Ignorance the ground Paífion Sonday;:- Ser,37 ofallGnne. jother more foule andheynous offence , whofe circumftances might hauear ryed more colour for Chrifts death. They did foulely ouerfhoote themfelues herein faithofee , Itwouldmakeaman Hand amazed as oft as heebut thinkes withhimfelfe , That proceedingin that maliciousmanner , as theydid againft him , they fhould fomuch betray theirignorance : But queftionleffe, it arifeth from that ofthe Phtlofopher, ownspeccans eft ignorant. Euen in the fines of malice, ignorance hatha great ftroke: fora finnerknowes notwell how to leaue, or chufe. Chryfologue faith; That thediuell in tempting our Sauiour, went foo- lifbly toworke ; and :that hehad forgot the office of aTempter : Many Saints (tile maliceblind : For there is notany fine that treads furely , but hill goes hood-winkt. Theold Iudges in Safanna's bufineffebehaued themfelues fofim- ply, That a little child tooke them in a lye , and bewrayed their folly. lo- fephs brethren brought the childleffe coate home to their father without anie hole or rent, dipt inblood and told him , t 4wickedbell' hath deuouredhim. Thisbeaft had torne the flefit , leaning the Coat whole. Hee that buryed his Talent, whenbee was called to account, anfwered ; 1.knew that thouwea-hard man, looking to reape where thouhad; not fine. If I am fucha one as reapewhere I doe not fowe, Why fhould I notreape where I doe fowe e The lewes be- ing defrousto conceale our Sauiours refurrc Lion, did multiplie an innumera- rablecompanie offooleries ; whereofSaint c.Augafline conuinceththen. In aword, inthe SacredScripture, the 'inner ineuerie placebearesthe name of a Poole : but notanie one folliecan compare it felfe with th is ; Let vs kill this man, for he dothmanieMiracles. leremit faith, Dabu eccfextum cordislabórìm tuum. Saint GregoriethePope faith ; That by this labour isvnderílood ali that goodwhich God didfor thatpeople;by takingflefhvponhim,bybeing borne, by lining, andby dying. All thiswas alabour vnto him, and this labour ferued the people in (tead ofaShield againft God himfelfe : For, they did not only make of his Miraclesandbenefits, Shields forto defend themfelues fromGod, but fwords,nayles, whips,and thorncs, for toquit God ofhis life. Saint Paul didbewayl ethofeHeretickes,which diddenie the Croffe ofontSáuiotChrift, (beingthee(ficacie ofour remedicand redemption)and calsthemenemies of the Croffe. Nobetter doth it farewith thofe,being they make poyfonof Treacle, and matter of infirmitie themeanes of their faluation. Saint Chryfollomefaith, That theyare *orfe thanDiuels : forone Diuell dothnot.perfccute another,but there did perfecutetheir beft friendandbencfaEtor.The Diuelsheldtheir peace and didobey, and atthemolt, They went out crying andfying , Thou art the Some ofGod. Godcommanded in Exedra, That they fhouldnotboyle the Kid in the milkofthe Dam;and Philonexpounding that place,faith,That he held it a thing vnmeet andvniuft, that that fhould be theinftrument of it's death whichhad been the beginningofit's life. And it fires well with thatofGregorieNßn,who faith, That theMiracles which Goddoth, are mansmilke, dealing with himas witha littlechild. This man doth many u1tyracles,&c . If hee had been a robberonthe High way, but beinghe cametomake plaine theway ; Ifheehad robbed thee ofthy wealth, tookeaway thy life, or eclypfed thine honour ; but being hee came to glue healthto thybody, to inrich thy foule, andto defendandmaintaine thine honour (as was tobe feene inthecafe of the Adultereffe) What canbeefaid in your excufctS.Auguffineand S.Cbryfoflorpondering the ill carriageofthis bufr- nes,Why (fay they) didEfay prophefre oftheMiraclesofyourMeffias , butto theend that yefhould receiue him and adorehim:' (I pray takethepain to read Ddd oaer. 591 Gut.37. Phitip.3.
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