infallible for besides that we beleeue nothing heere but what hath bin in all Ages receiued except it bee in that point of Christ descending into Hell so all those Articles are grounded vpon expresse Scripture except before excepted that there can bee no doubt of the truth of them if we will beleeue the Scripture and therefore we should with the more willingnesse attend to these Doctrines seeing they are not in the number of those truthes that seeme to bee opposed not onely by the iudgements of learned men but by the Word of God the meaning of Gods Word appearing not so clearely to vs in those things 6. From the sufficiencie of the Doctrine of the Creed It containes all things necessary to be belieued to saluation All things I say necessary for babes in the proposition and for strong men in the exposition 7. From the necessitie of knowing and beleeuing these things these Articles must be beleeued or we cannot be saued Yea all these Articles must be beleeued of necessity to faile in any is desperately dangerous 8. From the Permanencie of these truthes Heere is that said that will abide in a Christian and is indelible 9. From the consideration of the condition of many hearers some are but new beginners and others though for the time they might haue bin teachers yet neede to bee taught these principles Yea neede to be taught them againe being such as those Heb. 5. 12 13. It is in these things also that the better sort of hearers complaine of their ignorance 10. We were tyed in our Baptisme vnto the doctrine contained in this Creed and so we stand bound before God and the Angels to learne it and keepe it as a great Treasure 11. From the consideration of the manner of propounding these Articles they are set dnwne in the Creed plainely and so they cleare our iudgements and withall briefely so as wee neede not feare our memories it is short in words but great in mysteries 12. Lastly because of the singular vse may be made of these doctrines there is great vse of the whole and great vse of euery part of it other Sciences for the most part add nothing to vs but to our knowledge onely or little to our practise especially so as to aduance our happines now there are many commodities arise from the knowledge keeping of these truthes as 1. Contemplatiue delight Men are delighted with the smell of flowers and the sight of colours how much more may and ought our mindes to be delighted in the obseruation meditation of such glorious truthes as these for these Articles doe exhibit to the beleeuing soule the glory of God to be veiwed in the things of greatest excellencie euen the choisest things wherein God hath made knowne the wonder of his goodnes vnto man And therefore these things are good for meditation all the daies of our liues if we had once but the skill to open the glories are heere contained Many Christians are much distressed about meditation They complaine they cannot tell what to thinke of profitablie In the Creed is cōtained the abridgement of these shining doctrines vpon which we may and ought alwaies to look wonder 2. The restoring of the Image of God in our mindes for by bringing in these knowledges wee set vp againe the frame of the Image of God in our mindes which lieth vtterly defaced in vs till the light of these doctrines begin to shine in our vnderstanding wee are purblinde yea wee are starke blinde so long as we are ignorant in these groundes 3. The nourishment of the whole soule The soule of man takes not foode further then it layes hold vpon these and such like truthes and when these are thought on and applied soundly al things in the soule wil thriue and prosper and the more is this to bee regarded because in these Articles is contained foode for all sorts of Christians for heere is milke for little ones in the proposition of these Articles and meate for strong men in the exposition of these all wholsome foode 4. The Creed containes the substance of those Articles of agreement made betweene God and vs so as we may easily and daily thence take notice of the maine points that are treated of betweene God and vs The condition of the couenant on our parte concerning either faith or practice all that is required of vs in effect in respect of faith is heere set downe 5. By the dexterous vse of these doctrines we may try all Religions in the world for heere is the roote of faith the touchstone to try things that are to bee belieued the square by which they are to be measured 't is that little Iudge in matters of quarrell about Religion for whatsoeuer doctrine is contrary to the Analogie of faith in these things may bee safely reiected and must be 6. It is the very Charecter of the Church and serues to distinguish vs from all other professions of men in the world as first from meere naturalists that beleeue no more cōcerning God religion then they can see by the light of nature as it is now corrupted and so it distinguisheth vs from the Philosophers and therfore much more from the common sort of Gentiles that entertained opinions monstrous and against the very light of Nature secondly from the Turkes who though they receiue some truthes from the light of Scripture yet reiecting most of these fundamental truthes entertaining a multitude of blasphemies of their owne against the Christian faith are worthily condemned as men without the pale of the Church thirdly from the Iewes because they denie all the Articles concerning Christ fourthly from all sorts of Heretickes that haue erred from this faith in some of the Articles concerning Christ such as are the Arrians and Papists at this day fifthly from such as haue but a wandering opinion concerning God in any of these Articles so as they onely know them by coniecture or hearesay and haue not entertained them with distinct assurance into their hearts and such are multitudes of people of all sorts euen in the Visible Church To conclude euery word almost of the Creed doth pierce the sides of some or other hereticall or blasphemous men As we beleeue one God against the Gentiles the Father Sonne and holy Ghost against the Antitrinitans Creator of Heauen and Earth against Carpocrates Cerinthus and the Ebionits we beleeue that Christ is the Lord against Valentinus who acknowledged him to bee a Sauiour not a Lord and that he is our Lord against those in Origens time that said hee was the Lord of God and that hee is the onely begotten Son against the Arrians conceiued by the holy Ghost against Apollinaris Valentinus and Eutiches that he was dead against Basilides rose againe against Cerinthus and sitteth at the right hand of God against Praxeus and we beleeue one Catholique Church
and his comming to Iudgement Concerning the holy Ghost the Church hath retained and maintained that truth in all ages without any great opposition and therefore that Article is very barely set downe the greatest quarrells were raised either by Gentiles against the doctrine of God the Father or by Hereticks against the doctrine of Christ the Sonne which made faith speake out more distinctly in the doctrine of these two persons Thus of God Concerning the Church two things are to be noted Properties or Priuiledges Her properties are two holy and Catholique The goods or Priuiledges of the Church are either in this world or in the world to come In this world there is Communion of Saints and forgiuenesse of sinnes In another world faith sees and wonders at the Resurrection of the body and the life Euerlasting I Beleeue This word I beleeue is not a word onely of a Christian addressing himselfe to lay hold vpon these treasures contained in the Articles following but it is the word of a man making answer The question is suppressed but the Answer is expressed for as it is true that a true beleeuer is oft questioned so 't is as true that by his Creed he answers all that can be said to him for heere is contained that Answer of a good conscience spoken of 1. Pet. 3. 2â— This forme of answering came first in at Baptisme in the Primitiue Church for before the partie to be baptized was admitted vnto Baptisme hee was examined as the Eunuch was by Philip and did answer by making confession of his faith in this or the like forme Neither is this the answer of the Christian at the time of his Baptisme onely but all the daies of his life for if God aske him what he hath to doe to take his words into his mouth or what he makes among his seruants or if the diuell aske him why he liues not in his sinnes or contrariwise why he dispaires not or why he entertaines doctrines of which their can bee no Reason giuen or if the Lawe aske him what shift he can make with all his sins hauing broken euery Lawe and with all the curses due to him for his sinnes or if the world aske him why he liues so retiredly and keepes not companie with the men of the world and seekes not or admires not the pleasures of life or the honors and fauours of great men or the Riches of this world and why hee suffers so much disgrace and affliction which hee might auoid if hee would doe as other men doe to all or any of these or the like questions he still answers I beleeue in God c. Beliefe or Faith is diuersly accepted sometimes it is taken for fidelity or faithfulnesse or assent and this sense it hath among the Philosophers aswellas among the Diuines that are Christians but all the other senses following it hath onely among Christian Diuines And so it is taken sometimes for the doctrine of faith 1. Cor. 13. 13. Phil. 1. 27. sometimes for the profession of faith and so Simon Magus beleeued sometimes for the things beleeued 1. Tim. 1. 19. Iude 3. But most vsually for the gift by which we beleeue and so it is taken heere But what is it to beleeue these Articles 't is not to gesse at them that they are true or to conceiue some probable hope that they may be iustified nor is it to say them ouer nor is it onely to liue in such places where such doctrines are taught and defended but to beleeue must haue these six things distinctly in it for to beleeue is 1. To vnderstand the meaning and sense of these Articles this is so necessary as it is impossible wee should beleeue when wee know not what it is we beleeue yet this is the least thing in faith 2. It is to assent to all this doctrine that it is the Truth 3. 'T is to esteeme and like this doctrine aboue all other kindes of doctrine in the world which is contrary or different from it and accordingly to ioy in it and bee much affected with it 4. 'T is to professe it and openly to declare my selfe resolued to liue and die in the beliefe of this doctrine and so this profession hath in it two thinges first a Separation from such societies of men as receiue not this faith secondly Apologie for it so as to defend it and contend for it Phil. 1. 27. Iude 3. 5. 'T is yet more and that is to rest in the happinesse contained in this doctrine of the Creed as it containes all that excellent treasure which is sufficient for our eternall saluation and our chiâ—fe good 6. 'T is lastly to ioyne our selues to true beleeuers as to the only excellent people in the world with sincere affection to them and desire of fellowship with them for this is such a faith as workes by loue So that this beleeuing heere hath in it all the three faithes spoken of by Diuines for to vnderstand and assent is the worke of Historicall faith To esteeme and professe is the worke of temporarie faith To rest vpon this happinesse by Christ and to ioyne in hearty fellowship with the godly is the worke of iustifying faith Now because some of these things in beleeuing may bee found in reprobates as well as the Elect and that the heart of man is exceeding deceitfull in the point of faith and the diuell applied his temptations with all subtilty and power to deceiue men in their beleeuing therefore vnto these things which are comprehended within the nature of the beleeuing heer mentioned I adde the distinct consideration of such things as must bee found in the manner of our beleeuing wee must looke to it how we beleeue these Articles for we may be many waies deceiued for 1. We must beleeue them with the heart and not confesse them with the mouth onely Rom. 10. 10. and to beleeue them with our hearts is to beleeue them in deede not in shew to beleeue them voluntarily not vpon compulsion to beleeue them affectionately not coldely or dully our faith must be a liuely faith not a dead faith 2. We must beleeue them personally each one must haue his owne faith 'T is not inough to ioyne our selues to such men as doe beleeue them but euery one must get him a faith of his owne The Iust must liue by his owne saith Hab. 2. 5. and therefore we say I beleeue not they beleeue or we beleeue We say our Father when we pray because we may pray one for another but we say not we beleeue because we cannot beleeue one for another 3. We must beleeue explicitely not implicitely It was one principle in the Kingdome of Antichrist to the intent that the people might be kept in blindnesse to teach them that it was inough for them to beleeue as the Church beleeued without inquiring into particulars and therefore they tell a tale to this end how the diuell tempting a man and vrging him to tell how
he beleeued the man answered as the Church beleeued and the diuell asking him how the Church beleeued he answered as I doe and hereupon the diuell ranne away and was vanquished And it mâ—y well bee the diuell durst aske him no more questions for feare least he should get out of his Snare now that by these answers he had made it manifest he was fast in for hee that takes not in the doctrine of faith parâ—icularly takes it not in at all for as the Childe may starue though you set before it a whole loafe of bread or other prouision if you cut it not for him bit by bit so is it with vs in beleeuing To set the body of faith before vs and not teach vs how after it is diuided to take any part is to starue our soules To bee short then we must looke to it that we vnderstand and beleeue these Articles not in the whole lumpe onely but in the partes not by trusting to other mens iudgements but distinctly taking notice of each doctrine of faith our selues 4. We must beleeue all the Articles of the faith totally not in some parts onely faith is copulatiue heere we must beleeue all or none He cannot be sound in the faith that is corrupted in his iudgement about any these Articles faith that is a sound faith beleeues all that is written 5. We must beleeue with application It is not inough to beleeue that these doctrines are true or good but wee must beleeue that they belong to each of vs in particular or else we shall haue little profit or comfort by them What can it comfort vs to beleeue that these things are or that others shall haue the benefit of them if they belong not to vs Thus I must beleeue that I haue the benefit of Gods power or prouidence and of Christs Incarnation and Passion and exaltation and that I am a member of the Church and haue my parte in his priuiledges This is a maine thing to be attained for a reprobate may goe so farre to beleeue that these doctrines are true 6. We must beleeue with all Christian simplicity which should haue two things in it first wee must cast away all trust in our owne merits It is a compounded and corrupted faith that beleeues any of these things vpon the perswasion of his owne merits or deserts To beleeue aright and merit cannot stand together true faith casteth out merit For if they which are of the law inherit any of these treasures then faith is void and the promise and gift of Gods grace of none effect Rom. 4. 14. secondly we must beleeue so as we will giue glory to God though the things to bee beleeued bee neuer so vnlikely to carnall reason or be things absent and not yet giuen or things aboue our vnderstanding in the full glory of them our faith must not bee curious or vnquiet to binde God to giue vs a reason of his promises or actions Herein we must take heede that the Serpent beguile vs not nor seduce vs from the simplicity that is in Christ Iesus 2. Cor. 11. 3. Yea this is the glory and triumph of faith in these things without doubting to giue glory to God Our faith must bee the substance of things hoped for and the demonstration of things not seene Wee must beleeue eternall life though we must die and a blessed resurrection though we shall be rotten in the graue and that we are Iustified though sinne yet dwell in vs and that we are blessed though yet exposed to much miseries c. 7. We must beleeue with full assurance wee must not wauer or doubt but bee fully resolued and established in the perswasion of these things and our right in them Colos 2. 2. 1. Thes 1. 4. this we ought to labour for and this may bee had and therefore we should giue all diligence to get this full assurance of faith I grant that a lesse degree of faith may be true faith as shall bee shewed afterwards but yet this is that which we should striue for that we may effectually glorifie God by beleeuing 8. We must beleeue with perseuerance we must so giue entertainement to these sacred truthes now as that wee also meane to liue and die in this faith The faith that is temporarie will little auaile vs we must so prouide that our faith may last to the end And therefore the word is I do beleeue in the present time not I haue beleeued or I will beleeue to note that there must be no time wherein a Christian may truely say now I beleeue not Now that we may not be deceiued herein we must looke to three things First that we cast off all carnall ends in our profession of faith and looke to it that wee take not vp the profession of religion for sinister respects as many haue done for such ends as these to wit to get credit and the fauour of men or to make themselues capable of the preferment of this world or to shew their gifts or which is worse to couer secret wicked practises or open faults Secondly that we build not our Faith vpon wrong Causes or grounds such as are the respect of any mans person or opinion or the intising words of mens wisedome or the meere colours and probabilities of mens arguments but be sure we place our Faith vpon the Word of God Thirdly that we be not deceiued with the seeming effects of Faith but learne to distinguish betweene the force of the Word vpon our hearts when we are meerely as it were patients and the force of the Word working a habit or action in vs. I expresse my meaning thus Many a man liues in a place where the word is taught in the power and glory of it comes to heare without any care or purpose to regard or profit by it yet the truth in the deliuerie of it so shines in his heart that he is not only conuinced but for the time delighted and heares with great gladnesse as feeling his heart to be warmed with the doctrine he heares yet cares not for it when he is gone away nor makes any vse of it at all as being destitute of any gift by which he should receiue or apply the doctrine so that this heat in his heart did not arise from any habit in him receiuing the Word and making vse of it but onely from the forcible penetration of the doctrine As a stone that is heated by the beames of the Sunne that neither had heat in it selfe before nor keepes heat when the Sunne hath done shining but is a meere patient Now this hearer hath not so much as a temporarie Faith for he that hath the temporarie Faith hath a kinde of habit be gotten in him so as he doth receiue the doctrine and keepe it after a sort and from the force of it so kept doth bring forth some fruit and so the seede receiued into his heart is like grasse vpon the house top or seede sowen
in stonie places where there is a little earth mingled withall whereas he that beleeues aright and so will hold out hath the naturall stoninesse of his heart dissolued by the word and is so affected with it for the present that he receiues it so as it tarrieth in him and growes in him and he brings forth the sound fruit of Reformation of life and his seede abideth in him it cannot vtterly be destroyed but Faith in him is like the tree of life that will euery yeere bring new fruit Whereas in Nature the corne that is sowne after one haruest is destroyed in respect of that particular graine that was sowen Nor may any say that he cannot know whether he shall hereafter keepe his Faith he can iudge of his Faith what it is now for if he get a sound Faith it will keepe and besides he beleeues with perseuerance that doth resolue for euer to rest in that Faith simply for the euidence worth and vse of the doctrine beleeued for he that hath but a temporary faith as he doth receiue doctrine but for certaine aduantages or carnall ends so can he not get his heart at that very time to a resolution to cleaue eternally to that doctrine of Gods grace 9. It is not yet innough to resolue to keepe the faith and to preserue the doctrine but we must looke to it that we lay it vp in a cleane place which is a pure Conscience 1 Tim. 3. 9. and that we keepe it there cleane from the mixtures of mens deuises being curious in the businesses of our faith to let in no priuate interpretations but to resolue to beleeue onely as Gods word doth bid vs beleeue we must take heede and not admit carelesly any interpretations of the Articles of our faith that any sort of men will bring to vs but we must still haue an eye to Gods word to see all expounded by the word 2 Pet. 1. 20. 19. 16. we must receiue nothing here no not in the least part of the apparrelling of these truths which is not agreeable to some patterne in the booke of God Lastly we must beleeue these Articles but not all with one kinde of faith for some of these things we beleeue in that is place our trust and confidence and all hope of happinesse in them so we beleeue in God and in Iesus Christ and in the holy Ghost but other things wee doe not beleeue in but beleeue as the properties and priuiledges of the Church as wee may discerne by the difference of speaking in the Creed Wee say I beleeue in God but doe not say I beleeue in the holy Church c. The vse may be first for information we may hence gather that there are but few sound Christians in any place there are but few that beleeue their Creed obseruing all the duties and conditions required in beliefe and consequently but few that receiue the benefit of the Gospell or that shall be saued This will appeare if a Tryall could bee made euen in the places that are most populous and abound most with Christians in name For if all the sorts of men bee cast out that haue not a faith agreeable to this doctrine there will bee but a few left as for instance 1. Cast out all such worldly minded people as haue not at all regarded their Creed or the Doctrine contained in it vndoubtedly some such there are who scarce learned their Creed at all and liue so without God in the world as they neuer regarded Religion at all with their hearts 2. Cast out all such as vnderstand not their Creed many can say the words who yet neuer were instructed concerning the meaning and haue not any competent measure of knowledge concerning the sense of the Articles Now it is impossible these should be true beleeuers 3. Cast out such as know perhaps the meaning but assent not to the doctrine They cannot tell whether these things bee true or no nor how to approue them and is there not in all places diuers men that are of this humour are there not men that will be of any Religion That are temporizers 4. Cast out such as beleeue that all the doctrines be true but it is by such a saith as the diuells haue for the diuells beleeue the doctrines to be true but so as they hate it and the teaching of it and all such as thriue in knowledge and profession of it Are there not multitudes of people with vs that discouer this kinde of diuellish quality doe they not from their hearts loath preaching doe they not from their hearts hate such as are the best beleeuers doe they not readily and spitefully speake euill of such as feare God in euery place these cannot be right that beleeue loathing 5. Cast out such as beleeue with a dead faith that is such as finde no manner of feare nor vertue nor operation in these doctrines but can take in a great deale of the literall knowledge of these truthes and yet it hath no power to worke vpon their hearts These haue not so much faith as the diuells haue for they beleeue and tremble that is they are afrighted and extreamely amazed at the thought of the fulfilling and accomplishment of these truthes considering their owne misery Whereas multitudes of Christians heare of beliefe and talke of these things and are not a whit moued either with feare or sorrowe 6. Cast out such as haue but a temporarie faith And in them consider first what they haue in their faith and then by what things it may be manifest that their faith is insufficient for the first these men are not altogether without faith they haue knowledge of the meaning of the doctrine of the Gospell they assent to it and are assured it is the truth and can proue it and they hate not the doctrine but rather like it and loue it And besides their beliefe of these things worketh much vpon them for they heare the Word with Ioy Mat. 13. yea and are moued and perswaded to reforme their liues and by it escape much filthinesse which is in others and was in themselues 2. Pet. 2. 20. and they do ioyne themselues to and keepe company openly with such as feare God as Iudas and Demas did with the Apostles and doe spend much time in reading the Scriptures and good books and may be forward to reproue or punish vice and wickednesse in other men as Iehu was and yet all this notwithstanding their faith is vaine which will appeare to their consciences if they consider these things in them 1. That they beleeue not with application to themselues They lay not hold on these things by a particular faith They place not their happinesse in the perswasion of their interest in these truthes 2. That they are not reformed in theâ— beloued or gainefull sinnes there bee some sinnes they know by themselues which they desire not to leaue and therefore neuer repented of them Iudas would not leaue his couetousnesse
4. 11. and thus Faith is tryed by the effects Finally men that haue faith may know it by the Testimonie of the holy Ghost in them He that beleeueth hath a witnesse in himselfe euen Gods spirit that daily incourageth him in the knowledge of his right in these Truthes 1. Ioh. 5. 10. Thus of the second vse Thirdly the doctrine of Faith to such as can by these signes finde it to be in them is exceeding comfortable such as haue a true faith should wonderfully reioyce in it and the rather if they consider 1. That Faith is a speciall gift of God bestowed of his free grace Iohn 6. 29. Rom. 12. 3. Ephes 2. 8. 2. That it is a gift that God bestowes onely vpon his Elect and therefore the right Faith is called the Faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1. 1. 3. That it is giuen to all the Elect at one time or other It is not giuen onely to Abraham or Dauid or the like Eminent men but is common to all sorts of true Christians Tit. 1. 4. 4. That it is a most precious gift A gift which doth wonderfully enrich a Christian and exalt him aboue all other men that haue not Faith as Reason makes vs to excell beasts so doth Faith make vs excell men And this will the more manifestly appeare if wee consider the singular effects of Faith The effects wrought by Faith haue bin either extraordinary in some men or ordinary in euery true beleeuer It hath done extraordinary things in some men as it hath carried some men to Heauen aliue without dying as Henoch Elias Heb. 11. 5. Some men that had it could haue remoued mountaines and did miraculously heale diseases and raise dead men but because these effects are ceased I passe from them and consider onely of the ordinary effects such as are wrought by it in euery beleeuer and these I call ordinary effects not to abase their singular glory but to distinguish them from the former effects Great are the things which Faith worketh either to the Christian himselfe or to others To himselfe it bringeth and procureth admirable things for 1. It Iustifies him Rom. 3. It makes him as righteous as euer Adam was It is accepted in stead of the righteousnesse of the Law Rom. 10. It cloathes a man with the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ 2. It ingraffs the Beleeuer into Iesus Christ It is the bond that tyes vs to Christ and in Christ to God by faith we are made members of his body 3. It procureth our adoption to be the sonnes of God and so makes vs greater persons then if we were borne of the greatest blouds amongst men Iohn 1. 12. 4. It brings Christ to dwell in our hearts by his spirit Eph. 3. 17. 5. It makes vs capable and assured to obtaine whatsoeuer we aske of God It obtaines many and matchlesse suits in Gods Court Mark 11. 24. Eph. 3. 12. Heb. 10. 22. 6. It makes our workes acceptable to God whereas without it our best workes were vnpleasing to God Heb. 11. 6. 7. It obtaineth the greatest and best reputation It breeds a good report Heb. 11. 39. 8. It is our life we liue by the faith of the sonne of God Gal. 2. 20. and it is our life partly as it establisheth vpon vs the assurance of a better life by applying and laying hold on the promises of God that concerne eternall life Iohn 3. 16. and partly as it feedeth vpon Iesus Christ the most soueraigne nourishment for our soules for by faith we eate his flesh and drinke his bloud Iohn 6. and partly as it maketh the meanes of naturall life to become blessed to vs for man liueth not by bread alone but by euery word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and besides it giueth vs interest to Gods promises that concerne the blessings of this life for in outward blessings it is to vs according to our faith And partly as by it wee are kept to Saluation 1 Pet. 1. 5. so as our faith will neuer leaue vs till we receiue the saluation of our soules 1 Pet. 1. 9. 9. It obtaineth many and great victories and triumphs in this world and this will the more euidently appeare if wee consider seriously how many things are opposed against the faith of euery Christian as the temptations of Sathan which sometimes are like fiery darts doubts and feares sense of daily sinnes the threatnings of the Law the many chastisements of God false doctrine of all sorts the dissentions of Teachers in the Christian Churches the perfidiousnesse of false brethren impuritie in sinne the prosperitie of the wicked the fewnesse of true beleeuers the contemptiblenesse of the Church in the world the falling away of many professors the scornes of the world the delay of the performance of Gods promises and such like and yet faith makes vs daily against all these more then Conquerors What shall I say All things are possible to him that beleeueth and Faith procureth more for vs then Reason can reach to Eph. 3. 19. 20. Besides these effects which it worketh for the happinesse of the beleeuer himselfe it worketh strange and great things for others for it bringeth his seede and posterity into couenant with God the beleeuing parents make their seede holy 1 Cor. 7. Gen. 17. and the prayers of the beleeuer procureth great and wonderfull things many times for others and besides many times it keepes of greeuous Iudgements which else would fall vpon wicked men in the places where the beleeuer liueth Lastly vnto all the former Consolations this may be added that the faith of the true beleeuer shall not faile but continue to the end The seede of faith will abide in him 1 Iohn 3. 9. Christ hath prayed that faith may not faile Luke 22. 23. Ephes 1. 13. 14. 2 Thes 1. 11. Phil. 1. 6. Rom. 11. 29. Thus of the Consolations As the doctrine of faith is exceeding comfortable vnto the true beleeuer so it imports extreame terror and miserie vnto all such as are destitute of true faith for the vnbeleeuer is no Christian for the Christians were called beleeuers to shew that then a man was a true Christian when he was a true beleeuer By the right beliefe of these Articles men hold their Christendome Besides till faith come into a mans heart hee is shut vp vnder the arrests of the Lawe and lyeth in a spirituall prison charged with all the breaches of Gods Law which are debts impossible for him to pay Gal. 3. 22. And further without Faith it is impossible he should please God and all he doth is sinne Heb. 11. 6. but which is most grieuous this vnbeliefe will be his eternall destruction for this is the condemnation of worlds of men that they beleeue not in the light but loue darknesse rather then light Iohn 3. 16. 17. 18. Marke 16. Yea there is matter also of humiliation vnto many true beleeuers for not looking better to their faith and so godly
men offend 1. When they labour not to know their owne faith when they will not trie their estates and make it sure they haue Faith 2. When they seeke not helpe for the diseases and weaknesses of their Faith but being often assaulted with doubting are so sluggish as they will not seeke found resolution for their doubts 3. When they instruct not their Faith in the particulars of Gods treasures nor imploy it to a daily vnlocking of the riches contained in the Chists of Gods particular promises 4. When they esteeme not Faith but through vnthankfulnes smother the acknowledgement of Gods singular gift herein 5. When they wearie their faith with doubâ—full disputations and will not direct it to the studie of necessarie and glorious truthes 6. When they leade not out their Faith to traine it in the day of peace against the day of battell when they â—â—y not vp prouision against the euill day and doe not before hand instruct their Faith how to hold out when tryall commeth 7. When men beleeue not so heartily and with such full assurance as becomes the excellency of the doctrines of Faith 8. When Faith is kept idle and men doe not daily exercise their Faith about the successe and crosses of their callings and about the labour and workes of loue Lastly many Instructions necessarily depend vpon this doctrine of Faith for 1. Such as want Faith should bee effectually moued to vse all courses to get them a sound Faith and there are many things may moue men to beleeue and helpe to breede Faith as First men must effectually consider vpon Motiues vnto faith on Gods part and especially such as are taken from his mercy and goodnesse to thinke on it how good and gratious God is should make men beleeue his promises and receiue his grace offered and the rather if they seriously ponder vpon these things in Gods goodnesse First that it is free he stands not vpon desert he offers loue loue to his very enemies Rom. 5. 10. Secondly it is exceeding great able to forgiue all sinne and supply all wants Psal 36. 108. 5. Ephes â— 4. 1. Pet. 1. 3. Thirdly it is inuiting God doth offer his mercy hee sends abroad his Proclamations to offer pardon and fauour in the Gospell yea he beseecheth men to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 19. 20. Fourthly it is indefinite hee offers Mercy to all sorts of men to the World to euery creature Col. 3. 11. Ioh. 3. 16. Marke 16. 16. Fâ—fthly it is naturall It is not against his nature as it is for a couetous man to be bountifull Mercy pleaseth him Micha 7. 18. He was neuer angry with any for beleeuing but extreamely displeased with men for not beleeuing Iohn 3. 16. 17. Secondly men must carefully auoid all the lets of faith and marke what keepes them from beleeuing Whether it bee any beloued sinne or some venomous obiections or the cares of the world and the fond excuses that belong thereunto or carnall wisedome and selfe conceitednesse in hearing the Word or procrastination or corrupt opinions about the possibility or necessity of beleeuing or the like and in particular some Christians must bee warned of that strange impediment namely when men iudge themselues vnworthy of Eternall life and so put off the promises of God through vnbeliefe Thirdly men must attend vpon the meanes of begetting Faith they must compell vpon themselues the care thereof They must pray God to giue them the spirit of Faith and to helpe their vnbeliefe They must cry to God with teares for this thing Marke 9. 24. and withall they must attend to the Word of Faith which is the Gospel so waiting vpon the publike Ministerie as they studie the promises of God exactly and seeke resolution of their doubts and direction about Faith in priuate Thus concerning such as want Faith Secondly such as haue Faiâ—h must bee carefull to looke to these things 1. They must with all watchfulnesse keepe their Faith as they would keepe their liues prouiding that they may abide in the Faith to the end and neuer denie their first Faith 1. Tim. 1. 19. Acts 14. 22. 1. Tim. 5. 12. 2. They must be carefull to imploy their Faith both euery day by learning how to liue by Faith and in the times of tryall to see to it that they cast not away their confidence Yea he should striue to shew forth such a power of beleeuing in all the effects of it that his Faith may be spoken of through the World Gal. 2. 20. Heb. 10. 35. Rom. 1. Hitherto of the maine body of the doctrine of beleeuing with the Vses Before I passe from it It will bee profitable to answer certaine questions that may arise in mens mindes about beleeuing Quest. 1. Whether the Apostles would haue vs beleeue no more then is contained in the Creed seeing the Creed is called their Creed Answ All doctrines of Faith may be reduced some way to the Articles of Faith in the Creed as being either expressed or implyed there We are bound to beleeue all things written in the Prophets and Apostles bookes that is so farre as they are reuealed vnto vs. But the doctrines contained in the Creed are such as none may be ignorant of without danger of damnation simple Ignorance in other truthes is not damnable so as these things be rightly beleeued Quest. 2. How can Faith be said to be one Ephes 4. 5. seeing in the manner of setting downe the Creed euery Christian hath a Faith of his owne because he saith I beleeue Answ There is but one Faith in respect of the Obiect or thing beleeued which is especially the grace of God in Christ which was the particular Obiect of Faith from the beginning of the world since the fall But there are many Faiths or gifts of Faith in respect of the Subiect that is the persons beleeuing for so there are as many Faiths as there are beleeuers Quest. 3. Is euery Christian bound alwaies to make profession of his Faith Answ 1. We must alwaies make profession by our deedes that is we must alwaies liue as becommeth the doctrine of Faith 2. Wee must in our words neuer for any cause deny any doctrine of Faith 3. If we be called vpon by lawfull Authority wee must giue answer to euery man that asketh a Reason of our Faith 4. In other causes we are bound to make profession in words so farre as we haue calling and fitnesse to doe it to the glory of God Quest. 4. Whether all true beleeuers doe beleeue these Articles alike with the same measure of Faith Answ No for Faith is wrought in men by degrees and so some haue a weake Faith and some a strong Faith Faith is formed in the soule as the body is in the wombe for in framing the body in the wombe there is first the braines and heart and then the veines sinewes arteries and bones and then afterwards all is couered and filled
with flesh vnto a iust proportion So is it in the soule for first there is wrought a small degree of sauing knowledge and spirituall desire after God in Christ and then flowes from thence the veines and sinewes that take hold of the promises of grace and lastly by degrees as our knowledge and experience increaseth the whole body of Faith growes after a compleate manner formed in vs when our hearts are filled with increase of sound and solid knowledges but because this point toucheth the spirituall free-hold of many godly Christians I would therefore beate it out more distinctly And so foure things are to be considered 1. How it may be knowne that Faith is weake 2. How weake Faith may be knowne to be a right Faith 3. How the beleeuer may be comforted that findes hee hath but a weake Faith 4. Admonition to him that is weake in the Faith not to rest in that condition for diuers reasons For the first a weake Faith is easily discerned by these signes and the like to them 1. By daily doubts of Gods fauour and feares least their estate be not right 2. By ignorance not onely in many ordinary truthes but in many of the promises of the Gospel Matthew 8. 26. 16. 8. 3. By the hastie and violent vnquietnesse of the heart in aduersitie euen in the daily and lesser crosses of life and by those sudden feares in time of danger notwithstanding Gods promise and the experience of Gods assistance and deliuerance and by the vnrest of the heart if there be not present helpe Iames 1. 5. 6. Mat. 14. 30. 31. Luke 18. 8. 4. By the daily cares of life about foode and rayment Mat. 6. 31. 5. Aptnesse to stagger and be carried about with the winde of contrary doctrine Ephes 4. 13. 6. Feare of death For the second a weake Faith may be discerned to be a true Faith by these signes 1. By the constant and earnest desire of Gods fauour in Christ Psal 10. 17. Mat. 5. 6. Reuel 21. 6. 2. By their griefe for their vnbeliefe and frequent complaint of it Marke 9. 24. 3. By their constant desire after the sincere milke of the Word 1. Pet. 2. 2. 4. By their feare to offend God in the least euill they know to be a sinne For the third the beleeuer may be comforted many waies though his Faith be but weake for 1. Christ hath promised that he will not breake the bâ—uised reede nor quench the smoaking flaxe Mat. 12. 20. 2. Weake Faith doth apply the mercy of God and the benefits of Christs death aswell as a strong Faith as a weake or paraliticke hand will receiue a gift aswell as a sound and sted die hand he that hath a weake sight though he see not so well as he that hath a persect sight yet he sees so much of the light of the Sunne as may serue his turne to walke safely Though an Infant cannot eate so much as a strong man yet he eates so much as preserues life and makes him grow 3. God hath receiued him that is weake in Faith Rom. 14. 13 4. The power of God is manifested in their weakenesse 2. Cor. 12. 9. Lastly the weake in Faith must be admonished to looke to their Faith and to labour for growth Though God accepts their weake Faith in the beginning of their conuersion yet he likes not the neglecting of Faith and continuing in ignorance and vnbeliefe Heb. 5. 12. Besides so long as they continue in weakenesse of Faith they keepe themselues without many and singular comforts Though weake Faith bee sufficient to Saluation yet it is not sufficient to consolation Hitherto of the Nature of Faith The ground of Faith were worthy to be considered for it is not inough to know that we must beleeue or what things are to be beleeued but vpon what ground or warrant wee doe beleeue it And so heere I might consider of the Word of God as the ground of Faith or originall of Faith for he that will euer prosper in beleeuing these Articles must be resolued of these things 1. That the things he beleeueth are warranted to him by the testimonie of God himselfe for no humane testimony of particular men or of the whole Church can be the ground of a mans Faith 2. That the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles are the very word of himselfe and so infallible 3. That the writings of the Prophets and Apostles are euery way perfect and doe containe all things necessary to be beleeued in the matter of his Religion 4. That he can see how each Article of his Faith is grounded vpon the Word of God 5. That he will cleaue vnto this Word of God all the daies of his life as the principall meanes of his direction and comfort and of his further increase in Faith and knowledge for his knowledge and Faith comes in but by degrees and in part and the truth is opposed by his owne reason corrupted and by the suggestions of the diuell and by almost infinite varieties of opinions against all which he resolues to cleaue to the Word of God as his perpetuall warrant But because this principle concerning the Word of God is not expressed in the Creed I will therefore forbeare the proofe and explication and illustration of these things which concerne the Word of God And I conceiue that this Head of the Word of God was left out in the Creed in the first Age of the Church for two reasons The one was because as then it was not questioned so much as the rest of the Articles But the other Reason is the most important and that is that these doctrines of the Creed though they be principles yet are of another sort then these doctrines that concerne the Original perfection or authority of the Scriptures for these principles are conclusions framed out of those principles concerning the Word and so containe a frame of doctrins which are built vpon the granting of the former or thus they are distinguished from them These are parts of Theologie whereas the Word of God is not a part but principiuÌ„ cognoscendi the foundation of Theologie The doctrines concerning the Scriptures are not properly Articles of Faith but grounds or the foundation of Faith Not things to bee beleeued so much as things by which we beleeue I Beleeue in God Psal 11. 1. HItherto of our duty in the first word I beleeue The doctrine to be beleeued followes and it concernes either God or the Church The doctrine that concernes God lookes vpon him either as Father or Sonne or holy Ghost In the first Person of the Trinity Faith sees and wonders at his Nature his Relation his Power and his Workes His Nature in the Word God his Relation in the word Father his Power in the word Almighty and his Workes in the words Creator of heauen and earth The first thing we are to studie to know and beleeue is God This is the first doctrine of the Creed
Treatise called the Rule of Faith which you may easily finde out by the vse of the Index These things I thought good to acquaint thee withall for thy helpe and benefit as also to shew that by the diuine prouidence good supply euen out of the Authors owne workes may be made of that defect which by his immature death may be thought to be in this Rule of Faith That which is required on thy part is diligence and care to treasure vp in thy heart these wholsome and sound words contained in this Treatise that so thou maist walke according to this Rule knowing that as many of you as walke according to this Rule peace shall be vpon them and vpon the Israel of God Thine in the Lord ADONIRAM BIFIELD THE CREEDE OF THE CREED IN GENERALL Text 2. Timothie 1. 13. Hold fast the forme or Patterne of Sound words THere haue bin in all Ages of the Church since the giuing of the Scriptures two wayes by which the Ministers of the Church haue taught men the knowledge that is necessary to Saluation The one was to make choice of some Text of Scripture and to expound it to the people and thence to make vse of it Thus they did in Ezra his time Nehemiah 8. 4. 7. 8. and thus did our Sauiour Christ at Nazareth Luke 4. 16. 17 c. and it is noted in that place that it was our Sauiours custome so to doe Thus did Philip Acts 8. 30. 35. The other was without being tyed to any particular Text to handle the maâ—ne body of Doctrine as was most necessary for the people that were to be instructed Thus the Sermons of the Prophets were not the exposition of any particular Text but a solid and compleate collection of all that matter which at that time were needfull for the people And this course also did the Apostles hold in their Epistles and Sermons to the Churches choosing out so much matter out of the reuealed Will of God as was most behoouefull for the Christians to whom they writt or preached onely confirming what they taught by the Scripture Both these courses haue bin followed in the Christian Churches to this day onely amongst vs with this difference That the instruction out of a Text is vsed in Churches and the instruction without a Text in Schooles But that both these courses may bee held in popular teaching is manifest by the proofes before and it is manifest that if Diuines for the profit of their hearers would vndertake solidly to set before the people the whole body of Theologie and shew them at once all the choice things they are to beleeue concerning God or Christ or the Creation or the like it cannot but in some respects be much more profitable then to cleaue onely to the exposition of whole bookes of Scripture or particular portions because by the former course the people may see altogether that which by the other way they should heare but by peece and at seuerall times onely as the Texts will giue occasion I obserue not this to disgrace the godly course of preaching by Texts but rather to shew that both are needfull and as I conceiue it were much to be desired That Diuines euery where would teach the people the whole frame and body of the Doctrine of godlinesse The Apostle Paul in this place shewes that besides their course of instructing the Churches in particular Doctrines according to occasion they did extract into one body the Heads of all Religion which they did in all places carefully vnfolde and preach vpon vnto the people and these Heads thus gathered together as the principall things handled in all the Scriptures the Apostle calles heere the patterne of wholesome words and were diuided into two generall Heads or Titles Faith and Loue. Now there are also two waies of handling these heads of Religion the one more plainly and briefly by way of Catechizing the other more largely and exactly by way of Methodicall Doctrine The one is necessarie for young beginners in Religion and the other needfull to build vp a people in the knowledge begun in them Hauing therefore by Gods gracious assistance heretofore handled the bodie of Diuinity after the first sorte in the extract of principles and Doctrine of foundation onely with some explication of them I now intend by the like gracious assistance of God to goe ouer all the body of sacred Theologie in a more exact manner adding those Doctrines that may serue to build you vp in the larger knowledge of those glorious Mysteries of true Religion And long dilating with my selfe vpon what Foundation to raise this new frame I at length resolued vpon the Apostles Creed where I finde all the Doctrine of Faith collected into one faire body ready to my hands And in discourseing of these glorious Truthes I intende to obserue a mixt course of Teaching that both sorts of hearers may finde matter of profit Heere will be plaine things for the simple and more higher Contemplations for the more Iudicious Two things I especially intend in handling these Articles of Faith the one is the apparelling of each Article with the glorious furniture I finde made fit for it in any parte of the Scripture and this is by way of Exposition The other is the discouerie of the many and singular vses we may put such glorious truths to in the whole course of our liues and this by way of vse Now then for an Introduction in generall this Text giues vs occasion to consider of two things 1. What the Creed is 2. What we are bound to doe with the Creed For the first the Apostles owne words doe tell vs what such sound abridgements of the chiefest Mysteries of Religion are they are Patternes formes or frames of wholesome words where two things are said 1. That they are wholesome words 2. That they are Patternes They are wholesome words both by way of opposition to doctrines that poyson and corrupt the mindes of men and by way of difference from such truthes as for the present and in some respects are not wholsome to the hearers though in themselues they be wholesome We may obserue by diuerse passages in the Epistles of the Apostle what kinde of Doctrine hee accounts to be in it selfe vnwholesome as all false Doctrine contrary to the Gospell of Iesus Christ such as was Iustification by workes the forbidding of marriage and meates the denyall of the Resurrection and the like and this he calles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to teach other Doctrine Such corrupt stuffe the Apostles also accounted all the vaine ianglings of men with pride and peruersenesse wrangling about wordes or disputing of needlesse things and those he calles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1. Tim. 1. 3. 6. 4 5. â—0 Further vnwholesome words the Apostle accounts all their curiosities and vaine speculations in Philosophie
Martialis Ignatius Irena Tertullian Origen and those of their times did not proceede further then the Trinity In the first book of Socrates his Eccless Hist. Chap. 19. we finde The Creed thus recited We beleeue in one God the Father Almighty and in the Lord Iesus Christ his Sonne begotten of him before all worldes true God by whom all things were made which are in heauen and which are in earth Who descended and was incarnate and suffered and rose againe and ascended into Heauen and from thence shall come againe to iudge the quicke and dead and in the holy Ghost in the Resurrection of the flesh in the life of the world to come in the Kingdome of Heauen and one Catholique Church reaching from one end of the earth to the other In Saint Ambrose his time the baptised was asked three questions as first dost thou beleeue in God the Father Almighty and the baptized answered I beleeue and then hee was dipped vnder the water secondly hee was asked doest thou beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and his Crosse and hee answered I beleeue and then was dipped againe thirdly hee was asked doest thou beleeue in the holy Ghost and he answered I doe beleeue and was the third time dipped Ambrose lib. 2. de Sacram. cap. 7. so that 't is probable that the Creed was not fully finished in this forme it now is till about the fourth age after Christ And thus of the Authors of the Creed To conclude therefore this point concerning the Authors of these Articles the Creed is called the Apostles Creed in two respects first to distinguish it from all other Creeds There haue bin diuers Creeds made in the seuerall ages since Christ some by particular writers some by Councells of particular writers Athanasius Creed doth most excell which is the Creed set downe in the booke of Common Prayer next before the Letany and of Councells these are the chiefe Creeds the Nicen Creed which you may finde in the booke of Common Prayer also set downe in the order of the Communion as also the Creed of the Ephesian Synod and the Creed of the Calcedonian Synod reade Am. Pol. synt Theol. lib. 2. cap. 2. Now this Creed is called the Apostles Creed to shew that the Churches did hold it to bee of greater authority then any other Creed and that other Creeds are but as it were expositions of this Creed Secondly it is called the Apostles Creed to giue it authority aboue all humane writings euen those that haue much or most excelled The confession of Nationall Churches haue been worthily had in great request so haue the Creeds of the Councells and so haue the Apocripha Scriptures but yet none of these haue attained to the honour of this Creed The translation of the Canonicall Scriptures in respect of the words are humane though in respect of the matter and order they are diuine and these of all humane writings are the best yet not without the defects of the Translators whereas the originall in both Testaments is diuine both for matter order and words also Thus of the Authors The kinde of writing followes Creede Symbolum is the word vsed in the most Christian Churches and is plainely agreeable to the originall word the Creed being first penned in the Greeke tongue If the word bee deriued of Syn and bolus then it may signifie two things first a morsell or as much as a man may well swallow at once and so the whole Scriptures containing but the diuine furnishing of Gods Table as it were the Creed containes each particular Christians morsell so much as hee may and must swallow and receiue downe into his heart without leauing any of these Articles out secondly a draught euen as much as a net can take at once The sea is the Word the fisherman is the Christian man the Net is faith the Creed is as much as the faith of the Christian can take at a draught out of the Sea of doctrine contained in the Scriptures But it is more likely the word should be deriued of Syn and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then it may signifie all or any of these fiue things 1. A Shot it containing the reckoning which the Apostles made for the Churches being deducted or cast in out of the seuerall writings of each of the Apostles 2. A Watchword or any signe in the time of warre by which the Souldier might be distinguished from spies or strangers and so might shew to what captaine or colours hee belonged so the Creed is the Military signe by which the true Christian is distinguished from all spirituall spies and forreiners 't is Gods Watchword 3. The Motto or Poesie or word giuen in mens Armes so the Creed is the Christians Motto his word which is set in his Armes being made noble in bloud by Christ and so able to giue the Armes of his spirituall house and kindred 4. A token or Bill of Exchange by which a man is enabled to trade or receiue commodities By the Creed the Christian may trade for any spirituall commodities 5. A Passeport Christians are strangers and Pilgrims a great way from home and the gouernment of the Christian world will not let a man passe without his authenticke Passeport Now by his Creed the Christian man may passe and finde entertainement in any part of the Christian world As for the name Creed it is not easie to tell when it first came vp in our Language but it is certaine it comes of the first word which is in Latine Credo rendered I beleeue But by the way if these Articles be a Creed then they are not a Prayer nor to be said as a Prayer as the ignorant multitude doth abuse it Thus of the Title I Beleeue Marke 9. 24. IN the Creed it selfe we must consider first matter of dutie which is in the word Beleeue which is the hand or claspe that takes hold of all and euery of the Articles secondly matter of doctrine which may be cast into two Heads as it concernes God or the Church for the Lord doth not vouchsafe to comber Religion with the whole doctrine that might concerne the estate of all men out of the Church concerning God the Articles looke vpon all three persons and in the doctrine of the Father amongst his attributes singles out his Almightinesse and amongst his workes lookes vpon his making of Heauen and Earth In Christ faith lookes vpon his Person and his Office In his Person it acknowledgeth his diuine Nature as Gods onely Sonne and his humane Nature in these two words viz. conception by the holy Ghost and birth of a Virgin His Office is considered according to his estate both of Humiliation and Exaltation In his Humiliation is considered his sufferings first in body in that he suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was dead and buried and then in soule in that he descended into Hell In his Exaltation faith viewes his Resurrection Ascension and Session at the right hand of God
they haue all one Nature and are one sort of creatures but God is one none of these waies but in number And yet to say God is one in number is not enough vnlesse we adde absolutely one for Peter the Apostle is one man though there be many other men but hee is not a man so as there is none but he whereas God is not Vnus onely but he is Vnicus also he is one and but one That there is but one God these Scriptures shew Deut. 4 35. 39. 6. 4. 32. 39. 1. Cor. 8. 4. Concerning therefore meate sacrificed vnto Idols we know that an Idol is nothing in the world and that there is none other God but one The Vses follow 1. Heereby is condemned the horrible Idolatry of the Nations in bringing in that Poluthritis or multitude of Gods for as the former doctrine that God is a Spirit doth condemne Image-mongers that resemble him that is incorporeall by outward and bodily shapes so doth this of the Vnity of his essence shew the lamentable Idolatry of the Gentiles and giues vs all cause from our hearts to blesse God that hath rescued our vnderstandings from those fearefull blasphemies and misconceiuings of Pagans and Heretickes vnto the onely acknowledgement of one true God 2. If God be God onely many Christians that beleeue not many Gods in opinion are yet in a fearefull case for setting vp Gods of their owne making they suffer miserable shipwrack by dashing vpon the glory of the one only true God Thus sinne they that make their bellies or their pleasures or their riches their God 3. It should teach vs with all possible reuerence to adore him whom alone all creatures are bound to serue and honour who hath no partner in his supreame soueraignty Psal 86. 9. 10. 4. If God be alone it should teach vs to loue him and trust in him alone seeing it is he onely that claimes this honour and homage from the creature and there is none like him in praises or that can helpe vs in miserie or bring vs to the best good Deut. 6. 4. 5. Marke 12. 29. 30. Esay 37. 16. Deut. 32. 37. 38. 39. 1. Sam. 2. 2. 3. 5. Hence we may be informed that wee neede but one Mediator seeing there is but one God 1. Tim. 2. 5. Lastly the Apostle Ephes 4. 3. 6. concludes from hence that therefore wee should liue in peace one with another and by no meanes breake the Vnity of spirit because wee haue all but one God Hitherto of the doctrine of the Nature of God Of Beleeuing I entreated before onely wee must know that these words I beleeue must be applied vnto each word and Article of the Creed and so we must heere consider what it is in particular to beleeue in God and what euery Christian should meane when he saith I beleeue in God It is to bee noted by the way that he doth not say I beleeue God but in God The ordinary distinction of beleeuing is not impertinent It is one thing to beleeue that God is Credere Deum or to beleeue God Credere Deo and another thing to beleeue in God Credere in Deum for to beleeue in God is first to know God as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his Word and so to conceiue of God according to the former doctrine of his Nature secondly to bee perswaded That that God is my God and thirdly to put all my trust in him and to rest vpon him alone for all happinesse Of the knowledge of Gods Nature before And of the work of faith in beleeuing God to be my God before This beleeuing in God heere exprest vrgeth principally vpon vs the third thing and that is that wee must imploy our faith in a daily relying vpon God and confident affiance and trust in his goodnesse and mercy towards vs. Now there are diuers Reasons profitable for vs to thinke much vpon which may not onely proue the point but frame in vs a spirituall confidence in God Wee may with all safety and confidence rest vpon God alone and his fauour and promises 1. Because he hath bound himselfe by his word and promises to be so good to vs and hath confirmed his promise by oath and by seale 2. Because he is of such power to doe vs good 3. Because he is of so good a Nature and it agrees so well to his disposition to performe his promises 4. Because God is so well pleased with our trust in his mercy Nahum 1. 7. 5. Because God can be so fearefully reuenged vpon our vnbeliefe 6. Because there hath bin such an vninersall experience of Gods care for all that euer trusted in God Who euer trusted vpon GOD and was destroyed or disappointed Is it required of vs that wee should beliue in God then these vses will follow 1. It shewes the difference in the relation of our faith as it lookes vpon men and vpon God Wee beliue men as the Apostle Paul and our Teachers but we doe not belieue in Paul or in our Teachers but in God alone 2. It shewes the follie of wicked men in pursuing the godly as if there were hope that they might driue them to such exigents that there should be no helpe for them for they trust in God and therefore can neuer be driuen beyond all refuge I trust in God saith Dauid how say ye then that I should flie hence as a bird beaten from his rest Psalme 11. 1. 3. It shewes what vse we should make of our insufficiencie to conceiue of God fully when our minds are beaten back from beholding his full glorie yet our faith will catch hold so as to make vs trust in him though we cannot fully comprehend him If we cannot receiue him by contemplation yet we may by belieuing 4. In as much as to belieue in God is the verie entrance into the Creede and the foundation of all the rest It she wes that many that are Christians in name are not indeed true Belieuers because they doe not belieue in God that is they doe not trust in him For it is manifest that these sorts of Christians that follow do not belieue in God 1. Such as liue in Ignorance without the meanes or the gift of the knowledge of God as the Apostle sayth How should they belieue in him of whom they haue not heard Rom. 10. 14. 2. Such as trust in their Wealth Friends Beauty Gifts Skill Strength Reuenewes Hopes or Sinnes The mis-placing of their trust shewes they belieue not in God 3. Such as make no Conscience to vse ill meanes to get out of distresse or to obtain their desires such as are resorting to Wizaâ—ds lying deceit vsurie oppression dissimulation or the like For he that belieueth will not make haste Esa 28. 16. Lastly all godly men should striue so to professe in words as also by their practice to proue it that they do indeed belieue in God and rest vpon him 1. By resting in the praise and
appellation of God 2. By liuing without care and therein being like little Children and this we do when we commit our soules and bodies and liues and children and states and all our waies vnto God 2. Tim. 1. 12. Psal 37. 3. When in Aduersitie wee runne to him for refuge and so make our moane to him that wee rest with patience and good perswasion that God will cause all to worke for the best to vs. It should much trouble vs if in soundnesse of practice we haue not learned this first lesson of belieuing in God Wee should be much displeased with our selues if our hearts be vnquiet and any way vnapt to rest and waite vpon God Psal 42. 12. and we should often beseech the Lord to helpe our vnbeliefe Hitherto of the Nature of God and of beleeuing in God The next thing Faith takes notice of is the Relations in the God-head and so God is the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost for this terme God is to bee applied not onely to the Father which is the next word but to the Sonne and holy Ghost as followeth after in the Creed and therefore wee must reade with a Comma after this word God thus I beleeue in God the Father to reade without a Comma that is Hereticall for if we reade thus I beleeue in God the Father it would sound as if the Creed should say that the Father were God only not leauing the terme God to be carried to the Son and holy Ghost Before then I come to speake of the Father I must entreate of God as he is three Persons both Father Sonne and holy Ghost And this is one of the deepest and dreadfullest Mysteries in all Religion where I must proceed in this order first to proue the Trinity by Scriptures secondly to explicate the doctrine And thirdly to answer certaine obiections might arise in mens mindes about it Because these things about the Trinity are most wonderfull and aboue the reach of the creatures we must seeke testimonies to ground our consciences in the beliefe of them such as may be firme and euident It is a difficult thing to bring the heart of men solidly to assent to such secrets as these as are not onely beyond the sight but aboue the reason of men and the minde may easily vanish into wilde speculations if we be not well grounded with sure Euidence nor can wee haue light from the booke of Nature to informe vs for what any Heathen man hath spoken of an Eternall mind word and spirit they spake by tradition from the Hebrewes and vttered it perhaps in a false and corrupt sense T is the booke of Scripture must only informe our faith herein The proofes for the Trinity are gathered both out of the Old and New Testament and so they either prooue there were more Persons then One or else expresly that there were Three Persons That there are more Persons then One is prooued by the terme ELOHIM which is vttered in the plurall number as if it should sound Gods as Gen. 1. 1. In the beginning Gods or ELOHIM created Heauen and Earth Created is in the singular number to shew the vnitie of the Essence and ELOHIM in the plurall to shewe the Trinitie of the Persons so Gen. 1. 26. Let vs make man in our Likenesse Let vs shewes more Persons and likenes being in the singular number shewes vnitie of Essence And verse 2. besides the Lord there is mentioned the Spirit of the Lord sitting vpon the waters Iosh vlt. 19. Ye cannot serue the Lord because he is ELOHIM sancti holy Gods And Ieremy 10. 10. The Lord is the liuing Gods or ELOHIM and King euerlasting Hos 1. 7. I will saue them in the Lord their God Gen. 19. 24. The Lord reigned from the Lord fire and brimstone Exod. 23. 20. 21. The The Lord sends his Angell whose name is IEHOVAH Dan. 9. 19. Heare oh Lord our God for the Lords sake Psa 110. 1. The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand Ier. 32. 5. 9. 33. 15 16. The Lord shall raise vp a Branch whose name is THE LORD Now that there are three Persons and no more nor fewer is proued by places more obscure or more expresse The Trinitie hath beene obserued in such places as these Esay 6. 3. where the Angells say thrice Holy and so where IEHOVAH is three times repeated Numbers 6. 23. Esay 33. 22. But the most expresse places are in the New Testament A manifest reuelation of the Trinitie was in the Baptisme of Christ The Father speaking from heauen the Sonne standing in the Riuer the Holy Ghost descending like a Doue Matth. 3. 16. 17. and so in the Institution of Baptisme we are to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost And Ioh. 14. 16. 17. I will aske the Father and he shall giue you another Comforter the Spirit of truth and the 1. Ioh. 5. 9. There are three in Heauen the Father the Word and the Spirit And the like euidence is in these places 2. Cor. 13. 13. Tit. 3. 5. 6. Eph. 2. 18. In the Explication of the doctrine of the Trinitie we must be wise to sobriety because it is wholly secret rather to be belieued then to be demonstrated or described It is a doctrine may be apprehended but neuer comprehended no not by the light of grace nor fully and wholly by the light of glorie as being aboue the reach not onely of men but of Angells A mystery to be adored by humble faith and piety not to be searched without curious yea furious temerity For it is so admirable as Reason cannot expresse it and so singular that example cannot declare it to vs for the Images or Similitudes borrowed out of the booke of Nature may rather shew that the doctrine of the Trinitie doth not destroy Nature then giue vs any pattern which can sample out the thing it selfe and besides to erre here is the most dangerous of all errors For as nothing is sought with more difficulty or found with more profit so nothing can bee mistaken with more perill And therefore as a Father sayd well seeing wee cannot finde out what God is wee must take heed that wee thinke not that of him which he is not yet must wee not wholly neglect the doctrine because a necessitie lyes vpon vs to belieue and therefore though men and Angels haue cause to stand and wonder at this secret that God should beget a Sonne and that from that Father and Sonne should proceed that Spirit the Sanctifier yet because God will bee so acknowledged of vs wee must make vse of our faith to belieue what our reason cannot describe to vs. Three things then for our capacities are to be thought vppon The first concernes the Matter of this Mysterie The second the termes by which it is exprest and the third the answere of certaine Obiections might arise in our mindes For the first
39. The iudgements God will bring vpon them cannot be auoided Esay 14. 25. 27. Lastly the consideration of Gods Almightinesse is wonderfull comfortable first to the godly and that many waies for first they neede not feare any wants for they haue a father that is almighty and besides they neede not feare any aduersaries for the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against them Mat. 16. 18. and they shall ouercome all aduersarie power because he is great that is on their side 1 Iohn 5. 4. though they should walke through the valley of the shaddow of death they neede feare no euill Psal 23. 4. and for spirituall enemies they neede not feare because God is able to keepe their soules which they haue committed to him 2 Tim. 1. 12. and we shall be kept by his power to saluation 1 Pet 1. 5. Againe it may be a great comfort to them in prayer because God is able to doe aboue all that they can aske or thinke Ephes 3. 20. 21. and further Gods power may settle them and establish their Faith and Ioy in those great workes of God propounded and promised in his word such as are the forgiuenesse of all sinnes the resurrection of their bodies and eternall life 1 Cor. 6. 14. Moreouer that God their father is Almighty may comfort them in this respect because then by his power they also may doe all things What is it a Christian cannot doe that hath the vse of Gods power Paul can want and he can abound c. by the power of Christ in him Phil. 4. 13. But that these comforts may bee effectuall wee must often pray that GOD would open our eyes to see the exceeding greatnesse of his power to them that belieue Ephes 1. 19. Secondly euen grieuous sinners may conceiue comfortable hope from this doctrine also I meane such as haue liued a long time vnder the power of strong corruptions such as are swearing whoredome drunkennesse and the like and therefore now feare that they can neuer be fit for the Kingdome of God These must remember Pauls argument for the Iewes that had liued so long vnder the power of vnbeliefe viz. God is able to ingraft them in againe Rom. 11. 23. so should they hope that they also may be conuerted and saued because God is able to restore euen them also if they be weary of their sinnes and would be rid of them And therefore they should goe to God as the Leaper did to Christ and say Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Mat. 8. 4. Maker of Heauen and Earth Gen. 1. 1. HItherto of the nature and power of God and the Trinity of persons the workes of God follow The works of God are of two sorts some Internall some externall The Internall workes are either personall or essentiall The personall workes of God internall are such as flow from each person in the Trinity according to the Characteristicall propriety of the person such workes were generation of the Sonne and proceeding of the Holy Ghost The Internall essentiall workes were the decrees of God which hee made in himselfe from all eternity concerning all things in the world especially concerning men and Angels these workes are common to all three persons as flowing from the essence of God Now of these workes the Creed makes no expresse mention because they are strong meat and aboue the capacity of weake Christians The externall workes of God are of foure sorts for they are either the workes of Creation by which hee maketh all things to be or workes of conseruation by which he maintaines the things hee hath made in their being or workes of Reparation by which in Christ he restores what was ruinated by sinne or workes of perfection by which hee brings all things to their appointed end and especially makes the Church fully blessed in a better world The workes of Creation are onely mentioned in this Article The workes of Reparation by Christ and of perfection are handled in the Articles following The workes of Creation are expressed in these words Maker of Heauen and Earth By Heauen and Earth vnderstanding the whole world and all the hosts of creatures that are in it Now concerning the making of the world foure things are to be considered 1 Who made the world 2 How it was made 3 Why it was made 4 When it was made For the first the Creation was a worke of the whole Trinity It is attributed here in the Creed to the Father because the Action of the Father was more manifest and euident as Redemption is attributed to the Sonne and Sanctification to the Holy Ghost But yet it is euident by diuers Scriptures that each Person did worke about the Creation for of the Father there is no question and of the Sonne it is expresly affirmed Colos 1. 16. Iohn 1. 3. Heb. 1. 3. and of the Holy Ghost sitting and mouing vpon the first water we reade Gen. 1. 2. For the second God created all things 1 According to the Counsell of his owne will Ephes 1. 11. which hath diuers things in it for thereby is affirmed that he made all things 1 Most freely without compulsion or instigation from any other 2 According to the Idaea of all things in his owne minde for as the Carpenter first conceiues the frame in his head and then builds according to that Idaea in his minde so did God build the world according to the eternall patterne which was in Gods minde 3 According to his owne Decree there was nothing created which was not decreed and nothing decreed to bee which was not created according to the Decree 4 Most aduisedly hauing from all eternity consulted determined and foreseene all was to be made Secondly with a word only he had none to helpe him nor needed tooles or instruments as men doe to effect their workes Gen. 1. Psal 33. 9. Thirdly without labour or wearinesse Esay 40. 28. Fourthly of Nothing men cannot build without Materialls but God made the world of Nothing in respect of the first matter of all things Heb. 11. 3. for he made not the world of his owne essence nor of any other preexisting matter for though it be a saying that of nothing nothing can be made yet that is true in respect of vs not in respect of God and in respect of the order of Nature now not in respect of the beginning of Nature in the Creation And though it be true that some creatures were made of preexisting matter as mans body was made of the dust of the earth yet that preexisting matter was created of nothing Fifthly all good all things at first were made good not in appearance but in deed not in mans iudgement who might bee deceiued but in Gods he saw that all was good and so all creatures were good in respect of excellence distinction numbeâ— fashion and freedome from defects of faculties or power belonging to each creature in his kinde Sixtly not all on a sudden and at once but
He is horriblie infected with actuall sinnes In his minde hee may obserue a world of wickednesse swarmes of vile thoughts the frame of his Imaginations being onely euill continually Gen. 8. His heart is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things Ier. 17 9. Oh what strong lusts and passions are found in a mans heart from time to time how doth the diuell draw men along secretly as the fish is drawne with the baite and that with strange preuailings what worlds of wickednesse haue passed through the tongues of men Iames 3. and in their workes how fearefully doth man sinne in all he doth his workes are all abhominable Psal 14. for besides that he corrupts himselfe in his best actions he is guilty of diuers distinct sinnes and sometimes these very grosse and abominable who can stand neere it to thinke of it 1 How many sinnes of other men he is guilty of which he occasioned by his euill example euill counsell or consent c. 2 How innumerable his owne sinnes are of omission and commission of ignorance of knowledge in his infancy or riper age at home or abroad in his prosperity or aduersity against God other men or himselfe Psal 40. 2. Againe a mans estate by nature hath wonderfull neede of mending and alteration if we consider the misery to which it is exposed in respect of punishment for wee haue all lost Paradise 2. And all the creatures about vs are worse then they were at first for our sakes Rom. 8. 20. 3. God is horribly wroth with all of vs Ioh. 3. 36. 4. The glory of our vnderstandings is lost we are very beasts and haue not the vnderstandings of men in vs Prou. 30. 2. 5. The Deuill doth in a manner what he will with vs Ephes 2. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 26. 6. Our selues are senselesse and dead Ephes 2. 1. The life of God is a most strange thing to vs Ephes 4. 18. 7. Armies and changes of sorrowes assault vs in our bodies and estates Deut. 28. 8. Good things are restrained from vs euen blessings of all sorts Ierem. 5. 25. 9. And the good things we haue they doe not prosper with vs or they doe vs hurt Mal. 2. 2. Ier. 12. 13. 10. Horrible feares either of death or shame or judgement of men or God doe many times cruelly torment vs Esay 33. 14 65. 13 14. Heb. 2. 15. Besides all that which wee are in danger of for strange punishments may be to the workers of iniquity in this life Iob 31. 3. and we may dye miserably and who can recount the terror of the last Iudgement and the violent fire may deuoure vs in Hell for euer Heb. 10 27. Mat. 25. 41. Thus of our need of a Redeemer For the second point man becomes capable of happinesse by the Redeemer by vertue of a new Couenant which God tenders vnto man by the Redeemer The first Couenant was a Couenant of workes where perfect happinesse was promised to man vpon condition of perfect obedience to the Law to be performed by man in his owne person This condition man being fallen through his owne default was impossible to be performed and so the couenant being broken all mankinde was vndone for euer Now God is pleased to alter the first agreement and to offer new Articles in this Couenant of grace by which man might recouer out of the aforesaid misery and be saued Now concerning this new agreement we are to consider 1 Who procured it 2 Vpon what termes he obtained it 3 What he hath done to establish it 4 What good comes to vs by it 5 What cause we haue to bee wonderfully affected and comforted by it For the first this agreement and new Couenant was obtained from God only by the Mediatour who alone was Iesus Christ 1 Tim. 2. 5. The Sonne of God became a sutor for the sonnes of men and obtained of God these new Articles with Gods infinite good liking through his abundant mercy to man Mat. 3. For the second God yeelds to his motion for a new Couenant vpon two conditions The one that he should pay all mens debts and so make satisfaction to the Iustice of God Esay 53. 6. 1 Tim. 2. 6. The other was that hee should performe such an absolute obedience and righteousnesse as might serue to iustifie the vngodly 2 Cor. 5. 21. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Rom. 5. 18 19. Ier. 23. 6. For the third what Christ hath done to establish all this is reported in these Articles of the Creed conteined in the middle part of it describing both his Incarnation and Humiliation and Glorification For the fourth the good that wee shall haue by this new Couenant is reported in the last Articles of the Creed Holinesse Communion of Saints forgiuenesse of sinnes resurrection of the body and euerlasting life Now we ought greatly to reioyce in this new Couenant 1 Because it was vtterly impossible for vs to bee any way happy or escape eternall damnation if we had continued still vnder the old Couenant Gal. 3. 13. 2 Because this is a grace vouchsafed to the nature of man only for the Angels are lost and for euer forsaken and haue no grace offered to them 3 Because it is a grace vouchsafed only to certaine men chosen of God out of the whole heape and giuen to Christ to be deliuered and saued by him 4 Because if a man beleeue aright in Iesus Christ he shall be accounted as righteous as if he had perfectly fulfilled the whole Law Rom. 10. 5 Because this Couenant is euerlasting and vnchangeable there is no forfeiture Esay 54. 10. God hath sworne to keepe this Couenant for euer Heb. 6. 18. 6 Because God hath bound himselfe to put his Spirit into vs to make vs keepe the Couenant on our parts Ezech. 36. 27. Thus then we see how it comes to passe that these Articles are put into our Creed which had not beene if wee could haue beene saued by the first Couenant Now it remaines that in the third place we consider of the manner how we must beleeue these Articles concerning Iesus Christ where by the way we may obserue one point that is not vnprofitable viz. that to belieue aright in Christ is not a worke of nature nor a thing that the naturall man in himselfe is disposed to and that may appeare diuers wayes for first those things about Iesus Christ are Articles of the Christian Faith which they had not beene if they had beene such things as the naturall man did know or was disposed to seeke after 2. The light of Nature hath no principles at all concerning Christ or that way of redemption by him 3. Our Sauiour hath made it manifest that the world is so farre from beleeuing that it doth naturally hate such as doe beleeue aright 4. Because there are many things in the Doctrine of our Redemption which are scandals to hearts of the wicked Christ is a very Rocke of offence 1 Pet. 2. 8. We finde by experience that the
naturall heart of man is extremely dull and carelesse of these Doctrines aboue all others 6. This is the condemnation of the world that they do not beleeue in Christ Iesus Ioh. 3. 18. Lastly it is euidently affirmed that faith in Christ is the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. Now this point is fit to be obserued partly to discouer the estates of multitudes of men that speake faire words of Iesus Christ when yet by nature it is certaine they loue not the Lord Iesus nor take any sound course to belieue in him and partly to awaken such as are desirous to get into the Kingdome of God that they may not trust to their naturall hearts or disposition but rather in a godly iealousie of the deceitfulnesse of their owne hearts to vse all diligence by resisting the sluggishnesse and cauils and deuices of their owne hearts by the power of God in his ordinances to striue to make their faith sure and fully established and thus much for this point The way how these Articles are to be receiued is by beleeuing in Iesus Christ for from the first part of the Creed we must borrow these words I beleeue and apply them to these Articles thus I beleeue in Iesus Christ c. That from the coherence and maine drift of all these Articles we must in generall take notice of this point That as wee beleeue in God so we must belieue in Iesus Christ marke it we must not only beleeue him or beleeue these Articles but wee must beleeue in him This is the Commandement of God himselfe that we should doe so 1 Ioh. 3. 23. and thus our Sauiour himselfe requires it that as wee beleeue in God so wee should beleeue in him also Ioh. 14. 1. Yea this is the substance of all that worke that God requires of a Christian in the new Testament this is to worke the worke of God euen to belieue in him whom he hath sent Ioh. 6. 29. for first the Father and the Sonne are one and therefore we must honour the Sonne with the same honour we giue the Father Ioh. 10. 30 5. 23. Secondly the foundation of all our happinesse since the fall lyeth vpon this he is our surety there being none that would vndertake for vs but he and it is he onely that makes both satisfaction and intercession for vs and takes the charge of vs and therefore we must rely vpon him Now for the explication of this point that we may know what this beleeuing in Christ hath in it I must consider of it two wayes First by shewing what beleeuing in Christ hath not or what that Faith doth reiect as vtterly opposite or repugnant to it Secondly what it hath in it distinctly both for the matter of beleeuing and the manner of beleeuing For the first the right beleeuing in Iesus doth cast out 1 All respects of false Christs Mat. 24. 2 All spirits of error and doctrine contrary to Christ 1 Ioh. 4. 1 2. For his sheepe doe heare his voice with knowledge of it from all others Ioh. 10. 3 The marke or signe of respect of affection to or dependance vpon Antichrist that beast Reuel 15. 2. and all communion with the seruants of the man of sinne 4 All trust vpon our owne merits and Iustification by the workers of the Law Gal. 2. 16. 5 All former euill courses of life for the Redeemer comes to none but such as turne from transgression in Iacob Esay 59. 20. and therefore repenting is annexed to beleeuing in the Gospell 6 The loue of and trust in earthly things for this faith makes vs account all the glory of the world but as drosse and dunge in comparison of Christ and his righteousnesse till we can forsake the world wee neuer soundly seeke Iesus Phil. 2. 8. For the second beleeuing in Iesus hath in it foure things 1 Perswasion or assent to these glorious truths that concerne Iesus and mans saluation in him as in particular 1 That hee came forth from GOD with commission to deale in this worke of the redemption of man Iohn 16. 30. 2 That he came in the flesh 1 Ioh. 4. 2. 5. 1. 3 That he is the very sonne of God Mat. 16. 1 Ioh. 5. 5. Ioh. 9. 35 36 38. Act. 8. 4 That he hath power enough to helpe vs Mat. 9. 28. 5 That there is no other name by which wee can bee saued Act. 4. 12. 6 That all the promises of God shall be fulfilled in him this is beleeuing the Gospell 1 Ioh. 5. 10. Thus of perswasion 2 It hath in it estimation of Christ as that that onely can be precious for vs 1 Pet. 2. 7. 3 It hath in it a relying vpon Christ for our Iustification Phil. 3. 8 9. and for our saluation Acts 4. 12. Eph. 2. 8. and for our preseruation in the meane time liuing by the faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2. 20. and so there is a spirituall kind of confidence in the ordinances of Christ as they are his Commandements and as hee worketh in them by his power 1 Ioh. â— 23. 4 Yet further to beleeue in Christ is to haue Christ to receiue him into our soules thus the phrase of receiuing him of his liuing in vs of our hauing of the Sonne is vsed in diuers Scriptures Iohn 1. 12. Gal. 2. 20. 1 Iohn 5. 12. and thus for the matter of beleeuing Now for the fuller vnderstanding of this Doctrine of beleeuing in Christ it is necessary to consider of the manner how we must beleeue for 1 We must confesse the Lord Iesus with our mouthes wee must externally profesâ—e the Religion and seruice and Faith of Iesus we must outwardly testifie our Faith and not deny him before men this is one thing in the beleeuing mentioned in the Creed 2 That outward confession is not enough we must beleeue from our hearts and with our hearts Rom. 10. 10. 3 We must beleeue in our owne particular I beleeue and what we beleeue we must apply it to our selues that Christ was incarnate suffered and glorified for me in particular 4 We must beleeue in him and loue him though wee neuer yet saw him 1 Pet. 1. 9. 5 We must resolue to sticke to our beleeuing though wee suffer for it Phil. 1. 28 29. 6 We must perseuere in the Faith there must bee no time wherein the Christian may not say I doe beleeue in Iesus 7 This Faith must be layed vp in a pure conscience we must euer after we beleeue in Christ Iesus make conscience of all purity and sincerity of heart and life 1 Tim. 3. 9. Since all our happinesse lieth in this skill of beleeuing in Iesus wee must vse all meanes that wee may attaine to this faith that when the Sonne of man comes he may not finde vs without faith Now that we may attaine to this faith that is able to saue vs and by which only we can haue the benefit of this new Couenant wee must conscionably practise diuers
rules which I will briefly put you in minde of 1 We must confesse our vnbeliefe and pray God to giue vs this Faith for Faith is the gift of God It is one step to beleeuing to see that we doe not beleeue 2 Seeing Faith comes by hearing the Word preached Rom. 10. 14. We must attend vpon that ordinance of God and waite for the comming downe of the Holy Ghost 3 We must striue in hearing with all our might to apply the things we heare as they may any way fit our case for in application is the very doore of Faith and that work especially by which we receiue Christ and the promises of grace 4 Wee must continually study the motiues to beleeuing for there are diuers things which being seriously thought on may raise vp a wonderfull desire of Faith and resolution to seeke it and striue for it with which desire if it be sincere and constant Faith vsually comes into the soule Now there are many things should fire vs to this desire of faith in Iesus 1 That it is the worke of God Ioh. â— 29 It is that aboue all things is required of a Christian that one thing necessary the summe and substance of our worke as wee are Christians yea that very thing that makes vs Christians for till we beleeue in Iesus we may be Christians in shew and in other mens accounts but we are not so indeed till we be in Christ which we cannot be but by beleeuing 2 That it is a thing that God aboue all things desires of vs which may appeare many waies 1. Because he commands vs to beleeue 1 Ioh. 3. 23. 2. Because he sends his Ambassadors to vs to inuite vs yea beseech vs in his name to beleeue to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 3. Because he binds himfelfe by Couenant to receiue vs if we beleeue Ioh. 3. 16. yea confirmes his Couenant not only by seales but by oath Heb. 6. 4. Because in the office of the Couenant God excepts against no man but he ought to thinke that all this grace is offered to him if he will receiue it and therfore he saith whosoeuer beleeueth and in another place chargeth his Embassadors to declare so much to euery creature Marke 16. 3. It is horrible dangerous for a man to liue without this Faith in Iesus for without it it is impossible to please God Heb 11. 6. and besides such as haue the meanes and are thus often called vpon may at length prouoke God so far as that he will deliuer them vp to a Spirit of slumber so as they cannot be able to beleeue but be left to that curse mentioned Iohn 12. 39. 40. to haue their eyes blinded and their hearts hardened that they should not see nor vnderstand any more but aboue all things it should fright men that God hath resolued they shall be damned that beleeue not in Iesus yea though they be worlds of men Mat. 16. Ioh. 3. vlt. 4. If we consider the wonderfull benefits we haue by beleeuing in Iesus Christ for he that beleeueth on him need neuer be ashamed of his condition Rom. 10. 11. for 1. We get presently out of darkenesse assoone as wee so beleeue Christ comes as a light into our hearts Iohn 12. 44. 46. 2. Though we may haue many troubles in the world yet in him we shall haue peace Iohn 16. 33. 3. Woe shall be to them that wrong vs and offend vs It were better a Mill-stone were hanged about their necks and they cast into the sea Mat. 18. 4. All our sinnes are forgiuen vs assoone as we beleeue in his name Acts 10. 48. Rom. 3. 25. 5. We thereby become all one with God the Father and Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost we are made one with the Trinity after a heauenly manner this is a dreadfull Mysterie Ioh. 17. 20. 21. for as Christ is one with the Father so are we one with Christ and so in him with the father as is explained in the same Chapter verse 22 23. 6. We may get as much of all sorts of blessings as our Faith can aske in his Name for the Father will denie vs nothing Iohn 16. 23. 24. 26. 27. It is the shame of beleeuers that they haue not tryed his promise they haue asked in a manner nothing of God all this while 7. Christ will be made maruellous in al them that beleeue at the day of Iudgement then shall our Faith be found vnto praise and honour and glory in that day of the Reuelation of Iesus Christ 2. Thes 1. 10. 1. Pet. 1. 7. 8. Wee shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Wee shall be as sure of it as if wee had it already Iohn 3. 16. 36. 6. 40. 47. Christ auoucheth it with an Asseueration wee shall not misse of it Thus much may suffice for this point of beleeuing in Christ if any be desirous to know whether they doe beleeue or not let them seriously examine themselues by the doctrine of the nature of Faith in Iesus before handled Onely I thought good to tell certaine of you that frequent this assemblie that you are not beleeuers in Iesus all your shewes notwithstanding In speciall I meane it of those of you that wilfully persist in your offensiue and strange apparell and fashioning your selues after this world I proue by two Arguments among many you are not true beleeuers first because you receiue honour one from another and seeke not the honour that comes from God Your continuall care is to feede your humour of greatnesse and to be accepted of the great ones and braue ones and vaine ones of the Cittie or Countrey Our Sauiour himselfe askes you how you can beleeue yea he determines it of such as so affect the honour of men that they cannot beleeue in him Ioh. 5. 44. secondly you will be reiected at the day of Iudgement as no beleeuers because our testimonie was not receiued ye are wiser then any seuen of vs that giue you reasons against your vaine attire you receiue the Testimonie of vaine men against our doctrine though you haue bin often and generally reproued in our doctrine though you haue bin often and generally reproued in our publique Ministeries in the presence of God yet by following your foolish vanities you still forsake your owne mercie 2. Thes 1. 10. Now I come to the particular opening of these Articles where first we are to consider of the Titles giuen to our Sauiour which are foure Iesus Christ the Sonne of God and our Lord. The first Title is his proper name the second and last expresse his Office and the third expresseth his Nature The Titles are both simple and Relatiue simple Titles are Iesus and Christ which shew what he is in himselfe the other two are Relatiue for in Relation to God hee is his onely begotten Sonne and in Relation to vs he is our Lord but this diuision must not bee too much pressed for it is not very exact though vsed
naturall condition to a glorious fruition of the name of God and therefore in the Originall the Preposition rendered in hath the force of into as well as in Baptise them into the name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost 4. Words of consolation and so he comforts them by two arguments the one taken from the successe of their doctrine and the other from his own perpetuall presence with them The argument from the successe of their doctrine is recorded by Saint Marke and that is two-fold the one ordinary the other extraordinary The ordinary successe is either in the good or in the bad In the good so many as will beleeue and are baptised and will obserue all that Christ commands them which is to be supplied out of Saint Matthew they shall be as certainly saued in heauen as they are taught on earth And contrariwise such as will not beleeue and receiue their doctrine Christ wil reuenge it vpon them with the damnation of their soules nor shall their Baptisme helpe them if they will not beleeue and obey Mark 16. 16. The extraordinary successe should be in the signes should follow such as beleeue which are reckoned Mar. 16. 17 18. and these are attributed to all beleeuers though they were to be done but by some only because the end of those miracles was to glorifie the doctrine beleeued on by all Nor did these signes last vnto all times but onely in the first times of the Church for the more effectual confirmation of that doctrine which could not be demonstrated by naturall arguments Nor did euery beleeuer that shewed some of them shew all of them some spake with new tongues that yet could not heale the sicke for there were diuersities of gifts and operations and yet all from one Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 4 5. The second argument of consolation is taken from his perpetuall presence with them to the end of the world which must be vnderstood of his spirituall presence and must be extended to all the godly especially Ministers seeing the Apostles could not liue themselues to the end of the world Thus of the third Apparition after the day of the Resurrection We reade of the appearing of our Sauiour at three other times besides these as to more than fiue hundred brethren together 1 Cor. 15. 6. and to Iames the Apostle alone 1 Cor. 15. 6. And then lastly vpon the day of his Ascension he appeared to the Apostles on Mount Oliuet not far from Bethania Act. 1. 12. Of these three I haue nothing to say for concerning two of them we reade nothing in Scripture but the bare mention of them and for the last it belongs to the Article of his Ascension And thus of the Apparitions of Christ after his Resurrection The last part of my Diuision that concernes the Resurrection is about the fruit of the Resurrection or the good that comes to vs by our Sauiours rising from the dead and so 1. The Resurrection of our Sauiour serues exceedingly to confirme our faith and to assure vs that he was the Sonne of God Rom. 1. 4. and the promised Messias that could thus miraculously raise himselfe from the dead Ioh. 10. 17 18. and 2. 19. to 23. Matth. 12. 39 40. 2. The Resurrection of Christ assures vs of our Iustification from our sinnes Rom. 4. 25. The Father by deliuering Christ to death did actually condemne our sinnes in his flesh as our surety Rom. 8. 3. So by letting him out of the prison of the graue in his Resurrection he did actually absolue and acquit him from the obligation in which he was bound and so in discharging him doth acknowledge payment and satisfaction and so we are discharged too If he had not risen we had been still in our sinnes 1 Cor. 15. 17 18. Rom. 8. 34. Phil. 3. 8 9 10. 3. The Resurrection of Christ is the cause of a two-fold resurrection in vs. The first Resurrection is of the soule from the death of sinne to the life of grace Eph. 2. 4 5. Col. 2. 12 13. Rom. 6. 4 5. and this flowes from his Resurrection The second is of the body out of the graue which is to be accomplished at the last Iudgement of which the Resurrection of Christ is both the cause and the pledge 1 Cor 15. 20 21 22. Rom. 8. 11. 1 Thess 4. 14. And a taste of this Christ gaue in the resurrection of diuers Saints that appeared to many in Ierusalem immediately vpon his Resurrection Matth. 27. 52 53. 4. The Resurrection of Christ begets in vs a liuely hope of a most glorious inheritance in heauen As the Apostle shewes 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. and Rom. 5. 10. where we shall for euer triumph with him in the victory ouer Death and the Graue and Hell Hosea 13. 14. 1 Cor. 15. 54 c. 5. It warrants and effects our persâ—uerance in life for he rose to life to die no more neither in himselfe nor in the spirituall life of his members as the Apostle reasons Rom. 6. 9 10. Now the reason of all this is because Christ sustained our person and rose againe as well as died in our stead He died and rose againe as a publike person and a root of a new mankinde and besides the same Spirit that raised Iesus Christ from the dead is in vs to worke all those things intended by his Resurrection Rom. 8. 11. The vse of this Article may be diuers 1. By way of Information and so it proues the Diuinitie of Christ the Apostle sayes he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God by the Resurrection from the dead He that could ouercome so great Enemies as Sin Death the Graue and Hell and had power of himselfe to take vp his life must needs be God and so Saint Paul applies the words of the second Psalme Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee to the Resurrection of Christ which is true in respect of the manifestation of his Diuinitie Rom. 1. 4. Act. 13. 33. 2. By way of Instruction and so first Saint Paul 2 Tim. 2. 8. chargeth vs in a speciall manner to remember this Article and to lay fast hold vpon it for Iewes and Pagans can beleeue that Iesus died but a Christian must goe further to beleeue that he was raised from the dead Secondly wee should learne from Christs Resurrection to rise to newnesse of life A Christian should be ashamed to lye dead in the graues of sinne when his Sauiour is risen from the dead Nay if we be ingrafted into Christ aright wee are risen with him and are aliue from the dead and shew it by a spirituall liuelinesse in all parts of a renewed conuersation and therefore if thou wouldest haue comfort that thou art a true Christian thou must shew it by liuing in a new conuersation and by awaking from spirituall slumbring and securitie and standing vp from the dead Eph. 5. 14. If there be life in the Head there is life in all the
Humane Nature And whereas the Saints and Apostles are said to iudge the world Luk. 22. 30. 1 Cor. 6. it must be vnderstood thus That they iudge as members vnto that head who is Iudge Secondly as the Iudgement shall be performed before Christ and the company of the Elect Ioel 3. 2. Thirdly as they shall be Assessors and giue consent to the Iudgement being aduanced to the honour to sit as Iustices of the Peace on the Bench by the Iudge Fourthly the Apostles shall iudge because their doctrine which they haue preached shall be confirmed and auouched by the sentence of the Iudge So the word that men heare now shall iudge them at the last day Iohn 5. Fifthly the godly shall iudge the wicked because the example of their faith and repentance shall be alledged as a furtherance of the condemnation of the wicked Thus the Queene of the South and the Niniuites shall rise vp in Iudgement and condemne that generation Christ speaks of Luk. 11. 31. So that the point is cleare that Christ shall be Iudge The Vse is first for great comfort to the godly to free them from the terror of that day they need not bee afraid of the Iudge nor any hard sentence he will pronounce vpon them seeing the Iudge is their owne brother yea their owne flesh as their head it was he that was iudged for them on earth and redeemed them with his owne bloud he that hath continually made intercession for them in heauen that they might be deliuered from the wrath of God Yea he hath promised them that they shall speed well in that day Hebr. 2. 11. Eph. 5. 30. Ioh. 3. 36. and 5. 24. Secondly it is a terrible doctrine for all wicked men because this is a Iudge that cannot be corrupted but will iudge in righteousnesse as there is none higher than he to make appeale to and because also he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that knowes the heart and finally because it is he whom they haue reiected and would not let him rule ouer them but haue many waies vilified him and rebelled against him and his ordinances and persecuted him in his members Reuel 1. 7 8. The third question is whence Christ shall come when he comes to Iudgement And that is briefly exprest in the words of the Article He shall come from thence that is from Heauen where he sits at the right hand of God The reason why he comes out of Heauen to execute Iudgement is because Heauen is so pure a place as it is not fit for impure men and deuils so much as to make their appearance there And this point is not without Vse For first hereby we may clearly bee confirmed in the truth of Christs humanitie against the Vbiquitaries that say his bodie is euery where seeing he comes in his bodie out of Heauen at the last day And besides it may teach vs to send our hearts to Heauen to meet Christ and till he come from thence to looke for him Phil. 3. 20. The fourth question is about the time when the day of Iudgement shall be Now about the answer to this question there haue beene many opinions and the most of them strange and false 1. Some haue thought it should neuer be and such were those mockers mentioned 2 Pet. 3. whose argument to proue their damned opinion was twofold First that the first Fathers in the first ages of the world were dead many ages since and if there should haue beene a Iudgement it is likely it would haue beene before this time Secondly that all men see by experience that all things continued without alteration since the Creation and therefore why should men feare any alteration for the time to come To all this the Apostle answers first concerning the persons of these mockers that they are men that follow their lusts vers 3. or that they are willingly ignorant v. 5. and then concerning their reasons he saith against them three things The one that this world was made at the beginning by God both the vpper and nether world and therefore it may haue an end v. 5. The other that it is false that there haue been no alterations for the whole nether world was drowned by water which may assure men that God hates sinne and will generally iudge men for it vers 6. The third is that the continuance of the world for so many ages ought to bee no argument to proue that it is vnalterable for a thousand yeares with God are but as one day it is a small time that the world hath lasted in comparison of Gods eternitie and besides God hath vrgent reason for his so long patience in deferring the last iudgement vers 8 9. 2. Some others in the Apostles time taught that the resurrection and so by consequent the day of Iudgement was past already of this minde was Himenaeus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2. It is probable that they held there was no other resurrection than that which is of the soule spiritually rising out of sinne nor any other Iudgement than that which men passe through in repentance 3. A third sort of men that did hold a true resurrection of the bodie and a generall Iudgement of all the world did affirme before the Apostles were yet dead that the Iudgement would come vpon the world within a short time after euen in the age of them that then liued 2 Thess 2. 1 2 3. Now these false teachers are both described and confuted by the Apostle described both by the effect of their corrupt doctrine viz. that it would draw men away from their minds both for the present by making them lesse carefull of their callings and for the time to come when they should see that that day did not come as was foretold they might then grow either impatient vnder their crosse or else to fall away from religion beleeuing nothing because that they haue beleeued in this point did not come to passe and described they were by the manner of confirming their doctrine For they pretended first the Spirit that they had reuelations from the Spirit within Secondly the word that is either some speciall arguments of their owne or some words which the Apostles had vttered Thirdly Epistles either wresting the words of the Epistles of the Apostles as that 1 Thess 4. 7. or else counterfeiting Epistles and saying they were written by the Apostles The Apostle confutes them by shewing that the kingdome of Antichrist must come before the day of Iudgement The fourth sort of men are such as assigne the time of the comming of Christ to be further off from the age of the Apostles and offend in extreme curiositie in assigning the yeare or age when it should be and so mens wits haue beene ill imployed in all ages Saint Augustiae tells that in his time diuers computations were made of the end of the world and Christs comming Some said it would be 400. yeares after his Ascension some 500. yeares some
9. That when he doth come it will be so suddenly as thou shalt not haue time to make thy selfe ready or to mend thy course Matth. 25. 6 10 11 12. 1 Thess 5. 2 3. Matth. 24. 39. 10. That God will be Iudge himselfe 11. That it will be a finall sentence there can be no reuocation or appeale 12. That Gods proceedings in his iustice will be then all cleared they shall haue nothing to obiect and his iustice will the more appeare both by the equity of his dealing They haue had their dayes of sinning and therefore reason he should haue his day of Iudging and by the consideration of his patience that hath deferred this last iudgement for such a wonderfull while and besides God will then discouer a world of offences in euery wicked man that are not now knowne to others and finally God will then open the secrets of his counsell and bring forth exquisite reasons for his decrees and prouidence and iudgement which are now like a great deepe to vs. Lastly it must needs be most terrible to them if their hearts can apprehend now the horror of their summons by the sound of the last Trumpe and their publike shame before all the world and especially their eternall separation from God and all good things and that infinite torment they must for euer be in with the Deuill and his angels But yet vnto them this doctrine hath another vse that is more comfortable and that is that God yet giues them warning to repent and if the Terror of this day can now make them to repent their soules shall be saued in that day Act. 17. 31. else they are most wofully vndone for euer And on the other side it may be a doctrine of wonderf u confort to all the godly and the rather if they consider 1. That they haue iudged themselues already and therefore haue Gods promise they shall not be condemned at that day 1 Cor. 11. 31 32. 2. That God hath iudged them already they haue indured their paine already in this world God will account the afflictions of this life sufficient vnto them 1 Pet. 4 17. 3. That they are alreadie perfectly iustified and absolued from all their sins Rom. 3. 24 25. and 8. 33. 4. That they haue Christ to be their Iudge for there are many comforts in that point They need not be afraid of his sentence because hee hath beene their aduocate all this while and hath pleaded for them at the barre of Iustice 1 Ioh. 2. 1 2. and he is their brother their husband their head and all things else in relation which imports dearenesse Reade but the Booke of Canticles and consider whether he that giues such wonderfull louing and familiar termes of affection to his Church can euer be brought to pronounce a terrible sentence vpon her And besides hath he not in Scripture left many promises that assure vs of our happinesse at that day And further who can reade the story of the Passion of Christ and thinke that he will euer speake terrible things to them for whom he suffered so grieuous things on earth Was he not himselfe iudged for them on earth that they might be absolued from heauen Lastly he hath left vs the seale of the Spirit of promise euen his owne Spirit in our hearts as an earnest of our most glorious and finall Redemption at that day and besides that priuie seale of his Spirit how often hath hee set to his broad seale in the Sacraments from time to time And therefore they may be all assured that there Christ will be made maruellous in that day in all them that beleeue to their euerlasting honour and praise and glory Thirdly the doctrine of the last Iudgement should serue also for instruction and so 1. It should strike a constant feare of God into our hearts and of his dreadfull iustice and maiestie Reuel 14. 7. 2. It should make vs very patient vnder any wrongs or oppressions of the wicked men of the world especially when men suffer trouble for Christs sake and the Gospels for we shall be sure to see a perfect recompence vpon our aduersaries at that day if they repent not 2 Thess 1. 5 6 7. Iam. 5. 6 7. Phil. 4. 5. 3. It should teach euery Christian to be temperate and reserued in the case of censure and iudging of others 1 Cor. 4. 5. and 5. 12. Rom. 14. 10 11 12. But especially it should maruellously fire the hearts of Gods children to all possible care and conscience to expresse all manner of holinesse and good works in all parts of their conuersation and to auoid all things that may offend Tit. 2. 12 13. 2 Pet. 3. 11 14. 1 Cor. 15. 5 8. The eighth Article I beleeue in the Holy Ghost 1 IOHN 5. 7. For there are three which beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one HItherto of the Articles of the Creed that concerne the Father and the Son Now followeth the Article that concernes the third Person in the Trinity in those words I beleeue in the Holy Ghost Ghost is an old English word and signifieth Spirit and this Title of the Holy Spirit is giuen to the third Person in Trinity in a speciall manner The word Spirit by way of cause and the word Holy by way of effect He is a spirit not only in nature so the Father and Son are a Spirit but because hee proceeds from the Father and the Son by way of spiration or breathing on the other side he is called holy not only in respect of Nature for so Father and some are holy but by effect because hee makes the Church holy Now to beleeue in the holy Ghost is not only to beleeue that there is a holy Ghost but to relie vpon him for sanctification and saluation and all happinesse to beleeue the holy Ghost to say true when he speaketh or to beleeue what is written of him will not serue turne vnlesse wee beleeue in him The reason why there is but one Article about the Holy Ghost is because the doctrine concerning him hath not beene so much opposed as the doctrine concerning Christ or the Father vnlesse wee take in the Articles that follow and place them vnder this head of the Holy Ghost which may be done thus The third part of the Creed concernes the Holy Ghost and his speciall operation which is sanctification which is declared partly by the obiect which is the Church and partly by the effect which is communion of Saints which communion is enioyed in three things viz. Forgiuenesse of sinnes Resurrection of the body and life euerlasting Before I come to open the full meaning of the words of this Article I obserue from the generall consideration of them with the coherence these things 1. That the Holy Ghost is God as well as the Father and the Sonne because we must beleeue in him as well as in the Father and the Sonne which
things of knowledge may be attained by the force of mans owne wit and industry faith is grounded vpon the truth and power of God besides and aboue the strength of nature and the iudgement of the whole world Knowledge is grounded vpon naturall causes and principles to omit other differences Sixtly nor must that perswasion which ariseth from experience and the fulfilling of things be taken for true faith because faith laies hold vpon things before the euent also Heb. 11. 1. Nor lastly is faith and hope all one for faith sees Christ exhibited and present in the Word and Sacrament Hope lookes for him to be reuealed from Heauen Faith beleeues what God hath promised and Hope waites for performance faith is assured of eternall life and Hope expects it to be reuealed Faith is the foundation of Hope and Hope is the nurse of faith Thus he must cast out things that are onely like vnto faith but are not faith 3. When he hath thus cast out the contraries of faith and findes himselfe free from them and withall hath prouided that he is not deceiued with the things that haue a likenesse vnto faith and are not he must then in the third place looke to it that he take not a wrong faith for the right faith for there be many kindes of faith and one onely that is the faith that will iustifie vs before God and so the right faith is not 1. That politicall faith which is a vertue imployed about humane contracts and societies to beleeue aright is more then to bee faithfull in promises or to bee trustie in imployments or to bee iust in our dealings or to keepe our words to men 2. Among the faithes that are found onely in the Church it is not the Symbolicall faith that hath nothing in it but an outward auouching or professing of the true Religion 3. Nor is it contained in that faith called Historicall which hath nothing but the vnderstanding and assent vnto the word that it is true but wants application and life 4. Nor is it that temporary faith of which was intreated before but is such a beliefe as containes in it all the six things before mentioned 5. Nor is it that faith they call a Morall faith by which a man beleeues out of charity that other men are Gods Elect and true Christians Lastly when he hath freed his heart from the mistakings may arise from any of the former hee must then trie himselfe by the direct signes of a compleate and effectuall faith and these things which essentially belong to the true beleeuer and so a man may haue comfort that hee is a true beleeuer 1. If he can shew the warrant of his faith from the Testimonie of Gods Word in the Scriptures A man may then comfort himselfe that he is not deceiued in his faith when hee is able to proue these doctrines of faith by the euidence of Gods Word Acts 17. 10. 11. 2. If hee beleeue these Truthes also with Application to himselfe 3. If hee finde his heart so established that hee can resolue to suffer for his faith and can abide the Tryall of reproaches losses or any Persecution from the world and this hee can indure simply for the loue of God and the truth and not for carnall or corrupt ends Phil. 1. 2â— 4. If he finde in his heart and life the liuely fruites and effects of faith such as are 1. Solid and true ioy and comfort The true beleeuer carrieth his heauen about him when hee carrieth his Creed in his heart These doctrines are as a daily spring of reioycing vpon all occasions and these ioyes are glorious and vnspeakeable 1 Pet. 1. â— Phil. 1. 25. It is otherwise with the hypocrite and vnbeleeuer for he through vnbeliefe carrieth his hell about him And for want of this Sun-shine of comfort is daily and secretly afrighted and disquieted in himselfe Yea these very doctrines of faith many times torment his soule 2. A combat with the vnregenerate parte If these doctrines be rightly beleeued a man shall finde in himselfe that these truthes doe resist and fight against the corruptions of our owne nature euen the most secret euills of our hearts and will not rest till they haue mastered the flesh wiâ—h the lusts thereof or else they cause vnspeakeable sighes and groanes and sorrow after God for the presence and power of rebellious corruptions The true faith will by no meanes brook the polluted and euill disposition of the heart Acts 15. 9. 3. The liberty of the heart from that banishment and imprisonment in which it liued before without God so as now by the light and incouragement of these truthes the heart discernes Gods free grace in calling vs to his presence and is well perswaded of God and therefore daily with an holy boldnesse goeth vnto God in the vse of his ordinances by the direction and assistance of his spirit Ephes 3. 12. Rom. 5. 2. 8. 38. 2. Cor. 3. 4. Gal. 4. 6. 4. The life of the soule for true faith is the eye hand mouth tongue teeth stomack and heate of the soule by which Christ is receiued and digested and that daily by which food the soule liues for euer Romanes 1. 17. Hebrewes 10. 37. 5. Victorie ouer the world and worldly Relations and respects for he that truely belieues these things knowes no man after the flesh and can deny himselfe in his profits pleasures credit hopes or the like It ouercommeth both the trust in these things and the lusts after them and the temptations that arise from them 1. Ioh. 5. 4 6. Peace of conscience The right knowledge and beliefe of these doctrines breeds such an inward tranquility as passeth all vnderstanding of all men that haue not this beliefe Rom. 5. â— 7. Good workes euen all sorts of faire fruites Euen the fruites of loue towards God in the duties of Piety to God and loue towards men in the duties of Mercy and Righteousnesse This beliefe is the roote the workes of loue are the fruites of it And these workes it sets a man about with a desire and resolution to obey God in all things and that though it bee opposed by diuells or men Gal. 5. 6. The light of this faith giues a daily heate vnto Charity Iam. 3. 17. 8. Hope and expectation of the singular glory of God in the treasures of a better life Which hope hath such a power in the heart that the beleeuer is not ashamed of any thing can befall him for the profession of his faith Gal. 5. 5. Rom. 5. 3. Heb. 11. 13. 25 26 35. 36 37. 9. Confession of the glory of Gods Mercy and Power The beliefe of these things makes the dumbe man speake in the celebration of Gods praises The mercie of God is neuer seene nor magnified with any life till faith come into the heart because we haue belieued therefore we speake 2. Cor. 4. 13. 10. Contentation in all estates Phil.