64 Sin of man in many things more haynous then the sinne of Satan 106 The cause of all our miseries 111 What it is 166 In euery sinne two things to be considered ibid. Sinne and death indissolubly linked together 2 Sinne the roote of death ibid. How farre it spread it selfe 3 Sinne originall or actuall 3 Sinne to haue any thoughts of sinne 13 Actuall sinne what it is 10 Not a meere priuation ibid. An erring from Gods will 11. How it creepeth secretly and insensibly like a Serpent 12 18. How it increaseth inwardly outwardly 12 Not resisted how it will necessarily increase more and more 22 Sinne is inwardly increased three waies 12 Sinne some way voluntarie or no sinne 15 Sinne outwardly increaseth foure waies 17 It is compared vnto a witch 46 It brought on man a treble death 49 Sinne against the Holy Ghost what it is 227 Sinne irremissible three waies ibid. No sinne so great but God can forgiue it ibid. Sinnes not traduced from the parents vnto the children 246 Our sinnes drew Christ to bee incarnate 318 Sinne expelled by the meditation of Christ his Passion 422 Our sinnes crucified Iesus Christ 497 Sinne brought feare into the world 540 The more sinfull we are the more we ought to feare ibid. Sinne ought speedily to bee forsaken for two reasons 589 Sinners how they condemne God to iustifie themselues 24 Sinners all excepting Christ 2 No sinner excluded from hope of pardon 224 Three sisters of the destinie signifie God 312 SL God how slowe to reuenge 193 194 SM Small things suffered doe grow great and doe much hurt 42 Small sinnes ought to be resisted 43 What a small matter it was that God commanded Adam 98 What a small matter it is that God requireth of vs. 99 SO. Christ the Sonne of God not as we are the Sonnes of God 291 The Sonne why made flesh rather then the Father or the Holy Ghost 322 Sorrowes and sufferings of Christ exceeded all other sorrowes 486 Sorrow is two-fold 354 Soule whether traduced from the parents 4 Not created from the beginning 6 Not created as God infuseth them 6 Soule the seate of sinne 7 Soule immortall yet hath a kinde of death 51 Soules diseases what they be 63 That Christ had a true humane reasonable soule 348 Soule of Christ after it parted from the body descended into the place of the damned 582. 619. 620 SP. God spareth none for his greatnesse if they offend him 40 He spareth the wicked for good mens sake 187 We ought to spare no cost to get the truth 217 To spare wicked men is not good 222 That we should speak nothing but truth 221 Examples of spitefull sinners 33 34 How fearefull is their state ibid. Spirituall and eternall punishment how they differ 250 ST Our state in Christ better then that which we lost in Adam 361 Starre of Christ spoken of by the Gentiles 412 What time it appeared 414 What effects it wrought in the Magi. 415 Christ why hee stayed so long before hee came 401 Why he would not stay any longer 402 Iudas why made steward 459 SV. Christ of the same substance with his Father 292 Made of the substance of his mother 342 How subtilly Satan deales with men to make them bold to sinne then to despaire 41 Christ suffered all miseries 260 Who most subiect to sufferings 435 Christ suffered both in soule and body 437 His first degree of suffering was to be made passible 438 Consideration of Christ his sufferings most admirable 439 The sufferings of Christ before his Iudges 465 The grieuous sufferings after hee was condemned by the high Priest 471 Sufferings of Christ how alone sufficient to satisfie for all sinnes 502 Sufferings of the Saints how they doe profit the Church 503 Sufferings how they doe comfort and confirme all Christians 504 Sufferings of Christ teach vs how to suffer 509 That we ought to suffer two waies 509 To suffer with Christ and for Christ how readie and willing we ought to be 510 Sufferings of Christ were voluntarie 491. 492 How generall they were 483 How vnspeakable farre more then are expressed by the Euangelists 484 Sufferings of Christ not imaginarie but true reall sufferings 484 God prouideth sufficient for euerie man 704 Suggestions vnto sinnes are sinnes 12 How they are to be auoided 13 The surest signe of saluation 652 Why Christ became our suretie 497 SW Continuall swearing what a dangerous sin 241 SY That we sympathize in the sufferings of our brethren 510 TE TEares are speciall meanes to preuaile with God 52 Best way to teach is to lay a good foundation 392 A perfideous tempting of God what a horrible sinne 239 The temporall things of this life to be prayed for 703 The testimonies that proue Christ to be the true Messias 411 412 c. Testimonâ—e of the Apostles to be beleeued for two speciall reasons 572 Text of Salomon Pro. 8.22 whether corrupted by the Arrians 287 TH. That we ought to be thankfull vnto God for all we haue 129 How we ought to be thankfull to God for giuing the Word to be incarnate 305 For the sufferâ—ngs of Christ 506 Thankfulnesse to be expressed by workes 507 Theator where the Tragedy of Christ his Passion was acted was Ierusalem and why 421 Third day why the appointed day of Christ his Resurrection 555 The fittest day for Christ to rise in respect of his person 556 Christ rising the third day did paralel our creation and left a patterne of our condition 558 What we ought to thirst after 488 Thomas whether he was with the EleueÌ„ when Christ appeared to them the first time 573 Thoughts that are wicked bring forth wicked works 14 Three persons in one essence of God 272 Three things handled touching the person of the sonne 277 Three sisters of the destinie what they signifie 312 Three wonderfull things obseruable in making the Word flesh 328 Three things measure all durations 400 Three things obseruable in the day of Christ his natiuitie 405 Three things that moue attention 420 Three things effected in vs by the meditation of Christ his Passion 422 Three things moue vs to loue any one 425 Three things happened to Christ in Gethsemane after his bloudy sweaâ— 458 Threefold argument vrged by the Iewes to moue Pilate to crucifie Christ 476 That there is a three-fold necessitie 491 The three women seeking Christ signifie three properties of the Church 521 Three things required to make an action good 524 Three things excellent in the Angels 535 Christ how he remained three dayes in his graue 559 560 Three dreadfull enemies of man 582 Three things considered about our spirituall ascention 630 Three sorts of men excluded from the Paschall Lambe 682 Three sorts of Preachers 697 Three reasons to moue vs to thankefulnesse 705 A three-fold voice of the creature ibid. Three reasons to driue away ingratitude from vs. 706 Three degrees of thankfulnesse 707 Three reasons to moue vs to pray for our Ministers
writings desired not onely pium Lectorem a courteous Reader of his labours but also liberum Correctorem a free reprouer of his faults but so that they doe it friendly to blame in their iudgement where it is equity but not to blaze my faults vnto the world which is a breach of charity and that they doe as well accept of what is good as except against what is ill herein for I know there be many Momus-like Qui vel non intelligendo reprehendunt Idem contra Faust l. 22. c. 34. vel reprehendendo non intelligunt that doe shew their folly in reprouing others when out of enuy or ignorance they blame that good of others which they haue not or know not themselues And for these there is none other helpe but to be carelesse of their censures and to pray against their wickednesse There be faults escaped in the Printing the most of them be literall as the mistaking of e for ae econtra and such like faults of no great moment especially to him that knowes how hard it is to make things perfect and therefore I hope they shall be either mended with thy pen or pardoned without thy censure for other things I onely desire thy prayers for mee and thou shalt euer finde his paines and prayers for thee which loueth thee and all men in Iesus Christ with all vnfainednesse GR. VVILLIAMS This Treatise cōtaineth 1. The worke done i. e. sin and that is either 1. Originall sinne where is considered 1. What euill it bringeth 2. How it is deriued 2. Actuall sin where is shewed 1. How it is defined 2. How it is increased 1. Inwardly 1. By the suggestion of Satan 2. By the delights of the flesh 3. By the consent of the spirit 2. Outwardly 1. Secretly committed 2 Publiquely aduentured 3. Vsually practised 4. Exceedingly enlarged 3. How it is cōmitted viz. of 1. Ignorance 2. Knowledge 3. Infirmity 4. Malice which is 1. Wilfull 2. Spitefull * And from hence is seene 1. The diuersity of sinners 2. The inequality of sins yet that 1. Euery sinne brings death 2. The sin of any one brings death 3. The least sin of any one brings death 2. The wages to be paid for sin i. e. death which signifieth the curse of God extending it selfe 1. Vpon all creatures 1. Heauenly 2. Earthly 2. Vpon euery man to whom it bringeth a treble death 1. Of the soule whereof it killeth 1. Will. 2. Vnderstanding 3. Memory 2. Of the body where is considered 1. What is meant by death i. e. all miseries 1. In all Ages 2. In all States 3. By all Creatures 2. How farre it extendeth ouer all men 3. How variably it worketh in respect of the 1. Manner 2. Time 3. Place 4. Effects †which are different the cause whereof is 1. The practise of a good life 2. The meditatiō of our death 3. The applic of Christs death 3. Of body and soule in Hell 3. The equity of this wages is seene if we consider 1. That it is iust to punish sinne 2. That God is the iustest Iudg that can bee found to punish sinne 1. Because he loueth righteousnesse 2. Because he iudgeth without respect of persons 3. Because he punisheth euery man according to his desart Where the inequality of Hell punishment is shewed 3. That all the punishment afore-said inflicted for sinne is most iust 1. Not in respect of a sinners will eternally to sinne if he did eternally liue but 2. In a iust proportion of the punishment to the haynousnesse of the sin committed which is seene in respect 1. Of the leuity and easinesse to doe what God commandeth 2. Of the transcendent deformity of sinne which is seene if we consider 1. The Nature of him that is offended 2. The quality of him that doth offend 3. The Nature of the sinne that is committed This Treatise sheweth 1. What God is and how God is knowne what he is two wayes 1. As he is in himselfe so none knoweth God but God himselfe 2. As he hath expressed himselfe to vs and so he may be known 1. By way of negation 2. By way of affirmation 3. By way of superexcellency and so hee is shewed to be 1. An eternall being in himselfe 2. A giuer of being 1. To all creatures 2. To all his promises which should teach vs to labour to be vnited to him to be thankefull and to beleeue all his promises 3. An absolute L. of all things which should teach vs to serue him for 3. especiall reasons 2. What maner of God he is where the nature of God is shewed by three speciall attributes viz. 1. By his Power touching which is handled 1. The number quality of the aduersaries of Gods power which are 1. The Infidels that will not beleeue in him 2. The desperate men that cannot hope in him 3. The vbiquitaries of Germany 4. The pontificialls of Rome 2. How the actiue power of God is to be considered in resp 1. Of his inward operations 2. Of his outward operatiōs and so it must be cōsidered 1. Relatiuely as it respecteth the will and decree of God 2. Absolutely so he can doe all things 1. Which are not contrary to Gods Nature 2. Which imply not contradiction 3. The proofe of Gods omnipotency which is shewed from 1. The Word of God 2. The workes of God 1. In the beginning of the world 2. Throughout the continuance 3. In the end of the world 3. The consent of all Diuines 4. The testimony of many Heathens 5. The confession of the very Diuels 4. The answering to the chiefest obiections 1. Of the Infidels 2. Of the desperate 3. Of the vbiquitaries 4. Of the pontificials 5. The vsefull appl of this do which serueth 1. To confute many heresies 2. To comfort all the Godly 3. To condemne all the wicked 2 By his goodnes and that seauen especial wayes viz. that he is 1. Mercifull which consisteth in 1. Giuing of graces 2. Forgiuing of sinnes 3. Qualifying of punishments 2. Gracious which signifieth 1. Amiable 2. Placable 3. Liberall 3. Slow to anger shewed 1. By Scriptures 2. By examples old and new 4. Abundant in goodnes 1. As he is in himselfe 2. As he is to others 1. Generally to all creatures by 1. Creating all things 1. simp g. 2. rela g. 2. pres thē frō euill 3. enric thē with g. 2. Specially to his elect 1. by dec their elec 2. by their effect cal 3. by the filling of thē with his graces 5. Abundant in truth 1. Essentially truth in himselfe 2. Causally the fountaine of al truth 1. Of things 2. Of the vnderstanding 3. Of expression which is 1. Primar in Scrip. 2 Secondarily from man to man 6. Reseruing mercy for thousands that is 1. Extensiuely 2. Successiuely 7. Forgiuing iniquitie and transgression and sin i. e. all kinds of sin 1. Originall corruption 2. Actuall commission 3. Greatest abhom if we repent * The vsefull applic of Gods
iudged a contempt of knowledge then an ignorance of the trueth And therfore if for our sinnes we pleade ignorance when we might easily haue knowne the will of God if we had had any desire or diligence to search out the same we shall but deceaue our selues and be found guilty of greater condemnation Secondly For the sinnes of knowledge Iohn 9.39 What a fearefull thing it is to commit those sinnes which we know to be sinnes Our Sauiour sayth of the Pharisees that if they were blind they should haue no sinne but because they said they did see therefore their sinne remained For as Adams great perfection both in power and knowledge made his sinne so vnexcusable and the like transcendent excellency of Lucifer made his fall so vnrecouerable so the more noble the more powerfull or the more excellent in knowledge we be the more haynous and intollerable are our sinnes And therefore Saint Chrysostome saith Chrysost hom 5. in Rom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee that hath enioyed more instruction deserues to vndergoe the more punishment if he transgresse and our Sauiour saith Luk. 12.47 that the seruant which knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes For to him that knoweth to doe good James 4.17 and doth it not to him it is sinne i. e. Sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinne in the highest degree saith the Apostle And yet as an old man said of the Athenians at the games of Olympus Plutarch in lacon Athenienes norunt quid sit honestum sed eo soli vtuntur Lacedaemonij They knew what was honest but they did it not they were excellent gnostrickes but bad practitioners like the Pharisees that sate in Moses Chaire and taught what was good but did none of those things themselues That we doe those sinnes which we know to be grieuous sinnes So might I say of many millions of men amongst vs they know that swearing and drunkenesse lewdnesse and prophannesse and such like horrible sins are most odious damnable in the sight of God They know the Sabbaoths should be sanctified our poore Brethren should be releeued Rom. 1. vlt. and our good God should be worshipped they know that they which commit such sinnes are worthy of death and that they which doe such workes of pietie shall be sure of life and yet you see how we doe continually commit the one and omit the other Alas beloued we cannot say with Saint Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 we doe it ignorantly We cannot say we know not these things to be sinnes for we know them we doe know them and yet we daily doe them And therefore art thou inexcusable O man Rom. 2.1 whosoeuer thou art that knowest these things Bern. in Cantic Ser. 36. or the like to be sinne and yet wilt fearelesly carelesly commit them then of all other men thou shalt finde thy selfe at last to be most wofull and lamentable for The excellency of our knowledge makes vs the more horrible sinners in the sight of God vt cibus sumptus non decoctus perniciofus est As meate receiued and not digested proues most dangerous or as physicke taken inwardly and not working outwardly proues poysonous so the knowledge of the truth which is the meate and physicke of our soules being receiued in our vnderstanding and not practised in our conuersation will proue to be a most dangerous deadly disease vnto euery Christian soule What the sins of infirmity are 3. We say those are the sinnes of infirmity when in our hearts wee haue an earnest desire to serue our God and to refraine from sinne but through the violence of Satans temptations and the vntamed lusts of our owne flesh which is euer prone to euill and vnapt to good wee either neglect that duty which wee heartily desire to doe or perpetrate those deedes which by no meanes wee would doe for so our Sauiour saith of his Disciples Math 26.41 that the spirit was willing but the flesh was weake So Saint Peter in heart was willing to die with his Master but for feare of death he was driuen to deny him and to sweare that he knew him not Cap 26.14 and so all other Saints of God doe finde that how desirous soeuer they be to doe their duties and to serue their God their flesh is often times weake and vnwilling to performe those good things and most violently strong to draw their vnwilling soules to sinne Aug. de eccles dogmat That no man is free from the sinnes of infirmity And therefore Saint Augustine saith that in respect of this infirmity of the flesh Nullus Sanctus iustus vacuus est peccato nec tamen definit esse iustus quia affectu semper tenet Sanctitatem There is not any Saint that is void of sinne neither yet may he be said for that to be no Saint because in heart and affection he alwayes desireth and to the vttermost of his ability followeth after Sanctity and so Saint Iohn sheweth quod non est homo qui non peccat Iames 3.2 That no man liueth but he sinneth for in some things we sin all i. e. through the infirmity of our flesh and yet he that is borne of God Iohn 3.9 sinneth not that is with his full consent but doth euen then sigh and grieue in spirit when his flesh drawes him on to sinne But that we may the better know those sinnes which though they be enormities in themselues yet may be truely sayd to bee infirmities in the Saints and may stand with grace Galat. 6.1 as they are committed by them it is obserued by Diuines that they are First Such sinnes as are committed of incogitancie Aug. de peccat merit remiss l 2. cap. 2. and besides the purpose generall or particular of the offender i. e. sinnes of precipitation and not of deliberation as Saint Gregorie tearmes them for so Saint Augustine speaking of these sinnes sayth Tentatio fallit praeoccupat nescientes How we may know sinnes of infirmity by foure speciall differences they doe suddenly assault vs and attache vs vnawares and we are as it were ouertaken with the sinne before we can see the sinne So the adultery of Dauid was not thought of before it was suggested and the deniall of Saint Peter was neuer purposed vntill it was acted Secondly Such sinnes as are euer resisted to the vttermost of our abilities before they be committed and yet at last are perpetrated quia tentatio praemit vrget infirmos Aug quo supra because the violence of the temptation subdueth the infirmitie of our flesh Thirdly Such sinnes as haue for their causes some preualent passions in nature as the feare of death in Saint Peter which is the most terrible of all euill sayth the Philosopher and the feare of shame in Dauid which many men doe more feare then death Fourthly Such sinnes as in the reluctation are
their consciences and they shall see that they must part from all the things that they haue gathered but that not one of those sinnes will part from them which they haue committed and least they should forget them Satan will now open his booke and set all their sinnes before their eyes and then he will bestirre himselfe because he knoweth his haruest is great and his time is but short and therefore he will tell them Matth. 19.17 that if they would haue entred into life they should haue kept the commandements as our Sauiour Christ himselfe doth testifie Rom. 2.13 he will alleage against them that not the hearers but the doers of the Law shall be iustified and he will inferre that if the iust shall scarce be saued it is intollerable for them being wicked men to appeare How Satan discourageth the wicked at their death and what the Preachers of God now cannot beat into the thoughts of these carelesse men this wicked damned spirit will then irremoueably settle in their deepest considerations 1 Cor. 6.9.10 viz. that neither adulterers nor fornicators nor drunkards nor swearers nor vsurers nor extortioners nor lyers nor enuious men nor haters of men nor any such like shall inherit the Kingdome of God and of Christ O then what agonies and perplexities will inuade and teare the wofull hearts of wicked men In that day saith the Lord I will cause the Sunne to goe downe at noone Amos 8.9.10 and I will darken the earth in the cleare day I will turne their feasts into mournings and their songs into lamentations that is they shall be sure then to haue the greatest griefe and vexation when they haue the greatest need of comfort and consolation for I will make all those things that were wont most sweetly to delight them now most of all to torment them the pleasure of sinne shall now turne to be as bitter as Gall and now they shall see that they must die and liue they can no longer and that Satan whom they would not forsake all their life-time will not forsake them now at their death-time but wil be still sounding in their eares Me you haue serued and from me you must expect your wages We read the Deuil assayled the best-Saints Saint Martin Saint Bernard Eusebius Ignatius and others Luke 23.31 and if these things be done in a greene tree what shall be done in a withered saith our Sauiour If he be so busie about the Saints Pet. 4.17 which haue the Angels of God round about them to preserue them Psal 91.11 What shall he doe to sinners who haue nothing but deuils round about them to confound them This is the state of wicked men at their dying day and therefore mors peccatorum pessima of all terrible things the death of sinnefull men is the most terrible Secondly After the seperation of the body and soule How death aequalizeth the bodies of all men then death indeede makes different effects for though it makes the bodies of all alike their dust is so mingled and their bones are so like one another that we know not Irus from Craesus as Diogenes being demaunded by Alexander what he sought for among the tombes sayd he sought for his father Phillips bones but among so many dead mens soules hee knew not which they were yet in respect of the soules How death sendeth the soules of the good to Heauen and of the wicked to hell it worketh very different consequents for it sends the good soules into Abrahams bosome and the wicked soules to hell to be tormented in fire for euermore Now that the efficiente cause of death which is sinne should be the same in all men and that the fruites and effects or subsequents of death should be so different in the godly from all other men we find a treble reason A three-fold reason of the subsequent different effects of death The 1. Is the practise of a godly life 2. Is the meditation of our owne death 3. Is the application of the death of Christ These things as Sampson sayd in his riddle out of the eater bring meate and out of the strong sucke sweetenesse these things doe translate the sting and curse of death into a sweete and a blessed life Of the first Saint Augustine sayth Mala mors putanda non est Aug. de ciuit dei l. 1. c. 21. That to liue well is a speciall meanes to make vs die well quam bona vita praecessit It is impossible that his death should be ill whose whole life hath beene alwayes good quia nunquam Deus deserit hominem quovsque homo deserat deum because God will neuer forsake that man at his death which hath truely serued God throughout all his life and therefore Seneca sayth Seneca in quad epist Ante senectutem curaui vt bene viuâ—rem vt in senectute bene morerer While I was young all my care was to liue well that when I were old I might die well and so let vs doe if wee would die well let vs liue well let vs learne artem viâ—endi the art to liue the life of the righteous and wee shall bee sure to die the death of the righteous for seeing the wages of sinne is death it must needs be that the lesser and the fewer our sinnes be the better our death will be But if we liue like Baalam which loued the gaine and wages of vnrighteousnesse it is vnpossible that we should die the death of Israel for God beheld there was no iniquitie in Iacob Numb 23 21. nor any peruersenesse in Israel and therefore the Lord his God was with him Godly sorrow for sinne and the meditation of our death is the death of sinne Of the second Bosquierus sayth that à culpa natae sunt duae filiae Tristitia Mors hae duae filiae hanc pessimani matrem destruunt Sinne brought forth two goodly damosells Sorrow and Death and these two daughters like the brood of vipers doe eate through the bowells and destroy that wicked mother For First Paenitudine commissa delentur by repentance wee wash away the sinnes that are past and therefore Iohn Baptist sayth O generation of Vipers if you would kill your cruell wicked mother Matth. 3.7 8. that is Sinne bring foorth fruits meete for repentance for that is the onely way for you to escape death and to flee from the wrath to come And Secondly Meditatione mortis futura cauentur by the frequent meditation of death we come more and more to detest and to beware of sinne Aug l. 1. contra Man for so Saint Augustine sayth that nihil sic reuocat hominem à peccato quam frequens meditatio mortis Nothing is so powerfull to make a man hate sinne as continually to consider of this bitter fruit and reward of sinne which is death and Seneca before him sayth the same thing and therefore he aduiseth euery man
Israel by making mutuall matches and mariages betwixt their Children whereby the anger of the Lord was so kindled that hee slew of them three and twenty thousand in one day 1 Kings 12.31 The other was the practice of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat a great King that to establish his Kingdome did make Officers and Priests of the basest of the people 1 Kings 12.31 and thereby hee made all Israel for to sinne And therefore if you would suppresse or hinder the increase of sinne you must take heede among other things of these two especiall points First Marry not your Children vnto sinners That we should not marry our Children but to the best men but looke rather into the sincerity of their Religion the purity of their profession and the vprightnesse of their conuersation then the greatnesse of their reputation here amongst men and if you finde them Drunkards Swearers Players Idolaters superstitious or leud liuers or any wayes inclined to these or the like sinnes decline you from them and meddle not with them least their sinnes doe bring a plague and punishment to consume both you and yours for though it be a good thing to bestow thy Daughter in marriage yet is it not good vnlesse it be to a man of vnderstanding saith the Wiseman but they are a people void of reason and a Nation destitute of vnderstanding that turne the Diuine Verity into Idolatry or that doe any wayes erre from Gods Commandements Secondly make not any Officers especially Priests That we should not make any Officers especially Priests but those that are truly religious and honest of the basest of the people but looke into their liues and consider well their profession yea marke their inclination and whom you see corrupted with sinne or any wayes infected with the poyson of iniquity drunkennesse prophanenesse cruelty idolatry or superstition promote them not vnto your seates of Gouernment or if they be promoted and preferred by others yet haue you nothing to doe with this stoole of wickednesse receiue them not into your Houses entertaine them not at your Tables haue no commerce or conuersation with them meddle not with them fauour them not for you may be sure that they will fauour sinne and you should feare least by medling with them you should be defiled and tainted with sinne for the bewitching of naughtinesse Wisdome 4.10 doth soone obscure things that are honest But make much of them that feare the Lord and whom you see zealously affected to follow the true Religion and earnestly labouring to leade an vpright conuersation O let them be helped and furthered to be promoted both in Church and Common-wealth for you may be sure That we should make much of those that are good and godly men and doe our best to promote such into dignity that they will faithfully doe what lyeth in them to suppresse Idolatrie and all iniquitie Who so is wise will ponder these things and he shall vnderstand and perceiue and feele the louing kindnesse of the Lord. And as sinne seekes to creepe by degrees so if you looke into the liues of men you shall see how it comes fairely clad and vayled with the shaddowes of vaine excuses Sometimes of infirmity either of Age or of Nature young men thinke it too soone for them to be precise old men are weake and are not able to endure any longer seruice the wrathfull man Gen 4.23 with Lamech layeth all the fault on his fury if he slayes a man in his wound and a young man in his hurt the Drunkard saith it was his drinke and not he that acteth all the mischiefe and the lasciuious man excuseth himselfe with the heate of his bloud and the lust of his flesh Of the manifold excuses that sinners haue to lessen and to excuse their sinnes Gen. 3.7 Sometimes of conformity the proud the drunken the ambitious the couetous and the like sinnefull men they doe but as most men doe and why should they be singular Sometimes of simplicity there meaning is good what euill soeuer they doe And thus sinne couers it selfe like Adam with the fruitlesse figge-leaues of hypocrisie But alas beloued we must know that for Gods Husbandry no season proues vnseasonable but young men and maidens old men and children Psal 148.12 must praise and serue the Lord and Nature must be subdued by Grace if euer we will be the Children of Glory and all your excuses of sinne will not free your soules from eternall death but as the Prouerbe is Kill a man when thou art drunke and thou shalt be hanged when thou art sober So sweare and raile and rage and offend thy God and abuse man when thou art in thy drinke in thy fury and God will lay the punishment on thee and not on thy drinke when thou shalt not haue a drop of drinke to quench thy thirst nor a droppe of water to coole thy tongue Luc. 16.24 That we ought to keepe our selues spotlesse in the midst of the wicked And we haue learnt in Gods Schoole that Iuda must not sinne no though all Israel should play the Harlot but as the Riuer Alphaeus conuayes it selfe through the Seas into his beloued Arethusa and yet participates not at all with the Sea-saltish humour so must Lot preserue himselfe chaste in the middest of Sodome and the Saints in the middest of the World as I haue shewed at large in my Treatise The Delights of the Saints Page 47. of the Delights of the Saints And the Schoole of Diuinity teacheth vs that Bonum est de integra causa The beginning meanes and ending of euery action must needes be right or the whole action will proue wrong and therefore wee must take away these vailes from sinne if we would perceiue the vglinesse of sinne and so escape the wages of Sinne which is Death Secondly seeing Sinne is the reall and radicall cause Et mali morbi mortis Of weakenesse sickenesse miseries death and destruction a pernicious parent of most dreadfull and deadly off-spring for foolish men are plagued Psal 107.17 because of their offences and I will smite thee saith God himselfe vnto Iacob because of thy sinnes and it is an axiome infallible Mich. 6.13 that sinne and punishment are inseparable companions so inseperable that the Hebruists doe often call them both by one name as where the text sayth Sinne lyeth at the doore Gene. 4.7 and ver 13. and My sinne is greater then I can beare and againe your Sinne shall find you out there Arias Montanus and Tremellius translate it punishment Numb 32.23 That wee should acknowledge our owne sinnes to be the true cause of all our miseries Jere. 44.17 therefore if we feele any plagues or miseries either Dearth of Corne or decaying of Trade increase of Superstition or decrease of Religion or any such like plagues and miseries let vs not blame the times nor trueth of God but let vs lay the
from God and the chiefest argument of his Diuine loue towards man for though it was great loue to be clothed with the vaile of our flesh and to take the infirmities of our fraile and feeble nature yet is it farre greater loue to be compassed with the shadow of Death and to vndergoe the penalty of our sinfull nature And therefore seeing the mercifull and gracious Lord hath so done this maruellous worke Psal 111 4. that it ought to be had in remembrance I may well say with the Prophet Lam. 1.12 Haue ye no regard O all ye that passe by the way Stay here and consider and behold If euer there were any sorrow like his sorrow or any suffering like the suffering of Christ your businesse may be great and your occasions vrgent yet none so great none so waighty as this and none so acceptable vnto God as this for if you must remember when he rested how much more should you remember how he suffered Secondly It is most profitable vnto men in three respects Secondly As no worke more acceptable vnto God so none more profitable for vs for the serious meditation of the sufferings of Christ effecteth in vs besides many others these three especiall good 1. It hindereth vs to sinne 2. It kindleth our charity 3. It erecteth our Hope For Orosius sup ep ad Rom. l. 6. First Tanta vis crucis vt si ante occulos ponatur c. So great is the power and efficacy of the sufferings of Christ that if it were alwayes fixed in the mindes of the faithfull How the meditation of Christs Passion driueth away sinne so that they did intentiuely behold the death of Christ no concupiscense no lust no enuy no fury could ouercome them but presently vpon the consideration of Christ his sufferings the whole hoste of the flesh and of sinne would flie away saith Orosius and Saint Bernard saith Bern. ser 62. in Cant. Quid tam efficax ad curanda coÌ„scientiae vulnera necnon ad purgandam mentis aciem quam Christi vulnerum sedula meditatio What can be more powerfull to cure the sinfull wounds of our consciences yea and to purge our mindes from all sinnes then the sedulous meditation of the wounds of Christ for the Passion of Christ sheweth how dearely it cost him to redeeme vs from sinne and therefore it should make vs afraid to sinne for when the Harlot Lais asked of Demosthenes 1000. Dracmas i. e. almost 24. pound of our money or as some report 10000. Dracmas i. e. 200. pound for one nights lodging with her he wisely answered her Non tanti emam paenitere I will not buy repentance at so deare a rate so when Satan suggesteth vs to sinne if we did but consider the great price that Christ did pay for sinne and must be paid before it can be pardoned for we are bought with a price yea with a great price 1 Cor. 6.1 saith the Apostle there is no doubt but it would be a great meanes to preserue vs from sinning for it is most certaine saith Origen Origen in c. 6. ad Rom. that the true consideration of the Passion of Christ in the heart of a Christian is the chiefest munition to guard vs against euery sinne for as Vriah said vnto King Dauid The Arke and Israel 2 Sam. 11.11 and Iuda abide in Tents and my Lord Ioab and the seruants of my Lord are incamped in the open field Sap. 2.8 and shall I then goe downe into mine house to eate and drinke and to lie with my wife as thou liuest and as thy soule liueth I will not doe this thing So euery good Christian man will say My Sauiour Christ did weare a Crowne of thornes and shall I say come let vs crowne our selues with rose buds his hands are extended vpon the Crosse to imbrace me and shall I stretch forth mine hands vnto wickednesse to disgrace him he being ready to die had gall to eate and vineger to drinke and shall I being perfectly whole say with them in the booke of Wisedome Come Wisedome 2.7 let vs fiâ—l our selues with Wine and pleasant oyntments He suffered his breast his side and his heart to be opened and pierced for me and shall I harden my heart and shut the doore of my soule against him he was contented to heare himselfe reuiled and scorned for mee and shall I still scorne him and stop mine eares from hearing him so graciously speaking and so louingly calling me by the mouth of his holy seruants And as Origen saith Pro me Dei filius iugulatus est iterum me peccare delectat The Sonne of God was slaine for my sinnes and shall I euer againe delight in sinne So will euery true remembrancer of Christs sufferings say the desire of mony betrayed my Sauiour and shall I euer after that loue couetosnesse my wanton pleasures my vaine delights my swelling pride my greedy desire and all my wicked sinnes were the onely cause of my Sauiours want Chrys hom 88. in Matth. of his bitter sorrowes and his shamefull cruell death and shall I euer loue those sinnes that brought these sorrowes vnto him no sure I will not doe it saith euery soule that thinkes of this Etiam si lapis esset yea though his heart were made of stone yet the true meditation hereof would mollifie the same like waxe and cause him to depresse his pride and to detest all sinne saith Saint Chrysostome for as the destroying Angell could not hurt any of them whose doore-posts were sprinkled with the bloud of the Paschall Lambe so the subtlety of Satan that destroying enemie can neuer preuaile against them which haue their mindes and hearts alwayes sprinkled with the true meditation of the suffering and shedding of the pretious blood of Iesus Christ Gal. 6.14 And therefore as that blessed Apostle Saint Paul saith God forbid that I should glory in any thing The meditation of Christs Passion cannot choose but make vs to loue Christ saue in the Crosse of Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the world that is whereby all worldly vanities and pleasures are become loathsome vnto me and I am become a hater and detester of them as being the cause of Christ his Crosse so I say vnto euery man if euer Satan or the lust of the flesh inticeth thee to sin I pray thee doe but this one thing before thou dost the sin call to mind and consider what thy deare Sauiour suffered for thy sinnes and I doubt not but it will proue a most wholesome antidote and a most excellent preseruatiue against sinne And Secondly As the consideration of Christs Passion is a great meanes to preuent sinne so it is of maine force to stirre vp our loue and to kindle our affection towards Christ as Saint Bernard saith Nihil est quod eum ita nobis amabilem reddit quam calix ille Bern. ser 20. in
By his stripes we are healed Esay 53.5 And therefore seeing the sufferings of Christ is that precious balme of Gilead that soueraigne salue which is sufficient to heale euery sickned soule to hinder vs to sinne to kindle our loue to God and to erect our hope in God no man can treate no man can heare of a matter more excellent then is the dilating of the sufferings of Christ Thirdly Here is a compendious breuity a theame short enough but foure words Ita oportuit Christum pati 3. Here is abundance of matter in few words Thus it behoued Christ to suffer or Christ must thus suffer And they be certaine in sence and full of matter And therefore you may easily remember the words because they be so few and you should diligently muse and daily meditate vpon the matter and bee throughly excited to an vnwearied hearkening or reading and to a faithfull retaining of the same because so excellent and I may be truly excused for my large preamble and long perambulation vpon the same because there is Multum in paruo Hieron ad Demetriad A great deale of matter couched here in a little roome euen as the whole World is expressed in a little Mappe For though the men of Myndas might well shut their large gates Laertius l. 6. lest their little City would runne out yet huge spacious Cities must haue their Gates bigger then little Wickets least their people should get neither in nor out And therefore though these words be but few yet seeing herein there is contained infinite matter and an huge building Centum sublime columnis for what higher mystery or what ampler discourse can wee finde then the sufferings of Iesus Christ you must giue me leaue to insist a while to behold the stripes and to search into the wounds of Christ for I may not shut a large foote into a little shooe and I cannot inclose so many Iliads of sorrowes as one did the Illiads of Homer within the compasse of a nut-shell And therefore by Gods helpe though I meane not to build Tabernacles and to stay euer in the expounding of that which shall be euer in my remembrance yet I will Sistere gradum Make a stop and stay a while To treate of these words of Christ Thus it behoued Christ to suffer In which words as the Holy Ghost hath set them downe I note these foure especiall points The diuision of the Text. First The person suffering Christ thus it behoued Christ Secondly The suffering it selfe it behoued him to suffer Thirdly The necessity of his suffering it behoued him to suffer Fourthly The manner of his suffering Thus it behoued Christ to suffer i. e. As the Prophets fore-told and as you haue seene hee did CHAP. II. Of the surpassing excellency of the Person suffering 1. Part. FOr the first The excellency of the person that is the subiect of any action doth giue the most life vnto any matter for the exploits of Kings or the deedes of Nobles doe of themselues craue attention a hundred times more then the story of any one of base condition Consider wee then the person that is to vndergoe this passion First We shall finde him to be a man for so Pilate saith That Christ was a Man Behold the man And himselfe commonly giues himselfe none other title then The Sonne of man to shew indeede that he was a true man as we are And this should moue in vs compassion for humanity it selfe at the torments of the very bruite Beasts is something touched and Diogenes the Cinick◠in this respect is said Laertius l. 6. Bonauent in vita S. Francis to haue redeemed many times the Beasts from slaughter And Saint Francis likewise is said to haue ransomed the poore Lambes from the Butchers hands because it grieued them to see any Creature tortured and therefore much more should we be moued with compassion at the passion of any man for if one member suffer 1 Cor. 12.26 all the members suffer with it saith the Apostle Secondly Christ was not onely a man That Christ was a iust man but he was also a iust man Non erat dolus in ore eius There was no guile found in his mouth His enemies themselues confesse it Math. 27.19 Resolution of Pilate Pag. 47. Haue thou nothing to doe with that iust man saith Pilates wife and Pilate oftentimes as I haue shewed in my Booke of the resolution of Pilate confessed and by many arguments confirmed his assertion that Christ deserued no punishment at all Luke 23.14 and that hee could not finde though hee had most diligently searched any cause of death in him and therefore to cleere himselfe from the imputation of iniustice Leo Ser. 3. de pass that he should ijsdem labijs eum mittere ad crucem quibus pronunciauerat innocentem With the same lippes send him to be crucified whom euen now he had iustified he washed his hands in the view of the multitude saying I am innocent from the bloud of this iust person So Herod Math. 27.24 though he had derided our Sauiours silence yet dared hee not condemne his innocency for I haue sent him vnto Herod and loe Luc. 23.15 nothing worthy of death is found in him saith Pilate So Caiphas the High Priest prophesieth of him whom he persecuteth and absolueth him whom he accuseth for hee pronouncing the mystery of our saluation said It was necessary that one should die for the people John 11.50 Therefore hee must be a iust man or else hee could not satisfie for the sinnes of men And so the Diuell himselfe though hee violently persecuted and most maliciously accused yet bee cleerely iustified our Sauiour Christ for it was he as many of the ancients doe coniecture that told Pilates wife and incited her to tell her Husband that the man thus maligned and condemned as nefarious was notwithstanding iust and righteous for the Diuell knew that since he first knew him he knew no sinne in him And it may be that to this our Sauiour alludeth John 14.30 Talem vix reperit vnum milibus è multis hominum consultus Apollo Iohn 8.46 when he saith The Prince of this World commeth Sed in me non habet quicquam but hee hath nothing in me As if hee should haue said When hee searcheth and seeketh and sifteth what he can yet shall he finde no euill no sinne no not the least cause of death in me For he might iustly say Which of you can rebuke me of sinne Quia ab omnibus accepit testimonium innocentiae Because hee had the testimonies of all men Iren. l. 4. c. 14. of all sorts as Irenaeus saith to iustifie him God Men Angels Diuels Friends Foes Acquaintance Strangers and all iustified him that he was voide of sinne full of grace And therefore as we haue euer more compassion of them that suffer and be innocent then of those whom wee coniecture
that he had lost the price of that Oyntment wherewith the Woman annointed Christ and which he had valued at three hundred pence went out as I shewed you before and sold Christ for thirty pence and then betrayed him into the hands of sinners Fourthly Christ being treacherously betrayed 4. The desire of the people violently apprehended and most falsly accused by the Sonnes of Belial the High Priests for very malice that they bore against Christ and for feare that the Romans if they let him escape would come and take away that rule and authoritie that was left them thought him worthy to die and deliuered him vnto Pilate and did teach the ignorant ingratefull and vnconstant multitude most earnestly to desire the death of Christ saying Crucifie him crucifie him and therefore Pilate for feare of the Priests and to please the people when he had scourged Christ condemned him and deliuered him to be crucified And yet all these were but instrumentall causes of these manifold sufferings of Christ there were other more efficient and farre greater causes then all these For Secondly The efficient cause of Christ his death The efficient cause of Christ his death Esay 53.10 was God himselfe for so the Prophet Esay saith It pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to griefe to bruise his body with tortures through the malice of the Iewes towards him and to strike his soule with griefe through the mercy of God towards vs. And so the Prophet Ieremie speaking of these sufferings in the person of Christ himselfe saith That they were sorrowes and sufferings Quae fecit mihi Deus Lament 1.12 That God himselfe laide all this punishment vpon Christ Whereby God hath afflicted me God who is termed A deuouring fire and an ouer-flowing torrent of wrath doth now make our Sauiour Christ as the onely Butte to shoote at him all the shafts of his furie he openeth him and powreth into him all the vials of his indignation and as Iob complaineth That the terrors of the Lord did set themselues in array against him So Christ when he saith Mar. 14.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My soule is incompassed with sorrowes on euery side sheweth how God had set himselfe against him yea though God afflicteth sometimes in mercy euen as a Father when hee correcteth his dearest Childe yet is he here said to haue done this In the fiercenesse of his wrath And therefore how could Christ choose but suffer for when God will smite who is able either by strength or wit to escape out of his hands Why God afflicted Christ But here it may be well demanded what moued Gods wrath to be thus kindled against Christ for God hateth nothing but sinne and in Christ there was no sinne neither was any guile found in his mouth And therefore seeing God neuer doth as Annas did to cause Christ to be smitten without a cause why should God be so much displeased as thus grieuously to punish his onely Sonne in whom hee was alwayes well pleased and with whom he was neuer in any wayes offended Dan. 9.27 God afflicted Christ for vs and not for himselfe To this wee must answere with the Prophet Daniel that the Messias must be slaine but not for himselfe for hee tooke vpon him the person of vs all and if a man that oweth nothing becomes a surety for a debtor if the principall becomes bankerout the surety shall be compelled to make a plenary satisfaction and he must pay that which he neuer tooke And therefore Christ vndertaking the payment of our debts and to discharge vs from Gods wrath to come Esay 53.4 5 6. He tooke vpon him our infirmities hee was wounded for our iniquities and broken for our transgressions Luc. 22.64 And so if the tormentors should say as once they did Prophesie vnto vs who it is that smote thee We may quickely become Prophets and most truly answere for him that our sinnes smote him our iniquities whipt him our pride crowned him with a crowne of thornes our drunkennesse gaue him that vinegar to drinke and in a word our sinne our grieuous sinne what sinne soeuer it be did thus haynously murther Christ and fast nayled him vnto the Crosse Quia solum peccatum homicida est Our sinnes crucified Iesus Christ For alas it was not Pilate nor Caiphas nor any one of that complicie of confederate Agents that were the efficient cause of his death for they were but the instruments and executioners onely of that punishment which our sinnes the sinnes of each man had laide vpon him and the Executioner cannot be said properly to be the cause of that mans death which by the Law is adiudged to die but to say the truth our sinnes haue killed the Sonne of God And therefore as Nathan said vnto Dauid 2 Sam. 12.7 Thou art the man that did the deede So I may say to euery sinner Thou art the man for whose sinnes God in the fiercenesse of his wrath did thus punish and afflict his onely Sonne O that this would make euery one of vs to crie out with Ionas Propter me haec tempestas I am the cause of all this troubles Ionas 1.12 of all this stormy windes and tempest Take me and cast me into the Sea And as Dauid â—hen he saw the miserable death of the people for his sinne was vexed at the heart and cried vnto the Lord saying Behold I haue sinned and I haue done wickedly 2 Sam. 24.17 but these sheepe what haue they done So I wish that euery one of vs would see it and say it It is I Lord that haue sinned but for this innocent Lambe this harmelesse Doue alas what hath he done And I hope this would make vs to hate and detest our sinnes when we consider that they were the onely murtherers of the Sonne of God You see then that as in the Law it was ordained that a man should bring his Beast to the doore of the Tabernacle and should put his hand vpon the head of it when hee offered the same for a burnt offering vnto God to shew vnto vs that the man himselfe had indeede deserued to die Leuit. 1.4 and that the Beast was onely slaine for his offences So here our Sauiour Christ was put to death not for any cause of his owne but as Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 3.18 The iust suffered for the vniust he was wounded for our sinnes and crucified for our transgressions But then againe it may be demanded Quest What moued Christ to vndertake our debts Resp why should he vndertake our debt and make satisfaction for our sinnes when as wee had no wayes deserued any kindnesse at his hands and could by no meanes requite so great a benefit I answere That it was requisite and necessary that he should suffer for our sinnes to fulfill the truth of God because hee had promised that the seede of the Woman should breake the
Serpents head Gen. 3.15 Dan. 9.26 and that the Messias should suffer for our sinnes and be broken for our transgressions Esay 53.5 And the Father promised this for none other cause The loue of God to mankinde moued God to doe all this for vs. but this Because he loued vs For God seeing vs in such a miserable state as we had made our selues by sinne was moued with compassion ouer vs and was contented to giue his onely begotten Sonne to be crucified for vs rather then we should be eternally separated from him So our Sauiour saith God so loued the World i. e. So admirably so exceedingly and so incomprehensibly John 3.16 That he gaue his onely begotten Sonne that is to die for vs That whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life And so Saint Paul saith God setteth out his loue towards vs seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. And surely it was a farre greater argument of his loue to giue his Sonne to die for vs then if hee had forgiuen our sinnes and acquitted vs without any satisfaction at all And therefore Saint Paul speaking of this loue of God calles it Too much loue as the vulgar Latine reades it Deus propter nimiam charitatem God through his great Ephes 2.4 or too much loue wherewith he loued vs hath quickened vs with Iesus Christ And this great loue of God will appeare the greater if wee consider that this Sonne of God which hee gaue to die for vs Omnis in Ascanio Charistat cura parentis was not onely his onely begotten Sonne which was very great that hauing but one onely Sonne he would giue that one to die for vs but was also such a Sonne in whom onely God was well pleased and with whom he was neuer offended as I shewed vnto you before And as the Father shewed Tantam charitatem so great loue in giuing his Sonne to die for vs so the Sonne shewed the like equall loue in being so willing as he was to suffer for vs for in the beginning or in the volume of the Booke it is written of me saith Christ that I should fulfill thy will O God Hebrewes 10.7 and I am content to doe it That is I am as willing and as ready to fulfill it as thou art to conceiue it yea I am grieued I am pained till I haue fulfilled it For it is meate and drinke to me saith Christ to doe my Fathers will And therefore once againe behold the great loue wherewith Christ hath loued vs Surely saith Saint Bernard Dilexisti me magis quam teipsum quia pro me mori voluisti Thou hast loued me more then thou didst thy selfe because thou gauest thy selfe to die for me For greater loue then this hath no man John 15.13 that a man should giue his life for his friends especially for his enemies Rom. 5.8 as he did for vs Cum inimici essemus While we were yet sinners â—nd regarded neither him nor our selues Bern. de Caena Domini Ser. 13. And therefore Saint Bernard doth most truly say that he did this Tanto dignantius quanto pro minus dignis So much the more wonderfully worthy of loue by how much the lesse worthy we were of his loue And in very deede there is no man breathing No Creature able to express the great loue of Christ to mankinde that is able to expresse how great was the loue of Christ towards mankinde But my conscience is my witnesse O my Sauiour what I haue done to thee and thy Crosse doth witnesse what thou hast done for me for thou wast God and I a man and yet thou a God wouldest be made man for me yea to become exiled poore and base for vs that were the vilest of all Creatures poore and base miserable sinners And not onely so but also to die a most cruell bitter and a shamefull death to deliuer vs from eternall death O what couldest thou haue done more for vs that thou hast not done The like example cannot be found in any History Rom. 5.7 for one will scarce die for a righteous man It may be they will ride and runne to saue a good mans life but to die for another we shall scarce finde any that will venter it Titus Liu. Decad 1. l. 2. Val. Max. l. 5. c. 6. It is true that the Curiatij and the Horatij are reported to haue aduentured their liues for the libertie of their Countrey And so Decius Curtius and Codrus did freely offer themselues to death for to preserue their peoples life but they did this either for ambition to be honoured for their facts and to be numbred among the Gods or else in desperation of their liues to be ridde out of their griefe when they saw none other helpe of their miseries but Christ when there was no necessity to compell him did all this and farre much more then I haue shewed for vs And that not onely Sine nostris meritis sed cum nostris demeritis When we deserued no good Bern. Ser. 15. in Cant. but especially when we were worthy of so much euill at his hands as was due to most deadly enemies as Saint Bernard saith CHAP. III. Of the finall causes why Christ suffered both in respect of Men and in respect of God himselfe AND so you haue seene the instrumentall causes of Christ his death and you heard the efficient cause why God punished Christ for vs and for our sinnes and why for vs because he loued vs with a great exceeding incomprehensible loue And how this should teach vs that as our hearts doe hate Iudas Pilate and all the rest of our Sauiours bloudie persecutors which were but the Instruments of his death so much more should we loath and detest our owne sinnes and wickednesse which were the maine principall cause that moued God thus seuerely to punish him And now it resteth The final cause of Christ his death that we consider the finall cause thereof and I finde that to be two-fold 1. In respect of Men. 2. In regard of God 1. In respect of Men. First In respect of Men I finde it likewise to be two-fold 1. The sauing of all the Elect. 2. To make the reprobate without excuse Math. 20.28 For the first Our Sauiour faith That he came to giue his life a ransome for many and to saue those that were lost And so Saint Paul saith Gal 4.4 That Christ was made vnder the Law to redeeme them that were vnder the Law and that Iesus Christ was sent into the World to saue sinners Now wee must know that as Bellarmine noteth there are diuers kindes of redemption as That there were diuers kindes of redemption First By Manumission as when the Lord did willingly of his owne accord let his slaues goe free Secondly By permutation as when one prisoner was exchanged for another Thirdly By
reproue great men 233 Who most subiect to dangers 433 Daughters of sinne are two 82 In the day of Christs natiuitie three things obseruable 435 DE. Death the fruit of sinne 2 Seauen deadly sinnes 40 By death is contained all that is vnder the curse of God 47 67 Death three-fold 49 Death of the soule three-fold 53 Death what it is 67 How largely it extendeth it selfe 75 How vnresistable it is ibid. How expressed by the Egyptians 76 How it shortens life diuers wayes 77 How it taketh men of all ages 78 How it smiteth in euery place 79 How comfortable it is to the godly 79 How terrible to the wicked 80 How it equalizeth the bodies of all men 81 Death of Christ the sole cause that maketh our death happy vnto vs. 84 Death eternall what it is 86 Death of Christ a sufficient satisfaction for the greatest sinnes 164 Death how little Christ respected it 446 Saints at their death supported by God 447 Death of the crosse grieuous in foure respects 479 480 Death of Christ maketh the wicked without excuse 504 Certainty of Christs death shewed in that her rose not til the third day 556 Deceit of sinne how great 44 Deceits no deceits vnlesse cunningly carried 461 Deformitie of sinne greater then we can comprehend 107 Deferring of Christs suffering grieued Christ 451 Wicked men how they deceiue themselues 517 God a debter to no man 531 To defend the truth with the hazard of all that we haue 217 Why God deferreth to giue vs what we desire 723 Delight in sinne maketh vs exceeding sinfull 15 Our deliuerances from punishments to be ascribed to Gods goodnesse 203 God deliuereth not alwaies his deerest Saints from afflictions 206 Christ deliuered from what he feared 448 To derogate from Gods power how great a sinne 161 God denieth his grace vnto the children for their Fathers sinnes 251. Why. 252 Why God denieth what we aske 725 To descend from the crosse easier then to rise from the graue 562 Descention of Christ into hell handled 580. 581 c. proued by Scripture and by the stimonie of antiquitie 484. 618 That Christ descended before hee could ascend 609 Why Christ descended not from the crosse 481 We ought to despaire of no mans conuersion 533 Descending of Christ signifieth the assuming of our flesh 301 Description of God by way of negation affirmation and super eminencie 121 Desire to sinne is an act done 96 Desperate men thinke God cannot forgiue them 139 We ought neuer to despaire of mercie 226 To despaire what a haynous sinne 228 Saints desired nothihg but Christ 264 Demosthenes his Parable vnto the Athenians of the wolues request vnto the sheepe 644 Of the young man that hired an Asse to Megara 678 DI. Christ whether hee died for all men and how 505 To die to sinne what it is 50 a punishment for sinne ibid. To die in sinne what it is 51 Difference betwixt spirituall and eternall punishment 250 How the word God differeth from our Word 309 A great difference betwixt appearing in the forme of man and to be made man 329 Difference betwixt assuming flesh and to bee made flesh 345 Difference betwixt the two-fold generations of Christ and of the Saints 364 Difference betwixt Law and Gospell 3â—4 Difference betwixt the sinnes of the godly and the wicked three-folde 35 Difference betwixt feare and sorrow 449 Philosophers most diligent to attaine to all kinde of knowledge 315 How diligent we ought to be to know Christ 393 Dirt nothing so foule as sinne 52 Diseases of the soule what they be 63 Discontent with God what a heauie sinne 239 Disobedience to God what a haynous sinne 293 Disobedience to parents what a fearefull sinne 240 To distinguish of Gods power reconcileth diuers Authors 150 Dispertion of the Apostles grieued Christ 453 In distresse how wee ought to seeke vnto God 488 Disciples whether they stole Christ from the graue or not 562 Discretion how needfull for Preachers 696 Diuels know God and Christ and the mysterie of the Trinitie 314 Confest Gods power 162 DO Doctrine touching the person of Christ how alwaies opposed by Satan 304 Doctrine of diuinitie how deepe and difficult 392 Whatsoeuer God doth is no sinne 166 Doores being shut how Christ came in 387 Doubting of Gods goodnesse what a fearefull sinne 239 That we should neuer doubt of Gods promises 130 DR To draw neere to vs how God is said 165 M. Drusus desired all men might see what he did 604 EA EArth accursed for the sinne of man 48 EF. The effects that Christs sufferings should worke in vs. 505 EG Egyptians how they expressed death 76 EL. Electionis of some men not of all 203 The elect onely are effectually called 203 Elizabeth the wife of Zacharias of what Tribe she was 397 EN Enemies that besot the godly 177 Enuie of Satan against Christ 493 and why he enuied him 434 Enemies of Christ ascribe to him in mockery what he was in deed 432 433 Enemies of Christ what they testified of him 578 Enemies of man especially three 582 EP. Epicurus confest the world had beginning and shall haue ending 137 EQ Equalitie of sinnes confuted 37 Equitie of eternall punishment for a temporarie sinne shewed in two respects 97 Christ equall with the Father 299 ER. Error of the Philosophers touching the etertie of the world 136 Error of the Vbiquitaries touching the power of God 141 Error of the Iesuites about the power of God 141 Error of Pellagius about the abilitie of mans nature 63 64 Error of Nouatus about sins after Baptisme 112 Errors of the vulgar about the absolute power of God 151 Errors expelled by truth 215 Errors boulstered with lies 175 Error of Saint Gregorie and Saint Bernard confuted 94. 95 Error of Lactantius and Pellagius confuted 63 Error of the Philosophers Stoicks Arist Seleucus Hermias Hermog confuted 136 137 c. Error of the Vbiquitaries shewed 141 Confuted 155. Their Obiect anws 165 Error of Bellarmine and the Iesuites shewed 141. Their Obiections answered 172 c. Error of Saint Hierom. 330 ES. Essence of God in heauen cannot bee seene but in the face of Iesus Christ 118 Essence of God not safe to search too farre into it 124 Essence of God distinguished into three persons 272 The word essence deriued our of Scripture and vsed in Scripture 294 Christ of the same essence with his Father 292. Vnpossible to escape out of the hands of the Angels 337 ET Eternity of Christ proued and the obiections against the same answered 278 279 280 c. Eternall punishment how inflicted for a temporary sinne 94 EV. Eua beleeueth the Deuill 3 The euill that oppresseth euery sinner two-fold 321 Euangelist why hee saith the Word was made flesh rather then man 349 Eutichian heresie what it was 367 c. EX Excuses of sinners to iustifie themselues 24 Excuses of sinners to lessen sinne 110 Examples of wilfull and spitefull sinners 33 Excellency of God cannot be conceiued
goodnesse teaching vs 1. To be afraid to sinne 2. Neuer to desp of Gods goodn 3. To imitate God in each one of the seauen forenamed points 3. By his iustice and that 1. Negatiuely not making the wicked innocent 2. Positiuely by visiting of the sins of the wicked 1. Vpon themselues 2. Vpon their children where is distinguished of 1. Parents 2. Sinnes 3. Children 4. Punishments This Treatise containeth 1. An Introduction of the excellency of the knowledge of Iesus C. wher is shewed that 1. his life is our chiefest direct 2. himselfe our onely consolatiō 2. An explication of that great mystery of the Incarnation of the Word where is handled 1. Who was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where is shewed 1. That there can be but one God and yet that there are three persons in the vnity of that one essence how these three persons are distinguished 1. By their personal actions 1. outward which are 1. Communic 2. Transcient 3. Voluntary 2. Inward which are 1. Permanent 2. Necessary 3. Incommunicable 2. By their nominall relation Father Son and Holy Ghost And that the person made is the second person of the blessed Trinitie To his father 1. Co-eternall 2. Co-essentiall 3. Co-equall And this is fully proued all obict plainely answered and from thence shewed 1. The greatnesse of Gods loue 2. The craftinesse of Satan 3. The peruersnes of hereticks 4. The vnthankfulnes of men 2. Three especiall things touching the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. 1. What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth i. e. the Word 2. Why Christ is tearmed the Word 3. Why the Euangelist vseth this word 1. Because this name of Christ was best knowne to the Iewes and to the Gentiles 2. Because it was the fit st word that he could vse to make way for his subsequent discourse 3. The impulsiue and the finall causes of the Words incarnation and the reasons why the Word rather then the Father or the holy Ghost was to be incarnate 2. What he was made flesh where is shewed 1. The manner of his conception the reasons and the end thereof 2. The matter that hee assumed 1. All our humane nature i. e. body and soule 2. All our humane frailties both of body and soule sinne onely excepted And here is shewed many excellent lessons that we ought to learne in respect 1. Of God 2. Of Christ 3. Of our selues 3. How the Word was made flesh or how the two natures diuine and humane doe make but one person in Christ where is shewed 1. The distinction of the two natures diuine and humane that they doe still remaine intire and inconfused is fully proued and the chiefest obiections made to the contrary are plainly answered 2. The vnion of the two natures in one personis explained and 1. The confirmatiō of the truth of this point is shewed and the greatest obie made against it are sufficiently answered 2. The manner of this vnion wherein it consisteth is expressed viz. 1. Not as the Arrians say onely in respect of 1. Cohabitation 2. Will and affection 3. Co-operation 4. Participation of his names and dignities vnto the manhood 2. But in the communicating of the subsistence of the Word with the subsistence of the manhood where is shewed that this vnion is 1. Inconuertible 2. Indiuisible 3. Inconfused 4. Inseperable 5. Substantiall 6. Ineffable 3. The chiefest benefits effects of the said vnion is shewed and that 1. In respect of Christ which are 1. An exēpt from all sin 2. A collation of ineffable graces into the manhood of Christ 3. A communication of the properties of each nature to the person of Ch. Where the obiection of the vbiquit indeuouring to proue the manhood inuested with Diuine properties are fully answered 2. In resp of vs viz our vnion and reconciliation with God all the happinesse we haue in this life or doe looke for in the life to come This Treatise containeth 1 An introduction of the meditation of Christ his death which is 1. Acceptable vnto God 2. Profitable for vs. 1. To hinder sinne 2. To kindle our charity 3. To erect our hope 2. A declaration of the passion of Christ wherein is handled 4. 1. The person suffering which was 1. A Man 2. A iust Man 3. A good Man 4. A King 5. A Priest 6. A Prophet 7. A God whereis shewed who are subiect to most affliction 2. The sufferings of Christ 1. In the garden of Gethsemane 1. Alone where is shewed 1. How the affections of Christ differ from ours in respect of the 1. Obiect 2. Maner 3. Effects 2. The cause of his agony in respect of 1. obiect 2. subiect where is †Explained 1. What might grieue Christ 1. In respect of himselfe 1. The greatnesse of his paine and shame 2. The deferring of his death and punishment 2. In respect of others 1. Small account he saw they would make of his death 2. The greatnesse of their punishment which hee knew they must suffer for that their neglect 2. What Christ might feare 1. The waight of sinne 2 The malice of Satan 3 The wrath of God 2 By others where is shewed 1. The treason of Iudas where is shewed 1. what Christ had done for Iudas 2. why Iudas betrayed Christ 3. how Iudas betrayed him 2. The flight of all the followers of Christ 3. The taking and binding of Iesus Christ 2. Before his Iudges viz. 1. Before Annas where 1. He is examined 1. Of his Disciples 2. Of his Doctrine 2. he is strucken by the hie P. ser 3. he is denied by his stoutest Ap. 2. Before Pilate the first time where hee is accused 1. Of impiety against God 2. Of treaso against Caesar 3. Before Herod where the mystery of cloathing Christ in white is explained 4. Before Pilate the 2. time where his scourging crowning with thorns c. is expressed 3. In Golgotha where is expressed 1. Those things that he suffered on the Cros 1. An accursed 2. A shamefull 3. A painefull 4. a lingring D where also is shewed the generality of his suffering 2. The 7. gracious words that he vttered many other speciall obseruat full of comfort 3. The necessity of Christ his sufferings in respect of the causes viz. 1. Instrumentall 1. The enuy of Satan 2. The malice of the Iewes 3. The couetousnesse of Iudas 4. The desire of the multitude 2. Efficient God himselfe for our sinnes out of the loue he bare to man 3. Finall 1. In resp of men 1 To saue the Elect by the vertue of his death 2. To make the wicked without excuse for neglecting his death 2. In resp of God for the glory of his blessed N. where is shewed that this should teach vs 1. To compassionate his death 2. To make vs thankefull for so great a benefit 3. To cause vs to loue him aboue all things in the world 4. To make vs ready to suffer any thing with him and for his sake 4. The
of sinne Lanch de operibus dei p. 1. l. 4. c. 11. and so liable to the iust punishment that is due for such a sinne And therefore in the iudgement of the very heathen the will of sinning doth most iustly deserue the punishment of the sinne For It is obserued by Diuines that although Satans power be verie great to corrupt all other faculties of the soule of man as to darken the vnderstanding to dazle the fancie to delude the sences and to prouoke the appetite That Satan hath no power to compell the will yet that hee hath no power to remoue or to turne the will he may tempt and perswade but he cannot compell the same for seeing this is the primum mobile the highest wheele in the frame of our soule that moueth and guideth all our actions and according to which they shall be discerned and iudged therefore in the middest of mans greatest assaults God would not suffer Satan to preuaile and to command the will but hee hath left the same in our owne libertie so that Satan cannot destroy vs vnlesse wee bee willing to destroy our selues and therefore Saint Ambrose sayth Ambros de vita beata habetur 15. q. 1. can Non est Non est quod cuiquam nostram ad scribamus arâ—â—mnam nisi nostra voluntati qui nemo tenetur ad culpam nisi voluntate propria deflexerit There is no reason why any man should ascribe the cause of his miseries to any thing in the world saue onely to his owne will for we perish because we will perish perditio tua ex te Our owne will is the cause of all our woe our destruction is from our selues and from no where else for no man is drawne to sinne neither can it be a sinne vnlesse the agent doth some way yeeld some consent of will for if Satan had power to force the will aliquis iustorum non remaneret then not a righteous man should remaine vpon the face of the earth and therefore are all his temptations called perswasions or suggestions and not compulsions because they are all vsed to make vs voluntary agents to make vs yeeld consent of will for that as I sayd before Non est peccatum nisi sit voluntarium No act can be a sinne any way vnlesse it bee voluntarie some way And therefore as Apollodorus the tyrant dreamed that hee was fleaâ—d by the Scythians and boyled in a seething Caldron and that his owne heart should say vnto him I am the cause of this thy fearefull torments so it is most certaine that there is no damned soule in hell but he may iustly say his owne heart and his owne will sent him thither for let Sathan doe what hee will and let him striue what he can yet if man were true to himselfe The gates of Hell should neuer preuaile against him because no created power is able to compell the will of man And yet such is the power of sinne that although reason should shew vs what is good Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor yet it maketh vs to will onely that which is euill to leaue the incommutable and infallible good and to follow after base and vile affections and then God seeing vs nilling the good and willing the euill he giues vs ouer to a reprobate minde Aug. de l. arbit Vt cum vult homo recte agere non potest quia quando potuit noluit ideo per malum velle perdidit bonum pesse That if we would will well wee cannot because when we could will well we would not and therefore as our first Father Adam so all we that are the sonnes of Adam by willing euill haue and doe loose the power of willing good For Rom. 1.21.24 That our sinne hath depriued vs of all will to doe good As because the Gentiles when they knew God glorified him not as God neither were thankfull therefore God gaue them ouer to vile affections to doe those things that were not conuenient So because when we had our will free and none could command it wee willed euill and not good therefore God in Iustice giues vs ouer to such wilfull greedinesse of sinning that now of our selues we haue not the least will to doe good for if any man willeth good it is from infused grace and not from our inbred will Philip. 1.13 for God worketh in vs both the will and the deed sayth the Apostle but our naturall will is dead from good for sinne hath so defiled the same that it willeth and affecteth nothing but vile and vaine things and so it compelleth euery part and facultie of the soule to long and lust after euill for the vis irascibilis the irascible distasting and angry faculty which should be as a dogge to keepe away sinne doth now waxe angry at euery vertue and that which should detest euill in his brother doth rage and swell at the reproofe of his Father and the vis concupiscibilis the concupiscible faculty or desiring appetite which should desire nothing but goodnesse and what were iust and honest doth now affect nothing but lewdnesse and what is most vile and abhominable and it cannot doe any otherwise Max. l 1. de charitate Nomquemadmodum passerculus pede alligatus c. For as a little bird tyed by the leg when he beginneth to flie is presently drawne downe againe by the string So the mind of man tyed by base affections if it seeke to mount vp to heauenly thoughts it is presently plucked downe againe by sinne saith Maximus And so you see that Quam non mille ferae quam non steneleius hostis Nec potuit quicquam vincere vincit Adam This will of man which neither mortall enemies nor yet infernall spirits nor any other created thing could subdue is now defiled polluted and wholly corrupted by sinne That no outward enemy can compell our will And therefore I can freely yeeld vnto our aduersaries that wee haue free-will in regard of any outward compulsion for that Satan himselfe cannot compell it for if he could we could not iustly be condemned for doing that vnwillingly which we are wholly and forcibly compelled to doe Our inward naturall corruption is that which draweth our will to sinne but we haue not the least free-will in regard of our naturall corruption for as a stone tumbling downe the hill needes no man to driue it so the will of it selfe is so inclined to euill that of it selfe it can no more affect goodnesse then a stone of it selfe to runne vpwards and therefore Saint Iohn saith of the regenerate Iohn 2.13 that they are not borne of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Secondly as no action can be good vnlesse the will be right and the will can neuer be right vnlesse the vnderstanding be right as Seneca saith for though the will be the Mistresse and the Commander of
doth iustice and right vnto the Orphanes and the Widdow and Dauid saith Deus iudex iustus est Psa◠7.12 God is a righteous Iudge and that the Heauens shall declare his righteousnesse i. e. approue and iustifie him in his iudgements And Saint Paul saith that he shall haue the crowne of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4.8 which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue him in that day and the very Heathens say as much for not onely Euripides saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Iustice is not in the eyes of mortall men but Hesiod goeth further saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ipsa autem Iustitia est virgo ex Ioue nata That Iustice is a pure Virgin and an immaculate daughter of the chiefest God that is indeed a true and essentiall propertie of the true and euerliuing God and therefore it must needes follow that of all Iudges God is the iustest Iudge that can be found to punish sinne That God iudgeth euery man according to his desert Valer. l. 1. Thirdly because he rendereth to euery man according to his workes and punisheth great sins with the greater punishment and the longer he stayes to expect our amendment the sorer will be our punishment if we doe not repent Lucius Apuleius do asino aureo I haue read of an Asse that hauing an huge burthen vpon his backe by chance stumbled at a stone and fell her master presently began to chide and to beate her whereat the poore Asse repined and bemoaned her selfe saying in what a miserable state doe I liue and what a cruell master doe I serue for I haue done him many good and faithfull seruices and yet see how for one fault by chance committed I am thus most grieuously handled The fable shewes vs Men reward not men according to iust deserts that men many times doe neither reward nor punish according vnto iust deserts but doe oftentimes suffer good deeds to goe vnrewarded and punish small offences with seuerer punishments then in the rigor of Iustice they haue deserued and it may be often suffer the greater sinners to escape all punishment But it is not so with God for if we doe well and haue our hearts vpright to doe him seruice he will not alwayes be chiding though we should commit many faults but if we doe ill Sinne lyeth at the doore Gen. 4.7 ready to accuse vs and God the righteous Iudge will deale with vs according to our sinnes whether they be great or small Gregor in mor. Nam iniustus quisquis eo attrocius in tormentis obruitur quo altius inpeccatis eleuatur For euery sinfull wretch the more haynous hath beene his sinnes the more grieuous shall be his punishments Hieron super Ezech. saith Saint Gregory So Saint Hierome saith Cui dubium quin inter tres peccatores Gentilem Haereticum Ecclesiasticum multo maioribus paenis dignus sit qui maioris fuerit dignitatis That God punisheth the greater sinners with the greater punishment Who maketh any doubt of this but of three sinners that is the Gentile which is without the Church and the Hereticke which is against the Church the Hypocrite that is within the bosome of the Church he that is the Hypocrite shall be the most seuerely punished which had the chiefest place and was most dignified with that honourable title of a Christian And so Saint Augustine saith Aug. l. 3. de lib. arb Mitissima omnium paenarum erit eorum qui preter peccatum quod originale contraxerunt nullum insuper addiderunt Of all punishments theirs shall be the least which besides their original sinne haue committed none other sinne And the diuine Scripture is as plain in this point as need to be for the Lord speaking of Iezabell saith Quantum in dilicijs fuit tantum date illi tormenti That as much as she hath beene in pleasure i. e. of sinne and iniquitie so much torments shall bee laide vpon her and our Sauiour saith Matth. 11.12.24 It shall be easier for Sodome and Gomorra and more tollerable for Tyre and Sydon in the day of iudgement then for Corazin and Bethsaida and other like sinfull Cities which heard our Sauiour Preach and did see his mighty workes and yet would not repent But against this it may bee obiected Ob. How can it bee that they should be all in the same place tyed in the same lake and burning in the same fire and yet that they should not feele the same punishment To this we answere Sol. that they shall feele the same punishment but not in the same measure the same for length of time but not the same for quantitie of paine Nam sicut vno sole omnes tanguntur c. For as men saith S. Gregory sitting in the heat of the same Sun That the torments of Hell are not equall vnto all Greg. in Moral are not heated warmed in the same manner because the weight of the heat is felt according to the quality and disposition of the body Sic damnatis vna est gehenna quae affligit tamen non omnes vno calore comburit quia quod hic agit dispar valetudo corporum hoc illic exhibet dispar causa meritorum Euen so though there be but one hell which tormenteth all yet doth it not torment all alike for as here the different disposition of their bodies doth cause men differently to perceiue the heate So there the inaequality of their merits will be the cause of disparity in their torments And therefore seeing God loueth righteousnesse iudgeth all without respect of persons and in his iudgements rendreth vnto euery man according to his deeds it is most apparant that God is the iustest Iudge that can be found to punish sinne CHAP. III. That God doth not inflict eternall punishment vpon the foresight of any act of the will that we would eternally sinne How a temporall sinne can deserue an eternall punishment THirdly that this punishment which God inflicteth on man for sinne is most right and iust it is concluded by all Diuines but how this can be that a sinne temporally committed should be eternally punished it seemes a doubt not easie to be decided for some say it is because the sinners will is eternally to liue that hee might eternally sinne So Saint Gregory saith Iniqui ideo cum fine deliquerunt quia cum fine vixerunt nam voluissent vtique sine fine viuere vt potuissent sine fine peccare The wicked doe therefore make an end of sinning because there is an end of their being for they would desire to liue without end that they might sinne without end for this sheweth that they doe alwayes desire to liue in sinne because while they liue they neuer cease to sinne Et nullus detur iniquo terminus vltionis quia quamdiu vixit habere noluit terminum criminis Ad magnam igitur iudicantis iustitiam pertinet vt nunquam
careat supplicio cuius meus in hac vitae nunquam voluit earere peccato And therefore saith he it sheweth the great sincerity of the Iudge and it behoueth his iustice to deale so with them that they should neuer want punishment whose wiâ—s and mindes in this life would neuer want sinne and that there should be no end set to the torments of the wicked because while they are able they set no end to their wickednesse Bern. Ep. 252. And Saint Bernard is of the same minde for he saith that for this cause is the sinne of an inflexible and obstinate minde eternally punished Whether God punisheth a sinner eternally because hee willeth to liue eternally that he might sinne eternally though it be temporally committed Quia quod breue fuit tempore vel opere longum esse constat in pertinaci voluntate ita vt si nunquam moreretur nunquam velle peccare defineret imo semper viuere vellet vt semper peccare posset Because that which was but short in time or action doth appeare to be long in an obstinate will and affection so that if he neuer died he would neuer leaue to sinne nay hee would desire euer to liue that he might euer sinne And I finde most of our owne moderne Diuines to ioyne with these Fathers in the same iudgement But for mine owne part I cannot fully yeeld vnto this opinion for if this be true then God damneth them for sinnes that they would haue done and not for the sinnes that they haue already done Indeede it was the opinion of Pellagius Propter praeuisa bona quae facturi essent si vixissent that GOD receiued many into glory for those good workes they would haue done if they might haue liued and damned others propter praeuisa mala for the euill workes that they would haue done if they could haue liued to doe them for hee that would doe any thing whether good or euill it is as done in the sight of God because hee seeth as well the inward intention of the heart as the outward execution of the worke Matth. 5.28 as our Sauiour sheweth in the example of him that looketh vpon a woman to lust after her and is said thereby to be That God punisheth no man for the sinnes he neuer did Aug de praedâ—st c. 12. l. de perseueran c. 9. an adulterer in his heart already but To this Saint Augustine answereth that it cannot be that any man should receiue either glory or punishment for the workes that he neuer did but would haue done if hee might haue liued to doe them for First the Apostle saith 1 Reason We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ 2 Cor 5.10 that euery one may receiue the things done in his body according to that he hath done i. e. while he liued whether it be good or bad Where wee must obserue that he doth not say according to that he would haue done but according to that which he hath done So our Sauiour saith Iohn 5.29 that they which haue done good shall come forth to the resurrection of life and they that haue done euill to the resurrection of damnation Where againe we must note that he doth not say they that would haue done euill but they that haue done it so when he saith Matth. 25.35 c. Come ye blessed into euerlasting life and sheweth the reason for I was hungry and ye gaue me to eate and to the wicked Goe ye cursed for I was hungry and you gaue me no meate it is to be obserued that he saith not you would haue giuen me or you would not haue giuen me but you haue giuen me and you haue not giuen me and therefore God saueth none for any good workes foreseene that they would haue done nor condemneth any for any sinnes foreseene that they would haue committed 2. Reason Secondly if this were true that God iudgeth according to what men would haue beene if they could haue continued then the Tyrians and the Sidonians and many other wicked men should be saued or could not well be iustly condemned for Matth. 11.21 If the great workes and wonders which our Sauiour did among the Iewes had beene done amongst them they would haue repented them of their sinnes in dust and ashes And so many of the godly must of necessity haue beene condemned for they are speedily taken away least that wickednesse should alter their vnderstanding Sap. 4.10 or deceit beguile their soule for the bewitching of naughtinesse doth obscure things that are honest 3. Reason Thirdly if this were true it must needes follow that God should foresee those things as future things which were neuer to be which doth imply a contradiction for though God knoweth what may be done though it be neuer done yet can he not be said to foresee any thing to be Zanchius de natura Dei l. 5. c. 2. p. 530. which indeede shall not be for things that are existent and haue a being are seene things that are possible to be are knowen and all future things that shall be and are to be are as present with God as if they were but those things that were neuer to be nor shall euer be cannot be said to be present with him and therefore to say that God will punish them eternally because they would haue sinned eternally if they had eternally liued is neither agreeable to the iustice of God to punish them for the things that they haue neuer done nor to the truth of God which saith they shall receiue their reward according to what they haue done 2 Cor. 5.10 and not according to what they would haue done nor yet to the reason of man that sinnes neuer committed should be so seuerely punished That the desire of the heart is an act done To the reason alledged that the will of sinning is the same with God as if they had actually sinned I answere first that sinne is two wayes to be considered first as it is in the heart and intention and secondly as it is in the acte and execution Now our Sauiour doth not say that he which looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed the fact in the sight of God but is guilty of the sinne in respect of the desire and intention which is an act alreadie done and not in respect of the outward act which is not done at all and therefore he sayth that such a one hath committed adultery with her in his heart i. e. inwardly but not outwardly and therefore is he onely so farre guilty i. e. so farre forth as the act is done but no further Secondly I say that if their will were to desire to liue euer that they might sinne euer That to will to sinne euer is a temporarie act yet this is but a temporarie act of the will and doth not include an euerlasting willing of the same because
praecipua laudatio est c. This is one of the chiefest commendations of God that he hath no meane nor measure in him for his power his vertue his Maiestie How the Fathers doe extoll the power of God cannot be contained in place determined by time expressed in words nor conceiued in our best vnderstandings our sence is too narrow our wit is too blunt and our tongue too mute to performe so great a taske because as the Psalmist speaketh Psal 145.3 There is no end of his greatnesse And therefore Saint Augustine saith excellently well Demus Deum multa posse nos intelligere non posse That we must grant that God can doe many things Aug. ep 3. ad Volusian which we must confesse wee can neither search out the cause nor vnderstand the things because the power of God is not to be straitned within the compasse of our shallow apprehensions How great a sinne it is to say any thing derogatory to the Power of God And therefore we ought to take great heed that we neither say nor conceiue any thing derogatory to the power of God for if it be ordained by humane Lawes that he which should offend the Maiestie of a King though but a man should leese his head for his offence Quis finis contemnentium diuinam omnipotentiam erit Bernard in cant What should become of those that contemne or speake against the Diuine Omnipotency of God saith Saint Bernard Fourthly the very Heathens Poets Phylosophers and all of the learneder sort haue confest as much as is sufficient to proue the Omnipotent power of God Homer Odyss 3. p. 65. for Homer brings in Minerua speaking vnto Telemachus and saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is as much as if shee said That God can doe what hee will and none can hinder him because as one saith Ille potest solis currus inhibere volantes How the very Heathens haue extolled the Omnipotency of God Ille velut scopulos flumina stare facit He can hold still great Phoebus wayne as he did in the days of Ioshua at he did at thered Sea And stoutest streames he can restraine For though as another saith Astra regunt mundum These sublunary Creatures are generally guided by the influences of the higher Orbes yet to conclude the verse he saith Sed regit astra Deus The God of Heauen doth rule the Heauens and rideth vpon the same as vpon an Horse And therefore an Indian Gymnosophist being demanded by Alexander what God did answered What he will Et quod nulla creatura facere potest And what no mortall man nor any other creature can doe for they daily saw how by his strength vnlikely matters haue come to passe the greatest imaginations haue beene dissolued with a blaste and dying hopes haue beene reuiued from their graues and therefore they all concluded that Ludit in humanis diuina potentia rebus It was an easie matter for Gods power to deale with all Creatures as he listed and How the very Diuels haue confest the Power of God Fiftly the very Diuels doe acknowledge and confesse and obey the power of God For Apollo being demanded of one by what meanes he might with-draw his wise from Christianitie He answered That he might easier flie through the Ayre or write in the Sea then plucke her away from Christ because God was so powerfull to preserue her Heydelf de Deo c. 2. and the Diuell so weake to striue against him and being requested by Augustus to informe him who should succeede him in his Empire hee saide Peucerus de Oracul p. 251. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Hebrew Childe hath inioyned me to silence and I must hence-forth obey his voyce And so the Scripture saith That the vncleane Spirits were obedient vnto Christ and as the winde and the waues so did they yeeld and doe whatsoeuer Christ commanded them Much more might be said to confirme this point Quid satis est cui Roma parum but all is but to light a candle before the Sunne And therefore seeing I am no wayes able to speake what I ought to expresse this truth I will proceede to see what the sonnes of darkenesse can say against this truth And as I distributed the adversaries into foure Classies so I finde their obiections to be foure-fold Obiect The Obiections that are made against the truth of Gods Power answered Sol. That there be three sorts of Agents First the Naturalists say that Ex nihilo nihil fit Of nothing nothing can be made And therefore God is not so powerfull as to be able to produce things of nothing and to create this Vniuerse out of no subsistent matter To this I answere that there be three sorts of workers 1. The lowest 2. The middlemost 3. The highest or else 1. Artificers 2. Nature 3. God First Artificers can doe nothing but of some body composed of the first matter and a substantiall forme into which they doe induce an accidentall forme as the Baker out of his Dowe makes Bread or the Potter out of his tempered clay makes his Potts Secondly Nature or naturall Agents can likewise produce nothing into being vnlesse there be first some matter or subiect whereunto it induceth a naturall forme so from any naturall seede is composed the fruit of each seede in his kinde as from the seede of man is ingendered man and so of all other things whatsoeuer And in these two sorts of Agents the axiome is most true That God can produce any thing of nothing that of nothing nothing can be made but of the third agent that is God it is most false for as he did create all things of nothing so he can yet as easily of no being produce any being as he can change any compleat being into another And therefore to argue from the creature vnto the Creator or from the faculty of the inferior agent vnto the faculty of the superior as the Artificer cannot doe it therefore Nature cannot doe it or Nature cannot doe it therefore the God of Nature cannot doe it is most absurd and foolish Euery Childe can perceiue the weakenesse of this childish reasoning Secondly Obiect the desperate men doe obiect against their owne soules that Gods Iustice is so strict that it requires euery sinne and the least sinne to be punished with eternall death and their sinnes are not onely few and small but most infinite in number euen as Manasses saith My sinnes are more innumerable then the sands of the Sea and most haynous for quality euen as Caine saith My sinne is greater Quam vt venia merear Gen. 4.13 Then I can deserue pardon or they be greater then can be pardoned And therefore say they God cannot pardon our sinnes but we must die and die eternally for our sinnes To this I answere first Sol. that it had beene very good for them they had reasoned
will or the not obeying of his command and therefore whatsoeuer God willeth is no sinne and whatsoeuer God biddeth or willeth to be done is no sinne nay if Abraham had not done it he had sinned because he had not obayed Gods command And thirdly to the words of the Apostle I say that in euery sinne there is two things to be considered 1. The Act. 2. The deformity of the Act. First for the Act we confesse that to doe any naturall Act we doe receiue power and ability from God for in him we liue and moue Act. 17. as the Apostle saith Secondly for the deformity of the Act which is indeed formale peccati i. e. the sinne we say this is wholly from our selues Quia peccare est deficere in agendo vel aberrare à recto scopo Because the sinne is a deficiency and an erring from the scope or will of God and God is the efficient cause or the cause of the efficiency and not of the deficiency of any thing And therefore he cannot be said to worke the sinne though he giueth the power to doe the Act. Ob. But you will say that he can doe whatsoeuer he will but hee willeth the sinne for if he were not willing no sinne should be Therefore he can doe the sinne Sol. I answere that we may be said to will a thing two wayes 1 Properly for it owne sake because it is desireable and thus God onely willeth good 2 Improperly for some other good that may arise from that thing that is willed so a man willeth many times the losse of a limbe to saue his life And thus God may be said to will euill not properly for it owne sake Aug. de cor grat c. 7. but in respect of some other good that may from that euill accrew So hee willed that Iudas should be elected Ad opus damnabile vt per illud opus venerabile i. e. mors Christi compleretur To performe a damnable worke that by the same a most comfortable worke might be effected and so he willed the death of his Sonne that he might be the Sauiour of all his seruants and this is rather to be called a voluntary permission then an effectuall willing of sinne Thirdly they may obiect that he can worke contradictories Ob. 3 because he can make that those things which haue beene and are should not haue beene for he that can doe that which is impossible of it selfe can more easily doe that which is impossible by accident but to make those things which haue beene not to haue beene is onely impossible by accident and therefore God can make them not to haue been and if he can make those things which haue been not to haue been he can worke contradictories To this I answere Sol. that he can reduce all things into nothing as he hath created all things of nothing and that he could not to haue made any thing of those things that he hath made because he is liberrimus agens so free an agent as that hee might haue chosen whether he would haue done any thing or nothing but now being done I say that he cannot doe but that they haue been done for as it is most true That it is simply impossible to make those things which haue beene made not to haue beene made that Quaedam habuerunt rationem possibilium dum erant fienda iam autem deficiunt à ratione possibilium dum sunt facta As some things haue had the possibility of being done while they were to be done and haue now lost the possibility of being done being already done So it is as true that God had the possibility of not doing them before they were done but now he hath not the possibility of causing those things which haue been done not to haue beene done and therefore though for that which hath beene not to haue beene Quod factum est infectum fieri non potest may in some respect be said to be impossible by accident Yet if we consider a thing past in respect of its being past and not to haue beene past it is not onely impossible of it selfe but absolutely impossible yea Magis impossible quam mortuos sustitare A great deale more impossible to doe then to raise all the dead saith a Father And therefore S. Augustine saith excellently well that if any man would say If God be omnipotent lâ—t him make those things not to haue beene done which haue beene already done Aug. contra Faustum Manic lib. 26. c. 8. Hee should consider that this is all one as if hee should say If he be omnipotent let him bring to passe that those things which are true may be false euen in the same respect for which they are true which is impossible for God to doe And so you see that notwithstanding all that can be said it is most apparantly true that although God can doe Omnia possibilia that is not all things that are possible for him to doe as a man may be said to be able to doe what is possible for a man to doe for this were but a circulation to say God can doe all things that he can doe or that are possible for him to doe but simply absolutely all things that are possible to be done yet that hee cannot simply and absolutely doe all things whatsoeuer as especially those things which are repugnant to his Nature or doe imply a contradiction Ob. But then the Vbiquitaries will obiect that for the Body of Christ to be in euery place is no contradiction for they doe not say that it is circumscribed in one place and vncircumscribed in euery place which indeed is contradictory but they say that as the Deity is limited to no place but is vnlimited in euery place so is the body of Christ by reason of the hypostaticall vnion Iohn 1.14 the word being made flesh not bounded to any one place but euery where in euery place wheresoeuer the Godhead is and herein say they there is no contradiction no more then to say that God is euery where which is none at all Sol. To this I answere first that to proue their Vbiquity from the vnion of the word with the flesh is Fallacia non causae vt causa A fallacie when that is alleaged for a cause which is indeede no cause for that hypostaticall vnion doth not make that one nature should be the other nor that one nature should be as the other but that each one of them should intirely preserue their owne properties else had the Diuine nature beene passible and the humane nature impassable which is most absurde Secondly I say that a thing may be sayd to be euery where either 1. Per se by it selfe and so nothing is euery where but God 2. Per accidens in respect of some other thing and thus the Body of Christ How and in what fence the body of Christ may be sayd to
forgiue them without exceeding great repentance Indeed I confesse that such grieuous sinners are in a grieuous case and that it is not likely God would haue vsed such fearefull threatnings but against haynous sinners yet I told you before that no sinne was so great but the Mercy of God is greater and able to forgiue if they be able to repent And therefore Others say that the former clause forgiuing iniquity and transgression and sinne is to be vnderstood of the sinnes of Gods Elect be they great or be they small he forgiues them all and this latter clause not making the wicked innocent to be vnderstood of the sinnes of the Reprobate of what quality soeuer they be for he will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy Exod. 33.19 and whom hee will he hardneth c. And I yeeld this to be true in it selfe but because God onely knoweth absolutely How both sentences are reconciled Ex priori from the causes infallibly who are his and we know it onely Ex posteriori by the effects of Gods fauour and the fruits of his Spirit if we would be assured of the remission of our sinnes and would more certainely know how both these sentences may be reconciled I say briefly that the first sentence is to be vnderstood of the penitent and amending sinners of what quality soeuer their sinnes haue beene and the latter clause of continuall vnrepentant transgressors for God will pardon any sinne if you be sorry for it and forsake it but no sinne if you continue in it For God shall wound the head of his enemies Psal 68.21 and the hayrie scalpe of such a one as goeth on still in his wickednesse saith the Prophet And therefore if any of vs haue sinned yet let vs not continue in sinne for mercy and wrath come from God and if we continually sinne in the time of grace we shall suddenly be destroyed in the day of vengeance Quia non delinquenti sed peccata relinquenti misericors Deus est Because God will not be mercifull vnto them that offend of malicious wickednesse Rom 3.8 and doe still goe on in sinne that grace may abound whose damnation is iust as the Apostle speaketh But thou wilt say thou hopest God will giue thee grace to repent and thou meanest to leaue thy sinnes before thou beest compelled to leaue the world It is true beloued that our sinnes shall be pardoned whensoeuâ—r we repent but we cannot repent That men cannot repent when they will whensoeuer we will because repentance is the gift of God and we haue not God at our command but as a Father truely saith Qui dat paenitenti veniam non semper dat peccanti paenitentiam God which alwayes pardoneth the repentant sinner doth not alwayes giue repentance vnto sinners but as they neglected him Rom. 2.5 so he reiecteth them and suffereth them to heape vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath And therefore though God be slow to anger and suffereth long yet he is full of Iustice and will not suffer euer but at last the fire of his fury will be kindled and then Furor arma ministrat His wrath will quickly afford him weapons and as Lactantius saith Tarditatem irae grauitate supplicij compensabit He will requite the slownesse of his wrath with the seueritie of his vengeance for as the old distich saith Ad veniam tardus Deus est Serior esse solet vindicta Jeuerior ad praemia velox Sed pensare solet vt grauiore moram God vseth to come to punish on leaden feet but he payeth home with iron hands he will reach them farre and hee will smite them full And therefore To day if yee will heare his voyce Psal 95.8 harden not your hearts and deferre not your amendment till to morrow for Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit If thou wilt not doe it to day it will be farre harder for thee to doe it to morrow and if thou wilt not doe it at all thou art in a most feareful case for God absoluing will neuer absolue thee that is he will neuer forgiue thy sins because thou wilt not forsake thy sinnes And so much for the denyall of pardon and absolution vnto the wicked CHAP. XII Of a two-fold visitation of God and the full opening of that point how God doth and that iustly visite the sinnes of the Fathers vpon the children and yet punish none but for his owne sinnes FOr the second GOD saith not onely that he will not absolue the wicked but he addeth further that hee will visite the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children Touching which we must first obserue that visitare est post longum tempus recordare To visite is after a long time to call to minde to remember That there is a two-fold visitation of God and to see those things againe which we seemed to haue quite forgotten and we finde a two-fold visitation of God First when he seemeth to forget our miseries to sleepe in our afflictions euen sometimes vntil we be almost ouerwhelmed with the raging waues of this world Matth. 8.24 as the Disciples were with the waues of the Sea Yet at last when he seeth his time First God visiteth the afflicted and not when we thinke it sit he will awake as a Gyant out of sleepe and he will asswage the windes and rebuke the Seas and deliuer his people out of all their miseries thus he remembred Noah Gen. 8.1 thus hee visited his people that were in Egypt Exod. 3.7 and thus when wee seeme to be forsaken of God because wee are despised among men Luke 1.68 he will when he seeth time visite vs and redeeme vs oâ—t of our distresse Secondly God visiteth the wicked Secondly When God suffereth the wicked to goe on in sinne and to passe from one wickednesse to another and yet still to flourish like a greene Bay-tree to build them houses to enlarge their possessions and to haue all things at their desire he seemeth to forget their impieties or to haue taken no notice of their wickednesse yet at last as the Prophet speaketh when they least thinke of it He will visite their iniquities with the rod Psal 89.32 Psal 50.21 and their sinnes with scourges Yea he will reprooue them and set before their faces the things that they haue done and then he will seuerely punish all their sinnes and that two wayes 1. In themselues 2. In their children First It is iust with God and so it seemeth iust with men To render vengeance to them that feare not God For this cause we finde 2 Pet. 2.4 He spared not the Angels that offended Nor any man that sinned but thrust Adam out of Paradise destroyed the whole world by the deluge God will punish sinners Sodome and Gomorrha with fire and brimstone Corah Dathan and Abiram Saul Nabuchadnezzar Iudas Herod and many more he
That Christ was conceiued a perfect man in the first moment of his conception before the body of any Childe in the wombe be fully formed yet Christ in the very instant of his conception Quoad perfectionem partium non graduum In respect of the perfection of all parts was made a perfect man in body and soule voide of sinne and full of grace And so in a moment Totam naturam humanam vniendo formauit formando vniuit He was perfectly framed and instantly vnited vnto this eternall Word perfect God and perfect man because it is the property of the Holy Ghost Subito operari To worke instantly and perfectly And therefore Damascene saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damascen l. 3. c. 2. de fide orth as soone as euer the Flesh of Christ was conceiued it was presently vnited and made the Flesh of this Word God Aug l. de fide ad Pet. c. 18. And Saint Augustine biddeth vs to beleeue assuredly Carnem in vtero non esse conceptam priusquam susciperetur à verbo That the Flesh of Christ was not conceiued in the wombe before it was assumed of the Word And so Saint Hierome vpon the words of the Prophet Ieremy Ierem. 3. Pet. Martyr in Symbol Amand. Polan Syntag. theol de persona Christi l. 6. c. 14. where he saith that a Woman shall compasse a Man is of the same minde And not onely the ancient but also the moderne Writers doe most of them agree in this same point And therefore when we consider how wonderfully and inexplicably this Word was made Flesh how a Starre gaue light vnto the Sunne a Branch did beare the Vine a Creature gaue being vnto the Creator how the Mother was yonger then what shee bare and a great deale lesser then what shee contained and how this Childe was suddenly made perfectly made holily made without the helpe of man wee may well say with the Apostle that great is the mystery of godlinesse 1 Tim. 3.16 And we should say with Saint Augustine Rem credo modum non quaero I doe most faithfully beleeue the matter but I will not curiously search into the manner of his conception Christ was conceiued of a Virgin that he might be free from all sinne Thirdly Touching the end and finall cause of this his extraordinary and miraculous conception It was as I haue partly shewed before two-fold First That he might be pure and free from all originall sinne because it was requisite that hee which should saue sinners should be himselfe free from all sinne Ob. But against this it may be obiected that all those which were descended from Adams loynes did sinne in Adam for if the roote be holy Rom. 11.16 the branches are likewise holâ— but if the roote be rotten the branches must needes be corrupted And Saint Paul saith That by one man sinne entred into the World Rom. 5.12 and by sinne death and so death went ouer all men because all men had sinned But Christ according to the Flesh descended from the Ioynes of Adam for so Saint Luke fetcheth his Pedegree Luc. 3. vâ—t euen from Adam and therefore Christ cannot be quite free from all the contagion of sinne Sol. I answere that the guilt of Adams sinne diffused it selfe onely vpon such as were in him both according to the substance of their flesh That Christ commeth not from Adam after the vsuall manner of generation Et secundum rationem seminalem and according to the carnall and vsuall way of propagation as Aquinas saith But Christ though he came from Adam according to the substance of his flesh yet was hee not produced from him according to the ordinary way of naturall generation for he was conceiued of the Holy Ghost and borne of a pure Virgin who neuer knew man carnally at any time And therefore it is most true which Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 2.22 That he did no sinne neither was any guile found in his mouth Heb. 7.26 and that also which Saint Paul saith He was pure and vndefiled separate from sinners Secondly He was thus conceiued in all purity that hee might thereby hide and couer our impure conception from the sight of God for he was conceiued after a new manner that he might take away that sinne which humane generation attracteth and getteth by the accompanying and coupling of sinnefull flesh And so Saint Augustine saith God was in carnate in the wombe of his Mother a Virgin Aug. de fide ad Petrum c. 2. without any carnall copulation with any man and without any lust of the conceiuing Virgin that by the God man which being conceiued without any lust the inuiolate wombe of the Virgin hath brought forth that sinne might be washed away which all other men that are begotten with mans seede are infected withall because the condition of our birth is such that our Mothers cannot performe that worke of fruitfulnesse vnlesse they first leese the virginity of their flesh and so with the emission of seede That it was not the purity of the Virgin but the working of the holy Ghost that caused Christ to be conceiued without sinne send forth an infection of sinne which corrupteth both the begetters and the begotten And therefore hence it is apparant that seeing he was not onely sanctified by the Holy Ghost that he might be holy and without staine of sinne and so fitted to be vnited to the person of the Sonne of God but was also made by the Holy Ghost without any helpe of man we neede not runne with the Franciscan Friars to the purity of his Mothers conception and birth to make him pure and without sinne for indeed it is the manner of his conception by the Holy Ghost and the sanctifying of that substance which he assumed of his Mother and the purging of it from all disposition or inclination vnto euill and not the purity of his Mothers conception or her want of originall corruption that frees our Sauiour Christ from all imputation of originall infection And therefore though we acknowledge her the most blessed amongst Women and sanctified aboue the ordinary degrees of any other man or woman Rom. 5.12 yet to say that shee was no wayes tainted with originall sinne I dare not affirme because both the Scriptures Luc. 2.48 and those fruits that we read of which doe spring from this naturall roote John 2.4 doe sufficiently seeme vnto mee to contradict the same And so you see the manner how the substance of his man-hood was conceiued CHAP. II. Of the matter whereof the Flesh of Christ was formed and that he had a true naturall Body SEcondly We are to consider the matter from which the Flesh of Christ was composed for as there are diuers kindes of bodies coelestiall bodies aeriall bodies and terrestriall bodies So there are diuers kindes of Flesh for all flesh is not the same flesh 1 Cor. 15. but there is
vndergone tenne of them and hath suffered the same euen as we doe First Cold Secondly Heat Two infirmities incident to euery man and denyed by no man to bee in Christ else could he not be a man Matth. 21.18 Thirdly Hunger as when he came to the Figge-tree and would haue eaten John 4.7 C. 19.28 Fourthly Thirst as when he asked Drinke of the woman of Samaria and cryed I thirst vpon the Crosse John 4 6. Fiftly Wearinesse as when he sate by the Well to rest him John 19.17 Sixtly Weakenesse and Paine as when he was not able to beare his Crosse any further but was faine to haue Simon of Cyren to helpe him Matth. 27.32 And these sixe were infirmities of his Body the other belonged more properly vnto his soule and must bee warily distinguished if we would truly vnderstand them as they are in him Matth. 26 38. Seauenthly Heauinesse and Sorrow as when his soule was heauy vnto death Luke 19.51 and when hee wept for griefe ouer the Citie of Ierusalem That there is a two-fold sorrow But here we must distinguish and know that this heauinesse and sadnesse of Christ was in him as an affliction and not as a transgression and that it was in his sensuall and not in his rationall will or if in his reasonable will that he was sorrowfull because he would be sorrowfull Iohn 11.33 Et turbatus quia turbauit seipsum And was troubled because he troubled himselfe and therefore his sorrow was Subiacens non praesidens turbans sed non perturbans eum Ruled by reason and not ouer-ruling reason and so onely disturbing Marke 6.6 but no wayes disordering him Eightly Shamefastnesse and admiration as when hee marueiled at the infidelity of the Iewes 1 Kings 18. euen as Elias was ashamed of the iniquity and wondered at the stupiditie of the Israelites But here also we must know that it was externally moued by the sinnes of others and not internally procured by any act of his owne Heb. 5.7 Ninthly Feare as when his Father heard him in that which he feared and in this as through wearinesse he willingly fainted so through feare he was exceedingly astonished But here likewise we must distinguish that his feare was That there is a two-fold feare Filialis non seruilis A filiall feare adioyned with Hope and not a seruile feare proceeding from despaire that is not a sinfull but a pious feare which might moue him in his considerations but no wayes remoue him from his godly intentions Tenthly Anger as when he looked angerly vpon them and so when he droue the buyers and sellers out of the Temple Matth. 21.13 That there is a two-fold anger But yet still we must distinguish that his anger was stirred vp and moued Per zelum non per vitium through a godly zeale and not through any inordinate affection and it was nothing else in him but Voluntas vindicatiua malefacti A desiring will to punish the sinne and not a sinfull passion to be reuenged on the person of the sinner as Bonauenture saith These are the tenne infirmities which Discipulus saith were in our Sauiour Christ thus and after this manner as I haue shewed you The other two which he denyeth to be in him are 1. Sinne. 2. Ignorance For the first that is Sinne we all know that he had none For the second that is Ignorance we must distinguish that it was either 1. Crassa 2. Mera That is either 1. A sinfull ignorance 2. A simple ignorance The first we call Ignorantia prauae dispositionis That there is a two-fold ignorance An ignorance of a wicked disposition as when men know not or will not know the things that they ought or might know and this we say was not in Christ because it is sinfull and the cause of many sinnes The second we call Ignorantia merae priuationis An ignorance of meere priuation Et ignorantia negatiua seu nescientia plurimorum and a negatiue ignorance or the not knowing of many things which are not of absolute necessitie to be knowne and this ignorance we say was in our Sauiour Christ First because Adam had the same in the state of his innocency for he was ignorant of many things that God did know Jgnatius in ep 2. ad Trallian That Christ was ignorant of some things and he knew not that he should be seduced by the Serpent Secondly because he did increase in wisedome and knowledge i. e. in his acquisite and experimentall wisedome and not in his infused or diuine wisedome for he had them perfect from the very first moment of his conception Damasc l. 3. Nazian l. 2. de fil and therefore by his acquisite and experimentall wisedome he learned some things that he knew not before Thirdly because he knew not that there were no Figges on the Fig-tree vntill hee went and saw there was none and hee knew not the houre and the day of iudgement Polanus in Sympho Catholica thesi 7. c. 9. Scotus in sent dist 14. q. 1. 4 Fourthly because all ancient Orthodoxe Fathers doe confirme the same truth as Amandus Polanus sheweth And yet we say that although Christ knew not these things Ex natura humanitatis by the manhood yet he did know them in natura humanitatis in the manhood for the Schoolemen doe well distinguish of a two-fold knowledge in Christ 1. In verbo in the word whereby he seeth all things as in a cleere Chrystall glasse 2. In genere proprio in each proper nature whereby he seeth all things as they are in themselues and from himselfe In the first sense wee say the man Christ Iesus knoweth all things because he is hypostatically vnited vnto that eternall word which made and seeth and knoweth all things And In the second sense we say that the knowledge of Christ is twofold 1. Infused 2. Acquisite First the infused knowledge at the very instant of his conception was granted and powred into his manhood so much as a finite creature could be capable of But In what sense Christ may be said to be ignorant of any thing Secondly the acquisite knowledge did increase daily more and more as his experience acquainted him with many things that practically he knew not before and in this respect we may lawfully say that Christ was ignorant of many things in his youth which afterwards he learned in his age And so you see that as Christ assumed our nature so he assumed all our naturall imperfections that are voide of sinne though they were full of paine But here we must obserue that he assumed them all as Saint Augustine saith Non miseranda necessitate sed miserante voluntate Not by any imposed necessitie but by a voluntary assuming of them to deliuer vs from them because he freely subiected himselfe vnto them when no Law could haue compelled him to vndergoe them And thus I haue shewed you how this word was
beginning and ending The second is proper to seules and spirits which haue beginning but shall neuer haue ending The third is proper to all compound bodies which as they had beginning so they shall haue ending Quia omnia orta occidunt omnia aucta senescunt Because all raised or created things shall fall and whatsoeuer increaseth waxeth old After the first sense the Word was neuer made in any time but is the Father of all times and before all times After the second sense the Soule of Christ was made in time but to continue euer immortall for all times And How Christ was made in time After the third sence the Body of Christ was likewise made in time and to continue here but for a time in respect of his mortall condition before it was inuested with the indowments of immortality And so both Body and Soule of Christ were made in time to subsist in the person of him that made all time that time wherin he was made thus to subsist was in the fulnesse of time saith the Apostle for as places so times haue their fulnesse and their emptinesse some places are empty hauing nothing in them but onely ayre and some are full of gold and pearles and precious things euen so some times are voyde of strange accidents How time hath his fulnesse and sometimes are full of admirable occurrents and in such a time was the Word made flesh the Sonne of God made man for now the time was full of peace full of plenty and full of wickednesse the Diuell had broken loose and had possest the minds of most and the bodies of many men more then euer before or euer since as some imagine by reason of those multitudes that they reade of to be really possessed with Diuels in our Sauiours time And therefore being so full of all vnrighteousnesse Rom. 29. he that was the fulnesse of grace came to root out the euill weeds of our sinnes Iohn 1.16 and out of his fulnesse to offer vs grace for grace For First hee would not come before Adam fell because that had beene superfluous to seeke the sheepe before the sheepe were lost Secondly he would not come presently after because thereby he would shew the greater loue to mankinde for though in some cases it be true that gratia ab officio quod mora tardat abest delayed kindnesse looseth halfe his goodnesse yet herein the long tarrying of Christ before he came to be incarnate was a manifest signe of his greater goodnesse towards vs for these three speciall causes First that by the Law of nature Why Christ stayed so long before he came and by the written Law of God man might be conuinced and see his owne sinnes and so be the more moued to seeke his Sauiour Secondly that he tarrying for a while might be the more earnestly desired and make him being obtayned to become the more acceptable vnto vs Quia diu desiderata dulcius obtinentur because that things long desired are more sweet when they are obtained as Saint Augustine speaketh Thirdly that due preparation might be made by the Patriarches and Prophets before his comming and the people made by them apt and ready to receiue him and to imbrace his comming that so his comming might be the more profitable vnto them for they were sent to prepare Matth. 3.3 and to make straight the way of the Lord and therefore as his tarrying now from comming to iudgement is an exceeding great argument of his goodnesse because he doth it to see if his long patience will leade vs to repentance so his long tarrying then was a sure signe of his greater loue because he would haue vs thereby to be fitted to make the better vse of his comming and yet Why Christ would not stay any longer then he did Thirdly he would not stay vntill the last end of the world Ne fides spes de promisso semine nimis tardatae perirent Least staying so long there should be no hope left to expect him no faith to beleeue in him and no charity to loue him when hee should come For though there was but a little goodnesse then God knowes Patrios ante dies filius quaerebat in annos Yet there is a great deale lesse now all the world sees Terras Astraea reliquit For our Sauiour told vs that towards the end of the world The loue of many should waxe cold and faith should scarce be found vpon the face of the whole earth And therefore seeing that to come in the beginning of the world had beene too soone and to tarry till the latter end had been too late he came in the fittest time in the fulnesse of time to be incarnate and made flesh The particular time of the Words incarnation And if we search a little further to know more particularly what time was this fulnesse of time we shall finde it to be 1. In the sixt Age of the world 2. In the Raigne of Augustus and Herod 3. In the tenth Moneth of the yeare 4. In the shortest Day of the Moneth 5. In the first Day of the Weeke 6. In the first Houre of the Day First We must note that as man which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the little world so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great and large Vniuerse hath his times and his ages for Damascen Lucidus and others as Clicthouaeus collecteth doe affirme that the worlds age is seauen-fold How the world is diuided into his seuerall ages First the infancy of it from Adam to the flood Secondly the child-hood of it from the flood to Abraham Thirdly the youth of it from Abraham to Moses Fourthly the riper and liuelier youth from the Law to Dauid Fiftly the man-hood of it from the Temple of Salomon to the Captiuity Sixtly the maturity of it from the Captiuity of Babylon vnto Christ Seauenthly Aug. de ciuit Dei l. vlt. c. vlt. the dotage of it from Christ vnto Iudgement but Saint Augustine Saint Chrysostome Saint Isidore Bede Arrias Montanus and others though they say the world doth consist of seauen ages yet they doe diuide them otherwise viz. 1. From Adam vnto Noahs Flood containing 1656. yeares The diuision of the worlds age 2. From Noahs Flood vnto Abraham 293. or 383. 3. From Abraham vnto Dauid 941. 4. From Dauid to the Captiuity 485. and 6. Moneths 5. From the Captiuity vnto Christ 620. 6. From Christ to the day of Iudgement 1624. hitherto and how many more none can tell As our Sauiour shewth Of that day and houre knoweth no man 7. From the day of Iudgement vnto all Eternity for euer and euer And so according to this account Christ was borne in the yeare of the world 4085. but according to the seauenty Interpreters account he was borne in the yeare 5461. and according to our account he was borne in the yeare 3948. and so I find in the account of yeares
life Why Christ would not answere Pilate whence he was Or as others thinke he would not answere least by his eloquence he should haue escaped death insomuch that Pilate who vniustly condemned him iustly admired this that he which was wont to open his mouth in Parables and to teach others the way vnto eternall life would not at this time open his mouth to speake one word for himselfe to saue his life Secondly Pilate being much affraide to be thought an enemie vnto Caesar Marke 15.15 and being most willing to please the people as the Euangelist noteth he determined to deliuer him to be crucified And these were the motiues that caused Pilate to condemne our Sauiour Christ and these cause many a man to sinne when we feare man more then God What moued Pilate to deliuer Christ to be crucified and are desirous rather to please the people then to discharge our consciences from which two fearefull things good Lord deliuer euery faithfull soule Thirdly Because Pilate knew that for enuie the Iewes deliuered him to be crucified and his owne conscience by many arguments testified vnto him how vniustly hee condemned that iust man Math 27.24 The poor shift of Pilate to excuse himselfe therefore that it might happen vnto the Iewes according as they had concluded themselues His bloud be vpon vs and vpon our Children He taketh water and washeth his hands saying I am innocent from the bloud of this iust person See ye to it And then he gaue sentence that it should be as they required that IESVS CHRIST should be presently CRVCIFIED The sentence of Christs condemnation Ah sencelesse sinnefull man a man voide of wisedome to commit such an horrible sinne against thy God and to condemne life to death Alas what auaileth it thee to wash thy hands in water and to defile thy heart with bloud for how shalt thou answere this not onely to condemne an innocent Sed ijsdem labijs illum condemnare quibus pronuntiaueras innocentem But also with the same lippes to condemne him as guilty which euen now had pronounced him guiltlesse Surely God may say to thee as to all those Iudges that follow thy steppes to make a long speech to iustifie themselues Luke 19.22 and in few words to condemne the innocent Out of thine owne mouth will I condemne thee O thou euill seruant and I will iustly condemne thee to eternall death because thou hast vniustly condemned an innocent man to death O consider this ye that forget God and ye that be called Gods on Earth cleanse your hearts from all euill and let not your hands deale with wickednesse so shall you be innocent from the great offence And so you see what the Iudge of all the World suffered before these petty Iudges of this World CHAP. VI. What Christ suffered in Golgotha the place where he was crucified PIlate hauing passed sentence vpon Christ to be crucified the Souldiers take him and laying his Crosse a heauy Crosse vpon his shoulders as Isaac carried the wood wherewith himselfe should be sacrificed Gen. 22.6 2 Sam. 11.14 or as Vrias carried the Letters of his owne death they compelled him to carrie it so long as he was able to stand vnder it then meeting Simon of Cyrene comming from his perambulation in the fields they make him carrie that Crosse of Christ vnto the place of execution and placing the same in Golgotha which was the place where Adam was buried Ambros l. 5. Ep. 1â— as Saint Ambrose thinketh they nayled and fastened Christ vnto it vpon that very day of the weeke that Adam was created Two things considered vpon the Crosse and as is thought he was hanged vpon this Tree vpon the very same houre of the day as Adam did eate of the forbidden Tree And here wee must consider two especiall things 1. The grieuous things that he suffered Tantum distentus sum vt corpore nudo in modum tympanica pellis distento facile possint omnia ossa mea dinumerari Bern. de pass c. 7. 2. The gracious words that he vttered For the first they stretched his body as Saint Bernard saith and then they nayled him to the Crosse which was a grieuous torment vnto any but especially vnto him because his body of all other men was the most tender as being onely shaped of a Virgins substance without any commixture of the male nature and yet the most sensible parts of this tender body must be bored and mangled by his cruell enemies for his feete that afore were washed with Maries teares must now be teared with iron nayles and those blessed hands Bosquier de passione Domini p. 847. in fol. that had wrought so many wonderous workes must now be fastened Vnto this wooden Crosse and there he must hang vntill he die Horrendum dictu A most odious and a most grieuous death and that in foure respects First Because it was an accursed death so esteemed by man 1. An accursed death and so denounced by God himselfe where he saith Cursed is euery one that hangeth vpon a Tree Deut. 21. Gal. 3.13 Tripartit hist l. 1. c. 9. 2. A shamefull death And therefore Constantine the Great and good made a Law that no Christian should be crucified vpon a Crosse Secondly Because it was an ignominious and a shamefull death inflictâ—d chiefly vpon those slaues and seruants that either falsly accused or treacherously conspired their Masters death and it was neuer imposed vpon free men vnlesse it were for some haynous and notorious crimes as robberie murther sedition rebellion or such like 3. A painefull death Thirdly Because it was a most painefull death for that they were fastened to the Crosse not with any little nayles but with bigge purposely made nayles that might hold them sure and fast enough vnto the Crosse so bigge were the nayles that pierced Christ his hands and feete that being found they were found sufficient to make a bridle and a Helmet Socrates Hist l. 1. c. 17. as Socrates saith and then the whole waight of their bodies hanging by these parts made their paine intollerable and killed them at length without any deadly wound And therefore Cicero that most eloquent man which wanted no words to expresse any thing else when hee came to consider of this accursed death was brought to that passe Cicero Orat. 7. in ver to that non-plus as to say Quid dicam in crucem tollere What shall I say of that cruell and most painefull shamefull death of the Crosse 4. A slow and a lingring death Fourthly Because it was a slow and a lingering death for that as the Poet truly saith Morsque minus penae quam mora mortis habet To be long in paine is worse then death a soone dispatched riddance out of paine being a great fauour vnto a languishing life and although in other deaths they should be quickly dispatched and soone rid out of all their paine
therefore he had none other remedy but to wander as a Pilgrime and a forlorne creature till hee ended his dayes in extreame miseries so Agrippa suffered intollerable calamities Cap. 17. so Herod the Tetrarch was spoiled of his goods depriued of his Kingdome and banished from his Countrey So Herod that killed Iames Cap. 18. was miserably eaten vp of loathsome wormes and to the Iewes was measured the same measure as they had measured vnto Christ before for as they had sold him for thirty pence so thirty of them were sold for one peny and fiue hundred of them were nayled to Crosses in one day in so much that nec locus sufficeret crucibus nec cruces corporibus there was not place sufficient for the Crosses nor Crosses enough to nayle them on It were too too lamentable to relate more of those dolefull Tragedies which Iosephus Eusebius Euagrius and others haue written of them and what they suffered at the finall ruine and destruction of Ierusalem and what heauy bondage farre worse then that Egyptian slauery they haue endured to this very day In aureo tractatu Rabbi Sam. de miserimo statu Iudaeorum Hence it is that Rabbi Samuel about sixe hundred yeares agone writ a tractate in forme of an Epistle vnto Rabbi Isaac Master of the Synagogue of the Iewes in Subiulmeta a Citie of Morocco wherein he doth excellently discusse the cause of their long captiuity their great blindnesse and extreame misery and after that hee had proued tâ—at this punishment was inflicted vpon them for some great and grieuous sinne he sheweth that sinne to be the same whereof the Prophet Amos speaketh For three transgressions of Israel and for foure Amos 2.6 non transferam eo I will not turne away the punishment thereof because they sold the righteous for siluer And though he saith that their Rabbies doe vnderstand this righteous to be Ioseph that was sold by his brethren vnto Egypt What Rabbi Samuel saith concerning Iesus Christ yet because the Prophet putteth this for the fourth sinne and the greatest sinne of Israel and because he cannot finde any three sinnes of the sonnes of Israel before the selling of Ioseph therefore he maketh the selling of Ioseph to be the first sinne of Israel the worshipping of the Calfe in Horeb to be the second the abusing the killing of Gods Prophets to be the third and the fourth to be the selling of Iesus Christ For the first they serued foure hundred yeares for the second they wandred forty yeares in the Wildernesse vntill they that came out of Egypt were all consumed and brought to nothing excepting onely Caleb and Iosuah for the third they were held Captiues seauenty yeares in Babylon and for the fourth the said Rabbi Samuel confesseth that they were held in most pittifull Captiuity to this very day because hee was most vniustly sold and most shamefully deliuered to death as he sheweth in the seauenth Chapter of the said Tractate Much and many more circumstantiall proofes and demonstrations of his Resurrection to shew him to be the true Messias Why the Author did so prosecute the proofes of Christs Resurrection might be produced but I hope these will serue I say not to make vs to beleeue this truth for to that end I hope we neede not bring any proofe at all because we doe fully and vndoubtedly beleeue the same already but to shew that our fore-fathers haue not or we doe not beleeue these things without more then abundant and vnanswerable proofes thereof and to conuince that malicious obstinacy and infidelity of all those whether professed Iewes or seeming Christians which notwithstanding such an Army of arguments and such a cloud of witnesses will still continue blinded and hardened in vnbeleefe It were strange there should be any Athiests amongst vs yet I thinke it was not without cause that Dr. Fotherby writ his large and learned discourse against Atheisme and questionlesse they that deny God will neuer beleeue in Christ and therefore as that booke shall be a witnesse against all Atheists in the latter day to condemne them so shall this which I haue written be an accuser of all those that will not beleeue in Iesus Christ CHAP. VIII Of the place from whence our Sauiour rose both in respect of his body and soule NOw hauing seene that the Messias when hee should come was to rise againe the third day and that our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ is that true Messias because he did rise againe vpon the third day I must yet intreate you to consider that so you may haue the full knowledge of this point these two especiall things Arsatius in postilla ser de resurrect fol. 122. 1. The place from whence he rose 2. The manner how he rose First We must vnderstand that as Christ in respect of his humane nature consisted both of body and soule so his Resurrection must needs be considered both in respect of his body and soule First The Resurrection of the Body was that whereby hee raised the same from the graue a dead carkasse to be a liuing and a most glorious body neuer to die againe The place from whence Christ raised his soule Secondly The Resurrection of his Soule must be from some infernall place or else it must be a descention and not a Resurrection of his soule and therefore as in our Creede we professe to beleeue that he descended into Hell so we must likewise confesse that he raised himselfe from Hell but here vnawares I am fallen into an Ocean of contention For First Some say this Article of our Creede crept in by negligence and therefore would haue raced it out againe but that would proue a want of Gods prouidence that would suffer his whole Church to erre so grossely in the chiefe summe of her Christian faith and if such things might creepe into our Creede which is but the abstract of our faith then much more might easily creepe into our Scriptures which is so large an expresser both of faith and manners but the Spirit of Christ is alwayes with his Church to guide it into all truth and the Church of Christ is the Pillar of truth and a most faithfull preseruer of all truth and therefore this opinion is most absurde Secondly Others still retayning the words Foure expositions of that article of Christs discention into Hell cannot agree vpon the meaning of the sentence and of these I finde foure seuerall expositions The first is that the soule of Christ suffered the paines of Hell vpon the Crosse But this cannot stand first because we must bring in such a sense as will agree with the words after his buriall for that being dead and buried he descended into Hell and secondly That Christ suffered not the torments of the damned Iohn 9. because as that worthy Bishop of Winchester hath most excellently shewed there bee eight speciall things in Hell paines which the soule of Christ could not
Gospell shined and the truth of Christ is amongst vs O let vs not loue darknesse more then light let vs not returne from light to darknesse I know there is a continuall opposition and a mightie warre betwixt truth and falshood farre greater then that betwixt the house of Saul and the house of Dauid and each one of them seeketh to preuaile against the other and I hope I need not vse any argument to prooue that we are in the truth It was the Corinthians fault after they were baptized beleeued Christ and professed Christ a long while all on a sudden like the men that sailed into the midst of the Ocean and awaking out of a dreame made a great question whether they were in any ship or no they beganne to doubt whether there was any resurrection or not and I hope wee will not bee like any of these heerein after wee haue it so deerely purchased with the blood of Martyrs so truely preached by the painfull seruants of Christ and so long preserued amongst vs by the free grace of Christ now to question whether we be in the truth or not for that is beyond all question God hath brought it to vs we haue preached it to you and you haue beleeued it and profest it gloriously and christianly before the face of the whole world and therefore I will onely shew you two speciall poynts to be our helpe and furtherance in our warfare against errour Two speciall points to be considered The First shall be to preserue vs in the truth The Second shall be to suppresse falshood that it preuaile not against the truth For the first I desire all men to consider 1. Who we be that teach you 2. What they are that seeke to seduce you First we are plaine men that compasse not sea and land to inlarge our Monarchie Who we are that teach the people wee labour not so much to get your wealth as to saue your soules for as the Apostle saith we seeke not yours but you and I hope most of vs if occasion serued you should see it would seale our words with our bloud for as there were 7000. men in Israel that bowed not their knees to Baal so I assure my selfe there are many thousands in England that would lay downe their neckes and leese their liues rather then they would depart a nayles bredth from the truth of that doctrine which we haue taught And I boldly say it if Satan should be let loose to persecute the Saints of God I doe vnfainedly wish my deerest bones might first burne to giue light vnto all them that desire to walk in this truth Who they bee that seeke to seduce our people Secondly consider what they be that seeke to seduce you and I doubt not but you shall finde most of them to be either such as were nuzled in errors a cunabulis euen from their cradles by their seduced friends popish children of popish parents sent and bred in the mysteries of iniquity and should we look for these to bee otherwise then they bee or else to bee such as through discontent to see some hoysted vp vnto Moses chayre which are scarce worthy to sit at Gamaliels feet and themselues that haue good parts in them Acts 22.3 through want of friends or meanes to be quite neglected haue gone from vs either because they hoped for better fortunes in other soyles or because they were lothe to indure their meane fortunes among their owne friends because noble spirits had rather begge where they are not knowne then any waies be base where their worth is seene I confesse a fault in neglecting them and it is too common amongst vs but will you be contented to hazard your soules vpon their perswasions that hazarded their owne through discontent I hope better things of you and I assure my selfe that as you are in the truth so you will continue in the truth vnto your death For the second how we shall suppresse falshood Vide The Misery of man page 109. that it preuaile not against truth I refer you to my first treatise of the Misery of man p. 109. where I haue set down my best adâ—ice in this case But heere it may be some will say Quorsum haec to what end is all this spoken to insinuate feare into the hearts of men where there is no feare I answer that his gratious Maiesty not only by his Royall authority in maintayning true Religion but also by his Diuine pen by his owne paines defending the truth of our Religion and his wise Councellers whose Councells are like the great deepe too great for me to diue into them too high for you to attaine vnto them doe not onely free vs from all feare of idolatry and superstition but doe also assure vs of a most happy continuance of our most true Religion in a farre more glorious manner then our meane capacities can perceiue and yet there is one great powerfull and politicke one vnder whose wings many are sheltered and he intrudeth himselfe into all places Country and City Court and Councell-chamber and laboureth by all meanes to put out our light and to darken the Gospell of Iesus Christ and to bring in idolatry and superstition into our land againe and that is the prince of darknesse the diuell and Satanas that entred into Paradise That Satan alwaies laboreth to bring men into idolatry superstition to deceiue our fore-fathers that ventured vpon the Sonne of God and sayd mitte te deorsum if thou be the Sonne of God cast thy selfe downward and will suggest it into euery man if thou would'st bee the childe of God mitte te retrorsum then must thou returne backward and bee as thy fore-fâ—thers were There is no doubt of this if he could send none from Rome hitherto corrupt vs yet while hee hath rome for any in hell hee will neuer leaue to labour by his wicked suggestions to corrupt vs himselfe hee will enter into our chamber hee will creepe into our bosomes and he will seeke by all meanes for to deceiue vs wee are not ignorant of his deuices And therefore I say let him that standeth take heed lest hee falleth and let vs pray to God for grace 1. Cor. 10.12 that as he hath raised vs from sinne and superstition so he would preserue vs from relapsing or falling back into any of these sinnes againe And thus you see how Christ raised himselfe from death and how we should raise our selues from sinne And heere wee must further note that as the consideration of Christs resurrection should make vs conformable vnto him That the resurrection of Christ is a cause of great ioy vnto vs. by our resurrection from all sinne so it should bee most comfortable vnto vs both in respect of Christ and our selues quia resurgens Christus tantum attulit letitiae quantum morions attulit doloris because Christ at his resurrection brought vs more ioy and
of vs. 118 All the excellencies of Christs man-hood were created excellencies 146 God expressed to Moses what he is three manner of wayes 121 Examples of Gods mercy in seeking after sinners 181 We should carefully examine whether we loue God or not 189 Examples of Gods slownesse to punish sin 194 Good examples a great meanes to further godlinesse 360 Three sorts of men excluded from the Paschall Lambe 682 Excellency of diuine truth 215 EK The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether rightly translated created or not 287 FA. THree faculties of the soule of man 53 Euery faculty of the soule defiled by sinne ibid. Fathers how they extoll the power of God ibid. Faith seeth what reason perceiueth not 176 God called Father of mercies neuer called Father of vengeance and why 195 Faults of some not to be ascribed vnto all 221 God the Father alwayes begetteth the Sonne 275 The name of Father taken two wayes 278 God the Father of Christ not as he is our Father 291 The Father how greater then Christ 300 Father sent not Christ by way of command 301 Christ the fairest among the sons of men 353 Family from whence Christ descended 396 c. Faults of the Disciples Christ would not reueale 466 Faith foure-fold 647 Iustifying faith the properties of it 648 FE That we should feare our Lord. 131 That we should aswell feare Gods iustice as hope for his mercy 244 Feare is two-fold 355 Feare and sorrow how they differ 449 What Christ feared 450. 455 c. Whom we neede not feare 538 God in what sence to be feared 539 Magistrates and parents in what sence to be feared 538 Feare brought into the world by sinne 540 God how he ought to be feared 541 That we ought to feare in euery state of grace lapse and recouerie 441 FI. Fire and sinne cannot be concealed 20 Fire and sinne not resisted will necessarily increase 22 Christ in what respect sayd to be the first begotten Sonne of God 291 That we should striue to be the first in Gods seruice 590 Apostles onely filled with the holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost 658 Fiue kindes of kisses 460 FL. Flesh apt to conceiue sin 14 Flesh taken for the corrupted qualitie of man 8 Flesh of Christ made by all the three persons of the Trinity 325 Flesh diuers kindes 339 Our flesh assumed by Christ 369 Flesh of Christ how said to be Deified 369 How said to doe diuine operations 389 Christ how flouted by all men 481 482 Flesh the tenderer the more sensible of paine 483 FO Forgetfulnesse an infernall Fiend 60 To forbeare to punish sinne increaseth the number of sinners 90 Fore-sight of good and euill is not the cause of punishment or reward of either 95 Heathens fâ—lsly ascribed to Fortune what is true of God 139 To forgiue sinne the greatest worke of Gods power 140 God able to forgiue sinnes ibid. In the forgiuing of sinnes many particulars to be considered 183 God forgiuâ—th all sinnes or no sinne 184 God cannot forget to be mercifull ibid. Foâ—giuenâ—sse of sinnes our chiefest comfort 224 That wee ought to forgiue one another 236 And to foâ—get all iniuries ibid. Our foâ—e fathers how they exceeded vs in deuotion 731 To be in the forme of God is to be very G â— 280 To lay a good foundation the best way to teach 392 Fortitude of the women seeking Christ 521 Christ in heauen forgetteth not his seruants on earth 629 Foure points handled touching the power of God 13â— Foure sorts of men erre about the doctrine of Gods power 135 Foure speciall graces bestowed vpon the elect 204 Foure kindes of redemption 500 Foure sorts of ascenders 609 Foure-fold end of Christs ascention 639 Foure points considered about the gifts of God 640 Foure signes of fulnesse 665 Foure-fold feales or signes wherewith Saints are sealed 669 Foure sorts or receiuers of the Sacraments 680 FR. Christ assumed all our humane frailties 351 Friends of Christ how dearly he loued them 488 God expecteth not the like fruits from all men 602 The Saints are freed from all their enemies 636 Christ freeth vs from Satan to place vs in his owne seruice ibid. We are not freed from Satan to doe what we list 637 FV. Fury of the wicked restrained 178 All men are full of somethings 665 GA. WHy Christ went to the garden of Gethsemane to bee taken and what befell him there 441 Gaufredus Clareuallensis what he said 613 GI Gifts of God of two sorts 192 641 Hee giueth spirituall gifts to the godly ibid. And temporall gifts to the wicked ibid. Gifts of God are free gifts 640 Diuersly bestowed 523 Euery man should be contented with the gifts God giueth him 523 Diuersity of gifts among the Apostles and Fathers ibid. Gifts requisite for Preachers 641 Gifts to edifie the Church how giuen 657 Speciall gifts of God whereby the elect are saued vnpossibly to be knowne 646 Gifts of prayer the chiefest of all Gods graces 730 Gifts of the Magi what they shewed Christ to be 413. GE. Generation of Christ two-fold 288. Gentiles were not altogether ignorant of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 311 What they writ of this name of Christ 312 313 Gentiles how they might come to the knowledge of this word 313 3â—4 Gentiles expected the comming of the Messias 316 412 Generality of Christ his suffering 483 GO God how said to bee the Father of Spirits 6 Goâ—ly mens sinning differ in three things from the wicked 35 36 Godly life maketh a happy death 82 God loueth righteousnesse 90 No respect of persons 91 Most iust ibid. Iudgeth euery man according to his desert 92 How great and how mighty he is 102 How ineffable 125 A most faithfull performer of all his promises 127 How he guideth and gouerneth all things 138 Of his owne nature most intelligible 120 To vs incomprehensible 120 121 That there is but one God proued many wayes 269 270 God onely to be prayed vnto 710 Christ no titular but a true God by nature proued 278 279 280 c. To deny the God-head of Christ what a hainous sinne 305 God-head of Christ suffered not but sustained the man-hood to suffer 438 485 The godly how they doe ascend 614 Loue of goodnesse should make vs hate sin 66 Goodnesse of God to man how incomprehensible 101 103 Good and godly men ought to be cherished and promoted 110 Goodnesse what it is 196 Goodnesse of things two-fold 197 God good to all things 197 Perfectly absolutely and vniuersally good 198 Nothing absolutely good but God ibid. Goodnesse of God two-fold 198 Generall goodnesse of God seene in two things 198 All things made good in their kinde 199 Good for some vse yet not vniuersally good ibid. Goodnesse of God withholdeth the wicked from many sinnes suspendeth our iust deserued punishments 200 How it extendeth it selfe to all men 201 Yet not alike good to all men 202 Gods speciall goodnesse seene in two things 203 It preserueth the Saints
227 IV Iudas what benefits he receiued from Christ 458 Why chosen to be an Apostle 459 Why made the Purse-bearer ibid. Why he betraied Christ ibid. Why he gaue them a signe 461 How sought to be reclaymed by Christ 461 462 What his treason should teach vs. 461 His arrogancie and iniquitie how great 461 Why he kissed Christ 461 That it is a iust thing to punish sinne 90 Iustice is often peruerted with men 91 God iudgeth all men according to what they haue actually done 95 Euery one according to his desert 92 God most iust proued 91 God in the strictnes of his iustice might inflict more punishmeÌ„t vpon the damned 187 Whatsoeuer he doth is iust 237 Iustice of God taken diuers waies 237 Iustice of God requireth a day of iudgement 245 How it stands with God iustice to punish the fathers sinnes vpon the children 245 Iustice and truth how they pleaded against man 319 That we should as well feare Gods iustice as hope for mercie 244 Iudgements of God must be threatned when his mercies doe not allure vs. 696 Iustification what it is 208 Christ Iustified by his enemies 429 KI KIngdome of heauen could be giuen by none but by God 321 Kisses that there be fiue kindes 460 Kings and Magistrates to be prayed for and why 734 KN. God knoweth best when to helpe vs. 724 Knowledge most necessary for Preachers 642 Adams desire of knowledge brought ignorance vpon vs all 58 Sinnes of knowledge most fearefull inexcusable sinnes 29 And yet we doe what we know to be fearefull sinnes 29 The excellencie of our knowledge makes our sinnes the more horrible 30 All knowledge of God extinguished by sin 64 Three wayes of knowing God 120 We are not able to know him as hee is in himselfe 120 Knowledge of Gods power the foundation of our faith 134 We know many things negatiuely as what God is not which we know not positiuely 176 We know what God cannot doe though we know not what he can doe 176 To know Christ the onely thing that makes vs happy 259 It suppresseth all vices 261 The Gentiles had a measure of the knowledge of God 311 The diuels know God and the mysterie of the Trinitie 314 Knowledge of Christ two-fold 356 Knowledge of Iesus Christ the chiefest knowledge in the world 391 The diuell chiefly laboureth to corrupt it 391 We know not what is good for our selues 726 LA. LAbour vndertaken vpon hope of reward 1 Labourer presently to haue his pâ—ay ibid. Law of nature and of all nations teacheth to punish sinne 90 Lawes of men like a spiders web 91 Law of God like an yron net ibid. Lawes must bee made according to rules of mens abilitie to keepe them 210 Law in the Gospell 224 That the law was not created 286 To keepe Gods lawes made Dauid wiser then his teachers 571 Law of God giuen to be kept not to be talked of 600 Languages and readie speech requisite for preachers 641 LE. Letters how vsed by the ancient to signifie diuers things 473 LI. God the verie life of all things 125 Life of Christ a continuall suffering 437 A good life what it effecteth 601 Bad life what euill it doth 601 The wicked are lifted vp to bee throwne downe 612 Life of Christ a continuall suffering 437 LO Loaues of bread how multiplied by Christ 174 God onely absolute Lord. 131 Lord and Iehoua equiualent ibid. Lord taken two waies ibid. Men may be called Lords 131 Our Lord should bee feared and serued for three speciall reasons 132 Christ most properly called Lord. 132 Logos what it signifieth 306 Why vsed by the Euangelist 310 The best knowne name of Christ among the Iewes 311 God loueth not the wicked 189 Loue of God in giuing Christ to be incarnate how great it was 303 To loue God is not to offend him 305 Loue of the Father seene in giuing Christ to be incarnate 357 Loue of Christ seene in his incarnation 359 Our loue to God increased by the meditation of Christ his Passion 424 Loue of God to mankinde moued him to giue his Sonne to die for man 498 How great his loue was to man ibid. Loue of Christ to man how vnspeakable 499 How deerely we ought to loue Christ 508 To loue one another how wee are bound vnto it 511 Want of loue the cause of all mischiefe in the world 511 We ought to loue all men ibid. Loue of money what it doth 565 Loue shewed foure wayes 693 That there is a gradation in the loue of God 684 Man lost a two-fold good 321 LV Vntamed lusts what an odious sinne 240 Saint Lukes words he shall be called the Sonne of God how vnderstood 248 Lutherans what they teach concerning the vnion of the two natures of Christ 377 Lutheran doctrine what absurdities it brings foorth 377 MA. MAn following his vocation is the safer from Satan 13 Man receiued power to beget man like himselfe 7 Manner how euerie sinne is committed fourefold 26 Sinnes of malice haue two violent properties 32 Malice of Satan restrayned 178 Man what a poore and a miserable thing 104 Manhood described and the miseries therof 70 Manner how the Father begetteth the Sonne or the Holy Ghost proceedeth is ineffable 227 Manner of diuine mysteries not curiously to be searched into ibid No man truly rich 281 Malice of Hereticks seene in denying the God-head of Christ 305 Not to marrie with wicked sinners 109 Mankinde produced three waies before Christ his time 333 Manner how Christ was conceiued 335 It is ineffable 336 Christ made a perfect man 340 Marcion his heresie 343 Macedonius his heresie ibid. Manichaeus his heresie ibid. Manhood of Christ seene by the sufferings of Christ 343 Word made flesh why the Euangelist saith 369 How one thing may be made another thing three waies 37â— Manhood of Christ how adored 383 Mary rightly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mother of God 385 Mary of what Tribe she was 397. 398 Mathew and Michoa how reconciled touching the place of Christ his birth 407 Magi what they beleeued Christ to be 4â—3 Man of al creatures most subiect to sufferings 434 Malice of Satan Christ prayed against 456 Malchus how he vsed Christ 467 Masters that are ill make ill seruants 467 Malice of the Iewes against Christ 495 517 Manner of Christs suffering incomprehensible 5â—2 Mary Magdalen a sinnefull woman 529 How shee liued after her conuersion 533 Mary Magdalens how many there were 568 Why not suffered to touch Christ 568 Magistrates in what sence to be feared 538 Manhood of Christ how said to bee euerie where 5â—4 Martyrs how constantly they professed Christ 577 Manna had twelue wonders in it 703 ME. Memorie what an excellent facultie it is 60 Wherein it excelleth all other faculties ibid. God recommendeth all his benefits vnto it ibid. How defiled by sinne 61 How faithfull to record vaine and vile things ibid. How faithlesse to retaine good things 61 What we should alwaies remember 62 Meditation of
the offender 37 Curious questions not to be discussed 627 RA. RAge of the Iewes against the dead corps of Christ 482 Christ onely raised himselfe from the dead 552 RE. Regenerate men haue a double being 6 Repentance the best meanes to reuiue our dying soules 51 52 Repentance killeth sinne 82 God no respecter of persons 91 God easie to be reconciled 191 Men cannot repent when they will 242 Christ would not reueale himselfe vnto the world all at once 259 Certaine resemblances of the Trinity seene in the creatures 273 Christ how he reconcileth vs to himselfe 297 How the word God resembleth our outward and inward word 308 God reuealed many things concerning himselfe to the Gentiles 313 The Deuils reuealed many things concerning God to the Gentiles why 313 315 Christ would not reueale his seruants shame 466 Reiection of the Iewes grieued Christ 454 Regeneration not needfull vnto Christ 364 To receiue the outward Sacraments and not the grace of the Sacraments is nothing worth 681 Heretickes receiue neither Christ nor the Sacraments of Christ 682 Worthy receiuers of the Sacraments receiue Christ and all his graces 682 We may receiue Christ without the Sacraments 680 Request of the thiefe how soone granted 487 What small things God requireth of vs. 99 To relye on God in afflictions how safe 489 Redemption foure-fold 500 To redeeme vs how dearely it cost 50 Our redemption paraleleth our creation 557 Resurrection of Christ shewed by the Angell 543 Resurrection of Christ manifesteth the conquest of Satan deliuerance of men and Christ to haue ouercome all his enemies 551 Resurrection of Christ the third day foreshewed 553 How ascribed to each person of the Trinity ibid. Resurrection of Christ the third day confirmeth our faith in foure respects 556 Certainty of Christs Resurrection shewed in his rising the third day 557 Resurrection of Christ the third day is a patterne of our condition 544 Resurrection of Christ sought to be hindered by the high Priests 563 Resurrection of Christ beleeued of vs for three respects 566 Proued many wayes 567 c. Resurrection of Christ a patterne to teach vs how to rise from sinne 587 A cause of great ioy 598 An assurance of our resurrection to eternall life 598 Resurrection of Christians twofold 586 Relapsing or often falling into the same sinnes how dangerous 549 RI. Riches haue destroyed many men and what euill they doe 73 Riches or pouerty whether best ibid. No man truly Rich. â—81 Christ truly rich ibid. God loueth righteousnesse 90 The more righteous we be the more subiect to be afflicted 434 Christ to rise againe for three reasons 550 Typicall Testimonies that Christ should rise the third day 554 Christ himselfe shewed that he should rise the third day ibid. To rise from the dead greater then to descend from the Crosse 562 We should rise truly from sinne and from all sinnes 591 592 Ro. Rossensis his parable to Henery the eight of the axe that came to the trees for a handle 589 SA SAcraments a most excellent meanes to beget grace 679 They shew all that the Scriptures teach ibid. Euery sacrifice should be perfect 341 Sacriledge what a fearefull sinne 241 Saints preserued from sinne by the power of God 178 More glorious in aduersity then prosperity 207 They alwayes prayed to Christ 283 Saints at their death supported by God 447 Salomon speaketh of a two-fold generation of Christ 288 His words the Lord created me how vnderstood 286 Salomons posterity for his sinnes were finished in Iechonias 399 Saluation how we ought to thirst after it 488 Saluation by none but by Christ 501 Rabbi Samuel what he saith concerning Christ 579 Sanctification what it is 208 Samosatenian heresie 363 Satan how said to ascend 910 He lifteth vp the wicked to destroy them 612 His subtilty to deceiue the people 644 He ought to be spied before he comes too neere vs 13 He is the Father of sinne 14 He suggesteth sinne diuers wayes 12 He laboureth to conceale the light either of preaching or of applying Gods word 18 How he handleth the wicked at the time of their death 80 He cannot doe what he would 178 How he alwayes laboureth to vilifie the person of Christ 304 His insolency against Christ 322 His enuy against Christ and why 493 494 Without satisfaction no sinne can be pardoned 163 SC. Holy Scripture wholly true 215. 216 The best warrant for all Preachers 606 Scourging of Christ how grieuous it was 475 Christ how scoffed vpon the Crosse 481 SE. To search too farre into Gods essence is not safe 124 Seede of the parents the substance of the whole man 340 Seed of the man whether it falleth into the substance of the childe 340 God seeking after vs should make vs to seeke for him 181 God not to seene with any materiall eyes 117 Wee shall not see Gods essence in heauen but in the face of Iesus Christ 118 All men are euer seeking something 524 Godly men seeke onely for God â—25 Many seeke him amisse 526 Many seeke Christ amisse ibid. How we ought to seeke for Christ 526 521 c. That we cannot seeke for God vntill God doth seeke for vs. 529 Why the wicked seeke not God 531 Sensitiue facultie soone defileth the reasonable soule 17 Christ not sent by way of command 301 Seneca what he said 66 Sentence of Christ his condemnation 478 Senate of Rome lothe to derogate from the worth of Augustus 504 To serue sinne a most grieuous slauerie 22 Seruetus his heresie 343 To serue God the greatest good that wee can doe vnto our children 253 It procureth all blessings to vs. 132 Not to serue God heapeth all plagues vpon vs. 133 We were redeemed and preserued that we might serue him 132 It is the onely way to perpetuate our posterities 399 Late seruice God will hardly accept and why 587. 588 The seauen words of Christ vpon the Crosse 486 SH Shamefull handling of Christ how it grieued him 450 Shame of sinne cast off wee are almost past hope of goodnesse 20 Shedding of mans blood what a heauie sinne 240 Shepherds why first informed of the birth of Christ 412 SI Sight of sinne is no sinne 15 Sicknesse of the soule how worse then the sicknesse of the body 63 A signe why giuen by Judas 461 Signes how we may know whether wee bee ascended any thing towards heauen or not 632 Signes of a faithfull teacher 466 Similies expressing how the word alone assumed our flesh 327 A simile of Damascus and Theodorus shewing how the two natures of Christ though vnited doe remaine inconfused 388 Sinne is so vgly that at the first the sinner himselfe would faine conceale it 18 To be resisted at the first 23 It blindeth vs that we cannot perceiue it's vglinesse 42 At last it tormenteth the consciences of all sinners 42 How vgly and loathsome it is 47 Euerie sinne payeth the same wages 46 Sinnes the diseases of the soule 63 It extinguished all knowledge of God
737 TI. No time mispent that is spent to know the person of Christ 305 Christ how made in time 400 Of the time when Christ was borne ibid. How time hath his fulnesse 401 The particular time of the words incarnation 402. Titillation and thoughts of sinne is sinne 14 TO Torments of Hell how intollerable 86 Not equall to all the damned 93 Not suffered by Christ 581 TR. That we doe not traduce sinnes from our parents 246 Transubstantiation hath a double contradiction 173 How full of absurdities ibid. Defenders of Transubstantiation how agreeable to the false prophets whereof our Sauiour biddeth vs to beware 548 What the Author thinketh of Transubstantiation 549 Treason of Iudas what it should teach vs. 463 Mysterie of the Trinity why not fully reuealed at the first 272 How darkly shewed in the creatures 273 Trismegistus what he said of the word 312 Morall truth what it is 312 Truth in vs not as it is in God ibid. Physicall truth what it is ibid. God is truth two wayes 213 All truths how they doe proceed 213 Truth of things of vnderstanding of words 213 214 Diuine truth measureth all things 214 Expressed truth is two-fold 215 Truth how excellent it is ibid. How like the light 215 How it expelleth errors ibid. Sheweth what euery thing is ibid. How it begets vs to God 216 God true in himselfe in his workes and in his words 216 The primarie expressed truth contained in the holy Scriptures 215 Truth to be sought whatsoeuer it cost 217 To be defended with the losse of all that we haue 217 How alwayes handled on earth ibid. How at last it will preuaile 218 How euery truth proceedes from God 222 How God loueth it ibid. How it should be alwayes spoken 222 231 How hardly found in these dayes 222 231 Truth makes vs like to God 231 Truth and iustice how they pleaded against man 319 TV. To turne from sinne turnes away all the wrath of God 195 TW Twelue apparitions of Christ after his resurrection 565 Twelue wonders in the Manna of the Israelites 703 Two things further the sinnes of the parents to continue in the children 246 Two-fold will in Christ 296 Two sorts of Mediators 296 Two reasons shewing why Christ was made flesh 320 Two things to be done for man before he could be saued 321 Two things to be considered touching the conception of Christ 333 Two signes of a true Teacher 466 Two reasons moued Pilate to condemne Christ 478 That there is a two fold hope 649 Two kindes of prayer 700 TY. Giuing of Canaan to the Israelites a type of giuing heauen to vs. 127 The three women seeking Christ a type of the Church 519 520 Typicall testimonies that Christ should rise the third day 554 To liue vnder the tyrannie of sinne how lamentable it is 635 VA. VAnities of the world how soone they passe away 129 Christ despised all vanities 260 Vaine-glory how it tainteth many of the Clergy 525 Valentinus his heresie 343 VB Vbiquity cannot be communicated to any creature 156 Vbiquitie of Christ his body ouerthrowne by the assertion of the Angell 543 Obiections of the Vbiquitaries answered 168 388 VE Veniall sinnes or the least sinnes bring death 41 Vertue is of an admirable beauty 47 Christ a patterne of all vertue 260 VJ. Victory of Christ ouer Hell Death Sinne and Satan 634 Villanies of Satan to be shewed and why 392 Villanies done to Christ not paralelled since the world began 474 Vineger how giuen to Christ to drinke 482 Christ why borne of a Virgin 334 The blessed Virgin still continued a Virgin to her death 336 Visitation of God two-fold 243 To visite what it signifieth 243 God visiteth the afflicted ibid. God visiteth the wicked 244 VN Vnderstanding of Adam in Paradise how excellent 57 58. Our Vnderstanding now how darkened through sinne 58 How quicke and sharpe in naturall things 59 How blockish in all Diuine mysteries ibid. Our vnderstanding of God very small 121 Vnion of Christ his natures expressed by a simily of Iustin Martyr 371 Wherin the Nestorian heretickes auouched the same to consist 375 Wherein the Lutherans affirmed it to consist 377 Wherein it doth truely consist 378 Vnion of the two natures inconuertible indiuisible c. 379 Vnion of things three wayes made 380 Vnion of Christ his natures substantiall 381 Ineffable ibid. What benefits it bringeth 282 283 c. We must be vnited to Christ if we will ascend to Heauen 627 Vnity of brethren 689 Want of vnity amongst vs. 691 Vnrepentant sinners shall neuer be absolued 242 VO Voice of the creature three-fold 705 WA WAight of sinne feared by Christ 545 Christ how he walked vpon the waters 388 Warre how lawfull 702 All wants supplied by Christ 262 Way to Heauen how said to be hard 98 And how easie 99 Three wayes of knowing God 120 Three wayes of expressing what God is Wayes of wickednes how hard and difficult 99 121 Best way to teach is to lay a good foundation 392 Way to saue man could neuer haue beene found but onely by the wisdome of God 393 WE Wealth what discommoditie it bringerh 524 WH White clothing of Christ what it signified 473 White an argument of innocency 478 WI. Wicked men delight in committing sinne 36 They are greedy to doe it ibid. And they haue their full content when they haue done it ibid. How they should be afraid to offend Gods power 179 They haue no part in the speciall mercy of God 188 Wicked men not loued of God 189 They are with held from many sinnes by the goodnesse of God 200 To giue vnto the wicked power to serue God God is no waies to doe it 210 The wickednesse of professors of the truth ought no waies to disparage the truth of God 219 220 The wicked how they abuse Gods goodnesse 22â— How punished in their children 245 That they shall be punished 244 Not euery sinne of the wicked is visited vpon their children 247 The wicked how they doe deceiue themselues 517 How it hapneth that they seeke not God 5â—1 How they are terrified and punished by the Angels 536 How they are said to ascend 6â—0 How still captiues vnto Satan 635 Wife of Pilate how she iustified Christ 475 Will of God reuealed in our consciences and in the scriptures 11 Wilfull sinners 33 How fearefull is their state ibid. They can pleade no excuse ibid. The will commandeth all the faculties of the soule 53 Will to sinne deserueth the punishment of sinne 55 Our will cannot be compelled by Sathan nor by any other outward enemie 55 57 Our owne will is the cause of all our woe 55 How our will to doe good is quite killed by sinne 56 It is drawne to sinne by our owne corruption 57 How it is guided by the iudgement 57 How we may be said to haue free-will 57 To will to sinne euer is a temporarie act 97 God cannot will things contrarie to his nature 153 To will a thing we
and more fauour to deliuer me from my miserie then onely to remaine with me in my prosperity c. And therefore if we be free from troubles it is Quia bonus Deus Israeli from the goodnesse of God that preserueth vs if we be punished and afflicted repose thy trust in God Forti animo mala fer nec bis miser esto dolore and bee not deiected to adde griefe vnto griefe but thinke it is because it is good for vs to be afflicted and if we be deliuered from our afflictions and preserued from that poyson of despaire and other euils that they bring on others it is from this goodnesse of God Rom. 8.28 which worketh all things together for the best for them that loue him What the grace of Iustification is Secondly the grace of Iustification is that infused Faith which hee worketh in the hearts of his Elect whereby they doe lay hold and apply vnto themselues all the merits of Iesus Christ and doe by that imputatiue righteousnesse of him stand iustified in the sight of God What the grace of Sanctification is Thirdly the grace of Sanctification is that whereby we are heartily sorry for all our fore-passed sinnes and doe euery day indeuour more and more to liue in all holinesse and righteousnesse to the prayse and glory of God What the grace of Glorification is Fourthly the grace of Glorification is that whereby we liue holily in this life and shall liue happily in the life to come because as Aquinas saith God glorifieth his Saints Per profectum virtutis gratiae per exaltationem gloriae By making them holy here on Earth and bringing them to the happinesse of Heauen All these graces and what grace soeuer else is dependant vpon any of these are â—rought in the Saints by this speciall goodnesse of God Rom. 8.30 for whom God did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also iustified and whom he iustified them he also glorified This is the golden way and the royall degrees of Gods goodnesse whereby the Saints of God are saued And therefore if any of vs doe finde these graces in our selues let vs not ascribe them to our selues but to the grace and goodnesse of God for this is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him whom he hath sent Philip. 1.29 saith our Sauiour Christ And it is giuen to beleeue That if there be any goodnesse in vs we should ascribe it all to God saith the Apostle And herein let vs admire with reuerence and acknowledge with all thankefulnesse his speciall and his singular goodnesse towards vs more then towards others which perhaps naturally are aswell if not better deseruing then our selues for had he bestowed faith and repentance vpon them they would haue beleeued on him and serued him euen as we doe and had hee not bestowed these graces on vs wee should haue beene poore and naked of all goodnesse euen as they are But then here it may be obiected that if we doe no good but what God giueth vs to doe and that the very reprobates would beleeue in God and serue him if God would bestow those effectuall and powerfull graces vpon them which he bestoweth vpon his Saints then it must needes follow that the wicked are not altogether so culpable for the omission of those required duties because God giues them not the grace and ability to performe them Quia nullus actus potest excedere potentiam agentis Because no act can exceede the power of the Agent And therefore whosoeuer limiteth the power is the cause of the intermission of the consequent act and of the euent that floweth thereby And therefore God circumscribing our ability must needes be the cause of our deficiency To this I answere Sol. that we ascribe all the goodnesse of the Saints vnto the grace and goodnesse of God to magnifie Gods goodnesse and to vilifie our owne basenesse to shew that wee haue nothing in the World whereof to boast And we thinke our Sauiours words sufficient to confirme this truth where he saith A man can receiue nothing except it be giuen him from aboue Iohn 15.5 That of our selues we can doe nothing that is good And againe Without me ye can doe nothing And we say that the wicked would doe these things if God would giue them I say not sufficient but effectuall grace to doe them because it is vnpossible but the same measure of effectuall grace should produce the same measure of effects for if God would worke in them that sanctifie which he doth in his Saints how could they resist his will Or is it possible that this will of man should withstand the will of God no wayes And I see no reason why any man should except against this truth but that hereby they feare that imputation of iniustice which as they thinke must needes light on God if hee should condemne them for not seruing him and yet not giue them the grace or ability to serue him or at least wise of partiality if he without any manner of desert of the one more then the other should notwithstanding choose the one sort and inrich them and leaue the other sort and condemne them But to this I answere that if God should require such duties as are not due to him or command them to doe that which they neuer receiued power from him to fulfill we might perhaps thinke him vniust in his demands For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lawes must be made according to the rule of mens ability to performe them or if God did take away this power againe from the Agent then might he likewise be said to be the cause of the deficiency of the subsequent act but if God requires nothing at our hands God taketh not the power of seruing him from any man but that which is our duety to doe what he made vs able to performe and we through our owne default and wilfulnesse Male vtentes potestate Abusing this ability which God hath giuen vs like those that spend their wealth on whores which they should imploy to mainetaine their Wiues and Children haue lost this power that wee had receiued and brought vpon our selues an ineuitable impotency the very Law of humane reason will here take part with God against vs Non habere excusationem c. that he hath no excuse for himselfe which is the cause of his owne impediment as a Father saith And therefore seeing man lost the power of seruing God by his owne fault in offending God and that God is not bound to restore it againe God in not giuing it is no efficient cause of their not seruing him but as the Sunne is the cause of darkenesse Non per se sed per accidens Not because properly it effecteth darkenesse but accidentally by reason of its departure from vs So is God onely the cause why the wicked serue him not not because he worketh any
vnwillingnesse in them to serue him but because hee denieth his grace vnto them whereby they might be inabled to serue him and this deniall of his grace is no iniustice in God because their owne sinnes haue made this separation betwixt GOD and them God is not bound to giue the wicked power to serue him and makes euery man like vnto Turnus soule Fugit indignata per vmbras To hide himselfe from this shining light And God is a debtor to no man that hee should inlighten any but whom it pleaseth him Secondly I say that this extending of his speciall goodnesse vnto some and not to others is no accepting of persons in that sence which the Scripture saith God is no accepter of persons For First Saint Augustine tels vs that Ibi est acceptio personarum vbi quae aequalibus ex aquo debentur inaequaliter distribuuntur There is the acception of persons What it is to be an accepter of persons where those things which are equally due to all men are vnequally distributed to some men but where those things which are due to none are freely giuen vnto some and vnequally distributed vnto those yet herein is neither partiality nor iniquity because as our Sauiour saith God may doe with his owne what he will Math. 20.15 and giue the same to whom he please And thereby Huic facit misericordia tibi non fit iniuria He doth but shew mercy vnto the one and he doth no iniustice to the other Secondly the meaning of the holy Ghost in saying that God is no accepter of persons is not that he chooseth not one man rather then another for so hee chose Iacob and hated Esau Mal. 1.2 but that he chooseth not any man in regard of the outward indowments or naturall gifts or any other thing that is in that man rather then in other men as not Achitophel for his wisedome not Absolon for his beauty not Sampson for his strength God chooseth no man for the loue of any thing that is in man not Diues for riches nor Iacob for any thing that was in Iacob more then in Esau for whom he chooseth he chooseth meerely out of his meere grace and goodnesse towards the one rather then the other as he himselfe plainely sheweth I will haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy Exod. 33.19 And so you see how abundantly God is good eternally in himselfe generally vnto all and more especially vnto his Saints Oh then let vs not be like the Aegyptians that found out the streames of the Riuer Nilus but knew not the springs from whence they issued Let vs not be ignorant of that spring and Fountaine from whence wee receiue so many benefits That we should acknowledge all our goodnesse to proceede from God and so many streames of goodnesse for this were but like the Swine to eate the Acornes that fall on the ground and neuer to behold the Tree from whence they fall or to beare the name of God written in our hearts by the Pen of Nature and yet to be like the Athenian Altar wherein was ingrauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the vnknowne God but rather in all things whatsoeuer wee haue or inioy health wealth or prosperity spirituall or temporall grace let vs with Saint Iames acknowledge the same to descend from aboue and to proceede vnto vs from this abundant goodnesse of God And for the same Iames 1.17 let vs ascribe vnto God the honour due vnto his name to worship him with holy worship And so much for the fourth particle Of the abundant goodnesse of God CHAP. IX Of the superabundant truth of God THe fift particle of Gods goodnesse is that hee is abundant in truth Now truth saith Anselmus is as Time or as Light which though but one yet is it diuersly distinguished So Truth saith the Phylosopher is variously considered and that either Arist aethic l. 4. c. 7. Moral l. 1. c 33. What morall Truth is 1. Morally 2. Physically In the first sence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth is a vertue euenly placed betwixt arrogancy and simulation or as Cicero defines it and which Saint Augustine holds to be the best definition of it Veritas est per quam immutata quae sunt quae fuerunt quae futura sunt dicuntur Truth is that i. e. that vertue whereby things past things present and things to come are immutably related as they are And this Truth though it be in God or rather from God because he alwayes saith and relateth things immutably as they be yet is it not in him as in vs because in vs truth is a morall vertue whereby as by an habite we are propense and inclined to shew forth the things as they be but in God it is not as a quality but an essentiall property whereby he is what he is and can no more leaue to be or to relate Truth then he can leaue to be a God What Physical Truth is In the second sence Veritas cuiuslibet rei est proprietas sui esse quod stabilitum est ei The truth of euery thing is the propriety of his being or as Saint Augustine saith Verum est id quod est That is true which is Illud enim omnes verum dicunt esse quod tale reuera est Aâ—gust Soliâ—â—que l. 2. c. 5. quale esse videtur c. For all men saith he â—ffirme that to be true which is indeede as it seemes to be and that to be false which is not as it seemes to be as the Image of a man in a glasse seemes to be a man and is not and therefore though it be a true image of a man yet is it a false man And so hee is a false friend which seemes to be a true frâ—end and is not A most heauy sentence against them which say They are Iewes Reuel 2.9 and are not but are of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Christians but serue not God and which seeme to be iust and honest men but inwardly are rauening Wolues because they being not what they seeme to be doe deceiue themselues and the truth is not in them And therefore 1 Iohn 1.6 Nihil prodest illis nomen vsurpare alienum vocari quod non sunt It will auaile them nothing to vsurpe a wrong name and to be called what they are not for though they may deceiue the World yet Christ which is truth it selfe and knoweth all truth will tell them at the last day that he neuer knew them that is Math 25.12 to be true Christians which they seemed to be but were not And thus God is truth and that two wayes 1. Essentially in himselfe 2. Causally in all things First God is essentially true yea trueth it selfe as Moses and as our Sauiour sayth quia est quod est Deut. 32.4 because he is that which he is and that which he seemes to be and thus properly