children are in sorrow but when they consider how of his owne will he hath begotten them with the word of truth that they should be as the first fruits of his creatures then their hearts doe reioyce and their ioy no man shall take from them Now that compleat ioy may be drawne out of all these arguments it is necessary that the word of God be specially looked vnto for in afflictions it onely giueth vs the liuely sight of our sinne manifests the riches of the mercies of God in Christ Iesus to deliuer vs from sinne and therefore Dauid saies often but for thy lawe I had perished in mine afflictions therfore for further comfort he shewes what is required to make vs profit in Gods word first qualification secondly practise the first the soule the second the life of the soule the qualification v. 19. the reason of it v. 20. and the conclusion out of both ver 21. Wherefore laying apart all silthinesse and superfluity of malitiousnesse receiue with meekenes the word that is grafted into you which is able to saue your soules After this qualification followes the practise that the mercies of God might not be in vaine which he hath bestowed vpon them therefore v. 22. be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your selues now because this cousening of our selues in hearing of Gods word is a disease incident to the most hee playes the good Physitian first discouering the disease by a familiar similitude laying together these fowre tearms spots and a glasse sins and the law as spots may be seene in a glasse so sinnes may be seene in the law secondly in their qualitie wherein they are laid together and that is beholding considering and immediately forgetting as a man beholding falls to consider something amisse in himselfe yet going his way and other matters possessing his head immediately forgetteth what manner of face-he had So they come to the Church looke into Gods word consider that all is not well yet going their way home againe to their olde courses and now all is spoiled and they are neuer better Secondly hauing discouered the disease by the most familiar fymptomes applyes the remedie and tells them what must be their receit ver 15. the perfect law of libertie must be carefully looked into Thirdly he giues them the manner how it must be receiued first what must be abstained from as deadly poison to the nature of a Christian and secondly the onely hinderer of the worke of all good physicke First therefore v. 26. If any man seeme religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his owne heart that mans religion is in vaine Secondly thus must it bee taken according to pure religion and vndefiled before God in visiting the fatherles and widdowes in their necessity and to keep himselfe vnspotted of the world Seeing then that God hath so many comforts patience to possesse the soule when it is at a loffe wisedome to make i◠finde it selfe in the greatest night of trouble contentation to quiet it as well in aduersitie as prosperitie a crowne of glory to recompence it after all combats and such a word as may be a light to direct a sword to defend and teach the true watch word of a Christian when he is readie to be swallowed vp of his enemies it cannot bee but that we should alwaies rest in the hauen of happinesse A recaptulation of all the former heads in a briefe and perspicuous table for the further impression of Christian comfort in the memories of the faithfull Comfort in affliction donation of grace informing the action present patience working v. 4. perfecting v. 4. wifedom giuen freely and liberally receiued by praier faith future true contentation in all things v. 9 the ende of the action blessednes in the crowne of life v. 12. sanctifying causes principall the will of God v. 18. instrumentall the word of truth v. 18. effect first fruits a holy kind of offering taken out of the residue of men v. 18. true application in the qualification manifested v. 19. prooued in clearing the point v. 20. in concluding v. 21. in the practise honest and good hearing and doing v. 22. dishonest and vnprofitable illustrated 23. 24. by tearms spots a glasse sin and the law qualitie beholding forgetting applyed first in the prescript v. 25. in the vse vnlawfull v. 26. lawfull v. 27. Seeing then that this is the course that the Lord will take let no man think to be Diues all his life time in this world and Lazarus after death If God promise riches the way thereunto is pouertie before loue correction before exaltation deiection whom he saueth first he damneth he bringeth not to heauen but by hell if he promise life hee slaieth first Ioseph sawe the sunne moone and starres worshipping him neuertheles yet that could come to passe God laid him where he could see neither sunne nor moone nor any starre of the skie and all that many yeares and also vndeserued yet all this while to nurture him vp against the time of honour God promised Israel a land of milke and honie yet for the space of forty yeeres they went through a land not only where there were no riuers of milke and honey but not so much as a droppe of water to refresh them withall yet all this was done of God to doe them good at the latter end God promised Dauid a kingdom yet immediatly he stirred vp Saul against him to hunt him and ferret him out of euery hole and that many years Thus he that will weare the crowne of glory must weare the crowne of thornes he that will haue all teares wiped from his eyes must first shed them Reu. 15.3 the children of God before they can sing the song of Moses the seruant of God and the song of the lambe Christ Iesus must first swim through the glassie sea mingled with fire and brimstone It is not the way to heauen to liue in this world in perpetual ease rest quietnes in body soule goods and good name therefore as the end of all afflictions is full of ioy and comfort so is the way seeing it is appointed of the Lord most comfortable because euery steppe brings vs towards Gods kingdome and I may tearme afflictions markes in the way to tell vs we are to keepe on that way they lead vs. A man inquiring his way and is told he hath no plaine way but by desolate woods hills and mountaines very stony and troublsome to passe by when the trauailer seeeth these marks he saies vndoubtedly I am right but if he find all to be plaine presently stands still lookes about and saies I see neuer a one of my directiōs therfore I am assuredly wrong this way will neuer bring me to the end of my iourney So the Lord hath told vs that this is the way to heauen to passe by many crosses we run a long and find no such matter well may we suspect that we are out
wind in vnconstancie and as fraile as the tender hearbs how soone should all become nothing therfore Gods decree being laid the first corner stone we may assure our selues that the building shall stand for euer therefore euery one in his conflicts with the deuill hath full assurance of the conquest for this roote is laid in him whose fruit and branches stormy tempests may nippe and shake yet the sappe shal neuer be dried vp in the roote neither shal any euil wind of Satan so blast that the immortall seede bee at any time quite withered yea though all fierie darts bend thereto with all might and maine employed yet the storme beeing blowne ouer by the spirit of grace and the comfortable sunne of consolation shining vpon our gloomy hearts it will budde forth againe into blossome fruit and branch as a most beautifull tree in the paradise of God Let the comparison of bodily sickenesse and the consideration of the kind of frailtie mooue vs we haue experience how diuers times the disease preuaileth ouer the sicke persons that actions faile and the faculties seeme quite to be spent neither hand nor foote is able to doe their duties the eie is dimme the hearing dul the tast altered and the tongue distasteth all things euen of most pleasant relish and the weake and feeble patient seemeth to attend the time of dissolution when as yet notwithstanding there remaineth a secret power of nature and a forcible sparke of life that ouercometh all these infirmities and consumeth them like drosse and rendreth to the body a greater purity and firmenesse of health then before the sicknes it did enioy euen so ought euerie one to esteeme of the spirituall case and consider that their soule is sicke but not dead faith assailed but not ouercome therefore let patience attend the finishing of this secret worke and so shall they see these burning seauers of temptations to be slaked and cooled by the mercie and grace of Christ and that sparke of faith which did he hid ouerwhelmed with heaps of temptations to breake forth againe consume the causes of the disease And as nature after a perfect crise dischargeth her selfe either by stoole vomite sweat bleeding or such like euacuations to the recouery of the former health euen so shall the faithful soule find in himselfe strange ease after these temptations by reason they haue caused diuers euacations of the filthines of sinne and therefore greater puritie must needs be in the soule Thus the Lord preserues the verie garments of his Saints that he suffereth them not to take any smell of the flame or the verie sweat of afflictions to sticke vpon them Psal 68.22 The Lord hath said I will bring my people againe from Bashan I will bring them againe from the depths of the sea Og the Gyant and all his fat bulls may push at the godly but their strength shall not preuaile against the strong one of Israel but euen the foote of his faithfull ones shal be dipped in blood and the tongues of the dogges of Israel may drawe out the verie heart blood of all these bulls So that after the conquest the triumph beeing giuen to the Lord they may truly celebrate it setting the singers before the players of instruments after so that the praise of God may be heard in his assemblies euen from all them that are deriued from the fountaine of Israel so that this knot betwixt God the faithfull soule more surely knit then that of Gordius can neuer be loosed by the deuill broken by his forces disanulled by his stratagemes or euer found out by his policies Therfore as Christ cried out O my God my God why hast thou forsaken me it is impossible that Christ should be forsaken therefore it is a voice more for the instruction of his children then to shew his owne discomforts if he cried out why may not we crie out yet as Christ was heard and freed from his feare so shall euery faithfull soule be sure to speede with his God and shall againe as Dauid was be restored to those wonted ioyes which they sometimes felt in the sweet mercies of the Lord. These assaults are at the first heauie and bitter if they come in great measure they may cause impatience Iob 3.1 if they continue then may the soule beginne to iudge them nothing but Gods wrath Iob 6.2 3. The arrowes of the Almightie are in me and the venome thereof doth drinke vp my spirit and the terrors of God are against me it brings afresh his old sinnes into remembrance to trouble him in his sleepe visions dreames and anxietie of spirit Yet in this miserie God supports his faith he feeling this gets experience Rom. 5.4 hence hope that grace shall neuer be wanting Iob 42.5 6 Heb. 12.11 Let Pharaoh feele but a little of this and he presently rebells yet the faithfull though they haue more feeling of their rebellious hearts and the deuill more strongly assailes them then any other yea God seemes to be their enemie yet Iob 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Dauid Psal 22.1 O my God I crie by day but thou hearest not by night but I haue no audience words almost of desperation and as a man without faith yet then he saith My God a plaine argument of faith for Gods children can not forget their language Hence a man may in a manner see contrarie affections in their prayers for flesh and spirit struggle together Gen. 32.18 Iaakobs wrastling is a type of the conflicts of the faithfull with Christ he assailes them with the one hand and vpholds them with the other hence Iaakob is called Israel a preuailer with God The Church hath both his names Psal 130. and Psal 121. Mark 15.22 to 27. we see a strange conflict betwixt the woman of Samaria and our Sauiour Christ foure notable repulses are giuen her 1. silence 2. haish speeches of the Disciples Send her away 3. cold comfort I am come for the house of Israel of which thou art none 4. extraordinarie reproch Thou art but as a dogge therefore must thou haue none of the childrens bread yet we finde her to be more instant at euery repulse and when the most dangerous repulse was giuen her to bring an inuincible argument of her faith True Lord I yeild all if my place and deseruings must be considered then no mercie for me but Lord yet account of me as thou hast saide let me thy dogge but tast of the crummes of thy mercie and it shall suffice the hunger of my soule Thus Gods children ouerwhelmed with sinne turmoiled with Sathans conflicts and amazed with Gods anger can then lift vp their eye lids and giue a glimps to the brasen serpent Christ Iesus and fling themselues into his armes catch hold on Gods hand buffetting them and kisse it There be three grounds of temptation First our naturall weakenesse prooued by Sathan and the world Secondly the continuall buds of our originall sinne in
Controversie concerning Gods decreeing of sinne 1. Obiections from the Text. 47. answered ibid. from attributes 48. answered ibid. from subiect 49. answered ibid. 2. Arguments proouing from the end 50. from method 52. from God first and last 54 3. Of sinnes entrance his causes principall instrumentall and accidentall 55. how God purposed this entrance 56. how the lawe workes sinne 58. positions of the manner 59 4. Of sinnes progresse and consequents 63. what is Gods work therein 64 5. Obiectiions that God is the author of sinne from Scripture 66 answered ibid. from Bellarmine 68. Caluins iudgement ibid. from reason 73. answered 74. from orthodoxe writers concerning Gods will decree mans will and his reprobation 78 6. Answered 88. how God wills sinne to be 89. Arminius sophystrie 91. determination no cause of necessitie 96. when a thing is how necessarie 97. of Gods concourse 98. of Gods irresistable will 106. the nature of Gods decree 107. freedome of mans will 121. reprobation no punishment 123 7. Collation of M. Perkins and Arminius 127. in 10. principles to 139. for the definition of predestination 139. how counsell 139. of the subiect and his degrees 140. to 152. lastly of the end and subordination of meanes 152. to 160. PSALM 50.21 These things hast thou done and I held my tongue therefore thou thoughtest that I was altogether like thee but I will reprooue thee and set them in order before thee CHAP. I. Of the generall Analysis IN the world we haue three sorts of people All men in thâ—â— world are either Atheists Hypocrites or Saintâ— First Atheists that care for no religion secondly Hypocrites that care for formall religion thirdly Saints that care for true religion Atheists discouer themselues and therfore the word of God is not large in ripping vp their sinnes Hypocrits make a faire shewe and therefore the word of God is verie copious in reuealing their sinne and threatning iudgement against them it tels them plainely they are all for the ceremonie nothing for the truth they lay hold on the shadowe but loose the substance these mens sacrifices are no better then abhomination vnto the Lord he hath no eare to heare them withall he hath no eyes to looke vpon their sacrifices no smell to sauour a sweet sauour of rest in them but his soule is displeased with them and his heart doth rise against them that hee must needs spewe them out of his mouth hee hath no tast to say that the sacrifices they haue prepared are any sauoury meat vnto his palate and yet the Lord is no daintie taster for hee would say it were well if there were but a willing mind Iacob and Esan a true type of Gods militant Church which is cumâ—â—aniâ— Indeede Izaac the father of Iacob and Esau might be deceiued in his sonnes and in their venison but surely hee was not deceiued in their garments for when he had kissed Iacob hee smelled the fauour of his garments and blessed him and said most truely behold the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field God is not dim-sighted to iudge betwixt the taâ—es wheate which the Lord hath blessed but the Lord is not as man that he should any way be deceiued Iacob should neuer haue gotten the blessing from Esau by hauing his brothers hands in shewe except the Lord had brought that to passe which long before he had decreed Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated So stands the case betwixt all hypocrites and true professors they may haue the hands of 〈◊〉 but their voice will bee the voice of Iacob or morally their hands may be the hands of Iacob but their voice will be the voice of Esau the world might be deceiued by the workes of their hands but if they listen to their words they shall find them rellish of Esaus heart but the Lord knowes their workes that they are not onely couered with goates skins but that they themselues are goates indeede and so shall one day appeare when the Lord shall goe through the flocks and separate from all the sheepe the little spotted the great spotted and the blacke spotted not to be the wages of Iacob but the inheritance of the denil and therefore blessed are all they that shal be found in the garments of Christ Iesus that so not Izaac but the God of Abraham Izaac and Iacob may blesse them with the dew of heauen the fatnesse of the earth plenty of wheat and wine that all the world may be their seruants and all their mothers children honour them and therfore cursed be he that curseth them â—â—pocrites fiâ—al be rewarded and blessed be he that blesseth them let the hypocrites complaine we haue done thus and thus and yet thou regardest not we haue bin thy eldest sonnes in casting out deuills working miracles preaching fasting sacrificing giuing of almes and what haue we left vndone for thy names sake hast thou not therefore one blessing in store ò father to blesse vs withall Well it may be they will imitate Esau in his passion lift vp their voices and weepe and surely God will say of them as he did of Ahab Seest thou not how Ahab playes the hypocrite yet because he humbles himselfe in shewe I will bestow a blessing in shew vpon him I will spare him for a time so because yee haue wept with Esau for a blessing behold the fatnesse of the earth shall be your dwelling place by your swords and crueltie to my Saints shall you liue Cruelty of hypocrites I haue made you your brethrens seruants but it shall come to passe when you shall get the masterie that you shall breake their yokes from your neckes and assoone as the daies of your mourning are come and gone you will slay your brethren for that hath beene the thought of your mind God will surely blesse thâ—â—g â—ly and curse the wicked yet let me tell you my mind them haue I blessed and they shall be blessed but for you hypocrites which would seem to haue the little spots among my sheepe I tell you Ciuil hypocrits Grosse hypocrites Meere Atheiâ—â— Little spoâ— great spots blacke upon that I haue separated you for the day of slaughter and againe you hypocrites which are not of the number of these ciuill professors but grosse hypocrites with great spots in my congregation and yet defie my seruants which tell you of your damnation I tell you that you are in the selfe same predicament of my decree of reprobation And lastly all you Atheists which haue the blacke spots vpon you which will acknowledge no more then bruit beasts I tell you that you and all the rest are the goates that I must set on my left hand and pronounce this sentence against you Goe you cursed into hel fire prepared for the deuill and his angels there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer This Psalme is as I may tearme it an Assize or session holden of the Lord vnto
mercie if that then either I must be saued or damned but alas that is a harsh conclusion both in regard of God and in regard of my selfe well consider that it is one thing to determine of thy sinne and another thing to punish thee assure thy selfe that this is good reason that euery law of God must determine before thou doe any thing els were the rule no wisdome of God but also take this with thee that thou shalt neuer take any hurt by the law vntill thou thy selfe haue done some hurt vnto it the Law will not sting vntill thou haue stung thy selfe and then take heede of poison vnto death And therefore seeing Gods wisdome runnes along in this order to determine all matters not casually but certenly long before they come to passe we should yeild it and not denie it because of the execution which followes after which hath other iust causes then Gods decree but none to exclude it Argum. 3 God is Alpha and Omega the first and the last the beginning and the ende therefore nothing before him neither any thing after him therfore he closeth all things in these two tearmes therefore euery thing must haue something to doe with this first and last as from him and to him therefore must they be decreed els should they not be from him and to him Hence sinne comming within the limits of this circle that incloseth all things must needes some way come from God and be for God and therefore decreed How sinne may be from God and to God is hard to explaine yet in my poore iudgement vnder the correction of my betters I iudge this the most true and safest that the good the Lord will haue out of euil is from God and to God all the rest that remaines is nothing at all for Gods purpose and therefore he hath no hand in it he will haue the gold by his owne fining but the drosse he will leaue to the first inuentors that digged vnto themselues such kinde of pits that would hold no water for the Lord of hosts but such as he drew out by his prerogatiue royall ouer all his creatures and their actions Therefore thus is sinne decreed and the Lord had his hand in it For the other consideration of sinne as sinne it is a by-respect in it selfe nothing tending to Gods purpose but onely as the Lord drew his owne goodnes out of him And this makes vs speake so of sinne that he is decreed meaning the goodnesse out of sinne which the Lord hath appointed for himselfe II. Part in the ordering of sinne concerning his entrance and progresse This point would a little more be insisted vpon for the slanders that Bellarmine hath laid vpon Calvin Luther Martyr and sundrie other of the greatest Diuines of the Reformed Churches making them to defend That God by reason of his decree is made the cause of sinne Of this sinnefull wicked and lying report we are sure God is not the author but the deuill For the clearing of this point two things offer themselues to our consideration the first entrance of sinne Entrance prâ—gresse causeâ— of sinnes entrance principall instrumentall accidentall and secondly his progresse For his first entrance sinne had two causes one blameable the other holy and good The blameable cause is either principall or instrumentall principall the deuill and man The deuills beeing Apostates and rebells through their pride against God and malice against man became lyars and murtherers of man by bringing him into his fall man by his free receiuing of the tentation and hearkning thereunto contrary to the commandement of God when he might haue resisted the same The instrumentall causes were the serpent and the woman the serpent abused by the deuill was vsed as an instrument of seducing Evah the woman deceiued by the deuill and the serpent became an instrument to deceiue man The vnblameable cause was God and his lawe for as his law did it so he himselfe did it and if there had been no law there had been no transgression yet the law of it selfe sauoured nothing but life vnto life which thorough mans default became the sauour of death vnto death But how could this bee seeing mans will was created good How mans will beeing good could produce euill I answer First it was created mutably good secondly though there was no imperfection for kind of beeing yet his beeing was defectiue and imperfect in regard of absolute beeing therefore man compared to God was defectiue and imperfect and so might come short of his created perfection and fall away from that wherein he was created Hence man might fall but how should this power come into act here diuines lay downe a substraction of grace which they affirme to bee double first of that without which man could not but fall and without which he could not continue in his integritie if God had denied man this grace it could not bee imagined but that God should haue beene the author of sinne 〈…〉 this was debitum naturae due to his nature this God gaue him and would haue continued with the supply of actual grace to haue liued for euer if he had once pleased God A second substraction or rather withholding of grace was that without which God saw hee would not continue though both in dutie he ought 〈◊〉 posse si veâ—â—â—t sed non veile 〈…〉 and in respect of abilitie he might if he would God gaue him not a would to his might yet a might if he would neither was God bound vnto this by law of creation for it was expedient giuing him freedome of will to trie him how he would exercise it yet most certain hee would abuse it no man denies but that God might haue giuen grace to Adam in such degree measure and kind as might haue preserued him from all possibilitie of falling and haue holden him inseparably to himselfe for euer which while he denied he gaue way vnto the fall of man Thus then we conceiue of the entrance of sinne First God purposed eternally to make man a rationall and intellectuall creature indued with knowledge of all things Vnderstanding and facultie and power to make choice of what he would Secondly man could not be thus made and be naturally free Election from possibilitie and danger of making an euill choice disposing himselfe amisse and offending against the lawes of his righteous Creator Thirdly Meanes God wanted not gratious meanes whereby to hold him inseparably to himselfe and to preserue him infallibly from falling away though he were not nor could be Fall contingent naturally free from possibilitie of falling Fourthly God knew man beeing so left would sinâ—efully depart from him not necessarily but contingently yet most certenly not by any constraint but by his owne created free will Fiftly God saw this to be the best for the manifestation of his glorie and of that good which otherwise the world could neuer haue knowne Sixtly
denying graunt the one and graunt the other denie the one and denie the other Secondly because it is not onely the part of a wise man to produce his worke but also to direct it to his ende therfore most absurd to denie it of the wisest Thirdly because it is impossible that a thing should be produced by one wisdome and gouerned by another thus things would not serue the ende of their creation but another Observ 6. According to this wisdome euery nature worketh and to this he ought to obey Reason 1. Because they are Gods effects and therefore obeying the cause must needs obey the wisdome that ordered the causes sinne therefore beeing nothing obeies not God neither any sinner as he serues sinne Secondly this wisdome carries to the ende and euery thing obeies his ende and inclines bends and bowes vnto it Observ 7. This obsequie or obedience of the creature is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or true impression of this producing and gouerning wisdome This first wisdome is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The gouernement of the Creator the obedience of the creature or liuely seale that stamped that marke vpon the creature therefore the stampe is the liuely effigies or impression of that first wisdome and the obsequie or obedience of the creature is nothing but to imitate his gouernour A familiar example of this you may see in the seale and the impression vpon the waxe the seale leaues his marke and the marke is a plaine representation of the seale though the seale it selfe could be seene of none but him that stamped his marke vpon the waxe The waxe sets forth the creature the stampe the obedience and the seale Gods wisdome and this is that Idaea which is so much dreamed of whereof the creature is not capable yet the reflexion of it may be in the creature As for example sixe or seuen men may see their faces all in one glasse yet the glasse is farre lesse then any one of their faces for the naturall face of a man can not be put into the glasse but the image of his face reflected and that in most liuely proportion so Gods face no man can see yet his backe parts may be seene Exod. 33. now this face as I may say of Gods wisdome beeing stamped vpon his creatures carrie them in all their motions to their ends appointed of his Maiestie These things beeing well conceiued of wee finde two things most necessarie to concurre to the producing of any act 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 First facultie or power which God giues the creature when he giues them beeing 2. a rule of Gods wisdome to bring that facultie into exercise and so carrie it along vnto his ende The rule is the principall cause the facultie the instrumentall or ministeriall cause to ioyne with the principall neither alone can doe any thing but both together can doe any worke that the Creator would haue to be done To come then to our purpose God created man a reasonable creature indued with two most excellent qualities will and vnderstanding so that man was made able to vnderstand his Creator and will him as his onely good Yet man could not actually will God except God had giueÌ„ a rule to haue taught him so to doe the Lord bad man loue him with all his heart soule minde and strength and then to loue his neighbour as himselfe And for the effecting of this he gaue him a perfect rule of righteousnes to ioyne with his will in the performance of any dutie neither did God withhold this rule from him at any time and therefore God gaue man by creation power to will and rule sufficient for to haue taught him how to will so that neither for power or act any thing was wanting Let vs see then how these two things concurred in mans first fall How rule and facultie meet together in the first fall The deuill comes in the serpent and he beginnes to withdraw man from his rule knowing if man and woman had sticked close thereunto sinne should haue had no entrance He beginnes first to propound a question that so he might bring the woman to dispute with him and the question is made about the rule of obedience Hath God indeed said Ye shall not eate of euerie tree of the garden To this the woman answers first by affirmation we eate of the trees of the garden secondly by negation from the sentence of the law of the fruit which is in the mids of the garden God hath said not onely I The dispuâ—â—â— on of the 〈◊〉 man and 〈◊〉 deuill but neither I nor my husband must eate of it neither shall ye touch it and to the prohibition she laies the curse least ye die So then the rule would haue made his part good against the Deuill and haue taught the woman to haue holden this conclusion against all the deuills arguments The deuill replies againe vpon the woman and first he begins to take away that which might feare her in breaking the law yee shall not die at all and then to her negation brings a testimonie first from God God doth knowe secondly from contradiction to the law when ye shall eate therof thirdly a threefold reason to perswade them to that act of eating first knowledge your eyes shall be opened secondly the measure of this knowledge it shal make you like God himselfe thirdly from the kinds of their knowledge knowing both good and euill As yet no hurt was done Let vs now see how the Law concurres in the next The conâ—â— of the 〈◊〉 and we shall easily see both Gods and the lawes confluxe with Adams fall The 1. act of the woman was approbation of the deuills reasons so the woman here 's consent against both God the law The 2. act was seeing here God concurred naturally and that by the rule of nature in optickes neither was this the breach of that rule but presently the will wheeles or turnes it selfe vpon the obiect and saies the tree was good and that approbation was also good for the tree was good by Gods creation but this goodnesse did so affect the will that Gods law must be forgotten and the tree beeing made good for that which the law forbad to wit that it was good for meat when before out of the sentence of the law she had saide the law and God himselfe hath saide ye shall not eate and to say it was good for meate was a direct affirmation against both God and his law and so could not haue their concourse and this was her internall iudgment The next is her externall iudgment in regard of the tree obiected to her eyes in these words and that it was pleasant to the eyes Now this was no where forbidden but that they might looke on it and it may be she said too much when she added we may not touch it yet this likewise is made a sinne for after the will is spoyled then all the other
credentes in gratiam reoipere eosque perseuerantes ad finem vsque saluos facere in Christo propter Christum per Christum impenitentes vero infideles in peccato sub ira relinquere atque damnare tanquam alienos à Christo that is I will receiue vnto my grace and mercy all that repent and beleeue perseuere and continue vnto the end in thorough and for my Christ On the contrarie all that are impenitent infidells leaue them in their sinnes to their euerlasting condemnation and both these are peremptorie The third decree is to be found in the Church militant that is Volo omnia media ad resipiscentiaÌ„ fidem necessaria sufficienter administrare c. I will decree all meanes necessarie to repentance and faith and sufficiently and effectually administer them c. Fourth and last is of euerie singular person which belongs to the opening of the books at the day of iudgment speciall or generall and this is all that he can say for Gods decree And because wee are come to his first decree which is that which he presseth in all his book we wil shew that when he hath pressed all his arguments he prooues no more then Christ to be the cause of redemption but none of election Ephes 1.4 Elegit nos in Christo he chose vs in Christ v. 6. he accepted of vs in his beloued Rom. 8.39 2. Cor. 5.16 the argument is framed thus If God can will any to haue eternall life without respect of a mediator then can he giue eternall life without satisfaction of a mediator but this is impossible Secondly if God can loue no man but in Christ then can hee elect no man but in Christ for he elects none but those which he loues These and all other places concerning Christ the redeemed in Christ Christ a meanes of election but a principall cause of redemption are thus to be answered Christ is either considered as a means appointed of God or as a principle and proper cause in the first he is subordinate in the second supreame as a meanes appointed of God so he is subordinate to Gods decree of election and therefore neither as cause nor meanes nor condition goes before the decree but as Christ is considered in redemption he is the principall supream and maine cause of all that come within the limits of redemption we are chosen in Christ not to be elected but redemed not as the cause of election but as meanes appointed of God in our election yet a meritorius cause of our saluation and redemption so then it is most true that God elects no man but in Christ loues saues and redeemes no man but by Christ in the one the cause in the other the effect So then election can not presuppose faith in Christ remission of sinnes by Christ renouation of the spirit and perpetuall assistance because they follow election the cause of redemption and redemption the cause of all these So then while Arminius disputes his decree in redemption he commits these errors first he makes the cause to follow the effect as election to follow redemption secondly he makes Christs loue in redeeming to be the cause of Gods loue in electing thirdly he makes the meanes appointed for the ende to goe before the end it selfe fourthly hee makes the fruits of redemption as faith remission of sinnes renouation by the spirit perseuerance c. occasions antecedent to Gods decree of election So that these shal be no fruits of our election which if he graunt on the contrarie then must they as occasions follow our election for the fruit is no wayes before his cause neither any occasion why the cause should produce them fiftly though he denie it yet he must confesse that these occasions as they are holden of him must be causes for Gods decree to saue vs by Christ by faith by repentance by remission of sinnes by renouation by perseuerance in weldoing what are these but causes of eternall life I am sure saluation is giuen vnto Christ as a meritorious cause Arminius forgets him selfe when he saies we are chosen in Christ as a meritorious cause for so his occasion at vnâ—wares slips into a cause so in Christ to all the rest These then going before Gods election to left and saluation can no wayes be considered but as causes and indeed his words sound so much when he saies we are chosen in Christ not as a meanes but also as a meritorious cause of what effect I beseech you if he say of redemption then we are all of one mind but if he say of election then we reiect him but his meaning is we are chosen in Christ as a meritorious cause of that choice and so the occasion was not taken from thence but the true and onely cause Many other absurdities followe from this but I passe them ouer and yet before I ascend to the next step let me tell you how Arminius contradicts himselfe First hee saies that the subiect of election is man fallen but how can that be seeing no men are elected before they be in Christ I am sure that he dare not denie but that they were sinners before they were in Christ and therefore they were elected before they were elected Secondly he saies that we are elected in Christ as a redeemer and yet Christ is a redeemer before we be in him for application followes redemption Againe both man fallen man to be redeemed are all alike and Christ is equall to all where then is election Thirdly a man must be in the Church before he can be of the number of the faithfull and vntil he be faithfull he cannot be elected therefore election comes after the fall redemption and the Church Fourthly a faithfull man may fall and so election may change and therefore no certaine election but of singular persons Thus then the first subiect of election that he can finde is either a faithfull person or a singular person so that it is lower then the Church redemption or the fall And hee may as well begin with the creation of the world as with any of these three for all are but media precedanea and though some of them shewe more iust occasion for election or reprobation yet the proper subiect by his doctrine cannot be found out vntill we come to the consideration of a man as a beeleeuer or an infidel neither here is it fixed but it must skip againe to a singular person for saith hee that former decree is rather qualitatum then personarum of qualities then persons so that he is vncertaine in all his notions The next steppe that we ascend vnto Homo peccator the fift step in ascending is man fallen where God shewes these attributes First his holinesse in that the Lord was free from all fault Secondly his iustice whereby he beeing most iust in himselfe cannot but execute iustice as in wel-doing to them which doe well so in inflicting
setting euen as a false peice of latin is set to the eye of the boy from the master by the rule and both of them corrected the boy by rods the latine by pulling it in peices because it is so farre wanting that nothing can be made of it that will beare good construction Indeede the godly are set againe into the image of their creation by Christ Iesus which hath turned man wholly againe vnto his creator and these haue their faults daily corrected become good proficients in the schoole of Christ and therefore one day shall celebrate the happie day of their commencing where euerie one shall be made an absolute Doctor free of all professions not to teach but read a continuall lecture of the praise of God to rauish his heart with ioy Obs Gods iustice is able to place all sinne in his order and ranke that so it may be easily seene and iudged of all men If I came into a roome and faw al the plate set forth to the view euery dish on the table in his due place all the furniture for the chamber in answerable proportion and euery guest in his due order and place set downe to meat I could easily iudge of the excellencie of the feast So surely the wicked alas they must expect no feast whē God shal haue mustered vp all their sinnes and ranked them vnder their seuerall heads according to his law and Gospel shall be able sufficiently to iudge what they haue done amisse to the great disquiet of their soules First therefore they shall see their apostacie from God that kept them from pleasing of him and made them displease him continually from this will the Lord descend to let him see the transgression in this apostacie with the propagation of it to all posteritie he will shewe him that the trangression in eating of the forbidden fruite was an offence of an exceeding great maiestie because it was a sacrament of the couenant of loue betwixt God the creator and man his creature and God forbad him as he would loue him not to eate thereof The loue on Gods part was extraordinarie because man being by nature changeable had this sacrament as a seale of his constant estate of goodnes and therefore was it called the tree of the knowledge of good Again on mans part it was required that he should loue constantly or if he should leaue to serue the Lord then was affured vnto him by the same sacrament vnder Gods broad seale his change from good to euill therfore was it also called the tree of the knowledge of euil From this trāsgression wil the Lord lead him by the hand to take notice of the causes and the effects that followed vpon those causes In the causes he shall vnderstand that one sort were blameable an other holy good the blameable causes both principall and instrumentall principall the deuill which through pride against God and malice against man became liars and murtherers of man by bringing him into sinne Man the second principall cause by his free receiuing of the deuills temptation and hearkning thereunto contrary to the commandement of god when he might haue resisted the same became a ioynt rebell with the deuill The instrumentall causes first the serpent the instrument of the deuill abused to the seducing of the woman the second instrument was the woman deceiued of the deuill by the serpent became an instrument to deceiue man Then shall he be brought to the vnblameable cause to wit the law and commandement of God for had not this bin their had bin no sinne as the Apostle saies therefore the law which in it self is the sauour of life vnto life through the default of man became the sauour of death vnto death that most iustly for as an earthen pitcher dashed by the hand against a stone wall is truely broken of the wall yet no fault in the wall but in the hand that threwe it against the wall contrarie to the command of his superiour so man like this earthen pitcher beeing dashed by the deuill his owne free will the serpent and the woman vpon the lawe of God and so broken in peices is no fault in the law but theirs that dashed him against the law Therefore the lawe is no faultie cause but a iust and holy cause of mans fall and as the law did it so God did it Now the lawe was no bare permitting cause or a forsaking cause but a working cause euen in that fall of man Who sees not the wall to haue an hand in the breaking of the pitcher and therefore it is idle to say that the Lord was but only a looker on gaue man leaue to transgresse or did forsake him in the act for all these are false therefore that which he did he was able to doe that which he was able to doe he decreed vnto his owne glorie and so it seemed good vnto his wisedome and therefore might absolutely will that as good and iust But God committeth no sinne true as he did all this you see there was no fault for what fault was there in the wal that brake the pitcher what fault is there in the water that drownes a man if he cast himselfe into it in the fire if it burne him surely none therefore that which God did was iust and holy but that which man did was a hainous sinne For God made them the fountaines and beginnings of their owne actions because they were indued with free will to doe well that thereby they might deserue both praise and price I meane ratione pacti non absolutè meriti of bargaine and not of simple merit for that which the law would haue giuen them that we may say was iustly deserued and on the contrarie by paritie of consequence for ill doing they deserued both dispraise and punishment If then you say God might will sinne and not will it which is to defend contradictions in his wil very true is the antecedent God did will and not will yet the consequent is false for contradictions must be of the same thing in the same respect I may say Appius est coecus non est coecus Appius is blind and not blind which are no contradictions for they are not ad idem there is not the same thing affirmed and denied but diuers he is blind in bodie but not in soule so of the Lord that which he doth in sinne he wills because so sinne hath a respect of good and he wills it iustly but that which man doth in sinne he willeth not but is sore displeased with it Thus when the Lord hath let many see their transgressions he will carie them on a long vnto the effects that flowe from these causes as the streames from the fountaine and these are in number three blame guilt and punishment blame the fault of his action in breaking Gods lawe guilt whereby hee is tyed to vndergoe his punishment and punishment which is the iust anger of God
be assured that all this is either to free me froÌ„ some sinne or els confirme me in some good worke begunne in me Secondly if in wisedome we would so prouide that afflictions might not quaile vs when they come then let vs in the time of prosperitie and quietnesse of soule cut off all head strong affections as greife sorrow and such like and then shall they not in our trouble preuaile against vs. Lastly learne to denie our selues and all our owne reason Luk. 9.23 if any man will come after me let him denie himselfe and take vp his crosse daily and follow mee The last thing requisit in all these is the keeping of a good memorie yea though our trouble be past yet still with feare to remember the hand of the Lord. The deliuerance of the children of Israel is often repeated in the Scriptures and surely for good endes because naturally wee forget the workes of God and his noble actes of ancient time which if they were faithfully treasured vp would doe vs much good in our times of need for either wee must thinke that God is not able to helpe vs or if hee be able yet wee are vnworthy of his helpe if wee doubt of his power see what hee did for Israel in Egypt in the red sea the wildernesse and among all their enemies If wee thinke wee are vnworthy then still thinke on Israel the worst people on the face of the earth for they were alwaies prouoking the holy one of Israel Psal 34.5.6 Yee shall looke vnto him and runne vnto him and their faces shall not be ashamed this poore man cried and the Lord heard him and saued him out of all his troubles And thus much of the efficient causes the matter followes out of which we are to draw some speciall comfort The matter of affliction is punishment and action Punishment therefore a morall good action therefore a positiue good The morall good first it corrects sinne past by opening our eyes to see it by humbling of vs and bringing of vs to meditation of heauen and heauenly things Secondly it cures sinne present by crossing of our nature Thirdly it preueÌ„ts sinne to come Fourthly it tries what is in our hearts All this doth a wicked man no good for the punishment is nothing but an execution of gods vengeance vpon them but to the godly it is a schoole-master to bring them vnto Christ For the second the worke of affliction though in it selfe a positiue good because an action yet it works but wofully in the vngodly but most comfortably in the children of God Heb. 12.11 it brings forth the sweete and quiet fruit of righteousnesse vnto all them that are exercised for it is a most certaine thing in Gods children that the more their afflictions growe the more their faith groweth the more Sathan striues to drawe them from God the more they drawe neere vnto God although in feeling they see not so much The third cause is the forme making an essentiall difference betwixt the afflictions of the godly and of the wicked They are in the godly corrections of loue for their good but in the wicked the vengeance of God to their euerlasting perishing The fourth last is the ende first in regard of Christ Phil. 1.20 to magnifie him and therfore an honour vnto his Saints Secondly in regard of our selues 2. Cor. 1.9 not to trust in our selues good to lay aside vaine confidence Thirdly for our vocation 1. Pet. 2.21 good to accomplish the end of our vocation Fourthly good in their owne vse all his well that ends well Ioh. 16.20 Your sorrow shall be turned into ioy To proceede to another demonstration that afflictions are good and comfortable may appeare in the fruits of it which are either within vs or without vs. The first is called the mortification of the flesh or the crucifying of the lusts thereof The second is called the mortification of the outward man by manifold afflictions To this is required a good cause Secondly patience voluntarie not perforce not mercinarie but to shew our obedience Thirdly constant not for a brunt Fourthly for a good end Now their is nothing in these afflictioÌ„s but ioy these will neuer gall the conscience but make it stout and couragious therefore let vs see the effects of the other First it openeth the eare Iob. 33.16 then he openeth the eares of men euen by their corrections which he hath sealed Secondly it brings forth greife and is verie necessarie to bring on other effects Greife we know would faine haue ease whereof it is and it laboureth alwaies to lay it selfe open and to mooue pitie it seareth nothing more then to be hidden for which cause nature hath giuen more helps to bewray this affection then any other as heauinesse of countenance hanging downe of the forehead moouing of the eyes teares sighs and grones it teacheth eloquence and maketh vs to change our speeches and so we learne to amplifie the causes of our woe so that falling on any obiect of our greife we are loth to depart from speaking of it we double our speeches on that theame we know the matter of Ezekias greife forced his tongue to touch it twise my tongue my tongue shall praise thee When our Sauiour Christ spake of doctrine he neuer doubles his words but is content to vtter it in a word but when he came to the rebellion of Ierusalem it touched him so neerely that he cryes Oh Ierusalem Ierusalem and Dauid when he lights vpon his sonne Absolon O Absolon Absolon O my sonne Absolon Thirdly after greife it makes vs loath and detest our selues Iob. 42.6 therfore I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Fourthly to seeke vnto God Hos 5.15 Psal 78.34 when he slew them they sought him and they returned and sought the Lord early Ier. 31.18 I haue heard Ephraim lamenting thus Thou hast corrected mee and I was chastised as an vntamed calfe conuert thou mee and I shall be conuerted after that I conuerted I repented and after that I was instructed I smote vpon my thigh I was ashamed yea euen confounded because I did beare the reproach of my youth Lastly from the subiect Colos 1.24 I fullâ—ill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my body an excellent subiect that may be annexed vnto Christ 1. Pet. 4.13 reioyce in so much that ye are made partakers of Christs sufferings that when he shall appeare ye may be glad and reioyce Phil. 1.29 a high priuiledge to be a sufferer for it is giuen vnto vs as a speciall donation and therfore their be heads enough of yeilding comfort to euerie afflicted soule I know none to be tossed and turmoiled more in soule then the godly and yet none more free from danger then they Psa 88. Dauid hath all Gods waues go ouer him v. 17. They came round about him daily like water and compassed him together A sea-faring man labours for nothing more when he is vnder a dangerous storme