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A09339 A golden chaine: or The description of theologie containing the order of the causes of saluation and damnation, according to Gods word. A view whereof is to be seene in the table annexed. Hereunto is adioyned the order which M. Theodore Beza vsed in comforting afflicted consciences.; Selections Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605. 1600 (1600) STC 19646; ESTC S114458 1,329,897 1,121

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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
be graunted then would it follow of necessitie that the foreknowledge of God must be made void his power weakened and his will changed each of which is impious once to dreame of For he which changeth his coūsell or his will doth therefore change it either because he at the length seeth that he might haue taken better aduise or els in that he seeth that he could not bring his former purpose about as he would Either of these are farre from our Lord God IV. If we resolue that the counsell of God is any waies mutable it will by this come to passe that euery man must bee vncertaine whether he be predestinate to life or not whereby that notable staie ground of our full assurance to be saued is vtterly shaken ouerturned Wherefore let this truth be maintained of vs namely that both the election and reprobation of God stand immutable so that neither the elect can become reprobates nor the reprobates elect and consequently neither these be saued nor they condemned Against this doctrine the popish sort except If you speake in a compound sense or meaning in sensu composito it is very true that the predestinate can not be saued nor such as are foreknowne perish but if in a sense diuided in sensu diuiso it is not so This distinction is plaine by this example White colour in a compound meaning cannot be blacke because blackenesse is repugnant contrarie to whitenesse But in a deuided sense white colour nowe may afterwards be made blacke In like sort one predestinated to saluation may by reason of the free-will he hath sinne so be damned Ans. These are silly shifts and meere sophismes because such as are predestinated to the end namely saluation are necessarilie predestinate to the meanes of saluation the which they cannot but vse and by them come to the end it selfe The III. errour All men are predestinate that is disposed and ordayned of God so as they might attaine eternall life Sebast. Cattaneus in his Enchirid. chap. of Predest The Confutation This is manifestly false For I. Infants who so sonne as they are borne depart this life seeing for want of time they cannot in this life vse the meanes of saluation albeit they may haue life eternall yet obtaine they it not by vsing the meanes vnto the same II. That which the Lord indeed actually doth the very same hath he determined to doe For he doth nothing either vnaduisedly or vnwillingly but he actually forsaketh a very great part of mankind the which being shut vp vnder contumacy he doth leaue to it selfe Act. 14.16 Who in times past suffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies Hence also is it that Eph. 2. all the Gentiles are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without God in the world Therefore God decreed to forsake some men in this life and consequently he ordained not all men to the obtaining of eternall life Nay if God once but would in his secret will that all men should be saued it were vnpossible for any to perish because Gods willing is his doing of it and if he that was ordained to saluation perish then must God now needes haue left off to will that which he would from all eternitie or els begin to will that which before hee would not the which cannot be said of God without blasphemie III. Paul 2. Thes. 2.10 saith that there be certaine men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which perish and them he distinguisheth from the elect v. 13. Rom. 9.21,22 Hath not the potter power c. Where there is not onely mention made of vessels of glorie and mercie but also of certaine made and fashioned in Gods eternall counsell as vessels of wrath Now looke whome God hath made to wrath and destruction them he neuer disposed to obtaine eternall life The IV. errour Predestination in regard of the last effects thereof hath this cause in man that is in mans free-will and workes for they whome God had foreseene that they would receiue grace offered in Christ and lead their life according to the lawe thē he predestinated not of works but of his mercie yet so as that he had respect vnto works or to deale with them according to their workes or as others say to ordaine them by their works foreseene As for example God did from all eternitie foresee and foreknow that Peter should be saued and Iudas condemned because he from the same eternitie did both foresee foreknow that Peter would accept of the grace offered vnto him and after vse the same aright and he did also foresee that Iudas should receiue the grace offered yet notwithstāding by reason of his peruerse will vse the same peruersly The Confutation This their forged deuise of foreseene workes I. Paul doth shewe to bee plainely counterfeit when as he saith that the Ephesians were elected in Christ before the foundations of the world were laide and that not because he did foresee that they would be holy but that they might be holy and vnblameable before God with loue And 2. v. 10. he saith they were created to good workes in Christ that they might walke therein In which places good workes they are made effectes of predestination but the effect foreseene cannot bee the cause of his cause for that euery cause in the order both of nature and knowledge doth goe before his effect II. Tit. 3.5 Not of workes which we haue done but according to his mercie did God elect and saue vs. III. God in electing vs did not regard any thing out of himselfe but in himselfe did he elect vs. Eph. 1.4 and 9. Therefore did he not regard future workes IV. Some of the popish schoolemen confesse that Predestination doth put nothing in the partie predestinated in respect of him for which God did predestinate him Thom. 1. primae quest 23. art 2. V. Election is onely on Gods mercie Rom. 9.16 VI. God saw no grace in man but that which he himselfe must bestow vpon him whence it is apparant that in election the beginning thereof proceedeth from grace VII Seeing there is nothing either aboue God or greater then God it must needes be impious to assigne any cause of his will either out of or aboue his maiestie and therefore that his foreknowledge of faith workes should bee accounted the impulsiue cause of his decree concerning mans saluation we doe rightly denie The V. errour By Baptisme rightly administred not only the guiltines but also the corruption of originall sin is so washed away as that it is not afterward properly accounted a sinne The Confutation We contrarily doe thus distinguish of sinne Sinne in regard of the guiltines of Gods wrath and also in regard of the punishment togither by one act is taken away in Baptisme but in regard of that errour and corruption of nature it is not at the first quite taken away but successiuely and by little and little it is extinguished euen as our renouation wrought by
in the eternal counsell of God set apart to be a publike suretie or pledge for vs to suffer and performe those things which we in our persons should haue suffered and performed For this cause God the father is said to giue his sonne vnto vs and the sonne again to giue his life for his friends The ●econd question is how by the short and temporary death of the sonne of God any man can possibly bee freed from eternall death and damnation which is due vnto him for the least sinne Ans. When we say that the sonne of God suffered it must be vnderstood with distinction of the natures of Christ not in respect of the Godhead but in respect of the assumed manhood yet neuerthelesse the passion is to be ascribed to the whole person of Christ God and man and from the dignitie of the person which suffered ariseth the dignitie excellencie of the passion wherby it is made in value and price to counteruaile euerlasting damnation For when as the sonne of God suffered the curse for a short time it is more then if all men and angels had suffered the same for euer VII The difference of the passion of Christ and the sufferings of Martyrs and that stands in two thinges First Christs passion was a cursed punishment the sufferings of the Martyrs are no curses but either chastisements or trials Secondly the passion of Christ is meritorious for vs euen before god because he becam our mediatour and suretie in the couenant of grace but the sufferings of Martyrs are not of value to merit for vs at Gods hand because in suffering they were but priuate men and therefore they nothing appertaine to vs. By this it appeares that the Treasury of the Church of Rome which is as it were a common chest containing the ouerplus of the merits of saints mingled with the merits of Christ kept and disposed by the Pope himselfe is nothing els but a sensles dotage of mans braine And whereas they say that Christ by his death did merit that Saints might merit both for themselues and others it is as much as if they should say the sonne of God became Iesus to make euery one of vs Iesus And it is a manifest vntruth which they say For the very manhood of Christ considered apart from the Godhead cannot merit properly cōsidering whatsoeuer it is hath or doth it is hath and doth the same wholly and onely by grace whereas therefore Christ meriteth for vs it is by reason he is both God and man in one person For this cause it is not possible that one meere man should merit for another The vse of the passion followeth It is the manner of Friers and Iesuits in the Church of Rome to vse the consideration of the passion of Christ as a meanes to stirre vp compassion in themselues partly towards Christ who suffered grieuous torments and partly towards the virgin Marie who for the torments of her deere sonne was exceedingly troubled and withall to kindle in their hearts an indignation towards the Iewes that put Christ to death But indeede this kind of vse is meere humane and may in like manner be made by reading of any humane historie But the proper and the speciall vse of the passion indeede is this first of all we must set it before our eies as a looking glasse in which we may clearely beholde the horriblenesse of our sinnes that could not be pardoned without the passion of the sonne of God and the vnspeakable loue of Christ that died for vs and therefore loued his own enemies more then his owne selfe and lastly our endlesse peace with God and happinesse in that considering the person of our redeemer who suffered the pangs of hell wee may after a sort finde our paradise euen in the middest of hell Secondly the meditation of Christs passion serues as a most worthie mean● to beginne and to confirme grace specially when it is mingled with faith and that two waies For first it serues to breede in our hearts a godly sorrowe for our sinnes past when we doe seriouslie with our selues consider that our owne sinnes were the cause of all the paines and sorrowes calamities which he suffered in life and death When any man had sinned vnder the lawe hee brought vnto the temple or tabernacle some kind of beast for an offering according as he was prescribed laying his hand vpon the head of it and afterward slaying it before the Lord. Now by the ceremony of laying on the hand he testified that he for his part had deserued death and not the beast and that it beeing slaine and sacrificed was a ●igne vnto him of the sacrifice of Christ offered vpon the crosse for his ●innes And hereby we are taught that so oft as we remember the passion of Christ we should lay our hands as it were vpon our owne heades vtterly accusing and condemning our selues euermore keeping this in our hearts that Christ suffered not for himself but for our offences which were the proper cause of all his woe and miserie And as Christs passion was grieuous and bitter vnto him so should our sinnes likewise bee grieuous and bitter vnto vs let vs alwaies remember this otherwise we shall neuer reape any sound benefit by the passion of Christ. Againe the passion of Christ is a notable meanes to stirre vp in our hearts a purpose and a care to reforme our selues and liue in holines and newnes of life on this manner Hath the sonne of God so mercifully dealt with me as to suffer the curse of the whole lawe for my manifolde iniquities and to deliuer me from iust and deserued damnation yea no doubt he hath I am resolued of it if I should go on in mine old course I should be the most ingratefull of all creatures to this my louing Sauiour I will therefore by his grace returne and reforme my life And in this very point of reformation the passion of Christ is set before vs as a most liuely patterne and example to followe For as much saith S. Peter as Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh arme your s●lues likewise with the same minde which is that he which hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne Where he teacheth that there must be in vs a spirituall passion answerable to the passion of Christ. For as his enemies did lade him with miseries euen to the death of the crosse so should we lade our owne flesh that is the corruption of our natures with all such meanes as may subdue and weaken crucifie and kill it To the doing of this three things especially are required First we must consider that the corruption of our rebebellious natures is like the great and mightie Goliah and the grace of God which we receiue like young and little Dauid and therefore if wee desire that grace should preuaile against corruption we must disarme the strong man and strippe him of all his weapons
they keepe themselues frō periurie blasphemie murder theft whoredome all is well with them but the trueth is that so long as they liue in ignorance they want right and true direction of conscience out of Gods worde and therefore their best actions are sinnes euen their eating and drinking their sleeping and waking their buying and selling their speech and silence yea their praying and seruing of god For they do these actions either of custome or example or necessitie as beasts doe and not of faith because they know not Gods will touching things to be done or left vndone The consideration of this point should make euery man most carefull to seeke for knowledge of Gods word and daily to increase in it that hee may in all his affaires haue Gods lawes to bee the men of his counsell Psal. 116. 24. that hee may giue heede to them as to the light shining in a darke place 2. Pet. 1.19 that he may say with Peter when Christ commanded him to launch forth into the deepe and to cast forth his nette Lord we haue bin all night and haue catched nothing yet in thy word will I let downe my nette Luk. 5.5 CHAP. III. Of the kindes of conscience and of conscience regenerate COnscience is either good or badde Good conscience is that which rightly according to Gods word excuseth and comforteth For the excellency goodnesse and dignitie of conscience standes not in accusing but in excusing And by doing any sinne whatsoeuer to giue an occasion to the conscience to accuse and condemne is to wound it and to offend it Thus Paul saith that the Corinthians wounded the consciences of their weake breathren when they vsed their libertie as an occasion of offence to them 1. Cor. 8,9 12. Againe hee calleth a good conscience a conscience without offence that is which hath no stop or impedimēt to hinder it from excusing Act. 24. 19. Good conscience is either good by creation or regeneration Good by creation was the conscience of Adam which in the estate of innocency did onely excuse and could not accuse him for any thing though it may be an aptnes to accuse was not wanting if afterward an occasion should be offered And hence we haue further direction to consider what a good cōscience is namely such an one as by the order set downe in the creation excuseth onely without accusing Yea to accuse is a defect in true consciēce following after the first creation For naturally there is an agreement and harmonie betweene the parts and the whole but if the conscience should naturally accuse there should be a dissent and disagreement and diuision between the conscience and the man himselfe Regenerate conscience is that which beeing corrupt by nature is renewed and purged by faith in the blood of Christ. For to the regenerating of the cōscience there is required a conuersion or change because by nature all mens consciences since the fall are euill and none are good but by grace The instrument seruing to make this change is faith Act. 15.19 Faith purifieth the heart The meritorious cause is the blood of Christ. Heb. 9.14 Howe much more shall the blood of Christ c. purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God The propertie of regenerate conscience is twofold Christian libertie and Certentie of saluation Because both these haue their place not in the outward man but in the spirit and conscience Christian libertie is a spirituall and holy freedome purchased by Christ. I say it is spirituall first to put a difference betweene it and ciuill libertie which standes in outward and bodily freedomes and priuiledges secondly to confute the Iewes that looke for earthly libertie by Christ and the Anabaptists who imagine a freedome from all authoritie of Magistrates in the kingdome of Christ. Againe I say it is an holy freedome to confute the Libertines who thinke that by the death of Christ they haue libertie to liue as they list Lastly I say it is purchased by Christ to shewe the authoritie thereof Gal. 5. 1. Stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made you free And to confute the Papists whose doctrine in effect is thus much that this libertie is procured indeede by Christ but is continued partly by Christ and partly by the man himselfe Christian libertie hath three parts The first is a freedome from the iustification of the morall law For he that is a member of Christ is not bound in conscience to bring the perfect righteousnes of the lawe in his owne person for his iustification before God Gal. 5. 1. with v. 3. Hence it followeth that he that is a Christian is likewise freed from the curse and condemnation of the law Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to thē that are in Christ. Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe when he was made a curse for vs. By this first part of Christian libertie it appeares that there cannot be any iustification of a sinner by works of grace before God For he that wil be iustified but by one worke is debter to the whole lawe Gal. 3.3 but no man that is a member of Christ is debter to the whole law for his libertie is to be free in that point therefore no man is iustified so much as by one worke of his own The second part is freedome from the rigour of the lawe which exacteth perfect obedience and condemneth all imperfection Rom. 6. 14. Sinne hath no more dominiō ouer you for ye are not vnder the law but vnder grace 1. Ioh. 5.3 This is the loue of God that ye keepe his commandements and his commandements are not grieuous Hence it followeth that God will accept of our imperfect obedience if it be sincere yea he accepts the will desire and indeauour to obey for obediēce it selfe Malach. 3.17 And I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him The third part is that the consciēce is freed from the bond of the ceremoniall law Gal. 3.25 But after that faith is come wee are no more vnder a schoolemaster Eph. 2. 15. And hath broken the stoppe of the partition wall in abrogating through his flesh the lawe of commandements which standeth in ordinances Coloss. 2.14 And hath put out the hand writing of ordinances which was against vs. v. 26. Let no man therefore condemne you in meat and drinke or in respect of any holy day or of the newe moone c. Hence it followeth that all Christians may freely without scruple of conscience vse all things indifferent so be it the manner of vsing them be good And first when I say th●t all may vse them I vnderstand a two-folde vse naturall or spirituall The naturall vse is either to releeue our necessities or for honest delite Thus the Psalmist saith that God giues not onely bread to strengthen the heart of man but also wine to make glad the heart and oyle to make the face to
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 t●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 we● 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 sanctifi●atiō 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 ●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 thē whereby they apprehend that which appeaseth Gods wrath euen the merits of Christ in whome the
In whome ye are also built togither to be the habitation of God by the spirit This albeit it be a most neere and reall vnion yet we must not thinke that it by touching mixture or as it were by souldring of one soule with another neither by a bare agreement of the soules among themselues but by the communion and operation of the same spirit which beeing by nature infinite is of sufficient abilitie to conioyne those things togither which are of themselues farre distant from each other the like we see in the soule of man which conioyneth the head with the foote Eph. 2.22 2. Pet. 1.4 Whereby most great and precious promises are giuen vnto vs that by them ye should be partakers of the godly nature in that ye flie the corruption which is in the world through lust Phil. 2.1 If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirit c. The things vnited In this vnion not our soule alone is vnited with Christs soule or our ●lesh with his flesh but the whole person of euery faithfull man is ●erely conioyned with the whol person of our Sauiour Christ God man The manner of their vnion is this A faithfull man first of all and immediatly is vnited to the flesh or humane nature of Christ afterward by reason of the humanitie to the Word it selfe or diuine nature For saluation and life dependeth on that fulnesse of the godhead which is in Christ yet it is not cōmunicated vnto vs but in the flesh and by the flesh of Christ. Ioh. 6 5● Except ye eate the flesh and drinke the blood of the Sonne of man ye haue no life in you 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him The bond of this vnion This vnion is made by the spirit of God applying Christ vnto vs and on our parts by faith receiuing Christ Iesus offered vnto vs. And for this cause is it tearmed a spirituall vnion Christ because he is the head of the faithfull is to be considered as a publike man sustaining the person of all the elect Hence is it that the faithfull are ●aid to be crucified with Christ and with him to die to be buried Rom. 6.4 5,6 to be quickened Eph. 2.5 to be raised vp and placed in heauen v. 6. Col. 3.1 the which is not onely in regard of the hope of the faithful but because they are accepted of God certainely to haue done all these things in Christ euen as in Adams first sinne all his posteritie afterward was tainted of sinne A member of Christ is diuersly distinguished and is so either before men or God Before mē they are the members of Christ who outwardly professing the faith are charitably reputed by the Church as true members But such deceiuing at length both themselues and the Church may be reprobates therefore in Gods presence they are no more true members then are the noxious humours in mans bodie or a woodden legge or other ioynt cunningly fastened to another part of the bodie Againe members before God they are such as either are decreed to be so or actually are so already Such as are decreed to be so are they who being elect from all eternitie are either as yet not borne or not called Ioh. 10. 16. Other sheepe haue I which are not of this fold them also must I bring Actuall members of Christ are either liuing or dying members An actuall liuing member of Christ is euery one elected which being engraffed by faith and the spirit into Christ doth feele and shewe forth the power of Christ in him An actuall dying or decaying member is euery one truely engraffed into Christ and yet hath no feeling of the power and efficacie of the quickening spirit in him He is like vnto a benummed legge without sense which indeede is a part of mans body and yet receiueth no nourishment such are those faithfull ones who for a time doe faint and are ouercome vnder the heauie burthē of tentations and their sinnes such are also those excommunicate persons who in regard of their engraffing are true members howesoeuer in regard of the externall communion with the Church and efficacie of the spirit they are not members till such time as they being touched with repentance doe begin as it were to liue againe God executeth this effectuall calling by certaine meanes The first is the sauing hearing of the word of God which is when the said word outwardly is preached to such an one as is both dead in his sinnes and doth not so much as dreame of his saluation And first of all the Law shewing a man his sinne and the punishment thereof which is eternall death afterward the Gospel shewing saluation by Christ Iesus to such as beleeue And inwardly the eyes of the minde are enlightened the heart and eares opened that he may see heare and vnderstand the preaching of the word of God The second is the mollifying of the heart the which must be bruised in pieces that it may be fit to receiue Gods sauing grace offered vnto it Ezech. 11. 19. I will giue them one heart and I will put a new spirit within their bowels And I will take the stonie heart out of their bodies and will giue them an heart of flesh There are for the brusing of this stonie heart foure principal hammers The first is the knowledge of the law of God The second is the knowledge of sinne both originall and actuall and what punishment is due vnto them The third is compunction or pricking of the heart namely a sense and feeling of the wrath of God for the same sinnes The fourth is an holy desperation of a mans owne power in the obtaining of eternall life Act. 2.37 When they heard these things they were pricked in heart and said vnto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe 38. Peter said vnto them Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus into the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost Luk. 15.17 Then he came to himselfe and said How many hired seruants at my fathers haue bread ynough and I die for hunger 18. I will rise and goe to my father and say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee 19. And am no more worthie to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruants c. Matth. 15. 24. He answered and said I am not sent but to the lost sheepe of Israel The third is faith which is a miraculous and supernaturall facultie of the heart apprehending Christ Iesus being applied by the operation of the holy Ghost and receiuing him to it selfe Ioh. 1.1,2,6.35 Iesus said vnto them I am the bread of life he that commeth vnto me shall neuer hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Rom. 9.30 What shall we
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 pre●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 degrees● 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 sanctificatiō of the inward mā by his volūtary 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 who●● 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 assurāce 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. ●● O thou of litle faith why didst thou doubt Luk. 12.29 Hang ye not in suspence III. That which a mā 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 th●refore iustified we haue peace with God But there can be no peace where there is not a pa●ticu●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 i●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 i●stification
them are morall works and workes of grace but these are excluded from iustification and working mans saluation Eph. 2.10 And Paul beeing regenerate saith thus of himselfe I am not guiltie vnto my selfe of any thing yet am I not thereby iustified VI. The cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused but grace without works is the cause of mans predestination the which is the cause of his iustification and therefore grace without workes shall much more be saide to be the cause of iustification Obiect I. Levit. 18.5 He that keepeth my statutes shall liue in them Ans. This saving is a legall sentence and therefore sheweth not what men can doe but what they should doe Obiect II. Psal. 119.1 Blessed are those that walke in the Law of the Lord. Ans. Man is not here said to be blessed because he walketh vprightly but because the person of such walker is by the merits of Christ iustified before God Obiect III. Iudge me according to my righteousnes Psal. 7. And the fact of Phinees was imputed to him for righteouses Ans. These places are not meant of that righteousnes of the person by which it is righteous before God but of the righteousnes of some particular cause or worke For where as Dauid was accused of this crime that he did affect Sauls kingdome he in this point doth in the words aboue mentioned testifie his innocencie before God Obiect IV. We are iudged according to our workes therefore also by them iustified Ans. The reason is not alike because the last iudgement is not the iustifying of a man but a declaration of that iustification which he had before obtained Therfore the last iudgement must be pronounced and taken not from the causes of iustification but from the effects and signes thereof Obiect V. Make you friends of vnrighteous Mammon c. that they may receiue you into eternall habitations Ans. This they doe not as authors of saluation but as witnesses of the same Obiect VI. Dan. 4.24 Redeeme thy sinnes by righteousnes and thine iniquitie by mercie towards the poore Ans. It is rather breake off thy sinnes then redeeme for so is the originall now men breake off their sinnes by ceasing from them not satisfying for them Obiect VII Euill workes condemne therefore good workes iustifie Answ. It followeth not because good works are not perfectly good as euill works are perfectly euill Obiect VIII We are saued by hope Rom. 8. Answer We must distinguish betwixt iustification and saluation saluation is the end iustification is one degree to come to the ende but there is more required to the ende then to a degree subordinate to the ende therefore we are saued by hope and faith but iustified by faith alone Obiect IX Affliction causeth eternall glorie 2. Cor. 4.17 Ans. This is doth not as by it owne merit effecting the same but rather as a path and way manifesting and declaring the same Obiect X. Iam. 2.21 Abraham was iustified by workes Ans. Not as any cause of iustification but as a manifestation thereof Obiect XI He that is iust let him be more iust Ans. This place must be vnderstood of iustification before men namely of sanctification or an holy life not of iustification in the sight of God Obiect XII We are iustified by faith therefore by a worke Ans. We are iustified by faith not as it is a vertue and a worke but as it is an instrument apprehending the iustice of Christ whereby we are iustified And in this respect faith is said by the figure called Metonymia to be imputed to vs vnto righteousnesse Obiect XIII The workes of grace are dyed in the blood of Christ. Ans. They are indeed dyed therein but to the ende they might the better please God not iustifie man and whereas they are so stained as that they neede dying in the blood of Christ therefore can they not any waies iustifie sinnefull man And the person of the worker is as well died in Christs blood as is his work yet he can not say that his person doth therefore iustifie him And as I haue now prooued that this doctrine of the Papists is very erronious so I also auouch that it is most ridiculous Because for a man to say that inherent righteousnes is by good works namely the fruits of righteousnes augmented is as if a man should say that the vine is made more fruitfull by bearing grapes or that the internall light of the sunne is augmented by the externall emission of the beames Luthers saying is farre more true Good workes doe not make a good man but a good man doth make workes good The XIIII errour Grace is quite extinguished or rather vtterly lost by any mortall sinne The Confutation I. The word of God doth manifestly declare that it is farre otherwise Ioh. 6. All that the Father giueth me shall come vnto me and him that commeth vnto me I cast not away Math. 16.16 Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church so that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it 1. Ioh. 2.19 They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued with vs. Rom. 5. 1. Beeing therefore iustified we haue peace with God Now how could this be true if he that was before iustified could any way quite fall from grace and so perish II. The elect after their very grieuous fallings from God forthwith repented them of their sinnes as we may see in the example of Dauid Peter c. the which argueth that they had not quite fallen from grace and lost the spirit of God III. If grace be once vtterly lost then the ingraffing of that partie into Christ is quite abolished therefore for such as repent there must needs succeed a second new ingraffing into Christ then it will also follow that they must of necessitie be baptized anew which is absurd to thinke But for all this we denie not but grace may in part and for a time be lost to the end that the faithfull may thereby acknowledge and know their weaknes and for it be humbled but that there is any totall or finall falling from grace we vtterly denie The XV. errour It is possible to fulfill the Law in this life The Confutation The Law is euangelically fulfilled by beleeuing in Christ but not legally by doing the works thereof Reason They which are carnall cannot possibly fulfill the law of God but the most regenerate so long as they liue in this life are carnall in part Rom. 7.14 I am saith Paul of himselfe carnall and sold vnder sinne Prou. 20. Who can say Mine heart is pure I am pure from sinne Eccles. 7. There is none so iust vpon earth which doth good and sinneth not Psal. 130. If thou Lord obserue what is done amisse Lord who shall abide it We are daily taught to pray vnto God Forgiue vs our sinnes Exception Indeede if the iustice of the faithfull be absolutely
by some circumstances inherent in the person is mooued to doe this or that Now as for God he did vpon his meere pleasure elect some and reiect others eternally not mooued or vrged thereunto by any thing whatsoeuer out of himselfe II. He is debter to none but may by good right doe with his creatures what seemeth good vnto him in his owne eyes III. It is one thing with God to accept of persons and another to make choice of men This if we should not graunt it would follow that God must be deemed blame-worthie because he made not all his creatures most glorious Angels Obiect VIII If God decreed to reiect certaine men then did he hate his creature Answ. God decreed to reiect his creature and workmanship not because he hated it but because he appointed it to hatred And it is one thing to hate and another to appoint to hatred And indeede God doth not actually hate any thing but for sinne That saying of Augustine to Simplicius is fitte for this purpose When God maketh the wicked whome he doth not iustifie vessells of wrath he doth it not to hate that which he made for in that he made them vessels they haue their vse namely that by their paines to which they were ordained the vessels of honour might reape profit God therefore doth not hate them in that they are men or vessels neither any thing that he made in them by creation or ordination For God hateth nothing which he hath made But in as much as he made them vessels of destruction he did it to instruct others As for their impietie which he neuer made that he hateth vtterly As therfore a iudge hateth theft in a mā but he doth not hate his punishment that he is sent to worke in the mines For the theefe doth the first the iudge the latter so God whereas of the companie of them which perish he maketh vessels of perdition he doth not therefore hate that which he doth that is the cōdemnation of those which perish in their due punishment for sinne Obiect IX The reprobates are said in many places of Scripture to be redeemed by Christ as 2. Pet. 2.1 Ans. First we must not vnderstand such places meant of all reprobates but of such as are for a time in the Church II. They are saide to be redeemed iustified and sanctified both in their owne iudgements and the Churches also in as much as they make an externall profession of the faith But this is a iudgement of charitie not of certentie Obiect X. God might be thought cruell if that he had ordained the greatest part of the world to destruction Answer God could well enough haue decreed that euen all men should vtterly haue beene reiected and yet he should haue beene neuer a whit either cruell or vniust Reasons I. He adiudged all and euery one of those soule and wicked spirits which fell from him to eternall torments II. He decreed also as is apparant by the euent that men should liue by the slaughter of beasts and yet God is not therefore cruell against them and surely God is no more bounden vnto man then vnto the very bruit beasts Exception God appointed all to be saued with this caueat and condition If they beleeue Answer This is absurd to affirme for I. by this meanes the decree of God should depende vpon the will of man● when as contrarily Gods decree doth limit and order all inferiour causes II. It quite taketh away the certaintie of Gods decree because a conditionall proposition doth set downe nothing as beeing or it doth not certainly affirme any thing Obiect If the merit of Christ did not extend it selfe as farre as the fall of Adam then is not the head of the Serpent broken nor Satans kingdome abolished by Christ. Ans. This brusing of the Serpents head is seene in them onely which are at enimitie with the Serpent namely in such as truly beleeue Gen. 3.15 compared with Rom. 16.20 To conclude that is not true which they say namely that this opinion of an vniuersall and effectuall redemption of euery singular man is a notable remedie to comfort afflicted consciences For I appeale to the iudgement of all men whether there is in this manner of consolation any great comfort to the conscience afflicted Christ died for all men Thou art a man Therefore Christ died for thee The II. errour God did foreknow the fall of Adam but he did not by his eternall decree foreordaine the same and therefore that his fall was without the agent permission of God The Confutation It is false For I. there is not the least thing in nature but it commeth to passe by the decree and will of God Math. 10.30 Wherefore such as affirme that God did onely foreknow this or that they doe either quite ouerturne the prouidence of GOD or at the least imagine that it is a very idle prouidence II. The fact of Herod and Pilate in deliuering Christ against their own consciences to be crucified may seeme to be as heinous as was Adams fall and yet they are said to haue done that which the hand of the Lord had fore-ordained to be done Act. 4. 28. Againe the fall of Adam was two manner of waies by Gods actiue or rather operatiue permission I. In as much as the fall was an action for in God alone we liue we mooue and haue our beeing II. In as much as that his fall was but a bare triall of his loyaltie to God whereby God would trie both the power and will of his creature The III. errour God by reason that he did foresee the disobedience of some or that they would contemne the Gospel did decree their destruction and condemnation The Confutation We vtterly denie that the foreseeing of the contempt of grace in any was the first and principall cause of the decree of reprobation Reasons I. Paul Rom. 1. doth deriue the common condemnation of the Gentiles from hence namely that they withheld the truth in vnrighteousnes that is because they did wittingly extinguish that light of nature by their wicked doings which they had of the knowledge of God and would not obey their consciences inwardly checking them for the same II. If that faith foreseene be not the cause of the decree of Election it can not be that the want of faith foreseene should be the cause of the decree of reprobation but rather as faith doth in order of causes follow after election so must incredulitie reprobation For there is the like reason or proportion of contraries III. Many infants depart this life both beeing out of the true Church and before they haue any vse of reason and againe many there are which albeit they liue long yet being either idiots and fooles or borne deafe they cannot come to the true vse of reason in all which it is not credible that their should be suspected any contempt of the Gospel which they could not learne IV. Esau was hated of God for none other
assent vnto the same knowledge and it is to be found in the deuill and his angels So Saint Iames saith the deuills beleeue and tremble Some will say what a faith haue they Ans. Such as thereby they vnderstand both the Law and the Gospell besides they giue assent to it to be true and they doe more yet in that they tremble and feare And many a man hath not so much For amongst vs there is many a one which hath no knowledge of God at all more th●n he hath learned by the common talke of the world as namely that there is a God and that he is mercifull c. and yet this man will say that he beleeueth with all his heart but without knowledge it can not be that any should truly beleeue and therefore he deceiu●th himselfe Quest. But whence haue the deuils historical faith were they illuminated by the light of the spirit Ans. No but when the Gospell was preached they did acknowledge it and beleeued it to be true and that by the vertue of the reliques of Gods image which remained in them since their fall And therefore this their faith doth not arise from any speciall illumination by his spirit but they attaine to it euen by the very light of nature which was left in them from the beginning The second kinde of faith is Temporarie faith so called because it lasteth but for a time and season and commonly not to the ende of a mans life This kinde of faith is noted vnto vs in the parable of the seede that fell in the stonie ground And there be two differences or kindes of this faith The first kinde of temporarie faith hath in it three degrees The first is to knowe the Word of God and particularly the Gospell The second to giue an assent vnto it The third to professe it but to goe no further and all this may be done without any loue to the word This faith hath one degree more then historicall faith Examples of it we haue in Simon Magus Acts 8.13 who is saide to beleeue because he held the doctrine of the Apostle to be true and withall professed the same and in the deuils also who in some sort confessed that Christ was the sonne of the most highest and yet looked for no saluation by him Mark 5.7 Act. 19.15 And this is the common faith that abounds in this land Men say they beleeue as the Prince beleeueth and if religion change they will change For by reason of the authoritie of princes lawes they are made to learne some litle knowledge of the word they beleeue it to be good and they professe it thus for the space of thirtie or fourtie yeares men heare the word preached and receiue the sacraments beeing for all this as voide of grace as euer they were at the first day and the reason is because they doe barely professe it without either liking or loue of the same The second kinde of temporarie faith hath in it fiue degrees For by it first a man knowes the word Secōdly he assenteth vnto it Thirdly he professeth it Forthly he reioiceth inwardly in it Fiftly he bringeth forth some kind of fruit and yet for all this hath no more in him but a faith that will faile in the ende because he wanteth the effectuall application of the promise of the Gospel and is without all manner of sound conuersion This faith is like corne in the house top which groweth for a while but when heate of sommer commeth it withereth And this is also set forth vnto vs in the parable of the seede which fell in a stonie ground which is hastie in springing vp but because of the stones which will not suffer it to take deepe roote it withereth And this is a very common faith in the Church of God by which many reioyce in the preaching of the word and for a time bring forth some fruits accordingly with shewe of great forwardnesse yet afterward shake off religion and all But some will say how can this be a temporarie faith seeing it hath such fruits Ans. Such a kind of faith is temporarie because it is grounded on temporarie causes which are three I. A desire to get knowledge of some straunge points of religion For many a man doth labour for the fiue former degrees of temporarie faith onely because he desires to get more knowledge in Scripture then other men haue The second cause is a desire of praise among men which is of that force that it will make a man put on a shewe of all the graces which God bestoweth vpon his owne children though otherwise he want them and to goe very farre in religion which appeareth thus Some there are which seeme very bitterly to weepe for the sinnes of other men and yet haue neither sorrow nor touch of conscience for their owne and the cause hereof is nothing else but pride For he that sheddes teares for an other mans sinnes should much more weepe for his owne if he had grace Againe a man for his owne sinnes will pray very slackly and dully when he prayeth priuately and yet when he is in the companie of others he praies very feruently and earnestly From whence is this difference surely often it springeth from the pride of heart and from a desire and praise among men The third cause of temporarie faith is profit commoditie the getting of wealth and riches which are common occasions to mooue to choose or refuse religion as the time serueth but such kinde of beleeuers embrace not the Gospell because it is the Gospell that is the gladde tydings of saluation but because it brings wealth peace and libertie with it And these are the three causes of temporarie faith The third kinde of faith is the faith of Miracles when a man grounding himselfe on some speciall promise or reuelation from God doth beleeue that some straunge and extraordinarie thing which he hath desired or foretold shall come to passe by the worke of God This must be distinguished from historicall and temporarie faith For Simon Magus hauing both these kinds of faith wanted this faith of miracles and therefore would haue bought the same of the Apostles for money Yet we must know that this faith of miracles may be in hypocrites as it was in Iudas and at the last iudgement it shall be found to haue bin in the wicked and reprobate which shall say to Christ Lord in thy name we haue prophesied and cast out deuills and done many great miracles And thus much for the three sorts of common faith Now we come to the true faith which is called the Faith of the Elect. It is thus defined Faith is a supernaturall gift of God in the minde apprehending the sauing promise with all the promises that depend on it First I say it is a gift of God Philip. 1.29 to confute the blinde opinion of our people that thinke that the faith whereby they are to be saued is
who beeing tempted of the deuill and asked how he beleeued answered that he beleeued as the Church beleeued beeing againe asked how the Church beleeued he answered as I beleeue whereupon the deuill as they say was faine to depart Well this fond and ridiculous kind of faith we renounce as being a meanes to nuzle men in blindnes superstition and perpetuall ignorance yet withall we doe not denie but that there is an implicite or infolded faith which is when a man as yet hauing but some little portion of knowledge in the doctrine of the Gospel doth truly performe obedience according to the measure thereof and withall hath care to get more knowledge and shewes good affection to all good meanes whereby it may be increased In this respect a certaine ruler who by a miracle wrought vpon his child was mooued to acknowledge Christ for the Messias and further to submit himselfe to his doctrine is commended for a beleeuer and so are in the like case the Samaritanes And thus much of weake faith which must be vnderstood to be in a man not all the daies of his life but while he is a yong babe in Christ. For as it is in the state of the bodie first we are babes and grow to greater strength as we grow in yeres so it is with a christian man First he is a babe in Christ hauing weake faith but after growes from grace to grace till he come to haue a strōg faith example wher●of we haue in Abraham who was strong and perfect both in knowledge and apprehension This strong faith is when a man is indued with the knowledge of the Gospell and grace to apprehend and apply the righteousnes of Christ vnto himselfe for the remission of his owne sinnes so as he can say distinctly of himselfe and truely that he is fully resolued in his owne conscience that he is reconciled vnto God in Christ for all his sinnes and accepted in him to life euerlasting This degree of faith is proper to him that beginnes to be a tall man and of ripe yeares in Christ. And it commeth not at the first calling of a man vnto grace And if any shall thinke that he can haue it at the first he deceiueth himself For as it is in nature first we are babes then as we increase in yeares so we growe in strength so it is in the life of a Christian first ordinarily he hath a weake faith and after growes from grace to grace till he come to stronger faith and at the last he be able to say he is fully assured in his heart and conscience of the pardon of his sinnes of reconciliation to God in Christ. And this assurance ariseth from many experiences of Gods fauour and loue in the course of his life by manifold preseruations and other blessings which beeing deepely and duly considered bring a man to be fully perswaded that God is his God and God the father his father and Iesus Christ his redeemer and the holy Ghost his sanctifier Now howesoeuer this faith be strong yet is it alwaies imperfect as also our knoweledge is and shall so long as wee liue in this worlde be mingled with contrarie vnbeleefe and sundry doubtings more or lesse A great part of men amongest vs blinded with grosse ignorance say they haue faith and yet indeede haue not For aske them what faith they haue they will answere they beleeue that God is their father and the Sonne their redeemer c. aske them how long they haue had this faith they will answer euer since they could remember aske them whether they euer doubt of Gods fauour they will say they would not once doubt for all the world But the case of these men is to bee pitied for howesoeuer they may perswade themselues yet true it is that they haue no sound faith at all for euen strong faith is assaulted with temptations and doubtings and God will not haue men perfect in this life that they may alwaies goe out of themselues and depend wholly on the merite of Christ. And thus much of these two degrees of faith Nowe in whome soeuer it is whether it be a weake faith or a strong it bringeth forth some fruit as a tree doth in the time of sommer And a speciall fruite of faith is this confession of faith I beleeue in God c. so Paul saith With the heart a man may beleeue vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation Confession of faith is when a man in speech and outwarde profession doth make manifest his faith for these two causes I. That with his mouth outwardly he may glorifie God and doe him seruice both in body and soule II. That by the confession of his faith he may seuer himselfe from all false Christians from Atheists hypocrites and all false seducers whatsoeuer And as this is the dutie of a Christian man to make profession of his faith so here in this Creede of the Apostles wee haue the right order and forme of making confession set downe as we shall see in handling the parts thereof The Creede therefore setts downe two thinges concerning faith namely the action of faith and his obiect which also are the parts of the Creed The action in these wordes I beleeue the obiect in all the wordes following in God the Father Almightie maker c. And first let vs beginne with the action I beleeue in God Wee are taught to saie I beleeue not vvee beleeue for two causes First because as wee touched before in the Primitiue Church this Creede was made to bee an aunswere to a demaunde or question which was demaunded of euery particular man that was baptized for they asked him thus What doest thou beleeue then he aunswered I beleeue in God the Father c. And thus did euerie one of yeares make profession of his faith and it is likely that Peter alluded hereunto saying the stipulation or aunswere of a good conscience maketh request to God The second cause is howesoeuer we are to pray one for another by saying● O our Father c. yet when we come to yeares we must haue a particular faith of our own no man can be saued by another mans faith but by his owne as it is said The iust shall liue by his faith But some will say this is not true because children must be saued by their parents faith the aunswere is this the faith of the parent doth bring the child to haue a title or interest to the Couenant of grace and to all the benefits of Christ yet doth it not applie the benefits of Christs death his obedience his merits and righteousnesse vnto the infant for this the beleeuer doth onely vnto himselfe and to no other Againe some may say if children doe not apprehend Christs benefits by their parents faith howe then is Christs righteousnesse made theirs and they saued Answer By the inwarde working of the holy Ghost who is the principal applier
the gospel of Christ nay as we see God can raise vp the wicked sometime to spread abroad and to publish the truth though they thēselues intend the contrarie Furthermore let vs marke that when the Iewes did most of all intend to bring disgrace and ignominie vpon our Sauiour Christ then did they most of all extoll and magnifie his name they could not for their liues haue giuen him a more renowmed title then this that he was King of the Iewes And the same is the case of all the members of Christ for let a man walke in good conscience before God and man he shall finde this to bee true that when hee is most disgraced in the world then commonly he is most honoured with God and men Further Pilate wrote this superscription in three languages Hebrew Greeke and Latine And no doubt the end thereof in the prouidence of God was that the passion of Christ as also the publishing of his kingdome Gospell might be spread ouer the whole world This shewes the malice of the Church of Rome which will not suffer the word of God to be published but in the Latine tongue least the people should be intangled in errours Againe when Pilate had thus written the superscription the high priests and Pharises offended thereat came to Pilate willing him to change the title saying Write not the King of the Iewes but that he said I am the King of the Iewes but Pilate answered them againe That which I haue written I haue written Though Pilate had beene ouer-ruled before to condemne Christ to death against his owne conscience yet will he not in any wise condiscend to change the superscription Howe comes this to passe Surely as he was ruled by the hand of God in penning it so by the same hand of God was he confirmed in not changing it Hence we learne sundrie instructions First that no man in the world let him indeauour himselfe to the vttermost of his power is able to stoppe the course of the kingdome of God it stands firme and sure and all the worlde is not able to preuaile against it Secondly whereas Pilate beeing but an heathen man was thus constant that he will not haue his writing changed we may note how permanent vnchangeable the writings of the holy word of God are They are not the words of heathen men but were spoken by the mouth of the Prophets and Apostles as God gaue them vtterance The booke of Scripture therefore is much more immutable so as no creature shall be able to change the least part of it till it be fulfilled Thirdly by Pilates constancy we learne to be constant in the practise and profession of the religion of Christ this is a necessarie lesson for these daies wherin mens professions doe fleete like water and goe and come with the tyde Many zealous professours to day but to morrowe as could as water And the complaint of the Lord touching times past agrees to our daies O Ephraim What shall I say to thee thy righteousnesse is like the morning dewe The second is the conuersion of the theife a most worthy argument of the godhead of Christ. For by it when he was vpon the crosse and in the very middest of his passion he giues vnto all the worlde a liuely and notable experience of the vertue and power of his death so as his verie enemies might not onely beholde the passion it selfe but also at the same time acknowledge the admirable efficacie thereof And therefore with the passion of Christ wee must ioyne the conuersion of the thiefe which is as it were a crystall glasse wherein we may sensibly behold the endlesse merit and vertue of the obedidience of Christ to his father euen to the death of the crosse And therefore I will briefely touch the speciall instructions which are to be learned by it First let vs marke that both the thieues in euery respect were equall both wicked and lewd liuers and for their notorious faults both attached condemned and executed both on the crosse at the same time with Christ yet for all this the one repenting was saued the other was not And in their two examples we see the state of the whole worlde whereof one part is chosen to life eternall and thereupon attaines to faith and repentance in this life the rest are reiected in the eternall counsell of God for iust causes knowne to himselfe such being left to themselues neuer repent at al. Secondly we are taught hereby that the whole worke of our conuersion and saluation must bee ascribed wholly to the meere mercie of God of these two thieues the one was as deeply plunged in wickednes as the other yet the one is saued the other condēned The like was in Iacob Esau both borne at one time and of the same parents and neither of them had done good nor euill when they were borne yet one was then loued the other was hated yea if we regard outward prerogatiues Esau was the first borne and yet was refused Furthermore the theife on the crosse declareth his conuersion by manifest signes and fruites of repentance as appeares by the wordes which he spake to his fellow Fearest not thou god seeing thou art in the same condemnation Though handes and feete were fast nailed to the crosse yet heart and tongue are at libertie to giue some tokens of his true repentance The people of this our land heare the word but for the most part are without either profit in knowledge or amendement of life yet for all this they perswade themselues that they haue good hearts and good meanings though they can not beare it away and vtter it so well as others But alas poore soules they are deluded by Satan for a man that is conuerted can not but expresse his conuersion and bring foorth the fruits thereof And therefore our Sauiour Christ saith If a man beleeue in me out of his bellie shall flowe riuers of water of life The grace as Elihu saith of God is like newe wine in a vessell which must haue a vent and therefore hee that sheweth no tokens of Gods grace in this life is not as yet conuerted let him thinke and say of himselfe what he will Can a man haue life and neuer mooue nor take breath and can hee that bringeth forth no fruite of his conuersion liue vnto God Wel let vs now see what were the fruits of the thiefes repentance They may be reduced to foure heads First he rebukes his fellow for mocking Christ indeauouring thereby to bring him to the same condition with himselfe if it were possible whereby he discouers vnto vs the propertie of a true repentant sinner which is to labour and striue so much as in him lieth to bring all men to the same state that hee is in Thus Dauid hauing tryed the great loue and fauour of God toward himselfe breaketh foorth and saith Come children harken vnto me and I
his corporall presence as before but rather to seeke for his spirituall presence by faith considering he was shortly to ascend to his father For this cause when he appeared to his disciples he staied not long with them at any time but onely to manifest himselfe vnto them thereby to prooue the certentie of his resurrection This prohibition shewes first of all that it is but a fond thing to delight in the outward picture and portraiture of Christ as the Iesuits doe who stand much vpon his outward forme and lineaments Secondly it ouerthroweth the popish crucifixes and all the carued and molten images of Christ wherein the Papists worship him For corporall presence is not now required therefore spiritual worship onely must be giuen vnto him Thirdly it ouerthrowes the reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament Many are of minde that they can not receiue Christ except they eate and drinke his bodie and blood corporally but it is not much materiall whether we touch him with the bodily hand or no so be it we apprehend him spiritually by faith Lastly as we must not haue earthly considerations of Christ so must we on the contrarie labour for the spirituall hand of faith which may reach vp it selfe to heauen and there lay hold on him This is the very thing which Christ insinuateth vnto Marie in saying Touch me not And Saint Paul saith Henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we had knowne Christ after the flesh yet now know we him no more that is we know him no more as a man liuing among vs and therefore he addeth If any man be in Christ he is a new creature and this new creation is not by the bodily presence of Christ but by the apprehension of faith The second appearance was to Marie Magdalen and to the other Marie as they were going from the graue to tell his disciples at which time Christ meeteth them and bids them goe tell his brethren that he is risen againe And whereas Christ sendeth women to his disciples he purposed hereby to check them for their vnbeleefe For these women forsooke him not at his death but stood by and saw him suffer and when he was buried they came to embalme him but all this while what became of Christs disciples Surely Peter denied him and all the rest fled away euen Iames and Iohn the sonnes of thunder saue that Iohn stood aloofe to behold his death Hereupon Christ to make them ashamed of their fault sendeth these women vnto them to publish that to them which they by their calling ought aboue all other to haue published Secondly this teacheth that whereas Christ buildeth his kingdome and publisheth his Gospell by Apostles Euangelists Pastours teachers he can if it so please him performe the same by other meanes In this his second appearance he vsed weake and silly women to publish his resurrection and thereby shewes that he is not bound to the ordinarie meanes which now he vseth Thirdly he sent them to his disciples to shew that howsoeuer they had dealt vnfaithfully with him by forsaking him and denying him yet he had not quite forsaken them but if they would repent and beleeue he would receiue them into his loue and fauour againe and therefore calleth them his brethren saying Goe and tell my brethren This teacheth vs a good lesson that howsoeuer our sinnes past are to humble vs in regard of our selues yet must they not cut vs off or dismay vs from seeking to Christ yea euen then when we are laden with the burden of them we must come vnto him and he will ease vs. Fourthly whereas silly women are sent to teach Christs disciples which were schollers brought vp in his owne schoole we are admonished that superioritie in place and calling must not hinder vs sometime to heare and to be taught of our inferiours Iob saith he neuer refused the counsell of his seruant and Naaman the Syrian obeyed the counsell of a silly maide which aduised him to goe to the Prophet of the Lord in Samaria to be cured of his leprosie and when he had bin with the Prophet he obeyed the counsell of his seruant that perswaded him to doe all the Prophet has saide Wash and be cleane Now after that the women are come to the disciples and make relation of Christs resurrection the text saith Their wordes seemed as fained things vnto them neither beleeued they them Hence we learne two things the first that men of themselues can not beleeue the doctrine of Christian religion it is a hard matter for a man to beleeue sundrie things in the worke of creation The temporall deliuerance of the children of Israel seemed to them as a dreame and the resurrection of Christ euen to Christs owne disciples seemed a faigned thing The second that it is an hard thing truly and vnfainedly to beleeue the points of religion Disciples brought vp in the schoole of Christ and often catechised in this very point of Christs resurrection yet dull are they to beleeue it This confuteth condemneth our carnall gospellers that make it the lightest and easiest thing that can be to beleeue in Christ and therefore they say their faith is so strong that they would not for all the world doubt of gods mercie whereas indeede they are deceiued and haue no faith at all but blinde presumption The third appearance was on this maner As two of Christs disciples were going from Ierusalem to Emmaus about threescore furlongs and talked togither of all the things that were done Iesus drew neare and talked with them but their eyes were holden that they could not know him and as they went he communed with them and prooued out of the Scripture his resurrection expounding vnto them all things that were written of him then they made him stay with them and their eyes were opened and they knew him by breaking of bread but he was taken out of their sight In this notable appearance we may obserue these foure points The first that Christ held their eyes that they could not know him they saw a man indeed but who he was they could not tel By this it is more thē manifest that the vse of our outward senses as seeing feeling smelling c. is supplied vnto vs continually by the power of Christ and therefore euen in these things we must acknowledge the continuall goodnesse of God Now if one man can not so much as discerne another but by the blessing of Christ then shall we neuer be able to discerne the way of life from the way of death without him and therefore we must pray vnto God that he would giue vs his holy spirit to inlighten the eyes of our vnderstanding whereby we may be able to see and know the way that leadeth vnto life and also to walke in the same The second that as Christ was in expounding the Scriptures vnto them their hearts burned within them By this we learne that
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 prai●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 m●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 opiniō 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 becōe holy but th●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 conclusion● 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 iustif●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 cōmonly 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 bo●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
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 th● 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
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 ●aith doth presuppose Gods giui●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 condition● yet the decree of God it selfe may be simple and absolute The fourth defect is the opinion of Vniuersall sauing grace a●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 mē 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
God but without that is forth of the Church are dogs en●hanters whoremongers adulterers c. And the Arke out of which all perished figured the Church out of which al are condemned And for this cause Saint Luke saith that the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued And the reason hereof is plaine for without Christ there is no saluation but out of the militant church there is no Christ nor faith in Christ and therefore no saluation Againe forth of the militant church there are no meanes of saluation no preaching of the word no inuocation of Gods name no Sacraments and therefore no saluation For this cause euery man must be admonished euermore to ioyne himselfe to some particular church beeing a sound member of the Catholike church The third rule is that the church which here we beleeue is onely one As Christ himselfe speaketh My doue is alone and my vndefiled is the onely daughter of her mother And as there is onely one God and one Redeemer one faith one baptisme and one way of saluation by Christ onely so there is but one church alone The Catholike church hath two parts the church Triumphant in heauen and the church Militant on earth The Triumphant church may thus be described It is a companie of the spirits of iust men triumphing ouer the flesh the deuill and the world praising God First I say it is a companie of the spirits of men as the holy Ghost expressely tearmeth it because the soules onely of the godly departed as of Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid c. are as yet ascended into heauen and not their bodies Furthermore the properties of this companie are two The first is to make triumph ouer their spirituall enemies the flesh the deuill the world for the righteous man so long as he liues in this world is in continuall combate without truce with al the enemies of his saluation and by constant faith obtaining victorie in the ende of his life he is translated in glorious and triumphant maner into the kingdome of glorie This was signified to Iohn in a vision in which he saw an innumerable companie of all sorts of nations kinreds people and tongues stand before the Lambe clothed in long white robes with palmes in their handes in token that they had beene warriours but now by Christ haue gotten the victorie and are made conquerours Their second propertie is to praise and magnifie the name of God as it followeth in the former place saying Amen praise and glorie and wisdome and thankes honour power and might be vnto our God for euermore Hence it may be demanded whether Angels be of this Triumphant church or no Ans. The blessed Angels be in heauen in the presence of God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost but they are not of the mysticall bodie of Christ because they are not vnder him as he is their redeemer considering they can not be redeemed which neuer fell and it can not be prooued that they now stand by the vertue of Christs redemption but they are vnder him as he is their Lord and King and by the power of Christ as he is God and their God are they confirmed And therfore as I take it we can not say that Angels are members of the mysticall bodie of Christ or of the triumphāt church though indeed they be of the cōpany of the blessed The church Militant may be thus described It is the companie of the elect or faithfull liuing vnder the crosse desiring to be remooued and to be with Christ. I say not that the Militant church is the whole bodie of the elect but onely that part thereof which liueth vpon earth and the infallible marke thereof is that faith in Christ which is taught and deliuered in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and this faith againe may be discerned by two markes The first is that the members of this companie liue vnder the crosse and profit by it in all spirituall grace And therefore it is said that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of heauen And our Sauiour Christ saith If any man will come after me let him denie himselfe and take vp his crosse euery day and follow me The second marke is a desire to depart hence and to be with Christ as Paul saith We loue rather to be remooued out of this bodie and to be with Christ. And againe I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all Where yet we must remember that the members of Christ doe not desire death simply and absolutely but in two respects I. that they might leaue off to sinne and by sinning leaue to displease God II. That they might come to enioy happines in heauen and to be with Christ. Touching the generall estate of the Militant church two questions are to be considered The first how farre forth God is present with it assisting it by his grace Ans. God giues his spirit vnto it in such a measure that although the gates of hell can not preuaile against it yet neuerthelesse it remaines still subiect to errour both in doctrine and manners For that which is true in euery member of the church is also true in the whole but euery member of the Militant church is subiect to errour both in doctrine and manners because men in this life are but in part enlightened and sanctified and therefore still remaine subiect to blindnesse of minde and ignorance and to the rebellion of their wills and affections whereby it comes to passe that they may easily faile either in iudgement or in practise Againe that which may befall one or two particular churches may likewise befall all the particular churches vpon earth all beeing in one and the same condition but this may befall one or two particular churches to faile either in doctrine or manners The church of Ephesus failed in leauing her first loue whereupon Christ threatneth to remooue from her the candlesticke And the church of Galatia was remooued to an other Gospell from him that had called them in the grace of Christ now why may not the same things befall twentie yea an hundred churches which befell these twaine Lastly experience sheweth this to be true in that generall Councels haue erred The Councell of Nice beeing to reforme sundrie behauiours among the Bishops and Elders would with common consent haue forbidden marriage vnto them thinking it profitable to be so vnlesse Paphnutius had better informed them out of the Scriptures In the third Councell at Carthage certaine bookes Apocrypha as the booke of Syrach Tobie and the Macchabees are numbred in the Canon and yet were excluded by the Councell of Laodicea And the saying of a Diuine is receiued that former Councels are to be reformed and amended by the latter But Papists maintaining that the Church can not erre alleadge the promise of Christ Howbeit
when he is come which is the spirit of truth he will lead you into all truth Ans. The promise is directed to the Apostles who with their Apostolicall authoritie had this priuiledge granted them that in the teaching and penning of the gospel they should not erre and therefore in the councell at Ierusalem they conclude thus It seemes good vnto vs and to the holy Ghost And if the promise be further extended to all the Church it must be vnderstood with a limitation that God will giue his spirit vnto the me●bers thereof to lead them into all truth so farre forth as shall be needfull for their saluation The second question is wherein stands the dignitie and excellencie of the Church Ans. It stands in subiection and obedience vnto the will and word of his spouse and head Christ Iesus And hence it followes that the Church is not to chalenge vnto her selfe authoritie ouer the Scriptures but onely a ministerie or ministeriall seruice whereby shee is appointed of God to preserue and keepe to publish and preach them and to giue testimonie of them And for this cause it is called the pillar and ground of truth The church of Rome not content with this saith further that the authoritie of the Church in respect of vs is aboue the authoritie of the Scripture because say they we can not know Scripture to be Scripture but by the testimonie of the Church But indeede they speake an vntruth For the testimonie of men that are subiect to errour can not be greater and of more force with vs then the testimonie of God who can not erre Againe the Church hath her beginning from the word for there can not be a Church without faith there is no faith without the word there is no word out of the Scriptures and therefore the Church in respect of vs depends on the Scripture and not the Scripture on the Church And as the lawyer which hath no further power but to expound the law is vnder the law so the Church which hath authoritie onely to publish and expound the Scriptures can not authorize them vnto vs but must submit her selfe vnto them And whereas it is alleadged that faith comes by hearing and this hearing is in respect of the voice of the Church and that therefore faith comes by the voice of the Church the answer is that the place must be vnderstood not of that generall faith whereby we are resolued that Scripture is Scripture but of iustifying faith whereby we attaine vnto saluation And faith comes by hearing the voice of the Church not as it is the Churches voice but as it is a ministerie or meanes to publish the word of God which is both the cause and obiect of our beleeuing Now on the contrarie we must hold that as the carpenter knowes his rule to be straight not by any other rule applied vnto it but by it selfe for casting his eye vpon it he presently discernes whether it be straight or no so we know and are resolued that Scripture is Scripture euen by the Scripture it selfe though the Church say nothing so be it we haue the spirit of discerning when we read heare and consider the Scripture And yet the testimonie of the Church is not to be despised for though it breede not a a perswasion in vs of the certenty of the Scripture yet is it a very good inducement thereto The militant Church hath many parts For as the Ocean sea which is but one is deuided into parts according to the regions and countries against which it lieth as into the English Spanish Italian sea c. so the Church dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth is deuided into other particular churches according as the countries are seuerall in which it is seated as into the Church of England and Ireland the Church of France the Church of Germanie c. Again● particula● Churches are in a twofold estate sometime lie hid in persecution wanting the publike preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments and sometimes againe they are visible carrying before the eyes of the world an open profession of the name of Christ as the moone is sometime eclipsed and sometime shineth in the full In the first estate was the Church of Israel in the daies of Eliah when he wished to die because the people had forsaken the couenant of the Lord broken downe his altars slaine his Prophets with the sword and he was left alone and they sought to take his life also Behold a lamentable estate when so worthie a Prophet could not finde an other beside himselfe that feared God yet marke what the Lord saith vnto him I haue left seuen thousand in Israel euen all the knees that haue not bowed vnto Baal and euery mouth that hath not kissed him Againe it is said That Israel had beene a long season without the true God without priest to teach and without the law Neither must this trouble any that God should so farre forth forsake his Church for when ordinarie meanes of saluation faile he then gathereth his Elect by extraordinarie meanes as when the children of Israel wandered in the wildernes wanting both circumcision and the Passeouer he made a supplie by Manna and by the pillar of a cloud Hence we haue direction to answer the Papists who demand of vs where our Church was three-score yeares agoe before the daies of Luther we say that then for the space of many hundred yeares an vniuersall Apostasie ouerspread the whole face of the earth and that our Church then was not visible to the world but lay hid vnder the chaffe of Poperie And the truth of this the Records of all ages manifest The second estate of the Church is when it flourisheth and is visible not that the faith and secret election of men can be seene for no man can discerne these things but by outward signes but because it is apparant in respect of the outward assemblies gathered to the preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments for the praise and glorie of God and their mutuall edification And the visible Church may be thus described It is a mixt companie of men professing the faith assembled together by the preaching of the word First of all I call it a mixt companie because in it there be true beleeuers and hypocrites Elect and Reprobate good and badde The Church is the Lords field in which the enemie soweth his tares it is the corne flore in which lieth wheate and chaffe it is a band of men in which beside those that be of valour and courage there be white liuered souldiours And it is called a Church of the better part namely the Elect whereof it consisteth though they be in nūber fewe As for the vngodly though they be in the Church yet they are no more parts of it indeede then the superfluous humours in the vaines are parts of the bodie But to proceede
the head to the foote and the throat also cut yet so as life is still remaining wee may better thinke their foule errours considered and their worship of God which is nothing els but a mixture of Iudaisme and Paganisme that it is a rotten and dead corpes voide of spirituall life And therefore we haue seuered our selues from the Church of Rome vpon iust cause neither are we schismaticks in so doing but they rather because the ground and the proper cause of the schisme is in them As for the ass●mbli●s of Anabaptists Libertines Antinomies Tritheits Arrians Samosate●●●ns they are no churches of God but conspiracies of mōstrous heretickes iud●●●lly condemned in the primitiue Church and againe by the malice of Satan ●●●ued and reuiued in this age The same we are to thinke and say of the Famili● of loue As for the Churches of Germanie commonly called the Churches of the Lutheranes they are to be reputed of vs as the true churches of God Though their Angustane Confession haue not satisfied the expectation of other Reformed Churches yet haue they all the same enemies in matter of religion doe alike confesse the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and of the office of the Mediatour of faith and good workes of the Word the Church and the Magistrate are all of one iudgement They differ indeede from vs in the question of the sacrament but it is no sufficient cause to induce vs to holde them as no Church for that there is a true or reall receiuing of the bodie and blood of Christ in the Lords supper we al agree and we ioyntly confesse that Christ is there present so farre forth that he doth truely feede vs with his verie bodie and bloode to eternall life and all the controuersie lies in the manner of receiuing we contenting our selues with that spirituall receiuing which is by the hand of faith they adding thereto the corporall whereby they imagine thēselues to receiue Christ with the hand and mouth of the bodie And though to maintaine this their opinion they be constrained to turne the ascension of Christ into a disparition whereby his bodie beeing visible becomes inuisible yet in the maine points we agree that Christ ascended into heauen that he entred into his kingdome in our name and for vs that we are gouerned and preserued by his power and might and that whatsoeuer good thing we haue or doe proceedes wholly from the grace of his spirit Indeede the opinion of the Vbiquitie of the bodie of Christ reuiueth the condemned heresies of Eutiches and Nestorius and it ouerturneth by necessarie consequent most of the articles of faith but that was priuate to some men as Brentius and others and was not receiued of whole churches and whereas the men were godly learned and we are vncerten with what affection and how long they held this errour we rest our selues in condemning it leauing the persons to God Againe Popish Transustantiation and Lutherian Consubstantiation are both against the trueth of the manhood of Christ yet with great difference Transubstantiation is slatte against an article of faith for if Christs body be made of bread and his blood of wine which must needes bee if there be a conuersion of the one into the other then was not he conceiued and borne of the virgine Marie for it cannot both be made of bakers breade and of the substance of the virgin Againe it abolisheth the outward signe in the Lords supper as also the analogie betweene the signe and the thing signified and so ouerturnes the sacrament but Consubstantiation doth not so neither doeth it ouerturne the substance of any article of Religion but onely a maine point of Philosophie which is that A bodie doth occupie onely one place at once Furthermore the Churches of Helvetia and Savoie and the free citties of Fraunce and the lowe Countries and Scotland are to bee reuerenced as the true Churches of God as their confession make manifest And no lesse must we thinke of our owne Churches in England and Ireland For wee holde beleeue and maintaine and preach the true faith that is the ancient doctrine of saluation by Christ taught and published by the Prophets and Apostles as the booke of the articles of faith agreed vpon in open Parliament doe fully shewe and withall now we are and haue beene readie to testifie this our faith by venturing our liues euen in the cause of religion against forraigne power and especially the Spaniard and hereupon all the Churches in Europe giue vnto vs the hand of fellowship And whereas sundrie among vs that separate and indeede excommunicate themselues giue out that there is no Church in England no Ministers no Sacraments their peremptorie asseuerations wanting sufficient ground are but as paper-shot They alleadge that our assemblies are full of grieuous blottes and enormities Ans. The defects and corruptions of Churches must be distinguished and they bee either in doctrine or manners Againe corruptions in doctrine must further be distinguished some of them are errours indeede but beside the foundation and some errours directly against the foundation and these ouerturne all religion whereas the former doe not Nowe it can not be shewed that in our Churches is taught any one errour that raseth the foundation and consequently annihillateth the truth of Gods Church Indeed there is controuersie among vs touching the point of Ecclesiastical regiment but marke in what manner We all ioyntly agree in the substance of the regiment confessing freely that there must bee preaching of the word administration of the Sacraments according to the institution and the vse of the Power of the Keyes in admonitions suspensions excommunications the difference betweene vs is onely touching the persons and the manner of putting this gouernment in exequution and therfore men on both parts though both hold not the trueth in this point yet because both holde Christ the foundation they still remaine brethren and true members of Christ. As for corruptions in manners they make not a Church to be no church but a badde church When as the wicked Scribes and Pharises sitting in Moses chaire taught the things which he had written the people are commanded to heare them and to doe the things which they say not doing the things which they doe And whereas it is said that wee hold Christ in worde and denie him indeede that is answered thus deniall of Christ is double either in iudgement or in fact deniall in iudgement ioyned with obstinacie makes a Christian to be no christian deniall in fact the iudgement still remaining sound makes not a man to be no christian but a badde christian When the Iewes had crucified the Lord of life they still remained a Church if any vpon earth and notwithstanding this their fact the Apostles acknowledged that the couenāt the promises stil belonged vnto thē they neuer made any separation from their Synagogues till such time as they had bin sufficiently cōuicted by the Apostolicall
of Christ It shall be easier for Tyrus and Sydon in that day then for this generation and therefore there be proportionall degrees of glorie And Paul saith There is one glorie of the sunne an other glorie of the moone an other glorie of the starres for one starre differeth from another in glorie so is the resurrection of the dead In which words he applies the differences of excellencie that be in the creatures to set forth the differences of glorie that shall be in mens bodies after the resurrection Furthermore if we may coniecture it may be the degrees of glorie shall be answerable to the diuerse measures of gifts and graces bestowed on men in this life and according to the imployance of them to the glorie of God and edification of the Church And therefore the twelue Apostles who were exceedingly enriched with the gifts of the spirit and were master-builders of the Church of the new Testament shall sit on 12. thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel But it may be obiected that if there be degrees of glorie in heauen some shall want glorie Ans. Not so though some haue more and some lesse yet all shall haue sufficient Take sundrie vessells whereof some are bigger and some lesse and cast them all into the sea some will receiue more water and some lesse and yet all shall be full and no want in any and so likewise among the Saints of God in heauen some shall haue more glorie some lesse and yet all without exception full of glorie And wheras it is alleadged that all the labourers in the vineyard receiue each of them a pennie equally for their hire the answer is that our Sauiour Christ in that parable intends not to set forth the equalitie of celestiall glorie and what shall be the state of the godly after this life but the very drift of the parable is to shew that they which are called first haue no cause to bragge or insult ouer others which as yet are vncalled considering they may be made equall or be preferred before them Thus much of life it selfe now followes the continuance thereof which the Scriptures haue noted in calling it eternall or euerlasting And to this end Paul saith that Christ hath abolished death and brought not onely life but also immortalitie to light by the Gospell And this very circumstance serues greatly to commend the happines of the godly in that after they haue made an entrance into it they shall neuer see tearme of time or end Suppose the whole world were a sea and that euery thousand yeares expired a bird must carrie away or drinke vp one onely droppe of it in processe of time it will come to passe that this sea though very huge shall be dried vp but yet many thousand millions of yeares must be passed before this can be done Now if a man should enioy happinesse in heauen onely for the space of time in which the sea is in drying vp he would thinke his case most happie and blessed but behold the Elect shall enioy the kingdome of heauen not onely for that time but when it is ended they shall enioy it as long againe and when all is done they shall be as farre from the ending of this their ioy as they were at the beginning Hauing thus seene what life euerlasting is let vs now come to the vse of the article And first of all if we beleeue that there is an eternall happines and that the same belongs vnto vs then we must vse this present world all the things therein as though we vsed them not and whatsoeuer we doe in this world yet the eyes of our minds must be alwaies cast toward the blessed estate prepared for vs in heauen As a pilgrime in a strange land hath alwaies his eyes toward his iournies end and is then grieued when by any meanes he is out of the way so must we alwaies haue our mindes and hearts set on euerlasting life and be grieued when we are by any way hindered in the straight way that leadeth thereunto we haue a notable patterne of this dutie set out vnto vs in the Patriarke Abraham who beeing called of God obeyed to goe out into a place which he should afterward receiue for inheritance and he went out not knowing whither he went and by faith aboad in the land of Canaan as in a strange countrey and as one that dwelt in tents Now the cause that mooued him was life euerlasting for the text saith He looked for a citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God And we ought euery one of vs for our parts to be little affected to the things of this life neuer setting our hearts vpon them but vsing them as a pilgrime doth vse his staffe in the way so long as it is an helpe and stay for him in his iourney he is content to carrie it in his hand but so soone as ●t beginneth to trouble him he casteth it away Secondly all that ●rofesse the Gospel of Christ may hence learne to beare the crosses and afflic●ions which God shall lay on them in this world It is Gods vsuall manne● to begin corrections in his owne familie vpon his owne children and as P●ter saith Iudgement beginneth at Gods house Looke at a mother that weanes her child laieth wormewood or some other bitter thing vpon her breast to make the child loath the milke so likewise God makes vs often feele the mis●ries and crosses of this life that our loue and liking might be turned from this world and fixed in heauen As rawe flesh is loathsome to the stomacke so is euery sinner and vnmortified man loathsome vnto God till the Lord by afflictions mortifie in him the corruptions of his nature and specially the loue of this world But when a man is afflicted how shall he be able to endure the crosse Surely by resoluing himselfe that the Lord hath prepared life euerlasting for him Thus we read that Moses by faith when he was come to age refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and choosed rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt But I pray you what mooued Moses to be of this minde The reason is added Because he had respect to the recompence of reward that is he had alwaies a speciall regard to life euerlasting and that was it that made him content and willing to suffer affliction with the people of god Here then behold a notable president for vs to follow In which we are taught that the best way to endure afflictions with patience is to haue an eye to the recompence of reward this is it that makes the yoke of Christ easie and lightsome When it shall please God to bring vnto vs a cup of afflictions and bid vs drinke a draught thereof to the very bottome the
For in this word is contained the testification of our faith whereas the petitions are only testifications of our desires And as it is in the end so also it is the seale of our praiers to make them authenticall and it is to be vsed as men cōmonly take it not onely for this end to answer the minister praying in the cōgregation but also to testifie our faith for the thing desired 2. Graces to be desired HEreby we are taught what grace we are to shewe in praier Wee must labour to giue assent to Gods promises when wee pray and striue against doubting and vnbeleefe Mat 9.11 Lord I beleeue Lord help mine vnbeleefe Psal. 42.11 Why art thou cast downe my soule and why art thou disquieted in me waite on God Many there are that will stand vpon the strength of their faith plead for themselues that they neuer doubted but they are farre wide for true faith beeing imperfect is alwaies accompanied with doubting more or lesse Wherefore the heart that neuer felt doubting is not filled with faith but with presūption As for them which are molested with doubtings and complaine of thē they haue lesse cause to feare for as fire and water doeth neuer striue till they meete no more doth doubting and faith till faith be wrought in the heart To conclude we see what an excellent worke praier is in which two most excellent graces of a Christian man be shewed forth hungring after mercie faith wherby we beleeue the obtaining of it This might mooue men to learn to praie praier being the exercise of grace Of the vse of the Lords praier THe principall vse of the Lords praier is to direct gods Church in making their praiers in all places at all times and vpon all occasions though their praiers should be innumerable and vnlesse they be framed after this praier they cannot be acceptable vnto God In the vsing of it for direction there bee three things required 1. The first is the knowledge of the Lords praier and al the parts therof He that would pray by it must vnderstand the meaning therof the wants therein to be bewailed the graces to be desired for which ende it hath beene expounded 2. Knowing this there is in the second place required thus much skill that hee be able to referre euery want and grace to one of the sixe petitions for example feeling in himselfe pride of heart he must be able to say this is a want in the first petition and feeling a rebellion and slownes in doing Gods commandements he must be able to say this is a sinne to be praied against in the third petition Thus euery want he must refer to his proper head againe he must referre euery grace to be desired to one of the sixe petitions as strength in temptation to the sixt affiance in Gods prouidence to the fourth knowledge of God to the first c. and so in the rest 3. In the third place hee must before he pray consider what bee his wants and imperfections which most trouble him as also the graces which he would obtaine then for the helping of his memorie he must goe to the petitions hee must set those things first in his minde which concerne the first petition and those which concerne the second petition must haue the second place in his mind and so he must proceede in order as he shall haue occasion Thus a man keeping in mind the order of the petitions as they stand shall be able by referring euery grace and want to his proper head to make distinct praier and to varie it as time place and other occasions shall mooue him Quest. Must we of necessitie follow all the petitions in conceiuing a praier Ans. No but onely those which doe principally belong to the time place and occasion as Paul maketh a praier Coloss. 1.9,10 And all the points of it may be referred to the third and last petitions Againe a Christian man may make an excellent confession of his sinnes by this praier if he shall keeping the order of the petitions confesse and bewaile the sinnes which euery petition requires vs to pray against And it serues to make a thankesgiuing to God thus let a man remember all the graces which he hath receiued from God let him then referre them to the petitions giue thankes to God after the order of them turning euery petition into a thanksgiuing Of the circumstances of praier Quest. 1. VVHether a man is to vse a voice in praier Answ. In publike praier it is requisite that there be a voice for the minister i● the mouth of the people and to the praier which he conceiues they giue assent For priuat praier vsing of a voice is conuenient yet so as it may be don● in silence I. The Lord gaue vs the voice as wel as the heart to blesse him withall Iam. 3.9 II. God created the tongue as well as the heart and so will bee praised by both III. The voice often stirres vp the heart and againe the vehemencie of affection doth often draw out a voice the voice then in priuate praier is requisite yet in some cases may be omitted for it is not absolutely necessarie Moses and Anna praied in silence Quest. 2. What gesture is to be vsed in praier Ans. The worde doeth not affoard any particular direction Our Sauiour and his disciples praied in diuers gestures kneeling stāding groueling looking to heauen looking down to the earth sitting lying c. Luk. 11.41 Act. 7. god respects not the gesture but the affection of the heart yet two things must alwaies be in gesture first that it bee comely secondly that it doe fitly expresse the affection of the heart as when we aske mercie to look to heauen when we bewaile our sinnes to looke downward and to humble our bodies c. Question 3. What place must we praie in Ans. The place is set downe 1. Tim. 2.8 We may pray in all places of which there is no difference Some wil say that in the time of the lawe the tabernacle and temple were places of diuine praier Ans. The temple and tabernacle were types of Christ and his Church and the vnitie of it but nowe wee hauing the thing it selfe signified thereby may pray in all places Our Sauiour praied in the wildernesse on the Mount Peter on the house toppe Paul by the sea shore yet so that publique praier must be vsed in publike places as Churches Chappels c. not because in them is more holines but for order sake Quest. 4. What is the time appointed for praier Ans. Pray continually 1,5,7 that is vpon all occasions or when a man beginnes any businesse whether it be in word or deede Coloss. 3. 17. or as Daniel who praied thrise euery day Dan. 6.11 or as Dauid who praied at euening and morning and noone-tyde Psal. 55. 18. and seuen times a ●aie that is many Psal. 119.140 Thus wee shall pray continually Euery day affoards three speciall
with the oyntment of the Spirit which is the true eye salue and doe plainly behold the sonne of righteousnes they enioy his presence they effectually feele his comfortable heate to quicken and reuiue them XX. From this sense and tast of Gods grace proceed many fruits as first generally he may doe outwardly all things which true Christians doe and he may lead such a life here in this world that although he cannot attaine to saluation yet his paines in hell shal be lesse which appeareth in that our Sauiour Christ saith it shall be easier for Tyrus and Sydon for Sodom and Gomor●ha then for Capernaum and other cities vnto which he came in the day of iudgment XXI Also the reprobate may haue a loue of God but this loue can be no sincere loue for it is only because God bestoweth benefits and prosperitie vpon him as appeareth in Saul who loued God for his aduancement to the kingdome here is a difference betweene the Elect and reprobate the Elect loue God as children their fathers but reprobates as hirelings their masters whom they affect not so much for themselues as for their wages XXII Also a reprobate hath often a reioycing in doing those things which appertaine to the seruice of God as preaching and praier Herod heard Iohn Baptist preach gladly and the second kind of naughtie ground receiueth the word preached with ioy XXIII A Reprobate often desireth them whom he thinketh to be the children of God to pray for him As Pharao desired Aaron and Moses to pray to God for him So did Simon Magus desire Peter to pray that none of the things which he had spoken against him should come to passe But yet they cannot pray themselues because they want the spirit of Christ. XXIIII He may shew liking to Gods Ministers he may reuerence them and feare to displease them Thus did Simon Magus who at Philips preaching beleeued wondred at his miracles kept companie with him And Herod is said to feare Iohn knowing that he was a iust man and holy also he gaue reuerence to him Antonius the Emperour called Pius though he was no Christian yet in a generall parliament held at Ephesus he made an act in the behalf of Christians that if any man should trouble or accuse a Christian for beeing a Christian the partie accused should goe free though he were found to be a Christian and the accuser should be punished And Plinius secundus gouernour of Spaine vnder Trajanus the Emperour when he saw an innumerable companie of Christians to be executed being mooued with compassion he wrote in their behalfe beeing no Christian vnto Trajanus to spare them that could be charged with no crime and his letter is yet extant XXV He may be zealous in the religion which he professeth and fall from that profession as the Galatians did who after that they had receiued Paul as an Angel and would haue plucked out their eyes to haue done him good yet they fell from the doctrine which he had taught them to iustification by the works of the Law which flat ouerthroweth iustification by faith alone The same appeareth in Iehu who was very zealous for Gods cause for the defacing of idolatrie and thereupon God blessed him in his children yet neuerthelesse he was a wicked man and followed the vile sinnes of Ieroboam his father XXVI After that he hath sinned he doth in many things in which he is faultie amend and reforme his life and doth professe great holines outwardly Herod he did many things which Iohn Baptist in preaching mooued him vnto Saul when he was to be chosen king professed great humilitie They may represse their vices and corruptions and so moderate themselues that they breake not out as did Haman of whome it is written that when he was full of indignation against Mordecai yet he refraine himself And herein the Elect and the Reprobate differ for the elect are somewhat reformed in euery one of their sinnes But the reprobate though he be amend in many faults yet someone fault or other he cannot abide to haue it reformed and by that in a vile manner the deuill wholly possesseth him As Herod who did many things yet would not leaue his brothers wife And no doubt in Iudas most of his sinnes in appearance were mortified and yet by couetousnesse the deuill possessed him and held him fast chained in bondage vnder him For one sinne is sufficient to him that by it he may bring a man to damnation Secondly in infidels liuing honestly the spirit of God bridleth the force of sinne the corrupt nature that it breake not out as it doth in many other But in Christians that are indeed godly the same spirit not only represseth the corruptiō of nature outwardly but also mortifieth it within at the root regenerateth the whole mā into a new creature Thus then neither the faithfull nor infidels doe effect any thing that is laudable but by the spirit of god the faithful by the spirit of regeneration infidels by the same spirit only suppressing the outward act of sinne XXVII Beside this he may haue the gift of working miracles of casting forth deuils of healing and such like and this power of doing strange miracles shall be vsed as an excuse of some of the reprobates in the day of iudgement XXVIII Oftentimes vnto him is giuen the gifts of the holy Ghost to discharge the most waightie calling that can be in any common wealth And this is meant when God is said to giue Saul an other heart that is such vertues as were meet for a King XXIX A reprobate may haue the word of God much in his mouth and also may be a preacher of the word for so prophecying in Christs name shal be vsed as an excuse of reprobates and we know that among the twelue Apostles Iudas was a reprobate And this may be wel perceiued in the resemblance of tasting which the author to the Hebrewes vseth We know that cookes commonly which are occupied in preparing of bankets haue as much feeling and seeing of the meat as any other and yet there is none that eateth lesse of it then they for their stomackes are cloyed with the smell and taste of it so in like maner it may come to passe that the minister which dresseth prouideth the spiritual foode may eate the least of it himselfe and so labouring to saue others he may be a reprobate And it is thought that some of them which built the Arke were not saued in the Arke but perished in the floud XXX When as a reprobate professeth thus much of the Gospell though in deed he be a goat yet he is taken for one of Gods sheepe he is kept in the same pastures and is folded in the same fold with them He is counted a Christian of the children of God and so he taketh himself to be
feele themselues forlorne and vtterly reiected of God according to the sense and iudgement of the flesh yet by faith they can apprehend his hidden mercie and behold it a farre off in the glasse of his promise And so they doe often shew contrarie affections in their praiers as Dauid doth Iacob when he wrastled with the Angel for life and death neuer gaue ouer and when he was foild he would not cease before the Lord had blessed him This his wrastling is a type of the conflicts which the faithfull are to haue with the Lord himselfe who vseth to bring his owne children as it were to the field and he assaileth them with the one hand and with the other he holdeth them vp that so he may prooue and exercise their faith And for this cause the Church is called by the name of Iacob An example may be had in the woman of Canaan First our Sauiour Christ gaue her faith and by that faith shee was mooued to seeke to him but when shee was once come to him he gaue her three repulses First by saying nothing Secondly by denying her Thirdly by calling her dogge Thus Christ in appearance made shew as though he would neuer haue graunted her request But shee at euery repulse was more instant crying more earnestly vnto him and shee plainly opposed her selfe to him would take no deniall for such is the nature of true faith Wherefore the faithfull when they feele themselues ouerwhelmed with sinne turmoiled with cōflicts of Satan when they feele the anger of God offended with them yet they can euen then lift vp their eye lids and giue a glimps at the brasen serpent Iesus Christ and can fling themselues into the armes of Gods mercie and catch hold of the hand of God buffeting them and kisse it LX. By these temptations it comes to passe that a Christian though he can not fall finally from Christ yet he may fall very dangerously from his former estate First the graces of God may be by his default lessened in him else Paul would not haue giuen out these exhortations quench not the spirit Grieue not the holy spirit of God by whome ye are sealed vnto the day of redemption Secōdly the graces of God may be buried in him and couered for a time so that he may be like a man in a traunce who both by his owne sense and by the iudgement of the Physitian is taken for dead This was the estate of Peter who though he confessed that Christ was the Sonne of the liuing Lord yet he denied him and forswore him at the voice of a damsell Thirdly he may fall againe into the same sinne after repentance Indeede this is a daungerous case yet it may befall a true christian Otherwise when as the Israelites Gods people had fallen away from him by their sinnes and idolatries he would not stil haue offered them mercie as he doth by his Prophets And Paul praieth the Corinthians in Christs stead that they would be reconciled to God who neuerthelesse were before reconciled to God Fourthly he may commit a sinne of presumption which is a fearfull sinne beeing done wittingly of knowledge and willingly and with some wilfulnesse Therefore Dauid praied Keepe thy seruant from presumptuous sinnes and to shew himselfe to be in daunger of it he praieth further let them not haue dominion ouer me Lastly he may fall into despaire of Gods mercie for a time and this is a dangerous sinne For he which despaires makes all the promises of God to be false and this sinne of all other is most contrarie to true sauing faith In this estate was Dauid when beeing in trouble he saide this is my death And Paul shewes that the incestuous man might haue fallen into desperation when he saith Comfort him least he be swallowed vp of ouermuch heauines And it must be remembred that the church of Rome erreth in this that she teacheth desperation to be a sinne against the holy Ghost This sinne against the holy ghost is a blasphemie spoken against the knowne truth of Gods word or a deniall of Christ of a wilfull and obstinate malice But desperation may arise through ignorance of a mans owne estate through horrour of conscience for sinne through an often relapse into some sinne through the ouerdeepe consideration of a mans owne vnworthines lastly by abiuration of the truth through compulsion and feare This befell Francis Spira who after his Apostasie despaired Yet they are much ouerseene that write of him as a damned creature For first who can tell whether he despaired finally or no. Secondly in the very midst of his desperation he complained of the hardnes of his heart which made him that he could not pray no doubt then he felt his hardnes of heart and the feeling of corruption in the heart is by some contrarie grace so that we may conueniently thinke that he was not quite bereft of all goodnes though he neuer felt it then nor shewed it to the beholder LXI The cause why a Christian cannot quite fall away from grace is this after that he is sanctified he receiueth from God another speciall grace which may be called Corroboration For he hath in him not onely the sanctifying but also the strengthening power of Christ. Therfore Paul praieth for the Ephesians that they may be strengthened in the inner man for the Colossians that they might be strengthened with the glorious power of Christ. And of himselfe he saith that he is able to doe all things through the power of Christ that strengtheneth him Dauid saith that God renueth them that feare him as the eagle renueth her decaied strength From hence as from a speciall cause ariseth patience and perseuerance vnto the ende for when a man is supported by the power of Christ he may be able to beare many crosses patiently with a contented mind and perseuer in bearing of it how long soeuer the crosse endureth LXII Thus much of the estate of a Christian in this life Now I will adde some reasons in the way of perswasion to all men but especially to worldlings and to loose professours of the Gospel that they would vtterly denie themselues and vse all meanes to become true Christians by being made new creatures in Christ and by leading such a life as may adorne the Gospel of Christ. My first reason is this the man that liueth in this world not beeing a true Christian is farre more vile then the basest creature of all euen the dogge or toade For first he is nothing els but a filthie dunghill of all abomination and vncleannes the stink whereof hath infected heauen earth no perfumes could euer delay it in the nostrils of God but onely the suffering of Christ beeing a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God We make it very daintie to come neere a lazar man that
set vp his Sacrament as a signe vpon a high hill whence it may be seene on euery side farre and neere to call againe them that be runne away And with this Sacrament he as it were clocketh to them as a hen doth for her chickens to gather them vnder the wings of his mercy and hath commaunded his Sacrament to be had i●● continuall vse to put vs in minde of his continuall mercie laid vp for vs in Christ blood and to witne●●e and te●tifie it vnto them and to be the seale thereof For the Sacrament doth much more liuely print the faith and make it sinke downe into the heart then doe bare wordes onely Now when the words of the testament and promises are spoken ouer the bread this my bodie that was broken for you this is my bloode that was shed for you they confirme the faith but much more when the Sa●rament is seene with the eies and the bread broken the wine powred out looked on yet more when I taste it smell it As you see when a man maketh a promise vnto another with light words betweene themselues and so they departed he to whome the promise is made beginneth to doubt whether the other spake earnestly or mocked and doubteth whether he will remmber his promise to abide by it or no. But when any man speaketh with aduisemēt the words are more credible if he sweare it confirmeth the thing more and yet the more if he strike hands if he giue earnest if hee call record if he giue hand writing seale it so is he the more and more beleeued for the heart gathereth lo he spake with aduisement deliberation and good sadnesse he clapped hands called record and put to his hand and seale the man cannot be so faint without the feare of God as to denie all this shame shall make him abide his promise though hee were such a man as I could not compell him if hee would denie it And thus we dispute god sent his sonne in our nature made him feele our infirmities and named his name Iesus that is a Sauiour because he should saue his people from their sinnes and after his death he sent his Apostles to preach these glad tydings to thrust them in at the eares of vs set vp a Sacrament of them to testifie them and to seale them and to thrust them in not at the eares onely by rehearsing the promises of the testament ouer its neither at our eies only in beholding it but beat them in through our feeling tasting and smelling also and to be repeated daiely and to be ministred to vs. He would not thinke we make halfe so much a do with vs if he loued vs not and would not haue his Sacrament to be a witnesse and testimonie betweene him and vs to confirme the faith of his promises that wee should not doubt in them when we looke on the seales of his obligations wherewith he hath boūd himselfe and this to keepe the promises and couenants better in mind and to make them the more deepely to sinke into our hearts and bee more earnestly regarded Timoth. Considering that this which you say is too plaine great shame it is that there is such neglect of the Sacrament as there is and that it is so seldome vsed but surely want of faith and the securitie which ouerspreadeth this our countrie is the cause of it the Lord if it be his will remooue the same Now let me heare a little how you lead your life and haue your conuersation among men Euseb. I haue my conuersation among men as sincere as I can in righteousnes and holines which is after Gods commandements our Sauiour saith Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen Timoth. It is but a dim light which we can carrie before men and small are our good workes and to be esteemed of no value if wee were preachers or rich men or noble men then we might saue soules giue good counsell helpe many by your almes but you and I are poore men of base birth and of lowe degree how can we then doe any good workes Euseb. As touching good workes by that measure of knowledge that god hath giuen me I thinke that all workes are good which are done according to the obedience of Gods law in faith and with thanksgiuing to God and with a minde desirous of his glorie alone and I thinke that I or any man els in doing them please God whatsoeuer I doe within the lawe of God as when I make water And trust me if either wind or water were stopped I should feele what a pretious thing it were to doe either of both and what thankes ought to bee giuen God therefore Moreouer I put no difference betweene workes but whatsoeuer commeth into my hands that I doe as time place and occasion giueth and according to my degree For as touching to please God there is no worke better then other God looketh not first on my workes as the worlde doth or as though he had neede of them but God looketh first on my heart what faith I haue to his word how I beleeue him trust him and howe I loue him for his mercie that he hath shewed to me hee looketh with what heart I worke and not what I worke how I accept the degree he hath put me in not of what degree I am Let vs take example You are a minister and preach the word I am a kitchin boy and wash my masters dishes Of the Ministery harke what the Apostle saith If I preach I haue naught to reioice in for necessity is put vpon me If I preach not the gospel as who should say God hath made me so woe is to me if I preach not If I do it willingly saith he then I haue my reward that is then I am sure that Gods spirit is in me and that I am elect to eternall life If I doe it against my will the office is committed to me that is I doe it not of loue to God but to get a liuing thereby and for a worldly purpose and had rather otherwise liue then doe I that office which God hath put vpon me but doe not please God So then if you preached not or in preaching had not your heart aright you minis●er the office and they that haue the spirit of God heare his word yea though it were spoken by an Asse and the woe belongeth to you but and if you preach willingly with a true heart and conscience to God then you shall feele the earnest of eternal life and the working of the spirit of God in you and your preaching is a good worke in you Now I that minister in the kitchin and am but a kitchin boy receiue all things at the hand of God know that God hath put me in such an office submit my selfe to his wil and serue my master not as a
Vnto iustification we referre a perswasion of the remission of our sinnes by Christ for by this we are iustified and regeneration too or sanctification and renouation of life a good conscience loue not faigned a pure heart and cleane patience in aduersitie and boasting in tribulation all good works and fruits of the spirit adde herevnto the crosse it selfe which we beare for the trueth of the gospel wherefore whosoeuer feeleth that hee is effectually called that hee doth willingly heare the word that hee doth beleeue the gospell that he is sure of the remission of his sinnes that hee burneth with true loue to his neighbour that hee is bent to euery good worke hee cannot but must needes bee perswaded of his election for God onely doeth communicate these vnto the elect Therefore it is plaine that the elect are confirmed in the assurance of their election by the effects of Predestination and that there is a threefold waie by which God reuealeth to euery man his Predestination But if any shall take an occasion the rather of doubting of his election then of confirming himselfe in it of that which hath beene spoken as concerning the fruites of the spirit and the effects of predestination and that peraduenture because he can feele in himselfe few verie weake fruits of regeneration and election yet let him not be discouraged neither let him doubt of his election but let him vnderset himselfe with these proppes First of all if euer hee truely felt in himselfe that testimonie of the spirit which before I mentioned namely that hee is the sonne of GOD let him knowe vndoubtedly that he is such a one and therefore elected to eternall life For the holy ghost neuer beareth record or perswadeth a man of that which is false for he is the spirit of trueth And they are not the sonnes of God except they haue beene predestinate as the Apostle saith to adoption by Christ and none that is the Sonne of God and a man elected can be made a reprobate and the childe of the deuill Therefore albeit hee feele in himselfe both few and feeble effects of regeneration yet let him not doubt of his election otherwise hee shall disgrace the testimonie which he hath receiued of the holy Ghost yea and that too which as yet hee enioyeth although peraduenture by reason that his minde is troubled by euill affections that testimonie of the holy spirit can scarse be heard in him For the true testimonie of our adoption by the holy Ghost being once giuen vnto our spirit lasteth for euer although it is otherwhiles heard more plainely and at other times is more slenderly and scarce perceiued But howe say you may I knowe whether the testimonie doeth proceede from the holy Ghost and therefore whether it bee a true and certaine testimonie I answer first by the perswasion secondly by the manner of the perswasion lastly by the effects of this testimonie and perswasion For the first the holy Ghost doeth not simplie say it but doth perswade with vs that we are the Sonnes drawne of God and no flesh can doe this Againe hee perswades vs by reasons drawn not from our workes or from any worthinesse in vs but from the alone goodnesse of God the Father and grace of Christ. In this manner the deuill will neuer perswade any Lastly the perswasion of the holy Ghost is full of power for they which are perswaded that they are the sonnes of God cannot but needes must call him Abba Father and in regard of loue to him doe hate sinne and whatsoeuer is disagreeing to his will and on the contrarie they haue a sound and a heartie desire to doe his will If at any time thou hast felt in thy selfe any such testimonie perswade thy selfe it was the testimony of the holy ghost and that very true and certain too and therefore that thou art the child of God and predestinate to eternall life This is the prop by which wee must vnderset that weake beleefe wee haue of our certaine election to eternal life Againe hold this without wauering whatsoeuer thou art that art tempted to doubt of thy election euen as nothing is required at our hands to worke our election for God chose vs of his onely meere goodnes so that we may truly know whether we be elect or not this one thing shall be sufficient namely if we shall attaine to the certaine knowledge of this that we are in Christ and partakers of him for he that is now ingrafted in Christ and is iustified it cannot be but that he was elected in Christ before the foundation of the world And that we may be in Christ faith is both required and is sufficient not perfect faith but true faith though it be so little as a graine of mustard seede and feeble like a young borne babe and that sore diseased too Now that faith which is a liuely a true faith lasteth alwaies as hath beene before declared neither can it at any time altogether faile And so it commeth to passe that they which once haue beene truly ingrafted into Christ remaine alwaies and continue in him according to that saying All that my Father giueth me shall come to me and he which commeth vnto me I will not cast forth That is true no doubt that looke how much the faith is more perfect so much the greater power it hath to knit vs more and more to Christ and therefore we must alwaies endeauour to encrease in faith Yet for all that this is most certaine one little sparkle of true faith is sufficient to engraft vs into Christ. And for that cause we must in no wise doubt of our engrafting into Christ and of our election too by reason of the weaknesse of faith and the small and slender fruits it bringeth out But how shall I certenly know say you whether my faith be a true and liuely faith or not Out of the same grounds from whence the testimonie of our adoption is perceiued First of all if you shall truly feele that you are perswaded of the truth of the Gospel yea and that all your sinnes are pardoned you for Christ and you receiued to fauour Againe if you see that this perswasion is grounded not vpon any merits of yours but on the sole goodnes of God and grace of Christ. Lastly if you feele such a confidence to approach vnto and call vpon the Father and such a loue towards him his Sonne Iesus Christ that ye do hate and detest whatsoeuer is against his glorie as all sinne is and on the contrarie be carried away with a desire to doe those things which serue for the aduancing of his glorie and therefore that you loue all those which desire and seeke the same as the brethren and friends of Christ. For these be the effects which can neuer be seuered from true faith And this is the disposition of true faith therefore as long as thou feelest these effects in thy selfe albeit very
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 i● 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 fe●●efull is the abuse of the tongue among all sortes degrees of men euer● where Hence daily arise manifold sinnes against God and ●nnu●erable scandals and grieuances to our brethren It would make a mans heart to bleede to heare and consider howe Swearing Blaspheming Cursed speaking Ra●ling Backbiting Slandering Chiding Quarrelling Cōtending Iesting Mocking Flattering Lying Dissembling Vaine and idle talking ouerflow in all place● 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
minde that if there were no conscience to accuse no diuell to terrifie no iudge to arraigne condemne no hel to torment yet he would be humbled brought on his knees for his sinnes because he hath offended a louing mercifull and long suffering God Further I say that repentance stands in turning againe to God Man at the first was made a goodly creature in the image of God hauing fellowship with him whereby he dwelt in God and God in him By sinne there is a partition made betweene God and man who is alienated and estranged from God and is become the childe of wrath a firebrand of hell the prodigall child going from his father into a farre countrey the straying nay the lost sheepe Now when men haue grace to repent then they begin to renew this fellowship and turne againe to God And the very essence or nature of repentance consists in this turning Which Paul doth seeme to intimate when he saith That he shewed both to Iew and Gentile that they should repent and turne to God and do works worthie amendment of life In which words he sets downe vnto vs a ful description of repentance Againe I say that repentance is a turning from sinne because it doth not abolish or change the substance of bodie or soule or any of the faculties therof either in whole or part but onely rectifie and amend them by remoouing the corruption It turnes the sadnesse of melancholy to godly sorrow choller to good zeale softnesse of nature to meekenes of spirit madnesse and lightn●sse to Christian mirth it reformes euery man according to his naturall constitution not abolishing it but redressing the fault of it Further I put downe that repentance is a turning from all sinne to God that I may exclude many false turnings The first when a man turnes from God to sinne as when one of a Protestant becomes a Papist an Arrian a ●●milist The second when a man turnes from one sinne to an other As when the riotous person leaues his prodigalitie and giues himselfe to the practise of couetousnes this can be no repentāce because it is a going from one extreame to an other whereas repentance is to leaue the extreames keepe the meane The third is not when a man turnes from sinne but sinne turnes from him and leaues him As when the drunkard leaues drunkennesse because his stomacke is decaied the fornicatour his vncleannes because the strength of nature failes him the quarreller his fighting because he is maymed on legge or arme The last is when men turne from many sinnes but will not turne from all As Herod did many things at the aduertisement of Iohn Baptist but could not be brought to leaue incest in hauing his brother Philips wife This repentance is nothing For as he which is truly regenerate is wholly in bodie soule and spirit regenerate so he which truly repents turnes from all sinne and turnes wholly to God Neither is this to trouble any that they can not know all their sinnes for sound repentance for one speciall sinne brings with it repentance of all sinne And as God requires particular repentance for knowne sinnes so he accepts a generall repentance for such as be vnknowne To proceede further the conuersion of a sinner in repentance hath three parts The first a purpose and resolution in the mind the second an inclination in the will and affections the third an indeauour in life and conuersation to abandon and leaue all his former sinnes and to imploy himselfe in obedience to Gods commandements Lastly this repentance must bring forth fruits worthie amendment of life because it cannot be knowne to be sincere vnlesse it bring forth fruit Repentant sinners are trees of righteousnes of Gods owne planting and they grow by the waters that flow out of the sanctuarie and therefore they must beare fruit that may serue for meate leafe for medicine otherwise the axe of Gods iudgment is laid to their rootes to stocke them vp CHAP. II. Of the causes of Repentance THe principall cause of Repentance is the Spirit of God as Paul saith Instructing them with meekenesse that are contrarie minded proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance And Ieremie Conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted The instrument of the holy Ghost in working repentance is the ministery of the Gospell onely and not the law Reasons hereof are these I. Faith is engendred by the preaching not of the Law but of the Gospell as Paul saith The Gospel is the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue from faith to faith therefore repentance which follows faith as a fruit thereof must needes come by the preaching of the Gospel onely II. The Law is the ministerie of death and damnation because it shewes a man his wretched estate but shewes him no remedie therefore it can not be an instrumentall cause of that repentance which is effectuall to saluation III. The doctrine of repentance is a part of the Gospel which appeares in this that the preaching of repentance and the preaching of the Gospel are put one for an other And our Sauiour Christ deuides the Gospel into two parts the preaching of repentance and remission of sinnes in his name IV. That part of the word which workes repentance must reueale the nature of it and set out the promise of life which belongs vnto it But the Law neither reueales faith nor repentance this is a proper worke of the Gospel If it be said that the Law is a schoolemaster to bring vs to Christ the answer is it brings men to Christ not by teaching the way or by alluring them but by forcing and vrging them Neither doe we abolish the law in ascribing the worke of repentance to the Gospel onely for though it be no cause yet is it an occasion of true repentance Because it represents vnto the eye of the soule our damnable estate smites the conscience with dolefull terrours and feares which though they be no tokens of grace for they are in their owne nature the very gates and the downefall to the pit of hell yet they are certaine occasions of receiuing grace The phisitian is otherwhiles constrained to recouer the health of his patient by casting him into some fits of an ague so man because he is deadly sicke of the disease of sinne must be cast into some fits of Legal terrors by the ministerie of the law that he may recouer his former estate come to life euerlasting Repentance also is furthered by calamities which in this case often come in the roome stead of the law Iosephs brethren when they were in distresse in Egypt said one to another Wee haue verely sinned against our brother in that we sawe the anguish of his soule when he besought vs and we would not heare him therefore is this trouble come vpon vs. And the Lord saith in Oseah I will goe
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 frō Babylon Whence I obserue That all those who will be saued must depart and separate themselues frō 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 ●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 cōmon 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 actiō in the first cōuersion 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
Gospell is vpon condition of mens faith and repentance and that men are deceiued touching their owne faith and repentance and therefore faile in applying the word vnto themselues Ans. Indeede this manner of applying is false in all hypocrites heretickes and vnrepentant persons for they applie vpon carnall presumption and not by faith Neuerthelesse it is true in all the Elect hauing the spirit of grace and praier for when God in the ministerie of the word beeing his owne ordinance saith Seeke ye my face the heart of Gods children truly answereth O Lord I wil seeke thy face Psal. 17.8 And when God shall say Thou art my people they shall say againe The Lord is my God Zach. 13.6 And it is a truth of God that he which beleeueth knoweth that he beleeueth and he that truly repenteth knoweth that be repēteth vnles it be in the beginning of our conuersion in the time of distresse and temptation Otherwise what thankfulnesse can there be for grace receiued Obiect II. It is no article of the Creede that a man must beleeue his owne saluation and therefore no man is bound thereto Ans. By this argument it ap●●●res plainely that the very pillars of the Church of Rome doe not vnderstand the Creede for in that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede euery article implieth in it this particular faith And in the first article I beleeue in God are three things contained the first to beleeue that there is a God the second to beleeue the same God to be my God the third to put my confidence in him for my saluation and so much containe the other articles which are concerning God When Thomas said Ioh. 20.28 My God Christ answered Thou hast beleeued Thomas Where we see that to beleeue in God is to beleeue God to be our God And Psal. 78. 22. to beleeue in God and to put trust in him are all one They beleeued not in God and trusted not in his helpe And the articles concerning Remission of sinnes and Life euerlasting do include and we in them acknowledge our speciall faith concerning our owne saluation For to beleeue this or that is to beleeue there is such a thing and that the same thing belongs to me as when Dauid said I should haue fainted except I had beleeued to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing Psal. 27.13 It is answered that in those articles wee onely professe our selues to beleeue remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to be vouchsafed to the people Church of God Ans. This indeede is the exposition of many but it standes not with common reason For if that bee all the faith that is there confessed the deuill hath as good a faith as we He knoweth and beleeueth that there is a God that this God imparteth remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to his church And to the end that wee beeing Gods children may in faith goe beyond all the deuills in hell we must further beleeue that remission of sinnes and life euerlasting belongs vnto vs and vnlesse we doe particularly apply the said articles vnto our selues we shall little or nothing differ from the deuill in making confession of faith Obiect III. We are taught to pray for the pardon of our sinnes day by day Matth. 6.12 and all this were needlesse if we could bee assured of pardon in this life Answ. The fourth petition must be vnderstood not so much of our olde debts or sinnes as of our present and newe sinnes for as we goe on from daie to daie so we adde sinne to sinne and for the pardon of them must wee humble our selues and pray I answer againe that wee pray for the pardon of our sinnes not because we haue no assurance thereof but because our assurance is weake and small wee growe on from grace to grace in Christ as children doe to mans estate by little and little The heart of euery beleeuer is like a vessell with a narrow necke which beeing cast into the sea is not filled at the first but by reason of the straight passage receiueth water drop by drop God giueth vnto vs in Christ euen a sea of mercie but the same on our parts is apprehended and receiued onely by little and litte as faith groweth from age to age and this is the cause why men hauing assurance pray for more Our reasons to the contrarie Reason I. The first reason may be taken from the nature of faith on this manner True faith is both an vnfallible assurance and a particular assurance of the remission of sinnes and of life euerlasting And therefore by this faith a man may be certenly and particularly assured of the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting That this reason may bee of sorce two things must be prooued first that true faith is a certaine assurance of Gods mercie to that partie in whome it is Secondly that faith is a particular assurance thereof For the first that faith is a certaine assurance Christ saith to Peter Mat. 14.31 O thou of litle faith wherefore didst thou doubt Where he maketh an opposition betweene faith and doubting whereby giuing vs directly to vnderstand that to be certen and to giue assurance is of the nature of faith Rom. 4.20.22 Paul saith of Abraham that he did not doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but vvas strengthened in faith and gaue glory to God being fully assured that he which had promised was able to doe it where I obserue first that doubting is made a fruit of vnbeleefe and therefore vnfallible certentie and assurance being contrarie to doubting must needes proceede from true faith considering that cōtrarie effects come of contrarie causes and contrarie causes produce contrary effects Secōdly I note that the strength of Abrahams faith did stand in fulnes of assurance for the text saith he was strengthened in the faith being fully assured and againe Heb. 11.1 true sauing faith is said to be the ground and subsistance of things hoped for the euidence or demonstration of things that are not seene but faith can be no ground or euidence of things vnlesse it bee for nature certenty it selfe and thus the first point is manifest The second that sauing faith is a particular assurance is prooued by this that the propertie of faith is to apprehend and apply the promise and the thing promised Christ with his benefits Ioh. 1.12 As many saieth S. Iohn as receiued him to them hee gaue power to be the sonnes of god namely to them that beleeue in his name In these words to beleeue in Christ and to receiue Christ are put for one and the same thing Nowe to receiue Christ is to apprehend and apply him with all his benefits vnto our selues as he is offered in the promises of the gospell For in the sixt chapter following first of all he sets forth himselfe not onely as a Redeemer generally but also as the bread of life and the water of life secondly he sets
Father is well pleased and for whose sake alone he is well pleased with vs. IV. Obiect Sundrie persons in Scripture are commended for perfection● 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 cā●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 meas●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 actiō 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 cōclusion 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 ●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
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
his merits is a kind of apprehension And thus we see the kinds of implicite or infolded faith This doctrine is to be learned for two causes first of all it serues to rectifie the consciences of weake ones that they be not deceiued touching their estate For if we thinke that no faith can saue but a full perswa●ion such as the faith of Abraham was many truly bearing the name of Christ must be put out of the role of the children of God We are therefore to know that there is a growth in grace as in nature and there be differences and degrees of true faith and the least of them all is this Infolded faith This in effect is the doctrine of M. Caluin that when we begin by faith to know somewhat haue a desire to learne more this may be tearmed an vnexpressed faith Secondly this point of doctrine serues to rectifie and in part to expound sundrie Catechismes in that they seeme to propound faith vnto men at so high a reach as few can attaine vnto it defining it to be a certen and full perswasion of Gods loue and fauour in Christ whereas though euery faith be for his nature a certen perswasion yet onely the strong faith is the full perswasion Therefore faith is not onely in generall tearmes to be defined but also the degrees and measures thereof are to be expounded that weake ones to their comfort may be truly informed of their estate And though we teach there is a kinde of implicite faith which is the beginning of true and liuely faith yet none must hereupon take an occasion to content themselues therewith but labour to increase and goe on from faith to faith and so indeede will euery one doe that hath any beginnings of true faith be they neuer so little And he which thinks he hath a desire to beleeue and contents himselfe therewith hath indeede no true desire to beleeue The difference The pillars of the Romish Church laies downe this ground that faith in his owne nature is not a knowledge of things to be beleeued but a reuerent assent vnto them whether they be knowne or vnknowne Hereupon they build that if a man know some necessarie points of religion as the doctrine of the Godhead of the Trinitie of Christs incarnation and of our redemption c. it is needelesse to know the rest by a particular or distinct knowledge and it sufficeth to giue his consent to the Church and to beleeue as the pastours beleeue Behold a ruinous building vpon a rotten foundation for faith containes a knowledge of things to be beleeued and knowledge is of the nature of faith nothing is beleeued that is not knowne Isai 53.11 The knowledge of my righteous seruant shall iustifie many and Ioh. 17.2 This is eternall life to know the eternall God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. In these places by knowledge is meant faith grounded vpon knowledge whereby we know and are assured that Christ and his benefits belong vnto vs. Secondly this kind of assent is the mother of ignorance For when men shall be taught that for sundrie points of religion they may beleeue as the Church beleeues that the studie of the Scriptures is not to be required of them yea that to their good they may be barred the reading of them so be it they know some principall things contained in the articles of faith that common beleeuers are not bound expressely to beleeue all the articles of the Apostles Creede that it sufficeth them to beleeue the articles by an implicite faith by beleeuing as the Church beleeueth fewe or none will haue care to profit in knowledge And yet Gods commaundement is that we should grow in knowledge and that his word should dwell plenteously in vs Col. 3.16 Againe the Papists say that the deuotion of the ignorant is often seruice better accepted then that which is done vpō knowledge Such say they as pray in latin pray with as great consolation of spirit with as little tediousnes with as great deuotion and affection and oftentimes more then the other and alwaies more then any scismaticke or hereticke in his owne language To conclude they teach that some articles of faith are beleeued generally of the whole Church onely by a simple or implicite faith which afterward by the Authoritie of a generall Counsell are propounded to be beleeued of the Church by expresse faith Roffensis against Luther giues an example of this when he confesseth that Purgatorie was litle known at the first but was made knowne partly by Scripture and partly by reuelation in processe of time This implicite faith touching articles of religion we reiect holding that all things concerning faith and manners necessarie to saluation are plainely expressed in Scripture and accordingly to be beleeued The 17. point Of Purgatorie Our consent We hold a Christian Purgatorie according as the word of God hath set downe the same vnto vs. And first of all by this Purgatorie we vnderstand the afflictions of Gods children here on earth Ier. 3. The people afflicted say thou hast sent a fire into our bones Psal. 65.12 We haue gone through water and fire Malach. 3.3 The children of Levi must be purified in a purging fire of affliction 1. Pet. 1.7 Afflictions are called the fi●rie triall whereby men are clensed from their corruptions as golde from the drosse by the fire Secondly the blood of Christ is a purgatorie of our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1.7 Christs blood purgeth vs from all our sinnes Heb. 9.14 It purgeth our consciences from dead workes And Christ baptizeth with the holy Ghost and with fire because our inward washing is by the blood of Christ and the holy Ghost is as fire to consume and abolish the inward corruption of nature To this effect saith Origen Without doubt we shall feele the vnquenchable fire vnles we shall now intreat the Lord to send downe from heauen a purgatorie fire vnto vs whereby worldly desires may he vtterly consumed in our mindes August Suppose the mercie of God is thy purgatorie The difference or dissent We differ from the Papists touching purgatorie in two things And first of all for the place They hold it to be a part of hell into which an entrance is made onely after this life we for our parts denie it as hauing no waraant in the word of God which mentioneth onely two places for men after this life heauen and hell with the two-fold condition thereof ioy and torment Luk. 16.25 26. Ioh. 3.36 Apoc. 22.14 15. and 21.7,8 Matth. 8.11 Nay we finde the contrarie Reu. 14.13 they that die in the Lord are saide to rest from their l●bours which can not be true if any of them goe to purgatorie And to cut off all cauills it is further said their workes that is the reward of their workes follow them euen at the heeles as an Acoluth or seruant doth his master Augustine saith well After this life there remaines no
compunction or satisfaction And Here is all remission of sinne here be temptations that mooue vs to sinne lastly here is the euill from which we desire to be deliuered but there is none of all these And We are not here without sinne but we shall goe hence without sinne Cyril saith They which are once dead can adde nothing to the things which they haue done but shall remaine as they were left and waite for the time of the last iudgement Chrysost. After the ende of this life there be no occasions of merits Secondly we differ from them touching the meanes of Purgation They say that men are purged by suffering of paines in Purgatorie whereby they satisfie for their veniall sinnes and for the temporal punishment of their mortall sinnes We teach the contrarie holding that nothing can free vs from the least punishment of the smallest sinne but the sufferings of Christ and purge vs from the least taint of corruption sauing the blood of Christ. Indeede they say that our sufferings in themselues considered doe not purge and satisfie but as they are made meritorious by the sufferings of Christ but to this I oppose one text of Scripture Heb. 1. 3. where it is said that Christ hath purged our sinnes by himselfe where the last clause cuts the throat of all humane satisfactions and merits and it giueth vs to vnderstand that whatsoeuer thing purgeth vs from our sinnes is not to be found in vs but in Christ alone otherwise it should haue bin saide that Christ purgeth the sinnes of men by themselues as well as by himselfe and he should merit by his death that we should become our owne Sauiours in part To this place I may well referre praier for the dead of which I will propound two conclusions affirmatiue and one negatiue Conclus I. We hold that Christian charitie is to extend it selfe to the very dead and it must shew it selfe in their honest buriall in the preseruation of their good names in the helpe and releefe of their posteritie as time and occasion shall be offered Ruth 1.8 Ioh. 19.23 II. Conclus We pray further in generall manner for the faithfull departed that God would hasten their ioyfull resurrection and the full accomplishment of their happines both for the bodie and the soule and thus much we aske in saying Thy kingdome come that is not onely the kingdome of grace but also the kingdome of glorie in heauen Thus farre we come but nearer the gates of Babylon we dare not approch III. Conclus To pray for particular men departed and to pray for their deliuerance out of purgatorie we thinke it vnlawfull because we haue neither promise nor commandement so to doe The eighteenth point Of the Supremacie in causes Ecclesiasticall Our consent Touching the point of Supremacie Ecclesiasticall I will set downe how neare we may come to the Romane Church in two conclusions Conclus I. For the founding of the primitiue Church the ministerie of the word was distinguished by degrees not onely of order but also of power and Peter was called to the highest degree Eph. 4.11 Christ ascended vp on high and gaue gifts vnto men for the good of his Church as some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastours and Doctours Now howsoeuer one Apostle be not aboue an other or one Euangelist aboue an other or one Pastour aboue an other yet an Apostle was aboue an Euangelist and an Euangelist aboue all pastours and teachers And Peter was by calling an Apostle and therefore aboue all Euangelists and Pastors hauing the highest roome in the ministerie of the newe testament both for order and authoritie Conclus II. Among the twelue Apostles Peter had a threefold priuiledge or prerogatiue I. The prerogatiue of authoritie II. Of primacie III. Of principalitie For the first by the priuiledge of authoritie I meane a preheminence in regard of estimation wherby he was had in reuerence aboue the rest of the twelue Apostles for Cephas with Iames and Iohn are called Pillars seemed to be great Gal. 2.6.9 Againe hee had the preheminence of primacie because he was the first named as the foreman of the quest Math. 10.2 The names of the twelue Apostles are these the first is Simon called Peter Thirdly hee had the preheminence of principality among the twelue because in regard of the measure of grace he excelled the rest for when Christ asked his disciples whome they said he was Peter as beeing of greatest abilitie and zeale answered for them all Math. 16.16 I vse this clause among the twelue because Paul excelled Peter euery way in learning zeale vnderstanding as far as Peter excelled the rest And thus neere we come to popish supremacie The difference The Church of Rome giues to Peter a supremacie vnder Christ aboue all causes and persons that is full power to gouerne and order the Catholike Church vpon the whole earth both for doctrine and regiment This supremacie standes as they teach in a power or iudgement to determine of the true sense of all places of Scripture to determine all causes of faith to assemble generall counsels to ratifie the decrees of the said councels to excommunicate any man vpon earth that liues within the Church euen princes and nations properly to absolue and forgiue sinnes to decide causes brought to him by appeale from all the parts of the earth lastly to make lawes that shall bind the conscience This fulnes of power with one consent is ascribed to Peter the Bishops of Rome that followe him in a supposed succession Nowe we holde on the contrarie that neither Peter nor any Bishop of Rome hath any supremacie ouer the Catholike Church but that al supremacie vnder Christ is pertaining to kings and princes within their dominions And that this our doctrine is good and theirs false and forged I will make it manifest by sundrie reasons I. Christ must be considered of vs as a king two waies First as he is God and so is he an absolute king ouer all things in heauen and earth with the Father and the Holy Ghost by the right of creation Secondly he is a king as hee is a redeemer of mankind and by the right of redemption he is a soueraigne king ouer the whole Church and that in speciall manner Nowe as Christ is God with the father and the holy ghost hee hath his deputies on earth to gouerne the world as namely kings and princes who are therefore in Scriptures called Gods But as Christ is Mediatour and consequently a king ouer his redeemed ones hee hath neither fellowe nor deputie No fellowe for then hee should be an imperfect mediatour No deputie for no creature is capable of this office to doe in the roome and steade of Christ that which hee himselfe doth because euery work of the Mediatour is a compound worke arising of the effects of two natures concurring in one and the same action namely the godhead and the manhood and therefore to the effecting of
holy spirit who bringeth it forth onely in such as he dwells in c. Then these holy desires and praiers beeing the motions of the holy Ghost in vs are testimonies of our faith although they seeme to vs small and weake As the woman that feeleth the mooning of a childe in her body though very weak assureth her selfe that shee hath conceiued and that shee goeth with a liue childe so if we haue these motions these holy affections and desires before mentioned let vs not doubt but that we haue the holy Ghost who is the author of them dwelling in vs and consequently that we haue also faith Againe he saith If thou hast begun to hate and flee sinne if thou feelest that thou art displeased at thine infirmities corruptions if hauing offended God thou feelest a griefe and a sorrow for it if thou desire to abstaine if thou thou auoidest the occasions if thou trauailest to doe thy endeauour if thou praiest to God to giue thee grace all these holy affections proceeding from none other then from the spirit of God ought to be so many pledges and testimonies that hee is in thee Master Knokes saith Albeit your paines sometimes bee so horrible that you finde no release nor comfort neither in spirit nor bodie yet if thy heart can onely sob vnto God despaire not you shall obtaine your hearts desire And destitute you are not of faith for at such time as the flesh naturall reason the lawe of God the present torment the deuill at one doe crie God is angrie and therefore there is neither helpe nor remedie to be hoped for at his handes at such time I say to sob vnto God is the demonstration of the secret seede of God which is hidde in Gods elect children and that onely sob is vnto God a more acceptable sacrifice then without this crosse to giue our bodies to be burnt euen for the truthes sake More testimonies might be alleadged but these shall su●fice Against this point of doctrine it may bee alleadged that if desire to beleeue in our weakenesse bee faith indeede then some are iustified and may be saued wanting a liuely apprehension and full perswasion of Gods mercie in Christ. Answere Iustifying faith in regard of his nature is alwaies one and the same and the essentiall propertie thereof is to apprehend Christ with his benefits and to assure the very conscience thereof And therefore without some apprehension and assuranee there can be no iustification or saluation in them that for age are able to beleeue Yet there be certaine degrees and measures of true faith There is a strong faith which causeth a full apprehension and perswasion of Gods mercy in Christ. This measure of faith the Lord vouchsafed Abraham Dauid Paul the Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs of God It were a blessed thing if all beleeuers might attaine to this height of liuely faith to say with Paul I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor any thing else shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God in Christ but all cannot therefore there is another degree of faith lower then the former and yet true faith called a little or weake faith and it also hath a power to apprehend and apply the promise of saluation but as yet by reason of weakenesse it is infolded as it were and wrapt vp in the heart as the leafe and blossome in the budde For such persons as haue this weake faith can say indeede that they beleeue their sinnes to bee pardonable and that they desire to haue them pardoned but as yet they cannot say that they are without all doubt pardoned And yet the mercie of God is not wanting vnto them●●or in that they doe and can desire and indeauour to apprehend they doe indeede apprehend God accepting the desire to doe the thing for the thing done This which I say will the better appeare if the groundes thereof bee considered Faith doeth not iustifie in respect of it selfe because it is an action or vertue or because it is strong liuely and perfect but in respect of the obiect thereof namely Christ crucified whome faith apprehendeth as hee is set forth vnto vs in the word and sacraments It is Christ that is the author matter of our iustice and it is he that applieth the same vnto vs as for faith in vs it is but an instrument to apprehend and receiue that which Christ for his part offereth and giueth Therefore if faith erre not in his proper obiect but followe the promise of God though it doe weakly apprehend or at the least cause a man onely to endeauour and desire to apprehend it is true faith and iustifieth Though our apprehension be necessarie yet our saluation standes rather in this that God apprehendes vs for his owne then that we apprehend him Phil. 3.12 Out of this conclusion springes another not to bee omitted that God accepts the indeauour of the whole man to obey for perfect obedience it selfe THat is if men indeauour to please God in all things God will not iudge their doings by the rigour of the lawe but will accept their little and weake indeauour to doe that which they can doe by his grace as if they had perfectly fulfilled the lawe But here remember I put this caueat that this indeauour must be in and by the whole man the very minde conscience wil affections doing that which they can in their kinds and thus this indeauour which is a fruite of the spirit shall be distinguished from ciuill righteousnes which may bee in heathen men The trueth of this conclusion appeares by that which the Prophet Malachi saith that God will spare them that feare him as a father spares his childe who accepts the thing done as well done if the child shewe his good will to please his father and to doe what he can IV. Conclusion To see and feele in our selues the want of any grace and to be grieued therefore is the grace it selfe The Exposition VNderstand this conclusion as the former namely that griefe of heart for the want of any grace necessarie to saluation is as much with God as the grace it selfe When being in distresse wee cannot pray as we ought God accepts the very groanes sobbes and sighes of the perplexed heart as the praier it selfe Rom. 8. 26. When we are grieued because we cannot bee grieued for our sinnes it is a degree and measure of godly sorrowe before God Augustine saith well Sometimes our praier is luke-warme or rather colde and almost no praier nay sometime it is altogither no praier at all and yet we cannot with griefe perceiue this in our selues for if we can but grieue because we cannot pray we nowe pray indeede Hierome saith Then we are iust when wee acknowledge our selues to be sinners Againe this is the true wisdome of man to knowe himselfe to be imperfect And that I may so speake the perfection of all iust men in the flesh is imperfect
whereby men are iustified in the sight of God The Confutation We doe contrarily hold that the materiall cause of mans iustification is the obedience of Christ in suffering fulfilling the law for vs but as for the formall cause that must needes be Imputation the which is an action of God the Father accepting the obedience of Christ for vs as if it were our owne Reasons I. Looke by what we are absolued from all our sinnes and by which we obtaine eternall life by that alone are we iustified But by Christs perfect obedience imputed vnto vs we are absolued from all our sinnes and through it we are accepted of God to eternall life the which we cannot doe by inherent holinesse Therefore by Christs perfect obedience imputed vnto vs are we alone iustified This will appeare to be true in the exercises of inuocation on Gods name and also of repentance For in tentation and conflicts with sinne and Satan faith doth not reason thus Now I haue charitie and inherent grace and for these God will accept of me But faith doth more rightly behold the sonne of God as he was made a sacrifice for vs and sitteth at the right hand of his Father there making intercession for vs to him I say doth faith flie and is assured that for this his sonne God will forgiue vs all our sinnes and will also be reconciled vnto vs yea and account vs iust in his sight not by any qualitie inherent in vs but rather by the merit of Iesus Christ. Rom. 5.19 II. As Christ is made a sinner so by proportion such as beleeue are made iust But Christ was by imputation onely made and accounted a sinner for vs. 2. Cor. 5. 21. For he became a suretie for vs and a sacrifice for our sinnes vpon which all both the guiltinesse of Gods wrath and punishment for vs was to be laide Hence is it that he is said to become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a curse for vs Therfore we againe are made iust only by imputation III. The contrarie to condemnation is remission of sinnes and iustification is the opposite of condemnation Rom. 8. 33. It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne Therefore iustification is the remission of sinnes Now remission of sinnes dependeth onely vpon this imputation of Christs merits IV. Albeit infused and inherent iustice may haue his due place his praise and also deserts yet as it is a worke of the holy Ghost it is not in this life complete and by reason of the flesh● whereto it is vnited it is both imperfect and infected with the dregges of sinne Esai 64. Therfore before Gods iudgement seate it cannot claime this prerogatiue to absolue any from the sentence of condemnation Obiect I. This imputation is nothing els but a vaine cogitation Answ. I. Yes it is a relation or diuine ordinance whereby one relatiue is applied to his correlatiue or as the Logitians say is as the foundation to the Terminus II. As the imputation of our sinnes vnto Christ was indeede something so the imputation of Christs iustice vnto vs must not be thought a bare conceit III. Againe the Church of Rome doth her selfe maintaine imputatiue iustic● namely when as by Ecclesiasticall authoritie shee doth applie the merits and satisfactions of certain persons vnto other members of that Church Whence it is apparant that euen the Popes indulgences they are imputatiue Obiect II. Imputatiue iustice is not euerlasting but that iustice which the Messiah bringeth is euerlasting Ans. Although after this life there is no pardon of sinnes to be looked for yet that which is giuen vs in this life shall to our saluation continue in the life to come Obiect III. If iustification be by imputation he may before God be iust who indeede is a very wicked man Ans. Not so any waies for he that is once by imputation iustified he is also at that same instant sanctified The XIII errour There is also a second iustification and that is obtained by workes The Confutation That popish deuice of a second iustification is a fantasticall delusion For I. The word of God doth acknowledge no more but one iustification at all and that absolute and complete of it selfe There is but one iustice but one satisfaction of God being offended therefore there cannot be a manifold iustification II. If by reason of the increase of inherent iustice iustification should be distinguished into seuerall kindes or parts we might as well make an hundreth kinds or parts of iustification as two III. That which by order of nature doth follow after full iustification before God it cannot be said to iustifie But good workes doe by order of nature follow mans iustification and his absolution from sinnes because no worke can please God except the person it selfe that worketh the same doe before please him But no mans person can please God but such an one as beeing reconciled to God by the merits of Christ hath peace with him IV. Such workes as are not agreeable to the rule of legall iustice they before the tribunall seat of God cannot iustifie but rather both in and of themselues are subiect to Gods eternall curse For this is the sentence of the Law Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things written in the booke of the Law to doe them Now the works euen of the regenerate are not squared according to the rule of legall iustice wherefore Dauid being as it were stricken with the cōsideration of this durst not once oppose no not his best works to the iudgement of God that by them he might plead pardon of his sinnes whence it is that he crieth out and saith Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for then no flesh liuing shall be iustified in thy sight The like doth Iob 9.3 If he namely such an one as saith he is iust contend with God he cannot answer him one of a thousand And Dan. 9. 18. We doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies V. Iustification by works let them be whatsoeuer they can be doth quite ouerturne the foundation of our faith Gal. 5.2 If ye be circumcised Christ will profit you nothing and v. 4. Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law ye are fallen from grace In this place the Apostle speaketh of them not which did openly resist Christ and the Gospel but of such as did with the merit of Christ mingle together the workes of the Law as though some part of our saluation consisted in them Exception This place doth onely exclude such morall works of the flesh as doe goe before faith or the workes of the law of Moses Ans. This is vntrue For euen of Abraham being already regenerated and of those his works which were done when he was iustified Paul speaketh thus To him not which worketh but which beleeueth is faith imputed Those works which God hath prepared that the regenerate should walke in
report and relation of the miracles done in the land of Egypt whereby she was mooued to ioyne hir selfe vnto the people of God and to beleeue as they did By these examples then it is manifest that in the very seruants of God there is and may be for a time an implicite faith For the better vnderstanding of this point it is to be considered that faith may be infolded two waies fi●st in respect of knowledge of things to be beleeued secondly in respect of the apprehension of the obiect of faith namely Christ and his benefits Now faith is infolded in respect of knowledge when as sundrie things that are necessarie to saluation are not as yet distinctly knowne Though Christ commended the faith of his disciples for such a faith against which the gates of hell should not preuaile yet was it vnexpressed or wrapped vp in regard of sundrie points of religion for first of all Peter that made confession of Christ in the name of the rest was at that time ignorant of the particular meanes whereby his redemption should be wrought For after this he went about to disswade his master from the suffering of death at Ierusalem whereupon Christ sharply rebuked him saying Come behinde me Sathan thou art an offence vnto me Againe they were all ignorant of Christs resurrection till certaine women who first saw him after he was risen againe had told them and they by experience in the person of Christ had learned the truth Thirdly they were ignorant of the ascension for they dreamed of an earthly kingdome at the very time whē he was about to ascend saying Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome to Israel● Act. 1.6 And after Christs ascension Peter knew nothing of the breaking downe of the partition wall betweene the Iewes and Gentiles till God had better schooled him in a vision Act. 10.14 And no doubt we haue ordinarie examples of this Implicit faith in sundrie persons among vs. For some there be which are dull and hard both for vnderstanding and memorie and thereupon make no such proceedings in knowledge as many others doe and yet for good affection and conscience in their doings so farre as they know they come not short of any hauing withall a continuall care to increase in knowledge and to walke in obedience according to that which they know And such persons though they be ignorant in many things yet haue they a meaning of true faith and that which is wanting in knowledge is supplied in affection and in some respects they are to be preferred before many that haue the glibbe tongue and the braine swimming with knowledge To this purpose Melancthon said well We must acknowledge the great mercie of God who puts a difference betweene sinnes of ignorance and such as are done wittingly and forgiues manifold ignorances to them that know but the foundation and be teachable as may be seene by the Apostles in whome there was much want of vnderstanding before the resurrection of Christ. But as hath bin saide he requires that we be teachable and he will not haue vs to be hardned in our sluggishnesse and dulnesse As it is saide psal 1. he meditateth in his law day and night The second kind of implicite faith is in regard of Apprehension when as a man can not say distinctly and certenly I beleeue the pardon of my sinnes but I doe vnfainedly desire to beleeue the pardon of them all and I desire to repent This case befalls many of Gods children when they are touched in conscience for their sinnes But where men are displeased with themselues for their offences and doe withall constantly from the heart desire to beleeue and to be reconciled to God there is faith and many other graces of God infolded as in the little and tender budde is infolded the leafe the blossome and the f●uit For though a desire to repent and to beleeue be not faith and repentance in nature yet in Gods acceptation it is God accepting the will for the deede Isa. 42.3 Christ will not quench the smoking flaxe which as yet by reason of weakenesse giues neither light nor heate Christ saith Math. 6. 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes for they shall be satisfied where by persons hungring and thirsting are meant all such as feele with griefe their owne want of righteousnesse and withall desire to be iustified and sanctified Rom. 8.26 God heares regards the very grones and sighes of his seruants yea though they be vnspeakable by reason they are oftentimes little weake and confused yet God hath respect vnto them because they are the worke of his owne spirit Thus when we see that in a touched heart desiring to beleeue there is an infolded faith And this is the faith which many of the true seruants of God haue and our saluation stands not so much in our apprehending of Christ as in Christs comprehending of vs and therefore Paul saith Phil. 3. 12. he followeth namely after perfection if that he might comprehend that for whose sake he is comprehended of Christ. Now if any shall say that without a liuely faith in Christ none can be saued I answer that God accepts the desire to beleeue for liuely faith in the time of temptation and in the time of our first conuersion as I haue saide Put case a man that neuer yet repented falls into some grieuous sicknes and then beginnes to be touched in conscience for his sinnes and to be truly humbled hereupon he is exhorted to beleeue his owne reconciliation with God in Christ and the pardon of his owne sinnes And as he is exhorted so he endeauoureth according to the measure of grace receiued to beleeue yet after much striuing he can not resolue himselfe that he doth distinctly and certenly beleeue the pardon of his owne sinnes onely this he can say that he doth heartely desire to beleeue this he wisheth aboue all things in the world and he esteemes all things as dung for Christ and thus he dies I demaund now what shall we say of him surely we may say nothing but that he died the child of God and is vndoubtedly saued For howsoeuer it were an happie thing if men could come to that fulnesse of faith which was in Abraham and many seruants of God yet certen it is that God in sundrie cases accepts of this desire to beleeue for true faith indeede And looke as it is in nature so is it in grace in nature some die when they are children some in olde age and some in full strength and yet all die men so againe some die babes in Christ some of more perfect faith and yet the weakest hauing the seedes of grace is the child of God and faith in his infancie is faith All this while it must be remembred I say not there is a true faith without all apprehension but without a Distinct apprehension for some space of time for this very desire by faith to apprehend Christ and