St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Of Gods promise to Abraham that hee •…•…ould make his seede as the starres of heauen, and that he was iustified by faith, before his circumcision. CHAP. 23.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 the word of the Lord came vnto Abraham in a vision, who hauing many 〈◊〉〈◊〉 promises made, and yet doubting of posteritie, hee said that Eliezer his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 should be his heyre: but presently hee had an heyre promised him, not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 but one of his owne body: and beside that his seede should bee innume∣•…•… as the sands of earth now, but as the starres of heauen: wherein the * 1.1 〈◊〉〈◊〉 glory of his posteritie seemes to bee plainely intimated. But as for their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 who seeth not that the sands doe farre exceede the starres? herein you 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they are comparable, in that they are both innumerable. For wee can∣•…•… •…•…e that one can see all the starres, but the earnester he beholds them, the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 seeth: so that we may well suppose that there (a) are some that deceiue 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…st eye, besides those that arise in other (b) horizons out of our sight. 〈◊〉〈◊〉, •…•…ch as hold and recorde one certaine and definite number of the starres, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…us, or (d) Eudoxus, or others, this booke ouer-throweth them wholy. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is that recorded that the Apostle reciteth in commendation of Gods 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Abraham beleeued the Lord, and that was counted vnto him for righte∣•…•…, least circumcision should exalte it selfe, and deny the vncircumcised na∣•…•… •…•…esse vnto Christ: for Abraham was vncircumcised as yet, when he belee∣•…•…, and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse.

L. VIVES.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 (a) some] In the white circle of heauen, called the milken way, there are a many * 1.2 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 eye can distinguish. Arist. and others. (b) Other horizons] There are some stars

that neuer appeare vnto vs, as those aboue the South-pole, Proclus and others. Nor doe the Antipodes euer see our Charles wain•…•…, nor our pole starre, nor the lesse beare, &c (c) Aratus] Two famous men there were of this name: one a captaine, who freed his country Sycione * 1.3 from the tyrrany of Nico•…•…les, the other a Poet of Pomp•…•…iopolis a citty of Cilicia, nere vnto which is this Aratus his tombe, vpon which if you throw a stone, it will leape off. The reason is vnknowne. He liued in the time of Antigonus, King of Macedon, and wrote diuers poemes which Suidas reckneth, & amongst others, his Phaenomena, which Tully when he was a youth, translated into latine verses, a fragment of which is yet extant. Iulius Caesar (saith Firmicus, but the common opinion, and the more true, is, Germanicus) put all Aratus his workes into a p•…•…∣eme; but perhaps Firmicus calleth Germanicus, Iulius. Anien•…•…s, Ruffus in Hieromes time made a latine Paraphrase of it. It is strange that Tully saith he was no Astronomer in the world, and yet wrote excellent well of the starres, his eloquence was so powerfull. De Oratore▪ lib. 1. (d) Eudoxus] A Carian, borne at Gnidus, an exellent philosopher, and deepely seene in phy∣sick * 1.4 and the Mathematiques, he wrote verses of Astrology. Suidas. Plutarch saith that Arc•…•…∣tas and he were the first practical Geometricians. Laërtius saith he first deuised crooked lines. Hee went (saith Strabo) with Plato into Egipt, and there learnt Astronomie, and taught in a Rocke that bare his name afterwards. Lucane signifieth that he wrote calenders, making Caesar boast thus at Cleopatra's table.

Ne•…•… meus Eudoxi vincetur fastibus annus. Nor can Eudoxus counts excell my yeare.

Because he had brought the yeare to a reformed course.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Genes. 15.
• * 1.2

  Starres in∣visible 〈◊〉〈◊〉 our eyes.
• * 1.3

  〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.4

  〈◊〉〈◊〉.