is that euery seruant of God must take heede howe hee trauels into such countries where Popish religion is stablished least hee partakes in the sinnes and punishments thereof Indeede to goe vpon ambassage to any place or to trauell for this end that wee may performe the necessarie duties for our speciall or generall callings is not vnlawefull but to trauell out of the precincts of the chnrch onely for pleasures sake and to see strange fashions hath no warrant And hence it is that many men which goe forth in good order well minded come home with crased consciences The best traueller of all is he that liuing at home or abroad can goe out of himselfe and depart from his owne sinnes and corruptions by true repentance FINIS An aduertisement to all fauourers of the Romane religion shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the Catechisme GReat is the number of them that embrace the religion of the present Church of Rome beeing deceiued by the glorious titles of Vniuersalitie Antiquitie Succession And no doubt though some be wilfully blinded yet many deuoted this waie neuer sawe any other trueth Nowe of them and the rest I desire this fauour that they will but weigh and ponder with theÌ„selues this one thing which I will nowe offer to their considerations and that is That the Romane religion now stablished by the councell of Trent is in the principall points thereof against the grounds of the Catechisme that haue beene agreed vpon euer since the daies of the Apostles by all Churches These groundes are foure the first is the Apostles Creed the second is the decalogue or tenne commandements the third is the forme of praier called the Lords praier the fourth is the Institution of the two Sacraments baptisme and the Lords supper 1. Cor. 11.23 That I may in some order manifest this which I say I will begin with the Symbole or Creed And first of all it must bee considered that some of the principall doctrines beleeued in the Church of Rome are that the Pope or Bishop of Rome is the vicar of Christ and the head of the Catholike church that there is a fire of purgatorie after this life that images of God and Saints are to be placed in Churches and worshipped that praier is to bee made to Saints departed their interceffion to be required that there is a propitiatorie sacrifice daily oâ—â—ered in the masse for the sinnes of the quicke the dead These points are of that moment that without them the Romane religion caÌ„not stand and in the councel of Trent the curse Anathema is pronounced vpon all such as denie these or any of them And yet marke the Apostles Creede which hath bin thought to containe all necessarie points in religion to bee beleeued and hath therefore beene called the kay rule of faith this creed I say hath not any of these points nor the Expositions made thereof by the auncient fathers nor any other Creede or confession of faith made by any councel or Church for the space of many hundred yeares This is a plaine proofe to any indifferent man that these be new articles of faith neuer knowne in the Apostolike Church that the fathers councels could not find any such articles of faith in the books of the old and new testament Answer is made that all these points of doctrine are beleeued vnder the article I beleeue the Catholike Church the meaning whereof they wil haue to be this I beleeue all things which the Catholicke church holdeth and teacheth to be beleeued If this bee as they say we must needes beleeue in the Church that is put our confidence in the Church for the manifestation and the certentie of all doctrines necessarie to saluation and thus the eternal trueth of God the Creatour shall depend on the determination of the creature and the written word of God in this respect is made vnsufficient as though it had not plainely reuealed all points of doctrine pertaining to saluation And the ancient Churches haue beene farre ouerseene that did not propound the former points to be beleeued as articles of faith but left them to these latter times 2. In this Creede to beleeue in God and to beleeue the Church are distinguished To beleeue in is pertaining to the Creatour to beleeue to the creature as Ruffinus hath noted when he saith that by this preposition in the Creatour is distinguished from the creature and things pertaining to God from things pertaining to men And Augustine saith It must be knowne that we must beleeue the Church and not beleeue in the Church because the Church is not God but the house of God Hence it followes that we must not beleeue in the Saints nor put our confidence in our workes as the learned Papists teach Therfore Eusebius saith We ought of right to beleeue Peter and Paul but to beleeue in Peter and Paul that is to giue to the seruants the honour of the Lord we ought not And Cyprian saith He doth not beleeue in God which doeth not place in him alone the trust of his whole felicitie 3. The article conceiued by the holy Ghost is ouerturned by the transubstaÌ„tiation of bread and wine in the masse into the bodie and blood of Christ. For here wee are taught to confesse the true and perpetuall incarnation of Christ beginning in his conception and neuer ending afterward and wee acknowledge the trueth of his manhood and that his bodie hath the essentiall properties of a true body standing of flesh bone hauing quaÌ„titie figure dimeÌ„sions namly length breadth thicknes hauing part out of part as head out of feet feet out of head being also circuÌ„scribed visible touchable in a word it hath al things in it which by order of creatioÌ„ beloÌ„g to a body It wil be said that the bodie of Christ may remaine a true bodie yet be altered in respect of some qualities as namely circumscription But I say againe that locall circumscription can no way be seuered from a bodie it remaining a bodie For to be circumscribed in place is an essentiall propertie of euery quantitie and quantitie is the common essence of euery bodie And therefore a bodie in respect of his quantitie must needs be circumscribed in one place This was the iudgement of Leo when hee said The â—odie of Christ is by no meanes out of the trueth of our bodâ—â— And Augustine when he said Onely God in Christ so comes that he doth not departâ—â—o returnes that he doth not leaue vs but man according to bodie is in place and goes out of the same place and when he shall come vnto another place he is not in that place whence he comes To helpe the matter they vse to distinguish thus Christs bodie in respect of the whole essence thereof may be in many places but not in respect of the whole quantitie whereby it is only in one place But as I haue
present vnto you an Exposition of another part of the Catechisme namely the Symbole or Creede of the Apostles which is indeede the very pith and substance of Christian religion taught by the Apostles imbraced by the ancient fathers sealed by the blood of martyrs vsed by Theodosius the Emperour as a meanes to ende the controuersies of his time and hereupon hath beene called the rule of faith the keye of faith And furthermore I hope that your Lordship will accept the same in good part the rather because you vouchsafed when you were in Cambridge to be an hearer thereof when it was taught and deliuered Thus crauing pardon for my boldnes I take my leaue commending your L. and yours to the protection of the Almightie Ann. 1595. Apr. 2. Your L. to command William Perkins The Contents of the booke The Creede pag. 185 Faith 187 God 198 The three persons 202 The Father 205 Gods omnipotencie 212 The Creation 217,221 Gods counsel 218 The creation of heauen 228 The creation of Angels 231 The creation of man 236 Gods prouidence 242 Adams fall and originall sinne 252 The couenant of grace 259 The title Iesus 262 The title Christ. 266 The title Sonne 271 The title Lord. 278 The Incarnation of Christ. 279 Christs humiliation 295 Christs passion 297 Christs arraignment 300 Christs execution 328 Christs sacrifice 350 Christs triumph 356 Christs buriall 367 The descension of Christ. 372 Christs exaltation 378 Christs Resurrection 380 Christs ascension 396 Christs sitting at c. 407 Christs intercession 409 Christs kingdome 417 The last iudgement 420 Of the holy Ghost 436 The Church 451,488 Predestination 453 The mysticall vnion 483 The communion of Saints 500 The forgiuenesse of sinnes 506 The resurrection of the bodie 509 Life euerlasting 516 In handling of the foresaid points for orders sake is considered 1. The meaning or such points of doctrine as are necessarie to bee knowne thereof 2. The duties to be learned thereby 3. The comforts that Gods pleople may gather thence AN EXPOSITION OF THE CREED I beleeue in God c. NO man iustly can be offended at this that I begin to treat of the doctrine of faith without a text though some be of mind that in Catechising the minister is to proceed as in the ordinary course of preaching onely by handling a set portion of scripture therefore that the handling of the Creede beeing no scripture is not conuenient Indeede I graunt that other course to bee commendable yet I doubt not but in Catechising the minister hath his libertie to followe or not to followe a certaine text of scripture as we doe in the vsuall course of preaching My reason is taken from the practise of the Primitiue Church whose Catechisme as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues sheweth was contained in sixe principles or grounds of religion which were not taken out of any set text in the old Testament but rather was a forme of teaching gathered out of the most cleare places thereof Hence I reason thus That which in this point was the vse and manner of the Primitiue Church is lawfull to be vsed of vs now but in the Primitiue church it was the manner to catechize without handling any set text of scripture and therefore the ministers of the Gospell at this time may with like libertie do the same so be it they doe confirme the doctrine which they teach with places of scripture afterward Nowe to come to the Creede let vs begin with the name or title thereof That which in English we call the Apostles Creed in other tongues is called Symbolum that is a shot or a badge It is called a shot because as in a feast or banquet euery man payeth his part which beeing all gathered the whole which we call the shot amounteth and so out of the seuerall writings of the Apostles ariseth this creed or briefe confession of faith It is a badge because as a souldier in the field by his badge and liuerie is knowne of what band he is and to what captaine he doth belong euen so by this beleefe a christian man may be distinguished and knowne from all Iewes Turkes Atheists and all false professours and for this cause it is called a badge Againe it is called the creed of the Apostles not because they were the peÌ„ners of it conferring to it besides the matter the very style frame of words as we haue theÌ„ now set down Reason I. there are in this creed certen words phrases which are not to be found in the writings of the Apostles and namely these He descended into hell the Catholike Church The latter whereof no doubt first began to be in vse when after the Apostles daies the Church was dispersed into all quarters of the earth Secondly if both matter and wordes hâ—d beene from the Apostles why is not the creede Canonicall Scripture as well as any other of their writings III. The Apostles had a summarie collecollection of the points of Christian religion which they taught and also deliuered to others to teach by consisting of two heads faith and loue as may appeare by Pauls exhortation to Timothie wishing him to keepe the patterne of wholesome wordes which he had heard of him in faith and loue which is in Christ Iesus Nowe the Creed consists not of two heads but of one namely of faith only not of loue also Wherfore I rather think that it is called the Apostles Creede because it doth summarily conteine the cheife and principall points of religion handled and propounded in the doctrine of the Apostles and because the points of the Creede are conformable and agreeable to their doctrine and writings And thus much of the title Now let vs heare what the creed is It is a summe of things to be beleeued concerning God and concerning the Church gathered forth of the scriptures For the opening of this description First I say it is a summe of things to be beleeued or an abridgement It hath beene the practise of teachers both in the newe and olde Testament to abridge and contract summarily the religion of their time This the Prophets vsed For when they had made their sermons to the people they did abridge them and penned theÌ„ briefly setting them in some open place that all the people might reade the same So the Lord bad Habakuk to write the vision which he sawe and to make it plaine vpon tables that he may runne that readeth it And in the newe testament the Apostles did abridge those doctrines which otherwise they did handle at large â—s as may appeare in the place of Timothie afore named Nowe the reason â—hy both in the old and newe Testament the doctrine of religion was abridged is that the vnderstandings of the simple as also their memories might be hereby helped and they better inabled to iudge of the trueth and to discerne the same from falshood And for this ende the Apostles
ministery that Iesus Christ was the true Messias Thus wee see where at this day wee may finde the true Church of God Nowe I come to the third question and that is at what time a man may with good conscience make separation from a Church Ans. So long as a Church makes no separation from Christ we must make no separation from it and when it separates from Christ we may also separate from it and therefore in two cases there is warrant of separation The one is when the worship of God is corrupt in substance And for this we haue a commandement Be not saith Paul vnequally yoked with infidels for what fellowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnesse or what communion hath light with darknesse or what concord hath Christ with Belial or vvhat part hath the beleeuer vvith the infidel or vvhat agreement hath the temple of God with idols wherefore come out from among them and separate â—our selues saith the Lord. And we haue a practise of this in the old testament When Ieroboam had set vp idols in Israel then the priests and Leuites came to Iudah and Ierusalem to serue the Lord. The second is when the doctrine of religion is corrupt in substance as Paul saith If any man teach otherwise and consent not to the wholesome words of our Lord Iesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse he is puffed vp from such separate your selues A practise of this we haue in the Apostle Paul who beeing in Ephesus in a Synagogue of the Iewes spake boldly for the space of three moneths disputing and exhorting to the things which concerne the kingdome of God but when certaine men were hardened and disobeyed speaking euill of the way God he departed from them and separated the disciples of Ephesus and the like hee did at Rome also As for the corruptions that be in the manners of men that be of the Church they are no sufficient warrant of separation vnlesse it be from priuate companie as we are admonished by the Apostle Paul and by the examples of Dauid and Lot By this which hath beene said it appeares that the practise of such as make separation from vs is very badde and schismaticall considering our Churches faile not either in the substance of doctrine or in the substance of the true worship of God Nowe to proceede in the Creede The Church is further set foorth by certaine properties and prerogatiues The properties or qualities are two holines and largenes That the Church is holy it appeares by Peter which cals it an holy nation and a chosen people and by S. Iohn who cals it the holy cittie And it is so calledâ— that it may be distinguished from the false Church which is tearmed in Scriptures the synagogue of Satan and the malignant Church Nowe this holinesse of the Church is nothing else but a created qualitie in euery true member thereof whereby the image of God which was lost by the fall of Adam is againe renued and restored The author of it is God by his worde and spirit by little and litle abolishing the corruption of sinne and sanctifying vs throughout as Christ saith Father sanctifie them in thy truth thy word is trueth And holines must bee conceiued to bee in the Church on this manner it is perfect in the Church Triumphant and it is onely begunne in the Church militant in this life and that for speciall cause that we might giue all glorie to God that we might not be high minded that we might work our saluation with feare and trembling that we might denie our selues and wholly depend vpon God Hence we learne three things first that the Church of Rome erreth in teaching that a wicked man yea such an one as shall neuer be saued may be a true member of the Catholike Church for in reason euery man should be answerable to the qualitie and condition of the Church whereof he is a member if it be holy as it is he must be holy also Secondly we are euery one of vs as Paul saith to Timothie to exercise our selues vnto godlines making conscience of all our former vnholy waies endeauouring our selues to please god in the obedience of all his commandemeÌ„ts It is a disgrace to the holy Church of God that men professing themselues to be meÌ„bers of it should be vnholy Thirdly our duty is to eschew the society of Atheists drunkards fornicatours blasphemers and all wicked and vngodly persons as Paul saith Be no companions of them and haue no fellowship with vnprofitable workes of darknes And he chargeth the Thessalonians that if any man among them walke inordinately they haue no companie with him that he may be ashamed The largenes of the Church is noted in the word Catholicke that is generall or vniuersall And it is so called for three causes For first of all it is generall in respect of time because the Church hath had a beeing in all times and ages euer since the giuing of the promise to our first parents in Paradise Secondly it is generall in respect of the persons of men for it stands of all sorts and degrees of men high and low rich and poore learned and vnlearned c. Thirdly it is Catholicke or vniuersall in respect of place because it hath beene gathered from all parts of the earth specially now in the time of the new Testament when our Sauiour Christ saith that the Gospell shall be preached in the whole world To this purpose Iohn saith in the Reuelation I beheld and loe a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kinreds and peoples and tongues stood before the throne and before the lambe cloathed with long white robes and palmes in their hands And the Church which we here professe to beleeue is called Catholicke that we may distinguish it from particular Churches which are not beleeued but seene with eye whereof mention is made often in the Scriptures Rom. 16.5.1 Cor. 16.19 the Church in their house and the Churches of Asia Coloss. 4.15 Salute Nymphas and the Church in his house Act. 11.22 the Church of Ierusalem Act. 13.1 the Church at Antioche c. That the Church is Catholicke in respect of time place person it ministers matter of endlesse comfort vnto vs. For hereby we see that no order degree or state of men are excluded from grace in Christ vnlesse they will exclude themselues Saint Iohn saith If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous Now it might be answered it is true indeede Christ is an aduocate to some men but he is no aduocate to me Saint Iohn therefore saith further and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for our sinnes onely but for the whole world that is for all beleeuers of what condition or degree soeuer Thus much of the properties of the Church now follow the prerogatiues or
humane lawes both may and doe sinne but yet not simply because they break them but because in breaking them they doe also breake the lawe of God The breach of a law must bee considered two waies Frst as it is a trespasse hinderance iniurie damage and in this respect it is committed against mens lawes secondly the breach of a lawe must be considered as it is finne and so it is onely against Gods lawe which appoints obedience to the Magistrate The second point namely Howe farre forth mens lawes bind conscience I explane on this maner It is all that the lawes of God do or can doe to binde conscience simply and absolutely Therefore humane lawes binde not simply of themselues but so farreforth as they are agreeable to Gods word serue for the common good stand with good order and hinder not the libertie of coÌ„science The necessitie of the law ariseth of the necessitie of the good end therof And as the ende is good and profitable more or lesse so is the lawe it selfe necessarie more or lesse Mens lawes are like their testimonies which neither prooue nor disprooue of themselues but borrow all the strength which they haue to constraine from the trueth wisdome and fidelitie of them that beare witnesse Hence it followeth that a man may doe any thing beside humane lawes and constitutions without breach of conscience For if we shall omit the doing of any law I. without hinderence of the ende and particular considerations for which the lawe was made II. without offence giuing as much as in vs lieth III. without contempt of him that made the lawe wee are not to be accused of sinne Example In time of warre the magistrate of a cittie commands that no man shall open the gates the ende is that the cittie euery member thereof may be in safetie Now it falls out that certaine cittizens beeing vpon occasion without the cittie are pursued by the enemie and in danger of their liues Hereupon some man without any more adoe openeth the gate to reskue theÌ„ The question is whether he haue sinned or no. And the truth is he hath not because he did not hinder the ende of the lawe but rather further it and that without scandal to men or contempt to the magistrate And this stands euen by the equitie of Gods word God made a lawe that the priests onely should eate of the shewbread now Dauid beeing no priest did vpon vrgent occasion eate of it without sinne If this be true in Gods law then it may also be true in the lawes of men that they may in some cases be omitted without sinne against God Neither must this seeme straunge For as there is a keeping of a law and a breaking of the same so there is a middle or meane action betweene them both which is to doe a thing beside the law and that without sinne To proceede further mens lawes be either Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall Ciuill laws are for their substance determinations of necessarie and profitable circumstances tending to vphold and maintaine the commandements of the second table More specially they prescribe what is to be done and what is to be left vndone touching actions both ciuill and criminall touching offices and bargaines of all sorts c. yea they conclude inioyne and command not onely such affaires as be of small importance but also things and actions of great waight tending to maintaine common peace ciuill societie and the very state of the common wealth Now such lawes bind so farre forth that albeit they be omitted without any apparant scandall or contempt yet the breach of them is a sinne before God Take this example A subiect in this land vpon pouertie or vpon a couetous minde against the good law of the land coynes money which afterward by a sleight of his witte is cunningly conueied abroad into the hands of men and is not espied Here is no euident offence giuen to any man nor open contempt shewed to the lawgiuer and yet in this action he hath sinned in that closely otherwise then he ought to haue done he hath hindred the good of the commonwealth and robbed the soueraigne Prince of her right Ecclesiasticall lawes are certaine necessarie and profitable determinations of circumstances of the commandements of the first table I say here circumstances because all doctrines pertaining to the foundation and good estate of the Church as also the whole worship of God are set downe and commaunded in the written word of God and can not be prescribed and concluded otherwise by all the Churches in the world As for the Creedes and Confâ—ssions of particular Churches they are in substance Gods word and they bind not in conscience by any power the Church hath but because they are the word of God The lawes then which the Church in proper speach is said to make are decrees concerning outward order and comelines in the administration of the word and Sacraments in the meetings of the congregation c. and such laws made according to the generall rules of Gods word which requires that all things be done to edification in comelines for the auoiding of offence are necessarie to be obserued and the word of God binds all men to them so farre forth as the keeping of them maintaines decent order and preuents open offence Yet if a law concerning some externall riâ—e or thing indifferent be at sometime or vpon some occasion omitted no offence giuen nor contempt shewed to Ecclesiastical authoritie there is no breach made in the conscience and that appeares by the example before handled The Apostles guided by the holy Ghost made a decree for the auoiding of offence necessarie to be obserued namely that the Gentiles should abstaine from strangled blood Idolithytes and yet Paul out of the case of scandall and contempt permits the Corinthians to doe otherwise 1. Cor. 8. and 9. which he would not haue done if to doe otherwise out of the case of scandall and contempt had bin sin Againe laws are either mixt or meerely penall Mixt are such lawes as are of waightie matters and are propounded in commaunding or forbidding tearmes and they according to the good intention of the Lawgiuer bind men first of all to obedience for the necessarie good of humane societies and secondly to a punishment if they obey not that a supplie may be made of the hindrance of the common good In the breach of this kind of lawes though a man be neuer so willing to suffer the punishment yet that will not discharge his conscience before God when he offends If a man coyne money with this mind to be willing to die when he is conuicted yet that wil not free him from a sinne in the action because Gods law bindes vs not onely to subjection in bearing of punishments but also to obedience of his bare commandement it beeing lawfull though he should set downe no punishment A law meerely penall is that which beeing made of matters of
in faith but there may be true and suâ—ficient repentance of vnknown sinnes God indeed requires a particular repentance for particular knowne sinnes but if they be hidden and vnknowne he accepts a generall repentance An example whereof we haue in Dauid Who knowes saith he the errours of this life then purge me from my secret sinnes If it were not as I haue said neither Dauid nor any man else could be â—aued For when Dauid â—epented greatly of his murder and adulterie yet we finde not that he repented particularly of his polygamie which in all likelihoode through the swinge and custome of those times was not then reputed to be any sinne specially in the person of a king and yet because as we know he is certenly saued this very sinne is pardoned Therefore when God pardons the knowne sinnes of men whereof they doe in particular repent he doth withall pardon the rest that are vnknowne And by this it appeares that the ignorance of some hidden sinnes after a man with diligence hath searched himselfe cannot preiudice an vnfallible assurance of the pardon of them all and of his owne saluation Obiect 10. We pray for the pardon of our owne sinnes and therefore we are vncerten of pardon the man which knowes that he hath pardon neede not pray for it I answer first when we are taught by Christ to pray for the forgiuenes of our debts we are put in minde not to seeke the pardon of all our sinnes whether past or present but specially of our present and daily offences whereby we make our selues day by day guiltie till such time as we humble our selues repent of them Secondly by this petition we are taught to aske the increase of our assurance because though God bestow endlesse mercie on vs yet we are skant in receiuing of it our hearts beeing like a narrow necked vessell which beeing cast euen into the Ocean sea receiueth in water onely droppe by droppe Obiect 11. No man can beleeue his owne saluation as he beleeues the articles of faith therefore no man can beleeue the pardon of his sinnes and his saluation by an infallible certentie I answer first that euery one that lookes for saluation by Christ is bound in conscience as certenly to beleeue his owne saluation and adoption by Christ as he beleeues the articles of faith Because to the promise of life there is annexed a commandement to beleeue and applie it Secondly this faith whereby we are to beleeue our owne saluation if we respect the true and proper nature thereof is as certen as that faith whereby we beleeue the articles of faith Thirdly as there be diuerse ages in the life of man so there be diuers degrees and measures of true faith There is first of all a beginning or rudiment of faith like the smoking flaxe and bruised reede which Christ will neither quench nor bruise Againe there is weake faith which beleeueth the promise truly but yet is perplexed with many doubtings Lastly there is strong faith which hath ouercome all doubtings and is not onely for nature certen as the former is but also a large and plentifull perswasion of Gods mercie in Christ. Examples of this we haue in Abraham Dauid the Martyrs and such like worthie men Now by the second faith men doe as certenly beleeue their adoption as the articles but not so firmely and fully But by the last remission of sinnes is not onely as certenly but also as fully beleeued as any article of faith Obiect 12. Ancient fathers the lights of Gods Church haue alwaies condemned this vnfallible and speciall certentie of faith which the Protestants hold and maintaine Ans. Though wee builde not the doctrine of our religion vpon the iudgements of men yet we refuse not in this and other points to bee tried by the fathers whose writings well vnderstood make more for vs then for the Popish religion And their testimonies commonly alleadged to confute the certentie of speciall faith are much abused I. Many of them serue to prooue that a man cannot iudge and discerne of euery particular motion and grace of his heart of the increase of these graces and the contrarie disease of speciall vices and wants many whereof are hidden from the vnderstanding Theodoret in his comment 1. Cor. 4. I will not saith he free my selfe from sin but waite the sentence of God for it often falls out that men sinne of ignorance and thinke that to be equall and iust which the God of all sees to be otherwise August de verbis deiâ— serm 23. Peraduenture thou findes nothing in thy conscience but hee findes something that seeth better And vpon Psal. 41. I knowe that the iustice of my God shall abide but whether mine shall or no I knowe not for the saying of the Apostle terrifieth me Hee which thinkes hee standes let him take heed least he fall Here he speakes of his inward righteousnes and that as it is considered in it selfe without the assistance of God For he addes afterward Therefore because there is no stabilitie in me for my selfe hereupon my soule is troubled for my selfe Chrysostom homil 87. on Iohn I am grieued least peraduenture supposing my selfe to loue doe not loue as before when I seemed constant and couragious vnto my selfe I was found but a dastard These and a thousand like testimonies prooue nothing For though a man cannot fully discerne his heart either in respect of euery one of his owne sinnes or in respect of euery grace yet this hinders not but that he may haue an vnfallible certentie of his saluation and also a sufficient gift to discerne his owne faith and repentance II. Other places must be vnderstood of proud presumption and of a kinde of securitie in which men dreame of ease and libertie without trouble or temptation August de corrept grat cap. 13. Who of all the companie of the faithfull as long as he liues in this mortall condition can presume that hee is of the number of the predestinate And de bona persever cap. 22. No man can be secure touching eternall life â—ill this life be ended Bernard epist. 107. Hauing now receiued the knowledge of himselfe in part he may reioyce in hope but not in securitie as yet Hieron Dan. 4. Let no man boldly promise to another the pardon of sinnes III. Some places auouch that a man cannot be sure of perseuerance to the end without fals and decaies in grace all which we grant August de ciuit dei lib. 11. cap. 12. Although the Saints be certaine of the reward of their perseuerance yet they are found to bee vncertaine of the perseuerance it selfe for what man can know that he shall perseuere in the practise and increase of righteousnes vnto the ende except he be assured of it by some reuelation IV. Some places must be vnderstood of experimentall certentie when the euent is accomplished Hieronâ— book 2. against Pelagians Call no man blessed before his ende for as long as we
Creede beeing a summary collection of things to bee beleeued was gathered briefly out of the word of God for the helping of memory and vnderstanding of men I adde that this Creede is concerning God and the Church For in these two points consisteth the whole summe thereof Lastly I say that it is gathered forth of the scripture to make a difference between it and and other writings and to shew the authoritie of it which I will further declare on this manner There bee two kinde of writings in which the doctrine of the Church is handled and they are either diuine or Ecclesiasticall Diuine are the bookes of the olde and newe Testament penned either by Prophets or Apostles And these are not onely the pure word of God but also the scripture of God because not onely the matter of them but the whole disposition thereof with the style and the phrase was set downe by the immediate inspiration of the holy ghost And the authoritie of these bookes is diuine that is absolute and soueraigne and they are of sufficient credit in and by themselues needing not the testimonie of any creature not subiect to the censure either of men or Angels binding the consciences of all men at all times and beeing the only foundation of faith and the rule and canon of all trueth Ecclesiasticall writings are all other ordinarie writings of the Church consenting with Scriptures These may be called the word or trueth of God so far forth as their matter or substance is consenting with the written word of god but they cannot be called the scripture of God because the style and phrase of them was set downe according to the pleasure of man and therefore they are in such sort the word of God as that also they are the word of men And their authoritie in defining of trueth and falshood in matters of religion is not soueraigne but subordinate to the former and it doth not stand in the authoritie and pleasures of men councels but in the consent which they haue with the scriptures Ecclesiasticall writings are either generall particular or proper Generall are the Creedes and confessions of the Church dispersed ouer the whole worlde and among the rest the Creede of the Apostles made either by the Apostles themselues or by their hearers and disciples apostolicall men deliuered to the Church and conueied from hand to hand to our times Particular writings are the confessions of particular Churches Proper writings are the bookes and confessions of priuate men Nowe betweene these we must make difference For the Generall Creede of the Apostles other vniuersall Creeds in this case not excepted though it be of lesse authoritie then scripture yet hath it more authoritie then the particular priuate writings of Churches and men For it hath beene receiued and approoued by vniuersall consent of the Catholike Church in all ages and so were neuer these in it the meaning and doctrine can not be changed by the authoritie of the whole Catholike Church and if either the order of the doctrine or the wordes whereby it is expressed should vpon some occasion be changed a particular Church of any country can not do it without Catholike consent of the whole Churche yet particular writings and confessions made by some speciall Churches may be altered in the words in the points of doctrine by the same Churches without offence to the Catholike Church Lastly it is receiued as a rule of faith among all Churches to trie doctrines interpretations of scriptures by not because it is a rule of it selfe for that the scripture is alone but because it borroweth his authoritie froÌ„ scripture with which it agreeth And this honour no other writings of men can haue Here some may demand the number of Creedes Ans. I say but one Creede as there is but one faith and if it be alleadged that wee haue many Creedes as besides this of the Apostles the Nicene Creede and Athanasius Creed c. I answer the seuerall Creedes and confessions of Churches containe not seueral faiths and religions but one and the same and this called the Apostles creede is most ancient and principall all the rest are not newe Creedes in substance but in some points penned more largely for the exposition of it that men might better auoid the heresies of their times Further it may be demanded in what forme this Creede was penned Ans. In the forme of an answere to a question The reason is this In the Primitiue Church when any man was turned from Gentilisme to the faith of Christ and was to be baptised this question was asked him What beleeuest thouâ— then he answered according to the forme of the Creede I beleeue in God c. And this maner of questioning was vsed euen from the time of the Apostles When the Eunuch was conuerted by Philip he said What doth let me to be baptised Philip said If thou doest beleeue with all thine heart thou maist Then he answered I beleede that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God By this it appeares that although all men for the most part amongst vs can say this Creede yet not one of a thousand can tell the ancient and first vse of it for commonly at this day of the simpler sort it is saide for a prayer beeing indeede no prayer and when it is vsed so men make it no better then a charme Before we come to handle the particular points of the Creede it is very requiâ—ite that we should make an entrance thereto by describing the nature properties and kindes of faith the confession and ground whereof is set forth in the Creede Faith therefore is a gift of God whereby we giue assent or credence to Gods word For there is a necessarie relation betweene faith and Gods word The common propertie of faith is noted by the author of the Hebrewes when he saith Faith is the ground of things hoped for and the demonstration of things that are not seene For all this may be vnderstood not onely of iustifying faith but also of temporarie faith and the faith of miracles Where faith is said to be a ground the meaning is that though there are many things promised by God which men doe not presently enioy but onely hope for because as yet they are not yet faith doth after a sort giue subsisting or beeing vnto them Secondly it is an euidence or demonstration c. that is by beleeuing a man doth make a thing as it were visible beeing otherwise inuisible and absent Faith is of two sorts either common faith or the faith of the Elect as Paul saith he is an Apostle according to the faith of Gods elect which also is called faith without hypocrisie The common faith is that which both elect and reprobate haue and it is threefold The first is historicall faith which is when a man doth beleeue the outward letter and historie of the word It hath two parts knowledge of Gods word and an
to teach all ignorāt persons and impenitent sinners repentance and humiliation for their sinnes and to mooue them with all speede to seeke vnto Christ for the pardon of the same When Paul preached to the Athenians he willed them to repent vpon this ground and reason because the Lord hath appointed a day wherein he will iudge the world in righteousnes To speake plainly we can be content to heare the word and to honour him with our lipps yet for the most part all is done but for fashions sake for still we liue in our old sinnes our hearts are not turned but in the feare of God let vs bethinke our selues of the time when wee shall come before the iudge of heauen and earth and haue all our sinnes laide open and wee must answer for them all This is the point which the holy Ghost vseth as a reason to mooue men vnto repentance and assuredly if this will not mooue vs there is nothing in the world will Secondly to this purpose Paul saith If wee would iudge our selues wee should not be iudged Wouldest thou then escape the iudgement of Christ at the last day then in this life iudge thy selfe Nowe a man in iudging of himselfe must performe foure things I. he must examine himselfe of his owne sinnes II. he must confesse thē before the Lord. III. he must condemne himselfe as a iudge vpon the bench giue sentence against himselfe Lastly he must plead pardon and crie vnto God as for life and death for the remission of all his sinnes and he that doth this vnfainedly shal neuer be iudged of the Lord at the last day but if we slacke and neglect this dutie in this life then vndoubtedly there remaines nothing but eternall woe in the world to come Thirdly by this we may learne one not to iudge or condemne another as Paul sayeth Iudge nothing before the time vntill the Lord come who lighten all things that are in darknes make the counsels of the hearts manifest And Christ saith Iudgement is mine and iudge not and ye shall not be iudged And againe Paul saith to the Romans Why doest thou iudge thy brother for we must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ but some will aske howe doth one iudge another Ans. Thus I. when a man doth well to saie of him that he doth euill II. when a man doth euill then to make it worse III. when a thing is doubtfull to take it in the worst part And by any of these three waies we are not to iudge either of mens persons or of their actions Fourthly wee must endeauour our selues to keepe a good conscience before God and before all men This is the practise of S. Paul who in consideration and hope of a resurrection vnto iudgement as well of the iust as of the vniust endeauoured himselfe to haue alwaies a cleare conscience both towards God and towards men His example is worthie our marking and imitation for fewe there be that vpon this occasion make any conscience either of duty to God or to their brethren Fifthly the last iudgement must stirre vs vp to a reuerend feare of God cause vs to glorifie him as the Angel saith in the Reuelation Feare God and giue glorie to him for the houre of his iudgement is come And doubtlesse if any thing in the world will mooue a man to feare the Lord it is this to remember the fearefull and terrible daie of iudgement Nowe hauing spoken hitherto of the first person the father and also of the sonne it followeth in the next place to speake of the third person in these wordes I beleeue in the holy Ghost In which wee may consider two things the title of the person and the action of faith repeated from the beginning The title is Holy Ghost or spirit It may here be demanded howe this title can be fit to expresse the third person which seemes to bee common to the rest for the father is holy and the sonne is holy againe the father is a spirit and the sonne is a spirit Ans. Indeed the father and the sonne are as wel to be tearmed holy in respect of their natures the third person for all three subsisting in one and the same godhead are consequently holy by one and the fame holinesse but the third person is called holy because beside the holinesse of nature his office is to sanctifie the Church of God Nowe if it be said that sanctification is a work of the whole Trinitie the answer is that although it be so yet the worke of sanctification agrees to the Holy Ghost in speciall manner The father sanctifieth by the sonne and by the holy Ghost the sonne sanctifieth from the father and by the Holy Ghost the holy Ghost sanctifieth from the father and from the sonne by himselfe immediatly and in this respect is the third person tearmed holy Againe the third person is tearmed a Spirit not onely because his nature is spirituall for in that respect the father is a spirit and the sonne is a spirit but because hee is spired or breathed from the father and from the sonne in that he procedes from them both Thus wee see there is a speciall cause why the third person is called the Holy Ghost Nowe the action of faith which concernes the third person is to beleeue in him Which is I. to acknowledge the Holy Ghost as he hath reuealed himselfe in the word II. In special to beleeue that he is my sanctifier and comforter III. To put all the confidence of my heart in him for that cause In these wordes are comprised foure points of doctrine which are to be beleeued cōcerning the holy Ghost The first that he is very God For we are not to put our affiance or confidence in any but in God alone And no doubt the penners of the Creede in that they prefixed these wordes I beleeue in before the article of the third person meant thereby to signifie that he is true God equall with the father and the sonne according to the tenour of the Scriptures themselues Peter saith to Ananias Why hath Satan filled thine heart that thou shouldest lie vnto the Holy Ghost and continuing the same speech he changeth the tearme onely and saith Thou hast not lied vnto men but vnto God Whereby hei nsinuateth that the Holy Ghost is very God In the vision of the Prophet Isai the wordes by him set downe are thus I heard the voice of Iehoua saying Whome shall I send c. and he said God and say to this people Ye shall heare indeed but ye shall not vnderstand But Paul quoting the same place spake on this manner Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esay the Prophet saying Goe vnto this people and say vnto them Now these places being compared togither make it plaine that the title of Iehova agreeth to the holy Ghost But yet the enemies of this truth which thinke that the Holy
and some are the very foundation and the former may be battered the foundation standing Againe if the errour be directly or by necessary consequent euen in common sense agâ—inst the foundation consideration must be had whether the Church or partie erreth of weaknes or malice if of weaknes the party is to be esteemed as a meÌ„ber of the Catholike church And thus Paul writes vnto the church of Galatia as to a church of God though by false teachers it had bin turned away to another Gospell and embraced the fundamentall errour of iustification by works But when any man or church shal hold fundâ—mental errours in obstinacie or affected ignorance we are not then bound to repute them any longer as churches or Christians but as such to whome condemnation belongs as Paul sheweth by the example of Iannes and Iambres And as Iannes and Iambres saith he withstood Moses so doe these also resist the truth men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith Yet withall this caueat must euer be remembred that we rather condemne the errour then the person that erreth because Gods mercie is like a bottomles sea whereby he worketh what he will and when he will in the hearts of miserable sinners The second question is where at this day we may finde such visible Churches as are indeede so â—nd members of the Catholike church And for the resoluing of it we are tâ— goe through all countries and religions in the world And first to begin with Turkes and Iewes we are not in any wise to acknowledge their Assemblies for churches because they worship not God in Christ who is the head of the church As for the Assemblies of Papists which haue bin a great part of the world if thereby we vnderstand companies of men holding the Pope for their head and beleeuing the doctrine established in the councill of Trent in name they are called churches but indeede they are no true or sound members of the Catholike church For both in their doctrine and in the worship of God they rase the vâ—ry foundation of religion which will appeare by these three points First of all they holde iustification by workes of grace auouching that they are not onely iustified before God by the merit of Christ but also by their owne doings Which opinion flatly ouerturneth iustification by Christ. For as Paul saith to the Galatians If ye be circumcised Christ profiteth you nothing that is if ye looke to be iustified by the workes of the ceremoniall law ye are fallen from Christ ioyne circumcision and Christ together in the matter of iustification and ye doe quite ouerthrow iustification by Christ. Now if this be true which is the word of God that can not lie then we say to the Papists If ye will needes be iustified by workes of grace ye are fallen from grace The second point is that they maintaine daily reall sacrifice of the bodie of Christ in the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and dead And this is also a fundamentall heresie For Christs sacrifice on the crosse must either be a perfect sacrifice or no sacrifice and if it be often iterated and repeated by the Masse-priest it is not perfect but imperfect The third point is that they worship the Images of the Trinitie and of Saints departed and their Breaden-god which is as vyle an abomination as euer was among the Gentiles all beeing directly against the true meaning of the second commaundement and defacing the worship of God in the very substance thereof Thus then it appeares that the old church of Rome is changed and is now at this day of a spouse of Christ become an harlot and therefore no more a church of Christ indeede then the carkasse of a dead man that weareth a liuing mans garment is a liuing man though he looke neuer so like him And whereas they plead for themselues that they haue succession from the Apostles the answer is that succession of person is nothing without succession of doctrine which they want and we see that Heretikes haue succeeded lawfull Ministers Secondly whereas it is alledged that in the Popish assemblies the sacrament of Baptisme is rightly for substance administred and that also it is a note of a Church three things may be answered First that baptisme seuered from the preaching of the gospel is no more a signe of a Church then the seale seuered from the indenture is of force that is nothing Circumcision was vsed in Colchis yet no church and among the Samaritanesâ— and yet no people Secondly Baptisme in the assemblies of the Church of Rome is as the purse of the true man in the hand of the thiefe and indeede it doth no more argue them to bee Churches then the true mans purse argues the thiefe to be a true man For baptisme though it be in their assemblies yet doth it not appertaine vnto them but vnto another hidden Church of God which he hath in all ages gathered forth of the middest of them Thirdly though they haue the outward baptisme yet they by necessarie consequent of doctrine ouerturne the inward baptisme that stands in iustification and sanctification Moreouer whereas it is alleadged that they maintaine the bookes of the olde and new testament penned by the Prophets and Apostles the answer is that they doe it with adding to the Canon and by corrupting the natiue sense of the Scriptures in the very foundation and therfore they are but as a lanthorne that shewes light to others none to it selfe Fourthly it is further said that they holde the Creede of the Apostles and make the same confession of faith that wee doe I answer that in shewe of wordes they doe so indeede but by necessarie consequents in the rest of their doctrine they ouerturne one of the natures and all the offices of Christ and therewithall most of the articles of the Creede And herein they deale as a father that in outward shewe tenders the bodie of his childe and will not abide the least blemish vopn it and yet by secret conueiances inwardly annoyes the heart the braine or the liuer and so in trueth destroies the same Fifthly it is alleadged that Antichrist must sitte in the temple of God that is the Church therefore say some that desire an vnion betweene vs and the Papists popish assemblies are true churches but the argument is not good For it is one thing to be in the Church and another thing to be of it And Antichrist is said to sit in the Church not as a member thereof but as an vsurper or as the pyrate in the shippe of the marchant and hence it can not be prooued that the assemblies of Papists are Churches but that in them and with them there is mingled an other hidden Church in the middest whereof Antichrist the Pope ruleth though himselfe hath no part therein Lastly whereas some beeing no Papists thinke their churches to be like a bodie diseased and full of sores and woundes from
meditation of life eternall must be as sugar in our pockets to sweeten the cup withall Lastly if this be true that God of his goodnesse and endles mercy towards mankind hath prepared life euerlasting yet not for all men but for the elect whose names are written in the booke of life we must aboue all things in this world seeke to be partakers of the same Let vs receiue this as from the Lord and lay it to our hearts whatsoeuer we doe euening or morning day or night whether we be young or old rich or poore first we must seeke for the kingdome of heauen and his righteousnes If this benefit were common to all and not proper to the Church lesse care might be had but seeing it is proper to some alone for this very cause let all our studies be to obtaine the beginnings of liâ—e euerlasting giuen in this life For if we haue it not whosoeuer we be it had beene better for vs that we had neuer beene borne or that we had beene borne dogges and toades then men for when they die there is an ende of their miserie but man if he loose euerlasting happinesse hath ten thousand millions of yeares to liue in miserie and in the torments of hell and when that time is ended he is as farre from the end of his miserie as he was at the beginning Wherefore I pray you let not the deuill steale this meditation out of your hearts but be carefull to repent of all your sinnes and to beleeue in Christ for the pardon of them all that by this meanes yee may come to haue the pawne and earnest of the spirit concerning life euerlasting euen in this world What a miserable thing is it that men should liue long in this world and not so much as dreame of another till the last gaspe Let vs not suffer Satan thus to abuse and bewitch vs for if we haue not eternall life in this world we shall neuer haue it Hitherto by Gods goodnes I haue shewed the meaning of the Creede now to draw to a conclusion the generall vses which are to be made of it follow And first of all we learne by it that the Church of Rome hath no cause to condemne vs for heretickes for we doe truly hold and beleeue the whole Apostolicall Symbole or Creede which is an epitome of the Scriptures and the very key of faith It will be said that we denie the Popes supremacie iustification by workes purgatorie the sacrifice of the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead the inuocation and intercession of Saints c. which arâ— the greatest points of religion It is true indeede we denie and renounce them as doctrines of deuills perswading our selues that if they indeede had beene Apostolicall and the very grounds and pillars of religion as they are now auouched to be they should in no wise haue beene left forth of the Creede For it is an ouersight in making a confession of faith to omit the principall points and rules of faith It will be further saide that in the Creede we beleeue the Church and so consequently are to beleeue all these former points which are taught and auouched by the Church but this defence is foolish For it takes this for graunted that the Church of Rome is the Church here meant which we denie vnlesse they can prooue a particular Church to be vniuersal or Catholike Nay I adde further that the principall grounds of popish faith for which they contend with vs as for life and death are not mentioned in any other Creedes which were made by the Churches and Councells for many hundred yeares after Christ. Secondly the Creede serues as a storehouse of remedies against all troubles and temptations whatsoeuer I. If a man be grieued for the losse of earthly riches let him consider that he beleeues God to be his Creatour who will therefore guide and preserue his owne workmanship and by his prouidence minister all things needefull vnto it And that he hath not lost the principall blessing of all in that he hath God to be his father Christ to be his redeemer and the holy Ghost to be his comforter and that considering he lookes for life eternall he is not to be ouer much carefull for this life and that Christ being our Lord will not forsake vs beeing the seruants in his owne house but will prouide things needefull for vs. II. If any man be grieued in respect of outward disgrace and contempt let him remember that he beleeues in Christ crucified and that therefore he is to reioyce in contempt for righteousnes sake III. They which are troubled for the decease of friendsâ— are to comfort theÌ„selues in the communion of Saints and that they haue God the Father and Christ and the holy Ghost for their friends IV. Against bodily captiuitie let men consider that they beleeue in Christ their Lord whose seruice is perfect libertie V. Against the feare of bodily diseasesâ— we must remember the resurrection of the bodie in which all diseases and infirmities shall be abolished VI. If a man feare death of the bodie let him consider that he beleeues in Christ which died vpon the crosse who by death hath vanquished death VII The feare of persecution is restrained if we call to remembrance that God is a Father Almightie not onely able but also willing to represse the power of the aduersarie so farre forth as shall be for the good of his children VIII Terrours arising of the consideration of the last iudgement are delaied by remembrance of this that Christ shall be our iudge who is our redeemer IX Feare of damnation is remedied by consideration that Christ died to make satisfaction for vs and now sitts at the right hand of his father to make intercession for vs and by the resurrection of the bodie to life euerlasting X. Terrours of conscience for sinne are repressed if we consider that God is a Father and therefore much in sparing and that it is a prerogatiue of the Church to haue remission of sinnes Trin-vni Deo gloria AN EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAYER In the way of Catechising seruing for ignorant people Corrected and amended Hereunto are adioyned the prayers of Paul taken out of his Epistles By W. Perkins Printed for Iohn Porter and Ralph Iackson 1600. To the right Honourable Edward Lord Russell Earle of Bedford Grace and peace be multiplied RIght Honourable if you consider what is one of the chiefest ornaments of this Noble state vnto which God hath aduanced you it wil appeare that there is none more excellent then the spirit of grace and prayer For what doth your heart affect would you speake the languages Behold by prayer you may speak the most heauenly tongue that euer was euen the language of Canaan Would you haue the valor of knighthood By prayer you may stand in place where Gods hande hath made a breach and doe as much as all the chariots and
Augustine againe saith That the vertue which is now in a iust man is thus far forth perfect that vnto the perfection thereof there belongs a true acknowledgemeÌ„t and an humble confession of the imperfection thereof A broken and a contrite heart after an offence is as much with God as if there had beene no offence at all and therefore so soone as Dauid after his grieuous fall in heauinesse of heart confessed his sinne saying in effect but thâ—s much I haue sinned the prophet in the name of the Lord pronounceth tâ—â— pardon of his sinne in heaueÌ„ and that presently V. Conclusion He that hath begun to subiect himselfe to Christ and his word though as yet he be ignorant in most points of religion yet if he haue a care to increase in knowledge to practise that which he knoweth he is accepted of God as a true beleeuer The Exposition SVndrie persons by the Euangelists are said to beleeue which had onely seene the miracles of Christ and as yet had made no further proceedings but to acknowledge Christ to be the Messias to submit themselues to him and his doctrine which afterward should be taught On this maner the woman of Samaria beleeued and many of the Samaritans vpon her report a certaine ruler by reason of a miracle wrought vpon his son is said to beleeue all his houshould Ioh. 4.42.52 when our Sauiour Christ commendeth the faith of the Apostles tearming it a rock against which the gates of hel should not preuaile it was not for the pleÌ„tiful knowledge of the doctrine of saluatioÌ„ for they were ignorant of many articles of faith as namely of the death resurrection ascension and kingdome of Christ but because they beleeued him to be the sonne of God and the Sauiour of mankind and they had withall resolued themselues to cleaue vnto him and the blessed doctrine of saluation which he taught though as yet they were ignorant in many points The holy Ghost commendeth the faith of Rahab when shee receiued the spies Now this her faith was indeede but a seede and beginning of liuely faith for then shee had onely heard of the miracles done in Egypt and of the deliuerance of the Israelites and was thereupon smitten with a feare and had conceiued a resolution with her selfe to ioyne her selfe to the Israelites and to worship the true God Now these and the like are tearmed beleeuers vpon iust cause for though they be ignorant as yet yet their ignorance shall be no continuing or lasting ignorance and they haue excellent seedes of grace namely a purpose of heart to cleaue to Christ and a care to profit in the doctrine of saluation VI. Conclusion The foresaid beginnings of grace are counterfait vnlesse they encrease The Exposition THe wickednesse of mans nature and the depth of hypocrisie is such that a man may and can easily transforme himselfe into the counterfeit and resemblance of any grace of God Therefore I put downe here a certen note whereby the gifts of God may be discerned namely that they grow vp and increase as the graine of Musterd-seede to a great tree and beare fruit answerably The grace in the heart is like the grain of Musterd-seed in two things First it is small to see to at the beginning secondly after it is cast into the ground of the heart it increaseth speedily and spreads it selfe Therefore if a man at the first haue but some little feeling of his wants some weake and faint desire some small obedience he must not let this sparke of grace goe out but these motions of the spirit must be encreased by the vse of the word sacrameÌ„ts and prayer and they must daily be stirred vp by meditating indeuouring striuing asking seeking knocking The master deliuering his talents to his seruants saith vnto them occupie till I come and not hide them in the earth Math. 25.26 Paul vseth an excellent speech to Timothie I exhort thee to stirre vp the gift of God which is in thee namely as fire is stirred vp by often blowing and by putting to of wood 2. Tim. 1.6 As for such motions of the heart that last for a weeke or moneth and after vanish away they are not to be regarded and the Lord by the Prophet Osea complaineth of them saying O Ephraim thy righteousnes is like the morning dewe Therefore considering grace vnlesse it be confirmed and exercised is indeede no grace I will here adde certaine rules of direction that we may the more easily put in practise the spirituall exercises of inuocation faith and repentance and thereby also quicken and reuiue the seedes and beginnings of grace 1 In what place soeuer thou art whether alone or abroad by day or by night and whatsoeuer thou art doing set thy selfe in the presence of God let this perswasion alwaies take place in thy heart that thou art before the liuing God and doe thy indeauour that this perswasion may smite thy heart with awe and reuerence and make thee afraid to sinne This counsell the Lord gaue Abraham Gen. 17.1 Walke before me and be vpright This thing also was practised by Enoch who for this cause is saide to walke before God 2 Esteeme of euery present day as of the day of thy death and therefore liue as though thou were dying and doe those good duties euery day that thou wouldest doe if thou wert dying This is Christian watchfulnes and remember it 3 Make catalogues and bills of thine own sinnes specially of those sinnes that haue most dishonoured God and wounded thine owne conscience set them before thee often specially then when thou hast any particular occasion of renuing thy repentance that thy heart by this doleful sight may be further humbled This was Dauids practise when he considered his waies and turned his feete to Gods commandements Psal. 119.57 and when he confessed the sinnes of his youth Psal. 25. This was Iobs practise when he saide he was not able to answer one of a thousand of his sinnes vnto God Iob 9.1 4 When thou first openest thine eies in a morning pray to God and giue thanks heartily God then shall haue his honour and thy heart shall be the better for it the whole day following For we see in experience that vessells keepe long that tast of that liquour wherewith they are first seasoned And when thou liest downe let that be the last also for thou knowest not whether falne asleepe thou shall euer rise againe aliue Good therefore it is that thou shouldest giue vp thy selfe into the hands of God whilst thou art waking 5 Labour to see and feele thy spirituall pouertie that is to see the want of grace in thy selfe specially those inward corruptions of vnbeleefe pride selfe-loue c. Labour to be displeased with thy selfe and labour to feele that by reason of them thou standest in neede of euery droppe of the bloode of Christ to heale and clense thee from these wants and let this practise take such place with