Father is well pleased and for whose sake alone he is well pleased with vs. IV. Obiect Sundrie persons in Scripture are commended for perfectionâ— as Noe and Abraham Zacharie and Elizabeth and Christ biddeth vs all bee perfect and where there is any perfection of workes there also workes may iustifie Ans. There be two kinds of perfection perfection in parts and perfection in degrees Perfection in part is when being regenerate and hauing the seedes of all necessarie vertues wee indeauour accordingly to obey God not in some few but in all and euery part of the law as Iosias turned vnto God according to all the law of Moses Perfection in degrees is when a man keepeth euery commandement of God and that according to the rigour thereof in the very highest degree Nowe then whereas we are commanded to be perfected and haue examples of the same perfection in scripture both commandements and examples must be vnderstood of perfection in parts and not of perfection in degrees which caÌ„â—ot be attained vnto in this life though we for our parts must daily striue to come as neere vnto it as possibly we can V. Obiect 2. Cor. 4. 17. Our momentany afflictions worke vnto vs a greater measâ—re of glorie nowe if afflictions worke our saluation then workes also doe the same Ans. Afflictions worke saluation not as causes procuring it but as means directing vs thereto And thus alwaies must we esteeme of works in the matter of our saluation as of a certen way or a marke therein directing vs to glorie not causing and procuring it as Bernard saith they are via Regni non causa regnandi The waie to the kingdome not the cause of raigning there VI. Obiect We are iustified by the same thing whereby we are iudged but we are iudged by our good works therfore iustified also Ans. The proposition is false for iudgement is an act of God declaring a man to bee iust that is alreadie iust and iustification is another distinct act of God whereby he maketh him to be iust that is by nature vniust And therefore in equitie the last iudgement is to proceede by workes because they are the fittest meanes to make triall of euery mans cause and serue fitly to declare whome God hath iustified in this life VII Obiect Wicked men are condemned for euill workes and therefore righteous men are iustified by good workes Ans. The reason holdeth not for there is great difference betweene euill and good workes An euill worke is perfectly euill and so deserueth damnation but there is no good worke of any man that is perfectly good and therefore cannot iustifie VIII Obiect To beleeue in Christ is a worke and by it we are iustified if one worke doe iustifie why may we not be iustified by all the workes of the law Ans. Faith must be considered two waies first as a worke qualitie or vertue secondly as an Instrument or an hand reaching out it selfe to receiue Christs merit And we are iustified by faith not as it is a work vertue or qualitie but as it is an instrument to receiue and apply that thing whereby we are iustified And therefore it is a figuratiue speech to say We are iustified by faith Faith considered by it selfe maketh no man righteous neither doth the actioÌ„ of faith which is to apprehend iustifie but the obiect of faith which is Christs obedience apprehended These are the principall reasons commonly vsed which as we see are of no moment To conclude therefore we holde that workes concurre to iustification and that we are iustified thereby as by signes and effects not as causes for both the beginning middle and accomplishment of our iustification is onely in Christ and hereupon Iohn saith If any man beeing already iustified sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ and he is the propitiation for our sinnes And to make our good workes meanes or causes of our iustification is to make euery man a Sauiour to himselfe The V. point Of merits By merit we vnderstand any thing or any work whereby Gods fauour life euerlasting is procured and that for the dignitie and excellencie of the worke or thing done or a good worke done binding him that receiueth it to repay the like Our Consent Touching merits we consent in two conclusions with them The first coÌ„clusion that merits are so farre forth necessarie that without them there can be no saluation The second that Christ our Mediatour and Redeemer is the roote and fountaine of all merit The dissent or difference The popish Church placeth merits within man making two sorts thereof the merit of the person and the merit of the worke The merit of the person is a dignitie in the person whereby it is worthie of life euerlasting And this as they say is to be found in Infants dying after baptisme who though they want good workes yet are they not void of this kind of merit for which they â—eceiue the kingdome of heauen The merit of the worke is a dignitie or excellencie in the worke whereby it is made fitte and inabled to deserue life euerlasting for the doer And works as they teach are meritorious two waies first by couenant because God hath made a promise of reward vnto them secondly by their own dignitie for Christ hath merited that our works might merit And this is the substance of their doctrine From it we dissent in these points I. We renounce all personall merits that is all merits within the person of any meere man II. And we renounce all merit of workes that is all merit of any worke done by any meere man whatsoeuer And the true merit whereby we looke to attaine the fauour of God and life euerlasting is to bee found in the person of Christ alone who is the storehouse of all our merits whose prerogatiue it is to be the person alone in whome God is well pleased Gods fauour is of infinit dignitie and no creature is able to doe a worke that may counteruaile the fauour of God saue Christ alone who by reason of the dignitie of his person beeing not a meere man but God-man or Man-god hee can doe such workes as are of endles dignitie euery way answerable to the fauour of God and therefore sufficient to merit the same for vs. And though a merit or meritorious work agree only to the person of Christ yet is it made ours by imputation For as his righteousnes is made ours so are his merits depending thereon but his righteousnes is made ours by imputation as I haue shewed Hence ariseth another point namely that as Christs righteousnes is made ours really by imputation to make vs righteous so wee by the merit of his righteousnesse imputed to vs doe merit and deserue life euerlasting And this is our doctrine In a word the Papist maintaineth the merits of his owne workes but we renouuce them all and rest only on the merit of Christ. And that our doctrine is trueth and theirs
hereby confuted otherwise in respect of the diuers estate and condition of men sinnes are either veniall or mortall Veniall they are to the elect whose sinnes are pardonable in Christ but to the reprobate all sinnes are mortall Neuertheles we holde not all sinnes equall but that they are greater or lesse according to the diuersitie of obiects and other circumstances Thus much of sin in generall nowe we come to the parts of it The first sin of all that euer was in man is the sinne of Adam which was his disobedience in eating the forbidden fruite In handling whereof sundrie points are to bee opened but let vs begin with the causes thereof The outward efficient cause was the deuill And though he bee not named by Moses in the historie of the fall yet that is not to trouble vs for wee must not conceiue otherwise of the serpent then of the instrument and mouth of the deuill For it is not likely that it beeing a bruite creature should be able to reason and determine of good and euill of trueth and falshood Nowe in this temptation the deuill shewes his malice and his fraud His malice in that whereas he cannot ouerturne God himselfe yet he labours to disturbe the order which he hath set downe in the creation and especially the image of God in the most excellent creatures on earth that they may be in the same miserable condition with himselfe His fraud first in that he begins his temptation with the woman being the weaker person not with the man which course he still continues as may appeare by this that more women are intangled with witchcraft and sorcerie then men Secondly he shewes his fraude in that he proceeds very slily and intangles Eve by certaine steppes and degrees For first by moouing a question he drawes her to listen vnto him and to reason with him of Gods commandement Secondly he bringes her to looke vpon the tree and wishly to viewe the beautie of the fruite Thirdly he makes her to doubt of the absolute truth of Gods word and promise and to beleeue his cōtrarie lies Fourthly hauing blinded her minde with his false perswasions shee desires and lustes after the forbidden fruit and therevpon takes it eates it and giues it to her husband The inward cause was the wil of our first parents euen in the testimonie of their owne consciences as Salomon saith This haue I found that God made man righteous but they haue found many inuentions But it may be obiected that if Adam were created good he could not be the cause of his owne fall because a good tree cannot bring forth euill fruit Answer Freedome of wil is fourefold I. freedome to euil alone this is onely in wicked men and angels and is indeed a bondage the second is freedome to good alone and that is in God and the good Angels by Gods grace the third is freedome to good in part ioyned with some want of libertie by reason of sinne and this is in the regenerate in this life the fourth is freedom either to good or to euill indifferently And this was in Adam before his fall who though he had no inclination to sinne but onely to that which was acceptable to God yet was he not bound by any necessitie but had his libertie freely to choose or refuse either good or euil And this is euident by the very tenour of Gods commandement in which he forbids Adam to eate the forbidden fruit and thereby shewing that hee beeing created righteous and not prone to sinne had power to keepe or not to keepe the commandement though since the fall both hee and wee after him cannot but sinne Wherefore Adam beeing allured by Satan of his owne free accord changed himselfe and fell from God Nowe then as the good tree chaunged from good to euill brings forth euill fruite so Adam by his owne inward and free motion changing from good to euil brings forth euill As for God he is not to be reputed as an author or cause any way of this sinne For he created Adam and Eue righteous indued them with righteous wills and he told them what he would exact at their hands and what they could performe yea he added threatnings that with the feare of daunger he might terrifie them from sinne Some may say whereas God foresaw that Adam would abuse the libertie of his will why would he not preuent it Answ. There is a double grace the one to be able to will and doe that which is good the other to be able to perseuere in willing and doing the same Nowe God gaue the first to Adam and not the second And he is not to be blamed of vs though he confirmed him not with new grace for he is debter to no man to giue him so much as the least grace whereas he had alreadie giuen a plentifull measure thereof to him And God did hold backe to conferre any further grace vpon iust grace I. It was his pleasure that this fact should be an occasion or way to exercise his mercie in the sauing of the Elect and his iustice in the deserued condemnation of impenitent sinners And vnlesse Adam had fallen for himselfe and others there should haue beene found no miserie in men on whome God might take pitie in his Sonne nor wickednesse which he might condemne and therefore neither manifestation of iustice nor mercie II. Againe it was the will of God in part to forsake Adam to make manifest the weaknes that is in the most excellent creatures without the speciall and continuall assistance of God III. There is a double libertie of will one is to will good or euill this belongs to the creature in this world and therefore Adam receiued it The other is to will good alone This he wanted because it is reserued to the life to come And though he knew no cause of this dealing of God yet is it one steppe to the feare of God for vs to hold that good and righteous which he appointeth or willeth and not to square the workes and iudgements of God by our crooked reason And yet to come to reason it selfe Who can here complaine of God Can the deuill but God did not cause him to tempt or deceiue our first parents Can Adam and Eue but they fell freely without any motion or instigation from God and their owne consciences accused them for it Can the posteritie of Adam but the Elect receiue more in Christ then they lost in Adam and the reprobate ouerwhelmed with the burden of their owne sinnes and thereupon receiuing nothing but due and deserued damnation can not finde fault But some may further replie and say he that foreseeth an euill and doth not preuent it is a cause of it but God did foresee the fall of man and did not preuent it Answ. The rule is generally true in man that the foreseer of an euill not preuenting it is in some sort a doer of it for it is the
sentence of the law of God to which man was bound from the first creation But God is aboue all his laws and not bound to them he is an absolute lord and law-giuer and therfore his actions are not within the compasse of morall lawes as mens are Whereupon it followes that though he did foresee mans defection yet is hee free from all blame in not preuenting of it For with him there be good causes of permitting euill And though God be no cause of mans fall yet must we not imagine that it came to passe by chance or fortune whereas the least things that are come to passe with Gods prouidence Neither was it by any bare permission without his decree and his will for that is to make an idle prouidence neither did it happen against the will of God he vtterly nilling it for then it could not haue beene vnlesse we denie God to be omnipotent It remaines therefore that this fall did so proceede of the voluntarie motion of Adam as that God did in part ordaine and will the permitting of it not as it was a sinne against his commandement but as it was further in the counsell of God a way to execute his iustice and mercie Against this which I say diuers things are obiected First that if Adam did that which God in any respect willed then he did not sinne at all Answ. He that willeth and doth that which God willeth for all that sinnes vnlesse he will it in the same manner with God and for the same ende Now in the permitting of this fact God intended the manifesting of his glorie but our first parents intending no such thing sought not onely to be like but also to be equall with God Secondly it is alleadged that Adam could not but fall necessarily if God did decree it Answ. Adams fall that came not to passe without Gods decree and therefore in that respect was necessarie was neuerthelesse in respect of Adams freewill contingent and not necessarie Gods decree not taking away the freedome of will but onely ordering it Lastly it is alleadged that Gods will is the cause of Adams will and Adams wil the cause of his fall and that therefore Gods will shall be the cause of the fall Ans. It must be granted that Gods will is a moouing cause of the wills of euil men yet marke how not as they are euill wills simply but as they are wills and therefore when God inclines the euill will of his creature to his good purpose he is nothing at all intangled with defect or euill of his will Touching the time of the fall the receiued opinion in former ages hath beene that our first parents fell the same day in which they were created and therefore Augustine writes that they stood but sixe houres And though we cannot determine of the certen time yet in all likelihood was it very short For Moses presently after that he had set downe the creation of man without the interposition of any thing else comes immediatly to the fall And considering the nature of the deuill is without ceasing to shew his malice no doubt he tooke the first occasion that possibly might be had to bring man to the same damnation with himselfe And our Sauiour Christ saith that the deuill was a man-slayer from the beginning namely from the beginning not of the creation of the world or of time but of man And Eue saith We shall eate of the fruit of the trees of the garden it may be insinuating that as yet shee had not eaten when the deuill tempted her Touching the greatnes of mans fall some haue made a small matter of it because it was the eating of an apple or some such fruit But we must not measure the greatnesse or the smalnesse of a sinne by the obiect or matter whereabout it is occupied but by the commandement of God and by the disobedience or offence of his infinite maiestie And that this fact of Adam and Eue was no small fault but a notorious crime and Apostasie in which they withdraw themselues from vnder the power of God nay reiect and denie him will euidently appeare if we take a viewe of all the particular sinnes that be contained in it The first is vnbeleefe in that they doubted and distrusted of the truth of Gods word which he spake to them The second is contempt of God in that they beleeued the lies of the deuill rather then him For whē God saith In the day that ye shall eate thereof ye shall die the death it is as nothing with Eue but when the deuill comes and saith Ye shall not die at all that shee takes hold on The third is pride and ambition For they did eate the forbidden fruit that they might be as gods namely as the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost The fourth is vnthankfulnesse God had made them excellent creatures in his owne image that is nothing with them to be like vnto him vnlesse they may be equall vnto him The fifth is curiositie whereby they affected greater wisdome then God had giuen them in creation and a greater measure of knowledge then God had reuealed to them The sixth is reprochfull blasphemie in that they subscribe to the sayings of the deuill in which he charged God with lying and enuie The seuenth is murder For by this meanes they bereaue themselues and their posteritie of the fellowship and graces of Gods spirit and bring vpon their owne heads the eternall wrath of God The eight is discontentation in that they sought for an higher condition then that was in which God had placed them In a word in this one single fact is comprised the breach of the whole law of God And we should often thinke vpon this that we may learne to wonder at the iust iudgements of God in punishing this fall and his vnspeakable goodnesse in receiuing men to mercie after the same And here we must not omit to remember the largenesse of Adams fall Sinnes are either personall or generall Personall are such as are peculiar to one or some fewe persons and make them alone guiltie Generall that is common to all men and such is Adams fall It is a sinne not onely of the person of one man but of the whole nature of man And Adam must be considered not as a priuate man but as a roote or head bearing in it all mankind or as a publike person representing all his posteritie and therefore when he sinned all his posteritie sinned with him as in a Parliament whatsoeuer is done by the burgesse of the shiere is done by euery person in the shiere As Paul saith By one man sinne entred into the world and so death went ouer all for as much as all haue sinned And here lies the difference betweene Adams fall and the sinnes of men as Cains murder which makes not the posteritie of Cain guiltie because he was neuer appointed by God to be the roote of his posteritie
a thing is done God not regarding it we bring in an idol of our owne braines and stablish the idle-god of the Epicures But it is obiected to the contrarie that if God any way decreed and willed the fall of Adam then he was the author of sinne which once to say is blasphemie Ans. The argument followes not There be three actions in the will of God one whereby he doth absolutely will any thing and delight in it and of all such things God himselfe is the author The second is wholly or absolutely to Nill a thing and all things thus nilled can not possibly come to passe or haue the least beeing in nature There is also a third action which comes as a meane betweene the two former which is remissely or in part both to nill and will a thing wherby though God approoue not euill as it is euill and therefore doth it not yet he willeth the permitting of it to be done by others or the being of it because in respect of God that decreeth the permitting of euill it is good that there should be euill And on this manner and no otherwise God willed the fall of Adam and therefore in the reason of any indifferent man though he decreed the fall yet shall he be free from the blame thereof which lies wholly vpon the doer these two caueats alwaies remembred first that God by his will did not constraine or force the will of Adam to sinne or infuse into it any corruption and that therefore he sinned willingly and freely onely by the necessitie of immutabilitie and not by the necessitie of coaction secondly that God willed the fall for a most worthie ende which was to lay downe a way tending to the manifestation both of iustice and mercie Againe it is alleadged that if God willed Adams fall then his will is flat contrarie to it selfe because he wills that which he had by expresse commandement forbidden Answ. Indeede if God should both will and forbid one and the same thing in one and the same respect there should be a contradiction in Gods will but that God doth not He forbad Adams fall as it was sinne for so in euery commandement sinne as it is sinne is condemned and punished and yet because it was in a new respect a meanes of manifesting his glorie who is able to bring light out of darknesse therefore he willingly decreed the permission of it Incest as it is sinne it is condemned in the seuenth commandement and punished with death yet as incest was a punishment of Dauids adulterie God is said to take his wiues and to giue them to his sonne Absolom Some againe as it appeares by their writings feare to ascribe vnto God so much as a permission of Adams fall but no doubt they are deceiued For if these rules be true that God is omnipotent that he works all things that are by the counsell of his will and gouernes them that he hath care and regard ouer man that nothing is hid from him that he is vnchangeable there must needes be permission of euill If the deuill could not enter so much as into an heard of swine without Christs permission shall we thinke that he could compasse the fall and ouerthrow of man without a permission Indeede to permit is not to hinder euill when one may and with men it is a fault but not with God because he is not bound to hinder the euill which he permits The second fault is that they make the Prescience of mans faith and vnbeleefe to be the impulsiue cause of Gods decree For they say that God eternally decrees to saue or refuse men because he did foresee that they would beleeue or not beleeue But indeede it is a manifest vntruth Among the causes of all things that are there is an order set downe by God himselfe in which order some causes are highest some lowest some in the midst Now the highest cause of all is that which ouerrules all and is ouerruled of none and that is Gods will beyond which there can be no higher cause for God is placed aboue all and subiect to none And this very will of his is the cause of all things that haue beeing for we must not imagine that a thing first of all existeth and then afterward is willed of God but first of all God wills a thing and then afterward it comes to haue a beeing Now to say that foreseene faith or vnbeleefe are the moouing causes whereby God was induced to ordaine men either to saluation or to iust damnation is to vndoe this diuine order of causes and to displace the linkes in that Gods will is made a secondarie or middle cause subordinate to other causes placed aboue it yea this is to make the will of God to depend vpon the qualitie and condition of the creature whereas contrariwise all things depend vpon Gods will Againe Paul saith that God hath opened the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed to himselfe whereby he makes a distinction betweene the creature and the Creatour Men when they purpose the doing of any thing borrow reasons of their purposes and wills out of themselues from thâ— things to be done because mans bare will is no sufficient cause to warrant the doing of this or that in this or that manner vnlesse there be iust reason But Gods will is a simple and absolute rule of righteousnesse and a thing is good so farre forth as God wills it Therefore there is no cause why he should goe forth of himselfe for externall inducements and reasons of his eternall counsell his very will in himselfe is a sufficient reason of all his purposes and decrees And hereupon Paul saith that Gods purpose was in himselfe to shew that there is no dependance of his will vpon the creature and that in ordering and disposing of his decrees he had no reference or respectiue consideration of the qualities and workes of men Thirdly by this doctrine there is fastened vpon God want of wisdome who is wisdome it selfe and that is very absurd A simple man that hath in him but a sparke of the wisdome of God first of all intends with himselfe the ende and euent of the businesse to be done and then afterward the means whereby the ende is accomplished but in this platforme God is brought in in the first place to foresee and consider with himselfe the meanes which tende to the ende namely faith and vnbeleefe of men and then afterward to determine with himselfe what shall be the ende and finall condition of euery man either in life or death as if a man should purpose with himselfe to build an house without any consideration of the ende why and afterward conceiue with himselfe the particular vses to which he will applie it Fourthly hence it followeth that faith shall not onely be an instrument but also an efficient cause in the acte of
that by reason of this confusion men can not possibly rise with their owne bodies Ans. Howesoeuer this is impossible with men yet it is possible with God For he that in the beginning was able to create all things of nothing is much more able to make euery mans bodie at the resurrection of his owne matter and to distinguish the dust of mens bodies from the dust of beasts and the dust of one mans bodie from another The goldsmith by his art can sunder diuers mettals one frō another some men out of one mettall can drawe another why then should we thinke it vnpossible for the almightie God to doe the like It may bee further obiected thus A man is eaten by a woolfe the woolfe is eaten by a Lyon the Lyon by the foules of the aire the foules of the aire eaten againe by men againe one man is eaten of another as it is vsuall among the Cannibals Nowe the bodie of that man which is turned into so many substances especially into the bodie of another man cannot rise againe and if the one doeth the other doeth not Ans. This reason is but a cauill of mans braine for wee must not thinke that whatsoeuer entreth into the bodie and is turned into the substance thereof must rise againe and become a part of the bodie at the daie of iudgement but euery man shall then haue so much substance of his owne as shall make his bodie to be entire and perfect though another mans flesh once eaten bee no part thereof Againe it is vrged that because flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdome of God therefore the bodies of men shall not rise againe Ans. By flesh and blood is not meant the bodies of men simply but the bodies of men as they are in weaknesse without glorie subiect to corruption For flesh and blood in Scripture signifies sometime the originall sinne and corruption of nature and sometime mans nature subiect to miseries and infirmities or the bodie in corruption before it be glorified and so it must bee vnderstood in this place Lastly it is obiected that Salomon saith The condition of the children of men and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition Nowe beasts rise not againe after this life and therefore there is no resurrection of men Ans. In that place Salomon expoundeth himselfe They are like in dying for so he saith as the one dieth so dieth the other he speaketh not of their estate after death The second point to be considered is the cause of the resurrection In mankind we must consider two parts the Elect and the Reprobate and they both shall rise againe at the day of iudgement but by diuers causes The godly haue one cause of their resurrection and the vngodly another The cause why the godly rise againe is the resurrection of Christ yea it is the proper cause which procureth and effecteth their resurrection In the scripture Adam and Christ are compared togither and Christ is called the second Adam these were two rootes The first Adam was the roote of al mankinde and he conueieth sinne and by sinne death to all that sprang of him Christ onely excepted the second Adam which is the roote of all the Elect conueieth life both in bodie and soule to all that are vnited to him and by the vertue of his resurrection they shal rise againe after this life For looke as the power of the godhead of Christ when he was dead in the graue raised his bodie the third day so shall the same power of Christ his godhead conuey it selfe vnto all the faithfull which euen in death remaine vnited vnto him and raise them vp at the last daie And for this cause Christ is called a quickening spirit Nowe the cause why the wicked rise againe is not the vertue of Christs resurrection but the vertue of Gods curse set downe in his word In the daie that thou shalt eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death that is a double death both of bodie and soule And therefore they arise onely by the power of Christ as hee is a iudge that this sentence may be verified on them and that they may suffer both in bodie and soule eternall punishment in hell fire Furthermore S. Iohn setteth downe the outward meanes whereby the dead shal be raised namely the voice of Christ The houre shall come saith he in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice and they shall come forth For as hee created all things by his word so at the day of iudgement by the same voice all shall be raised againe This may bee a good reason to mooue vs to heare the ministers of God reuerently for that which they teach is the very word of God and therefore we are to pray that it may be as effectuall in raising vs vp from the graue of sinne in this life as it shall bee after this life in raising vs vp from the graue of death vnto iudgement Thirdly we are to consider what manner of bodies shall rise at the last day Ans. The same bodies for substance this Iob knew well when he said I shall see him at the last daie in my flesh whome I my selfe shall see and none other for me with these same eies Neuerthelesse the bodies of the elect shall be altered in qualitie being made incorruptible and filled with glorie The last point to be considered is the ende why these bodies shall rise againe The principall end which God intendeth is his owne glorie in the manifestation of his iustice and mercie Nowe at the last daie when all men shall be raised to iudgement by the voice of Christ the godly to life and the wicked to condemnation there shal be a full manifestation both of his mercy and iustice and therefore by consequent a full manifestation of his glorie Thus much for the doctrines touching the Resurrection now followe the vses First it serueth wonderfully for the comfort of all Christian hearts Dauid speaking not onely of Christ but also of himselfe saith most notably Mine heart is glad my tongue reioiceth and my flesh also doth rest in hope Why so For saith he thou shalt not leaue my soule in graue neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption Though the daies of this life be daies of woe and miserie yet the day of the resurrection shall bee vnto all the children of God a time of reioicing and felicitie as Peter saith it is the time of refreshing Whosoeuer is now an hungred shall then eate and be filled with the fruite of the tree of life and whosoeuer is now naked shall be then cloathed with the white garments dipped in the blood of the Lambe and whosoeuer is nowe lame shall haue all his members restored perfectly And as this daie is ioyfull to the godly so on the contrarie it is a daie of woe and
giue his disciples that they must denie themselues and follow him 2. The second thing is the knowledge of Gods will for otherwise howe shall we doe it How can that seruant please his master which cannot tel what he would haue done of him Most men will haue bookes of statutes in their houses and if they be to deale in any great matter they will doe nothing before they haue looked on the statute In like manner men should haue the bible that is the booke of Gods statutes in their houses the lawes of God must be the men of our counsell before euery action we are to search what is the will of God and then to doe it Here then we are taught to vse the meanes and to pray for knowledge 3. Againe wee are here taught to haue a desire in our hearts and an indeauour in our liues in all things to performe obedience to Gods worde in our liues and conuersations and in our particular callings 4. Lastly we desire patience and strength when it shall please God at any time to exercise vs with the crosse as Paul praies for the Colossians That God would strengthen them by the power of his might vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse Coloss. 1.12 5. Error confuted THE Church of Rome teacheth that men by nature haue free will to doe good and that men being stirred vp by the holy ghost can of themselues will that which is good But if this were so why might wee not pray Let my will be done So farre forth as the will of man shall agree with Gods will but this cannot be as wee see in the tenour of this petition In earth as it is in heauen 1. The meaning HAuing shewed the meaning of this petition Thy will be done nowe we are to speake of the condition which shewes in what manner we should doe it For the question might be howe we would doe Gods will and the answer is that his will must be done in earth as it is in heauen Heauen By heauen here is meant the soules of faithfull men departed and the elect Angels Psal. 103.20 Praise the Lord ye his angels that excel in streÌ„gth that doe his commandements in obeying the voice of his word Earth By earth is vnderstood nothing but men on earth because all other creatures in their kind obey God onely man he is rebellious and disobedient Then the meaning is Let thy will be done by vs men on earth as the Angels and Saints departed doe thy will in heauen Question Doe wee here desire to doe the will of God in that perfection it is done by Angels must we be as perfect as they Ans. The words here vsed in earth as it c. doe not signifie an equalitie as though our obedience could in this life bee in the same degree of perfection with Angels but a similitude standing in the like manner of obedience Now it may be asked in what manner do the angels obey God Ans. They do the will of God willingly speedily and faithfully and this is signified in that they are said in the scriptures to be winged and to stand continually beholding the face of our heauenly father And this is the manner in which wee desire to performe Gods will 2. The wants to be bewailed VVE are here admonished to bee displeased with our selues for our slacke and imperfect obedience to God for our hypocrisie priuie prid presumption deadnes of spirit and many other wants which breake out when we are in doing Gods will There is no seruant of God but hath wants in his best workes so we must vnderstand Paul when he saith To will is present with me but I finde no meanes to performe that which is good Rom. 7.18 Where he signifies thus much in effect that hee could beginne good things but not perfect them and goe through-stitch as we say When the godly doe good workes as heare speake gods word pray praise God c. they perform things acceptable to God but in these actions they finde matter of mourning namely the imperfection of the worke therefore Dauid praieth Psal. 143.2 Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant And here we may see how farre wide the Church of Rome is that holdeth good works to be any way meritorious that be euery way imperfect If the men of that church had grace they might see that the corruptions of the flesh were as gyues and fetters about their legges that when they would faine runne the waies of Gods commandements they are constrained to halt downe right and to traile their loynes after them 3. Grace to be desired THe grace here to be desired is sinceritie of heart or a readie and constant purpose and indeauour not to sinne in any thing but to doe Gods wil so as we may keepe a good conscience before God men Act. 24. 16. And for this cause I endeuour alwaies to haue a cleare conscience towards God and towards men This must we hunger after and pray for seeing it is not sufficient to abstaine from euill but also to doe good and in doing good striue to come to perfection A conformitie with Angels in this dutie is to be sought for and to be begun in this life that in the life to come we may be like them in glorie Giue vs this day our daily bread 1. The Goberence THus much of the three first petitions which concerne God now follow the other three which concerne our selues In which order we learne to pray for those things which concerne God absolutely and for those things which concerne our selues not absolutely but so farre forth as they shall make for Gods glorie the building of his kingdome and the doing of his will But how depends this petition on the former In the first we were taught to pray that Gods name might be hallowed which is done when God raignes in our hearts his wil is done Now further his will is obeied in three things first by depending on his prouidence for the things of this life secondly by depending on his mercie for the pardon of sinneâ— thirdly by depending on his power and might in resisting temptations And thus Gods will is obeied 2. The meaning BRâ—ad By bread in this place many of the ancient fathers as also the Papists at this day vnderstand the element of bread in the Sacrament the bodie of Christ which is the bread of life But that cannot be for S. Luke calls it bread for the day that is bread sufficient to preserue vs for the present day and by this he makes it manifest that the words of this petition must be vnderstood not of spirituall but of bodily foode and the bread of life is more directly asked in the second or fourth petition As for the opinion of Erasmus who thinkes that in this so heauenly a prayer made to God the Father there should be no mention made of bread that is of earthly things which euen the Gentiles bestow
And this I take to be the meaning of this text which speaketh not of iustification by faith but onely of the practice of common duties which faith putteth in execution by the helpe of loue III. Reason Faith is neuer alone therefore it doth not iustifie alone Ans. The reason is naught and they might as well dispute thus The eie is neuer alone from the head and therefore it seeth not alone which is absurd And though in regard of substance the eie be neuer alone yet in regard of seeing it is alone and so though faith subsist not without loue and hope and other graces of god yet in regard of the act of iustification it is alone without thē al. IV. Reason If faith alone doe iustifie then we are saued by faith alone but we are not saued by faith alone and therefore not iustified by faith alone Ans. The proposition is false for more things are requisite to the maine ende then to the subordinate meanes And the assumption is false for wee are saued by faith alone if we speake of faith as it is an instrument apprehending Christ for our saluation V. Reason We are saued by hope therefore not by faith alone Ans. Wee are saued by hope not because it is any cause of our saluation Pauls meaning is onely this that we haue not saluation as yet in possession but waite patiently for it in time to come to be possessed of vs expecting the time of our full deliuerance that is all that can iustly be gathered hence Nowe the doctrine which we teach on the contrarie is That a sinner is iustified before God by faith yea by faith alone The meaning is that nothing within man and nothing that man can do either by nature or by grace concurreth to the act of iustification before God as any cause thereof either efficient material formal or final but faith alone all other gifts graces as hope loue the feare of God are necessarie to saluation as signes thereof cōsequents of faith Nothing in mā cōcurs as any cause to this work but by faith alone And faith it selfe is no principall but onely an instrumentall cause whereby we receiue apprehend and apply Christ and his righteousnesse for our iustificatiō Reason I. Ioh. 3.14,15 As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life In these words Christ makes a comparison on this maner when any one of the Israelites were stung to death by fierie serpents his cure was not by any phisicke surgerie but onely by the casting of his eies vp to the brasen serpent which Moses had erected by Gods commandement euen so in the cure of our soules when we are stung to death by sinne there is nothing required within vs for our recouery but onely that we cast vp and fixe the eye of our faith on Christ and his righteousnes Reason II. The exclusiue formes of speech vsed in scripture prooue thus much We are iustified freely not of the lawe not by the lawe without the lawe without workes not of workes not according to workes not of vs not by the workes of the lawe but by faith Gal. 2.16 All boasting excluded onely beleeue Luk. 8.50 These distinctions whereby workes and the lawe are excluded in the work◠of iustification doe include thus much that faith alone doth iustifie Reason III. Very reason may teach thus much for no gift in man is apt fit as a spirituall hand to receiue apply Christ and his righteousnes vnto a sinner but faith Indeede loue hope the feare of God and repentance haue their seuerall vses in men but none serue for this ende to apprehend Christ and his merits none of them all haue this receiuing propertie and therefore there is nothing in man that iustifieth as a cause but faith alone Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church Ambr. on Rom. 4. They are blessed to whome without any labour or worke done iniquities are remitted and sinne couered no workes or repentance required of them but onely that they beleeue And cap. 3. Neither working any thing nor requiting the like are they iustified by faith alone through the gift of God And 1. Cor. 1. this is appointed of God that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall be saued without any worke by faith alone freely receiuing remission of sinnes Augustine There is one propitiation for all sinnes to beleeue in Christ. Hesyc on Leuit. lib. 1. c. 2. Grace which is of mercy is apprehended by faith alone and not of workes Bernard Whosoeuer is pricked for his sinnes and thirsteth after righteousnes let him beleeue in thee who iustifieth the sinner and beeing iustified by Faith alone he shall haue peace with God Chrysost. on Gal. 3. They said he which resteth on faith alone◠is accursed but Paul sheweth that he is blessed which resteth on faith alone Basil. de Humil. Let man acknowledge himselfe to want true iustice and that he is iustified onely by faith in Christ. Origen on c. 3. Rom. Wee thinke that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe and he saith iustification by faith alone sufficeth so as a man onely beleeuing may be iustified And therefore it lieth vpon vs to search who was iustified by faith without works And for an exāple I thinke vpon the theife who beeing crucified with Christ cried vnto him Lord remember me when thou cōmest into thy kingdome and there is no other good worke of his mentioned in the Gospell but for this alone faith Iesus saith vnto him This night thou shalt be with me in paradise III. Difference The third difference about iustification is concerning this point namely how farreforth good workes are required thereto The doctrine of the Church of Rome is that there be two kinds of iustification the first and the second as I haue said The first is when one of an euill man is made a good man and in this workes are wholly excluded it beeing wholly of grace The second is when a man of a iust man is made more iust And this they will haue to proceede from workes of grace for say they as a man when he is once borne can by eating and drinking make himselfe a bigger man though he could not at the first make himselfe a man euen so a sinner hauing his first iustification may afterward by grace make himselfe more iust Therefore they hold these two things I. that good works are meritorious causes of the second iustification which they tearme Actual II. that good works are means to increase the first iustificatiō which they cal habitual Now let vs see how farforth we must ioyne with them in this point Our consent therefore stands in three conclusions I. That good workes done by them that are iustified doe please God and are approoued of him and therefore haue a reward II. Good workes are necessarie to saluation two
he is a most perfect Mediatour doing all things by himselfe without the helpe of any And the ministers that dispence the word are not his deputies but reasonable and voluntarie instruments which he vseth But if men by works can merit increase of grace happines for themselues then hath Christ partners in the work of redeÌ„ption men doing that by him which he doth of himselfe in procuring their saluatioÌ„ Nay if this might staÌ„d that Christ did merit that our workes should merit then Christ should merit that our stained righteousnes being for this cause not capable of merit should neuertheles merit I cal it stained because we are partly flesh partly spirit therfore in our selues deseruing the curse of the law though we be regenerate Again for one good work we do we haue many euil the offeÌ„ce wherof defaceth the merit of our best deeds maks theÌ„ too light in the balaÌ„ce of the law Obiect III. Our works merit by bargaine or couenant because God hath promised to reward them Ans. The word of God sets downe two couenants one legall the other euangelical In the legall couenant life euerlasting is promised to workes for that is the condition of the law doe these things thou shalt liue But on this manner can no man merit life euerlasting because none is able to doe all that the law requires whether we respect the manner or the measure of obedience In the euangelicall couenant the promises that are made are not made to any worke or vertue in man but to the worker not for any merit of his owne person or worke but for the person and merit of Christ. For example it is a promise of the Gospell Be faithfull vnto death and I will giue thee the crowne of life Reuelat. 2.10 Here the promise is not made to the vertue of fidelitie but to the faithfull person whose fidelitie is but a token that he is in Christ for the merit of whose obedience God promiseth the crowne of life and therefore Christ saith further I come quickly and will giue to euery man according to his workes marke he saith not to the worke or for the worke but to the worker according to his workes And thus the bond of all other promises of the Gospel in which God willingly binds himselfe to reward our workes doe not directly concerne vs but haue respect to the person and obedience of Christ for whose sake alone God bindes himselfe as debter vnto vs and giues the recompence or reward according to the measure of our faith testified by our works And therefore it cannot be truly gathered that workes do merit by any promise or couenant passed on Gods part to man Some may say if workes merit not why are they mentioned in the promises I answer not because they merit but because they are tokens that the doer of the worke is in Christ for whose merit the promise shall be accomplished Obiect IV. Good workes are perfect and without fault for they are the workes of the holy Ghost who cannot sinne therefore they merit Ans. If workes did proceede onely and immediatly from the holy Ghost there could not be any fault in them but our works come from the holy Ghost in and by the will and vnderstanding of man and by this meanes they are tainted with sinne as water in the fountaine is both cleare and sweete yet the streames thereof passing through the filthie channell are defiled thereby Againe they reason thus That which we are bound to doe hath no fault in it but we are bound to doe good workes therefore they are perfect Ans. The proposition must be expounded that which we are bound to doe in it selfe according to the intention of the commander hath no fault or that which we are bound to doe according as we are bound to doe it hath no fault yet in regard of the intention of the doer or in regard of our manner of doing it may be faultie Obiect V. Christ saith Reuel 3.4 that the faithfull in the Church of Sardis shall walke with him in white for they are worthie therefore beleeuers merit Ans. Euery beleeuer is worthie to walke with Christ yet not worthie in himselfe but in Christ to whome he is vnited and made bone of his bone flesh of his flesh And by reason of this coniunction it is that men are said to be worthie because they are inriched with Christs merits and righteousnes Obiect VI. 2. Tim. 4.8 Euerlasting life is tearmed a crowne and a crowne of righteousnes to be giuen of a iust iudge therfore man for his part by his works deserues the same Ans. Euerlasting life is called a crowne onely in resemblaÌ„ce For as he which runneth a race must continue and runne to the end and then be crowned euen so must we continue to walke in good workes vnto the ende and then receiue eternall life And it is called a crowne of righteousnes not because it belongs to any man by due and desert but because God hath bound himselfe by a promise to giue it in performing whereof he is tearmed iust and by vertue of this promise it is obtained and no otherwise These are the principall obiections by which we may iudge what the rest are And thus we see what is the truth namely that merit is necessarie to saluation yet neither merit of mans worke or person but the merit of Christ imputed to vs whereby we beeing in him doe procure and deserue the fauour of God and life eternall The sixt point Of satisfaction Our consent Conclus I. First we acknowledge and hold Ciuill or Politike satisfaction that is a recompence for iniuries and damages offered any way to our neighbours This Zacheus practised when at his conuersion he restored foure-fold things gotten by forged cauillation Again by ciuill satisfaction I vnderstand the imposition of fines mulcts and penalties vpon offenders the inflicting of death vpon malefactours For all these are satisfactions to the law and societies of men when they are wronged All these we maintaine as necessarie for neither Church nor common-wealth can well be without them considering they are notable meanes to vphold ciuill peace and otherwhiles they are fruits of true faith as the satisfaction of Zacheus was Conclus II. We acknowledge canonicall or Ecclesiasticall satisfaction and that is when any hauing giuen offence to the Church of God or any paâ—t thereof doe make an open publike testimonie of their repentance Mirian for murmuring against Moses was stricken with leprosie and afterward by his praier shee was clensed and yet for all that shee must goe seuen daies out of the tent and congregation that shee might make a kind of satisfaction to the people for her trespasse And in the olde testament sackcloth and ashes were signes of their satisfaction Conclus III. We holde that no man can be saued vnlesse he make a perfect satisfaction to the iustice of God for all his sinnes because God is infinite in iustice
the course of Gods iustice to vndergoe the punishment Here a doubt may be mooued whether sinne be a thing existing or not The answere is this Of things which are some are positiue other primitiue Things positiue are all substances together with those their properties effects inclinations and affections which the Lord hath created and imprinted in their natures The thing is called priuatiue which graunteth or presupposeth the absence of some such thing as ought to bee in a thing Such a thing is sinne the which properly and of it selfe is not any thing created and existing but rather the absence of that good which ought to bee in the creature Sinne hath two parts A defect or impotencie and is a confusion or disturbance of all the powers and actions of the creature Impotencie is nothing els but the very want or losse of that good which God hath ingrafted in the nature of his creature The fall was effected on this maner First God created his reasonable creatures good indeede but withall changeable as we haue shewed before For to bee vnchangeable good is proper to God alone Secondly God tried their obedience in those things about which they were conversant Deu. 13.13 Thou shalt not hearken to the wordes of the Prophet or vnto that dreamer of dreames for the Lord your God prooueth you to knowe whether you loue the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soule Thirdly in this triall God doth not assist them with new grace to stand but for iust causes forsaketh theÌ„ Lastly after God hath forsaken them and left them to themselues they fall quite from God no otherwise then when a man staying vp a staffe from the ground it standeth vpright but if he neuer so little withdraw his hand it falleth of it selfe The fall is of men and Angels The fall of Angels is that by which the vnderstanding pointing at a more excellent estate and of it own accord approouing the same together with the will making especiall choice thereof they albeit they might freely by their integritie haue chosen the contrarie were the sole instruments of their fall from God 2. Pet. 2.4 If God spared not the angels which sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them into chaines of darkenes to be kept vnto damnation c. Iud. 6. The Angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserued in euerlasting chaines c. Ioh. 8.44 He was a murtherer from the beginning and continued not in the trueth for their is no trueth in him In the fall of Angels consider First their corruption arising from the fall which is the deprauation of their nature and is either that fearefull malice and hatred by which they set themselues against God or their insatiable desire to destroy mankinde to the effecting whereof they neglect neither force nor fraud 1. Ioh. 3.8 He that committeth sinne is of the diuell because the diuell sinned from the beginning For this cause was the Sonne of God reuealed to dissolue the works of the diuell 1. Pet. 5.8 Your aduersarie the diuell goeth about like a roaring lyon seeking whom he may devoure Eph. 6.12 You striue not against flesh and blood but against Principalities and powers and wordly gouernours the princes of darkenes of this world against spirituall wickednesses which are in supercelestiall things II. Their degree and diuersitie for of these Angels one is cheife and the rest attendants The chiefe is Beelzebub prince of the rest of the diuels the world farre aboue them all in malice Matth. 25.41 Away from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell his angels 2. Cor. 4.4 Whose minds the god of this world hath blinded Revel 12. 7. And there was warre in heauen Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon the dragon his angels fought Ministring angels are such as waite vpon the diuell in accomplishing his wickednesse III. Their punishment God after their fall gaue them ouer to perpetuall torments without any hope of pardon Iude vers 6.2 Pet. 2.4 God spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them into chaines of darkeâ—es to be kept vnto damnation This he did first to admonish men what great punishment they deserued Secondly to shew that grieuous sinnes must more grieuously be punished The fall of Angels was the more grieuous because both their nature was more able to resist and the diuell was the first founder of sinne Their punishment is easier or more grieuous Their easier punishment is double The first is their deiection from heauen 2. Pet. 2.4 God cast the Angels that sinned into hell The second is the abridging and limitation of their power Iob. 1. 12. The Lord said vnto Satan Behold all that he hath is in thine hand onely vpon him lay not thine hand The more grieuous paine is that torment in the deepe which is endlesse infinite in time and measure Luk. 8.31 And they besought him that he would not command them to goe downe into the deepe CHAP. 11. Of mans fall and disobedience Adams fall was his willing reuolting to disobedience by eating the forbidden fruite In Adams fall we may note the manner greatnesse and fruite of it I. The manner of Adams fall was on this sort First the diuell hauing immediately before fallen himselfe insinuateth vnto our first parents that both the punishment for eating the forbidden fruite was vncertaine and that God was not true in his word vnto them SecoÌ„dly by this his legerdemain he blinded the eies of their vnderstanding Thirdly being thus blinded they begin to distrust God and to doubt of Gods fauour Fourthly they thus doubting are mooued to behold the forbidden fruit Fiftly they no sooner see the beautie thereof but they desire it Sixtly that they may satisfie their desire they eate of the fruit which by the hands of the woman was taken from the tree by which act they become vtterly disloyall to God Gen. 3.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Thus without constraint they willingly fall from their integritie God vpon iust causes leauing them to themselues and freely suffering them to fall For wee must not thinke that mans fall was either by chance or God not knowing it or barely winking at it or by his bare permission or against his will but rather miraculously not without the will of God but yet without all approbation of it II. The greatnes of this transgâ—â—â—â—â—â— must be esteemed not by the externall obiect or the basenes of an apple but by the offâ—nâ—â— it containeth against Gods maiestie This offence appeareth by many trespasses committed in that action The 1. is doubting of Gods word 2 want of faith For they beleeue not Gods threatning In that day ye eate therof you shal die the death but being bewitched with the diuels promise ye shal be like gods they cease to feare Gods punishment and are inflamed with a desire of greater dignitie 3. Their curiositie in
mercie in that he pardoned their sinne for the merites of his Sonne Eph. 1. 18. That the eies of your vnderstanding may be lightned that ye may knowe what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in his Saints 19. And what is the exceeding greatnes of his power towardes vs which beleeue according to the working of his mightie power 20. Which he wrought in Christ. Chap. 3.18 That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height 19. And to knowe the loue of Christ. All these things the Lord himselfe hath thus decreed and in his good time will accomplish them to the glorious praise of his Name Pro. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the daie of euill CHAP. 50. Concerning the order of the causes of saluation according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome THere are two things requisite to obtained saluation Predestination and the Execution thereof Predestination is a foreordaining of the reasonable creature to grace in this life glory in the life to come Sebast. Cattaneus Enchirid. tract 1. chap. last This in regard of the first effects thereof which are vocation election and ordination to eternall life hath the cause of it in God namely his will but in regard of the last effect which is the execution of such an ordinance and the obtaining of eternall life it hath the cause of it from man because according to the common opinion Gods predestination is by reason of workes foreseene in men that is God doth therefore predestinate or reiect some man because he foreseeth that he will well or badly vse his grace But for the more euident declaration of this these seuen conclusions must be set downe I. The Predestination and Reprobation of God do not constraine or inforce any necessitie vpon the will of man II. God hath predestinated all men that is he hath appointed and disposed all men so as they might obtaine eternall saluation III. Man is neither by necessitie nor chance saued or condemned but voluntarily IV. God hath predestinated some other hath he reiected V. Those whome God hath predestinated by his absolute predestination which can not be lost they shall infallibly die in grace but they which are predestinate by that predestination which beeing according to preâ—ent iustice may be lost by some mortall sinne which followeth are not infallibly saued but oftentimes such are condemned and loose their crowne and glory Hence ariseth that position of theirs that he which is iustified may be a reprobate perish eternally Torrensis Aug. Confess 2. booke 4. chap. 20. Sect. Therfore predestination is not certaine seeing it may be lost VI. God alone doth know the certaine and set number of them which are predestinate VII There is one set number of them which are predestinate or reprooued and that can neither be increased nor diminished The execution of Predestination is either in infants or those of yeres of discretion Concerning infants the merite of Christ is appliyed vnto them by baptisme rightly administred so that whatsoeuer in originall corruption may truely and properly be accounted for sinne it is not onely as I may say not pared away or not imputed but vtterly taken away For there is nothing that God can hate in such as are renued Concil Trid. 5. sect 5. Can. Neuertheles they are vrged to confesse that there remaineth yet in such as are baptized concupiscence or the reliques of sinn The which seeing it is left in men for them to wrestle withall it hath not power to hurt such as yeeld not vnto it The execution of predestination in such as are of riper yeares hath sixe degrees The first is vocation whereby men not for their owne merits but by Gods preuenting grace through Christ are called to turne vnto God The second is a preparation to righteousnesse whereby men through the inherent power of free-will do apply themselues to iustification after that the same power is stirred vp by the holy Ghost For free-will is onely somewhat diminished and not extinguished and therefore so soone as the holy Ghost toucheth and inlighteneth the heart it worketh togither with the same spirit freely assenting vnto the same This preparation hath seuen degreesâ— Biel. 4. booke 14. dist 2. quest The first is faith which is a knowledge and an assent whereby men agree that those things are true which are deliuered concerning God and his will reuealed in the word of God This is the foundation of iustification and prepareth the heart because it stirreth vp free-will that it may affect the heart with those motions by which it is prepared to iustification I. The act of faith is to apprehend the ouglines of sin the wages therof II. After this followeth a feare of Gods anger and of hell fire III. Then begin men to dislike and in some sort to detest sinne From these ariseth a certaine disposition which hath annexed vnto it the merite of congruitie yet not immediate nor sufficient but imperfect IV. At the length faith returneth to the contemplation of Gods mercies beleeueth that God is readie to forgiue sinnes by the infusion of charitie into those which are before sufficiently prepared and disposed V. Out of this contemplation proceedeth the act of hope whereby faith beginneth to desire and to waite on God as the chiefest good VI. Out of this act of hope ariseth loue whereby God is loued aboue all things in the world VII After this loue followeth a new dislike and detestation of sinne not so much in regard of feare of the punishment in hell fire as in regard of the offence of God who is simply loued more then all other things VIII After all these followeth a purpose of amendment of life and here comes in the merit of congruitie that is sufficient or els the immediate sufficient and last disposition before the infusion of grace The third degree of Predestination is the first iustification wherby men of vniust are made iust not only through the remission of their sinnes but also by a sanctificatioÌ„ of the inward maÌ„ by his voluÌ„tary receiuing of grace gifts The efficient cause of this iustification is the mercy of God and the meritorious passion of our Sauiour Christ whereby he purchased iustification for men The instrumentall cause is baptisme The formall cause is not that iustice which was inherent in Christ but which he infuseth into man and that is especially hope and charitie The fourth degree is the second iustification wherby men are of iust made more iust the cause hereof is faith ioyned with good workes It is possible for such as are renued to keepe the commaundements And therefore it is false that a iust man committeth so much as a veniall sinne in his best actions much lesse that he deserueth eternall death for the same The fift degree is the reparation of a sinner by the
Matth. 11.28 No man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whoâ—â— the Sonne will reueale him Luke 8. To you it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of God Philip. 2. It is God which worketh in you to will and to doe 1. Cor. 12. 13. No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Briefly he who according to God is to be created to righteousnes and holiness Eph. 4.24 cannot any waies dispose himselfe to iustification or new creation For it is impossible that a thing not yet created should dispose it selfe to his creation The IX errour That preparation to grace which is caused by the power of free-will may by the merit of congruitie deserue iustification The Confutation These things smell of more then Satanicall arrogancie For what man but such an one as were not in his right mind would beleeue that he vnto whom so many millions of condemnations are due could once merit the least dramme of grace The prodigall sonne he was not receiued into fauour by reason of his deserts but by fauour Luk. 15.21 His sonne said vnto him I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and am no more worthie to be called thy sonne The X. errour The faith of the godly or that which iustifieth is that whereby a man doth in generall beleeue the promised blessednes of God and by which also he giueth his assent to other mysteries reuealed of God concerning the same The Confutation Faith is not onely a generall knowledge and assent to the historie of the Gospel but further also a certaine power both apprehending and seuerally applying the promises of God in Christ whereby a man doth assuredly set downe that his sinnes are forgiuen him and that he is reconciled vnto God Reasons I. A particular assuraÌ„ce of the fauour of god is of the nature of faith Eph. 3.12 By whom we haue boldnes and entrance with confidence by faith in him Rom. 4.20 Neither did he doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strengthened in the faith and gaue glorie vnto God 21. Beeing fully assured that he which had promised was also able to do it Heb. 10.22 Let vs draw nere with a true heart in assurance of faith II. Particular doubtings is reprehended Mat. 14. â—â— O thou of litle faith why didst thou doubt Luk. 12.29 Hang ye not in suspence III. That which a maÌ„ praieth for to god that must he assuredly beleeue to receiue Math. 11.24 But the faithfull in their praiers make request for adoption iustification and life eternall And therefore they must certainely beleeue that they shall receiue these benefits IV. Rom. 5.1 We beeing thâ—refore iustified we haue peace with God But there can be no peace where there is not a paâ—ticuâ—ar assurance of Gods fauour V. That which the spirit of God doth testifie vnto vs particularly that must also be beleeued particularly But the spirit of God doth giue a particular testimonie of the adoption of the faithfull Rom. 8.16 Gal. 4.6 This therefore is in like sort to be beleeued Whereas they say that no man hath a particular assurance but by especiall reuelation as was that which Abraham and Paul had it is false For the faith of these two is set downe in Scripture as an example which we should all follow For this cause Abraham is called the Father of the faithfull and Paul testifieth the very fame of himselfe 1. Tim. 1.16 For this cause saith he was I receiued to mercie that Iesus Christ should first shew on me all long suffering vnto the example of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life Againe whereas they say that we haue a morall assurance but not the assurance of faith it is a popish deuise For Rom. 8.16 The spirit of adoption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together beareth witnesse to our spirits Where we see two witnesses of our adoption our owne spirit and the spirit of God Our spirit doth testifie morally of our adoption by sanctification and the fruits thereof and therefore also the spirit of God witnesseth after another manner namely by the certaintie of faith declaring and applying the promises of God Obiect I. We are commanded to worke our saluation with feare trembling Ans. This feare is not in regard of Gods mercie forgiuing our sinnes but in respect of vs and our nature which is euer prone to slide away and starting from God Obiect II. In respect of Gods mercie we must hope for saluation but in respect of our vnworthines we must doubt Ans. I. We may not at all lawfully doubt of Gods mercie because doubtfulnes is not of the nature of faith but rather a naturall corruption II. If we consider our owne vnworthines it is out of all doubt that we must be out of all hope and despaire of our saluation Obiect III. There be many sinnes vnknowne vnto vs and so also vncertaine whether they be pardoned vnto vs. Answer He that certenly and truly knoweth that but one sinne is pardoned him he hath before God all his sinnes remitted whether they be knowne or vnknowne Obiect IV. No man dare sweare or die in the defence of this proposition I am the child of God or in Gods fauour and iustified Answ. They which haue an vnfained faith will if they be lawfully called not onely testifie their adoption by an oath but seale it also by their blood Obiect V. A man may haue this faith which the Protestants talke of and lie in a mortall sinne and haue also a purpose to perseuere in a mortall sinne Ans. It is farre otherwise for Act. 15.9 True faith purifieth the heart These Sophisters doe further affirme that this faith which to them is nothing but a knowledge and illumination of the mind concerning the truth of Gods word is the roote and foundation of iustification The which if it be true why should not the deuill be iust for he hath both a knowledge of Gods word and thereunto by beleeuing doth giue his assent who notwithstanding he haue such a faith yet can he not be called one of the faithfull Here they except and say The deuils faith is void of charitie which is the forme of faith But this is a doting surmise of their owne braine For charitie is the effect of faith 1. Tim. 1.5 But the effect cannot informe the cause The XI errour Mans loue of God doth in order and time goe before his iâ—stification and reconciliation with God The Confutation Nay contrarily vnlesse we be first perswaded of Gods loue towards vs we neuer loue him For we loue him because he loued vs first 1. Ioh. 4.19 Againe it is impossible that Gods enemie should loue him but he which is not as yet iustified or reconciled to God he is Gods enemie Rom. 5.9,10 Neither is any man before the act of iustification made of Gods enemie his friend The XII errour Iufused or inherent iustice is the formall cause of iâ—stification
considered it is imperfect but as God doth exact it of our frailtie it is perfect Answer This is but the fansie of some doting Iesuite For this sentence of the Law is simple eternall and immooueable Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in this booke to do them Neither may we imagine that God will not therefore exact the ful accomplishing of the law because we are fraile For we are creatures and debters now we know that the debt doth not decrease by reason of the debters pouertie Obiect The faithfull are said to be perfect in this life Ans. There is a twofold perfection the one incomplete the which is an endeauor or care to obey God in the obseruation of all his precepts the other is tearmed complet this is that iustice which the lawe requireth namely a perfect and absolute iustice according to that measure which man performed to God in his innocency In the first sense the faithfull are said to be perfect not in this latter The XVI errour Workes done in grace doe ex condigno condignely merit eternall life The Confutation I. Eternall life is the free gift of God Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Christ Iesus Therefore it is not obtained by the merit of workes II. The merit of condignitie is an action belonging to such an nature as is both God and man not to a bare creature For the Angels themselues cannot merit any thing at Gods hands yea and Adam also if he had stood in his first innocencie could haue deserued nothing of god because it is the bounden dutie of the creature to performe obedience vnto his Creator The merit therefore of condignitie doth only agree vnto Christ God and man in whome each nature doth to the effecting of this merit performe that which belongeth to it For the humanitie it doth minister matter vnto the meritorious worke by suffering and performing obedience but the Deitie of Christ whereunto the humanitie is hypostatically vnited doth conferre full and sufficient worthinesse vnto the worke Hence is it that the Father doth speake thus of his sonne Mat. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 III. In the second commandement God doth promise eternall life to the keepers of his commandements yet he saith not that they shall obtaine it by desart but that he will shew mercy to thousands of them that loue him and keepe his commandements IV. That a worke may be meritorious first there must be an equall proportion betwixt it and legall iustice or eternal life secondly merite doth presuppose this also that in God there must bee a due debt towards man for God then ought on dutie not by fauour to accept of the person of man But all our workes yea our most holy workes they cannot come neere vnto legall righteousnesse For seeing all the regenerate are partly carnall and partly spirituall all their workes in like sort are imperfectly good For looke what the causes are and such must the effects needs be So then good workes doe presuppose a due debt in man none in God V. The auncient Fathers doe not acknowledge this merite of condignitie as currant August in his manuel chap. 22. My merite is Gods mercie Bernard ser. 63. vpon the Cant. It is sufficient to knowe this that merits are not sufficient And ser. 61. Cant. Mans iustice is Gods goodnesse And epist. 190. That the satisfaction of one may be imputed to all as the sinnes of all were borne by one And as for ancient doctours merit was nothing els to them but a good worke acceptable to God Aug. epist. 105. to Sixtus If it be grace then is it not bestowed by reason of any merit but vpon free mercie What merits of his owne can he that is set at libertie bragge of who if he had his merits should haue beene condemned So the word merite doth signifie to doe wel to be acceptable to please as the old interpreter hath for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to please God vsed this Latine word promereri To merit Obiect I. Works haue attributed vnto them reward Answer Reward is not so much attributed to the work as to the worker and to him not for himselfe but for Christs merits apprehended by faith Therefore not our merit or personall merit but Christs merit and our reward are correlatiues Obiect II. 2. Thess. 1.6 It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulations c. Ans. It is righteous not because God ought so to doe of duty but because he promised now for God to stand to his word it is a part of iustice Obiect III. Christ hath merited that workes might merit Ans. I. This taketh quite away the intercession of Christ. II. It is against the nature of a legall worke to merit ex condigno condignly because both the lawe of nature and creation doe bind man to performe legall workes vnto God And further all workes are very imperfect and mixed with sinne III. This doctrine concerning works doth obscure and darken the merit of Christ because that the obtaining of eternall life is withdrawne from his death and obedience attributed vnto workes For they say thus that Christ by his passion did merit indeede for the sinner iustification but a sinner once iustified doth for himselfe by his owne merits euen condignly merit eternall life Obiect IV. The works of the regenerate are the workes of the holy Ghost therfore perfect and pure Ans. I. The workes of God are all perfect but yet in their time and by degrees therefore sanctification which is a worke of god must in this life remaine incomplete is made perfect in the world to come II. The works of God are pure as they are the workes of God alone not of God and impure man but nowe good workes they doe come immediatly from the naturall faculties of the soule namely from the vnderstanding and the wil in which they being as yet but partly regenerated some corrupt qualities of sinne doe yet remaine and are not immediatly and simply or wholly deriued from Gods spirit And hence it is that they are all stained with sinne The XVII errour Man knoweth not but by especiall reuelation whether hee be predestinated or not The Confutation The contrarie to this is a plaine trueth Reasons I. That which a man must certainly beleeue that may he also certainely know without an especiall reuelation but euery faithful man must beleeue that he is elected It is Gods commandement that we should beleeue in Christ. 1. Ioh. 3.23 Now to beleeue in Christ is not onely to beleeue that we are adopted iustified and redeemed by him but also in him elected from eternitie II. That which is sealed vnto vs by the spirit of God of that we are very sure without speciall reuelation but our adoption and so consequently our election is sealed vnto vs by the spirit of God
nature darknes and let God but speake to our blind vnderstandings our ignorance shall depart and we shall be inlightened with the knowledge of the true God and of his will as Paul saith God that commanded the light to shine out of darknesse is he which hath shined in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Secondly God made all creatures without motion labour or defatigation for his very bidding of the worke to be done was the doing of it And this thing no creature can doe but God onely though vnto Adam labour was without paine before the fall Thirdly the matter and the first beginning of all creatures was nothing that is all things were made when as there was nothing whereof they might be made as Paul saith God calleth those things which be not as though they were And indeede in the first creation all things must be made either of the essence of God or of nothing but a creature can not be made of the essence of God for it hath no parts it is not diuisible and therefore God made all things that were made out of himselfe or his owne essence the conclusion then is that the framing of the creatures in the beginning was not of any matter but of nothing because before the creation out of God there was nothing This must teach vs to humble our selues Many there be that stand vpon their ancestours but let them here looke whence they came first namely as Abraham saith of himselfe of dust and ashes And what was this dust and ashes made of surely of nothing wherefore euery mans first beginning is of nothing Well then such men as are caried away with their pedigree and descent if they look well into it they shall finde small cause to boast or bragge And this consideration of our first beginning must mooue vs to true humiliation in our selues Fourthly God in framing his creatures in the beginning made them good yea very good Now the goodnes of the creature is nothing else but the perfect estate of the creature whereby it was conformable to the will and minde of the Creator allowing and approouing of it when he had made it for a creature is not first good and then approoued of God but because it is approoued of God therefore it is good But wherein will some say stands this goodnes of the creature I anâ—wer in three things I. in the comelines beautie and glorie of euery worke in his kind both in forme and constitution of the matter II. In the excellencie of the vertue which God hath giuen to it for as he hath appointed euery creature for some especiall ende so he hath fitted and furnished it with sufficient power and vertue for the accomplishing of the same ende III. In the exceeding benefit and profitablenesse that came by them to man But since the fall of man this goodnes of the creature is partly corrupted and partly diminished Therefore when we see any want defect or deformitie in any of them we must haue recourse backe againe to the apostasie of our first parents and remember our fall in them and say with a sorrowfull heart this comes to passe by reason of mans most wretched sinne which hath defiled heauen and earth and drawne a curse not onely vpon himselfe but vpon the rest of the creatures for his sake whereby there goodnes is much defaced Fifthly the ende of creation is the glorie of God as Salomon saith God made all things for his owne sake yea euen the wicked for the day of euill And God propounds this principall ende to himselfe not as though he wanted glorie and would purchase it vnto himselfe by the creation for he is most glorious in himselfe and his honour and praise beeing infinite can neither be increased nor decreased but rather that he might communicate and make manifest his glorie to his creatures and giue them occasion to magnifie the same For the reasonable creatures of God beholding his glorie in the creation are mooued to testifie and declare the same among men The sixth shall be touching the time of the beginning of the world which is betweene fiue thousand and sixe thousand yeares agoe For Moses hath set downe exactly the computation of time from the making of the world to his owne daies and the Prophets after him haue with like diligence set downe the continuance of the same to the very birth of Christ. But for the exact account of yeares Chronologers are not all of one minde Some say there be 3929. from the creation to Christs birth as Beroaldus some 3952. as Hierome and Bede some 3960. as Luther and â—o Lucidus some 3963. as Melancthon in his Chronicle and Functius some 3970. as Bullinger and Tremellius some towards 4000. as Buntingus Now from the birth of Christ to this day are 1592. yeares and adding these together the whole time amounteth And God would haue the very time of the beginning of the world to be reuealed first that it might be knowne to the Church when the couenant of grace was first giuen by God to man and when it was afterward renewed and how Christ came in the fulnesse of time Gal. 4. secondly that we might know that the world was not made for the eternall and euerliuing God but for man thirdly that we might learne not to set our hearts on the world on the things therein which haue beginning and ende but seeke for things eternall in heauen And before the time which I haue named began there was nothing beside God the world it selfe and all things else were vncreated Some men vse to obiect and say what did God all that while before the world was how did he imploy himselfe what was he idle Ans. The Iewes to this badde question make as badde an answer For they say he was continually occupied in making many little worlds which he continually destroied as he made them because none pleased him till he made this But we must rather say that some things are reuealed which God did then as that he decreed what should come to passe when the world was that then the blessed persons in Trinitie did take eternal delight each in other If any man will needes know more let him heare what Moses saith Secret things belong to the Lord our God but things reuealed to vs and to our children for euer and let them marke what one eluding the question answered namely that God was making hell fire to burne all such curious persons as will needes know more of God then he hath reuealed to them for where God hath not a mouth to speake there we must not haue an eare to heare therefore our dutie is to let such curious questions passe Seuenthly some may aske in what space of time did God make the world I answer God could haue made the world and all things in it in one moment but he
can take is this he is comming to iudgement let vs therefore meete him and fal downe before him and humble our selues vnder his mightie hand And the holy Ghost by the Prophet would mooue the people to meete God by serious repentance by a reason framed thus If God who is their iudge be able to create the winds and to forme the mountaines and to make the morning darknes then he is also able to make an eternall iudgement for their confusion And therfore all such as be impenitent sinners let thē prepare thēselues to turne vnto him surely if men had grace to lay this to their hearts they would not liue so long in their sinnes without repentance as they doe nay rather they would prepare thēselues to meete him in the way before he come to iudgement because he is a Creator and therefore able to bring infinite punishments vpon them at his pleasure and to bring them to nothing as he made them of nothing And let them know it whosoeuer they be that go forward in their sinns that God the creator whensoeuer he will can open hell to deuoure them and that he can shew himselfe as mightie in his iudgement to mens destruction as he was mightie in the beginning in giuing vs a beeing when we were nothing Wherefore notable is the practise of Dauid who inures himselfe to the feare of God by the consideration of his creation saying I am fearefully and wonderfully made c. Lastly those which haue beene impenitent sinners through all their life past must not onely learne to repent for their sinnes but also endeauour to performe obedience vnto Gods word God is a creator and the thing created should in all respects be conformable to his will for Dauid saith Thine hands haue fashioned me and framed me giue me vnderstanding therefore that I may learne thy commandements And good reason for there is no man of any trade but he would faine haue all that he maketh and deuiseth to be vsed but yet so as the vse thereof must be conformable to the will of the maker For this cause Moses that faithful seruāt of God saith that the people of Israel dealt wrongfully with the Lord why for he hath created them and proportioned them he is their father and be bought them yet they haue dishonoured him by corrupting thēselues towards him by their vice All creatures in heauen and in earth doe the will of the Creator except man and the deuill and his angels for the Sunne the Moone and the Starres they keepe that course which God hath appointed them but man though he be bound to doe the will of God because God is his Creator yet he rebells against him The potter if in tempering his clay he can not make and frame it according to his minde at length he will dash it in pieces so God he createth man not that he should doe his owne will but Gods will and therefore the Lord in his wrath will confound him eternally who soeuer he be that followeth the lusts of his owne wicked heart and will not be brought to be conformable to Gods will but goes on his rebellion without stay For this cause it stands euery man in hand to yeelde himselfe pliable vnto Gods will to indeauour to obey it by keeping a good conscience before God and all men and by walking faithfully in his calling least the ende be confusion If a man haue a trade and other men come into his shoppe and vse such tooles and instruments as be there to wrong ends he will in no wise brooke it but take the abuse in great displeasure now the world is as it were an opened shoppe in which God hath set forth vnto vs his glorie and maiestie and the creatures of all kinds be instruments appointed for excellent vses and specially man for the accomplishment of his will And therefore when he rebells against the will of God and by sinne puts the creatures to wrong ends he can not but most grieuously offend God And thus much of the duties Now in the third place follow the consolations vnto Gods Church and people First as S. Peter saith God is a creator yea a faithfull creator The properties of a faithfull creator are two I. He will preserue his creature no man is so tender ouer any worke as he that made it for he cannot abide to see it any way abused God therefore beeing a faithfull creator tenderly loues all his creatures So Iob reasoneth with God that he will not cast him off because he is the worke of his handes II. God will beare with his creature to see whether it will be brought to any good ende and vse before he will destroy it And to vse the former comparison the potter will turne and worke the clay euery way to make a vessell vnto his minde but if it frame no way then will he cast it away and dash it against the wall And so God who created man still preserueth him and vseth all meanes to make him conformable to his wil before he cast him off The Lord did long striue with men in the old world to turne them from their wickednesse but when nothing would serue them it is said It repented the Lord that he made man on the earth And in like manner if wee which are the creatures of God shall rebell against this our creator it may be he will beare with vs for a time but if we continue therein and do not turne to him by repentance he will bring vpon vs a finall destruction both in bodie and soule Yet I say before he doe this his manner is to trie all meanes to preserue vs and turne vs vnto him and afterward if nothing will serue then will he shewe forth his power in mens confusion and therefore it standes vs in hand to looke vnto it betime Secondly looke what power the Lord did manifest in the creation of all things the same power he both can and will make manifest in the redemption of mankinde In the beginning God made all things by his word and so likewise he is able still to make by the power of his word of a wicked man that is dead in sinne a true and liuely member of Christ which the Prophet Esay signifieth when he saith The Lord that created the heauens and spread them abroad he that stretcheth forth the earth and the bodie thereof c. I the Lord haue called thee in righteousnesse This must not incourage euil men in their wickednes but it serueth to comfort the people of God considering that the same God which once created them is also as able to saue them and will shew himselfe as mightie in their redemption as he was in their creation of nothing And thus much of the creation in generall Nowe it followeth that wee come to the handling of the parts thereof For it is not said barely that God is a Creator but particularly that he
in the very middest of all confusion there is order to be founde because he can and doth despose it to the glorie of his owne name and to the good and saluation of his chosen as also to the confusion of his enemies Againe it may be obiected that with vngodly and wicked men all thinges goe well and contrariwise with the godly all things goe hardly For through the world none are more molested and more vnder outward miserie then they but if there were any prouidence of God then it should be otherwise the godly should flourish and the wicked perish Ans. The consideration of the outward estate of men in the world was to Dauid an occasion of a sore temptation For when he sawe the wicked to prosper alwaie and their riches to increase he brake forth and said Certenly I haue clensed my heart in vaine and washed mine hands in innocencie Now if we would repell this temptation as Dauid afterward did then wee must goe into the Lords sanctuarie with him and learne to be resolued in these points I. Though the godly bee laden with miseries yet euen that by the especiall prouidence of God turnes to their great good For euery man since the fall of Adam is stained with the loathsome contagion of sinne Now the child of God that is truly regenerate and must be fellow heire with Christ after this life in the kingdome of glory must in this life be cast into the Lords furnace that in the fire of afflliction he may more and more be skoured and purified from the corruption of his nature and be estranged from the wickednes of the worlde II. The prosperous successe of the wicked their spoiles their reuenewes and all their honour turnes to their greater woe in the ende as doth appeare in Iobs historie in the examples of the Chaldeans of Dauids enimies and of Diues and Lazarus Thirdly it may be obiected that many things came to passe by chance and therefore not by Gods prouidence because chaunce and prouidence cannot stand togither Ans. We must distinguish betweene chance and meere chance Chaunce is when any thing comes to passe the cause thereof beeing vnknowne not simply but in respect of man aad therefore in regard of men which knowe not the reason of things we may say there is chaunce and so the spirit of God speaketh Time and chaunce commeth to them all And againe By chaunce there came downe a priest the same way Now this kind of chance is not against the prouidence of God but is ordered by it For things which in regard of men are casuall are certainely knowne and determined by God Meere chaunce is when things are said or thought to come to passe without any cause at all But that must be abhorred of vs as ouerturning the prouidence of God Thus seeing it is plaine that there is a prouideÌ„ce let vs in the next place see what it is Prouidence is a most free and powerfull action of God whereby he hath care ouer all things that are Prouidence hath two parts knowledge and gouernment Gods knowledge is whereby all things from the greatest to the least are manifest before him at al times As Dauid saith His eies will consider his eie lids will trie the children of meÌ„ And againe He abaseth himselfe to beholde the things that are in the heauen and the earth And the Prophet Hanani said to Asa The eies of the Lord behold all the earth And Saint Iames saith From the beginning of the world God knoweth all his workes This point hath a double vse First as Saint Peter saith it must mooue vs to eschewe euill and doe good why Because saith he the eies of the Lord are vpon the iust and his countenance against euill doers Secondly it must comfort all those that labour to keepe a good conscience For the eies of God behole all the earth to shewe himselfe strong with them that are of perfect heart towards him Gouernment is the â—econd part of Gods prouidence whereby he ordereth all things and directeth them to good endes And it must be extended to the very least thing that is in heauen or earth as to the sparrowes and to oxen and the haires of our heades And here we must consider two things the manner of gouernment and the meanes The manner of gouernment is diuers according as things are good or euill A good thing is that which is approoued of God As first of all the substances of all creatures euen of the deuils themselues in whome whatsoeuer is remaining since their creation is in it selfe good Secondly the quantities qualities motions actions and inclinations of the creatures in themselues considered with all their euents are good Againe good is either naturall or moral Naturall which is created by God for the lawefull vse of man Morall which is agreeable to the eternall and vnchangeable wisdome of God reuealed in the morall lawe Now God gouerneth all good things two waies First by sustaining preseruing them that they decay not secondly by moouing them that they may attaine to the particular endes for which they were seuerally ordained For the qualities and vertues which were placed in the Sunne Moone starres trees plants seedes c. would lie dead in them and be vnprofitable vnlesse they were not onely preserued but also stirred vp and quickened by the power of God so oft as he imploies them to any vse Euill is the destruction of nature and it is taken for sinne or for the punishment of sinne Nowe sinne is gouerned of God by two actions the first is an operatiue permission I so call it because God partly permitteth sinne and partly worketh in it For sinne as it is commonly taken hath two parts the subiect or matter and the forme of sinne the subiect of sinne is a certaine qualitie or action the forme is the anomie or transgression of Gods lawe The first is good in it selfe and euery qualitie or action so farre forth as it is a qualitie or action is existing in nature and hath God to be the author of it Therefore sinne though it be sufficiently euil to eternall damnationâ— yet can it not be said to be absolutely euill as God is absolutely good because the subiect of it is good therfore it hath in it respects regards of goodnes In respect of the second that is the breach of the lawe it selfe God neither willeth nor appointeth nor commandeth nor causeth nor helpeth sin but forbiddeth condemneth and punisheth it yet so as withall he willingly permitteth it to be done by others as men and wicked angells they beeing the sole authors and causes of it And this permission by God is vpon a good ende because thereby heâ— manifesteth his iustice and mercie Thus it appeares that in originall sinne the naturall inclination of the minde will and affections in it selfe considered is from God and the ataxie or corruption of the inclination in no
Gods eyes We are vnder the wrath of God by nature and can not attaine to euerlasting life of our selues Wherefore it doth stand euery one of vs in hand to abase our selues vnder the mightie hand of God in that we are become by our sinnes the very basest of all the creatures vpon earth yea vtterly to dispaire in respect of our selues and with bleeding hearts to bewaile our owne cases There is no daunger in this it is the very way to grace none can be a liuely member of Christ till his conscience condemne him and make him quite out of heart in respect of himselfe And the want of this is the cause why so fewe perceiue any sweetnesse or comfort in the Gospell and why it is so little loued and embraced now a daies Lastly if all mankind be shut vp vnder vnbeleefe the dutie of euery man is to labour in vsing all good meanes whereby we may be deliuered from this bondage and to pray to God with Dauid Create in me a â—lâ—an heart O God and renew a right spirit within me And crie out with Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death And we must neuer be at rest till we haue some assurance in conscience that in Christ we haue freedome from this bondage and can with the Colossians giue thanks that we are deliuered from the power of darknesse and translated into the kingdome of Christ. This should be the affection of euery man because the spirituall thraldom vnder sinne is of all miseries most loathsome and burdensome And in this respect the day of death should be vnto vs most welcome because it doth vnloose vs from this miserable estate in which we doe almost nothing but displease God For this is the greatest griefe that can be to such as are indeed the children of God by their sinnes to offende their mercifull father As for those which feele not the weight of their natural guiltinesse and corruption but lie slumbring in the securitie of their owne hearts they are therefore the more miserable in that beeing plunged in the gulfe of all miserie yet they feele no miserie Thus much of the permission of the fal of man Now we come to the Couenant of grace Which is nothing els but a compact made betweene God man touching reconciliation and life euerlasting by Christ. This couenant was first of all reuealed and deliuered to our first parents in the garden of Eden immediately after their fall by God himselfe in these wordes The seede of the woman shall bruise the serpents head and afterward it was continued and renued with a part of Adams posteritie as with Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid c. but it was most fully reuealed accomplished at the comming of Christ. In the Couenant I will consider two things the parties reconciled between whome the Couenant is made and the foundation thereof The parties are God and man God is the principal and he promiseth righteousnesse and life eternall in Christ Man againe bindes himselfe by Gods grace to beleeue and to rest vpon the promise Here it may be demanded why man is more in the couenant then angels Ans. The will of God in this point is not reuealed vnlesse it be because angels fell of themselues not mooued by any other but man did fall by them Againe it may be asked whether all mankind were euer in the couenant or no Ans. We can not say that all and euery man hath bin and nowe is in the couenant but onely that little part of mankinde which in all ages hath bin the Church of God and hath by faith embraced the couenant as Paul plainly auoucheth The scripture saith he hath concluded all vnder sin that the promise of the saith of Iesus Christ should be giueÌ„ not vnto all men but to theÌ„ that beleeue Without faith no man can please God and therefore God makes no couenant of reconciliation without faith Againe since the beginning of the world there hath bin alwaies a distinction betweene man and man This appeares in the very tenour of the words of the couenant made with our first parents where God saith he will put difference betweene the seede of the woman and the seede of the serpent meaning by the seede of the woman Christ with all the elect whome the father hath giuen vnto him who shall bruise the serpents head and tread Satan vnder their feete And by the seede of the serpent he meaneth wicked men that liue die in their sinnes as S. Iohn saith he that committeth sinne is of the deuil And according to this distinction in times following was Abel receiued into the couenant and Cain reiected some were the sonnes of God in the daies of Noe some the sonnes of men In Abrahams family Ismael is cast out and the couenant established in Isaac Iacob is loued Esau is hated And this distinction in the families of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Paul approoueth when he maketh some to be the children of the flesh and some other the children of the promise And againe the Iewes a people of God in the couenant the Gentiles no people For Paul makes it a priuiledge of the Iewes to haue the adoption and couenants and the seruice of God and the promises belonging vnto them whereas he saith of the Ephesians that they were alients from the common wealth of Israel and were straungers from the couenants of promise and had no hope and were without Christ and without God in the world And the same may be said of the whole bodie of the Gentiles excepting here and there a man who were conuerted and became Proselytes And this is manifest in that they wanted the word and the Sacraments teachers And this saying of the prophet Ose I will call them my people which were not my people and her belooued which was not beloued is alleadged by Paul to prooue the calling of the Gentiles Some doe alleadge to the contrarie that when the couenant was made with our first parents it was also in them made with al mankind not one man excepted that the distinction and difference betweene man and man ariseth of their vnbeleefe and contempt of the couenant afterward Ans. Indeed in the estate of Innocency Adam by creation receiued grace for himselfe and his posteritie and in his fall he transgressed not onely for himselfe but for all his posteritie but in receiuing of the couenant of grace it cannot be prooued that he receiued it for himselfe and for all mankind nay the distinction betweene the seede of the woman and the seede of the serpent mentioned in the very first giuing of the couenant shewes the contrarie for if after the fall all and euery part of mankinde were receiued into the couenant then all men without restraint should be the seed of the woman bruising the serpents head and the serpent should haue no seede at all And againe
Adam lastly as it is a farre greater matter by death to ouercome death and to turne it into eternal life then to commaunde that to exist and be which was not before so is the worke of redemption begunne in the birth of Christ more vnspeakable and admirable then the first creation of man Hereupon not 6. cherubims as in the vision of Isaiah not 24. elders as in the Apocalyps but a great multitude of Angels like armies were heard to praise God at the birth of Christ and no doubt the like sight was not seene since the beginning of the worlde And the Angels by their example put vs in minde to consider aright of this benefit and to praise God for it But alas this practise is very rare in this fruitlesse and barren age of the worlde where sinne and iniquitie abounds as may be seene by experience for by an old custome we retaine still in the Church the feast of the natiuitie of Christ so commonly called which neuerthelesse is not spent in praising the name of God who hath sent his sonne from his owne bosome to be our redeemer but contrariwise in rifling dicing carding masking mumming and in all licentious libertie for the most part as though it were some heathen feast of Ceres or Bacchus Secondly Christ was conceiued and borne in bodily manner that there might be a spirituall conception and birth of him in our hearts as Paul saith My little children of whome I trauell till Christ he formed in you and that is when we are made newe creatures by Christ and performe obedience to our creatour When the people said to Christ that his mother and his brethren sought him he answered He that doth the will of God is my brother my sister and mother Therefore let vs goe with the sheapheards to Bethlehem and finding our blessed Sauiour swadled and lying in the cratch let vs bring him thence and make our owne hearts to be his cradle that we may be able to say that we liue not but Christ liues in vs and let vs present vnto him our selues our bodies soules as the best gold mirrhe and frankincense that may be and thus conceiuing him by faith he remaining without chaunge wee shall be chaunged into him and made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh The world I know neuer so much as dreameth of this kinde of conception and birth for as Dauid saieth Men trauell with wickednesse conceiue mischiefe and bring forth a lie And S. Iames saith Men are drawne away by their owne concupiscence which when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne And these are the ougly and monstrons birthes of these daies But let vs I pray you contrariwise waile and mourne for the barrennes of our hearts that doe so little conceiue the grace of Christ in heart and bring it forth in action The mother of Christ vndoubtedly was a blessed woman but if shee had not as well conceiued Christ in her heart as shee did in her wombe shee had not bin saued and no more can wee vnlesse doe the same The birth of Christ to them that haue touched hearts is the comfort of coÌ„forts and the sweetest balme or confection that euer was Behold say the Angel to the sheâ—pheards we bring tidings of great ioy that shall be to all people but wherein standes the ioy they adde further vnto you this daie is borne in the citiâ— of Dauid a Sâ—uiour which is Christ the Lord. And no maruel for in that birth is manifested the good will of God to man and by it we haue peace first with God secondly with our selues in conscience thirdly with the good Angels of God fourthly with our enemies lastly with al the creatures For this cause the Angels sang Peace on earth good will towards men In the last place the Creede notes vnto vs the parent or mother of Christ the Virgine Mary And here at the verie first it may be demanded howe hee could haue either father or mother because he was figured by Melchisedech who had neither father nor mother Ans. Melchisedech is said to be without father and mother not because he had none at all For according to the ancient and receiued opinion it is very likely that he was Sem the sonne of Noe but because where hee is mentioned vnder this name of Melchisedech in the 14. chapter of Genes there is no mention made of Father or Mother and so Christ in some sort is without father or mother as he is man he hath no father as he is God he hath no mother And whereas Christ is called the sonne of Ioseph it was not because hee was begotten of him but because Ioseph was his reputed father or which is more because he was a legall father namely according to the Iewes lawes in that as sundrie diuines think he was the next of his kin and therefore to succeede him as his lawfull heire Mary became the mother of Christ by a kind of calling thereto which was by an extraordinarie message of an angel concerning the conception birth of Christ in and by her to which calling and message shee condescended saying Behold the handmaid of the Lord be it vnto me according to thy worde And hereupon she conceiued by the holy ghost This being so it is more then sensles folly to turne the salutatioÌ„ of the angel Haile freely beloued c. into a praier For it is as much as if we should stil call her to become a mother of Christ. And shee must be held to be the mother of whole Christ God and man therfore the ancient Church hath called the mother of God yet not the mother of the godhead Furthermore the mother of Christ is described by her qualitie a virgin and by her name Mary Shee was a virgine first that Christ might be conceiued without sinne and be a perfect Sauiour secondly that the saying of the prophet Esay might be fulfilled Behold a virgine shall conceiue beare a sonne according as it was foretold by God in the first giuing of the promise the seede of the woman not the seede of the man shall bruise the serpents heade Nowe the Iewes to elude the most pregnant testimonie of the prophet saie that Alma signifies not a virgin but a young woman which hath knowne a man But this is indeede a forgerie For Esay there speakes of an extraordinary worke of God aboue nature whereas for a woman hauing knowne man to conceiue is no wonder And the word Alma through the whole bible is taken for a virgin as by a particular search will appeare As Maâ—ie conceiued a virgin so it may be well thought that shee continued a virgine to the ende though wee make it no article of our faith When Christ was vpon the crosse hâ—e commended his mother to the custodie of Iohn which probably argueth that she had no child to whose care and keeping shee might be coÌ„meÌ„ded
humiliation and then into glorie so it is with his members first they must be abased in this life and secondly exalted in the world to come He that will raigne with Christ and be exalted must first suffer with him and be humbled he that will weare the crowne of glorie must weare first a crowne of thornes they that will haue all teares wiped from their eyes must here first in this life shedde them And the children of God before they can sing the song of Moses and of the seruants of God and of the lambe must first swimme through the sea of burning glasse whereby it is signified that those which after this life would sing songs of praises to Christ must in this life be cast into a sea of miserie And if this be true then we may heare learne that it is a wretched case for a man in this life to haue perpetuall ease rest and quietnes both in bodie soule goods good name for we see by Christs example that through aduersitie we must come to happines and if a man would haue rest and peace in the life to come then in this life he must looke for trouble persecution and sorrow Indeede in the iudgement of the world they are blessed that alwaies liue at rest but before God they are most miserable and as oxen which are made fatte in the best pasture readie for the slaughterhouse euery day Secondly here is an excellent consolation for those which professe the Gospel of Christ in the time of trouble and persecution they must reioyce because the state of humiliation in this life is a signe that they are in the plaine and right way to saluation and glorie A man is to take his iourney into a farre countrey and inquiring for the way it is told him that there are many plaine waies but the straight and right way is by woods and hills and mountaines and great daungers now when he is trauailing and comes into those places he gathereth certenly that he is in the right way so the childe of God that is going to the kingdome of heauen though there be many waies to walke in yet he knowes that there is but one right way which is very straight and narrowe full of trouble sorrowe and persecution full of all manner of crosses and afflictions and when in this life he is persecuted and afflicted for good causes whether in bodie or in minde if he be content to beare his crosse it argueth plainely that he is in the right way vnto saluation for through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of heauen The humiliation of Christ is first of all set downe in the Creede generally and secondly by his parts or degrees Generally in these words Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate Where we must consider two things the Passion it selfe and vnder whome it was For the first that we may the better conceiue the passion in his owne nature seuen speciall points must be opened I. The cause efficient The principall cause of the passion as it is the price of our redemption was the decree and prouidence of God as Peter saith expressely that Christ was deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God The impulsiue cause that mooued God to worke our saluation by this meanes was nothing in man for al mankinde was shut vp vnder vnbeleefe and therefore vnable to procure the least fauour at Gods hand but the will and good pleasure of God within himselfe The instruments which the Lord vsed in this busines were the wicked Iewes and Gentiles and the deuill himselfe by whome he brought to passe the most admirable worke of redemption euen then when they according to their kind did nothing els but practise wickednes and malice against Christ. II. The matter of the passion is the whole malediction or curse of the Law containing in it all manner of aduersities and miseries both of bodie and minde All which may be reduced to three heads the temptations of Christ his ignominies and slaunders his manifolde sorrowes and griefes especially those which stand in the apprehension of the vnsupportable wrath of God III. The forme of the passion is that excellent and meritorious satisfaction which in suffering Christ made vnto his father for mans sinne We doe not rightly consider of the passion if we conceiue 〈◊〉 to be a bare and naked suffering of punishment but withall we must conceiue it as a propitiation or a meanes satisfactorie to Gods iustice The passion considered as a passion ministers no comfort but all our ioy and reioycing stands in this that by faith we apprehend it as it is a satisfaction or a meanes of reconciliation for our offences In this very point standes the dignitie of the passion whereby it differs from all other sufferings of men whatsoeuer Therefore most damnable and wicked is the opinion of the papists who besides the alone passion of Christ maintaine workes of satisfaction partly of their owne and partly of the Saints departed which they adde to the passion as an appendance thereof IV. The ende of the passion is that God might bring to passe a worke in which he might more fully manifest his iustice and mercie then he did in the creation and that is the reconciliation betweene God and man And here remember with the passion to ioyne the actiue obedience of Christ in fulfilling the law for Christ in suffering obeyed and in obeying suffered And they must be ioyntly conceiued together for this cause In reconciliation with God two things are required the remoouing of sinne in regard of the guilt of the fault and the punishment and the conferring or giuing of righteousnes Nowe the passion of Christ considered apart from his legall obedience only takes away the guilt and punishment frees man from death and makes him of a sinner to be no sinner and that he may be fully reconciled to God and accepted as righteous to life euerlasting the legall obedience of Christ must also be imputed And therfore in the Scriptures where all our redemption is ascribed to the death and passion of Christ this very obedience which standes in the perfect loue of God and man must be included and not excluded V. The time of the passion was from the very birth of Christ to his resurrection yet so as the beginnings onely of his sufferings were in the course of his life and the accomplishment thereof to the very full vpon the crosse VI. The person that suffered was the sonne of God himselfe concerning whome in this case two questions must be resolued The first how can it stand with Gods iustice◠to lay punishment vpon the most righteous man that euer was and that for grieuous sinners considering that tyrants themselues will not doe so Ans. In the passion Christ must not be considered as a priuate person for then it could not stand with equitie that hee should be plagued and punished for our offences but as one
plunged into a sea of most grieuous afflictions and ouerwhelmed with the gulfes of most dreadfull temptations euen then then I say we should not be discouraged but lift vp our hearts by feruent praier to God Thus did Christ when in the garden he was about to drinke the cuppe of the wrath of God and to sucke vp the very dregges of it and Dauid saith that out of the deepes he called of the name of the Lord and was heard The fifth point what is the matter and forme of this prayer Answ. Christ praies to be deliuered from the death and passion which was to come saying on this manner Father let this cuppe passe from me yet with two clauses added thereto If it be possible and Not my will but thy will be done But it may be demanded how it could be that Christ knowing that it was his Fathers will and counsell that he should suffer death for man and also comming into the world for that ende should make such a request to his Father without sinne Answ. The request proceedes onely of a weaknes or infirmitie in Christs manhood without sinne which appeareth thus We must still consider that when he made this prayer to his father the whole wrath of God and the very dolours and pangs of hell seazed vpon him whereby the senses and powers of his minde were astonished and wholly bent to releeue nature in this agonie For as when the heart is smitten with griefe all the blood in the bodie flowes thither to comfort it so when Christ was in this astonishment the vnderstanding and memorie and all the parts of his humane nature as it were for a time suspending their owne proper actions concurred to sustaine and support the spirit and life of Christ as much as possibly might be Now Christ beeing in the middest of this perplexed estate prayeth on this manner Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe And these words proceede not from any sinne or disobedience to his Fathers will but onely from a meere perturbation of minde caused onely by an outward meanes namly the apprehension of Gods anger which neither blinded his vnderstanding nor tooke away his memorie so as he forgot his fathers will but onely stopped and staied the act of reasoning and remembring for a little time euen as in the most perfect clocke that is the motion may be staied by the ayre or by mans hand or by some outward cause without any defect or breach made in any part of it It may be obiected that Christs will is flatte contrarie to the wil of his father Ans. Christs will as he is man and the will of his father in this agonie were not contrarie but onely diuers and that without any contradiction or contrarietie Now a man may will a diuers thing from that which God willeth and that without sinne Paul desired to preach the word of God in Asia and Bithynia but he was hindred by the spirit For all this there is no contrarietie betweene Paul and the spirit of God but in the shew of discord great consent For that which Paul willeth well the spirit of God willeth not by a better will though the reason hereof be secret and the reason of Pauls will manifest Againe the minister in charitie reputing the whole congregation to be elect in holy manner seeketh and willeth the saluation of euery one which neuerthelesse the Lord in his eternall counsell willeth not Now betweene both these wills there may be and is a difference without contrarietie For one good thing as it is good may differ from another but it cannot be contrarie vnto it It may further be alleadged that in this praier there seemes to be a combate and fight in the minde will and affections of Christ and therefore sinne Ans. There are three kind of combates the one betweene reason and appetite and this fight is alwaies sinnefull and was not in Christ the second is betweene the flesh and the spirit and this may be in Gods child who is but in part regenerate but it did not befall Christ who was perfectly holy The third is a combate of diuers desires vpon sundrie respects drawing a man to and fro This may be in mans nature without fault and was in Christ in whome the desire of doing his Fathers will striuing and struggling with another desire whereby nature seekes to preserue it selfe caused him to pray in this manner The sixth point is in what manner Christ prayed Answ. He praied to his Father partly kneeling partly lying on his face and that with strong cries and teares sweating water and blood and all this he did for our sinnes Here then behold the agonie of Christ as a cleare chrystall in which we may fully see the exceeding greatnes of our sinnes as also the hardnes of our hearts We goe vaunting with our heads to heauen as though it were nothing to sinne against God whereas the horrour of the wrath of God for our rebellions brought downe euen the sonne of God himselfe and laide him groueling vpon the earth And we cānot so much almost as shed one teare for our iniquities wheras he sweates blood for vs. Oh let vs therefore learne to abase our selues and to carrie about vs contrite and bleeding hearts and be confounded in our selues for our sinnes past The last point is the euent of the prayer which is to be heard as the author of the Hebrewes saith Christ Iesus in the daies of the flesh did offer vp vnto his father prayers and supplications with strong cries and teares vnto him that was able to saue him and was also heard in that thing which he feared But some will say how was Christ heard seeing he suffered death and bare the pangs of hel and the full wrath of God if he had beene heard he should haue beene deliuered from all this Answ. We must know that God heares our praiers two waies I. when he directly graunts our request II. when knowing what is good for vs he giues not vs our requests directly but a thing answerable thereunto And thus was Christ heard for he was not deliuered from suffering but yet he had strength and power giuen him whereby his manhood was made able to beare the brunt of Gods wrath And in the same manner God heareth the praiers of his seruants vpon earth Paul praied to be deliuered from the angel Satan that buffeted him but the Lord answered that it should not so be because his grace whereby he was inabled to resist his temptation was sufficient and Paul finding the fruit of his prayers on this manner protests hereupon that he will reioyce in his infirmities Others pray for temporall blessings as health life libertie c. which notwithstanding God holds backe and giues in stead thereof spirituall graces patience faith contentation of minde Augustine saith God heares not our prayers alwaies according to our wills and desires but according as the things asked shall be
friends and neighbours of Zacharias and Elizabeth when Iohn Baptist was borne they came and reioyced with them The third fruit of the spirit is peace Of this Paul speaketh most excellently saying If it be possible as much as in you is haue peace with all men It is nothing els but concord which must be kept in an holy manner with all men both good and badde so farre forth as can be Isai the Prophet speaking of the fruits of the Gospel saith The wolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the leopard with the kidde c. Where note that in the kingdome of Christ when a man is called into the state of grace howsoeuer by nature he be as a wolfe as a leopard as a lyon or as a beare yet he shall then lay away his cruell nature and become gentle liue peaceably with all men Now for the practising of this peace there are three duties especially to be learned and performed I. rather then peace should be broken a man must yeeld of his own right When Publicans came to our Sauiour Christ for tribute he had a lawfull excuse for how soeuer he liued in low estate among them yet he was the right heire to the kingdome and therefore was free neuerthelesse he stoode not on his priuiledge but calleth Peter saying Least we offend them goe to the sea and cast in an angle and take the first fish that cōmeth vp and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt finde a peece of twentie pence take it and giue it to them for thee and me Here we see that our Sauiour Christ rather then he would breake the common peace yeelds of his owne right and so we must doe if we will be good followers of him Secondly when any man shall sinne either in word or indeede specially if it be vpon infirmitie we must auoid bitter inuectiues and mildly tell him of his fault and in all meeknes and loue labour for his amendment So Paul teacheth vs saying If any man be fallen into any fault by occasion restore such an one with the spirit of meeknes considering thy selfe least thou be also tempted c. Beare ye one an others burden Thirdly euery man within the compasse of his calling must be a peace-maker betweene them that are at variāce This is a speciall dutie of godlines and christianitie and therefore our Sauiour Christ doth highly commend such and pronounceth this blessing vpon them that they shall be called the children of God The fourth fruit of the spirit is long suffering and it standeth in two points I. when a man deferreth his anger and is hardly brought to it II. beeing angrie doth yet moderate the same and stay the hotnesse of that affection For the first to bridle anger it is a speciall worke of the holy Ghost the meanes to attaine vnto it are these I. not to take notice of the iniuries wrongs done vnto vs if they be not of great moment but to let them passe as not knowing them Salomon saith It is a mans discretion to deferre his anger Now how is that done it is added in the next words It is the glorie of a man to passe by infirmitie that is when a man shall ouershoote himselfe either in word or in deede to let it passe either wholly or till a time conuenient as though we knew not of it The second way to deferre and bridle anger is when a man hath iniuried vs either in word or deede to thinke with our selues that we haue iniuried other in the same manner and for this cause Salomon saith Giue not thine heart to all the words that men speake least thou heare thy seruant cursing thee for oftentimes thine heart also knoweth that thou hast cursed others A man must not listen to euery mans words at all times but he is to thinke that he hath spoken or done the same to other men and that now the Lord meeteth with him by the like as it is said With what measure yee mete it shall be measured to you againe This is a thing which fewe consider Euill men desire good report and would haue all men speake well of them whereas they can speake well of none but indeede they must beginne to speake well of others before others shall speake well of them Thirdly a man must consider how God dealeth with him For so often as he sinneth he prouoketh God to cast him away and to confound him eternally yet the Lord is mercifull and long suffering Euen so when men doe offend and iniurie vs we must doe as God doth not be angrie but fight against our affections endeauouring to become patient and long suffering as God is with vs. The second propertie of long suffering is to keepe the affection of anger in moderation and compasse It is not alwaies a sinne to be angrie and therefore it is said of Christ in whome was no blemish of sinne that he was angrie yet we must looke that our anger be moderate not continuing ouerlong as Paul saith Let not the sunne goe downe vpon your wrath The fifth fruit of the spirit is gentlenes whereby a man behaueth and sheweth himselfe friendly and courteous to euery man as Paul saith to Titus Put them in remembrance that they speake euill of no man that they be no fighters but soft shewing all meekenes vnto all men whether they be good or bad This gentlenes standeth in these points I. to speake to euery man friendly and louingly II. to salute friendly and courteously III. to be readie vpon euery occasion to giue reuerence and honour to euery man in his place It is made a question of some whether a man is to salute and speake vnto them that are knowne to be leud and wicked men but here we see what our dutie is in that we are taught to be courteous to all men both good and bad yet so as we approoue not of their sinnes as for that which S. Iohn saith of false prophets receiue them not neither bid them God speede it is to be vnderstood of giuing an outward approbation to false teachers The sixt fruit is goodnes which is when a man is readie to doe good and become seruiceable in his calling to all men at all times vpon all occasions This was to be seene in that holy man Iob he saith that he was eyes to the blind and feete to the lame a father vnto the poore and when he knew not the cause he sought it out And S. Paul shewed this fruit most notably after his conuersion for he saith that he was made all things to all men that he might saue some He was content to vndergoe any thing for the good of any man And as we haue heard the godly are trees of righteousnes bearing fruit not for themselues but for others and therefore Paul in the epistle to the Galatians giueth this rule Doe seruice one to another in
we pollute our soules and bodies with any manner of sinne we make them euen stables and styes for our wretched enemie the deuill to harbour in For when Satan is once cast out if afterward we fall againe to our old sinnes loosenes of life and so defile our bodies they are then most cleane and neat for them to dwell in whereupon he will come and bring seuen other deuills worse then himselfe so a mans last end shall be worse then his beginning Now what a fearefull thing is this that the bodie which should be a temple for the holy Ghost by our sins should be made a stable for the deuil Furthermore S. Paul biddeth vs not to quench the spirit The graces of the holy spirit in this life are like sparkes of fire which may soone be quenched with a little water Now so oft as we sinne we cast water vpon the grace of God and as much as we can put out the same therefore it stands vs in hand to make conscience of euery thing wherein we may offend and displease God And we may assure our selues that so long as we liue and lie in our corruptions and sinnes the holy Ghost will neuer come and dwell with vs. He is a spirit most pure and chast and therefore must haue an vndefiled temple to dwell in Thus we haue heard what is to be beleeued concerning the Father Sonne and holy Ghost Now looke as we beleeue in God distinguished into three persons so we must remember that when we performe diuine worship to him we may distinguish the persons but we are not to seuer them when we pray to the Father we must not omit the Sonne or the holy Ghost but make our prayers to them all for as in nature they are one and in person not deuided but distinguished so in all worship we must neuer confound or seuer the persons but distinguish them and worship the Trinitie in vnitie and vnitie in trinitie one God in three persons and three persons in one God Hitherto we haue intreated of the first part of the Creede concerning God now followes the second part thereof concerning the Church and â—t was added to the former vpon speciall consideration For the right order of a confession did require that after the Trinitie the Church should be mentioned as the house after the owner the temple after God and the citie after the builder Againe the Creede is concluded with points of doctrine concerning the Church because whosoeuer is out of it is also forth of the number of gods children and he can not haue God for his father which hath not the Church for his mother Question is made what the words are which are to be supplied in this article the holy Catholike Church whether I beleeue or I beleeue in and ancient expositours haue sufficiently determined the matter One saith In these words in which is set forth our faith of the godhead it is saide In God the father in the Sonne and in the holy Ghost but in the rest where the speech is not of the Godhead but of creatures aud mysteries the preposition In is not added that it should be in the holy Church but that we should beleeue there is an holy Church not as God but as a companie gathered to God And men should beleeue that there is remission of sinnes not in the remission of sinnes and they should beleeue the resurrection of the bodie not in the resurrection of the bodie therefore by this preposition the Creatour is distinguished from the creatures and things pertaining to God from things pertaining to men Another vpon these words This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him saith If ye beleeue in him ye beleeue him not if ye beleeue him ye beleeue in him for the deuills beleeued God but did not beleeue in him Againe of the Apostles we may say we beleeue Paul but we doe not beleeue in Paul we beleeue Peter but we beleeue not in Peter For his faith that beleeueth in him which iustifieth the vngodly is imputed to him for righteousnes What is it therefore to beleeue in him by beleeuing to loue and like and as it were to passe into him and to be incorporated into his members Now the reasons which some Papists bring to the contrarie to prooue that we may beleeue in the creatures in the church are of no moment First they alleadge the phrase of Scripture Exod. 14.31 They beleeued in God and in Moses 1. Sam. 27. 12. And Achis beleeued in Dauid 2. Chron. 20.20 Beleeue in the Prophets and prosper Ans. The Hebrewe phrase in which the seruile letter Beth is vsed must not bee translated with a preposition that ruleth an accusatiue or ablatiue case but with a datiue case on this manner Beleeue Moses Dauid the Prophets and it doth not impart any affiance in the creature but onely a giuing of credance by one man to another Secondly they alleadge that ancient fathers read the article on this manner I beleeue in the holy Catholike Church Answ. Indeede some haue done so but by this kind of speech they signified no more but thus much that they beleeued that there was a Catholike Church Thus hauing found what words are to be supplied let vs come to the meaning of the article And that we may proceede in order let vs first of all see what the Church is The Church is a peculiar companie of men predestinate to life euerlasting and made one in Christ. First I say it is a peculiar company of men for Saint Peter saith Ye are a chosen generation a royall priesthood an holy nation and a peculiar people He speakes indeede of the Church of God on earth but his saying may be also extended to the whole Church of God as well in heauen as in earth Nowe because there can be no companie vnlesse it haue a beginning and a cause whereby it is gathered therefore I adde further in the definition predestinate to life euerlasting Noting thereby the ground and cause of the Catholike Church namely Gods eternall predestination to life euerlasting and to this purpose our Sauiour Christ saith Feare not little flocke for it is your fathers will to giue you the kingdome signifying thereby that the first and principall cause of the Church is the good pleasure of God whereby he hath before all workes purposed to aduance his elect to eternall saluation Therefore one saith well onely the elect are the Church of God And further because no companie can continue and abide for euer vnlesse the members thereof be ioyned and coupled together by some bond therefore I adde in the last place made one with Christ. This vnion maketh the Church to be the Church and by it the members thereof whether they be in heauen or in earth are distinguished from all other companies whatsoeuer Now this coniunction betweene Christ and the Church is auouched by Saint Paul when
Whereby he denies the consequence of the proposition on this manner Though God should elect some to saluation and reiect some others and that vpon his will yet were there no iniustice with God The reason of this answer followes in the 18. verse God hath absolute power or freedome of will whereby without beeing bound to any creature he may and can first of all haue mercie on whome he will and secondly harden whome he will For the proofe of the first that God hath mercie on whome he will he laies downe the testimonie of Moses vers 15. I will haue mercie on him on whome I will shew mercie and I will haue compassion on him on whome I will haue compassion And in verse 16. makes his collection thence that it namely the purpose of God according to election verse 11. is not in him that willeth or in him that runneâ—h but in God that sheweth mercie Whereby he teacheth that the free election of God in order goes before all things that may in time befall man and that therefore neither the intentions and endeauours of the minde nor the workes of our life which are the effects of election can be the impulsiue causes to mooue God to choose vs to saluation The second that God hardens whome he will is confirmed made plaine by the testimonie of Scripture concerning Pharao verse 17. In the 19. verse there followes an other obiection arising out of the answer to the former on this manner If God will haue some to be hardened and reiected and his will can not be resisted then with no iustice can he punish theÌ„ that are necessarily subiect to his decree but God will haue some to be hardened and reiected and his will can not be resisted therfore saith the aduersarie with no iustice can hee punish man that is necessarily subiect to his decree Here marke that if there had beene an vniuersall election of all men and if men had beene elected or reiected according as God did foresee that they would beleeue or not beleeue the occasion of this obiection had beene cutte off But let vs come to Pauls answer In the 20. verse hee takes the assumption for graunted that some are reiected because God will and that the wil that is the decree of God can not be resisted and onely denies the coherence of the proposition checking the malipert pride of the aduersarie and shewing that the making of this wicked and blasphemous collection against the will of God is as if a man should sue God at the lawe and bring him as it were to the barre and plead against him as his equall whereas indeede the creature is nothing to the creatour and is absolutely to submit it selfe to his will in all things In vers 21. he proceedes to a second answer shewing that Gods will is not to be blamed because by his absolute soueraigntie and the right of creation hee hath power to choose men or to reiect and harden them And where there is right and power to doe a thing the will of the doer is not to be blamed Now that God hath this right and power ouer his creature it is prooued by a comparison from the lesse to the greater on this manner The potter hath power ouer the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessel to honour and another to dishonour therefore may God much more make some vessells of mercy and some vessels of wrath prepared to destruction The first part of the comparison is vers 21. the second part vers 22 23. And least any man should thinke that God makes vessels of honour and dishonour without sufficient and iust cause in himselfe as the potter may doe therefore he sets downe endes of the will of God he makes vessels of dishonour to shewe his wrath and to make manifest his power and againe he condemnes no man til he haue suffered him with long patience And he makes vessells of honour that he might declare the riches of his glorie vpon them Hence it is manifest first that the ende of predestination is the glorie of God which is to be made manifest partly in his iustice and partly in his mercy secondly that men are not elected or refused of God for their foreseene corruâ—tions or vertues for then Paul would not haue said the God made vessels of dishonour but that being so alreadie he left them in their dishonour Thus from the 6. verse of this chapter to the 24. Paul hath described vnto vs the doctrine of Gods eternall predestination and that by the iudgement of Diuines in all ages The order of Gods Predestination is this It is the propertie of the reasonable creature to conceiue one thing after another whereas God conceiues all things at once with one act of vnderstanding and all things both past and to come are present with him and therefore in his eternall counsell he decrees not one thing after another but all things at once Neuerthelesse for our vnderstanding sake we may distinguish the counsel of God concerning man into two acts or degrees the first is the purpose of God in himselfe in which he determines what he wil do and the end of al his doings and that is to create al things specially man for his owne glory partly by shewing on some men his mercy and vpon others his iustice The second is an other purpose whereby he decrees the execution of the former and laies downe meanes of accomplishing the ende thereof These two acts of the counsell of God are not to bee seuered in any wise nor confounded but distinctly considered with some difference For in the first god decrees some men to honour by shewing his mercy and loue on them and some againe to dishonour by shewing his iustice on them and this man more then that vpon his will and pleasure and there is no other cause hereof known to vs. In the second knowne and manifest causes are set downe of the execution of the former decree For no man is actually condemned yea God decrees to condemne no man but for his sinnes and no man is actually saued but for the merit of Christ. Furthermore this latter act of the counsell of God must be conceiued of vs in the second place and not in the first For euermore the first thing to be intended is the ende it selfe and then afterward the subordinate meanes and causes wherby the end is accomplished Againe the second act of Gods counsell containes two other one which setteth downe the preparation of the meanes whereby Gods Predestination beginnes to come in execution and they are two the creation of man righteous after the image of God the voluntarie fall of Adam and withall the shutting vp of all men vnder damnation the other appoints the applying of the seuerall meanes to the persons of men that Gods decree which was set downe before all times may in time bee fully accomplished as shall afterward in particular appeare Predestination hath two
parts the Decree of Election the Decree of Reprobation or No-election This diuision is plaine by that which hath beene said out of the 9. chapter to the Romanes and it may be further confirmed by other testimonies Of some it is said that the Lord knowes who are his and of some others Christ shall say in the daie of iudgement I neuer knewe you In the Acts it is said that as many of the Gentiles as were ordained to life euerlasting beleeued And Iude saith of false prophets that they were ordained to condemnation In handling the decree of Election I will consider three things I. what Election is II. the execution thereof III. the knowledge of particular Election For the first Gods Election is a decree in which according to the good pleasure of his will he hath certenly chosen some men to life eternall in Christ for the praiâ—e of the glorie of his grace This is the same which Paul saith to the Ephesians God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue who hath predestinate vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Nowe that wee mâ—y the better conceiue this doctrine let vs come to a consideration of the seuerall points thereof First of all I saie Election is Gods decree For there is nothing in the worlde that comes to passe either vniuersally or particularly without the eternall and vnchangeable decree of God And therfore whereas men are actually chosen brought to life euerlasting it is because God did purpose with himselfe and decree the same before all worlds Now touching the decree it selfe sixe things are to be obserued The first what was the motiue or impulsiue cause that mooued God to decree the saluation of any man Ans. The good pleasure of God For Paul saith he will haue mercy on whome he will haue mercy and He hath predestinate vs according to the good pleasure of God As for the opinioÌ„ of them that say that foreseene faith and good works are the cause that mooued god to choose men to saluation it is friuolous For faith and good works are the fruits and effects of gods election Paul saith he hath chosen us not because he did foresee that we would becoÌ„e holy but thâ—t wee might be holy And he hath predestinate vs to adoption Which is all one as if hee had said he hath predestinate vs to beleeue because adoption comes by beleeuing Now if men are elected that they might beleeue then are they not elected because they would beleeue For it can not be that one thing should be both the cause and the effect of another The second point is that Gods election is vnchangeable so as they which are indeed chosen to saluation can not perish but shall without faile attaine to life euerlasting Paul takes it for a conclusionâ— that the purpose of God according to election must remaine firme and sure and againe that the gifts and calling of god are without repentance And Samuel saith The strength of Israel will not lie or repent For he is not a man that he should repent Such as Gods nature is such is his will and counsell but his nature is vnchangeable I am Iehouah saith he and I change not therefore his will likewife and his counsels bee vnchangeable And therefore whensoeuer the spirit of God shall testifie vnto our spirits that we are iustifâ—ed in Christ and chosen to saluation it must be a means to comfort vs and to stablish our hearts in the loue of God As for the opinion of them that say the elect may fall from grace and be damned it is ful of hellish discomfort and no doubt from the deuil And the reasons coÌ„monly alleadged for this purpose are of no moment as may appeare by the skanning of them First they obiect that the Churches of the Ephesians Thessalonians and the dispersed Iewes are all called Elect by the Apostles themselues yet sundrie of them afterward fell away Ans. I. There are two kindes of iudgement to be giuen of men the iudgement of certenty and the iudgement of charitie By the first indeede is giuen an infallible determination of any mans election but it belongs vnto God principally and properly and to men but in part namely so farre forth as God shall reueale the estate of one man vnto another Nowe the iudgement of charitie belongs vnto all men and by it leauing all secret iudgements vnto God wee are charitably to thinke that all those that liue in the Church of God professing themselues to be members of Christ are indeede elect to saluation till God make manifest otherwise And on this manner and not otherwise doe the Apostles call whole Churches elect II. they are called elect of the principall part and not because euery member thereof was indeede elect as it is called an heape of corne though the bigger part be chaffe Secondly it is alleadged that Dauid praies that his enemies may be blotted out of the booke of life which is the election of God and that Moses and Paul did the like against themselues Answer Dauids enemies had not their names written in the booke of life but onely in the iudgement of men Thus Iudas so long as hee was one of the disciples of Christ was accounted as one hauing his name written in heauen Now hence it followes that mens names are blotted out of Gods booke when it is made cleare and manifest vnto the worlde that they were neuer indeede written there And where Moses saith Forgiue them this sinne if not blotte me out of thy boâ—ke and Paul I could wish to be accursed c. there meaning was not to signifie that men elected to saluation might become reprobates onely they testifie their zealous affections that they could bee content to be depriued of their owne saluation rather then the whole bodie of the people should perish and God loose his glorie As for that which Christ saith Haue I not chosen you twelue and one of you is a deuill it is to be vnderstood not of election to saluation but of election to office of an Apostle which is temporarie and changeable The third point is that there is an actuall election made in time beeing indeede a fruite of Gods decree and answerable vnto it and therefore I added in the description these wordes whereby he hath chosen some men All men by nature are sinners and children of wrath shut vp vnder one the same estate of condemnation And actuall election is when it pleaseth God to seuer and single out some men aboue the rest out of this wretched estate of the wicked world and to bring them to the kingdome of his owne sonne Thus Christ saith of his owne disciples I haue chosen you out of the world The fourth point is the actuall or reall foundation of Gods election
and that is Christ and therefore we are said to be chosen to saluation in Christ. He must be considered two waies as he is God we are predestinate of him euen as we are predestinate of the father and the holy Ghost As he is our Mediatour we are predestinate in him For when God with himselfe had decreed to manifest his glorie in sauing some men by his mercie hee ordained further the creation of man in his owne image yet so as by his owne fall hee should infold himselfe and all his posteritie vnder damnation this done he also decreed that the Word should bee incarnate actually to redeeme those out of the former miserie whome he had ordained to saluation Christ therefore himselfe was first of all predestinate as he was to bee our head and as Peter saith ordained before all worlds and wee secondly predestinate in him because God ordained that the execution of mans Election should be in him Here if any demand howe wee may be assured that Christ in his passion stood in our roome and steade the resolution will be easie if we consider that he was ordained in the eternall counsell of God to bee our suretie and pledge and to be a publike person to represent all the elect in his obedience and sufferings and therefore it is that Peter saith that he was deliuered by the foreknowledge and determinate counsell of God And Paul that grace was giuen vnto vs through Christ Iesus before the world was The fifth point is concerning the number of the Elect. And that I expressed in these words hath chosen some men to saluation If God should decree to communicate his glorie and his mercie to all and euery man there could bee no election For he that takes all cannot be said to choose Therefore Christ saith Many are called but fewe are chosen Some make this question howe great the number of the elect is and the answer may bee this that the Elect considered in themselues be innumerable but considered in comparison to the whole world they are but fewe Hence it followes necessarily that sauing grace is not vniuersall but indefinite or partiâ—â—lar vnlesse we will against common reason make the streames more large plentifull then the very fâ—untain it selfe And this must excite vs aboue all thiâ—gs in the world to labour to haue fellowship with Christ to be partakers of the special mercie of God in him yea to haue the same sealed vp in our hearts Benefits coÌ„mon to all as the light of the sunne c. are not regarded of any Things common to fewe though they be but temporall blessings are sought for of all God giues not riches to all men but to some more to some lesse to some none And herupon how doe men like drudges toile in the world from day to day and from yere to yere to inrich themselues Therefore much more ought men to seeke for grace in Christ considering it is not common to all We must not content our selues to say God is mercifull but we must goe further and labour for a certificate in the conscience that we may be able to say that God is indeede mercifull to vs. When the Disciples would haue knowne how many should be saued he omitting the question answers thus Striue to enter in at the straight gate The last point is the ende of Gods election and that is the manifesting of the praise and excellencie of the glorious grace of God Thus hauing seene what Election is let vs come to the Execution thereof Of which remember this rule Men predestinate to the ende that is glorie or eternall life are also predestinate to the subordinate meanes whereby they come to eternall life and these are vocation iustification sanctification glorification For the first he that is predestinate to saluation is also predestinate to be called as Paul saith Whome he hath predestinate them also he calleth Secondly whome God calleth they also were predestinate to beleeue therefore sauing faith is called the faith of the elect And in the Actes as many as were ordained to life euerlasting beleeued Thirdly whome God hath predestinate to life them he iustifieth as Paul saitâ— whome he hath predestinate them he calleth and whome he calleth them he iustifieth Fourthly whome he hath predestinate to life them he hath predestinate to sanctification and holinesse of life as Peter saith that the Iewes were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father vnto sanctification of the spirit Lastly they that are predestinate to life are also predestinate to obedience as Paul saith to the Ephesians Yee are the workemanship of God created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them This rule beeing the truth of God must be obserued for it hath special vse First of all it serues to stoppe the mouthes of vngodly profane men They vse to bolster vp themselues in their sinnes by reasoning on this manner If I be predestinate to eternall life I shall be saued whatsoeuer come of it how wickedly and lewdly soeuer I liue I will therefore liue as I list and follow the swinge of mine owne will But alas like blinde bayards they thinke they are in the way when as they rush their heads against the wall and farre deceiue themselues For the case stands thus all men that are ordained to saluation are likewise ordained in the counsell of God to vse all the good meanes whereby they may come to saluation And therefore all the elect that liue in this world shall be called iustified sanctified and lead their liues in all good conscience before God and men and they that liue and continue in their own wicked waies disputing on this manner If I be ordained to saluation I shall not be damned ouershoote themselues and as much as they can plunge themselues headlong into the very pit of hell And for a man to liue and die in his sinnes let the world dispute as they will it is an infallible signe of one ordained to damnation Secondly there be others that thinke that the preaching of the word the administration of the Sacraments admonitions exhortations lawes good orders and all such good meanes are needlesse because Gods counsels be vnchangeable if a man shall be condemned nothing shall helpe if a man be saued nothing shall hinder But we must still for our part remember that God doth not onely ordaine the ende but also the meanes whereby the ende is compassed and therefore the very vse of all prescribed meanes is necessarie And for this cause we must be admonished with diligence to labour and vse all good meanes that we may be called by the ministerie of the Gospell and iustified and sanctified and at length glorified If a king should giue vnto one of his subiects a princely pallace vpon condition that he shall goe vnto it in the way which he shall prescribe oh what paines would the man
righteous man And Saint Iohn saith Hereby we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren that is such as are members euen because they are so The second signe of this affection is a loue and desire to the comming of Christ whether it be by death vnto any man particularly or by the last iudgement vniuersally and that for this ende that there may be a full participation of fellowshippe with Christ. And that this very loue is a note of adoption it appeares by that which S. Paul saith that the crowne of righteousnes is laid vp for all them that loue the appearing of Christ. The outward token of adoption is New-obedience wherby a man endeauours to obey Gods commandements in his life and conuersation as Saint Iohn saith Hereby we are sure that we know him if we keepe his commandements Now this obedience must not be iudged by the rigour of the morall law for then it should be no token of grace but rather a meanes of damnation but it must be esteemed considered as it is in the acceptation of God who spares them that feare him as a father spares an obedient sonne esteeming things done not by the effect and absolute doing of them but by the affection of the doer And yet least any man should here be deceiued wee must knowe that the obedience which is an infallible marke of the childe of God must be thus qualified First of all it must not be done vnto some fewe of Gods commandements but vnto them all without exception Herod heard Iohn Baptist willingly and did many things and Iudas had excellent things in him as appeares by this that he was content to leaue all and to follow Christ and he preached the Gospel of the kingdome in Iurie as well as the rest yet alas all this was nothing for the one could not abide to become obedient to the seauenth commaundement in leauing his brother Philips wife and the other would not leaue his couetousnesse to die for it Vpright and sincere obedience doth inlarge it selfe to all the commandements as Dauid saith I shall not be confounded when I haue respect to all thy commaundements And Saint Iames saith he which faileth in one law is guiltie of all that is the obedience to many commaundements is indeede before God no obedience but a slatte sinne if a man wittingly and willingly carrie a purpose to omit any one dutie of the lawe He that repents of one sinne truly doth repent of all and he that liues but in one knowne sinne without repentance though he pretend neuer â—o much reformation of life indeed repents of no sinne Secondly this obedience must extend it selfe to the whole course of a mans life after his conuersion and repentance We must not iudge of a man by an action or two but by the tenour of his life Such as the course of a mans life is such is the man though he through the corruption of his nature faile in this or that particular action yet doth it not preiudice his estate before God so be it he renue his repentance for his seuerall slippes and falls not lying in any sinne and withall from yeare to yeare walke vnblameable before God and men S. Paul saith The foundation of God remaineth sure the Lord knoweth who are his Now some might hereupon say it is true indeede God knowes who are his but how may I be assured in my selfe that I am his to this demaund as I take it Paul answers in the next words Let euery one that calleth on the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie that is let men inuocate the name of God praying seriously for things whereof they stand in neede withall giuing thanks and departing from all their former sinnes and this shall be vnto them an infallible token that they are in the election of God Thirdly in outward obedience it is required that it proceede from the whole man as the regeneration which is the cause of it is through the whole man in bodie soule and spirit Againe obedience is the fruit of loue and loue is from the pure heart the good conscience and faith vnfained Thus we haue heard the testimonies and tokens whereby a man may be certified in his conscience that he was chosen to saluation before all worlds If and desire further resolution in this point let them meditate vpon the 15. psal and first epistle of S. Iohn beeing parcels of Scripture penned by the holy Ghost for this ende Here some will demand how a man may be assured of his adoption if he want the testimonie of the spirit to certifie him thereof Ans. Fire is knowne to be no painted but a true fire by two notes by heate and by the flame now if the case fall out that the fire want a flame it is still knowne to be fire by the heate In like manner as I haue saide there be two witnesses of our adoption Gods spirit and our spirit now if it fall out that a man feele not the principall which is the spirit of adoption he must then haue recourse to the second witnesse and search out in himselfe the signes and tokens of the sanctification of his owne spirit by which he may certenly assure himselfe of his adoption as we know fire to be fire by the heate though it want a flame Againe it may be demanded on this manner how if it come to passe that after inquirie we finde but fewe signes of sanctification in our selues Ans. In this case we are to haue recourse to the least measure of grace lesse then which there is no sauing grace and it stands in two things an heartie disliking of our sinnes because they are sinnes and a desire of reconciliation with God in Christ for them all and these are tokens of adoption if they be soundly wrought in the heart though all other tokens for the present seeme to be wanting If any shall say that a wicked man may haue this desire as Balaam who desired to die the death of the righteous the answer is that Balaam indeede desired to die as the righteous man doth but he could not abide to liue as the righteous he desired the ende but not the proper subordinate meanes which tend vnto the ende as vocation iustification sanctification repentance c. the first is the worke of nature the second is the worke of grace Nowe I speake not this to make men secure and to content themselues with these smal beginnings of grace but onely to shewe howe any may assure themselues that they are at the least babes in Christ adding this withall that they which haue no more but these small beginnings must be carefull to increase them because he which goes not forward goes backeward Lastly it may be demanded what a man should doe if he want both the testimonie of Gods spirit and his owne spirit and haue no meanes in the world of assurance Ans.
He must not vtterly despaire but be resolued of this that though he want assurance nowe yet he may obtaine the same hereafter And such must he aduertised to heare the word of God preached and beeing outwardly of the Church to receiue the Sacraments When we haue care to come into the Lords vine-yarde and to conuerse about the wine-presse wee shall finde the sweete iuyce of heauenly grace pressed forth vnto vs plentifully by the word and sacraments to the comfort of our consciences concerning gods election This one mercy that God by these meanes in some part reueales his mercy is vnspeakeable When sickenesse or the day of death comes the dearest seruants of God it may bee must encounter with the temptations of the deuill and wrastle in conscience with the wrath and displeasure of God as for life and death and no man knowes howe terrible these things are but those which haue felt them Nowe when men walke thus through the valley of the shadowe of death vnlesse God should as it were open heauen and streame downe vnto vs in this world some lightsome beames of his loue in Christ by the operation of his spirit miserable were the case euen of the righteous Thus much of Election nowe followes Reprobation in handling whereof we are to obserue three things I. what it is II. howe God doth execute this decree III. how a man may iudge of the same For the first Reprobation is Gods decree in which because it so pleased him he hath purposed to refuse some men by meanes of Adams fall and their owne corruptions for the manifestation of his iustice First I say it is a decree and that is euident thus If there be an eternall decree of God whereby he chooseth some men then there must needes be another decree whereby he doth passe by others and refuse them For election alwaies implies a refusall Againe what God doth in time that he decreed to doe before time as the case falls out euen with men of mean wisdome who first of al intend with themselues the things to be done and after do them But god in time refuseth some men as the scripture testifieth and it appeareth to be true by the euent Therefore God before all worlde 's decreed the reiecting of some men Nowe in this decree foure points are to be considered The first is the matter or obiect thereof which is the thing decreed namely the reiection of some men in respect of mercie or the manifestation of his iustice vpon them This may seeme strange to mans reasonâ— but here wee must with all submission strike our top-sailes for the worde of God saieth as much in plaine tearmes The Apostle Iude speaking of false Prophets saith that they were of olde ordained to this damnation And Paul saith in emphaticall tearmes that God makes vessells of wrath prepared to destruction and that some are reiected whome he opposeth to them which are elected to saluation The second point is the impulsiue cause that mooued God to set downe this decree concerning his creature that was nothing out of himselfe but his verie will and pleasure Hee hardened Pharaoh with finall hardenesse of heart because he would and therefore he deceed to doe so because he would And our Sauiour Christ saith I thanke thee O father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto babes But vpon what cause did God so It followes in the next wordes It is so O father because thy good pleasure is such And if it be in the power and libertie of a man to kil an oxe or a sheepe for his vse to hunt kill the hare and partridge for his pleasure then much more without iniustice may it be in the will and libertie of the creator to refuse and forsake his creature of his glorie Nay it standes more with equitie a thousand folde that all the creatures in heauen and earth should ioyntly serue to set forth the glorie and maiestie of God the creator in their eternall destruction then the striking of a slie or the killing of a slea should serue for the dignitie of all men in the worlde For all this it is thought by verie many to be very hard to ascribe vnto God who is full of bountie and mercy such a decree and that vpon his very wil but let vs see their reasons First of all they say it is a point of crueltie for God to purpose to create a great part of the world to damnation in hell fire the answer is that by the vertue of this decree God cannot be said to create any man to damnation but to the manifestation of his iustice and glorie in his due and deserued damnation and the doing of this is absolute iustice Secondly it is alleadged that by this meanes God shall hate his owne creature and that before it is but it is an vntrueth Wee must distinguish betweene Gods purpose to hate and actuall hating Now indeede God before all worlds did purpose to hate some creatures and that iustly so farre forth as his hating of them will serue for the manifestation of his iustice but he neither hates them indeed nor loues them before they are and therefore actuall hatred comes not in till after the creation Whome God hath decreed to loue them when they are once created he beginnes to loue in Christ with actuall loue and whome hee hath decreed to hate them being once created he hates in Adam with actuall hatred Thirdly it is obiected that by this doctrine God shall be the author of sinne for he which ordaines to the ende ordaines to the meanes of the end but God ordaines men to the ende that is damnation therefore he ordaines them to the meanes thereof that is sinne Ans. The proposition beeing thus vnderstood he which ordaines a man to an ende in the same order and manner ordaines him to the meanes is false For one may be ordained to the end simply the ende beeing simply good and yet not be simply ordained to the meanes because they may be euill in themselues and onely good in part namely so far forth as they haue respect of goodnesse in the minde of the ordainer Secondly the assumption is false for the supreame ende of Gods counsell is not damnation but the declaration of his iustice in the iust destruction of the creature neither doth God decree mans damnation as it is damnation that is the ruine of man and the putting of him forth to perishment but as it is a reall execution of iustice Thirdly wee must make distinction betweene sinne it selfe and the permission thereof and betweene the decree of reiection and actual damnation nowe the permission of sinne and not sinne it selfe properly is the subordinate meanes of the decree of reiection For when God had decreed to passe by some men he withall decreed the permission of sinne to which permission men were
of vs that professe faith working by loue It may be demanded what we are to iudge of them that as yet are enemies of God Ans. Our dutie is to suspend our iudgement concerning their finall estate for we knowe not whether God will call them or no and therefore we must rather pray for their conuersion then for their confusion Againe it may be demaunded what is to be thought of all our ancetours and forefathers that liued and died in the times when poperie tooke place Ans. We may well hope the best and thinke that they were saued for though the Papacie be not the Church of God and though the doctrine of Poperie rase the foundation yet neuerthelesse in the verie midst of the Romane Papacie God hath alwaies had a remnant which haue in some measure truely serued him In the olde testament when open Idolatrie tooke place in all Israel God said to Eliah I haue râ—serued seuen thousand to my selfe that neuer bowed knee to Baal and the like is and hath bene in the generall apostasie vnder Antichrist Saint Iohn saith that when the woman fled into the wildernesse for a time euen then there was a remnant of her seede which kept the commandements of God and had the testimonie of Iesus Christ. And againe when ordinarie meanes of saluation faile then God can and doth make a supplie by meanes extraordinarie and therefore there is no cause why we should say that they were condemned Thirdly it may be demanded whethether the common iudgement giuen of Francis Spira that he is a reprobate be good or no Ans. We may with better warrant say no then any man saie yea For what gifts of discerning had they which came to visit him in his extremitie and what reasons induced theÌ„ to giue this peremptorie iudgement He said himselfe that he was a reprobate that is nothing a sicke mans iudgement of himselfe is not to be regarded Yea but he despaired a senselesse reason for so doth many a man yeare by yeare that very often as deepely as euer Spira did and yet by the good helpe of the ministerie of the word both are and may be recouered And they which will auouch Spira to be a reprobate must goe further and prooue two things that he despaired both wholly and finally which if they cannot prooue wee for our parts must suspende our iudgements and they were much to blame that first published the booke Lastly it may be demanded what is to be thought of them that make very fearefull endes in rauing and blaspheming Ans. Such straunge behauiours are oftentimes the fruits of violent diseases which torment the bodie and bereaue the minde of sense and reason and therefore if the persons liued wel we must think the best for we are not by outward things to iudge of the estate of any man Salomon saith that all things come alike to al and the same condition to the iust and to the wicked Thus much of the parts of Predesâ—ination Nowe followes the vse thereof and it concernes partly our iudgements partly our affections and partly our liues The vses which concerne iudgement are three And first by the doctrine of Predestination we learne that there cannot be any iustification of a sinner before God by his workes For Gods election is the cause of iustification because whome God electeth to saluation after this life them he electeth to be iustified in this life Nowe election it selfe is of grace and of grace alone as Paul saith Election is by grace and if it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no grace therefore iustification is of grace and of grace alone I reason thus The cause of a cause is the cause of all things caused but grace alone is the cause of predestinatioÌ„ which is the cause of our vocatioÌ„ iustificatioÌ„ sanctification c. Grace therefore is also the alone cause of all these Therefore the Scriptures ascribe not onely the beginning but also the continuance and accomplishment of all our happinesse to grace For first as election so vocation is of grace Paul saith God hath called vs not according to our works but according to his purpose and grace Againe faith in Christ is of grace So it is said To you it is giuen to beleeue in Christ. Also the iustificatioÌ„ of a sinner is of grace So Paul saith plainly to the Romans you are iustified freely by his grace Againe sanctification and the doing of good workes is of grace So it is said We are his workemanshippe created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them Also pâ—rseuerance in good workes and godlines is of grace So the Lord saith I will make an euerlasting couenant with them that I will neuer turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Lastly life euerlasting is of grace So Paul saith Life euerlasting is the gift of God through Iesus Christ. Nowe they of the Church of Rome teach the â—lat contrarie they make two iustifications the first whereby a man of an euill man is made a good man the second whereby of a good man he is made better The first they ascribe to grace but so as the second is by workes Secondly hence we learne that the art of iudiciall astrologie is vaine and friuolous They that practise it doe professe themselues to tell of things to come almost whatsoeuer and this they doe by casting of figures and the speciall point of their art is to iudge of mens natiuities For if they may knowe but the time of a mans birth they take vpon them to tell the whole course of his life from yeare to yeare from weeke to weeke and from day to day from the day of his birth to the houre of his death yea that which is more they professe themselues to tell all things that shall befal men either in bodie goods or good name and what kinde of death they shall die But that this their practise is not of God but indeede vnlawefull it may appeare by this because it standes not with the doctrine of Gods predestination Two twinnes begotten of the same parents and borne both at one and the same time by the iudgement of Astrologians must haue both the same life and the same death and be euery way alike both in goods and good name yet we see the contrarie to be true in Iacob and Esau who were borne both of the same parents at one time For Iacob tooke Esau by the heele so as there could not be much difference bâ—tweene them in time yet for all this Esau was a fierce man and wilde giuen to hunting but Iacob was milde of nature and liued at home the one had fauour at Gods hand and was in the couenant but God kept backe that mercie from the other Againe in a pitcht field are
in the Pharisie whose thoughts were these when he praied thus within himselfe O God I thanke thee that I am not as other men extortioners vniust adulterers or euen as this Publican c. And as this was in him so it is in vs till God giue grace for so that men may haue praise glory in the world they care not for Gods glory though it be defaced We must therefore learne to discerne this hidden corruption and to mourne for it for it doth poison and hinder al good desires of glorifying god so long as it doth or shall preuaile in the heart 2. Secondly wee are taught here to bewaile the hardnesse of our hearts whereby we are hindred from knowing God aright and from discerning the glory and maiestie of God in his creatures Mark 6.52 The disciples through the hardnes of their hearts could not see Gods power in the miracle of feeding many thousands with a few loaues though themselues were instruments of it and the foode did increase in their hands Our redemption what a wonderful worke is it but how few consider of it or regard it If we see a man haue more wit wealth or honour then we haue wee straight wonder at him but beholding Gods creatures we see nothing in them because we doe not goe higher to acknowledge the loue power wisdome and iustice of the Creator And this is the cause why Gods name is so slenderly honoured among men 3. The third corruption is our great ingratitude for the Lord hath made heauen and earth and all other creatures to serue man yet he is the most vnthankfull of all creatures Bestow many iewels or a kings raunsome on a dead man he wil neuer returne any kindnes so men being dead in sinne deale with God Commonly men are like the swine that run with their groines and eate vp the mast but neuer looke vp to the tree from whence it falleth But the godly are with Dauid to feele this want in themselues and to beseech God to open and as it were to vnlocke their lips that they may indeauour to be thanfull to God Psal. 51.15 4. The fourth is the vngodlines the innumerable wāts that be in our liues and the sinnes committed in the world Psal. 119.136 Mine eies saith Dauid gush out with riuers of water because men keepe not thy lawes The reason is because he which liues in sinne reproches Gods name euen as an euill childe dishonours his father Now some will say that this cannot be because our sinnes cānot hurt God True indeed yet are they a cause of slādering Gods name among men for as we honour him by our good workes so we dishonour him by our offences Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen 4. Graces to be desired 1. THe graces to be desired and to bee praied for at Gods hand are three The first is the knowledge of God that is that we might knowe him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word works and creatures For how shall any glorifie God before he know him Our knowledge in this life is imperfect Exod. 23. Moses may not see Gods face but his hinder parts 1. Corin. 13.12 We may see God as men doe through spectacles in his word sacraments and creatures And therefore as Paul praied for the Colossians Col. 1.10 That they might increase in the knowledge of God so are wee taught to pray for our selues in this petition 2. We desire that a zeale of Gods glorie may be kindled in our hearts and that we may be kept from prophaning and abusing of his name Psal. 69.9 The zeale of thine house hath eaten me vp Psal. 45.1 My heart shall vtter or cast vp a good matter I will speake in my workes of the king Here the spirit of God borrowes a comparison from men thus As hee which hath somewhat lying heauie in his stomacke is neuer quiet till he haue cast it vp euen so the care desire to glorifie Gods name must lie vpon a mans heart as an heauie burden and he is not to be at ease and quiet with himselfe till he bee disburdened in sounding forth Gods praise Luther saith well that this is Sancta crapula that is an holy surfet and it is no hurt continually to haue our hearts ouercharged thus 3. A desire to lead a godly and vpright life before God and men We see men that in some great calling vnder honourable personages will so order behaue themselues as they may please and honour their masters euen so must our liues be well ordered and we are to labour to walke worthie of the Lord as Paul speaketh that we may honour our heauenly father Thy kingdome come 1. The Coherence THis petition dependes on the former most excellently For in it is laide downe the meanes to procure the first Gods name must bee hallowed among men but howe is it done by the erecting of Gods kingdome in the hearts of men We cannot glorifie God vntil he rule in our hearts by his word and spirit 2. The meaning Thy This word doth put vs in minde that there is two kingdomes one Gods and that is the kingdome of heauen the other the deuils called the kingdome of darknesse Coloss. 1.13 For when all had sinned in Adam God laide this punishment on all that seeing they could not be content to obey their Creator they should be in bondage vnder satan so that by nature we are all the children of wrath and the deuill holds vp the scepter of his kingdome in the hearts of men This kingdome is spirituall and the pillars of it are ignorance errour impietie and all disobedience to God in which the deuill wholly delights which also are as it were the lawes of his kingdome Blind ignorant people can not abide this doctrine that the deuill should rule in their hearts they spit at the naming of him and say that they defie him with all their hearts but whereas they liue in sinne and practise it as occasion is offered though they cannot discerne of themselues yet they make plaine proofe that they liue in the kingdome of sinne and darknesse and are flatte vassels of Satan and shall so continue till Christ the strong man come and binde him and cast him out And this is the estate of all the children of Adam in themselues Wherefore our Sauiour in this petition teacheth vs to consider our naturall estate and to pray that he would giue vs his spirit to set vs at libertie in the kingdome of his owne sonne Kingdome Gods kingdome in Scripture is taken two waies First generally and so it signifieth that administration by which the Lord gouerneth all things yea euen the deuils themselues Of which kingdome mention is made in the ende of this prayer And in the Psalme 97. vers 1. The Lord raigneth let the earth reioyce Againe it is taken more specially and then it signifieth
mindfull of others For a man that hath wealth is made a steward to distribute his goods to the poore and the good of Gods Church True loue seekes not her owne things the branches of the vine are loden with clusters of grapes not for themselues but for others the candle spends it selfe to giue others light Giue If bread be ours wherefore are we to aske it it may seeme needlesse Answ. Not so for hereby we are taught to waite on God who is the fountaine and the giuer of all blessings Men vsually driuen to any distresse vse euill meanes as robbing deceiuing consulting with wizzards c. 2. Againe here we learne that though a man had all the wealth in the world all is nothing without Gods blessing Question The rich neede not say Giue vs c. for they haue abundance already and what neede they aske that which they haue Answer Let a man be neuer so rich and want nothing that can be desired yet if he want Gods blessing in effect he wants all Wherefore euen Kings and the greatest personages that be are as much bound to vse this petition as the poorest Gods blessing is riches saith Salomon Prou. 10.22 Thou maist eate and not haue enough be clothed and not warme earne wages and put it in a broken bagge Hag. 1. 6. if God doe not blesse thee This blessing of God is called the staffe of bread Esay 3. 1. In bread there bee two things the substance and the vertue thereof proceeding from gods blessing this second that is the power of nourishing is the staffe of bread For take away from an aged man his staffe and he falls and so take away Gods blessing from bread the strength thereof it becomes vnprofitable and ceaseth to nourish Lastly here we see that all labour and toile taken in any kind of calling is nothing and auailes not vnlesse God still giue his blessing Psal. 127.1 3. The wants which are to be bewailed SInnes which we are taught in this petition to bewaile are two especially I. Couetousnesse a vice which is naturally engrafted in euery mans heart it is when a man is not content with his present estate This desire is vnsatiable men that haue enough would still haue more Wherefore he which shall vse this petition must be grieued for this sinne and pray with Dauid Psal. 119. 36. Incline my heart to thy commandements and not to couetousnes And he must sorrowe not so much for the act of this sinne as for the corruption of nature in this behalfe Couetous people will plead that they are free from this vice but marke mens liues and we shall see it is a common disease as Dauid noted Psal. 4.6 where he brings in the people saying who shall shew vs any good This then is a common sinne that we are taught to mourne for 2. The second want is diffidence and distrustfulnes in Gods prouidence touching the things of this life Men also will shift this off and say they would be sorrie to distrust God But if we doe but a little looke into the corruption of our nature we shall see that we are deceiued For beeing in prosperitie wee are not troubled but if once we be pressed with aduersitie then we howle and weepe and as Paul saith 1. Tim. 6.10 Men peirce themselues through with many sorrowes If a man shall loose a part of his goods what then doth he straight hee goes out to the wise man is this to beleeue in God No it is to distrust God and beleeue the deuill 4. Graces to be desired THe grace to be desired is a readines in all estates of life to rest on Gods prouidence whatsoeuer fall out Psal. 37.5 Commit thy way to the Lord trust in him and he shall bring it to passe Prou. 16. 3. Commit or role thy workes vpon the Lord and thy thoughts shall be directed Whereby we are admonished to take paines in our callings to get meate and drinke c. If the Lord blesse not our labour we must be content if he doe we must giue him thankes Now for this cause we are further to pray to God that hee would open our eies and by his spirit teach vs in all his good creatures to see his prouidence and when meanes faile and are contrarie then also to beleeue in the same and to followe Pauls example Phil. 4.12 5. Errours confuted PApists teach that men by workes of grace may merit life eternall and increase of iustification in this life But howe can this be for here we see that euery bit of bread which we eate is the free gift of God without any merit of ours Now if we can not merit a peece of bread what madnes is it to thinke that we can merit life euerlasting 2. They also are deceiued who thinke that any thing comes by meere chance or fortune without Gods prouidence Indeede in respect of men who know not the causes of things many chances there are but so as that they are ordered and come to passe by Gods prouidence Luk. 10.31 By chance there came downe a certaine priest that way Forgiue vs our debts 1. The Coherence THis is the fift petition and the second of those which concerne our selues in the former we craued temporall blessings in this and the next which followeth we craue spirituall blessings Where we may note that seeing there is two petitions which concerne spirituall things and but one for temporall that the care for our soules must be double to the care of our bodies In the world men care for their bodies their hearts are set for wealth and promotion they can be content to heare the word on the Sabbath yet neither then nor in the weeke day doe they lay it vp in their hearts and practise it which argues that they haue little or no care for their soules Question What is the cause that first we craue things for the bodie and in the second place those which concerne the soule Ans. The order of the holy Ghost in these petitions is wonderfull for the Lord considers the dulnes and backwardnes of mens natures and therefore he traines them vp and drawes them on by little euen as a schoolemaster doth his yong schollers propounding vnto them some small elements and principles and so carrying them to higher points For the former petition is a step or degree to these two following The ruler by the healing of the bodie of his child is brought to beleeue in Christ. Ioh. 4.53 He then that will rest on Gods mercie for the pardon of his sinnes must first of all rest on Gods prouidence for this life and he that can not put his affiance in God for the prouision of meate and drinke how shall he trust Gods mercie for the saluation of his soule Here we may see the faith of worldlings they say that God is mercifull and that they beleeue in Christ which can not be true seeing in lesser matters as meate and drinke they
because hee is absolute professour and owner of all things that are and also hath soueraigne rule ouer all things at his will Nowe out of this first propertie of God we may gather a strong motiue to induce vs to praie vnto him alone For seeing all things are his both in heauen and earth whatsoeuer therfore we must come to him for the graces and blessings which we desire The power Oftentimes earthly princes haue kingdomes yet want power but God hath kingdome and power also yea his power is infinite and he can doe all that he will and more then he will as for those things which come of impotencie he can not doe them and if he could he should not be omnipotent And as he is omnipotent in himselfe so all the power which any creature hath is from him alone Question How can this be seeing the deuill hath power to sinne which is not from God Ans. To sinne is no power but rather a want of power otherwise all the strength and power Satan hath is of God And froÌ„ this second propertie is taken another motiue to mooue vs to pray vnto God Because all power beeing his we can neuer doe any of the things which we aske but by power receiued from him Thine is the glorie This third propertie of God ariseth from the two former for seeing the title and interest in all things and the power whereby they are disposed and gouerned is of God therefore it followes that all glory is his yea in him is fulnesse of glorie and the glorie of the creature is all of him To sinnefull men belongs nothing but shame and confusion Dan. 9.7 This third propertie ministreth a third motiue to induce men to pray vnto God alone For seeing all glorie by right is his therefore we must inuocate hiâ— holy name that in so doing we may giue him the glorie due vnto him For euer The words in the originall are for ages Now an age signifies the space of an hundred yeares but here it is taken for eternitie because eternitie is nothing but multiplication of ages And as eternitie is here noted by ages so on the contrarie we read that eternitie is taken for a certaine and distinct time Gen. 17.8 God promiseth Abraham to giue him the land of Canaan for an euerlasting possession that is for a long season For els Abrahams seed should inherit the land vntill this time which it doth not Wherefore as often the whole is put for the part vz. eternitie for a certaine time so here the part is put for the whole ages for eternitie This also makes a difference betweene earthly princes and the mightie Iehouah They haue kingdome power and glorie for a short time but he absolutely and for euer 2. The vses 1. HEre we learne in praier to abase our selues before God and vtterly to denie all that is in vs. Kingdome power and glorie is all his not ours we are no better then rebels and traitours to him if we haue any good thing it is from him euen the grace whereby we pray And he that in prayer will not confesse this shall no more be heard then the insolent begger that will not acknowledge his want 2. Secondly in prayer we learne that we must be perswaded of two things and build vpon them Gods power and will his power in that he is able his will in that he is carefull to performe our requests as it was noted in the preface the first of these is signified by kingdome and power the second is noted in that glorie is his 2. Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are yea and Amen vnto the glorie of God 3. Again we gather that praier thanksgiuing must go togither for as in the sixe petitions we made request vnto God so in these words we praise him thereby giue him thankes Phil. 4.6 But in all things let your requests be shewed to god in praier and supplication with thankesgiuing There is none but in want will be readie to praie but when we haue receiued wee are slacke in giuing of thankes but he which will praie aright must ioyne them both togither And the summe of all gods praise stands in these three points 1. That he is an absolute King 2. That he hath absolute power to rule all things 3. That hauing power and a kingdome he hath glorie also which appeares in the holding of his kingdoâ—â— and the shewing of his power in gouerning of it 4. Whatsoeuer wee aske we must referre it to Gods glorie this is the first thing which we are taught to craue and the last wee are to performe because it is noted both in the beginning and in the end of the praier Thus much of the vse of these wordes altogither nowe let vs make vse of them particularly 1. Whereas we say Thine is the kingdome Magistrates rulers must knowe that all the authoritie and rule which they haue is from the Lord therefore they must remember to order themselues as Gods vicegerents vsing their power to bring men in subiection to Gods lawes and referring all their callings to his glorie 2. Where we say Thine is the power wee are admonished when wee are to performe any worke as to doe seruice to God to keep our selues in the compasse of our callings and that we haue no power of our selues for this cause we must aske power at gods hands that we may be inabled to walke vprightly before him and doe our duties 3. In saying Thine is the glorie we learne that if we would haue a good report and praise among men wee must aboue all things seeke Gods glorie not regarding so much our owne If hee giue thee praise among men giue him thankes if not be content because al glorie is his Amen 1. The meaning VVEe haue heard the preface and the petitions what they are now followeth the third part which is the assent or testification of faith required in praier in this word Amen And it containes more then men at the first would imagine It signifies certainly so be it or it shall be so 2. Cor. 1.20 It is often taken for a bare assent of the people saying Amen to the minister but in this place it containes more for euery point in this praier is not onely a direction for publike praier but for priuate also and must be said as well of the minister as of the people Now then there being two principal things in praier the first a desire of grace the second faith whereby wee beleeue that God will grant things desired The first is expressed in the sixe petitions the latter is set forth in this word Amen carrying this sense in effect As we haue craued these things at thy hands O Lord so we doe beleeue that for Christs â—ake in thy good time thou wilt grant them to vs. Therefore this part is more excellent then the former by how much our faith is more excellent theÌ„ our desire
occasions 1. The entrance to our callings in the morning 2. The receiuing of Gods creatures at noone-tyde 3. The going to rest at night Againe beside set solemne praiers there be certaine kinds of short praiers which the fathers call Eiaculationes that is the liftings vp of the heart into heauen secretly and suddainly and this kind of praying may be vsed as occasion is offered enery houre in the daie Quest. 5. Whether may we pray for all men or no Ans. We may and wee may not We may if all men or mankind be taken distributiuely or seuerally For there is no particular countrie kingdome towne person but wee may make praiers for it And though men be Atheists Infidels Heretikes yea deuils incarnate yet for any thing we knowe they may belong to the election of God except they sinne against the holy ghost which sinne is very seldome hardly discerned of men And in this sence must the commandement of Paul be vnderstood I exhort therfore that first of all supplications praiers c. be made for all men 1. Tim. 2.1 We may not pray for all men if all men or mankind be taken collectiuely that is if all men be considered wholly togither as they make one bodie or company and be taken as we say in grosse For in this bodie or masse of mankind there be some though they be vnknowne to vs yet I say there be some whome God in his iust iudgement hath refused whose saluation by praier shall neuer be obtained Quest. 6. Whether is it possible for a man to pray in reading of a praier Answer It pleaseth some to mooue this question but there is no doubt of it For praier is a part of Gods worship and therefore a spirituall action of the heart of man standing specially in a desire of that which we want and faith whereby we beleeue that our desire shall be granted Nowe the voice or vtterance whether it be in reading or otherwise is no part of the praier but an outwarde meanes whereby praier is vttered and expressed Therefore there is no reason why a forme of praier being read should cease to be a praier because it is read so be it the spirit of grace and praier be not wanting in the partie reading and the hearers Obiect To reade a sermon is not to preach and therefore to read a praier is not to pray Ans. The reason is not like in both For the gift of preaching or prophecie can not bee shewed or practised in the reading of a sermon and for this cause the reading of a sermon is not preaching or prophesie but the grace and gift of praier may bee shewed in reading of a praier otherwise it would goe very hard with them that want conuenient vtterance by reason of some defect in the tongue or by reason of bashfulnesse in the presence of others Of Gods hearing our praiers HItherto we haue spoken of the making of praier to god a word or twain of Gods hearing our praiers Quest. How many waies doth God heare mens praiers Ans. Two waies The first in his mercie when he graunts the requests of such as call vpon him in the feare of his name Secondly hee heares mens praiers in his wrath Thus he gaue the Israelites Quailes according to their desire Psal. 78.29.30.31 Thus often men curse themselues and wish that they were hanged or dead and accordingly they haue their wish Quest. 2. Why doth God deferre to heare the praiers of his seruants Ans. First to prooue them by delay Secondly to exercise their faith Thirdly to make them acknowledge that the things which they receiue are Gods gifts not frō thēselues Fourthly that graces quickly giuen might not be lightly esteemed Fiftly that an hungring after grace might be sharpned increased Question 3. After what manner doth God heare his seruants prayers Answer Two waies First by graunting the thing which was asked according to his will Secondly by denying the thing desired and by giuing something proportionall to it Thus God denies temporarie blessings and in the roome therof giues eternal in heauen Thus he refuseth to remooue the crosse from his seruants and giues in stead therof strength and patience Christ praied that the cuppe might be remooued It was not remooued yet he in his māhood was inabled to beare the wrath of God When Paul praied three times that the pricke in the flesh might be remooued it was answered My strength is sufficient for thee Quest. 4. Why doth not God alwaies heare mens praiers Ans. There be many causes of this The first because oftentimes we know not to aske as we ought Math. 20.22 The second because we aske amisse Iam. 4.3 The third because otherwhiles the things which we aske though they be good in themselues yet they are not good vnto vs and for that cause are withheld 2. Cor. 12.7 The last because God will for some long time deferre the granting of that which we aske that he may stirre vp our faith and hope and our diligence in praier and that we might the better esteeme of the gifts of God when we haue them and shew our selues more thankfull To the Reader PAul in his Epistles hath set downe the summe of many of his prayers they are very gratious and heauenly and I haue here set them downe that thou mightest know them and in thy prayers follow them 16. I cease not to giue thanks for you making mention of you in my praiers 17. That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of glorie might giue vnto you the spirit of wisdome and of reuelation in the acknowledgement of him 18. The eyes of your minde beeing enlightned that ye may know what the hope is of his calling and what the riches are of his glorious inheritance in the Saints 19. And what is the exceeding greatnes of his power in vs that beleeue according to the working of his mightie power 20. Which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his right hand in heauenly places The Exposition IN this excellent prayer we are to marke two things the first to whome it is made the second is the matter For the first it is made to God the Father who is described by two titles The first The God of our Lord Iesus Christ namely as Christ is man for as Christ is God he is equall with the father The second The father of glorie that is a glorious father and he is so called to distinguish him from earthly fathers The matter of the prayer stands on two principall points First he asketh of God the spirit of wisdome whereby the seruants of God are inabled to discerne out of the word in euery busines which they take in hand whether it be in word or deede what ought to be done and what ought to be left vndone as also the circumstances the time place manner of doing any thing Secondly he praieth for the spirit of reuelation whereby
he is neuer saued according to that of Saint Iames sinne beeing perfited bringeth forth death The fift reason Eternall life is a thing desired of all men yet none shall be made partakers of it but the true christian and the glorious estate of this life would mooue any man to be a christian First of all they which haue eternall life are freed from all paines sicknesses infirmities hunger thirst cold wearines from all sinne as anger forgetfulnes ignorance from hell death damnation Sathan and from euery thing that causeth miserie according to that of Saint Iohn And God wil wipe away al teares from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be any more paine for the first things are passed Secondly the faithfull shall be in the presence of Gods maiesâ—ie in heauen there to behold his face that is his glorie as our Sauiour Christ saith Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may behold my glorie which thou hast giuen me And Dauid saith In thy presence is fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Thirdly they shall haue such an excellent communion with God that he shall be vnto them all in all For in the ende of the world when the whole number of the elect is accomplished Christ shall present them to his father and as he is Mediatour he shall cease to be a King a Priest a Prophet for though the efficacie of his offices be euerlasting yet the execution of them shall cease as Paul saith Then shall be the ende when he hath deliuered vp the kingdome to God euen the father when he hath put downe all rule all authoritie and power Againe among the elect there shall not be king subiect father mother child master seruaÌ„t noble ignoble rich poore liuing dead Some will say what then shall be I answer one glorious and euerlasting God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost shall be in all the elect all that heart can wish and desire Men shall not be in darknes neither shall they need the light of the Sunne Moone or Starres God himselfe immediatly shall be their light as Iohn saith And the citie hath no neede of the Sunne neither of the Moone to shine in it for the glorie of God doth light it and the Lambe is the light of it Men shall not then neede meate drinke cloathing sleepe recreation fire shade respiration or any other such like but God himselfe immediately shall be their life and all things concerning life by Christ. Which Iohn signifieth when he saith that he saw a pure riuer of water of life cleere as chrystall proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lambe there beeing by either side of it the tree of life which bare two manner of fruits and gaue fruit euery moneth And whereas God is continually to be worshipped in heauen they neede no other tabernacle or temple thereunto but God himselfe shall be their temple as Iohn saith I sawe no temple therein for the Lord God almightie and the Lambe are the temple of it Fourthly from this glorious communion which is between God and Christ as he is man and all the Saints which are his members there ariseth an vnspeakable ioy and gladnes wherewith they are filled Dauid saith that Gods children shall be satisfied with the fatnes of his house and that he shal giue them drinke out of the riuers of his pleasures This ioy vndoubtedly is infinite and the saints are not onely replenished with it but they are also swallowed vp of it as with an huge and infinite sea of waters as may appeare in Peter who at the transfiguration of Christ was so rauished out of measure with ioy at the sight of it that he quite forgot himselfe saying to Christ Master it is good beeing here let vs make three Tabernacles one for thee one for Moses and another for Elias Lastly out of this communion ariseth a perfect loue of God whereby the Saints loue God with all their hearts with all their soules and strength and this loue sheweth it selfe in that they are eternally occupied in worshipping God by singing of songs of praise thanksgiuing vnto him Now then seeing the kingdome of heauen is so glorious and none can haue it but the true Christian let all men account the best things in this world as drosse and dung so that they may obtaine Christ and his righteousnes The last reason is the endlesse loue of Iesus Christ shewed in his death and passion Thou art by nature the childe of wrath and vengeance Sathan hath wounded thee with many a deadly wound of sinne thou liest bleeding at the heart and art like to die eternally Thou beeing in this estate there is no man on earth no Saint in heauen no Angel no creature at all is able to helpe thee Christ onely was able he therefore came downe from heauen and became man for this cause to work thy deliuerance Furthermore in the curing of the wound of sinne no hearb no water no plaister no physicke can doe thee any good onely the bodie and blood of Christ is soueraigne for this matter being stieped in the wrath of God He therefore subiected himselfe to the death euen the death of the crosse vpon which he suffered the wrath of God due to the sin of manâ—ind of his owne heart blood he tempered for them a soueraigne medicine to heale all thy woundes and sores Nowe therefore despise not this mercie seeke vnto Christ lay open all thy sores pray him that hee would vouchsafe thee if it be but one drop of his blood theÌ„ he wil come vnto thee by his holy spirit he will wash and supple thy woundes in his blood and bind them vp He is the tree of life the leaues whereof heale the nations If thou get but one leafe of him thou art well it will heale thee and restore thy dead soule that thou maist liue eternally in the kingdome of heauen If this reason will not mooue thee to be a Christian thy case is desperate It is the best reason that Peter could vse to this purpose As obedient children saith hee fashion not your selues vnto the former lusts of your ignorance but as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all maner of conuersation His reason followeth Knowing that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conuersation receiued by the tradition of the Fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as a Lambe vndefiled and without spot Thus much haue I spoken to the worldling who in his heart makes no more account of Christ then of his old shooes and who had rather bee without Christ then be without his pigges with the Gaderens Nowe for the true Christians I haue
Lord to reach vnto thee his mercifull and a helping hand Againe in the Scriptures we finde examples of men conuerted vnto the Lord without any vehement sorrow of their sinns What anguish of conscience had the theefe vpon the crosse for his former life in his present conuersion at the houre of death How was Lydia dismaied and cast downe in respect of her wickednesse like as Dauid was or Iob whose heart God onely is said to haue opened to giue attendance to the preaching of Paul and Silas who also euen presently after was readie to entertaine them and to make them a feast in her house which shee could not haue done if she had beene in the perplexities of Ezechias or Dauid The same may be spoken of the Iayler and of them which heard Peters sermon at Ierusalem who for all that they had murdred our Sauiour Christ yet in their conuersion their hearts were onely for the time pricked So then God in preparing vs which in truth are nothing but fleshly and stinking dunghills of sinne nay very vncleannesse and pollution it selfe I say in preparing vs to be the Temples of his holy Spirit to dwell in and the storehouses to hoord vp his heauenly graces in doth otherwhiles vse a milde and gentle remedie and maketh the Law to looke vpon vs though with no louing and gentle yet with no fearefull countenance and otherwhiles in some he setteth a sharp edge vpon the Law and maketh it to wound the heart very deepe and as a strong corrasiue to torment them and to frette and gnawe vpon their consciences And we see by experience◠that a botch or a byle in a mans bodie is as well eased of the corruption that is in it by the pricking of the point of a small needle as by the launcing of a great raser Wherefore if God by his spirit haue wrought in you sorrow for sinne in any small measure though not in as great measure as you desire you haue no cause to complaine and in that you are grieued with a godly sorrow for your sinnes it is a good token of the grace of God in you Timoth. Surely this is a great comfort you giue me God make me thankefull for it And I pray you more plainly shew me the state of your life till this houre that I and all other may take warning by it Euseb. That which may doe good vnto other men I will neuer conceale though it be to my perpetuall shame As I was conceiued and borne in sinne so my parents brought me vp in ignorance and neuer shewed me my shame and miserie by Gods law liued a long time euen as a man in a dead sleepe or trance and in trueth I liued as though there were neither heauen nor hell neither God nor deuil And the deuill himselfe as I nowe perceiue did often perswade my secure conscience that I was the child of god should be saued as well as the best man in the world and I yeelded to his perswasion and did verily thinke it so that when the preacher for wickednes securitie denoūced Gods iudgements and hel fire I haue said vnto my neighbours that I hoped I should be saued and he should goe to hell and when I was asked whether I could keep all the commandements of the law I said that I could and beeing asked whether I neuer sinned I said I thought that otherwhiles I did but for them which were but fewe I hoped God would haue mercie and haue mee excused and all my neighbours were glad of my company they spoke wel of me and I was taken for an honest man when as indeede before God I was a vile beast the child of wrath inspired with the spirit of the deuil continually Wel after I heard the Law preached I saw and remembred many fearfull iudgements of God vpon men whome I in reason thought were as good men as I then I began to consider mine owne estate and to perceiue my sins and my cursednes and vpon a time aboue all other the curse of the lawe made me inwardly afraide and my flesh then began to tremble and quake then I could not sleepe in the night season I was afraid of euery thing If I were in my house I thought the house would fall on my head if abroad I thought euery crannie of the earth would open it selfe wider and swallowe me I started at euery straw and at the moouing of a flie my meat was loathsome vnto me and I thought I was not worthie of so good a creature of God and that God might iustly turne it to my bane the griefe of my heart for my life past made me shed abundance of teares and vpon that I remembred in Dauids Psalms that his teares were his drinke and that he did wet his bed with teares And nowe the deuill changed both his coate and his note and in fearefull manner cryed in my eares that I was a reprobate his childe that none of Gods children were as I am that this griefe of my soule was the beginning of hell And the greater was my paine because I durst not open my minde vnto any for feare they should haue mocked me and haue made a iest of it Wherefore I was faine to goe to a godly learned preacher I shewed mine estate vnto him after I had cōtinued with him the space of two or three daies I receiued comfort both by the promises of mercie which hee shewed me in the booke of God and by his feruent godly and effectuall praiers and I thanke God euer since I haue had some assurance in spite of the deuil that I doe appertaine to the kingdome of heauen and am nowe a member of Iesus Christ and shall so continue for euer Timoth. How know you that God hath forgiuen your sinne Euseb. Because I am a sinner and he is both able and willing to forgiue me Timoth. I grant that he is able to forgiue you but how knowe you that he◠will◠you know your sinnes are very great Euseb. I graunt but Christs passion is far greater and although my sinnes were as red as scarlet and as purple yet they shall be as white as snowe and as soft as wooll Timoth. Oh but you haue sinned very often Euseb. Tell me not I pray you what I haue done but what I will doe Timoth. What will you doe Euseb. By Gods grace it is my full purpose and my earnest prayer to God is hereafter to take better heed and to amend my former life Timoth. Is that enough thinke you Euseb. What lacketh Timoth. The fauour and mercie of God that may cleane forsake you Euseb. Nay that I will neuer grant for I am certainly perswaded of the fauour and mercie of God euen to the saluation of my soule Timoth. Oh shewe me that that is the thing I earnestly desire to be assured of Gods speciall goodnes euen by your experience Euseb. According as God hath giuen me to feele the same so
redemption you must waite for it till after this life you would bee kissed with the kisses of Christs mouth but here in this worlde you must bee content if you may with Marie Magdelen kisse his feete For the perfection of a Christian mans life standes in the feeling and confession of his imperfections And as Ambrose saith obedience due to God standes more in the affection then in the worke Christian. But why will God haue those whome hee hath sanctified labour still vnder their infirmities Minister The causes are diuers First hereby he teacheth his seruants to see in what great neede they stand of the righteousnes of Christ that they may more carefully seeke after it Secondly he subdueth the pride of mens heartes and humbleth them by counteruailing the graces which they haue receiued with the like measure of infirmities Thirdly by this meanes the godly are exercised in a continuall fight against sinne and are daily occupied in purifying themselues Christian. But to goe on forward in this matter there is another cause that makes me feare least I haue no true repentance Minister What is that Christian. I oftentimes find my selfe like a very timberlog voide of all grace and goodnes froward and rebellious to any good worke so that Iâ— feare least Christ haue quite forsaken me Minist As it is in the strait seas the water ebs and flowes so is it in the godly in them as long as they liue in this worlde according to their owne feeling there is an accesse recesse of the spirit Otherwhiles they be troubled with deadnes and dulnes of heart as Dauid was who praied to the Lord to quickeâ— him according to his louing kindnes that he may keepe the testimonies of his mouth And in another place he saith that Gods promises quickened him Which could not be vnles he had beene troubled with great dulnes of heart Againe sometimes the spirit of God quite withdraweth is selfe to their feeling as it was in Dauid In the day of my trouble saith he I sought the Lord and my soule refused comfort I did think vpon god and was troubled I praied and my spirit was ful of anguish Againe Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he shewe no more fauour hath God forgotten to be mercifull c. The Church in the Canticles complaineth of this In my bed I sought him by night whome my soule loued I sought him but I found him not And againe My wellbeloued put in his hand by the hole of the doore and my heart was affectioned towards him I rose vp to open to my welbeloued and my hands did drop down mirrhe my fingers pure mirrhe vpon the handles of the barre I opened to my welbeloued but my welbeloued was gone and past mine heart was gone when he did speake I â—ought him but I could not finde him I called but he answered me not Contrariwise God at some other times sheds abroad his loue most aboundantly in the hearts of the faithfull and Christ lieth betweene the breasts of his Church as a posie of myrrhe giuing a strong smell Christian. But how can he bee a Christian that feeles no grace nor goodnes in himselfe Minister The child which as yet can vse no reason is for all that a reasonable creature and the man in a swowne feeles no power of life and yet hee is not dead The Christian man hath many quames come ouer his heart and he fals into many a swown that none almost would looke for any more of the life of Christ in him yet for all that he may bee a true Christian. This was the state of Peter when he denied our Sauiour Christ with cursing and banning his faith onely fainted for a time it failed not Christian. I haue now opened vnto you the chiefe things that troubled me and your comfortable answers haue much refreshed my troubled minde The God of all mercie and consolation requite you accordingly Minister I haue spoken that which God out of his holy word hath opened vnto me if you find any helpe thereby giue God the praise therfore carrie this with you for euer that by many afflictions both in the bodie and the minde you must enter into the kingdome of heauen Raw flesh is noysome to the stomack is no good nourishment before it be â—odden and vnmortified men and womeÌ„ be no creatures fit for God and therefore they are to be soaked and boyled in afflictions that the fulsomnes and rankenes of their corruption may be delayed and that they may haue in them some relish acceptable vnto God And to conclude for the auoiding of all these temptations vse this sweete praier following which that godly Saint Master Bradford made Oh Lord God and deere father what shall I say that feele all things to bee in manner with me as in the wicked Blind is my minde crooked is my will peruerse concupisceÌ„ce is in me as a spring of stinking puddle O how faint is faith in me how little is my loue to thee or thy people how great is my selfe loue how hard is my heart by reason whereof I am mooued to doubt of thy goodnesse towards me whether thou art my mercifull father and whether I be thy child or no indeed worthily might I doubt if that the hauing of these were the cause not the fruit rather of thy children The cause why thou art my father is thy merciful goodnesâ— grace trueth in Christ Iesus which cannot but remaine for euer In respect whereof thou hast borne me this good wil to bring me into thy Church by baptisme and to accept me into the number of thy children that I might be holy faithfull obedient and innocent and to call me diuers times by the ministerie of thy word into thy kingdome besides the innumerable other benefits alwaies hitherto powred vpon me All which thou hast done of this thy good will which thou of thine owne mercie barest to me in Christ before the world was made The which thing as thou requirest straightly that I should beleeue without doubting so wouldest thou that I in all my needs should come vnto thee as to a father make my mone without mistrust of beeing heard in thy good time as most shall make to my comfort Loe therefore to thee deare father I come through thy sonne our Lord our Mediatour and Aduocate Iesus Christ who sitteth on thy right hand making intercession for me I pray thee of thy great goodnes and mercie in Christ to be mercifull to me a sinner that I may indeed feele thy sweet mercie as thy child the time oh deare father I appoint not but I pray thee that I may with hope still expect and looke for thy helpe I hope that as for a little while thou hast left me so thou wilt come and visit me and that in thy great mercie whereof I haue great neede by reason of my great miserie Thou
law of God and the hatred of sinne For that which is spoken chiefly of Christ Thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquitie is to be vnderstood of all the members of Christ endued with his spirit because it is truly accomplished in them Hence it is that Dauid who in himselfe did represent the disposition of all the regenerate saide of himselfe I haue loued thy law thy law is in the middle of my heart I haue hated all the workers of iniquitie I will not sitte with the wicked Also Paul I am delighted saith he in the law of God according to the inner man that is in as much as I am borne anewe And no man doubteth but that both these affections are the effects of predestinatioÌ„ except he be ignorant that all these are the gifts of God which as in time he bestoweth on his so also he hath decreed to bestow them on them before the foundation of the world And from these two affections beeing the first fruits of regeneratiâ—n ariseth a care and endeauour to doe good workes that is to flie sinne and to fulfill the law of God which is the seauenth effect of predestination For he which hateth any thing from his heart he taketh heede of it as much as he can and he fleeth from it and escheweth it and on the contrarie he which loueth any thing from his heart that also he seeketh after and endeauoureth himselfe to the compassing of it Therefore the Apostle Iohn maketh this a chiefe difference betweene the sonnes of God and the children of the deuill that is betweene them that are borne anew and them that are not borne anew that the children of God both loue and doe righteousnesse and the children of the deuill loue sinne and doe it as also the deuill sinned from the beginning and Christ came to dissolue the workes of the deuill namely in his elect for in the reprobate he leaueth them vntouched because they are not giuen him of the father to be purged borne anew and saued Therefore seeing Christ was before ordained and predestinate to the doing of all these workes and that there is no good wrought in vs which was not prouided for vs in Christ from all eternitie it is a cleare case that the care also of doing good workes is an effect of predestination And the Apostle plainely teacheth it when he saith that we were created in Christ to good workes which God hath prepared that we might walke in them To this purpose serueth that which the Apostle deliuereth of loue vnfained to which he sheweth that we were elect and of a good conscience which he makes the inseparable companion of the faith of the elect Lastly of a pure heart which he ascribeth to the elect considering the vnfaithful haue nothing cleane in them and that their minde and conscience is defiled Now that this care to doe good workes is necessarie in all the elect Peter sheweth it when he bids vs endeauour to make our election and calling sure by good workes as some copies haue it But to whom shall we make it sure not vnto God for it was sure vnto him before the foundation of the world but vnto our selues and to our neighbours And this is one of the chiefest vses of good workes that by them not as by causes but as by effects of predestination and faith both we and also our neighbours are certified of our election and of our saluation too Furthermore considering whiles we haue a care to glorifie God to doe good works and we will not be conformable to the world in the wickednes of it neither submit our selues to our flesh and Sathan the flesh the world and Sathan doe perpetually warre against vs and therewithall it commeth to passe they beeing most valiant enemies that either we are ouercome or at the least in fight are foiled And therfore we are constrained to flie vnto the Lord and to craue his assistance therefore the eight effect of our predestination is the calling vpon God that in this fight he would giue vs ayd against the Deuill the world and the flesh For this is the propertie of the spirit which the elect haue to stir them vp to praier for the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with gronings that cannot be vttered that is to say it mooueth vs to make request And because we are sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his sonne into our hearts crying Abba Father And God biddeth vs cal vpon him in the day of tribulation promising to heare vs. From these proceedeth the ninth effect of predestination namely a perpetuall repentance for our daily slippes and a continuall desire to be bettered in godlinesse So that also for this cause chiefly we heartily desire to be dissolued out of this world and to be with Christ for this end that we might sinne no more For this is a thing proper to the elect of God euen now borne anew as we may see in the Apostle who speaketh thus in the name of all the regenerate O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death And again I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. From this ninth effect proceedeth the tenth namely a desire that Christ may come and make an end of all our miseries and sinnes and perfectly restore his owne kingdome That this is proper to the elect the Apostle sheweth when he saith that they loue the comming of the Lord and Iohn bringeth in the spouse of Christ crying Come Lord Iesus come quickly Yea and Christ himselfe hath taught vs to pray Let thy kingdome come And because that they which pray on this wise are also heard according to Gods promise In the day of tribulation call vpon me and I will heare thee hence appeareth the eleuenth effect of Predestination true patience that is not onely true comfort but also a reioycing in aduersitie as the Apostle describeth it And therefore a certaine taking vp of courage and recouerie of strength against his enemies whereby it commeth to passe that all things turne to the saluation of the elect For the elect albeit they be often beaten downe in fight yet because Christ speedily sendeth ayd from heauen vnto them they rise vp couragiously and begin againe the fight against sinne and the deuill and all other the enemies of Christ and they fight so long till they be made conquerours and are assured of the victorie and of the crowne which assurance also is an effect of Predestination giuen to all the elect For what saith the Apostle shall we say to these things If God be on our side who can be against vs Thereforâ— our Lord Iesus teacheth that the elect can not be seduced and so perish no not by the cunning of Antichrist and his miracles And lastly hence appeareth that last effect of Predestination which we can obtaine in this life the gift of perseuerance vnto
the ende in faith and a true confession of Christ ioyned with a manifest care to liue a godly life and a desire to glorifie him For this gift is bestowed vpon all the elect as the Lord promiseth by Ieremie I will put my feare into their hearts that they may not depart from me And when they shall come to the end of their liues they shall be receiued into the heauenly glorie vntill such time as their bodies also beeing raised vp they may take full possession of eternall life Thus we see that it is very certaine that those which are elected to eternall life are also predestinate to vse those meanes by which as by certaine steps and staires they climbe into that heauenly dwelling place And therefore that we were predestinate to these meanes namely Faith Iustification and good workes because we were elected to eternall life according to the purpose and grace of God Wherefore by this meanes the doctrine also of the Pelagians is confuted as touching predestination to life by our faith and workes which God foresaw we should doe Whereas on the contrarie therefore God did predestinate vs to faith and good workes because he did choose vs to eternall life For the Apostle saith not I obtained mercie because I was faithfull or because I should be faithfull but that I might be faithfull Neither saith he that we are elected in Christ because we should be holy and without blame but that we might be holy and without blame Neither doth he say that we were created in Christ because we did or should doe good works but we were created to good works which God prepared that we might walke in them Lastly he saith not that the grace of Christ appeared because we were to liue soberly iustly and godly but that it therefore appeared that we denying all vngodlines and the lusts of this world might liue soberly iustly and godly iâ— this present world We see therefore that by this doctrine that wicked opinion is ouerthrowne which teacheth that we doe preuent the grace of God by our merits which God foresaw And on the contrarie here we see how foully the bellygods of this world are deceiued which reason thus if we be predestinate to eternall life and our predestination be certaine and vnchangeable what neede wee endeauour our selues beleeue or doe good workes for howsoeuer it fall out and howesoeuer the elect doe liue vndoubtedly they cannot perish because they are predestinate to eternall life Alas poore wretches they see not that they seuer those things that are to be conioyned namely the ende and the meanes of the ende that they breake the chaine which in no wise either can or must be loosed whilst that they seuer their calling iustification yea and Faith too good workes from predestination and glorification As though God did glorifie them whome he did predestinate before he called and iustified them yea and before they can beleeue and shewe their quicke and liuely faith by workes Contrariwise let vs learne what our dutie is If any be elect to eternall life they also are predestinate to the meanes by which they come vnto it And wee beleeue as wee are bound to doe that wee are predestinate to eternall life and therefore we must also beleeue that we haue beene elected to faith and good workes that by them as by certaine steps wee might bee brought to eternall life And therefore so farre must we be from neglecting Faith and the meanes of good works of a holy life that contrariwise it is rather our dutie to keep Faith in a good conscience and to be conuersant in good workes which God hath prepared that we might walke in them And because we can neither attaine to the ende nor the meanes that bring vs therevnto of our selues Therfore it is our part to craue them at Gods hands by praier that hee would giue vs faith and a care to doe good workes and increase them in vs. Neither must we onely aske them but also certainely trust that wee shall obtaine them for Christ his cause For if for all them which are predestinated to eternall life God hath prepared faith by which they may beleeue and good workes to walke in therefore if we beleeue as by Gods commandement we are bound that we are in Christ elected to eternall glorie wee must also be perswaded that before we depart hence hee wil giue vs true repentance encrease true faith inflame vs with loue lastly that hee will minister vnto vs aboundantly all things in Christ to obtaine the ende Yea this confidence also and praier it is one effect of predestination by which wee get the rest Therefore this doctrine we must hold that predestination to eternall life doth not take away the meanes of obtaining it but rather establish them And therfore both these principles are true namely that the elect to life cannot perish and vnlesse a man beleeue in Christ and perseuere vnto the ende in this faith working by loue he shall perish The reason is because in predestination the means the end of it are so ioyned togither that the one can not be seuered from the other Wherefore whosoeuer holdeth not the meanes vnto the ende amongest which faith is one it is manifest that he was neuer predestinate and therefore must needes perish as on the contrarie he which holdeth faith must needes be saued So the truth of these propositions is euident He which beleeueth in the Sonne hath eternal life contrariwise he which beleeueth not in the sonne the anger of God remaineth vpon him because as a constant faith is a signe of election so obstinate infidelitie is a token of reprobation FINIS Bradfords answer to Careles Careles I Am troubled with feare that my sinnes are not pardoned Bradford They are for God hath giuen thee a penitent and beleeuing heart that is an heart which desireth to repent and beleeue For such an one is taken of him he accepting the will for the deede for a penitent and beleeuing heart indeede Trin-vni Deo gloria A DIRECTION FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE TONGVE according to Gods word Printed by Iohn Legate Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. To the reader CHristian Reader lamentable and feâ—â—efull is the abuse of the tongue among all sortes degrees of men euerâ— where Hence daily arise manifold sinnes against God and â—nnuâ—erable scandals and grieuances to our brethren It would make a mans heart to bleede to heare and consider howe Swearing Blaspheming Cursed speaking Raâ—ling Backbiting Slandering Chiding Quarrelling CoÌ„tending Iesting Mocking Flattering Lying Dissembling Vaine and idle talking ouerflow in all placeâ— so as men which feare God had better bee any where then in the companie of most men Well thou art thou a man which hast made little conscience of thy speech and talke repent seriously of this sinne and amend thy life least for the abusing of thy tongue thou crie with Diues in hell Send
marriage in conuenient time 1. Cor. 7.37 That makes marriages of young children That punisheth adulterie with small punishments That marieth more wiues then one at once Gen. 2.24 That loues his pleasure more then God 2. Tim. 3.4 That takes care to fulfil the lusts of the flesh Rom. 13.14 That maintaines and frequents stewes Deut. 23.17 That is giuen to drunkennesse and surfetting Eph. 5.18 That giues himselfe to wine sleepe and ease Pro. 20.13 That for the auoiding of fornication marries not 1. Cor. 7.2 That puts away his wife for other causes then for fornication Mat. 19.9 VIII COM. Thou shalt not steale He breakes this commandement THat thinkes but a thought tending to the least hinderance of his neighbours welfare and good estate That liues in no calling 1. Thess. 3.11 That neglects his calling Ier. 48.10 That spends his wealth in riot and prouides not for his family 1. Tim. 5.8 That is not content with his estate but seekes to be rich 1. Tim. 6.10 That sels the goods of the Church or buyes them Mal. 3.8 That sels such things as are meanes to further idolatrie or any other sinne That vseth powdering starching blowing darke shops to set a glosse on his wares and make them more saleable That conceales the fault of his wares That vseth false weights and measures Lev. 19.35 That vseth wordes of deceit Pro. 20.14 That takes more for his wares then the iust price Mat. 7.12 That oppresseth his tenants by racking his rents Habac. 2.11 That vseth ingrossing of wares That raiseth the price onely in consideration of a daie of paiment That either giues or takes bribes Isai. 1. 33. Psal. 82. That writes letters of affection in wrong suites That holdes backe things borrowed Ezech. 18.7 That holds backe things found or pawned Levit. 6.3 That beeing lustie liues by begging That releeueth such 2. Thess. 3.10 That for gaine defends bad causes and delaies suites in lawe That laies burdens on the people without measure Isai. 1.23 Ezech. 22.17 That spendes the Church goods in riot 1. Tim. 6.9 That makes marchandize of Gods word and sacraments Mich. 3. 11. 2. Cor. 2. last That gets his liuing by casting of figures and by plaies Eph. 4.28 That is rash in suretiship Prov. 11.15 17.18 That steales mens children to dispose them in marriage 1. Tim. 1.10 That takes by stealth the least pinne though it be for the best end That is a receiuer of things stolne and giues consent to the fact any way Rom. 1.29 That vseth deceit in bargaining 1. Thess. 4.6 That restores not things euill gotten Ezec. 33.15 That keepes backe goods giuen to the Church Act. 5.3 That waites for a death to sell his things dearer Amos 8.5 IX COM. Thou shalt not beare c. He breakes this commandement THat doth but conceiue a thought of disgrace against his neighbour That enuies at the prosperitie of his neighbour 1. Tim. 6.4 That seekes onely his owne good report That is suspitious 1. Cor. 13.5 That giues hard or rash sentence against others Math. 7.1 That taketh mens sayings and doings in worse part Math. 26.60 That accuseth one falsely 1. King 21. That maketh or reporteth tales openly or in a whispering maner Lev. 19.16 That receiueth tales Exod. 23.1 That speakes the truth of malice Psal. 52.1,2 That blazeth abroad mens infirmities Math. 18.17 That vseth quipping and taunting Eph. 5.4 That vseth flatterie Prou. 26.19 That lyeth though it be for neuer so good an ende Zach. 13.3 That defends an euill cause and impugnes the contrarie That writes or spreads libels X. COM. Thou shalt not lust He breakes this commandement THat thinkes an euill thought against his neighbour though he meane not to doe it That conceiues some inward delight in some euill motion though he giue not consent to practise it SINNES DIRECTLY AGAINST THE GOSPEL He sinnes against the Gospel THat denies either directly or by consequent that Christ is come in the flesh 1. Ioh. 43.8 That treades vnder foote the blood of Christ. Heb. 10.29 That beleeues not the remission of his owne sinnes and acceptation to life euerlasting 1. Ioh. 3.23 That repents not but hardens himselfe in all his badde waies Rom. 2.4,5 Ierem 8.6 THus much of examination now followes the second dutie which is confession of sinne vnto God which is very necessarie For the right way to haue our sinnes couered before God is to vncouer and acknowledge them vnto him For he will iustifie vs if we condemne our selues he will pardon vs if we as beeing our owne enemies accuse our selues he forgets our sinnes if we remember them when we are vile in our owne eyes we are pretious in his and when we are lost to our selues we are found of him That confession may be rightly performed a notable dutie is to be put in practise in it namely the arraignment of a repentant sinner whereby he iudges himselfe that he may not be iudged of the Lord. This arraignment hath three speciall points in it First of all he must bring himselfe forth to the barre of Gods iudgement which thing he doth when he sets himselfe in the presence of God as though euen now the day of iudgement were As S. Hierome did who alwaies thought with himselfe that he heard this voice sounding in his eares Rise ye dead and come to iudgement Secondly he must put vp an inditement against himselfe by accusing himselfe before God by acknowledging his knowne sinnes particularly and his vnknown generally without any excuse or extenuation or defence or hiding of the least of them Example of Dauid I know mine iniquity and my sinne is euer before me against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy â—ight c. behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me And I haue sinned greatly because I haue done this thing but now I beseech thee remooue the iniquitie of thy seruant for I haue done very foolishly Of Ezra O my God I am ashamed and confounded to lift vp mine eyes vnto thee my God for our iniquities are increased ouer our heads and our trespasse is growne vp vnto heauen Thirdly he must with heauinesse of heart as a Iudge vpon the bench giue sentence against himselfe acknowledging that he is worthie of euerlasting hell death and damnation As the prodigall child Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and am not worthie to be called thy child And Daniel We haue sinned and committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and haue departed from thy precepts and from thy iudgements c. O Lord righteousnes belongeth vnto thee and vnto vs open shame Of Iob Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand vpon my mouth And I abhorre my selfe and I repent in dust and ashes Of the Publicane Who standing a farre off would not lift vp so much as his eyes to heauen but smote his breast saying Lord be mercifull
the wages of sinne Rom. 6.22 it is an enemie of Christ 1. Cor. 15. and the curse of the law Hence it seemes to follow that in and by death mē receiue their wages and paiment for their sinnes that the daie of death is the dolefull daie in which the enemie preuailes against vs that he which dieth is cursed Ans. Wee must distinguish of death it must be considered two waies first as it is by it selfe in his owne nature secondly as it is altered and changed by Christ. Now death by it selfe considered is indeed the wages of sinne an enemie of Christ and of all his members and the curse of the law yea the verie suburbs gates of hell yet in the second respect it is not so For by the vertue of the death of Christ it ceaseth to be a plague or punishment of a curse it is made a blessing and is become vnto vs a passage or mid-waie betweene this life and eternall life and as it were a little wicket or doore whereby wee passe out of this worlde and enter into heauen And in this respect the saying of Salomon is most true For in the daie of birth men are borne and brought forth into the vale of miserie but afterward when they goe hence hauing death altered vnto them by the death of Christ they enter into eternall ioy and happines with all the Saints of God for euer The third obiection is taken from the examples of most worthie men who haue made their praiers against death As our Sauiour Christ who praied on this manner Father if it bee thy will let this cuppe passe from mee yet not my will but thy will bee done And Dauid praied Returne O Lord deliuer my soule saue me for thy mercies sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall praise thee And Ezechiah when the Prophet Esai bad him set his house in order and tolde him that he must die wept sore and that in respect of death Nowe by the examples of these most worthie men yea by the example of the sonne of God himselfe it may seeme that the daie of death is the most terrible and dolefull daie of all Ansvvere When our Sauiour Christ praied thus to his father hee was in his agonie and hee then as our Redeemer stoode in our roome and steade to suffer all things that wee should haue suffered in our owne persons for our sinnes and therefore hee praied not simplie against death but against the cursed death of the crosse and hee feared not death it selfe which is the separation of bodie and soule but the curse of the lawe which went with death namely the vnspeakable wrath and indignation of God The first death troubled him not but the first and second ioyned togither Touching Dauid when hee made the sixt psalme hee was not onely sicke in bodie but also perplexed with the greatest temptation of all in that hee wrestled in conscience with the wrath of God as appeares by the words of the text where he saith Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath And by this wee see that hee praied not simply against death but against death at that instant when hee was in that grieuous temptation For at other times he had no such feare of death as hee himselfe testifieth saying Though I should walke through the valley of the shadowe of death I will feare no euil Therefore he praied against death only as it was ioyned with the apprehension of Gods wrath Lastly Ezechiah praied against death not onely because hee desired to liue and doe seruice to God in his kingdome but vpon a further and more speciall regard because when the prophet brought the message of death hee was without issue and had none of his owne bodie to succeede him in his kingdome It will be said what warrant had Ezechiah to praie against death for this cause Ansvvere His warrant was good for God had made a particular promise to Dauid and his posteritie after him that so long as they feared God and walked in his commandements they should not want issue to sitte vpon the throne of the kingdome after them Nowe Ezechiah at the time of the Prophets message remembering what promise God had made and howe hee for his part had kept the condition thereof in that hee had walked before God with an vpright heart and had done that which was acceptable in his sight hee praied against death not so much because hee feared the danger of it but because he wanted issue This praier God accepted heard and he added fifteene yeares vnto his daies two yeares after gaue him Manasses The fourth obiection is this that those which haue beene reputed to bee of the better sort of men oftentimes haue miserable endes for some end their daies despairing some rauing and blaspheming some strangely tormented it may seeme therefore that the daie of death is the daie of greatest woe and miserie To this I answere first of all generally that we must not iudge of the estate of any man before God by outward things whether they bee blessings or iudgements whether they fall in life or death For as Salomon saith all things come alike to all and the same condition is to the iust and the wicked to the good to the pure to the polluted to him that sacrificeth to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner hee that sweareth as hee that feareth a◠oath Secondly I answer the particulars which bee alleadged on this manner And first of all touching despaire it is true that not onely wicked and loose persons despaire in death but also repentant sinners who oftentimes in their sickenesse testifie of themselues that beeing aliue and lying in their beds they feele themselues as it were to be in hell and to apprehend the verie pangs and torments thereof And I doubt not for all this but that the child of God most deare vnto him may through the gulfe of desperation attaine to euerlasting happines This appeares by the manner of Gods dealing in the matter of our saluation All the workes of God are done in and by their contraries In the creation all things were made not of something but of nothing cleane contrarie to the course of nature In the worke of Redemption God giues life not by life but by death and if we consider aright of Christ vpon the crosse wee shall see our paradise out of paradise in the midst of hell For out of his owne cursed death doth he bring vs life and eternall happinesse Likewise in effectuall vocation when it pleaseth God to conuert and turne men vnto him hee doeth it by the meanes of the Gospel preached which in reason should driue all men from God For it is as contrarie to the nature of man as fire to water and light to darkenes and yet for all this though it be thus against the disposition and heart of
thou and the rest deserued rather to be swallowed of the earth and to goe downe into the pit aliue then to haue any part in the merit of Christ crucified When thou readest of his buriall thinke that it was to ratifie his death and to vanquish death euen in his owne denne Applie this buriall to thy selfe and beleeue that it serues to make thy graue a bedde of doune and to free thy bodie from corruption Lastly pray to God that thou maist feele the power of the spirit of Christ weakning and consuming the bodie of sinne euen as a dead corps rottes in the graue till it be resolued to dust When thou hast thus perused and applied to thy selfe the historie of the Passion of Christ goe yet further and labour by faith to see Christ crucified in all the workes of God either in thee or vpon thee Behold him at thy table in meate and drinke which is as it were a liuely sermon and a daily pledge of the mercie of God in Christ. Behold him in all thine afflictions as thy partner that pitieth thy case and hath compassion on thee Behold him in thy most dangerous temptations in which the deuil thundreth damnation behold him I say as a mightie Sampson bearing away the gates of his enemies vpon his owne shoulders and killing more by death then by life crucifying the deuill euen then when he is crucified by death killing death by entrance into the graue opening the graue and giuing life to the dead and in the house of death spoiling him of all his strength and power Behold him in all the afflictions of thy brethren as though he himselfe were naked hungrie sicke harbourles and do vnto them all the good thou canst as to Christ himselfe If thou wouldest behold God himselfe looke vpon him in Christ crucified who is the ingrauen image of the fathers person and know it to be a terrible thing in the time of the trouble of thy conscience to thinke of God without Christ in whose face the glorie of God in his endlesse mercie is to be seene 2. Cor. 4.6 If thou wouldest come to God for grace for comfort for saluation for any blessing come first to Christ hanging bleeding dying vpon the crosse without whome there is no hearing God no helping God no sauing God no God to thee at all In a word let Christ be all things without exception vnto thee Coloss. 3. 11. for when thou praiest for any blessing either temporall or spirituall be it whatsoeuer it will be or can be thou must aske it at the hands of God the father by the merit and mediation of Christ crucified now looke as we aske blessings at Gods hand so must we receiue them of him and as they are receiued so must we possesse and vse them daily namely as gifts of God procured to vs by the merit of Christ which gifts for this very cause must be wholly imploied to the honour of Christ. FINIS A DISCOVRSE OF Conscience Wherein is set downe the nature properties and differences thereof as also the way to Get and keepe good Conscience The second Edition PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT PRINTER to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. The Contents Chap. 1. What Conscience is 2. The actions or duties of conscience Where this point is handled How any thing is said to bind conscience 3. The kindes and differences of conscience Where is handled Libertie of conscience and the question disputed whether a man may in conscience be vnfallibly certen of his saluation 4. Mans dutie touching conscience which is to get and to keepe it TO THE RIGHT HONOVABLE SIR WILLIam Piryam Knight Lord chiefe Baron of her Maiesties Exchequer Grace and peace RIght Honourable it can not be vnknowne to your selfe or to any man of a daies experience that it is thought a smal matter to commit a sinne or to lie in sinnes against a mansâ— owne conscience For many when they are told of their dutie in this point replie and say What tell you me of Conscience Conscience was hanged long agoe But vnlesse they take better heede and preuent the danger by repentance Hanged conscience will reuiue and become both gibbet hangman to them either in this life or the life to come For Conscience is appointed of God to declare and put in execution his iust iudgement against sinners and as God cannot possibly be ouercome of man so neither can the iudgement of Conscience beeing the iudgement of God be wholly extinguished Indeede Satan for his part goes about by all meanes he can to benumme the conscience but all is nothing For as the sicke man when he seemes to sleepe and take his rest is inwardly full of troubles so the benummed and arousie conscience wants not his secret pangs and terrours and when it shall be roused by the iudgement of God it waxeth cruell and fierce like a wild beast Againe when a man sinnes against his conscience as much as in him lieth he plungeth himselfe into the gulfe of desperation for euery wound of the conscience though the smart of it be little felt is a deadly wound and he that goes on to sinne against his conscience stabbes and woundes it often in the same place and all renewed woundes as we know are hardly or neuer cured Thirdly he that lieth in sinnes against his conscience can not call vpon the name of God for guiltie conscience makes a man flie from God And Christ saith God heareth not sinners vnderstanding by sinners such as goe on in their owne waies against conscience and what can be more dolefull then to be barred of the inuocation of Gods name Lastly such persons after the last iudgement shall haue not onely their bodies in torment but the worme in the soule and conscience shal neuer die and what will it profit a man to gaine the whole world by doing things against his owne conscience and loose his owne soule Now that â—â—en on this manner carelesse touching conscience may see their foâ—lie and the great danger thereof and come to amendment I haue penned this small treatise and according to the auncient and laudable custome as also according to my long intended purpose I now dedicate and present the same to your Lordship The reasons which haue imboldened me to this enterprise all by-respects excluded are these Generall doctrine in points of religion is darke and obscure and very hardly practised without the light of particular examples and therefore the doctrine of conscience by due right pertaines to a man of conscience such an one as your Lordship is who others of like place not excepted haue obtained this mercie at Gods hand to keepe faith and good conscience Againe considering that iustice and conscience haue alwaies bin friends I am induced to thinke that your Lordship beeing publikely set apart for the execution and maintenance of ciuill iustice will approoue and accept a Treatise propounding rules and prâ—cepts of conscience Thus therefore crauing pardon for my boldnes and
all places suffered this commandement to cease which the faithfull seruants of God would neuer haue done if they had beene perswaded that this law had bound conscience simply It is aunswered that this lawe ceased not because the giuing of offence vnto the Iewes ceased but because it ceased vniuersally yea but it could not haue ceased vniuersally if it had bound conscience specially considering it was propounded to the Church without any mention or limitation of time Thirdly Paul was present in this counsell and knew the intent of the law very well and therefore no doubt hee did not in any of his Epistles gaine-say the fame This beeing graunted it cannot bee that this lawe should bind conscience out of the case of offence For hee teacheth Corinthians that things offered to idols may be eaten so be it the weake brother be not offended Here it is answered that when Paul writ his first Epistle to the Corinthians this commandement of the Apostles touching things strangled blood was not come vnto them Wel to grant all this which can not be prooued let it be answered why Paul did not nowe deliuer it and why he deliuereth a doctrine coÌ„trarie to that which he had decreed at Ierusalem which was that the Gentiles should absolutely abstaine from things offered to idolls As for the testimonie of the fathers they are abused Indeed Tertullian saith plainly that Christians in his daies abstained from eating of blood and he perswades men to continue in so doing because he is of opinion beeing indeede farre deceiâ—ued that this very lawe of the Apostles must last to the ende of the world which coÌ„ceit if the Papists hold not what mean they to build vpoÌ„ him OrigeÌ„ saith that this law was very necessarie in his daiesâ— and no maruell For by Idolithytes he vnderstandes not things that haue beene offered to idols and are afterward brought to priuat houses or to the market as other common meats but hee vnderstandes things that remaine consecrated to idols and are no where else vsed but in their temples which we graunt with him must for euer be auoided as meanes and instruments of Idolatrie Whereas the lawe of the Apostles speakes onely of the first kind As for things strangled and blood he takes them to be the deuils foode and for this cause hee approoues abstinence from them And whereas Augustine saith that it is a good thing to abstaine from things offered to idols though it be in necessitie hee must bee vnderstood of the first kind of Idolithytes which are yet remaining in the idol-temples still consecrated vnto them and not of the second of which the Apostles law as I haue said must be vnderstood Argum. 4. Ioh. 21. Christ saith to Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feed my sheep that is as the word importeth feed and rule my sheepe Ans. This feeding and ruling stands not in making newe lawes but in teaching and gouerning the Church of god according to the doctrine which they had receiued from Christ. And this action of feeding is ascribed to all Christians Reuel 3.27 Who cannot therevpon chalenge a power of making lawes to the conscience Argum. 5. Ioh. 20. As my father sent me so I send you but Christ was sent of his father not onely with power of preaching and ministring the Sacraments but also with authoritie of commanding and giuing iudgement Answ. If this kind of reasoning may stand all the Apostles shall be made redeemers for they were all sent as Christ was and hee was sent not onely to preach the redemption of mankind but also to effect and work the same If this be absurd then it is a flat abusing of Scripture to gather from this saying of Christ that the Apostles had power of binding conscience because he had so It is true indeede that there is a similitude or analogie betweene the calling of Christ and his Apostles but it wholly standes in these points Christ was ordained to his office before all worldes and so were the Apostles Christ was called of his father immediatly and so were they of Christ Christ was sent to the whole world and so were they Christ receiued all power in heauen and earth as beeing necessarie for a Mediatour and they receiued an extraordinarie authority from him with such a plentifull measure of the spirit as was necessarie for the Apostilicall function Lastly Christ was sent euen as he was man to bee a teacher of the Iewes and therefore hee is called the minister of circumcision Rom. 15.8 and so the Apostles are sent by him to teach the Gentiles Thus farre is the comparison to bee enlarged and no further And that no man might imagine that some part of this resemblance standes in a power of binding conscience Christ hath put a speciall exception when he saith Go teach all nations teaching them to obserue all things that I haue commanded you and not commandements of your owne Argum. 6. Rom. 13. Whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to themselues iudgement and ye must be subiect not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake Ans. Magistracie indeede is an ordinance of God to which we owe subiection but how farre subiection is due there is the question For bodie and goods and outward conuersation I grant all but a subiection of conscience to mens laws I denie And between these two there is a great difference to be subiect to authoritie in conscience to be subiect to it for conscience as will be manifest if wee doe but consider the phrase of the Apostle the meaning whereof isâ— that wee must performe obedience not onely for anger that is for the auoiding of punishment but also for the auoiding of sinne and so by consequent for auoiding a breach in conscience Now this breach is not properly made because mans law is neglected but because Gods lawe is broken which ordaineth magistracie and withall bindes mens consciences to obey their lawefull commandements And the damnation that is due vnto men for resisting the ordinance of god comes not by the single breach of magistrats commandement but by a transgression of the lawe of God which appointeth magistrates and their authoritie To this answer Papists replie nothing that is of moment Therefore I proceed Argum. 7.1 Cor. 4. What will you that I come vnto you with a rod or in the spirit of meekenes Nowe this rod is a iudiciall power of punishing sinners Answ. For the regiment and protection of Gods Church there bee two rods mentioned in Scripture the rod of Christ and the Apostolicall rodde The rod of Christ is tearmed a rod of yron or the rod of his mouth and it signifies that absolute and soueraigne power which Christ hath ouer his creatures whereby he is able to conuert and saue them or to forsake and destroy them And it is a peculiar priuiledge of this rod to smite and wound the conscience The Apostolicall rod was a
kept vncerten till the time to come are thrust into the text by head shoulders and Hierome hath them not Secondly I answere that the holy Ghost doth not deny simplie the knowledge of gods loue or hatred as though there could be no certaine assurance of it in this life If wee vnderstand the wordes thus then the argument of the holy Ghost must be framed on this manner If loue or hatred were to bee knowne then it must be knowne by the outward blessings of God but it cannot be knowne by the outward blessings of God for all things come alike to all therefore loue and hatred cannot be known The proposition is false For loue may bee knowne other waies then by outward benefits and therefore the reason is not meete to be ascribed to the spirit of trueth Wherefore the true and proper sense of the wordes is that loue or hatred can not be iudged or discerned by outward blessings of God Saint Bernard speakes of this text on this manner that no man knowes loue or hatred namely by him yet that God giues most certaine testimonies thereof to men vpon earth And serm 5. de Dediâ— his words are these Who knowes if he be worthie loue or hatred who knowes the mind of the Lord Here both faith and truth must needes helpe vs that that which is hidden in the heart of the father may be reuealed vnto vs by the spirit and his spirit giuing testimony perswades our spirit that we are the sonnes of God and this perswasion is caused by his calling and iustifying vs freely by faith And S. Hierome though commonly abused to the contrarie saith no more but that men cannot knowe loue or hatred by the present afflictions which they suffer because they know not whether they suffer them for triall or punishment Obiect 3.1 Cor. 4. I iudge not my selfe I know nothing by my selfe Here Paul as not being priuie to his owne estate reâ—useth to giue any iudgement of his righteousnes Ans. It is manifest by the wordes of this epistle that certaine in Corinth boldly more then wisely censured the Apostles ministerie and withall disgraced it in respect of the ministerie of other teachers Therefore Paul in this chapter goes about to make an Apologie for himselfe speaking nothing of his owne person and the estate thereof before God but onely of his ministerie and the excellency thereof And this is the iudgement of Theodoret Aquinas Lira vpon this text And when he saith I iudge not my selfe his meaning is I take not vpon me to iudge of what value and price my ministerie is before God in respect of the ministerie of this or that man but I leaue al to God Here then Paul refuseth onely to giue iudgement of the excellencie of his owne ministerie and in other causes he refuseth not to iudge himselfe as when he said I haue fought a good fight I haue kept the saith hence sorth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous iudge shal giue me 2. Tim. 4.8 And Chrysostome on this place saith that Paul refused to iudge himselfe not simply but onely for this ende that he might restraine others and teach them modestie And where Paul saith I knowe nothing by my selfe the speech is not generall but must bee vnderstood of the negligences and offences in the compasse of his ministerie For hee was priuie to himselfe that in simplicitie and godly purenes hee had his conuersation in the worlde 2. Cor. 1.12 and he knew this by himselfe that nothing should seuer him froÌ„ the loue of God in Christ. Rom. 8.38 Obiect 4. That we may be iustified there is somewhat required in vs namely faith and repentnnce and where these are wanting a man cannot be iustified Now no man can be certen by the certaintie of faith that he repents of his sinnes with all his heart and that he hath such a faith as God requires at our hands considering there is no testimonie in the word of our faith and repentance in particular Therefore no man can be certaine by certaintie of faith that his sinnes are pardoned Ans. It is not necessarie that any man should bee certaine by faith of his faith repentance because faith is only of such things as are present whereas faith and repentance are truely preâ—ent in all that truely beleeue and repent it shall be sufficient if a man may any way be vnfallibly certaine that he hath them And though some men falsly perswade themselues that they beleeue yet he that hath true faith indeede knowes that he hath true faith euen as certainly as he that vnderstands that hee vnderstands Paul saith to the Corinthians Prooue your selues whether yee bee in the faith or no 2.13.5 hereby giuing them to vnderstand that all which beleeue haue the spirit of discerning to know certainely that they doe beleeue Againe he saith of himselfe 2. Tim. 1.12 I knowe whome I haue beleeued And S. Iohn saith 1. epist. 3. 24. By this we knowe that he dwels in vs by the spirit which he hath giuen vs making no question of it but that he which hath the spirit knowes that hee hath the same And testimonies of men are not wanting in this case August Euery one seeth faith to be in his owne heart if hee beleeue if not he seeth it to be wanting Againe A beleeuer seeth his owne faith by which hee answereth that hee beleeueth without doubt and Hee which loueth his brother more knoweth the loue whereby he loueth then his brother whome hee loueth Againe whereas it is said that hauing faith yet we know not whether it be sufficient or no I answer that faith beeing without hypocrisie is sufficient to saluation though it be vnperfect God more respects the trueth of our faith then the perfection thereof And as the hand of the child or of the palsie man though it be feeble is able to reach out it selfe and receiue an almes of a Prince so the faith that is but weake is able to apprehend and receiue Christ with all his benefits Obiect 5. Prov. 28. Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies Phil. 2. Worke your saluation with feare and trembling Ans. There is threefold feare one of nature the second of grace the third of distrust Feare of nature is that wherby the nature of man is troubled with any thing that is hurtfull vnto it and therefore auoideth it Feare of grace is that excellent gift which is called the beginning of wisdome and it is a certaine awe or reuerence vnto God in whose presence we doe whatsoeuer wee doe Feare of distrust is when men tremble at the iudgements of God for their sinnes because they haue no hope of mercie Of these three the first was good by creation therefore it was in our Sauiour Christ but since the fall it is defectiue The third is a vice called slauish feare And the second is that which is commanded in these and
and alteration For he which hath a good coÌ„science hath also care to keepe good conscience in all things V. Presumption is peremptorie without doubting whereas the testimonie of conscience is mingled with manifold doubtings Mark 9.24 Luk. 17. 5. yea otherwhiles ouercharged with them Psal. 77.7,8 VI. Presumption will giue a man the slip in the time of sickenes and in the houre of death and the testimonie of good conscience stickes by him to the ende and euen makes him say Lord remember nowe â—owe I haue walked before thee in trueth and haue done that which is acceptable in thy sight Isa. 38.2 The duties of conscience regenerate are two in speciall manner to giue testimonie and to excuse The speciall thing of which conscience giues testimonie is that we are the children of God predestinate to life euerlasting And that appeares by these reasons I. Rom. 8.16 The spirit of God witnesseth togither with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Now the spirit of man here mentioned is the minde or conscience renewed and sanctified To this purpose saith Iohn He that beleeueth hath a witnesse in himselfe 1. Ioh. 5.10 II. That which Gods spirit doth testifie to the conscience the conscience can againe testifie to vs but Gods spirit doth testifie to the conscience of a man regenerate that he is the childe of God 1. Cor. 2.12 Therefore the conscience also doeth the same III. He that is iustified hath peace of conscience Rom. 5.1 Nowe there can bee no peace in conscience till conscience tel the man which is iustified that he is indeed iustified IV. That which the conscience may know certenly it may testifie but conscience may know certenly without reuelation the mans election and adoption as I haue before prooued therefore it is able to giue testimonie of these Againe the regenerate conscience giueth testimonie of a certaine kinde of righteousnesse beeing an vnseparable companion thereof and for this cause it is called of some the righteousnesse of a good conscience Now this righteousnes is nothing els but an vnfained earnest and constant purpose with endeauour answerable thereto not to sinne in any thing but in all things whatsoeuer to please God and doe his will Hebr. 13.18 Pray for vs for wee are assured that we haue good conscience in all things desiring to liue honestly 2. Cor. 1.12 Our reioycing is this the testimonie of our conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenesse and not in fleshly wisdome wee haue had our conuersation in the worlde 1. Cor. 4.4 I knowe nothing by my selfe Esa. 38.2 Lord remember now howe I haue walked before thee with an vpright heart and haue done that which is acceptable in thy sight I adde this clause in all things because that obedience which is the signe or fruit of good conscience of which also it giues testimonie is generall shewing it selfe in all and euery commandement of God Philosophers haue said that Iustice is vniuersall because he which hath it hath all vertues But it is more truely said of this Christian righteousnes or new obedience that it is vniuersall and that he which can performe true obedience in one commandement can doe the same in all Act. 23.1 Men and brethren I haue in all good conscience serued God till this day Psal. 119.6 Then shall I not bee confounded when I shall haue respect to all thy commandements Act. 24.16 In the meane season I endeaâ—our my selfe or take paines to haue a conscience without offence towards God and towards men This shewes that there is a great number of men professing the Gospell that want good conscience For though they shew themselues very forward and willing to obey God in many things yet in some one thing or other they vse to follow the swinge of their owne wills Many are diligent to frequent the place of Gods worship to heare the word preached with liking to receiue the Sacraments at times appointed and to approoue of any good thing all this is very commendable yet these men often when they depart home from the congregation say in effect on this manner Religion stay thou here at the Church doore till the next Sabbath For if we looke into their priuate conuersations the gouernment of their families or their dealings in their particular callings we shall with griefe see much disorder and little conscience It is a common practise with sicke men when they make their wills on their death beds in the very first place to commend their bodies to the graue and their soules to God that gaue them in hope of a better resurrection and all this is well done but afterward they bequeath their goods gotten by fraud oppression and forged cauillation to their owne friends and children without making any recompence or satisfaction But alas this should not be so for obedience that goes with good conscience must be performed to all Gods commandements without exception and if it be done but to some alone it is but counterfait obedience and he that is guiltie in one is guiltie in all As regenerate conscience giues testimonie of our new obedience so it doth also by certaine sweete motions stirre men forward to performe the same Psal. 16.7 My reynes that is the minde and conscience inlightened by the spirit of God teach me in the night season Esai 30.22 And thine eares shall heare a word behind thee saying This is the way walke ye in it when thou turnest to the right hand and when thou turnest to the left Now this word is not onely the voice of Pastours and teachers in the open ministerie but also the voice of renewed conscience inwardly by many secret cogitations snibbing them that are about to sinne A Christian man is not onely a priest and a prophet but also a spirituall king euen in this life and the Lord in mercie hath vouchsafed him this honour that his conscience renewed within him shall be his solliciter to put him in minde of all his affaires and duties which he is to performe to God yea it is the controller to see all things kept in order in the heart which is the temple and habitation of the holy Ghost The second office of conscience regenerate is to excuse that is to cleare and defend a man euen before God against all his enemies both bodily ghostly Psal. 7.8 Iudge thou me O Lord according to my righteousnes and according to mine innocencie in me Againe 26.1,2 Iudge me O Lord for I haue walked in mine innocencie c. Prooue me O Lord and trie me examine my reynes and my heart That the conscience can doe this it specially appeares in the conflict and combat made by it against the deuill on this manner The deuill beginnes and disputes thus Thou O wretched man art a most grieuous sinner therefore thou art but a damned wretch The conscience answereth and saith I know that Christ hath made a satisfaction for my sinnes and freed me from daÌ„nation The deuill replieth againe
and reformed consciences coÌ„sidering that coÌ„science wil be with you in this life in death at the last iudgement for euer II. He that wants a coÌ„science purged in the blood of Christ can neuer haue any true and lasting comfort in this life Suppose a man araied in cloath of tishue set in a chaire of estate before him a table furnished with all daintie prouision his seruants Monarches and Princes his riches the chiefest treasures and kingdomes in the worlde but withall suppose one standing by with a naked sword to cut his throat or a wild beast readie euer and anon to pull him in peeces nowe what can wee say of this mans estate but that all his happines is nothing but wo and miserie And such is the estate of all men that abounding with riches honours and pleasures carrie about them an euill conscience which is as a sword to slay the soule or as a rauenous beast readie to sucke the blood of the soule and to rend it in peeces III. He which wants good conscience can doe doe nothing but sinne his very eating and drinking his sleeping and waking and all he doth turnes to sin the conscience must first be good before the action can be good if the roote be corrupt the fruits are answerable IV. An euill conscience is the greatest enemie a man can haue because it doeth execute all the parts of iudgement against him It is the Lords fergeant God neede not sende out processe by any of his creatures for man the conscience within man will arest him and bring him before God It is the gayler to keep man in prison in bolts and irons that he may be forth comming at the daie of iudgement It is the witnesse to accuse him the iudge to condemne him the hangman to execute him and the flashings of the fire of hell to torment him Againe it makes a man to be an enemy to God because it accuseth him to God and makes him â—â—ie from God as Adam did when he had sinned Also he makes a man to be his owne enemie in that it doth cause to lay violent hands vpon himselfe and become his owne hangman or his own cut-throate And on the contrarie a good conscience is a mans best friend when all men intreat him hardly it will speake him faire comfort him it is a continuall feast and a paradise vpon earth V. The Scripture sheweth that they which neuer seeke good conscience haue terrible ends For either they die blockes as Nabal did or they die desperate as Caine Saul Achitophel Iudas VI. We must consider oâ—ten the terrible day of iudgemeÌ„t in which euery man must receiue according to his doings And that wee may then be absolued the best way is to seeke for a good conscience for if our coÌ„science be euill and condemne vs in this life God will much more condemne vs. And whereas we must passe through three iudgements the iudgement of men the iudgement of our conscience the last iudgement of God we shall neuer be strengthened against them and cleared in them all but by the seeking of a good conscience After that man hath got good conscience his second dutie is to keepe it And as the gouerning the shippe on the sea the pilote holding the helme iâ— his hand hath alwaies an â—ie to the compasse so we likewise in the ordering of our liues and conuersations must alwaies haue a special regard to conscience That we may keepe good conscience we must doe two things auoide the impediment thereof and vse conuenient preseruations Impediments of good conscience are either in vs or forth of vs. In vs our owne sinnes and corruptions When mens bodies lie dead in the earth there breede certaine wormes in them whereby they are consumed For of the flesh come the wormes which consume the flesh but vnlesse we take great heede out of the sinnes and corruptions of our hearâ—s there will breede a worme a thousand folde more terrible euen the worme of conscience that neuer dieth which will in a lingring manner wast the conscience the soule and the wholâ— man because he shall be alwaies dying and neuer dead These sinnes are specially three Ignorance vnmortified affections worldly lusts Touching the first namely ignorance it is a great and vsuall impediment of good conscience For when the mind erreth or misconceiueth it doth mislead the conscience and deceiue the whole man The waie to auoid this impediment is to doe our indeauour that we may daiely increase in the knoweledge of the word of God that it may dwell in vs plentifully to this ende wee must pray with Dauid that he would open our eies that we might vnderstaÌ„d the wonders of his lawe and withall wee must daily search the Scriptures for vnderstanding as men vse to search the mines of the earth for gold ore Prou. 2.4 Lastly wee must labour for spirituall wisdome that wee might haue the right vse of gods word in euery particular action that being by it directed we may discerne what we may with good conscience doe or leaue vndone The second impediment is vnstaied and vnmortified affections which if they haue their swing as wild horses ouertuâ—ne the chariot with men and all so they ouerturne and ouercarrie the iudgement and conscience of man and therefore when they beare rule good conscience takes no place Now to preuent the daunger thâ—â— comes hereby this course must be followed When we would haue a sword or a knife not to hurt our selues or others we turne the edge of it And so that we may preuent our affections from hurting and annoying the conscience we must turne the course of them by directing them from our neighbours to our selues and our owne sinnes or by inclining them to God and Christ. For example choller and anger directs it selfe vpon euery occasion against our neighbour and thereby greatly indamageth the conscience Now the course of it is turned when we begin to be displeased and to be angrie with our selues for our owne sinnes Our loue set vpon the worlde is hurtfull to the conscience but when we once begin to set our loue on God in Christ and to loue the blood of Christ aboue all the world then contrariwise it is a furtherance of good conscience The third impediment is worldly lusts that is the loue and exceeding desire of riches honours pleasures Euery man is as Adam his good conscience is his paradise the forbidden fruit is the strong desire of these earthly things the serpent is the old enemie the deuill who if he may bee suffered to intangle vs with the loue of the world will straighâ— waie put vs out of our paradise and barre vs from al good conscience The remedie is to learne the lesson of Paul Phil. 4. 12. which is in euery estate in which God shal place vs to be content esteeming euermore the present condition the best for vs of all Now that this lesson may be learned we must further labour to
be resolued of Gods special prouidence towards vs in euery case condition of life when we haue so well profited in the schoole of Christ that we can see and acknowledge Gods prouidence goodnes as well in sicknes as in health in pouertie as in wealth in hunger as in fulnes in life as in death we shall be very well content whatsoeuer any way befalls vnto vs. The preseruatiues of good conscience are two the first is to preserue and cherish that sauing faith whereby we are perswaded of our reconciliatioÌ„ with God in Christ for this is the roote of good conscience as hath beene shewed Nowe this faith is cherished and confirmed by the daiely exercises of inuocation and repentance which be to humble our selues to bewaile and confesse our sinnes to God to condemne our selues for them to pray for pardon and strength against sinne to praise God and giue him thankes for his daily benefits And by the vnâ—ained and serious practise of these duties repentance and faith are daiely renewed and confirmed The second preseruatiue is the maintaining of the righteousnes of a good conscience which righteousnesse as I haue said is nothing els but a constant indeauour and desire to obey the wil of god in all things That this righteousnes may be kept to the end we must practise three rules The first is that we are to carry in our hearts a purpose neuer to sinne against God in any thing for where a purpose is of committing any sin wittingly and willingly there is neither good faith nor good conscience The second is to walke with God as Enoch did Gen. 5.24 which is to order the whole course of our liues as in the presence of God desiring to approoue all our doings euer vnto him Now this perswasion that wheresoeuer we are we doe stand in the presence of God is a notable meanes to maintaine sinceritie Ge. 17.1 I am god al-sufficient walke before me be perfect And the waÌ„t of this is the occasion of many offences as Abraham said Because I thought surely the feare of God is not in this place they will slay me for my wiues sake Gen. 20. 11. The third rule is carefully to walk in our particular callings doing the duties thereof to the glorie of God to the good of the common wealth and the edification of the Church auoiding therein fraud couetousnesse and ambition which cause men oftentimes to set their consciences on the tenters and make them stretch like cheuerill Thus we see how good conscience may be preserued Reasons to induce hereunto are many I. Gods straight commandement 1. Tim. 1.19 Keep faith and good conscience And Prou. 4.23 Keepe thine heart with all diligence II. The good conscience is the most tender part of the soule like to the apple of the eie which beeing pierced by the least pinne that may bee is not onely blemished but also looseth his sight Therefore as God doth to the eie so must wee deale with the conscience God giues to the eie certaine lids of flesh to defend and couer it from outward iniuries and so must we vse meanes to auoid whatsoeuer may offend or annoy conscience III Manifolde benefits redounde vnto vs by keeping good conscience First so long as we haue care to keepe it we keepe inioy all other gifts of Gods spirit Good conscience the rest of Gods graces are as a paire of turtle doues when the one seedes the other feedeth when the one likes not the other likes not when the one dies the other dies so where good conscience is maintained there are many other excellent gifts of God Hourishing and where conscience decaies they also decaie Againe good conscience giues alacritie vnto vs and boldnesse in calling on Gods name 1. Iohn 3.21 If our heart condemne vs not we haue boldnesse towards God Thirdly it makes vs patient in affliction comforts vs greatly when by reason of the grieuousnesse of our afflâ—ction wee are constrained to kneele on both knees and take vp our crosse regenerate conscience as a sweet companion or like a good Simon laies too his shoulder and helpes to beare one end of it Lastly when none can comfort vs it will be an amiable comforter a friend speaking sweetly vnto vs in the very agony and pang of death IV. Not to preserue the conscience without spot is the way to desperation It is the pollicy of the deuil to vse meanes to cast the conscience into the sleep of securitie that he may the more easily bring maÌ„ to his own destruction For as diseases if they be long neglected become incurable so the conscience much and often wounded admits little or no comfort Neither will it alwaies boote a man after many yeares to say at the last cast Lord be mercifull to me I haue sinned Though some be receiued to mercie in the time of death yet far more perish in desperation that liue in their sinnes wittingly and willingly against their owne conscience Pharao Saul and Iudas cried all peccaui I haue sinned against god yet Pharao is hardned more and more and perisheth Saul goeth on in his sinnes and despaireth Iudas made away himselfe And no maruel for the multitude of sinnes oppresse the conscience and make the heart to ouerflowe with such a measure of griefe that it can fasten no affiance in the mercie of God Lastly they that shall neglect to keepe good conscience procure many hurts and daungers and iudgements of God to themselues When a ship is on the sea if it bee not well gouerned or if there bee a breach made into it it drawes water and sinkes and so both men and wares and all in likelihood are cast away Nowe wee all are as passengers the world is an huge sea through which we must passe our ship is the conscience of euery man 1. Tim. 1.19 3.12 the wares are our religion and saluation all other gifts of God Therfore it standes vs in hand to be alwaies at the helme and to carrie our ship with as euen a course as possibly we can to the intended port of happines which is the saluation of our soules But if so be it we grow carelesse and make breaches in the ship of conscience by suffering it to dash vpon the rocks of sinne it is a thousand to one that we in the end shall cast away our selues and all wee haue And in the mean season as conscience decaies so proportionally all graces and goodnesse goes from vs Gods commandements begin to be vile vnto vs the knowledge thereof as also faith hope and the inuocation of Gods name decay Experience sheweth that men of excellent gifts by vsing badde conscience loose them all Finis A Reformed Catholike OR A DECLARATION SHEWing how neere we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of Religion and wherein we must for euer depart from them with an Aduertisment to all fauourers of the Romane Religion shewing how the
See Petrarch saith Once Rome now Babylon And Ireneus booke 5. chap. last said before all these that Antichrist should be Lateinus a Romane Againe this commandement must not so much be vnderstood of a bodily departure in respect of cohabitation and presence as of a spirituall separation in respect of faith and religion And the meaning of the holy Ghost is that men must depart from the Romish Church in regard of iudgement and doctrine in regard of their faith and the worship of God Thus then we see that the words containe a commandement from God inioyning his Church and people to make a separation froÌ„ Babylon Whence I obserue That all those who will be saued must depart and separate themselues froÌ„ the faith and religion of this present Church of Rome And whereas they are charged with schisme that separate on this manner the truth is they are not schismaticks that doe so because they haue the commandement of God for their warrant and that partie is the schismaticke in whome the cause of this separation lieth and that is the Church of Rome namely the cup of abomination in the whores hand which is their hereticall and schismaticall religion Now touching the dutie of separation I meane to speake at large not standing so much to prooue the same because it is euident by the text as to shew the manner and measure of making this separation and therein I will handle two things First how farforth we may ioyne with them in the matter of religion secondly how farforth and wherein we must dissent and depart from them And for this cause I meane to make choice of certaine points of religion and to speake of them in as good order as I can shewing in each of them our consent and difference and the rather because some harpe much vpon this string that a Vnion may be made of our two religions and that we differ not in substance but in points of circumstance The first point wherewith I meane to beginne shall be the point of Free-will though it be not the principall I. Our consent Freewill both by them and vs is taken for a mixt power in the minde and will of man whereby discerning what is good and what is euill he doth accordingly choose or refuse the same I. Conclus Man must be considered in a foure-fold estate as he was created as he was corrupted as he is renewed as he shal be glorified In the first estate we ascribe to mans will libertie of nature in which he could will or â—ill either good or euill in the third libertie of grace in the last libertie of glorie All the doubt is of the second estate and yet therein also we agree as the conclusions following will declare II. Conclus The matters where about freewill is occupied are principally the actions of men which be of three sorts naturall humane spirituall Naturall actions are such as are coÌ„mon to men with beasts as to eate drink sleepe heare see smell tast and to mooue from place to place in all which we ioyne with the Papists and hold that man hath freewil and euen since the fall of Adam by naturall power of the mind doth freely performe any of these actions or the like III. Conclus Humane actions are such as are common to all men good bad as to speake and vse reason the practise of all mechanicall and liberal arts and the outward performance of Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall duties as to come to the Church to speake and preach the word to reach out the hand to receiue the Sacrament and to lend the eare to listen outwardly to that which is taught And hither we may referre the outward actions of ciuill vertues as namely Iustice temperance gentlenes liberalitie And in these also we ioyne with the Church of Rome and say as experience teacheth that men haue a naturall freedome of will to put them or not to put them in execution Paul saith Rom. 2.14 The Gentiles that haue not the law doe the things of the law by nature that is by natural strength and he saith of himselfe that before his conuersion touching the righteousnes of the law he was vnblameable Phil. 3. 6. And for this externall obedience naturall men receiue reward in temporall things Matth. 6.5 Ezech. 29.19 And yet here some caueats must be remembred I. that in humane actions mans will is weake and feeble and his vnderstanding dimme and darke and thereupon he often failes in them And in all such actions with Augustine I vnderstand the will of man to be onely wounded or halfe dead II. That the will of man is vnder the will of God and therfore to be ordered by it as Ieremie saith chap. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe neither is in man to walke or direct his steppes IV. Conclus The third kind of actions are spirituall more neerely concerning the heart or conscience and these be two-fold they either concerne the kingdome of darknes or els the kingdome of God Those that concerne the kingdome of darknes are sinnes properly and in these we likewise ioyne with the Papists and teach that in sinnes or euill actions man hath freedome of wil. Some peraduenture will say that we sinne necessarily because he that sinneth cannot but sinne and that freewill necessitie cannot stand together Indeed the necessitie of compulsion or coaction and freewill cannot agree but there is another kind of necessitie which may stand with freedome of will for some things may be done necessarily and also freely A man that is in close prison must needes there abide and can not possibly get forth and walke where he will yet can he mooue himselfe freely and walke within the prison so likewise though mans will be chained naturally by the bonds of sinne and therefore cannot but sinne and thereupon sinneth necessarily yet doth it also sinne freely V. Conclus The second kind of spirituall actions or things concerne the kingdome of God as repentance faith the conuersion of a sinner new obedience and such like in which we likewise in part ioyne with the Church of Rome and say that in the first conuersion of a sinner mans freewill concurres with Gods grace as a fellow or coworker in some sort For in the conuersion of a sinner three things are required the word Gods spirit and mans will for mans will is not passiue in all euery respect but hath an actioÌ„ in the first coÌ„uersion and change of the soule When any man is conuerted this worke of God is not done by compulsion but he is conuerted willingly and at the very time when he is conuerted by Gods grace he wills his conuersion To this ende saide Augustine Serm. 15. de verb. Apost He which made thee without thee will not saue thee without thee Againe That is certen that our will is required in this that we may doe any good thing well but we haue it not from our owne
waies first not as causes thereof either conuersant adiuvant or procreant but onely as consequents of faith in that they are inseparable companions and fruits of that faith which is indeede necessarie to saluation Secondly they are as necessarie as markes in a way and as the way it selfe directing vs vnto eternall life III. We hold and beleeue that the righteous man is in some sort iustified by works for so the holy Ghost speaketh plainely and truly Iam. 2.21 That Abraham was iustified by workes Thus farre we ioyne with them and the very difference is this They say we are iustified by workes as by causes thereof we say that we are iustified by workes as by signes and fruits of our iustification before God and no otherwise and in this sense must the place of S. Iames be vnderstood that Abraham was iustified that is declared and made manifest to be iust indeed by his obedience and that euen before God Now that our doctrine is the truth it will appeare by reasons on both parts Our reasons I. Rom. 3.28 We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Some answer that ceremoniall workes be excluded here some that morall works some works going before faith But let them deuise what they can for themselues the truth is that Paul excludeth all works whatsoeuer as by the very text will appeare For v. 24. he saith We are iustified freely by his grace that is by the meere gift of God giuing vs to vnderstand that a sinner in his iustification is meerely passiue that is doing nothing on his part whereby God should accept him to life euerlasting And v. 27. he saith iustification by faith excludeth all boasting and therefore all kind of works are thereby excluded and specially such as are most of all the matter of boasting that is good workes For if a sinner after that he is iustified by the merit of Christ were iustified more by his owne workes then might he haue some matter of boasting in himselfe And that we may not doubt of Pauls meaning consider and read Eph. 2.8,9 By grace saith he you are saued tâ—rough faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast himselfe Here Paul excludes all and euery worke and directly workes of grace themselues as appeares by the reason following For we are his workemanshippe created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that weâ— should walke in them Nowe let the Papists tell me what bee the workes which God hath prepared for men to walke in and to which they are regenerate vnlesse they bee the most excellent workes of grace and let them marke howe Paul excludes them wholly from the worke of iustification and saluation II. Gal. 5.3 If ye be circumcised ye are bound to the whole lawe and ye are abolished from Christ. Here Paul disputeth against such men as would bee saued partly by Christ and partly by the workes of the lawe hence I reason thus If a man will be iustified by workes he is bound to fulfill the whole lawe according to the rigour thereof that is Pauls ground I nowe assume no man can fullfill the lawe according to the rigour thereof for the liues and workes of most righteous men are imperfect and stained with sinne and therefore they are taught euery day to say on this manner forgiue vs our debts Againe our knowledge is imperfect and therefore our faith repentance and sanctifiâ—atioÌ„ is answerable And lastly the regenerate man is partly flesh and partly spirit and therefore his best workes are partly from the flesh and in part onely spirituall Thus then for any man to bee bound to the rigour of the whole lawe is as much as if he were bound to his owne damnation III. Election to saluation is of grace without workes therefore the iustification of a sinner is of grace alone without workes For it is a certen rule that the cause of a cause is the cause of a thing caused Now grace without workes is the cause of election which election is the cause of our iustification therfore grace without workes is the cause of our iustification IV. A man must first be fully iustified before he can doe a good worke for the person must first please God before his works can please him But the person of a sinner cannot please God till he be perfectly iustified and therefore till hee be iustified he cannot doe so much as one good worke And thus good workes cannot be any meritorious causes of iustification after which they are both for time and order of nature In a word whereas they make two distinct iustifications we acknowledge that there be degrees of sanctification yet so as iustification is onely one standing in remission of sinnes and Gods acceptation of vs to life euerlasting by Christ and this iustification hath no degrees but is perfect at the very first Obiections of Papists Psal. 7.8 Iudge me according to my righteousnesse Hence they reason thus if Dauid be iudged according to his righteousnes then may he be iustified therby but Dauid desires to be iudged according to his righteousnes and therefore he was iustified thereby Ans. There be two kindes of righteousnesse one of the person the other of the cause or action The righteousnes of a mans person is whereby it is accepted into the fauour of God into life eternall The â—ighteousnes of the action or cause is when the action or cause is iudged of God to be good and iust Nowe Dauid in this psalme speaketh onely of the righteousnesse of the action or innocency of his cause in that he was falsely charged to haue sought the kingdome In like manner it is said of Phineas Psal. 166.31 that his fact in killing Zimri and Cosbie was imputed to him for righteousnes not because it was a satisfaction to the lawe the rigour whereof could not be fulfilled in that one worke but because God accepted of it as a iust worke and as a token of his righteousnes and zeale for Gods glorie II. Obiect The Scripture saith in sundrie places that men are blessed which doe good workes Psal. 119.1 Blessed is the man that is vpright in heart walketh in the lawe of the Lord. Ans. The man is blessed that indeauoureth to keep Gods commandements Yet is he not blessed simply because hee doth so but because he is in Christ by whome he doeth so and his obedience to the lawe of God is a signe thereof III. Obiect When man confesseth his sinnes and humbleth himselfe by praier and fasting Gods wrath is pacified and staied therefore praier and fasting are causes of iustification before God Answ. Indeede men that truely humble themselues by praier and fasting doe appease the wrath of God yet not properly by these actions but by their faith expressed and testified in theÌ„ whereby they apprehend that which appeaseth Gods wrath euen the merits of Christ in whome the
though we keepe not the lawe yet we may doe things of counsell aboue the lawe and thereby merit But by their leaues they speake absurdly for in common reason if a man faile in the lesse he cannot but faile in the greater Nowe as I haue said in popish doctrine it is easier to obey the morall lawe then to performe the counsells of perfection Obiections of Papists 1. Isay 56.4 The Lord saith vnto Eunuches that keep his sabbath and choose the thing that pleaseth him will hee giue a place and name better then the sonnes and daughters Nowe say they an Eunuch is one that liues a single life and keepes the vowe of chastitie and hereupon hee is saide to deserue a greater measure of glorie Answ. If the wordes bee well considered they prooue nothing lesse for honour is promised to Eunuches not because they make performe the vowe of single life but because as the text saith they obserue the Lords sabbath and choose the thing that pleaseth God and keepe his couenant which is to beleeue the word of God and to obey the commandemēts of the morall lawe Obiect II. Mark 16.12 Christ saith There are some which haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen therefore the vowe of single life is warrantable and is a worke of speciall glorie in heauen Ans. The meaning of the text is that some hauing receiued the gift of continencie do willingly content themselues with single estate that they may with more liberty without distraction further the good estate of the Church of God or the kingdome of grace in themselues others This is all that can be gathered out of this place hence therefore cannot be gathered the merit of euerlasting glorie by single life Obiect III. Math. 9.21 Christ saith to the young man If thou wilt be perfect goe sell that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen Therefore say they a man by forsaking all may merit not onely heauen but also treasure there that is an exceeding measure of glorie Ans. This yong man beeing in likelihood a strickt Pharise thought to merit eternall life by the workes of the law as his first question importeth Good master what shall I doe to be saued and therefore Christ goeth about to discouer vnto him the secret corruption of his heart And hereupon the wordes alleadged are a commandement of triall not common to all but especially to him The like commandement gaue the Lord to Abraham saying Abraham take thine onely sonne Isaac and offer him vpon the mountaine which I shall shew thee Gen. 12.2 IV. Obiect 1. Cor. 7.8 Paul saith It is good for all to be single as he was and v. 38. he saith it is better for virgins not to marrie and this he speakes by permission not by commandement v. 26. Answ. Here single life is not preferred simply but onely in respect of the present necessitie because the Church was then vnder persecution and because such as liue a single life are freed from the cares and distractions of the world V. Obiect 1. Cor. 9.15,17,18 Paul preached the gospell freely and that was more then he was bound to doe and for so doing hee had a reward Answ. It was generally in Pauls libertie to preach the gospel freely or not to doe it but in Corinth vpon special circumstances he was bound in conscience to preach it freely as he did by reason of the false teachers who would otherwise haue taken occasion to disgrace his ministery and haue hindred the glorie of God Now it was Pauls dutie by all means to preuent the hinderances of the gospel and the glory of god and if he had not so done he had abused his liberty v. 18. Therefore he did no more in that case then the lawe it selfe required For an action indifferent or an action in our libertie ceaseth to bee in our libertie and becomes morall in the case of offence What is more free and indifferent then to eate flesh yet in the case of offence Paul said he would not eate flesh as long as the world stood 1. Cor. 8.13 The XIV point Of the worshipping of Saints specially of Inuocation Our consent Conclus I. The true Saints of God as Prophets Apostles and Martyrs and such like are to be worshipped and honoured and that three waies I. by keeping a memorie of them in godly manner Thus the Virgin Marie as a prophetesse foretelleth that all nations shall call her blessed Luk. 1.48 When a certaine woman poured a boxe of oyntment on the head of Christ he saith this fact shall be spoken in remembrance of her wheresoeuer that Gospell should be preached throughout the world Mark 14.9 This dutie also was practised by Dauid toward Moses Aaron Phineas and the rest that are commended Psal. 105. and 106. and by the author of the epistle to the Ebrewes vpon the Patriarkes and Prophets and many others that excelled in faith in the times of the old and new testament II. They are to be honoured by giuing of thankes to God for them and the benefits that God vouchsafed by them vnto his Church Thus Paul saith that when the Churches heard of his cōuersion they glorified God for him or in him Gal. 1.13 And the like is to be done for the Saints departed III. They are to be honoured by an imitation of their faith humilitie meeknes repentance the feare of God and all good vertues wherein they excelled For this cause the examples of godly men in the old and new testament are called a cloud of witnesses by allusion for as the cloud did guide the Israelites through the wildernes to the land of Canaan so the faithfull now are to be guided to the heauenly Canaan by the examples of good men that haue beleeued in God before vs and haue walked the strait way to life euerlasting Concl. II. Againe their true Reliques that is their vertues and good examples left to all posteritie to be followed we keepe and respect with due reuerence Yea if any man can shew vs the bodily relique of any true Saint and prooue it so to be though we will not worship it yet will we not despise it but keepe it as a monument if it may conueniently be done without offence And thus farre we consent with the church of Rome Further we must not goe The dissent Our difference standes in the manner of worshipping of Saints The Papists make two degrees of religious worship The highest they call Latria whereby God himselfe is worshipped and that alone The second lower then the former is called Doulia whereby the Saints and Angels that be in the speciall fauour of God and glorified with euerlasting glorie in heauen are worshipped This worship they place in outward adoration in bending of the knee and bowing of the body to them being in heauen in inuocation whereby they call vpon them in dedication of Churches and houses of religion vnto them in sabbaths and festiuall
daies lastly in pilgrimages vnto their reliques and images We likewise distinguish adoration or worship for it is either religious or ciuill Religious worship is that which is done to him that is Lord of all things the searcher and trier of the heart omnipotent euery where present able to heare and helpe them that call vpon him euery where the author and first cause of euery good thing and that simply for himselfe because he is absolute goodnes it selfe And this worship is due to God alone beeing also commanded in the first and second commandement of the fist table Ciuill worship is the honour done to men set aboue vs by God himselfe either in respect of their excellent gifts or in respect of their offices authoritie whereby they gouerne others The right ende of this worship is to testifie and declare that we reuerence the gifts of God and that power which hee hath placed in those that be his instruments And this kind of worship is commanded onely in the second table and in the first commandement thereof Honour thy father and mother Vpon this distinction wee may iudge what honour is due to euery one Honour is to bee giuen to God and to whome hee commandeth He commandeth that inferiours should honour or worshippe their betters Therefore the vnreasonable creatures and among the rest images are not to be worshipped either with ciuill or religious worship being indeede far baser then man himselfe is Againe vncleane spirits the enemies of God must not be worshipped yea to honour them at all is to dishonour god Good angels because they excell men both in nature and gifts when they appeared were lawfully honoured yet so as when the least signification of honour was giuen that was proper to god they refused it And because they appeare not now as in former times not so much as ciuil adoration in any bodily gesture is to be done vnto them Lastly gouernours and Magistrates haue ciuill adoration as their due and it can not be omitted without offence Thus Abraham worshipped the Hittites Gen. 23. and Ioseph his brethren Gen. 50. To come to the very point vpon the former distinction we denie against the Papists that any ciuil worship in the bending of the knee or prostrating of the bodie is to be giuen to the Saints they being absent from vs much lesse any religious worship as namely inuocation signified by any bodily adoratiō For it is the very honour of God himselfe let them call it latria or doulia or by what name they will Our reasons Reason I. All true inuocation and praier made according to the will of God must haue a double foundation a commandement and a promise A commandement to mooue vs to pray and a promise to assure vs that we shall be heard For all and euery praier must be made in faith and without a commandement or promise there is no faith Vpon this vnfallible ground I conclude that we may not pray to Saints departed for in the scripture there is no word either commanding vs to pray vnto them or assuring vs that wee shall be heard when we praie Nay we are commanded only to cal vpon God him only shalt thou serue Mat. 4.10 And How shall we call vpon him in whom we haue not beleeued Ro. 10.14 And we haue no promise to be heard but for Christs sake Therefore praiers made to Saints departed are vnlawefull Answere is made that inuocation of Saints is warranted by miracles and reuelations which are answerable to commandements and promises Ans. But miracles reuelations had an end before this kind of inuocation tooke any place in the Church of God and that was about three hundred yeares after Christ. Again to iudge of any point of doctrine by miracles is deceitfull vnlesse three things concur the first is doctrine of faith and pietie to be confirmed the second is praier vnto God that some thing may be done for the ratifying of the said doctrine the third is the manifest edification of the Church by the two former Where any of these three are wanting miracles may be suspected because otherwhiles false prophets haue their miracles to trie men whether they will cleaue vnto God or no Deut. 13.1,3 Againe miracles are not done or to bee done for them that beleeue but for infidels that beleeue not as Paul saith 1. Cor. 14.22 Tongues are a signe not to thē that beleeue but to vnbeleeuers And to this agree Chrysostom Ambrose Isidore who saith Behold a signe is not necessarie to beleeuers which haue alreadie beleeued but to infidels that they may bee conuerted Lastly our faith is to be confirmed not by reuelations and apparitions of dead mē but by the writings of the Apostles prophets Luk. 16.29 Reason II. To pray vnto Saints departed to bowe the knee vnto them while they are in heauen is to ascribe that vnto them which is proper to God himselfe namely to knowe the heart with the inward desires and motions thereof and to know the speeches and behauiours of all men in all places vpon earth at all times The Papists answer that Saints in heauen see and heare all things vpon earth not by themselues for that were to make them Gods but in God and in the glasse of the Trinitie in which they see mens praiers reuealed vnto them I answer first that the Saints are still made more thē creatures because they are said to knowe the thoughts and all the doings of all mē at all times which no created power can well comprehend at once Secondly I answer that this glasse in which all things are said to be seene is but a forgerie of mans braine and I prooue it thus The angels themselues who see further into God then men can do neuer knewe all things in God which I confirme on this manner In the temple vnder the lawe vpon the arke were placed two Cherubins signifying the good angels of god they looked downward vpon the mercieseat couering the arke which was a figure of Christ their looking downward figured their desire to see into the mystery of Christs incarnation and our redemption by him as Peter alluding no doubt to this type in the olde Testament saith 1 Pet. 1.12 which things the angels desired to beholde and Paul saith Eph. 3.10 The manifold wisdome of God is reuealed by the Church vnto principalities and powers in heauenly places that is to the angels but howe and by what meanes by the Church and that two waies first by the Church as by an example in which the angels saw the endlesse wisdome and mercie of God in the calling of the Gentiles Secondly by the Church as it was founded and honoured by the preaching of the Apostles For it seemes that the Apostolicall ministerie in the new testament reuealed things touching Christ which the angels neuer knewe before that time Thus Chrysostome vpon occasion of this text of Paul saith that the angels learned some things by the preaching
consecration of the host in which they make their Breaden-god in exorcismes ouer holy bread holy water and salt in the casting out or driuing away of deuils by the signe of the crosse by solemne coniurations by holy water by the ringing of bels by lighting tapers by reliques and such like For these things haue not their supposed force either by creation or by any institution of God in his holy word and therefore if any thing be done by theÌ„ it is from the secret operation of the deuill himselfe The fift sinne is that in their doctrine they maintaine periurie because they teach with one consent that a papist examined may answer doubtfully against the direct intention of the examiner framing an other meaning vnto himselfe in the ambiguitie of his wordes Aâ— for example when a man is asked whether he said or heard Masse in such a place though hee did they affirme he may say no and sweare vnto it because he was not there to reueale it to the examiner whereas in the very lawe of nature he that takes an oath should sweare according to the intention of him that hath power to minister an oath and that in trueth iustice â—â—â—gement Let them cleere their doctrine from all defence of periurie if they can The sixâ— sinne is that they reuerse many of Gods commaundements making that no sinne which Gods word makes a sinne Thus they teach that if any man steale some little thing that is thought not to cause any notable hurt it is no mortall sinne that the officious lie the lie made in sport are veniall sinnes that to pray for our enemies in particular is no precept but a counsell and that none is bound to salute his enemie in the way of friendship flat against the rule of Christ Mat. 5.47 where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth al manner of dutie and curtesie that rash iudgement though consent â—â—me thereto is regularly but a veniall sin that it is lawfull otherwhiles to faine holines that the painting of the face is ordinarily but a veniall sinne that it is not lawfull to forbid begging wheras the Lord forbade there should be any beggar in Israel Againe they teach that men in their choller when they are chiding and sweare woundes and blood are not indeede blasphemers Lastly their writers vse manifest lying to iustifie their doctrine They plead falsely that all antiquitie is on theâ—r side whereas it is as much against them as for them and as much for vs as them Againe their manner hath bin and is still to prooue their opinions by forged and counterfeit writings of men some whereof I will name 1 Saint Iames Liturgie 2 The Canons of the Apostles 3 The bookes of Dionysius Ariopagita and namely De Hierarchia Ecclesiastica 4 The Decretall Epistles of the Popes 5 Pope Clements workes 6 Some of the Epistles of Ignatius 7 Origens booke of repentance His homelies in diuersos sanctos Commentaries â—â— Iob and booke of Lamentation 8 Chrysostomes Liturgie 9 Basils liturgie and his Ascetica 10 Augustines booke de 8. quest Dulcity A booke of true and false repentance Ser. de festo commemorationis animarum booke de dogm Ecclesiast Sermon ad fratres in Heremo Sermon of Peters chaire Booke of visiting the sicke c. 11 Iustin Martyrs Questions and Answ. 12 Athanasius epistle to Pope Foelix 13 Bernards sermons of the Lords supper 14 Hieromes epistle ad Demetriadem sauouring of Pelagius 15 Tertullian de Monogamia 16 Cyprian de Chrismate de ablutione pedum 17 In the Councell of Sardica the 3,4 and 5. canons are forged 18 In the Councell of Nice all saue 20. are forged 19 Certaine Romane Councels vnder Sylvester are forged For he was at this time dead and therefore could not confirme them Sozom. lib. 2. 20 To the sixt canon of the Councell of Nice are patched these words That the Romane church hath alwaies had the Supremacie 21 Lastly I will not omit that Pope Sozimus Bonifacius and Coelestinus falsified the canons of the councell of Nice to prooue appeales from all places to Rome so as the Bishops of Africke were forced to send for the true copies of the said councell from Constantinople and the Churches of Greece I might here rehearse many other sinnes which with the former call for vengeance vpon the Romane Church but it shal suffice to haue named a few of the principall Now in this reason our Sauiour Christ prescribes another maine dutie to his owne people and that is to be carefull to eschew all the sinnes of the Church of Rome that they may withall escape her deserued plagues and punishmeÌ„ts And froÌ„ this prescribed dutie I obserue two things The first is that euery good seruant of God must carefully auoid contracts of marriage with professed Papists that is with such as hold the Pope for their head and beleeue the doctrine of the Councell of Trent For in such matches men hardly keepe faith and good conscience and hardly auoid communication with the sinnes of the Romane church A further ground of this doctrine I thus propound In Gods word there is mentioned a double league betweene man and man countrie and countrie The first is the league of concord when one kingdome bindes it selfe to liue in peace with another for the maintenance of trafficke without disturbance and this kind of league may stand betweene Gods church and the enemies thereof The second is the league of amitie which is when men people or countries binde themselues to defend each other in all causes and to make the warres of the one the warres of the other and this league may not be made with those that be enemies of God Iehosaphat otherwise a good king made this kind of league with Ahab and is therfore reprooued by the prophet saying Wouldest thou helpe the wicked and loue them that hate the Lord 2. Chr. 19.2 Now the mariages of Protestants with Papists are priuate leagues of amitie betweene person and person and therefore not be allowed Againe Malac. 2.11 Iudah hath defiled the holinesse of the Lord which he loued and hath married the daughters of a strange God where is â—latly condemned marriages made with the people of a false god nowe the papists by the consequents of their doctrine and religion turne the true Iehoua into an idol of their own braine as I haue shewed the true Christ reuealed in the writteÌ„ word into a fained Christ made of bread Yet if such a marriage be once made and finished it may not be dissolued For such parties sinne not simply in that they marrie but because they marrie not in the Lord being of diuers religions The fault is not in the substance of marriage but in the manner of making it and for this cause the Apostle commaundes the beleeuing partie not to forsake or refuse the vnbeleeuing partie beeing a very infidel which no Papist is if he or shee will abide 1. Cor. 7.13 The second thing
Augustine againe saith That the vertue which is now in a iust man is thus far forth perfect that vnto the perfection thereof there belongs a true acknowledgemeÌ„t and an humble confession of the imperfection thereof A broken and a contrite heart after an offence is as much with God as if there had beene no offence at all and therefore so soone as Dauid after his grieuous fall in heauinesse of heart confessed his sinne saying in effect but thâ—s much I haue sinned the prophet in the name of the Lord pronounceth tâ—â— pardon of his sinne in heaueÌ„ and that presently V. Conclusion He that hath begun to subiect himselfe to Christ and his word though as yet he be ignorant in most points of religion yet if he haue a care to increase in knowledge to practise that which he knoweth he is accepted of God as a true beleeuer The Exposition SVndrie persons by the Euangelists are said to beleeue which had onely seene the miracles of Christ and as yet had made no further proceedings but to acknowledge Christ to be the Messias to submit themselues to him and his doctrine which afterward should be taught On this maner the woman of Samaria beleeued and many of the Samaritans vpon her report a certaine ruler by reason of a miracle wrought vpon his son is said to beleeue all his houshould Ioh. 4.42.52 when our Sauiour Christ commendeth the faith of the Apostles tearming it a rock against which the gates of hel should not preuaile it was not for the pleÌ„tiful knowledge of the doctrine of saluatioÌ„ for they were ignorant of many articles of faith as namely of the death resurrection ascension and kingdome of Christ but because they beleeued him to be the sonne of God and the Sauiour of mankind and they had withall resolued themselues to cleaue vnto him and the blessed doctrine of saluation which he taught though as yet they were ignorant in many points The holy Ghost commendeth the faith of Rahab when shee receiued the spies Now this her faith was indeede but a seede and beginning of liuely faith for then shee had onely heard of the miracles done in Egypt and of the deliuerance of the Israelites and was thereupon smitten with a feare and had conceiued a resolution with her selfe to ioyne her selfe to the Israelites and to worship the true God Now these and the like are tearmed beleeuers vpon iust cause for though they be ignorant as yet yet their ignorance shall be no continuing or lasting ignorance and they haue excellent seedes of grace namely a purpose of heart to cleaue to Christ and a care to profit in the doctrine of saluation VI. Conclusion The foresaid beginnings of grace are counterfait vnlesse they encrease The Exposition THe wickednesse of mans nature and the depth of hypocrisie is such that a man may and can easily transforme himselfe into the counterfeit and resemblance of any grace of God Therefore I put downe here a certen note whereby the gifts of God may be discerned namely that they grow vp and increase as the graine of Musterd-seede to a great tree and beare fruit answerably The grace in the heart is like the grain of Musterd-seed in two things First it is small to see to at the beginning secondly after it is cast into the ground of the heart it increaseth speedily and spreads it selfe Therefore if a man at the first haue but some little feeling of his wants some weake and faint desire some small obedience he must not let this sparke of grace goe out but these motions of the spirit must be encreased by the vse of the word sacrameÌ„ts and prayer and they must daily be stirred vp by meditating indeuouring striuing asking seeking knocking The master deliuering his talents to his seruants saith vnto them occupie till I come and not hide them in the earth Math. 25.26 Paul vseth an excellent speech to Timothie I exhort thee to stirre vp the gift of God which is in thee namely as fire is stirred vp by often blowing and by putting to of wood 2. Tim. 1.6 As for such motions of the heart that last for a weeke or moneth and after vanish away they are not to be regarded and the Lord by the Prophet Osea complaineth of them saying O Ephraim thy righteousnes is like the morning dewe Therefore considering grace vnlesse it be confirmed and exercised is indeede no grace I will here adde certaine rules of direction that we may the more easily put in practise the spirituall exercises of inuocation faith and repentance and thereby also quicken and reuiue the seedes and beginnings of grace 1 In what place soeuer thou art whether alone or abroad by day or by night and whatsoeuer thou art doing set thy selfe in the presence of God let this perswasion alwaies take place in thy heart that thou art before the liuing God and doe thy indeauour that this perswasion may smite thy heart with awe and reuerence and make thee afraid to sinne This counsell the Lord gaue Abraham Gen. 17.1 Walke before me and be vpright This thing also was practised by Enoch who for this cause is saide to walke before God 2 Esteeme of euery present day as of the day of thy death and therefore liue as though thou were dying and doe those good duties euery day that thou wouldest doe if thou wert dying This is Christian watchfulnes and remember it 3 Make catalogues and bills of thine own sinnes specially of those sinnes that haue most dishonoured God and wounded thine owne conscience set them before thee often specially then when thou hast any particular occasion of renuing thy repentance that thy heart by this doleful sight may be further humbled This was Dauids practise when he considered his waies and turned his feete to Gods commandements Psal. 119.57 and when he confessed the sinnes of his youth Psal. 25. This was Iobs practise when he saide he was not able to answer one of a thousand of his sinnes vnto God Iob 9.1 4 When thou first openest thine eies in a morning pray to God and giue thanks heartily God then shall haue his honour and thy heart shall be the better for it the whole day following For we see in experience that vessells keepe long that tast of that liquour wherewith they are first seasoned And when thou liest downe let that be the last also for thou knowest not whether falne asleepe thou shall euer rise againe aliue Good therefore it is that thou shouldest giue vp thy selfe into the hands of God whilst thou art waking 5 Labour to see and feele thy spirituall pouertie that is to see the want of grace in thy selfe specially those inward corruptions of vnbeleefe pride selfe-loue c. Labour to be displeased with thy selfe and labour to feele that by reason of them thou standest in neede of euery droppe of the bloode of Christ to heale and clense thee from these wants and let this practise take such place with
whersoeuer was thunder or earthquakes seditions or tumults or any disquietnesse or trouble Christians were accused as the authors thereof Such enemies haue they had in all ages and in these our daies the same is practised and will bee to the worldes ende Nowe when the first witnesses could not agree among theÌ„selues then two other false witnesses came forth which auouched that Christ said I will destroy this temple made with hands within three daies will build another made without handes Indeede Christ said some such wordes for saith he Destroy this temple and within three daies I will build it vp againe But he spake this of the temple of his bodie whereas they malitiously did interpret him to haue spoken of the temple in Ierusalem And againe they change the wordes for Christ said Destroy this temple c. but these witnesses affirme he said I will destroy this temple made with hands c. And thus they change both words and meaning and therefore the Holy Ghost calleth them false witnesses By this we must be aduertised to take heed howe we report mens wordes for if wee change the meaning though in part we retaine the wordes we may soone become slanderers and false witnesses and as this dutie must be performed towards all men so especially towards the ministers of the Gospel and the neglect of this dutie procureth many slaunders to theÌ„ in this our Church whereof indeede the reâ—orters are the cause and not the ministers themselues Now at this false accusation Christ was silent so as Caiphas asked him why he answered nothing Herein we are to consider many things I. why Christ was silent The causes be two first he was to shewe himselfe a patterne of true humilitie patience therfore euen then would he be silent wheÌ„ he was most falsely accused of his aduersaries Secondly he is silent that standing before the iudge to be condemned the sentence might proceed against him and hee might suffer the death appointed which was due vnto vs and so become our redeemer And in Christs example we must note that it is a speciall dutie to knowe when to speake and when to be silent The ordering of the tongue is a rare gift and few attaine vnto it Some will peraduenture aske what rule wee haue to direct vs herein Ans. The general rule for the ordering of the tongne is the lawe of God We are commanded to seeke the glorie of God in the first table and in the second the good of our neighbour when thy speech therefore will serue either for Gods glorie or the good of thy neighbor then thou must speake if it serue for neither then bee silent Againe if thy silence bee either for Gods glorie or the good of thy neighbour then be silent if it wil not then speake And because it is hard for a man to knowe when his speech or silence will serue for these two ends therfore we must praie vnto God that hee will teach and direct vs herein as Dauid doth Set a watch saith he O Lord before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lippes and againe Open thou my lipps O Lord and my mouth shall shewe forth thy praise Thus much for the false witnesses produced Now followeth the third point which is the adiuring of Christ for Caiphas the high priest charged him to tel him whether he were the Christ the sonne of God or no. To adiure a man is to charge and command him in the name of God to declare a trueth not onely because God is witnesse thereof but also because he is a iudge to reuenge if he speake not the trueth Thus Paul adiured the Thessalonians charging them in the Lord that his epistle should be read vnto all the brethren the Saints And the like doth Caiphas to Christ. And heaâ—e is a thing to be wondred at Caiphas the high priest adiureth him in the name of God who is very God euen the Sonne of God And this shewes what a small account hee made of the name of God for hee did it onely to get aduantage on Christs wordes and so do many nowe adaies who for a little profit or gaine make a matter of nothing to abuse the name of God a thousand waies Christ beeing thus adiured though silent before yet nowe in reuerence to Gods maiestieâ— answered and said first Thou hast said it and in Saint Marke I am he In this answer appeares the wonderful prouidence of god For though Caiphas take hence the occasion of condemning Christ yet hath he withall drawne from him a most excellent confession that he is the Sonne of God our alone Sauiour And by this meanes he proceeds to shut heauen against himselfe and to open the same for vs. Thus we haue ended the first inditement of Christ before Caiphas Nowe followeth the second which was before Pontius Pilate in the common hall at Ierusalem The historie of it is set downe at large in all the Euangelists In this second inditemeÌ„t of Christ that we may referre euery matter to his place we are to obserue foure things I the accusation of Christ before Pilate II. his examination III. Pilates pollicie to saue Christ. IV. Pilats absoluing of him and then the condemnation of Christ in both courts Ecclesiasticall and ciuill of these in order In Christs accusation we must consider many points The first is who were his accusers namely the high Priest the Scribes and Pharisies and Elders of the people and the common people all these conspired togither to accuse him The cause that mooued the Pharises and Elders of the people hereunto is noted by Saint Matthew who saith of enuie they deliuered him Enuie is nothing but a sadnesse in a mans heart at the prosperitie of his better And it raigned in the Scribes and Pharises and the occasion was this Christ had taught most heauenly doctrine and confirmed the same by most wonderfull miracles and did greatly exceede them all and was in more account among the people and for this cause the Scribes and Pharises high Priests repined and grudged at him Now their example serues to admonish vs to take heede of this sinne as beeing the mother of many mischiefes And we must rather follow the example of Moses who when Iosua desired him to forbid Eldad and Medad to prophecie answered Enuiest thou for my sake yea I would to God all the lords people were prophets And we must be of the same minde with Iohn Baptist who hearing by his disciples that the people left him and followed Christ said his ioy was fulfilled for Christ must increase and he must decrease And so we must be glad and content when we see the prosperitie of our neighbours any way Now the cause why the common people ioyne with them was because the chiefe Priests and the Scribes Elders had perswaded them to a bad conceit of Christ. Hence it appeares that it is most requisite for any people
be they neuer so good to haue good magistrates godly rulers to gouerne them by wise and godly counsell The necessitie hereof was well knowne to Iethro Moses father in law though he were a heathen man for he biddeth Moses to prouide among all the people men of couragâ— fearing God men dealing truly hating couetousnesse and appoint them to be rulers ouer the people Teaching vs that if couetous malitious and vngodly men not fearing Godâ— goe before the people they also shall in all likelihood be carried into the like sinnes by their example The next point concernes the place where they accuse him which was at the doore of the common hall for hauing brought him before the counsell at Ierusalem and there condemned him of blasphemie afterward they bring him into the common hall where Pilate sate iudge Yet did they not enter in but staied without at the dore least they should be defiled and be made vnfit to eate the passeouer In which practise of theirs we are to marke an example of most notable both superstition and most grosse hypocrisie For they make no bones to accuse and arraigne a man most iust and innocent and yet are very strict and curious in an outward ceremonie And in like maner they make no conscience to giue thirtie pieces of siluer to betray Christ but to cast the same into the treasurie they make it a great and heinous offence And for this cause Christ pronounceth a woe vnto the Scribes and Pharises calling them hypocrites for saith he you tithe mynt anyse and commin and leaue the weightie matters of the law as iudgement and mercie And the very same thing we see practised of the Church of Rome at this day and of sundrie Papists that liue amoÌ„gst vs they will not eate flesh in Lent or vpon any of the Popes fasting daies for any thing and yet the same men make no conscience of seeking the bloode of the Lords annointed and their dread soueraigne And in this we see the most palpable and most grosse hypocrisie of those that be of that Church But shall we thinke that our owne Church is free from such men no assuredly for take a view of the profession that is vsed among the people of England and it will appeare that they place their whole religion for the most part in the obseruation of certaine ceremonies The manner of most men is to come to the place of assemblies where God is worshipped there mumble vp the Lords prayer the commandements and the beleefe in stead of praiers which being done God is well serued thinke they whereas in the meane season they neglect to learne and practise such things as are taught them for their saluation by the ministers of Gods word At the feast of Easter euery man will be full of deuotion and charitie and come to receiue the Lords Supper as though he were the holiest man in the world but when the time is past all generally turne to their old by as againe and all the yeare after liue as they list making no conscience of lying slandering fraud and deceit in their affaires among men But we must know that there is no soundnes of religion but grosse hypocrisie in all such men they worship God with their lippes but there is no power of godlinesse in their hearts The third point is concerning the partie to whome they make this accusation against Christ namely not to a Iewe but to a Gentile for hauing condemned him in their Ecclesiasticall court before Caiphas the high priest they bring him to Pontius Pilate the deputie of Tiberius Caesar in Iudea Where we must obserue the wonderfull prouidence of God in that not onely the Iewes but the Gentiles also had a stroke in the arraignment of Christ that that might be true which the Apostle saith God shut vp all vnder sinne that he might haue mercie vpon all The fourth point is the matter of their accusation they accuse our Sauiour Christ of three things I. that he seduced the people II. that he forbad to pay tribute to Caesar. III. that he saide he was a king Let vs well consider these accusations especially the two last because they are flat contrarie both to Christs preaching and to his practise For when the people would haue made him a King after he had wrought the miracle of the fiue loaues two fishes the text saith he departed from among them vnto a mountaine himselfe alone Secondly when tribute was demanded of him for Caesar though he were the Kings sonne and therefore was freed yet saith he to Peter least we should offend them goe to the sea and cast in an angle and take the first fish that commeth vp and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt finde a piece of twentie pence that take and giue vnto them for thee and me And when he was called to be a iudge to deuide the inheritance betweene two brethren he refused to doe it saying Who made me a iudge betweene you Therefore in these two things they did most falsly accuse him Whereby we learne that nothing is so false and vntrue but the slanderer dare lay it to the charge of the innocent the tongues of the slanderers are sharpe swords and venemous arrowes to wouÌ„d their enemies their throats are open sepulchres the poyson of aspes is vnder their lippes If a man speake gracious words his tongue is touched with the fire of Gods spirit but as S. Iames saith the tongue of the wicked is fire yea a world of wickednes and it is set on fire with the fire of hell therefore let this example be a caueat to vs all to teach vs to take heede of slandering for the deuill then speakes by vs and kindles our tongues with the fire of hell The fifth point is the manner of their accusation which is diligently to be marked for they doe not onely charge him with a manifest vntruth but they beseech Pilate to put him to death crying Crucifie him crucifie him in so much that Pontius Pilate was afraid of them where we see how these shamelesse Iewes goe beyond their compasse and the bounds of all accusers whose dutie is to testiâ—ie onely what they know Now in the matter of this their accusation appeares their wonderfull inconstancie For a little before when Christ came to Ierusalem riding vpon an asse shewing some signes of his kingly authoritie they cut downe branches from the trees and strawed them in the way crying Hosanna Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord but now they sing another song and in stead of Hosanna they crie Crucifie him crucifie him And the like inconstancie is to be found in the people of these our times They vse to receiue any religion that is offered vnto them for in the daies of King Edward the sixth the people of England receiued the Gospel of Christ but shortly after in Queene Maries time the same
iustification of a sinner before God For the cause of a cause is also the cause of the thing caused but foreseene faith is an impulsiue cause whereby God was mooued to choose some men to saluation as it is saide and therefore it is not onely an instrument to apprehend Christs righteousnesse but also a cause or meanes to mooue God to iustifie a sinner because iustification proceedes of Election which comes of foreseene faith now this is erroneous by the doctrine of all Churches vnlesse they be Popish Fifthly this doctrine takes it for graunted that all both young and olde euen Infants that die in their infancie haue knowledge of the Gospell because both faith and vnbeleefe in Christ presuppose knowledge of our saluation by him considering that neither ordinarily nor extraordinarily men beleeue or contemne the thing vnknowne But how false this is euen common experience doth shew Lastly this platforme quite ouerthrowes it selfe For whereas all men equally corrupt in Adam are effectually both redeemed and called the difference betweene man and man standes not in beleeuing or not beleeuing for all haue power to beleeue but in this properly that some are confirmed in faith some are not Now when all without exception are indued with grace sufficient to saluation I demaund why some men are confirmed in grace and others not confirmed as also of Angels some were confirmed and stand and some not confirmed fell No other reason can be rendered but the will of God And to this must all come striue as long as they will that of men beeing in one and the same estate some are saued some iustly forsaken because God would Againe as the foreseeing of â—aith doth presuppose Gods giuiâ—g of faith vnlesse men will say it is naturall so the foreseeing of faith in some men alone doth presuppose the giuing of faith to some men alone But why doth not God conferre the grace of constant faith to all no other reason can be rendered but because he will not Thus then those men whose faith was foreseene are saued not because their faith was foreseene but because God would The third fault is that they ascribe vnto God a conditionall Purpose or counsell whereby he decrees that all men shall be saued so be it they will beleeue For it is euery way as much against common sense as if it had bin saide that God decreed nothing at all concerning man A conditionall sentence determines nothing simply but conditionally and therefore vncertenly and when we speake of God to determine vncertenly is as much as if he had determined nothing at all specially when the thing determined is in the power of mans wil and in respect of God the decree may come to passe or not come to passe Men if they might alwaies haue their choise desire to determine of all their affaires simply without condition and when they doe otherwise it is either because they know not the euent of things or because things to be don are not in their power No reason therefore that we should burden God with that whereof we would disburden our selues Againe the maiestie of God is disgraced in this kind of decree God for his part would haue all men to be saued why then are they not men will not keepe the condition and beleeue This is flat to hang Gods will vpon mans will to make euery man an Emperour and God his vnderling and to change the order of nature by subordinating Gods will which is the first cause to the will of man which is the second cause whereas by the very law of nature the first cause should order and dispose the second cause But for the iustifying of a conditionall decree it is alleadged that there is no eternall and hidden decree of God beside the Gospel which is Gods predestination reuealed Ans. It is an vntruth There be two wills in God one whereby he determineth what he will doe vnto vs or in vs the other whereby he determineth what we shall doe to him Now Predestination is the first whereupon it is commonly defined to be the preparation of the blessing of God whereby they are deliuered which are deliuered and the Gospel is the second Againe Predestination determines who they are and how many which are to be saued and hereupon Christ saith I know whom I haue chosen but the Gospel rather determines what kind of ones and how they must be qualified which are to be saued Lastly Predestination is Gods decree it selfe and the Gospel is an outward meanes of the execution of it and therefore though the Gospel be propounded with a conditionâ— yet the decree of God it selfe may be simple and absolute The fourth defect is the opinion of Vniuersall sauing grace aâ—pertaining to all and euery man which may be fitly tearmed the Schoole of vniuersall Atheisme For it pulls downe the pale of the Church and laies it wast as euery common field it breeds a carelesnes in the vse of the means of grace the word and Sacraments when as men shall be perswaded that grace shal be offered to euery one effectually whether he be of the Church or not at one time or other wheresoeuer or howsoeuer he liue as in the like case if meÌ„ should be told that whether they liue in the market towne or no there shall be sufficient prouision brought them if they will but receiue it and accept of it who would then come to the market Vniuersall grace hath three parts Vniuersall Election vniuersall Redemption vniuersall Vocation Vniuersall Election of all and euery man is a witlesse conceit for if men vniuersally be appointed to grace without exception then there is no electing or choosing of some out of mankind to grace and if some alone be appointed to grace as it must needes be in election then is not grace vniuersall And it is flat against the word of God For Christ auoucheth plainely that fewer be chosen then called and as afterward we shall see all are not called And he further saith that all which are giuen vnto him shall be one with him and haue life euerlasting but all men shall not be one with him and haue life euerlasting and therefore all men are not giuen to Christ of the father that is ordained to saluation And the Scripture saith that all mens names are not written in the booke of life and that the kingdome of heauen was not prepared for all And whereas men build this their vniuersall election vpon the largenesse of the promise of the Gospel vpon the like ground they might as well make an vniuersall decree of Reprobation whereby God decrees all men to be damned indefinitely vpon this condition if they doe not beleeue Now if vniuersall Reprobation be absurd as it is indeede then vniuersall Election of all and euery man must take part therewith As for the vniuersall Redemption of all and euery man it is no better then a forgerie of mans braine There shall be many
another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shal deliuer me from this bodie of death The second maner of Gods forsaking his Elect is when he hides his graces for a time not by taking them quite away but by couering them and by remoouing all sense and feeling of them And in this case they are like the trees in the winter season that are beaten with winde and weather bearing neither leafe nor fruit but looke as though they were rotten and dead because the sap doth not spread it selfe but lies hid in the roote Dauid often was in this case as namely when he saith Will the Lord absent himself for euer And will he shew no more fauour is his mercie cleane gone for euer doth his promise faile for euermore Hath God forgotten to be mercifull Hath he shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure Selah This comes to passe because the Lord very often in and by one contrarie works another Clay and spittle tempered togither in reason should put out a mans eies but Christ vsed it as a meanes to giue sight to the blinde Water in reason should put out fire but Elias when he would shew that Iehoua was the true God poures water on his sacrifice and fils a trench therewith to make the sacrifice burne The like appeareth in the worke of grace to saluation A man that hath liued in securitie by Gods goodnes hath his eyes opened to see his sinnes and his heart touched to feele the huge and loathsome burden of thē and therefore to bewaile his wretched estate with bitternes of heart Hereupon he presently thinkes that God will make him a firebrand of hell whereas indeede the Lord is now about to worke and frame in his heart sanctification and sound repentance neuer to be repented of The man which hath had some good perswasions of Gods fauour in Christ comes afterward vpon many occasions to be troubled and to be ouerwhelmed with distrustfulnes grieuous doubtings of his saluation so as he iudgeth himselfe to haue beene but an hypocrite in former times and for the time present a cast-away But indeed hereby the Lord exerciseth fashioneth and increaseth his weake faith In one word marke this point That the graces of God peculiar to the elect are begunne increased and made manifest in or by their contraries A man in this desertion cap discerne no difference betweene himselfe and a cast-away and the rather if with this desertion be ioyned a feeling of Gods anger for then ariseth the bitterest temptation that euer befell the poore soule of a Christian man and that is a wrastling and strugling in spirit and conscience not with the motions of a rebelling flesh nor the accusations of the deuill which are oftentimes very irksome and terrible but against the wrath of a reuenging God This hidden and spirituall temptation more tormenteth the spirit of man then all the rackes or gibbets in the world can doe And it hath his fittes after the manner of an ague in which euen Gods own seruants ouercarried with sorrowe may blaspheme God and crie out that they are dāned Iob was in this estate as he testifieth Oh that my griefe were waied saith he and my miseries were laid togither in the ballance for it would be heauier then the sand of the sea therefore my words are swallowed vp for the arrowes of the Almightie are in me the venome therof doth drink vp my spirit and the terrours of god fight against me And further he complaines that the Lord is his enemie that he writes bitter things against him and that he sets him as a But to shoote at This was Dauids tēptation when he said O Lord rebuke me not in thy anger neither chastise me in thy wrath haue mercy vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed my soule is also sore troubled but Lord howe long wilt thou delay Returne O Lord deliuer my soule saue me for thy mercies sake Hence it follows that when any that hath beene a professour of the gospel shall despaire at his end that men are to leaue secret iudgements to God and charitably to iudge the best of them For example one Master Chambers at Leicester of late in his sicknes grieuously despaired and cried out that he was damned and after died yet it is not for any to note him with the blacke marke of a reprobate One thing which hee spake in his extremitie O that I had but one drop of faith must mooue all men to conceiue well of him For by this it seemeth that he had an heart which desired to repent beleeue therefore a repentant and beleeuing heart indeed For God at all times but especially in temptation of his great mercy accepts the will for the deed Neither is it to be regarded that he said he was damned for mē in such cases speak not as they are but as they feele themselues to be Yea to goe further when a professour of the gospell shall make away himselfe though it be a fearfull case yet stil the same opiniō must be carried First Gods iudgements are very secret Secondly they may repent in the very agony for any thing we know Thirdly none is able to comprehend the bottomlesse depth of the graces and mercies which are in Christ. Thus much of the manner which God vseth in forsaking his elect Nowe followe the kindes of desertion which are two desertion in punishment desertion in sinne Desertion in punishment is when God deferreth either to mittigate or to remooue the crosse and chastisement which hee hath laid vpon his children This befell Christ on the crosse My God saith he my God why hast thou forsaken me This was the complaint of Gedeon Did not the Lord bring vs out of Egypt But now the Lord hath forsaken vs and deliuered vs into the hands of the Midianites Iudg. 6. 13. Master Robert Glouer Martyr at Couentrie after he was condemned by the Bishop and was nowe at the point to bee deliuered out of the worlde it so happened that two or three daies before his death his heart beeing lumpish and desolate of all spirituall consolation felt in himselfe no aptnesse nor willingnesse but rather a heauinesse and dulnesse of spirit full of much discomfort to beare the bitter crosse of martyrdome ready now to be laid vpon him whereupon he fearing in himselfe least the Lord had withdrawn his wonted fauour from him made his mone to one Austine his friend signifying vnto him how earnestly he had praied day night vnto the Lord and yet could receiue no motion nor sense of any comfort from him vnto whome the said Austine answered againe willing him patiently to waite the Lords pleasure and howesoeuer his present feeling was yet seeing his cause was iust and true he
exhorted him constantly to sticke to the same to play the man nothing doubting but the Lord in his good time would visit him satisfie his desire with plentie of consolation c. The next day when the time came of the martyrdome as he was going to the place and was now come to the sight of the stake although all the night before praying for strength and courage he could feele none suddenly hee was so replenished with the holy Ghost that he cried out clapping with his handes to Austine saying with these wordes Austine he is come he is come c. and that with such ioy and alacritie as one seeming rather to be risen from some deadly danger to libertie of life then as one passing out of the world by any paines of death Desertion in sinne is when God withdrawing the assistance of his spirit a man is left to fall into some actuall and grieuous sin And for all this no man is to thinke that God is the author of sin but onely man that falleth Satan A resemblance of this trueth we may see in a staffe which if a man shall take set vpright vpon the ground so long as he holds it with his hand it stands vpright but so soone as he withdrawes his hand though he neuer push it down it falls of it selfe In this desertion was the good king Hezechiah of whom the holy Ghost speaketh thus Hezechiah prospered in all his waies therefore dealing with the Ambassadours of the Princes of Babel which set to him to enquire of the wonder which was done in the land God left him namely to the pride of his heart to exalt himselfe in tempting him that hee might trie out all that was in his heart To this place appertaine Noes drunkennes Dauids adulterie Peter deniall of Christ. The reason of such desertions may be this If a patient shal be grieuously sicke the phisition will vse all manner of meanes that can be deuised to recoâ—er him if he once come to a desperate case the phisition rather then hee will not restore him will imploy all his skill he will take poyson and so temper it and against the nature thereof he will make a soueraigne remedie to recouer health The elect children of God are diseased with an inward hidden and spirituall pride whereby they affect themselues and desire to bee something in themselues forth of Christ and this sinne is very dangerous firstâ— because when other sinnes die in a man this secret pride gets strength for Gods grace is the matter of pride in such wise that a man will be proude because he is not proud for example if any shall be tempted of the deuill to some proud behauiour and by Gods grace get the victorie then the heart thus thinketh Oh thou hast done well thou hast foiled the enemie neither pride nor any other sinne can preuaile against thee such and such could neuer haue done so and a very good man shall hardly be free from such kinde of motions in this life Secondly there is no greater enemie to faith then pride is for it poisoneth the heart and maketh it vncapable of that grace so loÌ„g as it bereth any sway for he that will beleeue in Christ must be annihilated that is he must be bruised and battered to a flat nothing in regard of any liking or affection to himself that he may in spirit mount vp to heauen where Christ sits as the right hand of the father as it were with both the handes of faith graspe him with all his blessed merits that he may be wisdome righteousnes sanctification redemption life good works whatsoeuer good thing he is neither in nor by nor for himself but euery way forth of himself in Christ. Now this blessed coÌ„ditioÌ„ of a beleeuing heart by naturall selfe-loue and self-liking is greatly hindered God therefore in great mercy to remedie this dangerous corruption lets his elect seruantes fall into trouble of mind and conscience if they happily be of greater hardnes of heart into some actuall sinne and so declaring his wonderfull mercie in sauing them he is faine against his mercie to bring them to his mercie by sinne to saue them from sinne By this meanes the Lord who can bring light out of darknes makes a remedie of sinne to slay pride that inuincible monster of many heads which would slay the soule Though this be so yet none must hereupon venter to commit any sinne against Gods commandements least in so doing they cast awaie their soules For the godly man though he fall into sinne yet it is against his purpose and it makes his heart to bleede and the course of his life shall bee alwaies vpright and pleasing vnto God because he is led by the spirit of God The ends for which god vseth desertioÌ„s are three the first is the chastismeÌ„t of sins past in the former part of mans life that he may search them out consider theÌ„ be hartily sorrowfull for theÌ„ for this end was Iobs triall Trou writest saith he bitter things against me makest me to possesse the sins of my youth The second end is that God may make triall of the present estate of his seruants not that he is ignorant what is in man but because hee would haue all men know themselues To this effect saith Moses And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee in the wildernesse for to humble thee and to prooue thee to knowe what was in thine heart whether thou wouldst keepe his coÌ„mandements or no. This also was the end why the Lord left Ezechias to proue and trie what was in his heart This trial by desertion serueth for two purposes for otherwhiles the Lord vseth it for the manifestation of some hidden sin that the godly may be deeplier humbled and craue more earnestly pardon of that and other sins For as the begger is alwaies mending and peecing his garment where he findes a breach so the penitent and beleeuing heart must alwaies bee exercised in repairing it selfe where it findes a want Againe ofttimes this triall serues to quicken and reuiue the hidden graces of the heart that men may be thankefull for them and feele an increase of theÌ„ in the heart The good husbandmaÌ„ cuts the branches of the Vine not that he hath a purpose to destroy them but to make them beare more fruit In the CaÌ„ticles when Christ left his spouse then shee riseth out of her bed shee opens the doore her hands drop mirrhe on the barre of the doore then further she seekes calls for him and praiseth him more then euer before Dauid testifieth the like of himselfe In my prosperitie I said I shall neuer be mooued c. but thou didst hide thy faâ—e and I was troubled Then cried I to thee O Lord praied to my Lord. Lastly men that liue in the Church beeing for a time left of God