The general session conteining an apologie of the most comfortable doctrine concerning the ende of this world, and seconde comming of Christ, written by Thomas Rogers. The first part, wherein for the comfort of the godlie is proued not onely that God wil, but also that he doth iudge this world.

CHAP. 11. (Book 11)

Howe God doth iudge mankinde in this present world. (Book 11)

NOw God iudgeth mankinde in this present world three maner of waies; sometime by men, by himselfe some∣time, and somtime both by himselfe, and by man too.

By man diuerslie, as by eeclesiastical peesons; and by the ciuil magistrate: by the worde and power of the one; and by the sworde of the other. Therefore the worde of the preachers is saide to be the sauor of death vnto death to somea 1.1, and the sauor of life vnto life to others; and that which officers of the Church doe binde on earth, is saide to be bounde in heauen, & that which they loose on earth, is loo∣sed in heauenb 1.2: and Magistrates for that cause are caled the ordinance of Godc 1.3, and

saide to execute the iudgements not of man, but of the Lorded 1.4, and are named the mi∣nisters of Gode 1.5, yea, Godsf 1.6 too, not simply, but for that theie sit in the roome of God here vpon earth.

So that, when either the vengeance of God against obstinate sinners; or a gra∣tious pardon vnto the penitent, is pro∣nounced: or theeues be hanged, witches burned, traitors quartered, malefactors punished; when the innocent are desen∣ded, right mainteined, and iustice duelie executed according to the lawes of God, it is the iudgement of the Lord.

I saie, when iustice is executed accor∣ding to the lawes of God. For al the iudgements of men, in authority, though according to lawes, are not the iudge∣ments of God. Because, manie times both ecclesiastical persons, and that by lawe, condemne those whom God doth par∣don; and absolue those whom God doth condemne: and temporal gouernours also allowe that by their lawes, which God abhorreth. So both theeuerie in Lacedemoniag 1.7; publique whoredome in Assyriah 1.8; incest in Persiai 1.9, was: & cōmon stewesk 1.10, yea and Sodomitrie somtime of yeere at Romel 1.11, and grosse idolatrie in

al places where the Pope hath supreme power is mainteined. And therefore ma∣gistrates iudging according to such laws, are not the ministers of God, but of Sa∣tan; and execute the iudgementes of the diuel, not of the Lorde.

When therefore be magistrates the ministers of God? or when doe theie ex∣ecute his iudgements? Surelie when they iudge according to Gods lawes. Which lawes of his be either imprinted in the mindes of al and euerie man, and are for that cause termed the lawes of nature; or else written in the worde of God, which is the scripture, and are called the Deca∣log or Ten-commandements. Whatsoeuer is by the authoritie enacted contrarie to these lawes, it is the law of Satan; & what is either grounded vpon them, or done by them, God alloweth the same.

And such good magistrates, and their lawes the Lord so fauoreth, that he com∣mandeth them to be obeied, as his owne ordenancem 1.12, and that theie maie be due∣lie put in execution, he reueileth hai∣nous malefactors often-times; and those whom men by no policie can either get, or knowe, he by his omnipotencie in his iustice doth descrie. Thus come theeues

and murtherers commonlie, and traitors dailie into the magistrates hande. And whie? No doubt, because the Lord would haue it knowen, that he is à righteous, and à most iust auenger of enormous crimes, and y^• albeit by his almightie po∣wer, he can: yet through his wisedome he wil haue the ciuil magistrate to punish such, and that partlie that others maie be terrified by their punishment from fol∣lowing their example: but especialie that notorious offenders maie haue notorious and deserued correction.

Againe, he iudgeth by the ciuil Ma∣gistrates, when throgh strength of armes, and force of warre, the innocent are de∣fended against al enimies whatsoeuer, be theie domestical or forreigne vsurpers of anothers kingdome, or Tyrants in their owne. And theie who take such warres in hand, are saide to fight the Lordes battel, as both Ioshuan 1.13, Dauido 1.14, Machabeusp 1.15 did, & praised be God our renoumed Queene doth, both in defending her loial subiects against al enimies; and in protecting the oppressed against vsurpers.

By himselfe the Lord also doth iudge and that diuerslie. And though in al his workes he be maruelous: yet most won∣derful

is he in those his iudgements. For he iudgeth secretelie, and he iudgeth o∣penlie; he iudgeth particularlie some, & he iudgeth vniuersalie, al mē by himselfe.

By his secrete iudgement he stirreth∣vp the hearts of man against man manie∣times,* 1.16 and againe maketh some to be ex∣traordinarilie fauoured. This do the god∣lie note. And therefore when either theie do finde for loue, enimitie; for good wil, hatred; for benefites, ingratitude, or get y^• friendship which theie neuer looked for: the one theie impute vnto the righteous iudgement of God for their neglecting his loue, & requiting his friendship with vnkindenes, & his manifold good turnes with vnthankfulnes; and for the other theie crie with the Psalmistq 1.17, To come vn∣to preferment is neither from the East, nor from the West, nor from the South, but God is the iudge,* 1.18 he maketh, low, and he maketh hie. By this iudgement the Lord both taketh awaie good magistrates sometimes; tur∣neth the heartes of Princes; and changeth the state of Common-weales. For à true sentence is that of Cominaeusr 1.19; God suf∣fereth no wickednesse to goe vnpunished, al∣though sometime it be long ere he take ven∣geance. For so often as we see anie notable al∣teration

in mightie Princes, we ought cer∣tainlie to persuade our selues that it procee∣deth from the iustice of God. And by this iudgement he succoureth, yea and pre∣serueth his Church miraculouslie from destruction; and also punisheth the eni∣mies of the same from time to time.

Secretelie also the Lorde doth iudge, when hee toucheth the minde of man with the feeling of sinne and wickednes. And this iudgement of God, if the holie spirite be not assistant, is vnportable. For herebie diuers haue desperatelie finished their lines; as Kain, Iudas, and in our age Franciscus Spira. By this iudgement di∣uers which seeme in manie outward and worldlie respectes, as either for authori∣tie, or for their nobilitie, or for their pla∣ces, or for their learning, or for their pro∣fession, or for their wealth, happie; yet are theie by the testimonie of their gnawing conscience, which accuseth them conti∣nualie of hainous and manifolde crimes, in à curssed state, and condition.

Last of al, when the wilful despisers of God his mercies preached by the Gospel, and the malitious resisters, or peruertors of his worde be deliuered-vp into reprobate mindes, wherebie there

take darkenes, for light, sower, for sweete; for trueth, falsehoode, wickednes, for ho∣lines, superstition, for true religion, mans fantastical imaginations, for the verie ser∣uice of God: and folowe, without re∣morse of conscience, or sense of wicked∣nesse, sinne, and that with greedinesse, what is it but the secrete, yet righteous iudgements of the Lords 1.20?

Secondarilie, without the ministerie of man God iudgeth by himselfe open∣lie to the sight of the worlde by diuers means,* 1.21 as by the fire somtime, by water som∣time, by the earth sometime, &c. By which, and such like the Lorde in his iu∣stice doth punish vs in these daies manie times. So haue we bine by great fires, great inundations, great earth-quakes, great plagues, corrected: yet verie mer∣cifulie. For we are neither consumed of fire, as Sodome wast 1.22, nor drowned of water, as the olde world wasu 1.23, nor swal∣lowed-vp of the earth, as Korah, Dathan, and Abiram werex 1.24: and that, not because we are more innocent nowe in the sight of God,* 1.25 than theie were, nor God is, ei∣ther lesse righteous, that he wil not, or of lesse power, that he cannot punish so se∣uerelie as euer he did: for both we are by

so much more wicked thantheie were, as we contemne greater benefites than euer theie enioied, and God also is as righte∣ous for iustice, and for his power as migh∣tie, as euer he was. For he is the Lorde and changeth noty 1.26 But of his infinite mercie he bringeth vs not vnto vtter confusion, but punisheth vs by litle & litle, because we should amend.

Thirdlie, by himselfe God openlie* 1.27 punisheth particular men, and that no∣toriouslie, that others maie beware. Thus hath he punished long-ago both Herode Antipa, for his crueltie, and Herode A∣grippa for his pride, and Cerinthus, and Arius curssed heretikes, for their blasphe∣mies, and the enimies of Narcissus for their periurie, and Hatto of Maguntia, for insatiable couetousnes, and crueltie, and Dalburgius of Wormes in Germanie, for his lewde and vnchaste conuersation, and to omit à number mo, Frier Bacon for his familiaritie with Satan. For one of those Herodes hee threwe from hie authoritie downe to extreame beggeriez 1.28, the other was eaten-vp of verminea 1.29, Cyrinthus was bruzed into peeces with the fal of an houseb 1.30, the bowels of Arius gushed-out, and so horriblie ended his daiesc 1.31, one of

Narcissus his enimies with fire, another with an odious sicknes, & y^e third hauing lost his eies with weping perished mise∣rablied 1.32; Hatto was pursued, yea at y^e lēgth deuoured of Myce and Ratse 1.33; Dalburgi∣us going to naughtie companie in the night, fel into à cellar, and so tooke his deathf 1.34; and Frier Bacon pined-awaie with hunger, hauing both à greedie de∣sire to eate, and plentie of meate to feede∣vpong 1.35.

And of verie late yeares, what nota∣ble, and howe manie examples of God his iudgements against wickednes haue we seene? What à death came Anne Aue∣rie (à notable example of auarice) for her wilful periurie vnto? How died widowe Barnes, because she wold haue defrauded her owne children of their portions of goods due vnto them by Lawe? Howe desperatelie did father Lea finish his life, for bearing false witnesse to à matter? Howe died one Thomas Hil at Feuersam in Kent for murthering his owne Mo∣ther? Did not the verie excrements of Anne Auerie come-out of her mouth? Was she not stroken with such à sicke∣nes, and that sodenlie, that neither her feete could moue, nor her mouth speake,

nor anie member of hers in à manner do the duetie it should? Died she not odious∣lie in à stinking stable for her abhomina∣ble couetousnes and periurie? Fel not wi∣dowe Barns out of an hie windowe, and so brake her necke? Did not Father Lea dispatch himselfe with à rustie knife, and that two yeares after hee had forsworne himselfe? And did not fiue smal points strāgle, in strange manner, Tho. Hil? Read the litle treatise intituled, A viewe of ex∣amples;* 1.36 & if thou haue the French tongue, reade also the Booke intituled, Des grands & redoutables iugemens & punitions de dieu aduenus au monde, &c. and there thou shalt see that punishments haue bine ex∣ecuted vpon some one or other, for the violating of euerie commandement of the Lord. The which, and such like exam∣ples God he sendeth daie by daie, that men should know & consider, how that maie happen vnto euerie forsworne, blas∣phemous, & wicked person, which hap∣peneth to anie. Finalie, God as he iud∣geth particularlie some for some special sinnes: so he iudgeth vniuersalie al men, when he taketh them out of this worlde by death. For the wages of sinne is deathh 1.37. Of which sith euerie man is guiltie, no

man escapeth the punishment of sinne, which is death. For, it is the condition of al timesi 1.38, Thou shalt die the death: And it is appointed vnto men, that theie shal once diek 1.39, For so much as al men haue sinnedl 1.40.

But the law of the spirite of life which is in Christ Iesus, hath freed vsm 1.41 from the lawe of sinne and of death; whie ther∣fore doe we die, and are not forth-with clothed with immortalitie? I aunswere with Bernardn 1.42, It is that the trueth of God maie be fulfilled. For seeing God loueth mer∣cie and trueth, man is to die, because he pro∣phecied that he should, & yet shal rise-againe, least God seeme to forget his mercie. So ther∣fore death although it beare not dominion al∣waie: yet notwithstanding it abideth for the trueth of Gods sake, or for à time in vs: euen as sinne although it nowe raigneth not in our mortal bodies: yet are wee not without the same.

The thirde manner of God his iudge∣ments is both by himself, & by man too. As when he not onelie suffreth y^e Magi∣strate to punish the bodies, but also him∣selfe tormenteth y^e minds of malefactors by himselfe. Exāples of which his iustice I wil recite two: one shalbe of à murthe∣rer executed at Vienna, named Paul; the

other of Muntzer the traitor put to death in Germanie.* 1.43 For Paul, hauing not onelie robbed his owne master of that monie which with great paines and toile he had gathered for the reliefe of him and his in necessitie: but also murthered, to make his waie sure, first his felowe workman, then à maide seruant, then his master, next his mistres, and last of al à poore young in∣fant à maiden childe, and being miracu∣louslie by God himselfe apprehended at Ratisbone à citie distant from Vienna 50 Germane miles, deliuered into the hands of the magistrate, by them conueied to the place where that horrible fact was perpetrated, and there, according to the lawes of that countrie, adiudged vnto à most bitter death, amid his paines, which were most greeuous to fleshe and blood, he openlie confessed y^t al his bodilie tor∣ments did not so much afflict his flesh, as the last wordes of the poore infant and innocent, whome among the rest he had murthered, did torment his minde. For when he came with bloodie hands to kil her, y^e sweet babe entreated him earnest∣lie to saue her, promising y^e best thinges which she had for a recompence of his mercie, in these words: O Paul, good Paul,

do not thou kil me, and thou shalt haue al my poppets whensoeuer thou wilt. Those words from the time hee had murthered her, were as corosies at his heart; and at his death as the paines of hel to his soule: so testifieth à good, and à godlie wtitero 1.44.

Muntzer also,* 1.45 being readie to be put vnto death for raising the poore Coun∣trie-men in Germanie against their leige Lordes, and gouernours, was so vexed in minde, that such as stoode by him, when he was to be executed, might sensiblie heare his heart to pant, shake, and beate-againe. so did God for his part shewe his iudgement vpon him for his wicked∣nes; as witnesseth D. George Maiorp 1.46.

Notes

• a 1.1

  2. Cor. 2. 16.
• b 1.2

  Luk. 18, 18.
• c 1.3

  Rom. 13. 1, 2.
• d 1.4

  2. Cor. 19, 6.
• e 1.5

  Rom 13, 4. 6.
• f 1.6

  Psal. 82. 1. 2.
• g 1.7

  Ex Heraclid. de politiis.
• h 1.8

  Osorius de gl••∣ria lib. 1.
• i 1.9

  Boëmius de moribus, & le∣gibus gentium, lib. 2.
• k 1.10

  Cor. Agrippa de Vanit. Scien. cap. 64.
• l 1.11

  Tho Swetoni∣us cōtra Hamil∣tonium Aposta∣tam. p. 102.
• m 1.12

  Rom. 13, 1. 2. &c.
• n 1.13

  Eccles. 46, 1. 2. &c.
• o 1.14

  2. Sam. 17, 24 2. Sam. 18, 1. 2. &c.
• p 1.15

  2. Macc. 15, 7 8. &c.
• * 1.16

  Secrete iudge∣ments of God.
• q 1.17

  Psal. 75, 6.
• * 1.18

  7.
• r 1.19

  Phil. Cominae∣us Commens. suor. lib. 6.
• s 1.20

  Rom. 1, 21. 22. 23. &c.
• * 1.21

  Open iudgemēts of God.
• t 1.22

  Gen. 19, 23. 24.
• u 1.23

  Gen. 11, 6.
• x 1.24

  Numb. 16, 31. 32.
• * 1.25

  Psal. 106, 17.
• y 1.26

  Mal. 3, 6.
• * 1.27

  Examples of God his iudge∣ments vpon particular men.
• z 1.28

  Eccles. hist. cent. 1. lib. 2. cap. 3. p. 30.
• a 1.29

  Act. 12, 23.
• b 1.30

  Paulus ab Eitzen Eth. doct. li 2. ca. 19.
• c 1.31

  Paulus ab Eitzen, ibidem.
• d 1.32

  Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 9.
• e 1.33

  Eccles. hist. Cent. 10. ca. 10. p. 590.
• f 1.34

  Georg. Maior Tom. 2. Homil. fol. 746.
• g 1.35

  Francis Coxe in his briefe treatise concer∣ning the dete∣stable wickednes of Magical sci∣ences.
• * 1.36

  The Booke was printed at Mor∣ges this yeare 1581. par Iean le Preux.
• h 1.37

  Rom. 6, 23.
• i 1.38

  Eccles. 14, 17.
• k 1.39

  Heb. 9, 27.
• l 1.40

  Rom. 5, 12.
• m 1.41

  Rom. 8. 2.
• n 1.42

  Bern. serm. ad milites, Cap. 11.
• * 1.43

  Paul the mur∣therer.
• o 1.44

  D. G. Maior Tom. 6. Hom. fol. 509. b.
• * 1.45

  Muntzer the Traitor; Father of the Anabap∣stes.
• p 1.46

  D. G. Maior Tom. 7. fol. 612, b.