from the obligation of the law That which is bound to the lawe is properly the subiect of the breach of the law now men and angels are only bound to Gods law therefore men and angels may only be tearmed the subiect their actions therefore onely as belonging vnto them are sinfull that is flowing from sinners and so are their workes so that mans nature worketh and sinne and God mans nature worketh and hath God working in it and so the action is good againe God beside his general influence concourse with his creature hath a speciall worke in the action which concernes himselfe and that is likewise good yea and verie good for it is the last end of the creature but the other cause which is sinne cleauing so fast vnto our nature qualifies our nature to doe sinfully The sunne-beames comming thorough a red glasse shines on the opposite wall with the tincture of the colour of the glasse now the question is whether the red colour be onely in the glasse or likewise in the shining surely it seemes that the whole colour remaines still in the glasse and rather dimmes the shining then infects it so the beames of Gods wisedome shining through our corrupt soules seemes to be an action tainted with sinne but surely the corruption stickes in our soules and onely hindred the bright beames of Gods glorie from appearing in our actions Reason 3. from the sole nature of an effect That which is onely an effect can neuer be a subiect nowe the motion is onely an effect and can no otherwise be considered and therefore is alwaies ioyned with his cause as a sinfull action is in sense and reason the action of a sinneful man that is whereof sinnefull man is the cause Hence beeing an effect it must needes exist or stand out by many causes and therefore according to euery cause hath his speciall affection so a sinfull action hath one reference vnto man an other vnto God and yet may stand out of both Christs death had many causes and all subordinate causes were according to Gods determinate counsell the action was sinfull yet the sinne did inhere in Pilate Herod and the accursed Iewes Reason 4. from the nature of goodnes That which is simply good cannot bee the subiect of sinne now actions are of this nature the reason is because causes giue beeing vnto things and therefore are absolute as causes now motion hauing no other being but that which it receiues from causes Causa cuius vi res est This vis must needs be Gods and causes producing that by a motiue force in themselues which force is from God cannot any wayes leaue in the effect an euill inherent but onely in themselues which wanted true force whereof the effect should haue existed hence we call sinne rather a deficient cause then an efficient cause Rom 6.12 Rom. 7.5 Indeede sinne in vs is said to raigne and haue force in our members and so sinne with his subiect is exceeding powerful but it is by turning Gods created force the wrong way euen as a wheele set a running wrong way is carried with as great force as when it runne the cleane contrarie so mans nature set a rebelling against God turnes Gods created forces against himselfe that the force is put into the action it is Gods but that it was put in by the hand of a rebell it became sinfull yet God will acknowledge his owne force in the action and turne the fault and crime to the proper owners That the Iewes and Pilate laid hands on Christ it was Gods created force in them but the abuse of it is their owne and takes vp a proper habitation in their miserable soules then causation beeing a created force and motion onely acknowledging the same well may the motion be Gods and yet no cause at all of sinne Reason 5. from priuation Sinnes are properly the priuation or want of action and therfore though they may bee both in one subiect yet neuer can the one be the subiect of the other for so should deadly enemies become louing freinds and the worst kind of opposites be reconciled for I am sure that priuation though he be no being yet he denies a beeing in the selfe same subiect which is capable of it Blindnes is a worse not being then not seeing for not seeing may be in a stone which is neuer the worse for it but blindnes can be no where but where sight may be and therefore the eye is much worse for it if then sinne bee the priuation of an action it can neuer bee in an action but alwaies against an action Reason 6. from action and passion which seeme to differ but in respect of the agent and patient and therefore the patient should sin more then the agent seeing the action wherein lies the sinne is most properly in the patient but frō the agent The action from the worker is a passion in the receiuer and therefore if sinne were in the action it should goe along with it to the patient yea rather should it be in the patient then the agent seeing the action rests most in the patient Hence murther should rather be the sinne of the patient then the agent seeing the action of murther as it is from the agent so most properly is in the party slaine and therefore the murtherer should be the murthered which is against reason It is plaine then that sinne abides in the murtherer the action is good let this therefore be obserued that God may be iustified euen in sinnefull actions yet no cause of sinne because sinne alone rests in the bosome of fooles and will not stirre one iotte out of that subiect it is therefore dangerous to defend that an action is the materiall cause of sinne for so should sinne not onely be said to be in the action but of the action and then I know not how God should worke the action and bee freed from sinne for causa causae est causa causati The words then are thus to be expounded Things are here put for actions by a metanomie of the cause for the effect for actions proceed frō things then actions for the sinnes which are committed by sinnefull things and so the action is an effect of the sinnefull man and is put for his cause which be sinnes in the things Neither is this any newe opinion Motus modus actionis for all agree that the motion is good onely the manner of doing is euill Now examine the point well and we shall alwaies find the manner in the doer and not in the thing done and therefore the euill is properly in the doer and not in the thing done onely it is said to be in it in that regard that an euill cause wrought it and so the motion is both Gods and mans yet not both of one manner of working Mans fall was an action therefore Gods and mans but man wrought it one manner of way and
before him in his creatures now Gods is first in himselfe and then in the things Secondly in man his plot is but a forme in his head distinct from his beeing but in God both the forme of his working and himselfe are all one Thirdly there is in man an Idaea or forme of working before he worke the thing in genesi that is before he compose any thing according to his first conceit which is not before but after himselfe but Gods is neither before nor after himselfe and therefore we must not looke first for Gods Idaeas in things and then in God but first in God and then in things And here I beseech you take notice of the absurditie of many Diuines and grosse ignorance concerning the point of Election and Reprobation expraevisa massa corrupta that it needs must be of man in the estate of his sinne and so make Gods Idaea or the plot of his counsell whereby he decreed to be first in the things and then in God which is cleane contrarie Indeede we vse to say you stand there therefore I see you and not I see you and therefore you are there but in God it is contrarie God saw Adam to fall and therefore be fell Againe prescience can not be properly in God seeing God directly sees all at once and together and therefore can not see one thing before an other yet as God lookes vpon the creature one thing is saide to goe before an other and this may be tearmed prescience but this is that second knowledge of God which we call indirect and here all things are seene of God as they are the images of his wisdome For if he see all things in himselfe then must he needes see all things out of himselfe indirectly the reason is because whatsoeuer God sees directly it is himselfe and therefore the creatures beeing not himselfe he sees them indirectly The Schoole-men speake much of this speculum trinitatis for say they Angels Saints see in God otherwise then by the creatures and therefore are able to know any thing It is true God can reueale yea and hath reuealed not onely vnto Saints in heauen but Apostles and Prophets many things that neuer came by the way of the creature yet we must conceiue that the Lord did irradiate and shine vpon their vnderstanding by an other image then his owne and therefore it was diuine reuelation by working vpon their vnderstandings an Idaea or plot of knowledge which is out of himselfe As God is said to view all principles that is the simple beeing of things he is called an intelligent wise and vnderstanding God 2. the truth of these things and this is Gods omniscience for the present God fore know ledge or prescience for future and neither of both are idle speculations Therefore Gods knowledge or foreknowledge beeing of truths and truths are to pronounce as things are and things are because God doth pronounce them to be therefore God vseth to say I know you not I doe not acknowledge you Againe the Lord knowes the way of the righteous that is works it approoues it And therefore it is not according to the Papists whome the Lord foreknew would doe good or the Lutherans whome he knew would beleeue or others whome he knew would not fall but his will and knowledge goe together I can as well say God had a will to doe all things that were possible as well as a prescience for his will was omnipotent as well as his knowledge and therefore hee could as well if it pleased him to will any possible thing to be as to foreknowe it to be yet this I am sure of that a thing possible and now come to passe was as well willed of God as foreknowne of God And though I would bring no strange opinions yet this seemes to be reasonable that whatsoeuer God knowes it is either something or nothing now something is immediately demonstrated from his will this thing is because God willed it for his will is the cause of all beings not his knowledge therefore to vs in any beeing we must first take notice of his will and then of his knowledge Man is fallen this is the will of God and not his meere foresight for things done can neuer be resolued into an higher cause then his will and for nothing that is alwaies vnderstood per oppositum ens by his contrarie which is some thing Now because further we find in the creatures No discourse in God yet in his creatures one reason puls in another prius posterius a first and a second so that here we conceiue of God as though he did discourse of one thing from another The truth is he sees them simul and semel yet because for our capacitie he hath said he hath antica postica a face and back parts and his back-parts are reuealed vnto vs by a prius and posterius a first a last we giue sapience vnto God which is of all coÌ„clusions and diductions from their true fountaines Againe because the Lord hath set an order and contriued euery thing most fitly and conueniently for time place and person we call him a prudent God And as he hath most substantially effected all things we call it great art and skill Now all this cannot be without the good will and pleasure of our God which respecting himselfe makes himselfe the chiefe good and therefore he made the world for no neede he had of it Secondly in respect of the creatures bearing his image they were all of them good yea and very good if all were done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his good pleasure or according thereunto then is God the most free agent because first most absolute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propriè and therefore Arminius blasphemes against God in saying that God doth worke most necessarily because he hath no libertie of will as well to euill as to good for saies he that which is onely vnto good hath no freedome but necessitie thereunto He knows not that liberum arbitrium free-will belongs to counsel and that cause that can worke by counsell hath free will For arbitrium belongs to reason liberum to will and therefore free-will Free-will a wit and a will or a â—â—lling wittines is nothing but a willing wittinesse and that is counsell To doe willingly is the worke of the wil and to doe wittingly is of the wit or vnderstanding Thus then you haue heard the concourse of God with his creature the creature depending must be gouerned beeing gouerned must obey obeying must obserue his rule and yet beeing mutable may leaue off to giue due respect vnto it and this non attendentia makes him slippe out of Gods way into his owne as may plainly be seene by the first sinne where the Law offered his concourse but man denied his Againe you see how God doth decree in himselfe and therefore first we are to know that God in decreeing follows no creature directa
yet bona venia with greater rashnesse seeing the Apostle intended no such thing as humane infirmitie to dispute with God but to musle vp the mouthes of the refractorie and peruerse Iewes and such like but yet he is to know that if the Apostle had brought his argument to that purpose onely then should he haue dealt with them as our Sauiour Christ did Ioh. 8. the Iewes they say we haue no neede to be made free Christ tels them Ye are the seruants of sinne therefore in vaine doe you boast of your freedom so here the Iewes might haue saide we are cast off and reprobates for so was the will of God and how should we haue helped it The Apostle might presently haue stopped their mouthes Yee are rebells against God and therefore he hath cast you off what could flesh and blood haue opposed to this But the Apostle makes no mention of this but resolues all into Gods will and that most iustly seeing to make and prepare his vessells is his own will alone When he shall come to the third to handle them as vessels of wrath the cause shall easily be found out to iustifie God and condemne man 6. Principle No mon can doe any thing but where God workes the will and the deed and it is done according to that measure lesse or more that God bestowes vpon vs. Of the concourse of Gods grace both of them agree onely that word absolute is disliked yet if in all effects the first cause bee absolutely required that the second may worke then God must absolutely concurre to the effecting of any good Seuenth principle No euill is avoided that God doth not keepe vs from in the working Of this it is agreed but the manner of working is doubted of whether it bee by omnipotencie causing a necessary impedition or of counsell causing an infallible impedition the first mooues the will naturally the second voluntarily To answer the distinction is not good for omnipotencie goes along with prouidence in the preseruation of the creature as well as it did in creation for the production of the same and therefore omnipotencie is seen in the creatures motions whether naturall or voluntarie Secondly that distinction of the wills naturall motion and voluntary is false for I demaund whether the will in both be an internall agent if internall then it suffers neither violence nor coaction but acts most freely and therefore by that modus efficiendi which is counsell Thirdly a necessarie impedition and infallible are not alwaies distinguished nay a necessarie impedition is alwaies infallible though infallible be not alwaies necessarie and therefore to make distribution of a whole into a part and a whole is against reason and opposeth those which are not opposed Fourthly the naturall or voluntarie motion of the will to an externall obiect is neuer necessarie but contingent Therefore if the Lord should mooue the will with a most certaine determination vpon some externall obiect it should not make the act necessarie Eigth Principle Gods will is iudged of by his word by reuelation and by euent Arminius excepts against the third because the euent may as wel belong to Gods permission of it as his action in it the former teacheth vs to resolue the euent affirmatiuely vpon the second cause but negatiuely vpon Gods will because he would not hinder it either by his power secundum modum naturae or perswasion secundum modum voluntatis liberae If wee graunt that God permitted sinne which before I haue shewed to bee false in regard that a manner of working in sinne is iustified of God without all blame yet doth it not follow but that the euent should be Gods Zach. 6.1 the foure charets of the world that is all euents East West North and South come from betweene mountaines of brasse Gods immutable decree which is as immooueable as a mountaine of brasse Againe that God must needes will the euent it is plaine from the order of his wisedome which runnes before and after all euents before to worke in them and dispose of them without which two causes they cannot bee he that is the first wisedome and the last will not suffer any euent that shall not be from him to him for in as much as any thing is to him in so much it is from him seeing it is equally good to both that is as good for God so good from God Now surely all euents fall between these two tearmes and therefore from God to God Againe as after the euent Gods wisdome doth either approoue or disprooue of the second causes working it and hence all euents are either ordered limited or punished of God 9. Principle No man can doe that good which he might doe by grace except God should worke in him both the will and the deede to effect the same To this Arminius replies that God neuer giues power but secondly all things that might concurre to bring that power into act This is most true for before we shewed that two things were required to produce any worke facultie and rule of working and God neuer put any facultie into his creature but he gaue him a sufficient rule to worke by But the strait tying together of these two makes the creature to stand firme and immooueable therefore religion which since the fall is properly so called a tying againe of man vnto God is this strait bond that ties the faithfull soule for euer vnto God I will put my feare into their hearts and they shall neuer depart from me This is eternall life to knowe thee c. So then beside the rule and the facultie a third thing is required not for sufficiencie of working but for certentie of working and that is when the Lord shall put into vs his spirit of grace which shall lead vs into all truth and keepe vs from falling away And this third thing Adam wanted and therefore Phil. 2.13 It is God which worketh in you both the will the deede euen at his good pleasure Obserue first it is said in you that is his faithfull ones secondly it is both will and deede thirdly it is his most free will and pleasure and therefore hee may doe it to whom he will and when he will therefore man had power and rule sufficient to haue stood but God did not so necessarily tie these together but that man might if hee pleased denie his concourse with the rule and so sinne against God 10. Principle The gouernement of the whole world and all execution of iustice is to be ascribed vnto God The exception to this is of small moment God doth all not onely in iustice but also in mercie and knowes where to bestow both this M. Perkins included in the gouernment of the world wherein both iustice and mercie are manifested The definition of Predestination reprehended in the genus or common nature in the subiect and in the ende The next examination is concerning the definition of Predestination wherein Arminius reprehends
and body together euen almost disioyned for lacke of spirit and courage and so to animate body and soule that euen Christians shall say I neuer found body and soule in better temper then now Many Martyrs which haue beene troubled with the swelling of the spleene which all the time of their libertie was a kinde of hell vnto them haue admired that beside the exraordinarie consolations of the soule they haue felt those paines ceased that did disquiet them on the day time following of their ordinary vocations and in the night with breaking off their sleepe when now they finde that all the day they could toyle in writing and praying singing and comforting their poore brethren and when night comes sleepe soundly without either bed or couering when before though vpon a bed of Ivorie and wrapped in silke they could take no rest this is Gods blessing filling the heart with the grace of patience which makes vs perfect intire and lacking nothing therefore where patience is what discomfort can trouble vs This is the first argument marke the method to the second It might well be obiected I could be patient but I want wisdome to carrie mine affliction and make the right vse of it To this he answers and his answer doth not onely take away the obiection but giue a second confirmation of his exhortation v. 5. If any of you lacke wisdome let him aske it of God and ye shall be assured that the Lord will answer you for he giueth to all men liberally and reproacheth no man therefore you his children shall be sure to speede Yet would I preuent all rashnes for if it may be had for asking then all men shall haue it for who is he but he praies the Lords praier Creed ten Commandements true it is he saies praiers but I giue the requisite let him aske in faith and wauer not for he that wauereth incurreth first the shame of inconstancie becomming like the sea tossed of euery winde and neuer resting Secondly they loose all expectation euer to receiue any thing of the Lord nay let him not so much as thinke of it or presume that the Lord will answer his praiers Thirdly the detection of an hypocrite that he is a double minded man and therefore vnstable in all his waies not able to lie at the anker of any of Gods promises Now then both arguments beeing rightly vnderstood and applied vnto the soule see how forcibly they will be able to inferre the conclusion He that hath such a patience that is perfect in it selfe and is able to worke perfection in others and that in such sort that they shall be made perfect entire lacking nothing and secondly for direction shall haue the blessed grace of spirituall wisdome may be mooued to count it exceeding ioy when he falls into diuers tentations but euery faithfull soule shall haue both these graces therefore must he needs intertaine my louing exhortation Patience and wisdome going hand in hand will carrie affliction without trouble for suppose that two persons were to carrie a long staffe through a strait passage the one wants patience and therefore he makes hast now for want of wisdome his staffe falls a crosse he is still discontented labours to breake through by violence but the staffe beeing too strong for him and the passage too narrow to let him goe on except he take his staffe with him is set at a stay to adde crosse vnto crosse vntill he perish in his follie now a man of patience when he is to come that way is content by patience to goe softly at his leisure and by his wisdome espies where he may haue a thrust backe except he order his staffe by letting one end go before the other and thus by patience and wisdome goes further in the straits of this world toward the kingdome of heauen in one houre then fooles wise in their owne conceit goe all the time of their life But let me lead you on in the Apostles sweete consolation and bring you to the third ground and that is true contentation in all estates v. 9 10 11. explained by an example in aduersitie and another in prosperitie proouing that neither prosperitie can further the ioyes of Christians nor aduersirie hinder it and therefore whether prosperitie or aduersitie befall them their estate is all one with God For aduersitie he brings for instance an example drawne from pouertie ver 9. Let the brother of low degree reioyce in that he is exalted his lowe degree is no hinderer of his exaltation in Christ and therefore can it not take away his reioycing for what cares a man for the losse of a pennie that is so rich that he knowes no ende of his wealth for better is it to bee made rich by the creator of the world then to haue the creature without the creator For prosperitie he exemplifies in riches v. 10. It is good for him that is rich to see that he bee made lowe else shall he with his riches become as the flower of the grasse which by the sunne withering the grasse makes his flower fall away and then the goodly shape of it perisheth euen so shall the rich man wither away in all his waies And therefore seeing the best in prosperitie is to bee made low and the worst is to be made rich without humiliation and on the contrarie the worst in aduersitie makes vs the best in Christ who can denie but that our ioy may exceed in afflictions The fourth argument beside his strength and power is very alluring for Psal 4. who will shewe vs any good well if in this case any beleeuing Iew shall make the question in this anguish of his soule and say who will shew vs any good he shall not onely haue the Apostle with Dauid to shew them that God will lift vpon them the light of his countenance but euen the blessed ende of all their tryalls v. 12. Blessed is the man that indureth tentation for when he is tried he shall receiue the crown of life c. But if there be such strong arguments for tentations then surely God is the cause of them No beloued I would not haue you say God tempts any man v. 15. but the true cause is his owne heart v. 14.15 therefore erre not my deare brethren v. 16. but take notice of euerie good gift and say that is the Lords worke v. 17. therefore this good that comes out of euil is the worke of the Lord for afflictions in their owne nature are euill and it is my power to make them good vnto my children yet not to make them in my children Therefore hauing giuen warning take the fift argument of consolation and comfort and that is from the newe birth v. 18. A woman indeede when she trauaileth hath sorrâ—we because her howre is come but as soone as she is delinerad of the child she remembreth no more the anguish for ioy that a man is borne into the world Ioh. 16.21 so Gods
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
God another now all learned men knowe that the manner of any thing makes it not many as one cause may beget preserue be alone and with others worke by it selfe and by accident and therefore no neede to multiply the action Effectuum relationes omnes sunt ad causas suas separatas concurrentes concausas simul ac similiter agentes that is the relations and respect of all effects are to their causes whether they be separate concurring concausing or together and in like manner working if to separated causes then the effects obtain their names from the manner of the cause by which these effects exist if necessarily they come forth then of necessarie causes they are called necessarie effects And here by the way obserue that the decree of God and mans free will in his fal are rather separate then concurring causes and therefore if you please Gods decree may be called a necessarie cause of his owne effect but mans free will was another manner of cause and therfore being a contingent cause his fall was cōtingent obserue this against we come to the difficulties that arise out of Gods ordering of sin So then in separate causes if necessary then necessary effects if contingent then contingēt effects but if many causes concurre to produce one effect then this one effect can neuer be said to be contingent and necessarie for so one nature should be contradictorie to it selfe therefore if the principal cause of mans sinne be contingent as who dare denie it seeing it came from mans though free yet mutable will therefore that Gods decree should either necessitate the cause or the effect is impossible for so a contingent cause should become a necessarie cause and a necessarie effect should be the same with a contingent effect so then Gods decree though it make his owne effect necessarie yet concurring with mans fall works in sustaining ordering limiting whatsoeuer shall be done but without all violence or coaction of his nature For the third concauses which are absolute in their working and neither will nor can be frustrated alwaies produce a necessarie effect as the first cause and the second not only concurring but concausing each of them for their full power and freedome that which they work cannot but produce that which they intended therefore God the first cause concausing in mans fall his owne good pleasure and man for his freedome in the selfe same effect concausing his owne will could doe no other but produce vnto himselfe a miserable effect but vnto God who made this serue his own will a glorious consequent to manifest a greater good then otherwise the world should euer haue conceiued and therefore giue euerie effect his right in his cause but wrong no cause for the effect because that which you may charge one cause with all was proper to another Thou This word hath relation to 16. ver but to the wicked said God thou whose heart is full of hypocrisie worship vngodlinesse conuersation vnrighteous and euerie action an impudent lying before God and man Done Doing is to be limited for generally it signifies to doe well or euill but the second is meant done amisse whether in omitting true reformation or committing vile abhominations against the sacred lawes of God both are iudged of God in this place Gods law is cast at the backe and therfore all good duties omitted the contrarie performed in profanation adulterie the euerie deceit slander c. Held When it is taken for holding to worke Plowing Meditation Labouring it properly signifies plowing hence meditating and thirdly any kind of labouring the second signification is a metaphore hence Sampsons prouerbe they plowed with my heiffer the third is a Synecdoche A second head of significations is to hold from worke and then it signifies either to omit Omit Remit Cease wholly to passe it ouer or else to remit to hold backe some of the whole thirdly wholly to cease which all of them may be applyed First I omitted wholly from calling of thee to an account and therefore thou thoughtest that all reckonings were made vp betwixt thee and me Secondly I remitted thee many offences for which thou neuer was thankefull vnto me Thirdly a long time haue I ceased from my anger and therefore as in my mercies thou scantedst me as a nigardly and pinching giuer so now in thy sinnes thou hast beene exceeding liberall and large taken my hands and armes as bound vp in a cloth and cannot be pulled out to strike thee withall Tongue The word beeing giuen to reasonable creatures First signifies as dumme Thou thoughtest that I was tongue-tied alas didst thou neuer heare me in my word Secondly deafe thou thoughtest I could not here thy mouth giuen vnto euill thy tongue to forgerie deceit cursed speaking slaunder c. Thirdly blind that I had no eyes to see thy secret hypocrisie Qui tacet consentire videtur Fourthly silent as one consenting with thee Fiftly ouerseeing as one winking at thy sinnes Sixtly sparing as neuer meaning to call thee to account But there is one signification more and that is to thinke a secret and therefore O hypocrite it might be that God all this time was thinking a secret against thee To hold the tongue is put for silence which is a Metanomy of the cause for the effect now the Lord can properly be said neither to hold the tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or keepe silence therefore a third thing is meant by a metaphor drawne from men keeping silence to wit clemency gentlenes patience forbearing long suffering bountifulnesse and a large time to repent The iustice of God as it burnes more remissely against sinne is called anger as more sharpely wrath in sentencing iudgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is mercie in executing reuenge now in all these God vseth mercie which is a compassion toward his creature offending and this is double either gentlenesse or bountifulnes gentlenesse gentlenesse whereby in his iustice hee remembreth mercy and this appeares in his patience patience and longanimitie patience whereby he most gently suffereth sinners deferreth his punishment longanimitie whereby he expecteth long time repentance longanimity his bountifulnesse bountifulnes whereby he is rich in goodnes powring forth his good gifts vpon his sinful creatures notwithstanding their sinnes and in all these appeares this which the Prophet hath said I held my tongue III. Part. The explication of wickedmens conceits Thoughtest 1. 1. Consent It signifies to consent vnto a thing and that is nothing els but the fitting of natures together either in their causes as like causes will haue like effects and so on the contrarie like effects like causes or of subiects with their adiuncts as this is a fit subiect for such a qualitie or this is a qualitie for such a subiect Let vs then applie thou thoughtest that is consentedst but alas how fitly doth Gods silence and their thoughts agree fire
that sinne is not in it selfe but by accident good and seruing for Gods glorie but the Lord which can bring light ort of darknes good out of euill is able to dispose of the euill of sinne by accident and of the goodnesse which is his owne worke by it selfe to make for his glorie True it is that God in his worke goes no further then the good of the euill and that he decrees the other is said very improperly for euill in his abstract nature is neither beeing nor the cause of any beeing and therefore no good in the true approbation of goodnes beeing not good it hath no ende and therefore is referred to Gods decree as it is said to belong to a beeing and the goodnes of a beeing and this is accidentall therefore accidentally decreed Sinne accidentally decreed yet impossible to be vndecreed but yet it cannot be vndecreed because the thing in him decreed could not haue beene without him for that good that comes out of sin could not haue beene except sinne had been and sinne could not haue beene except goodnesse had beene and therefore beeing in Gods created goodnes and also God bringing from him his owne goodnesse to his owne glorie he cannot escape Gods decree because both the other are of necessitie all men confessing vnder Gods decree directly And therefore if God would haue sinne to be in his good creatures and also goodnesse from sinne in them then must sinne stand to Gods determination because the other two cannot but presuppose sinne because a goodnesse from him Now that God is no author of sinne in all this it is plaine because the two former haue God for their author bring in the other as a hang-by and vnwelcome guest yet such a one as they could not throw off at their pleasure Diseaseslie in nature and sometimes do good to nature yet nature will neuer acknowledge the kindnesse because he knew the intent was his subuersion Iason had an impostume in his bodie An euill thing may doe good by accident the enemie thrusts his sword into it heales him of his impostume which the Physitians could neuer accomplish but no thank to Iasons enemie which sought his life and therefore if sinne doe any good either for God or to man it is no thankes to sinne seeing that sinne would dishonour God and destroy man Againe one may appoint the iourney lawfully but an other may walke it vnlawfully God appoints euery man his race but he himselfe runs it the horse carries a man to his iourneyes end and knowes not that he doth so much for mans good yet man knowes it well enough and guides him all the way yet for all this the horse vndergoes the trauell and would be feeding by the way and if he eate his owne poison or lame himselfe by a fall it is the horses fault yet must he to his ende if the man haue power to effect it so the Lord hath laid vpon man his decree he carrieth it with him all the dayes of his life he knowes not to what ende yet the Lord knowes it well enough and doth alwaies dispose of him vntill he come at his iourneys ende Now in his way man feeds on the poyson of sinne fals and stumbles in his way yet the Lord will haue him go on for he is able to doe it and he shall neuer rest vntill he haue accomplished the wil of the almightie And therefore if this be iust in men in the rule and dominion ouer their beasts shall it not bee as iust in the Lord I am sure that the Lord hath as much authority ouer vs as we haue ouer our beasts therfore let vs not be too bold in disputing with our creator but giue him the praise glorie of all ends Argum. 2 Whatsoeuer is ordered that is decreeed but sinne is ordered therefore decreed That sinne is ordered my text is plaine for it But you will answer that sinne is ordered in the bookes of conscience and not in the booke of Gods decree This is but a shift for graunt the last booke and you shall graunt both the former which I prooue thus If no bookes of conscience without the booke of the law and no booke of the lawe without the booke of Gods decree then the third beeing graunted the two former are concluded For if wee would make these three bookes one complete booke Three bookes one compleat booke wee must of necessitie diuide them in this order and method the first part is Gods decree the second is Gods reuealed law and the third is the testimonie of the conscience Now method tells me plainely that the first may be without the second for Gods secret will may be without his reuealed will but his reuealed can not be without his secret will And againe the law may be without this booke of conscience but this booke of conscience can not be without the law for no accusation or excusation but by the law of God Therefore graunt the third and you graunt the two former by ineuitable consequence Now this third booke can not be denied because my text prooues it and no man of reason contradicts it Againe euery schoole-boy can tell me that the breaking of Priscians head must be healed by Priscian himselfe the writing or speaking of false latine either against the first or second part of Grammar The rule before the fault must be ordered by the rule of Grammar it self now the rule was before the false latin therfore determines what false latine was long before the schoole boy practised it So the Law of God tells me what sinne is when I haue committed it but it determined what sinne was and to what end long before either I or my father Adam committed it therfore the determination was not to follow after though indeede the conuiction followed after the commission Therfore orthodoxall is the distinction of Gods decree and the execution of his decree of Gods determination and the accomplishment thereof of Gods definitiue sentence and the manifestation of it of his reprobation of a man and the conuiction of a sinner all the former I may tearme the premisses and the latter Gods conclusion in the premisses Againe there is the first proposition which is Gods truth and sole wisdome the second which we call the minor is the speciall application of it vnto man in his good time Gen. 15. Israel must serue 400. yeares but Exod. 12. 400 are compleat therefore must Israel out of Egypt that very selfe same day There is a day in which God will iudge the world Atheists may denie it 2. Pet. 3. but when the decree shall be assumed now is the day I dare boldly conclude that those persons shall perish So in like manner all men are decreed of the Lord to manifest his iustice and mercie in all that either God himselfe doth or man can doe but I am one of these all and therefore must I manifest either his iustice or
cognitione secondly in manifesting his desree it is done cognitione indirecta first generall in his creation for from his efficiencie and omnipotencie potuit he could reueale it hence in respect of himselfe being meere acts he could not haue any such attribute for potuit may be or could be can neuer be said of him that euer was actu therfore must it respect the things that may be may feele the act of God hence qua potuit efficit as he could bring them forth so he did it most effectually Now because omnipotencie and efficiencie respects both posse and efficere to be able and to doe Constanter verâ— sideliter and what God can doe and will doe that must he needs decree constantly truely and saithfully Now because this decree of God cannot but be brought to passe after the best way and manner therefore must he decree by counsell if by counsell then must the scope be prefixed therefore must the ende of it manifest his glorie therefore all his goodnesse therefore his vertues which are his attributes and if them then his iustice and mercie To doe by counsell is to haue some expresse forme of working the plot whereof makes euery thing agreeable to his counsell this plot seemes good vnto his wisedom and this the Lord wills and that with a most free will arbitrio iudicij libertate voluntatis wit and will Out of these grounds we easily answer the doubt Application to the doubt that God did neither omit or commit any thing in mans fall he did not omit for the rule was at hand and mans facultie to doe well was sufficient the concourse was not in man therefore did he omit denying the law that due respect that it challenged I told you before that neither the law alone nor the facultie alone was able to produce the act of obedience therefore the law alone could not do it not that it was an vnsufficient rule but because man would not practise this rule Now you know it is said to be impossible vnto the law not in regard of it selfe but in regard of vs that cannot concurre with it to that righteousnesse which it exacteth which we might haue done by creation For commission it is plaine that the Lord did no otherwise concurre with mans fall then the law did which you haue heard in explication of the causes of the first transgression was no causa perse but causa per accidens and therefore an vnblameable cause If man will rush against it what fault can he finde with the lawe if it doe mischiefe him Hee that takes a sword by the poynt is sure to wound himselfe which if he had taken by the handle might haue been vsed both for defence and offence But it is further replied the motion of man to finne followed Gods motion which was irresistable True it is the will of God is irresistable when it is opposed and therefore in resisting the will of God he followed an irresistable motion in opposing the law of God he suffered his owne ouerthrowe So that resistentia beeing only of enemies that suffer mutably and God beeing sine passione resistentia without passion or resistence and therefore cannot be resisted Then your meaning is this that man was a resolute enemie to sinning and fought with God about this action but God would haue man to sinne and so man should not resist But alas it was cleane contrarie Gods will was not to haue man to sinne and mans will was to sinne and therefore hee fought against Gods wil yet could he not resist Gods will or falsifie the least of his decrees Rom. How God concludes hiâ— mercy and iustice not ex prâ—uâ—sa fidâ— or ex pecâ—ato bâ—t from the promise which was his meere good will and pleasure 9.19 the conclusion in the 18. verse is the manifestation of Gods mercie and iustice by what argument you shal conceiue if you looke from the 6. verse it is drawne from contraries mans infidelitie and Gods fidelitie the infidelitie of man cannot frustrate the promise of God first because his promise is either generall or speciall generall as it respects the roote speciall as it respects the branches therefore hee saith all are not Israel that is the true liuing branches which are of Israel that is the root vnto which the promise was made it was made to Abraham it was made to Isaac c. Abraham the roote and some of the seede of this roote were indeed the seede of Abraham but yet in Isaac must the true seed be called this second promise is the effectuall promise which must stand v. 8. for there be some the children of the flesh hauing Abraham for their root but others are the children of God which haue God for their father and therefore must needs effectually be made partakers of the couenant and these say the Apostle are properly counted for the seed this hee shewes first because of the time appointed ver 9. secondly from the paritie of coÌ„ception Sarah had a sonne but the other was by her maide and therefore no maruell if God sanctified the true seed the other was bastardly borne yet v. 10. the matter was brought to more equall tearmes euen Rebecca she conceiued by one euen by our father Isaac therefore this conception would admit no exception for the parents Nothing either in the parents or children why God should purpose one to life the other to death but yet it may be the exception is to be made in the children themselues therefore v. 11. he proues Gods purpose to exclude all outward or inward considerations that might be found in them First from the constancy of his purpose that it might remaine secondly from the forme of his purpose according to election a setled decree thirdly from the eternitie of it yer the children were borne fourthly from the deniall of all causes out of himselfe first by an ennumeration either good or euill it was neither the goodnesse of Iacob nor the euill of Esau that caused the Lord to purpose any such thing secondly from the practise of good or euill done that distinction of facta and facienda of done or to bee done is idle for the fifth and last argument knocks it in the head which is drawne from the remotion of a false cause and the position or laying downe of the true cause not by workes generally done or to be done but by him that calleth if this be the true cause then say the other and you oppose Gods call for workes and Gods call be membra diuidentia therfore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as cannot stand together This cause is proued to be the truth First by Gods oracle Gen. 25.23 the elder shall serue the younger this is against the ordinarie course of nature but God that calleth will haue it so Secondly from a testimonie Mal. 1.2.3 as it is written I haue loued Iacob and haue hated Esau that is I haue called Iacob to the feeling
the world would censure me of flattery and if I knewe that selfe-loue were at home with your selfe then should I neuer feare want of intertainment in learning to dissemble but both the world and your selfe must pardon my boldnesse for I speake not to blaze abroad your praise but to intreat that kindnesse that men would admit of your example as a patterne for imitation Three things constraine mee to vtter my mind First that continuall care which you haue for resolution of many difficulties in diuinity the means which you haue vsed are but practised of few one is that you haue not bin content to take your resolution of diuine truth from translations but haue taken that paines that you are able to fetch it from the originall and drinke of the purest fountaine A second meanes is that of the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make question of matters of religion whensoeuer you haue seene iust opportunitie and fit persons to resolue neither haue you been content to admit of superficiall answers but haue pressed argument vpon them to see the true tryall and often your own resolutions haue bin more agreeable with the truth and context of Sciptures then that which others haue said let this teach men of your place besides their continuall imploiments to set some time apart for this excellent knowledge of the originalls of the Bible and knowledge of that art A second good example is your continual care that the legges of iustice may not lie broken in the streets and no man to raise it vp A happie thing when men of place count their dignities to be conferred as a common good for Church and Commonwealth Thirdly for all manner of election this you onely haue not affirmed by word but performed by action that the place more then the person might haue cause to reioyce For my selfe I confesse I had no cause to be iâ—ticed from you as the Leuite was from Micah Iudg. 17. to become a Priest vnto a Tribe or familie in Israel but least through ignorance I should as soon serue in the ministery of Idols as the true God I desired to be a little longer trained vp in the schooles of the Prophets For my loue vnto your familie whereof once I was a member it is this that all of them might knowe the God of their fathers and serue him with a perfect heart a willing mind For your vertuous Lady whoÌ„ God hath made as a fruitful vine on the sides of your house that she might likewise grow into the true Vine Christ Iesus and be fruitfull vnto her owne saluation For all your children that they might be as the Oliue plants of God round about your table For your eldest son Beniamin I hope in name and nature the sonne of your right hand the Lord make him the strength and crowne of your age the excellencie of your dignitie and the excellencie of your power But I feare I haue alreadie offended your desire is breuitie therefore to conclude I commend and commit this small labour to your patronage the text I am sure is excellent for these dayes but for my manner of handling it I leaue it to the censure of Gods Church How-euer it be I do more then hope that you will kindly accept it from me and entertaine it as a testimonie of my loue and not onely so but vse it for your comfort Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus the great Shepheard of the sheepe through the blood of the euerlasting couenant make you perfect in all good workes to doe his will working in you that which is pleasant in his sight to whom be praise for euer and euer Amen Yours in all good affection IOHN YATES To the Christian Reader IT is a common saying that an Exorcist may sooner coniure vp a logion of deuills then adiure one of them out of his habitation And as it is with bodily possession so is it with the obsession of the soule for although the deuill cannot penetrate the soules dimensions yet he will sit so neere it that whosoeuer admits him the least good fellowshippe he shall not be freed of his company when he is wearie and with all his heart would shake hands with him The Papists challenge all our Churches as false because we can cast out no deuills but the whole world knowes that they can doe it to the admiration of thousands but for my part I knowe not how they coniure the deuill from the bodie yet this I dare boldly affirme that where they haue gotten one deuill out of mens bodies they haue admitted a thousand into mens soules and surely the deuill were a foole if he would not change his roome for a better lodging I am sure that there was neuer any church that hath coniured vp more heresies then they haue done and as yet I know not one that they haue adiured and sent packing into hell No marueile that they haue need of strange exorcismes for otherwise how should men be confirmed in their strange doctrines these questionlesse haue bin strong delusions to make them beleeue lies But if they please to admit of the holy Scriptures we shall at the first resolue them of a double meanes Math. 17.20.21 the first is miraculous and for a time the second ordinarie and so remaines in the Church the one is in the 20. v. the other in the 21. and this second meanes we haue I am sure the Church of God may pray and fast to deliuer both bodie and soule from the deuil But perhaps they will say shew vs whom you haue dispossessed I answer Prayer fasting are of the same nature that preaching and administring the sacraments they being conscionably vsed worke where and whensoeuer God pleaseth I doubt not but by the preaching of the word thousands haue bin coÌ„uerted vnto the faith and where men get the deuil out of the soule he will haue small hope or comfort either to enter or stay in the body and so no maruell the deuill holds them so strongly and takes such good liking of them that he will be at their commaund to leaue the body and ascend into an higher roome for he is proud enough to intertain such a motion And though I deny not but we haue had some possessed among vs yet I dare boldly say the most haue bin of their owne making Let them take the credit of their art for questionles a blacke art best beseemes a religion of darknesse blindnesse and ignorance But to applie our Sauiours rule vnto our purpose Fasting and praier are admirable meanes in the Church of God not onely to cast out deuills and vncleane spirits but also to fill the soule with the spirit of grace and goodnes And here I tremble to speake and charge mine owne heart with exceeding great negligence as often as I call to remembrance the extraordinarie fasting and prayer of Arminius especially whensoeuer he entred this mysterie of mysteries Gods
the Lord hath two parts Holinesse both which are contained in the second part of this sentence and they are mercie and iustice for a holy God must be a mercifull God and a iust God his mercie in these words I held my tongue and thou thoughtest that I was like thee his iustice in the rest Mercie Gods mercie is described by foure things First by his adiunct or qualitie silence 2. By the subiect about which it is conuersant and that is the doings of the wicked 3. By his accidentall effect and that is the thoughts of the wicked 4. By the forme and manner of these thoughts and that is to make God like themselues or measure God by themselues The second part of Gods holinesse is his iustice Iustice described by power and comely order by power in these words I will reprooue thee where wee haue foure things to manifest the power First the efficient cause the Lord and therefore most powerfull iustice Secondly the forme reproofe iustice vindicatiue or punishing not remunaratiue or rewarding and therefore so much the stronger the touch of his little finger is able to doe much and therefore what shall be the power of his whole hand and the strength of his arme his breath which in man is nothing yet in himselfe makes smoaking coles and flames of fire issue out of his mouth to the destruction of all sinners 3. From the obiect sinne which all the iustice of man is not able to find out yet shall this iustice search it to the quicke and ransacke it to the bottome 4. Because of the person which is an hypocrite who for the most part deceiues the whole world yea and his owne soule too yet now woe vnto him for hee hath fallen into his hands that can not be deceiued The comely order in these words And set them in order before thee First giuing vs to vnderstand that sinne is confusion and disorder and all sinners are confused and disordered persons 2. That there is an order to be taken with all sinne and sinners 3. That when God shall haue taken order with them then the conscience shall take horrible notice of their sinne and the punishment thereof to their euerlasting shame and confusion in plagues and punishments that neuer would see any disorder in sinne and wickednesse V. 22 The application followeth in the 22.23 v. and it is twofold First to the wicked an earnest admonition Secondly to the godly a serious instruction the earnest admonition to the wicked is in the 22. ver amplified first from due consideration Oh consider this make good vse of my iudgements let them not be idle speculations but profitable instructions to your soules Secondly from the forlorne negligence of all wicked men which is to forget God euen in the time of iudgement Thirdly from the imminent danger and that is tearing in peeces of the Lord Fourthly from the ineuitablenesse of it and the vaine confidence of helpe in these words And there be none that can deliuer you V. 23 In the conclusion of all which is the application to the godly vse is made of the whole Psalm for the glorious comming of the Almightie his mercifull proceeding with his Saints and the fearefulnes of his iudgments with the wicked ought to be a threefold cord to drawe them to true obedience and learne the instruction of their God See therefore the vse of the first part of Gods proceeding He that offereth praise shal glorifie mee would you know my mind O my louing Saints Why this it is in briefe and take it for your conclusion The best sacrifices are praise for they alone shall glorifie mee and giue mee full contentment For the second the vse that you ought to make of my conviction of an hypocrite is this in breife that seeing he hateth to be reformed and casteth my words behind his backe and therefore must needs be condemned though hee haue made a faire shew in preaching of my ordinances and talking of my couenants see you therefore vnto it for I promise faithfully to cuery one that disposeth his way aright shall be shewed the saluation of God and therefore God grant that euery one of vs may haue more of the power of religion in the heart then a shew in outward profession CHAP. II. Of the particular explication of the words ANd thus haue I vnfolded the whole Psalme which if I shall perceiue to be a profitable way for the instruction of Gods Church I shall proceed in the rest but if it shall be disprooued I will trouble the world with no more discourses for wee haue alreadie bookes enough which make vs wast our times vnprofitably but I trust in God seeing that I am not guiltie vnto my selfe of any priuate motion that it is the worke of the Lord and therefore as alreadie it is approoued of some so I doubt not but they that loue the Lord will beare the like affection And therefore I pray with the Apostle that both I and they may consider what is said and the Lord giue vs vnderstanding in all things I. Part. Of the arraignement day and persons The generall discourse of the Psalme is alreadie cleared only I haue selected this one verse for the ground of all my future proceedings I call it Gods arraignement of hypocrites first because the Lord himselfe brings in the euidence against theÌ„ Euidence These things hast thou done Patience in tryall Secondly because the Lord hath made long tryall of their repentance I held my tongue Thirdly Abuse of Gods patience because they had fulfulled the measure of their sinne by making God an idle iudge of them thou thoughtest that I was like thee Fourthly because God vpon good euidence long experience and the full measure of impietie could contain no longer from the sentence of condemnation Sentence of iudgement I will reprooue thee and set them in order before thee the cheife Iustice must handle the cause euen in the court of conscience because no reproofe will serue the turne but that which arraignes him before himselfe and makes his conscience his own executioner I might well tearme it the Criticall day of an hypocrite Dâ—â—â—indicances 〈…〉 Physitians obserue two kind of dayes in the sickenesse of their patients first the indicatiue dayes and then the criticall dayes the indicatiue dayes goe before and shew what hopes are approaching of death or life these dayes I may well say went before from the 16. verse to this 21. ver euery day prognosticating nothing but some horrible accident to befall on the criticall day first he will no wayes bee reformed in his life and for counsell he casts all Gods words behind him hee no sooner sees the way of death but he runnes into it and for any vncleane behauiour he will become a partaker with the worst his mouth is as blacke as though the fire of hell were within him and his tongue is so scorched that it can forge
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
God seeing man this way to determine his will Mansâ— determination made the determination thereof a iust way for his owne glorie God decreed mans fall and he also decreed that he himselfe would not be the cause but that man himselfe should onely cause his own ruine Thus then God did absolutely decree but not absolutely determine mans wil for that was left vnto man himselfe Determination no impulsion yet the determination of that determination was absolute and that without impulsion or coaction of mans will for determination is alwaies of things vnto their ends therefore is called absolute in regard of the end but coaction is onely of an efficient which is not necessarie for an absolute ende All Gods ends are absolute and necessarie yet the meanes that God vseth are of all kinds contingent necessarie dependent independent Suppose God had decreed to haue giuen man actuall grace as alreadie the angels haue it in heauen had it therefore been necessarie that man could not haue fallen or that God should haue constrained his wil to haue imbraced this grace no assuredly therefore on the contratie God decreed not to giue man this actuall grace of standing is therefore his auersion necessarie and constrained no but God by this meanes gaue way vnto the sinne of auersion and permissiuely yet willingly did suffer it for to enter for otherwise it could not haue entred and by a positiue decree resolued that auerting himselfe from the fountaine of all goodnesse and the rule of all righteousnesse he should runne into innumerable dangerous euills and grieuous sinnes both of commission and omission Omission is alwaies the first sinne Omission a priuation for a man falleth first from the loue of God before he can loue or desire any other thing now this sin beeing a neglect hath no positiue cause it selfe being a priuatioÌ„ neither need we seek any higher spring of it Non 〈…〉 then the will of such a creature as is defectiue and therefore doth not alwaies necessarily attend to the rule it should conforme it selfe vnto and thus of the first sinne we can find no cause in God because hee is no wayes defectiue The second sinne is commission which is a positiue act and therefore hath a positiue cause now God that neuer ceaseth to doe his worke of moouing but alwaies carrieth forward all things with restlesse motions cannot but cause the verie substance of a sinne of commission 〈…〉 of the Schâ—olman neither here am I of the opinion of the School-men that defend the very deformitie of this sinne to be nothing but the act and very substance of it for an act is a generall tearme and hath speciall limitations added vnto it therefore it is said to be well done when it keeps his rule euill when it misseth his rule now the Lord in no action goeth against the rule of his wisdome therefore he can work no deformed act only man that is defectiue may goe against the rule and so causeth the deformitie A cunning artificer makes a clocke but he suffers his apprentice to helpe to ioyne it together the deformitie of the motion is none of the artificers but onely from the vnskilfull apprentice yet will the skilfull artificer haue his praise in correcting of that aberration and turne the motion to his owne ende The causes then why sinne entred as efficient are properly the deuill and man as determined to an ende properly Gods who might well so determine of man seeing he created him mutable But to come more neerly How Gods lawe works sinne we may expresse this most familiarly in a comparison taken from an earthen pitcher dashed by the hand of a man against a stone wall that the wall breaketh it that is no fault of the walls but rather the coÌ„mendation of it working according to his owne nature but the fault is in the partie that dashed it against the wall so man being dashed by the deuill and himselfe and the serpent and the woman vpon the law of God too hard to bee ouerwrastled of man was broken in peices yet the lawe was without all fault onely the fault was in the deuill Adam and the woman the law therefore a most iust and holy cause of mans fall as the law caused mans sinne so I dare boldly say that God cansed it yet most holily and iustly Hence it followeth most plainely that God was no bare permitting cause or a forsaking cause but a working cause euen in the fall of man now as God did it so he was able to doe it and so to decree it to his owne glorie according as it seemed best vnto his own wisdome and so might it be willed as absolutely good and iust and therefore no sinne God made them the beginners of their owne actions beeing indued with free will by well doing they might deserue both praise and prize and by ill doing might deserue both dispraise and punishment But you will obiect then God might both will it and not will it Very true as God willed it it had respect of good and was iust and therefore to be willed but as they willed it it was euill and so God hated it and his law forbad it The sonne may desire the death of his father and so may God too but in so doing the sonne sinnes against God yet God is free from sinne the Iudge desires that a malefactor should die so doth the hangman yet may be the hang-man is guilty of murther when the Iudge is a true executioner of iustice Obserue then for the entrance of sinne these positions Positions for sinnes entrance First that to sinne is directly beside the scope intent and purpose of the law and therefore if the law cause sinne it is by acccident as to the law so to Gods wil which can neither intend purpose or will any impietie and therefore sinne is accidental and externall in regard of God now an accidentall principle is either in regard of necessitie or fortune How a cause by accident may be giuen vnto God now for necessitie to sinne that cannot be giuen vnto God for he can suffer of no causing principle and fortune is too strange a tearme to stand with Gods prouidence where then is this externall principle I answer if wee soberly conceiue of the nature of a cause by fortune we shal not much swarue if we say sinne was chance in regard of Gods will for chance and fortune according to true reason is nothing but the accident or euent of any thing beside his end and scope now only good is the end and scope of Gods will and therfore sinne which is not good is beside Gods scope and ende therefore it is accidentall in Gods scope and end But you wil say then God was ignorant of mans sinne I answer no because sinne is not onely accidentall to a good ende but also an aberration from the true rule of wisdome and must stand to the iudgement and sentence thereof
members become sinnefull It is not simply a sinne to looke on a woman for so much as to see is done by the concurrence of a rule of Gods wisdome but in that it is to lust after a woman and so here the eye looking vpon this tree is made sinnefull because inwardly she lusts after it and that is expressed in the next words when shee saies a tree to be desired and the ende of that is to get knowledge This ende is good but will not iustifie the action because the very eating for this end was expressely forbidden The 3. act is taking of the fruit thereof neither can this simply be condemned for it might be they might haue gathered the fruit and I am thereunto perswaded because this tree as well as the rest was for man and some good vse might haue beene made thereof 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 conâ—â—â—ing the first sinne The 4. act And did eate neither here am I of Arminius minde that meant subtilly to crosse an argument in M. Perkins by affirming that the very act was forbidden The natural act was good but onely the morall act which was respectiue and in reference to Gods law that onely was sinnefull The 5. act And gaue also vnto her husband this was likewise a sinne seeing God had made her a helper vnto him to become his ruine this was the breach of charitie The last act and he did eate To this some might reply but how could this bee a sinne seeing he was ignorant of it to which I answer 〈◊〉 present 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 First I doubt not but by that excellent knowledge he had he was able vpon the very sight thereof to know that it was the fruit of the forbidden tree God brought him the beasts of the field and he named them according to their natures he knewe his wife when shee was brought vnto him these were farre more difficult then to know euery seuerall fruit in the garden seeing they are so easily distinguished by many outward appearances therefore questionlesse he knew the fruit But then you will obiect man was more foolish then the woman for shee did it by strong perswasions and he without any more adoe vpon his very wiues giuing it did eate thereof alas neuer thinke so But how then was he tempted surely I thinke it was not a new disputation betwixt his wife and himselfe that as the deuil had dealt with her so she might deale with her husband for if Adam had been absent all the while of that communication and then the serpent and the deuill in the serpent had been departed that Adam would so soone haue yeelded vnto her motion Secondly it is said that as soone as shee desired it she tooke it and did eate if this was done in the place where shee stood then assuredly her eyes would haue been open to haue seene the offence before she could haue brought Adam vnto it Thirdly if she must first haue plucked the fruit and then haue carried it to Adam and lastly haue disputed with Adam for the eating of it it had been too long a time for a woman with child in sinning and longing for an apple or a figge or what else the fruit was to haue staied her appetite so long and therefore as I doubt not but she presently are it so presently her husband yeelded too and so both their eyes were opened together But you will say did Adam stand by all the time of their disputation I know no other meaning of the text but that it should be so and therefore Adam was exceedingly too blame to suffer his wife to haue such communication with the serpent hee should haue shut him out at the first entrance for God set him to keepe the garden that no beasts should come in it Now tell me I beseech you what concourse Gods law had in mans fall and the selfe-same is my iudgement that God had in it Now the lawe stood at hand to haue ioyned with man to haue brought forth his obedience vnto God and haue kept him from all sinnes of omission but man would not heare the voice of the lawe but of the deuill against the law therefore no maruell if he fell So then the Lord concurred by his law I will vse the word of Arminius quantum decuit yea and quantum oportuit as much as was seemely and as much as was expedient and this none of our Diuines denie if I may speake it bona venia with the good liking of all Arminians so that God withheld none of this grace from him but as I said before the deede of his will or that velle quod potuit which was not of such absolute necessitie neither wanted man any concourse if he had been as good as his meanes were But you say further Gods will no irresistable motion to mans â—ill the motion was irresistable and so man was no faultie cause seeing he could doe no better Alas had they all those free actions in sinne and yet did nothing proprijs voluntatibus I see nothing at all done by them but was done most freely But then you say the will of God might haue beene frustrated Alas senslesse creatures when the Apostle saies who hath resisted the will of God at any time is most certaine in very reason it selfe for the superiour cause can neuer suffer of the inferiour cause therefore if mans will should goe about to resist or frustrate the will of God it were euen against reason it selfe for then should Gods wil suffer of mans will And againe with Arminius God forbid it should be otherwise but that consilium Deistaret that Gods counsell should stand and therefore God hath an irresistable will and if that then the motion of his will is also irresistable if this then man cannot resist it and if he cannot resist then is hee mooued irresistably to sinne Fiue propositions to explaine how Gods will cannot be resisted stay there the consequence is false I know you will graunt me these fiue propositions and I know no more that our Diuines defend first that Gods will is the supreame cause secondly that Gods will cannot suffer thirdly that none can resist it fourthly that his motion is likewise irresistable fiftly that neither men nor angels can resist it But tell mee how you can prooue your consequence therefore man in sinning followes Gods irresistable motion I know no such consequence either in the Scriptures or our men for euery motion of Adam and the woman were most free and they followed most willingly their owne motion But you will say God decreed this motion true yet no cause thereof for he decreed man should be the cause of it himselfe But could this be done and yet God be no cause thereof yes assuredly for you are deceiued of Gods decree by putting it into the thing when it is in himselfe And here I will cleare vnto you another way that God takes in his decree then you imagine First Gods decree ariseth from
his efficiencie The nature of Gods decree and omnipotency and is generally nothing else but sententia definita in consilio suo ab aeterno de rebus faciendis that is Gods definitiue sentence in his eternall counsell concerning the making of all things And that it riseth from omnipotencie and efficiencie it is plaine for in that he did it we say he could doe it and so decreed it and the sentence must bee of such things as are within his power so that election is nothing but the choise of a thing and decretum the decree nothing but the setting of it done definitiuely the word is of decerno to see a sunder and verie fitly signifieth this determination of God sententia sentence though the Lord doth all things simul and semel at once and together in respect of himselfe yet to vs he shewes it as if he did it peditentim step by steppe and that with great and long determination therefore a sentence where his will and power giue in their verdict and say sic sentio so I iudge The third word definita or definitiua definite or definitiue is the determination or defining of a thing inter cancellos within his bounds in consilio con salio where many things leape together or concurre to make vp one sentence so that a man is as it were distracted about the composing of them the Lord did it without all distractioÌ„ yet were there many things that the Lord brought together Eterno eternall because it was long before any thing was existent de rebus faciendis it is of matters to bee done and not of things alreadie done Properties in Gods deciee for that is more properly ordination the ordering and ranking of euerie worke brought forth according to his eternall decree Out of this breakes forth his constancie in performing euerie thing by deede that hee hath decreed not that God is tied thereunto but rather the thing to bee done is tied vnto him and his good pleasure so that stoicall destinie is not thereby brought in but true constancy 2. Veritie in performing it according to his word for so is verum quod pronuntiat vti res est that saies as the thing is yet here we are to inuert quando res est vti pronuntiat that the thing is because he pronounceth it Constanti test qua constanter decretum essicit veritas est qua dicretum essi it sâ—cun lum vorâ—â— side est qua siat dictum for Gods pronunciare to pronounce is before the thing and God pronounced what should become of euerie thing long before they existed The third is sides fidelitie which is in performing the thing according to his promise A constant decree as he effects it most true as be effects it according to his word and most faithfull as he keepes his promise constancie truth and faithfulnesse bee three effects of Gods decree If from the effects we inquire of the manner of the cause we must needs confesse it was neither by nature nor necessitie or any chance and fortune but by counsell and therefore counsell beeing the manner of Gods working could not be considered as the genus of Gods decree but as it belongs ad causam illius essicientem to the efficient Eph. 1. God works all things secundum consilium voluntatis suae according to the counsell of his will And therefore Gods counsell is his deliberation of bringing euery thing to passe after the best manner So then by his decree appeares his counsel and his counsell makes his decree to bee wrought most willingly and most wittingly therefore his decree of sinne must be most willingly and wittingly performed otherwise it should be no decree therefore fecit Order of consequence in 〈◊〉 dâ—cree qua potuit qua potuit decreuit qua decreuit consuliò fecit qua consulto fecit gloriam spectauit qua gloriam spectauit sapientiae visum est qua sapientiae visum est bonum fuit qua bonum fuit absolute voluit God did the thing as hee might do it as hee might doe it so he decreed it as he deereed it so he did it by the best counsell as by the best counsell it respected his glorie as that it seemed to accord with his wisedome as that it was good and as good he absolutely willed it Surely with men in giuing counsell plus vident oculi quam oculus the more counsell they giue and the better but it is not so with God for he sees all things simul semel together and at once now when we speake of deliberation we must vnderstand it more humano according to our capacity that the Lord takes the best way to effect any thing Obserue further that the Lord when he is said to be causa consilio a cause by counsell must needes haue his ende and scope set before him and this must be of all things and what is that but his glorie Counsell therfore intends the glorie of God Glorie the fruit of vertue for as God is the beginning of all things so he is the ende of all things Now glorie is called the ende of God by a metanimie of the adj for subj because it is properly the fruit that follows vpon vertue intellectuall or morall in a word all his goodnesse Exod. 33. Moses cries to God that he would shew him his glorie God makes answer What Gods glory vertaâ—â— or goodnesse are that the glorie which Moses can see is the going of his goodnes before him whose backe parts he might see but for the face of it he could not see and liue this goodnesse breakes forth in the proclamation Exod. 34. And that goodnes is nothing but the appearance of his most absolute vertues especially iustice and mercie the reason is because these shine in the creatures and secondly because the ende thereof is to set forth his glorie As his counsell had a scope so it had some forme of working which we call the Idaea of all things A builder of an house first conceiues in himselfe the worke he intends to produce then secondly he lookes againe vpon his worke wrought and sees how it answers his first intended forme the painter eyes the naturall face and from that stamps by drawing limming and colouring the expresse image thereof and then he lookes vpon his worke to see how it answers the patterne The first knowledge we call direct the second indirect or reflexed so in God there is first of all the Idaea and plat-forme of all things and this is in God most direct who seeing in himselfe all things knows how to make all things out of himselfe How God in knowing differs from man and these may well be called Gods plots which he hath formed and fashioned in himselfe Now this wisdome of God differs from mans because his idaea or plot is first in the thing because he doth nothing primarily but by imitation and obseruation of that wisdome which he hath seene God lay open
of my loue and Esau to the feeling of my hatred and therefore here by these acts we are to vnderstand Gods appointment Against this ariseth the argument of flesh and blood The argument of flesh and blood against Gods euerlasting decree being not able to distinguish betwixt Gods appointment and his actuall loue or hatred in the creature therefore vers 14. surely then there is vnrighteousnesse with God To this the Apostle answers First by a correction execration and holy indignation God forbid Secondly from a testimonie Exod. 33.19 God saith it vnto Moses and therefore it must needes be most true and that is prooued in the verie testimonie it selfe First from the true cause of all righteousnesse and that is Gods will secondly from the libertie of his will hee is bound to none and therefore he can iniustly depriue no man of any right hee can claime at his hands thirdly euery subiect is equall for the receiuing of it otherwise it could not bee on whome hee would fourthly because it is aboue the reach of man v. 16. it is neither in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth merci◠But you may obiect this testimonie is imperfect for it onely prooues that which you haue said of election but this is nothing for reprobation but marke what followes v. 17. The example of reprobation to set forth Gods purpose power and name which he simply willeth and you shall see the second testimonie for reprobation exemplified in Pharaoh the supreame causes whereof are Gods purpose power and name his name is proclaimed Exod. 34.5 6 7. and it is nothing but his glorious attributes and they are his iustice and mercie and therfore the name of his iustice is proclaimed on Pharaoh this name God did purpose with himselfe and that he might purpose hee had power whereby he might shew it on Pharaoh ergo qua potuit fecit qua fecit potuit decreuit c. God did it on Pharaoh and therefore he might doe it as he did it and might doe it he purposed and decreed it as he did that so it was his counsell this his counsell had no scope but his owne name this his name was wel-pleasing vnto his wisedome this his wel-pleasing made his purpose good and this good God absolutely willed therefore that which he concluded onely of mercie v. 16. in this 19. hee concludes on both mercie and iustice hee hath mercy on whom he will and whome he will he hardeneth this conclusion plainely shewes that Gods will is the supreame and absolute cause otherwise no need why either that obiection should be made v. 14. is God vnrighteous or this which followeth how should men complaine seeing no man can resist his will to what purpose I say if it had beene for sinne but the former is cut off with this resolution it is Gods will and therefore he knowes how to iustifie it and this second is answered accordingly as I haue said from the nature of passion and resistance Gods will is the supreame therefore an irresistable will and void of all passion Shall the thing forming As man cannot resist God so God will not resist man vntill man haue offered the first resistance suffer or bee resisted of the thing formed or the potter of his lumpe of clay how much more should Gods will bee resisted of man But what is all this to Gods resisting of mans will the Lord offered no violence to the will of man in his fall neither did he himselfe make any resistance to the temptation but most willingly imbraced it and gaue as free a consent as possibly could be imagined and therfore God put vpon man no irresistable motion But you say he could not resist the decree of God c. True what then could be not resist his owne will it is therefore one thing for man to resist Gods will and another thing for God to resist mans will If God should haue resisted mans will he should not haue sinned Therfore the causes beeing separate so iudge of the effects the effect of Gods will is necessarie because it hath the best ende but mans effect was contingent and had the worst ende Therefore God by his decree imposeth no irresistable motion vpon the will of man To the necessarie copulation of Gods decree The copulation of Gods decree and sinne is not causall and mans fall it is to be answered that it is not causall For if you vnderstand it as a copulatiue axiome God decrees and man falls then the whole axiome is absolutely affirmed and the former part doth not pull in the consequent but both of them are considered as going cheeke by ioule but their meaning is of a connex axiome if God decree then it is necessarie that man should fall Here we distinguish betwixt the parts of an axiome and the connexion the parts may be contingent or false where the connexion is most necessarie As for example If he be a learned man then he respecteth wisdome the connexion is necessarie if Cicero be an Orator then he knowes how to speake well these be necessarie connexions but the parts are contingent Againe the connexion may be a necessarie truth yet the parts may be false as if a man be a dogge then he hath the facultie of barking a man to be a dogge is false or a man to haue this facultie is also false God decrees that was not absolutely necessarie nay as out of himselfe it was contingent so mans fall is likewise contingent Actio interna seu formalis externa seu materialis coniuncta seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore our Diuines distinguish of actions First there is an internall action which they call formall and this is in God himselfe eternall immutable and neither hath beginning nor ending And in this sense say they the whole cause of reprobation or election is in God alone and this is a most necessarie truth The second is externall or materiall which is exercised vpon the creature and this is in time and limited according to the nature of the creature that receiueth it and this is contingent The third is a complete or perfect action of both which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Extremam admouere manum a perfect finishing of the thing and this beeing absolute and proceeding from absolute causes is in his conioyned nature necessarie yet no argument to prooue that one cause should make the other necessarie And therfore the will of God makes mans will no necessarie cause of his owne fall But to this connexion it is formerly replied that it is not onely so in the maior proposition but also in the minor and therefore the assumption beeing taken out of the maior and concluding necessarily must needes be causall as if God decree then man must fall but I assume God decrees and therfore man must fall so that Gods decree inferring the conclusion vpon mans will as following
necessarily must needes be a cause The answer is it is a necessarie conclusion by way of ratiocination or discourse but not from the argument it selfe the disposition makes it necessarie but the third reason is no necessarie cause seeing that the action of Gods decree as out of himselfe and in the creature is externally and materially to be considered and so is not necessarie but contingent temporarie and mutable and therefore if it had pleased God it might haue fallen out otherwise for euery necessarie truth is an eternall truth And therefore that which is in time and not eternall is contingent mutable and alterable That which is said to the interceding cause betwixt Gods decree and the fall Of the interceding cause to wit mans free will to exempt God from sinne is most true for God did not immediatly worke mans fall But you obiect that the remote cause is as well sinfull as the next because the deuill was the remote cause and yet guiltie of the same sinne Adam commited A speciall neuerprooues a generall The answer is when the causes are vniuocall homogeniall and of the same order of working but in causes heterogeniall and equiuocall which are of diuerse natures the remote cause is neuer tainted with the same fault that the next cause is As wine is a remote cause why a man is drunke yet no faultie-cause of his drunkennesse The Gospell and our Sauiour Christ came to send a sword into the world but yet were no true causes of sedition and quarrels among men The Sunne raiseth putrified creatures out of dead carkases it can harden as well the clay as melt the waxe A sonne desires the death of his father so doth God One thing effected of diuerse causes may bee faultie in one but not in another but the sonne breaks Gods commaundement God doth it according to the true rule of iustice a sonne would haue his father liue God would the contrarie yet a sinne in neither And therfore a remote cause is onely guilty of the same offence with the next when they worke all after one forme and manner otherwise the immediate cause is the onely author of the sinne al the rest by accident and by abuse The Gospel is the sauour of death vnto death as well as the free will of man but not eodem genere causandi after the same manner of working Pharaoh hardneth his owne heart so doth God but the one immediatly the other mediatly by the abuse of mans freewill Therfore the answer is from the distinction of remote causes in vniuocall causes the remote cause is as guiltie as the next and therefore the deuills will In causes vniuocall all are guiltie of the same crime but not in equivocall and mans will working vnivocally are both in the same offence but Gods will and mans worke equiuocally the one one way and the other another and therefore no neede of participation seeing they haue no next genus of a cause in which they should communicate Answer to Gods desertion To the third euasion betwixt infallibilitie and necessitie it is granted that man fell infallibly but not necessarily except we vnderstand it of Gods decree in himselfe and then the truth was an eternall truth And in this sense our Diuines hold it not of any necessitie in mans will therefore it was only necessarie in Gods wll but contingent in mans yet the truth it selfe in the thing is to God and man contingent to God most certen but to man vncertaine For desertion we hold that God did not forsake man in any necessarie requisite for his true obedience vnto the law onely he with-held his confirmation of man If a man were set in some office for triall of his gifts is it necessarie that he should be confirmed in it I trow not and therefore this desertion was of confirmation and not of necessarie helpes for execution And here our Orthodoxe writers when they answer to that argument that iustice and mercie presuppose misery Misâ—rie potentiall reall habituall make answer of a threefold miserie first actuall which is in sense and feeling secondly habitual which is in the bosome of a man but as yet puts not forth it selfe the third potentiall into which a man may fall and this they call a miserie in comparison Iob 4.18 Behold he found no steadfastnesse in his seruants and laid folly vpon his angels Iob 9.2 Howe should man compared vnto God be iustified Habituall and actuall miserie had no place in man by his creation but possible or potentiall miserie was laid in the freedome of his will which if God had inclined vnto good and man so determined then had he come into the estate of the blessed Angels and so miserie had been impossible and his estate should haue been confirmed vnto him with God for euer not from the freedom of his will but from his obedience and Gods promise thereunto Therefore that desertion and not collation of necessarie helpe to auoide sinne is to be vnderstood of this third grace which was not a grace of creation but a further liberallity which God might haue bestowed if it had pleased him But I dare not rest satisfied with this answer because I see this third grace was onely to be obtained by the obedience of the creature that is if he did the will of God then would God haue beene as good as his promise thou shalt liue therefore in my iudgement Confirmation of life by creation was to follow our obedience vnto the 〈◊〉 confirming grace was a subsequent grace to followe obedience and not an antecedent grace to goe before it and so the angels obtained it by their obedience and from their obedience are confirmed if then without their obedience they could not be confirmed then must confirming grace belong vnto the law of creation as well as any other for what grace should man haue receiued by creation but that which God would haue communicated vnto him by the rule of obedience doe this and thou shalt liue to confirme him in life was vpon his doing I answer therefore Desertion 1. in not rebuking Sathan 2. In diuiding of the lawe and his facultie 3. In that God suffered man to be distracted and did not hold him close vnto his law in despite of the deuill that desertion is no cause of mans sinne but that God was wel-pleased to suffer the deuill to worke more strongly in the temptation then mans will should be able to oppose not for power giuen but for present act and as in this temptation the law forsooke man so God may most iustly bee said to forsake him I haue before declared that two things are most necessary for euery good action rule and power which if both concurre not the action cannot bee produced Now the law concurred not and therefore man was forsaken of the lawe not actiuely but passiuely euen as a master should promise his seruant all aide and succour as long as hee would
be faithful but after he begins to manifest the least appearance of his infidelitie vtterly to cast him off so Gods law would haue vtterly vanquished the deuill but man proouing vnfaithfull Gods lawe wholly reiected him Secondly if it had pleased God he might haue kept the deuill from man or haue assisted his will that he might neuer haue yeelded vnto the temptation so then God not giuing the will and the deed and the law beeing forsaken no maruell if vpon these desertions man sinned the one had not beene wanting had not man been wanting vnto himselfe and the presence of the other was not necessarie neither did God in his wisedome thinke that it was conuenient man then had sufficient but not absolutely to stand and this desertion or confirming grace might well bee withdrawne from man And herein there was no merit of desertion except that of the lawe neither did God make man will any such thing yet concerning the former distinction it may well be said that Gods election freed his owne from the possibilitie of euerlasting miserie and so their fall was but a passage to a better life and reprobation on the contrarie suffered the rest to fall and lie in euerlasting miserie For the other that mans fall was a meere consequence of Gods decree it is false in simple propositions but in connexion it may be true where the parts do not force it but the connexion as if God decree then it must needes come to passe To the third argument from mans will I answer Concerning the freedome of mans will it is not necessarie that the thing which cannot be frustrated should constrain men to sinne The gates of hell shall not preuaile against Gods Church this is no constraining of the libertie of the wicked Rom. 9. the Iewes were cut off yet v. 6. it cannot be that the word of God should take no effect He is said to be frustrated of his hopes that misseth of his end but he that is certaine of his ende can no wayes be deceiued of his expectation neither for this purpose is it necessarie that the meanes tending thereunto should be brought in by violence To be frustrated is one thing to be constrained is another they are indeed both vnder a cause by accident yet the efficient is constrained in the one to produce his effect in the other not constrained yet produceth an effect beside his scope and intent To worke by violence and â—â—â—stra differ modo 〈◊〉 they haue both of them an externall worker yet in the one it is necessitie in the other fortune and chance the one is because of ignorance and so may bee frustrated of his intent but the other cannot haue his scope and libertie to goe about that which he intendeth Now with God there is no ignorance and he cannot worke any thing frustrà or in vaine and therefore nothing can fall out beside his scope I meane that which he intended directly to bring to passe therefore it is chance and fortune that makes vs giue God an infallibilitie of decreeing not a necessitie of performing it is one thing for God infallibly to bring a thing to passe and necessarily To the second The difference betwixt the internall and externall act libertie is not taken away because his act is to one thing therefore obserue this distinction there is a twofold act one internall which is immediately from the forme acting vpon his owne matter and this is eternall inseparable and immutable But the second which is more externall and working on obiects out of it selfe is mutable temporall and separable as for example the facultie of laughter as it flowes from the reasonable soule acting and bestirring it selfe in our bodies is an inseparable act yet that motion which should bee in regard of externall obiects of laughter is separable yea a man may be without it for euer So then to our purpose that libertie that ariseth from our wills inwardly acting is inseparable yet that which should worke vpon externall obiects is separable and God may determine it at his will and pleasure and yet let man haue his essentiall libertie The externall act is separable without which the wil is not a will If then in all naturall things the externall act or that which we call the second be separable why may not the will of man be depriued of such an act as this In sinne surely our will for externall obiects onely flies on euill yet that first act is not taken away whereby by Gods grace it may be set againe and that in heauen onely to runne vpon good the angels in heauen haue their libertie and yet they are al waies to act good God is most free yet he hath neither first nor second act which may possibly be inclined vnto euill Here Arminius for his opposition is faine to defend that God hath no libertie of willing and angels in heauen haue such as they might become deuills for I am sure if they haue freedome as well to good as euill then may they will euill which if he should vnderstand of the first act then it were most true but they are confirmed in the second act still to cry holy holy Lord God of Sabboths But Arminius saies and confesseth that although God by vs be defended to take away libertie which he saies is secundum motum voluntatis yet he affirmes that the naturall motion of the will is still remaning but neither libertie nor naturall motion can stand with coaction or violence seeing that both naturâ and consilio efficere to worke by nature and counsell are causes that produce by an internall and innate principle and therfore free from coaction and violence And here I admire that he hath forgotten his Logicke For the third reason it is true that necessitie and contingencie can neuer stand together but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly and simply differ and therefore I will neuer hold that man fell necessarily and in that I consent with Arminius To the fourth obiection that reprobation is a punishment it is thus answered Reprobation is either a simple reiection or preterition or els damnation it selfe The first is opus voluntatis liberae the second voluntatis necessariae The preterition of God is his most free will but damnation is a necessarie act of diuine iustice for sinne and transgression 2. Thess 1.6 that all men are vasa vessells that is from God but that they are vasa irae vessells of wrath that is from themselues Gen. 1. all Gods workes were good Ioh. 8. when the deuill speakes a lie ex proprijs loquitur he speakes it of himselfe because he is a lyar and the father of lies and therefore when we sinne we sinne of our selues Yet besides all this there is a third and that is vasa praeparata Reprobatio est praed imnaâ—â—â— non damnatio ipsa vessells prepared and that is from God So then Gods preterition is no
punishment neither is his preparation of a vessell but damnation is a punishment and that is neuer without sinne Againe discernere and ordinare differ as a generall and speciall To discerne of any thing is the whole worke of reason but to ordaine is a speciall part of reason in disposing of all things orderly So then Gods decree is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or perfect worke of his counsell concerning man ordination is that which à principio ad finem media respicit lookes how to lay things together from the beginning to the ende Now all this may be done of God in reprobation and yet makes it no punishment First that God doth discerne or decree by counsell is reason and iudgement which are no punishments but necessarily goe before them so then Gods decree of reprobation is not the Iayler in the prison or the hangman on the gallowes but the Iudge on the white throne whose putitie tries all things It is not therefore necessarie because God sentenceth all things that he should punish them for this is sapientis iudicis praevidere A logicall act and a morall â—uffer non iusti vindicis punire so then in reason to decree is not the illation of any punishment For the other ordination which more properly is in the things done God disposeth of them according to his decree that went before with counsell and deliberation neither is this any punishment for as decreeing so ordaining are of reason and iudgment now reason and iudgment punisheth no man for they are logicall acts but to punish is a morall act and therfore no necessitie why we should confound them So then simply to passe by or prepare a damnation by decree counsell and ordination are no punishments at all But you will say to be forsaken of his creator cannot but be a punishment Alas you do here misconstrue the meaning of our diuines for they say that election is ad supernaturalem gratiam non naturalem and reprobatio est praeteritio non quoad naturalem gratiam but supernaturalem that is election is to a supernaturall grace reprobation is the forsaking of a man according to this estate not for his natural estate or that wherein he was created and so God neuer forsakes him but in the other he forsakes him and yet it is no punishment that so the Lord should doe for it is neither a priuatiue euil or positiue vnto man Reprobation neither a priuatiue or positiue euill seeing all priuations and wants are of such things as once we had and positiue euills of such as vexe and trouble vs. Now to want supernaturall grace was neuer the want of a created man because he neuer had it neither by creation could he feele any want of it seeing God had giuen him enough And thus much of the Arguments The conclusion of the whole disputation declaring by reason the Scriptures and Church that God is no author of sinne Exod. 34. God is Iehovah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is omnipotent el shaddai 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is iustice it selfe el tsaddick God is the supreame cause and chiefe good shaddiel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehovah absolute beeing cannot produce that which is nothing his omnipotencie cannot produce impotencie his iustice impietie or supreame cause any defect Sinne is peshange defect gnavou iniquitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fall from righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an aberration from a scope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transgression and for his production non est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinne is produced from impotencie and imbecilitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from meere masse and impersection therefore not from God that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pure act 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power and strength and therefore free from all imbecilitie shaddai sufficient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deus plenitudinis a God of fulnesse therefore heauen and earth may as soone ioyne as perfection become imperfection act power good euill sufficiencie deficiencie God sinne Adde the Scriptures Gen. 1.31 All was very good Deut. 32.4 Habak 1.13 Rom. 3.5 6. Rom. 9.14 The Scripture teacheth 1. that God wills no sinne 2. that he neither commands or stirs vp any to sinne 3. that he punisheth it grauissimè iustissimè certissimè most iustly most grieuously most certenly 4. that he hates it in that extremitie that no man was able to beare it but he that was God and man no blood able to wash it away but the blood of his welbeloued Sonne no sacrifice able to pacifie this wrath but of him in whome onely he said he was wel-pleased no prayers no teares to preuaile but onely those that are put vp in this name Lastly euery page in the Bible is either exhorting to pietie or threatning plagues and punishments vpon those that will not be reclaimed Adde to the Scriptures the Church triumphant the quire is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sanctus sanctus sanctus sacro sancto Trinitas holy holy holy most holy and sacred Trinitie and the Church militant is fighting and praying that at the length it may be deliuered not to be with a God of sinne but with him that can free them from all sinne and miserie We therefore conclude he that will not heare the voice of reason is a beast that will not beleeue the Scriptures is an infidell that will not heare the Church is a bastard Reason ought to conuince vs as men the Scriptures as Christians and the Church as children We heare the voice of reason that we may confesse our Creator of the Scriptures that we may loue our father and the Church that we may kisse our mother And God forbid that euer any of vs should otherwise be minded The collation of M. Perkins and Arminius in this point of Gods decree IT was well saide of Seneca Libâ—de ira Vtrique pirti actiones dares dares te apus non semel audires magis anim veritas elucet quo saepius ad manum venit that in matters of controuersie each partie should haue time to trie his action and be heard more then once and the reason thereof as well giuen by him because the aftner the truth commeth to hand to be skauned the more the light thereof appeareth Seeing therefore it hath pleased the Church with some patience to heare and I am afraid to allow the examination of M. Perkins by Arminius the Coryphaeus of all the Lutherans in the point of Predestination I hope for the loue of that worthie man and the acutenesse of his aduersarie shee will vouchsafe the reading of this Collation to see how the Truth is more apparant by their opposition If the opposition were but like an ouerblowne bladder then would it burst of it selfe and vent the winde thereof without any further pricking but seeing the common fame runnes through the world that it is so learnedly and absolutely done that it may
giue all men satisfaction and that no man would euer be able to make any sound replie to it it is become as the winde in the bowels that will not be remooued except the hotest medicines be applied and that by the iudgement of the best Physitians These rumours may daunt a weake spirit and make him despaire to encounter with such a tempest that strikes all downe before it But seeing God is in the calme more then in the rushing wind and that the truth is freely to be bought of all that meane not to sell him for the plausible opinions of the world I am bold in the confidence of my God and the loue of his truth to rescue a faithfull seruant of God out of the hands of as subtill an aduersarie as euer set pen to such a worke And why should I be afraid seeing he that walks in the midst of the golden Candlesticks holds euery starre in his right hand to protect guide and defend them as long as they walke with him O therefore thou which art the truth teach me in thy truth that I erre not thou which art the way guide me in thy way that I wander not and thou which art the life quicken my soule with the life of grace that I may speake in the chiefe mysterie of my saluation from the true experience of thy loue shedde abroad in mine owne heart M. Perk. Predestination is first to be grounded out of Gods word secondly out of true principles of reason I. Ar. It is true that the word of God and innate principles are the true foundation of all this doctrine yet because the fal hath blotted out these principles we must alwaies haue recourse to examine them by Gods word which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in stead of all Collation This is Christianly spoken on both sides indeed the Philosopher saies contra negantem principia non est disputandum he that denies principles is vnworthie to be disputed withall yet mans principles be they neuer so common are not to be trusted without Gods word M. Perk. First principle God is alwaies iust though man be not able to comprehend it in his owne reason I. Ar. This notion is most true onely caution is to be taken that we iudge not the cause by the effect it is iust therefore God wills it but from this antecedent God wills it therefore it is iust Collat. This confession as yet makes no breach betwixt them yet this I would adde that seeing we onely vnderstand God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à posteriore and not à priore his backe-parts and not his face that it is lawfull to conclude from the effects to the cause as this thing is done and except God had willed it it could not haue bin done and therefore there is a iust reason for it in Gods will though we can not perceiue it which is the minde of M. Perkins which he would haue corrected M. P. 2. Principle God is independent from all second causes yet all second causes are dependent vpon him euen when they doe vniustly I. A. Occasion taken from the creatures is not to make God depend on them for his will but absolutely to will that occasion yet if that occasion had not bin giuen from them God would neuer haue willed decreed or ordained it The subiection of the creature to vanitie is from him that subiected it yet if man his cause had not giuen this occasion God had neuer willed this subiection It was Gods will that Christ should be sent which neuer had bin willed of God but vpon the occasion of mans fall It is Gods will that sinne should be punished yet mans fall gaue the occasion without which God would neuer haue punished man Gen. 18. Exod. 32.1 Sam. 2. The Iudge of the whole world will doe iustly 2. He that sinnes shall be put out of my booke 3. God forbid but that they that honour me should be honoured of me and they that contemne me should be contemned of me Yet in all this irrogation or imposing of punishment the Lord is absolute and independent otherwise the creature would leaue nothing vnassaied to escape Gods hand Collat. M. Perkins meaning is to make God independent euery wayes and therefore by a Synechdoche he puts second causes for all kind of reason that can bee drawne from them Now causation is the first and most perfect reason that can be in things from God therefore God is not onely independent as his creatures worke with him but also for all other reason that can be drawne from them Therefore occasion giuen by the creature beeing a reason must either depend from God or God must depend from it if it depend from God then Gods will was before it but if God depend from it then was this occasion before Gods will and to make any thing before Gods will is to denie his will to be absolute For the three examples First it is true that the occasion of the creatures subiection vnto vanitie was mans sinne but no occasion of Gods will who absolutely willed as much as hee occasioned For the second mans fall was the occasion of Christs sending into the world but not of Gods will to send his Son which was before all occasions For the third mans sinne is the occasion why God will punish but no occasion why hee should ordaine to punish For his admonition to distinguish betweene to ordaine and decree is profitable but not according to his exposition For saith he to ordaine is to set an order in things done and not to ordaine facienda vt fiant things to be done that they may bee But he is to know that discerno is to see asunder and is as generall as all reason wherby all Gods works are seene asunder Of the same signification is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence comes dialectica the art of reason now reason is first to find out things secondly hauing found them out to iudge them which iudgement is either of truth or falshood as in propositions or of consequence inconsequence as in Syllogismes or of order and confusion as in method And in this last part to ordaine is properly manifested therefore is a speciall branch of discerning and by a Synecdoche of the speciall for the generall may be put for decreeing yet properly to decree is a worke of counsell wisely discerning of euerie speciall reason truth consequent or any other thing that may make for his scope prefixed then to ordaine is the wise laying together of all these things that all confusion and disorder may be escaped and euery thing most sweetly brought vnto his end appointed of the Lord. Here take notice of three kinds of knowledge disputed among the Schoolemen Knowledge possibile actuall conditional 1. possibilis intelligentia 2. actualis 3. conditionalis The first is of all possible things that neuer shall be the secōd of all things that are or shal be the
third of such things as would bee if such and such things went before If Caine doe well he shall be accepted Gen. 4. if Dauid stay in Keilah the lords of the citie will deliuer him if I continue in beleeuing then I shall be saued if I continue in sinne I shall bee damned And on this knowledge for any thing that I can perceiue doe the Papists and Lutherans hang all predestination and so make Gods will the consequent in decreeing and mans will the antecedent in giuing God the occasion The deceit is this that from the connexion of things they iudge of Gods will about things which is most indirect and a knowledge that agrees not to God but at the second hand It is true that the first knowledge beeing iudged according to logicall inuention is of things possible for arguments or reasons afore they come to bee disposed are onely in potentia ad arguendum haue an affection to argue and so many things that might be haue this potentiall kind of reason and so we say they are knowne of God because we so conceiue of them The second knowledge which is more actuall is properly science the laying together of those things which before were onely in affection to argue The third is of these things which beeing laid together can no otherwise haue force of reason but vpon connexion and supposition and in this head would they tie Gods decree and knowledge when indeed God followes no such suppositions but absolutely knowes and wills what he pleaseth yet seeing his decree is as large as all reason it cannot otherwise be imagined but that in the manifestation of it all reason should appeare And so we grant a connexion supposition condition and occasion in all Gods works that is in the effects of his will but none of all these in the will it selfe Therefore they doe amisse to put that vpon his will which is the cause which ought to be in the effect of his will and thereupon no antecedent of Gods will but meere consequents That creation should go before the fall the fall before redemption redemption before saluation and sinne before damnation are all of them most necessarie suppositions connexions conditions and if you please occasions And thus much for that occasion which is to Arminius delphicus gladius but it cuts asunder such knots as God hath tied together whose will in all things drawes the first linke and cannot be drawne of any M. Per. 3. Principle in sense is this that God does all by counsell therefore he hath his scope which he knowes wills and disposeth vnto most prudently and therefore decrees euery thing therevnto I. Ar. The most wise God doth all things for some ende and purpose euen that which he doth not yet hee permits it for some ende and purpose therefore first it is a fault to say that God must either agere be doing or otiose spectare become an idle beholder which is no good distribution for agere and permittere to doe and permit are really distinguished and both these are for good purpose and therefore God must either be doing or an idle beholder are too scant for he may permit Secondly prudence is too short a word to inlarge it selfe to all Gods wisedome Thirdly adhibito certo fine the ende applied finis gratia and for the ende are not all one for no man workes for the ende applied but for the good therein implied Fourthly Deus non vult aut non decernit quod non potest God neither wills nor decrees that which he cannot here no sense except it be further added which he cannot do or permit and therefore the conclusion is most imperfect so God decreed to doe except this be added or permitted Collat. Agere prudenter to doe wisely will beare the sense of permission for permission comming from Gods wil is considered of vs as an effect this effect is produded by counsell therefore for a good ende and purpose so then that which God doth permittere he doth prudenter agere grant then that Gods permission comes from his counsell and aimes at his glorie and then it must bee more then a negatiue act But to speake the truth permission as it is expounded of Arminius maintaines nothing but absurdities First in regard of the cause for saies he permission is voluntatis remissae now such a will as this cannot be in God whose will is meere act and therefore cannot admit of degrees all remissiuenesse of Gods will is in regard of the subiect which is quantum and may be lesse and more but in regard of himselfe it is impossible Secondly a remisse will doth either will or not will or suspend to suspend is neither to hinder nor further the act and so the Lord should haue no stroke in sinne which is the deniall of his prouidence in the apostacie of man if his prouidence did not suspend nor his power then his wil was not to suspend in that action if he did more then suspend then it was either to will or not to will if not to will then sinne should not haue beene therefore God did will it per modum actionis That this may appeare Gods manner of working in sinne we are to consider what manner of efficient causes true reason laies downe vnto vs And the first manner of causes efficient are either to beget or preserue the second to worke alone or with others the third by himselfe or by accident and agere is giuen to euery one of these Let vs then see where Gods action in sinne comes in and because it is most apparent in the third I answer God is the cause of sin by accident And this will appeare if we consider how many causes wrought by an internal principle these were foure the deuill and Adam principally the serpent and the woman instrumentally and all these were blameable causes The externall cause was the lawe and will of God which in mans transgression did all they did by an externall facultie for the lawe is made the sauour of death vnto death not by his own facultie but by the deuills and mans free will and this work of the law was most holy and iust And this is a working cause iustified by the true rule of reason and not a bare permission If a man take a knife and thrust it into his bowels it is the cause of murder and no permission if man therfore was thrust thorow and wounded to the death by the law of God it was no bare permission but a working cause yet in all things vnblameable And therefore to denie Gods will all causation is impossible If a man would faine kill himselfe and could finde no instrument to effect it withall he would be kept from the fact for want thereof so if the Law had not bin man could not haue died Therefore it is most true when our Diuines speake of permission that they doe not in the generall latitude of action exclude it
saluation then wicked men in all their craftie fetches to plant themselues while the Lords silence is vpon them for affliction lets a man see at the first the worst conclusion that shall befall him in the profession of his God and therefore beeing best knowne he may assure himselfe that all other consequences shall be ioyfull and exceeding comfortable It shall not be so with the wicked for they make the best conclusions first and therefore blind their eyes that they cannot behold how they runne to fearfull woes and sudden destruction now followes the conclusions of a part of the argument to wit Gods silence alone Obser 4. This bond therefore lets vs see a fourth collection to wit that wicked men sucke poyson out of euery word of God his verie silence and mercie which ought to haue a sweete rellish vnto their soules shall by the corruption of their natures become the baine of the body and soule If God be but silent then will they be filled with wicked thoughts of God himselfe Reas 1. The corruption of nature From corrup nature which turnes all into it selfe A corrupt stomacke makes all meats rellish of his qualitie it turnes sweete into sowre pleasant into as bitter as gall so the heart of a wicked man makes silence sinne iudgement blasphemie loue hatred peace warre and the feares of hel the thoughts of pleasure Corpus tabedâ—â— quo plus nutrias eo magis laedas A naughty temperature the more it is fedde with good nourishments the worse it becomes so an ill tempered soule with the vntempered mortar of sinne becomes worse for the mercies of God and such excellent foode is turned into a most dangerous nourisher of the very canker and gangrene of bodie and soule Reas 2. Ill digestion either of mercie or iudgement From the ill digestion of the soule That which lies raw in the stomack and so consequently spoyled in the first concoction can neuer be mended againe in the liuer or in the assimulation of the parts where euery thing drawes and sucks for his own vse So all the mercies and iudgments of God lie raw at the heart of a wicked man and there are spoiled so that no good blood can be dispersed through bodie soule to make the sanguine complexion of a Christian neither shall you see any member to gather strength but rather to pine away euen as men doe that labour of consumptions Good things without Gods blessing heauie curses when they are fedde with the best nourishments when wee may see a poore beggers boy that fares hardly euen with such diet as would make a man melancholick to looke on it yet he is fresh and well liking so Christians which are of the blood royall are like Daniel which was better liking feeding on the pulse then when he had his diet off the Kings table So these vnder affliction profit more then all the wicked doe in their prosperitie Lazarus is better in soule though he cannot obtaine the crummes that the rich mans dogges might be welcom vnto then the rich-man that fared daintily euery day and yet pined in his soule The woman of Canaan for all her strange repulses first no answer 2. the disciples speaking against her 3. Christ giuing her a cold answer I am not come but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel 4. an vtter distast of her kindred it is not meete to take the childrens bread and cast it vnto dogges such a one art thou because a Canaanitish woman and no Israelite well for all this cold comfort shee will haue her soule fedde or shee will neuer giue ouer True Lord I am neither sonne nor seruant to sit at thy table yet seeing it hath pleased thee to style me a dogge I pray thee let me at thy table be but as one of thy whelps to gather but the crummes that fall from thee or thy children yea or thy seruants and that shall suffice my hungrie soule This woman by this meanes was fedde better then any Israelite euen by the very testimonie of Christ himselfe I haue not found such faith in Israel ah woman great is thy faith go in peace and let all be according to thy desire 3. A wicked mâ—n makes no vse 〈◊〉 Gods mercy Reas Is that which followes a bad concoction and that is ill distribution whereby all the vitall parts waxe weake and the spirits decay and so consequently sence and motion lie dead in the bodie he is not able to mooue vp and downe to performe the duties of his calling his hands which are the keepers of his house begin to tremble with the palsie his limmes and legs which were the strong men bow themselues his senses decay his eies waxe darke that looke out by the windowes his ears with all the daughters of singing are abused his tast is gone he is like old Barsillai that is not fit to set at the kings table in a word his senses shall be so decayed that nature shall not bee able to bind them vp in the night time to refresh him with comfortable sleepe but he shall be awake before the bird sing in the morning and shall be so out of heart with the disquietnes of the night that the bird shall be no means to lull him asleep but he shall rise at the voyce of the bird Euen so is it with wicked men they make no good distribution of Gods mercies iudgements in their liues and therefore no maruell if their life languish if their spirits to good actions bee cold and frozen with the dreggs of impietie and can no wayes be dissolued for mooue they cannot or bestirre themselues that so heate might be gotten into them to dissolue the frosts of their soules and expell the abundance of vapours that arise out of the sinke of sinne wherby they are choaked neither can they be chafed for they haue vtterly lost all sense and feeling Let the grace of God shine neuer so clearely yet they haue no eyes to seee withall let God thunder from heauen and they are so hard asleep that they cannot heare it let God threaten them and they haue yet no touch of their conscience let God promise them mercie and they cannot tast it let him offer them some of the flowers of his garden yet they cannot smell them And thus it comes to passe that as euery thing worke together for the good of Gods children so euery thing workes together for the destruction of the wicked Vse 1. reprehension First confutation of the wickeÌ„d that bragge and boast of their prosperitie Alas what cause haue they to reioyce in that they poyson themselues There is a kind of poyson that will make men die laughing surely so is it with the wicked they are fed fat for the day of slaughter and yet they perceiue not how fast they run to the slaughter house Secondly correction of the godly that are discontented with affliction would they haue the estate of a
generated from pure ayre whereby the heart and the braine are preserued in their functions so that what shall bee without reason to deny God his prouidence 3. In Iudiciall Astrologie Neither would I haue the Astrologians to thinke themselues free from this conceit when they make the starres the rule to square all actions as well voluntary as naturall and to determine of the ends and issue of them both Secondly it is strange Idolatrie that there should be any conceit of idolatrie seeing that nothing can be like God either in beeing or doing Isa 40. Againe all the idols of the heathen are known by their causes which to imagine of God is absolutly impossible The smith Isa 44. taketh an instrument worketh in the coales euē with the strength of his armes is an hungred his strength faileth he drinketh no water and is faint the like is said of the carpenter ver 13. and therefore verie strange that such feeble creatures as these should bring forth their creator nay stupid blockishnes that the workman should esteeme the worke of his own hands better then himselfe that made it The like may be said of the matter which is as fit in his owne conceit to warme his body and prepare his meat as be an idole for his soule folly incomparable that fit matter for the fire in his chimney should be as fit for the kindling vp of the fire of his zeale and deuotion in his heart strange againe that the picture of a man beast or the foules of the ayre should be counted better then the liuing man himselfe nay alas then the liuing God Lastly that whose ende is vanitie to be counted the felicitie of the soule is most shamefull and intolerable yet for all this Iere. 44. v. 17. We will burne incense to the queene of heauen and powre out drinke offerings vnto her haue they not reason for this yes assuredly they haue a double reason First losse in that they haue not done it ver 18. Since we left off this worshippe we haue had scarcenesse of all things and haue beene consumed by the sword and by famine A second reason is the profit of idolatry v. 17. when we did this then had we plentie of victualls and were well and felt no euill Thirdly Heresie Transubstantiation Consubstantiation no heresie but some reason for it as Transubstantiation must needes bee true because Christ hath said this is my body and consubstantiation must be as good as this because of the personal vnion of man-hood with the deitie A pretie dispute we haue in the 12. Christ not the Messias of Iohn betwixt Christ and the people concerning the Messias In the 32. v. Christ layes downe this proposition If I were lift vp from the earth I would drawe all men vnto mee this Christ meant of his death and so the people vnderstood it but he hath put an argument into their heads whereby they will conquer him ver 34. We haue heard out of the law that Christ bideth for euer therefore by thy owne confession thou art not Christ because thou saiest thou must die And I pray you consider how they triumph in this their argument How sayest thou now that the sonne of man must bee lift vp who is that sonne of man Fourthly Prophanation for prophanation see how the Apostle labours to preuent the wicked conceits of man concerning the abundance of grace 1. Of grace where sinne abounds there grace abounds much more a good reason in the conceits of wicked men to make them sinne the more that grace may abound Againe for Election and Reprobation see how men profane them If I must be saued let me doe what I will and I shall not be damned 2. Election Reprobation and if I must bee damned let mee doe what I will and I shall not bee saued Now should I come to discouer that the ground of all these opinions is nothing but thou thoughtest or it was thy conceit but because this is the last obseruation in the conclusion I wil put it off vntill I haue briefly giuen the reasons and made the vse of this point Reason 1. No man will denic himselfe and therefore though oftentimes he denie the rule of reason yet neuer will be absolutely denie reason because reason is one of the principall faculties in man and therefore must it trudge to make vp his broken conclusions Reason cannot act without reason and therefore men will haue false reason before they will haue none Reas 2. Is the simplicitie of truth and multiplicitie of errour From errors multiplicity and therefore though men cannot bring in truth to maintaine falshood yet may they haue many falshoods to make a faire shewe for one falshood Reas 3. Is the nature of opposition From opposition which on both sides is to defend his own Truth and falshood are deadly enemies and therefore as truth laboureth to confirme himselfe by all those that loue him so falshoold laboureth to gather together all his forces by those that maintaine him Hence it comes to passe that heretickes will neuer be coufuted but as long as they can breath they will vent what they haue conceiued Vse 1. reprehension First confutation of the wicked in that they adde sinne vnto sinne First to poyson themselues with strange opinions and secondly to enquire for reasons whereby they may ground themselues in these poysoned errors so that from errors they grow to heresie from simple ignorance to that which we call affected ignorance ignorance is so good a mother to deuotion that she will nource vp error and error will grow vp to heresie a child of rebellion Secondly correction of the godly that they yeeld not at any time to the least motions of errour least they become disputers for errors and opposers of Gods truth Many honest and well-minded persons haue gotten such familiar acquaintance with hereticks that they haue beene poysoned by them and so haue come to hate the truth which once they imbraced Vse 2. instruction First an admonition of the wicked that they be a little more sober in broaching of their errors least that the Lord seeing their malice against his truth come with a sharpe reproofe and cut them off suddenly Secondly direction for the godly to keepe themselues to Gods word and neuer labour to wrest it either to the right hand or to the left for the vpholding of any conceits that the deuill their owne flesh or the wicked world shall suggest vnto them Vse 3. consolation First in prosperitie to remember that euerie good thing we enioy shall willingly bee spent for the maintaining of the truth and the opposing of error euen vnto the death Secondly in aduersitie to consider how wee haue vsed no indirect meanes to bring our purposes to passe but still haue rested vpon the Lord for the reuelation of his will and the time of our deliuerance Obser 7. The ground of all wicked mens opinions and likewise
discretion and that is in beeing too prompt and readie in blazing abroad the faults of others especially the infirmities of their brethren We see the Lord is silent at the grosse sinnes of prophane hypocrites and therefore shall not we passe by the infirmities of those that ought to be deere vnto vs surely this wil bring vs to communicate with the hypocrite Psal 50.20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother and slanderest thy mothers sonne therefore my brethren iudge your selues least the Lord iudge you with the hypocrite for this offence 2. Vse instruction First an admonitian of the wicked to consider with themselues that God will not alwaies be abused he will not alwaies keepe silence for it is but the holding of the tongue so that he is neither dumbe nor deafe but refraineth his lips for a time that a word may be spoken in his place and it shall be a most fearfull one for it shall be in flaming fire rendering vengeance vpon them for the abuse of his mercie Secondly a direction to Gods children to magnifie his maiestie for giuing them so large a time of repentance also to be carefull of the day of our visitation Hebr. 3.13 Exhort one an other daily while it is called to day least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne 3. Vse consolation to all those that lie vnder the burthen of their sinnes for if the Lord spare them that neuer seeke vnto him much more will he spare vs that seeke vnto him earnestly Sect. 3. Of wicked thoughts Concerning wicked thoughts First the originall of them Kinds of thoughts Thoughts haue diuers considerations First they are giuen to God and that is a direct thought whereby God first thinkes himselfe and then in himselfe all things els Gods knowledge and thoughts are direct of himselfe and indirect of all things that are not himselfe the reason because God directly knows no lesse then himselfe and therefore can thinke no lesse then himselfe so that out of himselfe he knowes all things which no creature in heauen or earth is able to doe And this thought may be called a direct thought free from all errour and false hoode because it can no wayes be blinded by any externall or internall obiect seeing it is tyed to none The second thought is indirect when the thing must first be thought and then may it thinke it selfe for as in a glasse first I must see the image of my face and then from that my natural face so in thinking I must first see the image of the thing represented vnto my vnderstanding and then by knowing of it I know my selfe to know this is a reflexed thought agreeing both to angels and men and hence riseth the possibilitie of being deceiued because they may iudge of the obiect amisse and if they doe so then they iudge amisse of them-selues Hence the Angels and Adam ouerthrew themselues the angels by proud thoughts of their estate and in contempt and disdaine to be ministring spirits for the good of man Adam againe was deceiued in neglecting of his true conformitie with Gods lawe but thought it was to limite him from a great good in becomming like God A third thought is when a man will thinke all things out of himselfe and through his owne corruptions and therefore all the beames of Gods wisedome comming through so corrupt a medium must appeare according to his corruption euen as the sunne shining through a glasse windowe which is painted resembles the colour of the glasse And thus man that would needs become like God is in a paritie of contraries like God God thinks himselfe first and then all things out of himselfe so corrupt man will now needs thinke himselfe and so all things out of himself but here lies the difference that God being no thing bur goodnesse it selfe can thinke nothing but good thoughts but man beeing nothing but a lumpe and masse of sinne can think nothing but euil thoughts it is Gods happinesse to thinke himselfe but mans miserie as long as he flickes to his owne thoughts and therefore no maruell if the silence of the Lord take no better impression in his mind but become like his mind a wicked thought Yet obserue this by the way that as the beams of the sunne comming through the glasse are not changed by the glasse into another nature nor lighting on the dunghill polluted by the filthines thereof so the beames of Gods goodnes passing through the soule of a sinner though he abuse them yet still they retaine their goodnesse Hence we learne three kind of thoughts first a direct thought the secoÌ„d a reflexed thought the third a corrupt thought which is meant in this place the fountaine of corrupt thoughts is the heart Gen. 6.5 whose conception is in imaginations the verie forming and laying of an accursed birth shewing that the frame of the heart is full of corruption and secondly that his fruits are accursed as the conception is so is the birth for the thoughts comming froÌ„ the corrupt frame of the heart cannot be cleane but must needs rellish of their originall and therefore the holy Ghost hath stiled the verie imaginations of the heart to be euil onely and continuall Gen. 8.21 euen from his childhood as soone as we begin to vse reason wee frame euill in our hearts Hence the cause plainely riseth want of all good thoughts or want of all consideration with the concourse of all the contraries want of consideration made the couetous man euen in temporall things destitute of all the comfort of them Isa 44. the cause of all that strange Idolatry is v. 8. because they haue not known nor vnderstood and v. 19. none considereth in his heart neither is there knowledge nor vnderstanding to say how foolish haue I beene to burne halfe of my wood in the fire for to bake my bread and rost my flesh and yet of the residue to make an abhomination to bowe vnto it Ier. 8.4 5 6. There is more consideration in the verie bruit beasts then in Gods Israel and therefore the heart beeing so polluted and destitute of all good consideration how should it possibly prooue otherwise then that man should become full of all euill thoughts And thus much of the fountaine which will better be discouered in the other points For the second The wayes to discerne of mens thoughts there bee two wayes of knowing mens thoughts 1. immediate and direct and this is proper vnto God 1. Kin. 8.39 2. indirect and by meanes For as God onely first knowes himselfe and then all things by himselfe so euery creature euen angels themselues first knowe the thing and then themselues by the thing this makes their knowledge indirect And there be foure meanes to helpe in the knowledge of thoughts First the agreement of natures as spirit with spirit may haue secret familiariâ—y and a communication of thoughts Thus the deuill beeing a spirit can come more neere our soules
him how much more horrible is it to curse the King of kings the God of Gods therefore euerie one must labour to know see and discerne this wretched thought in his heart which wee may doe by Gods grace not onely the damnable actions of our times but the inward thoughts of the spirit within vs. A second thought touching God is that the word of God is foolishnesse this must especially be vnderstood of the Gospel 1. Cor. 1.21 Paul calls it foolishnesse according to the opinion of the world not because it is so in it selfe but in the iudgment and imagination of the Grecian and 2.14 that a man should be saued iustified and sanctified by Christ is foolishnes to the naturall man this also in part is to be vnderstood of the lawe Deut. 29.19 Moses bids the people take heed least when they heare the curses c. where hee intimateth that this euill thought is in mens minds to thinke that the lawe is foolishnesse and therefore not to hearken vnto the curses thereof Now this is a dangerous thought as appeares by the fruit 1. Hence riseth that deuillish opinion that religion is but a policie to keepe men in awe from treasons and rebellions Secondly hence springeth all apostasie and all departing from the faith Gal. 1. the Galatians were a worthy Church of God planted by Paul yet there he saith that some of them were departed from the truth the reason is because they thought the word of God to be foolishnes Many in the East countries and in Asia where the Gospel was planted by the Apostles by this damnable thought fell first into the herefie of Arrius and many 600. yeares after Arrius departed to the religion of Mahomet In the West church in Europe and Italio the Gospel was planted by the Apostles yet afterward fell to Papistry and about 600. yeares after Arrius death Papisme ouerspread all Europe except in some little parts of Greece and so hath raigned till this day the reason is plaine in euery mans heart lieth this corruption to thinke the word of God foolishnesse and hereupon men by nature can embrace any religion but the truth And so in England let a man broach an herefie it shall not onely at the first but afterward haue strong and stout patrones When the family tooke shipping and came out of Germany into England though it were but a very brutish herefie yet it was much broached and had beene more had it not beene repressed by the preaching of the word and good order of godly Magistrates The cause why men are so readie to entertaine a schisme or heresie is because mans heart by nature is full of blindnes and error and thinkes the Gospel foolishnesse and madnes Examination of our hearts touching this thought beeing seriously performed we shall find it to raigne in high degree for we are all content to come to the assemblies where Gods name is worshipped and submit bur selues to be taught we are content to heare the preaching of the word and herein our personall sinnes displayed the terrible curses of the lawe denounced against them viz. iudgements in this life in death and at the day of iudgement and yet we tremble not at all this our hearts are not amased and affrighted at these thunderbolts of Gods curses due to our sinnes If a man in the streets crie fire our hearts will be astonished but when the fire of heauen kindled by the breath of the liuing God is cried against our sinnes we are not mooued and why surely our hearts are forestalled with a false imagination that the word of God is foolishnes therefore that his plagues and threatnings and curses are nothing Againe when we heare in the Gospel of the pardon of our sinnes by Christ and life euerlasting repentance the kingdome of God few learne this doctrine repent and enter into it because their mind is forestalled and wholly possessed with this false imagination Psa 126. the Israelites deliuerance was a dreame much more then is our spirituall deliuerance from Sathan and no maruell for the Gospel is as farre contrarie to mans reason as light to darknes for that Christ by bearing death and the curse of God for sin should thereby free men from death and the curse is quite contrarie to naturall reason Vse 2. If this be so that all men naturally imagine the word to be foolishnesse then must we followe Pauls rule 1. Cor. 3.18 If any man will be wise let him become a foole first we must renounce our owne naturall reason denie our selues our own iudgement put out the eies of our naturall vnderstanding and suffer our selues wholly to bee guided by the doctrine of the Gospel of Christ Secondly we must all pray with Dauid that God would open our eyes that we may see his wil and vnderstand the words of his law because our reason and imagination is flat contrarie to the Gospel From this second thought ariseth an other viz. that if the word be foolishnes then I will performe no obedience to the word of God That this is mans thought naturally I prooue it thus Iob 21.14 he brings in the sinner saying depart c. there is none so wicked to say so in word but it is their hearts imagination and affection and he that purposeth to walke after his owne wayes he it is that saith who is the Lord that wee should worship him It is a disgrace for me to bee the seruant of God I will not doe it therefore depart from me O God Ier. 6.16 they say so in the purpose of their hearts Luk. 19.14 which place as it is meant of the Iewes so of all other men in the world by nature that are impenitent sinners for so long as a man goes on without repentance hee carries a purpose in heart to liue in his sinnes and so saith in heart I will not beare the yoake of Christ I will be none of his subiects he shall not raigne ouer me Come to an adultreer drunkard c. tell him of his sinne he will straight swell like a toade and shewe the malice of his heart to him that reprooues him reason because he meaneth to liue in his sinnes c. Examination of our hearts touching this thought Most will say they defie and abhorre all such wicked thoughts of not seruing God but after examination had it will be found that it raignes in our hearts We can bee content to heare the word receiue the Sacraments which are the pledges of Gods sauour and mercie in Christ and wee are content to looke for saluation in Christ but what is the cause why after all this there is so little obedience so litle knowledge and conscience so little mercy and compassion so little iustice and loue in our callings surely this because our hearts are wicked deceitful full of guile and what is this guile I will not obey the waies of God Vse If this be the well wished thought of mens hearts then we
free-will This doctrine hath two branches the first that all the thoughts of wicked men are corrupt and wicked the second that a good thing by accident may be the cause of euill for Thou thoughtest in this place is brought in as a consequent of Gods silence 1. Doct. All mens thoughts by nature are sinnfull this doctrine is alreadie cleared for these reasons haue beene formerly inlarged 1. The fountaine is altogether vncleane and who can bring that which is pure out of corruption not one of a thousand surely none but God 2. Man is depriued of all good consideration and therfore nothing is in his heart but the consideration how to doe euill 3. The vnderstanding is altogether blind the wil and affections neuer seeke after God the whole man is declined from good to euill and all that he doth is vnprofitable 4. Nothing can extend it selfe beyond his nature therefore man beeing carnall and sold vnder sinne cannot get vp so high in his meditations as the lawe of God which is spirituall 5. He who takes counsell with his owne flesh yeelds to his owne lusts discourseth against Gods wisedome lets his owne will raigne is captiuated by the deuill and allured by the world cannot but think of that which is euil against God and man Vse 1. reprehension 1. Confutation of Papists that magnifie free will 2. the world that say thoughts are free they haue good meanings c. Secondly correction of the godly for iudging the pollicies of the wicked as strong castles of defence Vse 2. instruction 1. Admonition to the wicked not to boast too much of their plots and deuices for all their imaginations thoughts are sure to come to naught Secondly direction vnto the godly alwayes to haue God in their thoughts Vse 3. consolation First in aduersitie to consider that all the plots of wicked men are not onely vanitie but also impietie and therefore as they cannot stand so shal they be seuerely punished Secondly in prosperitie to consider how God is the vpholder of their heads their lot portion and inheritance and therein to repose the sweetnesse of their thoughts 2. Doct. A good thing by accident may be the cause of euill as silence the cause of this thought Hos 7.1 When I would haue healed Israel then the impietie of Ephraim was discouered c. God here put on the person of a Physitian who while he goes about to heale the maladie makes it worse and finds the euill to be more gricuous 1. Because he finds the patient more peruerse and to vse all ill diet 2. the disease beeing stirred and so sturdie in his owne nature that it rebells against the remedie Rom. 7.8 sinne is dead without the law but the law makes it to liue hence wee see that God would heale vs but we turne our disease into putrifaction and rottennesse and so become incurable and no maruaile for though all men bee made of one mettall yet they bee not cast all in one mould there is framed of the selfe same clay as well the tile to keepe out water as the pot to containe licour the brickie nature of man will not be washed by Gods raine from heauen it shall haue no entrance into his soule The Sunne doth harden the durt and melt the waxe so the wicked being the filth of the world cannot be stamped with the beames of Gods wisdome but are hardened Fire maketh the gold to shine and the straw to smother perfumes refresh the doues but kill the beetles so the fire of Gods word smothereth in the wicked and the verie sweetnesse of it kills them The vine will spread by nature and the more we seeke by art to alter it the more in the ende we shall augement it It is proper for the palme tree to mount the heauier we load it the higher it sprouteth although yron be made soft with fire it turneth to his hardnes the silly mouse wil by no manner of meanes be tamed the subtill fox may wel be beaten but neuer broken from stealing his pray season the wood neuer so well the wine will tast of the caske translate the crabbe-tree where and whensoeuer you please and it will neuer beare sweet apple the blacke will take no other colour the stone Abeston beeing once made hot neuer will be made cold can the Ethiopian change or alter his skinne the Leopard his hew it is impossible to gather grapes on thrones or figs on thistles this cannot be brought to passe by any art the stone in Scicilia the more it is beaten the harder it is so the more God handles the wicked the worse they are He that stoppeth the streame causeth it to swell higher he that casteth water on the fire in the smiths forge maketh it to flame fiercer so is it with the wicked touch them and they sparkle in your face But alas they know not how the wound that bleedeth inwardly is most dangerous that the fire kept most close burneth most furiously that the ouen dammed vp baketh soonest that sores hauing no vent fester secretly Thus they swallow the baite which will breed their bane they swill the drinke that wil expire their date the Scorpion can feed on the earth the quaile can be fat with poyson but alas their food bee it neuer so good yet they wil sat vp themselues with it against the day of slaughter Thus then good things are peruerted to the wicked to their ruine The fire is an elemēt most necessary yet the wicked housholder may as wel make it burn his house as burne in it tryacle doth as well poyson as help if it be taken out of time wine immoderately taken kills the stomacke enflames the liuer and mischeifes the drunkard Physicke destroyes if it be not well tempered Lawe accuseth if it be not wel interpreted poyson is taken out of the hunny-suckle by the spyder venome out of the rose by a canker dung out of the maple tree by the scorpion so the greatest wickednesse out of the greatest good if it be abused O therefore I intreat you that haue beene deceiued by your own fancies the glasse of pestilēce or deluded by your own thoughts the gates of perdition be as earnest to seeke a medicine as you were eager to runne into a mischiefe God hath left as well endiue to delight and cure as hemlocke to endanger the rose to distill as well as the nettle to sting the bee to giue hony as the spider to yeld poyson so for the soule as well a word to saue as to destroy Indeede by accident wee make it to bee so and if hitherto wee haue wounded our selues by it let vs now leaue the point of this sword and catch it by the handle The Poets affirmed that Achilles speare could as well heale as hurt I am sure this can a great deale better heale then hurt the Scorpion though he stings yet he stints the paine though the hearb Nerius poyson some beasts yet is it a remedie to man
against poyson therefore if we haue made the word of God a Scorpion to sting vs yet let vs now make it a lenitiue to cease the paine if we like beasts haue poysoned our selues yet now like men created for God let vs recouer our selues againe by this word of life But to proceed Thou thoughtest this is the consequent of Gods silence not proper but by accident forced and befide the scope of it therfore this wicked thought of an hypocrite argueth strange corruption of heart that can frame no obiect vnto it selfe that shall make good thoughts Surely affections haue gotten the masterie ouer the mind so that now it must become a slaue to serue them and dispose it selfe that all his iudgments may aime at their satisfaction and thus the good word of God by accident becomes the cause of sinne Gen. 3. hath God said Yee shall not eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill the Lord by this law debars you of great good for it is certaine when yee cate yee shall beas gods knowing good and euill therefore the law is too strict and rather an hinderer then furtherer of your good Men we see are very quiet vntil they be prouoked by the preaching of the lawe Steuen Act. 7. shall be stoned for his good sermon Christ shall be an enemie to church and common-wealth because he speaks against the Scribes and Pharisies Moses Aaron shal be hated of Pharaoh for preaching a deliuerance Iohn Baptist for telling Herod his sinne Elias shall be Ahabs enemy for telling him the truth and Paul shall become an enemie to the Galatians for telling them of their apostacie from Christ thus lawe and Gospel mercie and iudgement are abused of the wicked yet for all this the law is holy and iust as for example a man that holds a glasse in his hands as long as it â—ests there is safe but if they throwe it against the wall the wall will breake it but the sault will rest in the hands so when we take our selues dash our selues against Gods law the law breaks vs but the fault is in our selues the bankes are no cause of the furie and rage of the waters but the waters themselues so the lawe of God that banks in our corruption is no cause why it rageth but the nature of it which can indure no limits Reasons 1. Because sinne will indure no law There be three effects of the law that sinne cannot away withall First it stoppeth corruptioÌ„ hence the irritation of the law Secondly it terrisieth the conscience and that cannot be indured they that liue like gallie-slaues and are whipped euerie day will doe nothing but by force and are glad any waies to rid them-selues of such a burden Thirdly it exacts perfect obedience which our nature can not away withall to loue God with all our hearts with all our soules with all our minde and our whole strength is a lesson that will neuer be learned or practised Reas 2. A misconceit as a medicine against which the stomack ariseth will not be indured a plaister which stings at the heart must be throwne off and a glasse that sheweth vs an vgly face cannot be looked into so the misconceiuing of Gods silence makes it that it can neither become meate or medicine to our soules Thirdly the diuersitie of subiects the selfe same seed is sowne in all the foure grounds yet takes but root in one the hammar beats vpon all but it makes not all pliable to Gods worke the axe hewes at all but it timbers but some for building the rest it hewes downe for firing the fire burnes all but only the the gold loseth his drosse the light shines to all but only they that haue eyes behold it the salt seasons all but in some it cannot enter to the bone and therefore they putrifie and rotte away foode would feede all but some want stomacks appetite and digestion therfore they pine away with the best nourishment the goad prickles all but some are hardned that it cannot enter and therefore no maruell that the mercies and filence of God should worke no good effects in the wicked Fourthly the curse of God is vpon them therefore they shall eate but not be satisfied drinke but not to quench their thirst sleepe but not to take their rest for God alone giues rest vnto his welbeloued nay let them doe what they will all shall be nought pray or not pray sacrifice or not sacrifice come to church or not come to the church for they cannot lay aside their wicked thoughts and therefore according to our prouerb all is marred in the making Deut. 28.16 cursed shall they be in the towne and cursed shall they be in the field they shal make no good markets of that which god hath giuen them in the field cursed shall they be in the basket and in their dough bad prouision shall be in their houses when the Lord will not become both the master and the steward cursed shall be the fruite of his body and the fruits of his land the increase of his kine and the flocks of his sheepe extreame pouertie in the middes of all his wealth cursed shall he be when he comes in and cursed also when he goes out ill successe in his interprises neither will the Lord here make an ende These be foure great curses First he shall make no good market in buying and selling Secondly from this shall follow he shall haue no good prouision in his house Thirdly from this shall rise the next that he shall haue no true riches Fourthly to make that good fortune shall alwaies crosse him Fiftly to proceede yet further God will make him cracke his credit for trouble shame shall be vpon all that he sets his hand to do euerie man shall call him banke-rout neither shal he haue any law against theÌ„ for with God he hath lost his credit and therefore shall he perish quickly Sixtly that he may make his word good in all these the pestilence consumption feuer burning ague sword blasting mildew the heauens aboue shall be brasse and the earth vnder iron for raine dust and therefore no staie but perish thou must in bodie goods and good name Seuenthly to make the finall vp-shotte of his bodie he shall fal before his enemies and his carkeis shal be without all burial the foules of the ayre and the beasts of the field shall haue him for their pray and none shall rescue him if the enemies spare him God will smite him with the botch of Egypt with the Emorods with the scab with the itch euen worse then he hath done Egypt for he shall not be healed neither will God be defectiue in his methode for from these more sensible torments vpon the bodie he will proceede to greater iudgements vpon the soule which though least felt yet more fearefull madnes blindnes astonying of heart with all their ill consequents to grope at noone day to be oppressed powled and
pure life and he that is not this puritan shal neuer see God and let them know that the seruants of God are of the blood royal to wit Christ Iesus and therefore haue Dauids heroicall spirit durst meet them on the field and shew as good courage for a good cause as the best of them But the seruants of the Lord his faithfull ministers haue told it to the Church that her faithfull friends haue beene abused by many a Churle vnto whom they haue stood as walls of defence and therefore their affections are vp in armes against them But the Church will find cakes bottles of wine sheepe readie dressed measures of corne clusters of raisins and abundance of figs to meet all that loue her to giue them kind intertainement Bid them not regard these Nabals for as their names are so are their natures Nabals they are and folly is with them and so shall they perish for the Lord will not suffer one of them to liue that pisseth against the wall But your soules shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord and the soules of these your enemies shall God cast out as out of the middle of asling Thus shall euerie faithfull soule praise God that hee is preserued by the Church and therefore when they shall see that the Lord hath dealt well with them they shall be mooued to remember the Church as Dauid remembred Abigail with the best bond of loue Secondly correction of the godly that learne not to thinke basely of the thoughts of wicked men they dishonour God by them and therefore into their secrets let our soules neuer enter Vse 2. Instruction First an admonition of the wicked to shewe them that they haue alwayes false reasons for their thoughts Indeed it is true that we can no sooner haue sinne in our heads but the deuill will find a reason for it but alas when we bring it to our question it makes vs presently make a fallacian against our soules Silence beats vpon the minds of these hypocrites but alas the image in the glasse shall not looke to him from whom it was reflected Moses face shines but he sees it not so these men haue Gods sunne to shine vpon them his raine to fall vpon them but they perceiue neither Thus they become like wine vessels that sends out all the wine againe but keepes in the dregs God doth much good vnto them but they neuer thinke rightly of it for as infants new borne are kept from fire and water laid to sleepe shifted in their scapes but they knowe not who doth all this for them so God brightnesse it selfe shuts in heauen and earth yet our eye cannot looke against it no more then the batâ—e or owle at the bright beames in the firmament and therfore no maruell if wicked men after all Gods silence looke amisse therefore as the fountaine and all the water that springs out of it haue the same qualities so the heart and the thoughts words and deeds are all of the same nature if one filthy all filthie and purge one and purge all Now the fountaine in a wicked man beeing corrupt no maruell that these thoughts issue out of it Eccles. 8.11 Because sentence against an euil worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe euill here is the verie selfe-same conclusion God defers therefore they are fully purposed to sinne against God Let them therefore be admonished to looke better to their thoughts for they are in a miserable estate that makes euerie thing turne vnto their hurt Secondly a direction to Gods children that they learne not to thinke their owne thoughts speake their owne words or doe their owne actions but onely that which shall be approoued by God and his word and then shall their praise not be of men but of God Vse 3. Consolation First in all good wayes when I can say I haue serued God with a good conscience for that shall be the miserie of the wicked when the Lord shall say who required these things at your hands Secondly in their trouble to say with Hezekias Remember Lord how I haue walked before thee this is better then all the riches in the world or the vanities wherein he hath placed all his thoughts this shall stand by him in this world to iustifie him because God speakes for him in the ende of this world to free him from hel death and damnation because he hath built vpon the rocke and hath in his thoughts highly valued the blood of Christ to purge him from all sinne when all the rest of the world shall be accursed for that they haue put their trust in the arme of flesh 2. Tim. 4.6 7. Pauls ground of comfort when he is readie to be offered is this I haue fought the good fight of faith finished my course I haue kept the faith therefore he expects a crowne of righteousnesse this is no phansie but a grounded perswasion from his practise Sect. 4. Of awicked mans conceit of God Like thee The fourth thing is in the forme and manner of their thoughts and that is by drawing a paterne of God out of themselues to limit him by their owne limits and measure him by their own measure First for qualitie and condition the only patrone and fauourer of their courses one that did esteeme and approue most highly of all their waies Where we may see that hypocrits as proud Pharisies thinke themselues not like other men and therefore needes must they be like God himselfe not knowing that a third may be giuen to wit that they are so like themselues that a man cannot paralell them with any other They haue looked into the fountaine of Gods silence and surely like Narcissus they are fallen in loue with their owne shadow or like children they are so delighted with their image that they must needs kisse the glasse and thinke no babie like to that which they haue seene of themselues and thus like apes are gotten so farre in loue with their owne brood that with ouermuch embracing of themselues they kill all they touch and thus while they wil set as Queenes and ladies bragging they shall neuer be widowes presently the Lord brings vpon them both pouertie and widow-hood because they themselues haue pressed euerie thing they were in loue of vnto death so that being wise in their owne conceit we may be assured that there is more hope of fooles then of them and that drunkards and vile persons shall sooner inherite the kingdome of heauen then any proud person of them all the Publicans and grosse sinners shall sooner go into heauen then these Scribes and Pharisies Secondly this must yet be strained higher euen to the verie being and essence of God God must be altogether as they are extraordinary neere fellowship It was one of the greatest prerogatiues that was euer giuen to Abraham to be called the freind of God but what shall these be called
insight of the mercies of God in his Christ which are the onely ioy and confidence of our soules And thus much of Gods mercie CHAP. VI. Of Gods Iustice in generall THe second part of Gods holines Iustice is his Iustice contained in the consequent part of the sentence and is distributed into two adiuncts Power and Order Power in that God will be sure to iudge and Order in that he will take no hastie courses whereby all should be done in confusion Excellent is our God for first beeing a God almightie he is able to doe what he pleaseth with his creature but secondly obserue his order and euery one shall confesse that he is a God of excellent wisdome for things done in good method stoppe the mouthes of all Two men that put on armour and like bulls of Basan push the one at the other are not discommended for their power and strength but that beeing men they wanted wisdome to vse their strength aright and that is that they kept no good order and therefore such execution of iustice as this is condemned so that if our gratious King had no more arguments but this one in forbidding all Duells it were sufficient for graunt the exercise the power of iustice yet where is this order and good method that the Lord would haue obserued of all his seruants Aristotle hath vnfolded vnto vs in his Ethicks fiue intellectuall vertues which if they concurre not in all our actions they will prooue exceedingly defectiue First intelligence which giues information of the cause and the reasons of it secondly science which disposeth of euery necessarie truth in those reasons so that thereby he shall iudge his cause to be good or bad for vt intellectus habet se ad verum ad falsum sic voluntas ad bonum vel malum the vnderstanding goes before and iudges of truth and falshood and the will follows after and embraceth good or euill the third vertue is sapience seeing how he may diduct and draw out of the truths of science other necessarie truths which could not appeare but by the discourse of this third vertue the fourth prudence which is the fourth perfection of our actions when we doe all the former in good and comely order the fifth Art the highest degree of perfection when I doe all nimbly and very skilfully in knowing in iudging discoursing applying These men may haue the three first vertues but they are altogether destitute of the two last they may know that their cause is good and that both of them hath reason to complaine of iniurie for braue spirits can not rest without mutuall prouocations secondly they may know that disgrace of their persons is their shame and the losse of their good name which they esteem better then the most pretious oyntment that they inioy to be such an iniurie that it can deserue no lesse then some kind of trial and so in the third place discourse of it and conclude that therefore they will haue iustice executed that they may bee reuenged for their wrongs but alas when they come to apply all this their former knowledge they want prudence and so leap ouer the lists of iustice and breaking good order spoile the exercise of all artes For first they breake the rule of diuinitie in sinning against God by murther the rule of ethickes for fortitude and manhood is abused the rule of politickes for the common-wealth is iniured by losse of such persons as might haue been his pillars the rule of nature complaines that would haue himselfe preserued in all his subiects Indeed special nature for the good of generall nature will seeme to crosse himselfe the fire will descend and the water will ascend before they will suffer such a stranger as vacuitie to possesse any place among them So indeed nature would neuerbe offended if they would shed their blood for their countrie Nature will make the hand to offer it selfe to be cut off before the head receiue the blowe because nature is wise in order knowing that the head is to be preferred before any other member because it hath in it the greatest part of life The people can tell Dauid thou art better then ten thousand of vs and therefore no matter if we be all cut off to saue thy life Blessed is that kingdome that is not onely powerfull in iustice but that keeps good order in the execution Indeed many may say I will reprooue thee but alas how few say I will set thine offences in order before thee Many lie in prison for a sic volo sic iubeo stat pro ratione voluntas authoritie vrged by violence of passion spoyles all Magistrates Aristotle saies that the law ought to be like the primum sensorium which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the law must sauour of no qualitie but his owne for then would it neuer iudge aright And as the lawe is so ought the Magistrate to be voide of all his owne passions let the law rule him as he meanes to rule the people and then should all be done in good order and we should not heare these lamentable complaints I am in prison but I knowe not for what cause and the Magistrate saies I shall lie there vntil my bones rotte For the mercies of God let vs be mooued betimes as well to set mens sinnes in order as vse our power in reproouing of them lest the Lord come and handle vs most roughly in the power of his iustice for this most hainous offence committed in diuiding iustice against it selfe So then the distribution lets vs see that the power of God is neuer without his wisedome but that the Lord workes in all things intelligenter scienter sapienter prudenter artificiosè plainly truely wisely prudently and skilfully The power of Gods iustice is laid downe in these words I will reprooue thee first the cause I the Lord which in the first verse styled my selfe the God of Gods euen the Lord from heauen in comparison aboue all and in dominion ouer all without comparison therefore a mightie iustice that hath so great a cause Secondly from the species or kind of it a reproofe therfore vindicatiue and reuenging iustice stronger then remuneratiue or rewarding iustice for here appeares ira furor excandescentia anger a displeasure of short continuance furie a short madnesse the third an inueterate hatred that alwaies smoakes against sinne that kindles hote coales hinc ira ex candore fierinesse full of brightnesse Thirdly the obiect thee the sinne and the person I am out of loue with both and therefore will I discouer thy sinne which I know thou aboue all men mayest not endure to heare of Secondly what thou thy selfe art both in deceiuing and beeing deceiued shal plainly be knowne therefore most powerfull iustice whose cause is Iehouah nature vengeance obiect the most secret sinne and most deceitfull person free from all the iudgement seats of men Sect. 1. Of the cause Observ 1. The great God
of them wee shall either thinke that there is no prouidence or else so strange a prouidence that it should contradict it selfe Yet surely after due consideration we shall see all colours to paint out this excellent glorie and rauish vs with the beautie of it For as the skilfull painter is able to dispose of infinite varietie of colours in his curious worke to set forth the excellencie of his skill and produce the greatest praise which perhaps to the eyes of ignorant beholders in the beginning were nothing but the pictures of deformitie yet he himselfe knew full well that the chiefest of his arte was in the limming forth of that creature which afterward he meant with boldnes to commend vnto the eyes of the beholders so the Lord which in the creation replenished the world with all beautifull colors from whence all painters haue learned their arte the very imitation of Gods worke in nature shall be able to dispose of all the varietie of colours in his Church to shew that that piece of work which he limmed forth in his decree which men make a monster and since the beginning of the world hath set it forth in his liuely colours to be most admirable and full of beautie or as an exquisite Musitian which is able to make a most sweet harmonie of the greatest multitude of strings and in nature dissonant to sound forth his skilfull and most excellent arte which at his pleasure can extend or let fall as well the trebble as the tenor and the tenor as the base and mixe them with the counter-tenors the small bases or what soeuer seemes good vnto his will to ioyne extreames with middles and middles with themselues and all their extreames so that in all his musicke is neither heard harshnesse of stroke or vnpleasantnesse of sound so the Lord the best and most sweete singer in all Israel is able to put downe all artes because if they should striue with him they should but stand vp against their maker for he is the inuenter of them all and men and angels are but the obseruers of his wisdome and therefore all in heauen and earth shall meete together to sound forth the praise of the Lord and therefore the Lord can not but keepe good order in all his waies and if he will take sinne into his owne hands it shall not be spoiled for want of good handling Obs Sinne shall be an excellent means to glorifie God surely except it had bin for this cause I should haue vtterly despaired any good that euer could haue bin brought out of sinne but seeing my text informes me that God will haue the handling of it I dare boldly say that sinne is decreed made good of God and for no other end but that he may be glorified by it for God handles nothing that he wills not and what he wills he wills from all eternitie And therefore he deales not with sinne as men deale with ineuitable accidents to make a vertue of necessitie to take in hand to dispose of sinne when he could not mend it but the Lord had this work in his hands long before it came to passe and now it is sufficient for vs to admire at it and haue it in exceeding account Surely God hath ordered with himselfe and now he will order it with his creature it was in Gods eyes from eternitie and now shall it be in mans eyes according to Gods time alloted vnto him Reason 1. Because God is the God of order and therefore must he needes iudge as well of confusion as of order it selfe for that which approoues the one doth alwaies disprooue the contrarie Reas 2. Because God will haue his works seen as long as all did lie in the first chaos nothing was seene in his distinction but when the Lord had brought light out of it made it separate the euening and the morning brought euery creature into his place then became the worke of the Lord to be glorious Psal 19. the heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth forth the worke of his hand So when the Lord hath brought the light of his decree out of the confusion of sinne then shall all flesh see the glory of our God Reason 3. From the wicked which haue set themselues to crosse God and therefore if he wil be glorified by them he must haue it by his owne arme for they scorne to giue it him Reason 4. The consolation of his Saints for this puts them out of all heart to see things fall out a crosse Psal 37. is wholly spent vpon this subiect that the flourishing estate of the wicked is but transitory and destruction is their end but the misery of the godly in this world ends in peace and quietnesse because they are in the fauour of God therefore must they not fret or be enuious for the euill doers for they are soone cut downe like grasse and wither away as the greene hearb but trust in the Lord and doe good dwell in the land and they shall be fed assuredly Psal 73. yet God is good vnto Israel euen vnto the pure in heart there is the dispute about Gods order or prouidence in gouerning of the world The question is whether God be good vnto the faithfull The disputants are the flesh and the spirit the arguments are brought on both sides and by the arguments the cause is determined First the old man brings his arguments and proues the negatiue part that God is not good vnto Israel first he pulls two arguments out of his owne bosome want of wisedome and discontentednes of minde which were the fountaine of his errour he that can not guide his feete nor keepe his steppes from slipping may easily say God is not good vnto Israel but I the old man cā do neither of these and therefore must I needes thinke that God is not good vnto Israel Secondly he that can not indure the prosperitie of the wicked and the miserie of his owne soule may easily iudge God not to be good vnto Israel but thus were my affections guided and therefore from minde and heart from blindnes and affection I conclude that God is not good vnto Israel But the discerning spirit may easily answer these obiections with a nego consequentiam for they are but the witnesses of a lying spirit it is no good consequence to say that the sunne shines not because I am blinde and see it not no good consequence to say Gods hates me because he prospers the wicked Leaue these inartificiall arguments and dispute more solidly from some artificiall thing I will therefore beginne with their death and thus I dispute He that is not drawne vnto his death as a malefactour neither hath sicknes on him as the messenger of death but is without all bonds lusty and strong must needes prooue that God is better vnto him then his Israel and therefore not good vnto them the assumption I prooue They are not in trouble with other
with my heart and for my spirit to search diligently will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he shewe no more fauour is his mercie cleane gone for euer doth his promise faile for euermore hath God forgotten to be mercifull hath he shut vp his tender mercie in displeasure what will this doe vnto my soule surely it will prooue my death Yet I remembred thy workes meditated in them deuised with my selfe what should be the ende of them and I found thy way in the Sanctuarie whither I must ascend by faith if I meane to declare thy power among the people to wit thy redemption The waters of the red sea seeing thy power were afraid the depths trembled thou rainedst vpon Egypt and madest thy thunders to be heard the lightning lightned the world the earth trembled and shooke thus thou didst lead thy people like sheepe by the hands of Moses and Aaron so that they wanted no comfort in the midst of many waters and all because God did dispose of all their troubles Surely that God orders all things is a most admirable comfort of the faithfull and a reson that I cannot leaue vnpressed Thy little finger shall not ake a haire of thy head shall not fall to the ground without Gods disposition Psal 121.4 behold a note of admiration both to good and bad of demonstration to all that expect the mercies of the Lord and of attention to those that are too negligent and what may they all behold euen this that the keeper of Israel will neither slumber nor sleepe A keeper what is that surely to be set in some office and therefore too base for the great God of heauen to become Israels seruant if Dauid had not styled him so in the next verse I should haue beene vnwilling to haue thought it but nowe I dare say it the Lord is thy keeper and therefore O Israel thou art but as a child vnder tuition as a sheepe vnder a pastor but happie that thou art put into the hands of no gouernour saue into his that gouernes the whole world not a sheepe left vpon the mountaines without a shepheard but euen vnto him that against the fond conceit of the Aramites is the God both of the mountaines and vallies the keeper of Israel First he had Iacob in his keeping the younger brother who when he feared the strength of his brother Esau became Israel one that preuailed with God and therefore sure to preuaile with man He had stood before the lyon of the tribe of Iudah and therefore needs not blush at the face of Esau Againe all the twelue Patriarks haue gone into Egypt and their whole progeny taking the name of their father and therefore were preserued in Egypt brought out with ioy lead through the red sea protected in the wildernesse and most safely conducted into the land of Canaan and since that all spirituall Israel hath bin lead by Christ Iesus out of spirituall Egypt through the red sea of his baptisme to passe through the wildernesse of this world vnto the celestiall Canaan where they shall appeare in Sion Now beloued what is this keeper vnto Israel not onely no sleeper but also free from all slumber he neuer layes his eyes together as though he were wearie with watching Psal 34.15 The eies of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open to their cries neither hath he any neede to close them vp for it is onely proper vnto the creatures that are wearied with labouring and watching but the Lord is no more wearie in his care for the whole world then he is for one of the heires of thy head See it in his Saints hee preserued Noe in the great deluge Abraham and Lot in all their dangers Iacob could not be hurt of Esau nor Ioseph in prison Moses cannot perish in the riuer nor Israel in the yron fornace and therefore the heathen by the light of nature could paint out prouidence in Argos with an hundred eyes so that if one were at rest yet another might be waking but the Lord is totus oculus nothing but eie and therefore all comfort to them for whom he watches for good and not for euill Vse 1. Reprehension first the confutation of the wicked that thinke by their disorder to confound the Lord indeede man is confounded in many law causes and knowes not to what heades to bring some crimes that so they may be iudged but the Lord wil not misse his scope for all their confusion Secondly a correction of the godly that depend no more vpon God is God thus excellent Oh then I will neuer be from his elbowe I will keepe me to my station that so when my God shall call I may be in readinesse Vse 2. Instruction first admonition to the wicked that for shame they set something in order and leaue not all in heapes seeing the God of heauē means to visit their houses Secondly let thē be admonished to deale better with their neighbours and bandle them more gently for that must come on their skore The other vse is a direction to the godly concerning the faithful cariage of themselues in this world Let them haue as little to doe with the wicked as they can for euery secret of them shall be brought to light How would a man tremble when he knows that any person is detected for villanies with whome he had to doe be none of their receiuers for they are theeues and they will indanger euery one of the law that hath any thing to doe with them Vse 3. Consolation vnspeakable that the Lord will haue the handling of all matters first in thy necessities hast thou any wrongs offered thee be of good comfort for the Iudge is for thee hast thou any trialls be exceeding ioyfull the matter shall be caried on thy side against the face of all thy aduersaries hast thou lost any thing by theeues and wicked oppressors of the world if they now be vnknowne vnto thee thou shalt haue them then detected if thou knowest them but can get no redresse here vpon earth rest quiet thine heart the matter shall be amended and for deferring of the payment thou shalt receiue the whole with all the forfeits Secondly in thy plenty reioyce in the Lord for he orders all things to increase thy store and to giue thee thy fill of ioy Sect. 2. Of the placing of sinne Set The second argument is the setting or placing of sinne Hos 2.10 from whence it is plaine that sinne hath wholly put man out of ioynt and alas when this setting shall come he shall be so forlorne that it shall be impossible to bring his ioynts into any good frame It shall then be past time for turning the wheele of the vnderstanding for disposing the will to runne in her created course to bring the affections to good order place euerie member of the bodie to become a weapon of righteousnesse to serue uhe Lord yet there shall be a
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
vpon him Where by the way he shal take notice of his holinesse whereby he is so pure a God from all sinne that he cannot away with it so likewise of his iustice whereby he is so exactly iust in himselfe that he cannot but execute iustice remuneratiue and rewarding for weldoing and inflict punishment or iustice vindicatiue for euill doing yet least he should complaine that summum ius is summa iniuria hee shall see that which Aristotle called the moderator of iustice to witte equitie remitting of the full extent of iustice for if the Lord had dealt so with man he should neuer had his hand off him for either should his iustice haue burnt more remissely against sinne which is called anger or more sharpely which is called wrath or fully executed which is called reuenge for as sinnes be inaequalia so should the punishment haue beene in all these Now because his iustice may admit of these degrees ratione obiecti you shall see the Lords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringing in mercy whereby he vseth compassion toward his creatures offending First his gentlenesse whereby in his iustice he remembreth mercy patience whereby he most gently suffereth sinners and deferreth their punishment longanimity whereby a long time he expecteth their repentance lastly bountifulnes whereby he being rich in goodnesse powreth forth his good gifts vpon them notwithstanding their sinnes And this they may obserue by the way in Gods setting of fin in order The infliction of the punishment followes by the causes They may assure thēselues that euery one that had their hand in sinne as the authors of it shall be punished most seuerely Neither shall the instrument escape the deuill shall haue his head crushed and all his deuises brought to naught hee shall be hardened in his sinne that he cannot repent and finde mercie and lastly he shall be vtterly banished from heauen into the elements which are reserued 2. Pet. 3.7 vnto fire against the day of condemnation and of the destruction of them and all vngodly men The serpent shall not go without his iudgment a curse shall bee vpon him aboue all the beasts of the field enmity betwixt him and the woman and sensible feeling of paine in creeping on his belly and eating the dust of the earth The woman beside her common miserie with man shee shall be in subiection to her husband full of griefes in her conception going with child and trauaile But for the man his punishment shall in speciall manner bee ordered wherein all his progenie may take notice of it his punishment shall bee with sinne and death sinne originall the exorbitation of the whole man both inward in himselfe and outward in the gouernement of the creature Hence plainely appeares that mans wit and will are set the wrong way their faces cleane turned from God and therefore no free will to doe any good that may please God but vnderstanding and will enough to do euill and that continually Againe in the necke of this followeth actuall sinne as the streame from the fountaine the branches from the root and this is a continuall iarring of man vpon outward obiects for originall sinne hauing turned all the wrong way it is necessarie that as often as any wheele in man mooueth it should meete a crosse with euery good thing and therefore iarre vpon him yet God limits this iarring that it can goe no further then he shall direct it to wit vnto his owne glorie and some particular good end in his Church This sin receiues degrees indeede the other is equall in all because the same measure metes it out vnto all but this is a greater or lesser sinne in respect of whom or against whom it is committed likewise in respect of the matter and manner of working it whether it be done of knowledge or ignorance of infirmitis or stubbornnesse or with an high mind and all these stand vpon two heads sinnes of commission in doing that euil we should not do and of omission the not doing of good that should bee done And all this will the Lord doe in setting in order which shall be a iust punishment vpon all malefactors The rest of Gods methode is more fearefull and better felt of man that is death the method wherof consists in the beginning and ending of it wherein shall be a continuall losse of life and subiection to the miserie thereof which shal make vs worse then if we had neuer beene This death brancheth it selfe into two parts the first and the second death the first death is a subiection to the miserie of this world the inchoation and beginning whereof is the miserie which comes by the losse of the good things of the bodie as of health whence commeth sickenesse deformitie sence of nakednesse wearines and subiection to dangers Secondly subiection to the miserie which comes by the losse of externall things as of friendship honour rule and dominion ouer the creatures of things necessarie for this life as meat drinke apparell c. now the perfection of this death is the going of the spirits out of the bodie whereby the soule departeth from the bodie and the bodie afterward is resolued into the elements especially the earth which did beare the greatest part in his making The second death hath this order first it subiects a man to the miseries of the world to come the beginnings whereof are in this life the forerunners of the extremitie of woe that are to come in the next world the forerunners are emptinesse of mind in regard of all good ignorance of God terror of conscience fleeing and hiding himselfe from the presence of God or else a deepe securitie and senslesnesse of miserie despaire and a fearefull expectation of iudgement the perfection and consummation whereof shall be an eiection from the face of God and iniection of the soule immediately after the first death into hell a reseruation of the bodie in the graue as in a dungeon against the day of iudgement when after the resurrection both soule and body shall be cast into the same place which is prepared of God for the eternall punishment of the wicked both angels and men where is nothing but weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth there shall be found no Limbus puerorum or purgatory but either heauen or hell must be their resting place Neither will the Lord breake his methode or leaue them any cauil for some defect with what reason can the Lord so deale with men seeing all that wee haue heard is concerning Adam must the children smarte for the fathers sinne I hope that God is more iust Well consider that the Lord will not leaue this without his order for all the posteritie proceeding from Adam and Euah by ordinarie propagation as they should haue had happinesse if they had stood Propagation of sinne so are they obnoxious to all these miseries hefalling And this is done iustly by all kind of lawes first of nations for Adam was a prince of all
Sathan is a worker beside his owne peculiar manner of tempting which is possession or a more liberty and freedome to the tempted of sorrow and despaire and quicke dispatch of themselues For comfort of the godly I will instance a little in these lesser temptations and then I wil inlarge them to the wicked whose cause is desperate Of our owne natures spring the temptations which rise of the roote of originall sinne The spring and fountaine of all temptations without any forraine instigation from the world whatsoeuer is either a baite of pleasure or fright of terror which increase the actuall sinnes springing frō the originall roote and lay as it were compasse and powreth on water to that vngracious stock to make it grow the faster Now all these temptations are not of that dangerous nature that this is of here must we attend with patience the issue which not onely is certen but also shal come in the best time The corporall inhabiting of Sathan is the greatest fullest of terror and despaire that can befal the godly yet the historie of the deeds and sayings of Christ the writing of the Euangelists do testifie of whole legions dispossessed of that habitation by the power of Christ mercifully extended vpon such miserable captiues which examples serue against like times of affliction that we giue not ouer hope though millions of deuills should possesse vs within enuiron vs without but knowe his power to be aboue all force of the enemy and his mercie farre surmounting Sathans malice therefore Gods children haue no cause in this sort to feare nor haue any shadow of ground wheron they should resolue against themselues vpon the point of reprobation but that all these molestations and terrours which they now indure are temptations rather of their father for good and profit then grounded resolutions of such lamentable issue Againe The order of the deuill in drawing Gods elect into Atheisme and so on concerning his soule religion or faith for more praticular examination I find by daily experience that these are as well the operations of phansie from melancholie as of conscience for sinne that methode of which temptation I find for the most part to runne in this order First to call into question whether there be any God or no for melancholie is a disputing humor Secondly when reason hath mastered that then the second question is about the immortalitie of the soule When that again is conquered there enters a third question whether we professe the true religion or no. When that is expelled the fourth question that maketh the greatest tumult in the soule is whether wee haue any part or portion in that which it promiseth Here the deuill is exceeding busie for if this be resolued on he is wholly cast out and hath nothing further to trouble vs withall Any of the former doubts would haue sunke our soules for if no God then why should I abstaine from my sinfull pleasures If againe no refurrection then why should I vexe my selfe in this world If my religion be false then must I haue a new twenty to one but I change amisse and therfore I wil be of no religion but when I shall begin to thinke I haue no faith in Gods promises Whether melancholie be the affliction of conscience then alas what shall comfort me Therefore consider these questions first whether the conscience of sinne and the afflictions thereof be melancholy or not secondly what is the differēce thirdly the afflictions of mind to what persons they befall and by what meanes fourthly what may be the consolation And so from this setting before the eies of the conscience only in appearance I will proceed to the reall and that which the Lord will do to the hypocrite in this place For the first Difference betwixt them the affliction of conscience is quite another thing then melancholy as may appeare out of the second question by the differences First in the causes 1. Causes the one is a meere fancie without all true and iust ground and is onely raised vpon disorder or humour in the fancie and rashly deliuered to the heart which vpon naturall credulitie fareth in passion as if it were indeede whereof the fancie giueth a false alarum But the other is a sorrow and feare vpon cause and that the greatest cause that worketh miserie vnto man Secondly 2. Effects in the effects In that of conscience the bodie is ofttimes in firme state of health perfect in complexion and perfect in shape and all symmetrie of his parts the humours in quantity qualitie not exceeding nor wanting their naturall proportion but in the other the complexion is depraued obstructions spoile the course of humour and spirit whereby the blood becomes ouer-grosse thicke and impure and nature so disordered that diuerse melancholike persons haue iudged themselues strange creatures as historie will plainly record Thirdly 3. Subiect in the subiect The senses in the other both inward and outward are ofttimes perfect the imagination sound the heart wel compact and resolute and this excepted want no courage but in the other both inward sense and outward are too feebled the fancie ouertaken with ghastly fumes of melancholy and the whole force of the spirit closed vp in the dungeon of melancholy darkenesse imagineth all darke blacke and full of feare their hearts are either ouertender and reare and so easily admit the passion or ouer close of nature serue more easily to imprison the cheerefull spirit the causes of comfort to the rest of the body Hence they are faint hearted without occasion onely driuen with the tide of that humour to feare euen in the middest of securitie 4 From the originall Fourthly they differ in the fountaine and originall of them the one begins in the minds apprehension the other in the distempered humour which deluding the organicall actions abuseth the mind and draweth it into erroneous iudgement 5 Cure through false testimonie of the outward report Fiftly in the meanes of cure the one is helped by no medicine no purgation no cordiall or balme except the balme of Gilead are able to assure the afflicted soule trembling heart panting vnder the terrors of God hell death and damnation But in melancholy passions the vaine opened neesing powder or Bearefoot ministred to expell the fumes in the braine cordialls of pearle saphyres and rubies with such like recomfort the heart throwne downe and appaled with phantasticall feare 6. End Sixtly they differ in the ende in the one the perill is not of bodie and corporall actions but of foule and bodie to be cut off from the life of God from the sweet influence of his fauour the fountaine of all happinesse and eternall felicitie Here then the cause is the seueritie of Gods iudgement summoning the guiltie conscience the subiect is the sinfull soule apprehending the terror thereof which is for euer and euer the issue is eternall punishment satisfactorie to
of sufficiencie and will also effect that which he hath promised the first makes it possible in the thing the second makes it to exist in me now wee shall finde both these in the Lord which indeede grounds our faith in all particulars But here is neede of particular application and therfore we shall finde them both applyed vnto affliction I may well beleeue God with ease in prosperitie but hoc opus hic labor est this is paine and toyle to beleeue in affliction marke then these two places first for Gods sufficiencie 2. Cor. 12.9 my grace is sufficient for thee secondly for Gods efficiencie Isa 43.2 when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the floods that they doe not ouerflowe thee when thou walkest thorough the verie fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shal the flame kindle vpon thee This is more manifested in the manner of working first in the Father because of his relation a father can do nothing which shall not be for the good of his sonnes Heb. 12.5 in affliction he speakes as vnto children my sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him Hence all is in loue Heb. 12.6 Whom he loueth he chasteneth and scourgeth euerie sonne that hee receiueth secondly this loue must purge vs Ioh. 15.2 Euery one that beareth fruit hee purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit for when we beginne to grow wild he correcteth our haughtinesse and cooles our courage by some affliction or other to cut short our hornes least we like bulls of Bashan should push at the godly the Lord sends fire theeues oppression to let vs blood in our riches least we should be too ranke and grow into a surfet Hence we may gather that the Lord hath means to saue vs and giue vs consolation in his good time 2. Cor. 1.4 so that this cannot be in wrath Psal 39.5 and therefore the Father doing this it must needs returne vnto our good Heb. 12.10 The second manner of working is in regard of Christ Iesus for afflictions are indeed curses but Christ became a curse for vs and so as by sinne blessings became curses so by Christ curses became blessings therefore the Apostle calls it a gift a matter of Gods liberalitie to become a sufferer Phil. 1.29 for vnto you it is giuen for Christ that not onely ye should beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake as though it were a greater matter of commendation to suffer then beleeue hence Paul can be content in all estates Phil. 4.13 The third manner of working is in regard of the holy Ghost who is the comfortet of the faithfull and therefore shall they be sure to want no comfort this makes the bodily absence of Christ better then his presence Ioh. 16.7 These are the principall causes able to support the soule without any more yet God is rich in comfort for the lesse principall causes are waightie and more readie at hand as first the word of God with the ministerie thereof Afflictions worke best in men when they come with the word Iehosaphat was more humbled by the speech of Iehu the seer then he was beeing compassed about with an host of enemies Adde wee vnto these the graces of Gods spirit in the hearts of the faithfull we must ouercome griefe with patience and eate out and burne out the temptation by faith and purge distrust in Gods promises by perseuerance in prayer Griefe naturally is heauie and lies as lead at the heart and consequently presseth vs downeward so that faith and praier must keepe the heart and hands the voyce and eyes vpward if we can call it shewes we are children of hope hanging at the breast for grace is like the stone that Aaron and Hur put vnder Moses that he might sit vpon it and the exercise of it is as Aaron and Hur holding vp Moses weake hands which while they are steadie make Israel preuaile against the Amalakites but when they shrinke downe Amalek preuailes Euen so is it with Christians they sit vpon the corner stone Christ Iesus but their hands and knees fainting in the exercises of prayer and other graces of Gods spirit makes the deuill our cursed Amalek preuaile against vs but the Lord will neuer leaue vs without good Aarons and Hurs to helpe to stay vp our hands vntill the going downe of the sunne and then shall Amalck vtterly be discomfited More specially I bring a threefold combination of grace with one single to runne through euerie one of them The first combination is of knowledge and conscience knowledge 2. Tim. 1.12 I am not ashamed because I know whō I haue beleeued secondly conscience which is a continuall feast therfore he that hath a good conscience may alwaies keepe a good house and be a cheerfull man all the dayes of his life The second combination is prayer faith praier as a watchword stirs vp in the soule and musters vp together an army of heauenly souldiers yea and God the cheife generall to send present aid to beat backe all the force of the enemie and all of them fall backward euen as the great multitude that came to take our Sauiour Christ Againe faith staies the hand of God continually it is a most sure stancher of blood so that if any affliction lie vpon vs it is for want of faith Moses was rebuked of the Lord for the not circumcising of his sonne his faith was weake and his wife in performing that duty was almost without faith yet the Lord departed away and spared both Third combination is patience and wisedome Patience Luk. 21.19 by your patience possesse your soules the seruice and worship of God in affliction is patience now wisedome is most excellent for it teacheth vs to descend downe into our owne soules and plead guiltie but there it leaues vs not as foolish persons to lie pleading with the iaylor or hangman for a pardon but presently brings vs vp againe and maketh vs ascend vnto the Iudge in heauen with a pardon receiued at the hands of his Sonne to intreat for mercie and that with full assurance because in the pardon the grant is specified which the Lord will neuer forget This makes vs see the true cause of our miserie 2. Sam. 6.16 what haue I to doe with you yee sonnes of Seruia hee curseth euen because the Lord hath bidden him curse Dauid who dare then say wherefore hast thou done it thus our wisedome teacheth vs to see the cause and then looke to his mercy and consider that his hand is not a destroying hand but a sauing A man that falls into sicknesse if it come whilest he is in his calling he is then lesse greiued then if he should haue brought it vpon him by surfeting and haue hatched it by his ill courfes euen so it comes to passe in the sicknesses of the soule If I was vsing the meanes of godlines in sinceritie of heart then shall I
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