obscured the Devill by the Pope hath maimed this institutioÌ„ of the Lords hath repealed his coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t drink ye al Mat. 26. 27. Luc. 22. 20. of this in restraining the people froÌ„ the vse of the cuppe albeit it be the new testameÌ„t in his blood whereof the people ought to bee pertakers as well as the Preist the Apostle hath added that Gal. 3. 15. vnto the testament of a meere man none will presume to aâ—de or abrogate much lesse to the testameÌ„t of Christ our Lord the Pope his popelings only excepted Whereas also this coÌ„mandemeÌ„t being de livered in generall tearmes at the same time to the same per soÌ„s as that other coÌ„mandemeÌ„t was take ye eate ye this is my body must needes be of the same force bind also to the same obedience The which thing to be most true we neede not seeke for any Gerard. Lorich de Missa publica proreganda further witnes seing vve haue the testimony of one of their owne freÌ„ds who is bold to tearme all such false Catholikes and most wicked blasphemers who hinder the reformatioÌ„ of this noto rious abuse And in very deede the case is so cleare evideÌ„t that by the Bishoppes of Rome theÌ„selues who liued in purer ages the Leo. serm 4. de quadragesima abstaining froÌ„ the cuppe hath beene coÌ„demned as an open errour in the Manichees straite iniunctioÌ„ hath beene giuen that such as abstaine from the one be driven fâ—rm the other for that the Gelasius de consecratione dist 2. c. compâ—rimus dividing of one and the selfe same mystery coulde not bee done without most greaavous sacriledge Wherefore sacrilegious is the pride of al these late Bishoppes of Rome by the testimonie of one of their owne predecessors in that they presume to divide those thinges which Christ hath ioyned togeather to maime and â—angle his new Testament and to repeale his flat coÌ„mandemeÌ„t as also for that in their greatest pompe this verie sacrameÌ„t which they pretende to honour as Christ taking it in truth to bee very Christ is caried before them on an hackney when they theÌ„selues are carried on mens shoulders their owne throne is set aboue the altar the crosse which is caried vpoÌ„ the right haÌ„d of kings swords scepters for that as they say divine honour is due vnto it is notwithstaÌ„ding laide vnder their feete in the lubile they beate vpoÌ„ the gates of Paradise with a golden haÌ„â—er as it is expressed in their Pontificals exercised in their soleniâ—ies Now what are all these things but the plaine steppes of the intollerable Luciferlike pride of the great Antichrist For as he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him is true there is none vnrighteousnes in him so in Antichrist there is vnrighteousnes he is not true because as Aug. in Ioh. tract 29. Austine teacheth he will not seeke the glory of him that sent him 5 Wherefore the B. of Rome must needes be very neare kinne at the least to the great Antichrist in that he so highly advauÌ„ceth himselfe so egerly pursueth his owne glory exalting himselfe not only against god his Christ but much more against Christs Leâ—fetenaÌ„ts the Ecclesiasticall Civill governours of whome it is written I haue saide ye are Gods against the most venerable assemblies Aboue all that is called God Chrys in Math. Hom. 35. Greg. ep l. 4. ep 32. 34 of general councels For â—e will needes haue primaâ—… in earth albeit he finde confusion in heaveÌ„ He will needs take to himselfe the name of vniversall Bishoppe that name of blasphemy whereby the dignity of all Preistes is diminished in that so much is arrogated to one after a frantike madnes yea he will needes take it to himselfe albeit it be against the meaning of the Gospel against all Churches against the ordinaÌ„ce of the Canons albeit in this pride is betokened that the time of Antichrist is at hand he being hereby followed who despising the equalitie of â—oy among the angels laboured to mount vp to the toppe of singularity saying I will advaâ—nce my throne aboue the starres of heaven I vvill sit in the mounte of the Testament even in the North I will get mee vp aboue the cloudes and wiâ—… be like vnto the highest Neither doth his pride stay heere but in all things he laboureth to expresse his image who not contenting himselfe with his Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction were it never so greate in the declining of the Romane Empire was to thrust himselfe into the seate thereof and to chaleâ—dge to himselfe both swordes Ecclesiasticall and Civill and to take vpon himself both the Empire of God men For so Chryâ—ostome hath foresignified that toward the declining of the Romane Empire Antichrist shall come for this Empire Chr. hom 2. in 2. c. ep 2. ad Thes saith he being so renouned none will easely be subiect vnto him but this being void he will invade the power thereof and take it to himselfe in so much that he will take vpon him both the Empire of God and men The which autority hath beene now long since vsurped even to the vttermost by the Bish of Rome who as if he had beene Lord of Lordes King of Kinges hath taken vpon him not onely to depose to set vp Kinges at his owne pleasure but also hath practised the like in the Empire it selfe Neither yet hath his pride staid here but hath advauÌ„ced it selâ—e one steppe higher even aboue the most venerable assemblies of generall Councels who haue the autority represent the face of the whole church For it hath passed Bellar. de Conâ— lib. 2 cap. 14. on his side that his autority is greater then theirs and that â—e is not subiect to their iurisdiction to be cited arraigned or condemned by them His decisions must come forth with a Non obstante whereas their decrees must alwaies be with a Salva semper his faith cannot faâ—le he caÌ„not â—dem l. 4. de â—ontif c. 13. Rhem. in Luc. Cap 22. erre at the least in the Consistory and herefore no man may say to him Sir why doe you so The which presumption is so intollerable so onely beeâ—itting the great Antichrist that a man otherwise as it is likely of his owne faith profession hath for this Avent anna lium l. 6. â—ol 683. cause so proclaimed him to be at the meeting of the Nobles and Prelats in Germany for that he spake proud thinges as if he were some God for that he laide new plots to establish himselfe a king dome made changed what lawes he listed sacked spoiled deceaued killed being that son of perditioÌ„ which they call Antichrist in whose for heade is written a name of blasphemy I am a God I cannot erre In the temple of God hee sitteth and raigneth farre and wide 6 And verely whereas it is the prerogatiue roiall of
of their Idolatries was their following of the corrupt customs of their owne countries and their refusall of the ordinaunces and 2. Kin. 17. 34 lawes of God And what was the cause that the Iewes theÌ„selues also which had the law and the prophets to direct them in al the waies of God did so often fall away from the service of God and defile theÌ„selues with abominable Idolatries but that they either vtterly forsooke the directioÌ„ of the word of God and follovved their owne inventions or the corrupte customes of their forefathers or else they mingled their owne dreames and the traditioÌ„s of their elders togither with the worshippe of God delivered in his worde which ought to haue bin kept pure and sincere without any mixture without any such hotch-potch mingle maÌ„gle The cause of the Idolatries that so much abouÌ„ded in the time of the Iudges was for that there was no king in Israel who was to coÌ„mand Iud. 17. 1. the carefull keeping of the law of God but every man did that which was good in his owne eies And what was the cause of those outragious dolatries in the daies of the kings especially in the daies of Manasses and Amon his sonne but this that the lavve of 2. Chro 34. 14. God was so neglected that the very autheÌ„tical coppy therof given by the hand of Moses himselfe was lost And if we will know also what was the cause of those damnable Idolatries that so prevailed in the daies of the prophets we may heare the same out of their mouthes who were the principall actors or at the least the chiefe abetters therof The word say they to the prophet Ieremy which thou hâ—st spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord we will not heare Ier 44. 16. it of thee but we will doe whatsoever goeth out of our owne mouth as to â—…rae incense to the Queene of heaven and to powre out our drinke offerings vnto her as we haue done both we and our Fathers our kings our Princes in the cittie of Iudah and in the streetes of Ierusalem for then had we plenty of victuals and were well and felt none evill Their wilful reiecting of the word of God and their obstinate resolution to follovve their ovvne customes and the practise of their forefathers vvas the cause of all their abominable Idolatries Neither vvas the vtter reiecting of the woorde of GOD the cause of so many corruptions in the Iewish religion but alâ—o the mingling therewith of their ovvne Inventions and of the traditions of their forefathers For in the Lordes fielde there oughte nothing to bee sowen but the most pure seede of the worde of God whatsoever is beside the same it is not good corne but cockle and darnell and they of the Lordes family are onely to be fedde with the holesome foode of that vvorde which is provided for their sustenaunce by their heavenly master whatsoever meate they take beside it is corrupte leaven yea deadly poison And therefore both GOD himselfe did most sharpely reproue the hypocriticall Iewes in the time of the Prophete Isay and our Saviour CHRIST the Scribes and Phaâ—isies in his dayes not foc that they did vtterlie reiect the service of GOD prescribed in his own word for it is cleare manifest that they did not so but for that they did corrupt the same with the mingling of their owne leaven they condemne that worship for Isa 20. 14. Mat. 1â— 9. vaine which is prescribed either wholy or in part by the precepts and doctrines of men And verily as in the bodies of men either want of good holesome food or the receiving of corrupt and bad either wholy or but in parte is the cause of many bodily disâ—ases even so either the want of the holesome food of the worde of God or the receiving of the corrupt food of humane doctrins either wholy or in part doth breed many sins corruptioÌ„s in our soules and make them sicke even to death Yea this hath bred al manner of errours heresies and Idolatries in all ages and at all times This was the cause of errour vnder the law and that amoÌ„g the Lords own people They erred in their hearts saieth the Lorde Psa 95. 10. himselfe because they haue not knowne my waies And why erred the Sadducies at the time of our Saviours appearing in the flesh so grosly and that in the chiefest grounds principles of the faith Mark 12. 23 Aug. in psa 131. Cyp. de simpl praelatorum Chrys hom 3. de Laza Yee erre saith our Saviour vnto them not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God This is the cause of all evill saith Austine that the scriptures are not knowne Hence saith Cyprian proceede errours for that menreturne not to the head nor seeke to the spring of truth nor keepe the doctrine of our heavenly Master The reading of the scriptures saith Chrysostome is a strong fortresse against sinne and the ignoraunce of them is a great downefull and a deepe hell to know nothing of â—he divine lawes is a great losse of salvation this thing hath bred heresies and brought in a corrupt life and hath turned al topsie turvy For how can it otherwise be but that health must needes decay and sicknesse grow where either holesome foode is not received at all or else is not received alone without the mixture of that which is corrupt And how can it otherwise bee but that weedes must needes spring vp where either good seed is not sowen at al or else not without the mixture of cockle and darnell And how can it otherwise be but that such must needs be misledde which either will not at all follow those are vnerring guides or else will not be guided by them alone but by such also as may be deceived Wherfore in that the church of Rome doth not only keep the greatest part of the people from the liberty of reading the holie scriptures but also doth mingle with the pure foode thereof the corrupt leaven of humane doctrines it cannot otherwise be but that spiritual sicknesses must grow in her apace ghostly health and strength greatly decay And seeing that shee soweth in the harts of the people not the sincere seede of the worde of God alone but also the darnell of mens inventions it caÌ„not be but that weedes must neâ—des mount vp and overgrowe the good corne And seeing she will haue her followers ledde by bookes Apocripha vnwritten verities ordinaunces of the Church decrees of Popes canons of Councels rules of Friers customes of the multitude traditions of forefathers and the like and not by the books alone of the Canonicall scriptures who are the only sure and vndeceiueable guides it is no marvaile that shee hath beene so misledde out of the way of truth hath wandred in the by-pathes of heresies and Idolatries even as the Idolatrous Iewes and Gentiles haue bin before her for that they followed the same
thy nâ—…e giue the praise for thy loving mercy for thy truthes saâ—e Oh saith Aust God doth prevent thee in all thinges prevent thou also his wrath How Confesse that all good thou receivest of him and all evil Serm. 10. de ver Apost from thy selfe But the Church of â—ome regardeth not this holesome counsel of this learned Father shee will not haue her children to disgrace themselues so much as to confesse themselues voide of al goodnes and replenished with all evill neither will shee haue the free mercy of God in Christ so farre foâ—th mâ—gnâ—fied and extolled as iâ— all the due deserved glory of al celestial graces were to be ascribed thervnto and therefore God in his iust wrath hath given her over to her owne blindnes that making her boast that her faith No manerreth more then hee that thinketh he never erreth cannot faile yet shee teacheth divers and manifold errours contrary to all the grounds of the Catholike faith For many grievous and damnable are the heresies wherewithall the Bishop and Church of â—ome are most truely and iustly charged by vs which professe the Gospell of â—esus Christ for the removing wherof the words indeed of the scripâ—ure are alleadged by them but the question being of the right sence thereof albeit the children of that Church pretende for the iustifying of their interpretations the consent of fathers Stap. doct princ li. 7. ca. â—…â—… 8 10. â— l. 10. cap. 11. the common testimony of the faithfull the decrees of councels yet at the last only or at the least principally they rest vpon the definitiue sentence and censure of the Pope So that the question being whether the Pope bee Antichrist the ful and finall decision thereof must in the ende as they teach be devolved to the Pope himseâ—fe and hee must be the Iudge in his owne cause Now what is this but aske my fellow nay aske my selfe whether I am a thiefe Whereby they make manifest vnto the whole world the great weaknes and wretchedneâ— of their owne cause which cannot otherwise be iustified approved vnlesse the guilty parties theÌ„selues be suffered to pronounce the definitiue sentence Whereas our Saviour Christ testifieth of himselfe saying If I shoulde beare witnesse of my selfe my witnesse were not Ioh 5. 31. Ioh. 8. 54. true And againe If I should honour my selfe my honour is nothing worth If then our Saviour himselfe would not be beleeved vpon his owne bare word bâ—t had his doctrine confirmed by his Fathers voice from heaven by the testimonies of the Prophets and by his owne miracles what pride possesseth the Popes heart that he will not submit himselfe as Christ did and be tried as he was tried Now herein the Antichristian presumption of the Bishop of Rome in exalting himselfe aboue our Saviour Christ beeing manifestly detected with the great nakednes and wretchednes of his cause his friendes to shadow darken â—he same haue raised Camp rat 2 Poss Bibl. select no. 7. cap. 18. vp a mist of a most notorious slander against vs as if we were those parties that would be tried by none but by our selues and would allow in no manner of controversie the iudgement of any Interpreteâ— but Luthers Melancthons Caluins Bezaes or the like The which thing if it were true we see no reason why we may not iustifie the same far better then they can their depending vpon the Popes chaire For these meÌ„ were painefully exercised in praierâ— reading and meditation and were furnished with the knowledge of Artes and tongues which are great helpes to the attaining vnto the right interpretation of holy scriptures Whereas it is averred by men of their ovvne profession as a thing notorious that many of their Popes haue not vnderstood the Alphonsus li. 1. c. 4. groundes and principles of the very Grammer it selfe and of those that haue beene learned the greater sort haue beene expert in pointes of policie rather then in sound and profound Divinity Now right interpretation of holy scriptures being obtained from God not extraordinarily by revelation in these daies but ordinarily by meanes let all indifferent persons iudge vvhether the vnlearned or politike Popes or the other so wel studied learned men were like to be the better Interpreters of holy scriptures But indeede we stand not vpon this exception but constantly avouch that this their accusation is a most impudent and shameles slaunder raised vp in al likelyhoode even against their ovvne consciences as it may appeare by the appeale of that reverend Father John Juell in diverse controversies betweene theÌ„ and vs made vnto all approved antiquity cited censured euen by themselues For vve like of the testimonies of Fathers Camp Rat 5. Church and Councels and haue iust cause in many pointes to allovv of their decisions but we tie not the truth necessarily vnto them but vnto the spirit of truth who being the Autor is also the best interpreter of holy Scripture having therefore plainely set downe in them all necessarie points of faith that the plaine easie places therof might be as lightes to the darke and obscure for the better opening and explaning of the same Yea as in al Artes Sciences there are some principles and grounds vndeniable and vnavoideable having open manifest truth in themselues evident to the light of nature shining in vs and winning credit to theÌ„selues by their own perspicuous verity by the which the certainety of al other precepts of lesse perspicuity authority is to be tried eveÌ„ so in Theology also there are certaine principles grouÌ„ds having open confessed vndeniable truth in themselues such as are the Articles of the Apostles creede vnto which the interpretations of darker places are to be referred by which the doubts coÌ„troversies in matters of faith are to be decided For these are even as great torch-lightes lightning both themselues others also And as any having but meane skil in that craft if he set but the level to the worke shal soone see whether it be right or if he rub the mettal vpon the touch-stone he shal quickly perceiue what it is even so to any that is but meanly experienced in the doctrine of Christ if he compare his faith to these grounds of faith he may soone perceiue whether he hold a souÌ„d faith For as in Law Physicke in al other libeâ—al Arts Sciences the painfull studeÌ„t may attaine to a sufficient knowledge of the same by the helpe especially of their maine groundes and principles albeit there bee no vnerring Interpreter able to decide al doubts and controversies therein even so in Theology albeit there be none vnerring Interpreter amoÌ„g meÌ„ yet the studious devout Christian may attaine to a sufficient knowledge of al such points of faith as are necessary to salvatioÌ„ by the helpe of the maine grounds principles of faith Or may we suppose that the God of all but especially of such
so make vs his beloued childreÌ„ Our harts are as barreÌ„ grouÌ„d bearing Matth. 1 â— nothing but weeds trash vntill we be manured by the Lords husbaÌ„dmeÌ„ haue receiued the pure seed of the word yea 1. Pet. 2. 25 we are all as sheepe going astray waÌ„dring in the waies of death destructioÌ„ vntil we are reclaimed by our great sheepheards voice and so brought home to Christs folde Now if we gladly receaue the seede of the worde and fructifie thereby accordingly heereby wee may bee assured that wee are that good grouÌ„d which doth receiue blessing of God And if we harkeÌ„ to this our great shepheards voice and not to the voice of a stranger heereby also we may assure ourselues that vvee are Christes heape and that we belong to his stocke Good cause therefore haue the faithful servants of Christ to loue and embrace the word of God not only for that it is an immortal seede wherby they are begotten to an immortal life of barren ground are made fruitful of waÌ„dring sheepe are reclaimed home to the fold of Christ but also for that it coÌ„taineth the baÌ„ds of the covenaÌ„t of our peace with God and the evidences for the assurance of the remission of our sinnes and of our inheritaunce in the kingdome of glory There is no wise man that is to enioy any temporall landes or possessions either by coppy or by Indenture or by deedes of gift but that hee vvill make good accounte of all such evidences as concerne the same and learne also the contents thereof that so he may know the iustnesse of his title to such possessions And if at any time he be vniustly molested and kept from the enioying of any of those lands he putteth the maâ—ter in suite and speaketh for iustice and making proofe of his title by the view of his evidences sentence passeth on his side and so he obtaineth his right and lawfull possessions It hath beene thought in the time of darkenesse that if a man had beene buried in a cloyster and in a Monkes coule having a crosse and a pardon put into his graue vvith him that those thinges had beene a sufficient safe conduct to fence him from the fenne and that they had beene as good an assuraunce for the silly soule to passe from hence to heaven as a pasport subscribed with a Iustices hand and ratified and confirmed with his â—…ne and allovved is a sure protection with vs for a poore travâ—…ling man to preserue him from al maner of molestation But 〈…〉 the light of the gospel hath appeared it is manifest known that these are but forged evideÌ„ces and of no validity for that no creature is able to bestow so great giftes as are the remission of sâ—nnes deliverance from hell and the inheritaunce of eternall glory or giue any assurance for the obtaining of the same it is God oâ—…ly that can make a grant of these graces and the assurance thereof that he hath made vnto the faithfull in his holy and sacred word are the only evidences that can fully warrant our iust title right to the same The which thing as it is wel known vnto the whole coÌ„pany of the Lords people so it was throughly setled in the hart of a faithfull brother not long since departed from vs in the Lord a George Wrisly bacheler of law fellow of new Colledge in Oxford fellow while he liued of an honourable foundation but now a fellow citizen of the saints enioying the priviledges of a far more honorable society who by order of his house was a studeÌ„t of those laws which are pleadable in the coÌ„sistory before an earthly iudge can giue vs some protectioÌ„ here in this world but by his godly choice he was also a student of those laws which are onely pleadable at the bar of the highest iudge can warrant vs the assuraÌ„ce of greater blessings And therefore he lying in his death bed feeling himselfe sicke vnto death and knowing that his time was now come of his present appearing in that place where he was to lay in his claime to his heauenly inheritance called for his evidences which did concerne the same that is he called for his bible which he had before daily vsed in his health read the fifteenth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians therin beholding how sin was fully satisfied for by the death of Christ and so abolished and sin being abolished death must needs be vanquished for that it hath all his strength from sin and so being assured of his deliverance from death and of his right to the possession of eternal life laying these his evidences open vpon his brest clas-â—ping theÌ„ close to his hart with both his armes yeelded vp immediatly his faithful soule into the hands of his most loving Saviour and now resteth vndoubtedly vnder the altar praising lauding God continually For no doubt to him belongeth the heauenly inheritaunce vvhich vnfainedly loueth and embraceth all such evidences as doe concerne that heauenly inheritance and he hath most assuredly right and interest in everlasting life who highly esteemeth religiously embraceth that eternall will and testameÌ„t of our great gracious God wherin is beqâ—…athed vnto al the faithful the gift and legacy of eternall life and hee shall most certainely enioy the incomparable benefite of the covenant of grace who hath fulfilled the condition thereof by having the law of God planted in his heart and firmely setled in his inwarde man The second note is a full resting vpon God and a placing of our whole trust and confidence onely â—n him according to the direction of this our christian creede I beleeue in GOD. For hee is not to be accounted faithfull that beleeueth in any other but he that beleeueth only in God And it is onething to beleeue here is a God and another thing to beleeue God and another also to beleeue in God He that beleeveth in God shall never be confounded seeing he is made Rom. 10. 11 Ioh 1. 42. Mat. 16. 18. thereby a living stone as Peter was built vpon a most sure foundation and strong rocke hell gates shall never prevaile against him they shal neuer bring him to eternal confusion They that travaile saith Iob 6. 18 19. 20. Iob in the quarters of Tema and Seba in the time of a drought and seeke for some refreshing for themselues and their beastes to the rivers that overflowed and made a great flowde in the winter time returne confounded without succour for that the waters of those rivers are dried vp So it is with all such as trust in creatures they digge to themselues pits even Ier. 2. 13. broken pits that can hold no water haue recourse to dryed brooks therfore in the end are vtterly confounded for this their vaine and fond choice For they that follow lying vanities forsake and Ion. 2. 8. abandon their owne mercy Now
and mercies vpon them Iudge me O Lord saith David according vnto my righteousnes and according vnto the innocencye that is in mee and againe Iudge mee O Lorde for I haue vvalked innocently c. and verse the eight of the same Psalme O Lorde I haue loued the habitation of thy house and the place vvhere thine honour dwelleth O shut not vp my soule with sinners nor my life with the blood-thirsty in whose hands is wickednes their right hand is ful of gifts and coÌ„cerning the assuraÌ„ce that he had of his own faith the spring fouÌ„taine of al good works he likwise testifieth saying Haue mercy vpoÌ„ me O God haue mercy vpoÌ„ me for my soule trusteth in thee vnder the shaddowe of thy winges shal be my refuge vntill this tirannie bee over Isa 38. 3. past So Ezechias Remember now O Lorde how I haue waâ—ked before thee with an vpright hearte and haue done that which is acceptable in thy sight Remember me saith Nehemiah O my God in goâ—dnes according Neâ— 5. 9. 13 22. to all that I haue done for this people And againe Remember me O God concerning this and pardon mee according vnto thy great mercie Pray for vs saith the Apostle for we are assured that wee haue a good Heb. 13. 18. conscience desiring to liue honestly in all things And in truth how could the actions of the faithful haue beene pure and good except they had beene done in faith and in obedience to God and vpon an assured knowledge that they were wel pleasing vnto him How otherwise could they haue beene so bold and that in lue of that service which then they performed vnto him to haue required at the Lords hands that reward which he hath promised to his faithful servaÌ„ts Or if they theÌ„selues were not fully perswaded of their most comfortable faith godly life of the sincerity of an vpright conscience how came it to passe that the light therof was so great that their most deadly malicious enimies were forced to giue testimony thereto with these or the like words These be they which speake as they liue and liue as they speake this is assuredly an holie profession which bringeth forth so holie a conversation this is a ioyfull and comfortable faith which yeeldeth such ioy and comfort amidst so great and grievous torments and in the very terrors of death it selfe O truely great is the God of these christians Their light did so shine before meÌ„ that they did see their goods works and glorifie their father which was in heaven and therefore they did much more assuredly see them themselues Wherfore to conclude this first question A true a faithful christian man is not ignorant of the estate of his own soul nor standeth in feare of al his actions he â—s not in doubt of the purity of his cogitations nor yet vncertaine of his obtained grace he cleerely beholdeth the light of his owne holy life and conversation and both by the markes fruits of his christian faith groweth into a stedfast assurance thereof being thereby enabled to make an vndoubted profession of the same according vnto the direction of this our christian creede I beleeue Novv the first question being thus determined the second follovveth whether a faithfull christian knowing assuredlie that hee hath obtained a true saving and iustifying faith may know also assuredlie that â—e is in the favour of God hath remission of sinnes and a iust title to the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven Andradius the maintainer of the Trâ—dentine faith seemeth to yeeld thus much that if we could assuredly knovv that we had faith repentance loue we might also assuredly knovv that vve vvere in the favour of God had al our sins remitted vnto vs. But of the former he greatly doubteth nay he boldly avoucheth with * Duraeus li. 8. de paradoxiâ— other of his fellovvs that we cannot attaine to any stedfast and certaine assurance of the same Now theÌ„ seeing that the meÌ„bers of the church of Rome know not assuredly whether they beleeue or no or belong to the nuÌ„ber of the faithful servaÌ„ts of Christ it is no mervaile that they know not that they are in the favor of God neither acknovvledge the great mercy of Christ tovvardes themselues in remitting vnto them their iniquities and sinnes Whereas no doubt the faithfull servauntes and children of GOD feeling his lavv written in their Heb. 8. 10. 1 Ioh. 5. 20. heartes and knovving that he hath giuen them a minde to knovv him aright and to perfourme in some measure the vvell deserved duety of obedient servauntes and loving children and that according vnto his ovvne prescription in his most sure and vndoubted vvord do knovv also assuredly thereby that they themselues are vnder the covenant of mercy and in the estate of grace that God is become their loving father in Christ hath cast al their sinnes into the bottome of the sea This question then concerneth not the vnfaithfull and vnbeleeuers whether such may knovv whether they are in Gods favor for doubtlesse they may perswade themselues the cleane contrary but the faithful beleeuers only vnto whoÌ„ for the better streÌ„gthning of their stedfast assurance diverse helpes are ministred by the Lord in his word For as in the coÌ„veiancâ— of earthly lands possessions vvhen any thing is to passe from man to man the graunt is set dovvne in vvriting and signed and sealed vvith the hand and seale of the party that maketh the graunte and subscribed vvith the handes or markes of the vvitnesses present for the same purpose that so the party to vvhome the graunte is made may haue good security for those landes vvhich are after this manner passed over vnto him and as in those evidences the cause of the graunte is sometime signified for the better confirmation of the conveiance even so our most gracious and mercifull GOD purposing of his infinite and endlesse mercy in Christ to giue assuraunce to the faithfull of remission of sinnes and euerlasting life hath caused not only the graunt thereof to be set dovvne in the holy scriptures vnder the handes of diverse as it vvere publike Notaries but also the cause of the saide graunt as So GOD loved the vvorlde not so and so had vve deserued and such or such a summe had vvee giuen but So Ioh. 3. 16. God loved the vvorlde that hee gaue his only begotten sonne vvho is the onely purchaser and price of the purchase also that vvhosoeuer beleeueth in him shoulde not perish but haue life everlasting And that vve might bee most throughly persvvaded of the vnchaungeable vvil of the LORDE concerning this his grant he commaunded it to be proclaimed not in Iurie alone nor any one corner of the world nor to one people onely but gaue in charge to his embassadors to publish the same throughout the vvhole vvorld and to entreate thereof vvith every creature Goe yee saith our Saviour
vpon an Idoll of their owne imagination the superstâ—tious beleeueth in creatures the Epiâ—ure hath his belly and pleasure for his God the Machiavellion his pollicy the covetous worldling his Mammon onely the faithful christian beleeueth in God and reposeth in him al the hope of his felicity he seeketh to him onely in al his necessities and giueth him the thankes for al benefites whatsoeuer If there were any other that could doe so great workes for vs as are those of the creation redemption and sanctification or if there were any that were partners with God in the same then were there some cause why we might beleeue in them and devote our selues to their service For the articles of our creede do teach vs therefore to beleeue in God for that it is he that hath made vs and not wee our selues nor any other for that it is he that hath redeemed vs and not we our selues nor any other and for that it is he that sanctifieth vs and not we our selues nor any other and therefore that we haue â—ust cause to beleeue in him and in none other and to serue him and none other especially whereas he is a iealous God and wil giue his glory to none other and as he hath no partner with him in his worke so will hee haue no partner with him in that honour which is due vnto him in respect of the same Wherefore blessed is the man that trusteth in God and whose hope the Iâ—r 7. 5. Lorde is and cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arms and so turneth away from the true God It is not then without cause that our creede teacheth vs to beleeue in God and not in any creature to beleeue the church not in the church nor in any meÌ„bers of the church We beleeue saith Pasâ—hâ—sius the church as the Pasch l. 1. despiritu sancto Aug. tract 29. in Ioh. Euseb Emiss hom 2. â—nsymb Rhem. in ep ad Rom. c. 10 in ep ad Philem. 2. Cor. 12. 7. mother of regeneratioÌ„ we beleue not in the church as the aâ—tor of regeneratioÌ„ Farre be froÌ„ vs this blasphemous opinioÌ„ for it is not lawfull to beleue no â—ot in an Angell We beleue Peter saith S. Austin we beleue not in Peter For to beleeue in Peter or Paul were to bestow vpoÌ„ the servaÌ„t the honour due vnto the Lord. And yet our Rhemisâ—es are so bold as to avouch that it is lawful to beleeue in the saints so in the church albeit it be but a congregation of such as are or haue beene subiect to manifolde infirmities The which infirmities the Lorde suffered to remaine in his chiefest servantes and saintes vvhilest they liued that they shoulde not be lisâ—ed vp above measure but be humble and lovvly as they ought to bee And vvithout all doubt for the very lyke cause vvere some of the same infirmities registred also by the very direction of GODS most holy spirite and published to all posteritye least vve also should conceaue too greate an opinion of them by making them our patrones and LORDES by seeking vnto them for their protection by devoting our selues vnto their service and by placinge our hope and trust in them Neither did the spirit of GOD for this cause lay open onely the infiâ—mityes of the saintes but also concealed many of those high revelations that â— Cor. 12. 6 vvere shevved vnto them and many also in all â—yâ—elihoode of the strange vvorkes that vvere vvrought by them lâ—…st they shoulde haue beene exalted aboue measure and exâ—olled aboue the degree of servantes in the opinion of men For it is the LORDE of these vvorthye servantes that must encrease Ioh. 3. 30. Ps â—6 4â— â—8 3. Eccl. 43. 30 1. Pet. 1. 13 vvhoe indeede is so greate that hee cannot vvorthely be praised yea vvhose greatenes cannot sufficientlye bee comprehended much lesse magnyfied on that manner as it ought to bee and on vvhose grace vvee ought perfectely to trust vvhereas the greatest amongst the children of vvomen must decrease especially in themselues fighting against pride which oveâ— Superbiâ— in virtute timenda threw Adam the Angelles still assaulteth even the best never so much as imagining with themselues that they can bee so humble and lowly as they ought to be For Gods grace is sufficient for them which assureth theÌ„ of the release of their sins but taketh not cleane away all their infirmities but suffereth them to feele the pricke sting thereof that thereby they may be most earnestly stirred vp to put of swelling pride to put on holy humility God saith Austine Aug. cont Pel. l 3. c. 13. doth 〈◊〉 his iust ones for the fulfilling of perfect righteousnes for that as yet they are in danger to bee puâ—…ed vp with pride that while none liuing is iustified in his sight vvee may ovve thankes vnto his mercy and by holy humility may bee cured of pride the principall cause of many mischeifes Truth it is that our Saviour affirmeth Ioh. 14. 12. that such as beleeue in him shall doe greater vvorkes then those that he himselfe did vvhilest he conversed here in the flesh Whereby our Rhemistes doe endevour to iustifie all those straung wonders that are reported to be done by their canonized saints But be it that many more signes vvere done by the ministery of the Apostles among the Gentiles for the confirmation of the doctrine that vvas straunge vnto them and therefore required stranger signes for the mooving of the vnbeleevers to the embracing thereof then vvere done by CHRIST himselfe among the Ievves because they receaued the bookes of the Prophetes wherein his doctrine was sufficieÌ„tly confirmed yet it hath pleased the spirit of God to haue recorded in holy scripture more miracles done by Christ himselfe theÌ„ were done by the ministery of the Apostles Yea it hath pleased the spirit of God as was said before to haue testified the concealing of strauÌ„g revelatioÌ„s shewed to the Apostle S. Paul himselfe least that any should conceaue of him more theÌ„ were meete With what spirit theÌ„ was the autor of the LegeÌ„d led that hath blazed abroad so many strauÌ„g woÌ„ders reported to be done by their doubtfull demy-saints to draw the people no doubt into such an admiratioÌ„ of them as that therby they might be moued to beleeue in theÌ„ What shall vve imagine that the same spirit which would haue the strauÌ„g revelatioÌ„s of the Chrys Hom. 5 in Math. Aug. de mirabil sacra scripturae l. 1. c. 35. Apostle concealed to that end for the which the sepulcher of Moset was kept secret by God least the people should haue worshipt him would haue as strauÌ„g or strauÌ„ger woÌ„ders to be published as done by the petty Saints of the Romish church for the farther advauÌ„cing of their estimatioÌ„ Nay may we not iustly think that as the Devil did striue with Michael about the body of Moses that his â—yr in deut
out of the same The spirit of God sendeth him not to a second table of penance to tâ—ke holde thereof that by the power thâ—rof he might be deliuered but remember saith he how thoâ— hast received and hearde and holde fast and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 3. repent Now no doubt but he had receiued and heard aâ—d therefore was to hold fast that to the peniteÌ„t humble sinner Christs blood is the purgation of all his sins that by the mediatioÌ„ of his death he doth obtaine remission of theÌ„ not only when he is received into favor at the first but even to his liues end being thereby still pâ—eâ—erued in the same grace obtaining the forgiuenesse of hiâ— dayâ—y offences For so S. Iohn setting downe the meanes whereby the faithfull themselues are continually cured of their dailie infirmities If any man sinne saieth hee vvee haue Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. â—0 our Advocate and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes So the Apostle Saint Paul sheweth that not onely when wee were enemies we were reconciled at the first by the death of Christ and obtained the release of our grosser offences but much more beeing once reconciled and made the children of God by CHRIST wee are still preserued in the same grace and obtaine the forgiuenesse of ouâ—…maller offences by the same meanes The trueth is that none are cured of their sinnes by Christ vvhich continue stil in the same and doe not dayly fight against them vvith dayly repentaunce but yet the physicke is one thing vvhereby the soule is cured and the disposition of the soule another thing vvhereby the soule is prepared that so the physicke may effectually vvorke The preparatiue is one thing and the physicke is another thing the physicke is onely the physicke and nothing else Our Saviour CHRIST is our onely physicke and physition also Repentance after a sort may bee called the preparatiue and the Minister of the vvorde may be to vs in steede of the Apothecarie or as â—he physitions man that is sent to vs vvith the purgation The purgation it selfe is made of none other ingredientes but of the most bitter panges of our Saviours owne passion not of the rootes of our hearty repentaunce neither yet of the fruites of our christian faith that is vvhatsoeuer our sinnes bee and vvhensoeuer they bee committed we obtaine not the forgiuenesse of them by our owne merites nor by the satisfactions of any other but onely by the free and vndeserued mercy of GOD and by the most precious satisfaction of the death of CHRIST All haue sinned saith the Apostle and are deprived of the glory of GOD but are iustified from their sinnes freelye Rom 3. 23. by his grace through the redemption that is in CHRIST IESVS And in trueth otherwise our case were most miserable For in the parable of the debtour the summe of one thousande Mat. 18 24. talents declaring the infinitenesse of our debt doth openly proclaime our insufficiency and inabilitie to discharge the same as also the wordes annexed vvhen he had nothing to pay and I forgaue Psal 130. 3. Iob. 93. Psa 143. 2. thee all thy debt For verily if God should marke what were done amisse vvho vvere able to abide it And if hee shoulde call vs to an accounte vvho vvere able to aunsvvere one for a thousande And therefore our best plea is Enter not into iudgement with thy servants O Lord cal vs not to reckoning put not our billes in suite for we are no way able to make payment we are no way able to make satisfaction Div. 10. That Purgatory is no article of the Christian faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resurâ—…on of â—…sh IF the deliverance of the soules out of Purgatorie had beene an article of the christian faith as it is iudged to be by the church of Rome then it had beene convenient that after mention made of the resurrection of the body out of the custodie of the graue there shoulde haue beene adioyned the deliveraunce of the soule out of the prison of Purgatory the tormentes there being so greate as they say they be the deliverance from thence being as great a blessing at the lest as the raising of the bodies out of their graues should not haue beene altogeather vnremembred especially sinne verie much abounding before the day of the generall resurrection and the Popes pardons nothing so much regarded and his charitie without a fee being not vsual and ordinary Purgatory then must needes be well filled and so the deliverance from thence a great benefite to many Div. 11. That everlasting life is the free gifte of God through CHRIST and noway purchased by the merite of our owne vvorkes 〈◊〉 ever â—…ng IF any thing be bestowed vpon vs by free gift froÌ„ God theÌ„ surely everlasting life is so bestowed as the greatest gift proceeding froÌ„ the most bouÌ„tifull giuer the most excelleÌ„t effect from the most excelleÌ„t cause And why is God else accouÌ„ted a most liberall bountifull free franke and gracious benefactor but that most liberally bountifully frankely and freely he bestovveth vpon his faithfull servantes the most precious crovvne of eternall glory VVhen that bountifulnes saith the Apostle and that loue of GOD our Saviour tovvardes man appeared not by the vvorkes of righteousnes vvhich wee had vvrought but of his ovvne mercie he Tit. 3. 4. saued vs. And verely the glory of this greate bountifulnes must needes haue beene much dimmed if vvee had attained to salvation by our owne merites and not by the LORDES onely mercy The vvages in deede of sinne is death but everlasting life is the gifte of GOD through IESVS CHRIST our Lorde Rom. 6. 23. For our evill vvorkes are perfectly evill and therefore deserue eternall death but our good workes are not perfectly good and therefore eternall life is the free gift of GOD through CHRIST and not a vvages due to the merite of our vvorkes Othervvise vvhy did the Wiseman say Beholde the righteous are here recompenced vpon earth hovve much more the vvicked and the sinner VVhat doth not the LORD as well loue righteousnes Pro 11. 31. to recompence it as he hateth vnrighteousnesse to punish the same Yes verely but this is heere spoken to this end by the VViseman that vve shoulde vnderstand that the sinner most iustly deserueth this punishment vvhereas the righteous deserueth not the revvard And therefore it is not without cause that iust Iob thus speaketh of himselfe If I haue done evill vvoe vnto mee if I haue done righteously yet vvill I not Iob. 10 15. lifte vp my heade being full of confusion because I see mine affliction And vvhy The evill vvorkes of the best are in an higher degree evill then their good vvorkes are in themselues good and therefore in respect of the one they may be rustly cast dovvne vvith the feare of eternall confusion and vvoe but in
Antichrists of these last times doe so apparantly fit the Pope and his Ministers we doubt not but that we may take them for those very parties and that so much the more if we duely consider how in particular also they derogate from the priestly kingly office of our Saviour Christ whereby he accomplished the worke of our redemption There are two pointes wherein his Priesthood consisteth his sacrifice and his mediation Concerning his sacrifice the Apostle teacheth that as it was appointed for all men once to die and after death Heb. 9. 21. iudgement so Christ was once offered to purge the sinnes of many and that if he should haue often offered himselfe he should haue often suffered As also that this is a difference betweene the sacrifices of the Aaronical Priesthood the sacrifice of Christ that they were often reiterated repeated for that it was impossible that the bloode of bulles and goates should take away sins wheras the sacrifice of Christ was but once made neither needed indeede to bee made any more seeing thereby hee hath brought in eternall redemption and made Heb 9 10. 12 14. perfect for ever them that be sanctified Novv as if our Saviour Christ had not by his oblation of himselfe once made brought in eternall redemption and made perfect for euer them that are sanctified the Pope and his Priests will needes offer him againe in their Masse the which they avouch to bee apropitiatory sacrifice both for Heb. 10. 18. the quicke and the dead albeit as the Apostle hath plainly testified where there is remissiō of sin there is no more sacrifice for sin but our Saviour Christ by his one oblation of himselfe once offered hath procured a plenary and full pardon for all our iniquities and sinnes therfore now there cannot remaine any more sacrifice to bee offered for sin especially wheras our Saviour Christ is our only Priest according to the order of Melchizedech who for that he endureth for ever Heb 7. 24. hath an eternall Priesthood which cānot passe frō him to any other and therfore all our Popish Priests which will needs intrude thēselues to be partners with Christ in this office of his Priesthood wil offer him againe vp vnto God are worthily to be condēned for vsurpers of that honour which no way belongeth vnto them Now as they thus by their Priesthood and by their sacrifice of the Masse do deface the Priesthood sacrifice of Christ so doe they also derogate from the same by their doctrine of the Intercessiō mediation of Saintes For whereas our Saviour Christ hath now long since ascēded into heauē there sitteth at the right hād of God ever living to make intercessiō for vs wheras the vertue of his death passiō is alwaies present before God procuring for vs the favor of God a ready graunt to all our requestes as far forth as it is behouefull cōvenient for vs if this mediation intercessiō of Christ which is continually before God be sufficient what need haue we to seeke for the mediation of the Saintes But this mediation of CHRIST in the iudgemente of Sainte Augustine is so sufficient and the resting onely thereon so sure a marke of a faithfull Christian that he is bolde to make this resolution therein VVee haue IESVS CHRIST our advocate and hee is Aug. in ep Ioh. tract 1. the propitiation for our sinnes he that houldeth this holdeth no heresie he that holdeth this maketh no schisme As likevvise on the contrary side he is bold to affirme that if the verie Apostle Saint Iohn Aug. cont Epist Par◅ Lib. 2. cap. 8 himselfe had saide If any man sinne you haue mee for your advocat and I obtaine pardon for your sinnes that no faithfull person vvould haue acknovvledged him for an Apostle of Christ but rather haue defied him as a verie Antichrist 3 Likevvise concerning our Saviours kingly office and autoritie of making of lawes to guid vs in such a course as that vve may vvalke as it becometh those vvhich are called to be pertakers of so greate mercies we know that we are not our owne but his that hath ransomed vs with so greate a price that we should be subiect to his onely lawes and yeeld our obedience onely to his cōmandementes For we haue no other Lord besides him vvho hath autority to impose lawes vpon vs we haue but one Lord and lawgiuer who is able to saue and to destroy Contrary to this roiall and soveraigne autoritie of Christ the Pope and his adherentes Eph. 4. 5. Iac. 4. 12. haue taken vpon them to impose lawes rules orders vpō the people of God yea haue giuen them praise commendation that by obseruing the same they may doe workes of supererogation availeable for the salvation of other men may winne such credit as to be accoūted the only religious of all other may attaine to greater holines perfectiō thē may be gottē by the law of God So that albeit Moses himselfe after that he had delivered Deut. 4. 8. the law of God to the people testified of the dignity exelēcy thereof that there was no people that had lawes so righteous as vvas all that lavv vvhich he had set before them yet the Pope would beare the world in hand that the rules of Frier Fraūcis Dominicke the rest do lead vnto greater holines perfection thē may be obtained by the law of God Wherefore it is not without 1 Tim 3. 16 4. 1. cause that the Apostle did fore signifie that as our redmption wrought by God manifested in the flesh is the greatest mystery of Christian godlines evē so the prohibitiō of meates marriage according to the rules of Frier Fraūcis the rest should be the doctrine in outward shew of greatest excellency perfectiō amōg false prophets of the last times the limbes mēbers of the great Antichrist wherein the Pope his adherēts most iniuriously derogating frō the law of Christ our only spiritual Lord king doth shew himselfe that man of sin that sonne of pride that very Antichrist who was to sit in the tēple of God to advaūce himselfe aboue God 4 For what doth he else whē he advaūceth his orders rules aboue Gods law not only so but presumethto dispence against the law of God to set greater penalties vpon the breach of his owne orders thē vpō the trāsgressiō of Gods cōmādemēts yea flatly to repeale the precise cōmandemēts of Christ An example whereof we haue in the Lords supper the which was ordained by him in both kindes to assure the faithfull of their full perfect spirituall nourishmēt they haue by him as S. Austin some of the Aug. in tr in Joh. 26. Schole mē also haue taught The which glorie of Christ to be our spiritual nourishmēt vnto eternall life that it might be abolished or at the least
haue beene the eâ—ormities of prince people in this church of Rome that they haue poisoned after a sorte the very aire where they liued and haue caused those who in some respectes were their favorites friends thus to haue cast their own dunge in their owne faces and to haue dashed over their mishapen â—eatures with the blacke coale of euerlasting â—nfamy â—herefore small cause hath the viperous brood of this venimous generation thus to hisse against vs and to spet out their poison against our persons for albeit we bee not angels without spot yet we be not Englishmen Jâ—alianate that is Devils incarnate much lesse against our most The holy doctrine of the gospell vniustly charged to be the seed of all wickednes and sinne Luk 10. 20. The certainty of faith the assuraunce of election no hinderer but a fu therer of pâ—ety godlines holy and pure doctrine as if that were the seede of all wickednes and sinne The certainty of our election to eternall life and the assurance that we are the childreÌ„ of God haue our naâ—nes written in heaven which is the most forcible inducement of all other to cause vs to reioice in the Lord and to walke as the children of God and to haue our coÌ„â—ersation in heauen they accuse to be the mother of pride prâ—tumptioÌ„ and of carnal socurity and dissolutenes of life What is it credible that when J continually cal to my remembrance and set before mine eies that God to assure me that hee is my gracious God and louing father hath created mee and sustained me from my mothers wombe hath preserved me from these and these dangers and hath bestowed vpon me these these blessings hath made these these his creatures to serue to my vse that I might the better serue him yea and hath caused these mine affections to haue beene good and profitable vnto me is it credible I say that the assurance of this so great kindnes loue should breed in mine hart vnkindnes to God and the neglect of his honor of mine owne good Either is it credible that when I continually call to my remembrance set before mine eies that God to assure me of my reconciliation vnto himselfe and of my receiuing into his fauor hath reuealed vnto mee his sonne Iesus Christ the pledge of his loue and the meanes of my reconciliation hath opened vnto me his perfect obedience to the whole lawe not for himselfe but for my righteousnes and his invincible patience euen theÌ„ when he dranke so deeply of that so bitter cup of his painfull passion that it caused him to sweat water blood not for his owne but for my sins when I say this is revealed by Culpamea culpa mea culpa mea maxima God to be done for me by so worthy a person who according to his manhood receiued the spirit without measure and according vnto his godhead was infinite holines purity and peâ—fection it selfe that so I might bee assured of so absolute a righteousnes and so full a satisfaction for all my sins as might stand before the most exact iustice of God is it credible I say that the assurance of so great kindnes loue should breed vnkindnes in mine hart and a carelesnes of embracing and holding fast so great mercy and of continuing in such loue Either is it credible that when I continually cal to my remembrance and set before mineeies that God to assure me of mine adoption into the place number of his children hath sealed me with the spirit of adoption and hath by him sanctified mine vnderstanding with the knowledge of his most exact iustice in punishing my sins with such severity vpon my surety that I might be assured of mine acquitting from the same and of his endlesse and vnspeakeable mercy in sparing not his own sonne to spare me and of his wisedome in making his iustice and mercy so to conspire togither for my fuller assuraÌ„ce of my salvation wrought thereby when heereby also my iudgement and affections are so rectified and sanctified that I esteeme to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified and account all other things as losses and dong that I might win Christ and be found in him and be made partaker of the fruit of his death and of the benefire of his resuâ—…ection is it credible I say that so great kindnes should breed vnkindnes in mine hart and cause mee to prophane and to treade vnder foote this holy blood and to bee grievousome to this so comfortable spirit Lastly is it credible that when I cal to my remembraunce and set before mine eies that God to certifie mee of his fauour and loue hath opened vnto mee in his worde that greate charter and graunt of remission of sinnes and of eternall life in Christ Iesus and for my further assuraunce thereof hath written his gracious promises as vndoubted evidences thereof in mine hart that I might no more doubt of my most assured obtaining of these so great giftes then I neede of the admitting and allowing of these evidences that hee hath given me to shew for the â—ame when I come to appeare before the throne of grace is it I say credible that this so great security for mine everlasting blessednes should with â—raw mine hart from the loue of my blessednes and cause me to waâ—ke in cursed and damnable waies which tende to eternal miserie and woe Sure I am that the goodlier our temporal possessions are the better evidences we haue to shew for the same and the kinder our parents were that bestowed them vpon vs with charge not to passe them away in any case the more careful we shal be to keepe the same both for the loue of our most kinde parents and also for our owne welfare and good and shal the assurance of the most glorious inheritance of the kingdome of heaven given vnto me by mine heavenly father whose kindenes so much surpasseth the kindnes of any earthly parentes as God himselfe surpasseth man make me carelesse to keepe so goodly and glorious an inheritance to performe the wil and commandement of mine heavenly father VVhere Matth 6. 22. your treasure is saith our Saviour Christ there will your hart be also And therfore if this wil not moue me throughly to set mine hart and affections on heavenly things that I haue so good evidence for them that they are assuredly mine and that I shal vndoubtedly reape by them such an huge harvest of vnspeakable blisse what wil then moue perswade me therto yea if hereby I am allured drawen vnto sinne what is able to induce me to piety and godlines But this argument hath beene touched in the former is more fully handled in the latter part of this treatise therfore omitting now to wade further therin let vs come to examin whether that other maine point of the Gospel I meane Iustification by faith without works
of the meanest witch that hath before bouÌ„d her selfe vnto him And hee doeth extenuate all that service that Iob himselfe had done vnto God for that he was so sufficiently hyred thereto paide so well for it and that before hand Doth Iob saith he feare Iob. 1. 9. God for nought Haste thou not made an hedge about him and about his house and about al that he hath on every side Thou hast blessed the works of his hands and his substance is encreased in the land and therefore what great thing is it that he doth so regard thee hath he not very good cause so to do Verily if he did not seek to serue thee after the best manner he were the wickedst wretch that ever lived Now if the most envious and malicious wretch of all other who by his intollerable ingratitude and vnthankfulnes had deprived himselfe most iustly of al the Lords blessings could yet notwithstanding reason after this maÌ„ner how much more ought the true and faithfull servants of God themselues which do and for ever shall enioy the inestimable favour of his vnchangeable loue set the loving kindnes of the Lord alwaies before their eies making it a sharpe spurre to stirre them vp to walke on forwarde in the Lords truth and even to run the way of his coÌ„mandements And that Psal 16. 3. so much the rather for that the Lord himselfe hath beene so carefull to remember them thereof in sundry places of divine scripture and that after a most vehement and patheticall manner Ier. 2. 31. O yee generation take yee heede vnto the word of the Lord Haue I bin vnto you a wildernes or a land of darknes Wherfore say my people we are Lords we will come no more vnto thee Surely I haue not bin as a wildernes but as a most fruitful land ministring vnto you all blessings in all aboundance And therefore yee ought to haue beene most fertile in my feare and most plentifull in my service This most ample beneficence of God towards his people is so apparant that he appealeth therein even to themselues O yee inhabitants of Ierusalem and men of Iudah iudge yee I pray you betweene Isa 5. 3. me my vineyard What could I haue done any more vnto my vineyard that I haue not done vnto it So likewise in the Prophet Micah O my Mich. 6. 3. people what haue I done vnto thee or wherein haue I grieved thee testifie against me Surâ—… I brought thee up out of the land of Aegypt redeemed thee out of the house of servants and I sent before thee Moses Aron and Myriam O my people remember now what Balaak king of Moab had devised and what Balâ—am the sonne of Beor answered him froÌ„ Shittim vnto Gilgall that yee may know the righteousâ—es of the Lord. The recital of the which so great kindnesse and loue did so inwardly touch the very hart of the Prophet of the residue of the faithfull to whoÌ„ it was vttered that immediatly in their person he calleth as it were al the powers of his soule to a consultation howe al dâ—tiful thankefulnes may after the best manner be rendred vnto God for these his so large and ample mercies Wherewithall saith he shall I come before the Lord and bowe my selfe before the most high God Shall I come before him with burnt offrings and vvith calâ—es of an yeare olde will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rammes or with teâ— thousand rivers of oile Shall I giue my first borne for my transgression the fiâ—ite of my body for the sinne of my soule Hee hath shevved thee ô man what is good and what the Lord requireth at thy hands Surely to do iustly and to loue mercy to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God Wherby we may learne what be those sacrificeâ— that are best acceptable to God first to do iustlie in giuing to God that which is due to God and to man that which is due to man Secondly to sheâ—e mercy to them that are in misery and lastly to haue Gods goodnes alwaies before our eies our owne vnworthines that so wee may learne to humble our selues to renouÌ„ce our owne worth and to cleaue vnfeinedly vnto God yea to deny to die vnto our selues that so we may devote out selues and our whole liues only to God And verely when the Lord hath once revealed shewed vnto vs how he hath loued vs and given himselfe vnto vs and hath abounded towardes vs in his gracious blessings and hath caused al his creatures to serue to our vse theÌ„ shal we desire in al sincerity to loue and please him and to resigne our selues wholy to his service When God shal say vnto vs ye are my people then shal we answere thou art our GOD. When Christ shal haue Hos 2. 23. made manifest his tender affection to his spouse haue taught her to say my beloued is mine and hath assured me of his â—idelity Cant. 2. 16. then shal shee reply I am his and am fully resolved to keepe true touch and faith with him His loue is mine and shall bee alwaies before mine eles and my service is his and shal be continually in his sight If a master among men should giue vnto his servant an annuity of 20. nobles by the yeere or some little farme or other living if hee serue him not therefore at his becke hee crieth out straight waies against his ingratitude but if he happen to ioine against him in any cause or suite and that with his professed and deadly enemie how intollerable an indignity doth this seeme in his sight Now we our selues haue receaved from our grand master and Lord not only some small parte portion of our liueing maintenaÌ„ce but our selues also whatsoever we enioy out lot tâ— is fallen out vnto vs in a good grouÌ„d we haue a very goodly hevitage Psal 16. 6. for the Lord himselfe is our portioÌ„ he doth maintaine our lotte What vnkind vnthankful wretches are we theÌ„ if we surrender not backe againe vnto him both our selues al that we enioy to be prest ready at his coÌ„mandemeÌ„t If we keepe not a continual remeÌ„braÌ„ce of these inestimable mercies sette theÌ„ not alwaies before our eies wee bee worthy to be cleane cast out of his sight vtterly to be put out of his remeÌ„braÌ„ce If so ful streames flowing froÌ„ so pure a fouÌ„taine do not moisteÌ„ the dry barreÌ„ soile of our soules make vs fruitful to al good works theÌ„ are we verely but badd grouÌ„d â—…re to the curse whose end is to be burâ—…d Vndoubtedly as al the rivers flowing out of the sea returne thither againe so empty theÌ„selues after a sort into their mothers lappe eveÌ„ so the Lords innumerable blessings issuing froÌ„ the maine sea of his loue vnto the vse of his faithful sincere servaÌ„ts are thaÌ„kfully returned by them backe againe and faithfully employed
wretched estate when yee sate in darknes and in the shaddow of death and forget not Gods mercy that hath translated you out of darknes into the kingdome of light and so see that yee walke worthy of God and of your high calling in Christ Iesus This due consideratioÌ„ of the Lords endlesse mercy in Christ and their owne vnworthines hath beene the only effectual motiue from the beginning of the world to draw the faithful out of the slavery of Satan vnto God and to confirme and establish them in his feare The seede of the woman shall breake the serpentes head made Adam who before hid himselfe from God afterward with boldnes to come into his presence In thy seede shall all the â—ations of the earth be blessed made Abraham who before was bred vp in Idolatry to forsake kindred and countrey and to endure many annoyances in a strange land that so he might shew his humble obedience vnto God Yea by the eies of this faith all the holy men of God before the comming of Christ in the flesh beholding the great goodnesse and loue of God as the Apostle testifieth Hebr. 11. haue offered vp their sacrifices acceptable to God performed all dueties and endured all crosses for the constant confession of this their holy faith And now since the comming of Christ in the flesh wherby was the whole world converted froÌ„ dumbe Idols to serue the living God Was it by the promulgation of the law of Moses or by the preaching of the gospel of Christ Surely the preaching and publishing of the glad tydings of the gospell of the yeare of Iubile of the acceptable day wherein the Lord for his Christes sake had graunted a free full and generall pardon and release of all debts trespasses and sins to all such as would willingly accept and faithfully embrace this vnspeakeable loue and make it the matter of their daily meditation and consolation and the rocke and foundation of their faith and hope was that warrelike chariot wherein the faith of Christ got the full victorie over falshoode and lies and trod vnder foote all infidelity and Idolatry and triumphed most gloriously against all the power and puissaunce of hell it selfe By the sounde of this doctrine did the servauntes of the great shepheard and Bishoppe of our soules call home all his straying and wandring sheepe and gathered them into the folde of Christ by this net did the fishers of men dravve into the arke of Christs Church all such as were before ready to bee drowned in the sea of their sinnes and to bee overwhelmed with the most terrible tempest of the Lordes wrath by this key did the Lords potters open the doore of the kingdome of heauen to them that vvere before most worthely driven out and dispossessed of that celestiall paradise With this ensigne did the Lordes standard bearers gather together all his companies and bandes which before had revolted became fugitiues fighting vnder the Devils colours by this boxe of ointmeÌ„t powred forth did the Lordes Apothecaries reviue and quicken the spirites of all the Lords patients who were before not only in a sound but also starke dead by the most noysome stincke of their abominable sinnes Lastly by this seed of faith sowen in the most drie and barren wildernes of the peoples hearts by the hand of the Lordes painefull and skilfull husbandmen vvas there raysed vppe a most plentifull and fruitefull harvest vnto the Lorde For faith commeth by hearing the word of faith Neither doeth this worde of faith revealing the vnspeakeable loue of God shining in the face of Christ beget faith only but by faith loue praier confession patience repentance feare obedience thankefulnes even all sounde and sincere devotion with all the partes and parcels thereof By faith we haue accesse to God and are admitted into his Church which is therefore called the family of Faith And Baptisme the sacrament of our Baptisme cleanseth as it doth fâ—…her make manifest vnto va and causeth vs to embrace the word of faith initiation and the seale of faith is added to the worde of faith for the further manifestation of the cause of this our admission into so honourable an estate and calling by setting after a sorte before our eies the loue of God who hath given vs his sonne with his owne most precious bloode to wash and cleanse our sinnes whereby there was before a seperatioÌ„ betweene vâ— God Now from whence saith Austine hath the water of Baptisme this vertue that it doth touch the body cleaâ—se the soul but by means of the word whervnto it is added that it might togither with the same not only represent the washing away of our sinnes by the blood of Christ but also â—atifie and coÌ„firme the same for the further strengthning of our fraile faith Not saith hee for that the word is vttered but for that it is beleeved not for that there is such vertue in the letters and sillables or in the pronunciation of the very wordes but for that they are the powerfull instrument ordained of God so to open the Lordes good and gracious meaning towardes vs and to assure vs of his vnchaungeable loue in Christ that thereby we might attaine to a sure faith For as long as we remaine in our naturall blindnes and ignorance either we fly from God as Adam did beeing touched with the pricke of a guilty conscience or else we embrace an Idol in steed of the true God being misled by the wrongful guiding of a blind coÌ„science as now naturally do all the posterity of Adam But wheÌ„ the Lord hath once revealed vnto vs the glory of his endlesse goodnes in Christ and hath made vs to behold the dignity of his death that he endured for our sins and the worthines of his obedience that he performed for our righteousnes thereby we are made bold to enter Heb. 10. 19. into the holy place by the newe and living way which he hath prepared for vs by his flesh and are encouraged to draw nigh with a true hart in assurance of faith being fully perswaded of the perfect purgation of all our sins and of our entire and absolute righteousnes I am saith our Saviour Christ the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the father but by me He then that is set in this way and walketh therein he vndoubtedly walketh in the right way and he cannot misse but come directly vnto God Hee that buildeth on this rocke buildeth on a sure foundatioÌ„ his faith cannot faile he cannot be vanquished his hope is sure he cannot be coÌ„founded He may be bold to triumph with the Apostle saying If God be on our side who can be against vs who spared not his owne sonne but Rom. 8. 31. gave him for vs all how shall he not with him giue vs all things also Who shall lay anie thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth Who shall condemne It is Christ that is dead
pride presuÌ„ption or else abuse it to the hardening of their harts by hartening theÌ„selus therby in their sinnes declare theÌ„selus to be bastards not sons being so farre of both froÌ„ the affectioÌ„ also froÌ„ the duty of natural sonnes Why If but a frieÌ„d having testified his loue towards vs â—y some fewe favours should vnderstand that wee stil stoode in doubt either of his sinceriâ—y or coÌ„stancy towards vs did imagm that either he did but disseÌ„ble with vs orelfe that he were vsriable quickly changed would he not thinke himselfe much wroÌ„ged seing he had so wel deserved before had giveÌ„ vs good cause to conceaue better of him And doth God bestowe any gift vpon any of his faithful servaÌ„ts but in al sincerity setled coÌ„stancy with a stedfast purpose to do them good And shal they stil doubt either whether he ever loued theÌ„ at al or else whether he wil ever coÌ„tinue to loue theÌ„ stil Surely they cannot do him a greaten dishonor seing therby as much as in theÌ„ lieth they rob him of â—is sincerity endlea goodnes of his eterâ—al mercy loue Wherfore the most sincere servaÌ„tes of God as they acknowledge themselues to be most highly honoured of God in that hee hath vouchsafed to cast vpon them so vnworthy wretches the eies of his loue and to haue testified the same by the manifold giftes of his mercy eveÌ„ so they are mostâ— desirous to magnify GOD by ascribing every good gifte vnto his most free and vndeserved goodnes and by receiving them al from him as pledges of his great loue and confirmations of his gratious favour yea the more they feele the heate of Gods loue cherishing and comforting them with his gratious blessings the more is the fire of their loue kindled towardes God and the greater is the flame of their obedience and thankfulnes That debteâ— loued most which receiued Luk. 7. 43. the greatest frendship having his whole debt most freely forgiveÌ„ him albeit it was never so great And Mary loued much for that her many sinnes were remitted vnto her albeit they had bin before never so grievous So Peter loued Christ more theÌ„ his fâ—llowes for that he had greater favour to be received the sooner to grace to be streÌ„gthened in the faith before his fellowes albeit he had sinned aboue his fellows And verely Gods grace revealed Gods grace revealed is no cause of sinne but Gods grace concealed and so contemned 1. â—or 2 8. Luk. 19. 42. doth not cause sin but Gods grace coÌ„cealed so conteÌ„ned Gods grace revealed giveth grace soone winneth allowance approbatioÌ„ so causeth al obedieÌ„ce thankfulnes but Gods grace vnknowen is easily coÌ„temned causeth stubbornes rebellioÌ„ that cried out so eagerly crucify him crucify him if they had knowen it they would never haue crucified the Lord of glory if they had knowen those things that did beloÌ„g to their peace they would hever haue so long stood out haue shewed themselues such wilfull obstinat recufaÌ„ts against their God against their owne good If that supersâ—itious carnal woman of Samaria had knowen the gift of God who it was that theÌ„ coÌ„muned with her Ioh. 4. 10. she would not haue stoode pelting with him for a draught of her water but she would without delay haue asked of him the water of life Wherfore the most louing Lord of Abraham Izaak Iacob of al the faithful of what kindred country soever albeit hee doth not vouch safe to shew this mercy to the world of the reprobatâ— as to shew himselfe to theÌ„ yet hee cannot long keepe close his loue from his chosen but doth manifest the same more and more vnto them as hâ—e knoweth it best for them in his divine and heavenly wisedome For if Ioseph could not long keepe in the tender bowels of his brotherly loue towards his vnkinde and vnnatural brethren but that it brake out with streames of teares and disclosed it selfe to their great astonishment and if David could not conceale his fatherly affection towards his most vndutiful and rebellious sonne Absolom no not at that time when he had behaved himselfe so lewdely and had so attempted his vtter overthrow but that it brake out in his straight charge to Ioab his general and to the residue of the captaines of the armie O â—e good to the young man for my sake the which petition whoÌ„ it did not prevaile with Ioab but that he stretched forth his owne hand to take away his life how doth that teÌ„der harted father take on vpon the â—elatioÌ„ therof O my soâ—ne Absolom my sonne my soâ—ne Absolom would God I had died for thee ô Absolom my sonne my sonne And yet the kindneâ— of earthly brethren and parents and that towards their most kind louing brethren children is but as a sparke of the great fire as a droppe to the huge sea of the loue of Christ our elder brother of God our heaveÌ„ly caelestial father CaÌ„ he theÌ„ altogeather coÌ„ceale his loue froÌ„ vs keepe vs froÌ„ that ioy vnspeakable glorious which we are to receive by the revelatioÌ„ therof The foure leapers that came into the Sirians tents whoÌ„ God had caused to flie in al hast to leave their tentes ful of al treasure store when they had wel eaten drunken and hidde also good store of treasure for theÌ„selues considering weighing the great necessity of their prince people by reason of the extreame famine that was among them could reason betweene themselues and say We â—… not well this day is a day of good tydinges wee hould our peace come therfore let vs goe tell the kings â—ousholde They thought 2. King 7. 9. it an offeÌ„ce to coÌ„ceale from their countrey being in extreme misery the remedy that God had appointed for their delivery And shal we thinke that whereas the Lordes owne deare and chosen children without some sence and assurance of his favour loue testified by his manifolde and gratious blessings are ready still to be overwhelined with the horrors of despaire the Lord will not cause the light of his countenance to shine vnto them that so the clouds of distrust that keepe from them the bright beames of his favour may be dispersed and the tempest of dispaire aswaged allayed In deede when they beginne to waâ—e waÌ„ton with peace and plentie and to neglect their duety vnto their good GOD and being at rest heere in this world slacke their passage towards their passagâ— to wordes their heavenly countrey and beeing filled with earthly delights become slow to seek after the true treasure God seemeth for a time to withdraw his favor from them after a sort to hide himselfe to suffer them to bee beaten with many rods â—yea he doth seeme to be grievously offended displeased with theÌ„ himselfe â—o correct chasten them with his owne hands And
this wrathfull countenance of God of al other calamities crosses is most grievous burdensome vnto them and doth aboue al other miseries vexe and torment their tender harts casteth theÌ„ downe to the gates of hell Then in anguish of soule and bitternes of spirit they powre forth whole streames of complaineâ— crying out and saying Will the Lord absent himselfe forever and will he be no more entreated Is his mercy cleane gone for ever Psal 77. 7. and is his goodnes come vtterly to an end far evermore â— hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he shut vp his loving kindnes in displeasure TheÌ„ said I this is my death againe O Lord how long wilt thou be angrie Psal 80. 4. with thy people that praieth Thou hast fed them with the bread of teares and hast given them plentâ—…snes of teares to drinke thou haste made vs to be a very strife vnto our neighbours our enemies laugh vs to scorne Turne vs againe O God of hosts shew vs the light of thy countenance and we shall be safe And yet in truth when the Lorde most sharply chasteneth his God is nearest to his servants in their asstictions albeit he seemeth to be then farthest of he sheweth then most of all the effect of his loue allthough they for the present feele it not Psa 119. 71. 75 ver own deare children he is not in wrath offended with them but in great loue most of all then tendreth their good his grace and favour is not absent but then especially is present with them albeit they for the very instaÌ„t feele not the same For what is it that in and by their afflictions worketh in them humility repentaÌ„ce patience obedience an earnest desire to feele the Lord gracious and favourable vnto them aboue all things to behold the light of his countenaÌ„ce Are not al these the most evident effects of the favourable presence of God with theÌ„ of the most neere assistance of his grace Doth he not herein shew theÌ„ the light of his couÌ„tenance make manifest vnto them his loue to their great benefit good Surely David did most thaÌ„kfully acknowledge so much saying It is good for me that I haue beene in trouble that I might learne thy statutes And againe I know O Lorde that thy iudgements are righteous and that thou not of wrath but of very faithfulnes hast caused me to be troubled And therfore Ieremy praied for the Ier. 10 24. same as for a thing beneficiall and good Correct vs O Lord yeâ— in thy iudgement not in thy fury For God chastiseth his children in loue albeit he punisheth the wicked in wrath And therfore both Iob. 5. 17. Iob David iudge not that the godly when they are afflicted are in a bad but in a right good and blessed estate Blessed is the man say they whom thou chastenest O Lorde and teachest in thy lawe that thou maiest giue him patience in time of adversitie vntill the â—it bee digged vp for the vngodly And therefore the Apostles did reioice in Rom. 5. 3. tribulations knowing that tribulations bring forth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shedde abroade in our heartes by the holy Ghost The loue of God then apprehended by faith not only engendereth Hope Patience ConfessioÌ„ in vs loue towardes God but also hope that maketh not ashamed and patience that maketh vs to reioice in tribulations and to be couragious and constant in the confession of his truth albeit all manner of crosses accompanye the same For out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and therfore if vvith the hearte wee beleeue to righteousnesse wee will bee ready vvith the mouth to confesse vnto salvation I beleeved saith David Rom. 10. 10 Psal 116. 10 2. Cor. 4. 13 and therefore haue I spoken so vvee also saith the Apostle beleeue and therefore speake And verily if wee doe beleeue that GOD from everlasting hath acknowledged vs and hath written our names in the booke of life howe can it bee but that wee shoulde thankefully acknowledge him before the greate congregation and willingly confesse him before the whole worlde Yea how can it bee but that wee shoulde continually make our resorte to Praier him by praier in all our necessities and craue his gracious aide to assiste and strengthen vs in all those afflictions and crosses which vvee endure for his most holy name sake The vnfaithfull vvho vvill not bee persvvaded of the fatherly loue and favour of God towardes them cannot come with any cheerefulnes to make their praiers vnto God for howe can they call vppon him Rom 10. 14 on whom they haue not beleeved but the faithfull that beleeue that God is become their loving father in Christ that by him they haue such interest in God in al his blessings must needs coÌ„e to him with great coÌ„fideÌ„ce hope powre out their whole harts continually before him and present vnto him all their petitions and requests And verily they need not to be ashamed to come into his presence seeing they are cloathed with the most precious garments of Christ their elder brother and haue him to bee their continuall advocate solliciter to pleade their cause In deed the more they behold their owne nakednes and shame take a true view of the rotten ragges fained garments of their owne righteousnes and the more deepely therewithal they meditate vpon that strange and admirable goodnesse of God that would cast the eies of his loue vpoÌ„ such loathsome wretches they haue great cause as to be ashamed of their abominable corruption so to be waile and lament their intollerable vnthankfulnesse And so the prophet Ezechiel hath testified that the faithful shal Eze. 16. 63. be confounded in themselues and hange downe their heads never open their mouthes for shame when they shal behold the loue of God towards them in Christ which hath freely pardoned all their iniquities and sinnes when I say they shal see on the one side how gracious God is to them on the otherside how grievous they themselues haue bin vnto God An ensample wherof In the praier of Manasse affixed at the end of the bookes of the Chronicles we haue in Manasse king of Iudah vnto whoÌ„ when the Lorde had given a little taste of his promise of mercy and had giveÌ„ him some assurance of the remission of his sinnes and of his receiving into favour how doth he debase and cast himselfe downe as if he were the only offender among all the servants of God and all other were as it were no sinners in comparison of him And how doth he exaggerate and amplifie his own transgressions as if they were more then the sande of the sea and togither withall so odious and abominable that he was not worthy to behold the heavens for the same
I haue provoked thy wrath saith he and haue done evill before thee I did not thy will neither kept I thy commaundements I haue set vp abominations and multiplied offences I haue sinned O Lord I haue sinned I acknowledge my transgressions O Lord forgiue O Lorde forgiue me and destroy me not with mine iniquities And verily vntill we haue some sight and sense assurance of the mercy of God in Christ pardoning our sins the ougly sight of our owne deformities will driue vs more and more from God and wrappe vs faster and faster in the bands of sinne and be ready to drowne vs in the gulfe of despaire as it may be seene in Caine Iudas the like But when Christ shall once looke vpon vs with the eyes of his mercy shall giue vs some assurance of the remission of our sinnes as he did vnto Peter whome he mercifully forewarned not only of his fall but also of his pardon of his recovery and of his duety in regard of the same I haue praied for thee Peter Luk. 22. 31. that thy faith faile not and thou being converted strengthen thy brethre this favourable aspect of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse will cause vs with Peter to loue him the more and not only to single out some solitary place that we may bewaile our vnthankfulnes with bitter teares but also to be more feareful and careful for the time to come least we be overtaken againe with the like offence For a reverent regard and feare least we offende so good a God Feare whom we can never endevour sufficiently to please is caused also by the due apprehension of the Lordes mercies There is mercy Psal 130. 4. with thee O God saith David therfore shalt thou be feared For as the naturall and kind child reverenceth his father and feareth to offend him not so much for dread of the rod or for hope of the inheritance as for that he hath had already manifold experience of his fathers kindnes and care for him even so the deare children of God having had in former times very good experience of the Lords loue do reverence feare him from the very bottome of their harts and are thereby made watchfull and wary not to offend Behold saith S. Iohn what loue the father hath shewed vs that 1 Ioh 3. 1. we should be called the sonnes of God Now we are the sonnes of God but it doth not appeare what we shall be but this we know that when he doth appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And he that hath this hope purgeth himselfe even as he is pure In which words it is manifest that hope rising out of faith and the expectation of future blessednes out of the apprehension of former loue doth cause the faithfull to purge clense their harts least they offend their holy and pure God with their impurities Though we sinne say all Sap. 15. 2. the godly as it were with one voice that is though wee sinne through infirmity which cannot be avoided in these daies of infirmity yet we are thine for we know thy power but we sinne not that is presumptuously or we giue not over our selues to sinne knowing that we are thine for to know thee is perfect righteousnes and to know thy Ioh 3. 14. power is the roote of immortality For as the childreÌ„ of Isâ—ael were healed of the sting of fierie serpents by looking vp to the brasen serpent even so the faithful looking vp vnto CHRIST crucified are cured of al their spiritual maladies and haue their sinne slaine in them and are raised vp to newneâ— of life Zache desiring but to see CHRIST was immediatly converted and made a Christian Olde father Simeon beholding Christ desired presently to departe out of this life thinking that hee had lived long inough seeing hee had liued to see his Saviour with his bodely eies All the faithfull that haue had some true view of our Our whole conversion to God is wrought by his loue in Christ apprehended by faith Ioh. 17. Saviour Christ do more more desire to behould him still and that not without very great cause For the more they see him the more they loue him and the more they feele themselues to liue in him and by him This is everlasting life saith the auctor thereof to knowe the onely true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ For rightly to know faithfully to embrace the endles vnspeakable loâ—e of God in Christ who hath consecrated himselfe both in his life and death to the working of our deliverance out of the hands of sin death damnation doth worke in the faithfull the death of sin and life of righteousnes and so layeth the foundation of that life heere which shal be made perfect in the world to come Now saith the Apostle I liue not but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now liue I liue by the faith of the sonne of Eph. 6. 15. The loue of God revealed in the Gospel is as shoes wherby we are enabled to walke on readily in the Lordes waies be they never so full of sharpe stones and pricking thornes God who hath loued me given himselfe for me The Apostle lived not he was dead in himselfe but Christ by hiâ— spirit word lived and raigned in him and that because he beheld with the eies of faith that great endles loue of Christ who both had lived and died for him And hereof it is that the Gospel of Christ the powerful instrumeÌ„t ordained by God both to begett streÌ„gthen faith is compared to shoes is part of that furniture wherwithal the souldiers of Christ haue neede to bee armed in their most hard daungerous fight against al the powers of the kingdome of darknes And verely there are so many thorns pricks of worldly cares and so many sharpe stones of crosses and persecutions lying so thicke in that straight and narrow way that leadeth to life that the passage of the faithful would be greatly stayed if not altogither stopped therin were they not al well shodde with the preparation of the Gospel of peace and had not that gladsome ioyful tidings of their recoÌ„ciliation with God made them most resolute to passe on along for al those sharpe stoÌ„es to endure al withal patience Now then by these things that haue bin delivered it is evident and cleare that not onely faith ariseth out of the true apprehension of the inestimable loue of God in Christ but also loue hope patience confession praier repeÌ„tance feare a religious care both to liue to die vnto God to devote our selues wholy to his service And yet we must not so conceaue heereof as if this one blessing All the Lords gratious giftes and blessings are furtherers of faith obedience in the godly Ier. 14. 20. of our redemption wrought by CHRIST did not onely
them saying if it seeme evill in your eies to serue the Lorde then chuse ye this day Ios 24. 15. vvhome yee vvill serue c. I and mine house vvill serue the Lorde VVhere vnto they answere as it were with one voice God â—orbid that vvee shoulde forsake the Lorde to serue other Gods for the Lorde our God hath brought vs and our Fathers out of the lande of Aegypt and out of the house of bondage and hee did those greate miracles in our sighte and preserved vs in all the vvaie that vvee vvent and amonge all the people through vvhome vvee came And the LORDE did cast out before vs all the people even the Amorites vvhich dvvelte in the lande therefore vvill vvee also serue the Lorde for hee is our GOD. In vvhich wordes it is evident howe these faithfull servauntes of GOD vvell vveighing vvith themselues that the Lorde vvas their good and gracious God who had â—atified his loue towardes them by his manifolde blessings doe take themselues thereby to bee most straightlye bounde to his service and therevpon doe make a most solemne promise and vow to continue his loyall and obedient people The which promise and vowe beeing made by them vpon so iust and sufficient cause they as faithfully and truely kept and perfourmed For it is reâ—orded of them not only in the same Chapter but also Iudges the second to their eternall glory and renowne that they served the Lorde all the daies of Iosuah and all the daies of the elders that everlived Iud. 2. 7. Iosuah vvhich had seene all the greate vvorkes that the LORD had As the religious remeÌ„brance of the Lordes merâ—ies is the cause of all sincere obedience so the wretchlesse forgetfulnes therof is the cause of al rebellious vngodlines ver 10. done for Israell The cause then that kepte this people sound and vprighte in the service of GOD vvas for that they religiouslie kept an holy remembraunce of the Lordes manifold and greate mercies Now on the contrary side if wee will beholde and see vvhy the bad children of so good parentes revolted and fell away so quickely from the GOD of their fathers and continued not in his service and feare see vvhat followeth in the same Chapter VVhen Iosuah was deade and all that generation vvas gathered to their fathers then there arose another generation after them which neither knevve the Lorde nor yet the vvorkes that hee had done for Israell then they did vvickedlie and served Baalim and forsooke the God of their Fathers vvhich had broughte them out of the lande of Aegypt So in the dayes of the Prophet Ieremie the cause also why the badde posteritie of this backeslyding people departed likewise from the Lorde and vvalked after vanitye and became vaine is this for that none saide in their heartes vvhere is the Lord that broughte vs out of the lande of Aegypt that sedde vs through the Ier. 2. 6. vvildernesse through a desâ—rte and vvaste lande and through the shaddâ—vve of death and broughte vs into a good and plentifull land and made vs eate of the fruite thereof So likewise Psalme 78. and the hundred and sixt a like revolte of the same nation and namely of the Ephraemites who descended from holy Ioseph being meÌ„tioned the same cause is added of their revolte They forgate God Psal 78. 106. 21. their Saviour vvho had done so greate thinges for them vvonderfull thinges in the lande of Ham and fearefull thinges by the redde sea For as it fared vvith the children of Ioseph and the residue of the Israelites vvhen there arose a nevve king in Aegypt which Exod. 1. 8. knevve not Ioseph nor did remember those greate commodities vvhich all Aegypte enioyed by his meanes then they dealte most vnkindly vvith them and vsed them with all extremitie even so dealte the vngracious and vnthankefull posterity of Ioseph with the GOD of Ioseph who had advaunced him to bee a father to Pharaoh and the greatest state in all his kingdome vvhen thâ—y forgate the greate mercies of GOD both tovvardes him and tovvardes themselues also then they started aside from his service and fell away from his feare Yea Hos 2. 5. vvhen they ascribed their Corne and VVine and VVooll to Bâ—alim and the fruites of the earth to the hoast of heaven and their deliveraunce from their bodyly enemies to Ashur and Aegypte and their greate plentye to their ovvne pollicie then they forsooke God and followed Baalim and vvorshipped the host of heaven and sente giftes to Ashur and Aegypte and burnt incense to their owne yarne highly magnifying and extolling themselues and leaving of to magnifie God of whom they had not only received all these thinges but theÌ„selues also The which thing also vvhen it vvas forgotten by the wicked Sap. 2. Cap. When they did not beleeue that GOD was their creator that al maÌ„ner of coÌ„modities which they enioied were his giftes but imagined that they were borne at al adventure and left to their owne hands to shift for themselues then like filthy swine they trod vnder foote all feare of God gaue themselues over to wallowe in the mire of their owne sensual and vncleane lusts Come said they lâ—t vs enioie the pleasures that are present Sap. 2. 6. let vs cheerefully vse the creatures as in youth let vs fill our selues with costly wine and ointment and let not the flower of our life passe from vs let vs crowne our selues with rose buds before they be withered and let vs leaue some token of our wantonnes in every place for this is our portioÌ„ and this is our lot So daungerous a thing it is either to forget the Lords mercies or not to beleeue him to be the only fountaine of al good things but to ascribe ' theÌ„ either to our selues or to chaÌ„ce fortune or to the dispositioÌ„ of any creature for it causeth God to withdraw his favour wholy from vs and to giue vs cleane over to a reprobate sense and to suffer vs vtterly to fall away from his feare Yea it not only maketh the Lord to be most grievously offended with such an abominable sinne but after a sort to be vtterly astonished and amased for that there coulde come to passe any such impiety O yee heavens be astonished at this be afraide and vtterly confounded saith the Lord For my people haue committed two evilles Ier. 2. 12. they haue forsaken mee the founetaine of living waters to digge to themselues pits even broken pits that can hold no water And in the very beginning of Isay Heare O heavens and harken O earth for the Lorde Isa 1. 1. hath spoken I haue nourished and brought vp children and they haue rebelled against me The oxe knoweth his owner the asse his masters crib but my people hath not knowne Israell hath not vnderstoode The oxe the asse albeit they be voide of al reason yet haue so much sense as to be serviceable to them by whom
each one the other therein then how much more ought they to doe it which are appointed to be publik officers for the same purpose How ougâ—t they especially most carefully to put in practise the exhortation of the prophet by calling continually vnto the people and saying Praise the Lord and call vpon his name and declare his workes among the people Sing vnto him sing praises vnto him and let your talking be of all his wondrous works Reioice in his holy name let the harts of them reioice that seâ—ke the Lord. Seeke the Lord and his strength seâ—ke his face continually Remember the maâ—veâ—lous works that he hath done the wonders and the iudgments of his mouth â—h yee seede of Abraham his servant ye châ—ldren of Iacob his chosen he is the Lord our God â— The 〈…〉 â—…ssistance accordâ—… to his own covenant And yet if all men faile in their duety the Lorde himselfe will not faile in that covenant which he hâ—th made with all his chosen wherein hee hath promised that hee himselfe will write his lawes in their heartes and plant them in their mindes and that he will doe the same so sufficiently that it shall not be a matter of absolute necessity for every one to exhort and to admonish his neighbor saying know the Lord for they shall all know me saith the Lord even Ier. 31 34. from the greatest vnto the least So and so beneficiall it is vnto all the Lords people to know the Lord and his gracious blessings to keepe a continuall remembrance of the same and therefore so and so many meanes hath the Lord appointed in his vnspeakeable wisedome and goodnesse for the stirring vp of every one of his faithful servants to the ready and careful performance of this so beneficiall and necessary a worke So and so carefull hath the Lord been that the people devoted vnto his service should want no meanes to strengthen further them in the holy exercise of sincere devotion Now let vs see how the church of Rome which boasteth so highly of her owne great devotions land of the huge multitude of all manner of good works which so and so abounde among her children religiously extolleth the Lords mercies what a carefull remembraunce shee keepeth of his goodnes seeing as it hath beene shewed that is the mother and the nurce of all sound and sincere devotion and the fountain welspring of all good workes The word of God in setting downe the great gracious blessings of God doth declare vnto vs these three pointes First the cause of them even his owne goodnesse and loue secondly the end which is the manifestation of his goodnes and loue thirdly the effect which is the working therby in the harts of his chosen of al inward graces outward dueties also both to God to our neighbour The grace goodnes loue and mercy of God is the full fountaine froÌ„ whence all his blessings doe issue flow The great blessed worke of mans redemption issueth from thence as our Saviour testifieth So God loved the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but haue Ioh. 3. 16. life everlasting The great blessed worke of the creation and all the residue of his gracious blessings many of the particulars wherof are set down by the prophet Ps 136. come also from thence even because his mercy enduâ—eth for ever This mercy loue of God is not oâ—ly most ample large but also most free vndeserved For every good gift and every perfect giving commeth downe froÌ„ Iac. 1. 17. aboue froÌ„ the father of light we hold all that wee enioy from this grand vniversal lâ—ndlord therefore we must pay our whole rent to him performe only to his court our suit service we are endebted vnto him alone for the loane of al that we possesse therfore to him alone we must discharge all our debt His loue also is most free vndeserved he seeketh therin not to gain any thing to himselfe but only to do good to benefit other this doth farther set forth the greatnes of his loue so doth enlarge the bil of our debt SecoÌ„dly the end why God bestoweth his blessings is that they might be vnto vs most plaine demoÌ„strations of his loue most certain testimonies of his goodnes Shew me saith St. Iams thy faith by thy works I wil shew thee my faith by my works Iac 2. 18. 1. Ioh. 3. 18. My childreÌ„ saith St. Iohn let vs not loue in word in toÌ„gue but in work in truth That loue theÌ„ is in truth that is effectual in works and that faith is souÌ„d right that sheweth it selfe in the fruits Wherfore god who would haue his choseÌ„ know be fully perswaded that he loveth theÌ„ in truth sheweth it forth to them by his most gracious and manifold blessings as by the effects fruits therof and this is also a great addition vnto his loue Thirdly the Lord maketh his loue manifested by his blessings the meanes to beget and to encrease faith loue repentance and the like in the hearts of his elect and chosen children he putteth them not out to vse nor taketh any encrease for them for his estate cannot be bettered nor his blessednes encreased the profite and encrease accrueth to vs and therefore by them we merite nothing at the hands of God nor make him thereby any way endebted to vs but wee our selues are more and more still in his debt for the free lone francke gift of all his blessings Now then to returne againe to the first point The loue of God is the ful fountaine of all manner of his blessings both bodyly and ghostly and he himselfe is not only the author but also the disposer and bestower of them all the blessings themselues and the meanes are of him and the working also of the one and the other Temporal meanes are in themselues nothing without the speciall power of God working in them by them Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God And life consiseth not in the great aboundance of all such thinges aâ— doe belong to the maintenance of life The horse is counted but a vaine thing to saue a man neither can he deliver any one by his much strength the watchman also waketh but in vaine vnlesse the Lord keepe the citty So spirituall meanes also are nothing without the effectuall power of the almighty working by them for that is the very soule and life of all He that planteth is nothing and hee that watereth is nothing but God that giveth the encrease Iohn the Baptist can baptise but with water Austine can but speake to our bodyly eares Christ baptiseth only with the holy Ghost and he that hath his chaire in heaven is he only that can teach the heart The water in baptisme can
choice of him before all other to prefer him to bee our only God So the Prophet David foreseeing by the spirite that God woulde gather vnto him his elect and chosen out of all nations of the whole earth cryeth out vnto them and saith O bee ioyfull in the Lorde all yee lands serue the 〈◊〉 100. 1. Lord with gladnes and come before his presence with a song Be yee sure that the Lord he is God it is he that hath made vs and not we our selues we are his people and the sheepe of his pasture c. Be ye sure saith David build vpon this that God is the true God that he hath made vs and taken vs also to be his people and therefore he exhorteth againe and againe to reioice in the Lord to be thaÌ„kfull vnto him for his great goodnes So S. Peter yee are saith he to all the faithfull to whom he wrote a chosen generation a royall nation 1. Pet. 2. 9. and an holy people that yee shoulde shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknes into his marveilous light Likewise Saint Iohn Behold saith hee what loue the father hath shewed vs that vvee 1 Ioh. 3. 1. should be called the sonnes of God c. Why Hee that is but in a play to beare the person only of the sonne of an earthly king and that but for the space of two or three houres will in no wise then demeane himselfe like to a cullian A sonne saith Malachy honoureth his father and a servant his master If I then saith God himselfe Mala. 1. 6. vnto his people be your father where is my loue and if I be your master where is my feare Now every meane Logitian knoweth that a Inepta est probatio obscuri per aequè obscuruÌ„ multo magis per magis obscurum thing not knowne or but meanly appreheÌ„ded is to receiue light and confirmation not from an argument which is as obscure and doubtfull much lesse from that which is more doubtfull and obscure For how can that which is darke it selfe driue away darkenes or how can that which is doubtfull it selfe remoue doubtfulnes Wherefore in that the spirit of God doth exhort the faithful not to serue themselues but the Lorde for that â—hey are bought with a price and therfore are not their own but the Lords and to walke soberly because they are the children of the day and to do such things as accompany salvatioÌ„ for that they are ordained to salvation and to employ themselues not to base vses but to the most honourable service of the Lord because they are vessels of gold prepared to glory and so forth it followeth necessarily that it ought to bee vnto them as evident and as certaine at the least that they are not their own but are bought with a price that they are the children of the day that they are ordained to salvatioÌ„ that they are vessels of golde prepared to glory as that they should serue not themselues but the Lord that they should walk warily as in the day that they should do such things as accompany salvation that they should employ themselues not to base vses but to the honourable service of God And verely no other argumeÌ„t of it selfe alone is able to asswage the flames of selfe loue which are so great and to cause vs to deny our selues our friendes pleasures and commodities bee they they never so sweete and to make vs willingly to beare the disfavours of prince and people alians and allies and to vndergoe all manner of crosses and afflictions bee they never so burdensome and bitter but onely that invaluable loue of God manifested in that glorious worke of mans redemption and in the residue of his blessings of grace When the Apostles seemed to wordly wise men to be stark madd for that they so willingly submitted themselues to so many and great inconveniences that they might giue testimony to the Gospell of Christ the Apostle St. Paule setteth downe the cause that moued them ther vnto saying The loue of Christ constraineth vs because we thus iudge that if one bee deade â— Cor. 5. 14. Christes â—oue toâ—…ards his â—aithfull â—ervants â—elt in their harts not onely allureth but even compelleth theÌ„ most willingly to vndergoe all manner of burdens in his service for his glorie for al then we weâ—e al deade And he died for al that they which liue should not henceforth liue vnto themselues but vnto him that died for them and rose againe The loue of Christ then is the most forcible argument even to compell and constraine vs to do our duties to God be they never so contrary to our corrupt affections yea it maketh the yoke of Christ light easie to the spirit whâ—ch otherwise is so burdensome vnto the flesh And hence it is that those of the faithful which haue had greatest revelation of the grace of Christ and strongest assurance of his loue haue most of all died vnto themselues and liued vnto Christ and haue aboue all other denied their owne sweete selues and renounced their Jearest pleasures and commodities and haue with such a burning affection embraced their sweete Saviour and redeemer and so highly esteemed of his most precious blood that all other sweete things haue after a sort growen out of tast with them and all other precious thinges haue become of no price I am deade saith St. Paule to the lawe and am crucified with Christ I liue and yet Gal. 2. 19. not I nowe but Christ liveth in me and in that I liue nowe in the flesh I liue by he faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for mee I see well saith Austine in an Epistle to Dardanus that thou doest esteeme little of mee although I make great account of thee and it is for that thou art young and I am olde thou vvise and I vndiscreete thou rich and I poore thou more vertuous then I am yet I will deny that thou hast a better God thâ—n I or a better law or a better redeemer thâ—… I for in the matter of redemption the Lord dealt so equally among all men that I vvill not acknovvledge any advantage in thee or anie superiority in mee O good Iesus saith hee O the redeemer of my soule vvherevvithall shall I requite thy clemencie or satisfie thy goodnesse for not shedding better bloode for all thine electe then thou diddest for my sinnes alone Novve vvhat caused this man of GOD thus to humble and debase himselfe in respecte of himselfe and thus to advaunce himselfe in respect of GOD and to cry out that he knew not how to be sufficiently thankfull vnto his gracious redeemer but a greater revelation of the grace of CHRIST and a stronger assurance of his loue then ordinarily is graunted to the coÌ„mon sort of the faithfull The which thinges also stirred vp the like passions in Cyrill and Bernard and
of Gods temporall giftes is a deniall of God and therefore much more the ascribinâ— of eternall life to our own merites but of our temporal goods and possessions vnto our owne industry and witte be an iniquity to be condemned because it is a deniall of God then is it a greater iniquity more to be condemned and a more heinous deniall of God to robbe him of the glory of his greatest giftes by ascribing them vnto our owne merites But herein is fulfilled the prophesie of Saint Peter * 2. Pet. 2. 1. who hath plainely foretolde that as there were then false prophets among the people so there shoulde bee false teachers among vs who shoulde prively bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lorde that bought them The truth is that the children of the Church of Rome confesse in word their redemption wrought by Christ but wheÌ„ they theÌ„ selues labour to purchase heaven by their ovvn merites do they not plainely disallowe the sufficiencie of the purchase thereof made by Christ Yea whereas our Rhemistes are so bolde as to call the iustice of God which is residenâ— in Christ appreheÌ„ded by our faith and so imputed to vs because it was wrought for vs a new no iustice a phant asticall apprehension of that which is not a falsâ— faith and an vntrue imputation and to affirme that there is no righteousnes Rhem in c. 3. ep ad Rom. whereby we are iustified before God but that which is inherent in vs being giveÌ„ to vs of God by Christ that therby we might merit for our selues our iustification salvation doe they not in flat tearmes deny Christs own inhereÌ„t righteousnes wherby we are iustified saved ascribe the same to our own inherent righteousnes If a friend should procure of a father some portion of a stocke for his son by the which being well emploied encreased the son should in some spate of time purchase a good farme were the friend or the father or the son to be tearmed the purchaser thereof It is plaine and manifest that none but the son Why then if Christs own righteousnes inherent in himselfe and imputed to vs be a new no righteousnes not the price of our redemption but our owne inherent righteousnesse procured of God our heavenly Father by the death of Christ as by the mediation of our dearest friend then wee our selues are the purchasers of everlasting life and so our owne Saviours and redeemers and are no surther beholding to Christ for the same then for that he hath procured for vs some portion of loue repentaÌ„ce obedience and the like the which being well emploied and encreased by our owne free will is the only price that is given for that heavenly purchase But far be this blâ—sphemous doctrine from the heartes of all true and faithfull Christians let it bee enough for vs to enioy the fruite of our salvation purchased by Christ let vs giue to his owne most pure and perfect obedience this glory that we esteeme it bee the only price that is or could bee equivalent vnto that so great and worthy a purchase And whereas the great endlesse loue of God our Father electing iustifying vs freely in Christ are the steppes vvhereby God descendeth to vs to finish his worke heere begunne in vs by bringing vs heere in this lâ—…e to our sanctification and to our glorification in the life to come and vvhereas also the Lorde in his high and admirable vvisedome hath appointed that this his greate and endlesse loue in electing and iustififying vs freely in Christ should bee the only effectuall meanes to worke our conversion and sanctification and the most strong and forcible motiue to in duce vs to the ready performaunce of all such holy vvorkes as are the steppes and staires to our glorification let vs not presume to perverte this order and course ordayned by God in his greate wisedome by setting the cart before the horse by turning all â—opsie turvey by chaunging the effectes into the causes and the causes into the effectes by placing the highest steppes in the lowest roomes and the lowest in the highest by altring the first into the last and the last into the first and yet all this is done by vs if vvee make our sanctification and good vvorkes the merit orious causes of the loue of God and of our election iustification by CHRIST vvhich are but the effectes and fruites of the same Nay rather seeing God hath not only loved vs but also hath made manifest the same vnto vs by his manifold blessinges by giving our selues vnto our selues and all this glorious vvorlde to our vse and service by giving vs his ovvne deare sonne to iustifie vs by his bloode and to sanctifie vs by his spirite and to leade vs by his worde in the right way to our full and finall glorification howe oughte wee to serue him that hath thus served vs and honour him that hath honoured vs and loue him that hath loved vs to be most desirous to testifie the same by our careful continual emploiment in all those works which he himselfe hath ordained for vs to walk in that in most ready and humble obedience vnto his will not onely because it is holy iust acceptable welpleasing vnto himselfe and the wil of him vnto whom we owe all obedience in respect of his supreme auctority over vs but much more for that we are so deeply endebtted vnto him in respect of his infinite endlesse mercies Seing theÌ„ the wil of God must be the rule squier of al our workes or else they will grow much out of square therfore it coÌ„cerneth vs most nearely to make most diligent inquiry by what meanes we may attaine to the assured knowledge therof that so we may conforme our selues wholy therevnto The knowledge of the most certaine and vndoubted will of The sure certaine â—…ill of God â—s onely to â—e learned â—ut of the Canonical scriptures God is now to be found only in the word of God revealed to the Prophets Apostles by the spirit of God sette downe by theÌ„ in the Canonical Scriptures For as words are given to vs of God that therby we might signify each to other the seÌ„ce meaning of our minds eveÌ„ so hath the Lord himselfe revealed to vs by his written word what is the meaning of his wil hath coÌ„manded vs to seeke for the same onely from thence This commandement Deut. 30. 11. saith Moses which I command thee this day is not hidde froÌ„ thee neither is it farre of It is not in heaven that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp into heaven and bring it vnto vs and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it Neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say vvho shall goe over the sea to bring it to vs to cause vs to heare it that vvee may doe it But the word is neere vnto thee even
the Interpreter but vpon the light it selfe of the divine doctrine which is now sufficiently manifest vnto them being duely vveighed and considered without the auctority of the Interpreter When wee beleeve saith Austine being now made more strong in the faith we vnderstand that vvhich we beleeve not novve men but God himselfe inwardly strengthning lightning our mind And thus do we teach the people of God which are already setled in the faith of Christ not to ground their faith vpon their owne private fancies nor vpon the private opinions of any other man or men be they few or many nor yet vpon any humane interpretations of scripture but vpon the plaine sentence of GOD himselfe deciding and determining what is falshood and what is truth that is vpon the interpretations of holy scriptures which are delivered in the scriptures theÌ„selues eveÌ„ vpoÌ„ those plaine manifest places therof which are in theÌ„selues so evideÌ„t cleare that they stand in neede of no interpreter at al not yet to frame their liues according vnto the decrees of the church the special rules of such as are fouÌ„ders of any private devotioÌ„s but according vnto the general laws coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„ts of God hiÌ„selfe For theÌ„ wil both our faith life be acceptable to God when this is throughly fixed and setled in our harts we can truly sincerely say Thus do I beleeue thus do I liue because the Lord himselfe whose servaÌ„t I am hath coÌ„maÌ„ded me thus to beleeue thus to live For this is not a sufficient warraÌ„t security for vs to say My conscience iudgeth this or that to be good therfore it is good or my coÌ„scieÌ„ce iudgeth this or that to be evil therefore it is evill to be avoided for then should al superstitious Idolatrous kindes of serving of God be good ChristiaÌ„ religioÌ„ evil because the coÌ„sciences of all Infidels allow of the one condemne the other before the eies of their minds be lightned their coÌ„sciences reformed by the holy and heaveÌ„ly rules of our ChristiaÌ„ professioÌ„ And verely not our selues our own consciences but God only is our Lord iudge who hath autority to enact lawes to set theÌ„ out vnto vs as limits bouÌ„ds the which if we in any wise traÌ„sgresse we do coÌ„mit iniquity sin And therfore albeit the Apostle teacheth that he that Rom. 14. 23. eateth of things lawful sinneth if in coÌ„science he doubt whether he may do so or no yet herein he sinneth not for that he traÌ„sgresseth any law of his own coÌ„science seeing she hath noÌ„e autority to make any but for that either doubting in coÌ„scieÌ„ce whether God doth allow of his fact or no or else being parswaded that he doth disallow it yet he wil needs do the same being carried away with his own headstroÌ„g affectioÌ„s or by the perswasioÌ„s of othe meÌ„ For heerein he doth tredde vnder foote the autority of God sette GOD himselfe after a sorte at naught in that hee resolveth to do this or that albeit he doubteth whether God doth allowe it yea albeit he is perswaded that God doth disallow coÌ„demne the same Our conscience then must not be our canon rule in matters belonging to the service of God but God himselfe in his Canonicall scriptures For they are the onely sure and infallible witnesses of the will of God and our consciences cannot rightly bee assured of any thinge that is not delivered in those bookes And therfore seeing that in what thing soever we do belonging to the worshippe service of God we must be assuredly perswaded that it pleaseth God for whatsoever is done without Rom. 14. 23 this faith certain persuasioÌ„ is sinne we must not be ledde therein either by the vncertaine guesses of our owne coÌ„sciences or by the doubtfull coniectures of other men but only by the warrant of the Canonicall scriptures But the church of Rome will haue the deciding of all doubtes and controversies to be devolved froÌ„ Alabaster the scripture to the interpreter that is from the text to the glosse from God to man from the master to the servant from the iudge to the minister as if the iudge himselfe could not sette downe his owne definitiue sentence no not in writing as plainly fully and sufficiently as it can be delivered by the mouth of his messeÌ„ger and shee commaundeth the people to sette their faith vpon the decisions of the Pope and vpon the determinations of his counsellers vpon the bookes Apochryphs vpon traditions and vnwritten verities and to order their lives not according vnto the prescription of the law of God alone but also according vnto her owne ordinances and the rules of the founders of her relligious orders Wherefore shee which most vniustly accuseth vs to misleade the people into errour and heresie may in truth bee most iustly charged therwith seeing the cause of heresie is not the diligent and humble resort to the word of God the very fountaine and welspring of all heavenly truth that by this touchstone wee may trie discerne sound and currant doctrine from vnsound counterfeite but either the vtter reiecting forsaking of this holy word or the mingling of our owne fancies and dreames therwith or the dotages and inventions of other men For by this meanes hath truth faith bin banished heresie Idolatry brought in even froÌ„ the beginning of the world vnto this day For how â—ell Adam and Eue into their Apostasie but by forsaking the commaundement of God delivered vnto them by the Lords own mouth And what was the cause that al the posterity of Adam excepting only the family of Abraham fell by little and little into al errour and heresie vntil they came into most grosse and damnable Idolatry but as the Apostle testifieth for Act. 14. 18. that God suffered them all to walke in their owne waies For he had given his word only to Iacob his statutes ordinances to Psal 147. 19 Israel he had not deâ—lt so with any other nation neither had the heathen knowledge of his lawes And amongst this people of Israell vvhat was the cause that the tenne tribes at once fell avvay from God They fell avvay from the house of David because of the sinnes of Solomon and by the folly of Rehoboham his sonne but they fell from God when they vvoâ—shipped the calues that vvere set vppe by Ieroboham vvho made Israell to sinne contrary to the lavv and commaundement of God they forsooke the vvorshippe of God in Ierusalem ordained and established by the Lordes ovvne vvorde and set vppe in Dan and Bethell a new kinde of worshippe of God according vnto their owne inventions and so they fell avvay from the living GOD. And when those tenne tribes for their Idolatries and sinnes were carried out of their owne countrey into captivity by the king of Ashur the Samaritanes were placed in their roomes the cause also