not poured out * Psal 145.9 6 Also in the secōd sort of his works which happen beside the ordinary course of nature Extraordinary workes there appeare as euident argumentes of his powers For in gouerning the societie of men he doth so temper his prouidence that although he be infinite wayes bountifull and beneficiall toward men Mercy yet notwithstanding he declareth by dayly iudgementes and manifest his clemencie to the godly and his seueritie to the wicked Iudgement Why God doth suffer the wicked to tryumph for a time Whence the iudgement of God is gathered Quest Why doth God oftentimes suffer the wicked to triumph vnpunished for a time and doeth permit the good to be tossed with much aduersitie and also with the malice of the wicked An. When as he punisheth one wickednes with a manifest iudgement of his wrath we must knowe that he hateth all wickednesse whē he letteth manie go vnpunished we must know that there shal be another iudgement wherein they be deferred to be punished In like sort howe great matter doth he minister vnto vs to consider his mercie when as he oftentimes sheweth mercie without being wearie toward miserable sinners Clemency vntill he haue brokē their frowardnesse with doing good to them in calling them home with his more then fatherly tendernesse 7 To this ende when the Prophet setteth down that God doth at a sodeine and contrarie to their expectation helpe miserable men when their affaires are past hope * Psal 107.9 113.7 he gathereth at length that those which are counted fortunate chaunces are as manie testimonies of the heauenly prouidence of God and especially of his fatherly clemencie and that hereby the godly haue matter of ioy ministred vnto them What matter of ioy the godly haue and that the mouthes of the wicked are stopped 8 But in those things we wonder at the power of God The knowledge of God commeth by the euent of thinges and kisse his wisedome Therefore we see that there needeth no longer nor laborious demōstration to set out those testimonies which serue to set forth the maiestie of God whereby we are inuited to the knowledge of God not that which is content with a vaine speculation and doth swimme about onely in the braine but that which shall be sound and frutefull 9 Secondly such knowledge ought not only to raise vs vp to worship God Worship Hope of eternall life but also to awake and lift vs vp to hope for the life to come For when we consider that the tokens which the Lorde sheweth both of his clemencie and also of his seueritie are onely begun and halfe full without doubt we must consider that he doth herein onely make a shew of those things the manifestation and ful deliuerance whereof is deferred vnto another life * Aug. lib. 1. de cruitate Dei Cap. 8. 10 But howe clearely so euer he represent both him selfe and also his immortall kingdome in the mirrour of his works such is our blockishnesse we stand alwayes amazed at such euident testimonies so that they passe away without doing vs any good Mans blockishnes For as touching the framing of the world how manie be there among vs who whiles they either looke vp toward heauen or cast their eyes aside vpon diuerse countreyes of the earth do referre their mind vnto the remembrance of the Creator and do not rather stay in the viewing of the workes created passing ouer the Creator Extraordinary workes And as touching those which come to passe besides the order of the naturall course where is there one that doth not rather thinke that men are whirled and turned about by the blind rashnesse of fortune then gouerned by the prouidence of God 11 Hence came that huge sinke of errors wherewith the whole world hath bene filled and ouerwhelmed Whence naturall idolatrie doth come For euerie mans wit is to him selfe as a maze so that it is no maruell that all nations were brought into diuerse deuises And not that only but also that almost euerie seuerall man had his seueral God For so soone as rashnesse and wantonnesse were ioyned to ignorance Rashnes ioyned with ignorance hath brought forth idolatrie Stoicks and darknesse there was scarce anie one found which did not frame to him selfe an idoll or fansie in steede of God 12 And if so be it the most excellent men did wander in darkenesse such as were the Stoicks and the misticall diuinitie of the Aegyptians who doting with reason faigned to thē selues more Gods what shall we say of the scourings of the people Paul pronoūceth that the Ephesians were without God * Eph. 2.12 Idolaters are without God vntill they had learned out of the Gospell what it was to worship the true God And to the ende the Scripture may make place for the true and one God it condemneth all falshood lying whatsoeuer god-head was worshipped in olde time among the Gentiles * Rom. 1.21 The Samaritanes wist not saith Christ what they did worship * Heb. 2.10.20 Whereupon it followeth that we do alwayes worship at all aduentures which notwithstanding is no small fault vnlesse God do witnesse of him selfe from heauen and declare to vs by his word what he will haue done Naturall lights being lighted for the knowledge of God 13 Therefore so manie burning lampes do shine in vaine in the edifice of the world to set forth the glorie of the author which do so shine round about vs that yet notwithstanding they are not able to bring vs into the right way of thēselues They raise indeede some sparkles but they are choked before they shewe foorth anie perfect light The inuisible godhead is I grant represented by such spectacles * Heb. 11.13 but we haue no eyes to see the same * Rom. 11.19 vnlesse they be lightened by the inward reuelation of the spirite through faith Why we are not excused before God 14 Obiect If we want naturall power so that we can not clime vp vnto the pure and manifest knowledge of God we shall be holden excused if we worship not God as we ought An. All colour of excuse is cut of because the fault of so great dulnesse is within vs neither can we so pretend ignorance but that euen our verie conscience shall alwayes conuince vs both of sluggishnesse and vnthankefulnesse CHAP. VI. That a man hath neede to haue the Scripture to be his guide that he may attaine to the knowledge of God the Creator 1 THerefore although that brightnesse which shineth before al mens eyes in the heauen earth doth spoile mans vnthankfulnesse sufficiently of all defence The creation yet God hath giuen another a better help namely the light of his word The word of God is giuen to saluation that he might thereby be knowen to saluation And this prerogatiue did he vouchsafe to bestowe vpon those whom he would gather nigher
two is former forasmuch as no man can beholde himselfe but he must turne his senses vnto the beholding of God in whom he liueth and moueth Act. 17.28 For it is a plaine case that those giftes wherewith we are furnished are not of our selues The effectes of the knowledge of our selues yea that euen that which we are is nothing els but a subsisting in one God Secondlie we are brought from those good thinges which distill downe vnto vs from heauen by drops as from the streames vnto the springs head Wherby it commeth to passe that by our want and pouertie doth better appeare that infinite plentie of good things which is in God The effects of the knowledge of God 2 Again it is euident that man doth neuer come to the perfect knowledge of him selfe vnlesse hee haue first beheld the face of God so come down frō beholding the same to view himself For such is our naturall pride we do alwaies seem to our selues righteous and holie Naturall pride vnlesse we be conuict with manifest arguments of our vnrighteousnes and impuritie And we are not conuict if we doe onlie looke into our selues The true rule of the knowledge of our selues and not into the Lorde also who is the only rule whereby the iudgement must be tried Therefore if we begin once to thinke vpon God to weigh with our selues what a one he is and how exact the perfection of his righteousnes wisedome and power is according to the rule wherof we must be fashioned that which was before in vs delightsome vnder a false pretence of righteousnesse shall foorthwith waxe vile as most great iniquitie Effectes of the presence of God 3 Hence issued that horror amazednes wherwith holy men were taken so often as they perceiued the presence of God Heereof proceeded these speeches we shal die because the Lord hath appeared to vs. Iud. 13.22 Ios 6.5 Iob. 9 4. * Therfore also the historie of Iob doth alwaies draw a most firme argument from the discriptiō of the wisdome power puritie of God to throw down men with the conscience of their own foolishnesse imbecillitie and vncleannesse Gen. 28.27 Abraham doth the better knowe and acknowledge himselfe to be earth and dust the nigher he draweth to behold the glorie of God Notwithstanding howsoeuer the knowledge of God and of our selues are knit togeather with a mutuall knot yet the order of right teaching doth require that we intreat first of the knowledge of God and that then wee come to handle the knowledge of our selues CHAP. II. VVhat it is to knowe God and to what ende the knowledge of him doth tend 1 AND nowe I meane the knowledge of God wherby we do not onlie cōceaue that there is some God God is not properly knowen where there is no religion What godlines is but also we learne vnderstand that which is behoofull for vs to know concerning him which is profitable for his glorie and finallie which is expedient For to speake properly we cannot say that God is knowen where there is no religion nor godlinesse The feeling of the powers of God is vnto vs a fit scholemaster to teach vs godlines whence religion doeth spring And I call godlinesse a reuerence conioyned with the loue of God whiche the knowledge of his benefites doth worke Furthermore we doe so know God not onlie because as he hath once created this world so by his infinite power he sustaineth it by his wisedome he gouerneth it by his goodnesse he preserueth it he ruleth mankinde especiallie by his iustice and iudgement hee suffereth him by his mercy Causes of inuocation he defendeth him by his aide but because there shall no where be found any drop either of wisedome or light or sincere truth which doth not come from him and whereof he is not the cause that we may looke for also beg at his handes all thinges and acknowledge with thanksgiuing that wee haue receaued them at his handes Curious men 2 Therefore they toy in cold speculations who are determined to stand about this question what God is Seeing that it is more behoofull for vs to knowe what a one he is and what is agreeable to his nature For to what purpose is it to confesse with Epicurus Epicurus his iudgement of God that there is some God who casting off all care of the world doth only delight himself in idlenesse Finallie what doth it helpe to knowe such a God with whom we may haue nothing to doe Yea rather the knowledge of him ought to serue to this ende first that it may teach vs to feare and reuerence him Secondlie that we may consecrate our selues to God The end of the knowledge of God What true religion is Effects of godlie feare hauing the same for our guide and schoolemistres Loe what pure and true religion is to wit faith ioyned with the true feare of God so that fear may containe in it both a voluntarie reuerence and also carrie with it a lawfull worship such as is prescribed in the lawe And this is the more diligentlie to be noted because all men one with an other doe worshippe God but verie fewe do reuerence him To worship to reuerence differ whiles there is euerie where great ostentation in ceremonies but the sinceritie of the heart is rare The knowledge of God is naturally ingraffed in vs. 3 Surelie those which iudge vprightlie will alwaies hold this for certaine that there is some feeling of the Godhead ingrauen in the mindes of men which can neuer be blotted out Yea that euen this perswasion is in all men naturallie that there is some God and that this is throughlie fastened as it were in the verie marowe witnesseth euidentlie the stubbornnesse of the wicked Atheists who though they struggle neuer so muche yet can they not winde themselues out of the feare of God Although Diagoras and such like doe make a mocke of all that which hath beene beleeued throughout all ages concerning religion Diagoras although Dionysius do scoffe at the celestiall iudgement yet this laughter is but from the teeth forwarde because the worme of conscience doth inwardly bite those being worse then all hot fearing yrons CHAP. III. That the knowledge of God is naturallie planted in mens mindes 1 SVRELIE if anie where the ignoraunce of God be sought for wee can no where haue a more apparaunt example thereof then among the blockishest people and such are farthest from humanitie Cicero de natura Deorum But there is no nation so barbarous as euen the verie Heathen man saith no countrie so sauage which haue not this perswasion remaining in them that there is a God And euen those who in other partes of their life seeme to differ but a verie litttle from beastes doe yet notwithstanding continuallie retaine some seede of religion Idolatrie naturall Idolatrie is an ample testimonie of this conceite
Yea loue doth not seeke the things that are her owne Whether loue beginne at her selfe 1. Cor. 13.5 Touching our neighbour * Obiect The thing ruled is inferiour to the rule An. When Christ commaundeth that wee loue our neighbours as ourselues he will that we be readie with no lesse cheerefulnesse to doe good to our neighbour then to our selues 55 Also wee must note that vnder the worde neighbour as Christe interpreteth it What is meant by the word Neighbour Luke 10.36 * we comprehend all mankinde and also our verie enemies 56 Obiect That which is spoken touching the not desiring of reuenge and the louing our enemies is a counsell not a commaundement An. Yea commandements are common Pro. 25.21 which do most straightlie require at our hands loue of our enemies * Exod. 23.4 * Deut. 32.35 57 It is manifest that Christe commaundeth Loue your enemies do good to those that hate you c. That you may be childrē of your father which is in heauen * Obiect It were a burden too heauie for Christians to loue their enemies Mat 5.44 An. As if there coulde any heauier thing bee inuented then to loue God with the whole heart c. Obiect Christians are vnder the law of grace An. They ought not therefore any more to giue themselues to vices A veniall sinne 58 Obiect Lust without a deliberate assent which doth not long continue in the heart is a veniall sinne An. Where the transgression of the law is there is the curse Paule calleth death the rewarde of sinne Rom. 6.23 * Ezech. 18.20 59 So saith the Prophet likewise the soule which hath sinned shall die * Therefore euerie sin is mortall Obiect The sinnes of the saints are veniall Why the sinns of the Saintes are pardonable An. I graunt but not of their owne nature but because they obtaine pardon through the mercie of God CHAP. IX That Christ although he was knowen vnder the law to the Iewes yet was he deliuered onlie by the Gospel 1 THE fathers did in deed tast of grace which is at this day offered to vs more fullie They saw the day though with a darker sight the glorie whereof doth now shine in the Gospell without any veile put betweene 2 Furthermore I take the Gospell for the euident manifestation of the mysterie of Christ What the Gospell is Obiect The Gospell is the doctrine of faith* 2. Tim. 4.9 Therefore whatsoeuer promises are founde euerie where in the Lawe concerning free forgiuenesse of sinnes they are counted partes therof An. I graunt if we take the word Gospell largely But according to the principall signification it is applyed to the publishinge of gace geuen in Christ* Mat. 4.6 Mat. 1.1 Seruetus Obiect By the faith of the Gospell the fulfilling of all promises is brought vnto vs therfore we stād no longer in neede of promises An. We enioy in deed the benefits which Christ hath purchased yet that is true Hope is nourished by promyses 1 Tim. 4.8 2 Tim. 1.1 2 Cor. 7.1 that our saluation is hidde in hope* Therefore the holy Ghost commaundeth vs to leane vpon promises so long as we liue 4 Obiect The Law is set against the Gospell as the merites of works are set against free imputation of righteousnesse An. The Gospel did not so succeed the whole Law that it might bring another way to attaine to saluation but rather that it might proue that that was firme whatsoeuer it did promise Rom. 1.16 and did ioyne the bodie to the shadowes* 5 Furthermore Iohn came betweene the Law and the Gospell Iohn was put betweene the Lawe and the Gospell Mat. 11 11. who had a middle office betweene the Prophets which were interpreters of the Law and the Apostles which were preachers of the Gospell CHAP. X. Of the likelihood of the old and new Testament 1 THe couenant of all the fathers doth nothing differ frō ours in substāce very deed that it is alone and the same yet the administration doth varie The agreemēt betweene the Law and the Gospell And they agree in three pointes First the Iewes were adopted into the same hope of immortalitie whereinto we are Secondly the couenaunt whereby they were reconciled to the Lord was vpholden by no merites of theirs but only by the mercie of God who called them Thirdly they knewe Christ to be the Mediatour by whom they should both be coupled to God and also be made partakers of his promises 3 The first is proued by the testimonie of the Apostle who saith that God the Father had promised long before in the holie Scriptures by the Prophetes the Gospell which he pubished concerning his sonne according to the appointed time* Rom. 1.2 3.21 And the Gospell doth not hold mens hearts in the ioy of this present life but it doth extoll them vnto the hope of immortalitie 4 The second appeareth by the saying of Christ Abraham reioyced to see my day he sawe it and reioyced And the preaching of the Gospell in Christ Ioh. 8.56 The end of the preaching of the Gospell doth nothing else but pronounce that a sinner is iustified through the fatherly kindenesse of God without his owne deseruings 5 And Paule teacheth that they had the same Mediator which maketh the Israelits equal with vs not only in the grace of the couenāt but also in signification of the Sacramēts 1. Cor. 10.1.11 There is the same mediatour of both Testaments bicause they were baptized whē they passed through the sea in the cloud Obiect That passing was carnall baptisme An. It answered to our spirituall baptisme For it followeth that they eat the same spirituall meate which we eate and they did drinke the same spirituall drinke which we drinke namely Christ* 1. Cor. 10.11 6 Obiect Your fathers did eate Manna are dead He which eateth my flesh shall not die for euer* Therefore it was not the same meate Ioh. 6.31 Manna An. Christ doeth reprehende the Iewes which comprehended nothing in Manna but a remedie for their carnall neede and hunger they dyd not pearce vnto that high mysterie wherunto Paul hath respect Therefore Christ sheweth that they ought to waite for a farre more excellent benefite at his handes then that which Moses gaue to their fathers as they sayd 7 The fathers Adam Abell Noe Abraham all the rest which were illuminate by the word The Fathers had the same hope of eternall life which we haue seing they did sticke to God it is not to be doubted but that they had an entrance into the immortall kingdome of God For it was a sound partaking of God which cānot be without the good thing of eternal life 8 Also in that couenant I will be your God you shal be my people* The same couenant Leuit. 26.12 the prophets did alwayes cōprehend both life and saluation and all the summe of blessednes 9 Furthermore
pray he doth by the verie same commaundement reproue vs of wicked stubbornnesse Psal 50.15 Mat. 7.7 The promise vnlesse wee obey* Vnto prayer there is ioyned also a promise that hee will be fauorable and intreated least being disobedient conuict of vnbeleefe wee mistrust God when hee calleth 14 And it is a wonder that we are either coldly or almost no way moued with the sweetnesse of his promises so that a great part had rather wander in bie wayes and hauing left the fountaine of liuing waters digge to themselues drie cesternes then imbrace the liberalitie of God offered vnto them freelie The name of the Lorde is a strong tower the iust man shall flie to it and be saued* A similitude Pro. 18.10 Ioel 2.32 Therefore let the faithfull beeing perswaded of the fatherlie loue of God alwaies commit themselues to his faithfull keeping neither let them doubt to craue the helpe which he promiseth yet doth not a carelesse securitie lift them vp but they clime vp by degrees of his promises yet so that they remaine humble in their owne abasement 15 Obiect God graunted the praiers of Ioatham and Sampson Iud. 9.20 * Iud. 16. â—8 which notwithstanding proceeded not from a quiet minde An. A continuall law of God is not abolished by particular examples Againe a fewe men had sometimes speciall motions whereby it came to passe that they differed from the common sort Furthermore those praiers which God heareth doe not alwaies please him but so farre as pertaineth to example Those prayers which God heareth doe not alwayes please him that the godlie may praie with more affiance and feruentnes So God being moued with the feigned repentance of Achab taught how easie he is to be intreated of his elect 16 This is also worth the noting that those thinges which we haue spoken of the foure rules of praying aright are not so strictly required that God refuseth those praiers wherein he can not finde either perfect faith or repentance togeather with feruentnesse of zeale and well ordered petitions For wee see with what vehemencie of sorrowe Dauid was carryed away when hee saide* Psal 39.14 Cease from mee vntill I goe hence and bee not Therefore the endeuours of the faithfull doe please GOD howsoeuer they bee not free from all lettes and their praiers are allowed so they please forwarde thyther whyther they come not streight 17 And forasmuch as there is no man worthie to represent himselfe before God the heauenly father himselfe to the end he might exempt vs from shame and feare The mediatour gaue vs his sonne to be our mediatour by whose guiding we may safely draw neere* trusting to such a mediator 1 Tim. 3.8 1 Ioh. 2.1 Ioh. 14.13 16.26 that nothing which we aske in his name shall bee denied vs as the father can denie him nothing* They erre which follow anie other way Because all the promises of God are in Christ Yea and Amen * 2 Cor. 1.20 18 And we must diligentlie consider the circumstance of the time when Christ commaundeth his Disciples to flie to his intercession after that hee is ascended into heauen In that houre saith he ye shal aske in my name* Ioh 16.26 It is certaine that from the beginning none were heard which did pray saue only for the mediatours sake For this cause the Lorde appointed in the lawe that the Priest alone shoulde enter into the sanctuarie and carrie vpon his shoulders the names of the Tribes of Israel to this ende auailed the sacrifice The glorie of the mediatour did more plainlie appeare by the ascention of Christ that the praiers might be established Being holpen by these rudiments they embraced the Mediatour whose glorie notwithstanding did more clearelie shine by his ascention 19 Furthermore forasmuch as hee is the onely way to God there is nothing left for those which turne aside in the throne of God besides anger iudgement and terror Obiect The saints haue their intercessions left them whereby they doe mutuallie commende the safetie one of another* 2 Tim. 2.1 An. They bee such as depend vpon that only so far of is it that they anie whit diminish it The intercession of the saincts 20 Ob. Christ is the mediatour of redemption and the faithfull of intercession An. As if Christ hauing performed the mediatorship which lasteth only for a time hath turned ouer the eternall mediatorship which neuer shall haue end vnto his seruants 1 Ioh. 2.1 Rom. 8.31 1 Tit. 2.5 The scripture saith otherwise if anie man sin we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ* 21 As touching the Saints who being dead in the flesh doe liue in Christ The intercessioÌ„ of the dead if we attribute anie prayer to them let vs not dreame that they haue any other way to intreat God but Christ Therefore the scripture calleth vs backe vnto Christ alone who is the onely way to the father* Iob 14 6. Hee is our mouth by which we speake to the father our eie wherewith we see the father our right hand whereby we offer our selues to the father 22 But follie is gone so farre that we haue heere the nature of superstition expressed which after it hath once gotten the head maketh no end of wantonnesse For vnto the intercession of Saints was added the particular procuration of euerie one according to the diuersitie of businesse sometimes one sometimes another was called vpon to be aduocate then euerie man had his seuerall Saint Safegarding Gods to whose tuition they committed themselues as to the tuition of safegarding Gods 23 Obiect The praiers of the faithfull are carried by the handes of Angelles into the sight of God An. The Angels are appointed to take charge of our safetie* not dead men Heb. 1.14 Psal 91 11. 34.8 Obiect If Moses and Samuel shall stande before me my soule is not toward this people * Ier. 25.1 therefore the dead make intercession for vs. An. But seeing it appeareth thereby that they praied not for the people it is then concluded that the dead doe not pray at all But the Lord doth only pronounce that he will not spare the wickednesse of the people although they had some Moses or Samuell at whose praiers and intercession he became so mercifull 24 Quest Shall we then take from them al praier and desire of godlinesse who during their whole life did breath out nothing but godlines and loue An. They long for with an vnmoueable will the kingdome of God which consisteth no lesse in the destruction of the wicked then in the saluation of the godlie Obiect Those men which liue vpon earth do one commend another to God by their praiers An. This duetie serueth to nourishe loue among them Why those which are aliue pray one for another when as they doe as it were deuide their necessities among themselues and mutuallie take vpon them the same And this they doe according