Fonseca - Houston-Packer Collection. BX1756.F66 D5713 1629

292 toflj.s.9.tr. i.Tim.r.ss. Reafons why God permits the Deai11fo to rageagainft man. Vpon the third I muft bring vnto himby ill ;for good will doenogoodvpon them. Saint 4up- f ineexpounding that verleof Dauid, Defcendant in infernumviuentes, Letthemgo downaline into thePìt ; addeth, z de/Condom morientes , Let them not gee downe dead. Oldwines fay , That wee muft goe Saint lameshis way,either in our life or our death. Butmore trulymay it befaid ofHell , That to the end wee may not goe into it at our death, we inuftenter into it in our life : not like Dathan and Abiram, who went downe quicke intoit,but with theconfideration and ear- nett thinkingof him that is poffeffedwith aDeuill. For if in this life, when as yetthe finall fentence is not giuen , the Deuill doth vfeaSinner thus hardly . Whatwill he doe vntohimwhenGod (hallfeale his Warrantfor Hell, andpro. nounce condemnation againfthim r origennotethir, That Therewas notany kind ofpaine in theworld, wherewith the Deuill didnottorment lob ; of li&ing him with the fires of Saint t4nthonie, the foresofLazarue,the Collicke, the Gout, the Canker, &c. Efudit vifcera due . Galen faith, It is impoffible that many In- firmities Mould meet together inone and the felfe fame part of theboche : But in lob, in enerie part of his bodie the Deuill had put paine vponpaine,and fore vp- on fore. Now ifon him fuch rigour was fhewne,whowas appointed to bee the patterne of Patience ; What crueil tormentsfhall beexecuted on him that is to be made theexample ofGods diuine juftice. The fecond reafon is, That in the infancie of the Church, it was fitting that there fhouldbe fome chaftifments that fhould carrie a found and anoyfe with them ; to theendthat (as Dionyfius hath noted it)the Wicked might beterrified therewith. Inthe OldTeftament Godtooke this courfe,vx tibicimbalodenim. Efay fpeakes this of /Egypt, hee termes it aBell withwings ; forthefeuere and many ftrokeswhichthe bell withwings fhall beat it withall. It is anexcellent Symbole of Fame, becaufeas it flyes,it fendsfoorth a Thrill found. Appian the hiftoriancals the EmperorTiberiue,The cimball ofthe world,becaufe his famedid ringand found through all thenations oftheEarth. After manyother plagues, God rhreatned theÆ,gyptians witha murrenor peflilence ; and anonafter ren- ders the reafonof it, That hisname might be declared throughout all the world. And as when the great Bell tollsin Arragon, the whole Kingdome is ftrucken into feare and amafeinent, (for that clapperneuer wags but vpon fomeftrangeand ex- traordinarieoccafion) fo thewholeworldwas ftrucken intoagreatfeareofthofe rods and fcourges wherewith theÆgyptianswere fo forelybeaten. Rehab faid vnro the Spies which entred into lenco, our hearts didfaint,andthereremainedno more courage inany,becaufeofyou ; For I know that the Lord hathgiuenyou the Land, and that thefeareofyouufallenvponvs. And the Princesofthe Philiftines could fayvnto their People, Be yee not rebelliousand ftiffe necked, left it happenvn- toyou as it did vnro Ægypt. It remained for a Prouerbe to afterAges, The Plaguesof .,Egypt light vpon thee. Tothis end God permitted in the rimitiue Churchmany demoniatedperfons ; fome; forforfking theFaith ; fine, for .abufingthe Sacraments ; others, for blafphemies , and the like : flimineuw and Alexander weredeiiueredosier onto Sathan, that they might learn, not to bla,heme; others,for inceft; others,for pride:fo(acccording toEpipban.&S.H'ier.)Nebucad- nëzar wasby theDeuil turned into a beaft others, for theirenuie, [spiritmDo- mini mali vigebat Saul,] But that the Deuillfhouldma(ke aman deafe, blind, and dumbe, this ofall other is the feueareftpunifhment : This is, Todeliuer men ouer toa reprobate fence, that they may doe theft things whichare notfitting for them. Tho- mas faith, That God fuffers this (yet notbeeing theAuthor offogreat an ill) by remoouingforarime his efpeciallfauour, & leauing theVnderftanding towalke awhile

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