not reueale them neither doeth the naturall man vnderstande those thinges which are of the Spirit * 1 Cor. 2.14 but the doctrine of God is rather to him foolishnesse Therefore the aide of the holie Ghost is necessarie or rather he is his onely power The word of God is indeed like to the Sunne which shineth to all those to whom it is preached A similitude but with no frute among the blind Note But we which are by nature blind are enlightened by the Spirit 35 Thereupon Paule calleth the Spirit of faith faith not that which we haue naturallie 1 Cor. 4.13 but that which we haue of the Spirit* Therefore he prayeth that God would fulfil in the Thessaloniās all his good pleasure and the work of faith in power* 2. Thess 1.11 For faith is a singular gift Faith is the gift of God which God giueth to whome he will 36 But it is certaine that the minde is not sufficiently illuminate by the vnderstanding and knowledge of the worde vnlesse the certaintie thereof do likewise pearce into the heart both which the Spirite worketh A similitude Eph. 1.13 Therefore he serueth in steed of a seale to seale those promises in our heartes* the certaintie whereof he had before imprinted in our mindes 37 Obiect That confirmation is in vaine Faith is shaken but not ouercome when as faith is tossed and shaken with continuall storms of temptations An. But it is not ouercome because God is the protection aide tower and buckler of the faithful* Psal 13.6 47 3. 27.1 Onely we haue neede of patience* 38 Obiect We can not otherwise be perswaded of the grace and fauour of God toward vs Patience is necessarie Heb. 10.36 Sorbonists Coniectures are contrarie to faith but only by a moral coniecture as euerie one doth think him selfe not to be vnworthie therof An. Nothing is more contrarie to faith then cōiectures Obiect No man knoweth whether he be worthy of hatred or of loue* Eccle. 9.1 An. This place is corruptly translated Salomon his meaning is The sense If anie man will esteeme and iudge by the present state of thinges whome God loueth and whome he hateth he shall take paines in vaine seeing all thinges fall out a like to the iust and the vniust to him that offereth sacrifice and to him that offereth none To know certainly is not to presume 39 Obiect It is a point of rash presumption for a man to chalenge and attribute to him self the certaine knowledge of the good will of God An. I graunt if we tooke so much vpon vs as to make the incomprehensible counsell of God subiect to the slendernesse of our wit But we say simplie with Paule* 1 Cor. 2.12 That we haue not receaued the spirite of this world but the Spirit which is of God who being our teacher we knowe those things which are giuen vs of God Obiect It is rashnesse to boast of the Spirite of God Rom. 8 14. Ioh. 11. An. But Paule pronounceth that they onely are the children of God which are led by his Spirite He being our guide we call God father* and wee knowe assuredly that we be the children of God 40 Obiect Although we may iudge of the grace of God according to the present state of righteousnesse yet the knowledge of perseuering vnto the ende hangeth in doubt Perseuerance Rom. 8.38 An. I am fully perswaded saith Paule* that neither Angels nor powers nor principalities c. shall separate vs from the loue wherewith the Lord loueth vs in Christ Ob. The Apostle had that by an especiall reuelatiō An. But he handleth in that place those good things which al the faithful in general haue by faith and not those which he him selfe alone doth seale Obiect But the same Paul in another place doth terrifie vs by making mention of our weakenesse inconstancie Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall* 1 Cor. 10.12 An. But not with feare and terrour whereby we may be throwen downe but whereby we may learne to humble our selues vnder the mightie hand of God as Peter declareth* 1 Pet. 3.6 41 By these things which we haue alreadie sayd we see that the definition of faith which we set downe varieth not from the Apostles description Where he teacheth that faith is the substance of things to be hoped for What faith is Heb. 11.1 and a certaintie of thinges that are not seene* Obiect Loue is before faith and hope also An. Yea faith alone bringeth forth loue Faith is the mother of loue euerie good worke besides 42 Nowe whersoeuer this faith shall be it can not be but that it hath hope of eternall saluation ioyned with it as an vnseparable companion Faith hath hope for her companyon or rather that it begetteth and bringeth it forth of it self Faith beleeueth that God is true hope waiteth and looketh that in conuenient time he shew his truth Note faith beleeueth that he is our father hope waiteth and looketh that he do alwayes so shewe him selfe toward vs faith is the foundation wherupon hope resteth 43 By reason of this affinitie the Scripture doth sometimes confounde the worde of faith and of hope* Faith and hope are sometymes confounded 1 Pet. 3.4 Obiect Hope hath a double foundatiō the grace of God and merit of workes An. The whole Scripture doeth teach that hope must looke vnto the mercie of God alone Lombardus his error as it were with both eyes as vnto the marke which is common to her as well as to faith CHAP. III. That we are regenerate by faith where repentance is handled The partes of the Gospell 1 THerefore faith doth possesse Christ doth rest vpon the Gospell which hath two parts repentance and remission of sinnes Christ geueth both and we obtaine both by faith And repentāce proceedeth from faith as frute from a tree Repentance proceedeth from faith 2 Obiect Christ and Iohn in their sermons do first exhort the people vnto repentance and then afterward they adde that the kingdome of heauen was at hand* Therfore repentaunce goeth before faith Mat. 3.2 which we haue by the Gospell An. We must not superstitiously stick to the placing of syllables For it is all one as if they should say because the kingdome of heauen is at hande therefore repent For in the Prophet that voyce is commaunded to begin with consolation and glad tidings* Isay 40 3. The partes of repentance 3 Certaine learned men haue sayd that repentance consisteth in two parts in mortification and viuification They interprete mortification to be the sorowe and terrour of minde conceaued of the knowledge of sinne Mortification and the feeling of the iudgement of God Viuification and viuification to be the consolation which ariseth of faith to wit when a man being throwen downe with the conscience feeling of his sinne and
treasure A similitude Faith an instrument For faith is the onelye instrument to receaue righteousnesse in Christ who is the materiall cause authour and minister 8 Obiect By the ministerie of the external word the internall is receiued Therefore Christe being God and man is made vnto vs righteousnesse in respect of his Godhead not of his manhood An. He is made vnto vs righteousnesse as he is man the mediatour and that which was from euerlasting cannot conueniently be saied to be made to vs. Ios 51.10 Obiect The Lorde shall bee our righteousnesse* An. Hee speaketh of Christ who being God reuealed in the flesh is made our righteousnes 9 Obiect This worke of iustifiying doth by his excellencie exceed the nature of man and therefore it cannot but bee ascribed to the diuine nature An. I graunt Obiect Therefore the diuine nature alone doth iustifie vs. An. It doth not follow for although Christ could neither by his blood purge our soules nor appease the father by his sacrifice Christ doth iustifie as he is man nor deliuer vs from giltinesse vnlesse he had been verie God yet it is certaine that he did all these thinges according to his humane nature For wee are iustified by the obedience of Christ* Rom. 5.19 and he did no otherwise obey but as he tooke vpon him the nature of a seruant therefore we haue righteousnesse giuen vs in his flesh 2 Pet. 1.4 10 Obiect By Christ saith Peter we haue precious and most great promises giuen vs that wee shoulde bee made partakers of the nature of God An. Iohn expoundeth that of the last cōming of Christ 1 Ioh. 3.2 that we should then see God as he is because we shall be like to him 11 Obiect It is an absurd thing to say that the word Iustifie is a lawe tearme To Iustifie is a lawe terme so that it is all one as to absolue seeing that wee must bee righteous in deede An. God doth iustifie both by acquitting or absoluing and also by pardoning wherupon Paul saith 2 Cor. 5.21 God was in Christ reconciled the world to himselfe in not imputing sinnes to men * Psal 32.1 Rom. 4.7 Also Dauid describeth righteousnes without workes thus they are blessed whose iniquities are forgiuen Obiect It is contrarie to God and his nature to iustifie those which doe in deede continue wicked An. The grace of iustification is not separate frō regeneration though they be distinct thinges And God doth so beginne regeneration in the elect in whō there remaine alwaies some remnants of sin doth so proceede during the whole course of their life that they are alwaies subiect to the iudgemēt of death before his iudgement seat Rom. 8.33 But he iustifieth* them not in part but freelie that they may appeare in heauen as clothed with the puritie of Christ 12 Obiect Christ is made to vs wisdome which agreeth onlie to the eternall word 1 Cor. 1.30 Therefore neither is Christ as he is man righteousnesse An. The onelie begotten sonne of God was alwaies indeed his eternall wisedome but that which hee had of the father hath hee reuealed vnto vs namely the treasures of wisedome and knowledge* Coll. 2.3 and so the saying of Paul is not referred vnto the essence of the sonne of God but vnto our vse and it is well applied to the humane nature of Christ Obiect They which place saluation in the death of Christ alone make two Gods in denying that we are righteous by the righteousnesse of God An. That which wee haue in Christ doeth come from the grace and fauour of God also that righteousnes which Christ geueth vs is the righteousnes of God Our righteousnes and lyfe is onlye in the death and resurrection of Christ Wee graunt but we hold stedfastly that wee haue righteousnes and life only in the death and resurrection of Christ Obiect That is properly called righteousnes wherby we are moued to do good But God worketh in vs both to will to do* Phil. 2.13 Therefore we haue righteousnes no where els An. God indeed reformeth vs by his spirite vnto holines of life and righteousnes but immediately by his sonne with whom he hath left all the fulnesse of the holie Ghoste that by his aboundance he might supplie the need of his members Ob. Christ himself was iust by the righteousnes of God because vnlesse the will of the father had moued him he himself would not haue satisfied the office committed vnto him Rom. 3.21 5.9 Papists An. Paul saith that Christ hath giuen vs saluation * to shew his owne righteousnes 13 Ob. Righteousnes is cōpoūded of faith works An. These two do so differ that if the one stand the other must needs be ouerthrown Paul counteth all but doung Ph. 3.8 Faith and workes that hee may win Christ * that he may find in him not hauing his owne righteousnes which is of the law but that which is by the faith of Iesus Christ righteousnes which is of God through faith 14 Ob. Paul speaketh of the works which men do before they be regenerate such as were the Iewes But there is a far other respect to be had of spiritual works Spirituall workes For they be fruites of regeneration An. In the cōparison of the righteousnes of the law the righteousnes of the gospell which he maketh* Gal. 3.11.12 Rom. 10.5.9 hee excludeth all maner works with what title soeuer they be adorned For hee teacheth that the righteousnes of the law is The righteousnes of the law that he obtaine saluation which shall perfourme that which the lawe commanudeth The righteousnes of faith and that this is the righteousnes of faith if we beleeue that Christ died and rose again 15 Obiect Faith is a certainetie of the conscience in looking for at Gods hands a rewarde for deserts Also the grace of God is not the imputation of free righteousnes but the holy ghost to the studie of holinesse 16 An. When the scripture speaketh of the righteousnes of faith it leadeth vs to a farre other thing to wit that being turned away frō the beholding of our workes wee may looke onely vnto the mercie of God and the perfection of Christ 17 Furthermore we must diligentlie note The relatiō betweene faith the Gospell that there is some relation between faith the Gospel because faith is said therfore to iustify because it receiueth the saluation imbraceth righteousnes offered in the gospel and wheras it is said to be offred by the gospel therby is excluded all cōsideration of works which Paul sheweth most plainly in 2. places Rom 12.5 Gal. 3.18 Obiect Then the righteousnes which we haue by our owne industrie and will is reiected An. The law profiteth nothing by commanding because there is none that can fulfill it* Rom. 8.2 18 And it is manifest that no man is iustified by the law because the
1583. Your worships most bounden WILLIAM LAWNE A GENERALL TABLE OF THE VVHOLE INSTITVTION OF CHRISTIAN RELIGION COMprehending brieflie the principall poincts VVe haue added to the notes of the bookes and chapters for the more easie finding out of euerie part True wisedome is placed in the knowing of God 1. The Creatour out of the first booke That when we shall see that all things are created for our sakes That the giftes wherein we excell are not of our selues That the good thinges which we vse dayly do come downe from the heauen vnto vs. And that we haue our being in God We may be brought as it were from the streames vnto the fountaine 2. The Redeemer by the Sonne wherein we must consider 2. Booke 1. The fall of man 1. From that excellencie wherin he was created that he might be like to God 2. Vnto that most miserable estate that he may be like the deuill 2. The restoring of man the materiall cause whereof is Christ wherin we must consider three thinges 1. How it is giuen vnto men 1 In the Lawe 2. In the Gospel 2. Howe it is receaued 3 Booke 1. By the power of the holy Spirit 2. By faith as by an hand 3. How God doth kepe vs in the societie of Christ namely by gouernement which is double 4. Booke 1. Ecclesiasticall 2. Ciuill The knowledge of God the Creator is Ingendred in vs naturallie Chap. 1. 1. The end whereof ought to be Chap. 2. The worship of God rightly ordered The reuerence of his name with Chap 3. Feare Loue. 2. But such seede is corrupted Chap. 4. Through ignorance whence cometh superstitious worship Through wickednesse whence commeth Seruile feare Hatred of the godhead Gotten by some other meanes namely by 1. The whole frame of the world which teacheth Chap. 6. 1. Of what sort the 1. Goodnesse 2 Power 3. Iustice 4. Wisdom of God are 1. In creating 1. Heauenlie things 2. Earthly things 2 in preseruing the same by his admininistratiō which is 1. Ordinarie 2. Extraordinary wherein gods prouidence doeth more plainely appeare 2. What our neede is that we may learne 1. To repose our confidence in his Goodnes Power Prouidence 2. To obey his cōmandements Willinglie as sonnes Not resisting as seruants 3. To runne vnto him in our necessitie as vnto the fountaine of all good things 4. To acknowledge that we haue receaued all those giftes which we haue at Gods hands and to thanke him for them 2. By the Scriptures Chap. 6. Reade the next Table vnder the letter A. A God the Creator is also known by the Scriptures wherin we must consider Chap 6. 1. Of what sort they are to wit True as proceeding from the holie spirit of God which is proued Chap. 78. 1. By the testimonie of the holie Ghoste 2. By the efficacie thereof 3. By their antiquitie 4. By the truth of the prophesies 5. By the marueilous preseruation of the law 6. By the calling and writtings of the Apostles 7. By the consent of the Church 8. By the blood of manie Martyrs shed in testimonie thereof Whereby it doth easilie appeare that those brainsick fellowes do ouerthrow all the principles of godlinesse who casting the Scripture behind them do flie to reuelation Chap. 9.10.11.12 2. What they teach to wit of what sort the nature of God is Chap. 13. In it selfe Infinite Wherupon we conclude that They erre who doe attribute vnto God a visible shape as do the idolaters Inuisible Wherupon we conclude that They erre who doe attribute vnto God a visible shape as do the idolaters Eternall Wherupon we conclude that They erre who doe attribute vnto God a visible shape as do the idolaters Omnipotent Wherupon we conclude that They erre who doe attribute vnto God a visible shape as do the idolaters Of one essēce which containeth in it selfe three persons of Chap. 13. 1. The Father 2. The Sonne 3. The holy Ghost In the Creatiō of 1 Heauenlie things as of Angels Chap. 14. Good to the defence of the godlie Euill of Diuels and they are suche not by creation but by corruption Chap. 14. 2. Of earthly thinges as of man whose Cha. 14.15 1. Perfectiō is taught in his Soule Body 2. His fall is set down concerning which looke the table of the second booke In the Administration reade the table following A. A Gods administratiō or gouernment is C. 16. Vniuersall Whereby God doeth gouerne all creatures according to that propertie which he hath geuen to euerie one of them when he created them Particular which is considered in respect 1. Of things Hauing life So that if anie man fall into the handes of robbers Or among wild beasts Or wandring through a wildernesse do find remedie for his thirst Or being tossed with waues do come into some hauen We must ascribe all these euents to God being Prosperous Vnprosperous Without life Which though they haue their property geuen them naturally yet do they not shewe forth their force saue only so farre forth as they are directed by the present hād of god 2. Of time Past that we may know that all thinges come to passe through Gods appointment by working 1. By meanes 2. Without means 3. Against meanes The frutes all thinges turne 1. To the faithfull to good 2. To the vnfaithfull to euill To come Whereunto appertaine mens deliberations Which teacheth vs that wee must vse lawfull meanes for that prouidence whereto we leane hath his meanes The frutes that wee may knowe assuredly Chap 17 1. That god careth for 1. All mankind 2. His Church chieflie 2. God doth 1. Containe by his power All thinges 2. Gouerne by his becke All thinges 3. Moderate by his wisedome All thinges 3 That he hath power enough to do good because He hath in his power Heauen Earth All creatures do obey his becke 4. That nothing cometh to passe by chaunce but by the will of God which is double Chap. 17. Hidden Which we can not search out but wee adore the same reuerently Expressed in the Lawe Gospell The knowledge of God the redeemer appeareth Ch. 1. 1. The fall of man wherein we must cōsider 1. What he oweth and to the ende we may do this let vs see Chap 1. 1. What he hath receaued 1. He was created after the image of God beeing partaker of Wisedome Iustice Innocencie Power 2. Therefore he did owe vnto God the perfect keeping of his cōmandemēts bicause he was perfect in Soule Body 2. How hee lost it The causes are 1. Nigh 1. Sathan 2. The Serpent 3. The woman 4. The apple 2. Farre of 1. Infidelitie 2. Ambition 3. Vnthankfulnesse 4. Stubbornnesse 3. The effects The image of God was blotted out man became 1. Vnfaithfull 2. Vnrighteous 3. Subiect to death 2. What he is able to doe Chap. 2. 1. In soule Ch 3 1. In vnderstanding 1. In diuine thīgs 1. In godlines 1. In the knowledge of God Hee is blinder then moals 2. In the true worship of God Hee is
religion extant which doth not come farre short of the age of Moses Neither doth Moses inuent anie new God but doth set downe concerning the eternall God that which the Israelites had frō their fathers as deliuered from hand to hand in long processe of time 4 Obiect The antiquitie of the religion of the Egyptians The Aegyptians did extend the antiquitie of their religion vnto six thousande yeares before the creation of the world An. Euen prophane men did alwayes scorn their vaine babling Ob. Moses his authoritie is not voide of suspition Moses his authoritie Gen. 49.5.9 An. Vnlesse he had bene inspired with the holie Ghost he would neuer haue marked with the eternall infamie in the person of Leui* the family wherof he descended by his auncetors almost three hundreth yeares before neither doth he refuse to incurre enuie among his kinsemen whom no doubt this did grieue Neither would he haue made mention of the wicked murmuring of Aaron his owne brother and of Marie his sister * Nu. 12.1 Furthermore for as much as his authoritie was great he woulde at least haue left the right of the Priesthood to his owne sonnes but he appointeth them the basest place 5 And nowe so manie and such excellent miracles are as manie establishmentes of the Lawe which was giuen by him and of the doctrine which he published * Exod. 24.29 Moses his miracles Obiect That is to take that for a thing which all men graunt which wanteth not some to gainsay it * Exod 19 40 34. An. Forasmuch as Moses published these things in the hearing of the open assemblie what place had he to inuent any thing of his owne head * Num. 16.14 20.10 11.9 amōg those who were eye witnesses of the thinges which were done 6 Obiect Such miracles are to be ascribed to magicall arts An. He did so abhorre that superstition that he commanded those to be stoned which did but aske councell of sorcerers and southsayers * Leuit. 20 6. A deceauer doth seeke to winne him selfe a name among the common people by iugglings * Exod. 10.7 Moses cried out that he and Aaron are nothing but that they do onely execute those thinges which God hath prescribed The nature of a deceyuer What inchantment could bring to passe that māna should raigne from heauen Howe could he haue beguiled the furour of the whole people so often as they made insurrection against him with iuggling castes 4. Argument drawen from the trueth of the prophecies 7 Furthermore we haue the truth of the prophecies which doth sufficiently shewe * Gen. 49.10 that both Moses who assigneth the principalitie to the tribe of Iuda * Deut. 32.2 foure hundred yeares before it came to passe and also foretolde that the Gentiles should be adopted together into the couenaunt of God when almost two thousande yeares did passe afterwardes * Isay 45.1 8 And other Prophetes also which foretold things to come * Ier. 25.12 as if they had bene present did speake by the Spirit of God 9 Quest * Dan. 7.4 Who hath certified vs that these things were written by Moses and the Prophets which we reade vnder their names yea was there euer anie Moses An. But if anie man should call it into question whether there were euer anie Plato or Aristotle or Cicero who would not say that such madnesse were worthy to be corrected with stroks or stripes Also we see that the Lawe of Moses was rather wonderfullie preserued by the heauenlie prouidence then by mans industrie and diligence 5. Argu. drawen from the preseruation of the law Antiochus cōmaunded the bookes of holie Scripture to be burned against the furiouse assaultes of the enemies of the trueth 10 Quest Seing Antiochus commanded all the books of the Law to be burned whence came those copies which we haue now An. It doth not follow that his commandement did take effect Which thing the Greeke interpretation doth witnesse which did follow forthwith and was published throughout the whole world Obiect They were forged bookes 6. Argu. drawen frō Christes sermons the calling writings of the Apostles An. No man durst at any time obiect that to the Iewes 11 Furthermore the plainnesse of speech vsed by the three Euangelistes the speech and Gospell of Iohn thundering from on high with graue sentences the heauenly maiestie which shineth in the writings of Peter and Paul the vnlooked for calling of Mathew from the table of his gaine of Peter Iohn from the fish boats to preach the Gospell the conuersion and calling of Paul an enemie vnto the Apostleship are signes of the holie Ghost speaking in them 7. Argu. from consent of the Churches 8. Argu. from the godly conuersation of the godly 9. Argu. from the shedding of the blood of Martires 12 Neither is that without great weight to wit the consent and agreement of so manie ages of so diuerse nations and so contrarie minds to embrace the Scripture Furthermore it purchaseth great authoritie when we looke into the godlinesse of those who do so agree together not of all indeede but of those whom the Lord would haue to shine as lights in his Church 13 And nowe howe safely ought we to geue our names to that doctrine which we see established testified by the bloud of so many holy men The voluntarie death of the heathen Obiect Manie heathen men did confirme theyr sayings with voluntarie death An. Such were led rather with frantike madnes then with the zeale of God Therefore let vs conclude that the authoritie of the Scripture doth depend vpon God and not vpon men CHAP. IX That fanaticall men ouerthrow all principles of godlinesse which forsaking the Scripture runne to reuelations 1 MOreouer those who forsake the Scripture imagine I wot not what way to come to God whiles that they make bost of the Spirit and runne to reuelations are to be thought not so much to be holden with errour as to be tossed to and fro with madnesse 2 Whereby we do easily vnderstande that we must diligently applie our selues both to reade and marke the Scripture* Reading and hearing of the Scripture is necessary 2. Tim. 3.14 if we list to take anie vse and frute of the Spirit of God Obiect It were no meete thing that the Spirit of God to whom all thinges are subiect should be in subiection to the Scripture An. It is no reproch to the holy Ghost to be euerie where like to him selfe to be constant neuer to chaunge Obiect But by this meanes he is brought to trial An. I graunt but yet to such triall that he would haue his maiestie established thereby among vs lest the spirit of Sathan should creepe in vnder his title he will haue vs to knowe him in that image of his which he hath ingrauen in the Scriptures 3 Obiect The letter killeth 2. Cor. 3.6 but the spirite