or properties of true Faith Loue Fidelitie and Confidence with the manner of their resultance from it p 100. CHAP. 11 Of the diuerse acceptions of faith in Scriptures or Fathers of the Romanist pernicious error concerning the nature of it and charity whereby his in aginarie workes of merit necessarily become either dead apish or polluted p 110 SECTION 2. Of immature perswasions concerning mens present estate in grace with the meanes to rectifie or preuent them of the right vse of faith and other spirituall graces Pag. 135. CHAP. 10 The generall heads or springs of hypocriticall perswasions with briefe rules for their preuention p 136 CHAP. 2 That our Assent vnto the first principles of Christianitie by profession of which the saith of auncient Christians was vsually tryed may bee to our owne apprehension exceeding strong and yet our beliefe in Christ no better then the Heathens that oppugned them that it is a matter of more difficultie to be a true Christian now then in the Primitiue Church did we rightly examine the strength â—pâ—r faith not by such points as theirs was tried but by resisting popâ—â—ar customes or resolutions of our times actully opposite to the most essentiall and vtmost as Idolatrie is to the remote or generall differences of Christian faith p 143 CHAP. 3 That we moderne Christians may hate Christ as much as wee do the memory of such Iewes as crucified him albeit readie if we were called to formall triall rather to die then openly to deny him or his Gospell what meanes are surest for iust triall whether wee be better affected towards him then these Iewes were p 163 CHAP. 4 That the fruits of righteousnesse if but of one or few kindes argue the stocke whence they spring to be either imperfect or vnsound of the danger that may come by partiality in the practise of precepts alike diuine or from difformitie of zeale that our Assent to generalities oftimes appeares greater to our selues then indeed it is from our pronenesse or eager desires to transgresse in some particulars p 174. CHAP. 5 That true faith is the soule of good workes that it equally respects all the Commandements of God and can admit no dispensation for non-performance of necessarie duties p 192 CHAP. 6 Of difficulties arising from the former discourses in the Protestants doctrine of iustification by faith without workes That faith is as immediatly aâ—t to doe good workes of euery kinde as to iustifie Of the diuerse accepâ—ions of Iustification That the iustification by workes mentioned by S. Iames is proposed as subordinate to S Pauls iustification by faith without works The true reconcilement of these two Apostles speeches contrarie only in appearance from the contrariety of their seuerall ends or intentions p 206 CHAP. 7 Of the differences betwixt vs and the Romish Church concerning Iustification or the right vse or measure of grace or righteousnesse inherent p 229 CHAP. 8 How far the Lawe must be fulfilled in this life of the regiment of grace of the permanencie of Iustification what interruptions it may admit how these must be repaired or in what sense it may be sayd to be reiterated That euerie sinne is against Gods Law though euery sinne not incompatible with the state of grace p 253 CHAP. 9 That firmly to beleeue Gods mercies in Christ is the hardest point of seruice in Christian warfare That our confidence in them can bâ— no greater then our fidelity in the practise of his coÌ„mandements That meditation vpon Christs last appearance is the surest method for grounding true confidence in him p 272 SECTION 3. Of the right plantation of Faith page 278. CHAP. â— That Christian Faith although immediately infused by God without any cooperation of man doth not exclude but rather more necessarily require precedent humane endeauours for the attaining of it p 279 CHAP. 2 That circumspect following the rules of Scripture is more auaileable for attaining true faith then the practise of morall precepts for producing morall habits That there may be naturall perswasions of spirituall truths and morall desires of spirituall good both right in their kinde though nothing worth in themselues but onely capable of better because not hypocriticall p 283 CHAP. 3 Of the fundamentall rule of Christianity to forsake all and denie our selues That the sincere practise thereof is a method more admirable and compendious for the attainment of faith then any Artist could prescribe the principles of Christianity being supposed That the want partly of instruction in the duties contained in it partly of solemne and publicke personall protestation for their performance is the principall cause of hypocrisie and infidelity p 282 CHAP. 4 That the obseruance of the former rule is most easie vnto men of meaner gifts vnto whom in this respect Gods mercy is greater then if their guiftes were better and yet his mercy iustly to bee esteemed greatest towards such as haue most excellent guifts by nature p 299 CHAP. 5 Our Sauiours Parables especially those Mat 13. Mark 4. Luk 8 most soueraigne rules for the plantation and growth of faith of vnfruitfull hearers resembled by the high-way side and stonie ground with briefe caueats for altering their disposition p 306 CHAP. 6 Of that temper which in proportion answeres to thornie ground of the deceitfulnesse of riches how difficult a matter it is to haue them and not to trust in them The reason why most rich men of our times neuer mistrust themselues of putting this trust in Mammon p 310 CHAP. 7 Of the antipathy betweene true faith and ambition or selfe-exaltation That the one resembles our Sauiours the other Sathans disposition Briefe admonitions for auoiding such dangers as growe from other branches of voluptuous life p. 317. CHAP. 8 Of the goodnesse or honesty of heart required by our Sauiour in fruitfull hearers of the ordinarie progresse from faith natural to spirituall and the different esteeme of diuine truths or precepts in the regenerate man and him that is not but sincerely desires to bee such vacancy to attend all intimations of the spirit to be sought after by all meanes possible That alienation of our chiefe desires from their corrupt obiects is much auaileable for purchase of the inestimable pearle p. 331. CHAP. 9 That faith cannot excercise it soueraigntie our affections or desires vntil â—t be seated in the hart with brief admonitions for bringing it into his throne p. 346. Places of Scripture expounded or illustrated by Obseruation in the Treatise following ⸪ Out of the Olde Testament GENESIS Cha. 22 Verse 2 TAke now thine onely sonne Isaac whom thou louest c. Section 1. chap. 7. parag 5. Verse 12 Sect. 1. chap. 8. par 9. EXODVS Cha. 10 Verse 8 9 10 Goe and serue the Lord your God but who are they that shall goe c. Sect. 2. c. 8. par 5. Verse 26 Therefore our cattell also shall goe with vs c. neither do wee know how we shall serue the Lord vntill we come thither ibid.
the Scribes and Pharisees yee shall in no case enter into the kingdome of heauen What righteousnesse doth he here meane Inherent questionlesse for he presseth such an vniforme obseruation of all the Commaundements as Saint Iames doth The Scribes and Pharises did as it euen seems then calumniate him as they afterwards did Saint Paul and the Pontificians do vs stil as a destroier of the Law because he reprooued their confidence in workes and sought to establish the doctrine of faith which we now reach Needfull in this respect was that eaueat Thinke not that I am come to destroy the Lawe or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill them Whosoeuer therefore shall breake one of these least commaundements and shall teach men so he shall bee called the least in the Kingdome of Heauen but whosoeuer shall doe and teach them the same shall be called the greatest If by the kingdome of heauen he meant the kingdome of grace the argument is more strong then otherwise it would be howsoeuer strong it is and not impeached by this reply That such obseruance of the Commaundements as is here required is necessarie to sanctification or saluation not to iustification That it should be more necessary to one of these then to another implies a contradiction in the termes well expressed and equally compared as it doth vnto our Sauiours purpose to say that workes are lesse necessarie before iustification then after it A man in that he is iustified is the immediaâ—e heire of saluation at the least acquitted from the sentence of death now if we affirme such righteousnesse more necessarie after he is iustified then before we should in congruitie grant that workes win heauen and faith only deliuers from hell or granting iustification to be the passage from death to life eternall the addition of such workes subsequent as were not precedent could be auaileable onely to supererogate some excesse of glory for though wee stood still at the same point where iustification found vs wee should be infallible heires of glorie Or if faith without workes obtaine iustification hauing iustified vs shall it not much more without them lay sure hold on saluation and all the degrees of ioy that do accompanie it Suppose a man should die in the very instant wherein he is iustified none would doubt either of absolution or saluation Is he then saued with workes or without them If without them our Sauiours rule doth faile vs for this man enters into the kingdome of heauen without more strict obseruance of the Commandements then the Scribes and Pharisees vsed without any part of that righteousnesse whereof they in some measure were partakers If with them their presence is necessarie to iustification and in order of nature before it because necessary ere he can be capable of entrance into the kingdome of heauen as performance of euery condition is in nature precedent to the accomplishment of what is not promised without it Againe no man denies but faith inherent in order of nature goes defore iustification in that sence we take it yet iustifying faith necessarily includes such workes in it as Saint Iames requires at the least a preparation or immediate promptnesse of minde to do them and more then so was not in the worke of Abraham which he commends seeing Isaac vvas not actually facrificed but offered vp by faith vnfaigned to bee sacrificed and this worke or rather thus much of it did goe before iustification either as the cause doth before the effect or as the meanes before the end for as Saint Iames sayth he was iustified by it But that perhaps in his language and intent was no more then to bee declared iust So would I answere were I Aquinas his scholler and held iustification to consist in habituall righteousnesse or grace infused Thus Bellarmine very well expounds the like speech of Saint Iohn Hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous Because of his deeds or his workes No but by them he is knowne to be righteous For he is said to be righteous that doth righteousnesse as he that moues is sayd to be liuing or the tree good that beares good fruit yet is not the tree therfore good because it beares good fruit nor doth a man liue because he moues but contrariwise the one moues because he liues the other brings forth good fruite because good so in like manner he that doth righteousnesse is righteous yet not righteous because he doth righteousnes but he doth righteousnesse because he is righteous This answere shaped by him for Saint Iohn would haue better be fitted Saint Iames as the gloze which they put vpon S. Iames would not altogether so il beseeme Saint Iohn That he had meant the second iustification whereby a man receiues increase of grace and is more iust had been harder for vs to disprooue though most improbable for them to affirme But that S. Iames should meane this second iustification as the Trent Councell without any shew of probability boldly auoucheth is manifestly disprooued by his instance in Rahab for the first righteousnesse shee euer wrought was the receiuing of the messengers and sending them out another way and yet by this worke was shee iustified in that sence Saint Iames meant not in the sight of men but of God For the drift of his dispute is to shew that without workes no man can be approoued in Gods sight howsoeuer he may perswade himselfe and others Abrahams and Rahabs workes are but branches of that religion whose practices he had commended to those his disciples as pure and vndefiled before whom Man onely No before God euen the Father The religion it selfe he exemplifies by obseruance of the affirmatiue and negatiue precepts as in visiting the fatherlesse and widowes in their distresse and by keeping themselues vnspotted of the world Bellarmines instance in Abrahams workes euidently refutes their opinion that thinke workes onely declare vs iust his allegation of Rahabs kindnesse or hospitality more forcibly ouerthrowes the Trent Counsell and his owne imagination that Saint Iames should meane the second iustification whereby a man of iust becomes more iust then which nothing can be imagined more contradictory to the Apostles meaning For who can thinke he reputed them for iust whom hee called vaine men in that they had faith without workes the same faith notwithstanding seconded with workes had as our aduersaries contend made them iust not more iust then before for now they were first to become iust being before vniust and transgressors of the Lawe as the Apostle prooues in that they had respect vnto persons The iustification therefore he sought by Rahabs example to bring them vnto vvas if so vve distinguish the first iustification whereby of transgressors they were to become new men in CHRIST and inwardly righteous not in the sight of man but of God for whatsoeuer this Apostle denies of faith without workes he attributes to faith with workes Now it is graunted by
all that he held faith without workes to be altogether vaine and vnable to iustifie in the sight of God if with them it were in his iudgement not sufficient he had denied all iustification in Gods sight either by faith alone or by workes and faith so as no meanes of saluation could be left vs. More arguments I need not vse for euery obseruant Reader may furnish himselfe with plenty all demonstratiue that workes taken as Saint Iames meant not for the act or operation onely but either for the act or promptitude to it are necessary to iustification not before men but before God and in order of nature precedent 2. But the Readers minde as for a while mine was may be held in suspense that albeit we must be operatrue ere we can be iustified yet the first operation of that faith which iustifies is alwaies seen in the busines of iustification as that of Saint Austen may necessarily seeme to imply Bona opera sequuntur iustificatum non praecedunt iustificandum If we be not iustified as all agreed without some operation or worke of faith and all other good workes as this Father affirmes are not precedent but subsequent to iustification those operations of faith which belong to the worke of iustification must of necessity in order of nature if not of time be of all others the first This golden sentence notwithstanding will not abide ihe touch vnlesse we take iustification as Saint Austen doth for the first infusion of that grace wherby we are iustified and enabled to bring forth works truely good That the habite of grace whereof faith is the principall part or foundation should in order of nature be precedent to workes done in faith for vnlesse so done they are not truely good is a case excluded by it clearenesse from all controuersie But the workes by which as Saint Iames affirmes we are iustified must needs goe before the iustification which he speaks of yet not before the first infusion of faith vnlesse we affirme which no protestant must or any intelligent Papist doth that wee may bring foorh good workes ere faith bee planted in our soules The infallable consequence of these deductions is that betweene Saint Pauls faith and Saint Iames his iustification there must be workes intermediate of what kind it skils noâ— so they be done in faith Of workes so done to question which are in time and nature first were as if you should demaund what meates such as after a long sickenesse haue well recouered their tast and appetite vse first to feed vpon Curiosity of methode or nice prescriptions would in this case be offensiue to good stomaches which should not doe much amisse in falling to such wholsome food as first comes to hand Thus much in generall is not vnfitting to our present purpose That the internall eliâ—itiue or formall acts are in order of nature and time precedent to the impulsiue acts of faith to wit such operations or exercises of other vertues faculties or affections as are inspired by it as wee most firmely assent to Gods mercy wisdome truth and iustice before we can be faithfully mercifull iust or true or doe the workes of righteousnesse mercy or truth in faith Of the internall or proper acts or exercises of faith such as flow directly from it are before such as are conceiued by way of reflexion Such as flow immediately from the essence are at least in order of nature before such as proceed from the properties of it In both rankes these are before others of the same kinde which are of more generall or abstract points as we actually assent vnto diuine reuelations first as true then as good lastly as good to vs and yet we must so assent vnto them ere we can firmely or confidently relie vpon them nor can our reliance or trust whether on Gods prouidence in generall or vpon his mercies in CHRIST be more firme and faithfull then is our precedent deniall of our selues and renunciation of all trust in worldly meanes which property as was before obserued immediately results from our direct assent vnto Gods wisdome power and mercy and vnto our owne misery ignorance and imbecillitie From assent to both these and vnfaigned deniall of our selues thence resulting as from ioint rootes springs true confidence in Gods prouidence alwaies in order of nature precedent to stedfast and inseperable adherence vnto CHRIST which is the end of all our working and as it must for this reason be first intended so can it hardly be accomplished without some intermediate acts or exercises of Gods graces in vs vnto all which faith necessarily is concurrent If we shall then compare the acts or operations of faith amongst themselues according to the same strength or equall degrees of fidelity in doing Gods will the effectuall application of CHRISTS merits is but a branch of the former vniformity in working required by Saint Iames neither necessarily nor ordinarily the first either in order of nature or time whether we speake of application actuall and expresse or of implicit and potentiall that faith which is of strength sufficient for firme and faithfull application of Christs righteousnes or conceiuing sure trust in Gods mercie offred in him is as immediatly operatiue of other workes as powerfull to bring forth deedes of mercy alwaies vniformely prompt to doe any part of Gods will that first whereunto it is first called It was an act of that faith by which Abraham liued an act commendable in the sight of God to forsake his Countrey when God called him yet an act in time long precedent to that which was imputed vnto him for righteousnes and in his legend the holy Ghost would instruct vs that the safest way to get full assurance of our heauenly inheritance is to execute Gods will without delay first to renounce the world father and mother natiue Countrey c. that we may be ready when he shall call and on these foundations surely laid to raise our confidence in CHRIST Know saith the Apohle they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham but euery one is not the sonne of faith that saies or thinkes he belieues as his father Abraham did vnlesse he haue such an operatiue faith as Abraham had well trained to euery point of seruice that shall be enioined This speech of Saint Paul is but equiualent to that of our Sauiours If ye were Abrahams children ye would doe the workes of Abraham what were these faithfully to assent vnto the truth reuealed by God and louingly to entertaine his messengers but now saith our Sauiour You goe about to kill me a man that hath told you the truth which I haue heard of God this did not Abraham The nature and vniformity of faith supposed such as hath been often inculcated Saint Gyprians collections in this point are as strong and sound as the point it selfe is orthodoxall Christ cals them Abrahams children whom he sees operatiue in
Of Bellarmine therefore we demaund why Saint Paul should instance in Abraham his purpose being as he and all his fellowes agree onely to shew that the first iustification is not attained by workes but by faith For inferring this conclusion the iustification of Rahab had beene more sit for in Saint Pauls dialect shee receiued the messengers by faith being as Bellarmine graunts destitute of all grace before But thus he answeres As Paul when he spake of the first iustification brought the example of Abraham which belonged to the second to prooue a maiori that no vniust man is iustified by workes without faith seeing iust Abraham was not made more iust by works without faith so Saint Iames when he spake of the second iustification where by a iust man becomes more iust brought in the example of Rahab which was per tinent to the first iustification where by an impious or vnregenerate man becomes iust to shew a maiori that a iust man is made more iust by workes and not of faith onely seeing Rahab of an harlot was made iust by workes not by faith onely For it is very probable shee was not onely an harlot but an infidell before such time as shee receiued the messengers but from that time to haue beleeued in God as being prepared to iustification by that worke of mercy yet so as that good worke done by faith was not simply meritorious of iustification but imperfectly and by way of congruity 5. Surely this Authors ill will vnto vs was greater then either the loue or reuerence he bare vnto Saint Paul vpon whose words least they should seeme to fauour our cause too much he labours to foster a meaning as ridieulous as thwart and contradictory to his purpose as the Diuell himselfe could haue deuised howbeit to acquit himselfe from suspition of partialitie or particular spleene against Saint Paul he spares not to father a sence and meaning altogether as foolish vpon Saint Iames as if the like palpable abuse offered to him had beene a satisfaction sufficient for the wrong done to his fellow Apostle The reader in the meane time cannot but hence take notice vnto what miserable plunges our aduersaries in this point are put when the sonnes are thus enforced violently to sumble against their mother fallen by dashing against the stone of offence to men Iewishly minded but the onely sure foundation of life to such as seek saluation aright as also how one absurditie suffered to passe by publicke authority imboldens inferiors to forge licences for a thousand The Trent Councell ignorant of any better hath giuen faire hints vnto her children for reconciling the former seeming contradiction betwixt S. Paul and Saint Iames as they expresly doe That S. Paul when hee affirmes we are iustified freely by faith without workes must be vnderstood of the first iustification whereby wee receiue grace without any worth or merit precedent S. Iames when he affirmes we are iustified by workes and not by faith alone implies the increment of grace or righteousnesse in the godly But what had Saint Iames to doe with this second iustification when as the parties whom he proposed to refute had altogether erred from the first Did hee intend they should accumulate iustifications as we doe degrees in schooles and be twise iustifyed at once Suppose hee did yet must the second iustifycation go in order before the first Or admitting hee spake ambiguously or indeterminately of both and authorized the Church when any controuersie should arise to dispose of his voice for either as shee pleased yet what instance could worse be fit the second iustifycation whereto the Romish Church applies his meaning then Rahab who til that time as Bellarmine grants was not onely an infidell but an harlot and therefore an impious person destitute of grace and if she were iustifyed or obtained the grace of iustifycation by this work done in faith without grace as the same writer glosses vppon this text how shal we reconcile him to the Romish church which hath peremptorily determined that the grace of iustifycation is not obtained by workes and to this purpose cites that of Paul If it bee grace then is it not of workes otherwise grace should be no grace Vnto this difficulty which thus diuides the tongs of Babell our answere is casie and consonant to the perpetuall voice of Gods spirit Rahab was iustified according to Saint Iames his minde this is presumed as iust or iustifiable as well by workes as by faith because her workes were a necessarie part of that inhere â—t righteousnesse which must be in euerie one that liues by faith for though wee liue by faith onely yet onely the Iust so liue This no way contradicts Saint Paul because she did not seeke saluation by workes but did therefore worke that shee might lay sure hold on Gods promises onely by faith which is alwaies as vnable or vnapt to iustifie to sue for grace or apprehend Gods mercies aright as it is to work when occasion is offered More repugnant is this distinction of iustification first and second to Saint Pauls minde or purpose or suppose though he did not entend or acknowledge it his discourse notwithstanding might admit of it there is lesse reason why his words should be retracted as Bellarmine doth to the first iustification then why those words of S. Iames of works a man is iustified and not of faith onely should be extended to the second or if Pauls might in part be appliable to it Dauid and Abraham which he makes the maine ground of his dispute are the most vnfit instances that could haue been chosen in all the Scriptures Abraham our aduersaries grant was iust before his beliefe of that promise which was imputed to his for righteousnes yet then reiustified not by workes though not without faith as Bellarmine minceth but by faith without workes as the Apostle strongly and peremptorily inferres For to belieue Gods promises concerning the birth of Isaac was the sole act of Faith yet by this act was Abraham iustified not the first time as Bellarmine grants Wherefore Faith without workes did iustifie him the second time vnlesse hee take iustification otherwise then S. Paul there doth And if this verie same Scripture which sayth Abraham belieued God concerning Isaacs birth and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse were as Saint Iames auoucheth againe fulfilled in the offering of Isaac he was iustified the third time onely by belieuing God not by his worke neuer accomplished if wee take beliefe and iustification in the same sence the holy spirit by the mouth of Paul doth in the Epistles to the Hebrewes and the Romans Though to offer vp Isaac in sacrifice were a work yet did Abraham offer him onely by faith because faith onely impelled him to this worke yea by the very same act of Faith which had beene imputed to him for righteousnesse Hee considered sayth S. Paul that God was able to raise him vp euen from
cause of iustification by which our sinnes are formally remitted is as if we should aske one of their young pupils what were Latine for manus Iustification taken as we doe it for remission of sinnes not by inherent righteousnesse or ought within vs immediatly incompetible with them but by the externall merits of Christ is a forme or entity as simple as any formall cause can be and simple or vncompounded entities can neither haue formall causes or ought in proportion answearing to them Wherefore as I said it is either the follie or knauery of our aduersaries to demaund a formall cause of their iustification that deny themselues to beformallie iust in the sight of God For so to be iust and to bee iust onely by acceptance or non-imputation of vniustice are tearmes as opposite as can bee imagined Hee alone is formallie iust which hath that forme inherent in himselfe by which he is denominated iust and so accepted with God as Philosophers deny the same to be formally hot because it hath no forme of heate inherent in it but onely produceth heat in other bodies To be formally iust we for these reasons attribute onely vnto Christ who alone hath such righteousnesse inherent in himselfe as by the interposition of it betweene Gods iustice and sinfull flesh doth stop the proceeding of his iudgements as Phinehas zeale did stay the plague otherwise ready to deuoure the host of Israell Our aduersaries in that they acknowledge inherent righteousnesse to be the sole formall cause of iustification doe by the same assertion necessarily graunt it to be the sole true immediate cause of remission of sinnes of absolution from death and admisâ—ion to life This is the onely point from which they cannot start at which neuerthelesse whiles they stand they may acknowledge Christ come in the flesh crucified dead and buried or perhaps ascended into heauen but denie they doe the power of his sitting at the right hand of God the vertue of his mediation or intercession and more then halfe euacuate the eternity of his Priesthood as shall be shewed after this briefe explication of our assertion 2. When we teach iustification by faith and not by workes our meaning is by the doctrine of faith wee are bound to acknowledge and confesse that CHRIST IESVS by his eternall Priesthood whose offices in their seuerall places shall bee expressed is not onelie the sole meritorious cause of all graces or righteousnesse inherent requisite to finall absolution but these supposed in the party to bee absolued hee is likewise the sole immediate cause of finall absolution or iustification The latter part of this assertion may admit this ilustration Suppose a man not destitute of other senses yet ready euery moment to droupe or fall into some deadly fit vnlesse his spirits were refreshed by pleasant musicke we might truely say one in this case did liue by the sense of hearing for deafe hee should quickly die yet were musicke the sole immediate cause of his preseruation without actuall application of whose sound euen this sense it selfe by whose meanes his spirits refreshed better enable his other senses to their proper functions would foorthwith faile him In this sort doe sinfull men drawe life from CHRIST by faith alone by which likewise and not by workes wee are sayd to abide in him as being vnited in spirit to him albeit by abiding so vnited our other faculties are strengthened and viuificated to bring forth the fruits of righteousnesse The former instance notwithstanding doth not exemplifie the first part of our Assertion for musicke only continues life naturall which is supposed to haue another originall But if we speake of life spirituall maintained by saith and of which faith it selfe is a part it was originally and wholly deriued from CHRIST on whom faith and all other graces whatsoeuer tam in fieri quam infacto as well in the first production as during the time of their continuance and preseruation depend as essentially and perpetually as the light of the moone or other participated or reflected splendor doth on the brightnesse of the Sunne Nor may wee imagine that this borrowed and variable righteousnesse in vs though thus depending on the Sonne of righteousnesse is or can be euen whiles it remaines without eclipse or in such fulnesse as in this life the best men at any time are capable of sufficient for the time being to acquit or absolue vs if God should enter into iudgement with vs. This strict dependence of such righteousnesse as we haue on CHRISTS righteousnesse presupposed faith is said to iustifie vs not by any effects in vs deriued from him but by its transeunt acts reciprocally lifting vp our hearts to the fountaine whence grace and spirituall life doth flow and reflecting the beames or raies of our mindes thus illuminated vnto our mysticall head still deâ—iuing vertue from his crucified body to stint the deadly issues of sinne not vtterly to expell all reliques of vnrighteousnesse For when we take the eyes of faith of him albeit the habite of faith and other graces remaine as intire in vs as euer they were the very memory of transgressions past or the sight of sinnes inherent whilest we look on them deiect vs. According to this disferent aspect euen the best men liuing whilest this brittle glasse of mortality and mutability is in running may bee subiect to the like subalternation of hopes and feare the exiled Poâ—t hath expressed Spes mihi magna subest dum te mitissime Caesar Spes mihi respicio dum mea facta cadit Strength to my hopes doth still accrewe whil'st Caesars mildnesse I do vie we But mine owne facts whilest I beholde my heart doth faile my hopes growe colde But though sinne may often sting vs by fits and bring vs almost to deaths dore by vicissitude of despaire or dismaâ— yet we recouer as presently by faithfull looking on the glorious author as the Israelites did by beholding the visible signe of saluation 3. The controuersie hitherto proposed and declared in as scholasticke forme as our English tongue well can beare may be reduced in fewest tearmes and fittest for popular instruction vnto the right vse and immediate end of faith and other sanctifying graces We of reformed Churches with vnanimous consent of heart and minde belieue and teach and thou O CHRIST our Lord our life and strength giue iudgement out of thy throne of Maiestie whether not more agreeable to thy minde then shee which sits as Queene of heauen and brags as if she were thy best beloued Spouse or her children do That our Faith our Hope and Charitie or whatsoeuer pledges of thy fathers loue and fauour towards vs we through thy merits haue obtained were giuen vs not to alter but to better that plea we made before we had them Being by nature the sonnes of wrath and groning vnder the heauie burden of our sinnes with teares and sighes by thy precious blood by thy death and passion wee daily besought Him for
same faith though not hypostatically yet truely vnited by such a mysticall but reall vnion as may without solecisme ground as well this denomination as our title or interest in Gods fauour More consequently by much to his owne positions might Bellarmine likewise haue granted that as we are truly the sonnes of wrath by nature albeit euery lineament of Gods image in vs be not quite razed but rather all or most much defared by Adams sinne made ours partly by reall propagation but more principally in his doctrine by imputation so we become the sonnes of God by the spirit of adoption though not so powerfull in vs as vtterly to extirpate all relickes of sin yet able so to dead the force or operation of it as it did the remainder of Gods image in vs before we were renewed by Christ Thus walking not after the flesh though in the flesh nor working sin though sin worke in vs we may through grace or this earnest of the spirit but onely for the righteousnesse of Christ whereto wee are by it vnited haue a more reall title to be enstiled his brethren sons of our heauenly father then Hee can haue as Bellarmine obiects by our doctrine he hath to be called the son of him that is the father of lies and Iesuiticall equiuocation Albeit there was no guile in him yet hee bare the punishment due to our rebellions and was not this commutation of punishment â—herby the seruants of sin are acquitted and the Lord of righteousnesse condemned sufficient to make such as are in part willing to doe for others as hee hath done for them immediately capable of absolution by his innocency of reward by his righteousnesse The a Apostle doubtlesse meant no lesse when hee saide He hath made him to be sin for vs which knew no sin that we should be made the righteousnesse of God in Him 7. The second point against which our aduersaries dash doth so euidently bewray their greatest pilots vnskilfulnesse in this hauen of saluation as euery childe that can repeate his Pater noster may easily perceiue the Trent Fathers themselues did not vnderstand it Nor can the subscribers to this decree vse that celestial prayer without plain mocking of God and Christ This imputation needs no other proofe then the cleare proposall of such positions as they now all holde de fide Take wee then one of their Catechumenies whether destitute of faith or no it skils not that hath not as yet attayned to the first iustification as they distinguish that is one destitute of habituall grace or inherent righteousnesse such a man by their Churches discipline is â—â—â—mitted or rather commanded to vse this petition amongst the rest forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. What sinnes or trespasses doth hee request should be forgiuen him Mortall especially for their remission onely is necessary to the first iustification But how must God remit them Immediately by pardoning or forgiuing them No they are immediately remitted by actuall introduction of the contrary former grace inherent which formally expels them out of the soule as light to vse Bellarmines owne illustration of their positions in this point doth darknesse out of the aire Nor is there any possibility of remitting sinnes by other meanes left to omnipotence it selfe since the publication of Iesuiticall Comments vpon the Trent Councells decree What then is the full meaning or finall resolution of this petition whilest vttered by men as yet not iustified Lord forgiue vs our trespasses or mortall sinnes This verily and no other Lord by infusion of thy grace make vs such as shall not need of thy pardon or forgiuenesse For to holde that ouer and aboue the infusion of that grace by which the staine of sinne being clearely wiped out we are made iust Gods fauour or condonation to vse their Latine word with addition of one English letter is any way requisite for our acceptance or approbation with him is in formall tearmes the very opinion which Vasquez so peremptorily condemnes in Canus Nedina Victoria Gabriel Richardus Ariminensis Scotus and others as contradictorie to the Trent Councells oft mentioned decree and so indeede it is for by that decree being made formally iust by grace alone we become the immediate or formall obiects of Gods iustice or fidelity now strictly bound to render vs quid pro quo eternall life for grace inherent vtterly exempted from all dependance on his mercy and fauour And whereas some of their late Writers desirous to giue the Church all possible satisfaction yet partly fearing openly to wrong God or flatly to contradict his word had granted that grace infused did quite extirpate all sinne and make vs absolutely iust in our selues but yet could not by it nature or sole entitie obliterate all relation of trespasse or offence commited against God before wee had it as being vnable to make full recompence or satisfaction for them euen this opinion is now reiected as hereticall and contrary to the Councells meaning It remaines therefore that the true and full meaning of that petition in the Lords prayer forgiue vs our trespasses according to our aduersaries construction is Lord grant that we stand not in neede of thy forgiuenesse if wee suppose this petition to be conceiued either by men destitute of perfect inherent righteousnesse or such as distrust or doubt whether they haue it or no. But imagine a man could be as I thinke few Papists are more then morally certaine hee were in the state of perfect grace his vse of the same request would bee superfluous or requisite onely in respect of veniall sinnes albeit euen these if they imprint any vncomely marke or aspersion neuer so light on their soules must be taken away by introduction of the contrary forme as by acts of penitency or the like whereunto Gods concourse or aide of grace is necessarie so that his desiring God to forgiue him them is but to request his help that he may not need his fauour And though in their esteeme but a light one yet a prety mockery of God it is that after infusion of grace they should not stand in neede of his mercy or imputation of their Redeemers righteousnesse either for remitting or taking away of the staine of mortall sinnes or the punishment due vnto them and yet after God hath done all and Christs mediation as farre as concernes them fully accomplished most of them must be highly beholden to the Pope not onely in this life but after death for releasing the punishment due to veniall and petty sinnes 8 Some part of the first difficultie Bellarmine from what place of Caluin Melancthon and Chemnitius I remember not he expresseth not hath thus proposed CHRIST is our mediatour not onely in our first reconciliation but during the whole time of our life in which regard we alwayes stand in neede of his intercession and consequently alwayes sinne and transgresse the Law otherwise CHRIST after our first reconciliation
despaire of saluation In that they make such grace the sole formal cause of iustificatioÌ„ without which as all grant there is no entrance into Gods rest a Romanists trust hope or beliefe of life eternall as possible to him must first be terminated in the same degrees vnto so full a measure of grace or righteousnesse as they require either as present or possibly future He that doubts as Bellarmine confesseth â—ll mâ—st haue iust cause to doubt whether hee bee perfectly righteous or no must of necessity conceiue equall doubt of his estate in grace He that knows as who throughly examining his own heart for any space together but may know he is not able to plead for his cause with God in iustice is bound to belieue his present want of sauing grace Hee that cannot raise his heart through consciousnesse of his often transgressions much deiected to these magnanimous hopes of euer being able to fulfill the Law of God is this distrust remaining by his blinde beliefe of the Churches infalibility in this decree bound finally to despaire of saluation or any good Gods mercies or his Redeemers blood can doe him VVee are content to take Bellarmines testimony as authentique against his fellowes that our arguments prooue his former conclusion It is safest to put our whole trust and confidence in Gods mercies the vndoubted consequence whereof is that the Trent Councell did erre perniciously in so resoluing this principall point of saluation as hath beene declared But it is a wonder to behold what miraculous reconciliations the imaginary vnity of the Romane Church can worke in Iesuiticall braines Bellarmine whether out of feare of sharper censure enforced to vse this miserable shelter or so dazled with the mysticall vnity of the inerrable Church that hee could discerne no difference betwixt the Trent Councells decree and his owne conclusion takes it as approued by the Romane Church because that Church allowes the same collect wee doe vpon Sexagessima Sunday As if because he now had captiuated his vnderstanding to thinke the Church is alwaies the same and cannot erre therefore the author of that collect must needs be of the same mind the Trent Councell was when as a greater part of their best Schollers about the time it was celebrated did in this point better accord with the Auspurge confession then with it Had the doctrine contained in that collect been exhibited to the Councell by reformed Churches it had bin as peremtorily condemned as any Article of Wikliffe or Luthers doctrine but now seeing it hath slept so long in their liturgy that the sufferance of it may seeme to argue a tacite consent or approbation of that Church into whose thoughts it neuer came the author of it though for ought they know a man as obnoxious to error as we are out of all question of our opinion in the point of iustification must be thought not to haue erred in coÌ„ceiuing that praier which the Church allowes his meaning rather shall bee quite contradictory to his words More then miraculous must the composition of that body haue beene which but one in it selfe should exactly haue symbolized with euery ingredient in olde chaos yet no lesse strange may the Iesuites temper seeme were hee not homo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which can infallibly belieue euery opinion held for this thousand yeares by that Church which in respect of faith and doctrine is but one after the same manner chaos was one huge masse of contrarieties and confusions in this respect better consorting with Iesuiticall faith which is but a prime matter or indeficient seminary of various treachery as the whole body of his religion is but a meere hogepoge of dictinctions CHAP. VIII How farre the Law must be fulfilled in this life of the regiment of grace of the permanencie of iustification what interruptions it may admit how these must be repaired or in what sense it may bee said to be reiterated That euery sin is against Gods Law though not incompatible with the state of grace 1. SEeing that iustification which is by faith in Christ so much pressed by S. Paul presupposeth that state of integrity or qualification for acceptance with God whereunto S. Iames requireth workes or to vse his words the fulfilling of the royall Law of libertie without respect of persons or reserued indulgence to our desire it will be necessary briefly to examine how far the Law may be fulfilled by vs in this life or which is all one with what measure of inherent righteousnes or sanctifying grace that faith which onely iustifies must bee accompanied Now seeing the Law is but the image of Gods will or of that internall Law of righteousnesse which was in Christ whereunto faith as hath beene saide includes a conformity such a fulfilling of the Law in this life as may witnesse our true imitation of diuine goodnesse noâ— in good will or minde onely but in good workes is in this life not onely possible but requisite We must be perfect as our heauenly father is perfect which speech of our Sauiour cannot be vnderstood according to the measure of perfection nor was he himselfe as man so holy and perfect as God his father but according to the truth of the proposition for vero nihil verius we must be as truely perfect and holy according to that imperfect measure which our polluted nature is capable of as God is according to the infinite or absolute perfection of holinesse yet are wee not holy after the same manner Christ was holy or Adam in the state of his integrity It is a very fit distinction vsed by diuines in this argument that there is a twofolde perfection one of parts another of degrees whereof the former is as necessary as the other impossible to all in this life The perfection of parts may in generall be illustrated by a childe or infant which though wanting the strength and agility hath the true life and right proportion of man in euery part and able in some sort to moue euery member it hath though not by perfect motion Strong sound men in Christ Iesus we canot be in this life yet altogether dead monstrous or mishapen wee may not bee Howbeit if wee apply this resemblance to the point in question it better fits that opinion of the Diuines of Colen which held mens righteousnes inherent to bee imperfect onely in respect of the quantity then the doctrine of reformed Churches which with our best righteousnes admit a mixture of sin inherent so as this perfectioÌ„ of parts according to their teneÌ„ts may more aptly bee compared vnto a childe indued with life and rightly proportioned yet subiect to some disâ—aâ—e or infirmity able to walke but depraued in all his motions alwayes pâ—one to stumble or fall The maner as wel of sins inherence in our nature after infusion of grace as of its concurrence in our actions shal be declared by Gods assistance in the seuenth
reiteration but we are not to denie that of all which is incompatible onely with some Wee are therefore to consider there is a threefold iustification one radicall or fundamentall which is the infusion of habituall grace or faith and this is neuer but one another actuall which I accompt actuall supplications made in faith for the remission of sinnes committed either before the infusion of faith or after What it is to pray in faith is partly intimated before partly in the end of this Chapter else-where more fully and purposely handled The third is iustification vertuall which consists in the performance of that and the like precepts watch and pray continually which cannot be meant of actuall prayers for hee that so praies continually shall continually vse much babling In this perpetuity of vertuall prayer consists the permanent duration of iustification which yet hath many interruptions A man may haue the habite of faith and yet not alwaies pray in faith either actually or vertually as he may be out of charity with his brother or vnlawfully deteine goods wrongfully gotten without present forfeiture of his estate in grace though to pray in faith it is impossible in the one case vntill hee be reconciled to his brother or haue freely forgiuen him in the other vntil he hath made restitution of those things his conscience condemned him for keeping The perpetuitie of this vertuall prayer or iustification therein consisting depends vpon the continuance of some former resolution or intention made in faith which is not alwaies preiudiced by minding other matters but only by doing things forbidden by the law of God or as S. Paul speakes not of Faith A man intending to go a iourney vertually continues his former intent so he keepe on his way without digression albeit he actually minde not the businesse hee goes about but entertaine such other thoughts or discourse as way or company shall affoord But if through too much minding cōpany or other matters he should chance to wander or for slow opportunities of dispatching his intended businesses his vertuall intention is interrupted and time lost must bee redeemed with double diligence So must such ruptures as actuall sinnes or omission of necessarie duties make in the perpetuity of vertuall praying or permanency of iustification thence depending be repaired with actuall praiers made in faith But here wee may descry the idle curiosity of some wits more acute then subtile at least then sound and rather apt through multiplying entities without necessity to obscure matters in themselues distinct and cleere then to cleere difficulties or obscurities For some there bee which speake of Faith and Repentance as of two spirituall habits or graces really or at least essentially distinct It is one thing indeed to rise another to walke yet both immediate and proper acts of one and the same motiue faculty so is it one thing to belieue and another to repent yet both formall acts of one and the same habite only the later includes a peculiar reference to a slip or fall whence it receiueth a distinct name from the former which specially imports a direct progresse in the way of godlinesse without interruption Better we cannot notifie the nature of true repentance then by restauration of faith to it wonted throne out of which it had for a time bin iustled by sinfull affections though not deposed from it soueraigntie as Dauid was preiudiced by his sonnes rebellion and for a time enforced to forsake the Hill of Sion though not depriued of his kingdome Euen such repentance as vsually goes before regeneration hath a correspondent faith annexed the difference betwixt them onely such as is betweene heate and calefaction which as some good Philosophers resolue vs is heate not acquired or consistent but onely in the motion or acquisition Or briefly to speake more fully Faith alwaies moues vnto repentance which generally taken may in few words not vnfitly be defined to be a sorrow for sin conceiued and moderated by faith and as the faith is such is the sorrow either meerly morall or truely spirituall 4. The summe of all we haue deliuered in these two chapters is briefly but most diuinely set downe by Saint Iohn who though hee vse not the formall tearmes of iustification yet expresseth by nature of it howsoeuer taken by words equiualent or rather more theologicall or significant as by fellowship with God the Father his Sonne CHRIST and his members and by the fruits of it fulnesse of ioy For being iustified by saith as Saint Paul sayth we haue peace with God through our Lord IESVS CHRIST and reioice in hope of his glorie This then is the message sayth Saint Iohn which we haue heard of him and declare vnto you that God is light and in him is no darknesse at all If vvee say we haue fellowship with him and walke in darknesse we lie and do not the truth But if we walke in the light as he is in the light we haue fellowship one with another This walking in the light as God is in the light is that iustification or qualification whereof S Iames speakes whereby wee become immediatly capable of Christs righteousnesse or actuall participants of his propitiation which is the sole immediate cause of our iustification taken as S. Paul doth it for remission of sins or actuall approbation with God The truth of which doctrine Saint Iohn likewise ratifies in tearmes equiualent in the words immediately following And the blood of CHRIST clenseth vs walking in the light as God is in the light from all sin not from such onely as were committed before the infusion of that grace which is the ground of our fellowship with God and amongst our selues the very lamp by whose light wee walke but from all subsequent transgressions of what kinde soeuer Now if we say that we such as S. Iohn then was regenerate and in the state of grace haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. Euen such then as walke in the light are sinners and not iust in themselues but onely as they are besprinkled with CHRISTS righteous bloud Neuerthelesse if we confesse our sinnes faithfully he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse not from sinnes veniall onely And is there any circumstance either in the matter or manner of his discourse which may occasion vs to suspect the same word sinne should not be of equall importance in both these places last cited and that third following These things write I vnto you that you sinne not What venially only No questionlesse he was more desirous that they should not sinne mortally nor do the authors of this distinction deny that men regenerate may sinne so grieuously as to fall both totally and finally from grace yet sayth S. Iohn If any man sin as there is no man that sinneth not both mortally and venially by our aduersaries grant vvee haue an Aduocate with the Father
was no sinne in him had they beene of God they might haue knowne him to be his sonne For hee that is of God heareth Gods word but they therefore heard them not because they were not of God In this saith Saint Iohn the children of God are manifest and the children of the diuell whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother As this phrase to doe righteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euidently imports not the bare acts but habituall practice of righteousnesse so needes must the like phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to commit sinne include an habituall practice or trade of sinne and yet to commit sinne and to sinne are vsed promiscuously as tearmes altogether equiualent in this chapter by Saint Iohn Our former conclusion therefore is most firme that the difference supposed by the same Apostle in these two places If wee say that we haue no sinne we deceiue cur selues and whosoeuer abideth in him sinneth not consists not in the act or obiect of sinne but in the habit or affection of him that sinneth The same answere fully reconciles the like speeches of Saint Iames. He that offends in one to wit habitually or indulgently is guilty of all and yet in many things we all offend actually not habitually or out of infirmity not with delight But euery offence whether actuall or habituall whether of infirmity or of purpose is directly against the Law or will of the Lawgiuer for neuer was woman I thinke so wilfull or pettish as to bee offended vnlesse her will were thwarted or contradicted onely cases altogether omitted which can haue no place in God or matters in their nature meerely indifferent can truely be said to be besides the Law or his minde that made it 7. But perhaps that passage of scripture which first instructed and since confirmed me in the truth hitherto deliuered will giue best satisfaction to the Reader Concerning that exclamation of Saint Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death some make question but no learned Diuine I thinke will demaund whether Dauid vttered that complaint of himselfe or of some other Who can vnderstand his errors cleanse me from my secret sinnes yet was he then borne of God for vnto him the statutes of the Lord were right euen the ioy of his heart the commaundements pare and delightfull vnto his eyes his feare able to cleanse the heart his iudgements true and righteous altogether all more to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold so liuely and quicke was the apprehension of his faith and yet vniformely enclined to practice For by the commaund ements he was warned to* beware of sinne and in keeping them he found great reward But was he enabled exactly to fulfill the perfection of the Law which had conuerted his soule or did he euer hope to attaine to such perfection as the Romanist must ere he can haue any hope of life to be altogether without any sinne deserning death No this is the height of his desire Keepe backe thy seruant from presumptuous sinnes let them not haue dominion ouer me then shall I be vpright and I shall be innocent from much transgression or as the Gospell expounds his meaning from the raigne of sinne But freed there from did he not stand in need of Gods fauour or mercy for remitting the seattered forces or vanquished reliques of the host of sinne Rather thus qualified he had sure hope his praiers for mercy should be heard yet through the mediation of the Messiah that was to come For so he concludes Let the wordes of my mouth or as the inter line ary well expresseth the propheticall dialect Then shall the words of my mouth being thus freed from the raigne of sinne and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my Rocke and my Redeemer Thus did he of whom CHRIST according to the flesh was to come after his conuersion vnto God and long continuance in the state of habituall grace expect redemption not by infusion of inherent righteousnesse in so full measure as should make him immediately and formally iust in the sight of God but by fauourable acceptance of his praiers directed not to the throne of iustice but to the Lord his Rocke and Redeemer That such qualification as here he speakes of is a necessary condition of praiers made in faith that praiers so made whether for priuate or publike good are neuer reiected by God is elsewhere partly and shall God willing more at large bee shewed The like qualification for effectuall praiers another Psalmist hath expressed If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare me But verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my praier In the perpetuity of praiers or meditations thus conceiued or vttered by hearts free from the raigne of sinne or guilt of indulgence to secret vnlawfull desires haue we without dissention doubtlesse from these Prophets and holy men of God placed the permanencie of iustification actuall or vertuall which are the fruites or Crowne of iustification radicall or fundamentall the onely right vse and end of all grace inherent For though faith or grace at their first infusion may assure vs our sinnes are remitted yet may we not take these or other pledges of Gods loue and fauour as a full discharge or finall acquittance of all reckonings betwixt Him and vs but rather as a stocke bestowed vpon vs to beginne the new world with for which with the increase we must still thinke our selues accomprable Though it be a truth not vnquestionable that a man once actually iustified or truely sanctified cannot finally vse Gods graces amisse yet is it very doubtfull whether one may not either abuse or not vse such gifts of God as rightly vsed or imploied to his glory might haue beene means infallible of iustification But this is a rule as vnquestionable as true that were it possible for a man to vse any extraordinary measure of inhaerent grace amisse he were to be called to a strict accompt as well for all his former sinnes as this abuse of his talent The irresiagable consequence of which vnquestionable truth is this doctrine we now maintaine The immediate qualification for remission of sinnes is not the habit or inherence but the right vse of grace or perseuerance in praiers conceiued by that faith which vnites vs vnto CHRIST If this vertuall in tention or resolution either by contrary acts or meere negligence be remitted our sinnes past whether committed before the infusion of grace or after recouer their wonted strength according to the degrees of this remission and their seuerall waight vntill we repaire our slackenesse by feruent zeale and intensiue deuotion iointly incline the minde to distrust of Gods present fauour or our sure estate in grace 8. What we haue set downe more at large
was exactly figured in the sacrifices of the Law daily offered euen for such as by the Law were cleane and obserued Gods commaundements with as great constancy and deuotion as any now liuing doe This might instruct vs that our persons become not immediately capable of diuine presence or approbation by infusion of habituall grace or freedome from the tyrannie of sinne these are the internall characters of our royall Priesthoood whose function is continually to offer vp the sweete incense of prayers from hearts in part thus purified by faith For by such sacrifices are wee made actuall partakers of that eternall sacrifice whose vertue and efficacy remaines yesterday to day the same for euer It being so perfect and all sufficient could not be offered more then once but through the vertue of it the offrings of our Priesthood must be continually presented vnto our God Nor can we so often lift vp our hearts towards heauen but the voice of CHRISTS blood neuer ceasing to speake better things then that of Abels still ioines with our praiers and distinctly articulates our imperfect sighs or mutterings alwaies crying father forgiue them father receiue them to thy mercy seeing they are content to bee partakers of my sufferings and seeke to bee finally healed onely by my wounds As the Apostle teacheth vs that there is giuen no other name vnder heauen besides CHRIST whereby we may be saued so was it foretold by the Prophet that this saluation must be by calling vpon his name not by mediation of grace or other fruites of the spirit obtained by inuocation but by inuocation of it in truth and spirit seeing his spirit was poured out vpon all flesh to this end that all should call vpon his name and by so calling be saued This though vsually expressed in other tearmes is the opinion of orthodoxall antiquity in this point and if my coniecture faile me not the dreaming fancies of a daily propitiatory sacrifice in the Masse was first occasioned from dunsticall or drowsy apprehensions of the primitiue dialect wherein as all theâ—â— speeches of the auncient are full of life Christs body and blood are said to be often offered not in scholastique propriety of speech but in a rhetoricall figuratiue or exhortatory sense because our daily sacrifices become acceptable to God throught it because the benefits of it are as effectually applied vnto vs by our faithfull representations of it as if it were daily offered in our sight The error of moderne Romanists hence occasioned is the same with that of the old Heathens which dreamed of as many Gods as they had seuerall blessings from the Authour of all goodnesse who is but one The Prebendes of Colen notwithstanding haue made a declaration of the third sacrifice in their masse much what to our purpose so much of it as I haue here set downe needes little correction in fauourable construction Howsoeuer it sutes verie well with their forecited opinion concerning iustification How farre dissonant or consonant that is vnto the truth I leaue it to the Readers censure As for the Iesuites resolution of the same controuersie by the Trent Councels determination it is but a further document of his Magicall faith and that hee finally vseth the grace of God but as a charme or Amulet able to expell death by the ful measure of it onely worne or carried about not by actuall operation or right vse But what marueill if hee openly renounce CHRIST for his Mediatour in the principall act of redemption when as he hath chosen the Pope for the Lord his Rocke and Redemer euen for that Rocke whereon that Church against which the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile must be founded CHAP. IX That firmely to belieue Gods mercies in CHRIST is the hardest point of seruice in christian warfare That our confidence in them can be no greater than our fidelitie in practise of his Commaundements That meditation vpon CHRISTS last appearance is the surest method for grounding true confidence in him 1. LEast the end of this discourse should misse the end and scope wherto the whole was purposely directed I must intreate the Christian Reader to pardon my feare and iealousie which from the reasons mentioned in the first chapter of this section too well experienced in the temper of this present age is alwaies great least disputation against Romish heresie cast vs into a relapse of that naturall carelesnesse or hypocrisie whereof all more or lesse haue participated But for whose auoidance hereafter if thine heart be affected as mine now is and I wish it alwaies may continue let this meditation neuer slip out of thy memory That seeing the last and principall end of all graces bestowed vpon vs in this life is rightly to belieue in CHRIST this cannot bee as the drowsie worldling dreames the easiest but rather the most difficult point of Christianity The true reason why vnto many not otherwise misaffected it seems not such is because in this time of his absence from earth our imaginary loue of his goodnesse wanting direct opposition of any strong desire or resolution to manifest the leuitie or vanity of it fancieth a like affection in him towards vs. And seeing loue is not suspicious but where it is perfect excludes all feare the very conceipt of great mutuall loue betwixt CHRIST and vs not interrupted expels all conceit of feare or diffidence Hence wee vsually rest perswaded our assent vnto Gods mercies in Him is more strong then vnto most other obiects of Faith when as indeed these being the highest it would appeare to bee in respect of them the weakest had it as many daily temptations to encounter it as wee finde in practices of other duties whose habituall performance is the necessary subordinate meane to support it All the difficulties we daily struggle vvith are but straglers of that maine armie with whose entire ioint force we are to haue the last conflict about this very point which vntill the hower of death or other extraordinary time of triall is seldome directly or earnestly assaulted But then whatsoeuer breach of Gods commaundements loue either to the world or flesh hath wrought in our soules will affoord Sathan aduantage and opportunitie for more facile oppugnation of our confidence For as euerie least sinne in it owne nature deserueth death so doth the consciousnesse of it more or lesse impell the minde to distrust of life Yet euen the greatest will be content in these dayes of peace and securitie to sleepe with vs and lie quiet in hope to preuent vs in the waking and with the ioint force of lesser to surprise the soule or gaine the start or first sway of the spirit an aduantage much preiudiciall to strength otherwise more then equall Much harder it is to retract a bodie after actuall motion begun then to restraine propensions or inclinations from bursting out into actuall motions Our often yeelding vpon foreâ— warning of their assaultes in manie pettie temptations or
makes the body a sitte shop or receptacle for the humane soule which comes afterwards to exercise all her functions and operations in so doth the spirit vsually preorganize the heart for liuely and diuine faith to work the workes of God in it aright But as these workes are wrought immediately by faith though principally by the spirit which infuseth it so likewise is the heart organized by such morall or imperfect faith as they sometimes that had afterwards sinne against the holy Ghost but by it as the spirits instrument vsually preexistent to the faith which neuer failes or vnto the life of grace VVhatsoeuer may bee rightly ascribed vnto the man already regenerate in production of true fruits of the spirit as much I thinke we may giue without offence to our endeauours in framing this passiue capacity or disposition In the former after our regeneration wee are by consent of most diuines coworkers with the spirit of God albeit the works be of a supernatural quaility and so whatsoeuer we are we may without inconuenience be thought in the other it being of a nature as far inferior to the former works as the grace wherby it is wrought is to the spirit of sanctification But in what sense wee are said to cooperate with God by Gods assistance in it proper place where notwithstanding any captious or preiudicate surmise of this assertion it shall be made cleare that I giue as little to mans abilities in eyther worke as he that in reformed Churches giues the least But to our present purpose 2 The meere naturall man whether Infidell or carelesse liuer the excesse of his indocility supposed is so affected to the word of faith as a Barbatian that neither knows letter of booke nor other nurture is to ingenuous arts or liberall scienences Such as submit themselues to sacred discipline and heare the VVord preached with intention though but morrally sincere to profit by it are in this like little children or nouices in good literature that as these abstaine from sport or play for feare of chiding or whipping and follow their bookes sometimes onely for like motiues sometimes for shame least their equals should outstrippe them sometimes in hope of commendation or other childish reward so hee that is not yet but desires to bee regenerated eschews what Gods Lawe forbids but with difficulty and reluctance oft times for feare of ecclesiastique or humane censure sometimes vpon suspition rather then religious dread of plagues from Heauen hee addresseth himselfe likewise to the practise of affirmatiue precepts but vncheerefully and with distraction moued thereto either because he would not be vnlike those men whose vprightnes his conscience cannot but coÌ„mend or from som surmise rather then sure hope of diuine reward for so doing neuer from vniforme and sincere delight in the good it selfe enioyned or in the fountaine of goodnesse whence the iniunction was deriued Yet thus to be held in compasse and as it were bound to good outward abearance much auailes for bringing vs to our right mindes or for our recouery from hereditary madnesse from which our soules in some measure freed still take some tincture from the goodnesse of the obiects whereunto they are applyed and this restraint of desires or interposed abstinence from lusts of the flesh yeild opportunities or fit seasons for heauenly medicines to worke vpon vs which otherwise would proue but as good phisicke to full stomacks leauing no more impression of their sweetnesse in our mindes then wholsome foode doth in distempered or infected pallates The temper of the heart once seasoned with habituall grace is in respect of the word of faith like to a minde come to maturity in choicer learning and reaping fruits more sweet then hony or the pleasantest grape from seedes as bitter as the birch or willow so as now no bodilie paine or griefe not gout or stone or other disease can withdraw him from those studies vnto which smart of the rod in his yonger daies could hardly driue him To enforce or allure him to them vpon any other respects then onely for their natiue sweetnesse were as superfluous and impertinent as to threaten an ambitious man with honour or hiring a miser to fill his bagges with gold The fruits precedent and subsequent to true faith are in shape or outward forme as often heretofore hath been implyed the same but different in their taste or relish as also in their manner of production To abstaine from wrongs personall or reall from all pollution of the flesh to abiure ambitious proiects to mislike reuengefull wanton or couetous thoughts are fruits that may vniformely spring from that honesty and goodnesse of heart vsually precedent as we suppose to the internall renouation of the minde but must bee enforced as it were by art or externall culture The contrary positiue practises which â—esemble the workes of true sanctity notwithstanding all outward helps or enforcements of discipline good example or the like are seldome brought foorth without such testinesse or morosity as wee see in children breeding teeth whereas true faith alwaies brings forth her fruit with ioy Abstinence from euill to the minde once purified by it is as a perpetuall pleasant banquet to mortifie all bodily members more sweet then life accompanied with perfect health or then the liuelihood of youth the choicest pleasures the world or flesh can proffer though lawfull or freed from the sting of conscience seeme but as dregges to be able to represse them or intirâ—ly to enjoy our soules without them is the pure quintesence of that delight or ioy which others take in them But this is a peace which is not vsually gotten without long warre and many combats â—o thus composed we are in actuall league with Goâ— full conquerors ouer sinne and Sathan In the conflicts that procure it or rather are precedent to the procurement of it the flesh I take it hath not alwaies the sanctifying spirit for it antagonist these are sorrowes which vsually goe before the conception of true faith of which likewise such as are actuall participants doe not alwaies fight the good fight of faith but euen these sometimes whiles this generall sleeepes as they that haue not as yet taken anie earnest or prest money of him alwaies before regeneration offer battaile to the world diuell and flesh out of such resolutions to renounce them as haue beene obserued to be right in their kinde and suggested by the spirit as only assistant not as inhabitant in the heart But howsoeuer our finall victory ouer the flesh cannot be gotten but by the spirit dwelling in vs yet to entertaine these skirmishes or conflicts though out of resolutions not inherently spirituall is to verie good purpose For seeeing we cannot assigne the very mathematicall point how far reason directed by scripture or ecclesiastike discipline or externally guided by the spirit but not yet quickned by sanctifying grace or faith apt to iustifie can reach nor know the very instant wherein such grace or faith
notefie the principall errors of the Ramish Church partly because method so required partly for more commodious solution of some difficulties obiected by them in the point of instification but principally for expugning their doctrine of merits by works which as it is absolutely false so it is more abhominable in them then in vs it could bee because their workes can bee but dead being â—eparated from the life of faith by which ours so we practise as â—â—â— teach are truely quickned The controuersie itselfe I must refer to the article of CHRISTS comming vnto iudgement The second part of this Treatise aduiseth for the directing of faith aright vnto it proper end and that wee suppose to be firme adherence vnto Gods mercies in CHRIST or inseparable vnion with this our head Of this end many that seeke saluation by CHRIST vsually faile by these meanes especially First by defectiue or misgrounded perswasions of faiths inherence before they haue it or of great loue and loyalty to their Redeemer when as they remaine in the same gall of bitternesse that the heathens did which persecuted all true professors of his Gospell or the Iewes which put him to death The first roots or generall originals of these dangerous misperswasious are handled Chap. 1. The poysonous sap or iâ—â—ce of Gentilisme and Iudaisme thence propagated to most Protestants Papists or others professing the name of CHRIST and boasting themselues to be the onely braunches of the true and naturall oliue is discouered in the second and third Chapters The conclusion arising from these instances or inductions is that faith in CHRIST connot be truely notified but by sincere loue nor such loue to him otherwise knowne then by doing his fathers will or obseruing his commaundements and in obseruing some or many of these wee may be so zealous as to lay downe our liues and vndoe our selues and our posterity rather then leaue them vndone or transgresse them and yet proue but Pseudâ— Martires Ignorance of this Elench hath been the Mother of much blinde deuotion to omit the instances specified in the body of our discourse in such gallants as went to recouer the holy Land it being receiued as an vndouted maxime in the diuinity of those times that whosoeuer was slaine by the Turke or Saracen should assuredly weare a Martyres Crowne in Heauen which all that died in that warre I am perswaded did not howbe it I doe no way disparage the iust occasions of that warre onely I wish the like whensoeuer they fall out agaiue may be prosecuted with more discreet religious zeale The issue of the fourth Chap. wherein the qualification required to Martyrdome with other like points are handled at large is that the sincerity of our faith loue must be tryed by an vnpartial and vniform obseruation of all Gods commandements as is proued in the Chap. following first by the anthorities of Siracides a man well acâ—â—ainted with the sacred dialect one from whose writings we may best gather the force and extent of beleefe in Saint Paules disputes within whose limits is included that vniformity of works which Saint Iames requires vnto iustification or saluation by whose Apostolicall authority the former conclusion is refortified In perusing of this first Chapter recall to minde or haue recourse vnto the points set downe Chap. 8. Sect. 1. and vnto those passages of the eleauenth wherein the different value or diuerse acceptions of faith in Saint Paul and Saint Iames are discussed Others againe faile of the former end of faith i. vnion with CHRIST or reconciliation with God by his mediation either by inuerting the vse of faith or by mistaking the measure of sanctifying graces necessary to saluation The former error is peculiar to the Romanist who labours to misperswade himselfe and others that faith is giuen him as a bare foundation of other graces or as a talent for frewill to traffique with vntill he obtaine such a full measure of inherent righteousnesse as shall immediately acquite him of all reckonings betweene his Creator and him by expelling all reliques or slaine of sinne as vtterly out of his soule as the water doth the ayre out of the vessell which it filleth vp to the very brimme The dangerous consequences of this errour are handled at large Chap. 6. and 7. And vnto the vse and measure of faith and other graces inherent I reduce the controuersie of iustification here inserted contrary to my first intent least otherwise I might haue ministred some offence vnto the Church wherein I liue or left some scruple in the Readers minde how faith should iustifie without works the linke or bond betweene them being so strict and essentiall as I make it almost identicall The same doubt naturally offered it selfe from the discussion of Saint Iames his meaning partly in the Chapter precedent partly in the last Chapter of the the first Section Out of sundry other passages of this discourse it likewise apeares that the works required to iustification by Saint Iames are virtually included in the faith whereto Saint Paul ascribeth iustification whence it may seeme to imply a contradiction in the very tearmes to say we are iustified by faith alone without workes if in iustifying faith works necessarily he included As the Trent Councels doctrine which vpon penalty of damnation exacts a measure of inherent righteousnesse whereof mortality is not capable nurseth finall doubting or despaire so others in opposition to it minister occasion of carelesnesse or presumption either by not vrging such a measure of perfection as Gods word requires or by deeming that sufficient enough to saluation although it bee subsequent to iustification Whereas hee that can once fully perswade himselfe he is actually iustified will not easily bee brought to doubt whether he want ought necessarie to saluation All of vs that haue forsaken the Romish Church rightly acknowledge the end and vse of faith to consist in calling vpon the name of the Lord in the daie of euill and temptation and that all such as call vpon him faithfully shall bee saued But many of vs are either much mistaken by our hearers or else deceiue our selues in imagining faithfull inuocation of Gods name through Christ to be one of the easiest points or operations of faith being indeede the most difficult because the finall seruice whereunto all other obedience to his Lawes and daily wrestlings with flesh and blood doe but inure vs as souldiers in the time of peace and truce are trained against the day of battell All persecutions or exercise of our patience are in respect of this last conflict with hell and death wherein victory is obtained onely through faith in Christ but as playing at foiles in a fence schoole to better skill and courage in triall of masteries at sharpe These and like points are handled in the two last Chapters of this second section not so fully as these times require but large enough for hints to popular sermons The third and last Section shewes the necessity and
of vs haue a naturall blindnesse from our birth which he alone cantake away that gaue bodily sight to such as had been shut vp in darkenesse from the wombe The first thing wee apprehend directly and euidently vpon this change is the difference betwixt the state of the sonnes of darkenesse and the sonnes of light and this appeares greater and greater as we becom more conuersant in the workes of light whence springs an eager longing after that maruellous glorie which in the life to come shall bee reuealed whose apprehension though in this present life distinct and euident it cannot possibly be yet from a cleere and certaine apprehension first of the prophets light then of the day-starre shining in our hearts it is euident vnto vs that in due time reuealed it shall be as fully as our soules could wish Beloued saith Saint Iohn now wee are the sonnes of God and yet it doth not appeare what wee shall be but wee know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 8. Euen vnto this great Apostle that had seene the glory of Christ as of the onely begotten Sonne of God the ioyes which hee certainely beleeued to be prepared for the godly and of which he stedfastly hoped to bee partaker were as yet vnseene But was either his beliefe or hope for this reason lesse euident then certaine Not vnlesse wee make an vnequall comparison or measure them partially referring euidence to one part or quality of the obiect belieued or hoped and certainety to another As well the manner or the specificall quality as the distinct measure of those ioyes hee belieued were vncertaine because not euident or apprehensible But that God had prepared such ioyes for his Saints as no eie had seene such as their conceipt could not enter into the heart of man whilest inuailâ—d with this corruptible flesh was most certaine to him because most euident from their present pledge that peace of conscience which passeth al vnderstanding yet kept his heart and minde in knowledge and loue of Christ Iesus being an infallible euidence of those ioyes which were not euident the sure ground of all his incomprehensible hopes This cleere apprehension of our present estate wee may call an euidence of spirituall welfare or internall sense directly answering to that naturall euidence or certaine knowledge men haue of their health or hearty cheerefulnesse when their spirits are liuely and their bodies strong not disturbed with bad humours their mindes not cumbred or disquieted with anxious carking thoughts Of errours incident to the intermediate state beetweene the sonnes of darkenesse and the sonnes of light if any such there be or to our first apprehensions of this change and of the meanes to auoide them the Reader shall finde somewhat in the two next Sections of this Booke but more particularly in the Treatise Of the triall of Faith or Certainety of inherent grace In this place wee onely suppose as there is no liuing creature indued with those animall spirits that quicken the organs of bodily sense but euidently feeles paine or pleasure so is there none truely partaker of the Spirit of God but hath or may haue an euident feeling of this ioy and griefe of conscience which is to other obiects of knowledge truly spirituall as is the touch to the rest of our senses yet may we not thinke this feeling to bee alike euident in all For one liuing creature excelleth another in apprehension of proper sensitiue obiects all alike euident in themselues but so are not the senses or apprehensiue faculties of seuerall creatures alike nimble quick or strong 9. But for mine owne part the opinion generally receiued amongst the schoole men and other learned Clarkes that faith in respect of speculation or discourse should bee an Assent vneuident hath made mee often to suspect my dull capacity in matters of secular knowledge Aristotles Philosophy I had read ouer and yet could I hardly call any conclusion in it to minde that might with greater euidence be resolued into cleere vnquestionable principles then most effects or experiments reuolution of times affoord may bee into the disposition of a prouidence truely diuine And considering with my selfe how grosly hee should often faile that would vndertake to set forth a comment of my inward thoughts by obseruation of my outward actions when as no alteration of times of persons or places euer swarued from the rules of Scripture I rest perswaded that the same diuine prouidence which guides the world and disposeth all the actions of men did set foorth these euerlasting comments which neuer change of his owne consultations or decrees concerning them Againe acknowledging this eternal diuine power alike able to effect his wil purpose by ordering the vnruly wils of this presentage though their pollicies be of a contrary mould to such as heretofore we haue heard hee hath defeated the former inference as it seemed more religious so more euident then our aduersaries make when from a supposition onely of some infallible authoritie in some present Church they presently assume it must reside in the visible Romish Church representatiue yet this collection they hold euident by the habit of Theologie albeit they admit no discourse in Assent of Faith which is their second fundamentall errour in the doctrine of life another maine roote of Romish witchery For thus farre at least all the Sonnes of God make faith to bee discursiue that fom euident experience of Gods fauours past or present they alwaies inferre a certainetie of the like to ensue To the most of them in their distresse it was euident deliuerance should be sent them although the deliuerance it selfe were not so although they distinctly apprehended not by what meanes or in what manner it should bee wrought The immutability of Gods decree concerning the saluation of his people whether generall or particular being as well knowne as the stability of his couenant for vicissitude of day and night or other seasons the godly euen while they were themselues beset with sorrow and euery where enuironed with calamity or sawe the Church almost ouerwhelmed with vniuersall deluges of affliction might resolue for the generall that all in the end should turne vnto their good that continued in faith and loue to the Redeemer as vndoubtedly as men at mid-night may gather that the Sunne shall arise though they know not in what manner whether vnder a cloud in a mist beeset with vapours or appearing in his naturall brightnesse Thus saith the Psalmist Heauinesse may lodge with vs for a night but ioy commeth in the morning Yea thus saith the Lord which giueth the sunne for a light to the day and the courses of the moone and of the starres a light to the night which breaketh the Sea when the waues thereof roare his name is the Lord of Hoasts If these Ordinances depart out of my sight then shall the seede of Israell cease from being a nation before
me for euer Doubts againe in other points apprehended and assented vnto though but conditionally or imperfectly yet by the habit of Christian faith are finally resolued into the article of the diuine prouidence which is to most others as vndoubted principles to scientificall conclusions whence faith admits such discourse or resolution as hath been mentioned in the former bookes 10. A speculatiue euidence likewise there is intensiuely as perfect as can be expected in most demonstratiue sciences but infinitely more pleasant though we respect only the transient delight of actuall contemplation and extensiuely no lesse though not for facilitie of its apprehension or number of persons to whom it so appeares yet for the multitude of necessary inferences vpon one and the same subiect all which might appeare most euident to all were not many of vs wilfully blinde slothfull or carelesse and yet discoursiue too because analitical the resolution I meane of Euangelicall testimonies into Propheticall predictions legal types or historical figures of the Messiah as in due place by Gods assistance shall be manifested If anie obiect that this resolution can be euident onely vpon supposition if the Scriptures of the old Testament were from God I must answere him as the Parents of that blinde man did the captious Iewes search them For their Characters rightly taken euidently signifie their vndoubted antiquitie to be greater then any record he can bring of this distinct vicissitude betwixt day and night summer and winter seed time and haruest or other seasons the possibility of whose interruption in times past may from some extraordinary changes within our memory be argued with greater probabilitie then any can possibly be brought why the bookes of holy scripture should be suspected for new and counterfait And the antiquity of the old Testament being euident the admirable consonancie of it with the new and multitude of manifest experiments euery kind fully answerable to their rules better ascertaines the truth of Gods promises contained in them then any induction natural reason can frame to proue either the vicissitude of times or seasons or reuolution of the heauens to haue been since the beginning perpetuall The truth of which conclusion as of many others in Philosophy for which great Artists thinke they haue demonstratiue reasons I professe I much better belieue and more euidently know from Gods couenant to this purpose recorded in sacred writ then from all the writings of Philosophers or any reason they or I can bring or our successors shall be able to finde although after vs they study this point till the foundations of the earth be shaken the elements melt with heat and the heauens be gathered like a scrole Yea further to me it seemes an euident demonstration from the effect that there is such a subtill Polititian as wee call the Diuell which cunningly bewitcheth or blinds the eyes of mens soules or else with golden balls auerts them from looking vnto those heauenly misteries in that they seeme either incredulous or improbable vnto such as can discerne the truth of curious and abstruse conclusions in secular arts 11. Lastly of those Articles which seeme to flesh and blood as is their distinct apprehension euen to Gods children in this life most impossible the possibility is directly euident That they shall actually be accomplished depends vpon resolution of promises made to vs in Scripture into his fidelity that hath promised whereof wee haue euident and full assurance The one ranke of especiall marks wherat these present meditations aime shal be to set forth these seueral euidences in the articles wherto they properly belong as the euidence of possibility in the Articles of creation and the resurrection of our mortall bodies the euidence of speculation in the Articles of the God-head diuine prouidence of Christs incarnation life death passion and resurrection the euidence likewise of internall sense answering to touch or taste in the doctrine of Original sinne and life euerlasting Not that Assent in respect of this obiect can be euident to mortality but that there may be a cleere distinct apprehension of such a disposition as hath been mentioned of body and minde more then naturall inclining our soules with patience to expect the accomplishment of those promises concerning ioyes vnspeakable in the world to come which though neuer formally represented may notwithstanding be fully assented vnto in this life as certainly future from sure experiments of his fidelity and ability that exhibited this present pledge or assurance whether the certaintie of future matters yet vnseene or vndistinctly apprehended can possibly in this life bee as great as the euident certaintie of their present assurances or vvhether delay or long expectation necessarily weaken faith as excesse in length makes bodies of equall strength more easie to be broken then if they were shorter hath a more fit place to be disputed in The euidence of Faith answerable to the euidence of bodily motion or impulsion must be reserued as Artists do difficult problems as an appendix to this worke finished he that is desirous of information in this kinde may finde rules not altogether impertinent to this effect in such as write of the triall of spirits or mysticall Theologie 12. Here some happily will demaund whether this Assent we treate of being of things past present and to come or of things partly seene and partly vnseene bee properly termed faith in respect of all or some of these onely For ought I haue obserued in Scripture or from the common vse of speech the name of faith is giuen to it especially in respect of things past or to come which are vnseen but this I dispute not It sufficeth that the habit of inherent grace whereby wee formally assent vnto all the obiects of Christian faith whether they include a relation vnto times present past or to come is one the same and may in part be defined an Assent vnto supernaturall truths reuealed in Scriptures firme in respect of all directly euident only in respect of some Or if any will exclude euidence from the definition because not incident to those obiects with reference to which this habit originally takes his name let him say it is a firme infallible Assent vnto supernaturall truths already past or hereafter to he manifested grounded vpon an experimentall euidence of others present or vpon a true knowledge of scriptures diuine truth or such points as they teach indefinitely considered without peculiar reference to this or that time 13. From these discussions about the imperfect euidence or certainety of some the inexhaustible capacity of all and the incomprehensiblenesse of the two finall obâ—ects of Christian faith life and death euerlasting the one distinctly apprehended in its pledge or assurance the other in its presignifications it may appeare the most natiue property of this Assent thus far differenced is admiration horror Admiration is properly of things rare and excellent knowne in part but not comprehended so as the more we know the more
or right mixture of our sensitiue desires or affections Or lastly seeing in true Philosophy the faculties sensitiue and intellectiue are but branches of one and the same soule or at the most but two parts of that compleat forme which distinguisheth a Man from creatures inanimate and takes from him life sense and reason all at once by it departure this Assent of faith being such as we haue sayd may most commodiously be placed in the common center wherein sensitiue and intellectiue inclinations concurre whence it may easiliest commaund the motions of both and diffuse it force and vertue throughout the whole substance and euerie faculty of the humane soule 16. If the Reader be desirous to haue the definition of faith or that part of it which naturally ariseth from this discourse comprehended as the schoole fashion is in two words he shall not much mistake if he terme it a spirituall prudence which includes as much as an Assent of the inteliectiue faculty able to ouersway and moderate the sensitiue or generally all humane affections or inclinations The Romanists conceit that Christian charity should informe true liuely faith is as preposterous as if we should say the affection doth informe the vnderstanding or vertues morall the intellectuall or if we speake of the loue wee beare to God the analogie of speech is no better then if wee should say the gratefull memory of pleasant obiects informes the faculty that perceiues them In what part of the soule soeuer this Queene of vertues lodge it hath the same commaund ouer our affections or practique powers that sense or appetite hath ouer the progressiue faculty which nature hath giuen to sensitiue creatures for accomplishmēt of their necessary desires That our Christian vertue should physically informe another is a conceit altogether dunsticall and now disclaimed in the explication of the old schoole maxim wherein without Iesuiticall comments no man but would thinke it were literally and necessarily included That Faith morally informes directs and commaunds charity as a guide appointed to it by him that is the author of both neither of them consulted by him that hath them will deny Albeit if lawfull it be to enstamp matters sacred with the exact forme of scholastique speech it is perhaps but one and the same spirituall grace which animates and enables the soule as to discerne the truth so to embrace the goodnesse of reuelations diuine and constantly to practice all kindes of Christian duties bearing diuers titles from execution of seuerall offices whiles it inspires diuers faculties of the same soule as one and the same breath hath different sounds in the seuerall pipes of the same organes or other wind instrument As it illuminates the mind or soueraigne part of the rationall soule it is tearmed faith as it moderates euery particular affection or desire it takes the name of the vertue peculiarly appointed to that charge making it of meerely morall truely Christian Vnto Parents kinsfolk acquaintance benefactors or such as wel deserue of them most men naturally are wel affected vnto all as men we owe humanitie and this affection being made conformable and subordinate to the directions of liuely faith becomes christian charity But ere it become such the same grace which as it illuminates the minde to see and strengthens it to embrace diuine truths proposed is tearmed faith doth alter the quality of this affection by purging it from carnall respect of persons or priuate purposes is termed faith doth alter the quality of this affection by purging it from carnall respect of persons or priuate purposes by enapting it to be ruled by faith which fixeth it only vpon such obiects as Gods word commends and in that degree it prescribes Though before we did affect others vpon such motiues as flesh and blood suggested yet afterwards wee must know no man so but all our loue is in the Lord. And though faith teach vs to enlarge our benignity or good minde towards all as well foes as friends yet it fixeth it especially on such as we deeme neerest allied vnto our Redeemer albeit their personall deserts or references towards vs be not so great In like sort doth one and the same grace perhaps for the manner physically but faith morally informe and moderates euery affection disposition or inclination that can be matter or rudiment of vertue It perfects our notions of equity and iustice it ripens and sublimates our seeds of temperance of valour of liberality For all these or other vertues are in a higher degree in minds endued with faith then in such as are destitute of it and principally set vpon such obiects as the naturall man could not affect But because loue thus informed by grace and directed or touched by faith of all christian vertues most resembles the dispositiō of our Lord and Sauiour and if in this life it could be perfect would fulfill at least the second part of the lawe if we compare it and faith as they are parts of our imperfect righteousnesse charity within its own proper sphere is intensiuely the greater or higher in this edifice as being supported held vpby faith but because our righteousnes is in it selfe imperfect and our charity towards others vnable to withstand Sathans malice against vs without externall muniments procured not by the merits of it but by faithfull prayers and supplications therfore as Christ is Alpha and Omega so is faith the first of al christian vertues in plantation and the last we must in this life rely vpon for retaining vniō with this author and finisher of faith CHRIST IESVS Briefly as he is to all the faithfull so is faith to all other vertues in this life a transcendent foundation and complement It remaines we shew first the truth of our maine conclusion by instances of sacred writ or such practices as it ascribes to faith Secondly the philosophicall premises whence we infer it to be most consonant to the phrase of Gods spirit which often teacheth vs more true philosophy in one word then Philosophers do in large volums The conclusion is we are then said rightly to belieue matters of our owne saluation when we Assent vnto them as good as necessary and worthy to be embraced not only whilst considered in themselues or in generall or without such incumbrances or occurrents as doe often interpose or hinder their practice but euen whilst actually compared with present losse of any sensual good or infliction of any transitory euill the world diuell or flesh can oppose to raise their price 17. Such must this Assent be in the habite or constant resolution though often defectiue in the act vpon disaduantages espied by Sathan But euery such defect we must account a dangerous sinne especially if we haue any distinct notice of actuall competition between carnal and spiritual good for this preposterous choice is properly not of faith but rather directly against the very nature of it as it is now defined to be an Assent vnto the meanes of
and fidelity nor can the nature of faith be better notified by the effect or property then if we define it to be a fidelity in all the seruice of God raised from a firme Assent vnto the former transcendent truths of his bountifull rewarding all that diligently seek him that it is alwaies better to obey him then man as shall further appeare from the discourses following And it is already partly shewed in our meditations vpon Ieremy that praiers thus made in faith are still effectuall for obtaining priuate remission of our sin comfort in the day of trouble or for auerting Gods heauy plagues or curses from any land or people if both the suppliants thus qualified hold due proportion with notorious delinquents for number and the frequency or feruency of their supplications with the continuance or stubbornnesse of the other sinnes But he alone truly praies in faith that can with constancy prosecute the right choice of means which faith doth make and faithfully practice such duties as it prescribes for attaining the end whereto it directs 13. If any of you lacke wisedome sayth Saint Iames let him aske of God that giueth to all men liberally and vpbraideth not and it shall bee giuen him But let him aske in faith nothing wauering for bee that wauereth is like a waue of the sea driuen with the winde and tossed For let not that man thinke he shall receiue any thing of the Lord. Why Because he praies not in faith but is double minded and vnstable in all his waies In this doublnesse of mind or distraction of the soule as the word imports doth hypocrisie in his language that knowes the heart and minde properly consist For to pretend or promise one thing and wittingly and expresly though in the secrets of our owne hearts to intend another is in scripture-phrase an act of Atheisme or infidelity An hypocrite hee is in the same dialect that assents vnto the meanes of mans saluation as truely good whiles simply considered but disesteemes them in the actuall choice wherein contrary desires or affections vnrenounced vsurpe a negatiue voice or rather make a maior part of his owne soule against him so as he cannot make good his former promise with his whole Assent From this competition betweene beliefe of spirituall truths and carnall delights or pleasure both challenging full interest in one and the same soule doth that doublenesse whereof S. Iames speak arise And the vnconstancy or wauering of an hypocrite may best be resembled by a Polypragmaticall temper desirous to hold good correspondencie with contrary factions hence often enforced to shuffle from such promises as hee meant to performe when he made them but considered not how farre hee had beene engaged by former obligements or protestations from which being challenged by the aduerse party hee cannot â—â—inch without greater shame or griefe 14. Flattery lying and dissimulation of which hypocrisie is but the brood in the phrase of Gods spirit which searcheth the reines is not to professe one thing with the tongue and purpose another in the heart but rather to protest what for the time present we truly thinke without due examination of the soule or inward parts or resolution to renounce all contrary desires or really to disclaime all interest any creature hath in our minds or affections to the preiudice of the Creator as the Psalmist excellently expresseth this point The wrath of God came vpon them and slew the fattest of them and smote downe the chosen men of Israell For all this they sinned still and belieued not his wondrous workes Therefore their daies did he consume in vanity and their yeeres in trouble When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God And they remembred that God was their Rocke and the high God their Redeemer This conversion questionlesse was not in â—est or pretended only for the present but in their apprehension that made it sincere yet in his iudgement that was greater then their hearts or consciences false and deceitfull because imperfect and irresolute as the Psalmist in the next words instructs vs. Neuerthelesse they did but flatter him with their mouth and they lied vnto him with their tongues The height of their dissimulation as followeth was that their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast beleeuing or faithfull in his couenant but as their Fathers had beene â— reflectary and rebellious generation a generation that prepared not their hearts and whose spirit was not faithfull with God Nor did this want of preparation or their vnfaithfulnesse proceed from want of purpose to doe God seruice whiles tentations did not assault them but herein rather that like the children of Ephraim being armed and bearing bowes they turned backe in the day of battaile that they kept not the couenant of God and refused to walke in his lawe when the lawe of the flesh did oppose it they for gate i. they did not esteeme his workes and his wonders that hee had shewed them These diuine characters of hypocrisie or dissimulation approues his opinion as well befitting the author that said it was impossible for a Coward to be either an honest man or a true friend For seeing honesty is but a stemme of truth or fidelity his obseruation differs onely in the subiect from that of the wise sonne of Sirach Woe bee to fearefull hearts and faint hands and the sinner that goeth two wayes woe vnto him that is faint hearted for he belieueth not therefore shall he not be defended woe be vnto you that haue lost patience and what will ye doe when the Lord shall visite you More exactly paralelled as well to the occasion and grounds of our Apostles discourse in Hebrewes chap. 10. 11. are these diuine sentences of the same Authour immediatly following They that feare the Lord will not disobey his word and they that loue him will keep his lawes They that feare the Lord will seeke that which is well pleasing vnto him and they that loue him shall be filled with the lawe They that feare the Lord will prepare their hearts and humble their soules in his sight saying we will fall into the hands of the Lord and not into the hands of men for as his Maiesly is sors his mercy From our last resolutions in the former Chapter the Reader will easily conceiue the reason why the same acts operations or practices are sometimes ascribed vnto faith as the chiefe steward or dispenser of spirituall grace sometimes vnto the affection or disposition which it moderates For as faint-heartednesse argues want of faith so patience in aduersity feare of God and constant relying vpon his mercies though springing immediatly from their proper or peculiar habits or affections are enspired and strengthened by faith as blood in the veines is by the blood arteriall 15. If we compare the seuerall growth of sted fast faith and hypocrisie they much resemble the order of composition and resolution
on our parts that are patients is handled in the third section of this Booke Whether ability by nature we haue any or any cooperatiue with Gods spirit in this cure shall by the diuine assistance be disputed at large in the seauenth Booke of these Commentaries Here at length we may define the faith by which the iust doth liue to be a firme and constant assent or adherence vnto the mercies and louing kindnes of the Lord or generally to the spirituall food exhibited in his sacred word as much better then this life it selfe and all the contentments it is capable of grounded vpon a tast or relish of the sweetnesse wrought in the soule or heart of man by the Spirit of Christ The termes for the most part are the Prophet Dauids not metaphoricall as some may fancie much lesse aequiuocall but proper and homogeneall to the subiect defined For whatsoeuer internall affinity or reall identity of conceipt there is or can be betwixt life temporall and mortall which no man I thinke denies to be vniuocall the same may be found betwixt food spirituall and corporall if we consider not so much the phisicall matter or corpulency of the later as the metaphisicall quintessence which is one and the same in both saue onely that it is pure and extracted in the one but mixt and incorporated or in a sort buried in the other but of this analogy betwixt food corporall and spirituall in the treatise of Christs presence in the sacrament 5 Whether this Assent be virtuall or habituall I will not so much as question Be it whether the Reader list to make it question there can be none but that it admits many interruptions in acts or operations Nor doth this argue the meanes or pledges of saluation should be lesse euident then matters scientificall so long as this habit or constitution of mind is not eclipsed by interposition of carnall lusts or earthly thoughts wherunto our euidence of spiritual matters is more obnoxious then our speculatiue perswasions of abstract entities so is our bodily taste oftener corrupted then the sight and yet that Assent wee giue in perfect health vnto the distinct quality of wholsome food no lesse euident or certaine then that wee giue vnto the true differences of things seene The minde once thus illuminated with grace and renewed by faith whiles not darkned by exhalations from our naturall corruptions whiles free from passion or motion of bad affection actually moued and assisted by the spirit hath the same proportion to truth supernaturall of this inferiour ranke that the vnderstanding without supernaturall concourse or illumination of grace hath to Obiects meerely naturall nor can it dissent from the truth whiles this temper or constitution lasts as the Iesuite imagines Howbeit so great euidence of matters spirituall as others haue of humane sciences is not required in all Onely this I dare affirme that although it be in some as great or in some greater this doth not exempt their knowledge from the former definition of faith For who would question whether S. Iohn S. Peter and S. Paul had not as great euidence of misteries as either Aristotle had of philosophicall or Euclide of mathematicall principles or conclusions And yet what they so euidently knew they belieued and assented vnto by the supernaturall guifte or habit of faith and it was the greater euidence of things belieued which made their beliefe more firme and strong then ours is and enflamed their hearts with loue of God and zeale of his glorie more ardent then our weake faith is capable of CHAP. X. Of the generall consequences or properties of true Faith Loue Fidelity and Confidence with the manner of their resultance from it 1. THat the goodnesse of whatsoeuer we enioy is better perceiued by vicissitude of want then continuall fruition is a maxim whereof none can want experience Hence the Poeticall Philosopher hath wittily faigned penury and indigence to bee the Mother of Loue with which conceit the vulgar prouerbe Hunger of all sauces is the best hath great affinity For this first affection or prime symptome of sense being but a perception of want or indigence causeth a more quicke taste or rellish then full stomackes can haue of their meate But nature without further alteration or qualification of any other faculty immediatly teacheth vs to like that best which best we rellish and finde most good in Nor skils it whether this loue or liking of meates best relished reside in the sense of taste it selfe or from approbation of it immediatly result in some other faculty by way of sympathie both wayes this internall sense or apprehension of want or indigence of carnall nutriment is still the only Mother of loue to bodily meates Thus hath the folly of man which wilfully depriued himselfe of celestiall food set forth the loue and wisedome of God who hath made this want or indigence of spirituall meate whose apprehension is the first roote of our spirituall sense a meane to quicken our taste or relish of his mercies and louing kindnesse which is the principall obiect of that faith by which we liue But our taste once sharpned to relish his mercies aright without any peculiar reformation of the will or new infusion of other grace into any part of the humane soule then what is either included in faith or concomitant with it cannot but pierce our hearts with loue of his infinite goodnesse whence this sweetnesse distils Euen loue naturall or ciuill if vnfaigned betweene equalls brings forth vnity and consent of minde mutually to will and nill the same things betweene parties in condition of life or measure of iudgement or discretion vnequall a conformity of the inferiours will to the superiours direction Much more doth this spirituall loue of God thus conceiued from a true and liuely taste of his loue and goodnesse towards vs kindle an ardent desire of doing what he likes best whence vnto vs as to our Sauiour it becomes meate and drinke to do our fathers will and finish his vvorke For seeing man liueth not by bread only but by euery vvord that proceedeth out of the mouth of God thus to doe must needs be part of our spirituall foode 2. From faith thus working through loue ariseth that most generall property whose affinitie with faith is such as it takes the same name fidelitie or faithfulnesse in all the seruice of God without respect to the fulfilling of our owne particular resolutions or desires For once assenting vnto euery part of his will knowne as good and fit to be done by vs as if to do it were meate and drinke vnto our soules wee forthwith abandon all sloth and negligence much more deceit and fraudulencie in his imploiments Of this generall fidelity practice of charitable offices to our neighbours is but a part or branch though a principall one as hauing more immediate reference to the loue and goodnesse we apprehend in God towards vs the taste whereof is then sincere
and liuely when wee feele a present benefit redounding to our selues from the good we do to others as if we actually perceiued the cooperatiue cōcurrence of diuine goodnesse in these workes of charity As well this loue of God as of our neighbours are though in different manner effects or properties of liuely faith or of that grace whereof faith it selfe is the principall stemme as it illuminates the minde or supreme faculty of the soule Our loue of God may well seeme to be an effect immanēt or residing in the same faculty with faith Loue to our neighbour an effect transient as hauing a distinct roote or originall whence it springs and takes it proper substance though quickned and moued to euery good worke by faith as the moone hath a distinct bodie of it owne more capable of light then others are but illuminated by the sunne The substance or body of loue to our neighbours is naturall humanity or kindnesse whose illumination perfection and guidance is from faith apprehending the goodnesse of God whom we immediately loue aboue all for himselfe as the onely Creator and preseruer of all the onely procurer of all good to all others in him and for him as our fellow creatures and ioint obiects with vs of his vnrecompensable loue 3. The same dependance on faith haue trust and confidence or that affection which in latine we call Fiducia Confidence in their language of whom we borrow the name implies a boldnesse or hopefull assurance of good successe in the businesse we goe about and naturally springs from a perswasion either of our owne or others sufficiencie of whose helpe or furtherance we may presume Thus the strong are vsually confident in matters of strength wise men or well experienced in matters to be tried by wit or worldly pollicie the wealthy in causes that may be swaied with bribery men well allied in businesses that may be carried best by multitude of friends But all these branches of confidence haue the cursed fig-trees hap Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and with-draweth his heart from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the wildernesse and shall not see when any good commeth but shall inhabite the parched places in the wildernesse in a salt land and not inhabited The stocke notwithstanding whence they grow being purified and seasoned by grace these lopt off and the true knowledge of God ingrafted in their steed beareth fruit vnto saluation For blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is For hee shall be as a tree that is planted by the water which spreadeth out her rootes by the water and shall not feele when the heate commeth but her lease shall be greene and shall not care for the yeare of drought neither shall cease from yeelding fruit The points towards which this naturall affection whereof all participate more or lesse must be set ere it grow vp into such confidence as spreads it selfe throughout all the waies that God hath appointed vs to walke in are the articles of Gods power and wisdome ouer all the workes of his hands and his fauour towards vs. The manner how faith doth raise it the Reader may more easily perceiue if it please him call to minde or hereafter obserue that as well in the dialect of sacred writers whether Canonicall or Apochriphall as other morall Authors or common speech there is a twofold faith One passiue or obiectiue which in English we vsually call fidelitie or faithfulnesse whereunto we may safely trust another actiue or apprehensiue by which we assent vnto the former and rely vppon it as farre as our needfull occasions shall require Of this reliance or reposall confidence is but a further degree presupposing a firmer apprehension or experience of more then ordinarie sufficiency and fauour towards vs in the party to whose trust we commit our selues or our affaires Fidelity or faith passiue he well notified in part that told vs Quando fit quod dicitur tunc est fides Faithfull hee is in his sayings that hath good ground for what he speakes or called to an account is able to make such proofe of his assertions as the nature of the businesse shall require Faithfull in his doing he is that approues the truth of his promises by performance whom wee cannot better describe then the Psalmist hath done One that walketh vprightly worketh righteousnesse and speaketh the truth in his heart or as we say one whose heart goes with his mouth and changeth not his oath or promise albeit the performance of it be to his greater hinderance then he conceiued when he made it Alwaies the better opinion we retaine of this passiue fidelity or faithfulnes the greater is our actiue faith trust or reposall in it but trust or confidence in fallible or absolute wee cannot haue in any mortall man For besides that his heart or intention is vnknowne to vs such abilities as now he hath are obnoxions to change so is his purpose and resolution Not the honestest man on earth but is mutably honest at least in respect of vs and where all other conditions be equall we trust him better whose meanes are whole and sound then one of a broken or crased estate For few there be but sore pinched with pouerty will shrinke from what they promised vpon presupposed hopes of better ability And most men perhaps out of a consciousnesse of their owne mutabilitie vpon like change of fortunes or new discouery of dangers before vnknowne seeme to grant a generall pardon or dispensation to others in like cases at the least if abilities vpon such casualties be wanting ingenuous creditors doe not expect performance of promises made howsoeuer their debtors minds were affected when they made them whence as I said confidence in such men if other conditions be equall are lesse safe yet the more we trust them vpon lesse probable meanes of abilitie or vpon externall appearances of danger or suspitions cast by others of their likelihood to breake the greater eredite and honour we doe them For as loue vnlesse it proceed from a party odious and vnlouely is vsually repaid with like affection according to the olde saying V is vt ameris ama so ipsa fides habita obligat fidem Men oft times become more trusty then otherwise they would be by the trust or credence we giue vnto them God in whom only this fidelity or faith obiectiue according to the most absolute idea or perfection of it is immutable is alwaies more fauourable to such as faithfully commend themselues and their affaires vnto this care and trust And vnto faithfull reliance and reposall on his promises wee are tied by a triple bond of faith which cannot possibly breake or vntwine once surely fastened If we fully assent to his veracitie we cannot question whether he purpose whatsoeuer he promised if to his omnipotencie we cannot doubt of his allsufficiencie to performe For
Confident perswasions they had of Gods extraordinary fauour which notwithstanding because it proceeded not from faith fructifying in deeds conformable to his goodnesse made them presumptuous and open rebels against his Sonne the onely image of his glory for dooing the workes here prophecied by this Psalmist They despised him as a sinner once for raising vp a poore creature not bowed downe only but together so as she could not raise her selfe another time for giuing sight vnto the blinde vpon a Sabbaoth day Often for the like workes here ascribed to that God whose name they were to sanctifie by hallowing the Sabbaoth day all liuely documents that he which visibly wrought them was the Lord to whom this Psalme of praise and thanksgiuing was dedicated Such confidence as they whiles thus affected boasted in was the very way of the wicked which the Lord turneth vpside downe His sentence is already pronounced vpon it Euerie one that exalteth himselfe shall bee brought lowe which words he spake of the proud Pharisee and such as trusted in themselues that they vvere iust despising others Notwithstanding euen this Pharisee himselfe whom he makes the patterne of hypocrisie gaue God thankes for his conceited righteousnesse acknowledging that whatsoeuer he had he had receiued but in that hee gloried in it as if he had not receiued it the holy Ghost taxeth him for trusting in it not in the Lord whom he intended to glorifie for this gift amongst others And were we so wise that a word though from the spirits owne mouth might suffice for our admonishment this one place alone would instruct vs that he trusts not in the Lord but in his wealth or dignity that contemnes his brother for his meane giftes whether of Art or Nature or disparageth his worth onely for the lownesse of his fortunes 6. Thus much of confidence fiducia or trust so nearely allied to faith that some include it in the essence or formall signification of the word in the learned tongues which opinion may seeme to haue some countenance from the booke of Homilies But what there is said of faith to this purpose is a popular description not an accurate or artificiall definition like as also we may not think the Author of those Homilies meant formally and essentially to define faith when he saith that faith is a firme hope for so in the same place doth he describe it And to speake the truth he that puts fiducia in the essentiall definition of faith and leaues hope out had need of as much cunning as hee that should vndertake to make paiment of ten pounds and substract seauen For confidence or this trust in their form of doctrine whose authority for the right vse of such words is most authentique is the period or complement of Hope contemnenda est omnis iniuria malorum praesentium fiducia futurorum bonorum sayth Saint Cyprian And againe Laus est fides fiducia futurorum mundi aduersa tolerare It is the commendation of Faith to support our selues vnder such grieuances as the vvorld layes vpon vs with sure hope of future good In this godly fathers orthodoxall conceit of this chaine of christian vertues we may behold patience springing from faith but presupposing trust or confidence at least if perfect paralell herein to the Apostle Cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of revvard for ye haue neede of patience whose hold-fast he supposeth confidence that after ye haue done the will of God ye might receiue the promise The ground or supporter as well of patience as confidence and fidelity in doing Gods will is faith as is before deduced Whether such confidence as we haue that there is a reward laid vp for the faithfull reach in the same strength and tenor vnto personall saluation or bring forth like assurance of our possessary right in state of grace or if so whether it be proper to all as it is doubtlesse onely to such as are endued with sauing faith or whether equall in all or at all times or rather decreasing according to the degrees of their delinquencie in such duties as this confident hope of Gods mercy and fidelity in rewarding all without respect of persons that doe his will doth impell and encourage them to cannot so fitly be disputed vntill the tenor of Gods couenant with mankind and other difficulties concerning free-will and contingencie with the articles of Christs death and resurrection from firme Assent vnto which this speciall confidence or assurance must flow be vnfolded Here I onely would commend that place of our Apostle to the religious Readers priuate meditation for rectifying and strengthening his faith in this point Hauing therfore Brethren bouldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the blood of IESVS by a new liuing way vvhich he hath consecrated for vs through the vaile that is to say his flesh And hauing an high Priest ouer the house of God Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith hauing our hearts sprinkled from an euill conscience and our bodies washed vvith pure water Let vs hold fast the profession of our faith without vvauering for he is faithfull that promised And let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes Many other properties of faith there be and diuerse peculiar branches of these generall ones here touched to be discussed after the explication of the Articles out of which they properly spring CHAP. XI Of the diuerse acceptions of faith in Scriptures or Fathers of the Romanists pernicious error concerning the nature of it and charitie whereby his imaginarie workes of merit necessarily become either dead apish or polluted 1. FRom the seuerall degrees or differences of Assent vnto diuine truthes before assigned it will bee easie for the Reader to deriue the diuerse acceptions of beliefe whether in writings Canonicall Apochriphall or of Fathers from one head Albeit I hold it not worth the inquirie whether the name of Faith in the Hebrew Greeke and Latine were propagated from the obiect to our apprehension or Assent or from these vnto the obiect for in all three tongues faith is taken as well for that which deserues credit as for the credence we giue vnto it More pertinent to our present occasions it is that beliefe euen in scriptures is sometimes applied to the very first and lowest degree of Assent vnto truths diuine and they are sayd to belieue that acknowledge any article of faith or part of Christs doctrine as true albeit the ground of their Assent were not sincere or sound but rather humorous So it is sayd in the second of Iohn that many when they saw his Miracles belieued in him but IESVS committed not himselfe vnto their hands because hee knewe them all so did hee their humours to bee like theirs that vpon like beliefe of his power would haue made him king Others againe are sayd to belieue when they Assent perhaps to all Articles of faith
should make loue to our meate the soule or forme of a perfect taste For meate wholsome and pleasant we cannot perfectly relish but we must loue it howbeit we liue not by louing it but by tasting eating and digesting it No more can we rightly belieue Christs death and passion but we must loue him and his members yet liue wee not by louing them but by tasting Gods loue and fauour to vs or as I need not be afraid to speake by eating Christs flesh and drinking his blood For though by faith one and the same wee Assent vnto euery article in our creed yet this faith doth not iustifie but as it respects Christs bodie giuen for our sinnes or as it cleaues vnto Gods mercies manifested in that eternall sacrifice alwaies breathing out life to men renot neing all trust and confidence euen in such graces as wee haue receiued from him All this notwithstanding if we compare loue and faith together as parts of that righteousnesse which is in vs not considering the necessary dependance Loue hath of Faith in nature to loue is more then to belieue because it necessarily includes beliefe so is it more to loue our meate then to taste it because loue supposeth taste howbeit in respect of life to taste our meate is of more vse then to loue it So is it more to moue then to liue for all vicall motion includes in it acts of life yet is not motion simply better then life or the sensitiue sacultie whence it proceeds because it wholly depends on them not they on it 9. The second principall place of Scripture they vsually alleage doth vtterly discredit themselues but breeds no difficulty to vs in this present argument for that the faith whereof Saint Iames speakes doth differ as much from that whereto S. Paul ascribeth righteousnesse as a liue man doth from a dead or a body endued with life and motion from a statue or painted image no heathen artist that could but vnderstand the very tearmes of their seeming contradictory propositions would deny albeit some Romish writers of no meane ranke haue been giuen ouer vnto such Iewish blindnesse as to abuse Saint Iames authority not onely to hold iustification by workes as well as faith wherto his words incline as the thing it self in his sence though not in that construction they make of it is most true but to perswade the ignorant that such faith as S. Paul commends may be without works or christian loue But their folly herein will worke shame in such of their successors as shall comment vpon these two Apostles writings as in some of their predecessors it hath done if they consider that those very workes without which faith in Saint Iames construction sufficeth not vnto saluation are expresly comprehended in that faith wherby S. Paul tels vs the Iust do liue Was not Abraham our father iustified through vvorks when he offered his son Isaac vpon the altar he meant no more nor was more pertinentto his intended conclusion then if he had thus spoken If Abraham had sayd as they did whose empty faith he disapproues I haue faith but had not proued his sayings true by his deedes or readinesse to offer vp his onely Sonne vvhen God commaunded him for actually hee did not offer him he had not been iustified before God Why because he had not belieued in such sort as Saint Paul meant when he sayth by faith Abraham offered vp Isaac when he was tried But it may bee this faith was informed perfected or instigated to this act by loue of whom not of Isaac for that was the maine obstacle to worke distrust the chiefe antagonist of his faith Not of Sarah or any other friends or neighbours all which doubtlesse had disswaded him had he acquainted them with his purpose Was it then the loue of God Him indeed he loued aboue all because he firmely belieued his mercy and louing kindnesse towards him but this loue supposed it vvas his Assent vnto Gods omnipotent power which as the Apostle expresly tels vs moued him to this act For hee considered that God was able to raise him from the dead from whence also hee receiued him in a figure This consideration or inducement was a worke yet a proper act of faith no way of loue But loue perhappes did make it meritorious The loue indeede wherewith God loued him made his working faith acceptable in his sight but that it was strength of faith not the quality of loue which God imputed vnto him for righteousnesse the same Apostle for doubtlesse the same hand it was which penned the eleuenth to the Hebrâ—es and the fowrth vnto the Romans puts it out of doubt beeing not weake in faith he considered not his body now dead vvhen he was now a hundred yeere old neither yet the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe He staggered not at the promise of God through vnbeliefe but vvas strong in faith giuing glory to God And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he vvas also able to performe And therefore it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse One and the same faith it was and standing at the same bent vnlesse by continuance of like triall increased in strength which wrought in him a readinesâ—â— of minde to sactifice his onely sonne in hope of a ioyfull resurrection and to expect his birth from the dead wombe of Sarah The obiect likewise whereto his Assent did adhere was one and the same his fidelitie which had promised on which faithfully still relying it was impossible his other faculties or affections should not subscribe to whatsoeuer his Assent of faith should enioine them and that remaining in wonted strength it could not but bring forth perfect loue and good works which may be sayd in such a sense to perfect it as we are sayd to blesse God that is to declare his blessednesse For as Gods loue to vs was most apparent in offering his onely Sonne So Abrahams loue to God was best manifested by sacrificing his sonne Isaac vvhom he loued yet he sacrificed him by faith wherefore his loue did result from firme Assent to Gods couenant and mercie made to mankinde in him in the faithfull acceptance whereof and full acquiescence therein his righteousnesse as in due place shall be shewed did consist 10. This comment vpon the Apostles words concerning Abrahams workes giues vs the true meaning of the like concerning Rahab Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot iustified by vvorkes vvhen she receiâ—ed the messengers and had sent them out another way If she had said vnto these messengers only thus I belieue the God of heauen earth hath giuen you this whole land for a possession yet I dare not shew you any kindnesse in this city her belief had bin as dead as a body without breath or motion But what man or woman liuing is there of common sense which once firmly perswaded that God in iustice had giuen his natiue country vnto forreine people whom he loued
but would seeke to merit their fauour by gratefull offices It was extraordinary in this woman firmly to belieue as shee told the messengers but resting so perswaded a worke of no perfection to make her peace with the Israelites â—ad shee doubted whether their title vnto the land of Canaan had been iust or suspected Gods donation of it vnto Abraham to haue been forged by his successors as Constantines is by the baser Roman cleargy shee might without any iust imputation for want of loue or other good works haue aduentured her life amongst her neighbours in defence of her country Or had she vpon the Israelites misdemeanours distrusted their successe she might at last in worldly policy haue rather hazarded their future displeasure then incurred present danger of death or torture of her Citizens for harbouring spies But whiles she firmly belieues both that the Israelites donation was from God that they would certainly preuaile against her people though her entertainment and concealement of them were acts of kindnesse prudence and humanity yet their omission had been properly not of faith because impulsiuely they were from faith nor could they haue been omitted but through vnbeliefe or distrust vnto Gods promises Worldlings would haue condemned her not for vvant of charitie but for excesse folly rather had shee not done as shee was perswaded By faith then those workes become righteous which without it had been traiterous And if we respect not the cause of our knowledge but the thing knowne faith did perfect the workes the workes only made the perfection of faith knowne to men In this sense it is most true of faith what some misapply to iustification of mens persons workes iustifie and perfect faith not in the nature of the thing but in the sight of man to whom they witnesse the liuelihood and perfection of faith noâ— as causes but effects and signes of our iustifiattion they are not onely signes but conditions concomitant or precedent In the same sense are these other words of the Apostle to be vnderstood As the body without the spirit is dead so faith vvithout vvorkes is dead also For if a humane bodie want spirit breath or motion we rightly gather it wants life yet are breath and motion rather effects then causes of life But the schoole-men dreaming the holy Ghost had been scholler to Aquinas or some chiefe masters of their profession take the sprit in this place for actus primus as the soule by which wee liue and breath and hence they conceiued that grosse error which the Romanist now makes an article of his beliefe to wit that works animate or at least casually perfect faith as the soule of man doth his bodie And wheras Caluin most acutely and orthodoxally infers that if faith without works or charity bedead it is not properly but equiuocally called faith They reply workes or charitie do not informe faith intrinsecally as the reasonable soule doth man for so it would follow that as he is not a man but a dead trunk which hath no soule so it should not bee true faith but an image or dead picture of faith which wants vvorkes or charitie How then do they perfect faith Extrinsecally as the soule doth the body or other halfe of man which remaines a true body though no true man after the soules departure For application of this distinction they adioine when Saint Iames affirmes faith to be dead without workes he tearmes it dead in such a sense as we say a body is dead by the soules absence and yet remains a true bodie Whence sayth Valentian the sectaries haue furnished vs with an argument against themselues Rather this answere is contrary to Valentians and his fellowes assertions for were his illustration true and pertinent workes or faith should constitute one grace and qualitie as the body and soule make one man which no Papist dare affirme of the habite of faith and charitie being graces in their iudgements specifically distinct And Valentian who stands most vpon the former illustration expresly denies that charity much lesse workes can be any proper forme of faith either intrinsecall as the reasonable soule is of man or extrinsecall as whitenesse is of the body Some perfection notwithstanding Charitie giues to Faith in which respect it may by analogie to true and proper formes bee metaphorically said to informe saith The perfection it giues hee so expresseth that the Latine Reader by his words cited at full in the margine for I will not trouble the text with them may plainly perceiue hee was desirous to say somewhat but he knew not what Arias Montanus who better vnderstood Saint Iames his phrase by the analogie of faith and forme of wholsome doctrine then Valentian did himselfe or this fictitious analogie betwixt Charitie naturall formes interprets the former place in part to our purpose To liue as Philosophers say is to operate and vitall operation proceedeth not from the bodie but from the spirit nor doth â—â—e Apostle say workes are the spirit of faith where he speakes only of the appellation or name of life His meaning is that faith without workes is as truely reputed dead as the body without the spirit is rightly sayd as it truely is dead But if wee will not wrest the letter against the Apostles meaning but rather gently apply his words to his intent the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies onely breath or motion enspired from the soule for workes in their nature are operations and are more fitly compared to breathings or motions then to the substantiall spirit or soule or the faculty whence these flow which last in proportion best answeres to faith Now as the readiest waie to â—et breath in one fallen in a swound or raise one vp out of a dead â—it is to reuiue the spirits by which vitall motions are inspired and managed so the onely way to bring forth liuing workes or fruites of righteousnes is to quicken or strengthen faith which liuely in it selfe and able to performe it proper acts as firmly to apprehend Gods power iustice and mercie will vndoubtedly giue life to all other powers and affections and impell them to their proper functions The Romanist as ignorant as the Iew of this righteousnesse which is by faith preposterously seekes to make vs new men in Christ not by reuiuing faith which is as the animall spirit by whose influence works become vitall but as if one from this principle in nature man is dead vvithout breath and motion should seeke to bring men out of swounds or dead fits by blowing breath into them with a quill or making them moue by deuises so he grosely mistaking that saying of S. Iames as the body without the spirit so faith without workes is dead also hence seekes to raise vp such as die in Adam after the same manner we haue seene them raised which fall downe dead in an anticke first by wagging one arme then another vntill the whole body moue The anticke
trickes of Monckes and Friers to cousen the people by making images wagge or seeme to speake may serue as an embleme of that imposture or Gull which Satan by Gods iust iudgement hath put vpon their subtilest wits in this argument These Couseners made the people ofttimes thinke some Saint had moued or spoken when a knaue did stirre the image or vent his own vnhallowed breath through it or about it and Satan makes them beleeue they are moued by the spirit of God in such actions as are not enspired by faith but thrust vpon them by his wicked Angels Workes of charity they esteeme all such as outwardly resemble the actions of Christ or his Saints though conceiued not by faith but vpon other motiues as motion infused by art may to the eye of man exactly counterfeit motion naturall This is a maine branch of that great mistery of iniquity For by this error as their faith is neuer reuiued so their workes though faire and pompous in outward shew and such as would be most pleasant vnto their God did they spring from minds and affections renewed by liuely faith being superadded onely to this dead faith neither can perfect it nor receiue perfection from it but become like sweet flowers vsually put vpon dead corps the sent of whose corruptions hinder they may for a time but surer at length to participate thereof then communicate their fragrancieto it 10 It is a contemplation very profitable to marke what troopes of errors may issue from one place of scripture mistaken and how priuate opinions conceiued through ignorance and conceiued by negligence are oftimes established by wilfulnesse of publike authority for who but a schooleman that considers morall propositions in scriptures as if they were mathematicall definitions or indemonstrable principles no whit dependent of what went before or comes after could not at first perusall haue obserued that Saint Iames had a purpose in that Chapter to taxe his pupils as well for want of true faith as of good workes yea the workes they did to be nothing worth becouse not wrought by faith had without all respect of persons or partiality in the Law of God But the Romanist not obseruing what is a point most cleare that vniforme fidelity or faithfulnesse in all commaundements of God is the very formall effect of that faith which was in Abraham and Saint Paul so much commends First takes that dead and vaine faith Saint Iames disproues to be the same with that Saint Paul so much commends and consequently to this error denies iustification by faith but as it is informed with charity which is as much as to say we are iustified by charity and not by faith and vnto these two errors annexeth a third most pernitious concerning the nature of workes which either not conceiued by such vniformity of faith as Paul requires or not managed by a paralel vniformity become altogether Iewish and their best righteousnesse that practise them like the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises Lastly to reare vp a roofe euery way answerable to the foundation they leade vs from the Gospell vnto the Law and make the eternall couenant made vnto mankinde in Christ subseruiant to the couenant made with our first parents as shall be demonstrated against them in the Article of the last iudgement And what other consequence could one expect of this error whereto noe other could be paralell which makes Charity the forme or workes the spirit of faith yet that not onely their best priuate writers but their Church representatiue is tainted with this stupide heresie this decree of the Trent Counsell will serue as a testimony vpon record If any man shall auouch that as oft as grace is lost through sinne faith is alwaies lost together with it or that faith which remaines after losse of grace to be no true faith although no liuing faith or the man that hath faith without charity to be no Christian Let him be accursed 11. If these curses could hurt any Saint Paul should haue the fulles measure of them for questionlesse he neuer thought such faith as hee commended could remaine without grace or integrity of conscience Saint Iames I thinke should hardly escape vnlesse he would subscribe to this conclusion that the Diuell was a Christian And were Scotus Ockain or Swisset now aliue they would find all the Iesuites in the world play for these hundred yeares to hold the contrary and defend the Trent Councell in this decree For such faith as the Councell requires to make a Christian may be yea is in the worst kinde of Diuels albeit Valentian hath laboured to find this difference That faith without workes or grace is in men the gift of God so is not the faith of Diuels No more was this answere of his suggested by Gods spirit or the spirit of truth For not to question whether such dead faith as Saint Iames speakes of be the gift of God or no but rather supposing it were this argues a difference onely in the cause none in the essence nature or quality That God created wants in the beginning doth not argue they were of a more excellent nature then ordinary Lions not created but propagated by nature are now of And if the quality of faith be the same in the Trent Councels Christians and in Diuels Valentian doth rather wrong the Almighty in making him the Author of it in the one then prooue either it or his owne cause to be the better by saying it is the gift of God For though it be his gift and yet may be without grace or charity and without these of necessitie as vnfruitfull as the faith of Diuels both which Valentian grants it is no more auaileable to make a Christian then the faith of Diuels is Nay in that it may be without workes theirs is more fruitfull then it for as Saint Iames tels vs theirs workes feare and trembling in them were that faith which the Trent Councell makes the forme of a Christian so operatiue in it nature it could not be as is obserued before without workes or charity For if it wrought a trembling feare of his power it would worke a reioicing loue of his mercie and impell them as to auoid the stroke of the one so to embrace the gentle strokings of the other Their owne writers obserue that to feare God in the language of Canaan is to worship him and is it lesse to beleeue in him then to feare him To conclude what ancient father is there which should not be accursed if God did not blesse where these Trent Fathers curse For though their charity would not suffer them to depriue any professing true religion of that title wherein he ioied the name of a Christian because they knew not what faith they had in their hearts yet few of them but indefinitely auouch thus much That he falsly vsurps the glorious name of a Christian or faithfull man which is not faithfull in Gods commandement
death Thus much of true faith and the errors concerning the Nature of it It remaines we intreate of misperswasions concerning the possession or presence of it with the right vse of it and other spirituall graces that attend it SECTION 2. Of immature perswasions concerning mens present estate in grace with the meanes to rectifie or preuent them CHAP. I. The generall heads or springs of hypocriticall perswasions with briefe rules for their preuention 1. HHappy were we whom God hath appointed to sowe good seede in others hearts because not altogether without hope to see some fruits of our labours if this censorious age would permit vs to strike as freely at the rootes of Atheism infidelity or hypocrisy as it is ready to censure Atheists Infidels Hereticks or Hypocrites To me it hath often seemed a question very doubtfull but farre aboue my capacity to determine whether such as reuolt from the orthodoxall Church vpon obseruation of monstrous dissonancy betweene the truthes professed in it and the professors liues or resolutions be in case better or worse then such as embrace true religion vpon no better grounds then they or their confederates oppugne it Thus much the word of God will warrant that the portion of hypocrites shall be the bitterest in the life to come And yet hypocrisie if it be of that stampe which our Sauiour so much condemnes is alwaies moulded in that deepe notice or strong perswasion which men haue of their owne loue and others opposition vnto diuine truthes of their owne diligence and others negligence in performance of sundry duties expresly required by Gods lawe And this is a miserie of miseries peculiar to the hypocrite that whereas the height of others impiety ariseth from their opposing the way of truth and godlinesse this monster the more he detests falsehood and error or the impietie whether of others practises or opinions the more still he increaseth his owne corruption and warres vnwittingly against his owne soule For seeing loue to himselfe indulgence to his deare affections or carnall glorying in prerogatiues perhaps spirituall is the common roote as well of his imaginary loue vnto such points of truth as haue some kinde of coniunction with his humours as of the detestation he beares to others obliquities that in life or profession ill consort with him the oftener he lookes either on their knowne transgressions or his owne precise obseruance of such duties as by nature hee is addicted or otherwise accustomed to by both meanes he more pampers and nourishes that vicious habit whence the forementioned bad fruites did growe And thus at length by vsing the helpe of strong but impure vnruly affections to abandon particular errors he ouerthrowes his owne soule as the ancient inhabitants of this land did their state by vsing the Saxons aide to driue out the Picts 2. After this manner the Iew by nursing a loathsome conceit of Publicanes and open sinners dissoluâ—nessesse not tyed vnto so much as any solemn acknowledgement of their misdeeds or set forme of repentance tooke a surfet of those outward ceremonies which God had ordained as sauees to sharpen not as foode to satiate his appetite of sauing health Other-whiles fiercely bending his indignation against the idolatrie of the heathen by too much depression or debasement of their folly he sublimated his owne naturall inclination vnto pride and haughtinesse into presumptuous boasting in the purity of that lawe which God had giuen him by Moses Whence in the fulnesse of time sprung an irreconcileable hatred of the long expected Messias desperate contempt of his Gospell and wilful refusall of saluation preached in his name But howsoeuer the deadlinesse of this disease was most conspicuous in the fall of Gods chosen people whom wee may without suspition of slaunder seeing the holy Ghost hath written the obseruatioÌ„ safely charge with the infection yet the danger of it amongst all professors of true religion throughout euery age and nation continues the same as hauing a perpetuall cause in nature For whether wee speake of contraries morall or phisicall the enmities of the extreames is alwaies greater then betwixt them and the meane from which they alwaies so much further decline as they more eagerly entend their force each against other The greater strength heate and cold from their vicinity gather whether by mutual irritation or a secret kinde of daring each other to combate or by a stricter vnition of the materiall parts wherein their forces lodge the more both disagree with the luke-warme temper The more likewise the prodigall detests the niggards manners or the niggard his the farther both roaue the one ouer the other short from that marke whereat they aime but which truly liberality only hits And as the mutuall discord of extreames grows greater by the increase of their seueral strengths so the hastie or violent introduction of the one into a subiect capable of both makes waie for the others entertainment and excludes the meane which findes no entrance but where it is vshered by moderation So water too much or too violently heated is more apt to freeze then to retaine the middle temper Young prodigalls we often see turne old niggards seldome liberall vnlesse their education haue been exceeding good their naturall discretion extraordinary or the seeds of vertue in them very strong And what more vsuall then for a niggards feast because not agreeable to his ordinary disposition to smell of waste and prodigalitie Buzzards by naturall constitution through extreamity enforced to take heart and turne againe ouerrunning valour boisterously rush into fury And desperate hotshots once made to feele the smart of their folly become afterwards basely timerous The Cynicke could spurne at his fellow Philosophers pride but so as his scornfull heeles did bewray his preposterously proud ambitious heart 3. Are these obseruations true in workes of nature or morall affections onely and not in perswasions of religion Yes euen in these also for hath not the vntimely heat of indiscreete precisenesse disposed sundry in our daies to freeze the sooner in the dregges of Popery Haue not others mounted so high in groundlesse and presumptuous confidence that their sudden fall hath made them sinke for any helpe man could affoord without recouery into the very suds of melancholy and desperation Others vpon a dislike of their former hot enforced zeale haue changed their wonted confidence into carelesnesse and become open professors of licentiousnesse like the possessed childe in the Gospell falling sometimes into the fire sometimes into the contrary element And experience prooues it so common a thing for young Saints such I meane as affect to be ripe in holinesse ere well growne in ordinary discretion or common honesty to prooue old diuels that the bent of nature vnseasonable or too much curbed in the parents oftentimes burst out in the vnbridled affections of their children 4. The reason of the experiments whether in nature moralities or religion is as perspicuous as they are true For contrarie exstreames alwaies
Christ is not worthy of him Yea he forsakes him in not disclaiming them in vniust courses Euen amongst men to professe greatest loue to one and take part with another in causes which equally concerne both and both alike affect is in the mildest censure it can admit a breach of friendship or forsaking of his friend Yet who can be so neere a friend to vs as our Redeemer is to truth what can they whom we loue best on earth so much affect as he doth equitie and righteous dealing Is it then hyperbolicall to affirme or rather hypocrisie either in heart or word to denie that he which for loue to his friend pâ—ruâ—rts equity transgresseth the common rule of charitie and ouerthrowes iudgement especially of the sonnes of affliction openly denies Christ who is alwaies the principall in euery controuersie of right or wrong alwaies more offended with vniust grieuances then the parties grieued are euer better pleased with doing right then he to whom right is done 5 Others againe through heat of blood or greatnes of spirit aduenturous or otherwise prodigall of life for purchase of fame can with ioy imbrace such dangers in Christs cause as would much daunt many good professors In perswasions of zeale hence grounded they might perhaps die in battell against the Infidels or in the Romish inquisition and yet doe no more for the Sauiour of their soules then they would for a strumpet or some consort of bodily lust or then malefactors haue done one for another And it is a miserable kind of martyrdome to sacrifice a stout body to a stabborne minde yet besides the vanitie of the conceipt or ouer esteeme of their owne faith or vncharitable censures of others frailties in like difficulties the very nursing of this resolution vpon these motiues disenables them either for the right fruition or resignation of life vpon others more acceptable to the Lord and giuer of life Few thus brauely minded but are more impatient of life or death attended on with disgrace of the most or such as they expect should be propagators of their fame more impotent then others to resist contempt or set light of publike scorne Howbeit the strength of faith rightly Christian is better tried by valour passiue such as appeared in our Sauiour when he willingly submitted himselfe to the taunts mockes and abuses of his enemies then by valour actiue such as Peter shewed when he smote of the high Prists seruants eare the cause in generall was most iust and the resolution bold hauing not one for three to mainetaine the quarrell but Peter at this time was more fit to make a souldier then a martyr for which seruice secular souldiers are for the most part meaneliest qualified All the circumstances of the story notwithstanding perswade me it was resolution truely noble and Christianly valourous as proceeding from liuely faith in that French Souldier who for his zealous profession of reformed religion adiudged with others to the fire and in lieu of all his good seruice to the King and state hauing this grace bestowed vpon him that he should goe to the stake gentleman-like without a with demaunds the reason why hee might not be permitted to weare such a chaine as his fellowes did esteeming this rebuke of Christ more glorious then the ensignes of Saint Michaels order Such vncorrupt witnesses of Christ were these Aluigeans mentioned in the second booke which neither out of stubborne humour of contradiction nor hope of celebritie amongst men but out of sincere loue vnto the truth gaue euidence for the recouery of Christs Gospell concealed and prescribed against by the iniquitie of former times But in Saint Cyprians time the solemne memoriall of former martyrs and that high accompt which Christians made of Confessors that had escaped did bribe others to giue testimony vnto Christs name desirous to die the death of the righteous out of loue indeed but not of that iust one but of fame and vaine glory Against this poison that religious Father and holy Martyr prepared this antidote following which I esteeme so much the more because of the good effect it wrought in himselfe Christ bequeathed peace vnto vs enioyning vs to be of one heart and one minde the league of loue and charity he commanded should be inuiolately kept He cannot approue himselfe a Martyr that holds not the band of brotherly loue and againe He is a confessor but after confession the danger is greater because the aduersary is more prouoked He is a confessor in this respect he is more stricktly bound to stand for the Gospell as hauing through the Gospell obtained greater glory of the Lord. For the Lord hath said it to whom much is giuen of him much shall be required and more seruice shall bee exacted of him on whom more dignitie hath beene bestowed Let no man perish through the confessors example let no man learne iniustice insolence or perfideousnesse from his manners He is a confessor let him be humble and meeke let him be modest in his cariage that as he is entitled a confessor of Christ so he may imitate Christ whom he consesseth for he hath said He that exalts himselfe shall bee brought low and his father hath exalted him because he humbled himselfe here on earth albeit he were the word the power and wisedome of his father and how can hee loue arrogancie which hath enioyned humility by his law and hath obtained a name aboue all names of his Father as a reward of his humility 6. Non sanguis sed causa facit Martyrem It is not the blood but the cause that makes a Martyr was a saying subscribed vnto by orthodoxall antiquity and since approued by the ioint consent of all truely religious I may adde it is not the cause or profession of whose truth and goodnesse men rest strongly perswaded but the grounds whereupon they imbrace it or motiues inducing them to giue testimony to it which makes their death acceptable vnto God Christ requires we keepe our bodies without blemish or purifie them by repentance if they haue beene spotted with the world ere we offer them vp in sacrifice vnto him He that truely Assents to the greater and more terrible of worldly euils as good and fit to be sustained in his cause will questionlesse suffer and sustaine grieuances of lesse weight at his request Now he that commands vs to deny our selues rather then him before men exacts of vs that we confesse him by integritie and fidelity in his seruice by abstinence from vnlawfull pleasures of what kinde soeuer none of which can bee so deare to vs as is life which he that for his sake renounceth by faith would by the same renounce all pleasures incident to it For he that faithfully obaies in the greater and more difficult will doubtlesse performe like obedience in the lesse We know saith Saint Iohn that we haue passed from death to life because we loue the brethren he that loueth not his
but as good to vs in the practise as much better then auoiding the displeasure or gaining the fauours of any earthly powers Secondly That this Assent must be vniforme and a like sincere to euery truth a like strong to euery practise alwaies increasing according to the seuerall degrees of truth or goodnesse apprehended in the obiect or different exigence of times and place wherein wee liue these points are most cleere That Christian faith is more directly oppugned by wilfull neglect or auowed violations of morall or Euangelicall precepts then by bare errors in opinion or such heresie as directly include not blasphemie against the blessed Trinity for the chiefe euill of all others consists in reference to wicked practises whereunto they lead or incline men That the Ministers of the Gospell may deny CHRIST or manifest their ashamednesse of his Gospell as directly by not laying his Lawe as closely to the great Herods of the world as Iohn Baptist did suppose the case be as notorious and as well knowne vnto them as if they had been afraid to confesse him for feare of being put out of the synagogue or â—ayd with those other Iewes wee know that God spake with Mose and gaue authority vnto Magistrates but this man we know not whence he is nor do we care for his Counsells Yet were Iohn Baptists kinde of preaching vsed in many kingdomes though by such as professe the same Religion with the Potentates they should offend with their boldnesse I think it would proue matter of martyrdome in the end That any age since Christian Religion was first propagated hath wanted store of Martyrs is more to be attributed vnto the negligence ignorance and hypocrisie or want of courage in Christs embassadors or appointed Pastors then vnto the sincerity mildnesse or fidelity of the flock especially of the bell-weathers or chiefe ring-leaders Or if Satan had not abated the edge of primitiue zeale and resolution by that dishonorable peace concluded betweene Christianity and Gentilisme after the setling of Gothes and Vandalls in these parts of Christendome had hee not vtterly benummed mankinde by locking vp their spirituall senses in mid-night darkenesse and fettering their soules in superstition since the time he himselfe was let loose Rome Christian had seene more Martyrs euen of such as did not much dissent from her in most opinions held within sixe hundred yeeres of CHRIST in one yeere then Rome heathen at any time had knowen in ten Euen in Churches best reformed it would bee much easier I thinke to finde store of iust matter for Martyrdom than of men fit to make Martyrs And hee that hath liued any long time in these quiet mansions and seates of Muses secure from Mars his broiles or externall violence hath great cause either to magnifie the tender mercies of his gracious God or suspect himselfe for an hypocrite if hee haue not suffered some degrees of Martyrdome But vnto such as haue been exercised therein it bringeth the quiet fruite of righteousnesse and ought to encourage rather then daunt them whilest they liue in these Paradises free God bee praysed from boysterous blasts as taint other plants of the same nursery remooued abroad to vse this calme and happy season they enioy for setting their faith and loue aright that they may spread themselues equally to euery point of that compasse by which they are to direct their course in this troublesome sea of vncertainties that their strength in practise and profession may iointly increase without all respect to persons or particular duties saue what ariseth from the excesse of worth in the things themselues belieued or loued or of necessity or speciall occasions of performances that they may further as much as in them lies by word and deed the vnpartiall execution of their blessed Founders statutes of whose beneficence they daily taste albeit oft-times with opposition to them or offence taken by them in whose arbitrement their estimation in the world or a great part of the maintenance prouided for them depends If by framing our resolutions and affections by little and little to march on constantly though but slowly in this vniformity and proportion wee can come at length to repell proffers of Honour whereunto we cannot ascend but by winding and crooked steppes or of gaine not easily gotten but by vnlawfull meanes or to hold fleshly pleasures as deadly poisons to our soules then shall our deaths bee acceptable in the sight of our God and if it be his heauenly wil hereafter to call vs to resistance of iniquitie euen vnto blood wee haue these sure grounds of hope that we shall offer vp our mortall bodies in sacrifice vnto Him the onely true and euerliuing GOD not to the sactious humours of these corrupt times or vaine Idoles or our foolish fancies 9. This vniformity of growth in faith and want of partiality in our zeale I haue affected since I knew what belonged vnto either the rather because as I sincerely professe in the sight of God the first ground of my dislike vnto the chiefe sollicitors of reformation in our Church men whose excellent parts and good labours I then did and euer shall reuerence was the difformity of their zeale for had it been vniforme no question but it had moued them to lay downe their liues for redressing knowne enormities in the Common-weale as much more materiall and more neerely concerning the aduancement of the Gospell then those doubtfull controuersies for so I apprehended them of formalities about which they stroue as death it selfe is more terrible then depriuation The principall authors or abettors of which enormities notwithstanding were imboldened by these encomiasts in whose language euery Cormorant that would countenance their cause was a sanctified person a sonne of God Their partialitie herein towards others may occasion vs to obserue a blast of like temptation naturally rising from like humours which oftentimes ouerthrowes faith where it is well-nigh rightly set and ready to take By nature if not preuented by grace and a watchfull eye ouer our perswasions we seeke to make amends for our delinquency in points whose practise our affections cannot well brooke by a supererogation in some other duties wherein we either naturally delight or can inflict vpon our selues as an easie penance because not much distastfull to our sweet desires nor contrary to our principall resolutions Many gallants of dissolute and debaushed behauiour and sometimes Ministers of life scandalous and obnoxious though neither of there I vse as instances for proofe of my assertion will in their discourses bewray an affected desire of declaiming against errors in generall opinions abstract from vse or reformation of life or some antient heretiques whose heresies might oft-times sleepe with their bodies were they not wakened by loud out-cries against them What is the reason that such men as are most vnfurnished in these subtilities are vsually most forward to entertaine conflicts with the dead or men farre absent They are afraid to looke vpon themselues without
a foile and seeing they can hardly finde others of life and conuersation much fowler they purpose vnto themselues this difformity or disproportion in such opinions as are indifferent inrespect of their delights and therefore easie to bee embraced with ioy as a salue vnto their sore consciences apt for to breed such a perswasion of faith or grace inherent as the Pharisee had with whom vpon this conceit they say Lord wee thanke thee that wee are not as other men are not as these ê“eeuish Schismatiques or monstrous and mishapen Hereticks Others out of the like humour againe will bitterly inueigh against vncharitablenesse from which indeed they are free in respect of their owne crimmous consorts but yet thinke it no small point of zeale to censure religious Preachers most vncharitably for reproouing the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse But as was intimated the forme of this temptation is in diuers well minded the same Many if we respect that great aboundance God hath either blessed them with or permitted them to scrape together very defectiue in workes of charitie or deuotion albeit Leuyes reuenewes pay them tribute for this purpose will be more forward in frequenting religious assemblies or holy exercises then such as fructifie more by one howers conference with a true diuine or reading a religious treatise than they do by noting twenty sermons The true reason of this diformity is not alwaies perhaps not vsually as some not so obseruant of their owne temptations as they might be deeme from actuall dissimulation with the world and themselues or expresse purpose to vse religion onely in policie for a garment to couer their mis-shapennesse but rather from a secret working of the soule conscious of it eternall want and penury of works best pleasing God which she thus seekes to recompease by extraordinary diligence in such duties as shall not much displease herselfe or preiudice her sweet delights or alter her most familiar purposes Thus did the Iewes from whom this disease descends hope to repaire their want of mercie with multitude of sacrifices no lesse necessarily required by the lawe then sermons are by the Gospell And the stomacke when it either hath no solid food or is vnable to digest it wil naturally desire to fill it selfe though with water or such light meats as breed nought but winde The like aduantage hypocrisie oft gaines to strengthen it selfe by antedating indulgences to vnlawfull acts or delights vpon presumption of increasing faith by repentance 10. Who is he which now truely feareth God but calling his former thoughts to strict accompt will professe hee hath sometimes been indulgent to naturall desires or such pleasures as haue accompanied him from the cradle vpon hope his alacrity in doing good should by this relaxation be augmented or repaired Or would we be as obseruant of our demeanure toward God as we are of it towards men or their deportment toward vs we could not long remaine in ignorance that our Assent vnto generall principles of faith or future practises of duties enioyned doe oft-times appeare greater then indeed they are from our pronenesse inslantly to transgresse in some particulars which to prosecute without checke or incumbrance we hardly could without making our selues faire promises of reformation in time to come For apprehension or feare of defection either finall or totall cannot but curbe the vnruly appetites of flesh and blood in such as haue any touch of conscience or religion In these allurements we intreat our consciences as men intentiue vpon waighty businesse do cumbersome guests or importunate sollicitours if such as in ciuility they must respect making faire proffers they will bee for them against another time to be quit of them for the present Nor do they alwaies make shewe of more than they meane albeit when the heat of businesse is allaid they be more loath to be vrged with performance of what they promised then they were to promise The reason in this and the former case is the same eager desire of prosecuting what they had in hand without interruption or delay made them more hearty then otherwise they would haue been in their proffers because the vnkindnesse which might be taken or vnciuill tearmes that might grow vpon an vncourteous dismission might breed vexation of mind or vnaptnesse to dispatch their instant affaires In like sort many put off their Creditors with earnest protestations and serious purposes to giue them contentment ere long but if contrary occasions in the meane time meete them they take vp with their promises and recall their purposes both now are conditionall They would bee as willing as any man liuing if they had it and can heartily wish they had wherwith to giue euery man full satisfaction The same protestations we vsually make vnto our God and relent from them vpon like occasions when new temptations do assault vs we request him as Naaman did to be mercifull vnto vs in some one or all or if not simply for the sinne yet for the act at the present and perhaps vow double diligence in his lawes for times ensuing yea oftentimes apprehend this experience of our transgression and the sting of sinne thence arising as a motiue to make vs more earnest solicitors for grace When as God knowes by spending the time allotted vs for repentance in such trifling pleasures wee cast our selues more and more behinde hand entring further into Satan that cruell extortioners bands alwaies disenabling our selues as much to resist the next temptation as our delight hath been in yeelding to this At length we come to desperate debtors last protestations If we could a base our selues in stooping vnto a vulgar life or abstaine from such pleasures as nature and education hath made vs more capable of then others are we could be as willing to performe anie Christian duty as the best that now wee are more backward then most are must not be thought to proceed from any lesse esteeme of CHRIST and his kingdome but from multitude of great and waightie occasions to withdrawe vs. Some againe perswade themselues they beare great inward affection towards God but yet whiles they outwardly transgresse his lawes or at least shew not their loue vnto him in the practise the blame must be laid vpon others which indiscreetly crosse them let them haue their wils and it shall be made manifest vnto the world they are both as willing and able to doe God any seruice as the most forward professor lluing This is a temptation incident to braue minds so euery proud man thinkes his owne paralel to Caesars protestations of loue and loyaltie to Rome when he came in armes against it for thus hee deifies it amongst the other gods Summique ô Numinis instar Roma â—aue caeptis non te furialibus armis Persequor en adsum victor terraquemarique Caesar vhique tuus liceat modò nunc quoque miles Ille erit ille nocens qui me tibi fecerat hostem Thine aide ô Rome'mongst greatest gods I
present danger or disagrace as not odious in the worlds sight And many scattered delights meeting in one like a multitude of broad shallow streames falling into one deepe narrow channell carry the soule with least interruption of speedy passage into the bottomlesse gulfe Vnited force is alwaies strongest and for this reason it is oft harder to renounce one sinne wherein wee delight much then a great manie we equally affect Freedome from manie vsually breeds secret presumption or indulgence to our delight in some one or few and indulgence bringeth forth hardnesse of heart Of if the worldly wise-man can curbe all his desires from bursting out into knowne euils this aboundantly contents him but so doth it not his God vnto whom this permanent luke-warme ciuill temper symbolizing onely with true religion in abstinence from actuall euill not in feruency of deuotion is more abhominable then the distemperature of publicanes and open sinners accompanied vsually with most vices yet not so firmely wedded vnto any but discouerie of their filthinesse may induce them to be diuorced from all It is much worse to be at the verie entrie into the kings banquet and retire or not goe in than to stay at home and pretend excuses A chaste infidell sayth S. Augustine is not onely lesse prayse-worthy than an incontinent belieuer in that hee is continent without beliefe but rather lyable to greater reproofe in that being continent hee doth not belieue 7. Of such vniformity in practising dueties expresly taught by the rule of faith as hitherto hath beene prosecuted is that most true which the moderne Romanist in no point destitute of one ape tricke or other to mocke God and man with a counterfait shape of true religion misapplies to curious points of speculation bearing men in hand that if they belieue not euerie point of faith alike they belieue none aright Whence many things they teach as necessarie to saluation being intricate and impossible to be conceiued with such euidence or probabilitie as may ground certaintie of faith seely soules are brought to distrust the perspicuitie of scriptures and to repose that confidence in their instructers which they should doe in Gods word and so for feare least they should haue no faith but by belieuing as the Church doth they belieue the Church only not God nor any article of faith as was deliuered in the former booke Nor can their workes if conceiued or begotten by the booke or Iesuiticall rules of life be euer acceptable in Gods sight because not inspired by true and liuely faith vniformely spreading it selfe throughout all their faculties cherishing and strengthening them as the Sunne doth plants to bring forth fruite To speculatiue points or our Assent vnto diuine reuelations as true the former rule is onely then appliable when wilfull contempt or indulgence to our owne affections doth blinde our vnderstanding He that vpon such motiues doubts of any principall article or disâ—ents from it rightly belieueth none but if for want either of naturall capacity or particular illumination of Gods spirit hee cannot so firmely Assent vnto some principall truth as others doe to whome they are more fully reuealed so hee demeane himselfe during the time of his dissent or doubt according to that measure of knowledge God hath giuen him his faith may be sincere and sound though not so farre spread as it is in other men 8. But some better minded perhaps will here demaund how farre this vniformity in practise is to be extended as whether a man may not be more prone to one sinne then another or more apt to conforme his will and desires vnto Gods wil in some points of his seruice then in others without preiudice to the sincerity or liueli-hood of his faith If this pronenesse to euill and negligence in good proceed from strength of naturall inclination or long custome his relapse into the one or holding off from the other doth not disproue his obedience in those points wherin faith hath gotten full conquest ouer his desires if his inclinations to his beloued or bewitching sins proportionably decrease or wane as his zeale or deuotion in the points of duty are augmented But euery member of the old man must be mortified ere our faith be euery way such as that whereby the Iust doe liue The manner of whose life by Faith is now necessarily to be discussed more fully then in these present meditations was intended least from some passages in the former discourses the vnobseruant Reader happily suspect the difference betwixt vs and the Romish Church in this controuersie to be but small or to consist rather in words than in substance especially if works be so necessarily included as wee suppose in that faith which iustifies Nor seems it easie to reiect our aduersaries form of doctrine without some preiudice to Saint Iames in whose tearmes their assertions for the most part are conceiued This last preiudice notvvithstanding first remooued wee are to manifest their dissent from vs and from the forme of wholsome doctrine which Gods Word prescribes to bee as great in this question as in anie For admitting their Faith vvere sound and their workes which is before refuted liuely they vtterly inuert the right vse of both and by artificiall sleights or tricks of wit not discouerable by euery eye drawe poore soules from CHRIST the onely end of the Lawe as well morall as ceremonial the sole load starre of Faith and all other sanctifying graces CHAP. VI. Of difficulties arising from the former discourses in the Protestants doctrine of Iustification by faith without workes That faith is as immediately apt to do good vvorkes of euery kinde as to iustifie Of the diuers acceptions of iustification That the iustification by workes mentioned by Saint Iames is presupposed as subordinate to Saint Paules iustification by faith without workes The true reconcilement of these two Apostles contrarie speeches in appearance from the contrarietie of their seuer all ends or intentions 1. SAint Paul as is declared at large before includes workes in faith which Saint Iames takes as hee found it in vnfruitfull hearers destitute of good workes This difference notwithstanding alone considered doth no way salue but rather remooue the seeming contradiction between the one auouching and the other disclaiming iustification by faith without workes and cause it wholy to settle in Saint Pauls assertion or in the doctrine of Protestants thence deriued For whether iustified we be by workes and faith as Saint Iames expresly speakes or by a working saith as Saint Paul implies this faith workes such righteousnes as Saint Iames requires not in others but in our selues Seeing then both faith and the righteousnesse it workes are inherent in vs how are we not iustified by inherent righteousnes if iustified by such a working faith as Saint Pauls commaunds and we haue hitherto described This which we conceiue by way of doubt our Sauiours doctrine seemes to put out of all controuersie Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of
can the faith saue him The conclusion intended in both places as in that whole discourse was no more but thus No man may presume hee is already in the state of iustification or saluation vnlesse hee finde himselfe vnpartially deuoted vnto good workes of euery kinde Or albeit his faith haue once or twice shewed it selfe by his workes or readinesse to doe ods will he must not here let vp his rest or rely on what is past Abraham had obeyed Gods will once in leauing his fathers house and againe in cancelling his owne resolution for making his seruant his heire vpon Gods promise to make his seed like the starres of heauen his beliefe hereof was accounted to him for righteousnesse But did he thus iustified by faith cease to work No his faith by working became more perfect and improued his former approbation of being reputed righteous so farre as to be thenceforth called the friend of God And this was written for our instruction vt qui iustus est iustificetur adhuc that euery one which hath attained to morall hope of saluation should make his election sure by practise of such workes as perfect faith and enapt it for sure reliance on Gods promises Did Saint Paul then euer affirme that a man could be saued or iustified without such workes No he alwaies supposed them as a qualification most necessary in the party which expected finall absolution or benefit of Gods generall pardon In what sence then doth he say we are iustified by faith not by workes Not by workes ceremoniall Not by such as were the best that Abraham or Dauid euer did The forme of Salomons interrogation who can say I haue made mine heart cleane I am cleane from my sinne upposeth his father could neuer haue truely auouched thus much yea Dauid himselfe euen in his best daies and purest thoughts vnfainedly disclaimes all such purity or perfection as this briefe demaund to reserue others and the full handling of this to their proper place is for the present proofe sufficient k Who can vnderstand his faults cleanseme from my secret sinnes This assures vs there is another acception of iustification yet behind most frequent with Saint Paul to wit the actuall sentence of the iudge acquitting or absoluing or for finall absolution or actuall acquittance of the parties so qualified as Saint Iames requires And as we are not capable of Gods promises of eternall life or happinesse without workes and yet we apprehend them not by workes but by faith so this finall sentence of ioy and comfort is apprehended by faith alone although so truely apprehended it cannot be by parties destitute of workes nor doe we onely by faith alone apprehend the truth or deriue the benefit of diuine promises to our selues but by it alone though accompanied with all other sanctifying graces and attended with the whole traine of workes morall or ceremoniall we expect and pray the promises may be fulfilled not for our sakes or for any righteousnesse we haue in vs or can hope for in this life but only for the merits of CHRIST by his sole mediation and intercession 4. The seeming contradiction betweene these two great Apostles is hence easily and cleerely thus dissolued Saint Iames affirming we are iustified by workes and not by faith alone speakes of the passiue qualification in the subiect or party to be iustified or made capable of absolute approbation or finall absolution this qualification supposed Saint Paul speakes of the application of the sentence or of the ground of our plea for absolution the one by his doctrine must be conceiued and the other sought for onely by saith the immediate and onelie cause of both he still contends not to be in vs but without vs and for this reason when hee affirmes that wee are iustified by faith alone he considers not faith as it is part of our qualification inherent or the foundation of other graces but as it includes the correlatiue tearme or immediate cause of iustification wherunto it alone hath peculiar reference or continuall aspect This is that which in other tearmes some haue deliuered fides iustificat relatiue non effectiue aut formaliter faith iustifies relatiuely not formally or by way of merit or efficiency To this purpose he alleageth the Prophets testimony the iust shall liue by his faith Faith then makes him iust and iustifies him in that sence Saint Iames meant as it is operatiue but he liues by it as it vnites him to the Lord of life yea by it alone in as much as by it alone not by it and other parts of grace as ioint supporters he trusts in Gods mercies offered in CHRIST wholly relying on them not partly on them and partly on righteousnesse inherent That the Prophet in faith included this confidence and reliance vpon Gods mercies in CHRIST was a point vnto the iudicious Sasbout so cleere that if the Apostle in the first to the Romanes had otherwise taken it he knew not how they could be reconciled That so much imports in the tenth and eleuenth to the Hebrewes is euident and will so appeare from the very proposall of his speeches Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward For ye haue need of patience that after ye haue done the will of God ye might receiue the promise For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Now the iust shall liue by faith but if any man draw backe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him But we are not of them who draw backe vnto perdition but of them that beleeue to the sauing of the soule That Paul wheresoeuer he attributes iustificaion to faith alone alwaies includes the principall obiect of true faith as the sole immediate cause whereby of men iustifiable because actually partakers of Gods graces we become actually iustified or absolued his coment vpon these words of Moses Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse doth put it out of controuersie Was it therefore such righteousnesse as deserued absolution or reward Rather rewarded as such by gracious acceptance as is there implied Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not to the loiterer or idle person No to him that faithfully workes as Abraham did and yet seekes saluation onely by firme beleefe in him which iustifies the vngodly his faith or rather his faith thus set vpon it proper obiects is imputed to him for righteousnesses But the Iesuite demaunds when is it thus imputed After grace infused or whiles it remaines inherent or at the first infusion only Not after grace infused by which in his diuinitie he ceaseth to be impious Was Abraham then destitute of inherent grace before he belieued the promise concerning Isaac Sosome Romanists consequently to their Churches erroneous interpretation of scripture haue auouched whom Bellarmine dares not follow
the dead from whence also he receiued him in a figure And as hee staggered not at the first promise concerning his birth through vnbeliefe so neither did he now dispute with God about the lawfulnesse of his act nor reason how he should be raised againe Iustified he was at both instants by his beliefe not as terminated to his worke or to the possibilitie of Isaacks birth and resurrection but as through them it found accesse to his birth death and resurrection whom Isaac prefigured Hauing performed Gods will in obeying his Commaund to sacrifice his onely sonne hee patiently expected the promise concer-cerning his Redeemer whose incarnation whose sufferings and exaltation are obiects of Faith not of works effected by God and not by man although to the like application of their benefits the right works as were in Abraham be most necessary seeing true beliefe of this promise as in the first section was declared virtually includes the same minde in vs that was in CHRIST a readinesse to doe workes of euery kinde which notwithstanding are no associates of Faith in the businesse of iustifycation Not to bee weake in faith not to doubt of the promise through vnbeliefe to be strengthened in faith to be fully perswaded that bee which had promised was able also to performe were pure acts of faith though virtually including works as proper thereto as forcibly excluding all other vertues from sharing with it in this businesse as can possibly bee conceiued yet sayth the Apostle euen for these acts late mentioned it was imputed to him for righteousnesse How preposterous then and basely shuffling are the glosses put by Bellarmine vpon the Apostle in this place as if his purpose had been to shew that the impious and vniust could not be iustifyed by workes onely because Abraham though iust before was not made more iust by meere workes without faith when as he leuels his whole discourse to the cleane contrarie point maintained by vs That seeing righteousnesse was imputed to Abraham by faith and not through works none after him should in this life at any time whether before or after the infusion of grace or inherent righteousnesse presume to seeke or hope for like approbation from God otherwise then onely by faith Thus much the Apostle hath as fully and plainly expressed as any ingenuous Reader can desire Now it was not written for his sake alone that it to wit the strength and full assurance of his faith was imputed to him sorrighteousnesse but also for vs to whom it the like faith shall be imputed for righteousnesse if wee belieue in him that raised vp IESVS our Lord from the dead The ground of the Apostles reason or similitude here mentioned wherein the force and strength of our argument is included supposeth all our righteousnesse whether actuall or habituall should bee as vnapt to attaine euerlasting life or saluation which is the end of all graces bestowed vpon vs as Abrahams decrepit body was to produce so many nations yet as he onely by belieuing God who was able to effect thus much and more obtained the promise and was blessed with more children from Sarahs dead wombe then the most fruitfull Parents that liued before or should come after them so wee onely by like firme beliefe in the same God which raised vp our Lord IESVS CHRIST from the dead shall bee partakers of the promise made in him heires of eternall life whereto seeing our inherent rightcousnesse hath no proportion it must for this reason still be sued for as a meere gift of God farther exceeding all desert of any supernaturall grace in vs then the mighty increase of Abrahams seed did the strength of his decaied nature 6. The first spring of all Romish errors in this argument issues out of their generall ignorance of Saint Pauls phrase amongst many of whose sayings seeming hard and incompatible with their schoole conceits that Rom. 4. of Gods iustifying the impious and vngodly ministers greatest offence and causeth them to inuert the course of their diuinitie quite contrary â—o the Apostles methodâ— To pronounce him iust that is internally impious and vniust cannot in their schoole learning stand with Gods truth but to make him which ere while was by nature vniust and impious inherently and perfectly iust by plentifull infusion of grace is an argument as they deeme of his goodnesse no disparagement to his iustice as perchance it were not might wee iudge of his purpose to saue sinners by the rules of humane reason neuer consulting the Canons of life But if wee conceiue of Gods grace by his comments in whom it dwelt in great abundance this verie conceipt of being iustified by its inherence includes extreame antipathy to the nature and vtterly peruerts the right vse of it as to restraine thâ—â— same Apostles speeches to the first iustification or prime infusion of inherent righteousnesse which is the necessarie consequent of the former error is coÌ„tradictiously to contest with the spirit by which he vttered these diuine Oracles For if belieuing him which iustifies the impious were imputed for righteousnesse vnto Abraham after he had been for a long time more righteous then the ordinarie sort of Gods Saints or Elect Abraham all this while vnfaignedly belieued himselfe to be a sinner no way iustified in himselfe but seeking to be iustified by him who if he shew not mercie vnto sinners whiles they are sinners all mankind should vtterly perish Against this poisonous leauen wherewith the Pharisee first and the Romanist his successor since hath infected the bread of life and tainted the first fruites of Gods spirit S. Paul prescribes that Catholick antidote There is no difference all haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in CHRIST IESVS Abraham was all his life time comprehended in this catalogue and is made by the Apostle as a perpetuall so a principall instance of that finall resolution Therefore we conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Lawe Was hee then in no sort iustified by workes Yes hee might boldly contest as Iob did and euery godly man yet safely may with others for integrity of life and plenty of workes in which hee might iustly reioice or glorie yet with men not with God In this sense their resolution which say we are iustified by workes before men not before God is most true and warranted by that place of Saint Paul let them nothence deny or occasion others to forget that such integritie or comparatiue rightcousnesse to inherent is necessarily presupposed to iustification in the sight of God and doth not only declare our faith or iustification to men seeing it implies a contradiction in the vnanimous tenent of all reformed Churches to admit faith precedent and workes onely subsequent to the iustification whereof Paul here speakes His drift and scope in that third and fowrth to the Romans
is onely this That although men may bee truely iust and holy in respect of others and rich in all manner of workes that are good as Abraham was thus farre known and approued not by men onely but by God yet when they appeare before his tribunal who best knows as wel the imperfectioÌ„ as the truth of their integritie they must still frame their supplications sub forma pauper is yea sub forma impij alwaies acknowledging themselues to be vnprofitable seruants alwaies praying Lord forgiue vs our sinnes and bee mercifull to vs miserable sinners The onely complement of all inherent righteousnes possible in this life is this perpetuall vnfaigned acknowledgement of our vnrighteonsnesse whereby wee are made immediately capable of his righteousnesse which alone can couer our sinnes as being alone without all staine or mixture of impiety The like vnfaigned acknowledgement of their sinnes or faithfull plea for mercy the hypocrites or men deuoid of faith or grace inherent cannot possibly make as shall anon be declared This absolute necessity and vtter insufficiency of workes or righteousnesse inherent to iustification in the sight of God is as perspicuous from the Apostles instance in Dauid who had resolued this doubt Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle who shall rest in thine holy mountaine with S. Iames He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse and speaketh the truth in his heart Hee had pronounced a blessing to the man that walketh not in the counsell of the wicked but setteth his delight in the Lawe of the Lord shall we imagine such a man to be without workes The Lord as he addes knoweth the way of the righteous which is as much as Saint Iames meant by iustification as much as was said to Abraham vpon that fact by which as the Apostle sayth hee was iustified For that God should know their wayes implies his approbation of their persons for men vpright and intire in respect of hypocrites and fruitlesse hearers of their workes for such as hee requires in the parties to be iustified by him Were they therfore iustified or finally acquitted by or for their works If finally acquitted then blessed likewise for them Now in opposition to this Pharisaicall conceit S. Paul directed by the Spirit who best knew the Psalmists full meaning in euery passage vpon what occasions and vnto what point hee spake directly brings in Dauid himselfe deriuing the blessednesse vsually pronounced in Scriptures to the intire and vpright in heart from Gods mercies as from it onely true and immediate cause not from their vâ—rightnesse or integrity with which it hath connexion onely finall as being applied onely to parties thus qualified none originall To him that worketh not but belieueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse euen as Dauid declareth the blessednesse of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no finne The man then in whose spirit is no guile for of such the Psalmist speaketh is iustified not because of his sincerity but because the Lord imputeth not that sinne vnto him which he still vnfaignedly acknowledgeth to bee in him continually praying Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant alwaies confessing Lord in thy sight no flesh liuing shall be iustified to wit otherwise then by not entering into iudgement or by nonimputation of his sinnes Thus you see euen the best of Gods saints seeke iustification onely by faith with Saint Paul and yet require thereto with Saint Iames Pure Religion and vndefiled in the sight of God euen the Father 7. This reconcilement of the seeming contradiction betweene these two Apostles hitherto prosecuted doth voluntarily present it selfe to such as consider the seuerall occasions of their writings and take not their speeches as they now lie most commodiously for application vnto moderne oppositions For one and the same Physician to prescribe medicines much different to diseases altogether diuerse or quite contrarie would neither impeach him of vnskilfulnesse or vnconstancy The very contrarietie of their errors with whom these two Apostles had to deale would drawe speeches from any one of vs that should seuerally entend their refutation in forme as contradictorie as theirs be yet both fully consonant to the truth because rightly proportioned to their opposite ends The Iew whose heresie S. Paul labours to auert from the Romaines and to â—oot out of the Galathians looked for a Messias immediately to crowne the conceited perfection of their workes with honour on earth and glory in heauen not one that should be the end and perfection of the Law to free them from the curse it had brought vpon them or to reconcile them vnto God by his righteousnesse To beate downe this pride there was no remedy possible besides faith in CHRIST no method so auaileable as that hee vseth first setting foorth the haynousnesse of sinne and necessity of it inherence whose consideration might deiect them afterwards prâ—ssing Gods mercies in CHRIST offered to all that would denie themselues confesse their sinnes and by faith vnsaigned relie on their Redeemers satisfaction Saint Iames disputes against the opposite error of the Libertines who presumed the merits and perpetuall mediation of CHRIST to be not onely most necessary but in themselues sufficient to saue all that did apprehend them as true although destitute of such workes as their calling required and as Gods decree exacted for the effectuall application of Christs allsufficient merits which for this reason are scarce mentioned by this Apostle because magnified they were though not too much yet amisse by the parties whom he refutes Their contempt or wanton inuerting of Gods graces offered or in part receiued was no lesse hainous or preposterous then if Bartimeus or others in his case called by our Sauiour in hope to recouer their sight should haue desired Him rather to haue made such a new sun as might make blind men see without any internall light in the eye or alteration in the organ of sight Not by any necessity of nature but by the will and purpose of the Almighty grace and righteousnesse inherent though imperfect are as necessary for effectuall adherence or vnion to CHRIST as the Christall humor of the eye or right constitution of the whole organ is for perception of colours or light externall Hence is the seeming inconuenience arising from Saint Iames his causall forme of speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 easilie answered For the immediate and principall cause presupposed it is vsuall to attribute a kinde of causality to the qualification of the subiect though requisite onely as a meere passiue disposition without which the principall or sole agent should want his efficacie To one demaunding why the Moonâ— should be ecclipsed when the earth is directly interposed betweene it and the body of the sunne this forme of speech would neither be improper nor
them and shall his goodnesse in giuing them flake the feruency of our wonted desires or supplications when as we seeke grace onely to the end we may finde and truly taste his mercie Thou hast taught vs Not euery one that sayth Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but such as doe the will of thy Father which is in heauen and his wil as the Apostle witnesseth they only do which obey it in all things omitting no commaundement when occasion is giuen taking no occasion to breake or violate any Shall we then enter into the kingdome of heauen because we thus farre do thy fathers will and in some measure obserue his Commaundements Rather without such obseruance we shall not we cannot enter therein yet when we haue done all this wee are still vnprofitable seruants To what vse then doth our inherent righteousnesse or obseruance of Gods Commaundements serue vs If sincere that haue been and vnfaigned though imperfect yet the faith which brought it forth will make a sincere and faithfull plea for mercy in the day of triall in which he that hath been an hearer only and no doer of the lawe or hath done in part what God would haue done but not sincerely nor faithfully because it was his will and pleasure but out of humour naturall affection or hipocrisie shall cry Lord Lord and shewe many tokens of Gods loue and fauour towards him in hope to better this present sute for mercie yet shall not be heard Why Either because he neuer had any true pledge of Gods fauour or did not vse such as hee had aright because as his workes haue been such now are his prayers presumptuous vnfaithfull or hypocriticall such as cannot obtaine any other answere of God then that depart from mee I neuer knew thee It shall not boote him to make proofe that hee hath giuen his goods to the poore or his body to the fire that he hath healed the sicke cast out diuels and wrought other wonders in CHRISTS name vnsesse his faith haue quelled all trust all pride or glory in these gracings wholly set on Gods mercies in CHRIST from whose apprehension vnlesse these other acts or exercises though of mercie sprung they are not truely done in faith but springing thence we cannot be so ready to doe them as hauing done them to renounce all trust or confidence in them For whiles we compare these slender yet sincere effects of our loue and thankfulnesse to him with his infinite loue and mercie towards vs wheron true faith alwaies lookes whiles it conceiues them the sight of them causeth greater humilitie for the present more hearty sorrow for sinnes past then we could haue conceiued if wee had not done them as the sight of Zorobabels temple finished did make the auntients of Israell weepe because the perfection and glorie of the former was more liuely represented to their senses by this visible and semblable model then by the ruines meere absence or imperfect reparations of it To be able to sound the depth of many conclusions better then others can giues stayed and setled iudgements a more distinct and compleat measure of the knowledge they wanted then fantasticke or shallow wits can haue For this cause solid learning alwaies contracts verball knowledge and superficiall skill in any facultie dilates mens estimates of theÌ„selues puffes them vp with preiudiciall conceits of their owne worth And seeing all our knowledge in this life though of matters naturall and neere at and is euery way imperfect the increase of it is alwaies vnnaturall and monstrous vnlesse the more we know the better we know our imperfectious and be humbled with a more sensible feeling of our wants Now in as much as the fruits of life do neuer take so kindely as the fruites of knowledge in any sonne of Adam since he made that impious and crroneous choice and euery mans owne experience can teach him that his practique faculties or performances come still short of his speculatiue notions or apprehensions of what is good and fit to be done we are by this twofold reason enforced to take the vnfained acknowledgement of our imperfection in working and serious distrust both to our works and our selues as no way iustifiable or approueable in the sight of God but for the perfect and compleate righteousnesse of CHRIST IESVS for an essentiall branch of that vniformity before required in true and sauing faith The growth of these particulars is like the growth of twins the more firme and liuely faith we haue the better and more sincerely we worke the bettter and more sincerely we worke the more vnfaignedly and faithfully wee renounce all confidence in our workes and our selues the more faithfully we renounce all confidence in these the more caâ—tiestly we seeke after saluation only by CHRIST of whose allsufficient sacrifice and righteousuesse fully satisfactory of Gods law and meritorious of mercy our righteousnes inherent though imperfect giues vs a truer tast then vnbelieuers can haue Thus the weaker we are in our selues the stronger we are in Him 4. The former question about the vse of grace depends vpon another betwixt the Romanist and vs about the measure of inherent righteousnesse They make the encrease and growth of grace not to perfect but vtterly to abolish the nature of it by conuerting it into righteousnes inherent as well for quantity as quality acceptable of it selfe to God without his fauour or indulgence We as the name imports make it alwaies subordinate vnto gratious acceptance and seeing we take it onely as a pledge of diuine fauour whereof wee stand perpetually in need as it is first giuen so we desire it may be increased onely to the end we may more constantly and faithfully sue for mercie and seeke diuine approbation aright Of our edification in CHRIST faith is not the foundation onely but the roofe vnto which all other graces haue the same reference that Hur and Aaron had vnto Moses The best seruice euen charitie it selfe can performe is to vnderprop the hands of faith lifted vp vnto the throne of grace from which the sentence of absolution must proceed Directly contradictory to this declaration saith the Romanist faith iustifies onely as it disposeth vs to the attainment of charity which is the formall cause of iustification the complete forme of such perfect righteousnesse inherent as is the onely immediate cause of saluation Charitie though giuen for CHRIST is to him the Crowne of faith reaching heauen by it owne perfection to vs not charity onely but faith it selfe as it is part of our imperfect righteousnesse inherent is footstoole to it selfe in the act of iustification or whiles it pleads for mercy Nor vas any sonne of Adam for the least moment of time euer so righteous but the actuall mediation of Christ or interposition of his sacrifice secluded from his triall at the tribunail of Gods iustice he might besides all his other sinnes iustly haue beene condemned for not stirring vp
for the nature physicall properties or the quantitie of the mettall but for the princes estimate whose image and superscription it beares One corallarie of this conclusion gathered by these authors themselues was that the entitie or qualitie of grace might increase without any necessarie increase of the value or estimate of it with God as the kings maiesty if it should please him might make the same portion of siluer which now goes for a shilling to be currant but for nine pence or rather make that peece as large as the shilling though retaining the same value inscription it now beares We shall perchance no way crosse these professours tenent but onely better illustrate our owne if we say As it is not the legall instrument though bearing the sâ—ale or inscription royall but the princes will and pleasure thereby authentiquely testified which frees the malefactor from sentence of condemnation so neither is it grace or righteousnesse inherent though these be the image and character of our righteous Iudge but the mercy and free pardon of our God proclaimed indefinitely to all the penitent but sealed to euery faithfull soule in particular by those pledges of the spirit which finally absolues vs from the curse laide vpon vs by the Law and enstates vs in the promises of the Gospel In both pleas the sanctified soule vseth saith all other graces or parts of righteousnes inherent no otherwise then a penitent malefactor would doe the instrument wherein the princes pleasure is contained if he were to plead his cause before the prince himselfe in whose presence though with ordinary Iudges they will sometimes be too bold I presume no malefactor would stand vpon tearmes of integrity or present innocency because he had his pardon vnder seale seeing that was giuen him to plead for mercy not for iustice Not altogether different from these exemplifications of our assertion some schoolemen though seeking to come as neer the Romish Church present tenents as they could thought it no inconuenience to hold that the grace wherby men become truely and inherently iust was not of it owne nature absolutely incompatible with all degrees or reliques of sin in respect of which we might stand in need of Gods fauour and mercy after communication of grace But this and the like opinions are vtterly destroyed root and branch by the thunderbolt of the former decree and their authors and followers censured by Vasquez for holding it but as possible to the absolute power of the Almightie to replenish our soules vvith grace and not take away all staine of sinne for that any reliques of the one should lodge in the same brest with the other implies a contradiction in his diuinity which vaine surmise shall be refuted when we come to handle the nature of sin and the necessity of grace How friuolously he alleageth that of Saint Iohn whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not to this purpose the Reader may perceiue by the true interpretation of that place in the Chapter following 6. For the time I would request as many as feare the shipwracke of faith and conscience to rest contented with this short discouery of two rocks against which all that follow the Trent Councels direction ineuitably dash The first an cuacuation of Christs priesthood for by their doctrine after grace is infused and remaines inherent a man may bee iustified saued and glorified without any more reference to Him then Adam in the state of integrity had Christ say they hath restored vnto vs what we lost in Adam What was that Inherent righteousnesse so we grant with the Antient. But in what measure In as full and perfect as Adam had it before his fall or without admixture of corruption drawne from his loynes So farre the Romanists seeks to extend the authoritie of some Fathers The best vse and end then of grace in his construction is to passe ocuer the euerlasting Couenant of grace in Christ that wee may recoue the state which our first Parents forfeited This is the most immediate and necessarie consequence of the Trent Fathers determination for if habituall grace be as they decree the sole formall cause of iustification that once gotten will exclude all necessity or vse of any other cause or meanes of reconciliation or acceptance with God Agreeable hereto as Vasquez disputes at large they admit no application of Christs merits but onely in the collation of gifts inherent or infusion of Charity Admitting then one of their Church should remaine in the state of habituall grace a weeke or two before his death let vs suppose as for disputation sake or sure tryall of a true formall cause it is lawfull by their rules giuen to this purpose to suppose any impossibility that Christ had neuer beene incarnate crucified raised from the dead or set at the right hand of God the former party notwithstanding should be as certainly saued as hee can be by beliefe of all these Articles and become heire infallible of as great glory and felicity as wee hope for by incorporation into Christs body Nor doth Christ if their opinion may stand sit at the right hand of his Father to make intercession for vs after grace is infused or whiles wee retaine it but that it may be infused and recouered if it should chance to be lost Now what heresie was there broached more blasphemous against Christ than this which abolisheth the principall part of his mediation what could more directlie cuacuate that great mysterie of the true and reall vnion betwixt the head of the Church and the members By this doctrine neither are our persons in this life reconciled to God nor our nature exalted to dignity in the life to come by being vnited to Christ but immediately by our inherent righteousnesse without any intermediation of his person his sacrifice merites or other benefit of his passion as any cause at all or bond of our vnion or acceptance with God after the infusion of grace which is the onely formall linke betwixt the diuine nature and ours whence it necessarily followes that our humane nature must though by another kinde of vnion and lesse measure of an inferiour grace bee as immediately vnited to God as immediately approued for iust as immediately meritorious of glory as immediately capable of Gods presence as Christ was Might not that great Schooleman for such I haue euer accompted Vasquez with lesse danger to his soule or repugnancie to this great mysterie â—hole truth directly to deny he durst not or other tenents maintained by him haue granted that as Christ is truely reputed holy not onely from the Holinesse formally inherent in his humane nature but from the vnction of the deitie or vncreated holinesse whereto hee is hypostatically vnited so might all partakers of such faith as Saint Paul ascribes righteousnesse vnto bee truely and properly called and reputed righteous in the sight of God from the absolute righteousnesse of Christ as man to whom they are by the
book here we suppose what there shall be prooued that while we are in the flesh wee haue sin in vs more or lesse but depriued of rule or soueraignety where faith or grace hath gotten possession in the heart 2. Man as he is rightly called a little world so hath he a true regiment in himselfe His forme of gouernment in the state of integrity may be parralelled by the imaginary model of Platoes weale publique or the vtopia his disordered state of nature before grace infused by an Anarchy or some outcountry infested by outlawes wherein the best are most exposed to spoile his state of grace by a ciuill or well gouerned kingdome or Aristocracie The best and worst Bodies politique anarchies right ordered states do not differ in that the one hath theeues malefactors and the other none but rather as some dialects in this land distinguish in that the one hath reâ—uers the other onely plaine thieues or briefly in that malefactors cannot so beare themselues out in mischiefe ouersway the Lawes or ouerrunne honest men in the one as in the other they may The times haue bin not long since wherein if any poore man in some quarters of this land should haue followed such rauinous creatures as liued by night spoiles to their dens he should haue had more to take part against him then ioine with him others knowing where there goods were who stole them durst not own them least they should seeme to challenge the felon of theft which would sooner haue endangered their liues then his or procured the burning of their houses ouer their heads or some like mischiefe The honester man more obseruant of his Princes lawes the harder in those daies was his case the ordinary course which the more crafty or politicke could take for their safety was when they saw a thiefe to consent vnto him either outputting their neighbors goods for him to driue or harbouring such as they could not but know to be bootehailers But these misorders God bee praised are much amended their memory though yet fresh fitly serues to set forth the state of the vnregerate or meere naturall man in whom sin is alwaies insolent and audacious euen openly to wound the soule and waste the conscience and persecuted by the Law of God or nature rageth the more and raiseth rebellion in the affections seeking as it were to set all the faculties of the sonie in combustion rather then it should be restrained of it wonted course The onely peace and security the carnally minded thus assaulted finds is to suffer his conscience to sleepe and the eie of reason which I may tearme faith naturall to winke at these disorders of inferiour faculties or tacitely coÌ„sent vnto them But so it is not in the state of grace which not withstanding neuer wants sinfull adherents not only in habite or affection but oftimes bursting out into action to hurt both soule and conscience as there alwaies haue been and euer will be thefts and robberies with other outrages coÌ„mitted euen in the most ciuill best gouerned parts in the land But as in them the meanâ—st subiect that can make proof of his wrongs or who did them may haue enough to take his part for prosecuting or attaching and safely vse the benefit of knowne lawes for repressing or cutting of the stoutest or proudest malefactors so the faithfull heart and conscience is alwaies resolute bold to challenge his dearest affections of euery least transgression to represse arraigne and condeâ—n them And as Carthages often prouocation of Rome cost it dearer in the setting on then other Cittie 's vanquished by the Romanes so such delights or pleasures as haue most wronged our soules or done greatest despight vnto the spirit of grace are kept vnder with greatest care and in the end throughliest moâ—tified by the law of faith Euen in the regiment of this little world that axiome hath it due force Ex malis moribus bonae leges nascuÌ„tur Euery man inuents peculiar lawes secret vowes or the like against such practises or affectioÌ„s as haue most seduced him to transgresse the lawes of his God 3. Now as the state or publike gouernment is not to be scandalized with the infamy of thieues and robbers which harbour in it so long as the magistracie is vigilant to enact and execute seuere lawes for their repression so neither are we accounted by our gratious God amongst the vniust for these sinnes which often make head against vs so long as faith thus fights against them keeps them vnderable to holde such a hand ouer them manifested known as gouernors in a wel ordered body politicke do ouer notorious open malefactors Not that such sins are not in their nature meritorious of eternal death or not sufficient if God shold deale in iustice to condemne vs but that in mercy he doth not impute them whiles thus qualified in the habite we sue for pardon in the name mediation of our Sauior Thus I dare boldly say that not the least sin against the Law of God committed after regeneration but were it possible for the regenerate to giue indulgence to it would at the least exclude them from life eternall Nor doth this argue as some captious reader will perhaps imagine that a man may fall either finally or totally from the state of grace but rather that all impossibility he hath of not so falling essentially depends vpon a like impossibility of not continuing his indulgence to knowne offences or negligence in repeating or bewailing his secret sins Euen after the infusion of faith most perfect faithfull repentance for sins committed is as absolutely necessarie to saluation as the first iususion was Nor is this heauenly pledge while dormant though truely dwelling in our soules immediately apt to iustifie their conceite of these great mysteries is to ieiune triuiall which make iustification but one indiuisible transitory act or mutatum esse from the state of nature to the state of grace In St. Pauls diuinity sure I am â—â— hath a permanent duration it is but the next step vnto hypocrisie a meere peruerting of the vse of grace thus to inferre I haue true faith therfore I shall alwayes vse it aright A wise man would rather argue thus I haue the right vse and exercise of grace therefore my faith is true and such as vvill iustifie As the first infusion of it fully remits our sinnes past and is to vs a sure pledge of GODs perpetuall fauour so in no case may wee take it as an absolute antedated pardon for sinnes to come as if they were forgiuen of God before committed by vs for they are forgiuen by the right vse or exercise not by the bare habit or inhabitation of faith in our soules Into the contrary errors men are often led by a ielousie of comming to neere the Papists if they should admit of more iustifications then one And it is true that iustification in some sence excludes plurality or
louing toward their neighbours is a fearefull signe that worldly affection hath got the start of faith in the spring and will hardly be ouertopped in the growth that the minde thus affected is sickely and faint yet willing to stay the working of conscience with these repasts And were it not the nature of this disease to put out the eye of reason and relie wholy vpon forced perswasions it were impossible such palpable contradictions betwixt most mens ordinary resolutions and fundamentall principles of faith as any heathen that could but vnderstand what the words of Scripture meant would vpon the first view of both clearely descry should goe so long oft times for ought we can perceiue the whole course of their liues without controle or checke and without notice of their danger He is in worse case questionlesse then the meere naturall or reasonable man euen blinded by Gods iust iudgement for his hypocrisie that can suffer himselfe to be perswaded he hath truely denied himselfe taken vp his Crosse forsaken all and made fit to follow Christ when as the world sees and his practice proclaimes he mindes nothing either so intensiuely or continually as the increasing of his wealth or raising his owne or his childrens fortunes already greater then they are Christianly capable of 8. For this againe is a fundamentall rule whereof there may be perswasions either right onely in their kinde and but naturall or truely spirituall That great estates worldly dignities or plentifull matter of carnall contentments can neuer be rightly managed or morally well vsed without great morall wisdome good education sobriety of life and discretion Much more necessarie as naturall reason rightly perswaded of Scriptures truth will acknowledge is an abundant measure of faith to vse abundance in any kinde or such prerogatiues as flesh and blood are prone to delight in to the glory of God the good of his Church and saluation of our owne soules Hence as we rightlier reckon mens wealth or competence of estate by the ouerplus of their certaine incomes compared with their necessary outlayings then by the largenesse of annuall reuenues without such allocations or deductions so must we measure the strength or efficacy of true faith not by the multitude of degrees or the intensiue perfection of the perswasion or assent in it selfe considered or with reference to it positiue obiect but by the excesse which it hath in respect of contrary desires or temptations incident to our course of life If the assent of faith be as twelue and any naturall delight in prerogatiues though spirituall such as the Corinthians had be as thirteene that mans faith is worse then nothing whereas if six degrees of the same assent should in some other match with three or foure of the like naturall delight or affection the soueraignty of his faith is much greater then the formers because better able to quell all contrary motions or rebellions of the flesh Though faith we had of force sufficient to moue mountaines yet were it possible Achans vast desires might harbour with it in the same brest a wedge of gold would ouersway it or wrest it out of it place and hale the soule wherein it lodged maugre all it force and strength to hell But he that had no minde of earth nor longed not after this bright clay might easily be aduanced to heauen by faith not able to worke any externall effects halfe so wondrous Lucifer and his wicked confederates haue perswasions of some diuine truthes so firme and strong as would almost enforce any man liuing vnto goodnesse which notwithstanding no way benefit but rather exasperate them to mischiefe because ouermatched with malicious hellish inclinations That excellent knowledge which was the ground of their first station though more firme by much then the faith whereby we stand was ouerturned by delight or pride in this their proper excellency The name of grace or faith in scriptures includes besides the quality infused this relation of excesse or soueraignety ouer the desires of the flesh But whether it be possible that grace should be the same as well for quallity as degrees in the carnally minded and truely sanctified I dispute not Howsoeuer let the nature or entitatiue perfection of it be neuer so great vnlesse it can thus conquer affection and bring the body in subiection to the spirit it is not the grace we are finally to pray for nor hath it that faith whose right plantation we seeke for it associate In this sence we may safely admit the opinion of Canus and Victoria That the entity or quality of grace may encrease without any encrease of Gods fauour or good acceptance not onely as approueable and free from Vasquez censure but as necessary and vnquestionable vnlesse our loue vnto the world and flesh or estimate of all delights and proffers they can present vniformely decay as the entity of this infused qualitie or our habituall assent vnto diuine truth encreaseth This decrease of carnall affection may as we said of other perswasions and resolutions be either naturall or truely spirituall the later kinde onely pleaseth God and is the immediate obiect of diuine approbation but through the righteousnesse of CHRIST of which because it is wrought in faith it is capable so is not our naturall resolution to abandon such delights and pleasures as others follow though morally sincere and purposely intended to the end wee may bee fitly qualified for Christs seruice CHAP. IIII. That the obseruance of the former rule is most easie vnto men of meaner gifts vnto whom in this respect Gods mercy is greater then if their gifts were better and yet his mercy iustly to be esteemed greatest of such as haue most excellent gifts by nature 1. GOds vnspeakeable wisdome in recouering the sonnes of Adam his forlorne patients by bringing them low manifested in the absolute necessitie of the former precepts being duly waighed the eunuch can haue no reason to say I am a dry tree nor the siliest catife that creepes on earth any iust cause to complaine of his wretched estate Indeed were good naturall parts whether of body or minde with such ornaments as art can put vpon them or other externall graces of wealth authority or birth bestowed on man for his owne sake or that hee might relie or trust in them hee that excels in any or many of these might haue whereof to reioice amongst his brethren so had they iust cause to be deiected that were conscious of their wants But if we consider the pronenesse of mans heart to waxe proud of good qualities and the direct opposition betwixt all pride and the fundamentall qualification before expressed for the receiuing of faith and grace that the renouncing all delight in these or other naturall dignities is but an appertenance of that precept to denie our selues and forsake all we haue we would quickely subscribe vnto our Apostles resolution that if wee must needes boast or glory we would boast in that wherein
we haue most reason to reioice in our defects or infirmities seeing the lesse temptations wee haue to glory in wealth strength or wit or whatsoeuer men call their owne the better opportunities we haue to glory in him who is the Lord of life and strength the authour of wealth and onely giuer of these and euery good gift To keepe mirth though actuall and externally occasioned within the bounds of wisdome or mingle much laughter with discretion is a skill whereof many natures are not capable much harder it is to retaine such strong naturall inclination as are the fountaines of our internall and habituall delight the chiefe pillars of our glory and principall rootes of our reioicing within the compasse of natures pollitique Lawes Hence as the Philosopher obserues excellency of beauty of bodily strength of birth or abundant wealth will hardly bee subdued vnto reason With what difficulty then will such glorious prerogatiues of flesh and blood bee drawne to yeeld loiall obedience vnto the humility and simplicity of faith when as that subiection which Aristotle requires in his morall patriot is but a formality in respect of that absolute deiection or prostration which true faith requires ere our soules be capable of it presence the best seruice which our inferiour faculties owe to reason morall or meerely naturall being but as dead and liuelesse in regard of that alacrity in performances wherewith grace expects to be entertained 2. The Epigramatist acutely imputes the stoickes contempt of death vnto the slender appertenances of his poore life in whose losse there could bee no great harme For who would much desire to see himselfe without change of apparell basely clad to lodge in a sordid cabin and goe to a hard bedsted hungry and colde but had he beene a while accustomed to those pleasures of which Rome till that time had neuer scarcâ—tie and Domitians present Court greatest variety he would haue wished vnlesse the Epigrammatist rashly or vncharitably censure his disposition that his life had beene lengthened as farre beyond the ordinary course of nature as Philoxenus did his wesand might be aboue the vsuall size of other mens Yet howsoeuer it be for the particular the indefinite truth of his coniecture is confirmed by the knowne experiment of Antigonus souldier who after the perfect recouery of his health became as tenderly respectfull as any of his fellow souldiers were of life whereof whilest his body was troubled with such a loathsome disease as made his soule desire to be diuorced from it he had beene so prodigall as made his generall admire his valour It may be both of these were willing to make a vertue of necessitie or if the stoickes resolution were rather out of choice yet it comes short of that true valour which the censurer by light of nature sawe to bee truely commendable and diuinity teaches to be absolutely necessary to a Christian souldier Rebus in angustis facile est contemnere vitam Fortiter ille facit qui miser esse potest A sorry life 's soone set at naught to leaue want is no losse His soule hath marched valiantly that sinks not vnder 's Crosse What the souldier did out of humour or constraint a wise man may doe out of deliberation or choice and without controuersie great is the liberty they gaine of others in good causes that from a serious forecast and view of a better end then these men did apprehend can prize both the present possession and all future hopes of life as low as these did their bodies in their calamities 3. Some critickes willing to shew they were able to espie a fault where there were one indeed haue taxed it as an indecorum in Homer which was none to bring old Chryses into Agamemnons presence neuer daunted with sight of the Grecian armie when as men of his age are vsually timerous And it is no maruell if that courage which springs from heate of blood and makes men aduenturous in boisterous encounters doe coole as the roots of their bodily strength and agility decay Notwithstanding the short remnant of a feeble life is easily ouerswaied with calme and quiet apprehensions of an honourable death wherewith the strong hopes which fresh spirits minisâ—â—â—nto yong men of long life are seldome stirred For vnto them the fight of death is alwaies gastly vnlesse it be presented in troubled blood nor can they vsually be drawne to meet it but vpon confidence of victorie or at least of making others die before them Thus vnlesse there be some other defect the lesse way old meÌ„ haue to run the farther start they haue of youth for freedom of speech or resolution before such as can put them to death without resistance Hence another Poet bringing in an aged sire more sharply expostulating his coâ—tryes cause with a Prince of fiercer disposition then Agamemnon as if â—ec had purposely sought to preoccupate all captious or criticall censures expresseth the reason of his boldnesse Vnde ea libertas iuxta illi finis aetas Tota retro saeraeque velit decus addere morti What freedoms this A priuate man to take a Tyrant downe His race being run t' was now fit time the end with praise to crowne Could we out of mature deliberation rest perswaded of what the doctrine of faith deliuers as a truth vndoubted that promotioÌ„ comes neither from the East nor from the West that length or shortnesse of life depend not on the course of nature but on his will and pleasure who hath euery member of our bodies written in his booke able to deface all instantly with one dash of his pen that if we spare to speake before others in his cause we may want breath to plead our owne before him How easie would it bee for vs to confesse Christ by professing the truth before the mightiest amongst the sonnes of men when as now our seruile dependance on such as our Christian freedome and resolution might bring in subiecton to the truths they scorne on such as haue not power to hurt our bodies or depriue vs of food and raiment or other necessaries of priuate life but onely to repell vs perhaps from ascending higher then any opportunity of doing good seruice to our Lord and Master calls vs makes vs daylie and howerly ashamed of him and his Gospell which the great ones of this present world confesse in words mightily oppugne in deeds as we doe scandalise the power and vertue of it by our silence Great were the materials of the contentments which Hester enioyed in Ahashuerus Court so were her hopes of hauing them continued or enlarged Mordecays admonition notwithstanding grounded vpon the considerations before mentioned mooued her to hazard all and to aduenture on her gracious Kings extreame displeasure rather then preiudice the cause of Gods people by forbearance of petitioning on their behalfe Many of vndaunted courage in the open field would hardly haue pressed into the kings presence against the Lawe for though the daunger
or of whom we expect no greater good then vsuall delight but it should be odious and detestable if it were shewed towards such as haue engaged their liues lands or goods for vs or vnto them in whose defence or maintenance our very liues and substance are due as to our Prince our parents or country But for the euerlasting kingdome what can be too deare Not the whole world if we had it and all the holdfasts it can lay vpon vs. The passiue incapacity or bad quality of the vnregenerate which in proportion answeres to stony ground is in generall impatiency of aduersity and that but a veine or seame of mans hard and stony heart before it be rightly enstamped with that fundamentall precept of denying himselfe and loosing life for CHRISTS sake which in effect containes as much as Moses tables and the Prophets The branches of this generall aduersitie which though in the purchase of so glorious a Kingdome doth offend vs are of diuers kinds not all alike apt to endanger euery nature or disposition To be crost in suites of honor or preferment is vnto some as bitter as death but many there be who haue wained their thoughts from great matters and yet can hardly brooke a broken estate or places far below their education or merits in mens esteeme that be indifferent Others not greedy of glory or farre spreading fame are iealous of their reputation within it precincts and very impatient of disgrace amongst their equals or acquaintance whereof notwithstanding we should be sorry onelie to giue iust occasion but glad to suffer it vniustly laid vpon vs for truths sake All of vs haue some or other tender parts of our soules which we cannot endure should be vngently touched euery man must bee his owne methodist to find them out and to accustome them by little and little to more familiaritie with those grieuances whose assaults if suddaine were like to daunt them when they should fight the good fight of faith All of vs haue many secret concomitants of life from which we cannot willingly part our safest course would be gently to cut the strings or loose the ligaments one after another which tie vs vnto this present world that we may be drawne out of it as our teeth by this method are out of our lawes with lesse dfficulty when God shall call vs. O death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liueth at rest in his possessions vnto the man that hath nothing to vex him and that hath prosperity in all things yea vnto him that is yet able to receiue meate To like purpose if I mistake not the circumstances was his meaning Illi mors grauis incubat Qui notus nimis omnibus Ignotus moritur sibi That knowledge onely count thine owne Which to thy selfe thy selfe makes knowne The life men liue by fame is light Death alwaies sad without foresight CHAP. VI. Of that temper of heart which in proportion answeres to thornie ground of the deceitfullnesse of riches how difficult a matter it is to haue them and not to trust in them The reason why most rich men of our times neuer mistrust themselues of putting this trust in Mammon _1 BVt many as was intimated in the former parable that can hold the armor of faith close about them in stormes of aduersitie are often enticed to put it off by faire countenance of the world or smiling graces of blind fortune wooing them to follow the vnlawfull fashions of her Court. Many Confessors in time of persecutions haue prooued apostataes and factious schismatickes after long peace and prosperity Now it would be I thinke lesse grieuous for a traueller to die in a farre Country in his setting foorth then to be drowned within ken of shore at his returne a misfortune more ful of misery then can be expressed to haue escaped Sylla and Charibdis rage or safely to haue passed the streights of Magellan and afterwards through carelesnesse to cast away both ship and passenger vpon the golden sands of Tagus Orinoque or Riodel plato Much harder notwithstanding is their mishap which begin in the spirit and end in the flesh not that they were at any time actuall participants of the sanctifying spirit but that they had a resolution in it kind truely answerable to his prescriptions vntill some aduentitious contagion of the flesh did pollute and corrupt it The imperfection of these mens constitution our Sauiour exemplifies by ground in it selfe not bad but wherein good seed well sowne comes to no proofe by reason of thornes brakes or such other weedes or trash as vsually grow vp in the fields of sluggards or men so detained with other businesses that they cannot intend their husbandry The meanes whereby weedes hurt the corne are especially two either by stealing away the strength and vigor of the soile which should nourish it for which reason trees too closely set cannot thriue or by a kind of antipathy or secret enmitie which may bee either in the essentiall properties of the very seeds or roots or in the cumbersome vicinitie of the blades or stalkes each according to their strength apt to stifle other That which in respect of our spirituall growth in faith answeres in proportion to thornes or tares amongst corne is in generall worldly care or sollicitude especially the deceiptfulnesse of riches or voluptuous life It is hard to handle pitch and not to be defiled with it it is harder for the soule of man to be much conuersant in any matter and not take some touch or tincture from it whence all acquired inclinations good or bad vsually spring according to the different qualities of the obiects whereto wee are much accustomed From this aptitude of the soule to receiue impression from externals it fals out that as men set to wooe or deale for others take often oportunitie to bespeed themselues so these things which are first sought for onely as ordinarie meanes for attaining some good end vsually intercept the desire or loue we beare vnto the goodnesse of it which is successiuely infinite For things in themselues good admit no stint of desire but the more we possesse of them the more we seeke which desire or inclination once alienated from the end vnto the means makes vs exorbitant in all ouâ— courses This miscarriage of our intentions is the sourse of all idolatry of superstition of hypocrisie of all inordinatenesse in moralities and is hardest to be preuented in the most ordinary or necessary meanes of life as in meates and drinks in gathering riches and worldly substance The reason is obuious in as much as our soules are as apt to receiue impression from these obiects as from others and yet must of necessity be most conuersant in these 2. Sport or bodily exercise is meate and drinke to youth of better mettall of which who is carefull for the belly saue onely to satisfie present appetite or to enable their bodies to actiuitie yet by eating well
not in them much lesse doth our felicitie Now as in all mens iudgements he liues much better that is able to liue of his owne then he which hath the same supplies of life in more competent measure from his friends beneuolence so much happier is that soule which hath delight and contentment competent within it selfe then that which hath them heaped vpon it from without seeing all the delights or pleasures these can beget suppose a precedent paine or sorrow bred from desires vnnecessary in themselues but such as lay a necessity vpon vs to satisfie them whiles wee haue them It is pleasant no doubt to a woman with childe to haue what shee longs for but much more pleasant to a manlike minde neuer to be troubled with such longings Not to need honour wealth bodily pleasures or other branches of voluptuous life is a better ground of true peace and ioy then full satisfaction of our eager desires whilest they are fixed on these or other transitories The strength of our spirits by whose vnited force our vnion with the spirit of truth must be ratified is much dissipated by the distractions which their very presence or entertainment necessarily require so doth the life and rellish of all true delight internall into which the true peace of conscience must be engrafted exhale by continuall thinking on things without vs. Finally whiles we trouble our selues about manie things it is impossible we should euer intirely possesse our own soules with patience or make the best of them for purchasing that vnum necessarium that one thing which is onely necessary But these are points which require more full peculiar treatises to which many Philosophers especially Plato Aristotle Seneca Plutarch and Epictetus haue spoken much very pertinent to true diuinity as shall by Gods grace appeare in the Article of euerlasting life As in some other particular discourses framed some yeeres agoe for mine owne priuate resolution The counsell I here commend vnto the reader is no way dissonant vnto Saint Paules aduice vnto his dearest sonne Godlinesse with contentment is great gaine for we brought nothing into this world and it is certaine we can carry nothing out and hauing food and raiment let vs therewith be content But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drowne men in destruction and perdition For the loue of money is the roote of all euill which while some coueted after they haue erred from the faith and pierced themselues thorough with many sorrowes But thou O man of God flie these things and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith loue patience meekenesse Fight the good fight of faith CHAP. VIII Of the goodnesse or honesty of heart required by our Sauiour in fruitfull hearers of the ordinary progresse from faith naturall to spirituall and the different esteeme of diuine truthes or precepts in the regenerate man and him that is not but sincerely desires to be such vacancie to attend all intimations of the spirit to be sought after by all meanes possible That alienation of our chiefe desires from their corrupt obiects is much auaileable for purchase of the inestimable pearle 1. IF riches loue of honour or voluptuous life make the soule so vnfruitfull that temper which in proportion answeares to good soile well husbanded presupposeth a vacuity of these desires The positiue qualification whereto these negatiue properties are annexed is more particularly described by our Sauiour as Saint Luke relates in his exposition of this parable Eut that which fell in good ground are they which with an honest and good heart heare the Word and keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience Vnto such honesty or goodnesse of heart apt thus to receiue and retaine the word of faith heard is required first a sincerity of intention or choice which presupposeth a distinct and vncorrupt notion of good and euill secondly a constant resolution of prosecuting the right choyce made which presupposeth a greater freedome or liberty of practique faculties then can bee found in the couetous ambitious or voluptuous For their desires as all concupiscences of the flesh preiudice the sinceritie of the intention or choice by corrupting the notions of good and euil and maime our resolutions withal to follow what is euidently best by counterswaying or resisting our inclinations vnto goodnesse The point most likely to trouble a curious inquisitor in this argument is whether vnto the bearing of fruit with patience there bee required a goodnesse or honesty of heart precedent to the infusion of sanctifying grace or that faith by which the iust doth liue as vnto a faire croppe there is a goodnesse of soile requisite besides the goodnesse of the seed sowne in it To my capacity he should much wrest our Sauiours words and offer violence to his spirit that should deny the truth or proportion of this similitude Nor can I perceiue any inconuenience not easily auoidable by application of the former distinction of a twofold goodnesse or honesty one commendable onely in it kinde or by way of meere passiue qualification in it selfe of no more worth then a field ploughed but vnâ—own another acceptable in the sight of God as the croppe or fruit is to the husband-man The former is ordinarily precedent the later alwaies subsequent to true and liuely faith All soiles at least in this our land are though ploughed and manâ—red alike vnapt to bring forth good wheat sweet grapes or other precious fruit without seeds precedent yet not all alike apt to bring forth fruit sowne or planted in them supposing their â—illage or husbandry were equall It is alike true of all the sonnes of Adam that all by nature are the sonnes of wrath all destitute of the grace of God all alike vnapt to doe any thing truely good yet the degrees or measure of their aâ—ersion from God and goodnesse not perhaps alike in all albeit wee consider them as they are by birth without difference of education or as they are by meere ciuill education without any naturall knowledge of Gods written Lawe That such as heare the word and are pertakers of outward Christian discipline though not inwardly sanctified are not equally indisposed to bring forth fruit is necessarily included in the difference of vnfruitfull hearers resembled by the high way side and by stony and thorny grounds The framing notwithstanding of this dispotition supposed precedent to the infusion of liuely faith may not be ascribed to our abilities but to the spirit of God directing our thoughts and enabling vs for conceiuing a kinde of preuiall faith more then naturall by some externall or inferior grace so proportioned to these effects as sanctifying grace is to the fruits of true holinesse Probable it is might we speak out of experience that as Bees first make their Cels then fill them with hony or as the formatiue vertue first like an artisicer frames the organs or instruments of life and sense and
worke For seeing the ministration of this seruice not onely supplieth the necessities of the Saints but also is abundant by the thankesgiuing of many vnto God he that findeth seed vnto the sower will multiply the seed which wee thus sow and encrease the fruites of our beneuolence that it may redound more and more vnto his glory As it is extreme vanity without speciall occasions or pecular necessitie of extraordinary times to giue or make away the roote whence such fruit doth grow so is it a point of spirituall folly or infidelity to imagine the stocke should perish or not prosper by often lopping or that we should forset our hold of what we enioy by due paiment of rent or tribute vnto the Lord and owner CHAP. IX That faith cannot exercise it soueraignety euer our affections or desires vntill it bee seated in the heart with briefe admonitions for bringing it into this throne 1. FRom the former and like parables put foorth by the Author and finisher of our faith wee are taught that faith if perfect must be seated in the heart or fountaine of mans vaine imaginations whence euill thoughts still issue in great abundance vntill it be cleansed by infusion of this purifying grace Most fitly doth that parable of the leauen exemplify aswell the vse of faith as the truth of this obseruation Thus much at least it directly and necessarily implies That our assent vnto the Gospell of the kingdome must bee in such a part as the vertue of it may bee diffused thence vnto the whole masse which it is ordained to sanctifie For it must season our inbred affections alter the tast of euerie appetite qualifie and strengthen our naturall inclinations vnto good Now if wee consult true Philosophy no other member in the body besides the heart can be a fit seat for such absolute commaund But whether it be possible for Assent euery way the same with that which thus renewes the minde and hath such soueraignty ouer all our faculties to lodge els where then in this palace or chiefe mansion of the soule were curiosity to dispute Yet admit the same faith should els where reside it could not exercise the like souerainty as there it doth for euery desire or concupiscence deepely rooted would in temptations ouerbeare it Nor is it the greatnesse of the good proposed if our conceipt of it be but superficiall or our desires of it admitted onely into the confines of our soules that can ouersway such naturall propensions to a farre lesse as spring from the heart or center The reason whereof as of many other assertions in this short treatise shall God willing at large appeare in the article of euerlasting life where iust occasion likewise will bee offered to rescue the heartlesse imaginations of some late diuines more then half yeelded to the authority of Galen though forsaken in that point by the most exquisite moderne professors of the noble science hee taught that the head is the principall member as if Solomon or our Sauiour had spoken more vulgarly then accurately or philosophically when they ascribe this principallity to the heart How bee it the very ground of their arguments suppose this vulgar opinion if so men will haue it to bee an vndoubted truth in nature But referring philosophicall or scholastique disputes of this point or the like to their proper place the Gymnosophists deuice to represent the peace and quiet state of a temporall monarchie by the Monarchs presence in the Metropolis and the disturbance likely to ensue his absence may serue as a vulgar or popular illustration of that soueraignety which faith once seated as hath beene said may exercise ouer euery affection at it pleasure but not so seated shall euer want whilest hee trod the corners or vtmost parts of his buls hide the depression of one did raise an other but standing once still in the middle all lay quiet Thus while our assent vnto precepts diuine floats onely in the braine or keeps residence in the borders or suburbs of the soule it may perhaps suppresse some one or fewe exorbitant passions but the expulsiue or expugnatiue force which in this case it vseth being vnweldy neyther vniforme nor well planted will occasion others as bad to stirre or mutinee Vsually whiles men striue to beate folly or vanitie of youth by the strength of Gods Word not well rooted out of the fancy they let in couetousnesse into the heart oft times seeking to keepe out couetrousnesse popularity ambition or other affection whose helpe faith wâ—â—â—â—e and unsetled commonly vseth in such expugnations will finde occasion to insinuate themselues or though â—â—iâ—iâ— not yet well sâ—â—ed were able it selfe alone to root out couetousnesse restraine lâ—uishnesse or prodigallity or loppe off lâ—â—â—riant braunches of ambition yet there is a seceet pride which vsually springs out of these stocks for manie growe inwardly ambitious of their conquest ouer ambition or rather of restraining the out-breakings of this or other vnfruitfull plant Now these inward swellings though in themselues lesse are yet commonly most dangerous beecause they come neere the heart and will neuer bee asswaged vntill true faith bee enthronized there as in the Fort or Castle of the soule where it hath euery affection or desire as it were vndershot or at such commaund as they dare not stirre to it preiudice but by stealth or some secret aduantage eipyed by the flesh vnable to stand out against it For as motion beginning at the Center diffuseth it self equally throughout the whol sphere shaking euery part vnto the circumference and from this aduantage of it originall deades the force of contrary impressions whose impulsiue causes are but equally strong so faith possessed once of the heart hauing it force vnited by close reposall therein commaunds euery affection delight or pleasure of our soules and breakes the impetuousnes of euery inclination or propension contrary to such motion as it suggests seing no hopes can bee equall to the reward which it proposeth to the constant and resolute no feares comparable to the terrors which it represents to the negligent or â—loathfull followers of such courses as it prescribes And the equalitie of hopes and feares euen of the same rancke though set vpon like obiects equally interrested in the principall â—â—anâ—ion of the soule doe equally sway or moue vs either to vndertake any good or eschew any of more euils in themselues equiualent being proposed to our choice Now though God alone giue the victory onely able to make entrance for his graces into the heart wee may not in this respect foreâ—low the siege vntill he set the gates open He and none but He did place Dauid in the Hill Sion and gaue Gedeon victory ouer the Midiaâ—ites as they hoth well knewe and firmelie beleeued but their beliefe hâ—â—reof did not as Machiauell calâ—â—â—â—â—tes Christian Religion emasculate their mindes or tâ—e their handes from vsing such naturall strength and valour as they had their personall endeauours in fight were answearable
to their deuotion in praier for diuine assistance Others after God had giuen them full assurance of most extraordinarie victories did vse the ordinary stratagems of warre In imitation of them we should remember that albeit our affections will neuer bee loyall vntill faith and sanctifying grace by the sole operation of his Spirit bee seated amongst them yet euen such of these as most resist their admission may be much enfeebled or pined and so made more willing to yeeld when God shall call the soule to parly if wee vse such meanes as haue beene prescribed for cutting off that reliefe or prouision they haue from without Nor can the veriest freshwater Souldier in Christs Campe bee altogether ignorant how the externall obiect nourisheth inbred desires or affections which by sufferance to range abroad increase their strength and confederacie But in all these indeauours we must include praier as a chief associate for God ordinaryly lets in sanctifying grace at the same gate at which honest hearty prayers goe out 2. More particulars concerning subordinate meanes to bee vsed for bringing faith into it throne must bee referred to the place often mentioned onely one admonition remaines for such as would be fit Auditors of these diuine oracles often intimated by our Sauiour but too seldome vrged by his messengers in these daies especially To hide or lay vp Gods word in our hearts which to my capacity implies our secret meditation should farte exceed our table talke discourses of these great mysteries at least while wee are but schollers no professors of diuinitie And if I erre it is rather charitable feare least others wrong their owne soules then any iealousie least they should disparage our profession by proouing Prophets that makes mee thinke one principall reason why the word of faith doth not fructifie or take better roote in the hearts of many indefatigable hearers is because it shootes out too fast in their mouthes they are commonly as swift to speake as to heare which kinde of humour Saint Iames in his time much disliked as knowing perhaps this luxuriant flourish of words did partly hinder the fructification of his hearers faith in deedes and workes But to conclude seeing faith comes by hearing and must be hidden in the heart the surest and most compendious method for setling it therein would bee besides due preparation for ordinary bearing the generall forme of Christian doctrine publiquelie and solemnely deliuered to watch all opportunities when our hearts are throughly affected with vnexpected matter of sorrow ioy griefe feare admiration or the like and forthwith to apply such passages of Scriptures as suit best to the present affection The words though of God whilest vttered by man vsually want weight to make entrance for themselues into hearts not well wrought in tender yeeres by good discipline but yet might easily sinke euen into such being first thus pierced and as it were ploughed vp by reall accidents especially by strange and sad occasions as sicknesse of body or other grieuous crosse or calamity without which neither the threats of the Law nor sweet promises of the Gospell make any great impression vpon many in our daies A faithfull pastor should haue his wits vacant to attend these or such like extraordinary occurrences that happen to his flock alwaies ready in matter of sorrow to poure in salue whiles the wound is open or in occasion of godly mirth or moderate ioy to clap on the seale while the wax is warme and well wrought One short lesson well applyed in such season will worke more vpon the conscience and practique faculties of the soule then a solemne discourse of some howers length though containing much sound doctrine and many very profitable vses without the concurrence of some such internall disposition to receiue them And as the very naming of London Paris or some other great Citie doth stirre vp a more liuely representation of them in his fantasie that hath been in them then a geographicall lecture could doe in his that neuer looked vpon them but in a Mappe so the least after touch or remembrance of the same or like points as haue beene thus seasonably instilled will imprint a more liue working sence of Gods word in the experienced heart then a long elaborate and well pressed exhortation will doe in others Thus much at this time of that faith whereby the iust doth liue and of the qualification required in all fit auditors of the mysteries contained in the Apostles Creed for whose right explication the Lord of his mercie so qualifie my heart and soule that I may be able as to discerne so to deliuer the truth without all respect to mine owne or other persons and so guide euery Christian Readers affections that hee neither be vnwilling to embrace any truth nor willing to entertaine any error for my sake FINIS Omnium Vna 〈…〉 eadeÌ„ lententia cos qui sie in acâ—e procumbebant vitam mereri perpetuam et in paâ—â—e sortis sanctorum praedestinato collocari in lumine Willerm Tyres Archiepis Hist Lib. 3. Cap. â— vide et 6. Vide prefat ad librum 1. pag. 6 a Perlege Aristotelis librosde partibus animalium * Caâ—nden in his description of Richmond shire Quod in montium autem summitatibus vt etiam alibi lapides nonnunquaÌ„ fuerint reperti cocleâ—â— marinas et alia aquatilia referentes si noâ— sint naturae miracula refusi in omnem terram sub Noe delâ—vycerta esse indicia cum Orosio Christiano historico iuaicabo Refuso inquit ille sub Nâ—e in omnem terram mari immissoque dâ—luvio cum toto otbe contecto vnum sâ—acium coeli esset ac Pe. laci dâ—letum suisse vniuersum genus humanum paueis in Aâ—ca fidei suae merito ad substituendaÌ„ origine â— reser uatis euidentissimè veracissimi scriptores docét Fuisse tamen illi contestati sunt qui praeterita quideÌ„ tempora ipsamque auctolem temporum nescientes tamen ex iudicio coniectura lapidum quos in remotis montibus conchis ostreis scabros etiam saepe cauatos aquis Visere solemus conijciendo didicerunt * This importaÌ„ce of Assent Tullie giues vs in that speech Vberius ista quaeso haec enim spinosiora oriâ—â— ut confitear me cogunt quam vt assentiar â— lib. Tuscul et initio a Vid Vasquez in jâ—â— secundae disputat 79. cap 3. num 12. vide eundem disput 62. cap. 3. num 9 * Vide Aristot Ethic. 3 Cap. d Ad probationemcum assumitur quod nâ—llus tenetur â—â—â—mius adhaerere conclusioni quâm sit certitude no tiâ—ae propter qeam illâ—â—dherereâ—â—ista posset concedi cum aliqua conditione sciâ— si illâ— teneatur adhaerere conclusioni praecise propter certitudinem noâ—â—â—iae vbi autem non subest dicta conditio propositio est simpliciter neganda in proposito autem non subest quoniam non praecise propter certitudinem aliquam notitiae propriè loquendo siâ—e conclusionis siue princiâ—iorum
teneatur Catholicus adhaerere â—alibus Quiniâ—â—ò quic quid Chiâ—roponatur per Scripturam vel Ecclesiam fore credendam nulla alia notitia habita credere teneâ—ur Ad câ—â—â—imatâ—onâ—m cum dititur nullus credidit nisiquia illud sibi constat si loquatur de constantia notitiae â—â—lsâ—m estâ— si de constantia adhaesionis tunr etiam potest negari quia aequiualet isti Nullus credit aliquod nisi quia credit illud quae in sua proprietate non est vera Greg. Arim. in 1. Sent. dist 1. quaest 1. Act c. 4. The like imperfect solution â—alentian hath where he dispureth this question against the same author Fran. de Mat. and Petir Abaylard or Pâ—ripat which held faith to be assensus euidens * So Valentian tearmes it whose words are cited in the appendix to the third book To this purpose they abuse a saying of Gregoryâ— Fides non habet 〈…〉 cuâ— humana râ—â—â— praebet experimentum Which notwithstanding he menâ— of the incomprehensibility noâ— of the perspâ—cuity of obiects belieued â—is words at full are these Diuina operatio si ratione aprehendatut non est admirabilâ—â—net â—ides habet merâ—â—â— c. Greg. hem 16. in Euang. But of his opinion in this point we shall haue fitter occasion when wee come to speake of merits h Aquinas and his followers gâ—â—nâ—â— at veâ—â—â—aâ—es â—idâ—i sunt eâ—â—denâ—er â—râ—dibâ—â—es It y â—redioâ—â—â—y they meane â—o 〈◊〉 then probability as it is opposed to certainâ—â— their doctrine is daÌ„gerous for â—o thâ—y make articles oâ— faith to be euidently vncertaine But if they take crediâ—â—â—â—ty as it is common or indiffâ—â—â—nâ—â—â— probaâ—â—â—â—ty and â—ertaiâ—â— â— â—ropositions of faith may be as we maintaine euidently certaine vnto some thâ—ugh but euidently probable vnto others in their particularities â— 2. Cor. 12. v. 1. This I take it is â—â—o more then what the learned Hookâ—r in a Sermon vpon the Prophet Hâ—bakâ—â—â— doubtfull câ—â—tation pa 3 hath expresâ—d onely wee make that which hee caâ—s certainty of adherenâ—â— to haue â—â—â—dence for iâ—s ground not of particulars but of the generall choice here mentioned Hâ— eâ—â— we agâ—â—â— that this certainty of â—dherence vnto particulars arriâ—eth from their worth oâ— consequence a Riberâ— a Iohn 3. 2. a John 1. 14. a Psal 30 v. â— b Ier. 31. v 35. 36 b Iohn â— m Phil. 3 ver 8 10. 11. c. * Sicut in rebus inanimalis appetitus est inclâ—natio natuoâ— in aliquid dicitur appetitus naturalis ita in natura intellectuali appetitus est est inclinationaturae intellectualâ—s in quantum intellect uâ— est propâ—erea omnâ— actus volâ—ntatis est inclinatio actualis ipsius naturae intellectualis dare inclinationem aâ—â—â—alem tali naturae inclinare voluntatem pâ—â— eodem accipiuntur Ferrain cap. 88. lib. 3. Aquin. contragentes Ex hoc enâ—m quod Deus est intâ—lliâ—eÌ„s sequitâ—r quod siâ— voâ—ens Câ—â— enim bonâ—m intellectum sit proprâ—m obâ—e 〈…〉 m olâ—ntatis oportet quod bonuÌ„ intellectum in quantuÌ„ huiusmodi sit volitum â—intellectum autem di citur ad intelâ—igentem necesse est igitur quod inteligâ—ns bonum in quaÌ„tum huiusmodi sit volens Aquin. contra Gentes lib. 1. cap. 72. b Rom. â— ver 18 b Arist 〈◊〉 lib. 6. cap. ◠〈◊〉 enim tempus experieâ—â—â—â— facit nam hoc aâ—â—quis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cur Mathematicâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at lapâ—â—Spandâ—â— si 〈…〉 non 〈◊〉 Aâ— quod illa 〈◊〉 eo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 auâ—â—Spandâ—â— experienâ—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Eccles 2 ver 2 a Acts 24 ver 25 Reade Sect. 2 chap. 2. 3. 4 a Interest autem qualis sit voluntas bominis quia si peruersa est peruersos habebit hos motus si autem recta est non solum inculpabiles veruÌ„ etiam laudabiles erunt Voluntas est quippe in omnilus uno omnes nihil aliud quam voluntates sunt Nam quid est cupiditas laetitia nisi voluntas in eorum consensionem quâ— volumus Et quid est metus atque tristitia nisi voluntas in dissentionem ab his quae nolumus Aug. de ciuitate Dei cap. 6. lib. 14 See § 3. chap. 5 See cha 10 § 1 chap. 11 § 7 This grace notwithstanding is first in the intellectiue facultyâ— and thence diffused into others ordinarily by the operation of faith nor can the inferior faculties be brought in subiection to the spirit vntill they touched by the same grace which illuminates the mind Fides lampas est quia sicut lampas illuminat domum i 〈…〉 des animum Câ—â—â—soâ—t super Math. 25. Heb. 10. 36 37 a 2. Kings 6 15 b 2. Cor. 4 1â— c 2. Kings 6. 15 d Math. 5. 34 a Heb. 11. 2 b Verse 6. Heb. 12 11 c Heb. 11 7 d Heb. 11 7 e Eccles 44 â—8 f Hâ—â— â—â— â— g Ver. 9 h Acts 7 verse 5 i Heb. 11. 11 k Ioh. 11. 25 26 l Gen. 22 2 m Heb. 118. â— b Math. 3. 9 c Verse 24 Hâ—â— 12. 2 d Heb. 11 10 Verse 32 Ver 33 g Ver. 3â— 35 Ma â— 7 â— Ver 9 k Ver. 10 11 l Verse 14 m Verse 16 * Luke 14. ver â— 2. Mach. 7 18 19 * Ver. 20 c Ver. 27 28 29 d Verse 37 e Illud insuper nunquam â—â—edidâ—â—â—es quod videns obstuâ—esâ—â—s moriâ—â—â—â—m matrem câ—â— tulorum quoâ— Anatomiâ—us ab vtero â—ius abstraxiâ— maiorem â—uram gerere quam suimet Nam si coram ipsa â—â—lium laedis latrâ—â— vâ—ciseratur sin illum â—ri illius ad â—oues silet atque magna pietate laÌ„bit Quod si aliud non catâ—llâ—â— ori â—ius quam seâ—as maâ—ris aâ—cedat rabie percita mordet quem naturae 〈◊〉 atque adeo paremuÌ„ in liberos inâ—redibilâ—m charitatem in publicis theatris maxima spectatorum admiratioâ—e sâ—pius ostendi Pataui praesertim cum 〈◊〉 mus ac reuerendisâ—â—mus Rainutius Fâ—tneâ—â—us tunt Venetiarâ—â— Prior nune Cardinalu S. Angelinuncupatus c. Colum. lib. â—â— â—â—viâ—â— sect o Macc. 2 49 50 p Verse 6â— a Jaâ—â—â—s 1 ver 5 a Psal â—â— verse 31 32 â—3 c. b Versâ— 3â— c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 14 d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Talis est natu a sidei quaÌ„tò magis ve tatur tantò magis accenditur Virtus fidei in periculis secura est in securitate pericluâ—â—ur Quià enim alied ita laxat vigorem fidei sâ—câ—t longa tranquilitas Chrisâ—â—â— in Math. 20 a Ier. 42 1 2 3 b Ver 5 6 c Verse 9 10 11 12. d See Ioshuah 24 verse 15 19 22 24 e Ier. 42. 20 21 22 f Ier. 42 4 i Ierem. 43. 3 Ierem. 44. â—â— g Ierem. 44. 15 a Adfirmaâ—anâ— autem hanc fuisse summam vel culpae suae vel errcris quod essent soliti stato die ante luceÌ„ conueniâ—â— carmeÌ„que Christo quaâ—â— deo dicere secuâ— inuicem seque sacramento non in scâ—lus aliquod obstringere sed ne fâ—â—â—â— ne latrocinia ne adulteria committerent ne fidem fallerent ne
depoâ—itum appellatâ— abnegâ—rent quibus peraâ—â—â—â— morâ— sibi â—â—scedeÌ„d fuisse 〈…〉 câ—eâ—nâ—i ad capiendum cibum promiscuum tamen el innoxiuÌ„ Pâ—in lib 10. Epist 100. b Psal 137. 4 b Nehem. 2. 3 c Nehem 13. 29 d Nehem 6. â—4 e Noh 13. 14 a Exod. 20. â— b Heb. 13 d Eccles 12. 1 2 * Maldonat seeking occasion to expound those words of Daniel Cap. 12. ver 3. Quiautem docti fuerint id est qui bene sapienter que vitam suam gubeâ—narint hos enim scriptura vocare sole◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 babentes intellectum sicut Galli non eos qui docti sunt sed eos qui moderati sâ—pientes appellant Hi ergo inquit Daniel fulgebunt quasi splendor firmamenti qui ad iustitiam erudiâ—nt plurimoâ— quasi stellae nperâ—etuâ—â—â—ternitates a Psalme 1. 6. b Psalme 9. 5. verse 10. Maldonat in 13. Math. ver 43. c Iohn â—7 3. a Ioh. 3. 15 b 1. Ioh. 2. 4 c Ioh. 14. 21 d 1. Job 5. 20 f Iude 5 g Psal 78. 8 h Verse 23 l Heb. 4. â— 3 1. Iohn 5. 5 k Eccles 9 19. 20. l Eccles 3â— 24. m Reâ—d Sect. 2. c. 5 a Iames 2. 19 b Ierem. 5. 2 c Ver 1 23 d Ver. 23 a Math. â— ver 44 45. â—6 â—â— b So it is said Lâ—k 6. 3â— Ye â—hall be the châ—â—d â— of the most high for he is kind vnto th◠〈◊〉 and to the euill Our Sauiour in this place deduceth that precept from the diuine naâ—uâ—e or attribute which the sonne of Sâ—rach doth from Gods wil reuealed for to no other end were his commandements giuen saue only to make vâ— like him in his 〈◊〉 attributes or perâ—ectâ—ons Manie haue refused to lend for other mens iâ—â— dealing â— feaâ—â—nâ— to â—e defrauded Yet haue thou patience with a man in poore estate and delay not to shew him mercie Helpe the poore for the Commandements sake turne him not away becauâ—e of his pouerty Eccles 2â— 7. 8. 9 Ethnici putanâ— plures esse Deoâ— hoc tibi videris perfectus Christianus quod persua sum â—abes vnuÌ„esse Deum Quid magni facis Idem erâ—dunt Iudaei qui quotidie blasphemant filium Dei in Synagogâ— suis idem credunt Daemones contremiscunt Si verè credis in Deum crede iustum veracem iustuÌ„ in remunerandis pâ—jâ— puâ—iendis impijs veracem in promissis Crede non esse spâ—m salutis nisi per filium eius quem pro nobis omnibus â—radidit in mortem crede nihil accidere mali posse ijs qui se totos illius voluntati tradiderunt et in illo perseueranâ— Hoc est credere in Deum Patrem hoc est credere in filium eius hoc est credere in Spiritum Sanctum vnii Deum Ecclesiam sanctam mysticum Christi corpus extra quam non est salus et in quo non est pernâ—cies Quisquis in â—ali peâ—ra pedes animi sixerit aduersus omnes temptationum incursus stabit immobilis Cypr. de dupl Martyr Math. 6. 31. 32. 33. Their distrust or rather want of apprehension of Gods care and prouidence ouer them is attributed to defect of faith Math. 6. 30 Luke 12. 28 a Vide lib. 3 Sect 3 cap. â—0 parag 1. 2. b Pâ—il â— ver 5 c Iohn 15. ver 8. 9. 10. Luke 5. ver 39. Ad Barbaricum tranâ—fâ—rendi vi i â—le l qâ—â—â—iâ—is 〈…〉 quisquam babeat facultatâ—m â—ec gâ—â—â—â—s quidem caâ—se â—â—t â—suâ— com 〈…〉 o. r 〈…〉 â— â— quâ— res â—â—pâ—rtari non debâ—â—â— * Psal 63. 1. c. My soule thirsteth for thee because thy louing kindnes is better then life my lips shall praise thee my soule shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnes c. a â— Ioh. 4. 34 b â— Deut. 8. 3 d In this sense onely did wee meane Faith and Charity coeuall steâ—s of the same Grace lib. 2 sect 1. chap. 7. Parag. 3 * Iere. 17. v. 5. Ver. 7. 8. c Psalm 15 d Liuit e Luke 1. v. 34. f Genes 18. v. 14. k Rom. 3. v. 3. l 1. Cor. 1. v. 9. o Tria considero in qu 〈…〉 pes mea conâ—â—â—tâ—â— chaâ—â—atem adopti 〈…〉 prom 〈…〉 poteâ—â—â—té reâ—dâ—â—umâ— Mâ—rmuretiam quan â—â—m voâ—â—â—rit â—n ipi â—s cogitatio mea dicens Qâ—â— enim â—stu et quaÌ„ a est illa gloria quibusâ—â— mâ—ritu hanc obtinere speras Et ego fiâ—uâ—â—aliter respondebo scio cui credidi certus sum quia in charitate nimia adoptanis me quia verax in promissime quia potens in exhibitione licet enim eâ— facere quod voluerit Hic est funiâ—ulus â—riplex qui difficulter rumpitur quem nobis e patria nostra in hunc caâ—cerem vsâ— demissâ—â— firmâ—ter obseâ—râ— teneamus ipse nos subleâ—et ipse nos trabat pertrabâ—t vsqâ—e ad conspectum gloriae magni Dei qui est benedictus in secula Born dâ— Euang. 7. pan serm 3. a Psal 46. 1 2 b Psal 138. 7. 8 h Psal 62. 5 6 i Verse 8 Verse 10 k Psal 146. 3 b Math. 23. 23 c Luke 13. 14 d Iob. 9. 24 e Luke 18. 9. 14 f Cypr. â—o mortalis g Idem de zelo liuoâ—e Tully to my remembrance defines confidentia â—â— bâ— spâ—s perducâ—nâ—i ad exâ—tum vem iâ—câ—â—atam a Heb. 10. 35 Heb. 10. 19. 20. c. b Joh. 2. 24 c Math. 13. 20 d Ioh 12. 32 e Rom. 10. 10 f Ioh. 5. 44 * Quoniam ijs quibus fidem adâ—ibemus vel quae nobis cerâ—o persuademus vera esse si modo bona sint vel vâ—iliâ— veluti si sunt promissiones off â—â—is cor accommodare solemus eorum spem fiduciam in nobâ—â— concipere translatum est vocabulum fidei ad significandam fiduciam erga promittentes In his significatione â—â—pe oâ—â—ium est in sacris literis Sane Mathaei noâ—o sic accipâ—â—ur vbi â—uâ—eâ— Christus paralyticum illum confidere Terâ—io accipitur fidei vocabulum vt hâ—â— omnia complectatur nempe assensiâ—â— illum fi â—â— mentis quo quis â—â—â—to persuade at sibi ver 〈◊〉 esse quae sacrae lâ—tterâ— doceâ—â— siue promiâ—â—unt fiduciam ex Dei omnipotentâ—â— boâ—itaâ—e quuâ—â— Scripturae reuelant concepâ—am non sâ—â—â— oâ—e hoc est exspectatione promissorum Sic accepisse videtur Paulus fidem ad Roman 4. ad Haebr 11. Explicans enim illis locis fidei naturam ac vim passim a fiducia ad credulitatem ruâ—sus a credulitate â—â— fiduciaÌ„ delabitur que facâ—â—e subindicat se nomine fidei vtramque complecti Certe scriptura quam ex Abacuâ—â—â—tati Iustus ex fide viâ—iâ— spem fiduciam complectitur Sasbout in cap. 1. ad Rom. Credere se in 〈◊〉 quomodo dicit qui non facit quod Christus facere prâ—ceâ—it aut vnde perâ—eniâ—t ad prâ—â—ium fidei qui fidem non â—â—lt â—erâ—â—re mandaâ—â— Cyprian de Eccles vnit Cum ergo Chrisâ—â—â— videre
gaudeâ—â— fit nec passiâ— esse gaâ—d â—◠〈◊〉 nisi cum vâ—aâ—râ—mus Christum quae câ—tiâ—as â—niâ—â—i 〈◊〉 mâ—ntâ—a est amâ—re pressuras pâ—naâ— lachrymas mundi non fâ—stâ—nare potius ad gaudium quod nunquam possit at fâ—ri Hoâ— autem fit fratres dilect â—â—mi quio fides dâ—â—st quid â—emâ— credit vera esse qua promiâ—â—â—t Deus 〈◊〉 est cuius sermo credentibus â—terâ—us firmus est Si tâ—â—â— vâ—r grauis 〈◊〉 aliquid â—oâ—bâ—neâ—â—r haberes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nec te fallâ— aut decipi ab eo crederes quem stare in 〈◊〉 atque in actâ—bus suis scires Nunc Deus â—â—cem loquitur tu mente increduâ—a perfidus â—â—â—ctuas Deus tibi deâ—â—c mundo recedenti immortalitatem atque â—â—ernâ—taâ—em pollicitur tu dubitas hoc est Deum omnino non neâ—â—e hoc est Christum credentium magistrum peccato incredulitatis offendere hoc est in Ecclesia constitutum fidem in domo fidei non habere Cyprian de Mortalit â—e Verâ—ntamen pâ—test forte mouerâ— quid tam multos viâ—emus credentes IESVM fâ—lium Dei esse adhuc tamen mund◠〈◊〉 cupid â—tatibus iâ—â—eâ—iâ—os Qâ—iâ—i ergo ait quis est qui 〈◊〉 mundum nisi qui credâ— quia Jesâ—â— est filius Dei â—um ipse iam mundus id credat An non ipsi quoâ—â—â— Damonâ—â— credunt â—ontremâ—cum Sed dico Putaâ—ne filium Dei IESVM reputat quisquis ille est hoâ—o quiâ—â—â—â— nec tâ—â—retur â—â—n miâ—â—â—ienibus nec â—â—â—rahitur â—rom ssionibus â—â—t praeceptis obtem perat nec consilâ—j aâ— quiesâ—it Nunne â—â— etiam si 〈◊〉 se nâ—sseâ— Deum â—actis tamen negat Bernard in Act Pas de 〈◊〉 Tesâ—â—â—â— in Câ—â—â— eâ— tâ—◠〈◊〉 1. b Ad sextum argumentum respondeo Patres cum dicunt fidem sine operibus non esse veram fidem tantum vèlle significare quod non sit viua perfecta qualis reuera deberet esse Nam hic loquÌ„endi modus est vsitatus vt rem quae in aliquo genere imperfecta est dicamus non esse veram in eo genere sicut gaudium aut dolore verhi gratia imperfectum aut non ita magnum dicere solemus non esse verum gaudium aut dolorem lametsi aliquod gaudium sit aut dolòr Marke 〈…〉 verse 16. * Fortasse vnusquisque apud semetipsum dicat Egoiam credidi salvâ—s ero verum dicit si fidem operibus tenet vera etenim fides est quae in hoc quod verbis dicit moribus non contradicit Hinc est etenim quod de quibusdaÌ„ falsis fiaelibus Paulus dicit qui confitentur se nesse Deum sactis autem negant Hinc Ioannes ait Qui dicit se nosse Deum maÌ„data eius non eustodit meadax est Quod cum ita sit fide inostrae veritatem in vitae nostrae considerationem debemus agnossere Tunc enim veraciter fideles sumus si quod verbis promittimus opevâ—bus complemus In die quippe Baptismatis omnibus nos antiqui hostis operibus atque omnibus pompis abrenunciare promisimus Itaqueâ—ausquisque vestrum ad confiderationem suam mentis oculos reducatâ— fi seruat post Baptismum quod ante Baptismum spoponâ—it certus iam quia fidelis est gaudeat Sed ecce si quod promisit minime seruaâ—it si ad excercendu prauâ—â— opera ad concupiscendas mundi pompas dilapsus est videaâ—us fiâ—â—m scit plangere quod errauit Apud miscricordem â—â—mnamque iudicem nec ille fallax habetur qui ad veritatem reuerti tur etiam postquam mentiturquia omnipotens Deus dum libeter paenitentiam nostram suscipiâ— ipse suo iudicio hoc quod erranimus al scondit Greg. Hom 29. in Ascen Demmi c Hiac accepisse videtur Paulus illud ad Rom IuÌ„stificati ex fide pacem habemus erga Deum nam hic sequitur Cultus Iustiuae quies siducin â—d est culâ—us seruitium seu obsequium ad iustitiam consequendam est nos â—ostiaque omnia Deo committere tanquam patri amâ—nâ—issimo cui fidem dedimuâ— quem pro De oaâ—cepimus cui obtemperare cuâ—â—â—â—legem exanimo sâ—â—uare promissimus quiqâ—os in suam fidem suscepit quibus etiam nisi in obedientes esse â—ellemus se nunquam desâ—tuâ—um â—icâ—ssim pol icitus est Haec omnia includâ—t fides Paulina cui iustitiam tribuit ipsc Forer in 32. cap Iesatae verse 17. h Rom. 5 ver 1. a Quid sit credere in hac disputatione ex alijs locis scripturae discendumest praecipue cap. 7. Johannâ— Qui credit in me sicutdicit scriptura flumina de veÌ„tre eius fluant aequae viuae Scriptura quam co locâ— respicit sâ—luatâ— habetur 2. Paralip cap. 16. vbi sic scriptum est Oculi Domim contemplantur vniuersam terram prebent fortitudinem ijâ— qui cordâ— perfecto credunt in cum Corde autem perfecto credunt qui non soluâ—s fidem adhibent illis quae dicuntur in scripturis vel alias diuinitus reuelantur sed praeterea omnes animae vires accomodant vt faciant quod habes fides vel quod â—a prescribit Atque hoc modo accipitur a Paulo credere videlicet vt sit edauditum verbum commoneri tota anâ—mi adhaesione complecti id quod dicitur Sasbout in vers 17. 1. ad Rom. i Psa 78. ver 9. c 1. Cor. â—â— k 1. Cor. 1. v. 5. * Adde vltimò etiaÌ„ comentarium S. Augustini vt aliâ—s interim pretermittam Nam tractat 53. in Iobannem Vidite inquit Augustinus quemadmodum notauerit Euangelista improbaueâ—it quosdam quos tamen in eum â—â—â—did sse dixit qui in hoc ingressu fidei si proficerent amorem quoque humanae gloriae proficiendo superarent Quod â—â— fides ista proficere poterat amorem humanae gloriae proficiendo superare certe vera fideâ— erat â—adâ—m eâ—im est fide◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfâ—â—â—â— sed â—oâ—â—â—mper â—que magna 〈◊〉 â—â— fidâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nonâ—â—t â—adem qu◠〈◊〉 noâ—â—â—â—e 〈…〉 de 〈…〉 * If the Reader well obserue the nature and properties of faith before explicated he cannot possibly bee ignorant that euery least degree of faith brings forth a correspondent degree of loue that it is as impossible loue should increase without a correspondeÌ„t increase of faith precedent as that inequality betwixt two subiects should grow greater without any variation of their quantities * Creation applied vnto this subiect more properly in Scripture phrase includes the renouation it selfe wrought in our hearts then the grace or quality infused by which it is wrought for whether that be of one and the same nature in all God onely knowes bound we are to beleeue that he is able to câ—eate new hearts in diuers persons by meanes whether externall or internall and infused in nature quality much different See section 3. chap. 1. â— 1. Cor. 3. b Galas 6. ver 14. a Mark 16. 17. 18 b
1. Cor. 1â— 31 c 1. Ioâ— 4 19. d Iames â— 10. f L k. 8. 15 Chap. 6. § 10 See Chap. 6. § 16 b Iames 2. 21 Heb. 11. 19 Rom. 4. 19 20 Iames 2. 25 * Ad quartum argumentum respondâ—â— Dâ—plicâ—tâ—â— alâ—qâ—â—â— posse dici mortuum vno modo pâ—â— defectum animae quae est forma intriâ—seca hominis Et quod stâ—â—oâ—â— mortuum dicitur non est aâ—plâ—us verè tale vt homo mortuuâ— non est â—ere homo Altero modo dicitur aliquid mortuuÌ„ per defectum formae extrinsecae sicut corpus quod dicitur mortuum per defectum animae viuae quae est quid extrinsecum corporâ— vt corpus est Et quod istâ— modo dicitur mortuum nihilominus est vt corpus mortuum vere nihilominus est corpus quamuis non vivum corpus Valent. Tom. 3. dis 1. quaest 4. punct 4. The same answere hath Bellarmine lib. 1. de iustificatione cap. 15. a Non seâ—tiunt quod tharitâ—â— proprie siâ— forma sides aut essentialis vt anima dicitur forma â—ominis aut accidetalis aut extrinseca vt alâ—idâ— câ—rporâ—s Hoc â—â—â—m falsum esse ex â—â— perspicuum est quod 〈◊〉 â—iâ—es sâ—nt duâ— virtutes spâ—cied 〈◊〉 quae duas dâ—â—c sas potentâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Solum igitur volâ—â—t Tâ—â—â—lâ—gâ— Charitatem quonâ—â—â— pâ—â—â—ect anâ—m aliquam adâ—â—â— fides metaphorice dici posse formam ipsius secundum Analogiam videlicet ad formam proprie dictâ—â— quae suo modo subiectum perficit Valent. Tom. 3. disp 1. quâ—st 4. puncto 3. b Sed quaerat aliquis quaeâ—am sit illa perfectio quam charitas tribuit fidei Respondeo duplicem esse vna est quod per charitatem valet ad â—eatitudinem consequendam id est ad meritum sicut disputâ—ui Tom. 2. disp 8. quaest vâ—t Et quidem quod hanc perfectionem sides ex charitate accipiat certum est ex fide Altera perfectio est quod quaâ—eâ— us fidei actus per imperium charitatis refertur ad vltimum finem id est quatâ—nus credat aliquis propter Deum vt summum bonum pertinet actus fidei ad â—andâ—m specie rectitudinem ad quam ipsa charitas atque adeo est eiusdem speciei cuius est ipsâ— charitas Hoc autem est discrimen quod rectitudo haec est essentialis ipsi charitatâ— vt quae secundum suaâ— rationem non habet â—â—â—m laâ—dem quam quod respicit in summum quod est Deus Fidei vero non est haec rectitudo nisi accidentalis quateâ—us fidei accidit vt ipsius actus voluntarie per charitatem referatur in summum bonum Valent. ibid. punct 3. c Ipsum viuere est ipsum operari â—iâ—nt Philosophâ— operatio autem vitalis non à corpore proficâ—scitur sed a coniunctione spiritus cum idoneâ— corpore Nec verâ— Apostâ—lâ—â—pera fidei spiritum esse dicit sed de vitae appellatione ac nomine tantum â—gâ—t Tam inquit verum est fidem siâ—e operibus mortuam dici quaem verum est de corpore sine spiritâ— esse dicique mortuum Ar Moâ—t â—n verse 26. â—â—â— 2. Epist D. Iacobi See Sec. 2. Cha. 5. â— See sect 2. Cha. 6. towards the latter end Si quis dixerit amissaper peccatum gratia simul fidem semper â—mitti aut fidem quae remanet non esse veram fideÌ„ licet noÌ„ sit viua aut eum qui fidem fine charitate haebet non esse Christianum anathema sit Concil Trident sâ—ssiâ—â—e sexta de iustis câ—â— 28. Chap. 8. parag 8. * Maldonat vpon these wordes of our Sauiour Math. 15. v. 19. In vaine doe they worship me well obserues that the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well expresseth the originall His reason is Nam apud Hebraeos timere deum est deum colere a Volutres Deus pascit passeribus alimenta diurna praestantur quibus nullus diuinae rei sensus est eu nec cibus nec potus deest â—u Christiano tu Dei scruo tu operibus â—oâ—is dedito tu domino suo châ—ro aliquid existimas dâ—futurum nisi si putas quia qui Christum pascit a Christo ipse non pascitur aut eâ—â—terrena dâ—erunt quibus caelestia diuina tribuuntur vnde haeâ— incredula cogitatio vndâ— iâ—pia sacrilega ista meditatio quid facit in domo â—idei perfidum pectus quid qui Christo omnino non credit appellatur dicitur Christianus Pharisaei tibi magis congruit nomen Nom cum dominus in euangelio de eleâ—mosynis disputaret vt nobis amiâ—es de terrestribus lucris prouida òperatione faceremus qui nos postmodum in tabernacula aeterna susciperant fideliter salubriter praemonerâ—â— addidit post haec scriptura dicens Audiebant auteÌ„ haec omnia Pharisaei qui erant cupidissimi irridebant Cypr. dâ—â—pere â—lâ—â—mos o Christianus nemâ— recte dicitur uâ—sâ— qui Christo moribus coaequatur Ecce Christus non contendit neque clamauit tu simorum Christs similitudinem tenere cupis ne contendâ—s ne abuâ—iâ—â—â— in ecclesia Christianus exisâ—as Cypr. de Abus sec b Quisquis igitur ore dicit credo in vnum Deum seruit auaritiae aut libidinâ— auâ— luxui sibi menâ—itur sibique reâ—ugâ—at aliud lingua sonans aliud animo celans voce tantum testimonium perhibens Deo cum vita satanam colat Cypr. de dupl Martyr c His wordes are cited parag 1. a Rom. 9. v. 6. b Galat. 3. v. 7. d Rom. 2. v. 28. 29. â— The first that faith should bee dead yet true the second that faith truely dead whilest so remaining should giue life vnto a Christian I thinke it would be a matter very hard for the Iesuite to finde more grosse absurdities in so few words in the simplest writer of this age For by the litterall and ordinary sence of the wordes faith should be no part of grace a Mat. 1â— 15 a Ioh 16. * See lib. 3. Sect. 3. chap. 8. parag 3. b Iohn 6. v. 14. 15. Vide SocrateÌ„ De Iudeis CretaÌ„ in coâ—entibus Lib. 6. ca. 3â— â—aâ— 5. 31. 32. * Ouidius lib. 5. Tristium E. â—g 14. b 1. Cor. 6. 1. 2. c. a Iames â— 5. b see Ch. 6. Sect. 1. * Nam concubinae et pellices non sunt prohibitae quemadmodis ex legibus de Concubinarijs ostenditur libro Digestorum 25. Satis aperte Augustinus testatur esseiure ciuile vetere Romano multa permissa quae sunt contraria legibus diuinis Hoc isti nolunt qui dum gentilitatem coniungere et coaptare Christianismo laborant corrupto ulroque et alterius impatiente nec gentilitatem nec Christianissimum retinent L. viues in haec verba August de Ciuitate Dei ad Marcell lib. 14. ca. 18. vsum scortorum terrena civitas licitam turpitudinem fecit a Luke 14 ver 12. 13 14. b Pro. 28. ver 9. c Math. 18. ver 15 16. 17.
Medâ—â—torem oâ—ioâ—um sed vere faciunt Aduersarii Christi merita inefficacia cum docent Christum tam insigni obedientia id eâ—â—â—â—ere non potuisse vt iustificatio legis impleretur in nobis Bellarminus ibidem Si quiâ— dixerit per banâ— doctrinaÌ„ catholicam de iustificatione a sancta synodo hoc praesenti decreto expressâ—m aliqua ex parte gloriae Dei vel meritis Iesu Christi Domini nostriderogari et non potius veritatem fidei nostrae Dei denique ac Christi â—esu gloriam illustrari Anathema sit Concil Trident sess 6. Can. vlt. Such peremtorinesse is vsuall with them when partiality or proud affection ouerbeares the secret working of their conscience labouring to reclaime their errour Vide lib. 3. Sect. 2 â—ap 4. parag 22. d Quarâ—a obiectio Nemo potest vitare omnia peccatâ— cum scriptum sit Jacobi 2. In multis offendimns omnes Et 1. Ioan 1. Si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus nos ipsos seducimus At qui legem omnem impleret nullum haberet omnino peccatum igitur fieri non potest vtlex omnâ—â— a nobis etiaÌ„ cum fide et gratia impleatur Respondeo Ab hoâ— argumentâ— quod valde Kemâ—â—tius vâ—get nontaÌ„ facile se expediunt qui conâ—edâ—nt peccatum veniale esse proprie contra legem vt Vega lib. 11. â—n Concilium cap. 20. coguntur enim dicere legem non esse impossibilem non quod tota simul seruari possit sed quod seruari possit maior eius pars et a meâ—iori parte fiat denominatio Sed videnâ—â—â— est illis quid respondeant Apostolo Iacobo dicenti Quiqunque totam â—e gem â—eruaâ—erit offendat aurem in vno factus est omnium â—eus Solida igitur responsio est peccata venalia sine quibus non viâ—â—muâ— non esse peccata simpliciter sed imperfecte et secundum quid neque essâ— conâ—ra legem sed praeter legem vt S. Thomas recte docet â—n 1. 2. quaest 88. art 1 hinc enim omnia cohâ—rent NaÌ„ qui offendit in vno preuaricaâ—s videlicâ—t vnum praeceptum factus est omniâ—m â—eâ—â— et iniuâ—â—us simpliciter constituitur â—â— tamenia multis offendimus omnes quia â—ameâ—â—â— nihil facimus contra ligeÌ„ tamen multa â—acimus praeter legem Et qui notus est ex Deo non peccat transgrediendo legem et tamen si dixerimuâ— quia peccatum non babâ—mus nihil videlicet praeter legem faciâ—ndo noâ— ipsos sâ—â—â—cimuâ— et veâ—itas in nobis non est Bellar. lib. 4 de Iust f. cap. 14. Sit tertia propositio propter inâ—ertitudinem proprie â—ustitiae periculum manis gloriâ—â—uâ—â—ssiâ—um est siduâ—â—â—m totam in â—ola Dei misericordia benignitate reponere Explicâ— propositionem non enim ita accipienda est quasi non sit homiâ—â— totis viribus studendum operibus boâ—is aut non sit in eis confidendum quasi non sint verâ— iustitia aut iudicium Dei sustineâ—e non possint sed hoc solum dicimus tutius esse mer eorum iam partâ—ruÌ„ quodammodo obliâ—â—sâ—i in solam misericordiam Dei respicere TuÌ„ quia nemo absque reuetatione certo scire potest sâ— habere vera merita aut in eâ—s in finem vsque perseueraturuÌ„ Tum quia nihil est â—acâ—lius in hoc loco tentationis quam superbiam ex confideratione bonoruÌ„ operum gigni Probatur igitur propositio testimoniis illis quae aduersarij contra merita operum afferre â—olent Nam quod ait Daniel cap. 9. Non in iustificationibus nâ—stru prosteâ—nimus preceâ— nostras antâ— faciem tuam sed in miserationibus â—â—is multis Et quodipse Dominus admonâ—t Lucae 17. Cum â—â—ceritis hâ—c omnia quae precepta sunt vobis diciâ—e serui invtiles sumus hoc solum probant quod nos dicimus tutum esse in solâ— misericordia Dei et non in operibus nostris â—iduciam collocare Quod etiam testantur publicâ— precet quat Ecclesia Catholica ad altare fundere solet Nam is collecta Domimicae quae Sexâ—gessâ—mâ— dicitur â—ic â—rat Ecclesia Deus qui conspicis quiâ— ex nulla nostra actione confidimus c. Bellar. â—â— 3. de iustificatione Cap. 7. Math. 5. 48 r S Chap 5. Wee then pray in faith when wee faithfully submit our will vnto Gods will vnfainedly renâ—uÌ„ciag all our former sinnes or euill customes truly denying our selues the world c. Thus affected we may beâ— in the actuall state of grace albeit through naturall constitutioÌ„ some disease of bodie of distemper of the brâ—m noâ— without feare of death or doubt of saluatio If such submission of our will to Gods will haue been prâ—iâ—diced or interrupted by entertaining some vnlawfull desire or bâ— grieuous actuall offences â—n former temper oâ— resolution must be reâ—umed or 〈…〉 d by r 〈…〉 ns wee may bee truely sayd â—o be actually reiustiâ—â— Of the distinctioÌ„ betwixt Faith and Repentance * Iob. 1. 3. 6 7 o Rom. 5. 1 p 1. Iob. 1. 3. a 1. Iohn 2. b This is his title as he is our aduocate 1 Iohn 2. 1. d 1. Iohn 3 9. â— Cap. 6 Para. 15. e 1. Iohn 3 4. t The distinction of mortall and veniall sinnes or of sinnes besides the law and against the law hath no ground either in Saint Iohn or Saint Iames but was cor ceiued by meere ignorance of sacred dialect d 1. Ish. 3. 9 e Verse 4 f Verse â— Verse â— Mittet filius hominis Angelos suâ—s colligent de regno huius omnia scandala eos qui facinnt iniquitatem Mat. 13. v 41 Maldon in haec verha omnes qui iniquitatem exercent vt ita dicam iniquitatis artem factitant magis enim habitus quam actus Hebraica phraiâ—i significatur * Iohn 8. 34. 1. Ioh. 3. â— Ver. 6. d V. 8. e Iohn 8. 44. 45. Ver 47. 1. Iohn 3. 10. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g 1. Iohn 1. â— h Iam. 2. 10. â— Iam. 3. â— k Rom. 7. 24. a Psal 19. 1â— b V. 9. 10. c V. 11. This is that which 〈…〉 saith 15 v. 1â— â—e that is begotten of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dâ—â—â— as it were 〈◊〉 a watch ouer 〈…〉 the wicked toucheth him not that is he comes not within him to endaunger or ouerthrow him as hee doth the world which as the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heth in wickednes or is as it were surrounded with euill â— V. 13. Psal 66. 18. 19. 1. Iohn chap. 3. 22. Whatsoeuer wee aske wee receiue of him because we keep his commandements doe these things which are pleasing 〈…〉 sight Pertinent to this obseruation is that place Reuel 8. v. 3. If by the Angell their offering odours with the prayers of all Saints vppon the golden altâ—r vve vnderstand Christ as most interpreters doe but vpon what grounds I know not Ribera and Brightmaâ— differ from the rest in the interpretation of that place * Per omnia sibi