be entertained and receiued in the closet of the heart III. The least cogitation and motion the which though it procure not consent delighteth and tickleth the heart Of this kinde are these foolish wishes I would such an house were mine such a liuing such a thing c. And hitherto may we referre all vnchast dreames arising from concupiscence The affirmatiue part Couet that onely which is auaileable to thy neighbour Here are commended I. A pure heart towards our neighbour 1. Tim. 1.5 The end of the commandement is loue out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith vnfained II. Holy cogitations and motions of the spirit Paul praieth 1. Thess. 5.23 that the Thessalonians may be holy not onely in bodie and soule but also in spirit Eph. 4.23 III. A conflict against the euill affections and lusts of the flesh Rom. 7.22 I reioyce in the law of God in regard of the inward man 23. But I see another Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my minde and making me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members 24. Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death 2. Cor. 12.7 8 9. CHAP. 30. Of the vse of the Law THe vse of the Law in vnregenerate persons is threefold The first is to lay open sinne and make it knowne Rom. 3.20 By the workes of the Law shall no flesh be iustified in his sight for by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne The second vse is accidentarily to effect and augment sinne by reason of the flesh the which causeth man to decline from that which is commanded and euer to encline to that which is prohibited Rom. 7.8 Sinne tooke occasion by the commandement and wrought in me all manner of concupiscence for without the Law sinne is dead 9. For I once was aliue without the Law but when the commandement came sinne reuiued 10. But I died and that commandement which was ordained vnto life was found to be vnto me vnto death The third vse is to denounce eternall damnation for the least disobedience without offering any hope of pardon This sentence the law pronounceth against offendours and by it partly by threatning partly by terrifying it raigneth and ruleth ouer man Rom. 3.19 Wee know that whatsoeuer the Law saith it saith it to them which are vnder the Lawe that euery mouth may be stopped and all the world be culpable before God Gal. 3.10 As many as are of the workes of the law are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all that is written in the booke of the Lawe to doe them 2. Cor. 3.7 If the ministration of death written with letters and ingrauen in stones was glorious 8. Howe shall not the ministration of the spirit be more glorious For if the ministration of condemnation were glorious c. The ende why sinne raigneth in man is to vrge sinners to flie vnto Christ Galat. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue 24. Wherfore the law was our schoolemaster to Christ. Heb. 12.18,19,20 The continuance of this power of the law is perpetuall vnlesse a sinner repent and the very first act of repentance so freeth him that he shall no more be vnder the lawe but vnder grace 2. Sam. 12.13 Then said Dauid to Nathan I haue sinned against the Lord wherfore Nathan said to Dauid The Lord also hath forgiuen thy sinne and thou shalt not die Rom. 6.14 Sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you for ye are not vnder the law but vnder grace If therefore thou desirest seriously eternall life first take a narrowe examination of thy selfe and the course of thy life by the square of Gods lawe then set before thine eies the curse that is due vnto sinne that thus bewailing thy miserie and despairing vtterly of thine own power to attaine euerlasting happinesse thou maiest renounce thy selfe and be prouoked to seeke and sue vnto Christ Iesus The vse of the Law in such as are regenerate is far otherwise for it guideth them to new obedience in the whole course of their life which obedience may be acceptable to God by Christ. Rom. 3.31 Doe we therefore through faith make the Law of none effect God forbid nay we rather establish the Law Psal. 119. 24. Thy testimonies are my delight they are my counsellers v. 105. Thy word is a lantarne vnto my feete and a light vnto my pathes CHAP. 31. Of the couenant of Grace HItherto concerning the couenant of works and of the Law now followeth the couenant of grace The couenant of Grace is that whereby God freely promising Christ and his benefits exacteth againe of man that he would by faith receiue Christ and repent of his sinnes Hos. 2.18 In that daie will I make a couenant for them c. 19. And I will marrie thee vnto me for euer yea I will marrie thee vnto me in righteousnesse and in iudgement and in mercie and in compassion v. 20. I will euen marrie thee vnto me in faithfulnesse and thou shalt knowe the Lord. Ezech. 36.25 I will poure cleane water vpon you and ye shall be cleane yea from all your filthinesse and from all your idols will I clense you v. 26. And I will giue you a newe heart and a newe spirit will I put within you v. 27. And cause you to walke in my statutes Malach 3.1 The Lord whome ye seeke shall speedily come to his temple euen the messenger of the couenant whome ye desire behold he shall come saith the Lord of hosts This couenant is also named a testament for it hath partly the nature and properties of a testament or will First it is confirmed by the death of the testator Heb. 9.16 Where a testament is there must be the death of him that made the testament 17. For the testament is confirmed when men are dead for it is yet of no force so long as he that made it is aliue Secondly in this couenant we doe not offer much and promise small to God but in a manner doe onely receiue euen as the last will and testament of a man is not for the testators but the heires commodity The couenant albeit it be one in substance yet it is distinguished into the old and new testament The olde testament or couenant is that which in types and shadowes prefigured Christ to come and to be exhibited The newe testament declareth Christ already come in the flesh and is apparantly shewed in the Gospel The Gospell is that part of Gods word which cōtaineth a most worthy welcome message namely that mankind is fully redeemed by the blood of Iesus Christ the only begotten sonn of God manifest in the flesh so that now for all such as repent and beleeue in Christ Iesus there is prepared a full remission of all their sinnes togither with saluation and life euerlasting Ioh.
wrought in and by the outward ministerie of the Gospell accompanied by the inward operation of the spirit and that not suddenly but by certaine steps and degrees as nature frameth the bodie of the infant in the mothers wombe 1. by making the brain and heart 2. by making veines sinewes arteries bones 3. by adding flesh to them all And the whole operation of the spirit stands in two principall actions First the enlightening of the minde the second the moouing of the will For the first the holy Ghost inlightens mens minds with a further knowledge of the law then nature can affoard and thereby makes them to see the sinnes of their hearts and liues with the ouglines thereof and withall to tremble at the curse of the law Afterward the same spirit opens the eye to vnderstand and consider seriously of righteousnes and life eternall promised in Christ. This done then comes the second worke of the holy ghost which is the inflaming of the will that a man hauing considered his fearefull estate by reason of sinne and the benefits of Christs death might hunger after Christ and haue a desire not so much to haue the punishments of sinne taken away as Gods displeasure and also might enioy the benefits of Christ. And when he hath stirred vp a mā to desire recōciliation with god in Christ then withall he giues him grace to pray not onely for life eternall but especially for the free remission and pardon of all his sinnes and then the Lords promise is Knocke and it shall be opened seeke and ye shall finde After which he further sendes his spirit into the same heart that desireth reconciliation with God and remission of sinnes in Christ and doth seale vp the same in his heart by a liuely and plentifull assurance thereof The differences degrees of faith are two I. a weake faith II. a strong faith Concerning the first this weake faith shewes it selfe by this grace of God namely an vnfained desire not onely of saluation for that the wicked and graceles man may haue but of reconciliation with God in Christ. This is a sure signe of faith in euery touched and humbled heart and it is peculiar to the elect and they which haue this haue in them also the ground and substance of true sauing faith which afterwardes in time will grow vp to greater strength Reasons I. Promise of life euerlasting is made to the desire of reconciliation Psal. 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore Psal. 143. 6. My soule desireth after thee as the thirstie lande Psal. 145. 19. He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied Reuelat. 21.6 I will giue vnto him which is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely II. The hungering desire after grace is a sanctified affection where one affection is sanctified all are sanctified where all are sanctified the whole man is sanctified and he that is sanctified is iustified and beleeues III. God accepts the will and desire to repent and beleeue for repenting and beleeuing indeed wherefore this desire of reconciliation if it be soundly wrought in the heart is in acceptation with God as true faith indeede But carnall men will say If faith yea true faith shew it selfe by a desire of reconciliatiō with God in Christ for all our sinnes then we are well ynough though we liue in our sinnes for we haue very good desires I answer That there be many sundrie fleeting motions and desires to doe good things which grow to no issue or head but in time vanish as they come Nowe such passions haue no soundnesse in them and must be distinguished from the desire of reconciliation with God that comes from a bruised heart◠and brings alwaies with it reformation of life therefore such whatsoeuer they are that liue after the course of this world and thinke notwithstanding that they haue desires that are good deceiue themselues Now faith is saide to be weake when a man either failes in the knowledge of the Gospell or else hauing knowledge is weake in grace to applie vnto himselfe the sweet promises thereof As for example we know that the Apostles had all true sauing faith except Iudas and when our Sauiour Christ asked them whome they thought that he was Peter in the person of the rest answered for them all and said Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God for which our Sauiour commended him and in him them all saying Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke that is vpon Christ which Peter confessed in the name of them all will I build my Church And yet about that time we shall finde in the Gospell that they are called men of little faith Now they failed in knowledge of the death of Christ and of his passion and resurrection and were caried away with a vaine hope of an earthly kingdome And therefore when our Sauiour shewed them of his going downe to Ierusalem and of his sufferings there Peter a little after his notable confession beganne to rebuke Christ and said Master haue pitie on thy selfe this shall not be vnto thee And vntill he had appeared to them after his death they did not distinctly beleeue his resurrection Again weake faith though it be ioyned with knowledge yet it may faile in the applying or in the apprehension appropriating of Christs benefits to a mans owne selfe This is to be seene in ordinarie experience For many a man there is of humble and contrite heart that serueth God in spirit and truth yet is not able to say without great doubtings and wauerings I know and am fully assured that my sinnes are pardoned Now shall we say that all such are without faith God forbid Nay we may resolue our selues that the true child of God may haue a hungering desire in his heart after reconciliation with God in Christ for all his sinnes with care to keepe a good conscience and yet be weake sometime in the apprehension of Gods mercie and the assurance of the remission of his owne sinnes But if faith faile either in the true knowledge or in the apprehension of Gods mercies how can a man be saued by it Ans. We must know that this weake faith will as truly apprehend Gods mercifull promises for the pardon of sinne as strong faith though not so soundly Euen as a man with a palsie hand can stretch it out as well to receiue a gift at the hand of a king as he that is more sound though it be not so firmely and steadfastly And Christ saith that he will not breake the bruised reede nor quench the smoking flaxe The Church of Rome beares men in hand that they are good Catholicks if they beleeue as the Church beleeues though in the meane season they can not tell what the Church beleeues And some Papists commend this faith by the example of an old deuout father
will teach you the feare of the Lord shewing his desire that the same benefits which it had pleased God to bestow on him might also in like manner be conueied to others Therfore it is a great shame to see men professing religion carried away with euery company and with the vanities and fashions of the world whereas they should rather drawe euen the worst men that be to the fellowship of those graces of God which they haue receiued That which the Lord spake to the prophet Ieremie must be applied to all men Let them returne vnto thee but returne not thou vnto them In instruments of musicke the string out of tune must be set vp to the rest that be in tune and not the rest to it Againe in that he checkes hi fellowe it shewes that those which be touched for their owne sinnes are also grieued when they see other men sinne and offend God But to goe further in this point let vs diligently and carefully marke the manner of his reproofe Fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same condemnation In which words he rips vp his lewdnes euen to the quicke and giues him a worthie item telling him that the cause of all their former wickednesse had beene the want of the feare of God And this point must euery one of vs marke with great diligence For if we enter into our hearts and make a through search wee shall finde that this is the roote and fountaine of all our offences Wee miserable men for the most part haue not grace to consider that we are alwaies before God and to quake and tremble at the consideration of his presence and this makes vs so often to offend God in our liues as we doe Abraham comming before Abimelech shifting for himselfe saide that Sara was his sister and being demanded why he did so answered because he thought the feare of God was not in that place insinuating that he which wants the feare of God wil not make conscience of any sinne whatsoeuer Would we then euen from the bottome of our hearts turne to God and become new creatures then let vs learne to feare God which is nothing els but this when a man is perswaded in his owne heart and conscience that wheresoeuer he be he is in the presence and sight of God and by reason therof is afraid to sinne This we must haue fully settled in our hearts if we desire to learne but the first lesson of true wisdome But what reason vseth the theefe to draw his fellow to the feare of God Thou art saith he in the same condemnation that is by thy sinnes manifold transgressions thou hast deserued death and it is now most iustly inflicted vpon thee wilt thou not yet feare God Where we are taught that temporall punishments and crosses ought to be meanes to worke in vs the feare of God for that is one end why they are sent of God It is good for me saith Dauid that I haue been chastised that I may learne thy statutes And Paul saith When we are chastised we are nurtured of the Lord. And the Iewes are taught by the prophet Micah to say I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him The second fruit of his conuersion is that he condemneth himselfe and his fellow for their sinnes saying Indeede we are righteously here for we receiue things worthie for that we haue done that is we haue wonderfully sinned against Gods maiestie and against our brethren and therefore this grieuous punishment which we beare is most iust and due vnto vs. This fruit of repentance springs and growes very thinne among vs for fewe there be which doe seriously condemne themselues for their owne sinnes the manner of men is to condemne others and to crie out that the world was neuer so bad but bring them home to themselues and you shall find that they haue many excuses and defences as plaister-worke to cast ouer their foule and filthie sinnes and if they be vrged to speake against themselues the worst will be thus God helpe vs we are all sinners euen the best of vs. But certen it is that he which is thoroughly touched in conscience for his sinnes both can and will speake more against himselfe for his manifold offences then all the world besides Thus Paul when he was conuerted calls himselfe the chiefe of all sinners And the prodigall childe confessed that he had sinned against heauen and against his father and was not worthie to be called his child The third fruit of his conuersion is that he excuseth our Sauiour Christ and giueth testimonie of his innocencie saying But this man hath done nothing amisse Marke here Pilate condemned Christ Herod mocked him all the learned Scribes and Pharises condemned him and the people crie away with him let him be crucified and among his owne disciples Peter denied him and the rest ranne away there remaines onely this poore silly wretch vpon the crosse to giue testimonie of Christs innocencie whereby we learne that God chooseth the simple ones of this world to ouerthrow the wisdom of the wise and therefore we must take heede that wee be not offended at the Gospell of Christ by reason that for the most part simple and meane men in the world embrace it Nay marke further this one theife beeing conuerted had a better iudgement in matters concerning Gods kingdome then the whole bodie of the Iewes And by this all students may learne that if they desire to haue in themselues vpright iudgement in matters of religion first of all they must become repentant sinners and though a manâ—haue neuer so much learning yet if he be carried away with his owne blind affections and lusts they will corrupt and darken his iudgement Men which worke in mines and coale-pits vnder the earth are troubled with nothing so much as with damps which make their candle burne darke and sometimes put it quite out Nowe euery mans sinnes are the damps of his heart which when they take place doe dim the light of his iudgement and cast a mist ouer the mind and darken the vnderstanding and reason and therefore a needefull thing it is that men in the first place should prouide for their own conuersion The fourth fruit of his repentance is that he praieth for mercy at Christs hands Lord saith he remember me when thou commest into thy kingdom in which praier we may see what is the propertie of faith This theife at this instant heard nothing of Christ but the scornings and mockings of the people and he saw nothing but a base â—state full of ignominie and shame and the cursed death of the crosse yet neuerthelesse hee nowe beleeues in Christ and therefore intreats for saluation at his hand Hence we learne that it is one thing to beleeue in Christ and another to haue feeling and experience and that euen then when we haue no sense or experience we must beleeue
in the Pharisie whose thoughts were these when he praied thus within himselfe O God I thanke thee that I am not as other men extortioners vniust adulterers or euen as this Publican c. And as this was in him so it is in vs till God giue grace for so that men may haue praise glory in the world they care not for Gods glory though it be defaced We must therefore learne to discerne this hidden corruption and to mourne for it for it doth poison and hinder al good desires of glorifying god so long as it doth or shall preuaile in the heart 2. Secondly wee are taught here to bewaile the hardnesse of our hearts whereby we are hindred from knowing God aright and from discerning the glory and maiestie of God in his creatures Mark 6.52 The disciples through the hardnes of their hearts could not see Gods power in the miracle of feeding many thousands with a few loaues though themselues were instruments of it and the foode did increase in their hands Our redemption what a wonderful worke is it but how few consider of it or regard it If we see a man haue more wit wealth or honour then we haue wee straight wonder at him but beholding Gods creatures we see nothing in them because we doe not goe higher to acknowledge the loue power wisdome and iustice of the Creator And this is the cause why Gods name is so slenderly honoured among men 3. The third corruption is our great ingratitude for the Lord hath made heauen and earth and all other creatures to serue man yet he is the most vnthankfull of all creatures Bestow many iewels or a kings raunsome on a dead man he wil neuer returne any kindnes so men being dead in sinne deale with God Commonly men are like the swine that run with their groines and eate vp the mast but neuer looke vp to the tree from whence it falleth But the godly are with Dauid to feele this want in themselues and to beseech God to open and as it were to vnlocke their lips that they may indeauour to be thanfull to God Psal. 51.15 4. The fourth is the vngodlines the innumerable wāts that be in our liues and the sinnes committed in the world Psal. 119.136 Mine eies saith Dauid gush out with riuers of water because men keepe not thy lawes The reason is because he which liues in sinne reproches Gods name euen as an euill childe dishonours his father Now some will say that this cannot be because our sinnes cānot hurt God True indeed yet are they a cause of slādering Gods name among men for as we honour him by our good workes so we dishonour him by our offences Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen 4. Graces to be desired 1. THe graces to be desired and to bee praied for at Gods hand are three The first is the knowledge of God that is that we might knowe him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word works and creatures For how shall any glorifie God before he know him Our knowledge in this life is imperfect Exod. 23. Moses may not see Gods face but his hinder parts 1. Corin. 13.12 We may see God as men doe through spectacles in his word sacraments and creatures And therefore as Paul praied for the Colossians Col. 1.10 That they might increase in the knowledge of God so are wee taught to pray for our selues in this petition 2. We desire that a zeale of Gods glorie may be kindled in our hearts and that we may be kept from prophaning and abusing of his name Psal. 69.9 The zeale of thine house hath eaten me vp Psal. 45.1 My heart shall vtter or cast vp a good matter I will speake in my workes of the king Here the spirit of God borrowes a comparison from men thus As hee which hath somewhat lying heauie in his stomacke is neuer quiet till he haue cast it vp euen so the care desire to glorifie Gods name must lie vpon a mans heart as an heauie burden and he is not to be at ease and quiet with himselfe till he bee disburdened in sounding forth Gods praise Luther saith well that this is Sancta crapula that is an holy surfet and it is no hurt continually to haue our hearts ouercharged thus 3. A desire to lead a godly and vpright life before God and men We see men that in some great calling vnder honourable personages will so order behaue themselues as they may please and honour their masters euen so must our liues be well ordered and we are to labour to walke worthie of the Lord as Paul speaketh that we may honour our heauenly father Thy kingdome come 1. The Coherence THis petition dependes on the former most excellently For in it is laide downe the meanes to procure the first Gods name must bee hallowed among men but howe is it done by the erecting of Gods kingdome in the hearts of men We cannot glorifie God vntil he rule in our hearts by his word and spirit 2. The meaning Thy This word doth put vs in minde that there is two kingdomes one Gods and that is the kingdome of heauen the other the deuils called the kingdome of darknesse Coloss. 1.13 For when all had sinned in Adam God laide this punishment on all that seeing they could not be content to obey their Creator they should be in bondage vnder satan so that by nature we are all the children of wrath and the deuill holds vp the scepter of his kingdome in the hearts of men This kingdome is spirituall and the pillars of it are ignorance errour impietie and all disobedience to God in which the deuill wholly delights which also are as it were the lawes of his kingdome Blind ignorant people can not abide this doctrine that the deuill should rule in their hearts they spit at the naming of him and say that they defie him with all their hearts but whereas they liue in sinne and practise it as occasion is offered though they cannot discerne of themselues yet they make plaine proofe that they liue in the kingdome of sinne and darknesse and are flatte vassels of Satan and shall so continue till Christ the strong man come and binde him and cast him out And this is the estate of all the children of Adam in themselues Wherefore our Sauiour in this petition teacheth vs to consider our naturall estate and to pray that he would giue vs his spirit to set vs at libertie in the kingdome of his owne sonne Kingdome Gods kingdome in Scripture is taken two waies First generally and so it signifieth that administration by which the Lord gouerneth all things yea euen the deuils themselues Of which kingdome mention is made in the ende of this prayer And in the Psalme 97. vers 1. The Lord raigneth let the earth reioyce Againe it is taken more specially and then it signifieth
admitte an vntrueth As for the measure of grace it can be but small in respect where as we doe receiue but the first fruits of the spirit in this life and must waite for the accomplishment of our redemption till the life to come For all this the power and efficacie of the spirit is such that it is able to preuaile ordinarily against the flesh For the flesh receiues his deadly wound at the first instant of a mans conuersion and continually dieth after by little and little and therefore it fights but as a maymed souldier And the spirit is continually confirmed and increased by the holy Ghost also it is liuely and stirring and the vertue of it is like muske one graine whereof will giue a stronger smell then many ounces of other perfumes Some may say that the godly man doeth more feele the flesh then the spirit and therefore that the flesh is euery waie more then the spirit I answere that we must not measure our estate by feeling which may easily deceiue vs. A man shall feele a paine which is but in the top of his finger more sensibly then the health of his whole bodie yet the health of the bodie is more then then the paine of a finger Secondly wee feele corruption not by corruption but by grace and therfore men the more they feele their inward corruptions the more grace they haue Thus much of the combate it selfe nowe let vs come to the manner of this fight It is fought by Lusting To lust in this place signifies to bring forth and to stirre vp motions and inclinations in the heart either to good or euill Lusting is two-fold the lusting of the flesh and the lusting of the spirit The lusting of the flesh hath two actions the first is to engender euill motions and passions of selfe-loue enuie pride vnbeleefe anger c. Saint Iames â—aith that men are enticed and drawne away by their owne concupiscence Nowe this enticing is onely by the suggestion of bad cogitations and desires This action of the flesh made Paul say that he was carnall sold vnder sinne The second action of the flesh is to hinder and quench and ouerwhelme all the good motions of the spirit Paul found this in himselfe when hee said I see another lawe in my members rebelling against the lawe of the minde and leading me captiue to the lawe of sinne By reason of this action of the flesh the man regenerate is like to one in a slumber troubled with the disease called Ephialtes or the mare who thinkes that he feeles something lying on his breast as heauy as a mountaine and would faine haue it away whereupon hee striues and labours by hands and voice to remooue it but for his life can not doe it On the contrarie the lusting of the spirit containes two other actions The first is to beget good meditations motions inclinations and desires in the minde will and affections Of this Dauid speaketh My reines teach me in the night season that is my minde affection and will and my whole soule beeing sanctified and guided by the spirit of God doe minister vnto me coÌ„sideratioÌ„s of the way in which I ought to walke Isaias prophesying of the church of the newe testament saieth When a man goeth to the right hand or to the left hee shall heare a voice saying Here is the waie walke ye in it Which voice is not onely the outward preaching of the ministers but also the inward voice of the spirit The second action of the spirit is to hinder and suppresse the bad motions and suggestions of the flesh S. Iohn saith he that is borne of God sinneth not because his seede remaineth in him that is grace wrought in the heart by the holy Ghost which resisteth the rebellious desires of the flesh That the manner of this fight may more clearely appeare wee must examine it more particularly In the soule of man there bee to speciall partes the minde and the will In the minde there is a double combate The first is betweene knowledge of the word of God and naturall ignorance or blindnesse For seeing we doe in this life knowe but in part therefore knowledge of the truth must needs be ioyned with ignorance in all that are enlightened and one of these being contrarie to another they striue to ouershadowe and ouercast each other Hence we may learne the cause why excellent diuines doe varie in diuers points of religion and it is because in this combate naturall blindnesse yet remaining preuailes more or lesse Men that are dimme sighted and cannot discerne without spectacles if they be set to discrie a thing a farre off the most of them would be of diuers opinions of it And men inlightned and regenerate in this life doe but see as in a glasse darkely Againe this must teach all students of diuinitie often to suspect themselues in their opinions and defences seeing in them that are of soundest iudgement the light of their vnderstanding is mixed with darkenes of ignoraÌ„ce And they can in many points see but as the maÌ„ in the gospell who when our Sauiour Christ had in part opened his eies saw meÌ„ walking not as meÌ„ but in the forme of trees Also this must teach al that read the scriptures to inuocate cal vpon the name of god that he would enlighten them by his spirit and abolish the mist of naturall blindnesse The Prophet Dauid was worthily inlightned with the knowledge of Gods word so as he excelled the auncient and his owne teachers in wisdome yet beeing priuie to himselfe touching his owne blindnesse often praieth in the Psalmes Inlighten mine eies that I may vnderstand the wonders of thy lawe By reason of this fight when naturall blindnesse preuailes the child of god truely inlightned with knowledge to life euerlasting may erre not onely in lighter points but euen in the verie foundation of religion as the Corinthians and the Galathians did And as one man may erre so an hundred men may also yea a whole particular Church and as one Church may erre so an hundred more may For in respect of this combate the estate and condition of all men is alike Whence it appeares that the Church militant vpon earth is subiect to errour But yet as the diseases of the bodie be of two sortes some curable and some incurable which are to death so likewise errours are And the Church though it be subiect to sundrie falls yet it cannot erre in foundation to death the errours of Gods children be curable Some may here say If all men and Churches be subiect to errour then it shall not be good to ioyne with any of them but to separate from them all I answere though they may and doe erre yet wee must not separate from them so long as they doe not separate from Christ. The second combate in the mind is between faith and vnbeleefe For faith is imperfect and mixt with the contrarie
himselfe as hee testifieth of himselfe in the prophet Esai I make peace and create euill Nowe euill is of three sortes naturall morall materiall Naturall euill is the destruction of that order which God set in euery creature by the creation Morall euill is the want of that righteousnesse and vertue which the lawe requires at mans hand and that is called sinne Materiall euill is any matter or thing which in it selfe is a good creature of God yet so as by reason of mans fall it is hurtfull to the health and life of man as henbane wolfebane hemlocke and all other poisons areâ— Nowe this saying of Esai must not be vnderstood of morall euills but of such as are either materiall or natural to the latter of which death is to be referred which is the destruction or abolishment of mans nature created The procurer of death is man not God in that man by his sinne and disobedience did pull vpon himselfe this punishment Therefore the Lord in Oseah O Israel one hath destroyed thee but in me is thine helpe Against this it may bee obiected that man was mortall in the estate of innocency before the fall Answere The frame and composition of mans bodie considered in it selfe was mortall because it was made of water and earth and other elements which are of themselues alterable and changeable yet if wee respect that grace and blessing which God did vouchsafe mans bodie in his creation it was vnchangeable and immortall and so by the same blessing should haue continued if man had not fallen and man by his fall depriuing himselfe of this gift and blessing became euery way mortall Thus it appeares in part what death is yet for the better clearing of this point we are to consider the difference of the death of a man and of a beast The death of a beast is the totall and finall abolishment of the whole creature for the bodie is resolued to his first matter and the soule arising of the temperature of the bodie vanisheth to nothing But in the death of man it is otherwise For though the bodie for a time be resolued to dust yet must it rise againe in the last iudgement and become immortall and as for the soule it subsisteth by it selfe out of the bodie and is immortall And this beeing so it may be demaunded how the soule can die the second death Answ. The soule dies not because it is vtterly abolished but because it is as though it were not and it ceaseth to be in respect of righteousnesse and fellowship with God And indeede this is the death of all deaths when the creature hath subsisting and beeing and yet for all that is depriued of all comfortable fellowship with God The reason of this difference is because the soule of a man is a spirit or spirituall substance whereas the soule of a beast is no substance but a naturall vigour or qualitie and hath no beeing in it selfe without the bodie on which it wholly dependeth The soule of man contrariwise beeing created of nothing and breathed into the bodie and as well subsisting forth of it as in it The kindes of death are two as the kindes of life are bodily and spirituall Bodily death is nothing else but the separation of the soule from the bodie as bodily life is the coniunction of bodie and soule and this death is called the first because in respect of time it goes before the second Spirituall death is the separation of the whole man both in bodie and soule from the gracious fellowship of God Of these twaine the first is but an entrance to death and the second is the accomplishment of it For as the soule is the life of the bodie so God is the life of the soule and his spirit is the soule of our soules and the want of fellowship with him brings nothing but the endlesse and vnspeakable horrours and pangs of death Againe spirituall death hath three distinct and seuerall degrees The first is when a man that is aliue in respect of temporall life lies dead in sinne Of this degree Paul speakes when he saith But shee that liueth in pleasure is dead while shee liueth And this is the case of all men by nature who are children of wrath and dead in sinnes and trespasses The second degree is the very ende of this life when the bodie is laid in the earth and the soule descends to the place of torment The third degree is in the day of iudgement when the bodie and soule meete againe and goe both to the place of the damned there to be tormented for euer and euer Hauing thus found the nature and differences and kinds of death it is more then manifest that the text in hand is to be vnderstood not of the spirituall but of the bodily death because it is opposed to the birth or natiuitie of man The words then must carrie this sense The time of bodily death in which the bodie and soule of man are seuered asunder it is better then the time in which one is brought into the world Thus much of the first point nowe followeth the second and that is howe this can be true which Salomon saith that the day of death is better then the daie of birth I make not this question to call the Scriptures into controuersie which are the trueth it selfe but I doe it for this ende that wee might without wauering bee resolued of this which Salomon auoucheth For there may be sundrie reasons brought to the contrarie Therefore let vs handle the question the reasons or obiections which may be alleadged to the contrarie may all bee reduced to sixe heades The first is taken from the opinion of wise men who thinke it the best thing of all neuer to be borne and the next best to die quickely Nowe if it bee the best thing in the worlde not to bee borne at all then it is the worst thing that can bee to die after a man is borne Answere There bee two sortes of men one that liue and die in their sinnes without repentance the other which vnfamedly repent and beleeue in Christ. Nowe this sentence may bee truely auouched of the first of whome wee may say as Christ said of Iudas It had beene good for him that hee had neuer beene borne But the saying applied to the second sort of men is false For to them that in this life turne to God by repentance the best thing of all is to be borne because their birth is a degree of preparation to happinesse and the next best is to die quickly because by death they enter into possession of the same their happinesse For this cause Balaam desired to die the death of the righteous Salomon in this place preferres the daie of death before the day of birth vnderstanding that death which is ioined with godly life or the death of the righteouâ— The second obiection is taken from the testimonies of Scripture Death is
doubt they are both wide and the safest course is to keepe the meane between both Therefore the iudiciall lawes of Moses according to the substance and scope thereof must be distinguished in which respect they are of two sorts Some of them are lawes of particular equitie some of common equitie Lawes of particular equitie are such as prescribe iustice according to the particular estate and condition of the Iewes common wealth and to the circumstances thereof time place persons things actions Of this kind was the law that the brother should raise vp seed to his brother and many such like and none of them bind vs because they were framed and tempered to a particular people Iudicialls of common equitie are such as are made according to the lawe or instinct of nature coÌ„mon to all men these in respect of their substance bind the consciences not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles for they were not giuen to the Iewes as they are Iewes that is a people receiued into the Couenant aboue all other nations brought from Egypt to the land of Canaan of whome the Messias according to the flesh was to come but they were giuen to them as they were mortall men subiect to the order and lawes of nature as all other nations are Againe iudiciall lawes so farre forth as they haue in them the generall or common equitie of the law of nature are moral and therefore binding in conscience as the morall lawe A iudiciall lawe may be known to be a law of common equitie if either of these two things be found in it First if wise men not onely among the Iewes but also in other nations haue by naturall reason and conscience iudged the same to be equall iust and necessarie and withall haue iustified their iudgement by enacting laws for their common wealths the same in substance with sundrie of the iudicial lawes giuen to the Iewes and the Romane Emperours among the rest haue done this most excellently as will appeare by conferring their lawes with the lawes of God Secondly a Iudicial hath common equitie if it serue directly to explane and confirme any of the ten precepts of the Decalogue or if it serue directly to maintaine and vpholde any of the three estates of the family the common wealth the Church And whether this be so or no it will appeare if we doe but consider the matter of the law and the reasons or considerations vpon which the Lord was mooued to giue the same vnto the Iewes Nowe to make the point in hand more plaine take an example or two It is a iudiciall lawe of God that murderers must bee put to death now the question is whether this lawe for substance be the common equitie of nature binding consciences of Christians or no the answer is that without further doubting it is so For first of all this lawe hath beene by common consent of wise law-giuers enacted in many countries and kingdomes beside the Iewes It was the lawe of the Egyptians and olde Grecians of Draco of Numa and of many of the Romane Emperours Secondly this lawe serues directly to maintaine obedience to the sixt commandement and the consideration vpon which the lawe was made is so weightie that without it a common-wealth cannot stand The murderers blood must bee shedde saith the Lord Num. 35.33.34 because the whole land is defiled with blood and remaineth vncleâ—sed till his blood be shed Againe it was a iudiciall law among the Iewes that the adulterer and adulteresse should die the death nowe let the question be whether this lawe concerne other nations as being deriued from the common lawe of nature and it seemes to bee so For first wise men by the light of reason and naturall conscience haue iudged this punishment equall and iust Iudah before this iudiciall lawe was giuen by Moses appointed Tamar his daughter in law to be burnt to death for playing the whore Nabuchadnezar burnt Echad and Zedechias because they committed adulterie with their neighbours wiues By Dracoes lawe among the Grecians this sin was death and also by the law of the Romanes Againe this law serues directly to maintaine necessarie obedience to the seuenth commandement and the considerations vpon which this lawe was giuen are perpetuall and serue to vphold the common wealth Lev. 20.22 Ye saith the Lord shall keepe all mine ordinances and my iudgements the law of adulterie being one of them Nowe marke the reasons 1. Least the laÌ„d spue you out 2. for the same sins I haue abhorred the natioÌ„s The Ceremoniall lawe is that which prescribes rites and orders in the outward worship of God It must be considered in three times The first is time before the comming and death of Christ the second the time of publishing the gospell by the Apostles the third the time after the publishing of the gospell In the first it did binde the conscience of the Iewes and the obedience of it was the true worship of God But it did not then bind the consciences of the Gentiles for it was the partition wall between them and the Iewes And it did continue to bind the Iewes till the very death and ascension of Christ. For theÌ„ the hand writing of ordinances which was against vs was nailed on the crosse and cancelled And when Christ saith that the lawe and the Prophett indured til Iohn Luk. 16.16 his meaning is not that the ceremoniall law ended then but that things foretold by the Prophets obscurely prefigured by the ceremoniall law began then more plainely to be preached and made manifest The second time was from the ascension of Christ til about the time of the destruction of the Temple and the Citie in which ceremonies ceased to bind conscience and remained indifferent Hereupon Paul circumcised Timothie the Apostles after Christs ascension as occasion was offered were present in the Temple Act. 3.1 And the Council of Hierusalem tendering the weaknes of some beleeuers decreed that the Church for a time should abstaine from strangled and blood And there was good reason of this because the Church of the Iewes was not yet sufficiently conuicted that an end was put to the ceremoniall law by the death of Christ. In the third time which was after the publishing of the gospel ceremonies of the Iewes Church became vnlawfull and so shall continue to the worldes ende By this it appeares what a monstrous and miserable religion the church of Rome teacheth and maintaineth which standes wholly in ceremonies partly heathenish and partly Iewish As for the Gospel I take it for the part of the word of God which promiseth righteousnes and life euerlasting to all that beleeue in Christ and withall commandeth this faith That we may the better knowe howe the gospell bindes conscience two points must be considered one touching the persons bound the other touching the manner of binding Persons are of two sorts some be called some be
certaine extraordinarie power whereby God inabled to plague and punish rebellious offenders with grieuous iudgements not in their soules but in their bodies alone With this rod Paul smote Elimas blinde and Peter smote Ananias and Saphira with bodily death And it may bee that Paul by his power did giue vp the incestuous man when hee was excommunicate to be vexed in his bodie and tormented by the deuil but that by this rod the Apostles could smite conscience it can not be prooued Argum. 8.1 Tim. 3. Paul made a lawe that none hauing two wiues should be ordained a bishop nowe this lawe is positiue and Ecclesiasticall and binds conscience Answer Paul is not the maker of this lawe but God himselfe who ordained that in marriage not three but two alone should be one flesh that they which serue at the altar of the Lord should be holy And to graunt that this lawe were a new law beside the written word of God yet doth it not follow that Paul was the maker of it because he vsed not to deliuer any doctrine to the Churches but which he receiued of the Lord. Argum. 9. Luk. 10. He which heareth you heareth me Ans. These words properly concerne the Apostles and doe not in like manner belong to the Pastours and teachers of the Church And the end of these words is not to confirme any Apostolicall authoritie in making lawes to the conscience but to signifie the priuiledge which hee had vouchsafed them aboue all others that he would so farre forth assist them with his spirit that they should not erre or be deceiued in teaching and publishing the doctrine of saluation though otherwise they were sinfull men according to Math. 10. It is not you that speake but the spirit of my father which speaketh in you And the promise to be lead into all trueth was directed vnto them Argum. 10.1 Cor. 11. I praise you that you keepe my commandements Answ. Paul deliuered nothing of his owne concerning the substance of the doctrine of saluation and the worship of God but that which he receiued from Christ. The precepts here meant are nothing els but rules of decency and comely order in the congregation and though they were not to be obeyed yet Pauls meaning was not to bind any mans conscience therewith For of greater matters he saith This I speake for your commoditie not to intangle you in a snare 1. Cor. 7.35 Argum. 11. Councels of auncient fathers when they commaund or forbid any thing doe it with threatning of a curse to the offenders Ans. The Church in former time vsed to annexe vnto her Canons the curse anathema because things decreed by them were indeede or at the leâ—st thought to be the will worde of God and they had respect in the saying of Paul If any teach otherwise though hee bee an angel from heauen let him bee accursed Therefore Councels in this action were no more but instruments of God to accurse those whome he first had accursed Argum. 12. An act indifferent if iâ— be commanded is made necessarie and the keeping of it is the practise of vertue therefore euery lawe bindes conscience to a sinne Ans. An act in it selfe indifferent being commanded by mans law it is not made simply necessarie for that is as much as Gods law doeth or can doe but onely in some part that is so farre forth as the saide act or action tends to maintaine and preserue the good ende for which the lawe is made And though the action be in this regard necessarie yet doeth it still remaine indifferent as it is considered in it selfe out of the ende of the lawe so as if peace the common good and comely order may bee maintained and all offence auoided by any other meanes the act may be done or not done without sinne before God For whereas God himselfe hath giuen libertie and feedom in the vse of things indifâ—erent the lawe of man doeth not take away the same but onely moderate and order the ouercommon vse of it for the common good Argum. 13. The fast of lent stands by a lawe and commandement of menâ— and this law binds conscience simply for the auncient fathers haue called it a Tradition Apostolicall and make the keeping of it to bee necessarie and the not keeping of it a sinne and punish the offenders with excommunication Ans. It is plaine to him that will not be obstinate that Lent fast was not commanded in the primitiue Church but was freely at mens pleasures and in seuerall Churches diuersly both in regard of space of time as also in respect of diuersitie of meates Ireneus in his epistle to Victor cited by Eusebius saith Some haue thought that they must fast one daie some two daies some more some 40. houres daie and night which diuersitie of fasting commendeth the vnitie of faith Spiridion a good man did eate flesh in Lent and caused his guest to doe the same and this he did vpon iudgement because he was perswaded out of gods word that to the cleane all things were cleane And Eusebius recordes that Montanus the hereticke was the first that prescribed solemne and set lawes of fasting And whereas this fast is called Apostolicall tradition it is no great matter for it was the manner of the auncient Church in former times to tearme rites and orders Ecclesiâ—sticall not set downe in Scriptures Apostolicall orders that by this meanes they might commend them to the people as Ierome testifieth Euery prouince saith he may thinke the constitutions of the Ancestours to be Apostolicall lawes And whereas it is said to be a sinne not to fast in Lent as Augusâ—ine speaketh it is not by reason of any commandement binding conscience for Augustine saith plainely that neither Christ nor his Apostles appointed any set time of fasting and Chrysostome that Christ neuer commanded vs to followe his fast but the true reason hereof is borrowed from the ende For the Primitiue Church vsed not the Popish fast which is to eate whitmeate alone but an abstinence from all meates vsed specially to mortifie the flesh and to prepare men before hand to a worthie receiuing of the Eucharist And in regard of this good end was the offence And wheras it is said that auncient fathers taught a necessitie of keeping this fast euen Hierome whome they alleadge to this purpose saith the contrarie For confuting the errour of Montanus who had his set time of fast to be kept of necessitie he saith we fast in Lent according to the Apostles tradition as in a time meete for vs and we do it not as though it were not lawfull for vs to fast in the rest of the yere except Pentecost but it is one thing to doe a thing of necessitie an other to offer a gift of free will Lastly excommunication was for open contempt of this order taken vp in the Church which was that men should fast before Easter for their further humiliation and preparation to
III. the fault or the offending of God vnder which I comprehend our Guiltinesse in Adams first offence as also the corruption of the heart which is a naturall inclination and pronenesse to any thing that is euill or against the lawe of God For the first we say that after baptisme in the regenerate the punishment of originall sinne is taken away There is no condemnation saith the Apostle to them that be in Iesus Christ. Rom. 8.1 For the second that is guiltines we further condescend say that is also taken away in them that are borne anew for considering there is no condemnation to them there is nothing to bind them to punishmeÌ„t Yet this caueat must be remembred namely that the guiltines is remooued from the person regenerate not from the sinne in the person but of this more afterward Thirdly the guilt in Adams first offence is pardoned And touching the corruption of the heart I auouch two things I. That that very power or strength whereby it raigneth in man is taken away in the regenerate II. That this corruption is abolished as also the fault of euery actuall sinne past so far forth as it is the fault and sinne of the man in whome it is Indeede it remaines till death and it is sinne considered in it self so long as it remaines but it is not imputed vnto the person and in that respect is as though it were not it beeing pardoned II. The dissent or difference Thus farre we consent with the Church of Rome nowe the difference betweene vs standes not in the abolishment but in the manner and the measure of the abolishment of this sinne Papists teach that Originall sinne is so farre forth taken away after baptisme me that it ceaseth to be a sinne properly and is nothing els but a want defect and weaknes making the heart fitte and readie to conceiue sinne much like tinder which though it be not fire of it selfe yet is it very apt and fit to coÌ„ceiue fire And they of the Church of Rome deny it to be sinne properly that they might vphold some grosse opinions of theirs namely that a man in this life may fullfill the lawe of God and doe good workes void of sinne that hee may stand righteous at the barre of Gods iudgement by them But wee teach otherwise that though originall sinne be taken away in the regenerate and that in sundrie respects yet doth it remaine in them after baptisme not onely as a want and weakenesse but as a sinne and that properly as may by these reasons be prooued Reason I. Rom. 7. 17. Paul saith directly It is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me that is originall sin The Papists answer againe that it is so called improperly because it commeth of sinne and also is an occasion of sinne to be done But by the circumstances of the text it is sinne properly for in the wordes following Saint Paul saith that this sinne dwelling in him made him to doe the euill which he hated And. v. 24. he crieth out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death whence I reason thus That which once was sinne properly and still remaining in man maketh him to sin and intangleth him in the punishment of sinne and makes him miserable that is sinne properly But originall sinne doth all these Ergo Reason II. Infants baptized and regenerate die the bodily death before they come to the yeares of discretion therefore originall sinne in them is sinne properly or else they should not die hauing no cause of death in them for death is the wages of sinne as the Apostle saith Rom. 6. 23. and Rom. 5. 12. Death entred into the world by sinne As for actuall sinne they haue none if they die presently after they are borne before they come to any vse either of reason or affection Reason III. That which lusteth against the spirit by lusting tempteth and in tempting intiseth and draweth the heart to sinne is for nature sinne it selfe but concupiscence in the regenerate lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5.17 and tempteth as I haue said Iam. 1.14 God tempteth no man but euery man is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is inâ—â—sed then when lust conceiueth it bringeth forth sinne And therefore it is sinne properly such as the fruit is such is the tree August Concupiscence against which the spirit lusteth is sinne because in it there is disobedience against the rule of the minde and it is the punishment of sinne because it befalls man for the merits of his disobedience and it is the cause of sinne Reason V. The iudgement of the auncient Church August epist. 29. Charitie in some is more in some lesse in some none the highest degree of all which cannot be increased is in none as long as man liues vpon earth And as long as it may bee increased that which is lesse then it should be is in fault by which fault it is that there is no iust man vpon earth that doth good and sinneth not by which fault none liuing shall be iustified in the sight of God For which fault if we say we haue no sinne there is no trueth in vs for which also though we profit neuer so much it is necessary for vs to say forgiue vs our debts though all our words deedes and thoughts bee already forgiuen in baptisme Indeed Augustine in sundrie places seemes to denie concupiscence to be sinne after baptisme but his meaning is that concupiscence in the regenerate is not the sinne of the person in whome it is For thus he expounds himselfe This is not to haue sinne not to bee guiltie of sinne And the law of sinne in baptisme is remitted and not ended And Let not sinne raigne he saith not let not sinne be but let it not raigne For as long as thou liuest of necessity sinne will be in thy members at the least looke it raigne not in thee c. Obiections of Papists The arguments which the Church of Rome alleadgeth to the contrarie are these Obiect I. In baptisme men receiue perfect and absolute pardon of sinne and sinne beeing pardoned is taken quite away and therefore originall sinne after baptisme ceaseth to be sinne Ans. Sinne is abolished two waies first in regard of imputation to the person secondly in regard of existing and beeing For this cause God vouchsafeth to man two blessings in baptisme Remission of sinne and Mortification of the same Remission or pardon abolisheth sinne wholly in respect of any imputation thereof vnto man but not simply in regard of the beeing thereof Mortification therefore goeth further abolisheth in all the powers of body and soule the very concupiscence or corruption it selfe in respect of the beeing thereof And because mortification is not accomplished till death therefore originall corruption remaineth till death though not imputed Obiect II. Euery sinne is voluntarie but originall
falshood I will make manifest by sundrie reasons and then answer their arguments to the contrarie Our reasons The first shall bee taken from the properties and conditions that must bee in a worke meritorious and they are foure I. A man must doe it of himselfe and by himselfe for if it be done by another the merit doeth not properly belong to the doer II. A man must doe it of his owne freewill and pleasure not of due debt for when wee doe that which wee are bound to doe wee doe no more but our dutie III. The worke must bee done to the profit of another who thereupon must be bound to repay the like IV. The reward and the work must be in proportion equall for if the reward be more then the work it is not a reward of desert but a gift of good will Hence followes a notable conclusion That Christs manhood considered a part from his Godhead cannot merit at Gods hand◠though it be more excellent euery way then all both men and angels For beeing thus considered it doth nothing of it selfe but by grace receiued from the godhead though it also be without measure Secondly Christs manhood is a creature and in that regard bound to doe whatsoeuer it doth Thirdly Christ as man cannot giue any thing to God but that which hee receiued from God therfore cānot the manhood properly by it selfe merit but onely as it is personally vnited vnto the godhead of the Sonne And if this bee so then much lesse can any meere man or any angell merit yea it is a madnes to thinke that either our actions or persons should be capable of any merit whereby we might attaine to life eternall Reason II. Exod. 20. ◠And shew mercie vpon thousands in them that loue me and keepe my commandements Hence I reason thus where reward is giuen vpon mercie there is no merit but reward is giuen of mercie to them that fulfill the law therefore no merit What can we any way deserue when our full recompence must be of mercie And this appeares further by Adam if he had stood to this day he could not by his continuall and perfect obedience haue procured a further increase of fauour at Gods hand but should onely haue continued that happie estate in which he was first created Reason III. Scripture directly condemneth merit of workes Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. The proportion of the argument required that S. Paul should haue said The reward of good works is eternall life if life euerlasting could be deserued which cannot because it is a free gift Againe Tit. 3.5 We are saued not by workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to his mercie he saued vs. And Eph. 2.8 10. By grace you are faued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes which God hath prepared that we should walke in them If any works be crowned it is certen that the sufferings of Martyrs shall be rewarded now of them Paul saith Rom. 8.18 The sufferings of this life are not worthie of the glorie to come Where then is the value and dignitie of other works To this purpose Ambr. saith The iust man though he be tormented in the brasen bull is still iust because he iustifieth God and saith he suffereth lesse then his sinnes deserue Reason IV. Whosoeuer will merit must fulfill the whole law but none can keepe the whole law For if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues 1. Ioh. 1. And he that sinnes against one commandement is guiltie of the whole law And what can he merit that is guiltie of the breach of the whole law Reason V. We are taught to pray on this manner Giue vs this day our daily bread wherein we acknowledge euery morsell of bread to be the meere gift of God without desert and therefore must we much more acknowledge life eternall to be euery way the gift of God It must needes therefore be a satanicall insolencie for any man to imagine that he can by his workes merit eternal life who can not merit bread Reason VI. Consent of the auncient Church Bernard Those which we call our merits are the way to the kingdome and not the cause of raigning August Manuali chap. 22. All my hope is in the death of my Lord. His death is my merit my merit is the passion of the Lord. I shall not be void of merits so long as Gods mercies are not wanting Basil on Psal. 114. Eternall rest is reserued for them which haue striuen lawfully in this life not for the merits of their doings but vpon the grace of the most bountifull God in which they trusted August on Psal. 120. He crowneth thee because he crowneth his owne gifts not thy merits And Psal. 142. Lord thou wilt quicken me in thy iustice not in mine not because I deserued it but because thou hast compassion Obiections of Papists Obiect I. In sundrie places of Scripture promise of reward is made to them that beleeue and doe good workes therefore our workes doe merit for a reward and merit be relatiues Answ. Reward is two-fold of debt and of mercie Life euerlasting is not a reward of debt but of mercie giuen of the good will of God without any thing done of man Secondly the kingdome of heauen is properly an inheritance giuen of a father to a child and therefore it is called a reward not properly but by a figure or by resemblance For as a workeman hauing ended his labour receiueth his wages so after men haue lead their liues and finished their course in keeping faith good conscience as dutiful children God giueth them eternall life And hereupon it is tearmed a reward Thirdly if I should graunt that life euerlasting is a deserued reward it is not for our works but for Christs merit imputed to vs causing vs thereby to merit and thus the relation stands directly betweene the Reward and Christs Merit applied vnto vs. Ob. II. Christ by his death merited that our works should merit life euerlasting Ans. That is false all we finde in Scripture is that Christ by his merit procured pardon of sinne imputation of righteousnes life euerlasting it is no where saide in the word of God that Christ did merit that our workes should merit it is a dotage of their owne deuifing He died not for our good works to make them able to satisfie Gods anger but for our sinnes that they might be pardoned Thus much saith the Scripture and no more And in that Christ did sufficiently merit life eternall for vs by his own death it is a sufficient proofe that he neuer intended to giue vs power of meriting the same vnles we suppose that at some time he giues more then is needfull Again Christ in the office of mediation as he is a king Priest and prophet admitteth no deputie or fellow For
Moses a reason may be framed thus If ye saw no image namely of God ye shall make none But ye saw no image onely heard a voyce Therefore ye shall make no image of God The second reason That idolatrie which the Israelites committed the very same is prohibited in this commandement But the Israelites idolatrie was the worship of God in an image Hos. 2. 16. At that day saith the Lord thou shalt call me no more Baali but shalt call me Ishi The golden calfe was an image of God for when it was finished Aaron proclaimed that to morrow should be a feast to Iehouah Exod. 32.5 And the same calfe is tearmed an idol Act. 7.41 Therefore the worshipping of God in an image is here prohibited Any grauen image Here the more speciall is put for the more generall namely a grauen image for all counterfeit meanes of Gods worship The first part of the commandement is here illustrated by a double distribution The first is drawne from the causes Thou shalt not make thee any idol whether it be engrauen in wood or stone or whether it be painted in a table The second is taken from the place Thou shalt not make thee an idol of things in heauen as starres and birds or in the earth as of man woman beasts or vnder the earth as fishes This place is so expounded by Moses Deut. 4. 14. to the 20. verse Thou shalt not bow downe to them This is the second part of the commandement forbidding all men to fal downe before an idol In this word Bow down is againe the speciall put for the generall for in it is inhibited all fained worship of God For I These words are a confirmation of this commandement perswading to obedience by foure reasons The Lord which is strong The first reason God is strong and so able to reuenge idolatâ—ie Heb. 10.31 A iealous God This speech is taken from the estate of wedlocke for God is called the husband of his Church Esay 54.5 Eph. 5.26,27 And our spirituall worship is as it were a certaine marriage of our soules consecrated vnto the Lord. Ier. 2. 2. I remember thee with the kindnes of thy youth and the loue of thy mariage when thou wentest after me in the wildernes in a land that was not sowne Here is another argument drawne from a comparison of things that be like Gods people must alone worship him because they are linked to him as a wife is to her husband vnto whome alone she is bound therefore if his people forsake him and betroth themselues vnto idols he will vndoubtedly giue them a bill of diuorcement and they shall be no more espoused vnto him Visiting To visit is not onely to punish the children for the fathers offences but to make notice and apprehend them in the same faults by reason they are giuen ouer to commit their fathers transgressions that for them they be punished And this is the third reason drawne from the effects of Gods anger Hate me It may be this is a secret answer the obiection whereof is not here in expresse wordes set downe but may be thus framed What if we vse Idols to inflame and excite in vs a loue and remembrance of thee The answer is this by the contrarie You may thinke that your vse of idols kindleth in you a loue of me but it is so farre from that that all such as vse them cannot choose but hate me Shew mercie The fourth reason deriued from the effects of Gods mercie to such as obserue this commandement Here may we first obserue that Gods mercie exceedeth his iustice Psal. 103.8 The Lord is full of compassion and mercie slow to anger and of great kindnes vers 17. The louing kindnes of the Lord endureth for euer vers 9. He will not alway chide neither keepe his anger for euer Secondly we may not surmise that this excellent promise is made to euery one particularly who is borne of faithfull parents For godly Isaak had godlesse Esau to his sonne and godlesse Saul had godly Ionathan The negatiue part Thou shalt neither worship false gods nor the true God with false worship Many things are here forbidden I. The representation of God by an image For it is a lie Habak 2. 18. What profiteth the image for the maker thereof hath made it an image and a teacher of lies Zach. 10.2 The idols haue spoken vanitie Ierem. 10. 8. The stocke is a doctrine of vanitie The Eliber Councel in the 39. canon hath this edict We thought it not meete to haue images in Churches least that which is worshipped and adored should be painted vpon wals Clement booke 5. ad Iacob Dom. That serpent by others is wont to speake these words We in honour of the inuisible God are accustomed to adore visible images the which out of all controuersie is very false August in his treatise vpon the 113. Psalme The image also of the crosse and Christ crucified out to be abolished out of Churches as the brasen serpent was 2. King 18.4 Hezekiah is commended for breaking in pieces the brasen serpent to which the children of Israel did then burne incense This did Hezekiah albeit at the first this serpent was made by the Lords appointment Numb 21.8 and was a type of Christs passion Ioh. 3.14 Origen in his 7. booke against Celsus We permit not any to adore Iesus vpon the altars in images or vpon Church walls because it is written Thou shalt haue none other gods but me Epiphaniusâ— in that epistle which he wrote to Iohn Bishop of Ierusalem saith It is against the custome of the Church to see any image hanging in the church whether it be of Christ or any other saint and therefore euen with his owne hands rent he asunder the vaile wherein such an image was painted Some obiect the figure or signe which appeared to Constantine wherein he should ouercome but it was not the signe of the crosse as the Papists doe triflinly imagine but of Christs name for the thing was made of these two greeke letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conioyned together Euseb. in the life of Constant. booke 1. chap. 22,25 Neither serue the Cherubims which Salomon placed in the temple for the defence of images for they were onely in the holy of holiest where the people could not see them And they were types of the glorie of the Messiah vnto whome the very Angels were subiect the which we haue now verified in Christ. If any man replie that they worship not the image but God in the image let him know that the creature cannot comprehend the image of the Creator and if it could yet God would not be worshipped in it because it is a dead thing yea the worke of mans hands not of God and therefore is more base then the smallest liuing creature of the which we may lawfully say it is the worke of God This euinceth that no kinde of diuine worship belongeth to an image either simply or by relation
Prophets and yee shall prosper They therefore doe very ill who are still in a doubt of their saluation because as yet they feele not in themselues especiall motions of Gods spirit Thus much concerning the way which God vseth in begetting of faith There are beside this two notable degrees of faith The one is the lowest and as I may speake the positiue degree the other is the highest or superlatiue The lowest degree of faith is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little or weake faith like a graine of mustard seede or smoking flaxe which can neither giue out heate nor flame but onely smoke Math. 8.25 His Disciples awaked him saying Saue master we perish 26. And he said vnto them Why are ye fearefull O ye of little faith Math. 7.20 If ye haue faith as much as a graine of mustard seede ye shall say vnto the mountaine Mooue and it shall remooue Esay 42.3 The smoking flaxe shall he not quench Faith is then said to be weake and feeble when as of those fiue degrees aboue mentioned either the first which is knowledge or the fift which is application of the promises is very feeble the rest remaining strong Rom. 14.2 One beleeueth that he may eate all things and another which is weake eateth hearbes 3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not iudge him which eateth for God hath receiued him The Apostles although they beleeued that Christ was the Sonne of the liuing God yet they were ignorant of his death and his resurrection Matth. 16. 16. Ioh. 6.69 Matth. 17. 22. Luk. 9.49 They vnderstood not that word for it was hid from thē so that they could not perceiue it Act. 1.6 They asked him saying Lord wilt thou restore at this time the kingdome of Israel For the better knowledge of this kind of faith we must obserue these two rules I. A serious desire to beleeue and an indeauour to obtaine Gods fauour is the head of faith Mat 5.6 Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied Reu. 21.6 I will giue to him that it is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely Psal. 145.19 He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him he also will heare their crie and will saue them For in such as begin to beleeue and to be renued the minde will lie not idle but being mooued by the holy ghost striue with doubtfulnesse and distrust indeauour to put their assent to the sweete promises made in the Gospell and firmely to apply the same to themselues and in the sense of their weakenesse desire assistance from aboue and thus faith is bestowed II. God doth not despise the least sparke of faith if so be it by little and little doe encrease and men vse the meanes to increase the same Luk. 17.5 The Apostles said vnto the Lord encrease our faith 6. And the Lord said If ye had faith as much as a graine of mustard seed and should saie vnto this mulberrie tree Plucke thy selfe vp by the rootes and plant thy selfe in the sea it should euen obey you Man must therefore stirre vp his faith by meditation of Gods word serious prayers and other exercises belonging vnto faith The highest degree of faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a full assurance which is not onely certaine and true but also a full perswasion of the heart whereby a Christian much more firmely taking hold on Christ Iesus maketh full and resolute account that God loueth him and that he will giue to him by name Christ and all his graces pertaining to eternall life Rom. 4.20 Neither did be doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strengthened in the faith and gaue glory to God 21. Beeing fully assured that he which had promised was able also to doe it Rom. 8.38 I am perswaded that neither life nor death c. can separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus 1. Sam. 17.36 Thy seruant slue both the lyon and the beare therfore this vncircumcised Philistim shall be as one of them seeing he hath railed on the hoste of the liuing God Psal. 23.6 Doubtlesse kindnesse and mercy shal follow me all the daies of my life Conferred with v. 1,2,3,4 Man commeth to this high degree after the sense obseruation long experience of Gods fauour and loue Quest. Whether is iustifying faith commanded in the law Answer It is commanded in the lawe of faith namely the Gospel but not in the law of works that is in the morrall law Rom. 3.27 the reasons are these I. That which the law reuealeth not that it commandeth not but the lawe is so farre from reuealing iustifying faith that it neuer knew it II. Adam had fully before his fall written in his heart the morall lawe yet had he not iustifying faith which apprehendeth Christ. Obiect I. Incredulitie is condemned by the law Answer That incredulitie which is toward God is condemned in the lawe but that incredulitie which is against the Messiah Christ Iesus is condemned by the Gospel For as by the Gospel◠not by the law incredulitie in the Sonne as Mediatour appeareth to be a sinne so likewise not by the law is incredulitie in the Messiah condemned but by the Gospel which commandeth vs to heare him and to beleeue in him Mat. 17.5 1. Ioh. 3.23 Thus it is plaine that this sinne not to beleeue in Christ is expressely and distinctly made manifest and condemned by the Gospel And albeit the knowledge of sinne be by the law yet not euery thing which doth reprooue and declare some sinne is the lawe of workes or belongeth thereto Obiect II. But ceremonies belong to the decalogue Answer Ceremonies may be as examples referred to the decalogue but indeede they are appendants to the Gospell CHAP. 37. Concerning the second degree of the declaration of Gods loue THe second degree is iustification whereby such as beleeue are accounted iust before God through the obedience of Christ Iesus 2. Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knewe no sinne that we should bee made the righteousnesse of God in him 1. Cor. 1.30 Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one that is Iesus Christ v. 17 shall many also be made righteous Quest. Whether did Christ performe full obedience to the law for vs men alone or for himselfe also Answer I. Not for himselfe as some not rightly would haue him for the flesh of Christ beeing hypostatically vnited to the Word and so in it selfe fully sanctified was euen from the first moment of conception most worthy to be blessed with eternall life Therefore by all that obedience which he performed after his conception Christ he merited nothing for himselfe II. For vs namely for the faithfull he fulfilled all the righteousnes of the law and hence is it that he is called the ende of the law vnto
righteousnes to euery one that beleeueth Rom. 10. Here may be obiected I. Christ as he is man is bound to performe obedience to the law for himselfe Answer He is not bound by nature but of his owne accord for he was not a bare man but God and man And albeit Christ did neither suffer nor fulfill the law but in that flesh which he tooke vpon him yet by reason of the hypostaticall vnion this his passion and obedience hath respect vnto the whole person considered as God and man and therefore his obedience was not due on his part and so was without merit to himselfe yea in that the flesh of Christ is vnited to the person of the Word and so exalted in dignitie and sanctitie aboue all Angels it may seeme to be exempted from this naturall obligation of performing the law II. If then Christ performed the law for vs we are no more now bounden to the obseruance of the same as we doe not vndergoe eternall punishments for our sinnes the which Christ in his person did beare vpon the crosse Answer If we keepe the same respect of performing obedience to the law the consequence is very true otherwise it is not so for Christ performed obedience to the law for vs as it is the satisfaction of the law but the faithfull they are bounden to obedience not as it is satisfactorie but as it is a document of faith and a testimonie of their gratitude towards God or a meanes to edifie their neighbours euen as Christ suffering punishments for our sinnes we also suffer punishments as they are either trialls or chastisments vnto vs. III. The law and iustice of God doth not togither exact both namely obedience and punishment Answer In mans perfect estate the iustice of God requireth onely obedience but in his estate corrupted he requireth both obedience and punishment Punishment as the law is violated obedience that legall iustice may be performed Gal. 3.10 It is therefore plaine that not onely Christs passion but also his legall obedience is our righteousnes before God Iustification hath two parts Remission of sinnes and imputation of Christs righteousnes Remission of sinnes is that part of iustification whereby he that beleeueth is freed from the guilt and punishment of sinne by the merits of the passion of Christ. Coloss. 1.21,22 You hath he now reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to make you holy and vnblameable and without fault in his sight 1. Pet. 2.24 Who in his owne flesh bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree that we beeing deliuered from sinne should liue in righteousnes by whose stripes ye are healed Imputation of righteousnes is the other part of iustification whereby such as beleeue hauing the guilt of their sinnes couered are accounted iust in the sight of God through Christs righteousnes 2. Cor. 5.21 Psal. 32.1 Blessed is he whose wickednes is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Rom. 4. the whole chapter where the Apostle repeateth imputation eleuen times Philip. 3.9 I haue counted all things losse and doe iudge them to be domage that I might winne Christ and might be fâ—â—â—d in him that is not hauing mine owne righteousnes which is by the law but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnes which is of God through faith The forme of iustification is as it were a kinde of translation of the beleeuers sinnes vnto Christ and againe Christs righteousnes vnto the beleeuer by meanes of Gods diuine imputation As is apparant in this picture falling This obedience of Christ is called the Righteousnes of God and of Christ. Of God I. not because it is in God but of God for it taketh all the power and merit it hath from the deitiâ— of the Sonne whence it is that Ieremie saith Iehouah our Righteousnesse II. God doth onely accept of it for vs because that alone maketh vs boldly to approch vnto Gods throne of grace that we may haue pardon for our sinnes and be receiued to eternall life It is also called the Righteousnesse of Christ because being out of vs it is in the humanitie of Christ as in a subiect Obiect I. No man is made iust by another mans iustice Answer This iustice is both an others and ours also An others because it is in Christ as in a subiect ours because by meanes of the forenamed vnion Christ with all his benefits is made ours Obiect II. The ancient fathers neuer dreamed of this imputatiue iustice and it may seeme too of no greater continuance then fiftie yeares Ans. This is both false impious to affirme August 3. Tract vpon Iohn saith All such as are iustified by Christ are iust not in themselues but in him Barnard in his sermon ad milites templi cap 11. Mors in Christi morte fugatur Christi iustitia nobis imputatur that is Death in Christ his death is put to flight and the iustice of Christ is imputed vnto vs. And in his 62. sermon vâ—on the Canticles Where is there any rest saith he but in the wounds of our Sauiour I will further sing but what mine owne iustice nay O Lord I will remember thy iustice alone for that is also my iustice For thou wast made of God vnto me iustice But should I feare whether that one iustice would suffice two nay it is not a short cloake that is not able to couer a couple Thy iustice is iustice for euermore and will both couer thee and me it is largely large and eternall iustice and in me it couereth the multitude of my sinnes c. August lib. de Spiritu litera cap. 9. 26. We must vnderstand this saying so The doers of the Law shall be iustified that we may know that there are no doers of the law but such as are iustified so that they are not first doers of the law and then iustified but first iustified and then doers of the law So it is said they shall be iustified as if it should be said they shall be reputed iust and acâ—ounted iust Iustification hath annexed vnto it Adoption whereby all such as are predestinate to be adopted receiue power to be actually accounted the sonnes of God by Christ. Eph. 1. 5. Who hath predestinate vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will By meanes of adoption God hath bestowed many notable priuiledges vpon his children I. They are the Lords heires apparant Rom. 8.17 If we be children we be also heires euen the heires of God II. They are fellow heires with Christ yea kings Rom. 8. 17. Rev. 1.6 And made vs Kings and Priests euen to God his Father III. All their afflictions yea euen their wants and offences are turned to trials or fatherly chastisments inflicted vpon them for their good Rom. 8.28 We know that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God 36. It is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long we are
whereby men are iustified in the sight of God The Confutation We doe contrarily hold that the materiall cause of mans iustification is the obedience of Christ in suffering fulfilling the law for vs but as for the formall cause that must needes be Imputation the which is an action of God the Father accepting the obedience of Christ for vs as if it were our owne Reasons I. Looke by what we are absolued from all our sinnes and by which we obtaine eternall life by that alone are we iustified But by Christs perfect obedience imputed vnto vs we are absolued from all our sinnes and through it we are accepted of God to eternall life the which we cannot doe by inherent holinesse Therefore by Christs perfect obedience imputed vnto vs are we alone iustified This will appeare to be true in the exercises of inuocation on Gods name and also of repentance For in tentation and conflicts with sinne and Satan faith doth not reason thus Now I haue charitie and inherent grace and for these God will accept of me But faith doth more rightly behold the sonne of God as he was made a sacrifice for vs and sitteth at the right hand of his Father there making intercession for vs to him I say doth faith flie and is assured that for this his sonne God will forgiue vs all our sinnes and will also be reconciled vnto vs yea and account vs iust in his sight not by any qualitie inherent in vs but rather by the merit of Iesus Christ. Rom. 5.19 II. As Christ is made a sinner so by proportion such as beleeue are made iust But Christ was by imputation onely made and accounted a sinner for vs. 2. Cor. 5. 21. For he became a suretie for vs and a sacrifice for our sinnes vpon which all both the guiltinesse of Gods wrath and punishment for vs was to be laide Hence is it that he is said to become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a curse for vs Therfore we againe are made iust only by imputation III. The contrarie to condemnation is remission of sinnes and iustification is the opposite of condemnation Rom. 8. 33. It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne Therefore iustification is the remission of sinnes Now remission of sinnes dependeth onely vpon this imputation of Christs merits IV. Albeit infused and inherent iustice may haue his due place his praise and also deserts yet as it is a worke of the holy Ghost it is not in this life complete and by reason of the flesh◠whereto it is vnited it is both imperfect and infected with the dregges of sinne Esai 64. Therfore before Gods iudgement seate it cannot claime this prerogatiue to absolue any from the sentence of condemnation Obiect I. This imputation is nothing els but a vaine cogitation Answ. I. Yes it is a relation or diuine ordinance whereby one relatiue is applied to his correlatiue or as the Logitians say is as the foundation to the Terminus II. As the imputation of our sinnes vnto Christ was indeede something so the imputation of Christs iustice vnto vs must not be thought a bare conceit III. Againe the Church of Rome doth her selfe maintaine imputatiue iustic◠namely when as by Ecclesiasticall authoritie shee doth applie the merits and satisfactions of certain persons vnto other members of that Church Whence it is apparant that euen the Popes indulgences they are imputatiue Obiect II. Imputatiue iustice is not euerlasting but that iustice which the Messiah bringeth is euerlasting Ans. Although after this life there is no pardon of sinnes to be looked for yet that which is giuen vs in this life shall to our saluation continue in the life to come Obiect III. If iustification be by imputation he may before God be iust who indeede is a very wicked man Ans. Not so any waies for he that is once by imputation iustified he is also at that same instant sanctified The XIII errour There is also a second iustification and that is obtained by workes The Confutation That popish deuice of a second iustification is a fantasticall delusion For I. The word of God doth acknowledge no more but one iustification at all and that absolute and complete of it selfe There is but one iustice but one satisfaction of God being offended therefore there cannot be a manifold iustification II. If by reason of the increase of inherent iustice iustification should be distinguished into seuerall kindes or parts we might as well make an hundreth kinds or parts of iustification as two III. That which by order of nature doth follow after full iustification before God it cannot be said to iustifie But good workes doe by order of nature follow mans iustification and his absolution from sinnes because no worke can please God except the person it selfe that worketh the same doe before please him But no mans person can please God but such an one as beeing reconciled to God by the merits of Christ hath peace with him IV. Such workes as are not agreeable to the rule of legall iustice they before the tribunall seat of God cannot iustifie but rather both in and of themselues are subiect to Gods eternall curse For this is the sentence of the Law Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things written in the booke of the Law to doe them Now the works euen of the regenerate are not squared according to the rule of legall iustice wherefore Dauid being as it were stricken with the cōsideration of this durst not once oppose no not his best works to the iudgement of God that by them he might plead pardon of his sinnes whence it is that he crieth out and saith Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for then no flesh liuing shall be iustified in thy sight The like doth Iob 9.3 If he namely such an one as saith he is iust contend with God he cannot answer him one of a thousand And Dan. 9. 18. We doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies V. Iustification by works let them be whatsoeuer they can be doth quite ouerturne the foundation of our faith Gal. 5.2 If ye be circumcised Christ will profit you nothing and v. 4. Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law ye are fallen from grace In this place the Apostle speaketh of them not which did openly resist Christ and the Gospel but of such as did with the merit of Christ mingle together the workes of the Law as though some part of our saluation consisted in them Exception This place doth onely exclude such morall works of the flesh as doe goe before faith or the workes of the law of Moses Ans. This is vntrue For euen of Abraham being already regenerated and of those his works which were done when he was iustified Paul speaketh thus To him not which worketh but which beleeueth is faith imputed Those works which God hath prepared that the regenerate should walke in
them are morall works and workes of grace but these are excluded from iustification and working mans saluation Eph. 2.10 And Paul beeing regenerate saith thus of himselfe I am not guiltie vnto my selfe of any thing yet am I not thereby iustified VI. The cause of the cause is the cause of the thing caused but grace without works is the cause of mans predestination the which is the cause of his iustification and therefore grace without workes shall much more be saide to be the cause of iustification Obiect I. Levit. 18.5 He that keepeth my statutes shall liue in them Ans. This saving is a legall sentence and therefore sheweth not what men can doe but what they should doe Obiect II. Psal. 119.1 Blessed are those that walke in the Law of the Lord. Ans. Man is not here said to be blessed because he walketh vprightly but because the person of such walker is by the merits of Christ iustified before God Obiect III. Iudge me according to my righteousnes Psal. 7. And the fact of Phinees was imputed to him for righteouses Ans. These places are not meant of that righteousnes of the person by which it is righteous before God but of the righteousnes of some particular cause or worke For where as Dauid was accused of this crime that he did affect Sauls kingdome he in this point doth in the words aboue mentioned testifie his innocencie before God Obiect IV. We are iudged according to our workes therefore also by them iustified Ans. The reason is not alike because the last iudgement is not the iustifying of a man but a declaration of that iustification which he had before obtained Therfore the last iudgement must be pronounced and taken not from the causes of iustification but from the effects and signes thereof Obiect V. Make you friends of vnrighteous Mammon c. that they may receiue you into eternall habitations Ans. This they doe not as authors of saluation but as witnesses of the same Obiect VI. Dan. 4.24 Redeeme thy sinnes by righteousnes and thine iniquitie by mercie towards the poore Ans. It is rather breake off thy sinnes then redeeme for so is the originall now men breake off their sinnes by ceasing from them not satisfying for them Obiect VII Euill workes condemne therefore good workes iustifie Answ. It followeth not because good works are not perfectly good as euill works are perfectly euill Obiect VIII We are saued by hope Rom. 8. Answer We must distinguish betwixt iustification and saluation saluation is the end iustification is one degree to come to the ende but there is more required to the ende then to a degree subordinate to the ende therefore we are saued by hope and faith but iustified by faith alone Obiect IX Affliction causeth eternall glorie 2. Cor. 4.17 Ans. This is doth not as by it owne merit effecting the same but rather as a path and way manifesting and declaring the same Obiect X. Iam. 2.21 Abraham was iustified by workes Ans. Not as any cause of iustification but as a manifestation thereof Obiect XI He that is iust let him be more iust Ans. This place must be vnderstood of iustification before men namely of sanctification or an holy life not of iustification in the sight of God Obiect XII We are iustified by faith therefore by a worke Ans. We are iustified by faith not as it is a vertue and a worke but as it is an instrument apprehending the iustice of Christ whereby we are iustified And in this respect faith is said by the figure called Metonymia to be imputed to vs vnto righteousnesse Obiect XIII The workes of grace are dyed in the blood of Christ. Ans. They are indeed dyed therein but to the ende they might the better please God not iustifie man and whereas they are so stained as that they neede dying in the blood of Christ therefore can they not any waies iustifie sinnefull man And the person of the worker is as well died in Christs blood as is his work yet he can not say that his person doth therefore iustifie him And as I haue now prooued that this doctrine of the Papists is very erronious so I also auouch that it is most ridiculous Because for a man to say that inherent righteousnes is by good works namely the fruits of righteousnes augmented is as if a man should say that the vine is made more fruitfull by bearing grapes or that the internall light of the sunne is augmented by the externall emission of the beames Luthers saying is farre more true Good workes doe not make a good man but a good man doth make workes good The XIIII errour Grace is quite extinguished or rather vtterly lost by any mortall sinne The Confutation I. The word of God doth manifestly declare that it is farre otherwise Ioh. 6. All that the Father giueth me shall come vnto me and him that commeth vnto me I cast not away Math. 16.16 Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church so that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it 1. Ioh. 2.19 They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued with vs. Rom. 5. 1. Beeing therefore iustified we haue peace with God Now how could this be true if he that was before iustified could any way quite fall from grace and so perish II. The elect after their very grieuous fallings from God forthwith repented them of their sinnes as we may see in the example of Dauid Peter c. the which argueth that they had not quite fallen from grace and lost the spirit of God III. If grace be once vtterly lost then the ingraffing of that partie into Christ is quite abolished therefore for such as repent there must needs succeed a second new ingraffing into Christ then it will also follow that they must of necessitie be baptized anew which is absurd to thinke But for all this we denie not but grace may in part and for a time be lost to the end that the faithfull may thereby acknowledge and know their weaknes and for it be humbled but that there is any totall or finall falling from grace we vtterly denie The XV. errour It is possible to fulfill the Law in this life The Confutation The Law is euangelically fulfilled by beleeuing in Christ but not legally by doing the works thereof Reason They which are carnall cannot possibly fulfill the law of God but the most regenerate so long as they liue in this life are carnall in part Rom. 7.14 I am saith Paul of himselfe carnall and sold vnder sinne Prou. 20. Who can say Mine heart is pure I am pure from sinne Eccles. 7. There is none so iust vpon earth which doth good and sinneth not Psal. 130. If thou Lord obserue what is done amisse Lord who shall abide it We are daily taught to pray vnto God Forgiue vs our sinnes Exception Indeede if the iustice of the faithfull be absolutely
considered it is imperfect but as God doth exact it of our frailtie it is perfect Answer This is but the fansie of some doting Iesuite For this sentence of the Law is simple eternall and immooueable Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in this booke to do them Neither may we imagine that God will not therefore exact the ful accomplishing of the law because we are fraile For we are creatures and debters now we know that the debt doth not decrease by reason of the debters pouertie Obiect The faithfull are said to be perfect in this life Ans. There is a twofold perfection the one incomplete the which is an endeauor or care to obey God in the obseruation of all his precepts the other is tearmed complet this is that iustice which the lawe requireth namely a perfect and absolute iustice according to that measure which man performed to God in his innocency In the first sense the faithfull are said to be perfect not in this latter The XVI errour Workes done in grace doe ex condigno condignely merit eternall life The Confutation I. Eternall life is the free gift of God Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Christ Iesus Therefore it is not obtained by the merit of workes II. The merit of condignitie is an action belonging to such an nature as is both God and man not to a bare creature For the Angels themselues cannot merit any thing at Gods hands yea and Adam also if he had stood in his first innocencie could haue deserued nothing of god because it is the bounden dutie of the creature to performe obedience vnto his Creator The merit therefore of condignitie doth only agree vnto Christ God and man in whome each nature doth to the effecting of this merit performe that which belongeth to it For the humanitie it doth minister matter vnto the meritorious worke by suffering and performing obedience but the Deitie of Christ whereunto the humanitie is hypostatically vnited doth conferre full and sufficient worthinesse vnto the worke Hence is it that the Father doth speake thus of his sonne Mat. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 III. In the second commandement God doth promise eternall life to the keepers of his commandements yet he saith not that they shall obtaine it by desart but that he will shew mercy to thousands of them that loue him and keepe his commandements IV. That a worke may be meritorious first there must be an equall proportion betwixt it and legall iustice or eternal life secondly merite doth presuppose this also that in God there must bee a due debt towards man for God then ought on dutie not by fauour to accept of the person of man But all our workes yea our most holy workes they cannot come neere vnto legall righteousnesse For seeing all the regenerate are partly carnall and partly spirituall all their workes in like sort are imperfectly good For looke what the causes are and such must the effects needs be So then good workes doe presuppose a due debt in man none in God V. The auncient Fathers doe not acknowledge this merite of condignitie as currant August in his manuel chap. 22. My merite is Gods mercie Bernard ser. 63. vpon the Cant. It is sufficient to knowe this that merits are not sufficient And ser. 61. Cant. Mans iustice is Gods goodnesse And epist. 190. That the satisfaction of one may be imputed to all as the sinnes of all were borne by one And as for ancient doctours merit was nothing els to them but a good worke acceptable to God Aug. epist. 105. to Sixtus If it be grace then is it not bestowed by reason of any merit but vpon free mercie What merits of his owne can he that is set at libertie bragge of who if he had his merits should haue beene condemned So the word merite doth signifie to doe wel to be acceptable to please as the old interpreter hath for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to please God vsed this Latine word promereri To merit Obiect I. Works haue attributed vnto them reward Answer Reward is not so much attributed to the work as to the worker and to him not for himselfe but for Christs merits apprehended by faith Therefore not our merit or personall merit but Christs merit and our reward are correlatiues Obiect II. 2. Thess. 1.6 It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulations c. Ans. It is righteous not because God ought so to doe of duty but because he promised now for God to stand to his word it is a part of iustice Obiect III. Christ hath merited that workes might merit Ans. I. This taketh quite away the intercession of Christ. II. It is against the nature of a legall worke to merit ex condigno condignly because both the lawe of nature and creation doe bind man to performe legall workes vnto God And further all workes are very imperfect and mixed with sinne III. This doctrine concerning works doth obscure and darken the merit of Christ because that the obtaining of eternall life is withdrawne from his death and obedience attributed vnto workes For they say thus that Christ by his passion did merit indeede for the sinner iustification but a sinner once iustified doth for himselfe by his owne merits euen condignly merit eternall life Obiect IV. The works of the regenerate are the workes of the holy Ghost therfore perfect and pure Ans. I. The workes of God are all perfect but yet in their time and by degrees therefore sanctification which is a worke of god must in this life remaine incomplete is made perfect in the world to come II. The works of God are pure as they are the workes of God alone not of God and impure man but nowe good workes they doe come immediatly from the naturall faculties of the soule namely from the vnderstanding and the wil in which they being as yet but partly regenerated some corrupt qualities of sinne doe yet remaine and are not immediatly and simply or wholly deriued from Gods spirit And hence it is that they are all stained with sinne The XVII errour Man knoweth not but by especiall reuelation whether hee be predestinated or not The Confutation The contrarie to this is a plaine trueth Reasons I. That which a man must certainly beleeue that may he also certainely know without an especiall reuelation but euery faithful man must beleeue that he is elected It is Gods commandement that we should beleeue in Christ. 1. Ioh. 3.23 Now to beleeue in Christ is not onely to beleeue that we are adopted iustified and redeemed by him but also in him elected from eternitie II. That which is sealed vnto vs by the spirit of God of that we are very sure without speciall reuelation but our adoption and so consequently our election is sealed vnto vs by the spirit of God
And though Christ be called her first born yet doth it not followe that shee had any child after him for as that is called last after which there is none so that is called the first before which there was none And as for Ioseph when he was espoused to Marie he was a man of eightie yeares old And here we haue occasion to praise the wisdome of God in the forming of man The first man Adam was borne of no man but immediately created of God the second that is Eve is formed not of a woman but of a man alone the third all after begotten both of womā man the fourth that is Christ God and man not of no man as Adam not of no woman as Eve not of man and woman as we but after a newe manner of a woman without a man hee is conceiued and borne And hereupon our dutie is not to despise but highly to reuerence the virgin Marie as being the mother of the sonne God a prophetisse vpon earth a Saint in heauen And we do willingly condescend to giue her honour three waies first by thanksgiuing to God for her secondly by a reuerent estimation of her thirdly by imitation of her excellent vertues yet farre be it from vs to adore her with diuine honour by praier to cal vpon her as though shee knew our hearts and heard our requests and to place her in heauen as a queene aboue the sonne of God The name of the mother of Christ is added to shewe that he came of the linage of Dauid and that therefore he was the true Messias before spoken of It may be obiected that both Mathew and Luke sets downe the genealogie of Ioseph of whom Christ was not Ans. Mathew sets downe indeede in Christs genealogie the natural descent of Ioseph the husband of Marie hauing Iaacob for his naturall father but Luke taking another course propounds the natural descent of Marie the mother of Christ and when he saith that Ioseph was the sonne of Eli he meanes of a legall sonne For sonnes and daughters in law are called sonnes and daughters to their fathers and mothers in law Mary her selfe and not Ioseph being the naturall daughter of Eli. And whereas Luke doth not plainely say that Marie was the daughter of Eli but puts Ioseph the sonne in lawe in her roome the reason hereof may bee because it was the maner of the Iewes to account and continue their genealogies in the male and not in the female sexe the man beeing the head of the familie and not the woman And though Ruth and Rahab and other women be mentioned by Matthew yet that is onely by the way for they make no degrees herein Againe it may be further demanded howe Christ could come of Dauid by Salomon as Mathew saith and by Nathan as Luke saith they twaine being two distinct sonnes of Dauid Ans. By vertue of the lawe whereby the brother was bound to raise vp seed to his brother there was a double descent in vse among the Iewes the one was naturall the other legall Naturall when one man descended of another by generation as the child from the naturall father Legall when a man not begotten of another yet did succeede him in his inheritance and thus Salathiel is the naturall sonne of Neri and the legall sonne of Iechonias Nowe Saint Luke setts downe the naturall descent of Christ from Dauid by Nathan and Saint Mathewe the other descent which is legall by Salomon whome Christ succeeded in the right of the kingdome beeing borne the King of the Iewes none that could possibly be named hauing more right to it then he By this descent of Christ wee haue occasion to consider that Christ was euen in his birth the most excellent and noble man that euer was descending o◠the eternall father as he is the sonne of God and as he is man descending of the Patriarks and of the renowmed kings of Iudah And this his nobilitie hee conuaies in part to his members in that he makes them the sonnes of God a royall priesthood and a peculiar people to himselfe inriching them also with the reuenewes of the whole worlde and with title and right to the kingdome of glorie in heauen as their inheritance And withall Christ beeing the liuely patterne of true nobilitie by his example men of blood are taught not to stand so much on their pedigree and their ancetours as though nobilitie stood in this that man descends of man but to labour with all that they may be the sonnes and daughters of God by regeneration in Christ. This indeede is the ornament of the blood the best part in the noble mans skutchin and the finest flowre in his garland And though a man bee neuer so noble or great an estate yet if he be not a repentant sinner he is base and vile and his nobilitie stinkes in the nosthrils of god Christ in his genealogie doth not so much as vouchsafe to name those his ancetours that ruled wickedly and hereupon Saint Mathewe omitteth three kings of Iudah Achaziah Ioas and Amaziah whereas neuerthelesse hainous offendours that repented are mentioned as Ruth Thamar and Bathshabe Thus much of the incarnation of Christ nowe followeth the third and last point which is to be considered in the description of Christ namely the estate of Christ after his birth which is two-fold the estate of humiliation and the estate of exaltation The estate of humiliation is the condition of Christ the Mediatour in which he abased himselfe euen to the death of the crosse that by that meanes he might performe the office of a priest in making satisfaction to the iustice of his father This estate agrees to the whole person of Christ according to both natures For first of al his manhood was abased and humbled in that it was made subiect to the infirmities of mans nature as also to the miseries and punishments which were due vnto man for sinne Secondly his Godhead was abased not as it is considered in it selfe For so it admits no alteration or chaunge But in respect of the flesh or manhood assumed vnder the which as vnder a vaile the Godhead lay hid from the first moment of the incarnation to the time of his resurrection without any great manifestation of his power maiestie therein The order of these two estates must be marked First is the estate of humiliation and then in the second place followes the estate of exaltatiō As Christ saith of himselfe O fooles slow of heart to beleeue c. ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and to enter into his glorie And here we for our parts must learne a lesson The same which was true in Christ the head must be verified in all his members they must all haue their two-fold estate first in this life the estate of humiliation secondly after this life the estate of glorie And as Christ first entred into the state of his
giue consent and in his heart subscribeth to the equitie of Gods law as may appeare by the saying of Medea Video meliora probóque deteriora sequor That is I know what is best to be done and like it yet I doe the worst This approbation in the Reprobate commeth from constraint and is ioyned with a disliking of the lawe in the elect being called the approbation of the law proceedeth from a willing and ready mind and is ioyned with loue and liking IV. And by reason of this light of nature a meere natural man and a reprobate may be subiect to some temptations for example hee may be tempted of the deuill and of his owne corrupt flesh to beleeue that there is no God at all As Ouid saith of himself Eleg. 3. Sollicitor nullos esse putare deos I am often tempted to thinke there is no God V. The reprobate for all this knowledge in his heart may bee an Atheist as Dauid saith The foole hath said in his heart there is no God And a man may now a daies find houses and townes full of such fooles Nay this glimmering light of nature except it bee preserued with good bringing vp with diligent instruction and with good companie it will be so darkened that a man shall know verie litle and lead a life like a very beast as experience telleth and Dauid knewe very well who saith Man is in honour and vnderstandeth not he is like to beasts that perish VI. Wherefore this knowledge which the reprobate receiueth from nature and from the creatures albeit it is not sufficient to make him doe that which shall please God yet before Gods iudgement seat it cutteth off all excuse which he might alleadge why he should not be condemned VII Beside this naturall knowledge the reprobate may be made partaker of the preaching of the word be illuminated by the holy ghost and so may come to the knowledge of the reuealed will of God in his word VIII Thus when they heare the preaching of the word god profereth saluation to them and calleth them yet this calling is not so effectuall in them as it is in the elect children of God For the reprobate when he is called he liketh himselfe in his owne blindnes and therefore neither will he and if he would yet could he not answer and be obedient to the calling of God The elect beeing called with speed he answereth and commeth to the Lord and his heart beeing readie giueth a strong and loud eccho to the voice of the Lord. This eccho we see in Dauids heart Whē saith he thou saidst Seek ye my face mine heart answered vnto thee O Lord I will seek thy face And god himself speaketh the same of his children Zach. 13.9 They shall call on my name and I wil heare them I wil say it is my people nowe marke the eccho and they shall say the Lord is my God IX After that he hath an vnderstanding of Gods word hee may acknowledge the truth of it and confesse it and if neede require be a defender of it As Iudas was and Iulian the Apostata X. The reprobate may haue a feeling of his sinnes and so acknowledge them and the punishment due vnto them as Saul did who said I haue sinned come againe my sonne Dauid for I will doe thee no harme because my soule was precious in thine eies this day Behold I haue done foolishly and haue erred exceedingly Thus did Caine when he said My punishment is greater then I can beare Galerius Maximinus a vile persecutor of Christians had his bowels rotting within him so that an infinit number of wormes continually crawled forth of his bodie and such a poysoning stinke came from him that no man coulde abide him being thus plagued with the hand of God he began to perceiue his wickednes in persecuting Christians and he confessed his sinnes to the true God and assembling the chiefe rulers about him he commanded that all within his dominions should cease to trouble Christians and in all haste he made a lawe for the peace and libertie and the publike meetings of Christians XI The reprobate hath oftentimes feare and terrour of conscience but this is onlie because he considereth the wrath and vengeance of God which is most terrible When Paul preached before Foelix and by the maiestie of Gods spirit did as it were thunder from heauen against his sinnes◠doubtlesse he made his heart to ake and euery ioynt of him to tremble Ecebolius a Philosopher of Constantinople in the daies of Constantius professed Christian religion went beyond all other in zeale for the same religion yet afterward vnder Iulian he fell from that religion vnto Gentilisme But after Iulians death making meanes to bee receiued into the Church againe ouerwhelmed with the horror of his own conscience for his wicked reuolting he cast himselfe down on the groūd before the doores of the church crying aloud Calcate me salē insipidum Trample on me vnsauerie salt And the deuill beleeueth the worde of God and at his owne damnation he trembleth These seruile feares though they harden the heart of the reprobate as heate doth the yron after it hath bin in the furnace yet these feares in the children of God are very good preparations to make them fitte to receiue grace like as we see the needle which soweth not the cloath yet it maketh a passage and entrance for the thread which serueth for this vse to sowe cloath togither XII A reprobate before he commit a sin is often vexed within himselfe feareth to commit it not because he hateth and disliketh the sin for it selfe but because he cānot abide the punishment due vnto the sin When the daughter of Herodias danced before Herod and pleased him that hee might doe her a pleasure he bad her aske what she would shee asked Iohn Baptists head in a platter Herod did grant her request but yet he had a grudging in heart he was sore grieued at it In like maner Pilate was very much troubled inwardly before he condemned our Sauiour Christ. XIII After he hath committed a sin he sorroweth and repenteth yet this repentance hath two wants in it First he doth not detest his sin and his former conversation when he repenteth he doth bewaile the losse of many things which he once enioyed he crieth out through very anguish through the perplexities which God in his iudgement layeth on him yet for his life he is not able to leaue his filthy sinne if he might be deliuered he would sinne as before Esau wept before his father with great yelling and crying but after hee was gone from his fathers presence he hated his brother who had got his blessing and in contempt of his father chose him a wife against his liking Pharao as oft as the Lord laid any calamitie on him he euermore desired to be deliuered from it
nothing to say but this The Lord increase the number of them And the Lord fullfill them with the knowledge of his will in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding that they may walke worthie of him and please him in all things being fruitfull in all good works and increasing in the knowledge of God And wheras they are at continual warre against the flesh the world and the deuil Lord Iesus strengthen them with all might through thy glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnes And deare father of all mercie plant that gouernment in thy Church euery where which thou hast reuealed in thy worde that thy Saints may worship thee in those means in that order and comelines which thou hast appointed abounding in righteousnesse peace of conscience and ioy of the holy ghost Amen Amen A DIALOGVE OF THE STATE OF A CHRISTIan man gathered here and there out of the sweet and sauorie writings of Master Tindall and Master Bradford TImotheus Because of our ancient acquaintance and familiaritie deare friend Eusebius I will make bold with you to aske such questiōs as may be for my edification cōfort and of no other matters but euen of religion whereof I see you are an olde professour And the first of all let me bee bold to aske this question of you howe it pleased God to make you a true Christian and a member of Christ Iesus whome I see you serue continually with a feruent zeale Eusebius For that old acquaintance that was betweene vs and for that you are desirous to liue a godly life in Christ Iesus I will not conceale the good worke of my God in me therfore I pray you marke a little what I shall say I will declare vnto you the trueth euen forth of the feeling of mine own conscience The fall of Adam did make me the heire of vengeance and wrath of God and heire of eternall damnation and did bring mee into captiuitie and bondage vnder the deuil and the deuill was my Lord my ruler my head my gouernour and my prince yea and my God And my will was locked knit faster vnto the will of the deuil then could a hundred thousand chaines binde a man vnto a poast Vnto the deuils will did I consent with all my heart with all my mind with all my might power strength will and life so that the Lawe and will of the deuil was written as well in my heart as in my members and I ran headlong after the deuill with full saile and the whole swing of all the power I had as a stone cast into the aire commeth downe naturally of it selfe with all the violent swing of his own weight O with what a deadly and venemous heart did I hate mine enemies With how great malice of mind inwardly did I sley and murther With what violence and rage yea with what feruēt lust committed I adulterie fornication and such like vncleannes With what pleasure and delectation like a glutton serued I my bellie With what diligence deceiued I How busily sought I the things of the world Whatsoeuer I did work imagine or speake was abominable in the sight of God for I could referre nothing vnto the honour of God neither was his law or will written in my members or in my heart neither was their any more power in me to followe the will of God then in a stone ascend vpward of it selfe And besides that I was asleep in so deep blindnes that I could neither see nor feele in what miserie thraldome and wretchednesse I was till Moses came and awaked me and published the lawe When I heard the law truely preached howe that I ought to loue and honour God with all my strength and might from the lowe bottome of the heart because he did create me Lord ouer it and my neighbor yea mine enemies as my selfe inwardly from the groūd of my heart because God hath made them after the likenesse of his owne image and they are his sonnes as well as I and Christ hath bought them with his blood and made them heires of euerlasting life as wel as I and how I ought to do whatsoeuer God biddeth and to abstaine from whatsoeuer God forbiddeth with all loue and meekenes with a feruent and burning lust from the center of the heart Then began my conscience to rage against the Lawe and against God No sea be it neuer so great a tēpest was so vnquiet for it was not possible for me a naturall man to consent to the Law that it should bee good or that God should be righteous which made the law in as much as it was contrarie vnto my nature and damned me and all that I could doe and neuer shewed mee where to fetch helpe nor preached any mercie but onely set me at variance with God prouoked stirred me to raile on god and to blaspheme him as a cruel tyrant And indeed it was not possible to doe otherwise to thinke that God made me of so poysoned a nature and gaue me an impossible law to performe I being not borne againe by the spirit and my wit reason and will being so fast glewed yea nailed and chained vnto the will of the deuil This was the captiuitie and bondage whence Christ deliuered me redeemed and loosed me His blood his death his patience in suffering rebukes wronges and the full wrath of God his prayers and fastings his meekenes fulfilling the vttermost points of the law appeased the wrath of God brought the fauour of god to me againe obtained that God should loue me first and bee my father and that a mercifull father that would consider my infirmitie and weaknes would giue me his spirit againe which he had taken away in Adam to rule gouerne and strengthen me and to breake the bands of Satan wherein I was so straight bound When Christ was on this wise preached and the promises rehearsed which are contained in the booke of God which preaching is called the Gospell or glad tydings and I had deepely considered the same then my heart began to waxe soft and melt at the bounteous mercie of God and kindnes shewed of Christ. For when the gospel was preached the spirit of God mee thought entred into my heart and opened my inwarde eies and wrought a liuely faith in me and made my woofull conscience feele and tast how sweet a thing the bitter death of Christ is and how mercifull and louing God is through Christs purchasing and merits and made me to beginne to loue againe and to consent to the lawe of God how that it is good ought so to be and that God is righteous that made it lastly it wrought in me a desire to be whole and to hunger and thirst after more righteousnesse and more strength to fulfill the law more perfectly and in all that I do or leaue vndone to seeke Gods honour and his will with meekenesse euermore condemning the imperfectnes of my deedes
Lord to reach vnto thee his mercifull and a helping hand Againe in the Scriptures we finde examples of men conuerted vnto the Lord without any vehement sorrow of their sinns What anguish of conscience had the theefe vpon the crosse for his former life in his present conuersion at the houre of death How was Lydia dismaied and cast downe in respect of her wickednesse like as Dauid was or Iob whose heart God onely is said to haue opened to giue attendance to the preaching of Paul and Silas who also euen presently after was readie to entertaine them and to make them a feast in her house which shee could not haue done if she had beene in the perplexities of Ezechias or Dauid The same may be spoken of the Iayler and of them which heard Peters sermon at Ierusalem who for all that they had murdred our Sauiour Christ yet in their conuersion their hearts were onely for the time pricked So then God in preparing vs which in truth are nothing but fleshly and stinking dunghills of sinne nay very vncleannesse and pollution it selfe I say in preparing vs to be the Temples of his holy Spirit to dwell in and the storehouses to hoord vp his heauenly graces in doth otherwhiles vse a milde and gentle remedie and maketh the Law to looke vpon vs though with no louing and gentle yet with no fearefull countenance and otherwhiles in some he setteth a sharp edge vpon the Law and maketh it to wound the heart very deepe and as a strong corrasiue to torment them and to frette and gnawe vpon their consciences And we see by experience◠that a botch or a byle in a mans bodie is as well eased of the corruption that is in it by the pricking of the point of a small needle as by the launcing of a great raser Wherefore if God by his spirit haue wrought in you sorrow for sinne in any small measure though not in as great measure as you desire you haue no cause to complaine and in that you are grieued with a godly sorrow for your sinnes it is a good token of the grace of God in you Timoth. Surely this is a great comfort you giue me God make me thankefull for it And I pray you more plainly shew me the state of your life till this houre that I and all other may take warning by it Euseb. That which may doe good vnto other men I will neuer conceale though it be to my perpetuall shame As I was conceiued and borne in sinne so my parents brought me vp in ignorance and neuer shewed me my shame and miserie by Gods law liued a long time euen as a man in a dead sleepe or trance and in trueth I liued as though there were neither heauen nor hell neither God nor deuil And the deuill himselfe as I nowe perceiue did often perswade my secure conscience that I was the child of god should be saued as well as the best man in the world and I yeelded to his perswasion and did verily thinke it so that when the preacher for wickednes securitie denoūced Gods iudgements and hel fire I haue said vnto my neighbours that I hoped I should be saued and he should goe to hell and when I was asked whether I could keep all the commandements of the law I said that I could and beeing asked whether I neuer sinned I said I thought that otherwhiles I did but for them which were but fewe I hoped God would haue mercie and haue mee excused and all my neighbours were glad of my company they spoke wel of me and I was taken for an honest man when as indeede before God I was a vile beast the child of wrath inspired with the spirit of the deuil continually Wel after I heard the Law preached I saw and remembred many fearfull iudgements of God vpon men whome I in reason thought were as good men as I then I began to consider mine owne estate and to perceiue my sins and my cursednes and vpon a time aboue all other the curse of the lawe made me inwardly afraide and my flesh then began to tremble and quake then I could not sleepe in the night season I was afraid of euery thing If I were in my house I thought the house would fall on my head if abroad I thought euery crannie of the earth would open it selfe wider and swallowe me I started at euery straw and at the moouing of a flie my meat was loathsome vnto me and I thought I was not worthie of so good a creature of God and that God might iustly turne it to my bane the griefe of my heart for my life past made me shed abundance of teares and vpon that I remembred in Dauids Psalms that his teares were his drinke and that he did wet his bed with teares And nowe the deuill changed both his coate and his note and in fearefull manner cryed in my eares that I was a reprobate his childe that none of Gods children were as I am that this griefe of my soule was the beginning of hell And the greater was my paine because I durst not open my minde vnto any for feare they should haue mocked me and haue made a iest of it Wherefore I was faine to goe to a godly learned preacher I shewed mine estate vnto him after I had cōtinued with him the space of two or three daies I receiued comfort both by the promises of mercie which hee shewed me in the booke of God and by his feruent godly and effectuall praiers and I thanke God euer since I haue had some assurance in spite of the deuil that I doe appertaine to the kingdome of heauen and am nowe a member of Iesus Christ and shall so continue for euer Timoth. How know you that God hath forgiuen your sinne Euseb. Because I am a sinner and he is both able and willing to forgiue me Timoth. I grant that he is able to forgiue you but how knowe you that he◠will◠you know your sinnes are very great Euseb. I graunt but Christs passion is far greater and although my sinnes were as red as scarlet and as purple yet they shall be as white as snowe and as soft as wooll Timoth. Oh but you haue sinned very often Euseb. Tell me not I pray you what I haue done but what I will doe Timoth. What will you doe Euseb. By Gods grace it is my full purpose and my earnest prayer to God is hereafter to take better heed and to amend my former life Timoth. Is that enough thinke you Euseb. What lacketh Timoth. The fauour and mercie of God that may cleane forsake you Euseb. Nay that I will neuer grant for I am certainly perswaded of the fauour and mercie of God euen to the saluation of my soule Timoth. Oh shewe me that that is the thing I earnestly desire to be assured of Gods speciall goodnes euen by your experience Euseb. According as God hath giuen me to feele the same so
minde that if there were no conscience to accuse no diuell to terrifie no iudge to arraigne condemne no hel to torment yet he would be humbled brought on his knees for his sinnes because he hath offended a louing mercifull and long suffering God Further I say that repentance stands in turning againe to God Man at the first was made a goodly creature in the image of God hauing fellowship with him whereby he dwelt in God and God in him By sinne there is a partition made betweene God and man who is alienated and estranged from God and is become the childe of wrath a firebrand of hell the prodigall child going from his father into a farre countrey the straying nay the lost sheepe Now when men haue grace to repent then they begin to renew this fellowship and turne againe to God And the very essence or nature of repentance consists in this turning Which Paul doth seeme to intimate when he saith That he shewed both to Iew and Gentile that they should repent and turne to God and do works worthie amendment of life In which words he sets downe vnto vs a ful description of repentance Againe I say that repentance is a turning from sinne because it doth not abolish or change the substance of bodie or soule or any of the faculties therof either in whole or part but onely rectifie and amend them by remoouing the corruption It turnes the sadnesse of melancholy to godly sorrow choller to good zeale softnesse of nature to meekenes of spirit madnesse and lightnâ—sse to Christian mirth it reformes euery man according to his naturall constitution not abolishing it but redressing the fault of it Further I put downe that repentance is a turning from all sinne to God that I may exclude many false turnings The first when a man turnes from God to sinne as when one of a Protestant becomes a Papist an Arrian a â—â—milist The second when a man turnes from one sinne to an other As when the riotous person leaues his prodigalitie and giues himselfe to the practise of couetousnes this can be no repentaÌ„ce because it is a going from one extreame to an other whereas repentance is to leaue the extreames keepe the meane The third is not when a man turnes from sinne but sinne turnes from him and leaues him As when the drunkard leaues drunkennesse because his stomacke is decaied the fornicatour his vncleannes because the strength of nature failes him the quarreller his fighting because he is maymed on legge or arme The last is when men turne from many sinnes but will not turne from all As Herod did many things at the aduertisement of Iohn Baptist but could not be brought to leaue incest in hauing his brother Philips wife This repentance is nothing For as he which is truly regenerate is wholly in bodie soule and spirit regenerate so he which truly repents turnes from all sinne and turnes wholly to God Neither is this to trouble any that they can not know all their sinnes for sound repentance for one speciall sinne brings with it repentance of all sinne And as God requires particular repentance for knowne sinnes so he accepts a generall repentance for such as be vnknowne To proceede further the conuersion of a sinner in repentance hath three parts The first a purpose and resolution in the mind the second an inclination in the will and affections the third an indeauour in life and conuersation to abandon and leaue all his former sinnes and to imploy himselfe in obedience to Gods commandements Lastly this repentance must bring forth fruits worthie amendment of life because it cannot be knowne to be sincere vnlesse it bring forth fruit Repentant sinners are trees of righteousnes of Gods owne planting and they grow by the waters that flow out of the sanctuarie and therefore they must beare fruit that may serue for meate leafe for medicine otherwise the axe of Gods iudgment is laid to their rootes to stocke them vp CHAP. II. Of the causes of Repentance THe principall cause of Repentance is the Spirit of God as Paul saith Instructing them with meekenesse that are contrarie minded proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance And Ieremie Conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted The instrument of the holy Ghost in working repentance is the ministery of the Gospell onely and not the law Reasons hereof are these I. Faith is engendred by the preaching not of the Law but of the Gospell as Paul saith The Gospel is the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue from faith to faith therefore repentance which follows faith as a fruit thereof must needes come by the preaching of the Gospel onely II. The Law is the ministerie of death and damnation because it shewes a man his wretched estate but shewes him no remedie therefore it can not be an instrumentall cause of that repentance which is effectuall to saluation III. The doctrine of repentance is a part of the Gospel which appeares in this that the preaching of repentance and the preaching of the Gospel are put one for an other And our Sauiour Christ deuides the Gospel into two parts the preaching of repentance and remission of sinnes in his name IV. That part of the word which workes repentance must reueale the nature of it and set out the promise of life which belongs vnto it But the Law neither reueales faith nor repentance this is a proper worke of the Gospel If it be said that the Law is a schoolemaster to bring vs to Christ the answer is it brings men to Christ not by teaching the way or by alluring them but by forcing and vrging them Neither doe we abolish the law in ascribing the worke of repentance to the Gospel onely for though it be no cause yet is it an occasion of true repentance Because it represents vnto the eye of the soule our damnable estate smites the conscience with dolefull terrours and feares which though they be no tokens of grace for they are in their owne nature the very gates and the downefall to the pit of hell yet they are certaine occasions of receiuing grace The phisitian is otherwhiles constrained to recouer the health of his patient by casting him into some fits of an ague so man because he is deadly sicke of the disease of sinne must be cast into some fits of Legal terrors by the ministerie of the law that he may recouer his former estate come to life euerlasting Repentance also is furthered by calamities which in this case often come in the roome stead of the law Iosephs brethren when they were in distresse in Egypt said one to another Wee haue verely sinned against our brother in that we sawe the anguish of his soule when he besought vs and we would not heare him therefore is this trouble come vpon vs. And the Lord saith in Oseah I will goe
to me a sinner As for confession of sinne to men it is not to be vsed but in two cases First when some offence is done to our neighbour secondly when ease and comfort is sought for in trouble of conscience The third dutie in the practise of Repentance is Deprecation whereby we pray to God for the pardon of the sinnes which haue beene confessed with contrition of heart with earnestnes and constancie as for the weightiest matter in the world And here we must remember to behaue our selues to God as the poore prisoner doth at the barre who when the iudge is about to giue sentence cries vnto him for fauour as for life and death And we must doe as the cripple or lazar man in the way sit downe vnlappe our legges and armes and shew the sores of our sinnes crying to God continually as they doe Looke with your eye and pitie with your heart that we may find mercie at Gods hands as they get almes at the hands of passengers Thus Oseah instructeth the people O Israel returne vnto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie take vnto you wordes and turne vnto the Lord and say vnto him Take away all iniquitie and receiue vs graciously so we will render thee the calues of our lippes Of Daniel We doe not present our supplication before thee for our owne righteousnes but for thy great tender mercies O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O Lord consider and doe it deferre not for thine owne names sake O my God Of Dauid Haue mercie vpon me O God according to thy louing kindnes according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities The last dutie is to pray to God for grace and strength whereby we may be inabled to walke in newnesse of life Of Dauid Behold I desire thy commandements quicken me in thy righteousnesse And Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God let thy good spirit lead me into the land of righteousnesse CHAP. VIII Of legall motiues to Repentance MOtiues to Repentance are either Legall or Euangelicall Legall are such as are borrowed from the law and they are three especially The first is the miserie and cursed estate of euery impenitent sinner in this life by reason of his sinnes His miserie that I may expresse it to the conceit of the simplest is seuen-fold 1. within him 2. before him 3. behind him 4. on his right hand 5. on his left hand 6. ouer his head 7. vnder his feete His miserie within him is two-fold The first is a guiltie conscience which is a very hel vnto the vngodly man For he is like a silly prisoner the conscience like a gayler which followes him at the heeles and dogges him whither soeuer he goes to the end he may see and obserue all his sayings and doings It is like a register that sits alwaies with the pen in his hand to record and inroll all his wickednes for euerlasting memorie It is a little iudge that fittes in the middle of a man euen in his very heart to arraigne him in this life for his sins as he shall be arraigned at the last iudgement Therefore the pangs terrours and feares of all impenitent persons are as it were certaine flashings of the flames of hell fire The guiltie conscience makes a man like him which lies on a bedde that is too strait and the couering too short who would with all his heart sleepe but can not Belshazzar when he was in the midst of his mirth seeing the hand writing on the wall was smitten with great feare so as his coūtenance changed and his knees smote together The second euill within man is the fearefull slauerie and bondage vnder the power of Satan the prince of darknesse in that his minde will and affectictions are so knit and glued to the will of the deuill that he can doe nothing but obey him and rebell against God And hence Satan is called the prince of this world which keepes the hold of the heart as an armed captaine keepes a skonse or castle with watch and ward The miserie before man is a dangerous snare which the deuill laies for the destruction of the soule I say it is dangerous because he is in setting of it twentie or fourtie yeares before he strikes when as God knowes men doe little thinke of it It is made of three cordes with the first he brings men into his snare and that he doth by couering the miserie and the poison of sinne and by painting out to the eye of the minde the deceitfull profits and pleasures thereof With the second he hopples and insnares them for after that a man is drawne into this or that sinne the deuill hath so sugered it ouer with fine delights that he cannot but needes must liue and lie in it By the third he drawes the snare and indeauours with all his might to breake the necke of the soule For when he seeth a fit opportunitie especially in grieuous calamities and in the houre of death he takes away the vizar of sinne and shewes the face of it in the true forme as ougly as himselfe then withall he begins as we say to shew his hornes then he rageth in terrifying and accusing that the soule of man may be swallowed vp of the gulfe of finall despaire The miserie behind him is the sinnes past The Lord saith to Cain If thou doest not well sinne lieth at the doore Where sinne is compared to a wilde beast which followes a man whither soeuer he goeth and lieth lurking at his heeles And though for a time it may seeme to be hurtlesse because it lies asleepe yet at length vnlesse men repent it will rise vp seaze on them rende out the very throates of their soules Iob in his affliction saith Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me possesse the sinnes of my youth And Dauid praieth Forgiue me the sinnes of my youth If the memorie of sinnes past be a trouble to the godly man oh what a racke what a gybbet will it be to the heart of him that wants grace The miserie on the right hand is prosperitie and ease which by reason of mans sinnes is an occasion of many iudgements In it men practised the horrible sinnes of Sodome it puffes vp the heart with deuillish pride so as men shall thinke themselues to be as God himselfe as Senacherib Nebuchadnezzar Antiochus Alexander Herod Domitian did It steales away mans heart from God and quenches the sparkes of grace As the Lord complaineth of the Israelites I spake vnto thee when thou wast in prosperitie but thou saidest I will not hear this hath beene thy manner from thy youth It is like the Iuie that embraces the tree and windes round about it but yet drawes out the iuice and life of it Hence is it that many turne it to an occasion of their destruction Salomon saith Prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them
vncalled Persons called are all such to whome God in mercie hath offered the meanes of saluation and hath reuealed the doctrine of the Gospell in some measure more or lesse by meanes either ordinarie or extraordinarie All such I thinke are straightly bound in conscience to beleeue and obey the gospel For that word of God whereby men shall be iudged in the day of iudgement must first of all binde their consciences in this life considering absolution and condemnation is according to that which is done in this life but by the gospell all men that haue beene called shall be iudged as Paul saith Rom. 2.16 God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ according to my Gospell And our Sauiour Christ saith He that beleeueth hath life euerlasting hee which beleeueth not is alreadie condemned It remaines therefore that the gospell bindes the consciences of such men in this life By this very point we are all put in minde not to content our selues with this that we haue a liking to the gospell and doe beleeue it to bee true though many protestants in these our daies thinke it sufficient both in life and death if they hold that they are to be saued by faith alone in Christ without the merit of mans workes but wee must goe yet further and enter into a practise of the doctrine of the Gospel as wel as of the precepts of the morall lawe knowing that the gospel doeth as well bind conscience as the law and if it be not obeied will as well condemne Men vncalled are such as neuer heard of Christ by reason the gospell was neuer reuealed vnto them nor meanes of reuelation offered That there haue bin such in former ages I make manifest thus The worlde since the creation may be distinguished into foure ages The first frō the creation to the flood the second from the flood to the giuing of the Law the third from the giuing of the Lawe to the death of Christ the fourth from the death of Christ to the last iudgement Nowe in the three former ages there was a distinction of the world into two sorts of men wherof one was a people of God the other no-people In the first age in the families of Seth Noe c. were the sonnes of God in all other families the sonnes of men Gen. 6.2 In the second age were the sonnes of the flesh and the sonnes of the promise Rom. 9.7 In the third Iewes and Gentiles the Iewes beeing the Church of God all nations beside no-church But in the last age this distinction was taken away when the Apostles had a commission giuen them that was neuer giuen before to any namely to goe teach not onely the Iewes but all nations Now this distinction arose of this that the Gospel was not reuealed to the world before the comming of Christ as the Scriptures witnes The prophet Esai saith 52.14 that kings shall shut their mouthes at Christ because that which had not bin told them they shal see and that which they had not heard shall they vnderstand And 55. 5. that a nation that knew him not shall runne vnto him Paul saith to the Ephesians that in former times they were without God and without Christ strangers from the couenāt Eph. 2.12 And to the Athenians he saith that the times before the comming of Christ were times of ignorance Act. 17.30 And that it may not be thought that this ignorance was affected Paul saith further that God in times past suffered the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies Act. 14. 16. and that the mysterie of the Gospell was kept secret from the beginning of the world and is now in the last age reuealed to the whole world Rom. 16.25 Some alleadge that the Iewes beeing the church of God had traffique with all nations and by this means spred some little knowledge of the Messias through the whole world I answer again that the conference and speach of Iewish marchants with forrainers was no sufficient means to publish the promise of saluation by Christ to the whol world first because the Iewes for the most part haue alwaies bin more readie to receiue any new and false religion then to teach their owne secondly because the very Iewes themselues though they were well acquainted with the ceremonies of their religion yet the substance thereof which was Christ figured by externall ceremonies they knew not and hereupon the Pharises when they made a Proselyte they made him tenne times more the child of the deuill then themselues Thirdly because men are seldome or neuer suffered to professe or make any speach of their religion in forraine countries Againe if it be alleadged that the doctrine is set downe in the bookes of the old Testament which men through the whole world might haue read searched and knowne if they would I answer that the keeping of the bookes of the old Testament was committed to the Iewes alone Rom. 3.2 and therefore they were not giuen to the whole world as also the Psalmist testifieth He sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and his iudgements vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with euery nation neither haue they knowne his iudgements Now touching such persons as haue not so much as heard of Christ though they are apt and fitte to be bound in conscience by the Gospell in as much as they are the creatures of God yet are they not indeed actually bound till such time as the Gospel be reuealed or at the least meanes of reuelation offered Reasons hereof may be these I. Whatsoeuer doctrine or law doth bind conscience must in some part be knowne by nature or by grace or by both the vnderstanding must first of all conceiue or at the least haue meanes of conceiuing before conscience can constraine because it bindeth by vertue of known cōclusions in the mind Therfore things that are altogether vnknown and vnconceiued of the vnderstanding doe not bind in conscience now the Gospel is altogether vnknowne and vnconceiued of many as I haue alreadie prooued and therefore it binds not them in conscience II. Paul saith Rom. 2.12 They which sinne without the law written shal be condemned without the law therefore they which sinne without the Gospel shal be condemned without the Gospel and such as shal be condemned without the Gospel after this life were not bound by it in this life Augustine the most iudiciall Diuine of all the auncient fathers vpon these wordes of Christ but now they haue no excuse for their sinne saith on this manner A doubt may be mooued whether they to whome Christ hath not come neither hath spoken vnto them haue an excuse for their sinne For if they haue it not why is it said that these namely the Iewes haue no excuse because he came and spake to them and if they haue it whether it be that their punishment may be taken away quite or in part lessened To these demands to my capacitie as the Lord shall inable me
I answer that they to whome Christ came not neither hath spoken vnto them haue an excuse not of euery sinne but of this sinne that they haue not beleeued in Christ. Againe It remaines to inquire whether those who before Christ came in his Church to the Gentiles and before they heard his Gospell haue bin or are preuented by death may vse this excuse Doubtles they may but they shall not therefore escape damnation For whosoeuer haue sinned without the law shall perish without the law As for the reasons which some of the schoolemen haue alleadged to the contrarie they are answered all by men of the same order and I will briefly touch the principall First it is obiected that the holy Ghoâ—t shall iudge the world of sinne because they haue not beleeued in Christ Ioh. 16.9 I answer that by the world we must not vnderstand all and euery man since the creation but all nations and kingdomes in the last age of the world to whome the Gospel was reuealed Thus hath Paul expounded this word Rom. 11.12 The fall of them is the riches of the world and the diminishing of them is the riches of the Gentiles v. 15. The casting of them away is the reconciling of the world Secondly it is obiected that the law binds all men in conscience though the greatest part of it be vnknowne to them Answ. The law was once giuen to Adam and imprinted in his heart in his first creation and in him as beeing the roote of all mankind it was giuen to all men and as when he sinned all men sinned in him so when he was enlightened all were enlightned in him and consequently when his conscience was bound by the law all were bound in him And though this knowledge be lost by mans default yet the bond remaines still on Gods part Now the case is otherwise with the Gospel which was neuer written in mans nature but was giuen after the fall and is aboue nature Here a further replie is made that the couenant made with Adam The seede of the woman shal bruise the serpents head was also made with his seede which is all mankind and was afterward continued with Abraham to all nations I answer again that Adam was a root of mankind onely in respect of mans nature with the gifts and sinnes thereof he was no roote in respect of grace which is aboue nature but Christ the second Adam And therefore when God gaue the promise vnto him and faith to beleeue the promise he did not in him giue them both to all mankinde neither if Adam had afterward fallen from faith in the Messias should all mankind againe haue fallen in him Moreouer that the promise of grace was not made to Adams seede vniuersally but indefinitely it appeares because when God did afterward renew the couenant he restrained it to the familie of Noe and Abrahamâ— and in Abrahams familie it was restrained to Isaac In Isaac saith the Lord shall thy seede be called yea in the very tenour of the couenant there is a distinction made of the seede of the woman and the seede of the serpent which seede of the serpent is a part of mankind and it is excluded from the couenant And whereas the Lord promised to Abraham that in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed the promise must not be vnderstood of all men in euery age but of all nations in the last age of the world And thus Paul hath cleared the text Gal. 3. 8. The Scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles through faith which was done after Christs ascension he preached before the Gospel to Abraham In thee shall nations be blessed Lastly it may be obiected that if any man be ignorant of the doctrine of saluation by Christ it is through his owne fault it is true indeede that all ignorance of the doctrine of saluation comes through mans fault sinne but sinne must be distinguished it is either personall or the sinne of mans nature Now in them that neuer heard of Christ their ignorance in this point proceedes not of any personall sinne in them but onely from the sinne of mans nature that is the first sinne of Adam common to all mankinde which sinne is punished when God leaues men wholly to themselues Now many things there be in men proceeding from this sinne which neuerthelesse are no sinnes as the manifold miseries of this life and so I take the ignorance of things aboue mans nature altogether vnreuealed to be no sinne but a punishment of originall sinne Thus much of the persons which are bound by the Gospel now let vs see how farre forth they are bound by it God in the Gospell generally reueales two points vnto vs the first that there is perfect righteousnes and life euerlasting to be obtained by Christ the second that the instrument to obtaine righteousnes and life eternall is faith in Christ. Moreouer when this Gospel is dispensed and preached vnto vs God reueales vnto vs two points more the first that he will make vs particularly to be partakers of true righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ the secoâ—d that he will haue vs without doubting to beleeue thus much of our selues And for this cause euery man to whome the Gospel is reuealed is bound to beleeue his owne election iustification sanctification and glorification in and by Christ. The reasons and grounds of this point out of the word of God are these I. 1. Ioh. 3.23 This is his commandement that we beleeue in the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ and loue one another as he gaué vs commandement Now to beleeue in Christ is not confusedly to beleeue that he is a Redeemer of mankind but withall to beleeue that he is my Sauiour and that I am elected iustified sanctified and shall be glorified by him This is graunted of all men yea of the Papists themselues which otherwise are enemies of this doctrine For Lumberd saith To beleeue in God is by beleeuing to loue and as it were to goe into God by beleeuing to cleaue vnto him and as it were to be incorporate into his members II. Paul Gal. 2. 16. â—irst of all propounds a generall sentence That a man is not iustified by the workes of the law but by the faith of Christ. Afterward he addes a speciall application Euen we namely Iewes haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Iesus Christ and in v. 20. he descends more specially to applie the Gospel to himselfe I liue saith he by the faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me And in this kinde of application there is nothing peculiar to Paul for in this very action of his he auoucheth himselfe to be an example vnto vs 1. Tim. 1. 16. For this cause saith he was I receiued to mercie that Iesus Christ should shew first on me all long suffering vnto the ensample of them which
we see how Gods word bindes conscience now conscience beeing thus bound againe bindes the man in whome it is The bond of conscience is called guiltines Guiltines is nothing else but a worke of the conscience binding euery sinner to the punishment of euerlasting death before God for this or that sinne Thus much of the proper binder of the conscience now followes the improper The improper binder is that which hath no power at all or vertue in it selfe to binde conscience but doth it onely by the authoritie and vertue of Gods word or some part thereof It is threefold Humane lawes an Oath a Promise Touching humane lawes the speciall point to be considered is In what manner they binde That this may in part be cleared I will stand a while to examine and confute the opinion that the very pillars of the Popish Church at this day maintaine namely that Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction haue a coactiue power in the conscience and that the lawes made thereby doe as truly and properly binde as they speake to mortall and veniall sinne as Gods law it selfe The arguments which they commonly vse are these Argum. 1. Deut. 17. That man that will doe presumptuously and not obey the authoritie of the Priest or Iudge shall die and thou shalt take away euill from Israel Here say they the precepts of the high Priest are Imperia not admonitions or exhortations they bind in conscience otherwise the transgressours therof should not haue bin punished so seuerely Ans. The intent of this law as a very child may perceiue is to establish the authoritie and right of the highest appeales for all matters of controuersie in the Synedrium or great court at Ierusalem Therefore the words alleadged doe not giue vnto the Priest a soueraigne power of making laws but a power of giuing iudgemēt of controuersies that according to laws alreadie made by God himself frō which iudgemēt there might be no appeale Now this power of determining doth not cōstraine conscience but the outward man to maintain order peace For what reason is there that that sentence which might be either a gainsaying of Gods law or a mistaking of it should bind the conscience to a sinne Again not euery one that refused to subiect themselues to the sentence of this court were straightway guiltie of sinne for this did Ieremie the Prophet and Christ our Sauiour when the Iewes condēned them for wicked persons but he that presumptuously despised the sentence and by consequent the authoritie it selfe which was the ordinance of God was guiltie Lastly the seueritie of the punishment which is temporall death doth not argue any power in the iudge of binding conscience this they might haue learned of their owne Doctor Gerson who holdeth that they that bind any man to mortall sinne must be able to punish him with answerable punishment which is eternall death Arg. 2. Matth. 16. Whatsoeuer ye shall bind in earth shall be bound in heaven Here say they to binde is to make lawes constraining conscience according to Matth. 23.4 They binde heauie burdens and lay them on mens shoulders Ans. The soueraigne power of binding and loosing is not belonging to any creature but is proper to Christ who hath the keyes of heauen and hell he openeth and no man shutteth he shutteth and no man openeth Reuel 3.5 As for the power of the Church it is nothing but a ministerie or seruice whereby men publish and pronounce that Christ bindeth or looseth Againe this binding stands not in the power of making lawes but in remitting and retaining of mens sinnes as the words going before declare v. 18. If thy brother sinne against thee c. and Christ sheweth his owne meaning when he saith Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained Ioh. 20. 23. hauing before in the person of Peter promised them this honour in this forme of words Math. 16. I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shall be bound in heauen This which I say is approoued by consent of auncient Diuines August Psal. 101. serm 2. Remission of sinne saith he is loosing therefore by the law of contraries binding is to hold sinne vnpardoned Hilar. vpon Matth. cap. 18. Whome they binde on earth that is saith he leaue vntied of the knottes of their sinnes Lumberd the popish master of sentences The Lord saith he hath giuen to Priests power of binding and loosing that is of making manifest that men are bound or loosed Againe both Origen Augustine and Theophylact attribute the power of binding to all Christians and therefore they for their parts neuer dreamed that the power of binding should be an authoritie to make lawes Lastly the place Matth. 23.4 ouerturnes the argument for there the Scribes and Pharises are condemned because they laid vpon mens shoulders the burdens of their traditions as meanes of Gods worship and things binding conscience Argum. 3. Act. 15. It seemes good vnto vs and the holy Ghost to lay no more burden on you then these necessarie things that ye abstaine from things offered to idols and blood and that which is strangled and fornication Here say they the Apostles by the instinct of the holy Ghost make a new law not for this or that respect but simply to bind consciences of the Gentiles that they might be exercised in obedience And this is prooued because the Apostles call this law a burden and call the things prescribed necessarie and S. Luke tearmes them the commandements of the Apostles and Chrysostome calls the Epistle sent to the Church Imperium that is a lordly charge To this they adde the testimonies of Tertullian Origen Augustine Ans. Though all be graunted that the law is a burden imposed a precept of the Apostles a charge againe that things required therein are necessarie yet will it not follow by good consequent that the law simply bindes conscience because it was giuen with a reseruation of Christian libertie so as out of the case of scandall that is if no offence were giuen to the weake Iewes it might freely be omitted And that will appeare by these reasons First of all Peter saith that it is a tempting of God to impose vpon the Gentiles the yoke of Iewish ceremonies he therefore must needs be contrarie to himselfe if he intend to binde mens consciences to abstinence from strangled blood and things offered to idols A replie is made that this abstinence is prescribed not by the auncient law of Moses but by a new Ecclesiasticall or Apostolicall authoritie I answer againe that a Mosaicall ceremonie is still the same thing though it be stablished by a new authoritie And whereas Christ by his death put an ende to the ceremoniall lawe it is absurd to thinke that the Apostles by their authoritie reuiued some part of it againe bound mens consciences thereto Secondly the Church of God in
the sacrament So the 29. canon of the Councill of Gangres must be vnderstood As for the Canons of the Apostles so falsly called and the 8. Councill of Toledo I much respect not what they say in this case Arg. 14. Gods authoritie binds conscience magistrates authoritie is Gods authoritie therefore magistrates authoritie binds conscience properly Ans. Gods authority may be taken two waies first for that soueraigne and absolute power which he vseth ouer all his creatures secondly for that finit and limited power which he hath ordained that men should exercise ouer men If the minor namely that magistrates authoritie is Gods authoritie be taken in the first sense it is false for the soueraigne power of God is incommunicable If it be taken in the second sense the proposition is false For there be sundrie authorities ordained of God as the authoritie of the father ouer a child of the master ouer the seruant the authority of the master ouer his scholler which doe bind in conscience as the authoritie of Gods lawes doth By these arguments which I haue now answered and by many other beeing but lightly skanned it will appeare that necessarie obedience is to be performed both to ciuill and Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction but that they haue a constraining power to bind conscience and that properly as Gods laws doe it is not yet prooued neither can be as I will make manifest by other arguments Arg. 1. He that makes a law binding conscience to mortall sinne hath power if not to saue yet to destroy because by sinne which followes vpon the transgression of his law comes death and damnation But God is the onely Lawgiuer that hath this priuiledge which is after he hath giuen his law vpon the breaking or keeping thereof to saue or destroy Iam. 4. 12. There is one Lawgiuer that can saue or destroy Therefore God alone makes lawes binding conscience properly and no creature can doe the like Answer is made that S. Iames speakes of the principall Lawgiuer that by his owne proper authoritie makes laws and doth in such manner saue and destroy that he neede not feare to be destroied of any and that he speakes not of secondarie lawgiuers that are deputies of God make laws in his name I say againe that this answer stands not with the text◠For S. Iames speakes simply without distinction limitation or exception and the effect of his reason is this No man at all must slaunder his brother because no man must be iudge of the law and no man can be iudge of the law because no man can be a lawgiuer to saue or destroy Now then where be those persons that shall make lawes to the soules of men and bind them vnto punishment of mortall sinne considering that God alone is the sauing and destroying Lawgiuer Argum. 2. He that can make lawes as truly binding conscience as Gods lawes can also prescribe rules of Gods worship because to binde the conscience is nothing else but to cause it to excuse for things that are well done and therefore truly please God and to accuse for sinne whereby God is dishonoured but no man can prescribe rules of Gods worship and humane lawes as they are humane lawes appoint not the seruice of God Esa. 29. 13. Their feare towards me was taught by the precept of men Mat. 15.6 They worship me in vaine teaching doctrines which are the commandements of men Papists here make answer that by lawes of men we must vnderstand such lawes as be vnlawfull or vnprofitable beeing made without the authoritie of God or instinct of his spirit It is true indeed that these commandements of men were vnlaweful but the cause must be considered they were vnlawfull not because they commanded that which was vnlawefull and against the wil of God but because things in themselues lawefull were commanded as parts of Gods worship To wash the outward part of the cup or platter and to wash handes before meate are things in respect of ciuil vse very lawfull and yet are these blamed by Christ and no other reason can be rendred but this that they were prescribed not as things indifferent or ciuil but as matters pertaining to Gods worship It is not against Gods word in some politicke regards to make distinction of meates and drinkes and times yet Paul calls these things doctrines of deuills because they were commaunded as thinges wherein God should be worshipped Arg. 3. God hath now in the new Testament giuen a libertie to the conscience whereby it is freed from all lawes of his owne whatsoeuer excepting such lawes and doctrines as are necessarie to saluation Col. 2. 10. If ye be dead with Christ ye are free from the elements of the world Gal. 5.1 Stand yee in the libertie wherewith Christ hath freed you and be not againe intangled with the yoke of bondage Now if humane lawes made after the graunt of this libertie binde conscience of themselues thē must they either take away the foresaid liberty or diminish the same but that they cannot doe for that which is graunted by an higher authoritie namely God himselfe cannot be reuoked or repealed by the inferiour authoritie of any man It is answered that this freedome is onely from the bondage of sinne from the curse of the morall lawe from the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes of Moses and not from the lawes of our superiours And I answer againe that it is absurb to thinke that God giues vs liberty in conscience from any of his owne lawes and yet will haue our consciences still to remaine in subiection to the lawes of sinnefull men Argum. 4. Whosoeuer bindes conscience commandes conscience For◠the bond is made by a commandement vrging conscience to doe his dutie which is to accuse or excuse for euill or well doing Now Gods lawes command cōscience in as much as they are spirituall commanding bodie and spirit with al the thoughts will affections desires and faculties and requiring obedience of them all according to their kind As for the lawes of men they want power to command conscience Indeed if it were possible for our gouernours by lawe to command mens thoughts and affections then also might they command conscience but the first is not possible for their lawes can reach no further then the outward man that is to body and goods with the speeches and deedes thereof and the end of them all is not to maintaine spirituall peace of conscience which is betweene man and God but onely that externall and ciuill peace which is betweene man and man And it were not meete that men should command conscience which cannot see conscience and iudge of all her actions which appeare not outwardly and whereof there be no witnesses but God and the conscience of the doer Lastly men are not fitte commaunders of conscience because they are no Lordes of it but God himselfe alone Argum. 5. Men in making lawes are subiect to ignorance and errour and therefore when they haue made a lawe as neere
as possibly they can agreeable to the equitie of Gods lawe yet can they not assure themselues and others that they haue failed in no point or circumstance Therefore it is against reason that humane lawes beeing subiect to defects faults errours and manifold imperfections should truely bind conscience as Gods lawes doe which are the rule of righteousnes All gouernours in the world by reason that to their old lawes they are constrained to put restrictions ampliations and modifications of all kinds with new readings and interpretations vpon their daily experience see and acknowledge this to bee true which I say sauing the Bishop of Rome so falsly tearmed which perswades himselfe to haue when he is in his consistorie such an infallible assistance of the spirit that he cannot possibly erre in iudgement Argum. 6. If mens lawes by inward vertue bindes conscience properly as Gods lawes then our dutie is to learne studie and remember them as well as Gods laws yea ministers must be diligent to preach them as they are diligent in preaching the doctrine of the gospell because euery one of them bindes to mortall sinne as the Papists teach But that they should be taught and learned as Gods lawes it is most absurd in the iudgement of all men Papists theÌ„selues not excepted Argum. 7. Inferiour authoritie cannot bind the superiour nowe the courts of men and their authority are vnder conscience For God in the heart of euery man hath erected a tribunall seate and in his stead hee hath placed neither Saint nor Angell nor any other creature whatsoeuer but conscience it selfe who therefore is the highest Iudge that is or can be vnder God by whose direction also courts are kept and lawes are made Thus much of the Popish opinion by which it appeares that one of the principall notes of Antichrist agrees fittely to the Pope of Rome Paul 2. Thess. 2. makes it a speciall propertie of Antichrist to exalt himselfe against or aboue all that is called God or worshipped Now what doth the Pope els when he takes vpon him authoritie to make such lawes as shall bind the coÌ„science as properly and truely as Gods lawes and what doth he els when hee ascribes to himselfe power to free mens consciences froÌ„ the bond of such laws of God as are vnchangeable as may appeare in a Canon of the Councill of Trent the words are these If any shal say that those degrees of consanguinitie that be expressed in Lâ—uiticus doe onely hinder matrimonie to be made and breake it being made and that the Church cannot dispense with some of them or appoint that more degrees may hinder or breake marriage let him be accursed O sacrilegious impietie considering the lawes of affinitie and consanguinitie Leuiticus 18. are not ceremoniall or iudiciall lawes peculiar to the Iewes but the very laws of nature What is this Canon else but a publike proclamation to the world that the pope church of Rome do sit as lords or rather idols in the hearts conscieÌ„ces of men This wil yet more fully appeare to any man if we read popish bookes of practicall or Case-diuinitie in which the common manner is to binde conscience where God looseth it and to loose where he binds but a declaration of this requires long time Now I come as neere as possibly I can to set down the true manner how mens lawes by the common iudgement of Diuines may be said to binde conscience That this point may be cleared two things must be handled By what meanes they binde and How farre forth Touching the meanes I set downe this rule Wholesome lawes of men made of things indifferent so farre forth bind conscience by vertne of the generall commaÌ„dement of God which ordaineth the Magistrates authoritie that whosoâ—uer shall wittingly and willingly with a disloyall minde either breake or omit such lawes is guiltie of sinne before By wholesome lawes I vnderstand such positiue constitutions as are not against the lawe of God and withall tend to maintaine the peaceable estate and common good of men Furthermore I adde this clause made of things indifferent to note the peculiar matter whereof humane lawes properly intreat namely such things as are neither expressely commanded or forbidden by God Now such kind of laws haue no vertue or power in theÌ„selues to constraine conscience but they binde onely by vertue of an higher commandement Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers Rom. 13.1 or Honour father and mother Exod. 20. which commandements binds vs in conscience to performe obedience to the goodlawes of men As S. Peter saith Submit your selues to euery humane ordinance for the Lord. 1. Pet. 2.13 that is for conscience of God as he sayeth afterward v. 19. whereby he signifieth two things first that God hath ordained the authoritie of gouernours secondly that he hath appointed in his word and thereby bound men in conscience to obey their gouernours lawful commandements If the case fall out otherwise as commonly it doeth that humane lawes bee not inacted of things indiffereÌ„t but of things that be good in themselues that is commanded by God then are they not humane properly but diuine lawes Mens lawes intreating of things that are morally good and the parts of Gods worship are the same with Gods lawes and therefore bind conscience not because they were inacted by men but because they were first made by God meÌ„ beeing no more but instruments and ministers in his name to reuiue renewe and to put in exequution such precepts and lawes as prescribe the worship of God standing in the practise of true religion and vertue Of this kinde are all positiue lawes touching articles of faith and the duties of the morall law And the man that breakes such lawes sinnes two waies first because he breaks that which is in conscience a lawe of God secondly because in disobeying his lawfull Magistrate he disobeyes the generall commandement of God touching magistracie But if it shall fall out that mens lawes bee made of things that are euill and forbidden by God then is there no bond of conscience at al but contrariwise men are bound in conscience not to obey Act. 4.19 And hereupon the three children are commended for not obeying Nabuchadnezzar when he gaue a particular commandement vnto them to fall downe and worship the golden image Dan. 3. Moreouer in that mans law bindes not but by the authoritie of Gods law hence it followes that Gods law alone hath this priuiledge that the breach of it should be a sinne S. Iohn saith 1. epist. 3. Sinne is the anomie or transgression of the law vnderstanding Gods law When Dauid by adulterie and murder had offended many men and that many waies he saith Psal. 51. Against thee against thee haue I sinned And Augustine defined sinne to be some thing said done or desired against the lawe of God Some man may say if this bee so belike then we may breake mens laws without sinne I answer that men in breaking
makes it the propertie of a good man to sweare to his owne hindrance and not to change Psal. 15.4 Quest. II. Whether the oath which a man hath taken beeing induced therto by fraud and guile doth bind conscience Ans. If it be still of a thing lawfull and bring nothing but priuate losses it is to be kept When the Gibeonites had by a fraud brought Iosua to make a league with them and to bind it with an oath he and the Princes of the people answer them thus We haue sworne vnto them by the Lord God of Israel now therefore we may not touch them Ios. 9. 19. And 300. yeares after when Saul slue certaine of the Gibeonites against this oath the plague was vpon the people of Israel three yeares and was not staied till certaine persons of Sauls familie for a recompence were put to death 2. Sam. 21.7 Quest. III. Whether an oath made by feare or compulsion bind in conscience For example A thiefe disappointed of the bootie which he looked for bindes the true man by solemne oath vpon paine of present death to fetch and deliuer vnto him some portion of money as one 100. or 200. crownes for the redeeming of his life Well the oath is taken and the question is whether it bind him or not to performe his promise An answer may be this some Protestant diuines thinke it doth bind some againe thinke no but I take it the safest course to hold the meane betweene both on this manner The oath seemes to binde and is to be performed neither is it against the good of the common-wealth for then it were vnlawfull but it is rather a furtherance in that a member thereof is preserued and the losses which follow are onely priuate to the man rather to be endured then losse of life Yet that a remedie may be had of this priuate iniurie and that a publike mischiefe may be preuented the partie is to reueale the matter to the Magistrate whose office it is to punish robbers and to order all things according to equitie for the common good But if the case fal out that the man through exceeding feare doe further sweare to keepe silence I see not how his oath may be kept except he be sure that nothing will ensue thereof but a priuate domage to himselfe For otherwise perpetuall silence seemes to be a secret consenting to the robber and an occasion that others fall into the like danger and hazard of their liues Againe in sixe cases an oath bindes nothing at all I. If it be made of a thing that is flat against the word of God For all the power of binding which it hath is by the word of God and therefore when it is against Gods will it hath no power to constraine And it is an old receiued rule that an oath must not be a bond of iniquitie Hereupon Dauid when he made a rash oath to kill Nabal and all his houshold reioyced when he had occasion offered by Abigail to breake the same 1. Sam. 23.32 And though he sware to Shemi that he would saue his life 2. Sam. 19. 23. yet afterward vpon better consideration as it may seeme he commaunded his sonne Salomon to put him to death as one that had long ago deserued the same 1. King 2.9 And Herod was farre deceiued that thought he was bound by his oath to giue to the damsell Iohn Baptists head in a platter Matth. 14.7 II. If it be against the good and wholesome laws of any kingdome or countrey whereof a man is a member it bindes not at all because on the contrarie Gods commandement bindes vs to keepe the good laws of men III. If it be made by such persons as want sufficient reason and discretion as young children fooles madde men For the conscience can not indeede be bound where the vnderstanding can not discerne what is done IV. If it be made of such as haue no power to bind themselues it binds not because it is made against the law of nature which is that he which is not in his owne power can not binde himselfe Hence it follows that Papists erre grossely when they teach that a child may enter into any rule or order of religion yea binde himselfe thereto by oath and the oath to be good flat against his parents consent Num. 30.4 If a woman vow vnto the Lord and binde her selfe by a hond beeing in her fathers house in the time of her youth c. v. 6. If her father disallow her the same day that he heareth all her vowes and bonds they shall not be of value And an ancient Council decreed that all children that vpon pretence of Gods worship should depart from their parents and not doe them due reuerence should be accursed Secondly they erre in that they teach that the promise made priuately by a child in way of marriage without and against consent of wise and careful parents binds them whereas indeed if this promise were further bound by an oth it could not stand because children vnder gouernment and tuition of parents can not giue themselues V. It bindes not if it be made of a thing that is out of a mans power as if a man sweare to his friend to giue him an other mans goods VI. If at the first it were lawfull and afterward by some meanes become either impossible or vnlawfull it binds not conscience For when it becomes impossible then we may safely thinke that God from heauen frees a man from his oath And when it begins to be vnlawfull then it ceaseth to bind because the binding vertue is onely in and from the word of God For example A king bindes himselfe by oath to a forraine Christian Prince to find him men and money to defend his people against all enemies This oath is lawfull Well afterward the Prince becomes a professed enemie to him his religion and people and then the kings oath becomes vnlawful binds him not because the word forbids that there should be any league of amitie with Gods enemies though there may be leagues of concord with thē Seeing a lawfull oath must bind conscience though a man be deceiued great losses follow it shewes in how great reuerence we should haue Gods name and with what care and consideration take an oath And by this we must be aduertised to take heede of customable swearing in our cōmon talke whether our oathes be great or small We must thinke of an oath as a part of Gods worshippe nay the holy Ghost often puts it for the whole worship of God Esa. 19.18 In that day shall fiue cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan and shall sweare by the Lord of hostes that is acknowledge and worship him Ierem. 12.16 If they will learne the waies of my people to sweare by my name The Lord liueth then shall they bee built in the middest of my people This serues to shewe vnto vs that such
sinne in no man after baptisme is voluntarie and therefore no sinne Ans. The proposition is a polliticke rule pertaining to the courts of men and must be vnderstood of such actions as are done of one man to another and it doth not belong to the court of conscience which God holdeth and keepeth in mens hearts in which euery want of conformitie to the lawe is made a sinne Secondly I answer that originall sin was voluntarie in our first parent Adam for he sinned brought this miserie vpon vs willingly though in vs it be otherwise vpon iust cause Actual sinne was first in him and then originall corruption but in vs originall corruption is first and then actuall sinne Obiect III. Where the forme of any thing is taken away there the thing it selfe ceaseth also but after baptisme in the regenerate the forme of originall sinne that is the guilt is quite remooued and therefore sinne ceaseth to be sin Answ. The guilt or obligation to punishment is not the forme of originall corruption but as we say in schooles an accident or necessarie companion thereof The true forme of originall sinne◠is a defect and depriuation of that which the lawe requireth at our hands in our minde will affections and in al the powers both of soule and bodie But they vrge this reason further saying where the guilt punishment is taken away there is no fault remaining but after baptisme the guilt and punishment is remooued and therefore though originall corruption remaine it is not as a fault to make vs guiltie before God but onely as a weakenes Ans. Guilt is remooued and not remooued It is remooued from the person regenerate which stands not guiltie for any sinne originall or actuall but Guilt is not remooued from the sin it selfe or as some answer there bee two kindes of guilt actuall and potentiall The actuall guilt is whereby sinne maketh man stand guiltie before God and that is remooued in the regenerate But the potentiall guilt which is an aptnesse in sin to make a man stand guiltie if he sinne that is not remooued and therefore still sinne remaineth sinne To this or like effect saith Augustine Wee say that the guilt of concupiscence not whereby it is Guiltie for that is not a person but that whereby it made man guiltie from the beginning is pardoned and that the thing it selfe is euill so as the regenerate desire to be healed of this plague Obiect III. Lastly for our disgrace they alleadge that we in our doctrine teach that originall sinne after baptisme is onely clipped or pared like the haire of a mans head whose roots still remaine in the flesh growing and increasing after they are cut as before Answ. Our doctrine is abused for in the paring of any thing as in cutting of the haire or in lopping a tree the roote remaines vntouched and thereupon multiplieth as before But in the mortification of originall sinne after baptisme we hold no such paring but teach that in the very first instant of the conuersion of a sinner sinne receiueth his deadly wound in the roote neuer afterward to be recouered The third point Certentie of saluation I. Our Consent I. Concl. We holde and beleeue that a man in this life may be certain of saluation and the same thing doth the Church of Rome teach and holde II. Concl. We hold and beleeue that a man is to put a certaine affiance in Gods mercie in Christ for the saluation of his soule and the same thing by common consent holdeth the foresaid Church this point maketh not the difference betweene vs. III. Concl. We hold that with assurance of saluation in our hearts is ioyned doubting and there is no man so assured of his saluation but he at sometime doubteth thereof especially in the time of temptation and in this the Papists agree with vs and we with them IV. Concl. They goe further and say that a man may be certaine of the saluation of men or of the Church by Catholike faith and so say we V. Concl. Yea they hold that a man by faith may be assured of his own saluation through extraordinarie reuelatiō as Abrahā others were so doe we VI. They teach that we are to be certaine of our saluation by speciall faith in regard of God that promiseth though in regard of our selues and our indisposition we can not and in the former point they consent with vs. II. The dissent or difference The very maine point of difference lies in the manner of assurance I. Concl. We hold that a man may bee certaine of his saluation in his owne conscience euen in this life and that by an ordinarie aud speciall faith They hold that a man is certaine of his saluation onely by hope both of vs holde a certainty we by faith they by hope II. Concl. Further we hold and auouch that our certainety by true faith is vnfallible they say their cetaintie is onely probable III. Conclus And further though both of vs say that we haue confidence in Gods mercy in Christ for our saluation yet we doe it with some difference For our confidence commeth from certen and ordinarie faith theirs from hope ministring as they say but a coniecturall certentie Thus much of the difference now let vs see the reasons too and fro III. Obiections of Papists Obiect I. Where there is no word there is no faith for these two are relatiues but there is no word of God saying Cornelius beleeue thou Peter beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued And therefore there is no such ordinarie faith to beleeue a mans owne particular saluation Ans. The proposition is false vnlesse it be supplied with a clause on this manner Where there is no word of promise nor any thing that doth counteruaile a particular promise there is no faith But say they there is no such particular word It is true God doth not speak to men particularly Beleeue thou thou shalt be saued But yet doth he that which is answerable hereunto in that he giueth a generall promise with a commandement to applie the same and hath ordained the holy ministerie of the word to applie the same to the persons of the hearers in his owne name and that is as much as if the Lord himselfe should speake to men particularly To speake more plainely in the Scripture the promises of saluation be indefinitely propounded it saith not any where if Iohn will beleeue he shall be saued or if Peter will beleeue he shall be saued but whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued Now then comes the minister of the word who standing in the roome of God and in the stead of Christ himselfe takes the indefinite promises of the Gospel and laies them to the hearts of euery particular man and this in effect is as much as if Christ himselfe should say Cornelius beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued Peter beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued It is answered that this applying of the
And this I take to be the meaning of this text which speaketh not of iustification by faith but onely of the practice of common duties which faith putteth in execution by the helpe of loue III. Reason Faith is neuer alone therefore it doth not iustifie alone Ans. The reason is naught and they might as well dispute thus The eie is neuer alone from the head and therefore it seeth not alone which is absurd And though in regard of substance the eie be neuer alone yet in regard of seeing it is alone and so though faith subsist not without loue and hope and other graces of god yet in regard of the act of iustification it is alone without thē al. IV. Reason If faith alone doe iustifie then we are saued by faith alone but we are not saued by faith alone and therefore not iustified by faith alone Ans. The proposition is false for more things are requisite to the maine ende then to the subordinate meanes And the assumption is false for wee are saued by faith alone if we speake of faith as it is an instrument apprehending Christ for our saluation V. Reason We are saued by hope therefore not by faith alone Ans. Wee are saued by hope not because it is any cause of our saluation Pauls meaning is onely this that we haue not saluation as yet in possession but waite patiently for it in time to come to be possessed of vs expecting the time of our full deliuerance that is all that can iustly be gathered hence Nowe the doctrine which we teach on the contrarie is That a sinner is iustified before God by faith yea by faith alone The meaning is that nothing within man and nothing that man can do either by nature or by grace concurreth to the act of iustification before God as any cause thereof either efficient material formal or final but faith alone all other gifts graces as hope loue the feare of God are necessarie to saluation as signes thereof cōsequents of faith Nothing in mā cōcurs as any cause to this work but by faith alone And faith it selfe is no principall but onely an instrumentall cause whereby we receiue apprehend and apply Christ and his righteousnesse for our iustificatiō Reason I. Ioh. 3.14,15 As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life In these words Christ makes a comparison on this maner when any one of the Israelites were stung to death by fierie serpents his cure was not by any phisicke surgerie but onely by the casting of his eies vp to the brasen serpent which Moses had erected by Gods commandement euen so in the cure of our soules when we are stung to death by sinne there is nothing required within vs for our recouery but onely that we cast vp and fixe the eye of our faith on Christ and his righteousnes Reason II. The exclusiue formes of speech vsed in scripture prooue thus much We are iustified freely not of the lawe not by the lawe without the lawe without workes not of workes not according to workes not of vs not by the workes of the lawe but by faith Gal. 2.16 All boasting excluded onely beleeue Luk. 8.50 These distinctions whereby workes and the lawe are excluded in the work◠of iustification doe include thus much that faith alone doth iustifie Reason III. Very reason may teach thus much for no gift in man is apt fit as a spirituall hand to receiue apply Christ and his righteousnes vnto a sinner but faith Indeede loue hope the feare of God and repentance haue their seuerall vses in men but none serue for this ende to apprehend Christ and his merits none of them all haue this receiuing propertie and therefore there is nothing in man that iustifieth as a cause but faith alone Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church Ambr. on Rom. 4. They are blessed to whome without any labour or worke done iniquities are remitted and sinne couered no workes or repentance required of them but onely that they beleeue And cap. 3. Neither working any thing nor requiting the like are they iustified by faith alone through the gift of God And 1. Cor. 1. this is appointed of God that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall be saued without any worke by faith alone freely receiuing remission of sinnes Augustine There is one propitiation for all sinnes to beleeue in Christ. Hesyc on Leuit. lib. 1. c. 2. Grace which is of mercy is apprehended by faith alone and not of workes Bernard Whosoeuer is pricked for his sinnes and thirsteth after righteousnes let him beleeue in thee who iustifieth the sinner and beeing iustified by Faith alone he shall haue peace with God Chrysost. on Gal. 3. They said he which resteth on faith alone◠is accursed but Paul sheweth that he is blessed which resteth on faith alone Basil. de Humil. Let man acknowledge himselfe to want true iustice and that he is iustified onely by faith in Christ. Origen on c. 3. Rom. Wee thinke that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe and he saith iustification by faith alone sufficeth so as a man onely beleeuing may be iustified And therefore it lieth vpon vs to search who was iustified by faith without works And for an exāple I thinke vpon the theife who beeing crucified with Christ cried vnto him Lord remember me when thou cōmest into thy kingdome and there is no other good worke of his mentioned in the Gospell but for this alone faith Iesus saith vnto him This night thou shalt be with me in paradise III. Difference The third difference about iustification is concerning this point namely how farreforth good workes are required thereto The doctrine of the Church of Rome is that there be two kinds of iustification the first and the second as I haue said The first is when one of an euill man is made a good man and in this workes are wholly excluded it beeing wholly of grace The second is when a man of a iust man is made more iust And this they will haue to proceede from workes of grace for say they as a man when he is once borne can by eating and drinking make himselfe a bigger man though he could not at the first make himselfe a man euen so a sinner hauing his first iustification may afterward by grace make himselfe more iust Therefore they hold these two things I. that good works are meritorious causes of the second iustification which they tearme Actual II. that good works are means to increase the first iustificatiō which they cal habitual Now let vs see how farforth we must ioyne with them in this point Our consent therefore stands in three conclusions I. That good workes done by them that are iustified doe please God and are approoued of him and therefore haue a reward II. Good workes are necessarie to saluation two
it before a stranger eating himselfe and bidding the stranger also to eate who refusing and professing himselfe to be a Christian therefore saith he the rather must thou doe it for to the pure all things are pure as the word of God teacheth vs. But they obiect Ier. 35. where Ionadab commanded the Rechabites to abstaine from wine which commandement they obeyedâ— and are commended for doing well in obeying of it therefore say they some kinde of meates may lawfully be forbiddenâ— Ans. Ionadab gaue this commandement not in way of religion or merit but for other wise and politicke regardes For he inioyned his posteritie not to drinke wine not to build houses not to sow â—eed or plant vineyards or to haue any in possession but to liue intents to the ende they might be prepared to beare the calamities that should befall them in time to come But the Popish abstineâ—ce from certaine meates hath respect to conscience and religion and therefore is of an other kinde and can haue no warrant thence II. Obiect Dan. 10.3 Daniel beeing in heauines for three weekes of daies abstained from flesh and his example is our warrant Ans. It was the manner of holy men in auncient times when they fasted many daies together of their owne accords freely to abstaine from sundrie things and thus Daniel abstained from flesh But the popish abstinence from flesh is not free but stands by commandement and the omitting of it is mortall sinne Againe if they will follow Daniel in abstaining from flesh why doe they not also abstaine from all pleasant bread and wine yea from oyntments and why will they eate any thing in the time of their fast whereas they can not shew that Daniel ate any thing at all till euening And Molanus hath noted that our ancetours abstained from wine and dainties and that some of them ate nothing for two or three daies together Thirdly they alleadge the diet of Iohn Baptist whose meate was Locusts and wild honie and of Timothie who abstained from wine Ans. Their kind of diet and that abstinence which they vsed was onely for temperance sake not for conscience or to merit any thing thereby let them prooue the contrarie if they can Thirdly and lastly we dissent from them touching certaine ends of fasting For they make abstinence it selfe in a person fitly prepared to be a part of the worship of God but we take it to be a thing indifferent in it selfe therfore no part of Gods worship and yet withall being well vsed we esteeme it as a proppe or furtherance of the worship in that we are made the fitter by it to worship God And hereupon some of the more learned sort of them say Not the worke of fasting done but the deuotion of the worker is to be reputed the seruice of God Againe they say that fasting in or with deuotion is a worke of satisfaction to Gods iustice for the temporall punishment of our sinnes Wherein we take it they doe blasphemously derogate from Christ our Sauiour who is the whole and perfect satisfaction for sinne both in respect of fault and punishment Here they alleadge the example of the Nineuites and Achabs fasting whereby they turned away the iudgements of God denounced against theÌ„ by his Prophets We answer that Gods wrath was appeased towards the Nineuites not by their fasting but by faith laying hold on Gods mercie in Christ thereby staying his iudgement Their fasting was onely a signe of their repentance their repentance a fruit and signe of their faith whereby they beleeued the preaching of â—onas As for Ahabs humiliation it is nothing to the purpose for it was in hyprocrisie if they get any thing thereby let them take it to themselues To conclude we for our parts doe not condemne this exercise of fasting but the abuse of it and it were to be wished that fasting were more vsed of all Christians in all places considering the lord doth daily giue vs new and speciall occasions of publike and priuate fasting The XIII point Of the state of perfection Our consent Our consent I will set downe in two conclusions I. All true beleeuers haue a state of true perfection in this life Matthew 5.48 Be you perfect as your father in heauen is perfect Gen. 6.9 Noah was a iust and perfect man in his time walked with God Gen. 17.1 Walke before me and be perfect And sundrie kings of Iuda are said to walke vprightly before god with a perfect heart as Dauid Iosias Hezekias c. And Paul accounteth himselfe with the rest of the faithfull to be perfect saying Let vs all that are perfect bee thus minded Phil. 3.15 Nowe this perfection hath two parts The first is the imputation of Christs perfect obedience which is the ground and fountaine of all our perfection whatsoeuer Heb. 10.14 By one offering that is by his obedience in his death passion hath he consecrated or made perfect for euer them that beleeue The second part of Christian perfection is synceritie or vprightnes standing in two things The first is to acknowledge our imperfection and vnworthines in respect of our selues and hereupon though Paul had said he was perfect yet he addeth further that he did account of himselfe not as though he had attained to perfection but did forget the good things behinde and indeauoured himselfe to that which was before Here therefore it must be remembred that the perfection whereof I speake may stand with sundrie wants and imperfections It is said of Asa that his heart was perfect with God all his daies and yet hee pulled not downe the high places and beeing diseased in his feete he put his trust in the phisitians and not in the Lord. Secondly this vprightnes standes in a constant purpose endeauour and care to keepe not some fewe but all and euery commandement of the lawe of God as Dauid saith Psal. 119.6 Then shall I not bee confounded when I haue respect to all thy commandements And this endeauour is a fruite of perfection in that it proceedes from a man regenerate For as all men through Adams fall haue in them by nature the seedes of all sinne none excepted no not the sinne against the holy ghost so by grace of regeneration through Christ all the faithfull haue in them likewise the seedes of all vertues needfull to saluation and hereupon they both can and do endeauour to yeeld perfect obedience vnto God according to the whole lawe And they may bee tearmed perfect as a child is called a perfect man though it want perfection of age and stature and reason yet hath it perfection of parts because it hath all and euery part and facultie both of bodie and soule that is required to a perfect man Conclus II. There be certaine works of supererogation that is such works as are not onely answerable to the law and thereupon deserue life euerlasting but goe beyond the lawe and merit more then the law by
it selfe can make any man to merit But where may wee finde these workes not in the person of any meere man or angel nor in all men and angels but onely in the person of Christ God and man whose workes are not onely answerable to the perfection of the lawe but goe farre beyond the same For first the obedience of his life considered alone by it selfe was answerable euen to the rigour of the lawe and therefore the sufferings of his death and passion were more then the lawe could require at his hand considering it requireth no punishment of him that is a doer of all things contained therein Secondly the very rigour of the lawe requireth obedience onely of them that are meere men but the obedience of Christ was the obedience of a person that was both God and man Thirdly the lawe requires personall obedience that is that euery man fulfill the law for himselfe and it speakes of no more Christ obeyed the law for himselfe not because hee did by his obedience merit his owne glorie but because he was to be a perfect and pure high priest not onely in nature but also in life and as he was a creature he was to be conformable to the lawe Nowe the obedience which Christ performed was not for himselfe alone but it serueth also for all the elect considering it was the obedience of God as Paul signified when he said feede the Church of God which he purchased with his blood it was sufficient for many thousand worlds by reason the lawe requireth no obedience of him that is God this obedience therefore may truely be tearmed a worke of supererrogation This one wee acknowledge and beside this we dare acknowledge none And thus farre we agree with the Church of Rome in the doctrine of the estate of perfection and further wee dare not goe The difference The Papists hold as the writings of the learned among them teach that a man beeing in the state of grace may not onely keep all the commandements of the lawe and thereby deserue his owne saluation but also goe beyonde the lawe and doe workes of supererrogation which the lawe requireth not as to performe the vowe of single life and the vow of regular obedience c. And by this meanes they say men deserue a greater degree of glorie then the lawe can affoard Of perfection they make two kinds one they call necessarie perfection which is the fulfilling of the lawe in euery commandement whereby eternall life is deserued The second is profitable perfection when men doe not onely such things as the law requires but ouer and besides they make certain vowes and performe certaine other duties which the law inioynes not for the doing whereof they shall bee rewarded with a greater measure of glory then the lawe designeth This they make plaine by comparison Two souldiers fight in the fielde vnder one and the same captaine the one onely keepes his standing and thereby deserues his paie the other in keeping of his place doth also winne the enemies standard or doe some other notable exploit now this man besides his pay deserues some greater reward And thus say they it is with all true Catholikes in the state of grace they that keep the law shall haue life eternall but they that doe more then the lawe as workes of supererrogation shall be crowned with greater glorie This is their doctrine But we on the contrarie teach that albeit we are to striue to a perfection as much as we can yet no man can fulfill the lawe of God in this life much lesse doe workes of supererrogation for the confirmation whereof these reasons may be vsed I. In the morall lawe two things are commanded First the loue of God and mā Secondly the manner of this loue nowe the manner of louing God is to loue him with all our heart and strength Luk. 10.27 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength and with all thy thought c. As Bernard said The measure of louing god is to loue him without measure and that is to loue him with the greatest perfection of loue that can befall a creature Hence it followes that in louing God no man can possibly doe more then the lawe requireth and therfore the performance of all vowes whatsoeuer all like duties comes short of the intention or scope of the law II Reason The compasse of the law is large comprehendeth in it more then the minde of man can at the first conceiue for euery commandement hath two parts the negatiue and the affirmatiue In the negatiue is forbidden not onely the capitall sinne named as murther theft adulterie c. but all sinns of the same kinde with all occasions and prouocations thereto And in the affirmatiue is commanded not onely the contrarie vertues as the loue of God and the loue of our neigbours honour life chastitie goods good name but the vse of all helpes and meanes whereby the saide vertues may bee preserued furthered and practised Thus hath our Sauiour Christ himselfe expounded the lawe Math. 5.6 vpon this plaine ground I conclude that all duties pertaining to life and manners come within the list of some morall commandement And that the Papists making their works of supererrogation meanes to further the loue of God and man must needes bring them vnder the compasse of the lawe Vnder which if they be they cannot possibly goe beyonde the same Reason III. Luk. 17.10 When ye haue done all those things that are commanded vs we are vnprofitable seruāts we haue done that which was our duty to do The Papists answer that we are vnprofitable to God but not to our selues but this shift of theirs is beside the very intent of the place For a seruant in doing his duty is vnprofitable euen to himselfe and doth not so much as deserue thanks at his masters hand as Christ saith v 9◠Doeth he thanke that seruant Secondly they answer that we are vnprofitable seruants in doing things commanded yet when we doe things prescribed in the way of counsell we may profit our selues and merit thereby But this aunswere doeth not stand with reason For things commanded in that they are commaunded are more excellent then things left to our libertie because the will and commandement of God giues excellencie and goodnesse vnto them Againe counsells are thought to bee harder then the commandements of the lawe and if men cannot profit themselues by obedience of morall precepts which are more easie much lesse shall they be able to profit themselues by counsels which are of greater difficultie Reason IV. If it be not in the abilitie and power of man to keepe the lawe then much lesse is he able to doe any worke that is beyond and aboue all the lawe requireth but no man is able to fulfill the lawe and therefore no man is able to supererrogate Here the papists denie the proposition for say they
though we keepe not the lawe yet we may doe things of counsell aboue the lawe and thereby merit But by their leaues they speake absurdly for in common reason if a man faile in the lesse he cannot but faile in the greater Nowe as I haue said in popish doctrine it is easier to obey the morall lawe then to performe the counsells of perfection Obiections of Papists 1. Isay 56.4 The Lord saith vnto Eunuches that keep his sabbath and choose the thing that pleaseth him will hee giue a place and name better then the sonnes and daughters Nowe say they an Eunuch is one that liues a single life and keepes the vowe of chastitie and hereupon hee is saide to deserue a greater measure of glorie Answ. If the wordes bee well considered they prooue nothing lesse for honour is promised to Eunuches not because they make performe the vowe of single life but because as the text saith they obserue the Lords sabbath and choose the thing that pleaseth God and keepe his couenant which is to beleeue the word of God and to obey the commandemēts of the morall lawe Obiect II. Mark 16.12 Christ saith There are some which haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen therefore the vowe of single life is warrantable and is a worke of speciall glorie in heauen Ans. The meaning of the text is that some hauing receiued the gift of continencie do willingly content themselues with single estate that they may with more liberty without distraction further the good estate of the Church of God or the kingdome of grace in themselues others This is all that can be gathered out of this place hence therefore cannot be gathered the merit of euerlasting glorie by single life Obiect III. Math. 9.21 Christ saith to the young man If thou wilt be perfect goe sell that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen Therefore say they a man by forsaking all may merit not onely heauen but also treasure there that is an exceeding measure of glorie Ans. This yong man beeing in likelihood a strickt Pharise thought to merit eternall life by the workes of the law as his first question importeth Good master what shall I doe to be saued and therefore Christ goeth about to discouer vnto him the secret corruption of his heart And hereupon the wordes alleadged are a commandement of triall not common to all but especially to him The like commandement gaue the Lord to Abraham saying Abraham take thine onely sonne Isaac and offer him vpon the mountaine which I shall shew thee Gen. 12.2 IV. Obiect 1. Cor. 7.8 Paul saith It is good for all to be single as he was and v. 38. he saith it is better for virgins not to marrie and this he speakes by permission not by commandement v. 26. Answ. Here single life is not preferred simply but onely in respect of the present necessitie because the Church was then vnder persecution and because such as liue a single life are freed from the cares and distractions of the world V. Obiect 1. Cor. 9.15,17,18 Paul preached the gospell freely and that was more then he was bound to doe and for so doing hee had a reward Answ. It was generally in Pauls libertie to preach the gospel freely or not to doe it but in Corinth vpon special circumstances he was bound in conscience to preach it freely as he did by reason of the false teachers who would otherwise haue taken occasion to disgrace his ministery and haue hindred the glorie of God Now it was Pauls dutie by all means to preuent the hinderances of the gospel and the glory of god and if he had not so done he had abused his liberty v. 18. Therefore he did no more in that case then the lawe it selfe required For an action indifferent or an action in our libertie ceaseth to bee in our libertie and becomes morall in the case of offence What is more free and indifferent then to eate flesh yet in the case of offence Paul said he would not eate flesh as long as the world stood 1. Cor. 8.13 The XIV point Of the worshipping of Saints specially of Inuocation Our consent Conclus I. The true Saints of God as Prophets Apostles and Martyrs and such like are to be worshipped and honoured and that three waies I. by keeping a memorie of them in godly manner Thus the Virgin Marie as a prophetesse foretelleth that all nations shall call her blessed Luk. 1.48 When a certaine woman poured a boxe of oyntment on the head of Christ he saith this fact shall be spoken in remembrance of her wheresoeuer that Gospell should be preached throughout the world Mark 14.9 This dutie also was practised by Dauid toward Moses Aaron Phineas and the rest that are commended Psal. 105. and 106. and by the author of the epistle to the Ebrewes vpon the Patriarkes and Prophets and many others that excelled in faith in the times of the old and new testament II. They are to be honoured by giuing of thankes to God for them and the benefits that God vouchsafed by them vnto his Church Thus Paul saith that when the Churches heard of his cōuersion they glorified God for him or in him Gal. 1.13 And the like is to be done for the Saints departed III. They are to be honoured by an imitation of their faith humilitie meeknes repentance the feare of God and all good vertues wherein they excelled For this cause the examples of godly men in the old and new testament are called a cloud of witnesses by allusion for as the cloud did guide the Israelites through the wildernes to the land of Canaan so the faithfull now are to be guided to the heauenly Canaan by the examples of good men that haue beleeued in God before vs and haue walked the strait way to life euerlasting Concl. II. Againe their true Reliques that is their vertues and good examples left to all posteritie to be followed we keepe and respect with due reuerence Yea if any man can shew vs the bodily relique of any true Saint and prooue it so to be though we will not worship it yet will we not despise it but keepe it as a monument if it may conueniently be done without offence And thus farre we consent with the church of Rome Further we must not goe The dissent Our difference standes in the manner of worshipping of Saints The Papists make two degrees of religious worship The highest they call Latria whereby God himselfe is worshipped and that alone The second lower then the former is called Doulia whereby the Saints and Angels that be in the speciall fauour of God and glorified with euerlasting glorie in heauen are worshipped This worship they place in outward adoration in bending of the knee and bowing of the body to them being in heauen in inuocation whereby they call vpon them in dedication of Churches and houses of religion vnto them in sabbaths and festiuall