Clavis mystica a key opening divers difficult and mysterious texts of Holy Scripture; handled in seventy sermons, preached at solemn and most celebrious assemblies, upon speciall occasions, in England and France. By Daniel Featley, D.D.

THE LOT OF THE GODLY. THE XLVIII. SERMON.

APOC. 3.19.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.

Right Honourable, &c.

I Have discovered unto you in the opening of this Text foure springs of the rivers of Paradise, for the comfort and refreshing of all that are heavie laden, and wearied in their travell to the celestiall Canaan, and often scor∣ched with the heat of heart-burning sorrowes and griefe:

• The first arising from the authour of afflictions.
• The second from the nature of afflictions.
• The third from the subject of afflictions.
• The fourth from the end of afflictions.

• 1. God sendeth afflictions, I.
• 2. Afflictions are chastenings, chasten.
• 3. Chastenings are the lot of all his children, as many.
• 4. All his children thus chastened are beloved, as I love.

1. God hath a hand in the scourging his children, I. Let us therefore

• 1. Submit under his mighty hand in patience.
• 2. Lay our hand on our mouth in silence.
• 3. Lift up our hands to him, and in prayer turne to him that smiteth us.

2. All our sufferings are chastenings of our heavenly Father for our a∣mendment. Let us therefore

• 1. Be instructed by them.
• 2. Take comfort in them.
• 3. Be thankfull for them.

3. Chastenings are the lot of all Gods children: therefore let

• 1. None repine at them,
• 2. All looke and prepare for them.

4. God striketh his children not in anger, but in love: therefore let us

• 1. Seeke to be of the number of his children,
• 2. Embrace his love,
• 3. In like manner chasten those whom we love.

The water of the two former springs we have tasted heretofore; let us now draw out of the third, which is so great and spacious that all Gods children may bathe in it together.

As many. God scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth, not exemp∣ting his best beloved and only begotten Sonne. For the* 1.1 chastisement of our peace was laid upon him; he was chastened for our sinnes, but wee for our amendment. In every part of Gods floore there is some chaffe, afflicti∣on is the fanne to cleanse it: in all the gold of the Sanctuary there is some drosse, affliction is the fire that purgeth it: in all the branches of the true Vine there are some superfluous stems, affliction is the pruning knife to cut them off: in all the members of the mysticall body there are some peccant humours, affliction is the pill to purge them. We are all too greedy of the sweet milke of worldly pleasures, therefore God weaneth us from them by annointing the teat with wormwood. When the Angel in thea 1.2 Apo∣calypse had recorded all the troubles, and calamities, and miseries that should fall in the last times, he closeth up all with this epiphonema, Here is the patience of the Saints: as if the Saints were to beare them all, who certainly beare the greater part. For besides common evills, in which most men (if not all) have their part, though usually Benjamins portion is the greatest, I meane, losse of goods, decease of friends, captivity, banish∣ment, imprisonment, sicknesse, and death; there are many heavie crosses laid upon the Saints of God, which the children of the world never see, and much lesse feele the weight of them. Many have written learnedly of the divers sorts and formes of materiall crosses, wherewith the bodies of Gods children have been tortured by persecuting Tyrants; but none yet hath, or (as I am perswaded) can describe the spirituall crosses, where∣with many of them have been, and are daily martyred in minde. I will set five before you, and let every one adde his owne particular crosse unto them: they are

• 1. Derision.
• 2. Indignation.
• 3. Compassion.
• 4. Spirituall desertions.
• 5. Godly sorrow.

1. Derision: for as Ismael derided Isaac, and as Michol scoffed at David, so they that areb 1.3 borne of the flesh, mocke at them that are borne of the spirit; and this scorne and derision so grievously afflicted many of Gods children, that it is called in Scripturec 1.4 persecution, and a great triall. Others had triall of cruell mockings; and as he that was borne of the flesh persecuted him that was borne of the spirit, so it is now.

2. Indignation at the prosperity of the wicked, which was a great eye∣sore,

as wee heard before, tod 1.5 Job,e 1.6 David, andf 1.7 Jeremy.

3 Compassion for the miseries of Gods chosen, 2 Cor. 11.28, 29.

4 The state of spirituall desertion, when God seemeth for a time to with∣draw the comforts of the Spirit from them, Psal. 22.1, 2.

5 Godly sorrow, when they are cast downe to the ground with the weight of their sinne, and have a quicke sense and feeling of the displeasure of their heavenly Father. The three former scourges draw many teares from their eyes; but the two latter life-blood from their hearts: and if God stay∣ed not his hand, and in the depth of their sorrowes refreshed them with comforts, they could not but be swallowed up in the gulfe of despaire. For the more a man feareth God, and is sensible of his love, the more tender hee is to beare his wrath; and the tenderer hee is, the arrowes of God pierce deeper, and sticke faster in the soule, which none can plucke out but hee that shot them.

g 1.8—Qui vulnera fecit Solus Achilleo tollere more potest.

The reprobate, as Calvin rightly observeth, though God lay often upon them many heavie stroakes, yet because they weigh not the cause, nor are pricked in heart for their sinnes, by their carelesnesse gather hardnesse; and because they murmure and kicke against God, and make an uproare against his proceedings, their rage transporteth them into madnesse, and their mad∣nesse breeds in them an insensible stupidity: but the faithfull being admoni∣shed by God his correction, presently descend into the consideration of their owne sinnes, and being stricken with griefe and horrour, flye to him by humble prayer for pardon; and unlesse God in mercy should asswage these sorrowes, wherewith their soules are heavie unto death, they would buckle under so great a burden, and languish in despaire. The manner of theh 1.9 Psilli (which are a kinde of people of that temper and constitution that no venome will hurt them) is, that if they suspect any childe to be none of their owne, they set an adder upon it to sting it; and if it cry and the flesh swell, they cast it away for spurious: but if it never quatch nor be the worse after it, they account it their owne, and make very much of it. In like man∣ner Almighty God tyres his children by enduring crosses and afflictions: he suffereth the old Serpent to sting them, and bring troubles and sorrowes upon them; and if they patiently endure them and make good use of them, hee offereth himselfe unto them as to children, and will make them heires of his kingdome: but if they roare, and cry, and storme, and fret, and can no wayes abide the paine, hee accounteth them fori 1.10 bastards and no chil∣dren. God commanded the Altar, and Table, and Candlestickes, and ves∣sels, and instruments in the Sanctuary to bee made of pure and beaten gold: and accordingly all they that hope or desire to bee made vessels of honour and golden instruments of Gods glory, must make account to bee tryed in Gods furnace, and beat with his hammer. Wee may not looke to finde God in the pleasant gardens of Egypt, whom Moses found in the thorny bush. The Spouse in the Canticles met not with him whom her soule loved in the day of prosperity, but in the night of adversity.

None ought to bee extraordinarily affected in ordinary accidents, nor im∣propriate

to himselfe the common afflictions of all Gods children. The Po∣et said truely,

Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris.

Therefore Socrates professed that hee was the more willing to drinke off his fatall potion prepared by the State, because after his death hee should meet with Palamedes, whose lot it was to bee unjustly condemned, as hee was. If there bee any vertue in this drugge, any comfort in the society of suffe∣rers, if griefe bee diminished by dividing it among many, wee have as many partners in our afflictions as God hath children in the world: wee beare not alone Christs whole crosse, as Simon Cyreneus once did; all the Saints of God beare a part with us. May wee not in this respect take great comfort in affliction, that by them we are made free of Christs school, and partakers of the nurture & discipline of all Gods children, and in it every day more and more conformed to the image of our Saviour? which the more it was defa∣ced, the more fair and beautifull it maketh us; the more pitifull it was to be∣hold, the more powerfull to move compassion, and purchase to us freedome from all misery and woe. The stretching of his joints added to our stature, and the blacknesse and wannesse of his stripes proved the beauty of our soules: the wider his wounds were torne, the more anguish ran out of our sores; the more blood hee shed out of his heart, the more hee powred in∣to our veines, and the abundance of his teares was the overflowing of our waters of comfort. Therefore the Spouse of Christ contemplating the i∣mage of her husband, by so much the more amiable, by how much the more disfigured for her sake, blusheth not to proclaime her selfe blacke;k 1.11 I am blacke, O ye daughters of Jerusalem. Because it was the colour of her hus∣band, shee taketh a glory in bearing his shame; a holy pride in resembling the colours of his stripes: Nigredo est, sed sponsi similitudo est; seeme it a deformity, yet it is a conformity to her husband Christ Jesus.

Yea, but Cardinalll 1.12 Bellarmine laboureth to wrest out of our hands the strong weapons wee finde in my text against impatiency, and repining at af∣flictions: for hee maketh temporall felicity an inseparable note of true be∣leevers, and consequently temporall infelicity, and outward calamities the markes of heretickes and reprobates, living and dying without the Church, as being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel. If this were so, all the balme of Gilead would not cure the wounds and sores of Christs afflicted members: if to losses, disgraces, banishment, imprisonment, and all outward evils which they often endure, you adde the note of a reprobate, and a fearefull expectation of everlasting paines to succeed these which put their patience daily to the test; how can they but condemne their eyes to everla∣sting teares, who have no hope of a better life hereafter, and are here made a spectacle to the world, and Angels, and men, who are killed all the day long, and therefore dye daily?

But bee of good comfort all yee who sigh and groane under the burden of your afflictions, or weight of your crosses: he who excludeth you out of the true Church by reason of your manifold afflictions in this life, exclu∣deth with you the holy Prophets and men of God, before Christs com∣ming, and since;m 1.13 Who were tryed with mockings, and scourgings; yea more∣over

with bonds and imprisonment, were stoned, were hewen asunder, were slain with the sword, wandered up and downe in sheepes skins, and goats skinnes, destitute, afflicted, and tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. Hee ex∣cludeth the glorious company of the Apostles, and noble army of Martyrs, and Christ himselfe from the true Church. All the Jesuiticall sleights which this cunning Sophister useth, cannot avoid the evident absurdity lighting upon his erroneous assertion, unlesse hee can impeach the sacred records; where wee finde the Church butchered in Abel, floating in the Arke, go∣ing on pilgrimage in the dayes of the Patriarchs, taken captive in Egypt, af∣ter wandering in the wildernesse, flying to save her life, and hiding her selfe in the time of idolatrous Kings: and after Christs comming into the flesh cruelly persecuted, first by Heathen, after by Arrian and hereticall Empe∣rours, and last of all by Antichrist and his adherents. Yee see by this Epi∣tomy of her story the reason of her complaints,n 1.14 Regard mee not be∣cause I am blacke, for the sunne hath looked upon mee, the sonnes of my mother were angry against mee.o 1.15 The watchmen that went about the City found me, they smote mee, and wounded mee, and tooke away my vaile from me. Stay me with flaggons, and comfort me with apples, for I am sick for love. Hereby also you may give a fit motto to those emblemes in holy Scripture, A lilly a∣mong thornes, A dove whose note is mourning, A vine spoyled by little foxes, and partly rooted out by the wild bore of the forrest, A woman great with childe, and a fiery dragon pursuing her. According to which patternes Saint Jerome frameth his,p 1.16 A bush burning, yet not consuming; and as fitly Saint Grego∣ry draweth her with Christs crosse in her hand, with her challenge there un∣to, Ecclesia haeres crucis, The Church is an inheretrix of the crosse. And it ap∣peareth by all records hitherto that she hath possessed it; and if wee examine the matter well, wee shall finde that Christ had nothing else to leave her at his death. For goods and lands upon earth hee never had;q 1.17 The foxes, saith hee, have holes, and the birds nests, but the sonne of man hath not where to lay his head. His soule hee bequeathed to his father, his body was begged by Joseph of Arimathea, his garments the souldiers tooke for their fee, and cast lots upon his vestments: onely the crosse, together with the nailes, and gall and vinegar bestowed upon him at his death, hee left her as a Heriot. For these, withall the appurtenances, scourges, cryes, sighes, groanes, stripes, and wounds, hee bequeathed to her by his life time, in those words,r 1.18 In the world yee shall have troubles, they shall persecute you in their Synagogues, and scourge you, and yee shall bee hated of all men for my names sake; insomuch that they that kill you, shall thinke they doe God good service. Yee shall weepe and mourne, but the world shall rejoice. Upon which wordss 1.19 Tertullian in∣ferreth, God hath disposed of joyes and sorrowes by turnes; let us mourne when worldlings rejoice, that when they mourne wee may rejoice. Thou art too dain∣ty and choice, O Christian, if besides the joyes of heaven laid up for thee, thou lookest for a liberall portion of delights and pleasures in this world; nay thou art too foolish if thou countest there is any true pleasure in such things wherein they place their happinesse. I need not presse many texts of Scripture which yeeld this sharp juice: as,t 1.20 Many are the troubles of the righteous:u 1.21 All that

will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution:* 1.22 Judgment begins at the house of God; this verse alone which I now handle is sufficient to cleare Christs afflicted members from all note of heresie, and imputation of re∣probates. For if afflictions are chastisements of Gods children, and tokens of his love (I rebuke and chasten as many as I love) then are they not ne∣cessarily judgements for sinne, messengers of wrath, much lesse proper markes of heretickes and reprobates. The kingdome of heaven is not neces∣sarily annexed to earthly crownes, nor is eternall glory any way an appen∣dant to worldly pompe. To conclude, affluence of temporall blessings is no note of the true, because store of afflictions is no note of the false Church. Which truth is so apparent, that many Papists of note have ex∣presly delivered it in their annotations upon holy Scripture; asu 1.23 Stapleton, the Rhemists, andx 1.24 Maldonate: God causeth his Sunne to rise upon the just and upon the unjust; whence (saith the Jesuite) it is evident that the prosperity of men or nations is no certaine signe or argument of the truth or purity of reli∣gion which they professe. Howbeit as Praxiteles drew Venus after the pi∣cture of Cratina his Mistresse, and all the Painters of Thebes after the simi∣litude of Phryne a beautifull strumpet: so Bellarmine being to paint and limme Christs Spouse, took his notes from his own Mistresse, the Romane Phryne, the whore of Babylon, and mother of fornications. Looke upon the picture of that strumpet drawne to the life by Saint John (Apoc. 17.) and let your eyes bee Judges. I saw (saith hee) a woman sit upon a scarlet colou∣red beast (vers. 3.) full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten hornes (vers. 4.) And the woman was arrayed in purple, and scarlet colour, and decked with gold, and pretious stones, and pearles, (what is this but Bel∣larmine his note of temporall felicity?) having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations; of which it seemeth the Cardinall dranke deepe, when he tooke the pencill in his hand to pourtray the true Church, else hee could not be so out in his draught, nor so utterly forget not only what others, but himselfe also had formerly set downe in this point. For in his solution of an objection of Martin Luther, who stood in the opposite extreme, affirming afflictions to bee an inseparable note of the Church, hee confesseth freely that the Church in the beginning and in the end was in great straights: and for this purpose, to shew that persecutions though they eclipse the glory of the Church, yet can never utterly extinguish it, hee alledges such re∣markable passages out of the ancient Fathers as these:y 1.25 Persecution is but the pruning of Christs vine: and,z 1.26 the blood of Martyrs is as seed: and,* 1.27 the graines that fall one by one and dye in the earth, rise up againe in great num∣bers. If the Church runne into superfluous stemmes without the pruning knife of afflictions: if the blood of martyrs turneth into seed to generate new Martyrs: if the Church in her nonage had many sore conflicts, and shall have greater in her old age; certainly abundance, ease, pleasure, and glory, which make up temporall felicity, are no notes of her: fora 1.28 Notae debem esse inseparabiles, the notes of any thing cannot bee severed from it, as him∣selfe affirmeth. By this I hope yee all perceive a great difference betweene the true lineaments of Christ his Spouse, and Bellarmine his counterfeit draught; betweene the Queene of Solomon all glorious within, and the whore of Babylon all pompous without; betweene the manicles

and fetters of the one, and the bracelets and chaines of the other; between the cup of affliction in her hand, and the cup of abominations in the hand of this; and yee are perswaded that of all outward markes, next to her speech, the language of Canaan, and her diet the blessed Sacrament, the surest are some scars and cuts, together with the print of stripes upon her otherwayes most faire and unspotted body.

Yet because the law condemneth no man before hee hath beene heard, though perhaps hee hath nothing, or as good as nothing to say for himselfe, I will propose unto you his allegations, which are principally the examples of Abraham, Moses, David, Ezekiah, and Josias; and by these hee will bee tried, whether temporall happinesse bee not a note of true professours. To which instances I answer in generall, that if these men had beene cho∣sen out of God, upon whom hee will shew the riches of his goodnesse in the blessings of this life, yet their speciall priviledges were not to come into the account of common favours, nor their particular examples to make ge∣nerall rules. The inward estate and life of the Church more dependeth up∣on the outward happinesse of Princes, than the fortunes of private men; neither can wee judge of a Play by one Scene, nor of the happinesse of a mans life by one act, or more, but the whole current thereof. But what if these Worthies of the world, whom he singleth out for paragons of hap∣pinesse, had no temporall felicity at all? or none in comparison with their troubles and adversitie? or at least in comparison with the prosperity of the heathen Emperors, and persecuting Tyrants, whose dominions were far larger, estate securer, victories incomparably greater? Vouchsafe you a looke to his particulars.

First, hee bringeth in Abraham as an example of the temporall felicity of true professors, whom the Scripture rather proposeth as a patterne of pa∣tience, and a spectacle of manifold adversity: a pilgrim wandring from his owne countrey, afflicted with famine in Egypt, forced to forgoe his wife, and deny her to save his life, without any issue by her till his old age, and when God gave him a sonne commanded to slay him with his owne hands. Yet may it bee pleaded for Bellarmine that Abraham got a notable victo∣ry, and wan the field of Kedarlaomer and other Kings, and rescued his bro∣ther Lot. Admit this, but withall let it bee noted that in the selfe same story Lot was taken prisoner by Kedarlaomer, and consequently that victory in warre is no certaine argument of the truth of religion. Howsoever, will they conclude it to be summer by the flight of one swallow? or account it a faire day wherein the sun once sheweth himselfe?

I need not speake of Moses, in whom hee secondly instanceth, the Scrip∣ture is plaine,b 1.29 That he chose rather to suffer affliction with the children of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Who can be ignorant, except peradventure some Lay Papist prohibited to read the sacred Scriptures, how Moses was exposed by his parents, put in an Ark of bulrushes into the river, saved from drowning by Pharaohs daughter? how he fled to save his life, & kept close forty yeers in the land of Madian? And after he had led the chil∣dren of Israel through infinite difficulties & dangers, notwithout many mur∣murings and conspiracies against his person, when hee came to the very borders of Canaan was forbid to enter in, and commanded by God himselfe

to dye upon Mount Nebo. What shall I speake of David and the rest? did not forraine warres, and home-bred seditions, the conspiracy of his owne sonne Absolom against him, together with infinite other troubles, griefes and cares, constraine him oftentimes to mingle his drinke with his teares, and the songs of Sion with his sighes? Was he a mirrour of temporall hap∣pinesse, who complaineth in the bitternesse of his soule; I am weary of my groaning, every night wash I my bed and water my couch with my teares: my beauty is gone for very trouble, and worne away because of all my enemies. I am a worme and no man, the very scorne of men, and out-cast of the people. One depth of sorrow calleth upon another, all thy waves & stormes have gone over mee? As for Hezekiah, it cannot be denied that God richly rewarded his zeale, and crowned the calendar of his life with many festivals; yet Saint Bernards observation was verified in him, that no man ever had such a pro∣sperous course, but that he received a rub before his death: Fieri non potest ut in hoc seculo quisquam non gustet angustias. For in his time Sennacharib besieged Jerusalem, and put the good King in feare of his crowne and life: and after his miraculous delivery from that danger, he fell into a worse. For he was smitten with a dangerous disease, thought to bee the plague: c 1.30the Text saith, he was sicke unto death; and in the bitternesse of his paine, and feare of present death, he cryeth out, * 1.31Behold, for felicity I had bitter griefe and misery. But most of all is the Cardinall out in his last instance of Josi∣ah, of whom after the commendation of his zeale in reformation of Religi∣on, and taking away all abominations out of Israel and Judah, we reade lit∣tle, but that fighting with Pharaoh Neco he was slaine at Megiddo, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him, and the Prophet Jeremy, and all singing men and singing women bewailed his death in their lamentations to this day.

Yee see how unhappy this great Advocate of Rome is in his instances of temporall happinesse; yet had they been all happy whom he nameth, and drunke their fill of the rivers of pleasure, and never tasted the waters of Marah, what are they to that greatd 1.32 multitude which no man can number, of all nations, and kinreds, and people, that stood before the Throne and the Lambe, arrayed with long white robes, having palmes in their hands? concerning whom when one of the Elders asked, what are these, and whence came they? and Saint John answered, Lord, thou knowest: the Elder reply∣eth, saying: These are they that came out of great tribulation, and have wa∣shed their robes, and made them white in the bloud of the Lambe: therefore are they in the presence of the Throne of God, and serve him day and night in his Temple, and he that fitteth on the Throne will dwell among them.

I will conclude this point with that grave determination of S.e 1.33 Austine: It pleased divine providence to prepare hereafter good things for the righte∣ous, wherein the wicked shall not partake with them; and evills for the wicked, wherewith the righteous shall never bee troubled: but as for these temporall good things and evill, hee would have them in some sort common to both; that neither the blessings of this life should be too greedily desired, in which wicked

men have a share, neither crosses and afflictions too fearfully avoided, which we see fall often to the lot of the righteous. In summe, neither prosperity, nor adversity, nor affluence of earthly blessings, nor afflictions, are infallible demonstrations of Gods love, nor certaine and inseparable notes of Christs Church. Afflictions may be (though usually they are not in them that feare God) judgements of wrath; and temporall blessings may be (though usu∣ally in most men they are not) tokens of Gods love. Therefore let us not set our heart and affections upon worldly goods, because they are often the portions of the wicked; neither yet let us set our hearts wholly against them, because they may fall to the lot of the righteous, and do, when they may further and not hinder their eternall salvation. Let us not desire the greatest preferments of this world with Gods hatred, nor refuse the grea∣test crosses with his love. Let us not repine at the temporall felicity of the wicked, which endeth in eternall misery; nor be dismayed at the temporall infelicity of the godly, because it endeth in everlasting felicity. Let prospe∣rity commend our charity and temperance, and adversity our courage and patience. Let us doe for Christ in the one, and suffer for him in the other, and in both estates admire his provident ju∣stice, and for both sanctified unto us, praise his gracious goodnesse. Cui, &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esay 53.5.
• a 1.2

  Apoc. 14.17.
• b 1.3

  Gal. 4.29.
• c 1.4

  Heb. 11.36.
• d 1.5

  Job 21.7, 8, 9.10.11, 12, 13.
• e 1.6

  Psal. 73.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12.
• f 1.7

  Jer. 12.2.
• g 1.8

  Ovid. de trist. l 1.
• h 1.9

  Plin. nat. hist. l. 28. Psylli si arbitrantur supposititium esse aliquem in stirpe, admo∣vent ei ut pun∣gant colubra; si non sit de gen∣te, mori cum pupugerint; si de gente sit, vi∣vere.
• i 1.10

  Heb. 12.8.
• k 1.11

  Cant. 1.5. Bernard. in Cant. Non e∣rubescit nigre∣dinem quam scit prcaeessisse in sponso, nihil gloriosius pu∣tat, quam Chri∣sti portare op∣probrium.
• l 1.12

  Bell. l. 4. de not. eccles. c. 18.
• m 1.13

  Heb. 11.36, 37, 38.
• n 1.14

  Cant. 1.6.
• o 1.15

  Cant. 5.7.
• p 1.16

  Rubus ar∣dens est figura ecclesiae, quae flammis perse∣cutionum non consumitur, sed viret magis. Hier. in verb. Exod. 3.2.
• q 1.17

  Mat. 8.20.
• r 1.18

  Joh. 16.33. Mat. 10.17, 18. & 24.9, 10, 11. Joh. 16.10.
• s 1.19

  Lib. de spe∣ctac. c. 28. Vi∣cibus res dis∣posita est, luge∣amus ergò dum ethnici gaudēt, ut cum lugere coeperint gau∣deamus, ne pa∣ritèr nunc gau∣dentes, cum quoque paritèr lugeamus: delicatus es, Christiane, si & in seculo voluptatem concupiscis; imò ni••i••is stultus si hoc existimas voluptatem.
• t 1.20

  Psal. 34.19.
• u 1.21

  2 Tim. 3.12.
• * 1.22

  1 Pet. 4.17.
• u 1.23

  Stap. in verb Joh. In mun∣do pressuras habebitis.
• x 1.24

  Mald. in Mat. 5. Facit solem orire sup••r bo∣nos & malos: unde perspicu∣um est homi∣num aut natio∣num prosperos successus, nul∣lum signum aut testimonium esse verioris aut purioris re∣ligionis.
• y 1.25

  Justin. Mart. in apolog.
• z 1.26

  Tertul. in A∣pologet.
• * 1.27

  Leo Ser. 1. de Pet. & Paul.
• a 1.28

  L. 1. de notis eccles. c. 2.
• b 1.29

  Heb. 11.25.
• c 1.30

  Esay 38.1.
• * 1.31

  Ver. 17.
• d 1.32

  Apoc. 7.9.
• e 1.33

  Lib. 1. de ci∣vit. Dei, c. 8. Placuit divinae providentiae praeparare in∣posterum bona justis, quibus non frueren∣tur injusti; & mal•• ••mpiis, quibus non cruciabuntur justi: ista verò temporalia bona & mala utrisque voluit esse communia, ut nec bona c••••••••ius appetantur, quae mali quoque habere cernuntur; nec mala turpiùs evitentur, quibus & boni ple∣runque af••iciuntur.