Sermons on Jonah, Lecture 10
THE X. LECTVRE.
The chiefe poynts. 2. The anguish of Ionas in the whale. 3. The vse and force of prayer. 6. Our negligence herein. 8. Inuocation is to be vsed to God onelyonly. 10. Some things in the Fathers fauouring inuocation of Saints. 11. Those places discussed. 14. Some of the ancient are against praying to Saints. 15. Afflictiō stirreth vsus vp to piety. 19. The great miserie of the Prophet. 21. We are to repute God the authour of our afflictions. 22. God heareth our prayers. 23. There are circumstances to be obserued in prayer.
Ionah. 2.1.2.3.
Then Ionah prayed vntounto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly, And said, I cried in my affliction to the Lord, and he heard me: out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the bottome, in the midst of the sea, and the flouds compassed me about: all thy surges, and all thy waues passed ouer me.
WHen Ionas was in the sea, being cast out by the mariners, and was now of all likelyhood ready to be drowned, God had a fish prepared, (as before you hauehave heard) to swallow vp the Prophet. And in the belly thereof, he lay three daies and three nights, after such a manner, as was neuer heard of before, but no doubt much tormented between hope and distrust; almost quite in dispaire, yet by faith againe comforted. This faith of his, when at length it had preuailed, he breaketh forth (euen there in prison) into good meditations, and after his deliuerie, when he wrote this prophecie, he digested them into a prayer, which is here set downe in a kind of Hebrew verse, not much vnlike to the Lyrikes of the Greek or Latin Poets. Those words which I hauehave read vntounto you, are some part of this prayer, and that which followeth after, is another part, in both which if something sound, as from him being in danger, and some thing againe as from him being escaped, impute the one vntounto the time wherein he did write it, and the other to those conflicts which he sustained while he lay in the belly of the whale, where his bitter meditations, and troubled thoughts, did answere vntounto that which is here proposed vntounto vsus.
2 For the space of those three dayes, he did not lye asleepe, as a man in a traunce, or one vnsensible amated, (for right happie he had bene, if that might hauehave be fallen him) but boiling in the extremitie of anguish, and great sorrow, as he that had on him a burthen so vnsupportable by his shoulders, that he knew not how to turne him, or to manage himselfe. He felt the wrath of God, perpetuated on him without intermission, which wrath was not contented to hauehave him ouer ship-boord, and so once to drowne him, but dying he must liue, and liuing he must dy in a torturous execution, so terribly and vncomfortably, that the like had bene neuer heard of. The horror of death still present, & yet prolōged stil, in the middle of the sea, in the belly of a whale, a prison and monstrous dungeon did vrge him oft to tremble: but the feeling of Gods displeasure vponupon his soule for sinne, and the very great expectatiō of eternall pains in hell, what thoughts did these now raise in him? Now the soure of his disobedience is fully tasted by him: he may tumble it and reuolue it, and chew it againe & againe. Now if Niniue had bene distant, as farre as the Easterne Indies, or the South part of Aethiopia, & there he had bene sure to be murthered and massacred, by the tyrannie of the gouernour, or ruler of that countrie, he could hauehave bene wel cō tented, to hauehave gone thither euen bare-footed, & thanked God on his knees, who had brought him to such a bargaine. For it is better to trace ouer all the world, then once to go to hell: better to suffer many sorrowes in body, then in soule to die eternally. With which thoughts being so perplexed, as neuer was man before him, & not knowing what else to do, with a faith tried in & out, & ouer & ouer again, he falleth at length to prayer, the effect wherof is in this second chapter, by it selfe laid downe vntounto vsus. But because this prayer is so lōg, as that at many seueral times it must be handled, for distinction and orders sake, I thinke good first to deuide it into a Preface and a Prayer. The Preface is in the first verse; the Prayer in that which followeth. And there, what subdiuisions are afterward to be made, it shall in his place appeare. The Preface noteth these two things, what he did, that is, pray, and to whome, vntounto the Lord his God.
Then Ionah prayed.
3 Many are the temptations and spirituall inuasions, which in this life do befall vsus, while the enemie of mankind doth often assaile vsus; by himselfe and by the world, and by our owne flesh, that domesticall foe: and many are the afflictions, which the great God in his wisedome,Reasons why God sendeth affliction to his seruants. and our good Father in his louelove, doth lay sharply vponupon vsus, to punish vsus for our sinnes, to make triall of our patience, to strengthen vsus in the faith, to make vsus loath the world, to teach vsus true humilitie, to inure vsus to a suffering of greater things for his sake, (for so many are the ends, wherfore he sendeth his crosse, to those whom he best fauoreth.) In respect whereof,Iob. 7.1. our life is by Iob well called a warfare, wherin we are to fight, & wrastle against great matters: to the which Saint Paule alluding,2. Tim. 4.7. Ephes. 6.12. saith that he had fought a good fight, being exercised all his time, against powers and principalities, against anguishes and great grieuances, much within & more without. The onelyonly stay of all which perplexities, in the very best of Gods children, is earnest and heartie prayer, to him who sitteth aboue, who plucketh downe and setteth vp, who ouerturneth and raiseth, who striketh and then maketh whole,Dan. 2.21. who correcteth and then comforteth, who bringeth to the pit of euill, and then doth not cast in, who tempteth not aboue our strength, but in the midst of temptation, doth giuegive an issue, that we may be able to beare it. The sacrificing of our souls vntounto this blessed Father, the bēding of our knees▪ the bedeawing of our cheeks, the lifting vp of our hands, the beating of our brest, but withall and aboue all, the compunction of our hearts, and the earnestnesse of our spirites, are the altar that we must flye to, are the anchor that wee must trust to. This is that chaine, whereof one end is tyed to the eare of God, and the other end to our toung: if we plucke he will listen: if we call he will hearken.
4 Then it is for our good, that so often in the booke of God, prayer is both commended, and commanded to vsus, and not any way for his profit, who is to be sought too, but for ours who are to cry.Matth. 7.7. Cap. 26.41. Colos 4.2. Iacob. 5.16. Aske and it shall be giuen you, knocke and it shall be opened to you. Watch and pray saith our Sauiour Christ. Continue sayth Paule in prayer. Is any of you afflicted? let him pray, sayth Saint Iames, for the prayer of a righteous man preuaileth much, if it be feruent. The faithfull euermore hauehave had recourse to this in their necessity,Genes. 32.9. as when Iacob feared Esau, he called on the name of the Lord, that he would send him safety. When the Israelites were driuen to that extremity, that nothing in mans reason, but present death did remaine for them, behind them being Pharao and their enemies to slay them, before them the red sea,Exod. 14.15. a fit place to drowne them; then Moses being troubled in his spirit, although he sayd neuer a word, hauing his heart as bleeding within him,Exod. 17.11. cried vntounto the Lord. When it went hard with that people fighting against the Amalekites, what did Moses but pray for them, when he held vp his hands; from which when by wearinesse he did cease, they sped ill, but while he continued it, they did conquer? What are the Psalmes of Dauid, but recourses in his passions, vntounto the highest God? Did not Ieremy in the pit and bottome of the dungeon,Lament. 3.55 fall to calling vponupon the Lord? And our Prophet in worse case then euer was any of these, had nothing else to comfort him, but to addresse himselfe to his prayers. When all other helpes do faile, yet this is neare at hand: we neede not runne farre to seeke it. And blessed is the reward which oftentimes doth follow these requests, either the hauing of that which we desire, or a contententednesse to leaue it.
5 The Church of God and the faithfull, hauehave euermore retained the vse hereof:Euseb. Eccle. Histor. 5.5. & somtimes men which hauehave bene infidels, hauehave bene glad to seeke to them for it. When the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, had almost lost his army in Germany, for want of water, a legion of the Christians which were then in his seruice, had recourse vntounto this remedy, and by vehement inuocation did begge raine at Gods hands, which he sent them in great abundance, to the amazing of the Emperour, but the safety of all his army.De vita constantini 2.4. That noble and mighty Constantine, knowing that one in heauen is the true Lord of hostes, and all victory commeth of him; that the ioyning of a battell, is the loosing of a kingdome, vnlesse he do assist, would neuer enter fight, but that first himselfe and his forces, with knees bended vponupon the ground, would desire the Lord to blesse them. When his enemies on the other side,Ibidem. and Licinius aboue other, would begin with incantation and seeking to the Diuell. But the good Emperour, hauing many things of great waight still vponupon him, which he knew not how to weild without the helpe of the Highest (and that was to be had for asking) did so delight in prayer,Luc. 18.11. that in memory thereof, not as the dissembling Pharisee, but in true feare to his God, and the better to instruct his people in it, by his owne example, he ordained that his image (which we know that Princes do vse to coine vponupon their money) should be stamped,Euseb de vita Constant. 4.15. Socrat. 5.24. Theodor. 5.24. Sozom. 7.24. with the resemblance of him praying. The example of Theodosius, is in this case not vnfit. Being in a battell which was hardly fought on both parts, but at length his men being put to the worse, and now apparantly ready to flye, he throweth himselfe on the ground, and with all the powers of his soule, he desireth the Lord to pity him, and to prosper him in that daunger. God heard the voice of his seruant, and in miraculous manner did graunt to him the victory. To this comfort he found that of Origene to be true,Origen. in Numer. Homil. 25. One holy man preuaileth more in praying, then innumerable sinners do with their fighting. For the prayer of a holy man doth pierce vp to the heauen. I need not vrge other examples of other in latter ages, who hauehave euermore made this their refuge, in daungers and extremities, to flye with speede vntounto the Lord. For Diuinity buildeth vponupon it: Christianity doth enforce it: no faithfull man maketh doubt of it: very Ethnickes in their seruices to their Gods, continually did frequent it, and openly did practise it.
6 In the meane while, the supine security of our age, shall I say,Gentillettus in examine Concil. Tridentini▪ lib. 5. cannot be inough rebuked, nay cannot be inough lamented, of which it may be sayd as one speaketh of the Monkes, that their fasts are very fat, but their prayers exceeding leane; for if we will compare matters that be in secret, with such things as are open, and iudge the one by the other, how cold are all our prayers? If we looke into our Churches, we shall find many of our Pastours, to go through their common prayers, with very small deuotion, little mooued and little moouing. The people, that is not onelyonly young ones, who are of-ward inough from God, and whose feeling is not so passionate, as the Lord in time may make it; but the elder sort very slowly do repaire vntounto the tabernacle: eueryevery light occasion doth keepe them away: halfe-seruice doth serue the turne: and for that which is, it were as good to be neuer a whit, as not to be the better: they sit there as in a giddinesse, neither minding God nor the Minister, but rather obseruing any thing, then that for which they come thither. If it be thus in publicke, what may be thought of those prayers, which in secret are powred forth, betweene God and our selues, in our closets or our studies, when we rise vp or lye downe? It is to be feared that they are few, and those which be, are very sleepy, rather perfunctory and customary, then warmed with zeale of affection. And how shall God know what we say, when we our selues do not know? how shall he heare that prayer, which we our selues do not heare? Let vsus, brethren, stirre vp our selues, and be feruent in this, if in any thing, and the tutour for his scholers, the parents for his children, the maister for his family, the Magistrate for his people, the Minister for his flocke, pray eueryevery day that the Lord will blesse them, in their inward man and their outward, in their businesses and their studies, in their piety and their safety.Iob. 1.5. Remember how holy Iob did sacrifice for his children, least in vanity of their youth, they should forget the Lord.
7 And let eueryevery man for himselfe giuegive no rest to his God, but begge of him oftentimes, to double and multiply his gracious spirite on him. For how dangerous are these wayes, wherein we here do walke? What perils and great hazards are eueryevery day about vsus? What drawings on are there to sinne? what entisements to iniquity? How is the Diuell more ready, to swallow vsus into hell, then the fish was to swallow Ionas? What Atheisme doth increase? what worldly lusts & affections? Yea we may see many more things, to pricke vsus on to sollicite the Lord of all importunely.Anno. 1595. The dearth which doth now raigne in many parts of this land, which doth little good to the rich, but maketh the poore to pinch for hunger, and the children to cry in the streetes, not knowing where to hauehave bread. And if the Lord do not stay his hand, the dearth may be yet much more. In like sort, the safety of Gods Church, which in England and in Ireland, yea in many parts else of Christendome, as Scotland, Fraunce, and Flaunders, much dependeth vnderunder God, on the good estate of her Maiesty, the hand maide of Christ Iesus: whose life we see to be aimed at, by the cursed brood of Sathan, vnnaturall home-bred English. And were it not that his eye who doth neuer slumber nor sleep,Psal. 121.4. did watch ouer her for our good, it had oft bin beyond mans reason, that their plots shold hauehave bene preuented. The spoiles of the Turke in Hungary, and his threats to the rest of Christendome, should wring from vsus this consideration, that he is to be called on, who can put a hooke in his nostrels,2. Reg. 19.28. and turne him another way, as he once did by Sennacherib. There should be in vsus a sympathy, and fellow-feeling with our brethren. These things in generall to all, and in particular to each, should remember vsus to breake forthinto inuocation with the Prophet. It is that which God loueth in vsus: it is that which Christ with his precept and example, hath taught vntounto vsus. He prayed oft to his father,Cyprian. de Oratione Dominica. and continued whole nights in praier, and as Saint Cyprian doth well gather, if he did so who sinned not, what should we do who sinne so deepely?
He prayed to the Lord his God.
8 The next circumstance in this preface is, to whom the Prophet prayed. He prayed to the Lord his God, where this note may specially be giuen, that this offending soule doth yet dare by his faith, to make so neare application, as that the Lord is his God. Which point because it is plainer in the sixth verse of this Chapter,Ionah. 2.6. where he saith ô Lord my God, I will deferre it thither. My generall obseruation here is that he prayed to the Lord. And as his case required this, because none else could helpe him; and he was to be sought vntounto by submission and humility, who before was by sinne offended: so doth the Lord appropriate this honor to himselfe, and will not hauehave any other to be serued with this sacrifice.Exod. 20.5. He is a ielous God, and will not impart his honor to any of his creatures. But he accounteth that the greatest argument of duty which is in man, to be sought to, and solicited by the sighes of the heart, and by the grones of the mind. Call on me in the day of trouble, Psal. 50.15.saith himself by Dauid, and I wil heare thee, and thou shalt praise me. And Christ citeth this, as a matter appertaining vntounto all.Matth 4.10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him onelyonly shalt thou serue. But in this inuocation, is the Maiesty of his seruice. And if we did want other, to be called on or prayed to, it should argue that our God either could not, or would not heare vsus. The one denieth his Omnipotency, the other doth clip his mercy.Psal. 145.18. But we acknowledge both. The Lord is neare vntounto all that call vponupon him: yea all such as call on him in truth. Then we neede no intercessours, but him who is the mediator of the New Testament, Iesus Christ. We embrace the faith of the martyrs: we louelove the louelove of the Apostles: so farre foorth as we may, we imitate the obedience of the good Angels in heauen: and we thanke God for proposing such holy examples to vsus: but we dare not call on these, least we should be accounted guilty of robbery to their maister. Whose meaning if it had bene, to bestow any of his honour, or a portion of his glory on any of his creatures, he surely would hauehave let vsus knowne it. But through all the Old and New Testament, is no commandement, no example, no reason why we should do it.
9 Nay we hauehave much to the contrary. As first that it may be sayd, that God alone is there called on, which in the whole Bible is sounded out vntounto vsus. And secōdly we may know, that howsoeuer in general, the Saints which raigne triūphing in heauē, do pray for the cōsūmatiō of Gods grace on their brethrē, who are militant vponupon earth, which may not amisse be gathered, frō the soules vnderunder the altar,Apoc. 6.10. Cap. 8.3.4. & from the 8. of the Reuelation, & the reformed Churches in no sort do deny this: yet we are not to beleeue, that in particular maner they know the deeds of one man, or heare the vowes of another, but specially vnderstand the secret thoughts of the hart, which in praiers do most preuaile. We find otherwise in Iob,Iob. 14.21. that a dead man doth not know if his sons shall be honorable, neither doth he vnderstand concerning them, vvhether they shall be of low degree. The speech is of all dead generally. He knoweth not of his owne children, much lesse of other men: whether that they be in honour, which is an outward occurrent, and sensible to the eye, much lesse what they thinke in heart, which is proper to the Almighty.1. Reg. 8 39. Th. Aquin. p. 1. q. 89. a. 8. That place in Iob, made Aquinas to acknowledge, that the soules of those which are departed hence, do ex se, of themselues, know nothing done vponupon earth, but sayth he, those which are in blessednesse, do take knowledge of our deedes, by reuelation from God. But neither he nor any of the Papists, do prooue out of the Scripture, that God reuealeth such things, to the blessed which are in heauen. That remaineth to be confirmed. We may ioyne to that of Iob, the confession of the people,Isay. 63.16. Doubtlesse thou art our father: though Abraham be ignorant of vsus, and Israel know vsus not, yet thou ô Lord art our father, and our redeemer: and thy name is for euer. Then the Patriarkes did not know, and wherefore should they now? For that then they were in Limbus, is an vntrue faithlesse fable, without any ground of Gods word. Yet it is maruell to see, how stifly the Church of Rome, doth maintaine in Saints, and the Virgin Mary, the hearing of those which pray, and their intercession for vsus.Breuiarium Romanum in Suffagijs communibus in initio. In Orat in die S. Andreae Sabbato ad vesperas. Ad completorium. In Antiphona à Dominica prima. Aduentus ad plurificationem Mariae. He that shall looke into their reformed Breuiary (for in the old many things were worse) shall see that they are much called on, nay that God himselfe is requested, that by the merits of them, and by their mediation, we may attaine saluation. There the Virgin Mary is called porta coeli peruia, the gate to passe through to heauen: and she is prayed vntounto, that she herselfe will take pity vponupon offending men. And as they say, if these things be not in the Scripture, yet our duty, and the complements which we owe vntounto Christ himselfe, do require it at our hands, and all Antiquity doth make for it.
10 I will not sist this Non sequitu… of decency and congruity, that because Mary was Christs mother, and the Saints were his faithfull seruants, therefore in deuotion to him who was son to the one, and maister vntounto both, we should vse very high duty to them: for God himselfe best knoweth what fitteth, and he hath layed all that downe, and no word of this inuocation. But briefly for Antiquity, I confesse that in the writings of some of the auncient fathers, they may find something, which serueth for this purpose.Augustin. confess. 9 3. De vera Religione cap. 55. Epistol. 120. As that Saint Austen in his Confessions doth suppose, that his friend Nebridius doth thinke on him in heauen. Elsewhere he seemeth to say as much, as that the Angels do heare our prayers, and he prooueth it out of the booke of Tobias. So, in his Epistle ad Honoratum, he mentioneth, that the Angels do tell vntounto vsus, Gods benefites sent vntounto vsus, and deliuer backe againe our prayers vntounto him. In his treatises vponupon Iohn, We do not pray for the martyrs, Tract. 84. in Ioh…nnem. Sed magis vt orent ipsi pronobis. In Meditationibus Tomo 9. De Sanctis Serm 19. Hyeron. Epostola. 25. Chrys. in Psalm. 118. Sozomen. Eccles. Hist. 7.24.but we rather pray to them that they may pray for vsus, that vve may vvalke in their steps. But in that which some do thinke to be his Meditations, the Author doth pray to Saints, and in his Sermons De sanctis, vntounto the Virgin Mary. So Saint Herome in his first Tome, and fiue and twentith Epistle, sayth that Blesilla the dead daughter, did pray for her mother Paula. So Chrysostome on the Psalmes, doth mention the intercession of Mary the mother of God, and of the other Saints. To these may be ioyned, the testimonie of Sozomen in his seuenth booke, where Sathan is reported to hauehave railed on Iohn the Baptist, as if by his meditation his purpose were sometimes hindered. I know that much more of this nature may be brought to vphold this doctrine, and yet God knoweth, how sandie is all this weake foundation? how rotten are these supporters, which bend vnderunder such a burthen? I beseech you to iudge indifferently, when you heare what shall be aunswered.
11 To speake first to that in Sozomen, which is drawne from Satans testimony, suppose the storie true, which is there but a bare report, And is not this a proofe right substantiall, Satan railed on Iohn the Baptist, because that by his intercession, his purpose sometimes was crossed, Ergo Saints are our mediatours? What if the Diuell there forged?Iohan. 8 44. Is he not the author of lies? What if this were his pollicie, to make men turne their seruice, from God vntounto his creatures? I doubt not but so it was. He saw that the auncient Oracles were fallen downe long before (as it appeareth by Plutarkes testimony,Plutarch. de defectu Oraculorum. who wrote a tract to that purpose) with the which in former times, he had possessed mens soules, for a great space together. He saw that Christs faith did spread, and that by the force of no tyrant it could possibly be extinguished: he saw that the ten persecutions were ceassed, by the raigning of Christian Emperours, and there was now no good to do that way: therefore now he will turne ouer a new leafe, and will take another course, to breede flawes in the faith, and by opinion of religion, to supplant Gods true religion, by superstition to ouerturne good deuotion. Then beginneth he for to broach some of Antichrists mingled wine (for the Apostle sayd,1. Iohan. 2.18 that in his time Antichrist had set in footing) and nothing fell out more fitly to his humour, then to spoile God of his honour, by turning to Saints in prayer. Thus is the roaring Lion now become a subtle foxe, and seeketh by errour in the shew of truth, to vndermine holy piety. Such another deuise was that, when Satan being asked in the time of Iulian the Apostata,Theodoret. Hist. Eccles. 3.9. why the Oracle which was sometimes in Daphne, neare to Antioche, had ceased, and gaue no aunswer, he signified that he might not appeare any more in that Chappell, because the Reliques, and the body of the holy martyr Babylas, were entred in that place. Wherein his meaning was, by a secret insinuation, to inueigle men to the honouring of the reliques and the bones of martyrs and holy men, to the which indeede they afterward fell, with doting superstition. So crafty is this Serpent, to destroy mens soules by fraud. And that example of Iohn the Baptist, I hold to be of this nature.
12 Concerning the authority of the fathers, which are cited to prooue this doctrine, I say first, that many bookes are foisted into their workes, which sauour not of their spirit. The censures that be vponupon them, by Papists as well as other, together with the difference of the style, and many other circumstances, do make that plaine inough. In the most of them this hath bene brought about, either by the ignorance of such as did transcribe, and copy them out, before that printing was inuented; or else by the falshood of base authors, who would assume noble names,Passio Cypri. per Pontium diaconum ejus. to things which were most vnworthy. In Cyprian there is nothing, which maketh mention of Charles the Emperour, which if we will interprete, of the first Charles called the Great, yet there is so great a difference, of the times wherein these liued, that the one was after the other more then fiue hundred yeares. Yet that is sayd to be written, by Pontius who was deacon to Cyprian himselfe. I ascribe this to the grosse ignorance of the writer, or counterfeit authour. In Austens workes there are many things, which are fathered on his name, and that by wilfull falshood. I will name to you one for all, and that shall be his Sermons,Augustin. ad fratres in eremo. as they are intituled, Ad fratres in eremo. There in the name of Saint Austen, one maketh the whole tract, willing to do great credit, to the order of Austen Friers, as if the great Saint Austen had bene the founder of thē. But as the eares of the asse did shew what beast he was, although he had gotten on him the skin of a noble Lion, so albeit that honest man do vse words for his purpose, I Augustin Bishop of Hippon did this, and this, and many things, yet the Barbarismes and the Solecismes which are in that worke, do make it plaine, that some worthy wight did hatch that Treatise vp to the world. In his fiue & twentieth Sermon,Serm. 25. he doth let vsus know the reason, why some holy-daies hauehave no fasting dayes, as Philip and Iacobs day, and Saint Bartholomew and Saint Thomas. A fit argument for Saint Austen, especially as he handleth it. But because he will passe himselfe, and shew of what house he commeth, in his thirtie and seuenth Sermon,Serm. 37. he sayth that himselfe did go into the South part of Afrike, as farre as Aethiopia to preach the Gospell of Christ, and that he saw there men and women without heads, hauing their eyes standing in their breasts. This tale had had little credit,Act. 8.27. but that himselfe did see it. The Chamberlaine of Candaces, who was met with by Philip, did come out of this Aethiopia, & shall we be so wise as to thinke that his shape was of such a strange kind of making? Yet we must go a litle farther: he doth adde that in that countrey, he saw men which had but one eye, & that in the middest of their fore-heads.Herodot. li 4. Plinius Hist. Natural. 5.8. foreign. The foole had heard or read in Herodotus, or in Pliny, or some one of the auncient, that some such things were talked of, Acephali men without heads, Cynocephali, men with heads like to dogs, Arimaspi, men with one eye in the middle of their fore-head, and other of monstrous shape, all which were imagined to be in the hoate countries, within the Zona Torrida, or in the cold coasts of Scythia, whither very few in old time did offer at all to trauell, either by land or sea, for the great heate of the Southerne parts, and the great cold of the Northerne.Ouid. Metamorphos. lib. 1. Quarum quae media est non est habitabilis aestu. Yea many in ancient time, did thinke those quarters of the earth, to be vtterly inhabitable, by men of common proportion; neither in the most ciuill countries, of Asia and of Europe, where learning and knowledge abounded, was the contrary receiued, vntill that the late discoueries of the Portingales & the Spaniards toward the hoter climates, & of the English toward the colder by sea, and some other few by land, hauehave let men know the contrary. And indeed vntill very late times, the opinion so preuailed, of people of such strange figures, that Authors of good reckening,Munster. cosmogra. 5. receiued it for a truth, and left it so in their writings. For that conceit was continued frō hand to hand, which at the first did arise from this imagination, that in countries so strange from the ordinary temperature must be people as farre differing from ordinary men; which ground being once layd downe, it was no hard thing for fancy, to frame very many shapes; which beleeued once by the simple, and being sometimes talked of,Hedodot. lib. 3. non credit esse Arimaspos. De Acephalis & Cynocephalis vt de bestijs loquitur. lib. 4. for the commonnesse of the fame were reported by some learned, which were in ancient times (yet doubtfully and otherwise then their successours entertained them) but such as did come after them, tooke them vp for a truth well ratified, & so did set thē downe. Now this honest man, who gladly wold shrowd so vaine a tale vnderunder Saint Austens name, in kindnesse & good nature to the Friers in his Couent, very soberly & aduisedly professeth, that he had seene thē. And you know that one eye-witnesse, is better then ten other, who speake only by report. Very many such bastard broods,Viues de causis corruptarum artium. Aug. de spiritu & anima. Meditat. T. 9. Sermones de Sanctis. T. 10 are fastned vpō the Fathers, besides here & there whole pages, & sentences shuffled in, & notes that were in the margēt, put afterward in the text, by this Frier & that Mōke, when their Nouices were appointed to transcribe their ancient copies. He that would see more of this, let him looke Lodouicus Viues, in his bookes De causis corruptarum Artium. Now in these forged writings, are many of those plaine places for prayers to any creature, and especially in Saint Austen, as in the booke De spiritu & anima; in his Meditations, and in his Sermons De sanctis, Vide Censuras Erasmi in hos libros.al which are expunged by the learned, and shut out from his true workes, as may be seene in the censures on them.
13 Yea but in their vndoubted works, there are many things to that purpose. Indeed I do not deny this: but yet take this withall, that if we looke through their writings,Homil 3. in Cantica. apud Hyeron. T. 8. Omnes sancti qui de hac vita decesserunt, si dicantur curam gerere salutis eorum, & juuare eos precibus suis atque interuentu apud Deum, non erit inconueniens. Gregor. Nazianz. Orat. 29. & 31. Orat. 30. Iliic que vt opinor sacrificia pro nibis offert. Orat. 25. Quòd si quid nostros etiam honores curas, at que hoc praemij sanctis animabus à Deo confertur vt ista persentiscant. Aug. de cura pro mortuis gerenda ca. 13. Vt volet accipiat quisque quod dicam. we shall find that they set it downe, so waueringly and doubtfully, that a sober man would be fearefull, to build his faith vponupon it. In the eight Tome of Saint Hierome, are foure Homilies on the Canticles, supposed to be Origens, and translated by Saint Hierome. In the third of them I find this, All the Saints which are departed out of this life, hauing yet a louelove toward those which are in this vvorld: if they should be sayd to take care of their safety or saluation, and to helpe them with their prayers and intercession to God, it shall not be inconuenient. How cold a speech is this, It shall not be inconuenient. That great clerke Gregory Nazianzene, doth make a kind of prayer, both to the Virgin Mary, and vntounto Athanasius: yet see whether in some other places, it be not as a scruple vnsatisfied in his mind, whether that the Saints did know, and take care of the affaires of their friends remaining on earth: when speaking of Basile lately dead, he vseth these words, But novv is Basile in heauen, & there as I do thinke offreth sacrifices for vsus, & powreth prayers out for the people. He did not know it, but thought it. But speaking of Gorgonia, his owne sister departed, he expresseth his doubt more plainly. And if thou do take care of the honouring of vsus, and if this reward be giuen by God vntounto holy soules, that they shall perceiue these things, then receiue my prayer. If besides other mens opinions, he had bene resolued in it, what needed this If, and this doubting? But Saint Austen whom I honour aboue all the old, for his iudgement, when he canuasseth this question, disputing it of purpose, and not slightly, or by the way, whether the soules departed hence, do know what is done here, how vncertaine is he in it, and rather propendeth to the Negatiue? Let eueryevery man, saith he, take as himselfe will, that which I shall say, so seeming to crosse the streame, of that which was thē receiued. Then he inferreth three reasons; The first was, that if the dead did know our deedes, he certainely was perswaded, that his mother Monica, who loued him so well while she liued, would sometimes hauehave appeared to him, and taught him something for his good. For God forbid, saith he, that she being now in a life of more felicity, should be growne cruell toward me▪ But he found that neither by dreame, nor vision, nor any apparition, she had euer bene present with him, and therfore he much suspected, that she had no knowledge of him. Secondly he citeth the place out of the Prophet Esay,Isay. 63.16. that Abraham is ignorant of vsus, and Israel doth not know vsus. And therefore not other men.2. Reg. 22.20. Thirdly, that Iosias was taken away, that he might not see the euill, which was to come vponupon the lād, which if afterward he did see in soule in the heauens, his remoouing had bene in vaine.De cura pro mortuis gerenda. cap. 15 Thus doth he dispute against it, and doth not answer his owne reasons otherwise, then that it may be said, that the departed may be enformed, what is done here on earth by men, by the soules of other, which dye from hence, or by the Angels. So far off is this holie father, when he thinketh of the thing aduisedly, from pronouncing of any certaintie, which vnfallibly and vndoubtedly will maintaine this suspected doctrine.
14 Next, to suppose that many of the Auncient, directly and conclusiuely did iumpe in the consent hereof (which cannot be found, as I hauehave shewed) yet were this a sure rule of truth? What, when the word of God doth giuegive no warrant for it? nay doth teach vsus the contrarie, as before hath bene mentioned? HaueHave we not learned that lesson, to distinguish men from God? the inspired workes of the one, from the doubtfull words of the other? We hold nothing for Canonicall but the writ of the holy Bible.Tit. 1.2. Rom. 3.4. August. contra Cresconium Gram. lib. 2. It is God which cannot lye: but eueryevery man is a lier. Heare Saint Austen himselfe here: I hold not the Epistles of Cyprian for Canonicall, but I try them and examine them from the Canonicall Scripture. So to Fortunatianus, We are not to esteeme the disputings of any, yea although Catholike & cōmēdable men, Epistola. 111. Ad fortunat. Talis ego sum in scriptis alioru…, tales volo esse intellectores meor…m.to be as the Canonicall Scriptures, so that, sauing the honour which is due to those men, we may not dislike and reiect any thing in their writings, if we find that they hauehave thought otherwise then the truth hath, as it shall by Gods helpe be vnderstood, either by other or our selues. Thus do I in the writings of others, and such vnderstanders of mine would I hauehave other men to be. Whatsoeuer then they shall teach, which hath not his foundation vponupon the rocke of Gods truth, we leaue it and passe by it, and among other things, inuocation of Saints, or of any other creature. But yet this may be sayd farther, that from diuerse of the writings of the Auncient, it may be shewed, that this was by some of them held vnlawfull. Among the workes of Saint Ambrose, is found a certaine Commentary on Paules Epistle to the Romanes,Ambros. in Epist. ad Romanos. 1. and therin there is setdowne for an obiection, the reason of the Romish Church, that none dare to approch the persō of an earthly Prince for any sute, but by the intercession of some courtier, or other about him: therfore it should be so of our part toward God, vntounto whose mighty Maiesty, we must vse the mediatiō, of some which are in his fauor. The absurdnesse of this comparison, is answered there in a word,Quia homo vtíque est Rex & nescit quibus debet Rēp. credere. that the reason is most vnlike, because Princes are men, & know not of themselues, to whom to commit the common-wealth. He meaneth that they hauehave their power, and presence, and vnderstanding limited, & they must be helped by the information of such as are knowne vntounto them: but to God nothing is secret; himselfe doth take notice of it. His conclusion at the last is,Ad Deum promerendum suffragatore non opus est, sed mente deuota. Orig. contra Celium lib. 1. & lib. 5. Omnia vota, omnes interpellationes, deprecationes & gratiarum actiones destinandae sunt ad Deum rerum omnium Dominum. Hoc ipsum cohibebit nequis audeat preces offerre nisi soli Domino Deo. that to win God vntounto vsus (from whom nothing lieth hid, but he knoweth the deserts of all men) we need not any to speake for vsus, or to helpe vsus in our prayer, but only a deuout mind. Ioyne hereto the witnesse of Origene. When Celsus had obiected, that first the Iewes and then the Christians, did worship and pray to Angels, Origene in his first booke against him doth disclaime it, but much more in the fifth booke, telling plainely, that God alone was to be prayed to, and not Angels. We are not bid to adore the Angels, or worship them with diuine honour, although they bring the gifts of God vntounto vsus. For all vowes, all requests, prayers, and thankesgiuings, are to be directed to God, who is the Lord of all things, by the chiefe Priest vvho is greater then all Angels, that is the liuing vvord and God. And hauing adioyned something of the vnknowne nature of the Angels, that we cannot comprehend it, he addeth, that this should restraine vsus, that none should dare to offer prayers, but only vntounto the Lord God, who alone is abundantly sufficient for all, through our Sauior the Son of God. He that listeth to read the place, shall find yet farther matter,Lactant. Diuin. Instit. 2.17. Nullum sibi honorem tribui volunt, quorum honor in Deo est. Aug. de vera Religione cap. 55. Nec eis templa construimus. Idem de ciuitate Dei. lib. 8.27. 1. Cor. 6.19. Chrysost. de poenitentia. Homilia 5. In Deo nihil est tale. Sine mediatore exorabilis est, sine pecunia, sine impensa precibus annuit. making for my present purpose. Lactantius sayth that those Angels whose honour is in God, will hauehave no honour giuen to them. Yea Austen himselfe denieth that to Angels, to Martyrs and to Saints, which might as well be done, as to seeke to them in prayer. We build no Churches to Angels. And elsewhere sayth he, Who euer heard the Priest to say at the altar, I offer to thee a sacrifice, Peter or Paule or Cyprian? And is it more to build a materiall Church to them, then to offer to their seruice our bodies, which are the spirituall temple of the holy Ghost? Or to offer corporall sacrifice, then to offer spirituall sacrifice of prayer and inuocation? I wil end this whole matter with a saying of Chrysostome. Let vsus still flye vntounto God, who is both willing and able to ease our miseries. If we were to intreate men, we must first meete with the doore keepers, and perswade parasites and players, and oftentimes go a great way. But in God there is no such thing. Without a mediator he is to be intreated: without mony, without cost he yeeldeth to our prayers. Since then that men are so doubtful, but God himselfe is so peremptory, that nothing but the Trinity, is to be sought vntounto by sacred inuocation, let the Church of Rome in this be distinguished from the Church of God, and let vsus learne here of Ionas, when misery ouerwhelmeth vsus, to pray only vntounto the Lord. And thus farre of the Preface.
Affliction maketh men godly.
15 The prayer it selfe is long, and offereth much doctrine to vsus, but in these two former verses three things may be obserued. First that affliction is the meanes, to beate men vntounto piety, I cried in mine affliction. Secondly, that the misery of the Prophet was very great, from the belly of hell I cried, and all thy waues did go ouer me. And thirdly that when he cried, the Lord did heare his voice, Thou heardest my voice. To touch them briefly as they lye. He that was contented before, quite to renounce his maister: he that was so farre forgetfull, as that when he should hauehave gone, for his Lord to preach at Niniue, would take a course vntounto Tarshus, about businesse of his owne: he that before was so hardened, that he could sleepe most soundly, when he had more neede to awake: he that could giuegive leaue to the mariners, to pray to a God whom they knew not, but he himselfe was not so holy; being now in the fishes belly, so lashed & whipped with iustice, thinketh it not inough to pray, but he crieth out with great vehemency: in earnest & harty maner, not coldly or at all aduentures, as the hypocrites, who somtimes do slubber vp a few praiers; but with the soule and the mind, and with all the powers of his spirit. Oh the true force of the crosse, of calamity, and of misery, which maketh vsus remember that, whereof else we should neuer thinke. God saith by his prophet Osee,Ose. 5 15. Isay. 17.7. that his people in their affliction would seeke him diligently. So when by his seruant Esay, he had threatned the crosse before, At that day sayth he, shall a man looke to his maker, and his eyes shall looke to the holy one of Israel. So in the time of the Iudges:Iudic. 6.6. Thus was Israel exceedingly impouerished by the Madianites, therefore the children of Israel cry vntounto the Lord. The Scripture is very copious in examples of this kind, but yet hath none fitter then this of our Prophet. For he whō fauour could not mooue, to stand when he was vpright, the rod did force him to labour, to get vp againe when he was fallen. The prison could make him humble, whom liberty had enraged. The darknesse in the whales belly, doth more bring him vntounto light, euen the true and heauenly light, then the sight of Sunne or firmament. Thus restaint doth make him holy, to the great benefit of his soule, cleane contrary to that Prouerbe, Non vsquam belli carceres, Prisons are good in no place.
16 That, aduersity and the crosse, should be a dore to deuotion, is without question a Paradoxe to repining flesh & bloud, which doth euer louelove to be in iolity; but yet vntounto a Christian mā, it is a principle of a sound truth. For when we do luxuriate, and grow riotous in the gallantnesse of this world, and hauehave all things at our pleasure, we forget that God who made vsus, who doth cause his Sun to shine on vsus, and with the vntamed heyfer which is full fed, & growne perfectly wanton, we kicke against the sole author of our happinesse & beatitude; with the Magnificoes of the world, and great-mouthed Gloriosoes we do both cōtemne our brethren, and speake against the Highest. But affliction doth humble vsus,2. Chron. 33.12. & make vsus know our selues, as it did Manasses the king of Iuda, who being in chaines, did thriue more for his soule, then he did in his royall pallaces. It maketh to vsus say with Dauid, O Lord, it is good for vsus, that we hauehave bene in trouble. And with Ieremy lamenting,Psal. 119.71. Lament. 3.27. It is good for a man that he beare the yoke in his youth. When the soueraigne dispenser of all things, by his wisdom doth consider, that this is our case, by his sober and sage prouidence he somtimes sendeth prosperity, lest we should be discouraged, & broken by calamity, but he often sendeth aduersity to exercise vsus here, lest we should be puffed vp by the abundance of his mercy. And while his hand is vponupon vsus, we which else are stiffe and stubburne,Liuius lib. 1. will in pliable maner bend. When Numa had broched in Rome, a set order of seruice vntounto their heathen Gods, and had possessed the people with it, his successor Tullus Hostilius not only did neglect it, but contemned it, as accounting that no one thing did lesse beseeme a king, then to yeeld himselfe to ceremonies, and sacrifices of religion. But when he dad proceeded long, and gone forward in this veine, a great pestilence grew in Rome, and himselfe lay afterward long languishing of a sicknesse. This did so abate the spirits, & plucke downe the hart of the king, that he who before despised al, did now yeeld himselfe, to all both great and small superstitions, and filled the peoples heads with a multitude of religions. Looke what effect these things had with him in his heathenish errours, the same in Christian obedience, doth tribulation bring to many of Gods elect; this only thing excepted, that these flye superstition. Those who in their yonger dayes, and in the strength of their time, hauehave scorned the word and the ministery, and hauehave made no kind of conscience of theft or fornication, but hauehave sucked them in as water, being afterward pinched with pouerty, or banishment, or imprisonment, or especially with sicknesse (which giueth a man right good leysure, if it be long and sharpe on him, to bethinke himselfe of his follies) with contrition of the hart, and compunction in great measure do flye vntounto the Lord, and with many teares wash away the blacknesse of their iniquity.
17 Then they desire to be with God, and to leaue this vale of misery, which lately they embraced as their greatest treasure, and preferred it before their owne saluation; and the delight whereof they would yet hauehave followed after, but that misery and calamity did enforce them otherwise. Wherein we may well obserue, that nothing so much as affliction doth make vsus louelove our end, by loathing the bitter potions which we daily do tast of. When Elias was chased by Iezabel, and was comfortlesse in the wildernesse,1. Reg. 19.4. he crieth: Now it is enough, Lord take away my soule, for I am no better then my fathers. But if this gall and wormewood were turned into sugred hony, we should not hasten from this place; but yet we be not readie; stay a little, and a little.Plutarch. in Pelopida. Plutarke in his Pelopidas, telleth that Antigonus had a souldier, who being vexed with an ill disease, and so loathing to liue, was alwaies formost in his seruices, were it skirmish or other fight, and was so resolute, as no man in the army. The Generall much liking this, cast such an affection to the valure of the man, that to his great expence, he caused him to be cured, who held himselfe lately incurable. But then looking that his souldier should be forward as before, he found him to do far otherwise, and now neuer offer to come in daunger. Asking the reason of this, his souldier maketh him answere, that now he had somewhat to loose, that was a healthfull and sound bodie, with which he should grieue to part; but before when he was in miserie, he had thought his case should hauehave bene very happie, if he might hauehave bene dead and buried. The wisedome of the Almightie did foresee that in vsus, which Antigonus found but afterward, that we who in anguish and persecution, do desire the company of the elect,Philip. 1.23. who are triumphant in heauen, and with Saint Paule do long to be dissolued, would lye groueling in prosperitie, as tyed and glued to the ground; and therefore in his louelove he doth whip vsus oftentimes, that we may seeke vntounto him, that we may sue to be with him.
18 This is one great occasion, wherfore the Lord doth send his chastisemēt vponupon vsus; & yet in the meane while also he doth aime at this, that we tasting of that bitternesse, which other things yeeld vntounto vsus, may euermore fly to him by prayer & meditatiō; may be reposed on him, when other things do annoy vsus, when other things do affright vsus.Chlrysost in Psa. 114. It is a good comparison, which Chrysost. hath in this case, that mothers do vse with vizards & bugbeares, to fright their vnruly children, to make thē fly to their lap, not willing to hurt the infants, but to make them sit close by them. So God desiring to ioyne vsus fast to himself, being a true louer of vsus, doth permit that oftentimes we are brought to such necessitie, that perpetually we may intend to prayer and calling vponupon him, and leauing all other things, be onelyonly carefull of him. Such an attractiue violence, and violent attraction is in the crosse, to draw vsus as wel as Ionas vntounto the Lord. Happy men if we could see it, and make that benefite of it, which if we will not learne at first, he will come againe vntounto vsus, and double his rods vponupon vsus, if we belong to his election. In the meane time we must learne, with patience to suffer whatsoeuer commeth from the Lord: since besides all other vses, it bringeth that good vntounto vsus, as to driue vsus to our duties, and obedience to our God. Our land hath long felt the sweetnesse of the Lords distilling grace, prosperitie, peace, and plentie, which maketh men forget the authour of their felicitie. They with the Oxe, hauehave tasted the fodder that lieth before thē, but they hauehave not thought of the giuer. Oh the blockishnesse of our nature, who returne to God little louelove, for his great louelove vntounto vsus. Our neighbours of Fraunce and Flaunders, hauehave drunke of another cuppe, and hauehave taken another course. Some yeares now past, religion and true faith hath bene oppugned in France. Edicts hauehave bene made, that the Protestants or Huguenots, as they call them, should get them out of that countrie, within such a time or such a space, vnderunder perill of their liues. Thousands of them hauehave fled, and left their natiue countrie, but not the care of their countrie; for although they were elsewhere, wishing still good to Sion, they hauehave harkened after the aduentures of that Church and commonwealth, and hauehave found both to be in hazard. Many inuasions and great slaughters, and ciuill warres in that land, wherein those that hauehave bene the pillars of religion in that countrey, hauehave bene oftentimes shrewdly shaken. This hath caused them, as London doth well know, to assemble thē selues together in their Churches, with solemne fasts and prayers, which of likelyhood they had not done, but that they saw themselues to be fallen into most perillous times. These assemblies and these fasts, being many more then we hauehave had, did argue that more affliction was on them then on vsus, which made them so to cry. I would that we might learne by their example to be wise, before that we be stricken. But if peace do lull vsus asleepe, the rod it is which can awake vsus. That we find by our Prophets case, in whome the next thing which I obserued is the greatnesse of his calamitie.
The greatnesse of his misery.
19 In the last place I hauehave noted, that misery mindeth God vntounto vsus. Then the greater our miserie is, the more is our mind on our maker. If this be true, our Ionas might well cry to the Lord, for great and exceeding troubles were at this time shewed vntounto him. He saith that he was in hell, yea in the belly and midst of hell, and in the third verse plainer, that he was throwne into the bottome,foreign in the very heart of the sea, for so it is in the Hebrew, that all the flouds had passed ouer him, all the surges and all the waues. What can be expressed more horrible, then this was vntounto Ionas?foreign The word which is vsed here is Sheol, which sometimes doth note the graue vntounto vsus, and other some times hell, and that double signification, together with the like in some few other words, doth cause that question so oft handled, of the manner of Christs descending into hell. But partly because I louelove not to extrauagate from my text, (although occasion be here well offered by the nature of the word bearing so plaine a difference) but especially in a desire of vnitie in our Church, least some by contradiction should gainesay, whatsoeuer is vttered in this argument, (so apt are we to be iarring, which I wish were otherwise) I passe ouer that point in silence; onelyonly obseruing vntounto the weake, that we all do hold the Article of Christs descense into hell, but the disagreement is in the manner of his descending, and how that should be expounded. The Prophets words here import, that he was in the fishes belly, as a mā might be in his graue, without light, without sight, in darknesse and discomfort, neuer hoping more to liue, then a man who was dead and buried. Or else that he felt in himselfe such anguish of his conscience, because Gods wrath did follow him, and because he knew that himselfe had deserued euerlasting torment, that now he was so tortured, (with an Hyperbole speaking of it) as if he had bin in hell. The Chaldee Paraphrase here hath a word, signifying a bottomelesse pit, which intendeth to vsus, that the sea was very deepe, wherein he was, as if he had bene drowned. And this may be an argument, that the sea was very deep there, that the whale which deuoured him was there, whose greatnesse was such and so huge, that it would require much water. The whale swimmeth not in the shallowes, neither can remaine in the foords.
20 The greatnesse of this danger, so amplified by the Prophet in many parts of his song, first could not chuse but much dismay him, and fright him home for the present; for what could he thinke of himselfe? that drowned he was, and not drowned; eaten vp and not deuoured; and yet for eueryevery moment, in case to come to his end, besides the pangs of his soulefearing eternall death. Secondly, when afterward he had by the merciemercy of God escaped from destruction, it might be a great remembrance and testimonie to him, of the fauour of the Lord. For the greater was his daunger, the greater was his deliuerance. Neither doth that man euer know, what it is to be freed from miserie, who was neuer like to feele it. To be brought to the pits brinke, and then and there to be stayed; nay to be in the midst of death, and there to be kept from dying, must needes vrge in the patient, a meditation of thankfulnesse. That consideration of Ammianus Marcellinus in his storie,Ammianus Marcellinus lib. 15. Illa qualitas vitae non tantum habet sensum. is very good, that although it be a matter exceedingly to be wished for, that fortune would continue in flourishing state vntounto vsus, yet that quality of life hath not that feeling with it, as whē frō a desperate & very hard estate, we are recalled to a better fortune. We better know what health is, when sicknesse hath much broken vsus. We know what it is, to hauehave store of clothing and competent foode, if hunger and thirst and nakednesse, do for a time assaile vsus. It is a prety reason (although the practise thereof were bad) which Herodotus saith,Herodotus lib. 3. that the Samian tyrant Polycrates did vse to make. He very much exercised piracie and robberie, as well by land as sea, and his custome was to spoile his friends as much as his enemies; whereof he assigned that cause, that when he shold vnderstand afterward, that his friend was robbed of any thing, he might gratifie that friend more, in restoring what he had lost, then if he had taken nothing from him. I do not commend his thieuing; but his reason had wit & meaning. God knoweth that whē himselfe taketh from vsus such things as are not ours, (we are but his disposers, or as tenants at will vntounto him) he maketh vsus so much the more embrace his merciemercy, who hath sent grace in wretchednesse, and present comfort in extremitie. Our Prophet in his suffering, had good experience of these things, which maketh him the rather breake forth into a song of thankesgiuing.
21 Thou hadst cast me into the bottome, in the very midst of the sea, as if he should hauehave said, now it is otherwise, and the more am I beholding to thee. Where also obserue his speech, that he referreth all his punishment to the hand of the Lord. He speaketh not of the mariners, by whose meanes it was done, much lesse doth he reuile them, as in our time wicked offending persons oft do to the magistrates, or Iudges, or other officers, who do but see that to be done, which iust law layeth vponupon thē, and they wilfully hauehave deserued. But Ionas passing by the instrument and meanes whereby God wrought, seeketh vntounto the fountaine and originall of the deede. He acknowledgeth that his maker was he who was offended; that his hand had corrected him; that his wrath must be satisfied; but by all other he passeth. That euill Ioram did not so,2. Reg. 6.31. when his citie of Samaria was oppressed with a famine so grieuous, that the mother did eate her owne child, which extremity it is likely, that the Prophet Elizaeus did foretell should fall vponupon them, for the greatnesse of their sin. But then he, in stead of looking vpward to God, whom he should hauehave sought vntounto by fasting and by prayer, turneth his anger on the Prophet, the minister of the Almightie, and voweth himselfe to much euill, if innocent Elizaeus were not put to death that day. Blind man who could not looke higher, and see whose messenger the Prophet was. How much better was Iobs behauiour? for when newes was brought vntounto him, that the Sabees and Chaldeans, by violence and strong hand, had taken away his Oxen, and robbed him of his Camels, he did not straight way curse those sinners, and wish much euill on them, but not so much as naming them, did fasten his thoughts on God, and imputed all vntounto him,Iob. 1.21. saying most patiently, The Lord hath giuen, and the Lord hath taken it; blessed be the name of the Lord. I would that men in our time, could carry his resolution. When ought amisse doth befall them, to hauehave recourse to the Highest, and to suppose that either he doth trie them, or doth punish thē for their sinnes, or hath some other good purpose. But we rather run to any thing, then that which most doth vrge vsus; oft surmising that which is not, and suspecting those that be innocents. And if we can find the meanes, whereby all is brought about, we double our force on that; this witch hath killed my beasts; this wicked man hath vndone me; this mightie man hath crossed me: I would he were in his graue, or some mischiefe else were on him. Indeed I do not deny, but that the euill are oftentimes the rods of God, to chasten good men withall, but yet thinke thou euermore, that his hand is it which effecteth all, & that his stroke is in the action, Fasten thy eyes on him, and with sighing and true repentance, seeke to appease his wrath; and thē the meanes shall not touch thee, no wicked thing shall hauehave power ouer thee. But let this be thy song, to vtter foorth with the Prophet, thou hadst cast me into the water, thou hast layed this crosse vponupon me.
22 The third circumstance now remaining, is that God did heare his prayer. I cryed in mine affliction, and thou heardest me, and againe, O Lord thou heardst my voice. You see that his woe was exceeding, and after the common course of sorrow it droue him vntounto his maker; it enforced him to pray. Where behold, the comfort is, that he did not loose his labour: the Lord did heare his voice. This euermore is his propertie, to attend to those who sollicite him: to respect those who call on him. I called on the Lord in trouble, Psalm. 118.5.saith Dauid, and the Lord heard me at large. So by Ieremie his seruant, God promiseth to the Iewes, and in them to all his Saints, you shall cry to me, and shall go and pray to me, Ier. 29.12.13and I will heare you. And you shall seeke and find me. So respectiue is the Lord to those who fly to him, which sheweth his great prerogatiue aboue all heathen idols, who may be derided with Baal,1. Reg. 18.27 that either they are busie in following of their enemies, or asleepe and must be awaked, but surely they cannot heare. But especially to vsus it is comfort in extremity, that if sicknesse, or pinching pouertie, or malice of any man, nay if pangs of death do hurt vsus, or if in the soule which is our better part, temptation ouercharge vsus, and Satans darts hardly driue at vsus, if we call vntounto that Lord,Apoc. 1.18. who can bind and loose, and hath the keyes of hell and of death, he can rid vsus and deliuer vsus. Yea he so yeeldeth to our prayers,Cyprian. de caena Dom. Quoties te in conspectu Domini video suspirantem, Spiritum sanctū non dubito aspirantem. August. de tempore. Sermon. 226. Oratio iusti clauis est coeli. Ascendit precatio & descendit Dei miseratio. Cum sensibus loquitur si si… solus noster gemitus. that they shall not returne in vaine, but comfort at the least, and patience in our miseries, shall be bestowed vponupon vsus. It is a good speech in Cyprian, if that tract be his De caena Domini. In the presence of Christ, our teares which are neuer superfluous, do beg a pardon for vsus: neither euer doth the sacrifice of a contrite heart take repulse. As often as in Gods sight I see thee to be sighing, I doubt not but the holy Ghost doth breath vpō thee; when I see thee weeping, then I perceiue him pardoning. This should be a great instigation, that when any thing doth oppresse vsus, be it inward or be it outward, we should runne vntounto the Lord. So may also be that of Austen: The prayer of the righteous is the key of heauen. Prayer ascendeth vp, and Gods merciemercy descendeth down. Although the earth be low, and the heauen high, the Lord doth heare the tong of man, if he hauehave a cleane conscience. It speaketh with feeling, if it be but onelyonly our sigh. A showre of the eyes is sufficient for his eares: he doth sooner here our weeping then our speaking.
23 I doubt not but all the faithfull do find this easily in thē selues, that when they do lay open their soules before the Lord, as Ezechias did the letters of Sennacherib,2. Reg. 19.14 & when they do earnestly pray, a deaw of consolation, of most blessed consolation, is distilled downe vponupon them, whereby they are assured, that they hauehave to deale with a father, who seeth their fraile infirmities, and hath compassion on them.Psal. 103.13. Yea as a father doth pitie his children, so hath the Lord compassion on all that do feare him, for he knoweth wherof we be made, he remembreth that we are but dust. He knoweth vsus to be most ignorant, & most foolish, and vnfit for all goodnesse, very impotent and vnable, to keepe off wrong from our selues. He knoweth this & considereth it, & as euermore he supporteth vsus, & keepeth vsus to himself as the apple of his eye, giuing when we demand not, & more then we thinke on; so if we lift vp our voyces, & powre out our complaints before him, he will neuer faile vsus seeking him. OnelyOnly this he claimeth of vsus, that we aske that which is fit,Iacob. 4.3. not vanities or impieties, or to bestow vponupon our lustes; for he denyeth these things to vsus, and our faith hath no warrant, to aske such requests of the Lord. And againe, that in those things which are lawfull, we appoint no time vntounto him,Chrysost. in Psalm. 129. but in humility waite his leysure. For as Chrysostome doth teach vsus, If to giuegive be in Gods power, it is also in his power to giuegive when he thinketh good, and the time he best knoweth himselfe. If we do well keepe these things, and earnestly and vncessantly do make our complaints before him, he will deale with vsus as he did with Ionas, he will certainely heare our voice. Lord send vsus a mind to serue thee, that by wilfull disobedience, we plucke not thy punishments on vsus: and if we do turne from thee, draw vsus backe to thy selfe, rather by thy temporall roddes, being laid on vsus in great measure, then by heaping earthly pleasures, thou shouldst suffer vsus so to be choked with them, that we should fall from thee vtterly. Do thou chastise vsus and correct vsus in iugdement, not in furie, and there graunt vsus a mind to see, who it is that doth strike vsus, that so we may pray to thee, to be eased in our affliction. And of thy merciemercy adde this, euermore to heare our prayer, that so passing this troublesome life, with fast hold layed on thy promises, we may come at length to thy kingdome, to the which ô Father bring vsus, for thine owne Sonne Christ his sake, to whom with thee, and thy Spirite, be glorie and praise for euer.
To the Reader.
GOOD Reader, the words of the text in the former Lecture, ministred me occasion to shew, who it is to whom our prayers are to be directed, that is God alone; and consequently, that we should not vse any inuocation of Saints. But in the handling of that question so largely, out of the Fathers of the primitiue Church, my purpose was not onelyonly to settle the ignorant for their beliefe concerning that point, but withall by example thereof to let the simpler sort see, what is to be conceiued in other questions disputed betweene vsus and the Church of Rome. For the same may be said concerning the Primacie of Peter, the merite of works, free will, prayer for the dead, Purgatorie, & the most part of those controuersies which now a daies are handled. They take on them to maintaine many of their positions if not directly out of the Scriptures, yet from probable shewes out of some of the old Fathers, who were great lights after the time of the Apostles. But first, many bookes pretended to belong to that reuerend age, are counterfeits, and start vp since the liues of those graue and godly writers; and from these are many of the allegations taken. Secondly the very auncient Fathers receiued some things as true without discussing, whereinto when themselues vponupon speciall occasions did iudiciously looke, they were either of a contrarie opinion to their former, or spake faintly and doubtfully. Thirdly, that which some of them taught was contradicted by other, and so one part must needs erre. Fourthly, they were not so led by the immediate Spirit of God, as those Secretaries of the holy Ghost, who deliuered the canonicall Scriptures to the world: & therfore they are no farther to be allowed, then where they consent with the most sacred written word; and that is their owne iudgement of themselues. Lastly, there are many places cited by Bellarmine, Stapleton, and other the aduersaries of the Gospell, which when they are diligently looked into, and weighed by all circumstances, do not purport that for the which they are produced. Of all which obseruations it is easie to giuegive diuerse examples. This I thought good to note, lest weake brethren or credulous preiudicate persons shold be too much abused, with the misapplied name of the old and most renoumed Church.
And whereas I hauehave shewed my opinion concerning the supposed strange shapes of men in many quarters of the world, if anie should vrge any authour of former or later age against that my assertion, in one word I account them all in that point to be fabulous, and onelyonly to hauehave receiued such rumours and vniustifiable traditions from hand to hand: although some of them, thinking thereby to procure to themselues the fame of men farre trauelled, do aduouch that they hauehave seene such. In our dayes God hath giuen light, & therfore let vsus not still delight to be in blindnesse. OnelyOnly this one scruple is to be remooued away, that whereas cōstant report hath auerred this to be so, in some one part of Peru, is the South portion of the West and lately found Indies; & some men of good iudgement, whose aduentures for nauigation that way, hauehave nobilitated the discoueries performed or attempted by our English nation, hauehave with firme credence entertained that for a very truth; yet as I esteeme, they may easily satisfie themselues in that behalfe, by the full and sufficient report of Pedro de Cieca in his first part of the Chronicles of Peru, chapter 26. who being a Spaniard borne, and now more then fiftie yeares agone hauing spent seuenteene yeares in his personall peregrination ouer that countrey, sheweth that not farre from the Line, yea in more places of Peru then one, there are people who being borne in naturall shape as other men, yet do take their infants when they are but a few dayes old, and by certaine deuises which they hauehave, as with frames of wood and binding or swathing do make the head of such fashion as they would, as some to be very long, and some to be so crushed together that they hauehave no neckes, but their heads seeme to be immediate parts of the trunke of their bodies. And this contenteth me for the veritie of that matter, and I doubt not but so it will to all other, who desire in their minds to be perswaded of things as indeed they be, and not as sometimes they seeme.