it I believe in this Article namely that I am of the number of those that have their sins forgiven them 1 Ioh. 5.13 Rom. 10.9 Q. What signes be there that your sins be forgiven you How will you know it A. By three signes 1. Where sin is forgiven it is subdued and purged out The issue of our corruption is stanched and dried up when once we have touched Christ by faith have his bloud sprinkled on our consciences Mar. 5.29 Act. 3.26 Rom. 6.11 14. Peace without Grace is not of Gods sending it is a false peace but if we be healed and clensed of sinne we are forgiven though we feare the contrary Col. 2.13 Q. What other signe and effects followes upon our beliefe that our sins be forgiven A. The perswasion that God hath forgiven me begets in my heart a strong love and high prizing of Jesus Christ Luk. 7.42 47. Zach. 12.10 2 Cor. 5.14 Q. What thirdly is a signe that your sin is forgiven you A. It makes me ready to a forgive others and to b pity them that goe on in their sinnes impenitently as I my selfe have done heretofore a Eph. 4.31 32. Mat. 18.32 33. b Luk. 22.32 CAP. XXV Of resurrection of the flesh and everlasting life Q. SHall they that be dead live againe A. Yes at the last day every one shall come againe with his own body Act. 24.15 Iude. v. 14. Iob 19.24 25 27. Dan. 12.2 Mat. 22.32 Joh. 11.24 1 Cor. 15.12 Q. Shall the very same body live again and be raised A. Yes the same bodies made free from all defects and weaknesses unto which we are now subjected 1 Cor. 15.43 53. Phil. 3.2 1. Joh. 5.28 29. Rev. 20.12 Q. How doch the beliefe of the resurrection work upon you A. It makes me keep a conscience void of offence before God and men continuing in well-doing with courage and patience I will not be corrupted with worldly honours or pleasures Act. 24.16 1 Cor. 15.33 34 58. 2 Cor. 9.10 Heb. 11.35 And the life everlasting Q. When a man dies his body goes to the grave Doth the soule die with the body like the beasts A. No the soule is an immortall substance and separated from the body at death Eccles 12.7 1 King 17.21 Luk. 23 43 46. Mat. 22.32 2 Cor. 5.6 8. Luk. 12.5 Q. Whither then goe the souls of them that depart hence A. To Heaven or to Hell to everlasting life or to everlasting death immediately after their dissolution Luk. 16.22 23. Heb. 9.27 Col. 1.20 Rev. 14.13 Rev. 6.9 Phil. 1.23 2 Cor. 5.8 Q. Then there is no Purgatory or third place where as in a prison by enduring exquisite torments the soules that were not fully purged in this life doe make satisfaction for veniall sins and lighter faults or for their temporall punishment due to their mortall sinnes which they have committed from which Purgatory they say they are delivered by the prayers of the living and the Popes indulgencies or at least at the day of judgement if they chance to lye there so long A. No for as there be but two sorts of men godly or wicked sheep or goats regenerate or unregenerate so there be but two places provided for them where they remaine in an unchangeable estate of blisse or woe All a wicked men of what profession soever being punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of God and b all the faithfull are present with the Lord their soules being fully purged from all spot of sin and the fault c quite remitted through the bloud of Christ a 2 Thes 1.9 Mat. 25.41 46 Rom. 2.9 b 2 Cor. 5.6 8. Rev. 14.13 c 1 Joh. 1.7 Eph. 5.27 Q. What is meant by life everlasting A. It is the glorious state of the Elect after this life wherein they do immediately enjoy God Christ for ever in a most holy happy unutterable and unchangeable communion 1 Joh. 3.2 Rev 22.4 Rev. 21.3 4. 1 Thes 4.17 Psal 16.11 1 Cor. 2.9 Q. For whom is eternall life prepared To whom is it given A. To them that walke with God a finishing their course in feare holinesse and b endeavouring to glorify God here on earth a Mat. 5.8 Heb. 12 14. Joh. 10.27 28. Rev. 21.27 Rev. 22.14 b Ioh. 17.4 2 Tim. 4.8 Mat. 25.21 Q What doe you believe in this Article A. I believe that at the last day my soule and body shall be joyned together againe and that in both I shall enjoy the presence of God for evermore Tit. 1.2 1 Thes 4.17 1 Ioh. 2.25 Q. Why doe you think that you shall enjoy this blessed life A. Because the life of grace is already begunne in me which shall end in glory 1 Joh 3.3 Mat. 19.28 29. Rom. 6.22 Phil. 1.6 1 Pet. 1.23 Q. May a Christian be assured of everlasting life before he depart this present life A. Yes he may and that upon sure and infallible grounds out of Gods Word wherein we clearly see Gods promises purposes towards them that be effectually called Faith is a sure knowledge of a thing upon the authority of divine revelation which cannot deceive nor be deceived Joh. 3.36 1 Joh 5.11.12 1 Joh. 4.10 14 19 24. Eph. 1.14 2 Cor. 1.22 1 Thes 1.4 5. 2 Pet. 1.10 2 Cor. 13.5 The office and work of faith is twofold to 1. Justify the person 2. Purify the heart CAP. XXVI Of the fruit and office of faith viz. to justify and of the meanes how faith is wrought Q. WHat Benefits redound to thee of this beliefe A. Two 1. By Faith I am righteous before God and heire of eternall life not because my faith of it selfe can make me righteous but because the righteousnesse of Christ is my righteousness before God and I cannot apply it to my selfe by any other way then by faith God offereth us life and righteousnesse in Christ and faith is the hand by which we recieve that gift Rom. 4.5 6. Joh. 6.35 1 Joh. 5.11 12 13. Rom. 3.24 25. Q. Say the same in other tearmes A. When I say we are justified by faith I meane the object of faith Christ Jesus The onely way and meane to embrace Christ and to rest on the promises of the Gospell is by faith Phil. 3.9 The only righteousnesse by which a sinner stands just before God is the righteousnesse of Christ and the onely meanes to partake of that righteousnesse is by Faith Rom. 9.32 Q. It seemes then that faith is a most excellent gift of God which bringeth us into the possession of Gods rich mercies and tender love revealed in the Gospell A. It is so and therefore above all things we must labour for the grace of faith John 6.29 Joh. 3.18 Act. 16.31 Heb. 4.2 11. Heb. 3.12 14 19. Q. Can we attaine it of our selves by our own strength A. No a it is the gift of God our hearts are b slow to believe being naturally inclined to distrust God and to trust in the creatures and therefore c God by
accidentall outward change of the Actions as of the Sow that is washed Pet. 2.22 But it is a change of the very frame and disposition of the heart the very nature is changed he is made a new Creatures Ezek. 36.25 26. A new heart will I give you c. A Swine that is washed is a swine still and his nature is to wallow in the mire But a sanctified person of a swine is made a sheep and he hates to wallow in the mire Q. Wherein Secondly doth sanctification excell morall honesty A. In the root or seed of graces The graces of sanctification have a root within us even the spirit of life which is in Jesus Christ Rom. 8.2 1 Pet. 1.23 24. 1 Ioh. 3.9 His seed remaineth in him and our graces are the fruits that spring up of that seed and root Ioh. 15.16 But the seeming graces of unregenerate and meerly civilized people they have no such root but they are like the Corne upon the House top which makes a faire shew yet it hath neither root by seed nor fruit in the eare Psa 129.6 7. Luk. 8.13 Q. Wherein thirdly does Sanctification excell morall Honesty A. The true convert does receive the word in power and in the Holy Ghost he gives the word a divine power and authority over his conscience and over his actings He receives the word with an honest heart even with patience though it crosse and cast downe his contentments and particular interests you will not dare to resist any Truth that you heare if you have true grace in you 1 Thes 1.5 Luk. 8.15 Ps 119.161 Q. Wherein fourtly doth Sanctification goe beyond morall Honesty A. In the motives to obedience The sanctified person whatsoever he does he doth it out of duty pressing the conscience out of love inclining the Affection This is the true ground and motive of sound obedience to doe a duty out of a pure Conscience of Love and faith unfained this is acceptable in Gods sigh 1 Tim. 1.5 Eph. 6.7 1 Ioh. 5.2 whereas the Hypocrite hath ever an eye to himselfe Self-ends and selfe respects doe usually keep up the course of his duties Vse Hereof it followes that they are not truly sanctified which cannot give the word a divine preheminence in their souls to reforme their hearts and lives Ezek. 33.30 32. Neither are they Truly converted that can Hate one sin and allow another Es 58.3 Rom. 2.22 Not they which outwardly are washed but are not inwardly changed renewed Nor lastly they which have some outward shews of goodnes without a seed of Grace in their hearts seeing all the good they doe and all the evill they forbeare does proceed from restraining Grace and outward respects moving and setting them on worke all this does not amount to saving Grace Observe this for a Truth such Christians as have no better Principles of acting and performances then morall Education can furnish them with Also such as content themselves with a Negative goodnesse as to say I am no Papist nor Thiefe nor Whoremonger c. Also they that can stay in such duties of the first and second Table as may preserve the credit and esteem of Moderate well bred civill honest men in the places where they live yet are not equally careful and conscionable of the duties of Piety and Religion but remaine all this while unacquainted with the grounds of Faith and pure worship of God and so the good things they doe they doe them without knowledge and conscience of or respect unto their injunction in the word of God All such persons are as yet but strangers to the life of Grace they have not as yet exceeded what a Pharisee or a Heathen may doe Of Restraining and Renewing Grace Q. Shew farther for conclusion some differences betweene Restraining Grace and Renewing Grace 15. Mar. for all Gods children are renewed in the spirit of their minds The triall Eph. 4.23 A. 1. Restraining grace if it be only restraining hath painfulnesse in it and an inward discontent as the Bridle that keeps them in Gods word is as Cords Bonds to them Ps 2.3 Mark 6.20 Herod feared Iohn c. But now the heart truly renewed desireth to be restrained Iob. 34.32 That which I see not Teach thou me Ps 19.13 Ps 119.32 Q. How Secondly may restraining Grace be known from Renewing Grace A. Men Meerly restrained will stretch their liberty as farre as they can and when Meanes of restraint be removed they will grow loose and licentious as Joash did when Jehoiada was dead 2 King 12.2 with the 2 Cron 24.17 18. But the heart that 's renewed and truely sanctified will not doe all that he may he will rather doe lesse he will deny himselfe some things which he might doe especially if it be not expedient for time place 1 Cor 10.23 1 Cor 6.12 Q. What 's a third difference between restraining and renewing grace A. Men meerly restrained doe abstaine from evill for feare of Wrath or feare of Laws and shame in the world or perhaps one sin keeps in another as the ambitious person will avoid Drunkennesse because men of a debaucht life are not fit for high places So the presence of a Godly grave man does stop the mouth of a vain swearer c. But the heart that is renewed eschews evill because it is displeasing unto God He will oppose and resist sin out of an inward Principle of Grace and hatred of sin the spirit of God in them lusteth against the flesh c. Gal. 5.17 Generall Rules of Holy life and Conversation 1. EVery Christian may and ought to be assured of his own Salvation 2 Pet. 1.5 7. 2 Cor. 13.5 2. No man can be assured thereof but by the word of God working spirituall and supernaturall effects and changes in the understanding in the Heart and affections By the which change our effectuall vocation future salvation is witnessed and sealed to our consciences Gal. 6.7 8 15. 1 Joh. 1.6 7. 3. It is not enough for a Christian to be Baptized to be bred up in the true Religion to come to Church to cry Lord Lord and to live civilly unlesse thou have a sound Faith which worketh by love unlesse thou be a New Creature Outward Profession will not serve the turne nor stead thee to salvation unlesse thou finde inwardly those effects which the word Sacraments expresse outwardly Rom. 2.25 28. Gal. 5.6 Jer. 9.26 4 Repentance doth not stand only in an outward forbearance of sin but there must be also an inward loathing hatred of sin together with a striving against the corruptions of our hearts there must be a new frame of heart and soul making us to doe all things 1. By new Principles of obedience viz. Faith and Love 2. By new Rules viz. the word of God 3d for new Ends namely how God may be honoured and our own finall and externall peace procured 5. A Christian must look to find in himselfe some
renouncing of our own righteousnesse and worthinesse as also our own desires reasons wits wills and dearest contentments for Christs and the Gospells sake that so we may preserve faith a good conscience according to the rule of the words whatsoever crosse shall happen to us in so doing Spirituall Combat is the strugling between the flesh and the Spirit between Grace Corruption in the same faculties of the soul of a regenerate person our new nature inclining us to good and to please God our corruption inclining to carnall contentments By the World unto which we must be crucified we mean the sinfull courses opinions waies and fashions of the world Lust in any evill motion and inordinate desire of the soule after any thing as after riches honour revenge food preferment therefore covetousnesse is Lust and so is pride anger and other motions of the flesh Concupiscence signifies the habituall indisposition of the heart to that whâ—ch is good and its pronenesse to that which is evill as also every evill motion of the heart that swerves from the Law of God All this is called evill Concupiscence By Principles Principled we mean the rules and grounds wherewith men are seasoned guided in their course as carnall Principles are carnall grounds rules spirituall Principles are spirituall considerations moving and guiding in a businesse Heretick is one that departs from the true Faith obstinatly cleaves to error in Doctrine Shismatick is one that unnecessarily makes or causeth others to make a seperation from any true and found Church to the disturbance of the outward established peace thereof By Wil-worship we meane any thing that is brought into Religion and made matter of conscience by mans device or authority without warrant from the word of God By Superstition we meane the ascribing of Holynesse or any spirituall and supernaturall vertue to any creature gesture place day words or actions which is not given to the said creature by Creation or divine institution When we commend Good workes we meane not onely the works of charity and outward pomp but the whole course of obedience in our thoughts words and actions as the word of God requires of us By Christian Liberty we meane not a liberty to sinne as if we might sin more frely and safely because of Christs death but we meane that liberty which Christ hath obtained to us against the bondage of the Law condemning all that doe not fulfill it And also our freedome from the ceremonies of Moses Law and from all human ordinances so that they doe not bind in conscience Perseverance signifies a constancy and cotinuance in faith and obedience to our end Apectacy is a totall and finall departure from the faith once professed Back-sliding is a falling again into our old sinnes for a time out of which we recover through Gods grace being renewed againe by repentance By Spirituall Desertions we meane that trouble of minde which ariseth from losse of assurance and feeling of Gods favour occasioned usually by our backsliding in to some sinne or great carelessenesse and unevennesse in our walking with God By Temptations we meane sometimes allurements to sinne and somtimes the exercise of our faith wherein Sathan laboureth to question our Son-ship and interest in Christ This kind of Temptation is usually called distresse of minde Dispaire is finally to doubt of Gods favour and mercy refusing to rest on it Presumption is a conceit that we are in good case when we have no solid grounds to thinke so it is also a venturing to practise this or that without warrant of Gods word Assurance is the well grounded peace of conscience awakened and enlightned and quieted upon good grounds that his sins be forgiven in Christ Jesus When we pray that God would Sanctifie any of his dealings to us as crosses afflictions preferments deliverances or any other outward mercy we pray that God would give grace with outward mercies holy wisdome and gracious hearts to make right use of them that in all things we may be brought nearer to God in the exercise of faith humility thankfulnesse and better obedience for time to come Laus Deo TO THE READER THe foregoing TREATISE Christian Reader intituled Principles of Faith and good Conscience is so called because it doth containe not only points of Faith and positive Truths touching the chiefe Heads of Religion but also the most materiall points of Practicall Divinity properly so called that is to shew the work of Grace in the Conversion of a sinner and in the hearts of them that be converted and how a Christian may judge of his spirituall estate to God-ward * As in cap 4. 5. 8. 13. 14. 18. c. I have had some thoughts of publishing a just Treatise touching the state of Nature and of Grace the Translation of a sinner from the state of Nature to the state of Grace from death to life together with the Causes Order and effects thererf And this may be done if God be pleased to give me Life Liberty and Peace to the Church In the mean time Accept and make use of this short Discourse intended for the good of the Ignorant and the comfort of weake Christians The markes of Gods Children Blessed are the Pure in heart Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no Guile so saith the spirit Psal 32.2 and Mat. 5.8 Markes of Gods children drawn out of Gods word Of saving knowledge Q. WHat is the first Marke of a Child of God A. Saving knowledge is a marke whereby Gods Children may be known from all others Iohn 17.3 1. Mark This is life eternall to know thee the only true God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ Q. What be the properties of saving knowledge A. They be foure The triall of it 1. Saving knowledge makes us to see our own Ignorances and strayings Prov. 9.10 12. Eph. 5.8 13. Rom. 7.9 Psal 119.130 Pro. 20.27 Q. What is the second property of saving knowledge A. It makes a man ashamed to doe evill and vile in his own eyes Eph. 5.8 12. 1 Thes 5.5 6 7 8 9. Rom. 6.21 Ier. 31.19 Q. What 's the third property of saving knowlege A. It is a guiding light especially in those things that belong to our own Peace and duty Psal 119.105 Rom. 2.20 21. Mat. 7.5 Q. What 's the fourth signe of saving knowledge A. It is not an idle but a working knowledge making a man to abstaine from evill and exercise himselfe in that which is good 2 Pet. 2.20 Jer. 22.16 Ps 119.104 Job 28.28 Hos 8.1 2. Vse Then it seemes that they which know much and yet are not bettered by their knowledge in Holinesse Christian life Also they that by their knowledge can guide others and yet doe not take to heart the thing that belong to their own peace duty their knowledge is but vaine Rom. 2.20 21. Rom. 1.18 2 Tim. 3.5 Lastly all such persons as be in darknesse and perceive it