or immortality because they were altogether outward in the power of God Another Item the Apostle giueth vs that seeing our sinne commeth from our selues God is not authour thereof Dauid speaketh truely of the holy One of Israel Thou art not a God that louest wickednesse Psal 5. Were it not strange then for him to be authour of that which he doth not loue S. Iohn reduceth all the sinnes in the world to three heads the concupiscence of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life These the same Apostle saith are not of the father but of the world Sinne is a thing repugnant to the nature of God and contrarie to all his properties It cannot stand with his goodnesse for being the chiefe and soueraigne good he cannot be authour of euill seeing euerie one affecteth not that which is opposite but that which is conformable and agreeable to his nature And God is light and in him dwelleth no darkenesse at all Againe it were some impeachment of his power to be authour of sinne for without any euill God is able to doe what good he will The wisedome of God will not admit him to be authour of sinne Good is the proper obiect that draweth euery one his desire as the Philosopher disputeth truely and euill is neuer desired nor sought after but through error when that which hath but the face and outward appearance of good is mistaken for it which hath the true nature of good indeed So God cannot be the author of sinne vnlesse you derogate some thing from his wisedome And O Lord thine eyes be cleere thou canst not see euill If he were authour of sinne hee should diuert and turne men away from himselfe and that were a plaine deniall of himselfe not fit not possible to comply with his truth Neither can it hold correspondencie with his mercie for he pittieth and is mercifull to them that sinne therefore he cannot be author thereof To be short it will not sort with his iustice for hee punisheth sinne because he is iust and then he cannot be authour of it but he must needes be vniust And is there any vnrighteousnes with God That is an absurditie to be detested not confuted God forbid God forbid saith Elihu vnto Iob that wickednesse should be in God or iniquitie in the Almightie He sent his sonne to take away the sinnes of the world and to dissolue the workes of the Deuill therefore he createth them not for if I build againe the things which I haue destroied I make my selfe a trespasser Inventor vitij non est Deus Angelus illud Degener infami conceptum mente creavit Sinne as S. Iohn defineth it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say a depriuation of that rightnesse which the law requireth in our actions and God which calleth himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Ens is causa essendi non deficiendi of being and not of fayling Seeing God is Ens men of indifferent iudgement may see that non esse ad Deum non pertinet Lux non potest gignere tenebras Sol illuminat sua natura sed non inducit tenebras recedente vero Sole sponte sequuntur tenebrae Ita Deus qui natura sua bonus est si recedat a nobis hoc est iustis de causis gratiam suam nobis subtrahat vel vt puniat nos vel vt alijs gratia sua magis sit conspicua sponte peccatum sequitur Nec necesse est vt causam peccati alibi inquiramus quum interiorem habeamus malam voluntatē ad quam accedit suggestio Diaboli Light cannot breede darkenesse the Sunne lightneth properly and induceth not darkenesse but when the Sunne goeth away darkenesse followeth of their owne accord So it is with God who is good in himselfe when hee withdraweth his graces from vs vpon iust causes eyther for our punishment or to make his goodnesse more conspicuous vnto others when God hath retyred himselfe from vs vpon any occasion sinne is at hand by and by to take place of it selfe Let vs therefore lay the blame of sinne vpon the Deuill that deuised it and vpon our selues that consented vnto him let vs not charge God foolishly but magnifie and praise him for his infinit goodnesse and mercies in abolishing the workes of the Deuill and beseech him to beate downe that crooked Serpent more and more vnder our feete euen for his Christ his sake AMEN FINIS THE SWEET MYSTErie of mans Reparation ROM 5. VERS 19. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous THE last Sabbath I discussed the former part of this Text vnto your most honourable houshold and now by the assistance of God his holy Spirit your Princely patience doe purpose to vnfold the second Three points are here to be cleared first who this obedient person was secondly the manner of his obedience thirdly the validitie As to the first This age doth not affoord such plentie of obedience as may make the person here spoken of doubtfull or ambiguous If bare profession were good obedience Christ would neuer haue told the Iewes that Publicans and Harlots should goe into the Kingdome of God before them Saul neuer intending obedience pretends it all in vaine Some Philosophers left all they had that when they were rid of worldly cares they might haue the more libertie to follow vanitie Et nolebant censu abundare terreno vt abundarent magis sensu suo S. Bern. If some certain religious people haue deuoted themselues to obedience their vowes make the title fayrer but not the obligation stronger S. Bernard decyphered such vanities long agoe Sine defectu pauperes sine despectu humiles sine labore diuites esse volunt Holy and obedient people indeed that will be poore without want humble without contempt rich without labour and obedient without any reknowledgement of allegiance They will not be like vnto other men therefore sauing our Aphorisme against retaliation and Christian charitie that nothing be done in reuenge if other men wil be as peremptorie againe not to be like vnto them there shall be no great cause left as I suppose for Church or Common-wealth to complaine The importunitie of their challenges makes mee to put difference in those that be obedient the person that our Text speaketh of is obedient vnto God these pretenders are obsequious vnto men to S. Frauncis Benedict Dominick Ignatius Loyola and their superiours But why should Christians that are borne of God take names from men Non ad hominis nomen ambulo Christi nomen teneo Perirem si essem de parte Pauli quomodo non perirem si essem de parte Donati His obedience stood in performing his fathers will theirs is exercised in vpholding mans inuentions or if they labor in obeying God it is but in part and he was obedient perfectly his person was infinite theirs
house Then his Maister shall bring him to the Iudges and set him to the dore or to the post and his Master shall bore his eare through with an awle and he shall serue him foreuer I say too little when I say Christ obliged himselfe to such obedience He professeth more in the Psalme aures perforasti mihi that both his eares were bored through the obligation of his obedience doubled aboue all others How Sure hee addicted himselfe not to outward obsequies alone as voluntarie seruants vsed to do but to obey the very inward thoughts intendments of his fathers will he left no tittle vnperformed Where shall we finde the like Isaac his obedience is commendable hee was not refractorie when his father would offer him vp in sacrifice but yet he was bound And O Lord thine hands needed no bands nor thy feete to be tyed in fetters of brasse Ioseph would not contend with his brethren when they had agreed to put him to death but did hee not vse deprecations They acknowledge it Gen. 42.21 We haue verily sinned against our brother in that we sawe the anguish of his soule when he besought vs and we would not heare him Mee thinks I see how pittifully he stood in the midst of them when they began to strip him out of his coat how his colour went away with the apprehension and feare of death how his cheekes were all to be raied with teares how his eyes were turned euery way sometimes to one brother somtimes to another sometimes to all at once sometimes to the ground where his bodie should fall sometimes to the heauens that should receiue his soule Did not these wofull lookes pleade for him were they not vocall Yes indeed and patheticall Orators And after that with beating his breast hee had gained passage for his voyce hee added words to this effect Alas what haue I done worthie of this that you goe about If I tolde any thing of you it was but truth and tended to your reformation if my dreames be offensiue they came by the instinct of God if you mislike my cōming it was my fathers pleasure I came to see how you did and shall I now die O spare my life for the respect you haue to your owne bloud spare it I beseech you for the reuerence you beare to my fathers age is hee not also yours Spare it if you regard not men yet for the feare you haue of God or if none of all these can moue your bowels for my life let me haue my coate this partie-coloured coate the ornament of my youth and the pledge of my fathers loue for an hearse to shroude and couer me when I am dead Maruaile not at Iosephs obtestations he was but a figure of obedience and the figure must euer be inferior to the truth Christ himselfe vsed no tergiuersation no deprecation he is accused and holds his peace he is charged and saith nothing to it But as a sheepe led to the slaughter so opened he not his mouth He died willingly Saint Peter and the rest that dyed for the testimonie of this obedience did it patiently but not altogether willingly I haue warrant and authoritie enough for it When thou art old another shall gird thee and leade thee whither thou wouldst not If there were any other means for vs to come to Christ who would die Indeed saith another great Apostle wee that are in this tabernacle sigh and are burthened because we would not be vnclothed but be clothed vpon Saint Paul would be like Henoch Elias or those that be aliue at the day of iudgement they shall not die but they shall be chaunged So S. Paul desireth not to be vnclothed but to be clothed vpon that mortality might be swallowed vp of life Although we go from labour to rest from expectation to possession from the race to the gaole from faith to fruition from a pilgrimage to our countrey from the world to God yet the passage being rugged mingled with asperitie hauing some of the gall and vineger in it that the Iewes gaue vnto Christ maketh it vnpleasing vnto vs But these lets and rubbs could neyther hinder nor abate any thing of his cheerefulnesse Oblatus est quia voluit if he had beene vnwilling he was not vnable to hold his life against all the world When the Iewes sent their Sergeants to apprehend him he meetes his aduersaries in the mid-way he offereth himselfe and askes them whom they seeke When they said Iesus of Nazareth he denied not but acknowledged himselfe and said I am hee No perswasions could diuert him from this obedience his disciples say Master the Iewes did seeke for thee of late to stone thee and wilt thou go to Hierusalem againe He answereth roundly Are there not twelue houres in the day If any man walke in the day time he stumbleth not because he seeth the light of this world God his calling is like this day light which suffereth not a man to wander or to goe astray out of his way in obedience of this calling he goeth on to Hierusalem couragiously and feares no swords nor staues but offereth himselfe the second time and askes them whom they seeke Here is no vnwillingnesse or pusillanimitie that was rat her with his aduersaries they did shrinke goe backe and fell to the ground Where is the terror and defence of their armed men forsooth with one word and acknowledgment of himselfe and with his bare voyce saying nothing but I am hee the whole multitude that came against him fierce in hatred and terrible in power were smitten repelled and ouerthrowne without any weapon at all Was there euer such a Hee You may easily accompt what this Hee will doe when he iudgeth that did so much when he was iudged what he may doe when he raigneth that could doe this when he obeyed When he saw the wrath of God stirred vp against all creatures for our sinne I cannot tell you whether it was with more pietie or wisedome with greater mercie or iustice for I thinke all the vertues in the world did concurre together in this one action but I am sure that it was with great willingnes and powerfull successe that he cryed Si propter me haet tempestas orta sit tollite me mittite me in mare And what tempest could be raised for his sake that I will also shew It was not without a robberie of the Sonne of God that Lucifer did affect his greatnesse it was not without a robberie of the Sonne of God that our first parents did affect that knowledge eritis sicut dij And the Father would not dissemble nor passe ouer his sonnes iniuries without reuenge For the Father loueth the Sonne alwayes For him hee destroyed many Angels and sentenced all men What did the Sonne when he saw the Father so iealous for him that he spared no creature To the intent that it
facta enim de cogitationibus procedunt It is not possible that a man exercised in good thoughts should be much tainted with ill actions for all actions proceed from our thoughts Then keepe thine heart with all diligence for thereout commeth life Therefore I cannot hold with them that make all the sinnes of the soule to proceede from the bodie so the wicked Angels wanting bodies should want sinne too and the spirits of the damned assoone as they bee sequestred from their bodies should cease also from their sinne It is but a Poets opinion concerning soules puritie Igneus est ollis vigor Coelestis origo Seminibus quantum non noxia corpora tardant Terrenique hebetant artus moribundaque membra Virgil is no classicall authour in matters of doctrine the Fathers of the Church are more authenticall S. Bernard speaking of the soule saith otherwise Prior reparanda est quam constat corruisse priorem Anima siquidem corrupta in culpam fecit quoque vt corpus corrumperetur in poenam So S. Augustine resolueth the doubt that the corruption of the flesh which ladeth the soule was not the cause but the punishment of the first sinne and it was not the corruptible flesh that made the soule sinfull but it was the sinne of the soule that made the bodie corruptible Est mens primum veteris hominis membrum primus peccati administer nativa prauitate infecta suggestionum Sathanae capax hinc motus praui mali de malo quamvis nihil accesserit vltra his mens impellit voluntatem quae tunc altera peccati ministra efficitur concupiscentias parit tunc tandem corpus ab animo impulsum totum accenditur huc atque illuc transuersum rapitur omnes sensus adeoque omnia corporis tyranni arbitrio se sistunt ad perpetranda omnia quae imperat hinc fructus amari qui Gal. 5. recensentur The minde is the first member of the old man and minister of sinne infected certainly with originall prauitie and capable of Sathans suggestions from hence come ill motions which are euill and proceede from euill if there were nothing else but with these the minde stirreth the will which is then made another minister of sinne and bringeth forth concupiscence then the bodie being summoned by the mind is kindled is transported hither and thither so the senses and all parts of the bodie offer themselues at the tyrants pleasure to do all his commands thereout spring those bitter fruits that are rehearsed in the fift of the Galathians Whether it were the one or the other that the bodie were in disobedience before the soule or the soule before the bodie whether the blinde did leade the lame or the lame were guide to the blinde behold now both are fallen into the ditch and ouershadowed not with a cloud but with a verie night of darkenesse In this one mans disobedience we see that verified which Christ saith in the Gospel They that doe euill shun the light because their workes are euill He is no sooner fallen then he becommeth Lucifuga affecteth darknesse and flyeth to the couert to hide himselfe His body and the parts thereof are the same that they were before but then they were seene with glorie and now they are couered with shame his wil is auerse his heart is full of feare and distrust his very minde is darkened which should be the light the watchman the Centinel both of body and soule and if the light thereof be turned into darkenesse O how great must that darkenesse be Greater verily then the darknesse of Egypt which was not so vniuersall but that there was light left in the land of Gosen where the children of Israel were But here after mans disobedience darkenesse preuailed ouer all No power of the minde no part of the bodie free or cleere hee is not absolutely depriued of naturall faculties and endowments of reason iudgement will as if he were become a blocke but they are depraued and decayed he knowes still marie it is but in part and what part his mind doth vnderstand but humane things not diuine earthly not heauenly businesse his will doth affect also and desire what sure bodily pleasures or delights not spirituall ioyes Wist ye not that when the fountaine of all goodnes was forsaken nothing would remaine but sinne when the father of lights was left that darkenesse would couer all Sine tuà luce ô lux beatissima non est veritas adest error adest vanitas non est discretio adest confusio adest ignorantia non est scientia adest caecitas non est visio adest invium non est via adest mors non est vita S. Aug. Solil cap. 3 Without thy light ô blessed light there is no truth all is error all is vanitie there is no distinction all is confusion all is ignorance there is no knowledge all is blindnesse there is no sight all impassible there is no way all is death there is no life When he beleeued that which the Deuill promised was hee not very worthie to finde that which God threatned You haue heard the mans disobedience to God It resteth now to shew how also he offended his neighbor therein namely by transmitting sinne to his posteritie By his disobedience many were made guiltie Here I doe willingly call you to remembrance that Adam did not sinne as an ordinarie person for so his sinne had rested in himselfe and determined there It was Iobs perswasion in his owne particular Though I had indeed erred mine errour remaineth with me Doth it not hold good correspondencie with the rule of Iustice The soule that sinneth that soule shall die Adams case is not so it is extraordinarie As God had beautified the whole nature of mankind with excellent gifts in this one man vpon the condition of his loyaltie and obedience so was he resolute to bereaue it of them all in him againe assoone as he began to be refractorie or disobedient Who can distaste this iustice or finde any harshnes in it when both were propounded vnto the man vpon equall termes Hereby also it may appeare that Adam sinned not as a priuate man but as the common root or stocke of mankind as a publique person and father of vs all When sinne had once got hold of his person must it not needes taint vs all that are partakers of his nature Because we were all enclosed in his loines when he sinned hee branded vs all with the prints and tincture of his rebellion So this disobedience rested not in Adam but became hereditarie it was not personall in him alone but naturall to vs all and a matter of succession It made him a trespasser vs all sinners with him whether Pelagius will or no. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 None is free not a childe of a day olde though Anabaptists be mad for it We doe all die neither doth there liue a man
may be knowne saith he that I also loue the Father behold by me he shall receiue againe many of those that forme he had in a manner lost Therefore seeing this tempest is risen for my sake take me and cast me into the sea and you shall haue a great calme Indeed he did see the assault of the rauening Wolfe and tarrieth not vntill hee had surprised the sheepe but maturely interposeth himselfe in the gap O good sheapheard that giueth his life for his sheepe Peccat iniquus punitur iustus delinquit reus vapulat innocent offendit impius damnatur pius Quod meretur malus patitur bonus Quod perpetrat servus exoluit dominus quod committit homo sustinet Deus It was not nothing that God gaue when hee sent his Sonne vnto vs but gaue vs all things with him who of God is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption And the other three graces may serue for other subiects the gift of righteousnesse belongeth properly to the obedience of Christ as our Text witnesseth By the obedience of one many are made righteous His obedience is not like the oyle which the wise Virgins had that would not serue themselues and others Whosoeuer drinketh thereof shall thirst againe For the iust shall liue by his owne faith But he that drinketh of the water that I giue vnto him shall neuer thirst The soule that receiueth Christ is content with him onely for his obedience is like the widdowes oyle that did runne as long as there was any vessell to receiue it Tam pleno fonti vas inane admouendum It is no short or narrow mantell for that according to the Prophet cannot couer two His righteousnesse is an euerlasting righteousnesse and what is larger then eternitie Nothing Then it will couer him and vs. Et in nobis quidem operit multitudinem peccatorum In te autē domine quid nisi pietatis thesauros diuitias bonitatis Christ being man was mortall also and capable of death but being iust he needes not doe it freely One sinner cannot die for another but he that had no cause to doe it for himselfe doth it not for another in vaine No no the more vnworthily that he dyed that deserued no death the more iustly we liue for whom hee dyed Magna res anima quae Christi sanguine redempta est grauis animae casus qui non nisi Christi cruce potuit reparari Si rursum corruerit peccato duntaxat ad mortē vnde iam reparabit nunquid aut alter Christus aut idem iterum habet crucifigi pro ea Hee held his peace before Pilate because that Court held plea for his death only which the Sonne of God would not decline Pilate had no competent tribunal to enquire of the validitie of his death or what retaliation and amends should be giuen for it that was to be determined in the high court of his fathers iustice And doe you thinke that he is silent there too No beloued There he maketh intercession continually speaketh better things then the bloud of Abel That cryed for vengeance this for indulgence that for iustice this for mercy that for punishment this for remission of sinnes So Lord Iesus so continue thy pietie still and we shal neuer be forced to pay that againe which thou hast payed for vs alreadie If his obedience be sufficient there needes no more if it be not where is the defect Is there any invaliditie in the Fathers acceptation None at all You remember what the good father saies in Gen. 27. when hee touched Iacob and sented Christ Behold the smell of my sonne is like the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed The father may accept that of fauour that is no competent satisfaction Nay nay so the father might haue accepted any part of his obedience and then there had beene no full no reall but a formal satisfaction for sinne and as they say dicis causa The forgiuenesse of our sinne is not for fashion sake S. Paul calls it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say an absolute remission as in the yeare of Iubile And wee haue it by this obedience that was complete and perfect euen vnto death which is the period and last line of all things Whilest Ioseph liued there is no expresse mention that the Israelites increased but after his death as appeareth Exod. 1. So it stood with our Ioseph before he dyed there was but few Israelites The dew fell vpon Gideons fleece onely and all the floore was drye but after his death the dew fell vpon all the floore the fleece alone is now drie and the Israelites of God are encreased and multiplyed ouer all the world by the heauenly dew and influence of this obedience Indeed except the graine of Wheate fall into the ground and dye it abideth alone but if it dye it bringeth forth much fruite you may iudge of his cause by the words of his mouth for after this pretious graine dyed in obedience Out of the eater came meate and out of the strong came sweetnesse out of the obedience of his death the haruest of the Church shooteth vp plentifully in euerie quarter O virtus occulta vnam animam emissam in tormento innumerabiles extrahere de inferno hominem mortem corporis suscipere animarum mortem perimere The Apostle giueth a reason of it If one dyed for all then all dyed in that one and it is certus sermo a sure saying that if we be dead with him we shal also liue with him if we suffer we shall also raigne with him Aduersaries may quarrell this imputation but they will neuer bee able to disproue it for by the same meanes that Christ was made sinne for vs are we made the righteousnesse of God in him Now it is out of doubt that he was made sinne for vs not by inherence but by imputation of our sinnes therefore are wee also made righteous not by any inherent righteousnesse but by imputation of his obedience This is the righteousnesse that was prefigured in the old Testament What signified the sweete treitment that was giuen to Iacob and his children in Egypt Why did the gracious King that knew them not before they were brought vnto him make them Denizens of strangers and Citizens of aliens Why did he receiue them not onely into his common-wealth but also into his neere familiaritie and loue Was it for any respect of themselues Alas they brought nothing with them but pouertie and famine Was it not altogether for Iosephs sake whom hee loued If Pharaoh were intreated for those that he neuer knew the Father of mercies will not be inexorable for the people that he hath made If Ioseph could preuaile with a King for his parentage and friends the onely begotten Sonne shall neuer be refused for the