the Papists against the same The Apostles wrote certaine things not that their writings should be aboue our faith and religion but rather that they should bee vnder saith Albertus See what an imputation hee layes vpon the Apostles Epistles that they are not able to direct vs in faith and true religion Obserue yet another blasphemie of his The Scriptures are double iudges Now we know that a double Iudge is altogether vnprofitable and not fit for that place Euen so are the Scriptures by his argument and of lesse account then their traditions So it appeares by the saying of Andradius Neither in those bookes wherein the sacred mysteries are written is there one iote of diuinitie which by any force of religion can bind vs to beleeue what is there in contained By whose saying you heare that the word is not able to bring men to the knowledge of God religion and faith Thus he doth conclude them not to be holy pure and perfect Lodouicus saith The Scripture is as it were dead ynke fit for no vse but to bee caitaway So the Papists esteeme of Gods holy word as an vnholy writing saying What aduantage hath this fable of Christ brought vnto vs So the whole Gospel is reckoned by them as a fable In a word the whole Scripture is accounted vnholy But whether it be more meete to beleeue God or man let the world iudge Dauid saith that the Scriptures are pure and vndefiled And Christ saith that they are true and holy And I say let Gods word be righteous and the Papists blasphemers Now I come to the workes of righteousnesse which wee must sowe yet not as the Papists Necessitate efficientiae They are necessary as efficient causes together with faith of our saluation but necessitate praesentiae they are necessary for the present and we cannot be without them For faith doth iustifie and workes doe testifie Credis in Christum fac Christi opera vt viuat ' fides tua Doest thou beleeue in Christ do thou Christs workes that thy faith may liue There is a three-fold vse of the workes of righteousnesse first Gods glory secondly the good of others and thirdly our owne comfort How shall it appeare that wee are iustified if the fruit of righteousnesse be not seene as Barnard saith As we discerne the life of the body by the motion of the body so the life of faith by good works And that you may the better know how to doe the workes of righteousnesse obserue first that they be commanded of God secondly that they be well done thirdly that they be done to a good end Vt sit mandatum a Deo That it be commanded of God that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Scriptures Then is it not so much to be inquired whether it bee good and equall as whether God hath commaunded the same or no for sometimes lawfull things are vnlawfull Againe sometimes vnlawfull things are lawfull As thus to kill and murther a mans owne child is vnlawfull yet if God command it then is it lawfull as for example in Abraham which was commanded to kill his-sonne which if he had refused had sinned and to haue done it without command had been a sinne likewise Or thus It is lawfull to pray one for another yet when God forbids it then is it a sinne to pray not in respect of the subiect of prayer but because it is a disobedience vnto Gods command as appeareth by the Prophet Ieremy Againe lawfull things done by some are vertues which being done by others are sinne As thus It is lawfull for a Magistrate to put a murtherer to death but for a priuate man it is a sinne Therefore that is a false rule that many examine things by Whether it be good or equall and not whether God hath commanded it or no. By this rule the vsurer examines his vsury In deed saith hee God hath forbidden it yet marke what profit comes hereof Men that can vse no calling may liue if they haue money Besides marke what good it doth vnto the borrower Many are made by borrowing and to giue ouer the same would doe much hurt But this is a false rule if God hath not commanded the same it is altogether vnlawfull By the same rule we measure our charitie saying If I shall giue vnto the poore and relieue the needie then I my felfe may want Likewise in their callings If I shall tell the trueth in selling vse good wares and true weights and measures it is the way to be a Beggar and the like But this is a false rule I denie not but that it is good for a man to keepe his estate and not to grow into pouertie yet not by such a meanes as God hath not commanded By such a false rule Saul examined his obedience Shall I kill the King and the chiefe cattell no I may haue a great ransome for the King and for the cattell they will serue for sacrifice or for breede or the like and therefore it is better to preserue the King and the best cattell aliue But for all his wisedome God told him that he was a foole and had sinned in so doing and therefore hee receiued a iust recompense for his desert It is dangerous to call Gods precepts into question touching the purity thereof If he hath said it or commanded it it is righteous and we must obey it Secondly as it must be commanded of God so it must be well done as it must be bonum so it must bee bene That you may take your worke along with you obserue there must be first knowledge secondly faith thirdly readinesse 1. There must bee knowledge for euery action is to be knowen before it can be well done either we shal doe more then we ought or lesse then we should The heathen man could say that he that knoweth not what he seeketh cannot tell when to finde that which he lacketh as Cato obserues Ignotum tibi nolito praeponere notis Cognita indicio constant incognita casu Doe not thou preferre any thing vnknowen before things that are knowen Knowen things stand in iudgement and vnknowen in chance As the common Prouerbe is A blind man may catch a Hare and as well may an ignorant man light vpon some of the precepts of God yet seldome seene Pithagoras hath a pretie saying He that knoweth not what he ought to know is a brute beast among men He that knoweth no more then hee hath neede of is a man among bruit beast and He that knoweth all that may be knowen is a God among men And because knowledge is the ground of all Arts God taught his people first to know and then to doe for the way to doe well is to know the good 2. It must be done with the heart that is in zeale loue reuerence feare and the like Vt sit ex vera fide That it be of true faith not so much the things
of our endeuours I know that you will cut and slash me in your censures as meate to the cauldron yet Dicatur veritas rumpatur inuidia Let trueth be spoken and enuie burst her gall We had neede to doe by and with you as the little children did with Minerua the goddesse so esteemed by them that ruled the memorie the storehouse of discipline and of wisedome which children at this Mineruaes feast vsed to carrie new yeeres gifts to their masters making play dayes of the same to the seruice of the Goddesse whereof came this verse of Ouid Pallida nunc pueri tenerique or note puella qui bene placarit Pallida doctus erit Now Pallas Temple youth and damsels fill He that can please her shall haue mit at will Desire we your good commendations e yea we would but then wee must shew our selues refractary to established orders wrangle about formes and shadowes and shoote squibbes in the ayreat those that are in authority then we shall please you and our doctrine shal be embraced Otherwise we cannot purchase your fauour for your Motto is Wee loue such preaching But let vs see if there bee any iust cause of your calumniations which if there be it will appeare either in doctrine discipline or manners First that it may appeare that there is none in doctrine obserue these three points following First that it must be from God that is The doctrine vpon which we build our saluation must be such as God hath preseribed vnto his Church For Cursed are they that adde thereunto as is manifest by our Lord In vaine they worship mè teaching for doctrine the precepts of mens yea if an Angel should preach any other doctrine then that which God hath deliuered let him bee accursed No doctrine goes currant in the ballance of the Sanctuary but such as comes fró the bosome of the Father Then iudge if the Church of England doth erre or no fró this point namely retaining that doctrine and only that doctrine which God hath prescribed We doe not like the Papists teach you to build your faith vpon vnwritten verities Secondly as it must be from God so it must be compleat that is the whole will of God must be vsed in the Church For the whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to conuince and to instruct in righteousnesse That the man of God may be perfect to euery good worke For not one syllable of Gods word must be kept backe And in this the Church of England cleareth her selfe as in the former not keeping backe any part of Gods word from the Church but freely teaching and giuing liberty vnto prosessors wholly to enioy it Indeed if we should with the Church of Rome locke vp the word in an vnknowen tongue or steale part out from it as they doe the second Commandement we were then iustly to bee accused Thirdly and lastly it must bee rightly ordered which the Church of England obserues For wherein doeth our Church offend in this For we teach Gods loue the primary cause of our saluation Christ his obedience and suffering to be the materiall cause and faith the instrumental cause Againe we teach first Election then Calling then Iustification then Glorification Therefore if there be the same which God commanded and all that God commanded and also ordered according to his will then the Church of England is not to be condemned nor refused for any thing in the doctrine thereof Seeing you haue no iust cause to complaine in regard of doctrine let vs see if there bee any in the discipline and gouernment thereof To that end that wee may perceiue this point the clearer we will obserue the discipline in three branches first diuine secondly necessary thirdly indifferent First diuine gouernment of discipline is such an order as is set downe by God in his word as Prayer the Sacraments the excommunicating of wicked persons gathering of almes for the poore and Ministers and Elders for the gouernement of the Congregation c. All which are practised in the Church of England yet they obiect that the Sacraments are not obserued as Christ instituted them For there is added the surplesse kneeling the crosse and the like But to these I answere thus First the time when Christ commaunded or ordeined these in the Church the Church was not then established and confined to any place and therefore orders could not be ordained before the Church was established Secondly they may be answered thus Christ did not say as oft as yee obserue these orders yee shew the Lords death but as oft as ye eate of this bread and drinke of this cup setting downe the subiect and leauing the ordering of it vnto the Church touching outward ceremonies Thirdly it may bee answered thus The Church hath not appointed these ceremonies as any parts of the Sacraments For then they could not bee Sacraments but when they should bee so deliuered and so receiued But now to shew that these outward ceremonies are no parts of the Sacraments They are administred sometimes with them and sometimes without them at the discretion of the Ministers And besides this obserue that when any are of this opinion that these are not lawfull Sacraments without the ceremonies that then these are denied the ceremonies though they hauc the Sacrament to the end they may know these ceremonies to be no part of diuine discipline for if they were they could not nor might be omitted In the next place behold that discipline which wee call necessary that is the vse of such things as God hath not commanded and yet they are needfull and warrantable by consequence from the word of God As for example wee haue no commandement for the manner or for me of consecrating the Sacraments yet it is necessarie that they should bee consecrated Moreouer what commandement haue wee for a forme of prayer yet it is necessary otherwise there would be a confusion in the Church Againe what commandement haue we for the buriall of the dead yet it is necessary that there should be some forme vsed that there may be some distinction betweene the buriall of Christians and dogges Of this nature are Te Deum laudamus after the first Lesson and Benedictus after the second And likewise Magnificat and Nunc demittis Also the Collects and Churching of women and the like which albeit God hath not set downe by way of precept yet they are needfull and cannot be omitted Lastly behold that discipline which wee call indifferent that is the vse of such things as may be vsed or omitted it being no vertue to vse them nor any vice to omit them Such are the Surplesse the Crosse in Baptisme kneeling at the Communion wearing a white cloth to be Churched and sestiuall dayes which things may be done or omitted as occasions may serue The Church of England doeth not like the Church of Rome tye the conscience to the
ensue a great happinesse according to that true saying of the Poet Virgil Foelix quipotuitrerum cognoscere causas O blessed hee and excellent that knowes the cause of each euent Thus for our conclusion of this branch obserue that such as are truely plowed by the word and Spirit of God are dead tosinne and sinne in them for they that are Ghrists haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Likewise the same Apostle saith If Christ be in you the bodie is dead because of sinne but the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake If you will haue an example of this that further it may be manifested turne your eyes vnto there of the Acts 18. 19. verses Many that beleeued came and confessed and shewed their workes Many also of them that vsed curious arts brought their bookes and burned them before all men and they counted the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of siluer If you aske a reason of it it is from the power of grace which is able to subdue the power of Sathan For Sathan sinne the flesh and the world can but make a finite power but wee are protected with an infinite power Greater is hee that is in you then hee which is in the word Therefore whosoeuer is borne of God doth not sinne neo potest peccare neither can sinne O excellent gift as one affirmes being donum omnium donorum maximum A gift excelling all gifts Augustine vpon this hath this obseruation Before the law we do not fight vnder the law we fight and are ouercome vnder grace wee fight and ouercome For wee are more then conquerers in Iesus Christ. It is a thing common with the Physicians to driue and purge out a lesser poyson by a stronger as we dayly see a lesser light extinguished by the greater The Sunne puts out the light of the Moone and the power of Gods grace puts cut the power of sinne Thus when the stronger man gets into the house bindes the master and spoyles him of his goods God is the stronger man his grace is the influence which comes downe from heauen to helpe vs in the midst of our conflicts Much like the elements that helped 〈◊〉 in his battell so that he got the victory whereof Claudian sung O nimium dilecte Deo cuimilitat aether Et coniurati veninut ad classica venti O Gods beloued when power aeriall And winds came armd to helpe when thou doest call Let not slip your consideration without obseruation where sinne liues and thriue there all goodnesse withers and dies Dauid put sorth a question Lord let me know mine age and the number of my dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue to liue So many doe say Lord let me know mine estate whether I belong to thee or no. And now I answere as the Frenchman did the Scots and the Irish which of long time had been at controuersie for a piece of ground to which nation it should belong The controuersie was to bee ended by the said Frenchman in this maner Put said he thereinto Serpents and Snakes If they die it belongeth to Ireland but if they liue it belongeth to Scotlands Thus the contiouersie was ended So in like maner if sinne liues and thriues in you you belong to Sathan but if it wither and die then you belong to God So our Lord teacheth vs Matt. 7. 16. You shall know them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by their fruits Thus here is an end of this branch Lastly the terrene plow makes the earth more fit for the seede Euen so doeth the tearing of the heart by true repentance makes it the more apt to embrace the mercie of God The thid part THus we haue gone thorow the subiect and the propertie of the worke now followes the proprietie of the persons lacaem your committing this worke to euery particular person Obserue that all men are agents in their faith repentance contrition and saluation Plowe vp your falowe ground your owne falowe As God saide to Ierusalem Wash thy heart O Ierusalem and by the Prophet Ioel Scindite corda vestrum Rent your hearts So I say vnto you wash and rent your owne hearts for if you will not lay to your helping hand they are neuer like to bee cleane God in the time of the Lawe commanded that lie which should offer an offering was to put his hand vpon the head of it Heb. 3. 2. Hereby shewing that we must haue a hand with God in euery part and worke of regenetation He that made without thee will not instifie thee without thee He made thee without thy knowledge and doth instifie thee with thy consent Therefore said Christ If you will find seeke If you will receiue then aske For no seeking no finding no asking no receiuing God proclaimes not Ho euery one that is athirst I will bring him water But Ho euery one that is athirst let him come and fetch water Supper is made ready by our Lord all things are prepared at his owne cost and charges and when it was ready hee said not goe carie it to these men but goe bid them come in and eate it Herevnto tend the words of Paul Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling And Peter also saith Make your calling and election sure Sure it is with God not with vs vntill then Worthily doth that sieke person perish that calleth not for the Physician but refuseth him comming of his owne accord vnto him Man by the ordinance of God is appointed an agent for his owne saluation For the subiect of faith repentance and contrition are in vs not in God Indeed God is the efficient cause the word the instrumental cause but our hearts willes and affections the materiall cause that is subiectum conuersionis the subiect of conuersion as the schoolmen define the fanie Delor est in corde Sorrow is in the heart Fuga est in voluntate Flying is in the will and that with purpose not to commit sinne any more Auertio est in corde voluntate a malo ad bonum The turning is in the heart and will from euill vnto that that is good still the subiect is in vs and so we must needes be agents For wee are not like a piece of waxe that receiues no impression but what is put into it being meerely pasaiue but actiue as formerly hath been shewed And to adde the sentence of Aristotle Nemo voleus malus nec inuitus foelix No man is euill with his will nor any man is happie against his will In thy mouth and heart is the cause of saluation saith Chrysostomes that is the 〈◊〉 use and subiect as hath beene sayd And as the subiect is in vs so euery man is best acquainted with his owne heart which other men is not able to know for What man knoweth the things of a man saue the spirit of a man which is in him it is a
the world that hee gaue his sonne to redeeme it If God had not beene mercifull man had beene miserable and therefore saith Peter Blessed be God which according to his mercy hath begotten vs againe to a liuely hope Secondly wee are iustified sanguine vel obedientia Christi by the blood and obedience of Christ. 1. Vt materia iustitae nostrae As the mater of our iustification 2. Vt causa formalia iustificationis nostrae as the formall cause of our iustification 3. Vt causa impulsiua meritoria as the inpulsiue and meritorious cause Thus the obedience of Christ is the matter the forme and impulsiue cause of our righteousnesse From the redemption of Christ there is freedome from death reconciliation with God the gift of righteousnesse and the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen Thus all the vertue of our iustification depends vppon the life and death of Christ Neither could our death be dissolued without Christs passion nor our life restored without his resurrection Thirdly we are iustified ex fide of faith vt causa instrumentali in nobis as the instrumentall in vs whereby we apprehend the righteousnes of Christ by faith apply the same vnto vs. To cōclude it in a word here is misericordia Dei the mercy of God promising 2. satisfactionem Christi the satisfaction of Christ meriting 3. fidei faith beleeuing and thus stands our righteousnesse Which distinction the Church of Rome refuseth saying wee are iustified by an inherent righteousnesse wherein two false points of doctrine are maintained First that there is some meritorious cause in vs of this righteousnesse Secondly that we are free from sinne for so are their owne words that we are not reputed iust but are made iust indeede But to the meritorious cause in man I answere in Augustines wordes God crowneth thee but in mercy for thou wast not worthy whom God should call or being called to bee iustified and being iustified to bee glorified If thou pleade thy merits God saith vnto thee examine thy merits and see if they bee not my giftes Where then is the meritorious cause in man Hoc est non in nostris recte factis this lyeth not in our well-done deedes sed in tua bonitate situm est but in thy goodnesse O God that we are made righteous And for the perfection of iustice I answere with the same Augustine Our iustice in this life consisteth rather in the remission of sinnes then perfection of vertue Take comfort then O Christian For if God iustifie who shall condemne who is able to lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen Why then should wee feare For tius quod non est non est poena peccatum remissum non est Ergo peccatum remissi non est poena That which is not hath no punishment forgiuen sinnes are not Ergo forgiuen sinnes hath no punishment as saith the Apostle wherefore let vs goe boldly to the throne of grace If thou wouldest bee healed hee is thy Physition if thou burnest with feauers hee is a fountaine to coole thee if thou art pressed downe with iniquitie he is thy righteousnesse if thou feare death he is thy life and if thou desirest heauen he is the way Is God thus good thus mercifull as to iustifie vs being sinners what will hee doe for vs then being iustified and this is the proper righteousnesse in this place There is a righteousnesse of sanctification for as Christ is our iustice so is he our holinesse And as many as haue put on Christ haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lustes whereby a man is righteous in his life and conuersation So saith Iohn whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not That is as Piscator notes non dat operam peccato not giuing them to worke sinne for these two goe together iustification and regeneration as Dauid saith Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne there is iustification and in whose heart there is no guile this is sanctification Happy men in whom two kisse one another where the dewes of iustification are destilled down and the sweet flowers of sanctification doe spring vppe And yet such honour haue all his Saints iustification peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost and sanctification of life Thus God raines downe his mercies vpon his Saints which be the Charter of heauen the couenant of grace and the assurance of glory musicke to the eares splendor to the eye odour to the smell daintaies for the tast pleasures for the sense and solace for the soule And seeing it is now high time to leaue you here will I leaue you for I cannot leaue you better then where I haue you And so I cease to speake of that which you shall neuer cease to enioy The persons now remaine to bee spoken of lacem you but I passe ouer this with silence hauing spoken of them before And now I call heauen and earth to record that this day I haue set before you life and death a blessing and a curse and haue sounded out the voyce of Boanarges and the voyce of Barnabas by the voyce of Boanarges I haue laboured to plowe vppe your sinnes in the doctrine of repentance by thundring out Gods iudgements in the voyce of Barnabas I haue laboured to helpe you to reape the haruest of Gods promises in the voyce of consolation and in all this I haue not beene partiall neither fearing the great nor fauouring the meane And now all I desire at your hands is a thankefull acceptance of my paines and a ready obedience of my exhortation which if I finde I shall thinke grace to be in your soules zeale in your hearts iustice in your handes and holinesse in your liues and so looking for the haruest of my labours I commit my words of exhortation to your practise and my wordes of consolation to your comfort and your selues to the blessed trinitie to God the father which loned vs so sweetly to God the Sonne that bought vs so dearely and God the holy Ghost who sanctifies vs so purely three glorious persons but one immortall incomprehensible onely wise God be giuen and ascribed from men and Angels in heauen and earth with soule and spirit all praise honour glory might dominion and maiestie at this present hencefoorth and world without end Amen 6 JY 53 Esa. 44. 3. Man patt with all creaturs Obserue Luk. 16. 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pto. 10. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man a diuine earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 15. 5. Doct. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pro. 4. 23. 〈◊〉 4. 14. Heb. 13. 9. Luk. 21. 34. Re. 1. Rom. 10. 10. Psal. 112. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King 22. 31. Iohn 13. 2. Esa. 29. 13. Matth 13. 9. Matth. 7. 17. Leuit. 22. 19. Exod. 23 2. Heb. 10. 22. Heb. 12. 24.
87 2 How the Papists abuse the word of righteousnes from 87 to 100 3 Why the word is righteous 101 to 102 4 Of the workes of righteousnesse and how to doe them 103 to 107 2 In the sowing-time 1 How obedience seemes lost 108 2 Why thereward is not yet 109 3 Great gaine in obedience 111 4 We are to doe good to many 112 5 We are to doe the beast good 113 6 How the wicked sowe 114 7 World make obedience a labour 115 3 In the persons 1 Great men not too good to serue God 118 to 119 2 Poore not too meane to serue God 120 In the haruest time are 1 propertie of the worke 2 the manner of it 1 Generall obeydience euer rewarded 121 to 124 1 In the propertie 1 How obedience bringeth earthly blessings 125 to 127 2 The haruest of assurance of heauen 129 to 134 2 In the manner 1 All we haue is of mercy 135 2 Papists merits 136 to 137 In the consequence are 1 the action Seeke 2 the obiect the Lord. 3 the cause it is Time 1 In the action 1 We must serue God in our owne persons 139 2 That it is a labour to seeke and why 140 2 In the obiect 1 Of the name Iehouah 143 2 To seeke God in his word 145 3 The seuerall seekers 146 to 147 4 To seeke the loue of God 148 to 149 In the compelling cause 3 In the time past in it 1 The longer in sinne more cause to turne to God and why 150 to 154 2 In the time to come 1 Take time while time is and why 154 to 155 2 The continuance in seeking 156 to 157 3 How and when he come 157 4 The metaphor of the raine 158 to 159 5 Raine for teaching 161 6 Raine for abundance 162 A Table of the principall words in this Booke A A meane in words 69 Assurance of heauen here 129 Apology of the world 116 Apologie for the Church 35. 56 Adultery how committed 29 All the lawes to be executed 80 B Bishops lawfull 55. 56 Brokers 30 Blind Magistrates 82 Best good to be done 114 Boldnes of Ministers 77 Blasphemy of Papists 102 C Couetousnesse 26 Corruption of nature 16 Continuance in obedience 191 Ceremonies 39. 40 Custome in sinne 155 Church of England true Church comming of God how 157 Continuance in sinne 156 D Discipline of 3. sorts 38. 39 Death of sinne where 63 Dissembling protestants 113 Drunkennesse 19. 146 Dumbe Magistrates 82 Dead to sinne 63 Deuil cause of sinne 17. 18 Dead in sinne 152 Doctrnie of England pure 36 37 E Exchange 32 Error of Papists 132. 87 Engrosers 13 Earth for man 5. 7. 8. 9 Euill actions 66. 67 F Free will 97 Faith of our owne 75 Faith the nature of it 130 Faith only in this life 131 G Grace the power of it 72 Good to be done to many 112 God no cause of sinne 16 Gaine in obedience 111 Great men serue God 119 Good how to doe it 106 H Hypocrites 12 Heart most regarded 8. 9. 10 Heart to be rent 61 Hurt of euillworks 70 Hope of the godly 110 Haruest of magistrats 123 Ministers people 124 Haruest temporall 125 Haruest of grace 124 Heart in obedience 105 Hospitalitie 123 I Inclosers 24 Idolatry of Papists 95 Infidelity of ingrossers 24 Instruction 81 Iehouah what it is 143 Iustified how 167 K Knowledge of the word 105 Knowledge of sinne 57. 58. Knowledge of good and micked men 72 Knowledge of the heart 75 Kill sin in the heart 63 L Loue of God to he sought 148 Labour to seeke 115 Lookes wanton 29 Long in sinne 154. 155 loeke vp the word 88 to 90 Lawyer a seeker 139 Lawyer little trueth 21 M Mean in words 69 Merits of Papists 93. 136 Mortifie sinne 70 Magistrates to punish sinners 78. 79. 85 Man to worke his saluation out 73 Mercie of God 133 Murmuring 52. 53 Man part with all creatures 4 Mercie of God gause of this crop 115 Mercie of God greater then sinne 154 Merchants falow ground 21 N Nature of faith 35 Nature of the wicked 15 Nature of merits 96 Names cut off 5 O Obedience seemes lost 108 Oppression 22. to 25 Obedience profitable 122 Ordinances of God 141. 142 Obedience rewarded 121. P Pleasure of sinne 18 Profit of sinne 18 Patrons 24. 25 Pride 13. 27 Profit in words 71 Pardons 98 Purgatory 90. 91 Prayer to Saints 95. 96 Plow our selues 76 R Reward not yet 109 Raine the maner of it 159 Raine for teaching 160 Rob-altar seekes 139 Kighteousnesse of sanctification 168 Righteousnesse of iustification 166. S Slanders of the Papists 102 107 Seeke in our own persons 139 Seeking of sinne 146 148 Swearing 27 Subiect of faith in vs 74 Sathan rules the sinner 17 Sleeping magistrates 80 Sowing of the wicked 114 Sorrowe how differs in the good and bad 61 62 T Trueth not to be found 21 22 Trueth in words 67 68 Tongue to be mortified 65 Translation of the word 88 to 90 Time to seeke 150 Theft of engrossers 23 Thankes-giuing 161 Time past 150 Time to come 154 V Vsury 25 100 Vse meanes to saue the sinner 77 Vnwritten verities 97 Vnmercifulnes of the Pope 99 Vlcer of sinne 152 W Workes not perfit 135 Word righteous why 101 Wicked no right to any thing 143 Wicked sinne of purpose 14 Workes of righteonsnesse 103 Word our rule 84 Whoredome 28 In commendation of the Author VErtere si agricolas terrā est nunc laude docendo Virgilius dignus laudibus esse puto Dignum hunc nostrarum quae animarū cura libellum Sit qui nostra docet vertere corda bene Alex. Bradley To my worthy friend his Celestiall Husbandry THe Husbandry which these dead leaues doe bring Thy liuely voyce did once sweetely sing That thy learned and iudicious hearers thought The Celestiall haruest to them had brought Thereby their hearts so did inflame That they desir'd to heare it once againe Io. Ga. THe ground mans heartis Gods word the plow The harrow repentance is to breake it now The seede obedience sowen in our liues The raine Gods grace whereby it also thriues Then vse it and it will bring Thee to heauen there to sing Then now Prayse God for the gaine And the Author for his paine T. H. THE CELESTIALL husbandry RIght Honorable and well beloued in our best be loued I knowe that many haue been the flowers that my brethren the Prophets haue gathered out of the garden of Gods word giuing a fragrant smell in this place so that I know not what flowers to gather to present you withall that formerly yee haue not seene Yet in this my meditation I considered of my worthy Auditors and so fitted my text accordingly Some of them being Iudges and Magistrats that fitly I might speake to them of Iustice. An other part of them being inferiour subiects that also I might speake to them of obedience In a word considering that heere are vsually auditours of all sorts I
haiuest The blessed heart returns ten for one yea a hundred for one as our Sauiour Christ saith Obserue that the chiefest care of a Christian must be to furnish his heart with grace and to plowe it vp with true repentance which counsell is giuen by the wise man miccal 〈◊〉 nitsor libbeca Aboue all things keepe thy heart with diligence The like conucell is giuen by 〈◊〉 thy hart O Ierusalem This also is confirmed by the author to the Hebrues It is Good the heart be established with grace And to confirme it with the words of Christ Take heed vnto your selues that your hearts be not oppressed This course or order is not amisse for the cause goes before the effect Can there be a good life which is the effect before there be a good heart which is the cause not Causaefficiens but Causamaterialis as Chrysostome obserues In ore et corde tuo salutis causa In thy mouth and in thy heart is the cause of thy saluation In thy mouth to confesse it and in thy heart to beleeue it If thou confesse with thy mouth and beleeue with thy heart thou shalt be saued So then to haue good fruit is to haue a good tree A good cause brings forth a good effect for Qualis causa talis effectus Such as the cause is such is the effect And common sence and reason doth teach vs as Aristotle obserues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In euery action the end and the meanes of the end must goe togeather The Smith heats his yron before he beats it The Carpenter lays his foundation before he can erect his building The husbandman plowes his ground before he reaps his haruest And a christian must haue a good hart before he can haue a good life And as it is the ground worke so it is the strength of man both in nature and in grace In nature it is the first that liues and the last that dyes And it is called Cor and hath that name of Cura businesse for it is in continuall worke It is in man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The little world Homo est coeli simulacrum interpres naturae Man is the picture of the heauens and the interpreter of nature in whome is the heart as God is in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great world Primus motor The first mouer It is no lesse in grace the first that is sanctified and the first that liues in grace and is the castle of man The consideration wherof made Dauid to conclude that that man neede to feare no euill why Samuk-libbo his hart standeth firme And surely it had neede for the Deuill dealeth with the heart of man as the King of Aram dealt with the King of Israell Which shootes neither against small nor great but against the heart the King and strength of man Thus he dealt with Adam insinuating himselfe first into their affections thereby stealing away their halts and so drewe them to sinne Thus he dealt with Iudas for he put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the heart of Iudas And thus he fitst worketh with the hearte and then the other parts of man And as it is the strength of man so it is the salt that seasons our obedience whereby it is made acceptable vnto God for obedience without the heart is like the sacrifice of a dog and the hire of a whore A good worke without the heart is but a glorious sinne Non tamres ipsa quam hominum affectus spectantur Not so much the things themselues as the affections of men are here to bee considered saith Faius Potest quis in paupertate magno in diuitys pusillo animo esse One may haue a franke minde in pouerty and a sparing mind in riches So it is not the worke but the mind Vnum opus sed non vnus affectus It is one and the same worke but not the same minde Thus the Lord regards not so much the worke as the heart and minde of the worker as the Prophet saith This people honoureth me with their lips but their hearts are farre from me And therefore in vaine doe they worship me saith Christ. And as Augustine well obserues Quia non quid faciat homo considerandum est Because we must not so much to consider what it is that a man doth sed quo animo facit but with what minde he doth it If wee doe build onely on the worke wee haue no better euidence to shew for our saluation then the deuils and the reprobates If we relie vpon miracles and casting out of deuils these are the euidences that the false prophets will bring Lord haue wee not done many great workes and cast-out deuils in thy Name yet away from mee I know you not will Christ say Or shall wee build vpon preaching the Gospel supposing that to be a good euidence for our saluation This is the euidence of Iudas and yet hee is gone to his owne place Not the worke then but the heart is that that will stand and goe for currant To shew this the Lord would haue a free-will offering among all the rest of his sacrificet Hereby shewing that the heart must be ioyned with obedience Yea so did the Lord regard the heart that he would not admit of any gift for the building of the Temple but what came from a free will which was but a type of the spirituall Temple To the building whereof euery man is to bring the timber and stones of obedience and that with a good heart And therefore as the author to the Hebrews saith Let vs draw neere vnto God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a true heart that so wee may serue him that wee may please him For God is a consuming fire And as the heart seasons our obedience so in the heart is the euidence of our saluation there sealed by the Spirit of God Our euidence lieth not in any externall thing it lieth not in the ancient calling of husbandrie for Cain miscaried in that nor in strength for Golias could not preuaile thereby nor in the office of a Prophet for that serued not Saul or Balaam nor any kingly dignitie that would not priuiledge Pharaoh nor riches they helped not Diues nor glorious apparell for it did Herod no good nor policie in Achitophel nor beauty in Absalom could giue assurance of saluation Temporale non potest esse causa aeterni No temporall thing can be the cause of that which is eternall In all these can be no euidence of our saluation Nihil est firmum vel stabile in rebus humanis There is nothing stable in humane affaires It remaineth that the heart is the register of our saluation Per fidem facti sumus vnum in Christo. By saith wee are made one with Christ. And the subiect of faith is the heart for with the heart man beleeueth unto saluation The other they are
story of the Gospel to bee true but for to assure a man of that which he beleeues to be true that they are his And this will appeare to be so by the Etymologie of this Theologicall faith considered either in the Hebrew Greeke or Latine in the Hebrew it is called amunah which commeth of aman which is firme and sure And therefore the Apostle doth vse this word to confirme the promises of God saying All the promises of God are in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so in the Syriack amin And hereupon it is that the Church hath appoynted this word to bee said at the end of all prayers nay God himselfe appoynted the same when the people were to be blessed they were to answere and say Amen Also this word Amen signifies a nourcery where trees are planted Faith is the nourcery where the trees of Gods promises grow And so to goe from aman to omen and then to omeneth which is in the feminine gender so that faith is both the nource and the nourcery And as the Etymologie of faith in the Hebrew confirmes the trueth of this doctrine so wee shall see the same in the Greeke For faith in the Greeke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the third Praeterperfect tense Passiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I am perswaded the actiue verbe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Praeterperfect tense meane is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I perswade my selfe And so you reade of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For I am perswaded that neither life nor death shall separate mee from the loue of God in Christ. So that according to this Etymologie of faith it is then a certaine perswading of a mans selfe of the promises of God The Etymologie thereof according to Latine is the same with the former Fides comes of fio or as Cicero saith of fiendo which signifies doing For the thing we beleeue is done and made firme vnto vs. And hereupon saith Chrysostome Therefore wee are called faithfull that we should without doubting beleeue these things that are said And to adde the saying of Augustine He which doubteth in faith is an Insidell Faith then is the euidence of things hoped for and he that hath it must needs haue assurance of glory Secondly if saluation be of faith then it must be while faith is in vse that we may attaine to this saluation Now it is manifest that Iustus ex fide viuet the iust shall liue by faith Which saying is taken out of the Prophet Habakkuk the iust must liue in his faith The meaning is that our saluation is by beleeuing as the instrumentall cause thereof But now faith indures but this life as the Apostle notes the difference betweene faith hope and loue The chiefe is loue for that remaineth with vs for euer in glory Hope goes to the graue yet leaues vs not there but like Peter followeth vs into the high Priests hall I meane into heauen and there remaineth till the day of iudgement Now faith is of shorter continuance and attends vs as a good seruant to the graue and there leaues vs so that after death there is no faith Therefore seeing saluation is of faith and faith but onely in this life it followes that while wee are in the kingdome of grace we are assured of glory If now bee the time of faith and the saluation of the soule be the reward of faith who doubteth then of the assurance of saluation while he is here in this world There are yet other good arguments to prooue that this assurance of glory is in this life viz 〈◊〉 wee lost saluation and here we must finde it againe Mee thinkes that place of the Apostle may be applyed to this and it shall be saide in the place where it was saide yee are not the sonnes of God yee are the sonnes of God Where the wound began the cure was made where death emred there life proceeded Againe in this world we were redeemed now it is fit that where redemption is wrought there assurance should be sealed And here note how answerable the worke of redemption was to the fall of Adam viz Adam sinned in eating Christ suffered in fasting Adam sinned in the spring Christ suffered in the spring Adam sinned in a garden Christ suffered in a garden here Adam lost all and here Christ hath recouered all where wee are redeemed there wee are sealed and where we are sealed there we are assured There is good vse to be made of this doctrine first against the Papist who say that men cannot be assured of this haruest and call the remission of sinnes vaine and of all confidence the hardest and remote and fides daemoniorum non Apostolornm the faith of Deuils not Apostles And this confidence in the promises of God belongs rather ad presumptionem non ad fidem to presumption and not to faith And here let vs see the Scriptures they confirme this their deuillish doctrine by and the first is this Who can say my heart is cleane not that there is none cleane but no man knowes when his heart is cleane Ergo no man can be assured of saluation But to this it may bee answered 1. the wise man speaketh against such as thought themselues to bee meritorious and free from sinne 2. Bee it granted that no man hath a cleane heart free from it yet he doeth not inferre hereupon therefore he cannot be assured of saluation 3. If none but such as are pure from sinne can bee assured of saluation then their Priests are not assured as they say Againe no man knoweth whether hee bee worthy loue or hatred therefore a man cannot be assured of saluation But this place speakes not of any inward cōfort and assurance of glory but of outward estate by the outward estate of man it is not to be knowne who is loued or hated of God because the assurance of saluation is not in outward worldly prosperitie but in the inward grace of the spirit so this place is nothing to prooue no assurance of saluation Againe they bring the saying of the Apostle worke out your saluation with feare and trembling Ergo where there is feare there can be no assurance but doubtfulnesse But marke what feare this is 1. Feare your carnall presumption by which you thinke to be in the state of grace and are not feare this 2. Feare to fall into error and to be deceiued by the craftinesse of men wherby they lay in waite to deceiue feare these 3. Feare in regard of the reuerence to God but no feare in doubtfulnesse of saluation To conclude if this be the best proofe that they can bring to confirme their doctrine the foundation is weake their arguments like ropes made of sand and the building cannot long stand To turne my selfe from them to you and reproofe into matter of exhortation whether you