death as the Apostle Saint Paule sheweth in the sixt to the Romaines vers 23. But thou art a sinner yea euen couered as if it were with thy sinne and that thyne ovvne conscience doth testifie against thee Therefore thou art worthie of eternall death yea thou canst looke for nothing but death and euerlasting punishment A sore reason and it will no doubt much shake the minde vnlesse it be well aunswered and therefore good reason that we should looke wel throughly into it and the rather because Sathan that otherwise of himselfe is the father of lyes and lyers and therefore can speake nothing doth at the least in outwarde shewe speake the trueth here VVherein first for this and all other his suggestions let vs mark that whensoeuer he speaketh the trueth yet he doth it not with a true minde neither in the same aymeth at a true or right ende The trueth of these thinges are propounded in the worde and indeed from thence also to be prooued if need be Howbeit they are there deliuered by God with one affection and to one end hereby Satan pressed vrged with another minde and to another end God reuealeth the with a minde to humble men in themselus in their owne corruption that so they might be exalted through his goodnes But Sathan setteth out their sinne with a hart purpose to swallow them vp with distrust cōdēnatiō This if we know not being deceiued through the outward shew appearance of truth we shal easily be ouerthrown but if we vnderstād beleeue it it shall be so far off frō hurting vs that it shall rather tēd to our furtherāce in the faith of gods mercies to the feeling of our vnworthines that so we may haue iust occasion to say of our selues that where sin hath abounded there grace hath ouer abounded also But more particularly to aunswer the seueral parts of this subtle sillogisme of Satan For the proposition we answer by distinction or respect as we may say He that is a sinner is vnvvorthy to be saued yea most vvorthy euerlastingly to perish This is true we confesse it if we consider man in himself or in his own nature or as he persisteth remaineth or vnles he haue through the satisfactiō obedience of Christ his sinnes pardoned because in the 1. we know our sinns withhold good things from vs and make a separation betwixt god and vs and wee are by nature the children of wrath as other men And in the second we are sure that the righteousnesse satisfaction and obedience of Christ being of infinite merite is able powerfull and sufficient inough to alter the state and condition because Christs satisfaction and the worthinesse of his suffrings is in such sorte imputed to euerie one that beleeueth that it is accoūted indeed be come his own Cōcerning the assumption or minor I saye for my selfe in particular that I am not such a one as thou Satan saist I am for my nature is changed I haue in some measure put of the old man and am renued into knowledge acccording to the image of him that hath created me so also haue my sinnes through Christs obedience bin defaced blotted out stād euen before god in the cōmunication of righteousnes as though I had neuer transgressed Therefore though I will not deny but in respect of my self I am vnworthy to be saued and indeede most worthy to perish and therefore may truely say as the prophet doth Psal 143.2 Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified Yet in Christ for Christs sake who is the onely beloued of God and in whome alone the father is well pleased who also hath absolutely satisfied the wrath of God and answered for me whatsoeuer was against me sure I am I am worthy to be saued and vtterly vnworthy to perish or to be cast away The reason is because Christs worthynes which is most perfect pure is imputed vnto me and is indeede become mine as effectually yea I am perswaded more effectually by howe much he is more excellent and effectuall then my selfe though I were neuer so innocent and righteous as if I my selfe fulfilled all righteousnes For this I am sure of looke what Christ did he did it not for himselfe for he stood in no need of any such obedience because he neuer transgcessed but accomplished it for me and for my saluation and therefore I may in my measure safely say as the Apostle doth Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ but I liue yet not I any more but Christ liueth in me and in that that I novve liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in that sonne of God who hath loued me and hath giuen himselfe for me Which indeede is the euerlasting and vnmooueable voice of the Gospell that being conuerted to God I might assuredly resolue this with my selfe that I shall for Christ Iesus sake my Mediatour and redeemer be certainly receiued into fauour and for his worthinesse though not for any of mine owne for indeede I haue none but all vnworthinesse and accepted before him In confidence whereof also I can in some sort and sense say for my selfe others as the holy prophet of God Daniel doth chapter 9. we doe not present our supplicatiōs before thee for our righteousnesse but for thy great and tender mercies yea heare vs for the Lords sake It may be that notwithstanding this full fit answere Satan who goeth about continually like a roaring Lion seeking alwaies to deuoure vs will not giue ouer to presse vs further saying he that is exceedinly iust cannot or will not leaue thing vnpunishmed but will haue his iustice fully and wholly satisfied But God is exceedingly iust and a most grieuous reuenger and punisher of all sinnes yea his iustice is altogether vnchangeable Therefore God will leaue nothing vnpunished but will haue his iustice absolutely satisfied and will cast thee away not comformable to his iustice To this we may aunswere in some sort before to the obiection touching the greatnesse and grieuousnes of our transgressions He presseth vpō vs Gods iustice not with a mind that he hath to commend it for he rather condemneth it and all other good things in God euen as he doth the dietie it selfe but of a purpose to ouerwhelme vs and swallow vs vp therewithall if it may be But why may not we in some sort speake to Satan in this behalfe euē as God shall speake to the wicked his imps What hast thou to doe to declare my ordinances that thou shouldst take my couenāt in thy mouth or why may we not say vnto him assaulting our selues or tempting others and labouring thereby to let the good work of the Lord in vs. The Lord rebuke thee O Sathan euen the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem reprooue thee Is not this a brand takē out of the fire But we say more particularly He that is exceedingly
iust will haue his iustice satisfied either by them themselus that should doe it and happily are not able or els by some other that are fit for the purpose or worke That God is exceedingly iust no man will deny it His nature proueth it vnto vs and his word propoundeth the same He looketh also that his iustice should be absolutely satisfied why it is done and that not by such a one as I haue appointed for the purpose for it might be he might be misliked as well by reason of my blindenesse to make choise as by reason of my partiality to preferre one in mine own cause but by such a one as he himselfe hath sanctified and set apart for that purpose that is the imaculate and vnspotted lambe of God Christ Iesus who is become not onely my baile and surety and is made a fit Mediatour betwixt me and God but hath fully paid my debt also in so much that there is not a mite behind but al is satisfied and the debt booke or obligation cancelled He hauing in my name and as it were for my sake offered and presented himselfe before God the father to be punished for my trāsgressions yea he was broken for our iniquities the chastisment of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed And the Apostle saith Rom. 3. That God hath set him forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloode to declare his righteousnes by forgiuenes of sinnes that are passed And in another place he hath made him that knewe no sinne to wit our Sauiour Iesus Christ to be sinn for vs that we through him might be made the righteousnes of God Besides al this I say Sathan that sith God is exceedingly iust it cannot stand with his iustice which neither willeth or can will any thing that is vniust that one and the selfe same debt should be twise paide Men in the world that carry any account or conscience of their dealings will not doe or deale so grossely And therefore doubtlesse it is farre off from the iust iudge of all the world yea it should be quite and cleane contrary yea manifestly repugning with his most absolute and vpright iustice which Christ indeede by an infinite obedience vnto his maiestie hath aunswered vnto God for all my sinnes of which if any man should doubt let him but for his better satisfaction and stay therein consider these places of scripture Rom. 5. the Apostle saieth As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by that obedience of that one shall many also be made righteouse And againe Romans 8. verse 1. These is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus and verse 34. of that chapter vvho shal condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request likewise for vs. Gal. 3. Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the lavve beeing made a curse for vs. And 1. Pet. 3. Christ hath once suffered for sinners the iust for the vniust And therefore it cannot be that my sinnes should again come into reckoning before God sith that by the blood of Christ they are quite done away and blotted out as the Apostle sheweth in the 2. chapter of his Epistle to the Coloss And sith I knowe this seruice and honour is to be performed vnto God namely to beleeue the promises of his Gospell I may neither accuse god of a lie for that were blasphemy be being the onely trueth indeede nor contemne my Mediatour and his obedience which I knowe to be euen as himselfe absolute and perfect And one of these two I must needs doe if I should yeeld to this suggestion of Sathan But it Sathan will proceede and say for such a wrangling and cruell aduersarie will hardly be answered Thou notwithstanding all this art subiect to many afflictions in this life and in the end to death also therfore god hath not pardoned thy sinnes but is stil angry with thee for afflictions and death entred into the world by meanes of sinne and are indeede tokens of the wrath and displeasure of god as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 5.12 and Eph. 5.16 I aunswere and reply againe that though afflictions and death did at the first through sinne enter into the world for indeede had not sinne beene none of them had euer fallen out and though in their owne nature still they cannot but bring forth the like sowre fruits bitter effects that yet nowe through the power of God that bringeth light out of darknesse and through the spirit of sanctification in his seruants whome he exerciseth with such afflictions and calamities they doe not alwaies sort to this effect For first concerning afflictiōs god in thē doth not alwaies regard this either to punish vs as a seuere iudge or to condemne vs for our sinnes no more then a father mindeth when he chastiseth his child to cast him away but as a most mercifull God and louing father he doth it either to try vs that so by that meanes our faith patience constancy and other good fruites in it might be made known in the world as it is manifested in the history of Iob and other holy mens examples and appeareth by sundry places of scripture and namely Iames 1. where the spirit saith brethren count it exceeding ioy when ye fall into diuers temptatiōs knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth forth patience c or els correcteth vs to this ende that we should not perish with the wicked world but rather that by this meanes we might learne more more to hate sinne seeing we are punished for it or to contemne the world wherevnto otherwise happily we might be to fast glued or else that wee should the better learne to knowe our selues wee growing quickly into forgetfullnesse and securitie and might so much the more earnestly call vpon God the daies of our trouble beeing a meet season yea our troubles themselus good meanes to fit vs thereto And of euerie one of these doth the Scripture speake in diuers places as 1. Corinthians 11. wee are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world and Dauid in the Psalme 119. It is good for me O Lord that I haue beene afflicted for before I vvas afflicted I vvent astraye but novve I haue learned to keepe thy lavve See further for this purpose and pointe in the Psalme 32. verses 4.5.6 and 2. Corinthians 6. ver 9. but specially 2. Sam. 7 where it is saide If he sinne I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the plagues of the children of men but my mercie shall not depart away from him c. or else that making vs an example vnto others he may bring thē to some goodnesse and frame and fashion vs vnto the image of his owne sonne as the Apostle sheweth in plaine tearmes Romaines 8.29 That so beeing like vnto him in his suffrings we
there to be found for the weake safe and assured securitie and the rest vnlesse it be in the woundes of our sauiour I doe so much the more safely remaine and dwell there by howe much he is the more mighty to saue and deliuer And in his sermon concerning the fragments of the seuen mercies in his thirde sermon I consider or behold saith he three things in which all my hope consisteth gods grace or loue of addoption the trueth of his promise and his power to yeeld and performe it Nowe let my foolish thought and immagination murmure as much as it can or will saying who art thou or hovve great is that glory or by what merit hopest thou to obtaine these things But I for my part will confidently answere I knowe whoÌ„e I haue beleeued and againe I aunswere that in exceeding charitie or loue he hath adopted me that he is true and faithfull in all his promises and most mightie in performance of what soeuer pleaseth him If we would stand vpon testimonies out of the fathers touching this point we might make a volume By these men may iudge of the rest and plainely conclude against our aduersaries that their doctrine of doubting is as well directly against the writings of the fathers as the holie Scriptures and that therefore it is not a doctrin of the true auncient Church but a new inuention deuise growing in and preuailing vpon as other corruptions when the maister of iniquity beganne to worke or was growne to his heigth And so by all this treaty or discourse framed written against this popish opinion or doctrine of doubâ—ing wee maye plainely perceiue what wee are to thinke or iudge concerning the same namely as of a pointe directly opposite and contrarie both to the trueth of the worde of God written and also to the iudgement of the sounder sorte of diuines and therefore vtterlie to be refused and reiected as a loathsome and poysonfull thing against our soules and bodies For that which is not onely not contained in the holy Scriptures of God and the sounde writinges of the fathers in what respect I ioyne them together I haue declared before and therefore desire men not to bee offended therewith but also doeth openlye and manifestly contradict the same it may not nor ought not to be accounted for the doctrine of the Scriptures or sounder sort of fathers of the Scripture I say expressely because I am sure that proceeding from one god and written by one blessed and holy spirite euen the spirite of trueth it cannot deliuer contradictorie thinges howsoeuer other writers and men may but false and not onely vnsauoury but vnsound and therefore not onely not to be receiued in the Church but to be driuen and banished as farre from it as possibly may bee Hithereto wee haue dealte against our popish aduersaries blindelye and wickedlye maintaining doubting of Gods grace of the forgiuenesse of our owne sinnes and of eternall saluation wherein surely it is greatlye to bee lamented that through their waye-wardnesse wee haue beene constrained to spende so manye wordes in a matter which is not onely plainely testified and set out vnto vs in the holie Scriptures but a sorte as it were assuredly written and ingrauen in the hearts of men And were it not indeed that wee knowe the weake had need to be strengthned and the ignorant inâ—tructed rather for any good we hope will come of the confutation answering of our aduersaries we might well inough haue spared this labour and paine And yet because in this point of doctrin ther is contained a principall foundation of christian consolation we trust it is not labour mispent as wel these that are not so well exercised in it as they ought to be may be the better instructed as also that those that are weake may the more be comforted and strengthned And yet we cannot but say that this for the most part standeth in speculation and contemplation rather then in practise appoint that in this dissolute senselesse age of the world would be more regarded pressed vpon men though withall we denie not but that ther is a profitable vse both of the one and the other according to the diuersities of states and times wherein God is pleased to place his children For as speculatioÌ„ or contemplation is good for the chaunging of the state of our darkenesse and ignorance into light and knowledge so practise is good for the altring of our senselesse or careles condition into christian care and feeling That to wit speculation beloÌ„geth wholy to the minde and vnderstanding and it aimeth as at his generall buâ—â— or 〈◊〉 at general knowledge and comprehensions And this is the reasoning or disceptation of the heart and prepared principally for consolation and comforte that is to say yeeldeth to such consciences as are terrified and afflicted in temptations in the combat against sinne and the sense and feeling of Gods wrath against them for the same some spirituall ioy and consolation Both are necessarie in this Church and yet â—â—â—s latter of speciall vse for comforte Whereof though so manie stand not in need as of instruction because there are more ignoraunt and carelesse in the congregation then humbled and afflicted yet because their case is more hard and heauie for a wounded spirite who can be are it somewhat also would be said as in that behalfe Wherein sâ—â—h we our selues are not ignorant of the sleights and suggestions of Sathan and sith God hath furnished vs with spirituall armour and weapons to beat back the fierie darts of Sathan and hath reueiled himselfe in knowledge and comforte vnto vs not for our selues onely but for others that they with vs might be made partakers of the manifold graces of God let vs assaye from our owne feelings to doe good vnto others and what we can comforte and succour all those that are afflicted Satans suggestions are as a man may say innumerable and therefore let no man thinke we will or can deale with them all Such as we take to be principall and haue our selues beene most buffered and beaten withall wee will touch and aunswere as wee can Againe Sathan is the prince of darkenesse and confusion and therefore wee can hardlie followe any method in aunswering his temptations The course therefore that wee will keepe in this behalf shal be this take them as they come one after another and consider what he obiecteth and so accordinglye as God shall be pleased to assist and direct frame out of the worde of God seuerall and particular aunswers 1 In the first place Sathan commonly setteth before vs two strong temptations or if you will doth on both sides assault vs. For one while he obiecteth against vs our sinnes and another while the exceeding great and fearefull iustice of God reasoning or concluding thus against vs â—o He that is a sinner he is vnworthie to be saued yea most worthie eternally to perish for the vvages or hire of sinne is
may be comfortable also vnto him in glorie or else that we if it seeme so good vnto him being made as a maÌ„ may say gasing-stocks to men and angells and all the world he might declate in vs what is the wonderfull power and efficacy of the holy ghost in fraile and weake vessels which as it is many waies made manifest so doeth it appeare in the crowne of martyrdome suffering for trueth and in the strength of temptations we being more then conquerouts through him that loued vs and washed vs in his blood See 2. Cor. 4. ver 7. and 12. ver 9. and also Col. 1.24 And the like may we saye touching death which through the death of Christ is so sanctified vnto mee that I doe not onely triumph ouer it saying death where is thy sting hell where it thy victorie but find it to be a speedie passage and ready way for me vnto eternal life Therfore so farre of am I from beeing hindred by afflictions and death that I know these things as all other shall work vnto my good shall serue for the furthering yea for the perfecting of my saluation Rom. 8.28 I also assuring my heart that Christ hath deliuered me from the power of death and that I shall in and through Christ escape from death and passe vnto euerlasting life euen as he himselfe plainely affirmeth Ioh. 5.14 2 Secondly he obiecteth thus It is not sufficient that thy sinnes are satisfied and aunswered for by another or that thine iniquities are pardoned but besides it is of necessitie required that thou be righteous and doest perfectly obserue the law of God that is that thou doest perfectly loue god and thy neighbour For vnlesse thou haue this righteousnes indeed thou caÌ„st not escap the wrath curse of God but this righteousnes thou hast not nether caÌ„st haue indeed in this life therfore thou must of necessitie be vnder condeÌ„natioÌ„ We cannot aunswer to this temptation but euen as to the former yea and indeed almost to all other also that is hauing respect vnto Christ who hath not onely indured the punishment due vnto me for my sinnes but also performed perfect righteousnes yea and the same such as the very law doth require that not for himselfe because he needed none but for me hath he done all that he did fullfilled euen the whole law Which if any man doubt of or call into question let him but consider Christs own words Mat. 3. no doubt but he will giue glorie to God and confesse it Christ there saying let be now for thus it becommeth vs to fullfill all righteousnesse or els that saying in Ro 8. That that was impossible to the law in as much as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his owne sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sinne in the flesh that that righteousnes of the law might be fulfilled in vs vvhich walke not after the flesh but after the spirit And tell me Satan Shall the power of Christs death be effectuall to take away transgression deny this if thou canst or darest And shall not the absolute might infinitnesse of his obedience be strong to make me stand as righteous in the sight of God What was there in all the â—â—we that he hath not absolutly accomplished EueÌ„ his very enimies he hath so hartily perfectly loued that he hath not only prayed for theÌ„ as appeareth in the history of his death but also for numbers of them hath susteined the wrath indignatioÌ„ of God that so he might reconcile theÌ„ to his heauenly father Oh how sweet not onely for the proofe of this point but for the heart conscience of all faithful is that of the Apostle Ro. 5. God setteth out his loue towards vs that whilest we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. Much more theÌ„ being nowe iustified by his blood we shall be saued froÌ„ wrath through him For if when we were enimies vve were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled vve shall be saued through his life And this absolut righteousnesse of Christ is through Gods goodnesse imputed vnto me and by faith laid hold of and applied to my selfe with which being clothed as with the precious and sweet garmentes of my elder brother I cannot but please God and stande righteousse in his light as the brother of Christ yea as one of gods heirs yea which is more an heire annexed with Christ himselfe And therefore may truely comfortably say as the Apostle doth in the same place of Ro. 8. Hath not God spared his owne sonne but giuen him for vs al to death how shall he not with him giue vs all thinges also If all things vvhy not then also absolute righteousnes who shall lay any thing to the charge of gods chosen It is god that iustifieth vvho shall condemne c. as followeth most comfortably Yea but it may bee that Sathan will yet further vrge this pointe what can another mans righteousnes auaile or profit thee seeing that the law presseth this vpon thee thou shalt loue thy neighbour c. Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house c. And the Scripture telleth vs the soule that sinneth that shall die the death Ezec. 18. And again there shall be wrath and indignation vpon euerye soule of euerie man that doth euill and breaketh the law Ro. 2. vers 9. To this we aunswere though that which hath beene said before concerning the imputation of Christs righteousnesse and gods acceptation of it may serue for an aunswer yet we further adioyne and say It is true that law doth require of euery man his owne righteousnes or hauing failed his satisfaction Herein Sathan is not a lyer but this is it that he faileth in the end of vrging this not of ignoraÌ„ce in himselfe for surely he knoweth it but of malice against vs to bring vs if it could bee to death and damnation What is the ende why the law requireth it or God in his lawe doth demaund the same It is to intimate that there is or can be in vs anye such thing no verily but to cause vs to go out of our selues and to seeke it else where where it may be found And in this respect particularly amongst many other is it that the law is and may be said to be schoolemaister to bring vs and to guide vs to Christ And indeede this is a misterie which beeing either manye ages together much hidden or else not so plainely discouered as now it is is laid open and reueiled vnto vs by the gospell to wit that where mankind was not able to satisfie in his own person the law of God and yet the law might not be destroyed or ouerthrowne God hath made a translation of the lawe into another person which might doe that for mankinde that it could neuer performe for it selfe that is absolutely obserue yea and fullfill the whole lawe Which person because