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

What prophetique misteries were in the sonnes of Noah. CHAP. 2.

BVt their true euent hath now cleared their former obscurity: for what dili∣gent obseruer sees them not all in Christ? Sem, of whose seed Christs hum•…•…∣nity came, is interpreted, Named. And who is more named then Christ, whose name is now so fragrant that the propheticall Canticle compareth it to an 〈◊〉〈◊〉 * 1.1 powred out: in whose houses, that is, in whose churches, the diffused nations shall inhabite. For Iaphet is, diffused. But Cham, who is interpreted hotte, Noa•…•…s

middle sonne beeing as distinct from both, and remayning betweene both, bee∣ing neither of the first fruites of Israell, nor of the fullnesse of the nations, what is hee but a type of our hotte heretiques, not hotte in the spirit of wisdome, but of (a) turne-coate suttletie, that burneth in their hearts to the disturbance of the Saints quiet? But this is vsefull to the good proficients in the church as the Apostle saith. There must bee Heresies amongst you that they which are ap∣prooued might bee knowne. Wherevpon also it is written. The learned sonne wil∣bee wise, * 1.2 and vse the fooles as his minister. For there are many things pertey∣ning to the Catholike faith which the Heretiques turbulently tossing and tur∣ning, cause them that are to defend them against them both to obserue them the more fully, vnderstand them the more clearely, and avow them the more confi∣dently. Thus the enemies question addeth the perfection of vnderstanding. Al∣though not onely the professed Infidels, but euen the cloaked Heretikes also •…•…ke vnder the name of christians, and yet liue wickedly, may bee iustly compri∣sed in Noahs middle sonne: for in worde they declare, and in deede they disho∣nour the passion of CHRIST prefigured in Noahs nakednesse. Of these it is saide, Yee shall know them by their fruites: and therefore was Cham cursed in his * 1.3 sonne, as in his fruite, that is his worke: where-vpon Chanaan, is fitly interpreted, their motion, and what is that •…•…ut their worke. But Shem and Iaphet prefiguring circumcision and vncercumcision, or as the Apostle saith, the Iewes and the Greekes, (those I meane that are called and iustified) hearing of their fathers •…•…ednesse (the Redeemers typicall passion) tooke a garment and putting it vpo•…•… •…•…heir shoulders, went back-ward, and so couered their fathers nakednesse, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ing what they couered. In like manner, wee, in Christs Passion doe reue∣•…•… that which was done for vs, yet abhorre wee the Iewes villany herein. The •…•…nt, is the sacrament: their backs the remembrance of things past, because 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ch now celebrateth the passion of CHRIST, Iaphet dwelling in the tents 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and Cham betweene them both: it looketh now no more for a passion to 〈◊〉〈◊〉, but the euill brother is (b) seruant to his good brethren in his sonne, that is, his worke: because the good can make vse of the euill to their increase of wis∣dome: for there be some (saith the Apostle) that preach not Christ purely, but how∣soeuer * 1.4 Christ be preached sincerely, or colourably, I do ioy, and wil ioy therein; For he had planted the vin-yard whereof the Prophet saith, The vine-yeard of the Lord of hosts * 1.5 is the house of Israell &c. and he drinketh of the wine thereof: whether it be of that cup whereof it is said. Are yee able to drinke of the cup that I shal drinke of? And, O my * 1.6 Father, if it bee possible let this cuppe passe from me: wherein doubtlesse hee meant his passion. Or whether it were signified (seeing that wine is the fruite of the vi•…•…-yeard) that hee tooke our flesh and bloud out of the vine-yard, that is, t•…•…e house of Israel, and was drunke, and vncouered, that is suffered the pa•…•…. For there was his nakednesse discouered that is his infirmitie, whereof the Apostle saith. Hee was crucified concerning his infirmitie: where∣of also hee saith else-where. The weakenesse of GOD is stronger then men, * 1.7 •…•…d the foolishnesse of GOD, is wiser then men. But the Scripture hauing sayd. Hee was vncouered, and adding, in the middest of his owne house, makes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 an excellent demonstration that hee was to suffer death by the hands of his owne country men, fellowes and kinsmen in the flesh. This passion of CHRIST, the reprobate preach verballie onely: for they know not what •…•…ey •…•…each. But the elect lay vppe this great mistery within, and there 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…our it in their hearts beeing GODS infirmity, and foolishnesse, but

farre stronger and wiser then man in his best strength and wisdome. The type of this, is Chams going out and telling of his brethren what he had seene of his fa∣ther, and Sems and Iaphets going in, that is, disposing themselues inwardly, for to couer and reuerence that which hee had seene and told them of. Thus as wee can wee search the sence of scripture, finding it more congruent to some applications then to others, yet doubting not, but that euery part of it hath a farther meaning then meerely historicall, and that, to bee referred to none but CHRIST and his church the Citty of GOD: which was preached from mans first creation, as wee see the euentes doe confirme. So then from these two blessed sonnes of Noah, and that cursed one betwixt them, downe vnto the daies of Abraham, is no mention made of any righteous man, which time conti∣nued more then one thousand yeares. I doe not thinke but there were iust men in this time, but that it would haue beene too tedious to haue rehearsed them all, and rather to haue concerned the diligence of an history, then the substance of a prophecy. The writer of these diuine bookes (or rather the spirit of GOD in him) goeth onely about such things as both declare the things past and prefi∣gure the things to come, pertinent onely to the Cittie of GOD: for what so∣euer is heerein spoaken concerning her opposites, it is all to make her glorie the more illustrious by entring comparison with their iniquity, or to pro∣cure her augmentation by teaching her to obserue their ruine, and bee warned thereby. Nor are all the historicall relations of these bookes, mysticall, but such as are not, are added for the more illustration of such as are. It is the plow-share onely that turneth vppe the earth: yet may not the plough lacke the (c) other instruments. The strings onely doe cause the sound in harpes and o∣ther such instruments: yet must that haue pinnes, and the other, frets, to make vppe the musicke, and the (d) organs haue other deuises lincked to the keyes, which the organist toucheth not, but onely their keyes, to make the sound pro∣portionate, and harmonious. Euen so in those prophetique stories, some things are but bare relations, yet are they adherent vnto those that are significant, and in a manner linked to them.

L. VIVES.

TUrne-coats (a) suttlety] Some reade, impatience, and for wisdome, before, pacience: and for their hearts, their first beginning: but this is not so proper. (b) Seruant] The Latines vse P•…•…er, either for a child or a seruant, and so the-Greekes doe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as the Septuagints for ex∣ample * 1.8 in this place. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. an houshold seruant shall hee bee to his bretheren. Chrisippus is idle in his distinction of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: as if the first were a seruing man, and the later a sta•…•…e or bondman: Ammonius is of another minde, but this is nothing to our purpose. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is an ordinary seruant in the house. (c) Other instruments] The culter, and coulter wedges, the teame, the handles or hailes, the beame, the plough-staffe, the mole-boord &c. (d) Organs,] He meaneth of all the gins in instruments, it is too tedious to stand teckning of them here.

Notes

• * 1.1

  C•…•…. 1. 2
• * 1.2

  1. Cor. 11, 19
• * 1.3

  Mat. 7, 16
• * 1.4

  Phil. 1, 16 18.
• * 1.5

  Is•…•…i. 5
• * 1.6

  Mat. 20, 2•…•… Mat. 26, 39
• * 1.7

  2. Cor. 13 1. Cor. 1, 25
• * 1.8

  P•…•…r, vs•…•…d 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉〈◊〉.