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BVt leauing the bookes of the holy Bible a little, let vs goe out and view this visible world: for in it we shall finde great ar∣guments of the Diuine iustice. I assuredly affirme vnto thee,
that they that haue their minds illuminated, but with the least beame of the Diuine light & knowledge, doe liue in this world in great feare, and exceedingly doe dread the works of the Di∣uine iudgements: because seeking an issue and passage out of them, and how to be freed from them, they finde none other, but onely a simple & humble confession of the fayth, they haue in Christ.* 1.1 Who doth not tremble to see the vniuersall face of the earth couered with infidelity? to see how fruitfull the har∣uest of the deuils is, that fill the lakes of hell with the wretched soules of men? to see the greater part of the world, (yea, after the redemption of mankind) drowned in the former darknes? How small I pray thee is the region of the Christians, if it be compared with the Kingdomes and Empires of the Infidels? It is but a small corner of the world, if thou exceptest the new and late discouered regions of India, which are daily more and more discouered, and doe come to the fayth. All besides, the deuils doe oppresse with their tiranny, and they mourne vnder the powerfull and tirannicall empire and dominion of the King of darknes: where neyther the Sunne of righteousnes shineth, where the light of truth riseth not, where neyther the water ray∣neth, nor the dew of the Diuine grace descendeth, as neyther in the mountaynes of Gelboe,* 1.2 where the deuils make such hauock of soules, which they gather & cast into eternal & inextinguible fire. For it is without all controuersie, that as without the Arke of Noah, in the time of the deluge none was saued, nor any in the Citty of Iericho without the house of Rahab; so none shall be saued, that is found without the house of GOD, which is his Church.
But looke vpon that part, which Christians inhabit, & looke vpon the doings and affaires of Christians, how they are orde∣red and managed in this most corrupt and deprauate age of the world, and thou shalt confesse that in this misticall body, from the sole of the foote to the top of the head, there is scarce any one sound member to be found. Looke into which so euer you please of the most famous Citties of the world, in which at the least there is any footsteps of learning and doctrine yet extant: afterwards runne through the lesser Townes, Villages Streets, and Castels, and thou shalt finde those people, of whom that of
Ieremie may be rightly and truly affirmed:* 1.3 Runne to and fro by the streetes of Ierusalem, and behold now, and know, and enquire in the open places thereof, if yee can finde a man, or if there be any that executeth iudgement, and seeketh the truth: that is, that is righte∣ous in deede, and I will spare it. Furthermore, I say not runne thorow ware-houses, shops, tauerns, & publique places of mee∣tings, (for those places are for the most part dedicated to try∣flings, toyes, lyings, and deceits) but also the houses of neigh∣bours, attend and harken,* 1.4 as Ieremie, and thou shalt vnderstand that there is no body, that speaketh that that is good, neyther shalt thou heare any thing besides murmurings, lyes, cursings, oathes, and blasphemies: heere strifes and contentions doe re∣sound, there threatnings and flaunderous reproches are heard:* 1.5 No man repenteth him of his wickednes saying: What haue I done? To be briefe, in very deede thou shalt see and vnderstand, that the harts & tongues of men are busied about no other matters, but their earthly & owne commodities, neither shalt thou heare GOD to be named after any other manner, but in oathes and execrable cursings, whereby his name is blasphemed: which re∣membrance of his name the Lord complaineth of in the same Prophet, saying; They remembre mee, but not as they ought, swea∣ring falsely by my Name. So that by the exteriour markes, a man can scarcely knowe whether the people be Christian or Hea∣then: vnlesse by that manner that we know bells, which are seene a farre of, but are knowen by the sound: so thou mayest know them by theyr oathes and blasphemies, which are heard when thou art neere thē; otherwise they could not be knowen or discerned what they are. But I pray thee howe can these be numbred with those,* 1.6 of whom Esay speaketh; All that see thē shall know them, that they are the seede which the Lord hath blessed. But if the life of Ghristians ought to be such, that they that see them a farre of, may discerne and iudge them to be the sonnes of GOD; what account are they to be made of, who rather seeme scoffers, mockers, and despisers of Christ, then true Chri∣stians?
Wherefore, seeing that the sinnes & enormities of the world are so many and so great, how can it be that thou manifestlie doost not see & acknowledge the effects of the Diuine iustice?
For as no man can denie, but that it is a great blessing of GOD to preserue a man from sinne, so it is a great punishment, and a notable token of wrath, when God permitteth, that a man fal∣leth into sinne.* 1.7 So we reade in the second booke of the Kings, that the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israell, & there∣fore he moued or permitted Dauid to fall into the sin of pride, when he commaunded Israell to be numbred.* 1.8 In Ecclesiasticus also, when as many sinnes had been remembred, he addeth; A mercifull man shall be deliuered from them all, and he shall not wallow in them. For euen as one the one part the increase of vertue is a reward of vertue; so not sildome it is a punishment of sin, that God punisheth sinne with sinne, or that God suffereth other sinnes to be done and committed. So we see that that great pu∣nishment was no other, which was inflicted for the greatest wickednes in the world (that is, for the death of our Sauiour,) then that which the Prophet denounceth against the workers of it,* 1.9 saying: Lay iniquitie vpon theyr iniquitie, and let not them come into thy righteousnes: that is, to the keeping of thy cōmaun∣dements. And what followeth? The same Prophet straight∣wayes after telleth, and expoundeth himselfe; Let them be put, saith he, out of the booke of life, neither let them be written with the righteous.
If therefore the punishment be so great, and the tokens of Gods wrath so notorious, that he punisheth sinnes with sinnes, how is it that thou seest not so great arguments of the Diuine iustice amongst so many kinde of sinnes, with which this world now in this age doth flow and swell? If so it pleaseth thee, cast thine eyes about after the manner of them who are in the midst of the maine Ocea, to whom nothing is seene but the sea and heauen, as the Poet sayth, and scarcely thou shalt see any other thing besides sinnes: and thou seeing so many sinnes, wilt thou not see the Diuine iustice? Doost thou not see water, beeing in the midst of the Sea? Yes certainly. And if all the worlde be a Sea of sinnes, what els shall it be but a sea of the Diuine iustice? It is not needfull that I should descend into hell, and there see, how the Diuine iustice rageth: it suffiseth that I onely behold it in thys world. But if thou wilt be blinde and see nothing that is without thee, at least looke into thy selfe: For if thou beest
endangered with sinne, thou art within the reach of the Diuine iustice: and as long as thou liuest secure vnder it, so long art thou endangered, and so much the more perrillous is thy dan∣ger, by how much longer thou hast beene endangered with it. So Saint Augustine liued some-times in this most wretched e∣state, as he testifieth of himselfe,* 1.10 saying: I was drowned in the Sea of my sinnes, and thy wrath had preuailed against me, and I knewe not. I was made deafe with the noyse of the chaines of my mortality, and of thy wrath, and the ignorance of my fault was the punishment of my pride. Wherefore, if God punish thee with this kind of punishment, permitting thee to lie drow∣ned in the deepe sea of sinnes, and so to blindfolde thee in the midst of thine iniquities, what doost thou speake of a thing so contrary to thy selfe? Let him speake and make his boast of the mercy of God, who is worthy of mercy: and let him that is pu∣nished with the iustice of the Lord, speake of iustice. Doth the mercy of God so patiently permit thee to liue in thy sinnes, and will it not permit thee, that at length thou fall into hell? O that thou wouldest be wise, and know how short the way is, that lea∣deth from the fault to the punishment, and from grace to glo∣rie. What great thing is it for a man in the state of grace to as∣cend into heauen: and what maruell is it, if a sinner descend in∣to hell? Grace is the beginning of glory, and sin of hell; & hell is the reward of it.
Furthermore, what is more horrible & fearfull, then when as the paines of hell are so intollerable, as before we haue sayde, yet neuerthelesse, God permitteth the number of the damned to be so great, and the number of the elect so few? How small the number of these is, (least thou shouldest suppose that it is a deuise of mine owne) hee himselfe telleth vs, who numbereth the multitude of the starres,* 1.11 and calleth them all by their names. Who trembleth and quaketh not at those words, which are knowen to all, but eyther ill vnderstood, or sildome called to remembrance? For when as certaine had asked Christ, & said; Lord,* 1.12 are there but fewe that shall be saued? he aunswered; Enter in at the straite gate: for it is the wide gate and broade way that lea∣deth to destruction:* 1.13 & many there be which goe in thereat. Because the gate is strait and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life, few there
be that finde it. Who would haue vnderstood this in these words, that our Sauiour vnderstood, if simply he had spoken it, & not with an exclamation and an emphasis; O how strait is the gate and narrow the way? The whole world perished in the waters of the deluge, onely eyght persons were saued: which, as Saint Peter testifieth in his Canonicall Epistle,* 1.14 was a signe, by vvhich is signified how small the number is, that is saued, if they be cō∣pared with the number of those that are damned. Sixe hundred thousand men the Lord brought out of Egipt into the wilder∣dernes, that he might bring them into the promised Land, be∣sides women and chyldren, who were not numbred; & in thys iourney they were many thousand wayes helped of the Lord, notwithstanding, by their sinnes they lost thys Land, which the Lord of his grace and fauour had promised them; and so of so many hundred thousand men, onely two entred into that pro∣mised Land. Which almost all the Doctors doe thus interpret, that by it the multitude of the damned is insinuated, and the paucity of those that are to be saued, that is, That many are cal∣led, and few chosen.
For this cause, not sildome in the sacred Scripture the righ∣teous are called Iemmes or precious stones, that thereby might be signified, that theyr rarenes is as great in the world, as preci∣ous stones be; and by as great a quantitie as other stones exceed precious stones, by as great the number of the wicked excee∣deth the number of the righteous: which Salomon closely in∣sinuateth, when he sayth:* 1.15 That the number of fooles is infinite. Tell me then, if the number of the righteous be so small, vvhich both the figure & the truth testifie to be true; when thou seest by the iust iudgement of GOD, that so many are depriued of that felicity, to which they were created, why doost thou not feare that common danger, and that vniuersall deluge? If the number were alike, yet there were great cause of feare. Why do I say alike? Yea such & so great are the euerlasting torments of hell, that if onely one man of all man-kind were to be bani∣shed thether, yet we all should tremble and feare. When our Sauiour did eate his last Supper with his Disciples, and sayd; One of you shall betray me;* 1.16 they were all exceeding sorrowful, & began to feare, although theyr conscience witnessed their inno∣cencie.
For when as an imminent mischiefe is grieuous & hea∣uie, although there be but few to whom it is threatned, yet all and euery one feareth, least it should happen to him. If there were a great Army of men in a fielde,* 1.17 and it should bee reuea∣led from heauen to them all, that a little after an Arrow should fall from heauen, and should kill one of them, neyther was it known, whom it should be, there is no doubt, but that euery one would feare himselfe least it should fal vpon him. But what would they do, if the greater part of them should be in danger and ieopardy? How much greater would thys feare be? Tell me ô man, thou that art so cunning in fleshly wisedome, and so vnskilfull in the busines of thy saluation, did God euer reueale vnto thee that there should be so many, whom the thunder or sword of the Diuine iustice should smite? If thou knowest not this, certainly I much lesse beleeue that thou knowest how ma∣ny, and which ••e they that shall escape that plague, & on which side thou shalt stand, and yet doost thou not feare? Or doth hell seeme more tollerable vnto thee then the wound of an arrow? Or hath God secured thee? or hast thou letters of thy securitie? or is an infallible charter of thy saluation graunted vnto thee? or a priuiledge of immunity and freedom? Hetherto there is no∣thing that promiseth any such like thing vnto thee, moreouer, thy works condemne thee, and according to the present iustice (vnlesse thou turne ouer a new lease) thou art reprobated, and doost thou not yet feare? or wilt thou say, that the Diuine mer∣cie doth comfort thee? Surely that doth not dissolue the works of iustice, neither is contrary to them; yea if it suffer so many to be damned, will it not also suffer thee to be one of them, if thou together sinnest with them? Doost thou not see that thys vn∣happy loue of thy selfe, doth blinde thee, and miserably deceaue thee, whilst it maketh thee to presume other things, then are seene in the whole world? What priuiledge I pray thee, is gi∣uen vnto thee beyond the other sonnes of Adam, that thou shouldest not be banished thether, whither they are gone, whose works t••o•• doost follow?
But if God be to be known by his works, I know what I wil say. For although there be many comparisons, by which the mercy of God, & his iustice may be compared between them∣selues,
in which the works of mercy doe preuaile, yet at the length we finde, that in the posterity of Adam, of whose seede thou also art borne, that there are found many moe vessels of wrath, then of mercy, seeing that there are so many that are damned, and so few that are saued. The cause of which is, not because the grace and helpe of God forsaketh them, or is wan∣ting vnto them,* 1.18 (For God, as the Apostle sayth, would haue all to be saued, and to come to the knowledge of his truth) but because the wicked are wanting to themselues, and the grace of God is of none effect in them.
All these things are remembred more largely and prolixely of me, that thou mayest vnderstand, that notwithstanding the mercy of God, which thou pretendest, God suffereth so many to be Infidels, and in the Church so many euill Christians, and so many Infidels, and so many euill Christians to perish, so also he will permit thee to perish with them, if thou imitatest theyr life. Or when thou wast borne did the heauens reioyce, or shal the iudgements and decrees of God be changed, that the world may be peculier to thee, and another to others? If therfore not∣withstanding the mercy of God hell be so enlarged, and so ma∣ny thousand soules be daily swallowed vp of it, shall not thy soule also come thether, if thou continuest in thy sinnes? But that thou mayest not say that God in times past was seuere and sharpe, but now gentle and mild: consider that also with this gentlenes and clemencie he suffereth all that thou hast heard, neyther shalt thou be free and exempted from it, but also thy punishment remayneth for thee, yea, although thou beest called a Christian, if thou beest found a sinner. Or therfore shal God lose his glory if he shall condemne thee? Hast thou I pray thee any singuler thing in thee, for which God aboue others ought to spare thee? Or hast thou any priuiledge, which others haue not, for which he should not destroy thee with others, if thou beest not lesse euill then others be? Consider I pray thee the sonnes of Dauid, for their fathers sake many priuiledges were promised vnto them, but neyther for that cause would the Lord suffer their wickednes vnpunished: wherefore many of them had but sorrowfull ends. Where then is thy vaine trust? Why doest thou vainely hope, they perishing, that thou shalt not pe∣rish,
seeing thou art pertaker of their wickednes? Thou errest my brother, thou errest, if thou thinkest that this is to hope in God.* 1.19 This is not hope, but presumption. For hope is to trust, that God will forgiue thee thy sinnes, if thou be repentant and sorrowfull for them, and turnest from thy wickednes, and that then he will receaue thee into fauour. But it is exceeding great presumption to beleeue that thou shalt be saued, and happy perseuering and continuing in thy sinnes. Doe not think that this is a small sinne; for it is numbred amongst those, which are committed against the holy Ghost: for he that presumeth after this maner, he offereth no smal ignominy & reproch to the Di∣uine goodnes, which especially is attributed to the holy Ghost. Such sinnes, as our Sauiour testifieth, are not forgiuen in this world, nor in that to come, insinuating that they are remitted with great difficulty; for as much as they shut against them the gate of grace, and offend a Phisitian, who can giue life, & apply the medicine to the wound.
The great infidelity of men.
2, Kings, 2.
Ierem, 5,
Chap, 8,
In the fore∣said chap.
Esay, 61,
2, Reg, 24,
Ecclus, 23,
Psalm, 69,
Saint Au∣gustine.
Psalm, 147,
Luke, 13,
Math, 7,
1, Pet, 3.
Eccles, 1,
Math, 26,
A simili∣tude.
1, Tim. 2.
What it is to trust in God.