24 ______ Of god's government, Trees; norfo much Goldas Earth; norfo. many Men, as Flies, Fifties, and other Animals ; nor fo many Kings assubjeJs; nor fomany Teacher, as Learners ; nor fo many men of learning andwifdam as ignorance. . And We fee therearenot fo manygodly as ungodly. 37o. And, as I told you before, that as Ifrael wasnot aliGod, people inthe worldbefore Chrift's Incarnation, and that the Chatholick Church nowfucceedeth them in their high and rarePeculiarities and Priviledges above the refs of the world, and far exceedeth them in the greatnefs of our Mercies ; and that Chrift's Incarnation hath put the reft of the world into no worfe a condition than they were before; and that all the world is udder a Lawof Grace, andnone under the Law and Cove- nant of Innocency only : So I nowadd, that all (hall be judged by that '. Law which they were under ; ,They that have finned without a (written ) Law, (hall be judged without that Law : Andwhat fiate each particular Soul is in, theJudge only knoweth, and notwe, who are infolently ar- rogant, ifwewill ftep up intohis Throne, and judgehis Subjeêts with- out hisCommiffion. But this we know that God hath various degrees of Rewards and Punifhments (as to Infants and Adult, fo to the Adult among themfelves.) And that he that gained but twoTalents [hall be Ruler of two Cities : And hethat had but one might have improved one, though he could not have improvedmore than hehad:. And that they Math. as loft that have done goodfhallgo into everlafling life,and thofe thathave done evil to everlalling punifhment. And the kinds and degreesof their different punifhments hereafter, how great, and. how far involuntary, they are beyond the verymiferable cafe oftheirfînflnef itfelf, are things that are unknown to us. But certain we are, that theJudge-of all the world will do righteoufly, and that all wife and righteous mens judgments, when they {hall fee what thenumber of Sufferers, and theforts and de-. grees of their punifhment are, [hall be fully fatisfied of the Good- nef, Clemency, Wifdom and lufiice of God , ane never once with it hadbeen otherwife. And that the Servant that ,knew his Lords Will, Lok:t?.47,48. and prepared not himfelf, nor did according to hicWill, (hall be beaten with many firipes: But he that knewnot, and did commit things worthy of(tripes , (hall be beaten with few (tripes. For unto whomfoever much is given, of him ¡hall be much required : and to whommenhave committed much, of himwill they ask themore. 371. It is little underftood by molt how much man by fin it Pelf is effectively his own Tormenter, ( which tempteth man to doubt of Hell, as if it were Gods too much feverity fo to punifh.) How Sin is a punifhment it felf, and how God antecedentlymade mans nature fuch, that if he would fn, it fhould torment him and undo him of it felf ( like poyfonto the Body) I have opened in the flr[t Chapter. See Gabr. Biel in 2. d. 36. that Omne peccatum eft piena, and the four Reafons of Bonavent. recitedbyhim. 372. The stoics and Platonifts Revolution, and the Pythagorean Re-incorporation, arefo like the ChristianDoctrineof theRefurreftion, that ( though we mutt not with Origin leek to make them liker than they are, yet) thofe Infidels are unexcufable who take this for incredi- * Such as are molt of bie, and yet take the other for the molt rational conjecture. * the lober Heathens in theworld. For themoli religious and lober of Blef , Lord, thy own reconciling Truths, to the healing of thy Churches, them arePytbagoreses to or at leafs of fume dif joynted minds. And teach me with patience to this day : Lege Varenium de diver!. Selig, pelt Hilt. bear the Obloquy andReproach of miaken zealous Cenfurers : And forgive japan them that know not what they fay or do: Andwherein Ierr, forgive and reififie me, and betterinformboth theReader andme.
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