considered it is imperfect but as God doth exact it of our frailtie it is perfect Answer This is but the fansie of some doting Iesuite For this sentence of the Law is simple eternall and immooueable Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in this booke to do them Neither may we imagine that God will not therefore exact the ful accomplishing of the law because we are fraile For we are creatures and debters now we know that the debt doth not decrease by reason of the debters pouertie Obiect The faithfull are said to be perfect in this life Ans. There is a twofold perfection the one incomplete the which is an endeauor or care to obey God in the obseruation of all his precepts the other is tearmed complet this is that iustice which the lawe requireth namely a perfect and absolute iustice according to that measure which man performed to God in his innocency In the first sense the faithfull are said to be perfect not in this latter The XVI errour Workes done in grace doe ex condigno condignely merit eternall life The Confutation I. Eternall life is the free gift of God Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Christ Iesus Therefore it is not obtained by the merit of workes II. The merit of condignitie is an action belonging to such an nature as is both God and man not to a bare creature For the Angels themselues cannot merit any thing at Gods hands yea and Adam also if he had stood in his first innocencie could haue deserued nothing of god because it is the bounden dutie of the creature to performe obedience vnto his Creator The merit therefore of condignitie doth only agree vnto Christ God and man in whome each nature doth to the effecting of this merit performe that which belongeth to it For the humanitie it doth minister matter vnto the meritorious worke by suffering and performing obedience but the Deitie of Christ whereunto the humanitie is hypostatically vnited doth conferre full and sufficient worthinesse vnto the worke Hence is it that the Father doth speake thus of his sonne Mat. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 III. In the second commandement God doth promise eternall life to the keepers of his commandements yet he saith not that they shall obtaine it by desart but that he will shew mercy to thousands of them that loue him and keepe his commandements IV. That a worke may be meritorious first there must be an equall proportion betwixt it and legall iustice or eternal life secondly merite doth presuppose this also that in God there must bee a due debt towards man for God then ought on dutie not by fauour to accept of the person of man But all our workes yea our most holy workes they cannot come neere vnto legall righteousnesse For seeing all the regenerate are partly carnall and partly spirituall all their workes in like sort are imperfectly good For looke what the causes are and such must the effects needs be So then good workes doe presuppose a due debt in man none in God V. The auncient Fathers doe not acknowledge this merite of condignitie as currant August in his manuel chap. 22. My merite is Gods mercie Bernard ser. 63. vpon the Cant. It is sufficient to knowe this that merits are not sufficient And ser. 61. Cant. Mans iustice is Gods goodnesse And epist. 190. That the satisfaction of one may be imputed to all as the sinnes of all were borne by one And as for ancient doctours merit was nothing els to them but a good worke acceptable to God Aug. epist. 105. to Sixtus If it be grace then is it not bestowed by reason of any merit but vpon free mercie What merits of his owne can he that is set at libertie bragge of who if he had his merits should haue beene condemned So the word merite doth signifie to doe wel to be acceptable to please as the old interpreter hath for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to please God vsed this Latine word promereri To merit Obiect I. Works haue attributed vnto them reward Answer Reward is not so much attributed to the work as to the worker and to him not for himselfe but for Christs merits apprehended by faith Therefore not our merit or personall merit but Christs merit and our reward are correlatiues Obiect II. 2. Thess. 1.6 It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulations c. Ans. It is righteous not because God ought so to doe of duty but because he promised now for God to stand to his word it is a part of iustice Obiect III. Christ hath merited that workes might merit Ans. I. This taketh quite away the intercession of Christ. II. It is against the nature of a legall worke to merit ex condigno condignly because both the lawe of nature and creation doe bind man to performe legall workes vnto God And further all workes are very imperfect and mixed with sinne III. This doctrine concerning works doth obscure and darken the merit of Christ because that the obtaining of eternall life is withdrawne from his death and obedience attributed vnto workes For they say thus that Christ by his passion did merit indeede for the sinner iustification but a sinner once iustified doth for himselfe by his owne merits euen condignly merit eternall life Obiect IV. The works of the regenerate are the workes of the holy Ghost therfore perfect and pure Ans. I. The workes of God are all perfect but yet in their time and by degrees therefore sanctification which is a worke of god must in this life remaine incomplete is made perfect in the world to come II. The works of God are pure as they are the workes of God alone not of God and impure man but nowe good workes they doe come immediatly from the naturall faculties of the soule namely from the vnderstanding and the wil in which they being as yet but partly regenerated some corrupt qualities of sinne doe yet remaine and are not immediatly and simply or wholly deriued from Gods spirit And hence it is that they are all stained with sinne The XVII errour Man knoweth not but by especiall reuelation whether hee be predestinated or not The Confutation The contrarie to this is a plaine trueth Reasons I. That which a man must certainly beleeue that may he also certainely know without an especiall reuelation but euery faithful man must beleeue that he is elected It is Gods commandement that we should beleeue in Christ. 1. Ioh. 3.23 Now to beleeue in Christ is not onely to beleeue that we are adopted iustified and redeemed by him but also in him elected from eternitie II. That which is sealed vnto vs by the spirit of God of that we are very sure without speciall reuelation but our adoption and so consequently our election is sealed vnto vs by the spirit of God
we see how Gods word bindes conscience now conscience beeing thus bound againe bindes the man in whome it is The bond of conscience is called guiltines Guiltines is nothing else but a worke of the conscience binding euery sinner to the punishment of euerlasting death before God for this or that sinne Thus much of the proper binder of the conscience now followes the improper The improper binder is that which hath no power at all or vertue in it selfe to binde conscience but doth it onely by the authoritie and vertue of Gods word or some part thereof It is threefold Humane lawes an Oath a Promise Touching humane lawes the speciall point to be considered is In what manner they binde That this may in part be cleared I will stand a while to examine and confute the opinion that the very pillars of the Popish Church at this day maintaine namely that Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction haue a coactiue power in the conscience and that the lawes made thereby doe as truly and properly binde as they speake to mortall and veniall sinne as Gods law it selfe The arguments which they commonly vse are these Argum. 1. Deut. 17. That man that will doe presumptuously and not obey the authoritie of the Priest or Iudge shall die and thou shalt take away euill from Israel Here say they the precepts of the high Priest are Imperia not admonitions or exhortations they bind in conscience otherwise the transgressours therof should not haue bin punished so seuerely Ans. The intent of this law as a very child may perceiue is to establish the authoritie and right of the highest appeales for all matters of controuersie in the Synedrium or great court at Ierusalem Therefore the words alleadged doe not giue vnto the Priest a soueraigne power of making laws but a power of giuing iudgemēt of controuersies that according to laws alreadie made by God himself frō which iudgemēt there might be no appeale Now this power of determining doth not cōstraine conscience but the outward man to maintain order peace For what reason is there that that sentence which might be either a gainsaying of Gods law or a mistaking of it should bind the conscience to a sinne Again not euery one that refused to subiect themselues to the sentence of this court were straightway guiltie of sinne for this did Ieremie the Prophet and Christ our Sauiour when the Iewes condēned them for wicked persons but he that presumptuously despised the sentence and by consequent the authoritie it selfe which was the ordinance of God was guiltie Lastly the seueritie of the punishment which is temporall death doth not argue any power in the iudge of binding conscience this they might haue learned of their owne Doctor Gerson who holdeth that they that bind any man to mortall sinne must be able to punish him with answerable punishment which is eternall death Arg. 2. Matth. 16. Whatsoeuer ye shall bind in earth shall be bound in heaven Here say they to binde is to make lawes constraining conscience according to Matth. 23.4 They binde heauie burdens and lay them on mens shoulders Ans. The soueraigne power of binding and loosing is not belonging to any creature but is proper to Christ who hath the keyes of heauen and hell he openeth and no man shutteth he shutteth and no man openeth Reuel 3.5 As for the power of the Church it is nothing but a ministerie or seruice whereby men publish and pronounce that Christ bindeth or looseth Againe this binding stands not in the power of making lawes but in remitting and retaining of mens sinnes as the words going before declare v. 18. If thy brother sinne against thee c. and Christ sheweth his owne meaning when he saith Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained Ioh. 20. 23. hauing before in the person of Peter promised them this honour in this forme of words Math. 16. I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shall be bound in heauen This which I say is approoued by consent of auncient Diuines August Psal. 101. serm 2. Remission of sinne saith he is loosing therefore by the law of contraries binding is to hold sinne vnpardoned Hilar. vpon Matth. cap. 18. Whome they binde on earth that is saith he leaue vntied of the knottes of their sinnes Lumberd the popish master of sentences The Lord saith he hath giuen to Priests power of binding and loosing that is of making manifest that men are bound or loosed Againe both Origen Augustine and Theophylact attribute the power of binding to all Christians and therefore they for their parts neuer dreamed that the power of binding should be an authoritie to make lawes Lastly the place Matth. 23.4 ouerturnes the argument for there the Scribes and Pharises are condemned because they laid vpon mens shoulders the burdens of their traditions as meanes of Gods worship and things binding conscience Argum. 3. Act. 15. It seemes good vnto vs and the holy Ghost to lay no more burden on you then these necessarie things that ye abstaine from things offered to idols and blood and that which is strangled and fornication Here say they the Apostles by the instinct of the holy Ghost make a new law not for this or that respect but simply to bind consciences of the Gentiles that they might be exercised in obedience And this is prooued because the Apostles call this law a burden and call the things prescribed necessarie and S. Luke tearmes them the commandements of the Apostles and Chrysostome calls the Epistle sent to the Church Imperium that is a lordly charge To this they adde the testimonies of Tertullian Origen Augustine Ans. Though all be graunted that the law is a burden imposed a precept of the Apostles a charge againe that things required therein are necessarie yet will it not follow by good consequent that the law simply bindes conscience because it was giuen with a reseruation of Christian libertie so as out of the case of scandall that is if no offence were giuen to the weake Iewes it might freely be omitted And that will appeare by these reasons First of all Peter saith that it is a tempting of God to impose vpon the Gentiles the yoke of Iewish ceremonies he therefore must needs be contrarie to himselfe if he intend to binde mens consciences to abstinence from strangled blood and things offered to idols A replie is made that this abstinence is prescribed not by the auncient law of Moses but by a new Ecclesiasticall or Apostolicall authoritie I answer againe that a Mosaicall ceremonie is still the same thing though it be stablished by a new authoritie And whereas Christ by his death put an ende to the ceremoniall lawe it is absurd to thinke that the Apostles by their authoritie reuiued some part of it againe bound mens consciences thereto Secondly the Church of God in
sufficient to comfort and direct him All this argues that poperie denied with the mouth abides still in the heart and therefore we must learne to reuerence the written word by ascribing vnto it all manner of perfection The eight point Of Vowes Our Consent Touching Vowes this must be knowne that we doe not condemne them altogether but onely labour to restore the puritie of doctrine touching this point which by the Church of Rome from time to time hath beene corrupted and defaced Wee holde therefore that a vowe is a promise made to God touching some duties to be performed vnto him and it is twofold generall or speciall The generall vowe is that which concerns all beleeuers and it is made in the couenant both of the lawe and of the Gospell I will here onely speake of the vowe which is made in the couenant of the Gospel in which there be two actions one of God the other of man God in mercie on his part promiseth to men the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting and man againe for his part promiseth to beleeue in Christ and to obey God in all his commandements Al men euer made this vowe vnto God as the Iewes in circumcision which also they renued so often as they receiued the Passeouer in the newe testament all that are baptized doe the like And in Baptisme this vowe is called the stipulation of a good conscience whereby we purpose to renounce our selues to beleeue in Christ and to bring forth the fruites of true repentance and it ought to be renued so oft as we are partakers of the supper of the Lord. This vowe is necessarie and must bee kept as a part of the true worship of God because it is a promise wherein we vowe to performe all duties commanded of God either in the law or in the Gospell It may be demanded considering we are bound to obedience how we binde our selues in baptisme thereto Ans. Though we be alreadie bound partly by nature and partly by the written worde yet may wee renue the same bond in a vowe and hee that is bound may further bind himselfe so it be for this ende to helpe his dulnesse for want of zeale and to make himselfe more forward in duties of loue to men and the worshippe of God to this ende Dauid sware to keepe the lawe of God Psal. 119.116 though he were bound vnto it by nature and by the written lawe it selfe The speciall vowe is that which doeth not reach to the person of all beleeuers but onely concerns some speciall men vpon some special occasions And this kind of vowe is two-fold The first is the vowe of a ceremoniall dutie in the way of seruice to God and it was in practise in the Church of the Iewes vnder the old testament examples hereof are two especially the first was the vowe of the Nazarites whereto no kinde of men were bound by Gods commandement but they bound themselues God onely prescribing the manner and order of keeping the same with rites pertaining thereto as abstinence frō wine the not cutting of their haire and such like The second example is of the Iewes when of their own accords they vowed to giue god house or land sheepe or oxen or any like things for the maintenance of the legall worship and of this also God prescribeth certaine rules Leuit 27. Nowe these vowes were part of the Iewish pedagogue or ceremonial lawe wherein God trained vp the Iewes in the old testament and beeing obserued of them they were parts of Gods worship but nowe vnder the Gospell they are not beeing all abolished with the ceremoniall lawe to which Christ put an ende at his death vpon the crosse It is true Paul made a vowe and since kept the same in the time of the newe testament Act. 18. yet not as a part of Gods worship but as a thing indifferent for the time wherein he onely condescended to the weaknesse of the Iewes that by this meanes he might bring them the better vnto Christ. And whereas Christ is called a Nazarite Matth. 2.23 wee may not thinke he was of that very order because he did not abstaine from wine but he was so tearmed because he was the veritie accomplishment of this order For by it was signified that Gods Church was a peculiar people seuered or chosen out of the world and that Christ in respect of holinesse was also seperated from all sinners And the words in S. Mathew he shall be called a Nazarite are borrowed from the booke of Iudges cap. 13. where they are properly spoken of Sampson and in type or figure of Christ. For as Sampson saued Israel by his death so did Christ saue his Church And as Sampson killed his enemies more by death then by life so did Christ. It is plaine therefore that this kind of vowe bindeth not vs for there are no more ceremonies to be kept vnder the gospell for parts of Gods worship but the outward rites of baptisme and the Lords supper Vowes concerning meates drinkes attire touching tasting times places daies were proper to the Iewes The second kind of speciall vowe is that whereby a man promiseth freely to performe some outward and bodily exercise for some good ende and this vow also if it be made accordingly is lawful and belongs both to the Church of the old and newe testament In the old we haue the example of the Rekabites Ier. 35. who by the appointment of Ionadab their father abstained from strong drinke and wine from planting vineyards and orchards whereby Ionadab intended onely to breake them before hand and to acquaint them with their future condition and state that they should bee strangers in a forraine land that so they might prepare themselues to indure hardnes in the time to come And nowe in the newe testament wee haue warrant in like manner to vowe as if a man by drinking of wine or strong drinke finde himselfe prone to drunkennes he may vow with himselfe to drink no more wine nor strong drinke for so long time as he feeles the drinking thereof wil stirre vp his infirmitie and minister occasion of sinning Of this kinde also are the vowes in which we purpose and promise to God to keepe set times of fasting to taske our selues in praier and reading of holy scriptures and to giue set almes for speciall causes knowne to our selues and to doe sundrie like duties And that we be not deceiued in making such vowes certen rules must be remembred I. that the vowe be agreeable to Gods will and worde for if it be otherwise the making as also the keeping thereof is sinne Vowes must not be the bonds of iniquitie II. It must so bee made that it may ftand with Christian libertie For we may not make such things necessarie in conscience which God hath made free Now Christian libertie allowes vnto vs the free vse of all things indifferent so it be out of the case of offence Hence it followes that vowes must be
the course of Gods iustice to vndergoe the punishment Here a doubt may be mooued whether sinne be a thing existing or not The answere is this Of things which are some are positiue other primitiue Things positiue are all substances together with those their properties effects inclinations and affections which the Lord hath created and imprinted in their natures The thing is called priuatiue which graunteth or presupposeth the absence of some such thing as ought to bee in a thing Such a thing is sinne the which properly and of it selfe is not any thing created and existing but rather the absence of that good which ought to bee in the creature Sinne hath two parts A defect or impotencie and is a confusion or disturbance of all the powers and actions of the creature Impotencie is nothing els but the very want or losse of that good which God hath ingrafted in the nature of his creature The fall was effected on this maner First God created his reasonable creatures good indeede but withall changeable as we haue shewed before For to bee vnchangeable good is proper to God alone Secondly God tried their obedience in those things about which they were conversant Deu. 13.13 Thou shalt not hearken to the wordes of the Prophet or vnto that dreamer of dreames for the Lord your God prooueth you to knowe whether you loue the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soule Thirdly in this triall God doth not assist them with new grace to stand but for iust causes forsaketh theÌ„ Lastly after God hath forsaken them and left them to themselues they fall quite from God no otherwise then when a man staying vp a staffe from the ground it standeth vpright but if he neuer so little withdraw his hand it falleth of it selfe The fall is of men and Angels The fall of Angels is that by which the vnderstanding pointing at a more excellent estate and of it own accord approouing the same together with the will making especiall choice thereof they albeit they might freely by their integritie haue chosen the contrarie were the sole instruments of their fall from God 2. Pet. 2.4 If God spared not the angels which sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them into chaines of darkenes to be kept vnto damnation c. Iud. 6. The Angels which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserued in euerlasting chaines c. Ioh. 8.44 He was a murtherer from the beginning and continued not in the trueth for their is no trueth in him In the fall of Angels consider First their corruption arising from the fall which is the deprauation of their nature and is either that fearefull malice and hatred by which they set themselues against God or their insatiable desire to destroy mankinde to the effecting whereof they neglect neither force nor fraud 1. Ioh. 3.8 He that committeth sinne is of the diuell because the diuell sinned from the beginning For this cause was the Sonne of God reuealed to dissolue the works of the diuell 1. Pet. 5.8 Your aduersarie the diuell goeth about like a roaring lyon seeking whom he may devoure Eph. 6.12 You striue not against flesh and blood but against Principalities and powers and wordly gouernours the princes of darkenes of this world against spirituall wickednesses which are in supercelestiall things II. Their degree and diuersitie for of these Angels one is cheife and the rest attendants The chiefe is Beelzebub prince of the rest of the diuels the world farre aboue them all in malice Matth. 25.41 Away from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell his angels 2. Cor. 4.4 Whose minds the god of this world hath blinded Revel 12. 7. And there was warre in heauen Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon the dragon his angels fought Ministring angels are such as waite vpon the diuell in accomplishing his wickednesse III. Their punishment God after their fall gaue them ouer to perpetuall torments without any hope of pardon Iude vers 6.2 Pet. 2.4 God spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them into chaines of darkeâ—es to be kept vnto damnation This he did first to admonish men what great punishment they deserued Secondly to shew that grieuous sinnes must more grieuously be punished The fall of Angels was the more grieuous because both their nature was more able to resist and the diuell was the first founder of sinne Their punishment is easier or more grieuous Their easier punishment is double The first is their deiection from heauen 2. Pet. 2.4 God cast the Angels that sinned into hell The second is the abridging and limitation of their power Iob. 1. 12. The Lord said vnto Satan Behold all that he hath is in thine hand onely vpon him lay not thine hand The more grieuous paine is that torment in the deepe which is endlesse infinite in time and measure Luk. 8.31 And they besought him that he would not command them to goe downe into the deepe CHAP. 11. Of mans fall and disobedience Adams fall was his willing reuolting to disobedience by eating the forbidden fruite In Adams fall we may note the manner greatnesse and fruite of it I. The manner of Adams fall was on this sort First the diuell hauing immediately before fallen himselfe insinuateth vnto our first parents that both the punishment for eating the forbidden fruite was vncertaine and that God was not true in his word vnto them SecoÌ„dly by this his legerdemain he blinded the eies of their vnderstanding Thirdly being thus blinded they begin to distrust God and to doubt of Gods fauour Fourthly they thus doubting are mooued to behold the forbidden fruit Fiftly they no sooner see the beautie thereof but they desire it Sixtly that they may satisfie their desire they eate of the fruit which by the hands of the woman was taken from the tree by which act they become vtterly disloyall to God Gen. 3.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 Thus without constraint they willingly fall from their integritie God vpon iust causes leauing them to themselues and freely suffering them to fall For wee must not thinke that mans fall was either by chance or God not knowing it or barely winking at it or by his bare permission or against his will but rather miraculously not without the will of God but yet without all approbation of it II. The greatnes of this transgâ—â—â—â—â—â— must be esteemed not by the externall obiect or the basenes of an apple but by the offâ—nâ—â— it containeth against Gods maiestie This offence appeareth by many trespasses committed in that action The 1. is doubting of Gods word 2 want of faith For they beleeue not Gods threatning In that day ye eate therof you shal die the death but being bewitched with the diuels promise ye shal be like gods they cease to feare Gods punishment and are inflamed with a desire of greater dignitie 3. Their curiositie in
last remedie as a desperate medecine is the last remedie the Physitian vseth We must assay all meanes possible before we vse this especially to a brother 1. Cor. 6.7 There is vtterly a fault among you because ye goe to law one with another why rather suffer ye not wrong why rather sustaine ye not harme III. In all suites of law we must be mindfull of the law of charitie and not so much indeauour to maintaine our owne right as to recall our brother which erreth into the right way CHAP. 28. Concerning the ninth Commandement THe ninth Commandement belongeth to the preseruation of our neighbours good name The words are these Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour The Resolution Thou shalt not beare That is answer when thou art asked before a Iudge Deutr. 19.17 Then both the men which striue together shall stand before the Lord euen before the Priests and the Iudges which shall be in those daies 18. And the Iudges shall make diligent inquisition and if the witnesse be found false and hath giuen false witnesse against his brother Witnesse By a figure signifieth euery word whereby the credit and estimation of our neighbour is either impaired or diminished The negatiue part Thou shalt not diminish or hurt the good name and estimation of thy neighbour Here is forbidden I. Enuie disdaine of others desire of a mans owne glorie 1. Tim. 6.4 He is puft vp and knoweth nothing but doteth about questions and strife of words whereof commeth enuie strife railings 1. Pet. 2.1 Wherefore laying aside all maliciousnes and enuie and all guile and euill speaking Math. 21.15 But when the chiefe Priests and Scribes saw the marueiles that he did and the children crying in the Temple and saying Hosanna the sonne of Dauid they disdained II. Euill suspicions 1. Tim. 6.4 1. Sam. 17.28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake vnto the men and Eliab was angrie with Dauid and said Why camest thou downe hither and with whome hast thou left those few sheepe in the wildernesse I know thy pride and the malice of thine heart Act. 28.4 Now when the Barbarians saw the worme hang on his hand they said among themselues This man surely is a murtherer whom though he hath escaped the sea yet vengeance hath not suffered to liue Here are condemned hard censures and sinister iudgements against our neighbour Matth. 7. 1. Iudge not that yee be not iudged 2. For with what iudgement yee iudge ye shall be iudged and with what measure yee mete it shall be measured to you againe These iudgements which Christ forbiddeth are priuate and reprochfull or slaunderous iudgements namely when either a good or an indifferent action is interpreted to the worse part or when a light offence is made hainous through euill will without all desire either to amend or to couer the same Act. 2.13 And other mocked and saide They are full of new wine 14. But Peter standing with the eleuen lift vp his voice and said vnto them Ye men of Iudea and all ye that inhabite Ierusalem be this knowne vnto you and hearken vnto my words 15. For these are not drunken as ye suppose since it is but the third houre of the day 1. Sam. 1.13 For Hannah spake in her heart her lips did mooue onely but her voice was not heard therfore Eli thought she had beene drunken But we must know that there are three kinds of iudgements which are not forbidden by this commandement of Christ. The first is the ministerie of the Gospel which iudgeth reprooueth sinne The secōd is the iudgement of the Magistrate The third is the iudgement of a friend admonishing vs as when he saith Abstaine from the companie of such a man for I know him to be a drunkard c. III. A relation of the bare words onely and not of the sense and meaning of our neighbour Math. 26.59 Now the chiefe Priests and the Elders and all the whole Councell sought false witnes against Iesus to put him to death 60. But they found none and though many false witnesses came yet found they none but at the last came two false witnesses 61. And said This man saide I can destroy the Temple of God and build it in three daies Indeede Christ saide some such thing in wordes as appeareth Ioh. 2.19 Iesus answered and said vnto them Destroy this temple and in three daies I will raise it vp againe IV. A lie whereby euery falshood with purpose to deceiue is signified whether in wordes or in deedes or concealing the truth or any other way whatsoeuer be it for neuer so great a good to our neighbour V. To pronounce vniust sentence in iudgement to rest in one witnesse to accuse another wrongfully to bewray a mans cause by collusion 1. King 21.12 They proclaimed a fast and set Nabaoth among the chiefe of the people 13. And there came two wicked men and sate before him and the wicked men witnessed against Nabaoth in the presence of the people saying Nabaoth did blaspheme God and the King then they caried him away out of the citie and stoned him with stones that he died Deut. 17.6 At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he that is worthie of death die but at the mouth of one witnesse he shall not die VI. Openly to raise forged and hurtfull tales and reports of our neighbour or priuily to deuise the same Rom. 1.29 Whisperers 30. Backbiters haters of God proud boasters inuenters of euill things Leuit. 19.16 Thou shalt not walke about with tales among thy people thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy neighbour I am the Lord. 1. Tim. 5.13 And likewise also beeing idle they learne to goe about from house to house yea they are not onely idle but also pratlers and busi-bodies speaking things which are not comely To spread abroad flying tales or to faine and adde any thing vnto them Prou. 26.20 Without wood the fire is quenched and without a talebearer strife ceaseth 21. As a coale maketh burning coales and wood a fire so the contentious man is apt to kindle strife 22. The wordes of a talebearer are as flatterings and they goe downe into the bowels of the belly 2. Cor. 12.20 For I feare least when I come I shall not finde you such as I would and that I shall be found to you such as I would not and least there be strife enuying wrath contentions backbitings whisperings swellings and discord among you To receiue or beleeue those tales which we heare of others Exod. 23.1 Thou shalt not receiue a false tale neither shalt thou put thine hand with the wicked to be a false witnesse 1. Sam. 24.10 And Dauid said to Saul Wherefore giuest thou an eare to mens wordes that say Behold Dauid seeketh euill against thee VII To accuse our neighbour for that which is certaine true through hatred and with intent to hurt him 1. Sam. 22.9 Then answered Doeg the Edomit◠who was appointed
In whome ye are also built togither to be the habitation of God by the spirit This albeit it be a most neere and reall vnion yet we must not thinke that it by touching mixture or as it were by souldring of one soule with another neither by a bare agreement of the soules among themselues but by the communion and operation of the same spirit which beeing by nature infinite is of sufficient abilitie to conioyne those things togither which are of themselues farre distant from each other the like we see in the soule of man which conioyneth the head with the foote Eph. 2.22 2. Pet. 1.4 Whereby most great and precious promises are giuen vnto vs that by them ye should be partakers of the godly nature in that ye flie the corruption which is in the world through lust Phil. 2.1 If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirit c. The things vnited In this vnion not our soule alone is vnited with Christs soule or our â—lesh with his flesh but the whole person of euery faithfull man is â—erely conioyned with the whol person of our Sauiour Christ God man The manner of their vnion is this A faithfull man first of all and immediatly is vnited to the flesh or humane nature of Christ afterward by reason of the humanitie to the Word it selfe or diuine nature For saluation and life dependeth on that fulnesse of the godhead which is in Christ yet it is not coÌ„municated vnto vs but in the flesh and by the flesh of Christ. Ioh. 6 5â— Except ye eate the flesh and drinke the blood of the Sonne of man ye haue no life in you 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him The bond of this vnion This vnion is made by the spirit of God applying Christ vnto vs and on our parts by faith receiuing Christ Iesus offered vnto vs. And for this cause is it tearmed a spirituall vnion Christ because he is the head of the faithfull is to be considered as a publike man sustaining the person of all the elect Hence is it that the faithfull are â—aid to be crucified with Christ and with him to die to be buried Rom. 6.4 5,6 to be quickened Eph. 2.5 to be raised vp and placed in heauen v. 6. Col. 3.1 the which is not onely in regard of the hope of the faithful but because they are accepted of God certainely to haue done all these things in Christ euen as in Adams first sinne all his posteritie afterward was tainted of sinne A member of Christ is diuersly distinguished and is so either before men or God Before meÌ„ they are the members of Christ who outwardly professing the faith are charitably reputed by the Church as true members But such deceiuing at length both themselues and the Church may be reprobates therefore in Gods presence they are no more true members then are the noxious humours in mans bodie or a woodden legge or other ioynt cunningly fastened to another part of the bodie Againe members before God they are such as either are decreed to be so or actually are so already Such as are decreed to be so are they who being elect from all eternitie are either as yet not borne or not called Ioh. 10. 16. Other sheepe haue I which are not of this fold them also must I bring Actuall members of Christ are either liuing or dying members An actuall liuing member of Christ is euery one elected which being engraffed by faith and the spirit into Christ doth feele and shewe forth the power of Christ in him An actuall dying or decaying member is euery one truely engraffed into Christ and yet hath no feeling of the power and efficacie of the quickening spirit in him He is like vnto a benummed legge without sense which indeede is a part of mans body and yet receiueth no nourishment such are those faithfull ones who for a time doe faint and are ouercome vnder the heauie burtheÌ„ of tentations and their sinnes such are also those excommunicate persons who in regard of their engraffing are true members howesoeuer in regard of the externall communion with the Church and efficacie of the spirit they are not members till such time as they being touched with repentance doe begin as it were to liue againe God executeth this effectuall calling by certaine meanes The first is the sauing hearing of the word of God which is when the said word outwardly is preached to such an one as is both dead in his sinnes and doth not so much as dreame of his saluation And first of all the Law shewing a man his sinne and the punishment thereof which is eternall death afterward the Gospel shewing saluation by Christ Iesus to such as beleeue And inwardly the eyes of the minde are enlightened the heart and eares opened that he may see heare and vnderstand the preaching of the word of God The second is the mollifying of the heart the which must be bruised in pieces that it may be fit to receiue Gods sauing grace offered vnto it Ezech. 11. 19. I will giue them one heart and I will put a new spirit within their bowels And I will take the stonie heart out of their bodies and will giue them an heart of flesh There are for the brusing of this stonie heart foure principal hammers The first is the knowledge of the law of God The second is the knowledge of sinne both originall and actuall and what punishment is due vnto them The third is compunction or pricking of the heart namely a sense and feeling of the wrath of God for the same sinnes The fourth is an holy desperation of a mans owne power in the obtaining of eternall life Act. 2.37 When they heard these things they were pricked in heart and said vnto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe 38. Peter said vnto them Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus into the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost Luk. 15.17 Then he came to himselfe and said How many hired seruants at my fathers haue bread ynough and I die for hunger 18. I will rise and goe to my father and say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee 19. And am no more worthie to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruants c. Matth. 15. 24. He answered and said I am not sent but to the lost sheepe of Israel The third is faith which is a miraculous and supernaturall facultie of the heart apprehending Christ Iesus being applied by the operation of the holy Ghost and receiuing him to it selfe Ioh. 1.1,2,6.35 Iesus said vnto them I am the bread of life he that commeth vnto me shall neuer hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Rom. 9.30 What shall we
light or small Gal. 5.9 A little leauen doth leauen the whole lumpe Rom. 6.23 For the wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. II. To auoide all occasions of sinne To these rather agreeth the prouerbe vsed of the plague longè tardè citò that is aloofe slowly quickly 1. Thess. 5.22 Abstaine from all appearance of euill Iud. v. 23 And other saue with feare pulling them out of the fire and hate euen the garment spotted by the flesh III. To accustome thy selfe to subdue the lesser sinnes that at the last thou maist also ouercome the greater Rom. 13.4 IV. To apply thy selfe to thy appointed calling and alway to be busily occupied about something in the same V. To oppose the lawe the iudgements of god the last iudgement the glorious presence of God and such like against the rebellion and loosenesse of the flesh Prou. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alway but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into euil Gen. 39.9 There is no man greater in this house then I neither hath he kept any thing from me but onely thee because thou art his wife how then can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God Here certaine remedies take place Against vniust anger or priuate desire of reuenge Here meditate I. Iniuries they happen vnto vs by the Lords appointment for our good 2. Sam. 16. to II. God of his great goodnes forgiueth vs far more sinnes then it is possible for vs to forgiue men III. It is the dutie of Christian loue to forgiue others IV. We must not desire to destroy them whom Christ hath redeemed by his pretious blood V. We our selues are in danger of the wrath of God if we suffer our wrath to burne against our brother Forgiue saith he and it shall be forgiuen VI. We know not the circumstances of the facts what the minde was and purpose of them against whome we swell Bridles or externall remedies are these I. In this we shall imitate the clemencie of the Lord who for a very great season doth often tollerate the wicked Learne of me for I am humble and meeke II. There must be a pausing and time of delay betwixt our anger and the execution of the same Athenodorus counselled Augustus that he beeing angrie should repeat all the letters of the Alphabet or A B C before he against another did either speake or doe any thing III. To depart out of those places where those are with whom we are angrie IV. To auoide contention both in worde and in deede Doe nothing through contention Remedies against those bad desires of riches and honour I. God doth euē in famine quicken and reuiue them which feare him Psal. 33.18 19. The eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him to deliuer their soules from death and to preserue them from famine II. Godlines is great gaine if the minde of man can be therewith content 1. Tim. 6.6 III. We do wait looke for the resurrection of the bodie and eternall life therefore we should not take such carking care for this present mortal life IV. We are seruāts in our fathers house therefore looke what is conuenient for vs that will he louingly bestowe vpon vs. V. The palpable blindnes of an ambitious minde desireth to be set aloft that he may haue the greater downe-fall and he feareth to be humbled least he should not be exalted VI. Adam when he would needes be checke-mate with God did bring both himselfe and his posteritie headlong to destruction VII He is a very ambitious rob-God which desireth to take that commendation to himselfe which is appropriate onely to the Lord. Preseruatiues against the desires of the flesh I. He that will be Christs disciple must euery daie take vp his crosse Luk. 9.23 II. They which are according to the spirit sauour of such things as are according to the spirit Rom. 8.5 III. We ought to behaue ourselues as citizens of the kingdome of heauen Phil. 3.20 IV. We are the temple of god 1. Cor. 3.6 Our members they are the members of Christ. 1. Cor. 6.15 And we haue dwelling within vs the spirit of Christ which we should not grieue Eph. 4.30 Concerning this look more in the explication of the seuenth commandement In this tentation the fall is when a man beeing preuented falleth into some offence Gal. 6.1 Here Satan doth wonderfully aggrauate the offence committed and doth accuse and terrifie the offender with the iudgements of God Mat. 27.3 Then when Iudas which betraied him sawe that he was condemned he repented himselfe and brought again the thirtie pieces of siluer to the chiefe priests elders 4. saying I haue sinned betraying the innocent blood but they said What is that to vs see thou to it 5. And when he had cast downe the siluer pieces in the temple he departed and went and hanged himselfe The remedie is a renued repentance the beginning whereof is sorrowe in regard of God for the same sinne the fruits herof are especially seuen 2. Cor. 7.9 Nowe I reioice not that ye were sorrie but that ye sorrowed to repentance for ye sorrowed godly so that in nothing ye were hurt by vs. 10. For godly sorrowe causeth repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of but worldly sorrow causeth death 11. For behold this thing that ye haue beene godly sorrie what great care hath it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selues yea what indignation yea what feare yea how great desire yea what zeale yea what punishment in all things ye haue shewed your selues that ye are pure in this matter I. A desire of doing well II. An Apologie that is a confession of the sinne before God with a requiring of pardon for the offence Psal. 32.5 Then I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee neither hid I mine iniquitie for I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne 2. Sam. 12. 13. Then Dauid said vnto Nathan I haue sinned against the Lord and Nathan said vnto Dauid The Lord also hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not die III. Indignation against a mans selfe for his offence IV. A feare not so much for the punishment as for offending the Lord. Psal. 130.3 If thou straightly markest iniquities O Lord who shall stand V. A desire to be fully renued and to be deliuered from sinne VI. A feruent zeale to loue God and to embrace and keepe all his commandements VII Reuenge whereby the flesh may be tamed and subdued least at any time afterward such offences be committed CHAP. 44. Of the patient bearing of the crosse THe patient bearing of the crosse teacheth how Christians should vndergoe the burden The crosse is a certaine measure of afflictions appointed by God to euery one of the faithfull Matth. 16.24 If any man will follow me let him forsake himselfe take vp his crosse and follow me Col. 1.24 Now
sacrament of Penance The which is as it were the second boord after a shipwracke The cause why this reparation is necessarie is because men loose the grace of iustification by euery mortall sinne The last degree is the fruit of iustification namely the glory of eternall life the which works done in grace doe ex condigno condignly merit of sufficient worthinesse Condigne merite is when as the reward is after such sort due as that if it be not giuen iniustice will be committed This by the rigor of iustice is due Two conditions are requisite to make a merit I. That a reward should by some compact or bargain be due And this condition is in works in regard of God For God in the Scriptures hath promised a reward to such as work wel II. That besides this compact whereby the debter is bound there should bee also some worthines in the worke or some proportion of the worke to the reward The worthinesse or dignitie of the worke dependeth I. on Christ because Christ did not only merite that his owne proper actions should be meritorious but the actions also of his members II. On the holy Ghost For the holy Ghost doth inspire excite and mooue men to doe III. On an Habituall grace which is a certaine participation of the diuine essence Thus much concerning the degrees of executing Predestination Nowe followeth the applying of Predestination particularly to the persons of men No man so long as he liueth in this mortall life ought so much to presume on the secret mysterie of Gods predestination as to determine vndoubtedly that he is in the number of them whome God hath ordained to eternall happines For no man without especiall reuelation can know whome God hath chosen to be his heires Sess. 6. c. 12. The summe of all these is this God by a certaine grace giuen freely or rather a grace preuenting or comming before the which is tearmed an especiall aid doth mooue a man that he may dispose himselfe vnto his iustifying grace namely that he may beleeue feare repent loue propound to himselfe newnes of life c. Furthermore if a sinner do by his free-will yeeld his assent vnto this diuine motion and doth consequently and accordingly rightly dispose himselfe God doth incontinently forgiue him his sinne and withall doth infuse into him iustifying grace by which he may doe good workes and so by them merit eternall life Bellarmine Errours of the Papists in their distributing of the causes of saluation And thus is the doctrine of the Church of Rome surely a very blasphemous doctrine and no better to be accounted of then as a gallowes set vp for the torture and massacre of mens consciences And that this may the more manifestly appeare to be so I will set downe the most principall points of popish doctrine in this case The I. errour Predestination is onely of the Elect the Reprobate they are onely foreknowne The Confutation The name of Predestination by a figure called Synecdoche the whole for the part is taken indeed sometimes in the good part and spoken of the Elect and faithfull called as Rom. 8.30 Whome he predestinated them also he called and whome he called them also he iustified and whome he iustified them also he glorified So are the Ephesians saide to be predestinate into the adoption of the sonnes of God Eph. 1.5 Yet may this word Predestination neuerthelesse generally be extended vnto the decree of God whether it be that of predestination to eternall life or the other vnto eternall death The reasons I. Act. 4. 27,28 They gathered themselues together against thine holy sonne Iesus to doe whatsoeuer thine hand thy counsel had determined or foreordained or predestinated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before to be done II. August de Bono persev chap. 17. he calleth Predestination the disposition of future workes and in his 15. booke of the Citie of God chap. 1. he deuideth all mankinde into two cities whereof one is predestinate to raigne with God eternally the other predestinate to vndergoe eternall punishment with the deuill And in his Manuel to Laurentius chap. 100. he saith That God hath iustly predestinated wicked men vnto punishment and mercifully predestinated the good vnto grace Thomas of Aquine 1. part quest 23. artic 4. It mattereth not in regard of the name of predestination whether a man be said to be predestinate to life eternall or not Furthermore for a man to say that the Reprobates are foreknowne not predestinate it is very iniurious because Gods foreknowledge may in nothing which is to be be seuered from his will and eternall decree For that which beeing hereafter to be is foreknowne of God that assuredly will come to passe and shall be and that either by the will of God or without his will if with his will then no doubt he both decreed preordained the same if without or against his will how is God then said to be omnipotent And surely euill it selfe albeit god wil it not in his approouing or allowing will yet willeth he the free and willing-permission thereof August in his Manuel or Enchiridiō to Laurētius chap. 100. hath an excellēt saying to this purpose Although saith he that those things which are euill in that they are euill cannot be good yet that there are not onely good but also euill things it is very good to the intent that after a marueilous and vnspeakeable manner that thing may not be besides or without his will which also is done against his will because it should not be done vnlesse he suffered it neither doth he suffer it against his will but willingly The II. errour That Predestination is mutable For according to the common opinion of the Papists whosoeuer is predestinate he is contingently predestinated as well on Gods part as on mans whence it followeth that he which is predestinated that is appointed to saluation may be condemned and he which is foreknowne that is appointed to damnation may be saued The Confutation The contrarie to this their doctrine is most true Namely that the decree of God concerning euery mans eternall both saluation damnation is from all eternitie set downe and immutable The reasons I. Testimonies of scripture Rom. 11.29 The gifts and calling of God they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are without repentance Mat. 24.24 There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall doe great signes and miracles so that if it were possible they should deceiue euen the elect Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne 2. Tim. 2.19 The foundation of god standeth sure and hath this seale the Lord knoweth who are his II. Election reprobation they are in God not in men nowe there can be nothing in God which is not immutable Mal. 3.6 I Iehouah am not changed Esay 46.10 My counsell shall stand and I will doe whatsoeuer I will III. If this Popish conclusion should
whereby the Reprobate I. doth acknowledge his sinne II. Is pricked with the feeling of Gods wrath for sinne III. Is grieued for the punishment of sinne IV. Doth confesse his sinne V. Acknowledgeth God to be iust in punishing sinne VI. Desireth to be saued VII Promiseth repentance in his miserie or affliction in these words I will sinne no more Math. 27.3 Then when Iudas which betraied him saw that he was condemned he repented himselfe and brought againe the thirtie pieces of siluer to the chiefe Priests and Elders Heb. 12.17 For yee know how that afterward also when hâ— would haue inherited the blessing he was reiected for he found no place to repentance though he sought the blessing with teares 1. King 21.27 Now when Ahab heard those wordes he rent his clothes and put sackcloath vpon him and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went softly Numb 23.10 Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last ende be like his Psal. 78.32 For all this they sinned still and beleeued not his wondrous workes 33. Therefore their daies did he consume in vanitie and their yeares hastily 34. And when he slue them they sought him and they returned and sought God earely 35. They remembred that God was their strength and the most high God their redeemer The third degree is a temporarie faith whereby the reprobate doth confusedly beleeue the promises of God made in Christ I say confusedly because he beleeueth that some shall be saued but he beleeueth not that he himselfe particularly shall be saued because he beeing content with a generall faith doth neuer applie the promises of God to himself neither doth he so much as conceiue any purpose desire or endeuour to applie the same or any wrastling or striuing against securitie or carelesnes and distrust Iam. 2. 19. Thou beleeuest that there is one God thou doest well the deuils also beleeue it and tremble Math. 13.20 And he that receiued seede in the stony ground is he which heareth the word and incontinently with ioy receiueth it 21. Yet hath he no roote in himselfe and dureth but a season Ioh. 2.23 Now when he was at Ierusalem at the Passeouer in the feast many beleeued in his Name when they saw his miracles which he did 24. But Iesus did not commit himselfe vnto them because he knew them all The fourth is a tasting of heauenly gifts as of Iustification and of Sanctification and of the vertues of the world to come This tasting is verely a sense in the hearts of the Reprobates whereby they doe perceiue and feele the excellencie of Gods benefits notwithstanding they doe not enioy the same For it is one thing to tast of dainties at a banquet and another thing to feede and to be nourished thereby Heb. 6.4 For it is impossible that they which were once lightened and haue tasted of the heauenly gifts and were made partakers of the holy Ghost The fifth degree is the outward holines of life for a time vnder which is comprehended a zeale in the profession of religion a reuerence and feare towards Gods ministers and amendment of life in many things Mark 6.20 For Herod feared Iohn knowing that he was a iust man and an holy and reuerenced him and when he heard himâ— he did many things and heard him gladly Act. 18.13 Then Simon himselfe beleeued also and was baptized and continued with Philip and wondred when he saw the signes and great miracles which were done Hos. 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I doe vnto thee O Iudah how shall I entreate thee for your goodnes is as a morning cloud and as the morning dewe it goeth away The second degree of the execution of Gods counsel of reprobation in meÌ„ of ripe age which are called is a falling away againe which for the most part is effected and wrought after this manner First the reprobate is deceiued by some sinne Secondly his heart is hardened by the same sin Thirdly his heart being hardened it becommeth wicked and peruerse Fourthly then followeth his incredulitie and vnbeleefe whereby he consenteth not to Gods word when he hath heard and known it Fiftly an Apostasie or falling away from faith in Christ doth immediately follow this vnbeleefe Hebr. 3.12,13 Take â—eed brethren least at any time there be in any of you an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart awaie from the liuing God 1. Tim. 1.19 This Apostasie is sometimes sinne against the holy Ghost In the sinne against the holy Ghost we haue haue these seuerall points to be considered I. The Name it is called a sinne against the holy ghost not because it is done against the person or deitie of the holy Ghost for in this respect he that sinneth against the holy Ghost sinneth in like sort against both the father the Sonne but it is so called because it is done contrarie to the immediate action namely the illumination of the holy Ghost For albeit this be an action common to the whole Trinitie yet the Father and the sonne doe effect the same by the holy Ghost II. The efficient cause of it which is a set obstinate malice against God and against his Christ. Therefore when a man doth in the time of persecution either for feare or rashly denie Christ he doth not commit this sinne against the holy Ghost as may appeare by the example of Peter who denied Christ. Mat. 26.73.74.75 Neither doth he which persecuteth Christ and his Church vpon ignorance fall into this sinne Paul persecuted the Church of Christ and yet God had mercie on him because he did it ignorantly 1. Tim. 1.13 Many of the Iewes crucified our Sauiour Christ who afterward because they committed that grieuous fact vpon ignorance repenting at Peters sermon they did obtaine remission of their sinnes Act. 3.17 37. III. The Obiect namely God himselfe and the Mediatour Christ Iesus For the malice of this sinne is directed against the very maiestie of God himselfe and against Christ. Hebr. 10.29 Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall he be worthie which treadeth vnderfoote the Sonne of God and counteth the blood of the Testament as an vnholy thing wherewith he was sanctified and doth despise the spirit of grace Therefore this sinne doth directly respect the first table of the morall law and is not some particular slipping aside from the obseruation of those commandements which are contained in this first table such as are some doubtings concerning God or of the truth of the scriptures or of Christ c. but it is a generall defection apoâ—tasie from God and that totally IV. The subiect in which it is This sin is found in none at al but such as haue been enlightened by the holy Ghost and haue tasted of the good gift of God Heb. 6.5,6 Neither is it in him a bare cogitation alone but an externall action or rather such a blasphemie against God as proceedeth from a malitious and obstinate heart Matth. 12. 31. V. The Elect cannot commit this sinne and
wise doe Secondly by the manner of perswasion for the holy Ghost draweth not reasons â—rom the workes or worthinesse of man but from Gods fauour and loue and this kinde of perswasion is far different from that which Satan vseth Thirdly by the effects of that testimonie For if the perswasion arise from presumption it is a dead perswasion but contrarily it is most liuely and stirring if it come from the holy Ghost For such as are perswaded that they are elected and adopted children of GOD they will loue god they wil trust in him and they will call vpon him with their whole heart IV. If the testimonie of Gods spirit be not so powerfull in the elect then may they iudge of their election by that other effect of the holy ghost namely Sanctification like as we vse to iudge by heate that there is fire when wee cannot see the flame it selfe V. And of all the effects of sanctification these are most notable I. To feele our wants and in the bitternes of heart to bewaile the offence of GOD in euery sinne II. To striue against the flesh that is to resist and to hate the vngodly motions thereof and with griefe to think them burthenous troublesome III. To desire earnestly and vehemently the grace of God and merite of Christ to obtaine eternall life IV. When it is obtained to account it a most pretious iewel Phil. 3.8 V. To loue the minister of Gods word in that he is a minister and a Christian in that he is a Christian and for that cause if neede require to be readie to spende our blood with them Mat. 10.42 1. Ioh. 3.16 VI. To call vpon God earnestly and with teares VII To desire and loue Christs comming and the day of iudgement that an ende may bee made of the daies of sinne VIII To flie all occasions of sinne and seriously to endeauour to come to newnesse of life IX To perseuere in these things to the last gaspe of life Luther hath a good sentence for this purpose Hee that will serue God must saith he beleeue that which cannot bee seene hope for that which is deferred and loue God when he sheweth himselfe an enemie and thus remaine to the ende VI. Nowe if so be all the effects of the spirit are very feeble in the godly they must know this that God trieth them yet so as they must not therewith be dismaied because it is most sure that if they haue faith but as much as a graine of mustard seede and bee as weake as a young infant is it is sufficient to ingraffe theÌ„ into Christ therefore they must not doubt of their election because they see their faith feeble and the effects of the holy Ghost faint within them VII Neither must hee that as yet hath not felt in his heart any of these effects presently conclude that hee is a Reprobate but let him rather vse the word of God and the Sacraments that hee may haue an inward sense of the power of Christ drawing him vnto him and an assurance of his redemption by Christs death and passion VIII No man may peremptorily set downe that himselfe or any other is a reprobate For God doth oftentimes preferre those which did seeme to be most of all estranged from his fauour to be in his kingdome aboue those who in mans iudgement were the children of the kingdome Hence is it that Christ saith The Publicanes and harlots goe before you and many an one is called at the eleuenth houre as appeareth by that notable example of the thiefe vpon the crosse The vses which may be made of this doctrine of predestination are very many First for our instruction we are taught these things I. That there is neither any iustification by workes nor any works of ours that are meritorious For election is by the free grace of God and therefore in like sort is iustification For as I saide before the cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused And for this reason in the worke of saluation grace doth wholly challenge al to it selfe Rom. 11.5 At this time there is a remnant through the election of grace 2. Tim. 1.9 Who hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was Phil. 1. 29. Vnto you iâ— is giuen for Christ that not onely ye should beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake Rom. 3.24 Wee are iustified freely by grace Tit. 3.5 Not by the workes of righteousnesse which we had done but according to his mercie he saued vs. Ezech. 36. 27. I will cause you to walke in my statutes Rom. 6.23 The gift of God is eternall life II. That Astrologie teaching by the casting of Natiuities what men will be is ridiculous and impious because it determineth that such shall be very like in life and conuersation whom God in his predestination hath made vnlike Iacob and Esau borne of the same parents and almost in the same moment of time for Iacob held Esau by the heele as he was borne were of most vnlike dispositions and had diuers euents The like may we see in all twinnes and others which are borne at the same time III. That God is most wise omnipotent iust and mercifull O the wonderfull riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! howe vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding on t Eph. 1.5 Who hath predestinate vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Secondly beeing the seruants of Christ we are admonished I. To fight against all doubting and diffidence of our saluation because it neither depeÌ„deth vpon workes nor faith but vpon Gods decree which is immutable Math. 24.24 Luk. 10.20 Reioice that your names are written in the booke of life Rom. 8.33 Who shall any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne 2. Tim. 2.19 This teacheth that the anker of hope must be fixed in the trueth and stabilitie of the immutable good pleasure of God so that albeit our faith bee so tossed as that it is in danger of shipwracke neuerthelesse it must neuer sinke to the bottome but euen in the middest of danger take hold vpon repentance as on a board so recouer it selfe II. To humble our soules vnder the mightie hand of God for wee are as clay in the hand of the potter Rom. 9.21 They through infidelitie are broken off but thou standest through faith Be not high minded but feare III. To giue all glorie to God 2. Thess. 2.13 We ought to giue thankes alwaie to God for you brethren beloued of the Lord because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation IV. To beare crosses patiently Rom. 8.29 Those which he knewe before he hath also preâ—estinate to be made like to the image of his sonne This likenesse
sentence of the law of God to which man was bound from the first creation But God is aboue all his laws and not bound to them he is an absolute lord and law-giuer and therfore his actions are not within the compasse of morall lawes as mens are Whereupon it followes that though he did foresee mans defection yet is hee free from all blame in not preuenting of it For with him there be good causes of permitting euill And though God be no cause of mans fall yet must we not imagine that it came to passe by chance or fortune whereas the least things that are come to passe with Gods prouidence Neither was it by any bare permission without his decree and his will for that is to make an idle prouidence neither did it happen against the will of God he vtterly nilling it for then it could not haue beene vnlesse we denie God to be omnipotent It remaines therefore that this fall did so proceede of the voluntarie motion of Adam as that God did in part ordaine and will the permitting of it not as it was a sinne against his commandement but as it was further in the counsell of God a way to execute his iustice and mercie Against this which I say diuers things are obiected First that if Adam did that which God in any respect willed then he did not sinne at all Answ. He that willeth and doth that which God willeth for all that sinnes vnlesse he will it in the same manner with God and for the same ende Now in the permitting of this fact God intended the manifesting of his glorie but our first parents intending no such thing sought not onely to be like but also to be equall with God Secondly it is alleadged that Adam could not but fall necessarily if God did decree it Answ. Adams fall that came not to passe without Gods decree and therefore in that respect was necessarie was neuerthelesse in respect of Adams freewill contingent and not necessarie Gods decree not taking away the freedome of will but onely ordering it Lastly it is alleadged that Gods will is the cause of Adams will and Adams wil the cause of his fall and that therefore Gods will shall be the cause of the fall Ans. It must be granted that Gods will is a moouing cause of the wills of euil men yet marke how not as they are euill wills simply but as they are wills and therefore when God inclines the euill will of his creature to his good purpose he is nothing at all intangled with defect or euill of his will Touching the time of the fall the receiued opinion in former ages hath beene that our first parents fell the same day in which they were created and therefore Augustine writes that they stood but sixe houres And though we cannot determine of the certen time yet in all likelihood was it very short For Moses presently after that he had set downe the creation of man without the interposition of any thing else comes immediatly to the fall And considering the nature of the deuill is without ceasing to shew his malice no doubt he tooke the first occasion that possibly might be had to bring man to the same damnation with himselfe And our Sauiour Christ saith that the deuill was a man-slayer from the beginning namely from the beginning not of the creation of the world or of time but of man And Eue saith We shall eate of the fruit of the trees of the garden it may be insinuating that as yet shee had not eaten when the deuill tempted her Touching the greatnes of mans fall some haue made a small matter of it because it was the eating of an apple or some such fruit But we must not measure the greatnesse or the smalnesse of a sinne by the obiect or matter whereabout it is occupied but by the commandement of God and by the disobedience or offence of his infinite maiestie And that this fact of Adam and Eue was no small fault but a notorious crime and Apostasie in which they withdraw themselues from vnder the power of God nay reiect and denie him will euidently appeare if we take a viewe of all the particular sinnes that be contained in it The first is vnbeleefe in that they doubted and distrusted of the truth of Gods word which he spake to them The second is contempt of God in that they beleeued the lies of the deuill rather then him For whē God saith In the day that ye shall eate thereof ye shall die the death it is as nothing with Eue but when the deuill comes and saith Ye shall not die at all that shee takes hold on The third is pride and ambition For they did eate the forbidden fruit that they might be as gods namely as the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost The fourth is vnthankfulnesse God had made them excellent creatures in his owne image that is nothing with them to be like vnto him vnlesse they may be equall vnto him The fifth is curiositie whereby they affected greater wisdome then God had giuen them in creation and a greater measure of knowledge then God had reuealed to them The sixth is reprochfull blasphemie in that they subscribe to the sayings of the deuill in which he charged God with lying and enuie The seuenth is murder For by this meanes they bereaue themselues and their posteritie of the fellowship and graces of Gods spirit and bring vpon their owne heads the eternall wrath of God The eight is discontentation in that they sought for an higher condition then that was in which God had placed them In a word in this one single fact is comprised the breach of the whole law of God And we should often thinke vpon this that we may learne to wonder at the iust iudgements of God in punishing this fall and his vnspeakable goodnesse in receiuing men to mercie after the same And here we must not omit to remember the largenesse of Adams fall Sinnes are either personall or generall Personall are such as are peculiar to one or some fewe persons and make them alone guiltie Generall that is common to all men and such is Adams fall It is a sinne not onely of the person of one man but of the whole nature of man And Adam must be considered not as a priuate man but as a roote or head bearing in it all mankind or as a publike person representing all his posteritie and therefore when he sinned all his posteritie sinned with him as in a Parliament whatsoeuer is done by the burgesse of the shiere is done by euery person in the shiere As Paul saith By one man sinne entred into the world and so death went ouer all for as much as all haue sinned And here lies the difference betweene Adams fall and the sinnes of men as Cains murder which makes not the posteritie of Cain guiltie because he was neuer appointed by God to be the roote of his posteritie
of death that theÌ„ we may be found readie of the Lord. What shall the Sonne of God himselfe make preparation to his owne death and shall not we most miserable sinners doe the same who stand in need of a thousand preparations more then he wherefore let vs continually thinke with our selues that euery present day is the last day of our life that so we may addresse our selues to death againe the next day The first thing which Christ doth in this preparation is to make â—hoice of the place in which he was to be apprehended as will appeare by conferring the Euangelists together S. Matthew saith he went to the place called Gethsemane S. Luke saith he went to the mount of Oliues as he was accustomed And that we might not imagine that Christ did this that he might escape and hide himselfe from the Iewes S. Iohn saith that Iudas which betraied him knew the place because oftentimes he resorted thither with his Disciples whereas if he had feared apprehension he would haue rather gone aside to some other secret and vnwonted place This then is the first point to be considered that Christ knowing the time of his owne death to be at hand doth willingly of his owne accord resort to such a place in which his enemies in all likelihood might easily finde him and haue fit opportunitie to attach him For if he should haue still remained in Ierusalem the Scribes and Pharises durst not haue enterprised his apprehension because of the people whome they feared but out of the citie in the garden all occasion of feare is cut off By this it is manifest that Christ yeelded himselfe to death willingly and not of constraint and vnlesse his sufferings had bin voluntarie on his part they could neuer haue bin a satisfaction to Gods iustice for our sinnes Here a question offereth it selfe to be considered whether a man may lawfully flie in danger and persequution seeing Christ himselfe doth not Answ. When good meanes of flying and iust occasion is offered it is lawfull to flie When the Iewes sought to kill Paul at Damascus the Disciples tooke him by night and put him through the wall and let him downe in a basket to escape their hands When Moses was called by God to deliuer the Israelites after he had slaine the Egyptian and the fact was knowne and Pharao sought to kill him for it he fledde to the land of Madian And our Sauiour Christ sundrie times when he was to be stoned and otherwaies hurt by the Iewes withdrew himselfe from among them It is lawfull then to flie in persecution these caueats obserued First if a man finde not himselfe sufficiently strengthened to beare the crosse Secondly his departure must be agreeable to the generall calling of a Christian seruing to the glorie of God and the good of his brethren and the hurt of none Thirdly there must be freedome at the least for a time from the bond of a mans particular calling If he be a Magistrate he must be freed from ruling if a Minister from preaching and teaching otherwaies he may not flie And in this respect Christ who did withdraw himselfe at other times would not flie at this time because the houre of his suffering was come wherein he intended most willingly to submit himselfe to the good pleasure and will of his father The second part of the preparation is the praier which Christ made vnto his father in the garden And herein his example doth teach vs earnestly to pray vnto God against the danger of imminent death and the temptations which are to come And if Christ who was without sinne and had the spirit aboue measure had need to pray then much more haue we need to be watchfull in all kinde of praiers who are laden with the burden of sinne and compassed about with manifold impediments and dangerous enemies In this prayer sundrie points worthie our marking are to be considered The first who praied Answ. Christ the Sonne of God but still we must remember the distinction of natures of their operations in one and the same Christ he praieth not in his Godhead but according to his manhood The second is for whome he praieth Ans. Some haue thought that this and all other his prayers were made for his mysticall bodie the Church but the truth is he now praies for himselfe yet not as he was God for the Godhead feeles no want but as he was a man abased in the forme of a seruant and that for two causes First in that he was a man he was a creature and in that respect was to performe homage to God the creator Secondly as he was man he put on the infirmities of our nature and thereupon praied that he might haue strength and power in his manhoode to support him in bearing the whole brunt of the passion to come The third point is to whome he praied Answ. To the father neither must this trouble vs as though Christ in praying to the father should pray to himselfe because he is one and the same God with him For though in essence they admit no distinction yet in person or in the proper manner of subsisting they doe The Father is one person the Sonne an other therefore as the father saying from heauen This is my welbeloued Sonne spake not to himselfe but to the Sonne so againe the Sonne when he praieth he praies not to himselfe but to the Father The fourth point what was the particular cause of his prayer Ans. His agonie in which his soule was heauie vnto death not because he feared bodily death but because the malediction of the law euen the very heate of the furie and indignation of God was poured forth vpon him wherewith he was affected and troubled as if it had beene defiled with the sinnes of the whol world And this appeares first by the words whereby the Euangelists expresse the agonie of Christ which signifie exceeding great sorrow and griefe secondly by his dolefull complaint to his Disciples in the garden My soule is heauie vnto the death thirdly by his feruent praier thrise repeated full of dolefull passions fourthly by the comming of an Angel to comfort him fifthly by his bloodie sweat the like whereof was neuer heard And herein lies the difference betweene Christs agonie and the death of Martyrs he put on the guilt of all our sinnes they in death are freed from the same he was left to himselfe void of comfort they in the middest of their afflictions feele the vnspeakable comfort of the holy Ghost and therefore we neede not meruaile why Christ should pray against death which neuerthelesse his members haue receiued and borne most ioyfully Againe this most bitter agonie of Christ is the ground of all our reioycing and the cause why Paul biddes all the faithfull in the person of the Philippians to reioyce alwaies in the Lord and againe to reioyce And here we are further taught that when we are
might and power is in the word preached for it is the very word of Christ and therefore beeing preached by his ministers lawfully called by him thereunto hath the same power force in it which Christ himselfe shewed when he spake on earth It is the sauour of life vnto life to saue those that heare it or the sauour of death vnto death It is like to a vapour or perfume in the aire which in some mens nostrills is sauorie and pleasant and doth reuiue them and others againe it striketh dead And therefore euery one that either now or heretofore hath heard this word preached shall finde it to be vnto them either a word of power to saue their soules or through their corruption the ministerie of death and condemnation Againe if a word spoken by Christ beeing in a base or low estate be able to ouerthrow his enemies then at the last day when he shall come in his glory and power and maiestie to iudge both the quicke and the dead what power shall his words haue Goe you cursed of my father into euerlasting fire which was prepared for the deuill and his angels The consideration of this that the word of Christ shall euen be as powerfull at that day must be a motiue to euery one of vs to cause vs to come vnto him and while we haue time in these daies of grace and mercy to seeke to be reconciled vnto him for al our sinnes least at the last day we heare that dreadful voice of Christ sounding against vs Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire c. And thus much for the communication Nowe followeth Iudas his treason wherein we are to obserue these things I. the qualities and conditions of the man that did the treason He was by calling a disciple chosen to be an Apostle which is the chiefest in Ecclesiall callings and among the disciples hee was in some account because he was as it were a steward in Christs familie and bare the bagge but yet he was a traitour and did more against Christ then all the Iewes did For he brought them to the place where they might apprehend him and when they were come did point him out vnto them and deliuered him into their handes nay he gaue them a signe and token saying Whome I kisse he it is take him and lead him away warily Here wee see the cause why Christ called Iudas a Deuil for he said Haue I not chosen you twelue and one of you is a deuill Hee became to be a deuil and a traitour by nourishing a wicked and a couetous heart And heare we are taught that the ministers of the word if they make no conscience of sinne by the iust iudgement of God doe prooue deuils incarnate this example of Iudas doth manifest the same and the reason is plaine for the more knowledge a man hath the more wicked he is if he want grace They are like in this case vnto a man that hath meat and drink enough but no stomacke to digest meate whereby the more he eateth the more it turneth to his hurt This I speake not to deface the callings of ministers but that those which preach Gods worde should not doe it with impenitent hearts liuing in their owne sinnes For it is a fearefull thing for a man to speake vnto the people of the pardon of their sinne and yet himselfe not to apprehend the same by faith A lump of waxe if you keepe it from heate or from the fire it keepes his own forme still but if it be held to the fire it melts and runnes abroad so ministers who by reason of their callings come neere God if they be lumpes of iniquitie and liue in their sinnes they shall finde that the corruptions of their hearts will melt abroad as waxe at the fire And therfore euery one that is designed to this calling must first purge himselfe of his owne sinnes or els Gods iudgements shal fal vpon him as they did on Iudas that betraied Christ. Secondly let vs consider what mooued Iudas to betray his master namely the desire of wealth and gaine and this couetousnes which is an insatiable desire of money is the roote of all sinne not that all sinnes came of it but because where it is there all other sinnes are preserued do get strength The desire of thirtie peeces of siluer caused Iudas to make an agreement with the Iewes to betray his master Some man will happely say that this practise of Iudas was very straunge and that no man now liuing would doe the like for any money Ans. Iudas is dead indeede but his practise is yet aliue for in the high and waightie calling of the ministerie he that hath charge of soules and either can not teach and feede his flocke or else will not though he betray not Christ in his own person yet he betraies the members of Christ vnto the deuil If a nourâ—e should take a mans childe to bring vp and yet seldome or neuer giue it milke in so much that the childe pineth away for very hunger is not shee the verie cause of the death of it yes verely And so it is with him that taketh vpon him the charge of Gods people and neuer feedes them with the milk of gods word or else so seldom that their soules do famish he is the murtherer of them and hath betraied them into the hands of their enemie and shall be condemned for them as a traitour vnto God vnlesse he repent Besides those that liue by traffique in buying and selling make gaine by lying swearing and breaking the Lords Sabboth they are also very Iudasses for they choppe away their soules with the deuill for a little gaine And more lamentable is their case because it is hard to finde one of an hundred in the world that makes conscience of a lie or of any badde dealing if any gaine at all may come thereby Men vse to crie out on Iudas for betraying Christ and they doe well yet they themselues for a little worldly pelfe betray their owne soules If such would not be counted Iudasses they must leaue off to sin keep a good conscience in gods worship the works of their callings Thirdly let vs consider what course Iudas tooke in betraying Christ hee was very submisse saying Haile Master and kissed him Why did he so Herein he played the most palpable hypocrite for hauing gotten a peece of money he thought that neither Christ nor any of his fellowe disciples should haue knowne of it though Christ knewe it well enough and therefore hee comes in this maner to him thinking that Christ would haue conueyed himselfe from amongst them all at the verie pinch as he had done sometimes before And this practise also of Iudas is common in the world Iudas an enemie vnto Christs speakes him faire and salutes him and so doe most of our secure and drowsie protestantes in England they salute Christ both by hearing
people receiued the wretched and abhominable doctrine of the church of Rome And not many yeares after when it pleased God to bring againe the light of his glorious Gospel by our gracious Prince the same people turned from poperie and embraced the true religion againe And thus with the Iewes one while they crie Hosanna to Christ and receiue his Gospel and shortly after they crie Crucifie him crucifie him by embracing idolatrous poperie Let vs therefore learne in the feare of God by the ficklenes of the Iewesâ— that sing two contrarie songs in so short a space to acknowledge our inconstancie and weaknes in the matter of religion whereby if God leaue vs 〈…〉 â—itle to our selues we shall straightway forsake Christ his Gospel and all Tâ—â—â—â—â—ch of the accusation Now followeth Christs examination before â—oâ—â—â—us Pilate for when the Iewes had thus falsly accused him then Pontius Pilate tooke him and brought him into the common hall and asked him this question Art thou the King of the Iewes Now Christ beeing thus examined made as Paul also testifieth a good confession The summe thereof stands in foure heads The first is that he confesseth himselfe to be a King not such an one as they accused him to be yet a true King Whence we may learne diuers instructions first that euery Christian man in the midst of his miserie and affliction hath one that is most sufficient euery way to defend him against all his enemies the world the flesh and the deuill For this King can doe whatsoeuer he will and therefore when the legion of deuills would enter into a herd of swine they could not without his leaue And when the Centurions daughter was dead he but spake the word and shee arose And when Lazarus was dead and had lien in the graue foure daies he but saide Lazarus come forth and he came forth bound hand and foote Yea euen hell and death giue place to his word and nothing can resist his power And therefore he that is a true member of Christ needes not to feare any enemies be they neuer so great or so many And againe as Christ is able so is he readie and willing to saue and defend all that beleeue in him For he it is that gaue his life for his subiects which no King would doe and shedde his blood for their redemption which he would neuer haue done if he had not desired their saluation Secondly whereas Christ is a mightie King which can doe whatsoeuer he will let all such among vs that haue hitherto liued in ignorance and by reason of ignorance liue in their sinnes at length begin to come vnto him and doe him homage and with penitent hearts fall downe before him otherwise if they continue in their old rebellions let them know whatsoeuer they be high or low that he hath a rod of iron in his hand to bruise them in pieces their soules shall smart for it as both Pilate Caiphas and the rest of the Iewes were with a full cup rewarded for crucifying the Lord of life And if Christ cannot draw thee in this life from thy crooked waies be sure at the houre of death he will breake thee in pieces like a potters vessell This must we learne in regard of the first point that he said plainely He was a King Now follows the second part of his confession namely that his kingdome was not of this world Where he sets downe what kinde of King he is he is no earthly king his kingdome stands not in the power of men nor in earthly and outward gouernment but his kingdome is spirituall and his gouernment is in the very hearts and consciences of men His kingdome is not outward to be seene of men but inward in the heart and â—oule and therefore it is onely begunne in this life and is continued and accomplished in the world to come in the kingdome of glorie where Christ shall be all in all in the hearts and consciences of all the Elect. Now then if this be so howsoeuer Satan haue heretofore raigned in vs and made our hearts as it were his pallaces yet now let vs prepare a roome for Christ that he may come and dwell in vs let him rule our hearts wills and affections that they may become conformable to his will let vs resigne our selues wholly to be ruled by him that his spirituall kingdome may be in vs. This kingdome in the heart and conscience is the pearle and hidde treasure which when a man findeth he sells all that he hath and buieth it Let vs therefore in the feare of God esteeme it as the most pretious thing that may be and so liue in this world as that Christ may rule inwardly in vs by his word and spirit And againe seeing this regiment of Christ is heauenly and the full manifestation of it is reserued till the life to come we must therefore vse this world and all things in it as honour wealth ease and libertie as though we vsed them not As a trauailer vseth his staffe in his iourney as long as it doth further him so long he will carrie it with him but when it hindereth him then he casts it away so must we vse the things of this life namely as long as they are helps to further and make vs fitte for the kingdome of heauen but if they be any hinderance to this spirituall regiment of Christ we must renounce them and cast them away be they neuer so pretious to vs. The third point of Christs confession is concerning the meanes whereby he gouerneth his kingdome I came saith he into this world to beare witnesse of the truth that is to preach the Gospell and doctrine of saluation and hereby he teacheth that the outward administration of his kingdome stands specially in the preaching of the word which is a principall ordinance of his seruing to gather his Church from the beginning of the world to the ende thereof And for this cause he hath in all ages set apart chosen ministers for the publishing of the doctrine of the Gospell And hence it is manifest that the gift of prophecie is the greatest gift that God bestowes on his Church for the building thereof And therfore it ought to be most highly esteemed as a most pretious iewell And for this cause also the schooles of learning are to be reuerenced maintained all other meanes vsed for the furthering of them because they are vnder God the fountaines and welsprings of this gift of prophecie The last point is concerning the subiects of Christs kingdome expressed in these words They which are of the truth heare my voice In which he sets down the true marke of his seruants and subiects that they are hearers of that heauenly and sauing word which he reuealed from the bosome of his father It may be alleadged the most wicked men vpon earth yea the deuils themselues may be hearers of the truth of Christ. Ans. There be
by inflicting vpon him some lesser punishment This pollicie is as it were a looking glasse in which we may behold of what nature and condition all plotts and pollicies of men are which are deuised and practised without the direction of Gods word In it we may obserue two things the first is the ground thereof which is a most silly simple or rather senslesse argument For he reasoneth vs I finde no fault in this man therefore I will chastise him and let him goe A man would hardly haue thought that one hauing but common sense would haue made such a reason much lesse a greâ—t iudge sitting in the roome of God But in him we may behold and see the ground of all humane pollicie which is beside the word of God namely the foolish and blind reason of men The second thing to be considered is the proceeding and isâ—ue of this pollicie Pilate must either whippe Christ beeing innocent or put him to death which are both sinnes and great offences Now he maketh choice of the lesser which is to whippe him and is perswaded that he ought to doe so whereas of two sinnes or euils a man ought to doe neither And in doing this Pilate beginnes to make a breach in his conscience and that is the fruit that all politicks reape of their deuisâ—s which proceede by the light of their owne reason without the word of God By this example we are admonished of two things first that before we enterprise any businesse we must rectifie our iudgements by Gods word Dauid was a most wise King and no doubt had withall a graue and wise counsell but yet he preferred the word of God before all saying Thy tesâ—â—mâ—â—ies are my counsellers Secondly in our proceedings we must keepe an vprâ—ght pure and vnblameable conscience as Paul exhorteth Timothie to haue the mysterie of faith in a pure conscience giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that a good conscience is at it were a chest or cupboard in which we are to keepe and locke vp our religion and all other graces of God as the most pretious iewells that can be and that if we suffer this chest to be broken vp all our riches and iewels are gone But let vs yet viewe the dealing of Pilate more particularly he whippes Christ puts on him a purple garment puts a reede in his hand sets a crowne of thornes vpon his head and causes the souldiours to mocke him and spit in his face Now in this that Christ standing in our roome was thus shamefully abused we must consider what was due vnto euery one of vs for our sinnes namely shame reproch in this life in the life to come endles confusion And we see the confession of Christ to be true which he made to Pilate that his kingdome was not of this world for if it had beene so they would haue put a crowne of gold vpon his head and not a crowne of thornes which nothing at all beseemed an earthly king and in stead of a reede they would haue put a scepter into his hand and in stead of buffetting and spitting on him they would haue adored him and fallen downe before him Againe whereas Chriâ—â— our head in this world ware no other crown but one made of thoâ—ns it serueth to teach all those that are the members of Christ that they must not looke for a crowne of glorie in this life because that is reserued for the life to come And if we would then weare the crowne of glorie with Christ we must here in this life weare a crown of thornes as he did for as Paul saith If we suffer with Christ we shall also raigne with him and that which was fully verified in Christ the head must in some sort be verified in euery true member of Christ. Pilates third pollicie was this when he sawe that neither of the two former would preuaile he comes forth vnto the Iewes and makes an oration to this effect that nowe was the feast of the passeouer and that they had a custome that the Gouernour should then deliuer vnto the people a prisoner whome they would therefore he asked them whether he should let loose to them Barrabas or Iesus which is called Christ this Barrabas was a notable malefactour that with insurrection had committed murther And thus Pilate cunningly matcheth Christ with Barrabas thinking that the Iewes would rather chuse him then Barrabas beeing a notorious malefactour not worthie to liue on the face of the earth and by this meanes he thought to haue deliuered Christ from death though otherwise he accouÌ„ted him as a malefactour The ground of this pollicie as we see is an old custome of the Iewes that a prisoner should be let loose at Easter And it may be the ende of this custome was to increase the solemnitie of the feast But whatsoeuer in trueth the ende was the fact it selfe was but a prophanation of the time and an abomination before the Lord for Salomon saith He that iustifieth the wicked condemneth the iust euen they both are abominatioÌ„ before the Lord. The like practise takes place with many in these daies who thinke the Lords day neuer well spent vnlesse they may adde solemnitie thereunto by reuel riot by frequeÌ„ting of tauerns and alehouses And furthermore where Pilate matcheth Christ beeing innocent with Barrabas and the people preferre him before Christ hauing libertie to choose either it shewes that God in his prouidence had appointed that Christ should not stand in his owne roome before Pilate but in our roome and steade as a Mediatour betweene God and vs. And in this fact of the people we see howe sinne by degrees takes hold of men and that speedily Who would haue thought that these Iewes which a little before cried Hosanna and spread their garments before Christ in the way would euer haue preferred a murtherer before him But it was the doing of the high priestes the Scribes and Pharises who did animate and stirre them vp to this wickednes and hereupon when they had yeelded first to to attach him and then to accuse him they are carried to an higher degree of impietie namely to seeke his blood and least he should escape their handes they plunge themselues deeper yet preferring a wretched murtherer eueÌ„ seditious Barrabas before him This must teach euery one of vs to take heede of the beginnings euen of the least sinnes for the deuill is cunning he will not plunge a man into the greatest sinnes at the first but this manner is by little and little to creepe into the heart and hauing once possession thereof by steppes to bring men to the height of sinne and that with speede We must therefore in the feare of God preuent sinne betimes and at the first motion cut off all occasions hereof that which Paul saith of heresie comparing it to a canker or gangrene may be â—aid of all sinne The nature of the gangrene is to runne from one ioynt
of a little worldly pelfe oh how are we grieued but seeing our transgressions are the weapons whereby the sonne of God was crucified let vs I say it againe and againe learne to be grieued for them aboue all things and with bleeding and melting hearts bow and buckle vnder them as vnder the crosse Secondly Christ saith of himselfe as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernes so must the sonne of man be lifted vp the comparison is excellent and worthie the marking In the wildernes of Arabia the people of Israel rebelled against God and thereupon he sent fierie serpents among them which stung many of them to death now when they repented Moses was commanded to make a brasen serpent and to set it vpon a pole that as many as were stung might looke vnto it and recouer and if they could but cast a glaunce of the eye on the brasen serpent when they were stung euen to death they were restored to health and life Now euery man that liueth is in the same case with the Israelites Satan hath stung vs at the heart and giuen vs many a deadly wound if we could feele it and Christ who was figured by the brasen serpent was likewise exalted on the crosse to conferre righteousnesse and life eternall to euery one of vs therefore if we will escape eternall death we must renoūce our selues and lift vp the eyes of our faith to Christ crucified and pray for the pardon of our sinnes and then shall our hearts and consciences be healed of the wounds and gripes of the deuill and vntill such time as we haue grace to doe this we shall neuer be cured but still lie wounded with the stings of Satan and bleeding to death euen at the very heart although we feele no paine or griefe at all But some may aske how any man can see him crucified now after his death Ans. Wheresoeuer the word of God is preached there Christ is crucified as Paul saith Oh foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth to whome before Iesus Christ was described in your sight and among you crucified meaning that he was liuely preached among them We neede not to goe to wodden crosses or to golden crucifixes to seeke for him but where the Gospel is preached thither must we goe and there lift vp our eyes of faith to Christ as he is reuealed vnto vs in the word resting on him and his merits with all our hearts and with a godly sorrow confesse and bewaile our sinnes crauing at his hands mercie and pardon for the same For till such time as we doe this we are grieuously stung by Satan and are euery moment euen at deaths dore And if we can thus behold Christ by faith the benefits which come hereby shall be great for as Paul saith the old man that is the corruption of our nature and the bodie of sinne that raigneth in vs shall be crucified with him for when Christ was nailed on the crosse all our sinnes were laid vpon him therefore if thou dost vnfainedly beleeue all thy sinnes are crucified with him and the corruption of thy nature languisheth and dieth as he languished and died vpon the crosse Thirdly we must learne to imitate Christ as he suffered himselfe to be nayled to the crosse for our sinnes so answerably must euery one of vs learne to crucifie our flesh and the corruption of our nature and the wickednesse of our owne hearts as Paul saith They that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof And this we shall doe if for our sinnes past we waile and mourne with bitternesse and preuent the sinnes to come into which we may fall by reason of the corruption of our natures by vsing all good meanes as praier and fasting and the word of God preached and by flying all occasions of offence We are not to destroy our bodies or to kill our selues but to kill and crucifie sinne that liueth in vs and to mortifie the corruption of our nature that rebels against the spirit Christianitie stands not in this to heare the word of God and outwardly to professe the same and in the meane season still to liue in our sinnes and to pamper our owne rebellious flesh but it teacheth vs alwaies to haue in readines some speare or other to wound sinne and the sword of the spirit to cut downe corruption in vs that thereby we may shew our selues to be liuely followers of Christ indeede Fourthly by this wee may learne that the wrath of God against sinne is wonderfull great because his owne Sonne bearing our person and beeing in our place was not onely crucified and racked most cruelly but also bare the whole wrath of God in his soule and therefore we must leaue off to make so little account of sinne as commonly we doe Fifthly whereas the person crucified was the sonne of God it sheweth that the loue of God which he bare vnto vs in our redemption is endlesse like a sea without banke or bottome it can not be searched into and if we shall not acknowledge it to be so our condemnation will be the greater Sixtly in this that Christ bare the curse of the law vpon the crosse we learne that those that be the children of God when they suffer any iudgement crosse or calamitie either in bodie or in minde or both doe not beare them as the curses of God but as the chastisments of a louing father For it doth not stand with the iustice of God to punish one fault twise and therefore when any man that putteth his whole confidence in God shall either in his owne person in his good name or in his goods feele the heauie hand of God God doth not as a iudge curse him but as a father correct him Here then is condemned the opinion of the Church of Rome which hold that we by our sufferings doe in some part satisfie the iustice of God but this can not stand because Christ did make a perfect fatisfaction to the iustice of his father for all punishment And therefore satisfaction to God made by man for temporall punishment is needlesse and much derogates from Christs passion In the crucifying of Christ two things specially must be considered The manner of the doing of it and his continuance aliue vpon the crosse Touching the manner the spirit of God hath noted two things The first that Christ was crucified between two theeues the one vpon his left hand the other vpon his right in which action is verefied the saying of the Prophet Esai He was numbred among the wicked and the Iewes for their parts doe hereby testifie that they esteemed him to be not some common wicked man but euen the captaine and ringleader of all theeues and malefactours whatsoeuer Nowe whereas Christ standing vpon the crosse in our roome and stead is reputed the head and prince of all sinners it serueth to teach euery one of vs
betweene them for when the beast dieth his soule dieth also but the soule of man is immortall The consideration whereof must moooue euery man aboue all things in this world to be careful for his soule if it were to vanish away at the day of death as the soule of beasts doe the neglect thereof were no great matter but seeing it must liue for euer either in eternall ioy or else in endlesse paines and torments it stands vs vpon euery man for himselfe so to prouide for his soule in this life that at the day of death when it shall depart from his bodie it may liue in eternall ioy and happinesse The second that there is an especiall and particular prouidence of God because the particular soule of Christ is committed into the hands of his father and so answerably the soules of euery one of the faithfull are The third that euery one which beleeues himselfe to be a member of Christ must be willing to die when God shall call him thereunto For when we die in Christ the bodie is but laid asleepe and the soule is receiued into the hands of a most loâ—ing God and mercifull father as the soule of Christ was Lastly whereas Christ surrendring his soule into his fathers hands calls it a spirit we note that the soule of man is a spirit that is a spirituall inuisible simple essence without composition created as the angels of God are The question whether the soule of a childe come from the soule of the parents as the bodie doth come from their bodies may easily be resolued For the soule of man beeing a spirit can not beget another spirit as the angels beeing spirituall doe not beget angels for one spirit begetteth not an other Nay which is more one simple element begetteth not an other as the water begetteth not water nor aire begetteth aire and therefore much lesse can one soule beget an other Againe if the soule of the child come from the soule of the parents then there is a propagation of the whole soule of the parent or of some part thereof If it be saide that the whole soule of the parents is propagated then the parents should want their owne soules and could not liue If it be said that a part of the parents soule is propagated I answereâ— that the soule being a spirit or a simple substance cannot be parted and therefore it is the safest to conclude that the bodie indeede is of the bodie of the pâ—rents and that the soule of man while the bodie is in making is created of nothing and for this very cause God is called the father of spirits Thus much of the crucifying of Christ nowe followeth his death For hauing laid downe his soule into the hands of his father the holy Ghost saith he gaue vp the ghost to giue vs to vnderstand that his death was no fantasticall but a reall death in that his bodie and soule were â—euered as truely as when any of vs die In treating of Christs death we must consider many points The first that it was needfull that he should die and that for two causes First to satisfie Gods iustice for sinne is fo odious a thing in Gods sight that he will punish it with an extreame punishment therefore Christ standing in our roome must not onely suffer the miâ—eries of this life but also die on the crosse that the very extremitie of punishment which wee should haue borne might bee laid on him and so we in Christ might fully satisfie Gods iustice for the wages of sinne is death Secondly Christ died that he might fulfill the trueth of Gods word which had said that man for eating the forbidden fruit should die the death The properties of Christs death are two the first that it was a voluÌ„tarie and willing death the second that it was a cursed death For the first whereas I say Christs death was voluntarie I meane that Christ died willingly and of his owne free accord gaue vp himselfe to suffer vpon the crosse Howsoeuer the Iewes did arraigne and condemne and crucifie him yet if hee had not willed his own death and of his free accord giuen himselfe to die not the Iewes nor all the whole worlde could euer haue taken away his life from him He died not by constraint or compulsion but most willingly and therefore hee saith No man taketh my life from me but I saith he lay it downe of my selfe I haue power to lay it downe and haue power to take it againe And our Sauiour Christ gaue euident tokens hereof in his death for then Iesus cried with a loud voice and gaue vp the ghost Ordinarily men that die on the crosse laÌ„guish away by little little before they come to yeeld vp their liues they loose their speech and onely rattle or make a noise in the throate but Christ at that very instant when he was to giue vp the ghost cried with a loud voice which sheweth plainely that he in his death was more then a conquerour ouer death And therefore to giue all men a token of his power and to shewe that he died voluntarily it pleased him to crie with a loud voice And this made the Centurion to say that he was the Sonne of God Againe Christ died not as other men doe because they first giue vp the ghost and then lay their heads aside but he in token that his death was voluntarie first laies his head aside after the manner of a dead man and then afterward giues vp the ghost Lastly Christ died sooner then men are wont to doe vpon the crosse and this was the cause that made Pilate wonder that he was so soone dead Now this came to passe not because he was loath to suffer the extremitie of death but because he would make it manifest to all men that he had power to die or not to die And indeede this is our comfort that Christ died not for vs by constraint but willingly of his owne accord And as Christs death was voluntarie so was it also an accursed death and therefore it is called the death of the crosse And it containeth the first and the second death the first is the separation of the bodie from the soule the second is the separation of bodie and soule from God and both were in Christ for beside the bodily death hee did in soule apprehend the wrath of God due to man for sinne and that made him crie My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And here wee must not omitte a necessarie point namely how farre foorth Christ suffered death Answere Some thinke that hee suffered onely a bodily death and such paines as followe the dissolution of nature but they no doubt come to short for why should Christ haue feared death so greatly if it had beene nothing but the dissolution of nature Some againe thinke that he died not onely the first but also the second death but it may
it also an imperfit sacrifice because it is repeated and iterated for vpon this ground doth the author to the Hebrues prooue that the sacrifices of the old testament were imperfit because they were daily offered And whereas they say there be two kinds of sacrifices one bloody once onely offered vpon the crosse the other vnbloody which is daily offered I answer that this distinction hath no ground out of Gods word neither was it knowne to the holy Ghost who saith that without blood there is no remission of sinnes The third question is what is the fruit of this sacrifice Ans. The whole effect thereof is contained in these foure things I. the oblation of Christ purgeth the beleeuer from all his sinnes whether they be originall or actuall so it is said If we walke in the light we haue fellowship one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ his sonne purgeth vs from all sinne whether they be sinnes of omission in regard of our duties or of commission in doing euill II. the oblation serueth for the iustifying of a sinner before God as Paul saith We are iustified by his blood and are reconciled to God by his death This being here remembred that in the passion of Christ we include his legall obedience whereby he fulfilled the law for vs. III. the oblation of Christ serues to purge mens consciences from dead workes How much more then shall the blood of Christ which through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serue the liuing God IV. the oblation of Christ procures vs libertie to enter to heauen By the blood of Christ Iesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place by the new and liuing way which he hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is his flesh By our sinnes there is a partition wall made betweene God and vs but Christ by offering himselfe vpon the crosse hath beaten downe this wall opened heauen and as it were trained the way with his owne blood whereby we may enter into the kingdome of God and without the which we can not enter in at all The last questioÌ„ is how this sacrifice may be applied to vs. Ans. The meanes of applying this sacrifice be two I. the hand of God which offereth II. the hand of the beleeuer that receiueth the sacrifice offered The hand of God wherby he offereth vnto vs his benefit is the preaching of the word the administration of the Sacraments baptisme and the Lords supper and wheresoeuer these his holy ordinances are rightly administred and put in practise there the Lord puts forth his hand vnto vs and offereth most freely the vertue and benefit of the death of Christ. And then in the next place commeth the hand of the beleeuer which is faith in the heart which when God offereth doth apprehend and receiue the thing offered and make it ours The third thing to be spoken of is the altar whereon Christ offered himselfe The altar was not the crosse but rather the godhead of Christ. He was both the priest the sacrifice and the altar the sacrifice as he is man the priest as he is both God and man the altar as he is God The propertie of an altar is to sanctifie the sacrifice as Christ saith ye fooles and blind whether is greater the offering or the altar that sanctifieth the offering Now Christ as he is God sanctifieth himselfe as he was man and therefore saith he for their sakes sanctifie I my selfe by doing two things I. by setting apart the manhood to be a sacrifice vnto his father for our sinnes II. by giuing to this sacrifice merit or efficacie to deserue at Gods hands remission of our sinnes the manhood of Christ without the Godhead hath no vertue nor efficacie in it selfe to be a meritorious sacrifice and therefore the dignitie and excellencie which it hath is deriued thence As for the chalkie and stonie altars of the Church of Rome they are nothing els but the toyes of mans braine Christ himselfe is the onely reall altar of the new testament And in stead of altars which were vnder the law we haue now the Lords table wheron we celebrate the Sacrament of his bodie and blood to shew forth his death till he come The fourth point is concerning the time of Christs oblation which he himselfe calleth the acceptable yeare of the Lord alluding vnto an other yere vnder the law called the yeare of Iubile which was euery fiftie yeare among the Iewes in which at the sound of a trumpet all that had set or sold their possessions receiued them againe all that were bondmen were then set at libertie This Iubile was but a figure of that perfect deliuerance which was to be obtained by Christs passion which was not temporarie deliuerance for euery fiftie yeare but an eternall freedome from the bondage of sinne hell death and condemnation And the preaching of the word is the trumpet sounded which proclaimeth vnto vs freedome from the kingdome of darknes and inuites vs to come and dwell in perfect peace with Christ himselfe Well if the yeare of perpetuall Iubile be now come in what a wretched estate all our loose and blind people that esteeme nothing of that libertie which is offered to them but choose rather to liue in their sinnes and in bondage vnder Satan and condemnation then to be at freedome in Christ. Now follow the vses which are to be made of the sacrifice of Christ. The prophet Aggai saith that the second temple built by Zorubbabel was nothing in beautie vnto the first which was built by Salomon and the reason is plaine for as the Iewes write it wanted fiue things which the first teÌ„ple had I. the appearing of the presence of god at the mercie seat between the two Cherubims II. the Vrim and Thummim on the breast-plate of the high priest III. the inspiration of the holy Ghost vpon extraordinarie Prophets IIII. the Arke of the Couenant for that was lost in the captiuitie V. fire from heauen to burne the sacrifices Yet for all this the Prophet afterward saith The glorie of the last House shall be greater then the first Now it may be demanded how both these sayings can stand together Ans. We are to know that the second Temple was standing in the time when Christ was crucified for our â—innes and it was the sacrifice of Christ which gaue glorie and dignitie to the second temple though otherwise for building and outward ornaments it was farre inferiour to the first And by this we are taught that if we would bring glorie vnto our owne selues vnto our houses and kindred either before God or before men we must labour to be partakers of the sacrifice of Christ and the sprinkling of his blood to purge our hearts This is the thing that brings renowne both to place and person how base soeuer we be in the eyes
euen in the very heauens is turned vpside downe The fourth signe is the rending of the vaile of the temple from the top to the bottome The temple was deuided into two parts the one more inward into which no man might come but the high priest and that once a yeare and it was called the holy of holies the other was that where the people came and offered sacrifices vnto the Lord. Nowe that which parted the temple into these two parts was called the vaile at the time of Christs passion it was rent from the toppe to the very bottome This hath diuers vses I. The holy of holies signified the third heauen where God sheweth himselfe in glory and maiestie vnto his Saints and the rending of the vaile sigureth vnto vs that by the death of Christ heauen which was otherwise shut by our sinnes is now set open and a way made to enter thereto II. It signifieth that by the death of Christ we haue without impediment free accesse to come vnto God the father by earnest praier in the name of Christ which is a most vnspeakable benefit III. It signifieth that by Christs death an end is put to all ceremonies to ceremoniall worship and the sacrifices of the old testament and that therefore in the newe testament there remaineth one onely reall and outward sacrifice that is Christ crucified on the crosse and the whole seruice and worship of God for outward ceremonies most simple and plaine IV. The temple was the chiefe and one of the most principal prerogatiues that the Iewes had it was their glorie that they had such a place wherein they might worship and doe seruice to the true God and for the temples sake God often spared them and therefore Daniel praieth O Lord heare the praier of thy seruant and his supplication and cause thy face to shine vpon the sanctuarie that lieth wast for the Lords sake Yet for all this when they began to crucifie the Lord of life their prerogatiues helpes them not nay they are depriued thereof and God euen with his owne hand rendes the vaile of the temple in sunder signifying vnto them that if they forsake him he will also forsake them And so may we say of the church of England No doubt for the gospels sake we haue outward peace and safetie and many other blessings and are in account with other nations yet if we make no conscience to obey the word of God if we haue no loue of Christ and his members God wil at length remooue his candlesticke from vs and vtterly depriue vs of this ornament of the Gospell and make our land as odious vnto all the world as the land of the Iewes is at this day Let vs therfore with all care and diligence shewe forth our loue both to Christ himselfe and to his members and adorne the gospell which wee professe by bringing forth fruits worthy of it The fifth signe is the earthquake whereby hard rockes were clouen a sunder And it serues very fitly to signifie further vnto vs that the sinne of the Iewes in putting Christ to death was so heauie a burden that the earth could not beare it but treÌ„bled thereat though the Iewes themselues made no bones of it And it is a thing to be wondred at that the earth doeth not often in these daies tremble and quake at the monstrous blasphemies and feareful othes by the wounds and blood and heart of Christ whereby his members are rent asunder and he traiterously crucified againe Secondly the earthquake shewes vnto vs the exceeding and wonderfull hardnes of the hearts of the Iewes and ours also they crucified Christ and were not touched with any remorse and wee can talke and heare of his death yea we can say hee was crucified for our sinnes and yet are we nothing affected therewith our hearts will not rende when as hard rockes cleaue asunder Thirdly the moouing of the eaâ—th and the rending of the rockes asunder may be a signe vnto vs of the vertue of the doctrine of the gospel of Christ which is nothing els but the publishing of the passion of his death which being preached shall shake heauen and earth sea and land It shall mooue the earthen hard and rockie hearts of men and raise vp of meere stones and rockes children vnto Abraham But the maine vse and ende of this point is to prooue that he that was crucified was the true Messias the sonne of God and therefore had the power of heauen and earth and could mooue all things at his pleasure The sixt signe of the power of Christ is that graues did open many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of their graues after his resurrectioÌ„ and went into the holy citie and appeared vnto many The vse of this signe is this it signifies vnto vs that Christ by his death vpon the crosse did vanquish death in the graue and opened itâ— and thereby testified that hee was the resurrection and the life so that it shall not haue euerlasting dominion ouer vs but that he will raise vs vp from death to life and to euerlasting glorie The seuenth signe is the testimonie of the Centurion with his souldiours which stood by to see Christ executed S. Marke saith when he sawe that Christ thus crying gaue vp the ghost he said truely this was the sonne of God Thus wee see it is an easie matter for Christ to defend his owne cause let Iudas betray him Peter denie him and all the rest forsake him yet he can if it so please him make the Centurion that standeth by to see him executed to testify of his innocency But what was the occasion that mooued him to giue so worthie a testimonie S. Matthew saith it was feare and that feare was caused by hearing the loud crie of Christ and by seeing the earthquake things which were done And this must put vs in minde not to passe by Gods iudgements which daily fall out in the world but take knowledge of them and as it were to fixe both our eyes on them For they are notable meanes to strike and astonish the rebellious heart of man and to bring it in awe and subiection to God After that the two first captaines with their fifties commanding the Prophet Elias to come downe to king Achaziah were consumed with fire from heauen the king sent his third captain ouer fiftie with his fiftie to fetch him down but what doth he it is said he fell on his knee before Eliah and besought him saying O man of God I pray thee let my life and the liues of these fiftie seruants be pretious in thine eyes But what was the cause why he praied thus Surely he obserued what iudgements of God fell vpon his two former fellow captaines Behold saith he there came downe fire from heauen and deuoured the two former captaines with their fifties therefore let my life be pretious now in
lower parts should be no man is able to define Obiect II. Act. 2.37 Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption Answer These words cannot prooue any locall descent of Christs soule For Peters drift in alleadging of them is to prooue the resurrection and he saith expresly that the words must be vnderstood of the resurrection of Christ vers 31. Hee seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ. What namely these wordes his soule was not left in hell c. Nowe there is no resurrection of the soule but of the bodie onely as the soule can not be said to fall but the bodie It will be replied that the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot signifie the bodie and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the graue Ans. The first worde signifies not onely the spirituall part of a man the soule but also the whole person or the man himselfe Rom. 13.1 1. Cor. 15.41 And the second is as well taken for the graue as for hel Apoc. 20. 14. Death and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are cast into the lake of fire Nowe wee can not say that hell is cast into hell but the graue into hell And the very same word in this text must needes haue this sense For Peter makes an opposition betweene the graue into which Dauid is shut vp and the hell out of which Christ was deliuered vers 29.31 Againe it will be said that in this text there be two distinct partes the first of the soules comming forth of hell in these wordes Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell The secōd of the bodies rising out of the graue in the next words neither wilt thou suffer my flesh to see corruptiō Ans. It is not so For flesh in this place signifies not the bodie alone but the humane nature of Christ as appeares vers 30. vnlesse we shall say that one and the same word in the same sentence is taken two waies And the words rather carrie this sense Thou wilt not suffer me to continue long in the graue nay which is more in the time of my continuance there thou wilt not suffer me so much as to feele any corruption because I am thy holy one Obiect III. 1. Pet. 3.19 Christ was quickened in spirit by the which spirit he went and preached to the spirits which are in prison Answere The place is not for this purpose For by spirit is not meant the soule of Christ but his godhead which in the ministerie of Noe preached repentance to the olde world And I thinke that Peter in this place alludes to another place in Genesis 6.3 where the Lord saith My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man because he is but flesh And if the spirit doe signifie the soule then Christ was quickned either by his soule or in his soule But neither is true For the first it can not bee said that Christ was quickened by his soule because it did not ioyne it selfe to the bodie but the godhead ioyned them both Neither was he quickened in soule for his soule died not It could not die the first death which belongs to the bodie and it did not die the second death which is a totall separation from God onely it suffered the sorrowes of the second death which is the apprehension of the wrath of God as a man may feele the pangs of the first death and yet not die the first death but liue Againe it is to no ende that Christs soule should goe to hell to preach considering that it was neuer heard of that one soule should preach to another especially in hell where all are condemned and in conscience conuicted of their iust damnation and where there is no hope of repentance or redemption It will be answered that this preaching is onely reall or experimentall because Christ shewes himselfe there to conuince the vnbeleefe of his enemies but this is flatte against reason For when a man is iustly condemned by God and therefore sufficiently conuicted what neede the iudge himselfe come to the place of execution to conuict him And it is flat against the text For the preaching that is spoken of here is that which is performed by men in the ministerie of the word as Peter expounds himselfe 1. Pet. 4.6 To this purpose was the Gospel also preached vnto the dead that they might be condemned according to men in the flesh that they might liue according to God in the spirit Lastly there is no reason why Christ should rather preach and shew himselfe in hell to them that were disobedient in the daies of Noe then to the rest of the damned And this is the first exposition the second follows He descended into hell that is Christ descended into the graue or was buried This exposition is agreeable to the truth yet is it not meete or conuenient For the clause next before he was buried contained this point and therefore if the next wordes following yeelde the same sense there must be a vaine and needlesse repetition of one and the same thing twise which is not in any wise to be allowed in so short a Creede as this If it be said that these words are an exposition of the former the answer is that then they should be more plaine then the former For when one sentence expoundeth an other the latter must alwaies be the plainer but of these two sentences He was buried he descended into hell the first is very plaine and easie but the latter very obscure and hard and therefore it can be no exposition thereof and for this cause this exposition neither is to be receiued Thirdly others there be which expound it thus He descended into hell that is Christ Iesus when he was dying vpon the crosse felt and suffered the pangs of hell and the full wrath of God seazing vpon his soule This exposition hath his warrant in Gods word where hell often signifies the sorrowes and paines of hell as Hanna in her song vnto the Lord saith The Lord killeth and maketh aliue he bringeth downe to hell and raiseth vp that is he maketh men feele woe and miserie in their soules euen the pangs of hell and after restoreth them And Dauid saith The sorrowes of death compassed me and the terrours of hell laid hold on me This is an vsuall exposition receiued of the Church and they which expound this article thus giues this reason thereof The former words was crucified dead and buried doe containe say they the outward sufferings of Christ now because he suffered not onely outwardly in bodie but also inwardly in soule therefore these words he descended into hell doe set forth vnto vs his inward sufferings in soule when he felt vpon the crosse the full wrath of God vpon him This exposition is good and true and whosoeuer will may receiue it Yet neuerthelesse it seemes not so fitly to agree with the order of the former articles For
these words was crucified dead and buried must not be vnderstood of any ordinarie death but of a cursed death in which Christ suffered the full wrath of God euen the pangs of hell both in soule and bodie seeing then this exposition is contained in the former words it cannot fitly stand with the order of this short Creede vnlesse there should be a distinct article of things repeated before But let vs come to the fourth exposition He descended into hell that is when he was dead and buried he was held captiue in the graue and lay in bondage vnder death for the space of three daies This exposition also may be gathered forth of the Scriptures Saint Peter faith God hath raised him vp speaking of Christ and loosed the sorrowes of death because it was vnpossible that he should bee holden of it Where wee may see that betweene the death and resurrection of Christ there is placed a third matter which is not mentioned in any clause of the Apostles Creede saue in this and that is his bondage vnder death which commeth in betweene his death and rising againe And the words themselues doe most fitly beare this sense as the speech of Iacob sheweth I will goe downe into hell vnto my sonne mourning And this exposition doth also best agree with the order of the Creede first he was crucified and died secondly he was buried thirdly laid in the graue was therein held in captiuitie and bondage vnder death And these three degrees of Christs humiliatioÌ„ are most fitly correspondent to the three degrees of his exaltation The first degree of exaltation he rose againe the third day answering to the first degree of his humiliation he died the second degree of his exaltation hee ascended into heauen answering to his going downe into the graue was buried and thirdly his sitting at the right hand of God which is the highest degree of his exaltation answering to the lowest degree of his humiliation he descended into hell These two last expositions are commonly receiued and wee may indifferently make choice of either but the last as I take it is most agreeable to the order and wordes of the Creede Thus much for the meaning of the wordes Nowe followe the vses And first of all Christs descending into hell teacheth euery one of vs that professe the name of Christ that if it shall please God to afflict vs either in bodie or in mind or in both though it be in most grieuous and tedious manner yet must we not thinke it straunge For if Christ vpon the crosse not onely suffered the pangs of hell but after he was dead death takes him and as it were carries him into his denne or cabbinâ— and there triumpheth ouer him holding him in captiuitie and bondage and yet for all this was he the sonne of God and therfore when Gods hand is heauie vpon vs any way we are not to despaire but rather thinke it is the good pleasure of God to frame and fashion vs that we may become like vnto Christ Iesus as good children of God Dauid a man after Gods owne heart was by Samuel annointed King ouer Israel but withall God raised vp Saul to persecute him as the fowler hunteth the partridge in the mountaine in so much that Dauid said there was but one steppe between him and death So likewise Iob a iust man and one that feared God with all his heart yet how heauily did God lay his hand vpon him his goods and cattell were all taken away and his children slaine and his bodie striâ—kâ—n by Satan with loathsome byles from the sole of his foote vnto the crownâ— of his head so as he was faine to take a potsheard and scrape himselfe sitting among the ashes And Ionah the seruant and Prophet of the most high God when he was called to preach to Niniuie because he refused for feare of that great cittie God mette with him and hee must bee cast into the sea and there be swallowed vp of a Whale that so he might chastice him and thus doth hee deale with his owne seruants to make them conformable to Christ. And further when it pleaseth God to lay his hand vpon our soules and make vs haue a troubled and distressed conscience so as we do as it were struggle with gods wrath as for life and death and can finde nothing but his indignation seazing vpon our soules which is the most grieuous and perplexed estate that any man can be in in this case howesoeuer we cannot discerne or see any hope or comfort in our selues wee must not thinke it straunge nor quite despaire of his mercy For the sonne of God himselfe descended into hell and death carried him captiue and triumphed ouer him in the graue and therefore though God seeme to be our vtter enemie yet we must not despaire of his helpe In diuers Psalmes we read how Dauid was not onely persecuted outwardly of his enemies but euen his soule and conscience were perplexed for his sinnes so as his very bones were consumed within him and his moisture was turned into the drought in sommer This caused Iob to crie out that the arrowes of God were within him and the venyme thereof did drinke vp his spirit the terrours of God did fight against him the griefe of his soule was as waightie as the sand of the sea by reason whereof he saith that the Lord did make him a marke and a but to shoote at and therefore when God shall thus afflict vs either in bodie or in soule or in both we must not alwaies thinke that it is the wrathfull hand of the Lord that beginnes to bring vs to vtter condemnation for our sinnes but rather his fatherly work to kill sinne in vs and to make vs growe in humilitie that so we may become like vnto Christ Iesus Secondly whereas Christ for our sakes was thus abased euen vnto the lowest degree of humiliation that can be it is an example for vs to imitate as Christ himselfe prescribeth Learne of me that I am meeke and lowely And that we may the better doe this we must learne to become nothing in our selues that we may bee al in al forth of our selues in Christ we must loath and thinke as basely of our selues as possibly may be in regard of our sinnes Christ Iesus vpon the crosse was content for our sakes to become a worme and no man as Dauid saith which did cheifly appeare in this lowest degree of his humiliation when as death did as it were tread on him in his denne and the same mind must likewise be in vs which was in him The liking that we haue of our selues must be meere nothing but all our loue and liking must be forth of our selues in the death and blood of Christ. And thus much of this clause as also of the state of Christs humiliation Nowe followeth his second estate which is his exaltation into glorie set downe tâ—
possibly haue knowne that he had made satisfaction for any of them if he had not risen againe The vses which concerne our selues are of two sorts comforts to the children of God and duties that are to be learned and practised of vs all The comforts are especially three First Christs resurrection serueth for the iustification of all that beleeue in him euen before God the father as Paul saith Christ was giuen to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification which wordes haue this meaning when Christ died we must not consider him as a priuate man as we haue shewed before but as one that stoode in the stead and roome of all the elect in his death he bare our sinnes and suffered all that we should haue suffered in our owne persons for euer and the guilt of our offences was laide vpon him and therefore Esai saith he was numbred among the wicked Now in his rising againe he freed and disburdened himselfe not from any sinnes of his owne because he was without sinne but from the guilt and punishment of our sinnes imputed vnto him And hence it comes to passe that all those which put their trust and affiance in the merit of Christ at the very first instant of their beleeuing haue their owne sinnes not imputed vnto them and his righteousnes imputed Secondly the resurrection of Christ serueth as a notable meanes to worke inward sanctification as S. Peter saith We are regenerate to a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead And S. Paul We are then saith he buried with him by baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of his father so we also should walke in newnesse of life For if we be grafted with him to the similitude of his death we shall be also to the similitude of his resurrection Which words import thus much that as Christ by the power of his owne Godhead freed his manhood from death and from the guilt of our sinnes so doth he free those that are knit vnto him by the bond of one spirit from the corruption of their natures in which they are dead that they may liue vnto God In the naturall bodie the head is the fountaine of all the senses and of motion and therefore by sundrie nerues dispersed through the bodie the power of moouing and of sense is deriued euen to the least parts so as the hands and the feete mooue by meanes of that power which comes from the head and so it is in the spirituall bodie of Christ namely the church he is the head and the fountaine of life and therefore he conueyeth spirituall life to euery one of his members and that very power of his Godhead whereby he raised vp himselfe when he was deade he conueyeth from himselfe to his members and thereby raiseth them vp from the death of sinne to newnes of life And looke as in a perfect body when the head hath sense and motion the hand that is of the same bodie hath also the sense and motion conuenient for it so likewise Christ beeing the resurrection and the life as there is spirituall life in him so euery member of his shall feele in it selfe spirituall sense and motion whereby it is raised vp from sinne and liueth vnto God For the better coÌ„ceiuing of this we must consider two things the outward means of this spirituall life and the measure of it For the meanes if we wil haue common water we must goe to the well and if we would haue water of life wee must goe vnto Christ who saith If any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke Now this well of the water of life is very deepe and we haue nothing to draw with therefore we must haue our pipes and conduits to conuey the same vnto vs which are the word of God preached and the administration of the sacraments Christ saith The dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God and they that heare it shall liue where by the dead is meant not the dead in the graue but those that are dead in sinne And againe Christ saith the wordes which I speake are spirit and life because the word of God is the pipe whereby he conueieth into our dead hearts spirit and life As Christ when he raised vp dead men did oneâ—y speake the word and they were made aliue and at the day of iudgement by his very voice when the trumpe shall blow all that are dead shall rise againe So it is in the first resurrection they that are dead in their sins at his voice vttered in the ministerie of the word shall rise againe To goe further Christ raised three from the dead Iairus daughter newly dead the widowes sonne dead and wound vp and lying on the hearse Lazarus dead and buried and stinking in the graue and all this he did by his very voice so also by the preaching of his word he raiseth all sorts of sinners euen such as haue lien long in their sinnes as rotting and stinking carrion The sacraments also are the pipes and conduits whereby God conueieth grace into the heart if they be rightly vsed that is if they be receiued in vnfained repentance for all our sinnes and with a true liuely faith in Christ for the pardon of the same sinnes And so I take it they are compared to flagons of wine which reuiue the Church beeing sicke and fallen into a swound As for the measure of life deriued from Christ it is but small in this life and giuen by little and little as Ose saith The Lord hath spoiled vs and he will heale vs he hath wounded vs and he will bind vs vp After two daies he will reuiue vs and in the third he will raise vs vp and we shall liue in his sight The prophet Ezechiel in a vision is carried into the midst of a field full of dead bones and he is caused to prophecy ouer them and say O ye drie bones heare the word of the Lord at the fiâ—st there was a shaking and the bones came togither bone to bone and then sinewes and flesh grewe vpon them and vpon the flesh grewe a skinne Then he prophecied vnto the windes the second time and they liued and stood vpon their feete for the breath came vpon them and they were an exceeding great army of men Hereby it signified not onely the state of the Iewes after their captiuitieâ— but in them the state of the whole Church of God For these temporall deliuerances signified further a spirituall deliuerance And wee may here see most plaâ—nely that God worketh in the hearts of his children the gifts graces of regeneration by little and little First he giueth no more then flesh sinewes and skin then after he giueth them further graces of his spirit which quickeneth them and maketh them aliue vnto God The same also we may
righteous from the wicked and the elect from the reprobate He which knoweth the hearts of all men knoweth also howe to doe this and he will doe it This full and finall separation is reserued to Christ and shall not be accomplished till the last day For so it is in the parable that the tares must grow with the wheate til haruest and the reapers must separate them and gather the wheate into the barne but the tares must be burned with vnquenchable fire By the consideration of this one point we learne diuers things I. that in the Church of God in this world good and badde are mingled togither elect and reprobate and wee are not to imagine any perfection of the church of God vpon earth as many haue dreamed which when they could not finde they haue therefore forsaken al assemblies I confesse indeede that the preaching of the word is the Lords fanne whereby he clenseth his Church in part but yet the finishing of this worke shall not be before the last iudgement For when the ministers of God haue done all that they can yet shall the wicked be mingled with the godly Therefore the Church is compared to a barne flore where is both wheate chaffe and a corne fielde where is both tares and good corne and a draw net wherin is both good fish and badde Secondly whereas this separation must not be before the ende of the world hence wee learne the state of Gods Church in this life It is like a flocke of sheepe mingled with goates and therefore the condition of Gods people in this world is to bee troubled many waies by those with whome they liue For goates vse to strike the sheepe to annoy their pasture and to make their water muddie that they can not drinke of it and therefore we must prepare our selues to beare all annoyances crosses and calamities that shall befall vs in this world by the wicked ones among whome we liue Thirdly we are taught that howesoeuer the goates and the sheepe be very like and feede in one pasture and lie in one folde all their life time yet Christ can and will seuer them asunder at the last day Therefore considering as wee are borne of Adam wee haue the nature of the goate yea of the wilde beast and not of the sheepe it standes vs in hand to lay aside our goatish conditions and to take vnto vs the properties of the sheepe of Christ which hee expresseth in these words My sheepe saith he heare my voice I know them and they follow me And the properties are three to know him to be knowne of him and to follow him namely in obedience and he that findes them all in himselfe weareth the brand and marke of the true sheepe of Christ but contrariwise they that make profession of Christ and yet therewithall ioyne not obedience howsoeuer the world may account of them they are but goates and no sheepe Let vs therefore with the knowledge of Christ ioyne obedience to his word that when the day shall come that the goates must be separated from the sheepe we may be found to be in the number of the true sheep of Christ. We may deceiue men both in life and death and beare them in hand that we are sheepe but when the iudgement shall come we cannot deceiue Christ he it is that formed vs he knowes our hearts and therefore can easily discerne what we are The fifth thing is the triall of euery mans particular cause a point especially to be considered For as at the barre of an earthly iudge the malefactour is brought out of prison and set before the iudge and there examined euen so in that great day shall euery man without exception be brought before the Lord to be tried But how shall this triall be made Ans. By workes as the Apostle saith We must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill And the reason is because works are the outward signes of inward grace and godlinesse And though we be iustified by faith alone without workes yet may we be iudged both by faith and workes For the last iudgement doth not serue to make men iust that are vniust but only to manifest them to be iust indeed which were iust before in this life truly iustified The consideration of this very point should mooue vs al to repent vs of our sinnes past and to reforme our selues throughout and to be plentifull in all good works And vndoubtedly if we seriously thinke vpon it it will hold vs more straightly to all good duties then if with the Papists we held iustification by workes Furthermore in this triall two things must be skanned I. how all mens workes shall be made manifest II. by what meanes they shall be examined Of the manifestation of euery mans worke S. Iohn speaketh And I saw saith he the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were iudged of these things which were written in the bookes according to their workes God is said to haue bookes not properly but because all things are as certen and manifest to him as if he had his Registers in heauen to keepe rolles and records of thē His bookes are three the booke of Prouidence the booke of Iudgement the booke of Life The booke of his prouidence is the knowledge of all particular things past present to come Of this the Psalmist speaketh Thine eyes did see me when I was without forme for in thy booke were all things written which in continuance were fashioned when there was none of them before The booke of iudgement is that whereby he giues iudgement and it is twofold The first is Gods knowledge or prescience in which all the affaires of mē their thoughts words and deedes are as certenly knowne and set downe as if they were put in bookes of record We may forget our sinnes but God keepes them in a register he knowes them euery one The second booke is euery mans particular conscience which also brings to remembrance and testifies what men haue done and what they haue not done The booke of life is nothing else but the decree of Gods election in which God hath set downe who be ordained to life eternall Now the opening of these bookes is a thing wherein the endles power of God shall most notably shew it self For when we shall stand before the iudgement seat of Christ he then knowing all things in his eternall counsell shall reueale vnto euery man his owne particular sinnes whether they were in thought word or deede and then also by his mightie power he shall so touch mens consciences that they shall afresh remember what they haue done Now indeede the wicked mans conscience is shut vp
He must not vtterly despaire but be resolued of this that though he want assurance nowe yet he may obtaine the same hereafter And such must he aduertised to heare the word of God preached and beeing outwardly of the Church to receiue the Sacraments When we haue care to come into the Lords vine-yarde and to conuerse about the wine-presse wee shall finde the sweete iuyce of heauenly grace pressed forth vnto vs plentifully by the word and sacraments to the comfort of our consciences concerning gods election This one mercy that God by these meanes in some part reueales his mercy is vnspeakeable When sickenesse or the day of death comes the dearest seruants of God it may bee must encounter with the temptations of the deuill and wrastle in conscience with the wrath and displeasure of God as for life and death and no man knowes howe terrible these things are but those which haue felt them Nowe when men walke thus through the valley of the shadowe of death vnlesse God should as it were open heauen and streame downe vnto vs in this world some lightsome beames of his loue in Christ by the operation of his spirit miserable were the case euen of the righteous Thus much of Election nowe followes Reprobation in handling whereof we are to obserue three things I. what it is II. howe God doth execute this decree III. how a man may iudge of the same For the first Reprobation is Gods decree in which because it so pleased him he hath purposed to refuse some men by meanes of Adams fall and their owne corruptions for the manifestation of his iustice First I say it is a decree and that is euident thus If there be an eternall decree of God whereby he chooseth some men then there must needes be another decree whereby he doth passe by others and refuse them For election alwaies implies a refusall Againe what God doth in time that he decreed to doe before time as the case falls out euen with men of mean wisdome who first of al intend with themselues the things to be done and after do them But god in time refuseth some men as the scripture testifieth and it appeareth to be true by the euent Therefore God before all worlde 's decreed the reiecting of some men Nowe in this decree foure points are to be considered The first is the matter or obiect thereof which is the thing decreed namely the reiection of some men in respect of mercie or the manifestation of his iustice vpon them This may seeme strange to mans reasonâ— but here wee must with all submission strike our top-sailes for the worde of God saieth as much in plaine tearmes The Apostle Iude speaking of false Prophets saith that they were of olde ordained to this damnation And Paul saith in emphaticall tearmes that God makes vessells of wrath prepared to destruction and that some are reiected whome he opposeth to them which are elected to saluation The second point is the impulsiue cause that mooued God to set downe this decree concerning his creature that was nothing out of himselfe but his verie will and pleasure Hee hardened Pharaoh with finall hardenesse of heart because he would and therefore he deceed to doe so because he would And our Sauiour Christ saith I thanke thee O father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto babes But vpon what cause did God so It followes in the next wordes It is so O father because thy good pleasure is such And if it be in the power and libertie of a man to kil an oxe or a sheepe for his vse to hunt kill the hare and partridge for his pleasure then much more without iniustice may it be in the will and libertie of the creator to refuse and forsake his creature of his glorie Nay it standes more with equitie a thousand folde that all the creatures in heauen and earth should ioyntly serue to set forth the glorie and maiestie of God the creator in their eternall destruction then the striking of a slie or the killing of a slea should serue for the dignitie of all men in the worlde For all this it is thought by verie many to be very hard to ascribe vnto God who is full of bountie and mercy such a decree and that vpon his very wil but let vs see their reasons First of all they say it is a point of crueltie for God to purpose to create a great part of the world to damnation in hell fire the answer is that by the vertue of this decree God cannot be said to create any man to damnation but to the manifestation of his iustice and glorie in his due and deserued damnation and the doing of this is absolute iustice Secondly it is alleadged that by this meanes God shall hate his owne creature and that before it is but it is an vntrueth Wee must distinguish betweene Gods purpose to hate and actuall hating Now indeede God before all worlds did purpose to hate some creatures and that iustly so farre forth as his hating of them will serue for the manifestation of his iustice but he neither hates them indeed nor loues them before they are and therefore actuall hatred comes not in till after the creation Whome God hath decreed to loue them when they are once created he beginnes to loue in Christ with actuall loue and whome hee hath decreed to hate them being once created he hates in Adam with actuall hatred Thirdly it is obiected that by this doctrine God shall be the author of sinne for he which ordaines to the ende ordaines to the meanes of the end but God ordaines men to the ende that is damnation therefore he ordaines them to the meanes thereof that is sinne Ans. The proposition beeing thus vnderstood he which ordaines a man to an ende in the same order and manner ordaines him to the meanes is false For one may be ordained to the end simply the ende beeing simply good and yet not be simply ordained to the meanes because they may be euill in themselues and onely good in part namely so far forth as they haue respect of goodnesse in the minde of the ordainer Secondly the assumption is false for the supreame ende of Gods counsell is not damnation but the declaration of his iustice in the iust destruction of the creature neither doth God decree mans damnation as it is damnation that is the ruine of man and the putting of him forth to perishment but as it is a reall execution of iustice Thirdly wee must make distinction betweene sinne it selfe and the permission thereof and betweene the decree of reiection and actual damnation nowe the permission of sinne and not sinne it selfe properly is the subordinate meanes of the decree of reiection For when God had decreed to passe by some men he withall decreed the permission of sinne to which permission men were
that by reason of this confusion men can not possibly rise with their owne bodies Ans. Howesoeuer this is impossible with men yet it is possible with God For he that in the beginning was able to create all things of nothing is much more able to make euery mans bodie at the resurrection of his owne matter and to distinguish the dust of mens bodies from the dust of beasts and the dust of one mans bodie from another The goldsmith by his art can sunder diuers mettals one frō another some men out of one mettall can drawe another why then should we thinke it vnpossible for the almightie God to doe the like It may bee further obiected thus A man is eaten by a woolfe the woolfe is eaten by a Lyon the Lyon by the foules of the aire the foules of the aire eaten againe by men againe one man is eaten of another as it is vsuall among the Cannibals Nowe the bodie of that man which is turned into so many substances especially into the bodie of another man cannot rise againe and if the one doeth the other doeth not Ans. This reason is but a cauill of mans braine for wee must not thinke that whatsoeuer entreth into the bodie and is turned into the substance thereof must rise againe and become a part of the bodie at the daie of iudgement but euery man shall then haue so much substance of his owne as shall make his bodie to be entire and perfect though another mans flesh once eaten bee no part thereof Againe it is vrged that because flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdome of God therefore the bodies of men shall not rise againe Ans. By flesh and blood is not meant the bodies of men simply but the bodies of men as they are in weaknesse without glorie subiect to corruption For flesh and blood in Scripture signifies sometime the originall sinne and corruption of nature and sometime mans nature subiect to miseries and infirmities or the bodie in corruption before it be glorified and so it must bee vnderstood in this place Lastly it is obiected that Salomon saith The condition of the children of men and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition Nowe beasts rise not againe after this life and therefore there is no resurrection of men Ans. In that place Salomon expoundeth himselfe They are like in dying for so he saith as the one dieth so dieth the other he speaketh not of their estate after death The second point to be considered is the cause of the resurrection In mankind we must consider two parts the Elect and the Reprobate and they both shall rise againe at the day of iudgement but by diuers causes The godly haue one cause of their resurrection and the vngodly another The cause why the godly rise againe is the resurrection of Christ yea it is the proper cause which procureth and effecteth their resurrection In the scripture Adam and Christ are compared togither and Christ is called the second Adam these were two rootes The first Adam was the roote of al mankinde and he conueieth sinne and by sinne death to all that sprang of him Christ onely excepted the second Adam which is the roote of all the Elect conueieth life both in bodie and soule to all that are vnited to him and by the vertue of his resurrection they shal rise againe after this life For looke as the power of the godhead of Christ when he was dead in the graue raised his bodie the third day so shall the same power of Christ his godhead conuey it selfe vnto all the faithfull which euen in death remaine vnited vnto him and raise them vp at the last daie And for this cause Christ is called a quickening spirit Nowe the cause why the wicked rise againe is not the vertue of Christs resurrection but the vertue of Gods curse set downe in his word In the daie that thou shalt eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death that is a double death both of bodie and soule And therefore they arise onely by the power of Christ as hee is a iudge that this sentence may be verified on them and that they may suffer both in bodie and soule eternall punishment in hell fire Furthermore S. Iohn setteth downe the outward meanes whereby the dead shal be raised namely the voice of Christ The houre shall come saith he in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice and they shall come forth For as hee created all things by his word so at the day of iudgement by the same voice all shall be raised againe This may bee a good reason to mooue vs to heare the ministers of God reuerently for that which they teach is the very word of God and therefore we are to pray that it may be as effectuall in raising vs vp from the graue of sinne in this life as it shall bee after this life in raising vs vp from the graue of death vnto iudgement Thirdly we are to consider what manner of bodies shall rise at the last day Ans. The same bodies for substance this Iob knew well when he said I shall see him at the last daie in my flesh whome I my selfe shall see and none other for me with these same eies Neuerthelesse the bodies of the elect shall be altered in qualitie being made incorruptible and filled with glorie The last point to be considered is the ende why these bodies shall rise againe The principall end which God intendeth is his owne glorie in the manifestation of his iustice and mercie Nowe at the last daie when all men shall be raised to iudgement by the voice of Christ the godly to life and the wicked to condemnation there shal be a full manifestation both of his mercy and iustice and therefore by consequent a full manifestation of his glorie Thus much for the doctrines touching the Resurrection now followe the vses First it serueth wonderfully for the comfort of all Christian hearts Dauid speaking not onely of Christ but also of himselfe saith most notably Mine heart is glad my tongue reioiceth and my flesh also doth rest in hope Why so For saith he thou shalt not leaue my soule in graue neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption Though the daies of this life be daies of woe and miserie yet the day of the resurrection shall bee vnto all the children of God a time of reioicing and felicitie as Peter saith it is the time of refreshing Whosoeuer is now an hungred shall then eate and be filled with the fruite of the tree of life and whosoeuer is now naked shall be then cloathed with the white garments dipped in the blood of the Lambe and whosoeuer is nowe lame shall haue all his members restored perfectly And as this daie is ioyfull to the godly so on the contrarie it is a daie of woe and
as it were swallowed vp with a sea of his loue and wholly rauished therewith for which cause as farre as creatures can they shall loue him againe Againe the loue of a thing is according to the knowledge thereof but in this life God is knowne of man onely in part and therefore is loued onely but in part but after this life when the Elect shall knowe God fully they shall loue him without measure in this respect loue hath a prerogatiue aboue faith or hope howesoeuer in some respects againe they goe beyond loue The fourth prerogatiue is that the Saints of God keepe a perpetuall Sabbath in heauen In this life it is kept but euery seuenth daie and when it is best of all sanctified it is done but in part but in heauen euery day is a Sabbath as the Lord saith by the Prophet Esay From moneth to moneth and from Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh shall come and worship before me therefore the life to come shall be spent in the perpetuall seruice of God Fifthly the bodies of the elect after this life in the kingdome of heauen shal be like the glorious bodie of Christ so Paul saith Christ Iesus our Lord shall chaÌ„ge our vile bodies that they may be like his glorious bodie Now the resemblaÌ„ce betweene Christs bodie and ours standeth in these things as Christs bodie is incorruptible so shall our bodies be void of all corruption as Christs bodie is immortal so ours in the kingdom of heauen shal neuer die as Christs bodie is spirituall so shall ours be made spirituall as the Apostle saith It is sowen a naturall bodie it is raised a spirituall bodie not because the bodie shall be changed into a spirit for it shall remaine the same in substance and that for euer but because it shall be preserued by a spirituall and diuine manner For in this life it is preserued by meate drinke cloathing sleepe physicke rest and diet but afterwarde without all these meanes the life of the bodie shall be continued and bodie and soule keepe togither by the immediate power of Gods spirit for euer and euer Thus the bodie of Christ is nowe preserued in heauen and so shall the bodies of all the elect be after the day of iudgement Furthermore as Christs bodie is nowe a shining bodie as doth appeare by his transfiguration in the mount so in all likelihood after the resurrection the bodies of the elect shall be shining and bright alwaies remaining the same for substance Lastly as Christs bodie after it rose againe from the graue had this propertie of agilitie beside swiftnes to passe from the earth to the third heauen beeing in distance many thousand miles froÌ„ vs and that without violence so shall the bodies of the Saints For beeing glorified they shall be able as well to ascend vpwarde as to goe downewarde and to mooue without violence and that very swiftly The sixth and last prerogatiue is an vnspeakable and eternall ioy â—â— Dauid saith In thy presence is fulnesse of ioy at thy right hand there are pâ—â—â—ares for euermore It is said that when Salomon was crowned king the people reioiced exceedingly If there were such great ioy at his coronation whiâ—h was but an earthly prince what ioy then shall there be when the Elect shall see the true Salomon crowned with glorie in the kingdome of heauen It is said that the wise men which came from the East to worship Christ when they sawe the starre standing ouer the place where the babe was were exceedingly glad howe much more shall the elect reioice when they shall see Christ not lying in a manger but crowned with immortall glorie in the kingdome of heauen Wherefore this ioy of the elect after this life is most wonderfull and cannot be vttered The propertie of life eternall is to be an inheritance which God bestoweth on them which are made his sonnes in Christ who is the only begotten sonne of the father Hence it followes necessarily that in the Scriptures it is called a reward not because it is deserued by our workes as the Church of Rome erroniously teacheth but for two other causes First because life eternall is due to all that beleeue by vertue of Christs merit For his righteousnesse is made ours by imputation so conâ—equently the merit thereof is also ours and by it all personall merits in our selues vtterly excluded we deserue or merit eternall happines as a reward which neuerthelesse in respect of our selues is the free and meere gift of God The second is because there is a resemblance betweene eternall life and a reward For as a reward is giuen to a workeman after his worke is done so euerlasting life is giuen vnto men after the trauailes and miseries of this life are ended The degrees of life are three The first is in this life when men beeing iustified and sanctified haue peace with God Many imagine that there is no eternall life till after death but they are deceiued for it beginnes in this world as our Sauiour Christ testifieth saying Verily verily I say vnto you he that heareth my wordes and beleeueth him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life This being so we are hence to learne a good lesson Considering we looke for life euerlasting after this life we must not deceiue our selues lingring and deferring the time till the last gaspe but we must lay the foundation of life eternall in our selues in this world and haue the earnest thereof laide vp in our hearts against the day of death But how is that done we must repent vs heartily of all our sinnes and seeke to be assured in conscience that God the father of Christ is our father God the sonne our redeemer and God the holy Ghost our comforter For as Christ saith this is life eternall to know thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. And we must goe further yet endeauouring to say with Paul that we liue not but that Christ liueth in vs which when we can say we haue in vs the very seede of eternall life The second degree is in the ende of this life when the bodie freed from all diseases paines and miseries is laid to rest in the earth and the soule is receiued into heauen The third is after the day of iudgement when bodie and soule reunited shall both be aduanced to eternall glorie Againe in this third degree of life there be in all likelihood sundrie degrees of glory Daniel speaking of the estate of the elect after this life saith They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the starres for euermore Now we know there is difference betweene the brightnesse of the firmament and the brightnesse of the starres Againe there be degrees of torments in hell as appeares by the saying
elect For the better knowing of it there is to bee considered First what faith is Secondly how God doth worke it in the hearts of the elect Thirdly what degrees there be of faith Fourthly what are the fruits and benefits of faith IIII. Faith is a wonderfull grace of God by which the elect doe apprehend and apply Christ and all his benefits vnto themselues particularly Here first it is to be coÌ„sidered that the very nature of faith staÌ„deth in a certaine power of apprehending and applying Christ. This is declared by Paul whe he saith Ye are buried with him through baptisme by whome ye are also risen againe with him by the faith of the power of God who raised him from the dead Where it appeareth that faith is made a meanes to communicate Christ himselfe his death and buriall and so all other benefits to the beleeuer Againe to beleeue in Christ and to receiue or to lay hold on Christ are put one for another by Saint Iohn which declareth that there is a speciall applying of Christ euen as we see when a man hath any thing giuen him he reacheth out his hand and pulleth it to himselfe and so makes it his owne Moreouer faith is called the putting on of Christ which cannot be vnles Christs righteousnes be specially applyed to the heart as the garment to the backe when it is put on Lastly this may appeare in that faith is called the eating and drinking of Christ for there is no eating of meat that nourisheth but first it must be tasted and chewed in the mouth then it must be coÌ„ueyed into the stomack there digested lastly it must be applyed to the parts of the bodie that are to be nourished And Paul praieth for the Ephâ—sians that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith which plainely importeth this apprehending and applying of Christ. I adde further that faith is a wonderfull grace of God which may appeare first in that Paul calleth it the faith of Gods power because the power of God is especially seene in the begetting of faith Secondly experience sheweth it to be a wonderfull gift of God when a man neither seeth nor feeleth his sinnes then to say hee beleeueth in Gods mercie it is an easie matter but when a man shall feele his heart pressed downe with the waight of his sinnes and the anger of God for them then to apply Gods free mercie to his own soule it is a most hard matter for then it is the propertie of the cursed nature of man to blaspheme God and to despaire of mercie Iudas who no doubt often preached mercy and redemption by Christ in the securitie of his heart when Gods hand was vpon him and the Lord made him see the vilenesse of his treacherie he could not comfort himselfe in Christ if one would haue giuen him ten thousand worlds but in an hellish horror of conscience hanged himselfe desperately which sheweth what a wonderfull hard thing it is at the same instant when a man is touched for his sinnes then to apply Gods mercie to himselfe Yet a true Christian by the power of faith can doe this as it may appeare in Dauid In the day of my trouble saith he I sought the Lord my sore ran and ceased not in the night my soule refused comfort I did thinke vpon God and was troubled I praied and my spirit was full of anguish and hee addeth the word Sebah a note very likelie of some wonderfull thing Againe he being almost in the gulfes of hell euen then cried to the Lord for helpe Iob saith If God should destroy him yet he would for all that beleeue in him still Vndoubtedly strange is the band of faith knitting Christ his members togither which the anguish of spirit cannot and the strokes of Gods hand doe not vnloose V. This apprehending of Christ is not done by any corporall touching of him but spiritually by assuraÌ„ce which is wheÌ„ the elect are perswaded in their hearts by the holy ghost of the forgiueuesse of their owne sinnes and of gods infinit mercie towards them in Iesus Christ. According to that of Paul Now we haue receiued not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that wee might know the things which are giuen vs of God The things which the spirit of God maketh known to the faithfull particularly are their iustification adoption sanctification eternall life and thus when any are perswaded of these things concerning themselues they doe in their hearts distinctly apply and appropriate Christ and his benefits to themselues VI. The maner that God vseth in the begetting of faith is this First he prepareth the heart that it may be capable of faith Secondly he causeth faith by little and litle to spring and to breed in the heart The preparation of the heart is by humbling an softening of it to the doing of this there are foure things requisite The first of them is the knowledge of the word of God both of the lawe and of the gospel without the which there can be no faith according to that saying of Esaiah By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many And that of Iohn This is eternall life that they know thee to be the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. The onely ordinarie meanes to attaine faith by is the word preached which must be heard remembred practised and continually hid in the heart The least measure of knowledge without which a man cannot haue faith is the knowledge of Elements or the fundamentall doctrines of a Christian religionâ— A fundamentall doctrine is that which beeing obstinately denied all religion and all obtaining of saluation is ouerthrown This knowledge hath a generall faith going with it which is an assent of the heart to the known trueth of Gods word This faith when it is grown vp to some great measure it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the full assurance of vnderstanding and it is to bee seene in the martyrs who maintained Gods trueth against the persecutions of the false Church vnto death VII Although both elect and reprobate may be enlightned to know the word of God yet the elect in this thing goe farre beyond all reprobates for it is specially said of them that God is their schoole-master that he sofeteneth their stony hearts and maketh them pliable that hee draweth them that hee openeth their senses hearts eares vnderstandings that the holy ghost is their annointmeÌ„t and their eie-salue to cleare the eies of their minde to conceiue the mysteries of Gods worde And the difference of illumination in them is threefolde I. First the knowledge which the reprobate hath concerning the kingdoÌ„e of heauen is only a generall and confused knowledge but the knowledge of the elect is pure certaine sure distinct and particular for it is ioyned with a feeling and inward experience of the thing
children And where the spirit of Christ dwelleth there must needes be faith for Christ dwelleth in the hearts of the faithful by faith Therfore as Rebecca when she felt the Twins striue in her womb though it pained her yet shee knew both that shee had conceiued and that the children were quick in her so they who haue these motions and holy affections in them before mentioned may assure themselues that the spirit of god dwelleth in them and consequently that they haue faith though a weake faith XIX Examples of this small faith are euident in the Apostles who though they beleeued that Christ was the Sauiour of the world yet they were ignorant of his death and resurrection which are the cheife meanes of saluation After his resurrection they were ignorant of his ascension of his spiritual kingdome for they dreamed of an earthly kingdome and at his death they all fled from him and Peter fearefully denied him They being in this estate are not said to haue no faith but to be of little faith Another example we haue in Dauid who hauing continued a long space in his two great sinnes adulterie and murther was admonished thereof by Nathan the prophet beeing admonished he confessed his sinnes and straightway Nathan declared vnto him frō the Lord the forgiuenes of them Yet afterward Dauid humbleth himselfe as it appeareth in the 51. Psalme and praieth most earnestly for the forgiuenes of those and all other his sinnes euen as though it had not bin true that they were forgiuen as Nathan told him the reason is howsoeuer they were remitted before God yet Dauid at his first repenting of them felt none assurance in his heart of the forgiuenes of them onely he had a perswasion that they might be pardoned And therefore he vehemently desired and praied to the Lord to remit them and to sanctifie him anew This then being the least measure of faith it must be remembred that he who hath not attained to it hath as yet no sauing faith at all XX. The greatest measure of faith is a full perswasion of the mercie of God For it is the strength and ripenes of faith Rom. 4.20.21 Abraham not weake in faith but being strengthened in the faith was fully perswaded that he who had promised was able to doe it This full assurance is when a man can say with Paul I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And least any should thinke this saying is peculiar to Paul he testifieth of himselfe that for this cause he was receiued to mercie that he might be an example to them which after should beleeue in Christ to life eternall and the whole Church in the Cant◠vseth the same in effect saying Loue is as strong as death iealousie is as cruel as the graue the coales thereof are fierie coales and a vehement flame Much water cannot quench loue neither can the flouds drown it if a man should giue all the substance of his house for loue they would contemne it XXI No Christian attaineth to this full assurance at the first but in some continuance of time after that for a long space he hath kept a good conscience before God and before men and hath had diuers experiences of Gods loue and fauour towards him in Christ. This Paul declareth to the Romanes in afflictions God sheds abroad his loue in their hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen to them but how by degrees for from afflictions ariseth patience from patience commeth experience from experience hope and hope neuer maketh ashamed or disappointeth him of eternall life This is euident in Dauids practise Doubtles saith he kindnes and mercie shall follow me all the daies of my life and I shall liue a long season in the house of the Lord. Mark this his resolute perswasion and consider how he came vnto it namely by experience of Gods fauour at sundrie times and after sundrie manners For before he set downe this resolution he numbred vp diuerse benefits receiued of the Lord that he fedde him in greene pastures and led him by the refreshing waters of Gods word that he restoreth him and leadeth him in the paths of righteousnes that he strengtheneth him in great daungers euen of death and preserueth him that in despight of his enemies he enriched him with many benefits By meanes of all these mercies of God bestowed on him he came to be perswaded of the continuance of the fauour of God towardes him Againe Dauid saide before King Saul Let no mans heart faile because of Goliah Thy seruant will goe and fight with the Philistine And Saul said to Dauid Thou art not able to goe against this Philistine to fight with him for thou art but a boy and he is a man of warre from his youth Dauid answered that he was able to fight with and to slay the vncircumcised Philistine And the ground of his perswasion was taken from experience for thus he saide Thy seruant kept his fathers sheepe and there came a Lyon and likewise a Beare and tooke a sheepe out of the flocke and I went out after him and smote him and tooke it out of his mouth and when he arose against me I caught him by the beard and smote him and slew him So thy seruant slew both the Lyon and the Beare therefore this vncircumcised Philistine shal be as one of thē seeing he hath rayled on the hoast of the liuing God The like proceeding must be in matters concerning eternall life Little Dauid resembleth euery Christian Goliah and the armie of the Philistines resembleth Sathan and his power He therefore that will be resolued that he shall be able to ouercome the gates of hell and attaine to life euerlasting must long keepe watch and ward ouer his owne heart and he must fight against his owne rebellious flesh and crucifie it yea he must haue experiences of Gods power strengthening him in many temptations before he shall be fully assured of his attaining to the kingdome of heauen XXII Thus much concerning faith it selfe now follow the fruits and benefits of faith By meanes of this speciall faith the Elect are truly ioyned vnto Christ and haue an heauenly communion and fellowship with him and therefore doe in some measure inwardly feele his holy spirit moouing and stirring in them as Rebecca felt the Twins to stirre in her wombe Christ is as the head in the bodie euery beleeuer as a member of the same bodie now as the head giueth sense and motion to the members and the members feele themselues to haue sense and to mooue by meanes of the head so doth Christ Iesus reuiue and quicken euery true beleeuer and
is full of botches blaines and sores but much more are those men to be abhorred which haue lien many yeares starke dead in sinnes and trespasses and therefore now doe nothing els but rot and stinke in them like vgly loathsome carrions Secondly he which is no Christian is vnder the power of darknes hauing Sathan for his prince and god and giuing vnto him in token of homage his best parts euen his minde and conscience to be his dwelling place and his whole conuersation is nothing els but a perpetuall obedience to Sathan If Atheists and worldlings and carnall gospellers were perswaded of the truth of this as it is most true it would make them howle and crie though now they liue at ease without feeling any prick of conscience for sinne And if they had but the least sense of it in the world it would make their flintie hearts to bleede and it would make them shed riuers of teares But how long shall they continue in this vile estate Truly vntill they come to Christ awake therefore thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shal giue thee light open thine heart to receiue Christ and then he will come and binde the strongâ— man Sathan and cast him out and dwell in thee himselfe Thirdly he which is no Christian is in daunger of all the iudgements of God so that euery moment some of them may befall him He may perish sodainly by water with the old world he may be consumed with fire and brimstone with Sodom and Gomorrha he may be swallowed vp of the earth with Dathan and Abiram he may hang himselfe with Iudas he may haue his braines dashed against the ground and be eaten vp of dogges with Iesabel he may die in hardnesse of heart with Pharao he may despaire with Caine and Iudas he may be stricken with sodaine death with Ananias and Saphira his wife he may be eaten of wormes with Herod he may be smitten with trembling that he cannot heare Gods word with Foelix he may voide his guttes at the stoole with Arius he may crie at his death that he is damned with Latomus he may be left vnto himselfe to mocke blaspheme and renounce Christ with Iuhan and he may suffer many more fearefull iudgements whereof the Lord hath great store and all tend to the confounding of them which will not be humbled vnder his hand Contrariwise the true christian is so farre out of the reach of Gods iudgements that they cannot hurt him Christ is a couering and a cloud against the heate and tempest of Gods iudgements when a mans heart is sprinkled with the bloode of this immaculate Lambe all the the plagues of God passe ouer him In the destruction of Ierusalem the righteous beare a marke in their foreheads and are saued Therefore let him that hath regard to his owne safetie become a Christian. Thirdly the man which is no Christian is in daunger of eternall death and damnation in hell fire and they which fall into this estate it had beene tenne thousand fold better for them if they had neuer bin borne for they are quite separated from the presence of God and from his glorie all the company they haue is with the deuill and his angels Their bodies and soules are tormented with infinite horror and anguish arising of the feeling of the whole wrath of God in which as into a bottomlesse sea they are plunged Thus they are alwaies dying and yet are neuer dead Furthermore the length of this torment must be considered which greatly aggrauates the paine If a man might be deliuered from the paines of hell when he had suffered them so many yeares as there be droppes in the sea or little sands in the whole earth it were some comfort but after that those yeares be expired there shall come no release but the damned shall continue in shriking yelling and gnashing of teeth enduring the consuming heate of Gods wrath without any ende for euer and euer Yea to goe further a wicked man carrieth an hell about him in this life namely an euill conscience which if it be neuer so little touched with any part of Gods anger a man shall feele himselfe to haue euen the pangs of hell in his heart Now therefore they that would escape out of this hellish and damnable estate while they haue time let them pray for the pardon of their sins in Christ and walke according to the spirit in newnes of life and then they may assure themselues that there is no condemnation can belong to them And it must be alwaies remembred that he which would liue when he is dead must die while he is aliue namely to sinne And againe he which would rise to eternall life in the day of iudgement must rise from sinne before he die vnto newnesse of life The fourth reason God hath appointed vnto euery man that liueth in the Church a certaine time of repentance and of comming to Christ. And hee which mispendeth that time and is not made a christian then can neuer be saued This made our Sauiour Christ weepe for Ierusalem and say O if thou hadst knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong to thy peace but now are they hidden from thine eyes And he further signifieth the destruction of Ierusalem because shee knew not the time of her visitation Againe the neglecting of this time is one cause why not one or two but many shall seeke to enter into the kingdome of heauen and yet shal not be able It is a marueilous thing that they which seeke to be saued should perish but the fault is theirs which seeke when it is too late Now therefore thou secure worldling thy conscience telleth thee that thou hast not yet repented and that thou art not as yet a liuely member of Iesus Christ. And thou knowest further that howsoeuer thou art aliue at this time yet thou hast no lease of thy life God may call thee forth of this world the next yeare the next weeke the next houre yea he may strike thee with sudden death at this very present And in very truth if thou goest forth of this world being no repentant sinner thou goest damned to hell Wherefore delay not one minut of an houre longer but with all speed repent and turne vnto God and bring forth fruits worthie of amendment of life that all thy sinnes may be done away when the day of death or the day of iudgement shall be And doe not thinke with thy selfe that it shall be sufficient to deferre thy turning vnto God till the last ende For late repentance is seldome true repentance And he which continueth long in any sinne is in a dangerous case If a man lie long in any disease he will scarce recouer his former health and he which is growne in the custome of any sinne and the sinne is become ripe in him it is a thousand to one
vncertaintie all his life but especially in the houre of death must needes disquiet him And truly when a man shall haue done many thousand workes yet his heart can neuer be at quiet as it appeareth in the yong man who though he had laboured all his life to fulfill the law thereby to be saued yet distrusting all his doings he asketh further of our Sauiour Christ what he might doe to be saued Furthermore it is the doctrine of the church of Rome that there is nothing in the regenerate that God can hate and that they are inwardly pure and without spot A doctrine that will make any Christian conscience despaire For if a man shall fall to examine himselfe he shall find that he is solde vnder sinne compassed about of sinne he shall see his particular sinnes to be as the haires of his head at the sight and feeling of which he shall finde that there is much matter in him worthie of hatred and damnation too He beeing in this case will beginne to doubt whether he be the child of God or not and perseuering in this doubting he shall be driuen to despaire of Gods loue towardes him considering that he cannot find any such purenesse in himself as the doctrin of the church of Rome requireth Lastly experience it selfe teacheth that the Romish religion can bring no peace to the conscience in that some for the maintaining of it haue despaired As Francis Spira who against his owne conscience hauing abiured the truth and subscribed to the doctrine of the Romish Church most fearefully despaired of his saluation which could not haue beene if that doctrine had beene agreeable to Gods word which is spirit and life to the receiuer For the same cause Latomus a doctor of Louane despaired crying that he was damned because he had opposed himselfe to the knowne truth This also befell Gardner at his death as the booke of Acts and Monuments declareth The third argument THat religion which agreeth to the corruption of mans nature a Reprobate may truly professe it the religion of the Church of Rome agreeth to the corruption of mans nature therefore a reprobate may truly professe it The proofe I Neede not stand to prooue the proposition the assumption is rather to be confirmed which first I will prooue by induction of particulars First that a man should be iustified by works is an opinion setled in nature as may appeare in them that crucified our Sauiour Christ for when they were pricked in their hearts at Peters sermon they saide Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saued and this said the yong man before named not what should I beleeue but what should I doe to be saued So then in them it appeareth that it is a naturall opinion of all men to thinke that they must be saued by doing of somewhat A Papist will say though this be naturall thus to thinke yet it may be good for there is some goodnes in nature I answer that the wisdome of the flesh is enmitie to Gods wisdome Rom. 8.7 and aâ—l men by nature are nothing but flesh for naturally they are the children of wrath Secondly the worshipping of god in images is a great matter in the Church of Rome but this manner of worshipping is nothing but a worke of the flesh which thus I prooue Idolatrie is naturall and a worke of the flesh but to worship God in images is idolatrie The children of Israel when they erected the golden calfeâ— they did commit idolatrie and yet they did not worship the calfe it selfe bâ—â— God in the calfe For when the calfe was made they proclaimed an holy day not to the calfe but to the Lord. And Baal that detestable idol was nothing but the image of God as appeareth in Hosea the prophet At that day saith the lord thou shalt calme no more Baal It remaineth therfore that to serue God in an image is a work of the flesh and altogether agreeth to the vile corruption of nature Thirdly pride and a desire to be a aduanced aboue other is a naturall corruption to this agreeth the Popes primacie his double sword and triple crown yet the outragious pomp of that seate is as a paire of bellowes to kindle the concupiscence and to make the hidden sparkes of pride to breake out into a great flame Fourthly Doubting of Gods prouidence mercie is a naturall corruption in all men to this agreeth and from hence issueth that foolish and vaine opinion concerning doubting of our saluation and of the remission of sinnes Fiftly selfe-loue and selfe-liking are naturall corruptions to this agreeth that doctrine of the Papists not ouermuch to abase our selues but to maintaine freewill by nature and to thinke that we haue so much goodnes that we are able to prepare our selues to receiue and in some sort to merit grace Sixtly idlenes and riotousnes is a naturall corruption and to it very fitly answereth the great number of feasts of holy daies of halfe holy daies which the Church of Rome vseth Seuenthly Couetousnes is a naturall corruption and to the feeding of this vice serueth Purgatorie a fire of great gaine which in very truth if it had not burned very hot the fire in the Popes kitchin had burned very colde hitherto serue Pilgrimages saying of Masses and selling of pardons for money Eightly to be at libertie is the desire of nature answerable to this is that opinion that the spiritualtie is to be exempted from subiection to Magistrates Ninthly to commit adulterie is naturall to this agreeth the Stewes and the permission of simple fornication Tenthly ignorance is a filthy corruption in nature this the Church of Rome maketh the mother of deuotion and it is inioyned the lay man as a meanes of his saluation for he must beleeue as the church beleeueth he is not bound to know XI Infidelitie is naturall and to this agreeth that they call vpon Saints and Angels the Lord hauing commanded them to call vpon him in the name of Christ what argueth this els but hearts distrusting Gods goodnes and guiltie consciences XII Images in the Church of Rome came from infidelitie because men in reason could not perswade themselues that God was present vnlesse that were made manifest by some signe and image Which thing the Israelites declared when they said to Aaron in the wildernes in Moses absence Make vs gods to goe before vs. XIII Satisfactions for sinne are naturall for wicked men when they haue offended God they haue alwaies vsed some ceremonies to pacifie God with which when they haue performed then they thinke they haue done enough XIV The church of Rome saith that the Scriptures are darke obscure the blind man findeth fault with the darknes of the sunne If the Scriptures appeare to any to be obscure the fault is not in the Scriptures but in the blindnes of the minde of him which readeth and heareth them XV. Lastly pardons open
faith which I haue in his blood God is not displeased if my body be sicke and subiect to diseases no more is he displeased at the disease and sicknes of the soule A naturall father will not slay the bodie of his child when he is sicke and abhorreth comfortable meates and my heauenly father will not condemne my soule although through the infirmitie of faith and the weaknes of the spirit I commit sinne and often loath his heauenly word the foode of my soule Nay which is a strange thing I know it by experience that God hath turned my filthie sinnes to my great profit and to the amendment of my life like as the good Phisitian of rancke poyson is able to make a soueraigne medecine to preserue life Sathan Well be it so that now thou art in the state of grace yet thou shalt not continue so but shalt before death depart from Christ. Christ. I know I am a member of Christs mysticall bodie I feele in my selfe the heauenly power vertue of my head Christs Iesus for this cause I can not perish but shal cōtinue for euer raigne in heauē after this life with him The conflicts of Sathan with the weake Christian. Sathan Thy minde is full of ignorance and blindnes thy heart is ful of obstinacie rebellion and frowardnes against God thou art wholly vnfit for any good worke wherefore thou hast no faith neither canst thou be iustified and accepted before God Christian. If I haue but one drop of the grace of God and if my faith be no more then a little graine of mustard seede it is sufficient for me God requireth not perfect faith but true faith Sathan Yea but thou hast no faith at all Christian. I haue had faith Sathan Thou neuer hadst true faith for in time past when according to thine opinion thou didst beleeue then thou hadst nothing but a shadow of faith and a foolish imagination which all hypocrites haue Christian. I will put my trust in God for euer and his former mercies shewmed me heretofore strengthen me now in this my weaknes 1 He created me when I was nothing 2 He created me a man when he might haue made me an vgly toad 3 He made me of comely body and of good discretion whereas he might haue made me vgly and deformed franticke and madde 4 I was borne in the daies of knowledge when I might haue bin borne in the time of ignorance and superstition 5 I was borne of Christian parents but God might haue giuen me either Turkes or Iewes or some other sauadge people for my parents 6 I might haue perished in my mothers wombe but he hath preserued me and prouided for me by his prouidence euen vnto this houre 7 Soone after my birth God might haue cast me into hell but contrariwise I was baptized and so receiued the seale of his blessed couenant 8 I haue had by Gods goodnes some sorrow for my sinnes past and haue called on him in hope and confidence that he would heare me 9 God might haue concealed his word from me but I haue heard the plētifull preaching of it I vnderstand it and haue receiued comfort by it 10 Lastly at this time God might powre his full wrath on me which he doth not but mercifully maketh me to feele mine owne wants that I might be humbled and giue all glorie vnto him for his blessings Wherefore there is no cause why I should be disquieted but I will trust still in the Lord and depend on him as I haue done Sathan Thou feelest no grace of the holy Ghost in thee nor any true tokens of faith but thou hast a liuely sense of the rebellion of thy heart and of thy lewd and wretched conuersation therefore thou canst not put any confidence in Christs death and sufferings Christian. Yet I will hope against all hope although according to mine owne sense and feeling I want faith yet I wil beleeue in Iesus Christ and trust to be saued by him Sathan Though the children of God haue bin in many perplexities yet neuer any of them haue beene in this case in which thou art at this present Christian. Herein thou prouest thy selfe to be a lying spirit for the prophet Dauid saith of himselfe that he was foolish and as a beast before God and yet he euen then trusted in God And Paul was so ledde captiue of sinne that he was not able to doe the good he would but did the euill which he hated and so in great pensiuenes of heart desired to be deliuered from this world that he might be disburdened of his corrupt flesh Sathan Thou miserable wretch doest thou feele thy selfe gracelesse and wilt thou beare the face of a Christian and by thy hypocrisie offend God as thou art so shew thy selfe to the world Christian. Auoide Sathan Christ hath vanquished and ouercome thee for my cause that I might also triumph ouer thee I am no hypocrite for whereas I haue had heretofore some testimonie of my faith at this time I am lesse moued though faith seeme to be absent like as a man may seeme to be dead both in his own sense and by the iudgement of the physitian and yet may haue life in him so faith may be though alwaies it doe not appeare Sathan But thou art a man starke dead in sinne God hath now quite forsaken thee he hath left thee vnto me to be ruled he hath giuen me power ouer thee to bring thee to damnation he wil not haue thee to trust in him any longer Christian. Strengthen me good Lord remember thy mercifull promises that thou wilt reuiue the humble and giue life to them that are of a contrite heart Sathan These promises concerne not thee which hast no humble and contrite but a froward a rebellious heart Christian. Good Lord forget not thy former mercies giue an issue to these temptations of mine enemie Sathan And you my brethren which know my estate pray for me that God would turne his fauourable countenance towards me for this I know that the praier of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent HOW A MAN SHOULD APPLIE ARIGHT the word of God to his owne soule I. EVery Christian containeth in himselfe two natures flatte contrarie one to the other the flesh and the spirit and that he may become a perfect man in Christ Iesus his earnest indeauour must be to tame and subdue the flesh and to strengthen and confirme the spirit II Answerable to these two natures are the two parts of Gods word First the Law because it is the ministerie of death it fitly serueth for the taming and mastering of the rebellious flesh and the Gospell containing the bountifull promises of God in Christ is as oyle to power into our woundes and as the water of life to quench our thirstie soules and it fitly serueth for the strengthening of the spirit III Wel then art thou secure Art thou prone to
exhorted him constantly to sticke to the same to play the man nothing doubting but the Lord in his good time would visit him satisfie his desire with plentie of consolation c. The next day when the time came of the martyrdome as he was going to the place and was now come to the sight of the stake although all the night before praying for strength and courage he could feele none suddenly hee was so replenished with the holy Ghost that he cried out clapping with his handes to Austine saying with these wordes Austine he is come he is come c. and that with such ioy and alacritie as one seeming rather to be risen from some deadly danger to libertie of life then as one passing out of the world by any paines of death Desertion in sinne is when God withdrawing the assistance of his spirit a man is left to fall into some actuall and grieuous sin And for all this no man is to thinke that God is the author of sin but onely man that falleth Satan A resemblance of this trueth we may see in a staffe which if a man shall take set vpright vpon the ground so long as he holds it with his hand it stands vpright but so soone as he withdrawes his hand though he neuer push it down it falls of it selfe In this desertion was the good king Hezechiah of whom the holy Ghost speaketh thus Hezechiah prospered in all his waies therefore dealing with the Ambassadours of the Princes of Babel which set to him to enquire of the wonder which was done in the land God left him namely to the pride of his heart to exalt himselfe in tempting him that hee might trie out all that was in his heart To this place appertaine Noes drunkennes Dauids adulterie Peter deniall of Christ. The reason of such desertions may be this If a patient shal be grieuously sicke the phisition will vse all manner of meanes that can be deuised to recoâ—er him if he once come to a desperate case the phisition rather then hee will not restore him will imploy all his skill he will take poyson and so temper it and against the nature thereof he will make a soueraigne remedie to recouer health The elect children of God are diseased with an inward hidden and spirituall pride whereby they affect themselues and desire to bee something in themselues forth of Christ and this sinne is very dangerous firstâ— because when other sinnes die in a man this secret pride gets strength for Gods grace is the matter of pride in such wise that a man will be proude because he is not proud for example if any shall be tempted of the deuill to some proud behauiour and by Gods grace get the victorie then the heart thus thinketh Oh thou hast done well thou hast foiled the enemie neither pride nor any other sinne can preuaile against thee such and such could neuer haue done so and a very good man shall hardly be free from such kinde of motions in this life Secondly there is no greater enemie to faith then pride is for it poisoneth the heart and maketh it vncapable of that grace so loÌ„g as it bereth any sway for he that will beleeue in Christ must be annihilated that is he must be bruised and battered to a flat nothing in regard of any liking or affection to himself that he may in spirit mount vp to heauen where Christ sits as the right hand of the father as it were with both the handes of faith graspe him with all his blessed merits that he may be wisdome righteousnes sanctification redemption life good works whatsoeuer good thing he is neither in nor by nor for himself but euery way forth of himself in Christ. Now this blessed coÌ„ditioÌ„ of a beleeuing heart by naturall selfe-loue and self-liking is greatly hindered God therefore in great mercy to remedie this dangerous corruption lets his elect seruantes fall into trouble of mind and conscience if they happily be of greater hardnes of heart into some actuall sinne and so declaring his wonderfull mercie in sauing them he is faine against his mercie to bring them to his mercie by sinne to saue them from sinne By this meanes the Lord who can bring light out of darknes makes a remedie of sinne to slay pride that inuincible monster of many heads which would slay the soule Though this be so yet none must hereupon venter to commit any sinne against Gods commandements least in so doing they cast awaie their soules For the godly man though he fall into sinne yet it is against his purpose and it makes his heart to bleede and the course of his life shall bee alwaies vpright and pleasing vnto God because he is led by the spirit of God The ends for which god vseth desertioÌ„s are three the first is the chastismeÌ„t of sins past in the former part of mans life that he may search them out consider theÌ„ be hartily sorrowfull for theÌ„ for this end was Iobs triall Trou writest saith he bitter things against me makest me to possesse the sins of my youth The second end is that God may make triall of the present estate of his seruants not that he is ignorant what is in man but because hee would haue all men know themselues To this effect saith Moses And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee in the wildernesse for to humble thee and to prooue thee to knowe what was in thine heart whether thou wouldst keepe his coÌ„mandements or no. This also was the end why the Lord left Ezechias to proue and trie what was in his heart This trial by desertion serueth for two purposes for otherwhiles the Lord vseth it for the manifestation of some hidden sin that the godly may be deeplier humbled and craue more earnestly pardon of that and other sins For as the begger is alwaies mending and peecing his garment where he findes a breach so the penitent and beleeuing heart must alwaies bee exercised in repairing it selfe where it findes a want Againe ofttimes this triall serues to quicken and reuiue the hidden graces of the heart that men may be thankefull for them and feele an increase of theÌ„ in the heart The good husbandmaÌ„ cuts the branches of the Vine not that he hath a purpose to destroy them but to make them beare more fruit In the CaÌ„ticles when Christ left his spouse then shee riseth out of her bed shee opens the doore her hands drop mirrhe on the barre of the doore then further she seekes calls for him and praiseth him more then euer before Dauid testifieth the like of himselfe In my prosperitie I said I shall neuer be mooued c. but thou didst hide thy faâ—e and I was troubled Then cried I to thee O Lord praied to my Lord. Lastly men that liue in the Church beeing for a time left of God
trueth which wee affirme or denie be doubtfull or contingent then such clauses as these It is so or it is not so as I thinke as I remember as I take it are to be added If one shall say It is so and afterwards it prooue otherwise he receiueth discredit because he spake an vntruth But if he shall say I thinke it is so though it fall out otherwise yet he saueth his credit because he deceiueth not but onely is deceiued An asseueration is a forme of speech wherby one doth vehemently affirme or denie any thing as when a man shall say Verily in truth in very truth without all doubt c. These and such like are not to be vsed at euery word but then onely when a truth of greater importance is to be confirmed When the false prophets among the Iewes and the Priests would not beleeue that Ieremie was sent of God what saith he not simply The Lord hath sent me but In truth the Lord hath sent me Our Sauiour Christ when he vsed to speake any weightie matter vsed to say Amen Amen Verily verily which is a plain asseueration for Amen is more then a simple affirmation and it is lesse then an oath as the very sense of the word doth import which is no more but truly certenly The third is an oath which must not be made by any thing in heauen or earth but onely by the Name of God alone It must be vsed as the last refuge and remedie of all For when any truth of great importance is to be confirmed and all signes euidences proofes witnesses faile among men on earth then we may lawfully fetch the Lord as a witnesse from heauen who is the knower of all truth And in this case an oath may be taken either publikely before a Magistrate or priuately among priuate persons if it bee done with reuerence and consideration as it was betweene Iacob and Laban CHAP. IX What is to be done when we haue spoken AFter a man hath spoken his minde very few words more are to be added He that hath knowledge spareth his wordes In many wordes there can not want iniquitie but he that refraineth his lips is wise He that speaketh many wordes speaketh either false things or superfluous or both as when a riuer ouerflowes the water gathereth much slime so many wordes many faults When a vessell being smitten makes a great noise it is a token that it is emptie and so the sound of many wordes shewes a vaine heart The Gentiles haue said that God gaue a man one tongue and two eares that he might heare more and speake lesse Valerius Maximus reporteth of Xenocrates that beeing in the company of some that vsed railing speeches helde his tongue and beeing asked why hee did so answered That it had repented him that he had spoken but it neuer repented him that he had held his peace And the prouerb is He that will speake what he will shall heare what hee would not To the framing of our speech Ambrose requireth three things a yoke a ballance and a metwand a yoke to keepe it in staied grauitie a ballance to giue it weight of reason a metwand to keepe it in measure and moderation This rule must be practised carefully for the auoiding of chiding brawling and contention Let nothing be done by contention Phil. 2.3 Let students schollers learne to practise this for what shall an other mans opinioÌ„ hurt thee though in reasoning he be not of thy minde in euery point Here take heed of the spirit of Contradiction whereby some by thwarting and contradicting euery man at length prooue either obstinate heretickes or lewd Atheists and make no bones to contradict the holy Ghost and to call the scriptures in question and dispute that there is no God Nowe if a man speake necessarie things though he continue his speech till midnight as Paul did it can not be called immoderate or superfluous talke CHAP. X. Of writing ALL this which is set downe concerning speech must as wel be practised in writing as in speaking Whereby are condemned ballads bookes of loue all idle discourses and histories beeing nothing els but enticements and baites vnto manifold sinnes fitter for Sodome and Gomorrah then for Gods Church And it must be followed as well in speaking of latine or any other tongue as English which students haue not marked for whereas they wil not sweare in English yet in Latine they make no bones of it saying Mehercuse mediùs fidiùs aedipol per deos immortales And whereas they hold but one God in iudgement yet in their Latine exercises they speake of Iupiter and of the Godsâ— after the manner of the heathen What a shame is this that a Christian and that in Christian schooles should either be ashamed or not vse to speake as a Christian but as Atheists doe If thou haue many tongues and knowest not how to vse them well he which hath but his mother tongue ordering it aright is a better linguist then thou CHAP. XI Of silence VVIse and godly silence is as excellent a vertue as holy speech for hee knoweth not howe to speake which knoweth not howe to hold his tongue The rule of our silence must be the law of God By meanes of which wise consideration must be had whether the thing which wee haue in minde be for Gods glorie and our neighbours good which done we are answerably to speake or to be silent Here must be considered the things of which â—ilence must be vsed and the persons before whome The things are many First if any truth be to the hinderance of Gods glorie or of the good of our neighbour it must be coÌ„cealed The concealing of the truth is either in whole or in part In whole when the speaking of the least word is hurtfull As for example the father and the sonne are both sicke at once the sonne dieth first the father asketh whether his sonne be dead or not if it be said no an vntrueth is tolde if yea then the fathers griefe is increased and his death hastened therefore silence is the best In daies of persecution holy Martyrs haue chosen rather to suffer death then to reueale their brethren that haue beene of their priuate assemblies with them The concealing of a thing in part is when a man speaketh a little of the trueth and concealeth the rest Which is warranted in all good and lawefull proceedings which manifestly tend to the glory of god WheÌ„ Samuel is sent to annoint Dauid he answereth the Lord and saith Howe can I goe for if Saul heare of it he will kill me Then the Lord answered Take an heyfer with thee say I am come to doe sacrifice to the Lord and call for Ishai to sacrifice and I will shewe thee what thou shalt doe and thou shalt annoint vnto me him whome I shal name vn-thee When Ieremie had shewed king Zedekiah howe he might escape death then the king said vnto
returne to my place till they acknowledge their fault and seeke me in their affliction will they seeke me diligently And the Israelites say My soule had them many afflictions in remembrance and is humbled in me Example of Manasses And wheÌ„ he was in tribulation he praied to the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly And Dauid saith It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes CHAP. III. Howe Repentance is wrought REpentance is wrought in the heart by certaine steps and degrees First of all a man must haue knowledge of foure things namely of the law of god of sinne against the lawe of the guilt of sinne and of the iudgement of God â—gainst sinne which is the eternall wrath of God Then in the second place must follow the Application of the former knowledge to a mans owne person by the worke of the conscience assisted by the holy Ghost which for that cause is called the spirit of bondage and this application is made in a forme of reasoning called a practical syllogisme on this manner The breaker of the lawe is guiltie of eternall death saith the minde But I am a breaker of the lawe of God saith the conscience as a witnesse and an accuser Therefore I am guilty of eternall death saith the same conscience as a iudge Thirdly from this application thus made ariseth feare and sorrow in respect of Gods iudgements against sinne commonly called the sting of the conscience or penitence and the compunction of heart Now this compunction vnlesse it be delayed by the comforts of the Gospell brings men to desperation and to eternall damnation Therefore he that wil repent to life euerlasting must goe foure steps further First he must haue knowledge of the gospel and enter into a serious consideration of the mercy of God therein reuealed Then must follow the application of the former knowledge by the conscience renewed and assisted by the spirit of adoption on this manner He that is guiltie of eternall death if he denie himselfe and put his affiance on the death of Christ shall haue righteousnesse and life eternall saith the minde enlightned by the knowledge of the Gospell But I beeing guiltie of eternall death denie my selfe and put all my affiance in the death of Christ saith the conscience renued by the spirit of adoption Therefore I shall haue righteousnesse and life euerlasting by Christ. Thirdly after this application there followes ioy and sorrow ioy because a mans sinnes are pardoned in Christ sorrow because a man by his sinnes hath displeased him which hath beene so louing and mercifull a God vnto him Lastly after this godly sorrow â—ollowes Repentance called a Transmentatation or turning of the minde whereby a man determines and râ—solues with himselfe to sinne no more as he hath done but to liue in newnes of life CHAP. IV. Of the parts of Repentance REpentance hath two parts Mortification and Rising to newnes of life MortificatioÌ„ is the first part of repeÌ„tance which coÌ„cerns turning froÌ„ sin Men turne from sinne when they doe not onely abstaine from actuall sin but also vse all meanes wherby they may both weaken and suppresse the corruption of nature Chirurgions when they must cut off any part of the bodie vse to lay plaisters to it to mortifie it that beeing without sense and feeling it may be cut off with lesse paine In the same manner we are to vse all helps remedies prescribed in the worde which serue to weakeÌ„ or kill sinne that in death it may be abolished And it must not seeme strange that I say wee must vse meanes to mortifie our owne sinnes For howesoeuer by nature we can not doe anything acceptable to God yet beeing quickened and mooued by the holy Ghost we stirre and mooue our selues to doe that which is truely good And therefore repentant sinners haue grace in them whereby they mortifie their own sinnes Paul saith I beate downe my bodie and bring it in subiection And they which are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof And Mortifie therefore your earthly members fornication vncleannesse the inordinate affection euil coÌ„cupiscence and couetousnesse And If any man purge himselfe from these he shall be a vessell vnto honour And S. Iohn saith Euery one which hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure And he which is begotten of God preserueth himselfe and the wicked one toucheth him not Mortification hath three parts A purpose in mind an inclination in will and an indeauour in life and conuersation to leaue all sinne Rising to newnesse of life is the second part of repentance concerning sincere obedience to God And it hath also three parts The two first are a resolution in the mind and an inclination or lust in the will to obey God in all things Barnabas exhorts them of Antiochia that with purpose of heart they would cleane vnto the Lord. Examples of both these are many in Scriptures Of Ioshua If it seeme enill vnto you to serue the Lord choose you thiâ— daie whome you will serue whether the gods which your fathers serued or the gods of the Amorites c. but I my houshold wil serue the Lord. Of Dauid O Lord thou art my portion I haue determined to keep thy commandements And I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements And When thou saidst seeke my face mine heart answered vnto thee O Lord I will seeke thy face And I haue applied mine heart to fulfil thy statutes alwaies euen to the end The third part is an indeauour in life and conuersation to obey God Example of Paul And herein I take paines to haue alwaies a cleare conscience towards God and towards men Of Dauid I hauâ— respect to all thy commandements And I haue chosen the waie of trueth and thy iudgements haue I laid before me And I haue cleaued to thy testimonies And direct me in the path of thy commandements for therein is my delight No man must here thinke that a repentant sinner fullfils the lawe in his obedience for their best works are faultie before God And wheras the faithful in scriptures are said to be perfect we must knowe that there be two degrees of perfection perfection in substance and perfection in the highest degree Perfection is substance is when a man doth sincerely endeauour to performe perfect obedience to God not in some but in all his commaundements And this is the onely perfection that any man can haue in this life A Christian mans perfection is to bewaile his imperfection his obedience more consists in the good will then in the worke and is more to be measured by the affection then by the effect CHAP. V. Of the degrees of Repentance REpentance hath two degrees It is either ordinarie or extraordinarie Ordinarie repentance is that which euery christian is to performe euery day for as men
terrible but it is false to them that bee in Christ to whome many things happen farre more heauie and bitter then death IV. Death at the first brought foorth sinne but death in the righteous by meanes of Christs death abolisheth sinne because it is the accomplishment of mortification And death is so far from destroying such as are in Christ that there can bee no better refuge for them against death for presently after the death of the bodie followes the perfect freedome of the spirit and the resurrection of the bodie V. Lastly death is a meanes of a Christian mans perfection as Christ in his owne example sheweth saying Beholde I will cast out deuills and will heale still to daie and to morrowe and the third I will bee perfected Nowe this perfection in the members of Christ is nothing els but the blessing of God the author of peace sanctifying them throughout that their whole spirits and soules and bodies may be preserued without blame to the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Nowe hauing often thus considered with my selfe of the excellencie of death I thought good to drawe the summe and cheife heads thereof into this small Treatise the protection and consideration whereof I commend to your Ladiship desiring you to accept of it and read it at your leisure If I be blamed for writing vnto you of death whereas by the course of nature you are not yet neere death Salomon will excuse me who saith that wee must remember our Creator in the daies of our youth Thus hoping of your H. good acceptance I pray God to blesse this my little labour to your comfort and saluation Septemb. 7. 1595. Your H. in the Lord W. Perkins ECCLESIASTES 7. 3. The day of death is better then the daie that one is borne THese words are a rule or precept laid downe by Salomon for weightie causes For in the chapters going before he sets forth the vanitie of all creatures vnder heauen and that at large in the very particulars Now men hereupon might take occasion of discontentment in respect of their estate in this life therefore Salomon in great wisdom here takes a new course in this chapter begins to lay downe certaine rules of direction and comfort that men might haue somewhat wherewith to arme themselues against the troubles and the miseries of this life The first rule is in this third verse that a good name is better then a pretious oyntment that is a name gotten maintained by godly conuersation is a speciall blessing of God which in the midst of the vanities of this life ministreth greater matter of reioycing and comfort to the heart of man then the most pretious oyntment can doe to the outward senses Now some man hauing heard this first rule concerning good name might obiect and say that renowme good report in this life affoards slender comfort considering that after it followes death which is the miserable end of all men But this obiection the wise man remooueth by a second rule in these words which I haue in hand saying that the daie of death is better then the daie that one is borne That we may come to the true proper sense of this precept or rule three points are to be considered First what is death here meÌ„tioned secondly how it can be truely said that the daie of death is better then the daie of birth thirdly in what respect it is better For the first death is a depriuation of life as a punishment ordained of God and imposed on man for his sinne First I say it is a depriuation of life because the verie nature of death is he absence or defect of that life which God vouchsafed man by his creation I adde further that death is a punishment more especially to intimate the nature and qualitie of death and to shewe that it was ordained as a meanes of execution of Gods iustice and iudgement And that death is a punishment Paul plainely auoucheth when hee saith that by one man sinne entred into the worlde and death by sinne And againe that death is the stipend wages or allowance of sinne Furthermore in euerie punishment there be three workers the ordainer of it the procurer and the executioner The ordainer of this punishment is God in the estate of mans innocency by a solemne lawe then made in these verie wordes In the daie that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Genesis 2. â—7 But it may be alleadged to the contrarie that the Lord saith by the Prophet Ezechiel that hee will not the death of a sinner and therefore that hee is no ordainer of death The answere may easily bee made and that sundrie waies First the Lord speakes not this to all men or of all men but to his owne people the church of the Iewes as appeares by the clause perfixed Sonne of man say vnto the â—ouse of Israel c. Again the words are not spoken absolutely but only in waie of comparison in that of the twaine hee rather wills the conuersion and repentance of a sinner then his death and destruction Thirdly the verie proper meaning of the wordes importe thus much that God doeth take no delight or pleasure in the death of a sinner as it is the ruine and destruction of the creature And yet all this hinders not but that God in a newe regard and consideration may both will and ordaine death namely as it is a due and deserued punishment tending to the execution of iustice in which iustice God is as good as in his mercie Againe it may bee obiected that if death indeede had beene ordained of God then Adam should haue beene destroyed and that presently vpon his fall For the verie wordes are thus Whensoeuer thou shalt eate of the forbidden fruite thou shalt certainly die Ausvvere Sentences of Scripture are either Legall or Euangelicall the lawe and the Gospel beeing two seuerall and distinct parts of Gods worde Nowe this former sentence is Legall and must be vnderstood with an exception borrowed from the Gospell or the couenant of grace made with Adam and reuealed to him after his fall The exception is this Thou shalt certenly die whensoeuer thou eatest the forbidden fruite except I doe further giue thee a meanes of deliuerance from death namely the seed of the woman to bruise the serpents head SecoÌ„dly it may be answered that Adam and all his posteritie died and that presently after his fall in that his bodie was made mortall and his soule became subiect to the curse of the Lawe And whereas God would not vtterly destroy Adam at the very first but onely impose on him the beginnings of the first and second death he did the same in great wisdome that in the midst of his iustice he might make a way to mercie which thing could not haue beene if Adam had perished The executioner of this punishment is hee that doeth impose and inflict the same on man and that also is God
himselfe as hee testifieth of himselfe in the prophet Esai I make peace and create euill Nowe euill is of three sortes naturall morall materiall Naturall euill is the destruction of that order which God set in euery creature by the creation Morall euill is the want of that righteousnesse and vertue which the lawe requires at mans hand and that is called sinne Materiall euill is any matter or thing which in it selfe is a good creature of God yet so as by reason of mans fall it is hurtfull to the health and life of man as henbane wolfebane hemlocke and all other poisons areâ— Nowe this saying of Esai must not be vnderstood of morall euills but of such as are either materiall or natural to the latter of which death is to be referred which is the destruction or abolishment of mans nature created The procurer of death is man not God in that man by his sinne and disobedience did pull vpon himselfe this punishment Therefore the Lord in Oseah O Israel one hath destroyed thee but in me is thine helpe Against this it may bee obiected that man was mortall in the estate of innocency before the fall Answere The frame and composition of mans bodie considered in it selfe was mortall because it was made of water and earth and other elements which are of themselues alterable and changeable yet if wee respect that grace and blessing which God did vouchsafe mans bodie in his creation it was vnchangeable and immortall and so by the same blessing should haue continued if man had not fallen and man by his fall depriuing himselfe of this gift and blessing became euery way mortall Thus it appeares in part what death is yet for the better clearing of this point we are to consider the difference of the death of a man and of a beast The death of a beast is the totall and finall abolishment of the whole creature for the bodie is resolued to his first matter and the soule arising of the temperature of the bodie vanisheth to nothing But in the death of man it is otherwise For though the bodie for a time be resolued to dust yet must it rise againe in the last iudgement and become immortall and as for the soule it subsisteth by it selfe out of the bodie and is immortall And this beeing so it may be demaunded how the soule can die the second death Answ. The soule dies not because it is vtterly abolished but because it is as though it were not and it ceaseth to be in respect of righteousnesse and fellowship with God And indeede this is the death of all deaths when the creature hath subsisting and beeing and yet for all that is depriued of all comfortable fellowship with God The reason of this difference is because the soule of a man is a spirit or spirituall substance whereas the soule of a beast is no substance but a naturall vigour or qualitie and hath no beeing in it selfe without the bodie on which it wholly dependeth The soule of man contrariwise beeing created of nothing and breathed into the bodie and as well subsisting forth of it as in it The kindes of death are two as the kindes of life are bodily and spirituall Bodily death is nothing else but the separation of the soule from the bodie as bodily life is the coniunction of bodie and soule and this death is called the first because in respect of time it goes before the second Spirituall death is the separation of the whole man both in bodie and soule from the gracious fellowship of God Of these twaine the first is but an entrance to death and the second is the accomplishment of it For as the soule is the life of the bodie so God is the life of the soule and his spirit is the soule of our soules and the want of fellowship with him brings nothing but the endlesse and vnspeakable horrours and pangs of death Againe spirituall death hath three distinct and seuerall degrees The first is when a man that is aliue in respect of temporall life lies dead in sinne Of this degree Paul speakes when he saith But shee that liueth in pleasure is dead while shee liueth And this is the case of all men by nature who are children of wrath and dead in sinnes and trespasses The second degree is the very ende of this life when the bodie is laid in the earth and the soule descends to the place of torment The third degree is in the day of iudgement when the bodie and soule meete againe and goe both to the place of the damned there to be tormented for euer and euer Hauing thus found the nature and differences and kinds of death it is more then manifest that the text in hand is to be vnderstood not of the spirituall but of the bodily death because it is opposed to the birth or natiuitie of man The words then must carrie this sense The time of bodily death in which the bodie and soule of man are seuered asunder it is better then the time in which one is brought into the world Thus much of the first point nowe followeth the second and that is howe this can be true which Salomon saith that the day of death is better then the daie of birth I make not this question to call the Scriptures into controuersie which are the trueth it selfe but I doe it for this ende that wee might without wauering bee resolued of this which Salomon auoucheth For there may be sundrie reasons brought to the contrarie Therefore let vs handle the question the reasons or obiections which may be alleadged to the contrarie may all bee reduced to sixe heades The first is taken from the opinion of wise men who thinke it the best thing of all neuer to be borne and the next best to die quickely Nowe if it bee the best thing in the worlde not to bee borne at all then it is the worst thing that can bee to die after a man is borne Answere There bee two sortes of men one that liue and die in their sinnes without repentance the other which vnfamedly repent and beleeue in Christ. Nowe this sentence may bee truely auouched of the first of whome wee may say as Christ said of Iudas It had beene good for him that hee had neuer beene borne But the saying applied to the second sort of men is false For to them that in this life turne to God by repentance the best thing of all is to be borne because their birth is a degree of preparation to happinesse and the next best is to die quickly because by death they enter into possession of the same their happinesse For this cause Balaam desired to die the death of the righteous Salomon in this place preferres the daie of death before the day of birth vnderstanding that death which is ioined with godly life or the death of the righteouâ— The second obiection is taken from the testimonies of Scripture Death is
the wages of sinne Rom. 6.22 it is an enemie of Christ 1. Cor. 15. and the curse of the law Hence it seemes to follow that in and by death mē receiue their wages and paiment for their sinnes that the daie of death is the dolefull daie in which the enemie preuailes against vs that he which dieth is cursed Ans. Wee must distinguish of death it must be considered two waies first as it is by it selfe in his owne nature secondly as it is altered and changed by Christ. Now death by it selfe considered is indeed the wages of sinne an enemie of Christ and of all his members and the curse of the law yea the verie suburbs gates of hell yet in the second respect it is not so For by the vertue of the death of Christ it ceaseth to be a plague or punishment of a curse it is made a blessing and is become vnto vs a passage or mid-waie betweene this life and eternall life and as it were a little wicket or doore whereby wee passe out of this worlde and enter into heauen And in this respect the saying of Salomon is most true For in the daie of birth men are borne and brought forth into the vale of miserie but afterward when they goe hence hauing death altered vnto them by the death of Christ they enter into eternall ioy and happines with all the Saints of God for euer The third obiection is taken from the examples of most worthie men who haue made their praiers against death As our Sauiour Christ who praied on this manner Father if it bee thy will let this cuppe passe from mee yet not my will but thy will bee done And Dauid praied Returne O Lord deliuer my soule saue me for thy mercies sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall praise thee And Ezechiah when the Prophet Esai bad him set his house in order and tolde him that he must die wept sore and that in respect of death Nowe by the examples of these most worthie men yea by the example of the sonne of God himselfe it may seeme that the daie of death is the most terrible and dolefull daie of all Ansvvere When our Sauiour Christ praied thus to his father hee was in his agonie and hee then as our Redeemer stoode in our roome and steade to suffer all things that wee should haue suffered in our owne persons for our sinnes and therefore hee praied not simplie against death but against the cursed death of the crosse and hee feared not death it selfe which is the separation of bodie and soule but the curse of the lawe which went with death namely the vnspeakable wrath and indignation of God The first death troubled him not but the first and second ioyned togither Touching Dauid when hee made the sixt psalme hee was not onely sicke in bodie but also perplexed with the greatest temptation of all in that hee wrestled in conscience with the wrath of God as appeares by the words of the text where he saith Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath And by this wee see that hee praied not simply against death but against death at that instant when hee was in that grieuous temptation For at other times he had no such feare of death as hee himselfe testifieth saying Though I should walke through the valley of the shadowe of death I will feare no euil Therefore he praied against death only as it was ioyned with the apprehension of Gods wrath Lastly Ezechiah praied against death not onely because hee desired to liue and doe seruice to God in his kingdome but vpon a further and more speciall regard because when the prophet brought the message of death hee was without issue and had none of his owne bodie to succeede him in his kingdome It will be said what warrant had Ezechiah to praie against death for this cause Ansvvere His warrant was good for God had made a particular promise to Dauid and his posteritie after him that so long as they feared God and walked in his commandements they should not want issue to sitte vpon the throne of the kingdome after them Nowe Ezechiah at the time of the Prophets message remembering what promise God had made and howe hee for his part had kept the condition thereof in that hee had walked before God with an vpright heart and had done that which was acceptable in his sight hee praied against death not so much because hee feared the danger of it but because he wanted issue This praier God accepted heard and he added fifteene yeares vnto his daies two yeares after gaue him Manasses The fourth obiection is this that those which haue beene reputed to bee of the better sort of men oftentimes haue miserable endes for some end their daies despairing some rauing and blaspheming some strangely tormented it may seeme therefore that the daie of death is the daie of greatest woe and miserie To this I answere first of all generally that we must not iudge of the estate of any man before God by outward things whether they bee blessings or iudgements whether they fall in life or death For as Salomon saith all things come alike to all and the same condition is to the iust and the wicked to the good to the pure to the polluted to him that sacrificeth to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner hee that sweareth as hee that feareth a◠oath Secondly I answer the particulars which bee alleadged on this manner And first of all touching despaire it is true that not onely wicked and loose persons despaire in death but also repentant sinners who oftentimes in their sickenesse testifie of themselues that beeing aliue and lying in their beds they feele themselues as it were to be in hell and to apprehend the verie pangs and torments thereof And I doubt not for all this but that the child of God most deare vnto him may through the gulfe of desperation attaine to euerlasting happines This appeares by the manner of Gods dealing in the matter of our saluation All the workes of God are done in and by their contraries In the creation all things were made not of something but of nothing cleane contrarie to the course of nature In the worke of Redemption God giues life not by life but by death and if we consider aright of Christ vpon the crosse wee shall see our paradise out of paradise in the midst of hell For out of his owne cursed death doth he bring vs life and eternall happinesse Likewise in effectuall vocation when it pleaseth God to conuert and turne men vnto him hee doeth it by the meanes of the Gospel preached which in reason should driue all men from God For it is as contrarie to the nature of man as fire to water and light to darkenes and yet for all this though it be thus against the disposition and heart of
though the bodie rotte in the graue or be eaten of wormes or of fishes in the sea or burnt to ashes yet that will not be vnto vs a matter of discomfort if we doe well consider the ground of all grace namely our coniunction with Christ. It is indeede a spirituall and yet a most reall coniunction And we must not imagine that our soules alone are ioyned to the bodie or soule of Christ but the whole person of man both in bodie and soule is ioyned and vnited to whole Christ. And when we are once ioyned to Christ in this mortall life by the bond of the spirit we shall remaine and continue eternally ioyned with him and this vnion once truly made shall neuer be dissolued Hence it followes that although the bodie be seuered from the soule in death yet neither bodie nor soule are seuered from Christ but the very body rotting in the graue drowned in the sea burned to ashes abides still vnited to him and is as truly a member of Christ then as before This point we must remember as the foundation of all our comfort and hold it for euer as a truth For looke what was the condition of Christ in death the same or the like is the condition of al his mēbers Now the cōditiō of Christ was this though his body soule were seuered each frō other as far as heauen the graue yet neither of them were seuered frō the godhead of the Sonne but both did in death subsist in his person And therefore though our bodies and soules be pulled asunder by naturall or violent death yet neither of them no not the bodie it selfe shall be seuered and disioyned from Christ. It will be alleadged that if the bodie were then vnited to Christ it should liue and be quickned in the graue Ans. Not so when a mans arme or legge is taken with the dead palsie it receiues litle or no heat life sense or motion from the bodie and yet notwithstanding it remaines still a membrr of the bodie because the flesh and the bone of it remain ioined to the flesh and the bone of the bodie euen so may the body remaine a member of Christ though for some space of time it receiue neither sense nor motion nor life from the soule or from the spirit of Christ. Furthermore wee must remember that by the vertue of this coniunction shall the dead bodie be it rotten burned deuoured or howsoeuer consumed at the day of iudgement rise to eternal glorie In the winter season trees remain without fruit or leaues and beeing beaten with winde and weather appeare to the eye as if they were rotten trees yet when the spring time comes again they bring forth as before buddes and blossomes leaues and fruit the reason is because the bodie graines and armes of trees are all ioyned to the roote where lies the sappe in the winter season and whence by meanes of this coniunction it is deriued to all the parts of the tree in the spring time Euen so the bodies of men haue their winter also in which they are turned to dust and so remaine for the space of many thousand yeares yet in the day of iudgement by meanes of that mysticall coniunction with Christ shall diuine and quickning vertue streame thence to all the bodies of the Elect to cause them to liue againe and that to life eternall But some will say that the wicked also rise againe Answ. They doe so indeede but not by the same cause for they rise by the power of Christ as he is a iudge to condemne them whereas the godly rise againe by the vertue of Christs resurrection whereof they are partakers by meanes of that blessed and indissoluble coniunction which they haue with Christ. And the bodies of the Elect though they putrifie and consume neuer so much in the graue yet are they still in the fauour of God and in the couenant of grace to which because they haue right and title beeing dead they shall not remaine so for euer but shall rise to glorie at the last iudgement Therefore the rotting of the bodie is nothing in respect and the death of the bodie is no death And therefore also death in the olde and new Testament is made but a sleepe and the graue a bed whereof the like was neuer seene wherein a man may rest nothing at all troubled with dreames or fantasies and whence he shall rise no more subiect to weaknesse or sicknesse but presently be translated to eternall glorie By this then which hath bin said it appeares that the death of the righteous is a second degree to euerlasting happines Now then considering our coniunction with Christ is the foundation of all our ioy and comfort in life and death we are in the feare of God to learne this one lesson namely that while we haue time in this world we must labour to be vnited vnto Christ that we may be bone of his bone flesh of his flesh This very point is as it were a flaggon of wine to reuiue our soules when they be in a sowne at any instant And that we may be assured that we are certenly ioyned to Christ we must shew our selues to be members of his mystical bodie by the daily fruits of righteousnes and true repentance And beeing once certenly assured in conscience of our beeing in Christ let death come when it will and let it cruelly part asunder both bodie and soule yet shall they both remaine in the couenant and by meanes thereof be reunited and taken vp to life eternall Whereas on the contrarie if men be out of the couenant and die out of Christ their soules goe to hell and their bodies rotte for a time in the graue but afterwards they rise to endlesse perdition Wherefore I say againe and againe labour that your consciences by the holy Ghost may testifie that ye are huing stones in the Temple of God and braunches bearing fruit in the true vine and then ye shall feele by experience that the pangs of death shall be a further degree of happines then euer ye found in your liues euen then when ye are gasping and panting for breath Thus much of the meaning of the text now followes the vses and they are manifold The first and principall is this In that Salomon preferres the day of death before the day of birth he doth therein giue vs to vnderstand that there is a direct and certen way whereby a man may die well if it had beene otherwise he could not haue said that the day of death is better And whereas he auoucheth this he shewes withall that there is an infallible way whereby a man may make a blessed ende Therefore let vs now come to search out this way the knowledge and true vnderstanding whereof must not be fetched from the writings of men but from the word of God who hath the power of life and death in his owne hand Now that a man may die well Gods
word requires two things a preparation before death and a right behauiour and disposition in death The preparation vnto death is an action of a repentant sinner whereby he makes himselfe fitte and readie to die and is a dutie very necessarie to which we are bound by Gods commaundement For there be sundrie places of Scripture which doe straightly inioyne vs to watch and pray and to make our selues readie euery way against the second comming of Christ to iudgement Now the same places doe withall binde vs to make preparation against death at which time God comes to iudgement vnto vs particularly Againe looke as death leaueth a man so shall the last iudgement finde him and so shall he abide eternally there may be changes and conuersions from euill to good in this life but after death there is no change at all Therefore a preparation to death can in no wise be omitted of him that desires to make an happie and blessed ende This preparation is twofold generall and particular Generall preparation is that whereby a man prepares himselfe to die through the whole course of his life A dutie most needfull which must in no wise be omitted The reasons are these First of all death which is certen is most vncertaine I say it is certen because no man can eschew death And it is vncertaine three waies first in regard of time for no maÌ„ knoweth when he shall die secoÌ„dly in regard of place for no man knowes where he shall die whether in his bed or in the field whether by sea or by land thirdly in respect of the kind of death for no man knowes whether he shall die of a lingring or sudden of a violent or naturall death Hence it followes that men should euery day prepare themselues to death Indeede if we could know when where and how we should die the case were otherwise but seeing we know none of these it stands vs in hand to looke about vs. A second reason seruing further to perswade vs is this The most daungerous thing of all in this world is to neglect all preparation To make this point more manifest I will vse this comparison A certaine man pursued by an Vnicorne in his flight falls into a dungeon and in his fall takes hold and hangs by the arme of a tree now as he thus hangs looking downeward he sees two wormes gnawing at the roote of the tree and as he lookes vpward he sees and hiue of most sweete honie whereupon he climes vp vnto it and sitting by it feedes thereon In the meane season while he is thus sitting the two wormes gnawe in pieces the roote of the tree which done tree and man and all fall into the bottom of the dungeon Now this Vnicorne is death the man that flieth is euery one of vs and euery liuing man the pit ouer which he hangeth is hell the arme of the tree is life it selfe the two wormes are day and night the continuance whereof is the whole life of man the hiue of honie is the pleasures and profits and honors of this world to which when men wholly giue themselues not considering their endes till the tâ—ee roote that is this temporal life be cut off which beeing once done they plunge themselues quite into the gulfe of hell By this we see that there is good cause that men should not deferre their preparation till the time of sicknes but rather euery day make themselues readie against the day of death But some will say it shall suffice if I prepare my selfe to pray when I begin to be sicke Ans. These men greatly deceiue themselues for the time then is most vnfit to begin a preparation because all the senses and powers of the bodie are occupied about the paines and troubles of the disease and the sicke partie is exâ—rcised partly in coÌ„ference with the Physitian partly with the Minister about his soules health and matters of conscience and partly with friends that come to visit Therefore there must some preparation goe before in the time of health when the whole man with all the powers of bodie and soule are at libertie Again there be some others which imagine and say that a man may repent when he will euen in the time of death and that such repentance is sufficient Ans. It is false which say they For it is not in the power of man to repent when he himselfe will when God will he may It is not in him that willeth or runneth but in God that hath mercie And Christ saith that many shall seeke to enter into heauen and shall not be able But why so because they seeke when it is too late namely when the time of grace is past Therefore it is exceeding follie for men so much as once to dreame that they may haue repentance at command nay it is a iust iudgement that they should be condemned of God in death that did contemne God in their life and that they should quite be forgotten of God in sicknes that did forget God in their health Againe I answer that this late repentance is seldome or neuer true repentance It is sicke like the partie himselfe commonly languishing and dying togither with him Repentance should be voluntarie as all obedience to God ought but repentance taken vp in sicknesse is vsually constrained and extorted by the feare of hell and other iudgements of God for crosses afflictions and sicknes will cause the grossest hypocrite that euer was to stoope and buckle vnder the hand of God and to dissemble faith and repentance and euery grace of God as though he had them as fully as any of the true seruants of God whereas indeede he wants them altogether Wherefore such repentance commonly is but counterfait For in true and sound repentance men must forsake their sins but in this the sinne forsakes the man who leaues all his euill waies onely vpon this that he is constâ—ained to lâ—aue the world Wherefore it is a thing greatly to be wished that men would repent and prepare themselues to die in the time of health before the day of death or sicknesse come Lastly it is alleadged that one of the theeues repented vpon the crosse Answ. The thiefe was called after the eleuenth houre at the point of the twelfth when he was now dying and drawing on Therefore his conuersion was altogether miraculous and extraordinarie and there was a speciall reason why Christ would haue him to be called then that while he was in suffering he might shew forth the vertue of his passion that all which saw the one might also acknowledge the other Now it is not good for men to make an ordinarie rule of an extraordinarie example Thus then this point beeing manifest that a generall preparation must be made let vs now see in what manner it must be done And for the right doing of it â—uâ—e duties must be practised in the â—ourse of our liues The first iâ— the meditation of death in the life time
disarme him make him altogither vnable to preuaile against vs. Now to finde out this matter we neede not to vse the counsell of any Delilah for wee haue the worde of God which teacheth vs plainly where the strength of death consists namely in our sinnes as Paul saith The sting of death is sinne Well then we knowing certainly that the power and force of euery mans particular death lies in his owne sinnes must spend our time and studie in vsing good meanes that our sinnes may be remooued and pardoned And therefore wee must daily inure our selues in the practise of two duties One is to humble our selues for all our sins past partly confessing them against our selues partly in prayer crying to heauen for the pardon of them The other is for time to come to turne vnto god and to carrie a purpose resolution and indeauour in al things to reforme both heart and life according to Gods worde These are the verie principall and proper duties whereby the strength of death is much rebated and he is made of a mightie and bloodie enemie so farre forth friendly and tractable that we may with comfort incounter with him and preuaile too Therefore I commend these duties to your Christian considerations and carefull practise desiring that ye would spend your daies euer hereafter in doing of them If a maÌ„ were to deale with a mightie dragon or serpent hand to hand in such wise as he must either kill or bee killed the best thing were to bereaue him of his sting or of that part of his bodie where his poyson lies nowe death it selfe is a serpent dragon or scorpion and sinne is the sting or poison whereby hee woundes and kills vs. Wherefore without any more delay see that yee pull out his sting the practise of the foresaid duties is as it were a fitte and worthie instrument to doe the deede Hast thou beene a person ignorant of Gods wil a contemner of his word and worship a blasphemer of his name a breaker of his sabbaths disobedient to parents and magistrates a murderer a fornicator a railer a slanderer a couetous person c. reforme these thy sinnes and all other like vnto them pull them out by the rootes from thy heart and cast them off So many sinnes as bee in thee so many stings of death bee also in thee to wound thy soule to eternall death Therefore let no one sinne remaine for which thou hast not humbled thy selfe and repented seriously When death hurts any man it takes the weapons whereby he is hurt from his owne hand It cannot doe vs the least hurt but by the force of our owne sinnes Wherefore I say again againe lay this point to your hearts spend our strength life and health that ye may before ye die abolish the strength of death A man may put a serpent in his bosome when the sting is out and wee may let death creepe into our bosoms and gripe vs with his legs and stab vs at the heart so long as he brings not his venime and poison with him And because the former duties are so necessarie as none can be more I wil vse some reasons yet further to enforce them Whatsoeuer a man would doe when he is dying the â—ame he ought to doe euerie daie while he is liuing now the most notorious and wicked person that euer was when hee is dying will praie and desire others to praie for him and promise amendement of life protesting that if he might liue he would becom a practitioner in al the good duties of faith repentance and reformation of life Oh therefore bee carefull to doe this euerie daie Againe the saying is true hee that would liue when hee is dead must die while he is aliue namely to his sinnes Wouldest thou then liue eternally sue to heauen for thy pardon and see that now in thy life time thou die to thine owne sinnes Lastly wicked Balaam would faine die the death of the righteous but alas it was to smal purpose for he would by no meanes liue the life of the righteous For his continuall purpose and meaning was to followe his old waies in sorceries and couetousnesse Nowe the life of a righteous man standes in the humbling of himselfe for his sinnes past and in a careful reformation of life to come Wouldest thou then die the death of the righteous then look vnto it that thy life be the life of the righteous if ye will needs liue the life of the vnrighteous yee must looke to die the death of the vnrighteous Remember this and content not your selues to heare the word but bee doers of it for ye learne no more indeede what measure of knowledge soeuer ye haue then ye practise The third dutie in our generall preparation is in this life to enter into the first degree of life eternall For as I haue said there bee three degrees of life euerlasting and the first of them is in this present life For he that would liue in eternall happinesse for euer must begin in this world to rise out of the graue of his owne sinnes in which by nature hee lies buried and liue in newnesse of life as it is said in the Reuelation Hee that will escape the second death must bee made partaker of the first resurrectioÌ„ And Paul saith to the Colossians that they were in this life deliuered from the power of darkenesse and translated into the kingdome of Christ. And Christ saith to the Church of the Iewes the kingdome of heauen is amongst you Nowe this first degree of life is when a man can say with Paul I liue not but Christ liues in me that is I finde partly by the testimonie of my sanctified conscience and partly by experience that Christ my redeemer by his spirit guideth and gouerneth my thoughts will affectionsâ— all the powers of body and soule according to the blessed direction of his holy will Now that we might be able to say this we must haue three gifts graces of God wherein especially this first degree of life consists The first is sauing knowledge wherebâ— we doe truely resolue our selues that God the father of Christ is our fatherâ— Christ his sonne our redeemer and the holy ghost our comforter That this knowledge is one part of life eternall it appeares by the saying of Christ in Iohn This is life eternall that is the beginning and entrance into life eternall to know thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. The second grace is peace of conscience which passeth al vnderstanding and therefore Paul saith that the kingdome of heauen is righteousnes peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost The horror of a guiltie conscience is the beginning of death destruction therefore peace of conscience deriued from the death of Christ is life and happinesse The third is the regiment of the spirit whereby the heart and life of man is ordered according to the
suffereth for his sinne It is true indeede there bee other causes of the wantes of the bodie and of sickenesse beside sinne and though they be not knowne to vs yet they are knowne to the Lord. Hereupon Christ when he sawe a certaine blind man and was demaunded what was the cause of the blindnesse answered neither hath this man sinned nor his pareÌ„ts but that the work of God should be shewed on him Yet wee for our parts who are to goe not by the secret but by the reuealed will of God must make this vse of our sickenes that it is sent vnto vs for our sinnes When Christ healed the man sicke of the palsie he saieth bee of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and when he had healed the man by the poole of Bethesda that had bin sicke thirtie eight yeares he bids him sinne no more least a worst thing happen vnto him giuing them both to vnderstand that their sickenesse came by reason of their sinnes And thus should euery sicke man resolue himselfe Nowe when wee haue proceeded thus farre and haue as it were laid our finger vpon the right and proper cause of our sicknes three things concerning our sinnes must bee performed of vs in sickenesse First we must make a new examination of our heartes and liues and say as the Israelites said in affliction Let vs search and â—ry our waies and turne againe to the Lord. Secondly we must make a newe confession to God of our new and particular sinnes as God sends new corrections and chastisements When Dauid had the hand of God verie heauie vpon him for his sinnes so as his verie bones and moisture consumed within him he made confession of them vnto God and thereupon obtained his pardon and was healed The third thing is to make newe praier and more earnest the euer before with sighes and grones of the spirit and that for pardon of the same sins and for reconciliation with God in Christ. In the exercise of these three duties standes the renouation of our faith and repentance whereby they are increased quickened and reuiued And the more sickenesse preuailes and takes place in the bodie the more should we bee carefull to put them in vre that spirituall life might increase as temporall life is decaied When King Ezechias lay sicke as he thought vpon his death-bed hee wept as for some other causes so also for his sinnes and withall he praied God to cast them behind his backe Dauid made certaine Psalmes when he was sicke or at the least vpon the occasion of his sickenes as namely the 6. the 32. the 38. the 39 c. they all are psalmes of repentance in which we may see howe in distresse of bodie and minde he renewed his faith and repentance heartely bewailing his sinnes and intreating the Lord for the pardon of them Manasses one that fell from God and gaue himselfe to many horrible sinnes when hee was taken captiue and imprisoned in Babylon he praied to the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers and praied vnto him and God was intreated of him and heard his praier and brought him againe into Ierusalem into his kingdome and then Manasses knewe that the Lord was God Nowe looke what Manasses did in this tribulation the same thing must wee doe in the time of our bodily sickenesse Here I haue occasion to mention a notorious fault that is very common in this age euen among such as haue long liued in the bosome of the Church that is this Men nowe a daies are so farre from renuing their faith and repentance that when they lie sicke and are drawing toward death they must bee Catechised in the doctrine of faith and repentance as if they had beene but of late receiued into the Church Whosoeuer will but as occasion is offered visit the sicke shall finde this to bee true which I say What a shame is this that when a man hath spent his life and daies in the Church for the space of twentie or thirtie or fourtie yeares he should at the verie ende of all and not before begin to inquire what faith and what repentance is and howe his soule might bee saued This one sinne argues the great securitie of this age and the great contempt of God and his worde Well let all men hereafter in time to come be warned to take heede of this exceeding negligence in matters of saluation and to vse all good meanes before hand that they may be able in sicknesse and in the time of death to put in practise the spirituall exercises of inuocation and repentance Nowe if so be it fall out that the sicke partie cannot of himselfe renewe his owne faith and repentance he must seeke the helpe of others When the man that was sicke of the dead palsie could not goe to Christ himselfe hee got others to beare him in his bed and when they could not come nere for the multitude they vncouered the roofe of the house and let the bed downe before Christ euen so when sicke men can not alone by themselues do the good duties to which they are bound they must borrowe helpe from their fellowe members who are partly by their counsel to put to their helping hand and partly by their praiers to present them vnto God and to bring them into the presence of God And touching helpe in this case sundrie duties are to bee performed Saint Iames sets down foure two wherof concerne the sicke patient and other two such as be helpers The first dutie of the sicke man is to send for helpe where two circumstances must be considered who must be sent for and when For the first Saint Iames saith Is any sicke among you let him call for the elders of the Church Whereby are meant not onely Apostles and all ministers of the gospell but others also as I take it which were men ancient for yeares indued with the spirit of vnderstanding and praier and had withall the gift of working miracles and of healing the sicke For in the primitiue Church this gift was for a time so plentifully bestowed on them that beleeued in Christ that souldiers cast out deuills and parents wrought miracles on their children Hence we may learne that howesoeuer it be the dutie of the ministers of the word principally to visit and comfort the sicke yet is it not their dutie alone for it belongs to them also which haue knowledge of Gods worde the gift of praier Exhort one another saith the holy Ghost while it is called to daie And againe Admonish them that are disordered and comfort those that are weake And indeede in equitie it should be the duty of euerie Christian man to comfort his brother in sickenesse Here wee must needes take knowledge of the common fault of men and women when they come to visit their neighbours and friends they can not speake a work of instruction and
in that respect may be saide to be the cause of euery mans death So saith Anna The Lord killeth and maketh aliue The Church of Ierusalem confessed that nothing came to passe in the death of Christ but that which the foreknowledge and eternall counsell of God had appointed And therefore the death also of euery member of Christ is foreseene and ordained by the speciall decree and prouidence of God I adde further that the very circumstances of death as the time when the place where the maner how the beginnings of sicknes the cōtinuance and the ende euery fit in the sicknes and the pangs of death are particularly set down in the counsell of God The very hayres of our heads are numbered as our Sauiour Christ saith and a sparrow lights not on the ground without the will of our heauenly father Dauid saith excellently My bones are not hidde from thee though I was made in a secret place and fashioned beneath in the earth thine eyes did see me when I was without forme for in thy booke were all things written which in continuance were fashioned when there was none of them before And he praies to God to put his teares into his bottle Now if this be true that God hath bottles for the very teares of his seruants much more hath he bottles for their blood and much more doth he respect and regard their paines and miseries with all the circumstances of sicknes and death The carefull meditation of this one point is a notable meanes to arme vs against feare and distrust and impatience in the time of death as some examples in this case will easily manifest I held my tongue and saide nothing saith Dauid but what was it that caused this patience in him the cause follows in the next wordes because thou Lord diddest it And Ioseph saith to his brethren Feare not for it was the Lord that sent you before me Marke here how Ioseph is ariued against impatience and griefe and discontentment by the very consideration of Gods prouidence and so in the same manner shal we be confirmed against all feares and sorrowes and say with Dauid Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints if this perswasion be once setled in our hearts that all things in sicknes and death come to passe vnto vs by the prouidence of God who turnes all things to the good of them that loue him The second meditation is to be borrowed from the excellent promise that God made to the death of the righteous which is Blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them The author of truth that can not lie hath spoken it Now then let a man but throughly consider this that death ioyned with reformed life hath a promise of blessednes adioyned vnto it and it alone will be a sufficient meanes to stay the rage of our affections and all inordinate feare of death and the rather if we mark◠wherein this blessednes consists In death we are indeed thrust out of our old dwelling places namely these houses of clay and earthly tabernacles of our bodies wherein we haue made long aboad but what is the end surely that liuing and dying in Christ we might haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in heauens which is vnspeakable and immortall glorie If a poore man should be commaunded by a Prince to put off his torne and beggerly garments and in stead thereof to put on royall and costly robes it would be a great reioycing to his heart oh then what ioyfull newes must this he vnto all repentant and sorrowfull sinners when the King of heauen and earth comes vnto them by death and biddes them lay downe their bodies as ragged and patched garments and prepare themselues to put on the princely robe if immortalitie No tongue can be able to expresse the excellencie of this most blessed and happie estate The third meditation is borrowed from the estate of all them that are in Christ whether liuing or dying He that dieth beleeuing in Christ dieth not forth of Christ but in him hauing both his bodie and soule really coupled to Christ according to the tenour of the couenant of grace and though after death bodie and soule be seuered one from an other yet neither of them are seuered or disioyned from Christ. The coniunction which is once begun in this life remaines eternally And therefore though the soule goe from the bodie and the bodie it selfe rotte in the graue yet both are still in Christ both in the couenant both in the fauour of God as before death and both shal againe be ioyned togither the bodie by the vertue of the former coniunction beeing raised to eternall life Indeede if this vnion with Christ were dissolued as the coniunction of bodie and soule is it might be some matter of discomfort and feare but the foundation and substance of our mysticall coniunction with Christ both in respect of our bodies and soules enduring for euer must needs be a matter of exceeding ioy and comfort The fourth meditation is that God hath promised by his speciall blessed comfortable presence vnto his seruants when they are sick of dying or any way distressed When thou passest through the water I will be with thee saith the Lord and through the floods that they doe not ouerflow thee when thou walkest through the very fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shal the flame kindle vpon thee Now the Lord doth manifest his presence three waies the first is by moderating and lessening the paines and torments of sicknesse and death as the very wordes of the former promise doth plainly import Hence it comes to passe that to many men the sorrowes and pangs of death are nothing so grieuous and troublesome as the afflictions and crosses which are laid on them in the course of their liues The second way of Gods presence is by an inward and vnspeakable comfort of the spirit as Paul saith We reioyce in tribulation knowing that tribulation bringeth forth patience c. but why is this reioycing because saith he in the next words the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost Againe Paul hauing in some grieuous sicknes receiued the sentence of death saith of himselfe that as the sufferings of Christ did abound in him so his consolation did abound through Christ. Here then we see that when earthly comforts faile the Lord himselfe drawes neere the bed of the sicke as it were visiting them in his owne person and ministring vnto them refreshing for their soules With his right hand he holds vp their heads and with his left hand he embraceth them The third meanes of Gods presence is the ministery of his good Angels whome the Lord hath appointed as keepers and nources vnto his seruants to hold them vp and to
families must principally bestowe their goods vpon their owne children and them that be of their own kindred This man saith God to Abraham of Eleazar a stranger shall not bee thine heire but the sonne which shall come of thy loynes And this was Gods commandement to the Israelites that when any man dies his sonne should bee his heire and if hee had no sonne then his daughter if he haue no daughter then his brethren and if he haue no brethren then his fathers brethren if there be none then the next of his kinne whosoeuer And Paul saith If ye be sonnes then also heires And againe He that prouides not for his owne and namly for them of his houshold is worse then an infidel Therefore it is a fault for any man to alienate his goods or landes wholly and finally from his blood and posteritie It is a thing which the verie lawe of nature it selfe hath condemned Againe it is a fault to giue all to the eldest and nothing in respect to the rest as though the eldest were born to be gentlemen and yonger brethren borne to beare the wallet Yet in equitie the eldest must haue more then any euen because hee is the eldest and because stockes and families in their persons are to bee maintained and because there must alwaies be some that must be fit to doe speciall seruice in the peace of the common-weale or in the time of warre which could not bee if goods should bee equally parted to all The fourth and last rule is that no Will is of force till the testatour bee dead for so long as hee is aliue hee may alter and change it These rules must bee remembred because they are recorded in Scripture the opening of other points and circumstances belongeth to the profession of the law The second dutie of the master of the family concerneth the soules of such as be vnder his gouernmēt and that is to giue charge to them that they learn beleeue and obey the true religion that is the doctrine of saluation set downe in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles The Lord himselfe commends Abraham for this I know Abraham saith he that he will command his sonnes his houshold after him that they keepe the waie of the Lord to doe righteousnes and iudgement And Dauid giues Salomon on his death bed a most notable and solemne charge the summe and substance whereof is to knowe the God of his fathers and to serue him which being done he further commends him to God by praier for which purpose the 72. psalme was made This practise of his is to be followed of all Thus gouernours whē they shall carefully dispose of their goods and giue charge to their posteritie touching the worship of God shall greatly honour God dying as well as liuing Hitherto I haue intreated of the two-folde preparation which is to goe before death nowe follows the second part of Dying-wel namely the disposition in death This disposition is nothing else but a religious and holy behauiour specially towards God when wee are in or neere the agonie or pang of death This behauiour containes three special duties The first is to die in or by faith To die by faith is when a man in the time of death doeth with all his heart relie himselfe wholly on Gods speciall loue and fauour and mercie in Christ as it is reuealed in the word And though their bee no part of mans life voide of iust occasions whereby we may put faith in practise yet the speciall time of all is the pang of death when friendes and riches and pleasures and the outward senses and temporall life and all earthly helps forsake vs. For thē true faith maketh vs to goe wholly out of our selues and to despaire of comfort and saluation in respect of any earthly thing and with all the power and strength of the heart to rest on the pure mercie of God This made Luther both thinke and say that men were best Christians in death An example of this faith wee haue in Dauid who when hee sawe nothing before his eies but present death the people intending to stone him comforted him at that very instant as the text saieth in the Lord his God And this comfort he reaped in that by faith he applied vnto his owne soule the mercifull promises of God as hee testifieth of himself Remember saith he the promise made to thy seruant wherin thou hast caused me to trust It is my comfort in trouble for thy promise hath quickened me Againe My flesh failed and my heart also but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer Now looke what Dauid here did the same must euery one of vs doe in the like case When the Israelites in the wildernes were stung with fierie serpents and lay at the point of death they looked vp to the brasen serpent which was erected by the appointment of God and were presently healed euen so when any man feeles death to drawe neere and his fiery sting to pierce the heart he must fixe the eye of a true and liuely faith vpon Christ exalted crucified on the crosse which beeing done he shall by death enter into eternall life Nowe because true faith is no dead thing it must bee expressed by speciall actions the principal whereof is Inuocation whereby either praier or thanksgiuing is directed vnto God When death had seazed vpon the bodie of Iacob he raised vp himselfe and turning his face towards the beds head leaned on the toppe of his staffe by reason of his feeblenesse and praied vnto God which praier of his was an excellent fruite of his faith Iobs wife in the midst of his affliction saide vnto him to very good purpose Blesse God and die I know and grant that the words are commonly translated otherwise Curse god and die but as I take it the former is the best For it is not like that in so excellent a family any one person much lesse a matrone and principall gouernour thereof would giue such lewd and wretched counsell which the most wicked mā vpon earth hauing no more but the light of nature would not once giue but rather much abhorre and condemne And though Iob cal her a foolish woman yet he doth it not because shee wēt about to perswade him to blaspheme God but because shee was of the mind of Iobs friends and thought that hee stood too much in a conceit of his owne righteousnes Nowe the effect and meaning of her counsell is this Blesse God that is husband no doubt thou art by the extremitie of thine affliction at deaths dore therefore beginne nowe at length to lay aside the great ouerweening which thou hast of thine owne righteousnes acknowledge the hand of God vpon thee for thy sinnes confesse them vnto him giuing him the glorie pray for the pardon of them and end thy daies This counsell is very good and to be
when hee had confirmed this by testimonie of Scripturâ— he added This is my faith in which I will die and God will destroy them that teach otherwise This done he shooke hands with all and said Farewell my brethren and deare friends It were easie to quote more examples but these few may be in stead of many and the summe of all that godly men speake is this Some inlightened with a propheticall spirit foretell things to come as the Patriarkes Iacob and Ioseph did and there haue bin some which by name haue testified who should verie shortly come after them and who should remaine aliue and what should be their condition some haue shewed a wonderfull memorie of things past as of their former life and of the benefits of God and no doubt it was giuen them to stirre vp holy affections and thanksgiuing to God some againe rightly iudging of the change of their present estate for a better doe reioyce exceedingly that they must be translated from earth to paradise as Babylas Martyr of Antioch when his head was to be chopped off Returne saith he O my soule vnto thy rest because the Lord hath blessed thee because thou hast deliuered my soule from death mine eies from teares and my foote from falling I shall walke before thee Iehoua in the land of the liuing And some others speake of the vanitie of this life of the imagination of the sorrowes of death of the beginnings of eternall life of the comfort of the holy Ghost which they feele of their departure vnto Christ. Quest. What must we thinke if in the time of death such speeches be wanting and in the stead thereof idle talke be vsed Ans. Wee must consider the kind of sicknes whereof men die whether it be more easie or violent for violent sicknes is vsually accompanied with frensies and with vnseemely motions and gestures which wee are to take in good part euen in this regard because we our selues may be in the like case Thus much of the first dutie which is to die in faith the second is to die in obedience otherwise our death cannot bee aceeptable to God because wee seeme to come vnto God of feare and constraint as slaues to a master not of loue as children to a father Nowe to die in obedience is when a man willing and readie and desirous to goe out of this worlde whensoeuer God shall call him and that without murmuring or repining at what time where and wheÌ„ it shall please god Whether we liue or die saith Paul we do it not to our selues but vnto God and therefore mans dutie is to bee obedient to God in death as in life Christ is our example in this case who in his agonie praied Father let this cup passe from me yet with a submission not my will but thy will be done teaching vs in the very pangs of death to resigne our selues to the good pleasure of God When the prophet told king Ezechiah of death presently without all manner of grudging or repining he addressed himselfe to praier We are commanded to present our selues vnto God as free-will offerings without any limitation of time and therefore as well in death as in life I conclude then that we are to make as much conscience in performing obedience to God in suffering death as we do of any coÌ„scieÌ„ce in the course of our liues The third dutie is to render vp our soules into the handes of God as the most faithfull keeper of all This is the last dutie of a Christian and it is prescribed vnto vs in the example of Christ vpon the crosse who in the very pangs of death when the dissolution of bodie and soule drew on said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and so gaue vp the ghost The like was done by Steuen who when he was stoned to death said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And Dauid in his life time being in danger of death vsed the very same words that Christ vttered Thus we see what be the duties which we are to performe in the very paÌ„gs of death that we may come to eternall life Some man will happily say if this be all to die in faith and obedience and to surrender our soules into Gods haÌ„d we will not greatly care for any preparation before hand nor trouble our selues much about the right manner of dying well for we doubt not but that when death shall come we shall be able to perform all the former duties with ease Ans. Let no man deceiue himselfe by any false perswasion thinking with himselfe that the practise of the foresaid duties is a matter of ease for ordinarily they are not neither can they be performed in death vnles there bee much preparation in the life before Hee that will die in faith must first of all liue by faith and there is but one example in all the bible of a man dying in faith that liued without faith namely the theife vpon the crosse The seruants of God that are endued with great measure of grace doe very hardly beleeue in the time of affliction Indeede when Iob was afflicted he said Though the Lord kill me yet will I trust in him yet afterward his faith being ouercast with a cloud he saith that God was become his enemie and that he had set him as a marke to shoot at and sundry times his faith was oppressed with doubting and distrust How then shall they that neuer liued by faith nor inured themselues to beleeue bee able in the pang of death to rest vpon the mercie of God Againe hee that would die in obedience must first of all lead his life in obedience he that hath liued in disobedience can not willingly and in obedience appeare before the iudge when he is cited by death the sergeant of the Lord he dies indeede but that is vpon necesâ—itie because hee must yeelde to the order and course of nature as other creatures do Thirdly he that would surrender his soule into the hands of God must be resolued of two things the one is that God can the other is that God will receiue his soule into heauen and there preserue it till the last iudgement And none can be resolued of this except he haue the spirit of God to certifie his conscience that hee is redeemed iustified sanctified by Christ and shall be glorified He that is not thus perswaded dare not render vp and present his soule vnto God When Dauid said Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit what was the reason of this boldnesse in him surely nothing els but the perswasion of faith as the next words import for thou hast redeemed mee O Lord God of trueth And thus it is manifest that no man ordinarily can performe these duties dying that hath not performed them liuing This beeing so I doe againe renewe my former exhortation beseeching you that ye would practise the duties of preparatioÌ„ in the course of your liues leading
doubt they are both wide and the safest course is to keepe the meane between both Therefore the iudiciall lawes of Moses according to the substance and scope thereof must be distinguished in which respect they are of two sorts Some of them are lawes of particular equitie some of common equitie Lawes of particular equitie are such as prescribe iustice according to the particular estate and condition of the Iewes common wealth and to the circumstances thereof time place persons things actions Of this kind was the law that the brother should raise vp seed to his brother and many such like and none of them bind vs because they were framed and tempered to a particular people Iudicialls of common equitie are such as are made according to the lawe or instinct of nature coÌ„mon to all men these in respect of their substance bind the consciences not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles for they were not giuen to the Iewes as they are Iewes that is a people receiued into the Couenant aboue all other nations brought from Egypt to the land of Canaan of whome the Messias according to the flesh was to come but they were giuen to them as they were mortall men subiect to the order and lawes of nature as all other nations are Againe iudiciall lawes so farre forth as they haue in them the generall or common equitie of the law of nature are moral and therefore binding in conscience as the morall lawe A iudiciall lawe may be known to be a law of common equitie if either of these two things be found in it First if wise men not onely among the Iewes but also in other nations haue by naturall reason and conscience iudged the same to be equall iust and necessarie and withall haue iustified their iudgement by enacting laws for their common wealths the same in substance with sundrie of the iudicial lawes giuen to the Iewes and the Romane Emperours among the rest haue done this most excellently as will appeare by conferring their lawes with the lawes of God Secondly a Iudicial hath common equitie if it serue directly to explane and confirme any of the ten precepts of the Decalogue or if it serue directly to maintaine and vpholde any of the three estates of the family the common wealth the Church And whether this be so or no it will appeare if we doe but consider the matter of the law and the reasons or considerations vpon which the Lord was mooued to giue the same vnto the Iewes Nowe to make the point in hand more plaine take an example or two It is a iudiciall lawe of God that murderers must bee put to death now the question is whether this lawe for substance be the common equitie of nature binding consciences of Christians or no the answer is that without further doubting it is so For first of all this lawe hath beene by common consent of wise law-giuers enacted in many countries and kingdomes beside the Iewes It was the lawe of the Egyptians and olde Grecians of Draco of Numa and of many of the Romane Emperours Secondly this lawe serues directly to maintaine obedience to the sixt commandement and the consideration vpon which the lawe was made is so weightie that without it a common-wealth cannot stand The murderers blood must bee shedde saith the Lord Num. 35.33.34 because the whole land is defiled with blood and remaineth vncleâ—sed till his blood be shed Againe it was a iudiciall law among the Iewes that the adulterer and adulteresse should die the death nowe let the question be whether this lawe concerne other nations as being deriued from the common lawe of nature and it seemes to bee so For first wise men by the light of reason and naturall conscience haue iudged this punishment equall and iust Iudah before this iudiciall lawe was giuen by Moses appointed Tamar his daughter in law to be burnt to death for playing the whore Nabuchadnezar burnt Echad and Zedechias because they committed adulterie with their neighbours wiues By Dracoes lawe among the Grecians this sin was death and also by the law of the Romanes Againe this law serues directly to maintaine necessarie obedience to the seuenth commandement and the considerations vpon which this lawe was giuen are perpetuall and serue to vphold the common wealth Lev. 20.22 Ye saith the Lord shall keepe all mine ordinances and my iudgements the law of adulterie being one of them Nowe marke the reasons 1. Least the laÌ„d spue you out 2. for the same sins I haue abhorred the natioÌ„s The Ceremoniall lawe is that which prescribes rites and orders in the outward worship of God It must be considered in three times The first is time before the comming and death of Christ the second the time of publishing the gospell by the Apostles the third the time after the publishing of the gospell In the first it did binde the conscience of the Iewes and the obedience of it was the true worship of God But it did not then bind the consciences of the Gentiles for it was the partition wall between them and the Iewes And it did continue to bind the Iewes till the very death and ascension of Christ. For theÌ„ the hand writing of ordinances which was against vs was nailed on the crosse and cancelled And when Christ saith that the lawe and the Prophett indured til Iohn Luk. 16.16 his meaning is not that the ceremoniall law ended then but that things foretold by the Prophets obscurely prefigured by the ceremoniall law began then more plainely to be preached and made manifest The second time was from the ascension of Christ til about the time of the destruction of the Temple and the Citie in which ceremonies ceased to bind conscience and remained indifferent Hereupon Paul circumcised Timothie the Apostles after Christs ascension as occasion was offered were present in the Temple Act. 3.1 And the Council of Hierusalem tendering the weaknes of some beleeuers decreed that the Church for a time should abstaine from strangled and blood And there was good reason of this because the Church of the Iewes was not yet sufficiently conuicted that an end was put to the ceremoniall law by the death of Christ. In the third time which was after the publishing of the gospel ceremonies of the Iewes Church became vnlawfull and so shall continue to the worldes ende By this it appeares what a monstrous and miserable religion the church of Rome teacheth and maintaineth which standes wholly in ceremonies partly heathenish and partly Iewish As for the Gospel I take it for the part of the word of God which promiseth righteousnes and life euerlasting to all that beleeue in Christ and withall commandeth this faith That we may the better knowe howe the gospell bindes conscience two points must be considered one touching the persons bound the other touching the manner of binding Persons are of two sorts some be called some be
III. the fault or the offending of God vnder which I comprehend our Guiltinesse in Adams first offence as also the corruption of the heart which is a naturall inclination and pronenesse to any thing that is euill or against the lawe of God For the first we say that after baptisme in the regenerate the punishment of originall sinne is taken away There is no condemnation saith the Apostle to them that be in Iesus Christ. Rom. 8.1 For the second that is guiltines we further condescend say that is also taken away in them that are borne anew for considering there is no condemnation to them there is nothing to bind them to punishmeÌ„t Yet this caueat must be remembred namely that the guiltines is remooued from the person regenerate not from the sinne in the person but of this more afterward Thirdly the guilt in Adams first offence is pardoned And touching the corruption of the heart I auouch two things I. That that very power or strength whereby it raigneth in man is taken away in the regenerate II. That this corruption is abolished as also the fault of euery actuall sinne past so far forth as it is the fault and sinne of the man in whome it is Indeede it remaines till death and it is sinne considered in it self so long as it remaines but it is not imputed vnto the person and in that respect is as though it were not it beeing pardoned II. The dissent or difference Thus farre we consent with the Church of Rome nowe the difference betweene vs standes not in the abolishment but in the manner and the measure of the abolishment of this sinne Papists teach that Originall sinne is so farre forth taken away after baptisme me that it ceaseth to be a sinne properly and is nothing els but a want defect and weaknes making the heart fitte and readie to conceiue sinne much like tinder which though it be not fire of it selfe yet is it very apt and fit to coÌ„ceiue fire And they of the Church of Rome deny it to be sinne properly that they might vphold some grosse opinions of theirs namely that a man in this life may fullfill the lawe of God and doe good workes void of sinne that hee may stand righteous at the barre of Gods iudgement by them But wee teach otherwise that though originall sinne be taken away in the regenerate and that in sundrie respects yet doth it remaine in them after baptisme not onely as a want and weakenesse but as a sinne and that properly as may by these reasons be prooued Reason I. Rom. 7. 17. Paul saith directly It is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me that is originall sin The Papists answer againe that it is so called improperly because it commeth of sinne and also is an occasion of sinne to be done But by the circumstances of the text it is sinne properly for in the wordes following Saint Paul saith that this sinne dwelling in him made him to doe the euill which he hated And. v. 24. he crieth out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death whence I reason thus That which once was sinne properly and still remaining in man maketh him to sin and intangleth him in the punishment of sinne and makes him miserable that is sinne properly But originall sinne doth all these Ergo Reason II. Infants baptized and regenerate die the bodily death before they come to the yeares of discretion therefore originall sinne in them is sinne properly or else they should not die hauing no cause of death in them for death is the wages of sinne as the Apostle saith Rom. 6. 23. and Rom. 5. 12. Death entred into the world by sinne As for actuall sinne they haue none if they die presently after they are borne before they come to any vse either of reason or affection Reason III. That which lusteth against the spirit by lusting tempteth and in tempting intiseth and draweth the heart to sinne is for nature sinne it selfe but concupiscence in the regenerate lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5.17 and tempteth as I haue said Iam. 1.14 God tempteth no man but euery man is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is inâ—â—sed then when lust conceiueth it bringeth forth sinne And therefore it is sinne properly such as the fruit is such is the tree August Concupiscence against which the spirit lusteth is sinne because in it there is disobedience against the rule of the minde and it is the punishment of sinne because it befalls man for the merits of his disobedience and it is the cause of sinne Reason V. The iudgement of the auncient Church August epist. 29. Charitie in some is more in some lesse in some none the highest degree of all which cannot be increased is in none as long as man liues vpon earth And as long as it may bee increased that which is lesse then it should be is in fault by which fault it is that there is no iust man vpon earth that doth good and sinneth not by which fault none liuing shall be iustified in the sight of God For which fault if we say we haue no sinne there is no trueth in vs for which also though we profit neuer so much it is necessary for vs to say forgiue vs our debts though all our words deedes and thoughts bee already forgiuen in baptisme Indeed Augustine in sundrie places seemes to denie concupiscence to be sinne after baptisme but his meaning is that concupiscence in the regenerate is not the sinne of the person in whome it is For thus he expounds himselfe This is not to haue sinne not to bee guiltie of sinne And the law of sinne in baptisme is remitted and not ended And Let not sinne raigne he saith not let not sinne be but let it not raigne For as long as thou liuest of necessity sinne will be in thy members at the least looke it raigne not in thee c. Obiections of Papists The arguments which the Church of Rome alleadgeth to the contrarie are these Obiect I. In baptisme men receiue perfect and absolute pardon of sinne and sinne beeing pardoned is taken quite away and therefore originall sinne after baptisme ceaseth to be sinne Ans. Sinne is abolished two waies first in regard of imputation to the person secondly in regard of existing and beeing For this cause God vouchsafeth to man two blessings in baptisme Remission of sinne and Mortification of the same Remission or pardon abolisheth sinne wholly in respect of any imputation thereof vnto man but not simply in regard of the beeing thereof Mortification therefore goeth further abolisheth in all the powers of body and soule the very concupiscence or corruption it selfe in respect of the beeing thereof And because mortification is not accomplished till death therefore originall corruption remaineth till death though not imputed Obiect II. Euery sinne is voluntarie but originall
vs our debts and to it we say Amen that is that our petitions shall without doubt be graunted vnto vs. Aug. serm de Temp. 182. And here note that the Church of Rome in the doctrine of iustification by faith cuts off the principall part and propertie thereof For in iustifying faith two things are required first Knowledge reuealed in the word touching the meanes of saluation secondly an Applying of things knowne vnto our selues which some call affiance Nowe the first they acknowledge but the second which is the very substance and principall part thereof they denie III. Reason The iudgement of the auncient Church August I demande nowe doest thou beleeue in Christ O sinner Thou saiest I beleeue What beleeuest thou that all thy sinnes may freely be pardoned in him Thou hast that which thou beleeuest Bernard The Apostle thinketh that a man is iustified freely by faith If thou beleeuest that thy sinnes cannot bee remitted but by him alone against whome they were committed but goe further and beleeue this too that by him thy sinnes are forgiuen thee This is the testimonie which the holy Ghost giueth in the heart saying thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Cyprian God promiseth thee immortalitie when thou goest out of this world and doest thou doubt This is indeed not to know God and this is for a member of the Church in the house of faith not to haue faith If wee beleeue in Christ let vs beleeue his wordes and promises and wee shall neuer die and shall come to Christ with ioyfull securitie with him to raigne for euer The II. difference touching faith in the act of iustification is this The Papist saith we are iustified by faith because it disposeth a sinner to his iustification after this manner By faith saith he the mind of man is inlightened in the knowledge of the lawe and gospell knowledge stirs vp a feare of hell with a consideration of the promise of happines as also the loue feare of God hope of life eternall Now when the heart is thus prepared God infuseth the habit of charitie other vertues wherby a sinner is iustified before god We say otherwise that faith iustifieth because it is a supernaturall Instrument created by God in the heart of man at his conuersion whereby he apprehendeth and receiueth Christs righteousnes for his iustification In this their doctrine is a twofold error I. that they make faith which iustifieth to goe before iustification it selfe both â—or order of nature as also for time whereas by the worde of God at the very instant when any man beleeueth first he is then iustified and sanctified For he that beleeueth eateth and drinketh the bodie and blood of Christ and is alreadie passed from death to life Ioh. 6.54 The second is that faith beeing nothing else with them but an illumination of the minde stirreth vp the will which beeing mooued helped causeth in the heart many spirituall motions and thereby disposeth man to his future iustification But this indeed is as much as if we should say that dead men onely helped can prepare themselues to their future resurrection For we are all by nature dead in sinne and therefore must not onely be inlightened in mind but also renued in will before we can so much as wil or desire that which is good Nowe we as I haue said teach otherwise that faith iustifieth as it is an instrument to apprehend and apply Christ with his obedience which is the matter of our iustification This is the trueth I prooue it thus In the couenant of grace two things must be considered the substance thereof and the condition The substance of the couenant is that righteousnes and life euerlasting is giuen to Gods Church and people by Christ. The condition is that we for our parts are by faith to receiue the foresaid benefits and this condition is by grace as well as the substance Now then that we may attaine to saluation by Christ he must be giuen vnto vs really as he is propounded in the tenour of the foresaid couenant And for the giuing of Christ God hath appointed speciall ordinances as the preaching of the word and the administration oâ—â—â—e Sacraments The word preached is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeues and the end of the sacraments is to communicate Christ with all his benefits to them that come to be partakers thereof as is most plainely to be seene in the supper of the Lord in which the giuing of bread and wine to the seuerall communicants is a pledge and signe of Gods particular giuing of Christs bodie and blood with all his merits vnto them And this giuing on Gods part cannot be effectuall without receiuing on our parts and therfore faith must needes be an instrument or hand to receiue that which God giueth that we may find comfort by this giuing The III. difference concerning faith is this the Papist saith that a man is iustified by faith yet not by faith alone but also by other vertues as hope loue the feare of God c. The reasons which are brought to maintaine their opinion are of no moment I. Reason Luke 7.47 Many sinnes are forgiuen her because shee loued much Whence they gather that the woman here spoken of was iustified and had the pardon of sinnes by loue Ans. In this text loue is not made an impulsiue cause to mooue God to pardon her sinnes but onely a figne to shew and manifest that God had alreadie pardoned them Like to this is the place of Iohn who saith 1. Ioh. 3. 14. We are translated from death to life because wee loue the brethreÌ„ where loue is no cause of the chaÌ„ge but a signe consequent therof II. Reason Gal. 5.6 Neither circumcision nor vncircumeision auaileth any thing but faith that worketh by loue Hence they gather that faith doeth iustifie togither with loue Ans. The propertie of true faith is to apprehend and receiue something vnto it selfe and loue that goes alwaies with faith as a fruite and an vnseparable companion thereof is of another nature For it doeth not receiue in but as it were giue out it selfe in all the duties of the first and second table towards God and man and this thing faith by it selfe cannot doe and therefore Paul saieth that faith worketh by loue The hand hath a propertie to reach out it selfe to lay hold of any thing and to recâ—â—ue a gift but the hand hath no propertie to cut a peece of wood of it selfe without saw or knife or some like instrument yet by help of theÌ„ it can either deuide or cut Euen so it is the nature of faith to goe out of it selfe to receiue Christ into the heart as for the duties of the first and second table faith cannot of it selfe bring them forth no more then the hand can deuide or cut yet ioyne loue to faith then can it practise duties commended concerning God and man
And this I take to be the meaning of this text which speaketh not of iustification by faith but onely of the practice of common duties which faith putteth in execution by the helpe of loue III. Reason Faith is neuer alone therefore it doth not iustifie alone Ans. The reason is naught and they might as well dispute thus The eie is neuer alone from the head and therefore it seeth not alone which is absurd And though in regard of substance the eie be neuer alone yet in regard of seeing it is alone and so though faith subsist not without loue and hope and other graces of god yet in regard of the act of iustification it is alone without thē al. IV. Reason If faith alone doe iustifie then we are saued by faith alone but we are not saued by faith alone and therefore not iustified by faith alone Ans. The proposition is false for more things are requisite to the maine ende then to the subordinate meanes And the assumption is false for wee are saued by faith alone if we speake of faith as it is an instrument apprehending Christ for our saluation V. Reason We are saued by hope therefore not by faith alone Ans. Wee are saued by hope not because it is any cause of our saluation Pauls meaning is onely this that we haue not saluation as yet in possession but waite patiently for it in time to come to be possessed of vs expecting the time of our full deliuerance that is all that can iustly be gathered hence Nowe the doctrine which we teach on the contrarie is That a sinner is iustified before God by faith yea by faith alone The meaning is that nothing within man and nothing that man can do either by nature or by grace concurreth to the act of iustification before God as any cause thereof either efficient material formal or final but faith alone all other gifts graces as hope loue the feare of God are necessarie to saluation as signes thereof cōsequents of faith Nothing in mā cōcurs as any cause to this work but by faith alone And faith it selfe is no principall but onely an instrumentall cause whereby we receiue apprehend and apply Christ and his righteousnesse for our iustificatiō Reason I. Ioh. 3.14,15 As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life In these words Christ makes a comparison on this maner when any one of the Israelites were stung to death by fierie serpents his cure was not by any phisicke surgerie but onely by the casting of his eies vp to the brasen serpent which Moses had erected by Gods commandement euen so in the cure of our soules when we are stung to death by sinne there is nothing required within vs for our recouery but onely that we cast vp and fixe the eye of our faith on Christ and his righteousnes Reason II. The exclusiue formes of speech vsed in scripture prooue thus much We are iustified freely not of the lawe not by the lawe without the lawe without workes not of workes not according to workes not of vs not by the workes of the lawe but by faith Gal. 2.16 All boasting excluded onely beleeue Luk. 8.50 These distinctions whereby workes and the lawe are excluded in the work◠of iustification doe include thus much that faith alone doth iustifie Reason III. Very reason may teach thus much for no gift in man is apt fit as a spirituall hand to receiue apply Christ and his righteousnes vnto a sinner but faith Indeede loue hope the feare of God and repentance haue their seuerall vses in men but none serue for this ende to apprehend Christ and his merits none of them all haue this receiuing propertie and therefore there is nothing in man that iustifieth as a cause but faith alone Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church Ambr. on Rom. 4. They are blessed to whome without any labour or worke done iniquities are remitted and sinne couered no workes or repentance required of them but onely that they beleeue And cap. 3. Neither working any thing nor requiting the like are they iustified by faith alone through the gift of God And 1. Cor. 1. this is appointed of God that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall be saued without any worke by faith alone freely receiuing remission of sinnes Augustine There is one propitiation for all sinnes to beleeue in Christ. Hesyc on Leuit. lib. 1. c. 2. Grace which is of mercy is apprehended by faith alone and not of workes Bernard Whosoeuer is pricked for his sinnes and thirsteth after righteousnes let him beleeue in thee who iustifieth the sinner and beeing iustified by Faith alone he shall haue peace with God Chrysost. on Gal. 3. They said he which resteth on faith alone◠is accursed but Paul sheweth that he is blessed which resteth on faith alone Basil. de Humil. Let man acknowledge himselfe to want true iustice and that he is iustified onely by faith in Christ. Origen on c. 3. Rom. Wee thinke that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe and he saith iustification by faith alone sufficeth so as a man onely beleeuing may be iustified And therefore it lieth vpon vs to search who was iustified by faith without works And for an exāple I thinke vpon the theife who beeing crucified with Christ cried vnto him Lord remember me when thou cōmest into thy kingdome and there is no other good worke of his mentioned in the Gospell but for this alone faith Iesus saith vnto him This night thou shalt be with me in paradise III. Difference The third difference about iustification is concerning this point namely how farreforth good workes are required thereto The doctrine of the Church of Rome is that there be two kinds of iustification the first and the second as I haue said The first is when one of an euill man is made a good man and in this workes are wholly excluded it beeing wholly of grace The second is when a man of a iust man is made more iust And this they will haue to proceede from workes of grace for say they as a man when he is once borne can by eating and drinking make himselfe a bigger man though he could not at the first make himselfe a man euen so a sinner hauing his first iustification may afterward by grace make himselfe more iust Therefore they hold these two things I. that good works are meritorious causes of the second iustification which they tearme Actual II. that good works are means to increase the first iustificatiō which they cal habitual Now let vs see how farforth we must ioyne with them in this point Our consent therefore stands in three conclusions I. That good workes done by them that are iustified doe please God and are approoued of him and therefore haue a reward II. Good workes are necessarie to saluation two
God they ouerturne that which they haue well maintained And thus I say that the very religion of the Church of Rome is a kinde of Atheisme For whereas it makes the merit of the works of men to concurre with the grace of god it ouerthrowes the grace of God Rom. 11. In worde they acknowledge the infinite iustice and mercie of God but by consequent both are denied How can that be infinite iustice which may any way be appeased by humane satisfactions And howe shall Gods mercie bee infinite when wee by our satisfactions must adde a supply to the satisfaction of Christ Againe He that hath not the sonne hath not the father and he that hath neither father nor sonne denies God Nowe the present Romane religion hath not the sonne that is Iesus Christ God and man the Mediatour of mankind but hath traâ—sformed him into a fained Christ. And I shew it thus For one Iesus Christ in al thingâ— like vnto vs in his Humanitie sinne onely excepted they haue framed a Christ to whome they ascribed two kindes of existing one naturall whereby he is visible touchable and circumscribed in heauen the other not onely aboue but also against nature by which he is substantially according to his flesh in the handes of euery priest in euery host and in the mouth of euery communicant inuisible vntouchable vncircumscribed And thus in effect they abolish his manhood Yea they disgrade him of his offices For one Iesus Christ the onely king lawgiuer and head of the Church they ioyne vnto him the Pope not onely as a Vicar but also as a fellowe in that they giue vnto him power to make lawes binding conscience to resolue and determine vnfallibly the sense of holy scripture properly to pardon sin both in respect of fault and temporall punishment to haue authoritie ouer the whole earth and a part of hell to depose kings to whome vnder Christ euery soule is to be subiect to absolue subiects from the oath of allegiance c. For one Iesus Christ the onely reall priest of the new testament they ioyne many secondary priests vnto him which offer Christ daiely in the masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead For one Iesus Christ the al-sufficient Mediatour of intercession they haue added many fellowes vnto him to make request for vs namely as many Saints as be in the Popes Kalender Lastly for the onely merits of Christ in whome alone the Father is well pleased they haue deuised a treasurie of the Church containing beside the merits of Christ the ouerplus of the merits of Saints to be dispensed to men at the discretion of the Pope And thus wee see that Christ and coâ—sequently God himselfe to bee worshipped in Christ is transformed into a phantasie or idol of mans conceit Againe there is alwaies a proportion betweene the worship of God our perswasion of him and men in giuing vnto God any worshippe haue respect to his nature that both may be sutable and he well pleased Let vs then see what manner of worship the Romane religion affoardeth It is for the greatest part meere wil-worship without any allowance or commandement from God as Durande in his Rationale in effect acknowledgeth It is a carnall seruice standing of innumerable bodily rites and ceremonies borrowed partly from the Iewes and partly from the heathen it is diuided betweene God and some of his creatures in that they are worshipped both with one kind of worship let them paint it as they can Thus then if by their manner of worshipping God we may iudge howe they conceiue of him as we may they haue plainely turned the true God into a phantasie of their owne For God is no otherwise to be conceiued then hee hath reuealed himselfe in his creatures word and specially in Christ who is the ingrauen image of the person of the Father The second sin is Idolatrie and that as grosse as was euer among the heathen And it is to be seene in two things First that they worshippe the Saints with religious worship which without exception is proper to God Yea they transforme some of them into detestable idols making them in trueth mediatours of redemption specially the Virgin Marie whome they call a Ladie a Goddesse a queene whom Christ her sonne obeyeth in heauen a mediatresse or life hope the medicine of the diseased and they pray vnto her thus Prepare thou glory for vs defende vs from our enemies in the houre of death receiue vs loose the bonds of the guiltie bring light to the blind driue away all deuils Shewe thy selfe to be a mother Let him receiue the prayers Againe their idolatrie is manifest in that they worship God in at before images hauing no commandement so to do but the contrarie They alleadge thâ—t they vse and worship images only in a remembrance of God But this is al one as if an vnchast wife should receiue many louers into her house in the absence of her husbandâ— and beeing reprooued should answer that they were the friendes of her husband and that shee kept them onely in remembrance of him Thirdly their Idolatrie exceedes the Idolatrie of the heathen in that they worship a Breadengod or Christ in and vnder the formes of bread and wine And if Christ according to his humanitie be absent froÌ„ the earth as I haue prooued the Popish hoste is as abominable an idol as euer was The third sinne is the maintenance of Adulterie And that is manifest first of all in the Toleration of the stewes flat against the commandement of God Deut. 23.17 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel neither shal there be a whore keeper of the sonnes of Israel And this toleration is an occasion of vncleannes to many young men women that otherwise would abstaine from all such kinde of filthines And what an abomination is this when brother and brother father and sonne nephew and vncle shall come to one and the same harlot one before or after the other Secondly their Lawe beyond the fourth degree allowes the marriage of any persons and by this meanes they sometime allowe incest For in the vnequall collaterall line the person next the common stock is a father or mother to the brothers or sisters posteritie as for example Here Anne and Nicholas are brother and sister and Anne is distant from Iames sixe degrees he being her neecca farre off and the mariage between them is allowed by the Church of Rome they not beeing within the compasse of foure degrees which neuerthelesse is against the law of nature For Anne beeing the sister of Nicholas is in stead of a mother to all that are begotten of Nicholas euen to Iames and Iames posteritie Yet thus much I graunt that the daughter of Anne may lawfully marrie Iames or Anthonie the case beeing altered because they are not one to an other aâ— parents and children The fourth sin is Magicke â—orcerie or witchcraft in the