he not super Ius Naturae aut diuinum The Pope though he be aboue all Law meerely positiue yet is he at no hand superiour to the Law of God or Nature And iudge in your selues first can man loose Conscience where God hath bound it secondly Or stands fraile man on euen termes with the Almighty to equall or affront him in Authoritie Where are these records extant wherin God hath conueied such Authoritie to man to legitimate what he hath condemned Poore soules miserably infatuated they must needs be that thinke Gods royalties his peculiar prerogatiues communicable to his creature Yeeld it for the present the truest Etymon of the Popes Epithete Antichristus quasi vice Christus a vice-Christ his vice-gerent and Vicar generall on earth Receiues the surrogate by his substitution power more then was congruent to the principall A threefold power of Christ their owne diuines obserue in this question First one diuine and eternall belonging to our mediatour Iesus as the sonne of God God equall to his father Hereto belongs originally the disposing of kingdomes the making or antiquating of lawes and dispensing with them Secondly Another meerly spiritual congruent to the man Christ but as they speake to him as a man immortall and glorious now managed by himself without deputie at the right hand of his father Thirdly A third which he had and exercised by him as a mortall man in the dayes of his flesh Wherin alone as themselues confesse the Pope may lay claime to his substitution as being the only possible for meere man to manage See if euer our Sauiour admitted or exercised such Regalitie on earth Assumed such dominion power so eximious as to dispose of crownes to translate Kingdomes Authoritie so transcendent as to cancell the lawes of God or to Legitimate highest breaches of morall precepts Heare him speaking to the first Oh homo quis me constituit Iudicem aut diuisorem inter vos Man who hath made me a iudge or diuider betwixt you And to Pilate his profession is His kingdome is not of this world To the second he came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it See his next successours as thy are stiled the Apostles euer medled they with such altitudes of Temporalitie Assumed they such Authoritie Stetisse lego Apostolos judicandos sedisse iudicantes non lego Erit illud non fuit sayd Bernard elegantly to Pope Eugenius interposing himselfe as Iudge in ciuill contentions that the Apostles stood to be iudged I read that they sate as Iudges I read not That shal be their glorie in the Regeneration to sit on Thrones iudging the twelue tribes of Israel Such magnificence they aspired to none in the dayes of their mortalitie Only to the Bishop of Rome to that seruus seruorum Dei belongs equalitie of power with God himselfe As God so may he authorize violations of morall precepts and dispense euen with the lawes of God As God to Iehu to slay Iehoram to Ehud to slay Eglon so this Deus Deorum giue indulgence to subiects to murther their Naturall princes But enough of that Arrogancie no lesse then Luciferian we returne to Iezabel her mis application Here must be acknowledged the mistake and errour of Iezabel her mis-application to the person of Iehu Iehu is not as Zimri led with priuate ambition but comes with Authority from God to destroy Iehoram and his Brethren To him therefore impertinently is that example of Gods vengeance Howbeit after her hypothesis her obseruation and caution is good supposing Iehu as Zimri a trayterous conspiratour against his master Zimries vengeance should haue bin Iehu his warning Sure it is Gods vengeances are exemplarie And should be warnings to all to flie like sinnes least they tast like vengeance So Saint Paul hauing to Corinthians reckoned vp a catalogue of Israelites sinnes and related their vengeance admonisheth that they came to them as ensamples and were written for our warning on whom the ends of the world are come So Saint Peter mentioning the fall of Angels the fearefull ouerthrow of Sodome and Gomorrah and the deluge brought vpon the old world closeth that they were set forth as Ensamples Thus haue Saints holily vsed their meditation Nehemiah obseruing Sabbathes polluted in Ierusalem thus to the Rulers Did not our fathers thus and all this wrath came vpon vs In another particular fell not Salomon by this meanes though beloued of his God The Ambassadours from the Congregation to the Rubenites Gadites and halfe Tribe of Manasseh erecting an Altar not for sacrifice as was supposed but for memoriall yet in suspicion of such euill would thus deterre them Is the iniquitie of Peor too little from which we are not clensed vnto this day that you must returne also from following the Lord why am I long First Gods Iustice we know to be impartiall with God there is no respect of Persons Secondly And they must looke to partake in the plagues that partake in the sinnes of Babylon I can wish on this occasion as Moses Oh that Gods people were wise so wise as to thinke euerie sinners vengeance exemplarie and to make it their warning how they fall by example of like disobedience Prouidence neuer so slept but it hath affoorded to all ages spectacles of Gods wrath examples of his vengeance vpon the children of disobedience Drunkards how many haue we seene after Salomons threatening cloathed with rags Adulterers filled with rottennesse brought to a morsell of bread louers of pastime sporting brought to pouertie Honourable families ruined by harbouring Popish superstition exposed to Gods wrath by oppression of the poore by their excesse of Ryot and luxurious intemperance Yet who when he sees this feares and learnes to doe no more presumptuously And rather thinkes not as the Hypocrites in Isai Though a Plague run ouer all it shall not come nigh him And is not readie to conceit some singular specialtie in their degree and measure of sinning whom vengeance hath so ouertaken To speake to the particular in hand how frequent haue bin examples of Gods vengeance vpon bloudie traitours Who hath euer knowne bloudie traitour to haue dyed a dry death Had Zimri peace that slew his Master Had Gowrie peace that attempted to slay his Master Went those incendiaries of the Powder-treason without bloud to their Graues I had almost sayd to their Hell Search records diuine humane and say who euer prospered that but dipped his finger in the bloud of the Lords annoynted It is very remarkeable in this sinne more then in many Though vengeance hath passed ouer other sinners yet seldome missed it the head of a bloudy traitour Blasphemers and Atheists we haue seene liuing and dying without any visible vengeance Murtherers some to haue gone to their Graues in peace Bloudy traytors few or none that haue escaped the hand of God or sword of the Magistrate Yea singular specialties there are many obseruable in their vengeance Many dying in the fact in the heat of pursuing their ambitious
deitie or adorablenesse to dwell in Deuils is grossest heresie The fact of the fornicatour is not heresie but beastly luxurie But the opinion of Nicolaitans that fornication is res media is damned heresie To worship God in an Image is not in the fact hereticall yet opinion that God is acceptably worshipped in an Image what is it lesse then heresie Suppose them therefore Tyrants suppose them Heretikes yet what peace may the Traytour looke for more then Zimri that slew his master tyrannous and no lesse then Hereticall And must Rome hatching such monsters of opinions be still reputed the Church the only Catholike vpon earth out of which is no saluation The Church so infallibly lead by the Spirit into all truth that she cannot possible be erroneous in her dogmaticall resolutions By their fruites yee shall know them that is by their Doctrines For these are fruites of Prophets as Prophets Legitimate they notorious breaches of the morall Law How are they the Church of God wil worship Image worship they teach acceptable to God though damned in the second precept Equiuocating in oathes that is couert periurie they iustâ—fie against the third precept Dishonour of Parents for religion sake murther of Princes they make in casu meritorious Cursed be such faith it 's hellish such practise it 's no lesse then Deuilish methinkes we should now resolue say with Iacob Into their secret let not my soule come my glory be not thou ioyned with their assemblie So of the fact of Iehu his issue followes Had Zimri peace Did Zimri prosper he prospered not Seuen dayes onely he reigned in Tirzah and becomes a desperate incendiarie to himselfe Zimri had no peace must therefore his fact be thought vnlawfull Best actions haue sometimes their Crosses lewdest attempts prosperous successe Ans Goodnesse or euilnesse of humane actions no man wisely measures by the dispositions of prouidence But by their dissonance or congruitie to the Law of God Precept and prohibition are the primarie rule of good and euill Prohibition makes euill euill vengeance shewes it euill and odious vnto God The murther of Princes law Naturall and morall make euill when vengeance ouertakes the traytour that shewes it hatefull to God and warnes vs to fly it if not for Conscience yet for feare of vengeance 2. And the distinction is ancient there is poena vindictae and there is poena castigationis or probationis Crosses that come in the way of tryalls at no hand argue our actions euill The building of the Temple vnder Ezra we finde disappointed by the people of the Land yet was their attempt holy and acceptable vnto God The crosse comes to proue their faith to try their dependance on God But punishments that come in the Nature of vengeances are apparent euidences that the attempts are euill Such this of Zimri Had Zimri peace Why not when he fulfills the Prophets prediction executes Gods will in the destroying Baasha his posteritie A prophecie went before of Baasha that his familie should be put out in Israel Because he had walked in the way of Ieroboam and made Israel to sin his house must be like that of Ieroboam his posteritie vtterly destroyed Ans Thus yee may Answer-Prediction there was of Baashaes destruction Prescript none to Zimri to be the executioner There be that say Praescit Deus mala non praeordinat God foreknowes and foretels euils preordaines them not It s true quà mala Yet may we not imagine our God an idle spectatour of the malice of men His prescience euen of euill presupposeth some act of his will determining to permit them But thus thinke there is wide difference betwixt the instruments of Gods prouidence and the Ministers of his ordinance those fulfill his purposes these also doe his commandes Herod and Pilate and the Elders of the people did what Gods hand and secret counsell determined should be done in the death of our blessed Sauiour yet iustly falls Gods wrath vpon them they were vnwitting instruments of his prouidence no Ministers of his ordinance When Iehu destroyed the posteritie of Achab he sinned not in the fact besides prediction of the Prophet he had his speciall commission from God wherefore also his fact is crowned as obedience and rewarded with the Kingdomes continuance in his posteritie vnto foure generations When Zimri slue Elah there was like prediction but no such commission therefore Zimri had no peace that slue his master Briefly first Gods secret appointments are not the rule of our Actions but his reueled precepts Doe what God prescribes thou sinnest not but art accepted with him though perhaps in the issue thou crosse his secret determinations Violate his precepts though thou fulfil his secret appointments thou art obnoxious to the wrath of God It 's possible saith S. Austin for a man bona voluntate velle quod Deus non vult as when a pious child desires and prayes for his fathers life whom God hath designed to death And a man may malâ voluntate velle quod Deus vult bonâ a man may irregularly will that which God also willes suppose when an vngratious sonne desires the death of his father which God also willeth The one willes what God willes not the other wills what God also wills and the ones pietie is more consonant to the good will of God though willing another thing then the others impietie willing the same that God hath determined in his secret counsell So much auailes it to limit our selues to Gods reuealed precept 2 Besides in hoc examine in tryall of such actions the inquirie is not quid fecerint but quid voluerint not what they did but what they intended And in rationem venit non factum but consilium et voluntas not so much their fact as their purpose and intention in doing God intended and disposed the vnnatural crueltie of Iosephs Brethren to good yet they thought euill therefore felt the smart of famine feare of bondage and the stroke of Conscience And who so forlorne or impudent amongst miscreants to say that in his damned ambition or Couetousnesse or luxurie he had respect to the will of God which no man lightlie knowes but by the euent Ashur is the rod of Gods wrath by him the Lord accomplisheth his worke vpon Ierusalem yet will he visit the proud heart of the King of Assyria and bring downe his haughtie and proud lookes the equitie is apparent He thinketh not so but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off Nations to satiate his infinite ambition cursed couetousnesse and pompous luxurie 3 Generalities of Gods purpose to destroy Baasha his posterity we will suppose made knowne to Zimri that intellignce he might haue by the Prophets prediction But particulars of the meanes as that hee should be the Agent God reueled not though therefore he did what God determined yet had he no peace in slaying his Master So possible is it to doe what God determines and yet to be obnoxious to his
wrath I would to God it were seriously meditated amongst our people that the multitude were not still transported with that fury of Atheisme to think sinnes excusable their sinnes no sinnes because they sort in the euent with the secret appointments of Gods counsell Generally yee may obserue sinnes fathered vpon prouidence which are damned in Gods word and haue no other cause but the malice of the committers Fate and fortune Christians heathenishly cry out of and God made Authour of that whereof he is vltor Theeues and murtherers and bloudy Traytours when vengeance seizeth on them blame destinie or Planets or harder fortune as well their sinnes as their vengeance are resolued to God as to their first Cause Yet Dauid taught vs that God is not a God that willeth iniquitie And S. Iames God cannot be tempted with euill neither tempteth he any man Our Sauiour points vs to the truest fountaine of all vitious euills Out of the heart come Adulteries murthers thefts blasphemies or if there be any thing else that naught is And Iames Euery man is tempted of his owne concupiscence being thereby drawne away and intised And though it be true God hath his action euen in euill his action I meane as Damescene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of permission yet workes he not therin by way of impression or inclination He determines to permit the sinner to the Swinge of his owne corrupt heart to suffer his doing of that euill whereto he is selfely inclined and to order it to his Glory Neither may any quarell that he restraines or reformes not First God is Agens liberrimum not bound to his creature secondly bonds he hath giuen vs sufficient to restraine from euill First His law secondly his threatened vengeance thirdly our own Conscience A threefold Cord is not easily broken yet the vitious heart of man findes meanes enough to breake these bonds asunder to cast away these Cords from them And which passeth all measure of impietie looke if not for recompense from God yet for excuse with him because they fulfilled his secret appointments Had Zimri peace that slue his Master yet accomplished he the secret appointment of God Actions are neuer regular till they sute with Precept howsoeuer congruent they may be to Gods secret ordinance The application of all to Iehu remaines Let Iehu therfore beware like Trayterous attempts least happily he tast like vengeance of God How followes the Argument from one particular to another from one instance to the generalitie of murtherous Traytors Must Iehu all Traitours expect so dreadfull death because such was Zimries fate Behold how many miscreants see we prosper in euill how rare are examples of Gods visible vengeance At this stone how many soules stumble how many haue so stumbled that they haue fallen into the neathermost Hell To see Gods patient forbearance of many in like sinnes so rare particulars culled out to be ensamples Confessedly wonderfull is Gods patience his tolerance great of many vessels of wrath prepared to destruction Diuines giue reasons of it Therefore saith Austin some are here punished that we may know there is a prouidence taking notice of all Therefore not all that we may beleeue there is a iudgement to come And haue we not seene worst men become Parents of holiest Children That Ahaz matchlesse for impietie was father yet to good Hezekiah And out of Ammon a reuolt from his fathers pietie issued Iosiah peerelesse for piety amongst the Kings of Israel and Iudah Pregnancie after humane equitie respits the death of the most notorious amongst women Iustice wisely considers it sauours much of iniurie to make the innocent Infant abortiue for the sinne of the mother and hopefully presumes the childe may be instrument of good to the common-wealth if mans forbearance on such occasions be thought sutable to Iustice why not Gods much more to like intentions 3 There is an height and full measure of sinning whereto prouidence will haue miscreants ascend before the last vengeance sweepes them away fill vp the measure of your iniquitie sayd our Sauiour to Iewes that on you may come the bloud of Prophets the wickednesse of Amorites is not yet full therefore their vengeance hath foure hundred yeares respit Yet what if we say no man sinnes without his vengeance there is inseparably accident to the transient act of sinne a threefold mischiefe 1. Macula 2. Reatus 3. Poena the staine the guilt and the punishment properlie so called yet the staine and guilt haue in them penaltie First The soule is blemished the eximious pulchritude thereof defiled Secondly Conscience trembles at the guilt and obligation to punishment before other extremities fall vpon the sense so that Plutarchs obseruation was as true as elegant As malefactours in the Roman Empire had this as part of their punishment to beare their Crosse to the place of execution so beares euery sinner his Crosse his torture while he is but in viâ ad extremum supplicium Lastly as in blessings promised to obedience God sometimes deales by way of exchange so in punishments exchanging bodily for spirituall insteed of death or famine or the sword sends horrour of Conscience and astonishment of heart so that they become as Pashur terrors and no lesse then burthens to themselues or obstinacie of will and hardnesse of heart that they may neuer repent but be eternally damned that had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse But to the point First the old saying is what betides any one may befall euery one Let all sinners tremble at any sinners vengeance It may be their fate that hath befallen another Secondly the Argument well followes from a particular to the generalitie where is like reason of all The cause of vengeance is alike in al And in such singulars for the paritie of the sinne may well be expected equalitie of vengeance So farre therefore the inference is current Yet its true her application is erroneous to the person of Iehu Iehu is not as Zimri a subiect but now an annoynâ—ed King Gods selected minister to take vengeance of the house of Achab comes with commission from the great Lawgiuer to this seeming breach of the generall precept his fact is not as Zimries treason but obedience in respect of the speciall warrant and command of God giuen vnto him Ly dispensations or exemptions in matters of this Nature that is a question which popish spirits easily on any occasion apprehend and are readie to inferre that as the great Lawgiuer to Ehud and Iehu so his vice-gerent on earth may giue indulgence and dispensation in such moralities Ans It hath anciently bin questioned in Schooles whether morall precepts be dispensable by authoritie of God himselfe and was neuer but with cautionate distinction affirmed But that man should dispense with Gods morall commandes hath rarely bin disputed neuer till of late by any determined The greatest flatterers of Popish pride and ambition anciently thus resolued Papa etsi sit super omne Ius purè positivum yet is