grievousness greatness of this sin of bloodshed and partly to give the best counsel I can for the restraint of those conceits and errors which give way unto it I have made choice of these few words out of the Old Testament which but now I read In the New Testament there is no precept given concerning bloodshed The Apostles seem not to have thought that Christians ever should have had need of such a prohibition For what needed to forbid those to seek each others blood who are not permitted to speak over hastily one to another when therefore I had resolved with my self to speak something concerning the sin of bloodshed I was in a manner constrain'd to reflect upon the Old Testament and make choice of those words And the Land cannot be purged of blood that is shed in it but by the blood of him that shed it In which words for my more orderly proceeding I will observe these two general parts First the greatness of the sin Secondly the means to cleanse and satisfie for the guilt of it The first that is the greatness of the sin is expressed by two circumstances First by the generality extent and largness of the guilt of it and secondly by the difficulty of cleansing it The largness and compass of the guilt of this sin is noted out unto us in the word Land and the Land cannot be purged It is true in some sense of all sins Nemo sibi uni errat no man sins in private and to himself alone For as the Scripture notes of that action of Jepthte when he vowed his daughter unto God That it became a Custome in Israel so is it in all sins The error is only in one person but the example spreads far wide and thus every man that sins sins against the whole Land yea against the whole world For who can tell how far the example and infection of an evil action doth spread In other sins the infection is no larger then the disease but this sin like a plague one brings the infection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but thousands die for it yet this sin of bloud diffuses and spreads it self above all other sins For in other sins noxa sequitur caput The guilt of them is confined to the person that committed them God himself hath pronounced of them The Son shalt not bear the sins of the Father the soul that sinneth shall die the death But the sin of blood seems to claim an exception from this Law If by time iâ—â— be not purged like the frogs of Egypt the whole land stank of them It leaves a guilt upon the whole land in which it is committed Other sins come in like rivers and break their banks to the prejudice and wrong of private persons but this comes in like a Sea raging and threatning to overwhelm whole countreys If blood in any land do lie unrevenged every particular soul hath cause to fear least part of the penalty fall on him We read in the books of Kings that long after Sauls death God plagued the Land of Jewry with three years famine because Saul in his life time had without any just cause shed the blood of some of the Gibeonites neither the famine ceased till seaven of Sauls Nephews had died for it In this story there are many things rare and worth our observation First the Generality and extent of the guilt of Blood-shed which is the cause for which I urged it it drew a general famine on the whole Land Secondly the continuance and length of the punishment It lasted full three years and better Thirdly the time of the plague it fell long after the person offending was dead Fourthly whereas it is said in my Text. That blood is cleansed by the blood of him that shed it here the blood of him that did this sin sufficed not to purge the Land from it That desperate and woful end that besel both Saul and his Sons in that last and fatal battel upon Mount Gilboah a man might think had freed the Land from danger of blood yet we see that the blood of the Gibeonites had left so deep a stain that it could not be sponged out without the blood of seven more of Sauls off-spring So that in some cases it seems we must alter the words of my Text The Land cannot be purged of blood but by the blood of him and his posterity that shed it Saint Peter tells us that some mens sins go before them unto judgement and some mens sins follow after Beloved here is a sin that exceedes the members of this division for howsoever it goes before or after us unto Judgement Yet it hath a kinde of Ubiquity and so runs afore so follows us at the heels that it stays behinde us too and calls for vengeance long after that we are gone Blood unrevenged passes from Father to Son like an Heirlome or legacy and he that dies with blood hanging on his fingers leaves his Off-spring and his Family as pledges to answer it in his stead As an Engineer that works in a Mine lays a train or kindles a Match and leaves it behinde him which shall take hold of the powder long after he is gone so he that sheds blood if it be not be times purged as it were kindles a Match able to blow up not only a Parliament but even a whole Land where blood lies unrevenged Secondly another circumstance serving to express unto us the greatness of this sin I told you was the difficulty of cleansing it intimated in those words cannot be cleansed but by the blood of him that shed it Most of other sins have sundry ways to wash the guilt away As in the Levitical Law the woman that was unclean by reason of Childe-bearing might offer a pair of Turtle-doves or two young Pigeons so he that travels with other sins hath either a Turtle or a Pigeon he hath more ways then one to purifie him prayer unto God or true repentance or satisfaction to the party wronged or bodily affliction or temporary mulct But he that travels with the sin of Blood for him there remains no sacrifice for sin but a fearful expectation of vengeance he hath but one way of cleansing onely his blood the blood of him that shed it The second general part which we considered in these words was that one mean which is left to cleanse blood exprest in the last words the blood of him that shed it The Apostle to the Hebrews speaking of the sacrifices of the Old Testament notes that without blood there was no cleansing no forgiveness He spake it only of the blood of beasts of Bulls and Goats who therefore have their blood that they might shed it in mans service and for mans use But among all the Levitical Sacrifices there was not one to cleanse the man-slayer For the blood of the cattle upon a thousand Hills was not sufficient for this yet was that sin to be purged with blood too and
he doubted not but the Provincials would determine the same it were very fit that the Synod should likewise determine so of it neither was it any reason that for the particular opinion of one professor who in this did disassent from the judgement of all the reformed Churches the Synod should abstain from determination of the question Gomarus answered that the University of Leyden had never yet determined for homo lapsus and that both D. Whittakers and Mr. Perkins had determined the contrary whom he took to be such men as would not disassent from the confession of the Church of England that the matter ought first to be discussed with arguments on both sides before any thing should be determined on either side to whom the President returned this answer that after the judgements of all the Colledges were read the Synod would decree of that question what they shall think best after the Canon is conceived it shall be read if then you can shew that any thing contained in that Canon is against the word of God The Synod shall with al dutiful patience here what you can say There were read the judgements of the Geldri the South Hollandi who in their judgement wished that the question of homo lapsus might be left undetermined the North Hollandi the Zâ—â—landi who were all not long and agreed in all things with the former judgements delivered and so this long Session ended Sessio 110. 12. Martii There were read the Collegiat judgements of the Ultrajectini the Frisia the Transisulani the Groninganii et Omlandii all which foure were of a good length and in all things consonant to the former judgements Sessio 111. eodem die post meridiem There were read the Collegial judgements of the Drentani and Gallobelgici which were brief and agreeable to the former judgements and so was ended the reading of the judgements of all Colledges in which God be praised for it there was not the least suspition of of dissention of any thing and it is to be noted that all of them determined homo laepsus to be the subject of Predestination except Gomarus whom all men know to be against it and the South Hollandi who only said they would determine nothing of it There was read the judgement of the Divines of Great Brittain upon the second Article they were briefer then upon the first Article they left the received distinction of sufficientiae and efficacia mortis Christi untouched as likewise they did not touch that received restriction of those places which make Christs suffering general to the world only ad mundum Electorum There were read the judgements of the Palatines of the Hassians of the Helvetians who all did maintain the received distinction to wit that Christ his death was only sufficient for all men not efficient or impetrative and did restrain all the general propositions which are in Scripture to that purpose only ad mundum Electorum concluding that Christ was no wayes expiatio pro peccatis singulorum Sessio 112. 13. Martii There was read publickly the judgement of the Nassovici after them the judgement of the Genevenses both of which defended the received distinction and restriction after were read the judgements of the Bremenses who according to the number of their persons had three several judgements Martinius his judgement was first read who did stand in effect to the tenents of the Remonstrants in the second Article he mainly overthrew the received distinction and restriction and did determine that Christ did truly die for all and every man that he was made a propitiation both for the godly and wicked and that by his death he did impetrate reconciliation with God for them all at the latter end he condemned many things both in the Remonstrants and in the Contra-Remonstrants opinion but more in the Contra-Remonst next D. Isselburgius the second Bremensis his judgement was read who was directly against Martinius defending both the received distinction and restriction Thirdly was read the judgement of D. Crocius the third Bremensis who propounded a middle way between his two Colleagues granting which we also in our Colledge did that Christ did merit by his death some supernatural things for the wicked as the word preached and all such good graces as are common both to the godly and wicked but nothing belonging to remission of sin or reconciliation with God and so indeed for any thing I could perceive his judgement was directly against that of Martinius and in effect all one with that of Isselburgius Next was read the judgement of the Embdani who were exceeding long and agreed in all things with the Contra-Remonstrants as they do express themselves in the Collat. Hagiensis Sessio 113. eodem die post meridiem D. Isselburgius one of the Bremenses at the President his appointment publickly all auditors being admitted did at very great length prove that God his vindicative justice is natural and necessary unto him and that therefore that satisfaction which Christ made for the sins of the world was simpliciter necessaria proving withal by many arguments the fulness and sufficiency of Christ his satisfaction answering the arguments of Socinus and Vorstius against both the former conclusions Sessio 114. 14. die Martii There was read the judgement of foure of the Belgick Professors subscribed by Polyander Gomarus Thysius Wallaeus and a little beneath was written Ego Sibrandus Lubertus hoc Collegarum meorum judicium per omnia probo next was read Sibrandus his judgement who differed nothing from his colleagues save that he was shorter it was subscribed first by himself and then approved by the subscriptions of the rest of his colleagues all five of them did stand mainly for the above named distinction restriction Next was read the judgement of the Geldri who were too too rigid in many things next them the judgement of the South Hollandi next them the judgement of the North Hollandi who had many things which we thought not only to be rigid but false all these three Colledges at great length disputed for the received distinction and restriction Sessio 115. eodem die post meridiem There were read the judgements first of the Zelandi next of the Ultrajectini next of the Frisii next of the Transiâ—â—sulani next of the Groninganii and Omlandii all of them stood for the same distinction and restriction Sessio 116. 15. die Martii There were read the judgements first of the Drevtani who delivered many false and absurd propositions next of the Gallobelgici who were moderate enough both of them did maintain the former distinction and restriction and so was ended the reading of all Collegial judgements upon the second Article in which their was not altogether so uniform a consent both in regard of phrases and forms of speaking and iâ—â— regard of some propositions as was in the first Article yet certainly there was very great more then could well have been expected from so great a number of learned
learning which the world teaches it were almost a miracle to finde a man constant to his own tenents For not to doubt in things in which we are conversant is either by reason of excellency and serenity of understanding throughly apprehending the main principles on which all things are grounded together with the discrying of the several passages from them unto particular conclusions and the diverticles and blind by-paths which Sophistry and deceit are wont to tread and such a man can nature never yield or else it is through a senseless stupidity like unto that in the common sort of men who conversing among the creatures and beholding the course of heaven and the heavenly host yet never attend them neither ever sinks it into their heads to marvel or question these things so full of doubt and difficulty Even such a one is he that learns Theology in the School of nature if he seem to participate of any setledness or composedness of conscience Either it never comes into his head to doubt of any of those things with which the world hath inured him or if it doth it is to no great purpose he may smother and strangle he can never resolve his doubt The reason of which is this It lies not in the worlds power to give in this case a text of sufficient authority to compose and fix the thoughts of a soul that is dispos'd to doubt But this great inconvenience which held the world in uncertainty by the providence of God is prevented in the Church For unto it is left a certain undoubted and sufficient authority able to exalt every valley and lay low every hill to smooth all rubs and make our way so open and passable that little enquiry serves So that as it were a wonder in the school of nature to finde one setled and resolved so might it seem a marvel that in the Church any man is unstable unresolved Yet notwithstanding even here is the unstable man found too and to his charge the Apostle lays this sin of wresting of Scripture For since that it is confest at all hands that the sense and meaning of Scripture is the rule and ground of our Christian tenents whensoever we alter them we must needs give a new sense unto the word of God So that the man that is unstable in his religion can never be free from violating of Scripture The especial cause of this levity and flitting disposition in the common and ordinary sort of men is their disability to discern of the strength of such reasons as may be framed against them For which cause they usually start and many times falls away upon every objection that is made In which too sudden entertainment of objections they resemble the state of those who are lately recovered out of some long sickness qui et si reliquias effugerint suspicionibus tamen inquietantur omnem câ—â—lorem corporis sui calumniantur Who never more wrong themselves then by suspecting every alteration of their temper and being affrighted at every little passion of heat as if it were an ague-fit To bring these men therefore unto an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to purchase them a setledness of minde that temper that St. Austine doth require in him that reads his book tales meorum Scriptorem velim judices qui responsionem non semper desiderent quum his quae leguntur audierint aliquid contradici the same temper must be found in every reader of Scripture he must not be at a stand and require an answer to every objection that is made against them For as the Philosopher tells us that mad and fantastical men are very apprehensive of all outward accidents because their soul is inwardly empty and unfurnished of any thing of worth which might hold the inward attention of their mindes so when we are so easily dord and amated with every Sophisme it is a certain argument of great defect of inward furniture and worth which should as it were ballance the minde and keep it upright against all outward occurrents whatsoever And be it that many times the means to open such doubts be not at hand yet as S. Austine sometime spake unto his Scholler Licentius concerning such advice and counsel as he had given him Nolo te causas rationesque rimari quae etiamsi reddi possint sidei tamen qua mihi credis non eas debeo so much more must we thus resolve of those lessons which God teacheth us the reasons and grounds of them though they might be given yet it fits not that credit and trust which we owe him once to search into or call in question And so I come to the third general part the danger of wresting of Scripture in the last words unto their own damnation The reward of every sin is death As the worm eats out the heart of the plant that bred it so whatsoever is done amiss naturally works no other end but destruction of him that doth it As this is true in general so is it as true that when the Scripture doth precisely note out unto us some sin and threatens death unto it it is commonly an argument that there is more then ordinary that there is some especial sin which shall draw with it some especial punishment This sin of wresting of Scripture in the eye of some of the ancients seemed so ougly that they have ranged it in the same rank with the sin against the holy Ghost And therefore have they pronounced it a sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 greater then can be pardoned For the most part of other sins are sins of infirmity or simplicity but this is a sin of wit and strength The man that doth it doth it with a high hand he knows and sees and resolves upon it Again Scripture is the voice of God and it is confest by all that the sense is Scripture rather then the words It cannot therefore be avoided but he that wilfully strives to fasten some sense of his own upon it other then the very nature of the place will bear must needs take upon him the Person of God and become a new inditer of Scripture and all that applaud and give consent unto any such in effect cry the same that the people did to Herod the voice of God and not of man If he then that abases the Princes coin deserves to die what is his desert that instead of the tried silver of Gods word stamps the name and Character of God upon Nehushtan upon base brazen stuff of his own Thirdly No Scripture is of private interpretation saith the Apostle There can therefore be but two certain and infallible interpreters of Scripture either it self or the holy Ghost the Author of it It self doth then expound it self when the words and circumstances do sound unto us the prime and natural and principal sense But when the place is obscure involved and intricate or when there is contained some secret and hidden mystery beyond
dispute of that for from this that they have already unadvisedly entred into these battels are they become that which they are Let us leave them therefore as a sufficient example and instance of the danger of intempestive and immodest medling in Sacred disputes I see it may be well expected that I should according to my promise adde instruction for the publick Magistrate and show how far this precept in receiving the weak concerns him I must confess I intended and promised so to do butâ—â— I cannot conceive of it as a thing befitting me to step out of my study and give rules for government to Common-wealths a thing befitting men of greater experience to do Wherefore I hope you will pardon me if I keep not that promise which I shall with less offence break then observe And this I rather do because I suppose this precept to concern us especially if not only as private men and that in case of publick proceeding there is scarce room for it Private men may pass over offences at their pleasure and may be in not doing it they do worse but thus to do lies not in the power of the Magistrate who goes by laws prescribing him what he is to do Princes and men in authority do many times much abuse themselves by affecting a reputation of clemency in pardoning wrongs done to other men and giving protection to sundry offenders against those who have just cause to proceed against them It is mercy to pardon wrong done against our selves but to denie the course of Justice to him that calls for it and to protect offenders may peradventure be some inconsiderate pity but mercy it cannot be All therefore that I will presume to advise the Magistrate is A general inclinablenesse to merciful proceeding And so I conclude wishing unto them who plentifully fowe mercy plentifully to Reap it at the hand of God with an hundred fold encrease and that blessing from God the Father of mercies may be upon them all as on the sons of mercy as many as are the sands on the Sea-shore in multitude The same God grant that the words which we have heard this day c. A Sermon Preached on Easter-day at Eaton Colledge Luke 16. 25. Son remember that thou in thy life time received'st thy good things I Have heard a Proverb to this sound He that hath a debt to pay at Easter thinks the Lent but short How short this Lent hath seemed to me who stand indebted unto you for the remainder of my meditations upon these words is no mater of consequence to you peradventure it may have seemed so long that what you lately heard at Shrovetide now at Easter you may with pardon have forgotten I will therefore recal into your memories so much of my former Meditations as may serve to open unto me a convenient way to pursue the rest of those lessons which then when I last spake unto you the time and your patience would not permit me to finish But ere I do this I will take leave a little to fit my Text unto this time of Solemnity This time you know calls for a discourse concerning the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ of this you hear no sound in the words which I have read and therefore you conclude it a Text unbefitting the day Indeed if you take the Resurrection for that glorious act of his Omnipotency by which through the power of his eternal Spirit he redeems himself from the hand of the grave and triumphs over death and hell you shall in these words find nothing pertinent But if you take this Resurrection for that act by which through the power of saving grace Christ the Son of righteousnes rises in our hearts raises us from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness here in these words you may perchance finde a notable branch of it For to raise our thoughts from this earth and clay and from things beneath and such are those which here Abraham calls the good things of our life and to set them above where Christ sits at the right hand of God this is that practick resurrection which above all concerns us that other of Christ in person in regard of us is but a resurrection in speculation for to him that is dead in sin and trespasses and who places his good in the things of this life Christ is as it were not risen at all to such a one he is still in the grave and under the bands of death But to him that is risen with Christ seeks the good things that are above to him alone is Christ risen To know and believe perfectly the whole story of Christ's Resurrection what were it if we did not practice this Resurrection of our own Cogita non exacturum à te Deum quantum cognóveris sed quantum vixeris God will not reckon with thee how much thou knowest but how well thou hast lived Epictetus that great Philosopher makes this pretty parable should a shepherd saith he call his sheep to account how they had profited would he like of that sheep which brought before him his hay his grass and fodder or rather that sheep which having well digested all these exprest himself in fat in flesh and wooll Beloved you are the flock of Christ and the sheep of his hands should the great Shepherd of the flock call you before him to see how you have profited would he content himself with this that you had well cond your Catechisme that you had diligently read the Gospel and exactly knew the whole story of the resurrection would it not give him better satisfaction to finde Christ's resurrection exprest in yours and as it were digested into flesh and wooll 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To have read Chrysippus his Book this is not virtue To have read the Gospel to have gathered all the circumstances of the resurrection of Christ this is not Christianity to have risen as Christ hath done so to have digested the resurrection of Christ as that we have made it our own this is rightly to understand the Doctrine of the resurrection of Christ. For this cause have I refused to treat this day of that resurrection in the Doctrine of which I know you are perfect and have reflected on that in the knowledge of which I fear you are imperfect which that I might the better do I have made choice to prosecute my former meditations begun when I last spake unto you in this place For so doing I shall open unto you one of the hardest points of your Spiritual resurrection even to raise your thoughts from the things of this life and seat them with Christ above To make my way more fair to this I will take leave to put you in minde in short how I proceeded in the opening of these words when I last spake unto you out of this place You may be pleased to remember that after some instruction drawn from the first word Son
that by a more constant and perpetual Law then that of Sacrifices For the cleansing of other sins by blood is done away the date of it is out but to cleanse blood by blood remains as a Law to our times and so shall unto the worlds end sanguine quaerendi reditus out of blood no way to get but by blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith S. Basil hast thou shed blood wouldst thou be free from the guilt of it Thy best way is to be a Martyr and shed thy blood for Christs sake Now that what I have to say may the better be conceived and lodged up in your memories I will comprehend and order all that I will speak to under three heads First I will in General yet a little further briefly shew how great a sin the sin of blood is Secondly I will speak of the redress of some misorders very frequent in our age which give way to this sin especially private revenge and single combat Thirdly I will touch at the means of taking the guilt of blood away which here the holy Ghost commends to those which are set in authority to that purpose And first of the greatness of the crime and sin of blood Of sins in holy Scripture there be two sorts recorded One sort is a silent dumb and quiet sin God doth as it were seek after it to finde it as the people did after Saul when he was hidden amongst the stuff Of this nature are the ordinary sins of our life which do more easily finde pardon at the hands of God but there is a second sort of sin which is a vocal and a crying sin a sin like that importunate widow in the Gospel that will not suffer the Judge to be quiet till he hath done justice and those are the more heavy and grievouser sins of our lives Of this second sort there are two sins to which the Scripture doth attribute this crying faculty First the sin of Sodom For so God tells Abraham The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is come up before me The second is the sin of which I am now to speak the sin of Blood-shed For so God tells Cain The voice of thy brothers blood cryes unto me from the earth The sin of Adam in Paradise doubtless was a great and hainous sin which hath thus made us all the children of death yet it seems to be but of the rank of mute sins and to have had no voyce to betray it God comes unto Adam convents him examines him as if he had not known it and seems not to believe any such thing was done till himself had confessed it But blood is an unmannerly importunate and clamorous sin God shall not need to come and enquire after it it will come up unto him and cry as the souls do under the altar in the Revelation How long Lord how long Nec patimur iracunda Deum ponere fulmina suffers not God to forget judgement or entertain a thought of mercy To satisfie therefore the cry of this importunate sin and to shew men the grievousness of it the Laws of God and men have wonderfully conspired in the avenging of blood by what means or by what creature soever it were shed Beasts unreasonable creatures though whatsoever they do they cannot be said to sin for whatsoever they do they do by force of that natural instinct by which they are guided and led as by their proper law yet mans blood if they shed it is revenged upon them God himself is the Author of this law Gen. 9. where he tells Noah The blood of your lives I will require at the hands of every beast will I require it And accordingly in the 21. of Exodus he precisely enacts a law De Bove petulco If an Oxe gore a man that he die the Oxe shall be slain and the flesh cast away as an abomination The laws of Natural men who had no knowledge of God come little behinde this yea they may seem to have gone before it in severe revenging of blood for amongst the laws by which Athens that famous city of Greece was governed there was one that if a Wall by chance had fallen down and slain a man as the tower of Siloam did of which we read in the Gospel that then the Judges should sit and formally arraign that wall condemn it and throw the storâ—â—s of it out of the Countrey This so formal proceeding against unreasonable against dull and senseless creatures hath been thus joyntly both by God and man practised only for our example to teach us how precious the life of man ought to be in our eyes and it resembles that action of Christ in the Gospel where for our instruction he curses the barren fig tree Sterilitas nostra in ficu vapulat c. Now as exemplary justice is severely done on these creatures for mans instruction so much more if man himself kept not his hands clean from blood did the laws of God proceed with much strictness and severity for to say nothing of gross malicious and wilful murther if a man only in his haste strook another with a weapon or with a stone so that he died though the striker intended but to hurt yet he was to die for it That he did it in anger that he did it in his drink that he did it provok't that he did it in defence of his honour and reputation none of all these pretenses might excuse him Nay which is yet more God himself propounds the case If saith he a man cleaving wood his axe head flie off and hit his neighbour so that he kills him except he could recover one of the Cities of Refuge he was to die and having recovered a city of refuge if before the death of the high Priest he were taken without the walls of the city he was to die So strickt was God in the case of chance-medly as they call it in a case which he takes unto himself and makes himself the Author of For in the 21. of Exodus speaking of the man that thus sheds blood by chance and unwittingly his words are these If a man lie not in wait sed Deus objecerit manui ejus but God put him into his hands I will appoint him a city of refuge to flie unto In which words God acknowledges that he who thus dies by chance dies by his providence and not by the sin of him that slue him If God saith he shall put him into his hands yet you see what a penalty he layes upon the innocent instrument of such blood shed The blood that is shed in battle and in times of lawful war you all suppose as lawfully shed Yet notwithstanding Moses in the 16. of Numbers gives charge that the souldiers returning from battel should stay a while without the Camp even seven days until they were cleansed Again when David advised with himself about the building of an house unto God he sends him word to lay by all thought of
shed only for fashions sake such as Quintilian spake of nihil facilius lachrimis marescit Nothing sooner grows dry then tears but as the Text saith He wept bitterly to summon up that Siccoculum genus Christianorum a sort of Christians who never had tear dropt from their eye to witness their repentance to teach us to enlarge the measure of our sorrow for our sins and in case of grievous relapse not mince out our repentance but to let loose the rains unto grief And thus I come to handle the parts in order more particularly and first of the person He. Amongst all the Saints of God whose errours are set down in holy Scriptures there is none whose person was more eminent or fall more dangerous then Saint Peters That which wisemen have observed in great and eminent wits that they evermore exceed either they are exceeding good or else they are exceeding bad in Saint Peter was true both ways His gifts of Faith of understanding in the mystery of Godlines of resolution to die in our Saviours cause were wonderful but yet his errours were as many and as strange yea so much the more strange because in that thing he most offended in which he was most eminent It was a great argument of his Faith when in the Tempest meeting our Saviour on the waters he calls out unto him if it be thou command me to come unto thee on the waters but no sooner was he come out of the ship but through infidelity he began to sink Again of his great understanding in the mystery of Christ he gave a notable instance when being questioned by our Saviour whom men took him to be he gave the first evident plain and open testimony that ever was given him by man Thou art Christ the Son of the living God John indeed gave testimony and so did Simeon and so did many more but it was more involv'd done in more covert terms more dark Whence we may and that not without some probability argue that the understanding of these men was not so evidently so fully so perspicuously enlightned as was Peters Signum est intelligentis posse docere It is a great argument that a man doth passing well understand himself when he is able perspicuously and plainly to speak to the understanding of another This confession therefore of Peter that carries with it greater light and perspicuity then any yet that ever was given doth not obscurely intimate that he had a greater measure of illumination then any of his predecessors Yet to see the wonderful dispensation of the holy Ghost scarce was this confession out of his mouth but in the very next bout where our Saviour begins further to enform him in the particulars of his Passion and Death and despiteful handling by the Jews the edge of his conceit was quite turned quite blunted and dull Poor man as if he had been quite ignorant of the end of Christs coming out of a humane conceit and pity he takes upon him to counsel and advise our Saviour Sir favour your self these things shall not come unto you and for this pains he is rewarded with no less reproachful a name then that of Satan of a seducer of a Devil He that shall peruse the story of the Gospel and here stay himself might think that that which we read John the sixth v. 70. spoken of Judas Have I not chosen you twelve and one of you is a Divel were here fulfilled in Peter Last of all his love to Christ and resolution in his quarrel he gave an evident testimony when he protested himself ready to lay down his life for him Greater love then this in the Apostles judgement no man hath then to lay down his life for his friend This Saint Peter had if we may believe himself Yea he began to express some acts of it when in defence of his master he manfully drew his sword and wounded the servant of the high Priest But see how soon the scene is changed This good Champion of our Saviour as a Lyon that is reported to be daunted with the crowing of a Cock is stricken out of countenance and quite amazed with the voyce of a silly Damsel Yea so far is he possest with a spirit of fear that he not only denies but abjures his master and perjures himself committing a sin not far behind the sin of Judas yea treading it hard upon the heels But the mercy of God that leaves not the honour of his servant in the dust of death but is evermore careful to raise us up from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness suffers not this rock this great pillar of his Church to be overthrown He first admonishes him by the crowing of a Cock when that would not serve himself full of careful love and goodness though in the midsts of his enemies forgets his own danger and remembers the danger of his servant Himself was now as a sheep before the shearer dumb and not opening his mouth yet forgets he not that he is that great shepherd of the flock but David like rescues one of his fould from the mouth of the Lion and from the paw of the Bear He turns about and looks upon him saith the Text he cries louder unto him with his look then the cock could with his voice Of all the members in the body the eye is the most moveing part that oft-times is spoken in a look which by no force of speech could have been uttered this look of Christ did so warm Peter almost frozen dead with fear that it made him well-near melt into tears As if he had cried out with the spouse Cant. 6. O turn away thine eyes for they have overcome me he grows impatient of his looks and seeks for a place to weep what a look was this think you Saint Jerome discoursing with himself what might be the cause that many of the Disciples when they were called by our Saviour presently without further consultation arose and followed him thinks it not improbable that there did appear some Glory and Majesty in his Countenance which made them believe he was more than a Man that thus bespake them whatsoever then appear'd in his Looks doubtless in this Look of his was seen some Soveraign power of his Diety that could so speedily recover a man thus almost desperately gone a man that had one foot in hell whom one step more had irrecoverably cast away It was this Look of Christ that restored Peter Quos respicit Jesus plorant delictum saith Saint Ambrose those weep for their sins whom Jesus looks upon Negavit primo Petrus non flevit quia non respexerat Dominus Negavit secundo non flevit quia adhuc non respexerat Dominus Negavit tertio respexit Jesus ille amarissimè flevit Peter denies him once and repents not for Jesus look't not back upon him he denies him the second time and yet he weeps not for yet the Lord look't not back
He denies him the third time and Jesus looks upon him and then he weeps bitterly Before I come to make use of this it shall not be altogether impertinent to say something unto some queries that here arise concerning the condition of Peter and in him of all the Elect of God whilst they are in state of sin unrepented of for as for Peters faith which some makes doubt of there can as I conceive no question be made It is not to be thought that Peter had rever'st with himself the confession that he had formerly made of Christ or that he thought doubtless I have er'd this is not the person whom I took him to be Indeed through fear and cowardize he durst not confess that with his mouth unto salvation which in his heart he believed unto righteousnes Any thing further then this that speech of our Saviour takes away wherein he tells him before hand I have pray'd that thy faith might not fail But since our Age hath had experience of some who because the Election of God standeth sure and Christs sheep none can take out of his hands conclude therefore that for the Elect of God there is no falling from Grace that to David Peter no ill could happen no though for so they have given it out that they had died in the very act of their sin To meet with such disputants I will briefly lay down what I conceive is to be thought in the point Wherefore parate fauces pani as Saint Barnard speaks Hitherto I have given you milk provide your stomacks now for harder meat and such as befits strong men in Christ. Peter and Judas for I will couple them both together in my discourse whilst they are both joyned together in sin Peter I say and Judas in regard of their own persons were both more or less in the same case both fallen from Grace both in state of sin and damnation till the Repentance of Peter altered the case on his part But the Grace of God signified two things either the purpose of Gods Election the Grace and Favour Inherent in the Person of God which he still casts upon those that are his notwithstanding their manifold backslidings or else it signifies the habit of sanctifying qualities Inherent in the Regenerat Man those good Graces of God by which he walks holy and unblameable Again the state of damnation signifies likewise two things either the purpose of Gods reprobation or else the habit of damnable qualities in the sinful man from the state of Grace as it signifies the purpose of God to save the Elect can never fall In the state of damnation as it signifies something inherent in us every man by nature is and the elect of God even after their Calling many times fall into it that is they may and do many times fall into those sins yea for a time continue in them too David did so for a whole years space which except they be done a way by repentance inevitably bring forth eternal death for the state of mortal sin unrepented of is truly and indeed the state of death yea the whole and sole reason of the condemnation of every one that perishes for Christ hath said it except ye repent ye shall all perish So then you see that into the state of damnation as it signifieth something inherent in us a man may fall and yet not fall from the state of grace as it signifies Gods purpose of election for both these are compatible for a time if then we look upon the persons of Peter and Judas both of them are in the state of mortal sin unrepented of and therefore both in state of damnation but if we look back unto God we shall see a hand reacht out unto Peter pulling him back as he is now running down the hill which hand we do not see reacht out unto Judas Christ had a look in store for Peter which if it had pleased him to have lent unto Judas Judas would have done that which Peter did When then we pronounce Peter and in him any of the elect of God as they are in Peters case to be fallen from grace we speak not with relation to any purpose of God but we mean only that they have not that measure of Sanctification which ought to be in every childe which shall be an heir to life and what hinders to pronounce that man fallen from grace whom we must needs acknowledge to be in that state in which if he continue there is no way open but to death What then may some man say had Peter lost the spirit of adoption Had he not those sanctifying qualities of faith hope charity which are proper to the Saints and are given them by divine inspiration in the moment of their conversion was that immortal seed of the word quite kill'd No verily How then Having all these may he yet be called the childe of death I answer he may and is indeed so for these do not make him that at no time he can be so but that finally he shall not be so for they are not armour of proof to keep out all darts neither do they make our souls invulnerable as the Poets faine the body of Cyenus or Achilles to have been but they are precious balms evermore ready at hand to cure the wound when it is given They are not of force to hinder mortal sin for then every soul in whom they are were pure undefiled neither were it possible that the Elect of God after their conversion should fall but they are of force to work repentance which makes all our wounds remediable He that is mortally sick and dies and he that is likewise mortally sick and through help of restoring physick recovers in this both agree that they are mortally sick notwithstanding the recovery of one party The wound of Peter and of Judas was mortal and in both festred unto death but there was balm in Gilead for Peter for Judas there was none The sting of the fiery Scorpion in the wilderness was deadly and all that looked not on the brazen serpent died The brazen serpent altred not the quality of the Scorpions sting it only hindred the working of the poyson the sting of sin in Peter and in Judas was deadly but he that was lift up on mount Calvary as the brazen serpent was in the wilderness at him did Peter look and live Judas did not look and therefore died How comes it about beloved that God every where in Scripture threatens death without exception to all that repent not if the state of sin unrepented of in whomsoever it is be not indeed the state of death When David was intending to stay in Keilah and suspecting the inhabitants of that city asks of God whether the men of Keilah would deliver him over into the hand of Saul God tells him they would and therefore certainly had he stayed there he had been betrayed unto Saul to urge that Peter because of
as about Moses body so about every faithful person these do contend the one to hazzard the other to deliver Yea but the Devil inspires into us evil thoughts well and cannot good Angels inspire good they are all for any thing appears by the law of their creation equal and shall we think that God did give unto the Devil an inspiring faculty to entangle which he denyed to his good Angels to free us Though good Angels could not inspire good thoughts yet God both can and doth So that for any thing yet appears we have no such cause to stand in fear of the strength of the Devil either inwardly or outwardly Thus have I examined the force of three of our principal enemies I could proceed to examine other particulars of this armie of our adversaries the world the flesh persecutions and the rest and make the like question of them as I have done of these and so conclude as Socrates did to Alcibiades If you have just cause to fear none of these why should you fear them all since that of such as these the whole knot of them consists But I must proceed to search out yet another meaning of this word of doing in my text and that briefly Thirdly therefore we may take this word of doing in its largest sense as if the Apostle had meant literally that indeed a Christian can do all things that he had such a power and command over the creature as that he could do with it what he list In which sense it is likewise true though with some limitation and here is the third degree of our Christian Omnipotency In the former parts the omnipotence of a Christian suffered no restraint it was illimited unconfin'd He is absolutely omnipotent in his patience and can suffer all things he is likewise absolutely omnipotent in battel and can conquer all his enemies But in this third signification his power seems to be streightned for how many things are there which no Christian man can do Yet is he so streightned as that his Omnipotency suffers not We are taught in the Schools though God be omnipotent yet many things may be named which he cannot do he cannot denie himself he cannot lie he cannot sin he cannot die Yet may we not conclude that therefore God is not Omnipotent for therefore is he the more omnipotent because he cannot do these things for ability to do these things is imperfection and weakness but in God we must conceive nothing but what argues perfection and strength In some degree we may apply this unto our selves in things that tend to Christian perfection every christian is omnipotent he cannot raise the dead turn water into wine speak with tongues True but if he could had he for this any further degree of perfection above other Christians Our Saviour seems to denie it For many saith he at that day shall come and say have we not cast out Devils and wrought miracles in thy name and he will answer them away I know you not Beloved our Saviour loves not to sleight any part of Christian perfection yet my meaning is not to deny unto a christian the power of doing miracles for every christian man doth every day greater miracles then yet I have spoken of But beloved in this matter of miracles we do much abuse our selves for why Seems it unto us a greater miracle that our Saviour once turn'd a little water into wine then every year in so many Vine-trees to turn that into wine in the branches which being received at the root was meer water or why was it more wonderfull for him once to feed five thousands with five Loaves then every year to feed the whole world by the strange multiplication of a few seeds cast into the ground After the same manner do we by the dayly actions of christian men For why is it a greater miracle to raise the dead then for every man to raise himself from the death of sin to the life of righteousness Why seems it more miraculous to open the eyes of him that was born blinde then for every one of us to open the eyes of his understanding which by reason of original corruption was born blinde For by the same finger by the same power of God by which the Apostles wrought these miracles doth every christian man do this and without this finger it is as impossible for us to do this as for the Apostles to do the miracles they did without the assistance of the extraordinary power of Christ. So that hitherto in nothing are we found inferiour unto the chief Apostles what if there be some things we cannot do Shall this prejudice our power It is a saying in Quintilian oportet Grammaticum quaedam ignorare It must not impeach the learning of a good Grammarian to be ignorant of some thing for there are many unnecessary quillets and quirks in Grammar of which to purchase the knowledge were but loss of labour and time Beloved in the like manner may we speak of our selves Oportet Christianum quaedam non posse it must not disparage the power of a Christian that he cannot do some things For in regard of the height and excellency of his profession these inferiour things which he cannot do they are nought else but Grammar quirks and to be ambitious to do them were but a nice minute and over-superstitious diligence And yet a christian if he list may challenge this power that he can do all things yea even such things as he cannot do Saint Austine answering a question made unto him why the gift of tongues was ceased in the Church and no man spake with that variety of languages which divers had in the Primitive times wittily tells us that every one may justly claim unto himself that miraculous gift of tongues For since the Church which is the body of Christ of which we are but members is far and wide disperst over the earth and is in sundry nations which use sundry languages every one of us may well be said to speak with divers tongues because in that which is done by the whole or by any part of it every part may claim his share Beloved how much more by this reason may every one of us lay a far directer claim to an absolute power of doing all things even in its largest extent since I say not some inferiour member but Christ who is our head hath this power truly resident in him Howsoever therefore in each member it seems to be but partial yet in our head it is at full and every one of us may assume to our selves this power of doing all things because we are subordinate members unto that head which can do all things but I must leave this and go on to the remainder of my Text. Hitherto I have spoken first of the person I. Secondly of his power can do I should by order of the words proceed in the third place unto the subject or object of this
more state and honour served and therefore more properly is his Kingdome said to be there And this is called his Kingdome of glory The rules and laws and admirable orders of which Kingdome could we come to see and discover it would be with us as it was with the Queen of Saba when she came to visit Solomon of whom the Scripture notes that when she heard his wisdome and had seen the order of his servants the attendance that was given him and the manner of his table There was no more Spirit left in her Beloved Dum Spiritus hos regit artus Whilest this Spirit is in us we cannot possibly come to discern the laws and orders of this Kingdome and therefore I am constrained to be silent Thirdly our Saviour is a King in a sense yet more impropriated For as he took our nature upon him as he came into the world to redeem mankinde and to conquer Hell and death so is there a Kingdome annext unto him A Kingdome the purchase whereof cost him much sweat and blood of which neither Angels nor any other creature are a part only that remnant of mankinde that Ereptus titio That number of blessed Souls which like a brand out of the fire by his death and passion he hath recovered out of the power of sin and all these alone are the subjects of that Kingdome And this is that which is called his Kingdome of Grace and which himself in Scripture every where calls his Church his Spouse his Body his Flock and this is that Kingdome which in this place is spoken of and of which our Saviour tells Pilate That it is not of this world My Kingdome is not of this world Which words at the first reading may seem to savour of a little imperfection for they are nothing else but a Negation or denial Now our Books teach us that a Negative makes nothing known for we know things by discovering not what they are not but what they are yet when we have well examin'd them we shall finde that there could not have been a speech delivered more effectual for the opening the nature of the Church and the discovery of mens errors in that respect For I know no error so common so frequent so hardly to be rooted out so much hindering the knowledg of the true nature of the Church as this that men do take the Church to be like unto the world Tully tells us of a Musician that being asked what the Soul was answered that it was Harmonie et is saith he à principiis artis suae non recescit He knew not how to leave the principles of his own art Again Plato's Schollers had been altogether bred up in Arithmetick and the knowledge of numbers and hence it came that when afterward they diverted their studies to the knowledge of Nature or Moral Philosophy wheresoever they walked they still feined to themselves some what like unto Numbers the world they supposed was fram'd out of numbers Cities and Kingdomes and Common-wealths they thought stood by numbers Number with them was sole principle and creator of every thing Beloved when we come to learn the quality and state of Christs Kingdome it fares much with us as it does with Tullies Musician or Plato's Schollers difficulter à principiis artis nostrae recedimus Hardly can we forsake those principles in which we have been brought up In the world we are born in it we are bred the world is the greatest part of our studie to the true knowledge of God and of Christ still we fancy unto us something of the world It may seem but a light thing that I shall say yet because it seems fitly to open my meaning I will not refrain to speak it Lucian when Priams young son was taken up into heaven brings him in calling for milk and cheese and such countrey cates as he was wont to eat on earth Beloved when we first come to the Table of God to heavenly Manna and Angels food it is much with us as it was with Priams young son when he came first into Heaven we cannot forget the milk and cheese and the gross diet of the world Our Saviour and his blessed Apostles had great and often experience of this error in men when our Saviour preach't to Nicodemus the doctrine of regeneration and new birth how doth he still harp upon a gross conceit of a re-entry to be made into his mothers womb When he preacht unto the Samaritane women concerning the water of life how hardly is she driven from thinking of a material Elementary water such as was in Jacobs well When Simon Magus in the Acts saw that by laying on of hands the Apostles gave the Holy Ghost he offers them money to purchase himself the like power He had been trafficking and merchandizing in the world and saw what authority what a Kingdome money had amongst men he therefore presently conceited coelum venale Deumque that God and Heaven and all would be had for money To teach therefore the young Courtier in the Court of Heaven that he commit no such Solecisms that hereafter he speak the true Language and dialect of God our Saviour sets down this as a principal rule in our Spiritual Grammar That his Court is not of this world Nay beloved not only the young Courtier but many of the old servants in the Court of Christ are stain'd with this error It is storied of Leonides which was School-master to Alexander the great that he infected his non-age with some vices quae robustum quoque jam maximum regem ab illa institutione puerili sunt prosecuta which followed him then when he was at mans estate Beloved the world hath been a long time a School-master unto us and hath stain'd our nonage with some of these spots which appear in us even then when we are strong men in Christ. When our Saviour in the Acts after his Resurrection was discoursing to his Disciples concerning the kingdom of God they presently brake forth into this question Wilt thou now restore the kingdom unto Israel Certainly this question betrays their ignorance their thoughts still ran upon a kingdom like unto the kingdoms of the world notwithstanding they had so long and so often heard our Saviour to the contrary Our Saviour therefore shortly takes them up Non est vestrum your question is nothing to the purpose the kingdom that I have spoken of is another manner of kingdom then you conceive Sixteen hundred years Et quod Excurrit hath the Gospel been preached unto the world is this stain spunged out yet I doubt it whence arise those novel late disputes de notis Ecclesiae of the notes visibility of the Church Is it not from hence that they of Rome take the world the Church to be like Mercury and Sosia in Plautus his comaedies so like one another that one of them must wear a toy in his cap that so the spectators may distinguish them
Synod first to handle of Election and then of Reprobation as much as should seem necessary and for the Churches good and withall charged them to answer roundly and Categorically whether they would proceed according to this order they answered No. Then did the Praeses require them to withdraw and give the Synod leave to advise of this The sum of that which past in the mean time was this That their pretence of Conscience was vain since it was not of any thing which concern'd Faith or good manners but only of order and method in disputing which could not at all concern the Conscience that the Disputation must begin from Election First because the order of Nature so requir'd to deal of the Affirmative before the Negative and again because that all Divines who ever handled this Question did hold the same order and the Holy Ghost in Scripture had taken the same course That they should be assured in the name of the Synod that they should have Liberty to diseusse the question of Predestination throughout That whatsoever they pretended yet the true end of their so hotly urging the question of Reprobation was only to exagitate the Contra-Remonstrants Doctrine and to make way for their own Doctrine in point of Election Iâ—â—dius observed that it had been the Custome of all those who favour'd Pelagianism to trouble the Church with the question of Reprobation D. Gomarus that saw that his Iron was in the fire for I perswade my self that the Remonstrants spleen is chiefly against him began to tell us that Episcopius had falsified the Tenent of Reprobation that no man taught that God absolutely decreed to cast man away without sin but as he did decree the end so he did decree the means that is as he predestinated man to death so he predestinated him to sin the only way to death and so he mended the question as Tinkers mend Kettles and made it worse then it was before In summe the Synod caused a Decree to be penn'd to this purpose That it should be lawful for the Remonstrants to propose their Doubts both in the Question of Election and of Reprobation but for the order in disputation which of the two should come first they should leave that to the Synod who thought it fitter to give then to receive Laws and that whereas they pretended Conscience it was but vain since there was nothing in Scripture against this Command of the Synod nay that it was more agreeable with Conscience to obey then to withstand Then were the Remonstrants called in and after a short admonission better to advise themselves the Decree of the Synod was read unto them And when they began to urge their Conscience the Praeses Poliricus spake to this purpose that there had heretofore been many Decrees made by the Delegates but they had been all neglected he therefore strictly warn'd them that no man should dare to withstand any Decree either of the Magistrate or of the Synod either by open opposing against it or by sullen silence under pain of penalty according to the will of the Lords When Episcopius had said aegerimè ferimus and would have said somewhat more he was enjoyn'd silence and so the Session ended Mr. Praeses telling us that the next Session we should come to the question si per Remonstrantes liceret Now concerning Monsieur Moulins Proposals of which your Lordship requir'd to know what I thought I will deliver my self in my next Letters to your Honour In the mean time commending your Honour to Gods good protection I humbly take my leave Dort this 17 27. of Decemb. 1618. Your Honours Chaplain and bounden in all Duty Jo. Hales Right Honourable my very good Lord UPon Friday 18 2â—â— of Decemb. in the morning it was long ere the Synod met At length being come together there were read the two Decrees one of the States another of the Synod made the former Session the reason of the repeating was the absence of some the day before Then did the Praeses signify that that very morning immediately before the time of the Synod he had received from the Remonstrants Letters satis prolixâ—â—s which concern'd himself and the whole Synod the perusal of which Letters was the cause of his long stay The Letters were sent to the Secular Delegates to know whether or no they would have them read Whilst the Seculars were advising of this point there were brought in a great heap of the Remonstrants Books and laid upon the Table before the Praeses for what end it will appear by and by The Secular Delegates signifie that they think not fit that the Letters should be publickly read and that the Remonstrants should immediately be call'd in They being entred the Praeses askt them whether they were ready to obey the Orders set down by the States and the Synod They require to have their Letters read but the Seculars willed them instead of reading their Letters to hearken to a Decree of the States and forthwith was read a Decree sounding to this purpose that the States strictly commanded that nothing should be read or spoken in the Synod in prejudice of the Decree made yesterday but that they should without any further delay come to the business in hand The Remonstrants reply that except they may most freely propose their mindes in both the parts of Predestination both Election and Reprobation they refused to go further in Conference for that their Conscience would not permit them The Praeses replyed that for Liberty of proposal of their opinions they could not complain for the Synod had given them Libertatem Christianam aequam justam but such an absolute Liberty as they seemed to require of going as far as they list of oppugning before the Synod what opinions they pleased of learned men this they thought unfit And as for Conscience they knew that the Word of God was the rule of it Now what part of Scripture had they that favoured them in this behalf or that did take any order and prescribe a Method in Disputation By thus stiffely urging their Conscience they did exceedingly wrong the Decrees of the States and Synod as if by them something against the Word of God some impiety were commanded When the Praeses had thus said he began to propose unto them certain Interrogatories concerning the Five Articles Your Honour may be pleased to call to minde that in one of my former Letters I shewed that because the Remonstrants had given up their opinions very perplexedly and imperfectly the Synod had thought good that the Praeses should propose them certain questions out of their own Writings so the better to wrest their meaning from them This was the Praeses now beginning to do and this was the cause of the bringing in of the Books The Interrogatory proposed was this Whether or no they did acknowledge that the Articles exhibited in the Hague Conference did contein their opinions Episcopius stept up and required that it might