Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	great_a	sin_n	transgression_n	3,082	5	10.1157	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11363	A treatise of Paradise. And the principall contents thereof especially of the greatnesse, situation, beautie, and other properties of that place: of the trees of life, good and euill; of the serpent, cherubin, fiery sword, mans creation, immortalitie, propagation, stature, age, knowledge, temptation, fall, and exclusion out of Paradise; and consequently of his and our originall sin: with many other difficulties touching these points. Collected out of the holy Scriptures, ancient fathers, and other both ancient and moderne writers.	Salkeld, John, 1576-1660.	1617 (1617)	STC 21622; ESTC S116515	126,315	368

not inhabitable by reason of the neerenesse of the Sunne and other Planets and stars To which I cannot denie but some shew of answere may be made as that neither Sunne nor any of the Planets are as the Philosophers say formally but onely virtually hot that is though they haue the vertue to produce heate in these inferiour things yet that they be not in themselues hot neither are they capable of heate because as they neither agree in matter nor forme as many Philosophers hold with these inferiour creatures so neither can they haue the same kinde of qualities that our Elements haue But this answer is easily confuted because as the virtuall heate of the sun is sufficient to make inhabitable some places of the world as diuers graue Writers affirme by reason of the neernesse vnto it why might it not also cause the like effect in Paradise vnlesse wee will flie vnto the omnipotence of God and miracles the onely refuge of ill grounded Philosophie and ignorance Or say as some haue fondly fained that Paradise being of another kinde of matter then the rest of the earth or of the same Species and purity that the heauens are as these bee incorruptible by reason of their most pure matter or incorruptible vnion so likewise Paradise and the thinges there onely man being of the same nature that now he is was by the particular prouidence of the omnipotent power kept from mortalitie or corruption as long as hee preserued himselfe from the corruption of sin But these and such like solutions as they are forged without any ground so they may easily be denied without any more reason this onely being added to the former proofe that so high a place as the Spheare of the Moone was altogether vnfit for the situation of Paradise by reason of the perpetual agitation and motion of that place which is so continually rapt and carried about with the most violent and swift course of the heauen Many other reasons I confesse might bee giuen but which rather appertain vnto Mathematikes and longer discourses then the breuity which wee haue here taken vpon vs will permit Now therefore onely remaineth that by the consideration of the excellencies of this place wherein we were before our sinne we gather the hatred God beareth to sinne seeing that for the sinne of one yea and that but one only God who is so good yea infinite goodnesse and mercie would punish with so long a punishment and with so great punishments for so long a time so infinite a number as is and shall be the whole posteritie of Adam euen vnto the worlds end And that sinne certainly hath a kinde of infinitie of malice which could deserue so infinite a punishment yea so much prouoke the infinite goodnesse and mercy of him who is infinitely good and mercifull And lastly we may inferre what sinne iustly deserueth if it should not be punished more according to the rule of mercy then according to that which the rigor of iustice requireth seeing that nothing was or could bee sufficient to blot or wash it away but onely the bloud of the lambe of God which onely washeth away the sinnes of the world by which we are to be restored not onely into a more high participation of God and his grace then we possessed before our fall but also into a more perfect Paradise then that was from which we were banished for our first sinne and fall And this only by his merits bloud and passion who could in no wise either slippe or fall So that wee may well exclaime with Saint Austine August in meditationibus O strange iudgement ô vnspeakable disposi ion of the diuine mysteries the sinner offendeth the iust is punished the guiltie transgresseth the innocent is beaten the wicked sinneth the godly is condemned that which the euill deserueth the good suffereth the seruant doth amisse the master maketh amends man committeth sinne God beareth the punishment O Sonne of God how hast thou debased thy selfe how hast thou burned in affection How farre is thy mercie stretched whither is thy compassion come Adam did wickedly thou was punished man sinned thou wast afflicted Eue offended thou wast tormented we were disobedient but thou obediently bearest the punishment of our disobedience we serued our concupiscence but thou enduredst hunger the tree allured vs vnto an vnlawfull desire but perfect charitie ledde thee vnto the Crosse wee tasted presumptuously the forbidden fruite but thou sufferedst torments for our presumption and momentarie delight We enioyed the pleasure but thou wast peirced with nailes wee delighted in the sweetnesse of the apple but thou therefore didst tast the bitternesse of the gall Here astonished I know not what to say nay I am so amazed I knowe not what to thinke onely I can exclaime with the Apostle O altitudo sapientiae scientiae Dei O deapth of the wisedom of God! ô mercy of the omnipotent without measure quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae tribuit mihi What shall I giue vnto God again who hath giuen himselfe so often for mee vnto hunger for my riot vnto nakednesse for my pride vnto dishonour for my honour vnto humilitie for my ambition vnto mortalitie for my immortalitie And finally vnto the ignominious torments of a thorny crowne and other of his sacred passion and vitall death for to crowne mee with an eternall crowne of glory in the life to come in that euerlasting Paradise vnto which no mutability no mortality and much lesse any impuritie can ascend vbi non est transmutatio nec vicissitudinis adumbratio whither not euen the very shaddow of change can approach CHAP. III. Of the compasse and greatnesse of Paradise and why it was so beautified seeing God fore-knew for how short a time it was to serue for the vse of man WHere there is lesse certainty in the conclusion there I meane to spend lesse time in the resolution as in this of the compasse of Paradise a question of more difficultie then necessitie yet neuerthelesse because it is vrged by some I will endeauour to giue some satisfaction in it such as may be in so vncertaine a point at least way as far as other principles of Philosophy or Diuinitie or finally as the graue expositours of the sacred text will giue me any firme ground of discourse Amongst whom Ephren aboue alledged answereth to this question that Paradise was greater then all the earth now inhabited Ephren lib de Paradiso The reason may be because as the inhabitants were to bee more in number then the earthly and more worthy so their habitation according to the wisdome bountie of their Creatour should haue beene more magnificent and far more capable of the beautie and magnificence no man can doubt who doubteth not of the history of Genesis Why then should we doubt of the other seeing the same reason vrgeth in both yea if we may discourse according to reason in these things which depend only vpon the free

that he did not only giue vnto him what was necessary or conuenient for his naturall estate there but also added other most extraordinarie meanes and helpes both naturall and supernaturall conuenient and necessarie for both his estates of nature and grace such was this of the tree of life which as some well note according to the originall text was called the tree or wood not of life onely in the singular but in the plurall of liues because it was so to lengthen the life of euery man that euery singular and particular mans life might well seame the life not of one onely man but of many Whereby we may first admire the power of Almighty God secondly his goodnesse towards man his power in the creating of such a fruite his goodnesse in bestowing it vpon him whom he knew was in so short a time after to be so vngratefull for that and many other most excellent as well naturall as supernaturall gifts The second reason why it is tearmed the tree of liues is because as a man hath three liues virtually if not really distinct the sensitiue vegetatiue and rationall so this fruite of the tree of liues should haue had vertue to fortified all three in which also we may note the wisedome of God but more againe his mercy his wisedome in that hee knew to produce incorruption at least way for many yeares if not eternall as many hold by a continuall repairing of nature by the eating of the said apple but more againe I say may we admire his mercy and bountie by which he sought meanes to eternize him whom he knew by his fall was to bee his owne death yea the death of his most deare and eternall sonne which was the true tree of life prefigured by this tree of life or liues so also called because it was not to giue or prolong the life of Adam only but also the liues of his posteritie vntill such time as it should please their Maker to translate them from that earthly beatitude vnto a more perfect and supernaturall estate Man 17. where as Saint Austine saith they were to possesse in a more perfect measure and that through all eternity ioy without sorrow rest without labour honour without feare wealth without damage health without sicknesse aboundance without care life with all security immortalitie without corruption all happinesse with no miserie at all Where all perfection is in the highest degree and all imperfections remote where sight is face vnto face where perfect knowledge and nothing vnreuealed of which humane nature can be capable where Gods soueraigne goodnesse raigneth super omnia aboue al things and the light enlightening is glorified of the Saints where the present maiestie of the Almightie is perpetually beholden and the minde of the beholders eternally filled with this fruit of life Fourthly it was called the tree of life or liues because it did after a double manner sustaine and renew the life of man first in restoring our naturall moisture by which wee liue which consumeth euery day more and more by our naturall heat which was a proprietie common also to all other fruits of Paradise Secondly in that which was proper to this tree only and for which it was particularly tearmed the tree of life because it was of such qualities and excellent proprieties that being eaten it did renew our humidum radicale our naturall humiditie and moisture whereby wee should haue liued with the like or equall puritie and perfection which had beene in man at his first creation yea it should haue so fortified our naturall heat that although it did naturally suffer some detriment and losse by continuall action yet should it haue beene so strengthned by that fruit of life that it could neuer haue decaied or perished and consequently man could neuer die corporally in that happy estate vnlesse hee had first killed himselfe spiritually by being partaker of the forbidden fruit insomuch that the disobedience of one brought in by concupiscence was the cause of all our misery and mortalitie that so God of his meere goodnesse through his infinite wisedome might thereby take occasion of shewing his mercy vpon those who after Adams fall were nothing but miserie and by the obedience of his dearest Sonne might repaire and redeeme the disobedience of vs most accursed caitifes so that wee participating of the fruit of the tree of life communicated vnto vs in the sacred communion by vertue of that tree of life prefigured in this Paradise might thereby be reuiued from a temporall death to an eternitie of blessednesse and perpetuitie of a most blessed life yea so by occasion of our first sinne gaine more then euer we had obtained if we had not sinned seeing hereby we obtained that fruit of life to be prepared for vs vpon the tree of the crosse yea and thence communicated vnto vs in the sacred communion and bread of life which doubtlesse wee should not haue obtained at leastway after that manner and measure if wee had not transgressed Or at leastway Christ prefigured in this tree of life should not haue appeared passible as one of vs if wee by our sinne had not needed his passion Wherefore we being astonished at so great mercy shewne vnto vs in so infinite miserie and that so lamentable a losse should be an occasion of so ioyfull and infinite gaine we may well exclaime with Gregory the great O foelix culpa quae talem tantum habere meruit Redemptorem O happy fall and happy vnhappinesse which was occasion of so great happinesse Lastly the aforesaid tree was worthily called the tree of life or liues because it did not only preserue our naturall being by the repairing of our naturall forces but also did so renew them by a supernaturall vertue proceeding thence that thereby we might haue liued a life free from all kinde of feares of death or of any griefes vexations or torments now necessarily annexed to both deaths corporall and spirituall temporall and eternall now I say annexed to both deaths vnlesse wee haue applied vnto vs the vertue of another tree of life by whole life all things being haue their being and by whose influence all things liuing haue their life Hence it is that the former was a most perfect patterne or representation of the latter but the latter a more perfect forme then could bee fully represented by the former or by any other possible Neuerthelesse the tree of life was created in the terrestriall Paradise to the end that it might be a type and in some sort represent that which should be fully represented or seene in the celestiall kingdome by the eternall light of glory according to the diuine oracle In lumine tuo videbimus lumen in thy light wee shall see light that is by and through thy light of glory which is a supernaturall habit infused into our vnderstandings wee shall see the glorious light of thy essence not comprehensiuely which is impossible but most perfectly and essentially which

any thing that hee performeth it actually by some externall operation and worke either actually produced or to be produced The other kinde of will which the Diuines distinguish in God in regard of some obiects which he doth not really produce is called inefficax voluntas a kinde of propension or inclination of his diuine will to the effectuating of any good effect which might redound to the felicitie of man yet for the attaining of the end which out of his vnsearchable wisdome hee hath prefixed hee oftentimes permitteth the contrary to this his diuine inclination and will the which therefore is called Gods permissiue will As for example God would that all men should bee saued according to that of the Apostle Deus vult omnes homines saluos fieri to wit in his vniuersall grace calling and inspirations and other generall meanes offered to all so that out of his infinite goodnesse hee wisheth and willeth in this sort all to bee saued and that hee might the more manifest his infinite mercy by the efficacie of his working will he actually saueth some euen so to manifest his iustice by his other permissiue decree he permitteth others to worke their owne ruine and eternall damnation So that according to this distinction it may truly be said that the transgression of Adam was in some sort contrary to the will of God in some againe agreeable to the same for first in that it was permitted by God it was for the further benefit vnto mankinde and the greater glory of God by which hee wrought that miraculous effect of the hypostaticall vnion betweene the second person of the blessed Trinitie and our nature taking occasion of the greatest euill to worke our greatest good insomuch that it may well bee deemed as Gregory tearmeth it foelix culpa quae talem tantum habere meruit Redemptorem a happy fall in regard of the issue not as it was a sinne but as an occasion of a more perfect abolishing of sinne neither as willed by God but permitted foreseene by Gods wisdome effected by mans wickednesse yea in some sort effected by God to wit by Gods vniuersall concourse but determined by mans depraued will Gods action being indifferent or rather of its owne nature and as Gods ordained to good but by mans depraued will determined to euill which yet againe by the infinite goodnesse of God is made an occasion of our greatest good So that if it bee demanded whether God would that Adam should eat of the forbidden tree or no and if hee would why did hee forbid it if he would not why did he not hinder it The answer is that in some sort hee would it and againe after some sort he would it not hee would it not as a sinne hee would it neuerthelesse as a meane or rather as an occasion of a greater good Wherefore he forbad it as a sinne he concurred with it as vniuersall cause of all things being not as a particular cause or agent in sinne as it was sinne though in some sense hee would it as hath beene said as a meane of an infinite greater good and as the greatest occasion of shewing his infinite wisdome and goodnesse of his wisdome because he knew to produce such an excellent effect of so infinite an euill of his goodnesse likewise in that being moued onely by it and for it he was pleased to effect our greatest good of the greatest euill a worke so excellent and admirable as which could onely proceede and flow from that onely infinite ocean of goodnesse Yea Adams eating of the forbidden fruit was an euident argument that hee remained free to sinne euen after his sinne according to the pleasure and will of God for such was his diuine will that Adam should be endued with free will that it might be in his power to chuse the good and eschew the euill not of himselfe but by grace so that thus sinning he shewed his power and consequently by the same sinne hee shewed in some sort himself to remaine according to Gods diuine will and pleasure with freedome to sinne for seeing that no sinne can be committed without some actuall exercise of free will and that by the same exercise the precedent power is manifested it followeth that by this exercise and action of Adams free will I meane his transgression it was made manifest that hee was created and alwaies preserued according to his diuine will in that he was endued and afterward remained with free will sufficient to sinne though insufficient in it selfe to the actions of grace In this sense then wee see that although Adam sinned yet remained he according to Gods will because hee remained alwaies endued with free will Likewise we may vnderstand in an other sense how Adam remained according to Gods will yea and this euen in regard of his sinne I meane according to his permissiue will for Almighty God as we haue said before out of his incomprehensible wisdome foreseeing the infinite good which might proceed from thence to wit the hypostaticall vnion and being determined by his absolute and secret will to effectuate the same hee permitted this sinne of Adam as a negatiue meanes or rather occasion of so excellent an end But God saith this heretike would haue had man to haue persisted in that blessed estate from which neuerthelesse hee fell how then was not Gods will more then his power seeing hee obtained not that which he would But here we may see both the malice and ignorance of this heretike which both are the rootes and springs of all heresies his malice in that hee presumed against God himselfe his ignorance in that hee taxeth that hee vnderstandeth not for if he had vnderstood either what belongeth to the free will of man or rightly apprehended the power wisdom of the omnipotent he might easily haue perceiued that the fall of our first father did rather demonstrate the wisdome of God then contradict his omnipotence and will for seeing it pleased his diuine maiestie to giue vs free will and to place vs in such estate in which by his grace we might persist and which being rejected we might fall of our selues what can bee more euident but as that our perseuerance should haue beene attributed to God and to the right use of his grace so our fall onely vnto our selues and the want of our concourse with his grace the which in that estate was not onely sufficient but very abundant Seeing therefore it was once in the power of our first father to haue withstood the temptation of Satan and not to haue cast off so easie a yoke as was imposed him with so abundant grace he deserued no doubt to bee depriued of that grace thrust out of Paradise yea finally to bee disrobed of the beautifull robe of immortalitie In the combination of which we may magnifie and admire the omnipotent wisdome and infinite wise power of God in that hee knew and could so excellently combine iustice with mercy the

doe most blasphemously accuse the wisdom of God as touching the fore-said commandement of abstaining from the tree of good and euill for saith he doubtles when God did giue this law vnto our first fathers hee thought that they would obey it which seeing they did not God as Manes obiecteth was deceiued Secondly he accuseth God of vniust wrath and indignation in that he condemned man for so small a matter as the eating of an apple Finally he accuseth him of ignorance mutabilitie and contradiction to himselfe in that ignoring his future compassion towards man hee did frustrate the law which hee himselfe had made yea and contradicted the sentence of death as rashly pronounced by himselfe against Adam Here we may see how as Tertullian saith God of his infinite goodnes and mercy suffereth himselfe to bee dishonoured in his other infinite attributes and dietie but that it may bee apparent that these blasphemies haue not any ground euen in naturall reason we answer that though all things and consequently the disobedience of Adam was perfectly fore-knowne by God Almighty yet neuerthelesse it was conformable to reason that Adam being a reasonable creature should haue this law of obedience prescribed vnto him so conformable to reason first for to manifest the absolute power dominion and authoritie of God the Creator ouer his creature and the due subiection of the creature towards his Creator Secondly this law of obedience was most profitable vnto man though foreknowne that it was to be violated by man most profitable I say it was both in regard of the manifestation of Gods iustice and mercy as also for the exercise and tryall of the good and bad righteous and vnrighteous a necessarie obiect of the afore-said attributes Now if this law should therefore haue beene omitted because God fore-knew the transgression thereof by the same reason or rather no reason no other law should haue beene prescribed vnto man seeing there is no law either of nature or grace which God in his fore-knowledge did not foresee would be often-times violated by man Furthermore as touching the blasphemie against the wrath of God I answer that it is not to be attributed to God as signifying any passion or mutation in the immutable or impassible God but that this shadow of change or shew of mutabilitie is attributed vnto him who in his nature is altogether immutable because hee seeing the wickednesse of man he worketh those effects which in vs bee euident tokens and signes of mutabilitie and change Nay secondly I adde that after Adam had transgressed the commandement of God God pronounced against him the afore-said sentence of death more moued by mercy then of any anger or wrath which wee may euidently see in that hee did not die the same day of his transgression according as the sentence which God pronounced against him seemed to threaten so that whether wee respect the sentence giuen before Adams disobedience or the execution of the same after his sinne we may admire the infinite mercy of the Almighty in both both in regard of Adam and his posteritie as also in regard of the sentence threatned to be inflicted so immediatly after their sinne so that euen in his iustice wee may magnifie his mercy and say with the Psalmist misericordia eius super omnia opera eius that his mercy aboundeth in all his workes yea and is aboue all his works because as the Diuines say remunerat vltra condignum punit citra condignum he rewardeth our workes farre beyond their worth which is none at all vnlesse it bee in Christ and punisheth our sinnes much lesse then they deserue To the other blasphemie which Manes vseth against the Almighty God in accusing him of repentance and mutabilitie I answer that we must first suppose what it is to repent or to be sorry for any thing which wee haue done For repentance or sorrow supposeth ignorance in vs of future euents yea of such as are noxious or hurtfull to those who are affected with the afore-said passion both which are farre vnfitting the all-seeing science and omnipotent power of God who did not remit the rigour of this sentence moued by sorrow or repentance as it happeneth in vs but rather as we haue said before by his infinite mercy and clemencie to the end that his infinite goodnesse and mercy might bee the more manifest vnto vs. In like manner wee may say that when any sinner doth turne from his former being in sinne God Almightie in some sort may bee said to remit the rigour of his sentence pronounced against him and this not by reason of any ignorance or mutable repenting himselfe of the former fact or threatning as Manes blasphemously obiecteth but rather hee remitteth out of his infinite clemencie the sentence of damnation which conditionally hee had decreed to wit if the sinner had not repented himselfe of his sinne an example of which wee finde in the commination of doome and vtter destruction threatned not absolutely but conditionally against the Niuiuites Ionae 3. that they should vtterly bee destroied within forty dayes 4. Reg. 20. likewise against Ezechias that hee should die for his sinnes whom neuerthelesse God pardoned vpon their repentance and the like also wee finde in others most hainous offenders against whom God hauing denounced his wrath neuerthelesse pardoned vpon their sorrow contristation and humiliation Now as touching the lie which this hereticke obiecteth against God in that hee threatned death vnto man in the day of his transgression which neuerthelesse was not inflicted I answer that as man is composed of body and spirit so likewise the death threatned against him was both corporall and spirituall which both were in some sort inflicted euen in the very instant of his transgression the spirituall in the separation of his spirit from God and his grace wherein consisted his spirituall and supernaturall life the corporall in the perturbation of his affections and powers both spirituall and corporall which was a kinde of beginning of a neuer dying death beginning in this life and which according to the present iustice of God if it had beene executed was to haue beene consummated in the other life or rather eternall death if so be that this first lapse and fall had not been remitted not of mans merit but by Gods mercy CHAP. LXVI The obiections of Theodorus and Nestorius THeodorus Bishop of Laodicea and Nestorius Patriarke of Constantinople with diuers others of the Greeke Church were of opinion that sinne was not the occasion of death but that man should haue died though hee had not sinned because mortalitie is consequent to nature as immortalitie proceedeth only of grace How then is it possible vnlesse God can contradict and denie himselfe or that one of the diuine decrees can be opposite to another that God should first decree the immortalitie of man then presently vpon his transgression the obiect being changed God also should be changed in his decree for either God fore-knew