely and very agréeably to the scriptures the same may also be applied to god Forbiddeth he not I pray you in his ten commaundements that any manslaughter or murder should be committed And yet it is written of Elie his sonnes that they had not the grace to heare their fathers counsell in as muche as the Lorde was willing to kill them And doth not god condemne in like maner all cōspiracies that be made to ouerthrowe the innocent And yet would he haue Iosephe solde by the false traine of his brethren that by that occasion hée might come to Egypt Whiche Iosephe himselfe also witnesseth speaking to his brethren with these woordes Genes 45. It is not ye but God that sent me before yee to the intent I mighte bee a staie to you in the time of the dearth Doeth he not condemne adulterers in like maner and committers of abhominable and wicked incest yet would he with the incest of Absolon that defiled himself with his fathers wiues punishe the adulterie of King Dauid being his father For euē so sayeth God his owne selfe 2. Reg. 12. I vvill stir vp euill against thee out of thine ovvne house I vvil take thy vviues before thine ovvne eyes and I vvill giue thē to thy neighboure that shall sleepe vvith them in the sighte of this Sunne Thou haste done it in secrete But I vvill doe it before all the people and in the sighte of the Sunne Bréefely to bring but one other example is not thefte plainely condemned in Goddes woorde yet he would haue the Israelites to robbe the Egyptians yea he would haue the Sabaeans and Chaldaeans to vexe Iob with driuing away of his cattell and taking from him his camelles and other of his moueable goodes For when Sathan required of God to lay hande vppon Iob and to afflicte him so God maketh answere againe vnto Sathan Beholde I permitte to thine arbitrement vvhatsoeuer he hath in possession The Sabaeans then and the Chaldaeans were set on by Gods voluntary permission to spoyle Iob to robbe him of all hys goodes Which Iob considering with hymselfe putteth all vppe mildely and quietly saying The Lorde gaue mee and the Lorde hathe taken from me againe Blessed be the name of the Lorde Wherby we may easily gather how true the saying of S. Austine is affirming that many things be done against Gods will which neuerthelesse be not done besides his will. Againste Goddes wyll bée trayterous and deceytefull traines wherby the innocent is entrapped against Gods wil is the enticing away of a mannes sonne or daughter or any seruaunt to him belonging without consent of the partie that hath iuste title and right vnto them against Gods will is incest and taking away of other mennes goodes and yet the all this is not done without gods wil of Iacobs children of Absalon of the Sabeans c. it is euident by the woords of the holy scripture And this is the very same distinction that others also haue taught saying that Gods wil is vnderstand after two sorts sometimes of those things whiche God simply aloweth somtime of those things which he liketh not simply and of themselues but onely that it pleaseth him to vse them to some certaine ende In the first sense we say that god willeth those things whych he commaundeth in his lawe that he willeth not those things which be forbidden by his commaundement And of this will Christe spake when he said Not al that say Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that dothe the vvill of my father vvhich is in heauen And in that meaning we say in our Lordes prayer Thy vvill be done in earth as it is in heauen This will amongste the schoolemen is called Voluntas signs whereof you may reade in the Master of sentences lib. 1. dist 45. In the seconde sense we say God willeth many things which he forbiddeth not that he liketh them for any thing that is in them but so farre forth as by them he either putteth good men to their triall whom it liketh him to chasten or else is reuēged of sinners by giuing them ouer from one sinne to fall headlong into an other Therefore he stirred vp some of the Palestines to kill Elie his children For they wer not ruled by their fathers counsell bicause the Lorde was willing to kill them 1. Reg. 2. Notable is that figured representation in Iob of the talke that is imagined betwixte God and Sathan who asketh God leaue to afflicte Iob. By the which we may sée that bothe Iob was distressed of the Deuill that desired to vndoe him and of the Sabeans and the Chaldeans that were gréedye of their pray But yet not without the wil of God vnto whome Iob ascribeth the great anguishe and calamitie that was broughte vpon him saying The Lord gaue and the Lorde tooke avvay The ende therefore that God respected in making hym a pray for theeues was to putte him to the exercise of his pacience The ende of Goddes purpose in Absalons incestuous acte was to punishe the adultery of his father Dauid in the conueying away of Iosephe by his brethren to sende him before into Egypte that in the time of the great dearthe he mighte prouide for his father and all his housholde Therefore it is neither the stealing away of Ioseph nor Absalons incest nor the robbing and rauening of the Sabaeans and Chaldaeans that God aloweth as they be the breache of his lawe the disturbing of a fellowshippe and societie amongste men and the hinderāce of loue and charitie of one man with an other but as by them he executeth his purposed determinations either in being reuenged of the wicked or in exercising the pacience of the elect in keeping them in modest and humble behauior in their affliction and in making them to continue stedfast against all assaults euen like stout champions vnto the end These be those maruellous counselles of almightie God whereby oute of darckenesse he fetcheth light
kind of spech bicause it is as fatall for the sicke man to sende for the Physition as it is to recouer his healthe Hitherto oute of Tullie de Fato That which Chrysippus and the Sophistes could say in the defense of destenie we may with muche better cause apply to the mayntenaunce of Gods truth By whose moste wise Prouidence from euerlasting not onely the effectes and consequents of euery thing be ordeyned but the causes also and the antecedentes be in lyke sorte ordered and disposed Therefore he that hath committed to vs the care and charge of our owne health as he willeth the preseruation of the same so he giueth vs warning whensoeuer we are beset with any daunger he putteth it into oure head to take héede he sheweth vs prouided remedies whiche we may vse briefly he dothe furnishe vs with all kinde of helpes and telleth vs all meanes to saue our selues And what muste we doo nowe of our owne partes shall we thinke it inoughe to lye tumbling vs and rolling vs in the myre and to say onely God helpe no if God haue betaken to vs the custodie of oure owne liues it is good reason that we looke to them if he offer vs helpes it is méete to vse them if he giue vs warning of any perilles that may fal vpon vs we should not rashly and vnaduisedly runne vpon them and if he minister vnto vs shiftes and remedies for our sauegarde it were great folly madnesse to neglect them But there be some which follow your counsayle and yet spéede not a whit the better there be other before this tyme that haue done nothing thereafter and yet somtimes haue successe good inough Yea what if it stande with Gods pleasure to deale extraordinarily at sometimes that his almightie power may be the better knowen were it our partes therefore to tempte his maiestie and to looke for that as of duetie which is done of an especiall priuiledge Nothing lesse We surely muste sticke to that that is ordinarie and we muste not presume any other way to helpe our selues than God hath layd euidently before our face◠if that do not alwayes serue we muste thinke it gods punishmēt for our deserts Who thereby dothe vs to vnderstande that we shuld not trust ouer much to any worldly stayes knowing that without his fauour oure beste nourishement is but poyson oure surest buckler of defence noughte else but a ruinouse and rotten piller We muste therefore craue euermore his blessed ayde assistaunce and diligently flye vnto him by prayer Than the which there is nothing that he more requireth at our handes Nay but that is to no purpose will some say if God so long agoe haue appoynted what he wil do For what intreting might cause him to chāge his mind Therto I answere our intreating tēdeth not to that ende that for our sake God should alter his own determination For we wish nothing but the satisfying of his holy will. Therefore when we pray for any worldly thing we remēber alwaies the exception which is taught vs by oure Sauioure Chryste Thy will be done in earthe as it is in heauen Contrariwyse when we make sute vnto God for any thing that perteyneth to oure soules health we nothing doubte but that as God hath stirred vp in vs this good desire which we take to be a sure token of his fauoure towardes vs so he will mercyfully condiscende to oure most godly requeste For all that cal vpon the name of the Lorde shall be saued and He is nigh to all them that call vpon him I say that call vpon him with an vnfayned heart He wil do the wil of them that feare him and he wil graūt their sute saue them We waste not then our wind in vaine whatsoeuer the godlesse lifte to say so often as we haue recourse to God no not though he haue determined before what to doe Who if he giue vs not oure asking yet he giueth vs at leastwyse that which is more expediente lyke a wyse skilful physition forséeing much better what is good for his pacient than we do that are biinded with our owne disease Certaynely if these mens talke were oughte worth what shoulde we say to the Patriarke Isaac Bicause God had sayde before that a greate posteritie shoulde come out of his loynes shoulde not he therfore desire God to perfourme his promise which he made him What a fonde reasoning is that For willingly he suffereth many times that thinges shoulde happen which séeme cleane contrary to his promises yea he performeth not his behests which he maketh to any man but first intreated with muche suing God had giuen Isaac a barreyn wife What could be more repugnaunt to the promised fruite of his body And yet that Rebecca shoulde conceaue Isaac as Moyses telleth it maketh his earnest prayer vnto God. It is a goodly lesson that Raphael the Angell giueth the yonger Tobie when he counseleth him to take Sara to hys wife a woman not so well reported of amongest the common sorte and all for the death of hir seuen husbandes but yet promised vnto him notwithstanding by Gods owne mouth VVhen thou commest sayth he into the chamber vvith hir vvhere you bothe muste lye for the space of three dayes you shall forbeare hir and you shall doo nothing vvith hir all that whyle but onely fall both of you to your prayers That done take the hart of the fishe brought thither and thereof make a certayne perfume The sauoure wherof so soone as the euill spirit perceiueth he wil flye away from the damoysel and neuer come to hir any more Afterwards when it shal be thy mind to couple with hir first arise out of bedde and make thyne humble prayer vnto God that it mighte please him to extende towardes you his mercy and to worke so effectually with the medicine that the mayde may be cured and made whole of whom sone after you shall beget male children But set feare aside for she was ordeyned for you before the worlde was begonne and by youre meanes God will deliuer hir from the diuell So far goeth the Angel. Who séeth not nowe that by Gods Prouidence the diligent vse of prayer and the exercise of good workes is not taken away Sara from the beginning of the worlde was lotted to be Tobias his wife and yet they were bothe of them commaunded to consecrate as it were this their mariage vnto God by prayer This also was Gods decrée that Sara should be set loose from the diuel and yet at the Angels cōmaundement Tobie vseth a perfume in driuing away the euill spirite What that long iorney the Tobie made whē he went a sutor for his wife was it agaynst Gods Prouidence Are the two Tobies either the yonger or the elder therfore the slacker in godly exercises in doing of vertuous dedes do they nothing but liue at their owne ease loking when the should fall vnto thē sleeping soundly and
meane whereby we are driuen to séeke after it Contrarywise riches and wealthe oftentimes make men to forget themselues and God too Pouertie spurreth menne forwarde to learne Artes wherby they might helpe bothe themselues and theirs Riches for the moste parte engendreth idlenesse and contempt of learning and learned menne Pouertie causeth sobrietie and maketh men vertuous and discréete So Tullie defendeth Roâ—â—ius Amerinus that ledde a poore husbande mannes life againste his greate enimie Erâ—â—us saying that the poore countrey life whiche he so opprovricusly called rude was the maistresse of frugalitie diligence and vpright conuersation On the other side ryches be the sinnowes of vice as sayeth Bion Botisthenites at leaste the occasion as recordeth Isocrates Therefore sayde our sauioure Christe that it vvas easier for a camel or as some translate it a gable rope to goe through a needels eye than for a riche man to enter into the kingdome of heauen Pouertie is the nourice of concorde and an entier bande of amitie and frendshippe making one man to haue néede of an others helpe Riches and wealth bréedeth discorde as experience teacheth causing beare fréendes nowe and then to be at deadly fode one with the other Therefore we reade Genes 36. that Iacob and Esau being bothe brethren coulde not yet dwell peaceably togither Pouertie maketh men healthfull and to be quickly cured when they be sicke Riches surfytting and diseases with muche neschnesse and tendernesse of mennes bodies be lincked and coupled in a strait league of alliance Pouertie maketh men to be quiet minded and to tune vp their pipes with a merrie note abundance of riches saith Ecclesiastes wil not suffre a man to take his rest Therfore the great care y is about theÌ„ in the scripture is coÌ„pared to thornes whervpon no man is able to treade without pricking tearing of his teÌ„der flesh If I were disposed to go forwarde with the comparison perchaunce I mighte yet say more But it may be some will thinke I haue gone already tootoo farre Let this hardly suffise The .ix. Chapter The author doth not simply condemne riches but he would neither haue the poore discouraged nor the rich too-muche puffed vp SVrely what so euer hathe bene sayd precisely I condemne not riches Which if they be gotten lawfully and by godly meanes and spent honestly liberally as the purse is able to beare out especially with a greater care to relieue oure brothers extreme néede than to mayntayne a brauerie our selues in this case surely for my parte I am so farre from condemning the vse of them that I say rather with Salomon To wyse menne their riches is a crowne I knowe Zacheus was riche so was Ioseph of Arimathia Ioachim Susannaes husbande Mardocheus Abraham and other mo Whome I knowe were very godly notwithstanding and of the number of them that shall be saued And surely it is very well noted of S. Austine vppon the. â—1 Psalme that Lazarus béeing but poore and simple was caried by Angels into the bosome of Abraham that was riche to giue vs a playne signification that it is neither riches nor pouertie that offendeth God but a minde rather that is couetous and ouer gréedie of the world That rich men haue done harme with their goodes that is true in déede but they haue also done with them muche good as we in Oxforde haue had lately two suche founders of riche men as haue not bene séene before these many yeres Riches wil some say haue caried some to the diuell so haue they in déede But some also haue made them friendes with the riches of iniquitie that myghte receaue them when they shoulde néede into suche perdurable mansion-places as shoulde neuer fayle Neither be those words of our sauiour Chryst whyles he séemeth to make such an impossibilitie for a riche man to enter into heauen so to be scanned or taken as thoughe he simply prouounced sentence agaynst hym that were riche For Chryste oure Sauioure his owne selfe who vndoubtedly coulde best tell hys owne meaning interpreted hymselfe otherwyse Who séeing his Disciples strycken blanke with the rigorouse comparison whiche he had vsed to open hym selfe to them more playnely spake to them agayne with these wordes O children how harde is it for theÌ„ that trust in riches to haue entraunce into the kingdome of heauen It is not then the riches but the confidence in riches that our sauiour Chryste so misliketh Which if riche men either could or would auoyde as surely it standeth theÌ„ much vpon I should then think theÌ„ thrise happie first happy y they haue riches theÌ„ happier y they vse theÌ„ to gods glory but finally happiest in this respect that béeing laded and clogged with suche mightie and heauy burdens they can enter yet into so narrow a throughfare as muste leade them by the hande to euerlasting life And this verily is not my saying but the writer called Ecclesiasticus in effecte I ensure you saythe as muche whose words to reherse in this place it is surely nothing from the purpose Blessed is the riche man sayth he that is founde without blemishe and hath not gone after golde nor hoped in money and treasures VVho is he and we wil commende hym for wonderful things hath he done amongest his people VVho hath bene tryed thereby and founde persite Let him be an example of glory Therfore as I began to say I thinke verily riches béeing Gods good guyfte employed vppon vs to be no damnable or displeasaunt thing before god But yet would I not haue theÌ„ so muche made of neither as though the poore laboring man that hathe not this great store of coyne shoulde therefore lothe or myslike his owne state or beléeue he is therfore lesse fauoured or beloued of God. For he is not able in déede to tell many bagges of golde What of that He hath so muche the lesse to answere for He wanteth this great substaunce I wéene God dothe muche more for hym than he is ware of He wanteth therfore muche matier of temptation which percase it were harde for him to resiste He hath not much wealth Whether it be mickle or little it skilleth not so he haue that which may suffise A small thing to the iuste man sayth the Prophete is better than greate riches to the wicked And S. Austine writing to the widdowe Proba telleth hir It is better to haue sufficient than to flowe in welth But king Salomon in his Prouerbes goeth further with vs saying that a dry morsell if peace be with it is better than an house full of sacrifices wyth stryfe What speake we of his pouertie all the whyle he is able to gette his liuing The common Prouerbe is God neuer made the mouthe but he made also the meate Certayuely the worlde can not go so hardely with him but that one or other for his good seruice at leastwyse will entertayne him Onlesse peraduenture hée hathe so leudely bestowed hys tyme
to the state of their owne nature Touching Gods administration of thinges in heauen I thinke no man will resist me in that poynt onely Epicure excepted Whose grosse fantasie is suche that he wéeneth God doth nothing else but walke vp and downe in heauen and take his pastime But for the aunswering of his vayne conceates that which hath bene sayde already mighte suffise That which foloweth hath more controuersie when I ascribe also to God a continuall gouernement of all thinges without exception whatsoeuer it be that is vnder heauen For the chiefe capitaine and ringleader of all the Peripetickes in his treatise concerning good Fortune would proue by two argumentes at the least that thinges casuall and suche as séeme to come by happe be exempted vtterly from Gods gouernement And one of his reasons is the prosperitie of the wicked of whom that God should haue any care he sayth it is an vnlikely mattier His other profe is that if God medled with these mattiers of Fortune so it pleaseth him to call the temporal commodities of this world he would rathest sende them good lucke which were men of wisedome and discretion wheras contrarywise we sée for the most parte that the veriest asses and doltes haue the best fortune Nay he is so far off from condiscending to vs that God should haue any thing to do in these variable accidentes that chaunce in the earth that as Laertius the wryter of his life sayth and S. Ambrose with other mo he restrayneth Gods Prouidence to the precinct of heauen A great aduersarie I ensure you in suche a cause and not altogither of me to be contemned But this yet toucheth me somewhat nigher that myne olde frende Tullie whome hitherto I haue counted so sure a carde should now deale with me so vnkindely in shrinking from me peraduenture when I haue moste néede For hauing tolde me so much before of Gods gouernment of the world yea and proued the matier too so substancially now commeth he me in vpon the sodayn I wot not how with his Magna dij curāt parua negligunt saying after his heathenish maner the Gods care for great matiers but these small trisles they will not looke to And in his oration made in the defense of Roscius Amerinus If the most gracious and mightie Iupiter sayth he by whose becke and arbitrement heauen and earth and the sea is gouerned oftentimes hath anoyed men with vehement winds or immoderat tēpests or excessiue heat or intolerable cold if he haue rased cities destroyed corne wherof me thinketh nothing is done by Gods counsell for any harme but by the extremitie great violēce that hath hapned wheras cōtrariwise the cōmodities which we vse the light which we enioy the breath which we draw is bestowed giuē to vs as we se by him what should we maruel at L. Sylla that when he onely gouerned the publike weale welded the rule of the whole world established with lawes the maiesty of the Empire which by his dedes of armes by his chiualry he had so wel recouered he could not to al things haue a careful eye Onlesse this be taken for a maruel that mans wit and pollicy could not compasse that which God with al his power could not atchieue But what maruell we at Tullie béeing a starke miscreant and a Paynim séeing amongest vs also that be Christians there want not patrons of this learning Surely a certayne graue father writing vpon the first chapter of Habacuk touching these little séely creatures as flyes gnattes wormes and such like teacheth that God dothe not take of them any seuerall or particular care but generally and superficially as it were looketh ouer them For these be his very wordes vppon the same place of Habacuk which I haue noted Lyke as amongest men Gods Prouidence runneth through euery seueral person so amongst other liuing creatures we can conceaue in deede a generall disposition an order and a course of the worlde as for example howe a great meanie of fishes breede and liue in the water how creeping and foure footed beastes multiplie in the earth and with what foode they be nourished But it is a fond toy to bring Gods Maiestie so lowe that he shoulde knowe how many gnattes come into the world and howe many go out what a number of fulsome wormes and of fleys and flees there be on the earth what great fishes there swimme in the water and which of the lesser sorte of them muste be deuoured of the greater Let vs not be suche foolishe flatterers of God that whyles we would make his power to goe downe to these base things we shoulde doo iniurie to oure selues saying that ouer reasonable creatures and vnreasonable Gods prouident care is all alyke Hytherto this wryter But bothe he and the reste of them mighte be soone answered For first as for Aristotle obiecting the prosperitie of these smoothe hypocrites of the worlde and the aduersitie of godly wise men albeit that mighte well inoughe suffise whiche I haue written in my former booke yet this furthermore shall be added oute of Austine De cinitate These goods and euilles which be temporall God woulde haue common both to the good and the euill to this ende and purpose that neither these goods as they are called should be coueted ouer greedily which euill menne also are seene to haue nor these euils of aduersitie should with shame and dishonour be eschewed wherewith good men also many tymes are touched Salomon sayde wisely in the firste chapiter of his Prouerbes when fooles haue prosperitie it is their vndoing What get they then I pray you by the worlds fauning vpon them On the other side sayth the Prophete with all the godly afflicted It is good for me Lorde that thou haste broughte me lowe to the intent I might learne thy statutes What harme then dothe the guiltlesse susteine that can beare Gods fatherly correction But that which Aristotle neuer knew no maruell though he neuer rightly wayed Surely if the calmnesse of this deceuable prosperitie should alwayes laugh vpon vs in this worlde neuer would mans soule desire as full well sayth S. Austine to the widdowe Proba the hauen of true and assured safetie Therefore when Aristotle hath euen vttered to vs all his phantasie let vs yet which be Christians say wyth the Prophete whome we knowe was the instrument of the holy Ghost that the very rod and staffe of Gods chastisement is our comfort Tullie though he be likewise an heathen man yet as meséemeth hath a godlyer meaning in some respecte For supposing that all goodnesse dothe proceede from God whom prophanely he nameth Iupiter yet the hurte that is done by wyndes and tempestes or by any other wayes and meanes commeth not as he thinketh from the spring and fountayne of Gods counsayle but I wotte not of what blinde sway of the worlde The like errour is mayntayned of a kinde of Heretikes whiche be called Coluthiani
saying that God created no euill thing And well shotte in déede of them both but God knoweth tootoo farre from the marke For alas good menne whyles they woulde defende Gods innonocencie which notwithstanding withoute their ayde is able to supporte it selfe they sée not in the meane tyme how they pull God oute of his throne of iudgement not onely despoyling him of hys iustice but also by haynouse sacriledge depriuing hym of his almighpower God createth no euill thyng they say it is true if they mente it so as thoughe no creature of Gods making were to be estéemed as euill But will they say the execution of vengeaunce agaynst sinne procéedeth not from the scate of God To whom then shall we flée for refuge when mighte ouercommeth vs in oure righte Where then is become the defendour of forsaken widdowes and the shielde and buckler of poore orphanes Is there any euill done in the world which God is not able to preuent How then doth he call his God moste gracious and moste mightie Iupiter But as for Tullie let him go hardly with his God. Of oure God let vs beléeue as the scriptures teache vs that whether it be the destroying of corne and fruite or the ransacking and subuerting of townes and cities or any other mischéefe that is done in the worlde it commeth euery whitte of it of Gods displeasure euen as we are certaynely assured that the contrary is the benefite of Gods blessing Therfore wheras Plinie alegeth the Varto telleth vs of a certayne towne vndermyned by connies in the countrey of Spaine and of an other throwne downe by mouldiwarpes in Thessalia and how that frogges droue citizens oute of their houses in a towne of Fraunce and of Locustes that did the like in Africa with many other the like terrible examples of Gods wrath executed by moste lothesome and contemned vermine we may be well assured that these dumbe fily creatures could neuer be set on by themselues but as it muste néedes be they were stirred vp by God him selfe Let vs nowe come to oure aforesayde writer vpon Habatuk for Tullies errour is not vnrefuted if it please you but to call to memorie that which hath bene elsewhere spoken first he graunteth to vs of his owne accorde that God hath a generall disposition and a confused order as it were for the gouerning and guyding euen of these things that be base For he will not greatly sticke with vs aboute this that God is not ignoraunte what a great number of fishes there be in the sea after what sorte these créeping and foure footed beastes doo encrease with what meate they liue and suche other lyke pretie thinges But he taketh it to be a debasing of Gods Maiestie and therefore for sooth he can not take it wel that we shoulde say he hath any knowledge concerning gnattes lothesome wormes flies or fleas or any such other simple creatures Is it a derogation then to Gods Maiestie to knowe any thing which he hath created if the very knowledge of suche thinges dishonour God muche more should their creation But God hathe created nothing whereof he hath cause to be ashamed who testifieth of all his workes that they bée exceeding good And the Prophete Dauid cryeth oute that God hathe wroughte all thinges in vvysedome and that the earthe is full of the goodnesse of the Lorde Dothe not God knowe hys poore séely creatures sayth he howe then dyd he create he wiste not what Holy writte recordeth not onely that God knoweth with what foode and sustenaunce euery liuing thing is nourished but also that God openeth his owne hand not disdayning himselfe to féede euery one of them Hathe he suche a care ouer any thing whiche he wyll not knowe The Prophete making exclamation VVho is lyke sayth he to the Lorde oure God who notwithstanding that he ruleth aboue in heauen yet humbleth himselfe to beholde whatsoeuer is in heauen or in earth◠Doth God sée all things vpon the earth and yet hath he no vnderstanding what they be Wherefore then dothe he beholde them S. Peter béeing eftesones demaunded of our sauiour Christ whether it were so that he loued him yea or no in the ende maketh answere with these words Yea Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I loue thee If God be he which knoweth all things as all Christians certaynely beléeue and many ways else if néede were it might be proued why then I pray you dothe this author beeing otherwyse a godly and learned father take vppon him to make suche an exception But surely what so euer he say to the contrary not onely God conceyueth all thinges by his infinite and endlesse knoweledge no not the meanest thinges that are béeing excluded But that whiche more is he hath ouer all thinges an especiall care Which truely if it were otherwyse I say if God withdrewe from any thyng the helpe and furtheraunce of hys dyrection yea and thoughe it were but for the momente of one houre it would straighte-waye consume and fall to noughte For at the fyrste sayth Gregorious Magnus was euery thing made of nothyng and to nothyng agayne shoulde their substaunce come ne were it not that he that made them stayed and vvithhelde them with the hande of his gouernement All thinges therefore which God hath made of themselues are nether able to hold togither nor to moue or stirre to or fro but so farfoorth they haue a beeing as God hath giuen them that guifte to be so farre foorth they are able to moue as God by his secrete working setteth them on With consideration whereof the Apostle is so vehemently enflamed that no longer able to stay hym selfe O the deepenesse sayeth he crying oute with muche woondering and admiration of the riches bothe of the vvisedome and knovvledge of God! hovv vnsearchable are his iudgementes and his vvayes hovve farre be they past finding out For vvho hath knovvne the mind of the lord or vvho vvas his counseller or vvho hath giuen to him first and he shal be recompēsed FOR OF HIM AND THROVGH HIM AND FOR HIM ARE ALL THINGS To hym be glorye for euer Amen If then God be he who as it were vnder proppeth all things if he vouchesafe all things the greate benefite of his presence to that end who out of no place can be expelled if he beholde all things with a cōtinual watching eye as I haue elsewhere declared if he can vtterly be ignorant of nothing what then shoulde let him particularly of al things to haue a care Should good wil But euen by the common receiued sentence of all Christendom and heathnesse he is most gracious Should paines As though it were not as easie for almighty god to gouern as to holde vp from falling to holde vp all things as with al things to be presēt◠to be present with all things as to know whatsoeuer is in the worlde to knowe whatsoeuer is in the world as to viewe all things with the
so drawe oure lyfe from God as though we were any parcell of his substaunce as the Manicheâ—s fondely helde and as one parte and member of our natural body is nourished and relieued by an others ayde but surely béeing an other thing by nature than he is for none other reason we are sayde to haue our béeing of him but bicause he worketh it by his power And this is the worke of his Prouidence whereby he holdeth all things in him selfe mightely reaching by his wisedome from one end of the worlde to an other and swéetely disposing all things in good order in respecte whereof we may be sayde to lyue in him or by him to moue in him and in him to haue as it were residence Wherevpon iustly and with good cause we might inferre this conclusion that if God woulde withdrawe from vs this straunge worke of his gouernement we should neither liue nor moue nor be any thing Therefore when I defined Gods Prouidence amongst other things I placed this in my definition whereby all things in heauen and vnder heauen are continually gouerned and prouided for The .xiij. Chapter That God gouerneth all things according to the state of their owne nature WHervnto I added immediately according to the state of their owne nature For this alwayes necessarilie presupposed which surely is an infallible and most certayne truth that God vseth no parcialitie in his welding of the gouernement of this world but loueth all his creatures as his creatures after alike and an equal maner yet this also is no lesse true to be imagined that he considereth all things as they either be in theÌ„ selues or deserue to be His gouernment therfore béeing iust and according to reason he dothe not honour flies and gnattes with such dignitie and preheminence as he dothe man nor man as Angels nor one man as another But as Boetius sayth in a place before meÌ„tioned in my seconde booke looking out of the high prospecte of his Prouidence forseeth what for euery thing is moste fit but as Plato in that poynte wryteth very well in Timaeo as euery thinges nature is capable of a blessed state so farre foorth he woulde haue euery thing dignified and made semblable to hym selfe but as holy Scripture it selfe euery where ringeth fingeth out he rewardeth euery man according to his workes He therefore may be answered euen with as muche ease as he obiecteth that chargeth vs so vnaduisedly without cause saying Let vs not be suche foolish flatterers of God that whyles we would make his power to goe downe to these base things we should do wrong to our selues saying that ouer reasonable creatures vnreasonable Gods prouident care is all alyke For if he meane by this his word alyke as thoughe in euery respecte and condition and in a lyke degrée of quantie it were sayde that Gods Prouidence stretched alike to these simple and brute creatures as it doth to vs men that haue the vse of reason it might be well asked him agayne who euer was so madde to beléeue that for nature reason and our common sense yea our dayly experience dothe reclayme Else what more absurditie shoulde it be that Gods Prouidence shoulde equally after a due rate and proportion viewe ouer with a fauourable regarde aswell the basest things in the earth as either men or Angels or other heauenly wightes that be aboue than it is for the Sunne in the firmament not onely to shine ouer all heauen and vniuersally to giue lighte to all the worlde pouring downe his beames cherefully vpon sea and land but to glanse also particularly through euery hole and with his greate glistering and brightnesse to expel darknesse round about in the very simplest corner that may be found Which sunne although it enuie nothing the vse of his lighte but extendeth it of his owne part after a lyke fashion to all yet who séeth not that séeth any thing that euery thing doth not feele by it the like commoditie nor in euery place where it shyneth it hath the same effecte It giueth light in déede but yet the blinde man séeth by it neuer the more it warmeth and maketh hotte but yet the beast called Salamandra is colde still it mollifieth and maketh soft but yet clay and earth is the harder for it it reuiueth in the spring-time all hearbes and flowres and in the haruest it ripeneth all corne and fruite but yet the grasse that is cutte downe in the field it altowithereth and drieth vp The Sunne dealing so indifferentely why is all this Truly not of the behalfe of the Sunne which worketh according to the mattier that is vnderhande but either the capacitie of euery thing wyll not receyue or else euery nature is not apte to beare that which so openly and commonly is to be had Euen so fareth it with the Prouidence of almightie God which béeing equally present in euery place yet in euen portioÌ„s doth not coÌ„municate to euery thing an equal vertue In euen portions I say not in euen proportions For else I know wel inough that he alwayes kepeth that equalitie that bothe reason and iustice would require But why doth he not so what is the mattier I say the he doth not endue all things with like guiftes Forsooth for all things be not capable nor apte for the like But he might qualifie all things if it please him to receiue the like benefites at his hands He might in dede do many things by his miraculous power which he will neuer do notwithstanding yea and that he should do them at any time things yet still remayning in their owne nature how could it I pray you hang togither Shall a gnatte be a gnatte still in the essentiall forme of a man or shall that which is lesse inquantitie be bigger than that which is muche greater or shal not that which is nowhere be yet still in a place Or finally shall one and the same nature at one time in the same ground as it were admit qualities vtterly repugnant No truly God would not that hauing limited euery thing that is natural within bounds agreable to theÌ„selues Therefore he hath made an Angels nature farre diuerse from a mannes a mannes from a beastes a beastes from a trées and so foorthe Wherein so long as they continue Gods ordinaunce as reason is must nedes holde If it please God at any time to alter them he may in déede wel do so I denie not but he wil neuer so alter them that there shall be founde no diuersitie in that poynte at leastwyse wherein the alteration is made I say this God may in déede make a gnatte a reasonable creature but then of necessitie muste the gnatte néedes goe out of his owne kind that is to say it can be a gnat no longer God may make a humaine creaturs without shape without distinction of members without hauing any visible nature without place without bignesse yea and by no meanes able to be comprehended by any naturall
sense but thys humane creature is not then any more humane not any more I say of oure stampe Why so Damascene giueth the reason For sayth he the distinction of members dothe so appertayne vnto the nature of mans body that where there is no suche distinction there is no perfecte mans body S. Austine ad Dardanum answereth likewise Take roumes and spaces from bodies so that there be neither narrowe nor strayte place left that may conteyne them and then consequently they shall be nowhere and if they shal be nowhere they shall not be And the same S. Austine ad Enodium graunting well that the reason of diuerse changes and transmutations is vnknowen whervpon followeth the varietie of all myracles that may be seene Yet neuerthelesse sayth he are we therefore ignoraunt that there be bodies that we haue a bodie that agayn there is no body be it neuer so smal or sclender which according to the rate of his quantitie dothe not occupie the compasse of a place And in that it is holden in suche a compasse that it can not be euery where all whole but that it is lesse in a part of it than in al the whole sette togither These poyntes bicause they are well knowen we may conclude with good cause that which may be gathered of it That which Cyrillus sayth in his seconde Booke de Trinitate to proue that the diuine nature is not thronged within the circuite of any certayne place may very aptly in this case serue our turne If the godhead sayth this father Cyrill could be deuided and parted into peeces then might it be taken for a body and if it were so then should it needes be in a place and haue bygnesse and quantitie and beeing of any mickle or quantitie it could not choose but be limitted within certayne boundes Vigilius lykewise writing agaynst Eutiches the Heretique in his fourth booke sheweth vnto vs a greate cause why the body of an humain creature can not bée visible and inuisible in a place and yet not in a place shapelesse and yet haue a shape hauing the proportion of a mannes body and yet without the limmes and members of a man c. all at one moment of time and at one very instant For sayth he one and the selfe same nature can not admitte at one and the selfe same time repugnant and contrary qualities in it selfe The Scholemenne them selues teache this that God may not be sayde to do those thinges which include in them selues a contradiction that is suche repugnaunt and contrarie affirmations that the one of them of necessitie must ouerthrowe the other Wherefore I can not but maruayle so muche the more at the learned scholeman Thomas of Aquine who affirming the holy sacrament to be Chrystes very body bloud as in déede in some maner and phrase of speache it may verily and truely be reported bothe bicause it signifieth the true body and bloud of Chryste as Tertullian and Austine full well declare and for the vnspeakable grace and vertue that to the due vse of the same is annexed as Theodorite and Epiphanius playnely teache moreouer bycause this moste reuerende Sacrament is to vs a sure pledge and instrument whereby wée receyue Chrystes body and bloude in suche maner and fourm as they be offered to vs that is to saye spiritually and not carnally as to let many other passe Cyrill Austine Barnarde and Bâ—trome tell vs I can not I say but muche maruayle at Thomas of Aquine who affirming that the consecrated breade and wyne is the true naturall and humayne body of Chryste borne of his holy mother and nowe reygning in heauen doth yet so sette it oute as he sayth it is exhibited in the Sacrament that ye would thinke it nothing lesse than suche a true naturall mannes body as he speaketh of for thus forsoothe he descrybeth it Christus totus est sub quaâ—ibet parte specierum panis vini non solum cum frangitur hostia sed etiaÌ„ cuÌ„ integra manet Nec est distaÌ„tia partiuÌ„ ab inuiceÌ„ vt oculi ab oculo aut oculi ab aure aut capitis à pedibus sicut est in alijs corporibus organicis That is to say Chryst is whole vnder euery parte of the fourmes of the bread and wyne not onely when the hoste is broken but also when it abideth whole And there is no distaunce of one parte from an other as of the one eye from the other eye or of the eye from the eare or of the heade from the féete as there is in other bodies organicall And may I not note trowe ye the great ouersighte of them who affirming that our Lorde Iesus Chryst is of a truth ascended vp to heauen in that very same substaunce which he tooke of the vnspotted virgin that is to say that he hath lifted it quite away from the earth hath placed it aboue in his celestiall palace there to continue vntill suche time as all thinges be restored accordingly as it is set out in the Actes would yet beare vs in hande nathelesse that the same body is resident here in earth by al meanes as verily as he is in heauen And shall we not thinke their tale is scarse coherent who inueying agaynst Brentius and certayne other for saying Chrystes body is in euery place woulde yet dispearse it as it were them selues I wotte not into howe many coastes and countreys at one time Surely Saincte Austine wryting agaynst the secte of the Manicheis styeketh not playnely to saye vnto them that Secundum praesentiam spiritualem nullo modo Christâ—s pati posset secundum verò praesentiam corporalem simul in sole in luna in cruce esse non posset That is to say that according to hys spirituall presence Chryste coulde not suffer but according to his bodily presence he coulde not be at once bothe in the Sunne and the Moone and vppon the Crosse Whiche if it be true as wée may beléeue hym howe muche lesse may it be sayde that he hathe the very naturall substaunce of hys humaine body in so infinite pyxes and boxes at one houre Doth that stand with the true nature of suche a body as corruption and sinne onely excepted with the properties of his body glorified is lyke oures Which onlesse we will say with Eutiches that it is consumed and swallowed vp of the Godhead muste néedes haue the same circumscription that it had before That which we wryte of Christes body whiles we speake of the true nature of a man the like might I exemplifie of all other thinges whereof if their chaunge be in their very nature and substaunce then algates we muste presuppose of congruence that they be not that any more from whence they are chaunged If God then do not indue a gnatte a worme a flée or any suche lyke thing with any suche plentyfull guyftes as he dothe a man the cause is not Gods lesse care and Prouidence that