manner Tho. Hil Read the litle treatise intituled A viewe of examples if thou haue the French tongue reade also the Booke intituled Des grands redoutables iugemens punitions de dieu aduenus au monde c. and there thou shalt see that punishments haue bine executed vpon some one or other for the violating of euerie commandement of the Lord. The which and such like examples God he sendeth daie by daie that men should know consider how that maie happen vnto euerie forsworne blasphemous wicked person which happeneth to anie Finalie God as he iudgeth particularlie some for some special sinnes so he iudgeth vniuersalie al men when he taketh them out of this worlde by death For the wages of sinne is death Of which sith euerie man is guiltie no man escapeth the punishment of sinne which is death For it is the condition of al times Thou shalt die the death And it is appointed vnto men that theie shal once die For so much as al men haue sinned But the law of the spirite of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed vs from the lawe of sinne and of death whie therfore doe we die and are not forth-with clothed with immortalitie I aunswere with Bernard It is that the trueth of God maie be fulfilled For seeing God loueth mercie and trueth man is to die because he prophecied that he should yet shal rise-againe least God seeme to forget his mercie So therfore death although it beare not dominion alwaie yet notwithstanding it abideth for the trueth of Gods sake or for à time in vs euen as sinne although it nowe raigneth not in our mortal bodies yet are wee not without the same The thirde manner of God his iudgements is both by himself by man too As when he not onelie suffreth y e Magistrate to punish the bodies but also himselfe tormenteth y e minds of malefactors by himselfe Exāples of which his iustice I wil recite two one shalbe of à murtherer executed at Vienna named Paul the other of Muntzer the traitor put to death in Germanie For Paul hauing not onelie robbed his owne master of that monie which with great paines and toile he had gathered for the reliefe of him and his in necessitie but also murthered to make his waie sure first his felowe workman then à maide seruant then his master next his mistres and last of al à poore young infant à maiden childe and being miraculouslie by God himselfe apprehended at Ratisbone à citie distant from Vienna 50 Germane miles deliuered into the hands of the magistrate by them conueied to the place where that horrible fact was perpetrated and there according to the lawes of that countrie adiudged vnto à most bitter death amid his paines which were most greeuous to fleshe and blood he openlie confessed y t al his bodilie torments did not so much afflict his flesh as the last wordes of the poore infant and innocent whome among the rest he had murthered did torment his minde For when he came with bloodie hands to kil her y e sweet babe entreated him earnestlie to saue her promising y e best thinges which she had for a recompence of his mercie in these words O Paul good Paul do not thou kil me and thou shalt haue al my poppets whensoeuer thou wilt Those words from the time hee had murthered her were as corosies at his heart and at his death as the paines of hel to his soule so testifieth à good and à godlie wtiter Muntzer also being readie to be put vnto death for raising the poore Countrie-men in Germanie against their leige Lordes and gouernours was so vexed in minde that such as stoode by him when he was to be executed might sensiblie heare his heart to pant shake and beate-againe so did God for his part shewe his iudgement vpon him for his wickednes as witnesseth D. George Maior CHAP. 12. Whether al the wicked are punished in this worlde and whie theie are suffered in the opinion of man to florish IF God then so fauour iustice some wil saie he should iudge and punish al the wicked in this world He should in deede and he doth For there is not à wicked man vpō the earth whome God in his iustice one waie or oother either by his Magistrates or by himselfe either by his secrete or by his open iudgements either by an accusing conscience or by casting him of into à reprobate minde either by sickenes or by pouertie by aduersitie or by prosperitie doth not punish But it maie be obiected to haue à guiltie conscience is an heauie crosse and to be vtterlie forsaken of the Lorde and possessed of Satan is of al the sorest plague which can fal-vpon man in this world aduersitie also is à grieuous punishment but that prosperitie can be à crosse that is a Paradoxe in the opinion of the world I grant it is so For so theie haue alwaies thought Therefore the Romans with Cicero the enimies of Iob the aduersaries of Paul in their owne eies were the Turks as theie thinke themselues are happie And why The Romans had al the world as it were in subiection Iob his enimies liued at their heartes ease Paul his aduersaries were not touched with aduersitie as theie thought y e Turks doe florish Wheras contrariwise y e Iewes with Cicero Iob euen of his friendes Paul of the barbarous people Christians of the Turkes are iudged accurssed But whie The nation of the Iewes are vanquished are carried from their natiue countrie are deteined in captiuitie said Cicero Iob was in miserie And who euer perished being an innocent or when were the godlie destroied saide the fained friends of Iob Paul had a viper vpon his hande Therefore he is à murtherer and though hee haue escaped the sea yet vengance wil not suffer him to liue saide barbarous people Christians are but fewe for number and for power nothing so mightie as they haue bene theie endure much affliction and trobles in respect of others therefore they are not the sonnes of God saith Mahomet These are the rash and sinister opinions of the world When god sendeth prosperitie hee loueth but when aduersitie doth come hee hateth But the godlie are of an other minde For albeit when such as feare God enioie prosperitie they thinke it an argument of his fauor yet when the wicked haue the same in their iudgemēt it is a token of his displeasure Therefore Augustine in à certaine place doth saie The men of this world are vnhappilie happie that is in their wealth theie are poore in their health sicke and in their felicity they are accurssed For when the Lord seemeth not to be angrie at al with the wicked he is most displeased So Bernard when God is not angrie as mē thinke he is most angrie And this may appeare to be true both in the Romans in respect of the
of the 24. and 25. of Matthewe the first and the 17. of the Actes the 17. and the 21. of Luke the 2. Thessal 1 and the Epistle of Saint Iude. In al which places mention is made of the vtter destruction of the worlde and of the seconde comming of our Sauiour vnto the general iudgement and proue as wel that the daie of iudgement is come as that text where it is said Beholde I sende mine Angel or messenger which shal prepare the waie or make plaine the path before Me set afore most of their Bookes doth proue that H. N. is the messenger of Christ. Thus much against the Familie of Loue and this one opinion of theirs as wicked as it is strange and vnheard-of vntil these late yeares CHAP. 7. Against the fauorers of Hymeneus and Philetus who saide that the resurrection is alredie past AS had S. Paul in his time Hymeneus and Philetus so haue we in our time such as fauor Hymeneus and Philetus namelie the Familie of Loue who denie the iudgement to come and saie the resurrection is past Yet so I woulde not write of them did not both Christopher Vitel and also H. N. himselfe auouch the same For saith Vitel The Lord hath accomplished according to his promises through the spirite of Christ in him namely H.N. al that he hath spoken through the mouth of his seruants the Prophets And in this daie are al Prophecies fulfilled saith H.N. himselfe In which two places although expresse mention bee not made either of the iudgement or comming of Christ yet in that they saie Al Prophecies are fulfilled and that the Lord hath accomplished al that he hath spoken through the mouth of his seruants the Prophets they do comprehend the iudgement and comming of Christ so wel as anie thing els For the Prophets haue foretolde thereof As the Prophet Isaiah the Prophet Ezekiel the Prophet Daniel and others If therefore whatsoeuer the Lorde hath spoken by his seruantes the Prophets be fulfilled and the Lord hath fore-tolde by his seruants y e Prophets of à general resurrection iudgement and seconde comming of Christ Then is the resurrection iudgement and seconde comming of Christe come and past already euen by the verie words of the arch-pillers of the Familie Yet would I not thinke that so wretchedlie theie do erre had I not read that one of the Familie gaue-out that Christe was already come For one of the Familie being asked before manie witnesses touching Christ his comming vnto iudgement did answere plainlie that he was alreadie come Neither yet should I so conceiue of thē did I not finde that not onelie H.N. himselfe was but also the Lords deade are alreadie raised-againe Which opinion theie woulde neuer stand-in or defend if theie did thinke anie other resurrection to be than onelie à rising from sinne à casting-of of the olde man and à putting-on of the newe But as Hymeneus and Philetus were deceaued for y t theie deuided not the word of God aright so the Familie of Loue do so perilouslie erre because theie vnder stand not the worde of God aright For did theie so theie would confesse and beleeue not à single but à double not à spiritual onelie but à corporal resurrection also wherof the one which is spiritual must go before the other that is corporal Wherefore to auoide the error of the aboue mentioned we are to beare in minde y t there is à twofold resurrection of the dead one spiritual of the mind the other corporal of the bodie When I saie there is à spiritual resurrection I meane not that the Soule or Spirite can die and be raised vp-againe For the soule is immortal But the spiritual resurrection is when à man who was dead in sinne through the preaching of the Gospel is reclamed frō the death of vngodlines vnto life that is vnto faith and knowledge of Christ wherebie he is made à new creature According as Irenaeus doth saie Agnitio Dei renouat hominem that is the knowledge of God maketh à new-man For as there is à double death to wit à spiritual and à corporal so is there á double resurrection He is spiritualie dead though he seeme healthful in bodie who is à blasphemer à traitor an adulterer an vserer à murtherer c. For he is as à dead man in the sight of God Euen as we count him who either hath done some horrible fact worthie death against the lawes of man or else is condemned to die but for à dead man because he standeth at y e mercie of the magistrate either to be saued or cast-awaie as our phrase is He therefore who by the preaching of the Gospel is sorie for his sinnes and beleeueth that through the bloode of Christ al his offences are washed and wypt-awaie and through the virtue of his faith doth so fight against his wicked affections that he is become à newe man that is of à blasphemer à continual praiser of God of rebellions obedient of incontinent pure and chast of an vserer à free lender yea à liberal giuer of à murtherer à careful preseruer of mē c. this man I saie through the power of the holie Ghost is raised from the death of sinne and risen with Christ. Which spiritual resurrection as euennowe I saide must goe-before the corporal resurrection For vnlesse we arise spiritualie by Faith vnto newnes of life let vs not looke to rise-againe corporalie vnto eternal life For our Sauior doth doth saie Theie shal come-foorth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but theie that haue done euil vnto the resurrection of condemnation So then if anie man desire to liue eternaly in the sight of God and to be à partaker of the felicitie to come let him first arise from sinne beleeue that his offences are pardoned through the death of Christ and spende the time he hath in this worlde godlie righteouslie and soberlie and assuredlie he shalbe raised at the second resurrection vnto eternal life The corporal death is when as the soule doth forsake the bodie and the bodie returneth vnto duste where out it was taken Which bodie we Christians doe beleeue shal rise-againe at the daie of iudgement But the fauorers of Hymeneus Philetus wil not be so perswaded to thinke And therefore because theie vnderstande not the Scriptures aright theie holde that there is onelie à spiritual resurrection But the Scripture doth so wel speake of à corporal as of à spiritual For as it is written ye which were dead in sinnes and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened-together with him which is the spiritual so is it wtitten The dead shalbe raised-vp incoruptible and we shalbe changed For this corruptible must put on incorruption this mortal must put on immortalitie which is
either be assaulted by their Sophismes or shal heare their argumentes maie the more easilie both dissolue and abhorre them Theie saie therefore by an argument à diuisione The Saintes are without both original actual sinnes Ergo theie haue no sinne For confirmation of their false antecedent theie first labour to proue that theie are without original sinne and that by this argument That sin which is forgiueÌ„ remaineth not But Baptisme is à seale to assure the consciences of the faithful that original sinne is forgiuen Therfore it remaneth not And if it doth not remane then are the Saintes without original sinne The Maior is vntrue For original yea al sinnes are forgiuen through the obedience of Christ. For he being iust did suffer for the vniust and hath taken-awaie the sinnes of the world so y â— by his stripes theie are healed and sanctified by his bloud Yet remaineth though there raigneth not much wickednes yea in the godlie as both concupiscence of the hart and other sinnes Which sinnes although theie remane in them are not to their hurt because theie beleeue in him that iustifieth the vngodlie For their faith is counted for righteousnesse and theie are in God his sight pure holie and faultlesse Wherof it is that Theie are pronounced Blessed not which are without sinnes but whose iniquities are forgiuen not theie which are pure from al wickednes but whose sinnes are couered Secondlie to proue that theie are without actual sinne thus theie reason Where there is no condemnation there is no sinne To the Saints there is no condemnation Therefore in the saintes there is no sinne I aunswere vnto the Maior where there is no condemnation there is no sinne vnto death For the sinnes of them which are in Christ Iesus are venial or pardoned or blotted-out euen as though they had neuer bene committed Notwithstanding they are suffered to be in the godlie yea and to assaile them sore that they may continuallie beare in mind howe much they are bound vnto God and stil seeke to please him whose helpe they stande alwaies in neede of For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and as the prouerbe is he is liuelesse that is faultlesse And yet who shal laie anie thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shal condemne so that there is no condemnation to the faithful not because they are cleare from al contagion of wickednes but for that their sinnes are not imputed vnto them For mans righteousnes is Gods mercie Againe saie they Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not But the saints are borne of God Therefore the saints do not sinne For the better answering this argument it is to be considered that y e saints haue à double generation one à carnal of their earthly parents y e other a spiritual of God according to the diuersitie wherof theie are carried diuerslie partlie with humaine and partly with diuine cogitations By the carnal generation their flesh lusteth against the spirit by the spiritual the spirite lusteth against the flesh by the carnal they sinne in manie things by the spiritual theie shewe their faith by their works by the carnal theie are sinners by y â— spiritual they abide in God auoid sinne because theie are the sonnes of God Therefore saith Augustine consume that wherebie we are the sonnes of the flesh and of the world and that wil come vnto perfection wherebie we are the sonnes of God redeemed in the spirite This made the same Iohn to saie Dearelie beloued now are we the sonnes of god but yet it doth not appeare what we shalbe What meaneth this We are and we shalbe but onelie that we are in hope but shalbe indeede For afterwarde hee saith wee know that when he shal appeare we shalbe like him for we shal see him as he is Therefore we both nowe haue begun to bee like him in this world because we enioie the first fruits of the spirit and are yet vnlike him through the remnants of the olde man Then so fâ—â—forth as we are like him so farforth we are through the regeneration of the spirite the sonnes of God but by howe much we are vnlike him by so much we are the sonnes of the flesh and of the worlde In respect of the one wee cannot sinne but in respect of the other if we saie that we haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and so Augustine Bernard answereth vnto the maior on this wise Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not that is saith he resteth not in sinne or sinneth not that is it is so much as if he did not sinne Because sinne is not imputed vnto him Wherefore to conclude mine answere vnto this argument I saie with Augustine So long as through patience we hope for the redemption of our bodies let vs neuer haue the faces to saie wee haue no sinne least that arrogancie of minde bee a most hainous offence Moreouer they reason thus It is the commandement of God Do this that is fulfil the commandements and thou shalt liue The saints doe liue that is in the eies of God they are blessed Ergo they fulfil the commandementes of God Hereunto I answere first the argument is false For it is no good reasoÌ„ They should therefore theie doe keepe the commandements or they are commaunded to fulfil therefore they do fulfil the lawes of God Secondly the commaundementes are fulfilled two manner of waies by Christ and by our selues By our selues we could neuer keepe them and therefore Christ hath fulfilled theÌ„ on our behalfe For that that was vnpossible to the lawe saith Paul in asmuch as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his own sonne in the similitude of sinful flesh and for sinne coÌ„demned sin in the flesh that the righteousnes might bee fulfilled in vs which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Last of al vnto the minor I saie The saints do liue but not through any righteousnes which they haue done or for their keeping the Lawe it is by their faith in the bloude of Christ for so saith Paul Furthermore they obiect The saints be righteous Ergo they do not sinne If this argumeÌ„t be meant of the saints in heauen it is true but if otherwise I denie the same For the saints in this world be righteous and yet sinners Righteous because God accepteth them for righteous and righteous not absolutelie but in respect of other men So was Noah righteous but in his generation and y e Publicane righteous but rather than the Pharisie and the spouse of Christ fairest but among women And so the saints in this world before others rather than the wicked among men be righteous but simplie without al comparison righteous or without sinne they are not For in