comfort the merits of Christ the ransome and price of my redemption is infinit and doe as farre exceede the number and weight of my sinnes as the goodnesse and power of God exceeds my weaknesse and frailtie the mercie of God is infinite able to couer the whole multitude of my sinnes the hate of God vnto sinne is infinite and therefore he will leaue nothing vnattempted which may serue to cut downe the body of sinne the desire which God hath of my saluation farre exceeds mine owne desire of saluation seeing his glorie and the manifestation of his mercie which was the scope and end of my creation is a farre greater good then my particular soules health The greater my sins are the greater occasion may God take to manifest his mercie for God himselfe hath appointed my saluation not to consist in not sinning or to be free and innocent from all sinnes but in the repentance for sinne and in the satisfaction of his deare Sonne and therefore to assure mee of this mercie it is one of the Articles of my Creed which not to beleeue were not to be saued that I should bouldlie and confidently beleeue the remission and forgiuenesse of sins Yet conceiue me aright for some there are who laying hould to soone on Gods mercy as it were snatching at his mercy do indeed loose the fruits of his mercy when laying the whole burthen of their sins vpon Christ as it were making long and deepe furrowes in his backe themselues continuing in their owne sinnes in the impenitency and hardnesse of their owne hearts do indeed dreame of saluation My sinnes are innumerable yet before I was borne before they could be committed God did foresee them notwithstanding his foresight when hee might haue preuented my sinnes and left me to my first nothing yet in his gratious goodnes and mercie hee made and created me he hath giuen me my life my strength my health my senses my wit and al my temporall blessings together with the knowledge of himselfe the plentifull and powerful meanes of my saluation notwithstanding my sinnes be they neuer so great yet these are the tokens of his fauour the pledges of his loue the assurances of his promises and the earnest of my future happines Why should I then despaire of Gods mercy though I haue lost that sanctitie and holinesse wherewith I might be saued yet God hath not lost that vertue and powe â— wherewith he might saue a penitent sinner and behold the fruit of this power if I do but speake or name God it is God that speakes in my heart ipse praesens facit se quaeri I had thought I had lost him but behold he is present and inuites me to a banquet where he himselfe is the feast conuiâ—a conuinium Lord I am not worthy with the dogs to licke vp the crummes vnder thy table yet giue me O Lord that property of dogs that licking mine owne woundes I might heale mine owne sores that my tongue may serue to cleanse my vncleannes confessing my sinnes I may disgorge and cast out my sins where they shall lie as a heauie burthen vpon thy sonne for he hath taken vp my sinnes and borne mine iniquities my sinnes are no longer mine Mea sunt per perpetrationem Christâ— sunt quoad obligationeÌ„ satisfactionis indeed I committed them and so they are mine but Christ alone hath entred into bands for the discharge of them he hath canceld the hand writing of the lawe he hath satisfied the rigour of thy iustice by the shedding of his bloud by his death and passion and therefore O Lord thou wilt not demand a second payment of vs he hath imputed his righteousnesse to vs and thus euery true penitent stands rectus in curia acquitted in thy consistâ—ry Giue me leaue to compare my selfe that am the meanest of all men to Alexander the great and this my present treatise wherein I labour to shew the fall and corruption of man to the conquest of nature me thinks I haue subdued the little world and brought man as a captiue or slâ—ue through much misery and sorrow at length to the place of his execution and hauing now possest my selfe of the fairest fortresse or tower in nature man that is a little world I cannot here content my selfe but I begin to enquire whether there are as yet more worlds to be conquered and behold in the second place I will fall vpon the great world and I will attempt with Archimedes to shake her foundations to threaten her ruine in this generall corruption and dissolution of man for this punishment morte morieris though it principally concernes man yet the whole world cannot be exempted from it being directed and ordained onely for mans vse containing in it selfe the very same seedes and causes of death and destruction and as it is most fit and agreeable to our present condition that being corruptible in our selues we should likewise dwell in houses of corruption For proofe and demonstration wherof I must ascend from the indiuiduals and singulars to the species and kindes of the creatures and among all other kindes assuredly man is the most noble and therfore best deserues to be the subiect of our knowledge wee should be best acquainted with our selues which makes for the certainty of our knowledge and speaking of things which so neerely concernes our selues we should much desire to bee better informed in our owne state and condition now if the whole kinde and species of man seemes daily to decline and decay which shall appeare by the comparison of times past with times present of our selues with our ancestors then assuredly the whole world cannot be excused from corruption but as it dies daily in the singulars so at length it shall faile in the vniuersals and in the kindes of the creatures This truth seemes to relie vpon these three foundations 1. Man as all other creatures being immediatlie created by God as he comes nearer and nearer the first mould so is he more and more perfect and according to the degrees of his distance so he incurres the more imperfection and weakenesse as the streames of a fountaine the further they runne through vncleane passages the more they contract the corruption 2. It would implie a contradiction in nature if the parts and the whole were not of like condition but how wonderfull is the difference if you will suppose a corruption of the singulars and an eternitie of the kinde for whereas the recompence shuld be made by succession or equiualencie we must consider that succession may well prolong the corruption adding more degrees proceeding more leasurely but cannot wholie exclude the corruption 3. The generall intent and scope of nature wholie â—ends to corruption for I would gladly aske why should not nature either renew mans age or preserue him in a state of consistencie the answere is because the iuyce and sap which we receiue from our food or our nourishment is not
been the first fountaines of euill and first to haue infected the world with corruption Here wee must consider the different condition of creatures some bodies some spirits as euery thing is compounded of matter and forme and the forme it is which giues the existencie and indiuiduation these seuerall degrees of creatures make much for the absolute perfection of nature especially when as all bodies seeme to bee contained and continued within the circumference of the first body what should we thinke is aboue the conuexitie of the heauens an infinite vacuum rather acknowledge a want in mans vnderstanding then that there should want inhabitants in such an excellent region where the heauens are their footstooles to tread and walke ouer our heads where they are freed from all annoyance of creatures and partake only of happinesse As in great buildings the meanest and basest offices are alwaies beneath suppose the Kitchin the Seller the Buttrie the Pantrie but for the stately and magnificent roomes for entertainment suppose the dining Chamber the Galleries the Turrets and places of pleasure these are aboue and thus it is with vs in respect of the Angels the truth and certaintie whereof I haue already proued in the first part Now supposing these spirits their condition must bee alike with ours who are in some sort and in the better part spirituall as they were made of nothing so they must â—aue a determinate goodnesse in their nature faculties actions being spirits they had a freedom of wil God did herein make them like vnto himselfe as he was able to create of nothing so they might will when as nothing should moue them to will and hauing a limited vnderstanding which might admit error and darknes through their own pride they might will nothing that is they might will sinne for sinne is a defect a priuation a kinde of nothing in this their willing although they could not will themselues to bee nothing to destroy their owne condition for this were to vndoe that which God alreadie hath done yet they could will or rather bewitch themselues to bee worse then nothing for sinne is nothing and to be the seruant of sinne it is to be worse then nothing Thus in the Angels as well as in man in regard of their limited goodnesse and the freedome of their willes there was a power and capacitie or rather a weakenesse and impotencie to sinne and to fall And many of them sinned accordingly God in his wisedome permitting the sinne and thereby teaching all creatures what they are in themselues for as in the same kind of spirits the best creatures are extant so the worst and most accursed should likewise be found that no creature might boast of an absolute perfection that euery one might know himselfe and suspect his owne fall and that all our righteousnâ—sse is tanquam pannus menstruatus like a spotted and defiled garment Nothing can endure Gods triall and touch-stone for the Angels are not acquitted in his sight c. Now their sin was a dislike of their present condition and the aspiring to be equall and like to their Maker made of nothing hauing nothing of themselues yet they must contest with their infinite Maker for dignitie and superioritie whether it were that they did consider that there were three persons in one most holy blessed and vndiuided Trinitie which being a mysterie farre transcending the reach of all creatures they could not comprehend for fully to comprehend God is indeed to be God but might happily conceiue that the Deitie would admit of more persons or whether by â—he excellencie of their owne knowledge they did fitly gaâ—ther that as the creation was a worke of Gods infinite loue and as God was existent euery where according to the infinite extent of his owne nature so as an infinite effect of that infinite loue God should tye vnto himselfe some creature by an infinite band namely by an hypostaticall vnion and therefore some of them did claime and challenge this high prerogatiue aboue other creatures by vertue of their birth-right But herein did appeare their ignorance and pride for the creature was not to aspire to the height and dignitie of the Creator but the Creator was to descend to the humilitie and basenes of the creature neither was God to bee vnited to the angelicall nature though otherwise highest in order and condition but to descend lower to giue a more vndoubted token of that infinit loue euen to the humane nature and manhood Mans nature being the center in the middest of the circumference a little Microcosme in whom all the creatures are vnited things sensible partake in his body the intelligent spirits are combinde in his soule and thus God taking the nature of man sits in the very middest of his creatures imparting himselfe infinitly to all so farre foorth as it may well stand with the truth of his Godhead and with the state and condition of the creature Thus they might mistake in iudgement supposing there might be some probabilitie to effect it but I must chiefly and principally condemne their vnthankfulnes their pride their presumption which gaue way and occasion to this their error but hauing once committed so great a coÌ„tempt such a foule indignitie against God it could not stand with his iustice freely to pardon their sinne or to intend the meanes of their redemption as in his mercie hee hath performed to man for the Angels were the first creatures highest in dignitie and condition the great measure of their knowledge and graces was such as that we doe not reade that God did euer appoint them lawes but that it might bee supposed that they of themselues should bee wholly conformable to God Againe they were not tempted by others and therefore as the sinne could no way bee cast vpon others so being impotent of themselues to make any recompence they could no way receiue benefit by the satisfaction of others the state of the Angels was created such as that they were not capable of repentance they cannot change their mindes or their willes whatsoeuer they see they see in an instant whatsoeuer they desire their will is confinde to the first motion that they cannot alter or change their desire so that if once they shall make choice of the worser part in vaine may we expect that euer they should returne to the better Whereas the condition of man is mutable and changeable as capable of sinne so capable of repentance as hee falles of himselfe so hee may rise againe by the assistance of grace for God hath giuen him a discoursiue reason proceeding by degrees if now hee mistakes himselfe hereafter hee may bee better informed As the inconstancie of his nature may cause the alteration of his will so God fitly vsing this his inconstancie as it were working in euery thing according to that manner which is most proper and naturall to the thing may make it a meanes for the amendment and conuersion of
carries no sensible quantitie in respect of the heauens all the mists that proceede from the earth cannot any way indarken the Sunne but are suddenly dissolued it lies not in mans power to obscure Gods glorie which either will drop downe in mercie or breake foorth in iustice and therfore the greatest sinne in respect of Gods losse may well bee ranckt with the least and the least with the greatest though otherwise not in respect of Gods commaund his anger his punishment But I pray' what sinne could Adam haue committed at that time greater then was the tasting of the forbidden fruite Couetousnesse or oppression could not assault him as hauing the whole world in possession there was no place for enuie or wrath as wanting a competitor there were no publike assemblies to be blowne vp with gun-powder no Princes to bee murthered no factions to bee massacred no Churches to bee made a prey for sacriledge no virgins to bee defloured no places of iustice which might be defiled with briberie no legall proceedings wherein periurie and false information might be admitted no widow or fatherlesse to be subiect of wrong and oppression mans owne knowledge the many blessings receiued together with the fresh memorie and experience of the â—reâ—tion could not admit of idolatrie and yet according to the condition of those times man was not wanting to his own sinne as farre foorth as hee could he tempted and prouoked God there being but one precept in the breach of that one precept if more had lien in his power more he had attempted in a higher degree but here was the mercie of God only to permit the least for God deales with man as parents doe with young children first to trie with the least that so the first sinne might not at first sight be vnpardonable We must here conceiue that according to the condition of man who consists of body and soule so there was both inward outward corruption In the mindes of our parents there was a great disobedience in the breach of Gods law this disobedience proceeded from a great natural pride in so much that as by the inticing so according to the example of the bad Angels they sinned against God in a very high point of his prerogatiue namely his wisedome â—ritis sâ—â—ut dij sciemes â—â—num malum as the Angels desired in generall to possesse the Throne of God so man in this one particular point of his wisedome did aspire to be equall with God and therein to vsurpe his prerogatiue and heere the necessitie did seeme first to bee imposed vpon the wisedome of God that the same wisedome should satisfie for the offence committed against it selfe and therefore Iesus Christ the righteous who was verbum in intellectu sapientia patris hee must interpose himselfe as a Mediatour betweene God and man and bee the propitiatorie sacrifice for this sinne hee must come downe in our flesh and be like vnto vs whereas we attempted to be like vnto him He must breake the veile of the Temple and Ceremonies lay open the secrecies and mysteries of his kingdome and yet bee accounted an vnwise man that so by the foolishnesse of preaching he might correct or conâ—ound the wisdome and subtiltie of a Serpentine generation Now marke the conformitie of our mindes with our forefathers as the similitude of nature so the similitude of corruption The first sinnes of the minde seeme to be disobedience and pride when we too highly esteem of our selues neglecting and contemning all others whereunto if you please to adde the naturall curiositie of our mindes here is the first step and degree to a second fall a fall into all damnable errors and heresies And for our bodie gluttonie seemes to bee the well-spring of all our carnall and bodily sinnes as a surfeit is for the most part the beginning of all our diseases the most dangerous of all our diseases and whereunto man is most subiect and prone it doth vndoubtedly argue that the first sinne was the sinne of a surfeite and gluttonie the tasting of forbidden fruite Marueile not though our Diuines bee strict in preaching their fasts mortifications for they desire to preuent sin in the roote open warre will not easily preuaile against a State vnlesse it bee diuided in it selfe with parts-taking and factions if the flesh be pliable and obedient to the spirit wee neede not feare any outward assaults and tentations If still the offence seeme little then you may well coniecture Gods wrath and indignation for sin which breakes into vengeance for so small an offence if the punishment seeme ouer large in respect of the crime thou canst not truly iudge of the foulenesse of sinne which is not to be valued according to mans own estimation but as it is an high presumption and contempt of the basest worme against the infinite maiestie of the diuine power yet in truth the punishment seemes not to be so dreadfull and horrid as the case now stands betweene God and man Thankes be to the mediator of this couenant betweene God and man that God and man Christ Iesus for now it serues rather as an occasion of a further blisse and happinesse then as a punishment for sinne Felix culpa quae talem habuit redemptorem The miseries of this life they are such that if they be sanctified with Gods grace seasoned with the hope of a better life to succeede receiued with patience acknowledged with true humblenes of minde I doubt not but in them wee shall finde sufficient comfort and consolation in so much that wee may now safely triumph ouer death it selfe O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victorie the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thankes be vnto God who hath giuen vs victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. So much for the sinne as it was radically inherent in Adam now how the posteritie of Adam should be liable to the guilt of this sinne together with the manner of propagating this sinne I will speake briefly and so conclude It may bee questioned whether it might stand with Gods iustice to condemne all all the whole kinde all the whole succession the vnborne childe for the sinnes of one And for answere of this question I will extend my speech further that if God for no offence committed should reprobate and torment all his creatures yet could it not be any iniustice in God for how shall the vessell say vnto the potter why madest thou me thus This I speake hauing relation to Gods infinite and vnlimited power but as the câ—se now stands assuredly God neuer wrought in his creatures according to the rigour and extent of his iustice for the creation was a worke of mercie heere all things tooke their beginning from mercie being thus created Gods mercie doth ouerflow all his workes Hence it is that mercie sometimes appeares without any taste of iustice as in the free distribution
deliuered without paine or sorrow they haue foorthwith strength to make their owne prouision for themselues for their brood yea their courage seems much to be increased that vpon any slight occasion they are so ready to fight in defence of their yong ones Will you see their ioy immediatly vpon their deliuerie hearke hearke the pratling gossip the cackling henne as soone as an egge is laid though at all other times she seemes to be mute yet now she sings and disquiets the whole house either to boast of the fruitfulnes of her wombe or to discouer her hidden treasure lest the goodwife should thinke her barley and corne ill spent behold a free oblation and profit to recompence the losse or to be a president and example to vs to teach women their manner in Churching which ought to be with a song of ioy and thankfulnes to God for the fruits of their wombe and for their happy deliuery If some other creatures seeme to labour in the birth then acknowledge that for mans sinne the whole earth was accursed and the dumbe creatures groane vnder the burthen of our sinne and therfore no maruaile if sometimes they share with vs in the punishment for thence we conclude the great offence the malignitie and infection of sinne but I speake vt plurimum for the most part it fals out among them not in one of a hundred but in mans kinde it doth most eminently appeare and therefore acknowledge vs to be the principals and them only as the accessaries in sinne Againe if some women be of that strong constitution so made and fashioned by nature so helpt and furthered by art that they are easily deliuered yet still are they deliuered with some paine and I speake vt plurimum for the most part generally in the whole kind you shall obserue it a punishment if some do better escape then others it is Gods mercy to them not one of a hundred but suffers a great torment more or lesse griefe alters not the truth of Gods iudgements when sorrow it selfe was the punishmeÌ„t As likewise in that other punishment of death some die without paine as many in their ould age when their body is not so sensible the least stopping of their breath puts out their candle whereas the yong man sicke of the stone or the pluriâ—ie dies in great tortures for heere the paines and torments of death were not the punishment but death it selfe so likewise in child-bearing more or lesse sorrow was not appointed the measure of sorrow was not prescribed but sorrow in generall here was the punishment though Scripture and all ancient writers do number it amongst the greatest torments sometimes indeed Gods iustice is allayed with his mercy and his wisdome permits the workes of nature to passe vncontrolable that so it might appeare that our sorrowes and infirmities proceed not from the necessity of our nature but from the incident malignity of our sinne Reasons I know there are alleaged in Physicke and Philosophy for this great paine in the birth and generation of man suppose it did proceed from natural causes yet would it then argue a great corruption of nature that should thus ordaine the beginning of man with the great sorrow and griefe of his mother as if man were of a viperous kinde and brood gnawing the bowels that first hatched and conceaued him but I do assure you that if you shall well weigh all those causes which seeme to produce the torments you shall find them very much defectiue and such as cannot giue you any satisfaction but herein I must be sparing in regard of my profession and speaking in a common and vulgar tongue these are secrecies proper to woman yet I may boldly say it that nature heerein seemes to outstrip her selfe and to torment the poore woman beyond all natural causes For the trees in producing their fruit seeme then to be most beautifull and do yeerely afford it all the beasts of the field do the like in the time of their greatest growth and best perfection only the the woman notwithstanding her strength and ablenesse of body it will not excuse her notwithstanding her good complection and sound constitution it will not auaile her for she is only subiect to sorrow Sorrow I say for there is no sorrow comparable to the sorrow of a woman in the time of her trauaile from their first quickning or conception you shall obserue them with pale lookes heauy eyes apt to faint vpon euery occasion they are a burthen to themselues their stomackes faile them and the night giues them no rest all the deuouring and rauenous wilde beasts are aptest to seaze vpon them the least knocke or blowe the least ill sauour or bad sight the least sorrow conceiued in the fansie is able to indanger all to hazard the life both of the mother and of the childe in her wombe Not to speake of the naturall greife arising from natural causes sometimes nature seemes with too much expedition to hasten her woe and then ye haue an vntimely brood as if Autum should fall out in the spring sometimes the wombe proues likewise the tombe and the place of conception serues for his buriall after seauen or nine moneths expectation behold hee comes carrying the forme of a slaine and a murthred man and so he presents himselfe to his sad mother to comfort her heauie heart being once thus deliuered the danger is not past but she must be attended on with safe keeping and good diet and thousands daylie miscarry when in mans expectation they seeme to haue ouerpassed al danger of child-birth But heere I will acquaint you with a strange point of crueltie men must become wiues men among wiues men-midwiues I meane who with the strength of their limbes and in the hardnesse of their hearts must execute that which the weaker sex compassionat women durst neuer attempt pittie it were that there should be such a profession of men were it not that necessity inforceth it before I can speake of them with patience I will first fall downe on my knees hould vp my hands lift vp mine eyes and if I can I will shed forth a few tâ—arâ—s and humblie desire God to helpe and comfort all those poore sillie women which shall haue occasion to vse their helpe heere you shall see sometimes the bellies opened the flesh rent the tunicles cut in sunder to finde out a new passage for the poore infant who must come into this world through the bowels of his dead mother and vpon his first approch may be iustly accused and arraigned for a murtherer if his mother escape then sometimes you may see the poore innocent childe mangled executed and quartered in the wombe there was no great offence I confesse vnlesse it were the sin of his first father but indeed I am affraid to speake any longer of these bloudy cruelties I will not lay open my nakednesse I will not defile mine owne neast the punishment sufficiently
whereby it pleaseth God to inlarge his owne kingdome to accomplish the whole number of his elect whereby they might continue their names and their memories and finde some comfort in their olde age leaue their posteritie behinde them to giue them a Christian buriall and to performe all other duties of children to parents This I could heartily wish but see the corruption of these times they turne this punishment to a point of their owne pride vaine-glorie and solemnitie their lying-in or bedding being performed in such state with such pompe so excessiuely costly and chargeable that I feare they haue little thought either of thankfulnes to God or of the punishment of sinne Now giue me leaue to relate some few accidencies which doe accompanie our conception whereof I may speake without offence Consider I pray' how duâ—â—ng the time of their conception while our parents are yet great what a longing and hungrie appetite possesseth them of things hard to be gotten most commonly vntimely and vnseasonable fruites sometimes of things vncleane and impure Is not this an vndoubted token and testimonie of that insolent and vnbridled appetite of the woman which first contrarie to Gods owne precept and ordinance seazed vpon the forbidden fruite But obserue I beseech you how this appetite and longing consisting onely in the fansie and imagination of the mother yet sometimes to the great wonder and astonishment of reason workes vpon the childe in the wombe and makes an impression answerable to the thing conceiued in the fansie the fansie can neither giue sexe nor beautie nor strength to the members yet doth it imprint a character answerable to the strong apprehension See heere a liuely patterne of the propagation of sinne there are hereditarie diseases of the bodie there are wants and defects proper to the minde there are infirmities and sins of both sin is intailed to our nature though it proceed froÌ„ the free-will and consent of man yet is it grounded in nature and therfore al the naturall actions of man are branded with sinne In the time of their deliuerie I haue heard it credibly reported and so I may affirme it vpon tradition that nothing so much asswageth their paine and giues them that ease as the cast-away skinne of a Serpent being fitly applied for that purpose I will not dispute of the naturall reason which assuredly consists in the strange antipathie betweene both only I do here blesse God that hath so ordained nature as it might best serue for a supernaturall end when all naturall meanes shall faile and cannot preuent a naturall griefe yet the remembrance and thought of the Serpent which was the first occasion of this griefe should mitigate this paine Here is a kinde of magicall inchauntment to heale wounds by the application of that sword which first gaue the blow like the Israelites in the wildernesse wounded by the Serpent they are likewise cured by the brasen Serpent It serues also as a memoriall of Gods great bountie and goodnesse that if God in this miraculous manner by changing the skinne renewes the age of the Serpent then certainly man in his issue hath some kinde of eternitie for the young childe seemes to renew the age of his parents And the poore mother calling to minde Gods mercie to the Serpent who was the first seducer and greatest offender may well hope for a greater measure of that mercie and in her greatest torments and griefe acknowledging the iust punishment of sin may expect a better state and condition when God shall renew al things change their old habits and restore them to their first perfection Thus are the present miseries of this life seasoned with the assured hope and expectation of a better world to succeed I cannot thus leaue the punishment in the mother but I must likewise trace it in the infant Comming into the world wee come with our heads forwards as it were stumbling into life which vndoubtedly argues our fall for our birth is praecipitium a break-necke as if we were cast headlong downe from some mount Being thus borne wee carrie the image and representation rather of slaine men then of men beginning to liue such effusion of blood such vncleannesse as could not possibly stand with the integritie of our first nature as if wee were borne vnder that law condition that needs we must dye and therefore wee came into the world that indeede we might goe out of the world Many are borne with caules on their faces which betokens their modestie and shame as if Adam should couer his nakednesse with leaues here wee are fast bound vp with swadling-cloutes for wee are captiues and prisoners borne vnder the slauerie and bondage of Egypt and for a time wee can doe nothing but crie to moue pitie and compassion all our rest consists in motion wee sleepe while the cradle is rockt and so in the succeeding course of our liues wee seeme to flatter our sâ—lues with ease and securitie when as indeede all things are in an vprore At length wee begin to open our eyes and to looke about vs and here we wonder and admire all things as being strangers arriued in a new-found world we are apt to place our loue on euery obiect and cannot direct our selues aright there is nothing which seemes pleasant to the sight nor any prety toy but straight we must crie for it it must be ours we must possesse it otherwise the whole house shall not bee able to containe vs no fruite of the garden must be excluded See heere whether that fruite which was gustu suaue visu delectabile would not againe serue to allure man Not long after our hearing and speech will serue vs then wee begin to hearken after old wiues tales and fables wee cannot be content with our food and our raiment but we must heare some stories of Liâ—â—s of Beares and the like old women and nurses forsooth they must relate them Lord what skilfull teachers wee haue gotten as if Adam were againe to be instructed by Eue and that wee should all learne our lesson and take aduice from the Serpent see how this curiositie of knowledge possesseth young children as much as euer it did the first Adam but more immediatly and especially resides in the womankinde whereas a maide should be mute she is not afraid to dispute she should be a cooke for her sexe she would buy a booke for her sects in liew of a mate she must illuminate if once she proues gossip then she proceeds to a Doctorship and she can be no mistresse vnlesse she know mysteries Thus they haue degrees of schooles among them and therefore may lawfully weare their hoods and their habits they are not content to follow their seuerall callings and professions wherein they might serue God since it was God that ordained them not content with our ordinary Catechisme which they in their wisedome call beggerly rudiments or some implicite faith but as if euery part were
1. 11 the same in nature the same in power the same in mercy the same in true loue and affection Iesus the sonne of Dauid Iesus the sonne of Marie who was the propitiation for our sinnes and shall come againe in glorie to iudge both the quicke and the dead Yet sure I am that the time cannot bee long absent for all the signes of his comming doe already appeare when the hangings and furniture are taken downe it is a token that the King and the Court are remoouing nature now beginning to dacay seemes to hasten Christs comming to let passe many strong presumptions of our Diuines concerning the approach of that day these three proofes drawne from naturall reason doe easilie induce mee to beleeue it First looking to the generall decay of this world which argues the approach of this iudgement secondly to the great preparation for fâ—â—e which must then serue for the execution of Gods wrath thirdly the fit occasions seeming to hasten this iudgement c. Most certaine it is that if the world should continue many thousand yeeres and that wee should suppose that nature would decay in such sort as we are able to proue by demonstratiue euidence already she hath done assuredly nature of her selfe thorough her owne weakenesse would come to nothing and the world should not bee able to supplie mens necessities Suppose this one kingdome besides the generall barrennesse which hath befalne vs whereof wee may iustly complaine if we should commit the like waste in our woods as formerly wee haue done in this last forepassed age assuredly we should bee left so destitute of fuell of houses of shipping that within a short time our land would proue almost inhabitable for such things as require a great growth wherein man cannot see the present fruites of his prouidence husbandrie and labour for the most part they are alwaies neglected and it lies not in the power of one age to recouer her selfe thus out of the decay of nature we may almost expect a dissolution as by the signes and symptomes we iudge of a dangerous and desperate disease Thus you may obserue almost a like distance from the creation to the deluge from the deluge to Christ from Christ vnto vs as God ordaines euery thing according to rule order and measure after fifteene generations â—xpired you shall alwaies note in Scripture some great alteration and change Saint Matthew was therefore called from the receite of custome to cast vp this account in the genealogie of Christ as it appeares in his first chapter now at length in Gods name what may wee expect should befall vs Whatsoeuer concernes the kingdome of Shilo consummatum est it is already perfited wee must not looke for any further addition that which remaines it is the sound of the trumpet vt consummetur seculum that the world may be destroyed by fire Secondly fire shall bee the second ouerthrowe this Scripture and reason confirmes now certaine it is that God who hath first instituted nature hath so ordained her as she may best serue to be an instrument to worke his owne ends and purposes to shew a conformitie of the effects with the cause thereby to manifest his owne empire and rule which still he retaines in the creatures as likewise the obedientiall power whereunto the creatures are subiect that so may appeare how absolute and powerfull he is first to appoint the creatures then how gracious and mercifull he is to impart himselfe and to ioyne with the creatures in the same action Thus the waterie constellations did then gouerne and rule when the world was ouerwhelmed with waters now at this time and for a few hundred yeeres yet to continue the fierie constellations shall haue the predominancie and therefore credible it is that within the compasse of this time there shall happen the generall combustion Thirdly the dissolution of this world betokens a generall punishment the iudgement accompaning hath reference to our transgressions as in the first permission of sinne appeares the goodnesse of God who can turne our sinnes to his glorie either for the manifestation of his mercy or iustice so in this great tolerating of sinne appeares Gods patience and long suffering But now our sinnes are come to a full ripenesse now is the haruest and the weedes choake vp the wheate and therefore necessitie seemes to inforce and to hasten the approach of this iudgement that at length there might bee a separation of both though hetherto they haue growne vp together Thus Christs first comming in the flesh was to restore the decaied state of the Iewes for then hee was borne into this world when charitie was growne colde the Priesthood bought and sould for a price the Kings office extinguished the tribe of Iuda neglected the synagogue diuided into sects and schisâ—es and this is in some sort resembled by the barâ—â—â— of the earth for hee came in the winter season and hee was borne at midnight to argue the worlds vniuersall darknesse and ignorance So must it bee for his second comming he hath giuen vs a watch-word that the sonne of man will come at an houre when hee is not expected Luk. 12. vers 40. Now is that time when we doe not expect him we neuer thinke of iudgement of hell of fire of damnation Religion hath taken vp wings and is returned to heauen from whence she descended Men are now growne carelesse in their profession and liue after a sensuall manner like beasts we are now growne to the height and top of all sinne our sinnes our crying sinnes now crie for vengeance and therefore the time of his comming cannot be farre absent hee will take the best opportunitie like a theefe in the night we may then expect him when wee doe least expect him But I will leaue this as being not so pertinent to my purpose and grounded onely vpon coniectures c. Now I haue brought man to his graue and together with man the whole fabricke of nature you would thinke that at length I should discharge him I haue buried him deep enough I confesse for I haue cast the heauens and the earth vpon him and together with man intombed the whole world Yet giue me leaue in the last place to preuent one obiection for some will say that if the fall of man should appeare by the light of nature how should those great Sages and Secretaries of nature the ancient Philosophers be so much mistaken for the Schooles and all our Diuines hold that they were deceiued in the state of man supposing man to be in puris naturalibus without any thought of his fall without any hope of his recouerie I confesse indeede that the ancient Philosophers haue not mentioned the fall of man for they did onely looke to the present course and order of nature as liuing in the middest of Egypt they considered Nilus the depth of the waters the violence of the streame the ebbings and flowings but they regarded not
THE FALL OF MAN OR THE CORRVPTION OF NATVRE PROVED BY THE light of our naturall Reason WHICH BEING THE FIRST GROVND AND OCCASION OF OVR Christian Faith and Religion may likewise serue for the first step and degree of the naturall mans conuersion FIRST PREACHED IN A SERMON since enlarged reduced to the forme of a treatise and dedicated to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie By GODFRFY GOODMAN her Maiesties Chaplaine Bachelor in Diuinitie sometimes a member both of Trinitie Colledge in Cambridge and of Saint Peters Colledge in Westminster Ne laeteris quia cecidi resurgam MICH. 7. 8. AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston and are to be sold by Richard Lee. 1616. TO THE QVEENES MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTIE OVR MOST GRACIOVS Soueraigne Lady and my most honoured Mistris Queene ANNE May it please your most excellent Maiestie THE scope and intent of Christian Religion seemes onely this to raise vp man from the deapth of miserie and sinne to the state of happinesse and saluation from whence he is fallen in effecting whereof the onely powerfull and all-sufficient meanes is Christ crucified God in our nature our nature with God God man reconciled in the person of Christ who was both God and man here is the great propitiatorie sacrifice For particular application whereof there is requisite in euery one Faith which supposing our naturall blindnesse and ignorance takes our selues from our selues placeth vs in God seeing him and beholding him we see no more then he himselfe hath reuealed Hope supposing our naturall distrust and fearefulnes notwithstanding the number and weight of our sinnes yet casts a sure and strong anchor vp into Heauen and there laies holde on Gods promises Charitie supposing mans naturall disobedience and rebellion desires a conformitie of the head to the members and of the members betweene themselues Thus Faith looks to the wisdome and truth of Gods nature stands astonied at the mysteries and takes all the articles of our Creede for her lessons Hope fastens on the mercy and goodnesse of God by the feruencie of Praier and the strong apprehension of the spirit making the Lords Praier her patterne and president Charitie considers the rule of Gods iustice desires to square all our actions according to leuell and lookes to the tables of the Lawe as her obiects Here is the fabricke of the Church Faith laies the foundation Hope buildes vp the walles Charitie giues it a couering for Charitie doth couer a multitude of sinnes but how shall mans naturall weakenesse attaine to these Theologicall vertues As in all great buildings so likewise here there are instruments and tooles appoynted to supplie our defects and these are chiefely and principally Sacraments and whatsoeuer else God hath commanded for his reasonable seruice This is in effect the summe of Christian Religion this is the summe of our ordinarie Catechisme Thus before wee can raise man he must first acknowledge his fall he that shall intend to make any buildings in Gods Church must lay the foundation in mans fall for this is the porch or first entrance which leades vs to Christian Faith and therefore speaking hereof I thought fit to speake to the capacitie of the naturall man herein I shall not need to straine his vnderstanding to impose a yoake of faith when as his owne reason shall reueale it in the substance though not in the circumstance This fall of man appeares in the miseries of man which being truely discouered may teach vs what wee are in our selues The greatnesse of our woe shewes the large extent of our sinne this world which we inhabit is but a vale of miserie the happinesse of this world is onely a painted miserie in this miserie we may acknowledge the great mercy of God who first created vs in happinesse and notwithstanding our sinnes hath still ordained vs to happinesse and in these miseries he hath giuen vs some ease as much as is befitting our present state and condition in sustaining these miseries hee hath inabled vs with patience and the holy comfort of his spirit and euen our greatest miseries hee hath taken vpon himselfe the more to teach him compassion and with his miseries to satisfie for ours Thus not onely the blessings and good gifts of God but likewise our miseries set forth his goodnes And thus as I haue endeuoured to shew the mercy and prouidence of God in generall to whole mankinde especiallie for our soules health and saluation so here making bolde to write vnto your Maiestie I could doe no lesse then take some notice of the temporall blessings wherewith God hath blessed vs aboue other people This blessing especially consists in gouernment whereby we receiue the fruites of peace of plentie of happines and liue securely vnder the protection of our Princes this blessing seemes to bee proper to this nation proper to this present age wherein wee liue for I will not speake how in former times this our Land was distracted with small principalities and gouernements when it should seeme the greatest part lay waste in borders and confines when the strength was diuided within it selfe I will onely beginne with the last age of our forefathers When as the dissention had long continued between the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster it pleased God so to permit that the house of Yorke staining it selfe with his owne blood when a cruell and mercilesse tyrant did murther most innocent and harmelesse Children and thereby vsurped the Crowne this tyrannie being likewise extended to others and a most reuerend Bishop being committed to safe custodie God remembring Ioseph in all his troubles his prison was his castle of defence and his close keeping did serue as a counsell-Chamber for secrecie where this reuerend Prelate together with the greatest lay subiect as it were a representatiue Parliament consisting of Lords Spirituall and Temporall Church and state together conspiring did there contriue the happy means of their deliuerie to bring in Henry of Richmond to suppresse this tyrant And God blessed the successe accordingly that so still the same goodnesse of God might appeare vnto vs which was once manifested to the Israelites vnder the tyrannie of Pharaoh where the poore innocent children were likewise put to death the crie of my afflicted people is come vp vnto my eares Exod. 3. 7. This Henry of Richmond being descended from the house of Lancaster did therein seeme to promise vnto the world all happie successe for men were well perswaded of that familie being all of them most eminent for great vertues and qualities as may appeare Hen. 4. for his behauiour and courtesie the Fifth for his valour and magnanimitie the Sixth for his iustice and pietie Now in the person of this Henry it is strange to obserue the prouidence of God whereas the Cambro-Britaines whom we improperlie call Welsh were the most ancient inhabitants of this Iland being excluded and exiled into the most remote and barren parts and there not suffered quietlie to rest but brought vnder yoake and subiection
feare and trembling must worke out their owne saluation If the righteous shall scarce answere one for a thousand where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare My third ground is this Certaine it is that the heauens were ordained for man and for man alone the whole earth was created Now supposing all other things to be directed for man the state and condition of man according to right reason should farre excell theirs as in worth and dignitie so in true ioy and all manner of contentment nature should be more bountifull and beneficiall to man then to the rest of the creatures As for example in a house consisting of master and seruants if plentie case and contentment can bee found vnder the roofe of that house you will conceiue it in the masters person and not in the seruants otherwise you will suppose a very preposterous order that things are not as they ought to be disposed and that it is some particular grieuance for some particular occasion and thus it befalles man Doe you doubt whether the creatures were ordained onely for mans vse I will not conuince you with reason I could wish that you would forbeare the vse of the creatures doe not commit theft defile not your hands with blood for in truth you haue no right vnto them if they were not appointed for your seruice But for this one time we will acquire you See you not how their skinnes serue for our clothing their caâ—kasses for our foode or inward liuing their strength for our labour some of them for our sports and delights some for necessitie they haue no more strength or knowlâ—dge then is fit for our seruice and vse the horse can make choice of his foode learnes his pace remembers his way and for his strength it serues onely as a dull instrument to be moued by others But God herein deales with other creatures as politike and practising states-men deale with their seruants who desire to be attended by such and of such kinde who are either pages for age or otherwise honest good men who know better how to obserue the condition of seruants then to prie into the secrecies and counsels of their masters Now suppose that the very same miseries both for number and qualitie were alike incident to man and to beast yet mans miserie were to be reputed much greater in regard of his personage his dignitie and condition If you strike or wrong a gentleman the offence is much greater then if it were done to a clowne or a seruant but considering that mans body is much more tender then theirs of a more excellent constitution and therefore more sensible of wrongs assuredly the paine and the torment which he suffers in those miseries is farre greater then theirs A wound in the eye doth much more torment man then in the hand or the foote but most especially considering the pride and haughtinesse of his owne minde hauing a truer feeling and a stronger apprehension of his owne wrongs that when the smart is once past in the skinne or in the flesh yet still the thorne seemes to take deepe hold in the braine And thus man disquiets himselfe with his owne thoughts that he should be thus dealt withall perplexed and tormented like a slaue that it should not bee in his power to preuent the like mischiefe but he must lie open and naked to all dangers he must stand vpon his guard yet like a disarmed and weaponlesse man must wholly commit himselfe to their mercie these very thoughts as they come neerest the heart so are they a farre greater corrasiue then the wounds in the flesh But I will spare my selfe all this labour for I will not speake much of those miseries which are common to both but onely of such as are proper and peculiar to man and therein wee seeme to exceed them by many degrees Thus briefly in effect considering that many miseries are incident to man contrary to the first intent of our creation which was a worke onely of mercie considering the large extent of our miseries which seeme to ouerpoyse all the rest of our blessings contrary to the rule of iustice if punishment doe not first presuppose an offence and contrary to the nature of the Deitie which being nothing but happinesse should therefore impart nothing but happinesse vnlesse our deserts shall otherwise require considering I say how many miseries doe befall man common to other creatures man who is exempted from the ordinary ranke and condition of other creatures considering againe how many punishments are proper and peculiar to man as if nature were more mercifull to other creatures then vnto man notwithstanding the high dignitie and prerogatiue of his state and condition I hope the fall and corruption of man shall hereby sufficiently appeare euen to the blindnes and darknes of our naturall reason without any further reuelation of grace mans own reason shal discouer his fall being no way taught or instructed herein by the light direction of Gods spirit These are the three grounds which seeme rather as seuerall degrees of one and the same foundation which is laid vp and buried in the tombe of our miseries and therefore I pray' pardon me if I be not ouer strict and curious in my method though I speake promiscuously and confound them together for miserie betokens confusion A confused stile and a disturbed method is fittest to discourse of our miserie which cannot consist with the right vse of our reason or vnderstanding In stead of an eloquent phrase or a learned discourse if I shall vse sighes teares sobbes and complaints thereby to moue your compassion this would proue the best lecture of miserie And if I shall lay open your selues to your selues and that my tongue shall serue as a glasse to discouer your miserie in stead of the foote and burthen of my speech at the clause of a sentence I pray' vse this short eiaculation and prayer Iesu fili Dauid miserere nostri According to our miserie extend thy mercie sweete Iesu clothe our nakednesse couer our shame heale our infirmities for thou art our house of defence and our castle In the numbring of our miseries I must here exclude such as are especially and principally related in Scripture for I will reserue my selfe to speake seuerally of them in the third part Now if I shall twice repeate any onething then you must conceiue that it is proper to miserie and to miserable men to spend their whole time in telling and retelling one and the same ill accident For their heart is replenished with sorrow and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh considering that my condition is the same with others and speaking of them I speake of my selfe yet here in deede I am but a bare reporter neither would I bethought to bee a counterfeit the more to moue your pitie and compassion nor doe I desire long to detaine you with vaine and needlesse repetitions May it therefore
whole world if I lose mine owne soule or who shall deliuer me from this body of sin Of whom should I expect comfort and succour but of thee O Lord thou that died'st for my sinnes and rose againe for my iustification Iesu thou sonne of Mary Iesu thou sonne of Dauid Iesu thou sonne of God thou Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon me for thou art my God my Sauiour my Iudge in whom I doe trust thou art my Aduocate with the Father not to pleade my right but in thy pleading to purchase my right for thou art the propitiation for my sinnes If there were any ioy or contentment here in this life the dumbe creatures who onely looke to the present should receiue a farre greater measure and portion then man Who hauing a presaging minde and well considering that sorrowes shall ouertake the greatest mirth extrema gaudij luctus occupat setting before his owne eyes the frailty shortnesse and vncertainty of his life and that in death his honour his wealth and all his delights must forsake him torments himselfe with thought and expectation hereof before the sentence be past or the blow strucken like poore prisoners who are more then halfe dead before the Iudges approch And hitherto hath appeared our torments consisting onely in the foresight the fearfulnesse and preuention of euill now in the present sustaining therof I shall not need to speake of the torture It may seeme to make for natures perfection that a man knowes not how to forget the more hee striues to forget the faster it stickes in the braine the more he desires to blot out it makes the greater impression like the bird which is insnared with the lime-twigges the more it struggles the surer it is held And this truly I doe ascribe to the infinite mercy of God for seeing man is by condition sinfull therefore according to the condition of his nature hee should suruay and view his owne actions both for his repentance and for his amendment And being not able to forget hee might much better conceiue that there is no forgetfulnesse with God and therefore still hee stands accountable he is not discharged nor cannot procure his quietus est out of Gods Exchequer and therefore must alwaies be ready to giue an account of his stewardship From this tenacitie of memorie together with his discoursiue reason proceeds such a sorrow that still he thinkes hee is tortured hee cannot endure to see the place of his torment hee hates the instruments together with their first occasion and his memory serues him much better for sorrow then for any other subiect of what nature soeuer The scholler when he hath forgotten all his lessons together with his play-daies and sports at schoole yet still hee remembers the least correction as the vessell longest retaines an ill sauour so you shall not easily release the mind of sorrow though the torture be past It should seeme that the soule being eternall in her selfe desires to make all things eternall or at least to prolong their continuance and being naturally more enclined vnto sorrow then vnto ioy according to her iust merits and deserts being therein conuinced by the euident proofe of her owne conscience shee laies vp heere for her selfe a treasure of sorrow as willingly vndertaking a state of mortification and penance that seeing and feeling the heauie rod of Gods anger she might safely and securely escape the seething pot of his wrath Thus our daily calamities seeme to haue the nature of serpents whose poyson consists in the fore parts and in the hinder parts they spit out poyson before they can creepe and this appeares by our fearfulnesse and expectation of euill they carrie poyson in their taile and leaue it behind them and this appeares by the strong apprehension of the sorrow past which renewes mans griefe when the griefe is declining In so much that I haue knowne diuers suddenly to faint and to be much perplexed calling to minde those dangers which they haue already safely and securely escaped and this is as proper and peculiar to man as is his reasonable soule From the powers and faculties of mans minde I will come to his passions doe not all these tend to his sorrow Loue is accompanied with ielousies suspitions and hate hope breeds enuie feares and vexations euery delight leaues griefe and remorse behinde it If a tragedie were made of all the seuerall passions of man which indeed are like so many factions or furies in the State all banding and trouping hauing both their fauorites and their opposites assuredly it would proue the most cruell and bloodie tragedie that euer past betweene tyrants especially considering that they are the houshold seruants of man and in a priuat family much more in one person there should bee the most perfect and best Monarchicall gouernment Not to speake how easily man is moued to these passions or how these passions stand in opposition to each other how they doe degenerate betweene themselues looke to the fruites and effects of each passion and you shall easily discerne the torment As for example immoderate loue alwaies begets the greatest neglect and contempt and being once prouoked it turnes to the deadliest hate As out of the most wholesome hearbs you may extract the worst poyson so in loue if the spirits begin once to euaporate and the fire decline by degrees there will follow such a coldnesse such a petrification as that the immoderate loue will turne to immoderate hate And herein I doe acknowledge the wonderfull workes of Gods prouidence for seeing that this totall and excessiue loue with all our heart with all our mind with all our soule is only due vnto God fecisticor nostrum domine propter te inquietum est cor nostrum donec veniat ad te if therfore man shall diuert the course turne the streame of his loue and wholly surrender it vnto the creature then hath God ordained that such loue being vniustly imparted should be iustly recompensed with hate I shall not heere need to insist in the variety of passions take any one of thē seuerally by it selfe Doth not choller exceedingly disquiet man shortens his dayes occasioneth many diseases and sometimes prouokes man to attempt such a rash and headie action as that in the whole course of his life following he shall neuer be able to make any due recompence or satisfaction Take the melancholie man do not his owne thoughts dreames and fantasies exceedingly torment him can he containe his owne imaginations but as if wee had not sufficient outward cause of sorrow he frames monsters to himselfe and these proue fearfull and horrid in so much that his haire stands vpright and a cold sweat possesseth his limbes when no outward danger appeares then he is frighted with his owne thoughts hee sees armies fighting together and thinkes hee is haunted with spirits and then hee cries out for helpe we are
that generally man is very needy and poore though otherwise he is ashamed of his pouerty and seeing that man requires more helpes then the rest of the creatures as clothes for his nakednesse physicke for his health a house for his habitation therefore the wants of men are far greater then the wants of the creatures For I haue often seene and obserued in the streets an ould blinde decrepit man full of sores and inward griefe hungry naked cold comfortlesse harbourlesse without patience to sustaine his griefe without any helpe to releiue him without any counsell to comfort him without feare of Gods iustice without hope of Gods mercy which as at all times so most especially in such distresse should be the sole comfort of a christian man I protest before God that were it not for the hope of my happines and that I did truly beleeue the miseries of this life to be the iust punishments of sinne I should much prefer the condition of dumbe creatures before the state of man For the better sort of men for so the world accounteth them I meane the rich men of this world if borne to great fortunes then they neuer vnderstand their owne happines for contraries are best knowne by their contraries they are right miserable men because they neuer tasted of misery they know not plenty because they know not penury Lands of our owne purchase houses of our owne building are alwayes best pleasing vnto vs what hath descended by inheritance vix ea nostra voco as we know not the paines in the getting so commonly we doe not taste the sweetnesse in the enioying if otherwise from base and meane condition they be raised they shall finde it a great difficulty with the change of their fortunes to change their owne mindes and to forget their first selues they shall hardly learne the art of magnificence And generally in the rich men of this world when I consider the largenes of their meanes how it serues to many of them as fuell to their luxury and riot insomuch that they doe not number halfe their dayes but in the middle course of their age they are tormented with coughes with aches with gouts with dropsies and stones and that which I haue obserued in some of them the greatnesse of their estate entaild and descending vpon them cannot counteruaile some hereditary disease which they likewise receiue from their parents in truth I doe not enuy their estate for I am verily perswaded that there may bee as much contentmēt and happines in the poorest cottage as in the greatest pallace But I will descend more particularly to the states of men only insisting in the more noble professions of men which seeme to be the happy callings here vpon earth and wherein they place their happines I will shew their misery Iudicium incipiat à domo Dei I should first begin with the house of God but I pray' pardon me if I forbeare to speake of the grieuances and complaints of the Cleargy they are many in stead of the ancient priuiledges and liberties of the Church which seeme to be grounded in nature in regard of the high excellencie of their profession and therefore haue bin practised among all nations but principally expressed in the Leuiticall lawe and so translated from the Synagogue to the Church obserued in all ancient times in the Primitiue age It were to be wished that they had but the common libertie of subiects for all others they haue their voyces and suffrages in making their own lawes the husbandmen in the choice of their Knights the Trades-men in the choice of their Burgesses it were to be wished that the Clergy were not wholy excluded being indeed more subiect to penall lawes then any other state in the kingdome Pannormitan saith Laici semper sunt infensi clericis it should seeme that together with the head the members are crucified crucified not alwayes in bloud but with shame and with contempt while souldiers cast lots for our garments the reuenewes of the Church made a prey for the infidell yet I do not doubt of Gods mercy but they shall receiue the full benefit of our labours notwithstanding they hate our persons and despise our profession for so we our selues haue iustly deserued Doe they contemne vs God forbid but wee should more contemne our selues for we preach and professe mortification dust we are and therefore fit to be troden on to sustaine all iniuries and wrongs dust we are and therefore fit to bee scattered with euery winde subiect to the blastes and reproches of euery foule mouth But least our enemies should herein reioyce let them know that it is a part of our duty to despise their despite to neglect their neglect to contemne their contempt And therefore here is our comfort a comfort only proper peculiar to priesthood though we are incompassed with thornes yet we can so winde and twist these thornes as that wee can make them a crowne of thornes wee can extract an oyle of gladnes and ioy out of the middest of affliction and sorrow if thornes tend to our paine yet our glory shall consist in a crowne in a crowne of thornes I will now come to the gentrie which is generally reputed as one of the happie states in the kingdome A strange iudgement hath lately befallen them while they continued in their owne countries kept great houses much hospitalitie attended on with troupes and numbers of seruants their tenants liuing happily vnder their shadow certainly they liued in great honor and plenty But now since they haue so much improued their estates ra'ckt their poore tenants giuen ouer house-keeping and liue retiredlie scarce any of them that liue within the compasse of their owne meanes but euery man outstrips his owne fortunes carrying a saile too great for the burthen of his vessel in so much that forraine nations do iustly wonder at the dissolute gentry of England The trueth is that this retired life of the gentry drawes with it far greater charge and expense then was formerly spent in hospitallity not only because it giues occasion to their dissolute gaming and riot but many houses being kept for the seuerall seasons of the yeere proue very chargeable the furniture belonging to the house neuer so curious and exquisit such cubbords of plate such hangings cushions and needle-worke the apparell so costly and chargeable the diet so delicat as reiecting meate of the shambles and feeding on out-landish fruites spices and wines all their other attempts seasoned with vaine glory and a fond opinion of their owne reputation and honor together with an affectation of titles proue the more chargeable in so much that the fourth part of that charge being spent in home-bread and country prouision would in a far more ample manner suffice And surely it would be more agreeable to our nature for if these outlandish commodities had bin so befitting our bodies certainly God in his wisdome and prouidence would
Notwithstanding that God is euery where yet for feare of annoyance which might redound vnto vs from the creatures wee are admonished to worship God aboue the sphere of the creatures our Church men and Priests as being a whole burnt offering consecrated to God are separated from the secular condition of men And in confessing our sinnes lest there should be some kind of delight in the remembrance of some sinne we are therefore enioyned a silence though otherwise confession seemes to bee necessarie to repentance To conclude the truth of our misery shall speak and discouer it selfe with our cries our grones and complaints and the vanity of al our worldly pleasures herein appeares when wee purpose to bee most merrie and iouiall then must wee lay aside our owne persons and grauity we must alter and change our owne shapes to make our selues capable of pleasures and delights Wee vse masking mumming enterludes Playes some strange and anticke daunces all which I commend as being honest harmelesse and lawfull sports though otherwise it may appeare that vsing these shewes wee haue but the shewe of true ioy and are very miserable and wretched in our selues that are inforced thus to transforme our selues to find out some pleasures Againe suppose that a mans whole life were spent in a continued shewe suppose that man wanted neither foode nor raiment and perswaded himselfe that hee were none of the ordinary sort of men none of the common ranke and condition but some great honourable Peere some grand-child descended from the great Oneale that Princes and Ladies haue died with their modesty for loue of him that all men doe either admire or enuie his vertues that with his wisedome he is able to settle and establish the gouernment of kingdomes I would gladly know what difference there were betweene this counterfeit and a true Peere All honour consists onely in reputation and esteeme and hath little ground-worke in nature the one is as confident of his honour as the other and both alike are perswaded animus cuiusque est quisque it is the mind which according to her owne apprehension giues al the contentment Now where is the difference There is as much I confesse as there is betweene errour and truth but all consists in the imagination and were there not some difficultie in a man thus to perswade and to flatter himselfe it were an excellent kind of delusion Thus truly acknowledging our miseries we are likewise enforced to confesse the rewards of our sinne and the fruits of Gods iustice yet calling to mind the mercies of God which ouerflow all his workes miserationes domini super omnia opera eius in this our wauering and slipperie state being fallen into the depth of sinne wee erect and lift vp a pillar of faith and hope which laying hold and apprehending the mercies of God doth assure our owne soules that there is a better world to succeed where true happinesse and a crowne of glory is reserued for Gods Saints And therefore these worldly pleasures being but shadowes and all our delight consisting onely in the fansie should not withhold vs in the pursuite of that true happinesse Herein I doe magnifie and acknowledge the goodnes and prouidence of God that as man in his condition is rather spirituall then carnall for his minde according to right reason should gouerne his flesh and as the last end of man the happinesse whereunto man is ordained and directed is wholly spirituall as is the knowledge the loue and the vniting with the Godhead so lest man should proue too much a slaue to his sense and his carcasse it hath pleased God still to permit that all mans delights and pleasures should reside in the fansie which is but onely a shadow of our true vnderstanding rather then any earthly ioy or contentment should truly and really possesse vs. And that you might not conceiue that this is my priuate opinion I will therfore in one word take a view what the Gentiles the Iewes and the Christians haue thought of this truth and what effects the meditation here of hath wrought vpon thē You shall then obserue that the consideration of mans present state condition moued the ancient Heathen Philosophers to take whole nature and to set it in a limbecke so to distill it wherein they found by the force of fire the vnresistable power of reason that all nature did either euaporate to a fume or a smoake which indeed is the vanity of the creatures or else did settle downe as the grosse and earthly part in the bottome and this is the misery of the creatures from hence proceeded two seuerall sects of Philosophers of different and contrary dispositions the one laughing at the vanity the other weeping at the miserie and both of them esteemed very wise in their owne generation But when the naturall light of reason is left to it selfe it is but a kinde of darkenesse for nature is partiall to her selfe and out of her owne loue to her selfe cannot wholly condemne herselfe I will therefore come to the Iewes whose eyes were better enlightened with Gods Law though they had but shadowes of mysteries and only types and figures of a true sacrifice yet were they sufficiently instructed how to condemne nature and they proceeded further then the Heathen Philosophers drawing nature to a greater height and making some better extraction and therefore they doe not content themselues with vanities but they acknowledge that there is a vanity of vanities when man doth please himselfe with his owne vanities So likewise there is not only misery vexation but vexation of spirit when man considers that these miseries heere vpon earth are the fore-runners of Gods heauie iudgements to come and therfore Salomon their great wise and potent King concludes I viewed mine owne workes to take some contentment in mine owne actions yet I found none but all was vanity of vanities and vexation of mind I am a Christian man and therein I doe humbly hartily and daily thanke God who of his mercy hath called me to this state of saluation And heere I doe constantly affirme that there is no ioy or comfort to man vnlesse it be to the Christian man whose God appeared in basenesse and misery And therefore for example and imitatton of that miserable God being all parts and members vnder such a mysticall head that there might be a conformity between the head the members ne sit membrum delicatum sub capite spinoso hee desires the like miseries and would willingly and readily imbrace the same passions as being the holy reliques of his God and in the course of his miserie acknowledgeth a diuine prouidence Gods holy hand correction and permission He is well assured that hee is the miserable man who offers wrong and iniustice to his innocent brother who hath iust cause to reioyce if he suffers the greatest misery vndeseruedly and considering that all miseries are tending and ending in death desiring
that is fitted to mans capacity and apprehension but a religion carnall professing a sanctitie of spirit in the vncleannes of the flesh admitting the loosenesse and sensualitie of Turkisme into the strict and austere profession of christianitie and here is pure impure carnalitie But O thou monster of men how many wiues wilt thou abuse in thy lust changing thine owne flesh as if thou wert to change thine owne garments notwithstanding the heate and fury of thy lust yet God may so dispose it that a could and chast bloud which thou supposest to be frozen vp with some Northern blast yet this bloud may succeed thee and possesse thy seat and habitation when thy memory shall be cleane forgotten thy name accursed and thy seed rooted out in the next generation But of all the plagues that euer beâ—ell man I will now come to the greatest a punishment not inflicted on the creatures not consisting in the labour or seruice of man but primarilie incident to the very person of man setting a breach not between the married couple but betweene God and man maledictus homo Gen. 4. vers 11. Man is accursed he is made a runn agate and fugitiue from the face of God and man habitabit in Nod Gen. 4. 16. feareâ—ullnesse shall be his habitation and he shall least appeare in sight here I might speake whatsoeuer hath been spoken concerning the miserable and sinfull condition of man for this is the abridgement and epitomie of all to forsake God is to leaue the fountaine of all good and to make himselfe subiect to all miseries and woe And therefore the righteous Dauid cries vnto God forsake me not in thine anger for whereas the absence or separation of friends might be a meanes to asswage their hate and to reconcile their enmitie onely in God the greatest fruite of his anger is to leaue and forsake man and thereby man is wholly destitute of all possible meanes to re-obtaine his fauour Here now at length I see the reason why all other creatures receiued their approbation from God in the beginning immediatly vpon their creation Et vidit Deus erant omnia valdâ— bona and God saw all things that were and they were very good in their owne kinde and God blessed them c. onely man is excluded and neuer receiued any such approbation for it lay in the power of his free will and election to make himselfe accursed and miserable and therefore the sentence of his approbation was deferred vnto a day of iudgement to come venite benedicti ite maledicti c. The rest of the creatures they may be punisht and accursed indeede but it is onely for mans sake as they are ordained for mans vse while man himselfe is the end of the curse for nothing can be accursed but that which is simply euill and nothing is simply euill but only sin and no creature in nature is capable of sinne but only man so that man of all other creatures is the most accursed only with this difference Cain was accursed but not Adam Adam being the root of mankind did therfore represent the nature Cain being a branch of mankind did limit the curse to a certaine condition of men to the state of the reprobates So that a curse is inâ—ident to the nature though not to the whole nature of man which shall appeare by this one instance Balaam was not able to curse the children of Israel seeing that hee was then in their loynes who was indeed the fountaine of blessing this blessing we must not only tie to the generation of Christ according to the flesh but still wee may claime the inlarging of Gods mercy according to the promise made vnto Abraham in semine tuo benedicentur omnes generationes so that generally God hath proposed vnto man a blessing a curse life or death the one as the fruit of mans sinne the other as the effect of Gods mercy the one he incurr's by his own transgâ—essions the other hee attaines by his bloud and passion who was the attonement and propitiation for our sins Cain bearing the person of all reprobates and being accursed for the bloud of the innocent Abel you might heere expect that I should describe the nature and first causes of reprobation together with the heauy fruits of Gods vengeance how God of himselfe may limit and bound his own mercy to reâ—use or assist him who is now ready to fall and yet like a gratious God remembring himselfe together with the scope and end of our creation desiring to perfect and accomplish that image which hee himselfe hath already begun as hee hath giuen the outward meanes for mans happy conuersion ite praedicate baptizate omnes singulos vniuersos As the price of our redemption is infinit able to satisfie for the infinit sins of infinit worlds so vndoutedly the same God according to the truth of his owne nature will not be wanting in the inward meanes He will not feede vs with shewes and appearance of things that are not but with his preuenting assisting and subsâ—quent graces hee will inable our weaknesse in such things as do necessarily concerne our saluation raising nature to such an height that she may be able to transcend her owne naturall power yet God shall so moue vs as may bee most agreeable to our condition The kingdome of grace doth not ouerthrow our naturall rights and therfore God shal still leaue vnto vs wholâ— sound and entire without violence or coaction the free choice and election of our owne wils so that if in his eternall praesciâ—nce he shall fore-see that man shall refuse to be the vessell and instrument of grace to concurre with him in the action but shall prefer the creature before the creator and so shall continue wilfull and disobedient in the whole course of his life with a finall impenitency heere is the sole cause and first motiue of Gods eternall reprobation which consists of the foresight of our sinnes and of the due intended punishment of Gods iustice The second curse which I will obserue in Cain is the guiltinesse of crying sins for he slew his brother Abell whose bloud cryed vp to heauen for vengeance strange it is that man by nature should not be able to eleuat and lift himselfe aboue nature to do any worke or action belonging to grace not so much as to beleeue any principle of faith which to a beleiuing man seemes to be a point of small difficulty and yet man should easily descend beneath nature to commit sins whereunto his nature is no way inclined such as the light of reason dictamen rationis common honesty equity and conscience vtterly condemnes wee receiue not this learning from the Preacher but nature her selfe hath imprinted and ingrafted it in the hart of man these actions we abhor and detest of our selues and yet these actions we daily practise our selues and therfore hauing once committed them we proue our owne tormentors for as nature takes
cognizance of the sinne so it leaues it not vnpunished omnis qui inuenerit me occîdet me Gen. 4. vers 14. Heere is our feare and notwithstanding that we proue runnagates that we shelter and hide our own lookes yet we carry a worme in our bosomes that accuseth vs and layeth these sinnes to our charge disquiets the thoughts and will not permit the soules rest and hauing thus committed and being thus tormented whereas reason should teach them that the only way to recompence for the sinne were to be sorrowfull and contrite to aske pardon and forgiuenes euen for his sake who died for our sins yet they will rather continue in their own filth and sin against the holy Ghost with a finall impenitency and say with that cursed Cain maâ—us est delictum meum quà m vt possit remitti my sinne is greater then it can be forgiuen And thus wheras before they sinned against the rule of Gods iustice now they begin to sin against the measure of his mercy to dispaire of his mercy as if his mercy were not infinit as well as their sinnes are infinit as if the price of our redemption were not sufficient to recompence for their sinnes though they haue lost all possible meanes wherby they might be saued yet God hath not lost that absolute power wherewith he might saue a penitent sinner This curse of man is so generall that whatsoeuer is or can bee spoken for the misery and punishment of man may well be included within the compasse of this curse peâ—ty Princes may well boast in the number and multiplicity of their dignities and stiles whereas the great Roman Emperour could content himselfe with the bare title of Caesar Augustus Sometimes a plenty breedes want and diuersitie of matter when men seeme to be distracted with multitudes of thoughts imposeth a silence many dishes and much variety of good cheere rather chokes then prouokes the appetite I must therefore limit my speech and setting a side all other fruits of this cuâ—se I will only insist in those two qualities which are proper and peculiar to man his reason which sets him aboue creatures his religion which makes him equall to Angels the one guiding nature the other sanctifying nature mans excellency consisting in both and if in both mans frailtie and corruption shall appeare then needes you must acknowledge the curse and such a curse as cannot descend to the dumbe creatures nor cannot ascend to the Angelicall state and therefore must needes be proper and peculiar to man For reason God hath giuen it man for these two vses first for discourse that men grounded vpon the same principles of reason should concur in iudgement and discerâ—e better see more and search further theâ— for the instant appeares to the outward sight therfore it is a shadow of Gods eternall prouidence and prescience wherwith God creating man made him according to his owne Image but now see the curse that hath befallen our reason quot homines tot sententia so many men so many mindes as if reason were not the same in all but that there were different and distinct rules and grounds of our reason As their are fiue senses according to the fiue seuerall obiects in our sensible nature so our reason forsooth must be infinitly multiplied according to the number of mens braines and the capacity of each vnderstanding our reason serues rather to discouer the diuersitiâ— of our opinions and iudgements then to inforce an vnitie of consent wheras all the rest of the creatures they haue senses alike they see alike feele alike taste alike and for their outward actions they are all carried with one and the same instinct of nature only in men their wayes are inâ—init their iudgements infinit in so much that you might well doubt whether they all consist of the same reasonable soule and for the dumbe creatures if you wil take their whole kinde together with their naturall actions they are much more reasonable more wise and prouident in their owne kinde then is man notwithstanding his reasonable soule You will suppose that I speake only of the promiscuous multitude and of such only whose wit will serue them to stir vp a difference or doubt but whose iudgement is too weake to reconcile the controuersie or you will thinke that I speake only of neighbours and woemen alwayes iarring and dissenting out of their enuie or of friends and kindred alwayes in suites of law in a point of their profit No verily but I will instance in the thrice renowned profession of learning how many sects of Philosophers haue the schooles afforded what infinit variety contrariety of opinions as among the ancients according to the number of elements there were Aristotelians who out of their puritie their light and eminency aboue the rest did seeme to resemble fier which hath now at length consumed the rest then followed the Platonists who like the element of ayre inclose all their light in the clouds or rather indeed do obscure and conceale it then comes the Stoicke who with the stricktnesse of his life seemes like a sea-â—aring man lies vpon boards and feeds vpon water and fish at length vp starts the Epicure who like a glutton runs ouer the face of the whole earth from market to market to make his best prouision to offer vp a fat sacrifice vpon the all-deuouring altar of his belly-god Heere are the foure first elements and from hence proceedes as great a difference in the opinions of men as there is variety in nature in so much that in the ancient monasteries what iars haue past between the Scoâ—ists and Thomists between the Reals and Nominals c. And at this time it is not vnknowne how Petrus Ramus a man of meane knowledge without any ordinary parts either of nature or learning yet through his owne impudency and pride desiring an innouation of all Arts to cast all things in a new mould to build his own fame in the ruins of others hath opposed himself not against any particular opinion but against the whole streame and current of all ancient learning ouerthrowing the grounds principles and rules of that most illustrious thrice renowned Aristotle whom all ages doe reuerence and acknowledge to haue bin natures chiefe secretary or best counseller of estate the father of all humane knowledge and that which is yet more strange this Ramus hath left followers and Disciples behind him who seeme to be like affected to the ancient learning reducing all things euen the very scope foundation of arts to their own fond inuention and barbarous innouation A shame it is that Colledges and ancient foundations should giue harbour to such a wretched brood who as they are first nourished vp in obstinacy and wilfulnes so they will proue to bee fire-brands in the Church who neglecting the fathers and all ancient orders and decency shall with their owne furious and witles conceits set the whole world in combustion
appeare that God in the middest of iudgement remembreth mercy for euen these hilles did serue as a speciall meanes by Gods owne appoyntment to allay the raging of the waters and againe to gather them into one common storehouse where they might bee hedged and kept within their owâ—e boundes The truth of this deluge to the Iewes and the Christians is sufficiently warranted by the diuine testimonie which is beyond all exception Wee are likewise able to trace the continued succession of times the discent of tribes and families from Noah and his Sonnes as likewise the plantation of nations the establishing of kingdomes and gouernments so that nothing is defectiue in this kinde to him that hath made but a small entrance in the studie of Chronologie as likewise the attempts of men soone after the deluge for preuenting the like in-undation as namely the building of Babell c. many things as yet appeare in their lawes and their customes especially places reserued for keeping of their auncient recordes so built as that they might be free from the annoyance of waters For the Gentiles their Philosophers considering that the world was vpheld by opposition and combate of elements and that the elements were not equally matched but doe fight vpon disaduantage for two of them are actiue and two passiue the actiue qualities farre exceeding the passiue in vertue power and operation hereby they did conceiue that there might be an ouerthrow and dissolution in nature either by water or fire which were therefore not improperly called the dreadfull and destroying elements whereby the opinion concerning the generall deluge was made the more credible which deluge was known vnto them by the name of Ogiges or Deucalions floud not but that I acknowledge there was a floud which happened in the time of Ogiges and another in the time of Deucalion but assuredly such things are reported of these two flouds which could not be competent or agreeable but onely to the vniuersall deluge and therefore I suppose that the deluge was called by the name of Ogiges or Deucalions floud because these gaue occasion and did rippe vp and renew the memorie thereof this I conceiue because certaine it is that Noah was called among the Gentiles the first Ogiges speaking of the floud which happened sub prisco Ogige and things which were past remembrance were called Ogigia this deluge is likewise mentioned by diuers most auncient heathen writers as by Berosus Chaldaeus Hieronimus Aegyptius Nicholaus Damascenus Abydenus and others according as both Iosephus and Eusebius doe proue Plato in Timaeo seemes to remember it and Berosus who was the most auncient writer among the heathen beginnes his historie from the floud in these words Ante aquarum cladem famosam qua vniuersus perijt orbis c. beyond which course of time no historie no author no monument is extant and that you may not thinke that this truth was fastened vpon the ancients or that their workes should heerein admit a fauourable construction the Heathen and Pagans at this day in Bresill and other countries of the West-Indies lately discouered in our age where neuer any Christian professors were knowne to teach yet they talke of the drowning of the world which happened in times past and they say that this was left vnto them by tradition time out of minde by the inhabitants of those places But why doe I thus trouble my â—â—lfe with the deluge behold I see a waterie signe in the cloudes containing in it selfe a great varietie of glittering colours as it were resembling the beautie of Nature which by a speciall indulgence of God shall preserue vs from the like in-undation of waters It proceeds I confesse from waterie and naturall causes and was before the deluge but not as a sacramentall signe or the earnest of Gods promise and couenant for th◠〈◊〉 is a ring before it becomes a mariage ring as things which consist in relation first presuppose an entitie in themselues Behold I say here is a bow but here is our comfort an emptie and a naked bow Where is the shaft it is alreadie shot and spent wee shall neuer neede to feare any further danger by this bow for to my sight and to my vnderstanding it is rather bent against heaueÌ„ then against earth I pray' obserue it aright it should seeme that God hath so disposed it that it might serue rather as a memoriall for God to put him in mind of his promise then as a terrour to man to strike vs with feare of Gods vengeance And therefore this bow shall serue as a bridge as a bow-bridge by which I will passe ouer this great in-undation of waters humbly praising and magnifying God that as the old world was ouerwhelmed by waters so God in his mercie hath appointed that there should be a regeneration by waters that the old Adam being washed and cleansed from sinne we might be receiued into the arke of Christs Church through the sanctifying waters of the holy stood of Iordan Hauing spoken of the first ouerthrow of the world by waters I cannot but in a word for similitude of argument though otherwise the iudgements shall bee wrought by different and contrary meanes speake of the second ouerthrow which shall be by fire in a generall combustion Behold then the earnest of this last iudgement when as Sodom and Gomorrha were consumed with fire from heauen that it might serue for euer as a remarkable token or the first beginning of a general combustion which threatens the whole world Vnto this day the place is vnhabitable fire and brimstone hauing left such a strong sent as might well argue the strange ebullition of their vnnaturall lust and as it was a lust which did not intend generation so was it the most vnnaturall act without any president or example of the bruite beasts for none of them are tainted with such vncleannesse And therfore behold their punishment carries a proportion and correspondencie to the offence whereas they should haue intended by an orderly course of nature the preseruation of their seed in the fruites of their loynes the propagation of their kinde and the continuance of their names and memories themselues taking a cleane contrarie course c. the remembrance hereof is most hatefull detestable and abominable to euery chaste and Christian minde Therefore by the iust iudgements of God these Cities were turned by their destruction into a strange lake which vnto this day is knowne by the name of mare mortuum the dead Sea wherein nothing can liue for proofe and certaintie whereof as trauellers at this time can testifie as much so many Gentiles Heathen and forraine writers doe witnesse the same truth as Galen Pausanias Solinus Tacitus and Strabo all of them testifying and shewing the particular wonders thereof But you will say that this iudgement is only proper and priuate to the inhabitants of those parts and that little trust or credit is to bee giuen to trauellers in
infidelitie vpon all fit occasions he is ready to reuolt and dares vndertake nothing for feare of his death which hee holds for his greatest woe Thus I haue proportioned the seuerall punishments of the first sinne to the tenne plagues of Egypt I haue contracted them to the number of tenne though further happily I could haue extended them were it not that I desire to speake al things according to some rule and proportion But now I call to minde the last punishment in Egypt was mors primogeniti the death of their first begotten and this hath likewise some reference to the last punishment of sinne mors primogeniti the death of the soule which is the first begotten in man and Scripture doth intimate as much in effect for this very phrase morte morieris thou shalt dye the death might seeme to include a needlesse repetition or tautologie were there not a first death and a second death and both of them brused brayed and beaten together in this one morter morte morieris thou shalt dye the death Which words â—ound to my eares as if they did intimate the truth of a double death both proposed to man and man himselfe made subiect and liable to both yet the necessitie seemes to be imposed only for one The first iudgment hath relation to the first death thou shalt dye the death if you tell me of the Hebrew phrase and the manner of their speech then I doe much more magnifie God who hath so ordained the tongues and languages of men to expresse such a mysterie If you please to consider the circumstances and â—orerunners of the last and generall iudgement they cannot but greatly astonish man when the world shall now be growne to that old age as that her sight shall begin to faile her or sicke of a dangerous and desperate disease vndoubtedly approching to death her light shall be put out which was the first token and signe of life and therefore was created in the first place when the Sunne and the Moone shall be darkened and in this darknesse as if nature were poysoned with mans sinne not any part thereof shall be able to performe her owne office and dutie but all shall stand in an vprore the heauens with the elements the elements with the heauens and all together confounded Luk. 21. vers 25. Then there shall be signes in the Sunne and in the Moone and in the Starres and vpon the earth trouble among the nations with perplexitie the Sea and the waters shall roare c. These things might seeme strange and terrible to the carnall man but here is the least part of his terrour for when hee shall see the wrath of God hanging ouer his head hell opened beneath him damnation before him his persecuting foes behind him on his right hand the whole number of his sinnes accusing him on the left hand all the creatures witnessing against him within him nothing but feare tormenting himselfe with the sting of his owne conscience without him nothing but torture and the crie of his owne sinnes together with Gods iustice calling for vengeance O what a fearefull thing it is to fall into the hands of the euer liuing God! When as al the plagues of Egypt which certainly were strange and wonderfull yet by the confession of the Egyptians and by the testimonie of Scripture it selfe were onely wrought by the finger of God digitus dei hic est alas what proportion is there betweene the whole hand and the little finger But shall I tell you how to to auoide the hands of this euerliuing God then let vs first fall into the hands of a dead God amor meus crucifixus est Christus meus crucifixus est his blood is shed and therefore he will not require our blood he is weakened and cannot hurt his hands are nailed and cannot strike he is not fit to punish but to commiâ—erate here wee may safely approch without feare and vnder the shadow of his wings we shalâ— finde protection Hebr. 4. vers 15. 16. Wee haue not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne let vs therfore goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercie and finde grace to helpe vs in this time of our necessitie Let vs call to minde what effects the preuision and premeditation of this last and great iudgement hath wrought vpon the dearest Saints of God the righteous Iob can testifie in the 21. Chapter What shall I doe how shall I escape when God shall come vnto iudgement The beloued Disciple though otherwise he had leaned vpon the bosome of Christ yet seeing Christ comming in iudgement he fell downe vnder his feete Apocal. 1. S. Ierome sets vp a stage and makes a liuely representation of this iudgement supposing himselfe alwaies to heare the noyse of the trumpet sounding in his eares Surgite mortui venite ad iudieiuÌ„ Arise ye dead come vnto iudgment S. Basill lets foorth this iudgement in place of a schoole-master to teach vs our selues and our owne wretched condition S. Chrysostome makes it a bridle to keepe vs from sinne within the lists of obedience Cyprian makes it a remembrancer of sinne for our repentance Vaepeccatis meis cum monti dicturus sum c. Woe be vnto my sinnes when I shall say to the mountaines couer me and to the deepe waters hide and conceale me to the earth swallow and ouerwhelme me that I may find some refuge in the day of Gods wrath Whither shall I goe from Gods presence if I flie vp to heauen hee is there if I goe downe into hell he is there also if I take vp the wings of a Doue and flie to the vttermost parts of the earth euen there also shall his power follow me and his iustice pursue mee whither shall I flie from Gods presence I will flie from God to God from the tribunall of his iustice to the seate of his mercie here is my appeale Call to remembrance O Lord thy tender mercie and thy louing kindnesse which haue been euer of old O remember not the sinnes and offences of my youth but according to thy mercie thinke thou vpon me O Lord for thy goodnesse Thus much for the expectation but I dare not proceede to the tortures and torments of hell S. Austine excuseth himselfe in speaking of that subiect and for my selfe I am afraid to thinke of them and therefore I pray' beare with me if I follow S. Austins example I had rather sound foorth the trumpets of Gods mercie then poure downe the viols of his wrath God preuent that in mercie which otherwise in iustice he might and should inflict vpon vs. If I should enter into this subiect I know not ho◠〈…〉 disquiet and perplexe the thoughts and consciencâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—â—nners quorum ego sum maximus of whom I am the chiefest and the greatest sinner But here is my
wee doe not speake of the absolute power of God whereby all things were created of nothing we doe not dispute of the absolute will of God who might haue vsed many infinite meanes and might haue appointed many infinite kindes and infinite degrees of the creatures but of the conformitie which creatures had in the beginning to the following and succeeding course of their nature as for example that the heauens and the earth should first seuerally be created how the confused elements were diuided wherefore was light first ordained and in the fourth day the celestiall bodies appointed and such like Vpon due deliberation and examination hereof I dare confidently auouch that to the iudgement of an heathen man who hath any knowledge of Philosophie there could not possibly be a more orderly and methodicall course obserued in the creation such as might well argue one and the same wisdome power prouidence in the producing or birth which now appeares in the continuance and preseruation of nature then is here recorded by Moses Supposing the necessitie of a creation there can bee but one Creator for all nature is directed to one end the World is circular which best resembleth the figure of one all the streames are reduced to one head all the degrees of things still tend to the highest there being in nature a prioritie posteriority euery gouernment tends and ends in a Monarchie Nature will not indure many Competitors order and decencie requires as much in effect all heate is reduced to one first heate all bodies to one first bodie Philosophie beates vpon this axiome that nature desires to worke with the fewest instruments and therefore euery thing is to bee reduced to the fewest principles in the constitution of any thing she requires but a couple for the effecting of any thing one will suffice to admit of more would rather hinder and distract the worke then any way further or helpe the action Thus to acknowledge one God the workemanship and fabricke of the whole world will testifie as much in effect wherein the footesteps and impression of one and the same God doe most eminently appeare all of them giuing sufficient demonstration of one and the same wisdome and prouidence which appeares alike in all grounding all his workes and all his actions vpon the same principles and rules of his owne wisdome There are not gods of the mountaines and gods of the vallies gods of the Land and gods of the Ocean for the fishes of the sea the birds of the ayre the beasts of the fielde haue alike fashion and forme for their outward feature and a like inward instinct and prouidence for their course and direction which similitude of nature must needes proceede from the same grounds of wisdome the voice and verdict of nature will likewise testifie as much which being to admit some infinite power transcending reason and the course of all creatures will therefore tie it selfe to admit of the least inconuenience rather of one then of a multitude From the generall creation of all things I come vnto man that he was created in a more excellent manner then now he is it shall not here neede any proofe for it was the principall intent and scope of my whole speech I will forbeare to speake of originall grace vntill I come to our sanctifying grace which supplies her want I will passe ouer the degrees of his sinne vntill I come to the steps in his regeneration I will not open the wound vntill I haue already prouided the salue and this I haue reserued for the third branch of of my text Here let vs consider the wisdome of God that hauing giuen an vndoubted token of his mercy in the creation of man imparting himselfe according to the nature of goodnesse calling those things which were not as if they were inlightening their darkenesse â—with the infinite lampe of his owne light it stoode with the same wisdome to appoint a law since his glorie our obedience was the end and scope of our creation for himselfe being the chiefe and greatest good all must be directed to him neither could hee bereaue himselfe of that honour no more then he could alter or change his owne nature and thorough the obseruance of that lawe either to multiplie and increase his owne mercies in a further confirmation of our blisse and happinesse or by the breach of that lawe to giue vs some taste of his iustice yet so that the miserie of our fall might be some further occasion to manifest his goodnesse And to this end some things were adioyned as necessarie and essentiall to our nature whereof God in his mercy and in the constancie of his owne will would neuer bereaue vs some things againe were added onely as gifts and as ornaments without which our nature might subsist and these we holde durante benè placito during his good pleasure and liking that as our sinnes or deserts should require wee might haue them enlarged or diminished or indeede might bee wholly depriued Againe the condition of man is such that being a creature he could not be independent as not in his beginning so not in his continuance for God cannot impart this his owne royal prerogatiue and being a creature made of nothing there still remained in this creature a power to returne vnto nothing being made a reasonable creature and hauing a spirituall soule he had likewise a libertie and freedome in his own choice either to stand or to fall And thus the wisdome of the maker and the state of man did require as much in effect that man might haue a mutable and changeable condition whereas all other creatures which were at first determinated by God as they are only carried by a naturall instinct so in themselues they are of an inferior degree directed for the vse and seruice of others and are therefore wholie vncapable of any further blisse Herein did appeare the rule of Gods mercie lest man in the pride and presumption of his owne heart might obiect against God that he was created indeed but onely created for Gods seruice and therein God might seeme to intend onely his owne honour therefore God hath appointed all other creatures to serue man that so there might be some kinde of recompence or restitution made vnto man while hee himselfe with his continuall prouidence and power intends the protection and preseruation of man and that it might for euer appeare that the seruice of God is more honorable to man then was the first appoyntment of his state and condition for herein consisteth the height of mans happinesse Triall being thus made of mans obedience before I come to the sinne I must first speake of the tentation the nature of man was innocent and incorrupt as being Gods owne immediate workemanship his condition was great his vnderstanding perfect and pure where then shall we finde the first roote seede and occasion of this corruption to make two different gods
man especially being tempted by others laying hold on Gods mercie hee might receiue the full satisfaction for his sinnes by the meanes and passion of another I doe not heere purpose to speake of the creation of Angels their nature their office their blessings their cursings I wil only speake of them so farre forth as they concerne man Supposing then that some of them fell and some of them stood some reprobated and cast into darkenesse some sealed and confirmed in goodnesse most certaine it is that all creatures in generall as they haue what they haue onely from God so are they tied to his seruice and ministerie now in the good Angels God requires not onely the free oblation of themselues but likewise as they are vessels of mercie in themselues so they should be Gods instruments of mercie to others but in the euill Angels as the power of Gods iustice appeares in their reprobation so hee ordaines them to bee the fire-brands of his iustice onely with this difference God stirres vp the good Angels ioynes with them in the action and giues them the high dignitie to bee his fellow-workemen and labourers but in the euill Angels there is sometimes onely a bare permission of God sometimes a power inforcing the execution of iustice but alwaies a prouidence so to limit and bound the actions that it might appeare that the iustice proceeds from God the malignitie from themselues Thus the execution of iustice the torturing of others discouers their owne crueltie their vncompassionate heart their malice their enuie against God and his creatures and these are sinnes which must be punished againe in the instruments and therfore according to the rule of Gods iustice these euill spirits in tormenting others themselues are likewise tormented This diuersitie of Angels some good and some bad the generall consent of the whole world seems to confirme which hath alwaies acknowledged and put a difference betweene bonus genius and malus genius But hearke doe you not heare the Oracles speaking so doubtfully yea sometimes so maliciously as may well argue the truth of a spirit though otherwise the spirit of vntruth falsehood and wrong If your hearing faile you then behold the strange delusions and strong apparitions which from time to time haue been discouered to all nations whereof the naturall Philosopher can assigne no reason and therefore must vndoubtedly flye to causes beyond the precincts of nature If sight and hearing faile yet life cannot subsist without touch neither is there any sense of that certaintie I pray' let vs trie this truth by this touch-stone let vs haue a feeling of other mens miseries some there are which are possessed with diuels others bewitched if any one doubt of this truth let him know that Scripture doth warrant it reason and experience confirmes it how is it possible that the body of man should be heauier then if it did only consist of pure lead can the spirits be so dull the heate so allaied and that onely by the ordinarie course of nature how should the minde presage euil to come without the helpe of some diuining spirit how should they speake languages wherein they were neuer instructed All natiōs in the world can testifie this all the lawes in the world whether amongst Iewes Gentiles or Christians doe witnesse it daily experience confirmes it and for any man to embrace his owne priuate and particular opinion before the generall receiued truth of the whole world it is to play the pure Sectary c. Thus by the meditation of Gods iudgement as likewise by outward and more manifest signes and tokens appeares the truth and certaintie of these euill spirits Now for the tentation I will first lay downe this for a ground-worke that as all bodies are contained within the circumference of one first bodie all the elements adiacent and contiguous together the fire it selfe next and immediatly vnder the spheare of the Moone and therefore this world carries a round figure the forme of a Globe that all things might be better prest and compacted together so it stood with the vnitie and identitie of one the same God that all his creatures should be linckt and tyed together to betoken and point out one workman Thus he himselfe sitting aboue and insfinitly transcending all creatures the holy Angels as they draw neerer and neerer his throne so doe they admit degrees in their order and make one perfect Hierarchie The Angels are knit to this visible world by the mediation of man who consists of spirit and flesh man here conuerseth with the dumbe creatures takes them for his foode vseth them for his labour Now beneath all these creatures as it is credibly supposed in the heart or center of the earth there is the place of Hel where the euill spirits are tormented as in their owne habitation and dwelling God hauing excommunicated thē he appointed a place best befitting their pride most remote and in the furthest distance from himself to teach all the creatures that notwithstanding their naturall right and dignitie yet it lies in his power to cast them downe to deiect them and to make them the basest in degree and condition Here then you see all the creatures knit together now this order appeares not onely in place and precedencie as I may so say but likewise in the mutuall actions receiued from each other In the visible world it sufficiently appeares for al are directed to man now in respect of the Angels as it hath pleased God to appoint the good Angels to bee our guardians and protectors so in his iustice hee permits the euill Angels to bee the tempters and tormenters of man for thus it stoode with the wisdome of God being dishonored by the Angels to make a new triall of mans obedience whom he created in place of the Angels to accomplish the number of his elect to see whether man would grow wise by their fall and for default of mans strength hee purposed to ingage himselfe in the quarell Thus he suffers man to be tempted vntill in his due time hee shall set a wall of separation betweene both by a definitiue sentence or a iudgement past for the setling and establishing of his creatures Here you see a commission graunted and a power giuen vnto Satan to tempt man and that in the time of his innocencie for innocencie is best discouered by the triall of tentation thus Christ was likewise tempted in the wildernesse but Satan had not such an absolute power as was giuen him ouer Iob 1. 12. Loe all that he hath is in thine hand or as it followes in the next chapter verse 6. where his commission is renewed and enlarged and power is giuen him ouer the bodie and person of Iob Loe hee is in thine hand but saue his life Here rather we may admire the wonderfull goodnesse of God that had set such a separation betweene man and the diuell that they could not outwardly conuerse together as being
of Gods graces but iustice is alwaies seasoned with the spice of mercie in so much that in the paines of the damned Gods mercie still appeares for hee could by many degrees increase their tortures and torments as their sinnes and deserts doe iustly deserue and notwithstanding their paine yet still they retaine an entitatiue perfection Now to answere this doubt the father is punished sometimes in his sonnes the shame of the one redounding to the reproch of the other as you see it practised in our lawes where for the fathers offence the whole stock is attainted sometimes the sonnes doe share in the sinnes of their parents as furtherers and abbeâ—tors in his crime being then in his loynes and part of his substance Thus it was with whole mankinde in respect of Adam who was like a politike body and did sustaine the person of vs all and therefore as wee partake of his seede partake of his inheritance so it might well stand with iustice that we should partake in his punishment The punishment being such as hath been the occasion of a farre greater blisse such I say as rather includes a priuation of that originall grace which God first imparted to man then any great inherent malignitie in our nature whereby God intends our destruction and therefore seemes to bee some inferiour degree of our nature that man descending hee might ascend to a higher pitch of his happinesse How this sinne should be conueied to the postâ—ritie of Adam I finde it a very difficult controuersie much questioned by our Diuines and the rather because sin in it selfe is originally and primarily in the soule as being the fountaine of all our actions and therefore the onely subiect capable of sinne Now the Diuines together with the Philosophers agree that the soule is immediatly created of God and therefore being Gods owne worke and nothing but Gods it cannot be tainted with sinne Supposing this for a truth my answere is that sinne ought not to be tyed to the seuerall parts to the soule or to the body separatly but to the parts ioyntly together that is to the whole man and to the whole kinde as wee are the sonnes of Adam and then in his loynes actiuely in committing the sinne so wee are sinners Quid quaeris saith S. Augustine latentem rimam cum habeas apertissimam ianuam per vnum hominem peccatum in hunc mundum intrauit c. Why should we instance in the soule as it is created of God Why should we stand vpon the body as it consists of the elements But take this soule when it becomes the forme of man take this body when it becomes the vessell and instrument of this forme and then both are corrupted actions and qualities ought not to be ascribed to parts but to the compound or subiect Thus whole man is become sinfull the guilt remaines in the whole nature and the fruites of this sinne appeares in the contrarietie and opposition of parts the immoderate desires of the flesh the rebellion of the flesh against the good motions of the spirit serues for an vndoubted euidence to proue the corruption If it might be spoken without offence I would further discusse this one question whether the soule bee created or otherwise doth issue foorth from the soules of our parents an sit ex traduce It is a generall receiued opinion that the soule is immediatly created of God as being a spirit and therefore admitting no feede as being an immortall spirit and therefore free from generation growth nourishment or corruption Saint Augustine alone considering the descent of this originall sinne seemes to doubt of the soules first beginning and originall and therefore shrouding my selfe vnder his protection I may safely say that it is no inconuenience that there should be a generation among the soules of men notwithstanding their spirituall condition Did not God the Father beget his Sonne from all eternitie verbum in intellectu a word in his owne vnderstanding Doth not the holy Spirit proceede from the Father and the Sonne and might not the image of this Trinitie appeare very liuely in the creation of man for Adam God made his body of the earth and for his soule Deus inspirauit c. here was an immediate creation seuerally of both for his naturall temper could not yeeld him a forme as it did to all other creatures producant aquae reptile animae viuentis volatile super terram and againe Producat terra animam viuentem in genere suo reptilia bestias c. Adam thus created and cast into a dead sleep part of hiâ— flesh and why not part of his soule might as wel be taken for the creation of Eueâ— the rather to stirre vp loue and conformitie betweene both that they might be made one soule and one minde as they were made one flesh here God ceased from his labours and therefore wee expect no longer creation Abel being borne partakes of their flesh and why not partakes of their soule for otherwise the sonnes of men should not bee so properly sonnes nor tyed to those naturall duties towards their parents as are the dumbe creatures obliged to theirs Thus that one spirit should beget another it is the highest mysterie of our Christian faith and religion And it makes much for the absolute perfection in the worlds diuersitie for God is a spirit generating his Sonne and creating all creatures the Angels are spirits neither creating nor generating but being once created subsist alone and leaue no posteritie behinde them being all created at once and hauing a state of continuance in themselues the soules of men are created and being subiect to change and alteration in their state may beget other soules according to the condition of man which is to be generatiue in his own kind And thus Christ not onely in regard of his flesh which he borrowes from the first elements and hath his matter common with all the rest of the creatures but more especially and principally in regard of his soule hee is the Sonne of man descended from man to this soule the Deitie was first linckt and vnited and in this soule the hypostaticall vnion still continued notwithstanding his naturall death and the separation of his soule from his flesh this soule did truly locally and really descend into hell and here the prophecie was verified Semen mulieris conteret serpentis caput The Sonne of man hath conquered hell and damnation and lead captiuitie captiue which I could wish might most properly and literally be vnderstood This soule as all other separated soules had in it selfe a naturall desire and inclination to returne to the body which well argues that they are both twinnes and in the time of their separation the soules are still tyed to their naturall duties for Diues after his death could remember his brethren and yet they were not his brethren were it not that they did partake of the soules of their parents for