motion and euery action is from God and therefore euery sinne To this it is briefly answered that in euery sinne there are three things to be considered 1. The act 2. The obliquity 3. Obligation to punishment 1. For the act we say it is from God Rom. 11. 36. for of him and in him and for him are all things i. aswell actions as substances as Augustine saith 2. The obliquitie or corruption of Aug. to 7. de grat lib. arb c. 20. the action is only from man and no waies from God as from an efficient cause thereof Neither should this seeme strange to any man that in the selfe same sinnefull The action and the obliquitie of the act two different things act we consider the act and the obliquitie of the act and doe affirme the one to be from God and therefore good and the other from our selues and therefore euill for howsoeuer the obliquitie doth alwaies reside in the act as priuation in a subiect yet they be two distinct things and may in our vnderstandings admit a seperation of the one from the other And the action must needs be good or else the obliquity could not subsist for sinne hath not any being in rerum natura if we consider it simply in it selfe but as it is subsistent in some subiect that is good as the Philosophers doe most truly affirme And therefore we say that there is no being nothing that doth subsist in rerum natura whether it be a substance or an action that can be so euill but it is also good but in diuers respects as euill in regard of the priuation of good and good in regard of the subiect wherein this priuation of good doth inhere And so you see that although euerie action is from God yet the sinne and the obliquitie of the action is from man But then againe it is obiected that God knoweth we will commit the sinne when we doe commit the act and he knew Adam would sinne when he created Adam and therefore he should either hinder vs to sinne or not complaine that we doe sinne I answer that knowledge being a The knowledge of God that man will sinne is not the cause that he doth sinne meere conceining of a thing which is a thing proper to the vnderstanding and not to the will cannot worke any thing outwardly and therefore cannot be the cause of any thing for I know that an old man must needs die and that a rotten house will soone fall if it be not re-edified and yet I am the cause of neither euen so Deus nos peccatores noscit sed non facit God knoweth that we will sinne but he doth not cause vs to sinne saith Saint Augustine Aug. l. 7. d◠anima And I confesse that God can as easily hinder sinne as to suffer sinne to be committed and could as easily haue hindered Adam to haue sinned as to forgiue him when he had sinned for we must not thinke that God suffereth sinne against his will because he cannot hinder it for that doth derogate from the power of God but vpon iust reasons and for many excellent causes he made man so that he might either stand or fall 1. To shew a difference betwixt the Why God made man mutable Creator and the creature for immutability is proper only vnto God and therefore he made all intelligible creatures both men and Angels so that they might either stand or fall 2. That they might be the more praise-worthy if they did stand or most iustly condēned if they did fall Nam si diabolus seductionis potestatem Chrys oper imperfect ho. 55. non accepisset homo probationis mercedem non recipisset for if the deuill had not receiued power to tempt vs and man that libertie of will either to haue yeelded or resisted then man could not haue had the reward of his resistance or the reproofe of his deficiencie saith Saint Chrysostome And so you see the reasons why God made man so that hee might stand or fall And there bee many reasons why hee suffered him and doth suffer all others to fall into sins Among which I finde these three reasons chiefly alledged 1. For the declaration of his iustice Why God suffered Adam and all the sonnes of Adam to fall in the punishing of all sinnes 2. For the manifestation of his mercies in the pardoning of many sinnes 3. For the suppression of our pride and the declaration of our weake and miserable estate that without his especiall grace wee cannot keepe and preserue our selues from any sinne But yet further it will bee obiected Ob. that the Scripture seemes plainely to attribute the verie sinne vnto God as the Lord turned the hearts of the Aegyptians Psal 105. that they should hate his people and deale vntruly with his seruants that hee hardned the heart of Pharaoh and the heart of Eglon and such like Iudg. 3. I answer that in euerie sinne there are three concurring agents to be considered And the sinne is ascribed sometimes to the one and sometimes to the other but euer in a different respect As 1. It is ascribed to God as the author How sinne is ascribed to God to the deuill to man by whom we receiue power to doe euerie action and motion And as the voluntarie sufferer of the obliquitie or prauitie of the action for the reasons aboue shewed and thus God is said to harden the hearts of the wicked or to deliuer Psal 81. 13. Rom. 1. Aug. tom 7. de gratia lib. arbit cap. 20. them to vile affections Non malum efficiendo sed gratiam denegando Not by effecting the euill but by suffering man to haue that power to doe the euill and by denying his grace to hinder and preuent that euill 2. It is ascribed to Satan as the inticer and suggester of man to the prauitie of each action motion and so Satan is said to haue moued Dauid to number 1 Chron. 21. 1. 2 Cor. 4. Israel to haue filled the heart of Ananias and to haue blinded the eyes of the wicked not by giuing any power to doe any action or motion for that is only from God but by enticing man à directo Tullius in parad scopo aberrare to passe the prescribed bounds and so to peruert to corrupt euerie action 3. It is ascribed to man as the next author of the action and the sole doer of the sinne by auerting from the right scope and yeelding to the enticement of Satan to depraue and corrupt the action And so Pharaoh is said to haue Exod. 7. 22. c. 8. 16. hardened his owne heart and all the wicked are said to walke in their owne Gen. 6. 5. wayes and according to the lusts of their owne hearts And therefore all sinnes Psal 8 1. are properly the works of men because they are the next and immediate authors of the same Lastly it is obiected
suae and to be alwaies contemplating of her chiefest blisse and to enioy the fruition of the chiefest good This verie point if there were no more should moue all men to be How negligent we are for our soules more carefull of this heauenly soule then of our earthly bodies And yet we see all our care is to pamper the body and come what will of the soule And therefore a merrie fellow meeting with a friend that protested he loued him as deerely as his owne soule answered I would thou louest me as well as thou louest thy body For I see thou art fat and well liking thou feedest thy body daintily and clothest it gorgeously but how thou louest thy soule I know not And so we doe all we care not what expence we bestow vpon our rotten bodies but we thinke all to much that we doe to adorne and beautifie this diuine soule We are like that fellow that was wonderfull fat himselfe and rode vpon a leane horse and being demanded why himselfe was so fat and his horse so leane he answered he fed himselfe with his owne hands but he committed the care of his horse to his man Dicke So doe we feed our bodies our selues but we commit the care of our soules to others let them looke to our soules or let them perish But indeed the excellencie of the soule should make vs all more diligent for the soule for this is it that maketh man more excellent then all other creatures And more properly the sonne of God then all other sonnes of God And therefore the Heathen man could say Qui animum curat seipsum curat qui corpus non se sed sua curat Demosten apud Volat. qui pecuniam non se nec sua sed valde aliena curat 2. God is said to be the Father of man not only in regard of generation because he thus created him in his owne similitude and likenesse but also in respect of regeneration because he redeemed and deliuered vs from our father the deuill and restored vs againe to the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God For when man had sinned and so from the sonne of God had made himselfe the sonne of satan there were foure things saith venerable Bede imposed vpon man for his transgression 1. Ignorance Venerab Beda 2. Impotence 3. Concupiscence 4. Malice For 1. Sinne hath so filled vs with blindnesse as the Apostle sheweth Ephes 4. 18. that it is naturall for euerie man to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so darkned in the ir vnderstandings Tit. 3. 3. that we neither know God nor yet our selues 2. Sinne hath made vs so fraile Foure things inflicted on man for sinne and so miserable as that we haue no ability in the world either to doe or say or wish or thinke any thing that is good as I haue sufficiently shewed already 3. Sinne maketh vs to long and lust with all greedinesse for that which is euill Nitimur inuetitum semper cupimusque negata Stolne waters are sweet vnto vs. And our nature is such as that we doe not only quod vetitur the thing that is forbidden but we doe it quia vetitur because it is forbidden so farre doth our concupiscence lead vs. 4. Sinne makes vs so malicious to all goodnesse that although our iudgement should tell vs that such a thing is good yet are we so auerse to goodnesse that we will forsake it to follow euill as the Poet in Medea speaketh Video proboque meliora deteriora sequor Seneca Medea I see what is good I allow it yet nature makes me follow that which is euill And so these things made man now like vnto satan that was made before in the likenesse of God Therefore God respecting and pittying our most lamentable and miserable estate he sent his only Sonne Christ Iesus to be made vnto vs 1. Wisdome 2. Iustification 3. Sanctification 4. Redemption Foure soueraigne salues for our foure dangerous maladies 1. He was made vnto vs wisdome How Christ was made vnto vs a fourefold salue to cure fourefold maladies For that all our knowledge without the knowledge of Christ is but prudentia carnis foolishnesse vnto God but in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge 2. He was made vnto vs righteousnes for that all our righteousnes in respect of nature is but pollutio panniâ— like the righteousnes of the Gentiles staines filthinesse in respect of the law but storia abducta like the righteousnesse of the Pharises sin guilded vnprofitable because vnpossible to be performed but my righteous seruant shall iustifie many saith the Lord and therefore beleeue in him which iustifieth the vngodly 3. He was made our Sanctification For that in all men there is defection and in the Angels vnfaithfulnesse hath beene found and how can we be cleane that were borne in sinne and conceiued in iniquity but in Christ there was no sinne and in his mouth was found no guile 4. He was made vnto vs redemption for that all the former things had beene vnauailable for vs nisi etiam sanguis interpellitâ—â— pro me vt saluus sim vnlesse his bloud doth intercede for me that I may be saued and therefore Christ gaue himselfe to be the price of our redemption so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to suffer for vs to shed his bloud for vs and to die for vs and for our sinnes to saue vs from hell and to rise againe for our iustification to bring vs vnto heauen in illa instituit in ista restituit saith Saint Bernard by the former parauit nos mansioni he made vs fit for heauen and by the latter parauit mansionem nobis he prepared heauen for vs by the first we haue remission of our sins and by the second we haue hope of euerlasting life But if any man will say the righteousnesse is Christs and the sufferings were Christs and what is that to me I answer that the fault was Adams fault and is that nothing to thee And therefore vt peccatum in semine it a iustitia in sanguine as sinne is iustly mine by propagation so it is not incongruous that righteousnesse should be mine by imputation for Christ saith Saint Ambrose mihi natus mihi passus mihi doluit quia sibi non habuit quod deleret did all whatsoeuer he did for me for that there was no cause why he should doe any thing for himselfe And therefore seeing Christ died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification and now sitteth at the right hand of God to make intercession for vs though our bodies be but semen terrae esca verminum dust and ashes and the foode of vermins yet our hope is that they shall be â—hanged and be made like vnto the glorious bodie of Christ And thus are we made againe the sonnes of God by regeneration because we are borne of God i. of water and of the spirit which spirit
they are distinguished And they are 3. viz 1. Their dilection 2. Their vocation 3. Their sanctification Secondly the desire of the Apostle and the delights of the Saints are expressed 1. From the number of blessings requested they be two 1. Grace 2. Peace 2. From the fountaine from whence they flow i. From God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ Of these by the assistance of God in order First touching the number to whom the Apostle wisheth these blessings two things are to be obserued 1. Declaratio amoris the manifestation of the Apostles loue How Ministers should loue their people 2. Restrictio gratiae the restriction of the grace of God 1. In that he writeth to all and wisheth grace and peace to all Saints he sheweth how largely his loue extended it selfe to the Romans quòd effuso animo eos omnes complectitur saith a Bucer in hunc locum Bucer he loued all remembred all and excepted none of all a speciall point required in Gods Ministers S. Augustine tels vs b Aug. de Doct. Christ li. 3. ca. 10. that nihil praecipit Deus nisi charitatem nihil culpat nisi cupiditatem God commandeth nothing but charitie and forbiddeth nothing but cupiditie It is therefore necessarie in all especially in vs for if we could speake with the tongues of men and Angels i. so many languages as men vse to speake more then Mithridates could that had 22. languages as Volateran Volateran li. 17. saith and so diuinely and truly as the Angels of God more mellifluously then Origen cuius ex ore non tam verba quà m mella fluere videntur out of whose mouth the honey did seeme to flow as the Magdeburgenses out of Vincentius Magd. cent 3. col 269. doe report yet would our preaching be no better then sounding brasse or tinckling cymbals for when our auditors are not perswaded we teach them out of charitie we can neuer perswade them to beleeue the veritie but as Theocritus saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theocrit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quae minimè sunt pulchra en pulchra videntur amanti every thing comes well from him to whom we are well affected And therefore what S. Augustine saith of euery Christian I may truly say of euery Preacher Vniuersa inutiliter habet qui vnum illud quò vniuersis vtatur non habet He hath all things in vaine that hath not charitie whereby he may rightly vse all things I wish therefore with all my heart that all we Preachers would study what lyeth in vs to lay aside all maliciousnesse all suits and contentions whereby our Ministerie is made vnfruitfull and liue in loue and peace with all men whereby I assure my selfe wee should purchase more spirituall gaine by loue then all the wealth of the world would be vnto vs that we should get by Law 2. In that he writeth to all beloued The restriction of sauing grace Gorram in hunc locum of God called Saints it sheweth the restriction of grace fidelibus tantùm non alijs to the faithfull only and to none else saith Gorram Non Romae simpliciter manentibus sed Deo duntaxat dilectis Not to all the inhabitants of Rome but to all the Saints that were in Rome saith Theophylact and so Theoph in hunc locum S. Chrysost also and all the rest of the Fathers qui dictorum intelligentiam expectant ex verbis potius quà m imponunt as S. Hillarie saith in another case Hilar. de Trin. l. 1. which rather seeke the true meaning of Gods Spirit from the words then impose a false glosse vpon the text to corrupt the truth doe from hence collect a restriction of grace to the Saints of God and not to the sonnes of Belial Euen so the Prophet Esay calling Esay 55. 1. euery one that thirsted to come to the waters meanes none but those that thirsted And our Sauiour inuiting all that were weary and heauie laden to come vnto Matth. 11. vlt. him to be eased meanes none but those that were weary and the like we finde almost in euery passage of the Scriptures This restriction therefore of Gods grace doth sufficiently confute Pelagius Hemingius Huberus and all the rest of the Arminian broode touching the doctrine of vniuersall grace who say that God would haue all men to be saued and therefore gaue his Sonne to die for all and so offereth sauing grace vnto all that all men might be saued if they would them selues beleeue in Christ and perseuere in faith according to the condition of the Euangelicall promises and doe further vnderstand these Euangelicall promises to be so offered and indefinitely left in the power of man as that he may either of his owne will receiue them and be saued or reiect them and be condemned But for the fuller vnderstanding of this one point I will examine these two points 1. Whether God by his absolute will would haue all men to be saued 2. Whether he gaue Christ Iesus to die for all men that they might be saued To the First I answer negatiuely To the Second affirmatiuely Of the first I say then it is not the absolute Whether God wold haue all men saued will of God that all men should be saued or haue sauing grace giuen vnto them for if it were I demand the reason why they are not saued for Voluntati eius quis restitit Who hath Rom. 9. euer resisted his will If they say that the cause hereof is not in the will of God that offereth grace but in the frowardnesse of mans will that refuseth grace I answer with S. Augustine that Sic velle nolle in Aug. de corrept gratia cap. 7. cap. 14. volentis nolentis est potestate vt diuinam voluntatem non impediat diuinam potestatem non superet So to will or nill is in the power of him that willeth or nilleth as that it neither hindereth the diuine will of God nor especially surmount the power of God For otherwise it were to make the will of God depend vpon the will of man and to subordinate the first cause vnto the second which is contrary to the lawes of Nature And as S. Aug. speaketh it were to make the weake and the peeuish will of man of more power and might then the omnipotent will of God whereof S. Ambrose saith Voluntas S. Ambros in 5. Luc. eius potestas eius his will and his power are both a like because he can doe whatsoeuer he will doe for if God would haue men to be saued and men by their nilling or refusing will not be saued then certainly Dei voluntas superata S. Aug. in Euchrid ad Laurent ca. 97. est hominum voluntate infirmissimis nolendo impedientibus non potest facere potentissimus quod vult The will of God and his desire is ouercome by the will and deniall of man so that by the nilling
habet quod reprehendat He that is deliuered hath that for which he should be thankfull and he that is condemned hath nought but his owne sinnes that he can reprehend for si in remittendo Idem de bono perseueran◠debitum bonitas in exigendo aequitas tum nusquam apud Deum inuenitur iniquitas If in remitting debt we shew pietie in demanding equitie then no way with God can we finde iniquitie Hereby then you see that although in respect of the merits of Christs Passion the worthinesse of his Person and the power of his will one drop of his bloud were of sufficient worth to expiate the sinnes of the whole world as S. Clement saith Modicam guttam sanguinis Christi propter vnionem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro redemptione totius humani generis suffecisse the least drop of his bloud by reason of his hypostatical vnion with the Deitie were a sufficient pay and satisfaction for the sinnes of all men yet that it is not the absolute will of God to giue that grace vnto all And therefore our Sauiour Christ himselfe excepteth those whom he meaneth not to bestow his grace vpon from his societie I came not to call the righteous he excludeth from his Matt 9. 13. prayer non pro mundo rogo I pray not Iohn 17. 9. for the world i. pro impijs saith S. Ierome or for those that wholly addict themselues to the world saith S. Bernard or qui sequuntur concupiscentiam carnis which follow the lust of the flesh saith S. Augustine and he forbiddeth vs to giue them the holy pledges of saluation Giue not that which is holy vnto dogges S. Paul heere doth not so much as wish them any grace and the Prophet Dauid doth absolutely pray against all grace to be giuen them saying Let their table be made a snare euer Psa 69. 22. bow downe there backes and let that which was for their wealth be vnto them an occasion of falling And therefore S. Augustine saith si Aug. de Ciuit Dei lib. 21. ca. 24. certa esset Ecclesia vel si certi essent illi qui praedestinati sunt in ignem aeternum ire cum diabolo tum nec pro ijs oraret Ecclesia plus quà m pro ipso diabolo inde autem oramus pro salute omnium operam damus quia de omnibus bene speramus If the Church were certaine or if we knew them that are predestinated to euerlasting fire with the deuill and his Angels then would we pray no more for them then we doe for the deuill but we doe therefore pray for all because propter ignorantiam we know them not that are reprobates sed iuxta iudicium charitatis but according to the iudgement of charitie doe hope well of all to be elected To the faithfull therefore we wish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace and peace but to the wicked fire and brimstone storme and tempest woes and curses this is their portion for euer And the reason of this deniall of grace vnto the wicked for though Zanch. ibid. de nat Dei there is no precedent cause of Gods will yet there is alwaies a iust reason of his will as Zanchie saith in respect of themselues besides many other may be said to be threefold 1. Because Satan as a prince of this world ruleth in the hearts of these children of disobedience and they giue themselues wholly to follow his wicked suggestions for as the godly vtuntur mundo Why sauing grace is denied to the wicked vt fruantur Deo so the wicked vtuntur Deo vt fruantur mundo doe vse the world that they may enioy God so the wicked doe only make vse of God that they may enioy the World And therefore what reason haue they to expect any grace from Christ that giue themselues wholly to the seruice of Antichrist 2. Because that although the Sonne of God did sweat the drops and clots of bloud in his agonie and that in such quantitie that it trickled downe to the ground to blesse the earth that was accursed for the sinne of man Sanguis erant Lachrymae quaecunque foramina Lucan nouit Humor ab his largus manat cruor ora redundant Et patulae nares sudor rubet omnia plenis Membra fluunt venis totum est pro vulnere corpus His teares were bloud his hart was full of sorrow non vllus dolor sicut dolor suus Lament As Niobe saith Nec similis toto moeror in orbe fuit no griefe in all the world like vnto his griefe his whole life being but a map of sorrow and his whole body wholly wounded so that the remembrance hereof is so powerfull and effectuall to the godly that nihil adeo graue quod non aequanimiter toleratur si Greg. in Moral Christi passio in memoriam reuocetur they thinke nothing too much to doe nor any thing too great to suffer for his sake that suffered so much for them Yet this cursed and wretched world these generations of vipers doe tread vnder seet the Sonne of God and count the bloud of the Testament as an vnholy thing and despise the spirit of grace and therefore the blessed Apostle telleth the Church of Philippi weeping that They are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose God is their belly Philip. 3. 18. 19. whose glory is their shame whose end is fearefull damnation and this very reason S. Iohn toucheth when he saith that Christ came into the world and the world receiued him not but did vnto him what pleased them Iohn 1. 11. 3. Because that although the Saints and seruants of God haue done them no hurt for Iustus quid fecit What hath the righteous done yet they despise them and trample them vnder feet as the clay in the streets dementia insanabilis their rage is implacable faciunt vnitatem contra vnitatem they conspire together against the godly and especially against the Ministers of Christ whose preachings are accounted but as Cassandraes prophesies and themselues deemed worse then Iustinians orators And our Sauiour obiecteth these three reasons against the Iewes 1. Ye are of your father the deuill Iohn 8. 44. and the will of your father ye doe 2. How often would I haue gathered you and ye would not heere is contempt against himselfe 3. Thou killest the Prophets and stonest Luk. 13. 34. them that are sent vnto you heere is crueltie against his Ministers and therfore as they regard not to know God so Rom. 1. 28. God regards not them but giues them ouer vnto three fearefull traditions 1. To the lust of a wicked heart 2. To most vile and base affections And 3. To a reprobate sence to doe those things that are not conuenient whereby it comes to passe that all of them impiè viuendo fictè sperando iustè desperando miserè pereunt by liuing most wickedly and yet hope for pardon all their life but despaire of
spittles 4. In his taste the bitternesse of gall 5. In his sight the effusion of teares his friends bewayling his foes exulting and all forsaking him 2. In his minde such thoughts and sorrowes as cannot bee conceiued much lesse by men any waies expressed and all this was done for vs and for our sake vt iniusta mors iustam vinceret mortem that hee being vniustly put to death as iniustus cum iniustis ex iniustis causis by the vniust with the vniust and for vniust causes hee might iustly deliuer vs from that iust death which wee deserued And therefore if wee behold this man of sorrow and say Quae sunt hae plagae quae sunt haec vulnera Christe What stripes or wounds bee these O blessed Christ hee will answer Et plagae sunt haec vulnera quaeque tua All these are onely thine tibi natus tibi passus tibi mortuus for I was borne for thee to suffer for thee and to dye for thee and if thou wouldst know the impulsiue cause heereof and say Si mea cur tua diripiunt tua viscera Christ◠Hee will answer Loue is the onely cause heereof O amor his plagis membra cruent at amor his loue to man is the cause of all these things And all these things are sufficient arguments to shew the superabundancie of his loue to man aboue all other creatures whatsoeuer and therefore in many places this great loue of God is shewed with notes of incomprehensiblenesse as so God loued the world so as it cannot be expressed and againe behold what manner of loue the father hath shewed vnto vs that we should be called the sonnes of God And yet heere we must vnderstand that this loue of God to mankinde is twofold 1. common to the iust and vniust Bern. Serm. 14. de coena domini 2. speciall to the Elect onely in whom the loue of God doth more manifestly appeare and vpon whom hee bestoweth all the benefits of his loue And of these also hee loueth some The holier we are the dearer God loues vs. better then others for there bee three sorts of Elects 1. Some whom God hath decreed to iustifie but as yet are not regenerate as Paul while he was a Persecutor 2. Others in whom regeneration is inchoated and the reliques of sinne remaining as the Saints in earth 3. Others in whom perfect obedience is effected and their sanctification fully accomplished as the Saints in heauen He loueth the first wel the second better but the third best of al for the holier we be the neerer vnto his image the dearer wee are beloued of him and therefore hee saith diligentes me diligo I loue them that loue me and I will shew mercie on them that keepe my commandements as if hee should say I loue all men well but I loue them especially aboue all men that loue me and keepe my commandements And this S. Augustine sheweth most excellently Aug. tom 9. in Ioh. saying Omnia diligit Deus quae fecit inter ea magis diligit creaturas rationabiles de illis eas amplius quae sunt membra vnigeniti sui multo magis vnigenitum God loueth all that hee made and among them hee chiefly loueth his reasonable creatures that is men and of all men the members of his sonne and his sonne himselfe aboue them all Now these things being thus made manifest what the loue of God is how farre it extendeth and how hee loueth all creatures it is easie enough to know whom the Apostle meaneth by the beloued of God not those that he loued best for they were in heauen and not in Rome nor those that he loued least because they liued in their sinnes but those that were regenerated and sanctified in some measure as the next words doe declare called to be Saints De 2. The Apostle in these few What lessons wee may learne from this doctrine of the loue of God words doth giue vs to learne many things but especially 1. A confutation of heretiques 2. A consolation for Christians 3. A manifold instruction for all men in their liues and conuersations 1. Seeing the Apostle doth not call them diligentes Deum the Louers of God or those that loue God though they did so too but dilectos Dei beloued of God or those whom God did loue hee sheweth hereby that the loue The loue of God to vs is the cause of all our goodnesse of God is the primary and efficient cause of our sanctitie and goodnesse and not our goodnes the cause of his loue and therefore this confuteth the Doctrine of humane merit and the foggie mist of the Pelagian heresie fayning fancying certaine causes without God as the Schoole-men speake that is not subsisting in God himselfe but externally mouing the will of God to determine and dispose of sundry things As if the workes of men foreseene of God and not the loue of God to men were the cause why hee elected and called them vnto sanctity that not his loue and grace to vs but our good vsing of his grace should bee the cause why he bestoweth his grace vpon vs. A doctrine cleane contrary to the order of this Scripture and indeede contrary to all truth for our Sauiour telleth his disciples you haue not chosen Ioh. 15. mee but I haue chosen you and ordained that you should bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remaine Whereupon S. Augustine most excellently hic vacat vana illorum ratiocinatio S. Aug. Tract 86. in Iohan. qui praescientiam Dei defendunt contra gratiam Dei this confuteth their vaine babling which defend the prescience of God to the derogation and preiudice of the grace of God For if God did therefore chuse vs because he did foresee know we would be good then he did not choose vs to make vs good but rather we choose him in purposing to be good but our Sauiour saith you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and the Apostle sheweth that Eph. 1. 4. God did not choose vs because hee foresaw wee would bee holy but hee chose vs to the end we might be holy and that he did not predestinate vs vpon the fore-sight of the good vse of our free will but according to the good pleasure of his owne will quae omnium quae sunt ipsa est causa And therefore nullum eligit dignum S. Aug. contra Iul. pelag li. 5. c. 3. sed aligendo efficit dignū God did chuse none because he was worthie but God maketh him worthy because he chuseth him neither doth he loue any of vs because we loue him first but therefore 1 Iohn 4. 19. we loue him because he loued vs first for if he had neuer loued vs we could neuer haue loued him his loue therefore to vs is the cause of our loue to him and of all other our goodnesse and not our loue and goodnesse the cause
moued the righteous Iudge to pittie vs and so the Psalmist saith recordatus God pittieth our infirmities est quia caro he remembreth that we are but dust and therefore pittieth vs and sendeth his grace into our hearts that so by the assistance of that grace we may doe all things as the Apostle speaketh we may rise from sinne we may doe good and perseuere in good vnto our end By this therefore we may perceiue from whence all things doe proceede 1. All good from grace 2. All euill for want of grace And therefore if there be any goodnesse All good proceeds froÌ„ grace any vertue in any of vs hoc totum gratiae semper reputa we must ascribe all to grace and say with the Apostle by the grace of God I am that I am for without his grace I was a persecuter and that I now preach and labour more abundantly then the rest it is not I that doe it i. of my selfe alone that doe it but the grace of God that is in me So should euery one of vs confesse the like that euery one which reioiceth may reioice in the Lord for whatsoeuer good is in vs the same is only from God and the grace of God a good thought is gratia infusa a good word is gratia effusa and a good act is gratia diffusa On the other side if any man committeth The want of grace is the cause of all euill sinne if he comes to an vnhappy end it is because he wanted grace and therefore beloued brethren as the Apostle in the beginning of euery Epistle wisheth grace vnto the parties to whom he writeth and concludeth euery Epistle with the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all and so make grace the α and the ο the first thing the last thing and the chiefest thing he desireth so should we before all things and aboue all things desire grace vnto our selues and to our children for quando ignorabam gratia me instruxit Bernard quando steti me tenuit quando cecidi me erexit quando veni me suscepit If we be ignorant grace will instruct vs if we stand grace will hold vs if we fall grace will raise vs if we come vnto God grace will receiue vs and if we want any thing grace will supply it O therefore sweet Iesu grant vs all thy grace De 4. Touching the certaintie or assurance of grace we must consider these two points 1. Of the being or hauing of it 2. Of the continuing or not leesing of it De 1. If want of grace be so lamentable Many thinke theÌ„selues too sure of grace wheÌ„ as indeed they haue no grace as I shewed you before it is a point most requisite to examine whether we haue sauing grace or not Many indeed are so sure of grace that they grow carelesse to seeke for grace for as multi ad veritatis cognitionem peruenissent nisi se iamdudum peruenisse putassent many might haue attained to learning but that they thought themselues learned enough so it may be these men would seeke for grace but that they thinke they haue grace enough but I feare me many of these will proue themselues like those that dreame they are at a pleasant banquet and when they awake their soules are fainting for hauing slept their sleepe they finde nothing in their hands And therefore they should take heed vnto themselues lest they deceiue themselues sub specie recti fallit enim vitium specie virtutis vmbra for nature many times will counterfet grace as the Magitians of Egypt counterfeited Moses and it is the policie of Satan to make nature play the part of an Ape to imitate grace in good things as Pharaoh Saul Ahab and such like to faine repentance when as they were hypocrites to make them carelesse in seeking for grace by perswading them through these fained shewes that they are sure enough of grace It is a strange thing to consider the Lucan l. 1. deceitfulnesse of mans heart nondum tibi defuit hostis man neuer wanted enemies yet none greater enemie to man In some things man is the greatest enemy to himselfe then himselfe in te verte manus he deceiues his owne selfe yea many times in matters of greatest waight in the chiefest points of his owne saluation And therefore that wee may not wholly deceiue our selues herein but somewhat vnderstand our owne estate we must consider that a thing is known three waies 1. Certainly 2. Reuealedly 3. Experimentally De 1. To know a thing infallibly is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know the first Arles 1. Mâ—â—aph cause but the first cause of grace is God himselfe and his only will is the cause why he giueth it to one and denieth it to another and therefore because God is great exceeding our capacities and Iob 36. his councels are vnsearchable for who hath knowne the minde of the Lord the Schoolemen doe most constantly auerre that à priori from the first cause we cannot possibly know the certaintie of the presence or of the absence of Gods Thom. 1. 2 ae q. 112. ar 5. Iob 9. grace in vs according to that of Iob Si venerit ad me non videbo eum si abierit non intelligam and they render three reasons to proue it expedient that we should not know it 1. That the feare of Gods iudgements might humble vs. 2. That presumptuous securitie should not ouerthrow vs. 3. That we should watchfully and earnestly desire and expect grace and seeke for the same as for siluer De 2. A man may know his estate the certainty of hauing grace by reuelation as S. Paul did when the Lord told him sufficit tibi gratia mea my grace shail be sufficient for thee De 3. A man may know the certaintie of hauing grace by experience i. by the effects and fruits of grace that he perceiueth in himselfe and this is the only way that we doe or may know that we haue any grace Now the fruits of grace are many S. Bernard reckoneth three 1. The hatred of sinnes past Bern. in l. de lib. arbit 2. The contempt of present vanities 3. The desire of future felicitie Whosoeuer findeth these things in How we may know whether we haue grace or not himselfe may assure himselfe they proceed from grace And Aquinas saith that whosoeuer doth beleeue in God delight in Christ despise the world and hate his sinnes he may assure himselfe he hath the grace of God and what can we say more then this or what can any man say lesse then this for the tree must be knowne by the fruit saith our Sauiour and therefore the knowledge of hauing grace is not by any presumptuous supposition but by a diligent examination of hauing the same by the fruits of the same and thus we say that a man may know the certaintie of his estate by the fruits of grace 1. By the
true knowledge of our selues teacheth vs the insufficiencie the meanesse and the basenesse of our selues to pull downe all pride and to teach vs all humilitie But nature alone can neuer doe this for when we see the Salust lib. 1. excellencie of mans nature aboue all other creatures hee of all other indued with a reasonable soule adorned with excellent vertues and beautified both in bodie and minde aboue all other creatures whatsoeuer hee is so farre from humilitie that hee is puffed vp with pride and haughtinesse And therefore wee ioyne another apothegme that is of such affinitie with the former that the one cānot be well known of vs without the other to be learned of all Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb de praeparat Enangel Know God For both must be knowne or neither can be knowne and therefore a certaine Indian Gymnosophist comming to Athens to discourse with Socrates about the studie of wisdome and hauing asked him how a man might become wise and Socrates hauing answered by considering how a man should rightly liue he somewhat smiling thereat answered with that elegant sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no man can truly learne to know humane things that is ignorant of diuine things For to what tendeth the knowledge of man and of all the vertues and excellencies of man if he knoweth not God to be the author of all these excellencies it puffes him vp with pride as I said before but when he seeth that although they be in him yet they are not from himselfe but from God then it casteth downe euerie high thing that exalteth 2 Cor. 10. 5. it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringeth into captiuitie all imaginations vnto the obedience of Christ and so from the knowledge of God he comes truly to know himselfe and to vnderstand he hath all good from God and nothing from himselfe and therefore seeing that in these two things grace and peace are contained all happinesse all blessings and all good things as I shewed before and that these doe proceed not from our selues but from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ it teacheth vs these two especiall things 1. Our owne insufficiencie 2. Gods all-sufficiencie De 1. Our insufficiencie is hereby sufficiently shewed that from our selues we haue neither grace nor peace 1. No grace for we are not sufficient 2 Cor. 3. 5. to thinke a good thought this is the least measure of grace For there be seuen degrees of that which is good 1. To thinke a good thought The greatnesse of mans infirmitie 2. To know what is good 3. To will good 4. To speake what is good 5. To begin to doe good 6. To doe good 7. To perseuere in what is good Of all these wee finde not one from our selues For 1. We cannot continue in good but God which began a good worke in vs he must perfect it or else though we doe stand yet are we sure to fall 2. Wee can doe nothing that is good for though to will good should be Rom. 7. 18. present with me yet bonum persicere non inuenio I finde no meanes to performe it saith the Apostle And therefore Homer and other Heathen writers that relate the stories of the brauest Heroicks of the world doe shew that although they were indued with most valiant mindes and their mindes with heroike resolutions yet that they could bring no great good nor any singular exploit to passe vnlesse the Gods gaue them power to effect the same And so our Sauiour sheweth Sine me nil potestis facere Without mee you can doe nothing And the Prophet Esay confesseth that it is the Lord which Esay 26. 12. hath wrought all our works for vs or in vs as the vulgar Latine hath it 3. We cannot begin any thing that is good for it is God that doth begin a Philip. 1. 6. good worke in vs saith the Apostle 4. We cannot speake any thing that is good for Non vos estis qui loquimini It is not you that speake and therefore though a man should purpose good speech in his heart yet the answer Prou. 16. 1. of the tongue commeth from the Lord. 5. We cannot will any thing that is good for it is God that worketh in you Phil. 2. 13. both the will and the deed saith the Apostle 6. Wee cannot vnderstand any good thing for the naturall man vnderstandeth not the things of the Spirit of God 7. Wee cannot so much as thinke any thing that is good for the Lord knoweth the thoughts of men that they are vaine and that continually and therefore S. Augustine doth well obserue that our Sauiour doth not say Sine me Aug. in Joh. 15. nil magnum difficile without me you can doe no great matter but without mee you can doe nothing i. not the least not the lowest degree of good Yea this is not only to be vnderstood of a meere naturall man but euen of the best regenerate men for after that the Apostle had asked the question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is sufficient for 2 Cor. 2. 16. these things he answereth of himselfe and of the rest of the Apostles Not we because of our selues we are not able 2 Cor. 3. 5. to thinke a good thought and so our Sauiour spake vnto his Disciples and followers that they could doe nothing without him not that others could doe nothing without him And so you see that the best of vs cannot be the authors of the least measure of grace not so much as a graine of mustard seed 2. As not of grace so nor of peace Man can effect no peace nor of any kinde of peace For 1. being fallen away from God he could neuer reconcile himselfe to God againe debuit sed non potuit he ought indeed saith S. Bernard but he could not doe it all the wit of man could neuer deuise the meanes nor all his power could euer effect it 2. Being at warre with God he could neuer worke his peace with man for the strongest doth not alwaies Eccles 9. 13. carry away the battell but it is the Lord that giueth the victorie to whom he please 3. Being vnable to make outward peace with men he is farre more vnable to worke an inward peace with his owne soule for the spirit of man can beare his infirmities but a wounded spirit who can beare Aiax could indure all brunts of forraine foes but his owne discontented minde hee could not beare nor reconcile himselfe vnto himselfe and so you see mans insufficiencie in that he can be the author neither of grace nor peace De 2. Gods all-sufficiencie is hereby Gods al-sufficiencie seene in that he is the author both of grace and peace For 1. the Schoolemen say that nothing in the world can bee the efficient Raynerius in tit gratia cause of grace but only God for that grace doth change the minde and the
will of the reasonable creature and prepare the same that it may will that which is good but nothing can effectually change the will of man but he that made the will and therefore if there be any aptnesse or preparation in man for the receiuing of grace that very aptitude is through the helpe of grace for no man commeth to me vnlesse my Iohn 6. Father draw him saith our Sauiour i. no man hath any vertue or abilitie in himselfe to come to me but only by the helpe of those graces that my Father giues him for that euery good and Iames 1. perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights And therefore though the heathens All the good we haue are gifts from God out of their ignorance called their virtues and good qualities which they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of hauing as though they had them from themselues yet we that are better instructed in Gods truth doe call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gifts from God for we say that no men are worthie but such as are made worthie none good but such as are made good none meete but such as God the Father Coloss 1. 12. hath made meete to be pertakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light because as Iohn Baptist saith a man can receiue nothing except it be giuen him from aboue and therefore we say that the very thoughts of our hearts if they tend to good are from him that infuseth Thom. 1. 2 ae q. 76. art 2. all grace immediatly as saith Aquinas i. from God the Father c. Hereby we see that God giues grace and glorie and that he is the fountaine of all grace Iuvat integros accedere fontes Atque haurire Lucret. l. 1. p. 24. And therefore wee should goe to the spring head to seeke for grace Nam licet allata gratus sit sapor in vnda Dulcius ex ipso fonte bibuntur aquae For there is the surest drawing there is the sweetest drinke and although the grace of God before the comming of Christ quasi in vase aliquo Ambrose claudebatur was like an ointment kept close in an Alablaster box yet now vt vnguentum effusum it is like an ointment powred out or though before it was vt fons signatus as a fountaine locked vp yet now vt fluuialibus vndis Exstumuit torrens fluit acrius amne perenni Like a violent floud-streame it floweth more generally ouer the face of all the earth to renue it then Noahs floud did to destroy it and therefore vir bonus haurit gratiam euery good man will come vnto this springing well to draw grace from this fountaine of grace Ideo enim lex data est vt gratia quaereretur Aug. de spirit lit gratia data est vt lex impleretur for to this end was the Law giuen that that wee should earnestly seeke for grace and grace is giuen that we might keepe and fulfill the Law 2. As he is the sole authour of all grace so of all peace 1. With himselfe for he himselfe hath wrought our peace with himselfe and therefore it is called the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding and we pray for that peace which the world cannot giue vs nor any thing in the world purchase vnto vs for the Lord will not be pleased with a thousand of Rammes nor with tenne thousand rivers of oile nor yet with the fruits of our bodies for the sinnes of our soules it will cost vs more to redeeme our soules then that it must be the pretious bloud of Iesus Christ 2. It is he that worketh our peace God worketh each kinde of peace with men that worketh each kinde of peace among all sorts of men for he maketh warres to cease he knappeth the speare in sunder be breaketh the sword the shields and the battell he maketh men to be of one minde in a house and so he maketh peace in our borders peace in our houses peace in all places and filleth vs with the fruits of peace health wealth and prosperitie to teach vs that he is not only the author of inward and spirituall graces but also of all outward peace and temporall blessings For as the image of a Prince is seene as well in a penny as in a piece of greater price so we may see the goodnesse of God as well in the things of this life as in the things that concerne eternall life and therefore our Sauiour teacheth vs to pray not only for the inestimable things of eternall life vt adueniat regnum that his kingdome come but also for the meanest things of this mortall life that he would giue vs our daily bread Yet some haue doubted whether these outward temporall things be good or not and some Diuines haue doubted whether wee may pray for temporall things as Barrad sheweth vpon those words All these things shall be cast vnto you but wee are resolued by our Sauiours testimonie If you that are euill can giue your children Luke 11. good things for that is not only good quod facit bonum which maketh a man 1 Iohn 3. good but that also de quo fit bonum whereby a man may doe good saith S. Augustine and therefore albeit riches honours doe not alwaies make a man good yet because a man may doe alwaies good with them we say they are good and giuen only of God And so they that haue no fruits of grace are compelled to subscribe that the fruits of peace come from God for when they see themselues destitute of them and by all their wits are vnable to procure them then they crie out quis ostendit nobis bona who can shew vs Psal 4. any good as if they should say none can doe it vnlesse God doth the same 3. It is he that worketh our peace with our selues for in me you shall haue peace i. such contentment of minde and such firme resolutions that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate you from the loue of God for I will giue you that hidden manna that secret ioyes and sweet contentments that none in the world knowes the excellencies thereof but only they that haue it and so we see these two points sufficiently proued 1. That in our selues there is no goodnesse 2. That from God proceedeth all goodnesse both grace and peace both temporall and spirituall blessing for application then I say that The first point may serue to exclude Rom. 3. 27. our boasting and to teach vs true humilitie to say with Iacob I am not worthy Gen. 37. of the least of thy blessings with Iohn Baptist I am not worthy to vntie the latchet Matth. 3. of thy shooe with Paul I am not worthy 1 Cor. 15. to