150 WI; so. Why Chria Miringto die, did Bye to auoide death. GodsCoon - fells rnftarch- able. Chri(ks ¡Jowerneuer more Vpon the Tnefday after 'thewnethan in his Paffion, tofreezeto their fingers that had fooften fought to(tone him to death ; his leauiug them lying on the ground ina fwounethat came to apprehend him, are teftimonies without exception. Why thenat euery ftèp doth Chrift retyre hiafelfe, and feeke to get f'rorn theme Saint Augufline makes this difficulty feemegreater in his bookes deChoi:. Dei ,- For, reprehendingCato rticenfs, who that hemight not fall into Cafars hands, killed himfelfe, he faith, That for a man to flye from tribulation anddanger, isakindof Cowardize. AndSaint Paul faith, lknow that bondsandafflitensabidefor meat leru f lem but Ipaf not at aB, neither is my lifedeare vntome, &c. Efaygoingabout to relate in his 5 z chapter that which our Sauiour was to fuller, doth firft fetdownebyway of inrerro- gation, Who willbeleeue that whichGodsarm istofttffer? Heealls hisdiuine power his Arme,becaufe God fbewed hispower in nothing;more than in hispaffió.7er- tallian inhis book dePatientiafaith,That Goddid notexpreffe his power fomuch inparcendo,as inpatictdo+iapardoning, as in fuffering.Th at fayingofthe Church is worthy the weighing, 2Lii omnipotentiam Nam parcendo maxime miferaxdo mansfeftua, WhoJhesvell thy omnipotent),innothing more,than inpittying andpardoning enders. But what bath the ftrength of fuffèringtodoe, with the weakneilèof flying Petra's CbrflogueinaSermonofhis, Defaga Domini, taxeth theEuan- gelifts forrelatingour Sauiour Chrifts flying ; For a fouldier (faith he) Should publifh his conftancie, hisvalour,the ftrengthofhisarme, and aduance the no- ble AEts, and conquefts of his .Captaine,',but not his wcakeneffes and his feares. Beholdagain thedifficultie,in regard ofthat our Sauiours great ,anguifh, both inbody and foule,beforehewas to dye.None in theworld did euer moredefire todyethan hedid, ashath'already beenpr000ued vnto you. tfthen(fweet Iefas) thou docftfo much defiredeath, and that the lewes huntafter thee for no other end, Whydoeft thou flye e Before that Irefolue this doubt;we aretoconfeffeand acknowledge withall poffible humilitie, that mansvnderftanding comes farre short of Gods thoughts. Efay faith, feehowmuchdiftancethere is betweeneheauenand earth ; fo much is there betweeuethe imaginationsofGod andman : And therefore tilt Spoufe Paid, That theywere high and black; high like the Palme tree, andblacke asthe Rauensquill. Who (faithEcclefiaflicms) cancount the landsof thefea, the drops ofthedeaw, or the dayes ofthe world e Now if humanewifedome cannot at- tainvntothofe things, which the bath as itwere betweeneher hands, She will leffebe ableto fearch into the fecrercounfellsofGod. And therefore theWife mandoth aduife thee, Sakenot into thofi thmgs_that are toobighfor thee. This way being thusmade, let vs now proceed to the reafons of theSaints. Thefirft is ofSaint AuguffineandSaint Chryfoffome. Our Sauiour Chrift was God,accordingto his Diuine nature; and man, according tohis humanenature: and the confeflionofthe one, being as neceffary as theother, he had inall his aétions abarest refpedvnto thenboth .Allhis words anddeeds tended tothia,that hemight be beleeaedtobeboth Godandman. Saint Aquiline faith , Tharhis with- drawing himfelfe afideasaman, did not withdraw from his power as hee was God; and his throwingdowneof his enemie-flaton the ground, as hewas God, did not takefrom him his weakneffe, as hewas man. If Chrift Shouldnot haue ' fhowen in the flefh, the condition of flefh, in vaine had betaken flefhupon him: and if he Should alwayes haue done the workesandaftions of aGod, and giuen perpetuall pledges of hisDiuine nature,towhatvfe woddhaue ferued hiscloa- thing himfelfe with humane flefh e IfChrift Shouldhaue beene a continuall Miracle,
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