306 V 6 - GodturnestheDeuipc 011 the third tricks to mans benefit, a ietan will haue it) or whither he diddeliuer him ouer to theDeuill, as to Gods Executioner,withoutexcommunicatinghim, (as Saint Hierome is of opinion) or whithertheApoftieshad licence todoeall or any ofthefe at their pleafure fure I am, that Saint Ambrofe faith That the deliuering ouer of thefe Sinners vnto the Deuill,was aputtingofthem into fome paineor griefe ofbody by the hands oftheDeuill, as he tormented ¡ob, to theend thattheymight be drawne to repentance fortheir finnes. And thisagrees with that of Saint Chryfollome, ThatSaint Paul did deliuer the inceftuousmanouer totheDeuill; tanquampa- dagogo aperiens eipcenitentia ianuam, vis to a Schoolemafier,opening to him the doore of Repentance. Saint Hierome faith , 7anyuam Jafliènario, ute an Infirmer or Baylife : But they differ in this,That when theInformers accufe, & the Baylifes attach , it is commonly for others good ; but when the Deuill accufeth or layes holdofaman, it is for hurt. SainttAmbrofe faith, That when the Deuill had got leaue to temptlob,hee got it for toworke his deftruEtiotr. Wilt thou take theDeuillwitha hooke likeaFib, orwith a firing like a Bird ? Yes ; thou (halt lay thatpoyfön for himasa bait,wherewith he thought todeftroy thee.. Wherein is tobefeene the wifedome and omnipotencie ofGod, in that hee turnes thefe tricker and fubtiltiesoftheDeuillagainft Man,to Mansbenefit ; whobeingwil- ling tofwallow him vpat abit, choakes himfelfe, anddoth ratherbenefit than hurt him. Wherein is plainely tobe feene,thegood hap which this dumbe man had in fuffering inhis bodie ; for if hishurt had layne onely inhis foule they wouldneuer hauebrought him toour Sauiour Chrift, and it night hauefo fal- len out,that he might haue remainedfor euer in this his miferie:fo thatthe tor- ment of hisbodie, wasthe occafionwhereby he remainedfoundboth in bodie and infoule ; ascommonlythofe didwhom our Sauiourcured. The fecond reafon is, That there is noChriftian canbee fuppofed to bee fo wicked, that it being put to his choice tochufeoneof thefe two, either to be dumbe,deafe,and blind, orto beone of thofe blafphemous lewes, whofaid, InBeelzebub eÿcit Damonia, InBeelzebub hecafleth out Deuills ? would not rather makechoyce of this mansmisfortune, than of the Iewes hardneffeofheart. He brings feuenDiuils werfe thanhimfelfe . When this fouleFiendenters into a man,hemakes way for agreat manymoreof his fellowes. For the Deuil be- ing ratherthe Soules Bawd, than it's Bridegroome, he beares no loue thereun- to ; but God, becaufefhe ishis true Spoufe,is tenderof her, and will not fuffer the leaft windof finnetoblow vponher, butwill looke Iouingly and carefully vntoher. But ofthis we haue treated heretofore. ..4ndit came topaffi while hefpake, acertainewoman amidfl the multitude, lifting vphervayce, ¿rc. OurSauiour Chrifts Sermondid not makethe leaft gap in the hard heartsof the Scribes and Pharifees, but itwrought fuch great admira- tion in the breftofa certaine woman calledMarcella, that lifting vpher voyce amidft theDoCtours, and praifrng our Sauiour Chrift, fhe cried out aloud , Blef- fed is the wornbe that barethee, andthe paps that gane theefecke. Thefe Pharifees condemns thee for one that hathmadeacouenant withBeelzebub; but I fay,that from the verie inftantofthy conceptionthouwaft aholy man, and that there- forebleflèdwas the wombethat bare thee, &c. andthat the leaprofie oforigi- nail finnedid notworke vponthee, as it did vpon all the ref!ofMankind. And that thofepaps which thou fuckedft being likewife blefl'ed, they could not gluemilke toa Sinner. And becaufe thy conception and thybirth were both holy, Gods bleflingbee with that motherwhich conceiuedandbrought forth fuch a forme: Saint Auguflinefaith, That itwasnot onely Marcella that vttered thefe
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