two respects 1. Because by faith we apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ and so in him who hath fulfilled the lawe for vs we fulfill it and so establish it 2. because hauing our hearts purified by faith we liue no more according to the flesh but according to the spirit and so by inchoaâ—e obedience we fulfill the law Lastly in the end in that both the lawe and the gospel tend directly to the manifestation of the glorie of God Yet they differ in 5. things First in the manner of reuealing the lawe before the fall was perfectly known by nature and since the falliâ— part Rom. 2. 15. The Gospel is not known by nature neither was it euer written in mans heart before or after the fall as Paul saith 1. Cor. 2. 9. Those things which the eie hath not seene nor the eare heard nor the heart of man conceiued are they which God hath prepared for them that loue him therefore the Gospel is called a mysterie Rom. 16. v. 25 26. First because the doctrine of the Gospel was made knowne to men and angels by the reuelation of God Eph. 3. 5. 9. Secondly because there is required a special reuelation worke of gods spirit before a man can yeeld assent vnto it Therefore Paul saith We haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit of God that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God 1. Cor. 2. 12. Secondly in the subiect or doctrine it selfe and that in two respects First the Law preacheth nothing but absolute iustice to the transgressours thereof the Gospel sheweth how iustice is qualified with mercie from all things from which ye could not be absolued by the Law of Moses by him euery one that beleeueth is iustified Act. 13. 39. Secondly the Law teacheth what manner of men we ought to be and what we ought to doe that we may come to eternall life but shewes not howe we may becom such indeed the Gospel teacheth that by faith in Christ we may be such as the Law requires God hath made him to be sinnâ— for vs who knewe no sinne that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him 2. Cor. 5. 21. Thirdly in the obiect The law is giuen to the vniâ—st lawles vngodly prophane 1. Tim. 1. 9 10. that it may shew them their sinnes and the punishment thereby deserued and so may accuse and condemne them the Gospel is to be published and dispensed onely to the penitent which are contrite and broken in heart mourne for their sinnes Math. 11. Esay 57. Luk. 4. IIII. The law promiseth eternall life vpon condition of works Doe this and liue If thou wiâ—â— enter into life keepe the commandements The Gospel promiseth eternall life freely without any condition of works Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted to him for righteousnes Rom. 3. 21 22. The righteousnes of God is made manifest without the law by the faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue V. In the effects The Law is no instrumentall cause of faith repentance or any sauing grace it is the minister of death 2. Cor. 3. 7. causing wrath Rom. 3. 15. But the Gospel causeth life it is the grace of God which bringeth saluation Tit. 2. 11. for this cause Paul calleth the Law a dead or killing letter the Gospel a quickning spirit 2. Cor. 3. Fourthly it may be demaÌ„ded whether any maÌ„ be able to fulfil the Law considering that Paul biddeth vs beare one anothers burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ Ans. No meere man can perfectly fulfill the Law in this life This conclusion S. Paul prooueth in sundrie of his Epistles specially by these arguments First by the great and generall deprauation of nature which remaineth in part euen in the regenerate stayning their best actions and making them like a menstruous cloath confessing withall that his best workes are not answerable to the law by reason of the remainders of originall corruption Rom. 7. Now perfect fulfilling of the law cannot stand with corruption of nature and transgression in life For a corrupt fountaine cannot send forth sweete waters neither can a corrupt tree beare good fruit Saint Iames saith He that offendeth in one is guiltie of all and the Scripture pronounceth him accursed that abideth not in all things written in the bookâ— of the law to doe them Popish Doctours answer first that originall corruption which they call the fewell of sinne and the first motions to euill preuenting all consent of will are indeede in the regenerate but they are no sinnes properly But it is false which they teach For euery transgression of the law is a sinne as S. Iohn defines it 1. Ioh. 3. 4. but these are transgressions of the tenth commandement for it either forbiddeth these first motions whether they be primò primae or secundò primae as Schoolemen speake or it forbid doth nothing but the motioÌ„s which are with coÌ„sent of wil which were forbidden in the former commandements and so in effect there are but nine commandements the tenth forbidding no speciall sinne Againe Paul teacheth that these motions preuenting all consent of will are formally opposed to the Law I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde Secondly they answer that Paul Rom. 7. speakes not of himselfe but in the person of the vnregenerate according to the opinion of S. Augustine Ans. Augustine indeede was once of that iudgement but he after retracted that opinion as it is manifest out of his booke of Retractations and the 6. booke against Iulian the Pelagian and that for these reasons First because Paul saith To will is present with me and I doe not the good I would and J delight in the law of God concerning the inward man all which are proper to the regenerate and cannot be affirmed of the wicked Secondly because he makes mention of the inward man which is all one with the new man or the new creature which agreeth onely to the regenerate Thirdly because he saith he is ledde captiue to sinne v. 23. whereas the wicked are not drawne to sinne by force against their wills but runne riot of their owne accord into all wickednes as the horse rusheth into the battell Ierem. 8. 6. Lastly in that he cries out in a sense and sorrow for his sinnes O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death v. 24. which can not be the voice of the vnregenerate for they feele not the burden of their sinne nor desire to be eased of it but take delight and pleasure in it His second reason is this such as our knowledge is such is our loue of God and man but our knowledge is onely in part therefore our loue is but in part and so consequently our obedience is but in part therfore there is no perfect fulfilling of
present vs with their bodies and so must we present our bodies and soules to God The first ende of this giuing is that Christ might be a sacrifice and ransome for sinne The knowledge of this point is of great vse First it workes loue in vs on this manner We must in minde and meditation come to the crosse of Christ. Vpon the crosse we are to behold Christ crucified and in his death and passion his sacrifice in his sacrifice for the sinnes of his enemies his endles loue and the consideration of this loue will mooue vs to loue him againe and the father in him Secondly the consideration of his endles paines for our sinnes in the sacrifice of himselfe must breede in vs a godly sorrow for them for if he sorrow for them much more we Thirdly this knowledge is the true beginning of amendment of life For if Christ gaue himselfe to redeeme vs from iniquitie we must take vp a purpose of not sinning and neuer wittingly sinne more Lastly this knowledge is the foundation of comfort in them that truly turne to Christ. For the price is paid for their sinnes and they which are eased of their sinnes are blessed Psal. 32. 1. And in temptation they may boldly oppose the satisfaction of Christ against hell death the law and the iudgement of God and if at any time they sinne they must recouer themselues and remember that they haue an Advocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust 1. Ioh. 2. 1. And whereas Paul saith that Christ gaue himselfe for our sinnes he teacheth that euery man must applie this gift and sacrifice of Christ to himselfe This applying is done by faith and the right manner of application is this We must turne to Christ and in turning by faith applie and when we applie Christ by faith we must withall turne Faith goeth before conuersion in order of nature yet in the order of teaching and practise they are both together They which vse to applie Christ and his benefits vnto themselues and yet will not turne themselues to Christ misapplie and presume because the right apprehension of Christ is in the exercises of inuocation and repentance The second ende for which Christ gaue himselfe is that he might take vs out of this euill world And hence we are taught three things First that we must be grieued and displeased at the wickednes of the world as Lot was 2. Pet. 2. 7. Secondly that we must not fashion our selues to the wicked liues of the men of this world but we must in all things prooue what is the goodwill of God and doe it Thirdly seeing we are taken out of this world we must not dwell in it but our dwelling must be in heauen Reuel 13. 6. the beast out of the sea perfequutes them that dwell in heauen that is such as dwell on earth and for affection haue their conuersation in heauen And seeing this must be so we must not loue the world but loue the comming of Christ and euery day prepare our selues against the day of death that we may enter into our owne home And whereas Paul calls this world an euill world he doth it to signifie that there is nothing in men but sinne till they be regenerate yea that ciuill vertues and ciuill life that are excellent in the eyes of men are no better then sinnes before God It is the errour of the Papists that men may thinke and doe some thing that is morally good without grace The cause that mooued Christ to giue himselfe is the will of God Hence it appeares that God giues Christ to no man for his foreseene faith or works For there is no higher cause of the will of God The foreknowledge of things that may come to passe goes before will but the foreknowledge of things that shall come to passe and therefore the foreknowledge of faith and works followes the will of God Because things that shall come to passe are first decreed and then foreseene The will here mentioned is said to be the will of God that is the first person the father for when Christ is opposed to God then God signifies the father And he is most commonly called God because he is God without communication of the godhead from any whereas the Sonne and holy Ghost are God by communication of godhead from the father And this God is called our father by Paul And hereby he signifies that the scope of the Gospel is first to propound God vnto vs not only as a creator but as a father secōdly to inioyne vs to acknowledge him to be our father in Christ and consequently to carrie our selues as dutifull children to him in all subiection and obedience They which doe not this know not the intent of the Gospel and if they know it in deede they denie it The conclusion annexed to the salutation To whome be glorie for euer teacheth vs so oft as we remember the worke of our redemption by Christ so oft must we giue praise thāks to God yea all our liues must be nothing els but a testimonie of thankfulnes for our redemption And all our praise and thankes to God must proceede from the serious affection of the heart signified by the word Amen that is so be it 6. Imaruell that you are so soone remooued away to another Gospell from him that hath called you in the grace of Christ. 7. Which is not another Gospel but that some trouble you and intende to ouerthrowe the Gospell of Christ. Here beginnes the second part of the Epistle in which he giues instruction to the Galatians And it hath two parts one concernes doctrine the other manners The first part touching doctrine beginnes in this sixt verse and continues to the 13. verse of the 5. chapter The summe of it is a reproofe of the Galatians for reuolting from the Gospell and it is disposed in this syllogisme If I be immediately called of God to teach and my doctrine be true ye ought not to haue reuolted from my doctrine But I was called immediately of God to teach and my doctrine is true Therefore ye should not haue reuolted from my doctrine The proposition is not expressed because it was needelesse The minor is handled through the whole Epistle The Conclusion is in the 6. and 7. verses the meaning whereof I will briefely deliuer So soone that is presently after my departure remooued carried away by the perswasions of false teachers to another Gospel to another doctrine of saluation which in the speech and opinion of the false teachers is another manner of Gospel more sufficient and more excellent then that which Paul hath deliuered From him that is from me beeing an Apostle who haue called you by preaching the Gospell of Christ. In the grace that is haue called you freely without any desert of yours to be partakers of the fauour of God in Christ. Which is not another which pretended Gospell of the false Apostles is not indeed another gospell from
goe together For good counsell beats downe wickednes and bad example sets it vp againe Thus beleeuers in Christ are great offenders when reformed religion and vnreformed life are ioyned together as often they are For then vnreformed life builds the kingdome of sinne which Christ hath destroied Further we are here taught to be constant in that which is good Tit. 1. 9. and to hold fast the Gospel which we professe We haue put vnder foote the Popish religion for this many yeares our dutie is to be constant herein and no way to build either in word or deede that which we haue to the vttermost of our power destroied 19 For I through the law am dead to the law that I may liue vnto God In these words Paul sets downe a second reason to prooue Christ to be no minister of sinne in abolishing the iustice of the law And the reason is framed thus We Iewes iustified by Christ are dead to the law not to liue as we list but to liue to the honour of God Therefore Christ in taking away the iustice of the law is not the minister of sinne Here three points are propounded the first is that the person iustified is dead to the law the second that he is dead to the law by the law the third that he is dead that he may liue vnto God For the better vnderstanding of the first point we must seach what is meant by dying to the law Here the law is compared to an hard and cruell master and we to slaues or bondmen who so long as they are aliue they are vnder the dominion and at the command of their masters yet when they are dead they are free from that bondage and their masters haue no more to doe with them Here then to be dead to the law is to be free from the dominion of the law And we are free in foure respects First in respect of the accusing and damnatorie sentence of the law Rom. 8. 1. Secondly in respect of the power of the law whereby as an occasion it prouoketh and stirreth vp the corruption of the heart in the vnregenerate Rom. 7. 8. Thirdly in respect of the Rigour of the law whereby it exacteth most perfect obedience for our iustification Thus Paul here saith that he is dead to the law Lastly in respect of the obligation of the conscience to the obseruation of Ceremonies Col. 2. 20. Thus are all persons iustified by the faith of Christ free from the law Hence we learne that the Papists erre and are deceiued when they teach that the Law and the Gospel are one for substance of doctrine For then they which are iustified by Christ should not onely be dead to the law but also to the Gospel Now the Scripture saith not that persons iustified are dead to the Gospel They erre againe in that they teach that persons iustified by the merit of the death of Christ are further to be iustified by the workes of the law For he that is iustified by Christ is dead to the law but if we be iustified by workes then are we by Christ made aliue to the law Thirdly here we see how long the dominion of the law continueth and when it endeth The law raignes ouer all men without exception till they be iustified When they once beginne to beleeue in Christ and to amend their liues then the dominion of the law ceaseth and they then are no more vnder the law but vnder grace Here all such persons as liue in the securitie and hardnes of their hearts are to be admonished to repent of their sinnes and to beginne to turne vnto God For they must know that they liue vnder a most hard and cruell master that will doe nothing but accuse terrifie condemne them and cause them to runne headlong to vtter desperation And if they die beeing vnder the law they must looke for nothing but death and destruction without mercie For the law is merâ—ilesse This consideration serueth notably to awake them that are dead in their sinnes Againe all such as with true and honest hearts haue begunne to repent and beleeue let them be of good comfort For they are not vnder the dominion of the law but they are dead to the law and vnder grace hauing a Lord who is also their mercifull Sauiour who will giue them protection against the terrours of the law and spare them as a father spares his child that serues him and not breake them though they be but as weake and bruised reedes and as smoaking flaxe The second point is touching the meanes of our death to the law and that is the Law Here some by the law vnderstand the law of faith that is the Gospel Rom. 3. 27. And they make this to be the meaning of the words By the law of Christ that is by the Gospel I am dead to the Law of Moses But this sense though it be a truth yet will it not stand in this place For it is the question whether by the gospel we be freed from the law Now Paul a learned disputer would not bring the question to prooue it selfe Therefore I take the true meaning of the words to be this By the law of Moses I am dead to the law of Moses It may be demanded how this can be considering the law is the cause of no good thing in vs For it is the ministerie of death and condemnation 2. Cor. 8. 7. 9. Againe that which the law cannot reueale it cannot worke but the law neither can nor doth reueale faith in Christ the death to the law nor repentance c. therefore the law is no cause to worke them It may peraduenture be said that the law workes repentance and sorrow for sinne I answer there is a double Repentance One Legall the other Euangelicall Legall is when men haue a sight of their sinnes and withall are grieued for the punishment thereof This repentance is wrought by the ministerie of the law it was in Iudas and it is no grace of God but of it selfe it is the way to hell Euangelicall Repentance is when beeing turned by grace we turne our selues to God This repentance is a gift of grace and is not wrought by the law but by the ministerie of the Gospel Again there is a Legall sorrow which is a sorrow for sinne in respect of the punishment this is no grace and it is wrought by the law Euangelicall sorrow is sorrow for sinne because it is sinne This indeede is a grace of God but it is not wrought by the law but by the preaching of mercy and reconciliation and it followes in vs vpon the apprehension of Gods mercie by faith The law then beeing the cause of no good thing in vs it may be demanded I say how we should be dead to the law by the law Ans. Though the law be not a cause of this death to the law and so to sinne yet it is an occasion thereof For it accuseth and
the sacrament is administred And that it may conferre grace some say that the saide action hath vertue in it for this purpose which passeth away when the action is ended others say it hath no vertue in it but that Gods vsing of the action eleuates it and makes it able to conferre grace But this doctrine is a fiction of the braine of man Iohn the Baptist Math. 3. 11. makes two baptizers himselfe and Christ and he distinguisheth their actions his owne action is to wash with water and the action of Christ is to wash with the holy Ghost This distinction he would not haue made if he by the washing of water had conferred the holy Ghost Paul saith Christ sanctifieth his Church by the washing of water through the word Eph. 5. 26. Baptisme therefore doth not conferre grace because the bodie is washed with water but because when it is washed the word of promise is beleeued and receiued The Apostles are called fellow-workers with God 1. Cor. 3. 9. and yet in the worke of regeneration and in giuing of life they are not any thing v. 7. Peter saith directly that the washing away of the filth of the flesh doth not saue but the stipulation that a good conscience makes to God 1. Pet. 3. 21. The worke of creation is from God immediatly and onely now regeneration is a worke of creation and therefore it is of God immediatly and not immediatly from the sacrament and mediatly from God The flesh of Christ is eleuated and exalted aboue the condition of all creatures neuertheles vertue to giue life is not in the flesh of Christ but in the godhead much lesse then shall the sacraments haue vertue in them to conferre grace Faith is said to iustifie yet not by his owne vertue for it doth not cause our iustification but serue as a meanes to apprehend it when it is caused by God how then shall the sacraments cause iustification Lastly if the outward washing of the bodie be eleuated aboue his naturall condition in the administration of baptisme then so oft as the outward element is vsed in any sacrament there is a miracle wrought and Ministers of sacraments are workers of miracles which may not be said Againe their doctrine is erronious in that they teach that the outward act in the Sacrament performed by the Minister cōfers grace where there is no gift of faith to receiue that which is conferred contrarie to that saying Ioh. 1. 12. As many as receiued him he gaue this power to be the sonnes of God Indeed they say there must be faith and repentance to dispose the partie but this disposition serues onely to take away impediments and not to inable vs to receiue that which God giueth The vse We must not thinke it sufficient that we come to the Church heare Gods word and pray contenting our selues in the worke done For thus shall we deceiue our selues but in doing these acts of religion we must in our hearts turne vnto God and by faith imbrace his promises otherwise the best actions we doe shall be vnprofitable vnto vs. Heb. 4. 2. Againe if the vsing of the element in the sacrament doe not conferregrace then be assured that charmes and spells be the words neuer so good haue no vertue in them to doe vs good but by diabolicall operation The last question is whether baptisme imprint a Character or marke in the soule which is neuer blotted out Ans. In scripture there is a twofold marke of distinction one visible the other inuisible Of the first kind was the blood of the paschall lambe in the first passeouer for by it the first borne of the Israelites were marked when the first borne of the Egyptians were slaine Of this kind is baptisme for by it Christian people are distinguished from Iewes Turkes and infidels The inuisible marke is twofold The first is the eternall Election of God 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God stands sure and hath this seale The Lord knowes who are his By vertue of this Christ saith I know my sheepe Ioh. 10. And by this the Elect of all nations are marked Apoc. 7. and 9. The second is the gift of regeneration which is nothing els but the imprinting of the image of God in the soules of men and by this beleeuers are said to be sealed Eph. 1. 13. 2. Cor. 1. 22. And baptisme is a meanes to see this marke in vs because it is the lauer of regeneration The Papists haue deuised another worke which they call the Indeleble character and they make it to be a distinct thing from regeneration and they say it is imprinted in the soules of all men good and bad and remaines in them when they are condemned What this marke should be they cannot tell some make it a quality some a relation but indeed there is no scripture for it the truth is it is a meere fiction of the braine of man The sixt point to be handled concernes the Necessitie of baptisme Here we must put difference betweene the Couenant of grace and baptisme which is the confimation or seale of the couenant To make couenant with God and to be in the said couenant is absolutely necessarie to saluation for vnles God be our God and we the seruants of God we cannot be saued Baptisme it selfe is necessarie in part first in respect of the commendement of God who hath inioyned vs to vse it secondly in respect of our weakenes who haue neede of all helps that may confirme our faith Yet baptisme is not simply necessarie to saluation for the want of baptisme when it canbe had doth not condemne but the contempt of it when it may be had and the contempt is pardonable if men repent afterward for the children of beleeuing parents are borne holy 1. Cor. 7. 14. and theirs is the kingdome of God and therefore if they die before baptisme they are saued The theese vpon the crosse and many holy martyrs haue died without baptisme and are in the kingdome of heauen It is obiected that the male child which is not circumcised must by God commandement be cut off from the people of God Gen. 17. 14. and therefore he that is not baptised must also be cut off Ans. The text is spoken and meant not of infants but of men of yeares who beeing till then vncircumcised despise the ordinance of God and refuse to be circumcised And this appeares by the reason following for he hath made my couenant void now infants doe not this but their parents or men of yeares Secondly the speach of Christ is obiected Ioh. 3. 5. Except a man be borne of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of God Ans. Christ alludes to the washings of the old testament Ezech. 36. 25. and withall giues an exposition of them on this manner Thou art a Pharisie and louest much washing but if thou wouldest enter into the kingdome of heauen thou must be washed with cleane water that is
Therefore the seuerall rules and orders of Monkes and Friars in the Church of Rome are meere superstitions Furthermore Paul here makes two degrees of Gods children one is when they are begotten of God and Christ is formed in them The second is when they are begotten of God yet so as they are as yet vnformed Such were the Apostles when they confessed Christ to be the sonne of the liuing God Math. 16. for then they knewe not the article of Christs death resurrection ascension at that time nor the manner of his kingdome Of this sort was Rahab when shee receiued the spies Heb. 11. for then shee was not informed in the religion of the Iewes but only acknowledged the God of Israel to be the true God and had a resolution to ioyne her selfe to the people of God Of this sort were the Corinthians at the first For they were carnall more then spirituall euen babes in Christ 1. Cor. 3. 3. This must teach vs where we see any good thing in men to cherish it For though as yet they be not Christians formed yet they may be Christians in forming When Paul saith vntill Christ be formed he shewes that the conuersion of a sinner is not wrought in one moment but by little and little in processe of time In the generation of infants first the braine heart and liuer are framed then the bones veines arteries nerues membranes and after this flesh is added And the infant first begins to liue the life of a plant by growing and nourishing then it liues the life of a beast by sense and motion and thirdly the life of a man by the vse of reason Euen so God outwardly preuents vs with his word and inwardly he puts into vs knowledge of his wil with the beginnings or seeds of faith and repentance as it were a braine and a heart from these beginnings of faith and repentance arise heauenly desires from these desires follows asking seeking knocking and thus the beginnings of faith are increased and men goe on from grace to grace till they be tall men in Christ. And for this cause we must with constancy vse the good means in hearing reading praying Lastly we are all here put in minde to studie and to vse all good meanes that we may be like to Christ specially in the disposition of the inward man There is a spirituall madnesse in the mindes of many men they thinke of nothing but of the fashion of their apparell and of the trimming of their bodies but let vs thinke how to imprint the gratious image of Christ in our hearts thus shall we be louely and haue fauour in the eyes of God Thus much of Pauls loue now follows his desire in the 20. verse In which I consider three things the desire it selfe I would J were with you now the ende of his desire that I might change my voice the occasion thereof for I am in doubt of you When Paul saith I would I were with you now he shewes that the presence of Pastours with their people is a thing most necessarie And there are two reasons thereof One is to preuent spirituall daungers which are manifold and continuall in that the deuill seekes continually whome he may deuoure and we fight against principalities and powers in heauenly things In this respect Pastours are called watchmen and ouerseers Secondly the presence of Pastours with their people serues to redresse things amisse and to recouer them that be in Apostasie as Paul saith in this place Therefore it were to be wished that this mind of Paul were in all Pastours that with one consent they might say to their people I would I were with you n 〈…〉 In the words that I might change my voice Paul continues the allusion which he made in the former verse to a woman with child and hereby he signifies two things The first is that he will leaue further disputing with the Galatians and fall to lamenting and crying as mothers doe in the time of their trauell by reason of their paine This is to change the voice It was the manner of Paul to abase himselfe and to mourne for the sinnes of others 2. Cor. 12. 24. and he reprooues the Corinthians that they were puffed vp and did not mourne for the incestuous person Like was the practise of Dauid Psal. 119. 136. of Lot 2. Pet. 2. 7. of Ieremie Lam. 2. 11. of the friends of Iob Iob 2. last of the godly in the daies of Ezechiel c. 9. 4. of Christ in respect of Ierusalem Luk. 19. 41. And it hath bin alwaies the practise of holy men when there was no other helpe with tears to commend the case to God If sorrow for other mens offences make Paul change his voice much more are men to doe it for their owne Peter in his repentance left his presumptuous speaking and fell to bitter and secret teares and so did the woman that stood at the feete of Christ weeping and washed his feete with her teares Luk. 7. 38. The like ought we to doe for our offences and sinnes The earth-quake this winter past must stirre vs vp to this dutie For it is a matter full of terrour 1. Sam. 14. 15. and the sicknesse which hath taken hold of thousands as a gentle warning must be respected And it must be considered that the changes of the great world bring with them like changes in the little world that is in the bodies of men Againe to change the voice is to conferre with the Galatians and vpon conference to temper his voice to their manners and condition as nources stammer and lispe with children For some are with pitie to be recouered and some with terrour Iud. 22. 23. Hence I gather That the Conference of Pastours and people is a thing very necessarie Paul here ascribes more to it then to his Epistle It is the life of preaching For by it the teachers know better what to teach and the people better to conceiue things that are taught Here then we see a common fault Men are content to heare but they will not conferre with their teachers and in the time of sicknesse the first person that is conferred with is the Physitian and the Minister is last sent for whereas on the contrarie the cure of the soule is the cure of the bodie Iob 33. 23. 25. Againe here is set downe the way to attaine all good learning and that is that learners be present with their teachers and the teachers againe temper their voices to the capacitie of the learners Thus Samuel was with Eli at the dore of the Tabernacle thus Christ was in the Temple among the doctours hearing them and asking them questions Luk. 2. 44. Thirdly Paul here sets downe the way to make a pacification for religion in these last daies and the way is that the Pastours of the Church be assembled together by the authoritie of Princes and beeing assembled they temper their voices one to another according to the written word Thus
attire forbidding of mariage to some orders of meÌ„ For when things indifferent are made necessarie the nature of them is changed Vpon this ground Ezekiah brake in peeces the brasen serpent when the Israelites began to worship it 2. King 18. 4. First let vs obserue out of these words they compell you to be circumcised that Paul doeth not only vse Christian pollicie but dealeth very rhetorically excusing the Galatians as though they were constrained against their wills to doe as they did laying all the blame vpon the false Apostles and so doth closely alienate their affection from these seducers who would haue them circumcised either by voluntary submission or by violent compulsion the like godly pollicie we ought to vse in dealing against heretikes and false teachers that the peoples mindes may be estranged from them take no loue of their doctrine nor liking of their persons Here we haue a second note of false teachers which is not onely to retaine ceremonies themselues but to vrge them vpon others and constraine men to the obseruing of them for they were more earnest and forward in vrging circumcision their owne deuise then the keeping of the morrall lawe and so are all seducers The Pharises did vrge their owne ceremonies as washing before meate washing of pottes cuppes and beddes c. more then the commandement of God And the Papists vrge the Lenâ— fast more strictly theÌ„ fasting from finne which is the onely true fast Isay. 58. 6. And their owne stories doe shewe that men haue beene more seuerely punished for eating flesh vpon good friday then for commiâ—â—ing of simple fornication or following of strange flesh They stand more in vrging the outward worshipping of an image or a peece of bread then the inward spirituall worship And as they haue made the Saints daies equall with the Sabboth daies so haue they made the prophanation of them an equall sinne and haue punished it with equall punishment It is further to be obserued howe they abuse circumcision for whereas by Gods ordinance it was but a seale of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4. 11. they peruerting the end of it make it a meritorious cause of saluation and therefore compell men to be circumcised it is Gods worke they make it their owne worke yea such a worke as by which they hope to be saued And this their dealing may fitly be paralleled by the Popish practise at this day in making baptisme which is but a signe and seale of grace to be the proper immediate and physicall cause of conferring grace by the worke wrought Almes praier and fasting which are but signes and testimonies of iustification to be causes thereof Nay their owne deuises of confession satisfaction supererogation to be meritorious causes of iustification saluation Lastly see here howe the peruersenesse of the corrupt heart of man doth thwart the ordinance of God As long as circumcision was commaunded by God most abhorred it for the heathen testifie so much that the Iewes were odious for it But nowe beeing abolished they take it vp againe receiue it and vrge it as a thing necessarie to be obserued vpon paine of damnation Whereas if God should enioyne it againe they would no doubt account it as heauie yoke which neither they nor their fathers were able to beare This improuing of that which God coÌ„mands approuing that which he forbids argues the great corruption of the heart and that the wisedome of the flesh is not onely an enemie but euen flat enmitie against God Rom. 8. 7. It must therefore teach vs to captiuate our reason and to subiect our wills to the will of God in all things The third propertie of these false Apostles is the teaching of circumcision that is of false doctrine because they would not suffer persecution for the crosse of Christ that is for preaching the true doctrine of the Gospel concerning Christ crucified It may be demanded whether it was necessarie that those which taught not circumcision but spake against it should be persecuted To which I answer that it was necessarie according as Paul affirmeth Gal. 5. 11. If I teach circumcision why doe J yet suffer persecution The reason was this The Romane Emperour had giuen libertie to the Iewes to liue according to their owne lawes and that without molestation or disturbance in all places of the Romane Emperie so that if a Iewe became a Christian he had the priuiledge of a Iewe so long as he kept the ceremoniall lawe and taught no departing from Moses whereas they which taught that ceremonies were abrogated and that men were iustified onely by faith in Christ wanted this priuiledge and so were persecuted of no men more then of the Iewes either by themselues or by incensing others against them 1. Thess. 2. 15. 16. The false Apostles therefore to auoide persecution coyned a newe Gospel in matter of saluation ioyning Christ and Moses iustification by faith and by workes So that here we haue another character and marke of false teachers which is to labour by all meanes to enioy the world and to eschewe the crosse and rather then they wil suffer persecution to make a hotch-potch of religion as we may see not onely by this particular but by the course of the historie of the Church and in latter times by the Interim vnder Charles the fift and the sixe articles vnder Henrie the eight by our mediators and reconciliators who either as it is said of old Consiliator labour to accord fire and water or else like hucksters mixe wine and water for their owne aduantage and by all neuters and mungrils in religion who houer in the winde because they would stand sure for all assaies or winne the fauour of great men that they might not stand in the way of their preferment This is the sinne of the multitude among vs who desire to haue Christ but they will none of his crosse they would be with him vpon mount Tabor but not not vpoÌ„ mount Caluarie crowned with glorie but not crowned with thornes Further we may hence gather an essentiall difference of true and false teachers the one seekes the good of the Church the other seeks theÌ„selfe the one the glorie of God the other their owne glorie It is obserued by Popish priests and others that though the Iesuits pretend they doe all things in ordine ad Deum yet they intend themselues doing all things in ordine ad seipsosâ— it beeing the marke they shoote at in all their Machiavellian plottes and pollicies that they may haue cum digmeate ocium a Lordly command and a lasie life Againe here we see that the loue of the trueth and of the world the feare of the face of man and the feare of God can neuer stand together As also howe dangerous a thing it is to be addicted to the loue of the world for it hath beene alwaies the cause of reuolt in that men neuer imbraced religion so as that they could be contented
dispēsation of the word Secondly whereas Paul saith not of men but of Christ I gather that euery lawefull calling is of God and not of men as authors thereof and that the Right to call belongs to God The father thrusts forth labourers into the vineyard the sonne giues Pastors and teachers the Holy Ghost makes ouerseers It may be alleadged that the Church hath authoritie to call and ordaine ministers I answer that the Churches authoritie is no more but a ministerie or seruice whereby it doeth testifie declare and approoue whome God hath called Thirdly whereas Paul thus proclaimes his calling Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ I gather that the callings of the Ministers of the Gospell must be manifest to their owne consciences and the consciences of their hearers And that for diuers weightie causes First they are imbassadours instruments and the mouth of God and for this cause they are to speake in the name of God and this they cannot doe vnlesse they knowe themselues to be called Secondly that the calling of the Ministerie may tend to edification there is required the assistance of Gods spirit in the teacher the protection of him and his ministerie the effectuall operation of the spirit in the hearts of the hearers And he that wants the assurance of his calling cannot pray to God in faith for these things neither can he apply the promises of God to himselfe Thirdly the knowledge of our callings breeds conscience of our duties diligence and the feare of god Lastly knowledge of our callings in the consciences of the hearers breeds a reuerence in their hearts and obedience to the ministerie of the word Vpon this some may demaund howe they may knowe that they are called of God to the ministerie of the word Answer they may knowe it if they finde three things in themselues the first is the testimonie of their consciences that they entred not for praise honour lucre but in the feare of god with a desire to glorifie him and to edifie the Church The second is a facultie to doe that to which they haue a desire and will In this facultie are two things knowledge of God and his waies and aptnesse to deliuer that which they knowe The third is the Ordination of the Church which approoues and giues testimonie of their will and abilitie He that hath these things is certainely called of God Nowe put the case a man wants the first of these three because he entred with euill conscience beeing carried with ambitious and couetous desires then I answer that his calling still in respect of the Churh is good and lawefull and when he repents of his bad conscience it is also accepted of God The fourth point to be obserued is that Paul makes three kinds of callings in the Church One is when men are called by men and not by God and thus are all false teachers called The second is when men are called of God by the ministerie of men thus are all ordinarie ministers of the word called The third is when men are called not by men but by Christ immediately And Paul here signifieth that he himselfe and the rest of the Apostles were called according to this third way And in this respect he puts a difference betweene the Apostles and all the Ministers of the newe Testament For in that they were called immediately they were also taught by immediate inspiration and also aided by the infallible assistance of Gods spirit And of all this they had promises Math. 10. 19. 20. Luc. 10. 16. Hence we may gather the certenty of our religion The essentiall note of the Church is faith faith stands in relation to the word of God and the word of God is no word vnto vs vnlesse we knowe it to be so and we knowe it to be so because it was written by the Apostles who in preaching and writing could not erre Secondly hence I gather that the doctrine of the Apostles it the immediate word of God because it was giuen by inspiration both for matter and words whereas the doctrine of the Church in sermons and the decrees of councels is both the word of God and the word of man The word of God as it agrees with the writings of the Apostles Prophets the word of man as it is defectiue and as it is propounded in tearmes deuised by man It may be obiected that Paul spake some things of himselfe and not from the Lord 1. Cor. 7. 12. Not the Lord but I. Answer the meaning is not the Lord by any expresse commaundement but I by collection and interpretation of Scripture and that by the assistance of Gods spirit v. 40. Seeing then the writings of the Apostles are the immediate and meere word of God they must be obeyed as if they had beene written without man by the finger of God Lastly seeing it is the propertie of an Apostle to be called immediatly by Iesus Christ hence it follows that the authority office and function of Apostles ceased with them and did not passe by succession to any other Therefore it is a falshood that the Pope of Rome succeedes Peter in Apostolicall authoritie and in the infallible assistance of the spirit when he is in his consistorie And where paul saith he was called by Iesus Christ and not by man that is meere man he giues a pregnant testimonie that Christ is both God and man And whereas Paul was called by Christ raised from the dead hence I gather the dignitie of the Apostle Paul aboue all other Apostles in that he was called after the resurrection of Christ when he was entred into his kingdome The Text. 2. And all the brethren that are with me to the Churches of Galatia The Exposition By brethren we are to vnderstand such as seperated themselues from the Pagans and receiued the faith of Christ 1. Cor. 5. 11. And here more specially such as taught and professed the faith that is both pastors and people whether of Antioche as some thinke or of Rome as others And Paul writes his Epistle as well in their names as in his owne and with their consent for two causes One was that he might not be thought to deliuer any priuate doctrine deuised of his owne head And this care he had alwaies and therefore taught nothing but that which was in the writings of Moses and the Prophets Act. 26. 22. And this was the care of Christ who saith My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me Joh. 7. 16. And at this daie this must be the care of the Ministers of the Gospell to deliuer nothing of their owne First therefore their doctrines must be founded in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and secondly that they may be sure of this they must haue the consent of the true Church specially of such as haue beene the Restorers of the gospell in this last age This rule Paul giues Timothie to continue in the things which he had learned of Paul and the rest
teach otherwise then I haue taught you neither I nor they must be beleeued but be accursed Againe put the case that an angell from heauen should come and preach otherwise then Paul preached to the Galatians who must be beleeued Paul or the Angel the answer is not the Angell but Paul and the angel must be accursed And the reason is because Paul in preaching and writing did represent the authoritie of God and God puts his owne authoritie into the word which he vttered and he was assisted by the extraordinarie immediate and infallible assistance of Gods spirit From this supposition sundrie things may be learned The first that the word preached and written by Paul is as certen as if it had bin written by God himselfe immediately It may be obiected that Paul saith 1. Cor. 7. 12. To the remnant I speake not the Lord. I answer Paul saith I not the Lord not because he was deceiued in his aduise for he spake by the spirit of God c. 7. v. 40. but because he gaue counsell in a case of marriage whereof the Lord had made no expresse lawe The meaning then is this I speake by collection from the lawe of God and not the Lord by any particular and expresse lawe Secondly it appeares hence that the articles of faith or the doctrine of the Gospell is in excellencie and authoritie aboue all men and angeis And hence it followes that the Church and Councels cannot authorize the word of God in the minde conscience of any man For the inferiour and dependent authoritie addes nothing to that which is the principall and superior authoritie Therefore the opinion of the Papist is false that we cannot knowe the scripture to be the word of God but by the testimony of the Church as though the letter of a Prince could not be knowne to be so without the testimonie of the subiects The principall authoritie is sufficient in it selfe to authorize it selfe without externall testimonie Thirdly since the daies of the Apostles sundrie doctrines haue bin receiued and beleeued touching intercession of Saints praier to the dead and for the dead Purgatorie and such like and these doctrines haue bin confirmed by sundrie revelations And here we learne what to iudge both of the doctrines and of the reuelations namely that they are accursed because the doctrines are beside the written word and the reuelations tend to ratifie and confirme them Lastly hence we learne what to thinke of the writings of Papists and Schoolemen whereof some are called Seraphicall cherubicall or Angelicall doctors They broch and maintaine sundrie things beside that which the Apostles preached wrote as iustification by workes and a mixture of the lawe and the Gospell they giue too little to grace and too much to mans will In this regard Paul hath giuen the sentence that they are accursed For this cause students of diuinitie are warily to read them with praier that they be not led into temptation and they are to vse them onely in the last place And they are greatly to be blamed that preferre them almost aboue all writers they shewe that they haue little loue of the Gospell in their hearts 9 As we said before so say I now againe if any man preach vnto you otherwise then ye haue receiued let him be accursed In these words Paul repeates againe that which he said before and the repetition is not in vaine but for three weightie causes the first is to signifie that he had spoken not rashly but aduisedly whatsoeuer he had said before the second is that the point deliuered is an infallible truth of God the third is to put the Galatians and vs in minde that we are to obserue and remember that which he hath said as the foundation of our religion namely that the doctrine of the Apostles is the onely infallible truth of God against which we may not listen to Fathers Councels or to the very Angels of God If this had bin remembred and obserued the Gospel had continued in his puritie after the daies of the Apostles In this verse one thing is to be obserued Before Paul saide they are accursed which teach otherwise then he had taught here he saith they are accursed which teach otherwise then the Galatians had receiued Whereby it appeares that as Paul preached the Gospel of Christ so the Galatians receiued it And they receiued it first in that they had care to know it secondly in that they gaue the assent of faith vnto it as to a truth against which the very Angels could take no exception And for this also are the Thessalonians commended that the Gospel was to them in power and much assurance The great fault of our times is that where as the Gospel is preached it is not accordingly receiued Many haue no care to know it and they which know it giue not vnto it the assent of faith but onely hold it in opinion And this is the cause that there is so small fruit of the Gospel This sinne will at length haue his punishment The places that are not seasoned by the waters of the Sanctuarie are turned to saltpits Ezech. 47. v. 11. 10 For now whether preach I men or God or seeke I to please men for if I should yet please men I were not the seruant of Christ. The interrogations in this place doe I preach and doe I please are in stead of earnest negations I doe not preach I doe not please And when he saith doe I now preach men or God his meaning is this Heretofore I haue preached the Traditions of men but now beeing an Apostle I preach not the doctrine of men but of God And when he saith doe I seeke to please men his meaning is this I doe not make this the scope of my mini sterie to frame and temper my doctrine so as it may be sutable and pleasing to the affections of men For otherwise we are to please men in that which is good and for their good 1. Cor. 10. 33. Rom. 15. 2. This verse containes a double reason of his former speach and of the repitition thereof The first is this Though heretofore I taught the Traditions of men yet now I teach the word not of men but of God and therefore I accurse them that teach otherwise The second is framed thus If I should yet please men I were not the seruant of God but I am the seruant of God therefore I seeke not to please men but if neede shal be I will denounce curses against them Here first we see the proper matter of the Ministerie which is not the word or doctrine of man but of God By this the Ministers of the Gospel are taught to handle their doctrine with modestie and humilitie without ostentation with reuerence and with a consideration of the maiestie of God whose the doctrine is which they vtter that God may be glorified 1. Pet. 4. 11. Secondly the hearers in hearing are to know that they haue to
proceede further to a reall learning of Christ and that is to beleeue in the sonne of God to die to their sinnes by the vertue of his death and to liue to God by the vertue of his life This is a reall liuely learning of Christ. They that must conuert others it is meete they should be effectually conuerted Iohn must first eate the booke and then prophecy Reuel 10. 9. And they that would be first Ministers of the Gospell must first themselues eate the booke of God And this booke is indeede eaten when they are not only in their mindes inlightned but their hartes are mortified and brought in subiection to the worde of Christ. Vnlesse Christ be thus learned spiritually and really diuines shall speake of the word of God as men speake of riddles and as Preists in former time said their mattens when they hardly knewe what they saide Againe students in euery faculty are with Paul to learne Christ and that as he learned him Such persons desire and loue good learning nowe this is the best learning of all to learne to knowe and to acknowledge Christ. The knowledge of Christ crucified is Pauls learning The knowledge of the remission of our sinnes is the learning of Dauid that great prophet For this title he giues to the 32. Psalme The vnderstanding of Dauid Lastly all men are on this reall manner with Paul to learne the same For he is an example to all that shall beleeue in him to life euerlasting 1. Tim. 1. 12. Paul biddes vs doe the good things which we haue seene in him Philip. 4 9 Hoc vrge The third point is the end of Paules conuersion in these wordes that he might preach him among the gentiles Here I consider what he must preach namely the sonne Christ and to whome I namely among the nations Againe of the preaching of Christ I consider two thinges the first is why Christ must be preached rather then Moses Answer there be two causes One is because Christ is the substance or subiect matter of the whole Bible For the summe of the scriptures may be thus gathered together The sonne of God made man and working our redemption is the sauiour of mankind but Iesus the sonne of Marie is the sonne of God made man working our redemption therefore Iesus the sonne of Marie is the sauiour of mankind The maior is the summe of the old testament the minor is the summe of the new and the conclusion is the scope of both The second cause is The law is the ministerie of death and the Gospell which is the doctrine of saluation by the sonne is the instrument of God to beginne and to confirme all graces of God in vs that are necssarie to our saluation Therefore the doctrine principally to be preached is the Gospell and not the lawe Secondly it may be demanded what it is to preach Christ Answer it is a great worke and it containes 4. ministeriall actions The first generally to teach the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ and of his three offices his kingly office his propheticall office and his priesthood with the exequution therof The second to teach that faith is an instrument ordained of God to apprehend and to applie Christ with his benefits The third is to certifie and to reuele to euery hearer that it is the will of God to saue him by Christ in particular so be it he will receiue Christ. For when the Gospell is preached God thereby signifies vnto vs that his will is to giue vs life euerlasting 1. Ioh. 5. 11. The last is to certifie and to reueale to euery particular hearer that he is to apply Christ with his benefits to himselfe in particular and that effectually by his faith that a change and conuersion may followe both in hart and life 1. Ioh. 3. 23. And thus when these things are rightly performed Christ is preached Hence it appeares that to learne Christ is not only to know him generally but also effectually to apply him to our selues by our faith that there may be a change and renouation of the whole man They which learne Christ must thus learne him els can they not be saued The second point is that Paul must preach to the gentiles there be two causes of it one that the prophecies of the calling of the gentiles might be fulfilled Psal. 2. and 110. Isai. 2. The second because at the death of Christ the deuision which was betweene the Iewes and gentiles was quite abolished Eph. 2. 13. Here I obserue the difference betweene Apostles and ordinary Ministers Their charge is a sett and particular congregation whereas the charge of an Apostle is the whole world The 4. and last point is the obedience of Paul to the calling of God in that he went and preached the Gospell Here a question may be demaunded whether Paul performed his obedience by vertue of the grace which he had formerly receiued without the helpe of new and speciall grace or noe Answer noe His obedience proceedes from the first grace helped or excited by speciall grace In the regenerate that haue power to doe good God workes the will and the deede in euery good worke Phil. 2. 13. And it is a certaine truth we doe not that which we are able to doe vnlesse God make vs doe it as he made vs able to doe it Therefore to the dooing of euery new acte there is new and speciall grace required In Pauls obedience I consider 3. points 1. When he obeyed Immediatly How without deliberation or consultation when In Arabia and Damascus For the first in that he obeied God in going to preach im mediatly we learne how we are to answer and obey the calling of God that calles to amendment and newnesse of life namely in all hast without deferring of time Hebr. 3. 8. To daie if ye will heare his voice harden not your hartes and v. 13. exhort one another while it is called to day Psal 119. 60. I made hast and did not delaie to keepe thy commandements And there be good reasons why we should no longer deferre our conuersi on to God The ende of our life is vncerten and looke as death leaues vs so shall the last iudgement find vs. Secondly when we delay our repentance we add sinne to sinne and so treasure vp wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. Thirdly when we deferre to obey and turne to God we growe to perfection in sinne and sinne beeing perfected bringes forth death I am 1. 14. Lastlie late repentance is seldome or neuer true repentance For when men are dying their sinnes forsake them and they doe not commonly forsake their sinnes God hath called vs in England more then 40. yeares together and yet many of vs haue not listned to the call of God but deferred to obey let vs now presently amend and turne to God least if we still deferre the time of our repentance Gods iudgements come forth in hast vpon vs. The manner of his
of pardon before all worlds the promise of pardon in the beginning of the worde The seed of the woman c. The procurement of pardon vpon the crosse and the donation or the giuing of the pardon This donation is an action of God whereby he giues and communicates Christ vnto vs and applies to our consciences the remission of our sinnes In this donation there is required a hand to giue and a hand to receiue The hand of God whereby he giues is the word preached and the sacraments the hand to receiue is our faith The giuing of pardon is necessarie for though sinnes be pardoned in the decree of God by his promise in the word and by procurement vpon the crosse yet pardon is no pardon to vs till it be giuen vnto vs by God Furthermore this giuing is not altogether at one instant but it beginnes in the conuersion of a sinner and is often iterated in the vse of the word and sacraments to the death Paul wils the Corinthians reconciled to God still to be reconciled 2. Cor. 5. 21. And we are taught euery day to pray to God to giue vs the pardon of our sinnes This giuing is twofold conditionall and absolute Conditionall when God giues the pardon of sinne vpon condition Thus in baptisme and in the first conuersion of a sinner all sinnes without exception are pardoned yea future sinnes yet not simply whether a man repent or no but vpon condition of future repentance The absolute donation is when a man repents or renewes his repentance for then the pardon of sinne is simply and fully without condition applied and reuealed to the conscience When Dauid confessed his sin Nathan in the name of the Lord saith Thy sinne is forgiuen thee 2. Sam. 12. Now then to come to the point the child of God hath pardon of his fall in respect of the decree to pardon in respect of the generall promise of pardon in respect of the procurement of pardon in respect of the conditionall donation of pardon which is made in baptisme and he may be said to want pardon in that the pardon of his offence is not fully and absolutely giuen him till he recouer himselfe and renewe his repentance If it be here demaunded what the childe of God askes when he praies for pardon day by day I answer he praies for two things First that God would continue to shew his fauour and to impute the merits of Christ vnto him wheras he for his part by his offence deserues to be depriued of all fauour Secondly he asks the giuing of the pardon that is that God would certifie his conscience thereof The vse Seeing the intent of the Deuill and wicked men is to destroy the saith as it appeares in this place and in the first temptation wherewith Satan assaulted Christ Math. 4. we must haue a speciall care of our faith And first we must looke that our faith be a true faith least we be deceâ—ued as the foolish virgins Secondly we must keepe and locke vp our faith in some safe and sure place namely in the store house or treasurie of a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 19. Thirdly our care must be to increase in faith that our hearts may be rooted and grounded in the loue of God And for this cause we are to make continuall experiences and obseruations of the loue of God toward vs and to laie them all together and to build a ioyfull conclusion therevpon The third answer of Paul is And they glorified God for mee that is the churches of Iudea when they heard of my calling conuersion they considered therein the power the goodnes and the mercie of God and with ioy they gaue him thankes for it In this practise of the church we learne that our dutie is to sanctifie glorifie the name of God in euery worke of his And this sanctification hath 2. partes The first is the consideration of the diuine vertues that shew themselues in euery worke of God as his wisdome power iustice mercie prouidence presence c. The second is praise and thanks giuing to God for the same And this practise must be inlarged to all his workes without exception to his iudgements as well as to his workes of mercie Therefore we are commaunded in persequution to sanctifie God in our hearts 1. Pet. 3. 17. And Moses because he failed in the doing of this duty was barred the land of Canaan Num. 20. 12. In England god hath wrought his wonderous workes among vs. He hath giuen vs peace and protection against our enemies with the Gospell for the space of 40. yeares and more And our dutie is to glorifie God in these workes of his but alas we doe it not For the Gospell of saluation is little regarded of the most and little obedience is yeelded to it This neglect of ours in glorifying praising of God is a great sinne and it standes vs in hand to repent of it betime least God take away his word from vs and leaue vs to strange illusions to beleeue lies Again here we see what is the right maner of honouring of the Saints and that is to glorifie God in them and for them As for religious worship of adoration and inuocation it is proper to God and the Saints desire it not Reuel 22. 9. CHAP. II. 1 Then 14. yeares after I went vp againe to Ierusalem with Barnabas and tooke with me Titus also 2 And I went by reuelation and communicated with theÌ„ of the Gospel which I preach amoÌ„g the Gentiles but priuately with them that were the chiefe least by any meanes I should runne or had runne in vaine IN this chapter Paul proceedes to iustifie and defend his immediate extraordinarie calling And this whole chapter seemes to depend on the last wordes of the former chapter against which the Aduersaries of Paul might happily obiect on this manner Though the Churches of Iudea glorifie God for thee yet will not the Apostles doe it because thou teachest otherwise then they teach To this obiection Paul makes a double answer in this chapter The effect and summe of the first is this I went vp to Ierusalem I conferred with the Apostles there I had their consent and approbation And the answer containes three parts The first of Pauls iourney to Ierusalem in the first verse the second of his conference with the Apostles in the 2. verse the third of the approbation which they gaue him from the 3. v. to the eleuenth In his iourney I consider foure things The first is the Manner of his iourneying in these wordes I went vp or ascended to Ierusalem And this he speakes because Ierusalem was placed and seated vpon a mountaine and compassed with mouÌ„taines Psal. 125. or againe in respect of the dignitie and excellencie of the place as we in England are said to goe vp to London from all the parts of the land because it is the cheife citie The second thing to be considered in the iourney
by workes of mercie Tit. 2. 5. It may be obiected that there is a Cooperation of works and faith I am 2. 21. I answer that this Cooperation is not in the act of iustification nor in the worke of our saluation but in the manifestation of the truth and sinceritie of our faith without hypocrisie And for the declaration and approbation of this faith and workes ioyntly concurre Here then we see it is a pestilent and damnable doctrine of the Papists when they teach iustification by the workes of the law Let vs here be warned to take heede of it The fourth point is the Meritorious cause of our iustification and that is Christ. Here it may be demanded what is that thing in Christ by and for which we are iustified I answer the Obedience of Christ Rom. 5. 19. And it stands in two things his Passion in life and death and his Fulfilling of the law ioyned therewith For by faith the law is established Rom. 3. 31. Christ was sent in the similitude of sinnefull flesh that the rigour of the law might be fulfilled in vs Rom. 8. 4. and Christ is the perfection of the law for righteousnes to all that beleeue Rom. 10. 4. He that doth not fulfill all things contained in the Law is accursed Gal. 3. 10. Seeing therefore we cannot performe the things contained therein by our selues we must performe them in the person of our Mediatour who hath satisfied for the threatnings of the law by his passion and hath fulfilled the precepts of the law by his obedience in all duties of loue to God and man We owe to God a double debt One is that we are to fulfill the law euery moment from our first beginning both in regard of puritie of nature and puritie of action And this debt was laid vpon vs in the creation and is exacted of vs in the law of God The second debt is a satisfaction for the breach of the law For this double debt Christ is be become our Suretie and God accepts his obedience for vs it beeing a full satisfaction according to the tenour of the law For the better conceiuing of this obedience foure questions may be demanded The first is when this obedience beginnes and ends Ans. Satisfactorie obedience performed by Christ beginnes in his incarnation ends in his death Christ saith Ioh. 4. 34. It is my meate to doe my fathers will and to finish his worke But when was it indeede finished A little before his passion he said Ioh. 17. 4. I haue finished the worke which thou gauest me to doe Againe in the surrendring of his soule he saith It is finished Ioh. 19. 30. S. Paul saith Christ was obedient to the death of the crosse Phil. 2. 8. The triumph of Christ beganne vpon the crosse Col. 2. 15. and he could not triumph before he had made a full and perfect satisfaction for vs. When Christ had procured deliuerance from hell and Right to life euerlasting he there made a perfect satisfaction for vs to the iustice of God And this he did in his death vpon the crosse For by the death of the Mediatour we receiue the promise of euerlasting inheritance Heb. 9. 15. and with one oblation vpon the crosse he perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. and they cannot be perfected without the perfect obedience of Christ. Christ rose from death and ascended into heauen in our roome and stead and this he could neuer haue done vnlesse he had made a perfect satisfaction in death Here it may be asked If satisfactorie obedience end in the death of Christ to what vse serue the resurrection and ascension of Christ and his fitting at the right hand of the father Ans. They serue also for our iustification but after an other sort For they serue to applie communicate to vs and to put vs in possession of the benefits which Christ hath procured for vs and purchased by his death S. Paul saith He asâ—â—nded to giue gifts 〈◊〉 and to fill all things Eph. 4. 8. 10. And Christ saith When I am exalted I will draw all men to me Ioh. 12. 32. And he liues for euer to make intercessionâ— for vs. Heb. 5. 27. The second question is how Christ could obey beeing God and satisfie for vs beeing man Ans. Christ must be considered not meerely as God or as man but as God-man or Man god For the Godhead doth not redeeme vs without the manhood nor the manhood without the Godhead Neuerthelesse Christ as God and man may both obey and satisfie For as there are in Christ two natures so there are two distinct operations of the said natures And as the said natures vnited make one Christ so the operations of the natures concurring and beeing vnited in one make the compound worke of a Mediatour Therefore the Obedience of Christ beeing the worke of a Mediatour hath in it the operations of both natures The practise exercise or exequution of obedience is from the manhood therfore it is said that Christ bare our sinnes in his bodie vpon the crosse 1. Pet. 2. 24. that he suffered in the flesh 1. Pet. 4. 1. that he made a liuing way by the vaile of his flesh Heb. 10. 20. that we are reconciled in the bodie of his flesh Coloss. 1. 22. Obedience iâ— properly a subiection of the will in reasonable creatures to the will of God now the will of the Godhead of Christ admits no subiection to the will of God because the the will of the Godhead or of God is one and the same in all the persons Christ therefore yeeldes subiection onely in respect of the will of the manhoode in which he performes obedience Moreouer the operation of the Godhead is to make the saide Obedience meritorious and satisfactorie for all that shall beleeue In this respect Paul saith God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe 2. Cor. 5. 18. and that God shedde his blood Act. 20. 28. namely in that nature which the sonne of God assumed Hence ariseth the value price and dignitie of the obedience of Christ. The third question is how the Obedience of Christ should be made ours Ans. By the freedonation of God For Christ is really giuen vnto vs in the word and sacraments and consequently the obedience of Christ is made ours euen as when a peece of ground is made ours the commoditie thereof is ours also The fourth question is how the obedience of Christ should be our iustice Ans. It is not our iustice in naturall manner for then it should be in vs but by a diuine and supernaturall manner namely by Gods Acceptation in that he accounts it ours euen as truly as if it were in vs. And because God accepts it for ours it is ours indeede for his willing and approouing of any thing is the doing of it and he calls the things that are not as if they were Thus we see what the Obedience of Christ is And here two errours must be auoided The
the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if not by faith that is except faith goe withall then if faith be ioyned with workes say they workes iustifie I answer that this manner of translation corrupteth the text For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must here be translated but as appeares by the wordes following We haue beleeued in Christ that we might be iustified by faith in Christ without the workes of the law We cannot doe more in the curing of our spirituall diseases then in the curing of the diseases of our bodie of which Christ saith Onely beleeue Mark 5. 36. When Abraham abounded both in faith and works Rom. 4. it is said that he was iustified by faith without workes This doctrine is of great vse First we learne hence that a man is iustified by the meere mercie of God and that there is excluded from iustification all Merit of congruitie all meritorious workes of preparation wrought by vs all Cooperation of mans will with Gods grace in the effecting of our iustification Secondly we learne that a man is iustified by the meere merit of Christ that is by the meritorious obedience which he wrought in himselfe and not by any thing wrought by him in vs. Here then our merits and satisfactions and all inward iustice is excluded from the iustification of a sinner To this end Paul saith that we are iustified freely by the redemption that is in Christ Rom. 3. 24. that we are made the iustice of God in him and not in vs. 2. Cor. 5. 21. that he gaue himselfe to deliuer vs Gal. 1. 4. that he hath purged our sinnes by himselfe Heb. 1. 3. and not by any thing in vs. Hence it appeares that the Papists erre and are deceiued when they teach that Christ did merit that we might merit and satisfie for our selues for then we should not be iustified by our faith alone Thirdly hence we learne that a sinner is iustified by meere faith that is that nothing within vs concurres as a cause of our iustification but faith and that nothing apprehends Christs obedience for our iustification but faith This will more easily appeare if we compare faith hope and loue Faith is like an hand that opens it selfe to receiue a gift and so is neither loue nor hope Loue is also an hand but yet an hand that giues out communicates and distributes For as faith receiues Christ into our hearts so loue opens the heart and powers out praise and thanks to God and all manner of goodnes to men Hope is no hand but an eye that wishly looketh and waiteth for the good things which faith beleeueth Therefore it is the onely propertie of faith to claspe and lay hold of Christ and his benefits It is obiected that true faith is neuer alone I answer thus Faith is neuer alone in the person iustified nor in godly conuersation but is ioyned with all other vertues Yet in the act and office of iustification it is alone The eye in the bodie is not alone beeing ioyned with all other parts hand foote c. neuerthelesse the eye in seeing is alone For no part of the bodie seeth but the eye Secondly it may be obiected that beeing iustified by faith alone we are saued by faith alone and so may liue as we list I answer faith must be considered as an Instrument or as a way If it be considered as an instrument to apprehend Christ to our saluation we are onely saued by faith on this manner Yet if faith be considered as a way we are not onely saued by faith For all other vertues and workes are the way to life as well as faith though they be not causes of saluation Thirdly it is obiected that not onely faith but also the sacraments serue to applie Christ I answer they are saide to applie in that they serue to confirme faith whole office is to applie And here let vs take notice of the errour of the Papists who teach that our satisfactions serue to applie the satisfaction of Christ and the sacrifice of the Masse to applie the sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse whereas nothing indeede applies but faith In the sixt place we are to consider the kindes of iustification The Papists make two one when a man of an euill man is made a good man the second when a good man is made better and this they say is by workes But it is false which they teach For the Iewes which were borne an holy and peculiar people to God by meanes of the couenant were iustified as Paul here saith by faith without workes Againe he saith that the very ende of our beleeuing is that we may be iustified by faith without workes Therefore there is one onely iustification and no more and that by faith without workes The seuenth point is the ground of this doctrine of iustification by faith without workes And it is laid downe in the end of the 16. verse No flesh shall be iustified by the workes of the law And this ground is taken as I suppose from Psalme 143. v. 2. It may be alleadged that Dauid saith thus No flesh shall be iustified in thy sight and that the other words by the workes of the law are not expressed I answer that the Apostles and Christ in citing places of the old Testament applie them and expound them and hereupon sometime adde words without adding to the sense Moses saith Him shalt thou serue Deut. 6. 16. Christ alleadging the same wordes saith Him onely shalt thou serue Math. 4. 10. Dauid saith Sacrifice and burnt offering thou wouldest not but mine eares hast thou pearced Psal. 40. 7. the author to the Hebrewes citing this text saith Sacrifice and burnt offering thou wouldest not but a bodie hast thou fitted me Heb. 10. 5. And thus the pearcing of the eare is explaned For indeede it signifies to be made obedient and to this ende was a bodie giuen to Christ that he might obey his fathers will The eight and last point is the practise of them that are iustified and that is to beleeue or put their trust in Christ. Trust in the Lord saith the Prophet and ye shal be assured 2. Chron. 20. 20. And Salomon saith Roll your care on the Lord Prou. 16. 2. By meanes of this faith the heart of the righteous is fixed and stablished Psal. 117. 7 8. For the better practise of this dutie two rules must be remembred The one is that faith and the practise thereof must raigne in the heart and haue all at command We must not goe by sense feeling reason but we must shut our eyes and let faith keepe our hearts close to the promise of God Nay faith must ouerrule nature and command nature and the strongest affections thereof Thus Abraham beleeued against hope and by faith was content to offer his naturall and onely begotten sonne Hebr. 11. If faith ouerrule nature then much more must it haue all the lusts and corruptions of nature at command The second rule is
therefore to liue in the flesh is to liue a naturall life by eating drinking sleeping Further Paul saith that liuing in the flesh he liued by faith and for the better conceiuing of this two questions may be demanded The first is Why a beleeuer is said to liue by faith Ans. There be two causes First faith is an Instrument to vnite vs to Christ and by meanes of this vnion we receiue life from Christ for Christ dwells in our hearts by faith Eph. 3. 17. Secondly faith is a Guide to order and gouerne temporall life in all good manner according to the will of God And this faith doth by a diuine kind of reasoning framed in the mind whereby it vrgeth and perswadeth to good duties Rom. 6. 11. The second question is How men liue by faith Ans. The child of God liues a double life in this world a spirituall and a temporall The spirituall stands specially in three things Reconciliation with God renouation of life and good workes Now in our Reconciliation with God we liue in this world onely by faith For we haue and enioy pardon of sinnes imputation of iustice and acception to life eternall onely by meanes of our faith Rom. 4. 4. 5. 1. Againe in the renouation and change of our liues we liue by faith For our faith in Christ purifieth our hearts Act. 15. 9. partly by deriuing holines and puritie from Christ vnto vs who is our sanctification and partly by moouing and perswading of vs to holines and newnes of life 1. Ioh. 3. 3. Lastly in the doing of euery good worke we must liue by our faith For first there must be a generall faith that the worke in his kind pleaseth God Rom. 14. 25. Secondly iustifying faith must giue a beginning to the worke I beleeued therefore I spake Psal. 116. 12. Thirdly after the worke is done faith must couer the defects thereof that it may be acceptable to God Heb. 11. 5. Temporall life stands in cares or miseries and miseries are outward afflictions or inward temptations And in all our worldly cares we are to liue by faith For our care must be to doe our office and the labour of our calling with all diligence This beeing done we must there make a pause and for the successe of all our praiers and labours we must cast our care on God 1. Pet. 5. 7. Likewise in our afflictions we are to liue by faith For our faith is to assure vs that God according to his promise will giue a good issue 1. Cor. 10. 12. And though all temporall things faile vs it makes vs retaine the hope of mercie and of eternall life Thirdly it makes vs waite Gods leisure for our deliuerance Isa. 16. 28. Lastly in our Temptations we are not to liue by feeling but by faith yea against feeling to rest on the bare promise of God when we feele and apprehend nothing but the wrath of God And thus we see how the beleeuer liues by his faith in this world It may be said What is the faith we liue by Answer is here made It is the faith of the sonne of God And sauing faith is so called because Christ is not onely the Author of it and the obiect or matter of it but also the Reuealer of it For there was a certaine faith in God which was put into the heart of man in the creation which also the morall law requireth but this faith in the Messias was not knowne till after the fall and then it was reuealed to the world by the sonne of God Againe it may be saide What is this faith of the Sonne of God Answer is here made A faith whereby I beleeue that Christ hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me These words then thus explaned are an answer to an obiection which may be framed thus Why shouldest thou say that thou liuest not but that Christ liueth in thee considering thou liuest in the flesh as other men doe Answer is made Though I liue in the flesh yet I liue by the faith of the sonne of God The vse Here first of all they are to be blamed that liue by sense like beasts beleeuing no more then they see and trusting God no further then they see him For if a man whome we see and know make a promise to vs we are comforted yet if God who is inuisible make in his word farre better promises as he doth we are not in like sort comforted Againe we put too much confidence in meanes If we haue good callings house land liuing we can then trust in God but when meanes of comfort faile we are confounded in our selues as if there were no God We are like the vsurer who will not trust the man but his pawne euen so we trust not God vpon his bare word without a pawne If he come to vs with a full hand and with the pawne of his good gifts and blessings we trust him els not Againe they are to be blamed that liue onely by the guidance of reason For many dispute thus I deale truly and iustly with all men and liue peaceably with my neighbours therefore God will haue me excused But there must be a better guide to euerlasting life namely faith in Christ els shall we misse of our marke Thirdly they deceiue themselues that thinke they may liue as they list and call vpon God when they are dying and so die by faith It is well if they can die by faith but that they may so die they must liue by faith Lastly they are to be blamed that spend their daies in worldly cares so as no good thing can take place This is the life of infidels And where true faith raignes it cuts off the multitude of cares and makes vs cast them on God Moreouer here we see what we are to doe in perilous times as in the time of plague famine sword when present death is before our eyes we must then liue by faith When Noeh heard of the flood he prepared such meanes as faith would affoard for the sauing of himselfe and his familie Abraham Isaac Iacob by faith liued as pilgrimes in a strange land and were content Moses left Pharaos court and feared not the wrath of the king because by faith he saw him that was inuisible Hebr. 11. 27. Dauid in the feare of present death comforted himselfe in the Lord his God 1. Sam. 30. 6. When Iehosaphat knew not what in the world to doe he lift vp the eyes of his faith to the Lord. 2. Chron. 20. 12. Christ in his agonie and passion of the crosse by faith commended his soule into the hands of his father Of the Saints of the New Testament some were racked some were stoned to death and that by faith Heb. 11. 36. We must therefore all of vs learne to liue by faith and for this cause we must acquaint our selues with the word and promises of God and mingle them with our faith els shall the life of a man in
euerlasting life To proceede further the delusion or bewitching of the Galatians is set forth by two arguments The first is the ende in these words that ye should not obey the truth Before I come to the consideration of these words a doubt must be resolued For some man may say that this Epistle is corrupted because these words are wanting in sundrie translations and editions of the Bible and Ierome saith that they were not found in the copies of the bible in his daies Ans. In the Editions and translations of the bible there are sundrie differences and diuersities of readings and these differences are not the fault of the Scripture but of the men which vsed to write out the bible for the bible heretofore was spread abroad not by printing but by writing Againe though in the bookes of the bible there be sundrie varieties of reading yet the prouidence of God hath so watched ouer the Bible that the sense thereof remaineth intire sound and incorrupt specially in the grounds of religion And not the words principally but the sense is the Scripture And that which I say appeareth in this text for whether these words be left in or put out the sense of the verse is one and the same These words that ye should not obey the truth are meant of the obedience of faith Rom. 1. 5 and 16. 28. And the obedience of faith is propounded vnto vs without adding detracting or changing And this the Galatians did not for they added iustification by workes to the doctrine of Paul touching iustification by faith alone by which addition they depraued the truth and shewed that indeede they beleeued not the truth Here let vs obserue the scope of all the malice of the deuill and that is to hinder or ouerthrow our faith The first thing the deuill aimed at in our first parents was to ouerthrow their faith and to cause them to doubt of the truth of Gods word The first temptation wherewith our Sauiour Christ was assaulted was against his faith as he was man If thou be the sonne of God thou canst cause these stones in thy hunger to be made bread but thou canst not cause these stones to be made bread therefore thou art not the child of God The deuill desired to sift out all the faith of the Apostles and to leaue in them nothing but the chaffe of vnbeleefe Luk. 22. The deuill blindes the eyes of men that the light of the Gospel of Iesus Christ may not shine vnto them 2. Cor. 4. 4. This must teach vs that we must not onely hold and know the true religion for the time but also build our selues vpon our faith Iud. v. 20. and be rooted and stablished vpon our faith and religion Col. 1. 23. and the rather because it hath bin the manner of this nation wickedly to change religion with the times And that we may indeede be rooted vpon our religion we must not boast of the greatnes and strength of our faith but rather labour to see in our selues a sea of vnbeleefe heartily to bewaile it and to striue to beleeue and so to goe on from faith to faith The truth here mentioned is the heauenly doctrine of the Gospel so called for two causes First because it is an absolute truth without errour It is a principle not to be called in question that the Apostles and Prophets in writing and preaching could not erre It may be said they were men as we are and therefore subiect to erre and be deceiued in iudgement Ans. Iudgement is twofold One conceiued by the discourse of naturall reason the other conceiued by the apprehension of things reuealed by God In the first the Apostles and Prophets might erre and be deceiued as Nathan and Peter were In the second they could not because it was framed in them by the inspiration and instinct of the holy Ghost And therefore they neuer erred either in preaching or writing The second cause why the Gospel is called the truth is because it is a most worthie truth namely the truth which is according to godlines Tit. 1. It may be said what is the truth and how shall we know it considering there be so many dissentions Ans. First make thy selfe fit to know and then shalt thou know the truth And thou shalt be fitted to know the truth if thou first of all giue thy selfe to obey it Read the golden text Ioh. 7. v. 17. Obey and ye shall know The second thing whereby the delusion of the Galatians is expressed is the signe thereof in these words to whome Iesus Christ was described c. that is to whome I haue preached the doctrine of saluation by Christ in liuely and euident manner euen as if Christ had bin painted before your eyes and had bin crucified in or among you And this is a manifest token that the Galatians were deluded because they could not acknowledge the truth whē it was set forth vnto them as it were in orient colours And where Paul saith that Christ was before described I referre it to the time before their reuolt Here first we are to obserue the properties of the Ministerie of the word The first that it must be plaine perspicuous and euident as if the doctrine were pictured and painted out before the eyes of men Therefore the Church of Rome deales wickedly in keeping the Scriptures in an vnknowne tongue For this is to couer that from the people which is to be painted before the eyes of their minds Againe that kind of preaching is to be blamed in which there is vsed a mixed kind of varietie of languages before the vnlearned For this is a signe to vnbeleeuers 1. Cor. 14. 22. And in this kind of preaching we doe not paint Christ but we paint out our owne selues It is a by-word among vs It was a very plaine sermon And I say againe the plainer the better The second propertie of the Ministerie of the word is that it must be powerfull and liuely in operation and as it were crucifying Christ within vs and causing vs to feele the vertue of his passion The word preached must pearce into the heart like a two edged sword Hebr. 4. 12. true prophecie iudgeth men discouereth the things of the heart and causeth men to to say The Lord is within you 1. Cor. 14. 25. The scepter of Christ whereby he smiteth the nations is in his mouth Isa. 11. 4. that is in the Ministerie of the word Ier. 15. 19. And it is the same Ministerie which shaketh heauen and earth Agg. 2. 5. By this it appeaeeth that to take a text and to make a discourse vpon something in the said text shewing much inuention of wit and much reading and humane learning is not to preach Christ in a liuely manner It will be said what then I answer with Paul who is sufficient either for the speaking or doing of these things yet something may be shewed Know therefore that the effectuall and powerful preaching of
a double iustification one before God the other before mē Iustification before God is when God reputes a man iust that onely for the merit and obedience of Christ. Iustification before men is when such as professe faith in Christ are reputed iust of men By this distinction Paul who saith that a man is iustified by faith without workes Rom. 3. 28. and Iames who saith that Abraham was iustified by faith and workes Iam. 2. 24. are reconciled for Paul speakes of iustification before God as he himselfe expressely testifieth Rom. 4. 2. and S. Iames speakes of iustification before men which is not onely by the profession of faith but also by workes In the same sort there is a double Election One speciall whereby God knowes who are his The other is more generall whereby we repute all men to be Elect that professe faith in Christ leauing secret iudgements to God Thus Paul writes to the Ephesians Philippians c. as Elect. And the Ministers of the word are to speake to their congregations as to the Elect people of God In the same manner there is a double sanctification one before God in truth Eph. 4. 28. the other before men in the iudgement of charitie Thus men are said to tread vnder foote the blood of Christ wherewith they were sanctified Hebr. 10. 29. Thus all that are of right to be baptised are holy and regenerate not in the iudgement of certentie which is Gods but in the iudgement of charitie which is mans secrets alwaies reserued to God Againe when Paul saith in the sight of God he giues vs to vnderstand that there is an vniuersall iudgement of God before whome we must all appeare and be iudged And when Paul saith in the time present that God iustifieth though not by workes he signifies that this iudgement is alreadie begunne vpon vs euen in this life This must teach vs to walke in godly and holy conuersation in the feare of God and to watch and pray that we may be found worthie to stand before God Malefactours when they are going to iudgement and when they see the Iudge set lay aside skorning and bethinke themselues what to say or doe Now we are these malefactours and we know that God hath alreadie begunne to giue iudgement of vs and therefore we must prepare our selues to make a good reckoning In the testimonie of the Prophet our dutie is set downe and that is that we must in this world liue by faith That we may liue by faith we must doe two things One is to choose the true God for our God the second is in our hearts to cleaue vnto him and that according to his word First therefore we must cleaue fast to his commandements by entring into the way of his precepts and by walking in them For this cause we must haue alwaies about vs the eye of knowledge to direct our steps in the wayes of God that we euer keepe our selues in our callings that is the dutie we owe to God and man Secondly while we stand in the waies of God we shall be assailed with many Temptations on the right hand and on the left therefore we must further cleaue to the promises of God beleeuing his presence protection and assistance in all temptations and daungers And this our faith must be as it were a hand to stay vs. Here two caueats must be remembred One that we must not prescribe vnto God the manner of his assistance but leaue it with other circumstances of time and place to God The second is when all earthly things faile vs we must rest vpon the bare word of God and beleeue the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting This is to liue by faith And this dutie must be practised when we are in the field to fight for our countrey when we lie on our death beddes and when we are in any danger Marke further Paul saith the iust man liues by faith he therefore that is iustified continues to be iustified by his faith and therfore the second iustification that is said to be by our works is a meere fiction And in that none liues by faith but he that is a iust man we see that true faith is alwaies ioyned with the Purpose of not sinning or with the iustice of good conscience and where they are seuered there is no more but a meere pretence of faith When Paul saith the Law is not of faith he sets downe the maine difference betweene the Law and the Gospel The law promiseth life to him that performs perfect obedience that for his works The Gospel promiseth life to him that doth nothing in the cause of his saluation but only beleeues in Christ and it promiseth saluation to him that beleeueth yet not for his faith or for any worke els but for the merit of Christ. The law thē requires doing to saluation and the Gospel beleeuing and nothing els Obiect I. The Gospel requires repentance and the practise of it Ans. Indeede the law doth not teach true repentance neither is it any cause of it but onely an occasion The Gospel onely prescribes repentance and the practise thereof yet onely as it is a fruit of our faith and as it is the way to saluation in which we are to walke and no otherwise Obiect II. The law requires and commands faith Ans. The law requires faith in God which is to put our affiance in him But the Gospel requires faith in Christ the Mediatour Godman and this faith the law neuer knew Obiect III. In the Gospel there are promises of life vpon condition of our obedience Rom. 8. 13. Jf by the spirit ye mortifie the deedes of the flesh ye shall liue 1. Ioh. 1. 9. If we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull to forgiue them Ans. The promises of the Gospel are not made to the worke but to the worker and to the worker not for his work but for Christs sake according to his worke As for example promise of life is made not to the worke of mortification but to him that mortifieth his flesh and that not for his mortification but because he is in Christ and his mortification is the token or euidence thereof And therefore it must be remembred that all promises of the Gospel that mention works include in them Reconciliation with God in Christ. Obiect IV. Faith is a vertue and to beleeue is a worke therefore one worke is commanded in the Gospel and is also necessarie to saluation Ans. The Gospel considers not faith as a vertue or worke but as an instrument or hand to apprehend Christ. For faith doth not cause effect or procure our iustification and saluation but as the beggers hand it receiues them beeing wholly wrought and giuen of God This distinction of the law and the Gospel must be obserued carefully For by it we see that the Church of Rome hath erroniously confounded the law and the Gospel for this many hundred yeares The law of Moses say they
the secrets of our hearts to God Whereas Paul saith that a Mediatour is not of one but a third betweene two at the least it may be demaunded how Christ can be mediatour betweene man and God considering he is God Ans. Though Father Sonne and holy Spirit be one and the same in respect of Godhead yet are they distinct in respect of person or in respect of the manner of subsisting so as the Father is the father not the Sonne or holy Ghost the Sonne the sonne and not the Father or the H. Ghost the holy Ghost the holy Ghost and not the father or the sonne The sonne then and the father beeing persons really distinct the sonne may be and is Mediatour first of all in respect of order to the father and in him to the sonne and the holy Ghost For the three persons beeing of one nature and will when the father is appeased in him also the sonne and the holy Ghost are appeased Thus Iohn saith If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father It may be said that Christ cannot be Mediatour to himselfe Ans. In Christ consider his nature and his Office By nature he is the sonne of God by office he is Mediatour and thus he is God-man or Man-god and as Mediatour by voluntarie dispensation he is inferiour to himselfe as he is the essentiall sonne of God And in the same manner Christ as God-man is Mediatour to himselfe as he is the sonne of God For as he is the sonne of God he is the partie offended as he is Mediatour God-man he is the partie that makes reconciliation Lastly the propertie of God must be obserued that he is vnchangeable Iam. 1. 17. Mal. 3. 16. It may be obiected that God is saide in Scripture to repent Ans. God is said to repent not because he changeth either nature or will but because he changeth his actions of mercie and loue into effects of anger after the manner of men Againe it may be obiected that God changed the law and abolished ceremonies Ans. This God did by an vnchangeable decree before all worlds and so the change is in the law and not in God For God can decree to change this or that without change The vse Gods vnchangeablenes is the foundation of our comfort Saint Paul saith If we loue God we are knowne of him 1. Cor. 8. 3. Now the first we may certenly finde in our selues namely the loue of God and Christ and for the second God is vnchangeable For they which are once knowne of God are euer knowne of him and that euen then when they feele nothing but Gods anger Againe we are put in minde to be vnchangeable in good things as in faith hope loue good counsells honest promises and such like specially in the maintenance of true religion For we ought to be like vnto God It is the poesie of our grations Queene Semper eadem Alwaies one and the same no doubt in good things specially in the religion established among vs. The same must be the minde of all good subiects and all good people 1. Cor. 15. 58. 21 Is the law then against the promise of God God forbid for if there had beene a law giuen which could haue giuen life surely righteousnesse should haue beene by the law 22 But the Scripture hath included all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue In these words Paul propounds and answers an other obiection in number the fourth The occasion of the obiection is taken out of the former words in which Paul saith the law is for transgressions It may be framed on this manner If the law serue to conuince and condemne vs of sinne it serues not to giue life but to kill and so it is contrarie to the promise which giuethlife The answer is made negatiuely God forbid And a double reason is rendered of the deniall The first is this If the law could giue life it should also giue iustice or iustifie and so it should be contrarie to the promise because then there should be two contrarie waies of iustification one by faith alone the other by faith with workes Therefore in that it kills and condemnes it is not contrarie to the promise The second reason is in the 22. verse Things subordinate whereof one serues for the other are not contrarie the law and the promise are subordinate for the law prepares the way for the accomplishing of the promise in that it shuts all vnder sinne that the promise may be giuen to them that beleeue in Christ. The vse In that Paul reiects the blasphemous obiection with God forbid we are taught to auoid things said or done to the dishonour of God with loathing and detestation When it was related to Ahab and Iezabel that Naboth had blasphemed God they beeing idolaters solemnise a fast pretending danger by the sinne 1. King 21. 12. Caiphas supposing that Christ had blasphemed rent his garments Math. 26. When Iob did but suspect his children of blaspheming God he called them and sanctified them Iob 1. 5. It is the fault of our daies that many blaspheme by cursing swearing c. without feare and many doe it as many dissolute souldiers in a brauerie and hearers thereof for the most part are nothing mooued thereat so ordinarie is the offence This shewes the wickednes of our times In the first reason Paul deliuers a notable conclusion namely that the thing which is the meanes to procure life vnto vs is also the meanes of our iustice or iustification before God And good reason For iustice causeth life and that which giueth life first of all giueth iustice Hence it followes that workes cannot meritoriously deserue eternall life For if life be by the workes of the law then iustice also but that cannot be for we must first of all be iustified before we can doe a good worke Let the Papists consider this Againe they which teach that faith is alone in iustification and that both faith and workes concurre as causes of saluation are deceiued For by the former conclusion of Paul if workes be causes of saluation then must they also haue a stroake in our iustification which they haue not And therefore they are the way of our saluation but not any cause at all Lastly here we see that many among vs doe not hold Christ or beleeue in him aright for their iustification because they hold him without change of heart and life For by Pauls conclusion whome Christ quickneth them he iustifieth and whome he doth not quicken them he doth not iustifie Examine thy selfe then if Christ haue sanctified and renewed thy heart thou art iustified if thy heart be yet vnsanctified and thy life vnreformed deceiue not thy selfe with fond imaginations thou art not yet iustified The 22. verse followeth containing the second reason And first let vs consider the meaning of the words The Scripture the words are in the Originall thus That
hearts come vnto Christ and beleeue in him and that by the faith of Christ that is with a faith ioyned with hope loue and new obedience Then shall the promise of pardon and life euerlasting be giuen to vs. Vpon this ground persons in despaire and grieuous offenders may see a plaine way to helpe and succour themselues For the worke of the law concluding vs vnder sinne by the mercie of God tends to our saluation if we will vse the good meanes Lastly Paul saith the promise is made not to euery one that beleeueth according to any faith of his owne but to them that are true beleeuers by the faith of Christ. Therefore euery man shall not be saued in his owne faith and religion but onely they that are of the faith of Christ. 23 For before faith came we were kept vnder the law and shut vp vnto the faith which should afterward be reuealed 24 Wherefore the law was our schoole-master to Christ that we might be made righteous by faith 23 But after that faith is come we are no more vnder the schoole-master Paul in the 19. v. had said that the law was for transgressions till the seede come to which the promise was made And here he makes a more large declaration of his owne meaning The summe of all that he faith may be reduced to a comparison of things vnlike on this manner Before the comming of faith we were vnder the dominion of Moses law but after faith was come we were free The first part of the comparison is amplified by a double fimilitude the law was a Guard vnto vs v. 23. and the law was our schoolemaster v. 24. the second part of the comparison is in the 25. v. Faith That is the Gospel or the doctrine of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ exhibited in the flesh We We Iewes I Paul a Iew and the rest of that nation Law That is the whole Oeconomie policie and Regiment of Moses by lawes partly morall partly Ceremoniall and partly Iudiciall Kept Compassed or guarded Because the lawe before Christ was to the Iewes as a guard of armed men to inclose and keepe them that they should not depart from God and from their allegiance to him vnto the sinnes idolatries and superstitions of the Gentiles Vnto the faith That is till the faith come Afterward reuealed From the creation to the law the Church of God was in one familie and the rest of the world beside was no people of God From the law till Christ the Church of God was inclosed in the nation of the Iewes and all the world beside no Church or people of God And this distinction of a people and no people stoode some time after the comming of Christ. Math. 10. 5. Goe not into the waie of the Gentiles and into the cities of the Samaritans enter ye not After the ascension of Christ this distinction ended because the mysterie of mans redemption was then more plainly reuealed and it began then to be reuealed to the whole world Coloss. 1. 26 27. and Rom. 16. 25. Thus we see that the law serued for transgressions because it was to the Iewes as a Guard to keepe them in the compasse of their dutie that they fell not away to sundrie transgressions The vse This shewes the greatnes of our corruption and that the very frame of our heart is euill continually that the Lord must be faine to set his lawes about vs as a Guard of armed men to keepe vs that we sinne not Againe here we see the vse of Gods lawes which serue to preuent restraine and cut off sinne into which otherwise men would fall vnlesse they were compassed and guarded by laws Some obiect for freedome of will on this manner If the lawes of God cannot be kept they are in vaine but they are not in vaine therefore they may be kept Ans. The maior or first part of the reason is not true For there are other vses of the law of God then the keeping of them for they serue to restraine and preuent open offences and to keepe men in order at the least outwardly An other vse of the law of God was to conclude and shut vp the Iewes into the vnitie of one faith and religion For this cause the Iewes had but one temple one Mercie-seat one high Priest c. Hence it followes that in a godly and Christian Common-wealth where true religion is established there may be no tolleration of any other religion For that which is the end of Gods laws must also be the end of all good lawes in all Common-wealths and kingdomes namely to shut vp the people into the vnitie of one faith The Church of the Iewes is called a fountaine sealed a garden inclosed Cant. 4. 12. a vineyard hedged in Isa. 5. 5. Psal. 80. 13. And here we see what is the hedge or wall of this garden or vineyard namely the regiment or policie of Moses by a threefold kind of law This admonisheth vs to respect and with care to obserue good lawes because they are as it were hedges and fenses of all good societies and the breaking of them is the pulling downe of our fense Where Paul saith till the faith be reuealed Note that the faith or the Gospel was not reuealed to the world till the last age after the comming of Christ. It may be said it was alwaies reuealed to all men but not so cleerely as in these last daies Ans. It was not reuealed to all either darkly or cleerely before the comming of Christ. Act. 14. 16. God suffered the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies Eph. 2. 12. they were without God and without Christ. Rom. 15. 20. Paul preached where Christ was not so much as named Hence it followes that the Vocation of men to life euerlasting is not Vniuersall because Christ was neuer Vniuersally reuealed Neither is mans Redemption vniuersall in respect of the whole world For Redemption by Christ was not reuealed to all nations before the comming of Christ and a benefit to be apprehended by faith if it be vnknowne is no benefit Lastly it is erronious that some teach namely that grace supernaturall is vniuersall that is that the power to beleeue in Christ and the power to turne to God if men will is generally giuen to all But this cannot be because it is not giuen to all men so much as to heare of Christ and to know him Seeing faith is now come it may be demanded what is the Guard whereby we are kept now Ans. The precepts of the morall law The sayings of the wise are as nayles or stakes fastned to range men in the compasse of their owne duties Eccles. 12. 11. Againe the peace of God or the assurance of our reconciliation with God is a Guard to keepe our hearts and senses in Christ. Phil. 4. 7. If this will not doe the deede God hath in store his corrections and iudgements to be as an hedge to hemme vs in Hos.
ouer vs. Thus Dauid knew God when he saide that he numbred his flittings and put his teares into his bottle Psal. 56. 8. Thirdly we must know God in respect of his will in all things to be done and to be suffered and this is the right knowledge of God to haue regard to his will Rom. 12. 2. Eph 5. 17. Dauid saith All thy lawes are before me 2. Sam. 22. 23. And when Shemei reuiled he spake thus He raileth because God biddes him raile 2. Sam. 6. 10. Lastly we must know and acknowledge God in the power which he shewed in the death and resurrection of Christ. Read and consider Eph. 1. 17. where Paul placeth the knowledge of God in two things in the knowledge of the riches of eternall life and in an experimentall knowledge of the vertue of the resurrection of Christ in our selues The third propertie is that this knowledge must be an effectuall and liuely knowledge working in vs new affections and inclinations He that saith he knowes God and keepes not his commandements makes him a liar 1. Ioh. 2. 4. and 3. 6. Tit. 2. last The vse Seeing the conuersion of a sinner stands in this spirituall knowledge of God we must be stirred vp to seeke to know God according as he will be knowne of vs. We desire to serue God and we cannot serue him vnlesse we know him nay so long as we know him not we doe nothing but serue the false gods of our owne hearts Againe we desire life eternall and this is life in right manner to acknowledge God Ioh. 17. 3. And the whol matter of our boasting must be the knowledge of God Ierem. 9. 24. God himselfe ministreth vnto me a further Argument to mooue you to this desire namely by the moouing of the earth yesterday For though Philosophers ascribe all to nature yet the truth is that the trembling and shogging of the earth is a signe of the great and extraordinarie anger of God The cause of this anger is that we know not God neither doe we for the most part care to know him We haue had the Gospel long but we bring forth but small fruits For this cause the earth in his trembling doth as it were groane to be disburdened of so rebellious a nation and it doth aster a sort craue leaue of God that it may deuoure a sinnefull people as it once deuoured Dathā and the companie of Abiram Now our dutie is in this iudgement of God to acknowledge his maiestie his anger and his iustice and with feare and trembling to humble our selues for our sinnes past thereby to preuent his anger to come The earth a bruite and dumme creature in his kinde is become a preacher vnto vs and his trembling must teach vs to tremble in our hearts and to sinne no more Againe if we must know God we must remember God and Christ and as we must know God so must we remember him Now we must not knowe Christ according to the flesh 2. Cor. 5. 17. and therefore we may not remember Christ according to the flesh that is in any worldly and carnall manner This therefore is not to keepe a Memorie of Christ to spend twelue daies in reuell and riot in masking and mumming in carding and dicing as many doe this is rather to burie the memorie of Christ and to doe homage to the god of pleasure Of them that saide Let vs eate drinke and sleepe Paul faith thus Awake and doe righteously for some of you doe not know God 1. Cor. 15. 34. Paul saith further But rather ye are knowne of God The knowledge whereby God knowes men stands in two things his Election of them to his speciall loue 2. Tim. 1. 19. and the Execution of Election whereby he makes men his peculiar people by calling iustifying and sanctifying of them Tit. 2. v. 14. Hence obserue first that Gods Election is the roote of all the gifts of God in vs. We know God because he first knows vs. Paul saith that we were elected that we might be holy Eph. 1. 4. Therefore we are not elected as some teach either for our faith or according to our faith but to our faith that is Elected that we might beleeue Secondly hence we learne that we can neither thinke will or doe that which is good vnlesse God preuent vs with his grace God must first vouchsafe to acknowledge vs before we can acknowledge him Ioh. 10. 14. Preuenting grace is twofold The first and the second The first when God in our first conuersion takes away the stonie heart and puts a fleshie heart in the roome The second is after we are regenerate for then God still preuents vs with good motions and desires Of both read Ezech. 36. 26. Some teach that if we doe that which we can God will giue vs his grace but this is false for then we should preuent God Thirdly by this we see that the workes of grace in God imprint their image in the hearts of them that belong to God And this is worth the marking There is a knowledge in God whereby he knowes who are his and this knowledge brings forth an other knowledge in vs whereby we know God for our God There is an Election in God which workes in the Elect an other Election whereby they choose God for their God The loue whereby God loues vs workes in vs an other loue whereby we loue God 1. Ioh. 4. 19. Christ first apprehends vs and this apprehension of his workes in vs the apprehension of faith wherby we lay hold vpon him Phil. 3. 12. When Christ makes intercession for vs in heauen there is another intercession wrought in our hearts by the spirit whereby we crie Abbafather Rom. 8. 26. The death of Christ hath a vertue in it to worke in vs the death of sinne Thus doth the spirit of God seale vs to the day of our redemption By this may we know that we belong to God if we finde any impression of the grace of God in vs. The sunne by his light shines vpon vs and by the same light we view and behold the sunne Lastly here is the foundation of true comfort Our faith doth not saue vs because it is a perfect vertue but because it apprehends a perfect obiect namely the perfect obedience of Christ. So then if our faith erre not in his obiect but be rightly fixed on the true causes of our saluation though it be but a weake faith and doe no more but cause vs to will desire and indeauour to apprehend Christ it is true faith and iustifieth the weakenesse of it shall not hinder our saluation which stāds not in this that we knowe God but in this that God knowes vs whose knowledge is perfect and cannot faile Againe our saluation stands not in our apprehension of Christ but in Christs apprehending of vs. Phil. 3. 12. This knowledge of God whereby he knowes vs hath two properties First it is speciall whereby he knowes all the elect euen
will be iustified by one act of the law is bound to performe the rest for his iustification Abolished from Christ that is Christ is become an idle and emptie Christ vnto you Whosoeuer are iustified by the law that is are of opinion that they are to be iustified by the workes of the law For indeede a sinner cannot be iustified by the law but onely in his owne false opinion Grace that is the loue and fauour of God The resolution The third verse is a confirmation of the reason in the second verse and it may be framed thus He which is bound to keepe the whole law hath no part in Christ he which is circumcised is bound to keepe the whole law therefore he which is circumcised hath no part in Christ. The 4. verse is a repetition of the second verse with a declaration therof for he shewes what he meanes by circumcision namely iustification by circumcision and consequently by the whole law And therefore when he had said If ye be circumcised he changeth his speach saying Whosoeuer is iustified by the law Againe least men might thinke it a small matter to be abolished from Christ he shewes that it is indeede to fall from grace The vse These verses are as it were a thunderbolt against all Poperie And first of all I vrge the argument of Paul against the Popish Church and against the Popish religion If ye be iustified by the law ye are abolished from Christ and fallen from Christ. Answer is made that the words are to be vnderstood of such workes of the law as are from nature and goe before faith and not of such workes as are from grace and follow faith for such workes they say are from Christ and stand with him I answer the words of Paul are to be vnderstood of all workes of the law whether they be from nature or from grace For this Epistle of Paul was written about sixe yeares after the conuersion of the Galatians therefore they were and had bin long regenerate persons now men regenerate looke not to be iustified by works of nature but by good workes which are workes of grace And Paul saith Eph. 2. 10. We are not saued by workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in and these are the best workes that are or can be Againe Tit. 3. 5. Of his mercie he saued vs and not of workes of righteousnes By this text we further see that we and the Papists differ not about circumstances vnlesse Grace and Christ be circumstances Againe we see that the Church of Rome is indeede no Church because by maintaining iustification by works it is abolished from Christ and fallen from grace Againe I vrge Pauls argument against them on this manner He which is debter to the whole law hath no part in Christ he which is iustified by workes is debter to the whole law therefore he which is iustified by workes hath no part in Christ Let them answer if they can I turne the same argument another way thus He which is iustified by workes is bound to keepe the whole law but no man can keepe the whole law therefore no man can be iustified by workes They answer to the minor by making a double fulfilling of the law one for this life the other for the life to come and both in their kind perfect The fulfilling of the law for the time of this life they say it is to loue God aboue all creatues in truth and that he which doth thus much fulfills the law and is no offender Hereupon they inferre that works may be answerable to the law and be opposed to the iudgement of God And for this doctrine they alleadge S. Augustine I answer againe that Paul in this place takes it for a confessed truth that no man can fulfill the law and he vrgeth it as a great inconuenience that any man should be bound to keepe the whole law And before he hath said He which is of the workes of the law is cursed Gal. 3. 10. which could not be if there were a fulfilling of the law for the time of this life As for Augustine it is true he makes two fulfillings of the law and one of them for the time of this life but this he saith is imperfect and this imperfection he makes to be a sinne whereas the Papists of our time teach that men may fulfill the law for the time of this life without sinne Where Paul saith If ye be circumcised marke how the false Apostles abuse circumcision It is by diuine institution a seale of the righteousnes of faith and they make it a meritorious cause of saluation It is indeede rather Gods worke then our worke and they make it their owne worke and that meritorious before God Like doe the Papists at this day Baptisme is a signe and seale of Gods mercie by diuine institution and they turne it into a physicall cause which containes and conferres grace In like sort they turne the workes of the spirit almes praier fasting contrition yea their owne traditions confession satisfaction and such like into meritorious causes of iustification and life And this is the fashion of deceiuers to retaine the names of holy things but not to retaine the right vse of them As here we see Circumcision was an obligation to the keeping of the whole law in the old Testament so is baptisme in the new an obligation or bond whereby we haue bound our selues to liue according to all the lawes of God Matth. 28. 19 20. This discouers the Atheisme and vnbeleefe of persons baptised in these our daies for few there be that thinke vpon and performe this obligation We are further to obserue the condition of the law It is wholly copulatiue All the parts of it are linked one to another He that is bound to one commandement is bound to all he that keepes one indeede keepes all he that breakes one in respect of the disposition of his heart is a breaker of all Iam. 2. 10. he that makes no conscience to keepe some one commandement if occasion be offered will breake any Hence it followes that true regeneration is that which is a reformation and change according to the whole law of God and containes in it the seedes of all good duties Christ saith He that is washed is all cleane Ioh. 13. 10. Iosias turned to God according to the whole law Zacharie and Elizabeth walke in all the commandements of God without reproofe Luk. 1. Dauid saith He shall not be confounded when he hath respect to all the commandements of God Psal. 119. 6. On the contrarie he which hath many excellent things in him if he liue in the manifest breach of some one commandement is sound in none nay indeede he is guiltie of all Herod did many good things and yet all was nothing because he liued in incest Mark 6. 20. The deuill is able to bring a man to perdition as well by one sinne as by many Whereas Paul saith
fruits of the spirit the hatred of our owne sinne the purpose of not sinning the feare of God and such like we must content our selues and waite for the fruition of further grace till the life to come Thirdly we must become waiters for the mercie of God and for life euerlasting Gen. 49. 18. Iud. v. â—1 For this cause we must doe as they doe which waite attend for some great benefit we must daily stand with our supplications knocking at the mercie gate to the death and we must daily prepare our selues against the day of death and it must be welcome vnto vs for then is the ende of all our waiting and attending The third point is by what are we to waite Paul saith We waite by faith Hence it followes that faith brings with it a speciall certentie of the mercie of God and of life euerlasting For men vse not to waite for the things whereof they are vncerten Waiting presupposeth certentie The Papists therefore that make speciall hope should also make speciall faith The last point is where is this waiting Paul saith in spirit Here obserue that all the exercises of Christian religion are to be in the spirit God must be worshipped in spirit Ioh. 4. 24. Rom. 1. 9. The heart must be rent and not the garment Ioâ—l 2. The inward motions of the spirit are of themselues the worship of God whereas our words and deedes are not simply but so farforth as they are founded in the renewed motions of the heart Men in our daies thinke they doe God high seruice if they come to Church heare Gods word and say some few praiers Indeede these things are not to be condemned yet are they not sufficient vnlesse withall we bring vnto God a renewed spirit indued with faith hope â—oue In the 6. verse Paul propounds three conclusions The first is this that externall and bodely priuiledges are of no vse and moment in the kingdome of Christ. Paul saith 1. Tim. 4. 8. Bodily exercise profiteth little and that godlines is profitable for all things It was a great priuiledge to be familiarly acquainted with Christ and to haue eaten and drunke with him yet is it of no vse in the kingdome of Christ. For of such Christ saith Luk. 13. 26. Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie It was a great priuiledge to be allied to Christ in respect of blood yet in the kingdome of Christ it is of no vse and therefore Christ saith He that doth the will of my father is my brother sister and mother Mark 3. 33. To conceiue and beare Christ was a great honour to the virgin Marie yet was shee not by this meanes a member of the kingdome of Christ but by her faith in him And if shee had not borne him in her heart as well as shee bare him in her wombe shee had not bin saued To prophecie or preach and that in the name of Christ is a great dignitie and yet many hauing this prerogatiue shall be condemned Matth. 7. 22. It may be alleadged that some outward exercises as baptisme and the Lords supper are of great vse in the Church of Christ. I answer the outward baptisme is nothing without the inward Not the washing of the flesh but the stipulation of a good conscience saueth 1. Pet. 3. 18. Circumcision is profitable if thou keepe the law Rom. 2. 35. By this we are taught not to esteeme of mens religion by their riches and externall dignities For the fashion of the world is if a man haue riches and honour to commend him for a wise vertuous and godly man This is foolishly to haue faith in respect of persons Iam. 2. 1. Secondly by this we are taught to moderate our affections in respect of all outward things neither sorrowing too much for them nor ioying too much in them 1. Cor. 7. 30. The second conclusion Faith is of great vse and acceptation in the kingdome of Christ. By it first our persons and then our actions please God and without it nothing pleaseth God It is the first and the greatest honour we can doe to God to giue credence to his word and from this flowes all other obedience to all other commandements Hence we learne First that we must labour to conceiue faith a right in our hearts by the vse of the right meanes the word praier sacraments as also in and by the exercises of spirituall inuocation and repentance This beeing done we must rest vpon the bare word and testimonie of God without and against sense and feeling and quiet our hearts therein both in life and death Secondly faith in Christ must raigne and beare sway in our hearts and haue the command ouer reason will affection lust And by it whatsoeuer we doe or suffer specially the maine actions of our liues are to be ordered and disposed Lastly it is a thing to be bewailed that the common faith of our daies is but a Ceremoniall faith conceiued without the ordinarie meanes and seuered from the exercises of inuocation and repentance The third conclusion is that true faith workes by loue Hence the Papists gather that loue is the forme and life of faith not because it makes faith to be faith but because it makes it to be a true faith a good faith a liuely faith But this their doctrine is false and erronious For faith is the cause of loue and loue is the fruit of faith 1. Tim. 1. 5. Loue out of a pure heart good conscience and faith vnfained Now euery cause as it is a cause hath his force and efficacie in it selfe and receiues no force or efficacie from his effect Secondly true faith is liuely and effectuall in it selfe and hath a peculiar forme of his owne and that is a certen power to apprehend Christ in the promise For in faith there are two things knowledge and apprehension which some call application or speciall affiance which affiance because the Papists cut off they are constrained to make a supplie by loue Thirdly the operation of faith according to the doctrine of the Papist is to Prepare and dispose a sinner to his future iustification Now if this operation be from loue then loue is before iustification and that cannot be because as they teach iustification stands in loue Loue therfore is not the forme of faith They alleadge for themselues this very text in hand where it is said faith worketh by loue or as they translate it faith is acted and mooued by loue Ans. The meaning of the text is that faith is effectuall in it selfe and that it shewes and puts forth his efficacie by loue as by the fruit thereof And it cannot hence be gathered that faith is acted and mooued by loue as by a formall cause Againe they alleadge Iam. 2. 26. As the bodie is dead without the spirit so is faith without workes Ans. 1. The soule of man is not the forme of his bodie but of the whole man 2. Spirit may as well signifie breath or
breathing as the soule And so it carries a fit sense For as the bodie without breath is dead and it shewes it selfe to be aliue by breathing so faith that is without workes is dead and it shewes it selfe to be aliue by workes 3. There is a false composition of the wordes to be considered faith that is without workes is dead is true but to say faith is dead without workes as though workes gaue life to faith is false and not the meaning of S. Iames but the former onely Againe the Papists hence gather that faith and loue are ioynt causes in the iustification of a sinner and that faith worketh loue in iustifying men before God But this Interpretation is against the whole scope of this Epistle in which Paul prooues that there is no iustification by the law c. 5. v. 4. and therefore no iustification by loue Againe Paul saith Rom. 3. 21. that righteousnes is reuealed without the law and therefore without loue And againe that we are made the righteousnes of Christ as Christ is made our sinne namely by imputation and therefore not by infusion of loue 2. Cor. 5. 21. Thirdly faith iustifies by apprehending Christ in the promise and therefore not by loue The consequent I prooue thus Faith and loue are two hands of our soule Faith is an hand that laies hold of Christ and it doth as it were pull him and his benefits into our soules But loue is an hand of another kind for it serues not to receiue in but to giue out the good it hath and to communicate it selfe vnto others Therefore faith cannot iustifie by loue Lastly loue in order of nature followes iustification and therefore it doth not iustifie For first of all faith laies hold on Christ then followes iustification vpon iustification follows sanctification and loue is a part of sanctification They vrge for themselues the words of Paul that faith works by loue Ans. Paul doth not shew in this verse what iustifieth but what are the exercises of Godlines in which Christians must be occupied And he doth not shew how faith iustifieth but how it may be discerned to be true faith namely by loue Secondly they obiect that faith and loue are alwaies ioyned and therefore ioyntly worke in iustification Ans. They are ioyned in one person or subiect and they are ioyned in the exercise of Christian life but they are not ioyned in the article of iustification Thirdly they vrge the 2. of S. Iames where it is saide that a man is iustified not onely by faith but also by works v. 24. Ans. Faith in S. Iames is put for an historicall knowledge of religion or for the bare confession and profession of faith Againe iustification is twofold one of the person the other of the faith of the person Iustification of the person is when a sinner is absolued of his sinnes and accepted to life euerlasting for the merit of Christ. Iustification of the faith of the person is when faith is approoued and found to be true faith and a beleeuer iustifies himselfe to be a true beleeuer Of this second iustification speakes S. Iames and it is not onely by faith but also by workes Lastly it may be obiected that loue is of no vse if it doe not iustifie Ans. Iustification and sanctification are two distinct benefits 1. Cor. 1. 30. and 6. 11. Iustification ministers vnto vs deliuerance from hell and a right to life euerlasting Sanctification is a fruit of the former and serues to make vs thankefull to God for our iustification and loue serues for the same vse because it is a speciall part of Sanctification Thus much of the deprauation of the text by the Papists Hence further I gather that many falsely in these last daies boast of faith because it is not ioyned with profiting in knowledge with true conuersion vnto God with fruits of loue to God and man whereas all true faith is fruitefull in good workes 7 Ye did runne well who did letyou that ye should not obay the truth The meaning Ye did runne well In these words Paul alludes to the games of running vsed among the heathen And he compares the word and precepts of God to a way or race beleeuers to runners life eternall to the price God to the vmpire or iudge the lookers on are men and Angels good and badde and the Exercise of religion is the running in this race Read of this 1. Cor. 9. 24. Phil. 3. 13 14. Who the interrogation hath in it the force of a reproofe or complaint And the sense is this they did euill which turned you forth of the way and you haue done euill that you obaied not the truth The like is Psal. 2. 1. Why doe the heathen rage that is it is great wickednes for them to rage Let stoppe intercept your course turne you out of the way That you should not obay that you should not giue credence to the doctrine of Paul and obay it The scope These wordes are a repetition of the principall conclusion of the whole Epistle And this repetition is not in vaine For it serues to bring the Galatians to a consideration of their offence and to amendement of life Hence I obserue that the often and serious consideration of our sinnes and liues past is a meanes to worke in vs a detestation of our sinnes and a reformation of life Thus Dauid saith that vpon consideration of his waies he turned his feete to Gods commandements Psal. 119. 59. And the cause why there is so little amendement among vs is because we neuer so much as thinke what we haue done In these wordes Paul sets downe three duties of Christian people The first is that they must be runners in the race of God Indeede the Sabbath of the Iewes figured a rest which is contrarie to running but this rest is from sinne and not from good duties This dutie of running teacheth vs foure things The first is that we must make hast without delay to keepe the commandements of God specially the commandements of faith repentance new obedience Psal. 119. 32 60. Contrariwise it is a great fault for youth others to deferre amendement till old age or till the last and deadly sicknes For that is the time to ende our running and not to beginne The second is that we are to increase and profit in all good duties specially in knowledge faith repentance But we in this age doe otherwise For either we stand at a staie or goe backe and very fewe of vs proceede forward in good duties And there are two causes of this One is blindnes of minde which makes vs that we see not how little our faith and repentance is and how great is the masse of our corruption the second is our vnbeleefe in the Article of life euerlasting The third dutie is that we must neither looke to the right or left hand or looke to things behind vs to set our affection on them but we must presse on forward to
one thing to be iust an other thing to be declared and knowne to be iust We are iust by faith but we are knowne to be iust by our works therefore men shall be iudged at the last day not by their faith but by their workes For the last iudgement serueth not to make men iust that are vniust which is done by faith but to manifest them to the world what they are in deede which is done by workes Men are often compared to trees in Scripture Now a tree is not knowne what it is by his sappe but by his fruit neither are men knowne to be iust by their faith but by their workes Indeede a tree is therefore good because his sappe is good but it is knowne to be good by his fruit So a man is iust because of his faith but he is knowne to be iust by his good works therefore seeing that the last iudgement must proceede according to euidence that is vpon record for the bookes must be opened and men must be iudged of those things that are written in the bookes all must be iudged by their workes which are euident and apparent to the view of all men and not by their faith which is not exposed to the sight of any And hence it is that the Scripture saith we shall be iudged according to our workes but it is no where said for our good workes Gregorie saith God will giue to euery one according to his workes but it is one thing to giue according to workes an other thing for workes For works are no way the cause of reward but onely the common measure according to which God giueth a greater or lesser reward Take this resemblance A King promiseth vnequal rewards to runners the least of which would equall the riches of a kingdome vpon condition that he which first commeth to the goale shall haue the greatest reward the second the next and so in order They hauing finished their race the King giueth them the reward according to their running Who would hence but childishly inferre that therefore they merited this reward by their running And whereas they vrge that text Matth. 25. Come ye blessed for I was hungrie and yee fedde me I answer first that the word for doth not alway signifie a cause but any argument or reason takē from any Topick place as Rom. 3. 22 23. The righteousnes of God is made manifest vnto all and vpon all that beleeue For there is no differēce for all haue sinned are depriued of the glorie of God Where sinne is no cause of the righteousnes of faith but onely an antecedent or adiunct common to all men So when we say This is the true mother of the child for shee will not haue it diuided There for doth not implie the cause as though her refusing to haue it diuided did make her the true mother of it but onely the signe that shee was the true mother indeed Secondly be it granted that it implieth the cause yet not the meritorious cause for good workes are said to be causes of eternall life not as meriting procuring or deseruing any thing at the hands of God but as they are the kings high way to eternall life God hauing prepared good works that we should walke in them If a King promise his subiect a treasure hid in the topp of a steepe and high mountaine vpon condition that he clime and digge it out his climing and digging is the efficient cause of enioying the treasure but no meritorious cause of obtaining it seeing it was freely giuen If it be further said that the word for doth here signifie the cause as well as in the words following Goe ye cursed for I was hungrie and ye gaue me no meat seeing our Sauiour Christ speaketh after the same māner of the reward of the godly and punishment of the wicked I ans The paritie of the reason stands in this that as by good works we come to eternall life so by wicked works we runne headlong to perdition The dissimilitude is this that euil works are not onely the way but also the cause of death good workes are the way but not the cause as Bernard saith they are via regni non causa regnandi Obiect III. Here God promiseth eternall life to good workes therefore good works merit eternall life Answ. There is a double couenant Legall and Euangelicall In the legali couenant the promise of eternall life is made vnto workes Doe this and liue If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements But thus no man can merit because none can fulfill the lawe In the Euangelicall couenant the promise is not made to the worke but to the worker and to the worker not for the merit of his work but for the merit of Christ as Apoc. 2. 20. Be faithfull vnto the end and I will giue thee the crowne of life the promise is not made to fidelitie but to the faithfull person whose fidelitie is a signe that he is in Christ in whome all the promises of God are yea and Amen that is most certaine and infallible Secondly if any thing be due to works it is not of the merit of the worke but of gods mercifull promise Augustine saith God made himselfe a debter not by owing any thing but by promising Thirdly no reward is due to workes of regeneration vpon compact and promise first because we are not vnder the couenant of works in which God doth couenant with vs vpon condition of our obedience but vnder the couenant of grace the tenour of which coue nant runneth vpon condition of the merits of Christ apprehended by faith Secondly though we were vnder the legall couenant yet we merit not because our workes are not answerable to the lawe Lastly wheras the pillars of the Romish church teach that the promise made vpon condition of performing the worke maketh the performer to merit is very false This is not sufficient to make a meritorious worke it is further required that the worke be answerable and correspondent in worth and value to the reward as if one shall promise a thousand crowns to him that will fetch a little water out of the next well it is debt indeed in the promiser but no merit in the performer because there is no proportion betweene the worke and the reward Obiect IV. Sowing to the spirit is a good worke and reaping eternall life the reward but reward presupposeth memerit therefore sowing to the spirit doth merit eternall life Ans. There is a double reward One of fauour another of debt Rom. 44. To him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt So saith Ambrose There is one reward of liberalitie and fauour another reward which is the stipend of vertue and recompence of our labour Therefore reward signifieth generally any recompence or any gift that is bestowed vpon another whether it be more or lesse whether answerable to the worke or not
by good example and by gratious speeches seasoned with salt c. as Barnabas did who comming to Antioch and seeing the grace of God that was giuen them was glad and confirmed them therein exhorting them that with purpose of heart they would cleaue vnto the Lord. Act. 11. 22. and for this cause as I take it it is added v. 23. that he was a good man and full of the holy Ghost and faith The Vniting goodnes is likewise to be practised in setting men at Vnitie in reconciling those that are at variance in making peace and amitie where there is nothing but enmitie and dissention for for this cause Christ calleth peace-makers the children of God Matth. 5. 10. because herein they liuely resemble the goodnes of God their heauēly father as any sonne doth resemble any qualitie or propertie in his naturall father for he maketh men to be of one minde in one house Psal. 67. The Communicating goodnes beeing especially vnderstood in this place hath foure degrees First for temporall things we must communicate to the necessities of the Saints Rom. 12. 13. And for spiritual blessings we must remēber the saying of Peter Let euery man as he hath receiued a gift so minister the same vnto others as good disposers of the manifold grace of God 1. Pet. 4. 10. Secondly we must be plentifull in the workes of mercie not contenting our selues with this that we are beneficiall to some in releeuing them in their wants and necessities but we must be rich in good workes 1. Tim. 6. 18. Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded that they doe good and be rich in good works readie to distribute and to communicate We must be like Tabitha or Dorcas who cloathed the poore with the garments which shee made at her owne proper cost and charges Act. 9. 39. and for this cause the holy Ghost giueth this testimonie of her that shee was rich or full of good works almes which shee did v. 36. like to the vertuous woman Prou. 31. 20. who openeth the palme of her hands to the poore and stretched out her hands to the needie like Iob of whome it is said that the loynes of the poore blessed him Iob. 31. 20. Thirdly we must be much in goodnes as the Scripture speaketh of God that is abundant in goodnes in communicating vnto others abundantly those blessings which the Lord hath stored vs withall not onely in louing our brethren for which the Thessalonians are commended that their loue one towardes another did abound but in a liberall supplying of their wants as Paul exhorts the Corinthians that as they did abound in faith and loue so they would abound in rich liberalitie 2. Cor. 8. 7. as good Obadiah did in spending his liuing and venturing his life in hiding an hundred of the Lords Prophets from the furious rage of wicked Iesabel 1. King 18. 13. Lastly we must be exceeding or superabundant in goodnes in exceeding measure if it may be in doing good like the poore widow who had rather want her selfe then be altogether wanting in contribution to the treasurie of the Lords Temple and therefore though it was but two mites which shee cast into the Corban yet Christ preferred it before all the rich mens offerings beeing put together in that they gaue of their superfluitie but shee of her penurie cast in all that shee had euen all her liuing Luk. 21. 4. It is well said by S. Ambrose We must releeue the wants of others according as we are able and sometime euen aboue our abilitie as Paul witnesseth of the Corinthians to their great commendation that to their power beyond their power they were willing 2. Cor. 8. 3. Further in doing good we must obserue these rules I. We must doe good of that onely which is our owne for we may not cut a large and liberall shine of another mans loafe as the common saying is we may not steale from one to giue to another or deale vniustly with some that we may be mercifull to others or robbe Peter to cloath Paul The Lord abhorreth euen burnt offering if it be of that which is gotten by rapine and spoile Esa. 61. 8. and hence it is that Dauid would not offer burnt offering without cost of that which was not his owne 1. Chron. 21. 24. II. We must doe good with chearefulnes and alacritie for God loueth a chearefull giuer 2. Cor. 9. Ambrose saith fitly and finely to this purpose Well-doing ought to proceede from well-willing for such as thine affection is such is thy action Therefore if we giue we must doe it freely otherwise it is no gift for what more free then gift therefore we may not play the hucksters in doing good for that doth most blemish the excellencie of the gift for as Lactantius saith Danda beneficia non foeneranda III. We must so doe good as that we doe not disable our selues for euer doing good but may continue in well doing and as the Psalmist speaketh bring forth more fruit in our age Salomon commands that the streames of our wells should flow to others yet so as that the fountaine be still our owne Psal. 112. 5. A good man is mercifull and lendeth and will guide his affaires with iudgement that is he will so discreetly dispose and order all his actions as that he will keepe himselfe within his compasse so beginning to doe good as that he may continue therefore the wise man saith In the house of the wise there is a pretious treasure and oyntment but a foolish man deuoureth it Prou. 21. 20. All the disciples that were at Antioch sent succour to the brethren which were in Iudea in the great famine that was in the time of Claudius Cesar yet euery man according to his abilitie Act. 11. 29. for according to Pauls rule we must not so giue that others be eased and we our selues pinched 2. Cor. 8. 13. IIII. We must doe all the good we can possibly within the compasse of our callings and hinder all the euill It will be said God whose example we are to follow doth not all the good he can neither doth he hinder all the euill Therefore we are not bound to doe all the good or preuent all the euill we can I answer in this particular we are not to imitate the example of God and that for three causes First because we are subiect to the law Thou shalt not doe euill that good may come of it Rom. 3. 8. whereas God is not bound nor subiect to any Law no not to his owne law but is aboue it and hath power to dispence with it Secondly because he is able to draw good out of euill light out of darknes which we cannot doe Thirdly because God is the Generall good we particular Now there is great difference betwixt these two for it belongs to the nature of the particular good to procure all the good
wresting preuerting and breaking this rule but in making other new Lesbian rules which they prescribe as necessarie to be followed as the rule of S. Francis of S. Dominick S. Austen S. Ierome c. holding on mans baptisme better then another on mans profession holier then another on mans rule perfecter then another following any rule rather then Christs and so diuide his seaâ—â—les coate And that these sundry rules of Monks are vaine and wicked it may appeare First because they agree not with this rule of Paul they beeing many it but on it directing and leading to Christ they leading to by paths obscuring the merit of Christ and prescribing many things partly friuolous partly impious contrary to faith and good life Secondly in that they agree not among themselues euery sect hauing his own proper orders and contending their owne to be better holier perfecter then the rest Thirdly in that they diuide into diuerse sects those that ought to be all on in Christ for which cause Paul calles the Corinthians carnall in houlding some of Paul others of Apollos 1. Cor. 3. 4. For how can they be spirituall who in speech action habitte and attire profession and conuersation professe nothing but shisme and dissention Ierome against the Luciferians saith Sieubi audieris â—os qui dicuntur Christi non a Domino lesu Christâ— sed à quoquam alio nuncupari puta Marciònitas Valentinianos Montenses Campates scito non â—cclesiam Christi sed Antichristi esse Synagogam that is whersoeuer thou shalt heare those that are called Christians not to haue their name from our Lord Iesus Christ but from some other as Marcionites Valentinians Montenses Campates knowe thus much that they are not the church of Christ but the Synagogue of Antichrist Nay further solitary life in leauing the society of men and sequestâ—ing themselues from all company which is the grownd and generall practize of Monkish Eâ—emites for Coenobites to speake pâ—operly are no Monks as the word teacheth is against the very light of nature it selfe First because it is naturall for men to liue together nay it is the ground of the family the church and common-wealth There was neuer nation so barbarous or sauage but endeauoured to liue together by associating themselues in cities townes villages caues woods tents or some other way according to the custome of the countrey which generall practise of all argues the impression of nature in all Secondly speach is giuen men for this end that they might conuerse together for it were little or nothing auaileable if men should liue alone and conuerse withnone Thirdly sundry vertues bestowed vpon men as iustice fortitude loue and frendship should be giuen in vaine if men should liue solitary sequestred from all company Fourthly mans imbecillity argues thus much for whereas all other creatures are armed by nature as the Bull with hornes the Boare with tuskes other with teeth fethers swiftnes c. man is borne feeble and naked not able to prouide or defend himselfe but only by helpe of others which is an argument that he is borne to liue in ciuill society and to be holpen by others Lastly man is borne to doe good to himselfe and others in some estate and calling 1. Cor. 7. But he that liueth alone can doe no good to others nor receiue good from them For whereas they plead for themselues that they leaue their particular callings and betake themselus to Armetages that so they may renounce the world I answer that to renounce the world is not to leaue their places and callings whereunto God hath caled them but to renounce the corruption that is in the world through lust 2. Pet. 1. 4. These and the like reasons made the Philosopher to say that he which left the societie of men and betooke himselfe to a solitary life was either a God or a beast By this we may see what Lesbian rules they follow and how that which they account the highest degree of perfection is in truth the depth of abomination that it hath beene the cause of much wickednes as of idlenes hypocrisie whoredome so domitry besides the cruell murthering of many poore innocents Therefore let neither their hypocrisie nor the churches pretended authoritie nor the long receiued custom any thing mooue vs but that leauing them we follow the rule of Paul in this place for they that walke according to it peace shall be vpon them and mercie By peace we are to vnderstand outward peace as prosperitie and good successe in all things we goe about For whatsoeuer they doe shall prosper Psal. 1. 3. And peace with the creatures as first with the good Angels Colosâ— 1. 20. who are ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes that shal be heires of saluation Ebr. 1. 14. pitching their tents about them Psal. 34. 7. and bearing them in their hands as the nourse her child Psal. 91. 12. Secondly with the godly The Prophet saith that in the kingdome of Christ the wolfe shall dwell with the lambe the leopard shall lie with the kidde c. that is men of fierce sauage and woluish natures shal be so changed by grace as that they shall liue peaceably and louingly together Thirdly with the wicked their enemies partly because they seeke to liue in peace as Dauid saith of himselfe I labour for peace Psal. 120. 7. partly because God so inclines their hearts as that they are peaceable Lastly with the beast of the field and all the creatures The Lord promiseth to make a couenant with the wild beasts and foules of the heauen in behalfe of his people that they may sleepe safely Hos. 2. 18. But the peace which is principally meant in this place is peace of conscience which passeth all vnderstanding Phil. 4. 7. Which is peace with God beeing reconciled and at one with him Rom. 5. 1. Beeing iustified by faith we haue peace with God And peace with our selues which is three fold as it is opposed to a threefold dissention in man The first is when the will and affections renewed by grace are obedient to the minde enlightened by the spirit and at peace therewith opposed to the dissention that is betwixt rebellious affections and naturall reason The second is when grace though strongly assailed giueth corruption the foile whereupon followeth the calming and quieting of the mind opposed to the combate betweene the flesh and the spirit The third is when the conscience perswaded of remission of sinnes and reconciliation with God ceaseth to accuse and terrifie and beginnes to excuse and comfort vs opposed to the conflicts that a distressed conscience hath with legall terrours and the anger of God By mercy which is the cause of this peace are vnderstood all spirituall blessings which flow vnto vs from the loue and fauour of God in Christ as remission of sinnes iustification sanctification and eternall life it selfe The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon them haue great emphasis signifying that these blessings
signifie prints with a hot yron But it is here vsed generally to signifie any blemish skarre or marke whatsoeuer whether such as was wont to be set vpon seruants bought with money which among the Iewes was a hole in the eare pearced with a naule Exod. 21. 6. Deut. 15. 17. or vpon slaues taken in the warres as the Samians set vpon an Athenian captiue the signe of an owle and the Athenians vpon a Samian the signe of a shippe Or vpon malefactours as a hole in the eare an F in the forehead a brand in the hand Or such a marke as some thinke was set vpon Cain Gen. 4. 15. or the marke of God Ezek. 9. 4. or of the beast Apoc. 16. 〈◊〉 The markes of Christ are of two sorts either inward and inuisible or outward and visible The inuisible markes are two The first is Gods eternall Election which is called Gods seale or marke 2. Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his All the Elect are marked with this marke Apoc. 7. and by it Christ knoweth and acknowledgeth them for his sheepe Ioh. 10. The second is regeneration or the imprinting of the defaced image of God in the soule By this marke which is the true indelâ—ble character neuer to be blotted out are all beleeuers sealed 2. Cor. 1. 22. Eph 1. 13. These inward inuisible markes of Election and Regeneration are in the soule and therefore not here meant for he speakes of bodily markes I beare in my bodie the markes .... The outward visible marks are twofold Typicall or Reall Typicall as circumcision which was a marke set in the foreskin of the flesh Rom. 4. 11. The blood of the Paschal lambe wherewith the houses of the Israelites were marked when the first borne of the Aegyptians were slaine by the destroying Angel And Baptisme is of the same kind for by Baptisme Christians are distinguished from Iewes Turkes Infidells whatsoeuer Reall markes of Christ are either in his naturall or in his mysticall bodie In his naturall bodie the wounds which were giuen him in his hands feete and sides which he shewed to his Disciples after his resurrection Ioh. 20. 27. which whether they be now to be seene in his glorified bodie as some affirme or abolished as others I leaue to the Reader as a thing vncerten and meerely coniecturall seeing there is nothing in Scripture either for it or against it that doth necessarily conclude it But of these markes the Apostle speaketh not in this place The markes in his mysticall bodie are those which are in his members as wounds skarres whippings maimednes c. of which we read 2. Cor. 4. 10. Euery where we beare about in our bodie the dying of the Lord Iesus and 2. Cor. 11. 24 25. Fiue times receiued I fourtie stripes saue one I was thrise beaten with roddes once stoned c. And these the Apostle here calleth the marks of Christ because they are inflicted for the profession of Christ and the Gospel as the wounds and skarres of a souldier may be called his Princes woundes and skarres because they are had in his cause and quarrell Now those in his naturall bodie differ from these in his mysticall First in that they are meritorious for by his stripes we are healed 1. Pet. 2. 24. These in his mysticall body are glorious in the sight of god as the death of his Saints is yet not meritorious Secondly those in his naturall bodie were prophecied of before in particular Psal. 22. 16. They pearced my hands and my feete These in his mysticall bodie onely in generall that we should be conformable vnto him In this place Paul speaketh of the latter onely which were in his owne person and this he doth not to put any merit in theÌ„ as S. Francis did but to testifie himself to be a faithfull seruant of Christ. And he further meeteth with the false Apostles who would needes haue had the Galatians circumcised that so they might glorie in the flesh as hauing seâ— the marke of circumcision in the foreskin of their flesh As if he should say I set not markes in other mens flesh to glorie of them as the false Apostles doe but I beare about in my bodie the markes of the Lord Iesus these are the signes of mine Apostleship and arguments of fidelitie in my Ministerie which I set not in other mens flesh but haue in mine owne Here we see what we are to thinke and what vse we are to make of the wounds skaâ—res and blemishes that are in any of the Saints for the profession of the Gospel and maintenance of the truth First that they are the sufferings wounds and marks of Christ himselfe as Paul tearmeth them here and Coloss. 1. 24. seeing they are the wounds of the members of that bodie wherof he is the head Secondly they haue this vse to conuince the consciences of persecutors and wicked men that they are the seruants of Christ which suffer thus for righteousnes sake for which cause they are here mentioned by Paul Thus he prooues himselfe to be a member of Christ by the afflictions which he suffered for his sake 2. Cor. 12. Thirdly if men be constant in their profession namely in faith and obedience they are banners of victorie Therefore no man ought to be ashamed of them no more then souldiers of their wounds and skarres but rather in a holy manner to glorie of them as Paul did For as it is a glorie to a souldier to haue receiued many wounds and to haue many skarres in a good cause in his Princes quarrell and for the desence of his countrey So it is a glorie for a Christian souldier to haue the markes of the Lord Iesus in his bodie as of wounds scourges bonds imprisonment for the profession of the truth Therfore Constantine the great as the Ecclesiasticall historie records kissed the holes of the eyes of certaine Bishops which had them put out by the Arrians for the constant profession of the faith of Christ reuerencing the vertue of the holy Ghost which shined in them This makes nothing for the fratres flagellantes who glorie in the markes which they make in their flesh by whipping of themselues For first it is not the punishment as Cyprian saith but the cause that makes a Martyr Secondly the marks which men set vpon themselues contrarie to the Law Leuit. 19. 28. are not the markes of the Lord Iesus but those onely which are set vpon them by others for the profession of the truth Thirdly this whipping and afflicting of themselues beeing but will-worship in not sparing of the bodie Coloss. 2. 23. is no better accepted of God theÌ„ the superstitious practise of Baals priests lancing themselues with kniues till the blood gushed out 1. King 18. 28. Againe if this be the glorie of a seruant of Christ and a note of constant profession what shall we say of them who haue not onely their consciences seared
causes 351. 6 Of the churches reioycing 358. 37 It is one in number and no more 351. 37. How the church is troubled vide Trouble The catholike church why called our mother 35. 2. 17 Where our mother is to be found 352. 25. The order to be vsed in the censure giuen vpon a church 9. 10 Ierusalem the mother church rather then Rome 61. 15 The church was before the writing of the word but not before the word 77. 6 It is inuisible 352. Of Circumcision 79. 32 Circumcision considered according to the circumstance of time three waies 373. 15 Circumcision in it selfe a thing indifferent yet not to be vsed if it be vrged as a matter of absolute necessitie 614. 35 Ciuill vertues and a ciuill life are no better then sinnes 16. 10 What is the combate that naturall man haue 417. 28 The cause of the spirituall combate and the persons in whome it is 417. 5. The vse of the combate 419. 1 The commandements of God are not grieuous three waies 190. 15 Concealements of the truth sometimes lawfull 63. 13 How it must be vnderstood that in the commandement the sinnes of the fathers are visited vpon the children 521. 29 Papists make three degrees of concupiscence 252. 11 Concupiscence vide Lust. Conference of Pastor and people necessarie 338. 13 How conscience is free and how subiect to the power of the Magistrate 410. 1 Three obiections remooued that the lawes and traditions of the church bind Conscience as truly as the word of God 369. 21 The consent of Pastors and people excellent 6. 25 What is the force of consent 6. 27 Consent no certen marke of the church 6. 37 The catholike consent of beleeuers in points of religion is not the true and liuely Scripture 7. 5. Consent standes in three things 7. 15. Consent not to be found amongest the papistes 7. 18. Consent is to be found amongest vs in the foundation of religion 7. 23. Consider our selues and others 467. 468. 469. Constancie vid. standing Consultation not to be vsed in matters of religion nor in obedience 56. 19. 37. The vse of the contemplation of Christ by faith 162. 30 The effect of contention 408. 6 Contentions some lawfull some sinfull 436. â—5 Contract in some cases may be dissolued 209. 11 Sinnes after conuersion are pardonable 462. 4 Three causes of Pauls conuersion 46. 32. The order and dependance of causes in a sinners conuersion 47. 13 Fiue Questions of Pauls conuersion vide Paul Conuersion wrought by certain degrees 336. 20 Corruption not felt by corruption but by grace 528. 33 Couenants beeing lawfull are to be kept with heretykes and enemies 208. 23. What couenants with losse are to be kept and what not ibid. 30 Couenants of two sorts legall and euangelicall 569. 6 The couenants of workes hath two properties 348. 27 Conferences and councels are laudible 75. 32 Three caueats in gathering a councell 76. 5 For this ending of differences in religion there must be conferences in a free or christian councell 408. 37. Why the protestants ioyned not with the papists in the councell of Trent 409. 5 Fiue rules for our libertie in vsing the creatures vid. Libertie why we ought to take vp our crosse and follow Christ certaine reasons 620. 5 what is mens by the crosse of Christ. 630. 16. Crucifying is either the action of Christ or our action of Christ threefold 451. 7 Three meanes to crucifie the flesh 451. 26 Reasons why a man hanging on a tree is cursed 202. 8 What the curse is that Christ was made for vs 198. 19 How Christ was a curse ibid. 28 Whether Paul did well in cursing his enemies 396. 30 Whether we may curse ours 397. 10 How we should vse the imprecations in Dauids Psalmes 397. 18 D A fourefould kind of obseruation of daies 314. 4 Against the Popish obseruation of holy daies 316. 7 How Protestants obserue them 316. 28. Against obseruing daies of good bad successe 317. 2 Two rules to be obserued for the right manner and measure of eating and drinking vide Eating Christs temporall death did counteruaile eternall death vide Death Wee must carrie our selues as dead men in three respects 144. 29 There are two degrees both in the first and second death 199. 20. 24. What debate is 436. 3 There is a deceit called dolus bonus 64. 2. Of men deceiuing themselues 508. 30. A man may be deceiued both in diuine and humane things sundry waies 546. 19 A man deceiues himselfe two wries 546. 20. The heart of man deceitfull 546. 40. from whence that springeth 547. 3 Good desires distinguished from carnall d 〈…〉 es by three properties 297. 32 Of the desires of our hearts and that they are cryes and how 598. 6 Of the league of compact with the deuil 429. 20 VVhat is the chiefe principle in diuinitie 433. 24 VVhat drunckennes is 439. 11 Two things in this sinne ibid. 14 To be giuen to drincking is a sinne 439. 21. Inducements to detest drunckennes 439. 30. Arg. for drunkennes answered 440. 20. E Two rules to be obserued for the right manner and measure of eating and drincking 439. 5 ElectioÌ„ ariseth not of the will of man but of the grace of God 40. 27. How we may attaine to the assurance of our election 47. 31 There is a double election 194. 14 Gods election is the roote of all the gifts of God is vs. 308. 15 The meere grace of God is the cause of our election 360. â—6 In religion there ought to be a holy emulation 44. 36 There is a good emulation and a carnall emulation 436. 8 whether Paul did well in cursing his enemies 396. 30 whether we may curse our enemies vide Curse Enmitie vide Hatred Enuie what it is 437. 36 Error in the foundation or beside the foundation of religion 8. 30 Error of humane frailue or of obstinacie 8. 35 No man can set downe the precise time when errors had there be ginning 84. 12 Error is either in iudgement or maÌ„ners both are of two sorts 409. 20. In the examination of our selues foure rules must be obserued 218. 8. The contagion of euill examples must be cut off in the societie of men 109. 40 Excommunication when to be vsed 390. 32 Offenders are not to be excommu nicated at the first but orderly to be proceeded against 393. 9. 486. 37. F Faith is of great vse in the kingdome of God 382. 32 when faith first begins to breede in the heart 240. 30 How faith in Christ is conceiued in the heart 241. 5 whether faith may be lost 69. 25 what Iustifyng faith is as the Papists define 123. 32 The obiect of Abrahams faith was double 123. 38 what true iustifying faith is 124. 35 Faith and confidence are two distinct gifts of God 125. 11 Two causes why a beleeuer is saide to liue by faith 149. 16 How men liue by faith 149. 24 Faith considered two waies 175. 34 That we may liue by faith we
must doe two things 194. 5 A particular or speciall faith hath 3 acts or effects 239. 22 Arguments of the Papists against special faith answered 239. 30 Euery grieuous fall doth not abolish the fauour of God 237. 13 Of the faith of Infants 261. 15 What faith towardes God is 446. 31. ReasoÌ„s to proue that the faith of the most is but false fained 446. 35 Faith workes by loue beeing the cause of loue and loue the fruit of faith 383. 13 In faith two things 385. 24 Faith towardes men standes in two particulars 447. 12 Reasons to mooue vs to maintaine faith truth among men 447. 25 By faith we doe not abrogate but establish the law vide Law The dutie of gouernours of families 410. 24 God is called a father in two respects 336. 13 Or the Fathers sending his Sonne vide God No man exempted from falling 461. 37. Fainting twofold 585. 7 Spirituall fainting twofold 585. 12 Faults of Churches be of two sorts 8. 18. Of naturall feare how it is good and how euill 108. 4 Three kinds of feare 108. 20 Figures and Allegories vsed in scripture 346. 16 Of the spirituall combate betwixt the flesh and the spirit vid. Combate How the flesh and spirit fight together 416. 4 The lust of the flesh hath two actions 416. 21 A treatise of the works of the flesh where is handled the condition the kinds and the punishments thereof 423. 22 Flesh signifies more then sensualitie 433. 15 What the flesh is 450. 18 In the flesh are two things Affections and lusts 450. 27 Meanes to crucifie the flesh 451. 26 For signifies not alwaies a cause but any Argument 568. 14 The foreknowledge of God vide God Fornication what it is 424. â—4 Against tolleration of fornication 425. 12. To flie adulterie and fornication 426. 6. Two speciall occasions of them 427 4. Freedome in good things fourefold 368. 3 G The Galatians reuolt 8. 10 What the churches of Galatia were 9. 28 How the Galatians receiued the gospel 28. 30 To Gentilize what it is 112. 5 Gentlenes what 445. 29 The gifts of God are inordinately vsed three waies vide Inordinate The more excellent gifts any hath receiued the more he is bound to be seruiceable to others 463. 39 The glorie of heauen twofold Essentiall and Accidentall 556. 23 To Glorie implies three things 625. 13. Two Grounds of glorying one in God another in himselfe 517. 12. Howe they differ and howe wee may doe both ibid. Obiections against glorying and reioycing in our selues 517. 30 How glorying in a mans selfe doth differ from vaine glorie which is a branch of pride 517. 30 Foure rules to bee obserued that we may glory in the Testimonie of a good Conference 518. 15 Lessons to be learned from this that we are to glorie in the Testimonie of a good conference 518. 31 Glorying when it is good and when euill 625. Glorying good or euill ibid. 27 Euill glorying is vaine glorying in three respects ibid. 23. Wherein we ought not to glorie ibid. 35. neither in wisdome strength riches honour nor pleasures ibid. Glorying in outward things not only vaine but impious Foure reasons 627. 40 There is a two fould lawfull bosting or glorying one before god another before man 628. 29 Obiections for Boasting answered 628. 16. Vnlawfull glorying when it is 629. 17. Glorying in wickednes three waies 629. 30. Reasons why Paul did Glorie rather in Christs death then in his resurrection 631. 21 The Papists wicked Glorying in the crosse vide crosse Gluttony what it is 439. 16 False Goddes are set vp two waies 304. 16 How God is to be acknowledged and worshipped 12. 15 Gods foreknowledge is not seuered from his will 108. 12 In what order the foreknowledge of God stands to his will 180. 25 God is called a father in two respects 236. 13 How God is said to repent 220. 19 A child of God two waies 236. 26 A treatise of God sending his sonne 279. 5. God knoweth exactly all our actions 549. 26 How the godly mans sinnes doe not condemne him in the latter Iudgment three resons 551. 27 The godly reape not that they sow therefore there is another life 552. 11. Seuen rules to liue godlily 139. 10 What a man must doe to be assured that he is Gods child 297. 14 Why affliction is the portion of the godly two reasons 620. 28 Vses of this that the godly are persecuted and afflicted 621. 15 Good things are commonly done in euill manner 330. 5 How they may be well done three rules 330. 21 The Godly faile in the manner of dooing good 344. 1 The dutie of dooing good declared by sundry arguments 588. 1 Dooing of good standeth in three things 588. 4 Rules to be obserued in dooing good 590. 34 We are not allwaies to imitate God in good and euill for three causes 591. 34 God is the generall good we the particular 591. 40 To the nature of the generall good three things appertaine 595. 4 Reasons why we are to doe good to all men 593. 9 How we are to doe good especially to the houshold of faith 594. 20 Reasons to doe good especially to the faithfull 594. 35 The order to be obserued in dooing of good to others 596. 23 There is no possibilitie of dooing good after this life 601. 37 Goodnes what it is 445. 38. Goodnes respects either the bodie or the mind and stands in foure actions 446. 9 Goodnes three fould preseruing vniting communicatiue 589 Communicatiue Goodnes hath 4. degrees 589. 29 What is vnderstood by God 531. 24 A felicitie to receiue the doctrine of the Gospell and what benefits come thereby 326. 27 The law and Gospell not on in substance of doctrine 378. 9 The Gospell must be preached rather then the law for two causes 54. 1. It must be preached to the Gentiles for two causes 54. 38 There is but one Gospel and one way of saluation 21. 31 Popish religion subuertes the Gospel of Christ. 23. 15 The doctrine of the Gospel called the truth for two causes 159. 20 The antiquitie of the Gospel 181. 19. How it differs from the lawe Vide Lawe The Gospel was not reueiled to the world till after the comming of Christ. 228. 11 Persecution and the preaching of Gospel goe hand in hand 620. 20. The Gospel is no new law 497. 23. In what the lawe and Gospel agree 497. 24 They differ in fiue things 498. 9 Why the Gospel is called a misterie 498. 16 The doctrine of the Gospel called by an excellencie the word also the word of the kingdome of God of saluation of life 530. 36. Our saluation placed alone in grace 654. 15. A child by Grace three waies 236 28. Uide Child The knowledge of the true God stands in sixe points 248. 20 What is ment by Grace 10. 5 The causes of grace be the father Christ and how they are distinct in regard of the manner of working 10. 38 Grace in god is the
first cause of all good things in vs. 11. 7 Grace and peace are the cheife good things to be sought for 11. 30 Gods order in the communication of grace peace 12. 21 Grace and works cannot stand together in iustificatioâ— 20. 18 Wherein standes the efficacy of preuenting grace 52. 10 Whether it can be resisted 52. 30 How efficacie of grace and libertie of will stand together 52. 37 Grace in Scripture signifieth two things 153. 10 Preuenting grace is two fould 308. 24. The works of grace in God Imprint their Image in the hearts of them that belong to God 308. 32 Falling from grace though but in part is dangerous 339. 23 The hatred of Gods grace in man is the beginning of all persecution 362. 21. What is our Guide now in the new Testament the lawe beeing abrogated 234. 22 Men are said to be vnder grace two waies 318. 28 One little grace of God brings many other with it 391. 11 Beside the antecedent and first grace there is necessarie a subsequent or second grace 421. 34 Grace mentioned in the Scripture twofold 651. 33 Gratia gratum faciens and gratia gratis data ibid. 34 Gratia gratum faciens naturall or supernaturall ibid. 40. 652. 1 Why the fauour and loue of God is called the Grace of Christ 652. 15. The soule the proper subiect of Grace 652. 32 H Hatred whether a sinne or not 435. 4. What it is 435. 27 What a right heart is 111. â—7 What a humble and honest heart is 111. 18. Mans heart peruerse to Gods ordinance 618. 12 What Heresie is 432. 12. 18 Difference betweene heresie and schisme 432. 36 Difference betweene heresie and a simple error 433. 9 Three things in heresie ibid. 10 Three rules to preserue our selues from heresies 433. 20 There are two degrees of honour 455. 22. I Idolatrie committed two waies 304. 16. That Idolatrie may be rooted out of the mind what is to be done 305. 37. What Idolatrie is 427. 22 An Idol and Idolatrie taken two waies 427. 22 the Romish religion teacheth Idolatrie foure waies 428. 9 their Arguments answered ibid. 24 Iealousie twofold 329. 16 Good Iealousie stands in 3 things 331. 26. 332. 6. What the name of Iew signifieth opposed to Gentiles 270. 13 Of the distinction of Iewes Gentiles the cause of it 114. 3 Wherein it stands 114. 16 How long it endured ibid. 31 The nation of the Iewes shall be called and conuerted before the ende of the world but when or how God knowes 182. 2 Ierusalem a type of the catholike church in sixe respects 350. 21 Whether Ignorance be a sinne in those that want the word of God 303. 25. the Image of God standes in two things 335. 13 Whether Images be necessarie in the congregation of the people of God 161. 10 Immoderate vse of Gods gifts is 3 waies 400. 27 Imposition of hands by the church of Antioch vpon Paul no calling but a confirmation of his calling 2. 13. Imputation what 175. 18 Imputation twofold 175. 25. Things indifferent not to be vsed as oft as we liste and how we will 80. 22. Two things restraine the vse of theÌ„ indifferent 80. 29 A thing indifferent when it is made necessarie to saluation is not to be vsed 8115. Infantes how they are to be tearmed innocents and how not 525. 39 Infantes haue no good workes 553 8. Infantes to be iudged not by the booke of Conscience but by the booke of life 553. 10 Inscriptions no part of Scripture 658. What the Intercession of Christ is 298. 7. Certain Interpretation of Scripture where to be found 352. 33 Ioy is twofould 444. 17 Ioy of grace in this life standes in three things and hath a double fruit 444. 18. 23 Paul made fiue Iourneyes to Ierusalem 74. 2 We are to haue some warrant for our Iournies where three sortes of meÌ„ are to be blamed 75. 15. 20 Israel twofould 646. 1 Israell of God what ibid. 4 Israel of God why mentioned ibid. 6. Iudisme what it is 41. 12 What it is to Iudaise 112. 3 Iudge the best of others three obiectioÌ„s mooued answered 392 10. In giuing Iudgment of Churches three rules to be marked 8. 15 Three things are subiect to Iudgement 156. 3 Iudgement is twofould 159. 25 The dutie of ministers often to forewarne the people and the dutie of the people often to meditate of Gods iudgements 441. 10. 15. Iugling a kind of witchcraft 429. 35. What the word iustice signifies 116. 8. The subiect of iustification 117. 10 False causes of iustification ibid. 35 What is that thing in Christ by and for which we are Iustified 118. 32. We are not Iustified onely by the passion of Christ. 121. 10 The meanes of iustification 123. 30. Faith alone Iustifieth 129. 17 Iustice twofould of the person and of the act 176. 18 The danger of the doctrine of Iustification by workes 397. 29 Iustification is twofould of the person of the faith of the person 385. 5 Arguments against Iustification by works 375. 3 Faith and loue no ioynt causes in Iustification 384. 10 384. 10. Whosoeuer obstinately maintaineth the doctrine of iustification by workes cannot be saued 373. 30 Obiections remooued ibid. The kindes of iustification 131. 8 The practise of them that are iustified 131. 36 But one Iustification 177. 1 Papists in the day of death renounce Iustification by workes 183. 34 There is a Iustification before God and a Iustification before men 193. 3. We are Iustified not only by the death but also by the obedience of Christ. 286. 18 No Iustification by workes 419. 9. 420. 6. The twofould popish Iustification confuted 348. 12 K Kingdome of God what 42. 25 Gods kingdome what it signifieth 441. 22. Knowledge of the true God stands in two points 248. 20 Knowledge of god is 2. fould 303. 5 Knowledge whereby men know God is either litterall or spirituall 306. 4. The properties of spirituall are thâ—â—e 306. 18. The Knowledge whereby God Knowes men standes in 2. things 308. 10. and it hath two properties 309. 24 L The distinction of Latria and Dulia friuolous 313. 6 We are free from the Law in foure respects 136. 10 The maine difference betweene the Law and the Gospell 194. 36. 214. 17. Why the lawe is vrged though we cannot keepe it 196. 16 The difference of the promises of the Law and the Gospell 210. 17 Impossible for any man in the time of this life to fulfill the Law 186. 35. Obections remooued c. ibid. 11 There are two kindes of fulfilling the Law 189. 11 The Lawe is not greuous three waies vide commandements The difference of the promises of the Law and the Gospell 210. 17 How the Law reuealed sinne before Christ and after 216. 14. The vse of Gods Lawes 227. 23 The Lawe is a Schoolemaster to Christ in two respects 229. 10 When the Lawe of Moses was abrogated 230. 19 How farr forth the Lawe is abrogated 230. 38 What is the Morall Ceremoniall
of canonicall Scripture 655. 20 Reasons why we must prouide for the poore 100. 35 The Gospell must be preached though all men be offended 396. 15. Preaching containes foure ministeriall actions 54. 17 Effectuall and powerfull preaching of the word stands in two things 160. 39. Preaching must be plaine 160. 11 Necessarie for all men 165. 20 The word must be dispenced in the infirmitie of mans flesh for diuers causes 323. 7 The benefits of preaching 326. 27 Prayer to Saints and Angels is carnall prayer 299. 29 Pray onely to God ibid. 300. 14 The right manner of seeking the praise of men 455. 1 Primacie is 2 of order of power 60. 18. Authoritie of the Church no principle 433. 39. Externall and bodily priueledges are of no moment in the kingdome of Christ. 382. 1 Gods promises lie as voide till the particular time of their accomplishment 204. 20 The promise made to Abraham is a couenant or testament and how 211. 30. Christ is the foundation of all the promises of god partly by merit partly by efficacie 313. 2 Why beleeuers are called children of promise 360. 8 Prouerbiall sentences are not at all times true in euery particular 550. 36. Gods prouidence vseth euill things well 348. 22 Subiectiō to punishment hath three parts 365. 13 There are seuerall degrees of punishments in hell 555. 556 R The workes of redemption exceed the works of creation 14. 19 Of the redemption of man from vnder the law 288. 19. c. Christ the onely redeemer 311. 9 Three markes of regeneration 241. 40. The gift of regeneration is neuer vtterlie extinguished 262. 29 What true regeneration is 377. 35 The workes of the regenerate are mixed with sinne and in the rigour of iustice deserue damnation obiections remooued 419. 9. 15. Of the reioycing of the Church vide Church Two groundes of reioycing vide glorying Reioyce signifying to glorie 517. 11 Obiection against reioicing in ones selfe vide glorying VVhat rules are to be obserued in the reioycing in the testimonie of a good conscience vide glorying False reioycing wherein it confisteth 519. 13 Reioycers are of foure sorts 519. 16 To reioyce in a mans selfe what 517. 18. The cheife principle in religion what 433. 24 Whether it be lawfull to compell men to imbrace religion 614. 5. The Magistrate may compell obstinate recusants to professe true religion ibid. 8. Obiections to the contrarie answered ibid. 25 Pauls manner in reproouing 18. 8 Libertie in reproouing with three caueats 103. 13 Why we vse not in preaching personall reproofes as Iohn Baptist did 393. 16 The manner of reproofe vide Restore He that is iniuried is fitter to reprooue him that offered the iniurie then any other 474. 39 Reproofes must not be deferred 460. 22. No wonder that sinners be loth to be reprooued 460. 37 A treatise of Christian reproofe 469. 31. Who are to be reprooued ib. 35 Reproofe belongs not to those that are out of the visible Church 470. The greatest Princes are subiect to reproofe 471. 15 Onely open skorners and persecuters of the word are not to be reprooued 472. 10 Men are to be reprooued for any sinne knowne ibid. 10 And for wrongs offered vs. 474. 20 Obiection against reproofes answered 47◠12 Who are reprooued 477. 1. 37. In fiue cases we are not bound to reprooue others offending 478. 13. In what manner are men to be reprooued set downe in ten rules 579. 37. The bitternesse of reproofe is to be allaied foure waies 483. 17 A man may reproue another foure waies 484. 8 In fitting our reproofe to the offence committed we must put a difference betwixt sinne finne 484. 28. In three cases we are not priuatly to reprooue but publikely to detect offenders 487. 15 The Pastour ought to be resident with his Hocke for two causes 337. 10. Restitution vide Satisfaction As oftē as our brother falls we must restore him 461. 5 Who are to be restored ibid. 17 Spirituall men are more for to restore those that are fallen then any other 463. 3 The manner how we must restore 464. 28. Reuelation is of two sortes 36. 11. Extraordinarie reuelation is foure waies 36. 15 The reuelation which Paul had is extraordinarie 36. 22 Reuolt what and the kindes thereof 18. 29 Remedies against reuenge 445. 8 Reward is double of honour and of debt 569. 37 Reward presupposeth not alwaies debt 571. 14 God giueth rewardes foure waies 571. 29. The phrases of speech of rewarding double or seuen fold what they signifie in the Scripture 552. 31. Pauls rule what it is 641. 33 The Papists rules Lesbian rules 642. 20. Monkish rules vaine and wicked 642. 28. We must be runners in the race of God 386. 19 We must runne well and to the end 387. 7. 22. S Of the institution of the Sabbath 315. 9 20. Sacraments conferre not grace by the worke wrought 254. 21 whether there be now in the church of God any sacrifice or oblation of Christ 161. 29 Whether the Saints may fall away totally and finally 586. 20 There is but one way of saluation 22. 5. Preuision of faith and good workes no cause of saluation 47. 20 The saluation of beleeuers is most sure 47. 27 The manner and way of our saluation 229. 21 The sanctification of the name of God hath two parts 72. 10 There is a double sanctification 193. 21. Satisfaction must be made for wrongs done 98. 39 Who must satisfie 99. 21 To whome 99. 28 What 99. 38 When 100. 9 In what order and manner 100. 15. Schisme and heresie differ vide Heresie The Papists schismatikes and not we 437. 21 For the auoiding of schisme and sedition two rules ibid. 29 Slanders vse to be raised vpon euery light and vniust occasion 395. 18. Scripture is both the glosse and the text 352. 36. 434. 3 Scripture hath sundrie senses according to the Papists 345. 35 When the Scriptures speakes figuratiuely and when properly 346. 30. The Scriptures by themselues are sufficient to saluation 24. 24 The Scriptures are as certen as if they had beene written by God 27. 5. The authoritie of the Scripture dependes not vpon the testimonie of the Church 27. 20 It is necessarie that men should be assured that the Scriptures are of God 31. 30 The testimonies whereby this assurance may be obtained 31. 35 In Scriptures there is diuine and infallible authoritie 353. 15. The meanes to decide controuersies 356. 29 Bookes of Scripture in the new testament haue a threefold difference 608. 9 Bookes of Scripture why called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as also Kethubim by the Iewes 659. 25 The Scriptures why called Canonicall 641. 38 Seditions what 435. 15 The separation of Paul from the wombe what it is 46. 35 To make a faire shewe in the flesh signifieth foure things 610. 33 Simulation what and the sorts 105. 36. Sinne where it takes place giues a man no rest till it hath brought him to a height of wickednes 43. 39. What a sinne of
preparemen to their iustification 11. 13. How our workes are said to please God 191. 19 The workes of the regenerate are mixed and sinnefull and in the rigour of iustice deserue damnatioÌ„ ergo no iustification by workes 515. 9. The benefit of approouing of our workes 515. 9 How we may aprooue our workes three rules 515. 16 Whether we may not approoue our workes or actions to men and if we may how farre forth 515. 29 Infants haue no good workes 553. 8. Gods reward shall be according to the quantitie and qualitie of the workes and what may be gathered from thence 555. 25 How Lazarus and the theife on the crosse had good works 553. 27 Workes and laboures of men may differ three waies and what they be 556. 37 Vses that God rewardeth men according to their workes 559. 560 561. 562. Workes though they be seedes yet are they no causes of eternall life 564. 565. 31. That workes are seedes of eternall life it is gods mercie and not the merit of the workes 565. 35 Workes of the flesh perfectly euill and why 566. 5 Good works perfect as they are of god imperfect as they are of meÌ„ 566. 12. Reasons why the workes of the spirit are not the cause of eternall life as well as badd workes are the cause of eternall destruction 566. tota pag. Obiections of the Papists to prooue workes the causes of eternall life answered Beginning at pag. 561 line 31. vsque ad pag. 572. Workes no cause of our reward but the measure 568. 2 Good workes make a man knowne to be iust but faith m 〈…〉 him iust 567. 32 Good workes are causes of eternall life not as meriting but as the kings high way 568. 25 How life eternall is promised to good workes how not 569. 6 The promise of reward vpon condition of performing the worke maketh not a meritorious worke 569. 29. Reward not due to workes of regeneration vpon compacte and promise the reasons why 569. 20. Good workes merit not eternall life though it be a reward of them page 569. in fine and page 570. 571. How life eternall is called a reward of good works 570. 11. 571. 5 That we may incite our selues to the dooing of good workes from the consideration of our heauenly reward sundrie reasons 579. 29. In dooing good workes we may respect the reward but not onely nor principally 581. 31 What should most of all mooue vs to doe good workes 581. 32 The loue of the world and of the truth cannot stand together 619 33. What is meant by the world and what it is to be taken out of the world 13. 37 Y Two kindes of yeelding 87. 18 Z Zeale what it is 45. 20 FINIS 2. Tim. 3. 16. 2. Pet. 1. 20. 1. Tim. 6. 20. Eph. 6. 17. Esa. 8. 20. Ioh. 5. 9. Mal. 1 2. Deut 6 8. Hugo de S. Viâ—t de Script Scriptor â—â—cris lâ—â— 1. c. 1. Deut. 4. 2. Matth 5. 13. Psal 19. 10. Psal 119. 98. c. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Act. 2. 〈◊〉 Iam 1 21. Ier. 2. 13. Ferdinaud Vellosill Epis. Luc. in praef in aduer Schol. Theol Nec Script nec Doctores vel a limino solutaste Laert. de vit Philos. lib. 1. in Thal. Epist. ad Leander 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sleidan lib. 6. Coster Enchir. controvers c 1. Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 32. Sixt. Senens in praefat in Bib. 1. Tim. 1 4. Sixt Sen. Bibl. lib. 4. Tetrus Ximenes Episc. Cauriens a. Cor. 3. Non tam Commentarios quam indicie 〈…〉 lorum Hieron proam in 1. 〈…〉 m Esai 2. Tim. 3. 16. Symbolica Theologia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 argumentatiua Thom. 1. Cor. 1 â—3 Volusian ad Nicol. 2. 2. Pet. 3 16. Eccles. 〈◊〉 6. 2. Sam. 〈◊〉 30. Eph. 3. 4. o In his Prophetica Gal. 6. 〈◊〉 Philâ—m v. â—8 Ioh 5. 35. Ioh. 2. 3â— Rom. 1. 5. Act. 13. 33. Rom. 10. 14. 1. Cor. 16. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apoc. 5. 10. Math. 9. 38. Eph. 4. 11. Act. 20. 28. Psal. 105. 15. Rom. 8. 28. Rom. 〈◊〉 Lev. 10. 1. 2. Reg. 16. 11. Rev. 2. 24. Deut. 22. 9. 2. Tim. 4. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o Praeter quam Contra Petilian l. 3 c. 6. o Non aliud quid amp 〈…〉 us Debono viduitatis c. 1. Math. 5. 48. Iob. 13. 15. v. 26. Term 25 de verbi Apest. Theodoret. bist lib. 4. c. 16. Luk. 10. 16. o I learned nothing or I was not taught o ' Simulatè non verè Matth. 11. 1â— Luk. 10. 18. 〈◊〉 Cor. 10. 4. Homil. 2. in Act 〈◊〉 Ioh. 3. 9. Germ. ad mil. Temp. c. 11. Epist 190. o Crâ—dere Fac 〈…〉 Aug. de â—â—pt concup l. 1. c 33. ad Bon. l. 〈◊〉 c. â—3 o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thom. Summ. p. 〈◊〉 q 62. art 4. Bellar. de Sact. l. 2. c. 11. De consid ad Eugen. Vxor materfamilias Vxor Vsuaria o â—usâ—in in qâ—â—st Act. 12. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Traef lib. 8. de bello Gall. Sanos homines à scribendo dâ—terruit 〈…〉 c. ad Bruâ—uÌ„ Sueâ—on in Câ—s. cap. 56. Michael de Montaign in his Estayes the 5 6 7 8. Ethic. lib. 4. c. 3. 1. Macchab. 1. 60. Confess lib. 8. cap. 12. Act. 8. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Anchorat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. Rhet. ad Thâ—â—d lib. 〈◊〉 câ—p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O 〈…〉 Hierom in hunc locâ—m Gen 49. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 4. 9. Philip. 2. 4. de verb. dom â—orm 16. Muffâ—t Autâ—umus aâ—t â—uimus vel po 〈…〉 esâ—e quod hiâ—â—st 2. Tim. 4. 2. De verb. Dom. se 〈…〉 16. v. 15. Me 〈…〉 s est vâ— peâ—eatâ—nus q 〈…〉 m 〈◊〉 〈…〉 eroâ— Act. 24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 17 Rom 14. 1. and 15. 1. Prou. 19. 11. 〈◊〉 Poâ— â—5 Duro con duro noâ— fa bon 〈…〉 o. August serâ— 21. de verbi Apost 〈◊〉 hunâ— locuâ—â—x August 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 13. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylactus Sic Hugo de S. Victor lio quast in Epist. ad Rom q. 308. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—omes 〈◊〉 Rom. 7. 23. Exod. 20 Deut. â—8 Deut 13 Rom. 8. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damaseenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch in Alexandro Phil. 2. 3. Phil. 2. 10. v. 11. Psal. 8. 4. o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 5. 16. Rom. 12. 17. Ioh. 5. 41. o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 24. 26. Onus rationis â—â—dden â—aeâ—onus infâ—â—mitatis participandae August contra â—cript Petil. lib. 3. Beda Lumbard iâ— hunc â—ocum Hugo dâ— S. Victor in 〈◊〉 quâ—st 58. In seâ—â—inali principio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Decimaâ—io â—xâ—rciâ—â—s 2. Cor. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
teaching admonishing exhorting and by example of good life A particular calling whereby men are called to some estate of life in the familie Church or common wealth And according to the seuerall conditions of particular callings must euery man in his place doe the good he can The magistrate must vse his office first for the maintenance of the Gospell and then for the execution of iustice The minister must preach sound religion in loue of the soules of men The master of the familie must cause his househould to imbrace the Gospell and frequent the exercises of religion Lastly euery man that is in a trade or office must apply himselfe to the vttermost of his power to do all he can for the good of his countrie and he must so deale that he may be helpefull to all with whome he deales and hurtfull to none We are or should be trees of righteousnes our fruite must be meate for others and our leaues for medecines We must be as candles that spend themselues to giue light to others 14. For all the law is fulfilled in one word which is this thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Fulfilled comprised Rom. 13. 9. One word One precept for the H. G. calles precepts words It may be demanded how the whole law should be fulfilled in the loue of our neighbour Ans. The loue of God and the loue of our neighbour are ioyned together as the cause and the effect and the loue of God is practised in the loue of our neigbour For God that is inuisible will be loued in the person of our neighbour whome we see and with whome we conuerse And the first commandement of the law must be included in all the commandements following and thus the loue of God is presupposed in euery commandement of the second table he therefore that loues his neigbour loues God also Thou shalt loue vnderstand both the affection and the duties of loue Thy neighbour any one that is neare vnto vs in res 〈…〉 t of mans nature Isai. 58. 7. though he be our enemy yet i◠by any occasion he be offered vnto vs of God he is our neighbour As thy selfe these wordes signifie not the measure of our loue as though we should loue our selues in the first place and thē our neighbour in the second place for there are some cases in which we are to loue our neighbour more thē our selues As for example we are more to loue the soule of our brother then our temporall life and a good subiect is more to loue the life of his prince then his owne life here then the H. G. signifies what must be the manner of our loue the word as signifies not quantitie but qualitie and that we are as truly and earnestly with loue to imbrace our neighbour as our selues The scope The words cōtaine a reason of the second Rule which may be framed thus to serue our neighbour in duties of loue is the keeping of the whole law therefore this seruice must carefully be performed The vse Here we see that the end of a mans life is to serue God in seruing of man for this is the summe of the whole law Seruants are commanded in seruing their masters to serue god and to do whatsoeuer they doe as vnto God Col. 3. 23. And so euery man in his place in dealing with men must so deale as if he were to deale with God himselfe Therefore most men prophane their liues when they make the scope and drift therof to be the getting of riches and honours And though they haue great charges that is no excuse for the principal end of our liuing here is to performe seruice to men and in this seruice to do homage to God for which homage God will giue the honour and riches which he sees to be conuenient for vs. Secondly here we may obserue what is true religion and godlines namely to loue and serue God in seruing of man He that saith he loues God and yet hates his brother is a lier 1. Ioh. 4. 20. And here it followes that to liue out of all societie of men though it be in praier and fasting after Monkish fashion is no state of perfection but mere superstition for that is true and perfect loue of God that is shewed in duties of loue and in the edification of our neighbour Againe the hypocrisie of sundrie Protestants is here discouered If they come to the Church and heare sermons frequent the Lords 〈◊〉 they thinke they may do afterward what they will and many such are frequenters of tauernes and alchouses and are giuen to riot and licenciousnes But it is not inough for thee to be holy in the Church thou maiest be a Saint in the Church and a Deuill at home True religion is that which shewes it selfe in thy priuate house priuate dealings and in the course of thine owne life such as thou art in thy particular calling such art thou indeed and truth what showes soeuer thou makest before men 15. If ye bite and deuoure one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another The sense If ye bite Here Paul alludes to the fashiō of wild beasts as lions wolues c. And by biting we are to vnderstand all iniuries in words as railing cursing slandering bacbiting c. Deuoure here Paul vnderstands all iniuries in deed or violence euen to the shedding of blood Take heed lest here Paul signifies that contentions dissentions breed the destruction and desolation of the Church The scope These wordes are a second reason of the second rule drawne from the dangerous effect of the contrarie thus Contentions breed the desolation of the Church therefore do seruice one to an other by loue The contents In the words Paul deliuers 3 things The first is that there were greeuous contentions in the Church of Galatia The like also were in the Church of Corinth 1. Cor. 3. The cause of the former contentions were differences in points of religion Some of the Galatians no doubt withstanding circumcision and the most of them standing for it For herevpon great were the dissentions of the Churches in Iudea Act. 15. 2. Obserue then that vnitie is not an infallible and an inseperable marke of the Church of God Vnitie may be out of the Church and dissention in the Church as here we see It may be obiected that there is peace in the kingdome of God and that there the wolfe and the lambe dwell together Isai. 11. Ans. This is but in part verified in the kingdome of grace vpon earth and it is fully accomplished in the kingdome of glorie in heauen Againe it may be alleaged that the Church is the companie of them that truly consent in one and the same faith Ans. That is properly meant of the Catholike Church but the case is otherwise in particular Churches where true beleeuers are mixed with hypocrites wherevpon ariseth much dissention And of true beleeuers some are more carnall then spirituall and
that is another cause of dissention 1. Corint 3. 3. The second point concernes the qualitie of these dissentioÌ„s When Paul saith if ye bite and deuoure c. he signifies that they were fierce and violent And such commonly are dissentions for religion as appeares by the persecution in Queene Maries daies the heate whereof nothing could slake but mans blood Againe he signifies in these very wordes that they were bruâ—ish and beastlike more beseeming wolues lions dogges then men This must teach vs to detest railing cursing euill speaking fighting vnles it be in the case of necessarie defence for by these actions we degenerate to the condition of beastes and repell from vs the worke of grace for Christ of lions wolfes beares hath made vs his sheepe and lambes Isai. 11. The third point is touching the effect of contention that is the ruine desolation of the Church The diuision of the members among themselues is the dissolutioÌ„ of the whole bodie Differences in points of religion breed doubting doubting hinders faith and inuocation and the free course of the Gospell and where these be hindred the Church goes to decay And by reason of the dissentions that be in these last daies many liue as Atheistes and will be of no religion By this we are to be admonished to studie and to vse all meanes to maintaine Christian peace and concord Eph. 4. 3. To this end we must remember one generall rule Rom. 12. 18. haue peace with all men And withall we must obserue the cautions which Paul addes one is if it may be with good conscience for there are some with whome there is no peace vnles we sooth them in their vices or denie our religion either in whole or in part The second is If it lie in you for sometime men are accused and must of necessitie defend themselues These two cautions obserued peace must be had with all men It may theÌ„ be demanded why do not the Protestans make a Pacification with the Papists Ans. we are content so to do in respect of ciuill societie but not in respect of religion We haue a commandement to the contrarie Reuel 18. 4. come out of Babylon my people and touch no vnclean thing where a pacification is made both the partes must yeeld somewhat but we may not yeeld in any point of our religion to the Papists In an Instrument of musick the stringes out of tune are set vp or set downe to the rest and the strings that are in tune are not stirred Euen so the Papists are to turne to vs we are not to turne to them our religion beeing the doctrine of the prophets Apostles Peace is three-fould Church peace Ciuill peace Houshould peace All these are to be maintained Touching Church peace I giue 3 rules The first is that for the ending of differences in religion there must be conferences in a free or christian councell the spirits of the prophets is subiect to the prophet 1. Cor. 14. â—2 when there arose differences in the Churches of Iudea the Apostles and elders came together to inquire of the matter Act. 15. 6. And this is a thing much to be desired in these daies specially in these Westerne partes of the world It may be demanded why did not the Protestants ioyne with the Papists at the councell of Trent Ans. from the first session it was more then 6 yeares before any safe conduct was giuen to the Protestants and at their appearing in the councell exception was taken against their letters and they dismissed And when they appeared the second time vpon new safe conduct the councell was the next day reiorned for 2 yeares And when safe conduct was giuen the 3 time the Protestant princes refused to send their diuines because they had bin twice mocked Moreouer the councell was not a free councell because the Pope himselfe was both partie and iudge The second rule There must be a christian toleration one of an other Eph. 4. 2. here that we mistake not I propound 2 questions One is in what must there be a toleration Ans. A toleration presupposeth an errour or defect in our brother An errour is either in iudgement or manners An error in iudgment is either in the foundation of religion or beside the foundation in lighter matters if the errour be in the foundation there is no toleration of it If it be in some lesser matter a toleration is to be vsed according to the rule of the Apostle if ye be otherwise minded God will reueile it Phil. 3. 15. when others see not that which we see we must not preseÌ„tly coÌ„demne them but tolerat their ignorance till God reueile his truth vnto them Againe errors in manners be of 2 sortes some without offence as hastines frowardnes vaine gloriousnes c. these we must tolerate Pro. 19. 11. and others with open offence and such admit no toleration 1. Cor. 5. 11. The second question is to what ende must we tolerate the infirmities and ignorances of our brethren Ans. Toleration must tend to the good and edification of men Rom. 15. 2. We must not so tolerate as that we approoue of the least vice or betray the least part of Gods truth It may here be demanded whether there may not be a toleration for Poperie Ans. No. The toleration of two religions in one kingdome is the ouerthrow of peace Againe Poperie is a religion both hereticall and schismaticall It may be said that faith and conscience is free I answer though faith in the heart and conscience in it selfe be free in respect of mans authoritie yet is not the publishing of faith and the profession of conscience free in like sort but it stands subiect to the power of the Magistrate The third rule Euery man in his place specially teachers must set themselues to build the Church Iud. v. 20. Eph. 4. 12. Indeede the truth is to be defended but marke how The truth must be confessed when time and occasion serues without opposition this done all contentions laid aside we must set our selues to build the Church And the rather Ministers of Gods word in England must remember this because while we are striuing among our selues in sundrie points of difference the Papist our common enemie gets ground Touching ciuill peace it must be remembred that the peace and good estate of Ierusalem stood in this that it was made the seate of Gods sanctuarie and the throne of iustice Psal. 122. When the Arke was in the house of Obed-Edom all things prospered with him Now in the new Testament the preaching of the Gospel inuocation of Gods name with the vse of the Sacraments come in the roome of the Sanctuarie Ciuill peace then is maintained when men yeeld subiection to the Gospel of Christ which brings peace to all that receiue it Touching houshold peace I giue two rules One is that gouernours of families must vrge and compell all vnder them to admit at the least outwardly the practise of