as Hee is louelie and as great puritie is there in His loue as in the perfection of His essence Hee loveth the creature indeede but for Himselfe and therefore most holie in the loue of all in the which He doeth not stay or rest but in the infinite excellencie of His owne goodnesse 2. Extensiuelieâ— that extendeth it selfe to infinite thinges for all that Hee seeth in His essence Hee loveth all these please Him for Himselfe and for His glorie So His Holinesse is a perfection infinitelie lifted vp aboue ours superessentiall and the infinite fulnesse of Holinesse In regard of it all holinesse in the creature howe sublime soever is as it were nothing yea and as it were impuritie even as all power wisdome beautie and excellencie compared to His Power Wisdome c. is as nothing Hence His solemne Style is THE HOLIE ONE Esai 1.4.10.20.17.7.29.19.30.11.12.31.1 c. Hence the Seraphims cry Isai. 6. HOLIE HOLIE HOLIE and the foure Beasts Revel 4.8 rest not day and night saying Holie holie holie LORD GOD All-mightie which was and 〈◊〉 and is to come Which Song the Church from most ancient tymes most devoutlie hath vsed in her Service So sweete and so desirable a voyce is this that it could not breede loathing though it were vttered both day and night say the Fathers in an ancient Councell Hence appeareth howe wonderfull is His Goodnesse that anie wayes accepteth vs dwelling in tabernacles of clay and defiled not onlie with the dust of earthlie thinges but also with the filth of sinne The Heavens are not cleane in His sight and His Angels Hee chargeth with follie Iob 15.15 and 4.18 The Seraphims cover bothâ— their faces and feete before Him Isai. 6. If those heavenlie spirites free from all bodilie tainture attaine not to the puritie which His service might require howe can wee so farre inferiour to them whose foundation is in the dust whose flesh is as it were a mothie garment who dwell continuallie as it were and are trayned vp in sinne as Gregor Nyssen speaketh be pleasant in His sight When all is sayde of the perfection of our holinesse that can bee truelie sayde when wee are propter excellentiam vitae Greg. lib. 12. moral cap. 17. called the Heavens yeâ— are wee not cleane in His sight infinitelie yet are wee distant from that most sublime Light whereof the most pure light heere is but a small ray beame It is much for anie created nature howe pure soever to drawe neare anie way to Him that is onlie bright and shyning and in puritie exceedeth all bodilie and spirituall nature whose Goodnesse is His verie Being as August speaketh Notwithstanding so marvelous is His goodnesse that Hee calleth vs vndefiled and fayre holie and without blame before Him in loue and maketh vs accepted in the Beloved Ephes. 1.4.6 And thus much of Holinesse belonging to GOD as considered in Himselfe I come nowe to the second Branch which is Holinesse belonging to Him considered in His workes and wayes If wee consider GOD in His wayes Holinesse belongeth most perfectlie to Him PSAL. 145.17 The LORD is righteous in all His wayes and holie in all His workes We shall lay this open to you in some measure in these foure degrees The first whether wee consider His workes done by Himselfe alone or with vs there is no blot to be found therin Psal. 5.4 Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickednesse neyther shall evill dwell with thee Saynct Basil in a Homilie of this subject sayeth that it is as great an impietie to affirme GOD to bee the cause of evill as to say with the foole There is no GOD PSAL. 14.1 They both deny GOD to bee good For if Hee bee the cause of evill sayeth hee Hee is not good and if not good then not GOD. GOD and Good are not so neare in name as in nature Therefore sayeth hee in both these there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a denyall of GOD. Hee is not the author of those thinges whereof Hee is the revenger To affirme the contrarie is feralis opionio a detestable tenet sayeth Ambrose It is a most horrible injurie agaynst GOD sayeth Eusebius Therefore Plato commanded that none should bee permitted in the Common-wealth young or olde in sport or earnest to say that GOD is the cause of evill All that Hee made was good GEN. 1.31 And all that Hee maketh is so Hee neyther doeth evill nor desireth it to bee done neyther giveth Hee strength and concurrence for that ende neyther anie way approveth Hee it when done Habak 1.12.13 Art not Thou from everlasting O LORD my GOD my Holie One Thou art of purer eyes than to beholde evill and 〈◊〉 not looke on iniquitie And this is verie true not onelie of actuall but also of habituall evill False and absurd is it which some of the Schoolemen say that GOD may immediatelie and withouâ— concurrence of the second cause infound a vitious habitâ— into the mynde of man For such an habite should be an habituall impelling and inclyning to an evill act in respect whereof GOD might bee sayde to impeâ—â— and vrge vs to sinne which is 〈◊〉 contrarie to His HOLINESSE The second degree is GOD willeth no Vnholinesse in anie condition or for anie ende Evill actions if proceeding from GOD could not bee allowed for anie ende howe good soever For a good ende is not sufficient to make thinges lawfull which are of themselus evill and vnhonest Roâ— 3.8 Evill may not bee done that good may come And this is so true that the good which praesupponeth sinne is not desired by GOD of it selfe It is not the finall cause of permitting of sinne but causa sine quâ— non If sinne bee necessarie to the execution thereof it can not be desired nor intended before sinne Such a good is the remedie of sinne repentance the chastisementes of sinne whether medicinall in this lyfe or of meere revenge in the lyfe to come the exercyse and patience and humiliation of the Sayncts the manifesting of mercie in pardoning or of justice in punishing All these and the lyke which cannot be had without the interveaning of sinne GOD desireth not of themselues neyther seeketh Hee occasion of doing them before sinne Yea of Himselfe Hee desireth that there were never occasion of anie such good though sinne beeing supponed Hee desire and intende them for then they haue rationem boni and are desirable and the execution of them may bee without sinne Hence Hee is sayd to will them not voluntate antecedente but consequente which taketh occasion of vs. Bee it farre therefore from vs to say with some that Hee made our first Parentes hoc consilio vt laberentur of purpose that they might fall because otherwayes say they Hee could not attayne to those principall endes the manifesting of his mercie in saving some and justice in punishing others since Hee could not haue mercie but on the miserable nor justlie condemne
actions as a naturall and necessarie cause and not free it is false For Hee doeth nothing ad extra without Himselfe necessarilie but altogether freelie 2. If you say that GOD willeth not that which is formall in sinne this is not sufficient For by the materiall of sinne wherevnto they say GOD praedeterminateth they vnderstand the actions according to all the conditions and circumstances determining and making it individuall Nowe if GOD bee the cause of this inwardlie moving and praedeterminating our wills to consent therevnto Hee must needes also bee the cause of that which is formall Hence first God forbiddeth that in sin which is materiall as when He forbiddeth to commit adulterie or steale The sense is not Beware heereof that when thou takest another man's goods agaynst his will there bee in that action the privation of rectitude or meralitas malitiae for wee can not hinder this sequell of evill But the meaning is Take heede thou doe not this act wherevnto evill is necessarilie joyned If GOD forbid it and deterre from it can Hee effectuallie praedetermine mee therevnto before all inclination of my will and altogether independentlie from my libertie 2. Man is no other wayes the cause of thaâ— which is formall in Theft or the lyke sinne but by producing the positiue entitie and free act of taking another man's goods Hee willeth not the formall evill yea hee would that this action had beene without it yet doeth hee properlie a morall evill because evill necessarilie cleaveth vnto his action 3. Admitting that Praedetermination great and light temptations should not differ by vehemencie of the object or temptation of the Devill But all the danger should be from this Divine praemotion and impulse which beeing present wee should fall into the lightest and beeing absent should stand in the greatest assaultes All this is so absurd that even some of the Dominicans themselues though they mayntayne Praedetermination in good actions yet they denye it in evill as Franciscus Cumel Disputat ad primam partem primam secundae Thomae pag. 209. If it bee objected That the same absurdities follow vpon the immediate concourse of GOD to the act of sinne though there bee no praemotion or praedetermination I answere 1. That this praemotion is more absurd For 1. The praedeterminantes admit this immediate concurrence and the moving or impelling of the agent besides 2. Praedetermination hath a necessarie and determinate connexion with the act of sinne so that it can not bee joyned with the contrarie act and GOD they say frameth the decree of it of Himselfe and without anie respect to our will But the denyers thereof say That GODS concurrence though immediate is generall indifferent and indeterminate in so farre as the concurrence of GOD in actu primo that is GOD vt paratus ad concurrendum quantum est ex se ex munere causae primae according to His place is readie to cooperate to anie action of the creature whether good or evill This they meane by GOD'S indifferent concourse and not that the action is onelie from GOD secundùm rationem genericam as some doe chyldishlie interpret them And so probablie they teach though the act of sinne in respect of that which is materiall bee from GOD and the creature both yet considered as it is free and in respect of the moralitie founded vpon Libertie it is not from GOD. Vasquez Canus Scotus Vega Raynaud So in a vitall act of vnderstanding or loue though the vitalitie bee one with the entitie of the act yet the vitalitie of the action followeth not the same cause that the entitie thereof doeth For the act of vnderstanding is vitall by reference to that onlie principle from which it inwardlie â—loweth to wit the vnderstanding and yet it receaveth not the whole entitie or beeing from the vnderstanding alone but also from the species and habite which sometymes interveaneth Praedetermination therefore is much more repugnant to Divine Holinesse and innocencie Secondlie Some and those verie learned haue affirmed That the concurrence of GOD to evill actions is not immediate and as they speake identificatus or altogether one with the act it selfe So not onlie Durand and Aureol who denye this kynde of concurrence to anie act but also diverse others albeit saith Vasqu the opinion of Durand and Aureol taking it in the full latitude thereof hath no other patron tamen quod spectat ad actum peccati non videtur ita destituta For amongst the Schoole-men saith hee Antisiod L. 2. Summae Tract 27. C. 3. and Gregorius Arriminensis thinke it probable Diverse also in the tyme of the Master of Sentences were of this mynde as hee showeth Lib. 2. Dist. 37. where hee himselfe also dare not take vpon him to define the contrarie illarum verò sententiarum judicium prudentis lectoris arbitrio relinquimus We leaue it sayeth hee to the prudent Reader to judge which of these two opinions is most true Scotus also thinketh this opinion probable Aristotle was of this mynd sayth Lessius But which is most of all holie Augustine seemeth to haue beene of this mynde concerning evill actions Saynct Hieron Dialog 1. contra Pelag. sayeth Vasquez in the place before cited seemeth to favour this opinion but farre more clearlic August for in his second Booke de Lib. Arbit cap. 20. hee sayeth that motus aversionis which is sinne is not from GOD Ad DEVM non pertinere ne dubites sayeth hee It belongeth no wayes to GOD but to our will Neyther speaketh hee onelie of the defect but also of the act it selfe So in his Booke de perfect justitiae hee sayeth sinne is not res but actus for hee granteth a distinction betwixt these two vnderstanding by res a substance as in diverse other places he doeth therevpon he admitteth that there must bee some other author even of the act of sinne than GOD esteeming it onelie absurd to admit an author alicujus rei that is of some substance beside GOD. So hee playnlie sayeth that the motion it selfe of the will whereby wee sinne is not from GOD. Thou toldest mee sayeth hee also with a strong voyce O LORD in my inner eare howe that it is thy selfe who made all these natures and substances which are not what thy selfe is and which yet haue their being and howe that onelie is not from thee which hath no beeing no nor the will that slydeth backe from thee that art eminentlie vnto that which hath an inferiour beeing because that all such back-slyding is transgression and sinne This I haue insisted so much in to show that there is no necessitie in this philosophicall argument to make vs admit anie thing contrarie to true Divinitie and praejudice of the Sanctitie of GOD. Leaving therefore more curiouslie to search in this manner of GOD'S working I conclude this poynct with holie Augustine speaking of this matter this to wit that sinne is not from GOD
despyse not the Poore when ye look vpon their base and contemptible worldlie estate but rather be readie to helpe them remembering this which the Spirit of God here telleth you That if they die in the Lord they shall one day bee participant of that same Kingdome that same Robe of immortalitie that same Banquet of Angels which yee looke for And therefore holie Augustine checking the disdaynfull and vncharitable carriage of the Rich towardes the Poore wittilie pithilie sayth vnto them Wherfore shall not the Poore eate with thee who shall one day reygne with thee Wherefore wilt thou not giue so much as thy olde Coat to him who shall one day receaue the Robe of immortalitie with thee How is he not worthie of thy Bread who hath obtayned one and the selfe-same Baptisme with thee or of the reliques of thy dishes who is with thee invited to the Banquet of Angels Be not prowde then of your worldlie prerogatiues neyther apprehend such distance or difference betwixt you and the Poore as yee doe The difference which these few worldlie thinges maketh betwixt you and them is but for a short tyme and in things of small moment the matters of greatest consequence God hath made coÌ„mon to rich and poore even the two best thinges that can befall men to wit grace glorie the two worst things to wit sinne and damnation and the two most dangerous things to wit death and judgement The Poore are not excluded from the first two more than the Rich neyther are the Rich exempted from the other two more than the Poore And as for the last two neyther Rich nor Poore can eschew them For it is appoynted vnto men once to die but after this the judgement Such like ye that are poore in this world and rich in faith possesse your soules in patience and bee not grieved because the Rich ye meet vnequall vpon the streets for ye shal meet equall with them aâ— the right Hand of the Iudge Yea if they be not rich towards God and as they are charged 1. TIM 6. rich in good works they shall meet verie vnequall with you in judgement for yee shall haue dominion over them in maâ—utinâ— illo in that morning of Resurrection when by the bright appearance of the Sunne of Righteousnesse these thinges which now are invisible during this night of ignorance shall be brought to light to wit the hid things of darknesse the secret counsels of the heart the mysteries of Gods providence in governing the world and the glorie happinesse and excellencie of the sonnes of God For although we be the sonnes of God yet it doeth not appeare what we shall be that is how happie glorious wee shall bee in the world to come But in that Day it shall appeare to all and the wicked shall see it with vnspeakable grief astonishment shal say of the godlie maÌ„ whom before they despised This was he whom we had sometyms in derision a proverbe of reproach we fools accounted his lyfe madnesse and his ende to be without honour How is he numbred amoÌ„gst the children of God! and his loâ— is amongst the Sayncts Secondlie I say all these who die in the estate of grace are happie whatsoever the cause of their death be that is whether they die as Martyrs for the Lord or as ordinary professors in the Lord. For first as for the matter it selfe although the Martyrs haue an eminent degree of glorie in HeaveÌ„ aboue manie others which the School-men by a barbarous word of their own devysing call aureolam martyrum yet neyther is Blessednesse immediatelie after death appoynted onelie for them even by the confession of our Adversaries nor yet is that wherein the glorie excellencie of martyrdome chiefelie consisteth altogether proper and peculiar to them but in some sort common to other Sayncts The dignitie and excellencie of martyrdom standeth in two things which as Bonaventur sayth doe make vp a compleat martyrdom First in a pious willingnesse or desire to vndergoe whatsoever tribulation yea death it selfe for the testimony of Christ if God should require it Secondlie in the goodnesse of the cause wherfore we suffer For Martyres non facit poena sed causa sayeth holie Augustine it is not the suffering but the cause of suffering which maketh the Martyr Now the cause of suffering is two-fold to wit Causa calamitatis the cause wherfore the calamitie coÌ„meth vpon the Martyr and Causa tolerantiae seu patientiae the cause wherefore he willinglie doeth vndergoe and endure it The dignitie and glorie of Martyrdome dependeth as much from the second as from the first and perhaps more For although a man be persecuted for a good cause that is for professioÌ„ of the trueth yet if the cause or motiue which maketh him to vndergoe persecution be bad perverse as for example If hee suffer onlie or chieflie that he may be praised or admired of men he sheddeth his blood in vayne as Ierome sayth Now to apply all this to the present purpose Manie who doe not actuallie suffer death for the cause of Christ haue in some sort both these two things wherein the glorie dignitie of Martyrdome chieflie consisteth to wit First a pious willingnesse or readinesse to suffer the losse of all things yea of lyfe it selfe for Christ's sake which is a thing so acceptable and gracious in the sight of God that Hee esteemeth this a kynd of dying for His sake And therefore Chrysostome wryting vpon these words ROM 8.36 For thy sake we are killed al the day long we are couÌ„ted as sheep for the slaughter sayeth that although we actually can die but once for the Lord's sake yet God hath granted this to vs that if wee bee readie or willing to die for Him we may by vertue of this our resolution and willingnesse die everie day for Him yea everie day we may die manie tymes for Him and so obtayne not one but manie crowns of Martyrdome herafter Secondlie as for the cause of the ordinarie sufferings of true Christians although in tyme of their troubles or distresses the evill or calamitie doth not always come vpon them for the Lord's sake yet it is for the Lords sake that they patientlie suffer it And wheÌ„ they die although we cannot say that they are put to death for the Lord's cause yet wee may say that they accept of death and suffer willinglie all the pains of it for the Lords cause to wit because it is the Lords will and because they long to bee with Him and consequentlie wee may even say in some sort that they die for the Lord. Hence it is that divers of the Fathers haue exteÌ„ded this glorious title of Martyrdome to those who died not for the cause of Christ as to the blessed Virgine to the penitent Thiefe yea in generall to all Sayncts Next as to the Apostles phrase although the particle
that which did let or impede the present entrance of the godlie man into his Masters joy to wit his guiltinesse of veniall sinnes is removed by Gods gracious condonation in the verie dissolution of his soule his bodie as our Adversaries affirme And perhaps it is so yea that most learned and judicious Divine Doctor FIELD seemeth to haue beene altogether of this mynde But I dare not peremptorlie affirme anie thing in a matter so secret and hid from our knowledge for perhaps the remission of these veniall sinnes preceedeth the moment of dissolution as I haue alreadie marked onelie I maintaine this conditionall Assertion That if those sinnes bee remitted in the instant of death there is no punishmeÌ„t inflicted for them after death I know they will reâ—ly â—â—at although these sinnes bee pardoned yet the whole punishment due vnto them is reserved and no wayes discharged But this conceat is so fond that it needeth not anie refutation for it is repugnant to the verie nature of Remission and to the ordinarie conception which men haue of it for who would say that the King did pardon a Traytor if hee did inflict vpon him all the punishment due vnto him for his treason as also to that notable proportion which is betwixt our deliverance from sinne and from those miseries which are the consequents thereof For as I observed before the reason wherefore men are not fully delivered in this lyfe from those punishments or miseries which are the consequents of sinne is because they are not fully fred from sinne it selfe But in death as all doe grant the soule of a good man is fully fred from sinne nothing remayneth therein which displeaseth GOD and that which pleaseth GOD to wit inherent righteousnesse is perfect in it Hence wee justlie conclude That as it is fully fred from sinne so also is it from all the consequents of sinne and that in respect nothing remayneth in it which may offende GOD or provoke Him to doe that which Hee is vnwilling to doe I meane to punish This also ought to bee confessed by those Popish Wryters who doe teach concerning Inherent Grace That it is so amiable or louelie a qualitie in the sight of GOD that by it selfe or by its owne naturall force not for anie reference which it hath to CHRIST for whose merits it is infused it maketh GOD to accept those in whom it is found vnto aeternall Lyfe as His Children and Heyres Now if this be the naturall force and efficacie or the connaturall effect as Suarez calleth it of inherent righteousnesse even when it is imperfect or at least when it is conjoyned with originall concupiscence the reliques of vicious acquired habites the rebellious motions of the flesh and manie veniall enormities as they call them vvhat force shall it haue to make GOD to respect to loue to affect tenderlie the soule of a man after death and consequentlie not to torment and punish it when it is fullie fred from all those vicious inclinations and motions I haue showne you at great length and that because of the perverse opinions of our Adversaries That to die in the LORD is common to all the Elect. Nowe I come to that other poynt vvhich I propounded to bee handled anent the same wordes that is to showe you what this phrase To die in the LORD taking it as it is common to all the Godlie importeth All those who take it so agree amongst themselues anent the meaning thereof to wit That it is To die in that happie vnion which wee haue with CHRIST by true Fayth and other Theologicall vertues There bee foure thinges wherein men are sayde to die this bodilie death mentioned in holie Scripture 1. Men die in Adam 2. Men die eyther in prosperitie or adversitie riches or povertie or moyen â—ondition in high honour or in lowe degree in payne or without payne c. 3. Men are sayde to die in their sinnes 4. Men are sayd to die in CHRIST The first of these foure is simplie common to all the children of Adam by naturall propagation The second is disjunctiuelie common to all The third befalleth all who die without CHRIST The fourth appertayneth to them onelie who in in this Text are called blessed Blessed are they that die in the LORD The first hath a diverse manner of signification from the other three For to die in Adam signifieth not onelie the coexistence of a man's beeing in Adam and of his dying but also the meritorious cause of our death to wit That by the sinne of Adam in whom we all sinned and from whom wee bring with vs into this worlde originall corruption wee are all lyable to death As in Adam all die as sayeth the Apostle even so in CHRIST shall all bee made alyue This dying of all in Adam is explayned by the same Apostle else-where By one man sinne entered into the worlde and death by sinne and so death passed vpon all men for that all haue sinned Whereby is evidentlie overthrowne that errour of Pelagius and his followers who falselie denyed Death bodilie to haue beene brought in by Sinne affirming as Augustine relateth That altho Adam had not sinned yet hee had died bodilie death Which Assertion as verie pernicious and haereticall and brought in for denying of originall sinne was justly condemned and anathematized in the second Milevitane Councell The other three beeing vnderstood of bodilie death doe signifie rather the estate wherein a man is found when hee dieth For altho hee who dieth in his sinnes hath in his sinnes the merite of both the first and second death yet when a man is sayde to die in his sinnes is not so much poynted at the cause of his bodilie death beeing now common to all flesh as the miserable and dolefull condition wherin death findeth him and carrieth him away Which before wee explayne let vs speake a word of dying in prosperitie or adversitie c. One dieth sayeth holie IoB in his full strength beeing whollie at ease and quyet his breastes are full of milke and his bones are moystened with marrow And another dieth in the bitternesse of his soule and never eateth with pleasure They shal lye downe alyke in the dust and the worms shall cover them Here are two things to bee observed 1. That men are sayd to die in prosperitie or adversitie onelie in regard of their estate before they bee dead and not in respect of anie condition in and after death for the one so dieth in prosperitie and the other in adversitie temporall as by dying both hee leaveth his prosperitie and hee his adversitie 2. In regard of that transient estate they are made by death both aequall They lye downe alyke in the dust There the wicked cease from troubling and there the wearie bee at rest There the prisoners rest together they heare not the voyce of the oppressour The small and great are there and the servant is
and my selfe both with the debating and discussing of these quaestions which are too curiouslie agitated and too boldlie determined by manie Divines anent it I shall onlie show you what is and hath bene holden as certaine and vndoubtedlie true by the greatest part of Christians and what is called in quaestion by judicious and orthodoxe Divines concerning the estate of the Godlie after this lyfe First then it is certaine that these who die in the Lord shal in the day of resurrection and judgement attaine to perfect and consummate happinesse of soule and bodie for in that day the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue the crowne of righteousnesse vnto all these who loue his appearing Secondlie the greatest part of Christians haue ever believed that the blessednesse which we shall then attaine vnto consisteth in the vision and fruition of the glorious essence of GOD which the Schoole-men call visionem DEI per essentiam This is evidentlie revealed vnto vs in diverse places of Scripture For our Saviour promiseth this as a reward to the pure in heart that they shall see God And Paul telleth vs that this vision of God shall be a cleare immediate and intuitiue sight of his essence For he sayeth that we who now see God through a glasse darklie shall then see him face to face And Sainct Iohn lykewyse sayeth that when he shall appeare we shall see him as he is This also hath bene constantlie believed by the Fathers of the Ancient Church for none of them ever denyed this except some fewe Greeke Fathers following Chrysostome who in diverse places of his workes affirmeth that God his infinite essence can not be seene by anie created or finite vnderstanding Thirdlie as for the estate of the souls of men during that tyme which interveaneth betwixt death and judgement although some haue most fondlie and absurdlie believed that the soule perisheth with the bodie and that both soule and bodie shall be raised vp together at the day of judgement others no lesse foolishlie haue imagined that the soule after it is separated from the bodie hath no operation nor knowledge of its owne estate but lyeth as it were in a dead sleepâ— vntill the day of judgement for the which cause they are called Psychopannychitae neverthelesse the Spirit of God in the holie Scripture telleth vs that these who kill the bodie can not kill the soule and consequentlie that the soule liveth when the bodie is killed that in the heavenlie Hierusalem there are not onlie Angels but also the spirits of just men made perfect that the Godlie when they are dissolved are with Christ and in Paradyse Lykewyse that they are not there sleeping but haue vse of their vnderstaÌ„ding we may clearlie see by the parable of Dives Lazarus by the Storie of Christs transfiguration in the which we reade that Moses and Eliah talked with Christ and by that which we reade concerning the soules of Martyres crying vnder the Altar for acceleration of the punishment of their persecutions Herefore the Fathers constantlie taught that the souls of men when they are separated from their bodies doe remember of the things which they did vpon earth and that those of them who are glorified in Heaven are sure of their owne happinesse and sollicite or carefull for the weale of the Church militant and in particular are myndfull of their parentes children brethren and other friends whom they haue left behind them on earth longing to see them in that place of glorie where they themselues are Yea even these of the Fathers who believed that the departed souls of godlie men are not fully glorified as yet and that they shal not attaine to the perfection of that happinesse whereof they are capable before the day of Iudgement thought not that they are sleeping and senselesse during the tyme of their separation from their bodies but on the contrarie thought that they are in Abrahams bosome in a state of refreshment and joye Fourthlie although some few of the Ancients taught that the souls of the Saincts departed are not as yet rewarded but keeped in one place and in one estate and condition with the wicked not being as yet so much as assured of that glorie which shall be revealed in them yet the common opinion of the Church of God in all ages hath bene that they are in an happie and blessed estate and with vnspeakable joye doe exspect the accomplishment of their happinesse yea manie of them affirme that they are with Christ that they reygne with him and that they in some sort see Gods face This is also clearly revealed in Scripture for Paul wisheth to be dissolved and to be with Christ and telleth vs that when wee are absent from the bodie we are present with the Lord. Christ also sayde to the poenitent Thiefe To day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradyse and here a voyce from Heaven proclaymeth the happinesse of the dead who die in the LORD This trueth so manifâ—stlie revealed in the Scripture although as I haue sayde it hath bene constantlie professed in the Church yet it hath bene vitiated or corrupted by the admixtion of two erroneous doctrines For first although none before holie Augustine did talke of such a Purgatorie-fyre as our Adversaries doe mayntayne yet some Fathers who lived in the third and fourth age of the Church to wit Origen Lactantius Hilarie Ambrose Ruffinus and Ierome believed that there shall be a generall Purgatione of all souls by fyre at the day of Iudgement and that none shall bee free of it except Christ who is the Righteousnesse of GOD no not the blessed and glorious Virgine Marie This opinion is not nowe mantayned by anie at least it doeth not trouble the peace of the Church and therefore I will not meddle with it Secondlie since the 400 yeare of our Lord about which tyme Augustine flowrished some Fathers haue mentioned expressed in their workes a sort of purgation by fyre verie farre different from the former For they thought that all the Elect doe not vndergoe this Purgation by fyre but onlie they who die in some kynde of guiltinesse and that these begin to be purged immediatelie after their departure Saynct Augustine spake doubtfullie of this sort of Purgation Gregorie the Great did holde it as a thing certayne but hee knew no matter or cause of this Purgation except the guiltinesse of these smaller sinnes which are called veniall for hee dreamed not of that imperfect remission of mortall sinnes committed after Baptisme which Papists doe now holde as a mayne ground of their doctrine concerning Purgatorie But I haue alreadie confuted this fond conceat and haue showne that poenitentiall remission of sinnes committed after Baptisme is no lesse perfect and absolute than baptismal remission It is true indeed these who after Baptisme or after their first justification doe fall backe into grievous sinnes haue
which this Text offereth to our consideration is the reason of this wish of olde Simeon or what it is that maketh the death of the godlie to bee peaceable consequentlie so appetible to wit even the sight of the Lords Salvation for so calleth hee CHRIST and which word in the greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth as much as that hee is the author yea the verie treasurie and store-house where in all salvation is contayned as hee is lykewyse called so by the Prophet Isai. 52.10 and so clearlie distinguished from all others who in Scripture were styled by the name of Saviours Neyther is it that wee must thinke that a corporall sight heere is onelie meant for that was common but that with the eye of fayth also which is speciall and proper onelie to the elect hee sawe this blessed Babe to bee that salvation preordayned and appoynted by the LORD promised and now sent in the flesh for the redemption of mankynd Whence wee obserue In that it is formerlie sayde that this just and devote man Simeon wayted for the consolation of Israell had it revealed vnto him by the holy Ghost that before hee sawe death hee should see the LORD' 's Anoynted and now that his longing is satisfied and that promise which was made vnto him as hee confesseth is fulfilled wee see that as the Godlie hunger and thirst speciallie after spirituall things so they are ever heard in their Godlie desires and in such things that concerne their salvation therefore as in Davids words doubtlesse hee had sayde before O Lord I haue longed for thy salvation yea my soule faynteth for the same when wilt thou comfort mee and with the holie Patriarches as the Apostle showeth as hee had embraced the promise thereof spirituallie which was made vnto him there anent so now at last wee see hee getteth him who was promised to embrace in his armes corporallie and accordinglie acknowledgeth joyfullie that his eyes now did see the Lords salvation And so the Lords promise is performed his longing satisfied and his wayting accomplished Let vs then onelie with olde Simeon wayte patientlie and constantlie for his consolations rest assured that he is myndfull of vs and his owne promises and in his owne good fitte tyme will come vnto vs for our joye and will make no tarrying 2. Wee see the ground or cause of a peaceable and comfortable death to wit a preceeding sight of the Lords salvation which hee hath decreed to bee by the Sonne of his loue CHRIST IESUS and for whose sake and merit of his death hee hath admitted such of mankynd to lyfe as hee hath elected for the manifestation of the ritches and glorie of his grace This therefore is the right arte of dying well to get true fayth and to fix the eye thereof as the people in the wildernesse did vpon that true brasen Serpent CHRIST IESUS the Lord of lyfe Incorporate thy selfe in him then and there shal be no condemnation to them that are in CHRIST Wrap thy selfe in his righteousnesse and it shall bee lyke Elias mantle which devyded the waters of Iordan cleaue thereby to his crosse and it shall be lyke that tree that made the waters of Marah sweet or Moses rod which made a safe passage to Israell thorow the red sea Set the Arke of the Covenant in these waters and from the desert of this world thou shalt haue a patent and pleasant path to that heavenlie Canaan yea tho stones were flinging about thy eares to braine thee as was done to that protomartyr Steven yet looking vp with the eye of fayth getting a sight of IESUS CHRIST standing at the right hand of his Father readie to receaue thee thy departure shall bee most calme and comfortable and thy sinnes being silenced by him who is this salvation spoken of thou shalt heare nothing but the sweet voyce of that blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things nor the blood of Abell and dying as it were in the armes of thy Lord As Iacob sawe with joye of heart the chariots that Ioseph sent for him for his transportation so shalt thou see the glorious and blessed Angels sent for thee and thy good workes following thee the one to guyde thee and surrender their charge the other to gladden thee and receaue their reward 3. As wee see what is the ground of the peaceable death of the Godlie so on the contrarie wee may perceaue what is the cause of the terrour of death in the wicked and that the memorie thereof so much tormenteth them before the tyme that as Pharao did to Moses they bid it goe packing out of their sight even this is the cause thereof that being blinded by Satan all the dayes of their lyfe in committing sinne never once looking with a tearing eye of true repentance vpon them therefore in death they never get a sight of this salvation of the Lords nor haue they anie assurance that hee who is the Saviour of the world shall bee a Saviour to them but on the contrarie then they finde that hee who was their Tempter beginneth to bee their Tormenter then they begin to heare the clamours of their accusing conscience to see the vglie shape of their sinfull soules the dreadfull aspect of their haynous sinnes the wrathfull face of the angrie Iudge Heaven closed aboue to debarre them as Adam was from the tree of lyfe and hell opened beneath to swallow them as the earth was to swallow vp Korah then they beginne to feele the approaching flames of that infernall fyre paynfullie to scorch them the worme that never dieth drawing neare to guawe them the wrath of GOD that never shall bee appeased most furious to astonish them and the infernall fiendes who attende to terrifie and cruellie to torture them In which wofull estate to hyde themselues is impossible to avoyde these miseries inevitable and to endure them intollerable Hence the sting of death shall torment them the rememberance of judgement perplexe them the gulfe of despare without hope or helpe swallowe them and the apprehension of eternitie in easelesse endlesse payne confound them O! who can then expresse their sad sorrow for sinnes past their agonizing anguish for miserie present and their trembling terrours for the tormentes to come being justlie thus served as they haue deserved and finding at the dolefull parting of the sinfull soule from the wretched bodie whose meeting agayne and re-uniting to be a faggot in hell fire shall be much more dolefull and dolorous no comfort from Heaven nor earth the Creator nor the creature but matter of confusion The ground of all which deepe distresse beeing this Because the soule with olde Simeon here can get no sight of the LORDS Salvation 4. Wee see here a neare and cleare way howe to contemne all earthlie and worldlie thinges the bewitching loue whereof hath made manie to make ship-wracke of a good conscience and clogged their hearts so to the earth