Man become guilty, or, The corrruption of nature by sinne, according to St. Augustines sense written originally in French by Iohn-Francis Senault ; and put into English by ... Henry, Earle of Monmouth.

Of the Corruption of Nature by SINNE: The First Treatise: Of Originall Sin, and the Effects thereof.

The First Discourse.

That Faith acknowledgeth Originall Sin: That Nature hath a feeling thereof: and That Phylosophie suspects it.

THough mans misery witnesse his sin, and that to believe he is guilty, sufficeth to prove his misery; yet is there no one Truth in Christian Religion, more strongly withstood by prophanePhylo∣sophers then is this; shee cannot allow of a chastisement which punisheth the father in his children, neither can shee conceive a sin which precedes our rea∣son as well as our birth; Shee appeals from so rigorous a decree, and thinks to defend Gods cause in pleading ours: Shee attributes all our disorders to our constituti∣on, she imputes our errours to our education, and the greatest part

of our irregularities to the bad employing of our time: She a 1.1 oppo∣seth experience by arguing, and what ever misery shee makes tryall of shee will not acknowledge the cause; shee thinks a man may here∣in defend himselfe by reason, and that there being no sin which is naturall, neither is there any which may not be amended by will alone: shee makes use of the examples of Socrates, Aristides, and Cato: shee opposeth these Sages to our Saints, and pretends that the works of Nature yield not to those of Grace: Briefly, shee corrup∣teth the purity of our beliefe by the subtilty of her reasoning; and whereas Christians ought to convert all Phylosophers, some Chri∣stians are perverted by Phylosophers. We confesse Originall sinne because we dare not deny it; We avow that it hath bereft us of Grace, but assure our selves that it hath left us an entire Liberty; We confesse it hath robb'd us of our innocencie, but maintain that we may recover our innocencie by the means of reason, and that if we cannot merit heaven, we may at least secure our selves from hell: We admire the famous Actions of Infidels; our eyes are dazl'd with the lustre they receive from the writings of Phylosophers; we side, at unawares, with Na∣ture against Grace, and through an inconsiderate zeale: We will have their delusive vertues rewarded with a true happinesse.

Yet notwithstanding to believe original sin, is one of the prime Articles of our Faith; if Adam were not guilty; Jesus Christ was not necessary; and if Humane nature be yet in her first purity, it's in vain that we seek a Saviour: Hence b 1.2 it is that the great Apostle of the Gentiles doth so often in his Epistles oppose sin to grace; ser∣vitude to freedome; and Adam to Jesus Christ; he is pleased to re∣present unto us the disorders of Nature, to make us admire the ef∣fects of Grace, and he glories in his Infirmities, the more to heighth∣en the advantages of Redemptiō, He teacheth us that we are concei∣ved in sin, and that at our first enterance into the world we are the ob∣jects of Gods wrath. He shews us that Adams sin is shed abroad throughout mankind, That his Malady is become a contagion, and that all the Children that do descend from this unfortunate Father are Criminall, and Miserable. The Prophets agree with the Apostles, and this truth is not much less Evident in the Old Testament then in the New. The most patient & most afflicted of al men cōplaines of the misfortunes of his birth, and makes such just imprecations against the moment wherin he was conceived, as we may easily conceive, he

thought it not void of fault. David c 1.3 confesseth he was conceived in sin, and that though he were born in lawfull Matrimony, his birth ceaseth not to be shamefully sinfull.

The Church confirmes this truth unto us, by as many Paradoxes, as the instructions are, which she giveth us. And knowing that her words serves for laws unto her Children, she is pleased to tell us, that Adam's sin is ours, That the miseries which we undergoe, are the punishments of his disobedience, That Divine Justice hath condemned us in Him: That our misfortune and His sinne did precede our Birth, And that contrary to all the Laws of Mo∣rality, we be guilty before we are reasonable. Faith perswades us to these Truths, and without troubling our selves to seek Proofs to strengthen them, we in all humility believe what we cannot evident∣ly know; But because Phylosophy is a Rebel to Faith, and that she is more swayd by reason, then by the Authority of the Church, I will convince her by reason, and make her confess, that we could not be irregular, if we were not guilty.

All Phylosophers confess, d 1.4 That man is Composed of a body & soul, And that when Divine Providence did first forme him, she mingled Beast with Angell, and that she gathered Heaven and Earth together to finish her Noblest piece of workmanship. If Passion have not prevail'd over reason in these great men, they must confess that when God did this his Chiefest work, he did so well accord the two Parts which went to the Composition thereof, as that the body obey'd the soul, & the Angell comanded over the Beast. They must acknowledge that God observ'd the same Order in the Composing of man, as he did in the making of the world, and that as he submit∣ted the Earth to the Influences of the Heavens, he did likewise as∣subject Passion to reason, and the Appetite to the will. And since they observe this decent order to be no longer kept, they ought ne∣cessarily to infer, that sin is the cause thereof, And that man hath lost these advantages only because he hath not preserved his Inno∣cency. For what likelyhood is there, that two Parts joyned toge∣ther, should not indure one another, that they should mutually love and hate each other, that the flesh should wage war with the soul, which gives it life, and that the soule should complain of the others insolency, which serves her as an Officer or Abetter, e 1.5 whence is it that our inclinations are out of Order, before we have acquired any

bad Habits, that our faults precede evill examples, that we know what evill is, not having learned it, and that the soul follows the in∣clinations of her body, before she hath tasted the delights thereof: whence is it, that sin is naturall to us, that in us it preceeds the use of reason, that notwithstanding all its deformities, it becomes pleasing, and that vertue with all her comlinesse seem austere unto us. Cer∣tainly, he who shall conceive aright, the reason thereof, will be obli∣ged either to blame Divine Providence, or els to condemne the sin∣fulness of the first man, who losing originall Justice, deprived all his Children thereof, And who making us inherit his disorders, made us criminall, before rationall.

The Morall Vertues, which Phylosophers boast so much off, doe authorize the beleife of originall sin. For though they perswade themselves, that man by the assistance thereof may overcome sin; and that God did not Compose him of two rebellious Parts, save only to increase his merit, and to leave unto him the glory of finish∣ing it; yet the use of vertue doth sufficiently prove his irregularity, and it is sufficient to acknowledge that he was born guilty, since we know he is obliged to become vertuous. For vertue is not a producti∣on of Nature, but an invention of Art, she is not infused, but ac∣quired, and the Pains she causeth, fully equall the Pleasures which she promiseth. She presupposeth that man is out of order, since she hath a design to reforme him, and that he is sick since she endeavours to cure him. All her exercises are so many Combats, all her enemies are born in the very Place where she sets upon them, and the industry she is forced to make use off to drive them thence, doth sufficiently witness that they govern there before her; in effect man is weak, before he hath acquired fortitude, he is foolish before wise, and ere temperate, unchast, his vertues are proofs of his vices, his last victories are signes of his former defeats, and the succour which he is enforced to seek for, from without himselfe, is a witness of his dis∣order and weakness. This it was that made f 1.6 St: Augustine say, that continency is as well a witness as an enemy of concupiscence, & that althose glorious habits which fight against our sins do manifest them.

If vertue make us suspect our misery, the Creatures revolt makes us know our sinfulness; and he who shall consider that man is in the world, as in an enemies Country, will have no great difficulty to judge that he is Criminall. Reason unasisted by Faith is sufficient to

make us Comprehend that man is the Image of God; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 That he is * 1.7 his Lieutenant upon Earth, That all Creatures owe him homage, and that he ought to Reigne in the World: either as a visible Angell, or as a Mortall God. The Place he beares in the Universe challeng∣eth this Advantage; and reason which raiseth him above Beasts, gives him the Sovereignty over them, since all things are made for his use, all must be submitted to his will. And since he must Reign with God in Heaven, he must begin to Reign for him upon the Earth; This notwithstanding all Creatures make war upon him, they deal with him, rather as with a Tyrant, then Lawfull Sovereign: They obey him not, but by Force, And it is easie to be seen, That having lost the right that he had over them, he cōands them, now, only by violence, if he draw any service from beasts, its after having been either their Slave, or their Tyrant. If h 1.8 the earth be fruitfull, its after having been watered with his sweat, and rent in peeces by the Plough; If the Sea bear his vessels tis not without threatning them with shipwrack. If Aire contribute to his respiration, it suffers also corruptions, whereby to forme contagions, and sicknesses; If the winde fils his sails, it also raiseth Tempests, and drownes his vessels, If fire serve him in all his Arts, it mingles it self with Thunder, and taketh re∣venge for all the Injuries it hath received from him.

This generall insurrection is a token and punishment of his offence, had he preserved his integrity he had never lost his Authority, and had he not falne from his innocency he had never forgon his Throne. Phylosophy as haughty as she is, cannot deny but that man is the prey of wild beasts, and the victime of their fury, that he is exposed to the rigour of the Aire, and to the unseasonableness of the weather, she must confess that he hath no subject which is not rebellious, that there is no place within his Territories which is not his enemy, and there is no part of his body which is not either disobedient or un∣faithfull to him, whence proceeds this disorder, if not from his sin whence proceeds so universall a rebellion, if not from his disobedi∣ence, and why should he have lost his authority in the world, if he had not lost his innocency, which was the foundation thereof, I ve∣ry well know that Phylosophers who knew not the state of sin, en∣deavour to excuse this insurrection, alledging it is naturall, but who sees not the excusing of man, is to blame God, and that to leave innocency, to the Creature, is to bereave God of his Providence:

The Elements began not to prosecute man, till he became criminall, and God is so good and just as he would not have made him subject * 1.9 to these sufferings, had he not found him guilty. His Sovereignty never gives against his justice, he makes such moderate use of his power as he never injures his Providence, what ever power he may justly challenge over the Creature, he condemns it not till it hath offended, who will not then term this unruliness of the seasons a punishment, who will not esteem the earths sterility, the like, who will not believe but that the Pestilences and Earth-quakes, Deluges and Punishments by fire, are the just rewards of sin, more ancient then all these disorders; we must also avow that the wisest Phyloso∣phers have acknowledged that there was one cause of all these disor∣ders, and though they neither knew the wickednesse nor the name thereof, they have known it by its effects. Aristotle k 1.10 who may be termed the Genius of Nature, who loved her so passionately, took such pains to study her and so carefully considered her, hath guest at the cause of all the disorders which he observed in her workman∣ship; He wonders that man cannot tame his passions; that being victorious every where else he is conquered by himself, and that the soul hath not strength nor dexterity to triumph over her body, he cannot comprehend how the noblest workmanship of Nature should be a Monster, that the senses should be unfaithfull, and passions dis∣obedient, and that reason, which is her light should be obfuscated with so many darknesses, he cannot conceive that man being free, should be a slave to so many masters that being furnisht w^th knowledg, he should be ingaged in errours, and that being assisted by so many vertues, he should be withstood by so many vices, had he durst have condemned the Diety, he would have found fault with the work∣manship thereof, wavering between Religion and impiety, he admires what he knows not, he suspects what he cannot discover, he guesses at what he cannot finde, and amidst these doubts he confesseth that there is some hidden cause which hath produced these disorders; what could a Phylosopher say more, who had only been instructed ••n the School of Nature? what could a man imagine who never having been enlighted by the beams of Faith, was equally ignorant of Adams in∣nocency and guilt; if he be ignorant of the name of concupiscence? doth not he acknowledge the nature thereof: and if he know not the cause of originall sin, hath he not observed the effects thereof?

Cicero, l 1.11 who is no less a Phylosopher in his Academick discour∣ses, then Orator in his Orations, complains that Nature is mans Step∣dame; that she hath bin negligent in the Master-piece of her work∣manship, and that as envying his happiness, shee hath given him a body exposed to the injury of the Aire, to the malice of Maladies, and to the Insolencies of Fortune, that shee hath lodged an unhappy soule, over-born with pains, abashed by fear, faint in labour, and un∣ruly in her delights, in so frail a body: which hath made Saint Au∣gustine confess, that this great Phylosopher had the Cognizance of sin, though he knew not its name, and that he acknowledged the ef∣fects of a Cause which he could not discover. Thus reason without faith seems to have found out originall sin; And Phylosophy which makes Nature a Diety hath been enforced to accuse the disorderli∣ness thereof, and to impute unto her the faults, whereof the first man was Author.

Seneca in whose person was united the pride of a Stoick, and vain∣glory of a Spaniard, and who confesseth no weakness, save such, as he can neither excuse nor conceal, after having pleaded in the behalf of Nature, is obliged to forsake her, he acknowledgeth in a thou∣sand parts of his Writings, that sin is naturall unto us, and that Phy∣losophy is not sufficient to save us from a Monster, which constitutes a part of ourselves. I m 1.12 know that he varies in his opinions, that Pride makes him revoke such Confessions as truth hath extorted from out of his mouth and pen, that he complains that we live not as we were born, that we do not preserve those advantages that Nature hath gi∣ven us, and that seduced by errour, or corrupted by example. n 1.13 We commmit errours which she detests, but he quickly alters his minde, and being prest by his own conscience, hee avows that vertue is a stranger, vice naturall to us: hee confesseth that the first men were not more innocent then we, save only in that they were more igno∣rant; that they had not as yet opened the bowels of the earth, to en∣rich themselves with her spoyls, nor kill'd beasts to satisfie their appetites, but that they even then had the principles of all these crimes in their souls, and that there is great difference between a man who hath not the knowledge of evill, and him who hath not a desire thereunto. Had o 1.14 this Phylosopher read our Histories, and had hee learnt from Moses what past in the begin∣ning of the World; he had plainly seen that vice comes not by de∣grees,

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as doth vertue, and that corrupted Nature is a Mistris good e∣nough to teach us, what is ill in giving us life. Murther was Cain's Aprentisage, and the Impieties which wee detest have dishonoured the first ages as well as they do ours, since man was irregular, he be∣came capable of all vice, and since hee lost Originall Justice, hee is faln into all sort of disorders. We polish sins, we invent them not; we commit them with more pompe, not with more wickedness, we only add ornament thereunto. And in a word, wee are not more faulty then our fore-fathers, but more industrious.

In fine, if it be lawfull to make use of Fables to strengthen Truth, and to beat down lies by Poets who are the Authors thereof, I see not a better draught of a man born in sin then that which is represented to us by the Tragoedian in his Thebais. For p 1.15 Oedipus recounting the Story of his Misfortunes complains that his death preceded his birth, that his sin preceded his reason, that nature feared him, before she had brought him into the world, that by a strange prodigie he had committed sins before he knew what sin was, that the Heavens whose decrees are so just had declared him criminall, before he was indued with reason, and that his father being a servant to divine ju∣stice, had punisht him as soon as his mother had brought him into the world. After this crowd of reasons and authorities, I know not what can be said against the belief of originall sin, who can deny an evill, of whose effects all men have a fellow-feeling; Since all Phylosophers before they knew what name to give it, knew the nature thereof, and all the complaints they have made of our miseries, in their Writings, are so many testimonies born by them to the truth of our Religion.

The second Discourse.

What the state of man was before Sinne.

THough there be nothing more opposite to the state of sin, then the state of innocency, there is not any thing notwithstand∣ing, which better discovers unto us the disorders thereof, and it seems to be a true looking glasse, wherein we may see all the other deformities. To know the greatnesse of mans miserie, wee must know the height of his happinesse; and to know with what weight he fel we must know the height of his dignity. Man was crea∣ted

with originall righteousnesse; his Divine•• Quality made a part * 1.16 of his being, and seemed to be the last of his differences. Reason and Grace were not as yet divided, and man finding his perfection in their good Intelligence, was at once both Innocent and rationall: Since sin hath bere••t him of this priviledge, he seems to be but half himself, though he hath not changed Nature, he hath changed con∣dition, though he be yet free, he hath lesse power in his own person then in the world; And when he compares himself with himself, hardly can he know himself. In the state of innocency nothing was wanting to his perfection, nor felicity; and whilst he preserved ori∣ginall righteousness, he might boast to have possessed the spring-head of all that was good. Twas this that united him to God; and which submitting him to his Creator submitted all Creatures unto him; twas this that accorded the soul with the body, and which pacifying the differences which Nature hath plac'd between two such contrary parties, made them find their happinesse in agrement, this it r 1.17 was in fine which displaying certain beams of light about his Countenance, kept wild beasts in obedience and respect. In this happy condition man was only for God, he found his happinesse in his duty, he obey∣ed with delight, and as Grace made up the perfection of his being, it was not much lesse naturall for him to love God, then to love himself, he did both these Actions by one and the same Principle. The love of himself differed not from the love of God, and the o∣perations of Nature and of Grace, were so happily intermingled, that in satisfying his Necessities, he acquitted himself of his duty, and did as many holy Actions, as naturall and rationall ones. He s 1.18 sought God and found him in all things; much more happy then wee, he was not bound to seperate himself from himself, that he might unite himself to his Creator. Godlinesse was practised without pain, Vertue was exercised without violence: and that which costs us now so much trouble, cost him nothing but desires: there needed no com∣bates to carry away victory, nor was there any need to call in ver∣tue, to keepe passions within their limits. Obedience was easie to them, nor is Rebellion so naturall unto them now, as was then sub∣mission. This Grace t 1.19 which bound the soule unto the body with bonds as strong as pleasing, united the senses to the Spirit, and as∣subjected the passions to reason. Morality was a Naturall science; or if it were infused, twas togetther with the soul, and every one

would have been eased of the Pain of acquiring it, all men were born wise, Nature would have served them for a Mistris, and they would have been so knowing even from their births, as they would not have needed either Counsell or Instruction. Originall righteousnesse govern'd their understanding, guided their wills, enriched their me∣mories, and after having done such wonders in their souls, it wrought as many u 1.20 Prodigies in their bodies; for it accorded the elements whereof they were Composed, it hindred the waters from under∣taking any thing against the fire: tempered their qualities, appeased their differences, and did so firmly unite them, as nothing could se∣ver them. Man knew only the name of death; and he had this of comfort, that he knew it was the Punishment of a fault, from which if he would, he might defend himself. All nourishments were to pure that there was nothing superfluous in them, Naturall heat was so vi∣gorous, as it converted all into the substance of the body, & was in all other respects so temperate as it was not prejudiciall to the radicall moisture. Man felt nothing incommodious; & Prudence x 1.21 was so fa∣miliar to him, as he prevented hunger and Thirst before they could cause him any trouble; in his person and in his State, he enjoyed a peacefull quiet, and he was upon good Terms with himself, and with his subjects, because he was the like with his Sovereign, he waited for his reward without anxiety, and grounding himself upon the truth of his Creators promises, he hoped for happinesse without dis∣quiet. Death was not the way to life: there needed no descending to the earth, to mount up to the heavens; the soul fore-went not the body to enjoy her God, and these two parts never having had any variance, were joyntly to tast the same felicity. But when the Devill had cozened the woman, and that the woman had seduced the man he fell from this happy condition, and losing Grace, which caused all his good, he fell into the depth ofall evills. He received a wound which hecould never yet be cured of, he saw himself bereft of his best part, and y 1.22 could not conceive how being no longer righteous, he continued to be rationall, and left us in doubt whether he was yet man, being no longer Innocent. His Illuminations forsooke him together with Grace, self-love came in the place of Charity, He who before sought nothing but God, began now to seek himself; And he who grounded his happinesse upon his obedience, would build his felicity upon Rebellion, as soon as his soul rebell'd against

God, his body rebell'd against his soul; these two parts changed their love to hatred, and those who lived in so tranquill a peace declared open war one against another, the senses which were guided by the understanding favoured the bodies revolt, and the passions which were subject to reason, contemned her Empire, to inslave themselves to the Tyranny of Opinion.

If man were divided in his person, he was not more fortunate in his condition, wherein he underwent a Generall Rebellion, the Beasts lost their respects, they all became Savage, and violence, or Art is required to the taming of some of them, the Elements began to mu∣tiny * 1.23 & following their own inclinations they broke the peace which they had sworn unto, in behalf of man whilst Innocent, the Seasons grew unseasonable to hasten the death of man grown guilty, the very heavens alter'd their Influences, and losing their purity suffered some change, thereby to revenge the outrages done to God amidst somany disorders, nothing so much afflicted man as his domestick evills, he de∣fended himself frō wild beasts by force▪ he gain'd the rest by wiles, he saved himself from the Injuries of the Aire, by Cloaths and houses. He by his labour overcame the sterility of the earth, he opposed dikes to the fury of the sea, and if he could not calme the waves thereof, he found means to overcome her stormes, and to triumph over her tempests, he invented Arts to allay the miseries of his life, after ha∣ving fenced himself from necessity, he sought out pleasure; he would occasion his happinesse, from his losse as it were thereby to upbraid Gods Justice, he changed one part of his paines into pleasures, but he could not reform the disorders, neither of soul, nor body; for all he could doe, he could find no salve for the sicknesse of his soul, and though his haughtines made him hope for help from Phylosophy, he could never reconcile himself, either to God, or himself. After having lost the knowledge of the true God, he framed Idols to himself, weary of having adored the workmanship of his hands, he adored the workmanship of his fancy, after having offered Incense to all Creatures, he became his own Idolater; and forgetting the shame of his birth, the miseries of his life, and the rigour of death, he would have Temples and Altars. When his madnesse would allow of any intermissions, he acknowledged the the danger of his disease, and forct thereunto by pain and shame, he sought for remedies, but self∣love wherwith he was blinded, rendered all his cares uselesse through

a capricheousnesse which cannot be conceived, he cherished the evils which afflicted him, and preserving the desires which he had in his Innocency, he would find the accomplishment thereof, in his guil∣tinesse, he was perswaded that he should find in himself what he had lost in God, and that assisted by a vain Phylosophy, he should make himself fortunate in the midst of his misfortunes. Nothing did more crosse his Cure, then this insolent belief, and nothing did more offend the Grace of Jesus Christ, then his confiding in his own reason and Liberty. God permitted him to lament a long time, to the end that he might be sensible at leasure of his maladie, and Divine good∣ness deferr'd his deliverance, only to make him confesse his faultiness, he in vain laboured all that he could, before he would be brought to cōfess his misery, & he sought for help from Nature, before he would implore ayd from Grace, he sought out all the means he thought fitting to Cure himself of so vexatious a Malady, and had it not been for despair, he had never found out the way to health, but when he saw that Conquerors for all their power could not deliver him; that Phylosophers could not by all their reasons Comfort him, and that Orators could not lessen his evills by their words; he betooke him∣self to God, and the misery he indured made him know that nothing but the hand that had hurt him, could heal him.

The third Discourse.

Of what kinde the first Sinne which ADAM committed was.

THe two first sins of the World are the most unknown, and Divines which agree in so many differing subjects have not as yet been able to agree in this. They know that the Angels and man, are become Criminall, but they know not what the nature of their fault is. They know that both of them have violated the laws of God, and that over-weaning their own perfections they have not sufficiently prized the perfections of their Creator they very well know that neither of them have preserved their Innocency; and that weaknesse (which is inseparable from the Creature) hath been the cause of their Fall, but they know not what name to give

to this sinne, nor under what degree to rank this crime, which hath caused so much Mischeife, Some think that the offence Com∣mitted by the Angel was so Generall, as in the extent thereof it in∣cludes all other offences, that he flew from God by all the wayes it was possible for him to estrange himself from him, that using the utmost ofhis power he grew guilty ofall the wickednesse; which so enlightned a spirit was capable of: whence it is that the holy Scri∣ptures; to teach us the truth thereof, terms his fault somtimes Mur∣ther, sometimes Adultery, sometimes Rebellion, though man be not so Active as the Angel, and that his soul confined within his bo∣dy, be slower in her operations, yet there have been some Divines, who hath given the same Judgment of both their sins, and who have perswaded themselves that Adam by one only offence, became guil∣ty of all sins, that the law which was proposed unto him, conteining in it an Abridgment of all Laws, he could not violate it without vio∣lating all the rest; that his disobedience, under one only name Com∣prehended all sins, and that by one only attempt he a 1.24 Committed A∣dultery by failing in his fidelity to God; Theft by taking a fruit which did not belong unto him: Sacrilege by abusing his wil w^ch was cōsecrated to God: & Paracide, by occasioning death unto his soul, and unto the souls of all his Children. Though this be a strange o∣pinion, yet the worthinesse of the Author, makes me put a valuati∣on upon it, for it is S. Augustine; yet in the rigour of reason, it is hard to conceive, that manssoul had so much of sight, as that in one sole action it committed so many sins. These sins which are imputed to man, are rather the effects then parts of his disobedience; and if I may be permitted to speak my sense after the Chiefe of all Divines, I should conceive that S Augustines design was, rather to satisfie his eloquence then the truth; and that making use of a figure which is so frequent amongst Orators, he would aggravate Adams sin to make us detest it.

Some others have been of opinion that Pride was the sin of the An∣gel, and of man that these two Noble Creatures puft up with their own perfections, aspired after Divinity, and that vain glory, which is alwayes accompanied by blindnes, had perswaded them that being already b 1.25 immortall, they might easily make themselves Gods. But I cannot think that such a thought could fall into the mind either of the Angell, or of man, they were induced with too much knowledge, not

to know that the Creature cannot equall the Creator in Majestie, that the degrees of their separation are infinite, and that wishes are never made for things absolutely impossible, how could that desire of making himself God, ever enter into the imagination of an Angell; Since Theologie confesseth that they could never suspect the Mystery of the Incarnation, and that without being enlightned by Glory or by Faith, they never could have thought that God could make him∣self man, or man become God; other Divines have therefore rather chosen to believe, that the Mysterie of the Incarnation, was the oc∣casion of the Angels sin, and that having learnt by Revelation, that God was to allye himself to humane Nature, he could not tolerate that the Angelicall Nature should be deprived of this honour; imagi∣ning that the Angels did very well deserve whatsoever dignity God would confer upon man.

Others have thought that self-love was the sin both of the Angel and of man; that seeing themselves so perfect, they grew in love w^th themselves; that forgetting the greatnesse of God, they considered only their own beauty, that they made an Idoll of their own under∣standings; * 1.26 that not envying Gods perfections, they sought for all their happinesse within themselves, and that rather by an Amorous, then Proud blindnesse, they endeavoured to find out their content∣ment in the Possession of their own advantages. If it be not rashnesse to go about to discover what our leaders have been ignorant of, and if a man may divide that which hath neither parts nor moments, I would say that the sin of man, and of the Angell is neither single, nor yet Composed of all sins: as S. Augustine affirmeth, weaknesse which is so naturall to the Creature, was, as it were, the disposition thereun∣to, negligence the beginning, self-love the ensuing, or progresse, and Pride the accomplishment thereof; weaknesse is so naturall to the Creature, as to free it thereof, it must suffer change and be rai∣sed above itself; Grace, (whose effects are so many miracles) dares not undertake to free the Creature from it: there is nothing but Glo∣ry which can fix the fancy of the Creature, and take from it that In∣constancy which is the cause of all it's offences. We acknowledge none but Jesus Christ to be void of sin; The Angell, and man, not being raised to this height of happinesse, we must not wonder if they be fallen, and if those which proceeded ex nihilo, did not defend themselves from sin, every perishable Creature may become Cri∣minall,

that which may lose its being may lose Grace, and what cannot preserve it selfe in Nature, will have much a doe to preserve it selfe in innocencie. Weaknesse then prepared that Angel and man to sin, and these two noble Creatures became faulty, only because they were not unchangeable, negligence begun the fault which weaknesse had prepared, they made not use of all the grace which they had received, they left a vacuum in their being which made place for sin, they did not employ all the advantages which they had received from God, and deserved to lose them, for having neg∣lected them, as this fault was yet but an omission, it might have been expiated by humility, and by abasing themselves before God, it may be they might have obteined pardon, they became Idolaters at unawares, and framed vain Idols to themselves out of the workman∣ship of God. This fault was already well grown, and the Angel and men were guilty of having turned their eyes from Divine perfecti∣ons, to settle them upon their own advantages, yet did they only love those beauties which God had placed in them, they might have adored his Image in these Looking-glasses, and have returned to the Spring-head by these Rivolets, and by these beams have raised themselves up to the Sun: but Pride finished their fault, they grew proud of Gods favours, their vain-glory proceeded from his grace; that which should have submitted them to their Creator, was cause of their Rebellion, and the more they were beholding unto him, the lesse were they acknowledging from the times they thought them∣selves able to reigne without him, they would reign in despight of him, and as soon as they had raised up a Throne unto themselves, they would have Subjects, the Angel got a party in heaven, he de∣bauched some of his companions, hee made slaves of his equals, and these excellent Spirits were not ashamed to adore a creature; which though it were more elevated, was not lesse dependent upon God then were the rest: Rebellion did not, not withstanding, dis∣perse it self throughout all their Orders, the number of the faith∣full exceeded that of the revolters: Michael couragiously opposed himselfe to Lucifer, and be it that he made good use of his graces, or that he received addition thereunto, he kept the greater part of the Angels in their obedience, and drove the Rebels from the Em∣pyerean Heaven. Man was more absolute in his unjust designe, for his sin became the sin of all his off-spring, not any one opposed

himselfe to his blinde fury, those who lived in him, and descended from him, were guilty of his Rebellion, they lost themselves to∣gether with their unfortunate Father; they suffered for a sin which they could not hinder; they found themselves engaged in death, be∣fore they knew life, and wondered that not being reasonable, they were already criminall. This sin which shed it self like a contagion became the Spring-head of errour in the World. The greatest part of Hereticks have withstood it, and the pride of Phylosophy, wherewith they were puft up, would not permit them to confesse a disorder, which would have forced them to be humble; Catho∣licks believe it, though they conceive it not; Faith teacheth them what reason cannot perswade them unto, and they care not though they be esteemed ignorant, so long as they may be esteemed faith∣full: They finde by experience that man is become guilty, but they know not how he hath contracted this crime, they dispute not the maladie, but cannot comprehend by what secret wayes the Father hath communicated it to his children, and the children have re∣ceived it from their father: This is that which we will examine in the pursuit of this Treatise.

The fourth Discourse.

How ADAM'S sin did communicate it self to those that are discended from him.

IT must be acknowledged that there is nothing more hidden, nor any thing more known, then d 1.27 Originall Sinne, unruly nature is an evident proofe thereof, mens wicked inclinations doe suffici∣ently witnesse it, and it's easily to be conjectured, that so unfor∣tunate a creature cannot be innocent. But, certainly, the way how this sin sheds it self through mankinde, and passeth from the father into the children, is extreamly unknown; all that is said of it doth but weakly prove it, and after having listned to reason we must be∣take our selves to the light of Faith: Doubtlesse, Saint Augustine is he who hath written the worthiest thereupon, his proofs are efficacious, his discourses solid, if he had as well established the be∣liefe of Originall Sin as that of concupisence, all men would be

convinced; and we might as easily make Phylosophers believe A∣dam's fault, as the irregularity of Nature; for all men see that Fa∣thers communicate their diseases, to such as do descend from them; that the e 1.28 Aethiopians Complexion appears in their childrens visa∣ges, that there are maladies which are more hereditary in Families then are possessions, and that there are men which suffer for their fa∣thers debaucheries; we must not wonder if we partake of their dis∣eases since we are composed of their substance, and since our bo∣dies are a part of theirs; it is easily conceived that their maladies may become ours: but being bound by faith to believe that the soul is the workmanship of God, that she is not drawn from forth the matter of the body, though she be inclosed therein, and that she is a pure spirit, though she doth inanimate her body; It is almost impos∣sible to make us discerne how shee becomes criminall when she is thereinto infused, she is altogether pure whilst in her Authors hands, and she becomes not guilty till she becomes the bodies forme. I ve∣ry well know that she is infused as soon as created, and that the same hand which hath extracted her out of nothing, hath bound and fa∣stened her to the body: but I know not why the father, who con∣tributes nothing to her production, should contribute to her polluti∣on, and wherefore since he gives not life unto her, hee should make her inherit his sin. Divines are much perplexed with this difficulty, and touching the resolution thereof, Saint Austin hath oft-times doubted, whether the soul were not produced by generation, as wel as the body, all his reasons seem to be grounded upon this belief, he wil have it that the body doth infect the soul, and generation is as it were the channell of sin, which hath corrupted us. He grounds three principles which do produce three severall effects in man; God which hath f 1.29 created him, his father who hath begot him, and sin which hath sullyed him. The soul was from God, the body proceeds from the begetting Father, and the impurity derives from sin: he admira∣bly describes the Nature of concupiscence, and he is never more lear∣ned, nor more eloquent, then when he sets forth what havock she hath made in our souls, he g 1.30 teacheth us that every sin is a particuler concupiscence, and that instructed by our own Misery, we call Ava∣rice the concupiscence of riches, Pride the concupiscence of glory, and unchastity the concupiscence of voluptuousnesse, he concludes by convincing reasons, and which receive no reply, that it was neces∣sary

that man being guilty should beget sinfull Children, and h 1.31 that it was not just that the Children should be more innocent then their Fathers; he perswades us effectually, that Christians not being re∣generate but by the spirit, cannot communicate grace to those that descend from them by the way of generation which rests yet in Im∣purity: but truly he doth not sufficiently prove that the soul should become guilty for being engaged in the body, nor that to make up one Composition with it, she should contract a sin, whereof she her self is not capable, for though concupiscence reign in the body, (to speak properly it is not a sin till it pass into the soul; Irregularity is the matter thereof, but her aversion from God, is her Forme, and it is impossible to Comprehend, that the soul, for being infused into a wretched body, should become Criminall, whence then proceeds this Originall sin? by what waies doth it slide into our souls? by what Channels doth it shed it self into the handy work of God? and how comes it that the Chief workmanship of his hands becomes guilty, as∣soon it is engaged in the body.

Theologie hath been forced to Imagine a secret Treaty between God, and Adam, by the which, God having made Adam head of all men, he had given him grace for all his Posterity, and that by the same law that all his Children should share in his sin, that this Treaty (whereby Gods Justice is not injured) discovers unto us the greatnesse of his Sovereignty, that it is not strange a Prince should put into the hands of his Subjects the fate of all them that should descend from them; that in all the best regulated States, the Chil∣dren share in their Parents evils, that receiving the glory of all their best Actions, they should likewise pertake of the Pain and Infamy of their offences; that so the privation of Grace in men, is the punish∣ment of Adams fault, that by a necessary consequence the aversion of our will, derives from the losse of Innocency. Some building up∣on some i 1.32 Passages in S. Paul, would perswade us that all men were included in Adam, that there will was united to his, that his fault was their sin, and that therefore there was no inconvenience that those that lived in him should share in his guilt, some others (differ∣ing but a little from the former) have represented us with two uni∣versall men, whereof one is the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of sin, the other of Grace. We are united to the former by Generation, and become k 1.33 sinners like him; by regeneration we are fastned to the other, and become just as he is; Thus sin disperseth it selfe as well as Grace, unrighteousness

is communicated as well as Innocency, and we contract sin without a wil thereunto, as we receive grace in Baptisme without deserving it.

All these opinions, which I embrace and honour, doth sufficient∣ly explain how Adams sin is ours, but they do not cleerly enough de∣clare how we do contract it, they teach us that we are sinners, but do not discover unto us by what means we become so; wherefore, re-assuming Saint Augustines Principles, me thinks, a man may say, that Adams sin is the sin of all men, that, that which was voluntary l 1.34 in him is naturall in them, that it passeth from the father to those that descend from him, as Maladies do which are hereditary in Families, or as the Ethiopians, which is seen in his Childrens faces. To Comprehend this truth, it is not necessary to Imagine a Treaty between God, and Adam, whereby the fathers fault, and Pu∣nishment, becomes the sons; but it sufficeth to know that be∣ing faln from the State of Innocency, and having lost originall righ∣teousnesse, he cannot longer transmit it into his Progeny, that by ne∣cessary consequence he makes them share in a Malady which he could not cure himself of, and that he communicates his sin unto them, in communicating his concupiscence. Tis enough for them to be guilty, that they are descended from him, and without seeking for causes further off, it sufficeth to prove their guilt, that they are a part of him: twould be a Prodigie, if a sinfull Father should beget Children void of sin, and we were to wonder, if nature not being re-establisht in her former Purity, her productions should not be Corrupt.

The difficulty is to know how the soul which issues pure and spot∣lesse from out the hands of God, contracts sin when she is infused in∣to the body. To this I answer, that her streight union with the body m 1.35 is one cause of her fin, that she sullyes her self by Informing it, that she receives death by giving it life, & that wanting original righteous∣nesse, whereby to preserve her self from the contagion, occasioned by the first mans sin, she is no sooner made companion to the body but she becomes Criminall. Thus is she unpleasing to God, because she is not in Grace with him; she is not in Grace with him, because A∣dam hath lost Gods grace both for himself, and his Children, and she is sinfull because the father which unites her to the flesh, as a se∣condary cause, Communicates unto her his disorder not giving her a remedy, for it powers his poyson into her, and doth not present her with an n 1.36 Antidote, makes her Inherit Adams sin, and doth Commu∣nicate

unto her, the Grace of Jesus Christ. This it is which Saint Au∣gustine insinuates unto us in other Termes, when he says, that the Contagion of the body passeth into the soul, that the close Cōmerce that is between them, makes their miseries cōmon between them; and that without extraordinary helps, an Innocent soul cannot be lodg'd in a guilty body, the purest Liquours are tainted in musty vessels; cor∣rupted Air poysons those who breath therein, and infected houses give the Plague to those that live in them, Thus doth concupiscence glide from the body into the soul, and this wicked Host gives death to her that gives him life. If these reasons do not content the reader, let him know that I glory to be ignorant of what Saint Augustine understood not, that I should shew my self too rash, if I should think to give an entire light to the obscurest part of Divinity, and that I should be unfaithfull, if I should pretend to make a truth evident by reason, which is only known by Faith.

The fifth Discourse.

Of the Nature of Concupiscence.

CHristian Religion may truly boast, that all her Maxims are Pa∣radoxes, which agreeing with truth, give against humane rea∣son▪ for she proposeth nothing which is not as strange as true; and which causeth not as much astonishment as light in the soul, he who would prove this truth must make an Induction of all our My∣steries, and represent all the wonders which she comprehends, but without straying from my subject, it will suffice to say, that Originall sin is one of her strangest Paradoxes, and that if much of reason be required to prove it, no less of faith is requisite to believe it: for what more prodigious is there then that the sin of one man should be the sin of all men? that a Fathers Rebellion should ingage all his Children in disobedience, that his malody should be Contagious? that he should be the murtherer of all men before he be o 1.37 their Fa∣ther? and that unfortunately he be the cause of their death, many ages before they be born. Thus is this misfortune more generall then the deluge which drowned the world; more universall then the fire which shall consume it, and War and Pestilence which doth so ea∣sily

enlarge themselves are not so Contagious Evills as is this sin.

If it be wonderfull by reason of it's Effusion, it is no less miracu∣lous through it's other qualities; for we are taught by Divinity that it is voluntary in the Father, and naturall in the Children; that that which was only a fault in Adam, is both a sin and a punishment in those that descend from him, that we contract by birth what he willingly committed: and that that which was free in it's beginning should become necessary in the progress thereof; He might have kept from disobedience: And we can neither shun the punishment nor the fault: we are surprized by this misfortune in our Conception we are slaves before we have the use of Liberty, and we have already offen∣ded God before we knew him; we are rather, the objects of his an∣ger, then of his mercy; but that which is more deplorable, we are so corrupted from the moment of our Birth, as that we oppose our selves to his will. If he favour us in our Baptisme, the first use we make of Reason is for the most part engaged in Errour: we follow the Inclinations of our first father, and his sin makes such powerfull Impressions upon our souls, as we sin in our first thoughts, we for the most part make use of our liberty only to estrange our selves from God; we have a secret opposition to his ordinance, we are so inclosed within our selves, as we can love nothing but for our own interests, which is the Rule of our actions, and we neither love nor desire any thing save what is either usefull or pleasing to us. Such is the cor∣ruption of our nature, as there is almost nothing in it, which is not repugnant to the laws of God. It is so misled by sin as all the Incli∣nations p 1.38 thereof are perverted. In this unfortunate Condition, man can neither know nor doe good, he is inslaved, not having so much as the desire of Liberty: though he groan under the weight of his I∣rons, he is affraid of being freed from them: and though his Impri∣sonment be painfull, yet is not he weary thereof; he delights in do∣ing evill, and findes difficulty to do what is good; the great in∣clination he hath to sin doth not excuse his offence: And he cea∣seth not to be guilty though he cannot shun sin, in generall to fill up the measure of so many Evils, he is blind and insensible, he sees not the Evils that environ and threaten him, he is full of wounds, and hath no feeling of them; believing himself to be whole, he seeks not for help▪ & through proud blindness, he despiseth the Physician that would restore him to health. Every man that comes q 1.39 into this

world is in this miserable ^q condition, and we are guilty of all these Crimes. And charged with all these punishments before we be re∣generated in Baptisme; after this Sacrament, we become Innocent, but cease not to be miserable: sin forsakes us, but punishment waits upon us; and though we be no more guilty, we are notwithstanding out of order, our Fathers sin forgoes us, but Concupiscence remains.

This monster is not much lesse savage then is the r 1.40 Cause which produced it: It follows the Inclinations thereof, and if it be not alto∣gether so wicked, it is at least full out as irregular, it is much more opinionated then the father that begot it; our life is to short to cut it off: it's an enemy not to be overcome: wounds give it new life, it gathers strength by skars, and it must cost us our life to be the death thereof. Our first Divines (which were the Apostles) have given it the very s 1.41 name of sin, and as if twere more fatall then it's Father, they term it the strength, and law thereof; it is not content to per∣swade us to the Crime, but endeavours to enforce us thereunto, it mingles force with perswasion, and when it thinks the way by soli∣citation to be to mild, it hath Recourse to violence and Tyranny; it grows the more furious by opposition, it's stomack is set on edge by Inhibition, & it never becomes more insolent, then when Laws are prescribed unto it. To Expresse the Nature thereof to the life we must represent a Tyrant, who being born of sin will enlarge his Fa∣thers Empire, & make al mankind his slaves; it establisheth it's throne in our souls, darkens our understanding, infuseth wickednesse into our wils, and fils our memories with the remembrance of all unjust acts: It abuseth all the parts of our bodies; and works with our hands, Looks through our Eyes, Listens by our Eares, and Im∣ployes all our sences to Execute it's designes; it busieth it selfe so dexterously in all our desires as thinking to satisfie our Necessities, we obey the Tyranny thereof; and Believing to do a Reasonable Act, we commit a sinfull one: if we Eat, it is in too much Excesse, or with too much delight; If we sleep, tis rather out of too much nice∣ty then of necessity; if we speak, tis rather to slander then to edifie; and what we think we do for our preservation, we do for the most part for our satisfaction.

In fine, tis a bad t 1.42 Habit which produceth but bad acts; tis both the Daughter and Mother of sin. It giveth life to that from which it received life, all the motions thereof are Irregular; and whoso∣ever

operates by it's orders is sure enough to sin; tis not like other customes which insinuate themselves by degrees, and which pre∣serves themselves with some appearance of Justice: tis violent from it's very Birth, undertakes all Enterprizes as soon as formed; sub∣mits the understanding to Tyranny, and is never more dangerous, then when becomes Reasonable. Time augments it's force, Age in∣creaseth Fury, and whatsoever ruines all other Customes, serves only to maintain this: but that which passeth all beliefe is that though this Habit be so violent, yet it is naturall; the others are easily de∣stroyed because they contest against Nature; though they weaken her, yet they never destroy her; and let them do what they can, tis but a little Courage that is required to Conquer them: but this pas∣seth into Nature, precedes our birth, and out-lives our death: Grace may well lessen it, but never extinguish it: Saints u 1.43 groan under the rigour of it's Law, and Cals for Ayd from death against so Puissant an Enemy; and knowing that the soul cannot be set at Liberty, whilst inclosed within her body, they beg the parting thereof from the body as a favour. In Fine; all sins are in the seed of this pernicious Habit, and as the branches, and roots, flowers, and fruit, bark, and pith of a tree, are hid in the kernell thereof, so Mur∣ders and Parricides, Slanders, and blasphemies; adulteries and Incest are Circumscrib'd in Concupiscence. Who ever carries about this monster in his Bosome bears with him all sins; though they be not already disclosed, they are already begun; and though they render us not as yet guilty, they make us always miserable: the Devill may undertake any thing by the Assistance of this his faithfull Assistant in all his Impieties; and he very well knows that wheresoever it is, it always holds Intelligence with him. No man is assured of souls health, whilst he gives harbour to this Domestick Enemy, and our hopes ought always to be mingled with Feare, till such time as Grace hath totally Extinguished Concupiscence.

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The sixth Discourse.

The pursuit of the same Subject, and divers descriptions of Concupiscence.

MEn esteem those punishments the most severe which are most sensible, they believe not that God punisheth sinners unlesse the Earth quake under their feet, unlesse the Thun∣der roares over their heads, unlesse the Devill sieze on their bodies, and hurries them visibly into Hell. But as Physick thinks hidden Maladies the most dangerous, and that there is no cure for the decays of the lungs or braines: so doth Divinity think secret punishments, the worst, and that such Chastizements as make most noyse are least to be dreaded. She fears not so much the destroyings of the Plague nor the disorders of war, as she doth apprehend bad habits, or Ire∣gular inclinations; she much more patiently beares with the violence of diseases and the unseasonablenesse of the seasons, then with the motions of concupiscnce: for it is indeed the cruellest punishments which Divine Justice hath permitted for the Chastizement of mans offence: and it is the ancientest and cruellest of all the evils that doe assaile us: for tis a rebellion against all those things to which we owe obedience and a base submitting of our selves to whatsoever we ought to have any authority over. The soule ought naturally to sub∣mit her selfe to God, and the x 1.44 body to the soule: there is no more naturall nor rationall obedience: tis grounded on our being, and our perfection seemes to depend thereon. God gives the law unto our soul, and the soul the like unto her body, these duties are as ancient as we be, and though we fail in the payment thereof, yet weacknow∣ledge the Obligation yet Concupiscence disorders all; this comely regularity, she by an y 1.45 high insolency opposeth the soule to God: and by an extream piece of injustice raiseth the body against the soul, she sowes division between the two parts whereof we are composed, and we finde by an admirable effect of Divine justice that as our fault is disobedience: our punishment is also rebellion; for the soule re∣jects the laws of God: and the body despiseth the laws of the soul; our punishment is the picture of our sin and the paine which we in∣dure

beares the Character of the fault which wee have commit∣ted, or to expresse my self better in Saint Augustine words; our very offence is become our punshment z 1.46 and as we were Rebels to God by our own choise, we become the like now by necessity. The greatest part of our thoughts are so many undertakings against his Authority: our actions are attempts against his graciousnesse: and not withstanding any Inclination that we have to love him tis almost impossible for us without his grace, to keep from offending him, the body punisheth the soul for her offence, it revengeth God for the outrages the soul hath done him; and taking example from the souls rebellion dispenseth with its obedience thereunto: nay, it doth oft-times change its rebellion into tyranny, the Slave becomes his Sovereigns Master, and either by fair means or by foul, forceth him to serve his disorders, then doth the soul descend from her greatnesse, Labours only for the pleasures of the body, and imployes all her an∣vantages to procure new delight, unto her slave. All these Irre∣gularities derive from Concupiscence, which is nothing else but a generall Rebellion of Nature against it's Author; the different effects thereof makes it beare differing names, and the evill qualities there∣of makes Divines seek out new tearms to Expresse her a 1.47 ancient dis∣orders: Saint Augusttine cals her the foot-step of sin, for as the Crea∣ture is an Image of God, as it expresseth his divine perfections. And makes them visible to the Eyes of who shall consider them, so is Concupiscence the Image of sin and by the disorders thereof, repre∣sents b 1.48 unto us the bad inclinations of her father, but she hath this ad∣vantage, that she is a better finisht picture of her father (sinne,) then the Creature is of God. For let the Latter be never so excellent, tis always but a weak expression of it's creat••, tis but a shadow of his Light, a mean expression of his truth, and but a false beame of his beauty: To know him perfectly, we must raise our selves above his workmanship, & to conceive his greatnesse, we must rather oppose it to the creature, then cōpare it there with all, but concupiscence is the Lively Image of sin: we see all the Linaments of the father in the Daughters face, and she doth nothing wherein a man may not dis∣cerne the motions of the father. I know that all our punishments are the pictures of our sins, and God would have our Chastizement to be the Image of our offences, but to take it aright, every punishment expresseth but one only quality of sin, the Heat which accompanieth

fears represents only it's immoderate heat to us, blindness discovers only it's Ignorance, The palsie, which takes from us the use of our members, figures onely out unto us it's incapabilty of doing good, deafness declares only it's obstinacy unto us, and death it self which is sins most rigorous punishment, represents to us only the death of the soul, and the losse of Grace; But Concupiscence is a finisht picture which hath all the Colours and Linaments of sin, she hath all its wicked Inclinations, is Capable of all its Impressions, accomplish∣eth, all it's Designes, and this unfortutunate Father can undertake no∣thing which his daughter is not ready to Execute.

But one only name not being sufficient to expresse all the wicked∣nesse thereof, the Fathers have been fain to invent divers names to decypher out unto us the different effects of a Cause, which is as fruitfull as fatall.

Saint Augustine c 1.49 according to Saint Paul terms her the Law and Counsellor of sin: Reason was mans Counsellor and, in the state of innocency, he undertooke nothing but by her advice: when sin had weakned Reason, and that the darknesse thereof had Clouded the the luster of it's Eternall light, God gave him the written Law for a Counsellor, and Ingraved those truths in Marble which he had for∣merly ingraven in his heart: Great men formed no designe before they had Consulted with this visible Law; and David with all his illuminations protests that the law of God was the d 1.50 best part of his Councell; it was the morall Phylosophers wherin the learn'd vertue, it was his Politicks, and were he either to Conduct his subjects or to fight his enemies, he learnt the knowledge both of peace and war in the mysteries of the Law; but the sinner hath no other law then Concupiscence, he is advised by one that is blind and unfaithfull, he executes nothing without her e 1.51 orders, & he is brought to this extre∣mity. That his Counsellor is Pensioner to his Enemies. Reasons self is a slave to this perfidious Officer, she sees only through her f 1.52 eys, and after having well debated a businesse she forsakes better advice, to follow the pernicious Counsell of one that is blind, who is abso∣lutely the Devils Purchase, and who holds Continuall Intelligence with sin.

When he is weary of perswading us, he Chides us, when we have received his advice, he signifies his Commands unto us, and having deceived us as a perfidious Counsellor, he torments us as a merciless

Tyrant. Counsellours never work upon us but by their Reasons, they never make use of violence to oblige us to receive their advice, and they oftentimes foregoe their own opinions to receive ours, if they think them better; but Concupiscence is a furious Officer who makes use of Force when Perswasion will not prevail.

This Tyrant is more insuportable then those who formerly coman∣ded in Greece, whō the Orators of that Country have charg'd with so many just opprobries. For these Enemies to mankind exercised their cruelty only upon the body, and assubjected to their power only the leastpart of man. Whosoever valued not theirown lives, might make himself Master of theirs, and who feared not death, might deride their violence, but this Tyrant g 1.53 whereof I speak exerciseth his fury upon the spirits, he blots out the remembrance of all vertue from out his memory, he darkens the understandingwith his mysts, oppresseth the will by his violence, and leaveth only a languishing liberty in the souls which he possesseth. This Monster which had only the fa∣ces of men, were not alwaies in the Company of their subjects, their absence was a truce of servitude, some private Closets were to be found where one might tast the sweet of liberty, A man might meet with a freind before whom he might lay his heart open, and though freindship had been banished from off the heart, Compassion would have made it revive, for his Consolation. Twas in these private Conferences that the death of Tyrants was Conspired, the parties safety joyned to the desire of liberty, caused the Conception of the designes, and the desires of glory put it in execution. But Concupis∣cence never parts from sinners; this Tyrant keeps his Court in the midst of their wills, he hath raised a throne in their hearts.

He finds so much of obedience and weaknesse in his slaves, as he knows they cannot shake of the yoke of his Tyranny without for∣reign Ayd, these publike plagues could not make themselves be be∣loved in their states; though they left some shadows of Liberty, they could not win their subjects Hearts, there faults were always repaid with publike Hatred, and the Necessity they had to make themselves feared was not the least punishment of their Injustice; they grew weary of being the Horror of their people, and if they could have made themselves be beloved, they would have ceased making them∣selves feared; but their subjects were so Incenst against them, as to keep them in respect, twas necessary to keep them in awe, and since

they could not purchase their love to resolve to merit their Hatred: but though Concupiscence be the cruellest of all Tyrants, yet hath she found the secret of making her selfbe beloved, all her subjects reserues their Loyalty, even in persecution, they are pleased with the pains h 1.54 they undergoe. Torments are not able to make them wish for liberty, let them be neuer so ill dealt with all by their un∣just Sovereign, they never blame his cruelty. And though they be the most unfortunate slaves of all the world, they cease not to be the faithfullest lovers, In fine, to put an end to this discourse.

These Tyrants do not allways vex their subjects with angersome Commands, all there decrees are not unjust, their polluted mouthes have sometimes pronounced Oracles: and the Graecian Phylosophers have registred their words who had bereft them of their liberty, the Dionsii made laws which the Politicians reverenced, their Ordi∣nances were able to instruct legitimate Princes, and they have utte∣red maximes which may serve us for instructions. But all the com∣mands made by Concupiscence are unjust, all her orders are sin, one cannot obey her without blame, and to speak in Saint Augustines lan∣guage, a man cannot follow the motions of Concupiscence without contesting against the motions of grace▪ nor can a man live at full li∣berty, unlesse he be freed from the Tyranny thereof.

The seventh Discourse.

That self-love is nothing else but Concupiscence.

Though Divines have given as many names to Concupiscence as she hath committed sins, and that every one paints her out as he finds her in another, or according to his own experience; yet they all agree that her most celebrated name, and that which best expresseth her nature is self-love; For as Charity comprehends all vertues, self-love comprehends all vices, as i 1.55 Charity unites us to God and loseth us from our selves, her Enemy self-love severs us from God, and fasteneth us to our selves; As Charity hath no great∣er a passion for any thing then to love God, and make him be be∣loved by all others: self-love produceth no more violent desire in man; then to love himself, and to obliege all other men to love him; To comprehend these truths you must know; that Charity accor∣ding

to S. Pauls words, and S. Augustines Comment composeth all vertues to be perfect; It sufficeth to be charitable & one vertue is suf∣ficient in Christs school to acquire all others; she believeth all things (saith that great k 1.56 Apostle) and so hath the merit of Faith: she waits for the accōplishment of Gods promises, & so possesseth the certain∣ty of hope: she suffers all injuries as well as Patience doth, she with∣stands sorrow with as much courage as doth fortitude: and this Fa∣mous Doctor of the Gentiles who perfectly knew the Inclinations of charity gives her all the Advantage which belongs to all the ver∣tues; so as according to his principles the loue of God is only Requi∣site to become highly vertuous, Saint Augustine who learnt nothing but in S. Pauls school mixeth all vertues with Charity, and as if he wold reduce al things to an unity, he teacheth us that the only vertue on earth is to love him who is perfectly lovely. For love hath several names according to his severall imployments, he changeth qualities though not Nature; and continuing stil the same presents himself un∣to us, under divers l 1.57 forms and shapes, Temperance is a faithful love, which wholly gives herself over to what she loveth, not permitting Voluptuousnesse to divide them: Fortitude is a generous love which with delight overcomes all the difficulties which can be met withal, for her well beloved sake; Justice is an uncorrupt love which in∣structeth how to reign in obedience, & which submitting herself to God, as to her sovereign commands over all creatures as over her slaves: In fine, wisdome is an illuminated love, which happily dis∣cerning between the wayes which may estrange her from God, and those which may fasten her to him, chooseth the former, and rejects the other, or to expresse the same truth in other tearms; Love is ter∣med wisedome when he keeps himself from straying and hath right to what he loves, he is called fortitude when he fights against such sorrows as would astonish him; Temperance, when he despiseth such pleasures as would corrupt him; & m 1.58 Justice, when to consecrate his liberty to God, he disdains to serue the Creature; so may we say that self-love, which is Charities mortall Enemy comprehends all vices, and that it only changeth countenance, when it appears under the form either of Pride, Colour, or Envy, it is unjust in it's Ambiti∣on, prepares for Combat when irritated; for vengeance when offen∣ded; when unjust it bereaves it's Neighbour of his goods, and good name; and when Intemperate it engageth it self in unlawfull de∣lights.

The great Apostle, when he numbers up all faults puts it in the first n 1.59 rank and teacheth us that there is no sin which is not a sort of self-love disguised. And Saint Augustine who hath drawn all his Doctrine from Saint Pauls words, instructeth the whole Church that the faults which wee detest are not so much the effects as the proprieties of self love. In effect, is not Avarice, an unjust love of riches, is not Pride an unjust love of Honours, is not opiniatrecie a furious love to be always victorious, is not colour a detestable love of revenge? And to conclude all in a few words; are not all sins as many different loves which changing rather countenance then humour: agree all in a designe of fastning themselves to objects which they like, and of keeping a loofe off, from such as they like not. There is also the second opposition of the love of God, and the love of our selves, for charity hath no no∣bler imployment then to free us from all things to unite us to God, she endeavours to perswade us that to love our selves well we must hate our selves; that to have a care of our selves we must forget our selves; and if we would finde out our happinesse we must seek for it from without our selves, men wonder that the law of God which commands us to love our Neighbour, doth not command us to love our selves, and that it only mentions the love we owe unto our selves when it recommends unto us the love which we owe unto, our Neighbours, but to boot that this love was imprinted in the founda∣tion of our wills by the hands of Natures selfe, and that it was more then needed to command us a thing to which we had so great an in∣clination; man loved himselfe sufficiently in loving o 1.60 of God, and God had sufficiently provided for mans happinesse in ordaining man to love him above all things; The love of God is mans true happi∣nesse, we are rich when we possesse it; and poore when we lose it; let our designes be waited upon by whatsoever good successe let the world promise us what ever good event; what ever favour Fortune affordeth us, all riches which consists not in the possessions of the Summum bonum, is but a meer reall poverty, for as Augustine saith; God is so good as all men that leave him are miserable, and man is so noble as whatsoever is not God cannot render him happy, tis chari∣ties chiefest designe to fasten man to God so straightly. As that no∣thing may seperate him from God, and to in lighten his soule with so much love as that she may exstinguish selfe love, or turn it into a holy hatred of himselfe.

This Divine p 1.61 vertue can mount no higher, so glorious a Me∣tamorphosis is the utmost of her power, and God can demand nothing more of those that love him, when that they may love him perfectly they arrive at the height of hating themselves. Self love takes a clean opposite way, from that of charity, and by direct contrary traces, endeavours to estrange man from God, and to fasten him to himselfe, or to the Creature: it effaceth as much as it is able, the inclination which his soule hath for the Summum Bo∣num: if it cannot stifle it, it diverts it; and seeing that the heart of man cannot be without imployment it lays before him the beauty of the Creatures, to divert him from those of the Creatour; being accom∣panied with blindnesse and pride, it easily abuseth the soule which it possesseth, and figuring out the perfections thereof more glorious then they are; it makes her, her own Idolater; it raiseth her incensi∣bly up to the height of impiety, and by different steps mounts it even to the hatred of God, for as the faithful man is perfect when he loves God, even to the pitch of hating himself, the sinner even hath the measure of his sin filled up when he loves himselfe, even to the de∣gree of hating God. This passion reignes not much, save in the souls of the damned: one must be wholly possest by sin to conceive this designe, and I know not whether there be any so sinful soule on Earth, as can have so damnable a recentment, Hell is the abode of these wicked ones, and I firmly believe, that as their hatred of God is the sow lest of there sins, so is it the cruellest of their punishments, yet can they not hate this Summum Bonum with there whole heart, the foundation of their being is possest by the love of God, they love him naturally whom they hate willingly, they are divided between love, and hatred; there will is q 1.62 parted by these two contrary mo∣tions and for all they can do to stifle this naturall Inclination, they cannot hinder their best part from languishing, and sighing, after God: they afflict themselves that nature fights against there will, and that her unalterable laws forceth them to love the author of their everlasting punishment.

But to reassume the threed of our discourse; the last opposition of selfe love and charity is, that the latter hath no more violent desire then to purchase lovers to God almighty to enlarge the bounds of his Empire and to disperce the holy flames of his Divine love into all hearts, for a heart that is inflamed with this sacred fire knowing ve∣ry

well that it cannot love God according to his lovelinesse, wisheth that all the parts of its body were changed into hearts and tongues to praise and love the only object of its love. But as she sees her wishes are uselesse, she endeavours to increase the number of Divine lovers, to the end that making amends for her indigen∣cy, they may love him with all their might whom she cannot sufficiently love. Self love in opposition to this, which obligeth man to make a god of himselfe, inspires him with a desire to make himselfe be beloved of all the world. Instructed by so good a master, he imployeth all his cunning to rob himself of his liberties, he dis∣covers all his perfections to purchase lovers, he proposeth himselfe unto himselfe as an Idoll to be adored, and believeth that the truest, and most legitimate happinesse on earth, is to have slaves who are fairly forced to love him. When Kings are arrived at this height of of injustice and Impiety, men thinke them happy and the Politicks, which labours to decypher a good Sovereigne, is never better con∣tent, then when she hath raised in them this violent desire of enjoy∣ning their Subjects good will. Tis herein that she distinguisheth Kings from Tyrants, and that she opposeth unjust Sovereignes to Legitimate Monarchies; but we are taught by Christian Religion that blame may be incurred as well by making ones self r 1.63 be beloved as in making him be feared. For though she honours Kings, and condemnes Tyrants, though she approve of Moderate Government, and detests ruling by rigour, yet doth she equally blame those who intrench upon Gods rights, and who proposing themselves to their Subjects: as their final end, will possesse all their affections, love ap∣pertaines aswell to God only as glory, of all offerings he is best plea∣sed with that of the heart, and he loves much better to rule over men, by the way of mildnesse, then of rigour, insomuch as Kings who would make themselves be beloved as Gods, are not much lesse faulty then those who would make themselves be dreaded as Ty∣rants, they are both of them guilty of Treason against the Diety, and pretend to honours which are only reserved for God, Lucifer ne∣ver purposed to establish his greatnesse by violence, he made more use of his beauty then of his power, to Corrupt the inferiour Angels; and if his Empire be terminated in rigour it began in clemency. A legitimate Sovereigne, straies as well from his duty in seeking after the love, as after the fear of his Subjects, and though one of these

two ways be more innocent then the other in the sight of men, it is not much lesse faulty in the sight of God, it is not permitted in our Religion for a man to make himselfe be beloved: tis a presumption to endeavour those liberties which pertain only to God, to deboysh his subjects is to divide his Empire, hee will have all his slaves to love him, and according to Saint Austines maximes, we owe all our love to God: the Prince is bound to fasten his subjects to their Cre∣ator to make him reign in his kingdome, and to receive no homage from his people save only for that he is the Image of God: tis there∣fore the most dangerous impression that self-love can make in men, when it perswades them that they deserve the love of the whole world, and that they ought to imploy all their might to augment the number of their Lovers: yet every one is possest with this passion, and I see none who do not by severall ways aspire to this tyranny. Men discover the perfection of their minds to make themselves ad∣mired, women make the most they can of their bodily beauty to make them be adored, but the one and the other of them will have their malady turn contagious, and spread abroad the poyson of self-love which hath infected them, into the souls of all those that come neer them.

The eighth Discourse.

That Concupiscence, or Self-love divides it self into the love of Pleasure, of Honour, and of Knowledge.

MAns losse doth so sute with his greatnesse, that to under∣stand the one wel, the other must necessarily be comprized, and we must know what advantages he did possess in his Innocency, that we may not be ignorant of such miseries as he un∣dergoes by sin. Originall righteousnesse which united him to God, made him find innocent delights, pure and certain knowledge, and elevated honours, (of which ours are but the shadows) in the Posses∣sion of the Summum Bonum when he lost Grace, he therewith all lost all these glorious Privileges, which were the dependances thereof, his Pleasures were turned into Punishments, his light into darkness, and his glory into infamy, the misery into which he saw himself faln

did irritate his desire, and the remembrance of his past felicity made him seek for that in the Creature, which he had lost in his Creator. Self-love, which succeeded the love to God, spread it self abroad in∣to three as impure rivolets, as was the spring head from whence they did derive: the first was call'd the love of Pleasure, s 1.64 the second the love of light or novelty, and the third the love of greatnesse, or of glory, these three generall causes of all our disorders, are the fatall effects of Concupiscence, they divide man (now become guilty,) and though they agree in the bereaving him of his liberty, yet they share in the division of his person. Voluptuousnesse or the love of pleasure, resides in the senses, and reigns in all the parts of the body which are capable of delight, the soul engageth her self in the eyes and ears, to tast the contentments which these two senses can wish for, she renounceth spirituall delights, to seek out such as are sen∣suall, and as if she were now no longer a pure spirit, she longs after nothing but bodily delights. Necessity is no longer the rule of her desires, she betakes her self no more to objects, for that they are ne∣cessary, but for that they are pleasing. Temperance useth her utmost endeavour to withstand this irregularity; she endeavours to passe by all voluptuousnesse, without any stay, and to make use of such reme∣dies as Nature hath ordained for the cure of our maladies, without the engagement of her aff••ctions; but Concupiscence overthrows all her designes, and by the absolute power whereby she governs in the soul, she solicits her to tast all the pleasures of our senses. The soul being faln from her first greatnesse, seems then to cease being spiri∣tuall, that she may become Corporall; that she partake no longer in the felicity of Angels, and that she no longer pleased with any de∣lights, save such as are sensuall, and impure. This is the first contest∣ation which those faithfull ones resent, who will overcome t 1.65 Concu∣piscence, and tis the frequentest piece of Art which the t 1.66 Devil makes use of to destroy men; the souls alliance with the body favours his design, and makes his on-sets more dangerous; mens weakness faci∣litates their undoing, and there are very few who are able to over∣come an enemy which is pleasing to them. If they were to chuse the Combat, they would rather charge grief then pleasure, and by their sighing under the burthen of their Irons, one may easily judge, that they are only slaves to pleasures, because they want courage to des∣pise it. This Temptation is so much more dangerous then others as

it is more naturall. To vanquish it a man must have no more a body, and changing condition with Angels, hee must become a pure spirit; but to boot with our loving this part of our selves, the occasions of Combats are so frequent, as we are oft in one and the same day both Conquerours and conquered: the sub∣jects of vain glory are not so common, if we be blinded by our ima∣ginarie greatnesse, we are humbled by our reall miseries, and we must have forgotten the shame of our birth if we glory in any thing during our life: Though the desire of knowledge awakens our curi∣osity, and that the very ignorance whereinto we are plunged, obli∣geth us to seek out a diversion, in the knowledge of worldly things, yet the difficulties which accompanies. Science, makes us lose our longing after it. We love rather to be kept in ignorance, then to be freed therof by study, we cannot resolve upon the getting of a fleece, where the Pains exceeds the Glory, and where the Reward equals not the Labour: but Voluptuousnesse is as easie as delightfull, it pre∣sents it self unsought for, and is received without difficulty, if we must fight for it, tis when Jealousie or Ambition makes themselves of the Partie; and that they Corrupt the sweetnesse of our delights by the vain-Glory of their designes, and moreover, Nature having mingled delight with all her remedies, we must always stand upon our guard, that we build not our felicity one things which she gives us only for our Consolation. It is hard to discern whether we eat more out of Pleasure, or necessity; a man must be very moderate, to seek for nothing more in sleep, then the refreshing of the body, and the repairing of our forces; we must have already made many a Com∣bat, to effect nothing more in Marriage then the preservation of our Families, thus do great Saints confess tis easier to bereave ones self of Pleasures, then to regulate them, and that there goes more of worth to moderate these pleasing Enemies, then to stifle them; tis easier to fast, then to feed sparingly of dainty viands, and the good use of riches is more rare then voluntary Poverty. Mans mind is busied with Curiosity, or the love of Novelty, which is so much the more dangerous by how much it appears more lawfull: knowledge, which is not the least part of our Advantages, takes the freedome to per∣swade us that there is nothing more Noble then Cognizance of Na∣ture, she thinks to offer up an acceptable sacrifice to God; when she losing our senses from delight, that she may engage in the search

of Truth, so fair a pretext serves for excuse to her Injustice, and be∣cause knowledge is the souls Ornament, she will have all things al∣lowed thereunto, no bounds being prescribed to her desires, not laws unto her sury. From the secrets of u 1.67 Nature she easily passeth to Impiety; for she consults with the Stars that she may know what's to come, and if their Aspects or Conjunctions do not sufficiently in∣struct her, she raiseth up Spirits, treats with Devils, and of an uselesse Science frames a dangerous superstition. The Amphitheaters of past ages, the Circi, and the Arenae, are the inventions of this desire of Novelty, Dauncing and other Sports, are not so much the occupa∣tions of the Idle; as the diversions of the Curious. tis the desire of seeing somewhat of new which draws us forth with multitudes into the fields, and all these fashions, which we invent, are rather signes of our Curiosity, then of our vanity. x 1.68 This Passion is much more violent, then that of voluptuousnesse, for the latter is easily conten∣ten, and destroying her self by enjoying, her own delights turns of∣ten to be her punishments: but the other is never contented: reme∣dies imbitter her violence, and the earth is not able to satisfie her with Novelties, the Passion of the flesh extends it self only to pleasures, as soon as an object ceaseth to be pleasing she scorns to pursue it, and the voluptuous have this advantage, as that they see all their desires confined with the limits of delights: but the Curious mingle Pain with Pleasure, and agree these two contraries together, to entertain their restlesnesse, they try poysons under pretence of composing Antidotes, they dissect the dead, under colour of curing those that live; they teare up the bowels of the earth to learne secrets thereout, and goe down to the depths of the Sea, to know the wonders there∣of. There is nothing which may not be come at by the fury of so Ir∣regular a Passion, which hath nothing of equitable in her disorder, save that she is the Eternall Punishment of those that love her. Inno∣cency, and sin may have been the originall thereof; Innocency, be∣cause whilst in that condition, man knew all that with justice he could wish for; Sin, because he would know more then he ought, and that discovering his heart unto the Devill, he indiscreetly suffe∣red the immoderate desire of knowing all things to enter there.

Pride or the Ambition of Command; is the last, and most dan∣gerous effect of Concupisceuce. Flattery, whose cheife imployment is to praise sin, confounds this Passion with vertue, and makes all glo∣rious

faults lawful to Conquerors. She builds the glory of the Alex∣anders upon the sin of Maligne spirits, and she will perswade y 1.69 Prin∣ces of the world, that the furious desire which changed Angels into Devils, can turn men into Gods; but our Religion teacheth us that there is no more insolent Passion then this, and that all other sins are the ushers in of Pride. In effect, if other sins do busie the mind, this possesseth it, if others fly from God, to shun his justice, this draws neer unto him, to set upon his greatnesse, if others leave us when we grow old, this accompanieth us even unto death, and if the rest chance sometimes to be the sin of the Elect, this is almost always the Reprobates fault, it will supply Gods place; whatsoever name is given to the Impiety thereof, it's design in making it self be either loved or feared, is to govern over men, either by force or fair means, and to commit a rape upon that Glory, which belongs only to him, who is the beginning and end of all things: this Passion dies not with men, they preserve the sense thereof after death; and their care of having their Prayers recorded in History their Statutes erect∣ed in publique Places, and stately Monuments in Churches, are assu∣red proofs that their Ambition ends not with their lives, this dis∣order can only proceed from the first man, who not being able to permit that even God should be his Sovereign, unjustly pretended to Independency, and endeavouring Sovereignty by Rebellion, reap∣ed thereby nothing but a shamefull servitude; all these irregularities which derive from self-love, as from their spring-head; and all our fins which burst out from thence like rivers, the Devil who very wel knows, how to tēpt man, makes no use of any other means then these to seduce him, he beats us with our own weapons, and he loseth the hope of overcomming man, when man keeps himself from delight, Curiosity, z 1.70 and Ambition, he raised all these batteries against the first man, and judging of their Power by their good success, he made use thereof against Jesus Christ in the Desert, but seeing that his soul was sufficient proof against all his on-set, she resolved to set upon him by sorrow and gr•• whom he could not seduce by de∣lights

The ninth Discourse.

Wherefore Concupiscence remains in Man after Baptisme.

WE are taught by Divinity, that nothing but the Power of God can make all things out of nothing; nothing but his Providence can draw good out of evill, and make a mans fault to amend his life. Naturall Phylosophy cannot compre∣hend the former of these wonders, and morall Phylosopy cannot comprehend the second. Nature worketh nothing without materi∣als, her workmanships are rather alterations then productions; shee may well change one thing into another, but she cannot make a new thing, and there is so little proportion between nothing and subsist∣ancy, as Aristotle chose rather to believe that the World was eter∣nall, then that God created it of Nothing. This great Genjus found it lesse inconvenient to acknowledge numberless causes, then to con∣fess one only, the power thereof was unlimited; and morall Phy∣losophy, which is not greatly more enlightned then naturall Phylo∣phy, findes such opposition between good and evill, as shee would rather think to draw light out of darkness, and beauty out of defor∣mity, then Vertue out of Vice: but Religion which adores in God Almighty a Power which hath no bounds, and an unclouded Pro∣vidence confesseth also, that the one may have framed the World out of nothing, and that the other may have extracted Grace, out of sin, in effect the work of our Redemption, is the sequell of ou•• loss. And if Adams sin be not the cause, it is at least the occasion of our salvation, the same sin which hath drawn reproches from forth our mouth, hath return'd prayses for it, And the Church calleth that sin, fortunate, a 1.71 which hath merited so excellent a Redeemer, Concu∣piscence being the daughter of sin, we must not wonder if divine Providence hath made it serviceable to her designes, and if she em∣ploy her Enemy to execute her will, for though this guilty habit be past, as it were into nature, and that it makes sin so hard to be over∣come, yet did God leave it in the souls of his faithfull Ones to exer∣cise their vertue, to allay their Pride, and to make them have their

Remembrance of their misfortune always before them. During the happy estate of their Innocencie, Vertue was so naturall to man as it met with no Resistance. Man took delight in doing what was good, and the greatness of Merit was not measured by the dif∣ficulty of the work, his passions were obedient to reason, his senses were faithfull to his soule, and his body had no other moti∣ons then those of the soule, the practise of Piety was not as yet be∣come a Combate, Continencie and Fortitude were not enforced to give battaile, to bear away the victory; and these two Noble Habits were given man, rather for his ornament then for his defence, so we must confess that if he had more quiet then we, hee had less glory, and that if he tasted more delight, he could not hope for so great re∣ward, for all our life is spent in Exercise and fighting, all our vertues are austeer, they are always environed with Enemies, they cannot go out of their ordinary tracks, without falling into a Precepice, and they are Reduced to the b 1.72 Necessity of Continuall fighting unlesse they will be defeated, but of all the Enemies that sets upon them, they are most vext with Concupiscence, and yet win most glory thereby, for she is so opinionated as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cannot be overcome, Grace which triumphs over all our Evill, complains of being resisted by this, although it lose it's vigour, it loseth not it's courage, and though the Saints do still weaken it yet they cannot stifle it; they must dye to defeat it, and it must cost them their life, to get the full victory, yet is this the field wherein they purchase all their Bayes, tis the matter of their fights and Triumphs: and their vertues would lan∣guish in Idleness, did not this domestick Enemy keep them in breath. To say truth, they run much danger but gain much Glory; the same subject which causeth their Pain heighthens their courage and in∣creaseth their merit.

If Concupiscence be of use to vertue, she is no lesse fatall to sin, for though she be her Daughter she is likewise oft her Murtherer; and of all the remedies which Grace hath ordained to cure us of Pride, there is none more safe then that of this disorder. We are na∣turally Proud and Miserable, and it is hard to say whether Pride or misery makes the greater Impression in our souls. Pride is so well engraven therein, as we in our sad Condition continue the coveting after all those greatnesses which we did possess whilest innocent; We perswade our selves that we are Princes, because our Father was

so: We will have Nature to obey us because she bore respect to his will, and we think that all honours are due to us, because he enjoyed them in the Earthly Paradice. Death which is the reward of sin can∣not be the cure thereof; the Creatures revolt cannot perswade us, that we have lost the Empire of the world, and the sicknesses, which do alter our Tempers, cannot teach us that the Elements are our ene∣mies, but Concupiscence teacheth us humility, this insolent Mistris teacheth us obedience; c 1.73 and her frequent rebellions makes us know that we are no longer Masters of our selves, by two contrary Motions, she inspires us with Pride, and teacheth us modesty, she fils us with courage, and makes us know our weaknesse, she incites us against Heaven, and obligeth us to implore the assistance thereof▪ In fine, she wounds and cures us, at the same time; and like to those prepared poysons, whereof Medicines are made, she is the antidote of al our evils. For who is so proud a Prince as doth not humble himself, when hee sees he is less absolute in his person then his state, that his▪ Passions are more rebellious then his subjects, that there goes more to tame them, then to reduce Rebels to obedience, and that though reason super-intend in his soul, she hath irrationall subjects who despise her Authority. Saint Augustine confesseth that this Punish∣ment is as shamefull as cruell, and of as many Irregularities as sin hath produced in men, hee findes none more infamous then Concupis∣cence.

She makes us also see the unfortunate state of our condemna••n, and even in the State of Grace, she presents unto us the Condition▪ of sin; for we are divided between Adam▪ and Jesus Christ, we be∣long to two Masters, we are the Members of two opposite Com∣manders, and we the Children of two Fathers, that war one against the other▪ Wee hol•• still with Adam, according to the flesh, wee follow his Inclinations, and in Christian Religion, we forbeare, not to ob••y his will, his sin hath made such an Impression in our d 1.74 soul, as we continue to bear about with us all the marks of his Rebellion, and unlesse we contend against our senses, we find by experience; that our desires▪ are the Pictures of his.

All our sins are so many undertakings against the Authority of God, we will be Independent in our Government, we will tast de∣lights unmingled with bitternesse, and have knowledge ••exempt from errour, we still seek after the effects of those abusive promises,

which the wicked Fiend made unto us, and pretend in the depth of our Miseries, to arrive at the height of greatnesse, from whence we are faln, thus doth Adams sin triumph yet in our souls, and this Fa∣ther which is dead so many ages ago, lives yet in his Children. Tis true that according to the spirit we belong to the only Son of God, his Grace is shed abroad throughout our hearts, we work by his Mo∣tions, if we be inanimated by his spirit, and we desire to kill Adam, that Jesus Christ may live in his place; but this is but a languishing life, we are but imperfect works, Grace meets always with contra∣dictions in her designs, and the soul being engaged in the bodies re∣bellion, hath very much ado to submit her self to the Spirit of God. We e 1.75 wait for the day of resurrection, to the end that Jesus Christ may be the Father both of our body, and soul, and that the two parts whereof we are Composed may submit themselves to his will. We wish that death may bereave us of all that Adam gave us, and to the end that Jesus Christ may reign absolutely in our Soul we▪ de∣sire that our soul may be loosened from the sinfull body which she inanimates; from thence derive the opposite motions which divide the greatest Saints, from thence arise those contrary desires which divide their wils, from thence finally proceeds those differing in∣clinations which do so diversly agitate them, and which teach them that though they be Subjects to the Empire of Grace, they are not notwithstanding freed from the Tyranny of sin, tis true that they Comfort themselves amidst their misfortune; When they consider that they are not made guilty by the motions of Concupiscence, save when they are voluntary, and that Baptisme, which hath left them languishing, hath not left them Criminall, for our revolts are not al∣ways sins, if our will approve not of them, they are rather Subjects of Glory then Confusion. The disorders of our Passions become not offences, save when they draw along our consent, as long as the soul opposeth the disorders of the senses, she is innocent, and as long as she surpasseth Sorrow and Anger, f 1.76 if she do not triumph she is at least victorious. He who looks Pale and sigheth, is not always over∣born with Feare, or Sorrow, he whose colour riseth when he is offended is not always overcome by choller. These Passions must be voluntary to be Criminall, and to be really tearmed sins, they must pass from the body to the soul, he who trembleth is not affraid if he will not Commit some base act, he who weeps is not sad, if he

will wipe away his tears; he who finds Anger to arise in him is not irritated, if he endeavour to quench his flames, and amidst all these Passions a man may boast that he is void of fear; Grief; and Anger, if his will goe not along with their motions, by all this discourse a man may easily gather, that g 1.77 Concupiscence may be made good use of by the Faithfull, and that if, of her own Inclination, she be the root of all vice, when conducted by Grace she may become the seed of all vertues.

The tenth Discourse.

That Gods Iustice hath permitted that Man should be divided within himself, for the punish∣ment of his sin.

THe Phylosopher Seneca being desirous to make it known, that Destiny hath no share in the Worlds Government, and that whatsoever accidents befall us in the Course of our life, are guided by a Sovereign Providence, vaunted that he had under∣taken a work h 1.78 which was not difficult, since hee therein pleaded Gods cause, and that he had the honour to defend it; Me thinks I may begin this Discourse in his words, and boast together with him, that the businesse I undertake is not very hard, since I plead in the behalfe of the Justice of God; and that I go about to free it from the out-rages which it receives from so many foul mouthes, which accuse Gods Justice for leaving so many wicked men unpunished. I very well know that the unfortunate Innocent have complained of these, and that without dis-regard to the respect which is due to the Justice of God, they have often desired that God would be more speedy in his Punishments. i 1.79 David murmured inwardly seeing the prosperity of sinners, Iob complain'd, that the good fortune of the wicked was so constant, as it accompanied them even to death, and Saint k 1.80 Augustine, who seems to have sought into all the secrets of Divine justice confesseth, that it is no lesse difficult to accord the Power of Grace, with mans Liberty, then Divine justice with the Prosperity of the wicked. This is the scandall of silly souls, the wick∣ed mans despair, and the rock whereon all those run ship wrack, who

are not soundly grounded in the Faith of Jesus Christ: yet this great Doctor avoucheth two or three maximes, which may pacifie the mind of man, and which prove cleerly enough that there is no sinner who is not miserable.

To understand his Doctrine we must know that l 1.81 Punishment and reward go to the making up of one part of the worlds beauty; and that as Vertue deserves some Pay, sin likewise deserves some Punishment. It would be unreasonable if the just man should not be recompenced, and Irregular, if the guilty should not be punished. Divine justice is answerable to these two sorts of men, and as the great Tertullian says, she is no lesse obliged to Erect Heaven for the good, then to make Hell for the wicked; that Divine perfection, which maintains the order of the world never overthrows this: Ver∣tue receiveth always her reward, and vice is never exempt from Pu∣nishment; they do not only follow, but accompany one another, and as the Epicurians did not believe that delight could be seperated from vertue, Saint Augustine did not believe that Punishment could be parted from sin. This effect is always found with it's cause, and man can no sooner Commit an offence but he presently becomes sensible of the Punishment. There is an m 1.82 Eternall law which will have good men happy, and the wicked miserable, it neither defers reward nor Punishment, and without putting off the Punishment to Hell, or the reward to Heaven, it confers them both on earrh,; God hath made some laws which alters with the times; though he be in himself always the same, yet he accommodates himself somtimes to his handy-worke, and oft times repeals the Decrees which he hath pronounced, but the law which regards vertue, and vice is immuta∣ble, and the ugliness of an offence never goeth without the beauty of Punishment, nor doth sin ever enter into n 1.83 a soul, but it brings it's reward with it, Though this maxime may appear strange yet hath it been approved of by prophane Phylosophy; and Seneca o 1.84 acknow∣ledged that man who had sinned could not keep unpunished; that his Crime was his Torment, and that without having recourse to the revengfull furies he bore about with him, his hangman, and his sin. They therefore deceive themselves who believe that there be any guilty unpunished, because they are honoured; for though men through base flattery confound vice with vertue, though they put a value upon what they ought to dis-esteeme, though they raise Altars

to those that merit the Gallows, though the Heavens seem to favour their designs, that Fortune fore-running their desires, mounts them upon Thrones, and put Crowns upon their Heads, yet are they un∣happy, if wicked, and amongst this imaginarie felicity which pro∣vokes our Envy, they suffer Pains, which would move our Com∣passion, if they were as evident as true: for if they should suffer no other Torment then to be upon ill Tearms with God, are they not sufficiently Miserable, and say they should undergo no other losse, then that of his Grace; should they not be rigorously enough pu∣nisht; banisht People will admit of no Consolation, because they are far distant from their Country: though they enjoy their estate, though they live under a Temperate Climate, though they con∣verse with fair conditioned men, they think themselves unhappy, in that they breath not the Air of their own Countrey. Favourites will not out-live their Masters favours, the Magnificence of their Palaces, the number of their meniall servants, the greatnesse of their offices, cannot charme their sorrow; they are pleased with no∣thing because their Prince is offended: all their contentments cannot countervail the losse of his Favour, and his wrath is a Punishment, which all the reasons of Phylosophy cannot sweeten: if experience teacheth us that banishment and losse of Favour are Punishments, shall we doubt whether he that is not upon good Terms with God, be upon bad terms with himselfe or no? and can we think him happy who through his own default hath lost the well spring of true Hap∣pinesse? the sinner then is miserable; and if men esteeme them hap∣py amongst so many sufferings, It is for that they do not know wherein happinesse consists. I looked upon the prosperity of the wicked (saith Saint p 1.85 Augustine) with indignation, I could not tollerate that good luck should accompany them in their ways, I could have wished that Divine Justice would have made an example of them, and that it would have abased their Pride, there∣by to appease the murmuring of the Innocent, but I did unjustly ac∣cuse Divine Providence, for it never leaves sinners unpunished, and if such as are blind think wicked men happy, tis because they know not what happinesse is.

As mans wickednesse draws on Gods justice, and as we conclude he is miserable, because sinfull, we ought also to argue that he is sin∣full because miserable, for God is not severe without reason, our

faults do always precede his Punishments, and he took not upon him to be a revenger, before we became faulty, It is our offences that provoke his justice, and he had never let his thunder have fallen on our heads if we had not neglected his Commandements. Tis one of Saint q 1.86 Augustines Arguments which convinceth the most opini∣oned, and obligeth them to confess, that since there is no Injustice in God, man must needs be Criminall, because miserable, for God afflicteh nothing that is Innocent, nor ruines not his workmanship without a cause, he should injure his own goodnes, should his justice punish a man that were not guilty. Phylosophers agree in this truth, the light of reason hath made us know, that Punishment presuppo∣seth sin; the Ignorance of our Miseries hath perswaded them, that man was punisht on earth, for sins that he had committed in heaven, that his body was his souls prison, and that she was deteined there to expiate the faults which she only had committed. Though these be not so pure truths but that they have an intermixture of Errour, yet they teach us that sin precedes Punishment, and that mans misery doth assuredly witness his offence. For what likely-hood is there that Divine Providence would have condemned man to so much misery without a fault, wherefore should the body rebell against the soul, whereunto it is united: Wherefore should man be compo∣sed of Parts which cannot agree? and why should the workmanship of God be out of order were it not corrupred by the sin of man. We must have offended this judge, before he have condemned us, his justice r 1.87 never punisheth the Innocent, and his goodnesse would not permit us to be miserable, if we were not guilty: but we must al∣so confesse that his justice would have been remisse, had he not punisht sin, Adams Rebellion deserved that all men should be pu∣nisht for it, his sufferings were to be hereditarie, and there had been some sort of Inconvenience, that a guilty Father should have pro∣duced innocent Children, we inherit his punishment and his sin, and receiving our being from him, it was reason we should partake of the Miseries which do accompany it, In Point of high Treason, the Children are punisht for the Fathers fault, When a Princes Anger breaks out upon great personages that are guilty, it fals likewise up∣on their Families, to have any relation to them sufficeth to be guil∣ty. Crime is contracted by Allyance, and though the misfortune may exceed the sin; there is always reason enough for the punish∣ment

throughout all the Judaicke Law the Children beare the pu∣nishment of their fore-fathers sins, God s 1.88 requires it to the fourth Generation s 1.89 as a Child is a part of his father, we presume he hath drawn along with him Part of his sin, and that he cannot inherit his being without inheriting his offence also, Gods greatnesse merits this rigour, and offences cōmitted against so high a Majesty cannot be suf∣ficiently punished. Our Complaints proceed from our Ignorance we defend our own cause only because we know not his Sanctity whom we have offended, if we had a little light we would prevent Gods decrees, and we should find that Hell is to small a punishment for such as rebell against him. In whatsoever sort it be that we have contracted sin, it deserveth Punishment, we cannot be blamelesse since we proceed from a guilty father, and since the bodies maladies are hereditary, we must not wonder if those of the soul be contagi∣ous: there is no difference between Adams sin, and ours, save only that his is voluntary, and ours Naturall, that he is more guilty then unfortunate; & we more unfortunate then guilty, that he hath done the mischiefe and we have received it, that he hath committed a fault, and we bear the Punishmnnt, that his disorder is become our Nature, that his Rebellion engageth us in disobedience, and that as the tree is lost in it's root; we are infected in our beginning and cor∣rupted in our father. After all these reasous there is no more reason of complaint; Miserable man instead of accusing Gods Justice must implore his mercy, and must find out that innocency in Iesus Christ, which he hath lost in Adam, to the end, that as naturall generation hath been the cause of his misery, Spirituall generation may be the cause of his happinesse, and that he may there partake of grace with∣out any other merits then those of the Sonne of God; as he hath received condemnation without any other fault then that of Adam.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Errasti, si exi∣stimas nobiscum vitianasci su∣pervenerunt in∣gesta sunt. Sen. Epist. 94.
• b 1.2

  In causa duo∣rum hominum quorum per u∣nuro venum de∣tisumus sub pec∣cato, per ••lterum redimimur à peccatis proprie fides Christiana Consistit. Aug. lib de peccato. Origin. cap. 24
• c 1.3

  Pereat dies in quâ natu•• sum, & nox in quâ dictum est conceptus est homo. Job 3.
• d 1.4

  Princeps & Domina carnis naturaliter ani∣ma est quae do∣mare carnem debet & regere. August. contra Julian, lib. 2. cap. 8.
• e 1.5

  Etiam sine magistro vi••ia disc••. Se∣neca lib. 3. quaest. c. 30.
• f 1.6

  Conit••ntia tam concupis∣centiae testis est quam host is. August.
• * 1.7

  g Itaque foeli∣citer homo na∣tus jacet mani∣bus pedibusque devinctis, flens animal caeteris imperaturum & à suppliciis vitam vispica∣tur unam tan∣tum ob culpam quia natum est. Plin. lib. 6. proem.
• h 1.8

  Omnis crea∣tura pugnabit contra insensa∣tos.
• * 1.9

  〈7 words〉〈7 words〉 poena, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••sta est pe•• poena est & supplicium nominatur. Porro quia de omnipotentia Dei & justitia dubitare de∣mentis est justa haec poena est, & pro peccato ali∣qup ponditur. Aug lib 2. de lib. arbit. c. 18.
• k 1.10

  Exhum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 v••tae erroribus & aerumnis fit, ut verum sit il∣lud quod est a∣pud Aristote∣lem, sic nostros animos cum corporibus copu∣latos ut vivos cum mortuis esse conjunctos. Cicer. in Hor∣••s.
• l 1.11

  Hominem ••on ut à matre sed ut à noverea natura editum in vitam corpo∣re nudo, fragili infirmo▪ animo antem anxio ad molestiam hu∣mili ad timo••es molli ad labo∣res▪ prono ad li∣bidies: Rem vidit Cicero causam nescivit. lib. 4. contra Jul. c. 12
• m 1.12

  Nulli r••s vitio natura conciliat, nos illa integros, ac liberos genuit. Sen. Epist. 94.
• n 1.13

  Cito nequitia subrepit: virtus diffi ili•• inven∣tus est Lib. 3. quaest. natural. cap. 3.
• o 1.14

  Quid ergo ig∣n••atia re•• innocenntes e∣rant. Multum autem interest utrum peccare aliquis nolit an nesciat. S••n. E∣pist 90. sub fi∣nem.
• p 1.15

  Infanti quo∣que decreta mors est, fata quis tam tristia sortitus un∣quam, videram nondum diem & jam tenebar. Mors me ante∣cessit, aliquis intra viscera materna lethum precocis sati ••∣lit, sed num∣quid & pecca∣vit? Thebaid. Senec.
• * 1.16

  q Adam sactus est homo, potuit esse aliud quam factus est. ••∣ctus est enim ju∣stus & potuit esse injust us. Aug. in Se••m. contra dictnm Maxim. in ap∣pend.
• r 1.17

  Adam Deo suo à quo erat con∣ditus rectus, nullo prorsu•• virio deprava∣tus ads••abat, Lib. 1. imperf. contra Jul. num. 46.
• s 1.18

  Hac pralia numquam & numquam ess••nt si Natura no∣stra sicut recta creata est per∣maneret. Aug. lib. 22. de Ci∣vit. cap. 23.
• t 1.19

  Hae igitur par∣tes ira atque li∣bido in paradiso ante peccatum vitiosae non e∣ran••, non 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 ad 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉, ••de ne•• esse▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••as ra•• t••m∣quam ••renis re∣•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quod nun•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 e••t u••que 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••x natu∣•• sed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••x 〈◊〉〈◊〉. A••g. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 14 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 cap. ••9.
• u 1.20

  Ille vero pri∣•• Adam nul∣la ••li 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 a•• ••sus s•• s••m tentatus illo be••udmis l••o su•• secum ••ace ••uebatur. August. lib. de co•• upt. & gratia cap 11.
• x 1.21

  Sicut in pa∣radiso nullus aestus aut ••ri∣gus, sic in ••jus habitatore nul la ex ••piditate vel ti••e bonae voluntatis of∣••nsio. Aug. lib. 14▪ de Civit. cap. 16.
• y 1.22

  De••rat me Adam & in••e 〈◊〉〈◊〉 s••, & 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 qu••a ••il po∣t•• sin•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Aug. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 11. d•• v••ro. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.23

  H•• autem bel∣lum nomquam ullum esset si Natura huma∣na ••er liberum arbitrium in re∣ctitudine in qua facta est persti∣••isset. Aug lib. 21. de Civit. cap. 15.
• a 1.24

  Nam & su∣perbia illio est quia homini in sua potius esse quam in Dei po∣testate dil••xit, & sacrilegium qu•• Deo non credidit, homi∣cidium quia se praecipitavit in mortem, sorni∣catio spiritualis quia integritas mentis human•• serpenti•• per∣suasione corrup∣t••est surtum quia cibus pro∣hibitus usurpa∣t•• est, & ava∣ritia quia plus∣quam sufficere sibi debuit ap∣petiit. Aug. in Enchirid. c. 45.
• b 1.25

  Ipsi primi ho∣mines per ser∣p••tem decepti & dejecti 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fuissent nisi plus quam acceper••t habere, & plus∣quam facti ••∣rant esse voluis∣sent: hic qui•• promis••rat di∣cens eritis sicut Dii. Plus au••em volentes habere quàm accepe∣rant & quod acc••unt a∣miserunt. Aug. in Psalm. 118.
• * 1.26

  c Prim•• homi∣nis perditio a∣••or sui. Serm. 47. de diversis; c••p 2.
• d 1.27

  Quo nihil est ad praedican∣dum notius, ni∣hil ad intelligen∣dum secretius. Aug. de morib. ••les. cap. 22.
• e 1.28

  Quemadmo∣dum Aethiopes quia nigri sunt nigros gignunt, non tam•• in filio parentes colorem suum velut ••icam 〈◊〉〈◊〉 anserunt, sed su•• co••is qua li••ate corpus quod de illis propagatur of ficiunt. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ib. 5. contra jul. cap 24.
• f 1.29

  Qui nascitur & ex Deo quia creat, & ex ho∣mine quia gene∣rat, & ex pec∣cato quiavitiat. August. lib. 2. cont. Jul. cap. 4
• g 1.30

  Est libido ul∣ciscendi quae i••a appelatur, a∣mor habendi ••∣cuniam quae a∣varitia, libido quomodo•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••ndi qu•• pe••cacia, li∣bido gloriandi quae jactar tia. Aug lib. 14. de Civit. cap. 15.
• h 1.31

  Hom•• vitia∣tus homines vi∣tiatos genuit, ••ores gig∣ne•• quam ipse esset, non ••t ••quitatis. Aug. lib. arbit. ca. 20.
• i 1.32

  Quamois po∣s•• nondum a∣gerent vitas proprias, ta∣men quicquid erat in sutura propagine vita unius homi••s conti••bat. Aug. lib 6. con∣•• Jul. cap. 12.
• k 1.33

  Primus homo Ada••, secun▪ dus homo Chri∣stus, & ide•• manifestum est ad illum perti∣••re omnem ho∣minem qui ex illa successione propaginis nas∣citur, ficut ad ist••m pertinet omnis qui in illo gratiae largitate renascitur. Un∣de fit 〈◊〉〈◊〉 totum genus humanum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 homines duo primus & secundus, Beda in 1 Ep. st. Co∣rinth. cap. 15.
• l 1.34

  Habent par∣vuli originale peccatum non per animam, sed per carnem uti∣que contractum animaeque refu∣su•• carninam que ita unitur▪ anima ut cum carne fit un•• persona. Aug. lib. 6. cont. Jul. cap. 4.
• m 1.35

  Cum rationa∣lis anima sic lit getur corpori u•• ex ea & corpor unum animal componatur, merito à materia mox inficitur, adeo ut & pas∣sionibus sit ob∣noxia & motus immoderatos more corporis subeat in exc••∣sum atque defe∣ctum. Marcil▪ Fiscin. in Plau.
• n 1.36

  Ita omnis a∣nima ••Word▪ in Adam censetur donec in Christ•• recenseatur, tamdiuimmun∣da quamdiu re∣••tur. Pec∣catrix aut••m quia immunda recipiens igno∣miniam suam ex carnis socie∣tate. Tertul. de anima.
• o 1.37

  Sicut onmium 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉 & omnium 〈◊〉〈◊〉, & qu•• infoelicius 〈◊〉〈◊〉 prius 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quam 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• p 1.38

  Concupiscen∣tia seu libido nihil est aliud quam rei crea∣tae desiderium cujus impetus mortiseros ani∣ma antegratiam libens patitur, post gratiam pa∣ti etiam invita compellitur. August.
• q 1.39

  Inest in mem∣bris sed reum te non facit▪ libe∣ratus es ab illo, liber pugna sed vide ne vincaris & itorum fias servus, laboras pugnando sed laetaberis tri∣umphando. Beda in Rom. cap. 8.
• r 1.40

  Nato quidem & inest & obest, Reaato autem inest quidem, sed obesse non potest. Aug. lib. 2 de gratia & peccato, c. 38.
• s 1.41

  Peccatum vo∣catur quod & peccato facta est, & quod pec∣catum si vicerit facit, Aug. lib. 1. ad Bonifac. cap. 23.
• t 1.42

  Cum aliqui∣bus nati sumus, aliquas consue∣tudines & feci∣mus. Aug. Ser. 45. de temp.
• u 1.43

  Quis me li∣beravit à cor∣pore mortis hu∣jus. Paul.
• x 1.44

  Deserte crea∣tore bono vive∣re secundum creatum bo••um, non est bonum, sive q••sque s••∣cundum ••∣nem, sive s••cun∣dum 〈◊〉〈◊〉, sive secundum totum homin•• qui constat ex 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & cor∣p••re eligat vi∣vere. Aug. lib. 14 de C••vit. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• y 1.45

  Qui 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 ••ri∣tati necesse est 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 mi∣quitati. Aug. in Psal. 18.
• z 1.46

  Admodum legitimé sactum est ut homo qui noluit obedire Domino suo non ei serviret caro ejus. Supra 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Dominus tuus, infra te caro tua, servi me∣liori ut serviat tibi inserior. Contempsisti su∣periorem tor∣queris ab inse∣riore. Beda in Rom. cap. 8.
• a 1.47

  Vestigium peccati passim appellatur Con∣cupiscen••a ab Aug.
• b 1.48

  Hoc peccati nomine appellas unde oriuntur cuncta peccata id est ex carnali concupiscentia. Quicquid enim est peccatorum in dict is in co∣gitatibus, in factis non exo∣ricur nisi ex∣mal•• cupidit••∣te. Beda in Rom. 8.
• c 1.49

  Lex peccati dicitur Concu∣piscentia quiae suadet peccata, atque ut ita di∣••erim jubet. Aug. l. 1. operis imperf.
• d 1.50

  Consilium meum justifica∣tiones tu••. Psal. 118.
• e 1.51

  Prudentia carnis inimica Deo. Rom. 8.
• f 1.52

  Pruentia i∣sta vitium est non natura, vis nossequid est sa∣pere secundum carnem, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 est. Beda in Rom. 3.
• g 1.53

  Video aliam legem in mem∣bris meis repug∣nantem legi mentis meae & captivantem me in lege pec∣cati quae est i•• membris meis. Rom. 7.
• h 1.54

  Nonne hinc apparet in quod velut pondere suoproclivis & proua sit vitio∣sa natura. Aug. lib. 22. deCivit. cap. 22.
• i 1.55

  Hi duo amo∣res disti••xerunt duas ciuitates, quorum alter sanct•• est, alter immundus, alter socialis alter privatus, alter communi vtili∣tati consulens propter societa∣tem, alter etiam rem communem in potestatem propriam redi∣gens propter ar∣rogantem domi∣nationem. Aug. in lib. de Gen. ad litteram cap. 11.
• k 1.56

  Charitas pa∣tiens est, b••nig∣na est, omnia suffert, omnia credit, omnia sperat, omnia sustinet. 1 Cor. cap. 13.
• l 1.57

  Temperantia est amor inte∣grum se praebens ei quod amatur, fortitudo amor facile tolerans omnia propter quod amatur, justitia amor soli amato ser∣viens & prop∣terea rectè do∣minans, pru∣dentia amor ex quibus adjuva∣tur ab e•• qui∣tus i•• pod∣tur sagaciter e∣ligens. Aug. lib. de morib. Ec∣cles. cap. 15.
• m 1.58

  In hac vita virtus non est nisi diligere quod diligen∣dum est. Id eli∣gere prudentia est, null is inde molestiis averti fortit••do est: nullis illecebris temperantia est: nullâ superbia justitia est. Quid autem••∣gamus quod prae cipuè diligamus nisi quo nihil melius inveni∣mus. Hoc Deus est cui si diligen∣do aliquid vel praponimus vel aequamus nos ipsos diligere nescimus. Aug. Epistola 2 ad Maced.
• n 1.59

  Erunt homi∣nes seipsos a∣inantes cupidi, clati, superbi, parentibus non obedientes, in∣grati, prodito∣res, voluptatum amatores magis quam Dei. 2 Tim. cap. 3.
• o 1.60

  Videtur de homine ipso ni∣bil actum, sed parum dilucidè qui hoc arbitra∣tur intelligit. Non enim fieri potest ut seip∣sum, qui Deum diligit, non dili∣gat: imo verò solus se novit di∣ligere qui Deum diligit: siqui∣dem ille satis se diligit qui se∣dulò agit ut summo & vero persruatur bo∣no. Aug. lib. de morib. Eccle. cap. 26.
• p 1.61

  Sc••ernant ci∣vitates duas a∣mores duo, ter∣renam scilicet amor sui usque ad contemptum Dei, coelestem vero amor Dei vsque ad con∣temptum sui. Aug. lib. 14. de Civit. cap. 28.
• q 1.62

  Deus noster is est quem id omneamat quod amare potest, Origen.
• r 1.63

  Dilectionem sui in illam di∣lectionem Dei resert quae nul∣lum à se rivu∣lum extra se duci patitur cu∣jus derivatione minuatur. Aug. 1 de doct. Chri. cap. 22.
• s 1.64

  In omnibus illecebris mun∣di hujus tria sant aut volup∣tas aut curiosi∣tas aut super∣bia. Aug. in ap∣pend. Serm. 1.
• t 1.65

  Concupiscen∣tia ad sentien∣dum nos five consentientes mente sive re∣pagnantes, ap∣petitu carnalis voluptatis im∣pell••t. Aug. lib. 4. cont. Julia. cap. 14.
• t 1.66

  Concupiscen∣tia ad sentien∣dum nos five consentientes mente sive re∣pagnantes, ap∣petitu carnalis voluptatis im∣pell••t. Aug. lib. 4. cont. Julia. cap. 14.
• u 1.67

  Quam late patet curiosit•• ipsa in specta∣••lis in theatr is in sacrament is Diabolicis, i•• magic i•• artibus, in malefici••ipsa e•• curiositas. Aug. ••ct. 2. in Epist. Joannis.
• x 1.68

  Alipius con∣jugium deside∣rabat, nequa∣quam victus li∣bidine tal is vo∣luptatis, sed cu∣riositatis. Aug. lib. 6. Confess. cap. 12.
• y 1.69

  Magnum de∣lictum quod ex Ang••lo fecit Diabolum. Aug. in Psal. 18
• z 1.70

  Tria sunt istae & nihil inveni•• unde tentetur cupiditas hu∣man••, nisi aut desiderio carnis aut desiderio oculorum aut ambitione sae∣culi. Per tria ista tentatus est Dominus à dia∣bolo. August. tract. 2. in E∣pist. Joan.
• a 1.71

  O 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cul∣•• quae talem ac tantum meruit habere Redem∣ptorem.
• b 1.72

  Vita justi in isto corpore ad∣huc bellum est, nondum trium∣phans. Ergo hic semper pug••an∣dum est▪ quia ipsa concupis∣centia cum qua nati sum•• fi∣niri non potest q••mdiu vivi∣m••s. Quotidiè minui potest fi∣niri non potest. Beda in Rom. 8. in August.
• c 1.73

  Quae hominis alia est major miseria nisi ad∣versus eum ip∣sum, inobedien∣tia ejus ipsius. Aug. lib. 14▪ de Civit. cap. 15.
• d 1.74

  Neque viv•• ut vult homo nisi 〈◊〉〈◊〉 perv••e∣ris ubi mori sal∣••i 〈◊〉〈◊〉 offendi non possit. August. lib. 14. deCivit. cap. 25.
• e 1.75

  Vt sim•• ini∣tium aliquod c••caturae ejus. Jacob ideo Chri∣stus vocatur pa∣ter futuri sae∣culi.
• f 1.76

  Concupiscenti•• host is mea quo∣modo agit ma∣lum & non per∣ficit malum: a∣git malum quia movet desideriū malum: non p••rficit malum quia nos non trahit ad ma∣lum & in isto bello est tota vi∣ta sanctorum. Bed. in Rom. 8.
• g 1.77

  Agit caro de∣sideria sua age tu tua: non op∣primuntar, non extinguntur à te desideriaejus, non extinguat tua, ut in certa∣mine labores & non victus tra∣betis. Bed. in Rom. 8.
• h 1.78

  Rem saciam non difficilem causam Deorum agam. Senec. Provid.
• i 1.79

  D••cunt in bo∣nis dies suos & in puncto descen∣dunt in inferos Iob.
• k 1.80

  August. in Psal. 72.
• l 1.81

  Omnis animae poenoe & prae∣mium semper aliquid consert justa pulchri∣tudini disposi∣tionique rerum omnium. Aug. lib. de quantit. animae, cap. 56.
• m 1.82

  Lex aeterna & summa ratio cui semper ob∣temperandum, illa est per quam mali miseram, boni beatam vi∣tam merentur, nec enim inju∣stum esse potest ut mali miseri, boni beati sint. Aug. lib. 1. de lib. arbit. cap. 6
• n 1.83

  Nunquam accidit ut sit in anima dedecus peccati sive de∣core vindicta. August.
• o 1.84

  In ipso etiam scelere sceleris supplicium est. Seneca.
• p 1.85

  Vidi malos & displicuit mi∣hi Deus. Hoc e∣nim volebam ut non permitteret Déus malos esse foelices: Intelli∣gat homo: num∣quam permittit hoc Deus sed i∣deo malus foelix putatur quia quid sit foelici∣t••is ignoratur. Aug. tract. 28. in Joan.
• q 1.86

  Video ••ie in poena & apud te non video ini∣quitatem: si er∣go in poenâ sum & apud te ini∣quitas non est, nonne rest at ut pro iniquitate crudias homi∣nem. Aug. in Psal. 38.
• r 1.87

  Numquid ille prius ulcorquàm iste peccator? absit ne{que} enim Deus davinat in∣nocentes. Aug. lib. 11. de Gen. cap. 17.
• s 1.88

  Non sibi tan∣tum de Dei mi∣sericordia, blan∣diantur, ut sibi etiam injustiti∣am ejus pollice∣antur. Aug. in Psal. 80.
• s 1.89

  Non sibi tan∣tum de Dei mi∣sericordia, blan∣diantur, ut sibi etiam injustiti∣am ejus pollice∣antur. Aug. in Psal. 80.