second iustice is that which was to follow the good workes of nature in that integritie might be called the iustice of works for after that man had liued godly and iustly according to Gods law in that integritie then he might be said to be iust againe and to be declared of God to be iust by his good workes well pleasing vnto God and so eternall life might be saide to be giuen vnto him as iustified by his works For Paul to the Rom. teacheth that there may be some imputation of righteousnesse by good works if so be that works be perfectlie good Hence come these manner of speeches Abraham was not iustified by his works by workes no flesh shall be iustified Thus far of the promise Rom. 4. 2 of the couenant of workes or of the things promised in the couenant of works Now to come vnto the condition the condition of y e couenant of works is the condition of good works of good works I say not which proceed from Christ or from his The condition of the couenant of works grace but frō nature only in the integrity thereof being informed with the knowledge of the law and perfectlie good as it was in the first creation proceeding I say from that ground of the couenant of workes Therefore works meere naturallie good onlie are required as the condition of the couenant of works So then by this condition doe you exclude hence faith in Christ I doe so And do ye except here from the condition of the couenant of works all the works of grace and regeneration I doe except these also But the couenant of works is often propounded in the Gospell to such as be in grace and in Christ Iesu for how often is the reward of eternall life promised to such as do well wherefore it may seeme that the works of regeneration appertaine also to the couenant of works for that such works be required of them which be vnder grace I answer the antecedent is false for if at any time we heare or reade in the Gospell of grace that good works be required of them which be in Christ and iustified by him to that end that they may obtaine eternall life we may not thinke that God speakes Note vnto them after the forme of the couenant of works for in the Gospel good works are required of them which be in Christ not such as proceede from their owne nature or such as they can yeelde of their owne strength but onely such as proceede from the grace of regeneration For we neuer finde in the new Testament that they which are in Christ be commanded to do the workes aforesaide of the couenant of works which bee naturallie good or that the couenant of works is set before thē that by it the works therof acted by the strēgth of nature they may receiue eternall life For thou shalt neuer finde it saide to them which are in Christ Do this of your own strēgth that so ye may liue which is the very sum of y e couenant of works As for that place Math. 19. 17. where Christ said to a certaine young man which called vpon him saying Maister what good shal I do that I may haue eternall life The Lord answered and saide If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements I graunt that heere hee vnderstandeth the couenant of works and that the Lord propoundeth to the young man the forme of the conenant of works But obserue that the Lord so answereth to one that sought his life and saluation by the law and which did before cleaue vnto the couenant of works and trusted to works as meritorious For so the couenāt of works and the rule of the law of works must be set before euery one which is without Christ seeking righteousnesse by the law and the works of the law to this end if it may be that by the sense of sin the feeling of his owne misery he may be prepared to embrace the couenant of grace in Christ For to returne vnto his words that young man saide to the Lorde What good shall I doe Therefore he sought saluation by workes and not by faith in Christ So then the Lord answered fitly to his question Doe this and thou shalt liue Which manner of speaking is neuer wonted to be propounded in the Gospell to them which haue once imbraced and professed Christ For those good works of nature be neuer required of them according to the forme of the couenant of works neither be the promises made vnto them vnder condition of any such workes I confesse good workes be required of them which be in Christ and iustified by him but all such works belong to grace and regeneration to grace I say only and they be not the works of free will nor of nature Know this thē that to such as be in Christ the couenant of works to thē is abolished of none effect so far forth as by it iustificatiō saluation is obtained I graunt the law abideth which is the rule of those works which properlie specially How far the law is abolished did first appertaine to the couenāt of works but now it hath another speciall vse for it serueth for our direction in the workes of grace and sanctification So then the law hath ceased as it was the rule of the works of nature required in the couenant of works but it is still in vse to them which are in Christ as it is the rule of the works of grace For the same iustice of God is vnchangeable and the law of God is the very image of diuine iustice wherefore the law of God must abide for euer albeit it haue not euer the same vse nor be not alwaies the rule of the same works But of this we shal speak more at large hereafter It is a question heere whether in the first creation good works in the couenant of works were required of man as meritorious for the promised life I answer not so But they were due in the creation as pledges of thankefulnesse in man to his creatour for that excellent worke of his creation and to glorifie God his creator But it may be obiected that Paul to the Rom. disputing against the works of nature for in that epistle he disputing principally against this kind of works he reasoneth against thē as seeming meritorious not as duties testimonies of mans thankfulnes vnto God wherfore it may seeme they were commanded vnto man in his creation as meritorious I answer true it is Paul disputes there of thē as of merites not for that this was his iudgement of them but because the Iewes had that conceite of them which were so farre blinded that they thought the good works of nature were not only good and iust but also might merit iustification and life But of this blindnesse of the Iewes we shal speake more at large herafter Thus farre of the condition of the couenant of
works and of this kinde of couenant accordingly and as we purposed in this present treatise CHAP. III. Of the couenant of grace IN the free couenant of grace or of the Gospel the first grounde is our mediator Iesus Christ 1. Ground of the couenāt of grace crucified also and dead or which is the same in effect the bloud of the mediator the vertue whereof is twofold The first serues to satisfie the iustice and wrath of God for our sinnes for the breach of that couenant of works The second is to purchase and merit a new grace mercie of God for vs. And this grace or mercie of God 2. Grounde obtained by the bloud of the mediator is y e second ground of the couenant of grace wherby we stand reconciled vnto God and in grace with him Wherefore the first immediat grounde of the couenant of grace is Gods free sauour or mercie whereby mans miserie is presupposed and not nature or any good thing in it For that all our naturall goodnes after the breach of that couenant of works is quite vanished that is to say nature as touching holines iustice and wisdome is vtterlie lost For we are not to approue their iudgment which say that the freedome of will that is the goodnes and holines of nature is much worne and weakened as they speake in this corrupt nature And thus far of the ground of the couenant of grace Vpon this ground I say first of the bloud of Christ next of God free mercie in Christ the couenant of grace vsually so called is founded The first and principall grace promised in this couenant is righteousnes which must necessarily heere haue the first place for after the breach of the couenant of works that one first originall iustice as they call it was quite lost and vniustice did succeede into the place thereof And this iustice which is here promised in the couenant of grace is no inherent righteousnesse as that originall iustice was but it is the righteousnesse of our mediator Iesus Christ which is ours by faith and by the imputation of God for which cause the Apostle cals it the righteousnes of God for without this imputatiue iustice we can not Rom. 3. 20. possiblie stand before the tribunall of God and by the imputation of this righteousnesse are we said to be iustified before God Next after this kinde of righteousnes which is by imputation there is another kind of inherent iustice promised in the couenant of grace euen such a sanctitie and goodnes of nature as was lost in the fall of man and this is but begunne in this life but perfected in another And this inherent iustice is nothing else but life eternal in vs begunne I say in earth and perfected in heauen And this heauenly and spirituall life doth proceede from that righteousnes of Christ which is imputed vnto vs by faith For that righteousnes of Christ is effectuall in vs vnto eternall life by the spirit of Christ who sanctifieth and quickneth vs. And thus far of the promise which is in the couenant of grace Now it followeth that wee see what the condition is of this couenant The verie name of the couenant of grace might seeme to require no condition for it is called a free couenant because God freely The condition of the couenant of grace and as it might seeme without all condition doth promise herein both righteousnes and life for he which promiseth to giue any thing freely he bindeth not to any condition But we are to vnderstand that grace here or the particle freely doth not exclude all condition but that only which is in the couenant of workes which is the condition of the strength of nature and of works naturally iust and good as we may call them which can in no wise stand with Gods free grace in Christ Iesu For neither that freedome of will which doth import some purity holines in nature nor the works of free-will as they call them can agree with the grace of God in Christ Iesus What is the condition then which this word grace or freely will admit in this couenant of grace I answer assuredly none other thē that which may stand with Christ and with Gods free grace and that is faith only which is also by grace for it is Gods free gift Phil. 1. 29. It is giuē vnto you not onely to beleeue in him but also to suffer for his sake hauing Christ first the obiect thereof and next Gods free mercie in Christ for faith embraceth Gods mercie in Christ and makes Christ effectuall in vs vnto righteousnesse and life For this cause Paul Rom. 4. 16. saith our inheritance is by faith that it might come by grace Ephe. 2. 8. Ye are saued by grace by faith and that not of your selues that is as he after expoundeth it not of works so he concludeth that saluation because it is of Gods free grace by faith is the free gift of God Wherefore we see faith stands best with the grace mercie of God as without Rom. 6. 23. which Christ and Gods mercie in him cannot bee effectuall vnto righteousnesse and life For if we receiue not Christ by faith and Gods mercy in Christ Christ and the mercie of God can profit vs nothing vnto iustification and life Howbeit we be heere to remember that whereas God offereth righteousnesse and life vnder condition of faith yet doth he not so respect faith in vs which is also his owne gift as he doth the obiect of faith which is Christ and his owne free mercy in Christ which must be apprehended by faith for it is not so much our faith apprehending as Christ himselfe and Gods mercy apprehended in him that is the cause wherefore God performeth the promise of his couenant vnto vs to our iustification and saluation Wherefore the condition of the couenant of grace is not faith onely nor the obiect of faith only which is Christ but faith with Christ that is The condition of the couenant of grace the faith that shall apprehend Christ or Christ with faith that is Christ which is to bee apprehended by faith Note then briefly this howe these three are one in substance the ground of the couenant of grace the condition of it and the cause wherefore God performeth the condition yet in reason they differ something For Iesus Christ is the ground being absolutely considered without any respect of application vnto vs. But Christ is the condition of the couenant as he is to be applied vnto vs and must be embraced by faith for euerie condition is of a future thing to be done And the cause also of the performance of the couenant is Iesus Christ alreadie embraced and applied vnto vs by faith Wheras Paul then saith that we are iustified by faith his meaning is that wee are iustified by Christ applied vnto vs by faith alreadie in our effectuall calling which by order of nature goeth euer before the
benefite of iustification It may be heere demaunded whether the works of grace and regeneration as they are called haue not some place in the condition of the couenant of grace for all the good works of nature are hence excluded I answer that the very works of regeneration are not contained in the condition of the couenant of grace First for that the couenant of grace is made with the vniust and vnregenerate now how can their works be iust good Next in the couenant of grace both regeneration it selfe and all the holy fruits thereof are promised for in it all the benefits of Christ be promised the beleeuers Now then the promise of the couenant must necessarily differ from the condition of the couenant But this you will Obiection say It is euident that in many places of the new Testament that life eternall or as they say the reward of eternall life is often promised vnder the condition of good works that is the works of regeneration as 1. Timoth. 4. Godlinesse is profitable vnto all things hauing the promises both of this life and of the life to come Luke 14. It shall be repaid thee in the day of the resurrection of the iust Matth. 5. Your reward is great in heauen Matt. 19. He shall not lose his reward Gal. 6. Let vs not be wearie in weldoing for in due season we shall reape if we faint not Ephe. 6. Knowing this that what good soeuer euerie man doth that he shall receiue of the Lord. Heb. 6. The Lord is not vniust to forget your worke and the loue which ye ministred vnto the saints 2. Thess 1. 6. Notwithstanding it is a righteous thing with God to render affliction in like manner to them which afflict you and vnto you which are afflicted rest with vs. To these I answer In my Answer Three kinds of promises in the Gospell iudgment there are three distinct kinds of promises in the Gospell The first is the promise of the couenant of works wherein eternall life is promised vnder condition of works done by the strength of nature Thesecond is the promise of the couenant of grace which is propounded vnder condition of faith The third kind of promises are those particular and special promises which are to be referred to the couenant of grace found euery where in the Gospell and made vnder condition of the works of grace and regeneration These three kinds of promises differ first in conditiō next in propriety thirdly in subiect fourthly in end and vse First thē they differ in condition for y e promise in the First difference couenant of works is vnder condition of y e works of nature the strength therof In the couenant of grace the promise is vnder condition of faith in Christ In the promises which I cal particular or special promises there is a cōdition of works indeed but of the works of grace and regeneration and not of the works of nature or any naturall facultie Secondly these promises differ in proprietie for the promise in the couenant of workes is Second differēce meerely legall and requires the condition of works done only by the strength of nature commanded in the lawe and to be done according to the strict rule of Gods law and the works of nature or wrought by natural strength are properly called the works of the law Rom. 9. 32. And the promise in the couenant of grace is not legall but meerely Euangelicall for the condition here is not of any worke morall and naturall but of faith in Christ and of Christ himselfe to bee apprehended by faith Lastly those particular promises they are partly Euangelicall partly legall for the condition is of workes which proceed from grace and regeneration and therefore of such works as in regard of their originall may truly be called Euangelicall works but because the law morall is the rule of them in this respect they may also be called legall works Thirdly these promises differ in subiect because Third differēce the promise in the couenant of works is propounded to them which now after the breach of that first couenant of works lie dead in sins offences hauing notwithstanding Ephe. 2. 1. for the time no sense of sin nor death The promise in the couenant of grace is giuen to them which are also dead in sinnes and transgressions but hauing some feeling of sinne of death and of their owne miserie wrought in them by the law and legall couenant and as for those particular promises they are proposed to them which are alreadie iustified renewed by faith in Christ Lastly these promises differ in vse and end for the end of the couenant of works is that wretched sinners which 4. difference are void of sense of their sin and miserie may be awakened to feele and acknowledge their owne sinne and miserie that is as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 7. 9. 10. that sinne may reuiue in them and that they may die that is they may feele that they be dead in sinnes and offences Of this vse of the law see Rom. 3. 19. 20. 11. 32. Gal. 3. 22. and 5. 23. This is the vse then of the couenant of works to worke in vs the sense of sinne and miserie and to prepare men to receiue grace Therefore the doctrine of the Gospell begins with the legall doctrine of works and of the lawe morall for the Gospell should preach and promise in vaine righteousnesse and life to the beleeuers if they were not first prepared by feeling their owne corruption and miserable condition to heare and receiue grace by the Gospell For this cause Christ himselfe first Matth. 5. 17. and after freeth and restoreth the law as pure from the leuen of the Pharisees expounding * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the perfection and exact seuerity thereof for this very cause that men by this light of the couenant of works law morall might acknowledge how miserable they be by nature and so might hereby bee prepared to embrace the couenant of Grace So did Christ prepare that rich young man which came vnto him to be schooled as hee made shew to entertaine the couenant of grace Wilt thou saith he enter into life Keepe the commandements Paul begins his doctrine in the Epistle to the Romans from the law and couenant of works and spends neere his three first chapters of his Epistle in this doctrine to this end that he might conclude all vnder sinne and condemnation and so might prepare men to the doctrine of grace which begins Rom. 3. 21. So Gal. 4. 21. he teacheth the Galathians that would be vnder the law as he speaketh their miserable seruitude which be in that condition and how at the last they are cast out of Gods kingdom for this verie cause that the Galathians renouncing all confidence in that righteousnesse which is by the law couenant of works might lay hold on that righteousnesse which is by faith and
Couenants NOw we be to compare a little our assertion with the aduersaries and to consider which of both sides is of soundest iudgment touching both these couenants of works and of grace A rule to trie the opinion of the aduersaries ours by can none better be found thē the doctrine of Paul speciallie that in the Epistle to the Romans and namely in that disputation which he hath of iustification in the 3. first Chapters against the Iewes of that time If after conference we shall find that our assertiō doth consent with Paules mind and doctrine and that the aduersaries are of the same minde and iudgment with the Iewes which liued in Pauls time then it shall plainly appeare that our iudgement is better then the aduersaries concerning the couenant of God Wherefore in this disputation of Paul we are to consider first the mind purpose of y e Apostle next by Pauls doctrine we shall gather what the opinion was of those Iewes against whom hee disputed this done we will applie both his and their assertion to our selues which liue in this age and to the doctrine conclusions which we maintaine concerning both these couenants By this means if it shall appeare that our doctrine is agreeable to Pauls minde and that our aduersaries follow the Iewes themselues being witnesses it shal I say be manifest that our iudgement is better then theirs in this argument To come then to the point Paul in that place to the Romans disputeth against those Iewes which were obstinate and peruerse defending first Christ and his merit which is the first ground of the couenant of grace next he disputeth for grace or the mercie of God which is the Paules disputation Rom. 1. 2. 3. Chap. second ground of the free couenant thirdly he auoucheth against those aduersaries that the couenant of grace was founded in Christ and in the grace of God fourthly he proueth the iustification of man and so consequently the saluation which is according to the couenant of grace he disputeth I say for these things first against nature which is the grounde of the couenant of workes next against the very couenant of works it selfe founded on nature thirdly against the iustification of man and saluation which is by it arising of the iust and good works of nature according to that couenant of works I graunt he doth expressely fight against that iustification and saluation which is by the works of nature required in the couenant of works and for the iustification of faith which is required in the couenant of grace but by one and the selfe same disputation he concludes both against nature and the couenant of works and for Christ and for Gods grace in him that is for the couenant of grace For the doctrine of antecedents must necessarilie be included in the doctrine of the consequent By this purpose of Paul we may see what was the drift of those aduersarie Iewes and what was their iudgment against whom he disputeth in the Epistle to the Rom. Those Iewes they on the contrarie part did striue for nature as being the ground of the couenant of works as also for the very couenant of works or of nature for iustification and saluation by works and according to the forme of the couenant of works They did I say contend for these things against Christ against the grace of God in Christ and against the couenant of grace and against iustification and saluation of men which is according to the couenant of grace Igraunt that as is aforesaid the question was of this last point which is iustification but this question includes al the former branches as is before shewed Wherefore let vs consider againe that old controuersie and the very ground thereof In this controuersie by the way note how great the The state and blindnesse of the Iewes in Pauls time blindnesse was of the Iewes of those times first they did not vnderstand that mans nature after the fall was lost as touching goodnes they saw not their own corruption neither were they touched with any sense of sinne or of their owne miserie Next they knew not Christ the mediator and the mercies of God in him Thirdly beeing so blinde in the premisses they could not conceiue also how that couenant of works was abolished in Christ Fourthly they vnderstood not that there was any couenant of made with man in Christ Iesus Fiftly they did not consider that those works of nature whereby they would be iustified according to the prescript forme of the couenant of works they did not consider I say that they were but duties only and testimonies of thankfulnes according to the first institution of that couenant but they did ascribe some meritorious vertue vnto them for which cause the Apostle disputeth against the workes of nature as against merits because of this blinde conceite of the Iewes And that they were of iudgement that these works were meritorious may appeare by their glorying in workes against which the Apostle speaketh often Where is then the glorying or reioicing it is excluded Ro. 3. 27. If Abraham were iustified by works he hath wherein to glory Rom. 4. 2. Not by works least any should glory Eph. 2. 9. For he which glorieth doth not deeme that he hath receiued that of God for which he glorieth and therefore he iudgeth it to be meritorious What hast thou that thou hast not receiued And if thou hast receiued it wherefore boastest thou as if thou haddest not receiued it 1. Cor. 4. 7. Thus farre of the question in controuersie which was betweene Paul and the old Iewes of his time concerning the couenant of God How like to this is that which at this day is controuersed betweene vs and the Papists We in this age conclude wholy for the onely merit of Our defence at this daie against the Papists Christ for the sole and meere grace and mercie of God in Christ for the couenant of grace for iustification and saluation by Christ only by grace only by faith only for all these Phrases serue to one effect we dispute I say for these things against the strength of nature the liberty of free-will that is the goodnesse and holinesse of nature against the couenant of works against iustification by works euen that which is according to the rule of the couenant of works The Romanists of this age defend that nature is holy in it selfe yet hurt impouerished and weakened for this is their freedome of wil they defend I say the couenant of works and the works which proceed Free-will from free-will Iustification by works of free-will meritorious also according to the couenant of workes for they say the ground of euery merit whether it be of congruitie or condignitie to vse their owne tearmes is free-will These things I say they striue to defend against Christ only and his merit against the only grace of God and mercie in Christ against the only couenant of grace against
they say that hope is not simply and absolutely certaine for there is nothing more vncertaine then these things in which they place some or rather the chiefe cause of the certainty of hope Concerning the absolute certainty of hope these bee some testimonies of Scripture Psal 31. In thee O Lord haue I hoped let me not be confounded for euer He that trusteth in the Lord shall be as mount Sion which shall not be moued for euer Psal 125. Rom. 5. We reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God And after Hope maketh not ashamed Rom. 8. We are saued by hope Phil 1. 20. According to my earnest expectation and hope that I shall not be ashamed Rom. 9. Whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be confounded And thus much of hope CHAP. XXXIII Of Charitie or Loue. AMong the principall effects of Faith charitie is reckoned in the next place after hope and Paul knits them together as the three special graces of the holy ghost Faith hope charitie 1. Cor. 13. There are three saith he faith hope and charitie and the greatest of these is charitie The Apostle knits these together and we do not seuer them specially for that Gods loue is a certaine bond vniting vs to God together with the bond of faith which is the primary and principal For this cause Peter saith that our communion with Christ now absent from vs doth consist loue faith And this moueth vs in the third place after faith to intreat of Charitie in this treatise of our effectuall calling And charitie or loue proceedeth from that sweet apprehension and taste of the Lord for that taste stirs vp in the heart an exceeding loue of the Lord VVhence loue proceedeth and of our neighbour for the Lords sake And when as Charitie hath receiued this life by Faith it becomes the instrument of Faith whereby it worketh other effects of the Spirit as the gifts of knowledge of prophesying of tongues and of miracles These also are the instruments meanes wherby iustifying faith worketh but the principal is loue for which cause it is said Gal. 5. that faith worketh by loue and loue with the works or fruits thereof among all signes and testimonies giues the surest euidence Loue the best euidence of faith vnto faith If this be compared with other graces of Gods Spirit it must be preferred before them all for it hath the third place after Faith Therefore if ye set aside Faith and hope loue hath the first place of all the graces of y e holy Chost and is as it were the soule of all gifts which followe after it For this cause the Apostle 1. Cor. 12. 13. hauing numbred diuers gifts of the holy Ghost saith That if these graces wanted loue they were either as dead or as nothing or should profit nothing Whereby he giues vs to vnderstand that all other vertues haue no soundnesse in them if ye seuer them from loue but to be onely certaine dead shadowes of vertues We may therefore iustly call charity the life of all gifts and graces which follow it If the aduersaries had contented themselues with this prerogatiue of Charity they had not erred but for that Popish charitie they auouch it to be also the life and forme of faith herein they sin greatly that faith rather contrarily is the life of charity for that without Faith there is no man hath but the dead shadowe of Loue. Wherefore the faith of Christ is the principall life or soule both of charity and of all other vertues for without it they are all but vaine and counterfeit and very sinnes before God for whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne The primarie obiect of loue is the same with the obiect of faith and hope For what wee first apprehend by faith and next expect in hope the same we embrace in Obiect of loue loue The secondary obiect of loue is our neighbor whō we loue in and for the Lord. The subiect of loue is the heart for we loue with the heart as the Apostle speaketh Loue out of a pure heart 1. Thess 1. 5. The nature thereof is not in knowledge nor in hoping but in louing In loue two things are principally to Nature of loue be respected first a diligent endeuour for the prescruation of that we loue next an earnest affection to be vnited and conioyned with it both which we see are to bee respected in the loue of God and of our neighbour The properties of loue are many 1. Cor. 13. 4. c. For whereas loue is there is a heape of vertues for Charitie is neuer alone in any man but hath euer many other vertues as companions handmaids attending on it Of the premisses ye may gather some definition of faith as namely that Loue is an holy endeuour for the preseruation of that which is beloued whether God or man with an earnest desire Loue defined to be vnited vnto it For loue is that bond as the Apostle speaketh whereby the members of the body are knit together And it serues also in some sort and place to vnite vs vnto God and Christ notwithstanding that the communiō of Christ the head of his body the church be principally to be ascribed vnto faith And in this respect loue goes before iustification and is a branch in our effectual calling euer going together with faith hope repentance For which cause principally I thought good to speak of it briefly in this Treatise after faith and hope for that faith wherein we say consisteth the second part of our effectuall calling hath these for inseparable companions faith hope repentance after which followes our iustification by order not of time but of nature But in another respect loue followes iustification and appertaineth to the grace of regeneration but of this we shal speake in fit place Now to returne to our purpose the definition giuen before is not so much of loue it selfe as of the worke and function thereof For Loue is properly an affection holy A larger definition of loue or sanctified and not so onely but also supernaturall caried vp to loue those things which are aboue nature and exceed all naturall affection for like as faith is of those things which excell all naturall knowledge and apprehension and hope is of those things which excell all naturall expectation so Loue also is of those things which be aboue the reach of all naturall affection For as wee haue often before admonished this our new-birth in Christ Iesus is not so much a restoring of vs to that image of Adam which he had before his fall as vnto the image of Christ who is a spirituall and an heauenly man in whom and by whom we haue not onely so to speake a naturall sanctitie or holinesse but also doe receiue from him a certaine heauenly and supernaturall vertue and efficacie infused into all affections and powers of the soule But this our supernaturall condition as yet
it we may proceede to speake of the parts of the redemption of mankind The execution then of that decree touching the Son of The execution of the decree concerning Christ God Iesus Christ consisteth in his incarnation passion and glorification and that of the free grace of God which respected partly the humanity of Christ partly respected vs who be repaired and redeemed by that same very flesh of Christ hypostatically vnited vnto the Son of God Therfore the execution of the decree concerning the Son of God Iesus Christ did proceed from a double grace was to the praise of that grace of God Now I come to speake of the recouery or redemption The execution of the decree concerning mans redemptiō of mankind or of the execution of the decree concerning the restitution of man the parts hereof briefely be these vocation iustification glorificatiō Our calling to speak thereof in the first place is by Gods free grace and that in a double respect for first in our effectuall calling the publishing of the couenāt the preaching of the gospel is of the only free grace of God Ephe. 1. 9. Hauing opened Our calling is by grace vnto vs saith he the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure Next faith whereby we receiue the promise of the couenant which is offered vnto vs in Christ is of the Faith meere grace of God Philip. 1. 29. For vnto you it is giuen for Christ not only to beleeue but also to suffer for him Hence it followeth that faith is the free gift of God That former grace may be called the grace of our vocation this grace is common to all that are called elect and reprobate But the latter grace in our effectuall calling may bee called the grace of faith appertaining only to the elect for it is giuē only to those that are predestinated to life euerlasting to beleeue Vnder the grace of faith I likewise comprehend the grace of hope and of repentance as being subalterne graces comprehended vnder this argument of our effectuall calling The grace of iustification followeth this double grace in our effectuall calling For that very imputation which follweth faith and that apprehension of faith in our effectuall calling proceed also of a certaine new grace of God For it cannot be but of grace that the iustice and satisfaction of another should be imputed or accounted vnto vs as ours Ro. 3. 14. We are iustified freely that is by grace as els where often This grace the Apostle doth alwaies oppose to works and to merits making it the companion of faith Merits in Christ for the free grace of God doth well agree and stand with the merits of Christ apprehended by faith not only because that merit is not ours but Christs that is the merit of God himself but much more rather because the satisfaction and merit of Christ is of Gods free grace and meere mercy For God spared not his Son but gaue him to dy for vs. Ro. 8. 32. Hence it is that the grace of God dooth more appeare in this satisfaction and merit of his then if he had iustified vs without any merit at all either of our own or of any other Therefore the free grace of God dooth very well stand with that merit which God gaue vs of his owne And if that merit and price of our redemption had not bin paid by God himselfe then surely the grace of God had not so manifestly appeared in our redemption And as for mans merit we say that the grace of God cannot in any wise stand with it The grace of glorification or regeneration followeth the grace of iustification for as pronunciation giuing of sentence is of grace so the execution thereof is likewise of grace for regeneration or glorification is a certaine execution of the sentence of iustification aforegoing Of Regeneration or glorification is as it were an execution of the sentence of iustification this grace see 1. Pe. 2. 3. Who of his great mercy hath begotten vs vnto a liuely hope T it 3. 5. According to his mercy he saued vs by the fountaine of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost Eph. 2. 5. 8. They are saued by grace Here ye must obserue that in this worke of the restitution of mankind and that in all the parts thereof there is but one only grace of God which is the beginning and first cause of all these proceedings but we according to the varietie of the effects thereof doe thus distinguish it and consider of it diuersly like as the spirit of God which is one 1. Cor. 12. 4. in respect of the diuersitie of the gifts and effects thereof is after a sort distinguished for that in some respect but not indeede and verity he seemes not to be one and the same as it were Rom. 8. 15. For you haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare any more but you haue receiued the spirit of adoption By this that hath been spoken vnderstand that there are as it were 4. graces of God in the restoring of mankind and in the parts thereof For whereas there is a double mercy of God in our effectuall vocation to wit First an offering of Christ with all his benefits in the couenant of grace or the Gospell secondly faith to receiue Christ being offered vnder faith I comprehend hope and repentance which follow faith Therefore in our effctuall Parts of our effectual calling calling two graces must bee vnderstood the grace of our vocation or of offering Christ vnto vs and the grace of faith or of receiuing Christ by vs. In iustification we haue a third grace which we may cal the grace of iustification in glorification there is a fourth grace which we may not vnfittly call the grace of glorification Hence we may see that the first grace which they call preuenting grace is that grace whereby God first calleth vs to himselfe by his Gospel and the last grace which is Preuenting grace the complement of grace to be that grace whereby God doth glorify vs together with his Sonne in his kingdome for he beginneth the last grace in this life by regeneratiō but reserueth the full consūmation therof to another life by glorification Thus much of the parts of the restitutiō of mankind all which proceed from the meere grace of God and are directed vnto the glory of his grace We must obserue this in general that al the blessings of God as wel those that were from al eternity as those that are in time be founded vpon the only and meere grace of God And that in respect of grace there is no difference betweene those benefits of God that were before all worlds as his prescience and predestination and these which are in time as our vocatiō iustificatiō glorificatiō This is the truth of God it will stand in despite of all the aduersaries enemies of the grace crosse of
A TREATISE OF GODS EFFECTVAL CALLING WRITTEN FIRST IN THE LATINE tongue by the reuerend and faithfull seruant of Christ Maister ROBERT ROLLOCK Preacher of Gods word in Edenburgh AND NOW FAITHFVLLY TRANSLATED for the benefite of the vnlearned into the English tongue by Henry Holland Preacher in London 2. PET. 1. 10. Giue diligent heede to make your calling and election sure AT LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON 1603. THE AVTHORS EPISTLE TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE Prince IAMES the sixt now by Gods free mercie King of England Scotland France and Ireland defender of the faith c. grace and peace by Iesus Christ. AFter some aduising with my selfe in whose name I should publish this litle worke your Maiestie my most dread Soueraigne aboue all others came first into my mind for that you may iustly challenge as your owne right the first fruites of my labours of what kinde soeuer they be Hauing then heretofore consecrated the first fruites of the first kind of my writings vnto your Highnes I thought it meete also that this second kinde of meditations in the common places of diuinitie should be presented to the same your Maiestie From this purpose although many things feared me among which your princely Maiestie to speak as the truth is adorned with rare knowledge of diuine things did most occupie my minde your Maiestie I say the greatnes whereof my owne meannes and the slendernes of this work were not able to endure Yet when I recounted with my selfe how great your curtesie and gentlenes was alwaies accustomed to bee towards all men but especially towards my selfe I determined rather to incurre some suspition of ouermuch boldnes then not to giue testimonie of my dutie and of my most humble deuotion towards your Maiestie euen by the dedication of this small worke of mine how meane soeuer it be Respect therefore most noble King not so much this smal worke as the testimonie of a mind most dutifully affected towards your Maiestie in the Lord and as my dutie requireth most readie according to my small abilitie with all lowlines to do your Maiestie most humble seruice in any thing that I can during life But what is there wherein I can do your Maiestie better seruice then in striuing with my God with continuall earnest prayers that through his grace and singular goodnes you may for euer maintaine continue and make good that excellent opinion which you haue not vndeseruedly alreadie gotten in forraine nations amongst such men as are most eminent in this our age both for learning and godlines that so you may haue a happie raigne in this present life and in that other life may be a fellow heire of that heauenly kingdome in comparison of the glorie of which kingdome that I may speake this by the way I my selfe a good while since haue heard you despise al these earthly kingdoms at such time as amongst other matters in a certain familiar conference where there were but a fewe present you discoursed of many things learnedly I speake the truth to the glorie of God without any flatterie and godlily and delightfully concerning Christ and of praying to him onely and not to Angels or Saints departed out of this life you may I say be a fellow heire together with your head euen that most high King Lord and heire of all things Iesus Christ whose grace mercie and power defend and protect you both in bodie and soule from all your enemies bodily and ghostly for euermore Your Maiesties most dutifull Seruant ROBERT ROLLOCK TO THE RIGHT GODLY LEARNED AND HIS REVERENT GOOD FRIEND Maister Iohn Iohnston I May seeme slow in aunswering your letters good Maister Iohnston for that they were long in comming to my hands I vnderstoode by them to my great ioy that you are safely arriued in your owne countrie and haue found your Churches there in ablesscd and peaceable state wherein I desire in heart they may long continue And why may I not confidently hope that this my desire shall be fulfilled specially seeing they were from the beginning The blessing of God on the Churches of Scotland so happily soundly and excellently founded by those faithfull and worthie seruants of God those skilfull maister-builders which begun the worke and they whoseconded them brought no stubble or hay but siluer gold and precious stones to the building Nay which is more the Lord himselfe hauing so clearely and apparantly fauoured and furthered their holy labours that whosoeuer haue stumbled at this building haue not onely missed and failed of their purpose but haue been as it were by the strong and powerfull hande of God scattered and throne out into vtter darkenes To these we may adde that singular and most precious gift of God which the same good God hath bestowed vpon you I meane your worthie King Maister Bezas iudgement and commendation of the Kings Maiestie in the happie gouernment of the Churches of Scotland whom he hath likewise miraculously preserued from many and great perils who hath ioyned to his singular and admirable care and watchfulnes in defending the Gospell and preseruing the puritie and vnspotted sinceritie of this Church so great and exact knowledge of Christian religion from the very grounds and principles thereof that the Lord it seemes hath made his Maiestie both a Prince and preacher to his people so that your Our blessed King may in veritie be well accounted a second Salomon who was both King and preacher Realme of Scotland is now become of all other most happie and may iustly hope for increase of tranquillitie and felicitie if onely as we are perswaded she will she can discerne and thankfully acknowledge the great blessing she inioyeth and as she hath begun so continue to direct them all to the right scope and end which is to his glorie who is the father and fountaine of all goodnes And I assure you I reioyce from my heart that occasion was giuen me to congratulate by these my letters your happie condition with the rest of my reuerend brethren both by your countrie man Maister Dauid Droman a man both godly and well learned whose presence though but for a few dayes was most acceptable to vs here who is now vpon his returne to you with these letters as likewise in that I chaunced of late to meete with a great treasure which I know not by what mishap being frequent in other mens hands hath hitherto missed my fingers For why should not I esteeme as a treasure and that most precious the commentaries of my honorable brother Maister Rollocke vpon the epistle to the Romans and Ephesians Maister Beza commendeth Maister Rollockes workes both of them being of speciall note among the writings Apostolicall for so I iudge of them and I pray you take it to be spoken without all flatterie or partialitie that I neuer read or met with any thing in this kinde of interpretation more pithilie elegantly and iudiciously written so as I could not
religious and wise I hope shall finde them as iudicially comfortably and compendiously set downe and knit together as any one thing of this kinde as yet extant in the English tongue Next as for the argument of this booke our effectuall calling is one principall linke of the golden chaine of the causes of our saluation And it is the very first in the execution of Gods eternall decree of our election which manifesteth the euerlasting loue of God in Iesus Christ vnto the heart of euery beleeuer that almightie God should loue him being his enemie seeke him and finde him when he wandered in the maze and vanitie of his owne minde quicken him when hee lay dead in sinne loose him when he lay fast bound in the bonds of death inlighten him when he sate in extreame darkenes giuing him the spirit of grace and of faith by the Gospell to attend his holy calling and in time to reioyce with an exceeding ioy Rom. 5. 2. 3. therein Lastly for the translation albeit I haue not followed the authors words yet haue I endeuoured faithfully to deliuer his meaning in the plainest forme and in words most in vse among the people Horat. art non verbum verbo curabis reddere fidus interpres The Lord giue it a blessing wheresoeuer it shall rest among Gods elect of both these kingdomes Now right Worshipfull Maister Scot I come vnto yourselfe your most christian and holy loue in these cold and euill times as vnto all the Saint so specially to this good seruant of Christ like as it comforted him greatly in his latter dayes so assuredly it shall much refresh your owne heart not onely all your life but also much more I doubt not in the very houre of death There be three infallible notes knit together in one Scripture to iustifie our pretious faith vnto our owne hearts that we may be truely perswaded we are possest of that faith which shall iustifie vs before God loue to the brethren hospitalitie of loue and christian sympathie to the Saints in their 1. 2. afflictions Loue to the holy members of Christ 3. is often commaunded and commended in Ioseph in Moses in Nehemias in Daniel in Dauid who being aduanced to great dignities yet esteemed they nothing more then the good of the Church and to become seruiceable as it were by all meanes to the Saints To loue the seruants of Christ and to be beloued of * Rom. 15. 31. Philip. 1. 9. them it is as Saint Iohn saith an infallible argument that God hath taken vs by the hand loosened our * 1. Iohn 3. 8. bands and translated vs from death to life and from * 1. Pet. 2. 9. darknes into the glorious light of God All that talke of Charitie doe not loue the Saints that is the liuing members of Christ on earth We may discerne our loue to be sound by these notes First it is a flame which comes downe from God into our a Rom. 5. 5. Luk. 7. 47. hearts kindling as it were within vs and giuing vs no rest till we performe duties to the Saints And this is that which the Apostle meaneth when he willeth vs to b Heb. 10. 24. stirre vp one another vnto a paroxysme of loue Secondly hence it comes to passe that loue to the Saints being neuer colde is neuer idle in well doing and therefore proceedes the second note which the same Apostle calles c Heb. 6. 10. labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalm 16. 4 5. of loue for that this loue trauailes by all meanes possible to doe good to the members of Christ Thirdly next this loue is sincere d Rom. 12. 9. voide of all dissimulation Fourthly and lastly it is e Hebr. 13. 1. Act 2. 42 46. constant consuming as a fire all offences f Phil. 1. 9. 10. and cannot bee quenched The second marke in the same Scripture of our most holy faith is g Hebr. 13. 2. hospitalitie of loue as the Syriack translation hath it not of lucre The Lord gaue often h Rom. 12. 10. 11 1. Pet. 4 9. 1. Tim. 3. 2. 15. 20. charge by his Apostles concerning this foreseeing the necessitie and afflictions of the Saints in the tenne bloodie persecutions which euen then began and were to follow The practise Hilariter excipere affabiliter tractare amiâ—â— dimittere of this we see commended in all ages in Abraham and Lot receiuing Angels they receiue them cheerefully they intertaine and vse them courteously they dismisse them louingly So did Bethuel Eleazar so did Iethro Moses so did Manoah the Angell of God so did the good olde man of Gibeah the Leuite and his wife so did Obadiah the Prophets so did the widow of Zarephath Elias so did the Sunamite Elisha so did Mary often receiue Christ so did the Tanner and Cornelius Peter Lydia and the Iayler the Apostles Aquila and Priscilla Paul Phebe and Stephanus many and Gaius the whole Church at Corinth All these are Chronicled in the booke of God as most memorable presidents for all ages The third note of the precious faith of Gods elect in the same place annexed is Christian sympathy to the seruants of Christ in all their afflictions This grace is found when loue hath set on fire our very i Matth 9. 36. Philip. 1. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bowels as the holy Ghost speaketh that in all their passions it fils vs with a feeling and a tender compassion This stirres vp men to k Matth 25. 36. visit the members of Christ in all their miseries to consider l Psalm 41. 1. wisely of their afflictions to m Rom. 12. 15. mourne when they mourne to n Rom. 12. 13. distribute to their wants and so to proceede on to the duties of instruction admonition consolation instant and o Iam. 5. 13. 20 feruent in prayer and to adde confession of sinnes with fasting if the state and heauines of the affliction so require These things I write vnto you right Worshipfull first not so much for your instruction as for the edification and confirmation of others in this frozen age wherein carnall and selfe loue and all iniquitie increaseth and loue to the Saints decreaseth and waxeth cold as Christ hath p Matth. 24. 12 forewarned vs a manifest signe that sauing faith faileth in most places euen where it is professed most Secondly I write thus vnto you for that you haue been taught of God as I heare to practise these things and to obserue the Canons of Christ in his Gospell concerning loue to the Saints This holy seruant of Christ Maister Rollocke if he were liuing could and would testifie of your sincere loue when you intertained him into your owne familie respecting his wants with all compassion and tendernes of heart The most prouident ruler of Heauen and earth which hath shed by the working of his holy spirit this precious loue into your heart will fully
of faith 167 31 The opinion of the aduersaries concerning faith 176 32 Of hope 191 33 Of Charitie or Loue. 198 34 Of Repentance 202 35 How farre a wicked man may proceede in repentance 210 36 What the iudgement of Papists is of repentance 213 37 Of mans free-will 216 38 Concerning the free grace of God 226 39 Of the meanes whereby God from the beginning hath reuealed both his couenants vnto mankinde 238 A TREATISE OF OVR EFfectuall Calling and of certaine common places of Theologie contained vnder it CHAP. 1. Of our effectuall Calling GOds effectual calling is that wherby God calleth out of darknesse into 1. God cals by his word preached his admirable light from the power of satan vnto God in Christ Iesu those whom hee knew from eternitie and predestinated vnto life of his meere fauor by the promulgation of the couenant of grace or preaching of the Gospell Such also as be called by the same grace of God answer 2. Man answers by beleeuing and beleeue in him through Iesus Christ This answer is of faith which is in verie truth the condition of the promise which is in the couenant of grace Wherefore our effectuall calling doth consist of the promise of the couenant which is vnder condition of faith and in faith also which is nothing els but the fulfilling of the condition Therefore there be two parts of our effectual calling the first is the outward calling of such as are predestinate Two parts of our effectual calling vnto life from darknesse vnto light and that of Gods meere grace and that I say by the publication of the couenant of grace or preaching of the Gospell The latter part is their inward faith wrought in them by the same grace and Spirit of God whereby they are conuerted from Sathan vnto God for I cannot see how this second part of our effectual calling can differ from faith it selfe In the first part of our effectual calling first we are to consider the persons calling called The person which calleth vs properly to speake is God himselfe for he only promiseth in his couenant calling those things which bee not as though they were Roman 4. ver 17. The persons called are they whom God knew before and hath predestinated vnto life for whom he hath predestinated them he hath called Rom. 8. Secondly in the first part of our effectuall calling the cause which moued God hereunto is his owne speciall grace for the cause of all Gods blessings vpon vs is in himselfe For as hee did predestinate vs in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his owne will Ephe. 1. 5. so hath hee called and iustified vs in himselfe and shall glorifie vs in himselfe to the praise of the glorie of his grace that all glorie may be wholy ascribed vnto him Thirdly we be to obserue the instrument of our vocation which is the couenant published Instrument of our vocation or the Gospell preached Fourthly in this former part of our effectuall calling we bee to consider the estate from which and the estate whereunto we be called The condition from which we be called is darknesse the power of Sathan and that miserable plight which is without Christ in sin and death The state whereunto we be called is light God himselfe and that blessed condition of man in Christ Hence it is euident that these common places of Diuinitie Of Gods word and of sinne and the miserie of mankind must bee referred to this argument of our effectuall calling as to a most generall head in religion In the second part of our effectuall calling these branches must be noted First that the cause wherefore we answer Gods calling or beleeue in God is Gods own grace which worketh in vs this faith by the holy Ghost which is giuen vs with his word For like as God of his meere grace calleth vs outwardly vnto himselfe so the same his grace and free loue in Iesus Christ kindleth this faith in vs whereby we answer his heauenly calling And in this 2. part of our calling which we say doth 2. Part of our calling faith consist in faith if we desire yet more deeply to search it there is a double grace or working of God in our hearts The 1. is whē he inlightneth vs by his holy spirit pouring a new a heauenly light into our mind before so blind as that it neither saw nor could see the things which doe belong to the Spirit of God 1. Cor. 2. 14. 15. The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them In the wil which is altogether froward and quite fallen from God he worketh an vprightnesse and in all the affections a new holinesse Hence proceedes the new creature and that new man which is created after God in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephe. 4. 24. The Papists call this first grace in the faith and work of the holy Ghost not the creation of any new creature which was not before but the stirring vp of some goodnesse and sanctitie which as they say was left in nature Free-will after the first fall of man which they call also free-will which they say was not quite lost in the fall but lessened and weakened But this free-will whereof they speake is in verie truth nothing els but that holinesse of nature and life of God and the spirituall light of man in his first creation and innocencie But of this more in place conuenient This they say then that after the fall man retained not only the faculties of his soule but also the holy qualities of those powers only hurt and weakened And this is that free-will which they say is quickned by Gods preuenting grace which they define to be an externall motion standing as it were without and beating at the doore of the heart In this first grace of God which we call a new creation of diuine qualities in the soule man standeth meere passiuely before God and as the materiall cause of Gods worke For in this first renewing of the soule of man what diuine vertues hath man to work with Gods Spirit or to helpe the worke of grace Yet we say not that man in this new birth is no more then a trunke or dead tree for that there is in man that so I may speake a passiue power to receiue that diuine grace and life of God as also the vse of reason which dead trees haue not The aduersaries say that in quickening of free-will there is a libertie or strength in it to reiect or to receiue that grace which they call preuenting grace Therefore they giue a fellow-working vnto grace and a fellow-working vnto freewil The second grace or the second worke of Gods spirit The action of faith in the second part of our effectuall calling or in faith is the verie act of faith or an action proceeding from this new creature the action of
the mind enlightned in knowing God in Christ of the will sanctified in imbracing and apprehending God in Christ And here the principall agent is that verie Spirit of Christ who after the first grace and creation abideth and dwelleth in vs not idle but euer working some good in vs and by vs. The second agent working with Gods holy Spirit is the very soule of man or rather the new man or the new creature in the soule and all the faculties thereof By this the holy Ghost that so I may speake knoweth God or otherwise to speake the same to know God the holy Ghost vseth the new creature in man and by this the holy Ghost doth embrace and apprehend God in Christ Thus speakes the Apostle Rom. 8. The holy Ghost saith hee maketh intercession for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed Obserue here how he ascribeth this action of sending forth sighes vnto the Spirit as to the principall agent In this second grace which is the action or worke of faith we stand not as meere passiuely but being moued by the holy Ghost we worke our selues as being stirred vp to beleeue we beleeue and in a word we worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Gods Spirit working in vs. The Aduersaries say this second grace in faith is an action of free-will when as we by our own free-will dispose and prepare our selues to a iustifying grace in beleeuing in hoping in repenting In this action they say not the holy Ghost is the principall agent or any motion to vse their owne word of the Spirit but free-will it selfe which as they say goes before whē as that motion of God working together with their free-will must follow after They speake not a word here of Gods Spirit either in the first or second grace who works effectually in both as is aforesaid but in steede of the holy Ghost they talk of I know not what motion standing without and knocking at the doore They say this motion stirres vp free-will they say it worketh with free-will when it worketh and prepareth vs vnto the grace of iustice or iustification This their doctrine is strange it sauoureth not the holie Scripture of God nor the phrase of Scripture Thus farre of Gods grace in faith or of the second part of our calling and of the two speciall branches of it Next in it we are to consider of the points or conditions before noted which are the verie same with those in our calling afore-going To this second part of our effectuall calling referre the doctrine of faith which in verie truth is the same with it Hope loue and repentance follow faith and Free-will is a common place in diuinitie subalterne or to bee referred vnto that of Repentance CHAP. II. Of the word of God or of the couenant in generall and of the couenant of workes in speciall THE common place in religion which is concerning The common places of religion how they follow in order Gods word or couenant is to be referred vnto this of our effectuall calling as to a most generall heade next follow these points of sinne and of the miserie of mankind thirdly that of faith then follow hope loue and repentance Now therefore we are to speake of the word or of the couenant of God hauing first set down this ground that all the worde of God appertaines to some couenant for God speaks nothing to man without the couenant for which cause al the scripture both old and new wherein al Gods word is contained beares the name of Gods couenant or testament The couenant of God generally is a promise vnder Couenant defined some one certaine condition And it is twofold the first is the couenant of works the second is the couenant of grace Paul Galath 4. vers 24. expresselie sets downe two couenants which in the olde Testament were shadowed by two women as by types to wit Hagar the handmaide and Sarah the freewoman for saith he these be those two couenants Let vs then speake something of these two couenants and first of the couenant of works The couenant of workes which may also be called a legall or Couenant of works the first ground of it natural couenant is founded in nature which by creation was pure and holy and in the law of God which in the first creation was ingrauen in mans hart For after that God had created man after his owne image pure and holy and had written his law in his minde he made a couenant with man wherein he promised him eternall life vnder the condition of holy and good workes which should be answerable to the holinesse and goodnesse of their creation and conformable to his law And that nature thus beautified with holinesse and righteousnes and the light of Gods law is the foundation of the couenant of works it is very euident for that it could not well stand with the iustice of God to make a couenant vnder condition of good works perfect obedience to his law except he had first created man pure and holie and had ingrauen his lawe in his hart whence those good works might proceed For this cause when he was to repeat that couenant of workes to the people of Israel he first gaue the law written in tables of stone then he made a couenant with his people saying Doe these things and ye shall liue Therefore the ground of the couenant of works was Note not Christ nor the grace of God in Christ but the nature of man in the first creation holy and perfect endued also with the knowledge of the law For as touching the couenant of workes there was no mediator in the beginning betweene God and man that God should in him as in and by a mediator make his couenant with man And the cause that there was no need of a mediator was this that albeit there were two parties entring into a couenāt yet there was no such breach or variance betwixt them that they had neede of any mediator to make reconciliation betweene them for as for the couenant of works God made this couenant with man as one friend doth Note with another For in the creation we were Gods friends and not his enemies Thus far of the grounde of the conant of works The thing promised in the couenant of works is life eternall first not righteousnes for that man in his creation was euen then iust and perfect by that original iustice as they call it vnlesse you will say that the righteousnes of works was promised in that couenant for which righteousnes sake after that man had wrought it God would pronounce and declare him to be iust For we are to vnderstand that in this couenant there is a double righteousnes the first is that originall iustice which is nothing else but the integritie of nature in that first state of man This iustice out of all doubt is not promised in the couenant of works for it is the ground of it The
grace This might appeare by manie arguments which now I willingly passe ouer The end and vse of the promise in the couenant of grace is that men cast downe and humbled in the sight of their owne sinne and miserie by the legall couenant might be raised vp and comforted by hearing and receiuing that righteousnesse and life which is freely promised and offered to the beleeuers in the Gospell Of this vse reade Rom. 5. 1. Therefore being iustified by faith we haue peace with God This is the proper end of the Euangelical doctrine therefore the second and principall part of the Gospell doth consist in the doctrine of the couenant of grace which is properly and principally to beare this title of an Euangelicall doctrine teaching vs what Christ our mediator is what his humiliation first next his glorification and then what benefits life and righteousnes we get by him and these be the speciall branches of the Gospell and of that ioyfull message of our saluation Last of al the vse of those particular promises is that Gods Elect iustified renewed comforted and quieted in their consciences may testifie their thankfulnesse by their holy obedience and good works The Apostle noteth this end Tit. 2. 11. 12. 13. 14. For that grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all men hath shined teaching vs that renouncing vngodlinesse and worldly lusts we liue soberly iustly and godly in this present world And for that this is the end of these promises they haue also their place in the third part of the doctrine of the Gospell which concernes the life and Christian conuersation of the Saints for which cause ye haue these promises often in the Gospell annexed to exhortations admonitions and instructions concerning manners as Gal. 6. after that vers 6. he had giuen in charge that he which is catechised in the word should minister vnto him which teacheth him of all his goods hee forthwith addeth vers 7. and 8. a promise and a threatning Againe vers 9. hauing warned them not to waxe wearie in weldoing he addeth this promise We shall reape in due time if we faint not So Ephe. 6. after that his charge giuen to seruants to serue their maisters in al vprightnes ver 5. 6. 7. he addeth a promise v. 8. Whatsoeuer good thing euery man doth that shall he receiue of the Lord. The like testimonies are euery where in which ye may find admonitions exhortations and instructions confirmed with promises and threatnings Of this kind then are al those promises before mentioned which must be carefully discerned first from the couenant of works next from the couenant of grace wheresoeuer we find them in reading the new Testament And finally concerning the aforesaid promises wee are to obserue first that the condition of the works of regeneration and grace is required of beleeuers not as merits but as duties only and testimonies of their thankfulnes to God their redeemer like as the conditiō in the couenant of works is not of merits but of duties onely and of testimonies of their thankfulnes to God their creator I grant that the works of regeneration are necessarie vnto eternall life promised in the Gospell but not as merits or meritorious causes but as the means and way wherein we are to proceed on frō iustification and regeneration vnto glorie and life eternall They may also be said to bee causes after a sort for they please God in Christ and in some respects moue him but not as merits but as effects of the only merit of Iesus Christ whereof they testifie But of this wee shall speake in place more conuenient Secōdly note in this third kind of promises that the condition therein is of the works of regeneration which are also most perfect in their kind for the great iustice of God cannot beare the least defect The rule also of all works is the iustice of God whereof ye haue a certaine expresse image in the morall lawe Wherefore the condition here is of works most absolute but not in thēselues but in Christ and in the perfection of his satisfaction and merit If ye obiect Doth not the lawe require that perfection of works which is in works themselues I answer it doth so of them which are vnder the couenant of works vnder the law and without Christ but as for such as be in the couenant of grace and in Christ it doth not require a perfection in the works of regeneration but is content with the good beginnings which the beleeuers haue the perfection of whose obedience is supplied and to be found in Christ Iesus For like as hee iustified vs of his meere grace in Christ and by his merit being his enemies so now much more will he accept vs Note Rom. 5. 9. 10. 11. 12. being iustified and regenerate I say much more will he accept vs being his friends and our obedience in Christ euen for his merit sake For so the Apostle concludeth Rom. 5. 9. Being iustified therefore by his bloud we shall now much more be preserued from wrath by him And thus farre of these three kinds of promises which are distinctly set downe in the New Testament And here this might also be demāded whether these 3. kinds of promises be not as distinctly to be found in the old Testament I answer they may so be found yet not without some difference for that the old Testament did serue specially to prepare men to receiue Christ which in his appointed time was to come For the law was a schoolemaister vnto Christ Gal. 3. Therefore the greatest part of the old Testament is spent in propounding repeating expounding the couenant of workes And because Christ was not as yet manifested in the flesh therefore the doctrine of the couenant of grace is more sparinglie and darkelie set forth in it Finallie as touching the faithfull in the old Testament which embraced Christ the mediator of the couenant of grace howsoeuer then but shadowed before their eies in types and figures to them I say being iustified in him which was to come regenerat by his grace the promises of eternal life were made vnder condition of the works of regeneration as this promise made to Abraham Gen. 17. 1. Walke thou before Rom 4 me and be thou vpright I wil make my couenant with thee This promise was made to Abraham being before iustified by faith and renewed by grace The like promises are often in the old Testament annexed to moral precepts as in the books of the Prouerbs and Ecclesiastes And thus farre of the couenant of grace the ground thereof the promise thereof and the condition thereof Now it remaineth that we answere a question or two concerning this couenant The first whether the couenant of works be abolished and of none effect to such as 1. vse of the couenant of workes or of the Morall lawe be vnder the couenant of grace I answer the couenant of works hath two endes and vses The first and proper
vnder the couenant of works in respect of vs for being vnited to that diuine nature it is become a mediatour for vs to make intercession and peace betweene God offended and man offending For Christ our Mediatour albeit he be God and man in that personal vnion yet was he made subiect to the couenant of works and to the course of the law for vs properly in respect of his humane nature that as the Apostle speaketh he might redeeme vs from the law and the curse of the law See Gal. 4. 4. and 5. After that the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Sonne made of awoman made subiect to the lawe to redeeme them which vvere vnder the lawe And Galath 3. ver 13. But Christ saith he hath redeemed vs from the curse while he was made a curse for vs. Christ therefore our mediator subiected himselfe vnto the couenant of works and vnto the lawe for our sake and did both fulfill the condition of the couenant of works in his holy and good life euen in the highest degree of perfection as being God and man euen that most holy one of God in one person and also he did vndergoe that curse which was denounced against man in that couenant of works if that condition of good and holy works were not kept for in the couenant of works ye haue together with the promise of life to him who doth well a commination of euerlasting death to him who doth not well For this cause Christ our mediator both did wel according to the promise died also according to the curse denoūced Wherefore we see Christ in two respect to wit in doing suffring subiect to the couenant of works to haue most perfectly fulfilled it that for our sake whose mediator he is become It may be demaunded Had it not beene sufficient for our good and to the end he might redeeme vs if he had only liued well and holily and not also so to haue suffered death for vs I answer it had not sufficed for all his most holy righteous works had not satisfied the iustice and wrath of God for our sins nor merited the mercie of God reconciliatiō righteousnes life eternal for vs the reason is for that the iustice of God did require for our breach of Gods couenant that we should be punished with death eternall according to the condition denounced and annexed to the promise of that couenant Therefore no good works of our owne or of any Mediator for vs after the breach of that couenant of works could haue satisfied the iustice of God which of necessity after asort required the punishment and death of the offender or certainly of some mediator in his steed If then all the good holy works of the Mediator could not satisfie that wrath and iustice of God for sin it is cleere they could not meritany new grace or mercy of God for vs. But you will say that the good and holy works of Christ our Mediatour haue wrought some part at least of that satisfaction whereby Gods iustice was appeased for vs and some part of that merit whereby Gods fauour was purchased for vs I answer these works did serue properly for no part of satisfaction or merit for vs for that to speake properly the death of Christ and his passion onely did satisfie Gods iustice and merited his mercie for vs. If anie will yet further demaund May we not diuide the satisfaction and merit of Christ into his doings and suffrings that we may speake on this manner Christ by his death and passion hath satisfied Gods iustice and by his good and holy works he hath merited Gods mercie for vs that so satisfaction may bee ascribed to his death and merit to his workes that the righteousnesse wherewith wee are iustified before God may bee partly the satisfaction which Christ perfourmed by his death for vs partly the merits which he obtained by his works for vs I answer to speake properly the satisfaction and merit which is by the only passion of Christ both He saith we are iustified only by the passiue righteousnesse of Christ was and is our righteousnesse or the satisfactorie and meritorious death of Christ or the satisfaction which was by Christs death or the merit of his death or the obedience of Christ as being obedient to his Father vnto the death the death also of the Crosse to bee short that iustice of Christ which he obtained when in his passion he satisfied his Fathers wrath this is our righteousnesse For we may say that either the death of Christ or his satisfaction or his merit or his obedience or his righteousnesse is imputed vnto vs for righteousnesse For all these are taken for one and the same thing But here it may bee replied If the works of Christ cannot properly procure for vs any satisfaction nor merit nor anie part of satisfaction or merit then it may bee demaunded What hath beene and what is the vse of Christs works or of his actiue obedience or of the obedience of his life I answer that the holinesse of the person The actiue obedience of Christ or the righteousnes and holinesse of his person and life how it is the ground of the satisfactorie and meritorious passion of Christ of Christ and of his natures diuine and humane and of his works is the verie ground or foundation of the satisfaction and merit which wee haue in the passion of Christ that is the excellencie and worthinesse of that person and of his works did cause that his passion was both satisfactorie and meritorious for if this person which suffered had not beene so holy and excellent as also his life so pure and godly it is most certaine that his passion could neither haue satisfied Gods wrath nor merited mercie for vs. For which cause the Apostle Heb. 7. 26. speaking of this ground of this meritorious passion of Christ saith that such an high Priest it became vs to haue which is holy blamelesse vndefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the heauens And thus farre of Christ and how hee may bee said to be vnder the couenant of works And that he was not vnder the couenant of grace the matter is so cleare that it needs no disputation For the couenant of grace was made in him and established in his bloud and the promise in the couenant of grace is made to them which were vniust and dead in sinne because of the breach of that couenant of works and lastly Christ not vnder the couenant of grace the condition in the couenant of grace is faith in Christ the mediator Wherfore if ye respect either the ground or condition or promise of the free couenant Christ can not be said to bee vnder it And thus farre of both couenants of them which are vnder the couenant of God either of works or of grace CHAP. V. A comparison of our iudgment and of the Aduersaries concerning both these
iustification which is by Christ onely by the grace of God only by faith only for al these haue one respect and purpose Obserue then here by the way what the palpable blindnesse of the Papists is in this cleere light of the Gospell Popish blindnes First they see not how nature is plainlie lost as touching sanctitie Secondly they know not the sole grace and mercie of God neither do they vnderstand what the excellency is of Christs merit Thirdly they perceiue not how that couenant of works is abolished to them which are in Christ as touching iustification Fourthly they conceiue not that the only couenant of grace is made with mankinde after the fall speciallie now after the incarnation of Christ in the Gospell and that vnto iustification and life eternall Fiftly they see not that the works of free will as they call them if there were any such to be duties only and testimonies of thankefulnesse according to the first institution of the couenant of works which be done by the strength of nature but ascribe some speciall meritorious vertue vnto them Wherefore we conclude concerning these men that albeit they be not iust of one minde with those old Iewes against whom the Apostle disputed in the Epistle to the Romans yet they hold much on their side striuing to defend that nature is in part good and holy so contending against the pure and only grace of God and to diuide iustification and The popish iustification mans saluation betweene Christ and Gods free grace the vertues and workes of nature whereas notwithstanding these two nature and grace can neuer stand together in the worke of our saluation For whosoeuer shall conioine or make a mixture of grace and nature in this matter shall quite ouerthrow and extinguish grace which either is alone or not at all as Rom. 11. 6. If it be of grace it is no more of works for otherwise grace were no more grace And in the Epistle to the Galathians he doth purposelie dispute against those Iewes which did couple together in the matter of iustification the guifts and works of nature with Christ with the grace of God and with the Gospell And these Iewes as I iudge the Papists seeme most to resemble I meane those Iewes against whom he wrote in the Epistle to the Galathians For in that other epistle to the Romans he disputeth against such Iewes as did openly deny Christ and reiect him but to the Galathians his disputation is against such Iewes as were not content with Christ only but would haue Christ and the law ioined together Thus far of the comparison betweene Paul and vs on the one side the old Iewes and the Papists on the other Now because it will be demanded what Paul thought of the works of regeneration and what we and what the aduersaries thinke also therefore I will touch this question in few wordes Here then some one will say did Paul then in that disputation to the Rom. and to the Galathians oppugne the works of grace and regeneration I answer Paules chiefe purpose in that disputation is against the works of nature which the Iewes thought to be holy and iust and also meritorious he did not reiect the works of regeneration as they be duties and testimonies of thankfulnesse vnto God but in that respect commends them Rom. 6. 7. 8. Chapters and in other places But as touching the cause of iustification he would not haue these workes as we call them of regeneration coupled with the grace of God or with Christ or with faith as anie cause or as part of anie meritorious cause of saluation To this purpose he saith Rom. 4. that Abraham himselfe being regenerate was not iustified before God by anie works of his regeneration And Rom. 6. hauing commended the works of sanctification in the end vers 23. where he attributeth death to the merit of sinne hee doth not there notwithstanding ascribe life eternall to the merit of the works or fruits of sanctification but when he had said that the wages of sin is death he doth clearely auouch it that eternall life is the free gift of God in Christ Iesu In which place if the Apostle had beene of this iudgement that the works of regeneration be in anie respect meritorious assuredly he would not so passe ouer the commendation of the works of regeneration specially for that this heere is principally intended Wherefore the Apostle to the Romans so reiecting the works of nature which the couenant of works requireth yet hee vnderstandeth also all kinds of workes morall and naturall going before grace and faith as also all ceremoniall works and the very fruits of regeneration which follow grace and faith that faith onely Christ only grace only may herein be all in all Thus far of S. Paules iudgment We at this day are of one and the same mind with the Apostle concerning works of regeneration Our aduersaries granting there be such works ascribe too much vnto them for they will not haue them to be duties and testimonies onely of thankfulnesse vnto God but also that they be meritorious causes of that iustification which they call the second iustification Again we are to remember that the aduersaries iudgment concerning works of regeneration is that they proceed not onely from infused grace and first iustice as they speake but also from nature and free-will which works together with that iustice in respect whereof also they account good works meritorious as was before The popish opinion of good works shewed so ascribing their good works in part to that their first grace and in part to free-will And thus farre of this comparison wherby it appeares whether we or our aduersaries haue the better or the more sound iudgment concerning both couenants of the grounds of both nature grace and Christ as also of the effect of both which we call mans iustification And lastly for that this is the most fundamentall point of true religion we may hereby discerne also whether we or the aduersaries haue the religion and worship of God the more purely soundly established amongst vs. CHAP. VI. Of the written Word or of the written Couenant of God THe word in both couenants was for a long time in the world euen from Adams time till Moses vnwritten deliuered as from hand to hand and continued by a liuelie voice for I passe ouer such matters as Ioseph recordes to be ingrauen in columnes before the floud as also the Apocryphals of Henoch And whē as in continuance of time corruptions grew by these traditions and the puritie of the doctrine of the couenant could not thus be preserued and y t God would no longer follow the former course onely he beganne in Moses time to ordaine and to publish another forme to wit this to preserue and to continue the puritie of the celestiall doctrine in written books approued and sealed by diuine authoritie and testimonie the more to commend his written word vnto men
constancie of the Martyrs which daylie seale with their blood the truth of this heauenly doctrine the persecution raised by the enemies of the Church against it the enmitie of Sathan against it and the preseruation of the diuine oracles of God vnto our times and to be short the testimonie of the true Church of God for it All these are without or beside the Scripture and giue vs a secundarie kinde of demonstration whereby the holy Ghost worketh also as it pleaseth him and openeth the eies of our vnderstanding inlightening vs to see and heare God him-selfe speaking and shining in the Scripture But here we be to obserue that the holy ghost doth God rather by these meanes the testimonie of the Church and couersation of the saints prepareth vs to receiue the pretious faith not beget faith in our harts properlie and principallie by this second kinde of externall meanes for the proper and principall instrument of God to breed faith is the very word of God himselfe for it must be necessarilie either the liuely voice of God or the sacred scripture which serueth vs in steede of the liuelie voice of God himselfe but either prepares our hearts only to receiue faith afterwards Io. 4. 1. Pet. 3. 2. 3. wards by the word of God or to confirme the same in some sort beeing already ingendred in our hearts by Gods word For this cause this second kind of meanes sometimes is sent before the voice of God in the scripture whereby the holy Ghost otherwhiles makes mens minds ready to intertaine faith and grace offred This we reade of Augustine for he speaks it of himselfe I would not haue beleeued the gospell but that the authority of the Catholicke Church moued me thereunto by which words he meaneth that when he was a Manichee he was prepared by the authority and testimonie of the Church to beleeue the Gospell Afterwards notwithstanding the same holie spirit which thus prepared him by the testimonie of the Church I say the same spirit did beget faith in Augustines heart by the very scripture of the gospell whereby he did beleeue that the gospell was the verie word of God For this cause he speaks else where of himselfe And let vs follow them saith he which doe inuite vs first to beleeue that which we cannot behold Augustines wordes as yet that being strengthened by faith it selfe we may be worthie to vnderstand what we beleeue not by the relation of men but by the grace of God himselfe inwardlie confirming and inlightening our mindes So the woman of Samaria Io 4. as a member of the Church did by her kinde of preaching prepare the Samaritanes to the faith of Christ they hauing heard Christ himselfe said to the woman We beleeue no longer because of thy sayings for Io 4. 42 1. Pet. 3. 2. 3. Win them with your conuersation which are without the word we haue heard him our selues and know that this is indeed the Christ the Sauiour of the world By which wordes they plainely testified that they were prepared only by the womans testimonie to embrace the faith and that faith was ingendred in their hearts by the powerfull voice of Christ himselfe Wherefore it is cleere that sometimes this kind of meane and argument as is aforesaide goes before faith is begotten in the heart to prepare vs and sometimes this followes faith for confirmation And sometimes also this kinde of argument goes before faith and followes after it it goes before I say for preparation it followes after for confirmation For the spirit teacheth vs many waies applying himselfe to diuers men in diuers Note well Io. 3. manners as it seemeth good vnto himselfe and as mens infirmities do require And here we be to obserue that there is no absolute necessitie of this secondarie kind of argument which is externall and lesse principall to beget faith in vs. For it ought to suffice vs if the spirit teach vs onely by Gods worde but to helpe our weakenes the same spirit addeth the other secondarie kind of argument as Christ plainly teacheth vs Io. 5. where he sayth the testimonie of Iohn Baptist concerning him was not simply necessarie but that God so prouided to helpe their weakenesse and vnbeliefe ver 33. Iohn gaue testimony to the truth but I desire not the testimonie of man Neuerthelesse these things I speake that ye may be saued And that Iohns testimonie was but a secondarie argument only and that Christs owne record of himselfe was the first he sheweth plainly in the words following ver 36. But I haue a greater witnes then the witnes of Iohn for the works which the Father hath giuen me to finish the same works that I do beare witnes of me that the Father sent me And this is our iudgment concerning this argument whereby we proue the Scripture to be the word of God and our answere to the question wherefore it is so as we auouch it What the Papists thinke in this matter it is easily seene How the Papists proue the scripture to bee Gods word by their words and writings Their iudgement briefly is this The meane and principall argument and in a manner the only way with them to demonstrate the scripture to be Gods word is the testimony of the church not only the catholick as they speak but also those of their church which haue preserued the faith as they speake by contiall successions from the Apostles vnto our times and here they vnderstand principally the Popes who as they say succeeded Peter and his chaire These men will haue the Church the iudge and interpreter of all Scriptures from whose iudgement it may not be lawfull for any man to depart for an appeale to any other iudge And they ascribe this dignity prerogatiue to the testimony of the Church because they will haue the Scripture which is written in the heart of the Church to be the principall Scripture and that we account and esteeme of the voice of the Church as the very liuely voice of God himselfe as if God now spake first principally in his Church and by the voice of his Church If they will haue it so that the voice of the Church bee the primarie voice of God and the primarie Scripture of God it is euident that they deeme the greatest light we haue is to be found in the voice of the Church and the same to be most cleere and demonstratiue not only to vs but also in and by it selfe and therefore that this light inlightens the sacred Scripture not in respect of vs only but in respect of themselues also For which cause one of them hath said that the The blasphemy of Papists Scripture is of no more validity without the authority of the church then AEsops fables For the voice of the church being vnto them the primarie voice of God in all respects for as much as it is liuely and vocall and for this cause both by nature
consider the substance onely of the scripture which without all controuersie is most ancient But the verie scripture and writing it selfe hath his excellencie also for that the scripture in respect of the very writing is said to be giuen vs also by diuine inspiration For there is not a iote or pricke in the Scriptura est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very writing which is not by the inspiration of God Here the Aduersaries take exception and as els where often so here they prefer their Church before the scripture and they affirme the Church is more ancient then the scripture For they say there was a Church two thousand A Popish obiection full yeares before Moses the first writer of the scripture And since Christs comming the Church for many yeares wanted the scriptures But that which hath beene alreadie written and is aforesaid can easily solue this obiection For if we vnderstand by this word Scripture not only the characters and books but also that substance and matter contained in them for we haue the Prophets and Apostles speaking in the scriptures we haue their liuely voice we haue I say the liuely voice of God himselfe and the very expresse mind of God contained in them if I say we vnderstand by this word that substance it cannot thē be denied but the scripture is more ancient then the Church which was borne not of mortall seed but of immortall euen by the word of God who liueth and endureth for euer 1. Pet. 1. 23. I say the premisses well considered it shall appeare the scripture is not onely more ancient then the Church but to be of greatest antiquitie and to haue beene with God from euerlasting But if by this word ye vnderstand both the matter and writing in this respect also it shall be no disparagement to auouch it to be of greater antiquitie then the Church yea to be most ancient as we haue at large before shewed And thus far of the first propertie of the sacred scripture and of the third controuersie CHAP. X. Of the second propertie of the sacred Scripture where begins the fourth controuersie THe second propertie of the sacred scripture is opened sufficiently in a manner alreadie in the second controuersie before handled This propertie is this that the Scripture is most cleere in it selfe and most easie to be vnderstood for it being the very word of God which word euerie man must necessarily graunt to be in it selfe most cleere most manifest and most perspicuous whether you respect the words or the matter contained in the words if men will not offer extreme iniurie to Gods holy Spirit assuredly it must follow I say that the holy scripture is in it selfe and of it selfe most cleere and euident in euery part and in euerie respect Of this great perspicuitie of the scripture the holy ghost testifieth often Psal 119. The word of the Lord is a lanterne to my feete Psal 19. The precept of the Lord saith the Psalmist is cleere and inlighteneth the eyes Prou. 6. The commandement is a lanterne and the law is a light The Lord by the Prophet Esay chap. 45. 19. saith I haue not spoken in secret and 2. Pet. 1. 19. he saith We haue a most sure word of the Prophets to the which ye do well that ye take heede as to a light that shineth in a darke place Wherefore the whole scripture al places of the scripture are by themselues and in themselues most manifest most cleere and applied also to the capacity of the vulgar sort and of the most vnlettered among the people For it is certaine that the Lord in the scriptures doth as it were lispe with vs Io. 3. 12. If I haue spoken to you of earthly things and you beleeue not that is I haue spoken vnto you after an earthly and plaine manner and I haue applied my selfe to your capacitie c. I haue auouched that the sacred scripture is in it selfe cleere and easie True it is if ye respect men as they are All the scripture cleere and easie to the weakest beleeuer 1. Cor. 2. 14. men that is naturall and carnall the holy scripture vnto such is altogether obscure and strange For the naturall man doth not conceiue the things which appertaine to the Spirit of God But if ye consider the spirituall man and such as be taught of God I grant to such it is partly obscure because they be as yet in part carnall And for this cause the godly put vp continually supplications vnto God as feeling the reliques of their naturall blindnes and corruption and making requests that the eyes of their vnderstanding might be opened that they may behold the bright shining light of the scriptures and of euerie place and portion of the scripture being otherwise most euident in it selfe All the religious and godly in their prayers are so farre from laying any imputation of hardnesse and obscurity on Gods word that they do euer accuse condemne themselues and their owne blindnesse and dulnesse And albeit this be true that all the scripture and all places of the scripture be simply and in themselues most Note cleare and easie and onely darke and hard by reason of our corruption and blindnesse yet this cannot be denied but that some places of scripture be more cleere in themselues then others more easie and more euident as those scriptures concerning faith and manners which bee so necessarie vnto saluation they be I say so cleerely set downe so often repeated and in so manie places expounded that we need not manie rules for interpretation or to find out the knowledge of them But these places also require the grace of Gods holy spirit for without him spirituall things which be most perspicuous and euident cannot be vnderstood of anie man on earth Wherfore he that is ignorant of the most cleere scriptures which doe so much concerne his saluation is altogether blind and lieth as yet in the wofull state of perdition for so the Apostle speaketh If that the Gospell be hid it is hidden to them that are lost 2. Cor. 4. 3. 4. As for other scriptures which are more hard in appearance for that they do not so much concerne the necessarie articles of faith and rules of life and conuersation we may be ignorant of them without danger of faith and saluation albeit the knowledge of such places might bring some light for the better vnderstanding of the How to interpret expound hard scriptures scriptures which of necessity must be knowne concerning faith and manners And we may attaine some tolerable interpretation of these scriptures analogicall vnto faith if we obserue those rules of knowlege and interpretation which are commonly recommended by the learned euer making Gods holy spirit our first and principal guide for our inward illumination and instruction The rules which follow this are but the meanes which the holy Rules Ghost vseth and they are borowed partly out of the 1
improper and the name of faith is but by an Homonymie or improperly put vpon them to signifie these things For not any of these may be called by the name of faith vnlesse you say in some respect in part and after a sort and with an addition for example the knowledge of history is termed faith but with this addition historicall or dead and so of the rest Now a generall notion of this word faith is that which is Heb. 11. 1. And that is a knowledge in general with assent and agreement to all those things which are comprehended in the word of God and that whether generall or particular I meane by a particular worde when any thing is reuealed to any one peculiarly out of order by which kinde of reuelation it came to passe that miracles were done by some We must speake therefore in the first place concerning historicall or dead faith and first for the testimonies of scripture touching it Iam. 2. 15 Faith if it haue no works is dead of it selfe 1. Cor. 12. 9. Unto other faith by the same spirit The coherence of the text Historicall or dead saith and comparison made with other gifts of the holy Ghost which in that place are numbred doe shew sufficiently that the Apostle speaketh of historical faith Hitherto belongeth that place which is 1. Cor. 13. 2. If I had all faith so that I could remoue mountaines Here he doth not only meane the faith of miracles but also the historicall for he sayth all faith and after he sets downe one kinde as if he had saide by name miraculous faith to remoue moūtaines The reason of the name is this It is termed historicall because it is only a bare knowledge of the holy history concerning God Christ the will of God and his works and not an holy apprehension of the things knowne And why it is called dead Iames rendreth a reason in the place before cited namely because it hath no Dead faith works the reason is from the consequent or signe For want of works or actions argueth and sheweth that faith is as it were dead and without life and if I may so speake the carcase of faith euen as if there be no motions nor actions in a man neither inward nor outward thereby it is declared that the man is dead and the bodie without life or but the dead carcase of a man Our aduersaries that I may speake of this by the way when they heare out of Iam. 2. 16. that saith is therefore The papists touching faith called dead because it hath no works by by conclude that charitie and the works of charitie is the soule of faith but this followeth not that charitie and the works of charity are the soule of faith but this followeth that charitie and the works of charitie are the signes and tokens of the soule that is by name of that apprehension of Christ which is in the heart for this is indeede the soule and forme of faith I will declare this thing by a like example A man if he haue no workes no actions neither inward nor outward that indeed argueth that there is not a soule or forme in him out of which actions doe proceed but it doth not argue that works or actions are the soule and forme of man But they thinke that the words of Iames chap. 2. 26. do make for their opinion For out of that that Iames saith As the bodie without the Spirit or breath is dead so also faith which is without works is dead thus they infer Therfore as the Spirit is the forme of the bodie so are workes the forme of faith But this consequent is not of force For the comparison and similitude is not in that but in this that euen as the bodie without the soule or breath is dead so faith without works is dead The bodie without the spirit as her soule and forme is dead faith without workes as the signes and tokens of the soule is dead Euen as therefore the want of the Spirit or the soule doth argue the death of the bodie so the want of the signe token of the soule of faith doth argue the death of faith It is therfore a comparison of the spirit and works in the like effect and not in the like nature For both haue the like effect which is death but both the things are not of the same nature Hitherto of the reason of the name The obiect of historicall faith is all the holy storie that is the whole truth which is according to godlinesse and the word of both couenants wherein this faith differs from iustifying faith which hath the word of the Gospel or of the couenant of grace for the obiect thereof The subiect of this faith is the mind which knoweth and iudgeth but the iudgment of the mind doth onely Subiect of an historicall faith reach to the truth of the historie as I thinke and not to the goodnes of the things themselues which are contained in the storie For although an hypocrit do professe that al those things of which the Gospel speaks are true yet he doth not assent to thē in his mind as good things Note well which is the first step of practise or action For after the iudgement of the goodnes of a thing followeth the apprehension thereof which belongs to the will out of which after proeede the motions of the affections and out of them last of all do issue the outward actions of the bodie Therefore this dead faith doth not sincerely at the least assent to those things which are in the word as good things but rather doth indeed reiect them and count them as euill So the diuell who hath this faith is said to tremble Iam. 2. 19. Out of which it is manifest that the diuell doth reiect Christ and all his good things For this horrour ariseth out of reiecting and hating of the thing Therefore in one word this historicall faith pertaines only to the mind and hath that for the subiect of it It followeth that we speake of the nature thereof By these things which haue beene spoken of the subiect it The nature of an historicall faith may easily be learned what is the nature of it For it is wholy comprised but onely in the generall knowledge of the mind and iudgment of truth it hath therefore one or two degrees of iustifying faith Out of all these things which we haue spoken of an historicall faith it is easie to gather the definition thereof For historicall faith is a knowledge in the mind of the whole truth both of the Historicall faith defined law and of the Gospell and the iudgement of the mind made thereupon as farre as concernes the truth thereof And thus farre concerning historicall or dead faith Next followeth a temporarie Of this faith yee haue these texts Matth. 13. 20. 21. But he that receiued the seede 3. Faith a temporary faith in stonie ground
chiefly by simplicity and sincerity which is opposed to hypocrisie and dissembling Therefore a deepe hypocrisie which is contrary to sincerity possesseth the heart of this man Now the heart so affected doth beleeue apprehend and reioice not sincerely for a true cause for which it ought to do these things but for other worldly causes It followeth therefore that the cause of these euils doth lurke in the heart Wherefore if any man will not be a temporizer A good admonition for a temporizer let him aboue all things looke to his heart and sift and examine it diligently night and day so long till hee feele that the faith of Christ takes roote in the bottome of his heart and doth throughout possesse the whole heart as much as may be Out of these things which we haue spoken touching the properties of this faith and of the cause of them a marke may be taken whereby any one may discerne true iustifying faith from temporary And that is in a word sincerity in doing in beleeuing in apprehēding in reioicing Synceritie in doing all things throughout the whole course of the life Now sincerity is knowne by this if all things be done and performed by vs for God and for Christ whether those things be of small or great moment Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glory of God 1. Cor. 10. 31. By these things which haue beene spoken it is easie to gather a definition of this faith For Tempor F. defined temporary faith is a knowledge in the minde and an apprehension in the will of Christ with all his benefits but yet tēporary or enduring but for a time And thus much of temporary faith The miraculous faith followeth which is the third vnproper signification of the word of faith Touching this faith these are testimonies Matth. 17. Yf ye haue faith as a graine of mustard seed 1. Cor. 13. If I had all faith so that I could remoue mountaines The reason of the name is this 4. Miraculous faith It is termed miraculous from the effect of it because it is powerfull to doe miracles The obiect thereof is not the bare generall word of God but rather a special promise or reuelation made to some one touching the doing of some certaine miracle Now that the bare generall word sufficeth not it appeareth hereby for because many holy men haue had faith in the generall word yea they haue iustifying faith in the promise of grace and yet could doe no miracles Simon Magus beleeued by an historicall faith in the generall word and yet he could do no miracles therefore hee would haue bought this facultie with money for a price Act. 8. 31. Vnlesse therefore vnto the generall word there be added a speciall promise or reuelation it is no miraculous faith which is a certaine speciall and extraordinarie gift of the Spirit Wherein the Aduersaries do erre verie much who thinke that the generall word sufficeth for this to make a miraculous faith The subiect of it The subiect of a miraculous faith is the mind first vnderstanding and withall iudging the speciall promise and then the will or the heart apprehending that which is promised The parts of the nature thereof are a knowledge with a iudgement of the mind and an apprehension with the will and heart Out of these things now spoken I gather this definition of this Faith that Miraculous faith is a Miraculous faith defined knowledge in the mind and an apprehension with the will of a speciall promise or reuelation for the doing of a miracle Thus farre of miraculous Faith and in summe of the true doctrine of faith CHAP. XXXI The opinion of the Aduersaries concerning Faith IT followeth now that we see briefly what the aduersaries doe hold touching Faith First they do not acknowledge the diuers significations of Faith they entreat onely of one faith and that they terme iustifying that is as they expound the word that The Popish opinion of Faith which disposeth vs to iustice being to be infused after in the time thereof Thus thinks Bellarmine in his Treatise touching faith In this doctrine of faith which they terme iustifying they differ from vs first about the obiect of it Indeede they doe not denie that the obiect of faith is the mercie of God in Iesus Christ offered in the Gospell that is that it is the Gospell and the promises of grace concerning Christ and Gods mercie in him But they will haue the obiect to be not onely the word of the Gospell but equally the vniuersall word of God To confirme this opinion of theirs they alleage that definition of faith which is set downe Heb. chap. 11. 1. Faith saith the Apostle is the ground of things that are hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene This say they is the definition of iustifying faith But this definition stretcheth it selfe not onely to Christ to the promises of God and to the Gospell concerning him but also to the whole word of God to all things that are contained in the word of God For example it stretcheth it selfe to the word of God which is concerning the creation of the world as is euident by vers 3. which followeth in the same chap. By faith we vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God Hence they conclude that iustifying faith hath the whole word for the obiect of it But to this we answer that not onely iustifying Faith is defined by the Apostle in that place but that that definition of Faith is common to all the significations of faith as is plaine enough by that induction of examples which followeth in that place and chapter Neither is that their argument which they gather out of the coherence of the text of anie force They say that that faith is defined of which the Apostle spake in the last verses of the chapter going afore Now the iust shall liue by faith c. But there the Apostle spake of iustifying Faith therefore heere in the 11. chap. iustifying faith is defined I answer this definition I confesse doth belong to iustifying faith but not to that alone but it is commō to it with other significations of Faith as with historicall Heb. 11. 1. A generall definition of faith common to all kinds of faith faith and miraculous c. as is euident by the induction that followeth Seeing therefore that this definition doth not onely belong to iustifying faith it followeth that out of this definition they get not that they would haue namely that the obiect of iustifying Faith is equally the vniuersall word of God Therefore let the obiect thereof properly be that which it apprehendeth and that is the Gospel and the promise concerning Christ Secondly they dissent from vs about this same speciall obiect namely the mercy of God in Christ For we say and affirme that the obiect of iustifying faith is not onely a generall mercy
nor only a generall promise touching Christ but much rather a speciall mercy and a speciall promise that is mercy offered in the Gospel not in common to all but peculiarly to me or to thee For albeit the promises and sentences of the Gospell be conceiued generally yet it is certaine that they are to be receiued particularly by euery one as if they were spoken to euery one in seuerall as for example Ioh. 3. the promise of the couenant of grace is conceiued generally in these words Whosoeuer beleeueth in the Sonne shall not perish but haue life euerlasting This promise is indeed generally conceiued but it is to bee vnderstood particularly and singularly by euery one as if it had beene spoken to me or to thee If thou beleeuest in the Sonne thou shalt not perish but haue euerlasting life The Apostle 1. Tim. 1. doth vnderstand this generall sentence namely that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners no otherwise then if it had beene pronounced onely concerning himselfe whereupon he doth apply it particularly vnto himselfe assuming by name that he is the sinner and concluding How the beleeuer is to make a syllogisme in forme at the least secretly that Christ came into y e world to saue him by name We may make trial of this thing by those promises that are made specially in the Gospell to saue certaine men as to the man sicke of the palsie Matt. 9. to the woman that was a sinner Luk. 7. to the Adultresse Ioh. 8. to Zacheus Luk. 19. to the thiefe Luk. 23. For the Spirit of Christ when any generall promise or sentence touching Christ and his mercie is alleaged doth no lesse particularly now apply the same to euerie man by speaking inwardly to the heart of euery one then at that time Christ did by his liuely voice apply those particular promises to some certaine persons Roman 3. Whē the righteousnes of God is said to belong to al beleeuers and that without distinction it is plainly signified that that righteousnesse is offered to men of euerie sort and condition and also propounded to euery seuerall person 1. Tim 2. after he hath admonished that wee are to pray for all men he addeth that God will haue all men to be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Out of which it followeth that in the publishing of the Gospell God hath respect not onely of all men in common but also distinctly of euery seuerall person which regard also he will haue vs to haue in our prayers What neede many words For if there were nothing els that did The mercie of God in Christ offered generally to all the world particularly applied to euery one by the Spirit is the obiect of iustifying faith teach this the administration of the Sacraments alone hath force enough in it to proue that the mercy of God in Christ is offered specially to euerie one For in both the sacraments the seales of that mercy are giuen and offered to euery one seuerally And let this suffice to shew that speciall mercy as it is called is the obiect properly of iustifying Faith against which our aduersaries hold The obiect of iustifying Faith being made to bee a generall mercy it followeth that faith in the opinion of our aduersaries is generall and not a speciall assent For seeing there is only a generall mercy propounded generally to the Church and not offered particularly to the seuerall members therof how can any particular man challenge that particularly to himselfe which is not spoken and offered particularly But we affirme that iustifying faith is that whereby euery beleeuer doth particularly not onely assent to the promise that it is true in it selfe but also apprehends with the heart the promised thing and applies it properly to himselfe For this being made plaine that the mercie of God was particularly offered to euery one it followeth that faith must be particular But for the proofe hereof there are almost infinite testimonies of the Scriptures we will be content but with a few Gal. 2. 20. And the life that I now liue in the flesh I liue by faith in the Sonne of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for me Marke here he doth by faith peculiarly apply to himselfe the Sonne of God and his life his loue and his death Neither is there any cause why any one should say that this might be lawfull for the Apostle who had some extraordinary reuelation of that thing but that it is not lawfull to the common sort of Christians in as much as the Apostle doth in this place beare the person of euery Christian and beleeuing man Rom. 8. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. Marke here that speciall trust and particular application is pointed at by the verbe of the singular number Beside that which is cited out of Habakuck by the Apostle The iust shall liue by faith doth sufficiently insinuate a speciall faith for thereby is signified that euery iust person doth liue by his faith that is by a speciall assent to and application of the righteousnesse of God in Christ Matth. chap. 9. a particular faith is commended to the man sicke of the palsie to whom it was saide Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Ioh. 3. when it is said He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath eternall life that verie same speciall faith is signified which is when euerie one doth assent particularly to and apply to himselfe euerlasting life offered to himselfe What neede manie words The same thing doth that verbe I beleeue which is found in the Apostles Creede teach For to beleeue is there specially and particularly to beleeue Out of the generall mercy and generall faith of the aduersaries followeth the vncertaintie of particular faith and of Gods peculiar grace which they defend For it is easily discerned that vncertaintie doth follow necessarily out of that generality first a doubtfulnesse of mercy then of faith For when as mercy is propounded and offered not specially but generally and when there is onely a generall assent of faith how can I be certaine of that mercy which pertaines not certainly by name to me But that there is a certainty of faith against which they hold first it easily appeareth by those things which haue The certainty of faith beene spoken of Gods speciall mercy and speciall faith For seeing mercy is offered particularly to thee and to me c. and I againe assent particularly to it now am I certaine of that mercy that it is mine specially seeing I doe already by faith and speciall application possesse it For Christ dwelleth in our harts by faith that is we now possesse Christ and doe enioy him as present Of this speciall certainty see Rom. 4. 16. The inheritance is of faith that it may be by grace to the end the promise may be firme to the seed And in the same Chapter ver 18. Which Abraham against hope beleeued
vnder hope But hereof there is a notable place Heb. 6. 18. That by two immutable things in which it is not possible that God should lie we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to holdfast the hope that is set before vs. Where you see first that God hath promised it secondly that he hath bound himselfe by an oath that is that hee hath declared the vnchangeablenesse of his councell for sauing of vs by two immutable things to this end that we might haue strong consolation Now the comfort is not strong vnlesse it rise out of our firme and certaine assent whereby we consent to the truth of Gods promise For if our assent wauer and be vncertaine certainly there Note can no strong consolation arise out of our assent Secondly that it may be a strong consolation some generall certainty of our assent is not sufficient but it must needes be a speciall and particular certainty of assent whereby to wit I am certain that that which is promised is true of mee For what consolation at al much lesse a strong consolation can that be when as I am certaine that the promise concerning Christ doth belong only in generall to the Church and not to my selfe also in particular Nay rather in that very thing is the griefe increased when one sees that the benifites of Christ pertaines to other but not to himselfe at all But to the end that this which we speake of touching certainty and vncertainty may be the more manifest we must search into this point a little more deepelie In generall therefore certainty is either of the thing or of the person Concerning the certainty of the thing the firm truth thereof there is no question The certainty of the The certainty of faith person apprehending the obiect is nothing els but the firmenesse of the iudgement or the assent of the minde consenting to the truth of some thing or sentence Wherfore certainty is nothing els but a certaine property of the iudgment or of the assent of our mind And seeing the assent of the mind is twofold either generall when I generally assent to the truth of some sentence that it is true as for example concerning the vniuersall Church or it is speciall when as I assent to the truth of any sentence that it is true euen of me and of each particular seeing I say there is a twofold assent of the mind it followeth that there is a twofold certainty one generall namely the property of a generall assent the other speciall namely the property of a speciall assent Now that we may come to the state of the controuersie What the controuersy is concerning a particular faith the question is not concerning generall certainty but all the controuersie is of the special certainty of a speciall assent which they call the certainty of grace or of speciall mercy For we do affirme and defend the certainty of special grace but they oppugne this same certainty of speciall grace but I pray with what arguments First they say that in the Gospel no mercy is any where offered promised to any particular or any one man Therefore there can be no certainty of special grace I answer and doe inuert the argument In the Gospell grace is promised and offered not only in generall to all but in speciall to euery one as we haue taught before wherfore the certainty of a speciall grace is required in euery one Now to those things which we said touching speciall mercy offered to seuerall persons I adde these few things to the end that the whole matter may more cleerely appeare and to the end that we may learne by sense and experience it selfe that grace is offered to euery one by God The spirit of Christ only is Christs vicar on earth who teacheth and instructeth vs in those things which Christ spake and The spirit of Christ is his only vicar on the earth which are written in the Gospel Now this spirit teacheth not only generally that the promises and sentences in the Gospell touching Christ and his benefits are true of the whole Church but much more that they are true of that speciall and particular man whom he inwardly teacheth And sith the spirit of adoption dooth testifie with our spirit that we are the sons of God Ro. 8. this testimony of the holy Ghost is not generall concerning the whole Church that they which are in the Church be the sonnes of God but it is a speciall testimonie of mee and of thee that I am the sonne of God and that thou art the Sonne of God Besides 1. Corin. chap. 1. it is saide of the Spirit that he searcheth euen the deepe things of God that is the spirit which is giuen to euery one and which dwelleth in euery one doth search that grace and mercy in Christ Iesus which lieth hid in the deepe and makes it to bee knowne to euery one For the spirit of God dwelling in me reueales to me that which is hid in the very hart of God Now I demand whether he reueale to me some generall mercy only belonging in generall only to the Church or whether he reueale to me that speciall mercy hid in God which belongs to me peculiarly Certainly there is no man to whom this spirit dwelling in him hath at any time reuealed any grace that lyeth hid in God but he will constantly affirme that by the holy spirit there is reuealed to euery one not a generall mercy I know not what rough draught of mercy but a speciall mercy belonging particularly to himselfe Wherfore these same defenders of generall grace and mercy only Defenders of generall grace are but meere naturall men seeme to mee to be only naturall men and not spirituall of whom that of the Apostle may be truly spoken The naturall man perceiueth not the things which are of the spirit of God Secondly they say that it is not expedient that euery one should be certaine of his owne grace righteousnesse and saluation for certainty breedeth pride but vncertainty humility I answere certainty is a gift of the spirit regenerating which is bestowed only vpon the elect I speake of true and sound speciall certainty which is the property of true iustifying faith Can it therefore be spoken without blasphemy that the holy spirit and iustifying faith is the cause of the greatest of al euils that are that the worst of al that is of pride Nay rather the vncertainty of a man is vtterly the property of one that exaltes him selfe against God euen when he promiseth and offereth speciall mercy and binds it with an oath Thirdly they say certainty of speciall mercy is a speciall prerogatiue of some certaine men to whom God was pleased to reueale extraordinarily some speciall mercie proper vnto them Is therefore a speciall prerogatiue which belongs but to some and but to a few men to be reckoned among Gods common or generall graces I answer It is
false that the certaintie of speciall grace is a speciall prerogatiue of some certaine men For if iustifying faith be reckoned among the common good things and gifts of all Christians and this speciall certaintie be the propertie of iustifying faith with what face dare any deny this gift of speciall certainty to the common sort of Christians Is it because it was reuealed but to some certaine and few of them that their sins are forgiuen as to that man sicke of the palsie to that sinner to Zacheus to the thiefe is therefore this gift of certainty no other but special and extraordinary Nay wee haue alreadie said that the speciall mercie of God is no lesse now promised and offered to euery seuerall and particular person as to me and to thee then it was offered in times past to those men by Christs expresse words Fourthly the holiest men say they haue bewrayed with a lamentable voice at the very point of death do bewray dayly the vncertaintie of their saluation Therefore there is not that certaintie of mercy and life which wee say there is I answer there is much difference betweene that which is and that which ought to be This argument doth only conclude that which is that is that there is an vncertaintie but it concludes not that there ought to be an vncertaintie nay it concludes against it that it ought not to be For they that weepe and lament for the vncertaintie of their owne saluation doe therby declare that there ought not to be an vncertainty but our aduersaries doereckon the vncertaintie of our owne saluation among the chiefe Christian vertues Secondly I answer that out of that complaint of holy men being ready to giue vp the Ghost the certainty of speciall mercie M. Rollock argueth of the conflicts of the godly in their death that they haue a good faith doth neuer a whit the lesse follow then the vncertaintie For that speech riseth out of that warre that is betweene the Spirit and the flesh betweene faith and vnbeleefe betweene certaintie and vncertaintie Wherefore it is no lesse an argument of certainty then of vncertaintie nay it argueth that in that warre certaintie hath the vpper hand Fiftly they say the best may fall from grace and faith therefore what certaintie can there be of speciall mercie and saluation I answer They which are indued onely with temporarie grace and faith both may indeed fall and doe fall away but they which are indued with true iustifying faith and with regenerating grace can neither Of falling from grace fall away totally nor finally Now that comes to passe not in regard of the men themselues for of their owne nature they are prone to finall and totall defection such is their infirmity and weaknesse but it comes to passe by the nature as I may speak of that grace and gift of God which is giuen in Christ Iesus For the gifts and calling of God are such as that hee cannot repent himselfe of them Rom. 11. Sixtly they obiect testimonies of Scripture these chiefly which commēd vnto vs care thought endeuor for the keeping and preseruing of grace As He that standeth let him take heed least he fall 1. Cor. 10. 12. Also 2. Cor. 6. 1. Paul exhorts the Corinthians that they receiue The Papists cite it thus euer but falsly for the text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. so it is against them Phil. 2. not grace in vaine To conclude Christ admonisheth that we should watch and pray To say nothing of those places wherein feare is commended to vs as Rom. 11. Thou standest by faith be not high minded but feare And in another place Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling Out of these and the like places they say followeth doubting of a mans owne grace and saluation for why should there be such commandements giuen vnlesse it might be so that one might fall from grace and faith and therefore that he ought to doubt of his owne grace and saluation I answer that out of these and the like places Christian care feare how good it followeth that there is no perseuerance in grace vnlesse there bee ioyned a care thought and labour to keepe grace For care and thought is set God so ordaining it to bee as it were the keeper and watchman to grace forbidding that a man fall not into carnall securitie which is the enemie of grace and this thought and care is giuen with grace yea and it selfe is a kind of speciall grace and a companion of grace which neuer departeth from her side for where grace is there is alwayes surely some thought and care to retaine that grace which is neuer all quite lost euen as grace it selfe is neuer wholy lost for it is euer in proportion to the grace For when there is great grace there is great care when there is but a small grace the care is but little And because God knoweth how necessary this care is which is y e companiō and preseruer of grace therefore doth he so often in the Scriptures stir vs vp vnto care commendeth it vnto vs. And all these exhortations are nothing els but so many outcries as it were wherby this care which we said is the watchman and keeper of grace is stirred vp prouoked to do her dutie that is to keepe grace and to driue away carnall securitie which is an enemie to grace and which would except care stood vpon her watch vtterly abolish grace it selfe as faith regeneration righteousnesse and life Therefore out of these and the like places care and not doubting vertue and not vice doe follow For doubting hath beene euer reckoned in the Scriptures among the worst euils of most enmitie to God man Now let vs speak of the subiect of iustifying faith what that is according to the mind of our aduersaries They Subiect of iustifying faith with Papists make the mind only to be the subiect and in the mind onely one facultie properly which is that that iudgeth and assenteth to the truth of any sentence But of the will and heart they speake nothing when yet iustifying faith doth chiefly belong to the heart as wee haue said before For the parts of the nature of iustifying faith they make not so manie as we For as touching knowledge which is the first part of iustifying faith either they say y t Parts of the nature of iustifying faith with Papists it is not necessary or els that some obscure knowledge will suffice which thing they labour to proue by this reason There is say they a double assent of the mind wherby we consent to the truth of any sentence The first assent is when we consent vnto it for some reason or cause and this is termed knowledge this assent doth necessarily require knowledge to goe before it to the truth whereof we assent The latter assent is when we assent to the truth of a sentence not for some
reason but for the authoritie of him that speaketh this assent is is called Faith but it doth not require that the knowledge of that thing wherto assent is giuē should go before it being content only with the bare authoritie of the speaker Out of this distinction difference of assent say they it followeth that in faith there is no need of knowledge seeing faith is an assent whereby we do agree to the truth of some sentence being induced not by any reason or cause but by the authority of the speaker To this reason we answer first we do grant this difference of assents but we denie that that assent which is yeelded because of the authoritie of the speaker hath no need of knowledge to go before it For that it may be iustifying Faith to vs it is required that that which is spoken by God himselfe be some manner of way vnderstood by vs. For God doth not require that of vs that we should assent to his word and voice because of the bare authority of him that testifieth when as we vnderstand them not at all Secondly they reason out of that definition of faith Heb. 11. Faith is the ground of things that are hoped for and the euidence of those things that are not seene Here say they we see faith of things vnknowne namely of such things as are to be hoped for as are not seen But say I these two words * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ground and euidence do argue sufficiently that those very things which are hoped for and not seene are in the meane time in some sort present and seene of vs. Whereupon Paul 2. Corinth chap. 4. saith Why we looke not on those things which are seene but on those things which are not seene Heere you see that The popish implicite faith euen those things which are not seen nor obiect to these eyes of our bodies are yet seene and beheld with the spirituall eyes of our faith And this is their opinion touching the knowledge of faith which tendeth to this purpose to establish that faith which they terme implicit or infolded faith Concerning that assent which we said is the 2. part of iustifying faith they do place the nature of faith only in that assent which is yeelded in regarde of the truth of a thing for they speake nothing of the assent or iudgment of goodnes and they make that same iudgment of truth which they hold to be only general namely wherby one doth iudge that some sentence is true not of himselfe but in generall of the whole Church when as notwithstanding that iudgement aswell of truth as of goodnesse which is the propertie of faith is rather particular yea a very peculiar grace which in the Scripture is called that ful assurance as we haue said before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Touching the third part of faith which we tearmed the confidence of the heart they doe not acknowledge it For they say that confidence is nothing els but hope strengthened and a certaine effect of faith whereas notwithstāding confidence which the Greeks tearme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a certain motiō of the wil or hart not expecting but in present apprehending some good and depending therupon and reioicing therein as present Furthermore Confidence and faith of the same roote in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is faith and affiance are of the same roote For both of them come from the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth to perswade Besides the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken euery where by the Apostle for to be perswaded to beleeue and not to hope Rom. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor things present nor things to come c. Phil. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am perswaded that he that hath begun in you a good worke c. 2. Cor. 5. Knowing therfore the terror of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we perswade or draw men to the faith I graunt that the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is some times taken for confidence which is a consequent of faith and a certaine property of it for it comes to passe that he which beleeueth or trusteth dooth depende on him in whom he placeth his trust Of this signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read Eph. 3. 12. In whom we haue freedome and accesse with confidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by faith in him Out of these things which we haue spoken it is easie to gather a definition of faith according to their opinion who take iustifying faith to bee nothing els then that whereby euery one doth in generall assent to the truth of the word of God that for the authority of the speaker A popish definition of faith which definition what els is it I pray you then a generall notion of faith and such as is common to all the significations of faith which we set downe before From this definition of iustifying faith they gather that truly that iustifying faith may be in euery wicked and most hainous A popish definition of faith sinner For in him this generall assent may be which cannot be denyed to the very deuils as Iames witnesseth The Deuils saith he beleeue and tremble and yet they call this iustifying and true faith though not liuing For they distinguish betwene true and liuing faith True faith they say is euen that which worketh not by loue yea though it be dead but a liuing fatih they terme that which worketh by loue as by hir forme and not as an instrument whereupon they terme this by another name formed faith But we do vtterly deny this distinction of true and liuing faith for we take true faith and liuing faith for one and the same euen as one and the same man is true and liuing and as true or liuing man is so termed from his soule or form so also true or liuing faith is so tearmed frō hir soule or form which consists in ful assurance trust as we haue said without which faith is nothing els but a carcase euen as a man without a soule is not so much a man as a carcase and dead body But they indeuour to proue out of Iames. 2. last verse that euen dead faith and not liuing is neuerthelesse true faith As the body is to the soule so is faith vnto works but the body without the soule is a true body albeit not liuing therefore faith without works is a true faith although not liuing I answere that this is a sophisticall argument for the comparison of the body and faith which Iames maketh is not in the truth but in the death of thē and Iames assumes and concludes out of that proposition But the body without the spirit is dead wherefore also faith without workes is dead For betweene faith and the body this is the difference one and the same body
not onely so but an affection caryed vp aboue nature For when we are regenerated by the spirit of Christ we doe not only recouer that holines of nature lost in Adam but also in regeneration there is not a faculty of the minde or an affection of the heart but some supernaturall power or quality is put into it for the exercising of supernaturall functions For our regeneration is not so much effected according to that image which was entire and holy in Adam before his fall as according to the image of Christ 1. Cor 15. 49. We shal beare the Image of the heauenly man Whereupon the motions of VVhat affectiōs a man regenerate hath in him our heart are termed vnutterable and such as cannot be declared Rom. 8. they are called grones which cannot bee expressed 1. Pet. 1. Ioy is called vnspeakable and glorious and the faculties of the mind the affections of the heart regenerated are caried to those things which are incomprehensible and which I think could not be comprehended by Adams holy nature such as these are The vnsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3. 8. the loue of Christ which passeth all knowledge in the same Chap. vers 19. As those things which the eie hath not seene nor eare heard nor euer entred into mans heart 1. Cor. 2. 9. But we haue spoken of these things already in the doctrine of faith This last of all is to be obserued concerning hope that there be many degrees of it For there is a certaine more Degrees of hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earnest or vehement hope which is called by the Apostle Rom. 8. 19. the feruent desire of the creature Phil. 1. 20. Paul doth professe this kind of hope and earnest looking for And thus much of hope according to the iudgment of our Churches Now bee aduertised in few words what our aduersaries Popish opinion of hope thinke of it They make the obiect of hope to be those things which belong to him that hopeth for this difference they make betweene hope and faith that faith is of generall mercy and not of proper but that hope is of proper mercy But this difference is false For as wel faith as hope is of proper grace and mercy They say with vs that the subiect of hope is the heart For they teach that hope is a vertue put into the heart They make the nature of it to consist not in knowing nor in iudging but in expecting Bellarmine makes a difference betweene hoping and expecting We hope saith he for those things which we doe not know certainly that we shall obtaine Whereupon the blessed soules in heauen are said to expect the resurrection of their bodies because they know certainly that it shall come to passe But Paul Rom. 8. seemeth to take the words of hoping and expecting for one and the same thing If we hope for that which we see not then do we with patience expect it You 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see that with Paul to hope and to expect are one and the same They make the property of hope to be certainty For they say that hope is certaine but they teach that this certainty belongs to the vnderstanding For it is the vnderstanding that dooth know certainly that saluation will come to passe and because of the certainty of the vnderstanding hope is said to be certaine and the heart hopeth certainly that saluation will come Therefore this certainty is not properly in hope but hope presupposeth it They say that this certainty is not simple and absolute For they say that no man is simply and absolutely certaine of his saluation or dooth certainly know that hee shall obtaine saluation Nay contrarywise they teach that there is simply and absolutely an vncertainty of hope and hee that hopeth say they is simply and absolutely vncertain of his saluation But he that hopes say they is certaine of his saluation not simply and absolutely but after a certaine manner and in some respect First in regard of the foundation of hope that is the promise of God which cannot deceiue and for which if there were not other causes of certainty one might be saide to be simply and absolutely certaine of his saluation But seeing there be other causes of certainty beside the promise of God a man cannot be saide to be simply and absolutely certaine of his owne saluation for the promise of God only and the infallible truth thereof Secondly a man is said to bee certaine of his saluation in respect of charity which they say is the forme of faith For he that hath charity is in this part and in this respect certaine of his saluation For charity is a sure cause of saluation and if it could bee that a man might neuer fall from charity euen for that cause alone he might be simply absolutely certaine of his saluation But seeing any man may fal from charity and leese it therefore there is no absolute certainty of hope in respect of charity neither This is then their opinion that hope is likewise vncertaine but yet that it is certaine in some respects First in respect of the promise then in respect of charitie and therefore that the certaintie of hope is alwayes mixt with vncertaintie For what time it is certaine because of of the promise of God at the same time it is vncertaine for other causes which are in our selues as in regard of our repentance in respect of our works and merits which are also required to make hope certaine Againe what time it is certaine because of charity at the same time it is vncertain because of the changeablenesse of charity This is their opinion But we hold thus that hope is called certaine because of faith going afore it for the full assurance Certainty of hope of that faith For certaintie doth properly belong to faith and it is faith whereby euery one of vs doth certainly know that saluation belongeth vnto vs Hence commeth the surenesse of hope and the certainty thereof Secondly we say that this certainty of hope which is for Faiths sake is simple and absolute and wee deny that hope is in one respect certaine and in another respect vncertaine which thing they affirme but we affirme that it is certaine in all respects at least that it so ought to be in respect of Gods promise in respect of charity and of our whole regeneration in respect of our perseuerance and so of the rest For all these things are certaine and sound vpon which hope dependeth and for which it is said to be certain these things do depend vpon Gods vnchangeablenesse whether they be out of vs as the promise of God or within vs as charity and all regeneration for grace once giuen in Christ Iesus can neuer be totally and finally lost Our aduersaries doe place some cause of certainty in our selues and in our strength and in our workes and merits And therefore it is no maruell though
that distinction of temporall and eternall punishments to be allowed for it is certaine that whosoeuer are punished temporally for their sinnes and in that respect and for that cause such also without repentance shall be punished for their sinnes eternally for temporall punishments of the vngodly in this life are the very beginnings of eternall punishments to be suffered in another life And thus farre of repentance CHAP. XXXVII Of mans Free-will AFter the doctrine of Faith Hope and Repentance the doctrine of Free-will is to follow because the Aduersaries do attribute Faith hope repentance or as they call it Penance to the liberty of our will as to the principall agent or cause but they assigne to grace the second place in the worke of Faith hope and repentance for they say after that Free-will is stirred vp by a preuenting grace man by the benefit of his free-will doth of his owne strength beleeue hope and repent him of his sinnes And as for grace that is only a fellow-worker say they and a helper of mans Free-well which principally worketh in faith hope and repentance But to this we haue answered before in the doctrine of repentance we shal hereafter answer it a little more plainely Now hauing thus far shewed the occasion why after the doctrin of Faith hope and repentance we speake of Free-wil let vs come to the point it selfe and discourse of it The will of man is a facultie The wil described of the reasonable soule following next after the facultie of reason for the mind first vnderstandeth and thē iudgeth The function and vse thereof is in willing in nilling in choosing in refusing and in doubting of those things which were before concealed and considered of in the vnderstanding The obiects therof are things simply good and euill and things indifferent I call those things simply good which are commanded by some expresse Things simply good law of God I call those things simply euill which are forbidden by the some expresse lawe of God And those things I count indifferent which are neither expresly commanded nor expresly forbidden in the law of God And if they be commanded or forbidden by anie law of God that is by accident to wit so farre forth as they further or hinder the edification of our neigbour These obiects of the will I subdiuide again into their final causes or ends and into those meanes which tend and leade vs to the ends And thus I apply the functions of the wil to the ends and to the meanes We be said as well to will and nill the meanes as the ends vnto which they serue for to will and nill are things generall but we are said onely to accept and to reiect and to doubt of the meanes for these things are speciall And thus farre of the will according to our present purpose There is ascribed vnto the will a certaine propertie which the Latines call Libertie the Greekes a Power as Libertas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 9. 20. where the Apostle speakes of the power the Potter hath ouer the clay And 1. Cor. 7. 37. He that hath power ouer his owne will As if he should haue said hee that hath libertie or power of his will in our vulgar tongue it is called Soueraingtie This libertie of the will is as it were a royall power and the Greeke word is vsed to set forth the power of a king or some supreme Magistrate Rom. 13. 27. Let euery soule be subiect to the higher power For this cause the will in the soule of man is receiued as a Queene and in that respect is said to haue as it were the iurisdiction in her owne hand But to come to some description of Free-will This freedome of will is a libertie whenas a thing being offered to the wil as to a certain Queene whether it be good or euill or indifferent the will euen then can by it own A descripttion of free-will proper right and power either will it or nill it reiect or receiue it or hold a man in suspence For which cause commonly in schooles it is defined to be a power or facultie to like or dislike things that are directly opposite that is to incline to either part of the contradiction to receiue or reiect the one or the other and thus commonly they describe it Yet I like best this descriptiō to wit that libertie of will should bee in respect of good and euill things for concerning them the controuersie is it is I say a power of the will or a certaine right it hath whereby of it selfe and of it owne inward and naturall motion without constraint it wils onely that is good it chooseth the good it wils not that is euill it reiecteth that is euill In one word libertie of will is a power vnto good not to euill I am induced to like best this definition of libertie by the example of the libertie of God himselfe who by the confession and grant of all men most freely wils and Gods free-will doth all things notwithstanding the libertie of God is not so defined that it should be a certaine power whereby he doth so will good as though he might nill it or doth not so will euill as though he might will it but the liberty of God is this of his owne right without constraint onely to will that which is good and nill that is euill Againe the same is plaine by the example of the blessed Angels who haue liberty to that is good onely and not vnto good and euill that is they do not so will good as if they might nill it for they are so gouerned Freedome of Angels strengthened of God that their will onely is inclined to good doth abhor from euill To conclude the same is shewed in the example of Adam of his state before his fal for then truly the liberty of his will was to will good Adams freedom in his innocencie only not both good and euil that is he did not so will good as if he might nil it except you vnderstād a remote power wheras we by this word Liberty to speake properly do vnderstand a more neere faculty of the soule I call that a remote facultie which is incident to the matter as is the power or propertie of laughter in the bodie of a man before it hath either forme or life I call that Remota potentia a neere facultie which is incident to the forme as laughter Propinqua potentia in a man that hath life So in the will of man there is a remote power as appertaining to the matter and there is a neere power as pertaining or consequent to the forme but we as a little before we spake by liberty vnderstand not that remote power which is incident to the matter but that neere power which is consequent to the forme and by the forme we vnderstand that sanctitie which is according to the
wil desire euen that which of it own nature is indifferent because he doth wil it neither in that manner nor to that end he ought Now concerning the estate of regeneration the question is whether the regenerate man hath his free-will I answer if you define free-will to be a liberty or power to choose or wil they say any of both sides First in things indifferent we say that he hath this liberty Secondly wee do not denie vnto him this liberty also in things good euil for seeing there is double act a double form in the wil of the regnerat man to wit the forme of holines and the form of corruption because he hath the first fruits of the new man and the remnant of the old it cannot be but that the neere power of his will be double also one inclining vnto good the other declining vnto euill So that this receiued definition of free-will seemes vnto mee to agree best with the will of the regenerate person But if you define liberty to consist of a power not constrained tending to good only and not to euill then verily the man regenerate is not so free but proceedes only to this liberty which shall at length be perfected in another life Finally concerning the estate of glorification the question is whether man whē he shall be glorified shall haue this liberty of will I answer if you define free-will a power to make choise of either part euen in good things and in euill then I say man in this state of glorification shall not haue it For hee shall haue that neere power to good only because of that forme of holinesse or glorie rather wherewith then his will shall be indued withall I deny not that there shall be in him also a remote power to euill in respect of the necessarie mutability of the creature but this remote power shall neuer be a neere power because God shall for euer strengthen him and sustaine him in y t state of glorie But if you follow that latter definition of free-will the glorified person shal at length be set free for he shal wil that only which is good and acceptable to God and that without constraint and for euer Man had free wil in the state of innocency according to the image of that diuine liberty but in the estate of glorification wherein he shall come more neere vnto the image of his God and shall beare the image of that heauenly man Iesus Christ his wil shall be much more free and far more ready to that which is good only And thus haue we spoken hitherto of the liberty of will that is of that propriety or naturall quality of the wil. Now we be to speake of * free-will But there be which referre the word Arbitrium to the mind for that they deeme it is nothing els but the iudgement of the mind which goeth before the free action of the will but the word free they say doth pertain to the wil notwithstanding I think the word Arbitrium doth signify the decree of the wil it self that is that by this word we vnderstand the fūction of the will whatsoeuer it be whether it wil or nill whether it choose or reiect We ascribe liberty to this purpose or endeuour of the will and it is said to bee free euen as the will it self is called Free-will for that euer the propriety of the cause doth predicate as the Logitians speake both of the effect and of the action of the same cause Free-wil then is nothing els in my iudgment but the decree or endeuour of the wil which is without constraint and which proceedeth from some inward motion of the will and not from any externall constraining power A question may be demaunded whether the will when it doth freely execute his function office in willing freely or nilling any thing whether I say the mind and vnderstanding haue not some working herein I answer that obiect whatsoeuer it be which the wil y e free functiō therof doth respect is first discerned by the mind The iudgment aiso of the mind is two fold first simple Iudgment of the mind twofold and intelligible as when without any discourse and reasoning it iudgeth that this is good that is euil this is to be followed and that to be auoyded This iudgment of the mind is of the end or of some meanes seruing to the end which is but only one Next the iudgement of the mind is when as by discourse and arguing it iudgeth any thing to be good or euill to bee auoyded or to be followed This iudgment is where diuers meanes fall out of which after discourse had in the mind one is chosen and the other is reiected Now the obiect which by the mind and vnderstanding is in some sort shewed and discerned the will doth freely will or nill choose or refuse howbeit since the fal of man such is the confusion of these faculties or powers of the mind of man that what the vnderstanding iudgeth to be euill and disalloweth the very same doth the wil chuse and prosecute The disorder and confusion which is by nature in the soule of man and on the contrary that which the mind approueth for good and alloweth that very same the wil reiecteth Of the mind it may be demaunded whether it can discerne betweene good and euil approue the one improue the other This question must be answered by the consideration of that fourefold state of man But because the question chiefly is of the vnderstanding of man in the state of corruptiō whether that can approue or accept the good and reiect the euill our answer shal be accordingly We say therefore that if you vnderstand that neere power which is a consequent of that corrupt essential forme the mind of man in this state can but only allow that which is euil It may also allow that which is good in it selfe but not as it is truly good because it cannot allow it neither in the manner nor to the end it ought as is aforesaide of will But to approue that good which we call humane good the mind of man in the state of corruption is more inclinable but far is from intertaining any spirituall good at all for as the Apostle Saint Paul saith 1. Cori. 1. 2. 4. It iudgeth euery spirituall grace to be folly for the things which are of the Spirit of God are foolishnesse vnto him And thus farre haue we spoken concerning the freedome of mans wil or of free-will It followeth now that we speak next of the grace of God which is contrary to free will or to nature and which is not onely the principall efficient cause of Faith Hope repentance but also the sole efficient cause of them It followeth then that we treate next of the free grace of God CHAP. XXXVIII Concerning the free grace of God THe grace of God is the vndeserued fauour of God or it is that
Christ which notwithstāding hold I know not what freedom of will that our meritorious works do cōcurre in our votion iustification glorification with the grace of God For as touching our calling although they confesse this to be true that preuenting grace as they speak doth so preuent or preoccupy vs euen then when we thinke nothing of the grace of God or of preparing our selues to receiue grace but being as it were a sleep in sin yet they do ascribe to free-wil that affiance which we giue vnto faith wherby we assent vnto preuenting grace admit y e same as though we had any actual free-wil or self power as they speak to receiue the grace of God We do grant some power or freedome of wil wherby it inclines after a sort vnto that which is is good I vnderstand a power of the matter but wee do vtterly deny that men by nature haue any actual free-will or that we haue a selfe power to do that which is good as it is good That selfe or neere power of will or liberty of will to good I define to be that liberty in the will which is by the essentiall forme of Potentia propinqua holinesse or by the image of God which is imprinted in the will as may appeare in the Chap. of free-will before handled Therefore wee hold and teach that in receiuing the first grace our will stands before God meere passiuely and not actiuely that is when the free grace of God preuenteth it we say it hath a power vnto good but the same to be of the matter only as schoolemen speak passiue which they call a remote power Againe we auouch that the same power is made actual by meanes of diuine grace preuenting vs y t is by the working of the holy spirit who taketh possession as it were of vs by the preaching of the Gospell whereby the holy Ghost doth renue our hearts inspiring that life of God into vs frō which we were before altogether strangers as it is writtē Eph. 4. 17. 18. 19. creating in vs againe that image of God which was lost that image I say of holinesse true righteousnesse As touching our iustification where our aduersaries do affirme that it is two fold terming y e 1. habituall the 2. Popish iustification actuall they say that we are prepared by our free-will to the 1. iustification as by a principal agent by the grace working together with the same But as for the 2. iustification that they place in works proceeding from free wil from our first iustificatiō which they cal infused grace And here they ascribe life euerlasting to the merit of this 2. iustification which dooth consist in the workes of our free-will and of infused grace as they call it Hence we may see that they do not attribute to the only grace of God any of the former benefits neither iustificatiō nor vocatiō nor glorificatiō nor any of those spiritual graces which God in time giues to his children But they do part them betweene Gods grace free-will and mans merit Finally if any comparison be made between God vs concerning the conferring of these benefits we shall Note find them to ascribe more to vs and our free-will our works then to the grace of God But we haue written somewhat of this before in the chapters of our effectuall calling of repentance of free-wil Therefore I refer the reader to these places and here I end this matter Thus far then haue we spoken of this common place of our effectuall calling which because it comprehendeth vnder it many other points of diuinity it may be wel reckoned amongst the most generall heads of Theologie OF THE MEANES WHEREby God from the beginning hath reuealed both his couenants vnto Mankind Question HOW many waies are there whereby God from the beginning hath reuealed all his will that is Kinds or forms of reuelation the doctrine of both couenants of works grace vnto mankind A. They are two Q. Which be they A. The first is a liuely voice the second is the Scripture Q. What callest thou a liuely voice A. The first meanes of reuelation whereby God partly by his owne mouth and partly by men hath manifested VVhat is meant by a liuely voice the whole doctrine of both couenants to his church from time to time Q. What were the instruments of that liuely voice from the beginning A. First God himselfe spake sometimes by his Sonne in VVhose it was the forme or likenes of man appearing to the Fathers sometimes by his spirit inwardly in the heart Secondly the liuely voice of Angels was heard Thirdly the liuely voice of men first of the Fathers then of Moses and the Prophets after that of Iohn the Baptist vntil Christ Then lowed Christ himselfe manifested in the flesh Last of all the liuely voice of the Apostles of Christ Q. This kind of reuelation which was by a liuely voice of al The quality of it these whom you haue named was it by inspiration and altogether free from error A. Concerning the liuely voice of God himselfe of Christ and of the Angels there is no question and as concerning men whose liuely voice God hath vsed from the beginning of the world hitherto in reuealing his wil to his Church they truly albeit they were sinfull men and in part onely regenerate notwithstanding in the deliuery of the doctrine of the truth of both couenants they were so extraordinarily gouerned and inspired with the Holy Spirit of God that they could by no meanes erre Q. Doest thou meane then that all men as manie as haue beene from the beginning of the world hitherto by whose mouth God hath-spoken to his Church were men extraordinary endued with extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost confirmed by miracles A. I meane euen so for prophecy in times past came not by the will of man but holy men spake as they were moued by the spirit of God 2. Pet. 1. 2. Q. At what time began this liuely voice in the Church VVhen it began A. It began euen in the first creation of man Q. How long hath the liuely voice of God and men who could not erre in deliuering the doctrine of the truth continued Continuance of it in the Church of God A. It hath been from the beginning of the world euen to the death of the Apostles all which time there was almost no age wherein at least some one holy man of God was not extraordinarily stirred vp who could not erre in deliuering the doctrine of the truth Q. Why doe you say almost was there anie intermission at all A. Truly there was but I will name onely some more notable intermissions which may be gathered out of the holy scriptures First in the age of the Patriarches it is obserued that there was an intermission in Terachs time who was the Father of Abraham for albeit he retained some grounds of