A Catholicon, Part 1 · Subpart 11
The 11. lecture.
vers. 14. And Enoch also the seauenth from Adam, prophecied of such, saying, &c.]
The Apostle hauing first discou… and descried the sinnes and corruptions of these seducers, v. 8, 9, 10. and then amplified the same by examples, v. 11. by similitudes and comparisons, v. 12, 13. he returneth againe to shew the certentie of their iudgemēt, which as he did first by the former examples of Gods iustice against the incredulous Israelits, v. 5. the apostatat angels, v. 6. the wicked cities of Sodō & Gomorra, v. 7. so now he doth verifie the same by an ancient prophesie of Enoch, contained v. 14, 15. Where we hauehave to cōsider of the Prophet, here named to be Enoch the seauenth frō Adam, then of the prophesie, which is of Gods finall iudgement: both of the forme and manner thereof, The Lord commeth with thousands, &c. and of the matter or subiect, first God shall rebuke or conuince both of their wicked deedes, and cruell words, and then he shall giuegive iudgement and sentence against them.
First then, seeing Enoch so long agoe, euen Doctr. 1.fowre thousand sixe hundred yeare since, prophecied of the comming of the Lord to iudgement, when as yet the world had not beene destroied by waters: we doe The certentie of the day of iudgement.see the certentie of this day of the Lord, that it shal surely come.
Thus the prophets beleeued: Behold, saith Esay, The Lord will come like fire, & his chariots like whirlewind that he may recompence his anger with wrath, and his indignation with the flame of fire, for the Lord will iudge with fire, Isay, 66. 16. Thus the Apostles preached, as S. Paul testifieth, Behold he will appoint a day, wherein he will iudge the world in righteousnesse, Act. 17. 31.
A president of this iudgement day we hauehave, 1. King, 22. 19. I saw the Lord (saith Michaiah) sitte on his throne, and all the hoast stand about him on his right hand, and on his left. And Dan. 7. 9. I beheld till the thrones were set, and the auncient of daies did sit, &c. v. 10. a fierie streame issued from before him, thousand thousands mustered before him, the iudgement was set & the bookes opened: such shall be the comming of Christ to iudgement.
For like as the husbandman in the euening calleth his labourers to paie them their hire, Matth. 20. 8. the master reckoneth with his seruants, Math. 25. 19. the rich man taketh account of his steward, Luk. 16. 2. so the Lord hath appointed a day of reckoning, wherein he wil call all men to account.
The reason why God hath purposed a generall iudgement is grounded vponupon his iustice, 2. Thess. 1. …. It is iust with God to render tribulation to those which trouble you, and to you which are troubled, rest, when the Lord Iesus shall shewe himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels.
First then whereas some take occasiō to reiect the authoritie of this book, because it citeth a testimonie out of the booke of Henoch, which was Apocryphal, as Hierome Catalog. scrip.testifieth: and the Papists by this, & that of Michael, v. 9. which are not found in the Canonicall scripture, doe inferre that there are many trueths to be found, which are not written in scripture. Our answer then is this▪ first, that there are many Apocriphal books of obscure and vncertaine authoritie; as the Acts of Peter, the gospell and reuelation of Peter, a gospell to the Hebrewes, the epistle of Barnabas, the trauaile of Paul and Tecla, and such other whereof Hierome maketh mē tion; and among the rest, there was the Catalog. scrip.booke of Henoch, cited by Origen: yet this testimonie is not alleadged out of any Hom. 34. in nu…er.such obscure booke, but either deliuered by faithful tradition, or else extant in some booke of authoritie, which is nowe perished: as we read of other bookes in scripture nowe lost; as the booke of the battels of the Lord, cited by Moses, Numb. 21. 14. the booke of Iasher or the righteous, Iosua, 10. 13. the bookes of Nathan, Gad, Iddo, & other prophets mentioned in the Chronicles.
Secondly, our answere to the Papists Error. 37. Of the prophecie of Henoch.is this, 1. that although some bookes of scripture be wanting, yet these remaining are sufficient. 2. that although this prophecie of Henoch were deliuered by tradition, yet is it agreeable and consonant to scripture, which eueryevery where testifieth the same: this maketh not then for traditions contrarie or repugnant to scripture, such as are their vnwritten traditions.
Thirdly, this text conuinceth Atheists, that expect no such day of iudgement: who herein are worse then some of the heathen, who beleeued a iudgement after this life, which they say was committed to the Iudges, Minos, Rhadmanthus, Aeacus: of this opinion was Plato: they erred In Gorgia.in the manner, for God hath committed all iudgement to his sonne, but they granted the thing. But it is safe for vsus to stand in awe of Gods iudgement, and to be in expectation of this day, as the Apostle saith; Knowing the tenour of this day we perswade men, 2. Cor. 5. 11. as one of the Fathers hath fitly resembled it thus, That like as schollers comming to render their lesson to their Master, which they had receiued, I… s…hola… esses acciperes & …on redderes, aut cum expe… teddere si… metu …is plagarum …modo ergo accepimus, poste… statuemur corā magistro vt ration… redda…us de omnibus quae accepimus. Aug. Ps. 93. Doct. 2.doe it not without feare; so we should tremble to thinke of this daie, when we shall giuegive account vntounto God of all things giuen vsus in charge.
Behold the Lord commeth with thousands of Saints, &c.] or with his holy thousands: that is, the holy Angels with their royall host shall accompanie our Lord Christ to iudgement, and his holy Saints also shall waite and attend vponupon him beeing eftsoones at his comming receiued vp to glorie.
We see then the prerogatiue of the Saints, that they shall not stand like malefactours at the barre, before the tribunall seate of Christ, to be iudged with the wicked, but shall presently receiue honour, in the sight of those which are damned. This is that which S. Paul saith, that they shall be caught vp in the cloudes, and meete Christ in the aire. 1. Thes. 4. 17. A president of this we hauehave, Reu. 14. 1. where the Lambe stā deth vpō Mount Sinai with an 144. thousand that were marked in the foreheads.
Like as the virgins make haste to meete the bridegrome, Math. 25. 1. and as the eagles gather togither, where the carcasse is, Math. 24. 28. so the Saints shall be foorthwith gathered to Christ.
The reason is giuen by our Sauiour, Iohn. 12. 26. where I am there shall my minister be: the saints then as Christs ministers shall waite and attend vponupon him.
First then by this that hath beene said, we may easily recōcile two places of scripture, which hauehave much troubled the Fathers: the one, Psal. 1. 6. The wicked shall not rise vp or stand in iudgement: and the other, Ioh. 5. 24. He that beleeueth shall not come into iudgement. If neither the beleeuers nor the wicked shall come to iudgement, then it would followe that none at all should come. Hilarie therfore and Origen thinke that neither the godly faithfull, nor the wicked infidels shall be iudged, the one being cleared, the other condemned in their owne conscience: but they which are, inter impios, pios que medii, as in the midst between Hilar▪ in Psal. … ▪ Origen. in 3. lib. …ob.the godly and vngodly, which are in the faith & yet liue not thereafter. But S. Paul taketh away this sense, saying, We must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ. Godly, vngodly, good, and bad. S. Ambr. 2. Cor. 5. 10. Serm 20. in Psal. 119.thinketh, that the righteous only shal come into iudgement: quia …estinant innoxij ad iudiciū: because the guiltles & innocēt make haste to iudgement, as not fearing it, the wicked doe tremble at it, and dare not come neare it: but the Apostle saith otherwise, that the wicked aboue all other, shall not escape the iudgement of God, Rom. 2. 3.
But the places are better thus reconciled: the beleeuers shal not come into iudgment, that is, as Augustine expoundeth iudicium condemnationis, the iudgement of condemnation: and the wicked shall not stand in iudgement, that is, in that iudgement, which the righteous shall receiue, as it followeth in the next words; nor sinners in the assemblie of the righteous. And to this purpose Ambrose well saith, He will not house fellowshippe of iudgement betweene the Non vult cō mune sanctis cum di…boli sociis iudic…i e…econso tium Serm 20 in Psal. 116.Saints and the wicked, which are companions of the deuill: they shall receiue each their sentence and iudgement apart. For first, the Saints shal be gathered togither, Psal. 50. 5. and to them shall be pronounced the ioyfull sentence, Come ye blessed, inherit the kingdome prepared for you, Math. 25. 34. & afterward shall followe the fearefull iudgment of the wicked, v. 41. Depart from me ye cursed.
So then we refuse Origens conceit, which vponupon these wordes, Psalm. 37. 34. When the wicked shall perish, thou shalt see: Hom. 5. in Psal. ….inferreth that the Saints shall first see the wicked condemned, and then they themselues shall be exalted. But the contrarie is gathered out of the Gospell, Luk. 13. 28. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, Isaack, and Iaacob, &c, in the kingdome of God, and your selues thrust out at the doores: the exaltation of the Saints in the sight of the wicked shal goe before. The prophet then in the forerecited place either speaketh of the experience which the righteous shall hauehave in this life, when they see the destruction of the wicked, or els it may well be, that the Saints though first exalted, may yet see and behold the iust condemnation of the vniust: as Abraham and Lazarus did see the rich man in torment, as he sawe them in glorie, Luk. 16.
Secōdly, the opinion of the papists may here also be refuted, who affir me, that the Rhemists. Error 38. How the …aint… shall iudge the world.Saints shall giuegive sentence with Christ, misvnderstanding the Apostle, where hee saith, the Saints shall iudge the world, 1. Cor. 6. 2.
For the Apostle in so saying, meaneth not, that God hath committed the iudgement of the world to the saints, for then he should be contrarie to Christ, who saieth. that the father hath committed all iudgment to the sonne, Ioh. 5. 22.
But the Apostles and saints are said to iudge the world because their life and doctrine shall be a condemnation to the world: as Christ saith, His word shall iudge in the latter daie, Ioh. 12. 48. And Origen doeth well interprete this place thus: Not Non Paulus …pse…ed opus Pauli, quod faci…at in Euangelio iudicabit.Paul himselfe, but Pauls worke and labour in the Gospell shall iudge them. Or by this phrase the Apostle onelyonly doeth expresse the great honour, that Christ shal giuegive vntounto Hom. 11. numhis saints, as Psal. 149. 9. That they may execute vponupon them the iudgement that is written, such honour hauehave all his saints: for like as Salomon sitting in his throne, placed his mother in a seate at his right hand. 2. King. 2. 19. and as Iehu tooke Iehonadab by the hand vp into his chariot: yet neither Salomon makes his mother, nor Iehu the other partners in the kingdome, though they thus honoured them. Neither doth Christ make his Apostles his fellowe iudges, though they shal sitte in thrones; but hereby Cohaeredes Ch…istus non solum in partem haereditatis, sed & in consortium pocestatis accepit. in 8. ad Rom.their great honour is signified. And so Origen is to be vnderstood, saying: Christ hath taken his coheires, not onelyonly to be partners of the inheritance, but fellowes with him of his power.
Thirdly, this is much to the comfort of the faithfull, that howsoeuer they are despised in the world, yet the Lord will aduance them: as our Sauiour saith, Feare not Luk. 12. 3….little stocke, it is your fathers pleasure to giuegive you a kingdome. That we should now so arme our selues with faith, so labour for the peace of conscience, so louelove the appearing of Christ, that at his comming we may stand forth with ioy and confidence; and so decline the waies of the wicked here, that we may escape their iudgement at that day, and may be associate and gathered to the blessed companie of the Elect, that Christ may be honoured in vsus; and the rest of the thousands of his Saints. Amen.
vers. 15. To giuegive iudgement against all men, &c.] That is, all vngodly men, high Doctr. 3.or low, great or small, none shall be exempted from the iudgement of that day.
So the Lord saith by the prophet Ieremie, 25. 30. The Lord shall roare from aboue, and thrust out his voice, &c. v. 31. The sound shall come to the ends of the world, for the Lord hath a controuersie with all nations, and will enter into iudgemēt with all flesh, &c.
And therfore the Lord is said, when he commeth to iudge, to stretch out his hands, as one that swimmeth. Isa. 25. 11. that is, his iudgements shall extend to all: and like an ouerflowing riuer, that goeth ouer all the bankes, and passeth through, and commeth vp to the necke, Isa. 8. 8. so shall be the indignation of that day: none shall escape it, no more then the wicked people of the olde world could preserue themselues from the flood.
The gyants and great men before the flood, could not deliuer themselues by their strength, Gen. 6. 4. and Pharaoh, for all his power, was ouerwhelmed in the sea, Exod. 14. and the rich glutton could not be exempted from hell by his riches.
The reason is taken from the great power of God. Who is like me, or who is the shepheard (that is, any ruler so mightie) that can stand before me? Ier. 49. 19.
First then we see that the mightie and great Potentates in the world, shall be iudged: euen the great Antichrist of Rome, Antichrist iudged.whome his clawbackes and flatterers call an other God on earth, and that he is not to be iudged of any, and though he should carrie a thousand soules with him to hell, no man is to say vntounto him: why doe you so? yet God shall iudge him. For the deuill, the beast, and false prophet, shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, Reuel. 20. 10. Yea the Lord shall iudge the gods of the heathen: Venus, Iupiter, and other Tunc Venus cum prolesu… exhibebitur: & ignitus Iupiter adducetur. Hier. ad Heliodor.whome they worshipped as Gods, shall be brought to iudgement before that great God, who is to be feared aboue all gods. 1. Chron. 16. 25.
Secondly, seeing the greatest Potentates of the world cannot escape the wrath of that day, this should keepe men in feare and awe: and thus to reason with themselues as the men of Samaria did concerning Iehu, Two kings could not stand before him, how then shall we stand? 2. King. 10. 4. If then the mightie states of the world shal not be exempted, thou foolish simple man, why dost thou flatter thy selfe in thy sinnes, dreaming of impunitie?
To rebuke all the vngodly among them of Doctr. 4.all their wicked deedes, &c.] And of all their cruell or hard speakings, which wicked sinners hauehave spoken against him, &c.
From hence it is inforced, that wicked men shall not onelyonly giuegive account for their We shall answer for idle words.vngodly workes, but be accountable also for their blasphemous tongue and impious words.
This our Sauiour Christ testifieth, Matth. 12. 36. that of eueryevery idle word, that men shall speake, they shall giuegive account thereof at the day of iudgement: for by thy wordes thou shalt be iustified, (that is, discerned, and declared to be iust) and by thy words, thou shalt be condemned.
Agreeable to this, is that of Saint Paul, that eueryevery man shall receiue according to that he hath done in his bodie, whether it be good or euill, 2. Cor. 5. 10. but words as well as workes are things done by the bodie, the one by the hands, the other by the mouth and tongue, and therefore euen men shall answer for their words.
It was the iust condemnation of Core, Dathan, and Abiram, for speaking insolent and rebellious wordes against Moses and Aaron, Numb. 16. 3. And the Scribes are iudged worthie of euerlasting condemnation, for speaking blasphemie against Christ our Sauiour. Mat. 3. 28.
The reason is rendred by our Sauiour, Matth. 12. 34. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Therefore an euill tongue is iustly punished, because besides the euilnesse thereof, it bewraieth a corrupt heart: like as bitter waters doe shew the fountaine to be impure: and therefore the Psalmist compareth a cruell and deceitfull tongue, to the sharpe arrowes of a gyant, and to coales of iuniper, Psal. 130. 4. that like as arrowes sent out of a strong mans bow, goe with great force and violence, and as iuniper coales are feruently hote, and continue long: such are wicked wordes forced out of an euill heart, and set on fire by the malice thereof.
First then by this doctrine we may discerne Error 39.of what spirits the Papists are, that with most cruell wordes and reuiling Papists bitter raylings.speeches doe blaspheme the Gospel and the professours thereof: as one most wickedly Harding.calleth vsus, ap. 359.Cananites, b18.Apostataes, c342.sathanical, d510.detestable blasphemers, deuillish rabble, with such other vngodly tearms: others of them blaspheme vsus with Rhemists.the names of eIam. 5. sect. 5.miscreants, fRom 1…. v 33.reprobates, worse then gAct. 8. sect. 10.Simon Magus, hArthur. de invocat. sanct. thes. 91. c. 9.Atheists. Neither doe they onelyonly thus wounde and gall our persons, but doe reuile the truth it selfe, and Church of God among vsus: calling it the iHard. apol. 459.synagogue of Sathan, and our Communion the kRhem. 1. Cor. 10 sect. 9.table of deuills, and the lIoh. 4. sect. 4.sacrifice of Ceres and Bacchus. But this is our comfort, as Hierome well saith, Aliter hominum malitia, ad Iulian.aliter Christus iudicat: the malice of men iudgeth one way, Christ an other. And thus they reuile not vsus, but open their mouthes against the God of heauen, the author and finisher of our faith. They remember not, that they shall one day giuegive account of their wicked words, spoken against God and his Church. They will finde in the ende his words true, Non facilis est veniae prava dixisse de rectis: that it Hiero. Algos.is not so small an offence, or so easily pardoned, to speake euill of the righteous, God giuegive them better mindes.
Secondly, we see by this doctrine, what shall be the ende of all blasphemers, and wicked speakers, and prophane persons, that delight in swearing, in iesting or scoffing of religion, & speaking vnreuerently of God, of Christ, of the blessed Trinitie, of the Sacraments of the Church, as Atheists, and other vngodly persons: the Lord shall rebuke them at his comming of all their wicked wordes, and rayling speeches: all their oathes, railings, blasphemies, shall then come to their remēbrance, though now they thinke not of them: as the Lord saith, I will reprooue thee, and set them in order before thee. Psal. 50. 21.