permissiue act He that strikes against God shall be so stricken againe that he shall suffer and therefore as the smiths hammar striking against his hands hardeneth them by opposition so God the hearts of men by his iust iudgements opposing them Solution of the second Argument drawne from Gods decree The first part of the Argument resting vpon that Sophisme of Arminius is alreadie cleared To the second Gods decree not the workes of sinne but conuersant in it in ordering and disposing concerning the necessary copulation of Gods decree and sinne First I answer they are not cause and effect because Gods decree is an act vpon sinne and therefore subiect and adiunct But you will inquire what necessitie is there of the connexion of these two parts I answer Gods decree and mans fall doe not make a necessarie sentence but contingent yet most infallible and true because it was the act of an infinite wisdome that could not be deceiued and hereupon his iudgement was most infallibly true of mans fall If an expert Physitian should foretell the death of his patient and were most certen of it must it therefore be necessarie when it comes to passe Determination no cause of necessitie because he foretold it no for the truth is the same that it was before onely it is now more euident to others that knew it not so God most certenly knew the fall of man and determined of it euen as the Physitian determines of the fit in an ague wherein his patient shall die and farre more certenly he will not misseit a minute of time Could the deuill tell Saul yea and determine of it To morrow shalt thou and thy sonnes be with me and yet shall not God be able to set downe the exact time of mans apostacie And if the Lord haue determined the day and houre wherein Adam should die shall he therefore be the necessarie cause of his death You will not accuse the Physitian as a murtherer because he foretold the time wherein his patient should depart nay you will scarse accuse the Deuill because he said to morrow but confesse that Saul himselfe fell on his own sword onely this makes vs say the Deuill did it because he hath bin a murtherer from the beginning And as God saies Is there any euill of punishment in the citie and I haue not done it so dare I say is there any euill of sinne in the world and Sathan hath not done it Therefore I must craue pardon to hold a certentie but no necessitie that man infallibly should fall yet most freely and contingently but not necessarily at all for necessitie is against Gods decree Things necessaâ—â— neede no decree for their consequents God neuer decrees the fire to burne because if it be fire it is good reason it should burne God neuer decrees man shall haue reason for if he will haue him a man then it is necessarie he should haue reason but to decree in all proprierie of speech both with God and man is of things contingent Man he decrees vpon deliberation and consultation and the subiect matter thereof is some contingent thing which hee would produce or hinder for if it be a necessarie thing he can neither produce it or hinder it man is not a stone he can neuer produce out of this the arffimatiue part man is a stone God is iust is a necessarie truth let him bring all the arguments he can inuent or deuise out of his wit and yet he shall neuer produce this that God is the author of sinne or vniust Suppose an armie of men were comming against England would not the King and his Councill assemble to deliberate and consult that they might preuent them and therefore though the thing be most certain yet it is not necessarie The towne is on fire if it were necessarie it should burne the town what then should men do crying for helpe yet it might bee some knewe for a certentie that the towne would be burnt is it therefore necessarie But you will say euery thing when it is is necessarie that it should be I answer that this beeing should become existent was neuer necessarie A thing to bee when it is is not necessarie for the cause but that it is a kind of beeing vnder some head of entity where it is necessarie yet that this beeing should be something is most necessarie And therfore I admire that though many meane wel yet they should neuer distinguish betwixt an an effect and a species of beeing The effect lookes onely at causes now the causes of mans fal were no wayes necessarie either when they were in power to act or when they did really produce and therefore as man was a contingent cause till he fell so when he was fallen he was stil the same cause onely his power was brought into act and all our dispute is on this head as mans fall was an effect But now you come and say this effect was necessarie how I pray you because you say quicquid est quando est necessarium est esse marke your predication which is of that word esse vpon quicquid est quando est now what is that esse to quicquid est quando est I tell you no effect but a species now the species of any genus is a necessarie axiome when it is disposed And therfore that which is existing in the world to be brought vnder some head of beeing is most necessarie for God is the God of order sinne therefore or rather the action of sinne for sinne cannot haue an est though it may haue a quando est as beeing referred to the predicament of action One thing as an action is an example of that order and another thing as produced into that order or the catagorie of effects is necessarie because this action or this effect is an example or species of that generall nature and with that generall nature he is necessarie hence Logitians call these arguments disposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second degree of necessarie affirmation but recall these actions to their agents these effects to their efficients and the argument is changed therefore dispose Adam and his sinne together as cause and effect Gods decree and mans fall as subiect and adiunct and both are but contingent axiomes the former contingent and vncertaine vnto Adam vntill he had committed his sinne the second contingent and most certaine because God that decreed it knewe all things and with whom all time was present Argument repeated Further it is vrged from commission and omission from commission because God did concurre to the doing of it seeing it could not be done without him and beeing the first in it is the principall actor man but his instrument and that so necessarily vrged that hee could not resist God the first moouer From omission because God did not giue him so much grace as was necessarie to keepe him from omitting his dutie for if God had concurred
necessarily must needes be a cause The answer is it is a necessarie conclusion by way of ratiocination or discourse but not from the argument it selfe the disposition makes it necessarie but the third reason is no necessarie cause seeing that the action of Gods decree as out of himselfe and in the creature is externally and materially to be considered and so is not necessarie but contingent temporarie and mutable and therefore if it had pleased God it might haue fallen out otherwise for euery necessarie truth is an eternall truth And therefore that which is in time and not eternall is contingent mutable and alterable That which is said to the interceding cause betwixt Gods decree and the fall Of the interceding cause to wit mans free will to exempt God from sinne is most true for God did not immediatly worke mans fall But you obiect that the remote cause is as well sinfull as the next because the deuill was the remote cause and yet guiltie of the same sinne Adam commited A speciall neuerprooues a generall The answer is when the causes are vniuocall homogeniall and of the same order of working but in causes heterogeniall and equiuocall which are of diuerse natures the remote cause is neuer tainted with the same fault that the next cause is As wine is a remote cause why a man is drunke yet no faultie-cause of his drunkennesse The Gospell and our Sauiour Christ came to send a sword into the world but yet were no true causes of sedition and quarrels among men The Sunne raiseth putrified creatures out of dead carkases it can harden as well the clay as melt the waxe A sonne desires the death of his father so doth God One thing effected of diuerse causes may bee faultie in one but not in another but the sonne breaks Gods commaundement God doth it according to the true rule of iustice a sonne would haue his father liue God would the contrarie yet a sinne in neither And therfore a remote cause is onely guilty of the same offence with the next when they worke all after one forme and manner otherwise the immediate cause is the onely author of the sinne al the rest by accident and by abuse The Gospel is the sauour of death vnto death as well as the free will of man but not eodem genere causandi after the same manner of working Pharaoh hardneth his owne heart so doth God but the one immediatly the other mediatly by the abuse of mans freewill Therfore the answer is from the distinction of remote causes in vniuocall causes the remote cause is as guiltie as the next and therefore the deuills will In causes vniuocall all are guiltie of the same crime but not in equivocall and mans will working vnivocally are both in the same offence but Gods will and mans worke equiuocally the one one way and the other another and therefore no neede of participation seeing they haue no next genus of a cause in which they should communicate Answer to Gods desertion To the third euasion betwixt infallibilitie and necessitie it is granted that man fell infallibly but not necessarily except we vnderstand it of Gods decree in himselfe and then the truth was an eternall truth And in this sense our Diuines hold it not of any necessitie in mans will therefore it was only necessarie in Gods wll but contingent in mans yet the truth it selfe in the thing is to God and man contingent to God most certen but to man vncertaine For desertion we hold that God did not forsake man in any necessarie requisite for his true obedience vnto the law onely he with-held his confirmation of man If a man were set in some office for triall of his gifts is it necessarie that he should be confirmed in it I trow not and therefore this desertion was of confirmation and not of necessarie helpes for execution And here our Orthodoxe writers when they answer to that argument that iustice and mercie presuppose misery Misâ—rie potentiall reall habituall make answer of a threefold miserie first actuall which is in sense and feeling secondly habitual which is in the bosome of a man but as yet puts not forth it selfe the third potentiall into which a man may fall and this they call a miserie in comparison Iob 4.18 Behold he found no steadfastnesse in his seruants and laid folly vpon his angels Iob 9.2 Howe should man compared vnto God be iustified Habituall and actuall miserie had no place in man by his creation but possible or potentiall miserie was laid in the freedome of his will which if God had inclined vnto good and man so determined then had he come into the estate of the blessed Angels and so miserie had been impossible and his estate should haue been confirmed vnto him with God for euer not from the freedom of his will but from his obedience and Gods promise thereunto Therefore that desertion and not collation of necessarie helpe to auoide sinne is to be vnderstood of this third grace which was not a grace of creation but a further liberallity which God might haue bestowed if it had pleased him But I dare not rest satisfied with this answer because I see this third grace was onely to be obtained by the obedience of the creature that is if he did the will of God then would God haue beene as good as his promise thou shalt liue therefore in my iudgement Confirmation of life by creation was to follow our obedience vnto the 〈◊〉 confirming grace was a subsequent grace to followe obedience and not an antecedent grace to goe before it and so the angels obtained it by their obedience and from their obedience are confirmed if then without their obedience they could not be confirmed then must confirming grace belong vnto the law of creation as well as any other for what grace should man haue receiued by creation but that which God would haue communicated vnto him by the rule of obedience doe this and thou shalt liue to confirme him in life was vpon his doing I answer therefore Desertion 1. in not rebuking Sathan 2. In diuiding of the lawe and his facultie 3. In that God suffered man to be distracted and did not hold him close vnto his law in despite of the deuill that desertion is no cause of mans sinne but that God was wel-pleased to suffer the deuill to worke more strongly in the temptation then mans will should be able to oppose not for power giuen but for present act and as in this temptation the law forsooke man so God may most iustly bee said to forsake him I haue before declared that two things are most necessary for euery good action rule and power which if both concurre not the action cannot bee produced Now the law concurred not and therefore man was forsaken of the lawe not actiuely but passiuely euen as a master should promise his seruant all aide and succour as long as hee would
from the obligation of the law That which is bound to the lawe is properly the subiect of the breach of the law now men and angels are only bound to Gods law therefore men and angels may only be tearmed the subiect their actions therefore onely as belonging vnto them are sinfull that is flowing from sinners and so are their workes so that mans nature worketh and sinne and God mans nature worketh and hath God working in it and so the action is good againe God beside his general influence concourse with his creature hath a speciall worke in the action which concernes himselfe and that is likewise good yea and verie good for it is the last end of the creature but the other cause which is sinne cleauing so fast vnto our nature qualifies our nature to doe sinfully The sunne-beames comming thorough a red glasse shines on the opposite wall with the tincture of the colour of the glasse now the question is whether the red colour be onely in the glasse or likewise in the shining surely it seemes that the whole colour remaines still in the glasse and rather dimmes the shining then infects it so the beames of Gods wisedome shining through our corrupt soules seemes to be an action tainted with sinne but surely the corruption stickes in our soules and onely hindred the bright beames of Gods glorie from appearing in our actions Reason 3. from the sole nature of an effect That which is onely an effect can neuer be a subiect nowe the motion is onely an effect and can no otherwise be considered and therefore is alwaies ioyned with his cause as a sinfull action is in sense and reason the action of a sinneful man that is whereof sinnefull man is the cause Hence beeing an effect it must needes exist or stand out by many causes and therefore according to euery cause hath his speciall affection so a sinfull action hath one reference vnto man an other vnto God and yet may stand out of both Christs death had many causes and all subordinate causes were according to Gods determinate counsell the action was sinfull yet the sinne did inhere in Pilate Herod and the accursed Iewes Reason 4. from the nature of goodnes That which is simply good cannot bee the subiect of sinne now actions are of this nature the reason is because causes giue beeing vnto things and therefore are absolute as causes now motion hauing no other being but that which it receiues from causes Causa cuius vi res est This vis must needs be Gods and causes producing that by a motiue force in themselues which force is from God cannot any wayes leaue in the effect an euill inherent but onely in themselues which wanted true force whereof the effect should haue existed hence we call sinne rather a deficient cause then an efficient cause Rom 6.12 Rom. 7.5 Indeede sinne in vs is said to raigne and haue force in our members and so sinne with his subiect is exceeding powerful but it is by turning Gods created force the wrong way euen as a wheele set a running wrong way is carried with as great force as when it runne the cleane contrarie so mans nature set a rebelling against God turnes Gods created forces against himselfe that the force is put into the action it is Gods but that it was put in by the hand of a rebell it became sinfull yet God will acknowledge his owne force in the action and turne the fault and crime to the proper owners That the Iewes and Pilate laid hands on Christ it was Gods created force in them but the abuse of it is their owne and takes vp a proper habitation in their miserable soules then causation beeing a created force and motion onely acknowledging the same well may the motion be Gods and yet no cause at all of sinne Reason 5. from priuation Sinnes are properly the priuation or want of action and therfore though they may bee both in one subiect yet neuer can the one be the subiect of the other for so should deadly enemies become louing freinds and the worst kind of opposites be reconciled for I am sure that priuation though he be no being yet he denies a beeing in the selfe same subiect which is capable of it Blindnes is a worse not being then not seeing for not seeing may be in a stone which is neuer the worse for it but blindnes can be no where but where sight may be and therefore the eye is much worse for it if then sinne bee the priuation of an action it can neuer bee in an action but alwaies against an action Reason 6. from action and passion which seeme to differ but in respect of the agent and patient and therefore the patient should sin more then the agent seeing the action wherein lies the sinne is most properly in the patient but frō the agent The action from the worker is a passion in the receiuer and therefore if sinne were in the action it should goe along with it to the patient yea rather should it be in the patient then the agent seeing the action rests most in the patient Hence murther should rather be the sinne of the patient then the agent seeing the action of murther as it is from the agent so most properly is in the party slaine and therefore the murtherer should be the murthered which is against reason It is plaine then that sinne abides in the murtherer the action is good let this therefore be obserued that God may be iustified euen in sinnefull actions yet no cause of sinne because sinne alone rests in the bosome of fooles and will not stirre one iotte out of that subiect it is therefore dangerous to defend that an action is the materiall cause of sinne for so should sinne not onely be said to be in the action but of the action and then I know not how God should worke the action and bee freed from sinne for causa causae est causa causati The words then are thus to be expounded Things are here put for actions by a metanomie of the cause for the effect for actions proceed frō things then actions for the sinnes which are committed by sinnefull things and so the action is an effect of the sinnefull man and is put for his cause which be sinnes in the things Neither is this any newe opinion Motus modus actionis for all agree that the motion is good onely the manner of doing is euill Now examine the point well and we shall alwaies find the manner in the doer and not in the thing done and therefore the euill is properly in the doer and not in the thing done onely it is said to be in it in that regard that an euill cause wrought it and so the motion is both Gods and mans yet not both of one manner of working Mans fall was an action therefore Gods and mans but man wrought it one manner of way and
God seeing man this way to determine his will Mansâ— determination made the determination thereof a iust way for his owne glorie God decreed mans fall and he also decreed that he himselfe would not be the cause but that man himselfe should onely cause his own ruine Thus then God did absolutely decree but not absolutely determine mans wil for that was left vnto man himselfe Determination no impulsion yet the determination of that determination was absolute and that without impulsion or coaction of mans will for determination is alwaies of things vnto their ends therefore is called absolute in regard of the end but coaction is onely of an efficient which is not necessarie for an absolute ende All Gods ends are absolute and necessarie yet the meanes that God vseth are of all kinds contingent necessarie dependent independent Suppose God had decreed to haue giuen man actuall grace as alreadie the angels haue it in heauen had it therefore been necessarie that man could not haue fallen or that God should haue constrained his wil to haue imbraced this grace no assuredly therefore on the contratie God decreed not to giue man this actuall grace of standing is therefore his auersion necessarie and constrained no but God by this meanes gaue way vnto the sinne of auersion and permissiuely yet willingly did suffer it for to enter for otherwise it could not haue entred and by a positiue decree resolued that auerting himselfe from the fountaine of all goodnesse and the rule of all righteousnesse he should runne into innumerable dangerous euills and grieuous sinnes both of commission and omission Omission is alwaies the first sinne Omission a priuation for a man falleth first from the loue of God before he can loue or desire any other thing now this sin beeing a neglect hath no positiue cause it selfe being a priuatioÌ„ neither need we seek any higher spring of it Non 〈…〉 then the will of such a creature as is defectiue and therefore doth not alwaies necessarily attend to the rule it should conforme it selfe vnto and thus of the first sinne we can find no cause in God because hee is no wayes defectiue The second sinne is commission which is a positiue act and therefore hath a positiue cause now God that neuer ceaseth to doe his worke of moouing but alwaies carrieth forward all things with restlesse motions cannot but cause the verie substance of a sinne of commission 〈…〉 of the Schâ—olman neither here am I of the opinion of the School-men that defend the very deformitie of this sinne to be nothing but the act and very substance of it for an act is a generall tearme and hath speciall limitations added vnto it therefore it is said to be well done when it keeps his rule euill when it misseth his rule now the Lord in no action goeth against the rule of his wisdome therefore he can work no deformed act only man that is defectiue may goe against the rule and so causeth the deformitie A cunning artificer makes a clocke but he suffers his apprentice to helpe to ioyne it together the deformitie of the motion is none of the artificers but onely from the vnskilfull apprentice yet will the skilfull artificer haue his praise in correcting of that aberration and turne the motion to his owne ende The causes then why sinne entred as efficient are properly the deuill and man as determined to an ende properly Gods who might well so determine of man seeing he created him mutable But to come more neerly How Gods lawe works sinne we may expresse this most familiarly in a comparison taken from an earthen pitcher dashed by the hand of a man against a stone wall that the wall breaketh it that is no fault of the walls but rather the coÌ„mendation of it working according to his owne nature but the fault is in the partie that dashed it against the wall so man being dashed by the deuill and himselfe and the serpent and the woman vpon the law of God too hard to bee ouerwrastled of man was broken in peices yet the lawe was without all fault onely the fault was in the deuill Adam and the woman the law therefore a most iust and holy cause of mans fall as the law caused mans sinne so I dare boldly say that God cansed it yet most holily and iustly Hence it followeth most plainely that God was no bare permitting cause or a forsaking cause but a working cause euen in the fall of man now as God did it so he was able to doe it and so to decree it to his owne glorie according as it seemed best vnto his own wisdome and so might it be willed as absolutely good and iust and therefore no sinne God made them the beginners of their owne actions beeing indued with free will by well doing they might deserue both praise and prize and by ill doing might deserue both dispraise and punishment But you will obiect then God might both will it and not will it Very true as God willed it it had respect of good and was iust and therefore to be willed but as they willed it it was euill and so God hated it and his law forbad it The sonne may desire the death of his father and so may God too but in so doing the sonne sinnes against God yet God is free from sinne the Iudge desires that a malefactor should die so doth the hangman yet may be the hang-man is guilty of murther when the Iudge is a true executioner of iustice Obserue then for the entrance of sinne these positions Positions for sinnes entrance First that to sinne is directly beside the scope intent and purpose of the law and therefore if the law cause sinne it is by acccident as to the law so to Gods wil which can neither intend purpose or will any impietie and therefore sinne is accidental and externall in regard of God now an accidentall principle is either in regard of necessitie or fortune How a cause by accident may be giuen vnto God now for necessitie to sinne that cannot be giuen vnto God for he can suffer of no causing principle and fortune is too strange a tearme to stand with Gods prouidence where then is this externall principle I answer if wee soberly conceiue of the nature of a cause by fortune we shal not much swarue if we say sinne was chance in regard of Gods will for chance and fortune according to true reason is nothing but the accident or euent of any thing beside his end and scope now only good is the end and scope of Gods will and therfore sinne which is not good is beside Gods scope and ende therefore it is accidentall in Gods scope and end But you wil say then God was ignorant of mans sinne I answer no because sinne is not onely accidentall to a good ende but also an aberration from the true rule of wisdome and must stand to the iudgement and sentence thereof
decree can haue no other force of reason to presse the conclusion but a cause Secondly they answer that the antecedent beeing granted and from thence the consequent concluded is causall when there comes no middle cause betwixt them but God decrees that man should fall by his free-will comming betwixt the fall and Gods decree thereof But this is no answer for so mans free-will came betwixt the Deuils temptation and the yeilding thereunto and so the Deuill should be no cause of mans fall this then is but a shift Thirdly they answer that God may will that man should fall and yet man might fall by his owne free will The answer is ouerturned because a man might haue fallen infallibly and freely but necessarily and freely can neuer stand together Infallibilitie is in respect of Gods infinite diuine prescience but necessitie is of the thing done Infallibilitas est â—ognitionis imnustibilitas rei which is immutable and immutabilitie takes away all contingencie in the thing and consequently libertie so then necessitie contingencie and libertie can neuer stand together Fourthly they answer per desertionem nempe ipsius non collationem necessary ad cauendum peccata auxilij vnde sequitur hominem necessariò peccare that is by desertion of him and not collation of necessary helps to beware of sinne man fell necessarily But this will not salue vp the matter because God gaue the lawe therefore it was necessarie that he should affoard man all necessaries to obey him otherwise the transgression might be giuen vnto God but they will say that Gods desertion had mans free will to come betwixt it and the fall but to that it may be replyed then man deserued that desertion But the question is whether man could wil such a thing or no if it be said he could then hee sinned freely but againe how could he will this if it be answered he could not then surely God made him will it if he could then what was the cause of it surely they defend that God did forsake him before he willed to bee forsaken in that he forsooke to giue him that grace which should haue kept him from sinne Lastly there commeth nothing betwixt Gods desertion and mans willing of it if so then either God or man must be the cause not man because he suffers it therefore God and indeede they confesse that peccatum est merum consequens decreti a meere consequent of Gods decree nothing interceding must necessarily be a cause But they answer this cause is deficient for desertion is but the taking away not concurring but this deficient cause was a necessarie cause why Adam should fall because he could not otherwise escape it And thus much from the Decree now I come to mans will impelled to sinne Obiect 3. That man is compelled to sinne Neceâ—â—â—â—e of Gods decree it is first prooued from the decree graunt the decree and then man could not abstaine from the act of sinne if he could then might he haue frustrated Gods decree Deâ—◠〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 but that is impietie once to thinke consilium enim deistat Secondly that which makes the wil to loose his libertie must needes compel the will the libertie is gone because it is not free ad opposita but must needes incline it selfe to one thing and that necessarily Neither are we here to conceiue coaction or violence for the will hath two motions one of nature another of libertie libertie is taken away when the will is carried with his naturall motion this is spontaneus assensus a natural willing which is alwaies of one thing To be happie is willed of all but neither by violence or freedome but natural inclination for no man wills miscrie Therefore Gods decree takes away his libertie but not his assent to mooue naturally which way God would haue it And though it be not constrained yet can it not resist neither indeede would it resist for this determination Necessitie and libertie cannot stand together Thirdly and lastly necessitie takes away all libertie because all libertie is in contingent things What libertie hath a man ouer the fire or any immutable thing Againe libertie is alwaies with consultation now consultation is in things contingent What man will consult whether the fire burne and surely God and man vnderstands one truth how then should I conceiue that necessarie to God which must be contingent to me Contingencie and necessitie can neuer stand together And to say Adam fell contingently and yet necessarily is an impossibilitie The principle of necessitie is immutabilitie not infallibilitie Certitude makes infallibilitie that which is certen is infallible Time changeth not nature and so may a contingent thing be certen Neither must we measure the thing by time for time is not of the essence of any thing but a thing adioyned to all created beeings Now then time past present or to come change not the nature of any beeing but diuersly qualifie him Was the thing contingent before it fell out then why should it be of the nature of necessitie when it is come to passe hath the time present made it otherwise then it was in time past Define me Adams fall was it not an apostacie from God his Creator this is one thing and is neuer changed now necessitie followes the nature of things and not of time in things You graunt it contingent vntill it came was not this a truth and truth I am sure pronunciat vti res est pronounceth as the thing is will you then make truth pronounce one thing before the thing was and another thing when it is is the nature changed because the time is varied then farwell all truths and that common axiome which is no more common then true That definitions of things are not onely to be conceiued in the present time but also past and to come Let vs examine the definition of contingencie and necessitie â—â—e definition of contingency Contingencie is that which is so true that it may be false is this onely for future no but thus may be false or might haue bin false I am sure you will say that mans fall might haue bin false for God might haue decreed otherwise and therefore marke what you doe affirme to wit that God might change necessarie truths then may he make contradictions true He may make a man and not reasonable fire but not hote Let it then be what it will be if once it might haue bin changed it can neuer be made an vnchangeable nature by time Achilles might haue killed Hector Saul might haue fallen on his owne sword Adam might haue runne into the finne of auersion from God These before they were done you confesse were contingent but Achilles hath slaine Hector Saul is fallen on his owne sword Adam is become an Apostata from God now the case is altered and they are become necessarie But do you not vnderstand reason tell me I pray you Achilles to kill Hector Saul to fall
on his sword Adam to sinne what arguments are they in reason surely causes and effects Now to kil and may kill fall and may fall sinne and may sinne what new inuention haue they brought into reason are they not still cause aâ—d effect A man may laugh therfore if he bring his facultie into exercise it is become necessarie Surely betwixt a reason in potentia in power to argue and actu there is no substantiall change The Coryphaeus of Logitians defines an argument quod est ad arguendum affectum that is which is affected to argue All men know that the power of a thing is more neere the beeing then the act and therfore a thing can part with his act but neuer with his power or facultie A man doth not alwaies laugh nay he may alwaies be a mourning Heraclitus yet he cannot part with the facultie And if it was contingent for Adam to fall surely beeing fallen the cause is not altered onely that which might be is come to passe That which I feared saies Iob is come vpon me when he feared it it was contingent but now it is necessarie strange reason that for bringing a thing into act that was in power to the act or for a little change of time nature should be altered fire will be fire wheresoeuer it is and nature will be nature whensoeuer it is Let any answer me this one thing did God intend to create all things necessarie or some things necessarie and some things contingent If all things necessarie then let vs become Stoickes if some things contingent then I aske when those contingent things were made did they then become necessarie where is then any contingent thing made of God Euery thing you say is necessarie when it is therefore when God had made all things all things were necessarie This kinde of discourse will hold no water and for my part away with this necessitie But doe you desire to know what a necessarie thing is then in a word it is this The definition of necessitie That which is alwaies true and neither can nor could be otherwise To be alwaies true is common to contingencie and necessitie for God with whome all things are present knew them alwaies to be true yet not necessarie but here lies the difference that neither can nor could be otherwise Dare any affirme this of Adam surely then farwell all libertie and make God the true cause of sinne for beloued immutabilitie and necessitie are most principally in God and therefore from him and where you finde them acknowledge God the author If then Adams fall was of this kind it must needes be from God This argument shall be cleared when I come to the answers 4. Obiect Is drawne from the end or if you like not that because may be you will say reprobation is not mans end but Gods glorie in reprobation therefore thus I frame the argument Reprobation is a punishment now our Diuines hold that God reprobated man without consideration of his sinne therefore he punisheth man and yet not for sinne which must needs be iniustice That it is a punishment I prooue it thus Punishments according to the Schooles are either poena sensus or poena damni the punishment of sense lies in sensible torments the punishment of the damned by an Emphasis is a separation from God now reprobation is a separation from God because it is Gods desertion of man thus then if they make Gods will euill the decree of his will an effectuall cause of sinne mans will necessarily thereunto compelled and reprobation mans ende or if you please a meanes vnto the same then will it follow that they make God the author of sinne but all this you see prooued and therefore our diuines make God the author of sinne The accusation is heauie in loue therefore vnto Gods Saints and the defence of his faithfull ministers I will labour to resolue euerie one of these arguments The resolution of the former arguments To the first argument from Gods will that he wills the being existing and euent of sinne I answer by this distinction that there is a double being Gods willing of sinne to be is not the beeing of sinne existing or euent of sinne in regard of a double cause First that which man giues vnto it proceeding from his free-will and this is none of Gods the second is from God and that is an existing beeing and euent which God will draw out of sinne and this is not sinnes beeing existing or euent but Gods therefore when they say God wills that sinne should be that is he wills a beeing out of sinne first his owne glorie secondly a better good then otherwise man could haue knowne and this fiat sit eueniat existat which be the words of our Diuines is good and that this is their meaning it is cleare for say they God wills sinne to be for his glorie now sinne in his owne nature is against his glorie therefore he cannot will the being of sinne for then should he will against his glorie but he wills some euent beeing or existing which he knowes will make for his glorie Secondly God wills sinne to bee exist happen from man onely but that is the first beeing of sinne as the sinnefull action lookes at the sinnefull man whereof you heard before that a sinnefull action was onely in sense an action done by a sinnefull person But you will say how should this be done without sinne I answer here God is first said to permiâ—it to be done secondly to worke it by accident but you will say comes any thing to passe because God permits yes therefore it comes to passe because God will permit for that which God will not permit cannot come to passe and this hee doth most willingly Now when God permits in this sort he is said not to concurre with the worker of the thing but leaues him freely to himselfe this is that desertion which our Diuines speake of for if God should haue concurred to haue produced in man the act of not willing sinne and haue confirmed him in the contrarie then man should not haue fallen and this is that which Caluin affirmes that God gaue Adam posse quod voluit sed non velle quod potuit that is to be able to doe what he would but not to will that which he had power to will therefore that not impedition permission or desertion was a cause why he did not will but none why he did will that which he did will But you will obiect that not to will was a sinne and God was the cause of that I answer it is both a sinne and no sinne a sinne when it flowes from a will that is immediately bound vnto it therefore the very not willing was in Adam a sinne of omission but that not to will which Adam might haue willed did not bind God at all for God was not bound to make Adam to will God might with-drawe himselfe from that
willing which Adam doing sinned against God Adam was bound to doe it actually and God was only bound by the law of creation and his owne wisdome to giue him sufficient power that he might doe it Man was bound actually to obedience but that God should bring forth the act was not necessarie God was not bound vnto the act of willing Adam to stand now both the will and deed are from God and therfore where God denies the deed he is the cause why the deed is not as if I denie to helpe an idle man which hath power to goe I am the cause why he is not helped and for want of my helpe he will not goe that he would not goe it is a fault in himselfe and if he goe backeward it is also his fault If a friend should say vnto me I will not go vnto such a place except you will goe with me I answer him peremptorily I will not goe with you now that hee is not gone withall I am the cause but that he himselfe would not goe it is his fault and if he promised his iourney he alone hath broken his word God saies I will permit sinne and man saies Lord then I both can and it is my will to doe it wel go too man and trie the issue but Lord wilt thou not binder my being tempted by the deuill no man I will not doe it why then Lord I and the deuill will consent together to sinne against thee well trie your freewill so then Gods permission is a not impedition this not impedition is a desertion not of his power to the power of the creature for in him we liue moue and haue our beeing but of his will to the will of the creature and therefore the wil of the creature becomes his own wil by his own will he turnes from God so he turnes it vnto himselfe for he will be like God therefore I dare boldly say that the not willing of Adam was froÌ„ God because he would not giue the deed and that deed beeing denied man did the contrarie The answer to the distinction of non velle velle permittere But dare thou O man dispute with God I could not doe otherwise yes thou would not doe otherwise for thou hadst power inough and that I held my act from thee I did it according to my good pleasure to glorifie my selfe more in thy fall then in thy creation For that threefold act Non velle est impedire vel non approbare first to will sinne not to be secondly to will it to be thirdly to permit it are in simple signification distinct speaking of an absolute will or els they may fall together the first may haue a double meaning for to will sinne not to be is either to hinder it from beeing or els not to approoue it when it is So then God may be said not to will sin when he hinders man from it and this he did not for Adam therfore Iacob Arminius hath sinned grieuously against God by this distinctioÌ„ to make M. Perkins blaspheme against God it is witty I grant but only with the simple God will haue me speake I professe against all the crew of Arminius defenders that they do greatly derogate from the Maiestie of God and abuse their wits to ouerturne Gods wisdom Marke therefore I beseech you the distinction of this subtill Confuter whom the world beginnes to flocke after He beginnes his booke as though he bare a great loue to the truth and the worthy man M. PERKINS yet his poyson be spits out in coyning distinctions to ouerturne the truth and make him whome he called a brother to blaspheme against God And that I may giue you a tast of his wit I intreat you consider what a flourish he hath made in these two distinctions Looke the places the first is Pag. 118. l. 21. Detection of Armintus sophistrâ—e Sunt enim tria inter se distincta quorum nullum alterum includit velle vt peccatum non siat hoc est velle impedire ne fiat velle vt fiat seu eueniat velle permittere seu non impedire That this is a false distinction let the learned iudge for if this be true I can prooue directly that it was impossible for sinne to be and let the proudest Arminian answer it if he can I speak in the loue of the truth beare with me First I am sure out of his distinction that he cannot denie but God willed not sinne to be now they are his owne words That that which Gods wills not to be that he wills to hinder and therefore if God will sinne not to be he wills to hinder it and what God wills to hinder that cannot be and therefore sinne cannot be But he is to know that God wills sinne not to be two waies first non impediendo secondly non approbando therefore that which God wills not to be may be but yet hated of God because he neuer approoâ—ed of it and so God wills sinne not onely in hindring of it but also in that he approoues not of it the one will not suffer a thing to be the other distasteth the beeing of it For the second member Arminius rather blasphemeth that prooues him to blaspheme for whatsoeuer God wills not according to his minde is hindred of God therefore nothing can bee but that which God wills for say the thing is and God would it not and then you say plainely some thing is that God could not hinder and then where is his omnipotencie for his position is what God wils not he hinders For the second member that which God wills to bee is also twofold either effectuall or permissiue for proprietie of speech wil beare both these senses God wils a thing to be either effectualy or permissiuely for he deceiues himselfe not knowing from whence this distinction is taken The distinction of a permissiue will and effectuall is not in the cause but effect not from the cause but effects of one wil diuersly disposed to diuerse obiects as euill and goodnesse to goodnesse his wil is said effectuall to euill permissiue the efficacie of his wil is manifested in the production of a good thing his permission in the production of an euill and therefore the speech is proper and familiar to say that as God wils a good thing to bee by his effectiue will so he wils an euill thing to be by his permissiue wil and as by efficacie hee is carried towards good things so by his permissiue wil he is carried towards euil this distribution is warrantable seeing diuers effects are carried vpon diuers obiects and I vrge him with reason The act of his effectuall will is excercised vpon some obiect which all our men say is toward goodnesse and neuer bends to euill therfore in like manner I demand on what obiect is his permissiue will carried surely on euill and therfore God permissiuely
members become sinnefull It is not simply a sinne to looke on a woman for so much as to see is done by the concurrence of a rule of Gods wisdome but in that it is to lust after a woman and so here the eye looking vpon this tree is made sinnefull because inwardly she lusts after it and that is expressed in the next words when shee saies a tree to be desired and the ende of that is to get knowledge This ende is good but will not iustifie the action because the very eating for this end was expressely forbidden The 3. act is taking of the fruit thereof neither can this simply be condemned for it might be they might haue gathered the fruit and I am thereunto perswaded because this tree as well as the rest was for man and some good vse might haue beene made thereof 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 conâ—â—â—ing the first sinne The 4. act And did eate neither here am I of Arminius minde that meant subtilly to crosse an argument in M. Perkins by affirming that the very act was forbidden The natural act was good but onely the morall act which was respectiue and in reference to Gods law that onely was sinnefull The 5. act And gaue also vnto her husband this was likewise a sinne seeing God had made her a helper vnto him to become his ruine this was the breach of charitie The last act and he did eate To this some might reply but how could this bee a sinne seeing he was ignorant of it to which I answer 〈◊〉 present 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 First I doubt not but by that excellent knowledge he had he was able vpon the very sight thereof to know that it was the fruit of the forbidden tree God brought him the beasts of the field and he named them according to their natures he knewe his wife when shee was brought vnto him these were farre more difficult then to know euery seuerall fruit in the garden seeing they are so easily distinguished by many outward appearances therefore questionlesse he knew the fruit But then you will obiect man was more foolish then the woman for shee did it by strong perswasions and he without any more adoe vpon his very wiues giuing it did eate thereof alas neuer thinke so But how then was he tempted surely I thinke it was not a new disputation betwixt his wife and himselfe that as the deuil had dealt with her so she might deale with her husband for if Adam had been absent all the while of that communication and then the serpent and the deuill in the serpent had been departed that Adam would so soone haue yeelded vnto her motion Secondly it is said that as soone as shee desired it she tooke it and did eate if this was done in the place where shee stood then assuredly her eyes would haue been open to haue seene the offence before she could haue brought Adam vnto it Thirdly if she must first haue plucked the fruit and then haue carried it to Adam and lastly haue disputed with Adam for the eating of it it had been too long a time for a woman with child in sinning and longing for an apple or a figge or what else the fruit was to haue staied her appetite so long and therefore as I doubt not but she presently are it so presently her husband yeelded too and so both their eyes were opened together But you will say did Adam stand by all the time of their disputation I know no other meaning of the text but that it should be so and therefore Adam was exceedingly too blame to suffer his wife to haue such communication with the serpent hee should haue shut him out at the first entrance for God set him to keepe the garden that no beasts should come in it Now tell me I beseech you what concourse Gods law had in mans fall and the selfe-same is my iudgement that God had in it Now the lawe stood at hand to haue ioyned with man to haue brought forth his obedience vnto God and haue kept him from all sinnes of omission but man would not heare the voice of the lawe but of the deuill against the law therefore no maruell if he fell So then the Lord concurred by his law I will vse the word of Arminius quantum decuit yea and quantum oportuit as much as was seemely and as much as was expedient and this none of our Diuines denie if I may speake it bona venia with the good liking of all Arminians so that God withheld none of this grace from him but as I said before the deede of his will or that velle quod potuit which was not of such absolute necessitie neither wanted man any concourse if he had been as good as his meanes were But you say further Gods will no irresistable motion to mans â—ill the motion was irresistable and so man was no faultie cause seeing he could doe no better Alas had they all those free actions in sinne and yet did nothing proprijs voluntatibus I see nothing at all done by them but was done most freely But then you say the will of God might haue beene frustrated Alas senslesse creatures when the Apostle saies who hath resisted the will of God at any time is most certaine in very reason it selfe for the superiour cause can neuer suffer of the inferiour cause therefore if mans will should goe about to resist or frustrate the will of God it were euen against reason it selfe for then should Gods wil suffer of mans will And againe with Arminius God forbid it should be otherwise but that consilium Deistaret that Gods counsell should stand and therefore God hath an irresistable will and if that then the motion of his will is also irresistable if this then man cannot resist it and if he cannot resist then is hee mooued irresistably to sinne Fiue propositions to explaine how Gods will cannot be resisted stay there the consequence is false I know you will graunt me these fiue propositions and I know no more that our Diuines defend first that Gods will is the supreame cause secondly that Gods will cannot suffer thirdly that none can resist it fourthly that his motion is likewise irresistable fiftly that neither men nor angels can resist it But tell mee how you can prooue your consequence therefore man in sinning followes Gods irresistable motion I know no such consequence either in the Scriptures or our men for euery motion of Adam and the woman were most free and they followed most willingly their owne motion But you will say God decreed this motion true yet no cause thereof for he decreed man should be the cause of it himselfe But could this be done and yet God be no cause thereof yes assuredly for you are deceiued of Gods decree by putting it into the thing when it is in himselfe And here I will cleare vnto you another way that God takes in his decree then you imagine First Gods decree ariseth from
third of such things as would bee if such and such things went before If Caine doe well he shall be accepted Gen. 4. if Dauid stay in Keilah the lords of the citie will deliuer him if I continue in beleeuing then I shall be saued if I continue in sinne I shall bee damned And on this knowledge for any thing that I can perceiue doe the Papists and Lutherans hang all predestination and so make Gods will the consequent in decreeing and mans will the antecedent in giuing God the occasion The deceit is this that from the connexion of things they iudge of Gods will about things which is most indirect and a knowledge that agrees not to God but at the second hand It is true that the first knowledge beeing iudged according to logicall inuention is of things possible for arguments or reasons afore they come to bee disposed are onely in potentia ad arguendum haue an affection to argue and so many things that might be haue this potentiall kind of reason and so we say they are knowne of God because we so conceiue of them The second knowledge which is more actuall is properly science the laying together of those things which before were onely in affection to argue The third is of these things which beeing laid together can no otherwise haue force of reason but vpon connexion and supposition and in this head would they tie Gods decree and knowledge when indeed God followes no such suppositions but absolutely knowes and wills what he pleaseth yet seeing his decree is as large as all reason it cannot otherwise be imagined but that in the manifestation of it all reason should appeare And so we grant a connexion supposition condition and occasion in all Gods works that is in the effects of his will but none of all these in the will it selfe Therefore they doe amisse to put that vpon his will which is the cause which ought to be in the effect of his will and thereupon no antecedent of Gods will but meere consequents That creation should go before the fall the fall before redemption redemption before saluation and sinne before damnation are all of them most necessarie suppositions connexions conditions and if you please occasions And thus much for that occasion which is to Arminius delphicus gladius but it cuts asunder such knots as God hath tied together whose will in all things drawes the first linke and cannot be drawne of any M. Per. 3. Principle in sense is this that God does all by counsell therefore he hath his scope which he knowes wills and disposeth vnto most prudently and therefore decrees euery thing therevnto I. Ar. The most wise God doth all things for some ende and purpose euen that which he doth not yet hee permits it for some ende and purpose therefore first it is a fault to say that God must either agere be doing or otiose spectare become an idle beholder which is no good distribution for agere and permittere to doe and permit are really distinguished and both these are for good purpose and therefore God must either be doing or an idle beholder are too scant for he may permit Secondly prudence is too short a word to inlarge it selfe to all Gods wisedome Thirdly adhibito certo fine the ende applied finis gratia and for the ende are not all one for no man workes for the ende applied but for the good therein implied Fourthly Deus non vult aut non decernit quod non potest God neither wills nor decrees that which he cannot here no sense except it be further added which he cannot do or permit and therefore the conclusion is most imperfect so God decreed to doe except this be added or permitted Collat. Agere prudenter to doe wisely will beare the sense of permission for permission comming from Gods wil is considered of vs as an effect this effect is produded by counsell therefore for a good ende and purpose so then that which God doth permittere he doth prudenter agere grant then that Gods permission comes from his counsell and aimes at his glorie and then it must bee more then a negatiue act But to speake the truth permission as it is expounded of Arminius maintaines nothing but absurdities First in regard of the cause for saies he permission is voluntatis remissae now such a will as this cannot be in God whose will is meere act and therefore cannot admit of degrees all remissiuenesse of Gods will is in regard of the subiect which is quantum and may be lesse and more but in regard of himselfe it is impossible Secondly a remisse will doth either will or not will or suspend to suspend is neither to hinder nor further the act and so the Lord should haue no stroke in sinne which is the deniall of his prouidence in the apostacie of man if his prouidence did not suspend nor his power then his wil was not to suspend in that action if he did more then suspend then it was either to will or not to will if not to will then sinne should not haue beene therefore God did will it per modum actionis That this may appeare Gods manner of working in sinne we are to consider what manner of efficient causes true reason laies downe vnto vs And the first manner of causes efficient are either to beget or preserue the second to worke alone or with others the third by himselfe or by accident and agere is giuen to euery one of these Let vs then see where Gods action in sinne comes in and because it is most apparent in the third I answer God is the cause of sin by accident And this will appeare if we consider how many causes wrought by an internal principle these were foure the deuill and Adam principally the serpent and the woman instrumentally and all these were blameable causes The externall cause was the lawe and will of God which in mans transgression did all they did by an externall facultie for the lawe is made the sauour of death vnto death not by his own facultie but by the deuills and mans free will and this work of the law was most holy and iust And this is a working cause iustified by the true rule of reason and not a bare permission If a man take a knife and thrust it into his bowels it is the cause of murder and no permission if man therfore was thrust thorow and wounded to the death by the law of God it was no bare permission but a working cause yet in all things vnblameable And therefore to denie Gods will all causation is impossible If a man would faine kill himselfe and could finde no instrument to effect it withall he would be kept from the fact for want thereof so if the Law had not bin man could not haue died Therefore it is most true when our Diuines speake of permission that they doe not in the generall latitude of action exclude it
not goe vnreprooued Secondly because it opposeth the light and therefore cannot long stand in opposition by clouding of the light but the light will breake out The clouds in the aire can not alwaies shade the sunne from the eyes of the world nor the darknesse of the night alwaies shut vp the morning brightnes so shall not sinne alwaies fill the world with his mysts and clouds and alwaies shut vp the day of the Lords appearance to iudgment but the Lord will breake the heauens and make the glorie of his Sonne appeare at which heauen and earth shall flee away and then shall the thoughts of all hearts be made manifest Thirdly because God must be glorified for except the Lord do it himselfe he shal neuer haue any glorie in the sinnes of the wicked for they dishonor him as much as possibly they can Isa 59 4. No man calleth for iustice no man contendeth for truth v. 14. Iudgement goes backward iustice stands farre off truth is fallen in the streete and equitie can not enter The Lord seeth it it displeaseth him and he wonders that no man will offer himselfe for his defence therefore his arme did saue it and his righteousnes it selfe did sustaine it he put on righteousnes as an habergeon and an helmet of saluation vpon his head and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeale as with a cloake Then shall sinne surely haue his reproofe and a recompence shall be giuen for euill doing he will fully repay the Islands of the world 1. Vse reprehension first confutation of the wicked that make so much of their sinnes that are not ashamed to boast of them Well let them goe too these are the very things that the Lord will reprooue to their shame and confusion Secondly correction to the godly that are so meale-mouthed at sinne that haue not a word to say for the Lord of hosts We are too often in the extreames when God is silent we would be speaking and when the Lord is speaking we would be silent especially Ministers that dare not speake when the Lord hath bidden them speake boldly and not feare the faces of the proudest 2. Vse instruction First an admonition to the wicked to beware of sinning know they not that euery time they sinne they hold vp their hands to heauen to pray vnto God for vengeance Secondly a direction to Gods children to mitigate the bitternes of their sinnes Exod. 15. for sinnes may be compared to the waters of Marah and Gods reproofe to the bitternesse of those waters and Israels murmuring may set forth the discontednesse of the soule in tasting of those waters the crie of the people what shall we drinke to set forth the thirstie desire of the soule to be satisfied with some sweet water Moses cry vnto the Lord sets forth the grace of prayer vnto God for some sweet comfort in the bitter conflicts with sinne Lastly the Lord shewing Moses a tree to cast into the waters which doth make them sweet and so giueth them a pleasant rellish vnto the soule may set forth the action of God the father giuing of Christ the tree of life to euerie distressed soule which beeing receiued by faith into his soule will make riuers of water flow out of him to eternall life and keepe him from euer languishing againe vnder the burden of his sinne therefore let this be our direction in all Gods reproofes for sinne to sweeten them in Christ and so beare them patiently 3. Vse Consolation to all that are in Christ for God hath alreadie reprooued their sinnes in his sonne and therefore shal they be free from his wrath Suppose that a malefactor were condemned to die and the day of his execution were at hand how would this affect him in his soule how would he labour to escape it trie all his friends his goods wife children kinsfolkes the dearest of his acquaintance his wealth can serue him no better but to prouide for him while he liueth see him honourably buried when he is dead his wife and children and the rest tell him they will weepe for him all these are but cold comforts to the man that must die But if one should step out and say my life for yours if that will free you hee offers himselfe to the king the king accepts of him deliuers the pardon brings it to the malefactor now he is at ease and hardly can a man imagine the greatnesse of his ioy surely if that bee true that a man may die laughing hee might as soone loose his life in this passion of ioy as he might haue done in the passion of his sorrow Euen the selfe same cause is paralelled in a man on his death-bed I am reprooued of the Lord and adiudged to eternall death for my sinnes alas how shall I escape my goods are nothing vnto thee O Lord thou wilt not take them for the redemption of my soule my wife and children and good friends standing about my bed cut me at the very heart no worldly comfort can refresh my soule Oh my God take thy Christ for the redemption of my soule he is able to stand betwixt thy wrath and my sinne in him lift vpon me the light of thy countenance for therein stands my exceeding ioy farre aboue the increase of oyle corne wine or any worldly thing Obser 2. Hypocrites shall not goe vndiscouered it shal be knowne what they are they shall see what a sandie foundation they haue laid and how all their hopes are no better then the spiders web Isa 29.13 because this people come neere vnto me with their mouth and honour mee with their lips but haue remooued their hearts farre from mee and their feare toward mee was taught by the precept of men therefore to discouer them I will doe a marueilous thing the wisedome of the wisest of them shall perish and the vnderstanding of the most prudent shall be hid Woe shall be vnto their deepes and their workes of darkenesse and they shal meete with him that seeth them and knoweth them their deuises cause them most foolishly to stand vp with the pot against his maker and with the thing formed against him that fashioned him to say thou hast no vnderstanding Well your Lebanon shall become Carmel and your Carmel a forest the best you haue shall become worse and that which is next shal become a barren wildernesse yet Iacob shall not be confounded neither shall his face be pale for he shall see his children because the worke of mine hands is in the middst of him they shall still sanctifie my name euen the holy one of Israel and shal feare him then they that erred in spirit shall haue vnderstanding they that murmured shal learn this doctrine euen the hypocrits themselues whose spirit made them erre shall know that all their profession was nothing and they that murmured often against God for not respecting them as they deserued shall learne this doctrine that
setting euen as a false peice of latin is set to the eye of the boy from the master by the rule and both of them corrected the boy by rods the latine by pulling it in peices because it is so farre wanting that nothing can be made of it that will beare good construction Indeede the godly are set againe into the image of their creation by Christ Iesus which hath turned man wholly againe vnto his creator and these haue their faults daily corrected become good proficients in the schoole of Christ and therefore one day shall celebrate the happie day of their commencing where euerie one shall be made an absolute Doctor free of all professions not to teach but read a continuall lecture of the praise of God to rauish his heart with ioy Obs Gods iustice is able to place all sinne in his order and ranke that so it may be easily seene and iudged of all men If I came into a roome and faw al the plate set forth to the view euery dish on the table in his due place all the furniture for the chamber in answerable proportion and euery guest in his due order and place set downe to meat I could easily iudge of the excellencie of the feast So surely the wicked alas they must expect no feast whē God shal haue mustered vp all their sinnes and ranked them vnder their seuerall heads according to his law and Gospel shall be able sufficiently to iudge what they haue done amisse to the great disquiet of their soules First therefore they shall see their apostacie from God that kept them from pleasing of him and made them displease him continually from this will the Lord descend to let him see the transgression in this apostacie with the propagation of it to all posteritie he will shewe him that the trangression in eating of the forbidden fruite was an offence of an exceeding great maiestie because it was a sacrament of the couenant of loue betwixt God the creator and man his creature and God forbad him as he would loue him not to eate thereof The loue on Gods part was extraordinarie because man being by nature changeable had this sacrament as a seale of his constant estate of goodnes and therefore was it called the tree of the knowledge of good Again on mans part it was required that he should loue constantly or if he should leaue to serue the Lord then was affured vnto him by the same sacrament vnder Gods broad seale his change from good to euill therfore was it also called the tree of the knowledge of euil From this trāsgression wil the Lord lead him by the hand to take notice of the causes and the effects that followed vpon those causes In the causes he shall vnderstand that one sort were blameable an other holy good the blameable causes both principall and instrumentall principall the deuill which through pride against God and malice against man became liars and murtherers of man by bringing him into sinne Man the second principall cause by his free receiuing of the deuills temptation and hearkning thereunto contrary to the commandement of god when he might haue resisted the same became a ioynt rebell with the deuill The instrumentall causes first the serpent the instrument of the deuill abused to the seducing of the woman the second instrument was the woman deceiued of the deuill by the serpent became an instrument to deceiue man Then shall he be brought to the vnblameable cause to wit the law and commandement of God for had not this bin their had bin no sinne as the Apostle saies therefore the law which in it self is the sauour of life vnto life through the default of man became the sauour of death vnto death that most iustly for as an earthen pitcher dashed by the hand against a stone wall is truely broken of the wall yet no fault in the wall but in the hand that threwe it against the wall contrarie to the command of his superiour so man like this earthen pitcher beeing dashed by the deuill his owne free will the serpent and the woman vpon the lawe of God and so broken in peices is no fault in the law but theirs that dashed him against the law Therefore the lawe is no faultie cause but a iust and holy cause of mans fall and as the law did it so God did it Now the lawe was no bare permitting cause or a forsaking cause but a working cause euen in that fall of man Who sees not the wall to haue an hand in the breaking of the pitcher and therefore it is idle to say that the Lord was but only a looker on gaue man leaue to transgresse or did forsake him in the act for all these are false therefore that which he did he was able to doe that which he was able to doe he decreed vnto his owne glorie and so it seemed good vnto his wisedome and therefore might absolutely will that as good and iust But God committeth no sinne true as he did all this you see there was no fault for what fault was there in the wal that brake the pitcher what fault is there in the water that drownes a man if he cast himselfe into it in the fire if it burne him surely none therefore that which God did was iust and holy but that which man did was a hainous sinne For God made them the fountaines and beginnings of their owne actions because they were indued with free will to doe well that thereby they might deserue both praise and price I meane ratione pacti non absolutè meriti of bargaine and not of simple merit for that which the law would haue giuen them that we may say was iustly deserued and on the contrarie by paritie of consequence for ill doing they deserued both dispraise and punishment If then you say God might will sinne and not will it which is to defend contradictions in his wil very true is the antecedent God did will and not will yet the consequent is false for contradictions must be of the same thing in the same respect I may say Appius est coecus non est coecus Appius is blind and not blind which are no contradictions for they are not ad idem there is not the same thing affirmed and denied but diuers he is blind in bodie but not in soule so of the Lord that which he doth in sinne he wills because so sinne hath a respect of good and he wills it iustly but that which man doth in sinne he willeth not but is sore displeased with it Thus when the Lord hath let many see their transgressions he will carie them on a long vnto the effects that flowe from these causes as the streames from the fountaine and these are in number three blame guilt and punishment blame the fault of his action in breaking Gods lawe guilt whereby hee is tyed to vndergoe his punishment and punishment which is the iust anger of God
Controversie concerning Gods decreeing of sinne 1. Obiections from the Text. 47. answered ibid. from attributes 48. answered ibid. from subiect 49. answered ibid. 2. Arguments proouing from the end 50. from method 52. from God first and last 54 3. Of sinnes entrance his causes principall instrumentall and accidentall 55. how God purposed this entrance 56. how the lawe workes sinne 58. positions of the manner 59 4. Of sinnes progresse and consequents 63. what is Gods work therein 64 5. Obiectiions that God is the author of sinne from Scripture 66 answered ibid. from Bellarmine 68. Caluins iudgement ibid. from reason 73. answered 74. from orthodoxe writers concerning Gods will decree mans will and his reprobation 78 6. Answered 88. how God wills sinne to be 89. Arminius sophystrie 91. determination no cause of necessitie 96. when a thing is how necessarie 97. of Gods concourse 98. of Gods irresistable will 106. the nature of Gods decree 107. freedome of mans will 121. reprobation no punishment 123 7. Collation of M. Perkins and Arminius 127. in 10. principles to 139. for the definition of predestination 139. how counsell 139. of the subiect and his degrees 140. to 152. lastly of the end and subordination of meanes 152. to 160. PSALM 50.21 These things hast thou done and I held my tongue therefore thou thoughtest that I was altogether like thee but I will reprooue thee and set them in order before thee CHAP. I. Of the generall Analysis IN the world we haue three sorts of people All men in thâ—â— world are either Atheists Hypocrites or Saintâ— First Atheists that care for no religion secondly Hypocrites that care for formall religion thirdly Saints that care for true religion Atheists discouer themselues and therfore the word of God is not large in ripping vp their sinnes Hypocrits make a faire shewe and therefore the word of God is verie copious in reuealing their sinne and threatning iudgement against them it tels them plainely they are all for the ceremonie nothing for the truth they lay hold on the shadowe but loose the substance these mens sacrifices are no better then abhomination vnto the Lord he hath no eare to heare them withall he hath no eyes to looke vpon their sacrifices no smell to sauour a sweet sauour of rest in them but his soule is displeased with them and his heart doth rise against them that hee must needs spewe them out of his mouth hee hath no tast to say that the sacrifices they haue prepared are any sauoury meat vnto his palate and yet the Lord is no daintie taster for hee would say it were well if there were but a willing mind Iacob and Esan a true type of Gods militant Church which is cumâ—â—aniâ— Indeede Izaac the father of Iacob and Esau might be deceiued in his sonnes and in their venison but surely hee was not deceiued in their garments for when he had kissed Iacob hee smelled the fauour of his garments and blessed him and said most truely behold the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field God is not dim-sighted to iudge betwixt the taâ—es wheate which the Lord hath blessed but the Lord is not as man that he should any way be deceiued Iacob should neuer haue gotten the blessing from Esau by hauing his brothers hands in shewe except the Lord had brought that to passe which long before he had decreed Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated So stands the case betwixt all hypocrites and true professors they may haue the hands of 〈◊〉 but their voice will bee the voice of Iacob or morally their hands may be the hands of Iacob but their voice will be the voice of Esau the world might be deceiued by the workes of their hands but if they listen to their words they shall find them rellish of Esaus heart but the Lord knowes their workes that they are not onely couered with goates skins but that they themselues are goates indeede and so shall one day appeare when the Lord shall goe through the flocks and separate from all the sheepe the little spotted the great spotted and the blacke spotted not to be the wages of Iacob but the inheritance of the denil and therefore blessed are all they that shal be found in the garments of Christ Iesus that so not Izaac but the God of Abraham Izaac and Iacob may blesse them with the dew of heauen the fatnesse of the earth plenty of wheat and wine that all the world may be their seruants and all their mothers children honour them and therfore cursed be he that curseth them â—â—pocrites fiâ—al be rewarded and blessed be he that blesseth them let the hypocrites complaine we haue done thus and thus and yet thou regardest not we haue bin thy eldest sonnes in casting out deuills working miracles preaching fasting sacrificing giuing of almes and what haue we left vndone for thy names sake hast thou not therefore one blessing in store ò father to blesse vs withall Well it may be they will imitate Esau in his passion lift vp their voices and weepe and surely God will say of them as he did of Ahab Seest thou not how Ahab playes the hypocrite yet because he humbles himselfe in shewe I will bestow a blessing in shew vpon him I will spare him for a time so because yee haue wept with Esau for a blessing behold the fatnesse of the earth shall be your dwelling place by your swords and crueltie to my Saints shall you liue Cruelty of hypocrites I haue made you your brethrens seruants but it shall come to passe when you shall get the masterie that you shall breake their yokes from your neckes and assoone as the daies of your mourning are come and gone you will slay your brethren for that hath beene the thought of your mind God will surely blesse thâ—â—g â—ly and curse the wicked yet let me tell you my mind them haue I blessed and they shall be blessed but for you hypocrites which would seem to haue the little spots among my sheepe I tell you Ciuil hypocrits Grosse hypocrites Meere Atheiâ—â— Little spoâ— great spots blacke upon that I haue separated you for the day of slaughter and againe you hypocrites which are not of the number of these ciuill professors but grosse hypocrites with great spots in my congregation and yet defie my seruants which tell you of your damnation I tell you that you are in the selfe same predicament of my decree of reprobation And lastly all you Atheists which haue the blacke spots vpon you which will acknowledge no more then bruit beasts I tell you that you and all the rest are the goates that I must set on my left hand and pronounce this sentence against you Goe you cursed into hel fire prepared for the deuill and his angels there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer This Psalme is as I may tearme it an Assize or session holden of the Lord vnto
strengthen all our actions The first is when wee goe about any good dutie to deale thus with our soules surely by the grace of God I purpose to set my selfe about this action 2. That my purposes be not vaine I enter couenant with the Lord and promise that that which I haue purposed I will performe vnto him 3. That I may be no couenant-breaker I vow vnto the Lord my obedience 4. That I may not be rash in my vowes I proceed further and say with Dauid I haue sworne that I will keepe thy righteous statutes Now when the Deuill my corrupt flesh the world or any worker of iniquitie shall set vpon mee thus will I answer Why would you haue me breake my purposes and be inconstant in my resolutions seeing the world despiseth all inconstancie againe though I might change my purpose yet my promise I will not alter for infidelitie is hated of all but if you will say you may put off the performance of your promise because you beare men in hand with dispensations of future obedience yet I haue a third thing that binds mee more straightly and that is a holy vow vnto the Lord which being lawfully made I must not breake for a world of wealth yet if you will be instant vpon mee and say I was too rash in my hasty vowing then I pray you consider that I haue sworn vnto the Lord and therefore to haue God to count mee for a periured person would sting mee at the heart and suffer my conscience neuer to be at peace with mee therefore putting all these together purpose promise vow and oath how should I doe this great thing you require and sinne against my God these things beeing practised I dare boldly say euery Christian shall find daily increase of grace and more readinesse to serue God V. 15 The second part required is prayer v. 15. which is discouered vnto vs First by his work to call shewing great necessitie and therefore the neglect of it must needs bring extraordinarie losse vnto the soule 2. By the proper obiect vpon mee the Lord the best succour in the time of need 3. By the adiunct of time in the day of trouble and therefore great occasion is giuen to euery Christian soule to call vpon his God 4. The promise is annexed as an excellent motiue to so excellent a dutie so will I deliuer thee and therefore happie is euery Christian that hee may know assuredly in euery day of trouble hee hath hope of the day of deliuerance And these are the parts of the true worship of God praise in prosperity prayer in aduersitie the end of both followes in the same ver And thou shalt glorifie mee therefore not vnto vs O Lord but vnto thy name for all thy mercies be ascribed all honour and glorie V. 16 The second part of Gods proceeding is with the profane hypocrites from the sixteenth verse to the ende the parts wherof are three conviction to the 21. v. sentence of iudgement in the 21. v. and application in the 22.23 v. The conuiction is of two sorts of crimes first against God the breach of the first table the second against his neighbour the breach of the second table the first which is against God is in the sixteenth and seuenteenth v. and that is a forme of Religion in the sixteenth v. but a deniall of the power in the 17. v. The shew of religion is set forth by his effects declaring and speaking 2. By the obiect ordinances and couenants 3. From the iniurie they offer vnto God what hast thou to doe 4. From a testimonie of God himselfe witnessing against him but vnto the wicked said God Therefore the religion of all hypocrites is formall in the fruit and in the obiect to the iniurie of God himselfe and the prouoking of a sharpe witnes against themselues V. 17 The power of Religion is wholly denied v. 17. First in affection they hate reformation 2. Of instruction in actions they will endure no reformation 3. By obstinacie in casting Gods words behind them They direct degrees of sinne first to enter the affections by batred of good and loue of euill 2. To proceed to action without all reformation 3. To continue in practise by obstinate rebellion and casting off Gods yoke V. 18 The second order of crimes is the breach of charitie vnto his neighbour 18 19 20. v. which are of two sorts of actions and speaches of Actions v. 18. First laid foorth in their kinds theeuerie and adulterie 2. By their formes running with theeues partaking with adulterers where the consent vnto these sinnes is taxed with the practise 3. From the motiue cause in these words when thou seest shewing how the desire of wicked men is inflamed with the beholding of the sinnes of others to make them runne with them in inward consent and be partakers in the verie heart V. 19 The second kind of crimes are of speaches first of things secondly of persons of things v. 19. wherein wee haue first the kinds euill and deceit euill in the forme deceit in the end 2. From the instruments the mouth and the tongue abused of wicked men to the hurt of others and the destruction of themselues 3. From their willing practise in these words thou giuest thy mouth as though they would sell themselues to commit iniquitie thou forgedst as though they were alwaies in the fire of mischiefe V. 20 Of persons first the preparing of themselues in that word thou sittest 2. The manifestation of their malice thou speakest and slaunderest 3. The aggrauation of their sinne in regard of a double obiect thy brother more generally thy mothers sonne more specially shewing how vnnaturall they are euen to their owne flesh and the very bowells of their mother V. 21 And thus much of the conviction the sentence of Iudgement followeth in the 21. vers Wherein wee haue the two parts of all Gods sentences truth and holinesse for it is requisite that euery sentence of God be true and holy the truth in these words these things hast thou done the holinesse in the rest The truth is most exact consisting of all requisits Truth first knowledge without all errour 2. integritie without all partialitie 3. equitie without all contradiction The first is cleare in that the Lord enters vpon the very particular sinnes of an hypocrite these things and therefore can no way be deceiued for hee that sees things in generall and these things in speciall leaues nothing vntouched The second is also most euident for the Lord respects neither the person nor the sinne of the person but saies plainely thou and these things And the third is apparant to euery eye for the Lord handles no matters either vpon suspicion or malice for he is most certain of the fact neither doth hee complaine of any thing but the fault hast thou done and therefore what shall an hypocrite plead for himselfe when hee shall see his doings plainely detected The holinesse of
therefore be our wisdome to follow Gods footsteps sobrietie to stay our selues where he hath left no impressioÌ„ else shall we loose the sweete inspiration that issueth out of the flowers of Gods wisedome neither must we breath vpon it any of our vnsauourie notions for then the sweet influence wil retire into the flower the smell that we haue breathed out of our selues will returne not to recreate the spirits of grace and goodnesse but to puffe vp in vs a spirit of pride and selfe-conceit which is nothing but like a blowne bladder euacuated with the least pricke of sound knowledge For as extreame windie stomacks do not onely hinder digestion by interposition with the wholesome meate and relaxation of the mouth of the stomacke which ought to shut it selfe so close about the meate that not so much as the least vacuitie may bee left but also either by ill digestion fils the bodies with crudities obstructions and consequently putrifactions or else because winde is so stirring makes eiaculation and a sudden regurgitation of all that is receiued so in like manner windie knowledge aboue wholesome sobrietie makes such an interposition and relaxation of the minde that it can digest no wholesome doctrine but fils it selfe with all manner of rawe humors and vnstable opinions which breed such obstructions in the minde that presently it falls into diuers sickenesses and can keep nothing that is good but presently beeing receiued by the pride and selfe-conceit it hath in it selfe casts it vp againe and so by a continuall casting breeds that weaknes that so much leauen of evill doctrine is soked into the verie filmes as I may say of the mind that it breeds that disease which is tearmed of Physitians corruptio ad aciditatem corcorruption into sowernesse which sets such an eager and sharpe appetite in the mind that it hungers continually to be fed with newe opinions and so at the length rottennesse and putrifaction is bredde therein and then consequently death and destruction therefore if we meane to preuent these sicknesses we must looke to God our patterne But alas you will say how can that be done seeing hee dwells in a light vnapproachable 1. Tim. 1.16 and therefore is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incomprehensible by our Logicke or reason and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnnamable by our graÌ„mar speech but here let vs wonder that God beeing one most simple beeing and therefore to be apprehended as one which he himselfe alone is able to doe hath made himselfe many in his attributes that so by many attributes wee might come to apprehend this one God Now these attributes are according to our measure and manner the measure of our reason and manner of our speech a vessel can hold no more then his measure neither is there any wayes how it may be filled but by the mouth so our soules hold the wisdome of God according to their measure and are to be filled with it according to their manner Now the Lord is said to speake mouth to mouth both in himselfe and by his ministers so then the wisedome of God teacheth vs that the words of euerie text are to be explaned for the manner of our apprehension and then the arguments and reasons for the measure of our knowledge Therefore in the feare of his maiesty and the loue of his wisedome let vs eie his worke before vs and write vpon it nil vltra here is my stay I wil range no further if this flower doe inspire wisedome then God giue me the taste of it and keepe my appetite and desire from that imbecillitie and strange weakenes that nothing will content it but newe inventions and vnaccustomed deuises of men my desire is to handle nothing but that which hath logicall ground in it But first let vs cleere the words for they are the ingrauen characters of the mind and therefore must we know them that we receiue no false reports by them the one serues for communication the other for information therefore the rules of speech and reason beeing obserued we doubt not but to communicate our text to the information of the weakest II. Part. Of the clearing of Gods euidence These things hast thou done These This word points out their speciall sinnes and is to limit a more generall to his specialls which are these theeuery adultery euill speaking deceit false witnesse slaunder profanation Things This is an ambiguous word first it signifies the beeing of any thing secondly it signifies any qualitie in that being thirdly any action proceeding either from the beeing or qualitie of any creature fourthly it signifies any sinne either in the qualities as vitious habits or actions as transgressions in thought word or deed fiftly miserie it is here taken in the fourth signification for sinnes because as actions proceed froÌ„ the being and qualities of euery creature so the being or quality beeing infected the action prooues bad and sinfull But here ariseth a great difficultie whether the action be the subiect of sinne or the effect It seemes to bee the subiect for a sinfull action is expounded sinne in the action so the subiect an action which is a thing should bee put for sinne his adiunct which properly is nothing But vnder the correction of the learned I iudge no action to be the subiect of sinne properly â—â—tions no subiect of sinne my reasons are these which I bring most willingly because in my apprehension it notably cleares God in working in sinfull actions Reason 1. from punishment in … d. That which is properly the subiect of sinne may bee punished but actions cannot bee punished for sinfull actions a man is punished therefore it is the man that is the subiect and his sinful action is the meritorious cause therefore when God is said to punish sinne with sinne it is to bee vnderstood sinfull action with sinfull action therfore to conclude that God is the author of sinne is a fallacian of composition and diuision for it is one thing to bee the cause of sinne and an other the cause of a sinnefull action for the sinne is not in the action but in the agent and therefore in man alone but the action is common to both as for example I cast a glasse against the stone wall the stone wall breakes the glasse so doth the hand that sast it but the one is a blameable cause the other vnblameable so man sinning casts himselfe by his owne free will against the law of God which beeing stronger then man breaks him in peices Here the lawe and will of God wrought in this sinfull action God and his law most iustly man by his own free will most vniustly the action therefore from both but the sin onely did sticke in the nature of man and so made him for his part in the action culpable and guilty of Gods wrath therfore the action hauing no sinne inherent in it properly may be handled of God without sinne Reason 2.
God another now all learned men knowe that the manner of any thing makes it not many as one cause may beget preserue be alone and with others worke by it selfe and by accident and therefore no neede to multiply the action Effectuum relationes omnes sunt ad causas suas separatas concurrentes concausas simul ac similiter agentes that is the relations and respect of all effects are to their causes whether they be separate concurring concausing or together and in like manner working if to separated causes then the effects obtain their names from the manner of the cause by which these effects exist if necessarily they come forth then of necessarie causes they are called necessarie effects And here by the way obserue that the decree of God and mans free will in his fal are rather separate then concurring causes and therefore if you please Gods decree may be called a necessarie cause of his owne effect but mans free will was another manner of cause and therfore being a contingent cause his fall was cōtingent obserue this against we come to the difficulties that arise out of Gods ordering of sin So then in separate causes if necessary then necessary effects if contingent then contingēt effects but if many causes concurre to produce one effect then this one effect can neuer be said to be contingent and necessarie for so one nature should be contradictorie to it selfe therefore if the principal cause of mans sinne be contingent as who dare denie it seeing it came from mans though free yet mutable will therefore that Gods decree should either necessitate the cause or the effect is impossible for so a contingent cause should become a necessarie cause and a necessarie effect should be the same with a contingent effect so then Gods decree though it make his owne effect necessarie yet concurring with mans fall works in sustaining ordering limiting whatsoeuer shall be done but without all violence or coaction of his nature For the third concauses which are absolute in their working and neither will nor can be frustrated alwaies produce a necessarie effect as the first cause and the second not only concurring but concausing each of them for their full power and freedome that which they work cannot but produce that which they intended therefore God the first cause concausing in mans fall his owne good pleasure and man for his freedome in the selfe same effect concausing his owne will could doe no other but produce vnto himselfe a miserable effect but vnto God who made this serue his own will a glorious consequent to manifest a greater good then otherwise the world should euer haue conceiued and therefore giue euerie effect his right in his cause but wrong no cause for the effect because that which you may charge one cause with all was proper to another Thou This word hath relation to 16. ver but to the wicked said God thou whose heart is full of hypocrisie worship vngodlinesse conuersation vnrighteous and euerie action an impudent lying before God and man Done Doing is to be limited for generally it signifies to doe well or euill but the second is meant done amisse whether in omitting true reformation or committing vile abhominations against the sacred lawes of God both are iudged of God in this place Gods law is cast at the backe and therfore all good duties omitted the contrarie performed in profanation adulterie the euerie deceit slander c. Held When it is taken for holding to worke Plowing Meditation Labouring it properly signifies plowing hence meditating and thirdly any kind of labouring the second signification is a metaphore hence Sampsons prouerbe they plowed with my heiffer the third is a Synecdoche A second head of significations is to hold from worke and then it signifies either to omit Omit Remit Cease wholly to passe it ouer or else to remit to hold backe some of the whole thirdly wholly to cease which all of them may be applyed First I omitted wholly from calling of thee to an account and therefore thou thoughtest that all reckonings were made vp betwixt thee and me Secondly I remitted thee many offences for which thou neuer was thankefull vnto me Thirdly a long time haue I ceased from my anger and therefore as in my mercies thou scantedst me as a nigardly and pinching giuer so now in thy sinnes thou hast beene exceeding liberall and large taken my hands and armes as bound vp in a cloth and cannot be pulled out to strike thee withall Tongue The word beeing giuen to reasonable creatures First signifies as dumme Thou thoughtest that I was tongue-tied alas didst thou neuer heare me in my word Secondly deafe thou thoughtest I could not here thy mouth giuen vnto euill thy tongue to forgerie deceit cursed speaking slaunder c. Thirdly blind that I had no eyes to see thy secret hypocrisie Qui tacet consentire videtur Fourthly silent as one consenting with thee Fiftly ouerseeing as one winking at thy sinnes Sixtly sparing as neuer meaning to call thee to account But there is one signification more and that is to thinke a secret and therefore O hypocrite it might be that God all this time was thinking a secret against thee To hold the tongue is put for silence which is a Metanomy of the cause for the effect now the Lord can properly be said neither to hold the tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or keepe silence therefore a third thing is meant by a metaphor drawne from men keeping silence to wit clemency gentlenes patience forbearing long suffering bountifulnesse and a large time to repent The iustice of God as it burnes more remissely against sinne is called anger as more sharpely wrath in sentencing iudgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is mercie in executing reuenge now in all these God vseth mercie which is a compassion toward his creature offending and this is double either gentlenesse or bountifulnes gentlenesse gentlenesse whereby in his iustice hee remembreth mercy and this appeares in his patience patience and longanimitie patience whereby he most gently suffereth sinners deferreth his punishment longanimitie whereby he expecteth long time repentance longanimity his bountifulnesse bountifulnes whereby he is rich in goodnes powring forth his good gifts vpon his sinful creatures notwithstanding their sinnes and in all these appeares this which the Prophet hath said I held my tongue III. Part. The explication of wickedmens conceits Thoughtest 1. 1. Consent It signifies to consent vnto a thing and that is nothing els but the fitting of natures together either in their causes as like causes will haue like effects and so on the contrarie like effects like causes or of subiects with their adiuncts as this is a fit subiect for such a qualitie or this is a qualitie for such a subiect Let vs then applie thou thoughtest that is consentedst but alas how fitly doth Gods silence and their thoughts agree fire
eternity is now before the eyes of the hypocrite For the Lord saies not before me but before thee for the Lord neuer begins his work in himselfe therefore in himselfe he did this from all eternitie but now he will manifest his ordering of sinne which he alwaies doth by the booke of his law but because this was cast at his backe and set at his heeles which ought to haue lien at his heart the Lord will open the third booke which shall pricke him to the quicke and make him most fearefully to looke about him Obiect 2 The second obiection is drawne from his attributes Attributes simgle conditional some of them not following the nature of the creature as omnipotencie power goodnes immensitie eternitie and the like but others haue no worke in the creature vntill the creature haue had his worke as no mercie can be wrought vpon the creature vntill his miserie be presupposed and no iustice executed vpon the creature vntill he haue bin sinnefull For mercie cannot be where there is no miserie neither iustice where there is no sinne for that ius dominij is an abuse of Gods wisdome for there is no rule for it and for the Lord to doe any thing in punishing as dominus and not as iudex is to make him vniust Indeede by the law of creation as he made man of nothing so may he annihilate him and bring him againe to nothing but to let him liue and punish him standing in his innocencie is to doe against the law of his iustice Sol. The answer to this point it this in briefe The distinction is not good for Gods attributes in himselfe are equally absolute eternall infinite but beeing manifested in his creatures become conditionall and to haue respect vnto the creatures therfore creation makes manifestation of power goodnes wisdome eternitie and the like as wel as mans fall of mercie and iustice therefore mercie and iustice were equally first in God with the rest for God was in himselfe both iust and mercifull before man was either sinnefull or miserable for the execution of iustice or mercie I confesse to be in regard of sinne and miserie but there is one reason of the execution another of the decree the iust cause of the one is his will the iust cause of the other is mans sinne Gods decree must haue a subiect Obiect 3 The subiect of Gods decree therefore either beeing or no beeing no beeing can vndergoe no decree for it can haue no end and therefore it must be a beeing therefore either the first beeing or that beeing which is from the first beeing not the first beeing for he can haue no end nor beginning and therefore no decree can passe of him so that onely remaines the other beeing which is from God therefore created therefore man created is required for a subiect of Gods decree now the ende of creation can not be reprobation for the ende of creation is mans happines with his Creator therefore a second estate of man must be considered and that is the fall of man in which estate a iust ground is giuen of Reiection and Election The answer It is graunted that Man is the Subiect Sol. The subiect and his manner of consideration yet we distinguish of man and answer that in euery subiect two things are required res considerata modus considerandi the thing considered is alwaies one but the manner of considering maketh diuers speciall subiects in this one subiect As for example being frō God is the subiect of all Gods reuealed wisdome yet this one subiect hath diuers manner of considerations according to diuers acts and operations that lie in him As for example Reason is a particular act and therefore becommeth a particular subiect of Gods wisedome to wit the Art of Logicke so the will a particular worke in Gods creatures becomes the subiect of Diuinitie so speach a particular worke becomes the subiect of Rhetoricke and Grammar Now that generall Subiect is before all these particular subiects and the foundation of all the rest and in them the thing considered as common to them all but the manner of considering it is proper and speciall to euery one So man is the thing considered in Gods decree therefore the most generall going before all particular considerations of creation fall redemption saluation damnation for all these are but particular considerations of man therefore keepe their order appointed of the Lord for the obtaining of his owne ende which is the glorifying of himselfe in his Iustice and Mercie therefore as man is the Subiect of Gods decree so creation the fall redemption saluation and damnation are but the meanes for the accomplishment of his will Againe euery one of these particular actions haue their speciall ends not opposing but concurring to the generall ende of the whole subiect so that the ende of creation is happines with the Creator and no miserie at all but this is the speciall end and therefore no opposite of the generall Againe the speciall ende of mans fall is miserie of bodie and soule in the first and second death yet no opposite of glorifying God in the demonstration of his mercie Thirdly the speciall end of mans Redemption is saluation to all that are in Christ and damnation to all that are out of Christ therefore all these ends beeing speciall must needes ayme at the generall for so goes the Rule of all true reason that subordinata non opponuntur 2. that fines intermedij sunt pro subordinatione finium ad vltimum finem And this shall suffice for the opposition now I come to the confirmation Arguments proouing the decree of sinne first drawne from ends The first Argument That which hath any ende is decreed but sinne hath an ende therefore is decreed The first proposition is prooued from the true distinction of ends laid downe by the Philosopher in the first booke of his Ethicks and the first Chapter where the Philosopher disputes most excellently for the subordination of arts and so consequently of beeings by an argument drawne from the distinction of ends to wit that all ends are either the last ende or ends tending vnto the last now the last end giues goodnes and amabilitie to all other ends and doth virtually containe them all in himselfe therfore must they needes be appointed for him This ground is a most enident proofe that sinne is decreed for the end of sinne must either be the last ende or tending to the last ende now it cannot be the last end for that alone is chalenged of the first being therefore an end tending vnto this last end And who dare denie but that all endes vnto the last ende are decreed for they make for the manifestation of his glorie Obiect Sinne is euill and therfore hath no ende seeing ends goodnes are the same But it will be obiected sinne is euill and therefore hath no ende for finis and bonum conuertuntur Vnto this I answer
that sinne is not in it selfe but by accident good and seruing for Gods glorie but the Lord which can bring light ort of darknes good out of euill is able to dispose of the euill of sinne by accident and of the goodnesse which is his owne worke by it selfe to make for his glorie True it is that God in his worke goes no further then the good of the euill and that he decrees the other is said very improperly for euill in his abstract nature is neither beeing nor the cause of any beeing and therefore no good in the true approbation of goodnes beeing not good it hath no ende and therefore is referred to Gods decree as it is said to belong to a beeing and the goodnes of a beeing and this is accidentall therefore accidentally decreed Sinne accidentally decreed yet impossible to be vndecreed but yet it cannot be vndecreed because the thing in him decreed could not haue beene without him for that good that comes out of sin could not haue beene except sinne had been and sinne could not haue beene except goodnesse had beene and therefore beeing in Gods created goodnes and also God bringing from him his owne goodnesse to his owne glorie he cannot escape Gods decree because both the other are of necessitie all men confessing vnder Gods decree directly And therefore if God would haue sinne to be in his good creatures and also goodnesse from sinne in them then must sinne stand to Gods determination because the other two cannot but presuppose sinne because a goodnesse from him Now that God is no author of sinne in all this it is plaine because the two former haue God for their author bring in the other as a hang-by and vnwelcome guest yet such a one as they could not throw off at their pleasure Diseaseslie in nature and sometimes do good to nature yet nature will neuer acknowledge the kindnesse because he knew the intent was his subuersion Iason had an impostume in his bodie An euill thing may doe good by accident the enemie thrusts his sword into it heales him of his impostume which the Physitians could neuer accomplish but no thank to Iasons enemie which sought his life and therefore if sinne doe any good either for God or to man it is no thankes to sinne seeing that sinne would dishonour God and destroy man Againe one may appoint the iourney lawfully but an other may walke it vnlawfully God appoints euery man his race but he himselfe runs it the horse carries a man to his iourneyes end and knowes not that he doth so much for mans good yet man knowes it well enough and guides him all the way yet for all this the horse vndergoes the trauell and would be feeding by the way and if he eate his owne poison or lame himselfe by a fall it is the horses fault yet must he to his ende if the man haue power to effect it so the Lord hath laid vpon man his decree he carrieth it with him all the dayes of his life he knowes not to what ende yet the Lord knowes it well enough and doth alwaies dispose of him vntill he come at his iourneys ende Now in his way man feeds on the poyson of sinne fals and stumbles in his way yet the Lord will haue him go on for he is able to doe it and he shall neuer rest vntill he haue accomplished the wil of the almightie And therefore if this be iust in men in the rule and dominion ouer their beasts shall it not bee as iust in the Lord I am sure that the Lord hath as much authority ouer vs as we haue ouer our beasts therfore let vs not be too bold in disputing with our creator but giue him the praise glorie of all ends Argum. 2 Whatsoeuer is ordered that is decreeed but sinne is ordered therefore decreed That sinne is ordered my text is plaine for it But you will answer that sinne is ordered in the bookes of conscience and not in the booke of Gods decree This is but a shift for graunt the last booke and you shall graunt both the former which I prooue thus If no bookes of conscience without the booke of the law and no booke of the lawe without the booke of Gods decree then the third beeing graunted the two former are concluded For if wee would make these three bookes one complete booke Three bookes one compleat booke wee must of necessitie diuide them in this order and method the first part is Gods decree the second is Gods reuealed law and the third is the testimonie of the conscience Now method tells me plainely that the first may be without the second for Gods secret will may be without his reuealed will but his reuealed can not be without his secret will And againe the law may be without this booke of conscience but this booke of conscience can not be without the law for no accusation or excusation but by the law of God Therefore graunt the third and you graunt the two former by ineuitable consequence Now this third booke can not be denied because my text prooues it and no man of reason contradicts it Againe euery schoole-boy can tell me that the breaking of Priscians head must be healed by Priscian himselfe the writing or speaking of false latine either against the first or second part of Grammar The rule before the fault must be ordered by the rule of Grammar it self now the rule was before the false latin therfore determines what false latine was long before the schoole boy practised it So the Law of God tells me what sinne is when I haue committed it but it determined what sinne was and to what end long before either I or my father Adam committed it therfore the determination was not to follow after though indeede the conuiction followed after the commission Therfore orthodoxall is the distinction of Gods decree and the execution of his decree of Gods determination and the accomplishment thereof of Gods definitiue sentence and the manifestation of it of his reprobation of a man and the conuiction of a sinner all the former I may tearme the premisses and the latter Gods conclusion in the premisses Againe there is the first proposition which is Gods truth and sole wisdome the second which we call the minor is the speciall application of it vnto man in his good time Gen. 15. Israel must serue 400. yeares but Exod. 12. 400 are compleat therefore must Israel out of Egypt that very selfe same day There is a day in which God will iudge the world Atheists may denie it 2. Pet. 3. but when the decree shall be assumed now is the day I dare boldly conclude that those persons shall perish So in like manner all men are decreed of the Lord to manifest his iustice and mercie in all that either God himselfe doth or man can doe but I am one of these all and therefore must I manifest either his iustice or
mercie if that then either I must be saued or damned but alas that is a harsh conclusion both in regard of God and in regard of my selfe well consider that it is one thing to determine of thy sinne and another thing to punish thee assure thy selfe that this is good reason that euery law of God must determine before thou doe any thing els were the rule no wisdome of God but also take this with thee that thou shalt neuer take any hurt by the law vntill thou thy selfe haue done some hurt vnto it the Law will not sting vntill thou haue stung thy selfe and then take heede of poison vnto death And therefore seeing Gods wisdome runnes along in this order to determine all matters not casually but certenly long before they come to passe we should yeild it and not denie it because of the execution which followes after which hath other iust causes then Gods decree but none to exclude it Argum. 3 God is Alpha and Omega the first and the last the beginning and the ende therefore nothing before him neither any thing after him therfore he closeth all things in these two tearmes therefore euery thing must haue something to doe with this first and last as from him and to him therefore must they be decreed els should they not be from him and to him Hence sinne comming within the limits of this circle that incloseth all things must needes some way come from God and be for God and therefore decreed How sinne may be from God and to God is hard to explaine yet in my poore iudgement vnder the correction of my betters I iudge this the most true and safest that the good the Lord will haue out of euil is from God and to God all the rest that remaines is nothing at all for Gods purpose and therefore he hath no hand in it he will haue the gold by his owne fining but the drosse he will leaue to the first inuentors that digged vnto themselues such kinde of pits that would hold no water for the Lord of hosts but such as he drew out by his prerogatiue royall ouer all his creatures and their actions Therefore thus is sinne decreed and the Lord had his hand in it For the other consideration of sinne as sinne it is a by-respect in it selfe nothing tending to Gods purpose but onely as the Lord drew his owne goodnes out of him And this makes vs speake so of sinne that he is decreed meaning the goodnesse out of sinne which the Lord hath appointed for himselfe II. Part in the ordering of sinne concerning his entrance and progresse This point would a little more be insisted vpon for the slanders that Bellarmine hath laid vpon Calvin Luther Martyr and sundrie other of the greatest Diuines of the Reformed Churches making them to defend That God by reason of his decree is made the cause of sinne Of this sinnefull wicked and lying report we are sure God is not the author but the deuill For the clearing of this point two things offer themselues to our consideration the first entrance of sinne Entrance prâ—gresse causeâ— of sinnes entrance principall instrumentall accidentall and secondly his progresse For his first entrance sinne had two causes one blameable the other holy and good The blameable cause is either principall or instrumentall principall the deuill and man The deuills beeing Apostates and rebells through their pride against God and malice against man became lyars and murtherers of man by bringing him into his fall man by his free receiuing of the tentation and hearkning thereunto contrary to the commandement of God when he might haue resisted the same The instrumentall causes were the serpent and the woman the serpent abused by the deuill was vsed as an instrument of seducing Evah the woman deceiued by the deuill and the serpent became an instrument to deceiue man The vnblameable cause was God and his lawe for as his law did it so he himselfe did it and if there had been no law there had been no transgression yet the law of it selfe sauoured nothing but life vnto life which thorough mans default became the sauour of death vnto death But how could this bee seeing mans will was created good How mans will beeing good could produce euill I answer First it was created mutably good secondly though there was no imperfection for kind of beeing yet his beeing was defectiue and imperfect in regard of absolute beeing therefore man compared to God was defectiue and imperfect and so might come short of his created perfection and fall away from that wherein he was created Hence man might fall but how should this power come into act here diuines lay downe a substraction of grace which they affirme to bee double first of that without which man could not but fall and without which he could not continue in his integritie if God had denied man this grace it could not bee imagined but that God should haue beene the author of sinne 〈…〉 this was debitum naturae due to his nature this God gaue him and would haue continued with the supply of actual grace to haue liued for euer if he had once pleased God A second substraction or rather withholding of grace was that without which God saw hee would not continue though both in dutie he ought 〈◊〉 posse si veâ—â—â—t sed non veile 〈…〉 and in respect of abilitie he might if he would God gaue him not a would to his might yet a might if he would neither was God bound vnto this by law of creation for it was expedient giuing him freedome of will to trie him how he would exercise it yet most certain hee would abuse it no man denies but that God might haue giuen grace to Adam in such degree measure and kind as might haue preserued him from all possibilitie of falling and haue holden him inseparably to himselfe for euer which while he denied he gaue way vnto the fall of man Thus then we conceiue of the entrance of sinne First God purposed eternally to make man a rationall and intellectuall creature indued with knowledge of all things Vnderstanding and facultie and power to make choice of what he would Secondly man could not be thus made and be naturally free Election from possibilitie and danger of making an euill choice disposing himselfe amisse and offending against the lawes of his righteous Creator Thirdly Meanes God wanted not gratious meanes whereby to hold him inseparably to himselfe and to preserue him infallibly from falling away though he were not nor could be Fall contingent naturally free from possibilitie of falling Fourthly God knew man beeing so left would sinâ—efully depart from him not necessarily but contingently yet most certenly not by any constraint but by his owne created free will Fiftly God saw this to be the best for the manifestation of his glorie and of that good which otherwise the world could neuer haue knowne Sixtly
creation fall or redemption that it is blasphemie to say that the ende of man as created was any thing but happinesse neither from thence ariseth any other demonstration Man qua creatus as created is in no intention but happines come to his fall and then againe I say homo qua lapsus est miser tantum man as fallen is onely to bee considered as miserable as redemptus or redimendus onely sub salute or saluandus where then is the ende of man As man generally considered electus or reprobus elect or reprobate these be the most generall and here onely reprobation and election is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truely first and primarily iâ— all the rest gratia huius for this cause therefore happines of creation miserie of the fall saluation by Christ are subordinate and come vnder it Indeed I confesse that election and reprobation haue their manifestation to the creature onely in redemption and in that part which is the application of it vnto the church in generall here onely both angels and men knowe and feele their state of election and on the contrarie reprobation is there to be sought for of the wicked But Bellarmine saith A defence of Calvin that Calvin denieth Gods determination decreeing what shall be to depend on his prescience that in all things his prescience presupposeth his purpose and decree For answer whereunto wee must consider whether there goe any prescience in God before his will I meane according to our apprehension Whether the Lord vnderstand or will first and as things are reuealed to vs out of God in his workes my reason is this because if the Lord vnderstand it then it is a possible beeing now I presse my argument that euery beeing whether possible to be or alreadie existing is demonstrated from his will for his will makes things to be or possibly to be therefore if a thing must be before it can be vnderstood and to be howsoeuer conceiued yet is from Gods will that giues all beeings either in posse or esse I knowe not what can be that first comes not from his will But wisdome according to sobrietie is commendable and in high mysteries it is good to goe with the current of our best approoued diuines therefore according to the way troden before me Intelligentia diuina I answer There is a double prescience one simplicis intelligentiae and another diuinae visionis the first is of all those things that are possible and which vpon any supposed condition may be as was the prescience of God whereby he foreknew that if in Tyrus and Sidon those things should be done which afterwards were done among the Iewes they would repent this doth not presuppose the decree of God but extendeth to many things God doth not decree nor purpose to be as it appeareth in the example proposed The other is of those things onely which hereafter shall bee and this alwaies presupposeth some act of Gods will for seeing nothing can be vnlesse some act of Gods will do passe vpon it at least not to hinder the beeing of it and thus nothing can be foreseen as beeing hereafter for to be vnlesse some decree of God passe vpon it Of this kind of prescience Caluin speaketh and not of the other it was not considered what it was possible for the creature to doe or what he would doe beeing so created and left vnto it selfe this may well be said to presuppose no decree of God or determination what he would doe for if it had pleased God he might haue turned the possibilitie to another end and issue but the truth is that other to wit what hereafter shall be which though it be future and therefore contingent yet to God it is most certaine with whom all future things are present and therefore beeing to be done was most certainely decreed and whatsoeuer is done and come to passe wee may absolutely conclude it was Gods will euen long before it happened therefore Calvin rightly affirmeth that Gods foresight of the entrance of sin presupposed his decree that it should enter Fourthly Gods foreknowledge and purpose in sinne Sinne 〈…〉 decâ—â—â—â— that God might â—â—nisâ—â— vpon the bestowing of such benefits of his rich abundant goodnesse was not that man should fall that he might punish but that man should freely make his choise vpon which choise the Lord both knew and purposed that his iustice and mercy should be manifested yet for all this it will not followe that the Lord should purpose the entrance of sinne originally out of his owne liking that he might haue matter of punishment Belâ—armâ—â—â— false exposâ—â—â— of Calvin as Bellarmine most iniuriously chargeth Calvin to affirme but the ende of his purpose of bestowing such benefits onely and no other notwithstanding his foreknowledge what would fall out if so he did was that he might shew his mercie and iustice in sauing and condemning whome he would Therfore it is idle in Bellarmine to followe this argument of the seuerity of iustice as though Calvin should any where affirme that when God thought of creating man the first ende that God purposed was the seuerity of his iustice and the riches of his mercie and that this purpose was before and without respect vnto the prescience of any thing that afterward might or would bee in man and that because there was not any thing wherein he could shewe mercie and iustice vnlesse sinne did enter therefore secondly he purposed that sinne should enter so that first hee purposed to punish before he sawe any cause and then purposed the entrance of sinne that there might be cause which is no lesse excusable from iniustice cruelty and tyrannie then if he should purpose to punish and so doe without any cause at all therefore he concludes that the first originall and spring of sinne is from the will of God according to Caluins opinion Answer to Bellarmine for his false imputation vpon Calvin But he is easily answered out of that which hath beene spoken concerning Calvins iudgment in this point for he doth no where say that God did purpose the manifestation of his mercie and iustice before all prescience but onely that which is named prescientia visionis which alwaies hath Gods decree going before it The possibilitie of a thing is before God decree it to be and so God knowes it simplici intelligentia but that this thing possible shal be the Lord decrees it before that bare knowledge that it shall come to passe Secondly Calvin denies not all pâ—escience before his decree Caluine doth no where pronounce that simply and absolutly the ende wherfore God purposed to make man was the manifestation of the seueritie of his iustice and the riches of his mercie or that he might saue some and condemne others but that first he meant to bestow vpon man as much as was sufficient to make him perfect fecondly there was something he meant to denie him How God shâ—wâ—d
his iusâ—â—ce and mercy which beeing done God knew he would fall therefore in the third place beeing assured that he would fall into sinne and apostasie made his sinne and apostacy a way to a greater good then the world otherwise could euer know fourthly his purpose was not earatione to bring in this former good but for this former good God was content that man should fall yet without any imputation to God seeing he gaue him all that could be required by the estate of his creation And surely against this neither Bellarmine nor any other can except indeede he heapes vp infinite testimonies and reasons against him and other Diuines Therefore seeing the matter is so waighty and that reasons are brought both to dishonour God and bring a blasphemous report vpon his faithfull seruants I will according to mine owne apprehension obiect that which may be obiected either from appearance of reason or from testimonies of the writings of our best Diuines And the rather I will doe it because Bellarmine triumphs in nothing more then this That Gods does not onely permit the wicked to doe much mischiefe and the godly to suffer an hard measure at their hands but also doth praesidere ipsorum malis voluntatibus eosque regere gubernare torquere ac flectere in ijs inuisibiliter operando that is does not onely suffer them but also placeth his regiment in their euill wils rules them gouernes them nay doth wreath bend and bow by working in them inuisibly This is more then to impell which is the worst word that he can snatch out of our writers And therefore seeing all Diuines runne so much to Gods ordering of sinne and Bellarmine makes it as Delphâ—cus gladius Apollos sword to cut asunder all Gordian knots I will the more liberally insist vpon it beeing so direct with my text Reasons obiected to make God the author of sinne Obiect 1. Because whereof God is the cause thereof he is the author but he is the cause because euery positiue act or beeing is from God and sinne is of this nature which I shew in the first sinne 2. in originall sinne which springs from that 3. in sinnes of omission and commission the fruits of originall 4. First sinne obiected from the subiect 5. from the nature of habits From the first finne because no circumstance or manner of eating the forbidden fruit is the sinne but the very action it selfe because that is forbidden in substance and not in circumstance 2. Originall Originall sinne is not a meere priuation want or defect but also an inclination and pronnesse to all euill therefore it is saide to raigne in our members carrie vs headlong to all impietie and worke mightily in vs. 3. In sinnes of omission and commission Omission Commission first because God doth not onely know that he wil permit but also he is resolued that he will not co-worke with men and angels to the producing of a necessarie act and therefore by consequent omits and againe he knowes that he will not co-operate to free men and angels from an act that is forbidden and so by consequent doth commit 2. a greater difficultie is this seeing that sinnes of commission and omission are distinguished And therefore in commission there must be some thing beside omitting of that which is commanded and that can be nothing but doing and therefore the difference can be nothing but some positiue act neither is the substance of this act one thing and the deformitie an other but the act it selfe which should not be done is out of forme order and rule and is repugnant to the rule of righteousnesse therefore this kind of sinne beeing positiue hath a positiue cause neither is the will of man onely the cause of it but God also euen of the deformitie of it as well as the substance seeing the deformitie in a sinne of commission is nothing els but the very substance of the act which is done but ought not to be done Fourthly The subiect of sinne from the subiect euerie sinne is in that subiect out of which the goodnes is expelled and therfore though it haue not formam vel materiam constitutiuam tamen est in subiecto vnde recessit habitus that is though it haue no matter or forme for his beeing yet it comes into that subiect where goodnes was and possesseth his roome therfore is more then merum ens rationis a conceit of the braine and beeing something extra conceptum intellectus more then the worke of reason is beeing and therefore from God from whome all beeing is 5. Habits obiected Lastly it is an habit and they be qualities and euery qualitie is beeing therefore from God These and such like are arguments that the wittinesse of corrupt reason may make against God that is so pure and holy that he can no waies be a God that willeth any iniquitie Ans 1. The first argument is answered by this distinction to eate of the forbidden fruit is either a naturall act or a morall act A naturall act a morall act as a naturall act it is no sinne and this is the very beeing of that action and in this God worketh the second which is a morall act is not absolute but relatiue and respectiue to the diuine law of God and this was onely mans act which did refuse to giue his respect and due obedience to this law 2. Ans To the second I answer originall sinne is considered either materially or formally Materially according as all the faculties of man are set a running and this is positiue and from God that carries all things with restlesse motions The formalitie is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or exorbitation and wheeling awrong of all the faculties and this is done either by the free-will of man or the law of God that beeing opposed as an enemie punished man and by his abuse turned him out of the way of righteousnesse and therefore as a iust iudgement of God the sinne is called a punishment and so beeing againe working out of mans will as in concreto is likewise called beeing by reason of his subiect who giues him power to worke and is inclined by it but the meere formalitie and the sinne in abstracto considered without the subiect and in opposition to vertue and goodnes is meere nothing 3. Ans To the third this must be answered First First for omission that God gaue both men and angels sufficient for the estate of their creation to make them able to stand yet not so much that they should be confirmed to stand therefore if God had not co-operated in regard of the first he had sinned in omitting and committing but for the second it was not necessarie that God should co-operate and confirme them in their estate of goodnesse To the second difficultie Secondly commission the Doctors of the Church of Rome haue made it and affirme it a Respectu peccati commissionis duplex est
deformitas prima carentia rectitudinis debitae inesse voluntati elicienti actum quem non habet secunda est ipse actus elicitus quem deus prohibet Occam in sent lib. 3. quest 12. saies there is a double deformitie of the sinne of commission first the want or priuation of that rectitude which ought to be in the will making his owne choice of an action which he ought not secondly the very act that is drawne out of this will is a deformitie forbidden of God so then besides the wills deformitie the act it selfe is a deformitie Other Diuines vnderstand by the deformitie found in sinne the want of rectitude or omission of due circumstances and thereupon say there is no cause of it but priuatiue onely but Occam vnderstandeth as you haue heard by the deformitie of a sinne of commission the act it selfe done without due circumstances without which it should not be done and so seeketh a positiue cause of it If any of our Diuines should haue affirmed this how would Bellarmine haue handled them and imputed straunge and outragious blasphemies against them b Cameracensis in lib. sentent lib. 1. q. 13. art 1. q. 14. Of this opinion are many other of their Doctors as may well be seene in Cameracensis c Hugo de S. vict erud theol de sacram lib. 1. part 4. cap. 12. 13. c Scotus l. 1. dist 41. q. Vnica sola permissio aliculus actus certitudo de permissione non facit certitudinem de illo actu quia opportet habere aliquā causam effectiuā igitur ex hoc quod deus praescit se velle permittere Luciforum peccare ex hoc inquam solo non videtur quod sciat Luciferum peccaturum soluitur haec obiectio quia deus non solum scit se permissurum sed etiam scit se non cooperaturum ei ad actum necessarium per consequens onuttet scit se cooperaturum ad substan iam actus prohibiti sine debitis circumstantijs per consequens committet Scotus another great doctour saies Gods bare permission of some action and certitude of his permission makes not any certitude of that action because it ought to haue some effectuall cause therefore for as much as God did foreknow that he would permit Lucifer to sinne from this it could not be that the obiection of Lucifers fall should be answered seeing that God doth not only know it but also knowes that he will not co-oporate with him to the producing of a necessarie act and therefore withdrawing he omits as well as Lucifer for how should Lucifer but omit when the first cause withholds his influence and againe the Lord that he will co-operate to the substance of an act forbidden and therefore it followes that God commits it What blasphemies would these be in the mouthes of Calvin and others yet good diuinitie in the schooles of Rome But thus they expound themselues that God worketh decreeth and willeth the deformitie that is found in the sinnes of commission not by his antecedent will whereby he worketh things out of his owne liking but by his consequent and conditionall will whereby presupposing the purpose of suffering his creature to auert and turne from him he still intendeth to mooue impell and carrie them forward though beeing by their owne fault out of the way hee carrieth them thither whither they should not goe first say they by substraction of grace vpon the withdrawing whereof he sawe the creature would turne from him he purposed to suffer the sinne of auersion or omission to enter secondly this purpose beeing presupposed and foreseeing that which would follow vpon it in his consequent and conditionall will he positiuely decreed the other which is of commission Man by creation was made to seeke an infinite good and loue it infinitely which if he omit to seeke in God then must he needes commit the contrarie and seeke it in himselfe for so God decreed that man not continuing to adhere vnto him should fall into selfe loue pride and all euills of that kind All this might bee borne withall saue onely they make deformitie of the essence of an action which cannot be borne withall for indeed it is so farre from agreeing with an action that he will not suffer him to take vp any dwelling in him and therefore I prooued before in exposition of those words These things hast thou done that no action was the subiect of sinne and therefore well might the action be caused of God without all fault of his But to answer the doubt 1. They differ in that omission is a morall defect but commission is a morall act the one is not doing morally that which is commanded and the other is a morall doing of that which is forbidden 2. The one lookes at the law as commanding but denies his act the other at the law as forbidding and yet performes his act Now the will of God is positiuely carried vnto neither of both but permissiuely to the creature and accidentally to the effect Yet you will obiect then God permits that which he wills not and if he will it not how can it be done Here I dare not be so bold as our Diuines are though I thinke we haue all one meaning that Gods will is first carried vpon his permission secondly vpon the thing permitted As his will is carried vpon his owne permission he wills that absolutely and by an affirmatiue act but as vpon the thing permitted it is non impedire not to hinder it and that is actus negativus And this must be taken notice of because Gods will must haue some thing to intercede and come betwixt it selfe and sinne for a will immediatly carried vpon sinne is alwaies sinnefull therefore permission comming betwixt Gods wil and sinne frees God from the action of sinne To the fourth obiection I answer that priuations are either considered as opposites with their habits or as adiuncts with their subiects in the first consideration the habite is that which doth affirme it selfe to be existent or in nature may be existent the priuation cleane contrarie denies this to be in nature nay worse then that shewes that he is expelled from such a subiect which now makes him appeare as though he were the Lord of the house and beare the full dominion As life is a naturall thing death comes and saies there shall be no life in this subiect and when life is gone the subiect makes death appeare as though he were the commander of lifes habitation night comes and saies where now is light and because no man can see the light he is faine to giue darknesse a good word and say he hath possessed the circle of the world yet neither will the world confesse he hath receiued any beeing by darknesse or the subiect of life any further existence by the presence of death Therfore he is neither being in himselfe or giuing being to his subiect but taking away a
being yet because the subiect into which he is receiued by reason that he alwaies lookes vpon his adiunct giues him the denomination of beeing as long as he rests with him yet in his simple nature the neuer can be so considered but as a meere tyrant to beeing and essence which agree so ill that if the one come the other must be gone And this is the reason why originall sinne is said to raigne which could not be but for our members which giue him leaue to stay with vs. The Ivie hath no roote or existence from a proper principall of life but most louingly embraceth the Oke and for all his strength the Ivie will eate out his heart secretly and bring him to death so sinne hath no roote of his owne yet most familiarly be closeth with our nature and eateth out the heart of all goodnes within vs and speedily bringeth vs vnto miserie For the last obiection sinne is called an habit and qualitie therefore beeing The answer is as sinne is habitus in subiecto it hath that name yet properly sinne is no habit for it is alwaies his negation and opposite therefore can not properly haue the name of his opposite yet beeing crept into vertues closet desires to put on his habit that so he may haue the more loue and welcome as tyrants when they haue gotten the kingdome of lawfull Princes will be very glad to put on any title that might please them whome they desire to become their subiects and for this cause will be content to change their names so sinne a meere tyrant will maske it selfe in the habit of vertue that so we may esteeme the better of him and willingly subiect our selues to his vntolerable yoke Obiections from the testimonies of our Orthodoxall Diuines whereby they are said to haue made God the author of sinne Obiect 1. The obiection may be formed according to these foure heads 1. from Gods will 2. from the effect of his will his decree 3. from the subiect of his decree man 4. from the ende reprobation of man The argument in generall is thus framed They which make the will of God euill his decree causam energeticam an effectuall cause of sinne the will of man compelled to sinne and his ende euerlasting punishment without consideration of sinne make God the author of sinne but this is defended by our Diuines I will at large inforce euery obiection because it is one of the most damnable opinions that blasphemously the Papists vrge vs withall The obiections against our Diuines concerning Gods decree Obiect 1. That they make the will of God euill it may thus be pressed Voluntas mala dicitur a volitione mala volitio mala est quae fertur in obiectum non debitum obiectum non debitum est malum ergo volitio mala est qua quis vult malum qua vult malum fieri distinctly that will is euill whose act of willing is euill the act of willing is euil which is carried vpon an vnlawfull obiect Vellâ— ma … velle melur … 〈◊〉 sunt idem now an vnlawfull obiect is nothing but euill All this is laid vpon our Diuines to attribute it to God which seemes thus to be prooued He that wills sinne to bee or that it may fall out either whereby he may sport himselfe as Nero did when he had set Rome on fire or else that he may vse it for some good ende as he that bids a man take poyson that he may shew his art in curing him or another steale that he may couer the naked or feed the hungry is all one as to will the sinne it selfe The truth of this is thus cleared to will sinne to bee or exist or happen is all one with sinne it selfe For first what is the beeing of sinne but sinne it selfe what is the existence of sinne but that it exists from that beeing this existing or standing out of the causes of his beeing what is it but the euent so then as God wills sinne to bee exist or happen so he wills sinne it selfe God as he loues not sinne so he loues that sinne should not be exist or happen he wills againe that sinne should be exist and fall out for his glory with as good reason may he be said to will sinne for his glory so that no difference is or can be giuen betwixt the willing of sinne and sinne to be exist or fall out If it shall be resolued God wils non impedire peccatum sed permittere peccatum that is Distincta sunt 〈…〉 not to hinder and stop sinne but permit it to be this will not free the speech for these three things are distinct first to will sinne not to be that is to hinder it that it shall not bee secondly to will it to be or fall out thirdly to will to permit it or not to hinder it The two former are affirmatiue acts work for the willing or not willing of the thing the third is a negatiue act willing but not working this permission in willing is an act but in working a negation first not to hinder others in their libertie and power secondly not to helpe but yeeld the whole carriage of the sinne to themselues and their owne free wills yet hereby explorare to trie and prooue what they would doe and secondly vpon his euill doing to make way that for euill doing the Lord might doe well and become mans greater benefactor Againe to will sinne for a good end is no excuse of this euill non sunt facienda imo nec volenda mala vt eueniant bona we must not doe nay not so much as will euill Velle perpâ—â—rare that good might come thereof for the first sinne is to will the second to doe and he sinnes that wills euill though he does it not A third consideration to excuse the point is how sinne can be the obiect of Gods will Here it is said of our Diuines that sinne in his causes and circumstances 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly considered hath a double respect one to man as sinne another to God decreeing it as good but this seemes also with a dry finger to be defaced it needs no washing for it washeth away it selfe seeing all Gods considerations of sinne are of sinne as it is sinne he permits it not as good but euill yet his permission is good he punisheth sinne as sinne he forbids it as sinne he forgiues it as sinne he decrees his permission and this comming betwixt sinne and Gods decree giues him libertie to produce what good he can out of it not qua bonum as good but as sinne and euill the reason is good euerie thing hath his best consideration according to his definition And thus much from Gods will to the obiect A second thing that they impose vpon our men is Contradiction put vpon Gods will that they make God in his will contradict himselfe to will sinne to bee and to will sinne
not to bee are contradictorie these cannot differ respectiuely but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 integris essentijs simply and in their whole beeing if there be any difference then either of the will it selfe or the act or the obiect not of the will for first he cannot will it voluntate beneplaciti with his secret wil for that alwaies wils the best nec voluntate signi with his reuealed will for we are sure his law forbids it neither with both together for then if the one should will it then likewise should the other but we are sure that Gods reuealed will hateth sinne and the very beeing of sinne therefore no will in God that would sinne to be and not to be Againe for the act of his will we say it is threefold in the creatures first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is according to his good pleasure this God approoues effects and is delighted with it and that can no wayes be carried to two contrarie obiects as to will sinne to come to passe and to will it not to come to passe The second act is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods dispensation and this belongs to prouidence where God wils no euill thing to happen yet vpon the accident will he dispose of it A careful master of a family wills not euill to happen in his house yet he is carefull to dispose of any euill accident and this hath nothing to doe with Gods deeree The third action is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and here it is true that God does permit sinne but to permit sinne comes farre short of willing sinne to be and for the obiect that is most certaine that the verie tearmes are contradictorie to will sinne to be and to will it not to bee wherefore finding neither contrarie wills to bring forth contrarie acts nor contrary acts about one subiect nor one subiect to be applied to contrarie acts we conclude to will sinne to bee and not to be to defend contradiction Thirdly they make Gods will to haue euil effects as to incline to finne to harden not onely by desertion but actiuely and positiuely yea to impell constraine command Sathan and wicked men to conceiue plot and attempt mischeife nay more efficaciter procurare effectually to procure that they perform the same c. And thus much concerning the first argument drawne from that which they seeme to impose vpon Gods will I will produce the rest of the arguments and then I will resolue them 2. Obiect The second generall argument is from Gods decree that which makes Gods decree an effectuall cause of sin makes God himselfe the author of sinne but this seemes to bee done by our Diuines … um effiâ—ax pe … m first because they make Gods decree of sinne not a bare permission and then must it needs be the other which is effectuall for betwixt the permissiue decree of sinne and effectuall there is no meane and therefore either the one or the other and that they make it not the permissiue it wil appeare if we consider these three things primo quod deus vult vt fiat Eâ—ficere impedire pâ—â—mttere hoc efficaciter efficit secundo quod vult vt non fiat hoc efficaciter impedit tertio quod neque vult vtifiat neque vult vtmon fiat hoc permittit creaturae that is that which God would haue to be that God effecteth secondly that which God will not haue to be that he effectually hindreth thirdly that which he neither would to bee or not to be that he permits vnto the creature Now our men will not haue Gods decree to bee of this third kind and therfore must it be one of the former not the second for if God should will to hinder sinne then it could not be and if the first to will sinne to be then must hee needs effect it efficaciter and so an effectuall decree Secondly Iâ—â—editio dei euentus sunt causa eâ—feâ—tum the point is thus further vrged quod Deus non impedit ideo euenit quia Deus non impedit quod non est ideo non est quia Deus vult non esse that is Gods not impedition or hindrance and the euent that follows vpon it are coupled together as the cause and effect and that immediatly therefore if our Diuines hold that man falls because God doth not hinder it then must they needes make Gods not impedition or not hindring an energeticall or operatiue effecting of the euent existence or beeing of sinne And this is further to be pressed vpon our Diuines by the consideration of a double sinne one of commission and another of omission the one de vetito of the thing forbidden and that is commission the other de praecepto of the thing commanded and that is omission Now not to hinder a sinne of commission is by our Diuines to concurre to the very act which cannot be done of man without sinne yea and God is said so to concurre that he is the first cause of that act man the second God moouing man and in that sort that man necessarily must followe Gods power in moouing him and so of necessitie must produce this act and therefore the commission is principally laid vpon God Againe not to binder a sinne of omission is by their sentence not to giue man that grace whereby he might be kept from the sinne of omission or made able to performe the contrarie therefore God concurring to the first and denying his grace to the second must needes commit and omit that which man commits and omits Nay more then that not onely a concause but a sole cause because man can not resist the motion of the first cause and therefore cannot offend following an irresistable motion seeing hee could not sinne propria voluntate but by Gods compulsion Here then it seemes that the decree is effectuall 1. because not barely permissiue and 2. because they make the not hindring ioyne with the euent as a necessarie cause But here they distinguish first of the necessitie of consequence and the necessitie of a cause or the reasons themselues as if I should say a man is a lyon then the consequent is necessarie that he hath foure legges yet the reasons or parts are not necessarie for it is neither necessarie that man should be a lyon or foure footed But the answer may be infringed that the consequence is either of a proposition or a syllogisme and then the consequence which is the conclusion followes by way of cause as for the example if a man be a lyon then he is foure footed is a necessarie consequence but now assume a man is a lyon this is contingent yea false and will neuer suffer the consequent to be concluded But in Gods decree they make it also to assume and inferre the conclusion and therefore a cause As for example That which God hath decreed comes to passe but mans fall is decreed therefore it comes to passe Here Gods
denying graunt the one and graunt the other denie the one and denie the other Secondly because it is not onely the part of a wise man to produce his worke but also to direct it to his ende therfore most absurd to denie it of the wisest Thirdly because it is impossible that a thing should be produced by one wisdome and gouerned by another thus things would not serue the ende of their creation but another Observ 6. According to this wisdome euery nature worketh and to this he ought to obey Reason 1. Because they are Gods effects and therefore obeying the cause must needs obey the wisdome that ordered the causes sinne therefore beeing nothing obeies not God neither any sinner as he serues sinne Secondly this wisdome carries to the ende and euery thing obeies his ende and inclines bends and bowes vnto it Observ 7. This obsequie or obedience of the creature is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or true impression of this producing and gouerning wisdome This first wisdome is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The gouernement of the Creator the obedience of the creature or liuely seale that stamped that marke vpon the creature therefore the stampe is the liuely effigies or impression of that first wisdome and the obsequie or obedience of the creature is nothing but to imitate his gouernour A familiar example of this you may see in the seale and the impression vpon the waxe the seale leaues his marke and the marke is a plaine representation of the seale though the seale it selfe could be seene of none but him that stamped his marke vpon the waxe The waxe sets forth the creature the stampe the obedience and the seale Gods wisdome and this is that Idaea which is so much dreamed of whereof the creature is not capable yet the reflexion of it may be in the creature As for example sixe or seuen men may see their faces all in one glasse yet the glasse is farre lesse then any one of their faces for the naturall face of a man can not be put into the glasse but the image of his face reflected and that in most liuely proportion so Gods face no man can see yet his backe parts may be seene Exod. 33. now this face as I may say of Gods wisdome beeing stamped vpon his creatures carrie them in all their motions to their ends appointed of his Maiestie These things beeing well conceiued of wee finde two things most necessarie to concurre to the producing of any act 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 First facultie or power which God giues the creature when he giues them beeing 2. a rule of Gods wisdome to bring that facultie into exercise and so carrie it along vnto his ende The rule is the principall cause the facultie the instrumentall or ministeriall cause to ioyne with the principall neither alone can doe any thing but both together can doe any worke that the Creator would haue to be done To come then to our purpose God created man a reasonable creature indued with two most excellent qualities will and vnderstanding so that man was made able to vnderstand his Creator and will him as his onely good Yet man could not actually will God except God had giueÌ„ a rule to haue taught him so to doe the Lord bad man loue him with all his heart soule minde and strength and then to loue his neighbour as himselfe And for the effecting of this he gaue him a perfect rule of righteousnes to ioyne with his will in the performance of any dutie neither did God withhold this rule from him at any time and therefore God gaue man by creation power to will and rule sufficient for to haue taught him how to will so that neither for power or act any thing was wanting Let vs see then how these two things concurred in mans first fall How rule and facultie meet together in the first fall The deuill comes in the serpent and he beginnes to withdraw man from his rule knowing if man and woman had sticked close thereunto sinne should haue had no entrance He beginnes first to propound a question that so he might bring the woman to dispute with him and the question is made about the rule of obedience Hath God indeed said Ye shall not eate of euerie tree of the garden To this the woman answers first by affirmation we eate of the trees of the garden secondly by negation from the sentence of the law of the fruit which is in the mids of the garden God hath said not onely I The dispuâ—â—â— on of the 〈◊〉 man and 〈◊〉 deuill but neither I nor my husband must eate of it neither shall ye touch it and to the prohibition she laies the curse least ye die So then the rule would haue made his part good against the Deuill and haue taught the woman to haue holden this conclusion against all the deuills arguments The deuill replies againe vpon the woman and first he begins to take away that which might feare her in breaking the law yee shall not die at all and then to her negation brings a testimonie first from God God doth knowe secondly from contradiction to the law when ye shall eate therof thirdly a threefold reason to perswade them to that act of eating first knowledge your eyes shall be opened secondly the measure of this knowledge it shal make you like God himselfe thirdly from the kinds of their knowledge knowing both good and euill As yet no hurt was done Let vs now see how the Law concurres in the next The conâ—â— of the 〈◊〉 and we shall easily see both Gods and the lawes confluxe with Adams fall The 1. act of the woman was approbation of the deuills reasons so the woman here 's consent against both God the law The 2. act was seeing here God concurred naturally and that by the rule of nature in optickes neither was this the breach of that rule but presently the will wheeles or turnes it selfe vpon the obiect and saies the tree was good and that approbation was also good for the tree was good by Gods creation but this goodnesse did so affect the will that Gods law must be forgotten and the tree beeing made good for that which the law forbad to wit that it was good for meat when before out of the sentence of the law she had saide the law and God himselfe hath saide ye shall not eate and to say it was good for meate was a direct affirmation against both God and his law and so could not haue their concourse and this was her internall iudgment The next is her externall iudgment in regard of the tree obiected to her eyes in these words and that it was pleasant to the eyes Now this was no where forbidden but that they might looke on it and it may be she said too much when she added we may not touch it yet this likewise is made a sinne for after the will is spoyled then all the other
of my loue and Esau to the feeling of my hatred and therefore here by these acts we are to vnderstand Gods appointment Against this ariseth the argument of flesh and blood The argument of flesh and blood against Gods euerlasting decree being not able to distinguish betwixt Gods appointment and his actuall loue or hatred in the creature therefore vers 14. surely then there is vnrighteousnesse with God To this the Apostle answers First by a correction execration and holy indignation God forbid Secondly from a testimonie Exod. 33.19 God saith it vnto Moses and therefore it must needes be most true and that is prooued in the verie testimonie it selfe First from the true cause of all righteousnesse and that is Gods will secondly from the libertie of his will hee is bound to none and therefore he can iniustly depriue no man of any right hee can claime at his hands thirdly euery subiect is equall for the receiuing of it otherwise it could not bee on whome hee would fourthly because it is aboue the reach of man v. 16. it is neither in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth merci◠But you may obiect this testimonie is imperfect for it onely prooues that which you haue said of election but this is nothing for reprobation but marke what followes v. 17. The example of reprobation to set forth Gods purpose power and name which he simply willeth and you shall see the second testimonie for reprobation exemplified in Pharaoh the supreame causes whereof are Gods purpose power and name his name is proclaimed Exod. 34.5 6 7. and it is nothing but his glorious attributes and they are his iustice and mercie and therfore the name of his iustice is proclaimed on Pharaoh this name God did purpose with himselfe and that he might purpose hee had power whereby he might shew it on Pharaoh ergo qua potuit fecit qua fecit potuit decreuit c. God did it on Pharaoh and therefore he might doe it as he did it and might doe it he purposed and decreed it as he did that so it was his counsell this his counsell had no scope but his owne name this his name was wel-pleasing vnto his wisedome this his wel-pleasing made his purpose good and this good God absolutely willed therefore that which he concluded onely of mercie v. 16. in this 19. hee concludes on both mercie and iustice hee hath mercy on whom he will and whome he will he hardeneth this conclusion plainely shewes that Gods will is the supreame and absolute cause otherwise no need why either that obiection should be made v. 14. is God vnrighteous or this which followeth how should men complaine seeing no man can resist his will to what purpose I say if it had beene for sinne but the former is cut off with this resolution it is Gods will and therefore he knowes how to iustifie it and this second is answered accordingly as I haue said from the nature of passion and resistance Gods will is the supreame therefore an irresistable will and void of all passion Shall the thing forming As man cannot resist God so God will not resist man vntill man haue offered the first resistance suffer or bee resisted of the thing formed or the potter of his lumpe of clay how much more should Gods will bee resisted of man But what is all this to Gods resisting of mans will the Lord offered no violence to the will of man in his fall neither did he himselfe make any resistance to the temptation but most willingly imbraced it and gaue as free a consent as possibly could be imagined and therfore God put vpon man no irresistable motion But you say he could not resist the decree of God c. True what then could be not resist his owne will it is therefore one thing for man to resist Gods will and another thing for God to resist mans will If God should haue resisted mans will he should not haue sinned Therfore the causes beeing separate so iudge of the effects the effect of Gods will is necessarie because it hath the best ende but mans effect was contingent and had the worst ende Therefore God by his decree imposeth no irresistable motion vpon the will of man To the necessarie copulation of Gods decree The copulation of Gods decree and sinne is not causall and mans fall it is to be answered that it is not causall For if you vnderstand it as a copulatiue axiome God decrees and man falls then the whole axiome is absolutely affirmed and the former part doth not pull in the consequent but both of them are considered as going cheeke by ioule but their meaning is of a connex axiome if God decree then it is necessarie that man should fall Here we distinguish betwixt the parts of an axiome and the connexion the parts may be contingent or false where the connexion is most necessarie As for example If he be a learned man then he respecteth wisdome the connexion is necessarie if Cicero be an Orator then he knowes how to speake well these be necessarie connexions but the parts are contingent Againe the connexion may be a necessarie truth yet the parts may be false as if a man be a dogge then he hath the facultie of barking a man to be a dogge is false or a man to haue this facultie is also false God decrees that was not absolutely necessarie nay as out of himselfe it was contingent so mans fall is likewise contingent Actio interna seu formalis externa seu materialis coniuncta seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore our Diuines distinguish of actions First there is an internall action which they call formall and this is in God himselfe eternall immutable and neither hath beginning nor ending And in this sense say they the whole cause of reprobation or election is in God alone and this is a most necessarie truth The second is externall or materiall which is exercised vpon the creature and this is in time and limited according to the nature of the creature that receiueth it and this is contingent The third is a complete or perfect action of both which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Extremam admouere manum a perfect finishing of the thing and this beeing absolute and proceeding from absolute causes is in his conioyned nature necessarie yet no argument to prooue that one cause should make the other necessarie And therfore the will of God makes mans will no necessarie cause of his owne fall But to this connexion it is formerly replied that it is not onely so in the maior proposition but also in the minor and therefore the assumption beeing taken out of the maior and concluding necessarily must needes be causall as if God decree then man must fall but I assume God decrees and therfore man must fall so that Gods decree inferring the conclusion vpon mans will as following
punishment neither is his preparation of a vessell but damnation is a punishment and that is neuer without sinne Againe discernere and ordinare differ as a generall and speciall To discerne of any thing is the whole worke of reason but to ordaine is a speciall part of reason in disposing of all things orderly So then Gods decree is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or perfect worke of his counsell concerning man ordination is that which à principio ad finem media respicit lookes how to lay things together from the beginning to the ende Now all this may be done of God in reprobation and yet makes it no punishment First that God doth discerne or decree by counsell is reason and iudgement which are no punishments but necessarily goe before them so then Gods decree of reprobation is not the Iayler in the prison or the hangman on the gallowes but the Iudge on the white throne whose putitie tries all things It is not therefore necessarie because God sentenceth all things that he should punish them for this is sapientis iudicis praevidere A logicall act and a morall â—uffer non iusti vindicis punire so then in reason to decree is not the illation of any punishment For the other ordination which more properly is in the things done God disposeth of them according to his decree that went before with counsell and deliberation neither is this any punishment for as decreeing so ordaining are of reason and iudgment now reason and iudgment punisheth no man for they are logicall acts but to punish is a morall act and therfore no necessitie why we should confound them So then simply to passe by or prepare a damnation by decree counsell and ordination are no punishments at all But you will say to be forsaken of his creator cannot but be a punishment Alas you do here misconstrue the meaning of our diuines for they say that election is ad supernaturalem gratiam non naturalem and reprobatio est praeteritio non quoad naturalem gratiam but supernaturalem that is election is to a supernaturall grace reprobation is the forsaking of a man according to this estate not for his natural estate or that wherein he was created and so God neuer forsakes him but in the other he forsakes him and yet it is no punishment that so the Lord should doe for it is neither a priuatiue euil or positiue vnto man Reprobation neither a priuatiue or positiue euill seeing all priuations and wants are of such things as once we had and positiue euills of such as vexe and trouble vs. Now to want supernaturall grace was neuer the want of a created man because he neuer had it neither by creation could he feele any want of it seeing God had giuen him enough And thus much of the Arguments The conclusion of the whole disputation declaring by reason the Scriptures and Church that God is no author of sinne Exod. 34. God is Iehovah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is omnipotent el shaddai 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is iustice it selfe el tsaddick God is the supreame cause and chiefe good shaddiel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehovah absolute beeing cannot produce that which is nothing his omnipotencie cannot produce impotencie his iustice impietie or supreame cause any defect Sinne is peshange defect gnavou iniquitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fall from righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an aberration from a scope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transgression and for his production non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinne is produced from impotencie and imbecilitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from meere masse and impersection therefore not from God that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pure act 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power and strength and therefore free from all imbecilitie shaddai sufficient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deus plenitudinis a God of fulnesse therefore heauen and earth may as soone ioyne as perfection become imperfection act power good euill sufficiencie deficiencie God sinne Adde the Scriptures Gen. 1.31 All was very good Deut. 32.4 Habak 1.13 Rom. 3.5 6. Rom. 9.14 The Scripture teacheth 1. that God wills no sinne 2. that he neither commands or stirs vp any to sinne 3. that he punisheth it grauissimè iustissimè certissimè most iustly most grieuously most certenly 4. that he hates it in that extremitie that no man was able to beare it but he that was God and man no blood able to wash it away but the blood of his welbeloued Sonne no sacrifice able to pacifie this wrath but of him in whome onely he said he was wel-pleased no prayers no teares to preuaile but onely those that are put vp in this name Lastly euery page in the Bible is either exhorting to pietie or threatning plagues and punishments vpon those that will not be reclaimed Adde to the Scriptures the Church triumphant the quire is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sanctus sanctus sanctus sacro sancto Trinitas holy holy holy most holy and sacred Trinitie and the Church militant is fighting and praying that at the length it may be deliuered not to be with a God of sinne but with him that can free them from all sinne and miserie We therefore conclude he that will not heare the voice of reason is a beast that will not beleeue the Scriptures is an infidell that will not heare the Church is a bastard Reason ought to conuince vs as men the Scriptures as Christians and the Church as children We heare the voice of reason that we may confesse our Creator of the Scriptures that we may loue our father and the Church that we may kisse our mother And God forbid that euer any of vs should otherwise be minded The collation of M. Perkins and Arminius in this point of Gods decree IT was well saide of Seneca Libâ—de ira Vtrique pirti actiones dares dares te apus non semel audires magis anim veritas elucet quo saepius ad manum venit that in matters of controuersie each partie should haue time to trie his action and be heard more then once and the reason thereof as well giuen by him because the aftner the truth commeth to hand to be skauned the more the light thereof appeareth Seeing therefore it hath pleased the Church with some patience to heare and I am afraid to allow the examination of M. Perkins by Arminius the Coryphaeus of all the Lutherans in the point of Predestination I hope for the loue of that worthie man and the acutenesse of his aduersarie shee will vouchsafe the reading of this Collation to see how the Truth is more apparant by their opposition If the opposition were but like an ouerblowne bladder then would it burst of it selfe and vent the winde thereof without any further pricking but seeing the common fame runnes through the world that it is so learnedly and absolutely done that it may
giue all men satisfaction and that no man would euer be able to make any sound replie to it it is become as the winde in the bowels that will not be remooued except the hotest medicines be applied and that by the iudgement of the best Physitians These rumours may daunt a weake spirit and make him despaire to encounter with such a tempest that strikes all downe before it But seeing God is in the calme more then in the rushing wind and that the truth is freely to be bought of all that meane not to sell him for the plausible opinions of the world I am bold in the confidence of my God and the loue of his truth to rescue a faithfull seruant of God out of the hands of as subtill an aduersarie as euer set pen to such a worke And why should I be afraid seeing he that walks in the midst of the golden Candlesticks holds euery starre in his right hand to protect guide and defend them as long as they walke with him O therefore thou which art the truth teach me in thy truth that I erre not thou which art the way guide me in thy way that I wander not and thou which art the life quicken my soule with the life of grace that I may speake in the chiefe mysterie of my saluation from the true experience of thy loue shedde abroad in mine owne heart M. Perk. Predestination is first to be grounded out of Gods word secondly out of true principles of reason I. Ar. It is true that the word of God and innate principles are the true foundation of all this doctrine yet because the fal hath blotted out these principles we must alwaies haue recourse to examine them by Gods word which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in stead of all Collation This is Christianly spoken on both sides indeed the Philosopher saies contra negantem principia non est disputandum he that denies principles is vnworthie to be disputed withall yet mans principles be they neuer so common are not to be trusted without Gods word M. Perk. First principle God is alwaies iust though man be not able to comprehend it in his owne reason I. Ar. This notion is most true onely caution is to be taken that we iudge not the cause by the effect it is iust therefore God wills it but from this antecedent God wills it therefore it is iust Collat. This confession as yet makes no breach betwixt them yet this I would adde that seeing we onely vnderstand God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à posteriore and not à priore his backe-parts and not his face that it is lawfull to conclude from the effects to the cause as this thing is done and except God had willed it it could not haue bin done and therefore there is a iust reason for it in Gods will though we can not perceiue it which is the minde of M. Perkins which he would haue corrected M. P. 2. Principle God is independent from all second causes yet all second causes are dependent vpon him euen when they doe vniustly I. A. Occasion taken from the creatures is not to make God depend on them for his will but absolutely to will that occasion yet if that occasion had not bin giuen from them God would neuer haue willed decreed or ordained it The subiection of the creature to vanitie is from him that subiected it yet if man his cause had not giuen this occasion God had neuer willed this subiection It was Gods will that Christ should be sent which neuer had bin willed of God but vpon the occasion of mans fall It is Gods will that sinne should be punished yet mans fall gaue the occasion without which God would neuer haue punished man Gen. 18. Exod. 32.1 Sam. 2. The Iudge of the whole world will doe iustly 2. He that sinnes shall be put out of my booke 3. God forbid but that they that honour me should be honoured of me and they that contemne me should be contemned of me Yet in all this irrogation or imposing of punishment the Lord is absolute and independent otherwise the creature would leaue nothing vnassaied to escape Gods hand Collat. M. Perkins meaning is to make God independent euery wayes and therefore by a Synechdoche he puts second causes for all kind of reason that can bee drawne from them Now causation is the first and most perfect reason that can be in things from God therefore God is not onely independent as his creatures worke with him but also for all other reason that can be drawne from them Therefore occasion giuen by the creature beeing a reason must either depend from God or God must depend from it if it depend from God then Gods will was before it but if God depend from it then was this occasion before Gods will and to make any thing before Gods will is to denie his will to be absolute For the three examples First it is true that the occasion of the creatures subiection vnto vanitie was mans sinne but no occasion of Gods will who absolutely willed as much as hee occasioned For the second mans fall was the occasion of Christs sending into the world but not of Gods will to send his Son which was before all occasions For the third mans sinne is the occasion why God will punish but no occasion why hee should ordaine to punish For his admonition to distinguish betweene to ordaine and decree is profitable but not according to his exposition For saith he to ordaine is to set an order in things done and not to ordaine facienda vt fiant things to be done that they may bee But he is to know that discerno is to see asunder and is as generall as all reason wherby all Gods works are seene asunder Of the same signification is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence comes dialectica the art of reason now reason is first to find out things secondly hauing found them out to iudge them which iudgement is either of truth or falshood as in propositions or of consequence inconsequence as in Syllogismes or of order and confusion as in method And in this last part to ordaine is properly manifested therefore is a speciall branch of discerning and by a Synecdoche of the speciall for the generall may be put for decreeing yet properly to decree is a worke of counsell wisely discerning of euerie speciall reason truth consequent or any other thing that may make for his scope prefixed then to ordaine is the wise laying together of all these things that all confusion and disorder may be escaped and euery thing most sweetly brought vnto his end appointed of the Lord. Here take notice of three kinds of knowledge disputed among the Schoolemen Knowledge possibile actuall conditional 1. possibilis intelligentia 2. actualis 3. conditionalis The first is of all possible things that neuer shall be the secōd of all things that are or shal be the
from comming vnder that Generall head which Arminius doth in euery place and so takes all manner of working from God in sinne For that which hee obiects of prudence it is true The siue intellectuall vertue that this vertue is a speciall one for first we define intelligence that vertue whereby God vnderstandeth euery particular concerning euery thing 2. his knowledge or science whereby he knoweth all truths in things as it is of things to come it is called his foreknowledge or prescience 3. his sapience whereby he knoweth whatsoeuer may follow or ensue of euery thing 4. his prudence whereby he knoweth his fittest opportunitie for all things 5. his skill whereby he knoweth to effect euery thing most skilfully The first of these vertues belongs to all kinds of reason which we call arguments simply considered in inuention the 2. is seene in axiomes where all truths are contained the 3. in syllogismes that teacheth how to conclude out of truths knowne the 4. is seene in method and order the 5. in practise Hence we obserue that these 5. vertues beeing distinguished yet one by a Synecdoche may be put for all And therefore when M. Perkins saies prudently he vnderstands not onely Gods orderly proceeding but intelligence of all things science of all truths wisdome in all diductions and the most skilfull handling of the matter that possibly can be imagined For the third it is but a meere Grammaticall enasion for M. Perkins meant no more but the ende it selfe though he further added the application of it For the fourth God neither wills nor decrees that which he cannot is no imperfect sense seeing that God fecit qua potuit quafecit potuit decrevit that is God did it as he could doe it and as he did it and could doe it he decreed it And therefore there was no neede of such addition seeing that Gods posse brings in his officere and that posse and efficere bring in his decree But I see if I should follow him steppe by steppe his acutenesse would make me heape vp an infinite writing therefore I content my selfe with a generall view of him because a iust confutation of him ought to be in an other style Therefore that I may onely free the point in hand I will generally labour to doe it in the maine points and leaue the other to some more speciall tractate hereafter 4. God decree man table graunted of both yet Arminius by permission and occasion taken opposeth M. Perkins Principle Gods decree is immutable euen in those things which are mutable This is confessed of Arminius both in Gods decree of effectuall working and permission the secret opposition lies in two things first in that he exactly distinguisheth betwixt to doe and permit and will graunt no efficiencie to permission which beeing defended ouerturnes the nature of a decree for if to permit be to doe nothing then God should decree to doe nothing If he answer to doe some thing in himselfe but nothing in mans sinne then God should decree some thing with himselfe which should neuer be effected in the creature by himselfe so God should not perfect his owne will But it may further be replied God decrees to permit Permissiion yeelds the creature his libertie ver denies not God his worke in sinne that is to giue the creature free libertie to fall into sinne this is true permission that God will not doe it himselfe but permit man to doe it yet still we are further to adde that the wisdom of God which is his will reuealed in his law did worke in the very sinne and therefore sinne is caused by the law not by any internall facultie or power in the law but externall which beeing accidentall is alwaies reduced to other causes and therefore the last resolution of sinne is into the free will of man For neither the abuse of the law by the deuiil or his temptation had prooued sinnes in man except he had conioyned with them Secondly though Gods decree in both these be immutable yet God follows the creature in taking occasion from him in his greatest mutations to set forth his glorie This cannot stand for immutabilitie makes a necessarie truth and all necessarie truths are eternall therefore taken from no occasion of such things as should be in time which are mutable and contingent and neuer to be the grounds of eternall truths which onely haue their originall from him that is immutable and eternall No eternall or immutable truth that followes things 〈◊〉 contingent and therefore an immutable decree cannot be vpon the contingent occasions of God creatures and therefore before all occasions are considered for it is impossible either that Gods will or the decree of his will or the immutabilitie of that decree or the necessarie truth from that immutabilitie should euer be vpon occasion taken from creatures mutable and changeable For whatsoeuer follows vpon contingent things is contingent and therefore if Gods decree should follow vpon contingent things it would become contingent Indeed there is a connexion or disiunction of contingent things which is necessarie not from the contingent things themselues but either from the connexion or disiunction it selfe As for example if thou beleeue thou shalt be saued the connexion is necessarie but that thou should beleeue or be saued are both contingent A man is either learned or vnlearned is a necessarie disiunction but that thou should be learned is contingent and so is the other If God decree then it must come to passe but if the decree should follow vpon the thing come to passe though but occasionally yet would it crosse the nature of immutabilitie And we graunt him that which he saies that the tearmes of the creatures mutation which make a most certen determination and by connexion a necessarie truth yet in simple consideration the Lord might haue done otherwise which neuer can be in a necessarie truth 5. Principle All Gods iudgments are to be honoured acknowledged Exception if they will agree with the word of God and his iustice and this cannot be except they be inflicted vpon man sinfull a iust exception but not against the principle for three things are to be considered in man first his workemanship and that is Gods secondly the appointment of it for vse vnto his maker thirdly what may follow vpon fault of the vessell Men are vessels and so they are Gods secondly they are prepared of God for his vse but the third that they are vessels of wrath that is of themselues Therefore Augustine would not man to dispute with God either for his making or for the ende of his making for this can be resolued into no higher a cause then his owne will But if he will dispute with God for his wrath and vengeance executed vpon him he shal find no other meritorious cause but his sinns That he saies Augustine was too bold with the place to the Romans Arminius reprehends Augustine of rashnesse
yet bona venia with greater rashnesse seeing the Apostle intended no such thing as humane infirmitie to dispute with God but to musle vp the mouthes of the refractorie and peruerse Iewes and such like but yet he is to know that if the Apostle had brought his argument to that purpose onely then should he haue dealt with them as our Sauiour Christ did Ioh. 8. the Iewes they say we haue no neede to be made free Christ tels them Ye are the seruants of sinne therefore in vaine doe you boast of your freedom so here the Iewes might haue saide we are cast off and reprobates for so was the will of God and how should we haue helped it The Apostle might presently haue stopped their mouthes Yee are rebells against God and therefore he hath cast you off what could flesh and blood haue opposed to this But the Apostle makes no mention of this but resolues all into Gods will and that most iustly seeing to make and prepare his vessells is his own will alone When he shall come to the third to handle them as vessels of wrath the cause shall easily be found out to iustifie God and condemne man 6. Principle No mon can doe any thing but where God workes the will and the deed and it is done according to that measure lesse or more that God bestowes vpon vs. Of the concourse of Gods grace both of them agree onely that word absolute is disliked yet if in all effects the first cause bee absolutely required that the second may worke then God must absolutely concurre to the effecting of any good Seuenth principle No euill is avoided that God doth not keepe vs from in the working Of this it is agreed but the manner of working is doubted of whether it bee by omnipotencie causing a necessary impedition or of counsell causing an infallible impedition the first mooues the will naturally the second voluntarily To answer the distinction is not good for omnipotencie goes along with prouidence in the preseruation of the creature as well as it did in creation for the production of the same and therefore omnipotencie is seen in the creatures motions whether naturall or voluntarie Secondly that distinction of the wills naturall motion and voluntary is false for I demaund whether the will in both be an internall agent if internall then it suffers neither violence nor coaction but acts most freely and therefore by that modus efficiendi which is counsell Thirdly a necessarie impedition and infallible are not alwaies distinguished nay a necessarie impedition is alwaies infallible though infallible be not alwaies necessarie and therefore to make distribution of a whole into a part and a whole is against reason and opposeth those which are not opposed Fourthly the naturall or voluntarie motion of the will to an externall obiect is neuer necessarie but contingent Therefore if the Lord should mooue the will with a most certaine determination vpon some externall obiect it should not make the act necessarie Eigth Principle Gods will is iudged of by his word by reuelation and by euent Arminius excepts against the third because the euent may as wel belong to Gods permission of it as his action in it the former teacheth vs to resolue the euent affirmatiuely vpon the second cause but negatiuely vpon Gods will because he would not hinder it either by his power secundum modum naturae or perswasion secundum modum voluntatis liberae If wee graunt that God permitted sinne which before I haue shewed to bee false in regard that a manner of working in sinne is iustified of God without all blame yet doth it not follow but that the euent should be Gods Zach. 6.1 the foure charets of the world that is all euents East West North and South come from betweene mountaines of brasse Gods immutable decree which is as immooueable as a mountaine of brasse Againe that God must needes will the euent it is plaine from the order of his wisedome which runnes before and after all euents before to worke in them and dispose of them without which two causes they cannot bee he that is the first wisedome and the last will not suffer any euent that shall not be from him to him for in as much as any thing is to him in so much it is from him seeing it is equally good to both that is as good for God so good from God Now surely all euents fall between these two tearmes and therefore from God to God Againe as after the euent Gods wisdome doth either approoue or disprooue of the second causes working it and hence all euents are either ordered limited or punished of God 9. Principle No man can doe that good which he might doe by grace except God should worke in him both the will and the deede to effect the same To this Arminius replies that God neuer giues power but secondly all things that might concurre to bring that power into act This is most true for before we shewed that two things were required to produce any worke facultie and rule of working and God neuer put any facultie into his creature but he gaue him a sufficient rule to worke by But the strait tying together of these two makes the creature to stand firme and immooueable therefore religion which since the fall is properly so called a tying againe of man vnto God is this strait bond that ties the faithfull soule for euer vnto God I will put my feare into their hearts and they shall neuer depart from me This is eternall life to knowe thee c. So then beside the rule and the facultie a third thing is required not for sufficiencie of working but for certentie of working and that is when the Lord shall put into vs his spirit of grace which shall lead vs into all truth and keepe vs from falling away And this third thing Adam wanted and therefore Phil. 2.13 It is God which worketh in you both the will the deede euen at his good pleasure Obserue first it is said in you that is his faithfull ones secondly it is both will and deede thirdly it is his most free will and pleasure and therefore hee may doe it to whom he will and when he will therefore man had power and rule sufficient to haue stood but God did not so necessarily tie these together but that man might if hee pleased denie his concourse with the rule and so sinne against God 10. Principle The gouernement of the whole world and all execution of iustice is to be ascribed vnto God The exception to this is of small moment God doth all not onely in iustice but also in mercie and knowes where to bestow both this M. Perkins included in the gouernment of the world wherein both iustice and mercie are manifested The definition of Predestination reprehended in the genus or common nature in the subiect and in the ende The next examination is concerning the definition of Predestination wherein Arminius reprehends
credentes in gratiam reoipere eosque perseuerantes ad finem vsque saluos facere in Christo propter Christum per Christum impenitentes vero infideles in peccato sub ira relinquere atque damnare tanquam alienos à Christo that is I will receiue vnto my grace and mercy all that repent and beleeue perseuere and continue vnto the end in thorough and for my Christ On the contrarie all that are impenitent infidells leaue them in their sinnes to their euerlasting condemnation and both these are peremptorie The third decree is to be found in the Church militant that is Volo omnia media ad resipiscentiaÌ„ fidem necessaria sufficienter administrare c. I will decree all meanes necessarie to repentance and faith and sufficiently and effectually administer them c. Fourth and last is of euerie singular person which belongs to the opening of the books at the day of iudgment speciall or generall and this is all that he can say for Gods decree And because wee are come to his first decree which is that which he presseth in all his book we wil shew that when he hath pressed all his arguments he prooues no more then Christ to be the cause of redemption but none of election Ephes 1.4 Elegit nos in Christo he chose vs in Christ v. 6. he accepted of vs in his beloued Rom. 8.39 2. Cor. 5.16 the argument is framed thus If God can will any to haue eternall life without respect of a mediator then can he giue eternall life without satisfaction of a mediator but this is impossible Secondly if God can loue no man but in Christ then can hee elect no man but in Christ for he elects none but those which he loues These and all other places concerning Christ the redeemed in Christ Christ a meanes of election but a principall cause of redemption are thus to be answered Christ is either considered as a means appointed of God or as a principle and proper cause in the first he is subordinate in the second supreame as a meanes appointed of God so he is subordinate to Gods decree of election and therefore neither as cause nor meanes nor condition goes before the decree but as Christ is considered in redemption he is the principall supream and maine cause of all that come within the limits of redemption we are chosen in Christ not to be elected but redemed not as the cause of election but as meanes appointed of God in our election yet a meritorius cause of our saluation and redemption so then it is most true that God elects no man but in Christ loues saues and redeemes no man but by Christ in the one the cause in the other the effect So then election can not presuppose faith in Christ remission of sinnes by Christ renouation of the spirit and perpetuall assistance because they follow election the cause of redemption and redemption the cause of all these So then while Arminius disputes his decree in redemption he commits these errors first he makes the cause to follow the effect as election to follow redemption secondly he makes Christs loue in redeeming to be the cause of Gods loue in electing thirdly he makes the meanes appointed for the ende to goe before the end it selfe fourthly hee makes the fruits of redemption as faith remission of sinnes renouation by the spirit perseuerance c. occasions antecedent to Gods decree of election So that these shal be no fruits of our election which if he graunt on the contrarie then must they as occasions follow our election for the fruit is no wayes before his cause neither any occasion why the cause should produce them fiftly though he denie it yet he must confesse that these occasions as they are holden of him must be causes for Gods decree to saue vs by Christ by faith by repentance by remission of sinnes by renouation by perseuerance in weldoing what are these but causes of eternall life I am sure saluation is giuen vnto Christ as a meritorious cause Arminius forgets him selfe when he saies we are chosen in Christ as a meritorious cause for so his occasion at vnâ—wares slips into a cause so in Christ to all the rest These then going before Gods election to left and saluation can no wayes be considered but as causes and indeed his words sound so much when he saies we are chosen in Christ not as a meanes but also as a meritorious cause of what effect I beseech you if he say of redemption then we are all of one mind but if he say of election then we reiect him but his meaning is we are chosen in Christ as a meritorious cause of that choice and so the occasion was not taken from thence but the true and onely cause Many other absurdities followe from this but I passe them ouer and yet before I ascend to the next step let me tell you how Arminius contradicts himselfe First hee saies that the subiect of election is man fallen but how can that be seeing no men are elected before they be in Christ I am sure that he dare not denie but that they were sinners before they were in Christ and therefore they were elected before they were elected Secondly he saies that we are elected in Christ as a redeemer and yet Christ is a redeemer before we be in him for application followes redemption Againe both man fallen man to be redeemed are all alike and Christ is equall to all where then is election Thirdly a man must be in the Church before he can be of the number of the faithfull and vntil he be faithfull he cannot be elected therefore election comes after the fall redemption and the Church Fourthly a faithfull man may fall and so election may change and therefore no certaine election but of singular persons Thus then the first subiect of election that he can finde is either a faithfull person or a singular person so that it is lower then the Church redemption or the fall And hee may as well begin with the creation of the world as with any of these three for all are but media precedanea and though some of them shewe more iust occasion for election or reprobation yet the proper subiect by his doctrine cannot be found out vntill we come to the consideration of a man as a beeleeuer or an infidel neither here is it fixed but it must skip againe to a singular person for saith hee that former decree is rather qualitatum then personarum of qualities then persons so that he is vncertaine in all his notions The next steppe that we ascend vnto Homo peccator the fift step in ascending is man fallen where God shewes these attributes First his holinesse in that the Lord was free from all fault Secondly his iustice whereby he beeing most iust in himselfe cannot but execute iustice as in wel-doing to them which doe well so in inflicting
9. Hardnesse of heart desperation the blacke-moore will not wash for hee may as soone wash his skin off as take away his colour the leopard cannot change his spots and so is it with them that are accustomed to doe euill Lastly 10. Presumption the hope of a good day as we say makes men put off their washing as they will wash at Christmas on Sunday or when a holy day comes or some feasting day so many a soule vnder the hope of mercie puts off the day of his visitation and meanes to repent in his old age But alas repentance is the gift of God and therefore not to be commaunded at their wills I remember the good counsell that one gaue to one of these delayers who inquired the best time to repent the answer was made according to his mind one day before his death that is well saies he but yet I am not resolued for I know not when I shall die neither doe I saies his Counsellor yet this is my counsell to preuent that danger repent euerie day and then shall you bee sure to repent the day before your death And these may be some of the reasons why men will not bee ordered by Gods lawe and therfore verie requisite that God should haue another booke for the ordering of sinne and sinners and that is the conscience which is to be vnderstood in this place yet so that the other ought not to be excluded for this can doe nothing but by the information of the former for this booke is as I may tearme it the application of the former this makes vse of the precepts laid downe in them and therefore conscience is verie necessarie that the law might haue his worke in commaunding and forbidding sinne now the conscience from the euideÌ„ce that the law giues in either absolues or condemnes and so the Lord hath made it a little Iudge sitting vpon his throne in the soules of men Before The proposition in the originall giues vs to vnderstand that after the ordering of sinne sinne should be so visible that it were impossible for a wicked man to looke off it it shall still meete him in the face and suffer his conscience to take no rest night nor day Thee The originall hath it in thine eyes Eye of the body man hath a threefold eie first the eie of the bodie but that is no discerner of sin for wicked men haue this eie actiue enough to behold vanity and pleasure Hence riseth the extraordinarie sensualitie of mankind after the pleasures and profits of this world they liue all by sense blinded in their vnderstanding and conscience but this eye is not meant in this place The second eie is the eye of vnderstanding Eie of reason no sufficient iudge in the matters of sin which is the true discerner of all Gods works for God hauing made all for man he must needs giue him an eie to behold all things that were made for him By this eie Adam was able to name the creatures to knowe their natures ends and vses this eie since the fall is notably bleered in heauenly things which truely concerne God hee can see nothing at all because the obiect is too farre distant and cannot be reached vnto by any facultie in him euen as an aged man can see things about him but to looke afarre off he is not able neither can he discerne any thing so our aged vnderstandings can see some things at hand as what belongs to this estate as hee is a man for ciuill societie hee can doe some morall duties exercise himselfe in ciuil matters and labour to maintaine his naturall life Yet in all these his eye is so dimme that he commits many disorders in them all for his morallitie see how he abuseth it in the first of the Romans for his ciuillitie see how he breaks the legs of iustice makes him lie in the streets for strange be the contentions that are in the world betwixt men to supplant one another in their rights to infringe good titles and make vp broken and for this purpose many a lawyer hath euen sould himselfe to bee a man of contention for himselfe and his neighbours and so farre he makes himselfe for euery bodie if so be he can make euery bodie for himselfe Lastly in naturall things he hath lost the vse of sobrietie and therefore in eating and drinking he becomes either a glutton or a drunkard therefore this eie cannot be quicke enough for the sense and feeling of Gods iudgements Lye of conscience the best iudge therefore God aboue sense and reason hath giuen a third eye which is the eie of conscience and this is a most powerfull eye in so much that the learned haue affirmed that conscience is supra hominem infra deum aboue man vnder God Concerning the third booke which is the Conscience Conscience in signification is nothing els but knowledge with an other when I am perswaded that another knoweth with me and that all my secrets are as well knowne vnto him as they are vnto my selfe Hence conscience may be said to act three parts Conscience the Lawyer Register and Iudge first part is the Lawyer which pleads the cause and this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or pure part of the conscience Saul if he had pleaded with his conscience and taken counsell of this best part hee should haue beene informed that rebellion was as the sinne of witchcraft but we blind this eye of our conscience and therefore we will do what pleaseth our selues be it right or wrong Second part is the act of a register which enâ—oules all matters of fact against the times of inquisition so the conscience is called a booke or bookes Reuel 20.12 the act of this is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the assuming part of the conscience for as the first laid downe the propositions maximes and generall rules so this assumes from them as for example Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft but I Saul haue rebelled constat de facto and this my rebellion shall for euer be written in the leaues of my conscience which page and line shall bee easie to turne vnto as often as God shall call me to an account The third part is performed by the conscience as a Iudge that concludes the sentence and this is called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All these parts are alwaies contained in a syllogisme the proposition is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that explaines the cause and layes downe the controuersie like a skilfull lawyer the assumption which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and pleads guiltie and the conclusion out of both is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that giues sentence Proposition Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft Assumption But I Saul haue rebelled Conclusion Therefore I Saul haue committed a sinne as the sinne of witchcraft After the conscience hath thus propounded assumed and concluded the disposition of the heart may be seen
Conscientia in effectu affectu â—uâ—nâ—u vel pro effectu praeterito vel pro affectu presente vel pro eueÌ„tu futuro for the fact past that is either in regard of God or man of man it either absolues or coÌ„demns in regard of god a witnes either to excuse or accuse for the affection that followes vpon this it is either ioy or sorrow ioy vpon absoluing and excusing sorrowe vpon accusing condemning and for the future euent it is either the expectation of reward or the feare of punishment That this may a litle the better appeare let vs see how the coÌ„science is locked or vnlocked this eye is alwaies as a booke that is both clasped and open at the same time or els wholly clasped and locked vp The claspes that doe all this are in number three goodnes Claspes of conscience 1. Goodnesse sinne and punishment Goodnesse clasps vp the accusation of the conscience but alwaies leaues open the conscience for excusation therefore a good conscience will open for no accusation nor shut for any vaine excusations Secondly 2. Sinne. sinne is either the clasper and vnclasper together or the clasper alone the clasper and vnclasper by excusation or accusation as in our first parents it is said when they had sinned their eyes were opened not that they were blind before but that now the eye had lost the power of excusing and therefore in that was shut vp and blinded but was altogether vnlocked for accusation and condemning of themselues yet by reason of custome and long continuance in sinne that verie selfe same thing which opened the eies of our first parents hath wholly seared vp the eyes of some that their consciences neither accuse nor excuse except you will say they falsly excuse when they make vs cry peace peace and all is well with vs. Now this for the most part is the claspe of mens consciences so that except God bring iudgement the conscience will neuer be awaked from his securitie 3. Punishment Therefore the third claspe of the conscience is punishment this holds most surely in excusation in so much that none can either vnclaspe it or by any meanes be able to mitigate the strait holding of punishment from all comfort so that neither angels nor men nor any other creature can giue a dramme of comfort but for the vnclasping of the conscience it wil do it most forcibly and exceedes all other meanes and therefore is to bee vnderstood in this place Hence ariseth a fourefold distinction of conscience the first that is at peace with it selfe Conscience quiet but not good quiet nor good but not with God and that is the conscience that is wholly locked vp the second that is neither at peace with God nor it selfe and that is the conscience vnder the horror of the punishment of sinne good not quiet the third conscience which is not at peace with it selfe but with God and that conscience hath two claspes in it goodnesse and sinne goodnes from God sin from it selfe good and quiet The fourth that hath peace with God and with it selfe and this is a conscience that feeles a claspe of Gods mercie to bind vp the broken heart and make it breake forth with ioy and gladnesse So that now if we looke into the world wee shall find that euerie man is either a Prince or a peasant either the basest among the sonnes of men and most ignoble or els couragious as a lyon and stout hearted as a gyant If a man were as poore as Lazarus and as naked as Iob yet if he bad a good conscience he would be higher then Princes and scorn to yeild a foote for the proudest but on the contrarie if hee were as stout as Alexander as merry as Belshazzar as wise as Ahithophel as proud as Hammon and as rich as Nabal yet hauing an euill conscience he would tremble with Alexander for the touch of an ague quiuer with Belshazzar for the appearance of a finger hang himselfe with Ahitophel for that his counsell was brought to nought mourne with Hammon vpon his bed for the losse of his honour or his heart would die within him as it did within Nabal for the losse of a field or in a word hee would tremble at a very leafe and therefore fearfull shall bee the estate of these men when the Lord shall thus vnlocke their consciences as he hath promised he will doe in this place Now this vnlocking is threefold Keyes to vnlock conscience 1. Amazement First by a generall amazement when a man is suddenly stricken but he knowes no particular cause as Belshazzar was in the 5. of Dan. the writing on the wall vnclasped his conscience by a sudden amazement Secondly 2. Particular knowledge by a particular knowledge of the sinne that they haue commited as it was with Indas who said Phaue sinned in betraying inocent blood this did strike so deepely into his conscience that be departed and hanged himselfe and for verie greife the rimme of his bellie rent in peices Thirdly and lastly 3. Gods departure by a most lamentable farwel in hell when the Lord shall say O my creature I made thee glorious but thou hast spoyled all thy glorie and lost my fauour farewell my creature I the fountaine of liuing water I the liuing God I thy life and length of dayes thy verie breath must leaue thee and come vnto thee as a consuming fire as a roaring lyon heape vpon thee all torments in bodie and soule Again thou shalt say Farewell creator farwell louing wife farewell my children and all my freinds farewell my pleasures prosits and all my worldly lusts Alas will none of you pitie mee wilt thou O Lord looke on and take no compassion and will you my freinds if with me curse me and cry A vengence on me will you thus reward my loue vpon earth If in heauen will you crie with father Abraham Remember that you had your pleasure when many a Saint starued at your doore and therefore iustly art thou tormented and we most mercifully rewarded you did vs much hurt in your pretended loue and blessed be God you preuailed not in your will Alas is it so why then O worme of conscience doe thy worst burne fire that can not be quenched I gnash with my teeth to see the prosperity of my freinds blaspheme God with the rest of my freinds here in hel not as sinning for that we did in brauery vpon earth to teare God in peices was our credit but now we together see all to be our punishments and we can take no sweet solace in our companie as we did vpon earth Thus the wicked goe downe to hell to see their sinnes set in order before their consciences to their euerlasting shame and confusion that could not see it vpon earth the deuill hath lead them into the mids of hel as the Prophet the Aramits that came to take him into the mids
aduerse to a sinner and so the arguments differ Adam by creation was a iust man in habite but not in act and according to that which the Lord required and so death beeing taken away we are in the way to iustification but not actually iust vntill actually the law be performed in our selues or another And because the point is in controuersie thereasons to establish this truth may be these Arg. 1. Lex regale 〈◊〉 iustiâ—e That which is the perfect righteousnesse of the lawe is both actiue and passiue but that whereby we are iustified is of this nature For I demaund by what rule of righteousnesse is life and saluation conuaied vnto vs If they say by faith then I demaund what is that righteousnesse of faith is it the verie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then assuredly it excludes both the righteousnesse of Christ and that of the law and yet faith is said to establish both If it be the righteousnesse of Christ then I demaund is not that morall if morall then either perfect or imperfect if perfect then actiue and passiue That we apprehend Christs righteousnesse that is of grace but that Christ hath it for vs that is of the law The second Argument against this opinion may be this Christ did all as a nâ—ediator for those that haue need of a mediator That which Christ did as a Mediator was not onely for himselfe but for vs and for vs more principally then himselfe but all that Christ did were the actions of a Mediatour his humane nature had no subsistence but by the diuine and euery action beeing in supposito was of him as a Mediatour and therfore for vs and so both actiue and passiue obedience were for vs. But they will say his actiue obedience did fit him for our Mediatorship To this I answer if his actiue obedience be the obedience of a Mediator then in his whole latitude it was for vs and as soon as he was born he was fit to redeeme so neuer an action but it was for vs. If then these actions of fitting bee properly the actions of a Mediator then they tautologise speak no sense for so that fitting was nothing but redeeming for I am sure euery action of our Mediatour is to redeeme and to redeeme is to seeke those that were lost and so his actiue obedience was for those which were lost and if that then had we neede of all Christs obedience Argum. He fulfilled the ceremoniall law both actiuely and passâ—â—ely for others ergn the moral 3. Christ fulfilled all righteousnes morall ceremoniall The ceremoniall was not fulfilled by passiue obedience but also by actiue if the ceremoniall required both then much more the morall Deut. 4.1 Sam. 22. Hos 6.6 mercie more then sacrifice and knowledge more then burnt offerings and this in both was done for others he was circumcised for others for he was without sinne and therefore in Christ to signifie any pollution circumcision had no vse so was he baptized but it was not for the washing away of his owne filthines but ours The reasons why he must keepe the law for others are these 1. because perfect obedience depended on him for the performer 2. both the law morall and ceremoniall acknowledge him for Mediator for seeing it was impossible to be fulfilled of vs it was possible vnto him 3. because he did establish and fulfill both 4. he alone is the bond of both seeing then he performed actiue obedience to the Ceremoniall law and that not for himselfe but for vs. the like must be confessed of the morall especially the ceremoniall law beeing but an appendix and addition to the morall Argum. Against reason that death should cause life 4. Christs death could not bring life because no death can be the cause of life seeing they are contraries Fire cannot cause cold neither water heat blindnes cannot cause sight neither sight blindnes Christs death to take away death is good reason but to cause life is against all reason This is very agreeable with the Scriptures reason that as Christs death doth free vs from death so Christs life doth bring vs vnto life He died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification Dan. 9.24 the slaying of the Messias brings in the expiation of sinne and his liuing againe brings euerlasting righteousnesse Sinne brought in death therefore righteousnes must bring in life for if death should bring in life then life should be the reward of sinne for I am sure that the Scriptures affirme that death is the reward of sinne and the reward of sinne can neuer be the cause of life What hath a schoole-boy deserued when his master hath whipped him so what haue we deserued in Christ when we are onely punished in him Sinne and the reward of sinne haue no agreement with life Therefore it is true that the expiation of sinne is wrought by Christs passiue obedience and life by his actiue Argum. 5. All types whereof Christ is the truth Types prooue both actine and passiue obedience to bee found in Christ point at this assertion first in the couenant of grace there was the Arke and the Table Exod. 24.7 in the Arke was the booke of the law and so the booke of the lawe went with the couenant and was to be found in Christ for vs. Exod. 25.22 the Mercie-seat was betweene the two Cherubims and these were vpon the Arke of the Testament Mal. 3.1 therefore no seat of mercie without the Arke of the Testament The pascall lambe must be without spot eaten with sweete bread and sowre hearbs both must be in Christ therefore not onely the soure hearbs of his death and passion but the sweet bread of his righteousnesse Vrim and Thummim must be on the Priests breast when he carries the peoples iudgement before God and this must be had beside blood therefore righteousnes beside passion Ar. 6. From similitudes familiarly applied in the Scriptures whose end purpose are to prooue this First the wiues debt is made the husbands and we beeing married vnto Christ the debt that we owe God by our creation must be payed before he will admit of vs now that debt was Do and liue and this Christ hath done and so we shall liue Secondly Christ is the head of his Church and therefore must he giue vnto his members life motion and all things needfull Thirdly the suretie must pay and discharge the whole debt of him for whome he is bound all of vs are bankerupts and stand in neede to haue a great debt discharged for vs and likewise a new stocke purchased To conclude it is foolish to make such a distinction as this seeing all the actions of our Mediator are as wel actiue as passiue his life is not taken from him but he laies it downe willingly and euen from his conception his humanitie being assisted by his deity which could not suffer turned all Christs sufferings into actions I haue bin drawne to inlarge
is a day of his silence and there is a day of his iustice and the Lord will not breake his daies with the righteous and sinners vpon earth for the day of mercie man hath a bond from God but for the day of paying vengeance the Lord hath mans bonds man cares not how often God forfeit his bond of mercie for he would willingly haue God to be in his debt for euer yet the Lord is not so negligent in the requiring of the forfeit of his bond of iustice and therefore hauing alreadie discharged his bond of mercie it will be high time to looke vnto man that he answer him for his iustice especially seeing the wicked for Gods silence haue not broken forth with Dauid and said What shall we giue vnto the Lord for all his benefits nor as yet vpon conditions performed are able to say We haue taken the cuppe of saluation and called vpon our good God nay as yet we haue nor so much as resolued to doe it So that the Lord may most iustly breake silence and after the expiration of their daies of peace vexe them in his sore displeasure Reasons 1. from the nature of time From time appointed of God for all purposeâ— The Lord is before and after all times yet in his works he hath reuealed himselfe to performe all actions in time and he hath appointed euery thing his certen time Eccles. 3. that so euery worke of God might be seene distinctly The Lord hath a time for his silence and a time for his iustice that so the mercies which he shewes vnto the sonnes of men and the iudgements which he brings vpon them might be seene distinctly and he praised for them both 2. Reas Lone vnto his creatures First Loue to 〈◊〉 creature to shew his generall goodnes secondly to mooue him to repentance and thankefulnes for his patience and long suffering 3. Reas To leaue man without all excuse To leaue reaâ— without excuse seeing God hath laboured by mercies to allure and iudgements to terrifie so that when his last doome shall come the Lord shall say What are become of all my mercies and why was thou not reclaimed by my foretelling thee of iudgements therefore goe thou accursed wretch into hell fire where thou shalt neuer haue again the time of my silence 1. Vse reprehension either confutation of all those that cry Mal. 3 14. It is in vaine to serue the Lord and what pleasure haue wee that we haue bowed our selues before him surely you are blind that cannot see what large dayes the Lord hath giuen you here vpon earth and what long silence hath passed betwixt him you nay he hath not onely beene silent but also he hath been bountifull vnto you in many a temporall blessing euen aboue his owne Saints Second vse vnder this head is correction of the hastie desires of Gods children first to haue iudgment on their enemies and secondly to haue speedy dispatch of affliction in themselues Thus they hasten the time of the mercie and iustice of the Lord. Know therefore that God will haue his times completly ended and it is your duty to stay his leasure for he that beleeues will not make hast 2. Vse is instruction first an admonition to all the wicked that they harden not their hearts denie not Gods call but listen vnto him least they call when he will not heare them For your time is to day but Gods time is his will and pleasure in silence reproofe your time is present for time past is not called again with had I wist and the time to come is in Gods disposing 2. Branch is a direction to the godly that they make vse of all times for the Lord would haue them exact in the computation of the yeares of his mercie and iustice yea and of seasons in these times for he complaines for the want of it Isa 1. The oxe knowes his owner the asse his masters cribbe these know their masters and the times wherein they refresh them the swallow and the crane their appointed times therefore let it not be saide of Gods Israel that they know not him which doth all for them God is pleased to call them his people and what greater shame then this my people haue not knowne me 3. Vse is consolation first for tribulation Is this the day of Gods affliction then happie is my estate for the time of deliuerance is approching therfore in this Psalme v. 15. Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee mourning may rest for a night but ioy comes in the morning Secondly for the day of prosperitie to haue a heart as ioyfull and glad to thinke of his affliction as then to puffe vp himselfe with his present estate Dauid hath more ioy of heart that Gods countenance is lifted vpon him then because his corne wine Psalm 4. and oyle are increased Heb. 11. Moses can take more ioy to be a partaker with Gods people then in the inioying of all the sinnefull pleasures of Egypt for a season Observ 4. from the order Silence goes before Gods reproofe as a silent ayre before a fearefull tempest The Lord spared the old world a long time before he drowned it he suffered Sodome and Gomorrha to burne a long time in lusts before he burnt them with fire and brimstone from heauen Reasons 1. Iust puwiâ—â—ment That iust cause may be giuen for all the wrath of God that falleth vpon the wicked 2. Reason because the sinne of man cannot be but in that which God hath made good no more then blindnes can be any where Good before euâ—ll but in the eie which had power to see now sight is before blindnes good before euill and therefore Gods silence before his iustice because iustice will not reprooue before man haue sinned 3. Measure of sinne Reason is because a measure of sinne is to be made vp Gen. 15. before God can iudge and therefore the Lord will be silent vnto that time that then he may answer them with a like measure of iudgement 1. Vse is reprehension which serues first for the confutation of the vngodly which thinke that God is forgetfull of his anger but let them know that method is the very rule of memorie and God keeping so close to an exact method can not by long silence forget what he hath to doe Indeede we say old things are out of date and long silence makes contentious matters cease but the Lord is the same to day he was when he began the world and Cains sinne is as fresh in his memorie as the sinne that is committed this day 2. Vse is correction of Gods children that can no sooner heare the faults of their brethren but presently they speake of them this is no good method they ought to haue paused on the matter by silence and after haue reprooued when time would haue serued 2. Vse is instruction 1. An admonition to the
conceiue of God nor in life worship him as he ought to be conceiued of and worshipped and therefore Psal 96.4 all the gods of the Gentiles are called Idols Now the heart of man turnes the true God into an Idol by three thoughts 1. That God is not present in all places Psal 10.11 Tush God shall not see Isa 29.15 2. That there is no prouidence of God whereby he obserueth ruleth gouerneth and ordereth all things on earth in particular Psal 10.11 God hideth his face Zeph. 1.12 â— That there is no iustice in God as when men thinke that although they sinne yet God will not punish them Deut. 29.19 Psal 10.3 The wicked man blesseth himselfe in the desire of his heart The second way whereby a man in thought denieth God is by placing some thing in the roome of the true God Phil. 2. whose God is their bellie and riches are the couetous mans idol Col. 3.5 Ephes 5.5 Quest How can this be Ans Looke what soeuer a man thinkes to be the best thing in the world for him besides God that is his god thus riches and pleasures are called the gods of men because they set theiâ— hearts vpon them and take them for the best things in the world for after affection follows opinion And the fruit of this thought thus lead by affection is Atheisme wherby we sundrie waies deny God in practise in iudgement in practise many are infected with this sinne first hypocrites which giue their lips and bodies to God but hold backe their hearts secondly Epicures whereby men giue themselues to pleasures in eating drinking playing as though they were made for nothing els these do not eate that they may liue but liue that they may eate thirdly witches who either by tradition or expresse compact worship the deuill to these also belong those that seeke vnto witches â—s Saul c. Atheisme in iudgment hath three degrees first to conceiue otherwise of God then he hath reuealed himselfe in his word To this head first Turkes belong who though they hold Christ more famous then any Prophet yet will not haue him God and therefore worship God out of the Trinitie and so worship an Idol Secondly of the Iewe who though he acknowledge the true God yet he neither acknowledgeth nor worships him in Christ and therefore worships an idol for Ioh. 4.23 and 24. Christ saith that the Samaritans they worship they know not what Thirdly of the Papist whose religion in substance and scope is meere Atheisme for in word they acknowledge the true God the Trinitie the personall vnion of both Christs natures yet if we regard their manner of worshipping it is coloured and close Atheisme As appeares by these two reasons First the god that they worship is no true God for the true God is infinite in iustice and in mercie but according to their doctrine he is not so because for the iustice of God they hold that the satisfaction of sinneful men are sufficient to satisfie the iustice of God and for his mercie they make that imperfect in that they make a supply to Gods mercie by mans merit for if Gods mercie be not euerie way mercie it is no mercie for grace must euerie way be grace els it is no way grace Second reason the Church of the Papists is a false Church first in that they rob Christ of his manhood by teaching that he is not in heauen locally but in all places where the masse is offered Secondly they disgrace him in his offices in his kingly office in that they place the Pope aboue him his deputie in his presence whereas we know that all commission stayes in the presence of the King secondly in that they ascribe this vnto the Pope that his lawes bind conscience which is as much to take the crowne off Christs head and giue it to the Pope For his Priestly office which consists in satisfaction and intercession they likewise abuse Christ 1. of his satisfaction because they ioyne with it the satisfaction of men in the worke of redemption 2. of his intercession in that they ioyne the virgine Marie an intercessor for them in heauen thus they degradâ— him of his offices and so make him no Christ Now if they denie Christ then the faith 1. Ioh. 2.23 and that religion that denies the faith is no true religion but Atheisme in iudgement The second degree of Atheisme in iudgement is when men place some creature in the roome of the true God Thus the Gentiles worshipped the Sunne Moone and starres in the roome of the true God The third degree in iudgement is when a man holds and professeth no God at all the highest and most notorious degree of all These are not worthie the common breath of men For if a man that saies a lawfull Prince is no Prince must die for it much more is he worthie of death that holds God to be no God Now by the way let euery one of vs examine our selues whether we haue any of these thoughts and imaginations Euery one will say I neuer discerned any such thoughts in my self but alas soone may we deceiue our selues for there is in all of vs first a single thought when a man simply thinkes this or that secondly a double and reflecting thought when a man iudgeth and discernes what he thinks the first belongs to the minde the second to the conscience which is corrupted since Adams fall and therefore can not tell certenly but may be deceiued For the examination of our selues we must proceede by certaine tokens and signes whereby we may discerne this thought in vs Psal 14.3 notes 1. a disordered life 2. not to call vpon Gods name 3. contemning those that put their trust in God If we examine our selues by these three we shall find that this thought raignes among vs. For first we heare the word often but we are not amended and reformed by it I appeale to mens consciences Secondly men goe on in their calling but neuer call vpon God or if they doe it is but for forme and fashion in a few words at ordinarie times but who cries with a hunger after Gods graces or for a supplie of their wants Thirdly no loue of them that trust in God but their profession is hated and contemned Againe whosoeuer denies the presence of God it is a token he holds there is no God In the presence of men we will not offend men but in the presence of God we offend God Againe what is the cause that men vse all vnlawfull meanes to get riches but onely because they denie Gods prouidence Againe euery man reasons thus Though I goe on in my sinnes yet God is mercifull hereby Gods iustice is denied and so no God for the true God is as well a God of iustice as of mercie Here then we see what notorious sinners we are though we had no outward sinnes Eccles. 10.20 If a man curse the King in his priuie chamber the foules shall deuoure
the 8. the 5. of disgrace against the 9. 1. Is any thought that tendeth to the contempt and dishonour of the person of our neighbour and that is a base estimation of the persons of our inferiours in respect of our selues Luk. 18.11 the learned and zealous Pharisie thinkes basely of the Publican this thought is like to Adonibezek who sitting in his royaltie had diuers kings with their thombs cut off receiuing meat of him vnder the table as dogs Pride makes a man destitute of all friends he hath neither God nor his neighbour nor himselfe he that hath not God what happinesse can he haue he that hath not his neighbour what societie can he haue and not to haue himselfe is to be a slaue when he thinks he domineers ouer all Therfore with Iob learne to say Lord I am vile when we can say this see it it will be a meanes to represse this thought Iob 39. 2. Thought of murther is any intent of murthering his neighbour or any thing tending to murther Deuter. 15.9 where two signes are laide downe of it first an euill eye to looke vpon the poore without compassion secondly vnmercifull dealing A second is the thought to doe some hurt to them that worship God truly Psal 74.8 the Babylonian speakes against the Iew Let vs destroy them altogether Christ saith Ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake this hath bin since the time of righteous Abel This thought proceeds from an other set downe 1. Pet. 4.4 the wicked maruell that others will not doe as they doe Ob. Nebuchadnezzar a wicked man fauoured Daniel Ans Dan. 1.9 it was Gods prouidence that disposed the Kings heart to doe good 3. Murdering thought is when a man thinks the Minister ripps vp his sinne in malice 3. Thought of adultery as all vnchast thoughts 4. thought theft Psal 50.18 when thou seest a theefe thou runnest with him this seeing makes him runne in thought and deede 5. thought disgrace to thinke a thing well done ill done or ill done well done 1. Sam. 1.13 and v. 17.28 Matth. 19.4 Act. 2.13 yet loue thinkes no euill which beeing wanting amongst men makes them thinke all euill Mens hearts are like drie wood which burne not alone but put the least cole to them and they will burne so the least occasion offered wil set all on fire This thought of dishonour is as the table of Adonibezek in respect of murther it is a meere slaughter-house in respect of the thought of adulterie a meere stew in respect of theft a den of theeues and in respect of the thought of disgrace a verie fountaine of all backbiting slaundering reuiling c. 3. Point euill thoughts touching our selues fowre 1. The thought of pride thinking himselfe most excellent Isa 14.13 Zeph. 2.15 Luk. 18.11 Reu. 18.7 Gen. 3. our first parents learned this lesson of the deuill You shall be as gods and the lesse we see it the more it raignes in vs. Pride in outward apparell is a most damnable pride but none aboue spirituall pride from hence sprung many sinnes and therefore to be abhorred As 1. ambition whereby men are not content with their owne estate but seeke to be aduanced 2. presumption in daring things aboue his calling 3. boasting 4. hypocrisie 5. obstinacie 6. contention 7. affectation of nouelties Secondly when this thought raignes in vs Gods spirit cannot dwel in vs Luk. 1.51 52. Iam. 4.6 Isa 66.2 Thirdly when all other sinnes die in vs this thought dies not nay when the graces of God come this thought reuiues because he makes them matter of his pride 2. The highest degree of this is when a man thinkes himselfe check-mate with God Isa 14.14 two waies first when he thinks he may haue power to preuaile with or against God Dan. 3.15 Exod. 5.2 Secondly taking honour due vnto God vnto themselues Act. 12.22 23. 2. Thess 2. Antichrist sits in the Temple of God as God Obiect But he is servus servorum Ans It is not in word but in the thought of his heart in that he thinks he hath power to make lawes binding conscience to dispense with the morall law and Apostolicall constitutions and to forgiue sinnes hereby he thinks himselfe to be equall with God 2. Thought I am righteous and neede no repentance Deut. 9.4 two things first that a man thinks himselfe by nature righteous secondly that the Lord giues them all that they haue for their righteousnes Ier. 2.25 Reuel 3.17 Christ came not to call these righteous because their imagination was such that they were vncapable of his grace The angels reioyce more for one penitent sinner then for nintie nine that neede no repentance Come to an ignorant man aske him can you keepe the law yea and that he lookes to be saued by this righteousnes and by the works of the law Hence we see how euery man by nature is a Papist Secondly this sheweth vs that it is a very difficult point to bring a man to true humiliation Thirdly we see why men neglect the preaching of the Gospel because it teacheth a strange doctrine vnto corrupt reason 3. Thought of securitie I prosper and am free from all Gods iudgements I am not in danger of hell death and damnation Psal 10.6 Isa 28.15 Psal 30.7 This makes the Ministers labour in vaine Zeph. 3.5 Noe an hundreth and twentie yeares Fourth thought in miserie to thinke my crosses to be worse then indeede they are Iob. 6.3 come to comfort them Oh neuer man was vexed as I am The cause of these is Gen. 6.5 v. 21. the heart which sometimes signifieth the fleshie part of man which is the beginning of vitall blood placed in the middle of the body 2. the soule 3. the faculties 4. the middle of any thing Psal 46.2 but here is meant the vnderstanding wil and affections Ephes 4.23 imaginations this word sheweth the frame of the heart first for his corruption 2. for his fruits 3. tearmed mans heart not euil men alone or those before the flood but all men naturally 4. word euill that is against Gods lawe 5. from his childhood as soone as he beginnes to vse reason he frames euill in his heart Hence the cause plainely riseth want of all good thoughts or want of all consideration this is the mother sinne we must keep all the morall law euen in thought Luk. 10.27 the want of this may be seene in matters earthly 2. in matters spiritually in matters earthly Eccles 4.8 in regard of their natures ends and vses but in spirituall things there is an absolute want 1. Is want of the consideration of Gods presence and prouidence in regard of our sinnes Hos 7.2 2. In regard of Gods iudgements for men neuer thinke of iudgement in this life nor in the life to come An 120. yeares Noah preached yet no consideration Luk. 12. the rich man neuer thought that his soule was in danger 3. Is in respect of a mans owne sinnes for we cannot turne
against poyson therefore if we haue made the word of God a Scorpion to sting vs yet let vs now make it a lenitiue to cease the paine if we like beasts haue poysoned our selues yet now like men created for God let vs recouer our selues againe by this word of life But to proceed Thou thoughtest this is the consequent of Gods silence not proper but by accident forced and befide the scope of it therfore this wicked thought of an hypocrite argueth strange corruption of heart that can frame no obiect vnto it selfe that shall make good thoughts Surely affections haue gotten the masterie ouer the mind so that now it must become a slaue to serue them and dispose it selfe that all his iudgments may aime at their satisfaction and thus the good word of God by accident becomes the cause of sinne Gen. 3. hath God said Yee shall not eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill the Lord by this law debars you of great good for it is certaine when yee cate yee shall beas gods knowing good and euill therefore the law is too strict and rather an hinderer then furtherer of your good Men we see are very quiet vntil they be prouoked by the preaching of the lawe Steuen Act. 7. shall be stoned for his good sermon Christ shall be an enemie to church and common-wealth because he speaks against the Scribes and Pharisies Moses Aaron shal be hated of Pharaoh for preaching a deliuerance Iohn Baptist for telling Herod his sinne Elias shall be Ahabs enemy for telling him the truth and Paul shall become an enemie to the Galatians for telling them of their apostacie from Christ thus lawe and Gospel mercie and iudgement are abused of the wicked yet for all this the law is holy and iust as for example a man that holds a glasse in his hands as long as it â—ests there is safe but if they throwe it against the wall the wall will breake it but the sault will rest in the hands so when we take our selues dash our selues against Gods law the law breaks vs but the fault is in our selues the bankes are no cause of the furie and rage of the waters but the waters themselues so the lawe of God that banks in our corruption is no cause why it rageth but the nature of it which can indure no limits Reasons 1. Because sinne will indure no law There be three effects of the law that sinne cannot away withall First it stoppeth corruptioÌ„ hence the irritation of the law Secondly it terrisieth the conscience and that cannot be indured they that liue like gallie-slaues and are whipped euerie day will doe nothing but by force and are glad any waies to rid them-selues of such a burden Thirdly it exacts perfect obedience which our nature can not away withall to loue God with all our hearts with all our soules with all our minde and our whole strength is a lesson that will neuer be learned or practised Reas 2. A misconceit as a medicine against which the stomack ariseth will not be indured a plaister which stings at the heart must be throwne off and a glasse that sheweth vs an vgly face cannot be looked into so the misconceiuing of Gods silence makes it that it can neither become meate or medicine to our soules Thirdly the diuersitie of subiects the selfe same seed is sowne in all the foure grounds yet takes but root in one the hammar beats vpon all but it makes not all pliable to Gods worke the axe hewes at all but it timbers but some for building the rest it hewes downe for firing the fire burnes all but only the the gold loseth his drosse the light shines to all but only they that haue eyes behold it the salt seasons all but in some it cannot enter to the bone and therefore they putrifie and rotte away foode would feede all but some want stomacks appetite and digestion therfore they pine away with the best nourishment the goad prickles all but some are hardned that it cannot enter and therefore no maruell that the mercies and filence of God should worke no good effects in the wicked Fourthly the curse of God is vpon them therefore they shall eate but not be satisfied drinke but not to quench their thirst sleepe but not to take their rest for God alone giues rest vnto his welbeloued nay let them doe what they will all shall be nought pray or not pray sacrifice or not sacrifice come to church or not come to the church for they cannot lay aside their wicked thoughts and therefore according to our prouerb all is marred in the making Deut. 28.16 cursed shall they be in the towne and cursed shall they be in the field they shal make no good markets of that which god hath giuen them in the field cursed shall they be in the basket and in their dough bad prouision shall be in their houses when the Lord will not become both the master and the steward cursed shall be the fruite of his body and the fruits of his land the increase of his kine and the flocks of his sheepe extreame pouertie in the middes of all his wealth cursed shall he be when he comes in and cursed also when he goes out ill successe in his interprises neither will the Lord here make an ende These be foure great curses First he shall make no good market in buying and selling Secondly from this shall follow he shall haue no good prouision in his house Thirdly from this shall rise the next that he shall haue no true riches Fourthly to make that good fortune shall alwaies crosse him Fiftly to proceede yet further God will make him cracke his credit for trouble shame shall be vpon all that he sets his hand to do euerie man shall call him banke-rout neither shal he haue any law against theÌ„ for with God he hath lost his credit and therefore shall he perish quickly Sixtly that he may make his word good in all these the pestilence consumption feuer burning ague sword blasting mildew the heauens aboue shall be brasse and the earth vnder iron for raine dust and therefore no staie but perish thou must in bodie goods and good name Seuenthly to make the finall vp-shotte of his bodie he shall fal before his enemies and his carkeis shal be without all burial the foules of the ayre and the beasts of the field shall haue him for their pray and none shall rescue him if the enemies spare him God will smite him with the botch of Egypt with the Emorods with the scab with the itch euen worse then he hath done Egypt for he shall not be healed neither will God be defectiue in his methode for from these more sensible torments vpon the bodie he will proceede to greater iudgements vpon the soule which though least felt yet more fearefull madnes blindnes astonying of heart with all their ill consequents to grope at noone day to be oppressed powled and
insight of the mercies of God in his Christ which are the onely ioy and confidence of our soules And thus much of Gods mercie CHAP. VI. Of Gods Iustice in generall THe second part of Gods holines Iustice is his Iustice contained in the consequent part of the sentence and is distributed into two adiuncts Power and Order Power in that God will be sure to iudge and Order in that he will take no hastie courses whereby all should be done in confusion Excellent is our God for first beeing a God almightie he is able to doe what he pleaseth with his creature but secondly obserue his order and euery one shall confesse that he is a God of excellent wisdome for things done in good method stoppe the mouthes of all Two men that put on armour and like bulls of Basan push the one at the other are not discommended for their power and strength but that beeing men they wanted wisdome to vse their strength aright and that is that they kept no good order and therefore such execution of iustice as this is condemned so that if our gratious King had no more arguments but this one in forbidding all Duells it were sufficient for graunt the exercise the power of iustice yet where is this order and good method that the Lord would haue obserued of all his seruants Aristotle hath vnfolded vnto vs in his Ethicks fiue intellectuall vertues which if they concurre not in all our actions they will prooue exceedingly defectiue First intelligence which giues information of the cause and the reasons of it secondly science which disposeth of euery necessarie truth in those reasons so that thereby he shall iudge his cause to be good or bad for vt intellectus habet se ad verum ad falsum sic voluntas ad bonum vel malum the vnderstanding goes before and iudges of truth and falshood and the will follows after and embraceth good or euill the third vertue is sapience seeing how he may diduct and draw out of the truths of science other necessarie truths which could not appeare but by the discourse of this third vertue the fourth prudence which is the fourth perfection of our actions when we doe all the former in good and comely order the fifth Art the highest degree of perfection when I doe all nimbly and very skilfully in knowing in iudging discoursing applying These men may haue the three first vertues but they are altogether destitute of the two last they may know that their cause is good and that both of them hath reason to complaine of iniurie for braue spirits can not rest without mutuall prouocations secondly they may know that disgrace of their persons is their shame and the losse of their good name which they esteem better then the most pretious oyntment that they inioy to be such an iniurie that it can deserue no lesse then some kind of trial and so in the third place discourse of it and conclude that therefore they will haue iustice executed that they may bee reuenged for their wrongs but alas when they come to apply all this their former knowledge they want prudence and so leap ouer the lists of iustice and breaking good order spoile the exercise of all artes For first they breake the rule of diuinitie in sinning against God by murther the rule of ethickes for fortitude and manhood is abused the rule of politickes for the common-wealth is iniured by losse of such persons as might haue been his pillars the rule of nature complaines that would haue himselfe preserued in all his subiects Indeed special nature for the good of generall nature will seeme to crosse himselfe the fire will descend and the water will ascend before they will suffer such a stranger as vacuitie to possesse any place among them So indeed nature would neuerbe offended if they would shed their blood for their countrie Nature will make the hand to offer it selfe to be cut off before the head receiue the blowe because nature is wise in order knowing that the head is to be preferred before any other member because it hath in it the greatest part of life The people can tell Dauid thou art better then ten thousand of vs and therefore no matter if we be all cut off to saue thy life Blessed is that kingdome that is not onely powerfull in iustice but that keeps good order in the execution Indeed many may say I will reprooue thee but alas how few say I will set thine offences in order before thee Many lie in prison for a sic volo sic iubeo stat pro ratione voluntas authoritie vrged by violence of passion spoyles all Magistrates Aristotle saies that the law ought to be like the primum sensorium which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the law must sauour of no qualitie but his owne for then would it neuer iudge aright And as the lawe is so ought the Magistrate to be voide of all his owne passions let the law rule him as he meanes to rule the people and then should all be done in good order and we should not heare these lamentable complaints I am in prison but I knowe not for what cause and the Magistrate saies I shall lie there vntil my bones rotte For the mercies of God let vs be mooued betimes as well to set mens sinnes in order as vse our power in reproouing of them lest the Lord come and handle vs most roughly in the power of his iustice for this most hainous offence committed in diuiding iustice against it selfe So then the distribution lets vs see that the power of God is neuer without his wisedome but that the Lord workes in all things intelligenter scienter sapienter prudenter artificiosè plainly truely wisely prudently and skilfully The power of Gods iustice is laid downe in these words I will reprooue thee first the cause I the Lord which in the first verse styled my selfe the God of Gods euen the Lord from heauen in comparison aboue all and in dominion ouer all without comparison therefore a mightie iustice that hath so great a cause Secondly from the species or kind of it a reproofe therfore vindicatiue and reuenging iustice stronger then remuneratiue or rewarding iustice for here appeares ira furor excandescentia anger a displeasure of short continuance furie a short madnesse the third an inueterate hatred that alwaies smoakes against sinne that kindles hote coales hinc ira ex candore fierinesse full of brightnesse Thirdly the obiect thee the sinne and the person I am out of loue with both and therefore will I discouer thy sinne which I know thou aboue all men mayest not endure to heare of Secondly what thou thy selfe art both in deceiuing and beeing deceiued shal plainly be knowne therefore most powerfull iustice whose cause is Iehouah nature vengeance obiect the most secret sinne and most deceitfull person free from all the iudgement seats of men Sect. 1. Of the cause Observ 1. The great God
are in danger but it lights but vpon the pate of one of them and he falls to the ground wounded and yeelds vp the ghost all the rest quake and tremble at the sight and are speechlesse So the Lord is daily shooting forth his arrowes he neuer misseth his aime the watchmen of the citie tell the people the arrowe of God is among them and for all this no man is afraid it strikes downe some of the stoutest of them but alas all is giuen to some surfet or weakenesse in the man which they finding themselues free from thinke it is impossible for them to die as he did because they haue not his disease as though there were no more diseases to cut off life then that one If a messenger knocke at the doore and answer be giuen him presently hee is gone without delay so beloued Gods plagues would not still rage at our doores if we gaue God his answer yet still the Lord rings the bel at our doore Secondly a direction to the godly to watch continually that so they may escape the iudgements of the Lord and mourne for his iudgements vpon others for these April dewes will bring forth in them the May flowers of Gods spirit and in weeping stil respect our selues more thē other for that alone makes God carie handkerchifes to wipe away our teares and this sowing in teares will bring vs a speedie haruest and when the rod is vpon others let vs take it to our selues for is it not better to take the rod into our owne hands and beate our selues gently then the Lord who is a consuming fire should wast vs with it Bones out of ioynt the longer they goe they prooue more painfull betimes they are set more easily therefore let vs betimes set our selues in the waies of the Lord least he rebuke vs sharply We physicke purge sweate and all for the bodie can we indure nothing for the soule the vomite of the soule is the greife of repentance and tell me I pray you who euer repented him of repentant sorrow In these reproofes we are worse afraid then hurt rising out of a soft bed is exceeding tedious to a sluggard yet our vp doth not dare vs at all so is the awaking from the sleepe of sinne and slumbering in the reliques of sinne which still haue dwelling in the best of vs. To see a souldier wounded is no newes but to goe with it is desperate follie so our sighting in this world is no newes if it bring knocks and maimes vnto vs yet to let them goe and ranckle and fester is forlorne negligence therefore let this direction take his impression in our soules that we may make excellent vse of all Gods reproofes Vse 3. Consolation in trouble because the Lord will reward vs but punish them that cause vs affliction 2. Thess 1.6 7. For it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs. Secondly in prosperitie to reioice that we can sorrow that the Lord reprooues any of our brethren to be grieued for the afflictions of Ioseph Daniel could find no comfort in his priuate prosperitie and great authoritie because he knew that the Church of God was in great miserie the like affection was in good Nehemiah so likewise on the contrarie to reioyce when we be reprooued to see Gods church to flourish so Paul beeing in prison was not so much grieued at his own bonds as he reioyced at the libertie of the Gospel of Christ Sect. 3. Of the obiect Thee God in his owne children loues the person and accepts of them in Christ and onely hates their sinne and reprooues that but in an hypocrite he hates both the person and the sinne for if he should onely bee offended with the sinne then should there be no difference betwixt the godly and the wicked for he hates sinne equally in them both and yet they are not both equally hated and therefore some thing more in an hypocrite is the obiect of hatred then his verie sinne But it may be obiected that nothing can be hated but that which is euill The obiect of Gods hatred now the persons of wicked men are good the sinne is onely euill therefore onely hated Answ Euill is considered two wayes First in the abstract as beeing not considered with the subiect in which it is and so it is equally hated of God euery where Secondly in the concrete when the euill and the subiect are put together euill absolutely taken and an euill man are diuers considerations the same cause of hatred in both but not the same manner for a godly man is of an other condition seeing sinne in him is but a tyrant and he is none of his lawfull subiects and therefore though sinne fights to subdue him vnto his kingdome yet the spirit of God resists and will be the ruler Therefore as the loue of the subiects stand toward their king so doth the king loue them Now the loue of sinne and wicked men is naturall and so is the loue of God and his children spiritually naturall and therefore must he needes loue his owne subiects and hate all his enemies for if an enemie should captiuate a loyall subiect the king would presently require him againe when he is content to let his enemies haue their owne libertie ouer their owne slaues Therfore the children of God lose not the name of righteous persons because they sinne for it is rather sinne in themselues then themselues that offend God Rom. 7. Paul saies It is no more I but sinne that dwells in me Therefore in a wicked man there be three considerations first of his euill 2. of his sinnefull person 3. of his personall beeing the two first are hated the third is loued of God so a godly man first his euill secondly his righteous person thirdly his personall beeing the first is hated the two last are loued of the Lord. Observ 1. A Reproofe must be passed vpon sinne Euery thing that is secret must be brought into light Eph. 5.13 All things when they are reprooued of the light are manifest for it is the light that maketh all things manifest Ioh. 16.8 And when he is come he will reprooue the world of sinne and of righteousnes and of iudgement So that this point is generall to the sinnes of all men especially to the wicked for they haue neuer desired by heartie repentance to bring their sinnes vnto the light and therefore because they would not iudge themselues by it it shall iudge them to their woe Indeede to behold the light is a comfotable thing but for sore eyes it is verie troublesome and therefore those that doe euill hate the light because their works are euill and so the Lord must needs araigne them euen in the cleare sunne-shine to the view of all men euen of their verie consciences Ioh. 3. Reas 1. Because sinne is the violation of Gods law and therefore must
together not as Samsons foxes by the tayles euery one to drawe sundrie waies they sustaine no double persons single will they be in all their waies they are troubled with no contrary laws they can make all agree well enough and therefore when cry they in the very desperation of their soules who shall deliuer vs they giue thankes to God not for Christ but for themselues that they are not like other men Therefore the spirit hauing not pulled downe the old building how shall it be possible to set vp the newe which is plainly to be seene in the chap. following Rom. 8. First where is their freedome from the law of sinne and of death neither Christ nor the spirit hath purchased it for them and I doubt that their owne paiment will not stand good in Gods court Secondly if things may be known by their sauours surely euerie man may see they sauour of the things of the flesh Thirdly if the wisedome of the spirit and the wisedome of the flesh be enemies I admire what peace and life can be in hypocrites when they will not denie their owne wisedome for as yet the bodie is not dead and quickned again by the spirit still are they debters to the flesh and will liue after him How will they prooue themselues to bee the sonnes of God if the spirit of bondage be gone and the spirit of adoption be entred into their hearts let vs heare the cry of Abba father let them prooue the witnesse of the spirit if they bee heires of God euen annexed with Christ let vs see how they can suffer with him how they esteeme of afflictions in comparison of their glorie doth the creature groane for them nay alas I feare against them because they subiect him vnto vanitie Let vs heare how they with patience looke for their redemption Is their hope for things not seene nay alas all for the present How doth the spirit assist them in their infirmities how is he with them in their prayers what requests doth he bring out of their soules where be their deepe sighes that cannot be expressed can they search the meaning of the spirit according to the will of God surely nothing lesse for all is but lip labour Againe haue they assurance that all works together for their good can they tell it from their predestination vocation iustification and glorification can they from hence conclude that God is for them and no man can be against them that there is no charges for them to pay that there is no condemnation no separation from the loue of God in Christ all afflictions cannot doe it no death no angels no principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come no place not heauen aboue is too high for them nor hell below is able to make them sinke into his depth yea in breife not any creature is able to doe it therefore no hypocrite is in Christ and therefore impossible that he should bee washed from his filthinesse beeing not washed hee must remaine in it And that will appeare if we mark his life and death life prosperitie aduersitie In prosperitie for his profession he is all courage and verie full of brags like the coward that before he come in the field is fire and towe but when he comes to the tryall is the first that flees the field when the couragious champion is very silent but when there is neede of him will shew that hee hath more tried sortitude in him then a thousand cowards So hypocrites make all the world ring with their Master though all the world forsake thee yet will I not forsake thee I will lay downe my life for thee yet when Christ shall come with a this night shall yee be put vnto it then will they flee with the first and if Christ haue no better champions then they he shall be left all alone Secondly come to the hearing of the word all promises they will make their owne all iudgements threatened they will put vpon others and for application of both it shall be as in this place God is like them he fauours them aboue all with his mercies and his iudgements passe ouer their houses Thirdly for his life no reformation For aduersitie if God be gone he is gone no more stout words no comming to Church no more outward reformation but labour to make the best of all Gal. 6.12 they will seeke to please to the face and labour to constraine to their profession that they may suffer no persecution for the crosse of Christ In speciall for their sinnes when they are in miserie it may be they will let a word come out against some knowne actuall sinne but with Dauid Psal 51. they neuer strike at the roote to wit their originall sinne for the punishment Mic. 6.6 they will part with any thing they haue to be freed from the stroaks of Gods rod but the thing required shall not once come neere them And for the thoughts of death many a Balaams wish but that is all for their life is nothing And lastly for death it selfe they either die like stocks and stones or else like bulls and bears roaring and bellowing out their shame and confusion Secondly this may be a direction to Gods children to approoue their sinceritie vnto God by alwaies setting themselues in the presence of the Lord. 3. Vse consolation First in trouble to reioyce when it shall please God to try vs in the fornace of affliction that so we may come forth as tryed gold refined and made the more fit for Gods kindome Secondly in our welfare to trust more in God then in our selues and to count the lifting vp of Gods countenance vpon vs in the face of his anointed more ioy of heart then when the corne wine oyle and all the pleasures and profits of this world are increased And thus much of the first part of Gods iustice to wit the power of it from the efficient in the forme and execution of it vpon the sinne and person of an hypocrite Now followes the orderly proceeding of this iustice Of the order of Gods iustice First in the cause Order In the handling of the methode vsed by the Lord in this place wee are to consider of the arguments Order is described first from the cause I thee Lord secondly from the effect which is to set or place things thirdly from the obiect in that word them that is thy sinnes 4. from a testimony drawn from the notice of the conscience which shall sufficiently witnesse of the worth of Gods methode For the cause of this order it is the Lord. Surely Gods wisedome is to be seene in nothing more then in methode and order for order is not from any brutish nature but the best and wisest so that the changes and multitude of alterations in this world are no casuall matters left in the hands of blind fortune If indeed we looke into Gods Church and see the varietie of colours and the instabilitie
of them wee shall either thinke that there is no prouidence or else so strange a prouidence that it should contradict it selfe Yet surely after due consideration we shall see all colours to paint out this excellent glorie and rauish vs with the beautie of it For as the skilfull painter is able to dispose of infinite varietie of colours in his curious worke to set forth the excellencie of his skill and produce the greatest praise which perhaps to the eyes of ignorant beholders in the beginning were nothing but the pictures of deformitie yet he himselfe knew full well that the chiefest of his arte was in the limming forth of that creature which afterward he meant with boldnes to commend vnto the eyes of the beholders so the Lord which in the creation replenished the world with all beautifull colors from whence all painters haue learned their arte the very imitation of Gods worke in nature shall be able to dispose of all the varietie of colours in his Church to shew that that piece of work which he limmed forth in his decree which men make a monster and since the beginning of the world hath set it forth in his liuely colours to be most admirable and full of beautie or as an exquisite Musitian which is able to make a most sweet harmonie of the greatest multitude of strings and in nature dissonant to sound forth his skilfull and most excellent arte which at his pleasure can extend or let fall as well the trebble as the tenor and the tenor as the base and mixe them with the counter-tenors the small bases or what soeuer seemes good vnto his will to ioyne extreames with middles and middles with themselues and all their extreames so that in all his musicke is neither heard harshnesse of stroke or vnpleasantnesse of sound so the Lord the best and most sweete singer in all Israel is able to put downe all artes because if they should striue with him they should but stand vp against their maker for he is the inuenter of them all and men and angels are but the obseruers of his wisdome and therefore all in heauen and earth shall meete together to sound forth the praise of the Lord and therefore the Lord can not but keepe good order in all his waies and if he will take sinne into his owne hands it shall not be spoiled for want of good handling Obs Sinne shall be an excellent means to glorifie God surely except it had bin for this cause I should haue vtterly despaired any good that euer could haue bin brought out of sinne but seeing my text informes me that God will haue the handling of it I dare boldly say that sinne is decreed made good of God and for no other end but that he may be glorified by it for God handles nothing that he wills not and what he wills he wills from all eternitie And therefore he deales not with sinne as men deale with ineuitable accidents to make a vertue of necessitie to take in hand to dispose of sinne when he could not mend it but the Lord had this work in his hands long before it came to passe and now it is sufficient for vs to admire at it and haue it in exceeding account Surely God hath ordered with himselfe and now he will order it with his creature it was in Gods eyes from eternitie and now shall it be in mans eyes according to Gods time alloted vnto him Reason 1. Because God is the God of order and therefore must he needes iudge as well of confusion as of order it selfe for that which approoues the one doth alwaies disprooue the contrarie Reas 2. Because God will haue his works seen as long as all did lie in the first chaos nothing was seene in his distinction but when the Lord had brought light out of it made it separate the euening and the morning brought euery creature into his place then became the worke of the Lord to be glorious Psal 19. the heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth forth the worke of his hand So when the Lord hath brought the light of his decree out of the confusion of sinne then shall all flesh see the glory of our God Reason 3. From the wicked which haue set themselues to crosse God and therefore if he wil be glorified by them he must haue it by his owne arme for they scorne to giue it him Reason 4. The consolation of his Saints for this puts them out of all heart to see things fall out a crosse Psal 37. is wholly spent vpon this subiect that the flourishing estate of the wicked is but transitory and destruction is their end but the misery of the godly in this world ends in peace and quietnesse because they are in the fauour of God therefore must they not fret or be enuious for the euill doers for they are soone cut downe like grasse and wither away as the greene hearb but trust in the Lord and doe good dwell in the land and they shall be fed assuredly Psal 73. yet God is good vnto Israel euen vnto the pure in heart there is the dispute about Gods order or prouidence in gouerning of the world The question is whether God be good vnto the faithfull The disputants are the flesh and the spirit the arguments are brought on both sides and by the arguments the cause is determined First the old man brings his arguments and proues the negatiue part that God is not good vnto Israel first he pulls two arguments out of his owne bosome want of wisedome and discontentednes of minde which were the fountaine of his errour he that can not guide his feete nor keepe his steppes from slipping may easily say God is not good vnto Israel but I the old man cā do neither of these and therefore must I needes thinke that God is not good vnto Israel Secondly he that can not indure the prosperitie of the wicked and the miserie of his owne soule may easily iudge God not to be good vnto Israel but thus were my affections guided and therefore from minde and heart from blindnes and affection I conclude that God is not good vnto Israel But the discerning spirit may easily answer these obiections with a nego consequentiam for they are but the witnesses of a lying spirit it is no good consequence to say that the sunne shines not because I am blinde and see it not no good consequence to say Gods hates me because he prospers the wicked Leaue these inartificiall arguments and dispute more solidly from some artificiall thing I will therefore beginne with their death and thus I dispute He that is not drawne vnto his death as a malefactour neither hath sicknes on him as the messenger of death but is without all bonds lusty and strong must needes prooue that God is better vnto him then his Israel and therefore not good vnto them the assumption I prooue They are not in trouble with other
vpon him Where by the way he shal take notice of his holinesse whereby he is so pure a God from all sinne that he cannot away with it so likewise of his iustice whereby he is so exactly iust in himselfe that he cannot but execute iustice remuneratiue and rewarding for weldoing and inflict punishment or iustice vindicatiue for euill doing yet least he should complaine that summum ius is summa iniuria hee shall see that which Aristotle called the moderator of iustice to witte equitie remitting of the full extent of iustice for if the Lord had dealt so with man he should neuer had his hand off him for either should his iustice haue burnt more remissely against sinne which is called anger or more sharpely which is called wrath or fully executed which is called reuenge for as sinnes be inaequalia so should the punishment haue beene in all these Now because his iustice may admit of these degrees ratione obiecti you shall see the Lords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringing in mercy whereby he vseth compassion toward his creatures offending First his gentlenesse whereby in his iustice he remembreth mercy patience whereby he most gently suffereth sinners and deferreth their punishment longanimity whereby a long time he expecteth their repentance lastly bountifulnes whereby he being rich in goodnesse powreth forth his good gifts vpon them notwithstanding their sinnes And this they may obserue by the way in Gods setting of fin in order The infliction of the punishment followes by the causes They may assure thēselues that euery one that had their hand in sinne as the authors of it shall be punished most seuerely Neither shall the instrument escape the deuill shall haue his head crushed and all his deuises brought to naught hee shall be hardened in his sinne that he cannot repent and finde mercie and lastly he shall be vtterly banished from heauen into the elements which are reserued 2. Pet. 3.7 vnto fire against the day of condemnation and of the destruction of them and all vngodly men The serpent shall not go without his iudgment a curse shall bee vpon him aboue all the beasts of the field enmity betwixt him and the woman and sensible feeling of paine in creeping on his belly and eating the dust of the earth The woman beside her common miserie with man shee shall be in subiection to her husband full of griefes in her conception going with child and trauaile But for the man his punishment shall in speciall manner bee ordered wherein all his progenie may take notice of it his punishment shall bee with sinne and death sinne originall the exorbitation of the whole man both inward in himselfe and outward in the gouernement of the creature Hence plainely appeares that mans wit and will are set the wrong way their faces cleane turned from God and therefore no free will to doe any good that may please God but vnderstanding and will enough to do euill and that continually Againe in the necke of this followeth actuall sinne as the streame from the fountaine the branches from the root and this is a continuall iarring of man vpon outward obiects for originall sinne hauing turned all the wrong way it is necessarie that as often as any wheele in man mooueth it should meete a crosse with euery good thing and therefore iarre vpon him yet God limits this iarring that it can goe no further then he shall direct it to wit vnto his owne glorie and some particular good end in his Church This sin receiues degrees indeede the other is equall in all because the same measure metes it out vnto all but this is a greater or lesser sinne in respect of whom or against whom it is committed likewise in respect of the matter and manner of working it whether it be done of knowledge or ignorance of infirmitis or stubbornnesse or with an high mind and all these stand vpon two heads sinnes of commission in doing that euil we should not do and of omission the not doing of good that should bee done And all this will the Lord doe in setting in order which shall be a iust punishment vpon all malefactors The rest of Gods methode is more fearefull and better felt of man that is death the method wherof consists in the beginning and ending of it wherein shall be a continuall losse of life and subiection to the miserie thereof which shal make vs worse then if we had neuer beene This death brancheth it selfe into two parts the first and the second death the first death is a subiection to the miserie of this world the inchoation and beginning whereof is the miserie which comes by the losse of the good things of the bodie as of health whence commeth sickenesse deformitie sence of nakednesse wearines and subiection to dangers Secondly subiection to the miserie which comes by the losse of externall things as of friendship honour rule and dominion ouer the creatures of things necessarie for this life as meat drinke apparell c. now the perfection of this death is the going of the spirits out of the bodie whereby the soule departeth from the bodie and the bodie afterward is resolued into the elements especially the earth which did beare the greatest part in his making The second death hath this order first it subiects a man to the miseries of the world to come the beginnings whereof are in this life the forerunners of the extremitie of woe that are to come in the next world the forerunners are emptinesse of mind in regard of all good ignorance of God terror of conscience fleeing and hiding himselfe from the presence of God or else a deepe securitie and senslesnesse of miserie despaire and a fearefull expectation of iudgement the perfection and consummation whereof shall be an eiection from the face of God and iniection of the soule immediately after the first death into hell a reseruation of the bodie in the graue as in a dungeon against the day of iudgement when after the resurrection both soule and body shall be cast into the same place which is prepared of God for the eternall punishment of the wicked both angels and men where is nothing but weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth there shall be found no Limbus puerorum or purgatory but either heauen or hell must be their resting place Neither will the Lord breake his methode or leaue them any cauil for some defect with what reason can the Lord so deale with men seeing all that wee haue heard is concerning Adam must the children smarte for the fathers sinne I hope that God is more iust Well consider that the Lord will not leaue this without his order for all the posteritie proceeding from Adam and Euah by ordinarie propagation as they should haue had happinesse if they had stood Propagation of sinne so are they obnoxious to all these miseries hefalling And this is done iustly by all kind of lawes first of nations for Adam was a prince of all
his posteritie who couenanted with God for vs as well as for himselfe for performance of obedience therefore he breaking we breake likewise by the law of inheritance he was our father we his heires he was the root of all mankind and we were in his loynes the manner is by imputation of the transgression and so consequently of blame guilt and punishment Originall sinne is conceiued in vs by our next parents and so goes a long to all posteritie bodie and soule are the excellent worke of God as if a skilfull workeman should make all the wheeles of a clocke verie artificially but being put into the hands of an vnskilfull prentice is so disorderly set together that one wheele cannot go aright so God the maker both of bodie and soule hath left them to our first parents and so consequently to our next parents to put them together who hauing lost their first standing with God are become not onely vnskilfull but also vncapable of any vertue to put together a man brought forth in the image of God for as this was onely Gods creation so must it againe be the new creation of God so that man and woman being not the causes of bodie and soule but of the procreation of a third thing riing from both may truly be said to beget a man according to their owne image and similitude Lastly it is true that euerie man shall beare his burden for actuall sinne is not conueyed in speciall but in generall so that euerie one shall answer for his owne actuall sinnes without hee followe his forefathers steps and then shall he be punished for both because he will needs haue both imputed vnto him the first by nature the second by imitation Therefore if man may see in this world thus much of Gods placing of sinne for this is but our obseruation what shal then this God of all order do when he shal not only set it forth but apply it to our hearts and consciences then shall we experimentally know the causes of all our mischeife the consequents in the guilt of conscience and the punishments both vpon soule and bodie so that that which is in this world both sinne and punishment shall be felt of vs in hell in no other regard but as punishment In this world we haue had some pleasure in sinne but in hell all shall be onely in torment the miseries of the body in this world haue vexed vs and the soule hath beene senslesse of punishment but in hell both bodie and soule shall haue exquisite sense of Gods anger wrath and vengeance and the soule shal then exceed in feeling And this is the setting of sinne in his place and order Reas 1. Because things must be separated Now methode alone is the true diuider of things and makes euerie one to rainne and hasten to his home we see how euerie creature maketh hast vntill he be come to the place in which alone he can rest sinne therefore which is frozen with many things that it ought neuer to haue touched and will not out of them because then he knowes not where to haue rest must needs beâ— disioyned els would all lie together in a confusion You see how cold congeales together water earth stickes stones and many disagreeing natures but when the fire comes it dissolueth and parteth them and maketh euerie one appeare in his nature So method finding men and their sinnes all on heapes disioynes them lets them see what is Gods what is their own But because men are blind and will see nothing God hath prepared hell fire to dissolue these frozen soules that they may see what a strange confusion they haue made of the workes of Gods hands by their owne Reas 2. Is perspicuitie and cleare knowledge The onely rule of perspicuitie is methode and therefore sinne beeing fullest of darkenesse had neede of the best helpe to make all cleare and euident especially seeing that sinne is one of the haters of light The darkenesse of the night opposeth the day and likewise the day the night wee see the morning expells the darkenesse and the appearance of the Sunne makes the shadowes of the night part away they that haue gotten themselues into holes and rockes must be pulled out off their dens by violence A theife or murtherer that hath gotten a hole fights like a beare and roares before men can drawe him into the open view of the world and he comes to Gods iudgement seat as beares vnto a stake They that haue seene villaines pulled out of their holes may marke them to look like fiends comming out of hell therfore great need of method that must cleare so hard causes as these are and bring all things vnto the light Reason 3. Iudgement which can not begiuen before euidence haue bin brought in and therfore must methode needs cleare all the bills and inditments that are to be brought in against wicked and euill doers that so iudgement may be truly and substantially deliuered Reason 4. Because of the consciences of wicked men which haue bin so long accustomed to sinne that they are so confufed that they can giue no euidence against the sinner therefore must the Lord needs vse his methode before conscience can any way assist the Lord in his iudgement Reason 5. Gods glory which must shine brightly out of all workes euen out of the workes of darkenesse which cannot be imagined without methode the glory of a stately building is not seen in the confused masse of it lying vpon the earth but when it is reared vp to the view of the whole world Reason 6. Multitude of offences now wee can doe nothing with multitudes vnlesse we bring them vnto some heads How should a iust account be taken of all sinne if the Lord should not summe them vp into some generall how should the general be prooued except the order of the specials might be seene how they were contained in the generall Reason 7. Quicke dispatch If truths were to be tryed by Syllogismes with the Lord it would be a long time before all arguments should be brought in and euery conclusion inferred Again much time would be spent in prouing of euery doubtfull proposition and great dispute might be held on this side and on that therefore the Lord will speedily finish all in an exact methode which is alwaies full of breuitie and perspicuitie Reason 8. Remembrance neither God nor man should be able to carry in mind the sinnes of the world but for methode we might wonder how the Lord should tel vs all that euer we haue done except it were for this rule of methode and man could neuer make any good account out of his broken crafie memory except the Lord by his own method should helpe him Methodus mater memoriae Vse 1. Reprehension first a confutation of the wicked that thinke as they haue done all in the darkenesse so the darknes shal couer them for euer but Psal 139.12 the darknes hideth not from
Sathan is a worker beside his owne peculiar manner of tempting which is possession or a more liberty and freedome to the tempted of sorrow and despaire and quicke dispatch of themselues For comfort of the godly I will instance a little in these lesser temptations and then I wil inlarge them to the wicked whose cause is desperate Of our owne natures spring the temptations which rise of the roote of originall sinne The spring and fountaine of all temptations without any forraine instigation from the world whatsoeuer is either a baite of pleasure or fright of terror which increase the actuall sinnes springing frō the originall roote and lay as it were compasse and powreth on water to that vngracious stock to make it grow the faster Now all these temptations are not of that dangerous nature that this is of here must we attend with patience the issue which not onely is certen but also shal come in the best time The corporall inhabiting of Sathan is the greatest fullest of terror and despaire that can befal the godly yet the historie of the deeds and sayings of Christ the writing of the Euangelists do testifie of whole legions dispossessed of that habitation by the power of Christ mercifully extended vpon such miserable captiues which examples serue against like times of affliction that we giue not ouer hope though millions of deuills should possesse vs within enuiron vs without but knowe his power to be aboue all force of the enemy and his mercie farre surmounting Sathans malice therefore Gods children haue no cause in this sort to feare nor haue any shadow of ground wheron they should resolue against themselues vpon the point of reprobation but that all these molestations and terrours which they now indure are temptations rather of their father for good and profit then grounded resolutions of such lamentable issue Againe The order of the deuill in drawing Gods elect into Atheisme and so on concerning his soule religion or faith for more praticular examination I find by daily experience that these are as well the operations of phansie from melancholie as of conscience for sinne that methode of which temptation I find for the most part to runne in this order First to call into question whether there be any God or no for melancholie is a disputing humor Secondly when reason hath mastered that then the second question is about the immortalitie of the soule When that again is conquered there enters a third question whether we professe the true religion or no. When that is expelled the fourth question that maketh the greatest tumult in the soule is whether wee haue any part or portion in that which it promiseth Here the deuill is exceeding busie for if this be resolued on he is wholly cast out and hath nothing further to trouble vs withall Any of the former doubts would haue sunke our soules for if no God then why should I abstaine from my sinfull pleasures If againe no refurrection then why should I vexe my selfe in this world If my religion be false then must I haue a new twenty to one but I change amisse and therfore I wil be of no religion but when I shall begin to thinke I haue no faith in Gods promises Whether melancholie be the affliction of conscience then alas what shall comfort me Therefore consider these questions first whether the conscience of sinne and the afflictions thereof be melancholy or not secondly what is the differēce thirdly the afflictions of mind to what persons they befall and by what meanes fourthly what may be the consolation And so from this setting before the eies of the conscience only in appearance I will proceed to the reall and that which the Lord will do to the hypocrite in this place For the first Difference betwixt them the affliction of conscience is quite another thing then melancholy as may appeare out of the second question by the differences First in the causes 1. Causes the one is a meere fancie without all true and iust ground and is onely raised vpon disorder or humour in the fancie and rashly deliuered to the heart which vpon naturall credulitie fareth in passion as if it were indeede whereof the fancie giueth a false alarum But the other is a sorrow and feare vpon cause and that the greatest cause that worketh miserie vnto man Secondly 2. Effects in the effects In that of conscience the bodie is ofttimes in firme state of health perfect in complexion and perfect in shape and all symmetrie of his parts the humours in quantity qualitie not exceeding nor wanting their naturall proportion but in the other the complexion is depraued obstructions spoile the course of humour and spirit whereby the blood becomes ouer-grosse thicke and impure and nature so disordered that diuerse melancholike persons haue iudged themselues strange creatures as historie will plainly record Thirdly 3. Subiect in the subiect The senses in the other both inward and outward are ofttimes perfect the imagination sound the heart wel compact and resolute and this excepted want no courage but in the other both inward sense and outward are too feebled the fancie ouertaken with ghastly fumes of melancholy and the whole force of the spirit closed vp in the dungeon of melancholy darkenesse imagineth all darke blacke and full of feare their hearts are either ouertender and reare and so easily admit the passion or ouer close of nature serue more easily to imprison the cheerefull spirit the causes of comfort to the rest of the body Hence they are faint hearted without occasion onely driuen with the tide of that humour to feare euen in the middest of securitie 4 From the originall Fourthly they differ in the fountaine and originall of them the one begins in the minds apprehension the other in the distempered humour which deluding the organicall actions abuseth the mind and draweth it into erroneous iudgement 5 Cure through false testimonie of the outward report Fiftly in the meanes of cure the one is helped by no medicine no purgation no cordiall or balme except the balme of Gilead are able to assure the afflicted soule trembling heart panting vnder the terrors of God hell death and damnation But in melancholy passions the vaine opened neesing powder or Bearefoot ministred to expell the fumes in the braine cordialls of pearle saphyres and rubies with such like recomfort the heart throwne downe and appaled with phantasticall feare 6. End Sixtly they differ in the ende in the one the perill is not of bodie and corporall actions but of foule and bodie to be cut off from the life of God from the sweet influence of his fauour the fountaine of all happinesse and eternall felicitie Here then the cause is the seueritie of Gods iudgement summoning the guiltie conscience the subiect is the sinfull soule apprehending the terror thereof which is for euer and euer the issue is eternall punishment satisfactorie to
his sleepe forsakes him when he speakes he is little bettes when he keeps silence he boyles in disquietnes the light doth not comfort him and the darknes doth terrifie him All other afflictions are tolerable because temporall and pursue but to death yet this beeing not â—uâ—ed endeth not in death Mens lawes transgressed may be helped by bribing of the magistrate or if the offence be capitall that there can be no pleading for him yet he may flie his country and so escape but God will not be bribed neither is there any flying from his presence Psal 139. nay alas we shall neede no seeking out we shal neede no apparitor to summon vs no baylâ—ffe to fetch vs no accuser to giue in euidence against vs sinne it selfe will arrest vs for he lieth at the doore our conscience will impanell a quest against vs our hearts will giue in sufficient euidence to conuict vs and our owne iniquities will plead guiltie to our faces This made the heathen to kill themselues thinking death to be an end of all miserie and thus like fond fishes they leape out of the pan into the fire out of the hell of their consciences into hell it selfe Let them doe the best they can get them to merrie companie laugh their sinnes out of countenance yet let them know that with Nero they may change their chamber but their chamber-fellow shall neuer leaue them They may sacrifice vnto the Lord humble themselues weepe with Esau confesse with Iudas lay hold on the hornes of the altar to mitigate their paine but onely the expiatorie sacrifice of the immaculate lamb is able to giue them rest and quietnes of soule Indeede this distresse of conscience soone becommeth melancholike vile and base turneth reason into foolishnes and disgraceth the beautie of the countenance How conscience may disiguâ—e the body and transformeth the stoutest Nebuchadnezzer becomes a beast so easily is the bodie subiect to alteration of minde and soone looseth with anguish and distraction thereof all the support of his excellencie In melancholie the heart is troubled with vaine seares vpon euery small obiect the very eye by a false apparition may strike him the eares with the imagination of euery voice sounding may dolefully appale him a very touch may make him startle and many such like troubles which are whelps of that melancholie litter bred of that corrupted state of bodie altered in spirit in blood in substance and complexion This may increase the terrour of the afflicted minde double the feare and discouragement How distemper of body may increase this wound and hinder all cure by counsell and aduise and shut vp all meanes of consolation for it must enter by the senses to the minde Now the instruments of sense beeing altered by the humour and their sinceritie stained with the obscure and darke spots of melancholie receiue not indifferently the medicine of consolation As the braine the original and fountaine of all sense and motion is thus euilly disposed so the heart the cherisher and refresher of our nature beeing in no better case and acquainted with terror and ouerthrowne with that searefull passion imptisoneth the spirits contracts it selfe and hardly yeilds to perswasion of comfort whatsoeuer it bringeth of assurance For though the griefe strike down at the first respecting no time place person condition or opportunitie of working but breaketh through all such considerations and beareth downe all resistance yet the comfort requireth them all and the missing of one makes the affliction to be long and hard in the cure The Comforters person his manner of handling the patient the time and place of performance with the braine and heart which are as the gates and entrance vnto the soule may hinder or aide the consolation No distemper can hinder the inward comfort of Gods grace But all this is to be vnderstood of outward meanes for the inward meanes to wit the grace of God and his mercie his comfortable spirit and gratious fauour in like swiftnes without meanes may restore the minde thus distressed which lieth open equally to the kind of cure euen as it lay to the wound Therfore seeing the body workes nothing vpon the mind altogether impatible of euery beeing sauing of God alone and secondly that the efficient can do it without helpe of the bodie and thirdly that the comfort is not procured by any corporall instrument nor the discomfort directly procured by the same lastly because all is done by causes in subiects nothing corporall and producing effects of an other nature then corporall it must needes bee concluded that there is great difference betwixt these two troubles The punishment of bodily racking is not the passion of the heart but a cause of it so that racking of the soule by sinne is not a melancholie passion but yet may it cause it and therefore makes the distinction not so cleare for oftentimes the symptome of a disease is taken for the disease it selfe The affliction of mind The persons which are hable to this sorrow to what persons it falleth and by what meanes is thus to bee resolued All men are subiect to this by reason of our fall the breach of Gods lawe and the wrath of God that followeth thereupon yet of all sorts of men melancholie persons are most subiect vnto it not from the humour but because he is most doubtfull and iealous of his estate for life temporall and life spirituall For temporall physitians and apothecaries shops will beare sufficient witnes for if they be able to walk we find them for the most part in these places And I would to God they were as readie for their spirituall life to bee with Gods spirituall physitians and in the shops of the true balme of Gilead By experience we find that when they beginne to examine how their actions answer the naturall and written line of righteousnesse and wanting the arch-pillar of faith and assurance in Christ Iesus our hope presently feele the very anguish due vnto sinners and in that most miserable condition fall into flat despaire The manner how this is done is when the curious melancholie person carrieth his mind into the senses of such mysteries How it befalls them as exceed humane capacitie and is desirous to knowe more then is reuealed in the word of truth and yet being ignorant of that which is reuealed he suddenly falls into the gulfe of Gods secret counsells which swalloweth vp all conceit of man or angel and measuring the truth of such depths by the shallow modell of his own wit is caught and deuoured of that which his presumptuous curiositie mooued him to attempt to apprehend Of this we haue a memorable example of a vertuous gentlewoman in this land who was carried along in this course doubting verie often of her saluation and making her case known vnto a worthy minister of God he often couÌ„felled her to take heede of inquiries further then Gods word and trust assuredly that shee might
conclude her saluation out of Gods word without any further reuelations yet still did the temptation grew vpon her insomuch that hauing a venice glasse in her hands and the selfe-same minister setting by her presently breakes forth into lamentable words You haue often told mee that I must seeke no further then Gods word but I haue been long without comfort and can indure no longer therefore if I must be saued let this glasse be kept from breaking and so she threw it against the walls Here might the Lords hand for this tempting of his maiestie haue left her to the euerlasting woes of her distrustfull heart yet the Lord that is rich in mercie hauing stamped her with the seale of his election was content to satisfie the languishing soule with a miracle the glasse rebounds againe and comes safe vnto the ground which the minister hauing gotten into his hands sayeth Oh repent of this sinne blesse God for his mercie and neuer distrust him more of his promise for now you haue his voyce from heauen in a miracle telling you plainly of your estate This was curiositie and might haue brought despaire yet it was the Lords mercie to remit the fault and graunt an extraordinarie confirmation of her faith But to proceede melan cholie persons that are giuen to contemplation if they be not well grounded in the word of God and haue resolued in all their speculations not to remooue one haire from the same are easily ouertaken and plunged in miserie and especially all such as haue their vocation consisting in such studies as philosophie c. which if they cary not a low saile and sometime to strike and lie at the anker of the Scriptures of God but hoist vp saile leaue it to the tempest of presumption are presently carried into the whirle-poole of Gods infinite secrets and are in daunger without the speciall grace of Gods mercie neuer to deliuer themselues for these men being not balanced with knowledge of Gods scriptures and assurance of his spirit are neuer able to abide the vglines of their sinnes when they shall once be vnfolded that narrow point of reprobation and election propounded vnto their melancholie braines and hearts and most miserable polluted soules Others which haue but some little knowledge of Gods word and practise answerable for want of the true apprehending of Gods reuealed will touching election and reprobation and the right methode of learning and conceiuing the doctrine causeth them to stumble and fall at this stone for a sword taken at the wrong ende is readie to wound the hand of the taker yet held by the handle is a fit weapon of defence so Predestination preposterously conceiued may through fault of the conceiuer procure hurt whereas in it selfe it is the most strong rock of assurance in al storms of temptations that can befall vnto bodie or soule because predestination is Gods immutable will the cause and rule of all iustice and vttermost of all reason in his workes Now if reason ascending to this supreame cause descend not againe to the meanes then when our sinnes shall meete with Gods iustice and we haue no eye to looke vpon his mercie in his sonne Christ we shall find nothing but the assurance of our owne destruction Againe if with the world we eye alone his mercie and consider not his iustice then miserable man who melteth as snow and vanisheth like a vapour before his iustice must needes perish eternally in that his carelesse presumption Againe as the melancholie person in generall and secondly in speciall 1. of giuing himselfe to contemplation 2. knowing Gods word vngroundedly so in the 3. place this makes the melancholie nature subiect to this passion when with a passionate humour he reads Gâ—ds word and doth as melancholy persons doe in regard of their bodie for if they read or heare of any disease presently they conceicue they haue it so deale they with the Scriptures they are guiltie of all iudgements and no sinne or iudgement but they either haue it or presently expect it and especially they resemble the one the other in this that they haue the strongest conceit of the most deadly diseases as consumptions and sicknesses incurable so the other of nothing but the sinne against the holy Ghost So that as ignorance before was their guide here ignorance and infidelitie linked together A fourth speciall manner in this melancholike subiect is the good and christian heart the waight of whose sinnes exceeding for a time the strength of their faith see not so clearely as they desire but euen as in a stormy tempest the ship seemeth at euery blast and sourge of the sea to be in danger of wracke and as the young ash bending to euerie blast of wind seemeth in perill of breaking and rooting vp when notwithstanding both the ship keepeth her constant course and the tree yet hath the rooting In winter we thinke the trees are dead and in a tempest we thinke wee haue lost the brightnes of heauen yet summer prooues the contrarie and the space of an houre may shewe the cleare heauens againe So when this tempest of Gods anger is ouer-blowne and his gracious countenance beginneth to shine on vs againe then the saith which was as it were hid for a time taketh life and sheweth foorth it selfe and plainely prooueth that as the trees when they bud in the spring time and bring forth fruite were not dead in the winter as they seemed so the faith of Gods children springeth afresh after the stormie winter of temptation and therefore no dead faith The diseases of the bodie make vs sometime seeme little better then dead corpses and yet the hidden life is after recouered and raised vp againe Thus saith by reason of our owne weakenes and thorough Sathans tempestuous malice bendeth seemeth feeble and yeeldeth to the force while notwithstanding it is built on the rocke and planted with the hand of God in the Eden of his gracious election and doth remaine a plant for euer in his Paradise of euerlasting felicitie Thus the lilly of God and euerie member of it though among many thornes is preserued because they are planted by the good husbandman watred with the dewes of heauen hedged and preserued by his continuall care for this husbandman is night and day in his field and yet he neuer sleepeth no not so much as slumbereth by his watchfull care for Israel his flocke Psal 121. In deed we had need of a good shepheard for wee are extraordinarie wandring sheep we had need of good gouernours for we are but punies in our wayes we had neede of a good guide on the seas of this world for we are but like vnexperienced trauailers by sea fearing euery weauing of the ship and â—â—ying with the disciples helpe vs Master or else we perish we imagine euery puffe of temptation to bee nothing but the gate of destruction when indeede it is the way of Gods dearest children and appointed of the Lord to bring vs
vnto heauen His counsels are not to bee measured by our infirmities nor by that we cast forecast or doubt but as hee himselfe hath pronounced of his wayes and many haue prooued true to their euerlasting happinesse But Sir I pray you Whether a Christian may drawe vpon him this pitifull wound of a desparing conscience may we not draw this fearefull sentence on our selues that as God hath said he will set our sinnes before vs so now he hath truely done it and we sensibly feele it yea verely if Gods onely mercy be not our stay for as our first parents voluntarily gaue their necks and in them all their posterity vnder the yoake of Sathan and as the vengeance of Gods iustice alwaies burneth against the wicked his sword continually employed which nothing can quench but the wâ—ter of his grace flowing from the sides of his Son and that compleat armour whereof S. Paul speaketh Ephes 6. so should all of vs in this life tast of the heat seele the dint of that sword if his mercy in his Sonne and for his Saints cause on the earth he stayed not the iealousie of his wrath his anger our sinnes pull on but his mercie is onely for himselfe So then all men are subiect to afflictions of conscience melancholie persons especially First such as are exercised either in naturall philofophic without the light of Gods word or else with the light of Gods word but diue too deepe into Gods secrets Secondly such as are negligent in reading and practising Thirdly such as are humorous Fourthly such as are weake in faith The meanes that brings all this vpon vs is ignorance and infidelitie now least Gods children should vnaduisedly dishonour God in this kind of sorrow who is the God of peace and comfort we will shew that this setting of sinne before their eyes is greater matter of comfort then sorrow and so hauing saued Gods children out of this fire by yeelding them that comfort which the Lord promiseth to euery broken and contrite heart setting his sinnes before his eies that so he may escape the iudgement of God which shall be sure to fall vpon all hypocrites when no comfort shall be found for them either in beauen or earth For the godly let them resolue that sinne must haue smart therefore the Lords sending affliction vnto his children is because he would not haue them freeze with the wicked world in their dregges If God punish not in this world either God is vniust or els there is a hel to punish them in euerlastingly but his children if they profit not by one he sends another to condemne them in the world that they may escape in the world to come Secondly as that is Gods ende so they shall finde that this is Gods ordinarie way to doe them good Iam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that is tried for when he is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life Luk. 24.26 it is reprehended of our Sauiour Christ as a matter arguing great ignorance and infidelitie not to know and beleeue that this was his portion and so consequently a thing to fall vpon all them that would liue godlily in him 2. Tim. 3.12 Yea and all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution therefore saide Christ vnto them O fooles and slow of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and to enter into his glorie Now this beeing prooued as Christ doth in that place beginning at Moses and all the Prophets must needes follow that the seruants beeing no better then the master and the members as subiect to miserie as the head that this must be their portion for in plaine reason it were a shame to see the head crowned with thornes and all the rest of the bodie clothed with rich attire and costly raiment such as are in Kings houses but it is well if Christians may be lodged in Innes for strangers they are in this world nay well if they may but obtaine the stable and the manger for their chamber and their bed for they are hated of the world and therefore the worst roome is too good for them in the conceit of the world Act. 14.22 Confirming the Disciples hearts and exhorting them to continue in the faith affirming that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdom of heauen Admirable is the first chapt of Iames v. 1. the twelue Tribes are fratterâ—d abroad sâ—â—re from Ierusalem and that among the heathen Ierusalem is vtterly destroied the Temple brought vnto the ground not one stone left vpon an other and all those woes that our Sauiour Christ spoke of Matth. 24. were accomplished now might they well hang their instruments on the willows wholly forget Ierusalem let their tongues fooner cleaue vnto the rooses of their mouthes then that they should once sing the fongs of Syon yet Iames the seruant of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ is bold to write vnto them the salutation of ioy and comfort and well may he be entertained of the faithfull among the Iewes because of his flyle a seruant of God might haue put life vnto them all but and of the Lord Iesus Christ shall make him odious to the multitude Well be knowes vnto whome to tender hsi seruice to wit to those whom God loues therfore he respects the beleeuing Iewes that now might bee swallowed vp with greise therefore v. 2. he calls them his brethren But he beginnes with cold comfort Count it my brethren exceeding ioy when ye fall into temptation but the Apostle knowes the best what shall be for their present consolation and therefore he respects that before all other and so begins with it not leauing his exhortation as a bare affirmation but adding in the rest of the chapter a strong confirmation of his exhortation Marke therefore the arguments as grounds to be laid in all our afflictions they are in number fiue The first is drawn from the blessed fruit that shal spring from this tree and that is patieace euen the whole worship of God in distresse wherby being neady to loose our soules we possesse them and the excellency of patience he commends vnto vs v. 4. from his perfection first in himselfe secondly in his worke thirdly in the subiect giuing vs to distinguish betwixt this pationce and all other fained patience is but for a time hath in it selfe no perfection it works nothing because it is a meere patient yee and to suffer constrained but this a stirring patience for he must haue his worke and he is neither idle nor a vaine workman for he hath a perfection of his worke Thirdly the subiect of all other patience is but like vnto a stone that beeing stricken with the hammer and clouen in pieces lies still neuer vnites his parts againe but this patience when his subiect is euen beaten to powder and is scattered abroad is able to bring all together againe ioyne soule
be assured that all this is either to free me froÌ„ some sinne or els confirme me in some good worke begunne in me Secondly if in wisedome we would so prouide that afflictions might not quaile vs when they come then let vs in the time of prosperitie and quietnesse of soule cut off all head strong affections as greife sorrow and such like and then shall they not in our trouble preuaile against vs. Lastly learne to denie our selues and all our owne reason Luk. 9.23 if any man will come after me let him denie himselfe and take vp his crosse daily and follow mee The last thing requisit in all these is the keeping of a good memorie yea though our trouble be past yet still with feare to remember the hand of the Lord. The deliuerance of the children of Israel is often repeated in the Scriptures and surely for good endes because naturally wee forget the workes of God and his noble actes of ancient time which if they were faithfully treasured vp would doe vs much good in our times of need for either wee must thinke that God is not able to helpe vs or if hee be able yet wee are vnworthy of his helpe if wee doubt of his power see what hee did for Israel in Egypt in the red sea the wildernesse and among all their enemies If wee thinke wee are vnworthy then still thinke on Israel the worst people on the face of the earth for they were alwaies prouoking the holy one of Israel Psal 34.5.6 Yee shall looke vnto him and runne vnto him and their faces shall not be ashamed this poore man cried and the Lord heard him and saued him out of all his troubles And thus much of the efficient causes the matter followes out of which we are to draw some speciall comfort The matter of affliction is punishment and action Punishment therefore a morall good action therefore a positiue good The morall good first it corrects sinne past by opening our eyes to see it by humbling of vs and bringing of vs to meditation of heauen and heauenly things Secondly it cures sinne present by crossing of our nature Thirdly it preueÌ„ts sinne to come Fourthly it tries what is in our hearts All this doth a wicked man no good for the punishment is nothing but an execution of gods vengeance vpon them but to the godly it is a schoole-master to bring them vnto Christ For the second the worke of affliction though in it selfe a positiue good because an action yet it works but wofully in the vngodly but most comfortably in the children of God Heb. 12.11 it brings forth the sweete and quiet fruit of righteousnesse vnto all them that are exercised for it is a most certaine thing in Gods children that the more their afflictions growe the more their faith groweth the more Sathan striues to drawe them from God the more they drawe neere vnto God although in feeling they see not so much The third cause is the forme making an essentiall difference betwixt the afflictions of the godly and of the wicked They are in the godly corrections of loue for their good but in the wicked the vengeance of God to their euerlasting perishing The fourth last is the ende first in regard of Christ Phil. 1.20 to magnifie him and therfore an honour vnto his Saints Secondly in regard of our selues 2. Cor. 1.9 not to trust in our selues good to lay aside vaine confidence Thirdly for our vocation 1. Pet. 2.21 good to accomplish the end of our vocation Fourthly good in their owne vse all his well that ends well Ioh. 16.20 Your sorrow shall be turned into ioy To proceede to another demonstration that afflictions are good and comfortable may appeare in the fruits of it which are either within vs or without vs. The first is called the mortification of the flesh or the crucifying of the lusts thereof The second is called the mortification of the outward man by manifold afflictions To this is required a good cause Secondly patience voluntarie not perforce not mercinarie but to shew our obedience Thirdly constant not for a brunt Fourthly for a good end Now their is nothing in these afflictioÌ„s but ioy these will neuer gall the conscience but make it stout and couragious therefore let vs see the effects of the other First it openeth the eare Iob. 33.16 then he openeth the eares of men euen by their corrections which he hath sealed Secondly it brings forth greife and is verie necessarie to bring on other effects Greife we know would faine haue ease whereof it is and it laboureth alwaies to lay it selfe open and to mooue pitie it seareth nothing more then to be hidden for which cause nature hath giuen more helps to bewray this affection then any other as heauinesse of countenance hanging downe of the forehead moouing of the eyes teares sighs and grones it teacheth eloquence and maketh vs to change our speeches and so we learne to amplifie the causes of our woe so that falling on any obiect of our greife we are loth to depart from speaking of it we double our speeches on that theame we know the matter of Ezekias greife forced his tongue to touch it twise my tongue my tongue shall praise thee When our Sauiour Christ spake of doctrine he neuer doubles his words but is content to vtter it in a word but when he came to the rebellion of Ierusalem it touched him so neerely that he cryes Oh Ierusalem Ierusalem and Dauid when he lights vpon his sonne Absolon O Absolon Absolon O my sonne Absolon Thirdly after greife it makes vs loath and detest our selues Iob. 42.6 therfore I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Fourthly to seeke vnto God Hos 5.15 Psal 78.34 when he slew them they sought him and they returned and sought the Lord early Ier. 31.18 I haue heard Ephraim lamenting thus Thou hast corrected mee and I was chastised as an vntamed calfe conuert thou mee and I shall be conuerted after that I conuerted I repented and after that I was instructed I smote vpon my thigh I was ashamed yea euen confounded because I did beare the reproach of my youth Lastly from the subiect Colos 1.24 I fullâ—ill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my body an excellent subiect that may be annexed vnto Christ 1. Pet. 4.13 reioyce in so much that ye are made partakers of Christs sufferings that when he shall appeare ye may be glad and reioyce Phil. 1.29 a high priuiledge to be a sufferer for it is giuen vnto vs as a speciall donation and therfore their be heads enough of yeilding comfort to euerie afflicted soule I know none to be tossed and turmoiled more in soule then the godly and yet none more free from danger then they Psa 88. Dauid hath all Gods waues go ouer him v. 17. They came round about him daily like water and compassed him together A sea-faring man labours for nothing more when he is vnder a dangerous storme
of heauen and earth and in earth the God of gods and ouer men the onely Lord is become the reproouer of sinne and therefore a most fearefull hand shal fall vpon the wicked The finger vpon the wal made an vnpeaceable house in Belshazzars soule what a iolly fellow was he vntill this came into his eye the time of Gods silence hee regarded not neither to his father how God gaue him a kingdome maiestie honour and glorie at which all nations trembled and feared before him he smote and put to death whom he would set vp and put downe whom he would neither to himselfe misapplying what was done vnto his father both in iustice and mercie but abused Gods vessels with his Princes wiues concubines praised the gods of gold siluer of brasse yron wood and stone which neither see heare nor vnderstand but the God in whose hand his breath was and all his wayes him would he not glorifie therefore now see his Iudge and tell mee if the power of his iustice make him not afraid Hence it is plaine that wicked men scant God in his mercies as a niggard or pinching giuer when in their sinnes they are both large and bold and thinke Gods armes bound vp in a cloth yet let them knowe that this I will reprooue will prooue no small matter for the very weaknes of God is stronger then any thing in man 1. Cor. 1. In man wee count that weaknes which his little finger hardly can touch now Gods little finger will make all smart The Magicians of Egypt in the plague of lice confesse it was Gods finger because that brought mightie things to passe Iobs afflictions losse of goods cattell children the deuill makes it but the touch of Gods finger and yet this spent all Mans breath but a weake thing Isa 40.17 yet the breath of the Lord Psal 18.8 smoake went out of his nostrhills and a consuming fire out of his mouth coales were kindled thereat great is the power of his very nostrhills and mightie is the verie weakenes and infirmitie of his wrath if his weakenes be this what is his strength compared to a Gyant or Lyon to a Gyant of all men the greatest to a Lyon of all beasts the strongest If so mightie when he toucheth but with his finger how terrible if he strike with his arme but what will he be when he comes armed with his sword his bow bent if we be far off his arrowe shall reach vs if neere his sword shall strike vs. But alas what shall be done when he shall come with whole armies of creatures against vs fire haile thunder so if the sword finde vs not the thunder shall meet with vs if the haile make not an end the fire shall consume vs if the fire can not burne then his mallet shall bruise vs. Furthermore he hath his charets euen a thousand charets in the whirl-wind and his pillars of fire to terrifie vs yea his thousand and tenne thousand of Angels to make a spoile of all at his becke Therefore we shall be sooner wearie of suffering then he of afflicting of flying then he of following We are but potters vessels if he hit but one against another we breake yea if he lay his iron rod vpon vs we shal be beaten all to powder The lion when he roareth is terrible and Behemoth is strong what canst thou doe yet the lion commeth before this God Behemoth is taken by his sword Leuiathan can not stand before him therefore a most fearefull thing to fall into the hands of this God for he is a consuming fire and cannot touch or be touched without burning The wrath of a king is the messenger of death what is then the wrath of the king of kings if one man trespas against another there may a third be found to make vp the matter but if one sinne against God saith old Eli to his sonnes who shal plead for him Therfore do no more so ye sonnes of men tremble and sin not examine your owne hearts and be still serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in trembling kisse the sonne least he be angry and ye perish in the way when his wrath shall suddenly burne blessed are all that trust in him Neither is this all Gods reproouing for this is but the paine of sense but they also shall haue a more fearefull plague the plague of plagues and the onely thing that shall make them miserable and that the learned haue called the punishment of the damned as though it were all and gaue the whole denomination and that is Gods fare-well vnto his creature Oh my creature I made thee in my owne image but thou hast found out many inuentions therefore must I thy life and length of dayes the fountaine of liuing waters he in whome thou liues mooues and hast thy beeing bid thee be gone I must neuer looke on thee more as I haue done thy louing wife shall say farewell my husband thy children friends and all thy pleasures in which thou hast song a long loath to depart yet must yee needes depart or if you goe together to hell yet shall it but augement thy sorrow to remember what sweet delight you once tooke together and how now there can be no comfortable fellowship but one stabbing another at the heart Thou againe shalt say farewell God farewell wise children and all my pleasures I must shake hands with you for euer Oh heart that I could giue the some deadly stabbe that thou mightest neuer stirre againe Oh would to God that I had neuer been you that passe by will you take no pity on me Oh God I was thy child and the deuill whippes mee and hell fire scorcheth mee yet if thou wouldest but looke vpon me how would that refresh mee Well that I lie not see both these put together for I assure you that hell fire is no painted fire for the want of Gods presence shall be no dreame or idle obliuion of the departure of a kind friend but the verie sting of conscience and the worme that shall neuer leaue gnawing See both punishment of sense and the damned 2. Thess 1.9 Which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power And that the Lord will doe all this it is plaine Eccles 12. last Reu. 20.12 Daniel saw the antient of dayes vpon his throne he hath been dealing with men in particular from the beginning of the world he reprooued our first parents the olde world Sodome and Gomorrha Pharaoh Saul Iudas and he will haue a generall conclusion of this whole tragedie And therefore the point is cleare that God will reprooue Reas 1. From his iustice that cannot goe vnsatisfied for the Lord hath spoken and will bee prooued true and righteous in all his wayes 2 The glorie he must constraine out of wicked men for wicked men would neuer glorifie God except it were because God will reprooue them Reas 3. The iniurie they