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A69089 An excellent and godly sermon most needefull for this time, wherein we liue in all securitie and sinne, to the great dishonour of God, and contempt of his holy word. Preached at Paules Crosse the xxvi. daye of October, an. 1578 by Laurence Chaderton Batcheler of Diuinitie. Chaderton, Laurence, 1536?-1640. 1578 (1578) STC 4924; ESTC S117846 46,847 118

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the certaintie of their election Therefore to stoppe the slaunderous mouth of the aduersarie and to terrifie the secure and presumptuous professor we conclude that woorkes are necessarily required not onely for doyng of the Fathers will but also for the declaration of our faith for the confirmation of our hope for the separating of vs from all infidels and hypocrites for the example of those which are without and within the Church for the relieuing and succouring of all especially of those which are of the houshoulde of fayth for to iustifie our religion to be pure and vndefiled before God the Father for to testifie our obedience and thankefulnesse to God the author thereof finally to prayse and magnifie the great power Iustice and mercie of God the Father his Sonne and the holie Ghost one God and three persons in the whole and perfect worke of our redemption Hitherto of the necessitie of woorkes now followeth the maner of doyng which is no lesse necessarie to the fulfylling of Gods will then workes themselues because it is the cause why all our workes are acceptable to god For albeit we doe continually cal vpon God with our lippes and heare his worde with our outwarde eares and bryng foorth all other apparent workes of godlines and ryghteousnes yet if we pray not in spirit heare not with vnderstanding and beleeue and woorke by loue according to God his wyll we do not the Fathers will but our owne we walke not according to the Spirit but according to the fleshe and therefore must reape of the fleshe corruption But let vs see what this ryght maner of doyng is whereof our sauiour Christ speaketh in this place whence it is whereof it is made and to what end it must be directed the knowledge of which causes wyll breede in vs a perfect knowledge of this vpryght maner of working whether it be inwarde in minde or outwarde in maners There is but one onely author and gyuer hereof euen the Spirite of God and Christ from whome proceede and come all good counselles pure desires and godly purposes For although it bee left in our power in asmuch as the Lorde hath made vs reasonable creatures in some sorte to resemble his Image to wyll this or that thing to reason vpon this or that question to thinke vpon this or that matter to speake this or that sentence and to doe this or that woorke yet to wyll to reason to thynke to speake and to doe all these so as our mercifull God requireth of his children and so as they may bee acceptablie receyued in Christ as syncere obedience vnto God it proceedeth not from fleshe and blood neyther from the wyll of man neyther from any other creature in heauen or in earth but onely from the moste comfortable Spirit of our regeneration whose peculiar office is to begynne continue and finishe in vs his holie vesselles this gracious maner of doyng the which our heauenly Father in the multitude of his mercies hath vouchsafed vs and his Sonne our only sauiour by his death and resurrection hath most perfectly deserued and purchased for vs So the blessed Apostle Paule teacheth in the second to the Philippians who after he had charged them to woorke their saluation with feare and trembling addeth immediately in the verse following For it is God that vvorketh in you both the vvill deede euen of his good pleasure Which is a most strong and forcible reason to stryke into their heartes a reuerent feare and trembling vnder the myghtie hande of God because that although they had power to wyll and worke yet the chaunging of our wyll and drawing it vnto good the power to doe that which is vnfaynedly good and acceptable in the sight of God doe proceede onely from the spirit of regeneration Agayne the same Apostle in the eyght to the Romanes witnesseth that we knowe not what to praye as we ought but the spirit helpeth our infirmitie and maketh request for vs with syghes that cannot be expressed according to the wyll of god Wherein as he remooueth from vs this poynt of wisedome to knowe both what to praye and howe or after what maner so contrarilie he ascribeth it vnto the spirite of Adoption the onely worker thereof For it is he that moueth and stirreth vp in our heartes sighes vnspeakeable and not onely helpeth our infirmities but also teacheth vs to pray in such maner that our worke prayer may be according to the wil of god So it is in al other workes which are acceptable vnto God for those only are his children which are in the maner of doing working the wil of God led and guided by his spirit Wherefore it is said that we haue not receyued the spirit of bondage to liue and worke in a slauish and seruile feare but the spirit of Adoption which sealeth and printeth in our heartes a full assurance of faith and hope whereby at all times and in all extremities we may boldly cry Abba Father So that it is manifest and plaine hereby that all those works are carnall earthly and d●uelish which are done after any other maner then this and contrarily that those onely be good works which are done after this heauenly maner which Gods spirit doeth teach by the word who therefore is called the spirit of trueth and sanctification because he onely leadeth vs into all trueth and holynes Many mo places might here be alledged for the proofe of this doctrine but because the matter is plain cannot be gainsaid with any soundnes of reason I will omit them onely aduertising the Reader of the difference betweene vs the Catholicks in the doctrine of freewill We teach and beleeue that although we haue a natural abilitie power to wil desire speake worke yet the whole maner of vsing these gifts according to the will of God proceedeth onely from the holy Ghost as we haue taught They holde and teach the contrary if not let them declare plainely wherein they differ from vs or els ioyne with vs at the least in the vnitie of this doctrine which ascribeth the whole glory of our new birth to God alone Thus then we know the author of this worthy maner of doing now let vs further cōsider whereof it ariseth wherin it doth consist that we may stand stedfast vnmoueable in the hope of our inheritance both in regard of our works also in respect of the maner of doing It is certeine that it ariseth of diuers and manifold graces of the holy Spirit which are proper and peculiar to his vessels neither can be at any time in the wicked reprobate what pretence soeuer they make of religion godlines But the time will not suffer me to speake of all I will briefly speake of the chiefest most principal gifts wherunto also al the other almost may be referred The first and chiefest of all is true faith rooted and established in our
giue vnto any of the disciples of Christ in his name but a cuppe of colde water to drinke that he shall not lose his rewarde Againe seeing that of all workes of loue and compassion these two in our iudgement are without all comparison the chiefest for what greater loue can any man shewe towardes the soule of his brother then by preaching to deliuer it from the kingdome of darknes and translate it into the kingdome of light or what greater loue can there be shewed towardes his body then to cure it from all infirmities yea and that which is marueylous to deliuer it from the possession of deuils notwithstanding we see by the answere of our Sauiour Christ that these workes and therefore al other which be of lesse value are insufficient defences either to alledge vnto Christ for the auoyding of the sentence of death or to perswade our owne consciences that we are beloued of God according to our former doctrine For albeit they be necessarie for diuers and sundry causes before mencioned yet they containe no part of that pure obedience which by Gods spirit is wrought in all the true members of Christ What then is that which maketh preaching and all other workes acceptable vnto God and profitable for the comfort and saluation of the doer seeyng the workes themselues shal be reiected Surely to answer in one word it is the maner of doing whereof we haue spoken before at large In consideration whereof blessed Paule doeth iustifie his preaching not because he did preach for woe be vnto me sayth he if I preache not the Gospell but because he obserued the ryght maner order of preaching The which maner so farre forth as I can see and gather concerneth either the vtterance of true doctrine or the affection of the minde whence it procedeth For the vtterance he witnesseth that Christ sent him to preache the Gospell not with wisdome of wordes yea that it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue Agayne he reioyceth that he came not with excellencie of wordes or of wisedome shewing vnto the Corinthians the testimonie of God and also that his worde and preaching stoode not in the intycing speache of mans wisdome but in playne euidence of the Spirit and power that the faith of the hearers shoulde not be in the wisdome of men but in the power of god And to shewe in what wordes he spake the Gospell of God and who was the author teacher of them he sheweth playnly in an other place saying Which things also vve speake not in the wordes which mans wisdome teacheth but in the words which the holy Ghost teacheth comparing spirituall things vvith spirituall things For as the doctrine and foundation of our redemptiō is altogether heauenly and spirituall so ought those that be buylders thereupon to buylde after a heauenly and spirituall maner as the Apostle teacheth in another place comparing this heauenly man to golde siluer and precious stones and the contrary to tymber haye and stubble in these wordes If any man buylde vpon this foundation golde siluer precious stones tymber haye or stubble euery mans worke shal be made manifest for the day shal declare it because it shall be reuealed by fire and the fyre shall trye euery mans woorke of vvhat sorte it is Wherein we see howe necessarie a thing it is for vs that be preachers and diuiders of the worde not onely to looke vnto the foundation of our doctrine which is Christ but also to the maner of vtterance because that also must be tryed and examined by the holy Ghost as golde siluer c. are tryed by the fire Therefore Paule in great boldenesse and authoritie speaketh on this maner to the Corinthian preachers But I vvill come to you shortly if the Lorde vvill and vvyll knovve not the speache of them vvhich are puffed vp but the power For the kingdome of God is not in vvorde but in povver Whereby as hee woulde condemne their speache and maner of vtterance which delyghted the eare hauyng no power or strength to weaken and vnloose the holde of sinne and Satan in them so he woulde commend vnto them that maner of vtterance which shoulde least sauour of carnall wisedom and haue greatest power to turne the hearts of the hearers vnto God and as the Apostle doeth saye of himselfe that he vsed no such maner of teaching neyther any flattering wordes as it is in the fyrst Epistle to the Thessalonians So he doeth most carefully commende and bequeath it vnto Timothie and Titus his two sonnes in the fayth and in them to all other ministers as a faithful treasure for the edification of Christes body forbidding them to gyue heede vnto fables genealogies or to profane and old wiues tales vayne babblings and oppositions of science falsely so called and contrarily commanding them to staye such things to speake and exhort with all authoritie to studie to shewe themselues approued to God and workemen that need not be ashamed and finally to deuide the word aright This kinde of preaching touching the vttering of the worde diligently obserued of Paule and faithfully committed to his schollers ought with great care and diligence to be obserued of all the ministers of God that the faith of the hearers may stande in the power of the Spirit and trueth not in the weakenes of the swelling wordes of mans wisedome But alas who preacheth thus nay who doeth not iudge this kinde of preaching to be voyde of learning discretion wisdome Wherefore many doe stuffe their sermons with newe deuised words and affected speaches of vanitie not being cōtent with the words which the holy Ghost teacheth Many with vnnecessary sentences prouerbes similitudes and stories collected out of the wrytings of prophane men many with curious affected figures with Latine Greeke and Hebrewe sentences without any iust occasion offered by their texte with multitudes of humane authorities and diuers opinions of men in whom there can be foūd neither certaine rule of trueth neither constancie in iudgement and therfore very vnfitte to be admitted into that place as speakers wheras the fearefull mighty voyce of God hath straightly charged all people to heare his welbeloued Sonne saying This is my welbeloued Sōne heare him Many with stagelike gestures curious pronunciation and such other actions that are very vnseemely for those men which haue taken vpon them before God and his Angels to preach and publish vnto his people the Gospel of Christ crucified I would to God that all the ministers of this lande in this poynt could put on this affection of S. Paule fully to purpose with thēselues to knowe nothing amongest their hearers saue Iesus Christ and him crucified So we shoulde not onely cast aside this vayne corrupt vnprofitable maner of diuiding the worde of trueth but also banishe out of our heartes the desire of all such popular prayse and