Of the workes of God and man.

Od beheld all things which his hands had made, and lo they were al pasfing good. But when man turned him about, and tooke a view of the works which his hands had made, he found all to bee vanitie and vexation of fpirit: wherefore if thou fhalt worke in the workes of God, thy fweat fhall bee as an ointment of odours, and thy reft as the Sabbaoth of God. Thou fhalt trauaile in the fweate of a good confcience, and shall keepe holyday in the quietneffe and libertie of the sweetest contemplations. But if thou fhalt afpire after the glorious actes of men, thy working fhall bee accompanied with compunction and strife, and thy remembrance followed with diftaft and vpbraidings, and iuftly doeth it come to paffe towardes thee (Oman) that fince thou which art Gods worke doeft him no reafon in yeelding him well pleafing feruice, euen thine owne workes alfo fhould rewarde thee with the like fruit of bitternesse.

Of the miracles of our Sauiour.

He hath done all things well.

True confeffion and applaufe: God when hee created all things, faw that euery thing in particular, and all thinges in generall were exceeding good, God the worde in the miracles which hee wrought (now euery miracle is a new creation and not according to

creatio, et non ex lege prime creationis) nil facere voluit, quod non gratiam, et beneficentiam omninò fpiraret. Mofes edidit miracula, et profligauit Egiptios peftibus multis; Elias edidit, et occlufit cœlum ne plureret fuper terram; et rurfus eduxit de cœlo ignem dei fuper duces, et cohortes; Elizeus edidit, et euocauit vrfas è deferto quæ laniarent impuberes; Petrus Ananiam facrilegum hypocritam morte; Paulus Elimam magum cæcitate percufsit: Sed nihil huiufmodi fecit Iefus. Defcendit fuper eum fpiritus in forma columbæ, de quo dixit, Nefcitis cuius fpiritus fitis, fpiritus Iefu, fpiritus columbinus, fuerunt illi ferui dei, tanquam boues dei triturantes granum, et conculcantes paleam: fed Iefus Agnus dei fine ira, et iudicijs. Omnia eius miracula circa corpus humanum, et doctrina eius circa animam humanam. Indiget corpus hominis alimento, defenfione ab externis, et curâ. Ille multitudinem pifcium in retibus congregauit, vt vberiorem victum hominibus preberet, ille alimentum aquæ in dignius alimentum vini ad exhilarandum cor hominis conuertit. Ille ficum, quòd officio fuo ad quod deflinatum fuit, ad cibum hominis videlicet non fungeretur, arefieri iufsit. Ille penuriam pifcium, et panum ad alendum exercitum populi dilatauit: Ille ventos quòd nauigantibus minarentur corripuit: Ille claudis motum cæcis lumen, mutis fermonem, languidis fanitatem, leprofis carnem mundam, demoniacis animum integrum, mortuis vitam reftituit. Nullum miraculum iudicij, omnia beneficentia, et circa corpus humanum, nam circa diuitias non eft dignatus edere miracula; nifi hoc vnicum, vt tributum daretur Cæfari.

the first creation) would do nothing which breathed not towardes men fauour and bountie. Moyfes wrought miracles and fcourged the Egyptians with many plagues. Elias wrought miracles and fhut vp heauen that no raine should fall vppon the earth, and againe brought downe from heauen the fire of God vpon the captaines and their bands. Elizeus wrought alfo and called Beares out of the defart to deuour yong children. Peter ftroke Ananias the facrilegious hipocrite with present death, and Paule Elimas the forcerer with blindneffe, but no fuch thing did Iefus, the spirit of God descended downe vppon him in the forme of a Doue, of whom he said, You know not of what fpirit you are. The spirite of Iefus is the spirit of a Doue, those feruants of God were as the Oxen of God treading out the corne and trampling the strawe downe vnder their feete, but Iefus is the Lambe of God without wrath or iudgementes. All his miracles were confumate about mans bodie, as his doctrine respected the foule of man. The body of man needeth these things, fuftenance, defence from outward wronges, and medicine, it was he that drew a multitude of fishes into the nets that hee might giue vnto men more liberall prouifon. He turned water, a lesse worthy nourishment of mans body, into wine a more worthy, that glads the heart of man. He fentenced the Figge tree to wither for not doing that duetie whereunto it was ordayned, which is to beare fruit for mens foode. He multiplyed the scarfitie of a few loues and fishes to a fufficiency to victuaile an hoft of people. He rebuked the winds that threatned deftruction to the seafaring men: He restored motion to the lame, light to the blinde, fpeech to the dumbe, health to the fick, cleanneffe to the leprous, a right mind to those that were poffeffed, and life to the dead No miracle of his is to bee found to haue beene of iudgement or reuenge, but all of goodneffe and mercy, and refpecting mans bodie; for as touching riches he did not vouchfafe to do any miracle, faue one onely that tribute might be giuen to Cefar.

Be Columbina innocentia, et Serpentina

prudentia.

Non accipit ftultus verba prudentiæ, nifi ea dixeris quæ verfantur in corde eius.

Vaicio hominis deprauato et corrupto, omnis quæ adhibetur eruditio et perfuafio irrita eft, et defpectui quæ non ducit exordium a detectione, et reprefentatione male complexionis animi fanandi, quem admodum inutiliter adhibetur medicina non pertentato vulnere. Nam homines malitiofi, qui nihil fani cogitant, præoccupant hoc fibi, vt putent bonitatem ex fimplicitate morum, ac infcitia quadam, et imperitia rerum humanarum gigni.

Quare nifi perfpexerint ea quæ verfantur in corde fuo, id eft, penitifsimas latebras malitiæ fuæ perluftratas effe, ei qui fuafum molitur, de ridiculo habent verba prudentiæ; Itaque ei qui ad bonitatem afpirat, non folitariam, et particularem, fed feminalem, et genitiuam quæ alios trahat, debent effe omninò nota, quæ ille vocat Profunda Satanæ ; vt loquatur cum auctoritate et infinuatione vera: Hinc eft illud, Omnia probate, quod bonum eft tenete. Inducens electionem iudiciofam ex generali examinatione: Ex eodem fonte eft illud; Eftote prudentes ficut ferpentes, innocentes ficut columbæ. Non eft deus ferpentis, nec venenum nec aculeus, quæ non probata debeant effe, nec pollutionem quis timeat,

Of the innocency of the Boue, and wisedome of the Serpent.

The foole receyueth not the words of wifedome, except thou difcouer to him what he hath in his heart.

O a man of a peruerfe and corrupt iudgement all instruction or perfwafion is fruitleffe and contemptible, which beginnes not with discouerie, and laying open of the distemper and ill complexion of the mind. which is to be recured as a plaster is vnseasonably applyed before the wound be searched: for men of corrupt vnderstanding that haue loft al found difcerning of good and euill, come poffeft with this preiudicate opinion, that they think al honefty and goodnes proceedeth out of a fimplicity of manners, and a kind of want of experience and vnacquaintance with the affaires of the worlde. Therefore except they may perceiue that those thinges which are in their hartes, that is to say, their owne corrupt principles, and the deepest reaches of their cunning and rottenneffe to bee throughly founded and knowne to him that goeth about to perfuade with them they make but a play of the words of wifedome. Therefore it behooueth him which afpireth to a goodnes (not retired or particular to himselfe, but a fructifying and begetting goodneffe, which should draw on others) to know those pointes, which he called in the Reuelation the deepes of Sathan. That hee may speake with authoritie and true infinuation. Hence is the precept: Try all things and hold that which is good, which indureth a discerning election out of an examination whence nothing at all is excluded, out of the same fountain arifeth that direction: Be you wife as ferpents, and innocent as doues. There are neither teeth nor ftinges, nor venime, nor wreathes and fouldes of serpents which ought not to be all known, and as far as ex