dignity hee ordayneth him and whereunto hée maketh him euen like vnto himselfe The soule of man which is properly man according to that speech in the Scripture Gen. 2.7 1. Cor. 15.45 MaÌ„ was made a liuing soule is the very image of God As God is infinite and knoweth all things so is the soule of maÌ„ made infinite to receaue all knowledge He neuer knoweth so much but is capable to know more Secondly as the will of God is infinite so is the will of man made infinite not tyed to will this or that but whatsoeuer it pleaseth it cannot be constrayned to will any thing Thirdly as God is infinitely good so is the soule of man capable of infinite goodnesse nay it neuer ceaseth vntill it attayneth it Make man a King he is not satisfied but his desire enlargeth it selfe farther Make him a Monarke he is not contented he will desire more Make him Lord of all the world yet is he not contented The reason hereof is because these thinges may bée bettered So that as the natures of the elements are they neuer cease vntill they come to the place of their proper elemeÌ„t The fire neuer ceaseth tending vpward vntill it be aboue the element of the aire nor the aire vntil it be aboue the water nor the water euer ceaseth to fall downward vntill it come to the bottome of the sea nor any part of the earth vntill it come vnto the center of the earth if it were not hindred So the soule of man neuer ceaseth vntill it come vnto God himselfe from whome it came No finite goodnesse can satisfie it but only that wherein there is no defect which only is God himself Fourthly as God is eternal so the naturall desire of the soule is to be eternall in happinesse and to liue euerlastingly Fiftly as God ruleth al the world and euery creature therein and giueth life vnto them and motion so the soule of man giueth life vnto all the body of man and motions vnto euery member thereof and ruleth the whole body according to his wil nay further man according to that authority which God hath giuen him hath authority ouer all the beasts of the field fowles of the ayre fishes of the sea and all earthly creatures to rule vse them at his pleasure as a pettie God on earth Sixtly as God ruleth all the world yet can he not be séene nor comprehended what he is so the soule ruleth the whole body yet can it not be séene nor rightly by humane reason be comprehended what it is Seauenthly as God is in the world but is not contayned in any part of the world so the soule of man is in the body of man but is not contayned in any part of the body as your Aristotle saith but by his reasonable and spiritual faculties discourseth of things far distant from the body he is with a trise discoursing of matters in forraigne countries and in the twinckling of an eye at home againe He is considering on things on earth and in a moment he mounteth vp to heaueÌ„ he is not wearied or payned with the greatnesse of the iourney There he discourseth on spirituall inuisible and diuine matters of the maiesty of God of his infinite wisdome power mercy and iustice of the felicity and eternall happines of the Angels all these the like operations the soule vseth without any ayde of the body Now in all things created there are two things to be considered the essence of the things and their operations There can be no operation of any thing whereof there is no essence no more theÌ„ there can be any accident without a subiect But you sée euen by the opinion of Aristotle that the soule hâ—th peculiar operations vnto himself no way depending on the ayde of the body Therefore the soule is a seuerall substance differing froÌ„ the substance of the body wâ—ose operations are diuine therefore their subiect the soule must néedes bee diuine But how now man what muse you on so stedfastly how do you now like Aristotle Trau I cannot tel what to say to this point it is hard for Aristotle or any humane reason wel to determine what the soule is it is so strange a thing Stud. You say right in diuine spirituall matters therfore you might doe well to beléeue diuine testimonies If you would but reade the Scripture beléeue it your mind would be easilie setled in this point and all others necessary for man to know in it there can be no errour Trau The Scripture no errour in it nay the Scripture was it that first draue me to these opinions For I find in it so many falshoods and vntruthes so many absurdities so many vnreasonable things that he is a sencelesse man that perceaueth it not and a foole that beleeueth it Stud. It is your manner to be confident in your opinion be it neuer so absurd But shew either any vntruth or absurdity or any vnreasonable thing contayned in the Scripture I will be of your opinion that no credit is to be giuen to the Scripture Trau Will you stand to your words Stud. Yes truely Trau Well then I will shewe you diuers playne and euident vntruths God sayd to Adam when he placed him in Paradise in that day that thou eatest of the tree of knowledge of good and euil thou shalt dye the death and in the next chapter following Moses saith that hee did eate of the forbidden fruite and dyed not and saith further in the 5. chapter Vers 5. that Adam liued nine hundred and thirtie yeares If he dyed not that day wherein hee did eate of the forbidden fruite But liued many yeares afterward and begat children Then that is not true that he should dye the same daye that hee should eate of the forbidden fruite If he dyed that day that he did eate of the forbidden fruite Then the other cannot be true that he liued so long and begat children then tell me which of these two are false The second vntruth I take out of the 4. chap. of Genesis When Caine had slaine his brother Abel God saith vnto him for his punishmeÌ„t a vagabond and a runnagate shalt thou be in the earth And yet in the same chapter it is sayd that Kain dwelt in the East side of Eden and builded a Citie If Caine were ahoushoulder and builded a Citie How was hee a vagabound and a runnagate both these cannot be true Tell me which of them is false A third vntruth I gather out of the whole scripture which is this large promises of health wealth and prosperitie vnto those that keepe the law of God And contrariwise many curses against the wicked Yet if the scripture be true they which in the Scripture are renowned for piety and holinesse were most afflicted and the wicked most abounded in prosperitie The like wee see in our dayes true for the most part Now tell mee whether these promises haue beene truely performed or no. A
fourth vntruth I take out of the booke of Iudges Iud. 10.13 where God saith to the Israelites that hee had manye times deliuâ—red them out of the hands of their enemies but when they were once freed then they would forsake him againe and fall to Idolatrie Therefore he gaue them this flat answere wheÌ„ they cryed vnto him in their troble that hee would helpe them no more Yet for all this he did helpe them afterwards How can this agree God would helpe them no more and that God did helpe them againe both cannot bee true Now for absurdities in the scripture this is one especiall Stud. Nay pray before you procéed further let me answere these which you call falshoodes and vntrueths Trau Yea pray answere theÌ„ if you can Stud. Iosephus recordeth that Sedechias King of Israell who had no intent or purpose to obay the will of the Lord Lib. 10. cap. 10. et 11. anti sought rather how is cauill with the words of the Prophets which were sent vnto him then either to knowe or obserue the will of the Lord so that when as Ieremias the Prophet prophesied that he should bée caried away captiue to Babilon except he repented and obayed the will of the Lord And Ezechiell also prophesied that hee should be made captiue vnto the King of Babilon and led away into captiuitie but he should neuer sée Babilon Sedechias comparing the wordes of these twoo Prophets together it séemed to him that there was a contradiction in their prophesies that one prophesying that hee should bée caried away captiue to Babilon the other prophesying that hée neuer should see Babilon Both these could not bee true as hée thought and if either of them were false both of them might be false and therefore he beleeued neither of them but continued still in his wickednes vntill he indéed he was carried away captiue vnto Babilon according to the prophesie of Ieremie but he neuer saw Babilon according to the prophesie of Ezechiell Ieremie 39.7 For the King of Babilon caused his eies to be pulled out of his heade before hee was brought vnto Babilon Such is the iudgement of God against the wicked 2. Pet. 2.19 that they who haue no purpose to obaye the will of God shall not vnderstand the woordes of God yea the word of God which is to others a light in darkenes to guide them the right waie is hidden vnto them nay it is a stuÌ„bling blocke vnto them Ioh. 7.15 if aeny man will do his will saith our Sauiour hee shall knowe of the doctrine whether it be of God or no them onely God teacheâ—h the right way who feare him and intend to keepe and obserue his commandements The true vnderstanding of the word of God is a secret resâ—rued as a peculier thing onely for such Psal 25.12.14 as in sinceretie feare the Lord as the Prophet Dauid saith And therfore when as our Sauiour spake in the presents of the malicious Scribes Pharisies hee spoke in parables for the pearles of God pertaine not vnto Dogs and Swine but he causeth his disciples to vnderstand them in priuate Saying Math. 7.6 cap. 15.26 vnto you it is giuen to know the secrets of the kingdome of heauen but vnto theÌ„ that is to the wicked and malicious it is not giuen I doe not meruaile therefore to see you as a corrupt stomake which turneth euen the best meates into corruption and matter of diseases with sound stomackes you turne into good nutriment so turne that which is most true in it selfe vnto falshood and absurdities being carried away with a preiudicial conceit more willing to cauill with then to vnderstaÌ„d the word of God Now that these are not vntruthes which you haue alleadged I will by the grace of God make most manifest The first with séemeth vnto you to be vntrue is in that God said vnto AdaÌ„ that he should die the same day that he should eate of the forbidden fruit but the Scripture testifieth that he died not the day that he did eate of the forbidden fruit but liued nine huÌ„dred and thirtie yeares afterwardes In these words there is no contradiction or falshood as you imagine that which that you may the better vnderstand you must know that there are thrée sorts of liues and thrée sorts of deathes thrée sorts of liues as first the corporal life which is the coniunction of body and soule in which vnion the soule giueth all vegitable sensible faculties vnto the body his intellectuall and reasonable faculties hee exerciseth without the body Secondly the spirituall life whereby wée liue vnto God when as we being made the temples of the holy Ghost liue a sanctified life vnto the honour of God A third kind of life is that spirituall life which after this life the Saints of God liue in the presence of God in fulnesse of ioy and happinesse Likewise there are three sorts of deathes a corporall death when as the soule departeth from the body leauing neither sence nor motion in the body Secondly there is a spirituall death in this life when as the spirit of God departeth from vs or is not resident in vs without whose presence and ayde we cannot but fall into all kind of wickednes neither can we haue any motions of godlinesse wherein consisteth a spirituall life A third kind of death is after this life when as a man is cast into hell body and soule there euerlastingly to endure torments vnspeakable Now true it is Adam died not the first kinde of death which is the seperation of the body and soule the same day he did eate of the forbidden fruit as it was not meant hée should but he died the second kind of death which is a reiection out of Gods fauour wherin the happie life of man consisteth and that God denounced vnto Adam the second kind of death and not the first S. Ambrose prooueth out of the words of the text God saith not to Adam what day thou eatest of the trée of knowledge of good euill thou shalt die saith S. Ambrose but thou shalt die the death by saying thou shalt die the death hee importeth more then if hee had said thou shalt die For in saying thou shalt die The death he signifieth that he should die the death of all deathes the greatest death of all others euen reiected out of the fauour of God and that he died this kind of death the same day he tasted of the forbidden fruit I néede not stand to prooue sith the thing is manifest so that there is no contradiction in the Scripture in this point but the fault is in your miscoÌ„struing it he died the same day he tasted of the forbidden fruit the second death and the same day also was his bodie made subiect to death which before by the fauour of God was immortall and this mortality of the body was the consequent of the second death To liue is to enioy those things which in
your reasons Tra. First I proue it by plaine testimony of the Scripture and first out of Ezechiel Cap. 18.20 The soule that sinneth the same shall die Againe Ec◠10.19 Salomon saith that The condition of the children of men and the condition of beasts are euen one as the one dieth so the other dieth for all haue one breath and there is no excellencie of man aboue the beasts Now if they both die alike how can it be that the soule of man should liue when man dieth I am sure you will not say that beasts haue soules which liue or haue any kind of beeing after they die Now if you reply that albeit beasts haue not yet the soules of men haue a being after they die then is not that true which Salomon affirmeth That there is no excellencie of man aboue the beast and that they both haue one breath alike which being so why should I either feare torments after this life for liuing ill or expect any rewards for that I haue liued well Now besides these euident testimonies of the Scripture I can also prooue this point by manifest reason and grounds of Philosophy as first Stud. Nay pray let me first answere your testimonies out of the Scripture then propose you humane reasons Trau Be it so Stud. Concerning your first authority out of Ezechiell The soule that shineth shall dye by dying you vnderstand a seasing or leauing off of hauing any further beeing as when a beast dyeth his life ceaseth to haue any further being in which vnderstanding you much mistake the meaning of the words for by dying there is nothing else mēt but that that soule which sinneth shall be reiected out of the fauor of God vnto euerlasting torments which is therefore termed a death because the loue of God is the true life of the soule which loue fauour being separated and taken away from the soule the soule is truely sayd to die Tra. But this answere cannot stand if the words of Salomon be true For he saith plainely that there is no excellencie of man aboue beasts that their breath is all one that they die alike but if man hath a soule which liueth euerlastingly capable of eternall blessednesse then there is an excellency in man far aboue beasts then they die not alike Where if you wil not deny flat scripture and denye the opinion of him who was the wisest man that euer was or euer shal be You must acknowledge that a man dieth like a beast and haue both one end one no better then another Stud. Sir you must consider that comparisons hold not in al things and therefore you must not extend stretch them farther then wherein they are cōpared Salomon in those words speaketh of the condition of mē and beasts according to the outward shew which by our eyes and senses wée can discerne and no farther he extendeth his comparison which words so farre are most true For in respect of their bodies their condition is both alike they both are made of the earth they both continue their naturall life by the benefite of the ayre their breath is in their nostrels as their bodies are made of the earth so they returne to earth againe when they die all their vegetatiue sensitiue faculties doe then end when they die In these things the conditions of man beast are all alike but aboue al these things God hath endued man with an intellectuall spirit a spirituall soule which as it was not made of the earth so it returneth not to the earth when man dieth as his body doth which was made of the earth but being a spirituall substance created of God of no materiall substance is no way subiect to mortality but alway hath his being in a more perfect manner after it is separated from the body Salomon doth not compare beasts with man in this respect For this soule of man is not subiect to the viewe of the eyes of men The soule is not a corporall substance but a spiritual substāce and therefore cannot bee séene with our bodily eyes to sée to be séene is onely proper to corporall bodies composed of elements the soule being not of this kinde it commeth not within the compasse of this cōparison which Salomon maketh betwéene the condition of men and beasts sith his comparison is only in matters visible and herein I confesse they nothing differ Trau Well sir I cannot hinder you from gathering a meaning of Salomons words contrary to their sence Salomon was wise enough to expresse his own meaning He saith plainely that there is no excellencie in man aboue beasts you say the contrary Here you stand not to Scripture and yet you would haue me beleeue Scripture I for my part haue great reason to set by the opinion of Salomon because he was the wisest man that euer was or euer shal be in matters of difficulty wee ought to giue credit to wise men Stud. It is well that now you vrge the authoritie of the Scripture if in shew it séeme any way to fauour your error now you haue reason to beléeue Salomon because he was the wisest man that euer was but if Scripture or wise men be against you you will stand to neither Trau Nay say not so though I yeeld not to the authority of Scripture yet I ascribe much vnto the opinion of wise men Stud. This I doubt you wil deny againe Trau Neuer Stud. Then stand to your words Now I wil shew you euidently by the very words of Salomon that he compareth mā and beast but only in things visible and no further so that it is not my bare coniecture what he meaneth but his own words do sufficiently manifest this to bee his meaning héere take the Bible read the words going next before those you haue alleadged or heare them read Salomon speaking in the verse before of the condition of men saith To see to they are as beasts for the condition of the children of men and the condition of beasts are euen one Now the words going before the testimony you alledge doe manifest wherein hee compareth them Vers 18. Namely To see to and he giueth instance in things visible as dying and breathing and thus farre and herein they are both alike Now to vnderstand a doubtfull text the best way saith Augustine is to consider that which goeth before that which followeth which if you had obserued you would neuer haue alleadged these words of Salomon for your errour Now to put the matter out of all doubt that Salomon acknowledgeth the immortality of the soule heare his words speaking of the death of man what followeth he saith the dust returneth to the earth whence it came Eccles Cap. 12.7 the spirit returneth to God that gaue it Here he speaketh distinctly of the body and soule of man of the body as he affrmed in the wordes which you alleaged that it dyeth and returneth to the
themselues are good pleasant Arist Eth. li. 9. c. 9. But Adam immediatly after his transgression lost those things which in themselues were good and pleasant therefore he died immediately after his transgression Which positiō of Aristotle fitly agréeth with our commō spéech When wée sée a man heauie and dumpish without any courage we say that hee hath no life in him and of men in misery we say such a life is no life Hée dyed therefore the same daye though hee liued in the body many years after If you like not Ambroses interpretation consider what the Scripture saith 2. Pet. 3.8 that a thowsand yeares are as one day with the Lord. But Adam dyed within the compasse of a thowsand yeares therefore hée died the same day a day being taken for a thowsand yeares with the Lord. Now say that Adam neuer died either in body or soule yet you cānot iustly say that there is any falshood in those words of the Scripture which you haue alleadged concerning the punishment of Adam for these words Thou shalt die the death the same day wherein thou shalt eate the forbidden fruit are not a prophesie what should come to passe but a commination annexed to a precept to deterre Adam from breaking the commandement Now you knowe that hee who hath authoritie to make a law and appoint punnishments for the breakers thereof reserueth alwaies a power vnto himself to mitigate those punnishmēts which it plesed him to appoint for the breakers of his law in mittigating whereof he offendeth neither the law nor equity The primary principal intent of good Princes in appointing gréeuous punishments for offenders of their lawes is especiallye to deferre and feare their subiects frō transgressing their comandements They intend not principallie their punishment in those comminations but especially vse them as means to kéep thē in obedience vnto their law wishing rather their obedience then their punishments so the punishments denounced in cōminations are not alwaies intended to be executed vnto the vtmost extremity But so farre forth as they may deferre subiects from breaking the lawes which in dutie they are bound to obserue But sée how Sathan ruleth your malitious heart and tongue if God should in rigor without mercie haue vtterlye destroyed Adam presently vpon his offence both body and soule Then would your clamorous mouth haue béene open to declaime against the rigor of Gods iudgements but now because he vseth mercie in his iudgements there is no truth in his woordes because he treatneth seuerely but dealeth mercifully refrayne your blasphemous tongue least you tast of his iudgmēts without mercy Concerning your second contradiction as you imagine that Kain was a housdweller and built and liued in a Citie and therefore that was not true which God said shold happen vnto him that he shold be a runnagate and a vagabound First the word in the originall which is translated a rūnagate doth as well signifie an vnconstant and variable minded man or a man of a troubled fearefull mind alwaies mistrusting and expecting some euill to happen vnto him and that Kaine was such a one the verie building of his Citie doth argue For before this sentence of God against the hainous sinne of Kaine Kaine nor any else euer fortified themselues with walles or Cities which was an argument that they neuer feared inuasion of men or beasts Secondly that Kaine built a Citie and dwelt in it is a weake argument that hee was no vagbo and for although Moses presently after the sentence of God against Kaine Sheweth where he built a Citie and dwell yet he setteth not down when he built this City Moses briefly setteth downe that which was done after many yeares it was vsual thē that men liued Eight or Nine hundred yeares Now it may be that Kain was a vagabound for the space of Fiue Hundred yeares and after builded this Citie and this is not my méere coniecture but Iosephus recordeth that Kaine wandred into many countries before he built this Citie Thirdlye these words Thou shalt be a vagabond is a iudicial sentence in which sentences alwaies what shall be done vnto the offender is not set downe necessarilye to bee executed but what his offence deserueth As we sée dayly in the execution of malefactors the extremity of the sentence of the Iudge is sieldome performed but in compassion mitigated Trau Well but yet you will not denye but that Kaine builded a Citie Stu. It cannot bee denyed for the plaine words of the text affirmeth it Trau If he did I pray tel me how many Citizens he had what Masons and Carpenters he had If you will beleeue the Scripture there were not then in all the world aboue Fiue or Sixe men Therefore for Kaine to build a Citie seemeth an absurd thing since then there were no people to inhabite it Stud. Hee that hath a desire rather to cauill with the Scripture then to vnderstand it shall for his vnreuerend vsage of it and his infidelity haue this punishment that hee shall neuer vnderstand the Scripture I beléeue the Scripture yet am I not bound to beléeue that there were in all the world but fiue or sixe persons when Kaine built his Citie for the Scripture saith not so neither in any probability was it so The Scripture indéede mentioneth no more but it followeth not thereon that then there were no more Moses onlie briefely nameth those of principall note but that there were then many more it is more thē probable Iosephus recordeth that Kayne built this Citie about his latter dayes as it should séeme by the vsuall time that men then liued when hée was about some seauē or eight hundred yeares of age Now in seauen or eight hundred yeares Kaynes children and his childrens children might very well grow to a very great number sufficient to inhabit a Citie Therefore if you consider the matter dulie you may know that it cannot séeme that Kayne should not build a Citie for want of people to inhabit it as you without probability gather Now concerning your third vntruth which you wold gather out of the Scripture in that God promiseth all manner of blessings spirituall and temporall to those that kéepe his commandements and contrariewise all manner of punishments against those that breake his lawes and yet the Scripture testifieth that they which were most godly suffered most affliction and they which were most wicked especially prospered and enioyed greatest happinesse here on earth as also daylie experience teacheth the same For answer whereof you are to consider that the promises of temporall blessings are promised cōditionally if they kéepe the law but none euer yet kept the lawe Therefore no man can in right chalenge them to be performed vnto them Secondly you are to consider that when the Lord promised the land of Canaan wealth health and worldlie prosperity the land of Canaan nor health wealth and prosperity is properly and principally to be vnderstoode and meant but figuratiuely vnder the
be restored it can be no true repentance but a fayning of repentance and the God remitteth not the sin except restitution be made Only he excepteth that if the goods ill gotten be spent before the time of repentance so that the offendor is not able to make restitution then an vnfayned griefe with a faithfull endeuour to make satisfaction is accepted with God Lib. 4. destinct 14.15.16 Héere could I reckon vp many Fathers to this purpose but because their opinions are for the most part set down in the Master of the Sentences I referre you to read him With these agrée all the best writers Salon in 2. 2. tom q. 62 Pet. de Ar. lib. de err Grec c. 17. Al 's de Cast li. de heres in verb. restitutio Cordub lib. 1. quest 41. as Caluin Brentius Borrhaius Medina Salon Petrus de Aragon and many more To these may bee added the Councell of Turone Trau Let Scripture Councels Fathers Protestants Papists say all what they can they can neuer conclude that of necessity I must make restitution or else be damned Stud. Why what is your reason Trau Because I haue learned this rule that no affirmatiue precept bindeth any man alwaies to performe it Obligat semper sed non ad semper Whereas negatiue precepts bind vs alwaies ad semper As for example I am commanded to giue almes to the poore to pray alwaies yet am I not continually bound to be giuing For it is impossible for any man to haue so much goods as that he may be alwaies giuing Againe I sinne not if I be not alwaies praying For God aloweth mee the night to sleepe and take my rest he aloweth me a time to take my foode and be merry and a time to doe my wordly businesse Now in negatiue precepts it is otherwise I must alwaies obserue them I must neuer kill neuer beare false witnesse neuer commit adultery Now sir that I must make restitution or else my repentāce is no true repentance nor wil be accepted of you bring for profe of it only affirmatiue precepts out of the Scripture on which your Councell of Turone your Fathers your new Diuines both Protestants and Papists ground their opinions The ground of all their opinions being grounded on an affirmatiue precept do not necessarily conclude that which they intend which being so I will hold my Farme I will hold my hold I possesse it by lawe I had rather bee tyed to obserue all the commandements of God besides then this You must pardon mee in this point Stud. It is a strange thing to sée how subtile men are to bring themselues to condemnation and what wiles they can inuent that the word of God shal not take hold on their offences But to answere you It is true indéede that Diuines haue such a rule that affirmatiue precepts bind vs alwaies to obserue them but not at all times And that negatiue preceps doe bind vs alwaies and at all times to obserue them But it pleaseth you to remember no more of the rule then will make for your purpose You will not take notice of that part of the rule which maketh against you For it is added in the rule of affirmatiue preeps that albeit affirmatiue precepts doe not bind you to doe at al times that which is commanded as to pray night and day without ceasing or continually to giue almez without intermission yet doe they necessarily binde vs to obserue them when occasions time and place require them to be done when charity requireth the performance of them Obserue you these conditions of the rule and you shal not offend You haue time and opportunity to restore your vnlawful gotten goods the rule of charity requireth it Therefore you euen by this rule ought to haue restored it before this time And because you séeme to estéeme rules in expounding commandements or precepts it is a generall rule that hée which commandeth or forbiddeth that which is of lesse importance much more commandeth or forbiddeth that which is of greater importance in the same kind As for example in the tenth commandement it is said Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife nor his maide nor his oxe nor his asse nor any thing that is his Surely God who forbiddeth vs to couet these things of our neighbour much more forbiddeth vs in these words the vnlawfull possession of our neighbours goods if we may not couet them much lesse may we haue them if we only couet them in our mindes we only offend God but if we vnlawfully take them we offend God and man Thus you sée that in possessing your Farme vnlawfully gotten you breake both affirmatiue and negatiue precepts For if you may not couet any thing which is your neighbours much lesse haue them then by necessary consequent you ought to restore it againe Trau Tush say I doe not restore it will you conclude me to be a reprobate Stud. No. For God maye giue you a true repentance and mooue you to make restitution Trau Nay say I thus die neuer intending to restore it Wil you conclude that I am dāned if euery one who die in sinne shall be damned thē Christ died in vaine who died for the sinnes of all men this you will not hold Stud. Surely the Scripture teacheth mee that hee which willingly refuseth the meanes of saluation shall neuer obtayne saluation A true repentance is a necessary means to be reconciled to God therefore without it no man can be saued the Scripture is most plaine in this point The Lord saith in Ezechiell Chap. 33.14.15 When I say to the wicked thou shalt die the death if he turne from his sin doe that which is lawfull and right if hee restore the pledge marke what here is required he must restore the pledge to the poore which was willingly deliuered him by the owner and not by wrong taken from him as you got your Farme and giue backe that hee had robbed to got by fraud is a kinde of robbery and the worst kinde and walke in the statutes of life it is not sufficient to abstaine from euill but he must do good he shal liue and not die By these words the Lord sheweth after what manner he will iudge all men that they who truely and vnfainedly repent that is satisfie men for the wrongs done vnto thē as much as in them lieth and hartily desire pardon of God for their offence shall be saued But such as make no satisfaction vnto men for wrongs done vnto them being in their power to do it shall be damned whatsoeuer vaine pretences they make of repentance Vide Caluinū in 3. ad Heb. vers 13. For no true repentance can be without a sincere loue of God No sincere loue of God can be without a readines and a willingnes of mind to obay gods will Math. 5.23.24 Which is first to be reconciled to our brethren and satisfie the wrong done vnto him if we can before we aske
pardon for our sinnes of him If any man flatter himselfe that God will pardon him notwithstanding hee hath not a willing mind and do not his endeauour to be reconciled to his brother and satisfie him for his wrong done vnto him He maketh God a lyar who cannot lye and he shall find but too late that that which he foresheweth he will do and will indéed performe And furthermore marke well after what manner God will iudge all men Vnto the mercifull men god will say I was hungry thirstie naked and in prison ye refreshed me cloathed me ye visited me For in that they did these things to the distressed meÌ„bers of Christ they did it vnto him But vnto the vnmercifull he will say I was hungrie thirstie naked sicke and in prison and you refreshed me not cloathed me nor visited me Heare marke well his iudgement on the vnmercifull men He condemneth them because they gaue not of their owne vnto other men néeding their helpe if he will condemne those who haue lesse sinned much more will he condemne those Vâ—de interpraetes in Luc. 16.25 who haue more gréeuously sinned For his iudgements are iust Now these testimonies which I haue alleaged are prophesies foreshewing in what manner God will iudge all men and all prophesies in the scripture shall as truely be fulfilled as God is true I conclude therefore that he which restoreth not his vnlawfull gotten goods hauing time occasion opportunitie and ability cannot inherite the kingdome of God Trau Why pray did Christ dye in vaine shall all bee condemned who fulfill not the commaundements If they shall I shall haue fellowes ynough to goe to hell with me For you hold that none euer fulfilled the commandements Stu. What a strange question is this to aske whether Christ dyed in vaine I maruaile what you thinke of the death and passion of Christ It should séeme that you thinke that Christ therefore suffered that men might more freelye sin This is to make Christ to approoue sin beware of this errour He suffred to a cleane contrary end that wee being fréed from the bondage of Sathan and the rigor of the law might serue him in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life Luk. 1.74.75 1. Pet. 2.24 and be not deceaued in this point also You must know that the benefite of Christs passion doth not extend it selfe to all kinds of sinners Psalm 103 17.18 Rom. 8.1 Mat. 19.28 But onely to such who doing their endeauour to kéepe the commaundements of God Yet notwithstanding are ouertaken with sinne who stumble and fall into sinne Pro. 24.16 but not willingly lay still in sinne and not vnto those who willingly continue in sinne Nay they who know Christ and his doctrine if they endeauour not to liue according to his doctrine that is endeauour not to liue godlye they are so farre from enioying the benefite of his passion concerning the life to come as that it were better for them neuer to haue known it then after they haue known it 2. Pet. 2.21 to turne from the holy commandement giuen them And vppon this reason our sauiour sayd vnto the man who had béene diseased Eight and thirtie yeares Ioh. 5.14 when he had cured him Behold thou art made cleane sinne no more least a worse thing happen vnto thée Signifying thereby that the more graces we haue receaued of the Lord if we notwithstanding wee haue receaued them continue in our wickednesse shall be guiltie of greater damnation then if we had neuer knowne or receaued his graces So that you may not imagine that Christ came to frée vs from the obseruation of the morall lawe or suffred for the sinnes of men that they might the more fréelye sinne without danger of damnation But if you will beléeue Christ himselfe he requireth in his disciples greater and perfecter obseruation of the morall law then did the Scribes and Pharisies require of the Iewes Mat. 5.17.20 and without all question a serious endeauour to obserue the morall law is so necessary to saluation that without it no man can be saued For albeit repentance and good works be not primary causes of our saluation Yet are they secondary causes and meanes of our saluation Mat. 5.20 Ier. 26.3 Luk. 13.3 and as there is a necessitie of the primary causes to our saluation So also there is a necessitie of the ordinarie meanes to saluation without which no man can bee saued Though indéed I must confesse Act. 3.19 Ioh. 5.29 Arist phis 8. text 5. et Metaph. 5. c. 2. q. 9. secuÌ„d Foâ—se et 8. phis c. 5. et Metaph 12. Vid. Kek. f. 147. tractatu de causis that there is a greater necessitie required of the primarie causes to saluation then of the secondary causes or meanes Because God who is the prymary cause of our saluation is tyed to no secondary meanes But he may and doth saue many without either actuall fayth or repentance after an extraordinarie manner as the children of the faithfull dying before the yeares of discretion But secondary causes haue no force without the ayde of the primary cause No man can haue a true faith or repentance without the operation of the grace of God The wicked may be sory for that they haue done They may beléeue that their sinnes shall be forgiuen But except they haue the spirit of regeneration whereby their persons are first accepted of God and whereby they first loue God such repentance and faith are not accepted of God Tra. You confesse then that God can and doth saue many without actuall faith and actuall repentance that being so it doth not follow that necessarily I am a reprobate though I dye with the intent neuer to restore my Farme againe And surely if there bee a God his mercie is greater then his iustice as you all teach I will relye vpon his mercy if he call mee to iudgement and not on my repentance and good workes I hope to bee saued by that extraordinarie way of sauing whereof you speake in which neither faith nor repentance is required And indeed I now remember you acknowledge that one of the theeues which were crucified with ch ist was saued after this manner Stud. Albeit God saueth many men after an extraordinary manner because he is not tyed to ordinarie meanes Yet he saueth after this manner onely those vnto whome the meanes of ordinary saluation hath not béene reuealed Many both in the time of the old lawe and also since the time of the gospell haue liued where they neuer hard of the doctrine of Moses for some of them liued before the time of Moses and some since the time of the passion of Christ Perkins in his reformed Catholike Point 16. haue liued where the gospel of Christ was neuer preached So that they could not haue that explicitam fidem required in the word of God Hooker lib. 5. sect 22. Luke 11.31.32 Yet God of his goodnesse