ourselues vnrâ—…ghteous and odious vnto him And yet in mercy towaâ—…ds â—…s and honor â—…wards his Sonne God would make him the Redeemer and Sauiour of the world not neglecting his Iustice nor forgetting his loue but so mixing them both together that his dislike of our sinnes might appeare in the punishment of them and his relenting from the rigor of his Iustice in fauour of his onely Sonne might magnifiâ—… his mercy satisfie his wrath and enlarge his glory and declare in most ample manner the submission compassion and peâ—…fection of his Sonne as only worthy to performe that worke which procured and receaue that honor which followed mans Redemption Christ then suffered from the hand of God but mediate that is GOD DELIVERED him into the hands of sinners who were Satans instruments with all eproach and wrâ—…nge to put him to a contumelious and grieuous death God by his â—…ecret wisdome and iustice decâ—…eeing appointing and ordering what he should suffer at theiâ—… hands Our sinnes â—…e bare in his body on the tree not that his soule was free from feare sorrow 〈◊〉 derision and temptation but that the wicked and malitious â—…ewes practised all kind of shamefull violence and cruell tortuâ—…es on him by Whipping Racking pricâ—…ing and wounding the tenderest parts of his body whereby his soule â—…elt extreame and intoleâ—…able paines In all which he saw the determinate counsell of God and receaued in the garden from his father this Iudgement for our sinnes that he should be 〈◊〉 dâ—…liuered into the hands of sinners For had he not humbly submitted himselfe to obey his fatheâ—…s will no power in earth could haue preuailed against him but as he had often fortold his Disciples what the Priestes Scribes and Gentils should doe vnto him so when the hower was come which was foreappointed of God to obey his fathers will he yeelded himselfe into their hands they persuing him to death of enuie and malice but God thus perfourming euen by their wicked hands what he had â—…oreshewed by his Prophets that Christ should suffer For they not knowing him â—…or the wordâ—… of the Prophets fulfilled them in condemning him yea they fulfilled all things which were written of him So that no man shall need to runne to the immediate hand of God nor to the paines of hell for the punishment of our sinnes in the person of Christ the Iewes FVLFILLED ALL THINGS that were written of him touching his sufferings and therewith Gods anger against our sinnes was appeased and God himselfe reconciled vnto vs. Esay speaking of the violence done by the Iewes to Christ sayeth he was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities and with his stripes we are healed Thus the Lord layed vpon him the iniquitie of all vs and he bare our sinnes in his body on the tree by those sufferings before and on the Crosse which the Scriptures expresly declare and describe And as for the immediate hand of God tormenting the soule of Christ with the selfe same paines which the damned now suffer in hell which is this deuisers maine drift when he maketh or offereth any proofe thereof out of the word of God I shall be ready to receiue it if I can not refute it till then I see no cause why euery wandring witte should imagine what monsters please him in mans redemption and obtrude them to the faithfull without any sentence or syllable of holy Scripture I haue no doubt but all the godly will be so wise as to suffer no man to raigne so much ouer their faith with fancies and figures vnwarranted by the Scriptures vnknowen to all the learned and ancient councels and Fathers vnheard of in the Church of Christ till our age wherein some men applaude more their owne inuentions then all humane or diuine instructions The feare of bodily sufferings you thinke could not be the cause that there strained out from Christ much sweat of clotted blood You straine the text of the Euangelist to draw it to your bent Saint Luke hath no such words that there strained out from Christ much sweat of clotted blood he sayth Christes sweat was like drops of blood trickling downe to the ground Theophylact a Greeke borne and no way ignorant of his mother tongue expresseth Christes sweat in the garden by these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christes body or face DISTILLED with plentifull drops of sweat And albeit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifie the congealed parts of that which is otherwise liquid and compacted pieces of that which els is poudered yet often it noteth that which is thickâ—… in comparison with thinner or eminent in respect of plainer Now Christes sweat might be thicke by reason it issued from the inmost parts of his bodie and was permixed with blood or els it might breake out with great and eminent drops as comming from him violently and abundantly and being coloured with blood and congealed with colde might trickle downe like DROPS or strings of blood vpon the ground Howsoeuer the Scripture saith not his sweate was clotted blood but like to congealed or cooled blood neither that such clots were strained out from him but that his sweate being thicked and cooled on his face fell from him like strings of blood But grant there could be no reason giuen of Christs bloodie sweat in the garden no more then there can be of the issuing first of blood and then of water out of his side when he was dead which S. Iohn doth exactly note as strange but yet true will you conclude what please you because many things in Christ both liuing and dying weâ—…e miraculous I bind no mans conscience to any probabilities for the cause of this sweate but onely to the expresse wordes and necessarie consequents of holy Scripture and yet I wish all men either to be sober and leaue that to God which he hath concealed from vs or if they will needes be gessing at the reason thereof for certaine knowledge they can haue none by no meanes to relinquish the plaine words or knowen groundes of holy Scripture to embrace a fansie of their owne begetting The learned and ancient Fathers haue deliuered diuers opinions of this sweate which thou mayest see Christian Reader in my Sermons and which we shall haue occasion anon to reexamine euery one of them being as I thinke more probable and more agreeable to Christian pietie then this Discoursers dreame of hell paines or Gods immediate hand at that present tormenting of the soule of Christ. And if we looke to the order and sequence of the Gospell we shall finde that feruent zeale extreamely heating the whole bodie melting the spirits thinning the blood opening the pores and so colouring and thicking the sweate of Christ might in most likelihood be the cause of that bloodie sweate Which S. Luke seemeth to insinuate when he saith that after Christ was comforted by an Angell from heauen and so recouered from his
vs. In this sense all that the Scripture intendeth by wrath in God is most proper and naturall to God namely his holinesse abhorring sinne his iustice proportioning punishment to it and his power performing whatsoeuer his will and councell decreeth for the repressing or reuenging of sinne For which respect Zanchius a very moderate and considerate writer of our time and one whom amongst others the Discourser iudgeth no way inferior to the best of the Auncients setteth downe this for one of his Resolutions which he calleth a Thesis Ira eo sensu quo scripturae dant illam deo veré proprié ei attribuitur Anger in that sense in which the Scriptures giue it to God is truely and properly ascribed vnto him And his resolutions ensuing vpon the former are not onely that God is angry he meaneth truely and properly as his first Thesis affirmeth with all sinners as well elect as reprobate but that maior grauior est ira dei aduersus homines etiam electos propter peccata quam existimari possit ab ipsis hominibus The anger of God against his elect for sinne is greater and greeuouser then they can conceiue A second signification of proper may be that this wrath which the Scriptures attribute to God is proper to him and common to no creature els Men and deuils haue wrath but that is tumultuous or vitious and hath no communion with Gods wrath which is righteous and holy The Saints and Angels in heauen no doubt detest all iniquitie but they are no fit discerners esteemers nor rewarders of sinne The secrets of the heart they know not whose vncleannesse is open onely to the eies of God The waight of sinne they cannot truely balance he onely that is offended and cannot be deceiued rightly knoweth how farre euery sinne should displease and what euery sinne deserueth As they cannot fully ponder offences no more can they iustly proportion punishment to the demerits of euery sinner and least of all ordaine and arme meanes temporally to afflict or eternally to reuenge the bodies and soules of transgressors he onely that is all-wise all-holy all-iust and allmightie can throughly discerne perfectly dislike euenly reward and powerfully represse sinne by repentance or vengeance as seemeth best to him and therefote he onely is the righteous Iudge of the world and capable of that wrath which is proper to God A third meaning of Gods proper wrath may be this that as euery thing most rightly deserueth his name when it hath in 〈◊〉 permixtion of the contrary to alter his nature so Gods proper wrath may be that which is wholy and onely wrath without any temper of mercie or loue to diminish the heate and hight of wrath That is most properly light that hath no darkenesse trueth that hath no falshood good that hath no euill in it And since Gods iustice against the wicked admitteth neither loue to their persons nor mercie to their miseries that is also Gods proper wrath which is fully and wholy wrath without any fauour or pitie towards them that are the vessels of wrath appointed to destruction Of their damnation S. Iohn writeth The smoke of their torment shall ascend for euer and they shal haue no rest day nor night Wherby it is euident their iudgement shall be mercilesse their worme neuer dying and the fire neuer quenching And how can it be otherwise since they are both haters and hated of God Iacob haue I loued saith God and Esau haue I hated Thou hatest saith Dauid to God all those that worke wickednesse Yea the wrath of God saith Paul is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men For as they regarded not to know God so God deliuered them vp into a reprobate minde to doe vnseemely things Neither is there any greater wrath in this life then for men to be left to the lustes of their owne hearts that they may be full of all vnrighteousnesse wickednesse maliciousnesse haters of God inuenters of euill voyde of all loue fidelitie and mercie and here receiue in themselues a meete reward of their errour to prepare them for eternall vengeance with diuels in the world to come This wrath of God against the wicked hath in it neither loue nor mercie but is wholy wrath proportioned to their desires which are sinnefull and their deserts which are hatefull before God and so they feele the iust and full recompence of their affected ignorance and wilfull disobedience Of this wrath the elect doe not taste they are freed from it in Christ their Redeemer and Sauiour by whose spirit their mindes are lightned and renued and their hearts perswaded to the obedience of faith and by whose death they are wholy deliuered from the wrath to come Of the two former they often taste specially when they neglect continuall and serious repentance to which free remission of sinnes is offered in the blood of Christ Iesus or when through the rebellion of the flesh against the spirit they are caried backe to the desires of their former corruption In which cases the Lord with sundry and sore afflictions letteth them sharpely feele what it is to prouoke the holinesse or abuse the goodnesse of so gracious a Father and neuer leaueth scourging them till they see and acknowledge their vnrulinesse and lament and leaue their vncleannesse taking hope and hold through faith of his mercies promised them in Christ Iesus If it can not be truely sayd of the elect that in this third sense which you vrge they taste of Gods proper wrath because of the loue which God beareth and sheweth them in Christ his sonne how much lesse may it be auouched of Christ himselfe that he suffered all Gods proper wrath on whom nothing was layed for our sinnes but with so great loue fauour and honour considering the cause which he vndertooke that God in each and all Christs sufferings declared him to be the best pleasing sacrifice and most sufficient recompense for sinne that heauen could yeeld or God would haue For whether wee looke to the choise of the person to the measure of his chastisement or to the reward of his labour wee shall see the exceeding and admirable loue and fauour of God towards him albeit the iustice of God kindled against our sinnes did not quit him from all paine yea that very chastisement by which he yeelded and learned obedience did not onely witnesse but also increase Gods loue towards him And where you Sir Discourser cast your eyes onely vpon Gods seuere and implacable iustice against sinne when you speake of Christes sufferings to serue your owne turne and to tole in hell-paines with some pretence of piety all the godly may perceiue and must confesse that God in satisfaction for sinne had greater regard of his holinesse despised by mans disobedience and of his glorie defaced by Satans triumph for our fall than of the rigor of his iustice prouoked by contempt of his commandement For
sheweth that ioy sorrow hope desperation confidence feare loue hatred mercie enuie anger wrath waspishnesse rage shamefastnesse blushing staggering hastinesse humanitie morositie and such like haue their MOTIONS in the hart heating or cooling it and so dilating or contracting it more or lesse according to the differences and degrees of their impressions Zanchius a wise and worthy Diuine treating of the parts of the Body saith The second vse of the hart is to impart vitall spirits specially to the head in which the mind properly worketh and so to minister matter whence the sensitiue spirits are produced in the braine by which motion sense and cogitations are stirred The third vse of the hart is that it should also be the seate fountaine and cause of all our affections For there are in the hart two motions the one of pulse to maintaine life by the ordinary breathing in and out of the ayre the other of affection which followeth the thought of man and is made by the extraordinarie dilating of the whole hart as in ioy or compressing it as in sorow With sorow and griefe we pine away with ioy we reuiue Whereupon the hart in one affection is opened and cheered in the other it is shut and dryed Hereby we perceiue why the Scripture by the name of the hart vnder standeth the WILL and all the affections of man as by the name of the minde it noteth all the thoughts and knowledge of man Wherefore as motion sense and cogitations spring from the braine or head so all affections from the hart Then from the hart ascend to the braine vitall spirits whence sensitiue spirits are engendred By these sensitiue spirits thoughts are mooued and knowledge planted in the mind Againe those sensitiue spirits by cogitations and conceptions strike the whole hart and kindle diuers affections and raize diuers motions in it And this hath great profit in Diuinitie For besides that we vnderstand how the Soule vseth the Body and worketh by the Body two chiefe points of true godlinesse are illustrated by this Doctrine the KNOVVLEDGE and LOVE of God whence commeth obedience and the obseruance of all his commaundements For the holy Ghost sliding into our harts first lightneth the minde which worketh in the head and with that effectuall knowledge kindleth in our hart the affection of loue And from thence commeth the motion of all the parts to performe the will of God By this meanes God truely dwelleth in our mind in our hart and in our whole Body There is then neither good nor euill affection in the soule of man which is not somewhat communicated to the hart of man expressed by the very motions of the hart that the body may iustly be drawen by consenting and seruing in either to the reward and punishment of either The READY SVBIECTION of the Body to the Soule in all sinne is the last point that I mentioned of their mutuall communion For though vnderstanding and will were giuen at first with all facilitie to rule and gouerne the other powers and parts of Soule and Body yet the corruption of sinne once entering not onely diuided the Body against the Soule but euen the Soule against it selfe So that in good things this corruptible Body is now an heauie burden loading the Soule when it is lightned with grace and the inferiour and sensitiue powers of the Soule rebell and striue against the spirit which renueth the inward man of the hart Some ignorance infirmitie and selfeloue remaine still in the mind as defects till we come to the place where our knowledge and loue shall be made perfect but when we would doe good euen then the law of sinne in our members REBELLETH against the law of our mind and leadeth vs captiue to the law of sinne that is in our members The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are repugnant the one to the other so that we can not doe the things which we would For which cause the Apostle professed of himselfe that he did presse downe his body and bring it into subiection least the Body rebelling and preuailing against the spirit he should become a cast-away This sharpe and strong resistance which our earthly members make against the mind and will delighting in the law of God and guided by his spirit sheweth the willingnesse and readinesse of the flesh to conspire and ioyne with the WILL in the seruitude of sinne to make her members the weapons of vnrighteousnesse so that the will no sooner consenteth to any euill but the sensitiue and motiue powers of the Soule permixed with the bodily spirits attend with delight and forwardnesse to promote and execute ech sinfull purpose This is that greedinesse which the Apostle noteth in some to vncleannesse from which if either feare or grace restraine it is not without some sensible griefe to the flesh disappointed of her desires and lusts We see the manifest and manifold coniunction and communion of the soule with the bodie as well in good as in euill which is strange to none neither Philosophers Physitians nor Diuines but onely to this Discourser to whom all sound and true learning is strange For not onely vertues and vices are common to both but spirituall graces as faith hope and loue the soule in this life receiueth perceiueth and practiseth together with her bodie and by her body Vertue and vice saith Athenagoras can not so much as be conceiued in the soule without the bodie For the vertues that are we know to be the vertues of men as also the vices that are contrarie and not to be in the soule apart from the bodie or consisting by her selfe Of faith we said before it commeth by hearing and so doth hope since that is expected which is beleeued Touching loue God by his law commandeth himselfe to be loued with all our mind with all our heart with all our soule with all our strength not making an emptie variation of words but binding all the parts and powers of bodie and soule capable of that affection or seruiceable to it with one common duetie to perfourme him loue The soule then beleeuing and louing the promises and graces of God openeth the heart and diffuseth the spirits to accept and imbrace the goodnesse of God in like maner as she did before dilate it to entertaine the desires of earthly things and God detesting an h hard and frozen heart as voyde of all loue requireth to haue the bowels mooued towards him and the heart kindled with a vehement flame describing zeale and deuotion by the naturall motions and passions which are felt in the heart when it is affected with vehement and strong loue So in repentance the soule depresseth and humbleth the heart raising it againe with hope which before was exalted with pride and incensed with selfe loue by the same naturall meanes and motions testifying the one that she did the other
kindled against thee and against thy two friends though he willed them to sacrifice for their offence and promised to accept Iobs prayer for them The same may often be obserued in other places of the Scriptures The wrath of God is likewise taken for the threates whereby God denounceth what he will inflict on the wickednesse of men or for the sharpe reproofe which hee vseth against sinne committed I sware in my wrath they shall not enter into my rest saith God of the disobedient Israelites in the wildernesse In miâ—…e indignation â—…d in the fire of my wrath haue I spoken it saith God by Ezechiel surely at that time there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel So Dauid Then shall ‖ God ‖ speake to them in his wrath and terrifie them in his sore displeasure Wherefore Dauid prayeth for himselfe O Lord reprooue me not in thine anger knowing that Gods rebukes and threates ought to be as much regarded and feared of the faithfull as his plagues Lastly all the Iudgements of God awaking the negligent scourging the disobedient obdurating the impenitent in this life or renenging the Reprobate here and in hell are in the Scriptures called the wrath of God of which speech there can be no question because the word of God giueth plaine plentifull euidence in euery of those parts onely the Discourser auoucheth that the two first are no degrees nor effects of Gods proper wrath though the Scripture call them wrath but are so termed by a very improper speech These are his words To suffer chastisements and corrections as the godly doe is not to suffer or feele Gods wrath except it be in a very improper speech And this is one of the maine points on which he putteth theissue of the question I affirme saith he Christ suffered Gods proper wrath and vengeance You thinke all afflictions whatsoeuer small or great and towards whomsoeuer are the effects of Gods wrath but that is not so except in a most improper speech To the godly their afflictions both small and great are Gods fatherly and gracious chastisements and no effects of his properwrath Thou must not forget Christian Reader from what beginning we come to this issue This Rouer taking vpon him to prooue that Christ suffered the true paines of hell and of the damned made this his foundation That Christ suffered the wrath of God for vs which he affirmed to be equall to hell it selfe and all the torments thereof Mine answere shortly was I did not see what this proposition Christ suffered for vs the wrath of God if it were granted could helpe his cause or hinder mine For the wrath of God extended to all paines and punishments aswell corporall as spirituall in this life and the next were they temporall or eternall So that no paine or punishment small or great could befall the bodie or soule of Christ but it must needs proceed from the wrath of God To this he now replieth To suffer as the godly do chastisements and corrections is not to suffer or feele Gods wrath nor indeed the punishment of sinne except it be in a very improper speech Where first obserue that these words as the godly do are not conteined in mine answer but intended by him in his replie The ground on which I stood was that all the miseries of mans life what soeuer they be came first from the wrath of God reuenging the sinne of our first Father and so are degrees and parts of that wrath wherewith God punished the transgression of Adam I named no miseries peculiar to the godly but common to them with the wicked neither did I touch any speciall maner of suffering as the godly do suffer but prooued that the Scriptures which must teach vs all how to speake in Gods causes called them wrath euen in the godly And consequently since Christ suffered sorrow paine and death which came for sinne and are common to all he might and did suffer the wrath of God for vs and yet not the paines of the damned You cast about afresh Sir Discourser in your defence and tell vs the Scriptures speake verie improperlie when they call the miseries of this life the wrath of God and therefore you bring vs a new phrase of your owne framing and say the godly in no wise doe suffer Gods proper wrath that is properly taken or properly so called which Christ did suffer as you affirme Is your learning so good Sir Defender that you will applie to God wrath indignation and furie properly so called which are the highest degrees of Gods anger against the wicked Haue you forgotten who tooke vpon you such knowledge in the Hebrue tongue that the vsuall words whereby the Scripture expresseth the wrath of God against the wicked do import the nose the heat the boiling the kindling the excesse aâ—…d rage of God against the wicked which words if you referre to God by way of proper speech you make of euery one of them a barbarous and blasphemous heresie So that your late coined distinction of Gods wrath by improper speech towards his children and his wrath properly so called against his enemies is vaine and foolish the words in Scripture that note Gods wrath against his enemies are most improper and are translated from the behauiouâ—… of angrie men to God of purpose to strike a terrour into the wicked of that great and grieuous iudgement which they shall receiue But whatsoeuer the words designe in their naturall signification which the Christian faith forbiddeth vs to attribute properly vnto God because they expresse humane affections and corporall passions which are not in God by the anger which is in God against sinne the Scripture meaneth nothing els but his most holy dislike of sinne in whomsoeuer and his most iust and constant will and decree in some to reward sinne according to desert which is vengeance in this life and the next in others so to temper the punishment of sinne with loue and mercie that whatsoeuer he inflict on bodie or soule shall tend to the praise of his iustice and mercie and end with the consolation and saluation of their soules And by the anger which proceedeth from God are in the Scriptures intended either his threats against sinne or his punishments of sinne be they corporall or spirituall temporall or eternall mixed with mercie or proportioned only to iustice If you relinquish your holdfast of improper speech and rase that vnaduised shift out of your booke for God hath in him no wrath properly so called but his holinesse displeased and iustice prouoked by sinne are improperly named his wrath in the Scriptures Let vs come to the proprieties of the things themselues and see whether chasticements for sinne doe properly proceede from Gods loue onely or from his iustice tempered with loue and mercy Of the wicked I shall not neede to speake much we make no great question of them
howbeit euen their externall punishments in this life are not voide of Gods bountie and patience diuersly blessing them with earthly things often warning and sparing them by giuing them time and place to mislike and leaue their sinnes and length-fully expecting their submission and amendment which the Apostle calleth the riches of Gods bountie patience and long sufferance leading euen the obstinate and hard harted to repentance The doubt is of the godly whether their afflictions which are corrections and chasticements for sinne rise only from Gods loue or rather from his iustice mixed with loue I affirme the Scriptures doe directly and distinctly propose in the chasticements of the elect as well iudgement and wrath as mercy and loue and that not by abusing the words but by reseruing to either their naturall proprieties and seuerall consequents the one for the commendation of Gods iustice the other for the demonstration of his mercy and consolation of the afflicted For his wicked couetousnesse I was angry saith God and did smite him ‖ but ‖ I will heale him and restore comfort vnto him He must be more then absurd that will imagine God would or could say for his wicked couetousnesse I loued him that were to make God the abettour and embracer of wickednesse which is wholy repugnant to his Diuine sanctitie and glory the words therefore must stand as they doe without any euasion of improper speech and Gods anger in this place must plainely differ from his loue which cannot be added to these words without euident impietie Since then the cause was sinne which God doth perfectly hate in whomsoeuer euen in his owne and the smiting came for sinne and from anger it is not possible this chasticement should spring onely from loue but ioyntly both must worke together I meane Gods anger against sinne and his loue towards the person to make the punishment tolerable and comfortable to the bearer The like rule God giueth for all that belong to the true seed and sonne of Dauid which is Christ. If his children forsake my law and walke not in my iudgements I will visue their transgressions with the Rod and their iniquitie with sâ—…ripes but my mercy will I not take from him God threatneth no loue to sinne he threatneth anger the stripes here mentioned are not the loue of a father but mitigated by loue the mercy here promised is not adioyned as the onely cause of this correction which is ascribed to the transgressions and iniquities of the children but it serueth for a salue to heale the wound which Gods iustice prouoked by their sinnes should formerly make For he is the God that woundeth and healeth killeth and quickneth casteth downe to hell and rayseth vp againe not working contraries by one and the selfe same loue but when he hath iustly done the one for our offences he gratiously doth the other for his mercies sake in wrath remembring mercy least we should be consumed He then despouseth the Church vnto himselfe in iudgement and mercy not in iudgement forgetting mercy nor by mercy excluding iudgement for iudgement beginneth at the house of God but retaining both that the whole Church may sing mercy and iudgement vnto him as Dauid did yet with this difference that he doth not punish with the hart as the Prophet testifieth but his delight is in mercie Which plainly prooueth the Rod is not all one with loue as the Apostle noteth when he opposeth the one against the other saying Shall I come to you with a rodde or in loue but is guided by loue lest in displeasure God should shut vp his mercies These two therefore in God iust anger against the sinnes and tender loue towards the persons of his children together with their effects which are iudgement and mercy may not be confounded the one with the other but as they haue different causes and proprieties in God so haue they different effects and consequents in vs the Scriptures bearing witnesse that Gods anger riseth for our sinnes his loue for his owne names sake his anger he threatneth his loue he promiseth he hath no pleasure in punishing he delighteth in mercie he repenteth him often of the euill which he denounceth his gifts and calling are without repentance when we call vpon him he deliuereth vs out of all our troubles his mercy will he neuer take from his nor frustrate his truth Yea the godly haue a different feeling of his anger towards them from his loue they feare they faint they grieue and grone vnder the burden of affliction they waxe weary of it they pray against it they giue him thankes when they are freed from it none of which affections may with any sense of godlinesse agree to his loue But these are no effects of Gods proper wrath you thinke Christ onely hauing wholy suffered that for vs all What you meane by Gods proper wrath is knowen onely to your selfe you neuer expresse nor expound the word but with more obscure and doubtfull termes then the former At first you affirme Gods wrath towards his children was a most improper speech I haue now shewed that if you looke to the words vsed in the sacred Scriptures Gods wrath towards his enemies is as improper a speech as the other Your second wrench was that all chastisements for sinne are inflicted on Gods children properly by his loue I haue prooued that they proceede properly from Gods iustice tempered with mercie and not from his onely loue Your third shift is now they are no effects of Gods proper wrath which Christ did wholy suffer for vs all If you vnderstand by Gods proper wrath that which is only wrath and hath no admixture of his loue fauour or mercie then is your position ridiculous in your first maine point and blasphemous in the second For who euer auouched that God punished his children and his enemies with the same degrees and effects of wrath or who euer dreamed that God chastising the sinnes of his elect in wrath remembred not his mercie you doe indeede affirme of Christ that he suffered all Gods proper wrath which if you now interpret to be without all respect of loue or fauour towards him you light on a greater blasphemie then you are ware of Wherefore looke well to your new found phrases of Gods meere iustice and proper wrath with which you thinke to colour your conceits they will else proue you a weake Scholer and a worse Christian. The word proper applyed to Gods wrath may signifie either that which is not figuratiue or that which is not common to others or that which hath no mixture of loue or mercie to mitigate wrath but is wholy and onely wrath In God nothing is figuratiue he is naturally and wholy truth itselfe The words applyed to him are often improper and figuratiue because we can hardly speake or vnderstand many things that are in him but by such words as are knowen and familiar to
the wages thereof to be finall depriuation of all grace and glorie and eternall damnation of bodie and soule to hell-fire how can she but quake and tremble at the very cogitation and remembrance of her owne guiltinesse and of the greatnesse of his power and iustnesse of his anger And therefore the godlie presently fall vpon the consideration hereof to condemne and detest all their sinnes and with broken and contrite harts to lament their vnrighteousnesse and to afflict their spirits with earnest and inward sorrow till by faith and repentance they find comfort in the mercies of God through Christ Iesus For want of which the wicked often in this life and speciallie at the houre of death sincke vnder the burden of their sinnes and plunged into the depth of desperation are possessed with an horrible fright and terror of the torments prepared for them in another world they feeling here on earth in their soules the remorse of sinne and sting of conscience but not able to rise vnto true repentance and hope of saluation by reason of their continuall contempt of grace whiles it was offered them which then is taken from them After this life appeare the terrible iudgements of God against sinne which the wicked so much feare and the faithful so much shun the speciall maner and meanes whereof as farre as the Scriptures deliuer them I will deferre till I come to the particular handling of them though I haue often proposed them and in part proued them but whether the words of the Scripture expressing them be allegories that is figuratiue shadowes or plaine speeches that question is not yet debated which I reserue till I haue ended the immediate suffering of the soule as this Discourser calleth it Of these sixe meanes besides the immediate hand of God to inflict paine on the soule for the punishment of sinne it pleaseth you Sir Discourser to skip foure and the other two in effect to denie Affections you say are neither punishments nor corrections at all properly in themselues and suffering by sympathie from and with the bodie is common as you auouch to vs with beasts and is no proper humane suffering because in your iudgement your first kinde of suffering from the immediate hand of God alone is the proper humane suffering which for that cause your selfe call the soules proper and immediate suffering But what if in all this you speake not one true word what if the affections that be euill be properlie punishments of sinne what if the soules suffering from and with the bodie be the true and proper humane suffering what if God vse not his immediate hand in tormenting soules but hauing ordained and appointed meanes by his wisedome and power committeth sinfull soules to be punished by those instruments and meanes which he with his hand hath prepared and in his word expressed Do you not shew your selfe a deepe Diuine that prooue points of faith by open falsities and heape vp errours by the dozens binding them with your bare word and obtruding them to the world as oracles lately slipt from heauen but go to the parts and first to the affections which you affirme are no punishments whether they be good or euill The affections of the soule that be good as the loue of God the zeale of his glorie and hope of his mercie and trueth are the speciall gifts and graces of Gods spirit and so farre from paining the soule that they breed exceeding comfort and ioy in the Holieghost The affections that are eâ—…ill are not onely the rage and reward of sinne but inflict as great anguish as may be felt in this life Concupiscence which is the root and nurse of all euill affections in vs be they sensitiue or intellectiue what is it but the inordinate and intemperate desire and loue of our owne willes and pleasures despising and hating whatsoeuer resisteth or hindereth our deuices or delights yea though it be the will and hand of God himselfe this corruption of the soule by sinne which is now naturall in vs all whence came it but from and for the punishment of the first mans sinne what is it but the verie poison of sinne and whether tendeth it but to withstand and refuse all grace that men reiecting God and reiected of God may runne headlong to the finall and eternall vengeance of their sinne It is no small punishment of sinne for men to be left to the desires of their owne hearts and to be giuen ouer to vile affections which the Apostle calleth the reward of their error and euen the fulnesse of all vnrighteousnesse which make men the seruants of sinne whiles they wait on lusts and diuers pleasures which fight against the soule by leading it captiue vnto the law of sinne which is in the members And if you doubt whether they paine the soule or no looke but on their names or their effects and you shall soone be out of doubt Anger disdaine despaire dislike detestation feare sorrow ragâ—… furie for earthly things can these be so much as conceiued or named without euident impression or mention of paine yea the fairest of our affections and those which at first flarter vs most as loue desire and pleasure I speake still of euill and vnlawfull do they not quicklie faile sowerlie leaue and sharplie vexe with their remembrance and repentance the greatest seekers and owners of them In all these worldlie desires and delights S. Austens rule is generallie true Quod sine illiciente amore non habuit sine vrente dolore non perdet He that kept them not without alluring loue loseth them with afflicting griefe As for the intellectiue passions of the soule which are the trembling at Gods wrath the feare of his power and despaire of his fauour besides the shame of sinne griefe of heart and horror of hell what torments they breed in the condemned consciences of the wicked the godly may partly iudge by that which they sometimes taste notwithstanding their present recourse to the mercies and promises of God in Christ. So that euill affections aswell intellectiue as sensitiue be punishments of sinne and painfull to the soule howsoeuer your cogitations Sir Discourser be otherwise humored Concerning the soules suffering from and with the bodie which you say is common to vs with beasts if the soule do not consider for what cause at whose hand and to what end she suffereth as also how she may be freed and what thanks is due to her deliuerer she may be well likened to the Horse and Mule in whom is no vnderstanding but the brutish dulnesse of some earthly minded men doth not make this kind of suffering not to be properly humane which God from the beginning did and doth vse to all his seruants and saints his owne sonne not excepted and whereby God worketh in all his children correction probation perfection preparation to glorie which are things most proper to men and no way communicable vnto beasts God
is the substance of condemnation but also for that the rest of hell paines are not inflicted till both these take hold on the soules of men For so long as men haue any part or hope of heauen they are not condemned to hell neither shall the finall iudgement of God proceede against any till their owne consciences doe first conuict them and condemne them And therefore as in Christs sentence reiection and malediction stand before the rest so in perfourmance they must take place before eternall torment of fire shall follow Gods iudgement being certainely iust shall be without all contradiction euen in the consciences of the condemned who then shal be their owne accusers and as hell hath no communion with heauen no more can a man bee adiudged to hell but he must first be excluded from the possession and expectation of all heauenly ioy and blisse I speake of the order and coherence of the punishments not of any long distance of time betweene them forsomuch as that iudgement shal be as quickly executed as pronounced The torment of fire is the third part of this iudgemenâ—… which I make no question but you will acknowledge to be an essentiall paine of hell whatsoeuer you intend by the name of fire For if this also be accidentall to damnation I maruaile much what is substantiall But you are content to admit this for the substance of hell paines so you may allegorize it and make thereof what best fitteth your fansie Then if Christ suffered not the torment of hell fire so much threatned to the wicked in the Scriptures and inflicted on the damned by Christs sentence it is very plaine he suffered no part of the substance of hell paines vnlesse your learning serue you to say that when Christ commeth to giue Iudgement against all the damned he shall vtterly forget and mistake himselfe and in stead of the substance of hell paines pronounce onely the circumstances thereof against the reprobate both men and Angels Here therfore is the place to examine whether the fire of hell be allegoricall or no for that it is essentiall to the paines of hell can be no doubt with any but with Atheists and Infidels which know not God since it is named by Christ as a chiefe punishment prepared for the diuell and his Angels Wherein I wish thee gentle Reader aduisedly to marke what is said on either side it is a matter of no small moment both to Christian religion and true godlinesse whether it shall be lawfull for euery vnstable wit at his pleasure to allegorize whatsoeuer liketh not his humour in the sacred Scriptures For if the small and eternall Iudgement of God against the wicked be allegoricall then surely the reward of the faithfull from the same Iudge at the same time must likewise be allegoricall And if we once bring all that is threatned and promised in the world to come to be figures and allegories we endanger the power and iustice of God which must openly appeare to all the world in the punishment of sinne if he be a God and displeased and offended with sinne as also his mercy bountie and glorie in crowning his elect to be nothing but types and figures The end of all things which is the time of iudgement must openly and fully performe whatsoeuer God in this life threatneth or promiseth and if that day doe not plainly distinguish betweene righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse the elect and the reprobate and shewe a most sensible difference betwixt the kingdome of heauen and the torments of hell to the view of men and Angels without figures or allegories no time after is or euer shal be appointed for that purpose The first reason which leadeth me to beleeue the fire of hell to to be a true substantiall and externall fire and no allegorie is that which is and must be the ground of all Religion to wit the proper signification of the word threatned in the Scriptures to the wicked and by Christ inflicted on the damned Otherwise if we hold not fast this rule not to runne to figures in expounding the Scriptures except the proper signification of the words in any place be against the trueth of faith or honestie of manners we shall leaue nothing sound or assured in the word of God For when the mind is possessed with any errour whatsoeuer the Scriptures auouch to the contrarie men thinke it to be figuratiue as S. Austen rightly obserueth Your selfe approue this rule when it maketh any thing for you your words are I like well that no figure is to be admitted in Scripture where there is no ill or hurtfull sense following litterally Now that externall and substantiall fire is denounced to the wicked in the Scriptures and shall accordingly torment the damned in hell what iniurie is it to the Christian faith or what repugnance hath it with the rest of the Scriptures We doe and must beleeue that Christ shall come to iudge the quicke and dead and with his owne mouth shall openly adiudge the reprobate to euerlasting fire prepared for the deuill and his angels What necessitie then is there to allegorize this fire It is impossible you thinke for soules and deuils which are spirits to be punished with externall and corporall fire and therefore the fire in your conceit must be figuratiue Shall it be impossible to God when he speaketh the word to performe the deede or is it too hard for you to conceaue the manner how it shall be done I trust you take not vpon you to restraine the maruailes of Gods workes to the reach of your wits or to measure the greatnesse of his arme by the weaknesse of your hand How many thousand things are there in the creation conseruation and alteration of the world in the aire in the earth and euery part thereof which are daily before our eyes and yet farre passe our vnderstanding To tie Gods trueth and glorie to your capacitie were madde deuinitie to make any thing vnpossible for him which his mouth hath spoken were meere infidelitie He that created spirits of nothing can as easily make them capable of paine and punishment from fire or whatsoeuer meane pleaseth him to vse But fire hee hath threatned vnto men and deuils By fire therefore shall they be tormented which his hand that is Almightie and his mouth that is all true shall perfourme in the sight of all the world A second reason is that Christ shall pronounce these words in Iudgement where the guiltie must perceiue what is their doome the ministers must know what they shall execute and the elect must discerne what they are to approoue Now allegories are exactly knowen onely to the speaker the hearers except they can search the heart can not certainely knowe the meaning of figures and parables till they be expounded Christs iudgement therefore shall be plaine and proper and containe nothing in it that any way may hinder the present and euident conception execution or approbation
the exceeding loue and admirable honor wherewith God accepted and aduanced the death of his Sonne for mans saluation seeme to any sober man verie wrath true vengeance or the proper punishment of sinne prouided and reserued for reprobate men and angels It was not for correction you say What then ergo for vengeance Who being in his right wits would so reason God afflicteth his Saints often times for probation for perfection for coronation as the Scriptures auouch and not for correction May a man thence conclude by your Logick that these afflictions of the Godly are true punishment and proper vengeance Your selfe most withstand it Why then since Christes afflictions had in them a cleere illustration of Gods wisdome power and loue towards man somewhat blemished and obscured in mans fall by Satans craft and a full recompence to his holinesse and iustice neglected and irritated by mans vnrighteousnesse besides the obedience sufficience and preualence of his Sonne thereby declared why should I say those afflictions of Christ great and small during his life and at his death seeme to any man that is well aduised the true wrath proper vengeance and right punishment that was prepared for sinners Yea since the proper vengeance and right punishment of sinne must be common to sinfull men with the sinfull Angels in as much as they both sinned and shall both receaue the due wages of sinne how can the corporall afflictions of this life wherein the diuels can not partake with men be called the proper vengeance and right punishment of sinne And who but you hearing our Sauiour pronounce that euerlasting fire is the full payment and proper punishment of wicked and accursed men and Angels would labour with such loose and lewd collections to bring Christ Iesus within the compasse of the full punishment and proper vengeance due to sinne Wherefore take backe your riotous and irreligious termes As they are not prooued by any Scripture so are they not to be suffered in Christian Religion because they are but cloudes to cloke the fantasticall frame of your new hell In the sharpnesse of the punishment exacted by God on the manhood of his owne Sonne for our sinnes though farre different from that which the wicked doe and shall feele and which the Scriptures call the wrath to come wherein the diuels shall haue their portion euen in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone God would haue vs learne how much he detesteth our sinnes how easie all the plagues which we suffer in this life are in respect of that we deserue how infinite the loue and mercy of God was towards vs to lay the burden which we could not haue borne on the shoulders of his onely Sonne who for his dignitie innocencie and euery way sufficiencie was able to quench that wrath that euerlastingly and intolerably would haue burnt against vs to our finall and perpetuall destruction of body and soule For if Gods owne Sonne though he did recompence our sinnes with his infinite humilitie obedience and sanctitie was yet pursued vnto death in most painefull and reprochfull manner for our sakes before we could be quited from the guilt and load of our sinnes had we appeared in the iust iudgement of God to receaue the reward of our manifold iniquities what could haue beene the end thereof but a most dreadfull damnation of body and soule to hell fire for euer with the desperate and damned spirits This God would haue vs obserue in the death of his Sonne though there be many other points of Gods wisedome power and loue towards Christ himselfe which the Scriptures inclose in the Crosse of Christ. That then Gods wrath and displeasure against our sinnes appeared in the Crosse of Christ I doe not deny speaking of wrath after the manner of the Sacred Scriptures But that any wrath or vengeance proper to the wicked was therein offered or executed on Christ or that he suffered the iust and full punishment allotted to others for sinne Saue that his sufferings were in his person the full price of our Redemption I meane a most sufficient satisfaction and recompence for all the sinnes of the world I find no mention made thereof in all the Scriptures nor see any iust cause or proofe thereof alleaged by you in all your writings For since you will not endure that any thing executed on the godly shall be truely called wrath it is euident that the wrath which you imagine Christ suffered must be proper to the wicked before it can be rightly called wrath because the godly feele no part of Gods wrath litle nor great as you suppose Now that Christ suffered the wrath of God prouided for the sinnes of the wicked only and no way common to the godly this is both a false and a wicked proposition of yours though you euery where vrge it you no where prooue it but boldly as your fashion is affirming it you thinke the world bound to embrace it I find by the Scriptures that the wrath which Christ suffered in Soule and Body differed from that which is proper to the wicked as well in the Nature and measure of the paines as in the purpose of the punisher and inward peace of the sufferer and in all the consequents of the paines themselues In this world the wicked find subtraction of all grace and fauour confusion and desperation in the world to come exclusion from glorie Malediction and damnation wholy and euerlastingly light on them none of which may be transferred to Christ without intolerable blasphemie Yet paine you thinke Christ suffered and more then paine the wicked and damned doe not suffer Were that true which is most false that the damned suffer no more then pain though indeed in hell cuery thing doth paine them yet all paines are not of the same nature and kind and no paines felt in this life come neere the paines of hell whereof this mortall life and flesh is not capable The paine of fire we see doth presently cut of this life and some diseases so much heate the body that they doe the like and yet the paine and force of this naturall fire or of any sicknesse is nothing comparable to the fury of hell fire for which the bodies of the wicked must be made immortall before they can endure it All aches and agues doe paine the body all feares and sorrowes afflict the soule and spirit of man Shall we thence conclude that all men at all times when they are pained or grieued suffer the paines of hell because it is paine which the damned doe suffer It is more then prophane abusing and deluding the terrible iudgements of God against sinne to suppose that all paines of body and soule are hell paines in nature and kind which you wrap vnder the fold of proper wrath and right punishment of sinne because they are paines Wherefore they must either be the selfe same paines that God in his iust and fierce wrath inflicted on the damned or you
of Christ on the Crosse. Now the relatiue following QVOD enim must either be referred to all that went before and so not to malediction apart from the rest or to that which went next before which is the chasticement of our peace And so either way you were ouer bold with your Author to referre his words whether pleased you And farder answere to Ierom there needed none For to no proofe needed no answere And yet what better answere could you haue then for Ieroms meaning since his words are not generall to haue Ieroms conclusion in that very place brought you which best serueth to shew Ieroms intent Of Christs hanging on the Crosse Ierom speaketh noting that to be a cursed kinde of death out of the Apostle which I am farre from denying So doth he of digging Christs hands and feete out of the Psalme and of the rest of Christs wounds and stripes by which we were healed out of the Prophet whom hee expoundeth All which Christ suffered for vs being in deed due to vs for our sinnes Leaue out your falsifying of Ieroms words and sense that whatsoeuer curse was due to vs for our sinnes Christ suffered for vs and I see no cause why Ieroms words should neede any answere That this place of Esaie and the whole Doctrine which I auouch touching these fufferings of Christ may be the better receaued let vs note that the publike Doctrine appointed by Authoritie to be taught throughout England expresseth the same Namely Nowels Catechisme Since the Scriptures which plentifully and plainly teach vs the true price and meanes of our saluation giue no warrant of your new found Doctrine and the whole Armie of Auncient and learned Fathers who could ill instruct the people committed to their charge if they themselues were ignorant of the true meaning of their Creed and Catechisme neuer heard nor thought of your late deuised Redemption by Christs suffering the very paines of hell and the same which the damned doe suffer without any dispensation or Qualification for so it liketh you to speake if you could produce moe new writers of your mind then you doe or can they must pardon me for not admitting any Doctrine touching our Redemption but what I see grounded on the plaine euidence of the Sacred Scriptures and so receaued in the Church of Christ before our Age. I list not to deuise or approue a new Saluation vnknowen till our time and if any man be otherwise minded he shall goe alone for me God grant me to be a member of that Church which hath reuerently receaued and faithfully beleeued the simplicitie of the Scriptures touching our Redemption by the death and bloud of Christ Iesus Howbeit I see many men speake diuersly that meane nothing lesse then your late found hell inflicted by the immediat hand of God on the Soule of Christ. Where then you dreampt in your Treatise as you still doe in your Defence that whosoeuer named the wrath of God in Christs sufferings or called his Crosse a cursed kinde of death was wholy of your side I did in few lines reprooue that folly of yours and since you quoted no speciall words neither out of Master Nowels Catechisme nor out of the Bible appointed publikely to be read in the Churches of this Realme nor out of the Booke of Homilies that were worth the standing on there was no cause why I should wast time to hunt after your meaning If you would haue an answere it was meete you made your Arguments and pressed your Authorities as well as you could and then you should soone see what I said vnto them But as I then foretold so you now performe Your buzzing head no where findeth the wrath of God or horror of Iudgement against our sinne to be apprehended by Christ but you straightway conclude all your conceits from the first to the last These words when I reade them in any man offend not me as they helpe not you except you wrest them after your manner to hide vnder them your new found hell and the rest of your presumptuous and irreligious humours Begin with the Catechisme and see what choise you haue made thence There it is thus taught He payd and suffered the paine due to vs and by this meanes deliuerd vs from the same With Christ as our suretie God dealt as it were with extremitie of law Christ therefore suffered and in suffering ouercame death the paine appointed by the euerliuing God for mans offence What of all this What one worde is here sounding towards the death of the soule or the death of the damned after this life The Catechisme in the very same sentence expressely speaketh of the painefull and reprochfull death which the Iewes inflicted on Christ the manner whereof is orderly described in the next answere before These things sayth the Catechisme the Iewes did vnto him cruelly maliciously and wickedly but Christ willingly of his owne accord suffered ALL THOSE THINGS from the Iewes to appease with this most sweete sacrifice his father offended with mankinde vtque paenas nobis debitas dependeret persolueret atque nos ex illis hoc modo eximeret and to pay and satisfie the punishments due to vs thereby to exempt vs from them Cum Christo quasi sponsore pro nobis sic passo Deus summo quasiiure egit God dealt after a sort seuerely with Christ as with a surety suffering thus for vs but to vs whose sinnes deserued punishments and due paines transtulit in Christum hee transferred on Christ God shewed singular mercie and clemencie All this is plainely referred to the punishments and paines which Christ suffered at the hands of the Iewes by the secret counsell and appointment of God that thereby he might pacifie the wrath of his Father and deliuer vs from the shame paine and death due to our sinnes which God transferred and remoued from vs to Christ that he might suffer them and we be freed both here and hereafter for them Wherein great fauour and mercie were shewed to vs and Christ as it were a Suretie subiected for vs after a sort to the rigour of the Lawe What hurt is there in these wordes if you leaue haling and pulling them from their right sense The Authour of the Catechisme warily forbeareth the generall which you seeke after so greedily and when hee commeth to the places that might seeme harsh he qualifieth them with quasi as it were not meaning to presse those phrases as you doe to the vttermost Wherefore he saith that Christ was quasi sponsor a kinde of suretie suffering for vs and that God dealt with him Quasi summo iure as it were with riger in respect of the lenitie shewed to vs. Which speeches if you poyson them not with your bitter conceits I mislike not so long as they be stretched no further then to SIC passo pro nobis Christ THVS suffering for vs at the hands of the Iewes to which the writer of the Catechisme wisely
that doctrine to the people The iust and mercifull God did not so vse the iniurie of his will those are his words that to restore vs hee would only shew the power of his clemenâ—…ie but because it was a consequent that man committing sinne should be the seruant of sinne God so fitted the medicine to the sicke the pardon to the guiltie and redâ—…mption to the captures that the iust sentence of condemnation should be dissolued by tâ—…e iust worke of the 〈◊〉 For if only the Godhead should haue opposed it selfe for vs sinners not so much reason as power should conquer the diuell The Sonne of God therefore admitted wicked hands to be layed on him and what the rage of the persecutors offered with patient power he suffered This was that great mysterie of godlinesse that Christ was euer loaden with iniuries which if he should haue repelled with open power and manifest vertue he should haue exercised onely his diuine strength but not regarded our cause that were men For in all things which the madnesse of the people and Priests did reprochfully and 〈◊〉 vnto him our sinnes were wiped away and our offences purged The diuell himselfe did not vnderstand that his crueltie against Christ should ouerthrow his owne kingdome WHO SHOVLD NOT LOOSE THE RIGHT OF HIS FIRST FRAVD IF HE COVLD ABSTAINE FROM THE LORDS BLOVD But greedie with malice to hurt whiles he rusheâ—…h on Christ himselfe falleth whiles he taketh he is taken and persuing him that was mortall he lighted on him that was the Sauiour of the world Iesus Christ being lifted vp on the tree returned death vpon the Authour of death and strangled all the principalities and powers that were against him by obiecting his flesh that was possible giuing place in himselfe to the presumption of our ancient enemie who raging against mans nature that was subiect vnto him durst there exact his debt where he could finde no signe of sinne Therefore the generall and mortall hand-writing by which we were solde was torne and the contract of our captiuitie came into the power of the Redeemer The person of the Sonne tookâ—… vpon him properly the reparation of mankinde that whose maker he was he might be their restorer so directing his counsell to effect that to destroy the kingdome of the diuell he rather vsed the righteousnesse of reason then the power of his might For whiles the diuell raged on him whom he held by no law of sinne he lost the right of his wicked dominion I repeat the more to let the Reader see that the Fathers in this case doe not play with figures as this Discourser dreameth but they consonantly propose and vrge with earnest and euident words a great point of Christian pietie Gregorie teacheth the same lesson When Satan tooke Christes bodie to crucifie it he lost Christes elect from the right of his power And by Gods speech to Satan concerning Iob Beholde he is in thine hand but saue his life hee thus declaâ—…eth Gods Commission to Satan touching Christ Tâ—…ke thou power against his bodie and lose the right of thy wicked dominion ouer his â—…lect Damascene also noteth that one respect why Christ was made man was to stoppe the diuels murmuring if God should haue taken man out of his hands by the power of his Deitie Christ was made man sayth he that that which was conquered might conquer God was not vnable who is able to doe all things by his almightie power and force to take man from the Tyrant that helâ—… him but that would haue beene a cause of complaint to the Tyrant that had conquered man if he were forced by God Therefore God who pitied and loued vs willing to make man that was fallen the conqueror of Satan became man restoring the like by the like that is man by man And in this sayth Damascene appeareth Gods iustice that man being ouerthrowen he would haue none other besides man to conquer the Tyrant neither would he by violence take man from death but whom death had of old brought into bondâ—…ge by sinne eâ—…en him would the gracious and righteous God make conquer againe What reason then haue you to reuell at Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose in such sort as you doe that their names are of no waitht to warrant such a Doctrine as those words of theirs pretend Or what teach they different from the rest of the Fathers if their words be rightly taken and not wrested aside to your crooked conceiâ—…s That the bloud of Christ was so sufficient a price for vs that not onely the voluntarie sacrificing thereof throughly satisfied the displeased Iustice of God and obtained remission of all our sinnes but eâ—…en the wrongfull shedding thereof by Satans instigation wrought the subuersion of Satans power and right in all the â—…lect God by the rule of Iustice giuing vnto Christs manhoode the spoyle of Satans kingdome â—…or the patience which Christ shewed whiles Satan by the mouthes and hands of the wicked spoyled Christs humane nature of honor and life for the time what danger is there in this to the Christian Faith or what repugnancie to the sacred Scriptures THEREFORE VVILL I giue him his part in many things â—…aith God of Christs manhoode and he shall deuide THE SPOYLE of the mightie or with the mightie because he powred forth his Soule vnto death this the Apostle shâ—…weth was executed against the Diuels them selues Christ SPOYLED Principalities and Powers and made a shew of thâ—…m openly triumphing ouer them in his owne Person According as God threatned the Serpent vpon his first deceauing the woman I will put enmitie betweene thy seâ—…de and her seâ—…de he shall bruize thine head and thou shalt bruize his heele Where God expresseth plainly the Recompence that the seed of the woman should haue for suffering Satan to bruize his heâ—…le euen the bruizing of the Serpents head For nothing is more equall with God then to remâ—…ate the same measure to men and Angels that they mâ—…te to others It was therefore a thing most iust in the sight of God as he subiected Man to Satans power when by sinne he first conquered Man so he subiected Satan to the will and power of Christs manhoode when by righteousnesse Christ conquered the diuell And as Christ patiently endured to be wrongfully depriued of his life by the meanes and members of Satan so in requitall of that presumption and iniurie Christ powerfully and iustly depâ—…ed Satan of all his â—…ight and interest to the Elect for whose sakes Christ gaue his life This excludeth not the voluntarie seruice and sacrifice of Christs obedience vnto death wherewith the Iustice of God was satisfied and appeased but this sheweth that as God had chiefe regard of his owne Iustice and mercie towards man in giuing his owne Sonne to be the pacification of his wrath and propitiation of our sinnes so he dealt iustly with the diuell in causing the
the Crosse for remission of our sinnes and receiued violent wrong from the diuell in putting him to death In reuenge and recompence whereof as all these fathers confesse God tooke iust cause to make not the Diuine nature which had that right before and could not loose it but mans nature which Satan had by sinne conquered and subiected to himselfe to be in the person of Christ conquerer and Lord ouer Satan and all his power to take whom hee would to make them vessels of mercie and to reserue the rest as vessels of wrath vnto the terrible iudgement of Christ. Wherein these Fathers doe not swarue from the Pophets and Apostles meaning howsoeuer they vse different words that Christ should diuide the spoyle of the mightie because hee powred out his Soule vnto death And that therefore God highly exalted and gaue him a name at which euery knee boweth in heauen earth and hell for that hee was obedient vnto the death of the Crosse. Neither doth Ambrose when he speakerh of a Price required by the diuell or yeelded to the diuell meane any more then a CAVSE SVFFICIENT why the spoyling of Satans kingdome was giuen vnto the manhood of Christ and al the power of darknesse sinne death and hell put vnder his feete For a Price doeth not alway import an honourable condition or a pleasing satisfaction as it signifieth when it is referred to God but as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke which is properly a Price noteth either Reward or Reuenge so doth pretium in Latine comprise both and generally whatsoeuer is balanced one against the other to be exchanged one with the other is the price of ech other So that it is no dishonour to the bloud of Christ to be so precious that not onely the voluntarie offering therof did fully satisfie the iustice of God displeased with our sinnes but that also the wrongfull shedding thereof which was necessarily to be committed to Satan and his members as the onely fit instruments for such an impietie was a iust occasion why God in requitall of that wrong made the manhood of Christ the subduer and destroyer of Satans kingdome Not that the diuell had any right or command ouer vs against or without the will of God but that hee was so blinded by the wonderfull wisedome of God in reuenge of his subuerting the first man that he was made by shewing his malice against the manhood of Christ an Actor in our Redemption and the Author of his owne subuersion whiles without his knowledge and against his meaning hee was Gods instrument for our saluation and his owne destruction This you can not quietly brooke because you make the chiefest point of our Redemption to bee the killing of Christs Soule with Gods immediate hand and so farre are you from confessing Christ to be vniustly slaine as an innocent that you defend him to be sinfull hatefull defiled with our sinnes and hanged by the iust sentence of the Law and the diuel to be onely a minister and executioner of Gods iudgement against Christ. Yea your similitude if you stand to it of prisoners taken in warre and your ransome yeelded to God as to an enemie for his captiues setteth iarres if not warres betweene the first and second person in Trinitie by making God the Father an enemie both to the Redeemer and Prisoner For among men whose vse and custome you presse in this place the detainer is alwayes a professed enemie to the redeemer since confederates doe not vse to take or detaine ech others subiectes or seruants but open enemies The Ransomer then and the prisoner haue one and the same enemy and consequently by your resemblance God is an enemie as well to Christ as to vs. The proofe which you bring to shew God to be an enemie to his elect out of the fift of S. Matthew is impertinent to the cause and diâ—…erent from the trueth For besides that the new writers as Erasmus in his paraphrase Bucer Bullinger Musculus Caluine Gualterus in their commentaries vpon this chapter and the old as Tertullian Ierom Chrysostome Hilarie Theophylact Euthymius and others with one consent referre this admonition of Christ to men that are Aduersaries Iudges and Iaylours here in this life which is wide from your purpose your making of God to be an Aduersarie in that place acknowledgeth a superiour Iudge to God to whom the Aduersarie must by complaint not by command deliuer vs and your comparing the deuill to an obedient minister of the Law excuseth him from being a rebell to God and an accuser of men But if you would speake or thinke as the Scriptures leade which you pretend but not perfourme you should finde in them though not in this precept that the deuill is by a speciall kind of notation called our ENEMIE as indeede he is the ancient eger and continuall supplanter and impugner of man and that God to his elect is and euer was a gracious and louing father when he was most displeased with their sinnes and euen then so carefull and mindfull of their saluation that he gaue them his owne Sonne when they were his Enemies to dâ—…e for them and by that death to make satisfaction and purgation of all their sinnes which was not the part or worke of an Enemie how much soeuer his holines then did and still doth dislike their vnrighteousnesse And since the punishment of our sinnes was layd vpon Christ and we healed by his stripes if therein God professed Enmitie to his elect and executed it all on Christ the deuill being but the Iaylor and Executioner or as else where you say an Instrument onely and by that parable not to be blamed for doing no more then he is commaunded by the Iudge your wholesome doctrine commendeth the deuill as an obedient seruant and maketh God an Inferiour and yet an Enemy to the manhood of Christ. Which if you did not meane you must temper your words and proofes better and learne not so egerly to reiect euery phrase in an ancient Father that pleaseth not your palate when your selfe spake and wrote so licentiously and dangerously But I fit your similitude you say to your desire farther then your selfe did expresse because I say the Ransomer is not bound to be Prisoner for his Redeemed but may satisfie the enemie by money or otherwise You are a happie man that euery thing fitteth your desire You positiuely teach that Christ our Redeemer must suffer the selfe same paines of hell which we should haue suffered The reason you yeeld for it is a poore similitude drawen from the common vse and custome of men in redeeming their captiues taken in warres I replyed that your similitude prooueth no such thing because amongst men the Ransomers neede not nor doe not sustaine the same seruitude and imprisonment which the captiues doe and must if they be not redeemed Yet the whole price you say must be payd by
to see him die as likewise his buriall by his owne followers the sealing of his Tumbe and his lying three daiâ—…s in the graue to omit I say all these things with silence and to produce a word which the Manichees reiected as odious and iniurious to Christ and the Christians defended none otherwise then as common to all men that die both good and bad were no small ouersight in so learned a writer But this is a â—…ite of yours to shift of the truth of his answere it is no part of his meaning He sheweth against the Manichees and likewise against you since you defend the Contrarie that the death of the Body is in all men the punishment of sinne and that this death INFLICTED ON MANS NATVRE for sinne which is the MORTALITIE OF OVR FLESH by the Scriptures is called a Sinne and a Curse euen in Christ not that Christ was properly and truly accursed with God as transgressours are which is your erroneous assertion but that he submitted himselfe to receiue the punishment of sinne in his owne person by the death of his Body which was common to him with all men If the former words of Saint Austen were not plaine enough he hath playner If thou deny Christ was accursed deny Christ was dead If thou deny he was dead now â—…ightest thou not against Moses but against the Apostles If thou confesse him to haue beene dead confesse that he tooke the punishment of our sinne without sinne Now when thou hearest the punishment of sinne beleeue it came either from Gods blessing or cursing If the punishment of sinne came from blessing wish alwaies to be vnder the punishment But if thou desire to be thence deliuered beleeue that by the iust Iudgement of God the punishment of sinne came from the curse Confesse then that Christ tooke a Curse for vs when thou confessest him to haue beene dead for vs Nec aliud significare voluisse Mosen cum diceret maledictus omnis qui in ligno pependâ—…rit nisi mortalis omnis moriens omnis qui in ligno pependerit and that Moses had none other meaning when he said Accursed is euery one that hangeth on a Tree then to say euery one that hangeth on a Tree is Mortall and dieth He might hauâ—… said Accursed is euery Mortall Man or accursed is euery one that dieth How thinke you would Austen prooue that Christ truely died because he was truely accursed or that Christ tooke vpon him a Curse because he tooke vpon him the death of the Bodie which is the punishment of sinne in all mortall men and so proceeded from the curse whereunto all men for sinne were subiect He doth not defend the Apostle by Moses but he expoundeth Moses by the Apostle and so resolueth in plaine words that Moses had none other meaning when he said accursed is euery one that hangeth on a Tree then if he had said accursed is euery mortall man because death came first on all men as a Curse for sinne You acknowledge not the death which all men die to be a punishment or Curse for sinne But all the wit you haue will not answere Saint Austens reasons For the death of the Body which is common to all mortall men must of force be a blessing or a Cursing If it be a blessing why doe we beleeue or hope to be free from a blessing but if we detest continuance vnder it and desire deliuerance from it then certainly the death of the Body in all men euen in the Saints of God was and still is a punishment and Curse of Sinne till Christ raise vs from it An other reason Saint Austen vrgeth to the same effect which is this Vnlesse God had hated sinne and our Death he would not haue sent his sonne to vndertake and abolish the same What maruaile then if that be accursed to God which God hateth God that is him selfe all life and gaue vs life as his blessing in this world must needs hate death which is priuation of life as repugnant to his Image and euerting the worke of his hands wherewith he ioyned Soule and Body to participate in life And though by his Iustice he inflicted death on all men for sinne yet of his mercie he sent his owne and PAINFVLL death to be that part of the curse which Christ suffered for vs. This I hope is more then shame though shame and reproch were not the least parts of Gods curse against sinne euen in Christ. You would needs in a brauado set vp your bristles and aske What nothing but the shame of the world will any man of common sense affirme that this was all the curse that Christ bare for vs I replied that shame and ignominie was an expresse part of the curse which Christ dying suffered for vs and that there was no cause you should so much disdaine Chrysostome and Austen for so saying The Scriptures themselues in that point concurred with them as I haue fully shewed in my Conclusion and you can not auoid it Lest therefore your Reader should take you to be tongue-tied you cleane change the case and would haue men beleeue that I defend and endeuoured to proue that shame was the whole curse which Christ endured As though I alleaged not S. Austen at large to proue that death in all men Christ not exempted was a part of the curse inflicted on mankinde for sinne And therefore when Chrysostome sayd the crosse is the onely kinde of death subiect to the curse I did not set him and Austen at variance as if the one did trippe the other but I thus reconciled them that not only death as in all men but the verâ—…e kinde of death which Christ died was accursed by the very words of the Law in Chrysostomes iudgement This then is one of your familiar trades and trueths to set downe that in my name which I neuer spake nor meant and so by lying when you can not by reasoning to support your cause Indeed if a man will admit your absurd and false positions so much is consequent out of their words For where you will not haue the death of the bodie to be any part of the curse inflicted on sinne except the death of the damned be coherent with it as in the reprobate it followeth from Chrysostomes words that the corporall death of Christ seuered from all other sorts of death had no part of Gods curse in it besides shame which yet is as farre from being a true curse where the cause is good as death it selfe since neither shame nor death are true and inward curses when they are suffered for righteousnesse but rather causes and increases of blessing not in nor of themselues but by Gods goodnesse accepting and recompensing them with all fauour and blisse Againe you mislike that I sayd Christs dying simplie as the godlie die may in no sort be called a Curse or accursed I mislike that you can not or
Fâ—…st the dislike of God refusing them the sting of sinne defiling them the sting of death excluding them from all ioy and peace râ—…st and ease of soule and bodie for euer Applie this to Christ and his members and we shall presently finde by the rules of our Christian faith how farre they agree to either No true curse can be ascribed to Christ which shall seuer him from God without apparent impietie for neither the fauour of Gods fauour towards his manhood nor the fulnesse of grace and trueth in his soule nor the stedfast and most assured expectation of euerlasting ioy and glorie set before him euen in his greatest afflictions and temptations may be doubted of by any that will retaine the name of a Christian besides the perpetuall and personall vnion of his manhood with his Godhead to which was consequent such a communion with God and fruition of God as no elect man or angell euer had or can haue Wherefore you must either defend that the true curse of God did not seuer him from God but that one and the same nature in him might be truely blessed and yet truly accursed of God at one and the same time which are monsters meet for your doctrine or els you must wholly forbeare to affâ—…rme any true curse of Christ that shal separaâ—…e him from God and what other true curses you will attribute to him I would gladly heare The like though in farre lesse measure I yeeld to the membeâ—…s of Christ for since they were before all worlds beloued elected and blessed with all spirituall blessings in Christ and the foundation of God standeth sure hauing this Seale the Lord knoweth who are his yea the gifts and calling of God are without repâ—…ntance And the Apostle is fully perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels â—…r principalities nor things present nor things future nor heigth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus but that whom God did predestinate those he called and whom he called those he iustified and whom he iustified those he glorified I see no true curse no not sinne it selfe that can fasten on Christes members to their destruction but howsoeuer by nature tâ—…ey were the children of Gods wrath as well as others yet by grace they are saued and all things shall woâ—… for the best to them that loue God and are loued of him They may want theâ—…e gâ—…ft and graces for a time and so not feele the fruits of Gods election and vocâ—…tion but with God they are truely blessed because they are surely setled in hiâ—… fauour and fore-appointed to be heires of Saluation though they lie censâ—…ed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a while in the masse of Adams condemnation The loue and 〈◊〉 then of God is the originall of all true blessing and since that is vnmoueaâ—…le towards the â—…lect how much soeuer they be sometimes plunged by sinne and Satan into feares and doubts of their saluation all that is to humble them and not to destroy them and with God who is trueth it selfe they are truely blessed as being adopted in Christ though in mans iudgement and euen to themselues they seeme neuer so much accursed What curses you aske then may be on the godlie Gods loue which is the ground of all true blessing can not varie towards them it is euerlasting and immutable like himselfe All other blessings saue this they may want for a season in this world as before they are lightned and called to the knowledge of God they haue no blessing in them more then the very Reprobate haue After they are engrassed in Christ they may be tosâ—…ed and turmoyled with the very same eâ—…ernall and corporall plagues and punishments that the wicked are and often times with greater and thaâ—…-per but then they are supported with inward grace and comfort which others are not and when by ignorance feare or infirmitie they fall they shall not perish Where then in the Curses of God inflicted on the wicked in this world and the next three things must be marked their Dâ—…PRIVANCE of his blesâ—…ings of all sorts their COHERENCE together and CONTINVANCE for euer the godly communicate with the wicked in some part of the first that is they may be sequestred from such externall and corporall blessings as this life requireth but of spirituall they can not vtterly be depâ—…ued because they must be regenerated and renued in the inward man to the Image of God and sealed by the holy spirit of promise that they may be partakers of Christ here in this world in whom they haue Redemption euen the Remission of sinnes according to the riches of his grace In the rest they may not communicate with the wicked For where the Curses of God doe FOLLOVV one another vpon the Reprobate and abide for euer in the highest degree from this the godly are wholy free as DELIVERED by the mercies of God in Christ from this present euill world and from the wrath to come If then we be saued from these things by Christ how much more must Christ him selfe be saued from them before he could saue others So that Christ as I said at first by submitting him selfe to a part of the curse of the Law which depriueth vs of all earthly and bodily blessings and of life it selfe quenched the whole Curse of the Law and by his shamefull wrongfull and painefull death quited vs from euerlasting death which was the iust reward of our sinnes You say if by the Resurrection of Christ the Nature of death were changed then till Christ was risen death was a punishment to the faithfull themselues I wonder what meaning there is in this Argument As well you may say that none were saued till Christ was risen Wonder then at your owne conceits reasons and Authorities For if the nature of Death were changed as you suppose it was since it was first inflicted on Adam I asked you how and when before the change you doe not doubt but it was a punishment you must graunt to the godly for Christ neuer changed the Nature of Death to the wicked Then if the change were made by Christs dying and rising from the dead how thinke you doth it not follow vpon this confession that death BEFORE it was changed in the godly by Christs Resurrection was a punishment euen to the godly And to this end you bring the Catechisme in this very Section Death which BEFORE was a punishment is now by Christ become a vantage If death were neuer but a vantage to the godly euen when it was first inflicted then the change that you dreame to be made of death in the Godly is but a fansie If NOVV it be so which BEFORE it was not then BEFORE what else could it be to the godly but a punishment of sinne My Resolution was and is that Christ was first promised by Gods
submission and Sacrifice as a sufficient recompence and Satisfaction for the sinnes of the world Againe he certainly knew that Gods displeasure against our sin in loue would not in Iustice could not extend to the dissolution râ—…iection or dâ—…struction of his Person but that God would temper the punishment of our sinnes in his Body where he bare them that neither his obedience nor patience should be wearâ—…ed or ouerwhelmed And to that ende the Scripture plainly testifieth that Iesus i Iohn 13. knew the Father had giuen all things into his hands and so whatsoeuer Christ suffered was a triall of his obedience to which he most willingly submitted himselfe that neither the burden of our sinnâ—…s might seeme a sport to him nor his case common to him with the desperate and damned persons Christ then neither did nor could apprehend or discerne any wrath of God kindled against his person as the reprobate feare and the damned find neither any purpose in God to punish sinne farther than by the death of his bodie to purge it and abolish it nor the measure of paine determined to be sharper then his humane patience could without repining or refusing endure Wherefore though I willingly grant as much paine in Christes sufferings as his patience could sustaine without declining or disobeying yet see I no point wherein the sufferings of Christ either apprehended or inflicted did concord with the paines of the damned As for the terrour of Gods anger against sinne which wrought in Christ submission not confusion and sorow for sinne conceiued for that God was thereby iustly displeased these and all such religious FEARES sorowes tremblings I easily yeeld to the soule of Christ which were sacrifices in Gods sight of inestimable price and very painfull though very faithfull submissions and passions of the inward man The farther proofe of these I referre to the place where I shall speake of Christes agonie and in the meane time assure the Châ—…istian Reader that neither this Praâ—…er nor all his compartners shall euer be able by the sacred Scriptures to make any proofe of any farther or other sufferings then I haue specified Whether the paines of bodie or soule in Christ were greater or sharper I take it to be a needlâ—…sse and fruitlesse question The paines of Christes body were proportioned The paines aâ—… well of Christes sâ—…ule as of his bodie were equall to the strength of Chrâ—…stes patience to the strength of his patience and so were his feares and sorowes and in either the soule was the part that felt the smart and discerned the cause And if we balance these things by the consequents of nature since the paines from the body doe in this life by their vehemency separate soule and body farre sooner and oftner then sorowes and feares of minde except in present and ouerwhelming euils which coole quench and ouerthrow the spirits with more speed though with lesse paines then the sharpnesse of Christes bodily paines hauing no release nor ease but perfect sense and continuance did pinch as neere not as the paines of the damned but as the passions or affections of Christes soule hauing fath and hope to support them and comfort and ioy proposed to mitigate them And euen in the damned both men and diuâ—…ls whence you would seeme to fetch your president for Christes sufferings whether thinke you are the sharper the paines which they now feele before the day of iudgement or the violence of fire which shall then exceed all the paines they now suffer For both the diuels and the damned haue as much griefe of reiection confusion and desperation and as mighty terrors and inward torments of minde as they are capable of and yet neither of them haue their sharpest punishments Of the diuels the Scriptures say k Iude epist. vers 6. They are reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the great day And the spirits themselues could say to Christ l Maâ—…th 8. Art thou come to torment vs before the time Of the wicked Peter sayth m 2. Pet 2. God knoweth how to reserue the vnâ—…ust vnto the day of iudgement to be punished And n Rom. 2. thou sayth Paul to euery one of them according to thine hardnesse and impenitent heart heapest vp wrath to thy selfe against the day of wrath and reuelation of the iust iudgement of God By which it is plaine that the terrors and torments of minde presently felt by the deuill and the damned are farre lesse then the vengeance of externall and eternall fire reserued and then augmented on all the reprobate both men and angels o Defenc. pag. â—…0 li. 4. The greatest paines are no more sinne then the least Therefore by your owne graunt Christ might and did feele and endure the grâ—…atest sorrowes of the minde and soule as well as the lâ—…sser in the bodie Paines if they be onely paines and nothing els are not sinne and therefore the suffering of hell fire is no sinne but the terriblest punishment of sinne that men or angels shall feele yet terrours and torments of minde are increased by doubt feare or despaire of Gods goodnesse towards vs which are sinnes in this life where grace and mercie are proposed and could not be in Christ without intolerable infidelitie after so plaine and plentifull assurances of Gods loue and fauour towards him Take therefore from Christ all doubt and distrust of Gods anger and displeasure towards his person and then it is euident that neither his apprehension of Gods wrath was the same that the damned and desperate feele noâ—… any way so sharpe as if Christ had conceiued God to be displeased with him or purposed to destroy him as the wicked are perswaded of Gods indignation against themselues Christes sufferings then were wrath to the sense and feeling of mans nature but his Christs Faith did not faile in the sharpest of his paineâ—… faith in the sharpest of his paines beheld the setled and assured loue of God towards his person and he not only called God his Father in all his afflictions but out of his owne power he gaue the thiefe that confessed him on the crosse the inheritance of Gods kingdome that present day together with himselfe So that he was more then perswaded or resolued of Gods fauour and faithfulnesse who tooke vpon him in the midst of his sufferings to giue the kingdome of heauen to such as acknowledged and beleeued in him though the chastisement of our sinnes in his body and soule were by Gods iustice and his owne consent very sharpe and bitter vnto him that his loue to vs and obedience to his Father might appeare the more fully not in peace ease and dalliance but in sorrow paine and grieuance by which ardent and constant loue is tried as golde in the fire Whereby it appeareth that all your talke of Gods wrath against Christ equall with the damned or reprobate hath no trueth nor sense in it but is a meere and
he groned in spirite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and troubled or affected him selfe If this Rule be true which hath the grounds of faith and the words or the holie Ghost for a foundation then your assertion is false and against the faith that tkese were alwaies in Christ and alwaies caused an he 〈◊〉 in him For you imply a continuall necessitie of sorrow and griefe in the Soule of Christ where the Scriptures and Fathers teach vs that nothing could 〈◊〉 griefe or sorrow on him but when he himselfe would And that Iesus sometimes reicyced and l Luc. 10. v. 21. exulted in Spirit giuing thankes to his Father for hiding the mysteries of his kingdome from the wise and prudent and reuealing them to seelie ones the 〈◊〉 is euident You therefore as your manner is graunt that which is false and deny that which is true For what if Christ often though not alwaies sorrowed for these three aforesaid is that any proofe that 〈◊〉 Passion approching where he sawe 〈◊〉 lewes should call for the vengeance of his bloud to be on them and their children and was now by most earnest ardent prayer to obtaine remission of sinnes direction of his spirit and protection from Satan for his whole Church the Time and place now 〈◊〉 requiring it he should not with greater sorrow behold the one and with more 〈◊〉 zeale intreat the other But m Desenc pa. 94. li. 37. I strangely deceiue my selfe you say if I thinke that any or ali of these did so farre exceede in him as to procure his most dreadfull and bloudy Agony When I heare you speake some truth or see you vnderstand any thing right I will more regard your word then now I doe That these things might be the causes thereof shall plainly appeare to the sober and aduised Reader when we come to the discussing of them Howbeit I doe not say that euery one of these sixe was the whole cause of his Agonie as you childishly carpe or that these sixe were the sole causes of his Agonie but these respects were such as might most exceedingly grieue and most inwardly affect the Soule of Christ making now way by prayer to procure the course of mans Redemption to be actually and effectually decreed and pronounced at his instance which he would after perfect with patience Neither are there greater workes in mans redemption then these that were now in hand with which if you thinke it not likely nor possible the Soule of our Sauiour should be mightily affected your erroneous Imagination is farre stranger then my position of pietie and possibilitie for as if you aske me what the Angell that came from heauen said to Christ in the Garden I must openly professe I take vpon me no such knowledge but leaue Gods secrets to himselfe and his Sonne so what occasions besides these might at that instant affect the Soule of Christ I dare not determine though you be so desperate that you nothing doubt Christ then felt in Soule from the immediate hand of God the selfe same paines which the damned doe in hell Notwithstanding the Scriptures insinuate no such suspition much lesse auouch any such Doctrine for mans redemption n Defenc pag. 95 li. 1. For the Reiection of the Iewes what reason bring you Christ wept ouer their Cittie ergo now at his Passion he was driuen into his dreadfull Agonie for this cause You must make your owne match or else you will quickly marre all Where I professed it impossible certainly to conclude the true cause of Christs Agonie your wisedome taketh a part of my words and clappeth on a Conclusion to them of your owne stamping and then you say the Argument is nought and so nimble you be at nothing that where I repeate sixe causes that might be concurrent therein you will haue me inferre that euery one of them was the whole and sole cause thereof But your mastership is to warme to be wise and to selfe-willed to be sound you doe not so much as see or care why I tooke this in for one of the causes that might meete in this Agonie The reuerent o Sermo pag. 19. li. 4. regard I had to the Iudgements of Ambrose Ierom Augustine and Bede who obserued this before me as one of the causes that might be of Christs sorrow in the Garden made me number this amongst the rest howsoeuer you spurne them away like foote-bals and thinke with a wilde gallop to winne the Goale But soft Sir first their opinions lie in your way which wise men will respect before your emptie wordes and lasie likelihoods that haue no salt in them besides the sharpnesse of your humour Secondly my reasons to my purpose are auaileable enough though you mishape them with a senselesse error of your own as if euerie of these six were the single and sole cause of this agonie There can no one particular cause be assigned of Christes feare sorrow and zeale in the Garden but since himselfe is a witnesse that his Soule was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on euery side pressed with sorrow my proofes which you cannot auoide inferre that amongst others this might be one cause of his sorrow And so much those Fathers professe as I haue formerly shewed and you cannot decline them but with impudent flurting at them that p Defenc. pag. 95. li. 15. this verily cannot stand with any reason But of our Reasons let the Reader Iudge Christ wept at the sight of Ierusalem when he remembred her desolation by the hands of the Romanes What griefe then was it to him in all reason to foresee the reiection of that people from the sauour of God by their rash and wicked desire to haue his bloud on them and their children at the time of his arraignment before Pilate If Moses and Paul so vehemently 〈◊〉 at the fall of their bretheren according to the flesh that for their sakes the one wished to be wiped out of the Booke of God the other most sacredly protested the great heauinesse and continuall anguish that he felt in hart for them how much more then did it grieue the Sauiour of the world who farre exceeded both the other in compassion and mercie to see himselfe that came to blesse them and saue them to be the ruine and stone of offence that should stumble them and their children striking them with perpetuall blindnesse and bruizing them with euerlasting perdition through their vnbeliefe To this what answere you q Defenc. pag. 95. li. 28. It prooueth that Christ surely had very great pittie and commiseration of them but nothing else in the world I professed to prooue no more Why then should not this be one of the causes that mooued Christ to sorrow in the Garden where he confesâ—…ed his Soule was on euery side heauie r Ibid. li. 30. Christ might haue farre greater pittie of them then Moses or Paul had and yet he was able to carrie his affection farre more patiently
Your fourth obseruation is like the rest that is voide of all reason and trueth For though you take vpon you to be bold with Moses and his praier which yet you cannot shew u li. 14. was directly against his owne saluation as you auouch what proofe haue you that Paul aduisedly and considerately writing to the The fourth errour pretended from the former examples Romans was amazed and had no remembrance that Gods election was immutable and certainly reserued for him and the rest of Gods chosen in the heauens will you tell vs that the Scriptures were written by men amazed and forgetting the first principles of religion euen in their writings you may do wel to make that your fift obseruation rightly matching your doctrine deuotion but I weene few wise men wil allow this or that audacious enterprise in you I did in those words of mine which you bring describe what astonishment by nature was to wit feare admiration so mixed that for the time both sense speach are suddenly interâ—…upted whiles the soule most earnestly beholding or declining that which she 〈◊〉 not or endureth not neglecteth the sense or speach of her bodie as regarding or attending greater things that presently or fearefully oppresse her What is this to Moses or Paul if they were astonished with feare then neither could they speake nor write how els they should be caried besides themselues I doe not see nor you doe not say Moses had often accesse to god and so feared not to speake or pray vnto him and at the first kindling of Gods wrath against the people for making the Golden Calfe Moses carefully and mindfully proposed in his x Exod. 32. vers 11. praiers to God both the reproch which the y 12. Aegyptians would breath forth against gods holie name and the z 13. oath made by God to Abraham Isaac and Iacob to giue their seed the land of Canaan for an euerlasting inheritance And the Scripture saieth that vppon that praier before Moses went downe from the mount a Exod. 32. vers 14. The Lord changed his mind from the euill which he threatned to doe vnto his people Lesse cause then had Moses afterward to be amazed hauing alreadie diuerted and pacified the brunt of Gods anger against the multitude and praying now for the quite abolishing of this sinne out of Gods remembrance and the continuance of his fauour and presence to goe before his people Augustine thinketh Moses was well aduised in his praier and knew Gods mercy to be such that he would rather spare the wicked then destroy the godly of which goodnesse in God Abraham presumed when he made request for Sodom b August in Psal. 77. God sayth Austen so spared that nation that he kindled not his whole wrath vtterly to roote them out and make an end of them which appeareth plainly in Gods speach and Moses praier for their sinnes where God said I will rase them from the earth and make thee a great people But Moses interposeth himselfe paratior deleri pro ipsis quà m ipsos readier to be cut off than they should 〈◊〉 apud misericordem se id agere qui quoniam nullo modo deleret ipsum etiam illis ipsis parceret propter ipsum knowing he should preuaile with him that was mercifull who would by no meanes destroy him but rather spare them for his sake So that Moses by the iudgement of S. Augustine was not amazed in his prayer as you falsly presume but remembred himselfe well enough and put his life into Gods hands as more willing to be slaine than the whole multitude should and knowing that God would rather spare them in mercie who were trespassers than slay him that was innocent For Paul you haue lesse reason since he doth not actually wish it but sayeth hee could wish it if it were lawfull and possible meaning he could be content to put bodie and soule into Gods hands to doe there with what pleased him so the trueth of Christ might be receiued and acknowledged of the Iewes His maner of speech which must be conditionall except you grant it to respect the time past proueth that he was well aduised in referring all to Gods will and reseruing as well Gods counsell as his word reuealed without touch or impeach And therefore that the Apostle so writing was amazed I see no ground besides the gulfe of your owne inuentions I am farre therefore from scofâ—…ing at them as if they were in a traunce in whom I see no such amazednesse as you imagine much lesse may you take vpon you for your pleasure to put the sonne of God into the same distemper as you call it with others since both his wordes and deedes recorded by the Euangelists declare him to haue beene not onlie full of grace and trueth but mindfull of the least circumstance that pertained to his passion and of purpose to direct his sayings and doings to all those issues which the Scriptures forespake of his sufferings c Defenc pag. 97. li. 20. Specially you should acknowledge that his maruelous perplexity might well be a meanes that his suddaine wishes against his owne constant purpose and Gods will were yet no sinnes That Christ might be somewhat astonished in the Garden I doe not deme because that was an affection incident to our nature and specially for that the Scripture applieth the wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d Mar. 14. he began to be afraid and astonished vnto him but that this astonishment continued all the time of his passion or of his praiers in the Garden and that it proceeded from the sense of hell paines inflicted on him these are your voluntarie fansies voide of all foundation in the word of God and wholly depending on your priuate conceits For were it an astonishment as it was suddaine so it must be short and though for the time it might suspend sense and memorie yet when Christ began to pray he resumed not only the power of speach which in a maze men want but of vnderstanding also since praier without faith is a sinnefull temptation of God and faith requireth as well knowledge what we aske as perswasion of Gods goodnesse that he will graunt our desires So that both the turning of Christs tongue to speake and the directing of his hart in praier doe prooue sufficiently that Christ speedily recouered both sense memorie if we grant he was on the suddaine somewhat astonished the cause whereof you boldly conceaue to be what you list as your maner is without any care to make proofe thereof But as your obseruations were most absurd and false so are your collections that Christ by his paines then felt and feared had e Defenc. pag. 97. li. 23. infinitly more cause to be in his mind amazed then either Moses or Paul since the Scriptures mention no paines then felt of him in his mind besides the affections of feare and sorow which though they be painfull
by dangers and doubts weighed and considered by the spirit of Christe I know no reason why you ascribe them meerely to the flesh As for the contrarieties which you would take hold of that Christ as a man did abhorre and feare death and yet not somuch as to fall into that agony or bloudy sweate for feare of his sufferings with such a slacke and shallow Reader as you are they may beare a shew of repugnancie but to any man that marketh or vnderstandeth what is said it accordeth full well that Christ might haue a naturall feare of death which is common to all the godly and yet no such perplexed feare for any sufferings of his as to sweate bloud for paine therof And this maketh more against you then you wil seeme to acknowledge For if Christ had no such afflicting feare in regard of his owne suffring or passion but only in respect of vs and our danger then certainly by the censure of Ambrose Ierom and Bede Christ suffered no paines of hell nor of the damned since they would bread another maner of agony then this life could endure And howsoeuer the view of death fast clasped with hell till Christ did breake the knotte thereof might seeme terrible to Christes humane consideration yet for somuch as he was secured from the one by the innocency vnity and dignity of his person though he submitted himselfe to the death of his body this feare was both righteous and religious and as farre from the paines of the damned as any sufferings of the soule in this life might be e Defenc. pag. 100. li. 10. He would not he could not so feare and be affrighted yea and piteously astonished with such sorrow oppressing him as to sweate drops of bloud onely for feare of his bodily death Neither would he pray at all much lesse so vehemently and so often times as he did against that which he perfectly knew was Gods will and his owne most willing purpose to vndergoe It is more then folly to mistake misplace and misapplie euerie thing after this sort as you doe and then to collect you know not what nor why from your owne vnwise and rash presumptions What if Christ had more cause of sorrow in the Garden then his bodily death ergo he felt the paines of the damned inflicted on his Soule by Gods immediate hand Tie this argument to the manger litter is fitter for it then an answere Such blockish and brutish sequences were the first morter that plastred your hell paines to Christs passion The worke of our redemption which Christ now vndertooke to haue pronounced and setled by the righteous iudgement of God and his Elect to be freed and pardoned of all their sinnes by the sufferings of his person The worke of our redemption was cause enough to prouoke Christs bloudy sweate and to be restored to Gods fauour by his mediation as also satan to be reiected from preuailing against them or so much as accusing them was a matter of the greatest moment in all Christian Religion What maruaile then if the manhood of Christ when it approched so waightie a worke as by prayer first to obtaine and confirme all this that after he might the more cheerefully and constantly accomplish his obedience vnto death What maruaile I say if the glory of Gods iudgement and power of his wrath the number of our sinnes and neglect of our owne state the sharpe and eger malice of satan made Christ with all possible feare of the great might and maiestie of the Iudge all passionate sorrow for the crimes and contempts of the prisoners all earnest and zealous intention of prayer against the impugner and impediment of mans deliuerance to agonize himselfe euen vnto a bloudie sweate If in our prayers the spirit of Christ stirre vp f Rom. 8. sighes vnspeakeable when we remember what danger we were in what sorrow cries and teares may we iustly thinke the fountaine of mercie and pietie would powre forth in our behalfe when our saluation was now in question before the Iudge of all the world and how burned that fire and flame of Christs loue and care for vs till he was comforted and assured from heauen that God would not by our wickednesse or vnworthinesse be stayed from performing his mercies towards vs in Christ his Sonne nor from accepting Christs obedience and sacrifice as the full ransome for all our transgressions notwithstanding all the resistance that sinne or satan could make in the righteous iudgement of God This you will say God long before had purposed and promised vnto his Sonne Christ was most earnestly to aske what God had faithfully promised to graunt And that made Christ the more earnestly pray for it since God had from the beginning determined as well to haue it asked by his Sonne as graunted by himselfe And therefore Christs supplications for vs in the daies of his flesh and at the hower of his passion now approching were as needefull as his sufferings forsomuch as pietie and charitie are perceiued rather by the Soule then by the flesh and God would neuer haue accepted the outward murdering of Christs body without the inward and acceptable sacrifice of his voluntarie obedience patience and loue euen vnto death which were the points that were chieflly pretious in Gods sight g Defenc pag. 100. li. 19. Or else Cyrill meaneth no more but that Christ naturally misliked and 〈◊〉 euen as all flesh doth all bodilie paine and death This we alway yeelde and it maketh nothing against vs. It maketh lesse for you that Christ had and lawfully might haue as you graunt a naturall misliking and shunning of all bodily paine and death and consequently knowing the sharpnesse of the paine that was prepared for him on the crosse might without breach of pietie or repugnance to Gods knowen will desire to haue that Cup passe from him if it were possible for man by Gods good pleasure to be otherwise redeemed and saued And this reseruation of Gods will in his prayer FATHER 〈◊〉 Luke â—…2 IF THOV VVILT take away this Cup from me which was the possibilitie ment by Christ and his present preferring Gods will before the instinct of nature liking ease in presently saying Neuerthelesse not my will but thy will be done doth exquisitely proue that Christ was not astonished in his prayer nor past remembrance of Gods knowen will as you dangerously surmise and no cause you should conclude he felt hell paines in this agonie because the Scripture concealeth the sense of his feruent supplication when after comfort receiued from heauen he fell into an agonie of most earnest and ardent prayer in which his sweate was like drops of bloud And therefore your foolish and wicked imagination that Christ in his agoniâ—… was so amazed that he knew not what he prayed nor discerned when he impugned the will of God is without all leading or likelihood of the word of God and grounded onely vpon your wilfull and hastie
they haue learned to know God from men and they will readily tell you though my wordes were full enough but that your head was so emptie as not to see what I said God I said was armed with infinite vengeance to afflict the body aboue that the humane flesh of Christ was able to endure Are men so armed as God is euen in this life I troe not and therefore are not so to be feared u Defenc. pag 104 li. 32. Why should the feare of any whatsoeuer meere bodily paines ouercome Christes patience Euen therefore because it was humane and weake in respect of God and farre vnable to beare that which God could impose Are not martyrs as far vnable Yes farre lesse able whether it be the hand of God or of man which they must feele Why then are not they as much afraid Of Gods power they are when and wheresoeuer shewed vnto them or duely considered by them As Moses when God x Exo. 19. v. 16. lightned and thundred on mount Sinai before the deliuering of the Law y Heb. 12. v. 21 Why Christ feared more than martyrs do feared and trembled by the Apostles report as well as the rest of the people And as for the rage of men Martyrs first know that Gods wrath towards them is appeased by Christ Iesus and therefore they shall feele no more but the hands of men Secondly that as the crueltie of humane tortures increaseth so God either assisteth his seruants by diminishing the bitternesse of their paines or suffereth their strength or sense to be ouerwhelmed by the furie of their torments in which case the soule though impatient of such paine doth not sinne because the violence is greater then mans strength can endure and thereby driueth the soule from the bodie With Christ it was otherwise For where he was to beare our sinnes in his bodie and had power sufficient in himlefe to decline or frustrate all that men could doe vnto him when he would he was to see that Gods hand might ioyne with the Iewes rage for the punishments of our sinnes in his flesh and that the sharper the anguish which he should feele the exacter the sense thereof which he must haue and yet must still continue the perfection of his obedience and patience since no violence of torments were they neuer so intolerable might ouerwhelme his sense or force his soule from his body but he must expect the time appointed by his Father when he should in full sense and memorie breath out his soule at an instant as I haue formerly shewed He might therefore feare as well the violence as the continuance of his paines farre more then Martyrs neede if he did not deprecate the power of Gods wrath deserued by our sinnes to be eased euen in his body where he bare our sinnes For God was and is able to aggrauate bodily paines farre aboue the strength of mans nature in vs or in Christ without meanes or by meanes whatsoeuer So that Christ desiring this cup which he now beheld for THIS doth demonstrate somewhat conceaued in the cup which he declined should passe from him might haue this meaning that the cuppe should passe from him and not oppresse his patience because his flesh was but weake to beare that heaâ—…ie burden in his body which our sinnes prouoked and was heard as the Apostle noteth of this praier in the garden and eased of that he seared Christ knew all thinges you will say that should befall him Then he also knew what his praier would auert of that punishment which our sinnes deserued and since it is euident that greater torments both of soule and body were due to vs foâ—… our sin as we find by the damned who are in the same desert with vs though not partakers of the same mercie with vs why should not Christ by his praier which he knew God would heare decline what he disliked in the cup of Gods wrath mixed for the sinnes of men and yet submit and commit himselfe after praier made wholy to the will of God his father z Defenc. pag. 105. li. 1. If you meane that he felt greater paines concurring in and with the bodily punishment inflicted by the wrathfull hand of God armed with infinite vengeance then you say well and we acknowledge it If I will mistake fearing for suffering and bodily for ghostly pains and the crosse for hell and make Gods immediate hand a pretence for all these deuices as you doe then I say well as you suppose but if I make the power of God able to afflict for sinne the Bodie or Soule of man aboue all humane strength without the paines of the damned and Christ iustly to feare the power of Gods wrath if he did not by earnest and humble prayer pacifie Gods indignation for as much as exceeded the weaknesse and patience of his manhood then my coniectures are vaine though they neuer so well agree with the rules of religion and pietie But in this you doe as all Sectaries are wont to acknowledge no sinceritie but in their owne secrets a August contra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 li. 11 cap. 2. Tues ergo regula veritatis quicquid contra te facit non est verum Are you then the rule of truth and whatsoeuer is against you is that not true b Defenc. pag. 105. li. 4. Your other cause is for that by death his Body should want awhile the feeling of Gods presence But did not Christ perfectly know that this was Gods decree and certaine appointment yea his owne most free will and purpose He that once hath vndertaken to wrench the Scriptures from their right sense will neuer sticke to wrangle with all the world as long as braine or breath will giue him leaue Often enough if that would serue you haue beene told that I produced not those foure points on which you last insisted as causes of Christs agonie but as respects of his fearing disliking and shunning bodily death against which you say nothing but that he could not he would not so feare it as to sweate bloud for it Which sillinesse if not sottishnesse still to impugne that which I doe not affirme and to post ouer the rest as pertinent to Christs perfection and holinesse and so no part of his sufferings is the best ground of your defence but take any of these foure points which you so much mislike and referre them rightly to the end for which I brought them or any of the former fiue causes concurring to Christs agonie and speake directly and truely to any one of them and you shall be excused for all the rest But being not able to refute one of them in sound and vpright reasoning All your shift is to misapply the respects of Christs declining death as if I made them causes of his agonie and to single the causes which I auouch might all meete in Christs feare and sorrow in the Garden as sole and singular efficients of his whole
for the manhood of Christ to say my God my God why hast thou so long forsaken me without any publike signe or shew that thou louest and fauourest me whom this nation had so much wronged and blasphemed or is it of late become so shamefull a thing with you that Christ should complaine he was forsaken and left in the hands of his persuers without help or ease both old and new writers euen of the best learned that haue been in Christs Church haue thought it no shame for Christ in that very respect so to speake o Hieronym in Matth ca. 27. Maruaile not saith Ierom at Christes complaint of being forsaken when thou seest the scandall of his crosse p 〈◊〉 de fide li. 2. ca. 3. He speaketh as a man saith Ambrose which was no shame for him to doe because being in danger we thinke our selues forsaken of God The same wordes q 〈◊〉 in Mar. ca. 14. Bede r 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 ca. 27. Rabanus and r 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 ca. 27. Aquinas repeat and follow Theodoret saith Christ s 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 21. calleth that a dereliction which was a permission of the diuinity that the humanity should suffer Christe would endure saieth Austen this vnto death in the sight of his enemies that they might take him as one forsaken Lyra. u 〈◊〉 Mat. ca 27. Dixit 〈◊〉 derclictum a deo 〈◊〉 quia dimittebat cum in manibus occidentium Christ saith he was forsaken of God his father because he was left in the hands of those that slew him And so our new writers August epist. 120 x 〈◊〉 in Mat. ca. 27. Hic questus est se in manibus impiorum adomnem ipsorvm libidinem a patre derelictum Christ heere complained saith Bucer that he was forsaken of his father or left in the 〈◊〉 of the wicked to endure all their rage Bullinger y Bullingerus in Matth. ca. 27. Derelinquere siue deserere in 〈◊〉 est permittere To forsake or leaue in Christes wordes on the Crosse is to permit So that this was Christs meaning why doest thou suffer me to be thus afflicted why doest thou permit these things to mine enemies when wilt thou deliuer me Munster z Munsterus in Psalm 21. haec Christi verbanon impatientiam aliquam aut diffiden̄tiam prae se ferunt c these words of Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee shew no impatience or diffidence but declare that he was a true man and that he had truely suffered And what if as some learned Fathers conceaue Christ did not grieuously complaine in those wordes that he was forsaken but thereby led his enemies to looke and search in the Psalmes Prophets for the cause why the messias should be so forsaken deliuered into the hands of sinners as they saw he was a August epist. 120. Christ doth not say saith Austen my God my God why hast thou forsaken me sed causum commonuit requirendam cum addidit vt quid dereliquisti me id est propter quid quam ob causam but he admonished the cause to be searched when he added why hast thou forsaken me that is to what end and for what cause for truely there was a cause and that no small cause why God would not deliuer Christ from the handes of the Iewes but leaue him in the power of his persecutors till he died Leo likewise b Leo de Passione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 17. Therefore Christ cried with a loud voice why hast thou forsaken me that he might make it knowen to all for what cause he ought not to be deliuered nor defended sed saeuientium manibus derelinqui but to be left in the hands of his pursuers which was to be made the Sauiour of the world and the Redeemer of all men non per miseriam sed per misericordiam non amissione auxilij sed definitione moriendi not by any miserable necessitie but of mercie not for lacke of helpe but of purpose to die for vs Whether then Christs meaning in those wordes if we apply them to his owne person were to hasten the time of his death which he knew was at hand and should bring him case of his excessiue How many meanings 〈◊〉 words on the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue paines or to mooue his father to demonstrate by those signes which followed what fauour and affection he bare to the person of his sonne though for our sakes he suffered him thus to be vsed or to teach his persecutors that there was a cause which they knew not why himselfe being their messias should die this death on the crosse or last whether his manhood conformed it selfe to the desires and grones of his church and members whom the Prophets teach in this wise to pray when they were oppressed with any great calamity or misery none of these waies I say are the wordes of Christ on the crosse chalengeable but they stand well with the piety patience confidence and expectance that were in Christ and haue better foundation in the sacred Scriptures then your paines of the damned or your second death to be then and there suffered in the soule of Christ. c Defenc. pag. 110. li. 7. The bare names againe of Austen Ambrose Ierom doe here likewise no good this is but a weake kind of reasoning for so learned a Diuine as you are I like better this kind of weakenesse in matters of faith to haue the consent of the learned and auncient fathers for that I teach then your kind of strength which is to be so stiffe in your priuate conceits that you will delude the Scriptures with your figures and deride the fathers as seely fooles not vnderstanding the first principles of Religion rather then you will forgoe the least of your fansies If you light on any Reader of the same mind let him know that the choice wil be hard for him to make whether all the fathers in Christes Church did erre in the chiefe grounds of their faith or he himselfe be out of the trueth If Christian Religion were not since Christes time before our age this is a greater forsaking of Christ then any was on the Crosse. For then hath God forgotten all his purposes and promises so often mentioned in the Prophets and confirmed to Christ if there were neuer Church of Christ since the Apostles death till our dayes And he that is of that humour it skilleth not greatly of what side he be for certainly he can be no member of Christs Church that reiecteth all persons places and ages before his birth as none of Christs I wish no wise nor sober Reader so farre to venture his soule If then to the Primatiue Church of Christ next after the Apostles we yeeld but ordinary knowledge of the Christian faith we may not take from so many learned fathers and Pastours as God hath for so many hundred yeares adorned his Church withall the common vnderstanding of their Catechisme and
in him It workâ—…th both in vs and why should either want in him who was farre better able to pâ—…rforme both then we are the like I say of the feare of Gods wrath when we haue prouoked it We ought not only to reuerence that most excellent maiesty but when we haue sinned to feare and tremble before that power which can doe with vs what he will And though we hope in his mercy yet that doth not breed any neglect of his power which if we doe not feare when we haue prouoked we doe despice And therefore Moses giueth this for a rule of true deuotion and submission vnder the mighty hand of God Who knoweth the power of thy wrath for according to thy feare that is as thou art feared so is thine anger The lighter account we make of his anger the heauier shall his hand be to vs. The more we feare it without distrust the lesse we shall feele it For submission and sorow doe mitigate the wrath of God which carelessenesse and contempt do aggrauate Since then no man knew the power of Gods wrath against sinne so perfectly as Christ did and yet the infinitenesse of Gods power did passe the reach of Christs humane soule to comprehend why might not the manhoode of Christ yeld greater feare and trembling to the power of Gods wrath against our sinne for which he was to satisfie then all men liuing were able to do and yet together with the fearefull impression thereof retaine a religious submission thereto In compassion when we feare for other mens dangers or grieue for other mens harmes is not this affection painfull to vs because it proceedeth from mercy and 〈◊〉 is affâ—…iction thogh it be a vertâ—…e pity in vs are you so hard harted as well as hie minded sir defendour that you were neuer touched nor troubled with the sense of other mens miseries l Iob. 30. Did I not weepe saith Iob with him that was in trouble Was not my soule in heauinesse for the poore When the Apostle willeth vs to m Rom. 12. mourne with them that mourne Doth he meane we should make a pastime of it because it is an affection of mercy and charity Doth not daily experience teach vs how much the miseries of those whom we dearly loue do bite pinch vs Can we forget Dauids n 2. Sam. 19. ver 1. 4. affection aud affliction for Absolon Doth not the Scripture describe all naturall mothers in those words o Matt. 2. v. 18. In Rama was a voice heard mourning and weeping and great Lamentation Rachel weeping for her children would not be comforted because they were not In godly zeale and care we shall find the like p 2. Cor. 11. Who is weake saith the Apostle and I am not as weake who is offended and I burne not yea the q Psal. 69. zeale of thine house hath consumed me saith Dauid Then are feare and sorow proceeding either from piety or charity no whit the lesse grieuous because The highest degrees of religious feare and sorow were in Christ. they are religious but rather the more inwardly we are touched with either the more acceptable is that affection to God specially when it concerneth his owne power or honor And consequently as the highest degrees of religious feare and sorow were in Christ at the time of his propitiating the holinesse and iustice of God for our sinns so were they in him as sharpe and painfull as any his afflictions which otherwise he felt in his body r Defenc. pag. 115. li. 15. That these should or could afflict Christ so much aboue his strength and patience is more then strange Easily they might aboue his strength since he would vse no strength but weakened himselfe of purpose to feele the smart and burden of our sinnes but not aboue his patience since he did not repine at any of these but requested by praier to haue the punishment of our sinne proportioned to the weaknesse of his humane flesh considering the infinite power of Gods wrath most iustly prouoked by our sinnes s Defenc. pag. 115. li. 17. It were no vertue but sinne in any to giue way to our affections though about good things immoderately beyond our patience and strength of nature It is no sinne but vertue to presse both our strength and patience to the vttermost for Gods glory in things commanded by him As in louing God t Bernardus de diligendo Deo modus est sine modo diligere the measure is to loue him without measure so in all the dueties which God requireth the most that we can doe is not too much Feare and sorrow then which are as the Apostle speaketh u 2. Corin. 7. vers 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to God or for God that is obedient to Gods will are neuer immoderate neither bring they danger of life or defect of grace as worldly feare and sorow do But how commeth your discâ—…etion to charge Christes affections with immoderation For your hell-paines you are content to plunge his bodie and chiefly his soule into astonished and all comfortlesse confusion and for submission to God and confession and apprehension of the iustnesse and greatnesse of his anger against our sinnes you will not giue him leaue being our Agent and Intercessour in his owne person to present that to God which is due from vs and for vs euen inward sorrow for Gods iust displeasure and an humble feare of his mightie power thereby to honour the one and preuent the other when he now addressed himselfe to make full satisfaction for our sinnes x Defenc. pag. 115. li. 19. Though they somewhat molest the minde yet in trueth they are most pleasing and delightfull to good men not tedious much lesse painfull vnto death The Apostle himselfe answereth this obiection and telleth you that y Heb. 11. no chastisement FOR THE PRESENT seemeth to be ioyous but grieuous yet AFTERVVARD it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them that are thereby exercised Our Sauiour by this example teacheth the same Verily z Iohn 16. Verily I say vnto you ye shall weepe and lament but your sorow shall be turned into ioy A woman when she trauelleth hath sorrow because her houre is come but as soone as she is deliuered of the childe she remembreth no more the anguish for ioy that a man is borne into the world To say that paine is pleasure and sorrow is delightfull fighteth against Nature Scripture and euen against common sense but God doth diuersly comfort the affliction of his Saints with ending easing or otherwise recompensing them whereby the faithfull a 2. Cor. 4. faint not though their outward man perish because our light affliction which is for a moment worketh to vs a farre exceeding and euerlasting weight of glorie Though then our Sauiour was on euery side pressed with sundry sorowes which would not end but in his death yet that doth
so grieuous feare trouble and sorow of mind or soule that he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me I make good difference betwixt the Booke of Homilies confirmed as well by the publicke authority of Prince and Parliament Anno Reginae 13. ca 12 as by the generall subscription of the vpper and neather house in the conuocation Anno 1571 to a In the 35. article of Homilies containe godlie wholesome and necessarie doctrine and the Catechisme then licenced to be taught in Schooles to yong scholers but without any such autoritie as the former is Shew the like approbation and you shall freely call it the publike autorized doctrine of England till you doe so giue me leaue to tell you that the one is indeede by publicke authority receaued and ratified euen as the articles are the other was by priuate discretion permitted and tolerated to be taught in Grammar schooles but publicke authority of the whole Realme you may chalenge none vnto it And therefore I take my selfe in matters of faith not bound vnto it farder then it accordeth with the manifest trueth deliuered in the â—…acred Scriptures Againe your selfe doâ—… more impugne the Catechisme then I doe For if your owne wordes be true that Christ when he vttered those b Defenc. pag. 110. li. 28. 34. words spake in his mind of his constant and continuall ioy in God and was in exceeding generall and constant ioy What place leaue you for any of those wordes which you cite out of the Catechisme to haue any trueth in them since they speake of exceeding and horrible feares and sorrows which I thinke are contrarie to your triumphant generall and constant ioy And although I thinke it no reason that a thing priuatly permitted should abrogate the full and maine consent of the learned and auntient Fathers as you would haue it to doe and therefore make it free when the Carechisme swatueth from their sense and interpretation to be of another mind yet I condemne nothing in it as wicked but wish that soâ—…e few places had been more cleerly and more particularlâ—…e deliuered and expressed to auoid such cauillers as you and some others are But you with open mouth reiâ—…ct euen those places which now you produce as passing strange doctrine and simply impossible For where the Catechisme here in these words which you alleage saith Christ was Aeternae mortis horrore perfusus perfused or wholy touched with an horror which is a trembling feare of eternall death you not only reason against it that c Defenc. pag. 9â—… li. 13. Christ could not feare that which he perfectly knew concerned him not at all and by no meanes could euer possibly come neere him but you make it d li. 12. passing strange doctrine and simply impossible that Christ should feare or pray against the whole and intire cup of eternall death And yet the Catechisme saith he trembled and was ouercast with the horror of it You misâ—…ike that the Catechisme saith except you may peruert it to your pleasure and in steed of fearing eternall death you say Christ suffered the second death which is die death of the damned and so refusing the Catechisme for saying so much you say more and thinke the Catechisme is of your mind But sir tell vs how Christ could be stroken with the HORROR OF ETERNALL DEATH for those aâ—…e the wordes of the Catechisme and not how he suffered your new made hell which the Catechisme neuer speaketh of I haue deliuered two senses to salue the Catechisme which you impugne The first that Christ in respect of his members to whom that death was due might in loue and pietie towards them inwardly tremble at the punishment deserued by them since mercie maketh vs truely feele the very smart of other mens harmes and dangers and where we hartily loue no lesse then if they were imminent ouer our owne heads The second that Christ fearing the power of Gods wrath against sinne which is infinite may in a sort be sayd to tremble at the effects thereof by reason he trembled at the cause thereof And in this sense the consideration and apprehension of Gods infinite power and displeasure against sinne might brâ—…ede those horrible feares and sorrowes which the Catcchisme talketh of Otherwise I must be plaine the Catechisme sayth more then can be prooued by any Scripture or any learned and auncient Father and more then you your selfe allow or like saue that you would out of his vehement speaches make some aduantage to your cause though in substance you wholy dissent from the maker thereof For he speaketh of feare and sorrow you of re 〈◊〉 al solute suffering he of eternall death due to sin you of a new found hell from the immediate hand of God which is no part of the Catcchisers meaning since he plainely nameth future and euerlasting death due to sinners and not a present and temporall hell which is not the full wages of sinne nor of the damned The like I say for the notes added by the Printer or correctour to the great Bible whose text is authorized to be read in the Church but not the notes to be of equall credit or authoritie with the text And if you may turne of the whole aâ—…ay of auncient and Catholike Fathers because they diflent from your conceits how much lesse am I bound to correctours or Printers adding often times to other mens workes and labours what pleaseth themselues Though the note be not such but that it may receiue the former construction and be tolerated welâ—… enough Wherefore I meane euen the same giddy spirit which before I did buzzing in the eares of the people his owne fancies against the Scriptures against the Fathers and against the doctrine of this Realme confirmed by publike authoritie of Prince and Parliament The recollecting of your former reason so lately and largely answered I omit as tedious trifling and since you say no more then is before refuted what should I trouble my selfe and the Reader with repeating the same things so often iterated e Defenc pag. 118. li. 10. You haue yet heere and there some exceptions against this our doctrine which are not to be cleane neglected First you say I extend Christs agonie to farre because I will haue is proceede from the intolerable sorrowes and horrors of Gods siery wrath equall to â—…ell I shew not there the cause of Christs agonie and feare I shewed it of purpose in the beginning Why did you not refuse that You extend it so farre according to my wordes yea your maine purpose is to make that the cause of Christs agonie in the garden and on the crosse onely you would vse some cunning in the carriage of it first to make sorrowes and feares the cause thereof and at the next step to aske what sorrowes and feares could those be but the intolerable sorowes and horrors of Gods fierie wrath equall to hell And to this end you quote both the
thou know it Shall it suiâ—…ce in this place to say the cloudes are high the starres are higher all which we see with our eyes and can obserue their course or must we cast our thoughts on the highest heauen wherein we neither see nor know any thing but what God reuealeth by his word and which is the chiefest place of his perfection So Dauid Whither shall I flie from thy presence If I ascend into heauen thou art there if â—… get downe to Sheol below thou art there also If I take the wings of the morning and dâ—…d in the furdâ—…ct parts of the Sea there thy right hand shall hold me Ascending to the highest descending to the lowest and going to the fardest we passe through all places If God be then in the highest in the lowest and in the midst whither can we flee from him who is euery where all places being here contained the highest heauens are not omitted The Prophet Amos hath the like both purpose and partition where God assureth Israel they cannot decline his hand whither soeuer they could or would goe whether to heauen on high to Sheol below to the bredth of the mountaines or to the depth of the Sea If out of his diuision you exclude hell or heauen as places whither Gods hand can not reach doe you not with your impertinent Sophistrie broch vs a manifest heresie wherefore Shammaijm here is any or euery part of heauen euen as the earth is diuided by bredth and depth into the hils the Seas and Sheol vnderneath which is here conuinced to be in the earth because God saith though they digge into Sheol teaching vs that the lowest Sheol is in the earth which onely can be digged and not either in water or aire which can not be digged As for the 14 of Esay from which Christ deriued his threatning to Capernaum as resembling the pride and deseruing the punishment of the king of Babel the words there are so direct for Shammaijm to be the highest heauen euen the place of Gods throne that you thought best to skippe it ouer with a false translation and not to trouble your selfe any farder The pride of the King of Babylon is there thus expressed Thou saidst in thine heart I will ascend to heauen and will exalt my Throne aboue the starres of God I will ascend aboue the higth of the clouds and wil be like the most highest But thou shall be drawen downe to Sheol euen to the sides or lowest parts of the pit Shammaijm comprising three regions at least the clouds the starres the place of Gods throne the king of Babylon in his proud ambition said he would ascend aboue the higth of the clouds aboue the starres of God and would exalt his throne like to the most highest I hope Shammaijm here to which the king of Babylon would ascend was neither the clouds nor the starres they both are by name excluded and consequently not the skies as you fasly translate the Prophets words but it was the resemblance of Gods throne and the place of his glory to which that proud tyrant aspired Neither ment he there to be one of Gods Saints as you would childishly chalenge your opponent but what place of glory others get at Gods hands by obedience and humility he would in his arrogant heart assume vnto himselfe with rebellion and emulation of Gods greatnesse euen as Adam and Eue neuer ment to be Saints when they accepted the Diuels offer ye shal be as Gods but desired no longer to be subiect to God and sought to get a similitude if not an equality with God So did the King of Babel affect to be like the most highest though he were fardest from it of all others For the Prophet doth not in these words expresse what the king of Babylon was indeed but what his arrogant spirit conceaued in thinking there was no God greater then himselfe This monstrous pride of his being the higth of all impiety and blasphemie what reward in your conscience was it worthy to haue a plaine no being any longer amongst the liuing which you say Daniel affirmeth of the Messias or a iudgement proportionable to his wickednesse that is to be cast downe to the bottom of hell for exalting himselfe to the top of heauen Your spinning of cobwebbes about an inglorious destruction is no way sufficient for this offence except you meane destruction of body and soule in hell with the sight and shame of his folly and so if you ioine the vtter and eternall destruction of his person and his pride you agnise Sheol to be hell as I doe and haue not the witte to see that when a man is taken hence to that terrible and intolerable vengeance all worldlie things first faile him and the remembrance of his forme plenty and glory augmenteth the griefe of his present penurie and misery Els how auoide you contradiction as well to the trueth as to your selfe in your two signification of Sheol Sheol opposed to Shammaijm you say signifieth not hell the place of torments but aâ—… vast and deepe guise onely or pit in the earth the bottome where of we know not If you deriue this vast and deepe gulfe in the earth from the warrant of holy Scripture I must aske you first how many of these gulses the scripture admitteth to be in the earth next what vse there is of them The Scripture mentioneth the lower Sheol indeed so called in respect of the higher which is the graue common to the bodies of good and bad Other Sheols in the earth the Scripture knoweth none Now for whom is this lower gulfe in the earth prouided for men or for oxen and sheepe which you were placing there euen now by warrant pretended from Moses and the Psalmist but that you fouly mistooke the words of both When God openeth the earth to swallow vp men and all that belongeth to them as he did to the rebels in the wildernesse he hath roome enough in the earth to couer and close that which doth not descend to Sheol without your vast and deepe gulfe If you confesse this vast and deepe gulfe in the earth to serue for wicked men after death then come you neerer to the Scriptures but as neere to hell For Dauid saying vnto God Thou hast deliuered my soule from the lower Sheol declareth the lower Sheol to be a receptacle for the soules of such as God doth not shew mercy vnto SalomoÌ„ saith of such as haunted harlots Her guests are in the depth of Sheól Moses telleth you The sire of Gods wrath burneth to the lower Sheól In the lower Sheol then are the soules of the wicked and fire there burning for them If your vast and deepe gulfe in the earth be all one with this we know the place to be hell and the vse thereof the punishment of the wicked If it differ from this you must tell vs by the word of God wherefore it