Saint Augustines confessions translated: and with some marginall notes illustrated. Wherein, diuers antiquities are explayned; and the marginall notes of a former Popish translation, answered. By William Watts, rector of St. Albanes, Woodstreete

CHAP. 15. By the word Firmament, is the Scripture meant.

1 BVt who except thou, O our God, made that Fir∣mament

of the Authority of thy diuine Scripture to bee ouer vs? as tis said, The hea∣uen shall be folded vp like a booke; and is euen now stretcht ouer vs like a skin. For thy holy Scripture is of more eminent authority, since those mortals depar∣ted this life, by whom thou dispensest it vnto vs. And thou knowest O Lord, thou knowest, how thou with skins didst once apparell a men, so soone as they by sin were become mortall.

Wherevpon hast thou like a skinne stretched out the Firmament of thy booke; that is to say, those words of thine so well agreeing to∣gether; which by the mini∣stry of mortall men thou

spreadest ouer vs. For by the death of those men is that solid strength of autho∣rity appearing in the bookes set by them, more eminently stretched ouer all, that bee now vnder it; which strength whil'st they liued on earth, was not then so eminently stretched out ouer vs. Thou hadst not as yet spredde a∣broad that heauen like a skin; thou hadst as yet, euery where noysed abroad the report of their deaths.

2 Let vs looke, O Lord, vpon the heauens the worke of thy fingers; cleare our eyes of that mist with which thou hast ouer cast them: there is that testimony of thine, which giueth wisdome vnto the little ones: perfect, O my God, thine owne prayse cut of the mouth of babes and sucklings. Nor haue wee knowne any other bookes, which so de∣stroy

pride, which so beate downe the aduersary, and him that stands vpon his own guard; that standeth out vpon termes of reconciliation with thee, in defence of his owne sinnes. I know not, Lord, I knowe not of any other such chaste words, that are so powerfull in perswading me to Confession, and in making thy yoake easie vnto my neck, and in inuiting mee to serue thee for very loues sake. Graunt mee to vnderstand them, good Father: grant me thus much that am placed a vnder them: because that for them who are placed vnder them, thou hast settled them so surely.

3. Other Waters also there bee aboue this firmamenent immortall they bee, as I be∣leeue, and separated from all earthly corruption. Let those supercelestiall people, thine

Angels, prayse thee, yea let them prayse thy name: they, who haue no neede to receiue this Firmament, or by rea∣ding to attaine the know∣ledge of thy Word. For they alwayes behold thy face, and there doe they reade with∣out any syllables measurable by times, what the mea∣ning is of thy eternall will. They reade, they chuse, they loue. They are euer reading; yet that neuer passes ouer which they reade: because by choosing, and by louing, doe they reade the vn∣changeablenesse of thy coun∣sayle. Their booke is ne∣uer closed, nor shall it bee euer clasped: seeing thy selfe is that volume vnto them, yea thou art so eter∣nally. For thou hast or∣dayned them to bee aboue this Firmament, which thou hast settled ouer the

infirmenesse of the lower people: where-out they might receiue and take no∣tice of thy mercy; which sets thee forth after a temporall manner; euen thee that ma∣dest times. For thy mercy, O Lord, is in the Heauens, and thy truth reacheth vnto the clouds. The clouds pass away, but the heauen abides: the Preachers of thy Word passe out of this life into another; but thy Scripture is spred a∣broad ouer the people, euen vnto the end of the world.

4. Yea both heauen and earth shall passe, but thy words shall not passe away: because the parchment shall bee folded vp: and the grasse ouer which it was spred out, shall with the goodlynesse of it also passe away; but thy Word remaineth for euer. Which word now appeareth vnto vs vnder the darkenesse of the

cloudes, and vnder the glasse of the heauens, and not as in it selfe it is: because that e∣uen we, though the well-be∣loued of thy Sonne, yet is it not hitherto manifest what we shall be. He standeth looking thorow the lattis of our flesh, and he spake vs faire, yea hee set vs on fire, and wee ranne after the sent of his odors. But when he shall appeare, then shall we be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Graunt vs, Lord, to see him that is our owne, though the time bee not yet come.

Notes

• Rom. 9. 21
• Apoc. 6. 14
• The Po∣pish Trans∣laters note That by men the Scriptures came to haue autho∣rity ouer vs; is false vnlesse men made the Firma∣ment, mans, nay the Penmans authority is here cal∣led Mini∣stery; and thats ser∣uice, not true au∣thority. Nay the next words shew, that mans authority obscured the Scriptures authority; which was eminenter after the Penmen were dead.
• a

  Adam and Eue.
• a

  Here is my papist forced to confesse the Scrip∣tures to be aboue all humane authority, and that the chur∣ches pow∣er is but to declare which be Scriptures
• Psal. 36. 5
• Mat. 24. 3
• Eay. 40. 6 8.
• 1 Cor. 13. 12
• 1 Iohn. 3. 2
• Cant: 2. 9.
• 1 Iohn. 3. 2