the Lord glory, and confefs; to the Apostle willeth, Galatians the fixt chapter, If any be overtaken, restore him, in fpiritu lenitatis. Thirdly, from hence they have a god ground to make inquiry and examinafor the fhedder of blood, not only upon the finding of a dead body, but if the party be miffing, as God, for that Abel was not prefent; examineth Cain where he is, and what is become of him.

of finne.

Now followeth Cains Answer, wherein first generally two things offer themselves. First, the nature of finne is fet out unto us, which is to draw men from one finne to another, for fo Cain was The twifting drawn from hypocrifie to envy, from envy to murther, from mur.. ther to hardness of heart, and fo to defend and excufe his finne. This the Prophet calleth a twisting of finne, when he faith of fins that they weave the spiders web, Ifaiah the fiftly ninth chapter and the fifth verfe: finne is like fire-bushes or thorns, that are folden one within another, Nahum the firft chapter and the tenth verte, it is like the difeafe called the canker which fretteth, in the first to Timothy the fecond chapter, even to finne maketh men to proceed unto more ungodliness, and to goc from one finne to another. Of this we have a plain example in Cain, and not in him only, but even in David the the Servant of God, who after he yeelded to one finne, stayed nor there, but proceeded to the committing of another, in the fecond of Samuel and the eleventh chapter. Secondly, we are to confider the hiding of finne, that it is fuch a thing as defires to be concealed, and not to be disclosed: So it was with Adam in the matters of concupifcence, and in Cain in the matter of revenge, both imiz and Supos, luft and wrath are fuch things as we would have concealed, and not come to the hearing of all men; that is, we have in us not only Note; finfull fouls, but guilefull spirits, Pfalm the thirty fecond, Blessed are they whofe iniquities are forgiven, and in whofe foul there is no guil: The Prophets meaning is, that we doc not only finne against God, but we would beguile God in hiding our finnes from him, if it were poffible, as if we were other manner of perfons than indeed webe, and as if we were altogether free from those finnes which God feeth we have committed. Therefore we are to know, that as confeffion is the dore to repentance, fo the hiding of finne is the Hiding of finne damming up of the dore of repentance; for it we will have favour thutteth the at Gods hand, we must confeffe our finhes, but if we fay we have no dore of repenfinne, we deceive our felves, whereby we fee that finne is a thing to be avoided. Secondly, that it is unlawfull in that whofoever committeth finne, doth that which he dare not avouch or acknowledge; for the Apostle faith, Romans the fourteenth chapter, Blessed is he which doth not allow in his all that which he covers, for many allow and approve of that in their actions, which in word they dare not but condemn. They which commit murther as Cain,or adultery,whether it be luft of revenge,or the luft of uncleanness, howfoever they yeeld to it in the practiles of their life, yet they cannot juftifie it by word of mouth, be they never fo wicked; whether they will or no their confciences will make them confeffe they have done that they

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ought

tance.

ought not to have done. Adam and Eve made a conteffion of their fault, though it were with excuting themfelves, by laying the fault one upon another; but in Cain we finde, not only an excufing of it, but an obftinate denying of it. In which regard his fiane is of a greater laft and fcantling than Adam's; and hereby he thewes himfelf not to be of Adam, but ex maligno illo, fohn the third chapter and the twelfth verse.

Of the Aniwer there are three parts: First, Abnegatio veritatis, in these words, I know not. Secondly, Abnegatio charutatus, in that he denyeth that he is his Brothers keeper. Thirdly, Abnegatio humilitatis, in that without all modefty, he aniwereth by a queftion, Am I my Brothers keeper?

For the first, In faying he knoweth not where his Brother is; that is a lye with two additions.

First, Mendacium impium, In that he lyeth not to man, but to God, in the fifth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, and the fourth verfe. The Wife-man faith of Kings, which are but mortall men, in the fixteenth chapter of the Proverbs, and the thirteenth verle, Righteous lips are the delight of Kings, and the King loveth him that speaketh right things; Then much leffe can God, which is the King inmortall, a way with lyes, for lying lips are an abhomination to the Lord, in the twelfth chapter of the Proverbs, and the twenty fecond verfe: Hee knoweth all things, and his Majesty is greater than all the Kings of the earth: Therefore Salomon prayeth, in the thirtieth chapter of the Proverbs, Take from me vanity and lyes.

Secondly, As it is impious and ungodly, fo it is foolish, in that we feek by lyes to blinde Gods eyes, To whom the darknesse is no darkneffe, but all is light, Pfalm the one hunded thirty ninth: For the Wile-man faith, the 14. of the Proverbs, and the 22. Errat omnis qui facit iniquitatem; that ignorance and wickedneffe are twinnes and infeparable companions, pia&ovnia Cain fheweth his folly in that he believeth the Devill the Father of lyes, that he may conceal his fa& from God, foc as he shall not know of it. Secondly, because God might object upon his deniall, thou waft seen goe into the fields with thy Brother; fince which time he was not seen: he prevents this objection, and juftifieth his lye, and withall defends his finne; for he faith he is not his Brothers keeper; that is he denieth that he is to take care of any but himself.

That pofition of Cain is false; for he was to have a care of his Brother, Firft, if he had been but a man. Secondly, in that he was his Brother. Thirdly, for that he was his inferiour, committed to His government. The law of humanity would teach him to be carefull of Abel, in regard of the firft. The law of naturall affecti. on, or sosy will inforce him to refpe&t his Brother. And in that he was his inferior, made fubje& to him, the law of nature will inforce him to have a regard of him, being committed to his truft: This is the law of nature faith Chift, in the feventh chapter of Matthew,That what we would have men doe to us, we doe the fame to them, for that is the

Law

Law and Prophets : If our neighbours oxe goe aftray, or fall down under his burthen, Gods will is we fuccour him, Deuteronomie the twenty fecond chapter: Much more are we to have a tender regard of men, becaule they are our own flesh, from whom we may not hide our compaßion, in the fifty eighth chapter of Ifaiah. But if that will not move Cain, yet let naturall affection provoke him to take care of Abel; because he is his Brother, iffued out of the loynes of Adam, as he himself was. Thirdly, he is to take care of him, because he is under his govern

ment.

Secondly, As Cains pofition is false, fo is it wicked: For if all men fhould take care only for themselves, and not for others, it would be the diffolution of all focietie: But the law of nature willeth that the members of the body have the fame care one for another, as they have feverally any one for it felf, in the first epistle to the Corinthians and the twelfth chapter. The law of the Church is, Nemo qua fua funt quærat, fed quifquis qua alterius, in the first to the Corinthians the tenth chapter and the twenty fourth verle: Which rule, as it concerneth all men generally, fo efpecially it toucheth those that doe dominari, as Cain, whofe duty, non præeffe folum, fed prodeffe. As one private man may not renounce the care that he is to have of another privat man; fo much leffe may a publique perfon lay afide the care of a private man. Feroboam had no care of the people, though they perished in death, in the 13. of Hofea and the 2. verfe. And when Fudas came to the High Prieft, and confeffed his fault; They (as if they were to care for none but themselves,) answered, What is that to us? Looke thou to it, in the twenty feventh chapter of Matthew; they were perfwaded they were not bound to take any notice of his ftare. These were fteps of Cains finne, and grievous finnes.

Thirdly we are to confider the manner of his answer, which is not a fimple deniall of his duty, but an unmodeft fpeech, Am I my Brothers keeper as if he fhhold say, Am I bound to take care of my Brother?

In this answer we see that Cain to his former finnes of lying and malice, adds the finne of pride and prefumption. Of which the Prophet faith, Be not mercifull to them that offend of malicious wickedness: which finne whosoever com mitteth, cannot be clear from the great finne which is irremediable, as David faith, Keep thy fervant from prefumptuous finnes, fo fhall I be clear from the great finne, Psalm the nineteenth and the fourteenth verfe. The inftruction that we are to gather hence is, that wee avoid the wayes of Cain, if we will efcape his curfes, in the eleventh verfe of the epiftle of Fude: He was carried with a lying fpirit, in the firft of Kings and the twenty fecond chapter, and we may not feek to beguile God as he did, as if we would bide our finnes from him.

Secondly, There is fpiritus malignus, in the firft epiftle of Fohn, the third chapter and the twelfth verfe, the malicious spirit which perfwaded Cain, that he was not bound to take care for his Brother: Wee must take heed of that spirit likewise.

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Thirdly,

Gen. 4. 10.

Aug. 19.1599.

Thirdly, Wee muft beware of the haughty and proud spirit, which made him answer God fo immodeftly; we must learn to bee humble, for, as the Wile-man faith,pride is the forerunner of deftruction. Wee muft fet before our felves the example of Abrahams humility, who acknowledged him felt to be but duft and ashes,in the eighteenth chapter of Genefis: And with Fob fay, I will repent in fack cloth and afhes; for if wee in humilitie confeffe our finnes, God is mercifull and just to forgive us our finnes, in the first epiftle of John, the firft chapter and the feventh verfe. Wee muft inftead of the lying fpirit, poffeffe our felves with the fpirit of truth; for the malicious fpirit, we must have the spirit of charity; and for pride, put on the fpirit of humilitic.

Dixit verò Deus, Quid fecisti? ecce vocem fanguinum fratris tui, me ab ipfâ humo inclamantium.

N which words is fet down Cains conviction; for howfoever he might imagine he was escaped, by that bold utterance of a known lye and untruth, yet he was deceived, as all they shall be decieved, that having done amifs, doc (as the Hebrews fpcake) put their trust in the strength of their face, and in deceitfull lips, faying with them, fob the twenty fourth chapter, Qui me vidit? or with her, in the thirtieth chapter of the Proverbs, that having committed finne, wipeth her mouth, and faith, Non feci. For albeit Cain would not confeffe his fault, but denyed it, faying, Nefcio, and not only, but excused his finne, affirming without charity toward his Brother, fo without all humilitis or modefty to God, that he was not bound to take care of Abel; yet for all that God proceedeth to convi& him.

The verfe ftands of two parts. First the queftion, Quid fecifti? Secondly, a plain detection, in the words following.

For the first point, there are diverfe exceptions. For the nature of this question, fome make it a new queftion, touching the fame thing that God asked in the former verfes: Others referre it to Cains deniall; as if God should fay, What haft thou done? in faying thou knoweft not. If we understand it to be a fccond queftion, then we are to remember what the Prophet faith, in the fixty fecond Pfalm, that God speaketh not once but twice, to fhew that he is mercifull, and that his oath is a true oath, whereby he affirmeth that he defires not the death of a finner, in the thirty third chapter of EZkiel, and the eleventh verfe; for if a man do but fay, I have finned, and perverted righteousnesse and it did not profit me, he will deliver his foul from going into the pit, in the thirty third chapter of Fob, and the eighteenth verfe, fo greatly is God pleafed when men doe willing

ly

ly confeffe their finnes to him: And that is the rea on, that God having once already asked Cain, Where is thy brother Abel? doth now ask him again the fecond time,What haft thou done? which is all one in effect with the firft queftion. The other question feemed far off from the matter, but this comes more near to the point: Wherein God doth more preffe Cain, as if he fhould fay, thou haft done this murther, I will have thee confeffe it: Which is all one with that speech of Foshuab to Achan, My (on give glory to God, and confesse, Foshuah the feventh chapter: Wherein he willeth Cain to do as they did of whom Luke recordeth, that they came and confefsed and shewed their works, Acts the nineteenth chapter; for it is Gods will that we should call to minde our own deeds, before he come to fet before us the things which we have done,Pfalm the fiftieth. But others referre this question to Cains deniall, why dideft thou not confeffe thy fault, that I might have had mercy on thee? Wherein we fee that verified that the Prophet affirmeth of God, in the fecond chapter of Foel, That he is Sorry for our afflictions; and withall it is an admonition, teaching us our duties: For God maketh two fermons to Cain, one before he finned, verle the feventh, the other after he had finned, in these words, ubi eft Abelfrater? As by the first he teacheth us to fay with Paul, in the ninth chapter of the Acts of the Apofties, Quid faciam? fo when we have finned, we muft fmite our hearts with David, in the fecond of Samuel and the twenty fourth chapter, and fay as the prophet speaks, Feremiah the eighth chapter and the fixt verfe, quid feci? Gods queftion to Cain doth plainly infinuate to us thus much, that when we have finned we must repent us of the evill, and lay, what have I done? for if man repent not that he hath finned against God, God will repent that he hath made man, Genefis the fixt chapter and the fixt verie; but there is to be noted further in this question, that the reafon thereof is, that Cain by murthering his brother, did not only fhew himself like the Devill, that evill one, as St. John calls him, in the firft of Fobn the third chapter and the twelfth verfe, who was a murther from the beginning, but that he fheweth himself like unto him in denying the truth, as the Devil! is faid to be the Father of lies, Fohn the eigh.h chapter,

The detection of Cains Crime is in thele words (the voice of thy brothers blood cryesh to me from the earth) God goeth forward and fheweth, that although the Devill doe ftop Cains mouth that he will confels his fact, yet all is to no purpose, albeit he himself will not fay he hath killed Abel, yet God fetts before his eyes the things which he hath done, Pfalm the fiftieth and the twenty first verfe.

Concerning these words there are two interpretations. First, that Gods meaning in thefe words is, that howsoever man needs an Accufer, yet he needs none; for he knoweth who is guil y though there be none to accufe, that man heares nothing but vocall fpeech but God heares blood fpeak, as God doth loqui furdis, fo he doth audire muta; He calleth those things that are not, as if they were, Romans the fourth chapter; he makes things deaf to hear, and makes