the ende in faith and a true confession of Christ ioyned with a manifest care to liue a godly life and a desire to glorifie him For this gift is bestowed vpon all the elect as the Lord promiseth by Ieremie I will put my feare into their hearts that they may not depart from me And when they shall come to the end of their liues they shall be receiued into the heauenly glorie vntill such time as their bodies also beeing raised vp they may take full possession of eternall life Thus we see that it is very certaine that those which are elected to eternall life are also predestinate to vse those meanes by which as by certaine steps and staires they climbe into that heauenly dwelling place And therefore that we were predestinate to these meanes namely Faith Iustification and good workes because we were elected to eternall life according to the purpose and grace of God Wherefore by this meanes the doctrine also of the Pelagians is confuted as touching predestination to life by our faith and workes which God foresaw we should doe Whereas on the contrarie therefore God did predestinate vs to faith and good workes because he did choose vs to eternall life For the Apostle saith not I obtained mercie because I was faithfull or because I should be faithfull but that I might be faithfull Neither saith he that we are elected in Christ because we should be holy and without blame but that we might be holy and without blame Neither doth he say that we were created in Christ because we did or should doe good works but we were created to good works which God prepared that we might walke in them Lastly he saith not that the grace of Christ appeared because we were to liue soberly iustly and godly but that it therefore appeared that we denying all vngodlines and the lusts of this world might liue soberly iustly and godly iâ— this present world We see therefore that by this doctrine that wicked opinion is ouerthrowne which teacheth that we doe preuent the grace of God by our merits which God foresaw And on the contrarie here we see how foully the bellygods of this world are deceiued which reason thus if we be predestinate to eternall life and our predestination be certaine and vnchangeable what neede wee endeauour our selues beleeue or doe good workes for howsoeuer it fall out and howesoeuer the elect doe liue vndoubtedly they cannot perish because they are predestinate to eternall life Alas poore wretches they see not that they seuer those things that are to be conioyned namely the ende and the meanes of the ende that they breake the chaine which in no wise either can or must be loosed whilst that they seuer their calling iustification yea and Faith too good workes from predestination and glorification As though God did glorifie them whome he did predestinate before he called and iustified them yea and before they can beleeue and shewe their quicke and liuely faith by workes Contrariwise let vs learne what our dutie is If any be elect to eternall life they also are predestinate to the meanes by which they come vnto it And wee beleeue as wee are bound to doe that wee are predestinate to eternall life and therefore we must also beleeue that we haue beene elected to faith and good workes that by them as by certaine steps wee might bee brought to eternall life And therefore so farre must we be from neglecting Faith and the meanes of good works of a holy life that contrariwise it is rather our dutie to keep Faith in a good conscience and to be conuersant in good workes which God hath prepared that we might walke in them And because we can neither attaine to the ende nor the meanes that bring vs therevnto of our selues Therfore it is our part to craue them at Gods hands by praier that hee would giue vs faith and a care to doe good workes and increase them in vs. Neither must we onely aske them but also certainely trust that wee shall obtaine them for Christ his cause For if for all them which are predestinated to eternall life God hath prepared faith by which they may beleeue and good workes to walke in therefore if we beleeue as by Gods commandement we are bound that we are in Christ elected to eternall glorie wee must also be perswaded that before we depart hence hee wil giue vs true repentance encrease true faith inflame vs with loue lastly that hee will minister vnto vs aboundantly all things in Christ to obtaine the ende Yea this confidence also and praier it is one effect of predestination by which wee get the rest Therefore this doctrine we must hold that predestination to eternall life doth not take away the meanes of obtaining it but rather establish them And therfore both these principles are true namely that the elect to life cannot perish and vnlesse a man beleeue in Christ and perseuere vnto the ende in this faith working by loue he shall perish The reason is because in predestination the means the end of it are so ioyned togither that the one can not be seuered from the other Wherefore whosoeuer holdeth not the meanes vnto the ende amongest which faith is one it is manifest that he was neuer predestinate and therefore must needes perish as on the contrarie he which holdeth faith must needes be saued So the truth of these propositions is euident He which beleeueth in the Sonne hath eternal life contrariwise he which beleeueth not in the sonne the anger of God remaineth vpon him because as a constant faith is a signe of election so obstinate infidelitie is a token of reprobation FINIS Bradfords answer to Careles Careles I Am troubled with feare that my sinnes are not pardoned Bradford They are for God hath giuen thee a penitent and beleeuing heart that is an heart which desireth to repent and beleeue For such an one is taken of him he accepting the will for the deede for a penitent and beleeuing heart indeede Trin-vni Deo gloria A DIRECTION FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE TONGVE according to Gods word Printed by Iohn Legate Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. To the reader CHristian Reader lamentable and feâ—â—efull is the abuse of the tongue among all sortes degrees of men euerâ— where Hence daily arise manifold sinnes against God and â—nnuâ—erable scandals and grieuances to our brethren It would make a mans heart to bleede to heare and consider howe Swearing Blaspheming Cursed speaking Raâ—ling Backbiting Slandering Chiding Quarrelling CoÌ„tending Iesting Mocking Flattering Lying Dissembling Vaine and idle talking ouerflow in all placeâ— so as men which feare God had better bee any where then in the companie of most men Well thou art thou a man which hast made little conscience of thy speech and talke repent seriously of this sinne and amend thy life least for the abusing of thy tongue thou crie with Diues in hell Send
holy spirit who bringeth it forth onely in such as he dwells in c. Then these holy desires and praiers beeing the motions of the holy Ghost in vs are testimonies of our faith although they seeme to vs small and weake As the woman that feeleth the mooning of a childe in her body though very weak assureth her selfe that shee hath conceiued and that shee goeth with a liue childe so if we haue these motions these holy affections and desires before mentioned let vs not doubt but that we haue the holy Ghost who is the author of them dwelling in vs and consequently that we haue also faith Againe he saith If thou hast begun to hate and flee sinne if thou feelest that thou art displeased at thine infirmities corruptions if hauing offended God thou feelest a griefe and a sorrow for it if thou desire to abstaine if thou thou auoidest the occasions if thou trauailest to doe thy endeauour if thou praiest to God to giue thee grace all these holy affections proceeding from none other then from the spirit of God ought to be so many pledges and testimonies that hee is in thee Master Knokes saith Albeit your paines sometimes bee so horrible that you finde no release nor comfort neither in spirit nor bodie yet if thy heart can onely sob vnto God despaire not you shall obtaine your hearts desire And destitute you are not of faith for at such time as the flesh naturall reason the lawe of God the present torment the deuill at one doe crie God is angrie and therefore there is neither helpe nor remedie to be hoped for at his handes at such time I say to sob vnto God is the demonstration of the secret seede of God which is hidde in Gods elect children and that onely sob is vnto God a more acceptable sacrifice then without this crosse to giue our bodies to be burnt euen for the truthes sake More testimonies might be alleadged but these shall suâ—fice Against this point of doctrine it may bee alleadged that if desire to beleeue in our weakenesse bee faith indeede then some are iustified and may be saued wanting a liuely apprehension and full perswasion of Gods mercie in Christ. Answere Iustifying faith in regard of his nature is alwaies one and the same and the essentiall propertie thereof is to apprehend Christ with his benefits and to assure the very conscience thereof And therefore without some apprehension and assuranee there can be no iustification or saluation in them that for age are able to beleeue Yet there be certaine degrees and measures of true faith There is a strong faith which causeth a full apprehension and perswasion of Gods mercy in Christ. This measure of faith the Lord vouchsafed Abraham Dauid Paul the Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs of God It were a blessed thing if all beleeuers might attaine to this height of liuely faith to say with Paul I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor any thing else shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God in Christ but all cannot therefore there is another degree of faith lower then the former and yet true faith called a little or weake faith and it also hath a power to apprehend and apply the promise of saluation but as yet by reason of weakenesse it is infolded as it were and wrapt vp in the heart as the leafe and blossome in the budde For such persons as haue this weake faith can say indeede that they beleeue their sinnes to bee pardonable and that they desire to haue them pardoned but as yet they cannot say that they are without all doubt pardoned And yet the mercie of God is not wanting vnto themâ—â—or in that they doe and can desire and indeauour to apprehend they doe indeede apprehend God accepting the desire to doe the thing for the thing done This which I say will the better appeare if the groundes thereof bee considered Faith doeth not iustifie in respect of it selfe because it is an action or vertue or because it is strong liuely and perfect but in respect of the obiect thereof namely Christ crucified whome faith apprehendeth as hee is set forth vnto vs in the word and sacraments It is Christ that is the author matter of our iustice and it is he that applieth the same vnto vs as for faith in vs it is but an instrument to apprehend and receiue that which Christ for his part offereth and giueth Therefore if faith erre not in his proper obiect but followe the promise of God though it doe weakly apprehend or at the least cause a man onely to endeauour and desire to apprehend it is true faith and iustifieth Though our apprehension be necessarie yet our saluation standes rather in this that God apprehendes vs for his owne then that we apprehend him Phil. 3.12 Out of this conclusion springes another not to bee omitted that God accepts the indeauour of the whole man to obey for perfect obedience it selfe THat is if men indeauour to please God in all things God will not iudge their doings by the rigour of the lawe but will accept their little and weake indeauour to doe that which they can doe by his grace as if they had perfectly fulfilled the lawe But here remember I put this caueat that this indeauour must be in and by the whole man the very minde conscience wil affections doing that which they can in their kinds and thus this indeauour which is a fruite of the spirit shall be distinguished from ciuill righteousnes which may bee in heathen men The trueth of this conclusion appeares by that which the Prophet Malachi saith that God will spare them that feare him as a father spares his childe who accepts the thing done as well done if the child shewe his good will to please his father and to doe what he can IV. Conclusion To see and feele in our selues the want of any grace and to be grieued therefore is the grace it selfe The Exposition VNderstand this conclusion as the former namely that griefe of heart for the want of any grace necessarie to saluation is as much with God as the grace it selfe When being in distresse wee cannot pray as we ought God accepts the very groanes sobbes and sighes of the perplexed heart as the praier it selfe Rom. 8. 26. When we are grieued because we cannot bee grieued for our sinnes it is a degree and measure of godly sorrowe before God Augustine saith well Sometimes our praier is luke-warme or rather colde and almost no praier nay sometime it is altogither no praier at all and yet we cannot with griefe perceiue this in our selues for if we can but grieue because we cannot pray we nowe pray indeede Hierome saith Then we are iust when wee acknowledge our selues to be sinners Againe this is the true wisdome of man to knowe himselfe to be imperfect And that I may so speake the perfection of all iust men in the flesh is imperfect
In whome ye are also built togither to be the habitation of God by the spirit This albeit it be a most neere and reall vnion yet we must not thinke that it by touching mixture or as it were by souldring of one soule with another neither by a bare agreement of the soules among themselues but by the communion and operation of the same spirit which beeing by nature infinite is of sufficient abilitie to conioyne those things togither which are of themselues farre distant from each other the like we see in the soule of man which conioyneth the head with the foote Eph. 2.22 2. Pet. 1.4 Whereby most great and precious promises are giuen vnto vs that by them ye should be partakers of the godly nature in that ye flie the corruption which is in the world through lust Phil. 2.1 If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirit c. The things vnited In this vnion not our soule alone is vnited with Christs soule or our â—lesh with his flesh but the whole person of euery faithfull man is â—erely conioyned with the whol person of our Sauiour Christ God man The manner of their vnion is this A faithfull man first of all and immediatly is vnited to the flesh or humane nature of Christ afterward by reason of the humanitie to the Word it selfe or diuine nature For saluation and life dependeth on that fulnesse of the godhead which is in Christ yet it is not coÌ„municated vnto vs but in the flesh and by the flesh of Christ. Ioh. 6 5â— Except ye eate the flesh and drinke the blood of the Sonne of man ye haue no life in you 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him The bond of this vnion This vnion is made by the spirit of God applying Christ vnto vs and on our parts by faith receiuing Christ Iesus offered vnto vs. And for this cause is it tearmed a spirituall vnion Christ because he is the head of the faithfull is to be considered as a publike man sustaining the person of all the elect Hence is it that the faithfull are â—aid to be crucified with Christ and with him to die to be buried Rom. 6.4 5,6 to be quickened Eph. 2.5 to be raised vp and placed in heauen v. 6. Col. 3.1 the which is not onely in regard of the hope of the faithful but because they are accepted of God certainely to haue done all these things in Christ euen as in Adams first sinne all his posteritie afterward was tainted of sinne A member of Christ is diuersly distinguished and is so either before men or God Before meÌ„ they are the members of Christ who outwardly professing the faith are charitably reputed by the Church as true members But such deceiuing at length both themselues and the Church may be reprobates therefore in Gods presence they are no more true members then are the noxious humours in mans bodie or a woodden legge or other ioynt cunningly fastened to another part of the bodie Againe members before God they are such as either are decreed to be so or actually are so already Such as are decreed to be so are they who being elect from all eternitie are either as yet not borne or not called Ioh. 10. 16. Other sheepe haue I which are not of this fold them also must I bring Actuall members of Christ are either liuing or dying members An actuall liuing member of Christ is euery one elected which being engraffed by faith and the spirit into Christ doth feele and shewe forth the power of Christ in him An actuall dying or decaying member is euery one truely engraffed into Christ and yet hath no feeling of the power and efficacie of the quickening spirit in him He is like vnto a benummed legge without sense which indeede is a part of mans body and yet receiueth no nourishment such are those faithfull ones who for a time doe faint and are ouercome vnder the heauie burtheÌ„ of tentations and their sinnes such are also those excommunicate persons who in regard of their engraffing are true members howesoeuer in regard of the externall communion with the Church and efficacie of the spirit they are not members till such time as they being touched with repentance doe begin as it were to liue againe God executeth this effectuall calling by certaine meanes The first is the sauing hearing of the word of God which is when the said word outwardly is preached to such an one as is both dead in his sinnes and doth not so much as dreame of his saluation And first of all the Law shewing a man his sinne and the punishment thereof which is eternall death afterward the Gospel shewing saluation by Christ Iesus to such as beleeue And inwardly the eyes of the minde are enlightened the heart and eares opened that he may see heare and vnderstand the preaching of the word of God The second is the mollifying of the heart the which must be bruised in pieces that it may be fit to receiue Gods sauing grace offered vnto it Ezech. 11. 19. I will giue them one heart and I will put a new spirit within their bowels And I will take the stonie heart out of their bodies and will giue them an heart of flesh There are for the brusing of this stonie heart foure principal hammers The first is the knowledge of the law of God The second is the knowledge of sinne both originall and actuall and what punishment is due vnto them The third is compunction or pricking of the heart namely a sense and feeling of the wrath of God for the same sinnes The fourth is an holy desperation of a mans owne power in the obtaining of eternall life Act. 2.37 When they heard these things they were pricked in heart and said vnto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe 38. Peter said vnto them Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus into the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost Luk. 15.17 Then he came to himselfe and said How many hired seruants at my fathers haue bread ynough and I die for hunger 18. I will rise and goe to my father and say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee 19. And am no more worthie to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruants c. Matth. 15. 24. He answered and said I am not sent but to the lost sheepe of Israel The third is faith which is a miraculous and supernaturall facultie of the heart apprehending Christ Iesus being applied by the operation of the holy Ghost and receiuing him to it selfe Ioh. 1.1,2,6.35 Iesus said vnto them I am the bread of life he that commeth vnto me shall neuer hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Rom. 9.30 What shall we
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
noise like to that of charriot wheeles suddenly passe away and the elements with the earth and all therein shall be dissolued with fire 2. Pet. 3. 12. Lâ—â—king for and hâ—â—sting vnto the comming of the day of God by which the heauens beeing 〈◊〉 shall be dissolued and the elements shall melt with heate 13. 〈…〉 new heauens and a new earth according to his promise wherein d 〈…〉 ousness At the same time when as all these things shall come to passe 〈◊〉 sound of the last trumpet shall be heard sounded by the Archangâ—â—â— And Christ shall come suddenly in the cloudes with power and glorie and a great traine of Angels III. Now at the sound of the trumpet the Elect which were dead shal arise with their bodies and those very bodies which were turned to dust and one part rent from another shall by the omnipotent power of God be restored and the soules of them shall descend from heauen and be brought againe into those bodies As for them which then shall be aliue they shall be changed in the twinckling of an eye and this mutation shall be in stead of death And at that time the bodies shall receiue their full redemption and all the bodies of the Elect shall be made like the glorious bodie of Christ Iesus and therefore shall be spirituall immortall glorious and free from all infirmitie IV. Last of all when they are all conuented before the tribunall seate of Christ he will forthwith place the Elect seuered from the reprobate and taken vp into the aire at his right hand and to them being written in the booke of life will he pronounce this sentence Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world Matth. 25.33 He shall set the sheepe on his right hand and the goates on the left 1. Thess. 4. 17. Reu. 20. 12. whosoeuer was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire CHAP. 50. Of the estate of the Elect after iudgement THe last iudgement beeing once finished the Elect shall enioy immediatly blessednes in the kingdome of heauen Blessednes is that whereby God himselfe is all in all his Elect. 1. Cor. 15. 28. When all things shall be subdued to him then shall the Sonne also himselfe be subiect vnto him that did subdue all things vnder him that God may be all in all And it is the reward of good workes not because workes can merit but by reason of Gods fauour who thus accepteth workes and that in respect of the merit of Christs righteousnes imputed to the Elect. Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death but eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. 2. Tim. 4. 8. Reu. 22. 12. Behold I come shortly and my reward is with me to giue euery man according as his worke shall be Blessednesse hath two parts Eternall life and perfect glorie Eternall life is that fellowship with God whereby God himselfe is thorough the Lambe Christ life vnto the Elect. For in the kingdome of heauen the Elect shall not neede meat drinke sleepe aire heat cold phisicke apparell or the light of the Sunne and moone b but in place of all these shall they haue in them Gods spirit by which immediatly they shall be quickned for euer Perfect glorie is that wonderfull excellencie of the Elect wherby they shal be in a farre better estate then any heart can wish This glorie consisteth in three points I. In that they shall still behold the face of God which is his glory and maiestie Reuel 22.4 And they shall see his face and his name shall be in their forheads Psal. 17.15 I will behold thy face in righteousnes and when I awake I shall be satisfied with thine anger II. In that they shall be most like to Christ namely iust holy incorruptible glorious honorable excellent beautifull strong mightie and nimble 1. Ioh. 3.2 Dearely beloued now are we the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be and we knowe that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all things to himselfe III. They shall inherit the kingdome of heauen yea the newe heauens and newe earth shal be their inheritance 1. Pet. 1.4 God hath begotten you to an inheritance immortall vndefiled and that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for you Mat. 25.34 Then shall the king say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father possesse a kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the world were laid Reu. 5.10 Thou hast made vs vnto our God kings and priests and we shall raigne on the earth Reuel 21.7 Hee that ouercommeth shall inherite all things and I will be his God he shall be my sonne The fruit that commeth from both these parts of blessednes is of two sorts Eternall ioy and the perfect seruice of God Psal. 16.11 Thou wilt shewe me the path of life in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Psal. 36.8 They shall be satisfied with the fatnes of thine house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy pleasures 9. For with thee is the well of life and in thy light shall we see light The parts of Gods seruice are Praise and Thanksgiuing Reuel 21.3 And I heard a great voice out of heauen saying behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himselfe shall be their God with them Chap. 5.12 Saying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lambe that was killed to receiue power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and praise c. 13. Chap. 11.17 The foure and twentie Elders which sate before God on their seates fell vpon their faces and worshipped God saying Wee giue thee thanks Lord God Almightie which art and Which wa st and Which art to come for thou hast receiued thy great might and hast obtained thy kingdome The manner of performing this seruice is to worship God by God himselfe immediately In heauen there shall neither be temple ceremonie nor Sacrament but all these wants shal God himselfe supply togither with the LaÌ„be that is Christ. Reuel 21.22 I sawe no temple therein for the Lord God Almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it This seruice shall be daily and without intermission Reuel 7.15 They are in the presence of the throne of God and serue him day and night in his temple A Corollarie or the last conclusion THus God in sauing the Elect doeth clearely set forth his iustice and mercy His iustice in that he punished the sinnes of the elect in his Sonnes owne person His
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
this manner I prooue it thus Looke what was his request in our behalfe when he was here vpon earth the same for substance it continues still in heauen but here on earth the substance of his request was that he willed and desired that his father would be well pleased with vs for his merits as appeares by his praier in S. Iohn Father I will that those which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may beholde my glorie which thou hast giuen me for thou louedst me before the fouÌ„datioÌ„ of the world Therefore he still continues to make request for vs by willing and desiring that his father would accept his merits in our behalfe If it be alleadged that Christ in this solemne praier vsed speech and prostration of his bodie the answer is that these actions were no essentiall parts of his praier The prostrating of his bodie serued onely as a token of submission to God as Christ was a creature and the speech which he vsed serued onely to vtter and expresse his request Furthermore a difference here must be marked between Christs passion and his intercession The passion serues for the working and causing of a satisfaction to Gods iustice for vs and it is as it were the tempering of the plaister the intercession goes further for it applies the satisfaction made and laies the salue to the very sore And therefore Christ makes request not onely for the elect generally but for particular men as Paul Iames Iohn and that particularly as he testifieth of himselfe saying I haue praied for thee Peter that thy faith faile not If any shall say that Christs willing and desiring of a thing can not be a request or intercession the answer is that in vertue and efficacie it couâ—teruailes all the praiers in the word For whatsoeuer Christ willeth the same also the father beeing well pleased with him willeth and therefore whatsoeuer Christ as a mediatour willeth for vs at the handes of his father in effect or substance is a request or praier The third point is that Christ alone and none with him makes intercession for vs. And this I prooue by induction of particulars First of al this office appertaines not to the angels They are indeede ministring spirits for the good of Gods chosen they reioice when a sinner is conuerted and when he dieth they are readie to carrie his soule into Abrahams bosome and God otherwhiles vseth them as messengers to reueale his will thus the Angel Gabriel brings a message to Zacharie the priest that God had heard his praier but it is not once said in all the scriptures that they make intercession to God for vs. As for the Saints departed they can not make intercession for vs because they know not our particular estates here on earth neither can they heare our requests And therefore if we should pray to them to pray for vs wee should substitute them into the roome of God because we ascribe that to them which is proper to him namely the searching of the heart and the knowledge of all things done vpon earth though withall we should say that they doe this not by themselues but of God As for the faithful here on earth indeed they haue warrant yea commandement to pray one for another yet can they not make intercession for vs. For first he that makes intercâ—ssion must bring something of his owne that may be of value and price with God to procure the graunt of his request secondly he must doe it in his owne name but the faithfull on earth make request to God one for another not in their owne names nor for their owne merits but in the name and for the merits of Christ. It is a prerogatiue belonging to Christ alone to make a request in his own name and for his owne merits wee therefore conclude that the worke of intercession is the sole worke of Christ God and man not belonging to any creature beside in heauen or in earth And whereas the Papists can not content themselues with his intercession alone as beeing most sufficient it argues plainely that they doubt either of his power or of his will whereupon their praiers turne to sinne The fruits and benefits of Christs intercession are these First by meanes of it wee are assured that those which are repentant sinners shall stand and appeare righteous before God for euer at what time soeuer Christ beeing now in heauen and there presenting himselfe and his merits before his father shewes himselfe desirous and willing and they whosoeuer they are being sinners should be accepted of God for the same euen then immediately at that very instant this his wil is done and they are accepted as righteous before god indeede When a man lookes vpon things directly through the aire they appeare in their proper formes and colours as they are but if they bee looked vpon through a greene glasse they all appeare greene so likewise if God behold vs as we are in our selues we appeare as vile and damnable sinners but if he looke vpon vs as we are presented before his throne in heauen in the person of our Mediatour Christ Iesus willing that we should be approoued for his merits then we appeare without all spot and wrinkle before him And this is the vse Paul makes hereof It is God saith he that iustifieth and the reason is rendred For it is Christ that is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and makes request for vs. Secondly Christs intercession serues to preserue al repentant sinners in the estate of grace that being once iustified and sanctified they may so continue to the ende For when any seruant of God is ouertaken by the corruption of his owne nature and falls into any particular sinne then Christs intercession is made as a blessed hand to apply the salue of his death to that particular sore For he continually appeares before God and shewes himselfe to be willing that God the father should accept his one only sacrifice for the daily and particular sinnes of this or that particular man and this is done that a man beeing iustified before God may not fall away quite from grace but for euery particular sinne may be humbled and receiue pardon If this were not so our estate should be most miserable considering that for euery sinne committed by vs after our repentance we deserue to be cast out of the fauour of God Thirdly Christs intercession serueth to make our good works acceptable to God For euen in the best workes that a man can doe there are two wants First they are good onely in part secondly they are mingled with sinne For as a man is partly spirit or grace and partly flesh so are his works partly gratious and partly fleshly And because grace is onely begun in this life therefore all the workes of grace in this life are sinfull and imperfit Now by Christs
to passe Ans. As God determines what things shall come to passe so hee doeth with all determine the meanes whereby the same things are effected Before all worlds God decreed that men should liue vpon earth and he decreed likewise that meate drinke and cloathing should be vsed that life might be preserued Now prayer is one of the most excellent meanes whereby sundry things are brought to passe therefore Gods eternall counsell touching things to come doth not exclude praier and like meanes but rather include and implie the same The second question is what kind of actioÌ„ praier is Ans. It is no lip-labour it is the putting vp of a suite vnto God and this action is peculiar to the very heart of a man Rom. 8.26 The spirit makes request for vs. But how with grones in the heart Exod. â—4 15 The Lord saith to Moses Why criest thou yet there is no mention made that Moses spake any word at all the Lord no doubt accepted the inward mourning and desire of his heart for a crie Psal. 38.10 and 11.4 The third question is what is the forme or rule according to which wee are to pray Ans. It is the reuealed will and word of God A man in humbling his soule before God is not to pray as his affections carrie him and for what he list but all is to be done according to the expresse word So as those things which God hath commanded vs to aske we are to aske those things which he hath not commanded vs to aske we are in no wise to pray for 1. Iohn 5.14 This is the assurance which we haue of him that if wee aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. This then is a speciall clause to be marked that men must pray in knowledge not in ignorance Here weigh the case of poore ignorant people they talke much of praying for themselues and others they imagine that they pray very deuoutly to God but alas they doe nothing lesse because they know not what to aske according to gods will They therfore must learn Gods word and pray according to the same els it will prooue in the end that all their praying was nothing but as mocking and flat dishonouring of God The fourth question is with what affection a man must praie Ans. Praier must proceede from a broken and contrite heart This is the sacrifice which God accepteth Psal. 51. 17. When Ahab abased himselfe though hee did â—â— in hypocrisie yet God had some respect vnto it 1. King 21.29 saith the Lord to Eliah seest thou how Ahab is huÌ„bled before me This contrition of heart stands in two things The first of them is a liuely feeling of our owne sinne miserie and wretched estate how that we are compassed about with innumerable enemies euen with the deuill and his angels and within abound euen with huge seas of wants and rebellious corruptions whereby we most grieuously displease God and are vile in our owne eyes Beeing therefore thus beset on euery side we are to be touched with the sense of this our great miserie And he that will pray aright must put on the person and the very affection of a poore wretched begger and certenly not beeing grieued with the rufull condition in which we are in our selues it is not possible for vs to pray effectually Psal. 130.1 Out of the deepest called vpon thee O Lord that is when I was in my greatest miserie and as it were not farre from the gulfes of hell then I cried to God Esay 26.16 Lord in trouble haue they visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them 1. Sam. 1.15 I am a woman saith Anna of an hard spirit that is a trouble soule and haue powred my soule before the Lord. Hence it appeareth that the ordinarie praiers of most men grieuously displease God seeing they are made for fashion onely without any sense and feeling of their miseries commonly men come with the Pharise in ostentation of their integritie and they take great paines with their lippes but their hearts wander from the Lord. The second thing required in a contrite heart is a longing desire and hungring after Gods graces and benefits whereof we stand in neede It is not sufficient for a man to buckle as it were and to goe crooked vnder his sinnes and miseries but also he must haue a desire to be eased of them and to be enriched with graces needfull Thus Hezekias the King and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amos prayed against Senacharib and cried vnto heauen 2. Chr. 32.10 Where we may see what a marueilous desire they had to obtaine their request So also Rom. 8.16 The spirit maketh request with grones so great that they can not be vttered as they are felt Dauid Psal. â—43 6 saith that he desireth after the Lord as the thirstie land Now we know that the ground parched with heate opens it selfe in riâ—ts and cranies and gapes towards heauen as though it would deuoure the clouds for want of moysture and thus must the heart be disposed to Gods grace till it obtaine it The people of Israel beeing in grieuous aâ—fliction how doe they pray They powre out their soules like water before the face of the Lord. Lament 2. 1â— The fift question is in whose name prayer must be made Ans. It must not be made in the name of any creature but onely in the name and mediation of Christ. Ioh. 14.14 If yee aske any thing in my name I will doe it A man is not to present his prayers to God in any worthines of his owne merits For what is he to make the best of himselfe what can he make of himselfe by nature he is no better then the very firebrand of hell and of all Gods creatures on earth the most outragious rebell to God and therefore can not be heard for his owne sake As for Saints they can be no mediatours seeing euen they themselues in heauen are accepted of God not for themselues but onely for the blessed merits of Christ. If any man sinne saith Saint Iohn 1. epist. chap. 2.1 we hâ—â—e an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ. But howe prooues he this It followes then And he is the reconciliation for our sinnes His reason stands thus hee which must be an advocate must first of al be a reconciliation for vs no saints can be a reconciliation for vs therefore no Saints can be aduocates Therefore in this place is manifest an other fault of ignorant people They crie often Lord helpe me Lord haue mercie vpon me But in whose name pray they poore soules like blind bayards they rush vpon the Lord they knowe no mediatour in whose name they should present their praiers to him Litle do they consider with themselues that God is as well a most terrible Iudge as a mercifull father The sixt question is Whether faith be requisite to praier or not Ans. Prayer is to be made with faith whereby a man must
distrust God as appeares by their couetousnes Againe by this order we are taught as earnestly to seeke for the pardon of our sinnes as we seeke for temporall blessings 2. The meaning DEbt By debts sinnes are meant as it is in Luke 11.4 and they are so called because of the resemblance betweene them For euen as a debt doth bind a man either to make satisfaction or else to goe to prison so our sinnes binds vs either to satisfie Gods iustice or else to suffer eternall damnation Forgiue To forgiue sinne is to couer it or not to impute it Psal. 32.1 And this is done when God is content of his mercy to accept the death and passion of Christ as a sufficient payment ransome for mans sinnes so to esteeme them as no sinnes And here vnder this one benefit of remission of sinnes all the rest of the same kinde are vnderstoode as iustification sanctification redemption glorification c. 3. The vses of the words HEnce we may learne many lessons the first is that seeing we must pray thus Lord forgiue c. we are to hold that there is no satisfaction to gods iustice for sinne by our workes no not in temporarie punishments but that the doing away of our sinnes is of Gods meere fauour for to forgiue and to satisfie be contrarie wherefore the doctrine of humane satisfactions taught in the Church of Rome is vyle and deuilish 2. Secondly whereas we are taught thus to pray continually from day to day we note the great patience long suffering of God that suffers and forbeares still and doth not poure out his confusion vpon vs though we offend his maiestie day by day This teacheth vs like patience towards our brethren we our selues can not put vp the least iniurie and forbeare but one day and yet we desire that God would forgiue vs daily to the ende of our liues 3. Again we may obserue that there is no perfect sanctification in this life seeing we must euery day to the end craue the pardon of our sinnes Therfore wicked is the opinion of the Catharists or Puritans which hold that men may be without sinne in this life 4. And when we say forgiue not me but vs we are put in mind to pray not onely for the pardon of our owne sinnes but likewise for our brethren and enemies Iam 5.17 Confesse one an other and pray one for an other for the praier of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent And as some thinke the praier of Steuen was a meanes of the conuersion of Saul 5. Also we note that before praier for pardon of sinne must goe a confession of sinne for whereas we say forgiue our debts we confesse before God that we are flat bankrupts and not able to discharge the least of our sinnes this appeares 1. Ioh. 1.9 If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull to forgiue vs. And it was practised by Dauid Psal. 51. and 32.5 The manner of making confession is this knowne sinnes and those which trouble the conscience are to be confessed particularly but vnknowne sinnes generally Psal. 19.12 6. Lastly hence it is manifest that there is no iustification by workes Our sinnes are debts and so also are all workes of the law and it were a fond thing to imagine that a man might discharge one debt by another 4. Wants to be bewailed THe wants to be bewailed are the burthen of our sinnes and the corruptions of our natures and the wickednes of our liues and the sinnes of our youth and of our old age Psal. 40. 12. My sinnes haue taken such hold vpon me that I am not able to looke vp they are more in number then the haires of my head therefore mine heart hath failed me Thus with Dauid we are to trauel grone vnder this burthen but this griefe for sinne is a rare thing in the world Men can mourne bitterly for the things of this life but their sinnes neuer trouble them Againe this sorrow must be for sinne because it is sinne though there were neither hell to torment nor deuill or conscience to accuse nor iudge to reuenge 5. Graces to be desired THe grace which we must desire is the spirit of grace and deprecations Zachar 12.10 which is that gift of the holy Ghost whereby we are inabled to call to God for the pardon of our sinnes A man hauing offended the laws of a prince and beeing in daunger of death will neuer be at quiet till he haue gotten a pardon euen so they which feele and see them sinnes hauing this spirit are so mooued that they can neuer be at rest till in praier they be eased of the burthen of their sinnes A man may I graunt babble and speake many wordes but he shall neuer pray effectually before he haue this spirit of praier to make him crie Abba father For worldly commodities all can pray but learne to pray for the want of Christ. As we forgiue our debts 1. The Coherence THese wordes be a part of the fifth petition which is propounded with a condition Forgiue vs as we forgiue others and these words depend on the former as the reason thereof which seemes to be taken from the comparison of the lesse to the greater thus if we who haue but a sparke of mercie doe forgiue others then doe thou who art the fountaine of mercie forgiue vs but we forgiue others therefore doe thou forgiue vs. Thus Luke 11.4 hath it Forgiue vs our sinnes for euen we forgiue Rhem. Test. on Luk. 7. 47. the Papists take it otherwise who say Forgiue vs as we forgiue making our forgiuing a cause for which God is mooued to forgiue vs in temporall punishments whereas our forgiuing of men is onely a signe or effect that God doth forgiue vs. 2. The meaning 1. Quest. Whether is a man bound to forgiue all debts Ans. The word debt in this place is not vnderstood of debt that is ciuill and comes by lawfull bargaining but of hurts and dammages which are done vnto vs in our bodies goods or good name As for the former ciuill debts a man may exact them so he doe it with shewing of mercie 2. Quest. How may any man forgiue trespasses seeing God onely forgiues sinne Ans. In euery trespasse which any doe to their neighbours there be two offences one to God another to man In the first respect as it is against God and his commaundement it is called a sinne and that God onely forgiues in the other respect it is called an iniurie or dammage and so man may forgiue it When a man is robbed the law is broken by stealing the iniurie that is done is against a man that hath his goods stolne This iniury as it is an iniury a man may forgiue but as it is a sinne he can not but God onely 3. Quest. Whether may a man lawfully pray this petition and yet sue him at the law who hath done him wrong Ans. A man may in an holy manner
Lead vs not Or carrie vs not into temptation To be led is to be ouercome of the temptation when it preuâ—iles and wholly gets the victorie so as men tempted are brought to perdition Then the meaning is thisâ— When wee are mooued or entised to sinne Lord keep vs that we bee not ouercome and giue thou an issue with the temptation Quest. God is iust and cannot sinne but if he lead men into temptation shal he not be the author of sinne Ans. Indeed many fearing to charge God with sinne read the words thus Suffer vs not to be ledde But the text is very plaine Lead or carrie vs not And the scriptures elsewhere vse the like phrases of god Exod. 7.3 God is said to harden Pharaohs heart 2. Sam. 24. 1. The Lord mooued Dauid to number the people 2. Thess. 2.11 God sent strong delusions that men might beleeue lies These and such like places haue a speciall meaning thus to be gathered There is no action of man or of the deuill absolutely euill but although in some respects it be euill yet in some other it is good for wee are not to thinke that as there is a maine or absolute good so also there is a maine or absolute euill Thus then temptation being an action it is not in euery respect euill but in some good in some euill And so farre forth as it is good the Lord workes it but as it is euill he doth not worke it but willingly permits it to be done by man and Satan 1. And there be foure respects in which God may be a worker in temptations and yet be free from sinne I. First he tempteth by offering occasions obiects to trie whether a man will sinne or not A master suspecting his seruant which in word professeth fidelitie laies a purse of money in his way to trie if he will steale it which if he steale he hath found by watching him a secret thiefe and so hath laid him open for deceiuing any more Nowe this trying of him is no sinne though he sinne in stealing In the same manner tempteth God his owne seruants to prooue and trie them Deut. â—3 3 Thou shalt not harken vnto the wordes of the prophet or dreamer of dreames for the Lord thy God prooueth you to knowe whether ye loue the Lord your God with all your heart 2. Secondly God leades into temptation by withdrawing his grace Neither can this be a sinne in God because he is bound to no man to giue him grace And here is a difference between the tempting of God and Satan God holds backe grace when he tempts the deuill suggests euill motions 3. Euery action so farre forth as it is an action is good and of God Act. 17. 28. In him we liue mooue and haue our being Therfore god is a worker in temptations so farre forth as they are actions One man kils another the very moouing of the bodie in the doing of this villanie is of God but the wickednes of the actioÌ„ is from man and the deuil A man rides vpon a lame horse and stirs him the rider is the cause of the motion but the horse himselfe of the halting in the motion So God is authour of the action but not of the euill of the action 4. The fourth way is in regard of the end God tempts his seruants onely to correct and humble them for their sinnes and to trie howe they will abide the crosse and to mooue them the more to loue him Deut. 8.2 God afflictes the children of Israel to trie them whether they would keepe his commandements 2. Chr. 31.31 He trieth Ezechias to see what was in his heart The deuils ende in tempting is onely to bring the partie to destruction Thus we neede not feare to say that God in some respects doth tempt his owne seruants Deliuer vs from euill That is free vs from the power of the flesh the deuil and the world Some take euill in this place onely for the deuill but wee may take it more largely for all spirituall enemies 1. Ioh. 5.19 The whole world lieth in euill vz. Vnder the power of sinne and Satan These words as I haue said are a proofe and explanation of the former for when a man is deliuered from euill he is not led into temptation the cause being taken away the effect ceaseth 3. The vses 1. HEnce we learne what a righteous God Iehoua is that can worke in euill actions and yet be void of sinne 2. Whereas we say lead vs not c. Wee note that the deuill in temptationâ— can goe no further then God permits him 3. We are not to pray that temptations be quite taken from vs or that wee be wholly freed from them but that they doe not ouercome vs. For it is the Lords wil that his Church should be tempted Nay Dauid desired some kind of temptations Psal. 26.1 Prooue me O Lord. And Iames saith Account it for exceeding ioy when ye shall fall into diuers temptations Iam. 1.2 4. Note also that euery man by nature is the bondslaue of sinne and Satan For where is deliuerance there was a bondage first This confutes the Papists who maintain free wil for we are dead in sinne by nature as a man in a graue and we must still pray thus till we be fully deliuered 4. Wants to be bewailed THe corruption which in this petition we ought to mourne for is the coÌ„tinuall rebellion of our wicked natures and our pronenesse to yeeld vp our selues in euery temptation to sinne Satan And the remnants of the old bondage vnder Satan must be grieuous and irkesome vnto vs and wee must bewaile them bitterly The Iewes in a bodily captiuitie wept when they remembred Sion Psal. 1.27 How much more should wee weepe when wee feele the lawe of our members rebelling against the lawe of our mindes and leading vâ— captiue to sinne 5. Graces to be desired THe contrarie blessing to be desired is that God would stablish vs by his free spirit Psal. 51.12 Which is so called because it sets vs euery day more and more at libertie out of the reach of sinne and Satan For thine is the kingdome the power and glorie for euer 1. The meaning THese wordes containe a reason of all the former petitions whereby wee are mooued to craue things needfull at Gods hand Thine is Earthly kings haue kingdome power and glorie Dan. 2.37 Yet not from themselues but from God whose vicegerents they are on earth Therefore to make a difference betweene Gods kingdome power and glorie and those of earthly kings it is said Thine is the kingdome c. that is that God hath all these in himselfe and from himselfe and men from him The kingdome These words 1. Chro. 26.11 are fully expounded Thine O Lord is greatnesse power and victorie and praise and all that is in heauen earth is thine thine is the kingdome and thou excellest as head ouer all c. The kingdome is said to bee Gods
by his heauenly power maketh him to doe the good which he doth And as from the stocke sappe is deriued to the grift that it may liue and grow and bring forth fruit in his kind so doe all the faithfull that are grafted into Christ the true vine And as the grift loseth his wild nature and is changed into the nature of the stocke and bringeth forth good fruit so in like manner it is with them that are in Christ who by little and little are wholly renued from euill to good XXIII The Elect beeing thus ioyned vnto Christ receiue three wonderfull benefits from him Iustification Adoption Sanctification Iustification is when the Elect beeing in themselues rebellious sinners and therefore firebrands of hell fire and Gods owne enemies yet by Christ they are accepted of the Lord as perfectly pure and righteous before him XXIIII This Iustification is wrought in this manner Sinne is that which maketh a man vnrighteous the child of wrath vengeance In sinne there are three things which are hurtfull to man the first is condemnation which commeth of â—inne the second is actuall disobedience of the law in sinne the third is the root and fountaine of sinne originall corruption These are three deadly woundes and three running sores in the hearts and consciences of all sinners Now Christ Iesus is perfectly righteous and in him a sinner may finde three inestimable benefits answerable to the three former euills First the sufferings of Christ vpon the crosse sufficient for all mens sinnes Secondly the obedience of Christ in fulfilling the law Thirdly the perfect holines of the humane nature of Christ these are three soueraigne medecines to heale all wounded consciences and they are as three running streames of liuing water to bathe and to supple the bruised and contrite heart Now then commeth faith and first laieth hold of the sufferings of Christ and so a sinner is freed from the punishment and guilt of sinne and from eternall damnation thus the first deadly wound is cured Againe faith laieth hold on the perfect obedience of Christ in fulfilling the law and thus the second wound is cured Thirdly faith applieth the holines of Christs humane nature to the sinner and then he is accepted of God as perfectly righteous and so his third deadly wound is cured Thus a sinner is made righteous by the righteousnes of Christ imputed to him XXV From true iustification proceede many other benefits and they are either outward or inward Outward benefits are three The first is Reconciliation by which a man iustified is perfectly reconciled to God because his sinne is done away and he is arayed with the perfect righteousnes of Christ. The second is that afflictions to the faithfull are no punishments for sinne but onely fatherly and louing chastisments For the guilt and punishment of sinne was borne of Christ. Now therefore if a Christian be afflicted it is no punishment for then God should punish one fault twise once in Christ and the second time vpon the Christian which thing doth not agree with his iustice it remaineth therefore that afflictions are onely corrections in the faithfull The third benefit is that the man iustified doth deserue and merit at Gods hands the kingdom of heauen For being made perfectly righteous in Christ and by his righteousnes he must needs merit eternall life in and by the merits of Christ. And therefore Paul calleth it the iustification of life Rom. 5.18 XXVI Inward benefits proceeding from iustification are those which are inwardly â—elt in the heart and serue for the better assurance of iustification and they are principally fiue The â—irst is Peace and quietnes of conscience As all men naturally in Adam are corrupt so all men naturally haue corrupt and defiled consciences accusing them and arraigning them before Gods iudgement for their sinnes in such wise that euery suspition of death and feare of imminent daunger maketh a naturall man stand agast at his wits end knowing not what to doe but by faith in Christ the Christian is perswaded of remission of his sinnes and so the disquietnes of his conscience is appeased and he hath an inward peace in all extremities which can not be taken from him XXVII The slumbering and dead conscience is much like to the good conscience pacified many through ignorance take the one for the other But they may be seuered and discerned thus First let the beleeuing Christian examine himselfe whether his conscience was afflicted with the sense of Gods iudgements and pressed downe with the burthen of his sinne before he came to that quietnesse for then he may be in good hope that it was the Spirit of God who brought that peace because God hath promised That he will dwell with the humble and contrite to reuiue and quicken them But if he haue alwaies had that peace from the beginning of his daies he may easily deceiue himselfe by taking the numnesse and securitie of a defiled conscience for the true peace of conscience Secondly let him search from whence this peace of his conscience proceedeth For if it come from any thing else but from the certaintie of the remission of sinne it is no true peace as many flattering theÌ„selues in sinne dreaming of a pardon are thereupon quieted and the deuill is readie enough to put this into their minds but this can be no true peace Thirdly let him examine himselfe if he haue a care to keepe a good conscience which if he haue he hath also receiued from the Lord a good and a quiet conscience For if God bestow vpon any man a gift concerning his saluation he giueth him also a care to keepe it XXVIII The second inward benefit is An entrance into Gods fauour and a perseuerance in it which is indeede a wonderfull benefit When a man commeth into fauour with his Prince then he is bold to come vnto him and he may haue free accesse vnto his presence and he may sue to his Prince for any benefit or preferment whereof he standeth in neede may obtaine it before any other so they which are in Gods fauour by reason that they are freely pardoned and iustified in Christ doe boldly approach into Gods presence and they are readie to aske and sure to obtaine any benefit that is for their good The third is a spirituall ioy in their hearts euen then when they are afflicted because they looke certenly to obtaine the kingdome of heauen The fourth is that the loue of God is shed in the hearts of the faithfull by the holy Ghost that is that the holy Ghost doth make the faithfull very euidently to feele the loue of God towards them and doth as it were fill their hearts with it XXIX The second maine benefit is Adoption whereby they which are iustified are also accepted of God as his
that our Sauiour Christ teacheth euery one in his praier which he made before he craue any other thing either concerning God or himselfe to pray that Gods name may be sanctified For by this all Christians are taught that they are to ouerpasse all considerations of themselues their owne pleasure and profit their saluation or damnation and absolutely with an heartie affection to seek after the glorie of God in all their doings that as Gods glorie is most deare vnto himselfe so it may appeare also that it is most deare vnto them If any thinke it strange that Moses Paul or any other should be content to fall into miserie to loose their liues and to bee cast into eternall perdition in hell fire with reprobate and damned spirits rather then Gods honour should bee turned into dishonour and blasphemie let them consider that wonderfull is the power of true loue which makes all things easie which is as strong as the graue that ouercomes all and was neuer yet ouercome which is as a flaming fire that a whole sea of water cannot quench And the loue which these men had to God did so rauish them that they felt no feare of hell fire XXXIX The second affection is the feare of God a most excellent and wonderfull grace of God Salomon matcheth it yea and preferreth it too before all things in this world making it the end of al. Without it a man cannot be wise it is the first step to wisdome in it is assured strength also it is a welspring of life to eschew the snares of death The Churches of Iudea beeing in peace were edified and walked in the feare of GOD and were aboundantly filled with the comfort of the holy ghost In this feare of GOD there be two parts the first is a perswasion in the heart that a man is in Gods presence wheresoeuer he is and when he by infirmitie forgets GOD a drawing of himselfe into Gods presence As it was in Dauid I haue saith he set the Lord alwaies before me For he is at my right hand therefore I shall not slide And this his beeing in the presence of God he setteth down most excellently in the 139 Psalme Enoch walked with God Abraham is commanded to walke before God and to be vpright The second part of the feare of God is in Gods presence to stand in awe of him which is when a man takes heede to his waies least he offend God This aduise Dauid giues to Sauls Counsellers Stand in awe and sinne not Pharao commanded the Midwiues of Egypt to kill all the male children of the Israelites at their birth they did it not because they stoode in awe of God fearing to displease him And hence it is that the godly heare Gods word with feare and trembling XL. The third is the hatred and detestation of sinne because it is sinne and specially of a mans owne corruptions wherewith a Christian is so turmoyled that in regard of them and for no other cause he most hartely desireth to bee forth of this most miserable world that he may be disâ—urdened of his sinne leaue off to displease God Paul feeles in himselfe a laâ—ge masse of deadly corruption it makes him deeme himselfe most miserable and to mourne because he was not deliuered from it saying Oh miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death Againe it is sinne that makes the Church coÌ„plaine that shee is blacke that the sunne hath looked vpon her and therefore shee cries Come Lord Iesus come quickly XLI The fourth is ioy of heart in consideratioÌ„ of the neerenes of presence of the terrible day of iudgement The reprobate either trembleth at the consideration of the day of iudgement or els in the securitie of his heart hee regardeth it not And when he shall see the signes of the comming of Christ his heart shal faile him for very feare he shall call the hills to fall vpon him but contrariwise the faithfull loue the second comming of Christ and therefore wait and long for it and when they shall see the signes of it they shall lift vp their heads because the full accomplishment of their redemption is at hand XLII The sanctification of the bodie is when all the members of it are carefully preserued from beeing meanes to execute any sinne and are made the instruments of righteousnes and holines So Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that they might know howe to possesse their vessels in holinesse and in honour and not in the lust of concupiscence as the Gentiles doe which know not God And Iob made a couenant with his eies not to look on a woman In whose example it appeareth how euery member is to be kept pure and holy XLIII If any humbled Christian finde not this measure of sanctification in himselfe yet let him not be discouraged For if any man haue a willingnesse and a desire to obey all Gods commandements he hath the spirit and he who hath the spirit is in Christ and he who is in Christ shall neuer see damnation And though he faile greatly in the action of obedience yet God will accept his affection to obey as obedience acceptable vnto him God will approoue of thee for his owne worke which hee hath wrought in thee and not reiect thee for thine XLIV From sanctification ariseth repentance For a man cannot hate his own sins before he be sanctified and he cannot truely repent for them before hee hate them Repentance is when a man turnes to GOD and brings foorth fruits worthy amendment of life This turning vnto God hath two parts The first a purpose and resolution of heart neuer to sinne any more but to lead a newe life This was in Dauid who fully purposed to keepes Gods commandements and applied his heart to fulfill his statutes vnto the ende And vnto this did Barnabas exhort the brethren at Antioch that with full purpose of heart they would cleaue vnto the Lord. The second part is an holy labour in mans life and conuersation to purifie and clense himselfe from sinne of this speaketh Iohn And euery one that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure This did Dauid practise as may appeare in that he said Certainely I haue clensed my heart in vaine and washed my handes in innocency If any maruaile how repentance followeth sanctification considering it is the first thing of all that the Prophets Apostles and Ministers of GOD preach vnto the people whome they would winne to Christ I answere that all other graces are more hidden in the heart wheras repentance is open and sooner appeareth to a mans owne selfe and to the eies of the worlde It is like the budde in the tree which appeareth before the leafe the blossome the fruite and yet in nature it is
are spirituall and forbid inward motions but the difference is that they forbid only the motions that goe with consent Nowe the papists say that these motions are no sin properly vnles consent follow and therefore they in expresse words repeale this commandement For if concupiscence the first motions be no sinnes properly then there neede no prohibition of them The fourth Argument THat religion which is contrarie to it selfe is onely a meere inuention of man the religion of the Church of Rome is quite contrarie to it selfe therefore it is onely an inuention of man which if it be true as well a Reprobate as any other may performe the things required in it The Proofe THe proposition is most true because it is a priuiledge of Gods worde so of the true religion gathered forth of it to be consonant to it selfe in all points which properly no doctrines nor writings beside can haue The assumption may be made manifest by an induction of particular examples I. The Church of Rome saith that men are saued by grace and againe it saith that men are saued by workes A flat contradiction For Paul saith if election be of grace it is no more of workes or els were grace no more grace but if it be of workes it is no more grace for els were worke no more worke Answer is made that in this place Paul speaketh of workes of nature which indeed are contrarie to grace but not of works of regeneration which are not contrary to grace This answer is false for Paul in a like place vnto this opposeth grace and works of regeneration Ye are saued by grace saith he through faith and that not of your â—elues for it is the gift of God not of workes least any should boast himselfe for we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes that we should walke in them Now let the Church of Rome speake what are the workes of which any man may most of all boast And what are the workes for the doing of which we must be fashioned anew in Christ Iesus Assuredly they must be the works of regeneration dipped dyed in the blood of Christ as they speake wherefore it is euident that Pauls meaning is to conclude that if we be saued by grace we cannot be saued by workes of regeneration II. The Church of Rome confuteth and condemneth in Councels derideth this doctrine that we teach that men are to be iustified by the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ which righteousnes is not in vs but in Christ. And the Rhemists call it a fantasticall iustice a new no-iustice But herein that Church is contrarie to it selfe for it defendeth workes of supererogation and workes of satisfaction of one man for another and their ground is because the faithfull are all members of one bodie and haue fellowship one with another and therefore one may satisfie for another Hereby it is plaine that the church of Rome most of al defendeth that imputation of righteousnes which most of all it hath oppugned For when one man satisfieth for an other the worke of one man is imputed to another But what shall one man satisfie for another and shall not Christ by his righteousnes satisfie for vs shall God accept the worke of one man for another and not accept the righteousnesse of Christ for vs Truly there is greater fellowship and coniunction betweene the head and the members then of the members among themselues because they are ioyned together by meanes of the head III. It holdeth that the guilt and fault of sinne may be remitted by Christ and yet the temporall punishment of sin be vnremitted but these are quite contrarie Paul saith there is now no condeÌ„nation to them that are in Christ Iesus Yet if a man were punished for his sinne after he were in Christ and had the fault of sinne remitted some condemnation should now remaine him And Dauid saith Blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne therefore he to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne hath not onely the guilt of sin but also the punishment of his sinne remitted otherwise he could not be blessed but miserable and this agreeth not with gods iustice wheÌ„ the fault is quite pardoned and a man is guiltie of no sinne that then any punishment should be laid on And S. Austin saith that Christ by taking vpon him the punishment of sin and not taking vpon him the fault tooke away both the punishment and the fault Wherefore this opinion that Christ hath taken away the guilt of sin ouerthroweth all Satisfactions Purgatorie because the fault guilt beeing taken away all punishment for sinne is also taken away IV. Transubstantiation is a monster standing on manifold contradictions First it maketh Christs bodie to be in many places an euident contradiction For it is of the nature and essence of a bodie to be in one place onely which I proue thus A bodie is a magnitude a magnitude is a continued quaÌ„titie a coÌ„tinued quantitie cannot be but in one place therfore a bodie cannot be but in one place In his argument the doubt is onely of the last part which vndoubtedly is most true For it is called a continued quaÌ„titie because his parts are coÌ„tinued and knit togither the one with another in a common tearme or bonde as a line by a point a plane and his parts by a line a solide by a Superficies or plane Nowe these points can in no wise bee continued vnlesse euery one of them keepe one onely speciall place For examples sake suppose the plane a b c d to be deuided into three parts I k l by two lines e g and f h which do both deuide the three parts continue theÌ„ the one with the other Now I say that euery one of the partes may be coÌ„tinued with his next fellow it is necessary that euery one of them should haue one special and distinct place That the first place of the plane i may be continued with k it must be situated onely there where it is and no where els for if it shall be situate els where as in the place m then it cannot be continued with k. Nowe then if the partes must of necessitie haue their owne particular place onely then the whole figure a b c d must also bee onely in one place And this is that which the prince of Philosophers teacheth that euery magnitude hath his parts sited in some one place one by another so that a man may say of them here it is and there it is not To conclude therefore this must needes agree to a bodie and to the parts of it to bee in one onely place alone So that the Church of Rome when it saith that Christs bodie is in many places in effect they say that Christs bodie is no bodie for if it be a bodie it is only in one place if it be in many places it is no
fall daily either more or lesse so the graces of God are proportionally weakened day by day Wherefore the continuall reparation therof must be made by a daily renuing of repentance A christian mā is the tēple and house of Gods spirit he must therefore once a day sweep it that it may be fit to entertaine so worthy a guest Extraordinarie repentance is the same in nature with the former it differs onely from it in degree and measure of grace And this is to be put in practise when men fal into any enormous capital or grieuous offences whereby they doe verie grieuously wound their owne consciences and giue great offence to the Church Of this sort was the repentance of Peter when he went forth and wept bitterly Dauids repentance after he had committed adulterie and murdered Vriah CHAP. VI. Of the persons which must repent MEn be of two sorts the natural man and the regenerate Repentance is needefull for both For the naturall man that he may be brought from his sinnes and the image of God renued in him Some may say that many naturall men liue ciuilly abstaining from all outragious behauiour and therfore neede no repentance I graunt indeede they doe so yet repentance must goe withall For ciuil life without grace in Christ is nothing els in Gods sight but a beutifull abhomination The Pharises were ciuill yet Christ saith of them Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises ye shall not see the kingdome of heauen Repentance is also required in the regenerate because they haue may vnknown and hidden corruptions in them which must be mortified and otherwhiles they fal grieuously and therfore that they may rise againe they must be daily practised in the spirituall exercises of repentance CHAP. VII Of the practise of Repentance IN the practise of Repentance foure speciall duties are required The first is a diligent and serious examination of the conscience by the lawes and commandements of God for all manner of sinnes both originall and actuall Example of the children of Israel Wherefore is the liuing man sorrowfull man suffereth for his sinne let vs search and trie our waies and turne againe to the Lord. Of Dauid I considered my waies and turned my feete to thy testimonies Touching Originall sinne this must be well remembred that one mā hath not one part onely of originall sinne and another man another one man this corruption another that but euery mā as he receiued from Adam the whole nature of man so also he receiued originall sinne wholly And therefore euery man not one accepted sauing Christ who was extraordinarily sanctified by the holy Ghost in the wombe of the Virgin hath in him from his parents the corruption and seede of all sinne which is a naturall disposition and pronenes to commit any sinne whatsoeuer Take a viewe and consider all the horrible sinnes that be practised in any part of the worlde either against the first or second table whatsoeuer they are the spawne and seede of them all is euen in that man that is thought to be best disposed by nature Some may say that experience shewes the contrarie because among men that want all manner of religion some are more ciuill and orderly some againe more lewdly disposed I answer that this comes to passe not because some men are by nature lesse wicked then others but because God by his prouidence doth limit and restraine mens corruption more or lesse which hee doth for the good of mankind For if men might be wholly left to themselues corruption would so exceedingly breake out into all manner of sinnes that there should be no liuing in the world In examination of actuall sinnes three rules must be followed The first that we must search out not onely our grosse sins but euen the very thoughts of our hearts For repentance is not only a change of the speech apparell and outward behauiour but also of the inward and secret thoughts of the heart Therefore the prophet Ioel bids the Iewes rend their hearts and not their garments and Paul tels the Ephesians that they must be renued in the spirit of their mindes and Peter bids Simon Magus to repent and pray God that the thought of his heart may be forgiuen him The second that the very circumstances of sinnes done must be considered as the time when the place where and the maner how as namely whether they were done of ignorance or knowledge of weakenesse or presumption or obstinate malice Thirdly in examination it is very meete and conuenient that wee passe through all the commandements of the morall lawe laying them as most absolute rules to our hearts and liues and by this meanes we shall be able to make large bills and Catalogues of all our sinnes euen from the very cradle to any part of our age following as the seruants of God haue alwaies done Thus it will come to passe that wee shall plainely see our wretched estate and acknowledge that our sinnes be in number as the haires of our head as the sands by the sea shore A DIRECTION FOR EXAMINATION of the conscience I. COM. Thou shalt haue none other Gods c. He breakes this commandement TThat knowes not the true God Ier. 4.22 That denies God in his heart by denying his presence iustice mercie c. Psal. 14.1 That hates God and shewes it by disobedience Exod. 20.5 Rom. 1.30 That doth not feare God and stand in awe of him That feareth men or other creatures more then God Math. 10.31 Apoc. 2.8 That liues in open sinnes securely not fearing Gods word or iudgements 1. Thes◠5.6,7 That is sorrowfull for his sinnes onely in respect of the punishment 2. Cor. 7.10 That feares God by mens traditions Esa. 29.13 That doth not beleeue Gods word but calls the Canonicall Scripture in question That despaires of Gods mercie That hath a dead faith without workes Iam. 2. That puts his confidence in the deuill and his workes as seekers to wizzards doe That loues the creatures as riches and honour and his owne filthie pleasures more then God Eph. 5.5 That puts confidence in his strength wisdome riches phisitians 2. Chron. 16.9,11 That is impatient vnder the crosse Matth. 10.38 That tempts God Math. 4.7 That seekes for the things of this life more then for Gods kingdome Matth. 6.33 That murmures against God 1. Cor. 10.10 That disputes and holds there is no God That holdes and maintaines opinions against the auncient faith set downe in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles As did the Maniches Donatists Arrians Anabaptists c. That so holds one religion as he is ready to follow an other 1. King 18.21 That is full of presumption of Gods mercie Esa. 7.12 That falls away from the knowne truth 2. Pet. 2.20 That addes to Canonicall Scripture Deut. 12. last verse II. COM. Thou shalt make to thy selfe no grauen Image c. He breakes this commandement THat represents God in
in the Lord. When thou readest that in the garden he praied lying groueling on his face sweating water and blood beginne to thinke seriously what an vnspeakable measure of Gods wrath was vpon thy blessed Sauiour that did prostrate his bodie vpon the earth and cause the blood to follow and thinke that thy sinnes must needes be most heynous that brought such bloodie and grieuous paines vpon him Also thinke it a very shame for thee to carrie thy head to heauen with haughtie lookes to wallow in thy pleasures and to draw the innocent blood of thy poore brethren by oppression and deceit for whome Christ sweat water and blood and take an occasion from Christs agonie to lay aside the pride of thy heart to be ashamed of thy selfe to grieue in heart yea euen to bleede for thine owne offences casting downe and humbling thy selfe with Ezra saying O my God I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eyes vnto thee my God for mine iniquities are increased and my trespasse is growne vp into heauen When thou readest that Christ was taken and bound thinke that thy very sinnes brought him into the power of his enemies and were the very bondes wherewith he was tyed thinke that thou shouldest haue beene bound in the very same manner vnlesse he had beene a suretie and pledge for thee thinke also that thou in the selfe â—ame manner art bound and tied with the chaynes of thine owne sinnes and that by nature thy will affections and whole spirit is tied and chained to the will of the deuill so as thou canst doe nothing but that which he willeth lastly thinke and beleeue that the bondes of Christ serue to purchase thy libertie from hell death and damnation When thou hearest that he was brought before Annas and Caiaphas thinke it was meete that thy suretie and pledge who was to suffer the condemnation due vnto thee should by the high Priest as by the mouth of God be condemned and woonder at this that the very coessentiall and eternall Sonne of God euen the very soueraigne Iudge of the world stands to be iudged and that by wicked men perswading thy selfe that this so great confusion comes of thy sinnes Whereupon beeing further amazed at thy fearefull estate humble thy selfe in dust and ashes and pray God so to soften thy stonie heart that thou maiest turne to him and by true faith lay hold on Christ who hath thus exceedingly abased himselfe that his ignominie may be thy glorie and his arraignment thy perfect absolution When thou readest that Barrabas the murderer was preferred before Christ though he exceeded both men and Angels in holinesse thinke it was to manifest his innocencie and that thy very sinnes pulled vpon him this shamefull reproch and in that for thy cause he was esteemed worse then Barrabas thinke of thy selfe as a most heynous and wretched sinner and as Paul saith the head of all sinners When thou readest that he was openly and iudicially condemned to the cursed death of the crosse consider what is the wrath and furie of God against sinne and what is his great and infinite mercie to sinners and in this spectacle looke vpon thy selfe and with grones of heart crie out and say O good God what settest thou heare before mine eyes I euen I haue sinned I am guiltie and worthie of damnation Whence comes this chaunge that thy blessed sonne is in my roome but of thy vnspeakable mercie Wretch that I am how haue I forgotten my selfe and thee also my God O sonne of God how long hast thou abased thy selfe for me Therefore giue me grace O God that beholding mine owne estate in the person of my Sauiour thus condemned I may detest and loath my sinnes that are the cause thereof and by a liuely faith imbrace that absolution which thou offerest me in him who was condemned in my stead and roome O Iesu Christ Sauiour of the world giue me thy holy and blessed Spirit that I may iudge my selfe and be as vile and base in mine owne eyes as thou wast vile before the Iewes also vnite me vnto thee by the same spirit that in thee I may be as worthie to be accepted before God as I am worthie in my selfe to be detested for my sinnes When thou readest that he was clad in purple and crowned with thornes mocked and spit vpon behold the euerlasting shame that is due vnto thee and be ashamed of thy selfe in this point conforme thy self to Christ be content as he was to be reproched abused and despised so it be for a good cause When thou readest that before his crucifying he was stript of al his cloathes thinke it was that he beeing naked might beare thy shame on the crosse and with his most pretious and rich nakednesse couer thy deformitie When thou readest the complaint of Christ that he was forsaken of his father consider how he suffered the pangs and torments of hell as thy pledge and surety Learne by his vnspeakable torments what a fearefull thing it is to sinne against God and begin to renounce thy selfe and detest thy sinnes and to walke as a child of light according to the measure of grace receiued When thou commest to die set before thine eyes Christ in the midst of all his torments on the crosse in beholding of which spectacle to thy endlesse comfort thou shalt see a paradise in the middest of hell God the father reconciled vnto thee thy Sauiour reaching out his hands vnto thee to receiue thy soule vnto him and his crosse as a ladder to aduance it to eternall glorie Wheras he cried aloud with a strong voice at the point of death it was to shew that he died willingly without violence or constraint from any creature and that if it had so pleased him he could haue freed himselfe from death and haue cast his very enemies to the very bottom of hell When thou readest that he commended his soule into the handes of his Father consider that thy soule also so be it thou wilt beleeue in him is deliuered vp into the hands of God and shall be preserued against the rage and malice of all thine enemies and hereupon thou maist be bolde to commend thy spirit into the hands of God the father When thou readest of his death consider that thy sinnes were the cause of it and that thou shouldest haue suffered the same eternally vnlesse the sonne of God had come in thy roome againe consider his death as a ransome and apprehend the same by faith as the meanes of thy life for by death Christ hath wounded both the first and second death and hath made his crosse to be a throne or tribunall seate of iudgement against all his and thine enemies When thou readest of the trembling of the earth at the death of Christ thinke with thy selfe it did in his kind as it were grone vnder the burden of the sinnes of men in the world and by his motion then it signified that euen
the like places of Scripture the intent whereof is to make vs circumspect and feareful least we should offend God by any sinne our owne weaknesse considered and the imminent iudgements of God And this kind of feare as all the first may stand with certaintie of faith Rom. 11. Thou standest by faith be not high minded but feare Psa. 2. Serue the Lord in feare and reioice in trembling Obiect 6. Where there is no word there is no faith For faith and the worde of God be relatiues But there is no word of God that saith to particular men Cornelius or Peter or Iohn thy sinnes are pardoned excepting a fewe persons as Marie Magdalen and the palsie man c. Therefore there is no particular faith Ans. Though there be no word set down in Scripture touching the saluation of this or that particular man yet there is set downe that which is equiuolent to a particular worde and as much in effect For the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting is giuen with a commandement that euery man apply the promise to himselfe as I haue before prooued and this is altogither as much as if euery mans particular name had beene put in the promise I adde further that the promises of the gospel must bee considered two waies first as they are generally set downe in Scripture without application to any person secondly as they are taught and published in the ministery of the word the end whereof is to apply them to the persons of men partly by preaching and partly by administring the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords supper which are seales of righteousnes of faith Nowe the promise applied and as I may say particularized to the members of the Church is by the vertue of Gods ordinance as much as if God himselfe had giuen the promise particularly and annexed mens names vnto it It is further aunswered that the promise of remission of sinne is preached not simply but vpon condition of mens faith and repentance which indeede cannot be certainely knowne I answere againe as I haue alreadie prooued that he which truly beleeueth and repenteth knoweth that he doth certainly beleeue and repent Obiect 7. To beleeue the pardon of a man owne sinnes is none of the articles of faith propounded in any Creed either of the Apostles or the Nicene fathers or Athanasius or any other creed Answ. This faith is contained vnder these wordes I beleeue remission of sinnes and I prooue it thus These wordes are an article of Christian faith and therefore they must in sense containe more then the deuil doth or can beleeue now the deuill beleueth thus much that God giues remission of sinnes to his Church Christian men therefore must go one step further and beleeue particularly the remission of their own sinnes Otherwise if the Papists will haue the Catholike faith to beleeue no more in this point then the damned spirits beleeue let them take it to themselues But they reply further that if there were any such article of faith then some persons must beleeue that they are iust though they willingly commit mortall sinne which is an euident falshood Ans. He that beleeues the pardon of his owne sinnes by true faith hath the spirit of God in him and a constant purpose not to sinne against God and therfore if hee sinne it is against his purpose and without any full consent of will and it is not hee that doeth it but the sinne that dwelleth in him But if it so fall out that the childe of God be ouertaken with any actuall sinne then his case standeth thus Hee hath by his fall wounded his conscience weakened his faith bereaued himselfe of Gods fauour as much as in him lieth made himselfe guiltie of a sinne and worthie of damnation and God for his part accordingly turnes the wonted signes of his fauour into signes of anger and displeasure and though it be pardoned in the purpose of God yet is it not actually pardoned till the partie repent Things standing thus we teach not that men must beleeue the pardon of their sinnes while they liue and lie in them for that were flatly to teach falshood for trueth but our doctrine is that such persons must first of al humble themselues and say with the prodigall child that they haue sinned against God and are not worthie to be called his children any more and again renue their decaied faith and repentanceâ— that they may beleeue as before their perfect reconciliation with God Obiect 8. In respect of God who is trueth it selfe we are to beleeue the promise in particular yet if we respect our owne vnworthinesse and indisposition we are to feare and in some part to doubt For the promise of remission of sinnes is not absolute but depends vpon the condition of our workes Therefore our certentie is onely coniecturall Ans. I answer first that in respect of our owne vnworthines we are not to doubt of our saluation but to be out of all doubt yea to despaire before the iudgement seat of God For they which are of the works of the law are vnder the curse Gal. 3.10 and Paul saith of his own works of grace In this I am not iustified 1. Cor. 4.4 And Dauid being out of al doubt of his owne deserued daÌ„nation in regard of his own vnworthines saith freely Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for no flesh shall bee iustified in thy sight Againe the consideration of any vnworthines in our selues doth not hinder a resolution concerning Gods mercie in Christ. For true faith makes an entrance vnto God with boldnes I say with boldnes euen for those persons that are vnworthie in themselues Eph. 4. 12. And Abraham whose faith is to be followed of vs did not vpon the consideration of his old decaied bodie rest himselfe with bare hope vpon a likelihood of the accomplishment of gods promise but he beleeued vnder hope euen against hope Rom. 4.18 Lastly I answer that the ground of the former obiection is erronious namely that the promise of saluation depends on the condition of our works because the Scripture saith it is made and accomplished on mans part freely I graunt indeede that to the promise there is annexed a condition of faith yet faith must not here be considered as a worke but as an instrument apprehending Christ with his benefits and withall repentance with the fruits thereof are on our part required yet no otherwise but as they are necessary consequents of faith and the signes and documents thereof Obieâ—t 9. No man knowes all his sinnes no man therefore can certainly knowe that all his sinnes are pardoned and that he is accepted of God Ans. The ground of this argument is false namely that a man cannot be assured of the pardon of his sinnes if some of them be vnknowne And to make this manifest I will lay downe a more certen ground which shall be this As the case is in Repentance so it is also
in faith but there may be true and suâ—ficient repentance of vnknown sinnes God indeed requires a particular repentance for particular knowne sinnes but if they be hidden and vnknowne he accepts a generall repentance An example whereof we haue in Dauid Who knowes saith he the errours of this life then purge me from my secret sinnes If it were not as I haue said neither Dauid nor any man else could be â—aued For when Dauid â—epented greatly of his murder and adulterie yet we finde not that he repented particularly of his polygamie which in all likelihoode through the swinge and custome of those times was not then reputed to be any sinne specially in the person of a king and yet because as we know he is certenly saued this very sinne is pardoned Therefore when God pardons the knowne sinnes of men whereof they doe in particular repent he doth withall pardon the rest that are vnknowne And by this it appeares that the ignorance of some hidden sinnes after a man with diligence hath searched himselfe cannot preiudice an vnfallible assurance of the pardon of them all and of his owne saluation Obiect 10. We pray for the pardon of our owne sinnes and therefore we are vncerten of pardon the man which knowes that he hath pardon neede not pray for it I answer first when we are taught by Christ to pray for the forgiuenes of our debts we are put in minde not to seeke the pardon of all our sinnes whether past or present but specially of our present and daily offences whereby we make our selues day by day guiltie till such time as we humble our selues repent of them Secondly by this petition we are taught to aske the increase of our assurance because though God bestow endlesse mercie on vs yet we are skant in receiuing of it our hearts beeing like a narrow necked vessell which beeing cast euen into the Ocean sea receiueth in water onely droppe by droppe Obiect 11. No man can beleeue his owne saluation as he beleeues the articles of faith therefore no man can beleeue the pardon of his sinnes and his saluation by an infallible certentie I answer first that euery one that lookes for saluation by Christ is bound in conscience as certenly to beleeue his owne saluation and adoption by Christ as he beleeues the articles of faith Because to the promise of life there is annexed a commandement to beleeue and applie it Secondly this faith whereby we are to beleeue our owne saluation if we respect the true and proper nature thereof is as certen as that faith whereby we beleeue the articles of faith Thirdly as there be diuerse ages in the life of man so there be diuers degrees and measures of true faith There is first of all a beginning or rudiment of faith like the smoking flaxe and bruised reede which Christ will neither quench nor bruise Againe there is weake faith which beleeueth the promise truly but yet is perplexed with many doubtings Lastly there is strong faith which hath ouercome all doubtings and is not onely for nature certen as the former is but also a large and plentifull perswasion of Gods mercie in Christ. Examples of this we haue in Abraham Dauid the Martyrs and such like worthie men Now by the second faith men doe as certenly beleeue their adoption as the articles but not so firmely and fully But by the last remission of sinnes is not onely as certenly but also as fully beleeued as any article of faith Obiect 12. Ancient fathers the lights of Gods Church haue alwaies condemned this vnfallible and speciall certentie of faith which the Protestants hold and maintaine Ans. Though wee builde not the doctrine of our religion vpon the iudgements of men yet we refuse not in this and other points to bee tried by the fathers whose writings well vnderstood make more for vs then for the Popish religion And their testimonies commonly alleadged to confute the certentie of speciall faith are much abused I. Many of them serue to prooue that a man cannot iudge and discerne of euery particular motion and grace of his heart of the increase of these graces and the contrarie disease of speciall vices and wants many whereof are hidden from the vnderstanding Theodoret in his comment 1. Cor. 4. I will not saith he free my selfe from sin but waite the sentence of God for it often falls out that men sinne of ignorance and thinke that to be equall and iust which the God of all sees to be otherwise August de verbis deiâ— serm 23. Peraduenture thou findes nothing in thy conscience but hee findes something that seeth better And vpon Psal. 41. I knowe that the iustice of my God shall abide but whether mine shall or no I knowe not for the saying of the Apostle terrifieth me Hee which thinkes hee standes let him take heed least he fall Here he speakes of his inward righteousnes and that as it is considered in it selfe without the assistance of God For he addes afterward Therefore because there is no stabilitie in me for my selfe hereupon my soule is troubled for my selfe Chrysostom homil 87. on Iohn I am grieued least peraduenture supposing my selfe to loue doe not loue as before when I seemed constant and couragious vnto my selfe I was found but a dastard These and a thousand like testimonies prooue nothing For though a man cannot fully discerne his heart either in respect of euery one of his owne sinnes or in respect of euery grace yet this hinders not but that he may haue an vnfallible certentie of his saluation and also a sufficient gift to discerne his owne faith and repentance II. Other places must be vnderstood of proud presumption and of a kinde of securitie in which men dreame of ease and libertie without trouble or temptation August de corrept grat cap. 13. Who of all the companie of the faithfull as long as he liues in this mortall condition can presume that hee is of the number of the predestinate And de bona persever cap. 22. No man can be secure touching eternall life â—ill this life be ended Bernard epist. 107. Hauing now receiued the knowledge of himselfe in part he may reioyce in hope but not in securitie as yet Hieron Dan. 4. Let no man boldly promise to another the pardon of sinnes III. Some places auouch that a man cannot be sure of perseuerance to the end without fals and decaies in grace all which we grant August de ciuit dei lib. 11. cap. 12. Although the Saints be certaine of the reward of their perseuerance yet they are found to bee vncertaine of the perseuerance it selfe for what man can know that he shall perseuere in the practise and increase of righteousnes vnto the ende except he be assured of it by some reuelation IV. Some places must be vnderstood of experimentall certentie when the euent is accomplished Hieronâ— book 2. against Pelagians Call no man blessed before his ende for as long as we
them But the first is euidently true Ergo For first the minde must approoue and giue assent before the will can choose or wil and when the mind hath not power to conceiue or giue assent there the will hath no power to will Reason III. Thirdly the holy Ghost auoucheth Eph. ◠1 Coloss. 2. 13. that all men by nature are dead in sinnes and trespasses not as the Papists say weake sicke or halfe dead Hence I gather that man wanteth naturall power not to will simply but freely and frankly to will that which is truly good A dead man in his graue can not stirre the least finger because he wants the very power of life sense motion no more can he that is dead in sinne will the least good nay if he could either wil or do any good he could not be dead in sinne And as a dead man in the graue cannot rise but by the power of god no more can he that is dead in sinne rise but by the power of Gods grace alone without any power of his owne Reason IV. Fourthly in the conuersion and saluation of a sinner the scripture ascribeth all to God and nothing to mans freewill Ioh. 3.3 Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God Eph. 2. 10. We are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus to good workes And c. 4. v. 24. the new man is created to the image of God Now to be borne againe is a worke of no lesse importance then our first creation and therefore wholly to be ascribed to God as our creation is Indeede Paul Philip. 2. 12 13 biddeth the Philippians worke out their saluation with feare and trembling not meaning to ascribe vnto them a power of doing good by themselues And therefore in the next verse he addeth It is God that worketh both the will and the deede directly excluding all naturall free-will in things spirituall and yet withall he acknowledgeth that mans will hath a worke in doing that which is good not by nature but by grace Because when God giues man power to will good things then he can will them and when he giueth him a power to doe good then he can doe good and he doth it For though there be not in mans conuersion a naturall cooperation of his will with Gods spirit yet is there a supernaturall cooperation by grace enabling man when he is to be conuerted to will his conuersion according to which S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 15.10 I haue laboured in the faith but least any man should imagine that this was done by any naturall power therefore he addeth yet not I that is not by any thing in me but Gods grace in me inabling my will to doe the good I doe Reason V. The iudgement of the auncient Church August The will of the regenerate is kindled onely by the holy Ghost that they may therefore be able because they will thus and they will thus because God works in them to will And We haue lost our freewill to loue God by the greatnes of our sinne Serm. 2. on the words of the Apostle Man when he was created receiued great strength in his freewill◠but by sinning he lost it Fulgentius God giueth grace freely to the vnworthie whereby the wicked man beeing iustified is enlightened with the gift of good will and with a facultie of doing good that by mercie prruenting him he may beginne to will well and by mercie comming after he may doe the good he will Bernard saith It is wholly the grace of God that we are created healed saued Coūcil Arausic 2. cap. 6. To beleeue and to will is giuen from aboue by infusion and inspiration of the holy Ghost More testimonies and reasons might be alleadged to prooue this conclusion but these shall suffice now let vs see what reasons are alleadged to the contrarie III. Obiections of Papists Obiect I. First they alleadge that man by nature may doe that which is good and therefore will that which is good for none can doe that which he neither willeth nor thinketh to doe but first we must will and then doe Now say they men can doe good by nature as giue almes speake the truth doe iustice and practise other duties of ciuill vertue and therefore will that which is good I answer that a naturall man may doe good workes for the substance of the outward worke but not in regard of the goodnes of the manner these are two diuers things A man without supernatural grace may giue almes doe iustice speake the truth c. which be good things considered in themselues as God hath commanded them but he cannot do them well To thinke good things to doe good things are naturall workes but to thinke good things in a good maner and to do them well so as God may accept the action done are workes of grace And therefore the good thing done by a naturall man is a sinne in respect of the doer because it failes both for his right beginning which is a pure heart good conscience and faith vnfained as also for his ende which is the glorie of God Obiect II. God hath commanded all men to beleeue and repent therefore they haue naturall freewill by vertue whereof beeing helped by the spirit of God they can beleeue and repent Ans. The reason is not good for by such commandements God sheweth not what men are able to doe but what they should doe and what they cannot doe Againe the reason is not well framed it ought rather to be thus Because God giues men commandement to repent and beleeue therefore they haue power to repent and beleeue either by nature or by grace and then we hold with them For when God in the Gospell commandeth men to repent and to beleeue at the same time by his grace hee inableth them both to will or desire to beleeue and repent as also actually to repent and beleeue Obiect III. If man haue no freewill to sinne or not to sinne then no man is to be punished for his sinnes because he sinneth by a necessitie not to be auoided Ans. The reason is not good for though man cannot but sinne yet is the fault in himselfe and therefore he is to be punished as a bankrupt is not therfore freed from his debts because he is not able to pay them but the bills against him stand in force because the debt comes through his own default The second point of Originall sinne The next point to be handled is concerning Originall sinne after baptisme that is how farreforth it remaineth after baptisme A point to be wel considered because hereupon depend many points of popery I. Our Consent I. Conclus They say naturall corruption after baptisme is abolished and so say we but let vs see how far it is abolished In originall sinne are three things I. the punishment which is the first and second death II. Guiltines which is the binding vp of the creature vnto punishment
faith as he is of the articles of the creed I answer First they prooue thus much that we ought to be as certen of the one as of the other For looke what commandemeÌ„t we haue to beleeue the articles of our faith the like we haue inioyning vs to beleeue the pardon of our owne sinnes as I haue prooued Secondly these arguments prooue it to be the nature or essentiall propertie of faith as certainely to assure man of his saluation as it doeth assure him of the articles which he beleeueth And howesoeuer commonly men doe not beleeue their saluation as vnfallible as they doe their articles of faith yet some speciall men doe hauing Gods word applyed by the spirit as a sure ground of their faith whereby they beleeue their own saluation as they haue it for a ground of the articles of their faith Thus certainly was Abraham assured of his owne saluation as also the Prophets and Apostles and the martyrs of God in all ages whereupon without doubting they haue bin content to lay downe their liues for the name of Christ in whome they were assured to receiue eternall happines And there is no question but there be many now that by long and often experience of Gods mercy and by the inward certificate of the holy Ghost haue attained to full assurance of their saluation II. Exception Howesoeuer a man may be assured of his present estate yet no man is certaine of his perseuerance vnto the ende Ans. It is otherwise for in the sixt petition Lead vs-not into temptation wee pray that God would not suffer vs to be wholly ouercome of the deuill in any temptation and to this petition we haue a promise answerable 1. Cor. 10. That God with temptation will giue an issue and therefore howesoeuer the deuill may buffit molest and wound the seruants of God yet shall he neuer be able to ouercome them Againe he that is once a member of Christ can neuer be wholly cut off And if any by sinne were wholly seuered from Christ for a time in his recouerie he is to be baptised the second time for baptisme is the sacrament of initiation or ingrafting into Christ. By this reason we should as often be baptized as we fal into any sinne which is absurd Againe S. Iohn saith 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. Where he taketh it for graunted that such as be once in Christ shall neuer wholly be seuered or fall from him Though our communion with Christ may be lessened yet the vnion and the bond of coniunction is neuer dissolued III. Exception They say we are indeede to beleeue our saluation on Gods part but we must needs doubt in regard of our selues because the promises of remission of sinnes are giuen vpon condition of mans faith and repentance Now we cannot say they be assured that we haue true faith and repentance because we may lie in secret sinnes and so want that indeed which we suppose our selues to haue Ans. I say again he that doth truly repent and beleeue doth by Gods grace know that he doth repent and beleeue for els Paul would neuer haue said Prooue your selues whither you be in the faith or not and the same Apostle saith 2. Cor. 12. We haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are giuen of God which things are not onely life euerlasting but iustification sanctification and such like And as for secret sinnes they cannot make our repentance voide for he that truly repenteth of his knowne sinnes repenteth also of such as be vnknowne and receiueth the pardon of them all God requireth not an expresse or speciall repentance of vnknowne sinnes but accepts it as sufficient if we repent of them generally as Dauid saith Psal. 19. Who knowes the errours of this life forgiue me my secret sinnes And whereas they adde that faith and repentance must be sufficient I answer that the sufficiencie of our faith and repentance stands in the truth and not in the measure or perfection thereof and the truth of both where they are is certenly discerned Reason VI. The iudgement of the auncient Church August Of an euill seruant thou art made a good child therefore presume not of thine owne doing but of the grace of Christ it is not arrogancie but faith to acknowledge what thou hast receiued is not pride but deuotion And Let no man aske an other man but returne to his owne heart if he finde charitie there he hath securitie for his passage from life to death Hilar. on Matth. 5. The kingdome of heauen which our Lord professed to be in himselfe his will is that it must be hoped for without any doubtfulnesse of vncertaine will Otherwise there is no iustification by faith if faith is selfe be made doubtfull Bernard in his epist. 107. Who is the iust man but he that beeing loued of God loues him againe which comes not to passe but by the spirit reuealing by Faith the eternall purpose of God of his saluation to come Which reuelation is nothing else but the infusion of spirituall grace by which when the deedes of the flesh are mortified the man is prepared to the kingdome of heauen Togither receiuing in one spirit that whereby he may presume that he is loued and also loue againe To conclude the Papists haue no great cause to dissent from vs in this point For they teach and professe that they doe by a speciall faith beleeue their owne saluation certenly and vnfallibly in respect of God that promiseth Now the thing which hindreth them is their owne in disposition and vnworthines as they say which keepes them from beeing certen otherwise then in a likely hope But this hindrance is easily remooued if men will iudge indifferently For first of all in regard of our selues and our disposition we can not be certen at all but must despaire of saluation euen to the very death We cannot be sufficiently disposed so long as we liue in this world but must alwaies say with Iacob I am lesse then all thy mercies Gen. 32. and with Dauid Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for none liuing shall be iustified in thy sight and with the Centurion Lord I am not worthie that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe Matth. 8. Secondly God in making promise of saluation respects not mens worthines For he chose vs to life euerlasting when we were not he redeemed vs from death beeing enemies and intitles vs to the promise of saluation if we acknowledge our selues to be â—inners Matth. 9. if we labour and trauaile vnder the burden of them Matth. II. if we hunger and thirst after grace Ioh. 7.37 And these things we may certenly and sensibly perceiue in our selues and when we finde them in vs though our vnworthines be exceeding great it should not
hinder our assurance For God makes manifest his power in our weaknes 2. Cor. 12. and he wil not breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flaxe Isa. 42. Thirdly if a man loue God for his mercies sake and haue a true hope of saluation by Christ he is in Christ and hath fellowshippe with him and he that is in Christ hath all his vnworthines and wants laide on Christ and they are couered and pardoned in his death and in respect of our selues thus considered as we are in Christ we haue no cause to wauer but to be certen of our saluation and that in regard of our selues The fourth point touching the iustification of a sinner That we may see how farre we are to agree with them and where to differ first I will set downe the doctrine on both parts and secondly the maine differences wherein we are to stand against them euen to death Our doctrine touching the iustificatioÌ„ of a sinner I propound in 4 rules Rule I. That iustification is an action of God whereby he absolueth a sinner accepteth him to life euerlasting for the righteousnes merit of Christ. Rule II. That iustification stands in two things first in the remission of sinnes by the merit of Christ his death secondly in the imputation of Christ his righteousnes which is an other action of God whereby he accounteth esteemeth that righteousnes which is in Christ as the righteousnes of that sinner which beleeueth in him By Christ his righteousnes we are to vnderstand two things first his sufferings specially in his death and passion secondly his obedience in fulfilling the law both which go togither for Christ in suffering obeied and obeying suffered And the very shedding of his blood to which our saluation is ascribed must not onely be considered as it is passiue that is a suffering but also as it is actiue that is an obedience in which he shewed his exceeding loue both to his father and vs and thus fulfilled the law for vs. This point if some had well thought on they would not haue placed all iustification in remission of sinnes as they doe Rule III. That iustification is from Gods meere mercie and grace procured onely by the merit of Christ. Rule IV. That man is iustified by faith alone because faith is that alone instrument created in the heart by the holy Ghost whereby a sinner laieth hold of Christ his righteousnes and applieth the same vnto himselfe There is neither hope nor loue nor any other grace of God within man that can doe this but faith alone The doctrine of the Romane Church touching the iustification of a sinner is on this manner I. They hold that before iustification there goes a preparation thereunto which is an action wrought partly by the holy Ghost and partly by the power of naturall freewill whereby a man disposeth himselfe to his owne future iustification In the preparation they consider the ground of iustification and things proceeding from it The ground is faith which they define to be a generall knowledge whereby we vnderstand and beleeue that the doctrine of the word of God is true Things proceeding from this faith are these a sight of our sinnes a feare of hell hope of saluation loue of God repentance such like all which when men haue attained they are then fully disposed as they say to their iustification This preparation beeing made then comes iustification it selfe â— which is an action of God whereby he maketh a man righteous It hath two parts the first and the second The first is when a sinner of an euill man is made a good man And to effect this two things are required first the pardon of sinne which is one part of the first iustification secondly the infusion of inward righteousnes whereby the heart is purged and sanctified and this habite of righteousnes stand specially in hope and charitie After the first iustification followeth the second which is when a man of a good or iust man is made better and more iust and this say they may proceede from workes of grace because he which is righteous by the first iustification can bring forth good workes by the merit wherof he is able to make himselfe more iust and righteous and yet they graunt that the first iustification commeth onely of Gods mercie by the merit of Christ. I. Our consent and difference Now let vs come to the points of difference betweene vs and them touching iustification The first maine difference is in the matter thereof which shall be seene by the answer both of Protestant and Papist to this one question What is the very thing that causeth a man to stand righteous before God and to be accepted to life euerlasting we answer Nothing but the righteousnes of Christ which consisteth partly in his sufferings and partly in his actiue obedience in fulfilling the rigour of the law And here let vs consider how neere the Papists come to this answer and wherein they dissent Consent I. They graunt that in iustification sinne is pardoned by the merits of Christ and that none can be iustified without remission of sinnes and that is well II. They graunt that the righteousnes whereby a man is made righteous before God commeth from Christ and from Christ alone III. The most learned among them say that Christ his satisfaction and the merit of his death is imputed to euery sinner that doth beleeue for his satisfaction before God and hitherto we agree The very point of difference is this we hold that the satisfaction made by Christ in his death and obedience to the law is imputed to vs and becomes our righteousnesse They say it is our satisfaction and not our righteousnesse whereby we stand righteous before God because it is inherent in the person of Christ as in a subiect Now the answer of the Papist to the former question is on this manner The thing saith he that maketh vs righteous before God and causeth vs to be accepted to life euerlasting is remission of sinnes and the habite of inward righteousnes or charitie with the fruits thereof We condiscend and graunt that the habite of righteousnes which we call sanctification is an excellent gift of God and hath his reward of God and is the matter of our iustification before man because it serueth to declare vs to be reconciled to God and to be iustified yet we denie it to be the thing which maketh vs of sinners to become righteous or iust before God And this is the first point of our disagreement in the matter of iustification which must be marked because if there were no more points of difference betweene vs this one alone were sufficient to keepe vs from vniting of our religions for hereby the Church of Rome doth rase the very foundation Now let vs see by what reasons we iustifie our doctrine and secondly answer the contrarie obiections Our reasons Reason I. That very thing which must â—e our righteousnes
maner For his obedience in fulfilling the law is aboue Adams righteousnes yea aboue the righteousnes of all Angels For they were all but creatures their obedience the obedience of creatures but Christ his obedience is the obedience or righteousnes of god so tearmed Rom. 1.17 18. 2. Cor. 5.21 not only because god accepted of it but because it was in that person which is very God When Christ obeied God obeyed and when he suffered God suffered not because the godhead suffered or performed any obedience but because the person which according to one nature is God performed obedience and suffered And by this meanes his righteousnesse is of infinite value price merit and efficacie Hence also it commeth to passe that this obedience of Christ serueth not onely for the iustifying of some one person as Adams did but of all and euery one of the Elect yea it is sufficient to iustifie many thousand worldes Now to come to the point this righteousnes that is in Christ in this largenesse and measure is pertaining to vs in a more narrow skantling because it is onely receiued by faith so farreforth as it serueth to iustifie any particular beleeuer But they vrge the reason further saying If Christ his righteousnes be the righteousnes of euery beleeuer then euery man shauld be a Sauiour which is absurb Answ. I answer as before and yet more plainely thus Christ his righteousnesse is imputed to the person of this or that man not as it is the price of redemption for all mankind but as it is the price of redemption for one particular man as for example Christ his righteousnes is imputed to Peter not as it is the price of redemption for all but as it is the price of redemption for Peter And therefore Christ his righteousnesse is not applyed to any one sinner in that largenes and measure in which it is in the person of Christ but onely so farforth as it serueth to satisfie the law for the said sinner and to make his person accepted of God as righteous and no further III. Obiect If we be made righteous by Christ his righteousnes truly then Christ is a sinner truly by our sinnes but Christ is not indeed a sinner by our sinnes Ans. We may with reuerence to his maiestie in good manner say that Christ was a sinner and that truly not by any infusion of sinne into his most holy person but because our sinnes were laide on him thus saith the holy Ghost he which knew no sinne was made sinne for vs and he was counted with sinners Isa. 53. 12. yet so as euen then in himselfe he was without blot yea more holy then all men and angels On this manner saide Chrysostome 2. Cor. 3. God permitted Christ to be condemned as a sinner Againe He made the iust one to be a sinner that he might make sinners iust IV. Obiect If a man be made righteous by imputation then God iudgeth sinners to be righteous but God iudgeth no sinner to be righteous for it is abomination to the Lord. Ans. When God iustifieth a sinner by Christ his righteousnes at the same time he ceaseth in regard of guiltines to be a sinner and to whome God imputeth righteousnes them he sanctifieth at the very same instant by his holy Spirit giuing also vnto originall corruption his deadly wound V. Obiect That which Adam neuer lost was neuer giuen by Christ but he neuer lost imputed righteousnes therefore it was neuer giuen vnto him Ans. The proposition is not true for sauing faith that was neuer lost by Adam is giuen to vs in Christ and Adam neuer had this priuiledge that after the first grace should follow the second and therefore being left to himselfe he fell from God and yet this mercie is vouchsafed to all beleeuers that after their first conuersion God will still confirme them with new grace and by this meanes they perseuere vnto the ende And whereas they say that Adam had not imputed righteousnes I answer that he had the same for substance though not for the manner of applying by imputation VI. Obiect Iustification is eternall but the imputation of Christ his righteousnes is not eternall for it ceaseth in the end of this life therfore it is not that which iustifieth a sinner Ans. The imputation of Christs righteousnes is euerlasting for he that is esteemed righteous in this life by Christ his righteousnes is accepted as righteous for euer and the remission of sinnes graunted in this life is for euer continued And though sanctification be perfect in the world to come yet shall it not iustifie for we must conceiue it no otherwise after this life but as a fruit springing from the imputed righteousnes of Christ without which it could not be And a good childe will not cast away the first garment because his father giues him a second And what if inward righteousnes be perfect in the ende of this life shall we therefore make it the matter of our iustification God forbid For the righteousnes whereby sinners are iustified must be had in the time of this life before the pangs of death II. Difference about the manner of iustification All both Papists and Protestants agree that a sinner is iustified by faith This agreement is onely in word and the difference betweene vs is great indeede And it may be reduced to these three heads First the Papist saying that a man is iustified by faith vnderstandeth a generall or a Catholike faith whereby a man beleeueth the articles of religion to be true But we holde that the faith which iustifieth is a particular faith whereby we apply to our selues the promises of righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ. And that our opinion is the trueth I haue prooued before but I wil adde a reason or twaine I. Reason The faith whereby we liue is that faith whereby we are iustified but the faith whereby we liue spiritually is a particular faith whereby we apply Christ vnto our selues as Paul saith Gal. 2.20 I liue that is spiritually by the faith of the sonne of God which faith he sheweth to bee a particular faith in Christ in the very wordes following who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me particularly and in this manner of beleeuing Paul was and is an example to all that are to be saued 1. Tim. 1.16 and Phil. 3.15 II. Reason That which we are to aske of God in praier we must beleeue it shal be giuen vs as we aske it but in praier we are to aske the pardon of our owne sinnes and the merit of Christs righteousnes for our selues therfore we must beleeue the same particularly The proposition is a rule of Gods word requiring that in euery petition wee bring a particular faith whereby wee beleeue that the thing lawfully asked shall be giuen accordingly Matth. 11.24 The minor is also euident neither can it be denied for we are taught by Christ himselfe to pray on this manner Forgiue
report and relation of the miracles done in the land of Egypt whereby she was mooued to ioyne hir selfe vnto the people of God and to beleeue as they did By these examples then it is manifest that in the very seruants of God there is and may be for a time an implicite faith For the better vnderstanding of this point it is to be considered that faith may be infolded two waies fiâ—st in respect of knowledge of things to be beleeued secondly in respect of the apprehension of the obiect of faith namely Christ and his benefits Now faith is infolded in respect of knowledge when as sundrie things that are necessarie to saluation are not as yet distinctly knowne Though Christ commended the faith of his disciples for such a faith against which the gates of hell should not preuaile yet was it vnexpressed or wrapped vp in regard of sundrie points of religion for first of all Peter that made confession of Christ in the name of the rest was at that time ignorant of the particular meanes whereby his redemption should be wrought For after this he went about to disswade his master from the suffering of death at Ierusalem whereupon Christ sharply rebuked him saying Come behinde me Sathan thou art an offence vnto me Againe they were all ignorant of Christs resurrection till certaine women who first saw him after he was risen againe had told them and they by experience in the person of Christ had learned the truth Thirdly they were ignorant of the ascension for they dreamed of an earthly kingdome at the very time wheÌ„ he was about to ascend saying Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome to Israelâ— Act. 1.6 And after Christs ascension Peter knew nothing of the breaking downe of the partition wall betweene the Iewes and Gentiles till God had better schooled him in a vision Act. 10.14 And no doubt we haue ordinarie examples of this Implicit faith in sundrie persons among vs. For some there be which are dull and hard both for vnderstanding and memorie and thereupon make no such proceedings in knowledge as many others doe and yet for good affection and conscience in their doings so farre as they know they come not short of any hauing withall a continuall care to increase in knowledge and to walke in obedience according to that which they know And such persons though they be ignorant in many things yet haue they a meaning of true faith and that which is wanting in knowledge is supplied in affection and in some respects they are to be preferred before many that haue the glibbe tongue and the braine swimming with knowledge To this purpose Melancthon said well We must acknowledge the great mercie of God who puts a difference betweene sinnes of ignorance and such as are done wittingly and forgiues manifold ignorances to them that know but the foundation and be teachable as may be seene by the Apostles in whome there was much want of vnderstanding before the resurrection of Christ. But as hath bin saide he requires that we be teachable and he will not haue vs to be hardned in our sluggishnesse and dulnesse As it is saide psal 1. he meditateth in his law day and night The second kind of implicite faith is in regard of Apprehension when as a man can not say distinctly and certenly I beleeue the pardon of my sinnes but I doe vnfainedly desire to beleeue the pardon of them all and I desire to repent This case befalls many of Gods children when they are touched in conscience for their sinnes But where men are displeased with themselues for their offences and doe withall constantly from the heart desire to beleeue and to be reconciled to God there is faith and many other graces of God infolded as in the little and tender budde is infolded the leafe the blossome and the fâ—uit For though a desire to repent and to beleeue be not faith and repentance in nature yet in Gods acceptation it is God accepting the will for the deede Isa. 42.3 Christ will not quench the smoking flaxe which as yet by reason of weakenesse giues neither light nor heate Christ saith Math. 6. 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnes for they shall be satisfied where by persons hungring and thirsting are meant all such as feele with griefe their owne want of righteousnesse and withall desire to be iustified and sanctified Rom. 8.26 God heares regards the very grones and sighes of his seruants yea though they be vnspeakable by reason they are oftentimes little weake and confused yet God hath respect vnto them because they are the worke of his owne spirit Thus when we see that in a touched heart desiring to beleeue there is an infolded faith And this is the faith which many of the true seruants of God haue and our saluation stands not so much in our apprehending of Christ as in Christs comprehending of vs and therefore Paul saith Phil. 3. 12. he followeth namely after perfection if that he might comprehend that for whose sake he is comprehended of Christ. Now if any shall say that without a liuely faith in Christ none can be saued I answer that God accepts the desire to beleeue for liuely faith in the time of temptation and in the time of our first conuersion as I haue saide Put case a man that neuer yet repented falls into some grieuous sicknes and then beginnes to be touched in conscience for his sinnes and to be truly humbled hereupon he is exhorted to beleeue his owne reconciliation with God in Christ and the pardon of his owne sinnes And as he is exhorted so he endeauoureth according to the measure of grace receiued to beleeue yet after much striuing he can not resolue himselfe that he doth distinctly and certenly beleeue the pardon of his owne sinnes onely this he can say that he doth heartely desire to beleeue this he wisheth aboue all things in the world and he esteemes all things as dung for Christ and thus he dies I demaund now what shall we say of him surely we may say nothing but that he died the child of God and is vndoubtedly saued For howsoeuer it were an happie thing if men could come to that fulnesse of faith which was in Abraham and many seruants of God yet certen it is that God in sundrie cases accepts of this desire to beleeue for true faith indeede And looke as it is in nature so is it in grace in nature some die when they are children some in olde age and some in full strength and yet all die men so againe some die babes in Christ some of more perfect faith and yet the weakest hauing the seedes of grace is the child of God and faith in his infancie is faith All this while it must be remembred I say not there is a true faith without all apprehension but without a Distinct apprehension for some space of time for this very desire by faith to apprehend Christ and
vnto thee that thou hast deserued damnation say Lord I oppose the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene thee and my euill merits and I offer his merit for the merit which I should haue and haue not If he shall say that he is angrie with thee say Lord I oppose the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene me and thine anger Here we see what Papists doe and haue done in the time of death And that which they hold and practise when they are dying they should hold and practise euery day while they are liuing In the last conclusion they teach that we must not onely beleeue in generall but also applie vnto our selues the promises of life euerlasting But they differ from vs in the very manner of applying They teach that the promise is to be applied not by faith asâ—uring vs of our own saluation but only by hope in likelihood coniecturall We hold that we are bound in dutie to applie the promise of life by faith without making doubt thereof and by hope to continue the certentie after the apprehension made by faith We doe not teach that all and euery man liuing within the precincts of the church professing the name of Christ is certen of his saluation and that by faith but that he ought so to be and must indeauour to attaine thereto And here is a great point in the mysterie of iniquitie to be considered for by this vncerten application of the promise of saluation and this wauering hope they ouerturne halfe the doctrine of the Gospel For it inioynes two things first to beleeue the promises thereof to be true in themselues secondly to beleeue and by faith to applie them vnto our selues And this latter part without which the former is voide of comfort is quite ouerturned The reasons which they alleadge against our doctrine I haue answered before now therefore I let them passe To conclude though in coloured tearmes they seeme to agree with vs in doctrine concerning faith yet in deede they denie and abolish the substance thereof namely the particular and certen application of Christ crucified and his benefits vnto our selues Againe they faile in that they cut off the principall dutie and office of true sauing faith which is to apprehend and to applie the blessing promised The 21. point Of Repentance Our consent Conclus I. That repentance is the conuersion of a sinner There is a two-fold conuersion passiue and actiue passiue is an action of God whereby he conuerteth man beeing as yet vncoÌ„uerted Actiue is an action whereby man being once turned of God turnes himselfe and of this latter must this conclusion be vnderstood For the first conuersion considering it is a worke of God turning vs vnto himselfe is not the repentance whereof the Scripture speaketh so oft but it is called by the name of regeneration and repentance wherby we beeing first turned of God doe turne our selues and doe good workes is the fruit thereof Conclus II. That repentance stands specially for practise in contrition of heart confession of mouth and satisfaction in worke or deed Touching contrition there be two kinds thereof Legal and Euangelical Legal contrition is nothing but a remorse of coÌ„science for sinne in regard of the wrath iudgemeÌ„t of God it is no grace of God at all nor any part or cause of repeÌ„tance but onely an occasion thereof that by the mercie of God for of it selfe it is the sting of the law and the very entrance into the pit of hel Euangelical contrition is when a repentant sinner is grieued for his sinnes not so much for feare of hell or any other punishment as because he hath offended and displeased so good and mercifull a God This contrition is caused by the ministerie of the Gospell and in the practise of repentance it is alwaies necessarie and goes before as the beginning thereof Secondly we hold and maintaine that confession is to be made and that in sundrie respects first to God both publikely in the congregation and also priuately in our secret and priuate praiers Secondly to the Church when any person hath openly offended the congregation by any crime and is therefore excommunicate Thirdly to our priuate neighbour when we haue vpon any occasion offended and wronged him Math. 5.23 If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee goe first and be reconciled to him now reconciliation presupposeth confession Lastly in all true repentance we hold and acknowledge there must be satisfaction made first to God and that is when we intreat him in our supplications to accept the death and passion of Christ as a full perfect and sufficient satisfaction for all our sinnes Secondly it is to be made vnto the Church after excommunication for publike offences and it staÌ„ds in duties of humiliatioÌ„ that fitly serue to testifie the truth of our repeÌ„taÌ„ce Thirdly satisfaction is to be made to our neighbor because if he be wronged he must haue recoÌ„pence and restitution made Luk. 19.8 there repentance may iustly be suspected where no satisfaction is made if it lie in our power Conclus III. That in repentance we are to bring outward fruits worthie amendment of life for repentance it selfe is in the heart and therefore must be testified in all manner of good workes whereof the principall is to indeauour day by day by Gods grace to leaue and renounce all and euery sinne and in all things to doe the will of God And here let it be remembred that we are not patrons of licentiousnes and enemies of good workes For though we exclude them from the act of our iustification and saluation yet we maintaine a profitable and necessarie vse of them in the life of euery Christian man This vse is three-fold in respect of God of man of our selues Workes are to be done in respect of God that his commandements may be obeied 1. Ioh. 5.12 that his will may be don 1. Thess. 4.3 that we may shew our selues to be obedient children to God our Father 1. Pet. 1.14 that we may shew our selues thankefull for our redemption by Christ Tit. 2. 14. that we might not grieue the spirit of God Eph. 4.30 but walke according to the same Gal. 5. 22. that God by our good workes may be glorified Math. 5.16 that we may be good followers of God Eph. 5.1 Againe workes are to be done in regard of men that our neighbour may be helped in worldly things Luk. 6.38 that he may be woon by our example to godlines 1. Pet. 3.14 that we may preuent in our selues the giuing of any offence 1. Cor. 10.32 that by doing good we may stoppe the mouthes of our aduersaries Thirdly and lastly they haue vse in respect of our selues that we may shew our selues to be new creatures 2. Cor. 5.17 that we may walke as the children of light Eph. 5.8 that we haue some assurance of our faith and of our saluation 2. Pet.
grace from the sentence of the Law pricking the conscience Q. How is it done A. By praying with sending vp lowd cries for Gods fauour in Christ in the pardoning of sinne and with feruent perseuerance herein till the desire of the heart be graunted Q. What followeth after all this A. God then according to his mercifull promise le ts the poore sinner feel the assurance of his loue wherewith he loueth him in Christ which assurance is a liuely faith Q. Are there diuers degrees and measures of true faith A. Yea. Q. What is the least measure of true faith that any man can haue A. When a man of an humble spirit by reason of the littlenes of his faith doth not yet feele the assurance of the forgiuenes of his sinnes and yet he is perswaded that they are pardonable and therefore desireth that they should be pardoned and with his heart praieth to God to pardon them Q. How doe you know that such a man hath faith A. These desires and prayers are testimonies of the Spirit whose property it is to stirre vp a longing and a lusting after heauenly things with sighes and grones for Gods fauour mercie in Christ. Now where the spirit of Christ is there is Christ dwelling and where Christ dwelleth there is true faith how weake soeuer it be Q. What is the greatest measure of faith A. When a man daily increasing in faith comes to be fully perswaded of Gods loue in Christ towards himselfe particularly and of the forgiuenesse of his owne sinnes Q. When shall a Christian heart come to this full assurance A. Not at the first but in some continuance of time when he hath beene well practised in Repentance and hath had diuers experiences of Gods loue vnto him in Christ then after them will appeare in his heart the fulnesse of perswasion which is the ripenes and strength of faith Q. What benefits doth a man receiue by his faith in Christ A. Hereby he is iustified before God and sanctified Q. What is this to be iustified before God A. It comprehendeth two things the first to be cleared from the guiltines and punishment of sinne the second to be accepted as perfectly righteous before God Q. How is a man cleared from the guiltines and punishment of his sinnes A. By Christs sufferings and death vpon the crosse Q. How is he accepted righteous before God A. By the righteousnes of Christ imputed to him Q. What profit comes by beeing thus iustified A. Hereby and by no other meanes in the world the beleeuer shall be accepted before Gods iudgement seat as worthie of eternall life by the merits o the same righteousnes of Christ. Q. Doe not good works then make vs worthie of eternall life A. No for God who is perfect righteousnes it selfe will finde in the best workes we doe more matter of daâ—uation then of saluation and therefore we must rather condemne our selues for our good workes then looke to be iustified before God thereby Q. How may a man know that he is iustified before God A. He neede not ascend into heauen to search the secret counsell of God but rather desceÌ„d into his own heart to search whether he be sanctified or not Q. What is it to be sanctified A. It comprehendeth two things the first to be purged from the corruption of his owne nature the second to be indued with inward righteousnes Q. How is the corruption of sinne purged A. By the merits and power of Christs death which beeing by faith applied is as a corasiue to abate consume and weaken the power of all sinne Q. How is a man indued with inherent righteousnes A. Through the vertue of Christs resurrection which beeing applied by faith is as a restoratiue to reuiue a man that is dead in sinne to newnes of life Q. In what part of a man is sanctification wrought A. In euery part both bodie and soule Q. In what time is it wrought A. It is begunne in this life in which the faithfull receiue onely the first fruites of the Spirit and it is not finished before the ende of this life Q. What graces of the Spirit doe vsually shew themselues in the heart of a man sanctified A. The hatred of sinne and the loue of righteousnes Q. What proceedes of them A. Repentance which is a setled purpose in the heart with a carefull indeauour to leaue all his sinnes and to liue a Christian life according to all Gods commandements Q. What goeth with repentance A. A continuall fighting and strugling against the assaults of a mans owne flesh against the motions of the deuill and the inticements of the world Q. What followeth after a man hath gotten the victorie in any temptation or affliction A. Experience of Gods loue in Christ and so increase of peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost Q. What followes iâ— in any temptation he be ouercome and through infirmitie fall A. After a while there will arise a godly sorrow which is when a man is grieued for no other cause in the world but for this onely that by his sinne he hath displeased God who hath beene vnto him a most mercifull and louing Father Q. What signe is there of this sorrow A. The true signe of it is this when a man can be grieued for the very disobedience to God in his euill word or deed though he should neuer be punished and though there were neither heauen nor hell Q. VVhat followes after this sorrow A. Repentance renewed a fresh Q. By what signes will this repentance appeare A. By seauen 1. A care to leaue the sinne into which he is fallen 2. An vtter condemning of himselfe for it with a crauing of pardon 3. A great anger against himselfe for his carelesnes 4. A feare least he should fall into the same sinne againe 5. A desire euer after to please God 6. A zeale of the same 7. Reuenge vpon himselfe for his former offence The fifth Principle expounded Q. What outward meanes must we vse to obtaine faith and all blessings of God which come by faith A. The preaching of Gods word and the administration of the Sacraments and praier Q. Where is the word of God to be found A. The whole word of God needfull to saluation is set downe in the holy Scriptures Q. How know you that the Scriptures are the word of God and not mens pollicies A. I am assured of it First because the holy Ghost perswadeth my conscience that it is so Secondly I see it by experience for the preaching of the Scriptures haue the power of God in them to humble a man when they are preached and to cast him down to hell and afterward to restore and raise him vp againe Q. What is the vse of the word of God preached A. First it breedeth and then it increaseth faith