handes These are they that doe all the Popes businesse You see how actiue and stirring the handes are Surely as Anaxagoras thought man to bee the wisest of all creatures because hee onely had handes whereby hee is able to speake if neede bee and to expresse all signes so I doe thinke him the wickedst of all creatures because hee onely hath handes and no Tiger or vulture vnder heaven more hurtefull vvith his clawes or talentes then man with his excellente member vvhen hee is disposed to vse it to bad purposes But to returne from those vvicked hands the Popes factours As Paul albeit he knew nothing by himselfe yet was hee not iustified thereby so though I know nothing by either of those two places vvhich I speake of yet haue I not freed my soule nor dischardged my duety vnlesse I admonish them both of that which may bee I trust they will pardon my charitable iealousie over them the same reasons of mightinesse and authority agreeing to them which were founde in Niniveh For what is the reason that men first imagine iniquitie and afterwardes contriue wickednes in their beddes and vvhen the morning is lighte put it in practise but because their hande hath power First they covet fieldes and then take them by violence and houses and take them away so they oppresse a man and and his house even a man and his heritage When a malicious will and a mightie hand concupiscence and violence meete you see how a familie and posterity is overthrowne by it VVhatsoever either violence or fraude bee meante by the wickednesse of the handes the Hebrewes agree that the meaning of the king and his counsaile vvas to call for restitution In the observation whereof as R. Kimhi affirmeth their forefathers of godly memorie were so carefully carefull not to offende that they made this decree If any had wrongfully taken a beame or rafter and vsed it in the building of a greate tower hee vvas to plucke downe the whole tower againe and restore that peece to his owner Habacuk doeth not much dissent from them For the stone shall crie out of the vvall and the beame out of the timber shall aunswere it woe vnto him that buildeth a towne in bloude and erecteth a cittie vvith iniquitie It shall bee better for them to pull downe towers and townes and citties and countries to the grounde rather then to suffer such skâ—ich-owles of woe to singe in the chambers thereof Saint Augustine to Macedonius is as peremptory in tearmes as ever the oppressour was in his violence That if the goods of an other man the taking away whereof was vniust maie bee restored and is not repentaunce is never truelie done but counterfeited But vvhere it is truelye done the sinne shall never bee pardrned till the spoile bee restored But as I saide before vvhen it may hee restored Wherein thou mayest deceiue thy selfe For though thou canst not restore in identity the same for the same yet thou mayest restore in equalitie so much for so much which was the meaning of Augustine Fulgentius noteth vpon the vvordes of Matthew Every tree vvhich bringeth not good fruite c. If barrennesse shall bee cast into the fire what doeth rapine and robbery deserue If iudgement shall bee without mercy to him that sheweth not mercy vvhat iudgemente shall bee to him that doeth also shewe cruelty And Rabanus noteth no lesse vpon that complainte of Christ Matthew twenty fiue I was hungry and thou gavest mee no breade VVhat shall hee receaue for taking away other mens who shall ever burne in hell fire for not giving his owne I vvas hungry and thou gavest mee no breade Nay I was hungry and that little breade that I had thou tookest from me I was naked and thou gavest mee no cloathing Nay that simple coate and cloke that I had thou spoiledst mee of I had but one vineyarde and thou deceavedst mee of it These in their iudgementes and conclusions went not so farre touching the necessity of restitution but Nehemias avowed it as deepely by actuall demonstration for hee shooke the lap of his garment and wished that the Lorde woulde even so shake out all those that restored not But if so excellent a governour in so different a case the houses and lands of the people beeing laide to gage by themselues and monye received vpon them vvere so angrye in his minde for the crie of the poore that he rebuked the princes and rulers for their sakes and set a greate assembly against them and put them to silence telling them that for the reproach of the heathen they ought to haue vvalked in the feare of the Lorde Which nowe they did not and praying them to giue backe the pledges againe and to remitte some parte also of the debte and not contente with their worde binding them by oath before the priestes to perfourme it nor vvith their oath but sealing it for more assurance vvith that fearefull sacrament of emptying his garmente himselfe cursing them to their faces if they brake promise and all the congregation crying Amen what shall vvee then saie of them or vvith vvhat reasons shall vve vrdge them or vvhat bondes shall vve take for their restitution who haue taken the houses and fields and of their brethren not as pledges but praies not voluntarilye yeelded but violentlye wrunge ouâ— without either mony or recompence to those vvhome they haue displaced If they loose the accepted time they will come and restore hereafter as Iudas did He brought the thirty pieces of silver againe but it was too late Let them rather learne of famous Zacheus whose praise is in the gospell and the singularity of whose fact maketh it almost a miracle Hee was the chiefe receiver of the tribute and hee was rich withall and if the country belyed him not a man of a sinnefull life I vvil not say that his office made him rich and his riches an evill man but officers that grow rich in haste hardly escape that gradation howsoever it were little Zacheus but as great in example as ever we read of a chiefe receiver and a chiefe restorer rich in substance and rich in good workes and in the midst of his sinnefull life a renouncer of his sinnefulnesse no sooner hee received Christ into his house and much more into his conscience but as if hee had lien in his dregges of extortion before hee novve stoode vp and not caring to bee heard of men nor hunting after earthly commendation spake vnto the LORDE Beholde Lorde with a readie and cheerefull heart offering his service and sacrifice before the face of his Saviour not the crummes of my table nor morselles of my meate but halfe of my goods a franke and bountifull present and I take them to bee mine owne honestly and lawefully gotten I giue with as free a minde as ever thou gavest to mee not to my friendes and kindred or to the rich of the vvorlde who are able to make
debt vvherewith he was oppressed slept quietly and tooke his ease desired to buy the pallet that hee lodged vpon his servants marveâ—ling thereat he gaue them this answere that it seemed vnto him some wonderfull bed and worth the buying whereon a man could sleepe that was so deepely indebted Surely if we consider with our selues the duety and debt vve owe to God and man to our country to our family to homeborne to strangers that is both to Israell and to Niniveh and most especially to those of the houshold of faith that as it was the lawe of God before the law that we shoulde eate our bread in the sweat of our face so it is the law of the gospell also that hee that laboureth not should not eate that the blessed sonne of God ate his bread not onely in the sweate but in the bloud of his browes rather he ate not but it was his meate to doe his fathers will and to finish his worke that even in the state of innocency Adam was put into the garden to dresse it that albeit all labourers are not chosen yet none are chosen but labourers that the figge tree was blasted by the breath of Gods owne lippes with an everlasting curse because it bare but leaues and the axe of heavy displeasure is laide vnto the roote of every tree that is barren of good fruites and if it be once dead in naturall vegetation it shall bee twise deade in spirituall malediction and pluckt vp by the roote It would make vs vow vvith our selues I will not suffer mine eie-liddes to slumber nor the temples of my head to take any rest vntill I haue finished that charge vvhereunto I am appointed Iacobs apologie to Laban may be a mirrour to vs all not to neglect our accountes to a higher maister then ever Laban vvas These twentie yeares haue I beene in thy house I was in the daie consumed with heate and with frost in the night and the sleepe departed from mine eies So industrious vvas Iacob to discharge the dueties of his place and carefull to make his reckoning straight vvith his maister vpon the earth But I speake of an heavier reckoning to an heavier Lord that will aske an account of everie idle worde much more of an idle habite and therefore let them foresee that heate and that frost to come those restlesse eies the hire of their forepassed drowsinesse for daies for nightes for everlasting generations that are ever framing an excuse It is either hotte or cold that I cannot worke there is a Lyon in the streete or a Beare in the way that I dare not goe forth that being called to an office and having their taskes laide forth vnto them say not vvith Samuell at the call of the Lorde Speake Lord thy servant heareth but in a stubborne and perverse veine speake and command Lord and appoint my order wherein I shall vvalke but I neither heare thy voice neither shall my heart goe after thy commaundements I passed by the field of the sloathfull saith Salomon and by the vineyard of the man destitute of vnderstanding and loe it was all growen over with thornes and nettles had covered the face thereof Peruse the rest of that scripture The wise king behelde and considered it well and received instruction by it that a litle sleepe brought a greate deale of poverty and a little slumber a greate deale of necessity And surely as the field of the slouthfull is covered with nettles and thornes so shall his body be overgrowen vvith infirmities his minde vvith vices his conscience shall want a good testimony to it selfe and his soule shal be empty of that hope hereafter which might haue reioiced it I ende this point Ionas his arise and go to Niniveh giueth a warning to vs all for wee haue all a Niniveh to go vnto Magistrates arise and go to the gate to execute Gods iudgementes Ministers arise and go to the gospel to do the workes of Evangelists people arise and go to your trades to eate the labours of your handes eye to thy seeing foote to thy walking Peter to thy nettes Paul to thy tents Marchant to thy shipping Smith to thy anvile Potter to thy wheele vvomen to your whernes and spindles let not your candle go out that your workes may praise you in the gates Your vocations of life are Gods sanctions he ordeined them to mankinde he blesseth them presently at his audite hee will crowne them if when he calleth for an account of your forepassed stewardships you be able to say in the vprightnes of your soule I haue runne my race and as the maister of the house assigned me so by his grace and assistance I haue fulfilled my office But why to Niniveh Niniveh of the Gentiles vncircumcised Niniveh Niniveh of the Assyrians imperious insolent intolerable Niniveh Niniveh swollen with pride and her eies standing out of her heade with fatnesse Niniveh setled vpon her lees not lesse then a thousand three hundred yeares Niniveh infamous for idolatrie with Nisroch her abhomination Niniveh with idlenes so vnnaturallie effeminated and her iointes dissolued vnder Sardanapalus as some conceiue their 38. Monarch who sate and spanne amongst women that as it was the wonder and by-word of the earth so the heavens aboue could not but abhorre it Foure reasons are alleadged why Ionas was sent to Niniveh First God will not smite a citye or towne without warning according to the rule of his owne lawe that no city bee destroyed before peace hath beene offered vnto it The woman of Abell in her wisedome obiected this law vnto Ioab when he had cast vp a mounte against Abel where shee dwelt They spake in olde time and said They should aske of Abell and thus haue they continued that is first they should call a parle and open their griefes before they vsed hostility against it The sword of the Lord assuredly is ever drawne and burnished his bow bent his arrowes prepared his instrumentes of death made ready his cuppe mingled yet hee seldome powreth dovvne his plagues but there is a showre of mercie before them to make his people take heede Pax domui huic peace be vnto this house was sounded to everie doore vvhere the Apostles entered but if that house vvere not vvorthy of peace and benediction it returned backe vnto them Vertues were vvroughte in Chorazin and Bethsaida before the vvoe tooke holde vpon them Noah vvas sent to the olde world Lot to Sodom Moses and Aaron to the Aegyptians Prophets from time to time to the children of Israell Iohn Baptist and Christ and the Apostles togither vvith signes in the host of heauen tokens in the elementes to Ierusalem before it was destroied Chrysostome vpon the first to Timothie giueth the reason hereof that God by threatning plagues sheweth vs howe to avoide plagues and feareth vs with hell before hande that we may learne to eschew it And it was his
the martyrings of Iob for the other for though the circuit of Sathan be very large even to the coÌ„passing of the whole earth to fro yet he hath his daies assigned him to staÌ„d before the presence of the Lord for the renewing of his commission And besides Oviculam vnam auferre non potuit c. he could not take one poore sheepe from Iob till the Lorde had given him leaue put forth thine hande nor enter into the heard of swine Mat. 8. without Christs permission And so to conclude whether men or devilles be ministerial workers in these actions all coÌ„meth from him as from the higher supreme cause whose iudgments executed thereby no man can either fully comprehend or reprehend iustly God professeth no lesse of himselfe Esay 45. I forme the light and create darkenesse I make peace and create evill I the Lord do all these thinges And in the 54. of the same prophecie Beholde I haue created the smith that â—loweth the coales in the fire and him that bringeth foâ—th an instrument for his worke I haue created the destroyer to destroy destruction commeth from the instrument the instrument from the smith the smith and all from God In the 10 of the same booke Asshur is called the rod of his wrath and the staffe in his hands was the Lords indignation And the prophet praieth in the 17. Psalme to the same effect vp Lord disapoint him cast him downe deliver my soule from the wicked which is a sword of thine We neede not farther instructioÌ„s in this point but whatsoever it is that outwardly troubleth vs let vs larne to feare him therin froÌ„ whose secret disposition it procedeth who hath a voice to alay the winds the seas a finger to confound sorcerers coÌ„iurers an hooke for the nostrels of Senacharib a chain for the divell himselfe the prince of darkenes In the 2. person which were the marriners we are directed by the hand of the scripture to consider three effects which the horrour of the tempest wrought vpon them For 1. they were afraid 2. they cried vp on their Gods 3. they cast out their wares the 1. an affection of nature the 2. an action of religion the 3. a worke of necessity Some of the Rabbines held that the marriners in this ship had more cause to be astonished and perplexed then all that travailed in these seas besides for when other ships were safe and had a prosperous voiage theirs only as the marke wherat the vengance of God aimed was endaungered But because it appeareth not in the booke I let this passe with many other vnwritteÌ„ collections as namely that they were nere the shore laboured with all their force to tough their ships to land but could not do it which happily may be true and as likely otherwise therfore I leaue it indiffereÌ„t am conteÌ„t to see no more theÌ„ the eie of my text hath descried for me But this I am sure of Affliction beginneth to schoole theÌ„ driue theÌ„ to a better haven then they erst found It evet worketh good for the most part and although the better sort of men are corrected by loue yet the greater are directed by feare As the wind the seas so the feare of the wrath of God in this imminent danger of shipwrack appearing shaketh perturbeth their heartes though they had hardened them by vse against all casualties by sea like the hardest adamantes All the works of the Lord to a coÌ„siderate mind are very wonderful his mercy reacheth to the heavens and his faithfulnes is aboue the cloudes his wisdome goeth from end to end his righteousnes is as the highest mountaines his iudgmentes like a great deepe whatsoever proceedeth from him because that artificer excelleth is must needes be excellent But it is as true a position perseverantia consuetudinis amisit admirationeÌ„ the assiduity continuance of things bringeth theÌ„ into coÌ„tempt QuaÌ„ multa vsitata calcaÌ„ tur quae coÌ„siderata stupeÌ„tur how many things doth custome make vile which consideratioÌ„ would make admirable because the nature of maÌ„ is such to be carried away rather with new theÌ„ with great things The creatioÌ„ of man who maketh accompt of because it is coÌ„mon But would we ponder in our harts as David did that we are wonderfully fearfully made that our bones were not hid from the Lord though they were shaped in a secret place and fashioned beneath in the earth that he possessed our raines in our generation covered vs in our mothers wombes that his eies did see vs when we were yet vnperfect all things were written in his booke when before they were not it would enforce vs to giue acclamation to the workemanship of our maker as the sweet singer of Israell there did marveilous are thy workes o Lord that my soule knoweth right well A tempest to marriners is nothing because they haue seene and felt and overlived so many tempestes As David because he had killed a lion and a beare at his folde perswaded himselfe that he also could kill Golias So these having past already so many dreadefull occurrents begin to entertaine a credulous perswasion of security no evill shall approach vs. They make their harts as fat as brawne to withstand mishaps It fareth with theÌ„ as with souldiers beaten to the field they haue seene hundreds fall at their right hand and thousands at their left and therefore are not moved and though they beare their liues in their hands they feare not death wherevpon grew that iudgmeÌ„t of the world vpon them Armatis divum nullus pudor souldiers the greater part feare not God himselfe Vndoubtedly our sea-men drinke downe digest their dangers with as much facility felicity to as some their wine in bowles yet notwithstaÌ„ding the marriners here spokeÌ„ of even the maister of the ship with the vulgar sort having such iron sinews in their brests giaÌ„ts by sea and if I may tearme them so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that fight with God being in their proper element the region and grounde where their arte lieth having fought with the waues and windes a thousand times before they are all striken with feare and their heartes fall asunder within them like drops of water David Psal. 107. setteth downe foure kindes of men vvhich are most indebted to God for deliveraunce from perilles the first of those that haue escaped a dearth the second prisoners enlarged the third such as are freed from a mortall sicknes the last sea-faring men of whome hee writeth thus They that go downe into the sea in shippes and occupie their marchandize by greate waters they see the worke of the Lorde and his wonders in the deepe For hee commaundeth and raiseth vp the stormie winde and it lifteth vp the waues thereof they mount vp to the heaven and descende againe to the deepe so that their soule melteth for trouble They are tossed too and
chambers to be clensed and the vesselles of the house of God to be brought thither againe 3. because the portions of the Levites and singers had not beene giuen to them and everie one was fled to his lande hee reprooued the rulers Why is the house of God forsaken 4. he caused the tithes to be restored brought the Levites togither to their place againe and apointed faithfull officers and treasurers to distribute vnto them The petition that hee maketh vnto the righteous Lord who will not forget our labours at the foote of every of those services is framed to this effect Remember me O my God in goodnesse and wipe not out my kindnesse concerning this and pardon me according to thy great mercies Thus Nehemias you see was not vnmindefull of the Lord that the Lorde might be mindefull of him againe Neither in the building nor in the warding of the wals of Ierusalem nor in releeving the burthens of his brethren nor in sanctifying the sabbath nor in purging the people from commixtion with strangers nor in replenishing the chambers of Gods house vvith maintenaunce for his ministers All which he zealously vndertooke and constantly followed to the end fastening his reproofes like nailes that are driuen in a sure place and shewing himselfe a carefull Magistrate both in warre and peace in civill religious affaires towardes the children of the lande and towardes strangers that traffiqued within the borders thereof Vndoubtedly your charge is greate whome the Lorde hath marked out to places of gouernment and if euer you hope as Nehemias wished that God shall remember you concerning this or that kindenesse shewed in his businesse remember you whose image you carry whose person you present whose cause you vndertake whose iudgmentes you execute vpon earth And though yee are not troubled vvith building and warding the wals of your countrey because peace is the walles and the strength of God our bulwarkes and fortresses and mine eies would faile with expectation of that day vvhen the chambers of the Lordes house vvhich Tobiah the Horonite hath seized into his handes should be restored to their auncient institution for the maintenaunce of Levites and singers yet in the oppressions of your brethren vvhose vineyardes fieldes houses libertie living are wrung from them and their sonnes and daughters vndoone if you doe not in all respects as Nehemias did lend them money corne hee and his servauntes of their owne and bestowe the fees of your places tovvardes their reliefe for hee ate not the breade of the governour in twelue yeares and an hundred and fiftie hee mainetained dailie at his boarde with sufficient allowance yet such as oppresse too much exhort ' reprooue cause them to respight cause them to remit tie them by promise to do it binde them by oath and if that will not serue vnlesse you be loath to throw a stone against an adulterer or to shake your lap against an oppressour because you are guilty in your heartes of the like trespasses shake the lappes of your garments against them and with an vnfeigned spirit beseech the iust iudge that such as will not restore may so be shaken out and emptied from all his mercies Likewise for the sabbath of the Lord the sanctified day of his reste helpe to bringe it to reste it is shamefully troubled and disquieted the common daies in the weeke are happier in their seasons then the Lords sabbaths Then are the manuary craftes exercised every man in his shop applying his honest and lawfull businesse the sabbath is reserved as the vnprofitablest day of the seven for idlenesse sleeping vvalking rioting tipling bowling daunsing and what not I speake what I know vpon a principall sabbath for if the resurrection of Christ deserue to alter the sabboth from day to day I see no cause but the cōming downe of the holy ghost should adde honour and ornament vnto it I say vpon a principall sabbath not onelye those of Ierusalem and Iudah solde their wares but those of Tyre also vvhich came from abroade brought in their commodities and neither your gates shut nor forreiners kept out nor citizens reprooved nor any thing donne wherby Gods name and day might be honoured Go now and aske if you can for blushing as Nehemias did O Lord remember vs concerning this kindnesse It is not enough for you to beare the place of preeminence in the shippe but you must reprooue as the maister here did nor enough barelie to reprooue but you must goe forwardes in hunting securitie from her couche by vrging how hard it is to appease the anger of God if it bee throughly enflamed how dangerous against the life and soule if it be not prevented It is the fervency of the spirite even of a double spirit as Elizeus sometime wished the spirite of magistrates which are more then single persons perfit hatred to sin crushing both the egge the cockatrice courage in the cause of the Lord zeale to his house both kindling and consuming your heartes a good beginning and a good ending which the Lorde requireth Will you saue-gard the ship in the Ocean sea and breake her vvithin a league of the haven will you put your hande to the plough of the best husbandry and thriving in the world and then looke backe vvill you lay the foundation of the house rere vp the vvalles and not seeke to couer it you know the parable This man beganne to builde It had beene better not to haue knowne the way of trueth then not to persist in it nor to haue set your shoulders to the worke of the Lorde vnlesse yee hold out The leafe of a righteous man neuer fadeth vvherevpon the glosse noteth that the fall of the leaues is the dying and decaying of the trees When it repenteth a man to haue begunne well it is a sinnefull repentaunce and much to bee repented of The fire vpon the altar of the Lord must alwaies burne never go out and the sedulitie of Gods lieutenantes vpon the earth must euer bee working neuer wearied All vertues runne in the race one onely receiveth the garland the image of most happy eternitie happy continuance I tolde you before that nature directed the Marriners to the acknowledgement of a God it is heere further ratified with manie other principles of nature if they vvere needefull to bee examined as 1. that God only is to be invocated and called vpon Call vpon thy God 2. the vnity of the godhead is avowed For the shipmaster forgetting the multitude of Gods nameth one singlie without other associates If so be God 3. That the felicity of mankinde dependeth vpon the serenity gracious favorable aspect of God as I gather by the phrase here vsed if God will shine vpon vs. 4. It is implied that our life death are in Gods hands That we perish not But let those passe a while The matter we are now to examine is the liberty and freedome vvhich the shipmaister gaue vnto Ionas
Ed. Campion our charitable countriman laid at the dores of our Church yea brought into the streetes of our Vniversities as if we were the fathers and patrons of it We never said it I say once againe to redeeme a thousand deathes if more were due to our sinnes we would not affirme it This we say whatsoever hath substance being perfection in the action of sin God is the author of it because it is good Ipsum quantumcunque esse bonum est the least essence in the world is good but not of the fault and defection therein I must once more repeate sin hath a positive privative part a subiect and the quality of the subiect nature corruption Prorsus ab illo est quicquid pertinet ad naturam prorsus ab illo non est quicquid est contrae naturam Whatsoever belongeth to nature is wholy from him whtsoeveâ— is against nature is in no respect from him Now death and whatsoever belongeth to the traine of death sin and the like are against nature In him we live and moove and have our being there is the piller of our truth a Poet of the Gentiles delivered it but an Apostle sanctified and ratified it and every creature in heaven in earth in the deepe crieth Amen to it And as that gentility and heathnishnesse of that vnbeleeving Poet coulde not marre Gods truth so the corruption depravation in the quality either of maÌ„ or action cannot hurt the substance Life is his whether we live to him as we ought to doe or to the lusts of our owne flesh or after the pleasure of the God of this world the prince of darknes MotioÌ„ is his whether we lift vp our handes to praier or whether to murther Essence is his the nature being substance of men of serpents of reprobate Angels are from him his good creatures He made not death he gave charge to the waters and earth to bring forth creatures that had the soule of life in them and when he made man hee breathed in his face the breath of life made him a living soule he made not darknesse he created the light neither was the authour of sterilitie and barrennesse hee made the bud of the earth which should seede seede the fruitfull tree And to speake a truth in proper tearmes these privations corruptions and defectes in nature as death darkenesse sterility blindnes silence and the like haue rather deficient than efficient causes For by the remooving of the things themselues vvhich these destroy they of their own accord succeede take their places Abandon the light of the sunne whereby our aire is brightened and illuminated you neede not carefully enquire or painefully labour how to come by darknesse the deficiencie and fayling of the light is a cause sufficient to bring in darknesse If the instrument of sighte bee decayed the stringes and spirites which serue for the eie inwardely wasted corrupted there is no more to be done to purchase blindnes to the eie the very orbity and want of seeing putteth blindnesse forth-with in possession If there were no speech or noise in this church what would there bee but silence and stilnesse wil you aske me the cause hereof It hath rightly none I can render the cause of speech there are instrumentes in man to forme it and there is an aire to receiue it from his mouth beare it to their eares that should partake it vpon the ceasing vvhereof silence hath a course to supplie without the service and aide of any creature in the worlde to produce it And these things we know and are acquainted with not by the vse of them for who can vse that which is nothing We know what light is by the vse thereof because we beholde it but who ever saw darkenesse if the apples of his eie were as broade as the circle of the sunne and the moone waking and wide open how could hee see darkenesse VVee know what speech is by the vse thereof because wee receiue it by the eare but who ever hearde silence Onelie vvee knovve them not by fruition of themselues but by want of their opposites which erst wee enioyâ—ed and now are deprived of I speake the more that I might speake plainely Wee were to enquire the efficient cause of sinne it hath none properly it hath a deficient cause Adam and Eue forsooke as it were the guide of their youth the word of God and his grace forsooke them Nature is now corrupted the soundnesse integrity of all the faculties therein diseased the image of God wholy defaced Vpon the decay and departure whereof sinne like a strong man entreth the house the bodie and soule are taken vp with a masse of iniustice the vnderstanding is filled with darkenesse the will with frowardnesse the senses with vanities and every part both of outwarde and inwarde man becommeth a servaunt to vnrighteousnesse Basill in a sermon vpon this argument now in hande vvilleth those that enquire of the author of sinne likewise to answere whence sicknesse and orbities in the bodie come for they are not saith hee the worke of God Living creatures were at the first well created having a proportion convenient to them but they fell into diseases and distemperatures vvhen they fell from healthinesse either by evill diet or by some other cause notwithstanding GOD made the bodie hee made not sicknesse and hee likewise made the soule but not the sinfulnesse thereof Ierome vppon the seconde of Abacuk giveth the like iudgemente Et si anima vitio suo efficitur hospitium Châ—ldaeorum naturâ tamen suà est tabernaculum Dei though the soule by her owne faulte is made an habitation or lodge for the Chaldaeans straungers to dwell in yet by hernature shee is the tabernacle of God Therefore hee should shew himselfe too ignorante that coulde not discerne betweene the corruption of nature and the author of nature And because we further were charged that we made the conversion of Paul the adulterie of David and the treason of Iudas the one the vprising of a sinner the other the falling downe of a saint the last finall revolt of a reprobate the workes and the proper workes of God all alike I prooved the contrary The first I acknowledged his proper and entire worke hee opened the vnderstanding changed the will did all therein In the other two hee tooke the wrll as hee founde it and without alteration thereof applied it to some endes which hee had secretly purposed and though neither the adultery of Dauid nor the improbity of Iudas were his proper workes yet God had his proper workes in them both for as he is a most holy creator of good natures so he is a most rightuous disposer of evill willes that whereas those evill willes doe ill vse good natures hee on the other side may well vse the evill willes themselves To conclude hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a
worker in the workes of all sortes of men Communiter author fateor sed non nisi boni fautor Commonly and indifferently I graunte an author in a common and large signification but a favourer onely of good Doest thou addresse thy selfe to vertue it is done both by the privitie and assistaunce of GOD. To vice vvith his privitie and permission not vvith his helpe some thinke saith Lipsius vvith his vvill too It is most true that GOD doeth suffer sinne there is nothing visiblie and sensiblie donne which is not either commanded or tolerated from that invisible intelligible court of the highest Emperour August 58. senten for it could not bee done if God did not suffer it In his Enchirid to Laurent 100. it followeth and truely he doth not suffer it against but with his will and being good as hee is he would never suffer any thing to be ill done but that being also almighty he can doe well of that which is evill Vndoubtedly he doeth not suffer against his will for that woulde bee with griefe and must needes argue a power greater than himselfe then if he willingly suffer Permissio est quoddam genus voluntatis his sufferance is a certaine kinde of will In his booke of predestination and grace he compareth Nabuchodonosor and Pharaoh togither both which had the same plaister of chastisement laid vnto them though converted in the one to his soules health in the other to his destruction Touching nature they were both men for honour both kings concerning the cause of correction both helde the people of GOD in captivity and lastly for their punishment both were admonished by the scourges of GOD. Yet the endes of their punishment were diuerse for the one fought against God the other by repentance obtained mercy Now what obiections soever a man may frame-here hence against the equity of God Intelligat ista tamē vel adiuvante Domino perfici vel deserente permitt◠vt noverit tamen nolente Domino nihil prorsus admitti Let him vnderstande that all these thinges are either brought to passe God aiding them or suffered God forsaking them so that hee knowe withall that nothing in the worlde can be done if God be vnwilling If then I sinne by the will of God how can I helpe it and why doeth hee yet complaine as Paule obiecteth Romanes the ninth I will remoue this stone of offence and then returne to my purpose My will I say is borne by a streame of the will of GOD or it is my destiny to sinne the starres haue fore-signed my going awry Mars committed the murther Venus the adulterie thus vvas I borne and marked the fault is not mine I sinne by compulsion I put them all togither because it is the fashion of some to set vp a iudgement seat in their erroneous phantasies and thereat to arraigne God of iniustice sive per transennam sive per cannam longam sive per proximum either by the casemēt or through a long cane obliquely or farther of and some hard at hand and directly some by destiny some by starres ohers reaching immediately at God himselfe Deus hoc voluit si nollet Deus non facerem God would haue it thus if God would not I coulde not haue done it One in a monastery being reprooved that hee did some things not to be done omitted others which he should haue done answered those that rebuked him what kinde of man soever now I am I shal be such as God hath fore-seene I should be Who therin saith Augustine both spake a trueth and yet was no whit bettered to amendment of life by that trueth O damned absurdity rooting her wickednes in heaven as if the prescience and will of God were the cause of our sinning whereas his prescience is but the antecedent to our sins going before them for because we sin therfore they are foreknowne not because they are foreknowne therefore we sin and his will is but the consequent following vpon them I say againe God hath a will and purpose in the sins of vnrighteous men not that he liketh the sins but he ordereth governeth thē in wise manner turneth them to some end that well pleaseth him And though he willeth not the evill it selfe yet the doing of the evill doth in some respectes content him And that will in God is consequent to our will For albeit it were before ours in time because his will is as ancient as himselfe even from everlasting yet in order and course of thinges it commeth behinde it and he that fulfilleth the will of God in this māner or rather the will of God is fulfilled vpon him shall hang in hell for his service so little thankes is he likely to reape at Gods handes For there is no question but God doeth fulfill good purposes of his owne by the ill purposes of ill men Iudas was not yet formed nor any member of his body set togither or fashioned when they were all written in the booke of God He saw his treason in the glasse of his foreknowledge and vnderstoode his thoughtes a far off There was not a word in his tongue but God was long since acquainted with it He knew that his will was bent to mischiefe from before the world was established Now God hath a will vpon and after the will of Iudas and thus he bethinketh himselfe Iudas hath a will to betray his maister I will not stop his will but cōvert it to some good vse I will draw a preservative against poison frō the very poison of a serpent I wil declare my power skill therby The world shal know that of the vnnaturallest treason that ever the sun beheld I cā worke a good effect I will shew my iudgements amongst all nations vpon Iudas and his complices by the fruites of that bitter roote the vilest treachery that ever hell cast vp I will save mankinde Iudas himselfe never intended therein either to magnifie the power of God or to manifest his iustice or to deliver any of his brethren vvho I dare say never conceived therein how his owne singular soule might be saved So then Iudas committed a treason and God foresawe a treason whose knowledge is as great as himselfe and the workes of a thousand generations to come as present vnto him as that vvhich is done at the present time What of that praescivit non praedestinavit vel fecit hee onely foreknewe it hee neither predestinated it nor committed it For this is the rule Mala tantùm praescit non praedestinat bona verò praescit praedestinat Evill thinges hee onely foreknoweth good hee both foreknoweth and praedestinateth that is apointeth and taketh order for them before hand Hee also foretolde the infidelity malice mischievousnesse of the Iewes in complottinge the same villany against the sonne of God VVhat of that praedixit non fecit hee onelye foretolde and not wrought it Ipsorum praescivit peccata non sua Hee
you dreamed vvithout your senses your lippes walking and your eies aspiring into heaven without devotion you whose hearte lyeth within your bosome as a secret thiefe calling to your tongue and handes and bodily members and saying giue mee credite in the eies of men make some shew of piety at the least recite the praiers of the Church though you pray not and vse the gestures of the Saintes of CHRIST though you meane them not your parte is with those hypocrites and vvith Simon Magus your lying tongues the LORD shall roote out of their tabernacles your deceitfull eies shall sinke into the holes of your heades the sacrifices of your forged and faithlesse consciences stinke in his nostrelles your prayers are an abhomination vnto him and that ever you haue taken his fearefull name vvithin your lips shall turne to your sorer condemnation The complement and perfection of all that went before the soule of their corporall fasting sackcloath crying which is their spiritual fast from sinne and insteede of putting on sackcloath putting on the new man followeth to be examined in the next part of the mandate wherein the substantiall parts of repentance are contained Yea let everie man turne from his evill vvay c. For what is repentance in effecte but a returning to that integrity and vprightnesse of life from whence thou art departed Therefore sayth the edict let everie man returne There is terminus à quo and terminus ad quem in this sanctified motion somewhat which we must forsake and relinquish somewhat which we must recover and procure againe There must be a death to sinne and a resurrection to iustice for as Eusebius calleth repentance a type of the resurrection so may we the resurrection a type of repentance There must bee an aversion from sinne and a conversion to God a mortification of olde Adam with all his concupiscences and a vivification of the newe man Ioell expresseth both these partes First rende your heartes VVhat shall we smooth them annointe them flatter them binde them vp No. Wee must pull them in pieces racke them vpon tenter-hookes teare them vvith gripes and convulsions we must not suffer sinne to hide it selfe in any corner thereof which is not produced to lighte and thoroughly examined and then turne vnto the Lorde your God c. GOD by his prophet Esay giveth likewise his people a chardge concerning both these vvash you make you cleane take away the evill of your workes from before mine eies cease to doe evill afterwarde followeth the seconde learne to doe well seeke iudgement relieue the oppressed with other effects of a new life And who was ever a better expounder of repentance than he who went before the face of the Lorde and both preached the doctrine vvith his lippes and with his handes administred the baptisme of repentance Albeit the texte that he vsed vnto them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a chaunge of the minde and the inwarde powers thereof yet hee added by way explication Bring foorth fruites vvorthie of amendment of life And when the people asked him Luke the thirde What shall vvee doe then hee aunswered them hee that hath tvvo coates let him parte vvith him that hath none and hee that hath meate let him doe likewise Thus much in effect The repentaunce that I preach vnto you doeth not onely forbidde crueltie in pulling cloathes from the backe and meate from the teeth of others but it also enioyneth the vvorkes of mercy Chrysostome in his thirde Homily to the people of Antioche demaunding vvhat it was that preserved the Ninivites from the inevitable wrath of GOD thus reasoneth with himselfe vvas it their fasting and sacke-cloath alone vvee cannot say it but the chandge of their vvhole life How knovv wee by the very wordes of the prophet And God saw their workes What kinde of workes That they fasted and vvare sacke-cloath neither of both For the Prophet suppressing all this inferreth that they returned from their evill vvaies I speake not this saith he to bring fasting into contempt but rather to honour it for the honour of a fast is not abstinence from meates but avoidaunce of sinne And hee that defineth a fast by the onely forbearing of foode is the man that most disgraceth it Doest thou fast shew mee thy fasting by thy vvoorkes Thou vvilt aske vvhat kinde of workes if thou seest a poore man take mercie on him If thine enemie reconcile thy selfe If thy friende deserving praise envie him not If a beautifull vvoman make a covenaunte vvith thine eies not to bee taken in her beautie and let not onely thy mouth and thy bowels fast but thine eies thine eares thy feete thy handes and all thy bodily members Let thy handes fast from robbery thy feete from bearing thee to vnlawfull spectacles thine eares from sucking in slaunderous tales thine eies from receiving in wantonnes For what availeth it to abstaine from eating and drinking if meane time we eate and devour vp our brethren The matter of this edict is very notable and in so fewe wordes asmuch as wisedome and religion mighte containe first it requireth of every man a chandge of life For the worde is a particle of distribution and excepteth neither the age sexe nor estate of any person Maximilian the Emperour comparing himselfe and the kinges of Spaine and Fraunce togither had a witty and pleasaunt saying that there vvere but three kinges in the time vvherein hee lived The Spanish a king of men because he vsed them ingenuouslie and liberallie as men The French of asses for the immoderate exactions which hee tooke of them Himselfe a king of kinges for they vvoulde doe no more then their owne pleasure was But the king of Niniveh is a king of subiectes Beholde a generall decree enacted for repentance and there is not one soule in Niniveh that starteth backe Secondly it requireth of every man not onelye to goe from his vvickednesse but to returne to that iustice from vvhence hee vvas fallen and to renew the image of holinesse decayed in him It is a good degree of repentaunce to bevvaile those sinnes vvhich vvee haue committed and not to committe those sinnes which wee haue bewailed But it is not enough in repentance for hee that is not a gatherer with Christ is a scatterer and as great displeasure we reape in the omission of duety as in commission of iniquity Iohn Baptist did not tell them in his sermon of repentance that everie tree which brought foorth evill fruite shoulde bee hewen downe though that were implyed but if it broughte not foorth good fruite it was in danger of the same iudgement Neither did our saviour tell his disciples that excepte their iniustice vvere lesse then the iniustice of the Scribes and Pharises they shoulde not enter into the kingdome of heaven but excepte their iustice vvere more Hee that buried his talent in the grounde had a purpose not to offende But he had
preach it vnto you that you may take knowledge And for this cause doe the septuaginte adde in the end of the former verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is saying as if it were the voice of the people that is now in question and not of the king his princes But how can it any way stand with the nature of repentance either in prince or people to doubt seeing that faith is the principal proppe wherwith repentance is borne vp we cannot acknowledge this to be a true faith which hangeth and wavereth betweene such vncertainties Rather it savoreth of infidelity and desperation to cast forth such demaundes It might be answered that albeit they doubted of the event of this senteÌ„ce yet not of the favour of God towards theÌ„ for what if their city had bin overthrowen as the towre of Siloe their bodies had perished had that bin an argument that his mercies had forsaken them No more than it was to Moses who died for angring the Lord before he went into the land of promise or than it was to Paul who said that the Lorde had delivered him out of the mouth of the Lion and would also deliver him from every evill worke and preserve him vnto his heavenly kingdome though afterwarde hee was slaine by Nero who was the Lion hee there ment But I rather aunswere that infidelitie woulde have spoken by a flatte negation God vvill not returne and desperation woulde not have cried vpon God at all nor have pretended so much earnest This speech of the Ninivites at the most hath but doubting and doubting containeth in it a kinde of affirmation As Mardochey spake to Esther in the fourth of that booke if thou holdest thy peace at this time breathing and deliverance shall arise to the Iews out of an other place but thou and thy fathers house shall perish and who knoweth whither thou art come to the kingdome for such a time That is I little doubte but the providence of GOD hath advaunced thee thus highe to doe this service I finde noted vpon the same phrase Ioel the seconde that is the fittest speach the penitent may vse for it includeth both these a sense of sinne hope of deliverance The leper commeth to Christ Mar. 1. and telleth him Lorde if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane I cannot say that either thou wilt or thou wilt not I leaue it to thine owne wisedome For mine owne part I haue deserved no grace at thy handes I see nothing in my selfe either in body or soule but leprosie and vncleanes but in thee there is power and mercy if it shall please thee to extend theÌ„ towardes mee In the ninth of the same Evangelist our Saviour answered the father of the childe that had a dumbe spirit requesting him if he could doe any thing to helpe them to haue compassion vpon them this if thou canst beleeue all thinges are possible to him that beleeveth The father cried vvith teares Lorde I beleeue helpe mine vnbeliefe That is I beleeue and skarse beleeue I would faine but I feele a fainting in my selfe and therefore hee that craved but lately a cure for his sonnes infirmity novv craveth helpe for his owne vnbeliefe So then I make no doubt but these are the wordes of faith vvho knoweth if the Lorde vvill returne albeit an infirme and vnsetled faith For as betweene knovvledge and meere or negatiue ignorance opinion lieth so betweene a perfect and ripe faith and plaine infidelity or distrustfulnes a weake and midling faith For there are degrees in faith it hath a beginning encrease and consummation The disciples are rebuked Mar. 9. by the name of a faithlesses generation O faithlesse generation howe longe shall I nowe bee vvith you c. Peter Mat. 14. for a little and doubting faith Paule 2. Cor. 10. speaketh of an encreasing faith but Colossians the first and second of a faith wherein they are rooted built and established Yea the strongest faith that ever was is it not mixte with doubtfulnes overcast with clouds shakeÌ„ with stormes beaten vvith windes and raines winowed by sathan that if it were possible it might bee turned into chaffe and branne What else ment that wary advertisement given to Peter by his maister Luke 22. and his vigilant care over him Simon Simon listen to my speech Behold looke well to thy foote-steppes haue an eie to thy soule Satan hath desired you it is the care of his heart it is the marke that he shooteth at he watcheth walketh roareth transformeth him into all shapes yea into an angell of light to haue his purpose to sifte you ex amine you as vvheate graine after graine person after person that if it be possible you may bee reprooved And surely we need the praiers of our owne spirites and of the spirite of GOD that groaneth with groanings which cannot he expressed and of the sonne of God himselfe who siâ—teth at his fathers right hande and maketh request for vs that our faith faile not For what thinke we of our selues are we pillers of brasse or as the deafe rockes of the sea or as mount Sion on that can never be remooved Our shield and breast-plate of faith for so it is called is it not beaten and driven at vvith dartes fierie dartes yea all the fierie dartes I say not of the vvicked that are in our flesh Athiestes Arrians Iewes Paynims deriders blasphemers of our faith but of him that is pricinpally vvicked and Leader of the daunce Satan himselfe This made him trivmph so much when hee saw the fielde ended and his tabernacle at hand to be pulled vp that he had fought a good fight though his enemies were encreased against him as the haires of his head that hee had runne his race though hee had many stumbling blockes and snares laide in his vvay openly to detaine secretly to vndermine him and finally vvhich vvas the chiefe glory of a christian souldiour that hee had kept the faith and not lost his target though hee had borne in his body the markes of Christ Iesus and felte in his soule many a buffet and wound given by Satan and his confederates The issue is this the faith of a christian is sometimes in fight and conflicte in agonie passion sweating bleeding as Christ vvas in the garden resisting vnto bloud shall I say nay even vnto hell it selfe They knewe it by experience who saide thou bringest downe to hell It is as the last and least sparkle of fire almost extinguished as a little graine of seede which the birdes nay the devils of the aire seeke to picke from vs and as the last gaspe and pant of the soule readie to flie out at length it getteth the victory againe according to that Ioh. 1.5 this is the victorie that overcommeth the world even your faith Such as I speak of was the faith of these Ninivites doubting I confesse but not despairing And as Aquinas to acquite
therein committed The answere is this he that dwelleth in such brightnesse of light as never eye of mortalitye coulde approach vnto the sight of whole face to an earthly man is vnsufferable and the knowledge of those invisible thinges in the God-head vnpossible yet to giue some ayme and coniecture vnto vs what he is hee appeareth as it were transfigured into the likenesse of our nature and in our owne familiar tearmes not departinge from our accustomed manners speaketh to our carnall senses and that man may know him in some measure hee will bee knowne as man by eyes eares handes feete other bodily members by anger sorrow repentance ielousie with the like spirituall affections By which hee woulde signifie vnto vs not that which is so indeede but that which is needefull on our beâ—alfe so to bee vttered and expressed For because wee are not ignorant of the vse office effect of these dailie and naturall thinges in our selues therefore when wee heare them ascribed to God by translation we are able partly to ghesse what is meant by them The rule which Bernard giveth in his 4. Sermon vpon the Canticles is catholique and vniversally serveth to the opening of these figures Haec habet omnia Deus per effectum non per naturam All these hath God not by nature but by effect Now what is the effect of anger revenge For a man that is angered is desirous to bee satisfied and to wreake himselfe vpon him that hath provoked him the passion of anger is not in the nature of God but the effect is Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lorde What is the effect of repenâ—ance The change or abrogation of some thing formerly done or at least determined Repentance is not in God the effect of repentance is the recallinge or vndooinge of a worke which in the iudgement of the worlde was like to haue continued Thus hee repented the making of man Gen. 6. and the advancing of Saul to the kingdome 1. Sam. 15. not that his heart was grieved but his handes that is his iustice and power vndid it and thus hee repented his iudgement agaâ—nst Niniveh by slayinge the sequele and fall thereof So that the easiest exposition indeede of the repentance of God is in the third member of the verse for therefore hee repented him because hee did it not The evill which is heere mentioned is different from that vvhich went before where their evill waies are spoken of for that was culpable this but poenall that defileth a man this but chasâ—eneth afflicteth him that was evill in dooing this but in suffering that in nature this but in feeling the latter proceedeth from the iustice of God the other hee is most free from And God sawe their workes that they turned from their evill waies When I first tooke in hande to declare the repentance of Niniveh I desired you to beare in minde that the first and principall gate whereby they entered into that service towardes God was faith The Prophet who compiled the history noted no lesse as appeareth by his placing of it in the heade of the booke that is in the beginning of the whole narration They beleeved God they tooke him to bee a God of truth and made no question but his worde in the mouth of his servant shoulde bee established And I as little doubt but they also beleeved God not onely assentinge to the truth of the message but entertaining in their heartes a persuasion of deliverance in the ninth verse it is very plaine where the hope of his mercy is that which induceth them to all these workes of pietye Heere it is saide that God sawe their workes and consequentlye repented him of the iudgement and did it not The place hath beene abused and a weapon drawne there hence to fight against Gods grace that these afflictions of the Ninivites macerating themselues with fasting and sackcloth prepared them aforehand to the easier attainement of their pardon Such are the pillers which they builde their workes of preparation vpon that before a man is iustified his workes may deserue that favour of God not of condignity they say worth for worth but of of congruity as if it stood not with reason and conscience that their workes shoulde bee forgotten If the prophet had trusted our simplicitye herein and concealed the name of faith weich heere hee placeth with her open face as the leader and forerunner to all their other actions coulde wee ever haue imagined that they woulde haue humbled themselues by repentance and prayed vnto God on whome they had not first beleeved and whosoever hee bee that spendeth his wretched dayes in the wildernesse of this worlde a wildernesse of sinne as the children of Israell in that wast and roaring wildernesse of SIN Exod. 16. without this cloude by day and piller by night to guide him the way to his rest hee walketh hee knoweth not howe hee strayeth stumbleth falleth because hee hath not light hee liveth and dieth in darkenesse his soule is as a fielde vntilled or as a vineyard growne wilde which though it haue store of grapes they are but sowre grapes his worshippe of God and workes of common civility what glasse soever they beare of honesty and commodity in the eyes of men they are both vnfruitfull to himselfe and before the face of God full of sinne and reprobation There are two thinges in the vvhole course of this history wherevnto I will limite my speech the one what the Ninivites did they beleeved proclaimed a fast repented the other what God he sawe their workes and was satisfied In the person of the Ninivites faith goeth formost workes follow it This is the nature of a true and a living faith it ever worketh by loue Gal. 5. and by workes it is made perfect Iam. 2. faith without these is as an almes of the rich man to the poore departe in peace warme thy selfe fill thy belly but he giveth him nothing Or as the body without the spirit wherin the life motion thereof consisteth For even the theefe vpoÌ„ the crosse that litle time which he had he bestowed in good workes In reproofe of his fellow condemnation of themselues iustification of Christ invocation of his name and a true confession that he was the king of Israell And this although we speake write imprint preach in all our assemblies even the pillers of our churches can beare witnes vnto vs that faith is an idle vnperfect verball deade faith where is not sanctity of life to attend it and wee both receiue it our selues as a faithfull saying confirme it to others that such as haue beleeved God must also be carefull to excell in good workes yet if the pens presses of the Romane faction might passe without controlment we should be trâ—ducâ—d as far as the world is christian for preaching only faith in the iustification of a sinfull man that our gospell is a gospell
gourd c. WE are at length come to the last parte of the Chapter which was the scope whereunto all the sayings doinges of God were referred coÌ„prehended in these 2. last verses containing generally an earnest contentioÌ„ plea for the iustification of his goodnes in sparing Niniveh For what other purpose had God in the whole course of his speaches actioÌ„s by the words of his mouth once againe iterated by the sensible image of the gourd obiected to the eies of Ionas than by irrefragable demonstration by the concession of the adversary himselfe to cleare deliver his mercy from iust reproofe God first drew him by demauÌ„ds as it were by captious Socraticall interrogations whither he would when he had him in snares theÌ„ inferreth vpon him which no maÌ„ could deny that were not too prefract and obstinate thou hast had pitty on the gourd c. shall not I spare Niniveh thou on a light teÌ„porary plant which was not thine wherin there was neither value nor coÌ„tinuance nor any propriety beloÌ„ging vnto thee shal not I much more spare Niniveth c. The argumeÌ„t standeth in coÌ„parison froÌ„ the lesse to the greater both the meÌ„bers thereof coÌ„pared are so strengthned set forth that he must needes shew himselfe forsaken of coÌ„mon sense that doth not assent vnto it Ionas hath not now to deale with Chrysippus who was able to speak probably of any thing brought in question but with the most expert schoole-man that ever spake with tongue with the God of heaven who bindeth with arguments as with chaines of iron leaveth no evasioÌ„ For vnlesse Ionas would except against the reasoÌ„ing of God as those whoÌ„e Tully scoffeth at who wheÌ„ they were brought to an incoÌ„venience in disputatioÌ„ had no other refuge but to craue that those inexplicable argumeÌ„ts might be left out Tully answered theÌ„ again that then they must goe to an officer for they should never obtaine that exception at his hands what should he do to rid himselfe of this strong opposition Before you haue heard 1. of the affliction of Ionas the sun the East-winde following the sunne the same tract pace by pace confederate with him working his woe a fervent East-winde beating vpon his backe sides no but vpon his head the most dainty daÌ„gerous place by reason of the senses his fainting wishing in his soule to die professing in open tearmes that it was better for him so to than to liue 2. of the reproofe of God in controlling that impatience 3. of his obfirmed hereticall maintaining of it which was his greater offence for there is no man that falleth not as there is no pomegranate wherein there is not some kernel amisse but when a fault is espied conuicted then to defend it with pertinacy is another fault And the milder punishmeÌ„t is evermore due to modesty It is the fact of meÌ„ to erre but of beasts to persist persevere in error TheÌ„ said the Lord by way of conclusion inferred vpoÌ„ the auÌ„swer grant of Ionas vouchsafing to reply vpon him whose auÌ„swere before was more worthy of stripes than speach by continued remembrances as by bandes of loue pulling his prophet out of the fire who had burnt to ashes in the coales of his indignation if God had not staied him even that mercifull and patient Lord who when he beginneth to loue loveth to the end who spake within himselfe though he haue often refused my word and dealt vnfaithfully with my commauÌ„dement yet once more will I shake the heavens and speake vnto him I wil not loose a soul for want of admonition It is true in men that he twise sinneth who is over-indulgent favourable to a sinner God is a debter to no man yet of his grace and benignity he doth often admonish vs. Then the Lord said The dignity of the person addeth great authority to the speach the Apostle vrdgeth the credite of the speaker strongly in his epistle to the Hebrews If the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedâ—ence receiued a iust recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first beganne to be preached by the Lord and afterwardes was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him God bearing witnesse thereunto by signes c. Againe see that you despise not him that speaketh for if they escaped not vvhich refused him that spake on earth shall vvee escape if vvee turne avvaie from him that speaketh from heaven Therefore doe the prophetes Haback aub Zacharie becken with the hand as it were to the whole earth and to all flesh to giue eare when the Lord speaketh the Lord is in his holy temple let all the oerth keepe silence before him and let all flesh be stil before the LORD for he is raised vp out of his holy place Thou hast had pitty tu parcis thou favourest or desirest that it maie bee preserved tu doles thou art grieved all vvhich constructions are included in the demaund that went before Dost thou well to be angry For whereas other affections are simple anger is compounded and mixed of divers partly of griefe for the iniurie received partely of commiseration of the thing iniured partely of desire and pleasure to revendge the wronges But I sticke not in the vvordes I I proceed rather to the argument which is so mightily invincibly shaped that Ionas frameth no auÌ„swere vnto it It must needs be that as the plate sincketh down in the ballaÌ„ce when waight is put into it so the mind must yeeld it selfe captiue vnto the truth when things are evidently perspicuously proved Geometricians professe that their art staÌ„deth not vpon perswasion but vpon coaction inforcement their principles theoremes are so firmely grouÌ„ded But let all artes giue place al actions bow all Logicke submit it selfe vnto him who is admirable in couÌ„saile excelleÌ„t in his works incomparable for his wisdoÌ„e The maÌ„ner of speach which God vseth being not plaine affirmatiue I wil spare Niniveh as thou pitiest the gourd but by interrogation negation shall not I spare Niniveh sheweth what indignity is offered vnto him as if soÌ„e right of his were kept backe To set some order in my speach the comparison here formed consisteth of 2. parts the antecedent or that which goeth before the lesser inferiour weaker part in the 10. verse the consequeÌ„t or stronger in the 11. The persons ballaÌ„ced togither thou I thou art moved shal not I pittie The things weighted one against the other are for their substaÌ„ce a gourd Niniveh For their accidents 1. of the gourd Ionas had not labored for it Ionas had not brought it vp it was neither of his making nor of his cherishing Ionas had not right in it it was not his worke besides the continuance was so small that he had no reason
to be fond of it for it came vp in a night and in a night perished 2. for Niniveh it was not a bush or a tree but a citty and not a little but a great cittie and had not onely those of riper yeares but infantes and not a few but sixe score thousande infantes and as they vvere in age to be pittied so for their innocencie because they knâ—vv not their right hand from their lefte and not only men but cattle and not in a sparing quantitie but much catle all vvhich both in nature and vse are better than the gourd for which thou contendest These things considered be thou the iudge whither it be not lawfull reasonable for me me in a far greater matter to take vpon me that right to put on me that affection which thou challengest vnto thy selfe in a much lesse The meÌ„bers of the comparison must be matched together as I goe to giue the more light one to the other for beeing severed we shal not so wel perceiue the force of them Thou I as differeÌ„t as heaveÌ„ earth light darknes thou a maÌ„ I a God thou flesh I spirit thou dust ashes I the Lord of hosts thou a creature I thy maker thou the clay I the potter thou sitting at my foot-stoole I inhabiting eternite thou creeping as a worme vpoÌ„ the circle of the earth I spanning heaveÌ„ earth in my fist weighing the mouÌ„taines hils in a ballance finally especially thou an vnmerciful man cruel hard-hearted without natural affection whose kindnes to mine is not so much as a gravell stone to the whole sea-sand nor as a minute of time to the daies everlasting yet thou takest pitty shal not I much more be moved whome thou hast both preached knowne to be a mercifull gracious long-suffering God The inequality of the persons is very emphaticall forcible thou sparest shall not I spare who haue more wisedome in my purposes more libertie in my actions more goodnes in my nature than al the soÌ„nes of AdaÌ„ so doth our Saviour reason Mat. 7. from this disparity of persons if you which are evill can giue to your children good giftes how much more shall your father which is in heaven giue good thinges to them that aske him So did the famous Orator reason against Catiline Did Pu. Scipio a private man kil Tib. Gracchus but lightly weakning the state of the coÌ„mon weale and shall we that are Consuls let Catiline alone desirous to lay wast the world with slaughterings and fierings So did Iuno reason in the Poet Could Pallas burne the navy of the Grecians but I that am the Queene of the GODS the sister and wife of Iupiter shall I be able to do nothing against mine enemies So likewise it holdeth strongly on the other side from the greater to the lesse as Luke 11. If I through Belzebub cast out devilles by whome doe your childreÌ„ cast theÌ„ out they are far inferiour to me in righteousnes innoceÌ„cy But in the 18 of Mat. beyond al exception O thou evill servant I forgaue thee al that debt because thou praiest me a Lord my servaÌ„t not mine equall I did not respite giue time for but forgiue a greater debt yea all that debt vpon thine owne entreaty Oughtest not thou then to haue had pitty on thy fellow even as I hed on thee Secondly these persons are coÌ„pared as the nature of comparisons requireth in some third thing common to them both thou sparest shal not I spare I depart not from thine own affection the law is equall to vs both if we take leave we must also giue leaue and it is meete that he that craveth pardon for a fault should also yeeld pardon for the same fault If thou hadst favoured I maliced thou pittied I hated thy complaint perhappes had carried some colour of Iustice but both our dispositions are alike thou accusest me of that vvhereof thy selfe art not free thine own deeds thine own mouth witnesse against thee Is it a fault in me to pitty begin at thine owne howse there correct it first go thou vpright before thou accuse me of going crooked But this is the fashion of vs all in fâ—râ— vâ—x decimus quisque est qui sâ—ipsum noverit scarsely every tenth man amongst vs knoweth himselfe And we haue need of censurers to make vs more careful of our own doings who are so privy severe to others mens as Diogenes sometimes was to the Gramatians whom he much laughed at for taking diligent paines in searching after the faults of Vlysses not seeing their owne Thirdly sparing was more agreeable to the nature of God thaÌ„ of Ionas therefore he might better contend for it Never was it more liuely expressed thaÌ„ when David made his choice of a third plague which came immediately from the hands of God man not working therein O let me not fall into the handes of man He praieth to be delivered from his own kinde more than from lionesse and shee-beares A man may play at the hole of an Aspe and handle a Cockatrice vvith more safety than fal into the danger of his owne brother The finger of God hath signed it the Apostle hath concluded it of vs all Iewes Gentiles there is none righteous no not one their throat is an open sepulchre they haue vsed their tongues to deceit the poison of Aspes is vnder their lippes their mouth is full of cursing bitternes their feete are swift to shed bloud calamity destructioÌ„ are in their waies the way of peace they haue not knowne This is the glasse wherein we may all behold our natures If there were neede of proofe I would aske the generations both past and present and they should make report vnto you that neither the maister hath beene safe from the servant of his owne tabernacle nor the king from the subiect that hath lived by the salt of the pallace nor the father from the son of his owne loines nor the brother from his brother of the same wombe nor the husband from the wife of his owne bosome and that not only nature hath beene dissolved and vnknit in private families by treacheries poisonings slaughtering and such like Scythian kindnesse but policie and communitie of life cut a sunder torne and dismembred by sacking of townes and citties depopulations and wastes of whole countries through the vntractable and vnpeaceable nature that man is fallen into But on the other side the mercy of GOD is so infinite that no affection in nature no dimention or proportion in the whole creature hath beene fitte to expresse it The height of heaven aboue the earth the distance of the East from the West the loue of fathers tovvardes their sonnes of mothers towardes the latest fruite of their vvombes of nurses tovvardes their sucking babes Eagles tovvardes their younge ones hennes towardes their chickens haue beene shadovves