his throne of grace as deare children adopted in Christ to their best beloued father They loue to labour in godly workes as by his word they are commaunded They séeke to liue by faith in Christ as by the Scriptures they are taught They ioy to suffer and beare his crosse and aspiring by lowlinesse of mind they pray his aide and helpe there in with comfort continuing vnder the same They appoynt no time for their release but paciently abide his lotted leysure They looke not on the present troubles but weigh their sinnes his decréed purpose and place as opposite to their aspect the ioye that is set before them They runne with patience the race for them appointed and despising the present shame they still endure the crosse alwayes looking to Iesus christ the authour finisher of their life They blesse those that curse them they loue their enemies and do good to all but their chiefe delight is to ioyne with the houshold of faith They challenge to themselues by nature confusion for sinne and shame for their infirmities and to God the father in Christ our Lord by the instinct of his holy spirit they attribute all honour and glory and forgetting their workes past assay to go forwards to the price set before them expressing thēselues by their good workes to be the Lords building who hath made them an holy habitation and a royall priesthode In hym they offer vp themselues for a spirituall sacrifice dayly yéelding forth the fruites of holy lippes to his priest and willing obedience to his holy will. They by the spirite desire not to followe but defie and kill the lustes of the flesh They fight against Sathan and his impes continually They beare an vnfained hate to alsuperstitious vanities They contemne and despise the beggerly ordinances of the wicked world disdayning to become bondslaues to sinne any more They reioyce in their deliuerance walke in the way of the lord with a sincere hart single mind Though slide they may eftsones by frayltie yet neuer flatte fall they by falshode from the Lord their god Lo these are they of whom our Zacharie speaketh and the Angell poynteth Joseph vnto whē he affirmeth Iesus to saue his people from their sinnes And all if these haue so many fraylties be of such weaknes that they cannot as they would or do as they should perfectly walke before the Lord Yet shall they not feare for his Christ is theirs with him they haue in him iustificatiō sanctification redemption and perfect wisedome By whose vertues and merites they are euer presented before God as a iust and holy people peculiar to the lord To these can come no condemnation or any accusation shal be admitted against thē nor any gilt procure sentence to their losse For it is the Lord that doth iustifie them Finally no power shall or can conuenting conuince them For they haue in their hartes the word which is Gods power to saluation And God him selfe standeth on their side for their defence So that it is more possible for light to become darknes good euill and euill good which neuer shall come to passe then that the Lordes people should not be deliuered from death or yet want the knowledge of their saluation Which knowledge teacheth them to féele in hart and find by truth that the same sauing health consisteth not in their remuneration but commeth of god for his Christs sake by full remission of and from all their sinnes The Lord graunt vs to labour so in his vineyarde which professe his name that we may be not called only but appeare in déede his chosen people Then shall we be sure of our deliuerance in Christ our Sauiour And thus much for these wordes his people in this present verse mentioned The third last branch of this verse is to consider by what meanes his people are brought to féel perceiue that their saluatiō doth consist in the remission geuen of god Namely by this that the same is made knowne to their consciences by the ministerie of the word preached vnto them For all if the price of Christes bloud bée they most soueraigne salue for mās sinne as by the which it is wholy washed away Yet onlesse the Church of God haue sence and perfect féeling hereof in her inward partes and depenesse of hart the same shall nothing profite her For the which cause Christ promiseth being once lift vp as the serpent in the wildernesse was to draw all men to looke and come to him by the instrument of fayth and to his heauenly father in that his most comfortable prayer a little before his death for the comfort of his elect he witnesseth that life eternall consisteth in the knowledge of God the father and Christ his Sonne Also reprouing the Iewes for their rebellion he chargeth their ignorance to bée the cause therof as also shewing his Disciples of their persecuted state perils to death affirmeth ignorance to be the forcing meane hereto This shal they do saith he because they neither know the father nor yet me Paule the Apostle testifieth this to be the meane to apprehend saluation euen to come to the knowledge of the truth Thereto he ioyneth it to the branch preceding saying God will haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth Lo a thing most incident to saluation is to haue knowledge of the truth To conclude who are they which are taught of god but his people And what are they taught of him but the truth of his word Which he writeth with his finger in their hartes as the scripture saith that they may be a knowing people and not ignorant as the Papistes teach but falsely the same to be the mother of deuotion But Christ sayth that ignorance is the mother of error which leadeth to damnation Behold now the scope of this Baptists office was to prepare the Iewish harts by the knowledge of their sinnes and repentance for the same to preuent Gods Iustice by fruitefull acceptation of the Gospell by Christ presently preached to haue him for there God and by him saluation and full deliuerance from their sinnes For the which cause the Angell also before to Zacharie adorned him with noble titles and not to him only doe they belong but to all the true preachers of God with him wherefore they are here of thée deare Reader the better to bée weighed as wordes that doe import the glory of his heauenly Embassage to thine earthly hart Hée is first sayd to bée full of the holy Ghost a thing most necessarie to bée in the true preacher of the word as without the same he can neither preach much lesse profite the people of the Lord. The Apostles from christ therfore receiued the fulnes of his spirit by portion to their aptnes power to execute their
righteousnes by the works of the law haue lost the same this remaineth recorded for the iust that all which sought it by faith not by works haue atteined to true righteousnes in déede What then doth it profit good men to worke good works The good wors of holy men profite 2. waies First weighing their valoure wyth our dutie they cast downe our Peacoks tayle and Egles hearte béeing so farre shorte of that they should they call mans crye to vouche his state vnprofytable to his Lorde And so wyth crauinge Pardon for his sinnes fogetting his fewe déedes now past he hasteneth wyth humblenes to the degrées of encrease to walke and please God as he ought towards the throne of grace where he séeth by fayth himselfe drawne vp wyth courage to rest in Christ for lyfe since his spirite liueth in him Secondly they worke a most assured corroboration in our hartes whylest we consider of whom we haue suche grace Euen that our hartes of Adamant are changed to fleshye not fleshly harts into the same Gods holy spirit is put powred by the power of which we are cause to walke in his lawes and kepe his statutes Al which though we do not or can in such sort as we should yet because his holy finger hath written his sacred lawe in our hartes and put the sinne into our inward parts is himselfe become by his couenant in christ our god and hath chosen vs for his holy people for this cause I say he accepteth vs as iust though we be all sinners and our works are acceptable in his sight and are not wythout their rewarde yet of his mercye deuoyd of our merit thus through our infirmitie worketh he his owne praise So ende we the firste parte of this verse To giue knowledge c. The second pointe is to note whose sinnes are forgiuen and so consequenly what kinde of persons atteine truely and in déede to this saluation by his Prophets preached and this I note of this word To his people For albeit that Christ is of the father giuen to the whole world to be vnto them their sauiour and that there is no age or people vnto whō the death of christ is not sufficient to their saluation and is therfore by himselfe and the worde vouched the sauiour of the world yet are not al people by him saued nor any but suche as here be called his people Now haue we also to consider that neither all that call or chalenge to be his are so in déede For then should not the Infidell Saracene with the Turke onely be cōdēned because they refuse life which is only in christ Iesus to be foūd but also of that nomber which professe christ in shew and receiue the badge and seale of righteousnesse in Baptisme and in the dayes of their flesh inuocate christ as God and call the Father Lorde be furthermore accompted to be of the church and People of God of this multitude shall infinite walke the wandring path to eternall payne Not euery one that crieth Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of god c. These are for a time in but at no time are they of the church of god These eyther haue Satan to pull the séede out of their hartes least they should beleue and be saued or beleue with ioye for a season and in fierie triall vade and consume to dust and ashes and turne to their erst conceiued death But saluation standeth at the end of the race happie is he that endureth to the end for he shall be safe Or els do they with the fayth in Christ and gospel of the sonne of God intermedle the cares of this world pleasures of the flesh which do choke the growth of the séede that no Wheate can come to ripenes for the Lordes barne they begin in the spirite but they end in the flesh These albeit they are bidden ghestes yet shall they not once tast of the Bridegromes supper For they being called dayly and the Lord with open armes euer readie to embrace them refuse to come therefore shall desolation deuoure them neither shall Ierusalem saue them or the Sinagoge of Sathan the Church of Rome deliuer them from the wéeping state and wofull paynes prepared for all hypocrites Where in stéed of popish piping and carnall delights shal be mourning and howling in perpetual chaines nayled fast to damnation his gaol And that because they neither heard or sought the Lord with integritie of soule or worshipped him els then with their owne inuentions hauing their harts a long estranged from his delite And albeit they were nourished vp in the bosome of his beloued spouse yet they are to him as Mice in the housholders barne whose purpose is to féede them fat and fill their young of the corne but not at any time to haue the presence of the Masters face For whom also the husband prepareth engins destroyers them to consume though for a time he permit them to their deuised pleasures Such shal be the end of al Papists carnall protestants fained hypocrites which séeke thē selues altogether and not the lord at all As daily those persons passe their time in such wicked lustes But of farre other nature are the true people of god As the other in the day of trial cannot be knowne of him for he shall say depart frō me I know ye not ye workers of iniquitie so the lords people are knowne to him by their name they are borne againe of the spirit They are sanctified by the holy Ghost They are graffed into Christ their vine They are predestinate to life Chosen to bee the f sonnes of god Called to the knowledge of the word of saluation and taught of god The spirit of the sonne is by the loue of the most louing father powred into their harts which causeth thē to crie to him Abba father Their stonie hartes hée mollifieth and turneth into hartes of flesh and into them for their direction and life he putteth his spirit by whose power through the woord sowne and taught he teacheth them his Lawes and geueth them grace to walke in his statutes Thus wrought by GOD they bring forth holy fruites They onely heare his voyce All straunge sound and charminge incantation they vtterly auoyd charme they c neuer so wisely They hunger after the truth and thirst the Lordes righteousnes They claspe their harts by fayth in Christ that through him alone they may apprehend the louing countenance of the heauenly Fathers face They lay their sinnes vppon his crosse and craue by comfortable cries in earnest and ardent prayer to be clothed with his righteousnes They euer confesse their many sinnes and assure them selues by fayth of his saluation They driue away terror and rest in the harbour of a quiet conscience and in most humble wise approche
the worlde to be his chosen nurse to his peculiar persecuted people So may all we her subiectes acknowledge our selues more then most bound to god for her maiestie since we vnder a mayden Prince whose person is vnapt to bodely warres are so defended that against the force of the worlds furie both our soules and bodies are conserued in much peace far aboue the nations rounde about vs The onely cause thereof is Iesus Christ our mighty Michael who himself without our fighting hands or armed bodies breaketh the Dragons force and disapointeth him of his pray The second diabolicall imphe is the domestical foe which the Church harboreth carieth in her arms to quiet make stil his wanton and wrauling cryes Dandleth him on her Mootherly Knée hoping to surpresse his brawling voyce wyth her patient compassion For shew of recompence this poysoned broode calleth her by the name of mother her spouse Christ they worship by the tittle of lord But in déede they are the bond slaues of Agar and beare a deadly hate to Sara Their mindes be set on Sina that gendreth bondage vz. rotten Rome and Hierusalem they séeke but to féede vppon to florishe in to enriche themselues vnder her And espying her liberties and preheminences they doe from time to time busie themselues to betray the same The true church of God now in Englande séeke they to betray to the handes of the wicked and by slaunders to polute the sanctuarie of the lord The engines that these enemies vse agaynst vs are scoffing speches rayling voyces and slaundering wordes Sée you not say these men what discorde sundry sectes and religious are amongest these new broched bretherne how they preach wryte dispute and euer seeke to beate downe another Is not this a marke of Sathans Sinagog And the common refuge of these euilles is to couller their cankred malice with the couert of desired obedience to Lawes whylest such for the most parte liue as though they themselues were priuileadged from all good gouernement The contempt of godly Lawes set downe in this state and present gouernement is to be wyth diligent eye and earnest care redressed And I would to GOD suche rulers Ecclesiastical ciuill were selected as would more diligently looke hereto So should the mouthes of men haue lesse cause of their great outcryes agaynst the present state For I thinke it no reason to pull downe the whole house for the weakenes of on rotten sparre or to cutte of the hande for the fault or defect of a finger or yet vtterly to subuert the state because euery parte hath some infirmitie But as concerning the contentions amongst the learned I answere I lament both the cause and the action yet here by hath the papist no warrant to Blaspheme our Religion or to condemne the Prince or Preachers and professors of the same for if contention amydde the learned and in the Church of God be a sufficient cause to refuse her to slaunder and to reuile her wyth reprochfull tearmes yea and condemne the people state and ministery of christs spoused wife this holy church then shall we finde this Churche in no age among the children of men planted frée from such sharpe censure As if we loke into the church of Israell brought from Pharao into the desert we shall sée the same often to rebell against Moises yet not all the Israelits Wherefore the Church then could not be frée from contentiō Dathan Abiram disliking the priesthood which god ouer them had set vpō Aron his line stirred vp sharpe cōtention tumultuous vprore for the same Consider her condition in the time of Saule his persecuting of Dauid behold small vnitie Saule commended of some Dauid reaping the greater praise What vnity had the church whē 400. salse prophets contended with Helias the prophet of the Lord for the idoll Baal their false god After Israel retorned from her captiuity was not the church cut into diuers sectes factiōs in outward show they professed gods law penned by Moises the Prophets but in déede truth they were seperated into diuers opinions sundrie sects euery party receiued his name according to his opiniō The holy scripture approued authors tell vs that in the Iewes church there were Pharises Saduces Esseis yet who dare say that at this presēt ther was not in the place thē gods holy church It is therfore now no strāg or new thing to haue dissēting opiniōs in amōgst mē professing one religion about some points conteined in the same The new Testamēt witnesseth the like In the time of the Apostles what sharpe contention was there betwixt Paule Peter at Antioch for cause in religiō Peter offēding against the rules therof was openly reproued by Paule Also betwixt Paule Barnabas was such vnitie that they parted asonder the one from the other about John Marke a disciple Notable is that long sharpe disputation sore cōtention which crept into the church betwixt Paule Barnabas on the one part the Pharises which were cōuerted to the gospell at Antioch on the other about iustification whether it came by faith alone or that circūcision the law were of necessitie to be ioined thereto This strife was such that it could not nor was otherwise abandoned the church then by that Apostolicall councell holden at Hierusalem About this time and shortly after the Apostles there arose out of the church sundry sectaries as the Corinthiani Martionisti Gnostici and Carpocratiani The Gentilles then as some papistes doe now sayde the christians are troublesome and contentious they cannot agrée about their christ and his religion but we holde one vnitie in our profession therefore they offer vs more then great cause to haue in suspence our hast to subscribe to their professed Gospel Yet all this their friuolous speches set a part both the Apostles and others wyth them at that presēt ioyning in the sinceritie of the professed trueth were of the true church of god Also that church whereout these wicked Sectories Heritykes came was that and the best beloued Wyfe the Church of Iesus Christ notwithstanding such contentions and variable mindes as then that state caryed to the posteritie And euen so is our church now holding fast the substance of Doctrine geuen by the scriptures and the administration of the Sacraments according to his worde Lykewise in substance though in some matter accidentreth there arise question the same yet offe-no ioy to the professed papist for as they contende so doe both sides striue to be far from popish affects This our Church also I say of and in England is the true church of God the reuerend fathers the Bishops with others the preachers of his holy word in this our nation now gouernment abiding in the truth of doctrine though ther be amids their harmony in the