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

THE SEVENTEENTH BOOKE OF THE CITTIE OF GOD: Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo, vnto Marcellinus.

Of the times of the Prophets. CHAP. 1.

THus haue we attained the vnderstanding of Gods promi∣ses made vnto Abraham, and due vnto Israel his seed in the flesh, and to all the Nations of earth as his seed in the spi∣rit: how they were fulfilled the progresse of the Cittie of God in those times, did manifest. Now because our last booke ended at the reigne of Dauid, let vs in this booke, proceed with the same reigne, as farre as is requisite. All the time therefore betweene Samuels first prophecy, and the returning of Israel from seauenty yeares captiuity in Babilon, to repaire the Temple (as Hieremy had prophecied) all this is called the time of the Prophets. * 1.1 For although that the Patriarch Noah in whose time the vniuersall deluge be∣fel, and diuers others liuing before there were Kings in Israel, for some holy and heauenly predictions of theirs, may not vndeseruedly be called (a) Prophets: e∣specially * 1.2 seeing wee see Abraham and Moses chiefly called by those names, and more expressly then the rest: yet the daies wherein Samuel beganne to prophe∣cy, * 1.3 were called peculiarly, the Prophets times. Samuel anoynted Saul first, and after∣wards (he beeing reiected) hee anoynted Dauid for King, by Gods expresse com∣mand, and from Dauids loines was all the bloud royall to descend, during that Kingdomes continuance. But if I should rehearse all that the Prophets (each in his time) successiuely presaged of Christ during all this time that the Cittie of God continued in those times, and members of his, I should neuer make an end. First, because the scriptures (though they seeme but a bare relation of the suc∣cessiue deeds of each King in his time, yet) being considered, with the assistance of Gods spirit, will prooue either more, or as fully, prophecies of things to come, as histories of things past. And how laborious it were to stand vpon each peculiar hereof, and how huge a worke it would amount vnto, who knoweth not that hath any insight herein: Secondly, because the prophecies concerning Christ and his Kingdome (the Cittie of God) are so many in multitude, that the dis∣putations arising hereof would not be contained in a farre bigger volume then is necessary for mine intent. So that as I will restraine my penne as neare as I can from all superfluous relations in this worke, so will I not ommit any thing that shall be really pertinent vnto our purpose.

L. VIVES.

CAlled (a) Prophets] The Hebrewes called them Seers, because they saw the Lord (in his predictions or prefigurations of any thing:) with the eyes of the spirit, though not of

the dull flesh, hence it is that scriptures call a prophecy, a vision, and Nathan is called the Seer. 1. Kings. The Greekes some-times vse the name of Prophet for their priests, poets, or teachers. Adam was the first man and the first Prophet, who saw the mistery of Christ and his church in his sleepe. Then followeth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Iacob and his children, Moyses &c. Yet are not these reckned amongst the prophets, for none of them left any bookes of the visions but Moyses, whose bookes concerned ceremonies, sacrifices and ciuill orders also. But these were all figures of future things, nor were those the propheticall times, as those from Samuel were, wherein there neuer were prophets wanting, whereas before God spake but sel∣dome, and his visions were not so manifest as they were from the first King vnto the captiui∣ty: wherein were foure great bookes of prophecies written, and twelue of the small.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hier. 25 Gen. 7.
• * 1.2

  Gen. 20 D•…•…. 4
• * 1.3

  1 Sam. 10 1 Sam. 16