the chiefest and greatest matters to bee done in the Church of God hee no way knowing nor permitting the same and the priests that is to say the Lords stewards not to be assigned by his owne sentence That is not to have faith whereby wee live By the disposition of God all things are governed namely to give honour to Christ our Lord and God by whose birth and arbitrement we know and believe all things to bee ruled and governed Clearely it appeares Bps. which are without the Church not to be made by the will of God but against the disposition and tradition of the Gospell so the Lord himselfe puts downe and speakes in the twelve Prophets they have set up a King Hos 8.4 but not by me An Index of the context of Scripture which occasionally are expounded in this Volume not otherwise For the number of them in the whole arises in exceeding great quantitie The figures before the Text declare places of Scripture those after where they are found in the worke it selfe What is prefixed afterward for instruction to the Alphabeticall must also be a direction here for the searching them out every one in its due ranke that so it may appeare how they are opened and applied to their proposed ends The old Testament Genesis 1.33 GOd saw all things that hee had made and they were exceeding good Fr. p. 3 2.10 11 12. And out of Eden went a river to water the garden from thence it was divided and became into foure heads Pishon Gihon Tigris Euphrates Intr. p. 2. 2.24 They both shall be one flesh and one spirit Off. l. 1. c. 32. p. 81. 6.5 God saw that the wickednesse of mans heart was exceeding great in the earth c. Fr. p. 14. 10.9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord Pref. in lib. 2. 12.1 Get thee out of thy countrie from thy kinred c. Off. l. 1. c. 22. p. 52. 47.18 But when the yeare mas ended they came againe the next yeare Off. l. 2. c. 16. p. 42. Exodus 12.11 Thus shall you eate the Passeover with your loynes girt Intr. p. 3. 16.12 He that gathered much had nothing over c. Off. l. 1. c. 30. p. 73 74. 20.26 And the second row shall be an Emeraud or Carbuncle Intr. 2. 20.26 Neither shalt thou goe up by steps to mine Altar lest thy filthinesse be discovered Off. l. 1. c. 18. p. 41. Numbers 3.45 Et erunt mihi Levitae c. The Levites shall bee mine Deuteronomie 33.8 Give to the Levite thy Vrim and Thummim Off. l. 1. c. 50. p. 125. Samuel 1.10.10 Is Saul also among the Prophets Off. l. 1. c. 29. pag. 68. 1.28.1 And it came to passe in those dayes that the people of other nations c. 2.18 21. Then said Joab to Cushi goe tell the King what thou hast seene Intr. p. 3. Kings 1.10.10 It was a true word which I heard in mine owne land of thy sayings Off. l. 2. c. 10. p. 28. 1.21.3 The Lord keepe me from giving the Inheritance of my fathers to thee Off. l. 3. c. 9. p. 31. 2.6.22 Thou shalt not smite them whom thou hast not taken with thy sword Off. l. 1. c. 29. p. 28. Iob. 1.21 As it pleased the Lord so comes it to passe c. Off. l. 1 c. 38. p. 39. 19.21 O my friends take pittie on me c. Off. l. 3. c. 16. p. 59. 21.9 They have waxed old and abound in wealth their seed is established according to their desire Off. l. 1. c. 12. p. 21. 32. Yet shall hee be brought to the grave and remaine in the heape Off. l. 1. c. 16. p 32. Psalmes 4.4 Be angry and sinne not Off. l. 1. c. 20. p. 46 47. 6.9 With thee is the fountaine of life Intr. 7. Title Shiggaion of David which hee sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite Intr. p. 3. 7.4 I have recompenced him that rendred mee evill Off. l. 3 c. 9 p. 30. 8.6 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet Off. l. 1. c. 28. p. 64. 23.8 His mercy shall prevent me p. 13. 26.5 I have hated the Congregation of the malignant and I will not sit among the ungodly Add. p. 128. 27.26 The just man is mercifull and lendeth Off. l. 2. c. 8. p. 24. 30.9 What profit is there in my blood when I goe downe to corruption Off. l. 2. c. 6. p. 14. 34.11 Come yee sonnes and hearken to me I will teach you the feare of the Lord Off. l. 1. c. 1. p. 1. 37.21.37.25.38.13 J was as a deafe man and heard not and as a dumbe Off. l. 1. c. 5. p. 10. 18. 39.1 I will keepe my wayes that I offend not in my tongue Off. l. 1. c. 2. p. 6. 9. 11 12 13. l. 3. c. 1. p. 1. 39.4 Lord let me know the number c. that I may know what I have not attained to Off. l. 1. c. 49. p. 115. 45.9 Kings daughters were among the honorable women upon the right hand did stand c. Intr. p. 2. 51.4 That thou maist be justified in thy sayings and cleare c. Add. p. 135. 52.2 He cutteth with his tongue like a razor Off. l. 3. c. 11. p. 38. 55.6 O that I had wings like a dove c. Off. l. 1. c. 20. p. 4. 55.13 Thou ô man of one mind with me in religion Off. l. 3. c. 16. p. 63. 55.15.59 10. Let them goe downe quickly into the grave Off. l. 1. c. 12. p. 23. 65.1 Praise O God beseemeth thee in Sion Off. l. 1. c. 20. p. 108. 68.13 Though yee have lien among the pots c. Intr p 2. 72 20 Lord in thy citie thou wilt bring their images to nothing Off. l. 1. c 39 p. 119. 82 4. Deliver the poore and needy Off. l 1. c 16. p. 33. 85.8 I will heare what the Lord God will speake in mee Off. l. 3. c. 1. p. 3. 93.1 The Lord hath raigned he hath put on comelinesse Off l. 1 c. 45. p. 107. 108. 112.5 The good man is mercifull and lendeth and will guide his words c. Off. l. 2. c. 8. p. 24. 119 57. The Lord is my portion Add. p. 132. Proverbs 5.15.17.18 Come eate c. Intr. p. 2. 9 5.12 Drinke thou of the water Off. l. 3. c. 1. p. 1. 2. 10.15.11.26 He that withdraweth corne shall leave it to the nations Off. l. 3. c. 6. p. 21. 22. 14 15. Innocent beleeveth Off. l. 3. c. 10. p. 35. 20.1 Wine is prodigall Off. l. 2. c. 21. p. 54. 20.10 Divers weights and divers measures both these are an abomination to the Lord Off. l. 3. c. 9. p. 32. 23.10 When thou sittest to eate with a ruler c. Off. l. 11. c. 31. p 77. 24.30 I passed by the fields of the slothfull Off. l. 1. c. 31. p. 77. 26.4 Answer not a foole according to his foolishnesse Off. l. 1. c. 10. p. 18. 27.10 Better is a neighbour that
〈◊〉 strangers Which also wee may truly say was taken from our profession for the Hebrewes did call their adversaries h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 2.12 1. In the Hebrew beside ajab the ordinary roote for an enemy there is tsar which is not much dissonant to gar peregrinari from whence ger a stranger 2. The Lords speciall care for strangers Deut. 10.18 14.29 Exod. 23.9 now within the gates of Israel though enemies before may be the reason hereof 3. The love that God injoyned to enemies Math. 5.44 allophyli that is in a Latine word alienigenae of another Tribe or nation In the first booke of the Kings wee reade And it came to passe in those dayes that the people of other i 1 Sam. 28.1 the translation used in our Fathers time so read but our vulgar Philistims of Phalas Hebr. raising dust and wrapping themselves in it because of their multitude in battell and spreading over the land as the only nation nations came to battell against Jsrael Fidelity therefore is the foundation of justice For the hearts of the just meditate k Psal 37.31 31.23 fidelity And when the just doth accuse himselfe hee placeth justice above fidelity For then his justice appeareth if hee confesseth the truth Besides also the Lord witnesseth by l Es 28.16 Esay Behold I will lay in Sion a stone a tried stone a pretious corner stone a sure foundation that is Christ for a foundation to the Church For Christ is the foundation of the faith of all men But the Church is a certaine forme of Justice the common right of all men Shee prayeth in common shee worketh in common shee is tried in common To conclude hee which denieth himselfe hee is just hee is worthy of Christ And therefore Paul laid downe Christ as the m 1 Cor. 3.12 foundation that we might place our workes of Justice upon him because Faith is the foundation But in workes being of two sorts if they bee evill there is iniquity in them they are out of Christ and spring from another roote if they be good there is justice seated in them and they are rooted in Christ Tullius lib. 1. quemadmodum ex beneficentia quae justitiae conjuncta est officia manant CHAP. XXIX Of Beneficence BVT let us now speake of Beneficence which it selfe also is divided into benevolence and liberality Of these two therefore doth beneficence consist that it may be perfect For it is not sufficient bee willing to'doe well but also it is required that it bee put in execution Neither againe is it enough to doe well in outward performance unlesse that doe proceed out of a good fountaine that is out of a good will For God loveth a a 2 Cor. 9.7 cheerefull giver For if thou dost it unwillingly what rewards is there Whence the Apostle speaking generally If I doe b 1 Cor. 9.17 it willingly I shall have my reward if against my will the dispensation is committed to mee In the Gospell likewise wee have many instructions for just liberality It is a most commendable thing therefore to bee willing to doe well and to give with that mind to profit not to hurt For if thou thinke thou oughtest to extend thy contribution to a luxurious person for the maintenance of his riotousnesse or to an adulterer to nourish him in his sinne there can bee no beneficence there where there is no benevolence For that is not to profit but to hurt another if thou give to him that conspireth against his countrie that desireth upon thy cost to gather together the wicked which may impugne the Church This is not liberality to bee allowed of if thou helpe him which decrees with heavy rebukes against the widow and the fatherlesse or doth attempt to deprive them forcibly of their possessions That bounty is not to bee approved if what is given to one is wrested from another if thou get it unjustly and thinke it ought justly to bee dispensed unlesse perhaps as z Luke 19. Zacheus did thou restore to him fourefold whom thou hast defrauded and thou recompence the faults of the dayes of thy Paganisme with the study of true religion and worke of a beleever Let thy liberality therefore have a good foundation This is first required that thou contribute to the cause of the Gospell in faith that thou use no imposture in thy oblations that thou say not thou bestowest more d With Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5. when thou bestowest lesse For what should need such reproofe there is fraud in thy promise it is in thy power to give what thou wilt Deceipt loseth the foundation and the world falleth and commeth to nought Did Peter so burne with indignation that hee was desirous to destroy e Acts 5. Ananias or his wife But he would others to beware by their example lest they running into like offence might perish with them Neither is it perfect liberality if thou contribute rather for f Prov. 25.14 vaine-glory then for mercy sake Thy affection imposeth a name upon thy worke looke with what mind it proceedeth from thee so is it estimated Thou seest what a morall judge thou hast Hee consulteth with thee in what sense hee shall take thy worke and hee first inquireth how it standeth with thy mind Let not thy g Math. 6.3 left hand know saith he what thy right hand doth Hee speaketh not of the body but let not thine unanimous friend nor thy brother know what thou dost lest while here thou seekest to get a reward by boasting thou there losest the fruit of remuneration But there is perfect liberality where one doth cover his workes with silence and doth secretly come as an ayde to every severall person and whom the mouth of the poore praiseth and not his owne lips Moreover perfect liberality is commended by the faith of them in whom it is the cause place and time where and when it is executed insomuch that the first and principall good worke is that which is done toward them that are of the h Gal. 6.10 houshold of faith It is an exceeding great fault if in thy knowledge thou suffer the faithfull man to want and such a one whom thou knowest to bee without money in his purse to be pinched with famine and to indure much sorrow especially when he is ashamed to make knowne his poverty if he shall speedily fall into captivity or that in thy knowledge into reproch and thou helpe him not if he being just suffer imprisonment or bee under vexation for some debt for although mercy is due to all yet much to the just if in the time of his affliction he obtaineth nothing of thee if lastly in the time of his extreame perill even then when he is haled to death thy money prevailes more with thee then the life of him about to die it is an exceeding great fault I say and justly
should not carry away anothers but that the true mother should have her owne restored to her To conclude Solomons owne e 1 Kings 3. â— petition intreated for wisdome namely that a prudent heart to heare and judge with justice might be given him CHAP. IX It is intimated by the Philosophers but much more by our Divines all the vertues to bee individuall and unseparable and howbeit in the opinion of the vulgar to bee severed and divided each from other yet their approbation not to bee given to such parties for vertuous persons where they stand separated and conspire not IT is manifest therefore according to the divine Scriptures which are more ancient then Philosophie wisdome not to bee without justice because where one of them is there are both in like manner a In the Story of Susanna Daniel by a deep and wise b Of chapt v. 54.58 interrogatorie put upon the wicked Judges that accused Susanna found out the untruth of their false crime laied to her charge For when their testimonies accorded not their fraudulent calumnie was soone unmasked Wherefore it was the part of wisdome in him to find out their fraud to lay it open and her innocency and by the witnesse of his voyce to absolve her and to denounce them guilty And of justice to deliver over the nocent to deserved punishment and to free the innocent The combination therefore of wisdome and justice is individuall but in the use of the vulgar in one certaine forme or propertie they tand divided For temperance is seene properly in despising pleasures fortitude in sustaining labours and perils prudence in the choice of that is good knowing to discerne between what is profitable and what unprofitable justice is the good keeper of the right to another man the recoverer of our propriety the preserver of his owne to every one Wherefore for the common opinion sake let this division of vertue bee fourefold that drawing backe our foot from the subtile disputation of Philosophicall wisdome which for the cause of refining the truth in a more curious manner is drawn out as it were of some abstruse and secret place let us follow the forraine use and popular sense Therefore this division being observed let us returne againe to our purpose To every of the wisest men doe wee commit our cause and wee are more ready and forward to seeke counsell from him then from others Notwithstanding the faithfull counsell of a just man doth goe before and being put in the ballance doth most an end overprise the wit of the wisest For the c Prov. 27.6 As Ointment and perfume rejoyce the heart so doth the sweetnesse of a mans friend by hearty counsell A just mans counsell though it bee not alwayes the safest yet proceedeth it from the surest ground viz. from a good heart and so becommeth the sweetest wounds of a lover are more profitable then the kisses of a stranger CHAP. X. A mysticall interpretation of that of Solomon and the Queene of Sheba MOreover because in the just there is judgement in the wise the force of argument therefore in the one is the censure of disceptation and debating of doubts in the other the subtilty of invention which two if thou connect there shall bee great wholsomnesse of counsell which all expect to the admiration of wisdome and love of justice that every one may seeke after the wisdome of that man in whom both these are coupled together Even as all the Kings of the earth sought and desired to see the face of Solomon and to heare his wisdome insomuch that the a 1 Kings 10.1 Queene of Saba came to him proved him with hard questions Shee came to him saith the Scripture and communed with him in all that was in her heart and hee declared to her all her hard questions b The thing typified which the Messias answereth to it Iob. 4.25 14.26 Act. 20.27 nothing was hid from him that hee expounded not to her What c By this woman the Queene of Saba he understandeth the Church of God and by the true Solomon Christ Col. 2.3.9 woman was this that shee passed by nothing unquestioned and to whom the true Solomon omitted nothing unresolved Shee upon his rare answers and service in this acclamation doth import It was a true word saith shee which I d Ibid. v. 6.7.8 heard in mine owne land of thy sayings and of thy wisdome howbeit I beleeved not this report till I had seene it with mine owne eyes For loe the one halfe was not told me For thou hast more wisdome and prosperity then I have heard by report happy are thy men happy thy e Beatae mulieres tuae women happy these thy servants which stand before thee and heare all thy wisdome Vnderstand here the banquet of the true f Luke 11.31 Solomon and what dishes are set before thee in that banquet consider wisely and understand in what land the gathering together of the nations hath heard of the fame of the true wisdome and justice and with what eyes it hath seene him seene the things not to be seene with the eyes of the body for the things that are g 2 Cor. 4.18 seene are temporall the things that are not seene are eternall What are the blessed women but those of whom it is said h Marke 4.20 Acts 17.12 Luke 8.3 many heare the word receive it and bring forth fruit and in another place i Math. 12.50 whosoever shall doe the will of my Father which is in heaven he is my father sister and mother Who are these blessed servants that stand before him but those of whom Paul k Acts 26.22 speaketh I continue unto this day protesting to small and great and Simeon which waited in the l Luke 2.27 temple that hee might see the consolation m 25. of Israel Therefore how did he desire to n 29. depart in peace but standing before the Lord he could not haue leave to o Verse 26. depart vnlesse he had obtained the Lords leaue Solomon was proposed for an example whose wisedome required that with all p Much more therefore ought the kingdome of our true Salomon whereof the other but a type to suffer violence contention and striving of spirit it should be heard CHAP. XI That we ought to seeke counsell at the hands of the just and righteous men The example of the Fathers produced for the proofe thereof NEither was Ioseph in his very imprisonment let rest but that his advice was required concerning things vncertaine and vnknowne And his divine counsell which he had there revealed was such a benefit to the whole land of Egypt that it felt not the greivous extremity a Ioseph quoque nec in carcere feriatus erat which otherwise it would of the seven yeares famine neither to Egypt alone but so that it eased other nations also of wretched famines constrained b Gen. 40.
shut not up the welfare of the poore within thy bagges and that thou bury not his life in these tombes and graves Ioseph could not at once have bestowed all the riches of Egipt and effused together all the Kings treasure but he would not be profuse and prodigall of another mans goods much lesse of his Leiges to whom he owed all loyaltie he chose rather to sell the corne that it might be dispersed to the sustentation of more diversity of people and countries then to give it away in the lumpe to the hungry there present because if he had fed a few hee had beene defective to many That liberality therefore hee approved which might abound toward all hee set open the barnes that all might buy a supply of graine lest receiving it freely they might leave the care of tillage because hee which may use what is anothers neglecteth what is his owne First hee gathered in their money into the Kings treasurie next their e Instrumenta caetera Gen. 47.18 cattell then afterward the right of their inheritance not to dispossesse them all of their owne but to confirme them therein more strongly to set a publike tribute upon it that they might hold it more securely Which was so acceptable to all from whom he had taken away their lands that they thought it not a selling of their right but a redeeming of their estate Their owne words doe import f Gen. 47.25 as much thou hast saved us alive and wee have found favour in the eyes of our Lord. And surely they lost nothing by what hee did in their g Verse 21. propriety who received againe by transmutation a certaine right nor in the matter of utilitie were they losers when a perpetuity was regained to them and their posterity O great wisdome in so great a man who sought not to get temporall glory out of superabundant store but out of extreame necessity could forecast for their perpetuall commodity For hee brought to passe that the people might helpe themselves by their own tribute and not in their need desire the ayde of others For it was much better for them to impart with something out of their increase then to let goe their whole right Hee appointed a fift h Gen. 47.24 portion of collation to the King out of their revenew whereby hee shewed himselfe more sharpe sighted in providing for the peoples good and also more liberall minded toward Pharaoh to bring him in greater tribute Thereby to conclude this point he tying them to harder labour more carefull husbandrie and more commendable improvement the land of Egypt never afterward felt the like famine But see how notably hee did collect future events namely from Pharaohs i Genes 41. Which because may be better there read at large then here out of our Author as many things else for the same cause in the passage of these bookes referring mee to the sacred Scriptures themselves I abridge dreames of the fat and leane kine of the full and thinne eares the seven yeares plenty and the seven yeares penury to come See how wisely there he did k Qua gratia admonuit admonish when he gave counsell to avoid the danger of the latter by being provident in the former The mirror of Iosephs wisedom in the interpretation of dreames and withall his counsell vigilancy justice What may we first therefore being of divine speculation admire in it his wit by which he descendeth into the cabinet and couch of truths meditations and bowels of her secrets or his counsell whereby he foresaw so greivous and long necessity or his vigilancy His magnanimity Gen. 45.5.15 His ingenuity sweetnesse of nature Gen. 45.14 and justice by the one whereof so graue an office being layd vpon him he gathered together so manifold provision by the other kept an equality in his distribution of the whole For concerning his magnanimity and courage of mind what shall I say that being sold vnto slavery by his brethren vpbraided not the iniury * Vnde meritòci a patre dicitur in Deuteronomio but succoured them in their necessity What of his sweetnesse wherein he sought the presence of his deare brother Benjamin by a pious kind of fraud l Gen. 44.2 4.5.15 42.19.22 Gen 42.19.24 For these his vertues which God in his rich mercy blessed him with is his so high a style given him and his both in his father m Gen 49.22 Iacobs and n Deut. 33.13.15.16.17 See these two severall contexts of scripture and consider how the words themselues may be applied to fit this purpose Moses benedictions CHAP. XVII Of what desert he ought to be of whom counsell is required Paul and Ioseph are introduced as patternes for imitation in making our choise WHerefore he which giveth counsell to another ought to a 1 Tim. 4.11 be such a one as may shew himselfe a platforme b 1 Cor. 7.25 of example to others in good workes in doctrine in integrity in gravity that his speech may be wholesome and unblameable his counsell profitable his life honest his opinion decent Such a one was Paul that gave counsell to c Magisterium 1 Tim. 3.1 virgins d Sacerdotibus but the text inforceth this interpretation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cheife ruler e to the Bishop and so that he set himselfe a forme for vs to follow Therefore he knew how to be abased so did Ioseph who comming from the great stocke of the Patriarchs disdained not a degenerate servitude shewed it in obedience illustrated it in his vertues he knew how to be humbled when he suffered himselfe to be sold and to bee bought and called him his Lord that bought him Heare how much he doth abase himselfe My Master knoweth not what he hath in the house with me d Gen. 39.8.9 but hath committed all that hee hath to my hand there is no man greater then I neither hath he kept any thing from mee but only thee because thou art his wife how then can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God A voice surely full of humilitie full of chastity of humility because therein he gave him due honour hee gave him due thankes Full of chastity because to defile his body with a filthy sinne he thought it a grievous offence A councellour therefore ought to bee such a one as vseth no deceit nor falshood is voide of vanity and fables harboureth in his heart no dissimulation convincing his life and manners to bee counterfeit no improbity nor malignitie which may distast and dishearten his clients and such as would be instructed and directed by him For there be some things which we shun some things which we contemne we shunne those things which may hurt which may damnifie as if he with whom we consult be of no credit nor constancy greedy of gaine and may be corrupted we decline him we contemne those things which are worthily reputed base and vile
this last age hath diffused it selfe more largely over the people that all may observe the faith of Christ never to have entred into the rude and unmanured ground of mens hearts and voide of true knowledge For there is no crowne of e Iohn 5.4 victorie which is of faith without an adversarie which is the rude world but the opinion of the adversarie being put downe which prevailed before that whcih was grounded upon true knowledge was rightly preferred If your ancient rites delighted you so much why did your city of Rome worship the Gods of other Nations and succeed them in their Ceremonies I passe by her streets poore and naked before now covered over with pavement of price and her plaine pastorall cottages in times past now glistering with gold which f Romae non fuit aurum nisi exiguum longo tempore Plin. lib. 32. cap. 1. He disproves the Gentile Ceremonies because of their mutabilitie cleane degenerateth from her old custome But that I may more punctually answer their complaint why were they so emulous of the superstition of other Nations that when they had conquered them they evermore received into the Capitoll the images sacred customes and Gods which they overcame Whence is that example that g Cybele is the same with Ops Vesta Pales Berecynthia Terra Rhea Pessinuntia under the first and fourth we reade of her in Virg. Aeneid lib. 3. 6. 9. 10. In the sixt booke the glory of the Roman stock is set out under her name Invehitur curru Phrygias turrita pro urbes in the tenth that shee hath the command of the seas and waters Nymphas Alma Cybele Numen habere maris c. jusserat It should seem therefore that 1. from her was given the honour of the Vestals 2. The renowne of the Empire and the extent of her dominion no lesse by sea then by land But our Author slips by this fond ceremonie as fabulous For as is the river Almo meerely feigned so is all the residue Yet for all that see how she is extolled by the said Poet for her antiquity Ipsa deûm fertur genetrix Berecynthia and as the first that had the honour of worship Hinc mater cultrix Cybele lib. 3. Aeneid Iupiter himselfe is her son and none but she is sought to to petition to him for the preservation of Aeneas ships and her Petition is so farre available with him that thereby they are kept from fiering by Turnus Aeneid lib. 9. Cybele washeth her chariots in the feigned river of Almo Whence that the Phrygian prophets and Gods of unjust Carthage alwayes hatefull to the Romans were admitted into the city of Rome In the diversity of the name not in the variety of divine power stands the difference that Goddesse which the Africans worshipping called h Vnicuique provinciae suus Deus est Syriae Astartes Arabiae Disures Noricae Belenus Africae Coelestis Tertull. Apologet. Caelestis the Persians called Mithras the common people by the name of Venus Likewise they beleeved Victorie to bee a i Allegation that Victorie is a Goddesse confuted Goddesse not because shee had any power or dominion of her selfe or any soveraignty over Religion but because they judged the same obtained against an enemy to be to themselves a k Trajan though an heathen Emperour said well that to give battel appertained to men but to give victory was the work of God favour and liberall gift and to their legions a grace and credit Surely that is a great Goddesse which either the multitude of souldiers claime to themselves or the event of warres doth bring forth Her Altar it is they desire now to be set up in the place of the Common-pleas of the city of Rome that is there where many Christians as well as others have occasion to meet In all their Temples they have their Altars an Altar also have they in the Temple of l His petition pressing the sacrificing upon this altar of Victory standing in the Court answered Victories when they are delighted in the number no marvell their sacrifices being celebrated every where to be without number There is no question but that St. Ambrose knew these to be Symmachus owne words and uttered in some publick assembly In his former Epistle he mentioneth the like Vt oppleret anhelitus ora cinis ex ara favilla de sacrilegio fumus de buslo Which how audacious are they even to astonishment how incredibly odious in such a man in such a matter but that idolaters are mad for their abominations But why doe they now challenge the sacrificing upon this one Altar and upon no more is it not of purpose to insult over our faith Is this a thing tolerable indeed that whiles a Gentile sacrifices a Christian must stand by Let them all draw let them draw saith he though never so unwilling smoake into their eyes the harmony of musicke into their eares ashes into their jawes frankincense into their nostrils and how averse soever let the sparkle arising from our chimneyes flash in their faces Their bathing m Nullus in urbe locus Baijs praelucet amaenis Horat. Pleasantnesse cause of increasing idolatrie Hos 10.1 According to the goodnesse of their land they have made faire images places their porches their streetes are every where pestered with all manner of Idols yet this satisfies them not yea is it thus that in a place of Common councell there shall not bee permitted a common condition Shall the well devoted part of the Senate be tyed to your manner of obtestations and adjurations in their suffrages and dispositions When if n Dilemma the same bee in judgement against what is done that bewrayes o That is both falshood and sacriledge which is done under sacrament contrary to knowledge Quid est jurare nisi ejus quem testare fidei tuae praesulem divinam potentiam confiteri This is an holy oath the contrary is sacriledge falshood if p Where is an outward profession of true religion and no more to submit to superstition is in our Authors construction in his other Epistle likewise sacriledge Te Imperatore saith he hoc petitur postulatur ut aram jubeas clevari c. Sed hoc non potest sine sacrilegio decerni yeeldeth unto it in this confession is made of sacriledge Where q Vbi in leges vestras verba jurabimus qua religione mens falsa terrebitur ne in testimonijs mentiatur These are Symmachus full words in his owne Epistle which though St. Ambrose repeating but in part as sufficient because then well knowne yet wee must now for the better opening the place supply The lawes for Gentile rites abolished saith hee shall wee sweare to your lawes and words of obligation with what religion shall a false heart be terrified that he lye not in his testimony Therefore doth he collect the extent included in the lawes to involve under the tenor thereof a