were never so few, as Elias thought there had been in his time, when he said, I only am left'; no nor so few, as God, for Elias' comfort, named to him, seven thousand; they were more than so, else they could not have found so many to kill, as they did. Howsoever, since so great schoolmen amongst them as Alexander Ales, and so great canonists amongst them, as Cardinal Turrecremata, with many others, (as they themselves call them) gravissimi theologi, of the gravest divines, asseveranter affirmant, do dogmatically affirm, that during the time that Christ lay in the grave, there was no faith, and consequently no church, but only in one, in the person of the Virgin Mary; in relation to which it is, that in the ceremonies of the church, they put out all their candles but one, in the church, at that time, to denote that all the apostles lost their faith, and one, she alone, retained one; if the church were then in one person, they may well afford a church to have consisted of such numbers, as the Lord did hide under his wings, all the stormy time of their persecutions. Tu absconsio, may the primitive church, and the reformed church say, Thou hast been our hiding place, and so must every timorous soul too, (for you may remember, that these words are by our expositors ascribed to particular souls in the church, as well as to the church in general) every such soul, that for fear of temptations in the world, is loath to come abroad from its retiredness, and venture on the public view, must rely upon that, Tu absconsio, The Lord is able to hide them, able to cover them. Jovinian the heretic whom St. Hierome opposed, would needs think, or at least say, that after baptism no man was tempted of the devil: not only not overcome, but not tempted. But our baptism does not drown the devil. Pauci inter athletas inexpugnabiles, Few wrestlers that never took fall; none that may not, since we are all at best, but wrestlers. Vita hominis piraterium, says St. Ambrose, what copy soever he followed. Others read it, Man's life is a warfare"; and that is labour enough, and danger enough. But to be still upon so inconstant an element as the water, and still pursued by pirates, or consorted with pirates, is more; and Vita piraterium, says he, 71 Kings xix. 14. i. 1. 11. Man's life, every man's life, is spent as them, or consorted with the The der subtile temptation to ensure me with that si myself temptation proof; above anquam. Fenu En Sea est, is excellently said by the same ficher: Dr TILI TACOUS strong against temptations lag. Fr when he sees. ting same temptations have done him no harm he grows negirem and slack towards others. Ist ein, rumeen T PAGI, FLR sque”, Miserable mistaking man that I am. I think myNG BIN TO overcome any temptation, and I am overcome eraz by that temptation of thinking so. I think myself commerce, wier I am captive, and am chained to the chariot when I think I sit in it. Tranquillitas ista tempestas est. This calm is a storm, this security is a defeat; for it is one of David's heavy imprecations, Veniat illi laqueus quem ignorat. Let him be catched in a smare, that he suspecteth not: destruction come upon him unamaris“, so we read it. We are tempted, and it is well that we are so. Qui non est tentatus, quid scit? He is an ignorant soul, and knows nothing, that hath passed no temptations; nothing at all; not himself; Nescit se homo, nisi tentatione discat se”, Except he be taught in that school, the school of temptations, no man ever comes to know himself. So then, Laqueus est in securitate”; lf I be secure, and negligent, that is a snare; but Laqueus in timore too, says he; it is a snare cast by the devil's own hand, if I be over timorous, if upon pretence of hiding myself from temptations, I withdraw myself from the offices of mutual society. Tu absconsio, The Lord will be my hiding place from temptations that attempt me in my calling, but not to hide me from a calling. Scito quod in medio laqueorum ingrederis", Know that thou walkest in the midst of snares, but yet thou must walk, walk in a calling. So St. Chrysostom reads that; and adds, he does not say, Vide, but Scito; he does not say, see them, for they are invisible; but know that there are snares, and be wary. And then, as St. Augustine says of the whole church, (which was our first consideration) Ecclesia Catholica inter tentationes vivit, inter tentationes crescit, The whole church is in the midst of tempta 12 Hieron. 13 Psalm xxxv. 8. 14 Eccles. xxxiv. 9. 17 Eccles. ix. 20. |
