A discourse of constancy in two books chiefly containing consolations against publick evils written in Latin by Justus Lipsius, and translated into English by Nathaniel Wanley ...

CHAP. XVII.

The Third Objection; that punishments are transferred, answered. That Men do the same; why God doth so?

BUt you have cast another Cloud upon Justice; vvhich I must dis∣perse: It is concerning substitutes. For say you it is not so just that God should transferre punishments; and 'tis somewhat hard that posterity should rue the crimes of their Ance∣stours. But vvhere is the wonder and strangeness of it. I rather vvonder at these vvonderers that they can find a wonder in that which is every day done by themselves here on Earth. Pray tell me; do not those honours, vvhich for his vertue a Prince hath conferred upon the Ancestours, descend to his posterity? Yes they do; and so also

do those mulcts and punishments, vvhich are inflicted on him for his offences. In attaindours for treason or rebellion it is manifest that these are guilty; but others share in the pu∣nishment vvhich humane cruelty doth so farr enlarge; as to make Lawes that follow the innocent Children vvith perpetual vvants; such as make life a burthen, and death a comfort. Perverse Minds, who will permit that to be lawful to a Prince or Magi∣strate; which you forbid to God: Who yet if you examine it rightly hath a juster reason for his severity. For all of us in one have sinned, and rebelled against this great King; and through so many successive Generati∣ons that first blot hath been derived to the unhappy Children: So that there is to God a continued twist and chain of Crimes. For instance; my Father or yours did not begin to sin, but all the Fathers of our Fathers: What vvonder then is it if he punish

in their posterity not (properly) di∣vers offences; but such as by a kind of communion of seed, have been still linked and coupled together, and ne∣ver discontinued. But to omit these higher speculations, and to deal with you, in a more popular way of rea∣soning. You must know this that God joynes those things, vvhich vve (through ignorance and unskilfulness) use to sever, and that he considers Families, Cities, and Kingdomes; not as divided but as one Body and Na∣ture: The Family of the Scipio's or the Caesars is one thing to him. Rome or Athens, for the whole time of their duration, were but one to him; and so was the Roman Empire, and that very justly, for the Society of the same laws, and priviledges, is that bond vvhich unites these great bodyes, and intitles them though in several ages, to a communion in partaking of rewards and punishments. Were then the Scipio's of old good? That Hea∣venly

judge vvill remember it to the advantage of their posterity. Were they Evil? It shall be hurtful to them. Were the Belgians some years ago; Lascivious, Covetous, Impious? We shall suffer for it. For in every ex∣ternal punishment, God not only be∣holds the present, but also looks back upon pass'd times; and vvith the vveights of them both, doth most equally poise the ballance of his Just∣ice. I sayd in external punishments and I vvould have you to observe it. For crimes themselves are not trans∣ferr'd, nor is there a kind of confu∣sion of them: God forbid there should. But certain punishments and corrections only, such as are about us not in us; and which properly respect the Body, or estate; but not this in∣ward Mind of ours. And in all this where is the injury? We are doubt∣less willing to be heirs of those ad∣vantages, and rewards (if any) that are due to our ancestours: And if

so; why do we refuse the burdens, and punishments?

Those Plagues for which the former times did call On thee poor Roman undeservedly fall;

Sings the Roman Poet, and truly; had he not added undeservedly. For 'tis most deservedly, since our ance∣stours did deserve it. But the Poet could only see the effect: He ascend∣ed not to the cause; but as in one and the same Man, we justly punish in his old age, that offence, which he committed in his youth: So doth God the elder crimes of Empires and Kingdomes, because in respect of their outward communion, they are to him but one conjoyned thing. These in∣tervalls of time do not divide us with him who comprehends all eternity in

the vastness of his Mind. Should those martial Wolves, heretofore rase so many Cities, and break so many Scepters vvith impunity? Should they broach so much blood by the slaugh∣ters of others; and themselves never bleed for't? I should then indeed con∣fess that God to be no avenger, who yet hears and sees all that we do. But they shall not scape so, at length of Necessity they must undergo punish∣ments at least in their posterity; such as are slow indeed, but not too late. Nor is there a conjunction of time only vvith God but of parts too. I mean thus, that as in a Man the whole Body suffers, when possibly only the hand, or groin, or belly has offend∣ed: So is it in great Societies. All many times do account for the faults of a few: Especially if those that have sinned are (as it were) the more prin∣cipal members; as Kings, Princes, and Magistrates. Hesiod spake truly,

and from the most inward recess of Wisdom it self.

For one Mans crime, oft the whole City smarts For his oppressive sacrilegious Arts; Jove from high Heaven his dreadful ven∣geance sheds Of Plague or Famine upon all their heads.

So the vvhole Navy of the Graecians perished.

For ones offence what Ajax did commit In the distemper of a brain-sick fit.

Thus in Iudea threescore and ten thousand were slain with a single pe∣stilence; for the unlawful pleasure of their King. And sometimes on the other side; God singles out one or but some few; to be the expiatours of a general sin. In which if he recede something from the rigid Law of pa∣rity; yet out of that very disparity a

new equity is raised; and that is a merciful act of Justice towards many; which seems cruelty upen a few. Does not the School-master give the Fe∣rula to some one of his wantonizing Scholars? And does not a General chastize his cowardly Army, by the decimation of them? And both these up∣on the safest considerations: because the punishment though but of those few does terrify and amend all. I have often seen the Physitian strike a vein in the Foot or Arm, vvhen the whole body was distempered: how know I but it may be thus here. These are secrets Lipsius, secrets I say, and if vve are vvise let us presume no nea∣rer unto this sacred fire, some spark∣ling emanations and bright emissions of which Men may possibly behold, but it self they cannot. As they lose their sight that too daringly gaze up∣on the Sun; So they all the light of their Minds, who too intentively fix it upon this more glorious light. Let

us therefore abstain from that which is at once of so curious and so dan∣gerous a disquisition: And let us rest satisfied at least in this, that crimes neither can nor ought to be estimat∣ed by Men, that the ballance and tri∣bunal of God is different from that of ours; and that how abstruse soever those judgments are, yet they are not to be blamed, but patiently undergone and trembled at by us. This one Sentence I shall immind you of, and with it, shall both close this discourse and shut the mouths too of all those Curioso's. The judgments of God are many of them hidden; but none of them unjust.