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

Of the new Heauen, and the new Earth CHAP. 16.

THe iudgement of the wicked being past as he fore-told, the iudgement of the good•…•…ust follow, for hee hath already explained what Christ said in briefe They shall go into euerlasting paine: now he must expresse the sequell: And the righ∣teous * 1.1 into life eternall. And I saw (saith he) a new heauen and a new earth. The first heauen and earth were gone, and so was thesea, for such was the order described before by him when he saw the great white throne, & one sitting vpon it, frō whose face they fled. So then they that were not in the booke of life being iudged, and cast into eternall fire, what, or where it is, I hold is vnknowne to (a) all but those vnto whome it please the spirit to reueale it then shall this world loose the figure by worldly fire, as it was erst destroyed by earthly water. Then (as I said) shall all the worlds corruptible qualities be burnt away, all those that held cor∣respondence with our corruption, shall be agreeable with immortality, that the world being so substantially renewed, may bee fittly adapted vnto the men

whose substances are renewed also. But for that which followeth, There 〈◊〉〈◊〉 no more sea, whether it imply that the sea should bee dried vp by that vni∣uersall conflagration, or bee transformed into a better essence, I cannot easily determyne. Heauen and Earth, were read, shalbe renewed but as concerning the sea, I haue not read any such matter, that I can remember: vn∣lesse that other place in this booke, of that which hee calleth as it were a sea of glasse, like vnto christall, import any such alteration. But in that place hee speaketh not of the worlds end, neither doth hee say directly a sea, but, as a sea. Notwithstanding it is the Prophets guise to speake of truths in misti∣call manner, and to mixe truths and types together: and so he might say, there was no more sea, in the same sence that hee sayd, the sea shall giue vp hir dead, inten∣ding that there should be no more turbulent times in the world, which he insinua∣teth vnder the word, Sea.

L. VIVES.

VNknowne (a) to all] [To all? nay (Saint Augustine) it seemes you were neuer at the schoole-mens lectures. There is no freshman there, at least no graduate, but can tell * 1.2 that it is the elementany fire which is betweene the sphere of the moone, and the ayre, that shall come downe, and purge the earth of drosse, together with the ayre and water. If you like not this, another will tell you, that the beames of the Sonne kindle a fire in the midst of the ayre, as in a burning glasse, and so worke wonders.

But I doe not blame you: fire was not of that vse in your time that it is now of, when e∣•…•…y Philosopher (to omit the diuines) can carry his mouth, his hands and his feete full of fire 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the midst of Decembers cold, and Iulies heate. Of Philosophers they become diuines, and yet keepe their old fiery formes of doctrine still, so that they haue farre better iudgement 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hot case then you or your predecessors euer had.]

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mat. 25.
• * 1.2

  [No word of this in Louuaine copy.]