Common Places, Part 3 · Chapter 12 · Section 4
VVhether the Holie men were inferior to the Ethniks in abiding aduerſities, and in repreſſing of affections.
In 2. Sam. 13, 32.36 But ſome doo maruell, that holie men, which are accounted iuſt in the holie ſcriptures, ſuffered aduerſities with a ſlender courage; and that they made not that ſhew of fortitude, which manie of the Ethniks made ſemblance of. We read that Horatius Puluillus, Examples of the Ethniks which with great courage ſuffered aduerſities.when he was dedicating of a temple, was not amazed to heare of the death of his ſonne, but held faſt the poſt, and performed his dedication. Anaxagoras, when he heard that his ſonne was dead; I knew (ſaith he) that I begat a mortall man. Paulus Aemilius, hauing obteined proſperous ſucceſſe, at the time that his ſonnes died, ſaid, that he was fauourablie heard of the gods immortall: for that he made this petition, That if anie calamitie were néere at hand, the ſame ſhould be turned, not vponupon the people of Rome, but vponupon his houſe. Brutus executed his owne ſonnes: ſo did Torquatus. Wherefore did not God grant theſe things to his ſaints? Why doo they ſéeme to be of ſo baſe mind in affliction, ſéeing they knowe it is laid vponupon them by God? It ſéemeth to be a goodlie queſtion: but I will in few words abſolue it. When I doo conſider thereof, that commeth to my remembrance, which happened in the ſhip wherein was caried Ariſtippus, and a certeine other hardie fellowe, but vnlearned. There aroſe a gréeuous tempeſt, ſo as the ſhip was well néere ſoonke: the philoſopher was ſore afraid. When the tempeſt was ceaſed, the other man ſaid; What meantſt thou (philoſopher) to be ſo afraid? Surelie, I which hauehave not ſtudied philoſophie, was not afraid, but with a valiant courage looked for ſhipwracke. The philoſopher ſomewhat pleaſantlie anſwered; Thou oughteſt not to be carefull for the life of a varlot, I ſawe the life of Ariſtippus the philoſopher in danger.
Euen ſo doo I conſider, that it ſhould be no maruell, if holie men and Ethniks behaue them ſelues after a ſundrie maner; for there is great difference betwéene them. For the Ethniks thought, The difference betweene the holie men and the Ethniks.as touching aduerſities, that they hapned through a neceſſitie of nature; or ſhould be abidden without conſideration, and that after this life there ſhould remaine no life. They had not regard vntounto the prouidence of God that gouerneth all things: or elſe, if they were of the better ſort, they profeſſed the Stoicall ſect, they followed an *foreign.immoueablenes of paſſions, and *foreign.a lacke of paine. Bicauſe they could not denie, but that they were ſometimes troubled with ſudden euils; they did *foreign.things that came naturallie of themſelues, *foreign.and things that came not of nature, which were taken before hand, euen from their childhood: for that thoſe things are laid before vsus, which we would deſire, and which at the firſt motion we would refuſe. And they ſaid, that we muſt wreſtle, not as did the Peripatetiks, to moderate affections, but to root them out. But in that wreſtling they ſaie, that reaſon and affection ſtriue for the poſſeſſion of man. Wherefore they did therein wholie applie themſelues. Howbeit, our cauſe is farre otherwiſe: we doo not weigh thoſe aduerſities themſelues, according to their owne nature; but we flie vntounto the cauſe. We conſider, that God is author, and that we hauehave giuen the cauſe of that affliction: thoſe be cauſes of moorning. There faith is ſtirred vp, and the earneſter it is, the more ſorrow we hauehave for the things which we hauehave committed.
We adde, That affections muſt not vtterlie be taken awaie. Gen. 1.that theſe affections are not altogither ſtaied by godlie men, bicauſe they knowe, that in their owne nature they are not euill: for God graffed them in men, at the creation. God ſawe that all things which he had made were good. He made the ſoule of man perfect, that it might hauehave both the vpper and the groſſer parts where theſe affections be: they be the matter of vertues, and doo helpe them. And to ſpeake of anger, it is the whetſtone of fortitude; it helpeth men to doo honeſt things with a valiant courage. There is no affection, which hath not ſome vtilitie vntounto honeſt things. They which go about to extinguiſh affections, doo nothing elſe, but as they ſhuld take awaie the nature of man. Wherefore the Stoikes were fooliſh men, which therein were wholie bent, that they might take awaie all affections. Rather ought the apoſtles to be heard, which ſaie, that they ſhould be moderated. Paule in the firſt to the Theſſalonians, the fourth chapter; verſe. 13.I would not that ye ſhould ſorrowe as others which hauehave no hope. He taketh not awaie moorning, but he giueth a meane.
37 What is the meane that ought to be vſed? The Peripatetiks reaſon manie things as touching mediocritie: they ſaie, That meane muſt be vſed, which a wiſe man ſheweth in his life. But mans wiſedome is fooliſhnes before God. Pſal. 16, 10.All men are liers. That ſame mediocritie muſt be determined by the word of God. If we hauehave ſinned, and doo liue in aduerſities; let vsus be ſorrowfull, but yet ſo, that we depart not from the word of GOD. Let vsus doo nothing againſt his word, let vsus not be alienated from God, nor ſuffer faith, hope, and charitie to be put awaie. God requireth of vsus, that valiant courage, The Ste… indeuored to make men vnreaſonable and ſenſeleſſe.which the Stoiks boaſted of, but yet according to right reaſon. He would not that we ſhould be vnreaſonable or ſenſeleſſe, as the Stoiks would hauehave men to be. Wherefore Crantor in the third booke of Tuſculane queſtions, thus ſpeaketh; To liue altogither without ſorrowe, happeneth not without vnſenſiblenes of the mind, and blockiſhnes of the bodie. But he ſpeaketh tauntinglie. Auguſtine De ciuitate Dei, the 14. booke, and ninth chapter, writeth; that This vnſenſiblenes, wherby thoſe affections are caſt awaie, is woorſe than all vices. Neither is that required, which Aulus Gellius, in the twelfe booke, the 15. chapter, ſheweth of a certeine ſword-plaier, who while his wounds were lanced by the phyſicians, did laugh. This is a brutiſh kind of fortitude. This hath God otherwhile giuen vntounto martyrs, that in flames, and other deadlie puniſhments, they would be of a chéerfull countenance, Thy martyrs were ſometime infull in torments.and would ſing. Howbeit, this was giuen them by an extraordinarie waie, to the intent that tyrants might be mooued, and the ſtanders by be held with admiration: [but] we ought to followe the ordinarie waie appointed by God.
Paule, in the ſecond epiſtle to the Corinthians, did rightlie and wiſelie expreſſe what is to be doone in theſe caſes; 2. Cor. 4, 8.We are afflicted on euerie ſide, but yet we faint not; we labour in all things, but are not deſtitute; euen in the perſecutions themſelues we are not forſaken; we are caſt downe, but we periſh not. Thus fare the minds of the ſaints: they are afflicted with thoſe ſorrowes, they are not ſenſeleſſe; yet doo they not ſo ſorrowe as they will deſpaire. Thus alſo muſt we doo. Wherefore they, which hauehave brought in a Stoicall reaſon, ſéeme that they would hauehave dealt with blocks; but not hauehave inſtructed men: they repreſented vntounto vsus a ſhew of wiſedome, the which we cannot ſée expreſſed anie where; neither dooth it concurre with humane nature. But there be ſome, which thinke it to be a wicked thing for godlie men to ſigh, to grone, or to be ſad. foreign.But theſe be foreign; to wit, ſuch things as are ſtrange, both from the word of God, and from humane nature. We muſt hauehave an eie vntounto the word of God.
Iohn. 16, 20.Chriſt ſaith; The world ſhall reioiſe, and ye ſhall ſorrowe; they ſhall laugh, and ye ſhall weepe. Yea, and he ſet foorth a decrée; Bleſſed are they which moorne, Matth. 5, 4.for they ſhall receiue comfort. Vndoubtedlie Paule accounteth thoſe foreign, foreign. Rom. 1, 28.to wit, they which are without affection, and which be deliuered vp euen to a reprobate ſenſe. In the pſalme Dauid ſaith, vnderunder the perſon of Chriſt; Pſal. 69, 21.I looked for ſom man to be ſorowfull with me. Paule commandeth vsus To moorne with them that moorne, Rom. 12, 15and reioiſe with them that reioiſe. The ſame apoſtle ſaid; that Hee greatlie longed to ſee the Romans, Rom. 1, 11.that hee might hauehave ſome fruit among them. He was gelous ouer the Corinthians, 1 Cor 11, 2.he would hauehave had them not to be ſeduced by falſe prophets. He ſaid, Rom. 9, 3.that He ſorrowed for his brethren the Iſraelites, and wiſhed to be ſeparated from Chriſt for their ſakes. Thoſe affections were in him moſt vehement. He ſaith that he wrote vntounto the Corinthians with manie teares, 2. Cor. 2, 4.not with common affection. Peter bitterlie wéeped, when he had denied Chriſt. Luk. 22, 62.But why ſéeke we examples of the apoſtles? Let vsus hauehave regard to Chriſt the author of our ſaluation. Matt. 15, 32.He was manie times mooued with pitie, when he ſawe them hungrie, which followed him; Matt. 9, 36.when he ſawe the Iſraelits wander like ſhéepe without a ſhepheard; Luke. 7, 12.when he ſawe a mother following the corſe of hir onelie ſonne. He wept at the ſepulchre of Lazarus; Iohn. 11, 35.he wept when he looked vponupon Ieruſalem, Luk. 19, 41.and conſidered that it ſhould be deſtroied; I hauehave earneſtlie (ſaith he) deſired to eate this paſſeouer with you. Luk. 22, 15.Luke. 22, 44In the garden he was mooued with ſadnes, ſorrowe cauſed him to ſweat blood. Eſaie ſpake of him; He bare our ſorrowes, &c. Eſaie. 53, 4.Theſe things are rather to be followed, than the rigorous ſaiengs of the Stoiks.
38 But they maruell at Chriſt, How thoſe affections were in Chriſt.how he could be troubled with ſuch affections, ſéeing his ſoule was bleſſed, and had alwaies the diuine nature ioined with him, and in his ſight. But it is to be vnderſtood, that Chriſt was not only verie God, but alſo verie man: and he had not béene verie man, vnleſſe he had alſo had a perfect ſoule, that is to wit, adorned with vpper and groſſer parts, in the which theſe affections be. Auguſtine.Wherevpon Auguſtine, in the place aboue alledged; Neither had he a counterfet humane affection, ſéeing he had the bodie and ſoule of a man. Herevpon Ambroſe woorthilie ſaith; that Chriſt tooke vponupon him, not a ſhew of incarnation, but a truth; and therefore truelie had affections. And he added, that this vndoubtedlie was conuenient, that he might ouercome ſorrowe and ſadnes; but not exclude them. He addeth, ſaieng; Neither is that fortitude cōmendable, which bringeth in an vnſenſiblenes of wounds, not a gréefe. If there be anie that knowe they hauehave ſo vnſenſible a bodie, as they féele not wounds, they hauehave not the commendation of fortitude or valiant courage: but thoſe [hauehave it] which ouercome the gréefs which they féele. How a ſaieng of Hilarie muſt be taken heed of.Wherefore Hilarie muſt be aduiſedlie read, in his 10. booke De Trinitate, who ſpeaketh dangerouſlie of the bodie of Chriſt, and of thoſe affections. He affirmeth, that the Lord had a bodie to ſuffer, but not to féele paine. And he ſaith, that the croſſe, ſword, and nailes put vponupon Chriſt the violence of a paſſion, A ſimilitude.but not a gréefe. And he vſeth a ſimilitude, to wit, that it fared, euen as if one would attempt with a ſword to thruſt through water, fire, or aire: he ſhould doo violence againſt theſe elements, and the ſword of his owne nature would put to gréefe; but thoſe bodies be not of that nature, as they can ſuffer a wound. Theſe things are not agreable to the ſcripture, and to a true humane bodie.
On this wiſe may we argue, that Chriſt had gréefe. A proofe that Chriſt ſuffered greefe.To the féeling of gréefe in anie man, two things are chéeflie required: which things being appointed, gréefe dooth followe; firſt, that the bodie ſhuld be hurt; ſecondlie, that there ſhall be a féeling of that hurt. But the bodie of Chriſt was hurt; being whole, it was broken. The ſoule of Chriſt was moſt perfect, it had ſenſe; Ergo, it was not without féeling. The ſelfe ſame are we to iudge as touching ſadnes. This is the nature thereof, When ſadnes appeareth.that if in the cogitation or imagination we perceiue anie hurtfull thing, that is like to happen, or is preſent; then it ſheweth it ſelfe. Such cogitations had Chriſt. Thoſe things were repugnant vntounto nature; wherefore there followed a ſadneſſe: howbeit, that followed not which had ſinne ioined with it. They were perfect motions, they went not beyond the rule of Gods word: they had the nature of a puniſhment, but not of an offenſe. Our affections be vnpure. What cauſe of difference is there? Auguſtine, Auguſtine.in the place aboue recited, ſheweth the reaſon; bicauſe the affections of Chriſt were deriued of power, ours of infirmitie. Chriſt had that power, that he could vſe theſe affections, when and as often as he would; but ours doo now ſpring of infirmitie, yea and they riſe againſt vsus whether we will or no. We can not bridle them, wherefore they be troublous; but Chriſts be cléere: not onelie as they were by inſtitution giuen vntounto Adam; but alſo as they were adorned by the grace of God, they preſumed nothing, but ſo long, and ſo much as it behooued.
39 So then we may aſſigne thrée differences betweene Chriſts affections and ours. The firſt, as touching the obiects; the motions and affections of Chriſt neuer declined vntounto ſinne, but ours doo verie often. The ſecond, Chriſt (as ſaith Auguſtine) vſed, when he iudged that they ſhould be vſed; as when he would that man ſhould be, man was made: it dooth not ſo happen with vsus; they breake foorth euen againſt our wils. Thirdlie, thoſe perturbations be ſometimes ſo forcible in vsus, as they diſquiet reaſon it ſelfe, and doo hinder faith: but it was not thus in Chriſt. Matt. 5, 28.Wherefore Ierom vponupon Matthew, in the handling of that ſentence, [He that ſhall looke vponupon a woman to luſt after hir, Paſſions, and preparatiues vntounto paſſions.&c.] diſtinguiſheth and ſaith, that There is foreign, and foreign, which may be called, ſuffering, & foreſuffering. That foreign is alwaies taken in the the ill part, when they vanquiſh and ouercome vsus. But foreign be the firſt motions, which although they be held vnderunder the name of an offenſe; yet are they not crimes, they doo not ouercome. But what the difference is betwéene a crime and a ſinne, Auguſtine in the 41. The difference betweene a crime and a ſinne. 1. Tim. 3, 10treatiſe vponupon Iohn ſheweth; Crimes be gréeuous ſins, which hauehave accuſation, and deſerue condemnation; but ſinnes are of leſſe weight. Wherefore the apoſtle, when he ſpeaketh touching the ordeining of paſtors, will hauehave them to be without crime; not without ſinne: otherwiſe he ſhould exclude all men from the miniſterie.
Therefore in Chriſt thoſe affections procéeded not ſo far, that they could alienate his will from the right waie: as Ierom ſaith, when he handleth that place; My ſoule is heauie, &c. Matt. 26, 3…They had rather the nature of foreſuffering than of ſuffering. His diuine nature could bring to paſſe, that they ſhould not begin to come foorth; but by a certeine diſpenſation of grace for our ſaluation, he made place for them when the time ſerued. But if they were affections, Why Chriſt called his affections his will.whie did he call them a will, ſaieng; Not my will be doone, but thine? He ment the inclination of nature, whereby we ſhunne things hurtfull. And it was requiſite, that Chriſt ſhould be ſad, and mooued with thoſe affections; bicauſe it behooued him to be tempted in all things, and to ouercome theſe affections: and this victorie not a litle furthered our redemption, neither was it againſt the will of God. For he would hauehave him not onelie to be crucified, but alſo to be affected with thoſe motions: euen as Ieruſalem to be ouerthrowen, and Chriſt to bewaile it; neither while he wept did he againſt his Fathers will. Wherefore (if we ſhall beléeue Cyrill) Chriſt his death, in reſpect that he was a man, and had appetite and ſenſe, was not voluntarie: yet was it voluntarie, bicauſe it pleaſed the Father, and bicauſe it ſerued to our redemption, for the which Chriſt came. But it was ſaid; Chriſt was bleſſed: how could he be mooued with thoſe affections? Bicauſe that felicitie was ſo conteined in the vpper part of the mind, as it did not redound to the lower parts.
40 All theſe things make againſt the Stoiks; namelie, the doctrine of Chriſt, and the doctrine apoſtolicall: alſo the example of Chriſt. Wherefore it is no maruell, if the godlie be ſo ſorrowfull. Yea, and I thinke good to adde, True affections are greater in the godlie, than in the wicked.that true affections are greater in the godlie, than in the wicked; who by litle and litle put them awaie, and the greater that they be, the more they ſorrowe, when they be mooued againſt theſe affections. So Dauid, the more he was inclined to his children, the more he was vexed. They which attribute all things vntounto deſtinie and fortune, or to the neceſſitie of a matter; bicauſe they doo againſt the ſcriptures of God, muſt not be heard. We conclude, that holie men, when they on this wiſe ſorrowe, wéepe, and are mooued with ſadneſſe, doo pleaſe God; ſo as they retaine faith, and followe the ſpirit. But on the other ſide, we affirme, that the philoſophers and Ethniks, while they ſéeme to deale ſo magnificallie, to contemne all aduerſities, and by no meanes to be diſquieted, doo diſpleaſe God with all their goodlie ſhew of vertues. That the Ethniks with their goodlie ſhew of vertues diſpleaſe God. Heb. 11, 6.This thing hath Auguſtine taught, in his fourth booke againſt Iulian, the fourth chapter: and he alledged thrée reaſons. The firſt is; that Without faith it is vnpoſſible to pleaſe God: wheras they ſéeme to deale ſo heroicallie, & in the mean time be void of faith, they cannot pleaſe God. The ſecond reaſon; Men void of faith, be as yet ill trées: but ill trées bring foorth ill fruit. The third reaſon; It is not ſufficient to doo thoſe things, which in their owne nature ſéeme good: but we ought to doo well. Who will ſaie that thoſe Ethniks doo thoſe woonderfull things rightlie, ſéeing they doo vnfaithfullie? In that they doo vnfaithfullie, they doo not rightlie. Let them boaſt of their things as magnificallie as they will, theſe reaſons hauehave we. We ſaie, that they & their woorks doo not pleaſe God.
The ſame father ſaith, in the expoſition of the 25. pſalme at the end, that there were manie of the Ethniks, which deferred to come vntounto the Chriſtians: they ſaid, We ſée in them manie defects, the which we hauehave not. He anſwereth, that they are greatlie deceiued; ſéeing in thoſe vertues, which they boaſt of, they are not good, but in a ſort euill: and I hauehave willinglie added; that they are often times verie euill. Forſomuch as they pleaſe themſelues verie much with thoſe vertues of theirs, they become proud: but pride is hated of God. We conclude, that Dauid, and ſuch as he was, pleaſed God in ſorrowfulneſſe, more than could the Puluilli, Anaxagoras, Aemillij, Bruti, or Torquati, which ſéemed with a great & loftie mind to contemne the ſorrowfull things which happened. When Socrates is obiected vntounto vsus, of whom Plinie writeth in his ſeuenth booke, that he alwaies ſhewed to be of one countenance, neuer merrier or ſadder. Againſt him we oppoſe Chriſt, which vntounto vsus is one for all; alſo the apoſtles, prophets, and our Dauid; and we will ſaie, that theſe did a great deale more rightlie and wiſelie, than he did. For the godlie are gouerned by the word of God, not by the opinions, which men hauehave ſpred abroad. They are led, not by the opinion or ſtaie of aſſent of the Platoniſts, and doubting philoſophers: but by a moſt certeine and conſtant faith. They are directed by the ſpirit of God, but not by the wiſdome of humane fleſh, which is enmitie againſt God: and therefore they pleaſe God. Neither hauehave the godlie thought it méet, that affections in theſe caſes ſhould altogither be reſtrained, or taken awaie; when they ſawe themſelues to be chaſtiſed by God, when they ſorrowed that they had broken the lawes of the Lord, and that they had giuen the cauſe of theſe euils: theſe things can neuer ſufficientlie be lamented. They did rather iudge it méet to ſlacke the bridle vntounto affections, which might further godlineſſe, and ſtrengthen repentance.
41 But one thing perhaps ſome man will demand, how it happeneth, Whie theſe greefes are more frequent in the old teſtament than in the new.that we more read of thoſe gréefes in the old teſtament, than in the new? I might peraduenture ſaie, that this, which they would prooue, is not true. In the new teſtament they lament, which doo féele their ſinnes. But it appéereth not now, as it did in the old time: it is not doone with that preparation. I grant, that the cuſtome then was, that thoſe moornings ſhould be publike: now the conſideration of the age in our time ſuffereth not this. Againe I might anſwer; that certeinlie the forefathers had the promiſe of eternall life, as we hauehave: but moreouer and that, the promiſes of the land of Chanaan, and the increaſe of ſéed, and theſe temporall bleſſings were more earneſtlie offered vntounto them than vntounto vsus. Matth. 6, 33Theſe things are alſo promiſed vntounto vsus: for if we Firſt ſeeke the kingdome of God, the reſt ſhall be miniſtred vntounto vsus. Howbeit, theſe things are generallie promiſed vntounto vsus, they are nor ſo often repeated. We are in greater light, therefore we rather applie our mind vntounto the better promiſes. Thereby perhaps inſue leſſer ſorrowes, in the loſſe of temporall things.
42 This muſt the rather be called to mind, leaſt we be diſquieted, when we perceiue that Dauid was ſo vexed, 2. Sa. 12, 13.whereas neuertheles God had ſaid by Nathan, that his ſinne was put awaie. Whie Dauid ſorrowed though his ſinne were taken awaie.Thoſe things are not repugnant in themſelues: for it was vndoubtedlie taken awaie, and forgiuen; bicauſe it happened not vntounto him to eternall death, which he deſerued. This bond, which he had procured, was extinguiſhed by the merciemercy of God. Further he deſerueth to be ſlain, as touching the life of the bodie; but God did not ſlaie him. Moreouer, the aduerſities which happened, were not puniſhments of God, in his anger; but fatherlie chaſtiſements to preſerue diſcipline, that he might the more déepelie acknowledge ſinne, take héed vntounto himſelfe from thence foorth, and that others alſo might be made to beware. Neither ought Papiſts therefore to make a purgatorie; bicauſe God forgiueth ſinne in this life, and puniſheth in an other. For the holie ſcriptures hauehave nothing at all concerning purgatorie; but they ſhew, that the godlie ſhall ſtraitwaie after death be bleſſed. Howbeit, if we ſhould grant them (which yet we muſt not grant them) that God would puniſh the godlie in an other world; yet might not the church with hir keies mitigate theſe puniſhments, as the puniſhments of Dauid, and of others: this thing ſtandeth in the pleaſure of God.