their natures and substances are the visible signes and the materiall parts of the Eucharist and therefore are not transubstantiated into the very Body and Blood Aug. de Consecra dist 2 hoc est quod dico of Christ neither in truth can they be without the destruction of the Sacrament it selfe For as Saint Austin saith euery thing while it subsisteth retaineth the nature and truth of those things whereof it consisteth At the first institution of the holy Eucharist the Euangelists and the Apostle doe testifie that 1 Cor. 11. 24. our blessed Sauiour tooke bread and when he had giuen thankes brake it and gaue it to them saying Take eate this is my Body which was giuen for you Doe this in remembrance of mee It was Bread then in nature and substance that our blessed Sauiour tooke at that time and it was the very selfe-same thing that he consecrated by thankesgiuing and brake and gaue to his Disciples saying Take eate this is my Body that is this is that I ordain to be the Sacrament or sacred signe of my Body For the word comming to the Element doth not abolish it but consecrate it to an holy vse and so maketh it to be a Sacrament seeing it doth not change it in nature and substance but in vse And verily as S. Ambrose saith If there be such force in Ambros dâ— Sacra l. 4. c. 4. the words of the Lord Iesus that the things which were not at his very word begun to be how much more can it worke this that they shal be the same in substance that they were and yet be changed into another thing in vse For this Bread saith Chrysostome is counted worthy to be called the Lords Câ—rysâ—st ad Caesar Monach. Body albeit the nature of the Bread remayneth Yea as the Diuine and Humane natures in Christ being vnited together by personall vnion remaine in their proper essence and substance Gelas cont Eutâ—…h without being confounded or changed the one into the other Euen so as the ancient Fathers haue taught in the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ the visible Elements Theodor Dialog 2. mystically ioyned vnto the inuisible grace do not depart from their former nature and substance For he that honoured the signes which we see with the names of his Body and Bloud did not change the nature of the signes but did adde grace to nature And therefore the Apostle did often call it by the same name of Bread after it was consecrated to be the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11. of his Body But for that our Romanists doe so presse the bare words of our blessed Sauiour we may iustly demaund of them in what words of our Lord shall we find that he tooke Bread either to abolish the substance of it and to make the bare and naked shewes thereof to be the outward signes in the Sacrament and and to bring his body into the place of it or to turne the whole substance of it into the substance of his Body Yea where shall we find in these words This is my Body that this doth signifie either Christs Body it selfe or an Indiuiduum vagum that is an vndetermined particular or else as their owne glosle grosly affirmeth nothing at all And verily the words of Christ and explications thereof taken out of other like places of holy Scripture are nothing with them for that vnlesse they be sowly wrested and turned they will nothing at all further their turne QVEST. VI. The righteousnesse of the Law deliuered by Moses is that true righteousnesse whereby we are iustified before God and not that righteousnesse which is said to be obtayned by the obseruation of Popish Vowes The morall Law is Gods aeternall and vnchangeable righteousnesse it commandeth vs to loue the Lord with all our heart soule and strength and our neighbour as our selues which are duties most righteous and iust To the singular excellency of the which Law Moses the first pen-man thereof beareth witnesse saying What Nation is so great that hath Deut. 4. 8. Lawes and Ordinances so righteous as is all this Law that I set before you this day And to the righteousnesse that is obtayned by the perfect obseruation thereof he likewise beareth witnesse saying This shall be our righteousnesse euen before the Deut. 6. 25. Lord our God if we take heed to keepe all these Commandements which he hath commanded vs. As to the most ample reward obtained thereby not onely the Apostle beareth witnesse saying Doe this and thou shalt liue but also our Sauiour Christ Rom. 10 5. Matth. 19. 17. himselfe If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements But this blessing is not promised but to the totall and continuall obseruation thereof seeing the failing in either bringeth Deut. 2. 29. Gal. 3. 10. the contrary curse Wherefore when all the Posterity of Adam was disabled by his fall fully to keepe all these Commandements Our most blessed Sauiour came in our nature to 〈◊〉 them for vs Gal 4 4. that so he might procure vnto vs righteousnesse and life And so our blessed Sauiour himselfe testifieth saying I came not to Matth 3 31. destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them For by the Gospell the Law is not made voyde but established For if our Rom 3 31. Sauiour Christ had not throughly fulfilled for vs that righteousnesse that is required in the Law vnto the which the promise is made he had not procured for vs righteousnesse and life Wherefore intollerable is the pride and presumption of the Founders of the Religious Orders of the Church of Rome which teach that their rules lay open a way to a more perfect righteousnesse then is contayned in the Law of God and that their superstitious Votaries can thereby not onely merit for themselues euerlasting life but also doe many workes of supererogation auaileable for the saluation of other men QVEST. VII We are not iustified by those workes of righteousnesse commanded in the Law of God which are wrought by our selues but by those which were wrought for vs by our Sauiour Christ in his owne person and are imputed to vs and made ours through faith Arguments drawne from the formall cause Moses saith the Apostle describeth the righteousnesse that is of the Law that the man that doth these things shall liue therein But the righteousnesse that is of faith speaketh on this manner Say not thou in thine heart who shall ascend it to heauen for that is to fetch Christ from aboue Or who shall descend into hell for that is to bring Christ from the dead but what saith it The Rom. 10. 5. word is neare thee euen in thy mouth and in thine heart and this is the word of Faith which we preach For if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeue in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued For with the heart man
the greatnes of miracles and wondrous workes done the other is the multitude of such as beleeue Verily God would haue all men saued and come thereto by the knowledge of the truth But this knowledge of the truth is learned out of the 1 Tim. 2. 4 Ioh. 8. 32 Col. 1. â— Gospel the word of truth And therefore did the Lord cause so many strange signes and wonders to be done by the first publishers and preachers thereof that the doctrine of the same Marc. 16. 20. Hab. 2. 4. might bee embraced as diuine and heauenly whereunto the Lord himselfe did giue such testimony For the which purpose also the Lord caused so many diuine graces to shine in the liues and such admirable courage and comfort in the deathes of such as were the first Martyrs and Confessors in the Primitiue Church that that doctrine might be receiued as diuine heauenly which wrought such diuine and heauenly effects The which were so euident and apparent that the very enemy was forced to giue testimony thereto with these or the like words These be they which speake as they liue and liue as they speake this is assuredly an holy profession which bringeth forth such aâ— holy conversation this is a ioyfull comfortable faith which breedeth such ioy aâ—d comfort amidst the very terrours of death O vndâ—ubtedly great is the God of the Christians Their light did so shine before men that they seeing their Mat. 5. 16. good workes did glorifie God the Author thereof So likewise why doth the Lord sometimes cause the sweet dewes of his temporall blessings to distill downe vpon his beloued Vineyard and sometimes againe smite it with the sharpe stormes of his cotrections but that thereby he might prepare it to yeeld a fruitfull and a plentifull Vintage And why doth he suffer the Field of his Church sometimes to lye ley and vnbrâ—ken vp and to be at rest and againe at another time doth breake it vp and fallow it but that he might make it sitter to receiue and nourish the Lord's seed and in the end yeeld a better haruest Yea as a wise and prudent Schoolemaster dealeth with his young and tender Scholler sometimes speaking him faire and giuing him an apple or a fig that so he may winne him vnto his will and sometimes not only threatneth him but vseth also the rod that so he may force and compell him thereunto so dealâ—th Christ our heauenly Master and Teacher with vs his dull disciples and Schollers sometimes seeking to allure vs with a liberall largesse of his temporall blessings carefully to hearken to the holy instructions of his Word and sometimes seeking to compell vs thereto by his sharpe corrections the which yet Psal 106. 45 Luc. 14. 23 are neither our Schoole nor our Schoolemaster but the rod rather in our Schoolemasters hand The Church is our Schoole-house and Christ himselfe is our Schoolmaster and the Bible is the Booke whereby we be taught corrections are the rod in Christs hands whereby we are forced to giue an attentiue eare to the instructions of his word by the which we are made wise and learned Christians Prosperity ordinarily breedeth security and choaketh the Mat. 13. 22. Exod. 6 9. Eccle. 7. 9 Iob. 3. 3. â—…r 15. 10. good seed and maketh it vnfruitfull So aduersity maketh many to murmure against God and to stop their eares against all good admonitions yea it maketh a wise man mad as it may appeare by holy Iob and Ieremie who were thereby occasioned euen to cuâ—se the day of their nativity And therefore it is a speciall blessing of God when by prosperity we are stirred vp to thankfulnes and by aduersity to repentance and to take better heed to the wholesome instructions of God's most holy word Blessed is the man said Dauid whom thou chastnest O Lord and teachest in thy Law that thou maist giue him patience in Psal 94. 12. time of adversity vntill the pit be digged for the vngodly And verily when in our aduersity the Lord doth teach vs out of his Word the vse and end of afflictions and maketh vs seriously to lay it to our hearts then is our adversity made profitable vnto vs by the blessing of God I heard Ephraim saith the Prophet lamenting thus Thou hast corrected me and I was chastised as an vntamed Calfe convert thou me and I shal be converted for thou art the Lord my God Surely after I converted I repented and after I was instructed I smote vpon Ier. 31. 18. my thigh In which words we may perceiue that corrections of themselues cause the professed seruants of God to kicke with the heele and that vntill God by his word instruct them they are not effectually moued by their corrections vnto repentance and amendment of life Wherefore when the Lord openeth the eares of any of his Seruants by their corrections it is by sending vnto them a Messenger one of a thousand to declare vnto them the Lord 's most exact righteousnes and seuerity euen against the sinne of his Elect which cannot be satisfied for the same but by the precious Bloud of their Sauior Christ that thereby they might be brought to Faith and Repentance For then will the Lord haue mercy vpon them and say Deliuer them that they goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation Iob 33. 24. So then it is still the power of the Gospell of Christ sounding in the mouthes of his faithfull Ministers that is able to worke the conversion of a sinner afflictions may cause vs more carefully to giue attendance to the Word as in like manner may paiâ—es penalties inflicted by the Magistrates which are the Lord's Lieutenants ordained to this purpose that they should by their penall statutes euen force their subiects to harken diligently to the commandements of God Not that any can be forced to faith and repentance by any manner of penalty or paine whatsoeuer but by inforcements they may be driuen to come to the Assemblies of the Saints where the Fishers of men cast out the net of the Gospell that at one time or other they may be brought within the compasse thereof and so may be taken vp into Noah's Arke So then still it is the net of the Gospell and the hooke of the Word whereby men are taken and brought vnto God afflictions sent of God and penalties inflicted by the Magistrates are but the baites to make some bite at this hooke and poles to make them come within the compasse of this net Nay this worke of a mans vnfained conuersion to God cannot be wrought by the terrours of the Law of God For the Gal. 3. â— 2. Cor. 3. 6. spirit whereby we are begotten againe and made the children of God is not receiued by the preaching of the Law but by the hearing of faith The Law is the letter that condemneth and killeth causing a sinner to flâ—e from God as from an angry and offended Iudge
our renowned Church to be confirmed by cleare and demonstratiue arguments iustificable by all the rules of sound reason and the sophismes opposed against them reduced to the elenches as in part they haue bin already by that famous late publike Professor in Cambridge Doctor Whitaker And if worthy ensamples of famous men of their own ranke be not to be neglected herein haue they not to be their Precedents the singular Patrons of the Christian Faith that liued in the Primitiue Church that penned their learned Apologies and deliuered them vp into the hands euen of the Heathenish persecuting Emperours And albeit that reprobate Iulian did say of these Apologies I haue read them vnderstood them and despised them yet the learned Bishops were not dismaâ—de therewith but gaue him this answere thou hast read theÌ„ Zozom l. 5. c. 18. perhaps but thou hast not vnderstood them for if thou hast vnderstood them thou wouldst not haue despised them And verily whereas the vpholders of the Kingdome of Antichrist come with strong delusion and with all deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnesse why should not all such as are set in the defence of the Gospell of Christ striue earnestly as the Apostle St Iude exhorteth for the maintenance Iude 4. of the Faith which was once giuen to the Saints yea why should they not striue for truth euen vnto death and defend Iustice for liâ—e seeing if they doe so they shall Eccl 4. 28. haue God to fight for them against their enemies Meroz hath a double curse for omitting this duty and Iael hath a double blessing for performing the same pronounced by an Angell of God from Heauen Curse yee Meroz Iud. â— 22. said the Angell of the Lord curse the inhabitants thereof because they came not out to helpe the Lord to helpe the Lord against the mighty Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite shal be blessed aboue other women dwelling in tents for she put her hand to the naile her right hand to the workemans hammer with the hammer smote she Sisera yea she smote off his head after that she had wouÌ„ded and pierced his temples So let the words of the wise which are like goads and Eccl. 12. 11. like nailes â—astned by the masters of the assemblies which are giuen by one Pastour bee as it were driuen into the heads of all spirituall Siseraes that all Heresie and Idolatry may be pierced and wounded and in the end vtterly destroyed And so now also let all thine enemies perish O Lord and let all that loue thee and thy Truth be as the 〈◊〉 he riseth in his might And let all true Christian hearted Englishmen continually pray that the Sunne of righteousnesse would neuer goe down vnder the Horizon of this our Church of great Brittaine but that he would alwayes shine ouer it by the bright beames of his glorious Gospell and blesse it with the heauenly influence of his holy Spirit holding still the starres thereof in his right hand and preseruing the Candle of his Word in the Candlesticke thereof vnto the world's end Thine in the Lord IOHN TERRY THE QVAESTIONS THAT are handled in the first part of this Treatise 1 The Gospell is the onely proper and immediate cause of true saith and loue and of all other spirituall graces and not miracles nor temporall blessings or corrections nor the holy liues and comfortable deaths of the dearest seruants of God nor the authority of the Magistrate nor the wisdome of the Law of God therefore much lesse the reason of the naturall man 2 The Word and Sacraments doe not profit vnlesse the sense and vse of either be rightly conceiued and vnderstood 3 The meanes whereby wee are to come to the right vnderstanding of the word of God is the light of true reason For the opening of the truth whereof these positions following are explained 1 All quaestions humane and diuine are to be determined by the rules of right reason 2 The testimony of no author humane or diuine is further to bee approued then as it agreeth with the grounds of true reason 3 The holy Scriptures doe teach and demonstrate the greatest mysteries of godlinesse by arguments and reasons 4 The Law and the Gospell are founded vpon most forcible reasons yea the permission of the fall of Adam by transgressing the Law of God being the occasion of mans recouery which is openened in the Gospell is grounded vpon most forcible reasons 5 The Professors of euery Religion alleage reasons for the iustifying of their seuerall devotions 6 The soundnes and substance and as it were the very quintessence of all diuine reason is most plentifully to be found in the canonicall Scriptures 7 No truth iâ— Philosophy is contrary to any truth in Diuinity 8 Testimonies may be taken out of Philosoyhy to giue witnesse vnto truths in Diuinity and reasons may be produced out of the booke of Nature to open and cleare the doctrines of the booke of Grace 9 Where there is no reason apprehended that may perswade to Faith there ordinarily is no Faith 10 Where there is a clearer apprehension of the reasons that perswade to Faith there is the more setled assent and the stronger Faith 11 The doctrines of Faith and Godlines are often repeated and the reasons and motions that perswade thereunto are inculâ—ated and vrged again again in the Bookes of the Old and New Testament that we may thereby vnderstand that the clearer fuller apprehension of them doe beget a clearer and fuller Faith 12 Wee may by supernaturall reason ascend aboue the reach of naturall reason 13 That Faith is not the best and strongest that hath the lesse number of reasons and the lesse perspicuous arguments to stay it vp but rather that which hath the greater number and the mâ—re perspicuous 4 Sauing Faith is diuine wisdome or a certaine knowledge and a setled assent â—dherence to all diuine verities necessary to saluation especially to the Couenant of grace as to the meanes of the highest happines and the chiefest good 5 A sauing Faith is alwaies accompanied with all other sanctifying graces as being the fruitfull mother tender nurse of them all 6 The Christian Faith only doth giue vndâ—…eiuable assurance of the loue of God of aeternall happines obtained thereby to all the sincere embracers thereof 7 The dignity and vtility of Faith and the difficulty of obtaining and encreasing the same THE QVAESTIONS THAT ARE handled in the second part which are declared by arguments taken from all the Topick places Quaestions handled by argumente drawâ— from the efficient Cause The Church is not alwayes glorious notorious as a Citty set vpon a high hâ—ll All the workes of the most holy in this life are stained with siâ—ne The ignorance and not the knâ—…ledge of holy Scripture is the cause oâ— all errours and sinnes From the materiall Cause Not the sufferings and righteousnes of any meere man but onely of our most blessed Sauiour both God
am thus resolued saith Plato not now but alwayes that I am not to enthrall Plato in Critone my iudgement to any of my friends but to reason yea to that reason which by discourse appeareth to be best Whose opinion was seconded by the chiefest of all his Schollers that is by Aristotle Plato said he is my friend but truth that is Arist moral l. 1. c. 3. made knowne by reason is more my friend So our wise and Christian Philosophers What wilt thou Lact de vero Dei simulaâ—hro c. 20. doe quoth Lactantius wilt thou follow thine Ancestors or reason rather So St. Cyprian we are not to prescribe by custome but to conuince by reason yea let there bee gathered together in a generall councell the chiefest of the Bishops and Doctors and of all other learned men of the whole Christian world and let them also be such as rightly embrace the true Catholique and Apostolique Faith and giue a iust censure also in matters of neuer so great waight and moment yet are we not of necessity bound to stand to their verdict Or else Saint Austin was out of the way when he stood vpon this plea Aug cont Maxim l. 3. c. 14. with Maximinius the Arrian I will not saith he alledge the Councell of Nice to prejudice thee neither shalt thou produce the Councell of Ariminum to prejudice me I will not be bound to yeeld to the authority of the one nor thou to the authority of the other but by the authority of the Scrâ—ptures as by most indifferent witnesses not proper to either of vs but common to both let matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason be compared together and so let tryall be made of the truth For he had learned to yeeld that honor to those onely books of the holy Scripture that are called Canonicall Aug ep 19. ad Hieronymum that he did assuredly beleeue that none of the Authors of them did erre any whit at all But as for all other albeit they did excell in learning and holinesse yet he would not rest vpon their iudgements vnlesse they did confirme the same by the authority of Canonicall Scripture or by some reason agreeable vnto truth And verely faith is not to be iudged by the persons but the persons by the faith For as Tertullian saith â—aith is not therefore sound and Catholique because it is professed by such and such persons but such and such persons are to be deemed sound and Catholique for that they professe the sound and Catholique faith Ramus and Scribonius men of no small iudgement and learning haue taught that all manner of testimonies be they Divine or humane are of themselues iâ—artificiall arguments and that the doctrines proued thereby haue their credit and authority rather from the qualification of the persons whose testimonies they are then from the bare and naked testimonies themselues So the Emperour Adrian in his rescript credit is to be giuen to him that giueth the testimony and not to the bare testimony And verely we doe not embrace the testimony of God set downe in the bookes of the Scriptures with that reuerent manner as we ought to doe vnlesse when wee giue assent thereunto we d ee it not so much for the bare testimony it selfe as for that it is the testimony of the most wise and holy God which cannot deceiue or be deceiued Fâ—r then we rightly honour him and his truth Hereof it was that Christ receiued not the witnesse of Iohn as it was the testimony proceeding from a meere man but he receiued it as the testimony Ioh. 5. 33. of such a man as was indued with the Spirit of Eliah and sent before himselfe to prepare his way Nay he saith of his owne bare and naked testimony considered by it selfe If I should beare witnesse of my selfe my witnesse were not true Ioh 5. 31. And yet concerning the same as it is the testimony of the Son of God the very essentiall wisedome of his heauenly Father he saith though I beare record of my sâ—lfe my record is true Ioh. 8. 14. for I know whence I came and whither I goe And hereof it is that both God and Christ are so often mentioned in the holy Scripture with their honourable Titles that so the credibility of their persons may yeeld the more and greater credit to their Doctrine Andy et as if this were not sufficient inough the very doctrine it selfe that proceedeth from God and is set downe in the holy Scripture is cleared and iustified by many arguments and reasons And verily how otherwise could the holy Scripture inable the wise and learned professors of the Christian Faith to confute all Heathenish and haereticall errours and to iustifie all Divine and Heauenly Truthes not onely to the Gentiles and Haeretickes but also to the faithfull themselues vnlesse it did minister plenty of all sound and evident arguments for the effecting of the same The Gentiles refuse the very words of the Canonicall Scriptures and the Haeretickes reiect the right and orthodoxall sense of them and therefore neither of them can be convicted but by the euidence of reason yea how can the faithfull themselues giue a sure assent vnto the Doctrines of the holy Scriptures vnlesse they apprehend such arguments and reasons as are sufficient motiues to induce them thereunto And hereof it is that in all sound and Orthodoxe Sermons made either to breed or to encrease and strengthen Faith vnto the doctrines obserued in the words of the Text there are annexed sound and sufficient reasons for the opening and confirming of the same doctrines And this is the cause why preaching is preferred before reading and Catechising as being the more ordinary meanes both to beget and strengthen Faith for that in preaching many reasons are produced as many lights for the better clearing and iustifying of all Truthes and for the fuller convincing of all errours and haeresies the which thing is not done either in reading or in Caâ—echizing There is I confesse no efficient cause of Gods will but his will it selfe for there is nothing without God that maketh him to will or to worke for then God should not be the first mouer and the first cause of all things but therefore he willeth Rom. 9. 19. because he willeth And yet farre be it from any Religious heart to thinke that the most wise God willeth any thing without good and sufficient reason or that he speaketh any thing idlely or in vaine The Word of the Lord is the Fountaine Eccles 1. 5. of Wisedome and therefore openeth all Divine truthes by their right and proper reasons And all the workes of God are done in number weight and measure he hath giuen to euery severall creature according to it's kinde it 's seuerall nature with properties qualities sitted thereunto And he hath ordained euery thing to coÌ„sist of such such causes faculties powers as were best agreeing to such
himselfe to be instructed by the Prince of darkenesse Whereby it came to passe that he fell from truth to falshood from faith to fancy from the knowledge of good to the knowledge of euill from the light of Diuâ—ne logicke and reason to divellish sophistry Yea hereby the wâ—ly and crafty Serpent stored him and his posterity with all manner of captious and deceâ—uable sophismes and so enabled him not onely to know but also colourably to defend all falshood and vntruth Against the which so desperate a mischiefe the Lord prouided a soueraigne remedy by causing all Diuine verities necessary to saluation lightned fortified with all manner of sound arguments and reasons to be deliuered to his Church first by word of mouth and afterward by writing in the bookes of the Canonicall Scripture that so when the enemy should come ready furnished and prepared with strong delusion and with all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse the desender of the Truth on the contrary side might also be armed with all manner of weapons offensiue and defensiue that so he might be enabled to stand fast and firme against all the assaults of the enemy and to get ouer him a glorious victory And hereof it is that the booke of the holy Scripture is called the Bible that is the booke of boâ—kes or the onely booke for that all manner of Divine wisdome is contayned therein The reasons and argument set downe in this booke for the clearing and fortifying of all Diuine verities are of such validity and strength that therefore this booke is called by Saint Hierome a reasonable mountaine where wee may Hieron in Hag. cut downe choice and sit timber for the building vp of the house of Wisedome Yea the first rudiments and principles thereof are of such soundnesse and solidity that Saint Peter 1 Pet. 2. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes 3. 2. Chrysost hom 9. in ep ad Col. calleth them reasonable and vndeceiueable milke In which words he opposeth them to the principles of all erronious professions which the same Apostle tearmeth sophisticall fables For the which cause the maintayners of those sophisticall positions are called by the Apostle Saint Paul absurd or vnreasonable men as the sincere imbracers of the Doctrines of the Scriptures are tearmed by Saint Chrysostome reasonable sheepe for that they are able to discerne the voyce of their shepheard from the voyce of a stranger And hereof also it is that the Apostle Saint Paul calleth the seruice of God prescribed in this booke a reasonable seruice For that as Tertullian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non exigebat Deus quae fiebant sed propter quod fiebant Tert. l. 3. cont Marc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11. 19. teacheth God doth require therein not so much the worke wrought as the doing it vpon those grounds and reasons for the which it should be done One most singular worke of this seruice of God being done by one of the most singular seruants of God that euer liued euen the offering vp of Isaac by his father Abraham was as the Apostle saith performed by him as a Logiâ—ian by the helpe of Metaphysicall and supernaturall reason And no maruell seeing as in the same place the Apostle teacheth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Downam l. 2. c. 7. Of Christian Warfare the true Christian faith is grounded vpon such a demonstratiue syllogisme that is able as Austin expoundeth the words to convince the iudgement and after a sort to force the minde to yeeld therevnto a most setled assent whoÌ„ one of our learned and religious Doctors followeth saying that faith is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a manifest demonstratioÌ„ for that it doth not onely shew a thing probably but doth convince it with strong argumentâ— and maketh that cleare and manifest which was otherwise obscure and secret and therefore is called a demonstration of things not seene And if it be not reason that doth season our seruice done vnto God and make it sauory and well tasting vnto him why Leu. 12. 13. Mar. 9. 50. Coloss 4. 6. was salt to be added to euery sacrifice and why are all the faithfull commanded to haue salt in themselues Yea and that their very words should be poudred with salt And was it not for this cause that one Eccholius in the Primitiue Church when he had fallen away againe and againe from the true faith and reasonable seruice of God vnto absurd and impious Idolatry at his last returne cast himselfe downe flat vpon the ground before the Congregation saying trample vpon me vnsauery salt That reason should be our guide not onely in such things as concerne the Divine seruice of God but also in all our actions whatsoeuer Iesus the sonne of Siracke teacheth saying Eccl. 37. 16. Let reason goe before euery enterprise and counsell before euery action Yea Aristotle saw thus much by the light of naturall reason that is that euery vertuous action must be done vpon knowledge and vpon good advise had with right reason Scienter consultò constanter and vpon a setled purpose to be constant therein Wherefore there was great reason that the great and wise G O D should enrich his owne booke with all manner of divine and heauenly reason that so it might be able rightly to guide all his sincere and faithfull seruants in the performing of all manner of vertuous and Religious actions And verily it is in that aboundant manner so filled and furnished with this heauenly treasure that as Luther saith it were no great matter if all other bookes contayning the doctrines of faith and an holy life were on a light fire if this one booke were rightly vnderstood For there is more Diuine learning wisedome and reason in this little booke then in all the large volumnes that euer were written Witnesse not only the explications of the divine doctrines hereof made by our blessed Sauiour himselfe the which if they were written the Ioh. 21. 25. whole world would sâ—…rcâ—ly be able to containe them but also the Sermons of the Apostles and the huge number of Treatises made vpon the same by all the learned in the Church that haue written since the Apostles times the which exceed all the Commentaries made vpon all other books that are to be found in the whole world The seuen Catholicke or generall Epistles are but a little part of this little booke yet in the iudgement of Saint Hierome they being short in words are large in substance The Lords Prayer is but a few lines of this little booke and yet it contayneth such a depth and profundity of Divine wisedome that the wisest that are cannot sound the bottome thereof And verily it is the wisedome of God and the grace of the Dr. Abbotâ— in Ionam Scriptures as our most Reuerend Metropolitan hath most elegantly taught to say much in little to be in words compendious but in
not indure to haue it applied vnto them All meanes are nothing be they neuer so good without the speciall blessing of God as on the contrary side when it 1 Cor. 3. 7. shall please God to blesse the meanes they shall preuaile be they neuer so meane And verily as in bodily wars it is as easie with God to saue with few as with many albeit ordinarily the strongest army the best furnished winneth the field and getteth the victory so in our spirituall warfare against infidelity superstâ—…on and idolatry men of meane gifts by the Lords special blessing may more preuaile then such as are indued with greater graces And yet as the better meanes are the better blessings of God so ordinarily by his disposition and prouidence they doe obtaine the better effect As it is manifest in the Apostles who for that they were indued with the greatest measure of all diuine and heauenly wisedome conuerted more to the faith of Christ then any other of their successours As did likewise those principall men which were in thâ—se last dayes raised vp by God to be the reuiuers of his gracious Gospell spread abroad in a short time the bright beames thereof in many countreys of this West and North parts of the world Daniel and his fellowes may be better nourished with course poulse then some other with a good portion of finer food brought vnto them from the Kings owne table and so some persons may be better edified with a plaine declaration of truth lightened with one or two testimonies out of the word of God then by a great cloud of the same witnesses and by many strong forcible demonstrations but the cause hereof is either in the weaknesse of the spirituall stomacke vnto the which milke doth better agree then strong meat and in the dimnesse of the spirituall eye which can see better with a little light then with a great or in the extraordinary worke of God For ordinarily the greater number and the bigger lights doe giue the greater and bigger light as the better and stronger food doth yeeld the better and stronger nourishment Wherefore the Preachers of the word of God being the Lords stewards and the disposers of the mysteries of God who are therefore set ouer the Lords house that they shouâ—d giue to euery one their portion of food in due season had need to prouide good store of spirituall graine to be laid vp before hand in the baines of their inlarged hearts that therewith they may feed the Lords people to the full As likewise for that they are the Lords Captaines to marshall his bands and companies against the Lords and their owne enemies they ought to be furnished with all manner of spirituall armour that so they may be able to furnish other And verily for any one to take vpon him to discourse and reason without sound and apt reasons and to argue without substantiall and sufficient arguments is to take vpon him to feed without food to fight without weapon to lighten a thing without light and to build without morter timber and stone Wherefore the most wise God hath most prudently prouided for the most plentifull instruction both of Priest and people not only by setting downe in his two bookes of nature and grace all doctrines necessary for their saluation with great variety of all manner of reasons and arguments for the better clearing and confirming of the same but also by often repeating and inculcating of them yea by vrging them againe and againe he hath giuen them a plaine admonition that they should be most diligent to learne those thing ouer againe and againe which he hath beene so carefull so often to teach Verily if we were such as we should be it should be sufficient for vs that the Lord did barely and onely in the booke of the Canonicall Scriptures deliuer the seuerall doctrines of all diuine vereties giuing testimony to each of them but once by the pen of one of his vnerring Secretaries seeing when God speaketh any thing albeit it be but once we ought Chrys aduersuâ— vituperatores monasticae vitae to receiue it with all assurance as if it had beene spoken often times For although when humane testimonies are required in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word must be established and to him that bringeth not a sufficient number 1 Tim 6. 19. of deponents it is by strict law as if he had brought none yet for that God is true and cannot lie nor beare witnesse to any falshood or vntruth or command any thing that is vnrighteous or vniust therefore in his word which is the infallible foundation of truth if he giue testimony to any thing but once vnder the hand of one of his faithfull registers it is as sufficient as if he had testified the same by them all For if Pythagoras his he said it was enough to his scholers for that he was a most learned and wise Philosopher and the Ipse dixit Centurions come goe and doe this was sufficient to his souldiers Matth. 8. 9. and seruants for that he was a most conscionable Commander yea if the Kings witnesse my selfe be a full warrant Teste meipso to all his grants because of his supereminent power and authority then much more the he said it of the most high God ought to be sufficient to his disciples and all that be of his schoole and the come goe and doe this of the most righteous Commander and Iudge of the whole world ought to beenough to worke a most ready and speedy obedience in all his true and faithfull seruants and the witnesse my selfe of the King of kings and Lord of lords ought to be taken as a most full warrant to all his grants by all his loyall and faithfull subiects Wherefore herein we may behold the strange proceeding of our most great and glorious God remitting after a sort his owne â—ight and submitting himselfe in his great goodnesse to our weaknesse and in his high and endlesse wisdome prouiding a gracious remedy for our infirmity For because we are blinde to conceiue and flow to beleeue and hard to learne and ready to forget the holy mysteries of piety and godlines therefore the Lord hath caused not onely doctrines and reasons and arguments to be set downe at once in the booke of the diuine Scriptures but he hath made them to be reitterated againe and againe that thereby they may become lights to our vnderstanding stayes to our faith and helps to our fraile and weake memory So that albeit we are by nature neuer so dull and blockish yet the same lessons being often repeated and opened and cleered againe and againe we shall be thereby enabled by Gods blessing sufficiently to conceiue and faithfully keepe them in good remembrance Pharaohs dreames were Gen. 41. 32. doubled vnto him that the thing opened therein might get of him the better credit so the instructions of faith and an holy
yet they inioy but in hope Now in this Chapter we are to intreate of the definition of faith and of the singular effects in the two next following Assent doth follow apprehension and therefore as a slight and a light apprehension begetteth opinion which is an vnsettled and an vnstable assent so a sure and certaine assent of the mysteries of godlinesse ingendereth faith that is a resolute and settled perswasion For a settled assent proceeding from a well grounded knowledge is all one with sauing faith and diuine wisedome As it may appeare in that when the Word of God is said either seuerally to giue the knowledge of saluation to the Lords people Luke 1. 77. or to giue faith Rom. 10. 17. or to giue wisedome vnto the simple Psal 19. 7. or ioyntly to bring to the vnity of faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God Ephes 4. 13. Tit. 1. 2. Iob. 6. 60. 7 8. 1 Ioh. 4. 16. or to bring the vnderstanding of wisedome and knowledge Prou. 1. 2. 9. 10. Col. 1. 9. Iac. 3. 13. or to make wise to saluation by faith in Christ Iesus 2 Tim. 3. 15. one and the selfe-same effect is deliuered vnder these diuers names Which may also further appeare in this that the Spirit of God which calleth this diuine gift the full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. calleth it also the full assurance of the vnderstanding Col. 2. 2. The minde and the vnderstanding is the eye of the soule and a sure and settled knowledge of the mysteries of godlinesse or sauing faiâ—h or diuine wisedome is the right sight of this eye And hereof it is that our blessed Sauiour not onely in his owne person calling men to repent and to beleeue the Gospell is said to preach recouering of sight to the blinde Luke 4. 18. But also sending out his Apostles to goe into the whole world and to preach the Gospell to euery creature is said to send them out to open their eyes that they might turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that they Act. 26. 18. might receiue remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in him And therefore the opening of the eyes of the faithfull whereby they truly apprehend the mysteries of godlinesse is called Vision as the Spirit of God which worketh this vision is called Prou. 19. 18. Iohn 2. 20. 1 Sam. 9. 9. an eye salue and as the Reuealers of this doctrine in old time were called Seers And verily the true fight apprehension and knowledge of the Couenant of grace and of all other diuine doctrines of the word of God is as Origen saith a speciall gift of God proper to such onely as are predestinated to this euen to walke Orig. lib. 7. cont Celsum worthy of God who hath made himselfe knowne vnto them To theÌ„ only it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen to others it is not giuen For they seeing do see and Matth. 13. 11. do not perceiue and hearing do heare and not vnderstand lest they should returne so be healed The vaile of corrupt opinions 2 Cor. 3. 14. is not taken from their eyes but onely from theirs which are effectually called and turned to Christ by the preaching of the Gospell For they all bohold as in a mirrour the glory of God with open face the vaile or couer being taken from their eyes Now if the faithfull be those vnto whom God hath reuealed Iohn 9. 39. himselfe and hath opened their eyes and hath made them to see by giuing to them a true faith then faith is a true â—ight apprehension and knowledge of God and of his goodnesse and loue in Christ and of all other diuine verities which are necessary to the saluation of a faithfull man And so was Faith defined by the ancient Fathers both Greeke and Latine as Doctor Benfield testifieth in his third Chapter concerning sauing Faith The Deuils and all obstinate and impenitent sinners as they haue neither sauing Faith nor diuine wisedome so neither haue they any such sight apprehension and knowledge of the diuine verities of Gods most holy Word as causeth them to yeeld a sure and certaine assent thereunto The Deuils in their creation were Angels of light and were sanctified with the cleere knowledge of all diuine verities but now they haue lost Iohn 17. 17. Chrys hom 19. in Psal 118. sanctity by falling away from God the Father thereof and from truth the mother and nurse of the same The Deuill saith our Sauiour abode not in truth but is a liar and the father of lies he made choice to misconceiue of God that he Iohn 8. 44. was vniust hard and cruell and he is so blinded and hardened therein that he cannot nor will not be remooued from the same As it may appeare in that he refused to stand to the censure of our Sauiour Christ laying euer to his charge iniustice and cruelty saying What haue we to do with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth Art thou come to torment vs before the Matth. 8. 29. time And verily from that which preserued at the first and still preserueth the elect Angels as Isidore testifieth that is from the vision and contemplation and settled perswasion of all those diuine perfections that be in God especially of his infinite and endlesse goodnesse and loue the reprobate Angels fell and wholly depriued themselues thereof and therefore doe not now know and acknowledge that God is righteous gracious and good nor honour him by ascribing vnto him these glorious perfections Now as the old Serpent hath thus inuenomed himselfe so hath he with the same poison infected the nature of Adam and Eue of al vs which by ordinary generation descend from theÌ„ For he perswaded our first parents not only that God was not good vnto them for that he forbad them the vse of the fruit of one of the trees of Paradise and withheld from them the knowledge of good and euill lest thereby they should become as Gods but also that he was not righteous and true and that the euils wherewith he threatned them if they brake his Commandement should not come vpon them By which misse perswasion they misconceiuing of Gods goodnesse and righteousnesse were hardened with all their posterity in this misconceit In so much that now by nature there is none that vnderstandeth and seeketh after God there Rom. 3. 10. is none that beleeueth his goodnes and imbraceth the meanes whereby they may be made partakers thereof nor feareth his iustice and ceaseth to stirre vp his indignation and wrath They beleeue not Gods goodnesse but scorne the faithfull as the wise man testifieth that doe the same thinking it to be a thing impossible that any can haue the assurance of Gods fatherly loue They beleeue not Gods iustice for then they Sap. 2. 13. would auoid sinne if it were but to escape the
Christian sauing saith whereby he turneth from darkenesse to light and from the power of Satan to God and Acts 26. 18. 2 Cor. 3. 18. worketh in him a reuerent feare to offend the Lord and a louing care to performe all duties that doe belong to piety and godlinesse Behold saith Saint Iohn what loue the Father hath shewed vs that we should be called the sonnes of God For this cause the world knoweth vs not because it knowoth not him Dearely beloued now we are the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be but this we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for wee 1 Ioh. 3. 1. shall see him as hee is And euery one that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is puâ—e In which words the Apostle auoucheth that the Lord making himselfe knowne by the doctrine of the Gospell not to the world but to his Elect and causing theÌ„ therby not onely faithfully to beleeue and embrace his great loue whereby hee hath adopted them for his sonnes in Christ but also by hope firmely to expect their full and finall glorification at his comming to iudgement doth thereby purge euery one of them from the pollutions of sinne and so doth reforme and renew them The which reformation because it doth begin in the minde and from thence proceedeth to the whole man is called a renewing or a changing of the minde and a returning to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resipiscentia wiser course For when the vnderstanding is truely rectified and reformed by the sure and certaine knowledge and apprehension of heauenly things it will master and ouer-rule the will and the affections and cause them to be imployed about Coll. 3. 2. heauenly actions The illumination of the minde saith a learned Author Morton of the three fold estate of man being the first part of regeneration is the cause of all the rest of that holinesse that is to be seene in the regenerate man euen as our Saviour Christ himselfe teacheth saying The light of the Mat. 6. 22. body is the eye if then thine eye be single thy whole body shall be light but if thine eye be wicked all thy bodie shall be darke So likewise if the minde which is the eye of the soule Coll. 3. 10. be truely sanctified and renewed with knowledge there followeth holinesse in all the faculties of the soule but if it be darkened with blindnesse and ignorance there is nothing but sinne in the whole man Neither can it be otherwise For as it is impossible that a man should either trust or hope in God loue feare and obey him or performe any other duty of holinesse to God whom hee doth not know in his loue mercy goodnesse power iustice and the rest of his attributes so it is no lesse impossible that a man should know and be fully perswaded that God is true in his promises mercifull gratious and iust and not be affected to him accordingly He that knoweth thee O God saith Austin louâ—th thee more then himselfe August soliloq cap. 1. and leaueth himselfe that he may come vnto thee and delight in thee Wherefoâ—e if any one make profession of true wisedome and Iac 3. 13. knowledge we may will him with Saint Iames to make demonstration thereof by his good conversation and by his workes performed in meeknesse of wisedome or which is all one if he make profession of the true Christian Faith we may say vnto him Shew mee thy faith by thy workes and I will Iac. 2. 26. shew thee my faith by my workes seeing that faith that is without workeâ— is not a liuing but a dead faith For a liuing faith doth engraffe vs into Christ and so maketh vs good trees Rom. 11. 19. which cannot be without good fruit And verily so farre forth Mat. 7. 17. Tantum possumus quantum credimus Cyp. ad Quirit Tantum diligimus quantum credâ—mus Orig. in Eze. hom 22. 1 Ioh 2. 4. Qui non facit bonum non credâ—t bonum Isa 11. 6. Pro. 2. 10. as the grace of God enableth vs to beleeue so farre it enableth vs also to worke and so farre forth as it enableth vs to apprehend Gods loue towards vs so farre forth it enableth vs to loue God and to make the same euident and manifest by our carefull endeauour to doe such things as are well pleasing in his sight He therefore that saith I know God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him For he that doth not well beleeueth not well and he whose knowledge bridleth not in some good measure his brutish affections he hath not attained to that wisedome and knowledge which the Spirit of God fore-told should be in all true and sincere Christians For when wisedome entreth into thine heart and knowledge delighteth thy soule then shall counsell preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee and deliuer thee from the euill way Of the infallible certainty and truth whereof Lactantius was so throughly perswaded that he was bold to make this challenge to any that would except against the same by instancing in the most vnbridled affections of all Giue me saith hee Lact. diuin Instit l. 3. c. 26. a wrathfull man and a slanderer and one that is of vnbridled affections and with a few words of God I will make him as weake as a Lambe Giue me a greedy and a couetous pinch-penny and I will make him liberall giuing out his money with whole handfuls giue me one that is afraid of griefe and death and he shall presently contemne the Gallowes and the fire and the Bull of Phalaris also giue me a libidinous and an adulterous person and thou shalt see him straight way sober chast and continent giue me a cruell and a blood-thirsty person and presently his fury shall be turned into mercy giue me an vniust person and an vnwise and a sinner and by and by he shall be made iust prudent and innocent and with one washing all his sinfulnesse shall be clensed Such is the force of divine wisedome that it being once admitted into the heart of man it will at once dispossesse folly the very mother of all trangressions This truth was knowne to the Heathen themselues who not onely auouched that Pallas the Lady of wisedome subdued the giants when they rebelled against God but also that Persâ—us by the helpe of Minerva the Lady of learning and all one with Pallas did cut off the head of Medusa who by her lookes did turne men into stones Vnder the which fabulous fictions this truth was deliuered that they are the most powerfull instructions of diuine wisedome that can subdue our rebellious and Giant-like affections and can make soft and meeke our hard and stony hearts If ye continue in my word saith our blessed Sauiour ye shall know the truth Ioh. 8. 31. and the truth shall make you
folly set all things Mala mens malus animus out of frame and doth not wisedome frame and order all things aright Doth darknesse cause men to stumble and fall Iohn 11. 9. Heb. 3. 12. and doth not light keepe men vpright and preserue them from falling Doth infidelity withdraw mens hearts from God and corrupt their wils and affections and doth not faith ioyne men neerely vnto God and sanctifie their wils and affections with all manner of diuine and heauenly graces Wherefore as all carnall Gospellers and loose Libertines so our Romane Catholikes are greatly deceiued in that they thinke that a sauing and iustifying faith may stand with raigning sinnes for then should the selfe-same persons at the selfe-same time be the children of God in respect of their mindes sanctified with the knowledge of the truth and with sauing faith and the children of the Deuill in their wils being polluted with dominering sins but where sauing faith getteth the sure and safe possession of the minde it not only expelleth infidelity out of the castle of the vnderstanding but also casteth out all sinne and iniquity out of the forts of the will and affections that they shall no longer rule and raigne there For sauing faith doth regenerate vs and make vs the sons of God Gal. 3. 26. as the Apostle affirmeth and so reneweth vs to his image in holinesse and crue righteousnesse and therefore will not suffer vs to giue place to wilfull and raigning sinnes and presumptuous transgressions Whosoeuer saith Saint Iohn is borne 1 Iohn 3. 9. of God sinneth not for his â—eed remaineth in him neither can he sinne because he is borne of God that is whosoeuer is borne of God committeth no such sinnes whereby the Word of God is choaked and extinguished in him because it is an immortall seed which liueth and indureth for euer where it is 1 Pet. 1. 23. once rooted and settled neither can hee sinne because hee is borne of God That is sinne which is the worke of the Deuill cannot so farre forth preuaile as to annihilate his regeneration which is the worke of God because God is stronger then the Deuill and will maintaine his owne proper worke in his owne children against the malice and mischiefe of Satan For let the Deuill set his chiefest instruments on worke to draw Gods children from their faith and obedience to God yet they shall not finally preuaile against them So Saint Iohn Little children ye are of God and haue ouercome them for 1 Iohn 4. 4. greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world For albeit they be little and weake in themselues yet they are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and are enabled thereby to stand against all the assaults of the Deuill Ephes 6. 10. And verily he that truly beholdeth and duly considereth what this great dignity is to be translated out of the bondage of Satan into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God he cannot with purpose of heart serue sinne any longer and enthrall himselfe againe vnto the tyranny of Satan but he will resigne himselfe wholly ouer to God How can we saith the Aposte Rom. 6. 2. that are dead to sinne liue any longer therein When Ioseph that of a poore slaue being made chiefe ruler ouer all Gen. 39. 9. Fixum eteniâ—… quicunque geret non hunc â—go nolle crediâ—…erim Christo cum mâ—ricate mori Coster that great estate which his master was possessed withall was tempted by his lewd mistrisse to defile his masters bed How can I said he doe this wickednesse and sinne against God How much more then will all such as are indued with true Christian faith resolue and say when they duly consider their great dignity in that of the bondslaues of Satan they are made the sonnes of God and inheritours of the kingdome of heauen How can we giue ouer our selues to wilfull and presumptuous sinnes to the great dishonour of our louing and most gracious God who hath aduanced vs to so great dignity and honor Vndoubtedly they cannot but thus resolue with themselues their sure beleefe of so great a fauour throughly settled in their hearts will not suffer them to giue themselues ouer to the seruice of sinne but will cause them fully to resolue to continue and perseuere in constant and continuall obedience vnto God And in this respect the estate of all such as are reconciled vnto God by Christ albeit it be subiect to many infirmities is farre more happy then Adams was in his absolute and perfect purity For as Saint Austine saith the first liberty was a Aug. de corrept grat cap. 2. possibility not to sinne but ours is much greater being such as that we cannot possibly sinne that is giue our selues ouer to be bondslaues to raigning sinnes For to Adam was giuen grace to persist in grace if he would but to vs it is giuen that we be made willing and that by our will we conquer our concupiscence to him was giuen ability if he himselfe would haue vsed it but to vs is giuen not only to be able but also to be willing to vse our ability For the will of the Saints is so forcibly mooued by the Spirit of God that therefore they are able because they will and therefore they will because it is God that worketh in them that they be willing For if in so great infirmity wherein perfect vertue was requisite for the suppressing of pride they were left to their owne will that by the helpe of God they might persist if they would themselues and that God himselfe did not worke in them the very will that they would among so many and so great tentations the will by reason of her weaknesse would soone râ—lent and giue ouer A remedy therefore was prouided for the infirmity of mans will that it should be so mooued by diuine grace that it should neuer decline or separate it selfe from the same and therefore albeit it were weake yet it should neuer vtterly faile Now that Saint Austine did not mistake herein it is manifest by the testimony of God himselfe set downe by the Prophet Ieremie in most direct words to that purpose I will Ier. 32. 40. saith the Lord make an euerlasting Couenant with them meaning his faithfull ones vnder the time of grace that I will not turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me So then now vnder the Couenant of grace diuine grace is not so offered to the faithfull that they may either chuse or refuse it if they will but thereby they are made both willing to receiue it at the first and resolute also to perseuere therein constantly euen to the end and therefore by the Spirit of God they are called trees which shall not cease from yeelding fruit Ier. 17. 8. Whereby it is manifest that grace
fatherly fauour and loue Yea he maketh them sensible of this gracious worke of his Spirit in their owne hearts when he effecteth the same by the powerfull operation of his owne holy Spirit and worketh a true sense and feeling thereof in the receiuers themselues as it hath already beene declared in the opening of the second question of the first part of this treatise and shall bee further cleared also in the second part hereof For that the faithfull should not doubt of Gods loue toward themselues he giueth his owne sanctifying Spirit and their owne sanctified spirits to testifie the same that against the sufficiency of their testimonies no man can take any iust Rom. 8. 16. exception In the Law saith our Sauiour it is written that the testimony Iohn 8. 17. of two men is true Of what an vndoubted truth then is that thing which is witnessed by a sanctified conscience whereas the testimony of conscience without this qualification Conscientia mille testes is in stead of a thousand witnesses Now if the witnesse of a sanctified conscience be of such validity which yet is but an humane testimony what is the witnesse of God himselfe Now this is the witnesse of God saith the Apostle that not 1 Iohn 5. 9. onely he hath giuen vnto vs eternall life but also that he hath by his Spirit giuen vnto vs our faich to testifie the same to our owne soules and that to this end that we might know that we haue eternall life and that we might beleeue viz. by a faith daily growing stronger and stronger in the name of the Sonne of God The which thing cannot be but effectually wrought if the faithfull would daily and duly consider that the promise of blessednesse made by Christ to all that beleeue was by God deliuered not onely by word of mouth but also by an oath Iohn 5. 24. and after the same maner was redeliuered to Christ and that to this end that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible Heb. 6. 17. that God should lie we might haue strong consolation and not only so but also was set downe vnder his own hand againe and againe in all the bookes of the old and new Testament and further yet was ratified and confirmed by many feales of diuers Sacraments Wherefore no maruell though the faithfull in former ages haue often openly made profession of this their comfortable assurance of Gods loue publishing and proclaiming that God was their God and they his seruants and that Christ was their Christ in particular and that by his Bloud shed precisely for themselues they were iustified from all their sinnes O my soule saith Dauid thou hast said and said it againe and Psal 16. 2. againe vnto the Lord thou art my God for so it followeth in the same Psalme and in diuers others The Lord is the poâ—tion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou shalt maintaine my lot my lot is fallen vnto me in a very good ground I haue a goodly heritage So Psal 18. I will loue thee deerely O Lord my strength the Lord is my rocke and my fortresse and my deliuerer my God and my strength in whom I will trust my shield and the horne also of my saluation So Esay O Lord thou art my God So Thomas My Lord my God Esay 25. 1. Ioh. 20. 28. Hos 2. 23. So all the faithfull since the comming of Christ in the flesh I will say vnto them that were not my people thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God And verily as when Ahab said to Benhadads seruants Is my brother Benhadad yet 1 Kings 20. 33. aliue they tooke aduantage thereby saying thy brother Benhadad so whereas God calleth himselfe in particular the God of the faithfull and them in like manner his people and his seruants why may not the faithfull call not God only their God but themselues also his seruants after a speciall maner making thereby a thankfull confession of their own high dignity which the Lord their God hath bestowed vpon them It was not pride then and presumption but a thankfull and dutifull acknowledgement of Gods most singular goodnesse towards himselfe that made Dauid sound out with a loud voyce and double the same againe and againe Behold Lord I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thine handmaid thou hast broken my bonds that is thou hast deliuered me from the bondage of sinne and Satan and hast made me the seruant of righteousnesse and therefore I may safely assure my selfe that I am thy seruant So old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy Luke 2. 29. seruant depart in peace according to thy word So Elias O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel let it be knowne 1 Reg. 18. 36. this day that thou art the God of Israel and that I am thy seruant that I haue done al these things at thy commandement So the Apostles Simon Peter a seruant and an Apostle of Iesus 2 Pet. 1. 1. Iac 1. 1. Iude 1. Rom. 1. 1. Christ Iames a seruant of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ Iude a seruant of Iesus Christ Paul a seruant of Iesus Christ They knew that they serued Christ faithfully in the preaching of the Gospell and in all other duties inioyned to Act. 27. 23. them by Christ and therefore they were bold to publish and proclaime themselues to be his seruants and Christ himselfe to be their Lord. So Tertullian writing in the defence of the Tert. in Apol. Christian saith against the Gentiles The religious saith he among you seeke for safety where it cannot be had c. but I cannot pray for it but to him of whom I know that I shall obtaine it because it is hee that is able to doe it and I am thâ— party to whom it is to be granted because I am his seruant and doe worship him alone Now as euery faithfull man knoweth that God is â—is God in particular and that he himselfe is Gods seruant so he knoweth the same blessing to be wrought for him by Christ being in particular his Redeemer and Sauiour who hath tendred to God a full satisfaction for the discharge of his sinnes So protesteth the mother in the name of all her children My beloued Cant. 2. 16. is mine and I am his and whom may we ioyne next to the mother but her best and deerest daughter My soule saith Lukâ— 1. 47. he doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour So Iob I am sure that my Redeemer liueth So Dauid Iob 19 25. Psal 19. 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be alwaies acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer So Saint Paul I liue by the faith of the Gal. 2. 20. Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me So an ancient Peere of the Church whose workes
him so the true Church of Christ being his beloued Spouse and her legitimate children being the children of God will not be fearefull distrustfull whether God will change his kind affection towards them with-draw from them his tender loue Nay vndoubtedly the true Church is alwayes ready to professe and say My beloued is mine and I am his he is my beloued and still loueth me and therefore I will continually loue him and reioyce for euer in his constant loue And so vndoubtedly the legitimate children of the true Church are ready and willing to confesse with their elder brother Saint Paul We liue yet not we now but Christ liueâ—h in vs and in that we now liue in the flesh we liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued vs and giuen himselfe for vs. And verily such a confession is set downe by the Wiseman in the name of all the Saints Though we sinne say they all Sap 15. 2. yet we are thine for we know thy power but we sinne not knowing that we are thine In which words foure remarkeable points of doctrine are deliuâ—red vnto vs First that the Saints in this life auouch that they are the Lords in his fauour and in his loue and that we may vnderstand how certainly they are assured thereof they double the same asseueration saying that they doe not goe by guesse or stand vpon blinde hope but that they know indeed that they are the Lords Secondly the meanes are â—et downe whereby they know that they are Gods euen because he hath giuen to them a true knowledge of himselfe We are thine say they for we know thy power Thirdly they auouch that their sinnes of ignorance and infirmity doe not take from them this assurance of their faith For say they though we sinne yet are we thine Fourthly they auouch that this assurance of Gods loue is a most powerfull meanes to keepe them that they doe not willingly giue themselues ouer to sinne For say they we sinne not knowing that we are thine And therefore herein also the iudgement of the Church of Rome is contrary to the plaine and direct euidence giuen in by all the Saints in that they affirme that the assurance of Gods loue is a spurre to sinne whereas the Saints auouch and that no doubt vpon their owne experience that it is a bridle to restraine from the same Grace concealed from such as are left to their owne headstrong affections may be an occasion that many are carried headlong into sinne but grace reuealed giueth grace reuoketh from sinne and prouoketh vnto all good workes The grace of God saith the Apostle that bringeth Tit. 2. 11. saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should liue iustly and soberly and godly in this world Wherefore in that the Church of Rome not onely willeth coÌ„mandeth her followers to doubt of their saluation and to feare whether they be in the estate of grace but also disgraceth the security of saluation giuen to the faithfull by the Gospell of Christ being the powerfull instrument of God to worke faith grace it is euident that she is the mother of infidelity and not of faith and that she leadeth her disciples to hellish horrours and terrours the iust reward of fearefull infidelity and not to ioy vnspeakeable and glorious the happy fruit and 1 Pet. 1. 8. issue of a confident Christian faith as Saint Peter testifieth And thus haue I shewed in the clearing and demonstrating of these three last propositions what manner of knowledge that is which I affirme to be all one with sauing faith as first Phil. 1. 10. a wise discerning knowlege wher by we so apprehend Gods loue in Christ reuealed vnto vs in the Gospell as that we esteeme and embrace it as ouâ— highest happinesse and our chiefest good Secondly a sanctifying knowledge whereby we are not onely set in a right course but also are guided to walke constantly in all holy wayes that so we may be made Tit. 1. 1. meete to be partakers of Gods loue And thirdly a comforting and chearing knowledge whereby we haue a certaine assurance of Gods fatherly loue in this present life albeit not Rom. 8. 15. without many conflicts with distrustfull feares and shall at the last be brought to the quiet and peaceable possession 1 Ioh. 5. 19. thereof in the life to come CHAP. VII The vtility and dignity of faith and the great difficulty to attaine thereunto THe vtilitie and dignitie of faith doth hence appeare in that it causeth the faithfull to behold in Christ as in a miraculous mirrour of Gods matchlesse mercy an incomparable treasure of his vnspeakeable loue and to cleaue constantly to it as to their highest happinesse and chiefest good and maketh them desirous from the very bottome of their hearts to make manifest their thankfulnesse vnto him by their sincere obedience to all his Commandements and bringeth also peace of conscience vnto them by giuing them an assurance of the pardon of their sinnes and of their receiuing into grace and fauour with God And not only so but also for that it causeth them continually to fight against their spirituall enemies that would make them to breake their Couenant with God and in the end giueth them a full conquest ouer them al. This is saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5. 4. speaking to the faithfull the victory that is the principall weapon whereby the victory is gotten and the world ouercome euen your faith And therefore it is not without cause that the Apostle Saint Paul exhorteth the faithfull that aboue all they should take vnto themselues the shield of faith because thereby they Ephes 6. 16. might quench all the fiery darts of the Deuill And veriâ—y faith is the first and the chiefest of all those diuine and heauenly graces that are wrought in the hearts of Gods children by the holy Ghost and it is the fountaine and root of all the rest and therefore in diuers places where they are named together it is first named and hath the primacie and as it were the right hand of all the rest by faith Christ doth dwell in our hearts by whom God and all his blessings are made ours 2 Pet. 1. 5. 1. Thess 3. 6. Ephes 3. 17. 1 Cor. 3. 23. Faith saith Saint Austine is Christ in vs and that heauenly Sunne is impaired or increased according to our faith Aug. in Psal 12â— And againe Faith is the very soule of the soule and the life thereof Aug. in Ioh. hom 49. Because it ioineth vs to Christ the Author of life and bringeth with it all other diuine graces wherein our spirituall life consisteth Aug. de Praedest sanct cap. 7. And hence it is that the whole Law is said to appertaine to faith if a true faith be vnderstood Aug. de Fide Oper. cap. 22. And in this sense faith may be
called our whole sanctification for that it worketh our whole sanctification as infidelitie is called the proper and after a sort the only sinne because it is the originall of all vnrighteousnesse Aug. cont Ep. Relag lib. 3. cap. 〈◊〉 For what good thing is there that is not obtained by faith By faith we are iustified Rom. 5. 1. By faith we are saued Ephes 2. 8. By faith we are made the sonnes of God Gal 3. 26. By faith we are incorporated into the heauenly Ierusalem and by it as by a cognizance or badge we are distinguished from all other societies The Catholike Faith saith Saint Austine doth distinguish the iust from the vniust not by the Law of workes but of faith without the Aug. ad Bonif. lib. 3. cap. 5. which those very workes which seeme to be good are turned into sinne Now if it were but in these respects faith might challenge the chiefest place of precedency and honour in the assembly of all her princely Peeres but much more may she doe it for that in her owne proper worke she is imploied in beholding imbracing and magnnifying of all the diuine excellences and perfections that be in God wherein consisteth the most proper and peculiar glory and honour of God By workes saith Chrysostome we obey God but faith Chrysost hom 8. in Ep. ad Rom. entertaineth a meet opinion of God and glorifieth him and maketh him much more to be admired then doth the shewing forth of good workes Works commend the doer but faith commendeth God only and what it is it is wholly his for it reioiceth in this that it conceiueth great things which redound to his glory Wherefore no maruell that the Lord himselfe hath such a respect to faith that all his gracious and glorious workes and wordes tend either to the begetting or strengthening of the same For why hath the Lord accomplished his most glorious workes of the Creation Redemption and sanctification but that they might be testimonies of his goodnesse mirrours of his mercy seales of his speciall Act. 14. 17. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Apoc 7. 2. Ephes 1. 14. Cant 1. 3. Hos 11. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 13. grace and fauour pawnes and pledges of his fatherly kindenesse and loue that so he might draw vs and binde vs vnto himselfe and cause vs to trust perfectly in this his fauour and grace which is thus and thus ratified and confirmed vnto vs So why did our most blessed Sauiour send forth his Apostles into the whole world to preach and publish to all creatures these so ioifull tidings of such inestimable fauours as are contained in the Gospell but that the whole woâ—ld might be conuerted to the faith and might beleeue and â—o be saued As for the same end hath he caused the same to be â—…ned for all posterities that thereby there might be wrâ—…t a sauing Marke 16. 16. Iohn 20. 31. faith in the hearts of all the children of God euâ—… to the worlds end Wherefoâ—e without 〈…〉 most singular gift of God sâ—eing 〈…〉 meaâ—es for the effecting and working thereof yea 〈◊〉 most rare blessing and hardly gotten seeing where theâ—…â—…gular meanes are best vsed euen thereof 〈◊〉 appeareth little fruit When 〈◊〉 more 〈◊〉 an Euangelist then a Prophet had published this doctrine of faith euen to the Lords own people whâ—… waâ— his owne testimony concerning his successe thereof Esay 53. 1. but thâ—… Lord who hath beleeued our report to whomis the arme of the Lord 〈◊〉 Nay when our blessed Sauiour himself came in his own person to preach these glad ridings of the Gospell euen with the mouth tongue of the Son of God after so wise and powerfull a manner that his very enemies did wonder at the gracious words that came out of his mouth and were forced to confesse That neuer man spake as he did Yea Luke 4 22. Ioh. 17. 46. after he had wrought many strange and wonderfull signes for the further confirmation thereof yet all this tooke so small effect that by the testimony of Saint Iohn being an eie witnesse of all these things then also was fulfilled the former prophesie Lord who hath beleeued our report Yea their infidelity Iohn 12. 37. Marke 6. 6. was so great that our Sauiour Christ maruelled thereat And yet behold a thing more to be maruelled at that the Apostles themselues who continually heard our Sauiours diuine and heauenly doctrine and daily saw his wonderfull workes were yet so hardly brought to the faith that our Sauiour after his resurrection forced to reprooue them most bitterly for it saying Oh ye fooles and â—low of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken No maruell then that albeit Luke 24. 25. the Gospel be published and reuiued in these last daies before the comming of Christ to iudgement by many singular and excellent instruments yet when the Sonne of man commeth he shall not finde faith on the earth Luke 18. 8. The truth is that it is an easie matter to beleeue lies because they are agreeable to our corrupt nature but the doctrine of truth teaching the assurance of Gods loue in Christ is a strange paradox contrary to the common opinion of men We saith the Apostle â—each Iesus Christ crucified a stumbling 1 Cor. 1. 23. bâ—ocke to the â—ew and foolishnesse to the Gâ—ecian Or be it that a slender assent and a formall approbation of the doctrine of faith proceeding from some slight apprehension thereof may bee somewhat generall where it hath beene long time taught by the Preacher and commanded by the Prince yet a settled perswasion proceeding from a sure and sound apprehension is vndoubtedly a strange and wonderfull worke of God Without aâ—… controuersie saith the Apostle great is 1 Tim. 3. 16. this mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh iustified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles and beleeued on in the world yea the agreement of faith with the heart of man is esteemed by Saint Austine to be one of the greatest miracles of our Christian profession And verily if either we looke vpon the prophane worldlings we shall see them scorning at the assurance of the faithfull Sap. 2. 13. which causeth them to glory that God is their Father and hath adopted them for his Sonnes Or if we cast our eyes vpon the faithfull seruant of God himselfe when he is in any great spirituall conflict we shall soone see how ready he is to let loose the sure hold of his hope and to plunge himselfe into the gulfe of despaire because he is guiltie to himselfe of offending so good and so gracious a God by his owne manifold and great iniquities and sinnes Wherefore albeit we haue attained to such a measure of faith as was giuen by Christ to his owne Apostles yet had Luke 17. 5. Marke 9 24. we need continually to pray O Lord increase our faith and to say with the Father of the possessed
such as should beleeue in him through their word Where he further Ioh. 17. 20. testifieth that his will was that they all should be with him euen where he himselfe is and that they might see his glory which cannot be meant but of the place of glory QVEST. XXIII Our blessed Sauiour is not corporally present in the Eucharist but in Heauen When some of our Sauiours owne Disciples were offended at those words of his Except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee haue no life in you thinking that he had spoken of a grosse and carnall eating of his flesh with their bodily mouthes Iesus said vnto them Doth this offend you what then if yee should see the Sonne of man ascend vp where Ioh. 6. 62. he was before By which words he gaue them to vnderstand that his carrying of his body at his Ascension into Heauen would teach them if they were Eagles with the mouthes of faith to mount vp thither and there to feed vpon him with the Luke 17. 37. mouthes of their mindes and not to dreame of a grosse and carnall feeding vpon his flesh with their bodily mouthes So reasoneth Saint Austin when ye shall see the Sonne of man Aug. in Ioh. tract 27. ascending were he was before then verily ye shall perceiue that he giueth not his body to be eaten after that manner as yee conceiue Then verily ye shall vnderstand that the grace of Christ is not consumed by chewing it in the mouth So likewise Athan. in illud quicuâ—quâ—… dixerit vâ—rbum c. Athanasius saith that Christ for this end warned them of his ascension into Heauen that he might draw them from thinking vpon his Body and that they might thereby learne that the flesh which he spake of was a coelestiall meat from aboue and a spirituall nourishment to be giuen by him The words which I speake vnto you are spirit and life the which saith he is as much as if he had said This Body which is in your sight and is to be deliuered to death for the world shall be giuen you for meat that it may be spiritually distributed to euery one of you and be an assurance and a preseruatiue to raise you vp to eternall life QVEST. XXIIII The Citie of Rome is the mysticall Babylon and the pretended titulary Romane Church is the most certaine seate of the great Antichrist of these last times The Apostle Saint Iohn describing in her colours that Babylon Apoc. 17. 18. which was to be the certaine seat of the great Antichrist of these last times auoucheth in plaine words that it is the very Citie that in his time raigned ouer the Kings of the earth the which was the Citie of Rome The truth whereof is so euident that our Rhemists themselues in their notes vpon that Chapter doe subscribe thereunto but they thinke to helpe the matter by excepting that Rome was Babylon vnder the gouernment of the persecuting Emperours but that exception will not serue their turne for by the plaine censure of Saint Iohn Rome must be the Royall Seat of the great Antichrist of these last times Wherefore they except in the second place that albeit the great Antichrist of these last times shall sit at Rome yet he may sit there in the Princes throne and not in the Priests chaire But Chrysostome precisely affirmeth that Antichrist shall Chrysost in 2. Ep ad Thess cap. 2. take vpon him the Empire both of God and men and therefore shall sit in the Priests chaire as well as in the Princes throne And so it was signified by his two bornes like to the Lambes Apoc. 13. 11. and so it is claimed by themselues by their double keyes and swords giuen in their Armes and carried before them and so it was really acted by Boniface the eight who one day shewed himselfe vnto the people in his Papall attire and the next day in the robes of an Emperour And it hath a long time bâ—en practised by them all and is still defended by most of their followers as a soueraignty that iustly belongeth vnto them And was not this most plainly fore-told by the Apostle that Antichrist should sit in the Temple of God not in the Temple of God at Ierusalem seeing that was vtterly to be destroyed and neuer to be built againe but in the Temple of God seated in the greatest City of his Antichristian Dominion that is in Babylonish Rome and that he should exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God and worshipped that is aboue all ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Gouernours of whom it is written I haue said yee are Gods Yea and that he should sit in the Temple Ioh. 8. 34. of God as God that is as Gods Lieutenant Generall and Christ Vicar vniuersall not onely in earth but also in Purgatory and in heauen also as it is signified by his triple Crowne And doth he not by his Indulgences take vpon him to open the doores of Purgatory at his pleasure And by Canonizing of Saints doth hee not take vpon him to giue greater or lesser dignities in the Kingdome of Heauen No maruell then that he taketh vpon him to dispose of temporall Kingdomes and earthly crownes and to possesse and dispossesse Kings of their Regalities at his owne will For this great Antichrist in his transcendent pride will not content himselfe with the honour and dignity of a great starre as all the ancient Bishops of Rome were wâ—nt to doe but he will aduance himselfe into the throne of Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse that all the greatest starres both in the ciuill and also in the Ecclesiasticall Gouernment may take their light and authority from him For if wee will beleeue his Parasires his supremacy is so much greater then the Emperours as the Sunne is greater then the Moone QVEST. XXV The word of God rightly vnderstood doth giue credite to it selfe and doth cause it selfe to be beleeued and imbraced as the word of God for the excellency of the diuine doctrines contained therein and not onely for the bare testimony of the Church Arguments drawne from the attributes or adiuncts Behold saith Moses Deut. 4. 5. I haue taught you ordinances and lawes as the Lord my God commanded mee that yee should doe euen so in the land whether ye goe to possesse it Keepe them therfore and doe them for it is your wisedome and vnderstanding in the sight of the people that shall heare all these ordinances and say onely this people is wise and vnderstanding and a great Nation For what Nation is so great that hath Ordinances and Lawes so righteous as all this Law is that I haue set before thee this day In which words Moses prooueth that his doctrine which hee deliuered vnto the children of Israell was of GOD because it was a wise and a righteous doctrine able to iustifie it selfe to be so euen in the iudgement of the Heathen themselues which
that as many as would ioyne the workes of the Law to the grace of Christ in the matter of Iustification They were abolished from Christ and fallen from Gal. 5. 4. grace Yea if we had not sinned but continued in our innocency and had kept all the Commandements of God whereunto God had bound himselfe by his promise to render the reward of eternall life yet in confidence of the merit of our workes we could not haue said rightly vnto the Lord Pay that thou Aug. in Ps 83. Aug. de verb. Apost Ser. 15. owest but performe that which thou hast promised For as the same Father saith God hath not made himselfe a debtor to vs by receiuing any thing froÌ„ vs but by promising vs that which best pleased himselfe But now since our best actions are so stayned by some sinister respect or other in the doing of them that as Gregory saith euen an holy man doth see his Greg. in Ioh. l. 9. c. 1. very vertuous workes to be vicious if they come to be scanned by a iust Iudge then they are so farre off from deseruing of any reward at Gods hands much lesse of Iustification and Saluation that rather in strict Iustice they merit condemnation For so Saint Austin is bold to pronounce of them Woe Aug. confess lib. 9. cap. 13. worth the commendable life of man if thou Iudge it without mercy In what a wofull case then are all proud Papists which will not be iustified and saued but by the merit of their owne workes seeing thereby they be abolished from Christ and are fallen from grace and from the fruit and benefit of both QVEST. XXXVII The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiously good Arguments drawne from that which is opposite priuatiuely By nature we are all spiritually dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes 2. 1. And therefore as a man that is bodily dead is able to performe no action that belongeth to a naturall life so cannot wâ—… performe any action that belongeth to a spirituall and supernaturall life vntill we be quickned and raised vp againe by he Spirit of Christ We are now all by nature depriued of all Rom. 5. 6. spirituall power and strength We are 〈◊〉 sufficient of our selues to thinke any good thing as of 〈◊〉 selues Much lesse to will or 2 Cor. 3. 5. to worke any such thing We are saith one Prophet foolish Ier. 4. 22. children and haue no vnderstanding we are wiâ—e to doe euill but to doe well we haue no knowledge We are now all by nature the Gal. 4. 25. children of the bond woman and not of the free The time was when in Adam we had all freedome of will to make choice either of good or euill but since that in him we made choice of that which was euill we are so hardned therein and in such Rom. 6. 20. bondage and slauery to our corrupt lusts that we haue no inclination at all or free motion vnto righteousnesse For as Aug. de correp grat c. 13. Austin saith our will as it is â—ow by nature free and not made free by grace is free from righteousnesse only in bondage to sin For liberty without race as the same Father teacheth Aug. Ep. 89. is nâ—t liberty but contumacy that is a wilfull obstinacy in that onely which is euill QVEST. XXXVIII No religious worship or seruice is to be giuen to any Angell or Saint Arguments drawen from such things as depend vpâ—n relation Let not saith Saint Austin the worship of the dead be vnto vs a matter of Religion Aug. de Vera Reâ—ig c 55 Aug contra Faust Mâ—nich lib. 23. c. 21. Synod MoguÌ„t c. 46. For they are to be honoured for imitation but not to be adored for Religion And againe we worship the Saints with charity but not with seruice neither doe we build temples vnto them For according vnto the censure of the Synode of Ments the Saints which haue shut vp the course of their liues with a blessed end ought worthily to be honoured of vs as the worthy members of Christs body but not with that honour which is due vnto God but with that reuerent regard of society and loueâ— wherewith holy men may be honoured of vs here in this life The like is to be said concerning the worship of Angels I fell said Saint Iohn confessing his owne double fall at the Angels feet to worship him but he said vnto me See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow seruant and one of thy brethren which haue the testimony of Iesus Apoc. 19. 10. câ— 22. 9. worship God By which words of the Angell vttered once and againe we Seruus est domini seruus may iustly collect that seeing a seruant among men is a seruant of his Lords only not of any one of his fellow seruants and is bound to serue the one onely and not the other therefore seeing all the faithfull haue but one Lord all Angels and Saints being their fellow seruants they ought to deuote themselues Eâ—hes 4. 5. 2. 29. onely to the Religious seruice of God and not vnto the seruice of any Angell or Saint We take it to be a great absurdity and indignity also for one that is admitted into the family of an earthly King to betake himselfe to the seruice of a subiect and is it not a greater indignity for one that by baptisme is admitted into the family of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to betake him to the seruice of an Angell or Saint In Oxford wee are sworne Non suscipere gradum Simeonis that is when we haue taken an higher degree of dignity in the Schooles not to take a lower degree And shal we then when we haue receiued this high degree of honor to be admitted among the seruaÌ„ts of the Almighty Creator of heauen earth shall we I say debase our seâ—ues so low as to seeke for admission into the seruice of a weake creature Let the Romanists then if they list deuote themselues vnto the seruice of the Saints and giue to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diuine worship but let the true seruants of God be carefull to giue diuine seruice onely to God QVEST. XXXIX The faithfull are made righteous before God by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to them Arguments drawen from things that haue the same proportion of reason If by the disobedience of the first Adam many were made sinners why by the obedience of the second Adam may not many be made righteous Rom. 5. 19. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 8. 34. If our sinnes were imputed vnto Christ when hee was pure from all sinne why may not his righteousnesse be imputed vnto vs albeit we be stayned with all sinne If Christs sufferings and death are made ours and we thereby are deliuered from condemnation Why may not his righteousnesse as well be imputed vnto vs
of Christ whereby the pardon of their sinnes is sealed vp to the faithfull therefore it ought by no meanes to be taken away from the Lay people Yea whereas the faithfull are as well partakers of the Bloud of Christ as of the Body why should they not also be as well partakers of the visible signe of the one as of the other Act. 10. 47. Can anyman saith S. Peter forbid water that these should not be baptized which haue receiued the Holy Ghost as well as we So vpon the like reason it may be said Can any man forbid the Lords people to be pertakers of the Holy signe of his bloud with the Priests seeing they are partakers of the Bloud it selfe as well as they Especially seeing all the people of God ought to be most ready and willing to shed their owne bloud in the defence of the Faith of Christ why should they then be depriued of the Sacred signe of his Bloud whereby they are to be strengthened and confirmed for the couragious performance of that so great and weighty a worke How do we saith Saint Cyprian Cypr. ad Cornel. lib. 1. cap. 2. teach and perswade the people to shed their Bloud for the confession of the name of Christ if we deny them the Bloud of Christ that is the Sacrament of his Bloud For none can take from them the participation of the Bloud it selfe QVEST. XLII Matrimony is lawfull for the Ministers of the Gospell It is as lawfull in the time of the Gospell for the Ministers thereof to vse the same remedy against sinne and to enioy the same helpes and comforts of this life as it was for the high Priest and the residue of his brethren vnder the time of the Law But Matrimony was ordained for the auoiding of fornication Gen. 2. 18. and for to be an helpe in things concerning this life vnto the Priests vnder the Law and why should it not be so vnder the Gospell The Gospell requireth in the Ministers thereof as great if not greater labour about their spirituall worke then was required of the Priests vnder the Law why should they then not haue the same helpers as they had to supply their roomes for the better dispatch of their temporall affaires that so they may haue the more leasure to be imployed about their spirituall businesses And are not the Ministers of the Gospell especially in these last and worst dayes subiect to the like temptations of sinne as others were in former ages why should these then be more debâ—…red from the remedy then they were especially whereas 〈◊〉 Commandement of the Apostle is giuen generally to all For the auoiding of fornication 2 Cor. 7. 2. let euery man haue his owne wife and let euery woman haue her owne husband but where the remedy against this sinne is the authorised permission thereof by man with a Si non casse tamen cauâ—e there I must needs confesse is farre lesse need of the remedy appointed by God QVEST. XLIII The Nailes Speare and Crosse wherewith Christs pretious Body was tormented are not to be worshipped The Souldiers that vsed the Nailes Speare and Crosse to torment the most precious body of our most blessed Sauiour are not to be worshipped why then should the Nailes Speare and Crosse be worshipped which were the instruments of theâ—r outragious cruelty The Nailes and shooe of an horse that striketh therewith and killeth any meane person but casually are by the Law found guilty of the death of him that is slaine therewith how can we then otherwise iudge of the Nailes Speare and Crosse which were of a malitious purpose vsed to shed our blessed Sauiours most pretious Bloud and to take away his life from him for can that which is applied to a most wicked and vngodly vse be thereby sanctified and not grieously prophaned QVEST. XLIV The sinnes of the faithfull shall not after death be punished in the fire of Purgatory Arguments drawne from the greater proportion of reason to the lesse A true friend that howsoeuer he endanger himselfe will stead his deare friend that relieth vpon him in his great extremity will not faile him in a case of lesse danger Neither will our Sauiour Christ the fastest friend to his faithfull ones that possiby can be hauing by his owne death deliuered theÌ„ froÌ„ the euerlasting torments of hell fire suffer them to be tormented in the fire of Purgatory if there were any such fire Neither will God that for Christs sake doth freely pardon his faithfull the summe of 10000. talents cast them into a most horrible dungeon for the small debt of an 100. pence Vndoubtedly he that freely pardoneth them their sinnes which are the greater euils will not retaine the punishment which is the lesse And what manner of pardoning were this to forgiue the fault but not to remit the punishment Yea what manner of iustice were this to punish where there is no fault but a fault pardoned is no fault Wherefore seeing our most mercifull God in Rom. 3. 25. 1 Ioh. 1. 9. Christ doth presently in this life giue to all faithfull and penitent sinners the free remission of all their sinnes for Christs sake vndoubtedly after their deaths he will not punish them in the fire of Purgatory QVEST. XLV The Sacraments doe not conferre grace by the workâ— wrought vnlesse their vses be vnderstood The word of GOD is a more principall instrument of grace then the Sacraments are For otherwise our most wise and holy Sauiour while he conuersed in this world would not haue wholly omitted the administration of Baptisme and Ioh. 4. â— Luke 4. 16. 43. 1 Cor. 1. 17. haue giuen himselfe continually to the preaching of the word and testified also that he was sent for the dispatch of that businesse Neither would he haue sent forth his Apostles not so much to Baptise as to preach the Gospell vnlesse the preaching of the word had been the principall worke best befitting his principall Ministers Neither would the Apostle Saint Peter after that he himselfe had so effectually preached to Cornelius Act. 10. 42. and his company that the Holy Ghost fell on all that heard the word haue commanded them to be baptized and that in all likelihood by some inferiour Minister in the name of the Lord but would haue baptized them himselfe And verily the Sacraments were added to the word for the further strengthening of the weake faith of the Beleeuers and not for the confirming of the authority of the word seeing from it they receiue their power and efficacy when their right vse is made knowen thereby For how commeth it to passe that the water in Baptisme toucheth the body and cleanseth the soule but by the working of the word Neither are the Sacraments so forcible instruments to bring Christ to vs as the word is The Gospell saith Saint Hierome is the Body of Christ and Hieron in Psal 147. these words of our Sauiour Except yee
QVEST. LIII The going on pilgrimage to see or to touch the true reliques of the Holiest of the Saints doth not bring any sanctification at all The seeing and touching of holy persons themselues doth not sanctify any much lesse the seeing or touching of their reliques They that receiue Christ by faith are made the Sonnes Ioh. 1. 12. of God and are renewed to his image in righteousnesse and true holinesse and not such as imbrace and kisse him with their bodily hands and mouthes for then Iudas the Traitor should haue been made a Saint Wherefore if we desire to haue any benefit by visiting the Saints we ought daily and diligently to visite the Scriptures wherein the pictures of their piety are most liuely painted out that so we may be rauished with the admiration thereof and be stirred vp to follow them by an holy imitation And so concerning the Saints which liued since the Apostles times if we be desirous to visite them also wee ought to get their learned bookes which are the best Images of their A maÌ„s speech is the image and glasse of his minde Erasm in praefat Hieron ad Guili Warraâ—…um holy soules that by their sound and Orthodoxe doctrines which are set downe therein we may be directed in the right way of piety and godlinesse But so it is saith Erasmus complayning of the superstitious folly of many of his time we kisse the shooes of the Saint and their handkerchers albeit loathsome for filth but as for their Bookes which are their best reliques we relinquish hauing little regard of them Their Coat or Shirt we lay vp in a chest adorned with gold and precious stones but as for their writings vpon the which they bestowed much labour and in the which still liueth here with vs that which is in them their chiefest good we leaue them to be consumed with wormes and rust QVEST. LIV. The faithfull that are sanctified by Regeneration may and ought to assure themselues of their full and finall glorification If God was found of the faithfull when they sought him not and made himselfe manifest vnto them when they asked Rom. 10. 20. not after him much more when they turne vnto him hee will turne to them when they draw nigh to him he wil draw nigh Iac. 4. 8. Matth. 7. 7. to them when they seeke him he will be found of them For if when they were enemies they were reconciled vnto God by the death of his Sonne much more may they rest assured of his loue being reconciled vnto him and made his stedfast friends If God for Christs sake offered them a pardon being Traitors and Rebels and standing vp in armes against him certainly he will suffer them to enioy the benefit of that pardon when they haue humbly submitted themselues and are become his loyall subiects If God doth forgiue vnto his all their grieuous sinnes which they willingly and wittingly committed before their effectuall Calling to the estate of grace will he not forgiue their sinnes of infirmity which they afterward commit against the resolute purpose of their owne hearts if he did deliuer them from domineeâ—ing and raiguing sinnes will he not in the end deliuer them fully from all such sinnes whose power and strength are already in part weakened by their daily repentance and stedfast faith The Lord said Dauid that deliuered 1 Sam. 17. 37. me out of the hand of the Lyon and the Beare will also deliuer me out of the hand of this Philistin Vnto the whiâ—h words happily the Apostle alluding saith of himselfe And I also was deliuered out of the hand of the Lion And thereupon was confident that the Lord would deliuer him from euery euill worke and would preserue him to his heauenly Kingdome 2 Tim. 4. 15. God hath promised thee O man saith Saint Austin speaking Aug in Ps 148. to all such as are sanctified by regeneration that thou shalt liue for euer and doest not thou beleeue it Oh saith he beleeue it beleeue it For that which he hath done for thee already is a greater matter then that which he hath promised For he hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne who is farre more excellent then thousands of heauens at the dearest rate that may be to purchase for thee euerlasting life and doest thou think that this purchase made by such a person at such an high rate can euer possibly be made voide Especially whereas for his Sonnes sake be hath adopted thee which wert by nature the slaue of Satan the child of wrath and inheritor of euerlasting destruction into the number of his sonnes and heires and renewed thee in part to his owne image in holinesse and true righteousnesse and doest thou yet doubt whether he will giue thee the inheritance of a sonne Vndoubtedly he that for thy Sauiours sake hath in part sanctified thee to liue a sober iust and a godly life in this world will for his sake bring thee to an eternall and an euerlasting life in the world to come QVEST. LV. Our least sinnes are damnable and mortall Arguments drawne from the lesser proportion of reason to the greater If all our righteousnesse be as a menstruous Cloath loathsome and odious to God and deserue Gods curse because it wanteth that fulnesse of faith feruency of loue simple sincerity and full freenesse from all sinister respects which the Law of God requireth at our hands then what doe those thoughts words and workes which are meerely sinfull deserue albeit Esay 64. 6. Iob 9. 31. Gal. 3. 10. they be neuer so small Vndoubtedly no sinnes that are meerly so can be smaller or lesse hurtfull then the imperfections of our best workes and yet these being transgressions of the Law of God deserue Gods curse and malediction and therefore all sinnes that are meerely so cannot but deserue the like woe So reasoneth our blessed Sauiour If the light which is Matth. 6. 23. in thee bee darkenesse how great is the darkenesse it selfe And so Saint Bernard If all our righteousnesse be as vnrighteousnesse Bern. Serm. in fest Sanct. then by a stronger reason what shall our sinnes be QVEST. LVI All things necessary to saluation are plainly deliuered in the Ganonicall Scriptures There is no wise man among men but that he will be carefull in his last Will and Testament that all things therein be set downe plainly distinctly and fully which concerne either the legacies which he bequeatheth to his childreÌ„ or the duties that he requireth at their hands that so all occasion of discord and debate may be cleane taken away And can we then imagine that our heauenly Father being so wise and so prouident as he is and so desirous to preserue vnity and peace among his deare children would not set downe plainly distinctly and fully in his Will and Testament what be those great and gracious gifts that he doth in his tender kindnesse and loue bestow vpon them with the meanes whereby they
weight or rather let vs not put in any thing there but let vs reuise and recognise that which is there weighed already Verily before the Scriptures were written the people of God were to receiue all those doctrines which God reuealed to his seruants the Patriarches by visions and dreames and were deliuered by vnwritten Tradition from the father to the sonne and from the Predecessor to the Successor But when such as had the place and credit euen of Prophets deliuered the vaine conceits of their owne hearts in the name of doctrines Ier. 23. 25. proceeding from God and so seduced not onely the people but sometimes the Prophets also there was great reason 1 Reg. 13. 18. why God should cause all diuine truthes necessary to saluation to be set downe by the Pennes of his Prophets and Apostles as being the best meanes not onely for the manifestation but also for the preseruation thereof For as men doe more plainly fully and safely set downe their whâ—…e mindes in their written wils and testaments then when they deliuer them by word of mouth so the Lord would haue his minde set downe in the bookes of the Old and New Testament by his faithfull Registers the Prophets and Apostles and Euangelists as being the best meanes for the safer custody Phil. 3. 1. of the same It was an argument of Gods loue and a Luk. 1. 4. good foundation of faith for God to reueale all diuine truths necessary to the saluation of his people in visions and dreames but it is a greater argument of his loue and a stronger foundation of faith that God hath caused his whole and perfect will to be set downe in the Canonicall Scriptures Or else the Apostle Saint Peter did mistake when he assured the faithfull to whom he wrote that hee followed not sophisticall fables when he opened vnto them the power and comming of our Lord Iesus Christ For first saith he We had an heauenly vision 2 Pet. 1. 19. to assure vs that our Lord Iesus Christ was the Sonne of God And secondly saith he we haue a more sure testimony then the former euen the Word of God written by Moses and the rest of the Prophets And hereof it was that when our blessed Sauiour had testified to the Iewes that his Father had giuen witnesse to him from heauen that he was the Sonne of God yet hee sendeth them to the Scriptures as to the surer meanes for the confirmation of their faith saying Search the Scriptures for in them Ioh. 5. 39. yee thinke to haue life and they are they that testifie of me And towards the end of that Chapter he telleth the Iewes that hee will not accuse them because they receiued not such diuine doctrines as were deliuered vnto them by his owne testimony But Moses saith he will accuse you for that yee beleeue not things which are deliuered vnto you in his Bookes Shewing thereby that it is a greater fault not to beleeue the testimony that God giueth in record vnder the hand of any one of his sworne Registers then that which is giuen by his owne bare voice For saith he if yee beleeue not his writings how will yee beleeue my wordes Vpon the which words 〈◊〉 thus writeth As that is more firme that is coÌ„mitted to writing so it is a greater fault not to beleeue things written then not to beleeue things vttered by word So Theophilact vpon the same place If ye beleeue not things written how will yee beleeue my words that are not written Whereby it is euident that the Word of God written in the Bookes of the Canonicall Scripture is the more safe and sure meanes to haue all diuine truthes to be conâ—eighed ouer to vs then is the deliuering of them to vs by his voyce in dreames and visions euen as the Princes grant vnder his hand and â—eale is a more sure euidence then when it is deliuered onely by his bare word Whosoeuer therefore auoucheth that God reuealing himselfe to the old Fathers by visions and dreames did bestow vpon them a greater blessing then he doth vpon vs by deliuering his will vnto vs by the holy Canonicall Scriptures either is himselfe in a dreame or is deceiued by a vaine dreame of some other Now if it were not altogether so safe to haue diuine doctrines deliuered by dreames and visions when that which was not so throughly conceiued or at the least so well remembred by those that so receiued the same might be righted by new visions then surely now when all such visions are ceased it is not safe to haue diuine truthes deliuered at all by vnwritten traditions but to be recorded in the rolles of the Canonicall Scriptures QVEST. LXIX The doctrine of the Church of Rome ministreth occasion and prouocation to sinne and not the doctrine of such as prosesse the Gospell We are carefull there not to trespasse against another where our trepasse bringeth vs very great danger yea the very ouerthrow of our whole state but where we can easily make an amends or the party trespassed is as much or more in our debt there we are not so carefull for the speedy auoiding of euery trespasse Now the doctrine of such as professe the Gospell iâ— that the very least sinne is mortall and cannot be purgeâ— but by the most precious Bloud of our Sauiour Christ whereas the Church of Rome teacheth that there are but seauen that are principally to be called mortall sinnes and that the residue then are veniall and so small that they may be done away by paenance Purgatory Pardons Masses and Tâ—entals yea by a little sprinkling of holy water and by saying of Aue-Maryes and Pater-Nosters and the like Yea they auouch that the works of their Saints are so many and of so great price and worth that by the surplussage of them satisfaction may be made for the sinnes and trespasses of other men according as it shall please the Pope in his Indulgences and Pardons to dispence the same Wherefore their followers need not to be ouer fearefull to offend God and to transgresse his Commandements at the least by small and light offences seeing they are able so many wayes and after so easie a manner to tender a satisfaction vnto God and to render to him a sufficient amends QVEST. LXX Popish paenance and Purgatory cannot stand with this Article of our Christian Creed I beleeue the remission of sinne As the Lord of a Mannor is not said to forgiue a trespasse when he setteth an amercement vpon the head of the trespasser and as the Creditor cannot be said to forgiue the Debtor when for the debt he casteth him into prison no more could God be said to forgiue our trespasses and to remit our debts if either in this life hee require satisfaction at our hands by the workes of Popish paenance or after this life cast vs into the prison of Purgatory there to endure the punishment due to our sinnes QVEST. LXXI Iurie is
doth not conceiue and vnderstand For rightly to consent vnto another is to thinke and approue the very selfe-same thing which another thinketh and approueth and so to be of the same minde and iudgement with another He then that doth Consentiâ—… cum alio idem sentire not at all conceaue and vnderstand what the doctrine of the Church is cannot giue a right consent thereto nor faithfully beleeue and embrace the same And verily a blind faith is a foolish faith and doth more harme then good For as the Wiseman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pro. 19. 2. saith Without knowledge the minde is not good But a blind faith is without knowledge and therefore neither is it good it selfe neither can it make the minde good no more then bodily blindnesse can make a good bodily eye Wherefore as the Wiseman saith A wise heart getteth Pro. 18. 16. knowledge and the care of the wise seeketh learning For wisedome restâ—th in the heart of him that hath vnderstanding Yea right vnderstanding is wisedome it selfe and is one of Wisedomes proper names For the wisedome of the prudent is to vnderstand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pro. 14. 8. Pro. 14. 15. his way whereas the 〈◊〉 of fooles is deceit And why A foole beleeueth euery thing and is carelesse to try his owne standing and therefore his footing must needs faile and his fall is without all hope of recouery but the prudent will consider his steppes and see sure ground before hee will set forward one foot And so the Apostle aduiseth saying Take heed that yee walke circumspectly not as fooles but as wise redeeming the time and for that it is a matter of great moment so to doe he doubleth his exhortation saying Wherefore be yee not vnwise but Eph. 5. 17. vnderstand what the will of the Lord is That if any will not yet be aduised hereby but will blindfully goe on in such wayes that he knoweth not he may iustly blame his owne folly when he falleth into the pit of his owne destruction QVEST. LXXXI The breaking of a Popish vow is no sinne Sinne is as it were a shooting awry from the marke that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Ioh. 3. 4. God hath set vp vnto vs in his commandements wherevnto we ought to ayme in all our actions or it is a passage ouer those bounds and limits that God hath set out vnto vs to keep vs within our compasse in performing those duties that he requireth at our hands but Popish vowes are not commanded by God neither in the Old nor in the New Testament but are the ordinances of Frier Francis Dominicke Loyola and the like therefore the breach of them is no sinne QVEST. LXXXII Popish Monkes as now for a long time they haue demeaned themselues are no Monkes That is Monkes are such as liue solitarily and apart from all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 company but our Popish Monkes liue not solitarily but in great Citties and dwell together in great troupes and companies And hereof it was that S. Ierome writing to Paulinus that tooke vpon him the profession of a Monk thus reasoneth with him If thou desirest to be indeed that which in name thou art Si Monachi cur toâ—…si tot iam quomodo soli O turba é solis quae simulas monadem called a Monke that is one that liueth alone why dost thou dwell in Citties which are not habitations of solitary men but of many that liue together Therefore seeing that popâ—sh Monkes liue not alone they cannot be true Monks QVEST. LXXXIII All the faithfull are saued by meere mercy through the redemption that is in Christ Seruants as S. Austine saith had their names at the first for that they were saued aliue in warre by the meere mercy of the Aug. de Civ dei lib. 19. cap. 15. Servus quasi in bello servatus Conquerour when as by the Law of armes they might haue beene iustly slaine Wherefore all men by nature being Gods enemies fighting vnder the banner of Satan against God iustly deserued to be destroied by the sharp sword of the Lords iustice And therefore seeing the faithfull when they were worthie to be destroyed were not only spared by Christ but also ransomed with the losse of his owne life they must acknowledge themselues by a double right to be his servants and must ascribe the whole glory of their saluation only to him QVEST. LXXXIV The faithfull are well witting to themselues both of Gods loue and fauour towards themselues and of their owne faith and loue towards God Arguments drawne from the definition or description of a thing Friendship as Aristotle defineth it Amicitia est mutua benevolentia non lateâ—… is a mutuall beneuolence not lying hid For true and sincere friends doe communicate Counsells shew kindnesses bestowe gifts each vpon other as testifications and prouocations of their mutuall and reciprocall kindnesse and loue each to other Wherefore sith God doth vouchsafe to enter into a league of amity and friendship with all his true and faithfull seruants being fully reconciled vnto them in Christ doth become their intire fast friend therefore hee doth make manifest his loue and good will towards them by opening vnto them all his counsells and by bestowing vpon them the manifold gifts and graces of his spirit that thereby he may kindle in their hearts reciprocall loue cause them to make manifest the same by their faithfull acceptance of so great fauours and by their carefull performance of that diuine worship and seruice which they knowe to bee acceptable in his â—ight And verily all such as sincerely loue are most carefully busied about this euen how they may make their good will and loue surely and certainely knowne to them whom they loue And here of it is that our Sauiour Christ speaking vnto his disciples in them to all his faithfull seruants saith Hence forth call I you not Seruants for the seruant knoweth not what his master Ioh. 15. 16. doth but I haue called you friends for all things that I haue heard of my Father haue I made manifest vnto you Now if Christ doth make manifest vnto the faithfull all things especially that belong to the confirmation of their faith and to the strengthning of their loue and obedience then vndoubtedly he doth make knowne vnto them their election to eternall life their sanctification wrought in them by his Spirit and Word and the certaintie of their glorification in the life to come For otherwise they cannot trust in God and loue him vnlesse they first feele in their owne hearts the sure and certaine pledges of Gods loue towards themselues So the Apostle Saint Iohn We loue him because he loued vs first and haue 1 Ioh. 4. 16. â—… 19. knowne and beleeued his loue towards vs. QVEST. LXXXV The bare testimony of the Church cannot make knowne vnto the
haue beene thought by some worthy to be fathered vpon Saint Austine I come more sweetly to my Iesus then to any of the Saints So Saint Austine himselfe in his Epistle to Dardanus O good Iesu O the Redeemer of my soule wherewithall shall I requite thy clemency or satisfie thy goodnesse for not shedding better bloud for thine elect then thou diddest for my sinnes So Saint Cyrill vpon these words Let his bloud be vpon vs and our children To what end should I haue wealth and hope for the inheritance of the goods of this world seeing already I am heire of thy most precious bloud and redeemed with thy most glorious death Why should not I very much esteeme of my selfe seeing thou hast shed as much bloud for me as thou hast done for all the world So Saint Bernard vpon these words of our blessed Sauiour I haue earnestly desired to eate this Passeouer with you before I suffer O good Iesu O the loue of my soule who among mortall men doth desire to make his life perpetuall as thou didst desire to loose thine for me What delight wilt thou take in the world to come with thine elect seeing here vpon earth thou didst call that day wherein thou didst suffer Easter that is a great and solemne festiuall day O good Iesâ— O the Redeemer of my souâ—e doe not I happily owe thee as much as all the world oweth thee seeing I haue cost thee as much bloud as all the world hath done Lastly we may ioine to these Saint Ambrose as one that is ioined with them in the same faith I will not saith he glory Ambros de Iacob vita beata cap. 6. because I am iust but because I am redeemed will I glory I will not glory that I am void of sinne but for that my sinnes are remitted vnto me I will not glory for that I haue profited any or for that any hath profited me but for that Christ is an aduocate to the Father for me and for that his bloud was shed for me By all which confessions which these holy persons made of their faith we may perceiue that it is the proper worke of true faith not onely to beleeue that Christ is our Sauiour in particular and that he shed his bloud as precisely for vs as well as for any other of the residue of the faithfull but also that thereby our sinnes are forgiuen in particular vnto our selues For it is not enough as Saint Bernard saith to beleeue that Bernard Ser. 2. de Annunciat thy sinnes cannot be done away but by him against whom thou hast offended and who himselfe cannot offend but thou must proceed further and beleeue also that thy sinnes are forgiuen euen to thy selfe To doubt of the most singular vertue of the bloud of Christ to purge all the sinnes of all the faithfull were infidelity euen so for any one that beleeueth himselfe to be one of the faithfull to doubt whether his sinnes are forgiuen to himselfe is to betray his hypocrisie seeing whatsoeuer he professeth yet either he beleeueth not himselfe to be one of the faithfull or else he beleeueth not the truth of the promise of the pardon of sinne that God hath made by all the Prophets Act. 10. 43. to all that beleeue Why Manasses himselfe that was a grieuous murtherer of Gods deare Saints and a greater Idolater then many of the Heathen yet when he felt Gods mercy in giuing him repentance he was perswaded that God was his God and louing Father and had saued and delâ—uered him from all his iniquities and sinnes No maruell then that Ezechias the Father of Manasses Esay 38. 17. who walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart and did that which was good and acceptable in his sight and therefore knew himselfe to be accepted of God did make this profession after he was deliuered from his dangerous sicknesse saying Behold for felicitie I had bitter griefe but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe No maruell likewise that Dauid a man after Gods owne heart resoluing with true sorrow of soule to confesse his sinnes had a certaine assurance of the pardon of them as he himselfe testifieth saying I thought I will confesse my sinnes against my Psal 3â— 5. selfe and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne For â—he which benefit being so gratious and great he calleth vpon his soule againe and againe to be thankfull vnto God in the best manner that possibly he could doe saying Praise the Lord Psal 1â—3 1. O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities There be two things that hinder this comfortable assurance in all the faithfull more or lesse especially in the time of some grieuous tentation As first the small measure of faith and other spirituall graces and the great strength of their earthly and carnall affections And secondly the remnants of distrustfull feare of vtterly falling away from God caused by their manifold and daily fals but the small measure of faith and of other graces of sanctification ought not to hinder the assurance of the faithfull because a little faith is a true faith aswell as a great faith seeing more or lesse doth not change Magis minus non variant speciem Iohn 3 16. Apocol 3. 8. the nature of a thing a little faith then is as true a signe of Gods loue as a great the Couenant of grace being made not only with them that haue a great faith but a little also euen with all that truly beleeue The Church of Thiatyra had but a little strength yet she was accepted with God aswell as the other Churches that had greater For workes of pietie are accepted with God according to that a man hath and not according 2 Cor. 8. 12. Matth. 13. 23. to that he hath not The ground that brought forth fruit thirtie sold is commended for good ground as well as that which brought forth a great deale more And the seruant Matth. 25. 23. that gained two talents is praised by his master as well as he that gained fiue For God will not despise the day of small Zach. 4. 10. things neither will our meeke and milde Sauiour Christ break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax Matth. 12. 20. Moreouer when the Lord doth promise that he will be a gracious God to all that beleeue repent and returne vnto him loue him and feare him and walke in his waies he doth not respect the perfection of these graces nor the worth of the workes that proceed from them but these promises are all founded vpon the worthinesse of Christ who is the foundation Act. 3. 26. Gal 3. 18. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Ephes 1. 6. of the Couenant