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. 5. (Book 5)

Against the Manichies, and their adhe∣rents, who saie there shalbe no general iudgement, nor resurrection of mankinde. (Book 5)

THeie who denie the general iudge∣ment to come, are diuers, & of diuers opinions. For some doe holde that it shal not be at al; some, that it is nowe; and some, that it is alreadie past. The first sort are Manichies; the seconde H. N. or the Familie of Loue; the laste the fauorers of Hymeneus and Philetusa 1.1 as the Familie of Loue. Al wicked, heretical, and abho∣minable. For proofe whereof they al doe bring, not humaine reason altogether, as they did whom alreadie we haue confu∣ted; but they abuse y^e diuine Scripture, as shal appeare. Of euerie of these therefore

as they stand.

The Manichies,* 1.2 and their adherents, to proue that there shalbe no general iudge∣ment, doe bring-out first à place out of the thirde of Iohn, where it is thus writ∣ten: b 1.3God sent not his sonne into the world, that hee shoulde condemne the world, but that the worlde through him might be saued. If therefore, saie they, hee came not to condemne the world, it shal not be iudg∣ed.

Against which their allegation I might bring à contrarie place out of the same Gospel, where our Sauióur saith,c 1.4 I am come vnto iudgement into this world, and so let one place answere vnto the other. But I answere, there is à two-folde comming of our Sauiour Christ,* 1.5 à first, and à se∣conde; the first is past, the seconde is to come.

The principal cause of his first cōming* 1.6 was not to condemne, but to be condem∣ned; the principal cause of his seconde shalbe to execute iustice,* 1.7 iustice with se∣ueritie vpon the reprobate, iustice with mercie vpon his elect, yet iustice vpon both, vpon the one sort for imbracing his Gospel by à liuelie faith vnto their saluation, vpon the other for contem∣ning

the same vnto their vtter condem∣nation. Therefore according to his di∣uerse commings hee beareth the persons of diuerse men, in his first comming of à priest, whose part is both to teach, and to offer sacrifice: in his seconde of à iudge, whose duetie we haue shewen.

Secondlie,* 1.8 theie cite this place out of the same Chapter of Iohnd 1.9, He that be∣leeueth in him (which is Christ) shal not bee condemned: but hee that beleeueth not, is condemned alreadie; because he beleeueth not in the name of the onelie begotten sonne of God. They saie thereforee 1.10, If he who be∣leeueth, shal not come into iudgement, and he who beleeueth not, is condemned alreadie; where are they whom hee shal iudge at the daie of iudgement? In effect, if none are to bee iudged, there shalbe no iudge∣ment.

I answere; first touching the righteous who beleeue, that, though they shal not bee condemned, yet that they shal bee iudged.* 1.11 For Christ wil rewarde euerie-man according vnto his workesf 1.12. There is then a iudgement of saluation, and a iudge∣ment of condemnation. The righteous shalbe iudged, yet not condemned, but quited by proclamation: the wicked

shalbe iudged, and condemned both by God, and the countrie, that is by their owne conscience, and al the Angels in heauen.

Secondlie, against the wicked I saie with our Sauiour, because they beleeue not, they are condemned. But doth it followe thereof that they shal not bee iudged? I beleeue not. For it is à phrase v∣sed much in y^e holie Scripture, to take the time present for the time to comeg 1.13. As,* 1.14 cursed be heh 1.15, or more plainelie, cursed is euerie mani 1.16 that continueth not in al things, which are written in the booke of the Lawe to do them. It is not, Cursed shalbe e∣uerie man, but, Cursed is euerie man &c. For God hath signified what shal become of vnbeleeuers, and wicked men; onlie there lacketh but pronouncing of sentence at his general Sessions. So saith Saint Augu∣stinek 1.17, He that beleeueth not, is now iudged, that is, condemned by the foreknowledge of God, who knoweth what hangeth ouer the heads of vnbeleeuers. And verie notablie in another place he saithl 1.18: Iudgement hath not yet appeared, and yet iudgement is come. For the Lord knoweth who are his: hee knoweth who are to be crowned, & who to be

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burned: He knoweth his wheate, and hee knoweth his chaffe: He knoweth his good corne, and he knoweth his tares. He who be∣leeueth not, is now condemned.

By which their obiection,* 1.19 occasion is giuen for our profit and comfort to con∣sider these three thinges. Firste, the wretched state of the wicked, theie are condemned, that is, in the eies of the Al∣mightie theie goe euen with their handes bound; their feete fettred; and their necks be in cords, onely theie tarie but for these wordes, Hangman, dispatch them, or, Tor∣mentors, spare them not; or, as our Sauiour saith,m 1.20 Depart fro me you curssed into euer∣lasting fire &c. Secondly, the cause of their miserie, Vnbeleefe. It is in themselues, not in God that they are condemned. For, God woulde haue al men saued, and come vnto the knowledg of the trueth,n 1.21 He that beleeueth not, is condemned, as in an other place,o 1.22 He that beleeueth not, shal not see life, but the wrath of God abideth vpon him. Thirdelie, the waie to auoide this con∣demnation, euen To beleeue. Laste of al, among other vane argumentes theie al∣ledge* 1.23 these wordes of our Sauiourp 1.24, If anie man heare my wordes and beleeue not, I iudge him not: for I came not to iudge the

worlde, but to saue the world. Wherebie they wil conclude howe there shalbe no gene∣ral iudgement.

Vnto which place I saie, that as was their first, so must this also bee vnder∣stoode of his first cōming, when he iudg∣ed not. For at that time he brought, and preached not the Lawe, but the Go∣spel, wherebie he declared howe, and which waie they might escape the bitter, and byting cursse of God his heauie in∣dignation, and be saued, euen if they re∣ceaued the recōciliation promised, which was himselfe, by faith.

In his seconde comming he wil iudge the worlde. For so is it plainelie set∣downe: q 1.25We shal al appeare before the iudg∣ment seate of Christ. And yet more plain∣lie, if plainer it may be, We must al ap∣peare before the iudgement seate of Christ, that euerie man maie receiue the thinges which are done in his bodie, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or euil. In which places the wordes of the Apostle are most diligentlie to be considerd, one saith, we shal, the other, we must, both of them import à necessitie of à iudgement to come, and that of al men: monie shal not saue the rich man; nor might the ho∣norable;

nor learning, the student; nor yeeres, the aged; nor weakenes, the sicke; nor anie thing, anie man, but Al must appeare, and that before the Iudgement seate of Christ, where he wil shewe him∣selfe to his foes terrible, but amiable to his friendes.

Notes

• a 1.1

  2. Tim. 2, 17. 18.
• * 1.2

  1. Obiection.
• b 1.3

  Iohn. 3, 17.
• c 1.4

  Iohn. 9 39.
• * 1.5

  A twofold com∣ming of Christ.
• * 1.6

  Whie Christ came in the flesh.
• * 1.7

  Whie Christ wil come.
• * 1.8

  2. Obiection.
• d 1.9

  Iohn 3, 18.
• e 1.10

  August. de a∣gone Christ. cap. 27.
• * 1.11

  A twofold iudg∣ment of Christ.
• f 1.12

  Rom. 2. 6.
• g 1.13

  August. de a∣gone Christiano. Cap. 27.
• * 1.14

  Theophylactus in cap. 23. Lucae.
• h 1.15

  Deut. 27, 26.
• i 1.16

  Gal. 3, 10.
• k 1.17

  August. de a∣gone Christian•• cap. 27.
• l 1.18

  August. in 3. cap. Ioan.
• * 1.19

  The state of the wicked euen in this world.
• m 1.20

  Math. 25. 41
• n 1.21

  1. Tim. 2, 4.
• o 1.22

  Iohn 3, 36.
• * 1.23

  3. Obiection.
• p 1.24

  Iohn 12, 47.
• q 1.25

  Rom. 14, 10.