The flowers of Lodowicke of Granado. The first part. In which is handled the conuersion of a sinner. Translated out of Latine into English, by T.L. doctor of phisicke

The Argument.

No man ought to abuse Gods mercie, nor vnder the hope thereof, perse∣uer in sinne, for if the same mer∣cie doe so patiently suffer so many Insidells in this worlde, and euill Christians in the Church, it will also suffer those that sinne ••o bee damned.

CHAP. 19. (Book 19)

AND if thou say that the mercy of God is great, and that it comforteth thee so much, that perseuering in thy peruerse and wicked lyfe, thou trustest, that thou shalt be ••aued; I pray thee what sin may be more haynous? Thou sayst that the mercie of God is immeasurable, for he would lyke an offender, be cru∣cified for sinners; I confesse it ve∣••••ly to be great, for it suffereth thee to breake out into this cursed blas∣phemie; such as is this, that thou wilt that his bounty should fauour

thy iniquity, thou shouldst take his crosse, which hee apprehended, as a meane that the kingdome of sinne might be destroyed, thou takest it as a meane, whereby sinne may be protected and defended: and where thou owest him a thousand e liues, if thou hadst so many, because hee sacrificed vp his life for thee: there catchest thou an occasion also to deny him that life which thou hast, nay rather, that which thou recea∣uedst from him. Our Sauiour more greeueth at this, then the death it selfe which he suffered for thee: for hee that lamenteth not in his death, complaineth greeuously of thy sins by the Prophet, saying: Vpon my backe haue sinners built,* 1.1 they haue prolonged their iniquity. Tell me (I pray thee) who taught thee so to argue, that by reason that God is good, thou shouldst conclude that it is lawfull for thee to follow sinne and iniquity▪ The holy ghost see∣meth to con••lude after another ma∣ner; nam••ly▪ that by re••••on that God is good, hee gather••••h him to be worthy to b•• honoured oba••ed, and lou••d aboue ••ll ••hing••. And be∣cause

God is good, it is reason al∣so that man should be goode, and hope in him: who when hee is a most grieuous sinner, is ready to re∣ceiue him into grace, if with all his hart he conuert himselfe vnto him. Because God is good, and so good, truly it is a double sinne to offende so great a goodnes. Therefore by how much the more thou amplifiest the goodnes of God, by so much the more doost thou make hainous thy sinne which thou committest against him. Nowe is it requisite, that so greeuous a sinne should bee punished: for such is the nature and office of the diuine iustice (which as thou thinkest is not opposite, but a sister and reuenger of the Diuine bounty) that it cannot leaue so en∣ormous an iniury vnpunished.

P••rseuering therfore in thy sinne, thinke not that thou hast any inte∣rest in the mercy of God but rather that his iustice attendeth thee, & in∣numerable others. Heare I pray you what the diuine mercy winketh at, and suffereth. Thou canst not deny me, that of a hundred parts of thys worlde, there is but one of them

christian, and of ninety nine others, there is not one of them to bee sa∣ued. For it is without all question, that euen as without the Arke of Noe in the time of the D••luge, no man was saued, neyther out of the house of Rahab in the Citty of Ie∣richo; so no man can be saued that is founde out of the house of God, which is his church.

But beholde that part which is made famous by the name of the christians, and see in what estate the Christian affaires doe stande in thys most corrupt world, and thou wilt confesse, that in this misticall body, that from the sole of the foote, vnto the crowne of y^e head, there is scarc∣ly any member to be found, that is sound. Choose any one that best li∣keth thee, of those famous citties, in which the steps of pure & sincere re∣ligion and doctrine are yet extant; Run afterward thorow all the lesser citties, villages, and castles, in which there is scarce any memor•• of reli∣gion left, and thou shalt finde the people, of whom that of Ieremy may truly bee affirmed: Walke a∣bout the wayes of Ierusalem, and

behold and consider, and seeke tho∣rowe the streetes thereof, whether you finde a man dooing iudgment, and seeking fayth, that is, a truly iust man, and I will bee mercifull vnto him. Walke likewise not onely the Tauerns and publique places, for they for the most part, are dedica∣ted to lyes, trifles, and deceits, looke into the houses of thy neighbours, (as Ieremie did) & thou shalt know that there is no man that speaketh good,* 1.2 neyther shalt thou heare ought else but murmures, lyes, cur∣sings, othes, & blasphemies. There is no man that repenteth himselfe of his sinne, saying: What haue I done?

To conclude, thou shalt in effect finde, that the harts and tongues of men, are imployed in no other thinges, then earthly and priuate commodities, neyther shalt thou heare GOD any otherwise named, but in othes and blasphemies, in which they abuse gods name; which memory of his name, God cōplay∣neth of by the same prophet, saying, They remember me, but not as they ought, swering vntruly by my name.

So that by the exterior signes, it is scarely knowne, whether this peo∣ple be Christian, or gentile: except it be after the maner that we know bells▪ which are seene a farre of, but are knowne by their sounde: So mayst thou knowe them by theyr othes and blasphemies, which are meerely heard; the rest can neyther be knowne nor iudged.

But (I pray you) howe may such be numbred amongst the rancke of those of whō Esay speaketh; Who∣soeuer shall see them, shall knowe them, because these are the seede which God blessed. And if the lyfe of Christians ought to bee such, that they that behold them a far, shoulde iudge them to be the sonns of God, in what place ought they to be rec∣koned, who rather seeme to bee scoffers, deprauers, deceauers, and contemners of God, then true chri∣stians?

All these things are more amply discoursed by mee, that thou mayst vnderstand that if (notwithstanding the mercy of God which thou pre∣tende••t) GOD permitteth so many infidells▪ and so many euill Christi∣ans

to be in his Church, and so ma∣ny of the infidels and euill Christi∣ans to perrish, that hee permitteth not thee also to perrish with them, whose lyfe thou doost imitate. Dyd the heauens perhaps reioyce vppon thy byrth, or doe the iudgements of God, and the lawes of the gospel then cease, that the worlde may be one to thee, and other to another man? If therefore notwithstanding mercy, hell ••e so dilated, & so ma∣ny thousand soules are daily swal∣lowed vp by the same, shal thy soule onely be excluded therfrom, if thou perseuer in thy sinnes?

What if wee referre hether also those terrible examples of diuine iu∣stice, which are found in Scripture: namely, the fall of Angels, the ruine of Adam, and those thinges which succeeded the same to wit, payne and misery? If we induce the whole earth drowned by the deluge, those fiue Citties consumed by fire and brimstone, Dathan & Abiron, swal∣lowed vp by the earth aliue? If Na∣dab and Abihu, and out of the new Testament, wee adde the suddaine death of Ananias and Saphira, to the

precedent, what wilt thou thinke? what wilt thou say? what canst thou expect from the diuine mercy, per∣seuering in thy sin? But least thou shouldst say, that God was seuere & cruell in times past, but now merci∣ful and peaceable, consider that with this affability & clemency also, hee suffereth al y^t which thou hast heard, neither shalt thou bee exempted or free from these, but that thy punish∣ment also shall attende thee, albeit thou art called a Christian, if so be thou art found a sinner. Shall God therfore loose his glory, because hee condemneth thee? Hast thou I pray thee, any thing singuler in thee, for which cause God should forbeare thee aboue any others, with all thy good & euil manners? or hast thou som immunity which others haue not, by reason of which hee should not condemne thee with the rest, if thou be no lesse euil then they are? Consider (I pray thee) the sonnes of Dauid, to them, for the many & sin∣guler vertues of their Father, many priuiledges were promised, yet ne∣uerthelesse, God woulde not leaue their sinnes vnpunished: for which

cause, some of thē, had an euil end. Where is therefore thy vaine hope? why doost thou vainly trust, consi∣dering their ouer-throwe, that thou pertaking theyr sinnes, shalt not be damned? Thou art deceiued my brother, thou art deceiued, if thou thinkest that is to hope in GOD. This is not hope, but presumption. For it is hope to trust, that God will forgiue all thy sinnes, and receaue thee into fauour, if thou art peni∣tent, and forsake thy euill wayes, al∣though thou art wicked and abho∣minable: but it is presumption that thou shalt be saued and blessed, in perseuerance of thy sinnes. Thinke thou that it is no small fault, for it is numbred amongst those, that are committed against the holy ghost. For hee that presumeth after thys manner, staineth the diuine bounty with no small iniury and ignominy, which in especiall are attributed to the holy Spirit. But these sinnes, (as witnesseth our Sauiour) are neyther forgiuen in thys world, nor in the world to come.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 111.
• * 1.2

  Chap. 2.