sinn'd It yeilded to nothing but a Commutation which is proper for justice to doe And by the Exchange had gold for drosse a richer and nobler draught of mans bloud than if the whole species had suffered eternally And that none but the Elect party might by this expedient escape Eternall punishment In the whole Instrument Indenture betwixt God and our Goel our kinsman and undertaker Jesus Christ This vindictive Iustice hath these provisoes most strictly inserted to be inviolably observed 1. That whosoever should not have the Benefit of Christs death and satisfaction should personally suffer and as certainly dye as if there had been no such way of salvation found out 2. That none of those for whom he should dye should be allowed to live as they list to commit sin and delight in wickednesse or ever come into heaven where God had to doe with the least spot of sin upon them but that Christ should looke to them and sanctifie their natures and make them by his spirit fit and meet to be partakers of the inheritance c. And 3. In order to all faire proceedings betwixt Grace and Iustice a certaine fixed Day is pitcht upon unalterably wherein the date of this Covenant shall expire and cease and that even Jesus Christ himselfe who had for so many thousands of yeares gratified Mercy should in person appeare to see vindictive Iustice righted to the utmost In order whereunto all Mankind dead and alive young and old shall be called together viewed and examined impartially and that then All wicked and ungodly men who were not suffered for and paid for by Christ and made new Creatures however they sped in the dayes of their flesh shall both Soul and Body all of them to a man most certainly and eternally be damned as if there had been no such Saviour in the world at all And lastly Because it was the Lords good pleasure and purpose for the glory of his blessed patience and many other weighty causes him thereunto moving to let the world continue long and if Iustice should not shew its selfe and exercise its wrath at all untill the last Judgement day the children of men would grow intolerable in their blasphemies and impieties against God and be ready to thinke him such a one as themselves and break out also into bloud rapine and confusion among themselves It was therefore resolved and agreed That the Covenant of Grace should not hinder or binde up Divine Iustice's hands but that God might reveale wrath from Heaven when how as often and upon whomsoever he pleased provided they were out of the book of life And also that vindictive Iustice shall have her Officers and Deputies by the name of Magistrates and earthly Gods who should have power and authority from God to punish sinners according to the merit of their crimes and as far as a temporall life goes Yea and over and above all this that the world might know and be well satisfied that Jesus Christ and his Religion were no enemies to or would any waies abate the power of Justice and of Magistrates by patronizing or protecting the wickednesse of wicked men He also hath done Justice this further right by the Gospell by granting not onely that no badge of Christianity or Church-priviledge what soever let the Pope answer for his counterfeit power as well as he can shall excuse much lesse exempt any one from the hand of Iustice but also by setting up a new and high Court of Iustice within his Church inabling them to proceed further with open and scondalous sinners then the Magistrate doth or can viz. to punish their very Soules and Consciences by delivering them up to Satan and accursing them he engaging himself to see it made good Quid ultrà potuit facere quod non fecit What could be done more and what more need be said to prove against all doubters and disputers that Iustice to punish sinners is none of those indifferent Acts of God which he might doe or not doe as the making of the world and but one world c But yet more and in a farre more excellent manner is spoken be Lactantius in his dispute against the stupid and sottish Stoicks and Epicures By Pareus against the subtill and sinfull cavills of the Socinians who pull hard to overthrow this Doctrine thereby to make their way easier to invalidate the merit of Christs death And lately by a learned Pen of one of your one in this place I shall onely adde this That upon this Hinge all piety and righteousnesse among men turnes for if God should be uncertaine in his rewards who would serve him if in his punishments who will feare him and I conclude this point with that determination of the Father Iraquae ad correctionem vitiorum pertinet nec homini adimi debet nec Deo potest 2. Concerning the second thing that there is in sinne in every sin that which deserves the death the Eternall death as well as the Temporall of the sinner I have not provided to say much neither indeed need I. Socinus himselfe grants the merit of Eternall destruction which is the greater and every Protestant and Orthodox Writer against the Papists distinction of sinnes Veniall and Mortall have sufficiently cleared both Many Scriptures I could call in to make proof hereof let two be enough I. The words of the Text {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Worthy of death By Death all good Expositors doe understand and take in all evills of punishment death in its latitude death corporall and spirituall temporall and eternall of sense and of losse the full vialls of wrath And by the word worthy is meant due deserved just and proportionable Beza saith the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is taken from the even and equall poising and weighing things in a Ballance an antient Embleme of Justice so that though Cain or any man may say truly enough My punishment is greater than I can beare yet no man can say say truly that his sufferings are more or greater than he deserves Dives in Hell cries out of his torments but not a word against the Judge or the Sentence that sent him thither the enemies of God have cause to blesse God that spared them and kept them so long alive but no cause to cavill at their punishment for eternall death is full weight and yet but weight for sinne even among men whole scales cannot be carried with so even an hand as Gods Corrective Iustice hath an Eye to the quality of the party wronged and proportionates the punishment to his dignity and greatnesse an abused Majesty makes that high Treason which committed against a meaner subject would be but Felony or Mis-demeanor Peccanti in summum bonum summum debetur supplicium He deserves to suffer the greatest evill who sinnes against the greatest good The second Scripture shall be that of
day longer This night this houre your Soules are required or as it is in the Greek They require your Soule They who Oh enough the Law the Iustice of God the Devills tanquam satellites lictores like so many black officers and Serjeants as Calvin observes in that place O ye distracted sinners who feel your Consciences those wormes with venomed teeth gnawing you within more or lesse when will you yeild Plutarch tells a story of a bold and hardy Boy who having stolne a Fox a live Fox was pursued and overtaken by the Owners and whilst he was examined he held the Fox close and secretly stoutly denying the fact The Fox gnawes the Boy feels and yet denies and held it out denying untill the very bowells of him were pulld out and himselfe fell downe dead before them Such desperadoes there are among men who account Confession cowardize and Repentance sneaking and a tender conscience womanish and will hold out and carry it high and stifly though horrors within doe twinge and teare their hearts and they ready to fall down under the wrath of the Almighty 3. Oh hearken and give me leave to expostulate especially with all those selfe-condemned sinners who not onely know and have lived to see Gods judgements even to desolation ruine death upon their neighbours have also had as Paul in Stephens some speciall hand therein justly it may be enough as Magistrates Justices Committees Prosecutors Witnesses Juries Sequestrators c. and yet live to doe the same the like or worse things themselves Oh inexcusable men how will you escape the righteous judgement of God Of a truth nothing goes so deep with me and makes me horribly afraid for poor England as this {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} selfe condemnation My Brethren suppose the Judge of Heaven and Earth who stands before the door were this morning come down that you saw the Court set the Books open all men summoned and appearing and you heard such a voice as this Set by a while all Nations of the earth and bring forth before me the Inhabitants of England to the Barre that Land of Mercies that Land of Knowledge where a man could scarce commit a sinne of Ignorance that Land of Bibles and good Books at such cheap rates that Land of rare Deliverances rich Providences and precious Ordinances that Land of Vowes and Covenants of Reformation reall nationall personall Oh how would those Magistrates men of Power Place and Interest be able to look Iesus Christ the astonisht Angels and those grimme Ghosts in the face who shall cry to be their Tormentors whom they have punished ruined and cut their lives short for those very crimes which they now doe themselves and farre worse Oh my Soul what deplorable and unparalleld spectacles of Heaven daring Hypocrisie and Apostacy hath this age produced Men who have pretended to walke so Spiritually as if they had no Bodies and yet have practised so carnally as if they had no Soules Men who have talkt as if they had cloven Tongues yet have walkt as if they had cloven Feet Iamjam tacturos sydera summa putes Iamjam tacturos Tartara nigra putes Sometimes they offer so fair for Heaven as if they would with Elijah enter it though in the fiery-Chariot of Martyrdome A little after they fall like Lightning from Heaven as low as Earth or earthy trash yea as low as Hell in plots designes and contrivements as if Satan himselfe had been their onely Tutor And Secondly where would those Ministers and Preachers appeare or how could they stand in judgement who should have been as unchangeable as the Truth which they delivered but yet have turned like the Cock on their Steeples to every winde that hath blown strongest who have formerly much declaimed against non-preaching Prelates Prebends and Priests yet now adempto fine cessat motus begin to have the same Quinsey in their own throats who have heretofore accounted it and that very justly to be Jesuiticall to reserve meanings private senses and to equivocate and yet have at a pinch rather than give out and suffer done so themselves who have taken other mens livings and quickly learned to live their lives who have like thunder-clowds made a noise and ratled over the heads of sinners but yet have been as black and darke in themselves Gentlemen such worke as this will come as sure as the Heavens are over our heads and what will the guilty doe at that day Oh let us lay it to heart this day I beseech you 5. Lastly One word of Exhortation brings my errand to an end Doth the Justice and wrath of God deservedly follow {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Oh then my Honourable and Reverend Lords the Judges and all yee Worshipfull Magistrates of this City and County who are solemnly met at this time to doe God and your Countrey what service you can against sinne and sinners Hearken I beseech you to one who though he doe like Amos dwell in Tekoa yet is called now to drop a word in Bethel and hear me of your Clemency a few words By your Christianity and Holy Religion by your high Callings and worthy Offices and professions by your considerable Interests and wealthy possessions by your experiences and what you have seen of Gods judgements by your ponderous Oaths and Obligations and by Iesus Christ the Judge of all men I beseech you if there be any sparkes of this vindictive Justice of God in you as there ought and I hope is some of that heavenly Fire in you all Oh let my poor breath blow it up into a Flame that it may blaze out scorch burne and consume sin Oh let not sinners warme themselves by that Fire which should either refine them or burn them to ashes You are great Trees trees of righteousnesse let not any unclean Foules build their nests in your branches or perch themselves upon your Armes let not any noisome Beast or Vermine lodge under your shadow Shall the righteous suffer or the ungodly escape this day that be farre from you to doe on this manner The Lord hath imparted his very owne name to you oh be not Idol-Gods that have eyes and see not eares and hear not hands to handle Briars and Thornes roughly and to pull them up but yet handle not Much lesse be ye as the Gods of the Heathens patrons and protectors of villany He that committeth sin is of the Devill but he that commits connives commands commends it when he is intrusted to punish it is not onely of the Devill but a Devill and a great one too It was charged home and stoutly by an Advocate once to a Judge in Germany who was laying the Law to a Malefactor before him and aggravating the guilt in as much as he had murdered now six men by times no my Lord cries the advocate he 〈◊〉 but one and your self kill'd the other five who had him before you for the first
and let him escape Fiat Iustitia pereat mundus Oh be severe the drossy case of our Land calls for it and God looks for it Better ungodly men should fall by your hands who can but kill the body then that you and they should together fall into the hands of the living God who can cast Soule and Body into Hell fire Oh remember what the Lord our God hath done hath done to unjust Officers and Magistrates and what your eyes have seen Let none of your hearts entertaine or tongues expresse that vile opinion and speech of Lysander That children are to be cheated with Checkstones men with Oaths But doe you this day remember the presence and the great and terrible name of the Lord our God by which you are sworn and shall swear who will be avenged speedily on all that take his name in vain Be ye holy and just all of you and consider what sad offices and places of all men wicked and profane Magistrates and Ministers are in If they doe not preach against sinne and punish sinners they are guilty and if they doe discharge their Consciences whilst they let fly against the faces of others their guilt like a foul and rusty Gun recoyles and flyes in their owne faces Beware therefore that this accursed thing sinne be not in your own Tents as in Achans and then look to your Sonnes Servants Clerks your Gehizies that this Leprosie cleave to none of them Let not your eyes spare nor pitty but cry out with Canutus a King of the poor barbarous Vandalls when he was pleaded with to spare his owne Sonne found guilty of a capitall crime Filio nostro sublimiorem crucem ponite Make the Gallowes higher for my Sonne who durst break the Laws not onely of his King but of his Father Secondly Would you be free from the sinnes of others Then look to your Edicts your Warrants your Orders your Licences Let not any iniquity be established by a Law or any thing like it Not by a Testimony not by a Plea not by a Verdict not by a Sessions order Publick persons like Briareus have an 100 hands to doe good or evill withall There is a Woe and that little word hath the whole wrath of God and Hell in it hang'd over the heads of them that decree unrighteous decrees When Saul set Doeg to fall upon the innocent Priests 1 Sam. 22. he had better have gone the nearest way and have destroyed them with his owne hands for then he had not been a sinner and a sinner-maker Oh beware all you that have good heads great parts acute wits eloquent tongues how you imploy them They were among these Gentiles their wise men Philosophers Poets Orators that became both practitioners and Patrons of vice some of them would for a fee or in an humour or to shew their parts openly defend {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} That there was no such thing as Vertue or Vice That Revenge Incest Sodomy were but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} things indifferent Gentlemen Schollers and Lawyers better it were that any of you had been born dumb or Ideots or had not known Letters than to prostitute your faire and beautifull parts for base gaine as an Harlot doth her body and to sell arguments to uphold or under prop the work of the Devill which must and will down and fall upon your heads that doe offer to buttris up any basenesse Take heed Sirs when God is the Plaintiffe Iehovah litigat Hos. 4. 1. that none of you be Sollicitors Attorneyes Councell or pleaders for the Defendants Thirdly Take heed that you intrust not knowne Knaves and wicked men in any place or office under you for all the Evill which they doe will be found lying at your doores And here I must begge leave that I may pay my Vowes which I made to God in my distresse when I was a prisoner some yeares agoe in yonder Castle the common Jayle of this county It was something like that of the cheife Butler to Ioseph that if ever it should goe well with me and I came to be restored to my office and liberty and should have such a duty and opportunity put into my Hands as I have now this day I would then remember them that are in bonds bound Body and Soule poore wretches who from the time of their Imprisonment are commonly made seven times more the children of wrath than they were before And all for want of good doctrine good discipline and good example I do verily beleive that in that place where the condition of men require Prayer and Teaching and Mortification more then any I saw more drinking and fighting and heard more swearing and cursing that in many a yeare abroad Two things Gentlemen would make your Jailes not to be such Hells as they are A godly Keeper and a powerfull preacher Oh if any wealthy worthy person would do good and lay out a summe of money well indeed He could not thinke of a better way than to allow a good stipend to keept a godly grave zealous Minister not only to preach but even to dwell there to be allwaies preparing those poore creatures to live or dy better then I feare they doe The blessing of them that are ready to perish would light on such a Benefactour Fourthly One request more Beware whom you trust with that great but too common Trust and Licence of Selling Ale and strong drinke and of connivance at any that are lawlesse and unlicens'd all which I looke upon as so many open pits and Sepulchres for men Never expect so long as this deluge of drink still covers our English earth that ever the Arke of Gods presence should settle or rest amongst us As much as men whine and complaine of Taxes I doe believe that there is that drink needlesly sinfully and shamefully guzled away in England which would pay the Tax thrice told and no man feele it For justice and mercy sake doe something vigorously for reforming this sinne which like a Trojan horse hath an army of sins in the bowels of it and now lay your Axes to the root of those rotten trees the signe-posts I must give over Seeing that sinne and wickednesse is that which deserves Gods judgement and eternall death and that this is made known to all men Oh let us all arme and engage against it ye that love the Lord hate evill The Lords people are not like to be all of a minde in all things till they come to Heaven but whoever are not of this minde are none of the Lords people Oh therefore let Magistrates punish it let Ministers preach against it Lawyers plead against it Souldiers fight against it Scholers study and write books against it all the Inke in the world is not enuogh nor black enough to paint it and though the world be full of books yet still there are too few on this subject One little piece of the sinfulnesse of sinne and Aggravation of Sinnes against Knowledge will goe further and doe more good than a whole Library of learned wranglers Finally my Brethren let us all in the feare of God arise and practise against it whilst we live let us cry out Vivat Christus Moriatur Barrabbas Let God arise and sinne and sinners be scattered and when we dye let us give up our ghosts with the words of Sampson Let me dye with these Phylistims Amen FINIS Iudg. 5. 11. Campanella de Monarch Hispan ver. â—â— * 1. The Judge 2. The prisoners 3. The Inditement 4. The Law c. 5. The Iury 6. The Verdict 7. The Sentence 2. Cor. 10. 3. 4. 5. 6. Heb. 4. 12. Soe Aristotle defines it Ethic. Lib. 5. chap. 6. Pareus in Locum Doct. Prov. 14. 34. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Ethic. lib. 5. Rom. 3. 4. Rom. 13. 7. Arist. l. Ethic. 5. cap. 7. Certae justissimae Dei voluntas atque decretuâ—â—lciscendi injurias sibi suisque factas Zanch. Deus potest potentiâ executivâ quicquid non involvit contradictionem procedere ab aliis attributis perfectionibus simplicibus Quis nescit hoc esse dei proprium velle ac voluisse constâ—â—â—sse punire iniquitates Iâ—ò Deus justâ—â— non esset nisi hac fecisset Si Deus pâ—ssâ—t sui naturiâ sceleratos non odisse puniâ—e sed amare non Deus esset sed diabolus quod est horrendum cogitatu Par. in locum Es. 30. 33. Math. 25. 41. Jude 6. Sic Iustitia pix osculabantur c. Psal. 85. â—1 Bernard Ruth 3. 12. Acts 17. 31. 1. Psal. 82. 6. Rom. 13. 1 Cor. 5.5 1 Tim. 1. 20. Laâ—â— lib. de Irâ dei Pareus in Gen. cap. 2. ver. 17. Dr. Owens Diatrib Lactant. Ob hoc inflexibilis obstinatae meniis malum punitur aeternaliter quiâ— si nunquam moreretur nunquam velle peccare defineret urò semper vivere vel â—et ut semper peccare posset Ber. in Ep. 252. Ad magnam Iudicaâ—is justitiam pertinet ut nunquam carcant supplicio qui in bâc vita nunquam noluerunt carere peccato Greg Hom. 13. in Evang. Third Partic. Gen 3. 9. Gen 4. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c. Suidas Virgil Usurpatur de iis qui 〈◊〉 custodia detinentur Leigh Crit. Sacr. Caligula Psal. 11. 7. Exod. 31. Psal. 11. 6â— The book of Esther Fourth Partie Gen. 7. Gen. 19. Rom. 8. 3. Cant. 16. Exod. 20. 19. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2 Cor. 5. 11. Vses {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Luk. 12. In vitâ Licurgi Ovid Dr. Reynolds Mr. Tho. Goodwin