and priviledges and of the chiefest that were executed of the Nobilitie none was in the whole Countrey more affected to that Religion then was the most noble and valiant Count of Egmond the very glory of that Countrey who neither for His singular Victories in the service of the King of Spaine can bee forgotten in the true Histories nor yet for the cruelty used for His destruction to bee but for ever lamented in the hearts of the naturall people of that Countrey See a Booke intituled A Declaration of the causes mooving the Queene of England to give aide to the defence of the people afflicted and oppressed in the Low-Countries pag. 5.6 l Phalaris and His fellow tyrants come far short of these Blood-hounds Heylyn p. 52. m Philip the second of Spaine after many preceding vastations and pressures did lastly by strong hand and maine force attempt not onely to make himselfe an absolute Monarch over the Hollanders but Turke-like to tread under His feete all their Nationall and fundamentall Lawes Priviledges and ancient Rites To effect which after Hee had easily obtained from the Pope a dispensation of His former oathes which dispensation was the true cause of the warres and blood-shed since then c. S.W.R. in his Preface n The King of Spaine hath paid above an hundred Millions and the lives of above foure hundred thousand Christians for the losse of all those Countries which for beauty gave place to none and for revenew did equall His West Indies for the losse of a Nation which most willingly obeyed Him and who at this day after forty yeares warre are in despight of all his forces become free Estates and farre more rich and powerfull then they were when Hee first begun to impoverish and oppresse them Idem Ibid. o Obey the commandement which commands thee to believe against all unbeliefe and above all beliefe and to hope above hope that is in infinite doubtings to believe in all despaires to hope and when all reasons grounds meanes and hopes are wanting yet to believe onely because God commands thee so to doe Tho nature reason sense and thy owne heart and faithlesse feares and all creatures forbid thee so to doe saying That thy strength and hope is perished from the Lord Lam. 3. Yet obey and believe none of these but Gods Commandement commanding thee to believe his promise against them all and so to honour Him as God above them all in power mercy truth and faithfulnesse Throgmorton of Faith pag. 194. p 1. Cor. 3 22. q Nullum genus insipientiae infidelitate ut sic loquar insipientâ—us Bern. de consid o Dicitur inquit Deus etiam iurâssè hoc est iureiurando interminatus esse non ingressuros esse in suam requiem Quibusnam verò Non sanè omnibus sed solis illis contumacibus Cogitate igitur vobis iuratam hanc Dei interminationem incumbere si non obediat is Deo per Evangelium vos hodiè vocanti Par. in Loc. s The state of Mankinde is happy in respect of the Angels which fell for none of them are or shall over bee restored to their former state As He who falleth from a steepe and high Rocke into a deepe Pit or Gulfe cannot possibly escape death whereas one whose fall is lesse may have hope of life so it is with these wicked Angels whose sin we may truly call that unpardonable sin coÌ„mitted against the holy Ghost If it 's objected that the Angels may repent and so obtaine salvation We answer First that it is impossible by reason of the nature of their sinne being the sinne against the Holy Ghost that they should ever truly repent and secondly that if they could after some sort â—epent yet they are altogether uncapable of salvation because God hath not taken unto Himselfe the nature of Angels as Hee hath done the nature of Man and so joyning it to Himselfe who is life it selfe made it a living and holy nature Morton Of the threefold state of Man cap. 1. Sect 3. t Hos. 2.19 u Isai. 6. â— * Ward in His Life of Faith Isai. 55.1 x Vivo ego dixit Dominus Ienova c. Iurans per vitam suam id est Deitatis suae aeternam essentiam omnipotentiam divinam Maiestatem ac naturam Quasidicat quà m certum immotuÌ„ hoc est quod vivam ego sim verus aeternus vivus omnipotens Deus tam infallibili támque irrefragabili certitudinis argumento nititur haec promissio Laurent Adversus desperationem y Vt vivo dictum Domini Iehovae non delector morte improbi sed delector quum revertitur c. Iun. Piscat Si quaeritur genuinus Prophetae sensus tantùm spem veniae vitae resipiscentibus facit sic ut illis non sit dubitandum quin Deus paratus sit ignoscere c. Polan in loc z Matth. 11.28 a Revel 21.6 b Beati sumus quorum causâ Deus iurat sed miseri detestabiles si ne iuranti quidem oredimus Tertull. * See Luke 4.18 a Sicut illi qui morbum nec agnoscunt nec sentiunt medicinam nec curant nec quaerunt nec applicant ita gratuâ—am misericordiam Dei quae in Christo proponitur nemo satis curat nemâ— seriò rectâ— quaerit amplectitur nisi qui agnitione sen su pavore peccatorum iâ—ae Dei adversus peccata contritus perterrefactus est Lex enim paedagogus est urgens impellens ad quaerendam gratiam Dei in Christo. Et ordo divinus est quòd vult quidem Evangâ—lizare sed pauperibus vulâ— sanare sed contritos vâ—lt praedicare dimissionem sed 〈◊〉 vult educere liberare sed â—â—nctos hoc est sub pecâ—atis conclusos vult consolari sed contriâ—aâ—os lâ—gentes vult respicere sed ad contritum spiritu Beâ—e plâ—citum est Domino sed super timentes â—um in eis qui sperant super misericordiâ eius vult resâ—ceâ—e sed laborantâ—â— â—nâ—ratos â—â—lt coronare misericordiâ miserationibus sed caput humiliatum non turgidum vult inâ—undere oleum misericordiae sed vulneratis c. Chemnit Exam. p. 2. De contrit b Sive meo volueris expolâ—ri ornatu sive armis meis armari 〈◊〉 mea 〈…〉 meis delitiari sive iter meum peragere sive in 〈…〉 art sex condâ—tor ipse sum sive in regione meà domum aedificare 〈◊〉 omnia facere potes ut non modò 〈◊〉 abs te harum rerum omnium mercedem exigam sed ipse tibi magnae velim esse mercedis debitor dummodò uti rebus meis non abomineris Quid huic liberalitati aequale unquam inveniri potest In cap. Matth. 24. Homil 77. c As for thy doings thou must have that power from God after thy Believing Therefore Believe first and thou shalt doe after Rogers Dedham Doctrine of Faith pag. 150. They may not for any thing they see in themselves put these
thine But being now happily rescued out of thy clutches by a mightier then Thou and having blessedly broke the Prison by the helpe of the holy Ghost Thou followes mee with this fierie malice and the most prodigious yellings of that infernall pit And I am perswaded it is a pestilent peece of thy deepest cunning very rarely to vexe civill worldlings those that lie in any grosse sinne or any which thou keepest fast and secure in thy snares with such affrighting and greisely temptations For thou craftily feares lest striking that horror into the heart of a naturall man which is woont to arise from such hellish fogs and blasphemous filth thou shouldest thereby give him occasion to renounce detest and drive him out of thine accursed slavery and cause him to cast about for a new Master 7. To take notice of some speciall corruption lust passion or spirituall distemper in one kinde or other over which I have not holden that hand hatred wakefull eie as it were meete For I am perswaded my God out of his mercifull goodnesse aimes at and intends some such good unto my soule by enlarging thy chaine and suffering thee at this time to afflict mee in this vncouth manner with this hell-empoison'd dart somthing extraordinarily I have not been so sensible of thy other temptations farre more ensnaring in sinne tho not so terrifying and therefore my gracious Lord may suffer thee at this time thus to thrust out thy hornes as they say in this most horrible and outragious encounter that I may bee throughly advertised what an Adversary I have and so more minde and marke him for feare of much secret and suddaine mischiefe by my security and neglect and more quickned to an universall watchfulnesse against all his Methods Devises and Depths as well his subtile and slie insinuations in the glory of an Angell as his impetuous and furious assaults in the shape of a foule Fiend Some trouble crosse heavie accident disgrace discontentment some great and waighty affaire on foote vnseasonable entertainements sad newes from abroad or something hath too often stolne my heart from that full and fruitfull attention to holy duties which was due and that even vpon the Lords day And I can now remember and my conscience tells mee vpon this occasion that I have not watched over the many idle impertinent wandrings and vagaries of my imagination as I ought but given so farre way vnto them that they have justly brought upon mee an uncomfortable deadnesse of affection barrennesse and indisposition in the use of the ordinances and conversing with God by Meditation Prayer hearing of the Word singing of Psalmes examination of the Conscience and other religious Exercises and I know not into what further spirituall miserie they may leade mee and therefore in great mercy the most wise God goes now graciously about to correct and mortifie the vanity worldlinesse distractions and mis-imploiment of my thoughts even by the terrours of these thy most horrible and hellish injections And by the helpe of God I will follow the meaning and conduct of his holy Hand for a right use of them and attaining that happy end which hee doth so mercifully intend 8. To gather skill experience and dexterity for the raising and reviving of others hereafter hanging down the head heavie-hearted and maliciously haunted in the same kinde By discovering unto them thy bootelesse malice the soveraigne medicines I have met with in the Ministry of the Word and the good I gained to my soule hereby By the helpe of that Almighty hand which can turne the darkest mid-night into the brightest morning and produce a Medicinable Potion out of the rankest poison Me thinks this heaven which by divine blessing I extract out of thy hell this healing vertue which I draw from thy vilest venome this spirituall good which I gather from thy divelish spite should make thee weary of this way and pull in thy hornes I trust in my God it will shortly cause thee to cast away this weapon and quit the field quite For thou ever infinitely hatest and hinders all thou canst the glory of God all exercise and increase of grace and the welfare of my poore soule which by accident and his sanctifying power who ever turnes all things to the best to them that love Him are all happily advanced furthered and enlarged by this raging and pestilent rancour of thine And who would not thinke were not the incredible depth of thy malice and madnesse equally unfathomable by the wit of Man But that thou shouldest the rather surcease because these Satanicall suggestions to mee that resists are but crosses and corrections but in thee most outragious and execrable blasphemies which will mightily hereafter adde to the heavinesse and horrour of thine everlasting chaines of darkenesse and damnation at the iudgement of the great Day FINIS * 1. Tim. 1.11 b But as for the holy truth professed by my selfe and those of the reformed Religion c. King Iames Remonst pag. 176. c Bellarmine Eudaeâ—ono-Iohannes Suarez Becanus Mariana with such Monsters teach the Doctrine of Parricides Ibid. pag. 5. If any except and say these are but private Doctors Heare King Iames afterward If the Pope doth not approove and like the practise of King killing wherefore hath not his Holinesse imposed some severe censure with a fearefull frowne upon the Booke of Mariana the Iesuite by whom Parricides are commended Nay highly extolled when his Holinesse hath been pleased to call-in some other of Mariana's bookes Againe wherefore did his Holinesse advise himselfe to censure the decree of the Court of Parliament in Paris against Iohn Chastell Wherefore did he suffer Garnet and Oldcorne my Powder-miners both by Bookes and Pictures vendible under his nose in Rome to bee inroâ—led in the Canon of holy Martyrs And when Hee saw two great Kings murdered one after another wherefore by some publike declaration did not his Holinesse testifie to all Christendome his inward sense and true apprehension of so great misfortune as all Europe had just cause to lament on the behalfe of France Wherefore did not his Holinesse publish some Law or Pontificiall Decree to provide for the security of Kings in time to come Ibid. pag. 222.223 See Histor. Iesuit put out by Lucius Wherein you may see their bloody behaviour in many Kingdomes d The mighty working of King Iames his Workes upon the Adversaries is intimated unto us to in the Preface before his Workes They looke upon His Maiesties Bookes as men looking upon Blazing 〈◊〉 with amazement feating they portend some strange thing and bring with them a certaine influence to worke great change and alteration in the World Neither is their expectatioÌ„ herein deceived For wee have seene with our eyes the OperatioÌ„ of His Majesties Works in the Consciences of their Men so farre as from their highest Conâ—lâ—ve to their lowest Cells there have been that have been converted by them Bishop of Winten e Revel 19.2 f Take policie as
have parted with the magnificent state and pompe of Pharaohs Court where Hee might have wallowed in varietie of all worldly delights and to take part with His afflicted Brethren of a world of miseries in a vast and roaring Wildernesse There was never carnall man since the Creation but in such a Case would have followed the Court and forsaken Gods people Hester a weake Woman could never possibly have holden out against the fury of so mighty a Favourite the hazarding of Her high Place the favour of so great a King and even life it selfe had She not been upholden by an extraordinary strength from Heaven No great Woman in the World wanting Grace would ever have runne such an hazard but have suffered the servants of God to sinke or swimme so that She might swimme downe the Current of the times without crossing and enjoy the present without perill It was a 〈◊〉 temptation 〈◊〉 â—â—nathan and a very 〈…〉 Dilemma Either leave to adhere to David or resolve to lose a Kingdome But the hope of an earthly Crowne could not hire Him to hold His peace and betray the innocency of His heavenly Friend And Ionathan answered Saul his Father and said unto Him Wherefore shall Hee bee slaine What hath Hee done The dread of dis-countenance from two angry Kings whose indignation is as the roaring of a Lyon was a terrible Motive to have made Michajah temporize not a Server of the Times and His owne turne in the World but would in this Case have tuned His Pipe to Ahabs pleasure especially encouraged by the flattering concurrence of so many false prophets But the sight of the mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth sitting upon His Throne and all the Host of Heaven standing by Him infused such an holy fortitude into the spirit of this Man of God that no greatnesse terrour or Majesty of any crowned Potentate could possibly daunt His courage or dash Him out of countenance And therefore Hee answeres with a resolution as high as Heaven and out of a sacred pang of seraphicall zeale As the Lord liveth whatsoever the Lord saith unto mee that will I speake So that Hee may discharge a good conscience and doe as God would have Him Hee is at a Point That Message which thâ—â—lmighty had put into His mouth must 〈…〉 Him to a centur◠〈…〉 from so 〈…〉 owne Coate to a suspicion of dis-loyalty for crossing so peremptorily the Kings Plot to smiting both with the fist of wickednesse and taunts of the tongue from His fellow Seers Nay tho His faithfull dealing throw Him into a Dungeon there to bee fed with the Bread of affliction and Water of affliction untill the full wrath of an enraged prophane King fall upon Him to the uttermost Thus let the World say what it will whatever flesh and blood suggest to the contrary Howsoever unsanctified great Ones storme and disdaine yet assuredly every true Friend to Iesus Christ must bee content farre rather to bee dis-courted then desert a good cause or not to defend the innocency of a gracious Man tho in disgrace and to speake for Gods people tho Haman rage to roote them out quite as a company of singular exorbitant fellowes who serve God as they list and keepe not the Kings Lawes As is unanswerably evident by the precedency of these newly named noble and holy Saints I confesse this may seeme precise Doctrine and a divine Paradox to all the great Masters of pleasure and Minions of luxury and pride whose blood runnes fresh in their veines and marrow is yet strong in their bones Nay who having attained the height of their ambitious aimes sit now aloft in the very top of their un-blessed bravery and greatnesse drunke with the pleasant wine of worldly prosperitie and holding in scorne the holy preaching of the good way the syncerity of the servants of Christ and society of the Brotherhood Yet I can assure them in the Word of Life and Truth the now embracement and practise of precise walking will incomparably more comfort them upon their Dying-Beds in that great and last encounter with all infernall powers about the immortality blisse and glory or the endlesse and unsupportable paines and misery of their Soules then if they had been the sole and soveraigne Commanders of all the Kingdoms of the Earth all their life long But no marvell in the meane time that as the Spirit of truth tells us and punctually to my purpose Not many Wise men after the flesh nor many Mighty not many Noble are called Not for any impossibility For the irresistable might of the Spirit worketh upon whom it will and some Great Men are good but by reason of the difficulty Being beset with such variety and strength of temptations they are rarelier and hardlier wrought upon by the Word and woone out of Satans en-snarements High roomes temporary happines abilities above ordinary so puffe them up and transport them beyond themselves with such a deale of Selfe-love Selfe-opinion Self-prizing that their proud and obstinated spirits will by no meanes stoope to the simplicity of the Gospell â—â—gularitie of the Saints and the foolishnesse of preaching But if at any time they heare of a Nathan Ieremy Amos Chrysostome Latimer c. They are very loth to lend their attention lest thereby they should bee made Melancholike put in mind of the Evill day tormented before their time But if they have the patience They are ready to startle in their seates and whisper One to an Other You see now these preciser Fellowes would damne us all to Hell Let us breake their bonds asunder and cast away their Cordes from us Such adoe there is and a world of worke to bring such noble Bedlams into their right minds and to fright such Idolizers of their owne sufficiencies and wilfull graspers of their gilded Fetters from their admired follies and honorable servitude 3. Thirdly a gracious Man about a Royall Person is a goodly Sight full well worth even a Kings Ransome For never any except himself truly feare the great God of Heaven can possibly bee cordially and conscionably serviceable to any of our earthly Gods A Principle so cleare and unquestionable that no Man of understanding and Master of his owne Wits except himselfe be notoriously obnoxious can have the face to deny it Please they may bee politically plausible flatter extremely and represent themselves to ordinary observation as the onely Men for loyalty and love But if wee could search and see their hearts wee should find them then most laborious to serue themselves and advance their owne ends when they seeme most zealous for their Soveraignes service Ahitophel in the Sunne-shine of peace and calmenesse of the Kingdomes time did accommodate himselfe to the present both in Consultations of State and religious conformitie But no sooner had this hollow-hearted man espied a dangerous tempest raysed by Absoloms un-naturall treachery but Hee turned Traytor to his naturall Lord when Hee
humorist an Hypocrite and all that naught is even as bad as the false tongues of the Devils Limbes can make a blessed Man He was a good-fellow will they say but hee is now quite gone a proper man and of good parts but his Puritanisme hath mar'd all While Paul humour'd the Pharises in persecuting and plaguing the disciples of the Lord Hee was a principall and much honoured Man amongst them but when hee turned on Christ's side He was holden a pestilent-fellow the very plague So that it is plaine and palpable whatsoever may bee pretended to the contrary that those cursed Cains dogged Doegs and scoffing â—â—maels that set themselues and spend their malice against the Ministers and people of God hare slander and persecute the very workes of Grace and graces of Gods Spirit in them Even their zâ—ale holinesse hatred of sinne reformation c. are an Eye-sore and heart-sore to such hatefull wretches and Owles of Hell â—ho cannot endure any heavenly light 8. As stigmaticall Rogues burnt in the hand curtal'd of their eares branded in the fore-head are in the Common wealth so are Persecutors in the Church By mutuall intelligence and information of Gods people or some more publike lasting record and Monunument of the Church they have many times such a Marke set upon them that they carry it to their graves yea to the iudgement Seate of God that it may bee knowne a sore-hand to that glorious Tribunall and all the triumphant Church what beastly men stinging Scorpions and pricking thorn's they have beene amongâ—t Gods Children and in the sides of the Saints Such a brand had Alexander the Copper smith set upon him by Paul 2. Tim. 4.14.15 And such a Brand was set upon Diotrephes that mâ—litious prating companion by Saint Iohn 3. Ioh 10. So are those bloud thirsty Tygers Gardiner Bonner and the rest of that cruell litter and persecuting packe branded that their names shall rot and their memories be hatefull to the Worlds end So too many in these times though they be very iolly fellowes in their owne conceits ador'd as Idols by their flattering Dependants applauded generally as the principall Patrones of revelling good-fellowship â—et in the censure of the Saints and by the doome of divine wisedome they are clearely knowne and iustly reputed enemies of all righteousnesse and Satans speciall Agents to doe mischiefe against the Ministery 9. And it is to be feared they will finde no mercy upon their Beds of death and in their last extremity cry they never so loude or promise they never so faire God in iust indignation is woont to deale so with those who drinke up iniquity like Water withâ—ut all sense or feare of a glorious dreadâ—ull Majesty above See Ezek 8.18 with those who refuse to stoupe to Gods Ordinance and submit to the Scepter of Christ when they are fairely invited by the Ministery See Prov. 1.24.28 Ier. 7.13.16 and 11.11 With great Ones who grinde the faces of the poore See Micah 3 4. with abusers of the riches of His goodnesse and long suffering See Rom. 2.4 5. How much more doe you thinke shall impenitent Persecutors bee paide home in this kinde See 2. Macchab. 9.13.17 There that great and cruell persecutor Antiochus being seizd upon by an horrible sickenesse promiseth very gloriously upon that his last Bed Besides many other strange reformations even that he also would become a Iew himselfe and goe thorough all the World that was inhabited and declare the power of God But for all this heare what the Writer of that story saith of his spirituall state and of Gods resolution towards Him vers 13. This wicked person prayed also unto the Lord who would now have no mercy on him 10 All their spitefull speeches scurrill scoâ—fes pestilent lyes insolent insultations c. are as so many Crownes of Glory and ioy unto the heads and hearts of all persecuted patient Professours 1. Pet. 4.14 Act. 5.41 Iob. 3.36 So that they infinitely misse the malicious Marke their revengefull humours would gladly hit the hurt and heart-breaking of those they so cruelly and cunningly hunt with much rancour and hate And not onely so but most certainely hereafter if they die not like drunken Nabal and their hearts become as stones in their brests upon their Beds of death they will all tho now passing from them with much bitternesse of Spirit and without all remorse turne into so many envenomed stings and byting scorpions unto their owne consciences and knaw upon their hearts with extreamest horrour 11. The whole body of the militant Church ioyne all as one man with a strong concurrent importunitie at the Throne of grace and with one heart and spirit constantly continue there such piercing prayers against all stubborne impenitent scorners all incurable implacable persecutours as the people of God have bin wont to poure out in such cases as Lament 3.59 c. O Lord thou hast seen my wrong judge thou my cause Thou hast seene all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me Thou hast heard their reproach O Lord and all their imaginations against me The lips of those that rose up against me their devise against me all the day Behold their sitting downe and their rising up I am their musicke Render unto them a recompence O Lord according to the worke of their hands Give them sorrow of heart thy curse unto them Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the Lord. Now I would not be in that Mans case against whom Gods people complaine upon good ground at that iust and highest Tribunal one halfe houre for the imperiall crowne and command of all the kingdomes of the earth for who knowes whether iust at that time the righteous Lord for his children's sake and safety may raine upon such a mans head snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest 12. And the prayers of the Saints poured out in the bitternesse of their soules vexed continually with their malicious cruelties and cruell mockes are meanes many times to bring Persecutours to an untimely end to knocke them downe before their time Doe not you thinke that the faithfull Iewes at Ierusalem hearing of Antiochus marching towards them like an evening Wolfe to drinke up their bloud had presently recourse unto Gods righteous Throne with strong cries to stay his rage And doe you not thinke that those very praiers drew downe upon him that horrible and incurable plague whereupon Hee died a miserable death in a strange Countrey in the Mountaines Herod for any thing wee know might have lived many a faire Day longer if hee had dealt fairely with the Apostles of Christ. But putting One to the sword Act. 12.2 And another in prison vers 4. Hee put the Church to their prayers vers 5. Which prayers for there is a certaine omnipotency of prayer as Luther was woâ—t to say did create full soone those vermine that eate him up horribly in the height
stampt upon His Soule by an Almighty hand A worke for wonder and power answerable if not transcendent to the Creation of the World To the production whereof the infinite mercies of the Father of all mercy the warmest hearts-blood of His onely Sonne the mightiest Moouing of the blessed Spirit were required Now what an indignity and disparagement is offered unto so glorious a Workeman and blessed a worke to assent and subscribe unto the Divell a knowne Liar that there is no such Thing 4. To double and aggravate upon the Christian the grievous sinne of unbeliefe Not to believe the Promises as they lie in His Booke is an unworthy and wicked wrong unto the Truth of God But for a Man to draw backe and deny when they are all made good upon His Soule makes Him worse then Thomas the Apostle For when He had thrust His hand into Christs side Hee believed But in the present Case a Man is ready to renounce and disclaime Tho Hee have already graspt in the armes of His Faith the crucified bleeding Body of His blessed Redeemer The sacred and saving vertue whereof hath inspired into the whole Man a new spirituall sanctifying life and a sensible un-deniable change from what it was 5. To discontinue or detaine the heart lock't up as it were in a perpetuall barrennes from giving of thanks which is one of the noblest and most acceptable Sacrifice and service that is offered unto God Now what a mischiefe is this that an upright heart should bee laced up and His Tong tied by the Divels temptation from magnifying heartily the glory of Gods free grace for such a worke I meane the New-Creation at which Heaven and Earth Angels and Men and all Creatures may stand everlastingly amazed So sweet it is and admirable and makes an immortall Soule for ever But to keepe my selfe to the Point Those who complaine as I have said That because the pangs of their New-birth were not in that proportion they desire answerable to the hainousnesse of their former pestilent courses and abominablenesse of their beastly life before many times suspect themselves and are much troubled about the truth of their conversion may have their doubts and scruples encreased by taking notice of such propositions as these which Divines both ancient and moderne let fall sometimes in their Penitentiall Discourses Ordinarily men are wounded in their Consciences at their conversion answerably to the wickednesse of their former conversation Contrition in true Converts is for the most part proportionable to the hainousnesse of Their former courses The more wicked that thy former life hath been the more fervent and earnest let thy Repentance or returning bee Sorrow must bee proportionable to our sinnes The greater our sinne the fuller must bee our sorrow According to the waight of sinne upon the conscience ought penitent sorrow to bee waighty He that hath exceeded in sinne let Him exceede also in sorrow Looke how great our sinnes are let us so greatly lament them Let the minde of every One drinke up so much of the teares of penitent compunction as Hee remembers Himselfe to have withered from God by wickednesse Grievous sinnes require most grievous lamentations The measure of your mourning must bee agreeable and proportionable to the sinne And wee may see these rules represented unto us in the practise of Manasses who beeing a most grievous sinner 2. Chron. 33.6 Humbled Himselfe greatly before the God of His Fathers vers 12. In the Woman who is called a Sinner Luk. 7.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they say by a kinde of singularity and therefore takes on extraordinarily vers 38. So that she wipes Christs feete with teares In the idolatrous Israelites upon their turning unto the Lord 1. Sam. 7.4.6 who drew water and poured it out before the Lord. In the Hearers of Peter who having their consciences all bloody with the horrible guilt of crucifying the Lord of life Act 2.33.36 were pricked in their hearts vers 37. with such horrour and raging angvish as tho so many empoisoned daggers and Scorpions stings stucke and were fastned in them punctually In Paul who having been an hainous offender a grievous Persecuter Act. 9. whereas the other Apostles as One sayes had been honest and sober fisher-men tasted deeper of this cup then they For Hee tells us Rom. 7.11 That the Law slew Him Hee was strangely amazed with a voyce from Heaven strucke downe to the earth and starke blinde He trembled and was astonished For three daies Hee did neither eate nor drink c. Act. 9. And there is good reason for it For ordinarily the newly-illightened eye of a fresh-bleeding Conscience is very sharpe and cleare piercing and sightfull greedy to discover every staine and spot of the Soule To dive even to the heart-roote to the blackest bottome and ougliest nooke of a Mans former Hellish courses to looke backe with a curious survay thorow the pure Perspective of Gods righteous Law over his whole life to His very Birth-sinne and Adams rebellion And in this sad and heavy search it is very inquisitive after and apprehensive of all circumstances which may adde to the hainousnesse of sin and horrour to his heart It is quick-sighted into all aggravating considerations and quickly learnes and lookes upon all those wayes degrees and circumstances by which sins are made more notorious and hatefull And what the spirit of bondage in a fearefull heart may inferre hereupon you may easily iudge Now to the Case proposed I say first 1. That betweene sinne and sorrow wee cannot expect a precise adequation not an Arithmeticall but a Geometricall proportion Great sinnes should bee greatly lamented yet no sinne can bee sufficiently sorrowed for Tho it may bee savingly When wee say the pangs of the New-birth must bee answerable to our former sinnefull provocations wee meane not that wee can mourne for sinne according to it's merit that is impossible But great sinnes require a great deale of sorrow Wee must not thinke that wee have sorrowed enough for any sinne tho wee can never sorrow sufficiently Before I proceede to a further and fuller satisfaction in the Point let mee tell you by the way how discomfortable and doubtfull the Popish doctrine is here about that the truth of our Tenet may appeare the more pretious and taste more sweet Their Attrition and Contrition as I take it differ as our Legall and Evangelicall repentance 1. In respect of the object Contrition as they say is sorrow for sinne as an offence to God Attrition is a griefe for sinne as liable to punishment 2. In respect of the cause Contrition ariseth from sonne-like Attrition from servile feare See Valent. Disp. 7. Q. 8. De contrit punct 2. This Contrition is the cause of the remission of sinnes Bellar. lib. 2. de poenit cap. 12. Arb. At Catholici alij passim Well then thou art a Papist and troubled inconscience Thou knowest well that without
the disease is dangerously upon us for recovery There was given unto Paul a Thorne in the flesh c. If wee will take the interpretation of some learned Divines A wound in the spirit the sting of Conscience pressing Him downe to the nethermost Hell in His sense that was erst taken up to the highest Heaven upon purpose lest Hee should swell with spirituall pride bee puft up and exalted aboue measure with the abundance of revelations If wee well weigh the admirable story of that gracious and holy servant of Christ Mistris Bretâ—ergh wee may probably conceive that a principall end why those most grievous spirituall afflictions of Soule upon Her last Bed were laide upon Her was in Gods just judgement to blind yet more those bloody Papists about Her and because they wilfully shut their eies against that glorious Light of true religion which shee so blessedly and fruitfully exprest in her godly life to let them thereby sincke yet deepelier into strong delusion that they might sticke still more stiffely to Popish lies According to that Prophecy of the Antichristians a Thess. 2.10.11.12 Because they received not the love of the truth that they might bee saved For this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie That they all might bee damned who believed not the truth c. Which wee see at this day verified with a witnesse in Popish Doctours even their greatest Schollers as Bellarmine and other Polemicall Writers And therefore let us never marvaile that tho they bee loaden with much learning yet that they should lie â—gregiously and defend with infinite obstinacy and clamour the Doctrine of Divels that accursed Hydra of Heresies in their voluminous Dunghils Now Gods judgement in hardning them hereby as I have said was the more iust because they were so farre from beeing wrought upon and wonne by Her heavenly conversation that they were extraordinarily enraged against Her goodnesse and Profession of the Gospell As appeares in that besides their continuall rayling and roaring against Her as an eminent Light like so many furious Bedlams they barbarously wreckt their malice and spite upon the dumbe and innocent creatures by killing at two severall times Her Husbands Horses and Cattell in the night That her fiery Triall thorow which shee passed as purest gold into Abrahams bosome did thus harden them is manifest by the Event For as the reverent Pen-man of that story reports Those of the Romish faction bragged as though an Oracle had come from Heaven to proove them Catholicks and us Hereticks Prodigious folly Damnable delusion It is so then that God in His inflicting of afflictions doth not ever aime at sinne as at the principall end And yet doe not mistake Tho Hee punishes sometimes and not for sinne yet never without sinne either inherent or imputed There is ever matter enough in our sinnefull Soules and Bodies and lives to afflict us infinitely The best of us brought with us into this world that corruption which might bring upon us all the plagues of this and the other life Every man hath in Himselfe sufficient fewell for the fire of Gods wrath to worke upon still if it pleased Him in justice to set it on flame As in the present Point of spirituall terrours and troubles of minde if God should out of His just and causefull indignation put the full sting but into the least sinne it were able to put a man into the very mouth of Hell But I speake of Gods more ordinary wayes and dealings with the Sonnes of men And so I say God may sometimes for some hidden and holy ends seene and seeming good to His heavenly wisedome bring a lesse hainous sinner thorow extraordinary horrour out of his naturall state into the good way 2. Aggravation of horrour is occasioned terrours and troubles may bee multiplyed and enlarged in our enlargement from the state of darkenesse and Chaines of the Divell by 1. Some precedents and preparatives which God sometimes in His unsearchable wisedome doth immediately premise or suffer to fall out As 1. Some heavy crosse and grievous affliction to make the power of the Law more passable and fall more heavily upon our stubborne and stony hearts This wee see in Manasses who was as it were fired out of His bloody and abomiable courses by the heavinesse and horrour of His chaines And so was humbled greatly before the God of His Fathers Gods extraordinary angry visitations make men many times cry with troubled and grieved hearts Come Let us turne unto the Lord Hee hath wounded us c. a. Strange terrours sometimes arising from externall Accidents yea hidden naturall causes uncouth visions and apparitions full of amazement and feare Bodily distempers horrible injections hideous thoughts c. Whereby they are mightily affrighted before hand and prepared to passe thorow the Pangs of the New-birth more terribly 3. Some hainous and crying sinne which He suffers some to fall into and immediately upon it awakes the Conscience That Almighty Physition who is able to bring health out of poison death out of life Light out of darkenesse Heaven out of Hell may by accident as they say prepare One to conversion by giving Him over to the height of some One or moe abhorred abominations and crimson sinnes As wee may see in Peters Hearers Act. 2. Paul Manasses the sinnefull Woman Publicans and Harlots left to the killing of Christ spilling the blood of the Saints those horrible out-rages extreme filth extorsions pollutions Physitions by ripening diseases make way to heale them For sicke matter is never more easily removed then when it exceedeth in ripenesse and quantity 4. Lying long in ignorance sensuality dissolute life without profitable and powerfull meanes In this Case upon the first awaking and affrighting the Conscience for sinne it may bee exposed to many terrible perplexities and longer continued terrours For the light of Naturall Conscience bred with them in their owne bosomes may in the meane time serve to enrage and torture as wee see in many guilty Heathens but there is no naturall light to leade us to Christ and Evangelicall comforts The commandements have ground in nature but the mysterie of the Gospell is wholly supernaturall Wee finde it by manifold experience what an hard and heavy Taske it is to undertake a poore ignorant Soule troubled in minde The Cure is many times very difficult dangerous and long The darkenesse of their ignorance beeing now distressed in Conscience is very fit and fearefull matter for Satan to worke in hideously and to play his pestilent prankes of most grosse impostures and much Hellish cruelty His malicious maine Plot against such ordinarily is and His utmost endeavour to drive them to Selfe-destruction if it bee possible before they get understanding in the waies of God of wee can get any competent light and comfort into their consciences 2. Some concurrent circumstances As 1. The melancholike and sad constitution of the Party That
tartnesse of the Law Cases of Conscience Lib. 1. Cap. 7. Sect. 5. Here remember by the way that the comforts ministred usually and ordinarily must not goe alone but bee mingled and tempered with some terrours of the Law c. The ministring of comfort in this distresse would not bee direct and present but by certaine steps and degrees Except only in the Point of death for then a directer course must be used Iâ—id Cap. 11. Sect. 1. Matth. 11.28 Iames 4.10 Prov. 28.13 Heb. 12.14 Revel 3.19 Psal. 9.17 n Proprietates Dei essentiales sunt realitèr ip samet Dei essentia nec ab essentiâ Dei nec inter se reipsâ differunt Non ab essentiâ quia sic sunt in essentiâ ut sint ipsa essentia Non inter se quia quicquid in Deo est unum est à primâ autem unitate omnis prorsus differentia omnisque numerus abesse debet Polan Syntag. Theol. Lib. 2. Cap. 7. o Proprietates Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt aequales 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inaequales Alsted Theol. Didactico Scholast Sect. 1. Cap. 15. * Now wee his Ministers His Almoners to distribute his comforts even as many as bee in the Scripture dare not lavish them out and promise them to such lazy indifferents as these But if wee see any ready to faint for want saying Give mee drinke or else I die then wee reach the cup of salvation to him and bid him drinke of it neither dare wee to give it to any other Rogers of Dedham Doctr. of Faith pag. 186. Tit. 2.11 12. Zech. 13.1 p As concerning sorrow seeing the causes still remaine namely corruption and affliction therefore this sorrow must continue to our lives end Tho in a different manner now mingled with comfort whereas the former before Faith could have none Whereas on the other side the sorrow that quite drieth up was never sound as it is to bee seene in many who beeing once deepely afflicted and in great heavinesse for their miserable state afterward comming to some comfort are growne so secure and senselesse that having no true griefe or remorse for their daily corruptions content themselves that they were once cast downe whose lives as they bee foule and full of blots so their ends bee oft fearefull either senselesse or uncomfortable so dangerous is it to quench the spirit in any pat Culverwell in his Treatâ—se of Faith pag. 46.47 Certum est sine sensu peccati miseriae primùm deinde â—iberationis in Christo Iesu â—â— eadem illá miseriá nullam in Christo esse veram consolationem Nos quidem hodierno die expectamus non primumillum sed secundum Christi adventum Vt igitur eum cum aliquâ consolatione expectemus danda nobis opera est in totâ vitâ ut magis magisque in sensu peccati miseriae nostrae proficiamus alioqui proâ—ectò tantum aberit ab eo ut cum consolatione gaudio â—um Christi adventum expectemus ut è contrà cum horroribus aâ—iâ—i conscientiae nâ—n tam expectemus illum diem quà m eum aversemur Rolloc in Iohan pag. 346. Perpetuò resipiscamus In perpetuâ luctâ perpetuâ resipiscentiâ simus Idem Ibid. pag 337. Some are onely slightly humbled and having got comfort are never more grieved whereas a true Beleever even after Faith grieves still for his daily sinnes but these thinke it enough that they were once grieved and therefore now grieve no more for their foule sinnes Rogers of Dedham Doctr. of Faith pag. 367. Cum sèmper nobis agnoscenda sint peccata nostra credendum quòd remittantuâ— nobis peccatâ— propter Christum senâ—imus semper etiam in hâ—c vitâ nobis agendam esse poenitentiaâ— Harmon Confess p. 2. Wirtenbergica Confess de poenit pag. 153. Wee are to note that repentance is a continuall course of sorrow and if wee have this in truth then may wee boldly seeke for comfort out of Gods Word and from His Ministers and looke what comfort they give us on Earth the same shall bee sealed also in Heaven Wherefore as it is requisite continually to till the ground if wee will have fruit and daily to eate if wee will live so in spirituall things wee must bee humbled with continuall sorrow that wee may bee refreshed with daily comfort in Christ. Greenham Serm. 7. Of Repentance I the rather quote these Divines for this Point to oppose the wicked and ignorant folly of some ill-tong'd Anti-nomists and other peevish and proud Phantasticks q â— Sam. 7.6 Hauserunt aquas è puâ—eo cordis sui abundè lachrymati sunt coram Domino resipiscentes Chald. Paraph. Est quadam precum omnipotentia Luth. r Quntum prinâ—us ego lum Hoc ergo apud beatum Paulum siduciae consolationis accipite fratres ut ad Dominum iam conversos non nimis criâ—ciet praeteritorum coâ—scientia delictorum sed tantùm bumâ—lieâ— vos sicut ipsum Ego sum inquit minimus Apostolorum qui non sum dignus vocari Apostolus qui sum persecutus ecclesiam Dei. Ita nos humiliemur sub potenti manâ— Dei c. Bern. Col. 225. * Et si preces quotidiè quotidiè poenitentiam agaâ— quod in antiquis domibus facere solemus cum fuerint putrefactae putrida subtrahimus supponimus nova à continuâ curâ nunquam desinimus Chrysost. Ad pop Antioch Hom. 80. * If any doubt how godly sorrow and spirituall ioy may consist together at the same time in the same Subiect let them take satisfaction even from Philosophy De dolore gaudio dupliciter loqui possumus uno modo secundum quod sunt passiones appetitus scusitivi Et sic nullo modo possunt essè simul eò quòd sunt omâ—inò contrariae Velex parte obiecti put à cum sunt de eodem vel saltem ex parte motus cordis Nam gaudium est cuiâ— dilstatione cordis tristitia verò cum constrictione Et hoc modo loquitur Philosophus Eth. 9. â—â—io modo possumus loqui de gaudio tristitiâ secundum quod consistunt in simplici actu voluntatis cui aliquid placet vel displicet Et secundum hoc non possunt babâ—â—â— contrariâ—tateâ—â— nisi ex parte Obiect putà cum sunt de codem secundum idem 〈◊〉 non possunt 〈◊〉 esse gaudium tristitia quia non potest simulideâ—s secundum idem placene displiâ—â—re 〈◊〉 verò gaudiuâ—â— tristitia sic accepta non sint de eodem sâ—â—â—â—dumidem sed vel de diversis vel de eodem secundum diversa sic non est contrarietas gaudij tristitia Vnde nihil probebeÌ„t hominem simul gandere tristari putà si videamus iustum affligi 〈◊〉 placet nobis eiâ—â— iustitia displicet aâ—flictio Et hoc modo simul potest alicui displicere quòd peccavit placere quòd hoc ei displicet cum spe veniae ita quòd ipsa tristitia