of him as his most faithful loyal servants The which thing because the children of the church of Rome list not to performe therefore the Lord will not be their Lord not accept of them as of his servantes nor yet allow of any of their workes as good and as a part of his worship and service 4 All obedience is to be yeelded by vs to the will of god for that we haue received all froÌ„ him and therefore are most straitely bound to yeeld to him our whole service Neither ought we only to be respectiue to the Lords good wil pleasure in al our works for that he of right ought to raigne over vs â—s being our only spiritual Lord king for that he will protect defend vs impart vnto vs the commodities of his kingdome but much rather for that he hath bestowed vpoÌ„ vs already so many favors hath shewed vnto vs so great kindnes hath bound vs vnto himselfe with such a multitude of his inestimable invaluable blessings For giftes benefits testifying kindnes loue do oftentimes much prevaile even with the natural vnregenerate maÌ„ yea with the very beasts theÌ„selues that want the light of vnderstanding reason The oxâ— knoweth his owner the asse his masters crib as the law doth allow a grouÌ„d bird to the owner of the ground where the swan is permitted quietly to make her nest without disturbance to hatch and breede vp her young so doth meere kindnes cause the thankfull storke to performe the same without law without constraint But amoÌ„g all other beastes voide of reason strange and wonderfull thinges are reported of the kindnesses of dogges towardes their masters for their simple breeding and for the sorry mainetenaunce they haue received at their hands yea the setled malice of a most caÌ„kered enimy of a most spitefull sycophant who of all savage and fierce beastes is thought by the Philosopher to be the worst hath beene conquered by kindnesse and loue and the most violent pertuâ—bations of rage and sury haue beene turned into the most tender affections of pitty and mercy And therfore it is not without cause that the Apostle exhorteth saying If thine enemie Rom 12. 2â— hunger feede him if he thirst giue him drinkâ— for in so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire vpon his head Be not evercome of evill but evercome evill with good For oftentimes the streames of kindnes loue do quench the flames of malice and hatred and kindle the coales of kindnesse and loue And therefore we ought not to suffer our selues to be taken prisoners of malice or to yeelde our selues captiues to her to execute herrage but couragiouslie to encounter her and to beate backe all her assaultes and to suffer her not to enter one foote much lesse to surprize the castle of our harts and not only so but also to pursue her manfully being entred into the heartes of our enemies and by the powerfull assistaunce of kindnesse and loue to beate her out of the plaine field and to dispossesse her of her owne castles and forteâ— vvherein shee hath beene before most strongly seated For so did Elizeus and 2. King 6. 23. David and the residue of the Lordes worthies who haue most couragiously fought these spirituall battles and haue most manfully vanquished both their owne of and the Lordes enemies When the bandes of the Aramites that were sent out to apprehend the Prophet Elizeus and to bring him to their king beeing brought into danger not only to be taken prisoners themselues but also to haue had their owne liues taken from them were not only rescued out of danger by meanes of Elizeus but also kindly friendly entertayned this kindnes so far prevailed with them that albe it there was opeÌ„ war between their nation Israel yet after their returne into their own laÌ„d they never returned to vex Israell But who was ever a more malicious enemy to any maÌ„ theÌ„ was wicked Saul to innoceÌ„t David yet astone as he perceived that himselfe beeing shut vp by the providence of God into Davids haÌ„ds he was spared by him his life preserved he was so throughly moved therewith that hee did not only presently withdrawâ— his forces from his pursuite but also most earnestly praied vnto 1. Sam. 24. 20. God and that he would giue him a reward for the same Yea wheÌ„ before having given a speciall charge to all his housholde to kill David lonathan had dehorted him from the same saying Let not the king sinne against his servant against David for he hath not sinned against thee but his workes towardâ—s thee haue beene very good for he did put his life in danger and slow the Philâ—stine the Lord wrought a greaâ— salvation for all Israell thou sâ—west it and thou reioicest Wherefore wilâ— thou then sinne against innocent bloode and slay David without a cause The only mention and recitall of the which matter did so alter Saules malitious hart that he did not only recal his former edict but also confirmed the revocation thereof with a solemne oath saying as the Lord loveth he shall not die Now if kindnes receaved 1. Sam. 19. 6 from our vnderlings and from such as we haue hated and sought their destruction doth even vpon a suddaine alter our affections and compell vs to vow their good to sweare their safety how much more any pleasure beeing done vnto vs by our superiours will glad and cheere vs at the very hart and cause vs to busie all our thoughts how we may in some measure recompence and requite the same What a credite do we thinke it to be vnto vs if the prince shall but take notice of vs and call vs by our name shew vs but some countenance and favour Or if a noble man or a man of state shall steede vs in a matter of some moment howe are we ready to cast our selues after a sort downe at his feete and to make most solemne protestation saying your honours to coÌ„mande yours according to bounden duty for ever your most obedient beadesman and servant as long as life lasteth Now the king of kings and state of states hath not only vouchsafed to haue takne notice of vs to haue provided for our vse service and comfort this so glorious and bountiful world furnished with such variety of all manner of earthly blessings but also hath prepared for vs treasures of farre greater price and value in the life to come how ought we then to be astonished amazed at such kindnes that proceedeth from so high and worthy a state how ought our hearts to be euen rapt and ravished beside themselues at the least apprehension of such invaluable favours Why even Publicanâ—s and sinners loue their lovers and shew kindnes to them of whoÌ„ they receiue kindnes yea the Devill himselfe will in some sort serue them that serue him and will be at the commandemeÌ„t
also by nature so wilfully wedded to our corrupt wil for liberty without grace is not liberty but coÌ„â—…macie that we wil none of the knowledge of the Lords waies but as the deafe adder we stop our eares at the voice of the charmer charme he neuer so wisely And so great is the obstinacy of the wicked that they will do wickedly wil not vnderstand vntil the spirit of God of vnwilling maketh willing of obstinate obedient of rebellious pliable and tractable The Philosophers make reason a queene teach that if we would follow her we should not erre and in truth the Lord made her a queene at the first but by yeelding vnto the suggestion of the subtile serpent by casting of the Lords commandement of a queene shee became a captiue of a free woman shee was made a slaue The meanes to be recouered out of the which misery is not to haue an high conceite of our reason and wisdome and to place them in the throne to rule to gouerne but to place that word which is inspired of God in the seate of gouernment and to giue vp all rule and authority thereto and to make our reason and vnderstanding with all the faculties and powers of our mindes handmaides and seruantes to this honorable Lady who so wil make vs againe kings priestes vnto God and place vs as Lords ouer al our corrupt affections tread Satan himselfe vnder our feet For he that made man at the first is only able to new make him againe being now marred by his owne madnes I knowe saith the wise man that God made man Eccl. 7. 31. righteous but they haue sought many inventions yea God made man according to his owne image in all holines wisedome and righteousnes and lighted such a lampe of diuine reason and vnderstanding in his minde that he was not only enabled thereby to rule himselfe and his owne affections but also to order in great vvisedome the whole host army of all the creatures But he being not contented with this so great measure of light would further become as God knowing good and euill and therefore thinking that his light did burne too dimme he vvould needs deliuer it to the Deuil himselfe to be topped vvho topped it cleane out leauing nothing but the smoaking snuffe thereof and so made him vvho was before a childe of light a limbe member of the kingdome of darknes And novv the case of al the children of Adam is such so ful of blindnes and ignorance of God that if any of Sap 13. 1. 1. Cor. 8. 2. them thinketh that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing as hee ought to know and if any of them seeme to be wise they must become fooles that they may be wise that is they must acknowledge bevvaile their 1 Cor 3. 18 owne folly and blindnes and seeke againe to the father of light that he would by his spirit of illumination lighten the eies of their spiritual vnderstanding they must haue continual accesse to that glorious word vvhich is a lanterne to their feete and a lighte to their Ps 119. 105 Isa 6. 20. pathes and kindle their candle againe thereat to the lavv and to the testimony they must continually resort if they speake not according to this word it is for that there is no light in them Their hart is altogither out of frame vntil it be fashioned againe and as it vvere new wrought by the spirit of God their siluer is nothing but grosâ—e drosâ—e vntil it be purged by this fire their coine is no better then cleane counterfeit vntill it receaue this stampe they are grovvne out of the Lords marke he cannot acknowledge theÌ„ for his ovvne vntill they be marked againe by the spirit of the living God who is therefore called his seale wherewith his saintes are Eph 4. â—0 Apoc. 7. 3 signed against the day of redemption for that it doth imprint in them the image of God And certainely in this article of our creede the spirit of God the third person in the glorious Trinity is called holy not so much for that holines doth infinitely rest in himselfe as it doth also in the Father the soÌ„ne but rather for that he is the aâ—…or of all holines in the children of God the meanes wherby they are borne againe the Father the soÌ„ne working the same by the holy spirit For the vvhole sanctification of our minde wil and affections and of our whole body soule is wrought entirely 1. Cor. 12. 11. altogither by the operation of this holy spirit vvho before regeneration vvorketh in vs alone and of vnvvilling maketh willing subduing our affections to the obedience of his wil vvho before stood out as traitors and rebels and after regeneration worketh Grâ—tia operaâ—… cooperaâ—… 2 Cor. 3 17 Ioh 8. 34. Râ—m 6. 16. 〈…〉 5. togither with vs giving strength to our wil that it may therby vvorke also So that if the question be of free-vvill in the regenerate we graunt that their vvil is free for that it is made free by the spirit of liberty but in the vnregenerate vve truely teach that their vvil is a bondslaue to sinne Satan withstanding the vvorke of Gods spirit vntil their conversion be vvrought thereby For it is this Lorde that doth prevent vs of vnvvilling making vs willing and then assisteth vs vvhen vve are vvilling least vve vvil in vaine Novv contrary to this most evident truth the church of Rome curseth al those who affirme free-vvil to be altogither lost or that it doth not concurre vvith Godâ— grace in our conversion CHAP. 6. Div. 1. That the true church the spouse of Christ hath a stedfast assurance of the â—…ue of her bride-groome towards her making it the foundation of her most comfortable faith being also thereby induced to harken to his vndoubted and knowne will and to esteeme highly of of his holy word and in no case to disgrace or disanull the same THE description of the true catholike and I beleâ—ue tâ—… holy catholike chuâ—ch apostolike faith set down in these articles of our christian creede doth evidently declare that they are only to be accounted faithfull that holde this faith and the company of the faithfull being the true church that they are also to bee esteemed the true Church Novve this true catholike and apostolike faith as hath beene before declared is that we beleeue in God the Father the Creator the Sonne the Redeemer the holy Ghost the Sactifier that we beleeue also that by this faith we being engrâ—…ed in to Christ so recoÌ„ciled vnto God 〈◊〉 incorporated into the heauenly Ierusalem made members of the holy catholike church a communion of sainâ—s and so obtaine remission of sins shal attaine to the resurrection of the body and â—o liâ—e euerlasting as the very order coherence of these articles doth also insinuate The Deuils
possibly do any thing that can please him better theÌ„ when we yeeld him that service which he himselfe hath coÌ„maunded Now every true and faithfull servant of God woulde most willingly doe vnto God that service which is most acceptable vnto him and therefore hee ought most readilie to addresse himselfe to the carefull performance of all duties as are prescribed in the commandements of God Subiects servants ought to performe their civill duties to their magistrats and masters by yeelding obedience to their lawfull commandemeÌ„ts but yet being so done they are to be esteemed but civil duties But if they wil haue them to be religious duties also theÌ„ they must performe them in obedience not so much vnto men as vnto God for that hee hath most straightly enioyned them to bee subiecte to those whom he hath placed over them Servants saith the Apostle be Coll. 3. 22. obedient vnto them vvhich are your masters according to the flesh in all thinges not with eie service as men pleasers but with singlenes of heart fearing God and whatsoever yee doe doe it hartelie as to the Lord not vnto men knowing that of the Lord yee shall receiue the inheritance for yee serue the Lord Christ By which words wee may learne that servants yeelding their obedience to their bodely masters at the commandement of Christ doe therein serue Christ and therfore howsoever they are heere oftentimes very slenderly rewarded by their bodely masters they shal be sure to bee well rewarded elsewhere by their master Christ Verely it ought to bee a sufficient motiue vnto vs to be exercised in the commandementes of God for that it is the holy and acceptable will of God that we should so doe and yet behould his great and endlesse goodnes who applieth himselfe to our frailety and weakenes not onely by promising vnto vs all manner of blessings both spirituall and temporall thereby to allure vs also to the ready performance of that dutie which shall be so liberally rewarded both in this life and in the The faithfull in some sort may respect both promises threatninges rewardes and punishmeÌ„ts the better to stirre them vp to doe their duties and all many times little ynough but yet to doe the wil of their heavenly father and to please him is the most principall motiue to stir them vp to the ready performance of all good workes life to come but also by threatning vs with all plagues punishments that so he might force and compel vs to that the omission and neglect whereof shall in the end be revenged with so great severity Wherein the Lord dealeth with vs as a wise and carefull father dealeth with his deare childe who while hee is young and wanterh discretion sometimes vseth the terror yea the sharpe blowe of the rodde and sometimes a figge and an apple and the promise of a gay coate the better thereby to nurture him and to traine him vp but when he beginneth to be of yeeres discretion then he seeketh to make manifest vnto him his fatherly care and kindnes towardes him therby to possesse him with the loue of his dutie the which thing when it is once wel perceiued of the kinde and naturall childe then he thinketh that he can never be careful inough by al meanes to please so careful kind a father he is greatly grieved with himselfe if any waie he offend him hee is very much ashamed of his former child shnes in that hee was reâ—dier to hee nurtured with a rodde and an apple then with the due consideration of his fathers loue So dealeth with vs the father of our spirites sometimes assaying to winne vs with his promises and sometimes to terrifie vs with his threates but when we are come to that discretioÌ„ that we are able somewhat to discerne that dignity of our high calling in Christ the great honour of our heavenly and caelestial adoption theÌ„ nothing doth prevaile so much with vs as the due consideration and admiration of the Lords great endlesse mercies which he hath already made manifest vntovs Then we begin to bee ashamed of our too much childishnes that we should still stand in neede either to bee as it were stil flattered or chidde and would most willingly perswade our selues that onely to please so loving and gracious a father ought to be a sufficient motiue of it selfe to induce vs to the careful performance of al duties And verely the kind and louing child of God in doing those workes which are required at his handes seeketh not so much to please men or to profite himselfe as he intendeth to serue and please God by being obedient to his wil and he respecteth al other thinges no otherwise then it standeth with the good likeing and wil of God that he should respect and regard the same Hee loueth God principally for Gods sake not for his own or anie others to gaine any thing thereby to himselfe or to any other The cause saith an auncient father of louing God is God the measure Bern. lib. de diligendo deo of louing him is without measure God verelie saith he is not loued without reward albeit he be to be loued without respect to the reward For he loveth God lesse then hee should that loueth any thing besides GOD. Wherefore if in doing good workes we principally respect praise commendation among men and to be honoured magnified of the multitude for the same or if wee principally regarde either the procuring of the Lordes temporall blessings heere in this life or the purchasing of eternal glory in the life to come then wee serue our selues and not the Lord and loue our selues and not the Lord. And is he not to be accounted a slaue that is forced to his duty for feare of the whippe an hireling that is drawen thereto in respect of his hire Verely the sincere servant of Christ embraceth godlines for it selfe and honoureth God for his owne sake If thou be a slaue saith Nazianzene feare the whippe and if thou bee an Nazianz. de sanct baptism hireling expect thine hire but if also aboue these thou art a sonne reverence God as thy Father doe well for that it is an excellent thing to be obedient to thy father and albeit there were no other thing to bee attained hereafter yet this very thing will be a sufficient reward to haue done that which is well pleasing to thy father I haue applied my minde saith David to keepe thy commandements even to the end Some thinke saith Isidore Clarius the vvord that signifieth to the ende to signifie for the reward Psal 119. But saith he it is to servile a thing and not worthy such a prophet to giue dilligence to Gods commandements for the reward and for the hope of retribution seeing for this one thing that we â—e created by him wee can never satiâ—fie this debt yea saith he we are bound to serue him vvith our whole minde
but onely counselled by God and left to be ordained by their special care For that belike they were to bee more careful and zealous then God himselfâ— for those things that did most principally coÌ„cerne his owne honour For the better clearing of the which matter let vs briefly examine these two points First whâ—ther it be likely that God would barely adviâ—e and not peremptorely commande all such dueties as did most pâ—incipally concerne his owne honour Secondly whether thosâ— workes which are enioined by the founders of the religious orders of the church of Rome be of greater dignity perfection then those which are required in the law of God Now concerning the first of these pointes let vs consider â—hat if in any There is nothing essentiallie belonging to the service of god which is barely couÌ„selled and not precisely commaÌ„ded by god himselfe army nothâ—ng bee done without speciall charge and commission from the generall without whose appointment to attempt any thing how needfull soever it bee and what prosperous successe soever it hath yet it is punishable by marshiall discipline and if in the government of the familie of a wise master among men who is able and at leasure to manage his own affaires there is nothing done without the commandement of the master of the family who only hath authority to commande in his owne house or if any thing be done without his commandement yet al matters of the greatest moment and importance are straitely precisely commanded by him and not lest to the voluntary choice and good liking of the servants themselues how then may it be credible and to be beleeved that the Lord of hosts the most sufficient and provident generall of the greatest army and the wisest master of the most noble family woulde more straitly commande the carefull performance of meane matters then of such as are of greater moment and weight yea that he would noâ— coÌ„mâ—nde them at all to any of his souldiers and servants but onely giue advise and counsell therin otherwise leaving them to their owne choice Verily our Saviour Christ telleth the hypocriticall Pharisies that were so strict in tything of minte cummin and annise Mat. 23. 23. seede and were so loose in the greater pointes of the law mercy iudgement and truth that howsoever they ought not to neglect the due performance of the least duety that God had commaunded yet they ought to haue employed their greatest care aboute the fulfilling of the greatest duty for that that was more exactly required by God Now if the Lord hath most principally required the more carefull performance of the more principall duties that are commanded in his own law and hath appointed a greater punishment for the neglect and contempt of the same shall we imagine that he hath left altogether vnexacted greater duties then are enacted in his owne lawe Either is it credible that God himselfe by the ministery of Moses his greatest servaÌ„t would enact lawes and statutes of meaner importance yea that he himselfe would come as it were in his owne person to proclaime theÌ„by the voice of an Angell with thundringes and lightnings terrors Exod. 20 18 feare maiesty and glory to procure the more reverence and obedience to the same and to leave those of the greatest moment to be ordeined by Francis Dominike and Layola without any such or the like solemnity Or was it true only at the first delivery of the law that there was no nation so great that had lawes so righteous as was Deut. 4. 8. all that law that was then delivered to the people of Israell and written into two tables by the Lords owne finger must there needes now be exception taken aginst the same in the rules of al the relligious orders of the church of Rome which commaunde workes of greater holines and dignity and such as tende to a steppe of Mat. 23. 37. higher perfection What hath not God commanded vs in his lawe to loue him with all our hart soule and strength and our neighbour as our selues and to vse all meanes ordained by him to the stirring vp of our selues to the performance of his loue And was not it a flatte commandement of God before the name of any Frier was heard of given to all the servants of God without exception That they should Psal 1. 2. Coll. 3 16. 1. Thes 5. 16 so meditate on the lawe of God day and night that it might dwell in them most plentifully that they should reioyce evermore pray continuallie and in all thinges giue thankes that they shoulde deny themselues and mortifie al maÌ„ner of corrupt affections which were any way preiudicial to the loue of God and their neighbour that they should offer vp to cod in sacrifice their bodily meÌ„bers as servaÌ„ts to righteousnes their soules replenished with faith loue feare obedience thaÌ„kefulnes the like devoting themselues al that they possesse to the most honorable service of the alsufficient God Wherfore to come to the second question what greater duties The works enioyned to the popish votaries are not of greater perfection then those that are commanded in the law of God to be observed of all Christians 1. Tim. 4. 4. do the rules of our Romish Friers exact theÌ„ these that are enacted by the law of God What is it a thing of greater perfection to abstaine from mariage then from whoredome froÌ„ meate then from surfeiting from riches then from pride covetousnes and oppression What is it a more acceptable duty to abstaine froÌ„ Gods creatures and from the lawfull vse of such things as are the blessings of God made created for the vse of his servaÌ„ts theÌ„ to abstaine froÌ„ the workes of the devil which are damnable cursed with the autor of them Is it a worthier worke to abstaine froÌ„ mariage then to bring vp childreÌ„ in the informatioÌ„ of the Lord which may be zealous maintainers of his worshippe service when we our selues cannot continue any longer in this world to praise the Lord Is it a matter of greater value to abstaine from meate and riches then with thy foode to feede the hungry and with thy riches to releiue the needy yea theÌ„ to build churches to the maintenaÌ„ce of Gods service to erect colledges for the encrease of learning to found hospitalls for the reliefe of the poore and to build schooles for the educatioÌ„ of youth Verily the wise maÌ„ thought poverty to be a steppe rather to wretchednes theÌ„ to blessednes and therefore praied particularly against the same saying Giue me not Prov. 30. â— poverty And our Saviour himselfe hath taught vs that it is an happier thing to giue then to receive to helpe others by our gifts theÌ„ Act. 20. 35. to become begging Friers to seeke to be releived by the helpe of others And he shal not say at the last day Come yee blessed of my father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from
hoale when they are sicke even to death and therefore haue need of the more spiritual physicke because this their estate is most dangerous of all and such persons of all other are most hardly to be recovered For why did Publicanes and harlots Mat. 11. 21. An infidell is sooner converted then a couÌ„terfeit chri stian and a notorious sinner theÌ„ a dissembling hypocrite Pro. 26. 12. Mat 9. 12. sooner enter into the kingdome of God then the Scribes Pharisies and why would Sodom haue repented before Capernaum but for that all such as content theÌ„sâ—lues with an outward shew of piety and godlines are furthest of indeed from true piety and godlines Seest thou a man saith Solomon that is wise in his owne eies there is more hope of a foole then of such an one So seest thou one that is hoale in his own conceite there is far more hope of his recovery who albeit hee were more dangerously sicke yet hath not so strong an opinion of his own health For it is a good step to health to know a mans owne sicknes but he that cannot be perswaded that he is sicke wil not be perswaded to take physick therefore is past all hope of recovery he that will not bee perswaded that he is out of the way will never be perswaded to seek for a guide and therfore will never come into the right way Wherfore never more neede then nowe that the Lorde shoulde even force vpon vs as faithful guides the doctrine of his holy Apostles and Prophets and never more need then now that our heavenly physition should even constraine vs oftentimes to receiue his spiritual physicke and not only in respect of those that are Christians only in shew who are otherwise past all hope of recovery but also in respect of those that are true Christians indeede who yet notwithstanding are so distempered and crasie that without the continual administring of this spiritual physicke they wil by one ghostly sicknes or other soone fall into great danger yea vnlesse these men be stil feeding on this food they wil soone become so weake and feeble that they will not bee able to doe the Lordes worke vnlesse they be stil moistened with these eaelesâ—…al shewers they wil become fruitlesse and yeeld a smal haâ—vest vnlesse by this net they are stil drawne out of the sea of their sins they will sinke deeper deeper vntil they be drowned vnlesse this light be stil in their hands they will stumble and fall into the pit of destruction vnlesse this voice of the great shepheard doth stil souÌ„d in their eares they wil nothing but wander and go astray vnlesâ—e this spurre be stil in their sides they wil sone be at a stand giue over their iourney vnlesse these bellowes be stil blowing the fire of their zeale wil soone goe out As may appear by the examples of those renowned servants of God Zorobabell Iosuah the residue of that holy remnant of the people of God which returned out of the captivity of Babilon who were soone moued to give over the building of the temple of God and to settle themselues to their owne coÌ„modities pleasures vntill by the vvord of the Lord out of the mouth of the Prophet Haggey they vvere Hagg. 1. 3. effectually stirred vp vnto the finishing of the LORDS worke Wherfore no marvaile that al the faithful servants of God knowing the great necessity of having continuall in their handes and harts the most holesome instructions admonitions of the word of God doe exhort one another zealously after this manner saying Come lette vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lorde to the Isa 2. 5. Mich. 4. 1. house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his lawes and we will walke in his pathes They wil not walke in the vvaies of the Psal 1. 1. vngodly nor stand in the waies of sinners nor sitte in the seate of the scornefull and why their delight is in the law of the Lord. and in that law they doe exercise themselues day and night and thereby they become like erees planted by the water side which bring forth their fruite in due season whose leaves never wither And no marvaile though they prove such fruitful trees seing they are so plentifully watered with such holesome dewes whereas all such as refuse to drinke in continuall those holesome droppes being planted in the dry wildernes of this barren world become withered and deade trees good for nothing but to bee hewen downe and cast into the fire Seeing then the relligious reading hearing and meditating of the worde of GOD is not onely in it selfe a very excellent good worke and a principall part of the service of God which is to bee performed as every day so especially vpon the Lords day but also the meaue to begette and bring forth every good worke and to further the whole service of God to lead the people to the behoulding of God and to their perfect and absolute blessednes what then may we iudge of the vvorkes of the Church of Rome and of her manner of serving of GOD and of her leading of the people to the beholding of GOD and to their perfecte and absolute blessednes seeing shee keepeth this word of GOD fast shutte vp from the greatest part of them vnder the locke and key of a straunge tongue and debarreth them from the continuall reading thereof yea from the reading thereof altogeather and not onely so but also chargeth our Church to lay a stumbling blocke before the people and to minister occasion vnto them of falling into heresie for that wee not onely allowe but also exhort them to haue their continuall and dayly resort to the same that so they might be enabled to know the truth and to discerne it from falshood lies not receiving any doctrine vpon the bare credite of their teachers but trying it by this touchstone before they receive it for currant and good But if hereby we sett open a doore to errour heresie theÌ„ did The doctrine of al teachers is to be tried before it be received Ioh. 5. 39. Act. 17. 11. Christ and his Apostles doe the same before vs and many also Apostolical men For our Saviour himselfe willeth the people to search the Scriptures and no further to give credite to his ovvne Doctrine then they shoulde finde it approved by those vvitnesses And the Beraeans are commended for searching the Scriptures and for putting into those ballances the verie doctrine of the Apostle Saint Paule that so they might see whether it would holde weight For as Austine teacheth all other ballances are deceitfull and therefore in his controversies with Aug. cont Donat. l. 2. cap. 6. the Donatistes he appealeth to them and vvill haue his cause to bee vveighed onely therein And is it not the commaundement of CHRIST himselfe given to the people Beware of false Math. 7. 15. Prephets which come to you in
happy also is the estate of those sheepe which haue Ioh 21. 15. a faithfull sheapheard to goe in and out before them and to lead thē alonge into the pastures of righteousnes as lamentable is the case of those Cōgregations which are as sheepe scattered abroad without a sheapheard as wretched is the estate Math 9. 36. of that ground which hath no skilfull husbandman to manure the same Surely the harvest is great the labourers are but few therefore we must make earnest suite to the Lord of the harvest that he would thrust forth labourers into his harvest And may we not as truly say that these battles are hote that the leaders thereof on the adverse part are many expert cruel therefore that there is great neede that all the Leaders of the Lords armies should be stirred vp encouraged each by other to stand vp in the breach and couragiously to withstand the force of the enimie The which thinge if any of thē shall either be vnwilling or vnable to performe order had neede to be taken presētly for such least the armie thereby should be brought in great danger And verely right Reverend in the Lord it is lamentable to behold what great massacres blindnes and ignorance superstition and Idolatrie do make as yet in the middest of many Congregations who are laide as it were wast and desolate for want as it may be supposed either of hability or else of industry in their Leaders which should withstand the force of these enimies How many are there even among those which outwardly notwithstāding cōforme thēselues to law order who feede still vpon poisō for want of holesome foode to be so divided that they may be able to receaue the same like silly sheepe are still ready to stray hither thither to become a pray to the greedy wolfe for wāt of such a sheapheard as should still goe in out before thē and direct them along in a right course For is it not with vs who are in this our Church as it were the feete of the Ministery as it was with that image represēted to Nabuchadnezzar in a dreāe whose feete were part of iron part of clay For there are in many the Lord be blessed for thē encrease the number of thē the strength of iron whereby they are enabled to stay the people vpright to keepe thē in obediēce to God to their Soveraigne and there are others like moultring clay hauing little power to strengthē thēselues lesse hability to stay others Thus am I bold to intimate the estate of Christs sheepe vnto your Lordshippe being our great sheepheard who not onely by your antority do require our watchfulnes diligence over our severall flocks but also by your owne example do perswade vs therevnto verifiyng by your practise the truth of that saying of one of your L. most famous Predecessors that as an Emperour should die standing in the fielde so should a B. in the pulpitte The high and cheife Bishop of all our soules visite your Lordship daily with his mercies encrease his graces blessings vpon you preserue you both in body soule to his owne honour to the benefite of his Church Amen Your LORDSHIPPES as dutie bindeth me to command IOHN TERRY To the Christian Reader AS it is a necessary duty good Christian Reader for every mēber in mans body even for the meanest and basest as wel as for the most principal to performe their common service for the cōmon benefit preservation of the whole even so it is as needful for every member of the Church cōmon weale be he higher or lower greater or lesse to walke painfully in his seueral calling in obediēce to God who hath thus or thus placed him carefully to discharge that dutie which the Lord requireth at his hands For there are none of Gods blessings be they in cōparison of the greater of never so low a rate estimatiō but that they are worthy that we should employ our cares cogitations about the lavvful obtaining encreasing preserving of the same there is no talent so smal cōmitted to any that is carelesly or cōtemptuously to be flunge aside tied vp in a napkin or buried Math. 25. in the groūd Should a little light be cleane put out wheras it may fit some little cādlesticke serue to lightē some little house Or should a man of meane stature when he is assaulted by his enemy stand nothing at al vpon his owne defence but cast away al manner of weapon because he is not able to vse Hercules clubbe Our Saviour Christ which Isa 42 3. Mat. 21. 16. breaketh not the bruised reede nor quencheth the smoaking flax reiected not the testimony of very childrē crying in the tēple saying Hosanna the son of Dauid but gaue strēgth vnto it with Haue ye never reade out of the mouthes of babes Psal 8. 2. and sucklings thou hast made perfite thy praise Little David vnable to beare the weapon of a man of warre beeing 1. Sam. 17. strengthned by the Lords aide prevailed against great Goliah And experience doth teach that in martiall services a meane souldiours bullet may strike some cheife man of the adverse part and so further the winning of the fielde and helpe to the getting of the full victorie The Lords hād is not shortned nor his spirit tied the planting and watring of such as haue the greatest giftes is nothing vnlesse God 1. Cor. 3. 7. giue the encrease and the laboures of the meanest Minister of Christ may be profitable to his Church when it pleaseth the Lord to giue a blessing therevnto Yea the meaner the instrument the greater is the glorie of him that worketh by the same when all men that see it shall say this hath 2. Cor. 47. the Lord done and shall perceaue that it is his worke Vpon these groundes haue I beene emboldened good Christian Reader albeit but a meane souldiour to come into the fielde with the residue of the Lordes army to the succouring if it be but of one soule or to the rescuing of one captiue out of the enimies handes Many things do plainly cōvince the B. of Rome his adherēts as the most capitall enimies of Christes Church in these last times endes of the world For howsoever they pretend thēselues to be the onely preservers yet in truth they are most greavous destroiers of the Catholike faith albeit they make a shew as if they were the cheifest pillars yet they are the greatest pullers downe of the Church of Christ and although they glory of their perfect consent and agreement with the doctrine of Christ yet in truth they maintaine many flat direct cōtradictiōs against the very groūds foūdations of the doctrine of Christ The shortest sūme abridgment of the doctrine of Christ is Repēt beleeue the gospel Repētāce Faith Whereof the
Marc. 1. 15. one is occasioned by the due consideration of our owne most manifold and greavous corruptions the other by the apprehension of the Lordes most singular and endles goodnes And therefore the scope of the whole Scripture teÌ„ding to teach repeÌ„taÌ„ce faith teÌ„deth likewise to these two ends on the one side to display lay open the incomparable excellencies perfectioÌ„s that be in God that by the beauty therof we may be most earnestly stirred vp to desire reconciliatioÌ„ fellowship with him to place our whole hope confideÌ„ce in him to ascribe vnto him al honour glory on the other side to discover the infirmities corruptions of man that therby he may be induced al selfe loue set aside to distrust deny renouÌ„ce himselfe to haÌ„g down the head being coÌ„fouÌ„ded in himselfe cast downe to the bottomles pitte of hell So the Prophet I say setting downe the mighty working of the gospell at the coming of the Messias testifieth that thereby the high lookes shall be humbled and the Isa 2. 17. 24. 23. loftines of man shall be abated and the Lord onely shall be exalted in that day yea that the Moone shal be abashed and the Sunne ashamed wheÌ„ the Lord shal appeare that is that such things as in our selues seeme beautiful as the SuÌ„ne shal be covered with darknes dashed over as with a coaâ—e in respect of the brightnes of Gods most admirable goodnes shining in the face of the glorious Messias And whaâ— else also meaneth the Prophet â—zechiell in saying that when Ezech. 16. the Lord hath confirmed his everlasting Covenant with vs is pacified towards vs theÌ„ we shal remeÌ„ber our waies be ashamed neuer open our mouthes any more in respect of our shame Wherefore if we will bee partakers of the fruite of the gospell we must be moued thereby to looke throughly into our own corruptioÌ„s to cast down our eies as it were vpoÌ„ our own fowle feete that so we may haue our part in that shaÌ„e which is the path way to worship honor We Eccl. 4. 21. must not be gazing vpon our peacockes tailes nor beholding the SuÌ„ne when he shineth nor the Moone walking in her Iob. 31. 26. brightnes that is we must not admire ourselues no not in respect of our teÌ„poral or spiritual gifts lest our owne harts do flatter vs in secret so induce vs to kisse our own haÌ„ds Surely this is an iniquity to be coÌ„deÌ„ned seing it is a denial Hab. 2. 4. of the Lord aboue For he that lifteth vp himselfe his hart is not vpright for the iust shal liue by faith which teacheth vs not to admire ourselues or to trust in our selues but to go out of our selues and to trust in God and to place our whole hope in the riches of his grace in the fulnes of his goodnes And in truth we can hardly detract to much from man in whose flesh dwelleth no good thing al the imaginatioÌ„s Rom. 7 18. Gen. 6. 5. of whose hart are only evil coÌ„tinually that so he may be brought to cast away al selfe loue pride coÌ„fidence in himselfe take to himselfe his due deserved coÌ„fuâ—ion and shame be vnfainedly huÌ„bled as he ought to be As on the coÌ„trary side we caÌ„ as hardly ascribe to much to Gods goodnes or be overlavish in extolling the hight leÌ„gth bredth depth of the loue of Christ that passeth knowledge that so the pledges of his endles favour may raise vs vp to a true liuely faith to giue him that glory that is due to him And why should mire that lieth in the streete be so gready to be seasoÌ„ed with sugar spice a vile peece of a rotten post to be gilded over with fine gold why should wretched sinful man be desirous to enlarg his own estimatioÌ„ by advauÌ„cing lifting vp himselfe prepare a way to a most daÌ„gerous downfall So God be glorified we ought not greatly regard what becometh of vs seing all is due to him nothing to vs. And verely the most blessed servants saints of God being purged and clensed from all corruptions being admitted to the vision of God and to bebold not his hinder partes but even to see him face to face and so to behold his vnspeakable glory as farre forth as the creature is capable of the same albeit they are so highly advauÌ„ced yet they take their crownes from their owne heades and cast them downe before the throne saying Apoc. 4 10. 11. Thou art worthy O Lord to receaue honour glorie power for thou hast created all thinges for thy willes sake they were are created never ceasing day nor night to sing holy holy holy Lord God Apoc. 15. 4. almighty who shal not feare thee glorify thy name for thou only art holy Yea our most glorious Lord Saviour Christ Iesus himselfe who was annointed with the oile of gladnes aboue his fellowes and endued vvith the spirite vvith out measure vvho is advaunced to the right hand of GOD and hath all power in heaven and earth giuen vnto him is appointed iudge of quicke deade when he shall haue finished the worke of his Mediator-shippe and shall haue placed al the elect of God in the peaceable possessioÌ„ of that most glorious kingdome which he hath purchased for theÌ„ with his owne blood theÌ„ as he is man he shal deliver vp his kingdome to God be subiect to him that to this end that God may be all in all all glorie honour power 1. Co. 15. 28 praise being worthely ascribed only to him Whereby it is evident that God can never be sufficiently magnified in respect of his incomprehensible goodnes glory as on the contrary side man can never be sufficiently huÌ„bled abased especially in comparison had vnto God And yet the members of the Church of Rome fearing belike that Gods great grace should be to highly magnified that to much should be yeelded therevnto being loath as it seemeth that man should take to himselfe that due deserued shaÌ„e that beloÌ„geth vnto him wil haue neither Conc. Trid. sess 6. cap. 1. Can. 7. al our workes before our coÌ„versatioÌ„ being doÌ„e without faith to be condemned for sinne nor all our good workes after our Cap. â—… con 25. Cap. 2. can 4. conversion to be stained so much as with any â—ental sinne neither all our very sinnes to be damnable and mortall nor yet our conversion it selfe to be wrought only by the spirit of regeneration but also by the power of our owne free wil neither our salvation to be ascribed to the only death of our all sufficient Saviour but also to our owne merites and desertes The Prophet Cap. 11. can 32. Psal 115. 1. David was of another spiâ—…e Not vnto vs O Lorde saith he not vnto vs but vnto
and prefermentes of this world will growe out of tail with vs and become vnsavoury in respect of the same And therefore as it is a note of a man of earth to haue his heart glued to the thinges of this eaâ—…n and to be greedy to devour the draffe thereof so to haue our heartes set vpon heaveÌ„ly things is a token and marke of an heavenly minde and of a Aug. de Charitate person that belongeth to the kingdome of heaven Let every one saith Austine examine himselfe what he loueth and thereby he shall perceaue to what city he belongeth if he loue the world and worldly things as flâ—…lenes riches and honour he is a citizen of Babylon but if he loue God he is a citizen of Ierusalem 5. The last is in respect of that infinite and endles loue of God which is confirmed vnto vs in Christ Iesus to desire by all meanes possible to shewe a dutifull thankefulnes vnto him both by louing the thinges which he loueth and by honouring the persons which he honoureth If yee know saith S. Iohn that God is righteous knowe yee also that he which 1. Ioh. 2. 29. doth righteously is torne of him For if we resemble Gods image in holines wisedome and righteousnes then assuredly we are Gods children if our fruite be good we are good trees if the streames of our actions runne cleare and pure then it is certaine and sure that the fountaine of our harts is purified by faith and that so wee belong to the number of the faithfull So likewise that a louing affection towardes our brethren in Christ is an infallible marke of a true christian our Saviour Christ himselfe teacheth by this saith he shall all men knowe that ye are my desciples if ye loue one another Ioh. 13. 36. 1. Ioh. 3. 14. Aug in ep Ioh Tract 5 So S. Iohn by this we knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Let everie one saith S. Austine returne home into his owne hart and if he finde there brotherly loue let him be secure for he is already passed from death to life he is already vpon the right hande To loue a man for that he is a man is a pointe of humanity to pitty a man because he is in misery is the duety of mercy but to embrace a man for that he is a christian man is a point of christianity Math. 11. 41. He that receiueth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall haue a prophetes rewarde and he that receaueth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall haue a righteous mans rewarde and whosoever shall giue to one of these little ones to drinke a cuppe of colde vvater onlye in the name of a disciple verely I say vnto you hee shall not loose his reward For he that honoureth Gods graces which he bestoweth vpon his children declareth thereby that he himselfe hath his part portion in those graces and he that loueth Gods servantes for that they are beloued of God shevveth himselfe also to be beloued of God So then these being the sure and certaine signes of a true sauing and iustifying faith if vve may assuredly knovve that they bee in vs albeit they bee in vs but in some measure that is to say If vvee assuredly knowe whether we vnfeignedly loue the most precious word of God and place our vvhole trust and faith onely in God taking the incomparable dignity of the death of CHRIST duely pondered weighed to be the mother â—urce of this our stedfast faith if we reioyce in our gracious calling to the estate of salvation in Christ as in our greatest and chiefest blessednes and in respect therof are ready willing to loue the things which he loueth to honour the persons which â—e honoureth theÌ„ we may also assuredly know that we haue obtained a true sauing iustifying faith that we beloÌ„g to the nuÌ„ber of the faithful But these things we may assuredly know whether they be in vs or otherwise especially vpoÌ„ due examinatioÌ„ triall 1. Cor. 2. 21 Rom. 2. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conscientia I knowe what I know For howsoever we may counterfeite deceaue others who canot looke into the secrete corners of our heartes yet we cannot deceaue our owne spâ—rites consciences whereby we are wâ—…ting to our owne waies as the very names thereof do sufficiently declare vnlesse we will wilfully claspe them and close them vp And yet the couÌ„cel of Trent hath peremptorily defined Con. Trid. c. 9. de fide iustified that none can know by the certainty of â—aith but that he may be deceaued that hee hath obtained grace that is as I take it that he hath attained to the estate of grace Yea our Rhemistes are so shameles Rhe. in 4 c. 1. ep ad Cor. that they are bold to avouch that the very Apostle S. Paul duâ—st not assure himselfe that he was iustified neither could take vpon him to be iudge of his owne heart and cogitations whether they were pure 2. Tim. 4 7. 2. Cor. 1. 12 11. 23. Rom 7. 25. or no contrary to the most evident plaine asseveâ—ations of the Apostle himselfe in diverse places of his own epistles yea coÌ„trary to the plaine words of that very verse whereon they ground this their observation where the Apostle testifieth that he had fouÌ„d his conscience cleare and his cogitations pure I am not saith he guiltie in conscience of anye thinge And vvith as greate vntruth is that iust and holy man Iob charged with the ignorance of the estate of his owne soule and with a doubtful feare even of all his works For albeit hee might feare both in respect of the imperfections of his best vvorkes and also in respecte of his vnknowne and secrete sinnes for vvho knovveth hovve ofâ—e heâ— offendeth and especially at that time vvhen the Lordes hande vvas so heavie vpon him yet what an assured testimonie he had in himselfe of a good conscience and vvhat an vndoubted assuraunce of his ovvne righteousnesse iustice fortitude chastitie puritie equitie vprightnesse compassion mercye liberalitie bountiâ—ulnes magnanimitie and humility he himselfe testifieth most excellentely and at large and if such as know the same would not giue testimony thereto yet Iob. 29. 31. he assureth himselfe that God will witnesse the same and therevpon resteth as fully contented And verily it hath been an ordinary practise of the dearest saintes and servantes of God bâ—ing best vvitting to themselues of their owne innocencye sinceritie and vprightnesse in performing their dutyes both to God and to man not onely vvhen they haue beene falsely accused and slaundered but otherwise also to make protestation thereof even before the Lorde to mooue him to take their cause being the cause of his faithfull servants into his owne handes to cleare them and to succour them and to encrease Psal 7. 8. 26. 1. his graces
and mercies vpon them Iudge me O Lord saith David according vnto my righteousnes and according vnto the innocencye that is in mee and againe Iudge mee O Lorde for I haue vvalked innocently c. and verse the eight of the same Psalme O Lorde I haue loued the habitation of thy house and the place vvhere thine honour dwelleth O shut not vp my soule with sinners nor my life with the blood-thirsty in whose hands is wickednes their right hand is ful of gifts and coÌ„cerning the assuraÌ„ce that he had of his own faith the spring fouÌ„taine of al good works he likwise testifieth saying Haue mercy vpoÌ„ me O God haue mercy vpoÌ„ me for my soule trusteth in thee vnder the shaddowe of thy winges shal be my refuge vntill this tirannie bee over Isa 38. 3. past So Ezechias Remember now O Lorde how I haue waâ—ked before thee with an vpright hearte and haue done that which is acceptable in thy sight Remember me saith Nehemiah O my God in goâ—dnes according Neâ— 5. 9. 13 22. to all that I haue done for this people And againe Remember me O God concerning this and pardon mee according vnto thy great mercie Pray for vs saith the Apostle for we are assured that wee haue a good Heb. 13. 18. conscience desiring to liue honestly in all things And in truth how could the actions of the faithful haue beene pure and good except they had beene done in faith and in obedience to God and vpon an assured knowledge that they were wel pleasing vnto him How otherwise could they haue beene so bold and that in lue of that service which then they performed vnto him to haue required at the Lords hands that reward which he hath promised to his faithful servaÌ„ts Or if they theÌ„selues were not fully perswaded of their most comfortable faith godly life of the sincerity of an vpright conscience how came it to passe that the light therof was so great that their most deadly malicious enimies were 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 holie profession which bringeth forth so holie a conversation this is a ioyfull and comfortable faith which yeeldeth such ioy and comfort amidst so great and grievous torments and in the very terrors of death it selfe O truely great is the God of these christians Their light did so shine before meÌ„ that they did see their goods works and glorifie their father which was in heaven and therefore they did much more assuredly see them themselues Wherfore to conclude this first question A true a faithful christian man is not ignorant of the estate of his own soul nor standeth in feare of al his actions he â—s not in doubt of the purity of his cogitations nor yet vncertaine of his obtained grace he cleerely beholdeth the light of his owne holy life and conversation and both by the markes fruits of his christian faith groweth into a stedfast assurance thereof being thereby enabled to make an vndoubted profession of the same according vnto the direction of this our christian creede I beleeue Novv the first question being thus determined the second follovveth whether a faithfull christian knowing assuredlie that hee hath obtained a true saving and iustifying faith may know also assuredlie that â—e is in the favour of God hath remission of sinnes and a iust title to the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven Andradius the maintainer of the Trâ—dentine faith seemeth to yeeld thus much that if we could assuredly knovv that we had faith repentance loue we might also assuredly knovv that vve vvere in the favour of God had al our sins remitted vnto vs. But of the former he greatly doubteth nay he boldly avoucheth with * Duraeus li. 8. de paradoxiâ— other of his fellovvs that we cannot attaine to any stedfast and certaine assurance of the same Now theÌ„ seeing that the meÌ„bers of the church of Rome know not assuredly whether they beleeue or no or belong to the nuÌ„ber of the faithful servaÌ„ts of Christ it is no mervaile that they know not that they are in the favor of God neither acknovvledge the great mercy of Christ tovvardes themselues in remitting vnto them their iniquities and sinnes Whereas no doubt the faithfull servauntes and children of GOD feeling his lavv written in their Heb. 8. 10. 1 Ioh. 5. 20. heartes and knovving that he hath giuen them a minde to knovv him aright and to perfourme in some measure the vvell deserved duety of obedient servauntes and loving children and that according vnto his ovvne prescription in his most sure and vndoubted vvord do knovv also assuredly thereby that they themselues are vnder the covenant of mercy and in the estate of grace that God is become their loving father in Christ hath cast al their sinnes into the bottome of the sea This question then concerneth not the vnfaithfull and vnbeleeuers whether such may knovv whether they are in Gods favor for doubtlesse they may perswade themselues the cleane contrary but the faithful beleeuers only vnto whoÌ„ for the better streÌ„gthning of their stedfast assurance diverse helpes are ministred by the Lord in his word For as in the coÌ„veiancâ— of earthly lands possessions vvhen any thing is to passe from man to man the graunt is set dovvne in vvriting and signed and sealed vvith the hand and seale of the party that maketh the graunte and subscribed vvith the handes or markes of the vvitnesses present for the same purpose that so the party to vvhome the graunte is made may haue good security for those landes vvhich are after this manner passed over vnto him and as in those evidences the cause of the graunte is sometime signified for the better confirmation of the conveiance even so our most gracious and mercifull GOD purposing of his infinite and endlesse mercy in Christ to giue assuraunce to the faithfull of remission of sinnes and euerlasting life hath caused not only the graunt thereof to be set dovvne in the holy scriptures vnder the handes of diverse as it vvere publike Notaries but also the cause of the saide graunt as So GOD loved the vvorlde not so and so had vve deserued and such or such a summe had vvee giuen but So Ioh. 3. 16. God loved the vvorlde that hee gaue his only begotten sonne vvho is the onely purchaser and price of the purchase also that vvhosoeuer beleeueth in him shoulde not perish but haue life everlasting And that vve might bee most throughly persvvaded of the vnchaungeable vvil of the LORDE concerning this his grant he commaunded it to be proclaimed not in Iurie alone nor any one corner of the world nor to one people onely but gaue in charge to his embassadors to publish the same throughout the vvhole vvorld and to entreate thereof vvith every creature Goe yee saith our Saviour
vpon an Idoll of their owne imagination the superstâ—tious beleeueth in creatures the Epiâ—ure hath his belly and pleasure for his God the Machiavellion his pollicy the covetous worldling his Mammon onely the faithful christian beleeueth in God and reposeth in him al the hope of his felicity he seeketh to him onely in al his necessities and giueth him the thankes for al benefites whatsoeuer If there were any other that could doe so great workes for vs as are those of the creation redemption and sanctification or if there were any that were partners with God in the same then were there some cause why we might beleeue in them and devote our selues to their service For the articles of our creede do teach vs therefore to beleeue in God for that it is he that hath made vs and not wee our selues nor any other for that it is he that hath redeemed vs and not we our selues nor any other and for that it is he that sanctifieth vs and not we our selues nor any other and therefore that we haue â—ust cause to beleeue in him and in none other and to serue him and none other especially whereas he is a iealous God and wil giue his glory to none other and as he hath no partner with him in his worke so will hee haue no partner with him in that honour which is due vnto him in respect of the same Wherefore blessed is the man that trusteth in God and whose hope the Iâ—r 7. 5. Lorde is and cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arms and so turneth away from the true God It is not then without cause that our creede teacheth vs to beleeue in God and not in any creature to beleeue the church not in the church nor in any meÌ„bers of the church We beleeue saith Pasâ—hâ—sius the church as the Pasch l. 1. despiritu sancto Aug. tract 29. in Ioh. Euseb Emiss hom 2. â—nsymb Rhem. in ep ad Rom. c. 10 in ep ad Philem. 2. Cor. 12. 7. mother of regeneratioÌ„ we beleue not in the church as the aâ—tor of regeneratioÌ„ Farre be froÌ„ vs this blasphemous opinioÌ„ for it is not lawfull to beleue no â—ot in an Angell We beleue Peter saith S. Austin we beleue not in Peter For to beleeue in Peter or Paul were to bestow vpoÌ„ the servaÌ„t the honour due vnto the Lord. And yet our Rhemisâ—es are so bold as to avouch that it is lawful to beleeue in the saints so in the church albeit it be but a congregation of such as are or haue beene subiect to manifolde infirmities The which infirmities the Lorde suffered to remaine in his chiefest servantes and saintes vvhilest they liued that they shoulde not be lisâ—ed vp above measure but be humble and lovvly as they ought to bee And vvithout all doubt for the very lyke cause vvere some of the same infirmities registred also by the very direction of GODS most holy spirite and published to all posteritye least vve also should conceaue too greate an opinion of them by making them our patrones and LORDES by seeking vnto them for their protection by devoting our selues vnto their service and by placinge our hope and trust in them Neither did the spirit of GOD for this cause lay open onely the infiâ—mityes of the saintes but also concealed many of those high revelations that â— Cor. 12. 6 vvere shevved vnto them and many also in all â—yâ—elihoode of the strange vvorkes that vvere vvrought by them lâ—…st they shoulde haue beene exalted aboue measure and exâ—olled aboue the degree of servantes in the opinion of men For it is the LORDE of these vvorthye servantes that must encrease Ioh. 3. 30. Ps â—6 4â— â—8 3. Eccl. 43. 30 1. Pet. 1. 13 vvhoe indeede is so greate that hee cannot vvorthely be praised yea vvhose greatenes cannot sufficientlye bee comprehended much lesse magnyfied on that manner as it ought to bee and on vvhose grace vvee ought perfectely to trust vvhereas the greatest amongst the children of vvomen must decrease especially in themselues fighting against pride which oveâ— Superbiâ— in virtute timenda threw Adam the Angelles still assaulteth even the best never so much as imagining with themselues that they can bee so humble and lowly as they ought to be For Gods grace is sufficient for them which assureth theÌ„ of the release of their sins but taketh not cleane away all their infirmities but suffereth them to feele the pricke sting thereof that thereby they may be most earnestly stirred vp to put of swelling pride to put on holy humility God saith Austine Aug. cont Pel. l 3. c. 13. doth 〈◊〉 his iust ones for the fulfilling of perfect righteousnes for that as yet they are in danger to bee puâ—…ed vp with pride that while none liuing is iustified in his sight vvee may ovve thankes vnto his mercy and by holy humility may bee cured of pride the principall cause of many mischeifes Truth it is that our Saviour affirmeth Ioh. 14. 12. that such as beleeue in him shall doe greater vvorkes then those that he himselfe did vvhilest he conversed here in the flesh Whereby our Rhemistes doe endevour to iustifie all those straung wonders that are reported to be done by their canonized saints But be it that many more signes vvere done by the ministery of the Apostles among the Gentiles for the confirmation of the doctrine that vvas straunge vnto them and therefore required stranger signes for the mooving of the vnbeleevers to the embracing thereof then vvere done by CHRIST himselfe among the Ievves because they receaued the bookes of the Prophetes wherein his doctrine was sufficieÌ„tly confirmed yet it hath pleased the spirit of God to haue recorded in holy scripture more miracles done by Christ himselfe theÌ„ were done by the ministery of the Apostles Yea it hath pleased the spirit of God as was said before to haue testified the concealing of strauÌ„g revelatioÌ„s shewed to the Apostle S. Paul himselfe least that any should conceaue of him more theÌ„ were meete With what spirit theÌ„ was the autor of the LegeÌ„d led that hath blazed abroad so many strauÌ„g woÌ„ders reported to be done by their doubtfull demy-saints to draw the people no doubt into such an admiratioÌ„ of them as that therby they might be moued to beleeue in theÌ„ What shall vve imagine that the same spirit which would haue the strauÌ„g revelatioÌ„s of the Chrys Hom. 5 in Math. Aug. de mirabil sacra scripturae l. 1. c. 35. Apostle concealed to that end for the which the sepulcher of Moset was kept secret by God least the people should haue worshipt him would haue as strauÌ„g or strauÌ„ger woÌ„ders to be published as done by the petty Saints of the Romish church for the farther advauÌ„cing of their estimatioÌ„ Nay may we not iustly think that as the Devil did striue with Michael about the body of Moses that his â—yr in deut
greate Aâ—…rist who haue solde themselues to deface the incomparable dignity and the most ample sufficiencie of the mosâ— precious â—…ath of our almighty and sufficient Saviour haue not onely vveighed in the same ballance the vvorks of the saintes and maâ—ched them in meriting vvith the workes of Christ albeâ—t they haue gâ—uen them as it were for manners sake the vpper hande but also they haue denied such excellency to rest in his obedience and sufferings Rhâ—m in c. 8. ep adâ—rom that in themselues they should be meritorious of eternall glorie or any whit comparable therevnto Div. 7. That CHRISTES obedience and sufferings are the onely meritorious cause of eternall glorie THe Apostle to shewe that we haue perfect reconciliation with God forgâ—uenesse of sinne and full redemption by Suffered Col. 1. 15. by the blood of Christ setteth downe the excellency of this our most glorious Saviour who spared not to shedde his blood for vs as that he is the image of the invisible GOD the fiâ—st begotten of all creatures that by him all things were created in heaven earth whether they be thrones domiâ—…oÌ„s or powers yea that it pleased the father that in him all fulnes should dwell So the Heb. 1. 1. apostle to the Hebrew to shew that Christ is the perfect purgatioÌ„ of our sins setteth down the excelleÌ„cy of his persoÌ„ that he who is heâ—re of al things by whom also the world vvas made being the brightnes of his fathers glory the engraveÌ„ forme of his person sustaining all thinges by the might of his power hath by himselfe purged our sinnes In respect of the greatenes of the which price that vvas giuen for the raunsome of our soules Saint Peter saith 1. Pet. 1. 18. that vvee are not redeemed vvith corruptable thinges as vvith silver and golde but vvith the pretious bloode of CHRIST as of a lambe vndefiled and vvithout spotte So then our redemption was not valued at gold and silver it vvas not set at solowe a rate neither vvas it purchased vvith so small a price but he that vvas The greatnes of the sacrifice that was offred for sinne the onely begotten SONNE OF GOD the second person in the glorious TRINITIE of the same substance might maiesty with the father hauing taken vpon him our humane nature and ioyned it in one person with his divine and hauing sanctified â—t aboue measure by the infinite purity and perfection thereof and in it hauing fulfilled all righteousnes not onely by doing but also by suffering vvhatsoever vvas ansvvereable to the most exact and severe iustice of GOD for all our sinnes this even this so singular a person thus and thus qualified hath by himselfe purged our sinnes and giuen himselfe a ransome for our soules Behold then here the greatnes of that satisfaction that was made for our sinnes the summe of that raunsome that was paide for our soules the quantity of the price that vvas given for the purchase of the kingdome of glory In respect of the inestimable 2. Cor. 6. 20 value wherof the Apostle saith Ye are bought with a price with a price with a witnesse vvith such and so great a price that all the holines of all saintes and angels is no way matchable or comparable thereto How is it then that sinfull and wretched man should coÌ„ceaue so high an opinion of the worth of his owne workes that he should so much as but imagine that he himselfe could make satisfaction for those sinnes purchase that kingdome that was valued at so high a rate and purchased with so great a price Surely if it be meere madnes to imagine that here in this world we may purchase for an halfepeny that which is iustly valued at ten thousande poundes then it is as great madnes to imagine that vve are able by our ovvne vvorkes to purchase heaven for the which vvas giuen the Sonne of GOD himselfe seeing all our best works are not as an halfepenny to ten thousaÌ„d pound in respect of Christ and his righteousnes Therfore no marvaile though the Apostle S. Paul who had laboured more painefully in the Lords vineyarde and endured more crosses for the Gospell of Christ theÌ„ any of the rest of his fellovve Apostles yet dareth not thrust himselfe in as a party in this vvorke but vtterly disclaymeth and renounceth it saying Was Paule crucified for you Surely no but a 1. Cor. 1. 13 person of farre greater estate excellency worthines dignity and perfection For albeit pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Leo epist 8â— ad Palastinos saintes yet the slaying of no innocent person is the propitiation of the world the iust haue themselues receiued not giuen crownes the manhood of the faithfull hath beene patterns of patience and not endowmentes of righteousnes their deathes indeede haue beene rare and singular but yet none of them therevvithall hath discharged anothers debt whereas there is one LORD CHRIST in vvhome all are deade crucified and raysed vp againe And Augustine saith CHRIST is for me a Aug. in Ioh. Tract 47. dore vnto you for yee are his sheepe purchased by his bloode beholde your price which is not giuen by mee but is deâ—lared and preached by me And in truth no man can deliver his brother no not so much as from Psal 49. 7. bodily death nor make atonement vnto God for him For it cost more to redeeme SOVLES For vvhat recompence can a man giue for his Mat. 16. 26. â—vvne soule much lesse for the soule of any other VVherefore farre be it from the humility of al true and faithful christians that they shoulde so highly esteeme of their ovvne holines as if thereby they coulde make satisfaction for SINNE or merite the crovvne of eternall GLORIE vvhereas the cheifest amongst the SAINTES duely and truely vveighing their ovvne vvorth haue iudged themselues vnvvorthy of the very least of the LORDES mercies O GOD saith Iacob of my Gen. 32. â— father Abraham and God of my father I saak which saâ—dst vnto me returne vnto thy countrey and vnto thy kinâ—ed and I will doe thee good I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies Likewise Iohn the Baptist Ioh. 1 27. confesseth of himselfe that he is noâ—worthy to loose so much as the very â—atcheâ— of Christes shoe and the Centurion that he is not worthy so much as to receaue CHRIST vnder his roofâ— Nowe if these Luc. 7. 6. men so holy and high in favouâ— vvith GOD who haue wrestled prevailed with the Lord himselfe being as greate as any borne of vvomen of so rare singular a faith as hath not beene fouÌ„d no not in Israell if these I say did truely acknovvledge themselues not vvorthy of the Lords meanest blessings no doubt theÌ„ but they did also acknowledge with the prodigaâ—…on themselues not worthy to be called Gods sons nor vvorthy of remission of sins eternal glory And verily
workes but of his meere mercy grace and favour And so our Saviour himselfe teacheth vs in the parable of the husbandman that went and sent labourers into Math. 20. 1. his vineyard whereof some vvere hired at the beginning some at the middle and some at the end of the day and yet each of them receaued the same wages the same hire Vpon occasioÌ„ of which parable Saint Ambrose saith that such as were hired at the latter end Amb de vocat Genâ— l 1. c. 5 of the day do represent vnto vs those which are called to the Lords service at the end and vpshotte of their liues whom he hath chosen without works and vpon whome he doth rather powre forth the riches of his grace then yeelde a rewarde vnto their labours that they also who haue laboured swette the whole day and continued their whole life in the service of God and yet receaue but their penny with the other may thereby vnderstand that they also rather receiue a gift of grace then wages oâ— hâ—râ— due to their workes For there is but one waâ— to liâ—e for all thâ—… are saued and therefore if any of the faithfull be saued by meere merâ—y 〈…〉 without the merite of their owne workes then no dâ—ubt but all are saued after the same manner And verely it would goe verie harde even with the best if they should be put to wâ—…e the gâ—rlande of glory by theâ—… owne worthines before they should weaâ—e iâ— Loose it in deede we could easily and that in the sâ—…te of our greatest innocency and perfection but recover it againe we never could but onely by the meanes of our powerfull Redeemer VVhen Fabitu Maximus had wonne the city Tarentum which Cicero dâ— senecâ—…te Salinator before had lost being forced by the enemy to hide his head in the castle Salinator mette him and saide vnto him By my helpâ— Fabiâ—… thou hast wonne Tarentum True quoth Fabius smiling For if thou hadst not lost it I could not haue recovered it and even so may it be replied to the proude and vaine glorious Papists that are not ashamed to boast that by the meanes and merite of their owne workes Christ hath restored to them againe the kingdome of heâ—ven that in verie deede vnlesse we by our own workes had lost the same he should haue had no neede to haue recovered it A certaine noble mans sonne as it is reported comming to his father for maintenance was sent by him to demise certaine landes to such whose estates were now expired who comming to the place appointed and sitting in court demised to each one his estate for a penny Now might these men iustly boast of the fruite of their penny or of the kindenes of that noble gentleman who lette them renewe their coppies for so small a sine Surely he hâ—d beene a verie vngratefull tenante that would haue done so and altogether vnworthy of so great a favour VVe had all in Adam forfeited our estates in the kingdome of heauen whatsoever the best of vs can giue towardes the renewing of the same it is but as a penny to a good coppy-hold Seeing then our most gratious God hath so tenderly loued vs that he hath giuen vs his onely begotten sonne who hath purchased it againe for vs by his owne death and so hath renewed againe our estates therein wilwilling vs that we should earnestly endeavour to shew our selues dutifull and thankefull vnto him that hath beene so mercifull and gracious to vs telling vs also againe and againe that this our labour shall not be in vaine in the LORD and that it shall not be lost which we employ in his service but that he will crown it with eternall glory shall we nowe ascribe this crowne of glorye to our simple endevours vvhich vve employ in his service or to his infinite and endles goodnes vvho hath purchased it for vs vvith his ovvne blood Verely he vvere too too vnthankfull a vvretch vvho vvoulde ascribe it to the merite of his owne vvorkes and not to the meere mercy of his gracious redeemer The Apostle Saint Paul who if any had to glorie in the merite of his owne vvorkes yet disclaymeth them all in the matter of salvation saying GOD forbid that I shoulde glorie in any thing saue in the crosse of â—ESUS CHRIST For hee Gal. 6. 14. knewe that GOD had made him vnto vs vvisedome righteousnes 1. Cor. 1. 30 sanctification and redemption that hee vvhich glorieth should glory in the LORD He knevve that there vvas no other foâ—dation of his salvation to bee laide then Iesus CHRIST and him 1 Cor. 3. 11. crucified and that there vvas no other name giuen vnder heaven vvhereby vvee might bee saued but onely the name of our blessed Act. 4. 12. Saviour Not the name of our owne or other mens workes oâ— Masses Dirigesses Pardons or the like seeing if it might haue beene vvrought by any such meanes CHRIST had died in vaine he might then haue spared all his paines and avoided Gal. 2. 21. all those most grievous torments vvhich hee endured for mans redemption Especially if it be true vvich they teach that the good vvorkes of the regenerate if not in themselues yet in respect of the spirite vvhose fruites they are are of infinite price satisfactorie for sinne vvhich is infinitely heinous and aunsvvereable to the ioyes of the kingedome of heaven then it had beene sufficient for our Saviour CHRIST to haue bestovved his spirite vpon the faithfull by vvhose infinite purity their vvorkes being sanctified they might haue beene thus enabled to saue themselues and so his ovvne death had beene but superfluous for the vvorking out of mans salvation But if it bee a most heinous impietie to avouch Christes death to be superfluous and that he died in vaine then let vs all which looke for any benefite by his death ascribe the glorie of eternall life onely to him vvho is therefore called Ioh. 6 35. Apoc. 22. 2 1 Ioh. 5. 20. Col. 33. the bread of life the tree of life autor of life yea life it selfe for that our life resteth onely in him that is our onely iust title to eternall life Take hold then of CHRIST take hold of life reach forth thine hand to any other thing and thou reachest it to vanitie and takest holde as it vvere of thornes and of fire Looke not for life but vvhere it dwelleth Our life is hidde in CHRIST vvith GOD death reigneth in the vvhole vvorlde beside and leadeth every creature to the bondage of corruption If thou looke vp into heaven vvithout this reconciler there vvill appeare nothing but displeasure and vvrath if thou cast dovvne thine eyes vppon the earth there thou shalt see nothinge but fearefull confusion If thou call to Abraham hee knovveth thee not if to the wise virgines their oile is not sufficient for themselues and for thee also if to Saint Paule hee vvas not crucified for thee if to the most
blessed Virgin shee vvas not annointed nor yet appointed to bee thy Saviour The vniversall company of all those that are made partakers of the kingdome of heaven doe take their crovvnes of glorie from their ovvne heades and cast them dovvne at the Lambes feete acknowledging thereby of vvhome they holde them giuing the glorie of their salvation onely to GOD and the Lambe saying Salvation is of GOD that sitteth vppon the throne and from the lambe VVith the vvhich catholike consent of all the holy Apoc. 4. 10 saintes vvee may content our selues and satisfie our consciences sufficiently hovve many and hovve mightie soever they be here in this vvorlde that vvill not subscribe to this holy and heavenlie confession And verely vvee being built vppon CHRIST our immoueable rocke vvee neede not seeke for the stay and strength of any other foundation being possessed vvith the maintenance of this most bountifull Founder vvee neede not begge for an exhibition of any other benefactor being furthered in all our suites by his mediation vve neede no other letters of commendation hauing reâ—aued from him our satisfecit and quietâ—… est vvee neede not greatly care for the Popes indulgence and pardon being clensed from all our sinnes by his blood vve neede not make any reckoning of our purging in purgatory being cloathed with the most odoriferous garmentes of his obedience we neede not adde thereto the patches and ragges of our ovvne righteousnesse being enriched vvith his treasures vve neede not make much account of our ovvne trash and hauing his sufferinges and death for the warrant of our right to the kingdome of heaven we neede not seeke for any further assurance or for any other title to that happy and heavenly inheritance Neither indeede doth the true church the spouse of CHRIST seeke for the same to any other then to her kinde and louing bride-grome shee contenteth her selfe vvith his loue and satisfieth her selfe vvith his sufficiency it is enough to her that shee is flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone even the bodie and fulnes of him that filleth all in all VVherefore if Iesus Christ be our whole entire only and sufficient Saviour if there be no other name power where by we may be saued as the greatnes of that raunsome which he only gaue for our redeÌ„ption doth sufficiently declare if the death of Gods dearest saintes come shorte of that price the vvhich being endured for the confession of the faith of CHRIST is the very crowne of all their vvorkes if they vvere not vvorthy of the least of the LORDES mercies but were made partakers of them all most frankely and freely in CHRIST IESVS if through him they vvere not onely at the first reconciled vnto GOD and receaued into favour but also preserued in the same and brought to their full and finall glorification lastly if their vvorkes vvere rewarded vvith eternal glory not for the merite and worthines of the same in that the best of them examined in iustice deserued a curse rather then a blessing but for the mere mercy of him vvho so vvell accepteth of them and of their doinges in his vvel-beloued sonne then vvee may conclude that not the best vvorkes of the LORDES dearest saintes but the obedience and death of his dearly beloued sonne is the onely meritorious cause of eternall salvation And therefore that the church of Rome by ioyning the saintes to CHRIST in the vvorke of our saluation and by making them by their owne merites their owne Saviours in parte and others also and so by robbing of him vnto vvhome all is due of the vvhole and entire glorie thereof is iustly by all the faithfull members of CHRIST dispossessed of the name of the true church and rightly charged to be the verie throne of that enimy of Christ the great Antichrist Div. 8. That Christes soule descended not into Limbus Patrum to deliver the Fathers THere vvas one place for all the faithfull after their death vvhich departed before the coming of Christ in the flesh He descended into hell 2. Reg. 2. 11. Luc. 16. 22. But Elias at his departure was carried vp into heaven and not downe into Limbus and Lazarus was carried into Abrahams bosome which can be no part nor region of hell as it may appeare by these circumstances First these two places where Lazarus the rich man were are said to be farre off one from the other to haue an huge distance set betweene them which is not so likely to be betweene two places which both as they say are situated vnder the earth Secondly it is saide that there is no passage from the one place to the other whereas the devils themselues passe higher even to those that liue here vpon earth Thirdly it is called a place of comforte where Lazarus vvas refreshed and comforted wheras in all likely-hoode there is verie colde comforte in any coast or region of hel Moreover CHRIST vvas in the â—ore knowledge of GOD alambe slaine from the beginning of the vvorlde Apoc. 13. 18 his death vvas then as effectuall to the Fathers to open to them the kingdome of heaven as it is novve to vs seeing hee is yesterday and today and the selfe same for ever and therefore Heb. 13. 8. the selfe same Saviour and opener of heaven to them as to vs they receauing the same end of their faith as vvee 1. Pet. 19. doe even the salvation of their soules For the Fathers vvere the children of God by faith in Christ as wel as the faithfull since the ascension of Christ and therefore heauen as their inheritance was due vnto them at their departure out of this life and therefore they vvere not debarred from the same And vvhat shal we say that they vvalked in the broad way that leadeth to hell or in the narrovv way that leadeth to heauen And therefore at the ende of their life being the end of their vvalke vvere they not placed in rest in that their long longed for and desired countrey which was prepared for them of God And vvas not this present life to them Heb. 11. 16. as it is to vs a time of sowing and a place of warfare and fight and the next life a time of reaping and haruest and a place of crowning and triumphing Now there is no reaping nor triumphing out of heauen and therefore the fathers after their seede time and vvaâ—fare ended here in this life were doubtles brought to heauen being the place appointed for their ioyfull harvest and glorious triumph And certainely as all those vvhom Christ hath novv reconciled are either in heauen or in earth as the Apostle testifieth euen so they were also in the first ages of the church Col. 1. 20. vnder the fathers and therefore as there are none now in purgatory fire so there were none then in Limbus Patrum So Saint Aust hypog lib. 5. Austine the first place the catholike faith by the warrant of divine scripture beleeveth to
through the whole worlde neither are the large kingdomes of * â—…er non â—…frica â—…undus Affrica the Lordes onely field wherein the pure seede of his word is sowen much lesse the smal territories of the city of * Jllud esseâ— includere orbâ—m in vrbe Rome but the vniversal globe of the whole earth And yet wheÌ„ of al the families kinreds of the earth the Lorde had called out and chosen onely the posteritie of Abraham and when the church of Christ vvas annexed to that one people alone the service of God was not theÌ„ so tied to theÌ„ which had the roomes of the cheife professors therof but that the lawe did sometimes perish from the priest and counsell from the auncient and the Sunne went downe vpon their prophets in Ier. 7. 4. 18. 18. Mich. 3. 6. so much that night was vnto them for a vision and darkenes for a divination As for example in our Saviours time those that shoulde haue beene the principall pillars of the church vvere the cheife subverters thereof and they which had the roomes of the master builders reiected the cheife corner stone and sought the Mat. 21. 42. vtter ruine and dovvne fall of the LORDES house And as it thus happened to the Sinagogue of the Ievves even so also it befell the church of CHRIST when Arrianisme overflowed the outvvarde face thereof in so much that Liberius himselfe Hier de eccles scriptoribus in Fortunatiano being then Bishoppe of Rome yeelded thereto and confirmed it vvith his subscription At what time nothing vvas esteemed a matter of greater pietie and more befitting the servaunt of CHRIST then to follow vnity and not to be divided from the communion of the world when the christian vvorlde Hier. adversus Lucifeâ—ianos sighed and vvondred that of a Christian it vvas become an Arriaâ— VVherefore no mervaile that diverse particular churches planted by the Apostles themselues haue not beene so firmly seased of the truth but that they haue beene longe agoe cast out of the possession thereof no marvaile though they hauing reiected the faith of CHRIST haue themselues also beene reiected from beeing the people and Church of Christ Now that which happeneth to many may also happen to any yea to Rome it selfe and the church thereof seing they haue no Cypr. ad Pomp. cont epist Sâ—eph Hier. ad Princip Marcel ep Tim. 1. greater charter or priveledge of not erring then any other partilar church Certainly Cyprian knevve none for he avoucheth of the Bishope of Rome that he maintaineth heresie against the church Hierome knevve none for hee saith that the fountaine of the Romane faith vvas defiled vvith mudde and that the faith commended by the Apostle was violated in most things albeit our Romanists greatly boast that no good autor hath ever testified of the failing of faith in the church of Rome Nay the Apostle himselfe knewe none for writing to the church of Rome by name he telleth her plainely that she should not be proude of her staÌ„ding nor insult against the church of the Iewes for her fall for of 〈◊〉 11. 21 God saith he spared not the naturall branches take thou heede also that he spare not thee For if they which were Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles being borne vnder covenant of mercy and descending from most holy progenitors had no such perpetuity in the favour of God nor assurance for the continuance of the true worshippe and service of God amongst them but that they might vtterly fall from both then surely such as descended from impious and idolatrous parentes and were straungers and alians from the covenantes of grace being of the Lordes endles goodnes receiued into favour can haue no such assurance of the Lordes mercie but that in successe of time the posterity may fall away from that grace whereof their progenitors were made partakers And if the true worship service of God was not vnseperably tied vnto Siloh Sion or Ierusalem whâ— presumption is it in the church of Rome to make such boast thâ— her faith caÌ„not faile as if the truth were necessarily annexed to that city and the spirite of God as it were entailed to Peters châ—ire or as if God were in bonds still to keepe that See vpright whatsoever else became of all other christian churches Verely of them it may be verefied that which Terasius Archbishop of Constantinople testified of their like that the heresie of Macedonius was more tollerable then theirs in that he avoucheth the spirit of God to be servaÌ„t to the father and the sonne wheras they after a â—ort make him their servant to convey over continually the certaintie of faith from the predecessor to the successor VVhat may a man in his death bed dispose of the inward qualities of his soule as he may of his temporall goodes and possessions May any one make over by deede of gifte vnto an other his faithfull hart and sincere minde or bequeath by will and testament his piety and godlines These thinges are personall and appropriated to the person on whome they are bestowed they pasâ—e not from hand to hand they remoue not from subiect to subiect these giftes are not parted by death but accompany vs continually when all other things bid vs adue when all all other things faile they faile not when all other things are lefte behinde they cannot be lefte there is no conveyance to be made from one to an other of these goods For Non naâ—ciâ—ur Christiani seâ— fimus vertue is no inheritance it descendeth not from the father to the child the child taketh his bodely substance from his parentes at his first birth but as for the substance of vertue if he receaue it he receiveth it by a second birth Now if these giftes come not by descent from the father to the sonne that succeedeth him an nature in substance in the very covenat of grace also much lesse doe they come by descent vnto him that succeedeth onely in place and office It is true indeede that Elias promised Elizaeus thâ—t was to succeede him in his propheticall office that if he saw him when he waâ— tâ—ken out of his sight he should haue his spirite doubled vpon him But Elias knewe that God hauing appointed Elizâ—…s to succeede him in his propheticall office woulde haue him endued with such a measure of his spirite that so he might be meete â—or the execution of the same moreover his promise was made to the person of Elizaeus alone and not to any of his successors But the church of Rome will haue the stability of Peters faith to be conveyed over to all his successors and that to the worlds end yea shee will haue it annexed to Peters chaiâ—e to his very consistory and iudgement seate For when it is proved that many of the Popes in person were Apostataes from the faith Lyra in Math c. 16. Conc. Basil Op. â—inod Non
out of the same The spirit of God sendeth him not to a second table of penance to tâ—ke holde thereof that by the power thâ—rof he might be deliuered but remember saith he how thoâ— hast received and hearde and holde fast and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 3. repent Now no doubt but he had receiued and heard aâ—d therefore was to hold fast that to the peniteÌ„t humble sinner Christs blood is the purgation of all his sins that by the mediatioÌ„ of his death he doth obtaine remission of theÌ„ not only when he is received into favor at the first but even to his liues end being thereby still pâ—eâ—erued in the same grace obtaining the forgiuenesse of hiâ— dayâ—y offences For so S. Iohn setting downe the meanes whereby the faithfull themselues are continually cured of their dailie infirmities If any man sinne saieth hee vvee haue Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. â—0 our Advocate and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes So the Apostle Saint Paul sheweth that not onely when wee were enemies we were reconciled at the first by the death of Christ and obtained the release of our grosser offences but much more beeing once reconciled and made the children of God by CHRIST wee are still preserued in the same grace and obtaine the forgiuenesse of ouâ—…maller offences by the same meanes The trueth is that none are cured of their sinnes by Christ vvhich continue stil in the same and doe not dayly fight against them vvith dayly repentaunce but yet the physicke is one thing vvhereby the soule is cured and the disposition of the soule another thing vvhereby the soule is prepared that so the physicke may effectually vvorke The preparatiue is one thing and the physicke is another thing the physicke is onely the physicke and nothing else Our Saviour CHRIST is our onely physicke and physition also Repentance after a sort may bee called the preparatiue and the Minister of the vvorde may be to vs in steede of the Apothecarie or as â—he physitions man that is sent to vs vvith the purgation The purgation it selfe is made of none other ingredientes but of the most bitter panges of our Saviours owne passion not of the rootes of our hearty repentaunce neither yet of the fruites of our christian faith that is vvhatsoeuer our sinnes bee and vvhensoeuer they bee committed we obtaine not the forgiuenesse of them by our owne merites nor by the satisfactions of any other but onely by the free and vndeserued mercy of GOD and by the most precious satisfaction of the death of CHRIST All haue sinned saith the Apostle and are deprived of the glory of GOD but are iustified from their sinnes freelye Rom 3. 23. by his grace through the redemption that is in CHRIST IESVS And in trueth otherwise our case were most miserable For in the parable of the debtour the summe of one thousande Mat. 18 24. talents declaring the infinitenesse of our debt doth openly proclaime our insufficiency and inabilitie to discharge the same as also the wordes annexed vvhen he had nothing to pay and I forgaue Psal 130. 3. Iob. 93. Psa 143. 2. thee all thy debt For verily if God should marke what were done amisse vvho vvere able to abide it And if hee shoulde call vs to an accounte vvho vvere able to aunsvvere one for a thousande And therefore our best plea is Enter not into iudgement with thy servants O Lord cal vs not to reckoning put not our billes in suite for we are no way able to make payment we are no way able to make satisfaction Div. 10. That Purgatory is no article of the Christian faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resurâ—…on of â—…sh IF the deliverance of the soules out of Purgatorie had beene an article of the christian faith as it is iudged to be by the church of Rome then it had beene convenient that after mention made of the resurrection of the body out of the custodie of the graue there shoulde haue beene adioyned the deliveraunce of the soule out of the prison of Purgatory the tormentes there being so greate as they say they be the deliverance from thence being as great a blessing at the lest as the raising of the bodies out of their graues should not haue beene altogeather vnremembred especially sinne verie much abounding before the day of the generall resurrection and the Popes pardons nothing so much regarded and his charitie without a fee being not vsual and ordinary Purgatory then must needes be well filled and so the deliverance from thence a great benefite to many Div. 11. That everlasting life is the free gifte of God through CHRIST and noway purchased by the merite of our owne vvorkes 〈◊〉 ever â—…ng IF any thing be bestowed vpon vs by free gift froÌ„ God theÌ„ surely everlasting life is so bestowed as the greatest gift proceeding froÌ„ the most bouÌ„tifull giuer the most excelleÌ„t effect from the most excelleÌ„t cause And why is God else accouÌ„ted a most liberall bountifull free franke and gracious benefactor but that most liberally bountifully frankely and freely he bestovveth vpon his faithfull servantes the most precious crovvne of eternall glory VVhen that bountifulnes saith the Apostle and that loue of GOD our Saviour tovvardes man appeared not by the vvorkes of righteousnes vvhich wee had vvrought but of his ovvne mercie he Tit. 3. 4. saued vs. And verely the glory of this greate bountifulnes must needes haue beene much dimmed if vvee had attained to salvation by our owne merites and not by the LORDES onely mercy The vvages in deede of sinne is death but everlasting life is the gifte of GOD through IESVS CHRIST our Lorde Rom. 6. 23. For our evill vvorkes are perfectly evill and therefore deserue eternall death but our good workes are not perfectly good and therefore eternall life is the free gift of GOD through CHRIST and not a vvages due to the merite of our vvorkes Othervvise vvhy did the Wiseman say Beholde the righteous are here recompenced vpon earth hovve much more the vvicked and the sinner VVhat doth not the LORD as well loue righteousnes Pro 11. 31. to recompence it as he hateth vnrighteousnesse to punish the same Yes verely but this is heere spoken to this end by the VViseman that vve shoulde vnderstand that the sinner most iustly deserueth this punishment vvhereas the righteous deserueth not the revvard And therefore it is not without cause that iust Iob thus speaketh of himselfe If I haue done evill vvoe vnto mee if I haue done righteously yet vvill I not Iob. 10 15. lifte vp my heade being full of confusion because I see mine affliction And vvhy The evill vvorkes of the best are in an higher degree evill then their good vvorkes are in themselues good and therefore in respect of the one they may be rustly cast dovvne vvith the feare of eternall confusion and vvoe but in
to keepe the Lordes day holy vnto the Lord. Contrarily the church of Rome depriveth the people of the benefite of publike praâ—er and of the worde of GOD by locking them vp from them in a strange tongue and so taketh avvay the meanes whereby that day should be sanctified and in steed thereof hath brought in such abuses as vvhereby it cannot be but greately prophamed For the practise of her greate Masters in former times hath beene to solemnize the greate feast of the Lordes Nativity vvith a LORD of misrule as if our Saviour had come in the flesh to deliver vs from obedience to all good lawes and to procure a dispensation for all disorder as also to celebrate that other greate feast of VVhitsuntide at vvhat time our LORD and Saviour CHRIST Iesus to make manifest his great power that hee had in heaven and earth sent downe in forme of cloven tongues his holy spâ—rite vpon his Apostles with a freer vse of all such exercises as kindle the coales of vncleane lustes and blow the bellowes to al filthy communication which are things well-pleasing to the vncleane spirite but most offensiue to the holy Ghost and no way tending to the sanctification but rather to the prophanation of the Lords day VVhereas the purpose of the church of Christ in forbidding Marriages about the times of the three great solemnities of Christians was lest by the more free vse of these earthly pleasures and delightes which abound most commonly at marriage feastes the peoples mindes should bee somewhat hindered from the carefull preparation to receaue the holy sacrament which was most vsually celebrated at those times and from the thankefull commemoration of those great benefites which are then also especially to be most religiously remembred Moreouer whereas the Lord in this commaundement giveth a speciall charge to all his people that in no vvise they forget but carefully remember to obserue and keepe holy the Sabboth day by frequenting the publike assemblies and by ioyning vvith the congregation in praier and in hearing the word of God and in causing those of their families to do the like as also on the other sixe daâ—es to vvalke paineâ—ullie in their severall callings to his honour and the good of his people vvhat shall vvee thinke of the Monkes Eremites and Anâ—chorists of the church of Rome which are had in so high reputation for their extraordinary and as it is thought Angelicall holines vvhich liue in the open and manifest breach of both the partes of this commaundement For they both forsake the publike assemblies contrarie to the Apostles 〈◊〉 10. 15. commandement on the Lords day and do not performe on the other sixe daies the painefull vvorke of any profitable calling to the Lords church and yet they are put in great hope by their holy mother the church of Rome that by omitting these so necessary dueties so straitly enioined by the Lord himselfe for the better perfourming of their ovvne vvill-vvorshippes they are in the readiest way to the greatest perfection CHAP. 9. 5 That the Pope cannot exempt the cleargy from secular iurisdiction nor licence any Princes subiectes to withdraw their loyalty obedience and to take armes against their soveraignes 6 That the Pope cannot make it lawfuâ—l much lesse meritorious to lay violent handes on the Lordes Annointed 7 That the Pope cannot authorise stewes and incestuous marriages disallowed by God 8 That the Pope cannot make good the sale of Masses and Pardons but that it shall be condemned for theâ—t before God 9 That the Pope cannot licence any to conceale the truth or to avouch any thing contrary thereto especially vvhen they are commanded by the Magistrate and that vpon their oath to open the same nor yet to breake faith and promise made no not to heretikes 10 That concupiscence entertained and liked for a while albeit it get not our full and setled consent is sinne COncerning the commaundementes of the second table which lay downe our duety tovvardes our neighbour and belong to the preservation of humane society the church of Rome is an oâ—…ender also against the same neither can she being charged therevvith iustly and truely pleade not guilty 5 For against the fift commandement shee offendeth by exempting ecclesiasticall persons from secular iurisdiction and by discharging as shee thinketh it expedient all manner of subiectes from their oath of obedience made vnto their naturall Princes and in exciting them also to take vp armes against them and so to stande out in open rebellion For this is not to honour the parentes of our countries Rom. 13. 1. and to yeeld subiection to higher powers albeit they be heathenish and persecuting Idolaters 6 See Cardinal de Como his letter to Will Parry Against the sixth commaundement she offendeth in teaching it to bee not onely commendable but also meritorious to murder even the Lordes Annointed the vvhich outragious villany many other murders also are like to follovve all true subiectes especially such as by speciall oath hand and promise of association are bound more precisely thereto being ready to adventure their liues and liuings for the avenging of the death of their leige and loving Soveraignes But this heard hearted steppe-dame little regardeth the liues of many beeing ready at all assayes to embrue her selfe over with blood so that shee may bring to passe her plots and purposes 7 〈◊〉 luâ—…d turâ—… est â—…dor ex â—…alibet Against the seventh shee offendeth in allowing or at the least in tolerating of open stewes for her great revennew shee receaveth by them and in dispensing with incestuous and vnlawfull marriages belike vpon the former respect 8 And albeit shee hath no colour nor shevve to allovve of theft done by violence yet shee her selfe vvaxeth vvonderfull rich by that vvhich is done by fraude and deceite in that she perswadeth the Laity to pay vvell for her Masses and Pardons thereby robbing them of their landes and goods for certainely this is no better then cunning cousonage yea then statte thefte before God If anie Priest saith Saint Augustine â—…e verb â—…ecunâ—… Math. 19 â—0 47. not contented vvith the wages which hee hath by the commaundement of Goâ— for his service at the altar doth play the merchaunt and set to sale his praiers and to readie to receiue the very vviddovves rewardes such an one is to bee accounted rather a merchandizer then a Clerke Neither may vvee alleadge No man can charge vs vvith invasion no man can accuse vs of violence as if oftentimes flattery did not gette a greater booâ—y from vviddowes then force And it skilleth not before God vvhether by force or subtlety thou gettest the goods of others so thou enioy them by either 9 Novve hovve this painted Babylonish harlot vvhich boasteth 〈◊〉 tract 〈◊〉 con 1. â—…6 â—…se poâ—…s this â—…ee 〈◊〉 hearte 〈◊〉 suffiâ—… so much of fidelity and truth liketh in deede of true and faithfull dealing betweene man and man hovv farre shee is of from
other to full into temptation by refusing the meanes ordained by GOD for the better vvithstandinge and subduinge of the same Our father which art in heaven THE Lordes praier beeing a most perfect and absolute forme of praier teacheth vs in generall two thinges first to whom and secondly for vvhat vvee ought to pray The party to vvhom wee ought to pray is God who is nowe become our loving father in Christ and so most readye to graunte our requestes he is also saide to bee in heaven as holding the kingdome and dominion over all and so most able to fulfill our desires and therefore good cause haue vvee in all our necessities to come and to seeke onely to him and to no other And so did the faithfull in the Primitiue church as it may appeare by Tertullian in his Apologie and defence of the Christians that he made on their behoofe against the Heathen You saith he speaking to the Infidels seeke your safety vvhere it is not and aske it of them by vvhome it cannot be giuen neglecting him in whose power it is Moreover yee seeke to destroy those Christians vvho knowe both to aske and obtaine it also For vvee Christians saith he looking vp to heaven vvithour handes spreadde abroad as being innocent and vvith our hâ—…de vncovered as beeing not ashamed and vvithout a prompter as praying from the hearte doe all of vs alvvates pray for all Emperours that GOD vvoulde graunte vnto them a longe life a safe Reigne a trusty Courte a faithfull Councell valiant armies dutifull subiectes a peaceable governmente vvith vvhatsoever else that may bee vvished for either of Prince or people These thinges I cannot aske of any but of him of vvhome I knovve I shall obtaine them For it that is hee alone that doth performe the same and I am hee vvhich shoulde obtaine them which am his servante and doe honour him alone c. In vvhich vvordes of Tertullian vve may obserue a manifest distinction made betvveene the true and faithfull christian and betweene the blinde and supersticious Idolaters the one of them seeking to the one true and al-sufficient GOD who is onely able to helpe and succour them and the other going and running to such which are not able to performe the same And verely if ye read over the whole volume of the sacred scriptures ye shall finde no example of any of the faithfull that made their prayers to any strange God or to any saint or Angell or to any other creature whatsoever but only to the one true and al-sufficient â—ehovah ye may finde indeed the example of the damned spirite of the rich glutton in hell vvho being vtterly excluded from Luc. 16. 24. the favour of GOD and from all hope of grace and mercy appealed after a sorte from GOD to Abraham saying O Father Abraham sende thou I beseech thee Lazarus if it bee but vvith one droppe of vvater to cooâ—e my tongue and so somewhat to slocke mine intollerable tormentes And yet so grosse and palpable darkenes had over spredde the vvhole face of the Romish church in these latter ages that their profounde Doctors and greate Masters did not onely teach the people to pray vnto saintes but also to say vnto them the Lordes prayer which was made to this end to leade vs onely to God For the testification of which blindenes to all posterities these â—imes vvere made in Scotland concerning the same Doctors of Theology of fowre-score of yeeres And olde ioly lupâ—… the balde gray Friers They would be called Rabbi and Magister noster And wote not to whome to say their Pater noster â—…res noâ—… colleâ—… Conâ—…nt iâ—…um â—…ero 〈◊〉 sancti â—…miles â—…mo See â—…s and â—…meÌ„ts â—…2 Fol. â—… Now concerning the matter of this praier the petitions theÌ„selues and first concerning the sanctification of the Lordes name set downe in the first petition the first table of the law doth teach vs 1. first to acknowledge God to be all sufficient and therefore to cleaue onely to him 2. secondly to acknowledge him to be of incomprehensible glory and therefore not to presume to resemble him by any similitude 3. thirdly to ascribe to him infinite power and therefore to sweare onely albeit never vainely by his name 4. fourthly to acknowledge him to be of infinite wisedome and his word the conduite of the same to deriue it to vs and therefore to yeelde our selues wholy to it to be ruled thereby And this is to giue to God that which is Gods to yeelde vnto him that honour which is due vnto him and so to sanctifie his holy name according vnto the exhortation of the prophet Ascribe vnto the Lord O yee kâ—nredes of the people ascribe vnto the Lord worshippe and power ascribe to the Lord the honour due 〈…〉 96. vnto his name worshippe the Lord with holy worshippe The articles of our Creede doe teach vs also to ascribe vnto God onely the creation and government of this worlde and redemption and sanctification of the church and so to sanctifie his holy name And the whole company of heavenly spirites wondring at the admirable power holines iustice truth which most gloriously shiâ—e in all the workes of God doe conspire togeather as it were with one voice to sanctifie and magnifie the most holy name of the Lord saying Greate and marveâ—lous are thy works Lord God almighty â—…c 16. 3 iust and true are thy waies O King of saintes who will not feare thee and glorifie thy name for thou onely art holy Whereby we may perceaue that the whole body of the doctrine of Christ and the whole study of his holy saintes tende to thiâ— ende even to sanctifie the glorious name of God by magnifying his infinite greatnes and goodnes which in truth can never be sufficiently expressed nor magnified in that manner as it ought to be Now how the church of Rome the church of the malignant doth hinder the sanctification of the Lordes name and darken and obscure his great glorie it hath beene before touched in the setting downe of those principall pointes and cheife groundes of our christian religion 2. The second petition doth teach vs to pray for the planting establishing of the kingdome of God Now this kingdome is tvvofold the kingdome of grace and the kingdome of glory Amonge the auncient Romanes there was no passage to the temple of Honour but through the temple of Vertue and we that are Christians are taught that we must haue our partes in the first resurrection from sinne if we looke to be partakers of the second resurrection Apoc. 20. 6 and to be delivered from the second death For we cannot asceÌ„d to Glorification but by the steps or staires of Iustification and Vocation Rom. 8. 30. that is we cannot come to the kingdome of glorie but first we must be partakers of the kingdome of grace Now the word of grace the word of life being the power of God to salvation to all
the chiefest foundation of our Christian faith 3 That the principall point of his Antichristian doctrine wherevnto hee and his adherentes shall ascribe greatest perfection shall bee the vowe of single life and abstinence from diverse kindes of meates and other such will-worshippes of their owne devising 4 That it is a manifest mark of the AntichristiaÌ„ pride of the B. of Rome against God in that he ascribeth greater perfection to the rules of his religious orders then to the lawe of God himselfe yea in that he taketh vpoÌ„ him to dispence with the law of Goa as if he were superior to God 5 That it is a manifest marke of the Luciferlike and AntichristiaÌ„ pride of the Bishop of Rome against all that is called God and counted worthy of honor here in his church in that as a presumptuous vsurper he exalteth himselfe not only against the Ecclesiasticall but also against the civill governors yea against generall councels themselues which after a sort represent vnto vs the whole church 6 That the Bishop of Rome in his Antichristian pride mainetaining his owne faith to be an immoueable rocke which cannot be shaken his decisions to be infallible oracles which cannot erre his church to bee eternall which cannot perish declareth himselfe most manifestly to bee that vaine glorious whore of Babylon which vaunteth her selfe and saith I sit as a Queene am no widdow shall see no mourning 7 That the seat designed by the spirit of God for the great Antichrist of these last times is that city which in S. Iohns time raigned over the kings of the earth that was Rome as it may be also conâ—ectured by the number of Antichrists name shadowed in the figures 666 expressed by Lateinâ—s that is a Romane or by Romijth or Italica Ecclesia in the account of the Hebrewe and Greeke letters and that is the church of Rome 8 That a Papist as a Papist is a limbe of Antichrist and so no member of Christ and therefore hath no interest in the worke of our Redemption wrought by Christ of the which if he will be partaker hee must flatly renounce all society with Antichrist and fight the Lordes battles against him vnder the banner of Christ 1 BEllarmine that great pillar of the heresies In prafâ—… lib de contâ— rel tom 1. Act. 24. 14. Cyp l. 2. â—p 3 and Idolatries of of the church of Rome endeavoureth by this meanes to fasten on vs vvho beleeue all thinges that are vvritten in the Lavv and in the Prophets and vvhich our Lorde Christ who vvas before all hath delivered vnto vs the heresies that vvere to arise in these latter times for that vvee vvithstande boldly and coÌ„stantly the most grieuous corruptions of the church of Rome For saith hee the Devill the founder of all falshoode and lies the enemy of God and of all truth the oppâ—gner and vnderminer of all the articles of our Christian faith as in former ages he hath assaulted the first pointes thereof vvhich concerne the mysterie of the blessed Trinitie so to shevve his hatred against all the pointes of the same hath novve by vs as he vvould haue the vvorlde perswaded in these last times endeavoured the overthrovveof those other articles vvhich concerne the holie Catholicke Church But his collection heerein is sophisticall for that it is one thinge to reprooue the errours of the Church of Rome that novve is and an other thing to deface the holy Catholicke Church for that the church of Rome that novve is is fallen from that faith vvhich vvas there first planted by the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul as it may appeare to any indifferent person that vvithout partialiality vvill compare the most parte of that doctrine vvhich shee novve mainetaineth but vvith that onely vvhich is delivered by the Apostle Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Romanes The trueth is that the Devill in the Primitiue Church made his chiefe battery against the doctrine of the most glorious Trinity but that his repulse therein vvas not such as caused him altogeather to giue over that enterprise For â—ee hath in some countreyes renevved the same assault againe in these daies hath laboured a fresh to shake that very â—elfe same foundation And albeit he be an enimie to al the members of Christs mystical body yet his cheifest malice is against the heade And Gen. 3. 15. 1. Cor 3 11 Mat. 16. 18. for that the doctrine of our Redemption wrought by CHRIST it that invincible rocke vvhereon the church is builte his cheifest assaultes haue beene set against the same by his Ministers the false Prophetes and Antichristes of these latter times vvho are therforâ— in holy scripture not so much called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if they shoulde vtterly deny GOD or oppugne the doctrine of the blessed Trinitie as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that they shall albeit not in outward shevves but in effect and deede evacuate the crosse of CHRIST and the vvorkes of our redemption vvrought thereby The great Antichrist as saith Saint Iohn shall haue two hornes like a lambe that is shall pretend the two folde autority of Christ the immaculate and vndefiled lambe of God and as the Apostle testifieth he shall sit in the temple of God as God that is as Gods Leifetenant generall Christs Vicar vniversall represeÌ„ting his person executing his autority and shall pretend himselfe to be the church of Christ or at the least shall arrogate to himselfe the cheife â—eate Aug. de civ dei lib. 20. Cap. 19. in the same as S. Austine testifieth and Theodorete and Pâ—…masiaâ— vpon the same place of the Apostle And verely if Antichrist when he came had openly revâ—…ed the olde condemned heresies of the Arrians Marcionites Manichees and the like and had in flat tearmes denied either the natures or the offices of Christ our Saviour what Christian would not soone haue espied his wickednes and what faithfull person woulde not straight waies haue abhorred his blasphemy Therfore that the greate Antichrist might the more easily bring in a greate Apostasie from the faith and the sooner make drunke all the kingdomes of the earth with the cuppe of his spirituall fornication and adultery he was to come like an whore with Apoc. 17 4 2. Th. 2. 10. flattery and deceit vvith stronge delusion and all deceaueablenes of vnrighteousnesse and to offer forth his poison in a cuppe of gold that is he vvas in outvvard appearance to make gâ—…ate shevve of the Gospell and faith of CHRIST and most gloriously to pretend that he and his adherentes are the onely Catholikes and the onely pillers of CHRISTES church The asse perceauing that all the beastes of the forest stooped and bovved lovve before the Lion vvrapped himselfe in a Lyons skinne and in confidence thereof came among them and beganne to make an harrish noise that so he might receaue honour of them the lesser beastes beholding this bugge fell downe
be any cause or provocation to sin as it is vniustly charged by the enemies of grace and by the favourites and patrons of their owne merites In this question of Iustification there are these three pointes to be considered First before our effectual calling vnto the state of grace the great sufficiency of our natural corruptions to procure wrath and the great insufficiencie of our best workes to prepare vs and to make vs meete to be partakers of the Lordes loue Secondly after our effectual calling the great inhability of our faith repentance loue and of the residue of our works of grace to merite remission of sinnes and eternal glorie Lastly the onely sufficiency of the obedience of Christ for the perfect accomplishing of this great and weighty worke of mans redemption When the scripture teacheth that man by originall sinne is wholy corrupt and that in vs that is in our flesh Rom. 3. 1â— Rom. 7. 18. dwelleth no good thing the purpose therof is not to detract from man al manner of good for the substance and the naturall powers workes both of body soule are good in that they are the Lordes creatures and the workemanship of his owne handes and the light of reason whereby we are taught that there is a God and that iustice equitie is to be observed in the ordering of our publike private affaires is also good and was preserved by God in the soule of man when he fell from God that therby he might be directed and guided for the better managing of al such thinges as belong to the preservation of this present life and therefore there are yet remaining in man since his fal some things that are naturally and civilly good But there There is nothing in man by nature that is religiously good is nothing remaining in him by nature that is religiouslie good that can prepare fitte vs to the readier receaving of faith repentance further vs to the performing of any such thing as belongeth to the true worship service of God For the very wisedome of the flesh is enmitie to God Rom. 8. 7. and therefore is no friend or furtherer of his service yea it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indeede can bee So that vntill we condemne our owne wisedome of follie we cannot yeeld over our selues to be guided and ruled by the wisedome of God and vntill wee wholy renounce our selues we cannot be admitted into the Lordes family and houshould Neither is it to be feared least the regenerate man being lightned by the word of God to behould to condemne his owne vniversall corruption and embrace salvation only by faith should therby be induced as Campian CaÌ„p rat 8. The doctrine of iustification is no provocation or spur but a strong bridle to all iniquity sinne avoucheth to wallow still in the stinking and loathsome sincke of all iniquitie and sinne to accuse nature to despaire of vertue to withdraw himselfe froÌ„ the obedience of God Nay the more great grievous his sins haue beene before his conversion the more clearely he seeth and behouldeth the same the more they will stinke in his own nostrels the sooner he wil loath leave them also And howsoever he be tempted to returne with the dogge to his vomite with the hogge to the wallowing againe in the mire either by the remnaÌ„ts of his owne corrupt nature or by the instigations and ensamples of others yet he doth not yeelde himselfe captiue to these temptations but casting his eies backe vpon his former corruptions both originall actual he doth with David most severely condemne them and himselfe also for the same doth thereby sharpen and increase his vnfayned harty repentaÌ„ce and his setled purpose of amendement of life as it is to be seene in the one and fiftieth psalme He taketh not liberty hereby to offend againe and to adde vnto the multitude of his former corruptions but rather protesteth with St. Peter to the contrarie Oh it is sufficient that we haue spent 1. Pet. 4. 3. the time past of our life according vnto the lustes of the Gentiles Now seing that the Lord hath made vs to behould to abhorre our former rebellioÌ„s we must resigne the time of our life to come wholy to God Yea the greater hath bin the number of our former sinnes and the more the Lords mercy in pardoning the same the greater must be our care that we offend not any more so gracious a God and merciful a father by adding vnto the huge heap of our former iniquities Indeed there haue bin some carnall libertines in al ages who hearing that the greater our sins are the greater is the mercy of God in pardoning the same haue turned the grace of God into â—antonnes and haue said let vs continue in sinne that grace may abound But as to the vncleane al thinges are vncleane yea the most holy and pure grace of God is an occasion to encrease their vncleane impure lusts so to the pure al things are pure yea the multitude greatnes of their vncleane sins causeth them to loath and abhorre them the more to loue him the more also that hath most franckly and freely pardoned them all There was saith our Saviour to Simon the Pharisee a certaine lender that had two debtours the one owed him 500. Luk. 7. 41. pence and the other 50. VVhen they had nothing to pay hee forgaue them both which of them therefore tell me saith he will loue him most Simon answered and said I suppose that he to whom he forgaue most And he said vnto him thou hast truely iudged Wherby it is evideÌ„t that the faithful the more they perceiue the greatnes of their sinnes and how much they are endebted and endangered vnto God for the same togither with the great mercy of God in pardoning them all will not take occasion thereby to contemne God to cast themselues againe into the like dangerous sinnes but will loue God the more and take the greater care to testifie the same by their duetifull obedience to his commaundements Now concerning the second and third pointes that are to be considered in this question it is most true that the Psalmist testifieth that no man may deliver his brother no Psal 49. 7. not so much as from temporal death nor make atonement vnto God for him for it cost more to redeeme soules in so much that the Son of God himselfe was to become man that he might giue himselfe a ransome for many And therfore The all insufficiency of any thing that is in man and the all suffiâ—iency of the death of Christ to perâ—orme the worke of mans redâ—mption the scripture displaying the insufficiency of any thing whatsoever that can be giuen by man him selfe for the satisfaction of his sinnes and for the redemption of his soule giveth present testimony vnto the most ample sufficiency of
gospell of Christ may encounter herein euen their stoutest champions For if either we respect the sounde doctrine or the sincere practise of good workes for good words bring forth good manners not only at their birth but also in their growth it shal be declared in the treatise following that the holsome doctrin of good workes is most soundly delivered by vs and not by them and as for the practise let vs nowe briefly take a true view thereof euen in the fowre cardinal vertues wisedome fortitude temperance and iustice and let vs in a word see whether we haue iust cause to giue ground vnto them and to yeeld backe one foote Concerning wisedome which is the Lady and M is The professors of the gospell are no whit behind the papists but a great way before them in the holy exercise of all vertues to all the residue of the vertues not onlâ— our doctrine but our practise also is that both priest and people haue their dayly resort to the word of God the full fountaine welspring of true wisedome and meditate thereon day and night that their harts being continually moistened with the sweete droppes thereof they may be made partakers of her fruits And is it not a point of true wisdome for one that cannot of himselfe wisely iudge of al thinges to make choise of a wise instructer teacher But the doctrine the practise of the church of Rome is to cause the people for the most parte to reiect the daylie reading of the word of God and therfore what wisedome can there be in theÌ„ Ier. 8. 9. yea it hath not bin required much lesse practised by their priestes and great Bishops to be much busied in the Lords bookeâ— it hath beene thought to haue bin inough for them to haue biâ— skilfull in their portuise and in their pontificall It may shame indeede the priestes of Italy who truelie Aenaeas Silvius coÌ„ment de dict fact Alphon. regis 1. 2. 17 Eras 1. 9. ep ad Natal Bedd as it is wel knowen haue no not so much as once read over the new testament whereas among the Thaborites that is the Gospellers yee can hardly finde any woman which cannot aunswere both out of the olde testament and the new And a proveâ—be went currant in Scotland not many yeares since testifieng the blindnes and brutishnes of some of their great Bishops ye are like the Bishops of Dunkelden who knew neither new nor olde lawe Now concerning true Christian courage and manhood it hath beene so great in many thousands of the professors of the Gospel of Christ that even among such as were of the meanest trades and occupations that they haue willingly lost both their liberties and liues to giue testimony vnto the truth of their most holy faith and the paucity of the seedsmen of rebellion that haue bin executed for treason against their prince and country and for the defence of the vsurped iurisdiction of the Romish Antichrist may no way bee compared and matched with them And as for the exercise of temperance and chastity it is well knowne to the whole world how we reverence the divine institutioÌ„ of holy matrimony and keepe our selues within the bounds of this ordinance of the Lord Wheras among our Romish votaries simple fornication hath beene accounted no sinne and it hath beene thought to goe well with them if they liued Si noÌ„ castè â—ameé cautè charily though not chastly And howe chastly some of their religious persons liued among themselues some of their fishpondes haue testified sufficiently and concerning their secular priestes the toÌ„gues of such as liued with them haue witnessed that very few wives in their parishes were left at the least vnattempted by these their ghostlie Fathers that I may omitte the vowed trotting on pilgrimage by many that the barren wombe might so be made fruitfull Lastly concerning iustice equity conscience and an vnspotted and vnblameable life as it hath beene reported by Reinerius an inquisitor and that no doubt vpon sufficient inquiry of our brethren the poore men of Lions that they had a great shew of godlines lived iustly with men and beleeved al things well concerning God and all the articles of the creede saue only saith he that they hated blasphemed the church of Rome so I doubt not but that the like testimony may be given of al the sincere professors of the Gospel and that by the mouth of the very enemy if that he wil lay aside blind malice as Reinerius did and simplie and plainely declare the truth At least suppose his conscience wil not make vs worse then those of his religious orders of whoÌ„ it hath bin testified long since that they haue fallen from conscience to science and from Petr. Rodulph Tossian histor Seraph religion 1. â— science to be bareences And what conscience I pray you and what regard to Gods commandements was in those that apprehended Thomas Sanpaulinus at Paris vpoÌ„ suspition of heresie for that he reproved one for swearing in vaine and never left him vntil they had brought him from the tortures of the racke to end his life in fiery torments And yet these things are not spoken to this end as if we meant to detract al ciuil carriage from all the members of the church of Rome nay that the Deuill himselfe may haue his right we ingenuously confesse and acknowledge the outward exercise of many civill politicke vertues in many of them especiallie the most profitable works of piety liberality and mercy in founding Colledges Hospitals and the like But yet so that if they would take from their Faulcons eies the hood of selfe loue and partiality look into one little corner of the glasse of that paineful labourer in the Lords vineyard Master Doctor VVillet they might Andrew-Willet controv gener 19. error 104. see that the professours of the gospel are nothing behinde them in those so goodly and glorious workes How beit although we were not altogither matchable with theÌ„ in the outwarde worke of these vertues for that wee are no way matchable with them in those great dignities priviledges offices and honors and in those large and ample possessions which they enioied to the ful yet they may know that the poore widdowes mite is as much and more also with Christ then al the large summes which were cast into the treasury by the Scribes Pharisies especially if they were giuen as parte of that pray which vnder pretence of long praier they got from poore widdowes And from whence I pray you did most of those greate Donatiues proceede that were cast into the treasurie by our popish Pharisies Is it not likelie that they were either part of that bootie that they gained by thesale of their Masses and pardons or at the least some portion of the fleeces which they tooke froÌ„ the sheepe for their little and course yea no feeding at all of the flocke of Christ And what
then was this but to rob Peter and to pay Paule or it may be it was the bringing in of the price of an whore yea perhaps of many whores into Hagg. 2. 15. Deut. 23. 18 the temple of God and the offering vp of the vncleane in sacrifice vnto him And here by the way I would demande also of them whether it be not as good and as profitable a worke both to church and common-weale to bring vp our owne natural children begotten in holy matrimony at our owne cost and charges in some honest calling according to our habilitie and carefullie to provide for them convenient portions as to leaue large summes to our base children kinsfolke servants or any other whosoeuer of whose good education as wee haue not the like care so of their good conversation we cannot conceiue the like hope But yet here least we be mistaken protestation is to bee made that as we thinke not that we are borne only for our selues and for our children so wee teach not any to employ their goods to the benefit of themselues and their children only but also to the seruice of God Prince country and of al other also who are our neighbours if they may bee succoured and relieved by our meanes Yea we constantly avouch that the more in wisedome discretion we imploy that way the greater treasure wee lay vp in the safest place not onlie to our owne best gaine but also to the greatest commoditie of our children And as for those which haue no children at al there is no doubt but that the more is required at their haÌ„ds to be emploied to the benefit of other if they wil shew their fidelitie to him whose bailiffes they are in al that they possesse and bee esteemed of him as his faithful servants And yet here it is to be remembred that liberality is but one duty amoÌ„g many that are required in the commandements of God it is but one branch among manie other also that are to spring out of vs if we wil bee good and fruitfull trees it is but parte of that seruice that we must performe vnto God if we wil be acknowledged of him for his faithful seruants Neither must we esteeme him to be a good christian albeit the world like neuer so well of him who is a swearer drunkard or whoremaster if so bee he be a good almes man and careth not who eateth of his Liberality no fitte cloake to cover sinne meate as if this were a cloake to couer al faultes and a sufficient amends for al sinnes for this is but a counterfeit a shaddow of liberality it is not true liberality indeede For shee is not an whore but a chast matrone shee vseth not to sorte her selfe with such base companions shee sorteth her selfe only with her princely peeres and keepeth companie with all the residue of divine and heauenly vertues Neither doth her beauty so much consist in the great glorie of the outward work that is wrought as in the readines and willingnes of the minde of the giuer seeing not many rich noble mighty are effectually called but the poore base weake of this world which are more glorious within with spiritual graces then beautified with the shew and pompe of outward works And yet whereas God hath denied mercy to no state or condition those which are called being rich and noble must know that the more that is given vnto them the more shal be required at their hands and that they that sowe sparingly shal reape sparingly and seeing that God is so liberal and bountiful in all respectes towardes them they ought to be liberal and bountiful for his sake especially towards his sincere faithful servants that so their Lord Master may say vnto them goe too yee good and faithfull servants ye haue bin faithfull in a little I wil make you Lordes over much enter yee into the ioy of the Lord. And againe Come yee blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world for I was hungry and yee fedde me Wherfore to conclude it is evident in part by those things which haue bin hitherto delivered that our doctrine of the Gospel is no provocation to sin and that our life is not vtterly void of the exercise of all good workes for then wee should haue greatly provoked the Lord to haue pulled downe the hedge of this our vineyard and to haue remoued his candlesticke out of the midst of vs. But blessed be the Lord the wal of this our vineyard staÌ„deth as yet the bright candle of the sound doctrine of faith and good works burneth in the candlesticke of this our Church of England the which is loÌ„g since put out in the Church of Rome and therfore howsoever they greatly boast of the workes of light there can indee de abound among them nothing but the vnfruitfull workes of the kingdome of darknes The which I beseech those duely to consider of who among them belong to the number of Gods elect that so vnto them in all holy humility and godly sincerity taking a due view of the doctrine of light god may shew so much mercy as to lighteÌ„ the eies of their spiritual vnderstanding and so translate them out of the kingdome of darkenes into the kingdome of light The which thing I beseech thee Christian Reader to helpe forward with thy devout and daylie praiers vnto God especially that the caÌ„dlesticke of this our Church may stand stedfast and vnremoved vnto the worldes end that Gods glorie may more and more be manifested in all the quarters and corners of this little Iland and many children in all succeeding ages may heere be continually begotten borne vnto God Amen Amen Thine in the Lord IOHN TERRIE The summe of two of the most principall pointes of this second part contained in this short prayer Conforme vs O Lord to thy wil and then wil thou whatsoever thou wilt giue vs a true tast of the sweetenes of thy loue in Christ and then let all other thinges be either sweete or sowre vnto vs as thou seest it to be best for vs in thine heavenly wisedome THE SECOND PART of the triall of truth THe pearle of truth is so precious and the treasure thereof so inestimable that God himselfe not only maketh challendge thereto to be the author thereof but also taketh it vnto himselfe as one of his titles of highest honour For as it is braÌ„ded as a note of â—nfamy in the foreheade of the Devill that he is a lying spirit and a spirit of errour yea that hee is a lyar and Ioh. 8. 44. the father of lies so it is an honorable title wherewith Gods name is sanctified God is true and every man a lyar and that as nothing Rom. 3. 4. Heb. 6. 18. Ioh. 14. 6. 17. is more possible to man then to lie so nothing is more impossible to God Neither is it a smal dignity
vnto our Saviour Christ that he is called by the name of truth and his spirit is said to be the spirit of truth and that it is testified of him that one of the principal causes why he came downe from the father was that hee might beare vvitnes to the truth and why he ascended againe vp to the Ioh. 18. 13. father even that he might send downe his spirit vpon his A postles to lead them into all truth and by the voice of truth to gather Ioh. 16. 13. to himselfe a church and congregation which should be a lover embracer maintainer and pillar of truth For all such as Christ 1. Tim. 3 15 would haue to be saued hee would haue them come thereto by the knowledge of the truth And therfore he sendeth vnto them the 1. Tim. 2. 4. light of his word causeth them with all constancy to embrace the same whereby they are enabled to know the truth and the truth Ioh. 8. 32. doth make them free Free from the slavery of sinne and Satan from all the powers of the kingdome of darknes and the same truth doth sanctifie them being before polluted with blind infidelity Ioh. 17. 17. and ignorance of God and so maketh them fellowe cittizens of the Saintes and enrolleth them into the Lords family So then the faithful embracing professing of the truth being the bādes of our communion fellowship with God and an assured note of the Lords people no marvaile though all nations of the earth of what profession soever they be be they Pagans Turks Iewes or Heretikes make so bold a claime to the possession of truth and be at open defiance with al other which wil not yeeld vnto their pretended title And yet there is but one truth one faith which The greatest chalengers are not the rightest owners of truth The testimony of God is the best evidence for truth is the sure anchor of our hope in God the direct way vnto his heavenly kingdome Neither are they seased of the possession therof who make the stoutest claime and chalenge thereto and seeme to be most earnest in the defence of the same but rather such as can shew for it the best evidence Now the best evidēce for truth is the testimony of God who is onely true and cannot lie who cannot erre be deceiued himselfe or in any wise deceiue others And this is acknowledged by all as it may appeare by the pretence made by the autors and inventors of every devotion who haue fained either conference with some God or goddesse or some revelation from some divine power to get the greater credit to their profession So dealt Numa among the Romans Licurgus amōg the Lacedemonians and Solon among the Athenians The truth is that God who dwelleth in a light that no man can approach vnto whom no man hath 1. Tim 6. 16. seene nor can see whose voice is so terrible and glorious that no man can heare it and liue who is onely knowen vnto himselfe and who onely knoweth what is truth what belongeth to his owne worshippe and service hath revealed his wil vnto his faithfull servants and hath made them his penmen and scribes and as it were the publike notaries of his heavenly wisdome And these publike notaries we that be Christians beleeue not to be Solon Lygurgus Numa Mahomet or the like but the Prophets Apostles and Evangelistes even the penmen and scribes of the word The pen-men of the bookes of the olde new testament are the onelie sure and infallible witnesses of truth of God contained in the bookes of the olde and newe testamēt For as for those lawgiuers among the heathē it is acknowledged that they were great learned and politicke men as being trained vp in those artes and sciences which did florish in those ages wherein they liued wherby they were enabled to set down many witty and skilfull rules for the better managing of humane affaires But as for the most of our Prophets Apostles they were simple and ignorant men brought vp not in famous places and schooles of learning but in meane poore and base occupations and therefore the divine knowledge of all heavenly wisedome wherewithal they were endued most plentifully must needes be extraordinarily derived vpon them from God himselfe the foūtaine and wel-spring of all wisedome seeing they obtained not the same by any ordinarie meanes and the miraculous gifte of tongues bestowed vpon them whereby they were enabled in all languages to open to all nations the wonderfull workes of God could not proceede but frō him who is the author of all languages and tongues as likewise the quicke and speedy prevailing of this heavenly doctrine the strong effectual working therof in the harts of the faithful which made them yong old most desirous to testifie their exceeding great loue to the same with the sheading of their decrest blood doth manifestly convince it to be the most mighty powerfull word of the most mighty powerful God Now as the persons from whom the bookes of the olde new testament proceeded by whom the doctrine thereof was so louingly embraced declare them to be divine so doth the matter also in them contained For where are the deformities of all iniquities and sinnes so liuely drawen forth sette out in their coloures to moue to a through dislike and hatred of them and to vnfained repentance and amendement of life as they are described in these divine bookes And where else may we find such a gratious mediator to reconcile vs to God so great a price given for the purchase of the kingdome of heaven so ample and full a satisfaction for the discharge of al our sinnes such a soveraigne salve for the curing of al our maladies such an effectual meanes to relieve our distresled consciences and to secure vs of the loue and favour of God as are offered vnto vs in the holie scriptures And wheras the penmen of these holy bookes lived in diverse ages countries doth not the perfect cōsent agreement of their precepts and instructions manifestly declare by whom they were directed even by him who is alwaies one and the same never differing or disagreeing from himselfe So doth the perfect accomplishment of so many strange predictions foretolde so many ages before they came to passe evidently cōvince that these books proceeded frō him vnto whō only were known al his own decrees works before the foūdatiō of the world was Veritas docendo suadet Tertul. cōt Valēt laide Lastly the perfect purity holines of all points of faith set down in these bookes that absolute equity righteousnes of all the precepts of piety and godlines therein contained doeth plainely declare also that they proceeded from the holy of holies euen from him whose wil is the rule of all equity and righteousnes So that Moses the first penman of this holy write mighte
be allowed and approved of God The proper cause of all good workes delivered vnto vs by the Not our owne will nor the wil of any creature but the will of God is the fountaine and foundation of all good workes Peccatum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To doe our workes in humble obedience to the will of God to serue and please him therein is a sure signe of a good worke and of the true service and servant of God Ioh. 5. 30. spirit of God in the canonical scripture is a religious respect vnto the will of God in doing the same For as rebellious disobedience against the will and commandement of God maketh an evill worke so sincere obedience maketh a good Even when the will of God is the motiue to induce vs to the performance of all our workes when they are done in obedience vnto hâ—m as the duty and service which he requireth at our handes yea when they are done also to this end and purpose that therein we way serue him according vnto his owne will then they are without controversie his right acceptable service and further declare them that so doe the same to be his loyall and obedient servants For how shal we know a loyall subiect to his prince and a true and trusty servant to his master but by their care and labour to serue and please them in their ready obedience to their willes and commandements even so we may soone know discerne the loyall subiectes and the faithfull servants to the great Lord master of vs al if that al our works are done to serue please him to shew our coÌ„formity to his wil. Vpon this ground did our Saviour Christ himselfe iustâ—fie make good all his owne proceedings I can doe nothing saith hee of my selfe as I heare I iudge and my iudgment is iust because I seeke not mine owne well but the will of the father that sent mee So we that are Christians if we desire to haue our workes holy and good wee must learne by the ensample of our master Christ in none of them to seeke our owne will and to walke in our owne waies but alwaies to haue our â—ies bent vpon him who hath sett out vnto vs our limites boundes The which thing if we sincerely performe we shal be as deare vnto our blessed saviour as if we were his brother or mother For who saith he is Mat. 12. 50. my brother and mother Behould he that doth the will of my father which is in heaÌ„ven the same is my sister brother and mother And whom will he admitte vnto the kingdome of heaveÌ„ Not every one saith he Mat. 7. 21. that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of beaveÌ„ but hee that doth the vvill of my father vvhich is in heaven And verely if Gods will be deare to vs we our selues shall be deare vnto him if we bee câ—refull to fulfill his will he will bee carefull to fulfill our will if we endevour to please him he will endevour to please vs if we be ready to performe all that is in his hart he will be readie to performe all that is in our hart yea he will giue vs more then we can wish or desire The cause of our blessednes is our communion The cause of our blessednes is our coÌ„munion with God True blessednesse is our conformity to Gods will with God and our reconciliation vnto him by the blood of Christ whereby he is become our loving father hath adopted vs into the number of his children And true blessednes it selfe which is heere in this life begunne in the children of God and shall be made perfect in the life to come is nothing else but their sanctification by his holy spirit illuminatioÌ„ by his holy word and their conformity to God both in their mindes and vnderstandings and also in their affections and willes For when Gods wisedome is our wisedome and Gods will our will Gods pleasure our pleasure pleasure when the faith that God commendeth is our faith and the workes that he commandeth re our workes when we haue vnfainedly sought to conforme our selues wholy to the most exact rule of the Lords will to be holy as he is holy then doe we see as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the spirit 2. Cor. 3. 18. of God For as sinne is our greatest wretchednesse because it Sinne maketh a pâ—ople miserable maketh vs most vnlike vnto God the holie of holies most like vnto the devill that uncleane and impure spirit even so true sanctity is our greatest glory because it maketh vs most like vnto the Lord of glory Seeing then our workes are right which are squared out by the squier of Gods will seeing our seruing of God according vnto his owne pleasure is his wellpleasing and acceptable service yea seeing our conformity to the will of God is our greatest blessednes it is no marvaile that the spirit of God who is of his most privy and secret counsell doth often vrge in direct termes this will of God as a most strong and effectual motiue and inducement to perswade vs thereby vnto the carefull diligent performance of all good workes This is the wil of God saith the Apostle even your sanctification that every one knowe how to possesse 1. Thes 4. 3. his vessell in holines and honour and not in the lustes of concupiscence as doe the Gentiles which knowe not God As if hee had saide your sanctification and your possessing of your vessels in holines and honour is the thing that God willeth and commaundeth and therfore yee ought most religiously to embrace the same to testâ—fie your obedience to his will And againe Reioice evermore pray continually 1. Thes 5. 16 in all thinges giue thankes for this is the will of God in Christ Iâ—sus towardes you So the Apostle St. Peter exhorting them to whoÌ„ he wrote to repentance and amendement of life telleth theÌ„ that 1. Pet. 4. 2. it is sufficient that before they were called to the knowledge of the will of God they had spent the time past of their life after the lustes of the Gentiles now saith he as much time as remaineth for vs to liue in the flesh we must liue not after the lustes of men but after the will of God And if we would further be instructed in what workes especially it is the will and pleasure of God to haue vs employed they are the workes of the morall and not of the ceremoniall law Sacrifice and offering saith the Prophet thou vvouldâ—st not haue buâ— Psal 40. 7. mine eares hast thou opened Burnt offrings and sacrifice for sin hast thou not required then saide I Loe I come In the volume of thy booke it is writen of me that I should doe thy will ô my God I am content
to do it yea thy law is in mine hart The which performing of the Lords will rather then the offring of many sacrifices being the principal part of the service of God as it was in some measure done by David â— principall man among the Lords servants and a type and figure of our Saviour Christ so it was most perfectly performed by our Saviour himselfe the accomplishment of all types and figures as the Apostle testifieth Heb. 10. For albeit the curse and condemnation that was laide vpon him in respect of our sinnes was most heavy and grievous vnto his flesh caused him to pray againe againe Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe from me yet for that he knew full well that he therefore came into the worlde to drinke most deepely of this bitter cuppe that by his fathers appointment and will therfore he did most willingly submitte himselfe thereto saying not as I will but as thou wilt not my will but thinâ— bâ—… Math. 26. 39. fulfilled therein And so haue all the lively members of Christ from the beginning of the world patiently endured the heavy burden of the crosse being moved thervnto vpon the same reason WheÌ„ the Lord had revealed to Samuell his most grievous iudgments that he would execute vpon the house of Ely for the most outragious sinnes of his lewde soâ—nes howe doth old Elie prepare himselfe to patience It is the Lorde saith hee that hath thus spoken let him doe what seemeth good in his owne eies even what hee 1. Sam. 3. 18 himselfe willeth and what pleaseth him best So when vvicked Absâ—lon had conspired against his owne father David and had forced him to flie out of Ierusalem the chiefe seate and city of his kingdome howe is David furnished for the patient enduring of this crosse If saith he I shall finde favour in the sight of the Lord he 2. SaÌ„ 15. 26 vvill bâ—ing me againe But if he say I haue no delight in thee let him doe what seemeth good in his owne eies Likewise Iob the patterne of patience when all manner of losses and crosses came vpon him on an heape what was it that moued him so patiently to endure theÌ„ all Naked saith he came I out of my mothers wombe and naked must Iob. 1. 21. I returne thither againe the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. By the which onsamples wee haue to learne to frame our willes to the Lordes wil to conforme our affâ—ctions to his executions and so to square out our workes by his lawe if we will haue our workes good and our service approved and our selues accepted as the Lordes faithfull servants All men by nature in the ordering of their liues and vvorkes would willingly serue themselues by following their owne good intentes and meaninges and by walking after their owne eies the traditions of our elders and fathers and the custoâ—e of the multitude and the commandemeÌ„ts of great and mighty men of such as are seated in high dignity and authority doe mightely sway and prevaile with vs. And therfore if we will not suffer our selues to be mâ—sledde in this matter of the greatest moment of all other it behoveth vs to harken most carefully to the counsel of the wise man Let thine eies saith he behould the right and let thine eie liddes direct the way before Thee ponder the path of thy feete and let Prov. 4. 25. all thy waies be ordered aright Turne not to the right hand nor to the left but râ—fraine thy feete from evill That is in these so weighty matters that concerne the glory of God and the salvation of thine owne soule trust not other mens eies nor follow thou other mens ensamples but looke thou thy selfe to thine own steps and be thou assured that thou walke in all those waies which the Lorde thy God hath commanded thee to walke in and see that thou turne Deut. 5. 29. not either to the right hand or to the left or walke one step out of these waies All of vs with our great grandfather Adam since he turned out of the right way of Gods commandements haue wandered and gone astray in crooked pathes and daungerous waies and doe still runne on hastely and speedily therein vntill the Lord of his great mercy doth open our eies and giveth vs wise and vnderstanding harts to behold and to forsake our owne errours and to returne into the waies of his commaundementes The path of the iust is straight for that the Lord doth direct his steps by taking from his eies the veile of folly and by giving him wisedome to walke warely and to forsake his own blind and perverse waies and to walke in the waies of vnderstanding wisedome According vnto the most holesome counsell of the Apostle Saint Paule given to the Ephesians Take heede saith he that Eph. 5. 15. yee walke circumspectly not as vnwise but as wise redeeming the time because the daies are evill We are altogither so corrupt and evil so is the whole world besides and wee are yet so puffed vp with selfeloue and so blinded with our prowd follies that we mistake the broad way that leadeth to death to be the straight way that leadeth to life and we are growne so stiffe also in our owne most foolish conceipts that we will not willingly take any advise and counsell to the contrary or suffer our selues to be broken of our own wils Therefore we haue great neede to be still remembred by the Apostle to take heede that we walke circumspectly not as vnwise but as wise redeeming the time because the daâ—es are evill And againe bee not vâ—wise to follow still your own foolish braines but be ye carefull to vnderstand vvhat the will of the Lord is And verely Verse 17. the Lords waies must be our waies and his will must bee our set pricke to aime at in all our workes if that we haue a desire to hit the marke and obtaine the best game And therfore that this will of God might only be respected of vs and might most effectually worke in vs it hath pleased the spirit of God in the holy scripture given by divine inspiration to haue set downe fowre principall motiues for the better effecting thereof whereof two concerne the matter it selfe and two the author of this will For Gods wil is onely to direct vs in al our workes 1 first because it is holy iust and perfect 2 secondly for that it is onely acceptable vnto God 3 thirdly because it is the wil of him that onely hath soveraigne auctority and power to rule over our consciences and soules 4 fourthly and lastly for that it is his wil vnto whoÌ„ wee owe our selues and al that we enioy as having received all from him and vnto whom our whole service is dubble due in respect of his infinite and vnspeakeable blessings most frankely and freely and yet most largely and
set vp in the place thereof a translation made without any speciall or extraordinary revelatioÌ„ vnder the pretence of more greater corruptions crept into the one theÌ„ into the other As if the Lord had not had â—he same care to preserue the truth in the bookes penned by his owne publike registers and notaries as in the translation of such an one whose greatest praise caÌ„not be but this to be their faithful disciple and scholler And as if the Lord had not had the same regard to keepe vnpollâ—…ted his owne divine and heauenly doctrine in the most pure fountaines and springs as in the impure streames and rivers And yet how doth shee also esteeme of the wil of God set downe by the pen of her translator Do not some of her deare children compare it to a nose of waxe and to a shipmans hose which may be turned and wrested every way and sit falshood as wel as truth And doth shee not charge it to bee shadowed with such obscuâ—ities ambiguities that the truth thereby cannot be cleared without the light of an Interpreter and the right faith cannot be found out wiâ—hout the helpe of the Pope his councels Now is this to honour the Lordes will and to reverence it as holy pure and perfect Were that to be esteemed an holy pure and perfect will and testament of an earthly father which is involved with such obscurities and ambiguities that the children cannot vnderstaÌ„d the legacy that is therin bequeathed vnto them nor yet the duety that is required at their handes but that they must still fall at variance and ods among themselues be ready still to go to law one with another or at the least be driven continually to seeke to the lawyers for the opening and explaning of their manifold doubts May not such a will be said to be at the least very vnadvisedly penned and if it were done of set purpose very wickedly also Now the will and testament of our heauenly father was of set purpose peÌ„ned by the spirit of god after that very manner as it is set downe in the bookes of the old and new testament and therefore in that the Church of Rome doth charge these bookes with such obscurities and ambiguities that the children of God cannot vnderstand that heavenly legacie that is bequeathed vnto them therein nor yet that duty that is required at their handes but that they must needes be at variance and fall out about â—he â—…ne continually vnlesse they resorte continually vnto the decision of the Pope and to the determination of his approved counâ—els for the dissolving of all their doubts and for the clearing of all their controversies what else doth shee herein but most impiously charge the most holy pure and perfect wil and testament of our heavenly father not only to haue bin very vnadvisedly but also to haue bin most wickedly penned But let God be true and al men liars as it is written that thou mightest be iustified in thy words overcome wheÌ„ thou art iudged And Rom. 3. 4. let all the most glorious works of the children of pride be vtterly condemned for that they doe them not in most humble obedience to the most holy pure and perfect will of God or that which is farre more heinous and impious for that they are not ashamed in their bookes published in the eies of all men thus to defame and slander that most holy pure and perfect will of the most holy pure and perfect God 2 The will of God is to bee respected in doing our workes for that it is acceptable wellpleasing to god Coll. 3. 20. 1. Tim. 2. 3. Eph. 5. 10. Heb. 13. 16. The second reason why we should haue such a respectiue regard to the wil of God in doing our works is for that what is conformable to his will cannot be but well-pleasing and acceptable to himselfe Children saith the Apostle obey your parents in all thinges for that is well-pleasing vnto the Lord. So to Timothy I exhort therfore that first of all praiers supplications intercessions and giving of thaÌ„ks be made for all men for kings and for such as be in authority that vvee may lead a quiet life in all godlinesse and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior So likewise to the Ephesians Yee were once darknes but nowe yee are light in the Lord walke as children of the light approving that which is wellpleasing vnto the Lord. So also the Apostle to the Hebrewes To do good to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is wellpleased Now that which God willeth that no doubt he liketh and that which he himselfe commaundeth is assuredly wellpleasing and acceptable in his owne eies For if it bee a pleasure to a wise man when his counsell is obeyed and a griefe and corrasive when it is despised esteemed vaine and nothing worth so it cannot be but wellpleasing vnto him in whom are hid al the treasures of wisdome knowledge when his counsels are obeied and he cannot be but highly offeÌ„ded when they are trodden vnder foote and lightly regarded When blind blockish and sottish men shall so lightly esteeme of the wisdome of God which hee hath made manifest in his owne ordinaÌ„ces that they shal imagine that they themselues caÌ„ invent a better or at the least as good a manner of serving of God as hee himselfe hath ordained in his own word what can be more odious and abominable before God As on the contrary side when men ascribe that perfection of wisdome to the will and commandeâ—ents of God as that they fully perswade themselues that in them are contained his whole and entire worship and service therefore do busie themselues most carefully about the fulfilling of the same this their respect and obedience to the law of God cannot be but a most acceptable sacrifice vnto God For as wee can no better please the prince theÌ„ by being careful to obey the Placita principum princes pleasure so we cannot better please God nor testifie our loue better vnto him then by our carefull keeping of his commandements If yee loue me saith our Saviour Christ keepe my coÌ„mandements Ioh 14 15. and 21. Our loue to God is best shewed in our obedience to his wiâ—l expressed in his owne commandementes And againe he that hath my commandements keepeth them â—he same is he that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will loue him and shew my selfe vnto him And againe if any man loue me he will keepe my word and my father will loue him and we will come vnto him and dwell with him he that loveth me not keepeth not my worde By the which so often repetition of one the selfe-same thing so easily to be conceaved and to be born away at the first our Sauior Christ would haue it throughly setled in our harts that we cannot
though hee had decreed to cast vs dovvâ—e into hell fire both for that we owe him for that our whole life is still sustained by him What must we not forsake father and mother al other earthly comfortes whatsoever if that they hinder vs from following Christ Must we not sacrifice vp to God our deere only child if he commaund vs and not onely so but also wish our selues rather to be accursed then God any waies should be dishonoured Surely we ought to loue God aboue all and therefore aboue our selues and wee ought to preferre our peace with God before our peace with the world and the smallest measure of grace godlines before the greatest store of all earthly treasures For otherwise when these things begin to be taken from vs our zeale to Gods service will soone bee cooled as it is sette forth vnto vs in the parable of the sower For by the stony and thorny groundes such being represented vnto vs that haue but a temporary faith who albeit they reioice truely and vnfainedly in the Lord goe on cheerefully in his service for a while yet for that they doe not in sincerity embrace the word of God nor loue the Lord for the Lords sake but are moued especially vpoÌ„ carnal respects to make profession of the faith of Christ therfore they continue not stedfast in their profession but being a little assaulted are soone vanquished Wheras the sound and sincere servants of Chrâ—st being represented vnto vs by the good ground for that in al sinceritie they embrace the word of God and loue the Lord for the Lords sake they stil finding that in the Lord in his word whâ—ch doth moue them more and more to cleave therevnto therefore are constant in their holy profession and can never be cleane removed from the service of God For these persons for that with full purpose of hart they cleaue to the Lord and in all sincerity serue him therefore his favouâ— doth cleaue fast vnto them and his constant loue and goodnes doth alwaies assist them preserve theÌ„ in his feare Wheras on the coÌ„trary side al such as in their workes pretending the Lords service doe indeede seeke their owne and not the Lords in the end loose all their owne and themselues also and are most iustly deprived at the last of their preteÌ„ded shew of the Lords service And so our Saviour Christ told the hypocritical Matth. 6. 1. Pharisies who seemed to be very rich in al good workes that because their praiers and almes deedes were done to please meÌ„ and to wine fame and glory to themselues and not to the Lord therefore they were to looke for no reward at the Lords handes As St. Paule doth testifie also to the whole nation of the Iewes that because they did performe the workes of the whole lawe rather to Rom 10. 3. iustifie themselues thereby then to testâ—fie their obedience to the good will and pleasure of God therfore both themselues and also their workes were reiected of God Wherefore the Apostle to the Hebrewes in the conclusion of his Epistle could not wish a greater blessing vnto them then this that the God of peace which brought againe froÌ„ Heb. 13. 21. the deâ—d our Lord Iesus Christ the great sheepheard of the sheepe by the blood of the everlasting testament shoulde make them perfect in all good workes to doe his will working in them that which was pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ wherby we may learne that the perfection of al good workes is the respect had to the wil and pleasure of God in doing the same Wherfore if we wil be fully assured that our workes are good and allowed of God we must not therein serue our selues and seeke our owne by entending either our estimation before men or our iustification before God but in them wee must seeke those things which are Christes intending if not only yet principally at the least to serue please him to testifie our obedieÌ„ce to his wil. What then may we iudge of al the most glorious works of the children of the Romish synagogue which are The children of the church of Rome doe their works principally to serue themselues and to procure their own good and therefore they are no part of Gods â—…râ—ice done principally to iustifie themselues before God to make satisfaction for their owne sins to merite for themselues the Kingdome of heaven and to releiue the soules of their deare freindes being most miserably tormented in purgatory fire The which merite of their workes is in so great an account with them such a principall motiue to al holy actions that because we deny the same ascribe our whole iustification first and last onely to the merite of Christs death and to the dignity of his passion therefore they charge vs to deny good workes or at the least greatly to diminish the care and studie of doing good workes Yea some of theÌ„ haue not beene ashamed to avouch that if we be not iustified by our good works it were as good to play for naught as to worke for naught As if to doe good workes to testifie our obedience to the good will of GOD and to serue and please him were a thing of nought VVherefore it cannot otherwise bee but that all their good workes howe glorious in shewe soever they bee should bee disallowed of God and vtterly reiected as things of nought 3 The will of God is to be respected of vs in all our workes for that he is our only spirituall Lord who hath authority to rule over our soules Exod. 20. 2. Eze. 20. 19. The third reason why in the performing of all good workes we ought to haue a speciall respect to the will of God is for that hee is our only Lord that hath authority to rule over our consciences and vnto whose supreame and soveraigne will wee owe all humble and dutifull obedience This is one of the reasons that is alleadged by God himselfe at the promulgation of his owne lawe to procure obedience to his commandements I am the Lorde thy God c. thou shalt haue none other Gods before me So likewise when he would haue reclaimed his people from those superstitions Idolatries wherinto they were fallen by following the customes and orders of their forefathers he proposeth vnto them the selfe same argument Yee shall not walke in the ordinaunces of your fathers nor obserue their manners nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the Lorde your God walke in my statutes and keepe my iudgementes and doe them and sanctifie my Sabbethes and they shall bee a signe betweene me and you that yee may knowe that I am the Lorde your God The cause of their falling away from God was the falling away froÌ„ his lawes and the embracing of the decrees and customes of their forefathers and the meanes of their recovery is the acknowledging of the Lordes supreme and soveraigne
authority over them and their humble submission vnto his statutes and lawes And therefore in the prophecie of Ieremie the Lorde himselfe doeth most vâ—hemently cry out vnto this backesliding generation O yee disobedient children turne againe saith the Lorde for I am your Ierem. 3. 14 Lord. And verily if it seeme vnto every man iust and reasonable that the eies of servantes shoulde looke to the hands of their masters Psal 123. 2. and the eies of maydens to the handes of their mistrestes then much more reason is it that our eies shoulde waite and attende vpon the LORDE our GOD if that vvee vvill bee accepted of him as his faithfull servauntes The Centurions goe Mat. 8. 9. in the Gospell vvas enough to his souldiours and his doe this was sufficient vnto his servantes and shall not the orders and iniunctions of the Lord of Lords and commander of al commâ—unders make vs prest and willing to yeeld to him al humble ready obedience Especially whereas he is our only Lord and lawmaker who hath authority not only to impose lawes vpon our consciences but also to revenge all contempt and disobedience even with everlasting perdition both of body and soule There is Iac. 4. 12. Eph. 4. 5. one lawgiver saith S. Iames who is able to saue and to destroy There is one God saith the Apostle and one Lord. All other Lord here among men haue no lawfull authority but from him for they are but his Lieuetenants and deputies and therefore must not goe beyond their commission in making statuces and imposing lawes no not vpon their owne subiects Concerning the safety prosperous estate of themselues and of their earthly kingdomes and concerning the welfare of their owne subiects that are coÌ„mitted to their fidelity and trust they haue sufficient authority in wisedome equity and iustice to make holesome lawes but as coÌ„cerning the worship and service of God they haue none authoritie to make any new lawes of their owne but to provide that the Lords lawes alone be duely put in execution The which thing if they religiously perfourme then they are to bee obeyed in the Lord and that not only for feare but also for conscience otherwise if they goe beyond their commission their subiects owe theÌ„ patience but not obedience For as they themselues wil not tolerate or indure any such presumptioÌ„ in any of their own subiects if they take vpon them to make lawes to overrule them their kingdomes for that were to suffer the scepter to be wrested out of their owne hands and the crowne to be taken from their own heads so they themselues must not presume to make lawes for the ordering of the church of God for the administring of his spirituall kingdome but religiously to provide that the Lordes lawes only be carefully observed and kept And therefore at the day of the kings coronation the booke of the law was delivered into his hand to put him in minde that thereby he ought to rule both himselfe and all his subiectes in all matters concerning the service of God So likewise the ecclesiasticall officers governours even they that are the chiefe builders of the Lords spirituall temple must lay no other stones in that building but such as are digged out of the Lordes owne quarries That is they must teach no other points of faith and precepts of life then such as they haue received froÌ„ him who only hath authority to appoint and ordaine what we ought to beleeue and how to liue otherwise if they teach any thinge of their owne wee ought to giue no eare nor credite vnto them The Scribes and Pharisies saith our Mat. 23. 2. Saviour Christ sit in Moses chaire whatsoever therefore they say vnto you that doe yee For in sitting in Moses chaire they teach the law delivered by Moses and so God himselfe teacheth by them vnto whom we owe all ready obedience But if they doe mingle therewith their owne leaven that is their owne doctrines and inventions Mat. 16. 6. we must avoide and shun the same as a most daungerous deadly poyson The truth is that in matters of ceremony the church governours haue authority to ordaine such thinges as belong to edification comelines and order and yet therin also they are to take heede that they do not clogge the Lordes people with such burdens as the Lord would not haue to be laid vpon them and also that matters of ceremony and circuÌ„stance be not so vehemently pressed and vrged as if they were matters of substance When king David not without the approbation of Nathan the prophet had purposed to builde a sumptuous temple for the arke of the Lords covenant for the fitter assembling of the people and for the more convenient performing of all such things as did belong to the service of God albeit also it was a matter of circumstance and not of substance therfore left in the hands of such as were in authority yet for that it was new and strange and not precisely and particularly commanded by the Lords owne mouth beholde howe the Lorde seemeth at the first to take exception against this so relligious and godly a purpose of his owne most choice and beloued servant In all the places saith the Lord wherin I walked with the childreÌ„ of Israell spake I one word to any of the tribes of Israell when I commanded the Iudges to feede my people Israell or said 2. Sam. 7. 7. I why build ye me not an house of Cedar trees Yea when those very sacrifices offerings Sabbothes new moones solemne feastes with other the like exercises belonging to the service of God which were also precisely commandâ—d by the Lordes owne expresse word were performed by priest and people but not after that manner as they were ordeined by God how doth hee reiect them al cast them of saying what haue I to do with the multitude of your sacrifices when yee come to appeare before meo who bath required Isa 1. 11. these things at your handes No marvaile then that the Lord doth with so great detestation reiect al those kinde of services which the people had sucked either out of their owne bâ—ainsicke heads or had receiued by tradition from their forefathers saying They haue done that which I commanded them not neither ever entred into Ier. 7. 31. my hart So Isay 29. Because this people commeth neare vnto mee vvith their mouth and honoureth me with their lippes but haue remooued their hart farre from me and their feare towardes mee was taught by the precepts of men therfore behould againe I will doe a marvelous worke in this people even am trvelous worke and a wonder for the wisedome of the wise shall perish and the vnderstanding of the prudent shall be hidde Behould how dangerous a matter it is in those thinges which concerne the service of God to maime or to mingle any thing with the pure perfect word of God to
harken but in parte to the preceptes of men and not to resigne our selues wholy to the Lord to be guided ruled only by his lawes For this people being in outward shew and profession the onely people of God in performing the service of God did observe those things which God himselfe had coÌ„manded yet because they did ascribe somewhat to their owne wisedome and did thinke that they could adde something takeÌ„ out of their owne braines or delivered to them by tradition from their fathers as matters profitable to the servâ—ce of God their wisdome was condemned for folly and their honouring of God for the dishonouring of his holy name and for the corrupting of his service And verely is it not extreme folly and madnes to take vpon vs to be wiser theÌ„ God vnder any pretence whatsoever to presume against so special and peremptory a decree of the supreme iudge of the whole earth set downe in direct termes with his owne penne That which I commaund thee thou shalt doe that only thou shalt not add ought therto nor take ought therfrom And againe Deut. 4. 5. 6 Take beed that you doe that which the Lord your Goa hath commaunded you yee shall not turne to the right hand nor to he left you shall doe that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord not that which is good in your owne eies For who hath knowen the mind of the Lord or who hath beene his counsellour Verely St. Paule had many and great revelations Rom. 11. 54 and was rapt vp into Paradise even into the third heaven and heard such words as cannot be vttered yet he acknowledged that it did not belong vnto him to beare rule over the faith of the people of God Nay he denounceth a double curse against himselfe 2. Cor. 1. 24. Gal. 1. 8. and against any Angel whoÌ„soever if that he presume to deliver any other Gospell or point of faith then was receiued from God himselfe For we are all whatsoever we be but fellow schollers in the schoole of Christ he is our onely teacher scholemaster and his doctrine onely is sound and catholike Wee are but fellow servants vnder one Lord he onely hath authority to rule and raigne over our soules and his commandements must beare the whole sway In the earthly kingdome there is Iewe Gentile In the kingdomes of this world there is a difference betweene prince and people master servant but in the kingdome of Christ all are servaÌ„ts alike vnder one master 1 Cor 2. 24. Heb 1. 14. bond and free Lord and servant prince subiect but in the spiritual kingdome of Christ all are one of the same estate condition and calling they are al alike the Lordes free-men and they are al the servants and subiectes of Christ For what is Paule or what is Apollos but Ministers by whom ye haue beleeved And what are the most glorious Angels themselues Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes that shall bee heires of salvation And what honourable title haue the highest in the church of Christ taken vnto themselues to sette forth their owne dignity honour Iames a servant of God of the Lord Iesus Christ Simon Peter a servant and an Apostle of Iesus Christ Paule a servant of God an Apostle of Iesus Christ And what honorable title haue the highest in the earthly kingdome as they did belong to the spiritual kingdome of Christ taken vnto them selues to the setting forth of their dignity and honour Behould saith David a great king I am thy servant I am thy servant and the sonne of thine handmaide And what honourable title haue the Angels in heaven taken vnto thâ—selues to the setting forth of their dignity and honour I am thy fellow servant saith the Angel to St. Iohn and one of thy brethren which haue the testimony of Iesus worshippe God Yea the most blessed virgin Mary the mother of the Lord who is called by the children of the church of Rome their Lady and Queene of hoaven as if shee were a meeâ—e mate and peere to our Lord acknowledgeth this to be her greatest honour that God had respect vnto the lowe estate of his haÌ„dmaide Al then in the spiritual kingdome of Christ are fellow servaÌ„ts which are not to make lawes in matters concerning the service of God but to proclaime the lawes of their onely Lord and to propose them vnto their fellow servants to be religiously observed by them al. The which if we could so throughly dispatch that we should stand as it were idle for lacke of worke then wee might harken for a new master and goe as it were about the country to seeke more work Or if we could performe so much of his worke as were answerable to that allowance and wages wee receiue froÌ„ him theÌ„ we might seeke for some other worke also for the mending of our wages and for the bettering of our maintenance Or if we could haue better wages allowance and and maintenance at anothers hand then we might cast of the Lordes livery betake our selues to a more profitable service But wee can never so perfectly performe our duty to God but that in many things we shal faile all neither will our labour be it never so great be ever answerable vnto our wages neither is it possible for any of vâ— to finde so good a master as the Lord is and therfore it is good keeping of vs in his service and continuing in his feare that his favour may be our countenance credite and his livery our protection and safety it is good for vs in al our workes to haue his commandements before our eies to sette before vs his soveraigne authority that so in all thinges we seruing him may be acknowledged of him as his faithfull servants But vnto the children of the church of Rome the auctority of this our onely Lord is noâ— so great that he should rule over their consciences by his own laws alone vnlesse there be ioined therto the decrees of their church the constitutions of their popes the Canon of their councels and the rules of the founders of their religious orders Yea their popes power is so great with them that he can dispence with the law of our only Lord and free from obedience to his commandements He can alter the substantial points of the Lords service maime and mangle the institution of Christ wheras none of his owne Concil Trident. Scss 7. c. 13. patches and ragges must in any case bee neglected and omitted without the daÌ„ger of their blacke curse Yea the perfect fulfilling of the whole law of God is so light and easie to these men that they shoulde stand as it were idle and vnimployed if no greater matter were requiâ—ed at their hands therefore the founders of their religious orders haue found out many workes of greater holines and perfection which were not commanded
the foundation of the Mat. 25. 34. world for ye haue vowed virginity voluntary poverty and the like but I was hungry ye fedde me Moreover it hath bin thought by the godly that liued in the purer ages not to be a worke of any coÌ„mendation at al to abstaine from the sober and lawful vse of such thinges as God himselfe hath created for our vse and to refuse to drinke of those pure streames of GODS loue that hee hath caused to flowe foorth vnto vs for our comfort and for our good as it may appeare by the history of Alcibiades a godly and faithfull martyr of Christ Iesus who being reproved for liuing with bread and water in the time of his liberty and for the refusing of the vse of other of the Lords blessings because he did therby minister an occasion of a pernitious ensample after that he was cast into prison for the testimony of Christ when it might seeme that he should haue encreased then he altered his former rigorous straight diett and this fact of his Eusebius tearmeth Euseb lib. 5. cap. 3. Milar in Psal 64. a good instruction for scrupulous consciences Hilary likewise reproveth in certeine heretiques of his time the liuing with drye bread and condemneth it of miserable superstition And is not the Apostle also most plaine in this case affirming precisely that this kinde of rigorous and straight abstineÌ„ce shal be oâ—… of the heresyeâ— 1. Tim. 4. 3. of these last times And doth he not as evidently teach that meate and drinke doth not commend vs to God and that the spirituall 1. Cor. 8. 8. kingdome of Christ doth not at all consist therin and therefore that it can in no case be one of the chiefest workes of this spirituall Rom. 14. 16. kingdome Neither is mariage it selfe so pernitious a thing that the refraining thereof should be a most pretious worke Nay Heb 13. 4. mariage is honourable among all men as saith the Apostle and so pretious in the iudgment of Chrysostome that in it one may ascend to the throne of a Bishop yea if he vse it moderately he may bee chiefest in the kingdome of God at the least of it selfe it is no hinderaÌ„ce no not to a Bishop in the execution of that weighty and worthy worke that is required at his handes For it was no hinderance to Spiridion nor yet to Gregory Nissene who was also the sonne of a Bishop the lawes then allowed the same who was not Zoz l. 1. c. 11 Praesule patre satus nam tâ—c id iura sinebant Mantuan inferiour to his brother Basil the great as Nicephorus witnesseth albeit he liued in the estate of matrimony The like may be saide of living solitarily in a cloyster or in a cello or in the wildernesse seeing it is coÌ„trary to the doctrine of the Apostle who reproveth such as did forsake the society and fellowship one with another yea seing the spirit of God hath denounced an woe against the Heb. 10 25. Eccles 4. 10 same Woe be to him that is alone or liueth in solitarines for that he depriveth himselfe of the means of his recovery when he slippeth falleth in that he seperateth himselfe froÌ„ the society of the faithfull And if woe be to him that liveth solitarily then blessed is not he that liveth so at the least he is not in the readiest way to the greatest blessednes The Apostles no doubt of al other men were the best followers of their master Christ and walked in the readiest way to the greatest perefectioÌ„ Who albeit they had forsakeÌ„ all to follow Christ yet they had not forsakeÌ„ their wiues nor their houses Mat. 19. 27. nor the coÌ„moÌ„ society of meÌ„ Peter if we wil beleeue their owne Legende had by his wife a daughter called Petronilla therfore after himselfe was called Peter Neither could they forsake their wiues by the law of God seing as the womaÌ„ is bouÌ„d to the maÌ„ as long as he liueth so is the man bound to the woman therfore it is not 1. Cor. 7. 39 vers 11. Math. 19. 6. Paules but the Lords coÌ„mandemeÌ„t in the same place Let not the husbaÌ„d put away his wife For those whoÌ„ God hath ioined togither no man ought to put asuder Neither did the Apostles put away their wiues no not in their laborious iorneying throughout the whole world Haue we no power to leade about a sister a wife saith St. Paul as well 1. Cor. 9. 5. as the residue of the Apostles the Lords brethreÌ„ Cephas Neither did they forsake their houses possessioÌ„s or the coÌ„mon society to liue solitarily in a cloister or in a celle or in the wildernes For Christ came to Peters house there cured his wiues â—other of a Math. 8. 14. Math. 9. 10. feaver he was feasted at Matthewâ—s house there vouchsafed to eate with PublicaÌ„s sinners after the death of Christ Iohn tooke the blessed Virgine to his owne house receiued revereÌ„ced her as his own mother And yet al these as I said before had forsakeÌ„ al things that were to be forsakeÌ„ to follow Christ therfore neither wines nor houses nor the common society of men are to bee Ioh. 19. 27. forsaken of such as will most exactly follow Christ Wherfore to conclude this point neither hath God permitted to our owne voluntary choice the chiefest duties that belong to his owne service nor left them to be enioined by the founders of the relligious orders of the Church of Rome but hath precisely himselfe commaunded them all Neither are those workes of supererogation performed by our Romish votaries any way matchable with the workes of the lawe of God much lesse to be extolled and advaunced aboue them and therfore seeing that the children of the church of Rome wil not admitte God to be their onely Lord to haue authority alone to rule over their soules by his only lawes but haue given the like power to their Pope Church and Friers yea seeing they haue allowed the Pope power to dispeÌ„ce with the law of God nature haue preferred the ordinances of their church before the institution of Christ himselfe haue advaÌ„ced the works of their votaries aboue the works of the law of God it is to be feared that God wil cast theÌ„ downe with al their glorious works into the deepâ—pit dungeon of hell froÌ„ the which place of dreadful condemnatioÌ„ if we desire to be delivered withall the approved servants of God we must not hale betweene two opinions we must not seek to serue God Baal for we cannot serue two masters we must not after we haue vowed our selues in our baptisme to the only service of one God make another vow of obedience to the rules of Prier Francis For seeing wee are his servants to whom we â—bey we must vow our obedience only to God if that we wil be accepted
of the meanest witch that hath before bouÌ„d her selfe vnto him And hee doeth extenuate all that service that Iob himselfe had done vnto God for that he was so sufficiently hyred thereto paide so well for it and that before hand Doth Iob saith he feare Iob. 1. 9. God for nought Haste thou not made an hedge about him and about his house and about al that he hath on every side Thou hast blessed the works of his hands and his substance is encreased in the land and therefore what great thing is it that he doth so regard thee hath he not very good cause so to do Verily if he did not seek to serue thee after the best manner he were the wickedst wretch that ever lived Now if the most envious and malicious wretch of all other who by his intollerable ingratitude and vnthankfulnes had deprived himselfe most iustly of al the Lords blessings could yet notwithstanding reason after this maÌ„ner how much more ought the true and faithfull servants of God themselues which do and for ever shall enioy the inestimable favour of his vnchangeable loue set the loving kindnes of the Lord alwaies before their eies making it a sharpe spurre to stirre them vp to walke on forwarde in the Lords truth and even to run the way of his coÌ„mandements And that Psal 16. 3. so much the rather for that the Lord himselfe hath beene so carefull to remember them thereof in sundry places of divine scripture and that after a most vehement and patheticall manner Ier. 2. 31. O yee generation take yee heede vnto the word of the Lord Haue I bin vnto you a wildernes or a land of darknes Wherfore say my people we are Lords we will come no more vnto thee Surely I haue not bin as a wildernes but as a most fruitful land ministring vnto you all blessings in all aboundance And therefore yee ought to haue beene most fertile in my feare and most plentifull in my service This most ample beneficence of God towards his people is so apparant that he appealeth therein even to themselues O yee inhabitants of Ierusalem and men of Iudah iudge yee I pray you betweene Isa 5. 3. me my vineyard What could I haue done any more vnto my vineyard that I haue not done vnto it So likewise in the Prophet Micah O my Mich. 6. 3. people what haue I done vnto thee or wherein haue I grieved thee testifie against me Surâ—… I brought thee up out of the land of Aegypt redeemed thee out of the house of servants and I sent before thee Moses Aron and Myriam O my people remember now what Balaak king of Moab had devised and what Balâ—am the sonne of Beor answered him froÌ„ Shittim vnto Gilgall that yee may know the righteousâ—es of the Lord. The recital of the which so great kindnesse and loue did so inwardly touch the very hart of the Prophet of the residue of the faithfull to whoÌ„ it was vttered that immediatly in their person he calleth as it were al the powers of his soule to a consultation howe al dâ—tiful thankefulnes may after the best manner be rendred vnto God for these his so large and ample mercies Wherewithall saith he shall I come before the Lord and bowe my selfe before the most high God Shall I come before him with burnt offrings and vvith calâ—es of an yeare olde will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rammes or with teâ— thousand rivers of oile Shall I giue my first borne for my transgression the fiâ—ite of my body for the sinne of my soule Hee hath shevved thee ô man what is good and what the Lord requireth at thy hands Surely to do iustly and to loue mercy to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God Wherby we may learne what be those sacrificeâ— that are best acceptable to God first to do iustlie in giuing to God that which is due to God and to man that which is due to man Secondly to sheâ—e mercy to them that are in misery and lastly to haue Gods goodnes alwaies before our eies our owne vnworthines that so wee may learne to humble our selues to renouÌ„ce our owne worth and to cleaue vnfeinedly vnto God yea to deny to die vnto our selues that so we may devote out selues and our whole liues only to God And verely when the Lord hath once revealed shewed vnto vs how he hath loued vs and given himselfe vnto vs and hath abounded towardes vs in his gracious blessings and hath caused al his creatures to serue to our vse theÌ„ shal we desire in al sincerity to loue and please him and to resigne our selues wholy to his service When God shal say vnto vs ye are my people then shal we answere thou art our GOD. When Christ shal haue Hos 2. 23. made manifest his tender affection to his spouse haue taught her to say my beloued is mine and hath assured me of his â—idelity Cant. 2. 16. then shal shee reply I am his and am fully resolved to keepe true touch and faith with him His loue is mine and shall bee alwaies before mine eles and my service is his and shal be continually in his sight If a master among men should giue vnto his servant an annuity of 20. nobles by the yeere or some little farme or other living if hee serue him not therefore at his becke hee crieth out straight waies against his ingratitude but if he happen to ioine against him in any cause or suite and that with his professed and deadly enemie how intollerable an indignity doth this seeme in his sight Now we our selues haue receaved from our grand master and Lord not only some small parte portion of our liueing maintenaÌ„ce but our selues also whatsoever we enioy out lot tâ— is fallen out vnto vs in a good grouÌ„d we haue a very goodly hevitage Psal 16. 6. for the Lord himselfe is our portioÌ„ he doth maintaine our lotte What vnkind vnthankful wretches are we theÌ„ if we surrender not backe againe vnto him both our selues al that we enioy to be prest ready at his coÌ„mandemeÌ„t If we keepe not a continual remeÌ„braÌ„ce of these inestimable mercies sette theÌ„ not alwaies before our eies wee bee worthy to be cleane cast out of his sight vtterly to be put out of his remeÌ„braÌ„ce If so ful streames flowing froÌ„ so pure a fouÌ„taine do not moisteÌ„ the dry barreÌ„ soile of our soules make vs fruitful to al good works theÌ„ are we verely but badd grouÌ„d â—…re to the curse whose end is to be burâ—…d Vndoubtedly as al the rivers flowing out of the sea returne thither againe so empty theÌ„selues after a sort into their mothers lappe eveÌ„ so the Lords innumerable blessings issuing froÌ„ the maine sea of his loue vnto the vse of his faithful sincere servaÌ„ts are thaÌ„kfully returned by them backe againe and faithfully employed
in his seruice The bondslaues of Satan seeme sometimes to drawe nigh vnto God to seeke the advauÌ„cemeÌ„t of his honor glory but it is either afflictioÌ„ that forceth theÌ„ to cry that they might be delivered Psal 78. 34. Hos 7. 14. Ioh. 6. 26. out of the haÌ„d of the oppressor or they howle vpoÌ„ their beds for corne wine and follow Christ for more bread the gratious gifts of God already receiued do not allure them to come in sincerity to God For they say not in their heartes O let vs feare the Lord which giueth vs raine â—arely late in due season and reserveth Ierem. 5. 24. for vs the appointed weekes of harvest Neither doe they say vvhere Iob. 35. 10. is the God that made vs that giveth vs songes in the night vvhich teacheth vs more then the beastes of the earth and giveth vs more wisedome then the fowles of the heavens But the sincere servantes of Thankfulnes for benefits already received bringeth the faithfull to God wheras hope of profite to come and their owne necessities force hypocrites sometimes to flie vnto him 2 Reg. 5. 17 Is 38. 20. The contemplation of Gods mercies our owne defectes vnworthines is the proper cause of all sincere devotion especially the manifestation of the endles loue of God in Christ is the peculiar cause of faith by faith of all other parts of piety godlines Christ knowing that God hath advaunced them with honour aboue al the residue of his creatures seeke to advaunce his honour aboue al other yea they most duly weighing with theÌ„selues how deeply they are endebted vnto his divine maiesty for his gracious gifts already receiued desire rather to discharge some of the billes of their former debtes then more more stil to grow in arearages Naaman the Syrian being al his life long brought vp in most grosse blindnes Idolatry when he was cured of his leprosy by the goodnes of the God of Israel that is by the goodnes of the only true God Now saith he I know that there is no God but only in Israel therfore wil I not heÌ„ceforth offer any burnt offring or sacrifice to any other God saue to the Lord. So wheÌ„ Ezechias had obtained of God a great deliverance froÌ„ his most dangerous disease howe doth he sing vnto the Lord reioice in his goodnes vow vnto God perpetual homage service The graue saith he caÌ„not coÌ„fesse thee death caÌ„not praise thee but the liuing shall coÌ„fesse thee as I doe this day the father to the children shall declare thy truth The Lord was ready to saue me therfore wil I sing my songs in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life The like may be said of al the residue that haue vnfeinedly given themselues vnto God For how were they drawen therevnto but by the linkes of his loue by the chaine of his blessings Devotion saith Aquinas is a special act of religion importing nothing else but the devoting of a mans hearte to the prompt service of the almighty God the cause wherof is the contemplation meditation of the Lords benefits of our owne defects For if we would duly weigh coÌ„sider with our selues the Lords most bountiful largesse towards vs which are vnworthy of the leasts of his mercies deserue nothing but vengeance and wrath especially if we would religiously record that one invaluable gift of God who so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoever beleeved in him should not perish but haue life everlasting it would not otherwise be but that we should be wounded and pricked at the very hearte for our former contempts disloyalties and rebellions against so good and gratious a GOD and should also be made more careful for the time to come to looke better vnto our steppes and to be more respectiue serviceable vnto our God For so wrought this heavenly phisike in Peter Paule with al the residue of the servants of Christ it purged a way the putrified humours of corrupted affections recovered theÌ„ to spiritual health life It is sufficieÌ„t saith St. Peter that wee haue speÌ„t the time past of our life after the lustes of the GeÌ„tiles walking in 1. Pet. 4 2. Our defectes Gods loue Our dutie or devotioÌ„ vvantonnes lustes drunkennes and in abominable Idolatries But nowe seeing we knowe that Christ hath suffered for sinne we ought also to suffer in the flesh and to cease from sinne and henceforward to liue as much time as remaineth in the flesh not after the lustes of men but after the vvill of God So likewise the Apostle St. Paule Wee also our selues vvere in Tit. 3. 3. Our defectes Gods loue times past vnwise disobedient deceiued serving dâ—verse lustes and vâ—lâ—ptuousnes living in malitiousnes and eâ—vy hatefull and hating oâ—… another but when the boâ—…tâ—fulnes and loue of God our Saviour toward man appeared he not onely saved vs from the guilte of our sinnes by giving himselfe a ransome for our soules but also hee destroyed the power Our dutie or devotioÌ„ of sinne in vs and so raysed vs vp to newnes of life For albeit the wicked turne the grace of God into wantonnes saying let vs sinne that grace may abound yet the saying grace of God teacheth the godly another lesson even to deny vngodlines and worldly lustes and to live Tit. 2. 11. iustly soberlie and godly in this present world looking for the blessed hope appearing of the mighty God and of our Sâ—viour Iesus Christ vvho gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all â—…iquitiâ— and purge vs to be a peculiar people to himselfe zealous of good workes So likewise albeit the LORDES temporall blessinges are to the wicked as thornes choaking vp the good seedes of pietie and godlines and as baites to snare them and to drawe their heartes from God and as chaines to binde them fast vnto the varities of this wicked world yet to the godlie they are as sweete sauce to make them â—eede more eagerly vppon the foode of their soules and as spurres to make them runne more readilie in the way of Gods commaundementes and as ladders to lifte them vp vnto GOD that so they may come to the fruition of his greater blessinges For to the pure all thinges are pure in so much that their verie sinnes make them to hate sinne the more and the little tast of the LORDES mercies causeth them more vehemently to thirst after a full cuppe of the same mercies yea the more they see their owne wantes and the LORDES fulnes the more they are stirred vp to renouÌ„ce themselues to cleaue Eph. 5. 8. Our de fectes Gods loue Our duty or devotioÌ„ vnfainedly vnto the Lord. Yee were darknes saith the Apostle but now yee are light in the Lord Walke as children of the light as if he should haue said vnto them Remember your
or rather that is risen again who is also at the right handâ— of God and maketh request to God for vs. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or â—…kednes or perill or sword As it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long and are as sheepe appointed for the slaughter Neverthelesse in all these things we are more then conquerours in him that loued vs. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor thinges to come are able to seperate vs from the loue of God vvhich is in Christ Iesus our Lord. In which words it is manifest that the apprehension of the loue of God in Christ doth breede such a strong faith and confidence in God that the faithfull are thereby fully perswaded that they shal be never finally forsakeÌ„ of God not vaÌ„quished cleane overthrowen by the force and furie of all their enemies Now as this loue of God breedeth faith in God so also it engendreth 1. Ioh. 4. 19. loue towards God We loue God saith S. Iohn because he loved vs first and hath revealed this his loue vnto vs hath made vs to apprehend it with the eies of our faith and to be assured Ignoti nulla cupido Tantfi diligimus quantum credimus Gre. in Ez. ho. 22. perswaded of the same For if God loue vs and we be ignorant of it how can we loue him againe for the same For our charity doth so depend vpoÌ„ our faith that so much we loue God as we know and beleeue his loue and goodnesse towards vs. A strong faith a strong loue a weake faith a weake loue For God worketh not in vs as he doth in those creatures which are vtterly voide of al vnderstanding and reason and so haue no sense and feeling of the Lords working in them but in the worke of our regeneratioÌ„ first he informeth the vnderstanding with knowledge and thereby moveth the affections and will Now faith beeing the eie of our spirituall vnderstanding whereby with Abraham the father of Ioh. 8. 56. the faithfull we behold the day of Christ and reioice therein first in him apprehendeth the loue of God towards vs then kindleth in our harts our loue towards him For true faith is not idle 1. Tim. 1. 5. Gal. 5. 6. and vnfruitful but first worketh loue and then worketh by loue shee is the mother of loue in that shee first breedeth it and then Aug de fide operibus c 22. Greg. in Ezek. ho. 9. Faith is the life of loue not loue the soule of faith by loue bringing foorth all good works shee is the grandmother of all good workes And hereof it is that Austine saith that it may rightly be said that all the commandements of God pertaine to faith if not a dead but a living faith that worketh by loue be vnderstoode For as Gregory teacheth Faith is the doore and entrance vnto good workes not good workes vnto faith Neither is loue the soule of faith that quickneth it and giveth it life but faith is the very life of loue and maketh it liuely and industrious in her worke And therfore the Lord vseth to sette before the eies of his faithfull servants his owne loue testified by his sundry and manifold blessings and so causeth them to manifest their loue towards him by their readie obedience to all his commandements And hereof it is that they are called the friendes of God Abraham the friend of God Moseâ— Iac. 2. 23. the friend of God So our louing Saviour vnto his deare disciples HeÌ„ceforth cal I you not servaÌ„ts for the servaÌ„t knoweth not what the master Ioh. 15. 15. The faithfull are accepted of God as his frendes therfore are put in assurance of his loue doth but I haue called you friends for what soever I haue heard of the father I haue made manifest vnto you And what is true and sincere frendshippe but a mutual and interchangeable ben evolence and good wil not lying hidde or kept secret within the closette of the hart but breaking forth and manifesting it selfe by the effectes And therfore in that the â—aithfull are called the frendes of God it is evident both that they feele the loue of God towards themselues â—oÌ„finned vnto them by his gracious blessings that they likewise are stirred vp to loue him to testifie the same by their ready obedience to his will yea this is one sure signe of the speciall loue of Christ towards his that he doth shew himselfe not vnto Ioh. 14. 21. the world but vnto them and so raiseth vp in them faith and loue and strengtheneth them in his feare If a prince favour his subiect and he knoweth it not he must needes loose a great part of the benefit and comfort that he might receiue therby if that he did perfectly vndestand so much And verely that favour caÌ„â— not be great that can be altogeather concealed and kept close A little fire may be covered vnder ashes so preserved for some time but if it be kept so long it wil be extinguished cleane put out but a great fire wil not bee covered but wil shewe it selfe by heate smoke flame even so the great fire of the Lordes loue towards his elect cannot long be hidde but it will make it selfe manifest vnto them sooner or later by the effectes therof Earthlie parents conceale in part their loue from their children beeing in their tender yeares least they should waxe wanton and be made the worse for the same but when they are once come to ripenes of age and to yeares of discretion then they commonly seeke to make it manifest vnto theÌ„ by al the meanes that possibly they caÌ„ and they desire nothing more then that they should be through ly perswaded therof and he is a bastard a very vnnatural child worthy to loose both his name and inheritance which either will not be perswaded of the kind tender affection of his parents towards him or else is made therby more careles negligent to do his duty Even so our heavenly father whose tender loue affectioÌ„ towards his elect so far exceedeth the kindnes of al earthly pareÌ„ts as God exceedeth man testifieth his loue kindnes and care towards his continually either by his gifts or by his corrections or by both albeit he doth not at al times make theÌ„ feele so much it is for this end that wheÌ„ he doth so they should be more throughly moved to mislike theÌ„selues the more for their formet vnkindnes also to loue the Lord the more for his coÌ„stant and coÌ„tinual loue towards such as theÌ„selues were who before had so little regard so much as to take notice of such loue And therfore aâ— such as either wil not be perswaded of the fatherly affectioÌ„ of God towards theÌ„selues condeÌ„ning the same of
beginne but also finish our regeneration and new birth seeing all the residue of the gratious giftes of GOD testifying and witnessing his fatherly loue are ayders also and assisters herein being all of them fitte fewel for this heavenly fire and do cause it to burne more fervently to breake out into a greater flame Wee acknowledge O Lord say the penitent Israelites our wickednes and the wickednes of our forefathers for we haue sinned against thee doe not abhorre vs for thy names sake cast not downe the throne of thy glory remeÌ„ber and breake not thy covenant with vs. Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can giue rainâ—…r can the heavens give showers It is not thou O Lord our God Therfore we will waite vpoÌ„ thee for thou hast made al these things In which words we may perceive that it was the due consideration of the covenant of God made vnto them in Christ whereby GOD after a sorte had bounde himselfe to bee merciful vnto them whensoever they did repent that caused this people to returne vnto their GOD and to acknowledge and bewaile their owne corruptions and sinnes the which also was vvell forvvarded by the remembrance of the LORDES smaller blessinges even by the due consideration of this that raine and truitfull seasons came onelie from him and all other giftes and blessinges vvhatsoever So Hos 14. vvhere the Prophet exhorteth the people to returne to the LORDE and say Take avvaie all iniquitie and remoove is gratiouslie so vvill vvee render to thee the calues of our lippes Ashur shall not Ho. 14. 3. sâ—… vs neyther vvill vvee ride vppon horses neither vvill we say any more to the workes of our hands yee are our Gods for in thee the fatherles findeth mercy Now they could not truly hope for pardon fot their sins and iniquities but onely in the promise of the the Messias it was that then that first ledde them vnto God the which was seconded by the due consideration of this that al aide and helpe is also found at his hands who is the helper of the helples And verely we haue no right at al vnto any of the Lords blessings as loÌ„g as we be at warre at emnity with God we must be first recoÌ„ciled vnto God made heires by Christ before we can lay iust claime to a childes part to haue our portion in that inheritaÌ„ce that doth descend vnto vs froÌ„ our heavenly father And therfore when the Lord would giue vnto Ahaz king of Iudah assurance but of this one temporal blessing even of his bodely deliveraÌ„ce froÌ„ his bodely enemies behould saith he this shal be your The loue of God in Christ is the fountaine and foundatioÌ„ of all other blessings signe that I wil bring to passe this thing for you A virgine shall concâ—aue beare a sonne she shall call his name Immanuel As if the Lord should haue said I haue bouÌ„d my selfe by promise even froÌ„ the beginning of the world to giue you my son to be a pledge of my loue to be the conduite of my mercies how shal I not theÌ„ with him by him convey them vnto you particularly howe shal I not nowe performe this my promise made in him for your deliverance from these your bodely enemies For the cause that moued God to make this glorious world at the first and to store it with such variety of al manner of blessings was his owne most free and vndeserved loue towards his elect in Christ and therfore when they are actually bestowed vpon them the same proceedeth from the very selfe-same spring The which wheÌ„ they The Lords gratious giftes are blessings to the faith full onely for to the vnfaithfull they are turned into curses are bestowed vpon the vnfaithful they are not blessings but curses for that they make them more earthly covetous licentious riotous proud cruel vnthaÌ„kful the like and so encrease their most grievous condeÌ„nation whereas to the faithful who are the right heires vnto them they are not curses but blessings for they make them the more to reioice in the Lord to be more obedient thaÌ„kfull vnto him more beneficial helpful vnto their neighbours and so further their faith repentance and loue and encrease in them all sincere devotion When David was remembred by the Prophet Nathan of his foule faulte committed with Bethshebah the wife of Vrias and of the great dishonour that redounded to God by that his most odious and grievous crime how that the Lord had not so deserved at his hands who had advaunced him from the shepheards crooke to the scepter of the king and had given into his bosome his masters wiues and could would haue done him more honor if that had not bin inough howe did even these smaller blessings worke most effectually in the hart of David peircing wounding his most tender soul causing him with many most bitter teares to bewaile his former most grievous vnthankfulnes And howe did the remembrance of the same mercies cause him also at another time to reioyce in the Lord and to triumph and most vehemently and earnestly to 2. Sam. 7. 18 1. Chro. 17. 16. pray vnto God for an obedient thankful hart What am I ô Lord saith he what is my fathers house that thou hast brought me hitherto And what is this thy people Israel that thou didst after a sorte muster togither al thy armies for their deliveraÌ„ce out of Aegipt What sawest thou in vs or in our progenitors that thou hast thus laden vs with thy loue and filled vs with such abundance of thy mercies O lett our harts therfore be filled with thy loue and let our hands stil be employed in thy service keepe this in the purpose thoughts of our harts for ever and so prepare our soules to feare thee Neither was he himselfe only thus stirred vp to imploy himselfe al his autority wealth to the promoting furthering of the Lordes service but also with the selfe same argument doth he endevour to perswade his principal subiects servantes to be helpers to his son Solamon in the same worke Is not saith he the Lord your God with you hath given you rest on every side For 1. Chro. 22. 18. he hath given the inhabitantes of the land into mine hand and the lande is subdued before the Lord and his people Now then set your harts and your soules to seeke the Lord your God arise build the Lords sanctuarie So likewise when the Lord had brought the children of Israel into the promised lande and had placed them in the quiette and peaceable possession thereof howe doth godly Iosuah hauing a greate care that after his death they should bee true and faithfull to their GOD who had beene so true and faithful to them make a large recitall of their manifolde mercies so lately receaved and then proposeth this option and choice vnto
them saying if it seeme evill in your eies to serue the Lorde then chuse ye this day Ios 24. 15. vvhome yee vvill serue c. I and mine house vvill serue the Lorde VVhere vnto they answere as it were with one voice God â—orbid that vvee shoulde forsake the Lorde to serue other Gods for the Lorde our God hath brought vs and our Fathers out of the lande of Aegypt and out of the house of bondage and hee did those greate miracles in our sighte and preserved vs in all the vvaie that vvee vvent and amonge all the people through vvhome vvee came And the LORDE did cast out before vs all the people even the Amorites vvhich dvvelte in the lande therefore vvill vvee also serue the Lorde for hee is our GOD. In vvhich wordes it is evident howe these faithfull servauntes of GOD vvell vveighing vvith themselues that the Lorde vvas their good and gracious God who had â—atified his loue towardes them by his manifolde blessings doe take themselues thereby to bee most straightlye bounde to his service and therevpon doe make a most solemne promise and vow to continue his loyall and obedient people The which promise and vowe beeing made by them vpon so iust and sufficient cause they as faithfully and truely kept and perfourmed For it is reâ—orded of them not only in the same Chapter but also Iudges the second to their eternall glory and renowne that they served the Lorde all the daies of Iosuah and all the daies of the elders that everlived Iud. 2. 7. Iosuah vvhich had seene all the greate vvorkes that the LORD had As the religious remeÌ„brance of the Lordes merâ—ies is the cause of all sincere obedience so the wretchlesse forgetfulnes therof is the cause of al rebellious vngodlines ver 10. done for Israell The cause then that kepte this people sound and vprighte in the service of GOD vvas for that they religiouslie kept an holy remembraunce of the Lordes manifold and greate mercies Now on the contrary side if wee will beholde and see vvhy the bad children of so good parentes revolted and fell away so quickely from the GOD of their fathers and continued not in his service and feare see vvhat followeth in the same Chapter VVhen Iosuah was deade and all that generation vvas gathered to their fathers then there arose another generation after them which neither knevve the Lorde nor yet the vvorkes that hee had done for Israell then they did vvickedlie and served Baalim and forsooke the God of their Fathers vvhich had broughte them out of the lande of Aegypt So in the dayes of the Prophet Ieremie the cause also why the badde posteritie of this backeslyding people departed likewise from the Lorde and vvalked after vanitye and became vaine is this for that none saide in their heartes vvhere is the Lord that broughte vs out of the lande of Aegypt that sedde vs through the Ier. 2. 6. vvildernesse through a desâ—rte and vvaste lande and through the shaddâ—vve of death and broughte vs into a good and plentifull land and made vs eate of the fruite thereof So likewise Psalme 78. and the hundred and sixt a like revolte of the same nation and namely of the Ephraemites who descended from holy Ioseph being meÌ„tioned the same cause is added of their revolte They forgate God Psal 78. 106. 21. their Saviour vvho had done so greate thinges for them vvonderfull thinges in the lande of Ham and fearefull thinges by the redde sea For as it fared vvith the children of Ioseph and the residue of the Israelites vvhen there arose a nevve king in Aegypt which Exod. 1. 8. knevve not Ioseph nor did remember those greate commodities vvhich all Aegypte enioyed by his meanes then they dealte most vnkindly vvith them and vsed them with all extremitie even so dealte the vngracious and vnthankefull posterity of Ioseph with the GOD of Ioseph who had advaunced him to bee a father to Pharaoh and the greatest state in all his kingdome vvhen thâ—y forgate the greate mercies of GOD both tovvardes him and tovvardes themselues also then they started aside from his service and fell away from his feare Yea Hos 2. 5. vvhen they ascribed their Corne and VVine and VVooll to Bâ—alim and the fruites of the earth to the hoast of heaven and their deliveraunce from their bodyly enemies to Ashur and Aegypte and their greate plentye to their ovvne pollicie then they forsooke God and followed Baalim and vvorshipped the host of heaven and sente giftes to Ashur and Aegypte and burnt incense to their owne yarne highly magnifying and extolling themselues and leaving of to magnifie God of whom they had not only received all these thinges but theÌ„selues also The which thing also vvhen it vvas forgotten by the wicked Sap. 2. Cap. When they did not beleeue that GOD was their creator that al maÌ„ner of coÌ„modities which they enioied were his giftes but imagined that they were borne at al adventure and left to their owne hands to shift for themselues then like filthy swine they trod vnder foote all feare of God gaue themselues over to wallowe in the mire of their owne sensual and vncleane lusts Come said they lâ—t vs enioie the pleasures that are present Sap. 2. 6. let vs cheerefully vse the creatures as in youth let vs fill our selues with costly wine and ointment and let not the flower of our life passe from vs let vs crowne our selues with rose buds before they be withered and let vs leaue some token of our wantonnes in every place for this is our portioÌ„ and this is our lot So daungerous a thing it is either to forget the Lords mercies or not to beleeue him to be the only fountaine of al good things but to ascribe ' theÌ„ either to our selues or to chaÌ„ce fortune or to the dispositioÌ„ of any creature for it causeth God to withdraw his favour wholy from vs and to giue vs cleane over to a reprobate sense and to suffer vs vtterly to fall away from his feare Yea it not only maketh the Lord to be most grievously offended with such an abominable sinne but after a sort to be vtterly astonished and amased for that there coulde come to passe any such impiety O yee heavens be astonished at this be afraide and vtterly confounded saith the Lord For my people haue committed two evilles Ier. 2. 12. they haue forsaken mee the founetaine of living waters to digge to themselues pits even broken pits that can hold no water And in the very beginning of Isay Heare O heavens and harken O earth for the Lorde Isa 1. 1. hath spoken I haue nourished and brought vp children and they haue rebelled against me The oxe knoweth his owner the asse his masters crib but my people hath not knowne Israell hath not vnderstoode The oxe the asse albeit they be voide of al reason yet haue so much sense as to be serviceable to them by whom
auctority over vs and yet heerein it doth exceede all this and is made most sinfull even in the highest degree for that it is committed against him vvhose mercies haue so farre exceeded towardes vs and haue made vs so deepelie endebted vnto him that if we should most frankely and freely giue our selues and all that vve haue to bee prest and ready continually to doe him service if I saie wee shoulde doe this againe and againe yea ten thousande times more then we are any way able yet we can no way match his vnspeakeable kindnes or be answerable vnto his endles loue To forget him then that hath so remembred vs hath given vs such cause to remember him coÌ„tinually casteth vs downe below all maÌ„ner of â—enceles liveles creatures yea it maketh vs in some sort worse then the very devils theÌ„selues For they in sinning forgate God their Creator saÌ„ctifier but we adde also thervnto the forgetting of God our Saviour redeemer WheÌ„ we defile our selues with the pollutions of the vvorlde vvee forgette that we vvere ever clensed from our olde sinnes and former vncleanes we tredde vnder foote the sonne of God count the blood of the covenant 2 Pet. 1. 9. Heb. 10. 29. as a vile thing of no price and after a sort crucifie againe the Lord of glory We contemne and despise this blessing of blessinges and cleane sette at naught this mercy of mercies or else wee would not so wretchlesly forgette the same We forgett it for if we did carefully embrace remember it it would not be without fruit But we contemne and forget it and neglect the meanes wherby we should be put in continual remembrance of it yea by little little we are drawen on eveÌ„ to hate to persecute these meanes and so draw nearer nearer vnto that sin of sins which maketh vs vncapeable of all mercie From the which sin from al other that we might be preserved The manifold means that God hath ordaned to preserve the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of his endlesse loue in Christ and the residue of his manifolde mercies as 1. the word the Lord hath given vs his holy word to bee alwaies before our eies and so to keepe in vs a faithful remembrance of all his mercies wherin we may record his gracious merciful covenaÌ„t in Christ by the which he hath giveÌ„ himselfe to vs to be our God and hath taken vs to himselfe to be his people wherein we may reade his will and testament in the which he hath adopted vs for his sonnes in Christ made vs heires to all his treasures hath bequeathed vnto vs besides al other gifts that grand legacy of eternal glory wherin we may pervse that autheÌ„tical charter of al these priveledges immunities which we preseÌ„tly do are hereafter more fully to enioy being already made fellow citizeÌ„s with the saints of the houshold of God and incorporated into the heavenly caelestial Ierusalem wherin we may take a true view of the large plenary pardon of all our trespasles and debtes of that great graunt of the free remission of al our sins signed after a sort with the Lords owne hand ratified coÌ„firmed with 2. The Sacraments Doe this in remeÌ„braÌ„ce of me the seale of his sacraments For they were also ordained for the same principal end vse that by the outward resemblaÌ„ce of the visible signes vvith the invisible grace they might togither vvith the word not only represent and sette before our eies the Lords spiritual giftes and graces for Sacramentes if they had no resemblance they should be no Sacramentes but also to assure vs by the bodely receiving of the outvvard signes of the invvard participation of the invisible giftes The Church hath also appointed vnto vs certaine principall feastes as the feast of the nativity of the LORD and of his resurrection and ascension and the like that they might likewise be a meanes vnto vs to 3. Festivall daies continue an holy remembrance of his principall mercies And therefore on those daies there are appointed also to bee opened vnto the Lordes people such speciall parcelles of holy Scripture as do more clearly sette forth the same And for that these feasts come but once in the yeare there is one special day appointed in 4 The Saboth or the Lords day every vveeke that vve should not onely call to minde that God made the vvorld in sixe daies and rested the seaventh blessed it and consecrated it to the holie remembrance of the glorious worke of the creatioÌ„ but much more that we which are ChristiaÌ„s haue the Iewes Saboth traÌ„slated into the day of the Lords resurrection should most carefully record especially on that daie that he both died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification And therefore as vpon the Iewes Sabboth there were certaine Psalmes appointed to be redde publikely to the people for Read these Psalmes hymnes not cursorely for fashion but with relligious and devout attention thou shalt soone finde the fruite thereof the calling to their remeÌ„brance of the blessings of the Lord so in the churches of the ChristiaÌ„s the same haue bin coÌ„tinued even to this day other holy hymmes added therto for the further manifestation of the same mercies And for as much as this publike meeting of the whole coÌ„gregation to record the Lords mercies is appointed by the Lord himselfe to be but one day in the weeke therfore there is a most strait charg giveÌ„ also by the Lord hiÌ„selfe that every one of the Lordes people shoulde privatly every day haue their resort to the word of God and meditate therin day night that so they might keepe a coÌ„tinual remeÌ„braÌ„ce of al those things which never can be too much remembred And least any of the more simple ignorant should pleade either simplicity in vnderstaÌ„ding or weaknes in remembring the Lord in his great goodnes hath provided a remedy also for the same by causing diverse short plaine senteÌ„ces to be sett down in his holy word which are both easie to be vnderstood to be remembred also These and the like seÌ„tences may easily be learned without booke and ought to be remembred when we are by our selues continually 5. The office of the Lords Ministers Psal 105 1. that so eveÌ„ they might haue no preteÌ„ce at al to faile in so behovful necessary a duty As Iob 35. 10. Ier. 2. 6. 5. 24. 14. 20. Ho. 14. 2. And yet least any of the Lords servaÌ„ts should discontinue in this the Lords worke he hath appointed also the ministers of his word to be his faithful remeÌ„braÌ„cers therin to cal coÌ„tinually vnto their remembrance both the Lordes manifold mercies and their manifold dueties that they owe vnto him for the same For if all the Lords people ought not only themselues to be employed diligeÌ„tly about the Lords works but also to further
each one the other therein then how much more ought they to doe it which are appointed to be publik officers for the same purpose How ougâ—t they especially most carefully to put in practise the exhortation of the prophet by calling continually vnto the people and saying Praise the Lord and call vpon his name and declare his workes among the people Sing vnto him sing praises vnto him and let your talking be of all his wondrous works Reioice in his holy name let the harts of them reioice that seâ—ke the Lord. Seeke the Lord and his strength seâ—ke his face continually Remember the maâ—veâ—lous works that he hath done the wonders and the iudgments of his mouth â—h yee seede of Abraham his servant ye châ—ldren of Iacob his chosen he is the Lord our God â— The 〈…〉 â—…ssistance accordâ—… to his own covenant And yet if all men faile in their duety the Lorde himselfe will not faile in that covenant which he hâ—th made with all his chosen wherein hee hath promised that hee himselfe will write his lawes in their heartes and plant them in their mindes and that he will doe the same so sufficiently that it shall not be a matter of absolute necessity for every one to exhort and to admonish his neighbor saying know the Lord for they shall all know me saith the Lord even Ier. 31 34. from the greatest vnto the least So and so beneficiall it is vnto all the Lords people to know the Lord and his gracious blessings to keepe a continuall remembrance of the same and therefore so and so many meanes hath the Lord appointed in his vnspeakeable wisedome and goodnesse for the stirring vp of every one of his faithful servants to the ready and careful performance of this so beneficiall and necessary a worke So and so carefull hath the Lord been that the people devoted vnto his service should want no meanes to strengthen further them in the holy exercise of sincere devotion Now let vs see how the church of Rome which boasteth so highly of her owne great devotions land of the huge multitude of all manner of good works which so and so abounde among her children religiously extolleth the Lords mercies what a carefull remembraunce shee keepeth of his goodnes seeing as it hath beene shewed that is the mother and the nurce of all sound and sincere devotion and the fountain welspring of all good workes The word of God in setting downe the great gracious blessings of God doth declare vnto vs these three pointes First the cause of them even his owne goodnesse and loue secondly the end which is the manifestation of his goodnes and loue thirdly the effect which is the working therby in the harts of his chosen of al inward graces outward dueties also both to God to our neighbour The grace goodnes loue and mercy of God is the full fountaine froÌ„ whence all his blessings doe issue flow The great blessed worke of mans redemption issueth from thence as our Saviour testifieth So God loved the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but haue Ioh. 3. 16. life everlasting The great blessed worke of the creation and all the residue of his gracious blessings many of the particulars wherof are set down by the prophet Ps 136. come also from thence even because his mercy enduâ—eth for ever This mercy loue of God is not oâ—ly most ample large but also most free vndeserved For every good gift and every perfect giving commeth downe froÌ„ Iac. 1. 17. aboue froÌ„ the father of light we hold all that wee enioy from this grand vniversal lâ—ndlord therefore we must pay our whole rent to him performe only to his court our suit service we are endebted vnto him alone for the loane of al that we possesse therfore to him alone we must discharge all our debt His loue also is most free vndeserved he seeketh therin not to gain any thing to himselfe but only to do good to benefit other this doth farther set forth the greatnes of his loue so doth enlarge the bil of our debt SecoÌ„dly the end why God bestoweth his blessings is that they might be vnto vs most plaine demoÌ„strations of his loue most certain testimonies of his goodnes Shew me saith St. Iams thy faith by thy works I wil shew thee my faith by my works Iac 2. 18. 1. Ioh. 3. 18. My childreÌ„ saith St. Iohn let vs not loue in word in toÌ„gue but in work in truth That loue theÌ„ is in truth that is effectual in works and that faith is souÌ„d right that sheweth it selfe in the fruits Wherfore god who would haue his choseÌ„ know be fully perswaded that he loveth theÌ„ in truth sheweth it forth to them by his most gracious and manifold blessings as by the effects fruits therof and this is also a great addition vnto his loue Thirdly the Lord maketh his loue manifested by his blessings the meanes to beget and to encrease faith loue repentance and the like in the hearts of his elect and chosen children he putteth them not out to vse nor taketh any encrease for them for his estate cannot be bettered nor his blessednes encreased the profite and encrease accrueth to vs and therefore by them we merite nothing at the hands of God nor make him thereby any way endebted to vs but wee our selues are more and more still in his debt for the free lone francke gift of all his blessings Now then to returne againe to the first point The loue of God is the ful fountaine of all manner of his blessings both bodyly and ghostly and he himselfe is not only the author but also the disposer and bestower of them all the blessings themselues and the meanes are of him and the working also of the one and the other Temporal meanes are in themselues nothing without the speciall power of God working in them by them Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God And life consiseth not in the great aboundance of all such thinges aâ— doe belong to the maintenance of life The horse is counted but a vaine thing to saue a man neither can he deliver any one by his much strength the watchman also waketh but in vaine vnlesse the Lord keepe the citty So spirituall meanes also are nothing without the effectuall power of the almighty working by them for that is the very soule and life of all He that planteth is nothing and hee that watereth is nothing but God that giveth the encrease Iohn the Baptist can baptise but with water Austine can but speake to our bodyly eares Christ baptiseth only with the holy Ghost and he that hath his chaire in heaven is he only that can teach the heart The water in baptisme can
but wash the body and the very word of the promise of it selfe without faith is but an ineffectuall and dead letter yea the bodily presence of Christes owne flesh profiteth nothing it is his spirit that quickneth that worketh faith and bringeth life And therefore when Rachell said vnto Iacob giue me children or else I dâ—e Iacob was angry with her and saide Gen. 30. 1. Am I â—… Gods steede who hath with holden froÌ„ thee the fruit of thy womb So when Naaman the Sirian was sent by his Master to the king of Israell to be cured of his leprosie Am I a God saith he to kill and 2. King 5. 7. giue life that he hath sent vnto me to cure a man of his lo profie So likewise in that lamentable siege and famme of Samaria when a woman cried to the king as he passed by Helpe my Lord O king the 2. Kin. 6. 26. To ascribe any blessing vnto the meanc is to place the meaneâ— in the makers roome Rom. 11. 36. king answered how can I helpe seeing the Lord doth not succour vs either with the barne or with the winepresse If then our bodily blessings depend not vpon the meanes but are in the hands at the disposition of the author alone then much more our ghostly spirituall and if both bodily and ghostly then all and then is he to be sought vnto only for al and then is he to be served and honored only for all For seeing that of him and for him and by him are all things therfore the conclusion followeth necessarily to him be glory for ever and ever Amen And it is a duty belonging to vs all to fall downe before him that sitteth vpon the throne and to cast our crownes at his feete and to say Thou art worthy O Lorde to receiue Apoc. 4. 11. glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things for thy wils sake they vvere and are created For are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can giue raine Or can the heavens giue Ier. 14. 20. showers Art not thou the Lorde our God Therefore will wee waite vpon thee for thou hast made all these things The cause then that moveth the faithful to cleaue sincerely to The ascribing of all good thigs entirely to God is the cause of true piety and godlines as on the câ—rtâ—ary side the ascribing of Gods gifts vnto creatures is the cause of Idolatry and falling away from God God and to continue sted fast in his feare is for that they beleeue that they do receiue all good things wholy and solely from him they seeing that of him they receiue their whole wages mainetenance therefore do giue themselues wholy to his service As on the contrary side the cause of Idolatry and falling away from God and maining mangling and corrupting his worship service is the ascribing to our selues or to other either wholy or in part the glory of many or of any of the Lords blessings This was the cause of Idolatry among the Gentiles of their honouring of themselues and of their Idols and of their vnthankfulnesse vnto the true God For as concerning the wise learned and politike amoÌ„g the heatheÌ„ if they yeelded vnto God the glory of any blessings at all it was of such only as were tâ—mporall and transiâ—orie they were beholding vnto themselues only in their owne opinions for their temperance fortitude wisedome and all other vertues therfore they honoured themselues for these things and not the true and living God Hath any one saith Cicero â—… any Cie l. 3. de nat deoruÌ„ time given thankes vnto God for that he was a good man Noe but for that he was rich honoured preserved therfore saith Det vitam det opes aequum mî animum ip se parabo Hora. ep 1. ad Lollium hee they cal Iupiter the best and the greatest not for that he maketh men iust sober and wise but for that he sendeth riches and safety So Horace Let Iupiter giue me life wealth and I vvill provide for my selfe a good minde Yea many of the greatest states among them did ascribe also to themselues their riches and honor to their owne wisedome pollecy power as it may appeare by the insolent harts proud proceedinges of the king of Isa 10. 13. Dan. 4. 27. Iob. 31. 27. Ashur Babilon by the like practise of many meaner men in the time of Iob. And as for the multitude they did generally ascribe al to chaunce fortune to destiny to the starres many also of the wisest greatest amongest them being not free from this errour in that they commonly called their wealth honour the goods of fortune had their temples erected both to fortune fate And as for those whome they worshipped for Gods both privately publikely they were either the first founders or the enlargers of their families cities kingdomes or the inveÌ„tors or furtherers of some beneficial science arte as Ceres vvas worshipped for inventing or bettering the arte of manuring the ground Bacchus of the vine Pan of cattle Neptune of navigation Mars of warre Apollo of wisedome Esculapius of phisicke Iuppiter of governing of countries kingdomes All these and many other were worshipped by the Gentiles as Gods for that they were thought to be the inventors or furtherers of many beneficiall artes and the auctors or disposers of many blessinges and so the worshippe of the true God the onely auctor disposer of all good things was generally banished out of the great large countries kingdomes of the whole world shutte vp within the coastes borders of one smal meane people and namely he was excluded out of the Pantheon of Rome wherevnto were admitted the gods goddesses of all other kingdomes countries which the Romanes subdued made their tributaries for that he would bee worshipped alone as the one onely true God almighty alsufficient the only autor doer of al good things Neither was the true worshippe and service of God for anie long continuance kepte pure and vnpolluted among this one nation which he had chosen vnto himselfe to be his owne proper and peculiar people For they ascribed their wealth and abundance to Baalim to the host of heaven to themselues so fel froÌ„ God worshipped Baalim and burnt incense to the Queene Isa 48. 5. Ier. 44. 13. Hos 2. 8. 12. Hab. 1. 16. of heaven and did offer sacrifice vnto their owne nettes And they ascribed their preservation to Ashur Aegypt therfore sent their gifts to those places And they imputed their vertuous works in part to their own free will the benesit of eternall life vnto the merit of their owne works therfore did they boast of their own holines not only before meÌ„ but also before God they Luk. 18. 11. Rom. 9. 32. trusted
of Gods temporall giftes is a deniall of God and therefore much more the ascribinâ— of eternall life to our own merites but of our temporal goods and possessions vnto our owne industry and witte be an iniquity to be condemned because it is a deniall of God then is it a greater iniquity more to be condemned and a more heinous deniall of God to robbe him of the glory of his greatest giftes by ascribing them vnto our owne merites But herein is fulfilled the prophesie of Saint Peter * 2. Pet. 2. 1. who hath plainely foretolde that as there were then false prophets among the people so there shoulde bee false teachers among vs who shoulde prively bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lorde that bought them The truth is that the children of the Church of Rome confesse in word their redemption wrought by Christ but wheÌ„ they theÌ„ selues labour to purchase heaven by their ovvn merites do they not plainely disallowe the sufficiencie of the purchase thereof made by Christ Yea whereas our Rhemistes are so bolde as to call the iustice of God which is residenâ— in Christ appreheÌ„ded by our faith and so imputed to vs because it was wrought for vs a new no iustice a phant asticall apprehension of that which is not a falsâ— faith and an vntrue imputation and to affirme that there is no righteousnes Rhem in c. 3. ep ad Rom. whereby we are iustified before God but that which is inherent in vs being giveÌ„ to vs of God by Christ that therby we might merit for our selues our iustification salvation doe they not in flat tearmes deny Christs own inhereÌ„t righteousnes wherby we are iustified saved ascribe the same to our own inherent righteousnes If a friend should procure of a father some portion of a stocke for his son by the which being well emploied encreased the son should in some spate of time purchase a good farme were the friend or the father or the son to be tearmed the purchaser thereof It is plaine and manifest that none but the son Why then if Christs own righteousnes inherent in himselfe and imputed to vs be a new no righteousnes not the price of our redemption but our owne inherent righteousnesse procured of God our heavenly Father by the death of Christ as by the mediation of our dearest friend then wee our selues are the purchasers of everlasting life and so our owne Saviours and redeemers and are no surther beholding to Christ for the same then for that he hath procured for vs some portion of loue repentaÌ„ce obedience and the like the which being well emploied and encreased by our owne free will is the only price that is given for that heavenly purchase But far be this blâ—sphemous doctrine from the heartes of all true and faithfull Christians let it bee enough for vs to enioy the fruite of our salvation purchased by Christ let vs giue to his owne most pure and perfect obedience this glory that we esteeme it bee the only price that is or could bee equivalent vnto that so great and worthy a purchase And whereas the great endlesse loue of God our Father electing iustifying vs freely in Christ are the steppes vvhereby God descendeth to vs to finish his worke heere begunne in vs by bringing vs heere in this lâ—…e to our sanctification and to our glorification in the life to come and vvhereas also the Lorde in his high and admirable vvisedome hath appointed that this his greate and endlesse loue in electing and iustififying vs freely in Christ should bee the only effectuall meanes to worke our conversion and sanctification and the most strong and forcible motiue to in duce vs to the ready performaunce of all such holy vvorkes as are the steppes and staires to our glorification let vs not presume to perverte this order and course ordayned by God in his greate wisedome by setting the cart before the horse by turning all â—opsie turvey by chaunging the effectes into the causes and the causes into the effectes by placing the highest steppes in the lowest roomes and the lowest in the highest by altring the first into the last and the last into the first and yet all this is done by vs if vvee make our sanctification and good vvorkes the merit orious causes of the loue of God and of our election iustification by CHRIST vvhich are but the effectes and fruites of the same Nay rather seeing God hath not only loved vs but also hath made manifest the same vnto vs by his manifold blessinges by giving our selues vnto our selues and all this glorious vvorlde to our vse and service by giving vs his ovvne deare sonne to iustifie vs by his bloode and to sanctifie vs by his spirite and to leade vs by his worde in the right way to our full and finall glorification howe oughte wee to serue him that hath thus served vs and honour him that hath honoured vs and loue him that hath loved vs to be most desirous to testifie the same by our careful continual emploiment in all those works which he himselfe hath ordained for vs to walk in that in most ready and humble obedience vnto his will not onely because it is holy iust acceptable welpleasing vnto himselfe and the wil of him vnto whom we owe all obedience in respect of his supreme auctority over vs but much more for that we are so deeply endebtted vnto him in respect of his infinite endlesse mercies Seing theÌ„ the wil of God must be the rule squier of al our workes or else they will grow much out of square therfore it coÌ„cerneth vs most nearely to make most diligent inquiry by what meanes we may attaine to the assured knowledge therof that so we may conforme our selues wholy therevnto The knowledge of the most certaine and vndoubted will of The sure certaine â—…ill of God â—s onely to â—e learned â—ut of the Canonical scriptures God is now to be found only in the word of God revealed to the Prophets Apostles by the spirit of God sette downe by theÌ„ in the Canonical Scriptures For as words are given to vs of God that therby we might signify each to other the seÌ„ce meaning of our minds eveÌ„ so hath the Lord himselfe revealed to vs by his written word what is the meaning of his wil hath coÌ„manded vs to seeke for the same onely from thence This commandement Deut. 30. 11. saith Moses which I command thee this day is not hidde froÌ„ thee neither is it farre of It is not in heaven that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp into heaven and bring it vnto vs and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it Neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say vvho shall goe over the sea to bring it to vs to cause vs to heare it that vvee may doe it But the word is neere vnto thee even
theÌ„selues for that their erroures are in them reproved and adding also vnto them their vnwritten verities and their wilworshippes of their owne devising IN doubts coÌ„troversies of Christian religioÌ„ the spirit of God sendeth vs neither to the Bishop of Rome neither to any other Bishop or Bishops nor yet to Councels nor to any inter pretouâ—s to rest our faith vpon their resolutions but rather willeth vs to try the spirites whether they bee of God or no and no further 1. Ioh. 4. 1. Aug cont â—rescon l 2. cap 31. to beleeue them then they bring warrant for their doctrine out of the holy Canonicall scripture For not vvithout cause as Austine saith was the ecclesiasticali Canon ordained with most holesome vigilancy vnto the which certaine bookes of the prophets and Apostles doe appertaine vvhome in no case vvee dare to iudge and by vvhome vvee may freely iudge of the other vvritinges of beleeuers and infidels For shoulde not a people enquire of their GOD To the lavve Isa 8 19 oâ— Opta l. 5. ad Parâ—… saith Esay and to the testimonie In earth saith Optatus there can bee no iudgment of this matter vvee must seekâ— for a iudge from heaven but vvhy knocke vvee at heaven vvhen vvee haue his vvill here in the Gospell Then the Pope by the iudgement of Optatus is no competent iudge nor any other Bishoppe or Bishoppes here on earth for that either they bee ignorant in the cause or else partiall or giuen to sides but only GOD himselfe in his Canonicall scriptures And verely for such as vvill not admitte of GOD to be their iudge where shall vve finde a competent iudge Surely our Saviour Christ when controversie vvas betweene him and the Pharisees coÌ„cerning the truth of his doctrine appealeth not to any interpreter but to the iudgment and sentence of God in the scriptures Search Ioh. 5. 39. the scriptures saith he for in them yee thinke to haue life and they are they vvhich testifie of mee Let the divine scripture saith Basile be asked Bas in ep â—a Eust concerning these thinges and let the decision of truth proceede altogeather from it I beseech you saith Chrysostome let vs set aside what seemeth Chrys hom 13. in 1. Ep. ad Cor. to him or to him and let vs seeke for all these thinges out of the scriptures The writinges saith Constantine of the Evangelistes and Apostles and the oracles of the auncient prophets do instruct vs plainely what Trip. hist l. 2. Cap. 5. we ought to vnderstande and beleeue of Gods pleasure And therefore all contention set apart let vs seeke the solution of these thinges that be propounded out of the scripiures of God When yee shall see saith the autor Op. imperâ— in Math. hom 49. of the imperfect worke vpon Matthew wicked heresie which is the army of Antichrist standing in the holy places of the church then they that are in Iury let them fly to the mountaines that is they which are in christianity let them betake themselues to the scriptures And a litle after Why doth hee commande all christians to betake themselues then to the scriptures Because since the time that heresies haue possessed the churches there can be no proofe of sound christianity nor any other refuge of Christians that vvoulde knowe the true faith but the divine scriptures And againe The LORDE knovving that in the last daies there vvould bee such a confusion of thinges did therefore command that the christians then liuing being desirous to holde the sinceritie of the true faith should retire to nothing but to the scriptures For otherwise saith he if they rest on any thinge else they shall stumble and perish and not come to knowe the true church but shall fall into the abomination of desolation vvhich standeth in the holy places of the church And so verely hath this prophesie beene fulfilled in all the members of the church of Rome who are now fallen into the abominatioÌ„ of desolation staÌ„ding in the holy places of the church embracing Antichrist in steede of Christ for that they refused to to be directed onely by the divine scriptures which are onely able to stay vs vpright and to preserue vs from all errours heresies 2. Tim. 3. 15. and from all the power of the kingdome of darkenes As on the other side the sincere embracers of the Gospell of Christ haue hereby beene preserued from the snares of Antichrist in that according to the prophesie of S. Ierome they haue fled to the mountaines of the scriptures haue made them their place of refuge Hiâ—…onymus in Nahum Cap. 3. Before saith he the coming of the Messias c. the people shal be raâ—sed vp and shall prophesie vvho before vnder their masters vvere lulled asleepe and they shall goe to the mountaines of the scriptures and shall finde there Moses and Iosuah the sonne of Nun the mouÌ„taines the prophetes the mountaines the Apostles and Evangelistes and when any slieth to these mountaines and is occupied in the readâ—ng of the same albeit hee finde none to teach him yet his care shall bee approved â—hr that hee did flie vnto the mountaines Contrarily as Chrysostome Op. imp in Matt. hom 44. Luc. 11. 52. saith Hareticall Priestes shutte vp the gates of truth taking away with the Pharesies the key of knowledge for they are assured if truth bee once knovven their church vvill soone be forsaken and themselues throwen downe from their priestly dignity In evangelio regni ca. 23. 33. Scriptura rij to be esteemed no better of then other men Henry Nicholas master of the family of Loue glorieth in the name of Vnlearned in a scoffe termeth the learned in the scriptures scripture-vvise or scripture-men warning his scholers to be ware of such whereas he and his like should soone haue beene descried in former ages Lucifugae scripturaruÌ„ Tert. de resur and noted in their faces with a blacke coale if it had once appeared that they shunned the light of the sacred scripture For it is not the conference of the scriptures that is the path-vvaie to haeresie but the ignorance of those holie vvritinges Yee err â—aith our Saviour the teacher of truth to the seduced Sadduces not knovving the scriptures out of vvhome there most sufficiently Mat. 22. 29. Chry. hom 3 de Lazaro he confuteth their heresie So Chrysostome the ignorance of the scripture hath bredde haeresies and hath brought in a corrupt life and hath turned all vpside dovvne And therefore they are impudent and shamles haeretikes vvho vvhen they are reproved out of the scriptures sette themselues as Irenaeus saith to Iren. l. 3. cap. 2. reproue the scriptures as if they vvere not right and that they are vttered ambiguously and that the truth cannot be learned out of them by such as knovve not tradition For if GOD be faithfull Bas in asceâ— serm de fiâ—e in all his vvorkes as Basill saith then it
is a manifest falling away from the faith and a note of pride either to reiect any of those thinges vvhich are vvritten in the Lordes bookes or to bring in any thinges vvhich are not vvritten but are either receaued by tradition from other or else are sucked out of our own braines yea that is the vilest as Austine saith and the basest kinde of Aug. de veâ— rarel ca. 38. Idolatrie when men vvorshippe GOD after their ovvne fancies obseruing that for a religion vvhich their deceiuing and svvelling mindes imagine Nay it is no lesse an offence to frame God after our ovvne Hil. in Ps 1. fancy then to deny him And therefore it is not vvithout cause that Saint Austine is so bolde to say that if any one concerning any Aug. coÌ„t lit Petil. l. 3â— 6. thing whatsoever which doth belonge to our faith and our life albeit hee bee an Angell from heaven shall â—each you any thing besides that vvhich yee haue learned out of the scriptures of the lavve and Gospell let him bee accursed VVherefore the church of Rome in that shee restraineth the people from the reading of the scriptures disgracing those holy and heavenly bookes and reproaching such as are studious of the same denying also the sufficiency of the doctrine therein contained and adding thereto her vnvvritten verities and her vvil-vvorshippes of her owne devising is most iustly charged to haue fallen from the faith and to haue sorted her selfe both vvith olde â—nd nevve haeretikes to haue spotted her selfe with the vilest and bâ—…st kind of idolatrie and with the deniall of the trewe GOD and therfore to be held for a cursed company and for the Congregation of the malignant Opposit 2. Dumbe and dead images are blinde and wrong guides which turne vs out of the way of truth and verity but the writings of the Apostles and prophets are sure guides and vn erring teachers appointed by God to bee our instructers and to set before our eies and after a sorte to painte out vnto vs in most liuely coloures all those thinges vvhich concerne the true worshippe of God and the salvation of our ovvne soules IMages are teachers of lies especially such as are made to represent Hab 2. 18. Ier. 10 8. Aug. de â—iv Dei l 4. c. 31 Idem de coÌ„sens Evâ—ng lib. 1. ca. 10. Lact instit lib. 2. ca. 19. the sacred Trinitie which cannot be represented for that it is invisible and incomprensible And therefore al such images doe both diminish the feare of the divine maiesty and also teach errours concerning the same VVherefore they haue deserved to erre vvho haue sought CHRIST not in the sacred hookes but on painted vvalles and may vvorthily bee iudged to haue no religion at all or at the least no sounde and sincere religion For al sound and sincere religion is to bee learned not of dumbe and mute images but out of the canonicall and sacred scriptures vvhich Rom. 15. 4. wer not only writen by the appointment of god that they might be our instructers and teachers but also were so penned by the direction of his Spirite that they are very profitable and availeable thereunto yea they are so profitable to this purpose that they are able to fence vs against all corruptions both in doctrine and 2. Tim 3 15 16. manners and to make vs vvise vnto salvation through faith in Christ For in them are most liuely drawen out the true images of a sounde faith and of an holy and a godly life vnto the which if we vvill compare the counterfeites of the same dravvne out by men we shall easily be able to giue a true iudgement therof O foolish Galathians saith the Apostle vvho hath bewitched Gal. 3. 1. you that yee shoulde not obey the trueth to vvhome Iesus Christ vvas before your eies painted and even crucified among you And in deede Christ is best painted out before the eies of the people by the doctrine of his painefull pastours and teachers and not by the pensile of the artificiall painters Such a faithful teacher vvas Iohn Hus of vvhom it is recorded that hauing painefully taught in his church called Bethlehem the gospell of Christ dreamed a little before his death that he had drawne out there divers goodly images the vvhich being defaced by the limbes of Antichrist hee further dreamed that hee sawe the same more liuely drawne out againe by better painters vvhereby vvas fore-signified the preaching of the learned and godly preachers of these last times And verily where the dignity and povver of Christs death is sufficiently set out by painefull preaching there is no neede of painting it in pictures and images made and framed by artificiall painters It vvas the Devils vvorke to cause that kinde of teaching to cease which was made the meanes ordained by God both to convert the infidels and also to confirme the faithfull in the truth of the gospell to bring them out of the kingdome of darkenes into the kingdome of light that he might bring in his kingdome of darkenesse by the corrupt teaching of blinde and dumbe Images VVherefore seeing that the church of Rome alloweth still of these her lay mens bookes vvhich the prophets call teachers of lyes and vvill not haue all trueth to bee learned onely out of the booke of bookes the booke of truth no mervaile that shee hath so shamefully embraced lies and so fowly fallen away from the truth Opposit 3. The doctrine taughte and penned by the prophets and Apostles hath no neede of any nevve miracles seeing it is sufficiently confirmed alreadye by olde but the Turkes Alcharon and the Popes Decretals haue neede to bee confirmed with new miracles for they containe new doctrine OVr faith is neuer so honourable nor GOD so well pleased with vs as when we seeke no signes for the confirmation therof when the word of God hath such a perswasioÌ„ in our hearts we haue so deepely tasted of the sweetnes therof that vve are ready to say to al miracles Get you hence Blessed vvere they vvhen miracles vvere in vse that by miracles vvere brought to embrace the true faith but more blessed are they that embrace faith for it selfe and not for that it is testified by miracles Blessed no doubt vvas Thomas for that hee sawe and beleeved â—…h 20. 29. â— Cor. 1. 22 â— Cor. 14. â—… but blessed are they rather vvhich see not and yet beleeue The vnbeleeuing Iewes sought for a signe and had also in admiration strange tongues vvhich vvere appointed for vnbeleevers to conuert them to the faith they that are already converted haue no neede of the same VVhen they vvere offered of God he shevved his compassion on mans infirmity now he hath taken them avvay he shevveth greater mercy in that he strongtheneth our faith vvithout them And verily if the vvorde it selfe being now acknovvledged to be the vvorde of God bee not able to vvinne credite to the doctrine therein contained neither vvill vvee