2 Sam. 12. 10,

11.

c. 16. 22.

C. 12. 13.

verf. 14.

T. p. 285.

verf. 12.

verf. 22.

T. P. 284. ceive that much more may be faid in anfwer to this objection, then what we commonly meet withall. Firft it is most evident that he was not abfolutely, but only in part, forgiven his Sin, for before the words of his Pardon, Na than told him, that the Sword should not part from his Houfe, no more it did; and that God would raife up evil against him out of his own boufe, and that his Wives fhould be taken before his Eyes, and his Neighbour fhould lie with them; All this was punctually fulfilled by Abfalon. Then David confeft, I have Sinned against the Lord; and it immediately follows, the Lord, Heb. tranfcire fecit, nagelibao, tranftulit, hath paffed by, N aμágua, thy Sin or Offence, thou shalt not die. As if he had faid, God hath So far overlookt your Fault at prefent, as you shall not die, as an Adulterer and Murderer ought to do, by the Law; but he hath fufpended the rest of his fentence for a while. How be it because by this deed thou haft given great occafion to the Enemies of the Lord to Blafpheme, the Child fhall furely die. It is plain that God took away the Child not fo much for a Punishment to David, as it was to Vindicate his own Honour from the Blasphemy of the Ammonites, and from the Scandal which this Fact had brought upon him and upon his peculiar People. Thou didst it fecretly, but I will do this thing before all Ifrael and before the Sun. But if this was alfo a Punishment to David (as he feems to own it as fuch; where he faith, who can tell but God may be gracious unto me and spare the Child) yet this Punishment was not fet to him after Pardon, it was denounced in the very fame breath with it; as if it had been faid, God hath pardon'd you in part, as to the forfeiture of your own Life; But the Rebellion of Absalon and the Death of this Child remain ftill to be Executed as the other part of his fentence upon you; Thus much to his temporal Punishment, but as to what was to be Eternal, we have his hearty Sorrow and fincere Repentance described in his Penitential Pfalms and elfewhere, which continued to his Lives end; and this was the only fatisfactory Condition remaining which God required to compleat the entire Forgiveness of his Sin both as to Guilt and to Punishment; that word, NM, aμágua, Sin, there fignifying and including both; God hath past by, in part, both thy Guilt and thy Punishment; for the matter of Uriah the Hittite remain'd as a blot upon David all the days of his Life. From this Text they farther urge that David's Fafting and lying on the Ground, was his Satisfaction to God's Justice after his Guilt was Pardon'd. But furely Humiliations, Supplications, Entreatife, forrowfull Interceffions, are Actions far different from Satisfactions; Thofe always refpect what is Future, thefe what is paft. And David fully explains himself, whilft the Child was alive, faith he, I fafted and wept, for I said, who can tell whether God will be Gracious to me, to revcrfe his Sentence, that the Child may live; it was not as Satisfaction for Sin paft, but as Supplication and Humiliation in order to future Favour; thus it was afterwards with Heze2 Reg. 20. 1, kiah, his Sickness was a Tryal, not Punishment; his Prayers and Tears, were his Humiliation and Submiffion, not his Satisfaction; For he had walked before God in Truth with a perfect Heart. Befides it is plain that what they would make David's Penance, (his Fafting and lying on the Earth) was not Satisfactory, for the Child died. If the Cafe had stood thus, if Nathan told him God hath Pardon'd your Guilt entirely, and excufed part of your Punishment, he hath spared your own Life; but there is yet a little Punishment due to his Justice, to wit, your Child must die; and if now you will do the Penance, of Fafting and Crucifying your Body on the Earth; that will Satisfy his Justice for the little debt remaining. If then, upon David's having done this, the Child had recovered, this might have been a pritty pat Instance to their purpose; and Nathan's Penance enjoin'd to David, and fuch an Effect of its performance, might have better ferved them to fettle this Point. But as the Cafe ftands fet down in Scripture, it is nothing at all to their purpose; David's Sin or Guilt, was not Remitted before his Punishment was decreed;

1 Reg. 15. 5.

verf. 22.

2, 3, &c.

nay,

T. p. 286.

nay, the Punishment preceded, or at least was included, as a Condition, in the T. p. 285. Remiffion; Then his Fafting was Voluntary, not enjoin'd Penance; It was Humiliation, not his Satisfaction; It was no more Satisfactory for his Sin, then it was to fave the Child's life. See then what goodly Arguments arise from hence. God pardon'd David's Sins of Adultery and Murder, but at the very fame time referved and decreed certain Punishments for him inevitably to fuffer, as the Death of one Son, and the Rebellion and Death of another; Therefore although you are fully Pardon'd in Christ, (upon your hearty Repentance only) for all your Sins; you must notwithstanding do fome outward Act of Penance or Corporal Punishment to fatisfy a Debt ftill due to his Justice. He voluntarily Fafted and lay on the Ground, to humble himself before God to intreat his future Favour; Therefore you must do it at my Command and as I order it, to fatisfy for a paft Guilt or Sin that is forgiven. His Fafting and Penance did him little good as to his Sins paft, but none at all as to remove the Punishments depending; Therefore your Penance by me enjoin'd will certainly help you as to both thefe Points.

I

21 Sam. 24.

Chron. I. I.

Chron. 17.

They offer at much fuch another Argument from David's numbring the Peo- Bell. ut fuprà. ple; Let us briefly confider the whole matter. First it was not a private but ac. 2. D. National Sin. The Anger of the Lord was, firft, kindled against all Ifrael, 1 Chron. 21: for fome Sin of their own, whether it was the Rebellion of Abfalon, or that 1 Sam. v. 1. of Sheba, or for fome other publick offence, I shall not determine; David was moved by God (or Satan) against them to number the People. God made 1 Sam. 1. & ufe of David's Sin which followed, (his Vanity and Pride in numbring the People) to bring this national Judgment upon the People who had Sinned before. After David had numbred the People, his Heart fmote him, and he Confeft to the Lord, I have Sinned greatly in that I have done, and he prayed, I beseech thee, O Lord, pass by the Iniquity of thy Servant, for I have 18am v. 10. done very foolishly. But I do not find here that God Pardon'd him. The next Morning the Sentence of Punishment in general was denounced, but it was left to David's choice what it should be. The Plague followed, and it lafted & 11. 13. a longer time then is usually reckon'd by Interpreters, for David and the Elders Chron. ver. 16. of Ifrael took fome time to Cloath themselves in Sackcloath and to be gather- Chron. ver. 18. ed together; God went to David and David went and Commun'd with Ornan; and then built an Altar, and prepared and offer'd Sacrifices. David like a tender hearted Man, takes the Sin upon himself, and excufes the People; I have Sinned but thefe Sheep what have they done. He makes the numbring Sam. 17. of the People the only Sin, and by confequence himself only Guilty. Then Chron. 18. as he was Commanded or Enjoin'd by the Angel, he went and offered burnt 26. 27. Offerings and peace Offerings and called upon the Lord, and the Angel put up the Sword at God's Command; So the Lord was intreated for the Land Sam. 25. and the Plague was ftayed from Ifrael. I do not find that David, in Gratiam Bell. ut fupr.D. recipiebatur, was taken into Favour, that is, forgiven, till God answered Chron. 26. Judg. 6. 21. him by Fire from Heaven upon the Altar, which was a certain and usual to-1 Reg. 18.38. ken of Acceptance. Now for my part I cannot fee how any Argument can be T. p. 287. framed from hence to prove this propofition, After Guilt is remitted, or forgiven, a Debt of fuffering Punishment for it may still remain. The Plague, that is, the Punishment of David and Ifrael for their national Sin, was first executed, but their Guilt was not remitted till afterwards, until the Atonement, the burnt Offerings, were made and accepted; which is quite the reverse of it. Next we meet this Argument. If original Sin is Remitted by Baptism, Bell. ut fupra and yet Death, is its Punishment, remain fill to be paid; then a Debt c. 2. F. of Punishment may remain due to God's Justice, after Culpa, the Guilt is remitted. I must confefs that in this Point I have thoughts far different from the Jefuit. Death was in Adam a Punishment, but in Chrift it is a Favour. To every true Chriftian, it is only a quick paffing out of this Taber. nacle of Clay, into Eternal Manfions in Heaven. What the Enjoyments of this World were before Adam's fall, we can fomething rationally guels at, from

M m 2

the

I Cor. 15.50.

Pf. 148.

Pf. 40. 5. &c.

Pf. 16. 11.

I Cor. 2. 9.

Mark. 12. 25.

Ut fupr. c. 3. F

Eccl. 7. 1.

T. p. 287. the highest Earthly bleffings which we now know or can devife; Bur of Eternal Life and the Glories of the World to come, who is able to frame one Thought any ways answerable to it? Whilft we are Flesh and. Blood we are not here capable of it; We must all be changed and put on Incorruption, before we can either enter in there, or be able to conceive it; any more then a Child in his Mother's Womb is there able to contemplate all thefe Glorious Works of God in this World, recorded by David, which by great diligence and application and mature Age he afterwards may competently understand. We are affured that in God's Prefence there is fullness of foy, and at his right Hand there are Pleafures for ever more; But mortal Eye hath not feen, nor Ear beard, neither bath it enter'd, (nor can enter here) into the Heart of Man to conceive the things which God hath there prepared for them that love him. I think I may boldly fay, that this World, whatever it was before Adam's fall, was not a perfect Heaven upon Earth; Man bore his Earthly Body about him at the best; but in the World to come this Body will 1 Cor. 15.44. be Spiritualized, and we fhall be as the very Angels in Heaven. Therefore Death was at first a Punishment to Adam, and fuch a one, as Bellarmine owns, was unavoidable; and it is fo ftill to all the ungodly and impenitent Wretches; when God brings them down to the Pit of Defiruction, and not Pl. 55. 23. fuffer them to live out half their Days, they feel his Vengeance in the other World the fooner; the very thoughts of Death to them are a Hell upon Earth, for by it they drop into another, there to abide forever with the Devil and his Angels; But Death is now made in Chrift, to all Believers, a Bleffing; Blessed are they that die in the Lord, they reft from their Labours, and their works follow them; And they fhall have this Prerogative, at the fecond coming of Chrift, they hall rise first. Death then to a good Chriftian is now fo far 1 Thef. 4. 16. from being a Punishment, as it is his Preferment. He hath moft reafon to say with the Preacher, better is the day of Death then the day of ones Birth. This made the Primitive Chriftians fo freely, couragioufly, chearfully look it in the Face, that in one Moment they might pafs into that Glorious Kingdom which never fhall have an end. Thus holy Job waited, (longed,) all his days till this bleffed change fhould come. St. Paul defired to be diffolved, and was always willing to go out of his Body that he might be with Christ, and was ready to be offer'd for him, and fo finish his courfe, as at laft he did, by Martyrdom. It is faid that Cleombrotus was fo ravifhed with Plato's Doctrine of the Soul's Immortality, as he immediately threw away his Life, as a trifle, that he might enter into that everlasting state; and Calanus the BrachElian. Var man, and many others, have done the like; If then meer Heathens, who had Hift. 1. 5. c. 6. but a faint Glance, or very dim Profpect of a future State, thus chofe, and courted, and gladly embraced Death, counting it, aut fummum bonum aut niCic. Tufc. l. 1. hil malum, as the happiest Moment that could befall them in this Life; furely we, to whom the Sun of Righteousness is rifen with healing in his Wings; we, to whom this eternal State is affured, and moft clearly made manifeft by the appearing of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, who hath abolished Death, and hath brought Life and Immortality to Light through his Gofpel; Surely, I fay, we cannot now count this temporal Death a Punishment, but rather our happy deliverance from this Prison of the Body, or (according to the old Motto) our, Iter ad vitam, Paffage into that which is truly called Life, whereof this prefent Life is lefs then a Shadow. What a trifling Argument then is this which is drawn from the Death of little Children after their Baptifin? Shall I call it now their Punishment, or their Bleffing. Did they come into this World, as Cato did into the Theater, tantum ut exirent, only that they might go out of it; or were they not rather ordained only to pass through this Valley of Tears, and after a momentary ftay to be tranflated into infinite and endless Happiness; the fhorter the stay, the greater the bles fing. As for Sickness, and Afflictions I have accounted for them already, they are Tryals, Proofs, Admonitions, Inftructions, Medicines and Cures, and to

T. p. 288 C. 14. 14 2 Cor 5. 8.

Phil. 1. 23.

Cic. Tufc. l. 1.
C. 34.

C. 46.

Malac. 4

2.

2 Tim. 1. 10.

all

This

Kev.7.14. &c.

Horat 1. 1. Eo.

all good Men Mercies. If a Papift, who have been Contrite, Confeft, and T. p. 289. have done this Penance and have been abfolved, and is (by confequence according to them) now in the perfect state of Innocence, thould in the next minute fall Sick, or break a Limb, or have fome great Lofs, I fhould certainly rank his Calamity under one of thefe Heads, rather then call it Punishment or Satisfaction. Original Sin is pardon'd by Baptifin, and his actual Sins are forgiven by the Priest. And Sicknefs and Mishaps to Children newly Baptized, may be even to them for their good; they may haften their Deliverance from this Prison of the Body; and thete feeming Evils towards them, and their Death it self, are Memento's to their Parents, and the rest of the living; that they might not set their hearts too much upon fuch tranfient Enjoyments, certain Troubles, but very uncertain Comforts. See what a Glorious account we have of afflicted Chriftians in general, Thefe are they which came out of Tribulation; They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, the Lamb fhall take care of them, and God fhall wipe away all Tears from their Eyes; and they shall be before the Throne of God day and night forever. notion fully explains all national Judgments, when both Good and Bad are swept away together, by Famine, Fire, Sword, Peftilence, Earthquakes and the like; To the Wicked, Death is the fuddain and certain entrance into their T. p. 289. endless Mifery; to the Righteous, it is a Mercifull and fpeedy Deliverance from all the Evils of this wretched World. We may thus well vindicate God's Providence in those feeming hardships; Delirant Reges plectuntur Achivi, mλMáx x Cúμrasa rós. When whole Kingdoms and Nations be punished for 2. Hefiod. Op. the Extravagancies of their Kings or Princes; or when a whole City Juf. verf. 238. fers for the fake of one wicked Man. To one who do not truly confider this matter, it may here feem very great Injuftice to involve the Innocent in the Judgments of the Wicked, and make them Partakers of their Punishments. The Papifts tell us that David's Child was taken away as a Punishment 2 Sam. 12. which be ow'd to God's Justice; and the People were also fmitten with the Ibid. c. 24. Peftilence upon the fame account. But one may ask where was God's Justice, to ftrike an Innocent Babe with Death; and to flay 70000 People at once (poor filly Sheep, as David himself called them, who perhaps knew nothing of the matter,) for David's Extravagance in numbring them. But God feeth not as Men Job. 10 4.11. feeth; He feeth Wickedness and will confider it. These things are done, Zlos Ezek. 18. 29. pgadμsounow, by God's Counsel and Difpofal. The ways of Man are unequal, but the ways of God (however they may feem to us) are always equal. Though we in these general Calamities cannot diftinguish the Good from the Bad, nor feparate the Sheep from the Goats, yet the great Shepherd of Ifrael can; and he knows how to reconcile his Mercy and his fuftice. In thefe and the like facred Historics, where matters are very imperfectly related; and the fecret Springs and Motives and Circumftances of Actions are hidden or very obfcure; a fair and folid Argument cannot be eafily drawn or clearly framed. I fhall here rather cry BáO the Depth. If Death be Evil, a Heathen tells us, uno malo omnia ceffant, by this one Evil all others ceafe; but that is not the only Comfort of a Christian, by Death he is not only freed from all the Evils of this Life, but in exchange he immediately enters upon his inheritance of a Kingdom of Glory. The Righteous perifbeth, faith the Prophet, and Mercifull Men are taken away, none con- Ifa. 57. 1, 2. fidering that the Righteous Man is taken away from the Evil to come, and he fhall enter into Peace. Therefore in our Office at the Burial of the Dead, we profess our Faith in this Point That, the Spirits of them that depart hence in the Lord do live with him, and that the Souls of the Faithfull, after they are deliver'd from the burden of the Flesh, are alfo with him in Joy and Felicity; and therefore we give him Thanks for delivering our Chriftian Brother out of the Miferies of this Sinfull World. And the first Compolers of the Roman Ritual, feem to have had the fame Sense; what the Cardinal calls a Punishment in Children dying foon after Baptifm, in the laft Prayer at their Burial it is called a Mercy; animam hujus parvuli ad coelorum regnum hodie mife

Ω

ricorditer

Rom. 11. 33.

p. m. 165.

34.

T. p. 289. ricorditèr dignatus es, thou hast in Mercy this day vouchsafed to call the Soul of this Child to the Kingdom of Heaven. The Schoolmen make their Priests or Confeffors perfect Judges over the Confciences of their Penitents; but furely they are not Judges of God's Providence, and his dea!ing with the Sons of Men. When we can give fome fuch fair account of God's national Judgments, and of the Death and Sickness of Children or others, I will not be fo bold or daring as to fay, that I have numbred up all the Ufes or Ends of God's Providence in them; but I will rather Rom. 11, 33. Cry, O the Depth of the Wisdom of God, how unfearchable are his Judgments and his ways past finding out? Who hath known the Mind of the Lord, or who hath been his Counfeller? Our Saviour did not enquire into the Culpa, Guilt, or Poena, Punishment, or nicely diftinguish them, in the case of the Galileans, and those on whom the Tower of Siloam fell; but made this use of the Matter to them, except ye Repent, ye shall all likewife Perib; Death to you fhall be the beginning of your Eternal Mifery. And I cannot 1 Cor. 10. 5, pafs by one other end of God's Suffering thefe Judgments, which the Apoftle himself takes notice of; he mentions many of thofe Judgments which befell the Ifraelites, for their Idolatry, Fornication, Murmuring; and as he tells us plainly, that they happen'd to them for Examples, to he faith as plain. ly, that they were written for our Admonition. Thefe Judgments indeed, Ut fupr.c.2.F. as the Cardinal triumphantly faith, could not be intended for the amend ment of those that died, yet by his Favour they remain'd as Cautions and Admonitions to those that lived, and are tranfinitted down to us for the very fame end, that he that thinketh he standeth, might take heed leaft be fall.

6. &c. 12.

Exod. 32. 10.

The Inftance in the Worshippers of the Golden Calf, is alfo wholly as foreign to their Purpose. God once was refolving quite to confume them; Mofes, before he came down from the Mount, pray'd for them; God repented verf. 11. of the Evil which he thought to do. That is, he did not quite confume them; nor quite acquit them; for at Mofes's Command Levi flew 3000 of them. Mofes then told the People that they had Sinned a great Sin; then prayed for them; furely then as yet they were not fully pardon'd the Guilt verf. 30, 31 and he defired rather to be blotted out of God's Book himself, then they.

verf. 14.

T. p. 290. verf. 28.

32.

verf. 33.

verf. 34, 35.

Numb. 14.

verí. 2. verf. 5.

ve.f. 6. 10.

verf. 12.

verf. 20.

S

I

find no forgiveness yet, for God anfwer'd only whom foever hath Sinned against me, him will I blot out of my Book. And at laft to fhew that his Anger was not yet fully appeafed, though in Mercy he fo far condefcended to Mofes as to bid him, go, lead the People, nevertheless, faith he, in the day when I vifit, I will visit their Sin upon them; and the Lord Plagued the People becaufe they made the Calf. Now if the Cardinal's Creatures can fhew that God had first in this story fully pardon'd the Guilt, (which it is plain he did not,) and then flew them, and Plagued them to fatisfy his Juftice, it will be fomething to the Point.

The next Inftance is no better, in the Children of Ifrael's murmuring upon the falfe report about the promised Land. All the People murmured; it was a common Guilt or Offence. Mofes and Aaron fell on their Faces, to Deprecate God's Judgments. Caleb and Joshua offer'd to Pacify the People and were in danger of being ftoned. God threatens to fmite them and difinherit them. verf. 13, 19. Mofes interceeds for them. God fo far Pardon'd them, as not to Difinherit them or quite turn them off, but refolved at the fame inftant to punish the Murmurers, and by keeping them in the Wilderness till they died, to fill the whole Earth with his Glory, to make them a publick example to all the World. And accordingly he gives his Sentence, that their Carcafes fhould fall in the Wilderness; I will furely do it unto all this evil Congregation; in this Wilderness fhall they be Confumed; but he did not quite difinherit them, (he pardon'd them fo far,) for their Pofterity did inherit the Promised Land. Let the Jefuits fhew me here that the Ifraelites, that murmured, were first clearly forgiven their Guilt and Offence, and then afterwards thus punish

21. 22.

29.

ed