as in inflicting the deserued punishment vpon offenders so is the iustice of God whereby he administâ—eth the Kingdome or Common-wealth of the world of two sortes the one in Paenâ the other in Praemio the one in due punishment the other in meete rewards For the first kind the lawes which concerne the punishing of sin are not many for they are but one giuen to all mankind in the person of Adam Gen. 2. 17. In the day that thou shalt eate thou shalt die And Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sin is death The which is the onely punishment yet diuersly inflicted according to the diuersitie of sins appointed for al sins and offences committed against God as well for the least as for the greatest This death beginneth with our life during y â— which God layeth vpon the sinner many euilles and miseries all which are forerunners of that eternall death and miserie which abideth in the world to come And that meÌ„ shuld know and acknowledge that these temporal euilles come from God as punishments of their sinnes hee doth vsually punish them in the same kind wherein they haue sinned that so the likenesse which the punishment hath vnto the sinne may shew it to bee the sonne of that father and the frute of that tree Gen. 2 17. Because thou hast eaten of the forbidden frute thou shalt all the dayes of thy life eate in toile and in the sweat of thy browes And Gen. 20. 8. The Lord had shut vp all the wombes in the house of Abimelec because of Sarah Abrahams wife And Iud. 1. 7. And Adombezek said seuentie Kings hauing the thumbes of their hands and of their feete cut off gathered vnder my table as I haue done so God hath rewarded me And 1. Cor. 1. 21. After that the world wold not by the wisedome of God knowe God it pleased God as a iust punishment by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue the beleeuers All which actions of God as wel in his temporal as in eternal punishmeÌ„ts we are not to doubt but that they are squared according to y t rules of iustice from the which it is impossible that God would swarue Gent. It were impietie to thinke and blasphemie to speake the contrarie and yet to tel you plainly I haue been more troubled with doubts about this point of Gods iustice then in any other and but for troubling and hindering you in your course I would declare them vnto you in hope to bee more fully resolued in this Sch. You shall not hinder but further mee I will willingly doo my best to satisfie you Gent. I haue often thought vpon occasion of heating this doctrine that the punishment due vnto the least sinne is by the iustice of god eternal death that some Atheists might say of Gods lawes as it was saide of Dracos laws giueÌ„ to the Athenians y t they were written with blood wold accuse God of crueltie for infflicting so great or rather so endles and infinite a punishmen vpon small sinnes yea vpon those which may be doubted whither they be sins or no as namely to let passe the inward thoughts and desires the which although they bee actuall yet they are in the lowest degree of act that can bee originall sinne in infants the which is eyther alienum another mans and therefore not iustly imputed to theÌ„ or if you take it as it is inherent in themselues it is but an inclination to sinne not sinne indeed and in act Besides how should wee thinke that so greeuous a punishment as is eternall death can without extreame rigor bee inflicted vpon many thousands of men that did neuer heare tell of god or of his word eyther in the lawe or in the gospell as are those poore Indians which haue in this last age beene discouered whom in all reason ineuitable ignorance should excuse howsoeuer wilfull ignorance bee made damnable These doubts and diuers other wherewith I will not trouble you haue often runne in my minde yet I doubt not but that God is iust in all actions or rather I doubt whither God can bee said to be vuiust whatsoeuer hee doth to his creatures yea though he should inflict extreame punishment vpon the most righteous man in the world for hee hath absolute power ouer theÌ„ all as the potter hath of his claye to dispose of it as hee list himselfe and wee know that it is lawfull for a man to do to his owne what he will Sch. I am not of your opinion or rather that opinion which you name that it were not iniustice in God to punish a righteous man altogither voy de of sin for not to alleadge the promise and couenant of life which god hath made to man beeing righteous but to suppose that God had not bound himselfe by any such promise the absolute power of God ouer his creatures will indeed bee a warrant vnto him not onely to dispose of them according to his own pleasure but euen to consume theÌ„ al to naught as in the beginning he made them all of naught but yet not to inflict extream punishments where there is no sinne for so God should doo that which is contrarie to his owne nature the which doth necessarely incline it selfe towards the goodnesse of the creature by doing to it not euill but good and therefore hee should doo euill and that which is vniust or rather hee should do that which it is impossible for him to do But as touching your obiectioÌ„s against the iustice of God I answere that wee must not thinke sinnes committed against God to be so small as they seeme in themselues and when they are committed against men for the greatnesse of the maiestie of god makeâ—h the least sinne to bee most hainous euen as wee knowe that the least indecent behauiour towards a Prince is thought woorthie to bee punished with death and not onely outward actuall rebellioÌ„s but also the very thoghts and purposes of the mind tending to treason are accounted most hainous crimes yea so hainous as for them not onely the offendant himselfe but also all his posteritie for euer are thought worthie to be depriued of all those dignities and commodities whatsoeuer they did enioy by the liberalitie of the Prince or yet within his dominions Yet wee need not say that God doth punish infants for Adams sinne for they haue in themselues sufficient matter of damnation their whole nature being actually corrupted in respect of y â— image of God for the which cause it is woorthely loathed and abhorred of God As for the infidels which haue not the word of God whereby to learne and know God you may remember how the Apostle Rom. 1. in the latter part or half of the chapter doth plainly prooue that they do wilfully sinne against the light of nature shining in the creatures yea that they do obstinately contemne god whom they might learn out of the creatutes to be most maiesticall woorthie to whom all obedience honor and
thankfulnes should be performed And lastly I say that as none in this world can charge God with crueltie so in the world to come the wicked themselues shal coÌ„fesse al their punishments to be most iust Gent. What say you theÌ„ to theÌ„ that accuse god of iniustice in respect of his partial dealing with men in that he reiecteth and condemneth some to eternall death and yet electeth and spareth others who are euery way as sinfull and as vnworthie of fauour Sch. I am sure you will not call that Prince partiall or vniust that sheweth fauor and giueth life to some malefactors for a testimonie of his goodnesse and clemencie although hee suffer others to bee put to death for the same offence no more is God vniust in sauing some from eternall death the which the rest are to suffer and which all of vs do most iustly deserue Yea if we do consider the maner and the meanes by the which God doth saue these his elect from the death which they deserue we shall bee farre ynough off from imagining any partiall dealing in him For howsoeuer hee did fully determine and most earnestly desire to saue some from eternall death yet his iustice would not in any case suffer that to be done vnlesse and vntill the death and punishment due vnto their sinnes were fully suffered by some other in their behalfe Wherof it came that no creature beeing able to sustaine it God himselfe was faine to do it and so did debase himself to a shamefull death the which what was it else but the confusion of all things that God should lay aside his glorie maiestie to suffer shame ignon inie and yet al this hee did because his infinit iustice would admit no partiall dealing Yea so great is the iustice of God that it cannot bee peruerted by that most tender loue which he beareth to his elect beeing now both redeemed by the death of Christ also sanctified by his own spirit but that hee doth still lay vpon them grecuous punishments for those sins whereby they do displease and dishonour him 1. Pet. 4. 17. The time is come that iudgement shall beginne at the house of God and if it do beginne with vs where shall the wicked appeare that is he will be farre lesse partiall and more seuere with them For sin is as seed cast into the ground which multiplyeth it selfe and commeth foorth with aduantage to the sower yea although hee bee otherwise a godly and iust man Thus God dealt with Dauid a man according to his owne heart repaying him the iniuries done to Vriah from whom hee tooke both his wife and also his life in full yea in ouerrunning measure making his owne son to take from him his wiues crown kingdome children and well nigh his life also Yea this aduantage or ouerplus which Dauid receiued at the hands of Godbesides the principal is noted 2. Sam. 12. 12. Thou diddest sinne secretly but I will pay the before all Israell euen in the face of the sunne Gent. Doo you call this iustice or is it not rather iniustice to make the faithfull beare in their own persons the punishment of their sinnes which Christ hath already borne to the full Sch. It is without question that God bringeth euen vpon the godly for those sinnes whereby they dishonour him most bitter and fearefull euils yea as I haue heard that a godly man vseth to say that God neuer suffereth any great sinne committed by any of them to scape vnpunished and that not only for their chastisement and amendement which is the vsuall end of their afflictions but also euen for this end to make them testimonies and examples of his seueritie iustice and vnpartiall dealing for hee doth often punish them in their posteritie after their death as he did Eli his negligence in not correcting the misdemeanor of his sonnes the idolatrie of Salomon by taking away ten of the twelue tribes from his successours Yet there is a difference betwixt their suffering and the suffering of Christ who did suffer for this end to satisfie Gods iustice for the sins of the elect the which they cannot do either in whole or in part for if they were put to satisfie Gods iustice but for the least of their sinnes they should suffer not onely temporally but also eternally and so should perish but Christ onely suffereth for the satisfaction and they for the declaration of Gods iustice Sect. 3. BVt wee may not stay any longer in this part of his iustice wee must now briefly consider the other to wit the remuner atiue iustice by the which hee rewardeth the goodnesse of his reasonable creatures Gent. You need not be long in this point for I thinke there is small vse of it not but that God is most bountifull in rewarding those that do deserue but for that none except the Angels doo or can deserue any reward at the hands of god for their obedience and good being imperfect and polluted with sinne are so farre from deseruing rewardes that they cannot possibly stand before the seate of Gods iustice and iudgement but are reiected as silthie menstruous clouâ—es as the scripture speaketh Sch. You say true that according to the strickt rigor of Gods law and iustice our best works are so far from deseruing reward that they deserue eternall death But there is a time and vse as for the rigor so also â—or the mitigation of Gods iustice in the which it pleaseth God of his mercie and goodnesse to passe ouer ouer see the imperfections and sinfulnesse of mans obedience and workes and both to promise in word to performe in deed competent rewards as he seeth most meete and that not onely to the godly but euen to the wicked For the first the retribution of good to the godly hath place both in this life and also in the life to come Not that God doth alwaies reward the godly with teÌ„porall benefits for that is not alwaies good for them for their eternall saluation in respect whereof god seeth it often to be needfull that they should liue yea and end their daies also vnder the crosse in greeuous afflictions yet this temporall retribution is neuer wholly wanting but is found if not at one time yet at another if not in their life time and in their owne persons yet in their graues and in their childers children euen to the thousant generation if not so fully as flesh and blood desire yet so that they may plainly acknowledge the goodnesse rewarding hand of God Thus God promiseth at large Deut. 29. that they which feare and obey him shall euen be compassed about with all maner of blessings that euery thing y â— belongeth vnto them and that they take in hand shall prosper and haue good successe as the Apostle witnesseth 1. Tim. 4. 1. That godlinesse is profitable in all respects hauing the promise both of this life and of the life to come and Christ himselfe Math. 19. 29.
lowe estate from the which one cannot fall then in the highest toppe of flattering Fortunes wheele in the which there is no liklihood that I should continue And this I may be bold to say beeing so well backt with the authoritie of wise Salomon himselfe saying That a dinner of hearbs with quietnesse is better then a stal-fat oxe with feare and trouble Sch. I am of your minde for that that he is vnwise that will aduenture where hee is like to miscarrie or that will accept an offer of all the pleasure and happinesse that can be imagined with a forfaiture of extreame paines and miserie if hee breake such and such conâ—itions which hee knoweth himselfe vnlike to keepe But I pray you were the conditions of mans felicitie so many to bee remembred or so hard to be performed that in respect of the great danger of falling into eternall miserie which was the forfaiture if hee failed you would refuse the fruition of Gods presence in it of eternall happinesse and chuse to be a dead and sencelesse stone which hath neyther the possession of pleasure nor the possibilitie of paine rather then an happy man in so tickle an estate who is so weake or intemperate that would not for a small commoditie aduenture the suffering of a thousand deaths and paines vpon the abstaining from any one kinde of fruite hee hauing plenty besides both for necessitie and also for pleasure Gent. Indeed I must needes confesse that the condition of mans happinesse in the beginning was so easie to be kept that his conditionall estate of happinesse may be accounted as good sure as if it had been absolute without any condition and therefore I will yeeld vnto you that the impossibilitie of happinesse in the vnreasonable creatures was a farre woorse estate then the possibilite of miserie in man the which but that wee see feeâ—e it to be alreadie come to passe might well haue beene accountâ—d impossible Buâ— now to bring you backe againe to the matter in hand from the which I haue made you by my doubting or rather by obiecting those doubtes which came into my minde somewhat to digresse I do easily graunt that no sencelesse thing can bee the subiect of Gods hatred for that they wanting the power of moouing or changing themselues do persist for they could not leaue it in their naturall estate of goodnesse and of the loue of God yet mee thinkes that the brute beastes the which as I noted before you graunt to haue freewill in their kindes are as deep in naughtinesse and peruersenesse of nature and so in the hatred of God as man himselfe For I cannot thinke that they were created so violent rauenous and bloodthirstie as wee see feel them being more like hellish feends then earthly creatures Yea wee read Gen. 9. 5. that God will require the bloud of man at the hands of the beasts which shedde it as we know that in many cases beasts were by the Iudiciall lawe of Moses condemned and put to death Sch. Sometimes you obiect in good earnest as I easily perceiue by you but now I see you sport and dally for I am sure you do not thinke that brute beasts do sinne against God whom they cannot know I doo not think but that rauenous beastes were created with the same weapons both for offence and defence the which now they vse in pursuing their pray and also in the same complexions and conditions which now they haue but man in his innocencie was protected from them not by the tamenesse of their natures but by a maiestie inherent in his person the which was of sufficient force to amaze and controle the vnruliest of them But wee will leaue the brute beasts to their praies come to meÌ„ whoÌ„ this doctrine of gods hatred doth concerne in respect of the sinfulnesse of their natures into the which they haue transformed themselues from that image of Gods holinesse wherein they were created Yet not any measure of euill is sufficient to procure this personall hatred for then God should hate the godly in whom there are reliques of euill as there are in the wicked of good but onely raigning and preuailing euill It is true indeed that God hateth the least sinne that can be coÌ„mitted or imagined yea almost the shew of it and euen the garment spotted with the flesh yet hee hateth not the person in regard of it it beeing suppressed and kept vnder for godlinesse is stronger in them that are sanctified thogh imperfectly hauing ouercome sinne hath wonne the full interest of God and his loue The other thing which you desired to know before you would come to the question it selfe was the manner of Gods hatred the which is two folde inward and outward The sirst is the true maner of it the other is the sencible declaration of the inward is indeed the effect of it as amoÌ„gst men outward harme is asigne and also an effect of inward hatred Now for this inward maner of fauâ—r in God we are not to imagine any boyling affections of anger or any inueâ—erate ill will towards any creature but must know it to be the generall and eternall antipathie and contrarietie of his nature which is absolute puritie goodnesse and holinesse to the pollution and naughtinesse of sinne preuailing in man for as God doth approoue loue and embrace his owne nature as the absolute perfection of goodnesse yea and the very image or likenes of the said goodnesse eyther created or restored in man so he cannot but mislike and abhorre whatsoeuer is contrarie vnto it Then followeth the outward manner which is the effect and declaration of the inward hatred by bringing or doing euill to the person thus polluted with sinne from whom God hauing once turned away his face and fauour it cannot bee but that all maner of euils as it were whole legions of diuels should inuade him as finding him not onely out of Gods protection as a traitor rebell but also by gods iust iudgement appointed to many kinds of most fearfull iudgements Gent. Now I pray you let me aske you a question are we according to Gods example to hate wicked persons or rather if it be vnmeete to make our selues presidents for god to follow is it not most true y e he doth not hate y e wicked but doth rather as he willeth vs to do loue their persons and hate onely the sinnes of men For although our duties do not belong to God yet by that which he commaundeth wee may gather what his nature is for that all his commandements are iust pure and agreeable to his nature Yea to vrge this reason a little further wee haue the expresse commaundement of Christ Math. 5. 44. 45 To loue and to do good to our enemies euen as God doth both to the iust and to the vniust Sch. Wee are not yet come to speake of humane affections yet this I say that by this question you do plainly shewe what