so great a benefiâ— which God through Christ in this life bestowed on vs namely the certaintie of our saluation purchased for vs by Christ which is the summe and foundation of our comforte and religion For what comforte were it to know that indeed Christ did ones purchase saluation for vs but everie moment it is a thousand waies subiect to be lost we must therefore know that our life is with Christ in God and there as safely kept as is the life of Christ him-selfe reigning in heauen This is a thousand times saide in scripture Read Melancthon vpon the 7. ca. of Mat. in the place aboue cited Read the 5. and 8. chapt to the Rom. I see you doe not put difference betweene securitie of the spirit of the flesh and that you stagger even in the verie grounds of Christianity if in heart you maintaine this tedious opinions If it be so I am verie sorrie for you and doe exhorte you to read the scriptures diligently That also is a meere cavill that we should saie the elect cannot forgoe the holie spirit Nay they often loose manie giâ—es of the same spirit but recouer them againe by repentance For they do not quite revolt from God and become professed enimies of the truth that is they sinne not against the holy Ghost nor so fal that finally they perseuere in their errours against the foundatioÌ„ and in their sinnes against conscience Neyther doth this comforte make men secure because it concerneth them onely which haue a purpose to beware of falling abhor nothing more then offending God there is therefore a manifest contradiction in that diuelish scoffe of the wicked which say If I be elected I wil do what pleaseth me because it shal not hurt me For God will haue vs be sure that we are elected but this we can not do without faith and repentance All thinges worke for the best trew vnto them that loue God There is no condemnation to them which walke according to the spiritâ— These two ioyned togeather exclude securitie stirre vs vp to cheerefulnesse and alacritie to runne our race according to the commaundement make your election certaine On the other side they sleep securely in their sins which dreame that it is in their owne handes to take and lay aside repentance whensoeuer and as often as they list and play with GOD at their pleasure But say you I woulde faine shifte of this triall wherevnto the certainetie of saluation doeth call That is it the Divell woulde haue Those sayings Matthew the two and twentith and tenth Hee vvhich continueth to the ende c Revelations the second and tenth To him that overcommeth I vvill giue a crowne c. Doe not derogate from the certaintie of saluation but are exhortations wherby God vpholdeth vs in that certainetie stirring vp in vs a desire of godlinesse and hatred of sinne The like slaunder it is when you say that vvee teach men to iudge of election a priore or by the cause Eyther malitiously they dissemble our opinion or else they vnderstande neither themselues nor vs. VVee iudge by the effect that is by faith and repentaunce of the cause that is of election But to iudge thus is to iudge a posteriors that is by the effect That wee ought not to determine of any before the ende of his life whether hee shall bee saued or no if you meane it of others you say well if of our selues or of euerie mans ovvne conscience and certainetie in himselfe it is a detestable wicked diuelish and blasphemous sayings overthrowinge the whole foundation and grouÌ„dworke of saluation Hee that taught you this taught you a doctrine of diuels though he were an angell from heauen But I will tell you an other lesson except you be certaine before the end of this life whether you shall be heire of eternall life you shall neuer so be after this life For faith in this veâ—â—e certainetie which is the beginning of eternall life this all must haue in this life vvhich looke for that other life If you haue thought on the nature and definition of hope that it is a sure and certaine expectation of eternall life you should haue found no such thing there My hart doth stand on end to think of your blasphemy I would not for an hundred thousand worlds be so seperated from Christ as to be vncertaine whether I were his or noe These are heathenish blasphemes the verie entrance of hell Wherefore you do well to confirme it with testimonies of the heathen for these thinges refarre wide of the worde of God Why doe you so coâ—rupt the wordes of scripture wresting them from a â—onne like to a seruile feare what mystere what blindnesse is it for a man to boast of vniuersall promises and not to sifte himselfe and trie whether he be of their nomber of whom the promises speak This is in deede to bring in amongst men carnall security and a shadow of faith which in the conflâ—ct driueth vs head-long into desperation I do not thâ—nke Luther Melancthon taught any maÌ„ so to babble and fome out these vniuersall promises But the carrier calles for my letters and I haue to my great paines spent the whole night in wrighting these lines Farewell Let me entreat you to provoke me no more with such disputations Fare-well hartily this 2 of september 1573. OF THE CAVSE OF SINNE Parte of a letter of Vrsinus to his friend concerning the cause of sinne ONe terrible bug-beare they haue of the cause of sinne all the rest is foolish and not worthy the aunswearing But even that also is a childish fallacie of accident For by accident that is through defect fault and error of the will of the Divel or man sin commeth to bee that worke which God by will most iust most agreeable to his nature the Law wil haue done permitting in the mean time the sins of the creature that is not so correcting directing it that it may do iustly togither with God doing iustly or els while he doth not enlighten it with the knowledge of his will or doth not so turne it by his spirit that it may doe that which it doth for obedience sake to the revealed will of God So that God ever doth well both by those that are good and also by those that are evill But the creature doth well togither with God in that goodnes wherein it is created preserved or therevnto againe restored by God The good therfore which it doth is the work of God which himselfe doth will and effect the evill which it doth is froÌ„ it selfe Now this euill is not done but permitted by God whiles he doth not cause the will of the creature to become good and to do good togeather with God doing good For the same worke in respect of diuerse causes is both good euil mutable immutable contingent free as the causes them-selues are diuerse which concuâ—â—e in producing therof Hee which
or sin as it is a motion or triall or exercise or chastisement of the godly or a punishmeÌ„t of the evil so it is from Gods prouideÌ„ce effectiuely that is so that God is the author of it but as it is sin not effectiuely but permissiuely 8. Now this permission is not a ceasinge of Gods prouidence and working in the actions of evill men wherby it may come to passe that those actions may seeme not to depend of any other cause then of the creatures which aâ—â—â—gents but a withdrawing of his heauenly grace wherby God executinge the decree of his will by reasonable creatures eyther doth not reveale vnto the creature his will which will haue that action done or ells boweth not the will of the creature to obey this diuine will in that action Which so standing the creature sinneth necessarilie in deed but with all voluntarilie and freely by Gods most iust iudgment whiles God by it bringeth to passe the iust good worke of his will prouidence 9. God therfore will haue those actions motions which the Divells men by sinning doe effect to come to passe as they are motions and executions of Gods iust iudgment but as they are sins he neither willeth nor appoueth nor effecteth them though he forbid hate horiblie punnish them yet notwithstanding in Divels men â—e suffereth them to concur with his iust actions whilest for verie good reasons most iust causes he doth not effect in them by his spirit the performance of these actioÌ„s iustely that is according to the prescript of Gods will 10 Neither is God therfore the author of confusion which is in the actions of the evill for what they will do inordinatlie that is against the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of God that God will haue done in excellent most wise order Lastly euen sinnes themselues as they are sins be done by Gods providence though not effecting yet permitting prescribing them boundes directing theÌ„ whither it pleaseth him 11 Neither is God by this doctrine made the author of sin because the sin of the sinfull creature doth by accident concur with the good and iust worke of God which he in his owne couÌ„sel determineth by the sinfull creature executeth And therefore in respect of Gods will those actioÌ„s are iust and right which in respect of the wicked by whom they be done are sinnes 12. And these things are manifest first by the vniversall nature causes effects being such of theÌ„selues naturally or by accideÌ„t For wheÌ„ the same effect hath many causes some good some badde that same effect in respect of good causes is good in regard of bad causes is bad good causes of theÌ„selues naturally are the causes of good effects but by accideÌ„t of euil effects or sins which is fouÌ„d in the effect by some other euill or sinful cause coÌ„trarywise euil causes are of theÌ„selues the causes of evil but by accideÌ„t they may be causes of that good whith is fouÌ„d in the effect 13. Secondly the truth of these matters appeareth by the immutable nature of God the fouÌ„taine and author of all good For Gods wokes are equaly good whether he effect theÌ„ by evil or good instruments neither are they battered by good or made worse by evill instruments seeing their iustice and goodnes dependeth not on the nature of the instruments but of God which maketh vse of the instruments but on the other side the creatures can neither be nor continue good nor do anie thing that is good except God make them good vphold theÌ„ in goodnes so governing theÌ„ that they may work that which is good with God who by theÌ„ worketh that good which he will 14 Yet hereby we do not attribute vnto God coÌ„trary wils For God wil wil not the same actioÌ„s in divers respectes Hee will as they are conformable to his most iust iudgement and order and he will not but rather hateth and detesteth yet permitteth them to be done as they are contrary to his order and law against which they are committed by the wicked 15 Neither doth the necessity of consequence which happeneth to the events by the immutable decree of Gods providence take away that contingeÌ„ce or casuality which they haue froÌ„ the mutable nature of second causes or from the power liberty of God whereby he so decreed from al eternity if we distinguish rightly betweene both as that there is a respect betweene causes working immutablie or mutablie For thereby euerie man may see that the same effect proceeding froÌ„â—auses partly mutable partly immutable may wel be called coÌ„tingeÌ„t in respect of mutable causes and necessary in respect of causes immutable 16 Neither doth this immutable providence of God derogate ought from the vse of teaching our desire of wel-doing as if these things were in vaine or to no purpose for admitting a first cause it is not necessarie to denie the second causes nor the first admitting the secoÌ„d And God hath promised to saue vs not without but by these means and hath for this reason coÌ„manded vs to vse theÌ„ expecting the good successe of them from him 17 But when God in scripture is denied to will the actions of Divels or sinful men that is to bee vnderstood as they are sins or to that end wherevnto they are done by divels meÌ„ not as they are actions or done vnto that end which God in the order of providence respecteth For actions are distinguished by their endes 18 The church thus perswaded her selfe and teaching others of Gods provideÌ„ce doth vtterly coÌ„demne detest the furies madnes of Epicures and Academiques with the devises of all others which wil haue gods provideÌ„ce either to be none at al or not to exteÌ„d vnto all things in the world or els to be only a certain kinde of fore-knowledg in God not any decree and execution 19 As much it condemneth the blasphemies and errours of the Manichees Stoickes Libertines and others which make GOD the authour of sinne or take from him his libertye whereby from all eternitie hee made his decrees or else abolish the operations and vse or differences of second causes working either necessarily or contingently or voluntarily freely 20 This doctrine is to be retained in the Church for Gods glory that so it may appeare that God is the governour of all things yet not the author of sinne but the most free and excellent effector giver of all good things It is also so necessarie for our instruction and comfort that we may become thankefull vnto God as being the well spring of all goodnes and patiently suffer evils as happening vnto vs by his will perswading our selues that all things shal serue for our salvation that acknowledging God to bee the author of punishments we might amende not despaire of Gods helpe though we be left destitute by second causes that we trust not in our selues but in feare of
Augustine long since and Alipius his companion as Hierome testifieth in his Epistle dated vnto them hath taken much paines and travel in confuting the heresie of the Pelagians and hath written thirty whole bookes distinguished by diverse titles besides certaine Epistles in which of purpose hee beateth downe this Pelagian outrage Prosper reporteth of aboue three hundred who wrote against that heresie Augustine himselfe witnesseth that it was condemned in fiue seuerall Councels in Africke There is a notable tracte of Fulgentius his first booke vnto Monimus extant touching the twofolde predestination of GOD the one of the good vnto glorye the other of the evill vnto punishmente Maxentius also hath certaine shorte Theses directed against these Pelegianst and that golden booke of Luther of MANS SLAVISH WIL against that halfe-Pelagian declamation of Erasmus is every where common and obvious Lastly there are diverse sound disputations of BRENTIVS HESHVSIVS SCHNEPFFIVS and especially HEREBRAND touching this matter And doeth the cursed Apostata looke then that some one of vs should stoppe his blasphemous mouâ—h Let him over-read these and refute them or if he be not able so to doe henceforth let him surcease his profaning Gods truth The truth of Scripture shall stand invincible against this barking dogge and the very gates of hell it selfe which teacheth of redemption by Christ Hee that beleeveth in the Son hath everlasting life and hee that beleeueth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth ô 〈◊〉 abideth it abideth on him Of PredestinatioÌ„ grace He hath chosen vs in Christ before the fouÌ„dations of the world WhoÌ„ heâ— hath Predestined theÌ„ also he called Yet the children were borne it was said The older shal serue the younger As it is written I haue Loved Iacob and haue hated Esau Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will 〈◊〉 whom he will he hardeneth The Election hath obteined it and the rest haue beene hardened Of faith al Men haue not Faith Vnto You it is giveÌ„ for Christ that not only yea should Beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake It is God which workâ— bin you both the 〈◊〉 and the deed And as Many is were Ordeined vnto eternall life Beleeued Of Perseverance The fouÌ„dation o God remaineth Sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who 〈◊〉 his I giue vnto my sheepe eternâ—â— life Eternall saith Christ not for three daies and they shall Never Perish neithâ— shal any man plucke theÌ„ 〈◊〉 of mine hand I haue praied for thee that thy Faith Faile Not. False Prophets shall shew great signes and wonderâ— so that if it were possible they should deceiue the very elect I give thee thankes O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the 〈◊〉 and men of vndâ—rstanding and hast opened them vnto babes It is so O Father because thy good pleasure was such Let them who carry themselues as 〈◊〉 as heauen learne first to adore and bow the knees of their heartes at these and such like mysteries of Gods truth ere they peise them after the light phantasies of their owne braine Here I had purposed to haue declared in briefe what a variable inconstant Proteus they imagine God to bee what a newe stampe of Diuinitis they haue coined what principles of religion they in ringe what scriptures they scoffingly shift and shake of But I haue not the leasure of performing thus much yet can I not but briefely insert one example at least amongst many of the desperate boldnes of this impudent man Whereas Luke saith of the Antioclnans Paules hearers And they Beleeued As Many as were Ordeined vnto eternall life he manifestly setteth downe who they were and why they beleeued the Gospell to wit They who were predestinate and ordeined by God in Christ before the foundation of the worlde vnto faith repentance life eternall Herein there is a ioynt consent of all the true professouâ—es of Christian religion Chrysostome saith They beleeued who were before Ordained that is before Appointed by God But heare what this newe Prophet saith They beleeued saith he who were ordained vnto eternall life that is as many as followed and traced the order prescribed by God were to be saued by him or as imbraced Gods ordination â—bâ—ied him swarued not froÌ„ this his ordination is others were preserued vnto life eternall Who ever sawe a more shamelesse man Let him shew vs in scripture that which he vaunâ—eth of his order let him proue vnto vs that to be ordeined vnto life eternall is equiualeÌ„t al one with that to follow Gods prescribed order First therefore of this forgeue he can pretend no colourable shew out of scripture Next the vniuersall consent of all Interpreters both olde newe convinceth him Thirdly Luther himselfe vnmasketh his impudent face in his mother-tounge Translation Fourthly the Scripture crieth out vnto vs telleth vs that they which beleeue are said to be ordeined vnto life eternall in Christ not for obseruing Gods order that is to say the meanes directing vs vnto life but for the eternall decree alone of God I meane the predestination of the Elect vnto saluation and that they are not now ordeined of themselues but were from euerlasting preordeined of God so that this Gods ordination is precedent vnto faith and the other subordinate meanes of saluation both in respect of time and in that it is their cause and they are the effects of this cause For so the Apostle teâ—cheth Ephes 1. And Rom. 8. Whome he knewe before those he predestinate he meaneth God And in an other place God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath but to obtainâ— saluation c. Fifthly they were ordeined vnto life eternall as vnto their end Now the ordination of man vnto his end issueth from God the creator not from himselfe the creature Sixtly Paccius himselfe saith that this order which man ensueth as prescribed by God is to beleeue the Gospell and so to be saued But if so then through this forgerie the sence of this place shall be on this manner As many as were ordeined beleeued that is forsooth as many as beleeued beeleeued Then which iteration nothing can be devised more absurde and foolish To conclude let vs graunte winke at the glosse and let him tel vs why according to this opinion some were ordeined that is some followed Gods order and good motions other some followed it not For this they did either of themselues or through the assistance of Gods speciall grace If of themselues then hence forth let him not deny the name of a Pelagian If of God then remaineth there yet an other question to wit why God gaue grace vnto some and not vnto other some and escape he cannot but that he must either tye grace vnto mans will as did Pelagius or confesse Gods speciall ordination which is the truth wee labour for AN ORATION OF D. ZACHARY
other whersoever they can because God hath so commaunded all and themselues may deserue it one of an other And being converted thy selfe remember to coÌ„firme thy brethren God is bound to none as not to create them of nothing so neither to preserâ—e them either in their being or in that good innocent and happie being wherin they were created Because whatsoeuer good wee all enioy we haue it from him neyther can he receaue any good fellcitie and commoditie of any man because of his infinite and most absolute all-sufficiencie in himselfe Who hath giuen vnto him first that he should be recompensed Is it not lawfull for me to do with mine owne as pleaseth me Secondlie Gods iustice requireth that being himselfe the cheifest good and author and end of all thinges he should referre all to his owne glory and if need were rather suffer all the creatures of the worlde to perish then any part of his glory should be left vnsatisfied As for the creatures they owe both themselues and all they haue not to themselues nor to others but to God Therefore Paule desired euen to be accursed from Christ if by the saluation and conversion of his brethren he might aduance the glorie of Christ Thirdely God may therefore most iustly permit tolerate the sinnes of his creatures that is not hinder them because by his infiâ—â—te wisdome power iustice and goodnesse he knoweth how to vse this toleration and permission to his owne glory and the saluation of his elect This the creatures can not do and therefore they are subiect to the law of hindering offences as much as in them lieth Fourthly God is the first cause and author of all good in the worlde the creatures are onely instruments of such good thinges as are by them performed whome God in the absolute freedom of his excellent will pleasure vseth by his prouidence preserueth in that nature and manner of doing which he hath prescribed Fiftely God alone is simply immutable I am God and am not changed All creatures are mutable some of their owne nature which worke onely by vncertaintie 〈◊〉 the vnstable action of elements matter and motion of creatures or by vncertaintie or contingency and yet freely to as the wils of angelles an◠〈…〉 are in deede of their owne immutable and therfore necessarie agents in that which they doe yet are as easie to be altered by God as the rest so the motion of the sonne is naturally such as we see yet God at his pleasure can either stop or interrupt the course therof Sixtly God alone is simply absolutely free that is of himselfe moving all things in himselfe moved and depending of none hauing in himselfe the reason cause of al his purposes with greatest power and authority of disposing al things otherwise from eternity if so he had beene pleased imposing necessity or contingence vncertainety vpon al things himselfe not tied to such conditions by any thing Eph. 1. 9. According to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himselfe But the liberty of reasonable creatures is not absolute that is depending of no other for although they moue themselues by some internal cause vnderstandinge offering some obiect and will of his owne accorde without constraint chosing or refusing it yet are they over-ruled by an other agent namely God who both offereth obiects of what nature quality howsoever to whoÌ„soeuer it pleaseth him and also to them and by them affecteth moveth inclineth and boweth the wils of whomsoeuer whensoeuer and how far soever he will himselfe That mans conceipt of God is too contumelious which putteth no difference betweene the liberty which is in God and his creatures Wherefore Gods providence and working in all things doth not destroy but vphold and encrease the libertie of our wils For the more God mooveth or forsaketh them the more violently consequently with more freedome and fervencie of desire they are carried eithâ—r to good or evill Wherefore theÌ„ indeed we shall with greatest freedome will that which is good when God shall so be all in al that wee can will or wish nothing but what is good which shal be with the favor and grace of God in the life to come Fourthly we must distinguish the manner of effects or things done For the same effect proceeding from divers causes may in respect of theÌ„ bee diversly taken For as it proceedeth from a good cause so it is good as from an evil so evill as from a cause contingent and mutable or necessary immutable so may it be accounted contingent mutable or necessary and immutable Wherfore in respect of God in whoÌ„ we haue our being life motion all things which were made are good as well bad as good considering that God is absolutely immutably good and therefore can neither will or do any thing but what is good and agreeable to his nature and the law wherein hee hath revealed vnto vs his nature and iusâ—ice In respect of creatures all good thinges as they are good are by God vpheld in their goodnesse al evill things as they are evil degeneraâ—e from that goodnes wherein they were creâ—ted God suffering and forsaking them and are not therevnto restored by God So in respect of the liberty and freedome of God al things are done contâ—â—gently and by vncertainety yea even those thinges which seeme to depende most necessarily on second causes as the motion of the heavens but in respect of Gods immutable decree all events are necessary as when the souldiers crucifying Christ did not breake his bones but pierced his side with a speare which in respect of second causes were meerely contingent Fiftly we make distinction of sinnes whereof some in themselues and in their owne nature are sins namely such things as are forbiddeÌ„ by God not are by special law or exception commanded as the robbing of the Aegyptians the offering of Isaac others by occasioÌ„ or accident namely such thinges as are either commaunded or allowed by God but perverted by the creature and not perfourmed in such sort as they were commaunded as are the sacrifices praiers and almes-deeds of wicked men and hypocrites Whether of these two sorts of sinne a maÌ„ commit either that which is sin in it selfe or the other which is sin by accideÌ„t and occasion certaine it is that through his owne fault imperfection he committeth it But that which God intendeth in these actions of men is ever good and iust Lastly we must distinguish the necessity of coÌ„straint and immutability for it were too grosse to confounde them For the former moveth violently and by externall cause the latter naturally some internall cause in the agent moving and being moved as by nature it is apt These thinges when I perceiued GOD opening my eies I did not reckon one â—ote of those foolish fables that GOD was made the cause of sinne that contingence or casualitie and libertie were taken awaie
but calleth inviteth all men vnto himselfe though not all after one sort But that hee would effect or bring to passe that all without exception should obey and be saved he not only said it no where but in many places expresly said the contrary So that the Scripture is not contrary to it selfe teaching that God reioiceth in the salvation of all and yet hath left some to reprobation Thirdly I thinke that distrusting the waight of your arguments you meant to carry it away with multitude and did therefore vse the same argument both in first and also in the third place vnlesse perhaps you will rather haue it an amplification taken from the name of Enthusiastes that you may not be thought to haue omitted this ornament But go to what agreement betweene vs and them you say that neglecting the word we expect ravishments of the minde from the body but in which of our wrighters haue you heard or red any such thing this is spoken of vs with as little modestie as that before when you said we departed froÌ„ the revealed will of God We say that God doth worke in vs faith and our conversion but by his word after his ordinarie maÌ„ner of working where vnto he hath bound vs reserving to himselfe liberty of working extraordinarily when soever he wil as also of moving by his word whoÌ„ when and how far it pleaseth him As inconsideratly you adde and I know not whether against your conscience hauing bin so long an auditor of our profession that according to our doctrine the will of a man doth nothing In both arguments againe you dispute from admitting the first cause to the excluding of the second The will of man is an agent but being before mooued acted inclined softened and renued by God through his worde I meane not forced as a stone or a blocke but alured and invited by some obiect offered to the minde The will of Paul was Gods worke in that he would do those thinges which the Lord woulde It was Gods iudgment and the Iewes offence that they would not be gathered to geather by Christ It is in vaine that grace goeth before vnlesse it do effect the accompanying of our will What say you then of like maÌ„ner of working why rather harkeÌ„ you not to that doctor of the church which saith It is God which worketh in vs both to will and performe I will now tell you a great matter but verie trew Wee can in no wise maintaine the puritie of the article of free and certaine iustification against that sorte of merit which the Papistes terme meritum coÌ„grui except that impious devise of Gods generall grace leaving the acceptaunce vse or refusall of it selfe in our owne power be coÌ„deÌ„ned the eternal immutable loue of God towards his elect be freed from obscurity sophismes Fourthlie you vvould seeme to doe a thing ordinary extraordinarily placing the streÌ„gth of your arguments in the maine battaile filling your forward and reâ—â—-vvard with pioners and base hang bies contrary to that custome which you knowe to be obserued and commanded by Rhetoricians in their schooles Your chiefe argument is this which you set forth to the vtmost If God haue decreed to giue over some to blindnes sinne death then God by this meanes is made the cause of sin But this is easily answered First here againe I finde your waÌ„t of coÌ„mon ingenuity wheras you say that these are the words of many of our wrighters that God doth effectually worke sin in the reprobate You talke of many but do I am perswaded caÌ„not produce one For we froÌ„ our harts detest this opinioÌ„ as infinite testimonies of our writers will easilie proue But you wil say it followeth vpon our doctrine For he which decreed to suffer men to fin is the author of sinne See what an argument you haue made which if it be turned the other way is enough to confute you in your own conceit For he which permitteth sinne not being bound to hinder any man from sinning having besides authority and righte to punish vvith forsaking and casting of to eternal tormentes he is neither author nor favourer but sufferer and iudge of sinne But in this sorte GOD permitteth sinne therefore God is not any vvaie the author of sinne If you proceede and vrge but that privation or withdravving of grace vvhich he inflicteth insteed of a punishmente is sinne you commit a fallacie of accident For the punishment of it selfe as it is inflicted by God is most iust by accident as being plucked by men on their owne heads by the first sinne of Adam and the rest ensuing so it is sinne Your argument had carried more colour if from Gods providence you had concluded this effecting of sin although in deed it had beene but the same fallacy For God did most effectualie and vehemently will the crucifying of his sonne by them who aftervvardes executed it yet did he not will but suffer their murder which hee aftervvardes horriblye punished to concurre with his most iust most holy and beyonde all others most admirable and glorious worke vvhich by them hee perfourmed Hee vvould the warres of Nabuchadnezar but hated his wickednesse His vvill it vvas that Absolon shoulde vvarre against his Father David and defile his vviues but these thinges in respect of GODS vvill vvere most iust punishmentes vpon David but as Absolon did them onlie to vsurpe the kingdome and oppresse his Father not having therein any commandement of God to follovv so they were treason incest This wickednes of Absoloâ— by accident concurreth with Gods iudgment which he executeth by him As much you shall prevaile if you saie that God is theÌ„ made the author of sinne when as men forlorne and forsaken by him cannot choose but sinne For you accuse the scripture and God himselfe often saying as much as this but without daÌ„ger of such blasphemie Because mankind of their own free wil did in Paradise pul on theÌ„selves this necessity of sinninge Fifth you tell vs this is a doctrine of the law What then is it therefore false is not the law as true as the Gospell furthermore you say it is drawne from reason it selfe You had neede be more eagle-sighted in Plato Aristotle his books then I and all men besides haue bin which could never finde it there But in a word know that it is learned out of the hidden mysteries of the gospell Doe you thinke that Paules intent was in the 9. 10. 11. and 12. to the Romanes and 1. to the Ethesians to preach the Law I doe not thinke you beleeue it And what doth neerer concerne the very mâ—rrow of the Gospel then the eternal free and immutable loue of God towards his elect which Christ sâ—ith was the cause why heâ— gaue his onely begotten son for vs much more saved vs everlastinglie being once engraffed into him through faith and finished in vs the worke which hee had begun I know
9 He which is borne of God sinneth not but his seede remaineth in him XI But for al this it is not lawful for any maÌ„ froÌ„ this will of God to take occasion of sinning the more freelie or deferring and casting of the time of his repentance For that promise of the present eternall grace of God pertaineth to such as liue in true repentance and feare of God not in carnall securitie For all such as liue securely are in danger to be forsaken hardened by the iust iudgment of God and dying without repentance to perish euerlastingly but because of the vncertaine continuance of this life especially because of Gods anger against such as with securitie against coÌ„science abuse his mercy Mat. 24. 28. If the evil servant shall saie my Lord delaieth his comming c. And v. 24. Watch because yee kow not the daie the houre c. Rom. 2. 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his bouÌ„tie and patience c. XII The principal efficient cause of our conversion is the holie Ghost neither is any man converted but by his speciall favour But he effecteth it in meÌ„ of ripe yeares especiallie by knowledge of Gods word and faith there vnto given which is in all that repent in them alone so that neither faith is without conversion nor conversion without faith Psal 51. 12. Create in me ô God a cleane heart And v. 13. I will teach the wicked thy waies Ier. 3. 18. 〈◊〉 me 〈◊〉 Lord and I shall be converted because after thou diddest coÌ„vert mee I repented 1. Cor. 4. 15. I haue begotten you through the gospell Act. 15. 9. By faith the heart is clensed Heb 4. â— The word they hard profited them not because it was mixed with faith in them that heard it Iames 2. 17. Faith without workes is dead Rom. 14. 23. That which is not of faith is sinne XIII As therefore vnto faith so also to the effecting exercising furtherance of repentance in men God vseth many means or external helping causes as the good examples of others the punishments of the wicked the rewardes of the godlie especially crosses and chastisements Mat. 5. 16. Let your light c. Rom. 11. 11. By their destruction came salvation to the Gentiles to provoke them to emulation Also ver 21. If God spared not the naturall branches beware least hee spare not thee also Psal 58. 12. And men shal say verily there is fruit for the righteous doubt lesse there is a God that iudgeth the earth Ps 119. 71. It is good for me that I haue beene in trouble that I may learne thy statutes 1. Cor. 11. 37. When we are chastised we are instructed by the Lord. XIV The proper and perpetuall effects of true repeÌ„tance are confession of our owne vnworthines of Gods mercy and all good workes But things indifferent as fasting laying aside our comely costly attire c. are helps signes of repentaÌ„ce not alwaies or necessarily but such as may bee vsed at the discretion convenient occasions of the godly But eternall life and other Gods good giftes benefites are not effectes or deserued revvards but consequents free requitals of repeÌ„tance as also of faith good works Ps 51. Against thee only haue I sinned Dan. 9. 7. To thee O Lorde belongeth righteousnes but vnto vs confusion Mat. 3. 9. Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance 1. Tim. 4. 8. Bodily exercise profiteth little Luc. 17. 10. When yee haue done all say we are vnprofitable servants XV. As therfore al the elect are in this life coÌ„verted so none of the reprobate do truly repent but the more they are vexed with an evill coÌ„science feeling or fear of punishmeÌ„t so much the more falling into despaire they storme against God his iudgements turne themselues away froÌ„ God sin the more grievously and blaspheme openly or some time for feare of punishment or desire of glory or other commodities of this life they forsake their errors embrace and professe the truth abstaine from external offences and make a shew of holinesse being indeede hypocrites without faith loue or feare of God and therefore in the end fall quite away Examples are frequent of Caine Esaâ— Iudas Saul Ahab Esaie the fifty and seventh and one and twentith There is no peace with the wicked Matth. 21. 44. and Hebre. 66. They which haue once bin lightned after fall are not any more renued by repeÌ„tance 2. Pet. 2. 20. For if they after they haue escaped froÌ„ the filthines of the worlde by the knowledge of our Lord c. are yet entaÌ„gled againe therein overcome their latter ende is worse with them then the beginnâ—ng XVI The Papistes opinion touching repentaunce iâ— impious that contrition may bee and is sufficient for our sinnes and that it is a merit of remission of sins that confession or reckning vp al â— mans sins to the Minister is necessarie that the workes or rites coÌ„manded not by God but by the Ministers are necessary and satisfactions for the eternal punishments or those of purgatory due to our sins Psal 90. 11. Who hath knowne the greatnesse of thine angerâ— Tit. 3. 5 He hath saved vs not by those iust workes which we haue done but of his mercy by the wâ—shing c. Psal 19. 13. Who can vnderstande his faults clense mee from my secret faultes Esa 29. 13. Math. 15. 8. In vaine they worship me with traditions of men XV. OF THE LAW OF GOD. 1 A Law in generall is a sentence commanding that which is honest and binding the reasonable nature to obedience with a promise of reward if that obedience be performed threatning of punishment if it be violated 2 Of lawes some are divine some humane 3 Humane lawes are either civill or ecclesiasticall 4 The principall differences betweene divine and humane lawes are these that diuine laws do partly concerne Angels and men partly all and partly some men humane lawes concerne onely some men Secondly divine lawes besides externall actions doe also require the internall qualities and motions humane lawes commaunde only certaine externall actions Thirdly divine lawes propose not only corporall and temporall but also spirituall and eternall punishments and rewardsâ— humane lawes promise and threaten rewards and punishments only corporall and temporall Fourthly obedience to divine lawes is the end of humane laws humane must serue to the observatioÌ„ of divine laws Fiftly of divine laws some are eternall and some mutable all humane lawes are mutable Lastly divine laws can be abrogated by none but God humane lawes for probable causes many bee chaunged and abrogated by men XVI OF THE PARTS OF GODS LAW 1 THere are in holy scripture found 3. partes of Gods law That is to say Moraâ— Ceremonial and Iudiciall 2 The morall law whose summe is conteined in the ten commaundements is a doctrine agreeing with the eternall and immutable wisedome and rule of iustice in God discerning
good and evill naturally knowne and bread in reasonable creatures in the creation many times after repeated and declared by the mouth of God teaching vs that there is a God and what manner of God he is binding all reasonable creatures to perfect obedience conformity externall internal to that rule promising the favour of God and life eternal to all that performe perfect obedience and denouncing the anger of God eternal punishment to all that are not perfectlie conformable therevnto vnlesse there be granted remission of sins reconciliation through the son of God our mediatour 3 The law of nature before the fal was altogether the same with the moral law of god but the knowlege of God being after the fall obscured in mans minde the lawe of nature is now become only a part of the decalogue or ten commandements being obscure and maimed especially in the knowledge and worship of God for which cause also God repeated and declared againe in his church the whole body of his law 4 Ceremonial lawes are certaine precepts of ceremonies that is of actions and externall solemne gestures or such as must be performed in the publique service of God with observation of the self-same circumstances ordained either to signifie future things or for orders sake 5 Iudiciall lawes concerne the externall defence of discipline according to both tables of the decalâ—gue or concerning civil governmeÌ„t amongst the Iewes that is touching the order duties of magistrates iudgments punishments contracts and differences of being Lord or owner of ought 6 This distinction of divine lawes must be obserued both because of the difference of these laws which being neglected their right force and meaning cannot wel be vnderstood also that we may well iudge and instruct others in the abrogation and vse of the law 7 These are the differences betweene the lawe moral and ceremonial and iudicial lawes First moral commandements or precepts are naturally knowne ceremonial and iudicial are not 8 Secondly moral lawes binde al reasonable creatures ceremonial and iudicial were only prescribed to the Iewes 9 Thirdly moral lawes are ever in force ceremoniall and iudiciall are not 10 Fourthly moral lawes commaund external internall obedience ceremonial and iudicial coÌ„maund only obedience external which notwithstanding must be ioined with internal moral obedience 11 Fiftly moral lawes are general not limited with certaine circumstaunces ceremonial and iudiciall are special that is determined by certaine circumstances 12 Sixtly ceremonial and iudicial laws are types foreshewing some thing moral laws are not types but signified by types 13 Seventhly moral lawes are a principall vvorship of God or the ende of other lawes ceremonial and iudicial owe service to the moral that by them these may the better be obserued 14 Eighthlie lawes ceremonial yeeld to the morall but morall lawes yeelde not to the ceremoniall XVII OF THE VSE AND ABROGATING OF GODS LAW 1 THe ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes of Moses in respect of obedience due to them are abrogated by the comming of the Messias 2 The moral law is abrogated in respect of the curse not in respect of obedience due to it 3 Vses of the ceremoniall and iudicial lawes of Moses partly were partly are these First a schooling or leading vs vnto Christ that is a signifying or shadowing of spirituall and heavenly things in the kingdome of Christ 4 Secondly a distinction of Gods people from other nations 5 Thirdly an execution or putting in practise the law moral which requireth a limitatioÌ„ of many circumstances both in church coÌ„moÌ„weale 6 Fourthly â— testifiâ—ng of our obedience towardâ— God 7 Fiftly the sealing of Gods covenant by ceremonies which were sacramental signes 8 Sixtly a preservation of the Mosaicall policie til Christs comming by iudicial lawes which were the sinewes and forme of the common weale 9 Lastly a confirmation of the new testament by comparing the fulfilling of all things with the types 10 The morall law in time of our innocencie had other vses then now it hath as a perfect conforming of the life of man to GODS will a good conscience and sure confidence in Gods loue favour 11 In this our corrupt nature these vses it hath first a maintaining of discipline within and without the church 12 Secondly an acknowledgement of our sinnes which two vses pertaine vnto all men and are that pâ—dagogie or schooling of the law wherby we are led vnto Christ 13 Thirdly an information to the true worship of God which vse is peculiar to the renued or regetate 14 And these are the principal vses besides which there are also some others as namely a testimony that there is a God what maner of God he is 15 A note of the church which is distinguished by integrity purity of the law from all other sects 16 A testimonie of that excellency of mans nature which was before the fall which is restored vnto vs by Christ 17 A testimony of eternal life wherin the law shall be fulfilled seeing in this life it is not fulfilled and God made it not that it shoulde never attaine its proper and principall end OF THE EXPOSITION AND DIVIsion of the Decalogue 1 THe Decalogue or ten commandements coÌ„taining a summe of the whole law of God are to be vnderstood according to that exposition which hath beene delivered by Moses the Prophets Christ and his Apostles 2 The law of god requireth perfect obedieÌ„ce both inward outward in the mind wil hart actioÌ„s that is in our words deeds and external gestures 3 Our obedience to al the other commandemeÌ„ts must be referred vnto the first because the loue glory of God must be the impulsiue final cause of al our obedience 4 The interpretation of every law must be gathered from the end for vvhich it was made 5 For divers ends one the same vvorke may be coÌ„manded or contained in divers coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts 6 Precepts affirmatiue coÌ„manding do include also the negatiue and prohibition contrarily 7 Some principal kind of thing being coÌ„manded or prohibited other kinds also which are neere like vnto that are vniversally commanded or prohibited 8 Where the effect is commanded or forbidden there likewise we must vnderstand that the cause is also commanded or prohibited 9 With the relatiues their correlatiues also are coÌ„maÌ„ded becaus the on caÌ„not be without the other 10 There are two tables of the decalogue the first coÌ„priseth in 4. coÌ„maÌ„dements certaine duties to bee performed immediatly tovvards God the second teacheth in 6 coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts what duties must be performed towards our neighbour immediatlie but towards God mediatly that is towardes our neighbor for the coÌ„mandement glory of God 11 The precepts of the second table yeeld place vnto the precepts of the first 12 That is the truer divisioÌ„ of the decalogue which reckneth the second commandement of images the tenth of concupiscence OF THE FIRST COMMANDEMENT 1 The first table giueth precepts of duties toward God the