THE FIRST BOOKE OF SAINT AVGVSTINE Bishop of Hippo, his Cittie of God, vnto MARCELLINVS.
Of the aduersaries of the name of Christ, spared by the Barbarians in the sacking of Rome, onely for Christs sake. CHAP. 1.

THAT most glorious society and celestiall Citty of Gods faithfull, which is partly sea­ted in the course of these declining times, wherein he that liueth (a) by faith, is a Pil­grim amongst the wicked; and partly in that Habac. 2. solid estate of eternitie, which as yet the other part doth paciently expect, vntill (b) righteousnesse be turned into iudgment, being then by the proper excellence to obtaine Rom. 8. Psal. 93. the last victorie, and be crowned in perfecti­on of peace; haue I vndertaken to defend in this worke: which I intend vnto you (my deerest (c) Marcellinus) as being your due by my promise, and exhibite it against all those that prefer their false gods before this Cities founder: The worke is great and difficult, but God the maister of all difficulties is our helper. For I know well what strong arguments are requi­red Psalm. 61. to make the proud know the vertue of humilitie, by which (not being en­hansed by humane glory, but endowed with diuine grace) it surmounts all earthly loftinesse, which totters through the owne transitory instability. For the King, the builder of this Citty, whereof we are now to discourse, hath opened his minde to his people, in the diuine law, thus: God resisteth the proud, and giueth Iames 4. 1. Pet. 5. grace to the humble. (d) Now this which is indeed only Gods, the swelling pride of an ambitious minde affecteth also, and loues to heare this as parcell of his praise.

Wherefore touching the Temporall Citty (which longing after dominati­on, though it hold all the other nations vnder it, yet in it selfe is ouer-ruled by the owne lust (f) after soueraignty) wee may not omit to speake whatsoeuer the qualitie of our proposed subiect shall require or permit, for out of this, arise the foes against whom Gods City is to bee guarded. Yet some of these reclaiming their impious errours haue become good Citizens therein: but [Page 2] others burning with an extreame violence of hate against it, are so thanklesse to the Redeemer of it for so manifest benefits of his, that at this day they would not speake a word against it, but that in the holy places thereof, flying thether from the sword of the foe, they found that life and safety wherein now they glory. Are not these Romaines become persecutors of Christ, whom the very Barbarians saued for Christs sake? yes, the Churches of the Apostles, and the Martyrs can testifie this, which in that great sacke were free both to their (g) owne, and (h) strangers. Euen thither came the rage of the bloudy enemie: euen there the murders furie stopt: euen thither were the distressed led by their pittifull foes (who had spared them, though finding them out of those sanctuaries) least they should light vpon some that should not extend the like pitty. And euen they that else-where raged in slaughters, comming but to those places, that forbad what law of warre else-where allowed, all their head-long furie curbed it selfe, and all their desire of conquest was conquered. And so escaped many then, that since haue detracted all they can from Christianity: they can impute their cities other calamities, wholy vnto Christ, but that good which was bestowed on thē only for Christs honor (namely the sparing of their liues) that they impute not vnto our Christ, but vnto their owne fate: whereas if they had any iudgement, they would rather attribute these calamities and miseries of mortalitie, all vnto the prouidence of God, which vseth to re­forme the corruptions of mens manners, by (i) warre and oppressions, and laudably to exercise the righteous in such afflictions, & hauing so tried them, either to transport them to a more excellent estate, or to keepe them longer in the world for other ends and vses. And whereas the bloudy Barbarians against all custome of warre, spared them both in other places, for the honor of Christ, and in those large houses that were dedicated vnto him, (made large, to containe many, for the larger extent of pitty;) this ought they to ascribe to these Christian times, to giue God thankes for it, and to haue true recourse by this meanes vnto Gods name, thereby to auoyde the (k) paines of eternall damnation: which name many of them as then falsely tooke vp, as a sure shelter against the stormes of present ruine. For euen those that you may now behold most petulantly insulting ouer Christs seruants, most of them had neuer esca­ped the generall massacre, had they not counterfeited themselues to be the ser­uants of Christ. But now through their vngratefull pride, and vngodly mad­nesse they stand against that name (in peruersnesse of heart, and to their eternall captiuation in darknesse) to which they fled with a dissembling tongue, for the obtaining of the enioying but of this temporall light.

There neuer was warre wherein the conquerors would spare them whom they conquered, for the Gods they worshipped. CHAP. 2.

THere hath beene thus many warres chronicled, partly before Rome was At the last sack of Hie­rusalem the Romanes themselues filled the Temple with dead bodies. builded, and partly since her founding: let them reade, and finde mee any one Citie taken by a stranger foe, that would spare any that they found re­tired into the temples of their gods, or any Barbarian Captaine, that euer com­manded, that in the sacke of the towne none should bee touched that were fled into such or such temples. (d) Did not Aeneas see Priamus slaine before the Altar, and with his bloud

Did not (d) Diomede & Vlisses, hauing slaughtred all the keepers of the high tower,

[Page 4] (e) Yet is not that true which followeth:

For after all this, they conquered: after this they threw downe Troy with sword and fire: after this they smote off Priams head before the Altar that hee fled vnto. Neither perished Troy because it lost the Palladium: for what had the Palladium lost first, that it selfe should perish? perhaps the keepers? indeed it is true, they being slaine, it was soone taken away: For the Image kept not the men, but the men kept the Image (f) But why then was it adored as the preser­uer of the country and Citizens, when it could not preserue the owne keepers?

Of the Romanes fondnesse in thinking that those Gods could helpe them which could not helpe Troy, in her distresse. CHAP. 3.

BEhold vnto what Patrones the Romanes reioyced to committe the protec­tion of their Cittie! O too too pitteous error! Nay, they are angry at vs when wee speake thus of their Gods: but neuer with their teachers and in­uentors, but pay them money for learning them such fooleries: yea and more­ouer haue vouchsafed their Authors, both stipends from the common treasury and ample honours besides: and namely in Virgill, who was therfore taught vn­to their children, because that they thinke this great and most renowned Poet being fastned in their mindes, whilst they are young, will neuer easily be for­gotten: according to that of Horace.

Euen in the fore-named Poet Virgill, is Iuno presented as the Troians foe, inci­ting Aeolus the King of windes against them in these wordes▪

(c) Yea would any wise-man haue commended the defence of Rome vnto Gods already proued vnable to defend them-selues? but suppose (d) Iuno spoke this as a woman in anger, not knowing what shee said: what saies (the so often sur­named (e) godly) Aeneas him-selfe? does he not say plainly-

Doth he not hold these Gods (which he dares call falne) rather commended vn­to him, then he to them: it being said to him-

If Virgill then call them fallen Gods, and conquered Gods, needing mans helpe for their escape after their ouerthrow and fall, how mad are men to thinke that there was any witte shewen in committing Rome to their keeping, or that it could not be lost, if first it lost not them? To worship conquered and cast Gods, as guardians, and defenders, what is it but to put by good deityes, and adore [Page 6] wicked (i) diuells? Were there not more wisdome shewen in beleeuing, (not that Rome had not come to this calamitie, vnlesse it had first lost them, but) that they had long since come to nothing had not Rome beene as the especially carefull keeper of them? Who sees not (that will see any thing) what an idle presumption it is, to build any impossibility of beeing conquered, vpon defen­ders that haue bene conquered? and to thinke that Rome therefore perished be­cause it had lost the Gods (k) guardians; when possibly, the onely cause why it pe­rished, was, because it would set the rest vpon such soone perishing guardians? Nor listed the Poets to lye when they sung thus of these subuerted Gods; it was truth that inforced their vigorous spirits to confesse it. But of this, more fitly in another place hereafter: At this time (as I resolued at first) I wil haue a little bout (as wel as I can) with those vngrateful persons, whose blasphemous tongues throw those calamities vpon Christ, which are onely the guerdons of their owne peruersnesse: But wheras Christs name alone was of power to pro­cure them their vndeserued safety, that, they do scorne to acknowledge: and being madde with sacrilegious petulancy, they practise their foule tearmes vp­pon his name, which like false wretches they were before glad to take vppon them to saue their liues by: and those filthy tongues which (when they were in Christes houses) feare kept silent, to remaine there with more safety, where euen for his sake they found mercy; those selfe-same, getting forth againe, shoot at his deity with al their envenomed shafts of mallice, and curses of hostility.

Of the sanctuary of Iuno in Troy which freed not any (that fled into it) from the Greekes at the Citties sack, where as the Churches of the Apostles saued all commers from the Barbarians, at the sacke of Rome. Caesars opinion touching the enemies custome in the sacke of Citties. CHAP. 4.

NOr could Troy it selfe that was (as I sayd before) (a) the mother of the Ro­manes progeny, in al her hallowed temples, saue any one from the Grecian force and fury, though they worshiped the same gods: nay did they not in the very sanctuary of Iuno,

Behold, the place dedicated vnto so great a goddesse was chosen out (not to serue for a place whence they might lawfully pull prisoners, but) for a prison wherein to shut vp all they tooke. Now compare this temple, not of a­ny vulgar god, of the common sort, but of Iupiters sister, and Queene of all the other gods, vnto the Churches built as memorialls of the Apostles. To the first, all the spoiles that were pluckt from the gods and flaming temples were caried, not to be bestowed backe to the vanquished, but to bee shared amongst the vanquishers. To the second, both that which was the places owne and (d) what euer was found also els-whereto belong to such places, with all religious honor and reuerence was restored. There, was freedome lost, here saued: there, was bondage shut in; here, it was shut out: thether were men brought by their proude foes, for to vndergo slauery: hither were men brought by their pitti­full foes, to be secured from slauery. Lastly, the temple of Iuno was chosen by the (e) vnconstant Greekes to practise their proud couetousnesse in, whereas the Churches of Christ were by (f) the naturally cruell Barbarians, chosen to [Page 9] excercise their pious humility in. Perhaps the Greekes in that their victory spared those that fled into the temples of the (g) Common gods, and did not dare to hurt or captiuate such as escaped thither: But in that, Virgill plaies the Poet indeed, and faignes it. Indeed there he describes the (h) generall custome of most enemies in the sacking of cities, and conquests; which (i) custome, Cae­sar himselfe (as Salust, that noble, true historian recordeth) forgetteth not to auouch, in his sentence giuen vpon the conspirators in the Senate-house: that (in these spoiles) the Virgins are rauished, the Children torne from their Pa­rents bosomes, the Matrons made the obiects, of al the victors lust, the temples, and houses all spoiled, all things turned into burning, and slaughter: and lastly all places stopt full of weapons, carcasses, bloud, and lamentation. If Caesar had not named temples, wee might haue thought it the custome of a foe to spare such places as are the habitations of their gods: but the Senators feared the ru­ine of their temples, not by an vnknowne or stranger enemy, but by (k) Catiline, and his followers, who were Senators and Citizens of Rome themselues. But these were villaines though, and their countries parricides.

That the Romanes themselues neuer spared the Temples of those Cities which they conquered. CHAP. 5.

BVt why should we spend time in discoursing of many nations, that haue wa­ged warres together, and yet neuer spared the conquered habitations of one anothers gods: let vs goe to the Romanes themselues: yes; I say, let vs ob­serue the Romanes themselues, whose chiefe glory it was,

And (a) being offered iniurie, rather to pardon then persecute: in all their spa­cious conquests of Townes and Cities, in all their progresse and augmentati­on of their domination, shew vs vnto what one Temple they granted this priuiledge, that it should secure him that could flie into it from the enemies sword? Did they euer do so, and yet their Histories not recorde it? Is it like that they that hunted thus for monuments of praise, would endure the suppres­sion of this so goodly a commendation? Indeed that great Romane (b) Marcus Marcellus that tooke that goodly City of (c) Syracusa, is said to haue wept be­fore the ruine, and shed his owne (d) teares ere he shed their bloud: (e) hauing a care to preserue the chastitie euen of his foes from violation. For before hee gaue leaue to the inuasion, he made an absolute Edict, that no violence should be offered vnto any free person: yet was the Citie in hostile manner, subuerted vtterly, nor finde we any where recorded, that this so chaste and gentle a gene­rall euer commanded to spare such as fled for refuge to this Temple or that: which (had it beene otherwise) would not haue beene omitted, since neither his compassion, nor his command for the captiues chastitie, is left vnrecorded. So is (f) Fabius the conqueror of Tarentum commended for abstayning from making bootie of their Images. For his (g) Secretary asking him what they should do with the Images of the gods, whereof they had as then taken a great many: he seasoned his continencie with a conceit, for asking what they were, and being answered that there were many of them great ones, and some of them armed: O (said he) l [...]t vs leaue the Tarentines their angrie gods. Seeing therefore that the Romane Historiographers neither concealed Marcellus his weeping, nor Fabius his iesting, neither the chaste pitty of the one, nor the merry absti­nencie of the other, with what reason should they omit that, if any of them had giuen such priuiledge to some men in honor of their gods, that they might saue their liues by taking sanctuarie in such or such a Temple, where neither rape nor slaughter should haue any power or place?

That the cruell effects following the losses of warre, did but follow the custome of warre: and wherein they were moderated, it was through the power of the name of Iesus Christ. CHAP. 6.

THerefore all the spoile, murther, burning, violence and affliction, that in this fresh call amitie fell vpon Rome, were nothing but the ordinary effects following the (a) custome of warre. But that which was so vnaccustomed, that the sauage nature of the Barbarians should put on a new shape and appeare so mercifull, that it would make choise of great and spacious Churches, to fill with such as it meant to shew pitty on, from which none should bee haled to [Page 12] slaughter or slauerie, in which none should bee hurt, to which many by their courteous foes should be conducted, and out of which none should bee lead into bondage; This is due to the name of Christ, this is due to the Christian profession; he that seeth not this is blinde, hee that seeth it and praiseth it not is thanklesse, hee that hinders him that praiseth it, is madde. God forbid that any man of sence should attribute this vnto the Barbarians brutishnesse: It was God that struck a terror into their truculent and bloudy spirits, it was he that bridled them, it was he that so wonderously restrained them, that had so long before fore-told this by his Prophet. (b) I will visit their offences with the rod, and their sinne with scourges: yet will I not vtterly take my mercy from them. Psal. 89. 32. 33.

Of the commodities, and discomodities commonly communicated both to good and ill. CHAP. 7.

YEa but (will (a) some say) Why doth God suffer his mercy to be exten­ded vnto the gracelesse and thankelesse? Oh! why should we iudge, but be­cause it is his worke that maketh the sunne to shine daily both on good and Rom. 5. 45. bad, & the raine to fal both on the iust and vniust? For what though some by me­ditating vpon this, take occasion to reforme their enormities with repentance? & other some (as the Apostle saith) despising the ritches of Gods goodnes, and long suffering, in their hardnesse of heart and impenitency (b) do lay vp vnto them-selues wrath against the day of wrath, and the reuelation of Gods iust iudgement, Rom. 2. 5. who will (c) reward each man according to his workes? Neuerthelesse Gods pati­ence still inuiteth the wicked vnto repentance as this scourge doth instruct the good vnto patience. The mercy of God imbraceth the good with loue, as his seuerity doth correct the bad with paines. For it seemed good to the almighty prouidence to prepare such goods, in the world to come, as the iust onely should inioy, and not the vniust: and such euils, as the wicked only should feele, and not the godly. But as for these temporall goods, of this world, hee hath left them to the common vse both of good and badde: that the goods of this world should not be too much desired, because euen the wicked doe also [Page 13] partake them: and that the euils of this world should not bee too cowardly auoyded, where-with the good are sometimes affected. But there is great dif­ference in the (d) vse both of that estate in this world, which is called prospe­rous, and that which is (e) called aduerse. For neither do these temporall goodes extoll a good man, nor doe the euill deiect him. But the euill man must needs bee subiect to the punishment of this earthly vnhappin [...]sse, because hee is first corrupted by this earthly happinesse: Yet in the distributing of these temporall blessings God sheweth his prouident operation. For if all sinne were presently punished: there should bee nothing to do at the last iudgement: and againe if no sinne were here openly punished, the diuine prouidence would not bee beleeued: And so in prosperity, if God should not giue competency of worldly and apparant blessings to some that aske them, we would say he hath nothing to do with them: and should he giue them to all that aske them, we should thinke he were not to bee serued but for them: and so his seruice should not make vs godly, but rather greedy. This being thus, what euer affliction good men and badde doe suffer together in this life, it doth not proue the persons vndistinct, because so they both do ioyntly indure like pains: for as in one fire, gold shineth and chaffe smoaketh, and as vnder one (f) f [...]yle the straw is bruised, and the eare cleansed; nor is the lees and the oyle confused because they are both pressed in one presse, so likewise one and the same violence of affliction, prooueth, purifieth, and (g) melteth the good, and conde [...]eth, wasteth and casteth out the badde. And thus in one and the same distresse do the wicked offend God by detestation and blasphemy, and the good do glorifie him by praise and praier. So great is the difference where­in we ponder not what, but how a man suffers his affects. For one and the same motion maketh the mud smell filthily, and the vnguent swell most fragrantly.

Of the causes of such corrections as fall both vpon the good and bad together. CHAP. 8.

BVt tell me now in all this desolation what one thing did the Christians en­dure, which due and faithfull consideration, might not turne vnto their edi­ficātion? For first they might with feare obserue to what a masse iniquity was in­creased, at which the iust God being displeased had sent these afflictions vpō the world & that though they them-selues were far frō the society of the wicked, yet should they not hold them-selues so purely seperate from all faults, that they should thinke them-selues too good to suffer a temporall correction for diuers faults that might be found in their conuersations: for to omitte this, that ther is no man how euer laudable in his conuersation, that in some things (a) yeelds not vnto the concupiscence of the flesh; and that though hee decline not vnto the gulfe of reprobate offence and habitation of all brutish filthinesse, yet slips now and then into some enormities, and those either seldome, or so much more ordinary as then they are lesse momentary: To omitte all this, how hard a thing is it to find one, that makes a true vse of their fellowship, for whose hor­rible pride, luxury, auarice, bestiall iniquity and irreligiousnesse, the Lord (as his (b) Prophets haue threatned) doth lay his heauy hand vppon the whole world? How few do wee finde that liue with them, as good men ought to liue with them. For either we keepe aloofe, and forbeare to giue them due instruc­tions, admonitions or reprehensions, or else wee holde their reformation too great a labour: either we are affraid to offend them, or else wee eschew their hate for our owne greater temporall preferment, and feare their opposition either in those things which our greedinesse longeth to inioy, or in those which our weakenesse is affraid to forgoe: so that though the liues of the wic­ked be still disliked of the good, and that thereby the one do auoid that damna­tion which in the world to come is the assured inheritance of the other, yet be­cause they winke at their damnable exorbitances, by reason they feare by them to loose their owne vaine temporalities, iustly do they partake with them in the punishments temporall though they shall not do so in the eternall; Iustly do they in these diuine corrections, tast the bitternesse of these transitory af­flictions with them, to whome when they deserued those afflictions, they through the loue of this life, forbare to shew them-selues better: indeed he that forbeares to reprehend ill courses in some that follow them, because he will take a more fit time, or because he doubts his reprehention may rather tend to their ruine then their reformation, or because he thinkes that others that are weake, may by this correction be offended in their Godly endeauours or diuerted from the true faith: In this case forbearance arises not from occasi­on of greedinesse, but from the counsell of charity, (c) But their's is the fault indeed who liue a life quite contrary, wholy abhorring the courses of the wicked, yet will ouerpasse to taxe the others sins wherof they ought to be most seuere reprehenders and correctors, because they feare to offend them, and so be hurt in their possession of those things whose vse is lawfull both vnto good and bad, affecting temporalities in this kinde farre more greedily then is fit for such as are but pilgrimes in this world, and such as expect (d) the hope of a celestiall inheritance? for it is not onely those of the weaker sort that liue in [Page 15] marriage, hauing (or seeking to haue) children, and keeping houses and fami­lies: whome the Apostle in the Church doth instruct how to liue, the wiues with their husbands and the husbands with their wiues: children with their parents and the parents with their children: the seruants with their maisters and the maisters with their seruants: it is not these alone that get together these worldly goods with industry, and loose them with sorrow, and because of which they dare not offend such men as in their filthy and contaminate liues do extreamely displease them: but it is also those of the highter sort, such as are no way chayned in mariage, such as are content with poore fare and meane attire. Many of these through too much loue of their good name and safety through their feare of the deceits and violence of the wicked; through frailtie and weaknesse, forbeare to reprooue the wicked when they haue offended. And although they doe not feare them so farre, as to be drawne to actuall imi­tation of these their vicious demeanours; yet this which they will not act with them, they will not reprehend in them (though herein they might reforme some of them by this reprehension:) by reason that (in case they did not re­forme them) their owne fame and their safetie might come in danger of de­struction. Now herein they doe at no hand consider how they are bound to see that their fame and safety bee necessarily employed in the instruction of others, but they do nothing but poyse it in their owne infirmitie, which loues to be stroaked with a smooth tongue, and delighteth in the (e) day of man: fearing the censure of the vulgar, and the torture and destruction of body: that is, they forbeare this dutie, not through any effect of charitie, but meerely through the power of auarice and greedy affection. Wherefore I hold this a great cause, why the good liuers do pertake with the bad in their afflictions, when it is Gods pleasure to correct the corruption of manners with the pu­nishment of temporall calamities. For they both endure one scourge, not be­cause they are both guiltie of one disordered life, but because they both doe too much affect this transitorie life; not in like measure, but yet both toge­ther: which the good man should contemne, that the other by them being corrected and amended, might attaine the life eternall: who if they would not ioyne with them in this endeauour of attaining beatitude, they should be (f) borne with all and loued as our enemies are to be loued in Christianitie: we being vncertaine whilest they liue here, whether euer their heart shall bee turned vnto better or no, which to doe, the good men haue (not the like, but) farre greater reason, because vnto them (g) the Prophet saith: Hee is taken away for his iniquity, but his bloud will I require at the watch-mans hand, (h) for vn­to Ezech. 33. this end were watch-men, that is rulers ouer the people placed in the chur­ches, that they should (i) not spare to reprehend enormities. Nor yet is any other man altogether free from this guilt, whatsoeuer he bee, ruler or not ru­ler, who in that dayly commerce and conuersation, wherein humane necessity confines him, obserueth any thing blame worthy, and to reprehend it, seeking to auoyde the others displeasure, being drawne here-vnto by these vanities which he doth not vse as he should, but affecteth much more then hee should. Againe, there's another reason why the righteous should endure these tem­porall inflictions, and was cause of holy (k) Iobs sufferance, namely that here­by the soule may bee prooued and fully knowne whether it hath so much god­lie vertue as to loue God freely, and for himselfe alone. These reasons being [Page 16] well considered, tell me whether any thing be casuall vnto the good, that tend­eth not to their good: vnlesse we shall hold that the Apostle talked idely when he said: (l) Wee know all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God?

That the Saints in their losse of things temporall loose not any thing at all. CHAP. 9.

THey lost all that they had: what? their faith? their zeale? their goods of the (a) inward man; which inritcheth the soule before God? These are a Christians ritches, whereof the Apostle being possessed said: Godlinesse is a [Page 17] great gaine if man bee content with what he hath: for we brought nothing into this 1. Tim. 6. 6. 7. 8. world, nor can we cary any thing out: therefore when we haue foode and rayment, let vs content our-selues there-with, for they that wil be rich fall into temptation and snares, and into many foolish and hurtfull desires, which drowne men in perdition and destruction, for (b) coueteousnesse of mony is the roote of all euill, which while some lusting after, haue erred from the faith and cast them-selues in many (c) sor­rowes. Such therefore as lost their goods in that destruction, if they held them as the afore-said Apostle (d) (poore without, but rich within) taught them: that is, if they vsed the world so as if they vsed it not at all, then might they truly say with him that was so sore assalted and yet neuer ouerthrown (e) Nak [...]d came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked shall I returne thether againe. The Lord hath Iob 1. 21. giuen it, & the Lord hath taken it away, as it hath pleased the Lord so commeth it to passe: blessed be the name of the Lord. He held his Lords will, (as a good seruant) for great possessions, and by attending that, enritched his spirit: nor greeued he at all at the losse of that in his life time, which death perforce would make him leaue shortly after. But those farre weaker soules, though they preferre not these worldly things before Christ, yet stick vnto them with a certaine exor­bitant affection, they must needs feele such paine in the loosing of them, as their offence deserued in louing of them: and endure the sorrowes in the same measure that they cast themselues into sorrowes: As I said before out of the Apostle. For it was meete for them to taste a little of the discipline of experi­ence, seeing thy had so long neglected instruction by words: for the Apostle hauing said: They that will be rich fall into temptations; &c. Herein doth hee re­prehend the desire after ritches onely, not the vse of them: teaching likewise 1. Tim. 6. 9 (f) else-where: Charge them that are ritch in this world that they be not high min­ded, 16. vers. 17 18. & 19. and that they trust not in their vncertaine wealth, but in the liuing God, who gi­ueth vs plentifully all things to enioy: That they doe good and bee (g) ritch in good workes, ready to distribute and communicate: laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come, that they may obtaine the true life. They that did thus with their ritches by easing small burthens, [...]eaped great gaines; tak­ing more ioy in that part which by their free distributiō vnto others they had (h) kept more safely, then they felt sorrow for that which by their care to pre­serue to themselues they lost so easily. For it was likely that that perish heare on earth which they had no minde to remooue into a more secure custo­die. For they that followe their Lords Counsell, when hee saith vnto them, Lay not vp treasures for your selues vpon the earth where the moth and rust corrupt, or where theeues dig through and steale, but lay vp treasures for your selves in Hea­uen, Math. 6, 19 20. 21. where neither rust nor moth corrupt: nor theeues digge through and steale, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also: these (I say) in the time of tribulation were sure to find how well they were aduised in following that Maister of al truth, and that diligent and dreadles keeper of all good treasure: For seeing there were many that reioiced because they had hidden their trea­sure in a place which the foe by chance ouer-passed & found not: how much more certaine and secure might their comfort bee, that by their Gods in­struction had retired thither with their substance, whether they were sure the Paulinus bishop of Nola. foe could not come? And therefore one (i) Paulinus being Bishop of Nola, and hauing refused infinite ritches for voluntarie pouertie (and yet was he ritch in holynesse) when the Barbarians sacked Nola, and held him prisoner, thus [Page 18] prayed hee in his heart (as hee told vs afterward) Lord let mee not bee troubled for gold nor siluer: for where all my treasures are, thou knowest: Euen there had hee laid vppe all his, where hee hadde aduised him to lay it who fore-told these miseries to fall vppon the world. And so o­thers, in that they obeyed GODS instructions for the choyce and preseruation of the true treasure indeed, hadde euen their worldly trea­sures preserued from the fury of the Barbarians: But others paid for their disobedience, and because their precedent wisdome could not do it, their sub-sequent experience taught them how to dispose of such temporall trash. Some Christians by their enemies were putte vnto torture, to make them discouer where their goods lay: but that good whereby (k) them-selues were good, they could neither loose, nor discouer. But if they had rather haue indured torture then discouer their (l) Mammon of iniquitie, then were they far from good. But those that suffered so much for gold, were to be instructed what should bee indured for Christ: that they might rather learne to loue him that enricheth his Martyrs with eternall felicity, then gold and siluer for which it is miserable to indure any torment, whether it bee concealed by ly­ing, or discouered by telling the truth. For no man that euer confessed Christ could lose him amongst all the torments: whereas no man could euer saue his gold but by denying it. VVherefore euen those very torments are more profitable, in that they teach a man to loue an incoruptible good, then those goods in that they procure their owners torture through the blind loue they beare vnto them, But some that had no such goods, and yet were thought to haue them, were tortured also. VVhy? perhaps they had a desire to them though they had them not, and were poore against their wils, not of their owne election: And then though their possessions did not iustly deserue those afflictions, yet their affections did. But if their mindes flew a loftyer pitch, beholding both the possession and the affection of ritches with an eye of scorne, I make a doubt whether any such were euer tormented in this kinde, or beeing so innocent, incurred any such imputation. But if they did, truly, they in these their tortures, confessing their sanctified po­uertie, confessed CHRIST him-selfe▪ And therefore though the extor­ted confession of such holy pouerty could not deserue to bee beleeued of the enemie, yet should hee not bee put to this paine without an heauenly reward for his paines.

Of the end of this transitory life whether it be long or short. CHAP. 10.

THe extremity of famine they say destroyed many Christians in these The benefit of famine▪ inuasions. Well euen of this also the faithfull by induring it pati­ently, haue made good vse. For such as the famine made an end off, it deliue­uered from the euils of this life, as well as any other bodily disease could doe: such as it ended not, it taught them a sparing diet, and ablenesse to faste. Yea, but many Christians were destroyed by the foulest variety that might bee, falling by so many sortes of death: why this is not to bee disliked off, since it is common to all that euer haue beene borne. This I know that no man is dead that should not at leng [...]h haue died. For the liues ending, makes the long life and the short all one▪ neither is their one better and another worse, nor one longer, then another shorter, which is not in this end, made equall. And what skils it what kind of death do dispatch our life, when he that dieth cannot bee forced to die againe? And seeing that euery mortall man, in the daily casual­ties of this life is threatned continually with inumerable sortes of death, as long as he is vncertaine which of them he shall taste; tell me whether it were better to (a) suffer but one in dying once for euer, or still to liue in con­tinual feare, then al those extreames of death? I know how vnworthy a choice it were to choose rather to liue vnder the awe of so many deathes, then by once dying to bee freed from all their feare for euer. But it is one thing when the weake sensitiue flesh doth feare it, and another when the purified reason of the soule ouer-comes it. A bad death neuer followes a good life: for there [Page 20] is nothing that maketh death bad but that estate which followeth death. Ther­fore let not their care that needes must dye bee imployed vppon the manner of their death, but vppon the estate that they are eternally to inherit after death. Wherefore seeing that all Christians know that the death of the re­ligious (b) begger amongst the dogs licking his sores, was better thē the death of the wicked rich man in all his (c) silks and purples, what power hath the horrour of any kind of death to affright their soules that haue ledde a vertu­ous life?

Of buryall of the dead: that it is not preiudiciall to the state of a Christian soule to be forbidden it. CHAP 11.

OH, but in this great slaughter the dead could not bee buryed: Tush our holy faith regards not that, holding fast the promise: It is not so fraile as to think that the rauenous beasts can depriue the body of any part to be wan­ting in the resurrection, where not a hayre of the head shall be missing. Nor would the scripture haue said: Feare not them that kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soule: if that which the foe could doe vnto our dead bodies in this Mat, 10. 28. world should any way preiudice our perfection in the world to come: Vnlesse any man will be so absurd as to contend that they that can kil the body are not to be feared before death least they should kill it, but after death least hauing killed it they should not permit it buriall. Is it false then which Christ saith, Those that kill the body, after they can do no more, and that they haue power to do so much hurt vnto the dead carkasse? God forbid that should be false which is spoken by the truth it selfe: Therefore it is said they do something in killing, because then they afflict the bodyly sence for a while: but afterwards they can afflict it no more, because there is no sense in a dead body. So then suppose that many of the Christians bodies neuer came in the earth: what of that, no man hath taken any of them both from earth and heauen, haue they? No: And both these doth his glorious presence replenish that knowes how to re­store euery Atome of his worke in the created. The Psalmist indeed com­playneth thus: The dead (a) bodies of thy seruants haue they giuen to be meat vnto the foules of the ayre: and the flesh of thy Saintes vnto the beastes of the earth: Their Psal, 79. 2. bloud haue they shedde like waters round about Ierusalem, and there was none to bury them. But this is spoken to intimate their villany that did it, rather then their misery that suffered it. For though that vnto the eyes of man these actes seeme bloudie and tyranous, yet, pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints. And therefore all these ceremonies concerning the dead, the care [Page 21] of the buriall, the fashions of the Sepulchers, and the pompes of the funeralls, are rather solaces to the liuing, then furtherances to the dead. (b) For if a goodly and ritch tombe bee any helpe to the wicked man being dead, then is the poore and meane one a hindrance vnto the godly man in like case. The familie of that rich (c) gorgeous glutton, prepared him a sumptuous funerall vnto the eyes of men: but one farre more sumptuous did the ministring An­gels prepare for the poore vlcered begger, in the sight of God: They bore him Luc. 16. 22. not into any Sepulcher of Marble, but placed him in the bosome of Abraham. This do they (d) scoffe at, against whom wee are to defend the citty of God. And yet euen (e) their owne Philosophers haue contemned the respect of buriall: and often-times (f) whole armies, fighting and falling for their earth­lie countrie, went stoutly to these slaughters, without euer taking thought where to be laide, in what Marble tombe, or in what beasts belly. And the (g) Poets were allowed to speake their pleasures of this theame, with applause of the vulgar, as one doth thus:

What little reason then haue these miscreants, to insult ouer the Christians, that lie vnburied, vnto whom, a new restitution of their whole bodies is pro­mised, to be restored them (h) in a moment, not onely out of the earth alone, 1. Cor. 15. 52. but euen out of all the most secret Angles of all the other elements, wherein any body is or can possibly be included.

The reasons why wee should bury the bodies of the Saints. CHAP. 12.

NOtwithstanding the bodies of the dead are not to be contemned and cast away, chieflie of the righteous and faithfull, which the holy ghost vsed as organs and instruments vnto all good workes. For if the garment or ring of ones father bee so much the more esteemed of his posteritie, by how much they held him dearer in their affection, then is not our bodies to be despised, being we weare them more neere vnto our selues then any attire whatsoeuer. For this is no part of externall (a) ornament or assistance vnto man, but of his expresse nature. And therefore the funeralls of the righteous in the times of old were performed with a zealous care, their burials celebrated, and their monuments prouided, and they themselues in their life time would lay char­ges vpon their children concerning the burying or translating of their bodies. (b) Tobye in burying of the dead was acceptable vnto God, as the Angell testi­fieth. T [...]. 2. And the Lord himselfe being to arise againe on the third day, commen­ded the good worke of that (c) religious woman, who powred the precious Math. 26. Iob. 19. 42 ointment vpon his head and body, and did it to bury him. And the (d) Gospell hath crowned them with eternall praise that tooke downe his body from the crosse, and gaue it honest and honorable buriall. But yet these authorities prooue not any sence to be in the dead carcases themselues, but signifie that [Page 23] the prouidence of God extendeth euen vnto the very bodies of the dead (for he is pleased with such good deedes) and do buildvp the beliefe of the resur­rection. Where by the way wee may learne this profitable lesson, how great the reward of almes-deeds done vnto the liuing, may be (e) since this dutie & fauour shewen but vnto the dead is not forgotten of God. There are other propheticall places of the holy (f) Patriarkes concerning the intombing or the translation of their owne bodies. But this is no place to handle them in, Gen. 47. &c. and of this wee haue already spoken sufficiently: but if the necessaries of mans life, as meate and clothing, though they bee wanting in great extremi­tie, yet cannot subuert the good mans patience, nor drawe him from good­nesse: how much lesse power shall those things haue which are omitted in the burying of the dead, to afflict the soules that are already at quiet in the secret receptacles of the righteous? And therefore, when as in that great ouer­throw of Rome, and of other Cities, the bodies of the Christians wanted these rights: it was neitheir fault in the liuing, that could not performe them, nor hurt to the dead, that could not feele them.

Of the captiuitie of the Saints, and that there­in they neuer wanted spiri­tuall comfort. CHAP. 13.

I, But many Christians (say they) were lead into captiuitie: This indeed had been a lamentable case, if they had been lead vnto some place where they could not possibly haue found their God. But for comforts in captiuity, the scriptures haue store: The (a) three children were in bondage: so was Daniel, so were (b) others of the Prophets: but they neuer wanted God, their com­forter. Dan. 1. No more did he here abandon his faithfull; being vnder the command of barbarous men, who forsooke not his (c) Prophet beeing euen in the bellie of a beast. This now they with whom wee are to deale, had rather scorne, then beleeue, yet of that fable in their owne bookes they are fully perswaded, name­ly that that same excellent harper (d) Arion of Methymna, beeing cast ouer [Page 24] boord, was taken vp on a Dolphins back, and so borne safe to land. Is our his­tory of Ionas more incredible then this? yes, because it is more (e) admirable; and it is more admirable, because more powerfull. Ionas 2.

Of Marcus Regulus, who was a famous example to animate all men to the en­during of vol [...]ntary captiuity for their religion: which notwith­standing, was vnprofitable vnto him by rea­son of his Paganisme. CHAP. 14.

YEt for all this our enemies haue one worthy exmaple proposed by one of their most famous men, for y^• willing toleration of bondagein the cause of religion: (a) Marcus Attilius Regulus, general of the Romanes forces was prisoner at Carthage: Now the Carthaginians being more desirous to exchange their prisoners then to keepe them, sent Regulus with their Embassadors to Rome to treat vpon this exchange, hauing first sworne him, that in case he effected not what they desired he should returne as captiue vnto Carthage, so he went vnto Rome, and hauing a day of audience granted him, hee perswaded the direct contrary vnto his ambassage: because he held it was not profitable for the Ro­mans to exchange their prisoners. Nor after this perswasiue speach did the Ro­maines compell him to returne vnto his enemies, but willingly did he go backe againe for sauing of his oth. But his cruell foes put him to death with horri­ble and exquisite torments: for shutting him (b) in a narrow barrell, strucken all full of sharpe nayles, and so forcing him to stand vpright, being not able to leane to any side without extreame paines, they killed him euen with ouer­watching him. This vertue in him is worthy of euerlasting praise, being made greater by so great infelicity. Now his oth of returne, was taken (c) by those [Page 25] gods for the neglect of whose forbidden worship those infidells hold these plagues laid vpon mankind. But if these gods (being worshipped onely for the attainement of temporall prosperity) either desired, or permitted these paines to be layd vpon one that kept his oth so truly, what greater plague could they in their most deserued wrath haue inflicted vpon a most periur'd villain then they laid vpon this religious worthy? but why do not I confirme mine (d) ar­gument with a double proo [...]e? If he worshipped his gods so sincerely, that for keeping the oth which he had taken by their deities, he would leaue his natu­rall country to returne (not vnto what place he liked, but) vnto his greatest e­nemies, if he held that religiousnesse of his any way beneficiall vnto his tem­porall estate, (which he ended in such horrible paines) hee was farre deceiued. For his example hath taught all the world that those Gods of his neuer fur­ther their worshippers in any prosperity of this life; since he that was so de­uout and dutifull a seruant of theirs, for all that they could doe, was conquered and led away captiue: Now if the worship of these Gods returne mens hap­pinesse in the life to come, why then do they callumniate the profession of the Christians, saying, that that misery fell vpon the citty, because it gaue ouer the worship of the old gods, when as were it neuer so vowed vnto their worship, yet might it tast of as much temporall misfortune as euer did Regulus: vnlesse any man will stand in such brainelesse blindnesse against the pure truth, as to say that a whole city duelie worshipping these Gods cannot bee miserable, when one onely man may, as though the gods power were of more hability and promptnesse to preserue generalls, then perticulars: (e) what? doth not euery multitude consist of singularities? If they say that Regulus euen in all that bondage and torment might neuerthelesse bee happie in the (f) vertue of his constant minde, then let vs rather follow the quest of that vertue by which an whole cittie may be made truely happy, for a citties happinesse and a particu­lar A Cittie. mans doe not arise from any seuerall heads: the cittie being nothing but a multitude of men vnited in one formality of religion and estate: wherefore as yet I call not Regulus his vertue into any question. It is now sufficient that his very example is of power to enforce them to confesse that the worship ex­hibited vnto the gods, aymes not any way at bodily prosperity, nor at things externally accident vnto man; because that Regulus chose rather to forge all these, then to offend his gods before whom hee had passed his oth. But what shall wee say to these men, that dare glorie that they had had one city of that quality whereof they feare to haue all the rest? If they haue no such feare, let them then acknowledge, that what befell Regulus, the same may befal an whole city, though their deuotion may paralell his in this worship of their gods; and therefore let them cease to slander the times of Christianity. But seeing that our question arose about the captiued Christians, let such as hereby take especiall occasion to deride and scorne that sauing religion, marke but this, & be silent: that if it were no disgrace vnto their gods, that one of their most zea­lous worshippers, by keeping his othe made vnto them, should bee neuerthe­lesse depriued of his country, and haue no place left him to retire to, but must perforce bee returned to his enemies, amongst whom he had already endured an hard and wretched captiuity, & was now lastly to taste of a tedious death, in most execrable, strange, and cruel torments: then far lesse cause is there to accuse the name of Christ for the captiuitie of his Saints, for that they, expec­ting [Page 26] the heauenly habitation in true faith, knew full well, that they were but pilgrims in their natiue soiles and (g) habitations here vpon earth, and subiect to all the miseries of mortalitie.

Whether the Taxes that the holy Virgins suffered against their wills in their captiuities, could pollute the vertues of their minde. CHAP. 15.

O But they thinke they giue the Christians a foule blow, when they aggra­uate the disgrace of their captiuitie, by vrging the rapes which were wrought not onely vpon maried and mariageable persons, but euen vpon some Votaresses also: Here are wee not to speake of faith, or godlinesse, or of the vertue of chastitie, but our discourse must runne a narrow course, (a) betwixt [Page 27] shame and reason. (b) Nor care wee so much to giue an answer vnto stran­gers in this, as to minister comfort vnto our fellow Christians. Bee this therefore granted as our first position, that that power by which man liueth well, resting enthroned, and established in the minde, commands euery mem­ber of the body, and the body is sanctified by the sanctification of the will: which sactimonie of the will, if it remaine firme and inuiolate, what way The will sanctifies the body. soeuer the body bee disposed of or abused, (if the partie enduring this abuse cannot auoide it (d) without an expresse offence) this sufferance layeth no crime vpon the soule. But because euery body is subiect to suffer the effects both of the furie, and the lusts of him that subdueth it that which it suffereth in this latter kinde, though it bee not a destroyer of ones chastitie, yet is it a procurer of ones shame: Because otherwise, it might bee thought, that that was suffered with the consent of the minde, which it may bee could not bee suffered without some delight of the flesh: And therefore as for those, who to auoide this did voluntarily destroy themselues, what humaine heart can choose but pittie them? yet as touching such as would not doe so, fear­ing by auoyding others villanie, to incurre their owne damnation, hee that imputes this as a fault vnto them, is not vnguiltie of the faulte of folly.

Of such as chose a voluntary death, to auoyde the feare of paine and dishonour. CHAP. 16.

FOR if it bee not lawfull for a priuate man to kill any man, how euer guil­tie, vnlesse the lawe haue granted a speciall allowance for it, then surely whosoeuer killes himselfe is guiltie of homicide: And so much the more guil­tie doth that killing of himselfe make himselfe, by how much the more guilt­lesse hee was in that cause for which hee killd himselfe. For if Iudas (a) his fact be worthily detested, and yet the Truth (b) saith, that by hanging of Math. 27. himselfe, hee did rather augment then expiate the guilt of his wicked trea­cherie, because his despaire of Gods mercy in his (c) damnable repen­tance, left no place in his soule for sauing repentance; how much more ought he to forbeare from being cause of his owne death, that hath no guilt in him worthy of such a punishment as death: for Iudas in hanging himselfe, hanged but a wicked man and dyed guiltie, not onely of Christs death, but [Page 28] of his owne also: adding the wickednesse of being his owne death, to that o­ther wickednesse of his, for which he dyed.

Of the violent lust of the Souldiers, executed vpon the bodies of the captiues; against their consents. CHAP. 17.

BVt why should he that hath done no man euill, do himselfe euill, and by de­stroying himselfe, destroy an innocent man, for feare to suffer iniurie by the guilte of another, and procure a sinne vnto himselfe, by auoiding the sinne of another? O but his feare is, to be defiled by anothers lust! tush, anothers lust cannot pollute thee; if it doe, it is not anothers but thine owne. But chasti­tie being a vertue of the minde, and (a) accompanied with fortitude, by which it learnes rather to endure all euills, then consent to any, and (b) no man of this fortitude and chastitie, being able to dispose of his body as he list, but one­ly of the consent and dissent of his minde; what man of witte will thinke hee looseth his chastity, though his captiued body be forcedly prostitute vnto ano­thers beastialitie? If chastitie were lost thus easilie, it were no vertue of the minde; nor one of (c) those goods, whereby a man liues in goodnesse; but were to be reckoned amongst the goods of the body, with strength, beautie, health, and such like: (d) which if a man do decrease in, yet it doth not follow that he decreaseth in his vprightnesse of life: but if chastitie be of (e) another kinde, why should we endanger our bodies to no end, which feare to loose it? for if it be (f) a good, belonging to the mind, it is not lost though the body be violated. Moreouer it is the vertue of holy continencie, that when it with­stands the pollution of carnall concupiscence, thereby it sanctifies euen the body also: and therefore when the intention stands firme, and giues no way to vicious affects, the chastitie of the body (g) is not lost, because the will re­maines still in the holy vse, and in the power too, as farre as it can. For the body is not holy in that it is whole, or vntouched in euery member, for it may be hurt and wounded by many other casualties: And the Physitian of­tentimes for the preseruation of the health, doth that vnto the body which the eye abhorres to beholde. (h) A Midwife trying a certaine maides inte­gretie of the Virginall part, (whether for malice, or by chance, it is vncer­taine) spoiled it. Now I thinke none so foolish as to thinke that this virgin lost any part of her bodily sanctitie, though that part endured this breach of integritie. And therefore the intent of the minde standing firme, (which firm­nesse it is that sanctifies the body) the violence of anothers lust cannot depriue so much as the (i) body of this sanctity, because the perseuerance of the minde [Page 29] in continency euer preserueth it. But shall we say that any woman whose cor­rupt minde hath broken her promise vnto God, and yeelded her self willingly to the lust of her deceiuer, (though but in purpose,) is as yet holy in her bodie, when she hath lost that holinesse of minde which sanctified her body? God forbid. And heere let vs learne, that the sanctity of bodie is no more lost, if the sanctity of minde remaine, (though the bodie bee rauished) then it is kept, if the mindes holinesse bee polluted, though the bodie it selfe bee vn­touched. Wherefore if there bee no reason, that a woman that hath alrea­die suffred an others villanie against her owne will, should destroy her selfe by voluntary death, how much lesse ought this course to bee followed before there bee any cause? and why should murder bee committed, when the guilt which is feared (beeing feared from another) is as yet in doubt of euent? Dare they (against whom wee defend the sanctity not onely of the Christian womens mindes, but euen of their bodies in this last captiuitie) contradict this cleere reason, wherein we affirme, that whilest the chast resolution is vn­changed by any euill consent, the guilt is wholy the rauishers, and no part of it imputable vnto the rauished?

Of Lucretia, that stabb'd her selfe because Tarquins sonne had rauished her. CHAP. 18.

THey extoll (a) Lucretia, that Noble and ancient Matron of Rome, with al the laudes of chastity. This woman, hauing her body forcibly abused by Sextus [Page 30] Tarquinius son to Tarquin the proud, shee reuealed this villany of the dissolute youth vnto her husband Collatinus, and to Brutus her kinsman, (both Noble and valorous men) binding them by oth, to (b) reuenge this wicked outrage. And then, loathing the foulnesse of the fact that had beene committed vpon her, she slew her selfe. What? shall we say she was an adulteresse, or was shee chast? who will stand long in desciding this question. (c) One, declaming sin­gularly well and truely hereof, saith thus: O wonder! there were two, and yet but one committed the adultery: worthyly and rarely spoken: Intimating in this commixtion, the spotted lust of the one, and the chast will of the other; and gathering his position, not from their bodily coniunction, but from the di­uersity of their mindes, There were two (sayth hee) yet but one committed the a­dultry. But what was that then which shee punished so cruelly, hauing not committed any falt? (d) He was but chased out of his country, but shee was slaine: if it were no vnchastenesse in her to suffer the rape vnwillingly, it was no iustice in her being chaste, to make away her selfe willingly. I appeale to you, you lawes, & Iudges of Rome. After any offence be committed, you wil not haue (e) the offender put to death without his sentence of condemnation. Sup­pose then this case brought before you, and that your iudgement was, that the slaine woman was not onely vncondemned, but chaste, vnguilty, and innocent; would you not punish the doer of this deed with full seuerity? This deed did Lucretia, that so famous Lucretia: this Lucretia being innocent, chaste, and forcibly wronged, euen by (f) Lucretia's selfe, was murdered: Now giue your sentence. But if you cannot, because the offender is absent, why th [...]n doe you so extoll the murder of so chaste and guiltlesse a woman? you cannot defend her before the infernall iudges, at any hand, if they be such as your Poets in their verses decipher them: for according to their iudgement, she is (g) to be placed amongst those.

Whence if she now would gladly returne—

But how if shee be not amongst them, as not dying guiltlesse, but as beeing priuy to her owne sinne? what if it were so (h) which none could know but her selfe, that though Tarquinius son offred her force, yet she her self gaue a lustfull consent, & [...] did so greeue at that, that she held it worthy to be punished with death? Though she ought not to haue done so, howsoeuer if she thought her repentance could be any way accepted of a sort of false gods.) If it be so, & that it be false that there were two & but one did the sin, but rather that both were guilty of it, the one by a violent enforcement, the other by a secret consent, then shee died not innocent: And therefore (i) her learned de­fenders may well say, that shee is not in hell amongst those that de­stroyed [Page 31] them-selues beeing guiltlesse. But this case is in such a strait, that if the murder be extenuated, the adultery is confirmed, and if this bee cleared the other is agrauated: Nor (k) is there any way out of this argument: If she be an adulteresse, why is shee commended? If shee bee chaste why did shee kill her selfe? But in this example of this noble woman, this is sufficient for vs to con­fute those that beeing them-selues farre from all thought of sanctitie insult o­uer the Christian women that were forced in this last captiuity: that in Lucre­cia's praise, it is said that There were two, and but one committed adultery. For they then held Lucrecia for one that could not staine her selfe with any la­sciu [...]ous consent. Well then in killing her selfe for suffering vncleanesse, be­ing hir selfe vnpolluted, she shewed no loue vnto chastitie, but onely disco­uered the infirmity of her owne shame: he shamed at the filthinesse that was committed vppon hir, though it were (l) without her consent: and (m) being a Romain, and coueteous of glory, she feared, that (n) if she liued stil, that which shee had indured by violence; should be thought to haue been suffered with willingnesse. And therfore she thought good to shew this punishment to the eies of men, as a testimony of hir mind, vnto whome shee could not shew her minde indeed: Blushing to be held a partaker in the fact, which beeing by ano­ther committed so filthyly, she had indured so vnwillingly. Now this course the Christian women did not take; they liue still, howsoeuer violated: neither for all this reuenge they the ruines of others vppon them-selues, least they should make an addition of their owne guilt vnto the others, if they should go and murder them-selues barbarously, because their enemies had forst them so beastially. For howsoeuer, they haue the glory of their chastity stil within them (o) being the restimony of their conscience, this they haue before the eies of their God, and this is all they care for (hauing no more to looke to but to do wel that they decline not from the authority of the law diuine, in any finister indeauour to auoid the offence of mortall mans suspition.

That there is no authority which allowes Christians to be their owne deaths in what cause soeuer CHAP. 19.

FOr it is not for nothing that wee neuer finde it commended in the holy ca­nonicall Scriptures (or but allowed) that either for attaining of immorta­litie, or auoyding of calamitie, wee should bee our owne destructions: we are forbidden it in the law: Thou shalt not kill: especially because it addes not, Thy [...]. neighbour; as it doth in the pohibition of false witnesse. Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour: Yet let no man thinke that he is free of this later crime, if he beare false witnesse against him-selfe: because hee that loues his neighbour, begins his loue from him-selfe: Seeing it is written: Thou shalt [Page 33] loue thy neighbour as thy selfe. Now if hee bee no lesse guiltlesse of false Math. 2 [...]. witnesse that testifieth falsely against him-selfe, then hee that doth so against his neighbour (since that in that commandement, wherein false witnesse is forbidden, it is forbidden to be practised against ones neighbor, whence mis­vnderstanding conceits may suppose that it is not forbiddē to beare false wit­nesse against ones selfe) how much plainer is it to bee vnderstood, that a man may not kill him-selfe, seeing that vnto the commandement (Thou shalt not kil) nothing being added, excludes al exception both of others, & of him to whom the command is giuen? And therefore some would extend the intent of this precept, euen vnto beasts and cattell, and would haue it vnlawfull to kill any of them. But why not vnto hearbes also, and all things that grow and are nou­rished by the earth? for though these kindes cannot bee said to haue (a) sence or feeling, yet they are said to be liuing: and therfore they may die; and conse­quently by violent vsage be killed. VVherfore the Apostle speaking of these kinde of seedes, saith thus. Foole, that which thou sowest, is not quickened, except (first) it die. And the Psalmist saith: He destrored their vines with baile: but what? 1. Cor, 12. 36. Psal. 78. 47. Shall wee therefore thinke it sinne to cutte vp a twigge, because the com­mandement sayes, thou shalt not kill, and so involue our selues in the foule er­ror of the Manichees? VVherefore setting aside these dotages, when we read this precept: Thou shalt not kill; If wee hold it not to bee meant of fruites or trees, because they are not sensitiue; nor of vnreasonable creatures, either go­ing, flying, swimming or creeping, because they haue no society with vs in reason, which God the Creator hath not made common both to them and vs; and therefore by his iust ordinance, their deaths and liues are both most ser­uiceable and vse-full vnto vs; then it followes necessarily, that thou shalt not kil, is meant only ofmen: Thou shalt not kill, namely, Neither thy self, or another. For he that kils him-selfe, kils no other but a man.

Of some sort of killing men, which notwith­standing are no murthers. CHAP. 20.

Indeed the authority of the law diuine hath sette downe some exceptions wherein it is lawfull to kill a man. But excepting those whome God com­maundes to bee slayne, either by his expresse law, or by some particular com­maund vnto any person by any temporall occasion (and hee committeth not homicide that owes his seruice vnto him that commaundeth him, beeing but as the sword is a helpe to him that vseth it. And therefore those men do not breake the commandement which forbiddeth killing, who doe make warre by [Page 34] the authority of (a) Gods commaund, or beeing in some place of publike ma­gistracie, do putte to death malefactors according to their lawes, that is, ac­cording to the rule of iustice and reason. Abraham was not onely freed from beeing blamed as a murtherer, but he was also commended as a godly man in Abraham that hee would haue killed his sonne Isaack, not in wickednesse, but in obedi­ence. And it is a doubtfull question, whether it bee to bee held as a command from God that (b) Iepthe killed his daughter that met him in his returne, seeing Gen. 22. Iudge. 11. 30. 31. that he had vowed to sacrifice the first liuing thing that came out of his house to meete him, when hee returned conqueror from the warres. (c) Nor could Sampson be excused pulling downe the house vpon him-selfe and his enemies, but that the spirit within him, which wrought miracles by him, did prompt him vnto this act. Those therfore beeing excepted, which either the iustice of the law, or the fountaine of all iustice, Gods particular commaund, would haue killed; he that killeth either himself, or any other, incurreth the guilt of a homicide.

That voluntary death can neuer be any signe of magnanimity, or greatnes of spirit. CHAP 21.

WHo soeuer haue committed this homicide vppon them-selues, may (per­haps) bee commended of some for their greatnesse of spirit, but neuer for their soundnesse of iudgement. But indeed if you looke a little deeper in­to the matter, it cannot bee rightly termed magnanimitie, when a man beeing vnable to indure either casuall miseries, or others oppressions (to auoid them) destroyeth him-selfe. For that minde discouereth it selfe to bee of the greatest infirmitie, that can neither indure hard bondage in his bodie, or the fond opinion of the vulgar: and worthily is that spirit entitled great, that can rather indure calamities then auoyde them: And in respect of their owne purity and inlightned conscience, can sette at naught the triuiall censures of mortall men (a) which are most commonly enclowded in a mist of ignorance and errour. If wee shall thinke it a part of magnanimity to putte a mans selfe to death, then is (b) Cleombrotus. most worthie of this magnanimous title, who hauing read Platoes [Page 35] booke of the immortality of the soule, cast himself headlong from the toppe of a wall, and so leauing this life, went vnto another which hee beleeued was bet­ter. For neither calamity, nor guiltinesse, either true or false, vrged him to a­voide it by destroying himselfe, but his great spirit alone was sufficient to make him catch at his death, and breake all the pleasing fetters of this life. Which deed notwithstanding, that it was rather great, then good, Plato him­selfe, whom he read, might haue assured him: who (be sure) would haue done it, or taught it himselfe, if he had not discerned by the same instinct whereby he discerned the soules eternity, that this was at no hand to bee practised, but rather vtterly (c) prohibited.

Of Cato, who killed himselfe, being not able to endure Caesars victory. CHAP. 22.

BVt many haue killed themselues for feare to fal into the hands of their foes. We dispute not here de facto, whether it hath been done or no, but de Iure, whether it were to be done or no. For soūd reason is before example, al autho­rities Reason a­boue exam­ples. to the contrary, as wherevnto all examples do consent, being such as by their excellence in goodnesse are worthily imitable: neither Patriarch, Prophet nor Apostle euer did this: yet our Lord Iesus Christ, when hee admonished his disciples, in persecution to flie from city to city, might haue willed them in such cases to make a present dispatch of themselues, and so to avoide their Math. 10. 23. [Page 36] persecutors (hadd hee held it fitte.) But if hee neuer gaue any such admoni­tion, or command, that any to whome hee promised a mansion of eternity at their deaths, should passe vnto their deaths on this fashion; (lette then the hea­then that know not God produce al they can) it is plainly vnlawful for any one than serueth the onely true God to follow this course: But indeed besides Lu­ [...]ia (of whome I think we haue sufficiently argued before) it is hard for Cap. 19. them to find one other example, worth prescribing as a fitte authority for o­thers to follow, besides that (a) Cato only that killed him-selfe at Vtica: (b) not that hee alone was his owne deaths-man but because he was accounted as a (c) learned, and (d) honest man, which may beget a beleefe, that to do as hee didde, were to doe well. VVhat should I say of his fact more then his friendes (and (e) some of them learned men) haue said? who shewed far more iudgement in disswading the deed, and censuring it as the effect of a spirit rather deiected, then magnanimous. And of this (f) did Cato him-selfe leaue a testimony in his owne famous Sonne. For if it were base to liue vnder Caesars victory: why did he aduise his son to this, willing him to entertaine a full hope of Caesars clemency? Yea why did he not vrge him to go willingly to his end with him? If it were laudable in Torquatus (g) to kill his sonne that hadde fought and foyled his enemy: (though herein he had broken the Dictators commaund) why didde conquered Cato spare his ouerthrowne sonne, that spared not him-selfe? VVas it more vile to bee a conquerour agaynst lawe, then to indure a conquerour against honour? What shall wee saie then, but that euen in the same measure that hee loued his sonne, whome hee both hoped and wished that Caesar woulde spare, in the same didde hee enuy Caesars glory, which hee (h) should haue gotten in sparing of him also, or else (to mollifie this matter som-what) he was ashamed to receiue such courtesie at Caesars hands.

That the Christians excell Regulus in that vertue, wherein he excelled most. CHAP. 23.

BVt those whom we oppose will not haue their Cato excelled by our Iob, that holy man, who choose rather to endure all them horrible torments (a) in his flesh, then by aduenturing vpon death to auoide all those vexations: and other Saints of high credit and vndoubted faith in our scriptures, all which made choyce rather to endure the tirany of their enemies, then bee their owne butchers. But now we will prooue out of their owne records that Re­gulus was Cato's better in this glory. For Cato neuer ouer-came Caesar, vnto whom he scorned to be subiect, and chose to murder himselfe rather then bee seruant vnto him: But Regulus ouer-came the Africans, and in his generallship, returned with diuers noble victories vnto the Romanes, neuer with any nota­ble losse of his Citizens, but alwaies of his foes: and yet being afterwards con­quered by them, hee resolued rather to endure slauery vnder them, then by death to free himselfe from them. And therein hee both preserued his paci­encie vnder the Carthaginians, and his constancy vnto the Romanes, neither de­priuing the enemy of his conquered body, nor his countrymen of his vncon­quered minde: Neither was it the loue of this life, that kept him from death. [Page 38] This hee gaue good proofe of, when without dread, hee returned back vnto his foes, to whō he had giuen worse cause of offence in the Senate-house with his tongue then euer he had done before in the battaile with his force: & there­fore this so great a conqueror and contemner of this life, who had rather that his foes should take it from him by any torments, then that hee should giue death to himselfe, howsoeuer, must needes hold, that it was a foule guilt for man to bee his owne murderer. Rome amongst all her worthies, and e­ternized spirits, cannot shew one better then hee was, for hee, for all his great victories, continued (b) most poore: nor could mishap amate him: for with a fixt resolue and an vndanted courage returned he vnto his deadliest enemies. Now, if those magnanimous and heroicall defenders of their earthly habi­tacles, and those true and sound seruants of their (indeede false gods (who had power to cut downe their conquered foes by lawe of armes) seeing them­selues afterwardes to bee conquered of their foes, neuerthelesse would not be their owne butchers, but although they feared not death at al, yet would ra­ther endure to bee slaues to their foes superiority, then to bee their owne ex­ecutioners: How much more then should the Christians, that adore the true God, and ayme wholie at the eternall dwellings, restraine themselues from this foule wickednesse, whensoeuer it pleaseth God to expose them for a time to taste of temporall extremities, either for their triall, or for correction sake, seeing that hee neuer forsaketh them in their humiliation, for whom hee being most high, humbled himselfe so low: (e) especially beeing that they are persons whom no lawes of armes or military power can allowe to destroy the conquered enemies?

That sinne is not to be auoided by sinne. CHAP. 24.

VVHat a pernicious error then is heere crept into the world, that a man should kill himselfe, because either his enemy had iniured him, or means to iniure him? whereas hee may not kill his enemy, whether hee haue offen­ded him, or bee about to offend him? This is rather to bee feared indeede, that the bodie, beeing subiect vnto the enemies lust, with touch of some [Page 39] enticing delight do not allure the will to consent to this impurity: And there­fore (say they) it is not because of anothers guilt, but for feare of ones owne, that such men ought to kill themselues before sinne be committed vpon them. Nay, the minde that is more truly subiect vnto God and his wisdome, then vnto carnall concupiscence will neuer be brought to yeeld vnto the lust of the owne flesh be it neuer so prouoked by the lust of anothers: But if it be a damnable fact, and a detestable wickednesse to kill ones selfe at all, (as the truth in plaine tearmes saith it is) what man will bee so fond as to say, let vs sinne now, least we sinne hereafter? let vs commit murder now, least wee fall into adul­tery hereafter? If wickednesse be so predominant in such an one, as hee or shee will not chuse rather to suffer in innocence than to escape by guilt: is it not bet­ter to aduenture on the vncertainety of the future adultery, then the certainety of the present murder? is it not better to commit such a sinne as repentance may purge, then such an one as leaues no place at all for repentance? This I speake for such as for auoyding of guilt (not in others but in themselues) and fearing to consent to the lust in themselues which anothers lust inciteth, doe imagine that they ought rather to endure the violence of death: But farre bee it from a Christian soule that trusteth in his God, that hopeth in him and rest­eth on him; farre bee it (I say) from such to yeeld vnto the delights of the flesh in any consent vnto vncleanesse. But if that (a) concupiscentiall dis­obedience which dwelleth as yet in our (b) dying flesh, doe stirre it selfe by the owne licence against the law of our will; how can it bee but faltlesse in the body of him or her that neuer consenteth, when it stirres without guilt in the body that sleepeth.

Of some vnlawfull acts, done by the Saints, and by what occasion they were done. CHAP. 25.

BVt there were (a) some holy women (say they) in these times of perse­cution, who flying from the spoylers of their chastities, threw themselues head-long into a swift riuer which drowned them and so they died, and yet their martirdomes are continually honored with religious memorialls in the Catholike Church. Well, of these I dare not iudge rashly in any thing. Whether the Church haue any sufficient testimonies that the diuine [Page 40] will aduised it to honor these persons memories, I cannot tell, it may be that Particular vocation, it hath. For what if they did not this through mortall feare, but through hea­uenly instinct? not in error, but in obedience? as wee must not beleeue but that Sampson did. And if God command, and this command be cleerely and doubt­lesly discerned to bee his, who dares call this obedience into question? Who dare callumniate the dutie of holy loue? But euery one that shall resolue to sacrifice his sonne vnto God shall not bee cleared of guilt in such a resolution, because Abraham was praised for it. For the souldier, that in his order and obeysance to his gouernour (vnder whom hee fighteth lawfully) killeth a man, the citty neuermakes him guilty of homicid: nay it makes him guilty offalshood and contempt, if hee doe not labour in all that hee can to doe it. But if hee had killed the man of his owne voluntary pleasure, then had hee beene guilty of shedding humaine bloud, And so hee is punished for doing of that vnbid­den, for the not doing of which beeing bidde hee should also haue beene pu­nished. If this be thus at the generalls command, then why not at the creators? He therefore that heareth it sayd, Thou shalt not kil thy selfe, must kil himself if he commaunde him, whom wee may no way gainesay: Onely hee is to marke whether this diuine commaund bee not involued in any vncertainety. By (b) the eare wee doe make coniecture of the conscience, but our iudgement cannot penetrate into the secrets of hearts: No man knowes the things of a man, but the spirit of a man which is in him. This we say, this we affirme, this wee 1. Cor. 2. 11. vniuersally approoue, that no man ought to procure his owne death for feare of temporall miseries; because in doing this hee falleth into eternall: Nei­ther may hee doe it to avoide the sinnes of others, for in this hee maketh him­selfe guilty of a deadly guilt, whome others wickednesse could not make guilty: nor for his owne sinnes past, for which hee had more neede to wish for life, that hee might repent himselfe of them: nor for any desire of a better life to bee hoped for after death: Because such as are guil­tie of the losse of their owne life, neuer enioye any better life after their death.

Whether we ought to flie sinne with volun­tary death. CHAP. 26.

THere is one reason of this proposition as yet to handle, which seemes to proue it commodious for a man to suffer a voluntary death: namely least [Page 41] either alluring pleasures or tormenting paines should enforce him to sinne af­terwards. Which reason if we will giue scope vnto, it will run out so farre, that one would thinke that men should bee exhorted to this voluntary butchery, e­uen then, when by the fount of regeneration they are purified from all their sinnes. For then is the time to beware of all sinnes to come, when all that is past is pardoned. And if voluntary death doe this, why is it not fittest then? Why doth hee that is newly baptized forbeare his owne throat? Why doth he thrust his head freed againe into all these imminent dangers of this life, seeing he may so easilie avoide them all by his death: and it is written, Hee that lou [...]th daunger shall fall therein? Why then doth he loue those innumerable daungers? or if hee doe not loue them, why vndertakes hee them? Is any man so fondly Eccl. 3. 27 peruerse and so great a contemner of truth, that if hee thinke one should kill himselfe to eschue the violence of one oppressor least it draw him vnto sinne, will neuerthelesse a [...]ouch that one should liue still, and endure this whole world at all times, full of all temptations, both such as may bee expected from one oppressor, and thousands besides without which no man doth nor can liue? What is the reason then, why wee doe spend so much time in our exhor­tations, endeuouring to animate (a) those whom wee haue baptized, (b) ei­ther vnto virginity, or chaste widowhood, or honest and honorable marriage; seeing wee haue both farre shorter and farre better waies to abandon all con­tagion and daunger of sinne; namely in perswading euery one presently after that remission of his sinnes which hee hath newly obtained in baptisme, to be­take him presently to a speedy death, and so send him presently away vnto GOD, both fresh and faire? If any man thinke that this is fitte to bee per­swaded, I say not hee dotes, but I say hee is plaine madde: with what face can he say vnto a man, kill thy selfe, least vnto thy small sinnes thou adde a grea­ter by liuing in slauery vnto a barbarous vnchaste maister? how can hee (but with guilty shame) say vnto a man: kill thy selfe now that thy sinnes are for­giuen thee, least thou fall into the like againe or worse, by liuing in this world, so fraught with manifold temptation, so aluring with vncleane delights, so fu­rious with bloudy sacrileges, so hate-full (c) with errors and terrors? it is a shame and a sinne to say the one, and therefore is it so likewise to doe the o­ther. For (d) if there were any reason of iust force to authorize this fact, it must needes bee that which is fore-alledged. But it is not that, therefore there is none. Loath not your liues then (you faithfull of Christ) though the foe hath made ha [...]ock of your chastities. You haue a great and true consolati­on, if your conscience beare you faithfull witnesse that you neuer consented vn­to their sinnes who were suffred to commit such outrages vpon you.

How it was a iudgement of God that the enemie was permitted to excercise his lust vpon the Christian bodies. CHAP. 27.

IF you aske me now why these outrages were thus permitted, I answere the prouidence of the creator & gouernor of the world, is high, and his iudge­ments are vnsearchable (a) and his waies past finding out: But aske your owne Rom. 11. 33. hearts sincerely whether you haue boasted in this good of continency and chastity, or no? whether you haue not affected humane commendations for it, and so thereby haue enuied it in others? I doe not accuse you of that whereof I am ignorant, nor doe I know what answere your hearts will returne you vnto this question. But if they answere affirmatiuely, and say you haue done so, then wonder not at all (b) that you haue now lost that, whereby you did but seeke and (c) reioyce to please the eyes of mortall men: and that you lost not that which could not bee shewed vnto men. If you consented not vnto the o­thers luxury, your soules had the helpe of Gods grace to keepe them from losse, and likewise felt the disgrace of humane glory, to deterre them from the loue of it. But your faint hearts are comforted on both sides: on this side being approoued, and on that side chastised: iustified on this, and reformed on the other. But their hearts that giue them answere that they neuer glo­ried in the guift of virginity, viduall chastity, or continence in marriage: but (d) sorting themselues with the meanest, did (e) with a reuerend feare Rom. 12. 1 [...]. Psal. 2. 1 [...] reioyce in this guift of God; nor euer repined at the like excellence of sanc­tity and purity in others; but neglecting the ayre of humane fame, (which alwaies is wont to accrew according to the rarity of the vertue that de­serues it) did wish rather to haue their number multiplied, then by reason of their fewnesse to become more eminent. Let not those that are such, (if the Barbarians Iust haue seized vpon some of them) (f) alledge that this is (meerely) permitted: nor let them thinke that God neglecteth these things because he some-times permitteth that which no man euer committeth vnpunished: for some, as weights of sinne and euill desires, are let downe by a pr [...]sent and secret iudgement, and some are reserued to that publique and vniuersall last iudgement. And perhaps those, who knew themselues vn­gu [...]e, and that neuer had their hearts puffed vppe with the good of this chastity, (and yet had their bodies thus abused by the enemie) had (notwithstanding) some infirmity lurking within them which (g) if they had escaped; this humiliation by the warres fury might haue increased vnto a fastidious pride. Wherefore (h) as some were taken away by death, least wickednesse should alter their vnderstandings, so these here [Page 43] were forced to forgoe (i) some-thing, least excesse of prosperitie should haue depraued their vertuous modestie. And therefore, from neither sort, either of those that were proud, in that their bodies were pure from all vncleane touch of others, or that might haue growne proud, if they had escaped the rape done by their foes, from neither of these is their chastitie taken away, but vnto them both is humilitie perwaded. The vaine-glory which is (k) immanent in the one, and imminent ouer the other, was excluded in them both. Though this is not to bee ouer-passed with silence, that some that endured these violences, might perhaps thinke, that continencie is but a bodily good, remaining as long as the body remaines vntouched▪ but that it is not soly placed in the strength of the grace-assisted will, which sanctifies both body and soule: nor that it is a good that cannot be lost against ones will: which error, this affliction brought them to vnderstand: for it they consider with what conscience they honor God, and do with an vnmooued faith beleeue this of him, that hee will not, nay can­not any way forsake such as thus and thus do serue him, and inuocate his name, and do not doubt of the great acceptation which he vouchsafeth vnto chastitie, Then must they neede perceiue that it followes necessarily, that he would neuer suffer this to fall vpon his Saints, if that by this meanes they should be despoi­led of that sanctimonie which hee so much affecteth in them, and infuseth into them.

What the seruants of Christ may answer the In [...]dels, when they vpbrayde them with Christs not deliuering them (in their afflictions) from the furie of their enemies furie. CHAP. 28.

VVHerefore all the seruants of the great and true God haue a comfort thats firme and fixed, not placed vpon fraile foundations of momentary and transitorie things: and so they passe this temporall life in such manner, as they neuer neede repent them of enioying it: because that herein they are prepared for that which is eternall, vsing the goods of this world but as in a pilgrimage, being no way entrapped in them, and so making vse of the euills of this world, as they make them serue alwayes either to their approbation, or their reforma­tion. Those that insult vpon this their vprightnesse, and (when they see them fallen into some of these temporall inconueniences) say vnto them (a) where is thy God? Let them tell vs, where their Gods are when they are afflicted Psal. 42. 3. with the like oppressions? their gods, which either they worship, or desire to worship onely, for the auoyding of such inconueniences. The family of Christ can answer, my God is euery where present, in all places, whole and powerfull, no space includes him: he can be present, vn-perceiued, and depart away againe, vnmooued. And he, when he afflicts vs with these aduersities, doth it either for triall of our perfections or reforming of our imperfections, still reseruing an eternall rewarde for our patient sufferance of temporall distresses. But who are you, that I should vouchsafe to speake vnto you, especially of your gods, but most especially of mine owne God (b) who is terrible and to bee feared aboue all Gods? for all the gods of the Heathen are Diuills, but the Lord made the heauens. Psal. 96. 4. 5

That such as complaine of the Christian times desire nothing but to liue in filthy pleasures. CHAP. 29.

IF that (a) your Scipio Nasica were now aliue, hee that was once your high Priest, who (when in the fearefull terror of the Carthaginian warres, the most perfect man of all the citie was sought for, to vndertake the entertainment of the Phrigian goddesse) was chosen by the whole Senate, he whose face per­haps you now durst not looke on, hee would shame you from this grose impu­d [...]nce of yours. For what cause is there for you to exclaime at the prosperi­tie of the Christian faith in these times, but onely because you would follow [Page 45] your luxury vncontrolled, and hauing remoued the impediments of al trouble­some oppositions, swim on in your dishonest and vnhallowed dissolution? Your affections do not stand vp for peace, nor for vniuersal plenty and prosperity, to the end that you might vse them when you hauethē, as honest men should do: that is, modestly, soberly, temperately, and religiously: No: but that hence you might keepe vp your vnreasonable expence, in seeking out such infinite vari­ety of pleasures, and so giue birth vnto those exorbitances in your prosperi­ties, which would heape more mischiefs vpon you then euer befel you by your enemies.

(b) But Scipio your high Priest, he whom the whole Senate iudged the best man amongst you, fearing that this calamitie would fall vppon you (that I speak of) would not haue Carthage in those dayes the sole paralell of the Romaine Empire vtterly subuerted, but contradicted Cato, that spoke for the destruction of it, because hee feared the foe of all weake spirits, Security: and held that Car­thage would bee vnto his fellow Cittizens (c) as if they were young punies) both a conuenient tutor, and a necessary terror. Nor did his iudgement delude him: the euent it selfe gaue sufficient proofe whether he spoke true or no: for after­wards when Carthage was raized downe, and the greatest curber and terror of the Romaine weale-publike vtterly extinguished and brought to nothing; Pre­sently such an innumerable swarm of inconueniences arose out of this prospe­rous estate, that the bondes of concord beeing all rent asunder and broken, first with barbarous and (e) bloudy seditions, and next (f) by continuall gi­uing of worse and worse causes by ciuill warres, such slaughters were effect­ed, so much bloud was shedde by ciuill warres, and so much inhumanitie was practised in proscribings, riots and rapines, that those Romaines that in the good time of their liues feared no hurt but from their enemies, now in the corrupt time of their liues indured far worse of their owne fellowes: and that lust after soueraignty, which among all other sinnes of the world, was most appropriate vnto the Romaines, and most immoderate in them all, at length getting head and happie successe in a fewe of the more powerfull, it ouerpressed all the rest, wearing them out and crushing their neckes with the yoake of vilde and slauish bondage.

By what degrees of corruption the Romaines ambition grew to such a height. CHAP 30.

FOr when [...] e [...]er this lust of soueraignty cease in proud mindes, vntill it [...] by co [...] of honours attained vnto the dignitie of regall domi­nation? And if their ambition didde not preuaile, they then hadde no meane to continue their honours: Now ambition would not preuaile but amongst a peo­ple [...], [...]. [...]. [...]. wholly corrupted with coueteousnes and luxury. And the people is al­w [...]s infected with these two contagions, by the meanes of affluent prosperity, [Page 47] which Nasica did wisely hold fit to be fore-seene and preuented, by not condis­cending to the abolishing of so strong, so powerfull, and so ritch a citty of their enemies: thereby to keepe luxurie in awfull feare: that so it might not become exorbitant, and by that meanes also couetousnesse might be repressed. Which two vices once chained vp, vertue (the citties supporter) might flourish, and a liberty befitting this vertue might stand strong. And hence it was, out of this most circumspect zeale vnto his country, that your said high Priest, who was chosen by the Senate of those times for the best man, without any difference of voices, (a thing worthy of often repetition) when the Senate would haue built (a) a Theater, disswaded them from this vaine resolution: and in a most graue oration, perswaded them not to suffer the (b) luxurie of the Greekes to creepe into their olde conditions, nor to consent vnto the entrie of forraigne corrup­tion, to the subuersion and extirpation of their natiue Romaine perfection, working so much by his owne onely authoritie, that the whole bench of the iu­dicious Senate being moued by his reasons, expresly prohibited the vse of (c) those mooueable seates which the Romaines began as then to vse in the behold­ing of Playes. How earnest would hee haue beene to haue cleansed the citie of Nasica a­bolished the sitting at Playes. Rome of the (d) Playes themselues, if hee durst haue opposed their authoritie whom he held for Gods, being ignorant that they were malitious Diuels: or if hee knew it, then it seemes hee held that they were rather to bee pleased, then despised. For as yet, that heauenly doctrine was not deliuered vnto the world, which purifying the heart by faith, changes the affect, with a zealous piety to desire and aime at the blessings of heauen, or those which are aboue the heauens, and freeth men absolutely from the slauery of those proud and vngracious Deuills.

Of the first inducing of Stage-playes. CHAP. 31.

BVt know, (you that know not this) and marke (you that make shew as if you knew it not, and murmur at him that hath set you free from such Lords) that your Stage-playes, those (a) spectacles of vncleannesse, those licentious vanities, were not first brought vp at Rome by the corruptions of the men, but by the direct commands of your Gods: (b) It were farre more tolerable for you to giue diuine honors vnto the fore-named Scipio, then vnto such kinde of deities, for they were not so good as their Priest was: And now doe but The Priest better then his Gods. obserue, whether your mindes being drunke with this continuall ingurgitati­on of error, will suffer you to taste a sip of any true consideration: Your Gods, for the asswaging of the infection of the Pestilence that seazed on their bodies, commanded an institution of Stage Playes presently to be effected in their ho­nors: but your Priest, for auoyding the pestilence of your mindes, forbad that any stage should be built for any such action. If you haue so much witte as to preferre the minde before the body, then choose which of the two said parties to [...] your God of: for (c) the bodily pestilence did not yet cease, because that the delicate vanitie of Stage-playes entred into the eares of this people (being then wholy giuen vnto warres, and accustomed onely to the (d) Circen­ [...] The [...] [...]. playes) but the wilie Diuels foreseeing (by naturall reason) that this plague of the bodies should cease, by this meanes tooke occasion to thrust one farre worse, not into their bodies, but into their manners, in corrupting of which, [...] their ioy; and such a plague, as blinded the mindes of that wretched peop [...] with such impenetrable cloudes of darkenesse, and bespotted them with such foule staines of deformitie, that euen now (though this may seeme incre­dible to Plague of [...] fol­ [...]ing the plague of [...]. succeeding ages) when this great Rome was destroyed, such as were p [...]ssed with this pestilence, flying from that sacke, could come euen vnto Carthage, and here contend who should runne maddest (e) after stage playing.

Of some vices in the Romaines, which their Citties ruine did neuer reforme. CHAP. 32.

O You sencelesse men, how are you bewitched, not with error but furor, that when al the nations of the East (as we heare) bewaile your citties ru­ine, and al the most remote regions bemone your misery with publique sorrow, you your selues run head-long vnto the Theaters, seeking them, entring them, filling them, & playing farre madder parts now then euer you did before? This your plague of mind, this your wracke of honesty, was that, which your Scipio so feared when hee would not haue any Theaters built for you: when hee saw how quickly your vertues would be abolished by prosperity, whē he would not haue you vtterly quitted from all feare of forraigne inuasions. Hee was not of opinion that that cōmon-weale or citty was in a happy estate, where the walls stood firme, and the good manners lay ruined. But the seducements of the dam­ned spirites preuayled more with you, then the prouidence of circumspect men. And hence comes it, that the mischiefes that your seles commit, you are so loth should be imputed to your selues, but the mischiefes that your selues suffer, you are euer ready to cast vpon the Christian profession, for you in your security do not seeke the peace of the common-weale, but freedome for your practises of luxury: you are depraued by prosperity, and you cannot be refor­med by aduersity. Your Scipio would haue had you to feare your foes, and so to suppresse your lusts: but (a) you, though you feele your foes, & are crushed down by them, yet will not restraine your inordinate affects: (b) you haue lost the benefit of affliction, & though you be made most miserable, yet remaine you most irreformable. And yet it is Gods mercy that you haue your liues still: his very sparing of your liues, summons you vnto repentance: he it was, that (though you be vngratefull) shewed you that fauour as to escape your enemies swords by calling of your selues his seruants, or flying into the Churches of his Martyrs.

Of the clemencie of God in moderating this calamitie of Rome. CHAP. 33.

IT is said that Romulus and Remus built (a) a Sanctuarie, where-vnto who so Of sanctu aries or A­syla. could escape, should be free from all assault or hurt: their endeuour in this [Page 50] being to increase the number of their cittizens. An example making way for a wonderfull honor vnto Christ: The same thing, that the founders of the citty did decree, the same doe the destroyers of it: And what if the one did it to increase the multitude of their cittizens, when the other did it to preserue the multitude of their foes? Let this then, (and what soeuer besides fitly may bee so vsed) be vsed as an answer of our Lord Iesus Christ his flock, and that pil­grim-citty of God, vnto all their wicked enemies.

Of such of Gods elest as liue secretly as yet amongst the Infidels, and of such as are false Christians. CHAP. 34.

AND let this Cittie of Gods remember, that euen amongst her enemies, there are some concealed, that shall one day be her Citizens: nor let her thinke it a fruitlesse labour to beare their hate (a) vntill shee heare their con­fession, as she hath also (as long as shee is in this pilgrimage of this world) some that are pertaker of the same sacraments with her, (b) that shall not bee pertakers of the Saints glories with her, who are partly knowne, and partly vnknowne. Yea such there are, that spare not amongst Gods enemies to mur­mure against his glory, whose character they beare vpon them: going now vnto Playes with them, and by and by, vnto the Church with vs. But let vs not despaire of the reformation of some of these, we haue little reason, seeing [...] we haue many secret and predestinated friends, euen amongst our most [...] aduersaries, and such, as yet know not themselues to be ordained for [...] [...]dship. For the two citties (of the predestinate and the reprobate) are [...]. in this world, confused together, and commixt, vntill the generall iudgement make a separation: of the originall progresse and due limits of both which ci­ties, what I thinke fitte to speake, by Gods helpe and furtherance, I will now be­ [...] to the glory of the Cittie of God, which being (d) compared with her [...], will spread her glories to a more full aspect.

What subiects are to be handled in the following discourse. CHAP. 35.

BVt we haue a little more to say vnto those that lay the afflictions of the Ro­maine estate vpon the profession of Christianitie, which forbiddeth men to sacrifice vnto those Idols. For we must cast vp a summe of all the miseries (or of as many as shal suffice) which that Citie, or the prouinces vnder her subiecti­on, endured before those sacrifices were forbidden. All which they would haue imputed vnto our religion, had it beene then preached and taught against these sacrifices, when these miseries befell. Secondly, wee must shew what customes and conditions the true God vouchsafed to teach them for the increasing of their Empire, (a that God, in whose hand are al the kingdomes of the earth: and how their false Gods neuer helped them a iotte, but rather did them infinite hurt by deceit and inducement. And lastly, we will disprooue those who though they be confuted with most manifest proofes, yet will needs affirme still that their gods are to be worshipped, and that not for the benefites of this life, but for those which are belonging to the life to come. Which question (vnlesse I be deceiued) will be (b) farre more laborious, and worthier of deeper considerati­on, in the which we must dispute against the Philosophers, (c) not against each one, but euen the most excellent and glorious of them all, and such as in many points hold as we hold, and namely of the immortality of the soule, and of the worlds creation by the true God, and of his prouidence, whereby he swayeth the whole creation. But because euen these also are to be confuted, in what they hold opposite vnto vs, wee thought it our dutie not to bee slacke in this worke, but conuincing all the contradictions of the wicked, as God shall giue vs power and strength to aduance the veritie of the Cittie of God, the true zeale and worship of God, which is the onely way to attaine true and eternall felicitie. This therefore shall bee the method of our worke: and now from this second exordium we will take each thing in due order.

THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE CITTY OF GOD: Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo, vnto Marcellinus.
Of the method which must of necessity be vsed in this disputation. CHAP. 1.

IF the weake custome of humaine sence durst not bee so bold, as to oppose it selfe against the reasons of apparant truth, but would yeeld this languid infirmitie vnto whole­some instruction, as vnto a medicine which were fittest to apply, vntill by Gods good assistance, and faiths ope­ration it were throughly cured; then those that can both iudge well, and instruct sufficiently, should not need many words to confute any erronious opinion, or to make it fully apparant vnto such, as their desires would truly in­forme. But now, because there is so great and inueterate a d [...]sease rooted in the mindes of the ignorant, that they will (out of their extreame blindnesse, where­by they see not what is most plaine, or out of their obstinate peruersnesse whereby they will not brooke what they see) defend their irrationall and bru­tish opinions, after that the truth hath beenetaught them as plaine as one man can teach another: hence it is, that (a) there ariseth a necessitie, that bindeth vs to dilate more fully of what is already most plaine, and to giue the truth, not vnto their eyes to see, but euen into their heads, as it were to touch and feele. Yet notwithstanding this by the way: What end shall wee make of alteration, if we hold that the answerers are continually to be answered? For, as for those that either cannot comprehend what is said vnto them, or else are so obstinate in their vaine opinions, that though they do vnderstand the truth, yet will not giue it place in their minds, but reply against it, as it is written of them: like spec­tators of iniquitie, those are eternally friuolous: And if wee should binde our selues to giue an answer to euery contradiction that their impudencie will thrust forth, (how falsly they care not, so they do but make a shew of opposition vnto our assertions) you see what a trouble it would be, how endlesse, and how fruitlesse. And therefore (sonne Marcelline) I would neither haue you, nor any other (to whom this our worke may yeeld any benefit in Iesus Christ) to read this volume with any surmise, that I am bound to answer whatsoeuer you or they shall heare obiected against it: least you become like vnto the women of whom the Apostle saith, that they were alwayes learning, and neuer able to come 2. Tim. 3. vnto the knowledge of the truth.

Arepetition of the Contentes of the first booke. CHAP. 2.

THerefore in the former booke, wherein I began to speake of the City of God, to which purpose all the whole worke (by Gods assistance) shall haue reserence, I did first of all take in hand to giue them their answere, that are so shamelesse as to impute the calamities inflicted vpon the world, (and in particu­lar vpon Rome in her last desolation wrought-by the Vandales) vnto the religi­on of Christ, which forbids men to offerre seruice or sacrifice vnto deuills: whereas they are rather bound to ascribe this as a glory to Christ, that for his names sake alone, the barbarous nations (beyond all practise and custome of warres) allowed many and spacious places of religion for those (ingratefull men) to escape into; and gaue such honor vnto the seruants of Christ, (not only to the true ones but euen to the counterfeit), that what the law of armes made lawfull to doe vnto all men, they held it vtterly vnlawfull to offer vnto them. And hence arose these questions: How and wherefore these gracious mercies of God were extended vnto such vngodly and vngratefull wretches as well as to his true servants, and why the afflictions of this siege fell vpon the godly (in part) as well [...] on the reprobate? For the better dissoluing (a) of which doubtes, I stayd some­w [...] long in a discourse of the daily guiftes of God, and the miseries of man, [...]ing out in the whole tract of this transitory life, (both which, by reason that they often light confusedly togither, alike, and vndistinguished both vpon good [...]ers and impious, are very powerfull in moouing the hearts of many): and mine especiall intent herein was to giue some comfort vnto the sanctified and chast women, who had their chastities offended by some incontinent acts of the foldiours: and to shew them, that if those accidents had not wrackt their c [...] resolutions, they ought not to bee ashamed of life, hauing no guilt in them whereof to be ashamed, and then I tooke occasion to speake some-what against those that in such villanous and impudent maner doe insult ouer the poore Christians in their aduersities; and chiefly ouer the deflowred women; these fellowes themselues beeing most vnmanly and depraued wretches, altogither degenerate from the true Romains, vnto whose honors (being many, and much recorded) these base creatures are so directly opposite. For it was these, that made Rome (which was first founded, and after increased by the care [...] industry of her old worthies) to shew more filthy and corrupted in her pros­per [...]y, then shee was now in her ruine: for in this, there fell but stones, walles & houses; but in the liues of such villaines as these, al the monuments, al the or­naments, (not of their walls, but) of their maners were vtterly demolished: as then did [...]se fire burne in their affections, then this was now that did but [...] their houes: with the close of this, I gaue an end vnto the first booke, and now (as I r [...]ed) wil proceed, to cast vp a reckoning of the sundry mischienes that this City of Rome hath suffered since shee was first founded, either in her­selfe or in some of the Prouinces vnder her command: all which those vile per­sons would haue pinned vpon the backe of Christianity, if the doctrine of the gospel against their false & deceitfull gods had in those times beene reuealed and preached.

Of the choise of an history which wil shew the miseries that the Rom­ains indured, when they worshipped their Idols, before the increase of Christian Religion CHAP. 3

BVt remember this, that when I handled those points, I had to do with the ig­norant, out of whose blockish heads this prouerb was first borne: (a) It wil not raine because of the Christian. For there are some others amongst them that are learned, & loue that very history that makes these things plain to their vnder­standing: but because they loue to set y^e blind & erronius vulgar at enmity and dissention with vs Christians, they dissemble & conceale this vnderstanding of theirs, labouring to perswade the people this, that the whole processe of calami­ties, which at diuers times and in seuerall places (b) fell and were still to fall vp­pon all the world, hadde the original, and haue had, onely and meerely from the profession of Christ, greeuing that it spreadeth so farre and shineth so glori­ously against all other their gods and religions. But lette these malicious men read but with vs, with what excesse of affliction the Romain estate was wrung & plagued, & that on euery side, before that euer this name (which they so much do enuy) did spread the glory to such note: and then if they can, let them defend their goddes goodnesses shewed vnto them in these extremities, and if that as their seruants they honour them for protection from these extremities, which if they do but suffer now in any part, they are ready to lay al the blame vpō our necks, for why did their gods permit their seruants to bee plagued with these great afflictions (which I am now to recount) before that the publishing of the name of Christ gaue them cause of offence, by prohibiting their sacrifices.

That the worshippers of Pagan gods neuer receiued honest instructi­on from them; but vsed all filt hinesse in their sacrifices: CHAP. 4.

FIrst, why would not their gods haue a care to see their seruāts wel mannerd: the true God doth worthily neglect those y^t neglect his iust worship: but as for those gods whom this wicked & vngrateful crew complain that they are for­bidden to worship, why do they not helpe to better the liues of their worship­pers by giuing thē some good lawes? It was very requisit that as they carefully attended their goddes sacrifices, so their gods should haue gratiously amended their imperfections. I (but wil some say) euery man may be vitious at his owne The gods neuer taught. their vvor­ships good manners. will and pleasure. True; who denies that? yet notwithstanding, it was the part of these great gods guardiās, not to conceale the formes and rudiments of good & honest life frō their suppliants; but to to teach them plaine, and fully, and by [Page 56] theirs Prop [...] to correct & restrain the offendors: to testrain euil doers with publik punishments, & to incourage good liuers with ful rewards: what Tem­ple of of [...] this multitude of gods, was euer accessary to any such sound? we our selues (once in our youth) went to view these spectacles, their (a) sacriligious mockeries: there we saw the (b) Enthusiastikes, persons rapt with fury; there we heard the (c) pipers, and tooke (d) great delight in the filthy sports that they B [...]hia Mother of the Gods. acted before their gods and goddesses: euen before Berecynthia (surnamed the Celestiall virgin, and mother to al the gods) euen before hir litter, (e) vppon the feast day of her very purification, their (f) beastly stage-plaiers acted such ribaul­dry, as was a shame (not onely for the mother of the gods, but) for the mother of any senatour of any honest man, nay euen for the mothers of the players them selues to giue care too: Naturall shame hath bound vs with some respect vnto our parents, which vice it selfe cannot abolish. But that beastlynesse of ob­ [...] speaches and actions, which the Players acted in publike, before the mo­ther of all the gods, and in sight and hearing of an huge multitude of both sex­es, they would be ashamed to act at home in priuate before their mothers (g) were it but for repitition sake. And as for that company that were their spec­ [...], though they might easily bee drawn thether by curiosity, yet beholding c [...]ity so fouly iniured, me thinkes they should haue bene driuen from thence by the meete shame that immodesty can offend honesty withall. What can [...]dges be, it those were sacrifices? or what can bee pollution, if this were a The [...] offe­red to the Gods. purification? and these were called (h) Iuncates, as if they made a feast where all the v [...]eane d [...] of hell might fill their bellies. For who knowes not what [...] of spirit [...] are that take pleasure in these obscurities? vnlesse hee [...] [...] that there bee any such vncleane spirits that thus illude men vnder the names of gods: or else, vnlesse hee be such an one as wisheth the pleasure, and feares the displeasure of those damned powers more then hee doth the loue and wrath of the true and euerliuing God.

Of the obscaenities vsed in these sacrifices offered vn­to the mother of the goddes. CHAP. 5.

NOr will I stand to the iudgement of those whome I knowe doe rather delight in the vicious custome of enormities then decline from it: I will haue Scipio Nasica him-selfe to be iudge, and he whom the whole Senate pro­claimed for their best man, one whose onely handes were thought fitte to re­ceiue and bring in this Diuels picture: let him but tell vs first whether that hee desire that his mothers deserts were such that the Senate should appoint him Di [...] ho­ [...]r [...] to be [...]fac­tors. diuine honours: (as wee read that both the Greekes and other Romaine nations, also haue ordained for some particular men whose worth they held in high esteeme, and whose persons they thought were made immortall, and admitted amongst the gods.) Truly he would gladly wish his mother this felicity, if that such a thing could be. But if we aske him then further, whether he would haue such [...]thy pres [...]tations as Cibeius enacted as partes of his mothers honours; would he not a [...]ow (think you) that he had rather haue his mother lye dead and soncelesse, then to liue a goddesse, to heare and allow such ribauldry? Yes: Farre bee it [...] such a worthy Senator of Rome, as would forbidde the building of a Theater in a state maintaind by valour, to wish his mother that worshippe [...] please her goddesse-shippe, which could not but offend all woman-hood. [...] it possible that hee could bee perswaded, that diuinity could so farre [Page 59] alter the lawdable modesty of a woman, as to make her allow her seruants to call vpon her in such immodest tearmes, as being spoken in the hearing of any liuing woman, if shee stoppe not her eares and get her gone, the whole kinred of her father, husband, children and all would blush, and bee ashamed at her shamefulnesse. And therefore such a mother of the gods as this, (whom euen the worst man would shame to haue his mother a like vnto) did neuer seeke the best man of Rome (in her entrance into the peoples affections) to make him better by her counsells and admonitions, but rather worse, by her deceites and illusions: (like her of whom (a) it is written. A woman hunteth for the precious life of a man:) that his great spirit being eleuated by this (as it were diuine) testimo­ny Pro. 6. 26 of the Senate he holding himself soly the best, might bee thus with-drawne from the truth of religion, and godlinesse: without which, the worthiest wit is euer ouer-throwne and extinguished in pride and vaine glorie, what intent then (saue deceit) had she in selecting the best and most honests man, seeing she vseth and desireth such things in her sacrifices as honest men abhor to vse, were it but euen in their sports, and recreations?

That the Pagans gods did neuer establish the doctrine of liuing well. CHAP. 6.

HEnce it proceedeth that those gods neuer had care of the liues and man­ners of such Cities and nations as gaue them diuine honors: but contrari­wise gaue free permission to such horrible & abhominable euils, to enter, not vpon their lands, vines, houses, or treasures, no nor vpō the body (which serues the minde) but vpon the minde it selfe, the ruler of all the flesh, and of all the rest: this they euer allowed without any prohibition at all. If they did prohi­bite it, least it be proued that they did. I know their followers will talke of cer­taine secret traditions and I know not what, some closely muttred instructions, tending to the bettring of mans life, but let thē shew where euer they had any publike places ordained for to heare such lectures: (wherein the Plaiers did not present their filthy gesture and speeches: nor where the (a) Fugulia were kept with all licentiousnesse of lust, fitly called Fugalia, as the Chasers away of all chastity and honesty:) but where the people might come and heare their gods doctrine concerning the restraint of couetousnesse, the suppression of ambition, and the brideling of luxury and riot: where wretches might learne that which (b) Persius thunders vnto them, saying.

Let them shew where these lessons of their instructing Gods were euer read or rehearsed: whether euer ther worshippers were vsed to heare of any [Page 60] such matters, as wee vse to doe continually in our Churches, erected for this purpose in all places wheresoeuer the religion of Christ is diffused.

That the Philosophers instructions are weake and bootlesse, in that they beare no diuine authority: because that the examples of the gods are greater confirmations of vices in men, then the wise-mens disputations are on the contrary part. CHAP. 7.

DO you think they will mention their Philosophy schooles vnto vs? as for them first of al they are deriued from Greece, and not from Rome: or if you say they are now Romaine because Greece is become a Prouince of the Romaines, I answer againe that the instructions giuen there are not of the documents of your gods, but the inuentions of man, whose quicke wits especiall indeauour was to find by disputation (a) what secrets were hid in the treasury of nature: (b) what was to Philoso­phies pre­cepts. bee desired, and what to be auoided in our Morallity (c) And what was cohaerent by the Lawes of disputation, or not following the induction, or quite repugnant vnto it. And some of these gaue light to great inuentions, as the grace of God as­sisted them, but yet they euermore erred, as the frailty of man possessed them; the The Phi­losophers more wor­thy of di­uine ho­nour then the Gods. diuine prouidence iustly opposing (d) their vain glory to shew the tract of piety to rise from humblenesse vnto height, by their comparrison: Which wee shall hereafter take an occasion to search into further by the will of the true and euer­lasting God. But if it were true that these Philosophers inuented any meanes suffi­cient [Page 62] to direct one to the attaining of a happy course of life, is there not far grea­ter reason to giue them (d) diuine honours; then the other? How much more ho­nest were it for to heare Platoes bookes read in a Temple of his, then the Galli gel­ded in the diuels? To view the (e) effeminate consecrated; the lunatike gashed with cuttes, and each thing else either cruell or beastiall, or bestially cruell, or cruelly bestiall, so commonly celebrated in the sollemnities of such goddes? Were it not far more worthy to haue some good lawes of the gods rehearsed vnto the youth for their instruction in integrity, then to passe the time in vaine commenda­tions of the labours of illuded antiquitie; but indeed (f) all the worshippers of such gods, as soone as they are initiate vnto those luxurious and venemous adorations, (g) As Persius saith, do looke more after Iupiters deeds, then either Platoes doctrine, or Catoes opinions. (h) And here-vpon it is that Terence bringes in the lustfull youth gazing vpon a table picture wherein was drawne how Ioue sent downe a showre of gold into the lap of Danae: and this was a fit president for this youth to follow in his lust, with a boast that he didde but imitate a god. But what god (saith he): Euen he that shakes the Temples with his thunder: since he aid thus, shal I (a meane wretch to him) make bones of it? No; I did it with all mine heart.

Of the Roma [...]s Stage plaies, wherein the publishing of their gods foulest imparities, did not any way offend, but rather delight them. CHAP. 8.

I But (wil some say) these things are not taught in the institutions of the gods, but in the inuentions of the Poets. I will not say that the gods misteries are more obicaene then the Theaters presentations: but this I say (& wil bring history sufficient to conuince all those that shal denie it) that those playes which are for­med according to these poeticall fictions, were not exhibited by the Romaines vn­to their goddes in their sollemnities through any ignorant deuotion of their owne, but onely by reason that the goddes them selues didde so strictly com­maund, yea and euen in some sort extort from them the publike presenting and dedication of those plaies vnto their honours. This I handled briefly in the first booke. For (a) when the citty was first of al infected with the pestilence, then were stages first ordained at Rome by the authorization of the chiefe Priest. And what is he, y^t in ordering of his courses, will not rather choose to follow the rudi­ments which are to be fetched out of plaies, or whatsoeuer being instituted by his gods, rather then the weaker ordinances of mortall men? If the Poets didde falsely record Iupiter for an adulterer then these gods being so chast, should be the more offended, and punish the world, for thrusting such a deale of villany into their ce­remonies, and not for omitting them. (b) Of these stage-plaies the best and most tollerable are Tragedy and Comedy: being Poetical fables made to be acted at these shewes: wherein notwithstanding was much dishonest matter, in actions, but none at al of wordes: and these the old men do cause to be taught to their chil­dren, amongst their most honest and liberal studies.

What the Komaines opinion was touching the restraint of the liberty of Poesie, which the Greekes, by the counsaile of their Goades, would not haue restrained at all. CHAP. 9.

WHat the Romaines held concerning this point, (a) Cicero recordeth in his bookes which he wrote of the Common wealth, where Scipio is brought in say­ing thus: If that the priutledge of an old custome had not allowed them, Comedies could neuer haue giuen such proofes of their v [...]esse vpon Theaters. And some of the ancient Greekes pretended a conuenince in their vicious opinion, and made it a [Page 66] law that (c) the Comedian might speake what he would, of any man, by his name. Wherfore (as Africanus saith well in the same booke) Whom did not the Poet touch, nay whom did he not vexe, whom spared he? perhaphs so, saith one, he quipt a sort of wicked, seditious, vulgar fellowes, as (d) Cleo (e) Clytophon, and (f) Hyperbolus: to that we assent (quoth hee againe) though it were fitter for such falts to bee taxed by the (g) Censor then by a Poet, but it was no more decent that (h) Pericles should bee snuf­fed at, hauing so many yeares gouerned the Citty so well both in warre and peace, then it were for (i) our Plautus, or Naeuius to deride (k) Publius or Cneius Scipio, or for (l) Caecilius to mocke (m) Marcus Cato. And againe, a little after, Our twelue Tables (quoth hee) hauing decreed the obseruation but of a very few things (n) vpon paine of death, yet thought it good to establish this for one of that few, that none should (o) write or acte any verse, derogatory from the good name of any man, or preiudiciall vnto manners. Excellently well! for our liues ought not to bee the obiects for Poets to play vpon, but for lawfull magistracy, and throughly informed iustice to iudge vpon, nor is it fit that men should here them-selues reproached, but in such places as they may ans­were and defend their owne cause in. Thus much out of Cicero in his fourth booke of The Common wealth: (which I thought good to rehearse word for word, one­ly I was forced to leaue out some-what, and some-what to transpose it, for the easier vnderstanding. For it giues great light vnto the proposition which I (if so be I can) must prooue and make apparant.) Hee proceedeth further in this dis­course, and in the end concludeth thus, that the ancient Romanes vtterly disliked, that any man should be either praised or dispraised vpon the stage. But as I said before, the Greekes in this, though they vsed lesse modesty, yet they followed more conuenience, seeing they saw their gods so well to approue of the repre­sented disgraces, not onely of men, but euen of themselues, when they came vpon the stage: whether the plaies were fictions of Poetry, or true histories of their deeds. (and I wish their worshippers had held them onely worth the laughing at; and not worth imitation!) for it were too much pride in a Prince to seeke to haue his owne fame preserued, when hee sees his gods before him set theirs at six and seauen. For where as it is said in their defence, that these tales of their gods were not true, but merely poeticall inuentions, and false fictions, why this doth make it more abhominable, if you respect the purity of your religion: and if you obserue the malice of the diuil, what cūninger or more deceitful fetch can there be? For when an honest & worthy ruler of a contry is slandered, is not the slāder so much more wicked & impardonable, as this parties life that is slandered is clearer and sounder from touch of any such matter? what punishment then can be sufficient for those that offer their gods such foule and impious iniury?

That the diuills through their settled desire to doe men mischiefe were wil­ling to haue any villanies reported of them, whither true or false. CHAP. 10.

BVt those wicked spirits, whō these mē take to be gods, were desirous to haue such beastly stories spred abroad of thē, (though they themselues had neuer acted any such thing) only to keep mens mindes inueigled in such bestiall opini­ons, as it were in snares, or nets, and by that meanes to draw them to predestinate [Page 69] damation for company: whether it bee true that such men as those that loue to liue in errors, doe select for gods, did themselues commit any such things (for which the diuills set themselues out to be adored, by a thousand seuerall trickes of hurtfull deceite:) or that there were no such things done at all, but onely, those malicious and suttle diuills doe cause them to bee faigned of the gods, to the end that there might bee sufficient authoritie, deriued as it were from heauen to earth, for men to commit all filthinesse by. Therefore the Grecians, seeing that they had such gods as these to serue, thought it not fit to take away any li­berty from the Poets in vsing these stage-mockes and shames: [...]dt is they did either for feare least their gods should bee prouoked to anger against them, in case they went about to make themselues into more honest moulds then they were, and so seeme to preferre themselues before them; or els for desire to bee made like their gods, euen in these greatest enormities. And from this imagi­ned conuenience came it, that they hold the very (a) actors of such plaies, to bee worthy of honours in their Cities. For in the same booke Of the Common-wealth; (b) Aeschines, of Athens, an (c) eloquent man, hauing beene an Actor of Tra­gedies in his youth, is sayd to haue borne office in the Common-wealth. And Aristodemus (d) another actor of Tragedies was sent by the Athenians vpon an Embassage to Phillip, about especiall and weighty affaires of warre and peace. For they held it an vnmete thing (seeing they saw their gods approue of those actions, and artes of playing,) to repute those worthy of any note of infamy, that were but the actors of them.

That the Grecians admitted their Plaiers to beare office in their Commonwealths, least they should seeme vniust in despising such men as were the pacifiers of their Gods. CHAP. 11.

THis was the Grecians practise: absurd inough howsoeuer, but yet most fitly applied vnto the nature of their gods: (a) they durst not exempt the liues of their cittizens from the lashes of poeticall pennes and plaiers tongues, because they saw their gods delighted at the traducing of themselues: and they thought surely, that those men that acted such things vpon the stage, as pleased the gods, ought not to be disliked at any hand by them that were but seruāts to those gods: Nay not onely, that, but that they ought to bee absolutely and highly honored by their fellow Cittizens: for what reason could they finde, for the honoring of the Priests that offered the sacrifices which the gods accepted well of, and yet allowe the actors to bee disgracefully thought of, who had learnt their profession by the speciall appointment of the selfe same gods, that exact these celebrations of them, and are displeased if they bee not sollemnized? Especially seeing that (b) Labeo, (who they say was most exact in these matters) distinguisheth the good spirits from the badde by this diuersity of their worshippes, that (c) the badde ones are delighted with Slaughters, and tragicall inuocations, and the good with mirthfull reuells, and sportfull honors, such as Playes (quoth he) banquets, and (d) reuelling on beddes are; of which hereafter (so God bee pleased) wee will discourse more at large. But to our present purpose: whether it bee so that all kindes of honours bee giuen vnto all the gods mixt and confused, as vnto onely good ones: (for it is not fit to say there are any euill gods, although indeede they are all e­uill, beeing all vncleane spirits) or that according as Labeo saith, there must bee a Al vnclean spirits are vvicked di­uills. discretion vsed, and that these must haue such and such particular rites of obser­uances asigned, and those other, others; howsoeuer, the Greekes did most con­ueniently to hold both Priests and Plaiers worthy of honorable dignities, the Priests for offring of their sacrifices, and the Plaiers for acting of their enterludes: least otherwise, they should bee guilty of offring iniury either to all their gods, if they all loue plaies, or (which is worse) to those whom they account as the good ones, if they onely affect them.

That the Romaines in abridging that liberty (with the Poets would haue vsed vpon men,) and in allowing them to vse it vpon their gods, did herein shew, that they prized themselues aboue their gods. CHAP. 12.

BVt the Romaines (as Scipio glorieth in that booke of the common wealth) would by no meanes haue the good names and manners of their cittizens liable to the quippes and censures of the Poets, but inflicted a capitall punishment vpon all such as durst offend in that kind: which indeed (in respect of themselues) was honestly and well instituted, but in respect of their gods most proudly and irre­ligiously, for though they knew that their gods were not onely pacient, but euen well pleased at the representing of their reproaches and exorbitances, yet would they hold them-selues more vnworthy to suffer such iniuries then their gods, thrusting such things into their sollemnities, as they auoyded from them­selues by all rigor of lawes. Yea Scipio; dost thou commend the restraint of this poeticall liberty in taxing your persons, when thou seest it hath beene euer free to callumniate your gods? Dost thou value the (a) Court alone so much more then the Capitoll, then all Rome, nay then all heauen, that the Poets must be cur­bed by an expresse law, from flowring at the Citizens, and yet without all con­troll of Senator, Censor, Prince, or Priest, haue free leaue to throw what slander they please vpon the gods? what? was it so vnseemely for Plautus, or Naeuius to traduce P. or Cneius Scipio; or for Caecilius to ieast vpon M. Cato? and was it seeme­ly for (b) your Terence to animate a youth to vncleannesse, by the example of the deed of high and mighty Iupiter.

That the Romaines might haue obserued their gods vnworthynesse, by their desires of such obscaene solemnities. CHAP. 13.

IT might be, Scipio (were he aliue againe) would answer mee thus; How can we possibly set any penalty vpon such things as our gods them-selues do make [Page 72] sacred, by their owne expresse induction of those playes into our customes, and by annexing them to the celebration of their sacrifices and honors, wherein such things are euer to be acted and celebrated? But why then (say I againe) doe not you discerne them by this impurity to be no true gods, nor worthy of any diuine honors at all: for if it bee altogether vnmeete for you to honor such men as loue to see and set forth Playes that are stuffed with the reproche of the Romaines, how then can you iudge them to bee gods, how then can you but hold them for vncleane spirits, that through desire to deceiue others, require it as part of their greatest honors to be cast in the teeth with their owne filthinesses? Indeed the Ro­maines, though they were lockt in those chaines of hurtfull superstition, and ser­ued such gods as they saw required such dishonest spectacles at their hands, yet had they such a care of their owne honestie and dignitie, that they would neuer voutchsafe the actors of such vile things, any honor in their common-wealth, as the Greekes did: but according to Scipio his words in Cicero: Seeing that (a) they held the art of stage-playing as base and vnmanly, therefore they did not onely detaine all the honours of the Cittie from such kinde of men, but appointed the (b) Censors in their views, to remooue them from being part of any tribe, and would not voutchsafe them to be counted as members of the Cittie. A worthy decree, and well beseeming the Romaine wisdome; yet this wisdome would I haue to imitate and follow it selfe: Rightly hath the councell of the cittie in this well desiring and deseruing commendations, (shewing it selfe to be in this, (c) truly Romaine,) appointed that whosoeuer will choose of a Cittizen of Rome to become a Player, he should not onely liue secluded from all honors, but by the Censors censure should bee made vtterly vncapable of liuing as a member of his proper tribe. But now tell mee but this, why the Players should be branded with inhability to beare honors, and yet the Playes they acte, inserted into the celebration of the gods honors? The Romaine (d) valour flourished a long time, vnacquainted with these theater-tricks: suppose then that mens vaine affections gaue them their first induction, and that they crept in by the errours of mans decayed members, doth it hence follow that the gods must take delight in them, or desire them? if so, why then is the Player debased, by whom the god is pleased? and with what face can you scandalize the actors and instruments of such stage-guilt, and yet adore the exacters and com­manders of these actions? This now is the controuersie betweene the Greekes and the Romaines. The Greekes thinke that they haue good reason to honor these Players, seeing that they must honour them that require these playes: the Ro­maines on the other side, are so farre from gracing them, that they will not allow them place in a (e) Plebeyan tribe, much lesse in the court or Senate, but holds them disgracefull to all callings: Now in this disputation, this onely argument giues the vp-shot of all the controuersie. (f) The Greekes propound; If such gods be to be worshipped, then such actors are also to be held as honorable: The Romaines assume: But such actors are no way to bee held as honorable: The Christians conclude, Therefore such gods are no way to be worshipped.

That Plato, who would not allow Poets to dwell in a well gouerned City, shewed that his sole worth was better then those gods, that desire to be honoured with stage­plaies. CHAP. 14.

AGaine, we aske another question: why the Poets that make those Comedies, (and being prohibited by a law of the twelue tables to defame the Citizens, yet doe dishonor the gods with such foule imputations,) are not reputed as dis­honest and disgracefull as the plaiers? what reason can bee produced, why the (a) actors of such poeticall figments, being so ignominious to the gods, should be deputed infamous, and yet the authors be voutchsafed honours? Is not (b) Plato more praise-worthy then you all, who disputing of the true perfection of a citty would haue Poets banished from that society, as enemies to the cities full per­fection? hee had both a greefe to see his gods so iniured, and a care to keepe out these fictions whereby the cittizens mindes might bee abused: Now make but a comparison of his (c) humanity in expelling of Poets from his city, least they should delude it with the gods diuinity that desired such Plaies and Reuells in their honours; by which the city might be deluded: He, though he did not (d) in­duce or perswade them to it, yet aduised and counselled the light and luxurious Greekes in his disputation, to restraine the writing of such things: But these gods, by command, and constraint, euen forced the modest and staied Romanes to pre­sent them with such things: nay not only to present them, but euen to dedicate and consecrate them in all sollemnity vnto their honors. Now to which of these may the citty with most honesty ascribe diuine worship? whether to Plato that would forbid these filthy obscaenities, or to these diuils that exult in deluding of those men whom Plato could not perswade to truth? This man did (e) Labeo think meet to be reckned amongst the Demi-gods, as he did Hercules also, & Romulus: & he prefers the Demi-gods before the Heroës, but notwithstanding (f) makes deities Plato held a Demigod. [Page 74] of them both: But howsoeuer, I hold this man whom he calls a Demi-god, worthy to be preferred not only before the Heroës, but euen before all their other gods themselues: And in this the Romaine lawes doe come some-what nere his dispu­tations: for where as he condemnes all allowance of Poets, they depriue them of their liberty to raile at any man. He (g) excludeth Poets from dwelling in his ci­tie: they depriue the actors of poeticall fables from the priuiledges of citizens: and it may be (if they durst do ought against gods that require such stage-games) they would thrust them forth for altogither. Wherefore the Romanes can nei­ther receiue nor expect any morall instructions, either for correcting of falts, or increasing verues, from those gods, whom their owne lawes already doe subuert and conuince. The gods require plaies for increase of their honors: the Romans exclude plaiers from pertaking of theirs: the gods require their owne falts to be celebrated by poets inuentions: the Romaines restraine the Poets loosenesse frō touching any of the Romaines imperfections. But Plato, that Demi-god, he both resists this impure affection of the gods, and shewes what ought to bee perfected by the (h) towardlinesse of the Romaines: denying Poets all place in a well or­dered Common-welth, howsoeuer, whether they presented the figments of their owne lusts and fancies, or related ought els as the guilt of the gods, & therfore of imitable exāples: But we Christians make Plato neither whole God nor Demigod: nor do we vouchsafe to compare him with any of Gods Angels, or his Prophets, not with any of Christs Apostles or his Martirs, no not with any Christian man, and why we will not, by Gods help, in the due place we will declare. But notwith­standing, seeing they wil needs haue him a Demi-god, we thinke him worthy to be preferred, (if not before Romulus or Hercules though there was neuer (i) historian, nor (k) Poet (l) affirmed, or (m) fained, (n) that he euer killed his brother, (o) or committed any other mischiuous act, yet at least) before (p) Priapus or any (q) Cy­nocephalus, or lastly any (r) Febris, all which the Romaines either had as (s) Gods frō strangers, or set them vp as their (t) owne in peculiar. How then could such gods as these by any counsel they could giue, preuent or cure such great corrup­tion of mindes and maner (whether imminent, or already infused) seeing they re­garded nothing els but to diffuse and augment this contagion of wickednes, & to haue it instilled into the peoples notices from the stage, as their own acts, or acts which they approue, to the end, y^t mans lust might ru [...]he course of wickednesse freely, after the gods exāples? Tully exclaimeth all in vaine vpon it (u) who being to speake of Poets, when he came to them saith: The clamor and approbation of the people, when it is ioyned with these poeticall fictions, as the testimony of some great and learned Maister, oh what darknesse doth it involue a man in? what fears it inflicts, what lusts it enflames?

That flattery and not reason created some of the Romaine Gods. CHAP. 15.

BVt what other reason in the world (besides flattery) haue they to make choice of these so false and fained gods? Not voutsafinge Plato any little temple, whome notwithstanding they will haue to be a demi-god, (and one who tooke such paines in disswading the corruption of manners through the (a) de­prauation of opinions:) and yet preferring Romulus before diuers of the gods, whom their most secret and exact doctrine doth but make (b) a semi-god, and not The Fla­mines. an entire deity; yet for him they appointed a (c) Flamine, (d) a kind of Priesthood so farre aboue the rest as (e) their crests did testifie that they had onely (f) three of those Flamines for three of their chiefest deities, the Diall or Iouiall for Iupiter; the Martiall, for Mars; and the Quirinall, for Romulus: for (g) the loue of his citi­zens hauing (as it were) hoysed him vp into heauen, he was then called (h) Quiri­nus, & kept that name euer after: and so by this you see Romulus here is preferred before Neptune & Pluto Iupiters brother nay euen before Saturne, father of them all: so that to make him great, they giue him the same Priesthood that Iupiter was honored by, & likewise they giue one to Mars, his pretended father, it may be ra­ther for his sake then any other deuotion.

That if the Romaine gods had had any care of Iustice, the Citie should haue had their formes of good gouernment from them, rather then to goe and bor­row it of other nations. CHAP. 16.

IF the Romaines could haue receiued any good instructions of morality from their gods, they would neuer haue beene (a) beholding to the Athenians for The A­thens law followed by Rome. Solons lawes, as they were, some yeares after Rome was built: which lawes not­withstanding, they did not obserue as they receiued them, but endeauoured to better them and make them more exact; and though (b) Licurgus fained that hee gaue the Lacedemonians their lawes by y^e authorization of Apollo, yet the Romanes very wisely would not giue credence to him, (c) & therfore gaue no admission to these lawes. Indeed (d) Numa Pompilius, Romulus his sucessor is said to haue gi­uen them some lawes: but (e) al too insufficient for the gouernment of a Cittie. He taught them many points of their religion (f) but it is not reported that hee had these institutions from the gods: Those corruptions therefore of minde, conuersation, and conditions, which were so great, that the (g) most learned men durst affirme that these were the cankers by which all Common-weales pe­rished, though their walls stood neuer so firme; those did these gods neuer en­deauor to with-hold from them that worshipped them, but as wee haue proued before, did rather striue to enlarge and augment them, with all their care and ful­lest diligence.

Of the rape of the Sabine women, and diuers other wicked facts, done in Romes most ancient and honorable times. CHAP. 17.

PErhaps the gods would not giue the Romaines any lawes, because as Salust (a) saith: Iustice and honestie preuailed as much with them by nature as by lawe: very good: (b) out of this iustice and honestie came it (I thinke) that the (c) Sabine virgins were rauished. What iuster or honester part can be plaide, then to force away other mens daughters with all violence possible, rather then to receiue them at the hand of their parents? But if it were vniustly done of the Sabines to deny the Romaines their daughters, was it not farre more vniustly done of them to force them away after that deniall? There were more equitie showne in making warres vpon those that would not giue their daughters to beget alliance with their neighbours and countrimen, then with those that did but require back their owne, which were iniuriously forced from them. Therefore Mars should rather haue helped his warlike sonne, in reuenging the iniury of this reiected proferre of marriage, that so he might haue wonne the Virgin that he desired, by force of armes. For there might haue beene some pretence of warlike lawe, for the con­queror iustly to beare away those whom the conquered had vniustly denied him before. But he, against all law of peace, violently forced them from such as denied him them, and then began an vniust warre with their parents, to whom hee had giuen so iust a cause of anger. (d) Herein indeed he had good and happy successe: And albeit the (e) Circensian playes were continued to preserue the memory of this fraudulent acte, yet neither the Cittie nor the Empire did approoue such a president: and the Romaines were more willing to erre in making Romulus a deity after this deed of iniquitie, then to allow by any law or practise, this fact of his in forcing of women thus, to stand as an example for others to follow. Out of this iustice and honesty likewise proceeded this, that (g) after Tarquin and his children Tarquine Collatine depriued of office, and put out of Rome. were expulsed Rome, (because his sonne Sextus had rauished Lucresse.) Iunius Bru­tus being consull, compelled (h) L. Tarquinius Collatine, husband to that Lucresse, his fellow officer, a good man, and wholy guiltlesse, to giue ouer his place, and abandon the Cittie, which vile deed of his, was done by the approbation (or at least omission) of the people, who made Collatine Consul, aswell as Brutus himself. Out of this iustice and honesty came this also, that (h) Marcus Camillus that most Camillus exiled by his coun­tries mon­strous in­gratitude. illustrious worthy of his time, that with such ease sudued the warlike Veientes, the greatest foes of the Romaines, and tooke their cheefe citty from them: after that they had held the Romains in ten yeares war, and foiled their armies so often, that Rome hir selfe began to tremble, and suspected hir owne safety: that this man by the mallice of his backe-biting enemies, and the insupportable pride of the Tri­bunes, being accused of guilt, & perceiuing the citty (which he had preserued) so vngrateful, that he needs must be condemned, was glad to betake him-selfe to wil­ling banishment: and yet (i) in his absence was fined at ten thousand Asses (k) Be­ing soone after to be called home again to free his thankelesse country the second time from the Gaules. It yrkes me to recapitulate the multitude of foule enormi­ties which that citty hath giuen act vnto: (l) The great ones seeking to bring the people vnder their subiection: the people againe on the other side scorning to be Seditions betwixt the great men and the people. subiect to them, and the ring-leaders on both sides aiming wholy rather at supe­riority and conquest, then euer giuing roome to a thought of iustice or honesty.

What the history of Saluste reports of the Romains conditions, both in their times of daunger and those of security. CHAP. 18.

THerefore I will keepe a meane, and stand rather vnto the testimony of Sa­lust himselfe, who spoke this in the Romaines Praise (whereof we but now discoursed) that iustice and honesty preuailed as much with them by nature, as by lawe: extolling those times wherein the citty (after the casting out of her kings) grew, vp to such a height in so small a space. Notwithstanding al this, this same author confesseth in (a) the very beginning of the first booke of his history, that when the sway of the state was taken from the Kings and giuen to the Consuls, (b) within a very little while after, the citty grew to be greatly troubled with the oppressing power of the great ones; and (c) the deuision of the people from the fathers vpon that cause, and diuers other daungerous dissentions; for hauing re­corded how honestly, and in what good concord the Romaines liued together (d) betwixt the second warre of Africa, and the last; and hauing showed that it was not the loue of goodnesse, but the feare and distrust of the Carthaginians might, and per [...]ideousnesse, that was cause of this good order, and therfore that vpon this Nasica would haue Carthage stand stil vndemolished, as a fit meane to debarre the entrance of iniquity into Rome, and to keepe in integrity by feare; he addeth presently vpon this, these words (e) But discord, auarice, ambition, and all such mis­chiefes as prosperity is midwife vnto, grew vnto their full light after the destruction of Charthage, intimating herein, that they were sowne, & continued amongst the Romains before: which he proues in his following reason. For as for the violent of­fensiuenesse of the greater persons (saith he) and the diuision betwixt the Patricians and the Plebeians thence arising, those were mischiefes amongst vs from the beginning: nor was there any longer respect of equity or moderation amongst vs, then whilest the kings were in expelling and the citty and state quit of Tarquin, and the (f) great war of Hetruria. Thus you see, how that euen in that little space wherein after the ex­pulsion of their Kings they embraced integrity, it was onely feare that forced them to do so, because they stood in dread of the warres, which Tarquin, vpon his expulsion being combined with the Hetrurians waged against them. Now obserue what Salust addeth, for after that (quoth he) the Senators bgan to make slaues of the people, to iudge of heades &, (g) shoulders, as bloudily & imperiously (h) as the [...]ings did to chase men from their possessions: & only they, of the whole crue of factions, [...] [...] [...]rial sway of al, With which outrages (& chiefely with their extreame taxes and [...]tions) the people being sore oppressed, maintaining both soldiours in continuall armes, and paying tribute also besides, at length they stept out, tooke vp armes, and drew to [...] head vpon Mount Auentine and Mount Sacer. And then they elected them [...], and set downe other lawes; but the second warre of Africa gaue end to these [...] on both sides. Thus you see in how little a while, so soone after the [Page 83] expelling of their Kings, the Romaines were become such as hee hath described them: of whom (notwithstanding) he had affirmed, that Iustice and honestie pre­uailed as much with them by nature as by lawe. Now if those times were found to haue beene so depraued, wherein the Romaine estate is reported to haue beene most vncorrupt and absolute, what shall wee imagine may then bee spoken or thought of the succeeding ages, which by a graduall alteration (to vse the au­thors owne words) of an honest and honorable citie, became most dishonest and dishonorable, namely after the dissolution of Carthage, as hee himselfe relateth? How he discourseth and describeth these times, you may at full behold in his hi­storie, and what progresse this corruption of manners made through the midst of the Cities prosperitie, euen (k) vntill the time of the ciuill warres. But from that time forward, as hee reporteth, the manners of the better sort did no more fall to decay by little and little, but ranne head-long to ruine, like a swift torrent, such excesse of luxurie and auarice entring vpon the manners of the youth, that it was fitly said of Rome, that she brought forth such (l) as would neither keepe goods them-selues nor suffer others to keepe theirs. Then Salust proceeds, in a discourse of Sylla's villanies, and of other barbarous blemishes in the common­wealth: and to his relation in this do all other writers agree in substance, though (m) they bee all farre behinde him in phrase. But here you see (and so I hope The com­mon cor­ruption be­fore Christs comming. doe all men) that whosoeuer will obserue but this, shall easilie discouer the large gulfe of damnable viciousnesse into which this Citty was fallen, long before the comming of our heauenly King. For these things came to passe, not onely before that euer Christ our Sauiour taught in the flesh, but euen before he was borne of the Virgin, or tooke flesh at all: Seeing therefore that they dare not impute vnto their owne gods those so many and so great mischiefes, eyther the tolerable ones which they suffered before, or the fouler ones which they incurred after the de­struction of Carthage, (howsoeuer their gods are the engraffers of such maligne opinions in mens mindes, (n) as must needs bud forth such vices,) why then do they blame Christ for the euills present, who forbids them to adore such false and deuillish gods, by his sweete and sauing doctrine, which doe condemne all these Christ the founder of a new citie. harmefull and vngodly affections of man by his diuine authoritie, and from all those miseries, with-drawes his flock and familie by little and little out of all pla­ces of the declining world, to make of their companie an eternall and celestiall cittie, not by the applause of vanitie, but by the election of veritie.

Of the corruptions ruling in the Romaine state, before that Christ abolished the worship of their Idols. CHAP. 19.

BEhold now this commonwealth of Rome, which I am not the first that affirme, but their owne writers, out of whom I speake, doe auerre, to haue declined from good by degrees, and of an honest and honorable state, to haue fallen into [Page 85] the greatest dishonesty and dishonour possible. Behold, before euer Christ was come, how that Carthage beeing once out of the waie, then the Patricians man­ners decaied no more by degrees, but ranne head-long into corruption like a swift torrent, the youth of the cittie was still so defiled with luxurie and a­uarice.

Now let them reade vs the good counsell that their gods gaue them against this luxury and auarice: I wish they had onelie beene silent in the instructions of modesty and chastity, and had not exacted such abhominations of their wor­shippers, vnto which by their false diuinity they gaue such pernicious autho­rity. But let them reade our lawes, and they shall heare them, thundering out of diuine oracles and Gods cloudes (as it were) against auarice and luxurie, by the mouthes of the Prophets, by the Ghospell, the Apostles, their actes and their Epistles, so diuinely, and so excellently, all the people flocking to­gether to heare them; not as to a vaine and iangling Philosophicall disputati­on but as to an admonition from Heauen. And yet these wretches will not blame their gods, for letting their weale-publike bee so fowlely bespotted with enormous impieties, before the comming of Christ: but what-soeuer miserie or affliction their effeminate and vnmanlie pride hath tasted of since this comming, that the Christian Religion is sure to haue in their teeth with­all. The good rules and precepts whereof, concerning honesty and integritie of manners, if all the Kings of the earth, and all people, Princes and all the iudges of the earth, young men and Virgins, olde men, Children, all ages and sexes capable of reason, and euen the very souldiars, and (a) taxe-takers themselues (to whome Iohn Baptist speaketh) would heare and regard well; their common-wealths would not onelie adorne this earth belowe with pre­sent honestie, but would ascend vppe to Heauen, there to sit on the highest point of eternall glorie. But because this man doth but heare, and that man doth not regard, and the third doth despise it, and farre more doe loue the (b) stroaking hand of viciousnesse, then the rougher touch of vertue, Christs children are commaunded to endure with patience the calamities that fall vpon them by the ministers of a wicked common-wealth: bee they Kings, Princes, Iudges, Souldiours and Gouernours, ritch or poore, bound or free, of what sexe or sort soeuer, they must beare all with patience: beeing by their suffrance heere, to attaine a most glorious place in that Royall In the City of God his will is all the lavv. and (c) Imperiall Citty of Angells aboue, and in that Heauenlie common-wealth, where the will of Almightie GOD is their onelie lawe, and his lawe their will.

Of what kinde of happinesse, and of what conditions the accusers of Christianity de­sire to pertake. CHAP. 20.

BVt such worshippers, and such louers of those vicious gods, whome they reioyce to followe and immitate in all villanies and mischieues, those doe neuer respect the goodnesse, or the integrity of the common-wealth. No, say they, let it but stand, let it but bee ritch and victorious; or (which is best of all) let it but enioy security and peace, and what care wee? Yes mar­rie, it doth beelong to our care, that euerie one might haue meanes to in­crease his wealth, to nourish the expense of his continuall riot, and where­withall the greater might still keepe vnder the meaner. Let the poore o­bey the ritch, for their bellies sakes; and that they may liue at ease vn­der their protections: Let the ritch abuse the poore in their huge atten­daunces, and mynistring to their sumptuousnesse. Let the people applaude such as afford them delightes, not such as proferre them good counsells. Let nought that is hard bee enioyned, nought that is impure bee prohi­bited. Let not the Kings care bee howe good, but howe subiect his people bee. Let not subdued Prouinces serue their Kings as reformers of their manners, but as the Lords of their Estates, and the procurers of their pleasures: Not honouring them sincerely, but fearing them seruilely. Let the lawes looke to him that lookes after another mans possessions, rather then him that lookes not after his owne life. Let no man bee brought be­fore the Iudges, but such as haue offered violence vnto others Estates, hou­ses, or persons. But for a mans owne, let it bee free for him to vse it as hee list, and so of other mens, if they consent. Let their bee good store of Com­mon Harlottes, either for all that please to vse them, or for those that cannot A descrip­tion of the publike corruption. keepe priuate ones. Let stately and sumptuous houses bee erected, banquets and feasts sollemnized, let a man drinke, eate, game and reuell day and night, where hee may or will: (a) let dauncing bee ordinarie in all places: let luxu­rious and bloudy delightes fill the Theater, with dishonest wordes, and shewes, freelie, and vncontroulled. And let him bee held an enemie to the publike good, that is an opposite vnto this felicitie. Let the people turne away their eares from all such as shall assaie to disswade or alter them, let them banish them, let them kill them. Let them bee eternized for gods, that shall procure the people this happinesse, and preserue what they haue procured. Let them haue what glorie or worshippe [Page 86] they will, what plaies they will, or can exact of their worshippers: onely let them worke so that this felicity stand secure from enemy, pestilence, and all o­ther inconueniences. Now tell mee, what reasonable creature would wish such a state, (not vnto Rome, but euen) to the house of (b) Sardanapalus? which whilom King, was so farre giuen ouer to his pleasures, that he caused it to bee written vpon his graue, that hee onely as then possessed that, which his luxury in his life time had wasted: Now if those fellowes had but a King like this, that would nousle them in these impurities, and neuer controull nor correct them in any such courses, they would bee readier to erect a Temple to him, and giue him a Flamine, then euer were the old Romaines to do so vnto Romulus.

Tully his opinion of the Romaine Common-wealth. CHAP. 21.

BVt if hee be scorned that said their common-wealth was most dishonest and dishonorable, and that these fellowes regard not what contagion and cor­ruption of manners doe rage amongst them, so that their state may stand and continue, now shall they heare that it is not true that Salust saith, that their common-wealth is but become vile and so wicked, but as Cicero saith, it is absolutely gone, it is lost, and nothing of it remaines. For hee brings in Scipio (him that destroied Carthage) disputing of the weale-publike, at such time as it was (a) presaged that it would perish by that corruption which Saluste describeth. For this disputation was (b) at that time when one of the Gracchi was slaine, from which point Salust affirmeth all the great seditions to haue had their [Page 88] originall, (for in those bookes there is mention made of his death.) Now Scipio hauing said (in the end of the second booke) that as in instruments that go with strings, or wind, or as in voices consorted, there is one certaine proportion of discrepant notes, vnto one harmony, the least alteration whereof is harsh in the care of the skilfull hearer: and that this concord, doth [...]onsist of a number of contrary sounds, and yet all combined into one perfect musicall melody: so in a cittye that is gouerned by reason, of all the heighest, meane and lowest estates, as The har­mony of the common wealth. of soundes, there is one true concord made out of discordant natures: and that which is harmony in musike, is vnity in a citty: that this is the firmest, and surest bond of safety vnto the commonweale, and that a commonweale can neuer stand without equity: when hee had dilated at large of the benefit that equity brings to any gouernment, and of the inconuenience following the absence therof: then (c) Pilus, one of the company, begins to speake, and intreated him to handle this question more fully, and make a larger discourse of iustice, because it was then be­come a common report (d) that a commonwealth could not be gouerned without iniustice and iniury: herevpon Scipio agreed, that this theame was to be handled more exactly, and replied: that what was as yet spoken of the commonwealth was nothing; and that they could not proceed any farther, vntill it were proued not onely that it is faulse, that a weale publike cannot stand without iniury, but also that it is true that it cannot stand without exact iustice. So the disputation concerning this point being deferred vntill the next day following, in the third booke, it is handled with great controuersie. For Pilus, he vndertakes the defence of their opinion, that hold that a state cannot be gouerned without iniustice, but with this prouision, that they should not thinke him to bee of that opinion himselfe. And he argued very diligently for this iniustice against iustice, ende­voring by likely reasons and examples, to shew that the part hee defended was vse-full in the weale publike, and that the contrary was altogether needlesse Then (e) Laelius being intreated on all sides, stept vp, and tooke the defence of iustice in hand, and withal his knowledge, laboured to proue that nothing wrackt a citty sooner then vniustice, and that no state could stand without perfect iustice which when hee had concluded, and the question seemed to be throughly discus­sed, Scipio betooke himselfe againe to his intermitted discourse, and first he re­hearseth and approueth his definition of a commonwealth, wherein he said it A common wealth. was the estate of the commonty, then he determineth this, that this commonty is not meant of euery rablement of the multitude, but that it is a society, gathered toge­ther in one consent of law, and in one participation of profite. Then he teacheth, (f) the profite of definitions in al disputations: and out of his definitions he gathe­reth, that onely there is a commonwealth, that is, onely there is a good estate of the commonty, where iustice and honesty hath free execution, whether it be by (g) a King, by nobles, or by the whole people. But when the King be­comes An estate gouerned without [...]tice is no common weale. vniust, (whom he calleth (h) Tyranne as the Greekes do) or the nobles be vniust, (whose combination hee termeth (i) faction) or the people them-selues be vniust, for which hee cannot finde a fit name, vnlesse he should call the whole company as he called the King, a Tyran) then that this is not a vicious common-wealth, (aswas affirmed the day before) but, as the reasons depen­ding vpon those definitions proued most directly, it is iust no common-wealth at all, for it is no Estate of the people, when the Tyran vsurpeth on it by Faction, nor is the commonty, a commonty, when it is not a society gathered [Page 89] together in one consent of law and one participation of commodities, as hee had defined a commonty before. VVherefore, seeing the Romane Estate was such as Saluste doth descipher it to bee, it was now no dishonest or dishonorable Common-wealth (as hee affirmed) but it was directly no common-wealth at all: according vnto the reasons proposed in that discourse of a common-wealth (k) before so many great Princes and heads thereof: and as Tully himselfe, not speaking by Scipio or any other, but in his owne person doth demonstrate in the beginning of his fift booke: where hauing first rehearsed that verse of (l) Ennius where he saith.

‘Which verse (quoth Tully) whether you respect the breuity, or the verity) mee seemeth he (m) spoake out as an oracle: for neither the men (vnlesse the city had had such manners, nor the manners, vnlesse the city, had had such men) could ei­ther haue founded, or preserued a common-wealth of that magnitude of iustice, and Empire. And therefore before these our daies, the predecessors conditions, did still make the successors excell, and the worthy men still kept vp the ordi­nances of honorable antiquity: But now, our age receiuing the common-wealth as an excellent picture, but almost worne out with age, hath not onely no care to renew it with such collours as it presented at first, but neuer regarded it so much, as to preserue but the bare draught (n) and lineament of it: For what re­mainder is there now of those olde manners which this Poet saith supported Rome! doe wee not see them so cleerely worne out of vse, and now so farre from beeing followed, that they are quite forgotten? what neede I speake of them men? The manners perished (o) for want of men, the cause whereof in iustice, wee should not onely bee bound to giue an account of, but euen to answere it, as a capitall offence: It is not any mis-fortune, it is not any chance, but it is our own viciousnesse that hath taken away the whole essence of our common-wealth from vs, and left vs onely the bare name.’

This was Cicero's owne confession, (p) long after Africanus his death, whom he induceth as a disputant in this worke of his of the Common-wealth, but yet (q) some-what before the comming of Christ. Which mischieues had they not beene (r) divulged vntill the encrease of Christian Religion, which of all those wretches would not haue beene ready to callumniate Christ for them? But why did their gods looke to this no better, nor helpe to saue the state of this weale-publike, whose losse and ruine Cicero bewaileth with such pittifull phrase, long afore Christ came in the flesh? Nay, let the commenders thereof obserue but in what case it was euen then when it consisted of the ancient men and their manners, whether then it nourished true Iustice or no; and whether at that time it were honest indeed, or but glossed ouer in shew! which Cicero not conceiuing what hee sayd, confesseth, in his relation thereof. But, by Gods grace, wee will consider that more fully else-where: for in the due place, I will doe what I can to make a plaine demonstration out of Cicero's owne definitions of the common-wealth and the people (spoken by Scipio and iustified by many reasons, either of Scipio's owne, or such as Tully giues him in this discourse) that the estate of Rome was neuer any true common-wealth, because it neuer was gui­ded by true iustice: Indeed according to some other probable definitions, and after a sort, it was a kind of common-wealth: but far better gouerned by the an­tiquity of the Romaines, then by their posterity. But there is not any true iustice [Page 90] in any common-wealth whatsoeuer, but in that wherof Christ is the founder, and the ruler, if you please to call that a common-weale which we cannot deny is the weale of the commontie. (s) But if this name being els-where so common, seeme too discrepant for our subiect and phrase, truely then there is true iustice, but in that Citie wherof that holy scripture saith: Glorious things are spoken of thee, thou Cittie of God. Psal. 87. 3.

That the Romaine Gods neuer respected whether the Citie were corrupted, and so brought to destruction, or no. CHAP. 22.

BVt to our present purpose: this common-wealth which they say was so good and so lawdable, before euer that Christ came, was by the iudgment of their owne most learned writers, acknowledged to bee changed into a most dishonest and dishonorable one: nay it was become no common-wealth at all, but was fal­len into absolute destruction by their owne polluted conditions. Wherefore to haue preuented this ruine, the gods that were the patrons thereof, should (mee thinkes) haue taken the paines to haue giuen the people that honored them some precepts for reformatiō of life & maners, seeing that they had bestowed so many temples, so many priests, such varitie of ceremonious sacrifices, so many festiuall solemnities; so many & so great celebrations of plaies & enterludes vpō them. But these deuils minded nothing but their own affaires: they respected not how their worshippers liued: nay their care was to see them liue like diuels, only they bound them through feare to affoord them these honors. If they did giue them any good counsell, why then let it be produced to light and read, what lawes, of what gods giuing were they, that the (a) Gracchi condemned, to follow their turmoiles and seditions in the Citie: shew which precept of the gods, (b) Marius or (c) Cinna, or (d) Carbo violated, in their giuing action vnto the ciuill warres: which they began (e) vpon such vniust causes, followed with such crueltie and iniuries, and ended in more iniurious cruelties: or what diuine authorities (f) Sylla himselfe broke, whose life, deeds, and conditions, to heare Salust describe (and other true Historians) whose haire would not stand vp right? What is he now that will not confesse that (g) then the weale publike fell absolutely? What is he now that will dare to produce that sentence of Virgill for this corruption of manners, in the defence of their gods?

But admit that this were true: then haue they no reason to raile vpon Christia­nitie, or to say that the gods being offended at that, did forsake them: because it was their predecessors manners, that long agoe chaced all their great multitude of little gods from the cittie altars, like so many flyes. But where was all this nest of Deities, when the (i) Galles sacked the cittie, long before the ancient manners were contaminate? were they present and yet fast a sleepe? the whole cittie was all subdued at that time, onely the Capitoll remained: and that had beene surpri­zed too, if (k) the Geese had not shewen themselues better then the gods, and waked when they were all a sleepe. And here-vpon did Rome fall almost into the (l) superstition of the Aegiptians that worship birds and beasts, for they hence­forth kept a holy day, which they called the (m) gooses feast. But this is but by the way: I come not yet to dispute of those accidental euils, which are rather cor­porall then mentall and inflicted by foes, or misfortunes. I am now in discourse of the staines of the minde, and manners, and how they first decayed by degrees, and afterward fell head-long into perdition: so that thence ensued so great a de­struction to the weale-publike (though their cittie walles stood still vnbattered) that their chiefest authors doubted not to proclaime it lost and gone. Good rea­son was it that the gods should abandon their Temples and Altars, and leaue the Euill man­ners chase [...]vay the gods. towne to iust destruction, if it had contemned their aduices of reformation. But [Page 93] what might one thinke (I pray yee) of those gods, that would abide with the peo­ple that worshipped them, and yet would they neuer teach them any meanes to leaue their vices, and follow what was good?

That the varietie of temporall estates dependeth not vpon the pleasure or displeasure of these deuills, but vpon the iudgements of God almighty. CHAP. 23.

NAy what say you to this, that these their gods doe seeme to assist them in ful­filling their desires, and yet are not able to restraine them from brooding vp such desires: for they that helped (a) Marius, an vnworthy base borne fellow, to runne through the inducement and managing of such barbarous ciuill warres, The happy successe of wicked Marius. to be made seuen times Consull, to die an old man in his seuenth Consulship, and to escape the hands of Sylla, that immediatly after bare downe all before him, why did not these gods keepe Marius from affecting any such bloody deeds, or exces­siue crueltie? If his gods did not further him in these actes at all, then haue wee good aduantage giuen vs by their confession, that this temporall felicitie which they so greatly thirst after, may befall a man without the gods furtherance: and that other men may be as Marius was, enguirt with health, power, ritches, ho­nours, friends, and long life, and enioy all these, mauger the gods beards: and againe, that other men may be as Regulus was, tortured in chaines, slauerie, mise­rie, ouer-watchings, and torments, and perish in these extremities, do all the gods what they can to the contrary: which if our aduersaries doe acknowledge, then must they needs confesse that they do nothing benefit their worshippers (b) com­modity, and consequently that all the honor giuen them as out of superfluitie: for if they did rather teach the people the direct contraries to vertue and piety, the rewards whereof are to be expected after mens deaths, then any thing that way furthering them: and if in these transitorie and temporall benefits, they can neither hinder those they hate, nor further those they loue: why then are they followed with such zeale and feruencie? why do you mutter that they are depar­ted, as from a course of turbulent and lamentable times, and hence take occasion to throw callumnious reproches vpon the religious christians? If that your gods haue any power to hurt or profit men in these worldly affaires, why did they stick to that accursed Marius, and shrinke from that honest Regulus? doth not this con­uince them of iniustice and villanie? Doe you thinke that there was any want of their worship on the wretches party? thinke not so: for you neuer read that Regulus was slacker in the worship of the gods then Marius was. Nor may you perswade your selues, that a corrupted course of life is the rather to be followed, because the gods were held more friendly to Marius then to Regulus: for (c) Me­tellus, the honestest man of all the Romaines, (d) had fiue Consuls to his sonnes, [Page 95] and liued happy in all temporall estate: and (e) Cateline, that villenous wretch, was oppressed with misery and brought to naught in the warre which his owne guilt had hatched: good men that worship that God who alone can giue felicity, do shine, and are mighty in the true and surest happinesse: wherefore, when as the contaminate conditions of that weale-publike, did subuert it, the gods neuer put to their helping hands to stop this invndation of corruption into their manners, but rather made it more way, and gaue the Common-wealth a larger passe vnto distruction. Nor let them shadow them-selues vnder goodnesse, or pretend that the Citties wickednesse draue them away. No, no, they were all there, they are produced, they are conuicted, they could neither helpe the Citty by their instruc­tiōs, nor conceale themselues by their silence. I omit to relate how (f) Marius was commended vnto the goddesse Marica by the pittiful Minturniās in hir Wood, & how they made their praiers to hir that she would prosper all his enterprizes, and how he hauing shaken of his heauy disperation, returned with a bloudy army euē vnto Rome it selfe: Where what a barbarous, cruell, and more then most inhumain victory he obtained, let them that list to read it, looke in those that haue recorded it: This as I said I omit: nor do I impute his murderous felicity vnto any Marica's, or I cannot tell whome, but vnto the most secret iudgement of the most mighty God to shut the mouthes of our aduersaries, and to free those from error that doe obserue this with a discreet iudgement and not with a preiudicate affect. For if the diuels haue any power or can do any thing at all in these affaires, it is no more then what they are permitted to do by the secret prouidence of the almighty: and in this case, they may be allowed to effect somwhat to the end that we should nei­ther take too much pleasure in this earthly felicity, in that wee see that wicked men like Marius may inioy it, neither hold it as an euil, & therfore to be vtterly refused, seeing that many good honest men, and seruants of the true & liuing God haue possessed it in spite of all the diuels in hell: and that we should not be so fond as to thinke that these vncleane spirits are either to be feared for any hurt, nor ho­noured for any profit they can bring vpon mans fortunes. For they are in power, but euen as wicked men vpon earth are, so that they cannot do what they please, but are meere ministers to his ordinance, whose iudgements no man can either comprehendfully, or reprehend iustly.

Of the Actes of Sylla, wherein the Deuils shewed them-selues his maine helpers and furtherers. CHAP. 24.

NOw as for (a) Sylla him-selfe, who brought all to such a passe, as that the times before (whereof he professed him-selfe a reformer) in respect of those that hee brought forth, were wished for againe and againe; when he first of all set forward against Marius towardes Rome, Liuie writes that the entrailes in the sacrifices were so fortunate, that (b) Posthumius the Sooth-sayer would needes haue him-selfe to bee kept vnder guard, with an vrgent and willing proffer to loose his head, if all Syllas intents sorted not (by the assistance of the goddes) vnto [Page 97] his head, if all Syllas intents sorted not (by the assistants of the gods) vnto most wished and happy effect. Behold now, the gods were not yet gone: they had not as yet forsaken their altars, when they did so plainly fore-shew the euent of Syllas purposes: and yet they neuer endeuoured to mend Sylla's manners. They stucke not to promise him wished happinesse; but neuer proffered to suppresse his wic­ked affections. Againe, when he had vnder-taken the Asian warre against Mithri­dates, L. Titius was sent to him on a message, euen from Iupiter himselfe, who sent him word that he should not faile to (c) ouer-come Mithridates: no more he did indeed. And afterwards, when hee endeuoured to re-enter the citie, and to re­uenge himselfe, and his iniured friends, vpon the liues of the Citizens, hee was certified that a certaine souldiour of the sixt legion, brought him another mes­sage from Ioue, how that he had fore-told him of his victorie against Mithridates before, and how he promised him now the second time, that hee would giue him power to recouer the rule of the weale-publike from all his enemies, but not with out much bloud-shed. Then Sylla asking of what fauour the souldior was: when they had shewed him, he remembred that it was hee that brought him the other message in the warre of Mithridates, and that hee was the same man that now brought him this: What can be said to this now, that the gods should haue such care to acquaint Sylla with the good euents of these his wishes: and yet none of them haue power to reforme his fowle conditions, being then about to set a­broach such mischiefes by these domestique armes, as should not pollute, but euen vtterly abolish the state of the weale-publike? By this very acte doe they prooue them-selues (as I said here-to-fore) directly to bee deuils. And wee doe know, our scripture shewes it vs, and their owne actions confirme it, that their whole care is to make themselues be reputed for gods, to be worshipped as diuine powers, and to haue such honours giuen them, as shall put the giuers and the re­ceiuers both into one desperate case, at that great day of the Lord. Besides, when Sylla came to Tarentum, and had sacrificed there, hee descryed in the chiefe lappe The forme of a crown [...] of gold in the liuer of a Calfe. of the Calues liuer, a figure iust like a crowne of golde: and then Posthumius the Sooth-sayer answered him againe, that it portended him a glorious victo­rie, and commanded that hee alone should eate of these intrayles. And within a little while after, (d) a seruant of one Lucius Pontius came running in, crying out in Prophetike manner, I bring newes from Bellona, the victory is thine Sylla: and then added, That the Capitoll should bee fired. Which when hee had sayd, presently going forth of the rents, hee returned the next day in greater haste then before, and sayd that the Capitoll was now burned: and burned it was in­deed. This now might quickly bee done by the deuill, both for ease in the knowledge of it, and speede in the relation. But now to speake to the purpose, marke but well what kinde of gods these men would haue, that blaspheame Christ, for deliuering the hearts of the beleeuers from the tyrranie of the deuill. The fellow cryed out in his propheticke rapture: The victorie is thine, O Sylla, and to assure them that hee spake by a diuine instinct, hee told them of a sudden euent that should fall out soone after, in a place from whence hee in whom this spirit spake, was a great way distant. But hee neuer cryed, Forbeare thy Villanies O Sylla: those were left free to bee executed by him with such horror, and com­mitted with such outrage, as is vnspeakeable, after that victory which the bright signe of the Crowne in the Calues liuer did prognosticate vnto him. Now if they were good and iust gods, and not wicked fiends, that had giuen such signes, then truly these entrailes should haue expressed the great mischiefes that [Page 98] should fall vpon Sylla himselfe, rather then any thing else: for that victory did not benefit his dignitie so much, but it hurt his affections twise as much: for by it was his spirit eleuated in vaine glory, and he induced to abuse his prosperitie without all moderation, so that these things made a greater massacre of his manners, then he made of the cittizens bodies. But as for these horred and la­mentable euents, the gods would neuer fore-tell him of them, either by entrailes, Prophesies, Dreames, or Sooth-sayings: for their feare was least his enor­mities should bee reformed, not least his fortunes should bee subuerted. No, theyr (e) endeuour was, that this glorious conquerour of his Citizens, might bee captiuated and conquered by the rankest shapes of viciousnesse, and by these, bee more strictly bound and enchained vnto the subiection of the deuils themselues.

How powerfully the Deuills incite men to villanies, by laying before them examples of diuine authoritie (as it were) for them to follow in their villanous acts. CHAP. 25.

WHo is he then (vnlesse he be one of those that loueth to imitate such gods) that by this which is already laide open, doth not see, how great a grace of God it is to be seperated from the societie of those deuils? and how strong they are in working mischiefe, by presenting their owne examples, as a diuine priui­ledge and authoritie, whereby men are licensed to worke wickednesse. Nay, they The deuils together by the cares amongst themselues. were seene in a (a) certaine large plaine of Campania, to fight a set battell amongst themselues, a little before that the citizens fought that bloudy conflict in the same place. For at first there were strange & terrible noyses heard; & afterwards it was affirmed by many, that for certaine dayes together, one might see two armies in continuall fight one against the other. And after that the fight was ceased, they found the ground all trampled with the steppes of men, and horses, as if they had beene made in that battaile. If the deities were truly and really at warres amongst themselues, why then indeed their example may giue a sufficient priuiledge vnto humaine conflicts: (but by the way, let this bee considered, that these deities in the meane space must either bee very malicious, or very miserable:) but if they did not fight, but onely illuded the eyes of men with such a shew, what intended they in this, but onely that the Romaines should thinke that they might lawfully wage ciuill warres, as hauing the practises of the gods themselues for their pri­uiledges? for presently vpon this apparition, the ciuill dissentions began to bee kindled, and some bloudy massacres had beene effected before. (b) And already were the hearts of many greeued at that lamentable acte of a certaine souldiour, who (c) in taking of the spoiles of his slaine foe, and discouering him by his face, to be his owne brother, with a thund [...]r of curses vpon those domestique quarrels, he stabd himselfe to the heart, and fell downe dead by his brothers side. To enue­lop and ouer-shadow the irkesomnesse of such euents, and to aggrauate the ardent thirst after more bloud and destruction, did those deuils (those false repu­ted gods) appeare vnto the Romaines eyes in such fighting figures, to animate the cittie not to be any whit in doubt to imitate such actions, as hauing the example of the gods for a lawfull priuiledge for the villanies of men. And out of this subtilty did these maleuolent powers giue command for the induction of those Stage-playes, whereof we haue spoken at large already, and wherein such disho­nest courses of the gods were portraited forth vnto the worlds eye, vpon their stages, and in the theaters; that all men (both those that beleeue that their gods did such acts, and those that doe not beleeue it, but see how pleasing it is to them to behold such impurities) may hence be bolde to take a free licence to imitate them, and practise to become like them in their liues. Least that any man there­fore should imagine, that the Poets haue rather done it as a reproche to the gods, then as a thing by them deserued, (d) when they haue written of their fightings The Gods examples furthered the vvarres. and brablings one with another, to cleare this misconstruction, they them-selues haue confirmed these Poesies, to deceiue others: and haue presented their com­bats, and contentions, not onely vpon the Stage by players, but euen in the plaine fields by themselues. This was I enforced to lay downe; because their owne au­thors haue made no doubt to affirme and record, that the corrupt and rotten man­ners of the Cittizens, had consumed the state of the weale-publike of Rome vnto nothing, long before that Christ Iesus came into the world: for which subuersi­on of their state they will not call their gods into any question at all, but all the [Page 100] transitorie miseries of mortalitie (which notwithstanding cannot make a good­man perish whether he liue or dye) they are ready to heape on the shoulders of our Sauiour Christ. Our Christ, that hath so often powred his all-curing pre­cepts vpon the incurable vlcers of their damned conditions, when their false gods neuer put to an helping hand, neuer vp-held this their religious common­weale from ruining, but cankering the vertues that vpheld it with their vile acts and examples, rather did all that they could to thrust it on vnto destruction. No man (I thinke) will affirme that it perished because that

As though their loue to vertue, and their offence taken at the wicked vices of the cittie had made them depart: no, no, there are too many presages from in­trailes, sooth-sayings, and prophecies, (whereby they confirmed and animated their seruants, and extolled them-selues as rulers of the fates, and furtherers of the warres) that prooue and conuince them to haue beene present: for had they beene absent, the Romaines in these warres would neuer haue beene so farre trans­ported with their owne affections, as they were with their Gods instigations.

Of certaine obscure instructions concerning good manners which the Deuills are sayd to haue giuen in secret, whereas all wicked­nesse was taught in their publike solemnities. CHAP. 26.

WHerefore seeing that this is so, seeing that all filthines confounded with cru­elties, all the gods fowlest facts and shames, whether true or imaginary, by their owne commandements, and vpon paine of their displeasures, if it were [Page 101] otherwise, were set forth to open view, and dedicated vnto themselues, in the most holy and set solemnities, and produced as imitable spectacles to all mens eyes: to-what end is it then, (a) that seeing these deuils, who acknowledge their owne vncleannesse, by taking pleasure in such obscaenities, by beeing delighted with their owne villanies and wickednesses, as well performed as inuented; & by their exacting these celebrations of modest men in such impudent manner, doe confesse themselues the authors of all pernicious and abhorred courses; yet would seeme (forsooth) and are reported to haue giuen certaine secret instructi­ons against euill manners, in their most priuate habitacles, and vnto some of their most selected seruants? If it be so, take here then an excellent obseruation of the crafte and maliciousnesse of these vncleane spirits. The force of honesty, and cha­stitie, is so great and powerfull vpon mans nature, that all men, or almost all men, are mooued with the excellencie of it, nor is there any man so wholy abandoned to turpitude, but he hath some feeling of honesty left him. Now for the deuills depraued nature, we must note, that vnlesse hee sometime change him-selfe into an angell of light, (as we read in our scriptures that hee will do) hee cannot fully 2. Cor. 11. effect his intention of deceit. Wherefore he spreads the blasting breath of all im­puritie abroad, and in the meane time, whispers a little ayre of dissembled chasti­tie within. He giues light vnto the vilest things, and keepes the best in the darke, honestie lyeth hid, and shame flies about the streetes: Filthinesse must not bee acted, but before a great multitude of spectators: but when goodnesse is to bee taught, the auditorie, is little or none at all: as though puritie were to be blushed at, and vncleannesse to be boasted of: But where are these rules giuen, but in the deuills temples? where, but in the very Innes, or exchanges of deceit? And the reason is, because that such as are honest (being but few) should hereby bee en­ueighled, and such as are dishonest, (which are multitudes) remaine vnreformed. But as for vs, we cannot yet tell when these good precepts of celestiall chastitie were giuen: but this we are sure of, that before (b) the very temple gates, where the Idoll stood, we beheld an innumerable multitude of people drawne together, and there saw a large traine of Strumpets on one side, and a (c) virgin goddesse on the other; here humble adorations vnto her; and there, foule and immodest things acted before her. We could not see one modest mimike, not one shamefast actor amongst them all: but all was full of actions of abhominable obscaenitie. They knew well what that virgin deity liked, and pronounced it for the nations to learne by looking on, and to carry home in their mindes. Some there were of the chaster sort, that turned away their eies from beholding the filthy gestures of the players, and yet though they blushed to looke vpon this artificiall beastlinesse, they gaue scope vnto their affections to learne it. For they durst not behold the impudent gestures of the actors boldly, for being shamed by the men: and lesse durst they condemne the ceremonies of that deity whom they so zealously ado­red. But this was that presented in the temples, and in publike which none will commit in their owne priuate houses, but in secret. It were too great a wonder if there were any shame left in those men of power, to restraine them from acting that, which their very gods doe teach them, euen in their principles of religion; and tell them that they shall incurre their displeasures if they do not present them such shewes. What spirit can that be, which doth enflame bad minds with a worse instinct, which doth vrge on the committing of adulterie, and fattes it selfe vpon The deuils incite men to mischief by wicked instigations the sinne committed, but such an one as is delighted with such representations, filling the temples with diabolicall Images, exacting the presenting of loathsome [Page 102] iniquity in Plaies, muttering in secret, I know not what good Consels, to deceiue and delude the poore remainders of honesty, and professing in publike all incite­ments to perdition, to gather vp whole haruests of men giuen ouer vnto ruine?

What a great meanes of the subuersion of the Romaine estate, the induction of those scurrilous plaies, was, which the surmized to be propitiatory vnto their gods. CHAP. 27.

TErtullius (a) a graue man, and a good Philosopher, being to be made Edile, cri­ed out in the eares of the whole City, that amongst the other duties of his magistracy, he must needes goe pacifie mother Flora, with the celebration of some sollemne plaies: (b) which plaies, the more fowly they were presented, the more deuotion was held to be shewen. And (c) in another place (being then Consul, he saith that when the City was in great extremity of ruine, they were faine to present plaies continually for ten daies togither; and nothing was omitted which might helpe to pacifie the gods, as though it were not fitter to anger them with temperance, then to please them with luxurie: and to procure their hate by honesty, rather then to flatter them with such deformity. For the barbarous inhumanity of those (d) men, for whose villanous acts the gods were to bee ap­peased were it neuer so great, could not possibly doe more hurt, then that fil­thinesse which was acted as tending to their appeasing, because that in this, the gods will not bee reconciled vnto them, but by such meanes as must needes pro­duce a destruction of the goodnesse of mens mindes, in lieu of their pre­uenting the daungers imminent onely ouer their bodies: nor will these Deities defend the citties walls, vntill they haue first destroied all goodnesse within the walles. This pacification of the gods, so obscaene, so impure, so wicked, so impudent, so vncleane, whose actors the Romaines diss-enabled from all magistracie, (e) and freedome of City, making them as infamous as they knew them dishonest: this pacification (I say) so beastlie, and so directlie opposite vnto all truth of Religion, and modestie, these fabulous inuentions of their gods filthinesse, these ignominious facts of the gods themselues [Page 103] (either fouly fained, or fowlier effected) the whole citty learned both by seeing and hearing: obseruing plainly, that their gods were well pleased with such pre­sentations, and therefore they did both exhibite them vnto their Idols, and did imitate them themselues: But as for that (I know not indeed well what) honest instruction, and good counsell, which was taught in such secret, and vnto so few, that I am sure was not followed, if it be true, that it were taught belike it was ra­ther feared, that too many would know it, then suspected that any few would follow it.

Of the saluation attained by the Christian religion. CHAP. 28.

WHy then doe these men complaine thinke you? because that by the name of Christ, they see so many discharged of these hellish bands that such vn­cleane spirits held them in, and of the participation of the same punishment with them. Their ingratefull iniquitie hath bound them so strongly in these de­uilish enormities, that they murmure and eate their galls, when they see the peo­ple flock vnto the Church, to these pure solemnities of Christ, where both sexes are so honestly distinguished by their seuerall places; where they may learne how well to lead their temporall liues here, to become worthy of the eternall here-after: where the holy doctrine of Gods word is read from an eminent place, that all may heare it assure a reward to those that follow it, and a iudgment to those that neglect it. Into which place if there chance to come any such as scoffe at such precepts, they are presently either conuerted by a sudden power, or cured by a sacred feare: for there is no filthy sights set forth there, nor any obscaenities to be seene, or to be followed; but there, either the commandements of the true God are propounded, his miracles related, his guifts commended, or his graces implored.

An exhortation to the Romaines to renounce their Paganisme. CHAP. 29.

LEt these rather bee the obiects of thy desires, thou couragious nation of the Romaines, thou progenie of the Reguli, Scaeuolae, Scipioes, and (a) Fabricii. [Page 104] long after these, discerne but the difference betweene these, and that luxurious, filthy shamelesse maleuolence of the diuills. (b) If nature haue giuen thee any lawdable eminence, it must be true piety that must purge and perfect it: impie­ty contaminates and consumes it. Now then, choose which of these to follow, that thy praises may arise, not from thy selfe that may bee misled, but from the true God, who is without all error. Long agoe, wast thou great in popular glory: but as then (as it pleased the prouidence of the high God), was the true Religion wanting, for thee to choose and embrace. But now, awake, and rowse thy selfe (c) it is now day, thou art already awake in some of thy children, of whose full ver­tue, and constant sufferings for the truth we doe iustly glory: they euen these who fighting at all hands against the powers of iniquity, and conquering them all by dying vndaunted, haue purchased this He mean­eth they haue bin a great en­largement of the true Church of God, vpon earth, by suffring so constantly. possession for vs with the price of their bloud. To pertake of which possession wee do now inuite and exhorte thee, that thou wouldest become a Citizen, with the rest, in that citty wherein true re­mission of sinnes standeth as a glorious sanctuary. Giue no eare vnto that de­generate brood of thine, which barketh at the goodnesse of Christ and Christi­anity, accusing these times of badnesse, and yet desiring such as should bee worse, by denying tranquillity to vertue, & giuing security vnto al iniquity: these times didst thou neuer approue, nor euer desiredst to secure they temporall estate by them. Now then reatch vp at the heauenly ones, for which, take but a little paines, and thou shalt reape the possession of them, vnto all eternity. There shalt thou finde no vestall fire, nor (e) stone of the capitoll, but one true God, (f) who will neither limmit thee blessednesse in quality, nor time, but giue thee an Empire, both vniuersal, perfect, & eternall. Be no longer led in blindnesse by these thy illu­ding and erroneous gods; reiect them from the, and taking vp thy true liberty, shake of their damnable subiection. They are no gods, but wicked fiends; and all the Empire they can giue them is but possession of euerlasting paine. (g) Iuno The hap­pines that the deuills can bestow on men. did neuer greeue so much that the Troyans (of whom thou descendest) should arise againe to the state of Rome, as these damned deuills (whom as yet thou holdest for gods) doe enuie and repine, that mortall men should euer enioy the glories of eternity. And thou thy selfe hast censured them with no obscure note, in affording them such plaies, whose actors thou hast branded with expresse in­famy. Suffer vs then to plead thy freedome against all those Impure deuills that imposed the dedication and celebration of their owne shame & filthinesse vpon thy neck and honor. Thou couldst remoue and dis-inable the plaiers of those vn­cleanesses, from all honors: pray likewise vnto the true God, to quit thee from those vile spirits that delight in beholding their owne spots, whither they bee true, (which is most ignominious) or faigned, (which is most malicious). Thou didst well in clearing the state of thy Citty from all such scurrilous off-scummes as stage-plaiers: looke a little further into it: Gods Maiesty can neuer delight in that which polluteth mans dignity. How then canst thou hold these powers, that loued such vncleane plaies, as members of the heauenly society, when thou holdest the men that onely acted them, as vnworthy to bee counted in the worst ranke of the members of thy Cittie? The heauenly Cittie is farre aboue thine, where truth is the victory; holinesse the dignity; happinesse the peace, and eternity the continuance. Farre is it from giuing place to such gods, if thy cittie doe cast out such men. Wherefore if thou wilt come to this cittie, shunne all fellowshippe with the deuill. Vnworthy are they of honest mens seruice, that must bee pleased with dishonesty. Let christian reformation seuer thee from [Page 105] hauing any commerce with those gods, euen as the Censors view seperated such men from pertaking of thy dignities. But as concerning temporal felicity, which is all that the wicked desire to enioye; and temporall affliction, which is all they seeke to auoide, hereafter wee meane to shew, that the deuills neither haue nor can haue any such power of either, as they are held to haue, (though if they had, wee are bound rather to contemne them all, then to worshippe them, for these benefites, which seeing that thereby we should vtterly debarre our selues of that, which they repine that wee should euer attaine:) hereafter (I say) shall it bee prooued, that they haue no such powre of those things, as these thinke they haue, that affirme that they are to bee worshipped for such endes. And here shall this booke end.

THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE CITTY OF GOD Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo, vnto Marcellinus.
Of the aduerse casualties which onely the wicked do feare: and which the world hath al­waies beene subiect vnto, whilest it remained in paganisme. CHAP. 1.

WHat we haue already spoken I thinke is sufficient, concerning the depraued state of mens mindes and manners, which is prin­cipally to be auoyded: that in these cases these faulse imagina­ry gods did neuer endeuour to lighten their seruants of any of these inconueniences, but rather added vnto their loades and furthered their depriuations. Now, I see it is time to take those euills in hand, which are the onely things that these men are so loth to en­dure, aboue and beyond all others, as famine, sicknesse, warre, inuasion, thraldome, slaughter, and such other like, as wee haue recited in our first booke: for these things alone are they, which euill men account for euills, that do not, nor are not of power to make men any way euill: nor are these wretches ashamed to giue goods things their due praise, and yet keepe euill still them-selues that are the praysers of good: being far more offended at the (a) badnesse of their lands, then of their liues; as if man were made to enioy all things except himselfe: But not­withstanding all this, their gods (for all their dutyfull obseruance) neuer did go about to restraine the effects of those euills, which their seruāts are so sore afraid of, nor euer with-held them from lighting vpon them, for the world was oppres­sed with diuers extreame & sore calamities at seuerall times, long before the re­demption; & yet (as touching those times) what other gods but those Idols were there worshipped in any part of the world except only amongst the Iewes (b) and by some other peculiar persōs whom it pleased the vnsearchable wisdome of the great God to illuminate. But because I study to be briefe, I will not stand vpon the worlds miseries in generall: onely what is Romes peculiars, or the Romaine Empires, I meane to relate: that is, such inflictions as before the comming of Christ, fell either vpon the citty it selfe, or vpon such prouinces as belonged vnto it, either by conquest or society, as members of the body of that commonweale, of those I meane to speake somewhat in particular.

Whether the gods, to whome the Romaines and the Greekes exhibited like worship, had sufficient cause giuen them to let Troy be destroyed. CHAP. 2.

FIrst therfore of Troy, or Ilium, whence the Romaines claime the discent (for we may not omit nor neglect what we touched at in the 1. booke:) why was Troy beseeged, & destroyed by the Greekes that adored the same gods that it did; The [Page 108] priuity of (a) Laomedon: the father (say some) was wreaked in this sack, vpon Priam the son. Wel then it is true that (b) Apollo & Neptune serued as workmen vnder the Apollo and Neptune worke the building of Troy. same Laomedon, for otherwise the tale is not true that saith that he promised them pay and brake his oth vnto them afterwards. Now cannot I but maruell that such a great fore-knower, as Apollo was, would worke for Laomedon, and could not foretell that he would deceiue him: nor is it decent to affirme that Neptune his vncle Iupiters brother & king of al the sea, should haue no foresight at al in things to come. For (c) Homer brings him in foretelling great matters of the progeny of Aeneas, whose successors built Rome (yet is Homer (d) reported to haue liued before Iliad 2. the building of Rome) nay more, he saueth Aeneas from Achilles by a cloud, desi­ring to raze this periurd citty of Troy though it were his own handy-worke as (e) Virgill declareth of him. Thus then these two gods, Neptune and Apollo, were Aeneid. 5. vtterly ignorant of Laomedons intention to delude them, and builded the walles of Troy (f) for thankes and for thankelesse persons. Looke now, whether it be a worse matter to put confidence in such gods, or to consume them. But Homer him-selfe (it seemes) did hardly beleeue this tale, for he maketh (g) Neptune to fight against Troy, and Apollo for it; whereas the fable giueth them both one cause of being of­fended, namely Laomedons periury. Let those therefore that beleeue such re­ports be ashamed to acknowledge such deities: and those that beleeue them not, let them neuer draw cauills from the Troians periuries, nor maruell that the gods should hate periuries at Troy, and loue them at Rome. For otherwise, how could it come to passe, that besides the aboundance of all other corruption in the city of Rome, there should bee such a great company in Catilines conspiracy that liued onely by their tongues practise in periury and their hands in murder? what other thing did the senators by taking bribes so plentifully and by so many false iudgments? what other thing did thee (i) people by selling of their voices, & play­ing double in all things wherein they dealt, but (k) heape vp the sinne of periury? for euen in this vniuersall corruption, the ould custome of giuing & taking othes was still obserued, but that was not for the restraint of wickednesse by awe of religion, but to ad periury also vnto the rest of their monstrous exorbitances.

That the gods could not iustly be offended at the adultry of Paris, vsing it so freely and frequently themselues. CHAP. 3.

WHerefore there is no reason to say that these gods who supported the em­pire of Troy were offended with the Troians periury, when the Greekes did preuaile against all their protections. Nor is it, as some say, in their defence, that the anger at Paris his (a) adultery made them giue ouer Troyes defence, for it is their custome to practise sinne them-selues, and not to punish it in others. (b) The Troians (saith Salust) as I haue heard, were the first founders & inhabitants of Rome: those were they that came away with Aeneas, and wandered without any certaine abode. If Paris his fact were then to be punished by the gods iudgements, it was either to fall vpon the Troians, or else vpon the Romaines, because (c) Aeneas his mother was chiefe agent therein. But how should they hate it in Paris, when as they hated it not in Venus, one of their company, who (to omit her other pranks) committed adultery with Anchifes and by him was begotten (d) Aeneas. Or why should his falt anger Menelus, and hers (e) please Vulcane? I do not thinke the gods such abasers of their wiues, or of themselues, as to vouchsafe mortall men to partake with them in their loues. Some perhaps will say I scoffe at these fables: and handle not so graue a cause with sufficient grauity: why then if you please let vs not beleeue that Aeneas is sonne to Venus I am content, so (f) that Romulus like­wise be not held to be Mars his sonne. (g) If the one be so, why is not the other so also, Is it lawfull for the gods to medle carnally with women, and yet vnlaw­full for the men to meddle carnallie with Goddesses: a hard, or rather an incredi­ble condition, that what was lawfull for Mars (h) by Venus her law should not be lawfull for Venus by her owne law. But they are both confirmed by the Romain au­thority, for (i) Caesar of late, beleeued no lesse that (k) Venus was his grand-mother then (l) Romulus of old beleeued that Mars was his father.

Of Varro's opinion, that it is meete in policy that some men should faigne them­selues to be begotten of the gods. CHAP. 4.

BVt doe you beleeue this will some say? not I truly. For Varro, one of their most learned men, doth (though faintly, yet almost plainely) confesse that they all are false. But that it is (a) profitable for the citties (saith he) to haue their greatest men their generalls and gouernours, beleeue that they are begotten of gods, though it be neuer so false: that their mindes being as illustrate, with part of their parents deitie, may bee the more daring to vndertake, more seruent to act, and so more fortunate to performe affaires of value. Which opinion of Var­ro, (by me here laid downe) you see how it opens a broad way to the falshood of this beleefe: and teacheth vs to know, that many such fictions may be inserted in­to religion, whensoeuer it shall seeme vse-full vnto the state of the city, to inuent such fables of the gods. But whether Venus could beare Aeneas by Anchises, or Mars beget Romulus of Syluta, (b) Numitors daughter▪ that we leaue as we find it, vndiscussed. For there is almost such a question ariseth in our Scriptures. Whe­ther the wicked angells did commit fornication with the daughters of men, and Gen. 6. whether that therevpon came Giants, that is, huge and powrefull men, who in­creased and filled all the earth?

That it is altogether vnlikely that the gods reuenged Paris his fornication, since they permitted Rhea's to passe vnpunished. CHAP. 5.

WHerefore now let vs argue both the causes in one. If it be certaine that wee read of Aeneas and Romulus their mothers, how can it bee that the gods should disallow of the adulteries of mortall men, tollerating it so fully and freely in these particulars? If it be not certaine, howsoeuer, yet cannot they distaste the dishonesties of men, that are truly acted, seeing they take pleasure in their owne, though they be but faigned: Besides, if that of Mars with Rhea be of no credit, why then no more is this of Venus with Anchises. Then let not Rhea's cause be co­uered with any pretence of the like in the gods. She was a virgin Priest of Vesta, and therefore with farre more iustice should the gods haue scourged the Ro­maines for her offence, then the Troians for that of Paris: for the (a) ancient Romaines them-selues did punish such vestalls as they tooke in this offence, by burying them quick: (b) neuer censuring others y^t were faultie in this kind with death, (but euer with some smaller penalty,) so great was their study to correct the offences of persons appertaining to religion, with all seuerity aboue others.

Of Romulus his murther of his brother, which the gods neuer reuenged. CHAP. 6.

NOw I will say more: If those Deities tooke such grieuous and heinous displeasure at the enormities of men, that for Paris his misdemeanour they [Page 113] would needes vtterly subuert the citty of Troy by fire and sword: much more then ought the murder of Romulus his brother to incense their furies against the Romaines, then the rape of Menelaus his wife against the Troians: Parricide (a) in the first originall of a Citty, is far more odious then adultery in the wealth and height of it. Nor is it at all pertinent vnto our purpose (b) whether this murder were commanded or committed by Romulus, which many impudently deny, ma­ny doe doubt, and many do dissemble. Wee will not intangle our selues in the Laborinth of History, vpon so laborious a quest: Once, sure it is, Romulus his bro­ther was murdered: and that neither by open enemies, nor by strangers. If Ro­mulus either willed it, or wrought it, so it is: Romulus was rather the cheefe of Rome then Paris of Troy. VVhy should the one then set all his goddes against his countrey for but rauishing another mans wife, and the other obtaine the protec­tion of (c) the same goddes for murdering of his owne brother? If Romulus bee cleare of this imputation, then is the whole citty guilty of the same crime how­soeuer, in giuing so totall an assent vnto such a supposition: and in steed of kil­ling a brother, hath done worse in killing a father. For both the bretheren were fathers and founders to it alike, though villany bard the one from dominion. There is small reason to be showne (in mine opinion) why the Troians deserued so ill, that their gods should leaue them to destruction, and the Romaines so well, that they would stay with them to their augmentation; vnlesse it bee this, that be­ing so ouerthrowne and ruined in one place, they were glad to flie away to prac­tise their illusions in another; nay they were cunninger then so; they both stayed still at Troy to deceiue (after their old custome) such as afterwards were to inhabit there; and likewise departed vnto Rome that hauing a greater scope to vse their im­postures there they might haue more glorious honours assigned them to feede their vaine-glorious desires.

Of the subuersion of Ilium by Fimbria, a Captaine of Marius his faction. CHAP. 7.

IN the first (a) heate of the (b) ciuill wars, what hadde poore Ilium done that (c) Fimbria, they veriest villaine of all (d) Marius his sette, should raize it [Page 114] downe with more fury and (e) cruelty then euer the Grecians had shewed vpon it before? For in their conquest, many escaped captiuity by flight, and many avoi­ded death by captiuity: But Fimbria charged in an expresse edicte, that not a life should bee spared: and made one fire of the Citty and all the creatures within it. Thus was Ilium requited, not by the Greekes whom her wronges had prouoked, but by the Romaines whom her ruines had propagated: their gods in this case (a like adored of both sides) doing iust nothing; or rather beeing able to do iust nothing: what, were the gods gone from their shrines, that protected this towne since the repayring of it after the Grecian victory? If they were, shew me why? but still the better citizens I finde, the worse gods. They shut out Fim­bria, to keepe all for Sylla; hee set the towne and them on fire, and burned them both into dust and ashes. And yet in meane-time (f) Sylla's side was stronger, and euen now was hee working out his powre by force of armes: his good be­ginnings as yet felt no crosses. How then could the Ilians haue dealt more ho­nestly Sylla's side stronger then Marius his. or iustly? or more worthy of the protection of Rome? then to saue a cit­ty of Romes, for better endes, and to keepe out a Parricide of his countries com­mon good? But how they sped, let the defenders of these gods obserue. They for-sooke the Ilians beeing adulterers, and left their cittie to the fires of the Greekes: that from her ashes, Chaster Rome might arise: But why did they leaue her the second time, beeing Romes allied, not rebelling against her Noble daughter, but keeping her faith sincerely vnto Romes best parts and powers? why did they let her be demolished so vtterly, not by the valorous Grecians, but by a barbarous Romaine? Or, if the gods fauoured not Sylla's endeauours, for whom this cittie kept her selfe, why did they attend his fortunes with such happy suc­cesse else-where? doth not this proue them rather flatterers of the fortunat, then fauorers of the wretched? And therfore they had not forsaken Illium vtterly whē it was vtterly destroied: no, no, the diuells will still keepe a watchfull eye for ad­uantage to deceiue. For (g) when all the Images were burned together with the The deuills car [...] to de­ceiue. towne, onely Mineruàs was found vnder all the ruines of her Temple, as Liuy writeth, vntouched: not that it should bee sayd, You Patron gods that alwaies Troy protect: but that it should not be sayd. The gods were gone and left their altars bare: in their defence they were permitted to saue that Image, not that they might thereby proue themselues powrefull, but that we might thereby proue them to haue beene present.

Whether it was conuenient to commit Rome to the custody of the Troyan gods. CHAP. 8.

VVHerefore seeing Troy had left so plaine a lesson for all posterity to obserue; what discretion was there shewne in the commending of Rome to the protection of the Troyan gods? O but, will some say, they were settled at Rome when Fimbria spoiled Ilium: were they so? whence comes the Image of Minera then? But well: it may be they were at Rome when Fimbria razed Ilium, and at I­lium when the Galles sacked Rome. And being quick of hearing, and swift in mo­tion, as soone as euer the geese called them, they came all on a cluster, to defend what was left, the Capitol. But they were not called soone inough to looke to the rest, or else it should not haue beene as it was.

Whether it be credible, that the gods procured the peace that lasted all Numa's raigne. CHAP. 9.

IT is thought also that these are they that helped Numa Pompilius, Romulus his successor, to preserue that continuall peace that lasted all the time of his raign, and to shut the gates of Ianus his (a) temple; and that because hee deserued it at their handes, in instituting so many sacrifices for the Romaines to offer vnto their honour. In earnest, the peace that this Prince procured was thanke­worthy, could hee haue applied it accordinglie, and (by avoiding so penicious a curiositie,) haue taken more paines in enquitie after the true diuinitie. But beeing as it was, the gods neuer gaue him that quiet [Page 102] leasure: but it may bee they had not deluded him so fowlely, had they not found him so idle. For the lesse that his businesse was, the more time had they to en­trappe him: for Varro recordeth all his courses, and endeauours to associate him­selfe and his Citty with those imaginary gods: all which (if it please God) shall be rehersed in their due place. But now, since wee are to speake of the benefits which are pretended to come from those fained deities: peace is a good be­nefit: but it is a benefit giuen by the (b) true God onely, as the raine, the sunne and all other helpes of mans transitory life are; which are common euen to the Peace be­stovved on the vnvvor­thy. vngratious, and vngratefull persons as well as the most thankefull. But if these Romaine gods had any powre to bestow such a benefit as peace is vpon Numa, or vpon Rome, why did they neuer do it after, when the Romaine Empire was in grea­ter maiesty and magnificence? was their sacrifices more powrefull at their first institution, then at any time after? Nay, many of them then were not as yet in­stituted, but remained vnspoaken of vntill afterwardes, and then they were insti­tuted indeed, and kept for commodity sake. How commeth it then to passe that Numa's 43. Or as some say 39. yeares were passed in such full peace? and yet those sacrifices beeing neither instituted nor celebrated vntill afterwardes; Numa's peace of 43. or 39. yeares. and the gods whom these sollemnities inuited, beeing but now become the gardians and patrons of the state, after so many hundred yeares from Romes foun­dation vntill the reigne of Augustus, there is but (c) one yeare reckned, and that is held as wholy miraculous, which falling after the first African warre, gaue the Romaines iust leaue to shut vp the gates of warres Temple?

Whether the Romaines might iustly desire that their Citties estate should arise to pre­heminence by such furious warres, when it might haue rested firme, and quiet, in such a peace as Numa procured. CHAP. 10.

VVIll they reply (thinke you) that the Imperiall state of Rome had no other meanes of augmentation but by continuance of warres, nor any fitter course to diffuse the honour thereof then this? A fit course surely! why should any Empire make disquiet the scale vnto greatnesse? In this little world of mans body, is it not better to haue a meane stature with an vnmooued health, then a huge bignesse with intollerable sicknesse? to take no rest at the point where thou shouldst rest, the end? but still to confound the greater grouth with the greater griefe? what euill had there beene, nay what good had there not beene if those [Page 117] times had lasted that Salust so applawded, saying: Kings in the beginning (for this (a) was first Imperiall name on earth) were diuers in their goodnesse: some exercised The first Kings prac­tises. their corporall powers, some their spirituall, and mens liues in those times were without all exorbitance of habit or affect, each one keeping in his owne compasse: why should the Empire be aduanced by those practises that Virgil so detesteth? saying.

But indeed the Romaines as yet had a iust defence for their so continued con­tentions and warres: because, their foes engirting them with such vniuersall in­uasions, it was very necessity to saue them-selues, and not their endeauour to be­come powrefull ouer others that put weapons into their hands. Well bee it so. For, (as Saluste writeth) when they had well settled their estate by lawes, cus­tomes and possessions, and seemed sufficiently potent, then, as it is in most affaires of mortality, out of their eminence arose enuy in others, which armed many of their neighbour Kings against them, and with-held most of their reputed friends from assisting them; they rest standing affraid, and a farre off. But the Romaines them-selues, sticking to warres tackling, cheered vp one another, to encounter the foe with courage, standing in their armes as the bulwarkes of their freedome, their countrey, and their kinred. And hauing made their vertue breake through all mistes of opposed daungers, they aided those that affected them, returning more gaine of friend-shippe to their estate by beeing the agents of bounty then the obiects, rather by doing good turnes to others, then by receiuing such of others. In these formes of augmenting her selfe, Rome kept a good Decorum. But now, in Numa's raigne, was there any iniuries of enemy or inuasions, con­curring to disturbe this peace of his time, or was there not? If Rome were as then molested with wars, & yet did not oppose hostility with hostility; then those meanes that kept the foe from beeing ouerthrowne in fight, and yet without stroakes compelled them to composition; those very meanes alone should bee still of powre to shut Ianus his gates, and keepe this peace continually in Rome. Which if it were not in their powre to doe, then verily the Romaines had not their peace as long as it pleased the gods to allow it them, but as long as the neighbour Princes listed not to inuade and trouble them; (c) vnlesse those gods had farmed that which lieth not in theirs but others powre, vnto each one at their pleasure, as it it were by the letter pattent. There is much difference truly in these deuills working vpon mens proper infirmities, whether they worke with terrors, or with incitations. But howsoeuer, were they of this powre alwaies, and were not controuled by a superior soueraignty, they would still be practising their au­thorities in warres and slaughters: which (as they fall out in truth) ordinarily, are rather the effects of mortall mens peculiar passions and affections, then direct practises of the damned spirits.

Of the statue of Apollo at Cumae, that shed teares (as men thought) for the Grecians miseries though he could not helpe them. CHAP. 11.

NOtwithstanding, that there are many of these warres and conquests that fall out quite against those gods likings, the Romaine history it selfe (to omit those fables that do not tel one truth for a thousand lies) shall giue cleare profe, for therein we read that the statue of Apollo (a) Cumane, in the time of the Ro­mans warres againe the Achaians and (b) King Aristonicus, did persist foure daies together in contiunall weeping: which prodigy amazing the South-sayers, they held it fit to cast the statue into the sea, but the auncients of Cumae disswaded it, and shewed them that it had done so likewise in the warres both against (c) Anti­ochus, and (d) Pers [...]us, testifying also, that both these wars succeeding fortunarly vnto Rome, the senat sent ther guifts and oblations vnto the statue of Apollo And then, the South-sayers hauing learned wit, answered, that the weeping of Apollo was lucky to the Romaines, because that (e) Cuma was a Greeke collony, and that the statues teares did but portend mishap vnto the country from whence it came, namely vnto Greece. And soone after, they heard how Aristonicus was taken pri­soner, and this was the cause of Apollos woes, shewen in his teares. And as touch­ing this point, not vnfitly, though fabulously, are the diuells trickes plainely dis­couered in the fictions of the Poets: Diana was sory for Camilla in Virgill: And Hercules wept for the death of Pallas. And it may be that vpon this ground Numa in his great peace giuen him, hee neither knew nor sought to know by whome, bethinking him-selfe in his idlenesse vnto what gods he should commit the pre­seruation of the Romaines fortunes, (neuer dreaming that it is onely the great and almighty God that hath regard of these inferior things) and remembring himselfe, that the gods that Aeneas brought from Troy, could neither preserue the estate of the Troians, nor that of the Lauinians erected by Aeneas, into any good continuance, he thought fit to seeke out some others, to ioyne with the for­mer were gone with Romulus to Rome and that were afterwards to go, at the distruction of Alba either to keepe them from running away, or to helpe them when they saw them too weake.

How fruitlesse their multitude of gods was vnto the Romaines, who induced them, be­yond the institution of Numa. CHAP. 12.

NOr could Rome bee content with those sacrifices which Numa had in such plentifull measure prescribed, for it had not as yet the great temple of Iupi­ter. For it was Tarquin that (a) built the Capitoll a good while after. And (b) Aesculapius came afterwards from Epidaurus vnto Rome: because he being a (c) most expert Phisitian, might practise in so famous a Cittie with the greater cre­dite. The Mother of the gods also (of (d) whence, who can tell) came thether from (e) Pessinuns, It being a thing vnmeete for the sonne to bee the chiefe God of the Capitol, and the mother to ly obscured I know not where: But if shee bee the mother of all the gods, she did not follow all her children vnto Rome, but left some to follow her thither. I wonder whether shee were dam vnto Cynocephalus, that (f) came out of Aegipt long after or no. Whether the goddesse. (g) Febris bee one of her Children or no, (h) let Aesculapius, (i) her Nephew looke to that. But wheresoeuer shee was borne, I hope the stranger goddes dare not call a goddesse base, that is (k) a Romaine Cittizen. Well, Rome beeing placed vnder the protection of so many gods (as who can recken vppe?) both of Italians, and Forreyners, both of Heauen, Earth, Hel, Seas, Fountaines, and Riuers, & as Varro saith, both (l) certain & vncertaine, [Page 120] and as it is in creatures, both male & female of all these seuerall kinds: me thinkes that Rome hauing all these to be her Tutors, should neuer haue tasted of such intol­lerable troubles as I meane to relate briefely out of their huger multitude. The great (m) smoake she sent'vp was like (n) a beacon, and called to many gods to her defence: vnto all which the Priests erecting seuerall monuments, and seuerall mysteries, enflamed the furie of the true God in farre greater measure, to whom onely all these institutions & rights were belonging. Truly, Rome thriued a great deale better, when shee had farre fewer protectors: But growing greater, like as a ship calleth in more saylers, so call'd she in more gods: doubting (I thinke) that those few, (vnder whom she had passed a peaceable reuolution before, in compa­rison of that that followed) were not now of sufficiencie to defend her greatnesse, it was so much augmented. For at first, vnder the Kings themselues, (excepting Numa, of whom wee spake before) what a mischieuous beginning of dissention was that, wherein Romulus killed his owne and onely brother?

By what right the Romaines attained their first wiues. CHAP. 13.

IN like manner, neither Iuno (for all that shee was now as her husband was, good friends with the Romaines) nor Venus, could helpe her sonnes progenie to honest and honorable mariages, but suffered this want to growe so hurtfull vnto them, that they were driuen to get them wiues by force, and soone after were compelled to go into the field against their wiues owne fathers, and the wretched women beeing yet scarcely reconciled to their husbands for this wrong offered them, were now endowed with their fathers murthers and kin­dreds bloud: but in this conflict the Romaines had the lucke to be conquerors. But O what worlds of wounds, what numbers of funerals, what Oceans of bloud­shed did those victories cost! for one onely father (a) in lawe Caesar, and for one onely sonne in law Pompey; (the wife of Pompey, and daughter to Caesar being dead) with what true feeling, and iust cause of sorrow doth Lucane crie out.

Thus then the Romaines conquered, that they might now returne and embrace the daughters with armes embrued in the bloud of the fathers: nor du [...]st the poore creatures weepe for their slaughtered parents, for feare to offend their conquering husbands: but all the time of the battle, stood with their vowes in their mouthes (c) and knew not for which side to offer them. Such mariages Bellona, (and not Venus) bestowed vpon the Romaines: or perhaps (d) Alecto that filthy hellish furie, now that Iuno was agreed with them, had more power vpon their bosomes now, then shee had then, when Iuno entreated her helpe against Aeneas. Truly (e) Andromacha's captiuitie was farre more tollerable then these Romaine mariages; for though she liued seruile, yet Pyrrhus after hee had once embraced her, would neuer kill Troian more. But the Romaines slaugh­tered their owne step fathers in the field, whose daughters they had already enioyed in their beds. Andromacha's estate secured her from further feares, though it freed her not from precedent sorrowes: But these poore soules being matched to these sterne warriours, could not but feare at their husbands going [Page 122] to battell, and wept, at their returne, hauing no way to freedome either by their feares or teares. For they must either (in piety) bewaile the death of their friendes and kinsfolkes, or (in cruelty) reioice at the victories of their husbands. Besides, (as warres chance is variable) some lost their husbands by their fathers swords; and some lost both, by the hand of each other. For it was no small war that Rome at that time waged. It came to the besieging of the citty it selfe, and the Romaines were forced to rely vppon the strength of their walls and gates which (f) being gotten open by a wile, and the foe being entred within the wals (g) euen in the very market-place was there a most wofull and wicked battell, struck betwixt the fathers in law and the sons. And here were the rauishers cō ­quered maugre their beards, and driuen to flye into their owne houses, to the great staine of all their precedent (though badly and bloudily gotten) (h) con­quests: for here Romulus him-selfe dispairing of his soldiors valors, (i) praid vn­to Iupiter to make them stand, and (k) here-vpon got Iupiter his sur-name of Sta­tor) (l) Nor would these butcheries haue euer beene brought vnto any end, but that the silly rauished women came running forth, with torne and dishe­ueled haire, and falling at their parents feete, with passionate intreaties, insteed of hostile armes, appeased their iustly inraged valors. And then was Romulus that could not indure to share with his brother, compelled to diuide his King­dom with Tatius, the King of the Sabines: but (m) how long would he away with him, that misliked the fellowship of his owne twin-borne brother? So Tatius be­ing slaine, he to become the greater Deity, tooke possession of the whole king­dome. O what rights of mariage were these, what firebrands of war; what leagues of brother-hood, affinity, vnion, or Deity! And ah what (n) liues the cittizens lastly led, vnder so huge a bed-roll of gods Guardians! You see what copious matter this place affordeth, but that our intention bids vs remem­ber what is to follow, and falles on discourse to other particulars.