prudentiae quò pluribus fluxerit eò exercitius fit omne quod remanet Ambros. 2. Offic. 15. returneth home with encrease §. 31. 3. Of the Receiuer Thirdly our owne vnsufficiencie to all offices and the need we haue of other mens gifts must enforce vs to lend them the helpe and comfort of ours God hath so distributed the varietie of his gifts with singular wisedome that there is no man so meane but his seruice may bee vsefull to the greatest nor any man so eminent but he may sometimes stand need to the meanest of his brethren of purpose that whilest each hath need of other each should helpe none should despise other As in a a Societas nostra lapidum fornicationi simillima est quae casura nisi inuicem obstarent hoc vno sustinetur Senec epist. 95. building the stones helpe one another euery lower stone supporting the higher from falling to the ground and euery higher stone sauing the lower from taking wet and as in the body euerie member b Ephes. 4.16 lendeth some supply to the rest and againe receiueth supply from them so in the spirituall building and mysticall body of the Church God hath so tempered the parts each hauing his vse and each his defects c Hîc Vers. 24.25 that there should be no schisme in the body but that the members should haue the same care one for another Such a consent there should be in the parts as was betweene the d Anthol 1.4 blind and lame man in the Epigram mutually couenanting the Blind to carry the Lame and the Lame to direct the Blind that so the Blind might find his way by the others eyes and the Lame walke therein vpon the others legges When a man is once come to that all-sufficiency in himselfe as he may truly say to the rest of his brethren e Hîc vers 21. I stand no need of you let him then keepe his gifts to himselfe but let him in the meane time remember hee must employ them to the aduantage of his master and to the benefit of his brother The manifestation of the Spirit is giuen to euery man to profit withall Surely then those men first of all §. 32. The first inference run a course strangely exorbitant who instead of employing them to the profit bend those gifts they haue receiued whether spirituall or temporall to the ruine and destruction of their brethren Instead of winning soules to heauen with busie and cursed diligence a Mat. 23.15 compassing Sea and Land to draw Proselytes to the Diuell and instead of raising vp seed to their elder brother Christ seeking to make their brethren if it were possible ten times more the children of hell than themselues Abusing their Power to oppression their wealth to luxurie their strength to drunkennes their wit to Scoffing Atheisme Prophanenesse their learning to the maintenance of Heresie Idolatrie Schisme Noueltie If there be a feareful woe due to those that b Matth. 25.30 intelligatur poena interuersoris ex poena pigri August in Psal. 99. vse not their gifts profitably what woes may wee thinke shall ouertake them that so vngraciously abuse them §. 33. the second But to leaue these wretches be perswaded in the second place all you whom God hath made Stewards ouer his houshold and blessed your basket and your store to a Matth. 13.52 bring forth of your treasures things both new and old manifest the Spirit God hath giuen you so as may be most for the profit of your brethren The Spirit of God when hee gaue you wisdome and knowledge intended not so much the wisedome and the knowledge themselues as the manifestation of them or as it is in the next verse b Hîc vers 8. the Word of Wisdome and the Word of knowledge as Christ also promised his Apostles to giue them c Luk. 21.15 Os sapientiam A Mouth and Wisdome Alas what is Wisedome without a Mouth but as a pot of treasure hid in the ground which no man is the better for d Syrae 20.30 Wisedome that is hid and a treasure that is not seene what profit is in them both O then doe not knit vp your Masters talent in a e Luk. 19.20 Napkin smother not his light vnder a f Matth. 5.15 bushell pinch not his seruants of their due g Luk. 12.42 45. prouision pott not vp the h Exod. 16.20 Manna you haue gathered till it stinke and the wormes consume it but aboue all squander not away your rich portions by riotous liuing Let not either sloath or enuie or pride or pretended modesty or any other thing hinder you from labouring to discharge faithfully that trust and dutie which God expecteth which the necessitie of the Church challengeth which the measure of your gifts promiseth which the condition of your calling exacteth from you Remember the manifestation of the Spirit was giuen you to profit withall Thirdly §. 24. the third since the end of all gifts is to profit aime most at those gifts that will profit most and endeauour so to frame those you haue in the exercise of them as they may be likeliest to bring profit to those that shall partake them a Hîc vers 31. Couet earnestly the best gifts saith my Apostle at the last verse of this Chapter and you haue his Comment vpon that Text in the first verse of the fourteenth Chapter b 1 Cor. 14.1 Couet spirituall gifts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rather that yee may prophecie And by prophecying hee meaneth the c Prophetas interpretes dicit scripturarum Ambros. in 1. Cor. c. 63. Prophetia i.e. donum interpretandi scripturas Piscat schol in 1. Cor. 14.22 Mysticumâ—sensum ad salutem aâ—ditorum explanâ—nte Eâ—asm in paraphr ad 1. Cor. 14. instruction of the Church and people of God in the needfull doctrines of Faith towards God Repentance from dead workes and new and holy Obedience It is one stratageme of the Arch-enemie of mankind and when we know his wiles wee may the better bee able to defeate him by busying men of great and vsefull parts in by-matters and things of lesser consequence to diuert them from following that vnum necessarium that which should bee the maine of all our endeauours the beating downe of sinne the planting of Faith and the reformation of Manners Controuersies I confesse are necessarie the Tongues necessary Histories necessarie Philosophy and the Arts necessarie other knowledge of all sorts necessarie in the Church for truth must be maintained Scripture-phrases opened Heresie confuted the mouthes of Aduersaries stopped Schismes and Nouelties suppressed But when all is done Positiue and Practique Diuinity is it must bring vs to heauen that is it must paise our iudgements settle our consciences direct our liues mortifie our corruptions encrease our graces strengthen our comforts saue our soules Hoc opus hoc studium there is no study to this none so wel
other eight Sermons also now first published as well as to those two That the particular Contents of each Sermon are so placed in the Margent after this note § in the beginning of euery Section or Paragraph that the Reader with running ouer the Margent onely may haue a briefe and summarie abstract of the seuerall Sermons God blesse them all to thy Instruction and Comfort Amen THE FIRST SERMON At a Visitation at Boston Linc. 17. April 1619. ROM 14.3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not iudge him that eateth IT cannot be auoided §. 1. The occasion so long as there is or Weakenesse on earth or Malice in hell but that scandals will arise and differences will grow in the Church of God What through want of Iudgement in some of Ingenuity in others of Charity in almost all occasions God knoweth of offence are too soone both giuen and taken whilest men are apt to quarrell at trifles and to maintaine differences euen about indifferent things The Primitiue Romane Church was not a little afflicted with this disease For the remedying whereof S. Paul spendeth this whole Chapter The Occasion this In Rome there liued in the Apostles times manie Iewes of whom as well as of the Gentiles diuers were conuerted a Acts 28.24 to the Christian Faith by the preaching of the Gospel Now of these new Conuerts some better instructed than others as touching the cessation of legall Ceremonies made no difference of Meats or of Dayes but vsed their lawfull Christian libertie in them both as things in their owne nature meerly indifferent Whereas others not so throughly b De nouo conuersus de lege Catholica minùs sufficienâ—er instructus Lyra. catechized as they still made difference for Conscience sake both of Meats accounting them Cleane or Vncleane and of dayes accounting them holy or seruile according as they stood vnder the Leuiticall Law These later S. Paul calleth c Verse 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weake in the Faith those former then must by the law of Opposition be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.1 §. 2. Scope Strong in the Faith It would haue become both the one sort and the other notwithstanding they differed in their priuat iudgements yet to haue preserued the coÌ„mon peace of the Church and laboured the a 2. Cor. 10.8 edification not the ruine one of another the strong by affoording faithfull instruction to the consciences of the weak and the weake by allowing fauourable construction to the actions of the strong But whilest either measured other by themselues neither one nor other did b Gal 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as our Apostle elsewhere speaketh Walke vprightly according to the truth of the Gospell Faults and offences there were on all hands The Strong faultie in Contemning the Weake the Weake faultie in Condemning the Strong The strong proudly scorned the weake as silly and superstitious for making scruple at some such things as themselues firmely beleeued were lawfull The weake rashly censured the strong as prophane and irreligious for aduenturing on some such things as themselues deeply suspected were vnlawfull The blessed Apostle desirous all things should be done in the Church in loue and c 1. Cor. 14.26 vnto edification d Caietan in locum aequa lance and e Bulling in locum eodem charitatis moderamine as Interpreters speake taketh vpon him to arbitrate and to mediate in the businesse and like a iust vmpire f Iob 9.33 layeth his hand vpon both parties vnpartially sheweth them their seuerall ouersights and beginneth to draw them to a faire and an honourable composition as thus The Strong hee shall remit somewhat of his superciliousnesse in dis-esteeming and despising the Weake and the Weake hee shall abate somewhat of his edge and acrimonie in iudging and condemning the Strong If the parties will stand to this order it will prooue a blessed agreement for so shall brotherly loue be maintained Scandals shall bee remoued the Christian Church shall bee edified and Gods name shall be glorified This is the scope of my Text and of the whole Chapter In the three first Verses wherof there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 §. 3. Coherence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first Verse the Proposall of a generall Doctrine as touching the vsage of weake ones with whom the Church is so to deale as that it neither giue offence to nor take offence at the weakenesse of any Him that is weake in the Faith receiue you but not to doubtfull disputations Next there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the second Verse a Declaration of the former generall proposall by instancing in a particular case touching the difference of Meates There is one man strong in the Faith hee is infallibly resolued there is no meate a Verse 14. vncleane of it selfe or if receiued with thankefulnesse and sobrietie b 1. Cor. 10.23 vnlawfull and because hee knoweth he standeth vpon a sure ground c Vers. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee is confident he may eate any thing and he vseth his libertie accordingly eating indifferently d 1. Cor. 10.27 of all that is set before him making no question for conscience sake One man beleeueth he may eate all things There is another man Weake in the Faith hee standeth yet vnresolued and doubtfull whether some kinds of Meates as namely those forbidden in the Law be cleane or he is rather carried with a strong suspition that they are vncleane out of which timorousnesse of iudgement hee chuseth to forbeare those meates and contenteth himselfe with the fruites of the earth Another who is weake eateth Hearbs This is Species Facti this the Case Now the Question is in this Case what is to bee done for the auoidance of scandall and the maintenance of Christian Charitie And this question my Text resolueth in this third Verse wherein is contained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Pauls iudgement or his counsell rather and aduice vpon the Case Let not him that eateth despise c. The remainder of the Verse and of the Chapter being spent in giuing reasons of the iudgement in this and another like case concerning the difference and obseruation of Dayes I haue made choyce to intreat at this time of Saint Pauls aduice §. 4. and Diuision of the Text. as vsefull for this place and auditorie and the present assembly Which aduice as the Parties and the Faults are is also twofold The Parties two He that eateth that is the Strong and he that eateth not that is the Weake The Faults likewise two The Strong mans fault that 's a Litterally setting at naught so it is translated Luk. 23.11 and the Latine translation which Tertull. followed readeth here fitly to the Greek Qui manducat ne nullificet non manducantem Tertul. de
the spirit as euery other sensible effect is a manifestation of its proper cause §. 9. By spirituall gifts Wee are now yet farther to know that the Gifts and graces wrought in vs by the holy spirit of God are of two sorts The Scriptures sometimes distinguish them by the different termes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although those words are sometimes againe vsed indifferently and promiscuously either for other They are commonly known in the Schooles and differenced by the names of a V. Aquin. 1.2 qu. 111.1 Gratiae gratum facientes and Gratiae gratis datae Which termes though they be not very proper for one of them may be affirmed of the other whereas the members of euery good distinction ought to be opposite yet because they haue beene long receiued and change of termes though happely for the better hath by experience beene found for the most part unhappy in the euent in multiplying vnnecessary booke-quarrels wee may retaine them profitably and without preiudice Those former which they call Gratum facientes are the Graces of sanctification whereby the person that hath them is enabled to doe acceptable seruice to God in the duties of his generall Calling these later which they call Gratis datas are the Graces of edification whereby the person that hath them is enabled to doe profitable seruice to the Church of God in the duties of his particular Calling Those are giuen Nobis Nobis both to vs and for vs that is b Duplex est operatio sancti spiritus operatur enim in nobis aliud propter nos aliud propter proximos Bernard in paruis Serm. 53. chiefly for our owne good these Nobis sed Nostris to vs indeed but for others that is chiefly for the good of our brethren Those are giuen vs geminae operationis experimentum Vnius qua nos primò iâ—tus virtutibus solidat ad salutem alterius qua foris quoque muneribus ornat ad lucrum Illas nobis haec nostris accepimus Bernard in Cant. Serm. 18. ad salutem for the sauing of our owne soules these ad lucrum for the winning of other mens soules Those proceed from the speciall loue of God to the Person and may therefore be called Personall or speciall these proceed from the generall loue of God to his Church or yet more generall to humane societies and may therefore be rather called Ecclesiasticall or Generall Gifts or Graces Of that first sort are Faith Hope Charity Repentance Patience Humility and all those other holy graces and a Gal. 5.22 fruites of the spirit §. 10. What is here not meant which accompany saluation Wrought by the blessed and powerfull operation of the holy Spirit of God after a most effectuall but vnconceiuable manner regenerating and renewing and seasoning and sanctifying the hearts of his Chosen But yet these are not the Gifts so much spoken of in this Chapter and namely in my Text Euery branch whereof excludeth them Of those graces of sanctification first wee may haue indeed probable inducements to perswade vs that they are or are not in this or that man But hypocrisie may make such a semblance that we may thinke wee see spirit in a man in whom yet there is nothing but flesh and infirmities may cast such a fogge that wee can discerne nothing but flesh in a man in whom yet there is spirit But the gifts here spoken of doe incurre into the senses and giue vs euident and infallible assurance of the spirit that wrought them here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifestation of the spirit Againe secondly those Graces of sanctification are not communicated by distribution b 1 Cor. 7.7 Alius sic alius verò sic Faith to one Charity to another Repentance to another but where they are giuen they are giuen all at once and together as it were strung vpon one threed and linked into one chaine But the Gifts here spoken of are distributed as it were by doale and diuided seuerally as it pleased God shared out into seuerall portions and giuen to euery man some to none all for c Vers. 8. to one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge c. Thirdly those Graces of sanctification though they may and ought to bee exercised to the benefit of others who by the d Math. 5.16 shining of our light and the sight of our good workes may be prouoked to glorifie God by walking in the same paths yet that is but vtilitas emergens and not finis proprius a good vse made of them vpon the bye but not the maine proper and direct end of them for which they were chiefly giuen But the Gifts here spoken of were giuen directly for this end and so intended by the giuer to be employed for the benifite of others and for the edifying of the Church they were giuen to profit withall It then remaineth §. 11. and what is to vnderstand this Text and Chapter of that other and later kinde of spirituall Gifts those Graces of Edification or Gratiae gratis datae whereby men are enabled in their seuerall Callings according to the quality and measure of the graces they haue receiued to be profitable members of the publique body either in Church or Common-wealth Vnder which appellation the very first naturall powers and faculties of the soule only excepted which flowing à principijs speciei are in all men the same and alike I comprehend all other secondary endowments and abilities whatsoeuer of the reasonable soule which are capable of the degrees of more and lesse and of better and worse together with all subsidiary helpes any way conducing to the exercise of any of them Whether they be first supernaturall graces giuen by immediate and extraordinary infusion from God such as were the gifts of tongues and of miracles and of healings and of prophecie properly so called and many other like which were frequent in the infancie of the Church and when this Epistle was written according as the necessitie of those primitiue times considered God saw it expedient for his Church Or whether they be secondly such as Philosophers call Naturall dispositions such as are promptnesse of Wit quicknesse of Conceit fastnesse of Memory clearenesse of Vnderstanding soundnesse of Iudgement readinesse of Speech and other like which flow immediately à Principijs indiuidui from the indiuiduall condition constitution and temperature of particular persons Or whether they bee thirdly such as Philosophers call Intellectuall Habits which is when those naturall dispositions are so improued and perfected by Education Art Industry Obseruation or Experience that men become thereby skilfull Linguists subtile Disputers copious Orators profound Diuines powerfull Preachers expert Lawyers Physitians Historians Statesmen Commanders Artisans or excellent in any Science Profession or Faculty whatsoeuer To which we may adde in the fourth place all outward subseruient helpes whatsoeuer which may any way further or
worth the labour as this none that can bring so much profit to others nor therefore so much glory to God nor therefore so much comfort to our owne hearts as this d Tit. 3.8 This is a faithfull saying and these things I will that thou affirme constantly saith Saint Paul to Titus that they which haue beleeued in God might be careful to maintaine good workes these things are good and profitable vnto men You cannot doe more good vnto the Church of God you cannot more profit the people of God by your gifts than by pressing effectually these two great points Faith Good works these are good and profitable vnto men §. 35. The Conclusion I might here adde other inferences from this point as namely since the manifestation of the Spirit is giuen to euery one of vs chiefely for this end that wee may profit the people with it that therefore fourthly in our preaching wee should rather seeke to profit our hearers though perhaps with sharpe and vnwelcome reproofes than to please them by flattering them in euill and that fifthly wee should more desire to bring profit vnto them than to gaine applause vnto our selues and sundry other more besides these But I will neither adde any more nor prosecute these any farther at this time but giue place to other businesse God the Father of Lights and of Spirits endow euery one of vs in our Places and Callings with a competent measure of such Graces as in his wisedome and goodnesse he shall see needefull and expedient for vs and so direct our harts and tongues and endeauours in the exercise and manifestation thereof that by his good blessing vpon our labours wee may bee enabled to aduance his glory propagate his truth benefit his Church discharge a good conscience in the meane time and at the last make our account with comfort at the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ. To whom c. FINIS THREE SERMONS Ad Magistratum BY ROBERT SAVNDERSON Batchellor in Diuinity and sometimes Fellow of Lincolne Colledge in Oxford PSAL. 2.10 Et nunc Reges intelligite erudimini qui judicatis terram LONDON Printed by R.Y. for R. Dawlman at the Signe of the Bible neere the great Conduit in Fleetstreete 1627. To the Right VVorshipfull my much honoured Patron Sir NICHOLAS SAVNDERSON of Filingham Linc. Knight and Baronet SIR HAuing first vpon slow deliberation resolued to publish these three Sermons my next resolution came on more readily to present them to you For which there was no need I should deliberate long the consideration both of the Author and Argument prompting mee thereunto For my selfe first As you haue abundantly witnessed vnto the world your good affection to mee both by sundry other courtesies and especially in being the chiefest meanes vnder the good Prouidence of God by your free collation of a Benefice vpon me of drawing me from the Vniuersitie into these parts where I am now settled so I haue beene euer couetous of some faire opportunity to witnesse vnto the world my thankfull acknowledgement of your kinde fauours whereof for want of better meanes I desire this Dedication maybe some expression And then for the Argument I knew none more fit to Patronage a Theame of Iustice than your selfe whom God hath endowed with strong abilities many wayes of Vnderstanding Affections Courage Elocution Induâ—trie together with outward Meanes and Power in a gracious measure and aboue many of your fellowes in the same office to doe Him and his Annointed and their People good seruice in aduancing the course of publike Iustice in the Countrie where you liue In both which regards as I presume these my meditations concerning Iustice will not come altogether vnwelcome so I am confident that the manner of handling vsed therein in taxing the Abuses with such Freedome as it may be some will not rellish will yet be by so much more acceptable to you by how much more freely your owne heart when you reade of them shall witnesse your owne freedome from them In which confidence with all due respect I commend these Sermons into your hands and with my faithfullest deuotions your selfe and your Religious Lady and whole family into the hands of God who alone is able hath to continue and multiply his blessings vpon you in the meane time and in the end to crowne his owne graces in you with glory Yours in the Lord ROB. SAVNDERSON Booth by Paynell Line 1. Mar. 1626. THE FIRST SERMON At a publike Sessions at Grantham Linc. 11. Iun 1623. IOB 29. VERS 14 15 16 17. 14. I put on righteousnesse and it cloathed mee my judgement was as a robe and diadem 15. I was eyes to the blinde and feet was I to the lame 16. I was a father to the poore and the cause which I knew not I searched out 17. And I brake the jawes of the wicked and plucked the spoyle out of his teeth WHere silence against foule and false imputations may be interpreted a a Si cum mihi furta largitiones obijciuntur ego respendere soleo meis non tà m sâ—m existimandus â—e rebus gestis gloriari quà m de obiectis non confiteri Cic. pro domo sua Confession §. 1. The Occasion there the protestation of a mans owne innocency is euer iust and sometimes b Mihi de memetipso tam multa dicendi necessitas quaedam imposita est ob illo Clâ— pro Syll. necessarie When others doe vs open wrong it is not now Vanity but Charity to doe our selues open right and whatsoeuer appearance of folly or vaine boasting there is in so doing they are chargeable with all that compell vs thereunto and not wee I am become a foole in glorying but yee haue compelled mee 2 Cor. 12.11 It was neither pride nor passion in Iob but such a compulsion as this that made him so often in this booke proclaime his owne righteousnesse Amongst whose many and grieuous afflictions as it is hard to say which was the greatest so we are sure this was not the least that hee was to wrestle with the vniust and bitter vpbraidings of vnreasonable and incompassionate men They came to visit him as friends and as friends they should haue comforted him But sorry friends they were and Iob 16.2 miserable comforters indeed not comforters but tormentours and Accusers rather than Friends Seeing Gods hand heauie vpon him for want of better or other proofe they charge him with Hypocrisie And because they would not seeme to deale all in generalities for against this generall accusation of hypocrisie it was sufficient for him as generally to pleade the truth and vprightnesse of his heart they therefore goe on more particularly but as falsly and as it were by way of instance to charge him with Oppression Thus Eliphaz by name taxeth him Chap. 22.6 c. Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for naught and hast stripped the naked of their cloathing Thou hast not giuen water to
ends and Dauids children c 2 Sam. 13.29 Ammon and d 2 Sam. 18.15 Absalon and the e Num. 16.37.33 little ones of Dathan and Abiram and others Some haue had losses and reproaches and manifold other distresses and afflictions in sundry kindes too long to rehearse And all these temporall iudgements their fathers sinnes might bring vpon them euen as the faith and vertues and other graces of the fathers doe sometimes conueigh temporall blessings to their posterity So Ierusalem was saued in the siege by Sonacherib for f Esay 37.35 Dauids sake many yeares after his death Esay 37.35 And the succession of the Crowne of Israel continued in the line of g 4 King 10.30 Iehu for foure descents for the zeale that hee shewed against the worshippers of Baal and the house of Ahab So then men may fare the better and so they may fare the worse too for the vertues or vices of their Ancestors Outwardly and temporally they may but spiritually and eternally they cannot For as neuer yet any man went to heauen for his fathers goodnesse so neither to hell for his fathers wickednesse §. 13. An Obiection with the first If it be obiected that for any people or person to suffer a a Amos 8.11 famine of the word of God to bee depriued of the vse and benefit of the sacred and sauing ordinances of God to be left in vtter darkenesse without the least glimpse of the glorious light of the Gospell of God without which ordinarily there can be no knowledge of Christ nor meanes of Faith nor possibility of Saluation to be thus visited is more than a temporall punishment and yet this kinde of spirituall iudgement doth sometimes light vpon a Nation or people for the vnbeliefe and vnthankfulnesse and impenitencie and contempt of their Progenitors whilest they had the light and that therefore the Children for the Parents and Posterity for their Ancestrie are punished not only with temporall but euen with spirituall iudgements also If any shall thus obiect one of these two answers may satisfie them First if it should bee granted the want of the Gospell to be properly a spirituall iudgement yet it would not follow that one man were punished spiritually for the fault of another For betwixt priuate persons and publike societies there is this difference that in priuate persons euery succession maketh a change so that when the father dyeth and the sonne commeth after him there is not now the same person that was before but another but in Cities and Countries and Kingdomes and all publike societies succession maketh no change so that when b Eccles. 1.4 one generation passeth and another commeth after it there is not another City or Nation or People than there was before but the same If then the people of the same land should in this generation bee visited with any such spirituall iudgement as is the remoueall of their Candlesticke and the want of the Gospell for the sinnes and impieties of their Ancestors in some former generations yet this ought no more to bee accounted the punishment of one for another than it ought to be accounted the punishing of one for another to punish a man in his old age for the sinnes of his youth For as the body of a man though the primitiue moysture bee continually spending and wasting therein and that decay bee still repayred by a daily supply of new and alimentall moysture is yet truely the same Body and as a Riuer fed with a liuing spring though the water that is in the channell be continually running out and other water freshly succeeding in the place and roome thereof is truely the same Riuer so a Nation or People though one generation is euer passing away and another comming on is yet truely the same Nation or People after an hundred or a thousand yeares which it was before §. 14. and second answer thereunto Againe secondly the want of the Gospell is not properly a spirituall but rather a temporall punishment Wee call it indeed sometimes a spirituall Iudgement as wee doe the free vse of it a spirituall Blessing because the Gospell was written for and reuealed vnto the Church by the spirit of God and also because it is the holy ordinance of God and the proper instrument whereby ordinarily the spirituall life of Faith and of Grace is conueighed into our soules But yet properly and primarily those only are a Epli. 1.3 spirituall blessings which are immediately wrought in the soule by the spirit of God and can neuer be lost where they are once placed and are proper and peculiar to those that are borne againe of the spirit and all those on the contrary which may bee subiect to decay or are common to the reprobate with the elect or may turne to the hurt of the receiuer are to be esteemed temporall blessings and not spirituall And such a blessing is the outward partaking of the word and ordinances of God the want thereof therefore consequently is to be esteemed a temporall iudgement rather than spirituall So that notwithstanding this instance still the former consideration holdeth good that God sometimes visiteth the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children with outward and temporall but neuer with spirituall and eternall punishments Now if there could no more bee said to this doubt but only this it were sufficient to cleere Gods Iustice since wee haue beene already instructed that these temporall iudgements are not alwayes properly and formally the punishments of sinne §. 15. Temporall euils of children though not properly For as outward blessings are indeed no true blessings properly because Wicked men haue their portion in them as well as the Godly and they may turne and often do to the greater hurt of the soule and so become rather Punishments than Blessings so to the contrary outward punishments are no true punishments properly because the Godly haue their share in them as deepe as the Wicked and they may turne and often doe to the greater good of the soule and so become rather Blessings than Punishments If it be yet said But why then doth God threaten them as Punishments §. 16. are yet after a sort punishments to the Fathers and how if they be not so I answer First because they seeme to be punishments and are by most men so accounted for their grieuousnesse though they bee not properly such in themselues Secondly from the common euent because vt plurimùm and for the most part they proue punishments to the sufferer in case hee bee not bettered as well as grieued by them Thirdly because they are indeed a kinde of punishment though not then deserued but formerly Fourthly and most to the present purpose because not seldome the a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. in Gen. hom 29. Filij bona valetudo felicitas patrimonium pertiâ—et ad patrem Felicior futurus si saluum habuerit filium infelicioâ— si amiserit Senec. 5. de