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. 25. He allegorically compareth the Fruites of the Earth, vnto the duties of piety.

I Will now also deliuer, O Lord my God, that which the following Scripture puts mee in minde of: yea I will deliuer it without feare. For I will vtter the truth, thy selfe inspiring me with what thy pleasure was, to haue me deliuer concerning those words. But by no other in∣spiration then thine, can I beleeue my selfe to speake truth; seeing thou art the ve∣ry truth, and euery man a ly∣er. He therefore that speak∣eth * 1.1 a lye, speaketh it of his * 1.2 owne: that therefore I may speake truth, I will speake it from thee. Behold, thou hast giuen vnto vs for foode euery herbe bearing seede, * 1.3 which is vpon the face of all the earth: and euery tree, in which is the fruit of a tree

yeelding seede. And that not to vs alone, but also to all the Fowles of the ayre, and to the beasts of the earth, and to all creeping things: but vnto the Fishes and to the greate whales, hast thou not giuen them.

2. Now by these fruites of the earth wee sayd before, that the workes of mercy were signified, and figured out in an Allegory; which for the necessition of this life are a∣foorded as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of a fruitfull earth. Such an Earth was the do•• out Qu••siph••rus, vnto whose housethou gauest mercy, who often refreshed thy Paul, and was not ashamed of his * 1.4 chaine With such a crop were those Brethren fruitfull also, who out of Mecedonia sup∣plied * 1.5 his wants. But how much grieued hee for such trees, as did not aff••••rd him the fruite due vnto him

where hee sayth, At my first. ••••swere no man stood by me, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 men forsooke me. I pray God that it may not be layd to their charge. For these fruits are due vnto such as minister the Spirituall a 1.6 doct∣rine vnto vs, out of their vn∣derstanding of the diuine Mysteries: and they are due •••• vnto them, as they are 〈◊〉〈◊〉 yea and due so vnto them also, as vnto liuing 〈◊〉〈◊〉, in that they giue them∣selues as patternes of imi∣tation, in all continencie: ••nd so are they due vnto them also, as they are flying 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for their Blessings which are multiplied vpon the 〈◊〉〈◊〉; because their found i gaue out into all lands.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ps. 116. 11
• * 1.2

  Iohn 8. 44
• * 1.3

  Gene. 1. 29
• * 1.4

  1 Tim. 1. 16
• * 1.5

  2 Cor. 8. 2
• a 1.6

  Rationa∣lem. An old Epithite to most of the holy things. So, Reasonable seruice. Rom. 12. 1 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 1. pet. 2. 2 sincere milk Cle. Alex. calles bap∣tisme so. Pedag l. 1. c. 6. And in Constitut. Apost. l. 6. c. 23. the Eucharist is stiled A reasonable Sacrifice. The word was v∣sed to dis∣tinguish Christian mysteries, from Iew∣ish. Rationa∣le, est spiri∣tuale.