nie of those that have indeed studied and laboured in them, and by a litle due consideration the contrarie is most evident. Why Scriptures are hard.Gen 1. v. 3. & 14. Exo. 20, 5. & 18. v. 20. Ioan. 8, 25. Rom 8.For whosoever wil looke into the holy Scriptures, shal find that some times in shew one place seemeth contrarie to another; some times the letter and phrase are obscure and ambiguous; sometimes the sentences unperfect. Againe manie speaches are prophetical, manie parabolical, metaphorical, and uttered under other tropes and figures, and that in the literal sense. Three spiritual senses besides the Literal, Allegorical, Moral, Anagogical.Moreover there are three spiritual senses besides the literal, very frequent in holy Scripture. Allegorical, pertayning to Christ and the Church; Moral, pertayning to manners; and Anagogical, pertayning to the next life. As this word, Jerusalem, literally signifieth the head citie of Jewrie: Morally the soule of man: Allegorically the Church militant: and Anagogically the Church triumphant. And some times this (and the like of others) metaphorically in the literal sense signifieth the Church militant, and not the citie of Jewrie, as in the 12. chapter to the Hebrewes: and sometimes the Church triumphant, as in the 21. of the Apocalyps.
2. The Spirit of God.) In the Hebrew it is signified, that the Spirite of God was on the waters to make them fertile, for that fishes and birds were to be procreated therof; the word is merahepheth, incubabat, sat upon, to produce fruict (saith S. Jerom) from the waters, as a hen by her heate produceth life in the egges. A figure of Baptisme.Hier. Epist. 83. ad Ocea. Tert. de Baptis.And the same S. Hierom, and before him Tertullian teach, that this was a figure of Baptisme, which consisteth of water and the Holy Ghost. For as water in the beginning of the world received a certaine vital vertue of the Holy Ghost to produce living creatures: so also Baptisme receiveth vertue of the same Holy Ghost to procreate new men. Christians called fishes.Wherupon Tertullian calleth Christians fishes, because they are gotten from the waters, and thence have their first spiritual life. Let it not therfore seeme strange (saith he) that in Baptisme waters give life.
Light being an accident remayned without a subject, by the judgement of some learned Fathers.16. Two great lights, and starres.) Heer occurreth an other example of the hardnes of holy Scripture. For if the two great lights (to wit the Sunne and the Moone) and also the starres, were made the fourth day, and not before, as it may seeme by the words in this place, then what was that light, and in what subject was it, that was made the first day? S. Basil, S. Gregorie Nazianzen, Theodoret, and some others writing upon this place, doe thinke that the light, which was made the first day remained (though an accident) without his subject til the fourth day. And albeit most other Doctours rather think that the substance of the Sunne and Moone, and of other planets, and starres were created the first day, and the fourth day set in that order and course which now they keep, The accidents of bread and wine can remaine by Gods power without their subjects.with more distinction for signes and seasons, and dayes and yeares; yet it is cleere that the foresaid ancient Doctours judged it possible, that accidents may remaine without their subject: which a Sacramentarie wil be loath to grant, lest it might be proved possible, as both these and al other Catholike Doctours believed and taught, that the accidents of bread and wine remaine in the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist without their subjects, which Protestants denie.
Ten prerogatives of man in his creation.26. Let us make man to our Image.) For better consideration of Gods bountie towards us, and stirring ourselves to gratitude towards him, we may here note ten prerogatives bestowed on us by our Lord and Maker in our creation, above al other earthlie creatures. 1. Made like to God.First, wheras God by an imperial word of commandement made other creatures, Fiat lux, Fiat firmamentum: Be there light: Be there a firmament: intending to make man, he proceedeth familiarly, by way, as it were, of consultation, and as to his owne use and service to make man, saying: Let us make man to our image and likenes; that is to say, a reasonable creature with understanding and free wil, which beastes have not. 2. The Mysterie of the B. Trinitie insinuated in his creation.Secondly, in this worke God first insinuateth the high Mysterie of the B. Trinitie, or pluralitie of Persons in one God (because man is to believe the same) signifying the pluralitie of Persons by the wordes Let us make, and to our: and the unitie in substance, by the words Images and likenes, the first in the plural number, the later in the singular. 3. Produced by God himselfe.Thirdly, other creatures were produced by the waters and earth, Let the waters bring forth (fish and foule) Let the earth bring forth (grasse, and cattle, and other beastes) but God brought forth man, not by the earth, though of the earth, nor by
