thy neighbour as thy self ye do well Here the text makes a manifest supposition of fulfilling Gâ—â—â—â— law in this life first it affirmeth this doctrine to be according to scripture next it sheweth how it is to be tried that is by the law in loving our neighbour as our selves and he that can do this there is no doubt but he loveth God above all because without God he could not do this Were Gods law not possible to be fulfilled the supposition should be idle unfit for Gods word and unbeseeming one writing by divine inspiration and then the twelve tribes might justly have returned this caption upon S. James You put upon us that which cannot be done But in this absurditie the Apostle could not be taken because he wrote by divine inspiration and sootheth the thing first by adding to his supposition this commendation Ye do well and secondly by fetching to this head all other parts of Gods law saying afterward For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet fail in one point he is guiltie of all Here therefore is a generall and absolute fulfilling spoken of and here is implied that every one is bound to bring his obedience not to one or most but to every part of Gods law and so no starting hole is left for any one beloved sinne Secondly this supposition of S. James is confirmed by our Lords prayer Thy will be done in earth â—s it is in heaven If the law which is Gods will could not be fulfilled in earth then Christ obtained not what he would we daily pray in vain and Christ hath in vain commanded us to pray Thirdly this is confirmed by the liturgie of our Church in the collect upon the first Sunday after the Epiphanie in these words And grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do and also have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Where we are taught by whose vertue men may fulfill Gods law that is by Jesus Christs grace and power Lastly this is taught by the prayer upon the ten commandments Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this law Where first we are taught to know our own miserie in that we are bound to keep Gods law with the penaltie of everlasting death and yet of our selves we have no power to perform it and therefore we pray God to be mercifull to us Next we pray that he would encline our hearts to keep his law where is shewed that God himself is the first mover and principall actour in this work that we do but run along with him and that of our selves we are so crooked and averse that if he do not encline and bend our hearts as the shipwright boweth his timber by his instruments the strength of his arms and the heat of his fire to make a ship we should never be able to sail to the kingdome of heaven Wherefore if we shall fail to joyn our hands to Gods hand when the principall acting is his the second and inferiour ours when he hath used all his means towards us his threatnings to terrifie us his exhortations to draw us his promises to entice us and propounded the end and reward of the work to be onely ours whereas the greatest merit is Christs if we now be defective and behinde on our part we shall be worthy of many hells To conclude in that we intreat God to enable us to keep his law hence appeareth the laws excellencie and mans benefit in observing it It is Gods image and similitude in which he made man therefore it hath relation to us and we to it it restoreth us to our first perfection and heavens felicitie it is the conformity between God and man it is that which maketh God and us one Therefore to the keeping of this we must strain soul and body we must put all that we can we must not fly to naked imputation where is required our conformation For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Sonne His Sonne hath fulfilled the law and so must we too But here may be objected that they which are in Christ are delivered from the law Rom. 8. 2. For the law of the Spirit of life hath made me free from the law of sinne and of death Therefore we have nothing to do with the law I answer that in this place and in the chapter before by the law is understood concupiscence the law of the members which giveth precepts and motions onely for sinne and not the law of God which giveth precepts against sinne and for holinesse and righteousnesse Again it may be objected that we are not under the law therefore we have not to do with it Rom. 6. 14. Ye are not under the law but under grace It is answered Though we be not under the law to be condemned terrified and forced by it yet we are under the law to Christ that is to be guided by it as the Apostle testifieth of himself 1. Cor. 9. 21. Being not without the law to God but under the law to Christ Therefore if the very just shall transgresse while they are within the law they are bound to make satisfaction by holy penance which is secunda tabula post naufragium Lastly it may be objected that we are dead to the law and therefore we have no more to do with it Rom. 7. 4. Wherefore my brethren ye are also become dead to the law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even unto him that is raised up from the dead that ye should bring forth fruit unto God By the law here is not meant the law simply but the law and the flesh compounded together as appeareth in the sixth verse wherein we stood in bondage to both For the laws letter onely shewed us what we were to do but gave us no power to perform and with this the flesh and the old man went hand in hand for though the law gave us no power to perform yet the flesh gave us power to transgresse and sinne To this the Apostle sheweth that we are dead by the merit of the death of Christs body that we might be married to another that is to Christ in Baptisme by whose Spirit and grace we might be enabled to fulfill that which the law taught and commanded to bring forth fruit unto God and our own salvation And from hence it appeareth still that the law of it self is good and we have need of it though it be not sufficient for us because it is our school-master to shew us our sinnes and to bring us to Christ Gal. 3. 24. Rom. 7. 7. I had not known sinne but by the law Having made an end of confirming my first argument from the scriptures supposition and grant now I proceed to my second argument which is founded upon the efficacie and
inward man This delight is the wills fulnesse often spoken of in the 119 Psalme O how I love thy law it is my meditation all the day long Again Therein is my delight I will observe it with my whole heart Now the whole is the fulnesse of a thing therefore there is an inward fulfilling of Gods will Notwithstanding we must not here rest but proceed to the outward also because the bodie is a part of the whole and so bound by the law to follow its inward principle By this outward fulfilling God is more glorified to the eye of the world and without the outward the inward is not seen wherefore upon every good opportunitie they ought to go both together But here we must take knowledge that the bodie in its own principle is so farre from fulfilling Gods law that it is a contrary law to it and is called of the Apostle the law of the members and the law of sinne and of death I see another law in my members warring against the law of my minde and leading me into captivitie to the law of sinne which is in my members That is to say as S. Augustine expoundeth it captivare conantem endeavouring to leade me into captivitie to the law of sinne in my members How may we be freed from this by another law that is the law of the minde called the law of the Spirit of life Rom. 8. 2. For the law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sinne and of death Then the law of the members cannot hold us in captivitie Here therefore come to be considered of us three laws in Gods word expressed The first is that which is called the law of God and this is the glasse of our lives shewing what we should do and what we should not do The second is called the law of the members and the law of sinne and of death because it labours and endeavours to draw us to sinne and to death And this is concupiscence giving precepts and motions for sinne which in the unregenerate draweth death after it The third is the law of the minde called of S. Paul Rom. 8. 2. the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus And this law is bestowed upon us habitually in baptisme and is nothing else but holy charitie which sanctifieth by the power of the holy Ghost and purifieth the minde before God and is opposite to concupiscence And because this is the strongest law and seated in the minde which is mans form and principle therefore this both freeth from the law of the members and of sinne also fulfilleth the law of God which is mans conformity with him And this is confirmed by that main conclusion Charitas est legis plenitudo Charitie is the fulnesse or fulfilling of the law Which is thus to be understood saith S. Augustine Diffunditur in corde charitas Dei unde fiat legis plenitudo non per vires arbitrii quod est in nobis sed per Spiritum sanctum qui datus est nobis The love of God is diffused in our hearts from whence proceeds the laws fulfilling not by the power of free-will which is in us but by the holy Ghost which is given to us It may be objected that the law of the members or concupiscence is imputed by God to the whole man being it is opposite and rebells against the law of the Spirit I answer that the sinne of the flesh is not imputed to the whole man because the flesh is not yet redeemed in execution according to that of the Apostle Rom. 8. 23. But we also which have the first-fruits of the Spirit that is the law of the Spirit of life in our mindes by which we are sanctified and consecrated to God even we do mourn in our selves waiting for the adoption the redemption of our bodies that is to say the deliverance of our bodies from concupiscence which is thus done saith S. Augustine Liberari à corpore mortis est omni sanato languore concupiscentiae carnis non ad poenam recipere corpus sed ad gloriam non enim à corpore mortis impii liberabuntur unquam quibus in resurrectione eadem corpora ad aeterna tormenta reddentur To be freed from this bodie of death is to heal all the languour or infirmitie of lust in the flesh and not to receive the bodie to pain but glory in the citie of God for the wicked shall never be freed from this bodie of death to whom the same bodies at the resurrection shall be restored to suffer everlasting torments And the reason why God hath not redeemed or delivered our bodies is because God hath ordained that man should not attain his end and perfection without difficultie or at one instant as the angels did but to go to heavens happinesse by much opposition and by many sighs and sorrows as our head hath done before us by many sufferings and that according to the difference of every ones conflict and striving they might be rewarded with the different orders of the glorious angels For which cause all they who have generous mindes according to the dispensation of grace must put on in the way of godlinesse the best that they can knowing with the Apostle that their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. And from hence it will follow that whereas Christians have longer time and more difficulties to go to their end then the angels had therefore their rewards shall be greater and more then theirs though their grace be more and greater then that of Christians Wherefore when they both shall meet there shall be a blessed harmonie and sweet rejoycing in God together And to shew a little further the difference between the angels and mens travell toward the end this shall appeare from mans combate under the three laws warring one against another The law of the members challengeth the law of the minde and spirit and the law of the minde and spirit challengeth the law of the members and the law of God challengeth both saying Thou law of spirit and grace comest too short for mans salvation and thou law of members art out of measure sinfull and therefore killing What shall the distressed conscience now do when so many fists are one upon another in one man beside the unknown stratagems of the devil the multitude of the worlds incursions and the manifold falls into sinne O the fears the cares and the labours Is not here S. Pauls exclamation O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death At last comes in our captain to our comfort and then the Apostle saith I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Then take we heart and say further with the same Then I my self with the minde serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sinne The Saviour of the world strikes in with
nothing but winde in them the one lifteth up in nature the other lifteth up in God But here it may be objected What meaneth the Apostle thus to disable knowledge seeing by it we depart from evil and are informed to good and the prophet Isaiah saith in his 53 chapter vers 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many where knowledge is made the cause of our justification I answer that wheresoever knowledge in holy scripture is taken in a good sense there it is vox complexa as sapientia is by S. Bernard called sapida scientia savourie knowledge for in this knowledge charitie which is the extern form of knowledge is comprehended But here in this text of scripture Knowledge is vox incomplexa standing alone by it self and in opposition to Charitie and therefore here it produceth no good effect but onely pride which is enemie to goodnesse But charitie is the substance of Christianitie and therefore is called of the School Divines grace it self And this in the building of a Christian toward heaven is the master-builder for the more it worketh in us the better and bigger Christians we grow according to that of S. Augustine Charitas inchoata inchoata justitia est charitas provecta provecta justitia est charitas magna magna justitia est charitas perfecta perfecta justitia est Charitie begunne is righteousnesse begunne charitie increased is righteousnesse increased great charitie is great righteousnesse and perfect charitie is perfect righteousnesse And when this is come then there is no difference between God and man it is conformitie between God and man it is as S. Paul saith the fulfilling of the law further then this we cannot go Yea that which is the most comfortable and remarkable point in all Christianitie is the law of the Spirit of life which freeth from the law of sinne and of death and this is the main refuge to the distressed conscience There are in the best two laws ruling in them because the best are compounded of two the flesh and the spirit The law of the flesh is concupiscence which gives precepts onely for the flesh whose end is sinne and death and therefore it is called the law of sinne of death and the law of the spirit is charitie which gives precepts onely for holinesse and righteousnes and this is called the law of life because the end of it is life These two laws are ex diametro opposite one to the other in the regenerate because they be both of force in this life therefore the regenerate are carried both wayes sometimes to sinne and sometimes to holines and vertue But because charitie which is the root of all good desires is the more noble law as being the law of the spirit and is in all evil actions first or last or both opposite to them and never yeeldeth but during the violence of the passion which being over it immediately returneth to his former strength and vertue therefore this freeth from the other so that condemnation is never liable to them in whom this law is found Therefore when the blessed Apostle besought God that the prick in the flesh that is to say concupiscence the law of sinne and death might be removed from him he would not grant it but told him My grace shall be sufficient for thee and this is nothing else but charitie which freeth the compound from sinne and death because as S. Peter saith it covereth the multitude of sinnes it will not suffer them to appeare And the reason why God would not have the law of the flesh and of sinne to be outed from this holy man and from the regenerate was because he would have his grace to conflict with the flesh that after the conflict his grace might be victour For my power saith God is made perfect through weaknesse But there is no greater weaknesse in man then concupiscence the lust of the flesh which being overcome by charities desire Gods grace and power is advanced and perfected And this law of the spirit S. Paul opposeth to the law of the letter which is knowledge when it is separate from the spirit and this killeth as well in the ministerie of the Gospel as in the ministerie of the Law of Moses as S. Augustine teacheth lib. de spiritu litera because the more knowledge we have the greater shall be our condemnation if we want the spirit of charitie to put it in practise Will you know then what charitie is which is thus advanced above knowledge It is the most noble above all vertues as our Apostle teacheth 1. Cor. 13. 13. Now abideth faith hope and charitie but the greatest of these is charitie He saith not shall be as Calvin and Beza offer to evacuate the Apostles comparison commendation but is now Now abideth faith hope and charitie but the greatest of these is charitie This is the lust and desire of the spirit as concupiscence is the lust and desire of the flesh the one sanctifieth and justifieth the other damnifieth and condemneth Gal. 5. 17. As concupiscence is the root of all vices so this is the root of all vertues it is the souls sanctified appetite Every man that hath wit and discretion will make choice of the best and the fairest but charitie is the best of all Gods gifts above faith and hope and knowledge and therefore above all things I wish you to seek and follow that In the twelfth chapter before the Apostle sets down all the better sort of Gods gifts among which he placeth wisdome knowledge faith working of miracles and the rest and then willeth them to make choice of the best But saith he desire you the best gifts and when he had so said then he said further I will yet shew you a more excellent way as if he had said Now I will shew you of a gift that is above all gifts yea better then the best before-named such a gift that without it all other are worth nothing Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels and have not charitie I am as sounding brasse or a tinkling cymball And though I had the gift of prophesie and knew all secrets and all knowledge yea if I had all faith so that I could remove mountains and had not charitie I were nothing And though I feed the poore with all my goods and though I give my bodie that I be burned and have not charitie it profiteth me nothing Now if all be nothing without this then get this and get all But what is the reason why all other graces without this are worth nothing Because without charitie they are as a bodie without a soul. Hadst thou a bodie as well framed as Leanders and Hero's was yet if thou hadst not a spirit to move in it thou shouldest have but a dead bodie worth nothing as S. James teacheth of faith without charitie by the effect
end of Christs suffering for us which I hope no good Christian will extenuate If Christ hath merited that the righteousnesse of the law should be fulfilled in us who are his members then the law is not impossible to be fulfilled of us but Christ hath merited that the righteousnesse of the law should be fulfilled in us therefore the law is not impossible to be fulfilled of us The major is true because it is blasphemie to discredit the efficacie and end of Christs merits The minor is as true by this scripture Rom. 8. 3. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Sonne in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that is to say In sinnes room he condemned sinne If sinne be condemned then it cannot hurt us the fuit is at an end But to what end did God send his Sonne and condemne sinne in the flesh It followeth in the text that the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in us It is not said That the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in himself or for himself onely because he died not for himself nor had need of such a righteousnesse for that he was the lawgiver and had alwayes the laws fulnesse in himself before he wrought any thing but That the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in us And how is that to be done not by faith onely or by bare imputation alone as the ignorant understand it but by our actuall walking in divine precepts and therefore it is said vers 4. Who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit But in our walking though it be after the Spirit the law is oft broken of us by sinnes of commission and sinnes of omission and therefore the laws righteousnesse is not fulfilled of us I answer As it is oft broken of us so it is as often repaired and satisfied and so all is made whole again and so he is in statu quo priús Tremelius upon the text hath Restituitur redintegratur à malo He is restored and made whole from the evil Which in Saint Augustines words is a spotlesse and blamelesse walking in Gods laws For in his book de perfectione justitiae speaking of many places of scripture urged for the perfection of the Saints he saith thus Horum testimoniorum aliqua currentes exhortantur ut perfectè currant aliqua ipsum finem commemorant quò currendo pertendant Ingredi autem sine macula non absurdè etiam ille dicitur non qui jam perfectus est sed qui ad ipsam perfectionem irreprehensibiliter currit carens omnibus criminibus damnabilibus atque ipsa peccata venialia non negligens mundare eleemosynis Some places exhort the runners that they may runne perfectly some mention the end to which they should tend Therefore he may be said without absurditie to enter spotlesse not who is already perfect but he which runnes inculpably to that perfection wanting all deadly sinnes and not forgetting to expiate his veniall sinnes by alms If he riseth not again so oft as he falleth either in number or vertue then he seemeth to be no more a just man Wherefore let every one as soon as he is down presently rise again Our sinnes of commission are repaired and reversed by repentance Ezech. 18. 21 22. But if the wicked will return from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live he shall not die all his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him If it be thus to the wicked shall it not be as much to the godly when they sinne lesse and not with a full consent Our sinnes of omission are salved and supplied by prayer as S. Augustine insinuateth upon this point of giving the law unto us Admonet nos Deus facere quod possumus petere quod non possumus God by giving his law to us admonisheth us to do what we can and to ask that which we cannot do Whereupon it follows that obedience as farre as we can and prayer where we cannot in regard of the frailtie of the flesh maketh Gods law to us possible because in his Gospel he hath promised to give us that which we pray for as we ought to pray in which are included all our sinnes as well of commission as of omission These are the helps which the Gospel affordeth How are we to respect and frequent these two upon which our salvation so much dependeth were it not fit that these two should alwayes lie by us to be ready at every need The old law onely commandeth but giveth no power to perform but the new law not onely giveth precepts but also power and helps by the sacraments to perform because it is written in Christs bloud and so hath Christs spirit and life going together with it Therefore it is called of S. Paul The law of the Spirit of life and of S. James The law of libertie not because it gives men libertie to sinne but because it freeth from the lets and enlargeth mans heart through the spirit to perform it with alacritie and cheerfulnesse according to that of David I will runne the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart And to this belong the counsels of the gospel which go beyond the precepts of the law of which S. Chrysostome speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ commanded nothing impossible insomuch that many go beyond the very commandments And if it be demanded who ever did this he forthwith answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Paul S. Peter even all the quire of saints Lastly as Christs spirit and grace gives such power to go beyond the precepts so it is not incongruent that it should so modifie sinnes in his members to make them veniall and not killing in regard they are not done with a full consent but with a desire of doing the contrary of which the Apostle saith thus Rom. 7. 20. But if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sinne that dwelleth in me A third argument I have from the kindes of fulfilling Gods law which are two the inward and the outward The inward is the fulfilling of the law in desire The outward is the fulfilling of it in the bodies members prompted and put on by the mindes direction and affection The inward is more noble because it is more neare to the minde its originall and fountain and without whose act the bodies members could act nothing yet the outward is the more ample because it breaketh out further The inward fulfilling of necessity must be acknowledged or else we destroy the inward man and frustrate that great work of mans redemption Of this inward fulfilling thus speaketh the Apostle Rom. 7. 22. For I delight in the law of God after the
quantitie it cannot be divided and because it wanteth matter it cannot be corrupted except it be understood of losse of qualitie as of grace and good being contrarie to Gods will Yet they hold that angels are compounded of act and potentialitie of subject and accidents of essence common to all and existence in which is contained their difference in degrees offices and perfections By reason of this composition they are all frail because whatsoever is compounded is subject to dissolution but in God is no composition therefore his essence onely is simple Herein Scholists joyn with antiquitie in affirming their act and potentialitie to be quasi materia forma To return to Gods essence it is wonderfull in two respects First in that it is communicable to three persons upon which the Arians sung in their scoffing anthems against the Catholick Christians Where are these fellows that affirm three to be but one power Secondly in that his essence is so simple without any composition for he doth not consist of matter and form or potentialitie as the creatures do but he is all form or act without matter or mixture for meer matter hath no life in it but onely potentialitie to receive life from its form The creatures have composition in their very forms as appeareth in the soul of man consisting of Intellect and Will In which composition there is this infirmitie that though the Intellect offereth to the Will never so right things yet the Will being of a diverse and domineering power like a queen will do what she list for that election which is the immediate cause of every action is in her jurisdiction This is seen in the saying of Medea Video meliora probóque Deteriora sequor and again in this Sic volo sic jubeo stat pro ratione voluntas And by this composition angels and men fell For whereas they both were made for an end as all other creatures are and to this they were to go by their wills election and by due and proportionable means in which consisted their assurance for consummation and confirmation in it herein they failed Their end was to serve their Maker which they could not but understand in regard they were made in perfect intellect and whereupon they could not desire to be Gods equall and compeer as some have imagined but onely his copartner and like unto him in freedome of will And that this end was by God propounded to them upon their creation in regard they were made in free appetite it appeareth from this interrogation Hebr. 1. 14. Are they not all ministring spirits And this is also confirmed by reason for that there can be no higher end to any creature then to serve the Creatour But to go to this end it was requisite they should have a direction and a mandate from the Creatour because he knew best how he would be served wherefore God set before them his own Sonne who is his Word to follow as their Lord and Captain And to this end it is said in the Psalmes Worship him all ye gods and again Heb. 1. 6. And let all the angels of God worship him Thus the onely true way to the end of Gods service is his Word that is his onely begotten Sonne the second person in the Trinitie by whom also he made the worlds as the Apostle testifieth and therefore he knew best how they were to be governed And this is averred by the testimonie of the Sonne John 14. 6. I am the way and the truth This being propounded as grace from God for their proceeding part of the angels whose ring-leader was the prince of devils whom we call Lucifer considering their own excellencie their own intellect and strength of nature in which they were made by their arrogancie neglected their Makers direction and aid and thought themselves sufficient to do this of themselves and thus of their free-will they made election to serve God not as he would have them but as they themselves listed whereby they fell from God So now they serve him after their own will in tempting and trying his servants among men and in being the instruments of his anger in punishing the rebellious This they do willingly and God suffereth willingly because he knoweth how to turn it to his own glory though it be not to their ease because they forsook him and so their service which if they had been ruled by him should have been a pleasure unto them is now become their punishment by their own choice and upon this they are confirmed in malice and thrown out of heaven according to that in Isaiah applied to the Babylonians also How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer sonne of the morning The other part of the angels whose number is greatest because the best deserve to be most having the generall mean to their end propounded as to the former which is Gods onely begotten Sonne beside this generall grace he propounded to their intellect his speciall grace which was the object of their own frailtie and of his greatnesse to cause them to fear and to take heed what they chose which was to them a motive most available to wisdome according to that in the Psalmes The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome upon this Michael the prince of angels whom all the rest of the wiser sort followed withstanding pride made election of Gods Sonne and his direction saying as it is in the Psalme Quis est sicut Jehova Deus noster Who is like unto the Lord our God from whence he obtained to be called in the Hebrew tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Michael which name is compounded of three words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sic and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strong God which being put together is this Who is such as Almightie God Wherefore him he with his fellows chose to follow and upon this election all they arrived at the happy end of their creation and were confirmed in grace and now daily serve him in pleasure and delight Lastly when Adam was created in whom by propagation were all men the same mean again to their end was propounded by God under his word and command and the type of the tree of life which signified the Sonne of God who is the true life according to the testimonie of the Sonne I am the way the truth and the life upon this tree if they would have fed they had been confirmed in grace for ever But they leaving Gods grace and his order partly by the preventing temptation of the fallen spirit and partly by their own pride chose to go to their end by forsaking his word and breaking of his command in eating of the forbidden tree Thus by forsaking of God they also fell which was their sinne for sinne is the undoing of the compounded substance which before the undoing was held together by Gods grace till the bond was
captive to the law of sinne which is in my members But the law of the Spirit freeth from the law of the flesh Rom. 8. 2. Therefore the Apostle saith further Gal. 5. 23. Against such there is no law And this freeing law of the Spirit is nothing but charitie as S. Augustine saith Id agit gratia ut dilectione impleantur mandata Dei quae timore non poterant To draw to an end Were the law impossible to be kept then all the exhortations and threatnings in Gods word should be idle then all mens labours would wax lazie and then good life which is after the rule would be exiled for that no man would strive against the stream Wherefore great enemies are they to Christians growth and reward in the way of godlinesse which are against this doctrine they are like to the man in the parable who laid up his money in a napkin and at last had it taken from him A surplus argument I have from the unworthinesse of them that are against the argument Origen in his ninth homilie upon Joshua giveth this censure that they are to be compared to women which say that Gods commandments cannot be kept Indeed I grant that it is easier for flesh and bloud to break Gods law then to keep it But when God hath for man ordained it as his highest form promised his blessing and helping hand unto it and set a kingdome and a crown at the end of it they are all base-minded that will not bring their best endeavours to it Hearken to Jehoshaphats good counsel in 2. Chron. 19. 11. Be of good courage and do it and God shall be with the good Hearken we further to Gods encouragement to good Joshua There shall not a man be able to withstand thee all the dayes of thy life as I was with Moses so will I be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee Lastly let us listen to Christs counsell and encouragement for us all Matth. 28. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway unto the end of the world Many examples also have we of those that fulfilled Gods law by scriptures warrant But to shunne tediousnesse I will use onely two couples the first of Enoch and Elias who so walked with God on earth that they are now translated to walk with God in heaven The second is that of Zacharie and his wife Elizabeth of whom it is thus written Luke 1. 6. And they were both just before God walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse If they lived so well then in the time of the law what may we do now in the time of grace when the law of the Spirit reigneth and when the light of the moon is as the light of the sunne and the light of the sunne is seven-fold and like the light of seven dayes Now though I hold this in thesi that Gods law might not be impeached his grace not shortned nor good endeavours hindered yet will I be no patron to any that shall presume and boast of it For my self I will ever put it off to others and give all the praise of my wayes to God onely for pride is the laws break and humilitie is a member of its fulfilling Wherefore when I have done all that I can I will pray with the Publicane God be mercifull to me a sinner Thus in condemning my self I shall be justified by the law it self James 4. 10. Cast down your selves before the Lord and he will lift you up Toward the godly mercie and justice go both together Therefore with the Psalmist will I sing My song shall be of mercie and judgement unto thee O Lord will I sing Again All the paths of the Lord are mercie and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies To which S. Leo exhorteth very well saying Non comprehendi potest quod promittitur nisi custoditum fuerit quod jubetur We cannot attain to that which is promised unlesse we observe that which is commanded But because without the grace and mercy of God this we cannot do he addeth further upon the words of our Saviour BE YE HOLY AS I AM HOLY c. thus Cùm videtur difficile esse quod jubeo ad jubentem recurrite ut unde datur praeceptum praestetur auxilium Seeing it seems difficult which I do command run for aid to the commander that from whence the precept is enjoyned help of accomplishing may be afforded Which he that of nothing made us and by rebellion fallen redeemed us grant through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS Theologia amantis Deum OR A TREATISE OF THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES S. LEO Serm. 1. de Pentecost Etsi nemo de Deo potest explicare quod est nemo audeat affirmare quod non est excusabilius enim est de natura ineffabili non eloqui digna quà m definire contraria TO speak of Gods greatnesse what flesh can but tremble while he is the Transcendent incomprehensible S. Thomas teacheth that we cannot speak of him properly but by a proportion from things created And Dionyfius sheweth in the fourth chapter of his mysticall Theologie that all things are more truely denied then affirmed of him it is understood of mans and not of Gods affirmations The reason is for that no man can rightly speak of that which he never saw and God saith No man shall see me and live Why because he is incomprehensible as Athanasius hath in his Creed For as the sunne being gazed on destroyeth the eye-sight so he that striveth to comprehend his Maker the brightnesse of his Majestie will break his life The Sonne of God saith No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten Sonne which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Then so farre as he speaketh we may speak with him or speak consectaries to his sayings because he being in his Fathers bosome inwardly knoweth him As Jacob when he wrestled with God would not let him go till he had blessed him and as the Philistines could not finde out Samsons riddle till they had plowed with his heifer no more can we finde out the mysteries of God unlesse we plow with his Spirit and wrestle with him by prayer This being done then God will blesse us as he blessed Jacob and then he will shew us his hinder parts as he did unto Moses by created means These he expresseth to us by his divine attributes whereof the foundation is his substance or essence And this Essence God challengeth as his name to be known by for when Moses demanded of God his name he told him it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth essence I am or will be So that to be properly belongs to God from whom all things have their being And this is seconded by these sayings of Gods word Isai.
limmed to the life First he is called by an emphasis that man that is that singular man singled from all other men as having no equall He is that man of sinne quia totus ex peccato He is made of sinne sinnes are his materials Other sinners have some good parts in them though but few but as there is no goodnesse in the father of sinne so there is no more in the sonne of sinne for he is a great masse or mountain of sinne Him doth Irenaeus thus anatomize in his 5. book and 23 chapter Diaboli virtutem suscipiet Antichristus qui veniet ut impius injustus sine lege quasi apostata iniquus homicida quasi latro diabolicam apostasiam in se recapitulans idola seponens ad suadendum quòd ipse sit Deus se autem extollens unum idolum Again in his 24 chapter he hath Omnis nequitia dolus vis apostatica confluit in Antichristum Antichrist shall take up the Devils vertue who shall come as unjust and impious without law like an apostate wrongfull and killing like a thief ingrossing in himself Diabolicall apostasie putting away idols to perswade that he is God and extolling himself the onely Idol All wickednesse deceit and force apostaticall flow together into Antichrist Vers. 3. That sonne of perdition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sonne of destruction In that he is called that sonne of destruction this argueth his relate father for he is sonne and heir to the Devil He was a murderer from the beginning as S. John saith and the same Apostle in Apocalyps the ninth calleth him in Hebrew Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon that is the destroyer Now of this destroyer comes this sonne of perdition And he is so called as Anselm saith because he destroyeth others both with temporall death and with false faith Them that will not yeeld unto him he will destroy with death and them that yeeld to him he will destroy with false faith This of the twain is the greatest destruction because the first is of the bodie which may be repaired but the second is of the soul which cannot be restored Therefore the Psalmist saith It ceaseth for ever And because Antichrist cannot kill the second way but by yeelding therefore our Master Christ bids us not to fear him Fear ye not them which kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell Vers. 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped Hitherto of Antichrists materials now followeth his form whereby he is distinguished from others And this consisteth in these two points that is in his opposition and exaltation From his opposition he takes his name from his exaltation he hath his actus or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for pride is the spirit of sinne In this he outgoeth others and in this he shews himself to be indeed the Antichrist that is the man that is most opposite to Christ. For Christ was the most humble man that ever lived because when he was in the form of God he took upon him the form of man but Antichrist being a base man shall take upon him the form of God in which arrogancie and insolencie he shall outrunne the most insolent that ever were Pharaoh said Who is the Lord but he shall say I am the Lord. Sennacherib said Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Ashur but he shall promise to his followers the joyes of Paradise like a God Alexander he sought the kindred of the gods but Antichrist he shall not respect any God but magnifie himself above all Antiochus the figure of Antichrist he set up the statue of Jupiter in the Temple but Antichrist he shall set himself up in the Temple he shall exalt himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped Here is a full opposition and a full exaltation It is full in the parts and it is full in the main It is full in the parts because he shall exalt himself above all that is called God that is above all titular gods or inferiour gods as Monarchs Kings Judges and Idols In the main he shall exalt himself above the onely true God where it is said or that is worshipped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut numen Against all these he shall proceed not onely like a Thraso by way of bragging and boasting but by way of opposition that is so seeking to set up himself as thereby to throw all other gods down Here is the Dragons throne and power to do two and fourtie moneths And this is further demonstrated by these testimonies of S. Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is Antichrist shall not leade any into idolatrie but he shall be an opposite to God and shall destroy all gods and shall command himself to be worshipped for God and shall be set in the temple of God And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Professing himself to be God above all Antichrists seat Vers. 4. So that he as God doth sit in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God In these words Antichrists seat and end is set down the mark that he shoots at that is to shew himself to be God Because he cannot be God in deed he will be God in shew Therefore he shall be the arch-hypocrite We reade that Satan transformeth himself into an angel of light but Antichrist being more impudent shall transform himself into God And to do this he shall take the most gainsome way for he shall usurp Gods house and there place himself as the proper owner If my counter fail me not he shall erect his throne in the Sanctum Sanctorum the most holy place where the ark of the covenant in the old law stood where were the cherubims and the mercie-seat From hence he shall give oracles and receive the vows and prayers of his seduced crew with the greatest devotion and prostration they can devise Some of the Fathers say that this seat shall be the temple at Jerusalem which Antichrist shall labour to reedifie that there he might keep his court and some that he shall sit in the Churches of Christians and some that he shall usurp both which I deem to be the likeliest Irenaeus saith When Antichrist shall sit in the Temple at Jerusalem then shall the Lord come Hippolytus martyr He shall build the temple at Jerusalem S. Cyril of Jerusalem thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antichrist shall hate idols that he may seat himself over the temple of God he meaneth he shall attempt to make up the dissolved temple of the Jews God forbid that it should be this wherein we are Hilarius A Judaeis susceptus loco sanctificationis insistet Antichrist being received of the Jews shall make the holy place his
7. And lastly it is more congruent and most for Christs honour that whereas Antichrist is Christs personall opposite therefore he should be suppressed by Christs personall presence Again it was a received thing in the primitive Church that Antichrists time and the end of the world shall coincidere fall in one as we reade 1. John 2. 18. Little children it is the last time and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time Thus by Antichrists time ye may know the last time and by the last time ye may know Antichrists time But here seems a difficultie in that S. John maketh the last time to be in his dayes I answer He speaketh this inchoativé to stirre up his children to watchfulnesse because then the last day was coming on and even then there were many Antichrists the forerunners of the main Antichrist that man of sinne Secondly Antichrist cannot be yet come by reason of the circumstances which holy Writ hath fastned to his time For in Antichrists time the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination of desolation shall be set up in place of it as appeareth Dan. 12. 11. and is confirmed by our Saviour Matth. 24. 15. For the abomination cannot be set up till the daily sacrifice be removed So in the figure after Antiochus had taken away the daily sacrifice from the Temple he set up in place of it the statue of Jupiter Olympius And this is further illustrated by the opposition between Christ and Antichrist For he that is Christs opposite cannot endure Christs service before his eyes but at this day neither is the daily sacrifice taken away nor the abomination of desolation set up for that no land of the Christians is yet divasted nor the temples of Papists or Protestants left desolate but the Christian world every where offer up their daily liturgies and the holy Eucharist Papists by themselves and Protestants by themselves without disturbance and therefore as yet that great Antichrist is not come who will take this away and set himself in place of it as S. Paul teacheth so that he doth sit as God in the temple of God which is the abomination and this abomination cannot be erected till Antichrist by his souldiers have made the temples of Christians desolate Therefore Beza translateth illam abominationem vastatricem the abomination making desolate and so our Church-Bible also translateth in Dan. 12. 11. Thirdly I shew this from the description of Antichrist which is this Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped But as yet no man hath done thus Therefore as yet that Antichrist is not come The assumption is proved from particulars of importance The first beast the Romane Cesars have acknowledged and adored the multitude of Gods as Jupiter Mercurie Diana Venus c. The second beast the Turk to this day worshippeth a supreme God as he saith which is neither the Father nor the Sonne nor the holy Ghost and that with great devotion as our own countrey travellers report Lastly the Pope acknowledgeth the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost as is manifest from the Apostles Creed the Nicene and Athanasian to this day used of him and from calling himself Christs vicar which is to say his substitute or vicegerent upon earth and from concluding all his prayers to God the Father per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum by our Lord Jesus Christ and from singing to the holy Trinitie Gloria Patri Filióque Spiritui sancto that is Glorie be to the Father to the Sonne and to the holy Ghost And that the Pope is not to be held for Antichrist I prove from S. Johns descriptions 1. Joh. 2. 22. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is that Christ the same is that Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Sonne But the Pope denieth neither of both as is before declared and therefore he is not to be held for Antichrist A second description of Antichrist is in his fourth chapter of the same epistle in these words Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist From whence I thus reason Whosoever is not of Antichrists spirit cannot be Antichrist but the Pope is not of Antichrists spirit therefore he cannot be Antichrist The assumption is proved thus Antichrists spirit will not confesse that Christ is come in the flesh But the Pope confesseth that Christ is come in the flesh that he was born of the virgin Marie suffered death under Pontius Pilate for the sinnes of the world Therefore so long as the Pope holdeth this minde he cannot possibly be the Antichrist But Doctor Whitakers to crosse these two manifest demonstrations of Gods word affirmeth that though the Pope denieth not Christ to be come in the flesh verbo tenus and in the first yet that he denieth him in the second that is by consequent First saith he he denieth him to be the onely King Priest and Prophet of his Church and next in subjoyning to Christs merits and passion other subordinate means as the use of Sacraments penitentiall sorrow forgiving of injuries giving of almes the abundance of charitie and all the kindes of good works From whence it follows as Doctor Whitakers thinketh that where so many concurrent means are joyned to Christs death and merits there Christs coming and suffering in the flesh is in a manner or by consequence denied and diminished I reply that if we should understand Antichrists denying of Christ by such consequents and comments of our own brain then Luther should be the Antichrist who in his comment upon the epistle to the Galatians calleth Christ a sinner yea the greatest of all sinners by which blasphemie though Christs coming in the flesh is not absolutely denied yet his meriting in the flesh is absolutely denied by the former way of consequence because a sinner can make no satisfaction nor merit any thing Again by such sequence Calvine should be the Antichrist who absolutely denieth the sufficiencie of Christs bodily death and suffering for us thus writing Nihil actum erat si corporeâ tantùm morte defunctus fuisset Nothing had been done if Christ had died onely a bodily death Again Eam mortem pertulit quae sceleratis ab irato Deo infligitur He bore that death which is inflicted by the angrie God upon wicked men But if Christ were dead in soul and suffered hell-torments such as a damned man should do which are deprivation of grace and eternall torments then he could not have redeemed us as the worthy Doctor Bilson observeth upon this because he which is dead in soul can deserve nothing Yet God forbid I should put the term of Antichrist upon these my brethren because they opposed not Christ directé but indirectè obliqué