1 Unitie.

Having spoken of Gods essence, it follow­eth to speak of his attributes. Of which the first is Unitie, the first of the 3 great passions Metaphysicall, Unum, Verum, Bonum. And this is testified by these affirmations of Gods word. Heare O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord, Deut. 6. 4. See now that I, even I am he, and there is no god with me, Deut. 32. 39. That which is the beginning and cause of all things, must be one and no more. As one is the be­ginning of all numbers; so one God is the be­ginning of all creatures: therefore Parmeni­des said, Omnia unum sunt. Multiplicitie of [Page 173] things visible is but the multiplied shadow of invisible unitie. According to this Seneca said of God, Est totum quod vides, & totum quod non vides. But this must cautelously be understood: not that God in the stone is truely and properly a stone, as Servetus wickedly affirmed; but that he is the onely cause of the stones being, and of all things else.

1. If there were more Gods then one, then there would be some difference between them; because multiplicitie admits difference and varietie: and therefore something should be in the one which is not in the other; and so that God which wanteth, should not be a per­fect God.

2. That there is but one God, shall appeare from all things that are, because he hath set his mark and stamp upon them: for all things speak but one. Though there be millions of men in the world, yet every man is but one man. Though there be many species of things made, yet they all consist of individuals. There is nothing but is one thing. Multipli­citie and collectives end in one. Many mem­bers make but one bodie, many sheep but one flock, many beasts but one herd, many men but one kingdome, and all creatures make but one world. Wherefore one is the mark and image of God, who as he is but one, so he comprehends all in himself.

3. If there were more then one, then warre [Page 174] would not cease between them, till one had gotten the upper hand to be above the rest. For, as Tertullian disputeth against Marcion,Advers. Marc. lib. 1. he which is God must be summum magnum, the chiefest great above all other; and this can be but one. Again, S. Cyprian thus, Unus omnium Tract. de va­nitate idol. Dominus Deus. Neque enim illa sublimitas potest habere consortem, cùm sola omnem teneat potesta­tem. Ad divinum imperium etiam de terris mu­tuemur exemplum. Quando unquam regni societ as aut cum fide coepit, aut sine cruore desiit? If an earthly kingdome will not suffer a fellow, how should that celestial highnesse endure another? And Ennius saith, Nulla sancta societas nec fides Cic. de offic. lib. 1. Just. lib. 11. regniest. Alexander likewise told king Darius, Mundum non posse duobus solibus regi, That the world could not be governed by two sunnes.

4. If there were more Gods then one, then as fast as the one did blesse us, the other would curse us; according to that of the Poet,

Then again the creatures would not so well agree as they do: for if one creature were made by one God, and another by another, then there would be nothing but relucting. The earth would swallow up the water, the fire would burn up the aire, the host of heaven would set upon the hosts of the earth to depo­pulate it; yea, heaven it self would be divided: Saturns planet would spoil the planet of Mars, the light of the sunne would waste the other [Page 175] lights; and every creature, as his God should be best able to aid, would overcome his fel­low or inferiour. But now because there is but one God that hath made all, therefore he hath care of all alike; therefore they agree as they do, and mutually serve each others be­nefit.

5. The government of commonwealths, where divers and strange dispositions combine themselves into one bodie, for one common good, shews that nature imitateth the Crea­tour, which is one.

6. Contrarietie and discord, though it be ne­ver so great, yet it cannot overcome unitie, but unitie overcomes it, as an armie concatenate prevaileth against an armie scattered. This sheweth that there is but one God ruling over all, which is the God of unitie and concord.

7. The generall desire that all creatures have to come to one common end, which is good, argues this: for the Philosopher hath, Omnia bo­num Ethic. lib. 1. appetunt, All things desire good. Wherefore as all things joyn in one concerning the general end, (though all use not the right mean) this argueth also that there is but one beginning, which hath given but one common appetite to all creatures.

Now having shewed God to be but one, from hence it followeth that in him there can be no pluralitie: therefore his essence is not one thing, and his attributes another; neither [Page 176] may we say of his attributes, This is not that; but his truth is the same that his goodnesse is, his goodnesse the same with his power, his power the same with his essence, and so there is no difference nor distinction numericall or spe­cificall, but in God all is one, and one is all: and to think otherwise, is to make God in himself finite and limited; because look how much one attribute hath of infinitenesse proper to it self, so much the other must want, and so be limited. Thus therefore are we to affirm of God and his attributes as convertibles: God is truth it self or the first truth, and the first truth is God. God is goodnesse or the first goodnesse, and the first goodnesse is God. God is power, and power it self is God; and so of the rest. Next, as God is one, so he is all; because all things are contained in this one. Therefore if all the goods of men and an­gels and all things els were lost, in him they might be found again.

Gods Truth and Intellect.

The second attribute is his Truth, which is the second in the three principall passions, U­num, Verum, Bonum, Unum noteth the first per­son, from whom is the unitie of essence; Verum the second, which is the Fathers intellect and wisdome; and Bonum the third person, who is the Father and Sonnes goodnesse. Now Gods truth is his perfect intellect in all things; for truth according to our capacitie cometh from right, and right from the light of intellect: but because there is no composition in God as in the creature, therefore in him there is no de­scent from thing to thing; but his truth, light, and intellect is all one, which we call his knowledge. From hence proceedeth the recti­tude which is to be found in his creatures: for what in them is right, is true; and what is true, is right. Agreeing to this the Psalme hath, O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdome Psal. 104. 24. thou hast made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. They are true made, because they are made by the light of Gods wisdome. From which God is called, Jam. 1. 17. the Father of lights: and he is so called, because as all the [Page 178] childrens goods descend from the father, so the rectitudes and excellencies of all creatures are from God derived, and are to him to be re­ferred as to their fountain. Every good and per­fect gift (saith he) cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variablenesse, nor sha­dow of turning. Here God is compared to the sunne and moon, the two great lights in the firmament, to confound their light. For the moons light (as we know) is variable, because it is borrowed from the sunne by divers posi­tures, and therefore is not alwayes light-alike; and the sunnes light leaveth a shadow behinde it, by his turning from one horizon to another: but Almightie God hath no variablenesse, be­cause his light is his own; and he leaveth no shadow by turning, because he is alwayes in the midst of his horizon, which is every where. And from hence is this comfortable saying of God to his people, Malach. 3. 6. Because I the Lord am not changed, therefore ye sonnes of Jacob are not consumed.

And in God is the truest knowledge, be­cause by how much any thing is remote from matter, by so much the more it is intelligent, for that it is not straitned by its matter to which it is united: for the book of Wisdome hath, The corruptible bodie presseth down the soul, Wisd. 9. 15. and the earthly tabernacle weigheth down the minde that museth upon many things. And from hence it is that the angelical nature is more in­telligent [Page 179] then the humane soul, for that it is more immateriall, and therein cometh nearest to God: for God hath no matter, but is purus actus without potentialitie, and therefore his knowledge must needs be perfect. And, as I said before, his intellect is not by discourse or successe, because this implieth difficultie con­trarie to omnipotencie: but God seeth all his effects in himself, as in the cause at once, for that all things are to him alwayes present in re­gard of his eternitie: and for this cause reason is none of his attributes, but vision in place of it; because reason hath discourse, but vision hath none, but is onely a direct aspect. And af­ter this manner mans reason in the next life shal be advanced, when it shall behold God, not any more by reason, but by vision. Now we see 1. Cor. 13. 12. through a glasse, darkly; but then shall we see face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know even as I am known.

Lastly, the height of Gods knowledge is observed in beholding himself, by which from eternitie he begat his Sonne, who in holy Writ is called his truth, wisdome, & image. AndJohn 14. 6. this is illustrated by the looking-glasse, as one demonstrateth. For as when a man looketh in a glasse, he produceth an image of himself so like as no difference can be found, not onely in shape, but also in motion; for when the man moveth, the image moveth too; and this image is not long in making, nor by instruments, nor [Page 180] by labour, but in a moment by one look: in like manner Almighty God beholding him­self in the glasse of his divinitie with the eie of his understanding, doth beget and produce an image most like unto himself. And because God hath given to this image all his own sub­stance and being, (which we cannot do in be­holding our selves in a glasse) that image is the true Sonne of God, though our images which we see in glasses are not our sonnes. And for that God the Father hath alwaies and doth alwaies behold himself, therefore his Sonne is not younger, but full as ancient as his Fa­ther; he alwaies begotten, and his Father al­waies begetting, according to that of S. Au­gustine, Semper gignit Pater, & semper nascitur Epist. 174. Filius. And by this perfect image God the Father made all things created, and daily up­holdeth and governeth all, and therefore all must needs be perfectly madè and governed, according to this testimonie of S. Paul, In these Heb. 1. 2, 3. last daies he hath spoken to us by his Sonne, whom he hath made heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. And again, Bearing up all things by his mighty wo [...]d.

Gods Goodnesse.

Gods third attribute is his Goodnesse: and this is splendent in two respects: First, in that he is the cause efficient of things; and next, the cause appetible; for good and appetible are convertibles: what is good, is to be desired; and what is to be desired, is good. Therefore Aristotle saith, Omnia bonum appetunt. Thus we distinguish between the substance of things and their goods: for substances are but emptie vessels without their goods adjected: and these goods are certain similitudes or conveniences in which things rejoyce; for like desireth like. From whence it follows, that if the created similitudes be goods appetible, then much more God the creatour of them must be good, yea the chief good, as the fountain of them. Now there can be no better similitude for man the image to delight in, then God his exem­plar, and his Sonne by flesh and bloud to him allied. Therefore he above all things is of him to be desired.

Thus from these three great attributes we have the great and infinite God described; who in English is called God, of good. From these three he expresseth himself in the creation of the world his image. From his unitie in es­sence [Page 182] we have our essences to be individuals; from his truth we have the perfection of our composition; and from his goodnesse we have our end in desires, which is the height of our growth: so from the beginning we have our beginning and active principle; from the truth we have our medium and way to our end; and from goodnesse we have the complement of our desires in the end, which the School cal­leth quies in bono.

Now to shew the good things of God for mans good created, he in this life offers to the intellect the contemplation of things in­tellectuall, mathematicall, and materiall, as the causes and reasons of things, by which Solo­mon spake, from the cedar that is in Lebanon, to the hysope that springeth out of the wall. Again, he offers to the will the good divided in­to utile, honestum, delectabile. Utile sheweth the means by which we tend toward things good; honestum is that which is good of it self; and delectabile is the rest and joy in the good obtained. Lastly, he offers to the senses their proper and desired objects; as fair sights to the eyes, harmonies to the eares, sweet smells to the nostrills, pleasant meats to the taste, and smooth things to the touch. But as the goodnesse of God thus sheweth it self in this life, so it exceedeth all our expectation in the next life, where is our last rest and chief good. Eye hath not seen, nor eare heard, neither have 1. Cor. 2. 9. [Page 183] entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him: for some of Gods goods are so great and so good, that this life, though it be good, is not capable of them.

Hitherto of the goodnesse of God in the state of nature: now followeth the goodnesse of God in the state of grace. And this is prin­cipally to be seen in his justice and mercie in redeeming mankinde. The goodnesse of Gods justice appeareth in that no mercie could ap­peare without it: for mercie presupposeth miserie, and miserie is the pay of justice. Where therefore there is no justice, there can be no mercie. Had not God permitted men and angels to fall, neither angels nor men could have been sensible of Gods love the root of goodnesse, in keeping some from fall­ing, and in saving others after the fall. There­fore fit it was for God to make justice his way to shew his mercie, by which above all his goodnesse is applauded. And these two in the redemption of man the greatest of Gods works are to be observed, wherein they met and saluted each other, according to the Psalm­ist, Mercie and truth are met together: righteous­nesse Psal. 85. 10. and peace have kissed each other. He shew­ed his justice upon his own Sonne; he shew­ed his mercie in ransoming all mankinde: and here is verified Samsons riddle, Out of the eater Judg. 14. 14. came meat, out of the strong came sweetnesse. [Page 184] What is more strong and devouring then justice? and what is more sweet then mercie? God gave his Sonne to death, and by this he redeemed the world. Mercie kissed justice, and justice yeelded her right to mercie. Mercie (saith S. James) rejoyceth or glorieth against Jam. 2. 13. judgement. In the death of Gods Sonne mercie and justice contended; mercie overcame, and therefore she triumpheth. Now therefore mercie hath the preeminence all the world over; yet not without justice, as they met at first, lest man should runne out of mercies bounds, and fall into relapse: both therefore, because we are saved by both, and preserved by both, are to be respected of us as our spe­ciall good from God.

In the next place we are beholding to Gods goodnesse in the 3 graces, Faith, Hope, and Charitie, and the Sacraments, by which Gods ransome is applied to us. By faith God resto­reth our understanding; by hope he sanctifieth our affections, and gives us state of the king­dome of heaven; and by charitie he draws us out of our selves, and taketh us into himself by making us partakers of the divine nature. And the Sacraments are outward means by which God bestoweth on us his inward graces, to teach us that grace is not bred in our selves, but given to us forinsecus.

And this goodnesse of God natively pro­ceedeth from his will, as thought and truth [Page 185] proceedeth from his minde. The one is im­manent, the other alwaies erumpent. Good­nesse is known by its going forth. Therefore we call him the good man, not which is good to himself within, but good to others with­out. Wisdome and truth never come forth but in the companie of goodnesse. Therefore the Psalmist saith, Mercie and truth are met to­gether. Psal. 85. 10. When they meet, mercie cometh out first, and bringeth truth and wisdome with it.

Now the will of God, because it is the su­preme dispenser of all things, as it is one, so it is universall: and because it is universall, it containeth in it all wills, and by conse­quent all things under it. And thus it cometh, that with one and the same will he permitteth things most contrarie to be willed, and yet his will is still one and the same. And it must be so, because otherwise the wills of his crea­tures which are contrarie to his, should not move under it, but without it and above it, and so God should not be omnipotent. For though God did not positively or with plea­sure will that men and angels should sinne and fall, because the Psalmist saith, Thou art not a Psal. 5. 4. God that hath pleasure in wickednesse, neither shall my evil dwell with thee; yet per accidens & per­missivè, according to his order or decree of contingencie, he would leave men and angels to themselves, to see what they would bring forth. And rather then he would violate the [Page 186] order of nature in depriving men of the liber­tie of their wills (which is essentiall to them) it pleased his all-swaying providence to suffer evil to be done (being he knew how to bring good out of it) then to permit none at all. And this is ratified from the words of S. Au­gustine, Saluberrimè confitemur quod rectissimè De cor. & grat. cap. 10. credimus, Deum Dominúm (que) rerum omnium, qui creavit omnia bona valde, & mala ex bonis exori­tura esse praescivit, & scivit magìs ad suam omni­potentissimam bonitatem pertinere, etiam de malis benefacere, quàm mala esse non sinere: ut ostende­ret primùm quid possit liberum arbitrium, deinde quid possit gratiae suae beneficium, justitiae (que) judici­um. We most savingly confesse, which most right­ly we beleeve, that the God and Lord of all things, who created all things exceeding good, and foresaw evil would arise from the good, knowing also that it more appertained to his most omnipotent goodnes, even out of evil to bring good, then to suffer no evil to be done at all: first, that he might shew what free-will could do; secondly, the benefit of his grace, and power of justice. For if men and angels could have sinned whether God would or no, therein they had been superiour to Gods will: but this they could not: therefore God would suffer it, to shew his omnipotencie, in being not onely able to make all things good, as he did in the beginning; but in a degree further, to make good of evil, in turning their evils to a greater good, by his justice toward angels, [Page 187] and by advancement of mercie towards men. So that now since mans fall, God, by his re­sulting and superabounding mercie, hath pro­vided such a remedie, which should not re­store him to his former paradise in puris natu­ralibus, but to a supernaturall happinesse in the kingdome of glory; not to wade in reason, but to walk in vision, to enjoy glorie above the sunnes light, and to reap content above all conceit. But for such as shall fall double, from lesse and from greater grace, and never rise; for such whom no warning will amend, for such justice hath a double due, a naturall and a su­pernaturall death, seated not onely in poena damni, but in poena sensûs, which the torments of hell-fire afford. S. Thomas well teacheth, that God by no means will have evil or blameQuid melius, quid omnipo­tentius eo, qui, cùm mali nihil faciat, bene etiam de malis facit? Et rursus, Omnipotens Deus, qui o­peratur bona etiam de no­stris malis, qualia dabit bona, cum li­beraverit ab omnibus ma­lis? Aug. lib. de Continen­tia, cap. 6. simply, as it is evil, (because he is all good) but onely as evil is joyned to some good: as he that would have justice, must also be willing to have punishment; and as he that would have the order of nature to be preserved, must also be willing to have nature corrupted: but to de­sire evil as it is onely evil, or to approve evil of blame, God by no appetite, either naturall, animall, or intellectuall, desireth. And this is confirmed by S. Augustine; Miro & ineffabili modo non fit praeter ejus voluntatem, quod fit etiam contra ejus voluntatem; quia non fieret si non sine­ret; nec utique nolens sinit, sed volens: nec sineret bonus fieri malè, nisi omnipotens etiam de malo [Page 188] posset facere bonum bene. By a wonderfull and un­speakable manner, that is not done without his will, which is done against his will; because if he did not suffer it, it should not be done; neither doth he suffer it against his will, but willingly: neither would he that is good suffer evil things to be done, but that he being omnipotent is able of evil to make good things well.

By this you see, that if God should not suf­fer evil, and admit contraries, there could be no world. And this libertie God hath bestow­ed also upon man. For we many times suffer the evil of blame and displeasure willingly, to see how farre our adversaries will proceed a­gainst us, because we know how to reverse all again at our pleasure, and to right it by taking satisfaction of punishment, or to merit by suf­ferance. Yet this permission neither in God nor man importeth any approbation, but dis­like, while an evil act ensueth upon an inno­cent license.

Now in regard of the universalitie and com­prehensivenesse of Gods will, the School-di­vines for our better understanding have distin­guisht it into divers kindes; as his will antece­dent and consequent, his will of signe, and his will of good pleasure. The antecedent will of God is expressed in these testimonies of his word, Who will have all men to be saved, and to 1. Tim. 2. 4. come to the knowledge of the truth. Again, Not 2. Pet. 3. 9. willing that any should perish, but that all should [Page 189] come to repentance. And this will is confirmed by his will of signe, which is the will of his word. And this consisteth of these five parti­culars, prohibition, precept, counsel, operation, and permission. By his prohibitions he fore­warneth of all evils that are against his will antecedent; by his precepts he informeth us of all the means that leade toward it; by his counsels, which go beyond his precepts (be­cause God hath given to man free-will to get what he can in the state of grace for the state of glorie) he shews him some exceeding means to grow to this lifes perfection, and to improve the common reward of glorie for the next life; as, Sell that thou hast, and give it to Matth. 19. 21. the poore, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven. Here we are counselled to change temporall riches for eternal which are the better: second­ly, we are counselled to change permitted fleshly pleasures for heavenly pleasures, where it is said, Qui potest capere, capiat: thirdly, weMatth. 19. 12. are counselled to denie our selves and our law­fullMatth. 16. 24. Mark 8. 34. liberties, to follow Christ through the worlds difficulties, to receive a hundred-fold more enlargements in the kingdome of glorie. These are Gods counsels, which of the primi­tive Church were put in practise, but in our times they are put off with a Non placet.

The fourth part of Gods will of signe is his operation; and this is the sermon of his works which he makes all the yeare long to instruct [Page 190] us. By his works of justice and punishment he calls us to repentance; by his works of favour and mercie he procureth us to praise him. This the Apostle expresseth in Acts 14. 17. Never­thelesse, he left not himself without witnesse, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitfull seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladnesse. Thus by his operation he really preacheth unto us.

The fifth and last part of this will, is his per­mission; and by this he suffers man to do whatNec pecca­tum nec rectè factum impu­tari cuiquam justè potest, qui nihil se­cerit propriâ voluntate: est enim pecca­tum & rectè factum in di­bero volun­tatis arbi­trio. Aug. lib. 83. q. 24. Quid illud, quòd tam multis in lo­cis omnia mandata sua custodiri & fieri jubet Deus? quomo­do jubet, si non est l [...]be­rum arbitri­um? Aug de grat. & lib. arb. cap. 2. he will under his divine rule and measure. And this will he affordeth to man in three re­spects; in regard of his creation, in regard of his judgement, and in regard of excuse. In his creation he gave to man free-will; therefore it was fit to grant him together with it suffe­rance and free libertie to exercise it: other­wise it were all one as if God should make hands, and then binde them as soon as he had made them. Again, the will of Gods suffe­rance is due in regard of mans last end, and Gods judgement: for if God should not per­mit man to do his actions freely, then he could not in justice punish him if he did not as he should, because he wanted free libertie; nor give him reward, by reason of necessitie. For as God will not call the beasts of the field to doom at the last day, because he gave them not free-will; no more would he call man to judgement, if he wanted permission to execute [Page 191] his free-will. Lastly, God suffers man to live long, to expect his repentance: wherefore if he do not repent, his excuse is prevented. In this respect the Apostle saith, Rom. 2. 4. De­spisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse, and patience, and long sufferance, not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Having spoken of Gods will as it is antece­dent and of signe; now it followeth to speak of it as it is of good pleasure, and of consequent. The will of Gods good pleasure is expressed in the 135 Psalme, vers. 6. Whatsoever the Lord plea­sed, that did he in heaven and in earth, in the seas, and in all deep places. This is Gods pro­per and essentiall will; first, because it is of the nature of the will to do of pleasure; and next, because it is most generall, and not re­strained to any place or person. His will of signe is not alwaies done, because it is his will for men and not for himself respectively. Therefore his precepts are broken, his prohi­bitions slighted, his counsels not regarded: but his will of good pleasure is above the law of the Medes and Persians; this cannot be put by, because it is divina [...].

Lastly, after that God hath shewed man all his favours by his will of signe and word re­vealed, to which he addeth the effects of his grace expressed by S. Prosper in these seven particulars, perswading by exhortations, ad­monishing by examples, terrifying by dangers, [Page 192] inciting by miracles, giving understanding, in­spiring counsel, and lightning the heart with faiths affections. When all these are despised and rejected, then God proceedeth with his will consequent, which is the will of his ju­stice. First he would have all men to be saved by his will antecedent: but because all men will not consent to this, therefore, to main­tain mans free-will, God will not save all in effect; but the same will turneth from mercie to justice, which before turned from justiceMatth. 25. 41. to mercie, and saith, Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels. Neither is Gods will altered nor broken, because it turneth from mercie to judgement, for that it still retaineth its former mercie, and man his former resist­anceMatth. 23. 37. to receive it. How often (saith our Savi­our) would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens, but ye would not? If God hath not bound man to one ob­ject, but given him free-will to turn from ob­ject to object, according to reasons rule; then should God be bound and man free? The will of God is wider then all wills: all his di­vine attributes may rest in it; his truth, his wis­dome, his justice, his mercie, his power, his pleasure and displeasure: yea all the contraries that are in the world, are within it, and lie under it; as life and death, sicknesse and health, good and evil, salvation and da­mnation: [Page 193] and without this there could be no world.

Notwithstanding, though Gods will be ne­ver so wide and comprehensive, yet it impo­seth no necessitie upon mans will, because all will by Gods creation is free; and if it were not free, it were no will. Necessitie and will are incompatibilia, they cannot stand together. Nature and things without will are of a strait disposition; therefore for them God hath ordained necessitie, and determined them to one thing: but mans will, because it is the image of Gods will, is wide and capacious; and therefore he hath provided for it the ocean of contingencie. He hath set fire and water before thee, (saith Ecclesiasticus) stretch out thy hand Ecclus 15. 16, 17. unto which thou wilt. Before man is life and death, good and evil; and whether him liketh, shall be given him. Now no man can justly complain while all things are set before him, and he hath free choice to all. Election expel­leth necessitie, and necessitie thrusteth out e­lection. If mans will were not free from neces­sitie, then there could neither be merit nor demerit, that is, neither reward nor punish­ment; and then the two great streams of Gods bountie and justice should be dried up: but now he hath given to man free-will; and to maintain this, he hath ordained contingencie, and added his grace to aid his will, that there might be no defect on his part: for freedome [Page 194] naturall to good Theologicall is not free­dome, but stubbornnesse without grace.

And this grace and goodnesse of God, as it ordereth and aideth things naturall to their naturall ends, so it ordereth and aideth man to his supernaturall end, which is to live with his God in heaven. And this goodnesse of grace is like to the vertuous magnet the most remarkable of all stones, the guide of the di­all, and the direction for sea-travell: for as the pin and needle of the diall being toucht with it, the needle will stand no way but north and south; so the heart of man being toucht with Gods grace in his regeneration, will stand no way but to heaven-ward. And this touch is that which Divines call the habit of charitie, alwaies enclining and bending to heaven and heavenly things through all the rubs of the world. Though the toucht needle for a while is shaken and justled from its for­mer due station; yet as soon as the shaking is over, it returneth instantly to the same point: right so, though the heart be for a time justled either by the lust of the flesh, or the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life from its right stand­ing; yet as soon as the force is over, pre­sently it returneth to its former station to heaven-ward. And the onely reason is the touch of Gods goodnesse in the regenerate soul, to which above all things mans heart is beholding.

[Page 195]And this goodnesse proceedeth from the holy Ghost, as truth proceedeth from the Sonne of God: for as the Sonne is the Fathers essentiall truth, so the holy Ghost is the Fa­thers and the Sonnes essentiall goodnesse. And as the holy Ghost is the increate goodnesse of God in himself, so love and charitie is the create goodnesse of the holy Ghost in man. And untill this be wrought in us by the holy Spirit, we may be men and true men, but we cannot be good men, nor for the kingdome of heaven. Therefore S. Augustine saith, Sola Tract. 5. in epist. Joh. charitas dividit inter filios regni & filios aeternae damnationis. So excellent is charitie, that God is called by it, 1 John 4. 8. God is charitie. And so good is it, that Divines call it grace, per Antonomasiam, because it is the principall grace. And S. Paul calleth it the greatest; The 1. Cor. 13. 13. greatest of these is charitie. Yea so great is it, that no good can be done without it, because it is the cause impulsive of every good action. You may beleeve without it, but then your belief is not good, because it wanteth his right end, which must proceed from chari­ties election and direction. Therefore in this sense, S. Paul gives faiths action to charitie; It beleeveth all things, it hopeth all things, &c. Vers. 7. Why? because it enliveneth faith and all other vertues by giving spirit unto them. Faith is the candle to charitie, and sheweth her light how to work, according to Gods word: but [Page 196] charitie, being the impulse of the regenerate soul, acteth all.

And whereas bonum is by Divines distin­guished into verum & apparens, the true good, and the appearing good; the true good is that which hath order to the best end, which is Gods glorie and our eternall good: of this kinde are all holy habits, qualities, and good works commanded by God. The appearing good is that which hath no order to the best end, but is onely for this world, and appeareth glorious to the naturall man. And this is ex­pressed by S. John in these three particulars, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the 1. Joh. 2. 16. pride of life. The lust of the flesh is fleshly con­cupiscence, the lust of the eyes is covetous­nesse, and the pride of life is a mans animositie, appearing in anger, arrogancie, and the like. All these, as S. John saith, are not of the Fa­ther, but of this world, and are the devils baits to hook the unwise generation.

Lastly, here may the question be moved, Whether the goodnesse of substance in man be better then the goodnesse of qualitie. To this I answer, that the goodnesse of substance is de esse; but the goodnesse of qualitie is de be­ne esse, which is Gods grace qualifying sub­stance, and therefore the better. For the souls of the damned have their esse in hell, and are miserable: but the souls of the Saints, by Gods grace and the good qualitie, are in heaven, [Page 197] which is their chief good. Grace and the good qualitie is the perfection and complement of substance. A holy and a good man is better then a man; because holinesse and goodnesse is the perfection of a man. As the soul is the form of man; so grace and goodnesse is the form of the soul: it healeth nature, it giveth to man quoddam supernaturale, it is the root of vertues, it is the greatest of gifts, it is corre­spondent to eternall glorie, by it the holy Ghost inhabiteth in us; and therefore in this life this good is maximè appetibile.

Thus farre of the goodnesse of God in the state of grace: but the greatest of his goodnes is to be seen in the state of glorie, because the state of glorie is the end and perfection of the state of grace. In this state his goodnesse con­sisteth of joy and glorie. Joy is the crown of the heart, and glorie is the crown of the head: the one is the complement of the will and ap­petite, the other of the minde and intellect. The intellect shall there be filled with the visi­on of God, the will and affections with the fru­ition of his love, and the lower part of the soul with its proper objects. And that this may the better be effected in that blessed estate, God hath ordained certain means for the possessing of it, which S. Thomas calleth dotes, dowries: and these are certain glorious habits or dispo­sitions, fitting the souls and bodies of the saints for the enjoying of eternall blisse, because [Page 198] without means nothing may be applied. And these dowries are three; vision, which answer­eth to faith in this life; apprehension, answering to hope; and fruition, answering to charitie. Besides, in that blessed estate there are degrees of joy and glorie, insinuated by our Lord, say­ing, In my Fathers house are many mansions; andJoh. 14. 2. by S. Paul, comparing, As one starre differeth 1. Cor. 15. 42. from another in glorie, so is the resurrection of the dead; again, by the parable of the seed sown in good ground, which brought forth some an hundred-fold, some sixty, & some thirty-fold. To this agreeth S. Gregory, Quia in hac vitano­bis Mor. l. 5. c. 42. est discretio operum, erit proculdubio in illa dis­cretio dignitatum; ut quo hîc alius alium merito su­perat, illîc alius alium retributione transcendat. So also hath S. Cyprian, In pace coronam vincenti­bus candidam pro operibus dabit, in persecutione purpuream pro passione geminabit: & further thus, Certent nunc singuli ad utriusque honoris amplissi­mam Ad Martyr. epist. 6. lib. 2. dignitatem. Accipiant coronas vel de operi­bus candidas, vel de sanguine purpureas. Here shineth Gods justice in distributing rewards ac­cording to the varietie of his own grace in this life bestowed, and Christians works by their free-will to the best end employed. And be­cause there are certain excellencies of works, in overcoming the greatest difficulties; there­fore the School, after the former demonstrati­on, argueth certain priviledged crowns, which they call aureolae, to be due to them which [Page 199] have conquered best; to Martyrs for overco­mingApoc. 2. 17. and 14. 3. persecutions, to Virgins for conquering the flesh, and to Doctours for putting the devilDan. 12. 3. to flight from their flocks.

And this goodnesse of God is so great, that in the kingdome of glorie he giveth not even rewards to any, but exceeding to all, accor­ding to his riches in the parable expressed, Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, Luk. 6. 38. pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall they give into your bosome.

Lastly, so great is Gods goodnesse every way, that it sustaineth even the worst things, that is to say, all evil: for such an infirmitie is evil, that it cannot exist except it lean upon some good, as on a subject: for there can be no sicknesse but in the bodie, no blindnesse but in the eye, no lamenesse but in the member; no more can there be the evil of pain but in the organ of sense; nor sinne, which is the evil of blame, but in the soul receding from grace: for sinne in the action is nothing else but the leaving of the divine order to the good end. The subject is good, and the action as it is an action is good; but the running of it without order to a wrong end, that onely is evil, and is no way to be righted and resisted, but by the other evil, which is the evil of pain: but of the two, the evil of blame is the worst and greatest, because it is opposite to Gods good­nesse, as the evil of pain is opposite to the creatures good.

Gods Life.

The fourth attribute is Gods Life, from which in holy scripture he is called the living God. By his life he is distinguished from idols, images, and statues, which are dead gods: wherefore to countenance the great idol Bel with this attribute, his priests, with theirHist. of Bel. wives and children, eat up for him every day twelve measures of floure, fourtie sheep, and six great pots of wine. But eating and drinking are no signes of Gods life, which is not support­ed by means like the life of men and beasts, but by its own acting: for he is the first mover, and the fountain of life to all things living. [Page 201] First, he moveth himself, by begetting his onely Sonne of his own substance, and by pro­ducing the holy Ghost of the same essence. Secondly, he moveth his creatures, by giving to them life and breath and the order of their wayes, according to that of Daniel to Belshazzar, And the God in whose hand is thy Dan. 5. 23. breath and all thy wayes, him hast thou not glo­rified.

And because God ever liveth, therefore he continually acteth, by begetting his Sonne, and producing the holy Ghost, while he al­waies understandeth himself, and alwaies lo­veth himself. And by this acting he continu­ally enlightneth men and angels, and enflameth them with love. And the image of this con­tinuall motion of God is mans breath and theAnima est ho­minis actus, id est, prin­cipium ejus vitae, & ima­go Dei. Sum. 1. quaest. 67. art. 1. pulse of his heart, but especially his pulse, which never ceaseth beating night nor day. You may for a time retard and stay breath, but by no means you can stay pulse: no more may all the devils in hell interrupt the living wel­fare of Gods saints either in earth or in hea­ven, because the Almighties pulse never leaves beating. He is purus & continuus actus; he alwaies moveth, and never ceaseth. There­fore the Psalmist saith, He that keepeth Israel, Psal. 121. 4. neither slumbreth nor sleepeth. And this life, fountain of all lives, is that which Philoso­phers call animam mundi, & naturam universi, according to that of the Poet,

Gods Providence.

To Gods life allie two other attributes, his providence and his power. His providence is his foreknowledge, by which he provideth for his creatures their ends, and the means leading toward them. Gods providence is his law by which he governeth his creatures: for when he had made all things, it was not fit then to leave them to themselves. If he should not have made them to some end, then he should have lost by his work; & if he should have pro­vided them an end, and no means to go toward it, then both he and his creatures should fail: wherefore after the creation, it is fit that God should execute the law of his providence, for the ordering of all things to their ends. The end of the inferiour creature is to serve man, who is Gods image; and the end of man is to serve his Maker, for making of him in his own image.

The order to these ends is to be seen in these three; in the order of necessitie, in the order of inclination, & in the order of free-will. The or­der of necessity serves for creatures inanimate, which are farthest remote from free-will. Of these the Psalmist saith, He hath made them an Psal. 104. 9. ordinance which none shall passe. Thus the fire burneth, and the water of necessitie quencheth, except for his pleasure he dispenseth with his ordinance. The order of inclination & instinct [Page 203] is for sensitive creatures, because they come nearest to free-will: by this the bee gathereth hony, and fish serve severall coasts at severall seasons, as if they were sent upon a message. The order of free-will is for man; to which, because it is the highest, God addeth his spe­ciall grace. And by this man travelleth either to his home of happinesse, or his home of heavinesse. In this order, though it be never so free, and suggested by a sea of possibilities, yet none can outflee Gods providence (which the School calleth Fate) for that the second cause cannot move out of the first, no more then the lower orb can turn above the higher. The reason is, for that mans will is ordered by contingent objects, and God is the com­mander and orderer of objects, and applieth them as he please. And thus God by causing a sound to be heard in the eares of Sennacherib,2. Kings 19. of king Tirhakahs coming against him, of free­will he brake up his siege against king Hezeki­ah. Thus again by the light of lamps and theJudges 7. sound of trumpets, God discomfited the great host of the Midianites. Thus also God by lea­ving the wicked & reprobates to their free-wil, to grace sufficient, and the objects of pleasure, covetousnesse, and pride, for all their free-will & power of nature, they cannot free themselves from eternall sorrow. Lastly, thus God by mans free-will, by his word and Sacraments, and by grace habituall and influent to mans [Page 204] free-will added, saveth his faithfull and elect, and bringeth them to eternall life.

And this providence of God concerning mans will thus distinguished, (first by grace generall to all mankinde added; next by meer free-will, to which man is left in himself; and lastly by grace habituall and effectuall, by which onely the godly and elect are moved and governed) this, I say, is answerable to the threefold motion of the heavens; the first moving from east to west, the next turn­ing contrarie from west to east, and the third moving sometimes to the south, and some­times to the north. So the first degree of Gods providence moveth all men generally to grace and goodnesse; and this is Gods motion one­ly, answering to that of the primum mobile. The second, contrarie to this, is the motion of nature; and this is mans onely, oppositely crossing God and his grace. The third, going both waies, is the motion of Gods sonnes, who are compounded of nature and grace; and they move sometime to vertue and goodnesse, and sometime to vice and wick­ednesse.

Again, for the better knowledge of the state of free-will, to which many doubts and questions are liable, we are to understand, that it runneth under two orbs subordinate to Gods providence. The first and nearest is the orb of Contingencie; the second and more [Page 205] supream is the orb of Fate. The orb of Con­tingencie is decreed of God for the proper element of mans free-will to expatiate in, as fishes swim in the water, and fowls flie in the aire. And were it not for this, mans will could not be free, but shut up as it were in a prison, and so could neither be rewarded nor punished, neither move to heaven nor go down to hell, no more then the brute beasts which want understanding and the objects of contingencie.

To shew how man comes to have free-will, it shal appeare by these foure particulars. First, because God hath given to man reason and understanding, by which his will is not bound to one object, but hath libertie to make a free choice among many. Secondly, because it hath an orb of contingencies or possibilities to elect in. Thirdly, whereas God hath made mans will in his own image, by which it is capable of a spirituall good or a spirituall evil, in this respect God hath given freedome to it, by giving it a conscience wherein the rules of nature are written, either to excuse it if it do well, or to accuse it if it do ill, Rom. 2. 15. Fourthly and lastly, whereas God hath ordained to man a supernaturall end, to go to a heavenly paradise, he hath added the high­est enfranchisement to his will, in affording it his grace, by giving to it his law positive, his sacraments, and ministers to apply this graceEph. 4. 11, &c. [Page 206] daily. And in this respect our Lord saith in the Gospel, If the Sonne shall make you free, ye John 8. 36. shall be free indeed.

Next, we are to know what contingencie is; and this is the possible mean between necessi­tie of being, and necessitie of not being, of be­ing such or not such, of doing or not doing, &c. Further, we are to know, that the events of contingencie in this orb are neither good nor bad, but meerly indifferent to free-will, and are onely matter or occasion of good and evil, yet ordered and guided by the providence of God, as may appeare by these particulars. On a time it fell out, that king Pharaohs butlerGen. 40. and baker had each of them a dream in one night; and that two yeares after king PharaohGen. 41. had two dreams in one night, the interpretati­on whereof was the matter and occasion of Josephs great good and advancement. Again, it fortuned on a night, that king AhasuerusEsther 6. could not sleep; whereupon he called for his chronicles to be read, and by chance the re­cord of Mordecai his discoverie of the trea­son of Bigthana and Teresh against the king was lighted on, which was the matter of Mor­decais advancement, and Gods Churches de­liverance. By chance Achan saw a wedge ofJosh. 7. 21. gold and a Babylonish garment in the spoil of Jericho, and stole them; which turned to the utter extinction of him and his seed. Lastly, by chance David walked upon the roof of his [Page 207] palace, from whence he espied Bathsh [...]a washing her self; by which sight he was so caught, that he not onely committed filthy adultery, but also cruell murder, which was a scarre upon him all his life after, and retaliated2. Sam. 12. 10, 11. with punishments of like nature. Yet did not these objects of contingencie more necessitate David and Achan to sinne, then the temptati­on of Potiphars wife could prevail upon Jo­seph, or the supposed stollen kid could cause Tobit to entertain it, though he was bothTobit 2. blinde, and so poore that his wife laboured for his living.

Now to prove contingencie to stand with holy Scripture, against the men which attri­bute all to fate and necessitie, my first argu­ment shall be from the Hebrew adverb of chance [...], which is often used in the old Te­stament, and by Pagnine and Hierome transla­ted, nè forté; and specially in the 91 Psalme, vers. 11, 12. where the speech is attributed to God himself, the authour both of Fate and Contingencie. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy wayes: they shall bear thee up in their hands, lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone. My second induction shall be from the Hebrew conjunction [...], si, which formally argues chance, as may appeare by this and such like speeches in the old Law, Deut. 11. 13. If ye shall therefore hearken unto my commandments. It is said If, because it was [Page 208] a great chance, if many of them did. My third is from the Greek adverb [...], in the new Testament, Acts 5. 39. Lest haply ye be found to fight against God. Then so it might fall out, and so again it might not fall out. Lastly, from the conjunction [...], sin or si: as in Matth. 11. 21. If the great works which have been done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they had repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. From hence our Saviour insinuates, that the great works which were wrought in Corazin and Bethsaida, might have been wrought in Tyre and Sidon; therefore this was contingent: and if it had been so, the one would have repented, whereas the other did not; and this is another contingent, and the more notable, in that the mean should have been all one between both without any difference. Again, contingencie in event is expressed in Acts 3. 10. where the people are said to be amazed at that which happened.

Further, contingencie is proved from the rule of justice: for if there were no contingen­cie, then there could be no free-will; and if no free-will, then neither praise nor dispraise, neither hope of heaven nor desert of hell: be­cause then mens hands should be so bound with the cords of necessitie, that they might not do otherwise then they do, and so deserve nothing. Therefore the souls that are in hea­ven and in hell, neither merit nor demerit, be­cause [Page 209] in those states there are no contingencies, but all necessitie: but they onely are worthy of praise or dispraise, of reward of glorie, or re­tribution of ignominie, which live here in this middle place of contingencie, unconfirmed ei­ther in goodnesse or malice. And this is veri­fied by the saying of Ecclesiasticus upon the tried man, Let him be an example of glorie, who Ecclus 31. 10, 11. might offend, and hath not offended; or do evil, and hath not done it: therefore shall his goodnesse be established. Lastly, this is proved from absur­ditie: for if necessitie should reigne alone a­mongst us, without contingencie; then all ex­hortations, promises, and threatnings in Gods word should be idle: for that it is in vain to call upon them, where there is no possibilitie to do otherwise then they do.

But though mans will be thus free in the orb of contingencies, as hath been proved; yet is it not absolutely free, but hath onely a condi­tionate freedome under the orb of fate, and divine necessitie in Gods providence, that is to say, such a freedome as is subject to Gods will, the supream moderatour and governour of all things. And this the very heathen acknowled­ged, as the Oratour sheweth in the excuse of Pompey, At mihi quidem, si proprium & verum nomen nostri mali quaeratur, fatalis quaedam cala­mitas incidisse videtur, & improvidas hominum mentes occupavisse; ut nemo mirari debeat, huma­na consilia divinâ necessitate esse superata. If the [Page 210] true and proper name of our evil be sought, a cer­tain fatall calamitie to me seemeth to chop in, and so to occupie the improvident mindes of men, that no man ought to marvell, when humane counsels are by divine necessitie overcome. But to passe from humane frailtie, we affirm, that neither the will of angels, nor of Christ himself as he was man, hath an absolute libertie, (for which cause he said, Not as I will, but as thou wilt) butMatth. 26. 39. onely God, whose libertie of will is also a li­bertie of necessitie, because it can will nothing but what is good. And this kinde of will is most noble, for that it is of divine essence, which cannot alter, nor is subject to defect or corruption. And in the order of causalitie this will again is most excellent, because it is most absolutely free, not depending upon any other but it self. Were the will of man in the orb of contingencie absolutely free, then it should not depend upon Gods will, then it would not say, Thy will be done, and then Gods will could not be omnipotent, because mans will might outgo it; then man would strike at heaven, and break ope hell if he could; then Phaetons horses would rend their halters, and the course of nature would be overturned. But, as it is in the proverb, God giveth a curst cow short horns: God gives to man such a libertie of will as is answerable to his power, that is, that he shall not in all things will what he would, nor be able to do what [Page 211] he will. But herein stands his libertie and free­dome, to do what he can, and will what he will in the way of grace and goodnesse, where­in God will aid him to go beyond himself: but in the doing of evil, God will not give him leave to do what he list; but he so over­ruleth his will by his divine fate or decree, that he can do nothing but what he will per­mit him to do, either for the just punishment of sinne, or for the expression of his power in making good of evil.

Thus then standeth the libertie of the se­cond will under the orb of the first will, that it is alwaies subject to it. And to demonstrate this to the safeguard of both, mans will is compared to a multitude of birds, and Gods providence to a wide cage, as we may ima­gine, of a mile or two over; in which, some may flie south, some north, some east, some west, and all which way they list; yet when they become to the cages bounds, they can flie no further. And so is it with mans free­will: when it is come to the bounds of Fate, which God himself hath spoken, it can flie no further. And this is confirmed by these eviden­ces of Gods word, Who hath resisted his will? Rom. 9. 19. Prov. 19. 21. Prov. 16. 1, 9. Intelliguntur haec loca de voluntate ab­soluta, non conditionata. Many devices are in mans heart: but the counsel of the Lord shall stand. The preparations of the heart are in man: but the answer of the tongue is of the Lord. The heart of man purposeth his way: but the Lord doth direct his steps.

[Page 212]And if we would know what Fate is, it is the decree or counsel of Gods will about the doing or leaving undone of all things that are to be done or left undone to the worlds end. S. Thomas defineth it thus, Fatum pro divina Part. 1. quaest. 116. art. 1. ponitur providentia omnia praeloquente. And his expositour Bonioannes thus, Fatum est dis­positio seu series causarum secundarum. And this is confirmed by these testimonies: He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it Psal. 33. 9, 11. stood. The counsel of the Lord shall stand for ever, and the thoughts of his heart throughout all ages. Who worketh all things after the counsel of his Ephes. 1. 11. own will.

But here it may be objected, How can mansOb. will be free, while it is subject to Fate or Gods will? It is answered, Because it is neither forcedSol. nor necessitated, but onely ordered, disposed, and perswaded, as Solomon expresseth in the former allegations, and again in this, The kings Prov. 21. 1. heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever it pleaseth him. Thus he turneth it without any touch of ne­cessitie or force, by offering to it such objects as are congruent and acceptable to the kings will. As he that makes an oration to perswade men, doth not thereby take from them their free choice: so doth Gods providence, by ad­ding of objects, and altering contingents after his own pleasure, dispose all mens wills and waies to the right end of their own good, if [Page 213] they will yeed to him; or to his own glory, if they will not turn.

Gods Power.

Next, for Gods Power, this must needs be omnipotent, because he made the world and all things in it of nothing. Angels have for a time made themselves bodies in which they appeared to the saints of the old world, & men have made all the gorgeous buildings on earth: but how? the one of the aire by them conden­sed, and the other of wood and stone and other materials: but herein is the power, to make of nothing, which is proper onely to the omnipotent. Next, he not onely made all things of nothing; but he daily supporteth and moveth all things made, without any other aid then his own. The lives of all things move in his life, and the vertue of all things is operative by his vertue. Alexander conquered the world, but the power was Gods; Cyrus won Babylon, but the policie was the Lords; & men wrought the seven wonders, and yet they were but Gods instruments; in him they all moved. Therefore the Psalme saith in generall, If thou hide thy face, they are trōubled; if thou take Psal. 104. 29. away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. If God should onely have made his creatures, and then immediately have left them to them­selves, the world would have grown old in one day. And whereas he made the world in six dayes, as fast as he made the succeeding dayes [Page 214] works, the works of the former dayes would have expired: for which cause it is no lesse vertue to the Almightie, to sustain the world made, then to make it of nothing: and at this the Apostle aimed, when he said, Bearing up Heb. 1. 3. all things by his mightie word. The sustaining of the world is as it were a continued creati­on: wherefore our Lord saith in the Gospel,John 5. 17. Hitherto my Father worketh, and I work: and that which God spake in the beginning, he speaksGen. 1. 11. still to this day, Bring forth fruit, and multiply.

So potent is he, that he worketh not onely ordinarily, but extraordinarily by working wonders, according to the Psalme, Qui facit Psal. 72. 18. mirabilia solus. He maketh the Salamander to live in the fire, he causeth the Chameleon to live by the aire, the island Delos to swimme in the sea, the earth to hang upon nothing, and the waters to flie in the midst of the aire. Lastly, he doth not onely wonders more then ever we have heard, but he is able to do moreJer. 32. 27. Where is an essence and a facultie to work, some­thing may come be­tween & hin­der: but God is simple, all essence; there­fore nothing may come be­tween him & his work. then ever he did; and therefore he saith, Is there any thing too hard for me? There is no­thing hard for him, because there is nothing to withstand him; there is nothing hard for him, because he worketh not by hand and instrument, but by word and power; there is nothing hard for him, because he stu­dieth not what to do, but understandeth all things afarre off; there is nothing hard for him, because he is never weary, as being all spirit [Page 215] and act, and no matter: lastly, it is as easie forIn the Baby­lonish furnace God separa­ted between the fire and the heat, which was the executive facultie, and so it could not burn. Dan. 3. him to make a world, as for one of us to think a thought. And whereas our God assumed the space of six dayes to make the world in, this was not for that he could not have made it in a moment; but to teach us to take time in our works, that they might not be untimely ripe; and next, to consider separately of his severall works, that the Jews might the more seriously praise him upon his Sabbath, & to proportion a fit time for us between our works & his service.

Lastly, Gods power is thus described by the worlds parts; his eyes pierce to the bot­tome of hell, his eares apprehend the stirring of the still thought, his voice is the rending of the clouds, and roaring of the seas: when he moveth, the earth quaketh; when he frowneth, the course of nature is out of frame. Oh bles­sed shall they be, which shall rest under his sha­dow, when he cometh terribly to shake things higher and lower.

But here is to be observed, that things of in­firmitie and defect, things passive, things im­possible and contradictorie, are not liable to Gods power; and therefore it is of his omni­potencie not to do them; as to sleep, to cease to work, to suffer unwillingly, and to make contradictories to be both true.

Gods Perfectnesse.

The fifth attribute is Gods Perfection; which to illustrate, is rightly to distinguish of perfe­ction: for perfection is twofold; one growing and having degrees, the other without growth, and without degrees. The first is of the crea­ture, the second is of the Creatour. The perfe­ction of the creature is the top of its growth: for when the creature is grown as much as it can grow, then it is said to be perfect. This perfection is competent to men, and the Sonne of man as he was man. Of men it is said, Matth. 5. 48. Be ye therefore perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. This is an exhor­tation to grow to our perfection, which is fi­nite, as Gods is infinite. Of the Sonne of Gods perfection as he was man, it is said, Luk. 2. 52. [Page 217] And Jesus increased in wisdome and stature, and in favour with God and man. The second perfecti­on, which is of God onely, is the absolute perfection: for that which cannot be better nor worse, must needs be absolutely perfect: but God is so good, that he cannot be better; and again he is so good, that he cannot be worse: therefore he must be absolutely perfect with­out degrees or growth. And this perfection is from his essence, which, because it is infinite, can admit no increase; and because it is eternall, it will suffer no decay.

First therefore he is perfect in his essence, because he is [...], Ero, vel Sum. Secondly,Exod. 3. 14. he is perfect in his understanding, because he is [...], the Word. Thirdly, he is perfect in hisJoh. 1. 1. will, because he is [...], the Charitie. Fourth­ly,1. Joh. 4. 16. he is perfect in strength, because he is [...], the Strength. And fifthly he is perfect in all re­spects, because he is [...], All-sufficient. Gen. 17. 1.

Next, he is perfect, Quia perficit secundum tres canones, mensurâ, numero, pondere; as the wise man hath, Thou hast ordered all things in Wisd. 11. 21. measure, number, and weight. In measure, by geometricall proportion, in altitude, longi­tude, latitude, and profunditie: in number, by arithmeticall proportion in all due parts: in weight, by natures proportion, in soliditie, ra­ritie, and elementarie qualitie. And this is con­firmed by Gods survey in the creation, And Gen. 1. 31. God saw all that he had made, and lo, it was very [Page 218] good, that is to say, perfect. If he made all things perfect, then much more must he be perfect, who is the authour of perfection. He must be perfect, because he is without want, and is fulnesse it self; In him dwelleth all the ful­nesse Coloss. 2. 6. of the Godhead bodily.

Though all creatures have their perfection in their kindes, wherein they bear the image of their Maker; yet have they not an absolute and universall perfection, but a particular, that is to say, so farre onely as they participate of the first perfection. And this participation consisteth of divers degrees: from whence it followeth, that the perfection of angels is a­bove the perfection of men, and the perfecti­on of men above the perfection of beasts, and the perfection of beasts above the perfection of plants; because all these more or lesse par­ticipate of Gods perfectnesse, as they come nearer to, or are further off his essence by de­grees & portions: but in God there are no de­grees nor portions, because he participates of nothing, but all things participate of him; therefore he onely is absolutely perfect, that is to say, fulnesse, according to that of S. John, Of Joh. 1. 16. his fulnesse all we have received, and grace for grace: from whence are convinced our im­pure Puritanes, who will admit a perfection to all creatures save onely to Christians. But in comparison of Gods perfectnesse, all are im­perfect. Therefore Eliphaz saith of the an­gels, [Page 219] Job. 4. 18. Behold, he will not credit his ser­vants, and his angels he charged with folly. Some reade, He would put light to his angels. The noun [...] signifieth both light and folly, and both here implie defect: els why should God put light to them who have light enough of themselves? Yea the angels light is but a made light, and a borrowed light; and there­fore in conference with Gods light it is imperfect, and goeth out before his.

Gods Infinitie.

The sixth divine attribute is Gods Infinitenesse. And this the ancient Philosophers thus de­fined, Infinitum est, extra quod nihil est. Ari­stotle and his followers define it otherwise, Infinitum est, extra quod semper aliquid est. The first put infinitie in him that comprehendeth all things, extra quod nihil est; and this is God, because nothing is without him, as the Poet [Page 220] expresseth, A Jove principium musae, Jovis omnia plena. The second place infinitie in that which goeth beyond all things, extra quod semper aliquid est; and this again is God one­ly. For when we have cast our eyes all the world over, yet there is still somewhat with­out, and this is God. Lastly, Divines shew in­finitie from the capacitie of the receiver. Thus that is infinite, which cannot be com­prehended or received of any. Therefore of Athanasius in his Creed God is called [...] incomprehensibilis. Further, God is infinite, be­cause he is not compounded of matter and form: for that which is in any matter, is con­tracted and determined by its matter: but God, because he made all matter and forms, is beyond all matter and forms; he compre­hends them, but they cannot comprehend him: he onely therefore is infinite. All greater orbs receive within and under them the lesse: but God, being the first and largest essence, com­prehending all things under him, cannot be received totally of any inferiour: there­fore he must be infinite and incomprehensible.

That which hath no bounds nor borders, must be infinite: but Almightie God hath no bounds, because nothing bordereth upon him, and there is nothing above him to con­fine him. He hath no adjacent, no equall, no corrivall: for this cause the Logicians will not entertain him into any Predicament, but put [Page 221] him alone by himself in the Transcendent, mounting above all things: for though he may be apprehended of his inferiour, yet he cannot be comprehended of his compeer. And this his incomprehensivenesse and trans­cendencie, we shew first in regard of his under­standing and will; secondly, in regard of mo­tion; thirdly, in regard of place; fourthly, in regard of time. In regard of understanding & will, because at one act and instant he under­standeth all things, & at the same act and instant he willeth all things. His understanding never preventeth his will, and his will is never sub­sequent to his understanding; because they have both but one present esse incomprehen­sible. His act is never abrupt, but alwaies one and permanent: therefore he onely is the true [...], whose act, end, and perfecti­on is alwaies in himself. In regard of motion Dionysius saith, Nec stat, nec movetur. He stand­ethDe Divin. Nomin. c. 9. [...]. not, because he is alwaies moving his crea­tures; and he is not moved, because there is no­thing to stirre him. He is primus motor; and if he move not, all things lie asleep. In regard of place, he is incomprehensible, for that he is every where and no where. He is every where, where there is a place; and he is no where, where there is no place: and he must be in no place, because no place can contain him. Every where speaks finite, because all places are created: but no where speaks infinite, be­cause [Page 223] it is not created. And though he be no where, yet he is not out of himself; there­fore he himself is infinite. Lastly, in respect of time he is infinite, for that he had no be­ginning; and because he had no beginning, therefore he can have no ending, à relatis. He hath neither terminum à quo, nor terminum ad quem: therefore in time also he is infinite.

And this infinitenesse in God, is that which will suffer no man to see him as in himself he is. No man shall see me, and live, saith God.Exod. 33. 20. Therefore when the Saints stood before God, they fell down upon their faces, or else God held his hand before their faces, as he did un­toVers. 22. Moses. The rest of Gods attributes, his truth, his goodnesse, his mercie, justice, power and providence, we may in some measure en­dure: but his infinitie no creature can sustain, because it hath no measure. If we look to the antecedent of Gods eternitie, after the first or second prospect, the raies of our mindes eyes are broken; if we look to the sequent, after our sight is reflected from the heavens, we can see no further: further then the walls we cannot go. If we look but up­on the image of his infinitie, which is his works and his waies, our eyes begin to da­zle. Peter cried out at the draught of fishes, Lord go from me, for I am a sinfull man: andLuk. 5. 8. Paul cried out, O the depth both of the wisdome Rom. 11. 33. and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his [Page 224] judgements, and his wayes past finding out! Last­ly, Job saith, He doth great things, and unsearch­able, Job 9. 10, 11. yea marvellous things without number. When he goeth by me, I see him not; when he pas­seth by, I perceive him not.

Lastly, here the plausible description of Trismegistus (affirming God to be a sphere, whose centre is every where, and whose circum­ference is no where) holdeth better with a me­taphor of the creatures residence in God, then with any formall veritie or reason of infinitie; because every where hath relation to place, which is finite, for that it is created: but in God there is nothing finite. If therefore we will assigne a centre to the infinite, we must ex­tend it beyond every where, because the centre must be proportionate to the circumference: but in God there is no proportion, because he is all infinite: therefore as his circumference is no where, so his centre in proper speech must be no where too. To which we may applie the doctrine of Dionysius in his book of mysticall Theologie, cap. 4. Veriùs & subtiliùs omnia de Deo negari quàm affirmari.

Gods Eternitie.

The seventh and last attribute is Gods Eternitie, and hath reference to time, which is alwayes flowing and running; and the further it goeth, the more it getteth; and the more it getteth, the more it argueth its want and indi­gencie, in that it needeth: but eternitie, as it can get nothing, so it needeth nothing, be­cause it alwayes is, and hath neither antece­dent nor subsequent, but is one individuall, having no parts, no more then Gods essence: for to be is Gods eternitie. Time hath parts, the first, the middle, the last: as it had a begin­ning, so it shall have an ending. Therefore time standeth within eternitie as an inferiour orb, and eternitie is the supporter of it, so long as it shall stand. Time is the shadow of eternitie, and eternitie the substance; there­fore time shall vanish with the shadow, be­cause it is following eternitie, as the shadow follows the sunne: but eternitie cannot vanish, because it is a durable substance, yea being it self. Eternitie is one permanent instant, not admitting division: it alwayes was, and can­not cease to be. But here the question may be made, that if God was ever, before either time or place, where then should God be? The an­swer [Page 225] of Divines is, that before the creation he was in himself. Tertullian saith, Ante omnia Advers. Praxeam. Deus erat solus, ipse sibi & mundus, & locus, & omnia: solus autem, quia nihil extrinse­cus praeter illum. Caeterùm nè tunc quidem solus: habebat enim secum quam habebat in semetipso rationem suam. By reason he meaneth his intel­lect. And further, he had not onely with him then his intellect or understanding, but he had also with him his will: so in all there were three, the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost; toS. Thom. part. 1. quaest. 15. art. 3 which three the world and all things that now are, were then present in their idea's.

But to return to Gods eternitie, this must be a life, because it is life that maketh things to last. Therefore Boëtius thus defineth it, Aeternitas est vitae interminabilis tota simul & perfecta possessio; Eternitie is the possession of an unterminable life whole together. This life must have no term: for if it should, then God could not be God, because then either the previver or the surviver would carrie it away. If any thing had been before God, then that previver had been God; or if any thing should be after him, then the surviver would inherit. Where­fore it follows, that that which is alwayes, must be God, and so his life subject to no term.

And this eternitie of God is expressed unto us in holy Scripture two wayes; privatively, and positively. Privatively in Melchizedech Christs figure, who in Heb. 7. 3. is said to [Page 226] have neither beginning of dayes, nor end of life; but is likened to the Sonne of God, and continu­eth a priest for ever. This is thus said of him, not simpliciter & absoluté, but respectivé; be­cause he was but a figure, and not the sub­stance of eternitie. And it is said of him so, for that neither the beginning of his dayes nor the end of his life is in holy Scripture disco­vered: but this is absolutely and simply true in the Sonne of God, because he was before the day was; he was before the creation, whenIsa. 43. 10 there was no distinction of time; and he shall be after the worlds dissolution, when there shall be no more time, according to that of the angel in Apocalyps 10. 6. who sware by him that liveth for ever, that time should be no more: for then time shall be turned into eternitie. Therefore he which was before the day and before time, and shall be after the day and after time, he which hath neither begin­ning nor ending, must needs be eternall. Po­sitively he is in Apocalyps called Alpha and Apoc. 22. 13. Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last. If he be the first, then nothing was before him; and if he be the last, then no­thing shall be after him. And from hence it followeth (because it is absolutely spoken) that he is Principium sine principio, & Finis sine fine, as the School speaketh.

But in 1. Thess. 5. 10. it is said, that we also shall live together with him: therefore we also [Page 227] shall be eternall. It is answered, that our life is not eternall absoluté, but participativé; because if we should not live with Christ, we should not live eternally. Again, mans eternitie is but half an eternitie, because it is not vita intermi­nabilis. For though mans life shall have no end by enjoying Christ, yet it had a beginning at its first being.

Lastly, where Boëtius saith, that eternall life is simul tota, the whole together; this shew­eth that it hath no partition, nor passion, nei­ther of youth nor age. And the image of this eternitie is the sphere of the heavens, which hath no fracture in beginning or ending, but is all whole within it self, so that you can­not say, Here it begins, or here it ends: from whence ariseth the axiom in Schools, Spherica figura est perfectissima. Gods eternitie is not like our lower world: for it hath neither orient nor occident, spring nor autumne, youth nor age; but his life is all of one vigour, his life and durance is simul tota, he hath neither praeteri­tum nor futurum, but his ever-present esse.

From hence is this comfortable consectarie, that though it be an impossibilitie for any crea­ture to adequate God in his eternitie, yet he hath ordained all his sonnes in Christ to par­take of it by living with him eternally. This is the Christians summum bonum, their last rest, their verum delectabile.

Aeterno & omnipotenti Deo laus & gloria in secula seculorum.

‘For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sinne be revealed, the sonne of perdition.’

The Apostle having bound the Thessalo­nians from the hasty expectation of Christs coming, now he gives them two infallible antecedents which must go before; so that till these be come, Christ may not come: and when both these are come, then the time which we look for must be at hand; so say­ing our Saviour, When ye see all these things, Matth. 24. 33. know that the kingdome of God is neare, even at the doores. The first antecedent is the falling away; the second and last is the uncovering of the man of sinne. These two, by reason of congruitie, must go before: for before these two parts be acted, how should Christ come to judgement? Cuique sua est tempestas, saith Ecclesiastes; Every thing must have his time. Eccles. 3. 1. Before Christ can judge the deficient, they must have a time to fall away in; before Christ can crown the constant, they must have a time to be tried in; before Christ can fight with his adversarie, his adversarie must first shew himself, and come into the field: so there must be a world before there can be an end of the world: besides, in generation there is privation ever before form; therefore in the [Page 233] breeding of Antichrist before the end defecti­on must precede.

The falling away.

Whereas the first antecedent is a falling away, we must enquire what is meant by this. 'Tis not a falling away from the Romane em­pire, as some have imagined; (for what hath Christ empire to do with the Romane em­pire?) but it is a falling away from the faith of the Gospell: it is the greatest defection that can be; because it is a falling from Christ to the breeding of Antichrist. Thus S. Paul ex­poundeth himself in 1. Tim. 4. 1. Now the Spirit speaketh evidently, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith. He saith some, because all shall not. But that this some shall be the greatest some, our Saviour sheweth in the Gospel, by an interrogation: But when the Luk. 18. 8. Sonne of man cometh, shall he finde faith on the earth? Defection spirituall is like a river; the further it runneth, the greater it groweth: therefore the fittest time for the great Anti­christ is the last time.

Where the falling away is.

Next, the question is, where this aposta­sie is to be found; in what part of the world: whether in the east church, or in the west church. Let us search the new Testament, and see if we can finde any thing for it there. First the Gospel was preached to the Jews, many embraced it at the first, as we reade in the [Page 234] Gospel: but now they be all gone from it, looking for a new Messias. Where is the Church of the Corinthians, the Church of the Galatians, the Church of the Ephesians, the Church of the Philippians, the Church of the Colossians, the Church of the Thessalonians, to all which S. Paul wrote? what is become of the twelve tribes, to which Saint James wrote? and whither are gone the seven great Churches of Asia, to whom S. John wrote? All these East Churches founded by the scri­pture, are fallen from Christ, and become Ma­hometans and Nestorians. Their falling a­way was prophesied by S. John in the 2 of the Revelation. The Church of the Ephesi­ans was challenged for leaving their first love; and were threatned with the removing of their candlestick, if they did not repent. The Church of Pergamos was challenged for maintaining the doctrine of Balaam, & the do­ctrine of the Nicolaitans; and was threatned to be fought against with the sword of Christs mouth. The Church of Thyatira was char­ged for suffering of Jezebel to deceive the peo­ple; and was threatned to be cast into a bed of affliction. The Church of Sardis was chal­lenged for being then dead, or at least a dy­ing; and was threatned to be come upon, as a thief comes, unexpectedly. The Church of the Laodiceans was challenged for that they were neither hot nor cold, but luke-warm; [Page 235] and were threatned to be spewed out of Christs mouth. All these with all the Church­es of Africa, as lamentable experience pro­veth, a long time ago are gone, in denying Christ totally, and in receiving of circum­cision the mark of the beast. Therefore here, that is, in these Churches of the east (which at this day are all under the great Turk) this apostasie, of which S. Paul speaketh, of neces­sitie must be understood. Thus the Church which rose in the east like the moon in the firmament, is going down in the west, expect­ing Christs coming. Then from this great defection let us acquit Christendome, whe­ther they be Papists, Protestants, or Luthe­rans; because though there be some differences amongst us in ceremonies and expositions (which destroy not) yet still our head Christ by Baptisme standeth upon our bodie, and the substance of the Gospel is entire and whole amongst us, by retaining the articles of the faith, the volume of the new Testament, and the practise thereof by faith and good life. But where Baptisme is removed, there is perfect apostasie, because there the head is cut off from the body: And this is contrarie to the commission of our Saviour, Matth. 28. 19.

The authours of the falling away.

To proceed in this point, next it is expe­dient to know the authours of this defection, how long it hath continued, and who is the [Page 236] upholder of it. For the first, we finde that the first authour was the arch-heretick Arius,Ariani Fi­lium esse creaturam, Spiritum ve­rò sanctum creaturam creatura, hoc est, ab ipso Fi­lio creatum volunt. Aug. lib. de Haeres. who, as we reade in S. Austine, held the Sonne of God to be a creature, and the holy Ghost to be the creature of a creature. Hence he is called of S. Lib. 5. de Trinitat. [...]. Socrat. Schol. lib. 7. cap. 29. [...], &c. Euagr. Schol. l. 1. c. 2. Hilarius Principium Antichristi, the be­ginning of Antichrist; and in the Councell of Sardis he is named [...], a fighter with Christ. The second authour was the heretick Nestorius, who affirmed Christ to be onely man. And he was termed Ecclesiae incendium, the firebrand of the Church, as we reade in So­crates; and, officina blasphemiarum, the shop-house of blasphemies, as we reade in Euagrius. The third and last authour was the false prophet Mahomet, who by the help of Sergius the Ne­storian Monk forged his Alcoran, in which as in the sink of heresies is contained the perfection of all apostasie. This falling away began in the reigne of Heradius the Romane Emperour, who lived in the yeare of our Lord 637. And from that time to this the issue of defection hath continued, spreading it self over Asia and Africa, being aided by the great Turk the successour of Mahomet, who daily increaseth the monarchie of this de­fection, by captiving of Christians, making them his Basshaws and Janizaries, and by ta­king in of Christian kingdomes, to more then the third part of Europe. And if Christian Kings do not by divine providence combine [Page 237] themselves against this beast, 'tis greatly to be feared, that he will lick up all Christian kingdomes, as an ox licketh up the grasse of the field. Polychronicon sheweth, that byPolychron. lib. 5. cap. 14. the Christians discord this beast was bred of the Hagarenes. And M. Fox in his historieAct. & Mon. p. 738. of Turks affirmeth, that the first letting in of Turks into Europe, was by dissension of the Princes of Greece. Discordiâ cuncta ruunt. Be wise now therefore O ye kings: be instructed ye jud­ges Psal. 2. 10. of the earth. And you Christians leave off your divisions, which are the bridge for the Beast and Antichrist to passe over to us. ThePolychron. lib. 3. cap. 3. river Euphrates was a famous defence unto Babylon: but after that king Cyrus had divi­ded it into foure hundred and threescore chanels, the enemie at ease went in at the emptie and drie hollow, and wonne the citie before invincible. And right so, if we Christi­ans shall cut our main current into many small creeks, by dividing our selves into divers sects of religion; there is great likelihood that the Turk will overrunne us all. That speech of some Christians hath alwaies been held of me for profane and hea­thenish, that they had rather live under the Turk, then under the Pope, or the king of Spain. But what is their reason? be­cause under the Turk they may have the li­bertie of their conscience. And what will their conscience-libertie unbounded bring them to? [Page 238] to break open hell gates, to live without faith, without law, to do what they list, to dispute of the Trinitie, and to denie Christs divinitie, as the Transilvanians and HungariansDanaeus de haeres. cap. 49. Turkishly and Jewishly have begun. For the passion of Christ, good Christian brethren, let us give over our hostile dissensions. When two of the Hebrews in Egypt fought and quarrelled, what said Moses unto them? Sirs, Acts 7. 26. ye are brethren, why do ye wrong one to another? The Papists and we call one God our Father, one Lord our Saviour, one holy Ghost our Sanctifier; and we have but one mean to unite us into this heavenly Unitrinitie, which is holy Baptisme: how then should we not be brethren? and why then should we wrangle and fight one with another? Said not Abner to Joab in that hot conflict of brethren, Shall the sword devoure for ever? knowest thou not 2. Sam. 2. 26. that it will be bitternesse in the latter end? how long then shall it be, ere thou bid the people re­turn from following their brethren? If we shall fight and quarrell so long, that Ottoman come in to make us his slaves (because we will not enjoy Christs peace;) will not this be bitter? Oh blessed Jesus, raise up one to bid the peo­ple return. Blessed be that peacemaker among men, as the holy Marie is blessed among wo­men. Oh sweet Jesus, smell a savour of rest. ‘Nulla salus bello, pacem te poscimus omnes. Virg. Aeneid. 11.’ ‘There is no health in warre, (saith the Poet) we all desire peace.’

Shall furious Thracians and barbarous Medes desire rest from warre, and we Christians de­light in combates and quarrells? are we not yet full with more then fourescore yeares bloud? If we withdraw not, will not Christ withdraw from us? Oh that the prophesie were revived, to beat our swords into plow­shares,Isa. 2. 4. and our spears into pruning-hooks, that we might unlearn to fight; that the wolf might Isa. 11. 6. dwell with the lambe, and the leopard lie with the kid, and the lion and the fat beast might feed to­gether! Seek peace, and ensue it, saith David thePsal. 34. 13. sweet singer: and the blessed Paul saith, If it be Rom. 12. 18. possible, as much as in you is, have peace with all men. Is it not possible that Christians should agree? There be differences which hinder. What then? In the bodie though one leg be lame, yet if the other set forward, that will dragge after as well as it can. Among the Greeks there were divers dialects, and yet they had but one language; they held toge­ther in the main. So though Papists have a letter more then we, or we one letter for ano­ther; yet we may hold together in the radix. If they sing, Gloria Deo inexcelsis; we may say, Glory be to God in the high heavens. The foun­der of Churches S. Paul, he could bear with differences, expecting Gods reformation: Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded; Philip. 3. 15. [Page 240] and if ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even the same unto you. Then for the pre­sent let us be patient; and afterward God will shew where the errour lieth. Why should we presume so much of our skill while we are in our non-age, and know but 1. Cor. 13. 9. in part, and prophesie but in part? Have not better men then we been deceived? Did not Elias say, Lord they have killed thy prophets, 1. King. 19. 10 and digged down thine altars; and I, even I onely am left, and they seek my life to take it away. Yet God told him, that he had reservedVers. 18. seven thousand men that had not bowed their knee to Baal. And did not that blessed vessel Saint Paul say, that he verily thought in him­self, Acts 26. 9. that he ought to do many contrary things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth? Then let neither side be too stiffe; but let us trie all things, let us follow our leaders, let us hold that which we have till we see better. But above all things let us put on charitie, which is the bond of perfection. Then as the clear eye helps the blear eye, the sound hand aids the withered hand, and the comely parts cover the uncomely; so shall we Christians cover one anothers infirmities, and help each other, till Christ mend us all. Let Protestants love the Papists, because they have kept the holy oracles and sacred mysteries for them; and let Papists love the Protestants, because they are descended from them, wear the badge [Page 241] of the covenant with them, and by a light and oblique dissent provoke them to better life and more refined learning. Have not dissent­ing Fathers and sliding Scholists been alwaies born with in points of religion?

To come again to the defection, it is a matter not unneedfull to know, by what means the falling away was first broacht, and then dis­perst. And this was by preaching of heresies and false doctrines. Never were so many here­sies set on foot, as in the first five hundred yeares after Christ, when preaching was at the most. Then preaching, of its own nature, is indifferent, and may assoon be abused as well used. Therefore the managing of it is not for all men, but onely for such as are of a stayed head, long understanding, and good life. It is for men of age, who are able to digest strong meat, and through long custome have their wits Heb. 5. 14. exercised to discern both good and evil. The more dangerous an instrument is, the more carefull we should be into whose hands we put it. Now the word of God, Heb. 4. 12. is com­pared to a two-edged sword: which if it be put into many mens hands, some will do as much hurt with it, as some do good. Experience of former times, and exclamation of our dayes prove this.

‘And that man of sinne be revealed, the sonne of perdition.’

Having spoken of the first antecedent, which is the falling away; it followeth to treat of the second, which is the unmasking of the man of sinne, and is imminent to the worlds end. This man of sinne, by generall consent, is the great Antichrist, expressed by his description, in opposing himself against all that is called God, Vers. 4. or that is worshipped: but Christ is not onely called God, but is the true God, and worship­ped; and therefore the man that opposeth himself to him totally, must be the Antichrist. But here we must take heed, what manner of Antichrist we mean; because there are many Antichrists, as S. John teacheth in his 1. epist. 2. chap. vers. 18. Little children, it is the last time, and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many Antichrists.

These Antichrists were the hereticks of S. Johns time, to whose number we are to refer all the rest which have followed, as also all the persecuting Emperours, from Nero to the Turkish Emperour Achmeth, sending defiance to the renowned Christian king Sigismund of Poland, in the yeare 1612. Christ is two wayes opposed; by heresie, and tyrannie; the one fighting against the body, the other against the soul of Christ in his members. These Anti­christs [Page 243] are the lesser Antichrists, which in certain parts, & modo quodam, oppose them­selves to Christ: but the man of sinne, of whom S. Paul speaketh, is the great Antichrist, who is an universall opponent both in heresie and tyrannie to Christ and his whole kingdome.

Antichrist one man.

Next we must enquire, whether this Anti­christ is to be taken for one man, or for a state or kingdome; as some would have the reigne of Popes, some the reigne of Turks to be the Antichrist; and some would make Antichrist a twin, like the image of Janus, which hath two faces, and looks contrarie waies; affirming the Turk to be the elder brother of Antichrist, and the Pope the younger. But to such con­ceits I cannot yeeld.

First, by reason of the denomination, which is [...], and not [...], that is, a con­trary Antichristus est nomen per­sonale à per­sona Christi. Christ, and not a contrary kingdome. Christ was but one person: therefore his great and di­rect opposite must be but one person too.

Secondly, because my text calleth him [...], that man of sinne, that sonne of perdition, which Beza translateth, homo ille sceleratus, filius ille perditionis, which signifieth that wicked man, that sonne of perdition; and not those wicked men, those sonnes of perdition. And therefore Antichrist, as he is here described quoad literam, must be but one person in the singular number.

[Page 244]Thirdly, this is further confirmed by con­ference of Scripture, Joh. 5. 43. where our Sa­viour prophesying of Antichrists coming, speaks in the singular number, and in the par­ticular: I am come in my Fathers name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him will ye receive. Our Redeemer here makes no feigned supposition, but a true one; which shall come to passe, because he is no tri­fler, but the God of prophesie and truth. And that here he intendeth Antichrist, it appeareth, because the Jews to this day look for their Messias; and therefore their Messias must be the Antichrist-Messias, for that there can be but one true Messias.

Fourthly, this appeareth, because Anti­christ shall come in his own name, and not in the name of any God; for that it is said, Who 2. Thess. 2. 4. opposeth himself against all that is called God, or that is worshipped. And thus it is prophesied of him, Dan. 11. 36. He shall not regard the God of his fathers, nor regard any God; for he shall magni­fie himself above all.

Fifthly, from hence also it appeareth, that Antichrist shall be but one person, because our Saviour here opposeth to himself another man in the singular number; and so he opposeth person to person, and not kingdome to king­dome, or sect to sect. As Christ therefore was one man; so that man of sinne, which is the great Antichrist, must be but one man too: and [Page 245] it is evident that the Jews expect but one Christ, and not many Christs.

Sixthly, S. John, in his first epistle and se­cond chapter, distinguisheth the great Anti­christVers. 18. from the multitude of Antichrists, by the singular number. Little children, it is the last time, and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now there are many Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time; that is to say, the last time is now entring. Where ye see a manifest distinction between [...], and [...], between them that were present, and him that was to come.

If we should make the Antichrist a state of men, or a reigne of men; then we should confound S. Johns distinction between the Antichrist and the multitude of Antichrists, which are the forerunners of the main Anti­christ. And then we should feigne a huge and Chimerick Antichrist, who with his hands should apprehend the Apostles time, & fasten his feet in the end of the world. Then again we should make S. Paul and S. John to jarre, if the one should affirm him already to be come, and the day of Christ to be instant; and the other at the same time to adjure the Thes­salonians, that by no means they should admit this, but expect the falling away first, and the removing of the Romane empire. And to reconcile S. John with S. Paul about the last1. Joh. 2. 18. 2. Thess. 2. 2. time and Christs coming, we say that S. John [Page 246] intended by the last time the last age of the world, which then was in inchoation, to stirre them up to preparation; and not the last time precisely, because we know there have been a thousand and six hundred yeares since.

Seventhly, this is proved from Antichrists figure in the 11 and 12 of Daniel, upon which Calvine affirmeth Daniel to speak of Antio­chus Epiphanes according to the letter, and allegorically of Antichrist whose person An­tiochus did present; and so commonly the an­cient Fathers understand. But this Antiochus in the seventh chapter of that book is not cal­led a kingdome or reigne, but one little horn besides the ten horns of the fourth beast, as appeareth in the 8 verse; and one king besides those ten kings which stood up out of the fourth kingdome, as Daniel expoundeth in the 24 verse. This fourth kingdome or fourth beast was the reigne of the Seleucians in Asia, from which the holy nation received many mischiefs; and the little horn was Antiochus, who plagued the Jews above all the rest. From whence ariseth this argument, that if Antiochus the figure of Antichrist was but one man; then Antichrist, which must answer to his figure, must be but one man too. And to this agreeth S. Johns prophesie in Apoc. 13. 17. where a particular name and a parti­cular number is given unto him.

Lastly, this is shewed from the circum­stance [Page 247] of time. For Antichrist is to reigne but three yeares and a half; as appeareth in Dan. 7. 25. where Antiochus is foretold to reigne over the holy nation, untill a time, and times, and the dividing of a time, which is three yeares and a half. And with this consenteth the pro­phesie of Antichrists reigne under the Dragon in the 12 of the Revelation; where the wo­man, that is, the Church, is said to be nourished in Vers. 14. the wildernes, for a time, and times, and half a time. To this is added the treading down of the holy citie by the same Antichrist for the space of fourty two moneths, and the prophesying of the two witnesses in the same time by the space of a thousand two hundred and threescore Vers. 2, 3. dayes, as it is manifest in the 11 chapter of the same book. All which severall accounts by yeares, moneths, and dayes, make but three yeares and a half, as that most judicious Fa­ther S. Austine most boldly delivereth. And with this further agreeth the prophesie of Christ concerning Antichrists end of dayes (as appeareth by alluding to Daniel, about the abomination of desolation set in the holy place, that is to say, of the sitting of Anti­christ in the temple of God, as S. Paul ex­poundeth it) And except those dayes should be Matth. 24. 22. shortened, no flesh should be saved. But here we see these dayes to be shortened, by the last yeare cut asunder in the midst. And this is more illustrated by reason of congruitie: for [Page 248] as Christ preached but three yeares and an half; so it is not meet that Antichrist should preach more, lest he should seem to prevail upon Christ.

The testimonies of Fathers confirm this. Irenaeus in the end of his 5. book hath these words, Antichrist shall reigne three yeares and Cùm vastave­rit Antichri­stus hic omnia in hoc mundo, regnans annis tribus & mensibus sex, & sederit in templo Hie­rosolymis, tunc veniet Domi­nus de coelis in nubibus in gloria Patris. six moneths; and then shall the Lord come from heaven.

Hierome upon the 7 of Daniel hath these, Tempus annum significat: Tempora, juxta Hebrai­ci sermonis proprietatem, qui & ipsi dualem nume­rum habent, duos annos praefigurant: Dimidium autem temporis sex menses, quibus sancti potestati Antichristi permittendi sunt: ut condemnentur Ju­daei, qui non credentes veritati susceperunt menda­cium. A time signifieth a yeare: times, according to the propertie of the Hebrew speech, which hath the duall number, prefigureth two yeares: but half a time six moneths, during which time the saints shall be permitted to the power of Antichrist: that the Jews might be condemned, who beleeving not the truth, have received a lie.

S. Augustine in his 20 book of the citie of God, and 23 chap. saith, The most cruel reigne Antichristi adversus ec­clesiam saevis­simum regnum &c. of Antichrist against the Church, that it is to be sustained for a very short time, he that readeth these things, though he be half asleep and half awake, is not suffered to doubt: because A TIME, AND TIMES, AND HALF A TIME, is one yeare, and two yeares, and half a yeare; and [Page 249] so three yeares and an half. This also appeareth by the number of dayes afterward put down; and Dan. 12. 7, 11 Revel. 11. 2. sometime in Scripture this is declared by the num­ber of moneths. From these testimonies it is cleare, that if Antichrist in his reigne shall not exceed this prescribed time, then it is not pro­bable that he should be more then one man.

But against this computation it is objected,Ob. that the foresaid prophesies of yeares, moneths, and dayes, are to be multiplied and understood according to the prophesie, Ezek. 4. 6. where is said, I have given thee a day for a yeare. Then these yeares, moneths, and dayes, will fetch in a long succession of Popes into Antichrists chair.

I answer, Then the foresaid Fathers and allSol. the rest (for all in this point agree in one) were much overseen in not seeing this prophesie to be so much against them. Next, I answer, This is a particular prophesie, and no generall rule to rule other prophesies, I have given thee a day for a yeare, and so I have not done to the rest of my prophets: for if times should be un­derstood of yeares, and then every day in the yeare should be multiplied again into so many yeares more as there be dayes in every yeare; then where it is prophesied of Nebuchadnez­zar,Dan. 4. 32. that seven times should passe over him in his expulsion from his kingdome, it should fol­low, that he was banished two thousand five hundred and fiftie five yeares; which are more [Page 250] yeares then he ever lived by a thousand at the least: and thus the prophesie of his restaurati­on should be utterly false.

But these times in Daniel must be understood onely of yeares, as Tremellius and Junius note upon Dan. 4. 13. after our division of chapters; but upon the 16, as they begin their chapter. Again in the 11 of Daniel, verse 13, in the text, [...] he readeth exactis illis temporibus, id est, annis, following the Hebrew original. And thus a­gain it is noted in our Church-bible in the mar­gine of the same chapter and verse, at the end of times of yeares. Therefore Revel. 12. 14. du­ring the great persecution of Antichrist, cau­sed by the devil the old serpent, the woman,Irenaeus, Hieron. August. Tremel. Junius, in lo­cum. that is, the Church, is provided for, but for a time, and times, and half a time, that is, but for three yeares and an half, as both ancient and modern interpreters consent.

The second prophesie of the durance of An­tichrists reigne is by moneths, Revel. 11. 2. And the holy citie shall they tread under foot two and fourtie moneths. This the opponent will notOb. understand of bare moneths as the Fathers ex­pound, which make but three yeares and an half; but they will alter the propertie, and turn moneths into so many daies as be in four­ty two moneths; and then they will turn dayes again into yeares, that is, 1260 dayes, which are in fourty two moneths, into 1260 yeares.

Here I would demand of these men, whatSol. [Page 251] rule or warrant they have in any part of Gods word, to turn moneths into dayes, and then dayes into yeares. I reade in Levit. 25. 8. where God gave this rule to the Israelites, to number yeares by weeks or sabbaths: Thou shalt number seven sabbaths of yeares unto thee, and the space of seven sabbaths of yeares will be unto thee nine and fourty yeares. Now let them in like manner shew where God hath given a rule to number yeares by moneths resolved into dayes, as here we reade of a sabbath of yeares; that so there might be a moneth of yeares too; and then am I confined. Otherwise they make rules out of their own brain, and adde unto Gods word.

The third prophesie of the durance of An­tichrists reigne is by dayes, Revel. 11. which dayes are there expressed to be 1260. and these dayes they turn into so many yeares, to serve their own turn.

Here again I require their rule. They offer Gods direction to Ezekiel, I have appointed thee Ezek. 4. 6. each day for a yeare. I reply, God did not appoint Ezekiel this rule to be a generall rule to num­ber by; but to lie and sleep upon his left side, and upon his right. For because it had been too long for him to lie and sleep openly for a signe to the Israelites, three hundred and ninety yeares on his left side, and again to lie fourtie yeares on his right, to signifie so many yeares of punishment, according to the yeares of their [Page 252] sleeping in sinne; because, I say, this had been too long a time (if not impossible) for the Prophet to make this signe; therefore God for his ease appointed him a day for a yeare. And because these dayes were not given to E­zekiel to number by, but to signifie by; there­fore both Tremellius, and Junius, and our Ge­neva translatours upon the 8 of Daniel and 14 vers. do not take dayes for yeares, as Moulin & others would have us; but for naturall dayes: where when the question was asked how long the vision of taking away of the daily sacrifice, and the desolation and treading down should continue; it was answered, Unto the evening and morning two thousand and three hundred, that is, unto two thousand and three hundred dayes, as it is in the Church-bible, agreeing to that, Gen. 1. 5 And the morning and the evening were the first day. Now if these two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings, which make two thousand and three hundred dayes, should be taken for two thousand and three hundred yeares, as these men would have it, the Uni­versitie of Divines would cry shame upon it; because it is palpably known that Antiochus, by whom this abomination of desolation was set up, and the holy citie troden under foot, did not live the tenth part of these yeares.See Psal. 90. 10. Therefore our Geneva note upon this text saith honestly and truly, that is, untill so many naturall dayes be past, which make six yeares, three [Page 253] moneths, and an half: and with this Tremelli­us and Junius do for the most part agree, ex­pounding thus, annos sex, tres menses, & dies ferme octodecim.

Again, in the last chapter of Daniel (where is prophesied not of the whole time of tread­ing down of the holy people as before, but onely of the taking away of the daily sacri­fice, and setting up of the abomination of de­solation, which was the statue of Jupiter Olympius, as we reade in 2. Mac. 6. 2.) there is put down in the text a thousand two hundred Dan. 12. 11. and ninety dayes: this Tremellius and Junius in­terpret anni tres, menses septem, & dies quasi tredecim; that is, three yeares, seven moneths, and, as it were, thirteen dayes. But if you shall num­ber the thousand two hundred and ninetie dayes for a thousand two hundred and ninetie yeares; then nothing will fit: and then you must extend the abomination and desolation many hundred yeares after the death of An­tiochus; the text in the next verse being against it, saying, Blessed is he which waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and thirty five dayes, that is to say, to fourty five dayes after, as Tremellius and Junius interpret; because An­tiochus Epiphanes should then be dead, and then Antiochus Eupator his sonne granted to the Jews full peace and free libertie of their religion, as you may reade in 2. Mac. 11. 22. Which thing was done the same yeare that his father died in.

[Page 254]From these two examples out of Daniel, the numbring of dayes for yeares, to crosse the Fathers, and to serve their private desires, is found to be very false; and, that Ezekiels rule was peculiar to himself. And from the last prophesie, to the comfort of Christs people, I observe, that when Antichrist shall come, his time shall not be long, as is before declared by S. Augustine: because under Antiochus theDe Civitate Dei lib. 20. cap. 23. Dan. 12. Apoc. 11. 2. temple was profaned but 1290 dayes; and in the Apocalyps it is prophesied, that under Antichrist the court of the temple and the ho­ly citie should be troden under foot but 42 moneths, which are 30 dayes fewer. And here it is worth the observing, how neare An­tiochus time over the Synagogue, Christs time over the Church, and Antichrists time in the end of the world, do conspire in one; all being about three yeares and a half, as Scriptures have expressed, and the learned computed.

But against this computation it is objected,Ob. that if it be admitted to stand so neare to Christs coming to destroy Antichrist, as in 2. Thess. 2. 8. is expressed; then the day of Christs coming to judgement may be known: which in Matth. 24. 36. is denied.

I answer, This consequent is not good. First,Sol. because we have no warrant in Gods word, when this account of yeares, moneths, and dayes is to begin: wherefore the beginning being but conjecturall, the end can be but con­jecturall [Page 255] too; and so nothing certain. Secondly, no Scripture hath revealed that the day of Christs coming shall be tangent to these three yeares and half, as if it were to follow the next day after; because the Gospel hath interjected certain signes and prodigies between Anti­christs persecution and the end of the world, saying, And immediately after the tribulation of Matth. 24. 29, 30. those dayes, the sunne shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the starres shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the hea­vens shall be shaken. And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man.

To return to the demonstration of Anti­christ one man, this is further proved from the name Antichrist, which signifieth an oppositeAdversarius. to Christ. Now a sect or kingdome is not so proper an opposite to Christ, as one person is opposite to another. Should the opposition be in a kingdome or sect, then the Mahometi­call kingdome and the sect of Arius should be the Antichrist; because these principally oppose Christ, in denying him to be God. But the Fathers understand Antichrist of one man opposite to Christ in person and qualities, in whom shall inhabit the devils malice and na­ture corporally, as in Christ doth inhabit the Godhead corporally. Thus properly shall per­sonCol. 2. 9. be opposite to person; one Christ, one Antichrist.

Vers. 3. ‘And that man of sinne be revealed, that sonne of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that he doth sit as God in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.’

These words are the description of Anti­christ; in which, as in a table, ye may see his stature, complexion, and portraiture limmed to the life. First, he is called by an emphasis that man, that is, that singular man singled from all other men, as having no equall. He is that man of sinne, quia totus ex peccato: He is made of sinne; sinnes are his materials. Other sin­ners have some good parts in them, though but few: but as there is no goodnesse in the father of sinne, so there is no more in the sonne of sinne; for he is a great masse or mountain of sinne. Him doth Irenaeus thus anatomize in his 5. book and 23 chapter; Diaboli virtutem suscipiet Antichristus, qui veniet ut impius & injustus, sine lege quasi apostata, iniquus & homi­cida quasi latro, diabolicam apostasiam in se re­capitulans, idola seponens, ad suadendum quòd ipse sit Deus; se autem extollens unum idolum. Again, in his 24 chapter he hath, Omnis nequitia, do­lus, & vis apostatica confluit in Antichristum. Antichrist shall take up the Devils vertue, who shall come as unjust and impious, without law like an apostate, wrongfull and killing like a [Page 257] thief, ingrossing in himself Diabolicall apostasie, putting away idols to perswade that he is God, and extolling himself the onely Idol. All wickednesse, deceit, and force apostaticall, flow together into Antichrist.

Vers. 3. ‘That sonne of perdition, [...], that sonne of destruction.’

In that he is called that sonne of destruction, this argueth his relate father, for he is sonne and heir to the Devil. He was a murderer from John 8. 44. the beginning, as S. John saith; and the same Apostle in Apocalyps the ninth calleth him in Hebrew Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon, Vers. 11. that is, the destroyer. Now of this destroyerAntichristus est universo­rum perditio, id est, natus ad hoc ut per­dat alios, & tandem ipse perdatur; qui scilicet homo pestifer adver­satur Christo, ideo vocatur Antichristus. Anselm. in 2. Thess. 2. Psal. 49. 8. comes this sonne of perdition. And he is so called, as Anselm saith, because he destroyeth others both with temporall death, and with false faith. Them that will not yeeld unto him he will destroy with death, and them that yeeld to him he will destroy with false faith. This of the twain is the greatest de­struction; because the first is of the bodie, which may be repaired; but the second is of the soul, which cannot be restored. There­fore the Psalmist saith, It ceaseth for ever. And because Antichrist cannot kill the second way, but by yeelding; therefore our Master Christ bids us not to fear him: Fear ye not Matth. 10. 28. them which kill the bodie, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Vers. 4. ‘Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped.’

Hitherto of Antichrists materials; now fol­lowethHomo pecca­ti, in quo fons omnium pec­catorum est: & filius per­ditionis, id est, diaboli; ipse est enim uni­versorum per­ditio: qui ad­versatur Chri­sto, & ideo vo­catur Anti­christus. Hie­ron. Algas. quaest. 11. his form, whereby he is distinguished from others. And this consisteth in these two points, that is, in his opposition and exaltation. From his opposition he takes his name, from his exaltation he hath his actus or [...] for pride is the spirit of sinne. In this he out­goeth others, and in this he shews himself to be indeed the Antichrist, that is, the man that is most opposite to Christ. For Christ was the most humble man that ever lived; because when he was in the form of God, he took upon him the form of man: but Antichrist being a base man shall take upon him the form of God; in which arrogancie and insolencie he shall outrunne the most insolent that ever were. Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord? but heExod. 5. 2. shall say, I am the Lord. Sennacherib said, Hath 2. King. 18. 33 any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Ashur? but he shall promise to his followers the joyes ofFox in Apo. 9. Paradise like a God. Alexander, he soughtJustin. lib. 11. the kindred of the gods: but Antichrist, he shall not respect any God, but magnifie him­self above all. Antiochus the figure of An­tichrist,2. Mac. 6. Polychron. 5. Aetate de vita Anti­ochi. he set up the statue of Jupiter in the Temple: but Antichrist, he shall set himself up in the Temple; he shall exalt himself above [Page 259] all that is called God, or that is worshipped. Here is a full opposition, and a full exaltation. It is full in the parts, and it is full in the main. It is full in the parts, because he shall exalt him­self above all that is called God; that is, above all titular gods, or inferiour gods, as Mo­narchs,Hieron. in 2. Thess. 2. Kings, Judges, and Idols. In the main he shall exalt himself above the onely true God, where it is said, or that is worshipped, [...], aut numen. Against all these he shallAct. 17. 23. proceed, not onely like a Thraso, by way of bragging and boasting; but by way of opposi­tion, that is, so seeking to set up himself, as thereby to throw all other gods down. Here is the Dragons throne and power to do twoRevel. 13. 5. and fourtie moneths. And this is further de­monstrated by these testimonies of S. Chry­sostome: [...].In 2. Thess. Hom. 3. He (that is, Antichrist) shall not leade any into idolatrie, but he shall be an opposite to God, and shall destroy all gods, and shall com­mand himself to be worshipped for God, and shall be set in the temple of God. And again, [...] Theoph. in 2. Thess. 2. Professing himself to be God above all.

Vers. 4. ‘So that he as God doth sit in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.’

In these words Antichrists seat and end is set down, the mark that he shoots at; that is, to shew himself to be God. Because he cannot be God in deed, he will be God in shew. Therefore he shall be the arch-hypocrite. We reade that Satan transformeth himself in­to an angel of light: but Antichrist, being more impudent, shall transform himself into God. And to do this, he shall take the most gain­some way: for he shall usurp Gods house, and there place himself as the proper owner. If my counter fail me not, he shall erect his throne in the Sanctum Sanctorum, the most ho­ly place, where the ark of the covenant in the old law stood, where were the cherubims and the mercie-seat. From hence he shall give o­racles, and receive the vows and prayers of his seduced crew, with the greatest devotion and prostration they can devise. Some of the Fa­thers say, that this seat shall be the temple at Jerusalem, which Antichrist shall labour to reedifie, that there he might keep his court; and some, that he shall sit in the Churches of Christians; and some, that he shall usurp both; which I deem to be the likeliest.

Irenaeus saith, When Antichrist shall sit in Lib. 5. the Temple at Jerusalem, then shall the Lord [Page 261] come. Hippolytus martyr, He shall build the [...] Orat. de fine mundi. Catech. 15. temple at Jerusalem. S. Cyril of Jerusalem thus, [...]. Antichrist shall hate idols, that he may seat himself over the temple of God: he meaneth, he shall attempt to make up the dissolved temple of the Jews; God forbid that it should be this wherein we are. Hilarius,Com. 25. in Matth. A Judaeis susceptus, loco sanctificationis insistet; Antichrist being received of the Jews, shall make the holy place his abode. Sedulius saith, Templum In 2. Thess. 2. Hierosolymae reficere tentabit, He shall go about to Quaest. 11. ad Algasiam. repair the temple at Hierusalem. Hierome, He shall sit in the temple of God, either at Hierusa­lem, as some think, or in the Church, as we more truely suppose. S. Chrysostome, to whom I at­tributeIn 2. Thess. 2. most, saith, [...], &c. He shall com­mand himself to be worshipped for God, and to be Romanum no­men, quo nunc regitur orbis, tolletur de terra, & im­perium in A­siam reverte­tur, ac rursus Oriens domi­nabitur, at (que) Occidens ser­viet. Lactan. de Divin. pr. libr. 7. cap. 15. placed in the temple, not onely at Hierusalem, but also in the Churches. He shall seat himself in the temple, to give satisfaction to the Jews his principall followers: and he shall place him­self in the Church to oppose the Christians: to the one he shall counterfeit the Messias; to the other he shall disclose himself to be the Antichrist. And this sense doth Theodoret and Theophylact follow. Lactantius saith, In Antichrists time, the chief kingdome shall be in [Page 262] Asia; the east shall rule, and the west shall obey. And Irenaeus hath, Antichrist on a sudden shall Irenaeus lib. 5. rush into divers kingdomes of the Romane em­pire to challenge a kingdome to himself. Sibyl saith, that the greatest terrour and furie of hisSibyl. orac. lib. 8. kingdome shall be by the banks of Tybur.

[Page 263]Thus farre of Antichrists seat; and next follows his ostentation, shewing himself that he is God. Because he cannot be God in deed, he will seek to be God in shew. He shall be but an earthen God, [...], as S. John de­scribeth him, Revel. 11. 4. These are the two Diabolus est deus mundi, 2. Cor. 4. 4. Antichristus est Deus terrae, Apoc. 11. 4. Vide ejus an­tithesin Apoc. 11. 13. [...]. olive-trees, and the two candlesticks standing be­fore the God of the earth. Beza translateth pas­sively, put before the God of the earth: signifying that they are so placed by the true God a­gainst the false God; thus agreeing with the adverb [...], è regione, vel, ex adverso posita, placed overthwart to him. Wherefore for all his ruffe in his fourtie two moneths time, yet he shall not have his full will and pleasure; be­cause Gods two witnesses shall interrupt him, by prophesying against him, and by vexing his earthen worshippers with plagues 1260 dayes, which is the just time of his fourtie two moneths.

But here a great question ariseth, Who shall be these two witnesses. Our late Divines say, The ordinarie Ministers of the Church for that time. But the Fathers under­stand them to be Enoch and Elias. Though there be no expresse warrant for either of these, yet untill I understand better, I follow the Fathers; because their sense fitteth best with the circumstances of the text, and the description of the persons. And first, because the persons are but two, but the ordinarie [Page 264] Ministers are many. And if it be said, that the number of two is put for all the rest; I reply, that this is not agreeing with the scri­pture, which in such cases useth numbers of perfection, or numbers of allusion, [...]. The number of seven, being a number of perfection, is thus commonly used through this book of the Apocalyps: as, the seven starres are put for all the Ministers of Asia, and the seven lamps for all the vertues of Gods Spirit, and the number of twelve thousand for all them that were sealed of every of the twelve tribes. But the number of two is no such number, and therefore not fit to comprehend a whole. Secondly, for the word witnesses, this is fit forJude vers. 14, &c. Enoch, in that he rebuked the first world, and testified of Gods coming to judgement against them. And this squareth as just with Elias, in rebuking of sinne and testifying for God; inso­much as John the Baptist the great reformer, is prophesied to come in the spirit and power of Luk. 1. 17. Elias. Thirdly, it is said, that if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, Apoc. 11. 5. and devoureth their enemies. And so again, as­soon as Elias opened his mouth to command2. King. 1. 10, 12. fire to come down from heaven, the fire fell and devoured two captains with their two fifties. Fourthly, it is said, that these have Apoc. 11. 6. power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the dayes of their prophesying: and this power had Elias, and executed it, as we reade in 1. Kin. 17. 1. [Page 265] Fifthly, it is said, that these two vexed them Apoc. 11. 10. that dwelt on the earth: and thus did Elias vex king Ahab, when he said unto him, Art thou 1. King. 18. 17. he that troublest Israel? and again, when he pro­voked Baals prophets to cut themselves withVers. 28. knives and lancers. Sixthly, it is said that their enemie shall kill them: and this is fit for E­noch and Elias, because hitherto they haveHeb. 11. 5. not tasted of death, but one day they must die, because the scripture saith, It is appointed to men Heb. 9. 27. Vide Tertul. lib. de anima. Translatus est Enoch & Elias, nec mors eorum reperta est, sed dilata. Caeterùm mo­rituri reser­vantur, ut Antichristum sanguine suo extinguant. that they shall once die. Their death therefore seemeth to be deferred, to a more famous end, to a congresse with the great Antichrist. Seventhly and lastly, it is said, They shall ascend up to heaven, and their enemies shall see them: and so have Enoch and Elias alreadie done; and therefore they know the way to do so a­gain. These two therefore, be they who they may be, may well be called Enoch and Elias; because in their deeds they so resemble them, as if they were themselves. And these reasons I have for the reverend Fathers, whose under­standing and judgement I much regard. And I see no reason, why these two may not as well in the end of the world come to this service, as Elias and Moses in Christs time came to himMatth. 17. 3. Mar. 9. 4. Luk. 9. 30. upon the mount upon the like service; that is, to testifie to his disciples that he was the true Messias, and that he was to suffer death ac­cording to Moses law, to make satisfaction for the sinnes of the people: and therefore it [Page 266] is said in Luke 9. 31. that they spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusa­lem. Elias before his translation testifi­ed1. King. 18. 36, 37. for the true God against the false God; after his translation he came again upon earth to testifie for Christ the true Mes­sias: then being thus his approved witnesse, why may he not come once again in the end of the world, to contest with Antichrist and his false prophets? for the true Christ against that false Christ? And if it be objected, that Elias did not in substance come to Christ upon the mount, but as a spectrum; to such Calvin upon the place will give this honest and rea­sonable answer; Quanquam res est in utramque partem disputabilis, mihi tamen magis probatur, ipsos verè in eum locum adductos esse. Neque enim absurdum est, quum Deus corpora & animas habeat in sua manu, mortuos ad tempus in vitam ejus arbitrio restitui, dum ità expedit. Tunc au­tem Moses & Elias non sibi resurrexerunt, sed ut praestò adessent Christo. Calvin. Harm. Evang. in loc. Though the thing be disputable on both parts, yet to me (saith he) it seemeth more probable, that they were truely brought into that place. Nei­ther is it absurd, seeing God hath in his hands bo­dies and souls, that at his will the dead should for a time be restored to life, when it is so expedient, &c. But for this businesse, the coming of E­noch and Elias is most expedient, for that it is said of Antichrist, that he shall come after [Page 267] the working of Satan, with all power, and signes, 2. Thess. 2. 9. and lying wonders; and therefore they who are to buckle with him, had need to be more then ordinarie men, such to whom none were like, (as Ecclesiasticus reporteth of Enoch and Eli­as)Ecclus 48. 4. & 49. 14. and endued with true miracles. And this is further confirmed by the prophesie of Ma­lachi, Behold, I will send you Elias the prophet, Malac. 4. 5. before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.

But this our late Divines turn aside, by ap­plyingOb. it to John the Baptist, and to Christs first coming, according to that in Matt. 17. 12. I say unto you, that Elias is already come.

To this I reply, that as there are two co­mingsSol. of Christ, a first and a second: so there are also two Eliahs; the true and proper Elias,John denieth himself to be the proper Elias, John 1. 21. who was the Prophet; and the spirituall Elias, which was John the Baptist, so called because he came in Eliahs spirit. This spirituall Elias, as our Saviour most truely reporteth, came before Christs first coming; and the proper Elias is to come before his second coming. And this, as Jansenius on this point in the Go­spel saith, communiter intelligitur. Thus are both true, Elias is come, and not come. The spiritu­all Elias is come, and hath done his part: but the proper Elias is yet to come, because Ma­lachi saith, He shall be sent before the great and Malac. 4. 5. terrible day of the Lord. Now it is manifest, that Christs first coming was not that great [Page 268] and terrible day, because the scripture calleth it the day of salvation, and, the acceptable time. Isai. 49. 8. 2. Cor. 6. 2. Therefore it is left, that the true and proper Elias is yet to come before the great and ter­rible day, so called of the prophets, becauseJerem. 30. Joel 2. 1, &c. Amos 5. 18. Zeph. 1. 14, &c. 2. Thess. 1. 8. it is a day of judgement and revenge.

Vers. 5. ‘Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things?’ Vers. 6. ‘And now ye know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time.’

After the Apostle hath laid out the two an­tecedents of the worlds end, the apostasie and the Antichrist; now he confirmeth his do­ctrine, and chideth these Thessalonians for be­ing so soon removed from the tradition of the truth: as if he should have said, Did ye heare me so slightly, that ye have so soon forgotten me? I told you something then which is not fit to be written, namely that the apostasie can­not yet be ripe, nor the man of sinne be re­vealed, for that the Romane Emperour will not suffer it. He will admit no man to play Rex, or to display the banner of Antichrist. But the time shall come when his date shall be out; then shall defection flourish, and after that the man of sinne shall be in his colours. This S. Paul would not write, lest the pub­lick prediction of the ruine of the Romane Empire, should spurre them up to an exaspera­tion against the Christian profession: for it is not good to wake a sleeping dogge, nor to [Page 269] draw troubles which will come too fast of their own accord. When sheep are sent among wolves, they had need to be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves. And this doctrine bothNisi priùs ve­nerit defe­ctio, quam regni Roma­ni abolitio­nem superiùs intelligen­dam memo­ravi: ut cùm desecerit & venerit An­tichristus, tunc adven­tus Domini imminere credatur. Ambros. in 2. Thess. 2. 6. S. Ambrose and S. Chrysostome confirm up­on these words, Ye know what withholdeth. S. Ambrose saith, Post defectum & abolitionem regni Romani appariturum Antichristum: After the defect & abolishing of the Romane kingdome Antichrist is to appeare. And S. Chrysostome, [...]. When the Romane Empire shall be taken away, then shall Antichrist come.

Vers. 7. ‘For the mysterie of iniquitie already worketh.’

Here is demonstrated Antichrists seed and originall, which is iniquitie. Iniquitie in the Greek text is [...], anomie, or a life without law; and is the mother of apostasie, and apo­stasie is the breeder of Antichrist. In the pri­mitive Church before canons were made and government established, men would preach what they listed (for without law no man is confined:) and then were heresies broacht in plentie. Satan wrought cunningly and by de­grees upon their green wits; and therefore their anomie S. Paul calls a mysterie. Anomie began in the Apostles dayes, and continued to Mahomets time: apostasie stood up in Maho­mets [Page 270] time, and to this day expecteth Anti­christs time. The Turks daily look for their Mahomet, and the Jews for their Messias: when both these are met in one, then shall be that great monster, the man of sinne. Then if we will not be deluded in the birth and originall of Antichrist, we must look for him out of the apostasie: there is the fittest matter of his breed. He must be no Christian that shall be the Antichrist, by reason of the opposition. But it is wondered at that he should be so long in breeding: for the mysterie began in the A­postles time, and S. John saith, that then wereApparet ad­versarios Christi An­tichristos omnes esse, quos constat à charitate atque ab uni­tate ecclesiae catholicae recessisse. S. Cypr. lib. 1. Epist. 6. many Antichrists (which were his fore-run­ners;) and yet as yet he is not come. I answer, As the great Comet is a longer time in ga­thering, then the ordinarie stella cadens; and as all great works have long and great prepa­rations; so hath this man of sinne. In the first six hundred yeares after Christ he was an em­bryon; since that time to this, he hath been in his animation; and now we expect his vipe­rous birth.

Vers. 7. ‘Onely he who now letteth, will let, till he be taken out of the way.’

Why doth the Apostle applie this let one­ly to the Romane empire, seeing there were other and farre higher causes of this dilation, as Gods will of sufferance, and the admini­stration of angels? Of the first it is said, Psalme 115. 3. Our God is in heaven, and he doth what­soever [Page 271] he will. And S. Paul, Rom. 9. 19. saith, Who hath resisted his will? Of the second we reade in Daniel 10. 13. that the angel who was prince of the kingdome of Persia, withstood that other angel who was prince of the holy nation, untill Michael one of the chief princes came in to his help. To this we say, that where divers causes be concurring to one end, there the naming of one doth not exclude the other: but because our eyes are more conversant in beholding inferiour and nearest causes, there­fore the Apostle directeth us to this here; and thus onely the Romane empire was the let­ting cause. One tyrant will not suffer another tyrant to rise, because he would be tyrant still. But one must not alwayes continue; the worlds race requireth this. One generation passeth, and another cometh. When one Come­dian hath acted his part, he goes off the stage, and another cometh on. Let Christs little flock therefore be of good comfort: for when the whole generation of Antichrist have played their parts, they shall all be taken away in the end: As Moses said to the children of Israel, Exod. 14. 13. The Egyptians whom ye have seen this day, ye shall never see them again. And this demonstration is confirmed by S. Chry­sostomeChrysost. in 2. Thess. Hom. 4. upon this chapter. [...] [Page 272] [...]. As those king­domes were destroyed which were before the Ro­mane Empire, as the kingdome of the Medes by the Babylonians, the Babylonians by the Persians, and the Persians by the Macedonians, and the Macedo­nians by the Romanes: so the kingdome of the Ro­manes shall be destroyed of Antichrist, and he again of Christ, and after that he shall obtain no more.

Vers. 8. ‘And then shall that wicked be revealed.’

That wicked in the Greek text is [...], id est, exlex, that outlaw; for he shall live with­out law. And herein is verified the prophesie of him in his type Antiochus, Dan. 11. 36. And the king shall do what him lust. His will shall be his law, as if he were a God. Here is the pati­ence Apoc. 14. 12. of the saints: for what he will they must undergo. Then shall that wicked be revealed, Ait [Aposto­lus] Ut reve­letur in suo tempore, nec dixit post quantum temporis id futurum sit. Et subjunxit, Mysterium operatur ini­quitatis, nec expressit quamdiu hoc operetur. An­selm. in loc. that is to say, disclosed. Before this time An­tichrist was in his egge; as you may see in the seventh verse: he was closed in a mysterie: the dragon then sat upon it, & now here he breaks forth. But here we must observe that which Anselm and Carthusianus do upon this place, that the Apostle doth not define the time of Antichrists uncovering, but leaves it at large, saying, That he may be revealed in his time, set­ting down no speciall time: again, in saying, For the mysterie of iniquitie doth alreadie work; [Page 273] but he doth not expresse how long it shall work. Yet certain it is, that after the falling away Antichrist shall come, though it be not known how soon, or how long after. And as Carthusianus saith, Verisimile est quòd post dis­cessionem statim veniet Antichristus, vel nascendo, vel publicè praedicando: It is likely (saith he) that after the falling away Antichrist straightway shall come, either in springing up, or in publick preach­ing. And upon this he saith further, Ideo de ad­ventu Antichristi, qui est secundum quod praecedet diem judicii, subditur, ET REVELATUS FUERIT, id est, manifestatus mundo: There­fore (saith he) of the coming of Antichrist, ac­cording to that he is to precede the day of judge­ment, it is added, AND THAT HE SHOULD BE REVEALED, that is to say, manifested unto the world. Thus that judicious writer maketh a double coming of Antichrist: one in his pre­paration, and another in his corporall pre­sence: the one immediately after the defecti­on, and the other immediately before the worlds end. The first, that is, of his prepara­tion, I cannot better apply then to the preach­ing of the Alcoran in the Turks empire: First, because (as I have alreadie shewed) there is the absolute apostasie: And next, by compa­ring Mahumetisme with Papisme. For in the Papacie, there, as Quemadmo­dum ità saepe diruuntur ae­dificia ut fun­damenta & ruinae mane­ant; ità non passus est [De­us] Ecclesiam suam ab An­tichristo vel à fundamento subverti, vel solo aequari, sed ab ipsa quoque vasta­tione semiru­tum aedificium superesse vo­luit. Instit. lib. 4. cap. 2. sect. 11. Calvin saith, Ecclesiae funda­menta manent, the foundations of the Church re­main; but in Mahumetisme, there is all rent up [Page 274] and overturned: in the Papacie he saith, there Christ is semisepultus, that is, but half buried; but in Mahumetisme he is whole buried: in the Papacie he saith, there is semirutum aedificium, the house of God half ruinate; but in Mahume­tisme, there is not so much as a groundsell or a raft to be seen, neither stick nor stone. More­over, because in the Alcoran there Mahomet Antichrists immediate forerunner is preached and expected. And lastly, because Antichrist is called of the Apostle [...], the man with­out law: and the Turk hath no other law to rule his people by, but his own will. Where­fore from his kingdome we are to expect the great Antichrist. And with this agreeth S. Pauls sequel, which is, That the man of sinne could not appeare, till the Romane Empire were removed. And it is known that the Tur­kish kingdome grew upon the ruine of the Ro­mish in Heraclius time.

Vers. 8. ‘Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightnesse of his coming.’

In these words Antichrists destruction is prophesied, to the great comfort of Christs little flock. The overthrow is described to be given as it were by a double blow, and a two­fold weapon, to shew the certaintie and inevi­tabilitie of it. The Lord Christ shall utterly consume and destroy his enemie; but how? Spiritu oris sui, with the spirit of his mouth, that is, as Carthusianus upon this place saith, With Suo praecepto jubens eum occidi à Mi­chaele, vel per seipsum eum occidens suo aspectu. Ansel. super 2. Thess. 2. his precept, in commanding him to be killed by Mi­chael the archangel, or else in killing him by him­self, that is to say, with his look: or, as Anselm hath it, SPIRITU ORIS SUI, id est, invisibi­li virtute spiritûs sui, &c. WITH THE SPI­RIT OF HIS MOUTH, that is, with the in­visible vertue of his spirit: which spirit is the holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Sonne, and is the power of the Godhead. In short he shall destroy him, not by the preaching of his Ministers, as some would have it: but, because he is his personall oppo­site, he shall destroy him in his own person, by his divine power and command, whose command is to do; not in the multitude of an ar­mie, nor in the strength of souldiers, nor in the aid of angels: but as darknesse is banished by [Page 290] the sunnes presence; so by the lustre of Christs coming, by the look of his countenance, and by the breath of his nostrils he shall destroy him; [...], By the brightnes of his presence, when he shall say, Ite maledicti in ignem aeternum, Go ye cursed into everlasting fire.

Vers. 9. ‘Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signes, and lying wonders.’

Hitherto we have seen Antichrists descri­ption, and his warres; and now we are to be­hold his furniture and setting forth. He is fur­nished with all the devils power; and there­fore his marching shall be like the marching of Jehu the sonne of Nimshi, who marched furiously. But here we must observe with Car­thusianus,Duplex poni­tur Anti­christi ad­ventus: pri­mus occultus, qui pertinet ad ejus gene­rationem; al­ter manife­stus, pertinens ad ejus prae­dicationem. Carth. in 2. Thess. 2. 9. Anselm. in 2. Thess. 2. that Antichrists coming is two­fold; the one secret, the other open. His secret coming belongs to his breeding, of which I have alreadie spoken in the apostasie: and his open coming belongs to his preaching and progresse in conquering when he shall shew himself to the world in the person of Christ, and in the form of God: secundum operatio­nem Satanae, according to the working of Satan. And how is that? That is, as Anselm inter­preteth, diabolo instigante, the devil inciting [Page 306] him. He shall be possest with a devil, and at his instigation he shall do all things: not like a phrentick without sense; but with forecast and deliberation. He shall put his will to the devils cunning; and the devil shall put his cunning to his will. The one shall devise and plot, and the other shall perform and effect. As God was in Christ, reconciling the world to 2. Cor. 5. 19. Sicut Deus erat in Chri­sto mundum reconcilians sibi; ità dia­bolus erit in Antichristo mundum se­ducens. Ib. himself; so the devil shall be in Antichrist, seducing the world from God to himself. And as Christ saith in John 14. 10. The Father which remaineth in me, he doth the works; so the de­vil dwelling in Antichrist, he shall do all that he doth too. Thus they shall conferre their forces, that they may do the more hurt, ac­cording to the proverb, ‘Vis unita fortior, Uni­ted force is the stronger.’ ‘With all power, and signes, and lying wonders.’

Because Antichrist hath two ends, the one to be honoured as a king, the other to be worshipped as a God: therefore he shall come instructed and furnished with full means, with all power of mans arm, to throw down and to enthrone; and with all signes and lying won­ders, to prepare faith for him. With the first agrees the type, with the second the antithesis accords. Of the type it is said in Daniel, The Dan. 9. 26. prince that shall come shall destroy the citie, and the sanctuarie, and the end thereof shall be with a floud, and unto the end of the battel it [Page 307] shall be destroyed by desolations. So when Anti­christ comes, he shall spread the breadth ofApoc. 20. 9. the earth with his armies, as a floud covers the drie land. For the antithesis, look how Christ wonne the world to his faith by true signes and miracles, so shall Antichrist prevail with the reprobate by his false signes and lying wonders. And as when Christ came, not he onely wrought miracles, but his disci­ples also did the like; so when Antichrist shall come, his ministers shall work as false mira­cles as their master. Therefore it is said in Matth. 24. 24. that the false prophets shall shew signes and wonders, as well as the false Christs. Hitherto there have been many false Christs, and many false prophets, as we reade in storie: but the last false Christ, and the last false prophets, which are Antichrists false prophets, shall outgo the rest: for they shall mork miracles, which the former could not do; for they shall cause fire to come down from heaven in the sight of men, as it is, Revel. 13. 13. because at that time Satan shall be loosed, andApoc. 20. 7. they shall have all his power.

And these miracles of theirs are said to be lying wonders, in respect of all the causes; mat­ter, form, efficient, and end. In respect of the matter, because many of them shall be phanta­stick, deceiving the eye like the tricks of jug­lers. Such were the rods and serpents of Pha­raohsExod. 7. 11, 12, &c. inchanters, which were devoured of Aa­rons [Page 308] rod; because they were but shadows, and his was a substance. In respect of the form, be­cause though they have a matter, yet they shall not exceed the force of nature. And such are the prodigies of Necromancers, while by the help of the devil they conjoyn naturall causes, to the producing of some strange effect, beyond the ordinary course of nature. And thus they may cause fire to fall down fromApoc. 13. 13. heaven; for that in the aire there is the element of fire, and the fuell of exhalations for the fire to feed upon. But true miracles have no naturall causes; and therefore they are miracles not onely in the sight of men, but also in the sight of devils and angels. These are compe­tent to God onely, as it is Psal. 72. 18. Benedi­ctus Dominus Deus Israel, qui facit mirabilia so­lus: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who alone doth wondrous things. And our Lord Christ saith, Joh. 15. 24. If I had not done among them the works which no other did, they had not had sinne. Again, in regard of the efficient they are lying miracles; because the devil the father of lies shall be the principall agent: whose coming 2. Thess. 2. 9. is after the working of Satan. Therefore the Fa­thers affirm, that Antichrist shall be a notable witch, and that the devil shall inhabit him from his conception, or at least from his cra­dle. Lastly, they shall be lying signes in re­gard of their end; because they shall tend to shew that Antichrist is God, and the Messias, [Page 309] which is a Jewish and devilish lie. For as Christ by his true miracles proved his divini­tie; so shall Antichrist by his false miracles la­bour to do the like: but all in vain, because ly­ing miracles are but idols, and prove nothing. And for this cause miracles are called signes, for that they signifie to the world some strange and wonderfull thing.

Vers. 10. ‘And with all deceiveablenesse of un­righteousnesse in them that perish.’

In these words is expressed a second member of Antichrists provision to obtain his purpose; which is his hypocrisie and dissembling. His life in outward shew is righteousnesse; but in­wardly it is unrighteousnes: therefore to such as cannot unmask it, it is deceiveablenesse. He shall feigne notable justice to give all the world con­tent: his forehead shall be made of equitie; but his intralls shall be fraught with iniquitie. Therefore he shall be the arch-hypocrite. Ephrem Syrus in his sermon of Antichrist hath these words, Ut omnes fallere possit, falsus atque Hieron. catal falsiloquus, humilem se simulabit & blandum, &c. That he might deceive all, he being false and a false speaker, shall counterfeit himself humble and fair-spoken, despising injustice, preferring pietie, gentle, poore, studious, beautifull beyond all admi­ration, pleasing, cheerfull to all; he shall endeavour to please all, that he might soon be sought of the peo­ple, and be beloved. The books of this Ephrem [Page 310] were thought so notable, that they were read in the Church, as S. Hierome testifieth. To pro­ceed, Carthusianus upon this text saith, Variis modis Antichristus decipiet mundum, videlicet, simulatione sanctitatis, scripturarum allegationibus, sapientiâ & ornatu sermonis, eminentiâ miraculo­rum, promissione divitiarum, terrore minarum, potestate, prosperitate, ac multitudine ministrorum suorum: Antichrist shall divers wayes deceive the world, with counterfeit holinesse, with allega­tion of scriptures, with wisdome and ornament of speech, with eminencie of miracles, with promise of riches, with terrour of threats, with power and pro­speritie, with multitude of attendants. All testi­monies of scripture, which prophesie of the Messias, he shall apply to himself. What man of the world would not be drawn with these enticing baits? So great and so effectuall shall be his deceit, that (as our Saviour saith) if it Matth. 24. 24. were possible, the very elect should be beguiled with it. For, as Anselm upon this place of my text saith, Illa Antichristi tentatio cunctis prae­teritis major apparebit, quando pius martyr corpus suum tormentis subjiciet, & tamen ante ejus oculos miracula tortor faciet. Quis enim ad fidem con­vertatur incredulus, cujus jam credentis non pa­veat & concutiatur fides, quando persecutor pieta­tis fiet etiam operator virtutis, idémque ipse qui tormentis saeviet ut Christus negetur, miraculis provocabit ut Antichristo credatur? This triall of Antichrist shall seem greater then all former [Page 311] trials; because when the godly martyr shall sub­mit his bodie to torments, even then he shall be­hold his tormentour to work miracles. And again, What unbeleever shall now be converted to the faith, what beleevers faith shall not now be shaken, when the persecutour of pietie is also a worker of vertue, and the same man which is cruel with tor­ments that Christ should be denied, shall provoke with miracles that Antichrist should be beleeved? Yet for all this, he shall prevail onely, as the Apostle saith, in them that perish, that is to say, in the reprobates. But as for Christs flock, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. AndMatth. 16. 18 our Saviour saith further, My Father which John 10. 29. gave them me, is greater then all; and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand. It is Christ Rom. 8. 34. which is dead, which is risen again, who is at the right hand of God, who maketh request for us; can Antichrist then carrie us away? Who shall Vers. 35, &c. separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribu­lation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or na­kednesse, or perill, or sword? (As it is written, For thy sake are we killed all the day long, we are ac­counted as sheep for the slaughter) Nay, in all these things we are more then conquerers, through him that loved us. For if neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor the height of heaven, nor the depth of hell, nor any other creature were it more potent, can remove us from the love of God in Christ, [Page 312] as the Apostle there sheweth; then shall An­tichrist be confounded: And when he hath spent all his cruelties, when he is bankrupt in all his flatteries, when he is at the ground sheaves of all his deceits, stratagems, and po­licies; yet still there shall be a remnant, which will not yeeld to him.

Vers. 10. ‘Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.’

In the former part of this verse S. Paul shewed what kinde of people they were whom Antichrist should deceive; that is, the worser sort, whose end is to perish: and here in this second part is set down the reason why; and that is, because they received not the love of the truth, that is, of Christ, who is the way, and the John 14. 6. truth, and the life. Hence is insinuated, that the Jews are here especially meant, because they above all other refused Christ, when they cried, Not this man, but Barabbas. And next,John 18. 40. this is manifest in Acts 13. 46. where S. Paul said thus to the Jews contradicting him and railing on him, It was necessarie that the word of God should first have been spoken unto you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life; lo, we turn to the Gentiles. These are they which beat away the Lord of the vineyards servants, and killedLuke 20. 15. his sonne and heir, and cast him out of the [Page 313] vineyard. And these are they of whom our Apostle in his second chapter of his former epistle to these Thessalonians saith, Who both Vers. 15, 16. killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us: and they please not God, and are contrarie to all men; and forbid us to preach to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fulfill their sinnes alwayes. These therefore are they which had not received the love of the truth in S. Pauls time, and to this day spurn against it, expecting another Christ: and therefore these he here intendeth, because he speaks in the preterperfect tense, & then knew their aversion. And as for the Gentiles, they were then readie and willing to receive Christ; therefore he excepteth the Thessalonians out of their number, in the thirteenth verse of this chapter, saying, But we ought alwayes to give thanks to God for you, brethren, because that God from the beginning hath chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and the faith of truth. But for the Jews which would not receive Christ when he came amongst them, they are without excuse, in that they looked for the Christ; and the Gentiles looked for no Christ. And had their Christ, whom they still look for, come first, and been born of a virgin according to the prophesie; then might they with warrant reject him that should come after, as the Antichrist; for that there can be no Antichrist untill there be first a [Page 314] Christ, in regard of the opposition: but Christ is already come, their own nation have preach­ed him, and the world have received him; and therefore whosoever shall usurp this name af­ter him, he must of necessitie be either a false Christ, or the Antichrist. From hence by good consequence the Fathers have collected, of what nation or kindred Antichrist shall be when he comes; that is, of the Jews. For as they were the first that rejected Christ; so in all reason they shall be the first that shall re­ceive Antichrist; because they to this day look for their Christ, and they will admit none but of their own kindred, in regard of the pro­phesie to this day observed of them in Deut. 18. 15. The Lord thy God will raise up to thee a Prophet like unto me, from among you, even of thy brethren; unto him shall ye hearken. Where­fore as Christ the true Messias was of the Jews; so Antichrist the false Messias shall be of the Jews too: and as Christ came first to the Jews of whom he was expected, and after that adjoyned the Gentiles unto him; so shall Antichrist come first to the Jews of whom he is looked for, and after that he shall gather to him all other nations.

And that Antichrist shall be a Jew, it is confirmed from his figure Antiochus, Daniel 11. 21. And in his place shall stand up a vile per­son, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdome: but he shall come in peaceably, and ob­tain [Page 315] the kingdome by flatteries. Again, from the prophesie in Dan. 7. where he is compared to a little horn. But it is known that the Jews are a vile kinde of people, disperst like vaga­bonds amongst all nations, having no king­dome nor kingly honour, but are subject to the laws of other countreys among whom they dwell: and among us Christians, whom we detest, we call a Jew. Wherefore S. Hierome, upon this place, after he had first applied it to Antiochus, saith thus, But our men better and Nostri autem & meliùs in­terpretantur & rectiùs, quòd in fine mundi, &c. Hieron. in Dan. 11. righter interpret, that in the end of the world An­tichrist shall do these things; who is to rise from a small nation, that is, from the people of the Jews: and he shall be so vile and despised, that the kingly honour shall not be given him; but by fraud and deceit he shall get the principalitie. Again, upon the 11 of Daniel he writeth, No Nullus Ju­daeorum abs (quam) Antichristo in toto un­quam orbe regnabit, &c. Ibid. Jew without Antichrist shall at any time reigne over all the world. These despised Jews, when they shall get the day, shall rage more terri­bly then any other, according to the proverb,

Vers. 10. ‘Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.’

In that the Apostle joyneth love with the truth in the way to salvation, this shews that none can either attain the truth, or stand long [Page 316] in it, without love, which is the most sancti­fying grace of the holy Ghost. For so high are the mysteries of godlinesse, and so con­trarie to mans reason, that none can apprehend them, except divine love do bend his wits that way. This appeareth from the scoffing an­them of the Arians in Socrates Scholasticus, Where be these fellows who affirm three to be one? Therefore then is mans understanding ca­pable of divine truth, when the holy Ghost, who is Love, goeth before. Before love come1. John 4. 8. we will dispute of the truth, and with Pilate ask what is the truth, though the truth stand before us, as Christ stood before Pilate. This is the reason why babes and fools of the world, perceive that which the Scribe and the disputer cannot see. And though they see it, yet without love it is unsavourie to them, they are not the better for it. This S. Paul sheweth in 1. Cor. 13. 2. Though I had the gift of prophesie, and knew all secrets, and all know­ledge, and had all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and had not love, I were nothing. Wherefore, where love and truth go hand in hand, there is right faith and good life, the two complements of our salvation. But the principall of these two is love; because love makes use of truth; but truth without love is idle.

Vers. 11. ‘And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should be­leeve a lie.’

Here S. Paul sets down the just judgement of God against the receivers of Antichrist, which is effascination, or strong delusion, [...], the power of errours working, which the creature of it self is not able to resist. Such was the working of Pharaohs inchant­ers,Exod. 7. that when he saw them to throw rods out of their hand, and they turned into ser­pents, therefore he would not beleeve Moses and his miracle, though his rod devoured their rods before his eyes. And so strong was the old prophets lie to the man of God, that pro­phesied1. King. 13. against the altar in Bethel, that be­cause he would not obey the revealed word of the Lord, therefore the lie prevailed up­on him to his destruction. So will the devil fat men in a plerophorie of Antichrists false do­ctrine, that they shall be so farre from doubt­ing of it, that they will exult and triumph in it. But here may be demanded how God should be cleared from sinne, when he sendeth such strong delusion, which is the cause of sinne. To this I answer, that this is not here spoken of God properly, but tropically: Mittit non physicé, sed permittendo & deserendo; He sendeth not delusion naturally, but privatively, by way of forsaking and suffering. For when God upon just desert withdraws his grace from any, then [Page 318] he gives the devil leave to go in; and thus Gods forsaking is in place of sending: because God knows, that when he is departed, the strong seducer will not be long absent. And herein is God justified, in that he never forsakes any, untill he be forsaken of them, according to the School-axiom, Deus non deserit, nisi priùs de­seritur. If the Jews would not have forsaken the true Christ, they should not have been left to the lies of Antichrist. God for his mercy sake grant to us Christians, that we trust not so much to the strength of our own new phansies, that we utterly abolish the anci­ent truth.

Vers. 11. ‘That they should beleeve a lie.’

This is the summe of Antichrists doctrine: it is a sermon, yea a volume of lies: A capite ad calcem, from the▪ head to the heel, all is but a lie. The Fathers have expressed some parti­culars, as that he should command circum­cision, the Jews sabbath for our Sunday, the temple at Jerusalem to be reedified, the cere­monial rites to be observed, and that he him­self is to be worshiped above all gods. Though Antichrists doctrine have many branches, yet all is but a lie. As a tree, though it hath many arms and boughs, yet it is but a tree; and a body, though it hath many members, yet it is but a body: so is Antichrists doctrine [Page 319] in all his parts and members but one main and continued lie. Or els there shall be one master­lie, which is, that Christ is not Christ; and all his other lies shall be of the familie of this. And in regard of this his false doctrine, he is called the false prophet in the 16, 19, and 20 chapters of the Revelation, as Christ is said to be the true Prophet in John 6. 14. This is of a truth the same Prophet that should come into the world.

Vers. 12. ‘That all they might be damned, which beleeved not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse.’

Here is the end of false faith and bad life, which is, to swimme in infidelity and the pleasures of sinne for a time, and then in the end to reap eternall damnation. For when the sinnes of Antichrist shall be ripe, when his followers have suckt in all the delights of un­righteousnesse, when they have fatted them­selves to the day of slaughter, when they have played their pageants, and are in their full ruffe; then of a sudden, as our Apostle saith to these Thessalonians, when they shall 1. Thess. 5. 3. say, Peace and safetie, the skie shall alter, and the weather shall change, and then the signes and prodigies of the worlds end and Christs coming to judgement shall act their parts.