doe him any violence Also in the Church of God the first thing that was published was the remission of sinnes which is as it were a place of freedome into the which those malefactors that haue deserved death and the halter may retyre themselues to the end to be assured of their life and from the sentence and condemnation which the judge might giue against them if hee were not hindered froÌ„ it by reason of their refuge thither and that they are receaued into the protection and safegard of the King who is the Protector and warrant of the Church As then the Citie of Roome in her beginning was peopled but with theeues robbers murderers and people abandoned to all kinds of vices by the meanes of the place of Freedome which had beene opened for them by the founder of Rome so is the Church assembled compounded of jdolaters blasphemers prophaners drunkards rebels theeues adulterers murderers evill speakers detractours covetous ambitious and voluptuous persons ravishers robbers and other such like persons by the meanes of the remission of sinnes which hath been opened vnto them as a place of Freedome to retyre themselues in safty The which did Adam Abell Enoc Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob Samuel Gedeon Iephte Sampson Dauid the Prophets the faithfull and all the Saints that ever were Now this remission of sins is the ground of the hope of a christian man and of all consolation For seeing wee offend so many wayes and that wee cannot liue a moment and minute of an bower without having evill thoughts in our vnderstandings evill affections in our hearts evill words in our mouths evill actions in our hands and in all the members of our bodyes and a great vanity in all our sences What should we doe how should we escape wherevppon should we assure our salvation withot-the fayth which we haue of the remissiuon of our sinnes which is as it were a plaister a tent which wee apply euery day vpoÌ„ this moist corrupted wound of our nature and which festured doth alwaies drop without stenching drying cleaÌ„sing or healing by other means but by this onely remedy the which is altogether necessary for the conversation of our life and to hinder that the rottenesse spreading it selfe and ramping ouer all the parts thereof in the end should not cause vs to dye It is it which rayseth vs when we are fallen as sayth Dauid Psal 37. Though he fall he shall not be cut off for the Lord putteth vnder his hand I haue waited on the Lord Psal 130. my soule hath wayted and I haue trusted in his word My soule waiteth on the Lord more then the morning watch waiteth for the morning Let Israell wayt on the Lord for with the Lord is mercy and with him is great redemption And he shall redeeme Israell froÌ„ all his iniquities Psal 65.3 Wicked deeds haue preuailed against me but thou wilt be mercifull vnto our transgression This remission causeth that the faithfull do not sinne to the death for this seed of the grace of God of his promise and of his spirit wherewith he hath sealed our hearts causeth although that wee bee sinners that wee assure assure our selues notwitstanding our sinne and the corruption that is in vs that God who is jnfinite in goodnes and mercy maketh his grace to abound where sinne aboundeth Rom. 5. In this onely gift of the remission of our sinnes wee haue matter and argument to admyre and exalt the jmmense and jncomprehensible mercy of God which is never weary of giving vs grace for so many sinnes which we haue committed every day If a King had giuen halfe a dozen or a dozen of remissions to a murderer or other malefactor he would waxe weary at the last and although hee were the most benigne and pittifull of the world yet would he put him to death seeing his perseverance in dojng evill But our God doth not quitte vs 1 2 3 4 5 and 6. tallents parcels and debts which we owe him but 10. Thousand yea 10. Millions provided onely that wee confesse wee owe them vnto him and that we make it appeare that wee are sorry to bee so much jndebted vnto him The which we see in the parable of the bad servant wherof mention is made in S. Mathew chap. 18. and in the example of Dauid who wondering at the greatnesse of the goodnesse and mercy of God sayd in his prayse Psal 32. Then I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee neither hid I mine iniquity for â—o I thught I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sin Therfore shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee in time when thou mayest bee found surely in the floud of great waters they shall not come neere him Conclusion this remission of sinnes is as a quittance vnto vs and a generall abolition of all that we may owe and of whatsoever we may be sought after for in the Chamber of Accompts of our God So that being furnished with it wee ought not to feare any whit to present our selues before the judgement of God with all assuraÌ„ce For there is no condeÌ„natioÌ„ for those that are in Iesus Christ as saith the Apostle Rom. 8.1 CHAP. VIII ¶ Of Iustification the third effect of Faith IT is time then to enter into the deduction of the third effect of Faith which is our justification the which is plainely declared in the Epistle to the Romanes chap. 3. vers 22. The righteousnesse of God commeth by the Faith of Iesus Christ vnto all and vppon all them that beleeue There is no difference for all haue sinned and haue need of the glory of God but are justified freely by his grace through their redemption that is in Christ Iesus whome God hath set forth to bee a propitiation through Faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnes by forgiuing the sinnes that are past which God doth suffer to shew at this time his righteousnesse that he might bee just and the justifier of him that beleeueth on Iesus Which hee confirmeth in the fowrth alleadging that which Dauid saith towching the beatitude of man vnto whoÌ„e God alloweth justice without workes saying Psalm 32. Blessed is he whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man vnto whome the Lord imputeth not sinne and in whose spirit there is no guile Whereupon wee must note that this terme of justifying signifieth to absolue in the holy Scripture and that man is justified before God when appearing before his throne and Iudgement seat he is absolved of all his crimes and sinnes which the law the Deuill and his owne conscience may set before him to cause him to be condemned which is done in the fauour of Iesus Christ Rom. 4. who cloathing vs with his righteousnesse is cause that our sinnes hidden vnder his cloake Psalm 32. do not appeare before God but to the contrary that being clensed
vppon the rocke and ordred my goings In briefe as the Church singeth Psal 119. They haue often tymes afflicted me from my youth may Israell now say they haue oftentimes afflicted me from my youth but they could not preuaile against me And also They came about me like bees Psal 118. but they were quenched as a fire of thornes for in the name of the Lord I shall destroy them Thou hast thrust sore at mee that I might fall but the Lord hath holpen me The Lord is my strength and song for he hath been my deliuerance The right hand of the Lord hath done valiantly Even when God doth tempt vs by tribulations and adversities which hee sendeth vs as by pouerty sicknesse wars famine pestilence His goodnes towards vs in aduersitie jnfinite other euils which hee sendeth to his Church to exercise and jnduce it to watch and pray although it seeme that in them God treateth vs hardly and in an other fashion then a Father should his Children Notwithstanding in such exercises we ought yet to acknowledge the great favours which through his goodnesse he sheweth vs having the care to chasten and continue vs within our dutie by his fatherly correction that wee bee not condemned with the world which he hath abandoned to the wicked desires thereof 1. Cor 11. It is sayd of the Persians that they had a custome among them that when a malefactor was condemned to bee whipped for some cryme by him committed he was bound to kisse the rods after he had byn whipped and to go before the Iugde to present himselfe vpon his knees to giue him thankes for the punishment which he had ordayned by his sentence shewjng thereby that one of the greatest goods that can happen vnto vs is to be corrected when we faile as to the contrary the greatest evill that can happen to a man is when their faults are dissembled because that by the vnpunishing of them they perseuere and grow so strong in evill that at the last he is altogether desperate Now the favours which God doth vs are great and in great nomber Psalm 40. as sayth Dauid O Lord my God thou hast made thy woonderfull woorkes so many that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts towards vs. And also Psal 71. My mouth shall dailie rehearse thy righteousnesse and thy saluation for I know not the nomber The spring frō whēce issue all the goods which god doth for vs But yet besides that we ought in them to acknowledge the great benificence of our God If wee will consider whence it commeth that he jmparts thē vnto vs so abundātly we shall find that they are all gratis and that he is not stirred vp therevnto but of his onely goodnesse on the one part and of the pittie which he hath of our wretchednesse and misery on the other part Psal 44. as it is written They inherited not the land by their own sword neither did their owne arme saue them but thy right hand and thine arme and the light of thy countenance because thou diddest fauour them And we must yet acknowledge an other favour in that hee giueth vs the right vse thereof For we see an jnfinite sort that abuse thereof and turne them wholly to an other purpose then that for the which God hath giuen them the which sheweth well that by reason of the corruption and vice which is in vs wee cannot make good vse of his graces nor apply thē to their vses nor yet know the end for the which he gaue them vnto vs and wherevnto they ought to tend What graces also doth he vnto vs when through his mercy hee deliuereth vs from so many miseries and euils that compasse vs about by reason of the sinne that is in vs Also when in so long a patience hee waiteth for the time wherein we should turne vnto him to confesse our faults and jmplore the assistance of his great mercy giuing vs leasure to repent although we be vnworthy thereof seejng the onely jngratitude which wee vse towards him ought to bee a sufficient cause not onely to withdraw his beneficence from vs and close his hand of bounty quite from vs but also rujnate and exterminate vs wholly Wherein hee sheweth that which is sayd of him that Psal 103. The Lord is full of compassion and mercie slow to anger and of great kindnesse And who hath his eye alwayes rather turned to his promises to execute them thē to his threatnings to remēber them and wee see by experience the truth of that which Ose the Prophet sayth of him Ose 11. That if hee were a man passionate with choller and furie as men are ordinarily against those that do them any displeasure wee had long since beene reduced to the state of Sodome and Gomorrha that is to say to nothing and that there should remaine nothing else of vs but a stincking remēbrance of our name and a marke of the judgement of God most horrible and fearefull vppon vs but it is well for vs that we haue to doe with so patient and so gracious a God and who doth not onely quite vs Tenne or Twelue talents which we owe him but ten and twelue millions Mat 19. Yet is there one thing to obserue to acknowledge the greatnesse of the benificence of our God to wit that we would neuer acknowledge his goods if hee did not giue vs the grace to knowe them and wee would not thanke him for them if hee did not open our mouthes to thanke him as it is written Deliuer me from bloud O God Psal 51. which art the God of my saluation and my tongue shall sing ioyfully of thy righteousnesse Open thou my lippes O Lord and my mouth shall shew forth thy prayse Seeing then that hee doth vs so many fauours in so many sorts ought wee not to say with Dauid Psal 116. What shall I reuder vnto the Lord for all his henefits towards mee I will take the Cup of Saluation and call vppon the name of the Lord. ¶ The First propertie of Faith NOw hauing treated the definition wee must close our eyes and open our eares the parts the causes and the effects of Faith It remaines consequently to declace the properties thereof whereof the first is to close the eyes and open the eares as sayth S. August according to the definition which the Apostle giueth of it in the Epistle to the Hebrues Heb. 11. That Faith is a substance of those things which men hope for and a demonstration of those things which men see not For the sences as well of the body as are the eyes and the eares as of the soule as are the jmagination the reason and humane prudence are altohether enemies of Faith as the Scripture teacheth vs that carnall prudence is enemie to God Rom. 8. and altogeather rebellious to his word wherevnto it cannot subiect it selfe And that the reason is but
hope of the afflicted shall not perish for euer Of the perseverance in Prayer Now although that God in some sort seeme to turne backe his face from vs and to haue his eares quite closed vp at our prayers yea and in all sheweth vs a dreadful and stearne countenance and as saith the Scripture presents himselfe vnto vs with the face of a roaring Lyon or of a Beare that hath lost her young Yet wee must not yeeld nor desist from praier but take courage and stiffen our selues against the apprehensions which wee haue of the wrath and anger which God doth shew vs in appearance Iacob Genes 31. and doe as did Iacob who seejng him with-whome hee wrastled willing to depart from him jn steed of forsaking him held him more strongly then before saying that he would neuer loose the hold which he had of him vntill he had obtained his blessing and that which hee demaunded of him which at length he obtained by the perseverance and constancy of his faith and prayer Dauid Dauid seejng himselfe environed on euery side by the troops of Saul at the rocke of Hachilla did not loose his courage nor the hope but strengthned himselfe in the Lord and did pray vnto him in that extreamity wherein he was Psal 142. saying Though my spirit was in perplexity in me yet thou knewest my path in the way wherein I walked haue they priuilie laid a snare forme And in the same Psalme Then cryed I vnto thee O Lord and sayd thou art my hope and my portion in the land of the liuing Psal 141. Also But mine eyes looke vnto thee O Lord God in thee is my trust leaue not my soule destitute And in the 130. Psalme Out of the deepe places haue I called vppon thee O Lord Lord heare my voyce let thine eares atteÌ„d to the voyce of my prayers And in the 69. Psalme Deliuer me out of the mire that I sincke not Let me be deliuered from them that hate me and out of the deep waters Let not the water flood drowne me neither let the deepe swallow me vp let not the pit shut her mouth vpon me All these passages shew sufficiently that the Faith of the good Fathers was not a cowardly and soft Faith which was astonished and yeilded easily to afflictions how hard and sharp soeuer they were but that like vnto the Palme it did stiffen it selfe and rise against the weight of the burthen So that it was never overcome what burtheÌ„ or waight so ever could bee layd vppon it Likewise we see Ionas in the very bottome both of the Sea Ionas and of the Whales bellie constantly to retaine the Faith and perswasion whiâ—h he had of the truth of â—he promises of God vppon the which he did assure himselfe notwithstanding the great fault which hee had committed in not obaying the commandement which God had giuen him to go to Niniuie And vnder that assurance which he had thereof and the remission of his sinne he prayed to God in this gulfe and bottomlesse pit wherein hee was and sung this excellent Canticle vnto him which wee read in his booke Ezekias Ezekias In the time of Sennacherib who had conquered all the land of Iudea and brought all the Townes and strong places to his obedience resting none but the Citie of Ierusalem which hee kept besieged on every side in so much that the Iewes were so shut vp therein that it seemed that their affaires were altogether desperate and that there was no place nor meanes whereby they might saue themselues and put by this danger neverthelesse this good kings heart was neuer daunted but he did continue so ankred in the faith of the promises of God and in hope of the helpe which he had promised him that seejng the extreamitie wherein he was the scarsity of victuals which was in the towne the bravadoes and threats of Rabsaces all the Country thereabout wast and desolate hee letted not for all this to rest firmely vpon the prouidence of God and waight for his succour vntill the end whereof God by his prophet had assured him wherein he experimented that the Faith which wee haue in God is neuer vaine Psal 37. prouided that we depart not from it and that by the example of Abraham to what point soeuer the faithfull man may be brought hee may neuerthelesse beleeue in hope against hope and let him not sleepe like the Apostles Rom. 4. but let him rather follow the counsell which Iesus Christ had giuen them Mat. 26. to watch and pray incessantly that they enter not into temptation Moyses Moyses being come to the border of the Sea which stopped his passage before him being also pursued by Pharo and his host behind had great occasion to feare Exod. 14. and thinke that of force he must yeild with all his people to the mercy and discretion of the enemie yet that sunke not into his minde but he armed himselfe with the promise fauour and presence of God which did accompanie him and assisted him saying to the people who were all dismayd to assure them and to make them take heart againe haue not I tould you that if you beleiue you shall see the glory of God and his almightinesse to accompltsh that which hee promiseth without that any creature can be able to hinder him in the execution of his counsels which hauing sayd vnto them they presently saw the Sea open at his prayer to the end that the people might passe on drie Land through these great and horrible gulfes Men must not then mistrust of Gods helpe in what place soeuer they bee were they as it is written in Deuteronomy in the bottome of hell that is to say of all miserie and affliction alwaies setting before their eyes that in what place soeuer they be God who is their father is there present and a spectator of their misery for after hee hath tryed their Faith and patience and heard their prayer to draw them out of all the daungers wherein they are For as he hath power to precipitate his into the pit to trie them also hath he to deliuer them and in comforting them to giue them matter and argument to praise him as he saith by the prophet Hee shall call vppon mee Psal 91. and I will heare him I will be with him in trouble I will deliuer him and glorifie him with long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation The Ninth effect of Faith true Adoration FAith also begetteth in the faithfull man true adoration and worship of God as it is sayd that Iacob by Faith when he was dying blessed euery one of the Sonnes of Ioseph Genes 47. Heb. 11. and worshipped vppon the end of his stasse By the which worship the faithfull doe wholy rely vppon God and depend vppon his providence in all their affaires following the exhortation that the prophet makes to every one of vs Commit thy