vertue of CHRISTS bloode to vvash and clense the staines of all the sinnes of the faithfull were infidelitie or not to doubt thereof but to doubt vvhether it bee availâ—able to purge and clense THINE iniquities sinnes is to bewray thine infidelity in another degree even in that thou beleevest not thy selfe to belong to that number nor yet to bee partaker vvith them of their mercie VVherefore to teach the faithfull that they shoulde bee persvvaded of the remission of their ovvne sinnes through the death of Christ is to plucke vp the rootes of infidelity it is not to teach pride but faith nor to open a gappe to all â—inne and vvickednesse but contrarivvise most effectuallie to provoke to repentance loue and thankefulnesse and to the practise of all other christian dueties Aâ—d in truth we cannot bee rightly offended with our selues for offending so merciful and gracious a God vntill he hath given vs some sense feeling of his vnspeakeable mercy towardes vs in assuring vs of the pardon of our offences and sinnes Neither can vve vnfainedly loue the Lord and desire to be thankfull vnto him as we ought to be vntil we be perswaded that he loueth vs and beareth a kinde affection tovvards vs. Neither yet can we wholy resigne our selues to God vntil we perceiue that we are not our ovvn but that we are bought with a price that so we should 1. Cor. 6. 20 sanctifie the Lorde both in our bodies and in our spirites which are the Lordes My beloued sâ—ith the spouse is mine and I am his he hath Cant. 2. 16. giuen himselfe to me and hath assured me of his loue and therefore I giue my selfe to him and assure him of mine obedience VVee loue him saith Saint Iohn because he loved vs first For as 1. Ioh. 4 19. one fire kindleth another and one heate raiseth vp another so the â—iâ—…y heate of the Lords kindnes and loue felt in the hearts of the faithful doth kindle againe the fiâ—e of their loue and thankefulnesse towards God causing them to busie all their thoughtes and cogitations how they may after the best manner perfourme this there bouâ—den duety and service to God When the Lord by the prophet had mentioned his great mercies bestowed vpon his people of Israel the prophet straâ—t-waies in the person of the people breaketh out into these words Wherewithall shall I come before Mich 6. 6. the Lorde and bowe my selfe before the high God Likevvise David vppon the like consideration VVhat shall I render vnto the Psa 116. 12. 103. 1. Lorde for all his benefites bestovved on mee and againe Praise the LORDE O my soule and all that is within mee praise his holy name praise the LORDE O my soule and forget not all his benefites vvho forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities vvhâ— saueth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindnes In which words we may perceaue that the sence and feeling of the Lords mercies in reâ—…tting to the prophet David his manifold sinnes was in him as a great vehement flame kindling in his very hart soule a most fervent zealous desire of magnifying and extolling the Lords mercies So Mary loved Luc. 7 47. much because manie sinnes vvere forgiven her â—eeling first the great aboundance of Gods loue tovvardes her selfe in pardonâ—ng her manifolde and grievous sinnes vvhich caused in her as it vvâ—re a reflexion and reciprocation of her loue towards God for those his great and endlesse mercies And surely if the small kindenes of a man and that towardes his enimy doth oftentimes â—eape coales of fire on his heade turning malice into meekenesse Rom. 12. 20 and currishnes into kindenes and so overcomming evill with goodnes how much more the infinite loue of God in pardoning our manifold and grievous sinnes being once felt within vs vvill it not possesse our soules with his loue and winne al our affections to his obedience Surely it vvil cause vs to reioyce if wee may suffer any tribulation for his names sake or performe any other duety whatsoeuer that may be grateful and acceptable vnto him We reioice saith the Apostle in tribulations knowing that tribulation Rom. 5. 4. bringeth foorth patience and patience experience and experience hope hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shedde abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost And to say the truth who euer were greater enimies to carnal security and dissolutenes of life more zealous followers of Christ more religious embracers of true piety and godlines then such as aboue all other haue felt the loue of God most aboundantly towardes themselues in assuring them most vndoubtedly of the forgiuenes of all thâ—ir sinnes of their inheritance in the kingdome of glory Wherefore this doctrine which teacheth the faithful to raise vp themselues to a stedfast assurance of Gods mercies tendeth neither to pride noâ— to dissolutnes of life but that doctrine which teacheth to doubt of Gods favour is no better then a flat stepmother to faith and a naturall nurce to infidelity For he that wil rightly come vâ—to God must come vnto him without doubting whereby we see that faith Iac. 1. 6. and doubtfulnesse cannot wel agree together So vvhen God promised Abraham a sonne in his old age adding further that Rom 4. 2â— in his seed al the nations of the earth should be blessed Mâ—t â—4 31. Rom. 14 23 In Gen 4â— The popish faith â—…ke to the Infidell Poets he doubted not saith the Apostle through vnbeliefe shewing thereby that doubtfulnes ariseth of infidelity Wherefore for any that professeth himselfe to belong to the number of the faithfull to doubt of the performance of any of the Lordes promisâ—s in generall or in particular of the promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life made to al that beleeue doth argue a very small faith at the least if it doe not convince the party of â—latte infidelity Non si mihi Iuppiter ipse sâ—…n â—…at â—…am sâ—crem hoc contingere ponâ—… Wherefore as Martin Luther truely avouched if there were no other errors and heresies in the doctrine of the church of Rome but euen this that they teach that the faithful which are iustified before God ought not yet assure themselues of 〈◊〉 owne iustification and of their owne vndoubted calling vnto the estate of grace but remaine stil pensiue and doubtful of the remission of their sinnes and of their interest in the kingdome of glory yet this alone were a sufficient motâ—ue to make a separation from her as being the mother of infidelity and not of faith Div. 3. That we ought to beleeue onlie in God and not in the church or in anie creature THose things which the Gentiles offer vp in sacrifice they I beleeue in God I beleeue the church offer to devils not to God the Iews all hereticks beleeue not in the true God but
haue beene the eâ—ormities of prince people in this church of Rome that they haue poisoned after a sorte the very aire where they liued and haue caused those who in some respectes were their favorites friends thus to haue cast their own dunge in their owne faces and to haue dashed over their mishapen â—eatures with the blacke coale of euerlasting â—nfamy â—herefore small cause hath the viperous brood of this venimous generation thus to hisse against vs and to spet out their poison against our persons for albeit we bee not angels without spot yet we be not Englishmen Jâ—alianate that is Devils incarnate much lesse against our most The holy doctrine of the gospell vniustly charged to be the seed of all wickednes and sinne Luk 10. 20. The certainty of faith the assuraunce of election no hinderer but a fu therer of pâ—ety godlines holy and pure doctrine as if that were the seede of all wickednes and sinne The certainty of our election to eternall life and the assurance that we are the childreÌ„ of God haue our naâ—nes written in heaven which is the most forcible inducement of all other to cause vs to reioice in the Lord and to walke as the children of God and to haue our coÌ„â—ersation in heauen they accuse to be the mother of pride prâ—tumptioÌ„ and of carnal socurity and dissolutenes of life What is it credible that when J continually cal to my remembrance and set before mine eies that God to assure me that hee is my gracious God and louing father hath created mee and sustained me from my mothers wombe hath preserved me from these and these dangers and hath bestowed vpon me these these blessings hath made these these his creatures to serue to my vse that I might the better serue him yea and hath caused these mine affections to haue beene good and profitable vnto me is it credible I say that the assurance of this so great kindnes loue should breed in mine hart vnkindnes to God and the neglect of his honor of mine owne good Either is it credible that when I continually call to my remembrance set before mine eies that God to assure me of my reconciliation vnto himselfe and of my receiuing into his fauor hath reuealed vnto mee his sonne Iesus Christ the pledge of his loue and the meanes of my reconciliation hath opened vnto me his perfect obedience to the whole lawe not for himselfe but for my righteousnes and his invincible patience euen theÌ„ when he dranke so deeply of that so bitter cup of his painfull passion that it caused him to sweat water blood not for his owne but for my sins when I say this is revealed by Culpamea culpa mea culpa mea maxima God to be done for me by so worthy a person who according to his manhood receiued the spirit without measure and according vnto his godhead was infinite holines purity and peâ—fection it selfe that so I might bee assured of so absolute a righteousnes and so full a satisfaction for all my sins as might stand before the most exact iustice of God is it credible I say that the assurance of so great kindnes loue should breed vnkindnes in mine hart and a carelesnes of embracing and holding fast so great mercy and of continuing in such loue Either is it credible that when I continually cal to my remembrance and set before mineeies that God to assure me of mine adoption into the place number of his children hath sealed me with the spirit of adoption and hath by him sanctified mine vnderstanding with the knowledge of his most exact iustice in punishing my sins with such severity vpon my surety that I might be assured of mine acquitting from the same and of his endlesse and vnspeakeable mercy in sparing not his own sonne to spare me and of his wisedome in making his iustice and mercy so to conspire togither for my fuller assuraÌ„ce of my salvation wrought thereby when heereby also my iudgement and affections are so rectified and sanctified that I esteeme to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified and account all other things as losses and dong that I might win Christ and be found in him and be made partaker of the fruit of his death and of the benefire of his resuâ—…ection is it credible I say that so great kindnes should breed vnkindnes in mine hart and cause mee to prophane and to treade vnder foote this holy blood and to bee grievousome to this so comfortable spirit Lastly is it credible that when I cal to my remembraunce and set before mine eies that God to certifie mee of his fauour and loue hath opened vnto mee in his worde that greate charter and graunt of remission of sinnes and of eternall life in Christ Iesus and for my further assuraunce thereof hath written his gracious promises as vndoubted evidences thereof in mine hart that I might no more doubt of my most assured obtaining of these so great giftes then I neede of the admitting and allowing of these evidences that hee hath given me to shew for the â—ame when I come to appeare before the throne of grace is it I say credible that this so great security for mine everlasting blessednes should with â—raw mine hart from the loue of my blessednes and cause me to waâ—ke in cursed and damnable waies which tende to eternal miserie and woe Sure I am that the goodlier our temporal possessions are the better evidences we haue to shew for the same and the kinder our parents were that bestowed them vpon vs with charge not to passe them away in any case the more careful we shal be to keepe the same both for the loue of our most kinde parents and also for our owne welfare and good and shal the assurance of the most glorious inheritance of the kingdome of heaven given vnto me by mine heavenly father whose kindenes so much surpasseth the kindnes of any earthly parentes as God himselfe surpasseth man make me carelesse to keepe so goodly and glorious an inheritance to performe the wil and commandement of mine heavenly father VVhere Matth 6. 22. your treasure is saith our Saviour Christ there will your hart be also And therfore if this wil not moue me throughly to set mine hart and affections on heavenly things that I haue so good evidence for them that they are assuredly mine and that I shal vndoubtedly reape by them such an huge harvest of vnspeakable blisse what wil then moue perswade me therto yea if hereby I am allured drawen vnto sinne what is able to induce me to piety and godlines But this argument hath beene touched in the former is more fully handled in the latter part of this treatise therfore omitting now to wade further therin let vs come to examin whether that other maine point of the Gospel I meane Iustification by faith without works
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
his owne most free and vndeserved goodnes in Christ he hath bound himselfe by promise to giue them a reward And as for the least sin that is bee it but a desire to The most heavy burden even of the lightest sinne and the great deformity of the least iniquity steale a sticke out of thy neighbours hedge or to eate an apple of the forbidden tree seeing in doing the same either we set God so at naught that we vtterly forget him his holy commandements Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house c. Cursed is he that continueth not in every point of the law to doe it wheras we ought most religiouslie to keepe a constant and continual remembrance thereof Or if we remembring the coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of God the heavy curse annexed to the transgression of the same yet blesse our selues and promise our selues peace when God menaceth warre and so giue more credit to the suggestions of Satan then to the sacred testimonies and oracles of God harkening to the devil rather then to God and preferring the devil before God seeing herein as much as in vs lieth we robbe God of his truth and iustice of his soveraigne auctority over vs by refusing him to raigne over vs and making choice of the devil to be ruled by him taking after a sort the scepter out of the Lordes hand and the crowne from his head giuing them vnto the Devill if the Lord for this so intollerable an indignity should depriue vs vtterly of his favour and loue and of all his gracious giftes blessinges and deliver vs cleane over vnto the devill to bee partakers with him of al maÌ„ner of curses plagues what should he doe heerein but that in al iustice right is most due vnto vs And how should he herein serve vs also but even according vnto our owne choice For the lesser the commodity or pleasure is for the which wee are so soone perswaded to cast away God and to set his coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts at naught the more manifestly is our vile corruption convicted in that we are so quickly hyred to so wicked a workâ— vpon so base and meane wages And heereof it is that Samuel is bold to cal the traÌ„sgression of Saul in sparing the Gigantum more bellare cum deo best of the sheepe oxen at the earnest motion as it seemeth of the people that to this end to offer sacrifice vnto God rebellion for that therin he did rebel against God ioyne himselfe to that notorious rebell Satan not only so but he further likeneth it to the most odious and abominable sin of Idolatrie and witchcraft And verely as the witch renounceth God giveth her selfe vnto the devil and the Idolater forsaketh the worship and service of God and betaketh himselfe to the service of the Deuill euen so every sinner euen in the smallest and least sinne as much as in himselfe lieth casteth away God and maketh choice of the deuil and therefore if the Lord shoulde vtterly cast him of for the same deliuer him ouer to that cursed serpent to haue his part with him in his torments plagues he should do no other thing therin theÌ„ that which is most iustly deserued And verelie had not our alsufficient Savior made full satisfaction by his most precious bloode for the least as wel as for the greatest of the sinnes of the elect theÌ„selues had not he procured a pardon for the same they woulde haue beene so heauy and burdensome vnto them that they would haue pressed them downe to the bottomlesse pit of hel Neither would their holy life either past or to come haue beene able to haue diâ—charged them of the burden thereof For if one otherwise a very good subiect and of most ciuil and vpright conversation falling into the company of loose and lewd persons by their counsell and perswasion do but ioine with them in one robbery and so commit a trespasse if it bee but against one of the Princes subiects and but against one of the lawes of the common weale it is not his honest life past and the keeping of al the rest of the lawes and the doing good to many of the princes It is a thing worthy to be condeÌ„ned iustly to be grievous to meÌ„ what an offence theÌ„ is it to be grievous vnto God subiects and his duety neuer so well performed before to prince and country nor yet his harty repentance his sincere promise of amendment that can discharge him froÌ„ the same but that law must proceede against him and execution must be done accordingly vnlesse a pardoÌ„ be procured from the prince how much more if one sin against the incomprehensible maiesty of the most glorious deitie by treading vnder foote the least of his commandements shal the seâ—tence of eternal condeÌ„nation proceede against him vnlesse hee obtaine the forgiuenesse thereof by the blood of Christ For if one man sinne against another the 1. Sam. 2. 25 Rom. â— 23. Ezeâ— 10. 20 iudâ—e may iudge it but if one sin against God who shall plead for him The wages of sin saith the Apostle â—… death That soule saith the prophet that sinneth that soule shall die Bas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hier. ep 14 What sin is it saith Basill that any daâ—… cal light I knowe not saith Hierome whether we may cal any sinne light or small the which is done with the contempt of God This then is our doctrine of iustification that our best workes are stained and stand in need of mercy and therefore can neither merite eternal glory nor make satisfaction to God for the least of our sins and that the lightest of our transgressions would haue beene too heauy for vs to beare yea they would haue pressed vs downe to the bottomlesse pit of hel had not our most mercifull Sauiour succoured vs herein by removing them also graciously from vs and by laying them vpon his owne shoulders And if this doctrine provoke to sin I know not what can revoke from the same But now let vs proceede to that other part of the slaunder wherewith all the enemies of the gospel do charge the profession thereof euen with the great penury and want of al good workes For not only the Rhemists do take from vs for the most part the sheepes cloathing that is the very outwarde shew of good workes but also the composer of the VVard word vpon occasion of some civil behaviour acknowledged to be in some of our Recusants taketh vpon him with the prowd Pharisie not only to advance himselfe and his farre aboue vs base and vile Publicanes but also he woulde haue the worlde beleeue that if question were betweene them and vs of good works our chiefest captaines would straight waies relinquish the field not bee so bold as to strike one stroke But this is but one of their Thrasonical brags For I doubt not but a meane souldier fighting vnder the ensigne of the
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
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
into the vvhole vvorlde and preach Mar. 16. 15. the gospell to everie creature hee that shall beleeue and bee baptized shall bee saved hee that shall not beleeue shall bee condemned And this graunt being thus proclaimed he signed it as it vvere vvith his ovvne hand by giuing testimony thereto by diverse strange signes and vvonders vvhich coulde not bee vvroughte but by his ovvne singer and further ratified the same by his holy Sacramentes as it vvere with his owne sacred seale â—dding therenuto the blood of all his holy Martyrs and vvitnesses vvhich they most willingly shedde for the full confirmation of the trueth of the same Neither wanteth it also the testimony of the sonne of God giuen after a sorte vppon his solemne oath Verily verily I say vnto you hee that heareth my Ioh. 5. 24. vvorde and beleeueth in him that sent mee hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life vnto all which testimonies wee may adde also the vvitnesse that hath beene giuen thereto euen by all the prophets For to Christ giue all the prophets witnesse that through his name all that beleeue Act. 10. 43. in him shall receaue remission of sinnes Now then seeing this doctrine of the gospell of Christ is ratified vnto vs by so many witnesses we ought not only to be fully perswaded of the truth thereof in generall that whosoever beleeveth shall be saued but also in particular that I and thou and he which beleeue shall assuredly also bee partakers of eternall salvation For the generall is no otherwise true then it may bee verified in all the particulars And if I and thou and hee which beleeue cannot bee assured of our saluation then it cannot bee true that vvhosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued seeing the drift and purpose of the generall was to containe vnder it al the particulars If a Prince in the time of a â—utiny or rebellion shoulde cause a generall pardon to be proclaymed to all that woulde submit themselues and accepte of mercy who is so simple that doeth nor vnderstande that the scope of the generall pardon is to assure every one of the rebels in particular that he may enioy the benefite thereof if that hee will submit himselfe and accept of mercy The most mighty Lorde of heauen and earth hath caused to be proclaimed a great Iubile the acceptable yeere an yeare of release and pardon euen to all disloyal and rebellious sinners whoseuer they bee and vvhatsoeuer their offences haue beene if that they will accepte and faithfully embrace his mercy offered vnto them in Christ Iesus ought not then euery particular christian to whom the Lord hath giuen grace faithfully to embrace mercy in CHRIST assuredly perswade himselfe of the remission of his owne sins and of life euerlasting It is vvritten saieth Cyprian the iust shall liue by faith there is the generall Nowe saith he if thou bee iust and livest by faith and if thou rightly beleeuest in GOD why doest thou not vvillingly embrace death vvhereas thou art to bee vvith CHRIST and oughtest to be SVRE of the promise therein there is the vse and benefite which every faithfull christian ought to embrace and to apply particularly to his owne conscience Doth God saith he Cyp serm 4. de mortalitate promise vnto THEE at thy departure out of this life eternall life and doest thou vvauer and doubte of the same in which wordes we may perceaue that the generall promise doeth belong to every faithful maÌ„ in particular as well as if his own name had bin set down in the same that he ought in no case to doubt but assuredly to perswade himselfe of the benefit therof for to be doubtful not fully assured were to be vtterly saith he ignoraÌ„t of God to offend Christ the teacher of faith with the sin of infidelity for one which hath a place in the church not to haue faith in the house of faith Wherefore it is not a falling a way by presumption but aâ— standing by faith for every faithfull christian to striue to assure himselfe particularely of the remission of his owne sinnes and of life everlasting Otherwise why did the Apostle assure the Iaylor in particular of his eternall salvation if he did faithfully embrace the glad â—idings of the gospell Beleeue than in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued thy house holde Act. 16. 31. And why else did our Saviour himselfe thâ— teache giver of faith seeing their faith which brought vnto him the man sicke of the paulsy with the faith no doubt of the sicke party himselfe assure the sicke party in particular of the remission of his owne sinnes man thy sinnes are forgiuen thee So likewâ—se to the penitent Luc. 5. 20. Luc. 7. 48. woman thy sinnes are forgiuen thee thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace As also to the faithfull and penitent the se to day shalâ— Luc. 23. 43. thou be with mee in Paradise And why eâ—se â—…cheth the church of Rome her selfe that her preists in hearing auricular confession can Conc. trid de part fructu poenit c. 3. and doe by the authoritie of the keyes committed vnto them in their sacrament of penance vpon the viewâ— belike of that faith and repentance of such as open their sinnes vnto them giue vnto them the remission of their sinnes in particular assuring them thereof to the great consolation of their spirites and to the peace and quietnes of their consciences For if other men which cannot looke into my heart and conscience so well as my selfe can vpon the view of my repentance and faith remiâ—te vnto me my sinnes or at the least but assure me thereof vnto the peace oâ— my conscience and consolation of my spirite then no doubt but my selfe which can farre better looke into mine owne conscience and behold mine owne faith and repentance then any other especially when Ihâ—uâ—receaued instruction of such aâ— know how to minister a wordâ— in due season may thereby assure my selfe of the remission of mine owne sinnes and of my deliverance from eternall Hebr. 2. 4. Mark 16. 20. condemnation And why did the Lord himselfe with signes and wonders and with â—…vers miracles and giftes of the holy ghost giue testimonie vnto the gospell when it was first preached and confirme this ioyfull â—idings of salvation in Christ sent to all that beleeue but that every faithfull man thereby might vndoubtedly be assured of the remission of his owne sinnes and of his iust title to the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven What shall we thinke that the divine power of God would as it were subscribe to that doctrine which was not heavenly and divine or that the truth it selfe would warrant a lie and that with such strange signes and wonders Neither hath the Lord onely confirmed this doctrine of the gospell of his sonne with straunge wonders wrought by his owne hande but also
their faith may assuredly know that they are Christs that they are the true members of his mysticall body the temples of his hâ—ly spirit and that God is become their gratious father hath made them inheritours of his heauenly kingdome Now the faithfull being the adopted sonnes of God in Christ hauing God to be their merciful father haue no iust cause to doubt of their continuance in the favour of God in the estate of grace and salvation in Christ Iesus For the fountaine of this grace in them is as a fountaine of liuing water the streames wherof Ioh. 4. 10. 14. Psal 1 3. Ieâ— â—7 8. 1. Pet. 1. 23. never wax dâ—ie and they become as good trees planted by the water side whose leaues never wither who never cease from yeelding fruite they are borne againe not of mortall seeae but of the immortall seede of the word of God which liueth and lasteth for ever and they are Ioh. 6 35. fedde also with the incorruptible food of the bread of life the vertue whereof is never consumed he that eaâ—eth therof doth never hunger and he that drinketh there of doth never thirst Many great enimies indeede they haue but he that is in them is greater 1. Ioh. 4. 4. then he that is in the worlde and therefore they can never be fully vanquished Our Saviour himselfe doth continually appeare to make intercession for them before the throne of his heauenly father Heb. 7. 25. whose petitions the father will never deny Yea he himselfe is alway present with them even to the end of the world walking in the middest Matâ— 28. 20. Ap 1. 20. of them and holding them in his right hand neither is there any able to take them out of his hand Yea where this sunne of righteousnes beginneth to shine there the light thereof is never vtâ—eâ—ly darkened Esa 60 20. for this sunne never goeth dovvne To the first man saith Austin Aug. de bono qerseuâ—c 12 was giueÌ„ an ability to persevere only if he himselfe would haue vsed the same But to the elect now is giuen perseverance it selfe Christ hath appointed them that they goe and bring forth fruite and that their fruite abide therefore who dareth be so bold as to say peâ—adventure it shall not abide The Lord hath setled his fatherly Rom. 11. 29 Ioh 13. 1. Math. 16. 18 1. Ioh. 2 19 loue and affection vppon them he vvill not repent of it nor revoke it but continue it even to the end he hath built them vppon a most sure rocke hell gates shall never prevaile against them hee hath incorporated them into the heavenly Ierusalem the city of GOD they shall alvvay continue members of that society VVho then dareth bee so bolde as to say peradventure GOD vvill not loue his faithfull servantes to the end peradventure hell gates shall prevaile against them peradventure hovvsoever they are novve for the present yet they shall not continue in that celestiall society Verely â—f the faithfull vvere lefte in their ovvne handes to stande by the right and power of their owne strength there might be great doubt of their constancy and perseuerance But they are committed to a more faithfull keeper their life is hid with Christ in God and they are Col. 3 3. 1. Pet. 1. 5. preserued by his power vnto eternall salvation Or if the continuance of the Lords favour and loue did depende vpon the merites and desertes of the faithfull and not vpon the Lords owne most constant and vnchangeable goodnes there might be iust cause of feare lest the LORD vvould vvithdravve his mercy from them But he that knowing the greate frailty and weakenes yea the foule falles and faultes of his elect and chosen children before the foundation of the earth was laide therfore before he had made any promise of good things vnto theÌ„ did yet in his vnspeakable mercy goodnes steppe as it were over them all and bouÌ„d himselfe being before most free by his gratious promises made vnto them no doubt but the same vnspeakable mercy goodnes vvill cause him being novve bounde and so a debtour in respect of his truth and righteousnes also to steppe over all those stumbling blockes vvhen they are cast in his waie for the stedfast and stable performance of all such thinges as vvere in greate grace and mercy before promised For as the Apostle teacheth the promises made vnto the faithfull are founded vppon grace that so they might bee sure they are not founded Rom. 4 16. vppon the â—ottering stay of mans frailty but vpon the immoveable and vnchaungeable rocke of the LORDES ovvne loue and therefore they are vnmoveable and vnchaungeable Neither is this doctrine as it is vniustly chardged by the enimyes of faith the mother of pride or of carnall securitie and dissolutenes of life but the most sounde doctrine of the christian faith and the most direct way to sincere piety godlines For is not this a necessary dueâ—y of everie true and faithfull christian which is engraffed and incorporated into CHRIST to beleeue confesse that by the vertue of his death he hath full recoÌ„ciliation with God remission of sinnes and an inheritance in the kingdome of glory yeelding most hearty thankes vnto GOD for this his most gratious callinge vnto the estate of salvation in CHRIST â—esus and magnifying â—is vnspeakable goodnes for the same continually Nay not to acknowledge this willingly were plaine infidelity and gladly not to make profession thâ—… of were great vnthankefulnes so far is it of that this doctrine can be iustly charged to be the nurce of pride or the mother of haughty and diveâ—ish presumption being in deede the true nurcâ— of all sounde comfort and â—oy and the naturall mother of all holy and faithfull presumption Presume saith Saint Austine Aug. sâ—rm 28. de vâ— b. â—omini not of thine ovvne doing but of the grace of CHRIST for by grace yee are saved as saith the Apostle this is then not pride but faith to make open profession of that vvhich thou haste reâ—eaved iâ— not presumption but â—evotion I vviâ—… not glorie saith Ambrose Amâ— dâ— lacâ—bâ— viâ—a bâ—ata cap. 6. that I am iust but that I am redeemed for that vvill I glorie neither vvill I glory for that I am voide of sinne but for that my sinneâ— are remitted to my selfe I vvill not glorie for that I haue profited anâ—e or for that aâ—…e hath profited mâ—e but for that CHRIST is an advocate vvith the father for MEE and that his bloode vvâ—… shâ—dde for MEE VVherefore Bernarde speaking to the faithfull If thou saith hee beleevest that thy sinnes cannot bee done avvaâ—e Bâ—rn sâ—r 1. de annuâ—iat but by hiâ—… against vvhome alone thou halâ— offended and vvho himselfe cannot offende thou doest vvell but thou must proceede further and beleeue also that thy sinnes are forgiuen even to thy selfe For to doubte of the most singular
as all the Lords blessings so especially these of the greatest value descende vnto the â—aithful only by gift and what is so free as gift and flovv meerely from the full fountaine of the Lordes most free and vndeserued mercy in Christ and not from themselues and their owne merites All haue sinned saith the Apostle and are deprived of the glorie of God Rom. 3. 23. but are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus And againe the wages of sinne iâ— death but everlasting life Rom. 6. 23. is the gift of God through IESVS CHRIST our Lord. â—astly by grace yee are sâ—ved through faith and that not of your selues it is the Eph. 2. 8. gifâ—e of GOD not of vvorkes least any â—an shoulde bâ—ast himselfe The which with the like testimonies being so evident for our iustification salvation bestowed vpon vs freely in Christ haue as it may be thought forced the childreÌ„ of the church of Rome to devise a double iustification the first proceeding from Gods free mercy in Christ the second from our own merite and deserts But this distinction they learned not of the Apostle who affirmeth that not only at the first we are brought into favor with God by Christ and freely iustified by his blood but also that much more wee are brought to the end of our salvation and to our full and final glorification by the same free vndeserued mercy of God in Christ For so is the Apostles â—llation God saith hee setteth out his loâ—e rewards Rom 5. 8. vs seeing whose we were yet sinners Christ died for vs Much more then being now iustified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath by him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shall bee saved by his life By vvhich wordes it is evident not that the faithfull which are at the first â—ustified by Christes blood are made able to iustifie themselues aftervvard by their ovvne vvorkes and to procuâ—e their ovvne salvation by their owne merites but much more saith he shall they bee preserued in the same grace and broughte to their salvation by CHRIST and by his life And verily if our first iustification by Christ bee sufficient vvhat neede vve seeke for a second iustification by our ovvne vvorkes And if our title vvhich vve haue to the kingdome of heaven by our Saviours death be good enough vvhat neede haue we to speake for any other title Can that vvhich is once iustly mine be made Quod semel 〈…〉 potest mihi â—…quiri pluribus causia by any other title morâ— mine Either can a man haue many â—ust titles to one thing Surely there bee tvvo heavens and tvvo salvations as vvel as there be tvvo iustâ—fications For hovvsoeuer it be avouched in the vvord of truth that God will rewarde our vvorkes vvith the inheritaunce of his heauenly kingdome yet vve must not thinke that so great a revvarde being bestovved vpon so sory a service doth proceede from the merit and worthines of our owne vvorkes but from the meere mercy of him that doth so accept of vs and of our vvorks in Christ as that he doth crowne them with eternall glory The which being bestowed vpon our workes of charity is yet still called an inheritaunce Came yee blessed Mat. 25. 34. of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the worlde that we may still knowe and acknowledge that it is not a purchase made by our owne workes but an inheritaunce freely bestowed vpon such as are adopted into the number of the sons of God by faith in Christ For as for the straitest of our workes if they were squared by the levell of the law they would be fouÌ„d in some respect crooked and those things which seeme in vs to carry most weight if they were weighed in the ballance of Gods iustice they would appeare too light our best righteousnes being in some force vnrighteous and our greatest perfection stayned vvith imperfection Our knovvleâ—ge saith the Apostle is vn 1 Cor. 13. 9 perfect and our charity is vnperfect and therefore to be done away in the place of perfection not that the invvarde graces themselues are then vtterly abolished for they followe vs in death and Apo. 14. 13. neuer faile vs when all earthly treasures bâ—dde vs adevv but that the imperfections vvhich remaine in the greatest graces of the most perfect heere in this vvorlde are to bee done avvay in the vvorlde to come and the foundation of the kingdome of GOD vvhich is begunne to bee laide heere in this life to bee made perfect in the life to come The perfection sayeth Sainte Hierome of all the iust in Hie. l. 1. câ—… Pelag. this life is imperfecte perfection yea all our righteousnesse as faith the prophet is as a menstruous cloth and therefore the most Esa 64 6. holy that liue here should wash themselues with snow water and make Iob. 9. 30. August de tempore â—erm 49. themselues most cleane yet their owne cloathes would make them filâ—hy In the resurrection as saith an ancient father we beleeue that we shall fulfill all righteousnes in respect whereof all that we doe in this life is but very dounge Our humble righteousnes saith Bernard of vve haue Bern. serm 5 de verb. Es They of the Councell of TreÌ„t haue thought themselues better then these fathers cursing al such as be of their iudgment Ses 6. c. 16. c. 25. any at all is perhappes sincere but not pure except perchaunce vve imagine our selues to be better then our fathers who affirmed no less truely then humbly that alour righteousnes was aâ— a stained cloth for how saith he can that righteousnes be pure which caÌ„not be without faulte Where first we may obserue that he tearmeth our righteousnes which we attaine vnto here in this life humble secondly he thinketh it to be so small that he seemeth to doubt whether there be any such thing at all thirdly he calleth it sincere perhaps fourthly noâ— purâ— without all doubt fiftly he affirmeth this even of the best lastly hee avoucheth it to be a meere impossibility to be otherwise hovve can that be pure VVherefore it may not seeme stâ—ange that vvhich Gregorie teacheth that the holy man doth see his very vertuous worke to bee vicious if it come to bee scanned of a iust iudge And that Austin threatneth vengeance and woe against the same VVoe worth the commendable life of man if God should iudge it without mercy Now if Greg. in Iob. l. 9. c 1. Aug. l. 9. Confes c. 13. our very perfection be imperfect and our purity impure our righteousnes as a menstruous cloth and as very dounge if our vertue be vicious and our commendable life deserue a Woe theÌ„ when the Lord doth reward his faithfull servantes he doth not the same for the worthines of their
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
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
only doth this their doctrine of satisfaction and merites greate wrong vnto our Saviour Christ by disanulling the covenant of life made in him and by defacing of the sufficiency of his death but otherwise also it is most iniurious vnto God and tendeth highly to the dishonour of his sacred maiesty 1. First it maketh him like to a very vniust and hard Land-lord whoe hauing graunted an estate in a bargaine vnto a yonger brother vpon a sufficient fine tendered by the elder yet will not let the yonger enioy it vnlesse he fine for it againe himselfe 2. Secondly it maketh him like to a cruell Creditour who hauing the debt discharged to the vttermost by a frieÌ„d yet casteth the poore debtour himselfe into prison vntill he there also in parte make some satisfaction 3. Thirdly it maketh him like to a mercilesse Iudge who hauing punished an ofâ—ence with condigne punishment yet will haue the offender punished againe as if he delighted in the tormentes of the miserable 4. Fourthly it maketh him lesse mercifull then man who doth remitte to his penitent brother all manner of offence and all manner of revenge also 5. Lastly it â—inistreth matter to the malitious to the satisfying of his malicious humor to the full seeing as GOD doth pardon vs so vve are to deale one vvith an other and therefore if GOD doth so forgiue vs our sinnes in CHRIST as that we must yet still either afflict our selues vvith the rigorous vvorkes of Penance or else bee cast into the extreame tormentes of Purgatorie then we may also so forgiue our brother as that we may yet procure his most greavous punishment Wherefore let all true and faithfull Christians abhorre those aboâ—inations of the whore of Babylon yea let all such as looke for forgiuenes of sinne and eternal life by the covenant of mercy in CHRIST Iesus giue the glory thereof not to themselues or their owne workes but onely to the death of our al-sufficient Redeemer And yet let them haue a most earnest care to shew forth their most holy faith by their godly workes not as if they were part of the satisfaction made for sinne or anie parcell of the price giuen for the purchase of eternall glorie but thereby to testifie their thankefulnes to him who hath paide the whole price for that purchase himselfe and hath made for them a perfect and full satisfaction For true faith is not idle nor deade but a living faith working by loue albeit this mother iustifieth vvithout the Fides iustificat ante partum Roffensis helpe of her daughters yea before their very birth as the truth hath forced an enimie to confesse For workes do follovve the iustified man they go not before our iustification even as good fruits proceede from a tree which is already good declaring and not making the tree good Wherfore if we which by nature are wilde oliues being ingraffed in Christ are made good oliues and if we which of our selues bringe forth sowre grapes being planted into the true vine yeeld a sweete liquor if we be made good trees and pleasant plantes such as are setled in the caelestiall paradise we owe that wholy to our engraâ—…ing into Christ by a true faith and not in any vvise to the fruites of our faith the vvhich are only requisite and necessary duties vvhich are carefully to be performed of all such as are called to be pertakers of so greate mercies For as in those landes and liuinges vvhich are holden of temporall Lords ther are besides the fines paide for the purchase of the first estates certaine rentes services and other duties vvhich are also to be performed for the quiet and peaceable possessing of the same liuinges and yet he were but a simple tenante that vvoulde imagine those rentes and seruices to be his whole fine or any part or parcell thereof even so the faithfull which haue their estates purchased for them by the death of Christ in the kingdome of heaven must as it vvere pay their rents performe their services submit theÌ„selues to the custoÌ„e of that heavenly mannour and yet they must neither be so proud nor so simple as to thinke that these rentes services and duties are any part or parcell of that fine that was paid for the first purchase of that heavenly inheritance Chap. 13. That the very end and scope of the sacramentes also is to teach the faithfull that remission of sinne and eternall life is obtained onely by faith in Christ VNTO the preaching of the gospell and Bap isme Eucharist doctrine of the new testament vvere adioyned by our Saviour Christ the sacramentes of the newe TestameÌ„t For it pleased our louing and gracious father not only to giue vs eternall life in his onely begotten sonne but also by certaine external rites and ceremonies to take vs as it were by the hand and to put vs into possession thereof If vvee had beene saith Chrysostome spirituall GOD Chrys in Math. hom 83. vvoulde haue giuen vs these thinge nakedly and spiritually but now for that our soules dvvell in bodies hee giueth spirituall thinges vnder visible creatures Visible sacramentes saith another vvere In quaest ve teris testamenti ordained for such as are environed vvith flesh that by the steppes thereof vvee mighte ascende from such thinges as are seene to thinges that are vnderstoode Saint Austine calleth the sacraments Aug. â—ont Faustum Lib. 19. Cap. 16. in generall a visible vvorde as our Saviour calleth the cuppe in particular the nevve Testament in his bloode because as the worde and testament doth teach our eares that the blood of Christ is the purgation of all our sinnes and his body the bread of eternall life even so doe the sacramentes represent the same doctrine visibly to our eies For certaine it is that in the right vse of thâ—se holy mysteries by the reverent receauinug of the bodely creatures God doth ratifie to the faithfull his graunt and donation of spirituall thinges that is of remission of sinnes and of eternall life in CHRIST IESVS and the faithfull in the religiouâ— vse thereof do againe for their part after a sort vow vnto GOD that they will seeke for the same blessinges onely by Christ and not by any other meanes whatsoever VVherefore the members of the church of Rome seeking for remission of sinnes and eternall life not onely by CHRIST but also by their owne merites and satisfactions may worthely be charged not onely as transgressors of the new TestameÌ„t but also as violaters of the holy sacraments and breakers of that solemne and sacred vovve made at thereceauing of these holy mysteries Yea vvhereas in the religious vse of the sacramentes GOD giueth vs CHRIST vvith all his blessinges according vnto the plaine vvordes of the institution of the LORDES supper take yee eate yee this is my body the church of Rome hath turned this tipsie turvy and vvill not so much receaue CHRIST therein as a sacrifice already offered to GOD for them
Antichrists of these last times doe so apparantly fit the Pope and his Ministers we doubt not but that we may take them for those very parties and that so much the more if we duely consider how in particular also they derogate from the priestly kingly office of our Saviour Christ whereby he accomplished the worke of our redemption There are two pointes wherein his Priesthood consisteth his sacrifice and his mediation Concerning his sacrifice the Apostle teacheth that as it was appointed for all men once to die and after death Heb. 9. 21. iudgement so Christ was once offered to purge the sinnes of many and that if he should haue often offered himselfe he should haue often suffered As also that this is a difference betweene the sacrifices of the Aaronical Priesthood the sacrifice of Christ that they were often reiterated repeated for that it was impossible that the bloode of bulles and goates should take away sins wheras the sacrifice of Christ was but once made neither needed indeede to bee made any more seeing thereby hee hath brought in eternall redemption and made Heb 9 10. 12 14. perfect for ever them that be sanctified Novv as if our Saviour Christ had not by his oblation of himselfe once made brought in eternall redemption and made perfect for euer them that are sanctified the Pope and his Priests will needes offer him againe in their Masse the which they avouch to bee apropitiatory sacrifice both for Heb. 10. 18. the quicke and the dead albeit as the Apostle hath plainly testified where there is remissiō of sin there is no more sacrifice for sin but our Saviour Christ by his one oblation of himselfe once offered hath procured a plenary and full pardon for all our iniquities and sinnes therfore now there cannot remaine any more sacrifice to bee offered for sin especially wheras our Saviour Christ is our only Priest according to the order of Melchizedech who for that he endureth for ever Heb 7. 24. hath an eternall Priesthood which cānot passe frō him to any other and therfore all our Popish Priests which will needs intrude thēselues to be partners with Christ in this office of his Priesthood wil offer him againe vp vnto God are worthily to be condēned for vsurpers of that honour which no way belongeth vnto them Now as they thus by their Priesthood and by their sacrifice of the Masse do deface the Priesthood sacrifice of Christ so doe they also derogate from the same by their doctrine of the Intercessiō mediation of Saintes For whereas our Saviour Christ hath now long since ascēded into heauē there sitteth at the right hād of God ever living to make intercessiō for vs wheras the vertue of his death passiō is alwaies present before God procuring for vs the favor of God a ready graunt to all our requestes as far forth as it is behouefull cōvenient for vs if this mediation intercessiō of Christ which is continually before God be sufficient what need haue we to seeke for the mediation of the Saintes But this mediation of CHRIST in the iudgemente of Sainte Augustine is so sufficient and the resting onely thereon so sure a marke of a faithfull Christian that he is bolde to make this resolution therein VVee haue IESVS CHRIST our advocate and hee is Aug. in ep Ioh. tract 1. the propitiation for our sinnes he that houldeth this holdeth no heresie he that holdeth this maketh no schisme As likevvise on the contrary side he is bold to affirme that if the verie Apostle Saint Iohn Aug. cont Epist Par◅ Lib. 2. cap. 8 himselfe had saide If any man sinne you haue mee for your advocat and I obtaine pardon for your sinnes that no faithfull person vvould haue acknovvledged him for an Apostle of Christ but rather haue defied him as a verie Antichrist 3 Likevvise concerning our Saviours kingly office and autoritie of making of lawes to guid vs in such a course as that vve may vvalke as it becometh those vvhich are called to be pertakers of so greate mercies we know that we are not our owne but his that hath ransomed vs with so greate a price that we should be subiect to his onely lawes and yeeld our obedience onely to his cōmandementes For we haue no other Lord besides him vvho hath autority to impose lawes vpon vs we haue but one Lord and lawgiuer who is able to saue and to destroy Contrary to this roiall and soveraigne autoritie of Christ the Pope and his adherentes Eph. 4. 5. Iac. 4. 12. haue taken vpon them to impose lawes rules orders vpō the people of God yea haue giuen them praise commendation that by obseruing the same they may doe workes of supererogation availeable for the salvation of other men may winne such credit as to be accoūted the only religious of all other may attaine to greater holines perfectiō thē may be gottē by the law of God So that albeit Moses himselfe after that he had delivered Deut. 4. 8. the law of God to the people testified of the dignity exelēcy thereof that there was no people that had lawes so righteous as vvas all that lavv vvhich he had set before them yet the Pope would beare the world in hand that the rules of Frier Fraūcis Dominicke the rest do lead vnto greater holines perfection thē may be obtained by the law of God Wherefore it is not without 1 Tim 3. 16 4. 1. cause that the Apostle did fore signifie that as our redmption wrought by God manifested in the flesh is the greatest mystery of Christian godlines evē so the prohibitiō of meates marriage according to the rules of Frier Fraūcis the rest should be the doctrine in outward shew of greatest excellency perfectiō amōg false prophets of the last times the limbes mēbers of the great Antichrist wherein the Pope his adherēts most iniuriously derogating frō the law of Christ our only spiritual Lord king doth shew himselfe that man of sin that sonne of pride that very Antichrist who was to sit in the tēple of God to advaūce himselfe aboue God 4 For what doth he else whē he advaūceth his orders rules aboue Gods law not only so but presumethto dispence against the law of God to set greater penalties vpon the breach of his owne orders thē vpō the trāsgressiō of Gods cōmādemēts yea flatly to repeale the precise cōmandemēts of Christ An example whereof we haue in the Lords supper the which was ordained by him in both kindes to assure the faithfull of their full perfect spirituall nourishmēt they haue by him as S. Austin some of the Aug. in tr in Joh. 26. Schole mē also haue taught The which glorie of Christ to be our spiritual nourishmēt vnto eternall life that it might be abolished or at the least
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
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
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
they are fed yea the very deade and senselesse earth yeeldeth forth her encrease to thē by whom it is manured and husbanded and therefore all such are more brutish then the very oxe and asse and more vile and base then the very dead and senselesse earth who having received all from God will not acknowledge their gracious benefactor be thankfull vnto him for his great mercies Verily they which are carelesse to tast of the Lords loue are worthy to drinke the dregs of his displeasure they that refuse to loue God for his goodnesse and to reioice in him for his mercy are worthy to shake quake at his iustice and to tremble at his fury they that neglect to take at his hands the cuppe of salvation are worthy to heare from his mouth the dreadfull sentence of iust condemnation they that will not aboue all thinges esteeme of his invaluable favour and alwaies meditate vpon that vnspeakeable loue whereby they are delivered from everlasting fire are worthy still to be remembred of their vnthankfulnes by their continuall suffering of those intollerable torments of hell fire they which are carelesse to blesse God day and night most cheerefully for their eternal and everlasting happines are worthy to curse themselues day night most ruefully for their eternal and everlasting wretchednes And verily if David purposed to destroy all that belonged to Naball for that when he had preserved his flockes in the wildernes and had beene as a wall vnto his servants this his kindnes was requited with currishnes and his messengers sent backe vnto him with reproaches insteed of rewards What cause thē hath God who causeth all his creatures to attend vpon his servants maketh his glorious angels to be their guard to encāpe round about them yea who is himselfe a brasen wall vnto them to defend them and theirs frō all their enemies most highly to be offended with his vnthankful servants for the contempt of so many and great favours and to be revenged of the same withall condigne punishment what to forget the kindnes of our bodily parents and to be stubborne against them was by the law of Moses adiudged to bee worthy of no lesse punishment then stoning to death and but to enter consultation of conspiring against prince countrey deserveth by our laws to haue the bodies of all such offenders dismembred and to be set vp vpon the toppes of our gates as ruefull spectacles to warne all to beware of the like treacherous vnthankfulnes and yet our parents prince and country are for the most parte but the meanes of some temporal blessings to be conveied vnto vs for it is God that is the author both of the one and the other and the ordainer both of al meanes and of all blessings also what an heavy iudgement then doth it deserue so far to forget the Lords mercies as that we should be stubborne and disloyall to him ioine our selues in conspiracy with that archtraitour Satan Verely when the Lord hath bin so mindful of vs wee haue bin so forgetful of him whē he hath bin so kind to vs we haue bin so vnkind to him it cannot but highly incēse him against vs and wrest out of his hands most grievous plagues as we may perceive by that dreadful destruction that came vpon the ten tribes that direful desolatlō vpon the nation of the Iewes the whole remnant of Israel especially for their vnkind forgetfulnes contempt of the Lordes so sundry and manifold mercies The first of the which iudgments with the causes therof is sette downe vnto vs by the Prophet Amos Thus saith the Lord for three transgressious Amo 52. 6. of Israel for fowre I wil not turn to it because of their oppressiōs adulteries superstitions their wicked reioycing before their Idols as if by their meanes they had bin so inriched advaunced Yet saith the Lord it vvas I that destroyed the Amorite before them whose height was like the Cedar trees he was strong as the oakes Notwithstanding I destroyed his fruite from aboue his roote from beneath Also I brought you up from the land of Aegypt ledde you fourty yeares through the wildornes to possesse the land of the Amorite and I raised vp of your sonnes for Prophets and of your young men for Nazarites is it not even thus ô yee children of Israell saith the Lord But ye gaue the Nazarites wine to drinke commanded the Prophets saying prophesie not behould vnthankfulnes is the principal circumstance that most of all aggravateth the greivousnes of sin Amos. 3. 1. I am pressed vnder you as a carte is pressed that is full of sheaves Behould then what it was that added such a weight vnto their sins made them so grievous and offensiue vnto God and so againe in the next chapter Heere this word that the Lord pronounceth against you ô yee children of Israel even against the vvhole family that I brought out of Aegypt saying you only haue I knowen of al the families of the earth therfore I will visite you for all your iniquities In both which places it is manifest that the Lord himselfe testifieth against this vnthankeful nation that seing he had so laboured to winne them with his blessings and yet they would not giue place to his kindnes therfore he himselfe would make place vnto his plagues to his most heavy but iust vengeance And now cōcerning that other iudgment executed vpon Ierusalem the nation of the Iewes the whole rēnant of Israel the which was the most strange and the most dreadfull that ever was executed vpon any people from the beginning of the world was it not for this cause that as God had at the first in kindnes exceeded towards them aboue al other nations of the whole earth they againe had exceeded towards him in their vnthankefulnes therfore at the last his plagues against thē did exceed the plagues of al other nations of the whole earth As we may gather by that woefull complainte that our Saviour tooke vp over Ierusalem saying O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and Mat. 23. 37. stonest them that are sente vnto thee hovve often vvoulde I haue gathered thy children as the hen gathereth her chickens vnto her vvinges and yee vvoulde not Therefore is your house left vnto you desolate Howe often saith our Saviour haue I called you vnto mee by my manifolde blessinges corporall and spirituall and vvith what kindnes haue I succoured you in all your necessities and wantes and how long haue I had patience with you in wayting for your amendement Therefore patience so often offended and kindnes so much contemned must needes at the last be turned into furie Sinne verely is exceeding sinfull because it is a transgression of the most holy pure and righteous law of God and is a contempte of his maiestie vnto whome vvee ovve all obedience if it were but in respect of his supreme
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
holy pure perfect gratefull and acceptable to himselfe also for that it is his will vnto whoÌ„ I am ten thousand times bouÌ„d to yeeld al dutiful submissioÌ„ obedience both in respect of his soveraigne auctority that he only hath to rule over my conscience soule also in regard of his infinite blessings which he of his owne vnspeakeable goodnes in Christ hath most freely fully bestowed vpon me And verely our obedience performed to the vvill of God in these respectes is a sweete incense and a most acceptable sacrifice to God wherwith we after a sort gratifie God and grieve the Devill are as an heaven to all holy Angels and a very hell vnto al vncleane spirits So like wise when we are tempted to any wicked worke wee must thus reason with ourselues and say this worke ought in no wise to be done by me no not the least desire to accomplish the same ought once to haue any entrance into my hart because it is contrary to the holy pure perfect will of God agreeable vnto the impure will of the Devill because it is most offensiue grievous to God most gratefull acceptable vnto the Devill because it is a great dishonour to him to whoÌ„ all honour is double due both in respect of his soveraigne auctority over me and also in regard of his manifolde mercies collated vpon me and it is a great honour vnto that most cruell and infamous tyrant the Devill who presseth vpon me thereby to take me captive to the vtter destruction both of my body and soule We are debters as saith the Apostle yea very great debters as great as great may be but not to the flesh nor to our selues nor Rom. 8. 12. to the devil vnles it be that we owe to these al maÌ„ner of evils miseries whatsoever but we are debtters to God that for the loue of a thousand talents for the gift of ten thousand more yet if we haue but a sincere desire to discharge this our debt our most gracious creditour will not onely straitwaies forgiue it all but also wil giue vnto vs ten thousand times more Yea the sincere desire of being obedient to the will of God vpon the former respects and the true care according as God hath enabled vs in some measure to discharge this our debt is a very great mercy a very gracious favour wherby we are more and more endebtted vnto him And verely this is al the discharge of our debt that hee requireth at our hands that we willingly gladly acknowledge him of whoÌ„ we haue received all that we so highly esteeme of his giftes and presume of his good will that we are stil desirous to been debtted vnto him more more by al relligious hearing reading and meditating vpon his holy and sacred word by all servent and devout praier bee continually begging and craving for more and after a sort extorting it out of his handes For his desire is not to be benifited by vs but that we should still more and more bee benefited by him and hee vvould haue vs to acknowledge his loue and to grovve into a stedfast assurance therof that therby we might be more effectually stirred vp to reioyce in his goodnes to be thankful vnto him for his manifold mercies especially he would haue vs most midfully to record that vnmatchable blessing of our redemption wrought by Christ his inestimable loue made manifest therin that therby our hearts might be renewed our affections saÌ„ctified dying to our selues living to God employing our selues to every good worke And hereof it is that the spirit of God especially in the bookes of the new testament doth so often make mention of Christ and of our redemption wrought by him and of his great loue manifested therein as being the matter and subiect of those bookes a â—aÌ„st vvhereof I vvill giue vnto thee in some sentences of one of those bookes penned by Saint Iohn as they be pointed vnto by that learned preacher of the vvord Mr. Robert Rolloc in his commentaries vpon the same booke No man hath soone God at any time the onely begotten sonne of God vvho is in the bosome of the father hee hath revealed him Ioh 1. 18. The Philosophers in all ages haue most painfully searched after truth in their Physikes Ethikes Mathematikes and the rest But the knowledge of the Father in the Sonne doth only deserue the name of truth For to what purpose is it to comprehend in minde heaven and earth and all other thinges if a sinner doth not knowe God in Christ the redeemer That is vnlesse he feele God favourable vnto him and forgiving him all his sinnes in Christ which only doeth pacifie the troubled conscience hee can haue little true comfort in all his knovveledge of all other things be it never so great and smal courage to come vnto God and to rest in him and so to take hold of everlasting blessednes Therefore our Saviour himselfe after that he had said no man knoweth the father but the sonne and hee to whom the sonne hath revealed him Math. 11. 28. immediately addeth Come vnto mee all yee that are wearie and heavy laden and I will refresh you VVhereby hee signifieth that God being revealed in Christ there doeth follovve peace of conscience and vnspeakeable ioy in all those that doe cast their sinnes vpon him The nexte daie Iohn stoode and tvvo of his disciples and beholding Iesus vvalking hee saide beholde that lambe of GOD. Iohn 1. Chap. verse 36. As Iohn oftentimes gaue witnesse to Christ so it is no lesse necessarie at this time that the sacrifice and death of Christ be repeated and reiterated againe and againe For as the Iewes were ignoraunt that Christ the lambe of God shoulde bee offered vppe in sacrifice so vvee after a sort haue forgotten that hee hath beene sacrificed and hath already suffered for our sinnes For vvhat meane these sinnes which so every where abound adulteries murders rapines sacriledges even so many sinnes of all sortes vvhat say I doe they meane but that wee haue forgotten that our Saviour Christ hath suffered for vsâ— For ifit did come into our mindes that vvee vvere once boughte with so greate a price vvoulde vvee so sell our selues and become captiues to so manye sinnes If vvee did remember that vvee vvere washed with the most precious bloodof CHRIST vvoulde vvee againe so defile our selues vvith the filthy mire of this vncleane vvorlde After that Saint Peter had commended vnto the faithfull certaine necessary vertues 2. Peter 1. 9. Hee that hath not these saieth hee is bloude and seeth nothing a farre of but hath forgotten that hee vvas purged from his olde sinnes For let all bee sure of this that who edomes murders and the like to them that make profession of the faith of Christ are not therefore sinnes onely for that they are contrary to the lawe of God
vs of the most deadly sting of the spirituall serpent the Devill It may seeme strange that the beholding of a deade man should have such vertue efficacy as to giue life to the behoulders yet so it is for that this dead body is a quickning spirit and the word of his crosse is the power of God to salvation to all that beleeue And indeede you cannot duely thinke vpon this shamefull ignominious crosse but that yee shall be moved thereby to call to mind the most glorious and admirable loue of God who so loved the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but haue life everlasting Now if God loue vs be on our side who can be against vs if he hath confirmed his loue towards vs in that he spared not his only begotten sonne but gaue him for vs all how may wee be most fully assured that he will with him giue vs al things also Hereby saith S. Iohn haue we perceived loue in that hee layed downe his life for vs. 1. Ioh. 3. 16. So S. Paules Herein saith hee Christ setteth out his love towards vs that while we were sinners therefore not worthy of the least mercie hee died for vs and so shewed vs the greatest mercy Rom. 3. 8. If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith vnto thee give mee drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and he would haue given vnto thee the water of life Ioh. 4. 10. In teaching the ignoraÌ„t we must labour especially to worke in them a thirst of the water of life the sweetnes wherof if we had once tasted al other thiÌ„gs would grow out of tast with vs and we would after a sort thirst only after this water This water of life then aboue al other things is to be made knowen to the people of God the vertue therof is continually to be sette forth seeing it is not condemned but where it is vnknowen And hereof it is that Christ himselfe his spirit his spouse and all his faithfull members bestow so much labour in pointing to this full fountaine of the water of life and in commending the vertues therof I am the living bread saith our Saviour Christ that Ioh. 6. 51. came downe from heaven hee that eateth of this bread shall liue for ever And againe If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke he that beleeveth Ioh. 7. 37. in me as saith the Scripture out of his belly shall flowe rivers of water of life And againe I am the dore if any man enter by mee he Ioh. 10. 9. shall be saved and goe in and out and finde pasture And againe I am the Vine yee are the branches every braunch that beareth fruite in me my Ioh. 15. 2. father purgoth that it may beare more fruite And againe I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the father but by me By all which figuratiue speeches one and the selfesame thing is sette forth vnto vs even that Christ is the doore wherby we haue entrance to God in the enioying of whose favour presence consisteth life that he is the way to the caelestiall IerusaleÌ„ where true life is to be enioyed in the greatest perfection that he is the true propitiatory sacrifice wherby the wrath of God is throughly pacified all other in respect thereof beeing either meere shadowes or false counterfeites that he is the bread water meat and foode of life whereby life is not onely bredde at the first but also still maintained and preserved for ever Likewise our Saviour testifieth of the spirit of God that he shall testifie of him and shall receive Ioh. 15. 26. Ioh. 16. 14. of his shall glorifie him by giving testimony vnto the holines of his doctrin vnto the dignity of his death the Angel setteth downe the same as a sure note of the spirit of a true Prophet The Apoc. 19. 10. Ioh. 5. 39. testimony of Iesus is the spirite of prophesie that is is a sure marke of the spirit of prophecy Yea what is the scope and end of all the scriptures but to give testimony vnto Christ What is the continuall exercise of the spouse of Christ and all her legitimate children but to haue their eies fast bent vpon Christ their mouth continually open in his praise The whol booke of the Canticles is principally spente in the extolling of the excellencies of the bridegrome by his louing spouse vnder diverse semblances and similitudes And wherein especially laboured Iohn the Baptist the friend of the Bridegrome but in preparing the peoples hartes to embrace Christ Behoulde the Lambe of God saith he that taketh Ioh. 1. 29. 26. away the sinnes of the vvorld I baptise vvith water vnto repentance but there is one among you who albeit he came after mee yet hee was before mee whose shoe-latchet I am vnworthy to vnloose he shall baptise vvith the holy Ghost and with fire And againe He must encrease but I must Ioh. 3. 30. decrease Lastly what did all the Apostles teach They preached Iesus and in him and by him the resurrection of the dead and all other benefites and blessinges whatsoever they preached Iesus to be the Lord and themselues the servants of all men for Iesus sake And verely al other waters are but draffe durte in respect of the most pure waters of this fountaine all other riches are but 〈…〉 of this inestimable and invaluable treasures 〈…〉 dishes are but as the scrappes of a beggars 〈…〉 of the most sweete and comfortable both tast 〈…〉 Mannaâ— and bread of life the feeding 〈…〉 to â—…ke the best of it is but the Iuglers feast 〈…〉 by feeding on Christ The children of 〈…〉 Synagogue howsoever they pretend that they care 〈…〉 they haue never indeed fedde vpon him truly 〈…〉 should haue had by him health strength and life to 〈◊〉 that they would never haue fedde vpon masses and 〈◊〉 and vpon their owne or other mens merites for the furâ—…â—…ing of everlasting life But if these meÌ„ wil by no means 〈◊〉 â—…ded to come togeather with vs to feede onely vppon 〈…〉 bread of life at the Lords table let them feed still at the 〈…〉 vpon that deadly poison which is sette before them 〈…〉 â—…mous serpent But let vs feed vpon Christ Io◠〈…〉 for his flesh 〈…〉 and his blood is drinke indeede His patience is the only price wherby our soules are fully ransomed his righteousnes the onely roabes whereby our nakednes is wholy covered wherby we are presented most perfectly pure righteous holie 〈◊〉 before the tribunal seat of the Lords iustice His death is only able to kill sinne in vs and his resurrection is onely of force to raise vs vp to newnes of life They that being moved by other reason seeme to abstain froÌ„ sin to work righteousnes do the same but outwardly in shew
and not in truth Only the spirit of Christ that so greatly sanctified his death and so mightely wrought his resurrection being received by the due consideration and mediâ—…tion and by the religious embracing of his death and resurrection is able to destroy sin indeede and to raise vs vp to newnes of life 〈◊〉 is only of sufficient might to withstand Satan and all the powers of the kingdome of darknes and to worke in vs faith and loue and all the residue of the fruits of the spirite And if by this â—…nes 〈…〉 â—…ned to God then are we indeed truly converted Ioh. 12. 32. for Christ is the only loadstone that hath sufficient vertue at 〈◊〉 to draw vp to himselfe our harts of yron And if by this 〈…〉 be slaine and the life of righteousnes be wroughte in vs then haue we part in Christs death and fellowship in his resurrection but if by any other meanes sinne be put to flight it is but in shew and not in truth it is but a retire made by Satan that he may draw vs further and further into his snares Thus haue I Gentle Reader according vnto the direction of my skilfull guide set downe some few places of the first Chapters of the gospell of S. Iohn wherein this foode of our soules is commended vnto vs. There be many other also observed by the same author vpon the same book but these may suffice to teach those that are the Lordes stewardes what manner of foode they ought especially to set before the residue of the Lords family what they also ought principally to feede vpon if that they desire to haue their spirituall health and strength encreased and to be further and further enabled to do the Lords worke Now it â—…ineth that both in our publike private praiers we most inâ—…ly beseech the Lorde both with the woman of Samaria saying Lord giue me of this water that I may not thirst and with the Iewes Ioh 4. 15. Ioh. 6. 34. Lord giue vs ever more this bread Lord make this heavenly foode to taste better and better vnto vs that we may more and more hunger after the same and hasten our passage more readily and swiftly vnto that great and glorious banquetting house where we shall feede therevpon even to the full The which the Lorde for his owne mercies sake graunte vnto vs. Now vnto this our most gracious and glorious Lord and God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost be rendred all honour and glory praise and power maiesty and might for ever more Amen FINIS Faultes escaped in printing the first part Leaue out in the preface f. 1. l. 3. read conversation for conversion f. 5. v. 32 In the principal vses of the treatise put in my v. 31. in the treatise it selfe read members for number f. 4. l. 13. speaketh for seeketh f. 10. l. 26. right for might f. 20. l. 36. put in not f. 33. l. 6. omnipoteÌ„t for omniscient f. 35. l. 11. Iustifieth for Instilleth f. 38. l. 14 the revelation for relation f. 41. l. 14. sufficient for alsufficient f. 49 l. 11. speak for seeke f. 53 l. 3. impossible for invisible f 65. l 16. offrings for suffrings f. 64. l. 19. also for else f. 87. l. 11. put in his f 117. l. 26. speaking for seeking f. 123. l. 23. wil for wel f. 147. l. 18. put in 666. f. 159. l. 24. Faultes escaped in this second part Pag. 36. lin 27 for then allowed read then allowing in the marg for Rom. 14. 26. read 24. 27. item p. 41. in the marg for pf 26. 3. read 26. 3.
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