36 The oriuftfiedb`h'' Upon the Thurfeday beforehand that there (hall bee fuch aneclipfe ; yet notwithftanding when it comes hee admiresit. Sothat our Sauior hauing this experimental knowledge, the admiration could not be fo greatas otherwife it wouldhaue beene, had hee not foreknowne it. But force man perhaps will fay, I doe notfee any fuch rare circumftances in theFaith and words of the Centurion,asfhould caufe in vs anygreat admirati- on ; for I doe notfee him flied teares withMarie Magdalen, noradore himwith theknee, withRegulus, norclamour himwith importunitie, with the Cananite, &c. I anfwer,Will yee expect this courrfhip froma fouldier and a fwordman c Let leremie and Daniel weeper for afouldier,itfufficeth that hemake adifcreet, fhort, and full Prayer, ftuft with fo much loue, hope,and humilitie,as the Cen- turions was. rofhuah that great Captaine,withaNemauearislengthened out the Sunne, with thofe fhort words. From aCaptaine tranfported withaholyzeale, will you looke for Eloquence ? flowers ofRhetoricke Are teares fo foone drawne froma fouldiers eyes ! tenderneffe fromhis heart t and bowing from his kneesf letnot thefenicrtiesand ceremonious curiofities preiudice our Cen- turionsplaine language, andvnhewnebehauiour; it was much to he commen- ded inhim, that he could fomuch. In a delicate Garden,whcre Art hath (hew- edit's vtmoft,yee (hall meet withRofes, Gillyflowers, andFountainesof A- labafterand Iafper ; but thouwilt. not fo much admire this , asif thoufhouldit light on thefe dainties inaDc felt, orin fome craggie Mountain,where the hand of natureshall ouerdoe that ofart and Induftrie. Non inueni tantamfidentinIliad. I haue notfoundfo great Faith , no not m Ifraell. Chrift turned about to the companie that were defirous to fee the miracle,and faid, Ihaue notfoundfogreat Faith,no notin /frail; not onely among the Gentiles, towhom the Captainbe- longed,but to the levees, who expecteda Meffias. This was a great commen- Tem se.74.de dationofthe Centurion,anda feuere reprehention to the Iewes,and no fmal ex- hortation to thofe that were to fitcceed them. 7antamfsdem, So much Faith; Saint Auflen renders it,Tammagnamfrdem,Sogreat Faith. Fatthhowfaid Amans Faith maybee faidto bee great,or little ; Firft in regardofbeleeued to begreat. truths,and fobeethat beleeues the more truths, bath the moreFaith. Secondly in refpectof thedifficultie :and fohee that beleeues things ofahigher nature, andwhich exceede humane capacitie, hás the greater Faith. Chrift told his Difciples,That theywereModicafdei,c.Ylenoflittlefaith,becaufe they thought he could better fauethem waking, than fleeping. And thofe feruants ofthe Archifinagogue, beleeuing our Sauiourcould hauecured the maidwhile thee wasyetaliue, but that he could not raife hervpbeing dead, faid, troublenot thy fife, the maidudead. Regulaashad the likebeleefe, Come downebeforemyfnne be dead. Thirdly, in confideration ofthe arguments and reafons for it : for Faith runnelacontrarie courfe toKnowledge: This is the greater andmoreperfect, the more it is ftrengthened by forceof argument, and the moreknowne de- monftrationsaremade of it : That,the leffer & weaker theyare. And therfore Chrift taxeth the levees, that they would not beleeue withoutmiracles,Vnl yapfgnesandwondersyeewillnot beleeue. Fourthly, becaufeof it'sfirmene e, andit's conftancie ; for thatFaith which indurethmoftperfecutions, temptati- ons, and contradiétions, isfomuch the greater. To the Cananitifh womanour Sauiour laid, o woman, great is thyFaith: for beeingbeaten with foniagyput- by's,&difgraces, likea rocktheRood ftrongly toit,& couldnot bee remoued. But
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