further proofe that no man by his owne naturall reach of wit and vnderstanding can iudge of the vertues and qualities of faith but onely such as are renewed and borne againe by the spirite of God Now then as I said is it any marueil that this precious Iewel of faith is so smally estimated slenderly accoÌ„pted of in the world of meere worldly carnal men Seing they haue no skil at al to iudge of the rare vertues and operation therof neither by meanes of the outward senses of their bodies nor yet by the force powers of their souls but are altogether like vnto the Cocke wherof the fable speaketh that seeing a precious Gem or Iewell lying on the donghill wished hee had had one graine of Barley for that precious Iewell because hee knewe not the price and vertue of the same and therefore did wish for that which serued best to the satisfying of his owne appetite and desire Seeing then the case thus standeth that most people are so miserably deceiued chusing with greedie earnestnes and desire and as it were with both hands apprehending the vaine transitory things of this life make small or none accompt but euen like filthie swine trample vnder their feete Gods Treasures contemned of worldly men those precious pearles of the worde of God of faith and free saluation purchased by the bloud of Christ to the high dishonouring of Almightie God to the endaungering of their owne soules to the great scandale or offence of other to the extreme griefe of hearte of each true faithfull and godlye Christian seeing the case thus standeth I say and these premises duely considered I haue thought it meete and verily agreeing with my calling to spend a litle time in contriuing these plaine and simple treatises of faith and the fruites thereof hereafter following to this end that partly by the helpe hereof if God giue a blessing thereunto but chiefely by prayer reading and hearing of Gods word preached the ignorant sort may attaine vnto the knowledge of faith and other misteries of God by grace which wee by our owne natural knowledge and vnderstanding are not able to attaine vnto and that also these rich gifts of God as faith the rest may be the better accompted of to Gods glorie and our eternall comfort and saluation .. And because it is the minde of the holy 2. Pet. 1 5. Ghost as Saint Peter noteth that all vertues whatsoeuer shold be linked vnto faith as the verye fountaine from whence they must spring therefore I haue made this my first Chapter wherein I will God assisting me in as briefe manner as I can declare and make plaine to those whose eyes it shall please the Lord to open what an excellent and precious Iewell fayth is as also what great profit commodity we receiue by it But here first of all intreating of fayth in generall it shall not bee amisse to make knowne what faith it is whereof I will intreate for there is a certaine Morall fayth or trust which we call fidelitie that ought to be betweene man and man and euen this is a vertue worthy of commendation ther is also an Historicall faith when we onely beleeue the bare Historie whether it bee humane or diuine without any further application of it vnto our selues and this faith is also in some sort worthy of due praise and there is a Temporary faith when some doe beleeue for a time as our Sauiour saith nothing Mat. 13.21 worthie to be commended but is like vnto that faith whereof Saint Iames speaketh that is dead in it selfe to speake nothing Iam. 2.17 of that fayth which is called miraculous because it hath ceased for the most part since the time of the Apostles Now it is not my purpose to entreate of any of these seeing they are gifts common What faith it is whereunto Saint Peter wold haue vertue ioyned to the good and to the bad neither doeth Sainte Peter meane to linke his Golden Chaine with any one of them for that wold disgrace his whole worke but that fayth which I mind to speake of is supernaturall diuine and heauenly far more glorious and excellent then can be comprehended as I haue already saide by the wit and naturall vnderstanding of man But what is it wil some say that you doe so commend Wilt thou know Surely it is that which thy tongue hath vttered a thousand times when thou hast said I beleeue in God And is this such a great matter will worldlings saye to beleeue in God Doth this onely thing deserue so great praise and commendation Yea verily But here beware A Caueat least thou deceiue thy selfe in the vnderstanding of the words for there be three things almost like in words but farre differing in true sence meaning namely to beleeue God to beleeue there is a God and to beleeue in God The deuils beleeue the first and the second that God is true of his promise which is to beleeue God and they also beleeue there is one God and no more and tremble as Saint Iames saith but they Iam. 2.19 beleue not the third that is in God which is as much as to embrace him for our good God and to rest repose our selues on him and his worde onely which is that true iustifying faith wherof I speake So then we must take heed as I said that we do not deceiue True faith beleeueth in God our selues thinking we beleeue verie well if we beleeue God and beleeue there is a God which thing indeede we ought also to do but we must goe further to beleeue in God that is to acknowledge him for our good God Sauior this is ment by saying I beleeue in God I beleeue I say not another for me for euery one shall be saued by his owne faith and not by anothers as the Prophet Habacuk saith The iust shall Haba 2.4 liue by his owne faith Furthermore to beleeue in 〈…〉 to beleeue in God the Father in Goâ—â—he son in God the holy Ghost three persons in trinity one God in vnity of esseÌ„ce And is it then so easie a matter to beleeue the trinity in vnity the vnity in trinity No verily flesh bloud doth not reueal these things vnto vs as Christ said vnto S. Peter Mat. 16.17 but onely God himselfe both by the outward preaching of his worde by the inward working of his holy spirit Wherfore Galat. 5.6 a true liuely and iustifying faith which euermore worketh by loue may bee thus A definition of a true liuely faith defined namely that it is a most certain sound perswasion of Gods great good will fauour towardes vs grounded vpon the truth of his free promises made vnto mankinde in his sonne Christ Iesus reuealed vnto vs by the preaching of his word and sealed in our harts by his holy spirite Thus then hauing briefly and plainely shewed what
great actes and wonders haue beene wrought by them through the force of faith First concerning these faithful ones which liued before the comming of Christ it hath pleased the holye Ghost to make a long Catalogue of the chiefest of them in the eleauenth Chapter of the Epistle to the The faith of our auncestors commended Hebrues to this end that we shuld haue their examples euer before our eyes nay to teach vs that if they were so faithful in the time of the law much more should we be in the time of the Gospel I wil only note the examples By faith Abel his offering was accepted Heb. 11.4 before God By faith Enoch was translated from earth into heauen By faith Noe his 5. family were saued in the Arke By faith Abraham 7. came out of his own countrie being 8. tried offered vp his only begotten sonne By faith Sara cōceiued when she was fowerscore 11. ten yeeres old By faith Isaack blessed 20. Iacob and Esau concerning things to come By faith Iacob when he was a dying 21. blessed both the sonnes of Ioseph By faith Ioseph when hee dyed gaue commaundement 22. of his bones By faith the parentes of Moyses hid 23. him three months because they saw he was a proper childe not fearing the Kings commandement By faith Moyses himselfe whē he came to age refused to be called the son 5. of Pharaos daughter chusing rather to suffer aduersitie with the children of God then to enioye the pleasures of sin for a season By faith he forsooke Egypt and feared not the 27. fiercenes of the King for he endured as hee which saw him that is inuisible By faith he ordained the Passeouer and the effusion of 28. bloud least he that destroyed the first borne should touch them By faith Moyses and the children of Israel passed through the 29. red sea as by the dry land which the Egyptians assaying to doe were drowned By faith the walles of Iericho fell downe after 30. the Israelites had compassed them about seuen daies By faith the harlot Rahab was 31. not destroyed with the rest in Iericho because she receiued the spies peaceably To 32. be short by faith Gedeon Barack Samson By faith our forefathers in bat tell haue had the victorie Iephte and Dauid fought valiantly the Lords battels and had the victorie By faith Samuel Elyas Elisha and other of the Prophets together with them before named haue subdued kingdomes wrought 33. righteousnesse obtained the promises stopped the mouthes of Lyons quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword of weake were made strong waxed 34. valiant in battell turned to flight the armies of the strangers By faith women as the woman of Sareptha 1. Kin. 17.22 the Shunammite receiued their dead children restored vnto life by Elias and Elisha 2. Kin. 4.32 Through faith other also were racked 35. and would not be deliuered that they might receiue a better resurrection Some other were stoned hewen a sunder 36. O the crueltie of tyrants were tempted were slaine with the sword others wandered vp and downe in sheepes skins and in Goates skins being destitute afflicted and tormented whom the world was not worthy of they wandered in wildernesses mountaines 37. and Dens and Caues of the earth and these all through faith obtained good 38. report Thus the holy Ghost doth beginne and thus hee doth conclude this his Catalogue in commending the fayth of our auncestors 39. that liued before the comming of Christ Now then let vs note also a fewe examples out of the new Testament and so draw to an ende for I must needes confesse that the aboundant Doctrine which the Scripture affordeth concerning faith hath caried me much further then I purposed at the beginning Notwithstanding seeing fayth is Faith the principall Iewel of S. Peters Chaine the principall Iewell of our whole worke pardon me if I bee somewhat long in this Chapter I will endeuour to bee the briefer in all the rest By faith in the olde Testament wee heare how Sara conceaued and brought foorth Isaack according to the naturall generation of mankinde but by faith in the new Testament the Virgine Marie conceaued the Sonne of GOD by the ouershadowing of the holy Ghost without the naturall helpe of man Mat. 1.18 By faith her cousen Elizabeth acknowledged the Virgine Mary to be the mother of our Lord when also the babe Iohn Baptist sprang in her wombe By faith Ioseph Luke 1.45 the supposed father of Christ did take Marie vnto his wife when before hee had thought to put her awaye priuily By faith he and his wife fled into Egypt to preserue Mat. 1.19 the babe Iesus from the tyrannie of Herod By faith the Shepheards leaue their flockes 2. 21. in the fielde to see poore Iesus lying in a Luke 2.16 Manger who returning backe againe glorifie GOD for that they had sene and heard and publish the same to others By faith the wise men came from the East Countries to Ierusalem and from thence to Bethlem where they worshipped the childe Iesus notwithstanding his pouertie and Mat. 2.1 offer vnto him gifts golde frankencense and Myrrhe By faith holy Simeon tooke Iesus in his armes when Marie came vnto Ierusalem to be purified according to the lawe and hee Luk. 2.27 said Lorde now lettest thou thy seruant to 28.29 depart in peace and so foorth Then Simeon Verse 34. also blessed them and saide vnto Mary This childe is appointed for the fall and rysing againe of manye in Israell and for a signe which shall bee spoken against yea and a 35. sworde shall pearce thy soule that the the thoughtes of many hearts may bee opened By faith likewise at the same instant Anna the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe 2.36.37.38 of Aser which was of a great age and had liued seuen yeeres with a husband from her virginitie but was a widdow fower-score and fower yeeres seruing God in the temple with fasting and prayer night and day she I say comming vp then at the same time confessed likewise the Lorde and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Ierusalem By faith Iohn Baptist when hee came to age went out into the wildernesse to prepare Mat 3.1 the way of the Lord before him By faith he Baptiseth the people in the floude Mat. 3.5 Iordan as many as did repent and beleeue in Christ who was then at hand By faith Ioh. 1.29 hee pointed out with his finger the Sonne of God saying Beholde the Lambe of God which taketh awaie the sinnes of the world 41. By faith Andrew the Disciple of Iohn Baptist brought his brother Simon Peter vnto Christ saying We haue found the Messias which by interpretation is Christ By faith Philip perswadeth Nathanael to come
vs for faith is as before is noted the A Similitude hande wherewith wee apprehende and laie sure holde vppon the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus And euen as a lyttle childe maye as truelye holde a golde ring or precious iewell wyth his litle and weake hand as a giant with all the force of his hande and fist beeing one and the selfe same ring so the merits of the sonne of God bee one and the same whether our faith bee weake or strong to apprehend them This then beeing as wee haue sayde the least measure of faith when wee haue an earnest desire to bee saued and yet haue not the full assurance of our saluation it is then our dutie daily to praie the Lord to increase our faith till we come by little and little vnto the greatest measure which wee shall not haue at the first but in some continuance of time when wee haue bene well practised in repentance for as soone as wee haue the least measure of faith repentance will also appeare in some measure When therfore I saie we haue some time bin well practised in repentance and haue had diuerse experiences of Gods loue towards vs in Christ then afterwardes will appeare in our hearts the fulnesse of perswasion which is the ripenesse and strength of faith For this is the greatest measure of faith when anie one daylye increasing in faith comes to be fully perswaded of Gods loue in Christ The greatest measure of faith towards himselfe particularly of the forgiuenes of his owne sins This I suppose is the greatest measure of faith how be it I am still perswaded that there is no mans faith so strong but it is No mans faith so strong but it is sometimes shakeÌ„ sometimes shaken with the winde of doubfulnes Thus are wee come now at length thorough Gods assistance to the concluding shutting vp of this discourse of faith being the foundation of our whole worke wherein wee haue seene what true faith is what excellent vertues and operation it hath what great profit and commoditie we The summ of the first chapter receiue by it that many of our forefathers haue bene renowned for their faith lastlie whose gift it is to whom it is giuen and in what measure Now to him that is of power to establishe vs according to the gospell of Rom. 16 Iesus Christ by the reuelation of the mistery 25. which was kept secrete since the world began 26. but nowe is opened and published among all nations by the scripture of the 27. prophets at the commaundement of theeuerlasting God for the obedience of faith To God I say onely wise be all praise and honour and glorie thorough Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A Praier for faith and the increase thereof O Almightie God and omnipotent creator Lord of heauen and earth the giuer of all good things from whence euerie good perfect gift doth proceed and by whose mercifull goodnes it is augmented and increased within vs I beseech thee of thine infinite clemencie to plant deeply in my soule that most sweet root of faith and to water it continually with the dew of thy heauenly grace that it may spring and bud forth into the greene and liuelie branches of a godly life with peace of conscience and ioye in the holie Ghost and that the seed thereof so soone as it is ripe may fall downe againe into the garden of my heart to the further increase of the same til it growe vp into that great tree of euerlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour To whome with thee O father and the holy Ghost be all honor and glorie for euer Amen OF VERTVE IN GENERALL CHAP. 2. THE order and course of nature being duly obserued doth make this plaine vnto vs that though there bee manye and innumerable thinges in this worlde yet that euery thing hath a certaine head root fountaine beginning from whence each particular is deriued For when God which is the cause of nature woulde shew forth in the theatre of this world the surpassing excellencie of his wisedome not onely in creating all things of nothing but also in gouerning and preseruing all things that were created that they might continue and indure out the time which he had appointed The Scripture saieth that God did make euerie thing according to his kinde withall did put certaine seedes of thinges in the Gen. 1 12 The course of natural things continued by Gods prouidence tiâ— the ende oâ— the world things themselues wherby there might be a propagation or continued course of things from generation to generation so long as the world should indure Right so Gods mightie power and infinite wisedome doth no lesse plainelie appeare in things supernatural I meane in the gifts of the mind wherwith he doth beutify adorne the soule of man for it is God that giueth both the beginning increase of al Faith the roote of vertue vertue and goodnes Now the beginning of vertue in vs is faith which God doth first plant in the hart of man faith then may be coÌ„pared vnto the roote froÌ„ whence doth arise the stemme of vertue Vertue in generall breaketh out into particular branches as knowledge temperance patience and the rest and euery branch bringeth foorth fruit according to his kind Therfore Saint Peter writing vnto such as were conuerted vnto 2. Pet. 1. 5 the faith willeth them to ioyne therevnto vertue saying Ioine vertue with your faith whereby doubtlesse he meaneth that they should endeauour to lead a ciuill honest life as euery one had receiued the measure of faith and to the end they shoulde not thinke it a matter indifferent he biddeth them to giue al diligence therunto euen to ioyne vertue with their faith because by throgh their faith in Christ God had giuen them all things that pertaine vnto life and godlines through the knowledge of him By flying â—he corrupâ—…oÌ„s of this â—orld wee â—aw neervnto God that had called them vnto glory vertue wherby most precious promises were giueÌ„ vnto them that by them they should bee partakers of the godly nature in flying the corruption which is in the world through lust So that now wee see what must bee the chiefe and principall care of all those that haue receiued this excellent gift of faith wherof we haue spoken in the former chapter Namely to giue all diligence to ioyne vnto our faith vertue that so our faith may appeare by our honest liuing godly conuersation Wherefore in this chapter wee must speake of vertue in generall being the second lincke in Saint Peters Chaine afterward come to her particular branches Vertue in generall is obedience to Gods commaundements wrought in Gods children what vertue is from whome we haue it by the spirit of sanctification directed or referred to the glorie of God and accepted of him in Christ Iesus And to speake plainly whatsoeuer thing
for hee maketh the Sunne 45. to rise vpon the euill and the good and his raine to fall vppon the iust and vniust On the contrarie saith Christ if yee loue them that loue you what reward shall yee haue doe not the Publicans euen the same Be ye 46. perfect therefore in loue euen as your heauenly Father is perfect To giue our goods 47. only to such poore as we loue and like such as we know wil blaze the same abroade and to hate other whome we should loue is not to be perfect but partiall in loue and so for such loue we shal haue no thanke of GOD. We haue spoken before of brotherly-kindnesse that doeth keepe it selfe within some limites but this Loue wherof now we speake hath no bounds but extendeth it selfe ouer Loue hath no bounds all the world euen to our verie enemies He that cannot loue his enemies for Christs sake is not perfect in loue God loued vs when we were his enemies wee must follow God in this respect Be followers of God saith Rom. 5.6 Saint Paul and walke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs and so forth Beloued saith Eph. 5.1 Saint Iohn If God so loued vs we ought also to loue one another The loue that God hath 1. Ioh. 4.11 shewed vnto vs is infinite and vnmeasurable wee must therefore endeauour to loue God and our enemies for his sake in some We must loue our enemies because God loued vs being his enemies measure Or else Woe Woe be vnto vs. We must loue God because hee loued vs first and wee must loue our enemies for Gods sake because he loued vs when we were his enemies This doctrine by how much more it is hard for flesh and bloud to performe because it is against our fleshly nature which is euermore desirous of reuenge by so much If we cannot forgiue we must pray God to change our hearts Mat. 18. 24. more ought wee to desire God to change or mollifie our hard harts that we may be readie to forgiue others one hundred pence seeing God is so kind to forgiue vs ten thousand talents alwaies remembring this definitiue sentence of Christ If yee forgiue not other their trespasses no more wil your heauenly Father forgiue you your trespasses Mat. 6.15 Therefore Christians are taught daylye to pray the Lord to forgiue them as they doe Mat. 6.12 forgiue others that is if wee doe not forgiue others then wee desire the Lord not to forgiue vs which is most fearefull if wee haue any grace to consider ofit This then is to be When wee pray doe not forgiue we sinne grieuously perfect in loue as farre as we can attaine to perfection in this life to loue God with all our harts with all our soules and with al our strength our neighbour though our enemy as our selus The which thing because no mā can do in such absolute sort as he ought therefore we cannot bee perfect in loue til Wē cannot be perfect in loue in this life we haue laide down our fleshly nature be clothed with immortalitie but we must doe the best we can and though we cannot loue God and our neighbors as we should yet we must forgiue our enemies freely as wee are commanded yea loue them euen as our dearest frendes though they bee our mortal enemies and haue sworne our death yet wee must loue them not with a fayned We must pray for our enemies Luk. 23.24 Act. 7.60 but true Christian loue and praye for them that God woulde change their harts and forgiue them euen as Christ and Saint Stephen prayed for their persecutors saying To forgiue iniuries is giuen vnto vs of God Lorde lay not this sinne to their charge This loue which causeth vs to suffer iniuries patiently and to forgiue them freely is the speciall gift of God and giuen onely to his 1 Cor. 13.4 elect Therefore Saint Paule saith Loue suffereth long and is curteous Loue enuieth 5. not loue doth not boast it selfe it swelleth not it disdayneth not it seeketh not her 6. owne things it is not prouoked to anger it 7. thinketh no euill it reioyceth not in iniquitie but reioyceth in the truth it suffereth all thinges it beleeueth all things it hopeth all thinges and indureth all thinges Why then he that hath this lincke of loue hath Loue hath all vertues included in it all these vertues included in it O rich chain where one lincke is bedecked with so many precious pearles contrariwise then it must needes follow that they which can suffer no iniuries they that are of a currish nature and not curteous they that enuy at other mens good successe prosperitie they that are puffed vp with pride and vaine glorie Vices contrary vnto the fruits of loue as a bladder with winde they that will commende none but disdaine all they that are not contented with their owne but seek other mens by deceite or oppression they that not onely thinke euill but study to deuise mischiefe they that are sory to haue truth knowen reioyce in iniquitie These and such like whosoeuer they are of what calling or degree soeuer they be of haue not receiued this badge of loue whereby they should be knowen to be true christians Last of all S. Paul saith that loue neuer Verse 8. falleth away but abideth with vs in this life shall continue with vs for euermore in the life to come O then let vs make much of Loue and charitie for it is a surpassing Loue a surpassing treasure treasure It is no maruell that Sainte Peter would not finishe his Chayne before this lincke of loue were aded vnto it That must A glorious Chaine that beginneth with faith and endeth in loue Happy are they that weare this chaine 2. Pet. 1.8 needes be a golden and glorious chaine that beginneth with faith and endeth in loue hauing lincked vnto them both all graces and vertues whatsoeuer happy yea thrise happy are they that weare this Chaine surely they shall neuer be bound in euerlasting chaines If these things saith S. Peter be among you and abounde they will make you that ye shall neuer be idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lorde Iesus 9. Christ But he that hath not these thinges as faith loue the rest is blind cannot see farre of and hath forgotten that hee was 10 purged from his old sinnes wherefore breethren giue all diligence to make your calling election sure for if ye do these things ye shal neuer fall but by these meanes an 11 entring shal bee ministred vnto you aboundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost bee all prayse glory power and maiestie from age to age world without end A Praier for Loue or Charitie O Blessed Lord God most louing mercifull Father for as much as thou hast shewed vnto mankind thine infinite vnmeasurable loue not onely in creating vs of the dust of the earth then preferring vs to be lords ouer all the works of thy hands but also and especially hast manifested this thine vnexpressable kindnes towardes vs in giuing thine onely beloued sonne to death for vs that hee might bring vs vnto life to this end that in a thankeful remembrance of this thy so great loue kindnes we should shew our loue to thee againe to our neighbours and brethren for thy sake Grant therefore vnto me good Lord that I may loue thee aboue all thinges and my neighbour as myselfe not onely my frends and those that do me good but also mine enemies because thou louedst mee when I was thine enemie that I may neuer suffer the sunne to go down vpon my wrath but with all gentlenes and from my hart I may suffer iniuries and forgiue myne enemies O Lord if thou wilt vouchsafe to receaue me into thy seruice giue vnto me thy badge of christian loue or charitie whereby I may be assured that I am thy seruant let the fire of this loue breake out from me into flames of good works that I may be ready to do good vnto all but specially vnto them that are of the houshold of faith This grace vouchsafe vnto me and to all christians for his sake in whom thou art wel pleased So shalt thou O God dwel here in earth with me and I shal euermore dwelhere and in heauen with thee to whom with thy blessed sonne our Sauiour and the holy Ghost our euerlasting comforter be all lande and honour for euer and euer Amen FINIS Laus Deo honos