upon them any speciall benefit tending that way Quest Wherefore doth God call and exhort all men to repent seeing all cannot attaine thereunto Answ Hee doth it for these Reasons First because his elect are mingled amongst others and therefore he doth send his Word and call upon all men to repent Secondly he doth it to manifest to all the freenesse of his grace that he is ready to receive all that come to him Thirdly to leave all men without excuse and that their condemnation might more manifestly appeare to be just seeing that grace and mercy was offered them and they willingly refused and rejected it and at that great day of Judgement every mouth shall bee stopped and every one appeare culpable before God Quest But seeing that God hath elected sonne and rejected others is it not therefore in vaine to heare or reade the word of God to pray unto him or to use any meanes to come to the knowledge of the way of life and salvation Answ No verily for seeing these things are required of all men all are bound to take knowledge thereof and to reject or refuse them is to reject and refuse God who offers his grace therein and doth by them worke grace in his elect now seeing some there are that reape benefit by the use of them and that no man can conclude of himselfe that God hath not elected him it is not in vaine to use the meanes but it is meere madnesse and folly to refuse and reject them Quest But by this meanes men may come to such a measure of knowledge and to bee so farre inlightned that they may be in danger to commit the sin against the holy Ghost and so make their condemnation the greater Answ This commeth not by the carefull use of the meanes but by the abuse thereof and light esteeme of the grace offered and therefore they are to take heed of those things that may be any occasion thereunto Quest Is it necessary that this doctrine concerning Gods Predestination should bee made knowne seeing that it may bee hurtfull to many making some secure and carelesse in using any meanes of salvation and also causing others to despaire Answ It is necessary to bee knowne and therefore hath the Lord beene pleased to reveale it and doubtlesse no hurt shall come thereby to any of the elect but exceeding much good for it serves greatly to humble them and to let them see that it is no defert of theirs but the free grace of God who might have chosen others and rejected them And as for the rest they will abuse every truth though it be never so good and profitable and therefore seeing God hath been pleased to reveale it the Elect are not to be deprived of this Benefit because of the abuse of them by the Reprobate Quest Wherefore is it that in Scripture our Justification is attributed unto Faith Answ We are said to be justified by Faith not that Faith justifieth of it selfe but because it is a gift of God whereby man believeth that which the Spirit declareth and evidenceth to the conscience namely the pardon of sinne and assurance of grace through the blood of Christ Secondly because all our owne workes are excluded in the matter of Justification before God and there is no cause of boasting for our salvation is onely of the Lord Hosea 13.9 Quest If good workes doe not justifie before God to what end are they so often required Answ They are required for divers ends First because by them we shall glorifie God and adorne our holy profession Math. 5.16 Secondly we shall by them be a means to win others to love our profession and give good examples to others to doe the like and to follow us 1 Pet. 2.12 Thirdly by this means we shall stop the mouthes of the adversaries 1 Pet. 2.15 Fourthly we shall have comfort if we be brought to suffer and be accused as evill doers wrongfully 1 Pet. 2.19 Fifthly we shall by them make tryall of the truth of our faith and of the graces that are in us by the exercise of them as occasion is offered Quest But doe not good workes deserve nothing at the hands of God Answ No certainly no workes that we can doe can possibly deserve any thing at the hands of God for when we have done all that we can we may truly say we are unprofitable servants Luke 17.10 Quest If good workes deserve nothing wherefore is it that so many promises are made in Scripture unto good workes Answ God hath thereby set forth his bounty to stir us up who are backward of our selves adding thereunto promises of reward But such is our weakenesse and great imperfections in our best workes that we haue cause rather to be humbled for our wants in the performance of them then to challenge any thing at the hands of God for the same yet certaine it is that the good workes of Gods Children shall be rewarded though not for the worthinesse of the worke yet for the truth of the promiser who hath promised to reward the gift of a cup of cold water to one of those that belong to him so that we have no cause to be backward in good workes but to be forward in the doing of them Math. 10.42 Quest Are all men rewarded for their good workes Answ Yes certainly the righteous God rewardeth all either here in this life or after this life but he in a more especiall manner rewardeth the good workes of his Children even those workes of love and mercy extended towards the Saints their Brethren Math. 25. Quest Are there Saints now upon the earth Answ Yes verily there have been are and ever shall be Saints upon the earth Psal 16.3 Quest But seeing all men are corrupted and even after regeneration the remnants of Sinne still continue in them can the name of Saints be properly given unto them Answ Yes it may be well given unto them for God so accounts of them as being without Sinne beholding no iniquity in them Numbers 23.21 Canticles 4.7 Ephes 5.27 Quest If God behold all things and nothing be hid from his all-seeing eye how can it be but that he should see those Sinnes which his elect doe daily and continually fall into Answ It is true that God beholdeth all things and cannot be ignorant of those Sinnes which they fall into yet notwithstanding God doth looke upon them in Christ and beholds them all righteous and holy in him imputing the rigteousnesse of Christ unto them Rom. 4.6.7 1 Cor. 1.30 2 Cor. 5.21 Quest What is that righteousnesse of Christ which is imputed unto the Saints and for which they are accounted holy Answ All the righteousnesse of Christ whatsoever his active obedience performed to the law his passive obedience in suffering whatsoever was due unto them for Sinne and what the Justice of God could require at their hands yea all the holinesse that is in Christ either of his nature as hee was man or of his
it consists not in his owne power and strength but in the unchangeablenesse of Gods love for they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation wherein consisteth some part of mans happinesse for now by Grace he is set into a better estate and condition then Adam was by his Creation who was subject to change 1 Peter 1.5 Quest Doth not the knowledge of this Doctrine concerning mans stedfastnesse in grace make men secure and carelesse in the committing of sinne Answ No certainly it is not possible that any of those that are regenerate should make such an use of it but rather they considering Gods rich mercy and abundant grace showed towards them doe labour to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and doe endeavour to live soberly righteously and godly seeing the grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men hath so plentifully appeared unto them Titus 2.11.12 Rom. 12.1 Quest Doe not many of the regenerate fall into great sinnes after their regeneration Answ Yes certainly wee have examples thereof in Noah David and Peter who did fall into great sinnes after they were regenerate Gen. 9.21 2 Sam. 11.4.13 14 15. Chap. 12.9 Mat. 26.70.72.74 Quest What great dammage doth come unto them by their Falls seeing they cannot fall away and perish for ever Answ The dammage is very great for besides the dishonour of God whose glory ought to be deare unto them they deprive themselves of their sweet peace joy and comfort which they did enjoy and doe cast themselves into great trouble of mind sorrow and feare and many times cause the Lord to punish them for their sinne with some temporall punishment 2 Sam. 12. Psal 51. Quest What is required of men falling into Sinne after Iustification Answ That they should repent of their Sins and seeke earnestly at the hand of God for the pardon of them as David did Psal 51. Quest Is it in mans power to repent Answ No it is not it is the gift of God 2 Tim. 2.15 Quest Wherefore then doth the Lord require of man to repent and beleeve seeing he is unable to performe the same Answ The Lord requires of us to repent and beleeve becauâ—e they are workes to be performed by us and that we seeing our selves unable to performe them might be mooved to seeke for them at the hands of God who is the only giver of them Quest What need is there for them to repent who have formerly received pardon of their Sinne and cannot possibly perish because Christs death was a full satisfaction not only for their Sinnes past but for all that ever they should commit during this life Answ Yes certainly Repentance is very needfull for them and therefore the Apostle councelleth them amongst the rest of their spirituall armour Ephesians 6. to have their feet shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace which is Repentance for by their sinne they having dishonoured God and greeved his Spirit and having also deprived themselves of their sweet Communion they had with God there is no other way to obtaine their peace joy comfort and sweet Communion with God againe but by Repentance as we may see by the example of David Psal 51. Quest Then Repentance doth not cease in men assoone as they are justifyed and reconciled unto God Answ No assuredly for although they have attained the thing their soules so much desired in the day of their trouble and their wounded soules be healed and refreshed yet doe they still retaine their soft and melting heart which doth daily mourne and lament for the body of Sin and remnant of Corruption that is left in them whereby they are led Captive to Sinne and to offend their Lord and Redeemer who hath been so rich and abundant in mercy towards them Rom. 7.23.24 Quest Then it seemes that the estate of a true Christian in this life is a very sorrowfull and mournfull estate Answ It is true indeed their life is full of sorrow this is their time of mourning and weeping they of all others are subject to many persecutions disgraces and reproaches besides the corruption that is within them which pursues their soules daily so that if their hope were only in this life they were of all men the most miserable But yet notwithstanding in the midst of their afflictions and persecutions the Lord doth give them inward joy and comfort by his Spirit farre exceeding all worldly Joy that this world can afford and none but they have any sound Joy but they only doe possesse that Joy which is unspeakable and full of glory and which shall never be taken from them Io. 16.22 Quest From whence proceedeth that unspeakeable Ioy which the faithfull doe enjoy Answ It proceedeth from the apprehension of Gods love unto them who hath remitted their Sinnes and assured them of peace and reconciliation with him 1 Io. 4.10.19 Quest What is the first and principall cause of mans salvation Answ The first and principall cause is the Infinite love and mercy of God Io. 3.16 So God loved the world c. Quest Was there no other moving cause to moove him â—o pitty man but his owne love Answ No certainely neither needed there any other nor could possibly be a greater cause then his owne love goodnesse and mercy to moove him thereunto Quest Was not Christ the principall cause of man salvation Answ No assuredly he was indeed the materiall cause but not the efficient or principall mooving cause for howsoever it be true that every person in the Godhead did our of their infinite love decree from all eternity the salvation of man yet in the effecting and accomplishing of the same every person hath his distinct operation and worke appropriated unto him so that we cannot without confusion attribute that to one person which is proper and peculiar to another Quest Declare unto me briefly the severall worke of every person in the Godhead distinctly and severally in the working of the Redemption of man Answ The worke appropriated in Scriptures to the first person namely the Father is of his meere love to have sent his onely Sonne and the worke of the Son is to be sent and to take mans nature upon him to suffer death to satisfie the Justice of God and to effect and bring to passe that great worke of mans Redemption and the worke of the third person the Holy Ghost is to inlighten the understanding of the elect in this great mistery and to make effectuall unto them this Redemption which Christ hath wrought for them Quest Might not the Lord have saved mankind out of his owne love and goodnesse without the sending of his Son to take upon him our nature and to suffer death Answ Whether he might or no we will not dare to conclude but that which may be profitable for us we will affirme that certaine it is that this way which the Lord hath ordayned and also made knowne unto us did best stand with his Iustice and doth serve the
actions as he was Mediator betweene God and man is all imputed unto them 1 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 5.19 Esay 9.6 Quest Then by imputation they are absolute holy and righteous Answ Yes verily they are so even absolute pure righteous and holy Numb 23.21 Quest Have they no other holinesse but this which is imputed unto them Answ Yes verily for as God doth impute holinesse unto them even the holinesse of Christ in whom alone they are accepted as righteous so also doth hee worke holinesse in them by his Spirit making them in some measure conformable to Christ renewing and sanctifying and making them holy and causing them also to work holinesse and righteousnesse which is one maine end of their election and of their Redemption by Jesus Christ Ephes 1.4 Luke 1.74 75. Quest Then it seemes that this holinesse is not attained by any power or vertue that is in them Answ No verily it is the free gift of God Ephes 28. Quest By all this that hath been said I gather that God did not elect any unto salvation upon the foresight of any workes or holinesse that was to be in them Answ It is very true he did not but it was his owne love and free grace that moved him for they are elected and chosen of God not for any foreseene holinesse but to be holy being his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good workes that they should walke in them Ephes 2.10 So that good workes are no cause of their Election but their Election is the cause of their good workes and good workes are an evidence both to themselves and to others also of their election but no cause thereof 1 Pet 1.2 Ephes 1.4 Quest Whereof doth that Church of Christ consist unto which all the speciall promises are made Answ It consisteth onely of such as are regenerate who are all Saints the members of Christ who are honoured with so many glorious Titles being called the Church and body of Christ his Spouse his habitation his Temple Sion Jerusalem and many such like 2 Cor. 6.16 Ephes 5.23 Cant. 4.8.9.10 Psal 87. 1 Cor. 3.16.17 Gal. 4.26 Ephes 5.30 1 Cor. 12.27 Quest What are those speciall promises that are made unto this Church Answ All promises of this life and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Quest What are those speciall promises that concerne this life Answ They are such as concerne every one of them in particular or all in generall assembling together Quest What are those promises that concerne every one of them in particular Answ All good things as protection providence peace joy comfort the assurance of his love and the hope of eternall good things to come which doth comfort them in the midest of all their tryalls that befall them in this life Esay 43.1 2 3. Esay 54.7 8 9 10. Ioh. 13 1. Titus 2.13 2 Cor. 4.17.18 Quest What are those promises that concerne them all in generall assembling together Answ They are such as pertaine to the ruling and governing teaching instructing and comforting of this Church being met together in the name of Christ and to the well ordering of the same for the benefit of the whole body of Jesus Christ Ephes 4.8 11 12 13. Quest But the members of this Church are dispersed and cannot meet together how can some few members of the same reape any benefit by any speciall promise made unto the Church in generall Answ Yes doubtlesse they may and the Saints doe assuredly reape great comfort and benefit thereby yea every Congregation and company of Saints meeting together in the name of Christ may expect and tooke for the performance of the promises made by Christ to the whole Church for that which is made to the whole Church is made also to every part thereof Quest What are those speciall promises that concerne the Saints being gathered and met together in the name of Christ Answ Unto them thus meeting together hath Christ promised his presence to be in the middest of them and hath given unto them the keyes of the kingdome of heaven to bind and loose promising them to confirme and ratifie in heaven what they agree upon in earth binding in heaven whom they bind on earth and loosing in heaven whom they loose on earth promising them also perseverance notwithstanding the great malice of their Adversaries the gates of hell shall never prevaile against it Math. 16.18 19. Math. 18.20 Math. 18.18.19 20. Quest Doth not this power of binding and loosing belong to any other but onely to the Saints Answ No certainly it belongs to none other but onely to them neither are any fit for such a worke but onely the Saints neither is the promise of binding in heaven and loosing in heaven them who are bound on earth and loosed on earth made to any other but only to the Saints the true members of Jesus Christ and therefore whosoever they be that lay claim or title to this power and are not Saints doe claime and challenge that unto which they have no right Math. 16.18 19. Math. 18.19.20 Quest But is it not given to the Pastors and Ministers of the Church Answ Yes it is given chiefly unto them if they be Saints yet not only to them but also with them to the rest of the Saints their Brethren Quest But all the Saints are not fit to be imployed in this great worke Answ It is true that all the Saints may not be fit for this worke and therefore those are to be employed in the great affaires of the Church who have the greatest measure of Grace bestowed on them according to that saying of the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.10 as God hath distributed to every man so let him minister c. yet the least Saint is not to be despised or contemned who may be helpfull to the body whereof by Christ they are made members 1 Cor. 12.21 Quest Is it possible for the Saints in this life to know one another Answ Yes doubtlesse God doth declare and evidence them by his Spirit even to the consciences of his children that so they may rejoyce in the fellowship one of another and perform the duties required of them one to another to the performance of which the reward is promised which they cannot perform unlesse they know one another Math. 25. chap. 10.40 41 42. Quest But hipocrites may countterfeit true grace and make a show of holinesse and Satan can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light Answ All this is true you say but yet the Saints having the Spirit of Christ in them and knowing the nature of true grace are able to judge of and to discerne true grace from the counterfeit showes of hypocrites Quest But hipocrisie is hid in the heart and it is proper to God to know the heart and the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2.11 That no man knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of man which is in him Answ It is true also but yet notwithstanding the hearts of others are