everlasting life Thou in thy gifts art manifold whereby Christs Church doth stand In faithfull hearts writing the law the finger of Gods hand Thine holy Ghost into us poure Lords pray by D. Coxe with all his gifts most plenteously Whatsoever is good proceedeth from God as from the principall fountain Rogat Ser. Part. 1. and the only authour All good things come down to us from above from the Father of light The Title of the Sermon is That all good things cometh from God In Christ God the Father doth blesse us with all spirituall and heavenly gifts Part. 3. God is the giver of all good things Now. Cat. quest 249. The particular effects of grace are seene either in mortifying of vice or exercising of vertue in the heart I will begin with those places that speake of mortifying of vice Almightie God mortifie and kill all vices in us Coll. Innoc. day Cat. in the Common Prayer book quest 15.18 Complaint of a sinner A Sacrament is an externall and visible sign of an internall and spirituall grace given unto us This grace in Baptisme is a dying unto sinne and living unto righteousnesse Now let those drops most sweet So moist my heart most dry That I with finne replete May live and sinne may dye That being mortifide This sinne of mine in mee I may be sanctifide By grace of thine in thee So that I never fall Into such mortall sinne That my foes infernall Rejoyce my death therein But vouchsafe me to keep From those infernall foes And from that lake so deep Whereas no mercy growes Make us to follow the doctrin of Iohn the Baptist Coll. on S. Iohn Bapt. day Prayer 1. added to Set. Fast 1625. Prayer 4. Thanksg for ceasing plague 1604. that we may truly repent according to his preaching Give us thy heavenly grace that we may truly and earnestly repent As thou gavest the Ninivites repentance through thy grace so now visit the hearts of thy people in this land with thine heavenly grace and holy Spirit that they may speedily and soundly return unto thee from all their wicked wayes in true repentance and a living faith in Jesus Christ See the like in the Evening prayers set forth in the rainy weather 1613. Homily of falling from God Part. 2. Homily against wilfull rebellion Part. 1. Collect. 1. in Thanksgiving Novemb. 5. and the next prayer there Grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit Collect. on Circumcis of Christ that our hearts and all our members being mortified from all worldly and carnall lusts may in all things obey thy blessed will Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickednesse Coll. on Easter tuesday that we may alwayes serve thee in purenesse of living and truth Grant that we forsaking all worldly and carnall affections Coll. on S. Iames day may be evermore ready to follow thy commandments To withstand Satans invasion Give power and strength to every age Lords Pr. by D. Cox Prayer to the holy Ghost before the Serm. Coll. before Epis Fast 1625. Thanksgiving following Coll. 1. Prayer 2. There after the Gospel Prayer against rebel in the Hom. Cain Com. Pray book quest 24. O holy Ghost visit our coast Defend us with thy shield Against all sinne and wickednesse Lord help us win the field Create and make new hearts within us O Lord. Give unto us such effectuall grace that every one of us beholding the plague of his own heart we may abhorre our corruptions and turn our selves away from our evill wayes Give us grace that we may not any more provoke thine indignation against us by our transgressions Make soft and tender the stony hearts of all those that exalt themselves against thy truth Our soules are strengthened and refreshed with the body and bloud of Christ as our bodies are with bread and wine By the strength of the holy Ghost sinfull flesh is subdued and tamed Now. Cat. quest 144. and corrupt desires are brideled and restrained We pray that God will with the moving of his holy Spirit Quest 208. so change and fashion all the wils of us all to the will of his Majestie that we may will or wish nothing that his divine will misliketh Thus much for the effects of grace in mortifying of vice now follow those that belong to the executing vertue in the soul That it may please thee to give us an heart to love and dread thee Letany and diligently to live after thy commandments By thy speciall grace preventing us Collect. on Easter day Sund. 4. after Easter thou dost put into our hearts good desires Almightie God which dost make the minds of all faithfull men to be of one will grant unto thy people that they may love the thing which thou commandest and desire that which thou dost promise Grant us thy humble servants Coll. Sund. 5. after Easter Sund. 3. after Trinity Sund. 6. after Trinity that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good Lord to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray O God poure into our hearts such love toward thee that we loving thee in all things may obtaine thy promises That thy servants may obtaine their petitions Sund. 10. after Trinity make them to aske such things as shall please thee Grant we beseech thee Sunday 13. that we may so run to thy heavenly promises that we raile not finally to attain the same That we may obtaine that which thou dost promise Sunday 14. make us to love that which thou dost command Grant thy people grace with pure heart and minde to follow thee the onely God Sund. 18. Grant we beseech thee unto thy Church to love that he beleeved Coll. on S. Barthol day Coll. on Sim and Iudes day Prayer at begin of Commandements Prayer after each command After the last commandement Prayer of the Priest in the name of the communicants Prayer 2. after receiving the communion Prayer 2. in the short ones after the communion Prayer 3. Grant us so to be joyned together in unity of Spirit by their doctrine that we may be an holy Temple acceptable to thee Cleanse our hearts that we may perfectly love thee and worthily magnify thy holy name Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keepe this law Lord write all these thy lawes in our hearts we beseech thee Grant us therefore gracious Lord so to eate the flesh of thy deare Sonne Jesus Christ and to drinke his bloud that our sinfull bodies may be made clean by his body and our soules washed through his most precious bloud We most humbly besech thee O heavenly Father so to assist us with thy grace that we may continue in that holy fellowship O Almighty Lord and everliving God vouchsafe we beseech thee to direct sanctifie and govern both our hearts and bodies in the wayes of thy lawes and in the works of thy
be left altogether to his own will and made his owne onely keeper To dreame of attaining to a perfect keeping of Gods law here on earth without a great power in mans will were to set a man quite beyond the Cape of all good hope It is not then an unnecessary labour to play the midwife and to cut this navell-string of free-will and send these Arminian impes abroad into the wide world to cry for foode Vndermining was ever held a more sure and lesse dangerous way to overthrow cities then the tempest of Canons If the foundation of Arminianisme berased by the plaine doctrine of our Church the walles of it must with Dagon fall downe before the Arke The proofes are all upon record The words are therefore set downe least the Adversary should complaine of forgery or the reader be to negligent to search them out himselfe The Lord guide us all to the knowledge of his truth dispell the mists of errors confirme his servants in love and peace on earth and bring us to glory in heaven Thine in Christ Iesus FRANCIS TAYLER Clapham The faith of the Church of England concerning Gods worke on mans will The Preface IN all disputations the first thing to be done is to set out the right state of the question Which if it be misunderstood men fight with their owne shadowes We agree often in words when we differ in the sence Our conclusion that we must drive at throughout the whole worke must be this that God works alwayes powerfully and effectually upon the will of man in the regeneration of a sinnner Nothing is difficult but the terme of effectuall working whereby we doe not understand onely in a generall sence that some effect or other follows upon Gods work nor yet that regeneration follows after Gods worke oftentimes for so it may though it be not an effect of it Neither do we intend that God so takes advantage of the time place affection and disposition of a man that he offers grace to him in such a point of time as he knowes that mans will is inclined to receive it for this were to commend Gods wisdome in regenerating of us but to deny any worke of his power in it and to make regeneration not Gods worke but the worke of mans will Our meaning plainely is that in the worke or regeneration God works so powerfully upon mans will that regeneration infallably followes as an effect of it and that this kind of working powerfully is onely found in such as are elected before and all in whom God works thus are by that powerfull work of his regenerated So that the cause of their regeneration is not any way their own will but Gods powerfull working in them by his spirit Neither doth God work thus in any other but such as prove converts for if he did work so powerfully in others they would have been regenerated also In a word there is a particular powerfull work of Gods Spirit in his elect only whereby they all and onely they are truly regenerate In others there may be illumination and some weak motions to goodnesse in their wills but alwayes in effectuall because they are left to mans will and God doth not so work in them as he doth in his elect Where God powerfully works there regeneration necessarily follows where he doth not there it cannot follow We will reduce all to fourteen heads all which confirme the former conclusion against the power of mans will and demonstrate Gods powerfull work The proofe of each is the words of the records Sometimes we shall make use of the title in some prayers given to God because we doubt not but the wisdome of the Church in her prayers would give such titles to God as were most answerable to the things in those prayers desired of God The conclusion is let the Reader well weigh the heads themselves and the arguments brought to prove them and conclude in his own soule which is the doctrin of the Church of England CHAP. I. Of our own insufficiency WE will begin with our own insufficiency to any good and shew what matter the books allow us to set it out so farre forth as arguments may be taken from thence to prove an effectuall work of God upon the will of man in the work of regeneration Where in generall I observe that the books put no difference in unregenerate men but make all their wills alike dead in sins and trespasses unable to beleeve untill they be quickened by God Which takes away the new Arminian conceit that where the Gospel is preached there is a power given to all that heare it even before regeneration to beleeve if they please by the use of which power some do beleeve others that have as much power will not use it to beleeve in Christ The books that make all alike dead in sins auke to goodnes till they be actually regenerate acknowledge no such difference This is but a trick to avoyd the odious names of naturall power in the will and Pelagianisme It is a monstrous opinion in nature that a thing should have a naturall inbred motion wrought in it before any life be wrought in it so is it in grace that their should be a power wrought in mans will whereby of it own free inclination it should be able to live spiritually or not to live as it list yea which is more absurd be able to move it self in the highest spirituall action that can be before it be actually regenerate or have in it any true spirituall life Now let the words of the book declare mans insufficiency and let every one collect from thence Gods-powerfull operation in mans conversion FAith giveth life to the soule Sermon of good works Part. 1. and they be as much dead to God that lack faith as they be to the world whose bodies lack souls Sinne is come into the world Sermon two of the Passion and so come that it cannot be avoided It cannot be chosen but we must needs fall often That which is born of the Spirit Hom. for Whitsunday Part. 3. is spirit as who should say Man of his own nature is fleshly and carnall corrupt and naught sinfull and disobedient to God without any spark of goodnesse in him without any vertuous or godly motion onely given to wicked thoughts Sermon for Rogat week Part. 1. 2 Cor. 3.5 Sermon of Repentance Part. 1. and evill deeds Paul brings in his beliefe we be not saith he sufficient of our selves as of our selves once to think any thing but all our ablenesse is of Gods goodnesse We must beware and take heed that we do in no wise think in our hearts imagine or beleeve that we are able to repent aright or to turn effectually unto the Lord by our own might and strength Ioh. 15.5 For this must be verified in all men without me ye can do nothing 2 Cor. 3.5 Again of our selves we are not able as much
evill affections God is present in his chosen all whole in Majestie together with all his power In the same place wisdome and goodnes From God as from a giver In the same place Hom. for Whitsunday come these graces and gifts kindnesse meeknesse patience Some men will say How shall I know that the Holy Ghost is within me As the tree is knowne by the fruit so is also the Holy Ghost The fruits of the Holy Ghost are love Part. 1. joy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faithfulnesse meeknesse temperance Of our selves we be crabbe-trees Hom. of mans misery Part. 2. that can bring forth no apples We be of our selves of such earth as can but bring forth weeds nettles brambles bryers cockle and darnell Our fruits be declared Gal. 5. We have neither faith charity hope patience chastity nor any thing else that good is but of God and therefore these vertues be called there the fruits of the Holy Ghost and not the fruits of man We ought first to crave things that properly belong to the salvation of the soule Hom. of prayer Part. 3. as the gift of repentance the gift of faith the gift of charity and good works patience lowlinesse hope joy love peace which things God requireth of all those that professe themselves his children This holy company of Saints in heaven confesseth constantly Rogat serm Part. 1. that all the goods and graces wherewith with they were endued in soule came of the goodnes of God onely It is meet therefore to thinke that all spirituall goodnesse cometh from God above onely We must needs agree In the same place that whatsoever good thing is in us of grace nature or fortune is of God onely as the onely author and worker Let us confesse that of our selves cometh all evill and damnation Hom. of mans misery Part. 2. Rogat serm Part. 2. and of God all goodnesse and salvation If we confesse that all grace of the soule is of God and is his gift onely it will teach us to thank God for them it will abate our pride when we perceive that nothing comes of our selves but sinne and vice it will keepe us from despising such as have fewer gifts it will make us to have recourse to God for all grace CHAP. VI. Of the receiving of grace IF by another speciall grace of God we doe receive the grace and favour that God offers us in his holy word then there is no question but God doth worke effectually where he doth regenerate Let us therefore heare what the Church teacheth us in that behalfe ALmighty God give us the grace Coll. Sund. 2. after Easter Coll. S. Andrews day that we may alwayes most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit to wit of the death of Christ Almighty God which didst give such grace unto thy holy Apostle S. Andrew that he readily obeyed the calling of thy Sonne Jesus Christ and followed him without delay grant unto us all that we being called by thy holy word may forthwith give over our selves obediently to follow thy holy commandements through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant us grace to follow thy sonne Jesus Christ Coll. S. Matthews day Prayer for Church militant Prayer 3. in Confirm To all thy people give thy heavenly grace and specially to this congregation here present that with meek heart and due reverence they may heare and receive thy holy word Let thy fatherly hand we beseech thee ever be over these children let thy holy Spirit ever be with them and so lead them in the knowledge and obedience of thy word that in the end they may obtaine the everlasting life Send thy heavenly blessing so upon these thy ministers Prayer last in ord of Priests that thy word spoken by their mouthes may have such successe that it may never be spoken in vaine Grant also that we may have grace to heare and receive the same as thy most holy word By faith given us of God we imbrace the promise of Gods mercy Serm. of Salvation Part. 3. Hom. for Whitsunday Part. 1. and of the remission of our sinnes Let us humbly beseech God so to worke in our hearts by the power of his holy Spirit that we being regenerate and newly borne againe in all goodnesse righteousnesse sobriety and truth may in the end obtaine eternall life God of his great mercy so work in all mens hearts by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost Part. 2. that the Gospell may be truely preached truely received and truely followed in all places By the worke of the Holy Ghost we receive this grace of God whereunto we are restored Now. Cat. quest 149. CHAP. VII Of the internall effect of grace THE books attribute the internall effects of grace to God also For howsoever that grace that is given us in regeneration have some power to produce spirituall thoughts yet because our spirituall life is not so compleat as our naturall life and is much hindred from good inclinations by the corruptions of our flesh remaining so that it cannot do that good it would without a fresh supply of Gods assisting grace therefore the help of God is still implored and the praise of the effect given to him Now if in a man regenerate there be need of more grace to help that act which he hath already then certainly the first work of grace whereby a dead man is made alive spiritually must needs be the only effectuall work of Gods Spirit For if he cannot thinke what he would now he hath grace at all times without further help then certainly before he had grace he could do nothing pleasing to God This head of the internall effects of grace is the largest of all the rest We will therefore divide it into two parts First we will treat of the internall effect of Gods grace in generall in the regenerate Secondly of the particular effects of it For the First The effect of grace in generall is set down in these places O God from whom all holy desires Collect. 2. Even Pray all good counsels and all just works do proceed That it may please thee to endue the Lords of the Counsell Letany and all the Nobilitie with grace That it may please thee to give to all thy people increase of grace Letany to heare meekly thy word and to receive it with pure affection and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit O God from whom all good things do proceed Coll. Sund. 5. after Easter Sund. 7. after Trin. Sunday 13. after Trin. Coll. Sund. 23. after Trin. Prayer 1. in Matrim Veni Creator O God the Authour and giver of all good things Almightie and mercifull God of whose onely gift it cometh that thy faithfull people do unto thee true and laudable service God our refuge and strength which art the authour of all godlinesse O eternall God giver of all spirituall grace the authour of
nor devill against us doe prevaile In the same hymne And grant O Lord that thou being our leader and our guide We may eschew the snares of sinne and from thee never slide Onely thy grace must be my stay Humble suit of sin least that I fall downe flat And being downe then of my selfe cannot recover that Lord keepe our King and his councell Prayer to the Holy Ghost before Serm. Hom. of faith Part. 3. Hom. of Inform of them which take offence c. Part. 1. In the same place and give them will and might To persevere in thy Gospel which can put sinne to flight It is God that must be our defence and protection against all temptation of wickednesse and sinne Noah and Lot godly men which otherwise felt inwardly Gods holy Spirit inflaming them in their hearts with the feare and love of God could not by their owne strength keepe themselves from committing horrible sinnes We must therefore acknowledge our owne infirmity and weaknesse and pray more earnestly to God incessantly for his grace to strengthen us and to defend us from all evill It is of the goodnesse of God Serm. for Rogat week Part. 3. that we faint not in our hope unto him It is verily Gods worke in us the charity wherewith we love our brethren If after our fall we repent it is by him that we repent which reacheth forth his mercifull hand to raise us up If any will we have to rise it is he that preventeth our will and disposeth us thereto Pray God to defend and maintaine you in marriage Hom. of Matrim Now. Cat. quest 206. that ye be not overcome with any temptations We pray that God would strengthen the members of his Church with his aide and power as his souldiers that they may earnestly fight against and subdue the devill the world and the lusts of the flesh We pray God not to suffer us to be overcome with any wicked temptation but that he will deliver us quest 224. and save us from all evill Direct our steps in thy word Psal for Even and so shall our feet be kept from falling and no wickednesse shall have dominion over us Deliver us from the power of wicked spirits Even prayer there and from all sinne the workes of darknesse and from all other perils bodily and ghostly CHAP. XII Of the progresse of the Regenerate THe servants of God that are regenerate though they be able to doe spirtuall actions by vertue of that grace they have received yet so unperfectly that they cannot make any great progresse in godlinesse without further helpe of Gods grace they acknowledge that they have of Gods assistance to bring into action their good cogitations so violently are they opposed by the remainders of fleshly corruption Now if the regenerate have need of Gods grace to make a progresse how much more have they need of his effectuall grace that have no power to regenerate themselves as we say or at least not so much as the regenerate have to proceed as our adversaries must say unlesse they will put no difference betwixt spirituall death and spirituall life Let us now heare the testimony of the bookes in this particular Grant that we being regenerate Collect. on Christmas day and made thy children by adoption and grace may daily be renued by thy holy Spirit Nourish us with all goodnesse Sund. 7. after Trinity Sunday 14. after Trin. Prayer 3. in Baptisme Prayer in priv Bapt. Almightie and everlasting God give unto us the encrease of faith hope and charitie Encrease this knowledge and confirme this faith in us evermore Give thy holy Spirit to this infant that he being born again and being made heire of everlasting salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ may continue thy servant and attain thy promise Daily increase in these thy servants Prayer 1. in Confirm thy manifold gifts of grace the spirit of ghostly strength and true godlinesse and fulfill them O Lord with the spirit of thy holy feare Defend O Lord Prayer 2. there this childe with thy heavenly grace that he may continue thine for ever and daily increase in thy holy Spirit more and more untill he come unto thy everlasting kingdome O Lord increase our faith in us Prayer to holy Ghost before Ser. Prayer 3. in order of Priests and love so to abound c. We humbly beseech thee by the same thy Sonne to grant unto all us which either here or else where call upon thy name that we may shew our selves thankfull to thee for these and all other thy benefits and that we may daily encrease and go forwards in the knowledge and faith of thee and thy Sonne by thy holy Spirit Almightie God accomplish in you the good work Prayer 2. in Consecr of Bishops which he hath begun that ye may be found perfect and irreprehensible at the latter day Regard not the horrour of our sinnes Prayer in fast 1625. Coll. 1. but our unfained repentance Perfect that worke which thou hast begun in us Give unto us every day more earnest and unfeignned repentance Prayer 6. added to Letany there plant in our hearts by the grace of thy holy Spirit a setled feare of thy name and full resolution to lead the rest of our life in the carefull obedience of thy holy will in our callings and faithfull hope of a better life to come Lord we beleeve but do thou encrease our faith Prayer for season weather there our devotion our repentance and all Christian vertues Thou didst most graciously accept our undeserved repentance before thee Prayer against pestil in the fast 1626. we beseech thee to give us the grace of greater humiliation and to shew as yet further mercy Neither doth the holy Ghost think it sufficient Hom. for Whitsunday Part. 1. inwardly to work the spirituall and new birth of man unlesse he do also dwell and abide in him Whether the Prince be good or evill Hom. against wilfull rebel Part. 1. Thanksgiv Nov. 5. Pr. after 1. Coll. let us pray for him for his continuance and increase in goodnesse if he be good and for his amendment if he be evill Increase in us more and more a lively faith and fruitfull love in all obedience CHAP. XIII Of the prayers of holy men SVch as are indued with true grace already yet pray to God still for grace By which grace they do not entend a power to do well if they please for this they have already yea they had it before they did actually beleeve and by vertue of this power did beleeve as our adversaries say The grace then that Gods servants pray for that they may obey God is an actuall inclination of their will already regenerate to the effecting of those good desires that are in their souls Neither must we suppose that their prayers aime only at an indefinit power of doing well but at a
certaine event of spirituall power given them by God as appeares by those frequent expressions of the end of their desires in such phrases as these That we loving that thou requirest may obtain that thou promisest That we may continue thy servants and attain thy promises That they may so please thee in this world that in the world to come they may have life everlasting And many such like Their prayers do seek more for the furtherance of the will then for the illumination of the understanding And of such a will as is made good already They must needs then aime at a greater power of the will to good and a more effectuall direction of good thoughts to good actions because they seek for a certain effect which they aske in faith and God gives in mercy If they then yet pray for effectual grace then could they not be converted at the first without it What they pray for let us now observe HOwbeit ye cannot have a minde and a will thereto of your selves Order of Priests Exhort for that power and ability is given of God alone Therfore ye see how ye ought and have need earnestly to pray for his holy Spirit Let us earnestly call for grace Hom. of Swearing Part. 2. that all vaine swearing and perjury set apart we may onely use such oathes as be lawfull and godly and that we may truely without all fraud keepe the same according to Gods will and pleasure Let us pray that Kings may ever in all things have God before their eyes Serm. of obedience that they may have zeale to Gods glory that they may rightly use their sword and authority that they may most faithfully follow the Kings in the Bible Let us pray for ourselves that we may live godly in holy and Christian conversation In the same Hom. Let us beseech God that we being warned by his holy word Hom. against perill of idolatry Part. 2. Hom. of Prayer Part. 3. forbiding all idolatry may flee from all idolatry It is needfull daily to pray for the ministers that they may effectually preach the Gospell to the people and bring forth the true fruits thereof to the example of all other The confessing that all grace of the soule is Gods gift onely Hom. for Rogat week Part. 2. will make us to have recourse to God for all grace as the wiseman did for chastity Wisd 10. saying After I knew that otherwise I could not be chast except God granted it I made hast to the Lord and earnestly besought him from the bottome of my heart to have it Now if the aide of prayer be taken away Hom. of Matrim by what meanes can marryed persons sustaine themselves in any comfort For they cannot otherwise either resist the devill or yet have their hearts staid in stable comfort in all perils and necessities but by prayer If thy wife be wicked In the same Hom. chafe not in anger but pray unto Almighty God for her By prayer we may obtaine Gods helpe In the same Hom. his grace and defence and protection to continue without discord in marriage to a better life to come Which grant us he that dyed for us all These things being considered let us earnestly pray unto the living God our heavenly Father Serm. of Repent Part. 1. that he will vouchsafe by his holy Spirit to worke a true and unfained repentance in us We pray that Gods name may be called upon with pure mind by men of all ages Now. Cat. quest 203. quest 209. c. We pray that whatsoever betides us we may receive it with contented and gladsome hearts and that we may in all things be serviceable and obedient to God and that we rebell not nor repine not against Gods will I being of my selfe most weake and unable thereunto quest 249. must continually and earnestly sue by hearty prayer to God the giver of all good things for increase of faith and grace to please God CHAP. XIIII Of Gods grants WHat God grants unto his people that he doth not permit them to doe or give leave that they doe it themselves by strength of nature or some former grace received without any further help of God for God not hinder us from doing any good but give us free leave in his word So that there needs no new grant of leave to do well or to use well the strength we have received But Gods granting is giving some new spirituall strength or grace to use well the grace we have received If such grace be yet effectually granted to good men then could they not at first be made good without Gods effectuall operation We shall be briefe in this last point because all the prayers we have cited before are but expressions of Gods peoples desires and of Gods satisfaction which he gives unto the same GRant O most mercifull Father Confession that we may hereafter live a godly righteous and sober life to the glory of thy holy name Amen Grant this day that we fall into no sin Coll. 3. Morning Pray Coll. Sund. in Advent neither run into any kinde of danger Blessed Lord God which hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning Grant us that we may in such wise heare them read marke learne and inwardly digest them that by patience and comfort of thy holy word we may imbrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ Lord we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people which call upon thee Coll. Sund. after Epiph and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to doe and also have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same through Jesus Christ our Lord. Receive our supplications and prayers Coll. on good Frid. which we offer before thee for all estates of men in thy holy congregation that every member of the same in his vocation and ministery may truely and godly serve thee through our Lord Jesus Christ Grant unto all them that be admitted into the fellowship of Christs religion Sund. 3. after Easter that they may eschew those things that be contrary to their profession and follow all such things as be agreable to the same Grant we beseech thee Almighty God Coll. on Ascens day that like as we doe beleeve thy onely begotten Sonne our Lord to have ascended into the heavens so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend and with him continually dwell Grant us by thy Spirit to have a right judgement in all things Coll. on Whitsunday and evermore to rejoyce in his holy Comfort Grant we beseech thee that we which have S. Coll. on convers of S. Paul Pauls wonderfull conversion in remembrance may follow and fulfill thy holy doctrine that he taught through Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant that we may with pure and cleane
minds be presented unto thee by Jesus Christ our Lord. Coll. on Purif of virg Mary Gen. confess before receiving the Commu Grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newnesse of life to the honour and glory of thy name through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Conclusion THus have I shewed out of the authentick records of our Church what is the judgement thereof about the power of mans will and Gods effectuall work upon the same in mans regeneration True it is many of these places speak of men already regenerate Which is so farre from weakning the argument that it makes it the stronger For if that man that in the judgement of the Church is alive in grace be so imperfect that he have often need of new and effectuall grace and help of God to go forward how much need had he then of an effectuall work of Gods grace in regenerating him who by the judgement of the same Church was dead in sinnes and trespasses before yea as dead to grace for so are the words of the Homilies as they are to the world that want souls It may be thought superfluous to collect so many testimonies divers whereof differ but in words and agree in sence This have I done because of the weight of the cause and the rather because the publique doctrin of the Church is by some said to be on the other side It may be some few testimonies might have been slighted but such varietie out of so many severall records must needs shew to every indifferent person the constant doctrin of the Church which way it runs It may also stop the mouthes of such as pretend a few seeming and misconceived places to the contrary I might have made a world of Syllogismes if I would have proceeded scholastically But I had rather lay down the naked doctrin of the Church for learned and unlearned to peruse reduced to divers heads all tending to one end and that for the ease and better understanding of the reader If it be said that I have sometimes set down the same words in severall places the answer is at hand I did it for sundry reasons One while the place was fruitfull and out of divers words did afford divers reasons belonging to severall heads Another while the place could not well be understood without coherence so that I was compelled to set down the words precedent though I had made use of them elsewhere Lastly sometimes the words were doubtfull to which head they did belong or rather seemed to me to belong to both and so have I placed them accordingly If any yet object further that the places may admit of another interpretation and may at least some of them so be understood as they may make for the adverse part I answere there are many of them plaine enough that cannot easily be misconstrued Other places must be interpreted by them that are plaine The Scripture it selfe the voyce of our Father is wrested daily to a contrary sence and no marvaile if the voyce of our Mother the Church may be so abused also Let the Reader by that reason and grace that God hath given him endeavour to understand which is the right sense of the words I have added nothing of mine owne save the state of the question at first and the relation that every argument or head hath to the question in the beginning of every Chapter Lesse I could not adde without injury to the cause More I would not least I should be tedious to the Reader or lie more open to the exceptions of such as are otherwise minded who cannot now except against my words without wounding the Church whose words I have faithfully reported Thus I commend the cause to God whose it is and to the Church of God whom it concernes beseeching God so to worke in every member of it by his effectuall grace that we may consent in judgement and agree in affection on earth till we come to perfection in heaven FINIS