thereof So then not the world that is not euery man and woman in the world haue interest in the blessing of Christ Rom. 11.7 but onely the Elect of God This Church is called Holy partly because it is cloathed with the righteousnes of Christ imputed and partly because it is gouerned by the Spirit of Christ by the which euery member thereof is quicknes and made able in some measure in truth to hate sinne and to loue and follow that which is good It is called Catholike that is Vniuersall because all the Saints and Elect of all times and places 〈…〉 vnto it as to one Body And this we professe to be One because there is the Head which is Christ one Body one Spirit one Faith one Hope Ephe. 4.4 one Loue c. Part whereof is now in heauen Triumphing which are the Soules of the Saints departed and part fighting and Militant here on earth in the Spirituall wee face against the world the flesh and the deuill Vse 1. All happy making promises are made onely to the Church All shall not be saued labour to be of that number whose are the promises if thou wouldst bee saued Vse 2. It 's a great comfort that of all sorts of men some are of this Church which is washed with the Blocd of Iesus the Geatile as well as the Iew the Seruant as well as the Maister the Poore as well as the Rich For there is no respect of persons with God but in all Nations such as feare him are accepted be they one or other Act. 10.34.35 As God respects none for their riches or great place so he reiects none because they are poore and base Indéed in this world the poore haue the least part but in Christ benefites the Beggar beléeuing hath as large and good right as the King For we are Cittizens of a Kingdome which is not of this world God is not onely the God of the Mountaines Ioh. 18.36 but of the Vallies also And the Spirit bloweth where it listeth Yea many times God breatheth Life and Grace on a pooer contemptible wretch as the world accounts as on Lazarus and passeth by such as go in veluet coates as Diues Memember Christ is not thine because thou art rich or great or beautifull but because thou Beléeuest It is faith makes the poore Beggar as rich in Christ as thy selfe For God hath chosen the poore also to make them rich in faith and pertakers of his Kingdome Art thou rich Iames 2.5 despise not the Beggar or poorest Beléeuer who if thou beleeuest not is better then thy selfe and though in the things of this life according to Gods ordinance thou hast the start of him yet in Christ he is thy equall for in Christ there is neither Circumsion nor Vncircumcision Bond nor Frée Col. 3.11 c. Art thou rich Labour to bée rich in faith rather then in gold for thou and thy money may perish but by faith thou shalt bée saued Art thou poore Comfort thy selfe Thou hast a right in a heauenly inheritance where thou shalt equally share with the greatest King and let it prouoke thee to so much the more care to please him in all things who hath chosen thée so base and called thée so vnworthy Vse 3. The Church of Christ is a Holy Church Marke then If thou béest not holy in heart and affections in life and conuersation but a profane wretch thou art also a damned wretch if thou so continuest thou art no part of this Church for Christ hath chosen vs that we should bée holy Ephe. 1.4 2. Tim. 1.9 and hee hath called vs with a holy making calling Examine therefore thy selfe Cant. 4.12.13 The Church by Salomon is called a Garden enclosed full of the sweetest Flowers and Plants Now if thou beest a Blasphemer a Lyer a Backe-biter c. If these bee the Flowers which grow in thy Garden thou art the Deuils Dunghill thou art none of the Church The Church is called a Doue vndefiled If thou beest filthy Cant. 5.2 vncleane a Fornicator a Strumpet an Vsurer an Oppressour Couetous Cruell Vnmercifull c. Thou maist be a member of the Kite Vulture or rauenous Cormorant but not of Christs spotlesse Doue which is his Church The Church is the Body of Christ If thou beest a Drunkard Ryotous a breaker of the Saboath a contemner of Religion and such as doe professe it c. thou art a limbe of the deuill not a Member of Christ vnlesse thou wouldst make the Body of Christ a monstrous body like the Image of Nebuchadonoser which was part of Gold and Siluer part of Iron and Clay Remember then Christ is the Head of his Church if thou receiuest not not Grace from him to Sanctification thou art none of his Christ is the King of his Church out of the Church the deuill raignes If thou obeyest not Christ but the deuill how art thou Christs Nay how art thou not the deuils Quest You say that the Church is a company of such which are Predestinated to Eternall Life What meane you by Predestination Ans By Predestination of men I meane the Eternall purpose of God concerning Man-kind fallen and corrupted whereby for the setting forth of his glory he appointed some to Saluation with the meanes whereby they should obtaine the same which is called Election and some to damnation 1. Thess 5.9 which is called Reprobation Rom. 9. throughout the chapter Quest What is Election Ans Election is the most free and Eternall Counsell of God Luk. 10.20 Rom. 8.30 9.11 11.5.2 Pet. 1.10 Eph. 1.2.3.4 whereby hee chooseth some which were falne in Adam and Predestinateth them to Grace and Glory by Iesus Christ Quest What is Reprobation Ans It is the most free Counsell of God whereby hee determined not to chuse Rom. 9.21.22.2 Pet. 2.8 Iude 4. but to passe by some fallen in Adam and to leaue them in their guiltinesse and corruption and in the end to condemne them for their sinnes Q Do you then thinke that men were ordained to life or death before they were borne Ans Yes verily that I do Quest Doth not this bring in a neglect of all godlinesse Rom. 9.11 and make for them which say If I be predestinated to life I shall be saued whatsoeuer I do if to death I shall bee damned in like manner therefore I will liue as I list Ans God forbid For wee teach that men are not onely predestinated to the end but also to the meanes They which are ordained to Life being also ordained to Grace whereby they obtaine it and they that are ordained to death being also ordained to be left in their corruption that they may be damned Ephe. 1.4 Expl. That there is Predestination which is an ordaining of a thing to this or that before it be extant appeares in the doctrine of the Prouidence of God And that it is to be referred to men in the
the obiect shewne by the vnderstanding yet so that we hold not this frée will to be independent but that as the wills of all creatures it dependeth on God to be inclined and moued either immediately by him or mediately by good or euill instruments as he please Neither doth this dependencie hurt or diminish the frée dome of the will because God inclineth the will so that the will doth by the Iudgement of its owne reason fréely and willingly moue it selfe so that to doe a thing fréely in the Creature is not to be frée from the gouernement of another but to doe that which it doth willingly voluntarily and deliberately though it be ruled by another Before the fall this was in Adam both to good and euill that he might if he would either stand or fall the dependencie before spoken of still reserued Since the fall the case is altered according to the saying of Augustine That man abusing his frée will lost both himselfe and that whereby as also when we say that man hath no free will we doe not vnderstand that the faculty is lost but the goodnesse whereby it was able freely and willingly to chuse that which is good For man lost no essentiall part or faculty of his nature by his fall euen the vnregenerate hauing a power freely to will or nill the obiect shewne by Reason though they haue not power to wil and chuse spiritual good things both because their wil is wholy depraued and turned from good and inclinable only to euill and also because Reason being blind doth not shew to the will the spirituall good or if it doe it is not vnder the likenesse of good but vnder the likenesse of euill For the naturall man vnderstandeth not the things of God 1. Cor. 2.14 but accounteth them foolishnes Wherefore we confesse that man hath stil free wil in ciuill and outward things and vnto euill but not vnto good And this freedome vnto ciuill things must bee so vnderstood that he hath power to chuse or refuse the obiect but to do this well he hath no power Also he hath free will vnto euill not that he can will or nill euill at his pleasure but that without any violence he onely chuseth euill so that as it may be called free will because it is free from coaction so also bond will because it freely willeth onely that which is euill And hence it is that the reprobate sinne necessarily and yet freely necessarily because they haue no power to goodnes freely because they chose euill without compulsion Yea by how much the more necessarily they sinne by so much the more voluntarily they doe it in as much as their will hath brought vpon them this necessity Now when this worke of Sanctification or Repentance or Conuersion is wrought then we haue free will both to good and euill to good as farre as we are regenerate by the Spirit to euill as far as we are vnregenerate and flesh And in the state of Glorification our will shall be free onely to good immutably as the will of the damned shal be immutably free vnto euill as Augustine saith The first Will was to haue power not to sinne the last shall be to haue no power to sinne Then for our purpose this is to be holden that till the spirit worke new grace we haue no power of our selues being vnto the worke of conuersion meere patients though in the worke when the Spirit hath changed and inclined vs we are co-workers with the Spirit Before conuersion we resist In conuersion the Spirit inclineth our wills and of vnwilling makes them willing to be conuerted and to repent God not working in vs as in stockes or stones but as in reasonable creatures Vse 1. If thou be truly conuerted ascribe al the glory of it to God for as soone can an Ethiop change his skinne Iere. 13.23 c. or a Leopard his spottes as we doe that is good till we be changed and enabled by the Spirit Vse 2. Beware thou neglect not the present meanes of grace offered to thee as though thou couldest repent and doe well when thou wouldest No no it is the meere gift of God For if thou canst not make one haire of thy head white or black much lesse canst thou change thy vile and corrupt heart But thou wilt say Doth not GOD promise that at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent he will be mercifull Yes the Lord most comfortably blessed be his name saieth so but he saith not that a sinner can repent when he list or that he will giue repentance whensoeuer a sinner shall but whistle for it As Augustine excellently He that hath promised to all repentants pardon hath not promised to all delinquents repentance c. Quest What are the parts of this Sanctification or Repentance Ans The parts are two First Mortification of the old man or Hatred of sin and turning from euill Secondly Viuification or Quickening of the new man or loue of goodnesse and Turning to God Quest What meane you by Mortification of the old man Ans I meane that grace wherby there is wrought in vs by little and little a detestation of sinne and an extinguishing and weakening of corruption in vs that it should not bring forth fruit vnto death Quest What meane you by the new man Ans I meane that Grace whereby by little and little we are raised to a new and spirituall life to be able in some measure to liue in knowledge holinesse and righteousnes Eph. 4.22 23 24. Col. 3.5.8 10 11. The summe of all these answers prooued by Rom. 6. from the first verse to the twelfth Explic. When we reade that the olde man or the body of sinne or our earthly members by which and the like names the corruption of our nature is called are are to be mortified that is made to die We are not to vnderstand it of the life of our bodies but of the life of sinne in our bodies So when our Sauiour saith If thine eie offend thee plucke it out c. he meaneth not that we should maime our bodies but that by all meanes wee should purge out corruption which manifests it selfe in such members yea then as wee estéeme our corrupt affections as deare as our eyes These two parts of repentance are also called putting off the olde man and putting on the new man c. whereby is signified that as willingly as a man puts off his old filthy ragges to bee clad in sweete and rich attire so should we willingly put away sin whereby we are deformed and labour to follow righteousnes which is a part of our Beauty in the sight of God Whereas some make thrée parts of repentance first Contrition secondly Confession thirdly Satisfaction they deceiue the simple For a man may haue all these and yet be damned as is manifest in Iudas who grieued confessed his sinne Matth. 27.3 3. and brought againe the thirty pieces of siluer and
deserue it by our good workes no not by our faith but by reward is meant a frée gift or a gift due by couenant or promise For there is a double reward Due or vndue and frée the first properly the second improperly so called That which is due by order of iustice for the dignity of the worke is properly a debt or due Reward That also is so called which is due by fauour and by promise To our good workes is eternall life as a reward due not the first but the second way For God hath made himselfe our debter not by receiuing from vs but by promising to vs. So that if you take debt or reward properly we affirme that nothing is due to our best works for there are foure things necessary to make a worke meritorious in the first acception of debt First that the grace whereby we do it be our owne for if we receiue it from another it is against reason that he that giues should thereby be indebted to giue more 1. Cor. 4.7 But wee haue no grace but we haue receiued it Secondly it must not be due or duty to performe it for that is contrary to merit but all that we are able to doe if it were more is due in regard of Creation and Redemption Luk. 17.10 Thirdly it must be profitable to him to whom it is done But God is not benefited by vs. Psal 16.2 50.11.12 13. Rom. 8.18 Fourthly it must be proportionable to the reward but so are not our best workes Therefore it is well called of the Apostle A free gift of God Rom. 6.23 This further remember that we teach good workes to be necessary to saluation but not as causes thereof but as the way thereto as Bernard said Q. What is eternall life Ans Eternall life is that glorious and most happy estate Mat. 25.46 Ioh. 17.22.23.24 Rom. 2.10 1. Cor. 2.9 Ioh. 10.28 Heb. 13.14 1. Ioh. 2.25 in which the soules of the elect are in heauen after this life and in which their bodies and soules shall bee at the day of iudgement the contrary whereof is eternall death Q What is eternall death Ans Eternall death is the most horrible condition in which the Reprobate shall be for euer in Hell Luk. 16.22.23 Mat. 25.41 2. Tess 1.4 with the Diuell and his Angels in their soules presently after their bodily death and in body and soule together in the day of Iudgement Expli There are thrée kindes of life First Naturall of the body in the vnion of body and soule Secondly Spirituall of the soule in the vnion of it with God and Christ Gal. 2.20 Eph. 2.17 whereby Christ is said to liue in vs. Thirdly Eternall of body soule whereby the elect liue and reigne for euermore in the kingdome of Heauen The first is common to the Reprobates with the Elect the other two are proper to the Elect. Eternall death is also thrée-fold First naturall of the body in the separation of body and soule called naturall not that it doth properly procéed from nature for it is the effect of sinne but because it is according to corrupt nature by the iustice of God Secondly spirituall in the separation of the soule from God whereby sinne liues and reignes in the wicked being said also to be dead in sinne Thirdly Eternall whereby body and soule shall be for euer separated from God and Christ and liue with the Diuell in eternall torments which kinde of life is called death because it were ten thousand times better not to liue at all in respect of themselues then in such endlesse easlesse and remedilesse misery For eternall life may be considered either in respect of the creature as it is and continueth by the power of the Creator so the wicked shal liue eternally in hell or in respect of the adiuncts of life or the affection which the creature shal haue toward the Creator and the fauour of God in Christ and so the Elect shall only liue for euer In a word the happinesse of the one estate and the misery of the other is such as no tongue is able to expresse no heart able to conceiue Al the glory and splendor of this life being scarce a shadow of the glory to be reuealed the first fruits whereof are in this life in the peace and ioy of a good conscience Rom. 14.17 which though it be vnspeakeable and as a Heauen vpon Earth yet is no more nor so much to that which shall be then a handfull of corne is to a field of a thousand acres 1. Ioh. 3.1.2 So also the torments which we can any wayes deuise to bee inflicted vpon man in this world being but a flea-biting to Hell and a sparke of that flame which the damned there shall endure and yet when wicked men féele the flashings of it in their consciences in the middest of all their worldly pleasures they are horribly confounded as in the example of Caine Saul Balthasar Iudas Pro. 18.14 and as Salomon signifies As there are but two Estates so but two places Heauen and Hell As for a third place called Purgatory neither doth the Scripture mention it neither can the Deuisers and first Founders of it the Papists tell what to make of it and therefore wee acknowledge it not Vse 1. Séeing such torments remaine for them in Hell which repent not of their sins vse all possible care that thou come not there Helpe thy selfe against sin and all damnable security in it by thinking of the torment following In regard of thy selfe it had béene better thou hadst neuer béene borne then to haue thy abiding with those vgly Fiends in that same euerlasting Fire and Brimstone Let not therefore the bitter pleasures of sinne deceiue thée Knowest thou not it will be bitternesse in the end The end of thy Drunkennesse Whooredome Lying Pride Sabaoth-breaking Negligence in the seruice of God Contempt of the Gospell c. will be more bitter then Worme-wood or Gall when the very Dregges of the Wine of the fierce wrath of God shall be powred out against thée for those thy sinnes Is sinne swéete But death is bitter remember it Thy sinne and the pleasure of it is short but the shame and torment following is without end and that in Hell where one minute of torment shall swallow vp the very memory of all fore-past pleasures Labour to thinke often of Hell it will bée some meanes to kéepe thée from thence c. Vse 2. Is life Eternall such a happinesse then liue godly 1. Tim. 4.8 Rom. 2.7 for that is the way to it It is our duty to liue godly though no reward were propounded but when our endeuours which yet are weake shall bee so beyond all proportion rewarded with such an eternall weight of glory how should it whet on our care and spurre vs forward to please such a God who is so rich to them which feare him How should it prouoke
thou bé et sensible of those terrors and the hellish torments following make good vse of it Quest But if the Soules of the Elect goe presently after their death to heauen and the Soules of the Reprobate to hell what neede a generall Iudgement Ans There must be a general Iudgement notwithstanding both that the iustnesse of such particular Iudgement may bee made more manifest to the glorie of God and that the whole man consisting of body and soule may receiue the du reward 2. Cor. 5.10 Quest Doe you then thinke that the bodies of man shall be restored at the day of iudgement Ans Yes verely I beleeue the resurrection of the body according to the Scriptures Act. 24.15 1. Cori. 15.12 c. Expli We are firmely to hold the generall resurrection both of good and bad for the good shall not onely rise though they shall rise onely to eternall life in which regard they are saide to be the children of the Resurrection Luk. 20.36 The wicked shall also rise but because they shall rise to receiue their full torments they are not so called Both shall rise but in a double difference first of the efficient cause for the good shall rise by the power of Christ their head The wicked by the power of Christ as Iudge of quicke and dead and by the vertue of that Sentence Gene. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death secondly of the end for the righteous shall rise to glory the wicked to shame and perpetuall contempt And note this carefully that those very bodies in which both iust and vniust liued here Dan. 12.2 Ioh. 10.27 Iohn 5.28 Mar. 10.28 2. Cor. 5.10 1. Corin. 15 53. shall be raised and restored as appeareth by the Scripture This corruptible shall put on incorruption This that is This same in number as if he had clapt himselfe on the breast Now though this séeme vnpossible to reason yet it is not so to our Faith whereby considering the power of God we know that he is able to restore the body though burnt to ashes deuoured by wild beasts or turned to dust as he was able to create them and all the world of nothing in the beginning And this the Iustice of GOD requires namely that that body which sinned should be punished and not another and that that body which hath béen tortured héere for the profession of his Name should be crowned with glorie at the last day The bodies shall rise the same in substance but the bodies of the Iust shall bée Immortall Incorruptible Spirituall not in substance but in quality or condition not néeding meanes of bodily nouriture not subiect to infirmities but powerfull firme strong and impassible nimble to moue as well vp-wards as downe-wards voide of all deformity and vncomelinesse glorious of perfect stature without the vse though not without the difference of Sexe Mat. 13.43 Mat. 22.30 1. Cor. 15. The bodies of the vniust shall rise Immortall also and Incorruptible but passible to endure the due punishment inflicted vpon them The manner of the Resurrection conceiue to be thus On the last day Christ shall suddenly come in the clouds in that visible forme in which He Ascended and shall send his Angell with a Trumpet Mat. 24.31 1. Cor. 15.31 1. Thess 4.15.16 at the sound whereof first they which are dead shall be raised and then those which are liuing shall bée in the twinkling of an eye changed Vse 1. If in this life onely wee had hope we were of all men the most miserable but we looke for a day when our vile bodies shall gloriously rise and bee made like the Glorious Body of our Lord Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 15.19 Phil. 3.21 Iob 19.25.26.27 comfort thy selfe against thy calamities with this This vpheld Iob in the day of his sore trouble So in the troubles of the Iewes vnder Antiochus Epiphanes Many were racked and would not be deliuered because they looked for a better Resurrection Act. 11.35 Let this also comfort against the loathsomnesse of the graue in as much as though our bodies be laid downe for a time in the dust they shall yet after bee restored to Life and Glory Vse 2. Remember that euen that body which thou hast vsed as a Weapon and Instrument to Lying Murder Vncleannesse Theft Pride and all manner of vnrighteousnesse shall rise againe and as thou hast done in the same that which thou shouldst not so shalt thou receiue in the very same that which thou wouldst not And if thou béest a Beléeuer remember that that very body of thine which hath bene vnto thy soule an instrument of Righteousnesse which for righteousnesse sake hath endured Griefe Smart or Contempt c. as it hath taken part with the soule in Mortification and in the affliction so shall it also pertake in the blessed Consolation to bee reuealed in the last day Quest You said that God was the Redeemer and Sanctifier of his Church Do you not beleeue that the Redemption Iustification and Sanctification which you haue spoken of are vniuersall and belonging to all Ans No Eph. 5.25 c. I verely beleeue that those Graces belong onely to the Church Quest What is the Church Ans By Church I meane the Holy Catholique Church 1. Cor. 12.12.13 Eph. 3.15.16.17.18.19 Eph. 4.15.16 Reu. 21.27 Heb. 12.21 22. Cant. 6.8 which is the whole Company of them which are from euerlasting Predestinated to Eternall Life and which in time are called by the Word and sanctified by the Bloud and Spirit of IESVS and this is but one part whereof is Triumphant in heauen and part Militant on earth Expl. As in our vsuall Créed wée are taught to beleeue the Holy Catholique Church to bee the company of Saints which haue Communion or Fellowship in the grace of Remission of sinnes and Resurrection to Eternall life So it is manifest that such onely are the Catholique Church and that such graces are proper and peculiar vnto them As the Scriptures do euery where restraine these benefites to Beleeuers onely and to the Church To Beléeuers Ioh. 3.16 and 5.24 and 6.40.47 Act. 10.43 Ioh. 12.46 Rom. 3.22 Gal. 3.22 To the Church Mat. 1.21 Ioh. 10.15 and 15.13 and 17.9.19 Now whereas in diuers places the Scripture speaketh with a generall note That Christ dyed for all and that God loued the world and such like Such places must bee vnderstood some of the sufficiency of Christs death for all not of the Efficacy which is onely to Beléeuers Some of a Precept vniuersall whereby all are commanded to beléeue Some of the publique Ministery of the Word whereby grace is offered to all Some collectiuely to signifie that the benefite of Redemption extends it selfe to Gentiles as well as to Iewes or distributiuely signifying that some of all Nations Conditions Ages Sexes haue that benefite not that euery singular of all kinds but the kinds of all singulars are made partakers
the more abhominable for the abuse of the holy Vessells Euen as the holy water of triall was to the suspected wife if shée were faulty mortall and deadly but if not it was a blessing Num. 5.11 Euen so the holie water of Baptisme to such as kéepe their promise in sinceritie bringeth a blessing when to such as liue profanely and feare not God it is euen a water of bitternes vnto death Qu. What is the Sacrament af the Lords Supper Ans The Supper of the Lord is a Sacrament of the New Testament instituted by Christ wherein by the taking and eating of the bread blessed and broken and by drinking the wine being blessed is signified and sealed to vs the Communion of the body of Christ crucified Matth. 28.26 27 28. Luke 22.19 20. 1. Corint 10.16 11.24 25. and his bloud shed for vs vpon the Crosse for remission of sinnes and that being incorporated into Christ by his Spirite wee might be more and more strengthened in assurance of eternall life Explic. The Supper of the Lord is that other honourable Seale of Gods couenant in Christ by whom it was instituted wherein are as in all Sacraments two things First the visible Element or outward signe Second the word For as Augustine saith The Word being added to the Element makes a Sacrament The Element or Signe is Bread blessed broken distributed and eaten and the Wine blessed distributed and drunke of the Church or company present Both those are the outward signe which though they be two materially as they say yet in regarde of the end and forme they are but one Our Sauiour Christ intending the nouriture of the Soule by a similitude of the bodies nourishment which consïsteth in bread and drinke The word is the Promise added to the Signe in these words This is my Bodie which is giuen for you This is my blood which c. together with the commandement in these words Doe this c. The element doth represent the inuisible grace of the which the word speaketh and the Word declareth what the inuisible grace is which is represented and sealed by the Element The outward Signe then in this Sacrament is the Bread and Wine as I haue spoken The inward Grace is the Body and Bloud of Christ giuen and shead for our sinnes and the Spirituall eating and drinking of them whereby is signified our Vnion with Christ by faith by the which we drawe from him Righteousnesse Ioy and eternall life according to an excellent Analogie in this Sacrament Now these two the Signe and the thing signified are vnited by the Word in the lawfull vse of this Sacrament which Vnion is only Sacramentall and relatiue wherby the signe is not changed into the thing signified nor the thing signified contained in vnder or in the place of the Signe but by the Signe the thing signified is represented offered and sealed in the lawful vse to Beléeuers For Grace is not so tied to the Sacrament that whosoeuer partakes of the Signe should also of the thing signified or as none could partake of the thing signified without the Signe For the vnbeléeuers may haue the Lords Bread in their mouthes which neuer haue Christ in their hearts as Beléeuers may taste of the swéetnesse of the Lord in their soules which where it can not be had partake not of the Bread and Wine which are the outward Signe Quest What is required that wee may so partake of this Sacrament at the Lords Table that we may be partakers of the inward Grace of the Sacrament Ans Whosoeuer would come worthily to this Sacrament and to his benefite must first examine himselfe 1. Cor. 11.28 and so eate and drinke Explic. To be worthy and to come worthily to the Lords Table are two diuers things none are worthy of so great mercy yet we come worthily whē we try our selues Which triall is of our faith and repentance Concerning Faith first whether we haue a competent knowledge of the doctrine of the Sacrament and why it was instituted secondly whether we beléeue the pardon of our sinnes by Iesus Christ Concerning repentance whether we haue héeretofore or doe now vnfainedly repent of our sinnes purposing to leade a new life He which comes to the Lords Table without Faith and Repentance comes vnworthily and he which findes them in himselfe euen in their beginnings true Math. 9.12 and 11.28 though small and weake comes worthily for such Christ inuites Question How often would you aduise a Christian to receiue the holy Communion Ans So often as there is occasion offered and liberty granted lawfully to receiue the same 1. cor 11.25 Explic. Baptisme is but once administred as being the sacrament of our new Birth euen as we are but once borne But as being borne we often eate to be nourished and to grow so we are often to communicate and to come to the Lords Table first that we may grow in Faith secondly that we may haue occasion to stirre vp our dulnesse both to consider of and to be thankfull for the death of Christ thirdly that we may testifie our Remembrance of Christ fourthly that we may kéepe Vnity and nourish Charity fiftly that wee may immitate the Apostolicall church who seldome came together without the word prayer breaking of bread almesgiuing Neither will this holy Sacrament grow into contempt through the often vse to the godly Acts 2.42 as we sée in the frequent vse of the word and euen of our daily bread Vse 1. Prepare thy self often to come to the Lords Table if occasion fitly be offered that thou tempt not GOD by neglecting his ordinance appoynted for the confirmation of thy Faith And that thou maist performe his commandement who saith Do this often in remembrance of me And that thou maist shew foorth the Lords death till hee come Consider then is once or twice a yeare enough for thy discharge herein Canst thou so neglect the remembrance of his torments who was bruised for thy sins and which bore thine iniquities who hath deliuered thée from Hell and purchased Heauen for thée by his bloud Thy Sauiour passing out of this world by a most bitter passion for thée commends himselfe to thée and commands thée to remember him and to testifie this and thy thankfulnesse for his death to come often to his Table How then doest thou not shewe thy selfe vngratefull and forgetfull which when occasion is offered churlishly turnest thy backe c. Vse 2. He that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh Iudgement to himselfe Beware therefore how thou presumest to come to the Lords Table without thy wedding garment without preparation Holy things require holy vsage first labour for faith both to vnderstand what the Mystery is that thou mayst discerne the Lords body and also to receiue the grace that is offered therein which without faith thou receiuest not He that beléeueth hath benefite vnspeakeable by the ordinances of God but without faith all is
to vs in vaine Euen as the euidences of another mans land are nothing auaileable to me but to the Land-holder they are of singular vse So the Sacraments are part of the euidences of a beléeuers hope and seale to him Gods fauour but to vnbeléeuers they seale nothing but their greater condemnation if they repent not Euen as if an vnlearned man open a booke he séeth the letters but is neuer the better and cannot attaine the meaning but a man that is learned readeth and is instructed So an vnbeléener séeth the Bread and Wine and eateth the signe but the beléeuer onely hath the benefite of the thing signified through his faith For the spirituall grace is present not to the signe but to the person beléeuing Euen as Pharoh had a dreame but not the interpretation and as the noble man of Samaria saw the plenty but tasted not of it Euen se vnbeléeuers ignorants vnthankefull for the death of Christ haue the shell but not the kyrnell haue that which goeth into the body not that which blesseth the soule First therefore get faith Secondly repent of thy sins hauing an vnfained and stedfast purpose alwaies hereafted to liue godlily If thou comest with a hungring desire of the righteousnesse of Christ with a broken heart for that which is past and with a holy purpose for the time to come then thou art welcome to thy Sauiour and shalt without faile taste of his swéetnesse but if thou hast béene and yet art a Drunkard a Blasphemer Vncleane Proud Couetous Contentious c and hast not vnfeignedly repented or at least doest not begin to repent For this cause thou art guilty of the body and bloud of Christ being more fit to be at the méetings of Turkes and Infidels then of such as professe Iesus Christ Get therefore Repentance also And testifie this thy repentance not onely by a shew of sorrow and sobriety the day thou comest to the Lords Table but all the dayes of thy life after Many haue I séene which on that day haue gone softly spoken patiently looked sorrowfully behaued themselues grauely which within a day or two haue with the swine returned to the wallowing in the mire and with the dogge to the vomit of their former euill courses But vnderstand thou that euen as when a man hath escaped the danger of some great distemper of surfeit it is not enough for him to kéepe a good dyet a day or two So it is not a dayes obedience or two nor such fits of deuotion which vanish as a flash of lightning that will approue our faith repentance and profession but it is perseuerance in these holy duties when the sauour of the Sacrament remaines with vs all the daies of our life Therfore euen as Daniel was the fairer and better fauoured by his dyet of Pulse so it is required and the Lord erpects that if thou eate drinke at his table thou shouldest be the fairer by it and the better reformed in thy conuersation And if thou béest notwithstanding ill-fauoured that is without Knowledge Faith Repentance Obedience Patience Temperance Charity c. it is a manifest argument that thou hast a foule and corrupted conscience that thou hast receiued vnworthily and so art in danger of the wrath of God Qu. You said that some thinke Discipline to be a note of the true Church What is that Discipline Ans It is that power in the Church by the consent and approbation of the Christian Magistrate whereby by persons fit and lawfully called Constitutions are made 1. Cor. 5.3.4 14.40 both for comelinesse and order in the worship of God and for the censuring of prophane liuers Expl. Though a true Church may bée without this power of Discipline yet bée well without it it cannot both that the ministery of the holy things may with the greatest reuerence and profite be performed and also that the Church may be holy and a maintainer thereof First then because without order things cannot well procéede or continue and God is the God of order the hold that the Church hath power to make Canons and Constitutions but with a thrée-fold restraint First that they be onely about matters Ecclesiasticall Euery man is to kéepe within the compasse of his calling Secondly that as concerning the worship of God they be determinations of circumstances necessary profitable as concerning time place order méetings maner of reading Scriptures c. In all which comelinesse order edification of the Church auoiding of offence are to be respected and such determinations in their owne nature to remaine mutable to be altered as the Magistrate shall sée it make for the good of the Church Thirdly that if there be a Christian Magistrate they be with his consent and authority because the authority of making confirming lawes concerning both the ciuill Ecclesiasticall good of the subiects is principally in the chiefe ciuil Magistrate This order being obserued the Ecclesiasticall things as dispensation of the Word Sacraments and execution of Discipline be handled not by lay persons but by Ecclesiasticall persons onely by the authority of God and the Prince For the other part which concerneth Ecclesiasticall censures this is to be remembred that properly they are not executed by mulcts fines hodily smart imprisonment death such like which are proper to the power of a ciuill Magistrate but by admonition Mat. 20.25 26. 1. Pet. 5.3 reproofe suspension excommunication The highest degrée of Ecclesiasticall censures is excommunication when notorious stubborne offenders are cast out of the Church the parties deseruing this censure being notorioufly prophane and there being extreme danger of offence and of the infection of others by their society In the execution whereof procéeding must be as in the body in the cutting of a member which is when no meanes will recouer it and least it should procure decay to the whole body then to cut it off though it be with griefe Also excommunication is not absolutely to be executed but on the contumacy of the delinquent for the party as a lost shéepe is both carefully to be sought vp if he repent to be with all reioycing loue receiued againe into the fellowship of the Church for the end of excommunication must be first that holy things be not giuen to dogges Secondly Math. 7.7 that the Church may frée herselfe from an euill fame of suffring them which dishonor God Thirdly 1. Cor. 5. 1. Cor. 5.6 lest others be infected Fourthly that such as offend may be ashamed and come to repentance 2. Thess 3.14 1. Cor. 5.5 that their Spirits may be saued in the day of the Lord. And this order of censuring offenders excommunication ought to be perpetuall in the Church because the causes thereof are vniuersal perpetuall which are those foure before mentioned together with the commandement of Christ 1. Cor. 5.4 and Paul testifieth that the incestious person ought to be excommunicated in the