facilitate the exercise of any of the former graces dispositions or habits such as are health strength beauty and all those other Bonae Corporis as also Bona fortunae Honour Wealth Nobility Reputation and the rest All of these euen those among them which seeme most of all to haue their foundation in Nature or perfection from Art may in some sort bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall gifts in as much as the spirit of God is the first and principall worker of them Nature Art Industrie and all other subsidiary furtherances being but second Agents vnder him and as meanes ordained or as instruments vsed by him for the accomplishing of those ends he hath appointed §. 12. Inferences hence The first And now haue wee found out the iust latitude of the spirituall gifts spoken of in this Chapter and of the manifestation of the spirit in my Text. From whence not to passe without some obseruable inferences for our Edification Wee may here first behold and admire and magnifie the singular loue and care and prouidence of God for and ouer his Church For the building vp whereof hee hath not only furnished it with fit materials men endowed with the faculties of vnderstanding reason will memory affections nor only lent them tooles out of his owne rich store-house his holy Word and sacred Ordinances but as sometimes hee filled a Exod. 35.30 c. Bezaleel and Aholiab with skill and wisedome for the building of the materiall Tabernacle so he hath also from time to time raysed vp seruiceable men and enabled them with a large measure of all needfull gifts and graces to set forward the building and to giue it both strength and beauty A Body if it had not difference and variety of members were rather a lumpe than a body or if hauing such members there were yet no vitall spirits within to enable them to their proper offices it were rather a Corps than a Body but the vigour that is in euery part to doe its office is a certaing euidence and manifestation of a spirit of life within and that maketh it a liuing Organicall body So those actiue gifts graces and abilities which are to be found in the members of the mysticall body of Christ I know not whether of greater variety or vse are a strong manifestation that there is a powerfull Spirit of God within that knitteth the the whole body together and worketh all in all and all in euery part of the body §. 13. The second Secondly though wee haue iust cause to lay it to heart when men of eminent gifts and place in the Church are taken from vs and to lament in theirs our owne and the Churches losse yet wee should possesse our soules in patience and sustaine our selues with this comfort that it is the same God that still hath care ouer his Church and it is the same Head Iesus Christ that still hath influence into his members and it is the same blessed Spirit of God and of Christ that still actuateth and animateth this great mysticall Body And therefore wee may not doubt but this Spirit as he hath hitherto done from the beginning so will still manifest himselfe from time to time vnto the end of the world in raising vp instruments for the seruice of his Church and furnishing them with gifts in some good measure meete for the same more or lesse according as he shall see it expedient for her in her seuerall different estates and conditions giuing a Eph. 4.11 13 some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministerie for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all meete in the vnitie of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the stature of the fulnes of Christ. He hath promised long since who was neuer yet touched with breach of promise that he would b Matth. 28.20 be with his Apostles and their successours alwaies vnto the end of the world §. 14. The third Thirdly where the Spirit of God hath manifested it selfe to any man by the distribution of gifts it is but reason that man should manifest the Spirit that is in him by exercising those gifts in some lawfull Calling And so this manifestation of the Spirit in my text imposeth vpon euery man the Necessity of a Calling Our Apostle in the seuenth of this Epistle ioyneth these two together a Gift and a Calling as things that may not be seuered a 1. Cor. 7.17 As God hath distributed to euery man as the Lord hath called euerie one Where the end of a thing is the vse there the difference cannot be great whether we abuse it or but conceale it The b Math. 25.30 vnprofitable seruant that wrapped vp his Masters talent in a napkin could not haue receiued a much heauier doome had he mispent it O then vp and be doing c Math. 20.6 why stand you all the day idle Doe not say because you heard no voyce that therefore no man hath called you those very gifts you haue receiued are a Reall Call pursuing you with continuall restlesse importunitie till you haue disposed your selues in some honest course of life or other wherein you may be profitable to humane societie by the exercising of some or other of those gifts All the members of the Body haue their proper and distinct offices according as they haue their proper and distinct faculties and from those offices they haue also their proper and distinct names As then in the Body that is indeed no member which cannot call it selfe by any other name than by the common name of a member so in the Church he that cannot stile himselfe by any other name than a Christian doth indeed but vsurp that too If thou sayest thou art of the body I demand then What is thy office in the body If thou hast no office in the body then thou art at the best but Tumor praeter naturam as Physitians call them a scab or botch or wenne or some other monstrous and vnnaturall exerescency vpon the body but certainely thou art no true part and member of the body And if thou art no part of the body how darest thou make challenge to the head by mis-calling thy selfe Christian If thou hast a Gift get a Calling §. 15. The fourth Fourthly we of the Clergy though wee may not ingrosse the Spirit vnto our selues as if none were spirituall persons but oue selues yet the voyce of the World hath long giuen vs the Name of the Spiritualtie after a peculiar sort as if we were spirituall persons in some different singular respect from other men And that not altogether without ground both for the name and thing The very name seemeth to be thus vsed by Saint Paul in the 14. Chapter following where at vers 37 he maketh a Prophet
Dutie with the Reasons and extent therof I was eyes to the blinde and feete was I to the Lame I was a Father to the poore Followeth next the third Duty in these words The cause which I knew not I searched out §. 12. The opening of Of which words some frame the Coherence with the former as if Iob had meant to cleare his Mercy to the poore from suspition of Partiality and iniustice and as if he had said I was a father indeed to the poore pitifull and mercifull to him and ready to shew him any lawfull fauour but yet not so as a Ne crederetur quòd faueret eis nimis in preiudicium iustitiae subditur â—ausam Lyran. hîc in pity to him to forget or peruert Iustice. I was euer carefull before I would either speake or doe for him to bee first assured his cause was right and good and for that purpose if it were doubtfull b Ne fortè motupietatis in discretae condescenderem ei in praeiudicium iustitiae Lyran hîc I searched it out and examined it before I would countenance either him or it Certainely thus to do is agreeable to the rule of Iustice yea and of Mercy too for it is one Rule in shewing Mercy that it be euer done salvis pietate iustitiâ without preiudice done to pietie and iustice And as to this particular the Commandement of God is expresse for it in Exod. 23. c Exod. 23.3 Thou shalt not countenance no not a poore man in his cause Now if we should thus vnderstand the coherence of the words the speciall duty which Magistrates should hence learne would be Indifferency in the administration of Iustice not to make difference of rich or poore far or neare friend or foe one or other but to consider only and barely the equity and right of the cause without any respect of persons or partiall inclination this way or that way This is a very necessarie dutie indeed in a Magistrate of iustice §. 13. The Magistrates third Duty Diligence to search out the truth and I denie not but it may bee gathered without any violence from these very words of my Text though to my apprehension not so much by way of immediate obseruation from the necessitie of any such coherence as by way of consequence from the words themselues otherwise For what need all that care and paines and diligence in searching out the cause if the condition of the person might ouerrule the cause after all that search and were not the iudgement to bee giuen meerely according to the goodnesse or badnesse of the cause without respect had to the person But the speciall dutie which these words seeme most naturally and immediately to impose vpon the Magistrate and let that bee the third obseruation is diligence and patience and care to heare and examine and enquire into the truth of things and into the equitie of mens causes As the Physitian before he prescribe receipt or diet to his patient will first feele the pulse and view the vrine and obserue the temper and changes in the body and bee inquisitiue how the disease began and when and what fits it hath and where and in what manner it holdeth him and enforme himselfe euery other way as fully as he can in the true state of the body that so he may proportion the remedies accordingly without errour so ought euery Magistrate in causes of Iustice before he pronounce sentence or giue his determination whether in matters a Omnia iudicia aut distrabendarum controuersiarum aut puniendorum male ficiorum causâ reperta sunt Cic. pro Cecinna iudiciall or criminall to heare both parties with equall patience to examine witnesses and other euidences aduisedly and throughly to consider and wisely lay together all allegations and circumstances to put in quaeres and doubts vpon the by and vse all possible expedient meanes for the boulting out of the truth that so he may do that which is equall and right without errour §. 14. with some instances A dutie not without both Precept and President in holy Scripture Moses prescribeth it in Deut. 17. in the case of Idolatrie a Deut. 17.2 c. See also Deut. 13.14 If there be found among you one that hath done thus or thus c. and it bee told thee and thou hast heard of it and inquired diligently and behold it bee true and the thing certaine that such abomination is wrought in Israel Then thou shalt bring forth that man c. The offender must be stoned to death and no eye pitie him but it must be done orderly and in a legal course not vpon a bare hearesay but vpon diligent examination and inquisition and vpon such full euidence giuen in as may render the fact certaine so farre as such cases ordinarily are capable of b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. 1. ethic 1. certaintie And the like is againe ordered in Deut 19. in the case of false witnesse c Deut. 19.17 c. Both the men between whom the controuersie is shall stand before the Iudges and the Iudges shall make diligent inquisition c. And in Iudg. 19. in the wronged Leuites case whose Concubine was abused vnto death at Gibeah the Tribes of Israel stirred vp one another to doe iustice vpon the Inhabitants thereof and the method they proposed was this first to d Iudg. 19.30 consider and consult of it and then to giue their opinions But the most famous example in this kind is that of King Salomon in 3. King 3. in the difficult case of the e 3. King 3.16 28. two Mothers Either of them challenged the liuing child with a like eagernesse either of them accused other of the same wrong and with the same allegations neither was there witnesse or other euidence on either part to giue light into the matter yet Salomon by that wisdome which he had obtained from God found a meanes to search out the truth in this difficultie by making as if he would cut the child into halfes and giue either of them one halfe at the mentioning whereof the compassion of the right mother betrayed the falshood of her clamorous competitor And wee reade in the Apocryphall Storie of Susanna how Daniel by f Dan. 13.61 examining the two Elders seuerally and apart found them to differ in one circumstance of their relation and thereby discouered the whole accusation to be false Iudges for this reason were anciently called Cognitores and in approoued Authors g Si iudicas cognosce Sen. in Med. 2.2 Cognoscere is asmuch as to doe the office of a Iudge to teach Iudges that one chiefe point of their care should bee to know the truth For if of priuate men and in things of ordinarie discourse that of Salomon be true h Prou. 18.13 See Sirac 11.7 8. He that answereth a matter before he heareth it it is folly and shame vnto him certainly much more
punishing one for another §. 23. Consid. 3. from the distinction of impulsiue Causes ariseth from a third consideration which is this That the children are punished for the fathers sins or indefinitely any one man for the sins of any other man it ought to be imputed to those sinnes of the fathers or others not as to the causes properly deseruing them but onely as occasioning those punishments It pleaseth God to take occasion from the sinnes of the fathers or of some others to bring vpon their children or those that otherwise belong vnto them in some kind of relation those euills which by their owne corruptions sinnes they haue iustly deserued This distinction of the Cause and Occasion if well heeded both fully acquiteth Gods Iustice and abundantly reconcileth the seeming Contradictions of Scripture in this Argument and therefore it will be worth the while a little to open it §. 24. The Impulsiue Cause what it is There is a kind of Cause de numero efficientium which the learned for distinctions sake call the Impulsiue Cause and it is such a cause as a quae principalem efficientem impellit ad efficiendum Keckerm 1. Syst. Log. 10. moueth and induceth the principall Agent to doe that which it doth For Example A Schoolemaster correcteth a boy with a rod for neglecting his booke Of this correction here are three distinct causes all in the ranke of efficients viz. the Master the Rod and the boyes neglect but each hath its proper causality in a different kind and maner from other The Master is the Cause as the principall Agent that doth it the Rod is the Cause as the Instrument wherewith he doth it and the boyes neglect the impulsiue cause for which he doth it Semblably in this iudgement which befell Iehoram the principall efficient cause and Agent was God as hee is in all other punishments and iudgements b Amos 3.6 shall there be euil in the City and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3. here he taketh it to himselfe I will bring the euill vpon his house The Instrumental Cause vnder God was c 4. King 9. Iehu whom God raised vp and endued with zeale and power for the execution of that vengeance which he had determined against Ahab and against his house as appeareth in 4. Kings 9. and 10. But now what the true proper Impulsiue cause should be for which he was so punished and which moued God at that time and in that sort to punish him that is the point wherein consisteth the chiefest difficulty in this matter and into which therefore wee are now to enquire viz. whether that were rather his own sinne or his father Ahabs sinne Whether we answer for this or for that we say but the truth in both for both sayings are true §. 25. Two sorts of impulsiue Causes God punished him for his owne and God punished him for his Fathers sinne The difference only this His owne sinnes were the impulsiue cause that deserued the punishment his fathers sinne the impulsiue cause that occasioned it and so indeed vpon the point and respectiuely to the iustice of God rather his own sins were the cause of it than his fathers both because iustice doth especially looke at the desert also because that which deserueth a punishment is more effectually primarily and properly the impulsiue cause of punishing than that which onley occasioneth it The termes whereby Artists expresse these two different kindes of impulsiue causes borrowed from Galen and the Physitians of a See Keckerm 1. Syst. Log. 10. called by Brulif Causa Dispositiua Excitatiua apud Altenst in dict Causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would be excellent and full of satisfaction if they were of easie vnderstanding But for that they are not so especially to such as are not acquainted with the termes and learning of the Schooles I forbeare to vse them and rather than to take the shortest cut ouer hedge and ditch chuse to leade you an easier and plainer way though it 's something about and that by a familiar example §. 26. explained by a familiar example A man hath liued for some good space in reasonable state of health yet by grosse feeding and through continuance of time his body the whilest hath contracted many vitious noisome and malignant humours It happeneth he hath occasion to ride abroad in bad weather taketh wet on his feete or necke getteth cold with it commeth home findeth himselfe not well falleth a shaking first and anon after into a dangerous and lasting feuer Here is a feuer and here are two different causes of it an antecedent cause within the abundance of noisome and crude humours that is a interìores dispositiones quae irritantur ab externis causis Melancthon causa dispositiua Brulifer causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the euident cause ab extra his riding in the wet and taking cold vpon it and that is Galens b Causa externa irritatrix Melancthon causa excitatiua Brulifer causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let vs goe on a little and compare these causes The Physitian is sent for the sicke mans friends they stand about him and in commeth the Physitian among them and enquireth of him and them how he got his feuer They presently giue him such information as they can and the information is both true and sufficient so farre as it reacheth they tell him the one cause the occasionall cause the outward euident cause Alas Sir he rode such a iourney such a time got wet on his feete and tooke cold vpon it and that hath brought him to all this That is all they are able to say to it for other cause they know none But by and by after some suruiew of the state of the Body hee is able to informe them in the other cause the inward and originall cause whereof they were as ignorant before as he was of that other outward one and hee telleth them the cause of the malady is superfluitie of crude and noisome humours rankenesse of bloud abundance of melancholy tough fleame or some other like thing within Now if it be demanded which of these two is rather the cause of his sicknesse The truth is that inward antecedent cause within is the very cause thereof although perhaps it had not bred a feuer at that time if that other outward occasion had not beene For by that inward hidden cause the body was prepared for an ague only there wanted some outward fit accident to stirre and prouoke the humours within and to set them on working And the parties body being so prepared might haue fallen into the same sicknesse by some other accident as well as that as ouer heating himselfe with exercise immoderate watching some distemper or surfeit in diet or the like But neither that nor any of these nor any other such accident could haue cast him into such a Fit if
the humours had not bin ripe and the body thereby prepared to entertaine such a disease So as the bad humours within may rather be said to be the true cause and that cold-taking but the occasion of the Ague the disease it selfe issuing from the hidden cause within and the outward accident being the cause not so much of the disease it selfe why the Ague should take him as why it should take him at that time rather than at another and hold him in that part or in that maner rather than in another §. 27. and applied to the present Argument From this Example we may see in some proportion how our owne sins and other mens concurre as ioynt impulsiue causes of those punishments which God bringeth vpon vs. Our owne sinnes they are the true a Causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interna antecedens dispositiua hidden antecedent causes which deserue the punishments our fathers sinnes or our gouernours sinnes or our neighbours sins or whatsoeuer other mans sinnes that are visited vpon vs are only the b Causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exterterna irritatrix excitatiua outward euident causes or rather occasions why wee should bee punished at this time and in this thing and in this manner and in this measure and with these circumstances And as in the former Example the Patients friends considered one cause and the Physitian another they the euident and outward he the inward and antecedent cause so respectiuely to Gods Iustice our owne sinnes onely are the causes of our punishments but in respect of his Prouidence and Wisedome our fathers sinnes also or other mens For Iustice looketh vpon the desert onely and so the punishments are euer and onely from our owne personall sinnes as wee learned from our third Certainty but it is Prouidence that ordereth the occasions and the seasons and the other circumstances of GODS punishments Hence may wee learne to reconcile those places of Scripture §. 28. The seeming Contradictions of Scripture which seeme to crosse one another in this Argument In Ezekiel and Ieremy it is said that a Ier. 31.30 Ezek. 18.20 euery man shall be punished for his owne sinnes and that the children shall not beare the iniquitie of the fathers and yet the same Ieremie complaineth as if it were otherwise Lam. 5. b Lam 5.7 Our fathers haue sinned and are not and wee haue borne their iniquities Yea God himselfe proclaimeth otherwise I am c Exod. 20.5 a iealous God visiting the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children Nor only doth he visit the sins of the fathers vpon the children but hee visiteth also the sonnes of Princes vpon their Subiects as d 2. Sam. 24.17 Dauids people were wasted for his sinne in numbring them yea and hee visiteth sometimes the sinnes euen of ordinary priuate men vpon publike societies e Ios. 22.20 Did not Achan the sonne of Zerah commit a trespasse in the accursed thing and wrath sell vpon all the Congregation of Israel and that man perished not alone in his iniquity Now how can all this stand together Yes very well euen as well as in the act of punishing §. 29. how to bee reconciled Gods Iustice and his Wisedome can stand together Marke then wheresoeuer the Scripture ascribeth one mans punishment to another mans sinne it pointeth vs to Gods Wisedome and Prouidence who for good and iust ends maketh choyce of these occasions rather than other sometimes to inflict those punishments vpon men which their owne sinnes haue otherwise abundantly deserued On the contrary wheresoeuer the Scripture giueth all punishments vnto the personall sinnes of the sufferer it pointeth vs to Gods Iustiâ—e which looketh still to the desert and doth not vpon any occasion whatsoeuer inflict punishments but where there are personall sinnes to deserue them so that euery man that is punished in any kinde or vpon any occasion may ioyne with Dauid in that confession of his Psal. 51. a Psal. 51.4 Against thee haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight that thou mightest be iustified in thy sayings and cleare when thou iudgest §. 30. with an exemplary instance thereof Say then an vnconscionable great one by cruell oppression wring as Ahab did here his poorer neighbours vineyeard from him or by countenanced sacriledge geld a Bishopricke of a faire Lordship or Mannor and when he hath done his prodigall heire runne one end of it away in matches drowne another end of it in Tauernes and Tap-houses melt away the rest in lust and beastly sensuality who doth not here see both Gods Iustice in turning him out of that which was so foulely abused by his owne sinnes and his Prouidence withall in fastening the Curse vpon that portion which was so vniustly gotten by his fathers sinnes Euery man is ready to say It was neuer like to prosper it was so ill gotten and so acknowledge the Couetous fathers sinne as occasioning it and yet euery man can say withall It was neuer likely to continue long it was so vainely lauished out and so acknowledge the Prodigall sons sinne as sufficiently deseruing it Thus haue wee heard the maine doubt solued §. 31. The resolution of the â—aine doubt The summe of all is this God punisheth the sonne for the fathers sinne but with temporall punishments not eternall and with those perhaps so as to redound to the fathers punishment in the son Perhaps because the sonne treadeth in his fathers steps perhaps because he possesseth that from his father to which Gods curse adhereth perhaps for other reasons best knowne to God himselfe wherewith he hath not thought meet to acquaint vs but what euer the occasion be or the ends euermore for the sons owne personall sins abundantly deseruing them And the same resolution is to bee giuen to the other two doubts proposed in the beginning §. 32. applied also to the rest to that Why God should punish any one man for another and to the third Why God should punish the lesser offender for the greater In which and all other doubts of like kinde it is enough for the clearing of Gods Iustice to consider that when God doth so they are first only temporall punishments which he so inflicteth and those secondly no more than what the sufferer by his owne sinnes hath most rightfully deserued All those other considerations as that the Prince and People are but one body and so each may feele the smart of others sinnes and stripes that oftentimes wee haue giuen way to other mens sinnes when wee might haue stopped them or consent when wee should haue withstood them or silent allowance when wee should haue checked them or perhaps furtherance when wee should rather haue hindered them that the punishments brought vpon vs for our fathers or other mens sinnes may turne to our great spirituall aduantage in the humbling of our soules the subduing of our corruptions the encreasing of our care the exercising of our graces that