Seuen goulden candlestickes houlding the seauen greatest lights of Christian religion shewing vnto all men what they should beleeue, & how they ought to walke in this life, that they may attayne vnto eternall life. By Gr: Williams Doctor of Divinity

CHAP. I. How iust a thing it is to punish Sinne. The reward of Sinne is Death.

YOu haue heard of a world of miseries, that are inflicted on man for sinne, here in this life; you haue heard of eternall death, and intollerable torments for euer and euer, that shall be inflicted on sinfull soules in the future life; and now it re∣steth, that I should shew the equity of this punishment; how iust it is with God, to render all this on man for sinne: and therefore, that I may the more fully cleere this point,* 1.1 I must desire you to consi∣der these three especiall things.

• 1. That it is iust to punish sinne.
• 2. That God is the iustest Iudge that can be found, to punish it.
• 3. That this punishment which God imposeth and inflicteth for sinne, is most right and iust.

First, there is nothing in the world,* 1.2 (saith Cicero) more agreeable to reason, then that true and honest labour should bee commended and rewarded, and the vices of men should be seuerely punished, according to their iust desert: for, it is vnpos∣sible (saith he) that either house or Common-wealth should stand, Si in ea nec rectè factis proemia extant vlla,* 1.3 nec supplicia pecca¦tis: if there be not in the same both rewards for good deeds, and punishments for sinnes: and therefore Solon being deman∣ded, what was most profitable for the well-fare of a Common-wealth, said; Si boni proemijs innitantur, & mali paenis coercentur,* 1.4

to defend and reward the good, and to restraine and punish the bad: and M. Cato saith, that there is nothing more perni∣cious vnto any state,* 1.5 Quam si improborum mores paena non coerce∣antur, then to suffer wicked men to goe away vnpunished: and therefore he would haue those Magistrates that did not pu∣nish the impieties of the wicked and dissolute fellowes, Non tan∣tum non ferendos,* 1.6 sed lapidihus obruendos, not onely not to be suf∣fered, but to be stoned with stones to death: and so the Lawes of all Nations doe prouide, that good and vertuous deeds should be rewarded, and euill deeds should be punished: for wee finde it very true by experience that, impunitas delicti inuitat ho∣mines ad malignandum:* 1.7 because punishment is deferred, the hearts of the children of men, are euen set to doe euill: and there∣fore God himselfe doth say, that whosoeuer iustifieth the wicked, is a like culpable before him, as if he had condemned the inno∣cent; and Saint Ambrose tels vs plainely, that it is sometimes miserecordia punire, & crudelitas parcere, a pious work to punish, and a cruelty for to spare; for this doth not onely incourage sinners, to goe on from one wickednesse to another; but it is an ill patterne, and a great prouokement to draw others to doe the like: and therefore wee may well conclude this first point, that it is a most iust thing to punish sinnes and offences.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Three points to be conside∣red, to shew the equity of the punish∣ment of sinne.
• * 1.2

  Cicero de nat. deorum l. 1.
• * 1.3

  Idem l. 3 de nat. deor.
• * 1.4

  Stobaeus ser. 41.
• * 1.5

  Plutarch in Apoth.
• * 1.6

  The Law of Nature tea∣cheth, that sinne should be punished.
• * 1.7

  To forbeare the punish∣ment of sinne doth increase the number of sinners. Prou. 17 15.