so as that withall they hate him in their hearts knowing that he will be and shall be their confounder These feare God so as withall they loue him in their hearts as feeling that he is and beleeuing that he will be their carefull preseruer And if at any time mistrustfull or carnall feare doe take hold vpon the Saints yet it is neither totall nor finall as it is in the Deuills For the regenerate partie will euer cleaue to Gods mercie by faith and the spirit of adoption will at length get the victorie and make them crie with comfort Abba Father whereas the Deuills feare euer totally without one droppe of faith and finally without one moment of comfort Therefore as it is no comfort to the Deuills to know that the Saints doe feare as well as they so it need be no discomfort to the Saints to see that they feare as well as the deuills Mâ—dus agendi actum distinguit They feare punishment these feare losse they feare and â—ate these feare and loue they feare and despaire these feare hope they feare and sinne still these feare and amend they feare and are damned these feare and are saued For there is a feare and reuerence with which we please God the fruit whereof is euerlasting saluation Hitherto I haue spoken of the Deuills beleefe and trembling seuerally and asunder and deriued vses from either necessarie to our instruction Now consider we of them iointly and together They beleeue and yet they tremble They tremble and yet they beleeue What Pugnantia loqueris Iacobe Good S. Iames doest thou not speake contraries How will these two stand together beleeuing and trembling If they beleeue why doe they tremble If they tremble how doe they beleeue for on the one side timor hostilis infidelitatis filius hostile feare is the ofspring of infidelitie Why were the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why are yee fearefull O yee of little faith If therefore the deuills tremble it is a signe that they beleeue not On the other side if they beleeue then what need they tremble For first Faith maketh attonment with God Beeing iustified by faith we haue peace toward God If they be at peace with God what cause haue they to feare For If God be on our side who can be against vs Secondly Faith purifieth the heart Now if the Deuills be mundi corde then they are blessed and see God with comfort What then need they feare Thirdly faith giueth boldnes and confidence By whom we haue boldnesse and entrance with confidence by saith in him Boldnes and Confidence are plaine opposites to feare and trembling Fourthly faith worketh by loue Now loue casteth out feare Ergo. If they beleeue they loue if they loue they feare not One of the Fathers expounding that place in the Song of Salomon Thy cheekes are comely with rowes of stones and thy necke with chaines maketh one of those chaines wherewith the Churches necke is adorned to be religiosa sanaque fides a sound and religious â—aith facta de puro diuinae cognitionis auro beaten and composed of pure gold of the diuine knowledge And to this pure and golden chaine of faith he applieth that of Salomon in the Prouerbs Coronam gratiarum accipies vertice tuo â—umellam aurâ—am circa caput tuum Thou shalt receiue a crowne of grace or a gracefull crowne vpon thy head and a chaine of gold about thy necke Now then if the Deuills haue such a crown of grace vpon their heads and such a rich coller of Sss about their necke as faith is a man would think they were adorned and bewtified sufficiently to appeare with iolliâ—ie in the most roiall presence euen of the glorious God himselfe How then saith S. Iames here that they beleeue yet they tremble The answer is this The deuills beleeue much many things as hath bin before declared but yet they beleeue not that which should keepe them from trembling What is that M. Bucer setteth downe in three words Reconciliationem non credunt They beleeue no atonement or reconciliation made or to be made between them and Almightie God Therefore all that which they beleeue will not keepe them from trembling Take for an example of them in this case a malefactor a felon a murderer or traytour conuicted and condemned to death This malefactor knoweth the King who he is he knoweth his prerogatiue royall that he can and is able to pardon him he knoweth and beleeueth further that the King of his naturall disposition is mild kind bounteous pitiâ—ull mercifull as thanked be God our King Iames is at this day The same malefactor knoweth yet further that the King out of his royall bountie and grace hath pardoned many yea some capitall offendors But now withall he hath no meanes nor friend to make to the King to obtaine his pardon he hath neither word not writing from the King to warrant his pardon nay he hath no hope that if he sought for it the King would graunt his pardon nay his heart is so besotted as that he can not thinke of seeking a pardon Here all the knowledge of the King of the Kings mercie of the Kings mercifull dealing with others will not put him out of feare of death but he trembleth daily hourely expecting his execution So is it with the Deuill He knoweth God be knoweth the omnipotent power of God that God can forgiue him and he can say with the leper Master if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane He knoweth the infinite mercie of God that he is mercifull gratious flow to anger and abundent in goodnes and truth that the whole earth is full of the goodnes of the Lord that his mercy reacheth to the heauens his truth vnto the clouds yea that the Lord is good to all and his mercies are ouer all his workes He knoweth further that God hath extended his mercifull pardon towards hainoâ—s offenders As to Dauid for adulterie and murder To Salomon for idolatrie To Peter for Apostacie To Paul for persecution and to thousand thousands whose names are not recorded All this the Deuill knoweth well and beleeueth all that he knoweth as hath beene before declared But now the wretched fiend hath neither means to make for his pardon for Christ is but Mediator dei hominum a Mediator betweene God and man not betweene God and the deuills and the goodnes of God which appeared in Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a loue of men not a loue of deuills neither hath he one title or iotte of a promise from God that he shall be pardoned neither hath he the hope that if he begge it God will giue him pardon neither hath he an affection to desire pardon but is shut vp as are all reprobates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the beginning of the world yea and that in an high degree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beeing a murderer from the beginning yea and that not of bodies onely but of soules also how much more I say must the touch of his sinne make him to tremble before the presence of God 3. A malefactor condemned and adiudged to death can not but liue in continuall feare expecting hourely his shamefull and painfull execution For death is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Philosopher speaketh of all things the most fearefull And then Nulla morâ— inquietior est quam quae statim tota est saith Quintilian The heauiest death is that which commeth with all his weight at once such as is the execution of the malefactour Now this is the present estate of the Deuills They are alreadie cast downe to hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is they are iudicio deputati adiudged and deputed to hell and torments and vnto that execution they are reserued in chaines of darknes or as Iude saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in euerlasting chaines vnder darknes And so like condemned prisoners carceris atrocitatem dimidium ponae sustinent donec as vlâ—imum 〈…〉 trahantur they beare the torture of the 〈…〉 chaines and fetters and manicles the one halfe of their punishment vntill they be drawne forth to the vtmost execution which shall fall vpon them sodâ—â—ly and all at once Therefore how can the Deuills but tremble continually An example of this trembling and feare in the deuills the H. Ghost hath recorded vnto vs in the Scriptures Christ comming into the countrey of the Gergasens there met him two possessed with deuills And what an horrible feare expresse they in their demeanour First they cried out as the witch did when shee discouered the King so neere her who had put Sorcerers and Soothsayers out of the land and as the Disciples cried out for feare thinking they had seene a Spirit when Christ came walking towards them on the waters Clamor exprimit aâ—gustiam animi desperantis This crying out of the deuils when they saw Christ bewraieth the straightnes of a desperate minde As Woe Woe in the Reuelation And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Sophocles and Euripedes Secondly they would faiâ—â— turne him off hand Quid nobis tibi What haue wee to doe with thee As if they should say Come not neere vs wee haue no desire to meddle with thee Thirdly they feare present execution Art thou come hither to torment vs before the time The word in the Originall is very significant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cast vs into the torments of hell For so the same word is expressely vsed by S. Luke The rich man in hell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beeing in torments And hell it selfe is there called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the place of torments And so in mine opinion the Greeke Church vsed the word in their Liturgie as it is excellently and to speciall purpose alleadged by our learned Bishop of Elie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By thy vnknowne sufferings and â—ellish torments Good Lord deliuer vs. And thus eâ—ery 〈◊〉 they shewed that the presence of Christ was a 〈◊〉 vnto them sicut reo praesentia Iudicis seruo fugitiâ—o praesentia Domini sui as the presence of the Iudge is terrible to the guiltie fellâ—n and the presence of the master is fearefull to a fugitiue seruant And if any man will obiect against this that the deuills bewaried no such extremitie of feare because an other Euangelist saith they ranne to him as willing to draw neere him and worshipped him as cheerefully doing their homage Let that man take for answer that the deuills ran to Christ à spiritis malo voluntariè exequente sed à spiritu bono voluntarie compellente the euill spirit executing that which the good Spirit of God inforced them vnto The man must needes runne faith our Prouerbe whome the deuill driueth and the deuill must needes runne when God his master whippeth him forwards And as for the deuills worshipping of Christ farre enough was that from any deuout homage for he did that which he did non humilitate sed necessitate compulsus not induced with due reuerence but compelled by extreame necessitie Non â—more boni sed â—imore grauioris supplicij not for any loue of goodnesse but for feare of greater punishment As a false hearted Papist may crouch and creepe and doppe like a Frier before the Worthy King of great Brittaine not of any loue to his person or honour to his estate but for feare of his sword and the iustice of his Lawes The deuills therefore notwithstanding all this quaked like Aspen leaues at the presence of Christ. From hence arise many lessons of instruction As. 1. The Deuills are euer trembling before God it followeth by necessary consequence that they can carrie no loiall affections not louing deuotions towards God For Quem metuunt oderunt And as Tertullian spake the very same Odium timor spirat feare breatheth out hatred The scholler that daily feareth the rodde the seruant that hourely feareth the whippe neither of them can beare true or hartie loue vnto their master Therefore is the Deuill rightly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because hee beareth euer tearmes of hostilitie against God and all his seruants S. Iohn in the Reuelation sheweth that the Deuill fought against Michael himselfe whom Daniel calleth the great Prince And rightly for the word implieth Quis sicut Deus who is like the Lord And so it is by the Protestants iustly ascribed to the Sonne of God who as Daniel speaketh standeth for the sonnes of his people Beeing foiled of him he persecuted the woman She being deliuered he went and made warre with the remnant of her seede So God the Sonne of God the Church the members of the Church are continually opposed of the deuill and his ministers Hereof he is called Sathan that is to say an Aduersarie beeing euer ad oppositum resisting where hee can obeying vnwillingly where he cannot resist A notable patterne of all vnsanctified men such Father such children who hauing not receiued the spirit of Adoption and therefore continually in feare of the wrath of God serue God but vnwillingly stoope to God but traiterously no loyall nor soâ—n-like affection ruling in their hearts A good note for a man to knowe what manner of spirit raigneth in him A wicked man led by the spirit of Satan would doe more harme if he durst to satisfie his corrupt affections a good man led by the spirit of God would doe more good if he could to please and honour his heauenly Father But feare restraineth the one and loue inciteth the other 2. This sheweth the miserable estate of the deuills they liue in continuall feare and so in continuall torture Timor supplicamentum
vs from hell his ascending into heauen will carrie me vp thither also What can be spoken in words more patheticall in sense more applicatiue in faith more apprehensiue Thus spake the Greeke Fathers now turne wee to the Latine Cyprian disswading from the feare of death and rebuking in men their vnwillingnes to die If saith he some graue man of good report promised thee any thing thou wouldest surely beleeue his promise nor wouldest thou doubt that he would deceiue thee knowing him to be a man that will be as good as his word or will stand to his promise well then Nunc deus tecum loquitur iâ— mente incredula perfidus fluctuas Now doth God speake to thee and giue thee his promise and doest thou with an vnbeleeuing heart doubt of performance Deus tibi de hoc mundo recedenti immortalitatem pollicetur atque aeternitatem tu dubitas God promiseth to thee when thou departest out of the world immortalitie and eternitie and doest thou doubt of possession Hoc est Deum omnino non nosse hoc est Christum credentium Magistrum peccato incredulitatis offendere hoc est in Ecclesia constitutum fidem in domo fidei non habere This is not to know God â—t all this is by vnbeleefe to offend Christ the master of the beleeuers this is for one to be in the Church and to haue no faith in thâ— house of faith I gather from hence these conclusions 1. First Gods promises made to vs must be beleeued now they are promises of mercie 2. Secondly God promiseth to vs immortalitie and eternitie they therefore by faith must be assuredly expected 3. Thirdly to doubt of the performance of these is not to knowe God yea it is to haue no faith at all The same Father in the same place Qui spe viuinâ—u in Deum credimus in Christum passum esse pro nobis resurrexisse confidimus in Christo manentes per ipsum atque in ipso resurgentes quid aut ipsi recedere istinâ— de seculo noluâ—â—us aut nostros recedentes quasi perditâ—s plangimus Wee which liue in hope and beleeue in God and put our trust in Christ that he suffered and rose againe for vs abiding in Christ and by him and in him rising againe why are we our selues so loth to depart hence or why doe wee lament our friends departed as if they were vtterly lost Here is beleefe in God here is trust in Christ here is beleeefe that he died for vs and rose againe for vs here is an exhortation built vpon this beleefe to die comfortably and to take the death of our friends patiently doth not this manifestly inferre a faith apprehending mercie Arnobius vpon the Psalmes if that booke be his The meanest Christian saith he and the vilest sinner shall be preferred before that seruant that beareth himselfe aloft and neglecteth his masters honour qui se credit per fidem ad misericordiam peruenire eius qui regnat in secula seculorum euen that sinfull Christian who beleeueth by faith to attaine to his mercie who liueth for euermore Marke that sinner shall be saued who beleeueth to finde mercie Beleefe of mercie therefore bringeth to saluation Tertullian Vt certum esset nos esse filios Dei misit Spiritum suum in corda nostra clamantem Abba Pater That we might be certaine that we are the sons of God he hath sent his spirit into our hearts crying Abba Father Here obserue 1. It is certaine that we are the Sonnes of God How is it certaine Not by reuelation ergo by faith 2. To be the Sonne of God is speciall mercie ergo to beleeue that is to beleeue mercie 3. The Spirit teacheth vs in assurance hereof to call God our Father the name of a Father is a name of â—ercie The Spirit therefore teacheth vs to beleeue mercie S. Ambrose by his faith thus applyeth Christ vnto himselfe Non gloriabor quia iustus sum c. I will not glory saith he that I am righteous but I will glorie that I am redeemed froÌ„ mine vnrighteousnes I will not glorie that I am free from sinne but I will glorie that the sinnes which I haue are forgiuen me Then he addeth Non gloriabor quia profui neque quia profuit mihi quispiam sed quia pro me Advocatus apud Patrem Christus est sed quia pro me Christi sanguis effusuâ— est that is I will not glorie that I haue profited any man nor that any man hath profited mee but I will glorie of this that Christ is an Aduocate for me with the Father and that Christs blood was shed for me Marke Bellarmine here is a notable presumptuous Heretique I am redeemed my sinnes are forgiuen Christ is mine Aduocate Christs blood was shed for me What Protestant euer applyed Christs benefits neerer to his owne vse verily not Luther himselfe when he professed a little before his death I haue taught him I haue knowne him I haue loued him as my life my health my redemption But I returne to the Fathers for neither Luther nor any of Luthers side are olde enough though learned enough to stoppe the Aduersaries mouthes S. Augustine saith thus The deuills beleeued Christ but they did not loue Christ. And therefore though they beleeued yet they said what haue wee to doe with thee Iesu thou Sonne of God But let vs beleeue so as wee may beleeue in him and loue him Et non dicamus Quid nobis tibi est Sed dicaâ—â—us potiùs Ad te pertinemus Tu nos redemisti And let vs not say as the deuills said what haue we to doe with thee as desirous not to come neere him But let vs say rather We are thine we pertaine to thee thou hast redeemed vs as drawing him and his merits home vnto our selues Now let a Papist tell me how a man shall cheerefully goe to Christ and say vnto him I belong to thee thou hast redeemed mee without a faith laying hold of speciall mercie Bernard hath a notable and comfortable saying Si credis peccata tua non posse deleri nisi ab eo cui soli peccâ—sti in quem peccatum non cadit bene facis If saith he thou beleeuest that thy sinnes cannot be wiped away but onely of him against whom onely thou hast sinned and into whom no sinne falleth therein thou doest well Sed adde adhuc vt hoc credas quia per ipsum tibi pecata donantur But yet goe on further and beleeue this also that thy sins are forgiuen to thee Hoc est enim testimonium quod perhibet in corde nostro spiritus sanctus dicens demissa sunt tibi peccata tua For this is the testimonie or record which the holy Ghost beareth in euerie one of our hearts Thy sins are forgiuen to thee A golden sentence To beleeue that God onely can forgiue sinne is well but not sufficient To