A06504:64
An exposition of Solomons book called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seen and allowedAn exposition of Salomons booke called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seene and allowed
An exposition of Solomons book called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seen and allowed.An exposition of Salomons booke called Ecclesiastes or the preacher. Seene and allowed.
London: printed by John Daye, 1573London: printed by Iohn Daye, 1573
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
There is no new thing under the Sun, neither any thing whereof it may be said, lo, this is new.
There is no new thing vnder the Sunne, neither any thing whereof it may be sayd, loe, this is new.
This place hath marvellously troubled the Sophisters,1 because they read in the Scriptures many new things were done. For the nativity of Christ was a new thing. A Virgin to be a mother was a new thing. Again: I will make a new heaven and a new earth. And again: I will make all things a new. Again: The Lord will do a new thing upon the earth. &c. These sentences have caused them to trifle egregiously upon this place, because they would reconcile both Solomons sayings, & these other sentences. But this cometh to pass through the ignorance of Solomons phrase, because they mark not what he meaneth, when he saith, under the Sun. For if thou understand these words of Gods creatures and workings, it is no true saying. For God worketh always new things, and we do nothing that is new. For there is but one old Adam in all men. Our forefathers therefore have abused these things even as we abuse ⟨image 21⟩them. The same affection that was in Alexander, was in Julius, and the like in all Emperors and kings, the same is in us also. Even as they could not be satisfied, no more can we. They were wicked and ungodly, so be we. We desire to satisfy all our senses, but we are not able, because our hart is insatiable. Therefore we do no new thing under the Sun. There are no new affections in men, but we abide always one, neither refrain we our curiosity, no although we be wa•ned by their examples. Mans hart ought to be content with things present, and to mortify the affection of things to come, which thing because they do not, it is justly all together vanity. This it is therefore that he saith: There is no new thing under the sun, that is, in men there is nothing that new in. But God doth new things every day.