them that trust in his mercie That he hath coÌ„sideration too of y e wicked The face of the lord is against theÌ„ that do euil to cut-off their remeÌ„brance from the earth That he beholdeth y e waies of al men The Lord looketh downe from heauen and beholdeth al the children of men From the habitation of his dwelling he beholdeth al theÌ„ that dwel in the earth euen the euil the good that in euerie place Thou seest therefore first that God doth nowe iudge that thou maist thinke al iustice is not reserued vntil y e time to come Secondlie that God hath an eie vpon the godlie that thou maist note howe hee is charie ouer them Thirdly how his face is against them that do euil that thou maiest vnderstand howe his wrath is kindled a gainst the wicked Last of al howe he beholdeth al men that thou maist know how he neglecteth no man and not giue-out that he winketh at the wicked For he beholdeth the good for their welfare and the euil to their destruction With whoÌ„ looke thou to haue à part who deniest that God beholdeth the waies of meÌ„ And not onely know thou that God doth cleerelie behold thee but acknowledge also that he wil assuredly coÌ„deÌ„ne thee For seing the face of the Lord is against them that doe euil to cut-off their remembrance from the earth of the gouernement of of God it must ensue that thou who through infidelitie deniest the countenance of God must through destruction vnderstand the wrath of the beholder saide Saluianus and so doe I. But the more to preuaile vnto these reasons and testimonies of scripture I wil annexe moste euident examples of the iudgementes of God For if wee into the holie Bible wee shal finde the same to be euen à glasse as it were of God his iudgementes from time to time For our first Parents Adam Euah were expelled out of Paradise through the iustice of God The murther which Kain committed was reuenged through the iustice of God The whole worlde was drowned Babel ouerthrowne Sodome and Gomorh burned Pharao and al his host brought vnto destruction through the iustice of God Againe that Noah and his housholde were preserued Lot with his wife and daughters saued Moses and the Israëlites deliuered it was through the same iustice of God Againe that Dauid in the the deflouring of his wife rauishement of his daughter rebellion of his sonnes banishement from his kingdome defection of his subiectes and in the odious death of his sonne Absolom was punished what was it but the righteous iudgment of God for his sinnes committed against the coÌ„mandements of the Lord In al these examples saith Saluianus what is there not would you see à ruler Lo he both reformeth that which is presently aâ—isse disposeth thinges to come Would you see à seuere iudge Lo he punisheth malefactors Would you see à iust yet à merciful iudg Lo he spareth the innocent Would you see yet à iudge in al thinges Lo here is iudgement For he reproueth as à iudge and gouerneth as à iudge A iudge pronouÌ„ceth sentence à iudge condemneth the guiltie and à iudge rewardeth the innocent Againe saith he And althese thinges Whie Whie but that we should vnderstand that as God hath iudged and punished so he wil euermore And therefore we reade how euen holie men were corrected afore time by the iudgement of God that we should know how God wil iudg vs in this present world Because God as he liueth alwaie so he iudgeth alwaie as his omnipotencie lasteth euer so his righteousnes edndureth and as he is eternal so is his iustice from age vnto age CHAP. 11. Howe God doth iudge mankinde in this present world NOw God iudgeth mankinde in this present world three maner of waies sometime by men by himselfe sometime and somtime both by himselfe and by man too By man diuerslie as by eeclesiastical peesons and by the ciuil magistrate by the worde and power of the one and by the sworde of the other Therefore the worde of the preachers is saide to be the sauor of death vnto death to some and the sauor of life vnto life to others and that which officers of the Church doe binde on earth is saide to be bounde in heauen that which they loose on earth is loosed in heauen and Magistrates for that cause are caled the ordinance of God and saide to execute the iudgements not of man but of the Lorde and are named the ministers of God yea Gods too not simply but for that theie sit in the roome of God here vpon earth So that when either the vengeance of God against obstinate sinners or a gratious pardon vnto the penitent is pronounced or theeues be hanged witches burned traitors quartered malefactors punished when the innocent are desended right mainteined and iustice duelie executed according to the lawes of God it is the iudgement of the Lord. I saie when iustice is executed according to the lawes of God For al the iudgements of men in authority though according to lawes are not the iudgements of God Because manie times both ecclesiastical persons and that by lawe condemne those whom God doth pardon and absolue those whom God doth condemne and temporal gouernours also allowe that by their lawes which God abhorreth So both theeuerie in Lacedemonia publique whoredome in Assyria incest in Persia was coÌ„mon stewes yea and Sodomitrie somtime of yeere at Rome and grosse idolatrie in al places where the Pope hath supreme power is mainteined And therefore magistrates iudging according to such laws are not the ministers of God but of Satan and execute the iudgementes of the diuel not of the Lorde When therefore be magistrates the ministers of God or when doe theie execute his iudgements Surelie when they iudge according to Gods lawes Which lawes of his be either imprinted in the mindes of al and euerie man and are for that cause termed the lawes of nature or else written in the worde of God which is the scripture and are called the Decalog or Ten-commandements Whatsoeuer is by the authoritie enacted contrarie to these lawes it is the law of Satan what is either grounded vpon them or done by them God alloweth the same And such good magistrates and their lawes the Lord so fauoreth that he commandeth them to be obeied as his owne ordenance and that theie maie be duelie put in execution he reueileth hainous malefactors often-times and those whom men by no policie can either get or knowe he by his omnipotencie in his iustice doth descrie Thus come theeues and murtherers commonlie and traitors dailie into the magistrates hande And whie No doubt because the Lord would haue it knowen that he is à righteous and à most iust auenger of enormous crimes and y â— albeit by his almightie power he can
al men shal acknowledge howe there is a God which iudgeth the earth These thinges would the godlie haue continualie in remembrance doubtlesse neither could the prosperitie of the wicked astonish nor their own trouble some cōdition ouerthrow thē as it doth manie times but boldlie both with Paul theie would saie who shal separate vs frō the loue of Christ and with Dauid protest that though theie should walke through the valleie of death yet they wil feare none euil yea they wil not feare though the earth be moued though the mountanes fal into the mids of the sea Because God is with them and hath laide-vp vnspeakeable blessings for them doth great things for them euen before the sonnes of men and in the end too wil aduance them vnto euerlasting glorie honor and peace The wicked also in considering these things must needes be terrefied from much wickednes For the verie diuels when theie remember the iudgements of the Lord do tremble againe Wherefore especialie for other causes I haue elsewhere specified in this my booke both for the comfort of the one sorte and for the terror of the other I haue written this treatise following wherein out of the worde of God I haue proued not onelie that God wil which thing manie Atheistes doe doubt and manie vtterlie denie but also that God presentlie doth iudge this worlde For which causes I haue intitled the same THE GENERAL SESSIONS because there is not a man whom God doth not neither shal there be anie whome he wil not iudge At which iudgement howe he wil deale with vs we are ignorant what he maie do in his iustice we know ful wel And therefore as that good King of an Heathen Prince Philip of Macedon in his cheefe prosperitie thought it the readiest waie to deteine him both from insulting proudlie ouer his vanquished enimies the Athenians and from oppressing tyrannicalie his distressed subiectes the Grecians if he were tolde euerie morning that he was a man and as the noble men of Aethiopia had alwaies whensoeuer there went abrode a crosse and a basen of golde filled ful with earth born before them that the one might put them in remembrance that earth must be resolued into earth and the other renue the memorie of Christ his passion and as the Aegyptians at al their solemne banquets had the image of death laide before their faces that the sight thereof might withdrawe them from defiling themselues with those vices which commonlie doe followe after rioting and bellie-cheere and finalie as S. Ierome whether he did eate or drinke or whatsoeuer he did seemed to heare the terrible trompet sounding vnto iudgement so the readiest waie to please God and to auoide his heauie indignation is in our prosperitie while the euil daies come not euerie morning with Philip to cal into minde that we are men when we are abrode with the noble men of Aethiopia to thinke that we are but earth in our feastinges and triumphes with the Aegyptians to fore-think what we shalbe and with good S. Ierome in whatsoeuer we are doing to remember that a iudgement there must be yea and is neere at hand at which God wil bring euerie worke into iudgement with euerie secrete thing whether it be good or euil For theie which cal into minde what theie haue bine haue theie anie grace wil blush what theie are wilbe humble what theie maie be wil tremble And this treatise Right Honorable I thinke most meete to come from your Honors hands into the world First in respect of my selfe For greatlie I doe knowe and confesse that I haue bine bound vnto your Honor for manie great wordes of encouragement which it hath pleased you to giue me but especialie for that fauour which of late I found at your Honors handes and that when I least looked for the same the Lorde requite you for it and make me thankeful Secondlie in respect of the highnes of your calling For being as you are appointed the chiefest Iusticer vnder God and her Maiestie in this realme mee thinkes none either ought sooner to be a reader or wil more gladlie be a patron of God his iudgements than your Honor. Last of al in respest of their profite who are inferior persons both in the Church and common-weale For sure I am the more your Honor calleth into minde which thing your wisedome cannot be ignorant of the condition of the godlie in this life the more you wil being their special Patron by office administer both comfort vnto them which theie haue neede of and encouragement being manie waies by the wicked which make a praie of them dismaied while there is none almost wil helpe Thus I surcesse beseeching both your Honor in good part to accept these my labors and our Sauiour Christ who is ordeined of God a iudge of quicke of dead euerlastinglie to blesse you the virtuous Ladie your wife with your children and familie The 20. daie of Nouember Anno 1581. At your Honors commandement THO. ROGERS Faultes escaped Page 8. in the margine read Iauel Epit. p. 29. in the margine r. z Gal p. 31. line 3. r. doe theie p. 31. l. 11. r. nevv heauen p. 73. in the margine r. Smetonius p 74. l. 17. read by authoritie p. 88. in the margine r. g. Gen. 6. 3. The contents 1 THAT it is not onelie comfortable for the godlie to heare but also commendable for euerie Christian reuerendlie to entreat of the second comming of our Sauiour Christ. 2 Whether there shalbe an end of this world à resurrection of the flesh and à general iudgment or no. 3 Against such as thinke how the world neither had beginning nor shal haue an end 4 Against them which allowe the beginning but denie the end of this world 5 Against the Manichies and their adherenets who saie there shalbe no general iudgement nor resurrection of mankinde 6 Against H. N. or the Familie of loue who thinke that nowe the daie of iudgement is come 7 Against the fauourers of Hymeneus and Philetus who saide that the Resurrection is alreadie past 8 Against the Saturnians Valentinians c. who denie the resurrection of the flesh 9 That vndoubtedlie there shalbe à general iudgement of al flesh 10 Whether God doe iudge this present worlde or no. 11 Howe God doth iudge mankinde in this present world 12 Whether al the wicked be iudged in this world and whie these are suffered in the opinion of man to florish 13 Causes whie the godlie are afflicted 14 That the godlie deseruedlie for their sinnes are punished 15 That none be perfectlie righteous in this world 16 Whether the sainctes in this world endure greater affliction than other men and whie theie doe so 17 Where the bodies and soules of men doe remaine vntil the daie of iudgement FINIS CHAP. 1. That it is not onelie comfortable vnto the godlie to heare but also commendable for euerie Christian reuerendlie to
iudgement shalbe pronounced against al the wicked Furthermore wars famine pestilence afflictiō al temporal corporal punishments in common weales what are theie but arguments of euerlasting torments to come for sinne and wickednes after the general iudgement Finalie we are to beleeue y t the lawes of God were not giuen out in vane but that God as he requireth an exact performance of them so if hee find not y e same he wil seuerely punish y e transgressors according as it is written Curssed be he that cōfirmeth not al the words of this Law to do them Wherbie it maie be gathered thē an vniuersal iudgemēt must come wherin this cursse shalbe executed vpon y e wicked the righteous receiued into y e felowship of y e saints And as that Moral Lawe of Moses was not giuen-out in vane so neither hath God written the same in the minde of euerie man in vane For so manie as haue sinned without the Law saith Paul shal perish also without the Law and so maine as haue sinned in the Law shalbe iudged by the Law For when the Gertiles which haue not the Lawe doe by nature the things conteined in the Lawe theie hauing not the Lawe are à Law vnto themselues which shewe the effect of the Lawe written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts accusing one another or excusing At that daie when God shal iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ according to my Gospel In which wordes of Paul it is euident that as the wicked shal perish for breaking of the Law of God whether it bee the written Lawe or of Nature so is the time expressed when destruction shal come vppon the wicked namelie when God shal iudge the secrets of mē by Iesus Christ. There shalbe therefore à general iudgement CHAP. 10. Whether God do iudge this present world or no. BVt one perhaps wil saie yea I thanke God I vtterlie detest al such as either doubt-of or anie waie denie the general iudgemēt to come I beleeue it shal come and I praie God it maie come this weeke before the next For doubtlesse wee had neede of à iudgement wee haue lacked iustice à great while too to long hath god neglected his seruants too to long hath he winked at the vngodlie and suffered his faithful children either with pouertie or with infamie or with slauerie or with per secutiō or with one crosse or other to be afflicted where-as the wicked theie doe continue for riches welthie for health lustie for auctoritie of countenance euerie waie at their hearts ease florishing iocunde and happie This I knowe manie doe thinke and some comparing the state of the godlie in this world and of the wiked together wil not let to saie so much not considering that by such words they vtter out as dangerous and damnable opinions as anie of them are which they doe detest Wherefore albeit when I tooke this discourse in hand I thought not to handle this question yet because I see both how it springeth of y e premises is also very needful to be discussed in these wicked daies and the handling thereof beside wil much confirme the mindes of the weake aduance the glorie of almightie God I wil alleage such proofes for the affirmatiue part as no cause I hope shalbe left of doubting whether GOD hath care of this seruants or doe iudge mankinde in this world Thou therefore who saiest God hath no care of the godlie in this worlde answere I praie thee is hee their father If thou saiest No thine wordes shal condemne thee For thou saiest in thy daielie praier O our Father If thou saiest Yea then hath he à fatherlie affection toward his children For can a woman forget her childe and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe Though theie should forget yet wil not God forget his children God then doth not forget naie he cannot but haue à care of the godlie because they are his children If therefore without great follie it cannot bee saide that earthlie fathers wil neglect their children without extreme folishnesse thou canst not saie God neglecteth the godly because he is their father Againe is he their Lord If thou saiest No whie dost thou serue him whie dost thou feare him whie doest thou dreade his displeasure if thou saiest yea then doth he gouerne and if he gouerne hee doeth iudge For where à gouernement is there is also administration of iustice If therefore without great absurditie it cannot be denied y t he is à Lord without foule absurdities thou canst not deny that he iudgeth because he is a Lord. If thou saiest he is à Lord but in litle he doth not the office of à Lorde he executeth no iustice in sayeng so thou bewraiest thy madnes For what realme naie what towne naie what house naie what one man can prosper without à gouernour For an house without an inhabiter commeth quicklie to decare à ship without à master goeth to warcke and à bodie without à soule cannot liue and do wel So Lactantius Then if smal things in the iudgemēt of the wise must needs be gouerned the whole worlde is gouerned and if gouerned then iudged For hee that is à gouernour is a iudge If therefore without meere madnesse it cannot bee saide that smal thinges can continue without gouernours it is extreme madnesse to saie God iudgeth not the worlde because he is gouernour of the same He gouerneth the world thou wilt say but hee iudgeth not among men for the innocēt are oppressed of the wicked But listen can God thinkest thou iudge the whole worlde and yet not iudge à part Or wil he gouerne things senselesse and liuelesse and neglect reasonable men Againe if he be à iudge and yet doe no iustice what doest thou make him but à rechles careles person one that fetteth al at sixe and seuen not caring which end goeth-forward which thing thou canst not conceiue in thy mind much lesse report without great impudencie and assure thy selfe God wil not hold thee giltlesse for thinking so of him who is onelie wise Last of al I aduise thee O mā take heed what thou saiest for if thou grant as thou canst not denie that God iudgeth al men and yet saiest the innocent are punished or oppressed without iust cause whie and the wicked cherished then is he not à righteous iudge and if not righteous then à tyran which is blasphemie be it either thought or spoken Wherefore laie thine hand vpon thy mouth These are good reasons thou confessest If they bee they wil perswade thee bee thou à reasonable man Happilie thou lookest for scripture Wouldst thou haue it proued that God doth iudge God is the iudge of the whole world He sitteth in his throne and iudgeth right That God hath care of y e godly Behold the eie of the Lorde is vpon thē that feare him vpon
hath no power but from God Which power notwithstanding the Lorde alwaies doth moderate that of his malice he cannot afflict more than the wil of God is he shoulde This maketh the godlie neither to feare the power nor to set à rushe by Sathan for al his malice Because he can do nothing but by sufferance God also himselfe doth bring the godlie into troubles and that as afore I said partlie of his wisedome and partlie of his iustice In his wisedome he doth correct them for diuers ends First to trie whether theie are such indeede as theie would seeme to be For manie doe both thinke themselues and are thought also to be valiant Christians who in the time of tentation are but verie cowardes And therefore as when warre is hot men are proued whether theie haue hearts or no So affliction sheweth who is the faithful Christian. For God proueth them and findeth them meete for himselfe He trieth thē as gold in the fornace receiueth them as à perfect fruite offering He hideth himselfe oftentimes and turneth-awaie his face but not in wrath It is to trie not to destroie them Yet trieth he not Christians the better to know them himselfe For he both knew them before theie were fashioned in the wombe and continnalie beholdeth the secretes of mans hearte But that both theie them selues others also should see what theie are Secondlie to bring them into his feare Because in prosperitie euen the righteous oftentimes forget the Lord but in aduersitie theie remember him For as the starres do shine in the night but in the day time are not seene so the virtues of men which in prosperitie appeare not in aduersitie are most glorious to beholde And then theie see both the frailtie of their owne nature and theie acknowledge it and the vnspeakable mercie of God and theie commende it and the general miserie of mankinde and theie bewaile the same This made the Prophet to saie In the daie of my trouble I sought the Lorde my sore ranne and ceased not in the night my soule refused comfort I did thinke vpon God and was troubled I praied and my spirite was ful of anguish Againe Lord in trouble they haue visited thee theie powred-out à praier when thie chastening was vpon them And againe Before I was afflicted I went astray but nowe I keepe thie worde It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I maie learne thie statutes Thirdly y ◠they may be like vnto Christ and that partelie because he is their eldest brother Nowe no reason is it that the yonger brethren should haue greater preheminence then the eldest so longe as he is good But Christ their eldest and good brother suffered and so entered into his glorie wherefore the yonger and wicked of necessitie must looke for troubles For otherwise theie are neither the sonnes of God nor the heires annexed with Christ Partlie for that he is their master But he was persecutde and hated Therfore they are to looke for persecution and harted For the seruant is not greater than his master but à greate praise is it for seruantes rightlie to follow the steppes of their Lordes It sufficeth the disciple to be as his master and for the seruant to be as his Lorde And partlie because theie are commanded to follow his steppes For so saith Peter Here vnto ye are caled For Christ also suffered for vs leauing vs an ensample that we shoulde followe his steppes And Paul If we be dead with him we also shal liue with him If we suffer with him we shal also reigne with him As who should saie If we die not as he did we shal not liue with him and if we suffer not after his ensample temporal affliction we shal not reigne with him in eternal felicitie Fourthlie that both themselues should be assured and others know howe theie are not of the world For God hath chosen them out of the world And therfore theie are hated For which cause the doctrine of the Gospel is caled the word of the crosse and the prouerbe is Crux comes Euangelii The crosse accompanieth the Gospel because the worlde doth persecute the professors of the same not for anie euil which theie doe but for that theie reproue y e works of darknes which thing the worlde cannot abide And therfore theie persecuted the Prophets Apostles and Sainctes of GOD from time to time Then seeing theie protest the same trueth let them prepare themselues vnto the like patience For we must through manie afflictions enter into the kingdome of God And al that wil liue godlie in Christ Iesus shal suffer persecution Fiftlie to put them in mind what they are and whither theie tende For in this world theie are pilgrims and strangers their countrie is heauen Which countrie theie woulde little couet-after enioied theie prosperitie according vnto their heartes desire O death saith Ecclesiasticus howe bitter is the remembrance of thee to à man that liueth at rest in his possessions vnto the man that hath nothing to vexe him and that hath prosperitie in al thinges yea vnto him that is able to receiue meat O death how acceptable is thie remembrance vnto the needeful and vnto him whose strength faileth and that is nowe in the last age and is vexed with al thinges and to him that dispaireth and hath lost patiēce Therfore y ◠Lord knowing this doth in his wisedome crosse afflict his seruants on al sides that theie maie be out of loue both with the world and with the thinges in the worlde and desire as Paule did to be loosed and to be with Christ Sixtelie that it maie appeare howe the godlie doe fauor Christianity and religion not for temporal profit or preferment not for glorie and praise of men or in anie worldelie respect but principalie of meere zeale and duetie to God-ward Seuenthlie that their deliuerance which in the iudgement of mā could neuer come to passe maie assure the consciences of them and others too of God his continual prouidence and presence with his seruantes So doubtles the miraculous deliuerance both of Ioseph out of his troubles of the Israëlites out of Egypt of Dauid out of the handes of Saul of the three yong men out of the consuming fire and of the godlie from time to time out of the cruel pawes of rauening wolues tyrants and oppressors doth not a litle strengthen the mindes of al the godlie in their miseries and confirme their faith touching the continual presence of God with his seruāts at al seasōs Eightlie to shew that intolerable shalbe the paines of the reprobate For if God so afflict his Children howe wil he torment his enimies If he spare not the righteous how wil he punish the reprobate If iudgement begin at the godlie what shal the ende be of them which obeie not the Gospel If the righteous
that respect God onelie is holie and there is none good but one euen God For no man liueth that sinneth not Who then is righteous Euen hee as I said whom it pleaseth God to accept for righteous Who most righteous He that hath the greatest faith and doth least offend Finallie to omit the rest of their arguments thus they argue If the godlie do not obserue the commandements of God no man can fulfil them But the commaundements of God may be fulfilled because God prescribeth nothing to be done of man which is vnpossible to be performed or in vane Therefore the godlie do obserue them How this argument hangeth together I wil not spende time to discusse onelie vnto the minor I saie that the laws of god are to be fulfilled For both y e Saints hereafter being vnloaden from the burden of sinful flesh shal and Christ in the flesh hath kept them not transgressing the lest precept nor any iote of them Notwithstanding that which hee was able to doe man cannot do in this world and yet are the laws of God prescribed to man not in vane Because manifold commodities do spring thereof For first by the Lawe we gather how there is God Because it is vnpossible that those most true and certaine notices touching the difference of honest and dishonest thinges expressed in the law should either be knowen or continue without the prouidence of some God Againe by the Law we may learne the disposition of God as that he is al righteous al holie merciful true c. For seing the seedes and sparcles of those virtues are in the mindes of man and that it is vnpossible that the cause can be worser then the effect it must needes be that the virtues commended to men in the Lawe of God and glitter somewhat in our nature bee most gloriouslie and singularly in God himself Neither may it be doubted but God by his Lawe doth shewe himselfe what he is euen as the ciuil laws of à countrie declare the inclination of those men which made them Againe by the Lawe of God we maie as in a glasse behold to what end man at the first was created or in what à state of perfection our first parentes Adam and Euah were For with such virtues were they adorned yea and with such after the state of this life shal the saints of God be endued withal as the lawe exacteth That is both they did and we shal both knowe God perfectlie and serue him zelouslie and loue him and one another faithfullie hartelie and blessedly Againe by the lawe we may see howe filthilie we are polluted and defiled with sinne Wherefore he that would knowe y e manifold spots wrinckles and corruption of mans nature let him go vnto the looking glasse of God his lawe and he shal easilie perceiue in the mind à darke ignorance of God in the wil à declining from and loathing of true religion in the heart vitious affections in al the members an horrible deformitie Againe by the Lawe we may knowe what an ouglie filthie and abhominable thing sinne is For saith Paul I knewe not sinne but by the Lawe For I had not knowen lust except the lawe had saide Thou shalt not lust Againe by the Lawe we are brought vnto Christ. For the Lawe as noteth Paul was our pettie schoolemaster vnto Christ that we might bee made righteous by Faith But after that faith is come we are no longer vnder a scoolemaster For yee are al the sons of God by faith in Christ Iesus The office of a pettie-schoolemaster or of an Vsher as we cal him is to teach to reforme manners to correct and to bring vnto an head-master Al which the Lawe doth For first it teacheth what God is and of what disposition and what we ought both to do to leaue vndone Secondlie it is a rule for the directing of our life Thirdly it correcteth when it denounceth y e wrath of god against the vnpenitent and condemneth And last of al hauing laid-open the abhomination of sinne and the anger of God it bringeth vs vnto Christ y e headmaster that of him we maie learne howe to pacifie the wrath of his almightie father To conclude for who is able to recite al the benefits which it bringeth by the Lawe of God both euerie priuate man may learne howe to leade à godlie life euerie publike person howe to gouerne aright and euerie state condition and calling of men how to please God For the cause of al enormities both publike priuate is the neglect or forgetting of the holie commandements of the Lord. CAP. 16. Whether the saints in this worlde endure greater affliction than other men and whie they do so THus I trust it is euident that the saints deserue their troubles because theie are sinners But some wil yet againe obiect and saie they deserue not greater troubles in this word because they are not so egregious offenders as others be Of which their obiection it must follow that if they haue more miserie and yet deserue greater mercie that God is both partial in iudging and not al holie for fauoring the wicked But this is an intolerable reproch against the maiestie of god For it is none hard matter to proue that neither the wicked haue more fauor nor the godlie deserue lesse troubles than they do suffer For touching the first point who are more afflicted I praie you theie whose soules doe triumph with ioie though their bodies do smart or they rather whose bodies be at ease and their minds tormented they whom God doth scourge of loue or they whom he spareth of hatred they which in fewe things or they which many waies are punished they which fauorablie are forsaken for a litle while in this world or they which both now in this life seuerelie are and in the time to come shal euerlastinglie be tormented Againe what troubles suffer the godlie but the wicked are made to feele y e same Is it pouertie The wicked are poore Is it sickenesse The wicked be diseased Is it imprisonment The wicked haue not their libertie Is it vnnatural deathes The wicked come vnto them But not so manie wicked men are poore as godlie Who shal be iudge shal magistrates They wil saie for one godlie man that is poore they are troubled with twentie wicked some through vnthriftines some through idlenesse some through falsehoode Which vices no godlie man but doth detest And therefore in reason there must bee moe of the wicked thā of y e godlie in à poore estate But not so manie wicked are sicke as godlie Who shalbe iudge shal the learned Physicions They wil saie for one godlie person that is sicke they are troubled with twentie wicked some through dronkennesse some through gluttonie some through incontinencie Which vices no godlie man but from his heart doth abhorre And therefore moe of