which generall act of the Holie-ghost was after transferred to the Church which he nourisheth by singular meanes and defendeth it Next the holie-ghost spake by the prophets Thirdlie he appeered in the likenes of a dooue at the baptisme of Christ Fourthlie Matt. 3. he was manifested to the disciples in the daie of pentecost in the shape of firie toongs Act. 2. which patefactions are certeine testimonies that the Holie-ghost is an other person than the father and the sonne FALSIL. Christ saith Iohn 16. The Holie-ghost shall lead you into all truth Therefore Christ taught not his disciples all truth but the Holie-ghost will reueale some new things as the masse traditions and worshipping of the papisticall church VERIL. I denie the consequent and answer by distinction for Christ speaketh of the same veritie which is reuealed in his word as he saith in another place Sermo tuus est veritas Iohn 17. quam spiritus sanctus illustrabit Thy word is the truth which the Holie-ghost shall open He speaketh not of those things which God hath not opened to his church in his holie word as to know the time of our deaths when the daie of iudgement shal be or such like the curious searching out whereof is the rashnes of man forbidden by this saieng Scrutator maiestatis opprimetur à gloria The searcher out of the maiestie of God shall be confounded with his glorie FALSIL. What is the certeine note and marke of the presence of the Holie-ghost VERIL. The spirituall or good motions of the hart as is praier and inuocation the loue to heare the word of God and the true imbracing of the same whereas there are no such motions felt there the Holie-ghost is not and such as are without these good féelings are no true members of the church according to that saieng Rom. 8. Qui non habet spiritum Christi non est eius He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his 2. Reg. 11. Iohn 18. except they doo returne to God by repentance and conuersion as Dauid Manasses Peter and such other did which receiued againe the Holie-ghost by repentance and faith that was put awaie from them by their falles contrarie to their owne conscience FALSIL. What is the office of Christ VERIL. First Christs office is by his preaching to open to vs and his church his fathers eternall will Next to offer him selfe vp a sacrifice to his father for the redemption of all the world and to deliuer his vniuersall church from death sinne and the tyrannie of the diuell FALSIL. Act. 12. Nero killed Paule Herod killed Iohn and Iames Therefore Christ deliuereth not his church giueth hir no peace nor victorie against hir enimies VERIL. Christ giueth vs the eternall victorie which hereafter we shall behold And now we haue the victorie also howbeit we can not see it with corporall eies for the church is preserued though the diuell rage and horriblie inuade it God defendeth it maruelouslie without anie mans power or strength as the father himselfe saith Seruabo vos non in arcu Ose 1. nec in gladio sed in Domino Deo vestro I will not deliuer you through my bowe or sword but in the Lord your God that is in my sonne which is your Lord and your God Also God saith in Zacharie Ego ero igneus murus vester Zachar. 2. I will be to you a wall of fier round about FALSIL. When began the kingdome of Christ in mankind VERIL. The kingdome of Christ or the presence of the sonne of God was in mankind streightwaies from the beginning of the making and receiuing of man among the fathers prophets and the godlie people of the old Testament as Irenaeus saith Semper adest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humano generi The word that is the sonne of God was alwaies present with mankind Also S. Paule saith Christus hodie heri Hebr. 13. in omnia secula Christ yesterdaie and to daie and the same continueth for euer the author of truth and goodnes FALSIL. The taking awaie of an other mans thing against the owners will is theft Matth. 21. Christ commanded the asse and hir colt to be brought vnto him and that against the owners will Therefore Christ did not well VERIL. The minor is to be denied Christ was the superior Lord of this people although he vsed not that his externall power and right bicause he came to be made a sacrifice for our sins yet notwithstanding he had power ouer this people as he himselfe saith Dominus hijs opus habet Matth. 21. The Lord hath néede of them Againe he tooke not awaie the asse against the owners will but with his good will when the disciples had alleged vnto him the cause of taking hir awaie declaring their message which the Lord gaue them in charge to doo FALSIL. When shall the kingdome of Christ which is the collecting of his church end VERIL. In the last daie when as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 15. Regnum patri suo tradet He shall deliuer vp the kingdome to his father ouercomming all his enimies and his churches as sin death sathan hell all tyrants for then shall we see the verie sonne of God which is corporall he will bring vs vnto his father there shall he present his church before his eternall father then shall we beginne to see and know the father visiblie whose fruition is eternall life In the meane season the kingdome of Christ is named in vs bicause it dwelleth in vs by his ministerie And trulie therefore is his word sent vnto vs for he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both in respect of vs and of his father also And the Apostle here speaketh of Christs kingdome in this world 1. Cor. 15. whereby he congregateth his church together and dooth mightilie defend it by his infinite power and mercie without corporall violence FALSIL. The minister of the gospell ought not to vse corporall violence Christ vsed corporall violence in whipping the biers and fellers out of the temple Iohn 2. Therefore Christ did not well VERIL. This may be answered thrée waies First I denie the minor bicause Christ mooued not sedition neither vsed corporall violence Act. 5. But as Peter killed Ananias and Saphira his wife without corporall violence yea God him selfe quicklie destroied them so Christ here saieth Zelus domus tuae comodit me Psal 69. The zeale of thine house hath eaten me that was a certeine diuine force and indignation enflamed with the loue and desire of the affirming and propagation of the honor of God Secondlie I answer to the minor As the minister of the gospell ought not vse corporall violence truelie but in his owne house so Christ did well in casting out of these chaffering hucsters out of the temple Iohn 2. bicause it was his house and his place Thirdlie Christ is not onlie a minister of the
to haue of the holie Trinitie VERILOQVVS THe same which the Church holdeth and alloweth of that there is one true liuing and eternall God Iohn 4. Iohn 1. 1. Tim. 6. 2. Cor. 13. Ioh. 1.4.6 Sap. 11. the which is without bodie partes and passions bicause he is a spirit whom neuer anie man yet saw neither can sée nor know but Christ for he can not be séene with carnall eies and he is the God of peace and loue louing all and hating nothing that he hath made he is of infinite power wisdome goodnes and mercie the creatour preseruer and nourisher of all things visible and inuisible which deliuereth vs from euill Esai 43. Iohn 3. Rom. 5. And in the vnitie of this same diuine nature there are thrée distinct persons of the like power essence wisdome glorie and eternitie that is to saie the Father the Sonne and the Holie-ghost which are the blessed Trinitie And the sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 patris Iohn 1. the word of the father is the second person in this Trinitie the true euerlasting glorious and omnipotent God 2. Cor. 4. Col. 1. begotten before all worlds of his eternall father and is his verie image being of like substance togither with him Col. 2. in whome are the treasures of wisdome and of knowledge and fulnes of diuine power He tooke vpon him in the wombe of the blessed virgin Marie humane nature of hir substance and was borne in the world in somuch that there is conioined fullie and perfectlie in the vnitie of person a double nature neuer to be separated that is the nature of God and of man wherof is made one Christ perfect God and perfect man sinne onlie excepted who suffered vnder Pontius Pilate 1. Tim 2. 1. Ioh. 2.4 Eph. 3. Rom. 5.8 Act. 2. and became the mediator betwéene God and man that in him onlie should be found the sufficiencie of remission of all sinnes both originall and actuall for all them that euer were or shal be vpon the face of the earth And the Holie-ghost is the third person in this Trinitie which procéedeth from the father and the sonne and is the holie and diuine power 1. Rom. 10 whereby mens harts are renewed from heauen he is of like essence power glorie and maiestie with the father and the sonne with whome he is coequall coeternall and God euerlasting by whome we comprehend the things of God for he giueth witnesse to our harts 1. Iohn 2. that we are of God by the which also Rom. 1. Gal. 5. 1. Pet. 2. we call vpon the father with confidence faith to be saued by Christ which is the bishop of our soules FALSIL. God made all things and without him was made nothing that was made Iohn 1. Wisd 1. But God made not death sin nor the diuell Therefore God made not all things VERIL. The fallacie lieth in the consequent which must be denied Almightie God that is all wisdome infinit power and goodnes created all things in such excellent goodnes that it is said Valde sunt bona Gen. 1. They were all passing good and God saw that they were good then he blessed them and his sentence is not to be reuoked bicause he being without bodie parts and passions cannot repent And as the diuell was not euer a diuell from the beginning for the Apostle saith Angeli qui non seruarunt originem suam Iude. The Angels which kept not there first estate so he was created and that an Angell of light and not a diuell Colos 3. For God being most perfectly good could not consent to make anie thing but that which was good and his owne pride made himselfe a diuell the author of sinne the heire of eternall fier Matt. 25. Then he tempting our first parents by the apple of disobedience made them likewise so sinfull that by Adam we are all sinners Rom. 5. of whome we haue the inclination to doo euill and then consequentlie followed death and was engendred of our said parents déeds as the onelie fruite of their lewd stubborne disobedience which they learned of Sathans disobedience Sic diaboli inuidia Wisd 2. mors intrauit in mundum So by the enuie of the diuell death entred into the world Rom. 6. And S. Paule saith Stipendium peccati mors est Death is the reward of sinne which still increased and wickednes multiplied by the reason men were tempted drawne awaie and entised of their owne concupiscence Iacob 1. then lust conceiued and brought foorth sinne and sin when it was finished brought foorth death So that then God tooke vnto him death for the punishment of sinne that therewith he might correct the wicked teaching them that transgressors might not lawfullie sin without punishment So it is said in another place Ignis Eccle. 39. grando fames mors omnia haec creata sunt ad vindictam Fier haile hunger and death all these are created for vengeance that is to saie after the fall of man God appointed and exercised all these things for the punishment of the wicked wherby he tooke vengeance of his enimies Rom. 1. and dooth vse them as an instrument to strike the wicked withall and oftentimes dooth punish one sinne with another Thus we doo now see Iaco. 1.17 that Omne donum bonum ac perfectum à patre luminum Euerie good and perfect gift commeth downe from the father of lights and that he made not death sinne nor the diuell in his diuelishnes from the beginning Wisd 1. for he is not delighted in Perditione viuorum in the destruction of the liuing nor can be the author of anie damnation though his wrath and iustice powreth downe his plagues vpon the children of disobedience and vnbeléefe dailie Esaie 5. bicause they drawe sinne vnto them as it were with a cart rope according to the prophets saieng FALSIL. How much shall adulterie be punished by the censure of Gods holie word VERIL. Adulterie which is the violation and breach of the faith promised in mariage a thing odious and forbidden of God Exod. 20. Leui. 18. Deut. 5. is so gréeuouslie punished of him that all adulterers shall without they doo truelie repent bée cast awaie into vtter darkenes 1. Corin. 6. Hebru 13. Ierem. 8. which is without the kingdome of God And if men doo not punish adulterers God himselfe will surelie punish them 2. Reg. 12. As we haue an example of king Dauids sonne which Vrias wife bare vnto him whom the Lord so stroke with sicknes for the adulterie of his father that it fell sicke and died the seuenth daie after Mala. 3. Thus the Lord himselfe verelie will be a swift witnes against all adulterers FALSIL. Carnall copulation is the ordinarie meanes onelie for mankind to be encreased and multiplied and to fill the world Genesi 1. God commanded Adam and Eue to encrease and multiplie and fill the world
according to the will and ordinance of God and that trulie in their due season And God will haue his church in this life to be subiect to persecution For the bloud of martyrs is the séed of the gospell And God dooth suffer almost the chiefest members of his church and his best seruants to be murthered of tyrants for their good and well dooings and not for anie faults that the persecutors can find in them that they should confirme their doctrine with their owne deaths and that they might be made somewhat like vnto Christ vpon the crosse by the sealing vp of their words and workes in their bloud But after this life certeinelie good and iust men shall be well vsed and contrariwise wicked men shall be euill vsed as the example of the rich glutton and poore Lazarus dooth witnes the same Luc. 16 FALSIL. Wherefore dooth God suffer his church which he loueth to be so hardlie intreated séeing she is iust in afflictions as he saith in the prophet Ierem. 12. Dedi dilectam meam in manum inimitorum meorum I haue deliuered my beloued into the hand of mine enimies VERIL. There be two especiall causes The first is that the church hath yet sins and much filthines which God would haue to be acknowledged purged and mortified in the godlie As the Apostle saieth Rom. ◠Corpus destinatum est morti propter peccatum The bodie is dead because of sinne which hangeth in our nature And S. Peter saith 1. Pet. 4. Iudicium id est poena incipit à domo Dei Iudgement that is to saie punishment shall begin at the houshold of God The second cause is for that God would haue the power of his sonne by that meanes to be the more manifest when he ouercommeth the diuell by the weake as he deliuereth and preserueth his church against the which the diuell and his members with great furie dooth rage and stirre as he restored our first parents falling awaie from him and preserueth his church at all seasons by his diuine and mightie power FALSIL. God alwaies heareth vs not beneuolentlie neither deliuereth he vs in afflictions Therefore it is lawfull for vs to doubt of him VERIL. The consequent must be denied Because although God dooth sometimes defer our deliuerance in corporall perils yet we ought not doubt of his good will and deliuerance in the end Let vs commit our soules to God with well doing 1. Pet. 4. For God would haue vs in corporall things to be subiect to his will and that we should be prepared to obedience and he dooth not deliuer vs or mitigate our calamities after one manner alwaies Therefore we ought first to determine in faith that God will receiue vs and forgiue vs our sinnes for his sonnes sake our mediatour Next that we should craue deliuerance at Gods hands onelie and none other waies and that we should expect the same according to his good will and pleasure Thirdlie that we should obeie and emploie our calling and then commit all corporall successe vnto God Fourthlie we must put our selues in subiection to the pleasure of God and shewe our obedience in afflictions and tarrie his leasure vntill that he deliuereth vs and dooth mitigate our sorrowes As Dauid saith Si velit Dominus reducet me si non velit 1. Reg. 15. fiat voluntas Domini If it please the Lord he will bring me out of captiuitie if not the will of the Lord be fulfilled Therefore although God deliuereth vs not presentlie in bodilie harmes yet we ought not be doubtfull of his deliuerance in the end neither of his promise of grace which is the fruit of the gospell but most certeinelie to determine that God will receiue vs be mercifull to vs and forgiue vs our sinnes for his sonnes sake As it is written Omnis qui credit in filium habet vitam aeternam Iohn 3. Euery one that beléeueth in the sonne of God hath eternall life And againe Iob. 13. Etiamsi occiderit me Dominus tamen sperabo in eum Although the Lord kill me yet I will put my trust in him FALSIL. Did you euer heare or read of a riuer or poole called Asphaltites VERIL. Yea it is a place mentioned in Genesis a poole in the later part of the tribe of Iuda this Asphaltites is otherwise called either the salt sea or the dead sea for in this place the flue cities Sodome Gomorrha Adama Seboim and Segor were destroied with fier from God for their incestuous lusts and other sins Genesi 19. as it is mentioned And this poole is a monument of the punishment and wrath of God against the sinnes of that time and all others it is in bignes about the space of eight miles it dooth smoke and breath out firie pitch and brimstone of a most stinking sauor by a secret and a meruelous working of God euen to this daie Moses writeth thereof thus Pluit Dominus ignem à Domino Genesi 19. The Lord rained vpon them brimstone and fier from the Lord that is to saie The son of God receiued fier of his eternall father and was the executor of that fier and punishment FALSIL. Matth. 9. Whosoeuer dooth attribute vnto him selfe that which is proper to God he is a blasphemer Christ did attribute that vnto himselfe which was proper to God Therefore saie the Phariseis Christ was a blasphemer VERIL. I denie the consequent Yet this kind of reasoning were true if Christ had beene like vnto the Phariseis that is if Christ had béene a méere man and not God withall Because he said vnto the sicke of the palsie Fili confide remittuntur tibi peccata Ibidem Sonne be of good chéere thy sinnes be forgiuen thée they thought him to be a blasphemer But sée I pray you how much worse our papists and monks are than the Scribes and Phariseis For they being instructed by Gods word could saie Quis potest remittere peccata nisi solus Deus Marc. 2. Who can forgiue sinnes but God onlie Yet our papists attribute the forgiuenes of sinnes to the merits of saints masses indulgences which they depart not with for naught but sell this trash verie deere Sure it is a strange kind of merchandise they sell that which they haue not they sell smoke and receiue gold they promise men heauen but deliuer them hell But what shall we saie concerning the ministers of the word of God Doo they forgiue sinnes or no They themselues as of themselues doo not forgiue sins Matt. 9. but they pronounce declare the remission of sins to all such as they find like to the man sick of the palsie they giue nothing of their owne but offer that which is anothers by the commandement of Christ They offer the release and forgiuenes of sins in the voice of the gospell Whosoeuer receiueth this voice faithfullie doubtles he receiueth the full forgiuenes of all his sinnes For Christ himselfe dooth saie