obseruing and watchfull power like the eye of a keeper reserued in man partly to reprooue partly to represse the vnbridled course of his affections Rom. 2.15 Which shewe the effect of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts accusing one another or excusing That which the conscience hath receiued of Adam is the impurenes therof Titus 1.15 To them that are defiled aâ—â— vnbeleeuing nothing is pure but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled This impuritie hath three effects the first is to excuse sinne as if a man serue God outwardly he will excuse and cloake his inward impietie Mark 10.19,20 Thou knowest the commandements Thou shalt not c. Then he answered and said Master all these things haue I obserued from my youth Againe it excuseth intents not warranted in Gods word 1. Chron. 13.9 When they came to the threshing floore of Chidon Vzza put forth his hand to hold the Arke for the oxe did shake it The second is to accuse and terrifie for doing good This we may see in superstitious idolators who are grieued when they omit to performe counterfeit and idolatrous worship to their gods Colos. 2.21,22 Touch not tast not handle not which all perish with vsing and are after the commandements and doctrines of men Esay 29.13 And their feare toward me was taught them by the precepts of men The third is to accuse and terrifie for sinne Gen. 50. 15. When Iosephs brethren saw that their father was dead they said It may be that Ioseph will hate vs and will pay vs againe all the euill which we did vnto him Ioh. 8.9 And when they heard it beeing accused by their owne consciences they went out one by one 1. Ioh. 3. 20. If our heart condemne vs God is greater then our heart Though the conscience shal accuse a man truly yet that will not argue any holinesse in it which appeareth in that Adam in his innocency had a God yet no accusing conscience Impurenes increased in the conscience is first such a senseles numnesse as that it can hardly accuse a man of sinne Eph. 4.19 Who beeing past feeling haue giuen themselues to wantonnes to worke all vncleannes euen with greedines 1. Tim. 4.2 Hauing their consciences burned with an hot yron This senselesnes springeth from a custome in sinning 1. Sam. 25.37 Then in the morning when the wine was gone out of Nabal his wife told him those words and his heart died within him and he was like a stone II. Some grieuous horror terrour of the conscience Gen. 4.14 〈◊〉 hold thou hast cast me this day from the earth and from thy face shall I be hid And ver 13. My punishment iâ— greater then I can beare The Symptomes of this disease are blasphemies trembling of body fearefull dreames Act. 24.26 And 〈◊〉 hâ— disputed of righteousnes and temperance and the iudgement to come Felix trâ—mled c. Dan. 5.9 Then the kings coâ—ntenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the ioynts of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against the other In the will the remnant of Gods image is a free choice First in euery naturall action belonging to each liuing creature as to nourish to engender to mooue to perceiue Secondly in euery humane action that is such as belong to all men and therefore man hath freewill in outward actions whether they concerne manners a familie or the common-wealth albeit both in the choice and refusall of them it be very weake Rom. 2.14 The Gentiles which haue not the law by nature doe those things which are of the law The will receiued I. An impotencie whereby it cannot will or so much as lust after that which is indeede good that is which may please and be acceptable to God 1. Cor. 2.14 The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Rom. 5.6 Christ when wee were yet of no strength at his time died for the vngodly 2. Tim. 2.26 Phil. 2.13 It is God which worketh in you both the will and the deede euen of his good pleasure II. An inward rebellion wherby it vtterly abhorreth that which is good desiring and willing that alone which is euill By this it appeareth that the will is no agent but a meere patient in the first act of conuersion to God and that by it selfe it can neither begin that conuersion or any other inward and sound obedience due to Gods law That which the affections receiue is a disorder by which they therfore are not well affected because they eschew that which is good and pursue that which is euill Galat. 5.24 They that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Rom. 1.26 Therfore God gaue them ouer to filthy lusts 1. King 22.8 The king of Israel said vnto Iehosophat yet is there one of whom thou maiest take counsell but him I hate c. and 21.4 therefore Achab came home to his house discontented and angrie for the word which Naboth spake vnto him and he laid himselfe on his bed turning away his face least he should eate meate That which the bodie hath receiued is I. fitnes to begin sinne This doth the bodie in transporting all obiects and occasions of sinne to the soule Gen. 3.6 The woman seeing that the tree was good for meate and pleasant to the eyes c. tooke of the fruit thereof and did eate II. A fitnesse to execute sinne so soone as the heart hath begun it Rom. 6. Neither giue your members as weapons of iniustice to sinne and vers 19. As you haue giuen your members as seruants to vncleannes and iniquitie to commit iniquitie c. CHAP. 13. Of actuall sinne A After original sin in Adams posteritie actuall transgression taketh place It is either inward or outward Inward is of the minde will affections The actuall sinne of the minde is the euill thought or intent thereof coÌ„trary to Gods law Examples of euill thoughts God the onely knower of the heart hath in diuers places set downe in his word I. That there is no God Psal. 10.4 The wicked is so proud that he seeketh not for God he thinketh alwaies there is no God Psal. 14. 1. The foole saith in his heart there is no God II. That there is neither prouidence nor presence of God in the world Psal. 10.11 He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth away his face will neuer see vers 13. Wherefore doth the wicked centemne God he saith in his heart thou wilt not regard III. It imagineth safegard to it selfe from all perils Psal. 10. 6. He saith in his heart I shall neuer be mooued nor be in daunger Revel 18.7 She saith in her heart I sit beeing a Queene and am no widowe and shall see no mourning IV. It esteemeth it selfe more excellent theÌ„ other Apoc. 18.7 I sit as
in the very middest of all confusion there is order to be founde because he can and doth despose it to the glorie of his owne name and to the good and saluation of his chosen as also to the confusion of his enemies Againe it may be obiected that with vngodly and wicked men all thinges goe well and contrariwise with the godly all things goe hardly For through the world none are more molested and more vnder outward miserie then they but if there were any prouidence of God then it should be otherwise the godly should flourish and the wicked perish Ans. The consideration of the outward estate of men in the world was to Dauid an occasion of a sore temptation For when he sawe the wicked to prosper alwaie and their riches to increase he brake forth and said Certenly I haue clensed my heart in vaine and washed mine hands in innocencie Now if we would repell this temptation as Dauid afterward did then wee must goe into the Lords sanctuarie with him and learne to be resolued in these points I. Though the godly bee laden with miseries yet euen that by the especiall prouidence of God turnes to their great good For euery man since the fall of Adam is stained with the loathsome contagion of sinne Now the child of God that is truly regenerate and must be fellow heire with Christ after this life in the kingdome of glory must in this life be cast into the Lords furnace that in the fire of afflliction he may more and more be skoured and purified from the corruption of his nature and be estranged from the wickednes of the worlde II. The prosperous successe of the wicked their spoiles their reuenewes and all their honour turnes to their greater woe in the ende as doth appeare in Iobs historie in the examples of the Chaldeans of Dauids enimies and of Diues and Lazarus Thirdly it may be obiected that many things came to passe by chance and therefore not by Gods prouidence because chaunce and prouidence cannot stand togither Ans. We must distinguish betweene chance and meere chance Chaunce is when any thing comes to passe the cause thereof beeing vnknowne not simply but in respect of man aad therefore in regard of men which knowe not the reason of things we may say there is chaunce and so the spirit of God speaketh Time and chaunce commeth to them all And againe By chaunce there came downe a priest the same way Now this kind of chance is not against the prouidence of God but is ordered by it For things which in regard of men are casuall are certainely knowne and determined by God Meere chaunce is when things are said or thought to come to passe without any cause at all But that must be abhorred of vs as ouerturning the prouidence of God Thus seeing it is plaine that there is a prouideÌ„ce let vs in the next place see what it is Prouidence is a most free and powerfull action of God whereby he hath care ouer all things that are Prouidence hath two parts knowledge and gouernment Gods knowledge is whereby all things from the greatest to the least are manifest before him at al times As Dauid saith His eies will consider his eie lids will trie the children of meÌ„ And againe He abaseth himselfe to beholde the things that are in the heauen and the earth And the Prophet Hanani said to Asa The eies of the Lord behold all the earth And Saint Iames saith From the beginning of the world God knoweth all his workes This point hath a double vse First as Saint Peter saith it must mooue vs to eschewe euill and doe good why Because saith he the eies of the Lord are vpon the iust and his countenance against euill doers Secondly it must comfort all those that labour to keepe a good conscience For the eies of God behole all the earth to shewe himselfe strong with them that are of perfect heart towards him Gouernment is the â—econd part of Gods prouidence whereby he ordereth all things and directeth them to good endes And it must be extended to the very least thing that is in heauen or earth as to the sparrowes and to oxen and the haires of our heades And here we must consider two things the manner of gouernment and the meanes The manner of gouernment is diuers according as things are good or euill A good thing is that which is approoued of God As first of all the substances of all creatures euen of the deuils themselues in whome whatsoeuer is remaining since their creation is in it selfe good Secondly the quantities qualities motions actions and inclinations of the creatures in themselues considered with all their euents are good Againe good is either naturall or moral Naturall which is created by God for the lawefull vse of man Morall which is agreeable to the eternall and vnchangeable wisdome of God reuealed in the morall lawe Now God gouerneth all good things two waies First by sustaining preseruing them that they decay not secondly by moouing them that they may attaine to the particular endes for which they were seuerally ordained For the qualities and vertues which were placed in the Sunne Moone starres trees plants seedes c. would lie dead in them and be vnprofitable vnlesse they were not onely preserued but also stirred vp and quickened by the power of God so oft as he imploies them to any vse Euill is the destruction of nature and it is taken for sinne or for the punishment of sinne Nowe sinne is gouerned of God by two actions the first is an operatiue permission I so call it because God partly permitteth sinne and partly worketh in it For sinne as it is commonly taken hath two parts the subiect or matter and the forme of sinne the subiect of sinne is a certaine qualitie or action the forme is the anomie or transgression of Gods lawe The first is good in it selfe and euery qualitie or action so farre forth as it is a qualitie or action is existing in nature and hath God to be the author of it Therefore sinne though it be sufficiently euil to eternall damnationâ— yet can it not be said to be absolutely euill as God is absolutely good because the subiect of it is good therfore it hath in it respects regards of goodnes In respect of the second that is the breach of the lawe it selfe God neither willeth nor appointeth nor commandeth nor causeth nor helpeth sin but forbiddeth condemneth and punisheth it yet so as withall he willingly permitteth it to be done by others as men and wicked angells they beeing the sole authors and causes of it And this permission by God is vpon a good ende because thereby heâ— manifesteth his iustice and mercie Thus it appeares that in originall sinne the naturall inclination of the minde will and affections in it selfe considered is from God and the ataxie or corruption of the inclination in no
forsaking Gods word and seeking other wisdome 4. Their pride in seeking to magnifie theÌ„selues and to become like God 5. Contempt of God in transgressing his commandements against their owne conscience 6. In that they preferre the diuell before God 7. Ingratitude who in as much as in them lieth expel Gods spirit dwelling in them and despise that blessed vnion 8. They murther both themselues and their progeniâ— III. The fruit or effects Out of this corrupt estate of our first parents arose the estate of infidelitie or vnbeleefe whereby God hath included all men vnder sinne that he might manifest his mercie in the saluation of some and his iustice in condemnation of others Rom. 11.32 God hath shut vp all men in vnbeleefe that he might haue mercie on all Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beleeue In this estate we must consider sinne and the punishment of sinne Sinne is threefold The first is the participation of Adams both transgression and guiltinesse whereby in his finne all his posteritie sinned Rom. 5. 12. As by one man sinne enered into the world and by sinne death so death entred vpon all men in that all men haue sinned The reason of this is ready Adam was not then a priuate man but represented all mankinde and therefore looke what good he receiued from God or euill elsewhere both were common to others with him 1. Cor. 15.22 As in Adam all men die so in Christ all men rise againe Againe when Adam offended his posteritie was in his loynes from whoÌ„ they should by the course of nature issue and therefore take part of the guiltines with him Hebr. 7.9,10 And to say as the thing is Levi c. paied tithes to Melchisedec for he was yet in the loynes of his father Abraham when Melchisedec met him CHAP. 12. Of Originall sinne OVt of the former transgression ariseth another namely Originall sinne which is corruption ingendred in our first conception whereby euery facultie of soule and bodie is prone and disposed to euil Psal. 1.1 I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me Gen. 6. 5. Tit. 33. We our selues were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing the lusts and diuerse pleasures liuing in maliciousnes and enuie hatefull and hating one another Hebr. 12.1 Let vs cast away euery thing that presseth downe and the sinne that hangeth so fast on By this we see that sinne is not a corruption of mans substance but onely of faculties otherwise neither could mens soules be immortal nor Christ take vpon him mans nature All Adams posteritie is equally partaker of this corruptioÌ„ the reason why it sheweth not it selfe equally in all is because some haue the spirit of sanctification some the spirit onely to bridle corruption some neither The propagation of sinne from the parents to the childreÌ„ is either because the soule is infected by the contagion of the body as a good ointment by a fustie vessell or because God in the very moment of creation and infusion of soules into infants doth vtterly forsake them For as Adam receiued the image of God both for himselfe and others so did he loose it from himselfe and others But whereas the propagation of sinne is as a common fire in a towne men are not so much to search howe it came as to bee carefull howe to extinguish it That wee may the better knowe originall sinne in the seuerall faculties of mans nature three circumstances must be considered 1. How much of Gods image we yet retaine 2. How much sinne man receiued from Adam 3. The increase thereof afterward I. In the minde The remnant of Gods image is certaine notions concerning good and euill as that there is a God and that the same God punisheth transgressions that there is an euerlasting life that we must reuerence our superiours not harme our neighbours But euen these notions they are both generall and corrupt and haue none other vse but to bereaue man of all excuse before Gods iudgement seat Rom. 1.19,20 That which may be known concerning God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it vnto them For the inuisible things of him that is his eternall power Godhead are seene by the creation of the world being considered in his works to the intent they should be without excuse Mens mindes receiued from Adam 1. IgnoraÌ„ce namely a want or rather a depriuation of knowledge in the things of God whether they concerne his sincere worship or eternall happines 1. Cor. 2.14 The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes vnto him neither can hee know theÌ„ because they are spiritually discerned Rom. 8.7 The wisdome of the flesh is enimitie with God for it is not subiect to the law of God neither indeede can be II. Impotencie whereby the minde of it selfe is vnable to vnderstand spirituall things though they be taught Luk. 24.45 Then opened he their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures 2. Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selues to think any thing as of our selues but our sufficieÌ„cie is of God III. Vanitie in that the minde thinketh falsehood truth and trueth falsehood Eph. 4.7 Walke no more as other Gentiles in the vanitie of your vnderstanding 1. Cor. 1.21 It pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue those which beleeue 23. We preach Christ crucified to the Iewes a stumbling blocke but to the Grecians foolishnes Prou. 14.12 There is a way which seemeth good in the eies of men but the end thereof is death IV. A naturall inclâ—nation onely to conceiue and deuise the thing which is euill Gen. 6.5 The Lord saw that the wickednes of man was great vpon earth all the imaginations of the thoughts of the heart were onâ—ly euill continually Iere. 4. 22. They are wise to doe euill but to do well they haue no knowledge Hence it is apparant that the originall and as I may say the matter of all heresies is naturally ingrafted in mans nature This is worthie the obseruation of students in diuinitie The increase of sin in the vnderstanding is 1. a reprobate sense when God withdraweth the light of nature Ioh. 12.40 He hath blinded their eies and hardened their harts least they should see with their eies vnderstaÌ„d with their harts and I should heale them and they be conuerted Rom. 1.28 As they regarded not to know God so God deliuered theÌ„ vp vnto a reprobate minde to do those things which are not conuenient 2. The spirit of slumber Rom. 11.8 God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber c. 3. A spirituall drunkennesse Esay 29.9 They are drunken but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drinke 4. Strong illusions 2. Thess. 2.11 God shall send them strong illusions they shall beleeue lies The remnant of Gods image in the conscience is an
Prophets and yee shall prosper They therefore doe very ill who are still in a doubt of their saluation because as yet they feele not in themselues especiall motions of Gods spirit Thus much concerning the way which God vseth in begetting of faith There are beside this two notable degrees of faith The one is the lowest and as I may speake the positiue degree the other is the highest or superlatiue The lowest degree of faith is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little or weake faith like a graine of mustard seede or smoking flaxe which can neither giue out heate nor flame but onely smoke Math. 8.25 His Disciples awaked him saying Saue master we perish 26. And he said vnto them Why are ye fearefull O ye of little faith Math. 7.20 If ye haue faith as much as a graine of mustard seede ye shall say vnto the mountaine Mooue and it shall remooue Esay 42.3 The smoking flaxe shall he not quench Faith is then said to be weake and feeble when as of those fiue degrees aboue mentioned either the first which is knowledge or the fift which is application of the promises is very feeble the rest remaining strong Rom. 14.2 One beleeueth that he may eate all things and another which is weake eateth hearbes 3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not iudge him which eateth for God hath receiued him The Apostles although they beleeued that Christ was the Sonne of the liuing God yet they were ignorant of his death and his resurrection Matth. 16. 16. Ioh. 6.69 Matth. 17. 22. Luk. 9.49 They vnderstood not that word for it was hid from thē so that they could not perceiue it Act. 1.6 They asked him saying Lord wilt thou restore at this time the kingdome of Israel For the better knowledge of this kind of faith we must obserue these two rules I. A serious desire to beleeue and an indeauour to obtaine Gods fauour is the head of faith Mat 5.6 Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied Reu. 21.6 I will giue to him that it is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely Psal. 145.19 He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him he also will heare their crie and will saue them For in such as begin to beleeue and to be renued the minde will lie not idle but being mooued by the holy ghost striue with doubtfulnesse and distrust indeauour to put their assent to the sweete promises made in the Gospell and firmely to apply the same to themselues and in the sense of their weakenesse desire assistance from aboue and thus faith is bestowed II. God doth not despise the least sparke of faith if so be it by little and little doe encrease and men vse the meanes to increase the same Luk. 17.5 The Apostles said vnto the Lord encrease our faith 6. And the Lord said If ye had faith as much as a graine of mustard seed and should saie vnto this mulberrie tree Plucke thy selfe vp by the rootes and plant thy selfe in the sea it should euen obey you Man must therefore stirre vp his faith by meditation of Gods word serious prayers and other exercises belonging vnto faith The highest degree of faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a full assurance which is not onely certaine and true but also a full perswasion of the heart whereby a Christian much more firmely taking hold on Christ Iesus maketh full and resolute account that God loueth him and that he will giue to him by name Christ and all his graces pertaining to eternall life Rom. 4.20 Neither did be doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strengthened in the faith and gaue glory to God 21. Beeing fully assured that he which had promised was able also to doe it Rom. 8.38 I am perswaded that neither life nor death c. can separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus 1. Sam. 17.36 Thy seruant slue both the lyon and the beare therfore this vncircumcised Philistim shall be as one of them seeing he hath railed on the hoste of the liuing God Psal. 23.6 Doubtlesse kindnesse and mercy shal follow me all the daies of my life Conferred with v. 1,2,3,4 Man commeth to this high degree after the sense obseruation long experience of Gods fauour and loue Quest. Whether is iustifying faith commanded in the law Answer It is commanded in the lawe of faith namely the Gospel but not in the law of works that is in the morrall law Rom. 3.27 the reasons are these I. That which the law reuealeth not that it commandeth not but the lawe is so farre from reuealing iustifying faith that it neuer knew it II. Adam had fully before his fall written in his heart the morall lawe yet had he not iustifying faith which apprehendeth Christ. Obiect I. Incredulitie is condemned by the law Answer That incredulitie which is toward God is condemned in the lawe but that incredulitie which is against the Messiah Christ Iesus is condemned by the Gospel For as by the Gospel◠not by the law incredulitie in the Sonne as Mediatour appeareth to be a sinne so likewise not by the law is incredulitie in the Messiah condemned but by the Gospel which commandeth vs to heare him and to beleeue in him Mat. 17.5 1. Ioh. 3.23 Thus it is plaine that this sinne not to beleeue in Christ is expressely and distinctly made manifest and condemned by the Gospel And albeit the knowledge of sinne be by the law yet not euery thing which doth reprooue and declare some sinne is the lawe of workes or belongeth thereto Obiect II. But ceremonies belong to the decalogue Answer Ceremonies may be as examples referred to the decalogue but indeede they are appendants to the Gospell CHAP. 37. Concerning the second degree of the declaration of Gods loue THe second degree is iustification whereby such as beleeue are accounted iust before God through the obedience of Christ Iesus 2. Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knewe no sinne that we should bee made the righteousnesse of God in him 1. Cor. 1.30 Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one that is Iesus Christ v. 17 shall many also be made righteous Quest. Whether did Christ performe full obedience to the law for vs men alone or for himselfe also Answer I. Not for himselfe as some not rightly would haue him for the flesh of Christ beeing hypostatically vnited to the Word and so in it selfe fully sanctified was euen from the first moment of conception most worthy to be blessed with eternall life Therefore by all that obedience which he performed after his conception Christ he merited nothing for himselfe II. For vs namely for the faithfull he fulfilled all the righteousnes of the law and hence is it that he is called the ende of the law vnto
1. Cor. 2. 12. We haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might knowe the things that are giuen to vs of God Therefore is our election certainely knowne vnto vs. Eph. 1.13 In whome also ye haue trusted after that ye heard the word of trueth euen the Gospell of your saluation wherein also after that ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise Exception The holy Ghost doth seale vnto vs our adoption morally by works and therefore the knowledge of our adoption is but onely probable Answer It sealeth vnto vs our adoption by begetting a speciall trust and confidence For when as we heare Gods promises and withall thinke vpon them then doth the holy Ghost by the same promises mooue our vnderstandings and wils to embrace them and in moouing them doth make vs both to giue our assent vnto them and in them to rest our selues whence ariseth a speciall assurance that we are adopted and in the fauour of God Luk. 10. 20. Reioice rather that your names are written in heauen But no man can be glad for that good which he is in doubt whether he haue receiued it or not IV. 2. Pet. 1. 10. Studie to make your vocation and election sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but this is not in respect of God but ourselues Obiect No man must by the Catholike faith beleeue any thing which God hath not reuealed either in the written or vnwritten word namely tradition But there is no such either writing or tradition as this namely that such a particular man suppose Peter or Henrie is predestinated of God Therefore no man must particularly beleeue that he is saued Ans. Albeit this particular proposition I am elected is not expresly set downe in the Scriptures yet is it inclusiuely comprehended in them as the Species is in his Genus as the Logitians speake so that it may by iust consequent be gathered out of Gods word if we reason thus They which truely beleeue are elected Ioh. 6.35 I truly beleeue therefore I am elected The first proposition is taken from the Scriptures the second from the beleeuers conscience and from them both the conclusion is easily deriued CHAP. 52. Concerning the decree of Reprobation THus much shal suffice for the decree of Election now followeth the decree of Reprobation The decree of Reprobation is that part of predestination whereby God according to the most free and iust purpose of his will hath determined to reiect certain men vnto eternal destruction and miserie and that to the praise of his iustice Rom. 9.21 Hath not the potter power ouer the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour 1. Pet. 2.8 To theÌ„ which stuÌ„ble at the word beeing disobedient vnto which thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were euen ordained Iud. v. 4. There are certaine men crept in which were before of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordained to this condemnation 1. Thess. 5.9 God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath but to saluation In the Scriptures Cain and Abel Ismael and Isaac Esau and Iacob are propounded vnto vs as types of mankinde partly elected and partly reiected Neither doe we here set downe any absolute decree of Damnation as though we should thinke that any were condemned by the meere and alone will of God without any causes inherent in such as are to be condemned For vnto the decree of God it selfe there are certaine meanes for the execution thereof annexed and subordinate And therefore though we neuer doe or can separate Gods decree and the meanes to execute the same yet doe we distinguish them and doe consider the purpose of God sometimes by it selfe alone and sometimes againe not by it selfe but with middle causes subordinate therto And in this second respect Christ is said to be predestinate but in the former namely as the decree is considered by it selfe he is not predestinated but togither with God the Father a Predestinator Againe the decree of God is secret I. Because it ariseth onely from the good pleasure of God vnsearchable adored of the very angels themselues II. Because it is not knowne but by that which is after it namely by the effects thereof CHAP. 53. Concerning the execution of the decree of Reprobation IN the executing of this decree there is to be considered the foundation or beginning and the degrees or proceeding thereof The foundation of executing the decree of Reprobation is the fall of Adam by which fall he was subiect both to sinne and damnation Rom. 11.32 For God hath shutte vp all in vnbeleefe that he might haue mercy on all 1. Pet. 2.8 Here wee must note that God hath so decreed to condemne some as that notwithstanding all the fault and guilt of condemnation remaineth in the men onely Further whome God reiecteth to condemnation those he hateth this hatred of God is whereby he detesteth and abhorreth the reprobate when he is fallen into sinne for the same sinne And this hatred which God hath to man comes by the fall of Adam and it is neither an antecedent nor a cause of Gods decree but onely a consequent and followeth the decree Reprobâ—tes are either Infants or men of riper age In reprobate infants the execution of Gods decree is this assoone as they are borne for the guilt of originall and naturall sinne being left in Gods secret iudgement vnto themselues they dying are reiected of God for euer Rom. chap. 5. ver 14. But death raigned from Adam to Moses euen ouer them also that sinned not after the like manner of the transgression of Adam which was the figure of him that was to come Rom. 9.11 For ere the children were borne and when they had neither done good nor euill that the purpose of God might remaine according to election not by workes but by him that calleth Reprobates of riper age are of two sorts they that are called namely by an vneffectuall calling and they that are not called In the Reprobates which are called the execution of the decree of Reprobation hath three degrees to wit an acknowledgement of Gods calling a falling away againe and condemnation The acknowledgement of Gods calling is whereby the Reprobates for a time doe subiect themselues to the calling of God which calling is wrought by the preaching of the worde Mat. 22.14 For many are called but fewe are chosen And of this calling there are fiue other degrees The first is an enlightning of their mindes whereby they are instructed of the holy Ghost to the vnderstanding and knoweledge of the word Heb. 6.4 For it is impossible that they which were once lightned c. 2. Pet. 2.20 For if they after they haue escaped from the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and of the Sauiour Iesus Christ are yet tangled againe therein and ouercome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning The second is a certaine penitencie
we so poreblinde that we cannot discerne any blessing and prouidence of God in them Therefore let vs learne to looke vpon both ioyntly togither and so shall wee bee thankfull vnto God in prosperitie and patient in aduersitie with Iob and Dauid This lesson Paul learned I can be abased saith he and I can abound euery where in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungrie and to abound and to be in want Fourthly seeing Gods prouidence disposeth all things wee are taught to gather obseruations of the same in things both past and present that we may learne thereby to be armed against the time to come Thus Dauid when hee was to encounter with Goliah gathered hope and confidence to himselfe for the time to come by the obseruation of Gods prouidence in the time past for saith he when I kept my fathers sheepe I slue a lyon and a beare that deuoured the flocke nowe the Lord that deliuered me out of the paw of the lyon and out of the paw of the beare he will deliuer me out of the hand of this Philistim Fifthly because Gods prouidence disposeth all things when we make lawfull promises to doe any thing we must put in or at the least conceiue this condition if the Lord will for S. Iames saith that we ought to say If the Lord will and if we liue we will doe this or that This also was Dauids practise for to all the congregation of Israel he saide If it seeme good to you and if it proceede from the Lord our God we will send to and fro Sixtly seeing Gods prouidence is manifested in ordinary means it behooueth euery man in his calling to vse them carefully when ordinarie meanes be at hand wee must not looke for any help without them though the Lord be able to doe what he wil without meanes Ioab when many Aramites came against him he heartened his souldiers though they were but fewe in number bidding them be strong and valiant for their people and for the citties of their god and then let the Lord doe that which is good in his eies And our Sauiour Christ auoucheth it to be flat tempting of God for him to leape downe from the pinacle of the temple to the ground wheras there was an ordinarie way at hand to descend by staires Hence it appeares that such persons as wil vse no means whereby they may come to repent and beleeue doe indeede no more repent and beleeue then they can be able to liue which neither eate nor drinke And thus much of the duties Nowe followe the consolations first this very point of Gods speciall prouidence is a great comfort to Gods Church for the Lord moderateth the rage of the deuill and wicked men that they shal not hurt the people of God Dauid saith The Lord is at my right hand therefore I shall not slide And when Iosephs brethren were afraid because they had solde him into Egypt he comforteth them saying that it was God that sent him before them for their preseruation So king Dauid when his owne souldiers were purposed to stone him to death he was in great sorrow but it is said he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God Where we may see that a man which hath grace to beleeue in God and rely on his prouidence in all his afflictions and extremities shall haue wonderfull peace and consolation Before we can proceede to the articles which followe it is requisite that we should intreat of one of the greatest workes of Gods prouidence that can be because the opening of it giueth light to all that inâ—ueth And this worke is a Preparation of such meanes whereby God will manifest his iustice mercie It hath two parts the iust permission of the fall of maÌ„ the giuing of the CouenaÌ„t of grace For so Paul teacheth wheÌ„ he saith That god shut vp all vnder vnbeleefe that he might haue mercie vpon all And againe The scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Christ Iesus should be giuen to them that beleeue Touching the first that we might rightly conceiue of mans fall we are to search out the nature and parts of sinne Sinne is any thing whatsoeuer is against the will and word of God as S. Iohn saith Sinne is the transgression of the lawe And this definition Paul confirmeth when he saith that by the lawe comes the knoweledge of sinne and where no lawe is there is no transgression and sinne is not imputed where there is no lawe In sinne we must consider three things the fault the guilt the punishment The fault is the anomie or the inobedience it selfe and it comprehends not onely huge and notorious offences as idolatrie blasphemie theft treason adulterie and all other crimâ—s that the world criâ—s shame on but euery disordered thought affection inclination yea euery defect of that which the law requireth The guilt of sinne is whereby a man is guiltie before God that is bounde made subiect to punishment And here two questions must be skanned where man is bound and by what For the first Man is bound in conscience And hereupon the conscience of euery sinner sitts within his heart as a little iudge to tell him that he is bound before God to punishment For the second it is the order of diuine iustice set downe by God which bindes the conscience of the sinner before god for he is Creatour and Lord and man is a creature and therefore must either obey his will and commandementâ— or suffer punishment Nowe then by vertue of Gods lawe conscience bindes ouer the creature to beare a punishment for his offence done against God yea it tells him that he is in danger to be iudged and condemned for it And therefore the conscience is as it were the Lordes Sergeant to informe the sinner of the bond and obligation whereby he alwaies stands bound before God The third thing which followeth sinne is punishment and that is death So Paul saith The stipend of sinne is death where by death wee must vnderstand a double death both of bodie and soule The death of the bodie is a separation of the bodie from the soule The second death is a separation of the whole man but especially of the soule from the glorious presence of God I say not simplie from the presence of God for God is euery where but only from the ioyfull presence of Gods glorie Now these two deaths are the stipends or allowance of sinne and the least sinne which a man committeth doth deserue these two punishments For in euery sinne the infinite iustice of God is violated for which cause there must needes be inflicted an infinite punishment that there may be a proportion betweene the punishment and the offence And therefore that distinction of sinne which Papists make namely that some are in themselues veniall and some mortall is false and
sentence of the law of God to which man was bound from the first creation But God is aboue all his laws and not bound to them he is an absolute lord and law-giuer and therfore his actions are not within the compasse of morall lawes as mens are Whereupon it followes that though he did foresee mans defection yet is hee free from all blame in not preuenting of it For with him there be good causes of permitting euill And though God be no cause of mans fall yet must we not imagine that it came to passe by chance or fortune whereas the least things that are come to passe with Gods prouidence Neither was it by any bare permission without his decree and his will for that is to make an idle prouidence neither did it happen against the will of God he vtterly nilling it for then it could not haue beene vnlesse we denie God to be omnipotent It remaines therefore that this fall did so proceede of the voluntarie motion of Adam as that God did in part ordaine and will the permitting of it not as it was a sinne against his commandement but as it was further in the counsell of God a way to execute his iustice and mercie Against this which I say diuers things are obiected First that if Adam did that which God in any respect willed then he did not sinne at all Answ. He that willeth and doth that which God willeth for all that sinnes vnlesse he will it in the same manner with God and for the same ende Now in the permitting of this fact God intended the manifesting of his glorie but our first parents intending no such thing sought not onely to be like but also to be equall with God Secondly it is alleadged that Adam could not but fall necessarily if God did decree it Answ. Adams fall that came not to passe without Gods decree and therefore in that respect was necessarie was neuerthelesse in respect of Adams freewill contingent and not necessarie Gods decree not taking away the freedome of will but onely ordering it Lastly it is alleadged that Gods will is the cause of Adams will and Adams wil the cause of his fall and that therefore Gods will shall be the cause of the fall Ans. It must be granted that Gods will is a moouing cause of the wills of euil men yet marke how not as they are euill wills simply but as they are wills and therefore when God inclines the euill will of his creature to his good purpose he is nothing at all intangled with defect or euill of his will Touching the time of the fall the receiued opinion in former ages hath beene that our first parents fell the same day in which they were created and therefore Augustine writes that they stood but sixe houres And though we cannot determine of the certen time yet in all likelihood was it very short For Moses presently after that he had set downe the creation of man without the interposition of any thing else comes immediatly to the fall And considering the nature of the deuill is without ceasing to shew his malice no doubt he tooke the first occasion that possibly might be had to bring man to the same damnation with himselfe And our Sauiour Christ saith that the deuill was a man-slayer from the beginning namely from the beginning not of the creation of the world or of time but of man And Eue saith We shall eate of the fruit of the trees of the garden it may be insinuating that as yet shee had not eaten when the deuill tempted her Touching the greatnes of mans fall some haue made a small matter of it because it was the eating of an apple or some such fruit But we must not measure the greatnesse or the smalnesse of a sinne by the obiect or matter whereabout it is occupied but by the commandement of God and by the disobedience or offence of his infinite maiestie And that this fact of Adam and Eue was no small fault but a notorious crime and Apostasie in which they withdraw themselues from vnder the power of God nay reiect and denie him will euidently appeare if we take a viewe of all the particular sinnes that be contained in it The first is vnbeleefe in that they doubted and distrusted of the truth of Gods word which he spake to them The second is contempt of God in that they beleeued the lies of the deuill rather then him For whē God saith In the day that ye shall eate thereof ye shall die the death it is as nothing with Eue but when the deuill comes and saith Ye shall not die at all that shee takes hold on The third is pride and ambition For they did eate the forbidden fruit that they might be as gods namely as the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost The fourth is vnthankfulnesse God had made them excellent creatures in his owne image that is nothing with them to be like vnto him vnlesse they may be equall vnto him The fifth is curiositie whereby they affected greater wisdome then God had giuen them in creation and a greater measure of knowledge then God had reuealed to them The sixth is reprochfull blasphemie in that they subscribe to the sayings of the deuill in which he charged God with lying and enuie The seuenth is murder For by this meanes they bereaue themselues and their posteritie of the fellowship and graces of Gods spirit and bring vpon their owne heads the eternall wrath of God The eight is discontentation in that they sought for an higher condition then that was in which God had placed them In a word in this one single fact is comprised the breach of the whole law of God And we should often thinke vpon this that we may learne to wonder at the iust iudgements of God in punishing this fall and his vnspeakable goodnesse in receiuing men to mercie after the same And here we must not omit to remember the largenesse of Adams fall Sinnes are either personall or generall Personall are such as are peculiar to one or some fewe persons and make them alone guiltie Generall that is common to all men and such is Adams fall It is a sinne not onely of the person of one man but of the whole nature of man And Adam must be considered not as a priuate man but as a roote or head bearing in it all mankind or as a publike person representing all his posteritie and therefore when he sinned all his posteritie sinned with him as in a Parliament whatsoeuer is done by the burgesse of the shiere is done by euery person in the shiere As Paul saith By one man sinne entred into the world and so death went ouer all for as much as all haue sinned And here lies the difference betweene Adams fall and the sinnes of men as Cains murder which makes not the posteritie of Cain guiltie because he was neuer appointed by God to be the roote of his posteritie
euill Feelest thou that thy rebellious flesh carrieth thee captiue vnto sinne Looke now onely vpon the lawe of God applie it to thy selfe examine thy thoughts thy words thy deeds by it pray vnto God that he would giue thee the spirit of feare that the lawe may in some measure humble and terrifie thee for as Salomon saith blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but cursed is he that hardneth his heart IV. In the Law these are most effectuall meditations to humble and bridle the flesh which follow First meditate on the greatnes of thy sinnes and of their infinite number and if it may be gather them into a catalogue set it before thee and looke vnto it that thou thinke no sinne to be a small sinne no not the bare thoughts and motions of thy heart Often with diligence consider the strange iudgements of God vpon men for their sinnes which thou shalt find partly in the Scriptures partly by daily experience Doubtlesse thou must thinke that euery iudgement of God is a sermon of repentance Thinke oft on the fearefull curse of the law due vnto thee if thou shouldest sinne neuer but once in all thy life and that neuer so little Remember that whensoeuer thou committest a sinne God is present and his holy Angels and that he is an eye-witnes that he taketh a note of thy sinne and registreth it in a booke Thinke daily of thy ende and know that God may strike thee with sodaine death euery moment and that if then thou haue not repented before that time there is no hope of saluation Thinke on the sodaine comming of our Sauiour Christ to iudgement let it mooue thee continually to watch pray If these will not mooue thee thinke on this that no creature in heauen or in earth was able to pacifie the wrath of God for thy sinnes but his owne Sonne must come downe from heauen out of his Fathers bosome and must beare the curse of the law euen the full wrath of his Father for thee V. When by these meanes thou art feared and thy minde is disquieted in respect of Gods iudgement for thy sinne haue recourse to the promises of mercie contained in the olde and new Testament Is thy conscience stung with sinne And doth the law make thee feele it With all speede runne to the brasen serpent Christ Iesus looke on him with the eie of faith and presently thou shalt be healed of thy sting or wound VI. When thou doest meditate on the promises of the Gospel diligently consider these benefits which thou enioyest by Christ. Through Adam thou art condemned to hel by Christ thou art deliuered from it Through Adam thou hast transgressed the whole law in Christ thou hast fulfilled it Through Adam thou art before God a vile and a lothsome sinner through Christ thou doest appeare glorious in his eyes By Adam euery little crosse is the punishment of thy sinne and a token of Gods wrath by Christ the greatest crosses are easie profitable and tokens of Gods mercie By Adam thou diddest leese all things in Christ all things are restored to thee againe By Adam thou art dead by Christ thou art quickned and made aliue again By Adam thou art a slaue of the deuill and the child of wrath but by Christ thou art the child of God In Adam thou art worse then a toad and more detestable before God but by Christ thou art aboue the Angels For thou art ioyned vnto him and made bone of his bone mystically Through Adam sinne and Sathan haue ruled in thee and led thee captiue by Christ the spirit of god dwelleth in thee plenteouslie By Adam came death to thee and it is an entrance to hell by Christ though death remaine yet it is only a passage vnto life Lastly in Adā thou art poore and blind and miserable in Christ thou art rich and glorious thou art a king of heauen an earth fellow heire with him and shalt as sure bee partaker of it as he is euen now Adam when hee must needs tast of the fruit which God had forbidden him he hath made vs all to rue it euen til this daie but here thou seest the fruits that grow not in the earthly paradise but on the tree of life which is within the heauenly Ierusalem Feare no danger be bolde in Christ to eate of the fruite as God hath commaunded thee it will quicken thee and reuiue thee beeing dead thou canst not doe Satan a worse displeasure then to feede on the godly fruite of this tree and to smell on the sweete leaues which it beareth continually that giue such a refreshing sauour VII Most men now a daies are secure and cold in the profession of the gospell though they haue the plentifull preaching of it And the reason is because they feele not in themselues the vertue and mightie operation of Gods word to renue them and they can not feele it because they doe not applie the word aright vnto their owne soules Plaisters except they be applied in order and time and be laid vpon the wound though they be neuer so good yet they can not heale and so it is with the worde of God and the parts of it which except they be vsed in order and time conuenient will not humble and reuiue vs as their vertue is VIII The common Christian euery where is faultie in this thing Whereas he loueth himselfe and wisheth all good that may bee to himselfe hee doth vsually apply vnto his owne soule the gospel alone neuer regarding the law or searching out his sinnes by it Tell him what ye will his song is this God is mercifull God is mercifull By this meanes it commeth to passe that he leadeth a secure life and maketh no conscience of couetousnes of vsurie of deceit in his trade of lying of swearing of fornication wantonnesse intemperancie in bibbing and quaffing c. But he plaieth the vnskilfull Chirurgian he vseth healing plaisters before his poisoned and cankered nature haue felt the power and paine of a Corasiue And it will neuer be well with him vntil hee take a newe course IX On the contrarie part many good Christians leaue to apply the comfort of the gospel to themselues and onely haue regard to their owne sinnes and Gods infinite vengeance And euen when Satan accuseth them they will not sticke to giue eare to Sathan also accuse themselues so they are brought into fearefull terrors and often draw neere to desperation X. There is a third sort called Sectaries who addict themselues to the opinion of some man These commonly neuer apply the law or the Gospell to themselues but their whole meditation is chiefly in the opinions of him whome they followe As they that followe Luther fewe of them followe his Christian life they regard not that but about consubstantiation and vbiquitie about Images and such like trumperie they infinitely trouble themselues and all Europe too And in England there is a schismatical
but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for euer Ch. What other things are we to doe that we may continue Ioh. Little children it is the last time and as ye haue heard that Antichrist shall come a speciall Antichrist the chiefe of all other who is now manifest to be the Pope of Rome euen now are there many Antichrists heretickes denying either the natures of Christ or his offices or the vnioÌ„ the distinction of his natures whereby we know that it is the last time Ch. Those whome you call Antichrists were of our companie and professed as we doe Ioh. They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they should haue continued with vs. But this commeth to passe that it might appeare that they are not all of vs. Ch. How can we be assured of our continuance in grace for we may fall as well as they doe Ioh. But ye haue annointment the grace of Gods holy spirit resembled by the annointings in the old Testament from that holy one Christ Luke 1. 15. and know all things Ch. If we know all things then you neede not write vnto vs of these matters Ioh. I haue not writteÌ„ vnto you because ye know not the truth but because you know it and that no lie is of the truth i. ye can distinguish betweene the sound doctrine of the Gospel and errours Ch. What is this lie which you speake of Ioh. Who is a lier a deceiuer a seducer but he that denieth that Iesus is Christ the Messias or Sauiour of mankind The same is that Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Sonne Ch. These whome you meane say they defend the doctrine of God as well as we and they vse to call him Father Ioh. Who so denieth the Sonne hath not the Father Ch. What doe you inferre vpon this if it be the last time as you haue saide Ioh. Let therefore abide in you that same doctrine concerning Christ which ye haue heard from the beginning which the Apostles preached and before them the Prophets since the beginning of the world If that which ye haue heard from the beginning remaine ye beleeuing and obeying it in you ye also shall continue in the same and in the father And this is the promise which he hath promised vs euen life eternall Ch. We cannot perswade our selues of perseuerance seeing men so commonly fall away from Christ among vs Ioh. These things haue I written vnto you concerning them that deceiue you not meaning them of you as you seeme to take it But that annointing the spirit which ye haue receiued of Christ and which hath led you into all truth which ye haue receiued of him dwelleth in you ubideth in you and will so continue and ye neede not that any man teach you any other doctrine beside this which ye haue learned alreadie but as the same Annointing teacheth you all things and is true and not lying and as it taught you ye shall abide in him And now little children abide in him that when he shall appeare we being iustified in Christ. may haue boldnes and not be ashamed neither Sathan nor our consciences accusing vs for sinne before him at his comming Ch. We are still in doubt to returne backe to that which you said before how an endeuour to keepe the commandements should be a signe of fellowship with Christ. Ioh. If we know that he God is righteous know ye that he which worketh righteousnes is borne of him as a child is knowne to haue such a man for his father because he resembleth him CHAP. II. Ch. ARe not we then borne of God Ioh. Behold what loue the Father hath giuen to vs that we should be called the sonnes of God Ch. The world doth not report vs as the sonnes and daughters of God but for the refuse and offscouring of the world Ioh. For this cause the world knoweth not you because it knoweth not him Ch. Can Gods children be subiect to such infirmities and miseries as we are Ioh. Dearely beloued now are we the sonnes of God but yet it is not made manifest what we shall be and we know that when he shal be made manifest we shall be like him hauing not equalitie but likenesse of holinesse and glorie for we shall see him as he is for now we see him as it were through spectacles in the word and Sacraments Ch. Alas poore wretches we are not like Gods children for we are euen sold vnder sinne and daily carrie a masse of corruption about vs. Ioh. Euery one that hath this hope to see him as he is purifieth i. though he be subiect to sinne yet he desireth and vseth the meanes to clense himselfe from sinne euen as he is pure setting before him Christ as a patterne to follow Ch. How prooue you that an endeuour to purifie our selues is a note of adoption Ioh. By the contrarie whosoeuer committeth sinne pâ—actiseth sinne with full consent of will not endeuouring himselfe in holinesse of life transgresseth also the law and for that cause being vnder the curse of the law can not be Gods children for sinne is the transgression of the Law vnderstand by Law not morall Law but any commandement of God whether it be in the law or Gospel And againe ye know that he was made manifest tooke our nature on him that he might take away our sinnes the guilt and punishment at once and the corruption by little and little and in him is no sinne Thirdly whosoeuer abideth in him sinneth not he doth not giue himselfe to sinne so as it should raigne in him Whosoeuer sinneth hath not seene him nor knowne him to wit effectually so as he can applie Christ and all his benefits to himselfe Ch. But some teach that faith is sufficient and they embolden vs to liue as we will Ioh. Little children let no man deceiue you he that worketh righteousnes is righteous as he is righteous He that committeth sinne though he say he doth beleeue and therfore thinkes himselfe iustified before God is of the Deuill i. resembleth the Deuil as the child doth the father and is gouerned by his spirit for the deuill sinneth froÌ„ the beginning of the world which appeareth that for this purpose was made manifest the Son of God that he might dissolue the works for the beginning and continuance of all rebellion and disobedience to God of the Deuill And further to display thâ—se seducers whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not i. doth not keepe a course in sinne howsoeuer he fall by infirmitie for his seed i. Gods word cast into the heart by the operation of the Spirit making a man to spring vp into a new creature remaineth in him neither can he sinne because he is borne of God Ch. Briefly to come to the point how may it be knowne who is Gods childe and who is to be
God a member of Christ in respect of coniunction with him and shall be restored to his former estate after serious repentance And God permits these foiles for weightie causes first that men might be abashed and confounded in themselues with the consideration of their vile natures and learne not to swell with pride because of Gods grace Paul â—aith thâ—t after he had beene rapt into the third heauen the angel Satan was sent to buâ—fet him and as we say to beate him blacke and blew that he might not be exalted out of measure The second that we may learne to denie our selues cleâ—ue vnto the Lord froÌ„ the bottom of our hearts Paul saith that he was sick to death that he might not trust in himselfe but in God who raiseth the dead Thus much of the manner of the combat now followes the cause of it The cause is the contrarietie that is betweene the flesh and the spirit As Paul saith The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie to God Hence we are taught that since the fall there is no free-will in man in spirituall matters concerning either the worship of God or life euerlasting For flesh is nothing else but our naturall disposition and man is nothing else but flesh by nature for the spirit comes afterward by grace and the flesh is flatte contrarie to the spirit which makes vs doe that which is pleasing vnto God Wherefore the will naturally is a flat bondslaue vnto sinne Againe hence we may learne that it is not an easie matter to practise religion which is to liue according to the spirit to which our naturall disposition is as contrarie as fire to water wherefore if we will obey God we must learne to force our natures to the duties of godlines yea euen sweate and take paines therein Lastly here we may learne the nature of sinne The spirit is not a substance but a qualitie and therefore the flesh which is nothing else but originall sinne and is contrarie to the spirit must also be a qualitie for such as the nature of one contrarie is such is the other There is in euery man the substance of bodie and soule this can not be sinne for then the spirit also should be the substance of man There is also in the substance the faculties of bodie and soule and they can not be sinne for then euery man should haue lost the faculties of his soule by Adams fall Lastly in the faculties there is a contagion or corruption which carieth them against the law and that is properly sinne and the flesh which is contrarie to the spirit The fourth point is touching the persons in whome this combate is Paul shewes who they are when he saith So that ye can not c. where it appeares that such as haue this combat in them must be as the Galatians men iustified and sanctified and yet not all such but onely they that be of yeares for the infants of the faithfull howsoeuer we must repute them to belong to the kingdome of heauen and therefore to be iustified and sanctified yet because they doe not commit actuall sinne they want this combat of the flesh and spirit which stands in action As for those which be vnregenerate they neuer felt this fight If any say that the worst man in the world when he is about to commit any sinne hath a strife and fight in him It is true indeede but that is an other kinde of combat which is betweene the conscience and the heart The conscience on the one part terrifying the man from sinne the will and the affections hailing and pulling him thereunto the will and the affections wishing and desiring that sinne were no sinne and Gods commandement abolished whereas contrariwise the conscience with a shrill voice proclaimes sinne to be sinne This fight was in Pilate who by the force of his conscience feared to condemne Christ and yet was willing and yeelded to condemne him that he might please the people Furthermore this combat is in the regenerate but during the time of this life For they which are perfectly sanctified feele no strife If any shall say that this combat was in Christ when he said Father if it be thy will let this cuppe passe from me yet not my will but thine be done Indeede here is a combat but of an other sort namely the fight of two diuerse desires the one was a desire to doe his fathers will in suffering the death of the crosse the other a naturall desire which was no sinne but a meere infirmitie of humane nature whereby he in his manhood desires as the manner of nature is to seeke the preseruation of it selfe to haue the cursed death of the crosâ—e remooued from him The fifth point is the effect of this combat which is to make the man regenerate that he can not doe the things which he would and this must be vnderstood in things both good and euill And first he can not doe the euill which he would for two causes First because he can not commit sinne at what time soeuer he would Saint Iohn saith He that is borne of God sinneth not neither can he sinne because he is borne of God that is he can not sinne at his pleasure or when he will Ioseph when he was assaulted by Putiphars wife to adulterie because the grace of God abounded in him whereby he answered her saying Shall I doe this and sinne against God he could not then sinne Lot because his righteous heart was grieued in seeing and hearing the abominations of Sodom could not then sinne as they of Sodom did Hence it appeares that such persons as liue in the daily practise of sinne against their own consciences though they be professours of the true religion of Christ haue no soundnes of grace in them Secondly the man regenerate can not sinne in what manner he would and there be two reasons thereof First he can not sinne with full consent of will or with all his heart because the will so farre forth as it is regenerate resisteth and and draweth backe yea euen then when a man is carried headlong by the passions of the flesh he feeles some contrarie motions of a regenerate conscience It is a rule that sinne doth not raigne in the regenerate For so much grace as is wrought in the minde will affections so much is abated proportionally of the strength of the flesh Wherefore when he commits any sinne he doth it partly willingly and partly against his will As the marriners in the tempest cast Ionas into the sea willingly for otherwise they had not done it and yet against their wills too which appeares because they praied and cast their goods out of the shippe and laboured in the rowing against the tempest and that very long before they cast him out And herein lies the difference betweene two men committing one and the same sinne the one of them beeing regenerate the other vnregenerate For the latter sinnes
the sacrament So the 29. canon of the Councill of Gangres must be vnderstood As for the Canons of the Apostles so falsly called and the 8. Councill of Toledo I much respect not what they say in this case Arg. 14. Gods authoritie binds conscience magistrates authoritie is Gods authoritie therefore magistrates authoritie binds conscience properly Ans. Gods authority may be taken two waies first for that soueraigne and absolute power which he vseth ouer all his creatures secondly for that finit and limited power which he hath ordained that men should exercise ouer men If the minor namely that magistrates authoritie is Gods authoritie be taken in the first sense it is false for the soueraigne power of God is incommunicable If it be taken in the second sense the proposition is false For there be sundrie authorities ordained of God as the authoritie of the father ouer a child of the master ouer the seruant the authority of the master ouer his scholler which doe bind in conscience as the authoritie of Gods lawes doth By these arguments which I haue now answered and by many other beeing but lightly skanned it will appeare that necessarie obedience is to be performed both to ciuill and Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction but that they haue a constraining power to bind conscience and that properly as Gods laws doe it is not yet prooued neither can be as I will make manifest by other arguments Arg. 1. He that makes a law binding conscience to mortall sinne hath power if not to saue yet to destroy because by sinne which followes vpon the transgression of his law comes death and damnation But God is the onely Lawgiuer that hath this priuiledge which is after he hath giuen his law vpon the breaking or keeping thereof to saue or destroy Iam. 4. 12. There is one Lawgiuer that can saue or destroy Therefore God alone makes lawes binding conscience properly and no creature can doe the like Answer is made that S. Iames speakes of the principall Lawgiuer that by his owne proper authoritie makes laws and doth in such manner saue and destroy that he neede not feare to be destroied of any and that he speakes not of secondarie lawgiuers that are deputies of God make laws in his name I say againe that this answer stands not with the text◠For S. Iames speakes simply without distinction limitation or exception and the effect of his reason is this No man at all must slaunder his brother because no man must be iudge of the law and no man can be iudge of the law because no man can be a lawgiuer to saue or destroy Now then where be those persons that shall make lawes to the soules of men and bind them vnto punishment of mortall sinne considering that God alone is the sauing and destroying Lawgiuer Argum. 2. He that can make lawes as truly binding conscience as Gods lawes can also prescribe rules of Gods worship because to binde the conscience is nothing else but to cause it to excuse for things that are well done and therefore truly please God and to accuse for sinne whereby God is dishonoured but no man can prescribe rules of Gods worship and humane lawes as they are humane lawes appoint not the seruice of God Esa. 29. 13. Their feare towards me was taught by the precept of men Mat. 15.6 They worship me in vaine teaching doctrines which are the commandements of men Papists here make answer that by lawes of men we must vnderstand such lawes as be vnlawfull or vnprofitable beeing made without the authoritie of God or instinct of his spirit It is true indeed that these commandements of men were vnlaweful but the cause must be considered they were vnlawfull not because they commanded that which was vnlawefull and against the wil of God but because things in themselues lawefull were commanded as parts of Gods worship To wash the outward part of the cup or platter and to wash handes before meate are things in respect of ciuil vse very lawfull and yet are these blamed by Christ and no other reason can be rendred but this that they were prescribed not as things indifferent or ciuil but as matters pertaining to Gods worship It is not against Gods word in some politicke regards to make distinction of meates and drinkes and times yet Paul calls these things doctrines of deuills because they were commaunded as thinges wherein God should be worshipped Arg. 3. God hath now in the new Testament giuen a libertie to the conscience whereby it is freed from all lawes of his owne whatsoeuer excepting such lawes and doctrines as are necessarie to saluation Col. 2. 10. If ye be dead with Christ ye are free from the elements of the world Gal. 5.1 Stand yee in the libertie wherewith Christ hath freed you and be not againe intangled with the yoke of bondage Now if humane lawes made after the graunt of this libertie binde conscience of themselues thē must they either take away the foresaid liberty or diminish the same but that they cannot doe for that which is graunted by an higher authoritie namely God himselfe cannot be reuoked or repealed by the inferiour authoritie of any man It is answered that this freedome is onely from the bondage of sinne from the curse of the morall lawe from the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes of Moses and not from the lawes of our superiours And I answer againe that it is absurb to thinke that God giues vs liberty in conscience from any of his owne lawes and yet will haue our consciences still to remaine in subiection to the lawes of sinnefull men Argum. 4. Whosoeuer bindes conscience commandes conscience For◠the bond is made by a commandement vrging conscience to doe his dutie which is to accuse or excuse for euill or well doing Now Gods lawes command cōscience in as much as they are spirituall commanding bodie and spirit with al the thoughts will affections desires and faculties and requiring obedience of them all according to their kind As for the lawes of men they want power to command conscience Indeed if it were possible for our gouernours by lawe to command mens thoughts and affections then also might they command conscience but the first is not possible for their lawes can reach no further then the outward man that is to body and goods with the speeches and deedes thereof and the end of them all is not to maintaine spirituall peace of conscience which is betweene man and God but onely that externall and ciuill peace which is betweene man and man And it were not meete that men should command conscience which cannot see conscience and iudge of all her actions which appeare not outwardly and whereof there be no witnesses but God and the conscience of the doer Lastly men are not fitte commaunders of conscience because they are no Lordes of it but God himselfe alone Argum. 5. Men in making lawes are subiect to ignorance and errour and therefore when they haue made a lawe as neere
as possibly they can agreeable to the equitie of Gods lawe yet can they not assure themselues and others that they haue failed in no point or circumstance Therefore it is against reason that humane lawes beeing subiect to defects faults errours and manifold imperfections should truely bind conscience as Gods lawes doe which are the rule of righteousnes All gouernours in the world by reason that to their old lawes they are constrained to put restrictions ampliations and modifications of all kinds with new readings and interpretations vpon their daily experience see and acknowledge this to bee true which I say sauing the Bishop of Rome so falsly tearmed which perswades himselfe to haue when he is in his consistorie such an infallible assistance of the spirit that he cannot possibly erre in iudgement Argum. 6. If mens lawes by inward vertue bindes conscience properly as Gods lawes then our dutie is to learne studie and remember them as well as Gods laws yea ministers must be diligent to preach them as they are diligent in preaching the doctrine of the gospell because euery one of them bindes to mortall sinne as the Papists teach But that they should be taught and learned as Gods lawes it is most absurd in the iudgement of all men Papists theÌ„selues not excepted Argum. 7. Inferiour authoritie cannot bind the superiour nowe the courts of men and their authority are vnder conscience For God in the heart of euery man hath erected a tribunall seate and in his stead hee hath placed neither Saint nor Angell nor any other creature whatsoeuer but conscience it selfe who therefore is the highest Iudge that is or can be vnder God by whose direction also courts are kept and lawes are made Thus much of the Popish opinion by which it appeares that one of the principall notes of Antichrist agrees fittely to the Pope of Rome Paul 2. Thess. 2. makes it a speciall propertie of Antichrist to exalt himselfe against or aboue all that is called God or worshipped Now what doth the Pope els when he takes vpon him authoritie to make such lawes as shall bind the coÌ„science as properly and truely as Gods lawes and what doth he els when hee ascribes to himselfe power to free mens consciences froÌ„ the bond of such laws of God as are vnchangeable as may appeare in a Canon of the Councill of Trent the words are these If any shal say that those degrees of consanguinitie that be expressed in Lâ—uiticus doe onely hinder matrimonie to be made and breake it being made and that the Church cannot dispense with some of them or appoint that more degrees may hinder or breake marriage let him be accursed O sacrilegious impietie considering the lawes of affinitie and consanguinitie Leuiticus 18. are not ceremoniall or iudiciall lawes peculiar to the Iewes but the very laws of nature What is this Canon else but a publike proclamation to the world that the pope church of Rome do sit as lords or rather idols in the hearts conscieÌ„ces of men This wil yet more fully appeare to any man if we read popish bookes of practicall or Case-diuinitie in which the common manner is to binde conscience where God looseth it and to loose where he binds but a declaration of this requires long time Now I come as neere as possibly I can to set down the true manner how mens lawes by the common iudgement of Diuines may be said to binde conscience That this point may be cleared two things must be handled By what meanes they binde and How farre forth Touching the meanes I set downe this rule Wholesome lawes of men made of things indifferent so farre forth bind conscience by vertne of the generall commaÌ„dement of God which ordaineth the Magistrates authoritie that whosoâ—uer shall wittingly and willingly with a disloyall minde either breake or omit such lawes is guiltie of sinne before By wholesome lawes I vnderstand such positiue constitutions as are not against the lawe of God and withall tend to maintaine the peaceable estate and common good of men Furthermore I adde this clause made of things indifferent to note the peculiar matter whereof humane lawes properly intreat namely such things as are neither expressely commanded or forbidden by God Now such kind of laws haue no vertue or power in theÌ„selues to constraine conscience but they binde onely by vertue of an higher commandement Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers Rom. 13.1 or Honour father and mother Exod. 20. which commandements binds vs in conscience to performe obedience to the goodlawes of men As S. Peter saith Submit your selues to euery humane ordinance for the Lord. 1. Pet. 2.13 that is for conscience of God as he sayeth afterward v. 19. whereby he signifieth two things first that God hath ordained the authoritie of gouernours secondly that he hath appointed in his word and thereby bound men in conscience to obey their gouernours lawful commandements If the case fall out otherwise as commonly it doeth that humane lawes bee not inacted of things indiffereÌ„t but of things that be good in themselues that is commanded by God then are they not humane properly but diuine lawes Mens lawes intreating of things that are morally good and the parts of Gods worship are the same with Gods lawes and therefore bind conscience not because they were inacted by men but because they were first made by God meÌ„ beeing no more but instruments and ministers in his name to reuiue renewe and to put in exequution such precepts and lawes as prescribe the worship of God standing in the practise of true religion and vertue Of this kinde are all positiue lawes touching articles of faith and the duties of the morall law And the man that breakes such lawes sinnes two waies first because he breaks that which is in conscience a lawe of God secondly because in disobeying his lawfull Magistrate he disobeyes the generall commandement of God touching magistracie But if it shall fall out that mens lawes bee made of things that are euill and forbidden by God then is there no bond of conscience at al but contrariwise men are bound in conscience not to obey Act. 4.19 And hereupon the three children are commended for not obeying Nabuchadnezzar when he gaue a particular commandement vnto them to fall downe and worship the golden image Dan. 3. Moreouer in that mans law bindes not but by the authoritie of Gods law hence it followes that Gods law alone hath this priuiledge that the breach of it should be a sinne S. Iohn saith 1. epist. 3. Sinne is the anomie or transgression of the law vnderstanding Gods law When Dauid by adulterie and murder had offended many men and that many waies he saith Psal. 51. Against thee against thee haue I sinned And Augustine defined sinne to be some thing said done or desired against the lawe of God Some man may say if this bee so belike then we may breake mens laws without sinne I answer that men in breaking
III. the fault or the offending of God vnder which I comprehend our Guiltinesse in Adams first offence as also the corruption of the heart which is a naturall inclination and pronenesse to any thing that is euill or against the lawe of God For the first we say that after baptisme in the regenerate the punishment of originall sinne is taken away There is no condemnation saith the Apostle to them that be in Iesus Christ. Rom. 8.1 For the second that is guiltines we further condescend say that is also taken away in them that are borne anew for considering there is no condemnation to them there is nothing to bind them to punishmeÌ„t Yet this caueat must be remembred namely that the guiltines is remooued from the person regenerate not from the sinne in the person but of this more afterward Thirdly the guilt in Adams first offence is pardoned And touching the corruption of the heart I auouch two things I. That that very power or strength whereby it raigneth in man is taken away in the regenerate II. That this corruption is abolished as also the fault of euery actuall sinne past so far forth as it is the fault and sinne of the man in whome it is Indeede it remaines till death and it is sinne considered in it self so long as it remaines but it is not imputed vnto the person and in that respect is as though it were not it beeing pardoned II. The dissent or difference Thus farre we consent with the Church of Rome nowe the difference betweene vs standes not in the abolishment but in the manner and the measure of the abolishment of this sinne Papists teach that Originall sinne is so farre forth taken away after baptisme me that it ceaseth to be a sinne properly and is nothing els but a want defect and weaknes making the heart fitte and readie to conceiue sinne much like tinder which though it be not fire of it selfe yet is it very apt and fit to coÌ„ceiue fire And they of the Church of Rome deny it to be sinne properly that they might vphold some grosse opinions of theirs namely that a man in this life may fullfill the lawe of God and doe good workes void of sinne that hee may stand righteous at the barre of Gods iudgement by them But wee teach otherwise that though originall sinne be taken away in the regenerate and that in sundrie respects yet doth it remaine in them after baptisme not onely as a want and weakenesse but as a sinne and that properly as may by these reasons be prooued Reason I. Rom. 7. 17. Paul saith directly It is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me that is originall sin The Papists answer againe that it is so called improperly because it commeth of sinne and also is an occasion of sinne to be done But by the circumstances of the text it is sinne properly for in the wordes following Saint Paul saith that this sinne dwelling in him made him to doe the euill which he hated And. v. 24. he crieth out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death whence I reason thus That which once was sinne properly and still remaining in man maketh him to sin and intangleth him in the punishment of sinne and makes him miserable that is sinne properly But originall sinne doth all these Ergo Reason II. Infants baptized and regenerate die the bodily death before they come to the yeares of discretion therefore originall sinne in them is sinne properly or else they should not die hauing no cause of death in them for death is the wages of sinne as the Apostle saith Rom. 6. 23. and Rom. 5. 12. Death entred into the world by sinne As for actuall sinne they haue none if they die presently after they are borne before they come to any vse either of reason or affection Reason III. That which lusteth against the spirit by lusting tempteth and in tempting intiseth and draweth the heart to sinne is for nature sinne it selfe but concupiscence in the regenerate lusteth against the spirit Gal. 5.17 and tempteth as I haue said Iam. 1.14 God tempteth no man but euery man is tempted when he is drawne away by his owne concupiscence and is inâ—â—sed then when lust conceiueth it bringeth forth sinne And therefore it is sinne properly such as the fruit is such is the tree August Concupiscence against which the spirit lusteth is sinne because in it there is disobedience against the rule of the minde and it is the punishment of sinne because it befalls man for the merits of his disobedience and it is the cause of sinne Reason V. The iudgement of the auncient Church August epist. 29. Charitie in some is more in some lesse in some none the highest degree of all which cannot be increased is in none as long as man liues vpon earth And as long as it may bee increased that which is lesse then it should be is in fault by which fault it is that there is no iust man vpon earth that doth good and sinneth not by which fault none liuing shall be iustified in the sight of God For which fault if we say we haue no sinne there is no trueth in vs for which also though we profit neuer so much it is necessary for vs to say forgiue vs our debts though all our words deedes and thoughts bee already forgiuen in baptisme Indeed Augustine in sundrie places seemes to denie concupiscence to be sinne after baptisme but his meaning is that concupiscence in the regenerate is not the sinne of the person in whome it is For thus he expounds himselfe This is not to haue sinne not to bee guiltie of sinne And the law of sinne in baptisme is remitted and not ended And Let not sinne raigne he saith not let not sinne be but let it not raigne For as long as thou liuest of necessity sinne will be in thy members at the least looke it raigne not in thee c. Obiections of Papists The arguments which the Church of Rome alleadgeth to the contrarie are these Obiect I. In baptisme men receiue perfect and absolute pardon of sinne and sinne beeing pardoned is taken quite away and therefore originall sinne after baptisme ceaseth to be sinne Ans. Sinne is abolished two waies first in regard of imputation to the person secondly in regard of existing and beeing For this cause God vouchsafeth to man two blessings in baptisme Remission of sinne and Mortification of the same Remission or pardon abolisheth sinne wholly in respect of any imputation thereof vnto man but not simply in regard of the beeing thereof Mortification therefore goeth further abolisheth in all the powers of body and soule the very concupiscence or corruption it selfe in respect of the beeing thereof And because mortification is not accomplished till death therefore originall corruption remaineth till death though not imputed Obiect II. Euery sinne is voluntarie but originall
sinne in no man after baptisme is voluntarie and therefore no sinne Ans. The proposition is a polliticke rule pertaining to the courts of men and must be vnderstood of such actions as are done of one man to another and it doth not belong to the court of conscience which God holdeth and keepeth in mens hearts in which euery want of conformitie to the lawe is made a sinne Secondly I answer that originall sin was voluntarie in our first parent Adam for he sinned brought this miserie vpon vs willingly though in vs it be otherwise vpon iust cause Actual sinne was first in him and then originall corruption but in vs originall corruption is first and then actuall sinne Obiect III. Where the forme of any thing is taken away there the thing it selfe ceaseth also but after baptisme in the regenerate the forme of originall sinne that is the guilt is quite remooued and therefore sinne ceaseth to be sin Answ. The guilt or obligation to punishment is not the forme of originall corruption but as we say in schooles an accident or necessarie companion thereof The true forme of originall sinne◠is a defect and depriuation of that which the lawe requireth at our hands in our minde will affections and in al the powers both of soule and bodie But they vrge this reason further saying where the guilt punishment is taken away there is no fault remaining but after baptisme the guilt and punishment is remooued and therefore though originall corruption remaine it is not as a fault to make vs guiltie before God but onely as a weakenes Ans. Guilt is remooued and not remooued It is remooued from the person regenerate which stands not guiltie for any sinne originall or actuall but Guilt is not remooued from the sin it selfe or as some answer there bee two kindes of guilt actuall and potentiall The actuall guilt is whereby sinne maketh man stand guiltie before God and that is remooued in the regenerate But the potentiall guilt which is an aptnesse in sin to make a man stand guiltie if he sinne that is not remooued and therefore still sinne remaineth sinne To this or like effect saith Augustine Wee say that the guilt of concupiscence not whereby it is Guiltie for that is not a person but that whereby it made man guiltie from the beginning is pardoned and that the thing it selfe is euill so as the regenerate desire to be healed of this plague Obiect III. Lastly for our disgrace they alleadge that we in our doctrine teach that originall sinne after baptisme is onely clipped or pared like the haire of a mans head whose roots still remaine in the flesh growing and increasing after they are cut as before Answ. Our doctrine is abused for in the paring of any thing as in cutting of the haire or in lopping a tree the roote remaines vntouched and thereupon multiplieth as before But in the mortification of originall sinne after baptisme we hold no such paring but teach that in the very first instant of the conuersion of a sinner sinne receiueth his deadly wound in the roote neuer afterward to be recouered The third point Certentie of saluation I. Our Consent I. Concl. We holde and beleeue that a man in this life may be certain of saluation and the same thing doth the Church of Rome teach and holde II. Concl. We hold and beleeue that a man is to put a certaine affiance in Gods mercie in Christ for the saluation of his soule and the same thing by common consent holdeth the foresaid Church this point maketh not the difference betweene vs. III. Concl. We hold that with assurance of saluation in our hearts is ioyned doubting and there is no man so assured of his saluation but he at sometime doubteth thereof especially in the time of temptation and in this the Papists agree with vs and we with them IV. Concl. They goe further and say that a man may be certaine of the saluation of men or of the Church by Catholike faith and so say we V. Concl. Yea they hold that a man by faith may be assured of his own saluation through extraordinarie reuelatiō as Abrahā others were so doe we VI. They teach that we are to be certaine of our saluation by speciall faith in regard of God that promiseth though in regard of our selues and our indisposition we can not and in the former point they consent with vs. II. The dissent or difference The very maine point of difference lies in the manner of assurance I. Concl. We hold that a man may bee certaine of his saluation in his owne conscience euen in this life and that by an ordinarie aud speciall faith They hold that a man is certaine of his saluation onely by hope both of vs holde a certainty we by faith they by hope II. Concl. Further we hold and auouch that our certainety by true faith is vnfallible they say their cetaintie is onely probable III. Conclus And further though both of vs say that we haue confidence in Gods mercy in Christ for our saluation yet we doe it with some difference For our confidence commeth from certen and ordinarie faith theirs from hope ministring as they say but a coniecturall certentie Thus much of the difference now let vs see the reasons too and fro III. Obiections of Papists Obiect I. Where there is no word there is no faith for these two are relatiues but there is no word of God saying Cornelius beleeue thou Peter beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued And therefore there is no such ordinarie faith to beleeue a mans owne particular saluation Ans. The proposition is false vnlesse it be supplied with a clause on this manner Where there is no word of promise nor any thing that doth counteruaile a particular promise there is no faith But say they there is no such particular word It is true God doth not speak to men particularly Beleeue thou thou shalt be saued But yet doth he that which is answerable hereunto in that he giueth a generall promise with a commandement to applie the same and hath ordained the holy ministerie of the word to applie the same to the persons of the hearers in his owne name and that is as much as if the Lord himselfe should speake to men particularly To speake more plainely in the Scripture the promises of saluation be indefinitely propounded it saith not any where if Iohn will beleeue he shall be saued or if Peter will beleeue he shall be saued but whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued Now then comes the minister of the word who standing in the roome of God and in the stead of Christ himselfe takes the indefinite promises of the Gospel and laies them to the hearts of euery particular man and this in effect is as much as if Christ himselfe should say Cornelius beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued Peter beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued It is answered that this applying of the
A golden Chaine OR THE DESCRIPTION OF Theologie containing the order of the causes of Saluation and Damnation according to Gods word A view whereof is to be seene in the Table annexed Hereunto is adioyned the order which M. Theodore Beza vsed in comforting afflicted consciences Printed by IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. To the Christian Reader CHristian Reader there are at this day foure seuerall opinions of the order of Gods predestination The first is of the olde and new Pelagians who place the cause of Gods predestination in man in that they hold that God did ordaine meÌ„ either to life or death according as he did foresee that they would by their natural free-will either reiect or receiue grace offered The second of them who of some are tearmed Lutherans which teach that God foreseeing howe all mankinde beeing shutte vp vnder vnbeleefe would therefore reiect grace offered did hereupon purpose to choose some to saluation of his meere mercie without any respect of their faith or good workes and the rest to reiect beeing mooued to doe this because hee did eternally foresee that they would reiect his grace offered them in the Gospell The third Semipelagian Papists which ascribe Gods predestination partly to mercie and partly to mens foreseene preparations and meritorious workes The fourth of such as teach that the cause of the execution of Gods predestination is his mercie in Christ in them which are saued and in them which perish the fall and corruption of man yet so as that the decree and eternall counsell of God concerning them both hath not any cause beside his will and pleasure Of these foure opinions the three former I labour to oppugne as erronious and to maintaine the last as beeing trueth which will beare waight in the ballance of the Sanctuarie A further discourse whereof here I make bold to offer to thy godly consideration in reading whereof regard not so much the thing it selfe penned very slenderly as mine intent affection who desire among the rest to cast my mite into the treasurie of the Church of England and for want of gold pearle and pretions stone to bring a rammes skinne or twaine and a little Goates haire to the building of the Lords tabernacle Exod. 35.23 The Father of our Lord Iesus Christ grant that according to the riches of his glorie thou maiest bee strengthened by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in thy heart by faith to the end that thou being rooted and grounded in loue maiest bee able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and height thereof to knowe the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge that thou maiest be filled with all fulnes of God Amen Farewell Iulie 23. the yeare of the last patience of Saints 1592. Thine in Christ Iesus W. P. A GOLDEN CHAINE OR THE DESCRIPTION OF Theologie THE CONTENTS 1 Of the bodie of Scripture and Theologie pag. 1 2 Of God and the nature of God ibid. 3 Of the life of God pag. 3 4 Of Gods glorie and blessednes pag. 5 5 Concerning the persons of the Godhead pag. 6 6 Of Gods workes and his decree pag. 8 7 Of Predestination and creation pag. 10 8 Of Angels pag. 11 9 Of Man the state of innocencie pag. 12 10 Of sinne and the fall of angels pag. 13 11 Of mans fall and disobedience pag. 15 12 Of Originall sinne pag. 16 13 Of Actuall sinne pag. 19 14 Of the punishment of sinne pag. 22 15 Of Election and of Iesus Christ the foundation thereof pag. 23 16 Of the vnion of the two natures in Christ. pag. 25 17 Of the distinctioÌ„ of both natures pag. 27 18 Of Christs natiuitie and office pag. 27 19 Concerning the outward meanes of executing the decree of Election and of the Decalogue pag. 36 20 Of the first commandement pag. 38 21 Of the second commandement pag. 42 22 Of the third commandement pag. 54 23 Of the fourth commandement pag. 61 24 Of the fift commandement pag. 66 25 Of the sixt commandement pag. 73 26 Of the seuenth commandement pag. 82 27 Of the eight commandement pag. 88 28 Concerning the ninth commaundement pag. 95 29 Of the tenth commandement pag. 100 30 Of the vse of the Law pag. 101 31 Of the Couenant of grace pag. 102 32 Of the Sacraments pag. 103 33 Of Baptisme pag. 107 34 Of the Lords Supper pag. 111 35 Of the degrees of executing Gods decree in election pag. 113 36 Conceâ—ning the first degree of the declaration of Gods loue pag. 114 37 Concerning the second degree of the declaration of Gods loue pag. 121 38 Concerning the third degree of the declaration of Gods loue pag. 124 39 Of Repentance and the fruit thereof pag. 128 40 Of Christian warfare pag. 129 41 Of the first Assault pag. 130 42 Of the second Assault pag. 131 43 Of the third Assault pag. 134 44 Of the patient bearing of the Crosse. pag. 136 45 Of the calling vpon God pag. 138 46 Of Christian Apologie and Martyrdome pag. 139 47 Of edification and Almes among the faithfull pag. 140 48 Of the fourth degree of the declaration of Gods loue and of the estate of the Elect after this life pag. 141 49 Of the estate of the Elect at the last day of iudgement pag. 143 50 Of the estate of the Elect after iudgement pag. 144 51 Concerning the order of the causes of Saluation according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome pag. 146 52 Concerning the decree of Reprobation pag. 163 53 Concerning the exâ—â—â—tion of the decree of Reprobation pag. 164 54 Concerning a new deuised doctrine of Predestination taught by some new and late Diuines pag. 167 55 Of the state and condition of the Reprobates when they are dead pag. 175 56 Of the state of the Reprobates in hell pag. 176 57 Of the Application of Predestinanation ibid. AN EPOSITION OF THE SYMBOLE OR Creede of the Apostles THE CONTENTS The Creede pag. 185 Faith pag. 187 God pag. 198 The three persons pag. 202 The Father pag. 205 Gods omnipotencie pag. 212 The creation 217. 221 Gods counsell pag. 218 The creation of heauen pag. 228 The creation of Angels pag. 231 The creation of Man pag. 236 Gods prouidence pag. 242 Adams fall and Originall sinne pag. 252 The couenant of grace pag. 259 The title Iesus pag. 262 The title Christ. pag. 266 The title Sonne pag. 271 The title Lord. pag. 278 The incarnation of Christ. pag. 279 Christs humiliation pag. 295 Christs passion pag. 297 Christs arraignment pag. 300 Christs execution pag. 328 Christs sacrifice pag. 350 Christs triumph pag. 356 Christs buriall pag. 376 The descension of Christ. pag. 372 Christs exaltation pag. 370 Christs resurrection pag. 379 Christs ascension pag. 396 Christs sitting at c. pag. 407 Christs intercession pag. 409 Christs kingdome pag. 417 The last iudgement pag. 420 The holy Ghost pag. 436 The Church 451.488 Predestination pag. 453 The
by which he onely permitteth one and the same worke to be done of others as it is euill but as it is good he effectually worketh the same Gen. 50.20 You indeede had purposed euill against me but God decreed that for good that he might as he hath done this day preserue his people aliue And Gen. 45.7 God hath sent me before you to preserue your posteritie in this land Esai 10. 5 6 7. Woe vnto Asshur the rod of my wrath and the staffe in their hands is mine indignation I will send him to a dissembling nation and I will giue him a charge against the people of my wrath to take the spoile to take the praie and to tread them vnder feete like the myre in the streete But he thinketh not so neither doth his heart esteeme it so but he imagineth to destroy and to cut off not a few nations God permitteth euill by a certaine volunâ—arie permission in that he forsaketh the second cause in working euill And he forâ—aketh his creature either by detracting the grace it had or not bestowing that which it wanteth Rom. 1.26 For this cause God gaue them vp vnto vile affections 2. Tim. 2.25 26. Instructing them with meekenes that are contrarie minded proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may know the trueth and that they may come to amendment out of the snare of the diuell which are taken of him at his will Neither must we thinke God vniust who is indebted to none Rom. 9.15 I will haue mercy on him to whome I will shew mercie Yea it is in Gods pleasure to bestowe how much grace and vpon whome he will Matth. 20.15 Is it not lawfull for me to doe as I will with mine owne That which is euill hath some respect of goodnes with God first in that it is the punishment of sinne and punishment is accounted a morall good in that it is the part of a iust Iudge to punish sinne Secondly as it is a meere action or act Thirdly as it iâ— a chastisement a triall of ones faith martyrdome propitiation for sinne as the death and passion of Christ. Act. 2.23 and 4.24 And if we obserue these caueats God is not onely a bare permissiue agent in an euill worke but a powerfull effectour of the same yet so as he neither instilleth an aberration into the action nor yet supporteth or inteÌ„deth thesame but that he most freely suffereth euill and best disposeth of it to his own glorie The like we may see in this similitude Let a man spurre forward a lame horse in that he mooueth forward the rider is the cause but that he halteth he himselfe is the canse And againe wee see the sunne beames gathering themselues into a sunne glasse they burne such things as they light vpon now that they burne the cause is not in the sunne but in the glasse The like may bee said of Gods action in an euill subiect CHAP. 7. Of Predestination and Creation GOds decree in as much as it concerneth man is called Predestination which is the decree of God by the which he hath ordained all men to a certaine and euerlasting estate that is either to saluation or condemnation for his owne glorie 1. Thes. 5.9 For God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath but to obtaine saluation by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 9.13 As it is written I haue loved Iacob and hated Esau. and vers 22. What and if God would to â—hewe his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction and that he might declare the riches of his glorie vpon the vessells of mercie which he hath prepared vnto glorie The meanes of accomplishing Gods Predestination are two fold The creation and the fall The creation is that by which God made all things very good of nothing that is of no matter which was before the creation Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the heauen c. to the end of the chapter Gods manner of creating as also of gouerning is such as that by his word alone he without any instruments meanes assistance or motion produced al sorts of things For to will any thing with God is both to be ableâ— and to performe it Heb. 11.3 By faith we vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God so that the things which wee see are not made of things which did appeare Psal. 148.5 Let them praise the name of the Lord for he commanded and they were created The goodnes of the creature is a kind of excellencie by which it was void of all sinne that is free from punishment and transgression The creation is of the world or inhabitants in the world The world is a most beutifull palace framed out of a deformed substance and fit to be inhabited The parts of the world are the heauens and earth The heauens are threefold the first is the aire the second the skie the third an inuisible and incorporall essence created to bee the seate of all the blessed both men and Angels This third heauen is called Paradise 2. Cor. 13.4 The inhabitours of the world are reasonable creatures made according to Gods owne image they are either Angels or men Gen. 1. 26. Furthermore God said Let vs make man in our owne image according to our likenes Iob. 1.6 When the children of God came and stood before the Lord Satan came also among them The image of God is the integritie of the reasonable creature resembling God in holines Eph. 4. 24. And put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse CHAP. 8. Of Angels THe Angels each of them beeing created in the beginning were setled in an vpright estate In whome these things are to be noted First their nature Angels are spirituall and incorporall essences Heb. 2. 16. For he in no sort tooke the Angels but he tooke the seede of Abraham Heb. 1.7 And of the Angels he saith he maketh the spirits his messengers and his ministers a flame of fire Secondly their qualities First they are wise 2 Sam. 14.18 My lord the king is euen as an Angel of God in hearing good and badde 2. They are of great might 2. Thes. 1.7 When the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angels 2. Sam. 24. Dauid sawe the Angel that smote the people 2. King 19.35 The same night the Angel of the Lord went out and smote in the campe of Ashur an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand 3. They are swift and of great agilitie Esay 6,6 Then flewâ— one of the Seraphims vnto me with an hotte cole in his hand Dan. 9 21â— The man Gabriel whome I had seene before in a vision came flying and touched me This is the reason why the Cherubins in the Tabernacle were painted with winges Thirdly they are innumerable Gen. 3.2 Now Iacob weÌ„t forth on his iourney and the angel of God met him
the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God Hence it is that Christ is saide to sanctifie himselfe as he is man Ioh. 17.19 For their sakes sanctifiâ— I my selfe Math. 23.17 As the altar the gift and the temple the gold Math. 23.17 Christ is the Priest as he is God and man Heb. 5.6 Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec 1. Tim. 2.5,6 One Mediatour betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a ransome for all men to be a testimonie in due time III. God the fathers acceptation of that his sacrifice in which he was wel pleased For had it beene that God had not allowed of it Christs suffering had beene in vaine Matth. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased Eph. 5.1 Euen as Christ loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs to be an offering and a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauour to God IV. Imputation of mans sinne to Christ whereby his Father accounted him as a transgressour hauing translated the burden of mans sinnes to his shoulders Esai 53. 4. He hath borne our infirmities and caried our sorrowes yet we did iudge him as plagued and smitten of God and humbled But he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities c. and v. 12. He was counted with the transgressours and he bare the sinnes of many 2. Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sinne for vs which knew no sinne that we should be made the righteousnes of God in him V. His wonderfull humiliation consisting of two parts I. In that he made himselfe of small or no reputation in respect of his Deitie Philip. 2.7,8 He made himselfe of no reputation c. he humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse We may not thinke that this debasing of Christ came because his diuine nature was either wasted or weakened but because his Deitie did as it were lay aside and conceale his power and maiestie for a season And as Irenaeus saith The Word rested that the humane nature might be crucified and dead II. In that he became execrable which is by the law accursed for vs. Gal. 3.10 Cursed is euery one that remaineth not in all things written in the booke of the Law to doe them This accursednesse is either inward or outward Inward is the sense of Gods fearefull anger vpon the crosse Revel 19. 15. He it is that treadeth the winepresse of the fiercenes and wrath of Almightie God Esai 53.5 He is grieued for our transgressions the chastisment of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we were healed This appeared by those droppes of bloode which issued from him by his cryings to his Father vpon the crosse and by sending of Angels to comfort him Hence was it that he so much feared death which many Martyrs entertained most willingly His outward accursednes standeth in three degrees I. Death vpon the crosse which was not imaginarie but true because blood and water issued froÌ„ his heart For seeing that water and blood gushed forth together it is very like the casket or coate which inuesteth the heart called Pericardion was pierced As Columbus obserueth in his Anatomie 7. booke Ioh. 19â—4 His death was necessarie that he might confirme to vs the Testament or Couenant of grace promised for our sakes Heb. 19.15,16 For this cause is he the Mediator of the new Testament that through death c. they which were called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance for where a testament is there must be the death of him that made the testament c. ver 17. II. Buriall to ratifie the certentie of his death III. Descension into hell which we must not vnderstand that he went locally into the place of the damned but that for the time of his abode in the graue he was vnder the ignominious dominion of death Act. 2.24 Whome God hath raised vp and loosed the sorrowes of death because it was vnpossible that he should be holden of it Ephes. 4.9 In that he ascended vvhat vvas it but that he also he descended first into the lowest part of the earth It was necessarie that Christ should be captiuated of death that he might abolish the sting that is the power thereof 1. Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victorie Thus we haue heard of Christs maruelous passion whereby he hath abolished both the first and second death due vnto vs for our sinnes the which as we may further obserue is a perfect ransom for the sinnes of all and euery one of the Elect. 1. Tim. 2.6 Who gaue himself a ransome for all men For it was more that Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God yea God himselfe for a small while should beare the curse of the Law then if the whole world should haue suffered eternall punishment This also is worthie our meditation that then a man is wel grounded in the doctrine of Christs passion when his heart ceaseth to sinne is pricked with the griefe of those sinnes whereby as with speares he pierced the side of the immaculate lambe of God 1. Ioh. 3.6 Who so sinneth neither hath seene him nor knowne him Zach. 12.10 And they shall looke vpon him whome they haue pierced and they shall lament for him as one lamenteth for his onely sonne and be sorie for him as one is sorie for his first borne After Christs passion followeth the fulfilling of the Law by which he satisfied Gods iustice in fulfilling the whole Law Rom. 8. 3,4 God sent his owne Sonne that the righteousnes of the Law might be fulfilled by vs. He fulfilled the Law partly by the holines of his humane nature and partly by obedience in the works of the Law Rom. 8.2 The Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the Law of sinne and of death Matth. 3. 15. It becommeth vs to fulsill all righteousnes c. Ioh. 17.19 Now succeedeth the second part of Christs priesthood namely intercession whereby Christ is an Aduocate and intreater of God the Father for the faithfull Rom. 8.34 Christ is at the right hand of God and maketh request for vs. Christs intercession is directed immediately to God the Father 1. Ioh. 2.1 If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father euen Iesus Christ the iust Now as the Father is first of the Trinitie in order so if he be appeased the Sonne and the holy Ghost are appeased also For there is one and the same agreement and will of all the persons of the Trinitie Christ maketh intercession according to both natures First according to his humanitie partly by appearing before his Father in heauen partly by desiring the saluation of the Elect. Hebr. 9.24 Christ is entred into very heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs. and chap. 7. 25.
shalt preserue the life of thy neighbour Hitherto may we referre these duties I. Such as appertaine to the person of our neighbour and concerne first his welfare both of bodie and minde as to reioyce with them that reioyce Rom. 12.15 Mark 10.20 Then he answered and said vnto him All these things I haue obserued from my youth And Iesus beheld him and loued him Secondly his miseries to be grieued with him for them Rom. 12.15 Mourne with those that mourne Esa. 24.16 And I said My leannesse my leannesse woe is me the transgressours haue offended yea the transgressours haue grieuously offended Psal. 119. vers 136. Mine eies gus◠out with water because men obserue not thy law Againe we must helpe him as much as in vs lieth Iob 29.15 I was as an eye to the blind and a foote to the lame 2. Cor. 8. 2. To their power yea beyond their power they were willing And that we doe we must doe speedily Prov. 3.28 Say not to thy neighbour Goe and come againe to morrow and I will giue thee if thou now haue it Levit. 19.17 Thou shalt plainly rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer him to sinne Thirdly concerning such iniuries as he offereth vnto thee I. Thou shalt not be angrie against him vpon a small occasion Nomb. 12. 3. Moses was a meeke man aboue all that liued vpon the earth Prov. 9.11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and his glorie is to passe by an offence II. Thou must be slow to wrath and neuer angrie but for a most iust cause Mark 3.5 Then he looked round about on them angerly mourning also for the hardnesse of their hearts Prov. 14.29 He that is slow to wrath is of great wisdome but he that is of an hastie minde exalteth follie III. Thine anger must be but for a while Eph. 4. 26. Be angrie and sinne not let not the sunne goe downe vpon thy wrath IV. Forgiue freely an iniurie and reuenge it not Eph. 4. 32. Be ye courteous one to another and tender hearted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christs sake forgaue you Fourthly his wants and infirmities 1. Auoid occasions whereby they may be stirred and laid open Gen. 13.8 Then said Abraham to Lot Let there be no strife I pray thee betweene thee and me neither betweene thy heardsmen and mine for we are brethren 9. Is not the whole land before thee depart I pray thee from me If thou wilt take the left hand I will take the rights or if thou goe to the right hand I will take the left Gen. 27.44 And tarie with him a while vntill thy brothers fiercenesse be asswaged 45. And till thy brothers wrath turne away from thee and he forget the things which thou hast done to him 2. Depart somtimes from thine owne right Mat. 17.25,26 What thinkest thou Simon of whō doe the kings of the earth take tribute or poll money of their children or of strangers Peter said vnto him Of strangers Then said Iesus vnto him Then are the children free 27. Neuertheles lest we should offend thē go to the sea and cast in an angle take the first fish that commeth vp and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt finde a piece of twentie pence that take and giue it vnto them for me and thee 3. To appease anger kindled which is done I. by ouercomming euill with goodnes Rom. 12.21 Be not ouercome of euill but ouercome euill with goodnes II. By following after peace 1. Pet. 3.11 Decline from euill and doe good seeke peace and follow after it III. By courteous answers Prou. 15. 1. A soft answer putteth away wrath but grieuous words stir vp anger 1. Sam. 1.14 Eli said vnto her How long wilt thou be drunken put away thy drunkennes from thee 15. Then Hannah answered and saide Nay my Lord but I am a woman troubled in spirit I haue drunke neither wine nor strong drinke but haue poured out my soule before the Lord. Philem. v. 15. It may be that he therefore departed for a season that thou shouldest receiue him for euer IV. By ouerpassing some wants and infirmities in mens words and deedes Prou. 19.11 It is a mans honour to passe by infirmities V. By couering thē with silence 1. Pet. 4.8 Aboue all things haue feruent loue amongst you for loue couereth a multitude of sinnes Prou. 17.9 He that couereth transgression seeketh loue but he that repeateth a matter separateth the Prince VI. By taking euery thing if it be possible in the best part 1. Cor. 13. 5. Loue thinketh none euill This sheweth the lawfulnes of truces couenants other agreements concerning peace being made to auoid iniuries maintaine ancient bounds procure securitie in traffique possessions and iournies set pensions commons for cattell liberties of hunting fishing or fouling and getting fewell or other necessaries for publike commodities if there be no vnlawfull conditions annexed vnto the same And we may make this couenant not onely with Christians but for the maintenance of peace with infidels also For that which is godly to be performed is no lesse godly to be promised But it is a note of true godlines to be as much as may be at peace with all men Therfore to promise peace by couenant is very godly We may see the experience of this in the liues of holy men Gen. 21.22 At that same time Abimelech and Pichol his chiefe captaine spake vnto Abraham saying God is with thee in all that thou doest 23. Now therefore sweare vnto me here by God that thou wilt not hurt me nor my children nor my childrens children c. 24. Then Abraham said I will sweare 27. Then Abraham tooke sheepe and beeues and gaue them vnto Abimelech and they two made a couenant Gen. 31.44 Now therefore come and let vs make a couenant I and thou which may be a witnes betweene me and thee 45. Then Laban said to Iaakob Behold this heape and behold the pillar which I haue set vp betweene me and thee 53. The God of Abraham and the gods of Nahor and the god of 〈◊〉 father be iudge betweene vs But Iaakob sware by the feare of his father Izhak II. Concerning his bodie we are to regard it aliue and dead Being aliue we ought if neede be I. To minister vnto it foode and raiment Math. 25.41 42. Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his angels For I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meate I thirsted and ye gaue me no drink c. 45. In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me II. To lend our helping hand when our neighbours bodie is in any daunger 1. Ioh. 3.16 Hereby we perceiued loue that he laide downe his life for vs therefore also ought we to lay downe our liues for the brethren When a man is dead we ought to commit the dead corpes to the graue as may appeare by these arguments
to come these shew that he is come III. They were appropriate vnto the posteritie of Abraham but these are common to the whole Church culled out of the Iewes and Gentiles CHAP. 33. Of Baptisme THere are two Sacraments 1. Cor. 10. 1. I would not haue you ignorant that all our fathers were vnder the cloude and all passed through the sea 2. And were all baptized vnto Moses in the cloude and in the sea 3. And did all eate the same spirituall meate 4. And dranke all the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spirituall rocke that followed them which rocke was Christ. Tertull 4. booke contra Marcion August de Symbol ad Catechum 4. booke 6. chap. The first Sacrament is that whereby Christians are initiated and admitted into the Church of God and this is Baptisme The second Sacrament whereby the Church is preserued and nourished is the Lords Supper Baptisme is a Sacrament by which such as are within the couenant are washed with water in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost that beeing thus engraffed into Christ they may haue perpetuall fellowship with him Matth. 28.19 Goe teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Matth. 16.16 He that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be condemned 1. Cor. 1.13 Is Christ deuided was Paul crucified for you â—iâ—her were ye baptized into the name of Paul 14. I thanke God I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius 15. Least any should say I had baptized into mine owne name Within the couenant are all the seede of Abraham or the seede of the faithfull These are either of riper yeares or infants Those of riper yeares are all such as adioyning themselues to the visible Church doe both testifie their repentance of their sinnes and hold the foundations of religion taught in the same Church Matth. 3. 6. And they were baptized of him in Iorden confessing their sinnes Act. 8.36 As they went they came to a water then the Eunuch saide See here is water what hindreth me to be baptized 37. Then Philip said If thou beleeue with all thine heart thou maist he said I beleeue that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God 38. And they went downe into the water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptized him Exod. 12.48 If a stranger dwell with thee and will observe the Passeouer of the Lord let him circumcise all the males that belong vnto him and then let him come and obserue it and then he shall be as one that is borne in the land for none vncircumcised person shall eate thereof Infants within the Couenant are such as haue one at the least of their parents faithfull 1. Cor. 7.14 The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by the wife and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children vncleane but now they are holy Rom. 11.16 If the first fruits be holy so is the whole lumpe and if the roote be holy so are the branches Gen. 17.7 I will establish my couenant betweene me and thee and thy seede after thee in their generations for an euerlasting couenant to be God vnto thee and thy seede after thee 13. He that is borne in thine house and he that is bought with money must needes be circumcised so my couenant shall be in your flesh for an euerlasting couenant Act. 16.31 They said Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy whole houshold Quest. How are the children of faithfull parents in the couenant Answer Holy parents are two waies to be considered First as they were the sonnes of the first Adam and so are as yet partly carnall In this estate they in like sort doe beget their sonnes the children of wrath For the father begetteth a sonne not as he is a good man but simply as a man and therefore beeing impure he must needes beget that which is impure Secondly we must consider the parents as they are the sonnes of God engraffed into the second Adam In this estate though they cannot deriue faith vnto their posteritie for the sonnes of God are not made such by naturall generation but by the adoption of God the Father yet may they beleeue both for themselues and others according to the tenour of the couenant of grace as Adam did sinne both for himselfe and others and as parents in bargaines doe couenant both for themselues and their heires after them Hence it is that Paul saith that the parents are like vnto the first fruits which doe sanctifie the whole lumpe So then the faith of the parents maketh those their sonnes to be accounted in the couenant which by reason of their age doe not yet actually beleeue To be baptized into the name of the Father c. after the receit of the outward signe of washing is to be made one of Gods familie which is his church and to be partaker of the priuiledges thereof Gen. 48.16 The Angel which hath deliuered me from all euill blesse the children and let my name be named vpon them and the name of my fathers Abraham and Izhak that they may grow as fish into multitude in the middest of the earth Esai 4. 1. In that day shall seuen women take hold of one man saying We will eate our owne bread and we will weare our owne garments onely let vs be called by thy name and take away our reproch By this it is manifest that in this washing of Baptisme there is sealed and propounded a marueilous solemne couenant and contract first of God with the baptized in that God the Father vouchsafed to receiue him into fauour the Sonne to redeeme him the holy Ghost to purifie and regenerate him secondly of the baptized with God who promiseth to acknowledge inuocate and worship none other God but the true Iehouah which is the Father Sonne and holy Ghost The externall and visible matter of baptisme is water for the minister may not baptize with any other liquor but onely with naturall water This was the iudgement of the Primitiue Church For when as a certaine minister for want of water tooke sande and baptized one with that the partie thus besanded was further baptized the former beeing esteemed of none effect Niceph. histor 3. booke 33. chapter The externall forme of baptisme is the ministers washing of the baptized according to the prescript rule of Gods word Rom. 10. 4. The ancient custome of baptizing was to dippe and as it were to diue all the bodie of the baptized in the water as may appeare in Paul Rom. 6. and the Councels of Laodicea and Neocaesarea but now especially in cold countries the Church vseth onely to sprinkle the baptized by reason of childrens weaknesse for very few of ripe yeares are now a daies baptized We need not much to marueile at this alteration seeing charitie and necessitie may dispense with ceremonies and mitigate in equitie the sharpnes of them
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
not except we would say that Christ redeemed his owne humanitie which cannot be any waies possible II. Euery woman doth partake the humane nature of euery man yet is not euery man each womans husband but hers alone with whome by the couenant in matrimorie he is made one flesh and in like sort Christ did by his incarnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take also vpon him mans nature and that common to all Adams progenie yet is he the husband of his Church alone by another more peculiar coniunction namely the bond of the spirit and of faith And by it the Church is become flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Eph. 5.20 And therefore shee alone may iustly claime title to the death of Christ and al his merits Obiection II. Christs redemption is as generall as Adams fall was and therfore it appertaineth to all Adams posteritie Answer Adam was a type of Christ and Christ a counter-type correspondent to Adam Adam was the roote of all his successors or all that should come of him from the which first Adam was sinne and death deriued againe Christ he is also a roote but of the elect onely and such as beleeue to whome from him proceede righteousnes and life eternall He cannot be said to bee the roote of all and euery singular man because that all doe not drinke and receiue this his righteousnesse and life neither are they actually by him made righteous Romans 12.17.19 Obiect The benefit of Christs death redounded to all Answer It did to all that beleeue For as Adam destroyed all those that were borne of him so Christ doth iustifie and saue all those that are borne anewe by him and none other Obiect If thaâ— Adams sinne destroyed all and Christs merit doth not saue all then is Adams sinne more forcible to condemne then Christs mercie is to saue Answer We must not esteeme of the mercie of Christ by the number of men which receiue mercie for so indeede I grant that as Adams fall made all vniust so the mercie of Christ and his redemption should actually iustifie all but we muâ—t rather measure it by the efficacie and dignitie thereof then by the number on whom it is bestowed For it was a more easie thing to destroy all by sinne then by grace to saue but one Man being but meere man could destroy all but to saue euen one none could doe it but such an one as was both God and man Obiect III. Many places of Scripture there are which affirme this that the benefit of Christs death doth appertaine vnto all Rom. â—1 God hath shutte vp all vnder sinne that he might haue mercie vpon all 1. Tim. 2.4 God would haue all men to bee saued 2. Pet. â— 9 God would not haue any to perish but all come to repentance Answer I. You must vnderstand all that beleeue as it is Math. 11.28 All that are wearie and heauie laden Ioh. 3.6 All that beleeue Gal. 3.23 The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them which beleeue Act. 10.43 All which beleeue And surely there is as well a generalitie of them that beleeue as of the whole world II. We may vnderstand by all of all sorts some not euery singular person of all sorts So Reuel 5.9 Christ is said to haue redeemed some out of euery kinred and tongue and people and nation And Gal. 3.28 There is neither Iew nor Grecian neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus Matth. 4. Christ is said to haue healed euery disease that is euery kind of disease And Augustine to this purpose hath a fit rule All is often vsed for many as Rom. 5.18,19 Augustine in his Manuel to Laur. chap. 103. It is thus saide saith Augustine God would haue all to be saued not because there was no man which he would haue damned who therefore would not doe miracles amongst them which would as he saith haue repented if he had done miracles but that by all men we should vnderstand all sorts of men howsoeuer distinguished whether Kings priuate persons c. And in his booke de Corrept gratia chap. 14. It is saide he would haue all to be saued so as we must vnderstand all such as are predestinate to be saued because amongst them there are all sorts of men as he said to the Pharises You tythe euery hearb III. These two to be willing to saue man and that he should come to the sauing knowledge of the truth are inseparably vnited together 1. Tim. 2.4 But the second we see doth not agree to all and euery singular person therefore the first cannot Obiect IV. In many places of Scripture Christ is said to redeeme the world as 1. Ioh. 2.2 He is a propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world Ans. This word world signifieth I. the frame of heauen and earth II. All men both good and bad together III. The companie of vnbeleeuers and malignant haters of Christ. IV. The congregation of the Elect dispersed ouer the face of the whole earth and to be gathered out of the same In this fourth signification we must vnderstand such places as are aboue mentioned Abraham is called the heire of the world Rom. 4.13 that is of many nations Gen. 17.45 Obiect V. God will not the death of a sinner but rather that he repent and liue Ezech. 18.23 Answer Augustine in his 1. booke to Simplicius 2. quest answereth this question You must saith he distinguish betwixt man as he is borne man and man as he is a sinner For God is not delighted with the destruction of man as he is maÌ„ but as he is a sinner neither wil he simply the death of any as he is a sinner or as it is the ruine and destruction of his creature but in that by the detestation and reuenge of sinne with eternall death his glorie is exceedingly aduanced God therefore will the death of a sinner but as it is a punishment that is as it is a meanes to declare and set out his diuine iustice and therfore it is an vntruth for a man to say that God would haue none condemned For whereas men are once condemned it must be either with Gods will or without it if without it then the will of God must needes suffer violence the which to affirme is great impietie if with his will God must needes change his sentence before set downe but we must not presume to say so Obiect VI. God is the Father of all Malach. 2.10 Ans. This place is meant of Gods Church out of which all men standing in that corrupt estate by AdaÌ„ are the children of wrath and of the deuill Eph. 2.2 Ioh. 8.44 Obiect VII If God did elect some and reiect others he must needes be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a respecter of persons Ans. I. One is said then to accept or haue respect of persons when as he
Adam 1. Cor. 15.45 The conclusion If we should graunt this doctrine to be true then must we needes allow of these absurdities in diuinitie which follow I. That God would haue all and each singular man to be saued and withall he would haue some ordained to hatred and perdition or That in regard of God all men are elected and redeemed but in regard of the euent many perish II. The guilt of Adams sinne must not be imputed to any one of his posteritie because that God hauing mercie of all generally in Christ did take into the couenant of reconciliatioÌ„ all mankind Now if but the guiltines of Adams fall be taken away the punishment forthwith ceaseth to be a punishment and corruption it selfe is by little and little abolished in all men CHAP. 55. Of the state and condition of the Reprobates when they are dead THe death of the Reprobate is a separation of the bodie and the soule of the bodie that for a time it may lie dead in the earth of the soule that it may feele the torments of hell euen vntill the time of the last iudgement at which time the whole man shall be cast into the most terrible and feareful fire of hell 1. Pet. 3.19 By the which he also went and preached vnto the spirits that are in prison Luk. 8. 2. Pet. 2.4 For if God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them into chaines of darknes to be kept vnto damnation c. The reprobate when they die doe become without sense and astonished like vnto a stone or els they are ouerwhelmed with a terrible horrour of conscience and despairing of their saluation as it were with a gulfe of the sea ouer turning them 1. Sam. 25.37 Then in the morning when the wine was gone out of Nabal his wife told him those wordes and his heart died within him and he was like a stone 38. And about ten daies after the Lord smote Nabal that he died Mat. 27.5 And when he had cast downe the siluer pieces in the temple he departed and went and hanged himselfe CHAP. 56. Of the condemnation of the Reprobates at the last iudgement IN the last iudgement at the sound of the trumpet the liuing beeing striken with horrour and feare shall be changed in a moment the dead shall rise againe to condemnation both the liuing and the dead shall then haue immortall bodies but without glorie and they standing vpon the earth at the left hand of Christ the Iudge shall heare the sentence of condemnation Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuil and his angels Ioh. 5.29 And they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation Matth. 25. 41. 1. Thess. 4. 16. For the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen with a shout and with the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first 17. Then shall we which liue and remaine be caught vp with theÌ„ also in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the ayre and so shal we be euer with the lord CHAP. 57. Of the estate of the Reprobates in hell AFter that the sentence of condemnaâ—â—on is pronounced then followeth euerlasting death whereof this is the estate I. The Reprobates are separated from the presence and glorie of God II. They are punished with eternall confusion most bitter reproches because all their secret wickednesses and sinnes are reuealed 2. Thess. 1.9 Which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power Math. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God 1. Ioh. 2.28 And now little children abide in him that when he shall appeare we may be bold and not be ashamed before him at his comming III. They haue fellowship with the diuell and his angels Math. 25.41 IV. They are wholly in bodie and soule tormented with an incredible horrour and exceeding great anguish through the sense and feeling of Gods wrath powred out vpon them for euer Esai 66. 24. And they shall goe forth and looke vpon the carkases of men that haue transgressed against me for their worme shall not die neither shall their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring vnto all flesh Hereupon is the punishment of those that are condemned called Hell fire a worme weeping and gnashing of teeth vtter darknesse c. Rev. 21.8 But the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyers shal haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Math. 13.42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire therâ— shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Esai 66. 24. A Corollarie ANd this is the full execution of Gods decree of reprobation whereby appeareth the great iustice of God in punishing sinne from whence also commeth Gods glorie which he propoundeth to himselfe as the last chiefest end in all these things Therefore let euery Christian propound the same end vnto himselfe Rom. 9.14 What shall we say then is there vnrighteousnesse with God God forbid 15. For he said to Moses I will haue mercie on him to whome I will shew mercie and will haue compassion on him on whome I will haue compassion 16. So then it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie 17. For the Scriptures saith vnto Pharaoh For this same purpose haue I stirred thee vp that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth 1. Cor. 10.31 Whether therefore ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God CHAP. 58. Of the application of Predestination THe right applying of Predestination to the persons of men is very necessarie and it hath two parts The first is the iudgement of particular predestination and the second is the vse of it The iudgement and discerning of a mans owne predestination is to be performed by meanes of these rules which follow I. The Elect alone and all they that are elect not onely may be but also in Gods good time are sure of election in Christ to eternall life 1. Corinth 2.12 2. Cor. 13.5 II. They haue not this knowledge from the first causes of Election but rather from the last effects thereof and they are especially two The testimonie of Gods spirit and the workes of Sanctification 2. Pet. 1. 10. Romans 8.16 III. If any doubt of this testimonie it will appeare vnto them whether it come from the Spirit of God or their owne carnall presumption First by a full perswasion which they shall haue for the holy Ghost will not barely say it but perswadeth such that thay are the children of God the which the flesh can not in any
enemies You haue therefore my good brother iust cause why you should be greatly displeased with many things past but there is no cause why you should despaire Briefly you haue inwardly and as it were dwelling with you euident testimonies of you future reconciliation with God especially if you cease not to pray vnto him earnestly who hath laid the foundation of repentance in you to wit a dislike of sinne and a desire to be reconciled vnto him The sheep which wandered out of the fold ceased not to be a sheep albeit it went astray for a time you now are that sheep to whome that faithfull sheapheard of al those sheep which the father hath committed to him leauing those ninetie and nine doth not so much by my ministerie declare that he seekâ—th you as hauing alreadie sought you though you not seeking him hath indeede founde you Knocke saith he and it shall bee opened vnto you And haue you nowe forgotten those promises which were so often made to them that repent and also which they had experience of who in the sight of the world were in a desperat case But I saith he againe feele no motions of the Comforter I haue nowe no sense of faith or hope but I feele all the contrarie Nay say I you deceiue your selfe as I tolde you before For it is the Comforter alone which teacheth you to hate sinne not so much for the punishment as because it is euill and disliketh God albeit hee shewe not himselfe so fully at the first because you had so many waies grieuously offended him as that he seemeth for a while quite to forsake you And that you haue not quite lost him but that hee is yet in some secret corner of your soule from whence at your instant praiers he will shewe himselfe vnto you this will plainely declare vnto you which I now admonish you of the second time But let vs graunt as much as you can say yet sure it is that your faith was not dead but onely possessed with a spirituall lethargie You liued in the wombe of your mother and there were ignorant of your life A drunken man although hee loose for a time the vse of reason and also of his limmes yet he neuer looseth reason it selfe You would think that in winter the trees were dead but they spring againe in the sommer season At night the Sun setteth but in the next morning it riseth againe And howe often see wee by experience that he which at one time tooke the foile in a combate at another did win the price And knowe this that in the spirituall combate of the flesh with the spirit the like we may see in many partly by reason of the weaknes of our nature partly through sloth to resist and partly for default to beware To these he replieth for such temptations are very hardly remooued I would to God saith he I could perswade my selfe that these promises belonged to me For my present estate constraineth me to doubt whether I am the childe of God or not Laus Christo nescia finis A briefe table directing the Reader of this booke to the principall things in the same ABsence in a Pastor when allowed 77 externall Abstinence 48 Abstraction 21 Abuse of Gods name creatures 55 Accusations on malice 97 vniust Accusations 98 Accusing conscience 18 to Acknowledge God what 39 Acknowledge others good gifts 98 Actuall sinne 20 Adam representing all men 16 his estate in innocency 12 his fall 15 priuate Admonition 141 Adoption 124 Adulterie what 82 lightly punished 85 Affections corrupted 19 Afflictions 124,137 Affiance in God 39 All how said to be saued 169 Allowance of others sinnes 21 Ambition how healed 135 our Ancestours how saued 104 Andreas opinion confuted 180 Angels with their nature office 11 their fall 13 it was more grieuous then mans 15 they serue the elect 142 rash Anger 73 preseruatiues against Angerâ— 135 slowe to Anger 78 snappish Answers 75 curteous Answers 78 Antichrist Satans subiect 35 his sinne 72 when first at Rome 36 Apologie 136,139 Apostates Satans subiects 35 Apostasie 166 Iasciuious Aparrell 84 decent Apparell 86 ApprobatioÌ„ of idolatry coÌ„deÌ„ned 45 Approching to God how 52 to his throne 119 Application of Gods promises necessarie 119 Armour complet with parts 129 Arrius condemned 41 Astrologie 56,57 Artes which are vnlawfull 91 Assaults of a Christian about his calling 130 his faith 131 sanctification 134 assent 139 Asseueration 59 Assurance of knowlege 118 Atheisme 40 Atheists Satans subiects 35 Authoritie ouer creatures lost 23 Authoritie must be obeyed 68 B Babling 97 Ballades 85 Banketting 85,87 on the Sabbath day vnconuenient 65 Bankerupts 90 Baptisme 107,152 the matter water 109 the forme 109 the couenants in Baptisme 109 vse of it 111 Bargaining 89 the Beast who 47 pleasures with Beasts 82 to Beare what it signifieth 95 the Birth of sinne 21 Bitter speaking 73,97 Blasphemie 19,55 Blessednes 144 in what 144 Blessing of children 67 Boasting 97 the Bodie corrupted 19 punished 19 amorous Bookesâ— 85 Booke of life 144 to Bow downe to what 43 Bounds not to be remooued 91 Brawling 73 Buriall of the dead 79 Burning of the flesh 82 Buyers sinne 89 Buying 89 Buggerie 82 C Callings must be sanctified with praier 60 a Calling to liue in 92 effectuall Calling 114 how wrought 116,117 vneffectuall Calling 164 all are not Called 174 Calling on God 52,139 Carelesse vsing of Gods name 55 Ceremonies 121 Chastitie 85,88 Charming 51 Cherubims defend not images 45 Children must obey parents 67 ChildreÌ„ freed from it by the pope 72 Cherubims why painted with wings 11 Choice of one God 42 Censures 95 Christ the foundation of election 24 how subordinate to election 24 why God and man 24,25 his infirmities ibid. vnion of two natures 25 Conception ibid. sanctification ibid. assumption of flesh ibid. Communion of properties 26 distinction of both natures 27 how two wills in him ibid. his natiuitie ibid. Circumcision 28 office ibid. princes his vicegerents ibid. as Mediatour he hath none 29 his Priesthood ibid. he satisfied onely for the elect 29,168 how he did it 29 his passion 9,29 agonie 30 sncrifice ibid. he is the altar ibid. how a priest ibid. humiliation 31 accursednesse ibid. dead ibid. power of it 32 buried 31 descension into hell what 31 abolishing of death 32 fulfilling of the Law 32 intercession 32,33 his propheticall office 33 regall office 33,34 exaltation 33 bodie is visible 34 resurrection 33 power of it 125 ascension 34 his sitting at Gods right haud 34 prerogatiue royall 35 his iustice ours 123 things spoken of him as God and man 26 his manhood exalted 27 he that onely lawgiuer 33 his merits infinite 133 his surrendring his kingdome to his father 36 Christ when receiued 118 Christian conuersation 128 Church goods are not to be sold. 89 the Church may appoint holy daies 62 Ciuill authoritie in Bish. of Rome Antichrist 36 Comedies â—5 Combats vnlawfull 75 CoÌ„forts for affâ—cted coÌ„sciences 132 Combat
of afflicted conscience 129 Commemoration of the creature 55 Commendation for well doing to be vsed 100 Commaundements to man in innocencie 13 Companie 85 want of Compassion 74 Complaints 74 Compunction 165 Concupiscence 100 Conception of sinne 21 Condemnation is by man 164 Confession of sinnes 119 Confidence in creatures 41 Cookes must keepe the sabbath 63 Coniuring 50 Coniunction with God 115 Conscience corrupted 18 not Comforted by a generall election 172 Concealing of sinnes 21,99 Consent in sinne 21 Contentation 92 Contentions 74 Contempt of superiours 71 Contempt of Gods seruice 48 Corne for the poore 75 Conuersation 58 to Couet what â—00 Counterfait wares 89 Countenance austere 74 Couetousnes 89 Couenant of grace and workes 36 102 Couenant with sathan 49 who are in the Couenant 108 Contracts how with whome 88 Contingencie not taken away by gods decree 9 Controuersies how decided 75 Conuersion to God whence 19 Crauing pardon for sinnes 119 Credulitie 98 Creation 10 creatures must not be vsed hardly 74 Cryings 74 Crosses 136 Crueltie 72 Cursings 55 Custome in sinne 21 ConstaÌ„tine what figure he saw 4â— D Damage in goods a punishment 23 Damnation 164,171 Dauncing 85 Death a punishment 23 Death not to be feared 142 Death of the elect 141 Death driuen farre off 20 Decalogue 36 Decree of God 8 it is secret 164 Degrees in sinning 20 Degrees in deuills 15 Defence of a mans selfe 81 Deniall of our selues 1â—8 Derision is persecution 74 Derision of Gods creatures 55 of superiours 71 Desire to please God 40 desires of the flesh how auoided 135 holy Desperation 117 Deuils 36 what they can doe 49 Differences of actuall sinne 21 Disdaine 95 Disobedience 71 Distinction of dominions a punishment 23 Distinction of persons 6 Distrust in God 40 Dissolute life 58 Doubtfulnes 40,132 Dreames 19 Diuination 50 Discerning 126 Duties of man to himselfe 71 E Eares of corne may be pulled to satisfie hunger 80 Eating with circumstances 87 Edict of the law 36 Edification 140 Elders fathers 66 Elect know themselues elect 163 election 23,114,146 by Christ. 24,114 meanes of election 24,36 it is Gods gift 114 it is not generally of all 168 notes of election 177 elect can not finally fall 160 elect haue dominion ouer creatures 124 Elohim what 1 eleuation in the masse 48 enchantments 51 enterludes 85 enuie 74,95 entising to sinne 21 encourage such as feare God 81 equalitie in contracts 93 errours of Predest confuted 149 estate of infidelitie 16 estate of the elect after death 141 143,144 estate of wicked men 175 estimation of our selues 20 eternall life 144 eternall ioy 145 eternall destruction 23,174,175 euangelicall promises indefinite 132 euill things how good with God 9 10 euill thoughts 20 excellencie of gifts reuerenced 69 excuse of sinne whence 18 execution of Gods decree 23 execution of election 25 execution of the decree of reprobation 164 exposition of scripture to xpe 33 externall obseruation of the sabbath 65 extolling of a mans selfe aboue others 72 eyes full of adulterie 84 F the Fall of a christian souldier 130 131 the remedies 131 before my Face what 39 the Fall 14 Falling from God 166 decreed of God 16,173 Faith 117,120,155 a temporarie faith 166 how faith is begotten 33,103 degrees in working it 118 degrees in Faith 120 Faith how shaken 120 not commaunded in the morall law 121 Faires may not be on the sabbath 65 the Faithfull alone haue title to Gods goods 124 False witnesse 95 False sentence 91 Fasting 53,88 Father what 66 Fatherlesse 74 Feare of God 40 of deâ—th 166 to offend God 127 Feasts 87 to idols 45 at Feasts leaue somewhat 87 Feeble not to be inuried 74 Fighting ibid. Flatterie 97 Flight in persecution 140 Forgerie 99 Foreknowledge of God 9 Fornication 82 Found things restore 89,94 Free-will not taken away by Gods decree 9 Free-will 151,153 Frowardnes 74 Funerals how to be solemnized 79 Fulnes of bread 85 G Gaine lawfull 91 vnlawfull ibid. Gaming for gaine ibid. Gate what 63 Gifts of the holy Ghost not saleable 89 Gleanings 80 Glorification 141 perfect Glorie 144 Glorie of God sought aboue all 100 it is the ende of all 146 176 Gospell 103 thought follie 20 God is and what 1 he is denied 20 his nature 1 simplenes 2 infinitenesse 2 he hath neither subiect nor adiunct 2 his essence ibid. immutabilitie ibid. searcher of the heart 3 the life of God ibid. how he willeth euill 3 his loue mercie c. ibid. what God can doe 5 his glorie knowne onely to himselfe ibid how God is knowne to man ibid. God the Father 7 his properties ibid. God the Sonne ibid. he onely incarnate 24 how sent 7 how the Word ibid. his properties 7 God the holy Ghost 8 Gods operation and operatiue permission 9 thy God what 38 others gods what 38 39 Good meaning 20 Good name 99 Goodnes of the creature 11 Gouernment of Christs Church 35 when corrupted 48 Grace can not be extinguished 160 Grapes may be plucked 79 Grief for others our own sins 127 Grauen image 43 Grudges 74 Guiltlesse what 54 H Hallow the sabbath 61 Hardnes of heart 23 Hard and soft heart 42 Hatred of God 42,164 of our neighbour 74 Heauens threefold 11 Hellenisme 40 Heresies spring froÌ„ original sin 17,18 Hell fire 176 Holy Ghost 8 not Christs father 25 Holines of mind 126 of memorie ibid. conscience ibid. will 127 affections ibid. bodie 128 Honour what 83 Hope 39,127 Hope of pardon 118 House coueted 100 Humilitie 40 Hungring after grace 118 Hunting 81 Husbandrie on the sabbath 65 Hypocrisie 47,48 I Idlenes 88 Iealous what 43,44 Iesting at scripture 58 Iewes 35 Idolatrie 45 Idolaters 35 Idol 43 Idolatrous seruice may not be heard 45 Idolaters sorie when they omit their fained worship 18 Illumination 126 Iehouah 38 Image of God 11 how much of Gods Image we reteined 17 Ingrossing commodities 90 Infamie a punishment 23 Infants how saued 114 Infants in the couenant 108 Infants which condemned 164 Ingratitude 72 Inhabitants of the world 11 Inholders dutie 63 Ignorance from Adam 17 sinne of Ignorance 21,22 Impatience in afflictions 41 Impotencie of minde 17 of will 19 Inclination to euill 17 Impuritie of conscience 18,19 Inescation 21 Iniuries 74 Indulgences 47 ImputatioÌ„ of mans sins to Christ. 31 Imputation of Christs righteousnes to man 122 imputatiue iustice prooued 123,156 Iosephs pietie 98 Iourneies on the sabbath day 65 Iudaisme 40 Images in Churches vnlawfull 44 Infirmities to be concealed 78,97,99 Infirmities of the bodie couered by Christ. 33 Infidels how damned 167 Ioy in the holy Ghost 128 Iudgements of God must be regarded 58 Iudging 99 last Iudgement 143 Iust dealing 92 Iugling 51 Iustice. 129 of the faithfull 160 Iustification 121,122 second Iustification confuted 157 Intermission of Gods seruice 48 Interpreting amisse 75 Interpreting wel 98 Iustice inherent 156 K to Kill what who when 73 the Knowledge of Gods law bruiseth the heart 177 the Knowledge of the Gospel 118 Kings are fathers 66
to Take the name of god in vaine 54 Talke corrupt 85,97 table Talke 87 Tales raised 97,98 Taunting 75 Tempting of God 41 Temptation 21,130,132 Tempter 129 Terrour of conscience 19,23 Terrours for well doing 19 Testament 103 Thanksgiuing 52,60,130 Theologie what 2 Theft how punished 91,92 Thrift 92 Titles of God where to be vsed 5â— Titles may be giuen to men 68 Trafficke with infidels 46 Transubstantiation 112 Trembling at gods presence 23,113 Trials of suites before infidels 47 Trouble of minde 23 Truth to be spoken 92 Truces 79 Turkes the deuils subiects 35 the two Trees in Eden 13 Tyrants to be obeyed 69 Tyrants punishment 75 V Vanitie from Adam 18 Vaine-glorie 96 Vertue of creatures lost by sinne 23 Vices not to be allowed 96,97 abstained from 98 to Visite 44 Viuification 126 Vowes 47,53 Vncharitable opinions of such as feare God 20 Vnion with God 41 Vnion of christians with Christ. 115 spirituall Vnderstanding 126 Vniust dealing 88 Vnprofitable warres 89 Vsurie 90 W Washing in baptisme 109 Wasting others goods 72 Wages deteined 75 Wantonesse 84 Christian Warrefare 129 Warriars 129 Weights falsified 89,93 Wedlocke 87 Will corrupted 19 Will worship 47 spirituall Wisdome 126 Witches 52 Wishing 101 Witnesse 98 the Worke of God 8 Works of the elect howe acceptable to God 98 the World and parts thereof 11 how the godly esteem of the World 127 the Word how first reuealed 33 the Word preached a meanes of saluation 33 to sanctifie Gods creatures 60 Wise in his own conceit 73 Widowes not to be iniuried 75 to Winne men to religion 51 Wares to be saleable 93 Gods worship when corrupted 48 meanes by which God is Worshipped 50 Workes iustifie not 151,161 Workes foreseene 172 Worme of conscience 176 Whole man punished 23 Worshipping the beast 47 of deuills 49 Z Zeale of Gods glorie 58,127 FINIS AN EXPOSITION OF THE SYMBOLE OR CREEDE OF THE APOSTLES ACCORDING TO THE TENOVR OF THE SCRIPTVRE AND the consent of the Orthodoxe Fathers of the Church reuewed and corrected BY William Perkins They are good Catholikes which are of sound faith and good life August lib. quaest in Matth. cap. 11. PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT PRINTER to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE EDWARD Lord Russell Earle of Bedford Grace and peace c. RIght Honourable excellent is the saying of Paul to Titus To the pure all things are pure but to the impure and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled In which wordes he determines three questions The first whether things ordained and made by God may become vncleane or no his answer is that they may and his meaning must be conceiued with a distinction By nature things ordained of God are not vncleane for Moses in Genesis saith that God saw all things which he had made and they were very good yet they may become vncleane either by lawe or by the fault of men By law as when God forbids vs the things which in themselues are good without whose commandement they are as pure as things not forbidden Thus for the time of the olde Testament God forbade the Iewes the vse of certaine creatures not because they were indeeede worse then the rest but because it was his pleasure vpon speciall cause to restraine them that he might put a difference betweene his owne people and the rest of the world that he might exercise their obedience and aduertise them of the inward impuritie of minde Now this legall impuritie was abolished at the ascension of Christ. By the fault of men things are vncleane when they are abused and not applied to the ends for which they were ordained The second question is to whome things ordained of God are pure He answers to the pure that is to them whose persons stand iustified and sanctified before God in Christ in whome they beleeue who also doe vse Gods blessings in holy manner to his glorie and the good of men The third question is who they are to whome all things are vncleane his answer is to the vncleane by whome he vnderstands all such I. whose persons displease God because they doe not indeede beleeue in Christ II. who vse not the gifts of God in holy manner sanctifying them by word and praier III who abuse them to bad endes as to riot pride and oppression of men c. Nowe that to such the vse of all the creatures of God is vncleane it is manifest because all their actions are sinnes in that they are not done of faith and a mans persons must first please God in Christ before his action or worke done can please him Againe they vse the blessings and creatures of God with euill conscience because so long as they are forth of Christ they are but vsurpers thereof before God For in the fall of the first Adam we lost the title and interest to all good things and though God permitte the vse of many of them to wicked men yet is not the former title recouered but in Christ the second Adam in whome we are aduanced to a better estate then we had by creation Hence it followes necessarily that to omit all other things Nobilitie though it be a blessing and ordinance of God in it selfe is but an vncleane thing if the enioyers thereof be not truly ingrafted into Christ and made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh The blood vnstained before men is stained blood before God by the fall of Adam if it be not restored by the blood of Christ the lambe of God And hence it follows againe that Nobilitie must not dwell solitarie but combine her selfe in perpetuall fellowship with heartie loue and syncere obedience of pure and sound religion without the which all pleasant pastimes all sumptuousnes of building all brauerie in apparell all glistering in gold all delicate fare all delightfull musicke all reuerence done with cappe and knee all earthly pleasures and delights that heart can wish are but as a vanishing shadow or like the mirth that beginnes in laughing and endes in woe A happie thing were it if this consideration might take place in the hearts of all noble men it would make them honour God that they might be honoured of God with euerlasting honour and it would make them kisse the Sonne least he be angrie and they perish in the way I speake not this as though I doubted of your Lordships care in this very point but mine onely meaning is to put you in minde that as you haue begunne to cleane vnto Christ with full of purpose of heart so you would continue to doe it still and doe it more withal to manifest the same vnto the whole world by honouring Christ with your owne honour and by resembling him specially in one thing in that as he grew in stature and yeares he also grew in grace and fauour with God and men And for this very cause without any consideration of earthly respects I further
present vnto you an Exposition of another part of the Catechisme namely the Symbole or Creede of the Apostles which is indeede the very pith and substance of Christian religion taught by the Apostles imbraced by the ancient fathers sealed by the blood of martyrs vsed by Theodosius the Emperour as a meanes to ende the controuersies of his time and hereupon hath beene called the rule of faith the keye of faith And furthermore I hope that your Lordship will accept the same in good part the rather because you vouchsafed when you were in Cambridge to be an hearer thereof when it was taught and deliuered Thus crauing pardon for my boldnes I take my leaue commending your L. and yours to the protection of the Almightie Ann. 1595. Apr. 2. Your L. to command William Perkins The Contents of the booke The Creede pag. 185 Faith 187 God 198 The three persons 202 The Father 205 Gods omnipotencie 212 The Creation 217,221 Gods counsel 218 The creation of heauen 228 The creation of Angels 231 The creation of man 236 Gods prouidence 242 Adams fall and originall sinne 252 The couenant of grace 259 The title Iesus 262 The title Christ. 266 The title Sonne 271 The title Lord. 278 The Incarnation of Christ. 279 Christs humiliation 295 Christs passion 297 Christs arraignment 300 Christs execution 328 Christs sacrifice 350 Christs triumph 356 Christs buriall 367 The descension of Christ. 372 Christs exaltation 378 Christs Resurrection 380 Christs ascension 396 Christs sitting at c. 407 Christs intercession 409 Christs kingdome 417 The last iudgement 420 Of the holy Ghost 436 The Church 451,488 Predestination 453 The mysticall vnion 483 The communion of Saints 500 The forgiuenesse of sinnes 506 The resurrection of the bodie 509 Life euerlasting 516 In handling of the foresaid points for orders sake is considered 1. The meaning or such points of doctrine as are necessarie to bee knowne thereof 2. The duties to be learned thereby 3. The comforts that Gods pleople may gather thence AN EXPOSITION OF THE CREED I beleeue in God c. NO man iustly can be offended at this that I begin to treat of the doctrine of faith without a text though some be of mind that in Catechising the minister is to proceed as in the ordinary course of preaching onely by handling a set portion of scripture therefore that the handling of the Creede beeing no scripture is not conuenient Indeede I graunt that other course to bee commendable yet I doubt not but in Catechising the minister hath his libertie to followe or not to followe a certaine text of scripture as we doe in the vsuall course of preaching My reason is taken from the practise of the Primitiue Church whose Catechisme as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues sheweth was contained in sixe principles or grounds of religion which were not taken out of any set text in the old Testament but rather was a forme of teaching gathered out of the most cleare places thereof Hence I reason thus That which in this point was the vse and manner of the Primitiue Church is lawfull to be vsed of vs now but in the Primitiue church it was the manner to catechize without handling any set text of scripture and therefore the ministers of the Gospell at this time may with like libertie do the same so be it they doe confirme the doctrine which they teach with places of scripture afterward Nowe to come to the Creede let vs begin with the name or title thereof That which in English we call the Apostles Creed in other tongues is called Symbolum that is a shot or a badge It is called a shot because as in a feast or banquet euery man payeth his part which beeing all gathered the whole which we call the shot amounteth and so out of the seuerall writings of the Apostles ariseth this creed or briefe confession of faith It is a badge because as a souldier in the field by his badge and liuerie is knowne of what band he is and to what captaine he doth belong euen so by this beleefe a christian man may be distinguished and knowne from all Iewes Turkes Atheists and all false professours and for this cause it is called a badge Againe it is called the creed of the Apostles not because they were the peÌ„ners of it conferring to it besides the matter the very style frame of words as we haue theÌ„ now set down Reason I. there are in this creed certen words phrases which are not to be found in the writings of the Apostles and namely these He descended into hell the Catholike Church The latter whereof no doubt first began to be in vse when after the Apostles daies the Church was dispersed into all quarters of the earth Secondly if both matter and wordes hâ—d beene from the Apostles why is not the creede Canonicall Scripture as well as any other of their writings III. The Apostles had a summarie collecollection of the points of Christian religion which they taught and also deliuered to others to teach by consisting of two heads faith and loue as may appeare by Pauls exhortation to Timothie wishing him to keepe the patterne of wholesome wordes which he had heard of him in faith and loue which is in Christ Iesus Nowe the Creed consists not of two heads but of one namely of faith only not of loue also Wherfore I rather think that it is called the Apostles Creede because it doth summarily conteine the cheife and principall points of religion handled and propounded in the doctrine of the Apostles and because the points of the Creede are conformable and agreeable to their doctrine and writings And thus much of the title Now let vs heare what the creed is It is a summe of things to be beleeued concerning God and concerning the Church gathered forth of the scriptures For the opening of this description First I say it is a summe of things to be beleeued or an abridgement It hath beene the practise of teachers both in the newe and olde Testament to abridge and contract summarily the religion of their time This the Prophets vsed For when they had made their sermons to the people they did abridge them and penned theÌ„ briefly setting them in some open place that all the people might reade the same So the Lord bad Habakuk to write the vision which he sawe and to make it plaine vpon tables that he may runne that readeth it And in the newe testament the Apostles did abridge those doctrines which otherwise they did handle at large â—s as may appeare in the place of Timothie afore named Nowe the reason â—hy both in the old and newe Testament the doctrine of religion was abridged is that the vnderstandings of the simple as also their memories might be hereby helped and they better inabled to iudge of the trueth and to discerne the same from falshood And for this ende the Apostles
to beleeue in this one God is in effect thus much I. To knowe and acknowledge him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his worde II. To beleeue him to bee my God III. From mine heart to put all mine affiance in him To this purpose Christ saith This is eternall life to knowe thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Nowe the knowledge here meant is not a bare or generall knowledge for that the deuils haue but a more speciall knowledge wherby I know God not onely to be God but also to be my God and thereupon doe put my confidence in him And thus much of the meaning of the first wordes I beleeue in God c. Nowe followe the duties which may bee gathered hence First of all if we are bound to beleeue in God then we are also bound to take notice of our naturall vnbeleefe whereby we distrust God to checke our selues for it and to striue against it Thus dealt the father of the child that had a dumme spirit Lord saith he I beleeue Lord helpe mine vnbeleefe And Dauid Why art thou cast downe my soule and wâ—y art thou so diâ—quieted in me wait on God And that which our Sauiour Christ saide once to Peter men should daiely speake to themselues O thou of littlâ— faith why hast thou doubted But some may say wherein standes our vnbeleefe Answere It standes in two thinges I. In distrusting the goodnesse of God that is in giuing too litle or no affiance to him or in putting affiance in the creature For the first few men will abide to be told of their distrust in God but indeede it is a common and riâ—e corruption and though they soothe themselues neuer so yet their vsuall dealings proclaime their vnbeleefe Goe through all places it shall be found that scarse one of a thousand in his dealings makes conscience of a lie a great part of men gets their wealth by fraud and oppression and all kinde of vniust and vnmercifull dealing What is the cause that they can doe so Alas alas if there be any faith it is pinned vp in some by-corner of the heart and vnbeleefe beares sway as the lord of the house Againe if a man had as much wealth as the world comes to he could finde in his heart to wish for an other and if he had two worlds he would be casting for the third if it might be compassed the reason hereof is because men haue not learned to make God their portion and to stay their affections on him which if they could doe a meane portion in temporall blessings would be enough Indeede these and such like persons will in no wise â—eelde that they doe distrust the Lord vnlesse at some time they be touched in conscience with a sense and feeling of their sinnes and be throughly humbled for the same but the truth is that distrust of Gods goodnesse is a generall and a mother-sinne the ground of all other sinnes and the very first and principall sinne in Adams fall And for the second part of vnbeleefe which is an affiance in the creatures read the whole booke of God and we shall finde it a common and vsuall sinne in all sorts of men some putting their trust in riches some in strength some in pleasures some placing their felicitie in one sinne some in an other When King Asa was sicke he put his whole trust in the Phisitians and not in the Lord. And in our daies the common practise is when crosses and calamities fall then there is trotting out to that wise man to this cunning woman to this sorcerer to that wizzard that is from God to the deuill and their counsell is receiued and practised without any bones making And this shewes the bitter roote of vnbeleefe and confidence in vaine creatures let men smoothe it ouer with goodly tearmes as long as they will In a word there is no man in the world be he called or not called if he looke narrowly vnto himselfe he shall finde his heart almost filled with manifold doubtings and distrustings whereby he shall feele himselfe euen carried away from beleeuing in God Therefore the dutie of euery man is that will truly say that hâ— beleeues in God to labour to see his owne vnbeleefe and the fruits thereof in his life As for such as say they haue no vnbeleefe nor feele none more pitifull is their case For so much the greater is their vnbeleefe Secondly considering that we professe our selues to beleeue in God we must euery one of vs learne to know God As Paul saith How can they beleeue in him of whome they haâ—e not heard and how can they heare without a preacher therefore none can beleeue in God but he must first of all heare and be taught by the ministerie of the word to know God aright Let this be remembred of young and old It is not the pattering ouer of the beleefe for a praier that will make a man a good beleeuer but God must be knowne of vs and acknowledged as he hath reuealed himselfe partly in his word and partly in his creatures Blinde ignorance and the right vse of the Apostles Creede will neuer stand togither Therefore it standes men in hande to labour and take paines to get knoweledge in religion that knowing God aright they may come steadfastly to beleeue in him and truely make confession of their faith Thirdly because wee beleeue in God therefore another dutie is to denie our selues vtterly and to become nothing in our selues Our Sauiour Christ requires of vs to become as little children if wee would beleeue The begger depends not on the releefe of others till hee finde nothing at home and till our hearts bee purged of selfe-loue and pride wee cannot depend on the fauour and goodnesse of God Therefore hee that would trust in God must first of all be abased and confounded in himselfe and in regard of himselfe be out of all hope of attaining to the least sparke of the grace of God Fourthly in that wee beleeue in God and therefore put our whole trust and assurance in him we are taught that euery man must committe his bodie his soule goods life yea all that he hath into the handes of God and to his custodie So Paul saith I am not ashamed of my sufferings for I knowe whome I haue beleeued and am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day A worthie saying for what is the thing which Paul committed vnto the Lord it was his owne soule and the eternall saluation thereof But what mooues him to trust God surely his perswasion whereby he knewe that God would keepe it And Peter saith Let them that suffer according to the will of God committe their soules to him in well doing as vnto a faithfull creatour Looke as one friende laieth downe a thing to be kept of another so must a man giue that he hath to the
Thou hast made him to haue dominion in the workes of thy handes and therefore God hauing created him in his image biddeth him rule ouer the fishes of the sea ouer the fowles of the heauen and ouer euery beast that mooueth vpon the earth afterward he brought them all to him as to a soueraigne lord and king to be named by him and answerably euery creature in his kind gaue reuerence and subiection vnto man before his fall as vnto their lord and king Where by the way we must remeÌ„ber that when we see any creature that is hurtfull and noysome vnto man and would rather deuoure then obey him it must put vs in minde of our sinne for by creation we were made lords and kings ouer all creatures and they durst not but reuerence and obey vs but the rebellion of man vnto God is the cause of the rebellion of the creatures vnto vs. The third part of mans dignitie by creation is that before his fall he had a wonderfull beautie and maiestie aboue all creatures in his bodie whereupon Dauid saith the Lord hath crowned him with glorie and worship And in the renuing of the couenant with Noe God saith that the dread and feare of man shall be vpon all creatures which nowe though it be but small yet doth it plainely shewe what was the glorie and maiestie of mans person at the first The fourth dignitie of mans estate in innocencie is that his labour was without paine or wearinesse if he had neuer fallen he should haue laboured in the garden but so as he should neuer haue beene wearied therewith For when Adam was fallen God said In the sâ—eate of thy face shalt thou eate thy bread now if the paine in labour come after as a curse vpon man for his transgression then before his fall man felt no paine in his affaires And in these foure things consisteth mans dignitie which he had in the creation Now in the third followeth mans calling before his fall which is twofold I. particular II. generall Mans particular calling was to come into the garden of Eden to keepe it and to dresse the trees and fruits thereof This shewes vnto vs a good lesson that euery man must haue a particular calling wherein he ought to walke and therefore such as spende their time idlely in gaming and vaine delights haue much to answer to God at the day of iudgement This will not excuse a man to say theÌ„ that he had land liuing to maintaine himselfe and therefore was to liue as he list for euen Adam in his innocencie had all things at his will wanted nothing yet euen then God imploied him in a calling therfore none must be exempted euery man both high low must walke in his proper calling AdaÌ„s general calling was to worship his Creatour to which he was bound by the right of creation considering the morall law was written in his heart by nature Which is signified in the Decalogue where the Lord requires worship and obedience of his people because he is Iehouah that is one which hath beeing in himselfe and giues beeing to all men by creation For the better vnderstanding of this point we are to consider three things I. The place where Adam did worshippe II. The time III. The sacraments For the first God euer since the beginning had a place where he would be worshipped and it is called Gods house which then was the garden of Eden For it was vnto Adam a place appointed by God for his worship as Church-assemblies are vnto vs where also the Lord at some time did in a speciall manner shew himselfe vnto his creature Touching the time of Gods worship it was the seuenth day from the beginning of the creation the Sabbath day And here we must note that the keeping of the Sabbath is morall Some indeede doe pleade that it is but a ceremonie yet falsly for it was ordained before the fall of man at which time Ceremonies signifying sanctification had no place Nay marke further Adam in his innocencie was not clogged with sinne as we are and yet then he had a set Sabbath to worship God his creatour and therefore much more neede hath euery one of vs of a sabbath day wherein we may seuer our selues from the workes of our callings and the workes of sinne to the worship of God in the exercise of religion and godly meditation of our creation This point must be learned of vs for when no occasion is offered of busines then men will formally seeme to keepe the sabbath but if there come occasion of breaking the sabbath as traffike gaming and vaine shewes then Sabbath farewell men will haue their pleasures let them worship God that will But let vs remember in the feare of God that whosoeuer continueth in the breach of this law beeing moral God will no lesse powre forth his punishments vpon them then for the breach of any other commaundement the consideration whereof must mooue euery man to a reuerent sanctifying of the Lords day Now for Adams sacraments they were two the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and euill these did serue to exercise Adam in obedience vnto God The tree of life was to signifie assurance of life for euer if he did keepe Gods commandements the tree of knowledge of good and euill was a sacrament to shew vnto him that if he did transgresse Gods coÌ„mandements he should die and it was so called because it did signifie that if he transgressed this law he should haue experience both of good and euill in himselfe Now in the fourth place followeth the ende of the creation of man which is twofold First that there might be a creature to whome God might make manifest himselfe who in a speciall maner should set forth and acknowledge his wisdome goodnesse mercie in the creation of heauen and earth and of things that are in them as also his prouidence in gouerning the same Secondly God hauing decreed to glorifie his name in shewing his mercie and iustice vpon his creature hereupon in time createth men to shew his mercie in the saluation of some and to shew his iustice in the iust and deserued damnation of other some And therfore he hath appointed the creation specially of man to be a meanes of manifestation and beginning of the execution of his eternal counsell Thus much concerning mans creation in generall The speciall parts of man are two bodie and soule And the reason why the Lord would haue him stand on these two parts is this Some creatures made before him were onely bodily as beasts fishes foules some spirituall as Angels now man is both spirituall in regard of his soule corporall and sensible in regard of his bodie that nothing might be wanting to the perfection of nature If it be alleadged that man consists of three parts bodie soule and spirit because Paul praies that the Thessalonians may be sanctified in bodie soule and
hereby confuted otherwise in respect of the diuers estate and condition of men sinnes are either veniall or mortall Veniall they are to the elect whose sinnes are pardonable in Christ but to the reprobate all sinnes are mortall Neuertheles we holde not all sinnes equall but that they are greater or lesse according to the diuersitie of obiects and other circumstances Thus much of sin in generall nowe we come to the parts of it The first sin of all that euer was in man is the sinne of Adam which was his disobedience in eating the forbidden fruite In handling whereof sundrie points are to bee opened but let vs begin with the causes thereof The outward efficient cause was the deuill And though he bee not named by Moses in the historie of the fall yet that is not to trouble vs for wee must not conceiue otherwise of the serpent then of the instrument and mouth of the deuill For it is not likely that it beeing a bruite creature should be able to reason and determine of good and euill of trueth and falshood Nowe in this temptation the deuill shewes his malice and his fraud His malice in that whereas he cannot ouerturne God himselfe yet he labours to disturbe the order which he hath set downe in the creation and especially the image of God in the most excellent creatures on earth that they may be in the same miserable condition with himselfe His fraud first in that he begins his temptation with the woman being the weaker person not with the man which course he still continues as may appeare by this that more women are intangled with witchcraft and sorcerie then men Secondly he shewes his fraude in that he proceeds very slily and intangles Eve by certaine steppes and degrees For first by moouing a question he drawes her to listen vnto him and to reason with him of Gods commandement Secondly he bringes her to looke vpon the tree and wishly to viewe the beautie of the fruite Thirdly he makes her to doubt of the absolute truth of Gods word and promise and to beleeue his cōtrarie lies Fourthly hauing blinded her minde with his false perswasions shee desires and lustes after the forbidden fruit and therevpon takes it eates it and giues it to her husband The inward cause was the wil of our first parents euen in the testimonie of their owne consciences as Salomon saith This haue I found that God made man righteous but they haue found many inuentions But it may be obiected that if Adam were created good he could not be the cause of his owne fall because a good tree cannot bring forth euill fruit Answer Freedome of wil is fourefold I. freedome to euil alone this is onely in wicked men and angels and is indeed a bondage the second is freedome to good alone and that is in God and the good Angels by Gods grace the third is freedome to good in part ioyned with some want of libertie by reason of sinne and this is in the regenerate in this life the fourth is freedom either to good or to euill indifferently And this was in Adam before his fall who though he had no inclination to sinne but onely to that which was acceptable to God yet was he not bound by any necessitie but had his libertie freely to choose or refuse either good or euil And this is euident by the very tenour of Gods commandement in which he forbids Adam to eate the forbidden fruit and thereby shewing that hee beeing created righteous and not prone to sinne had power to keepe or not to keepe the commandement though since the fall both hee and wee after him cannot but sinne Wherefore Adam beeing allured by Satan of his owne free accord changed himselfe and fell from God Nowe then as the good tree chaunged from good to euill brings forth euill fruite so Adam by his owne inward and free motion changing from good to euil brings forth euill As for God he is not to be reputed as an author or cause any way of this sinne For he created Adam and Eue righteous indued them with righteous wills and he told them what he would exact at their hands and what they could performe yea he added threatnings that with the feare of daunger he might terrifie them from sinne Some may say whereas God foresaw that Adam would abuse the libertie of his will why would he not preuent it Answ. There is a double grace the one to be able to will and doe that which is good the other to be able to perseuere in willing and doing the same Nowe God gaue the first to Adam and not the second And he is not to be blamed of vs though he confirmed him not with new grace for he is debter to no man to giue him so much as the least grace whereas he had alreadie giuen a plentifull measure thereof to him And God did hold backe to conferre any further grace vpon iust grace I. It was his pleasure that this fact should be an occasion or way to exercise his mercie in the sauing of the Elect and his iustice in the deserued condemnation of impenitent sinners And vnlesse Adam had fallen for himselfe and others there should haue beene found no miserie in men on whome God might take pitie in his Sonne nor wickednesse which he might condemne and therefore neither manifestation of iustice nor mercie II. Againe it was the will of God in part to forsake Adam to make manifest the weaknes that is in the most excellent creatures without the speciall and continuall assistance of God III. There is a double libertie of will one is to will good or euill this belongs to the creature in this world and therefore Adam receiued it The other is to will good alone This he wanted because it is reserued to the life to come And though he knew no cause of this dealing of God yet is it one steppe to the feare of God for vs to hold that good and righteous which he appointeth or willeth and not to square the workes and iudgements of God by our crooked reason And yet to come to reason it selfe Who can here complaine of God Can the deuill but God did not cause him to tempt or deceiue our first parents Can Adam and Eue but they fell freely without any motion or instigation from God and their owne consciences accused them for it Can the posteritie of Adam but the Elect receiue more in Christ then they lost in Adam and the reprobate ouerwhelmed with the burden of their owne sinnes and thereupon receiuing nothing but due and deserued damnation can not finde fault But some may further replie and say he that foreseeth an euill and doth not preuent it is a cause of it but God did foresee the fall of man and did not preuent it Answ. The rule is generally true in man that the foreseer of an euill not preuenting it is in some sort a doer of it for it is the
as Adam was and therefore his sinne is personall whereas Adams is not Yet this which I say must not be vnderstood of all the sinnes of Adam but onely of the first From the fall of Adam springeth originall sinne so commonly called not onely as a fruit thereof but also as a iust punishment of it And after the foresaid fall it is in Adam and his posteritie as the mother and roote of all other sinne yet with this distinction that actuall sinne was first in Adam and then came originall but in vs first is originall sinne and then after followes actuall Originall sinne is tearmed diuersly in Scriptures as the flesh the old man because it is in vs before grace concupiscence sinne that is readie to compasse vs about the sinning sinne and it is tearmed originall because it hath beene in mans nature euer since the fall and because it is in euery man at the very instant of his conception and birth as Dauid plainely saith Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me not meaning properly his parents sinne for he was borne in lawfull marriage but his owne hereditarie sinne whereof he was guiltie euen in his mothers wombe But let vs a little search the nature of it Considering it hath place in man it must be either the substance of bodie or soule or the faculties of the substance or the corruption of the faculties Now it cannot be the substance of man corrupted for then our Sauiour Christ in taking our nature vpon him should also take vpon him our sinnes and by that meanes should as well haue neede of a redeemer as other men and againe the soules of men should not be immortall Neither is it any one or all the faculties of man For euery one of them as namely the vnderstanding will affections and all other powers of bodie or soule were in man from the first creation whereas sinne was not before the fall Wherefore it remaines that originall sinne is nothing else but a disorder or euill disposition in all the faculties and inclinations of man whereby they are all caried inordinately against the law of God The subiect or place of this sinne is not any part of man but the whole bodie and soule For first of all the naturall appetite to meate and drinke and the power of nourishing is greatly corrupted as appeares by diseases aches surfets but specially by the abuse of meate and drinke Secondly the outward senses are as corrupt and that made Dauid to pray that God would turne his eyes from beholding of vanitie and Saint Iohn to say whatsoeuer is in the world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life Thirdly touching the vnderstanding the spirit of God saith that the frame of the heart of man is onely euill continually so as we are not able of our selues to thinke a good thought And therefore withall the will of man and his affections are answerably corrupt and hereupon the doctrine of Christ is that we must renounce our own wills Lastly all mans strength in good things is nothing out of Christ. The propagation of this sinne is the deriuing of it from Adam to all his posteritie whereby it runneth as a leprosie ouer all mankind But in what maner this propagation is made it is hard to define The common opinion of Diuines is that it may be done two waies The first is this God when he created Adam in the beginning set downe this appointment and order touching the estate of man that whatsoeuer Adam receiued of God he should reâ—â—iue it not onely for himselfe but for his posteritie and whatsoeuer grace of God he lost he should loose not onely to himselfe but to all his posteritie And hereupon Adam when he sinned he depriued first of all himself and then secondly all his posteritie of the image of God because all mankind was in â—is loines when he sinned Now then vpon the former appointment when the soules of men are created and placed in the bodie God forsakes them not in respect of the substance of the soule or the faculties but onely in respect of his owne image wherof the soules are depriued after which followes the defect or want of righteousnesse which is originall sinne And God in depriuing man of that which AdaÌ„ lost is not therefore to be thought to be the author or maintainer of sinne but a iust iudge For this depriuation of the image of God so farforth as it is inflicted by him vpon mankind it must be conceiued as a deserued punishment for the sinne of Adam and all men in him which punishment they pulled vpon themselues The second way is that the corruption of nature is deriued from the parents in generation by the bodie for as sweete oyle powred into a fustie vesâ—ell looseth his purenesse and is infected by the vessell so the soule created good put into the corrupt bodie receiues coÌ„tagion theÌ„ce And this coniunction of the pure soule with the corrupt bodie is not against the goodnes of God because it is a iust punishment of the sin of all men in AdaÌ„ It may be this which hath bin said wil not satisfie the minds of all yet if any will be curious to search further into this point let them know that there is an other matter which more concernes them to looke vnto When a mans house is on fire there is no time then to inquire how and which way and whence the fire came but our dutie is with all speed and expedition to vse all good means to stay it And so considering that our whole natures are really infected and poisoned with the loathsome contagion of originall sinne which is a weight sufficient to presse downe the soule to the gulfe of hell it standes vs in hand a thousand fold more to vse the meanes whereby it may be taken away then to dispute how it came Some may alleadge against the propagation of sinne that holy parents beget holy children which are void of originall sinne because it stands not with reason that parents should conuey that to their children which they theÌ„selues want namely the guilt and the punishment and the fault of sinne in part Answ. I. Men are not in this life perfectly holy For sanctification is but in part and therefore they can not possibly beget children pure from all sinne Secondly parents beget children as they are men and not as they are holy men and by generation they deriue vnto their children nature with the corruption thereof and not grace which is aboue nature Take any corne yea the finest wheate that euer was winow it as cleane as possibly may be afterward sow it weede it also when it is sowen and reape it in due time and carie it to the barne when it is thresht you shall finde as much chaffe in it as euer was before and why because God hath set this order in the
creation that it shall spring and grow so oft as it is sowed with the stalke eare blade and all so likewise though the parents be neuer so holy the children as they come of them are conceiued and borne wholly corrupt because God tooke this order in the creation that whatsoeuer euill Adam procured he should bring it not onely on himselfe but vpon all his posteritie by vertue of which decree the propagation of sinne is continued without any interruption though parents themselues be borne anew by the spirit of God And here we must not omit to speake of the quantitie or greatnesse of originall sinne for the opening wherof we must consider three points The first that originall sinne is not diuers but one and the same in kind in euery man as the generall and common nature of man is one and the same in all men The second that this sinne is not in some men more in some men lesse but in euery man equally as all men doe equally from Adam participate the nature of maÌ„ and are equally the children of wrath Some it may be will say that this can not be true because some men are of better natures then others are some of disposition cruell and seuere some againe gentle and milde some very licentious and disordered some very ciuill Answ. The differences that be in men wanting the feare of God arise not of this that they haue more or lesse originall corruption but of the restraint and limitation of mans corruption For in some God bridleth sinne more then in others in them is found ciuilitie againe in some lesse and in such the rebellion of nature breakes forth vnto all misdemeanour And indeede if God should not keepe the vntoward dispositions of men within compasse otherwhiles more otherwhiles lesse as it shall seeme good vnto his Maiestie impietie crueltie iniustice and all manner of sinnes would breake out into such a measure that there should be no quiet liuing for men in the world and no place for Gods Church And thus it is manifest that although all men be not equall in the practise of wickednesse yet that is no hindrance but they may be equal in the corruption of nature it selfe The third point is that Originall sinne is so huge and large euery way that it may truly be tearmed the root or seede not of some few sinnes but of all sinns whatsoeuer euen of the very sinne against the holy Ghost We must not imagine it to be an inclination or pronenes to one or two faults but a pronenes to all and euery sinne that is practised in the world and that in all persons young and old high and low male and female It is a most horrible villanie for a man to kill his father or his mother or his child yet some there be that doe so at the hearing whereof we vse to wonder and to testifie our dislike by saying that the doers thereof were wicked and deuilish persons and it is truly said Neuertheles we must vnderstand that although we abstaine from such hâ—inouâ— practises yet the very roote of such sinnes that is a disposition vnto them is foâ—â—d in vs also Iulian the Apostata both liuing and dying blasphemed Christâ—â—â—rod and Pontius Pilate and the wicked Iewes crucified him and Iudas 〈◊〉 ed him Men vse to say that if Christ were now aliue they would not doâ— so for all the world But let vs better consider of the matter The same naâ—â—â—â—â— corruption of heart that was in them is also in vs we being the children of Adam as well as they and by the force of this corruption if Christ were now liuing on earth thou wouldest if like occasion were offered either doe as Iudas did in betraying him or as Pilate did deliuer him to be crucified or as the soldiers thrust him through with their speares or as Iulian pierce him with all manner of blasphemies if God withheld his graces from thee and leaue thee to thy selfe In a word let men conceiue in minde the most notorious trespasse that can be though they doe it not nor intend to doe it and neuer doe it yet the matter beginning and seede thereof is in themselues This made Ieremie say The heart of man is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things who can know it It is like a huge sea the bankes whereof can not be seene nor the bottome searched In common experience we see it come to passe that men protestants to day to morrow papists of Christians heretikes now friends but presently after foes this day honest and ciuill men the next day cruell murderers Now what is the cause of this difference surely the hidden corruption of the heart that will thrust a man forward to any sinne when occasion is offered This point must be remembred and â—ften thought vpon From originall sinne springeth actuall which is nothing â—ls but the fruit of the corrupt heart either in thought word or deede Thus much touching mans fall into sinne by Gods iust permission Now followes the good vse which we must make thereof First by this we learne to acknowledge and bewaile our owne frailtie For Adam in his innocencie beeing created perfectly righteous when he was once tempted by the deuill fell away from God what shall we doe then in the like case which are by nature sold vnder sinne and in our selues a thousand times weaker then Adam was Many men there be that mingle themselues with all companies tell them of the daunger thereof they will presently replie that they haue such a strong faith that no bad companie can hurt them But alas silly people Satan bewitcheth them and makes them to beleeue falshoode to be truth they know not their miserable estate If Adam saith Barnard had a downfal in Paradise what shall we doe that are cast forth to the dunghill Let vs therefore often come to a serious consideration of our owne weaknesse and follow withall the practise of Dauid who beeing priuie to himselfe touching his owne corruption praieth to God on this manner Knit my heart to thee O Lord that I may feare thy name Secondly we learne hereby absolutely to submit our selues to the authoritie of God and simply to resolue our selues that whatsoeuer he commands is right and iust though the reason of it be not knowne to vs. For Eue condiscended to listen to the speech of the serpent and without any calling shee reasoned with it of a most weightie matter and that in the absence of Adam her head and husband namely of the truth and glorie of God and hereby was brought to doubt of Gods word and so ouerturned Thirdly if all men by Adams fall be shut vp vnder damnation there is no cause why any of vs should stand vpon his birth riches wisdome learning or any other such gifts of God there is nothing in vs that is more able to couer our vilenesse and nakednesse then figtree leaues were able to couer the offence of Adam from
as it is absolutely considered but so farre forth as it is restrained and limited to the person of the sonne and to speake properly the godhead it selfe is not incarnate but the very person of the sonne subsisting in the Godhead And though all the persons be one and the same essence yet doe they really differ each from other in regard of the peculiar manner of subsisting and therefore mans nature may be assumed of the second person and be not assumed either of the father or of the holy Ghost as in the like case the soule of man is wholly in the head and wholly in the feete yea wholly in euery part and yet the soule can not be said to vse reason in the feete or in any other part but onely in the head Againe it may be alleadged that the incarnation beeing an outward action of God to the creature is not proper to the sonne For the rule is that all outward actions of God are common to all the persons in Trinitie equally Ans. The incarnation stands of two actions the first is the framing and creating of that manhood which was to be assumed by the Sonne or Word of the father and this action is common to all the three persons equally the second is the limiting or the receiuing of it into the vnitie of any person in respect of this action the worke of incarnation is peculiar to the Sonne To this purpose Augustine speaketh That creature saith he which the Virgin conceiued and brought forth though it appertaine to the person of the sonne alone yet was it made by the whole Trinitie as when three men weaue one and the same garment and the second onely weares it The second question is what manner of man the sonne of God was made Answ. He was made a proper or particular man and a perfect or a very man I say that he was a particular man to shew that he tooke not vnto him the generall forme or idea of mans nature conceiued onely in minde nor the common nature of man as it is existing in euery man but the whole nature of mā that is both a bodie and a resonable soule existing in one particular subiect I say further that he was and is a true and perfect man beeing in euerie thing that concernes mans nature like to Adam Abraham Dauid and all other men sauing onely in sinne For first of all he had the substance of a true body and of a reasonable soule secondly the properties of body and soule in the bodi◠length breadth thicknesse circumscription c. in the soule the faculties of vnderstanding both simply and compounde will affections as loue hatred desire ioy feare c. the powers also of hearing feeling seeing smelling tasting moouing growing eating digesting sleeping c. Thirdly hee tooke vnto him the infirmities of mans nature which are certaine naturall defects or passions in bodie or minde as to be hungrie thirstie wearie sadde and sorrowfull ignorant of some things angrie to increase in stature and wisdōe and knowledge c. yet this which I say must be vnderstood with two caueats The first is that infirmities be either certaine vnblameable passions or else such defects as are sinnes in themselues nowe Christ takes the first onely and not the second Secondly infirmities be either generall or personall generall◠which appertaine to the whole nature of man and are to be founde in euery man that comes of Adam as to be borne vnlearned and subiect to naturall affections as sorrow anger c Personall are such as appertaine to some particular men and not to all and arise of some priuate causes particular iudgements of God as to be borne a foole to bee sicke of an ague consumption dropsie plurisie and such like diseases Nowe the first sort bee in Christ and not the second for as he tooke not the person of any man◠but onely mans nature so was it sufficient for him to take vnto him the infirmities of mans nature though he tooke not the priuate infirmities of any mans person And the reason why Christ would put on not onely the substance and faculties of a true man but also his infirmities was that he might shewe himselfe to be very man indeede also that he might suffer for vs both in bodie and soule and that he might giue vs an example of patience in bearing all manner of euill for Gds glory and the good of our neighbour Nowe the things which may bee alleadged to the contrarie for the infringing of the trueth of Christs manhoode are of no moment As first because Christ appeared in the forme of a man in the olde testament beeing no man therfore he did so at his comming in the newe testament but the reason is not like For Christ in the olde testament as the angel of his father in some speciall affaires tooke vnto him the bodie of a man for some space of time but he did not receiue it into the vnitie of his person but laid it downe when the busines which he enterprised with men was ended Nowe in the fulnesse of time he came from heauen as the angel of the couenant and for that cause he was to vnite into his owne person the nature of man which thing was neuer done before And when as Paul saith that Christ came in the similitude of sinnefull flesh his meaning is not to signifie that he was a man onely in resemblance and shewe but to testifie that beeing a true man which was indeede void of sinne he was content to abase himselfe to that condition in which he became like to a miserable sinner in bearng the punishment for our sinne For Paul doth not say that hee tooke vpon him the similitude of flesh simply as it is flesh but of the flesh of sinne or sinnefull flesh The third question is why the sonne of God must become man Ans. There be sundrie reasons of this point and the most principall are these First of all it is a thing that greatly standes with the iustice of God that in that nature in which God was offended in the same should a satisfaction be made to God for sinne nowe sinne was committed in mans nature Adam sinned first and in him all his posteritie therefore it is very necessarie that in mans nature there should bee a satisfaction made to Gods iustice and for this cause the sonne of God must needes abase himselfe and become man for our sakes Secondly by the right of creation euery man is bound in conscience to fulfill euen the very rigour and extremitie of the morall lawe But considering man is nowe fallen from his first estate and condition therfore it was requisite that the Sonne of God should become man that in mans nature he might fulfill all righteousnesse which the lawe doth exact at our handes Thirdly hee that is our redeemer must die for our sinnes for there is no remission of sinnes without shedding
our nature tooke our infirmities also it is a wonderfull comfort vnto Gods Church for it shewes that he is not only a Sauiour but also a very compassionate and pitiful Sauiour As the holy Ghost saith In all thinges it became Christ to be like vnto his brethren that hee might be mercifull and a faithfull high priest in things concerning God Let a man be sicke of a grieuous disease and let a friend come that hath beene troubled with the very same disease he will presently shewe more compassion then twentie others and so Christ hauing felt in his owne soule and bodie the anguish and the manifold perplexities that we feele in our temptations and afflictiōs hath his bowels as it were yearning towards vs euermore being prest and readie to releeue vs in all our miseries In the daies of his flesh he wept ouer Ierusalem when he sawe it a farre off because shee continued in her olde sinnes and did not knowe the time of her visitation and no doubt though now he be exalted in glorie in heauen yet his compassion to his poore members vpon earth is no whit diminished Now we come to speake of the Incarnation more particularly the creed yet further expresseth it by two parts the first is the conception of Christ in these words Conceiued by the holy ghost the second is his birth in the words following Borne of the virgine Marie The conception of Christ is set downe with his efficient cause the Holy Ghost as the angel said to Ioseph Feare not to take Marie for thy wife for that which is conceiued in her is of the holy ghost Here it may be demanded why the conception of Christ should be ascribed to the Holy Ghost alone which is common to all the persons in Trinitie as all other such actions are Ans. It is not done to exclude the Father or the Sonne himselfe from this worke but to signifie that it comes of the free gift and grace of God which commonly is tearmed by the holy ghost that the manhood of Christ beeing but a creature should be aduanced to this dignitie that it should become a part of the Sonne of God And againe the Holy Ghost is the author of this conception in a speciall manner for the father and the sonne did cause it by the holy Ghost from them both immediately In the conception of Christ we must obserue and consider three thinges The framing of the manhood the sanctifying of it and the personall vnion of the manhood with the Godhead And howsoeuer I distinguish these three for orders sake yet must we know and remember that they are all wrought at one and the same instant of time For when the holy Ghost frames and sanctifies the manhood in the wombe of the Virgin at the very same moment it is receiued into the vnitie of the second person In the framing of Christs manhood two things must be considered the matter and the maner The matter of his bodie was the very flesh and blood of the virgin Marie otherwise he could not haue beene the sonne of Dauid of Abraham and Adam according to the flesh As for his soule it was not deriued from the soule of the virgin Marie as a part thereof but it was made as the soules of all other men be that is of nothing by the very power of God and placed in the bodie both of them from the first moment of their beeing hauing their subsistance in the person of the sonne And here we must take heed of two opinions the first is of the Anabaptists which holde that the flesh of Christ came downe from heauen and passed through the virgin Marie as through a pipe without taking any substance from her the places which they alleadge for the purpose are manifestly abused For whereas Christ saith of himselfe that he descended from heauen his speech must be vnderstoode in respect of his Godhead which may be said in some sort to descend in that it was made manifest in the manhood here vpon earth And whereas Paul calleth him heauenly and the Lord from heauen it is not in respect of the substance of his bodie but in respect of the glorious qualities which he receiued after this resurrection The other opinion is of the Papists that hold the bread in the sacrament to be turned substantially into the bodie of Christ which thing if it be true then the bodie of Christ is made of bread kneaded and tempered by the hand of the baker and not of the substance of the virgin Marie As for the manner of the making and framing of the humane nature of Christ it was miraculous not by generation according to the ordinarie course of nature but by an extraordinary operation of the holy Ghost aboue nature and for this cause it is not within the compasse of mans reason either to conceiue or to expresse the manner and order of this conception The Angel ascribes two actions to the holy Ghost in this great worke the one to come vpon the virgin Marie the other to ouershadow her by the first is signified the extraordinarie worke of the holy Ghost in fashioning the humane nature of Christ for so much the phrase elsewhere importeth The second signifieth that the holy Ghost did as it were cast a cloud ouer her to teach vs that we should not search ouer much into the mysterie of the Incarnation It may be obiected against this which hath bin said that if Christ be in this manner conceiued by the holy Ghost then the holy Ghost shall be father to Christ and Christ his sonne Answ. The reason is not good For he that is a father is not a bare efficient cause but one which in the effecting of any thing conferres the matter vnto it from himselfe whereof it shall be made Now the holy Ghost did not minister any matter vnto Christ from his own substance but did onely as it were take the masse and lumpe of mans nature from the bodie of the virgin Marie and without ordinarie generation made it the bodie of Christ as Basil saith Christ was conceiued not of the substance but of the power not by any generation but by the appointment and benediction of the holy Ghost The second point in the conception is the sanctifying of that masse or lumpe which was to be the manhood of Christ. And that was done vpon speciall cause first that it might be ioyned to the person of the Sonne which could not haue beene if it had beene defiled with sinne Secondly Christ was a Sauiour as he is both God and man now then beeing man if he had beene sinnefull himselfe he could not haue saued others but should haue stoode in neede of a Sauiour for himselfe This sanctification hath two parts the first is the stay and stoppage of the propagation of originall sinne and of the guilt of Adams sinne which was on this manner God in the beginning set downe
this order touching man that what euill or defect soeuer he brought vpon himselfe he should deriue the same to euery one of his posteritie begotten of him and hereupon when any father begets his childe he is in the roome of Adam and conueies vnto it beside the nature of man the very guilt and corruption of nature Now for the preuenting of this euill in Christ God in great wisdome appointed that he should be conceiued by the holy Ghost without any manner of generation by man And by this meanes he takes substance from the Virgin without the guilt and corruption of the substance But it may further be obiected thus All that be in Adam haue sinned in him but Christ was in Adam as he is man therefore he sinned in him Ans. The proposition is false vnlesse it be expounded on this manner All that were in Adam haue sinned in him so be it they come of him by generation Paul saith not out of one man but by one man sinne entred into the world to shew that man propagates his corruption to no more then he begets Againe Christ is in Adam not simply as other men are but in some part namely in respect of substance which he took from him and not in respect of the propagation of the substance by ordinarie generation other men are both from Adam and by Adam but Christ is from him alone and not by him as a begetter or procreant cause The second part of sanctification is the infusion of all purenesse and holinesse into the manhoode of Christ so farre forth as was meete for the nature of a redeemer The duties to be learned hence are these First whereas Christ was sanctified in the wombe of the virgin Marie we likewise must labour to be sanctified in our selues following the commandement of God Be ye holy as I am holy S. Iohn saith that he which hath hope to be with Christ in glorie in heauen purifieth himselfe euen as he is pure no doubt setting before himselfe the example of Christ as a patterne to follow in all his waies And because our hearts are as it were seas of corruptions we must daily cleanse our selues of them by little little following the practise of the poore begger that is alwaies peecing and mending and day by day pulls away some ragges and puts better cloath in the roome And if we shall continually indeauour our selues to cast off the remnants of corruption that hang so fast on and make a supplie thereof by some new portions of Gods heauenly grace we shall be vessells of honour sanctified and meete for the Lord and prepared vnto euery good worke Christ could not haue beene a fit Sauiour for vs vnlesse he had first of all bin sanctified neither can we be fit members vnto him vnlesse we be purged of our sinnes and in some measure truly sanctified The comfort which Gods people may reape of the sanctification of Christs manhood is great For why was he sanctified Surely if we marke it well we shall finde it was for the good and benefit of his Elect. For Adam and Christ be two rootes as hath beene shewed Adam by creation first receiued Gods image and after lost the same for himselfe and his posteritie Now Christ to remooue the sinne of man is made the second Adam and the roote and very head of all the Elect. His manhood was filled with holinesse aboue measure that from thence as from a storehouse it might be deriued to all his members And therefore by his most holy conception our sinnefull birth and conception is sanctified and his holinesse serues as a couer to hide our manifolde corruptions from the eyes of God Yea it serues as a buckler to award the temptations of the deuill for when he shall say to our hearts on this manner no vncleane thing can enter into the kingdome of heauen but thou by reason of the remnants of originall sinne art vncleane therefore thou canst not enter into the kingdome of heauen we returne our answer saying that Christs righteousnesse is our righteousnesse seruing to make vs stand without blame or spot before God And as Iacob put on Esaus garments that he might get his fathers blessing so if by faith we doe put on the white garment of righteousnes of our elder brother Christ Iesus and present our selues in it vnto our heauenly father we shall obtaine his blessing which is eternall happines Now remaines the third and last part of the conception which is the Vnion of the godhead and the manhood cōcerning which many points are particularly to be handled The first is what kinde of Vnion this is Ans. In the Trinitie there be two sorts of vnions vnion in nature and vnion in person Vnion in nature is when two or moe things are ioyned and vnited into one nature as the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost beeing and remaining three distinct persons are one and the same in nature or Godhead Vnion in person is when two things are in that maner vnited that they make but one person or subsistance as a bodie created by God and a reasonable soule ioyned both togither make one particular man as Peter Paul Iohn c. And this second is the vnion whereof we intreat in this place by which the second person in Trinitie the sonne of God did vnite vnto himselfe the humane nature that is the bodie and soule of man so as the Godhead of the Sonne and the manhood concurring togither made but one person The second point is in what thing this vnion doth consist Answ. It consists in this that the second person the Sonne of God doth assume vnto it a manhood in such order that it beeing voide of all personall being in it selfe doth wholly and onely subsist in the same person As the plant called Missell or Misselto hauing no roote of his owne both growes and liues in the stocke or bodie of the Oke or some other tree so the humane nature hauing no proper substance is as it were ingrafted into the person of the sonne and is wholly supported and sustained by it so as it should not be at all if it were not sustained in that manner And for the better vnderstanding of this point we must consider that there be foure degrees of the presence of God in his creatures The first is his generall presence and it may be called the presence of his prouidence whereby he preserueth the substances of all creatures and giueth vnto them to liue mooue and haue beeing and this extendeth it selfe to all creatures good and bad The second degree is the presence of grace wherby he doth not onely preserue the substāces of all his creatures but also giueth grace vnto it this agreeth to the Church people of God vpon earth The third degree is the presence of glorie peculiar to the Saints and angels in heauen and this stands in three things for God not onely preserues their substances and giues
that beleeue in him to iudge our selues most vile and miserable sinners and to say of our selues with Paul that we are the chiefe of all sinners The second thing is that Christ was crucified naked because he was stripped of his garments by the souldiours when he was to be crucified The causes why he suffered naked are these First Adam by his fall brought vpon all mankind death both of bodie and soule and also the curses of God which befall man in this life among which this was one that the nakednesse of the bodie should be ignominious and hereupon when Adam had sinned and saw himselfe naked he fledde from the presence of God and hid himselfe euen for very shame Christ therefore was stripped of his garments and suffered naked that he might beare all the punishment and ignominie that was due vnto man for sinne Seâ—ondly this came to passe by the goodnesse of God that we might haue a remedie for our spirituall nakednesse which is when a man hath his sinnes lying open before Gods eyes and by reason thereof he himselfe lieth open to all Gods iudgements Hereof Christ speaketh to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea saying Thou saiest I am rich and encreased with goods and haue neede of nothing and knowest not how thou art wretched miserable blinde and naked So when the Israelites had committed idolatrie by the golden calfe Moses telleth them that they were naked not onely because they had spoiled themselues of their earings but especially because they were destitute of Gods fauour lay open naked to all his iudgements for that sinne And Salomon saith Where there is no vision there the people are made naked that is their sins lie open before God and by reason thereof they themselues are subiect to his wrath and indignation Now Christ was crucified naked that he might take away from vs this spirituall nakednesse and also giue vnto vs meete garments to cloath vs withall in the presence of God called white rayment as Christ saith I counsell thee to buie of me white rayment that thou maist be cloathed and that thy filthie nakednesse doe not appeare and Long white robes dipped in the bloode of the Lambe which serue to hide the nakednesse of our soules What these garments are the Apostle sheweth when he saith All that are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ. And Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holinesse Our nakednesse maketh vs more vile in the sight of God then the most loathsome creature that is can be vnto vs vntill we haue put on the righteousnesse of Christ to couer the deformitie of our soules that we may appeare holy and without spot before God Thirdly Paul saith We know if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building giuen of God c. For therefore we sigh desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from heauen because if we be cloathed we shall not be found naked Where it is like that the Apostle alludeth to the nakednesse of Adam after his fall and therefore giueth vs another reason why Christ was crucified naked namely that after this life hee might cloath all his members with eternall glorie If this be so that a part of our reioycing stands in the glorious nakednes of Christ crucified there is no reason why we should be puffed vp with the vanitie of our apparell It should rather be an occasion to make vs ashamed then to make vs proude The theefe may as well bragge of the brand in his hand or of the fetters on his heeles as we may of our attire because it is but the couering of our shame and therefore should put vs in mind of our sinne and shamefull nekednesse The aboad of Christ vpon the crosse was about the space of sixe houres For the death of the crosse was no suddaine but a lingering death And in this space of time there fell out fiue notable euents The first that the souldiours hauing stripped Christ of his garments deuided them into foure parts and cast lottes for his coate because it was wouen without seame And by this appeares the great loue of Christ to man who was not only content to suffer but also to loose all that euer he had euen to the garments on his backe to redeeme vs teaching vs answerably that if it please god to call vs to any triall hereafter we must be content to part withall for his sake that we may winne him Againe in these souldiours we may behold a picture of this world when they had nayled Christ to the crosse they will not loose so much as his garments but they come and deuide them and cast lottes for them as for Christ himselfe the Sauiour and redeemer of mankinde they regard him not And thus fareth the world it is a hard to finde a man to accept of Christ because he is Christ his redeemer but when gaine comes by Christ then he is welcome Esau that esteemed nothing of his fathers blessing made great account of his brothers pottage The Gaderenes made more account of their swine then of Christ for when they heard that they were drowned they beseech him to depart out of their coasts Nay so bad is this age that such as will be taken to be the speciall members of Christ doe not onely with the souldiours strippe Christ of his garments but more then this they bereaue him of his natures and offices The church of Rome by their transubstantiation strippe him of his manhood and by making other priests after the same order with him which doe properly forgiue sinnes strippe him of his priesthood and of his kingly office by ioyning with him a Vicar on earth head of the Catholike church and that in his presence whereas all deputiships and commissions cease in the presence of the principall And when they haue done all this then they further load him with a number of beggarly ceremonies and so doe nothing else but make a feigned Christ in stead of the true and alone Messias The second euent was that Christ was mocked of all sorts of men First they set vp the cause written why he was crucified namely This is the King of the Iewes then the people that passed by reuiled him wagging their heads at him and said Thou that destroiest the temple and buildest it in three daies saue thy selfe c. Likewise the high Priest mocking him with the Scribes and Pharises the Elders said He saued others let him saue himselfe The same also did one of the theeues that was crucified with him cast in his teeth Behold here the wonderfull strange dealing of the Iewes they see an innocent man thus pitifully and grieuously racked and nayled on the crosse and his bloode distilling downe from hands and feete and yet are they without all pitie and compassion and doe make but a
of the world Secondly all oblations and meate offerings were sprinkled with salt and euery sacrifice of propitiation which was to be burned to ashes was first salted and hereby two things were signified The first that euery one of vs in our selues are loathsome or vile in the sight of God like vnto stinking carrion or raw-flesh kept long vnpoudered A dead and rotten carkeise is loathsome vnto vs but we in our selues are a thousand times more loathsome vnto God The second that we are as it were salted and made sauorie and acceptable to God by the vertue of the sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse Our dutie then is to labour that we may feele in our selues the biting and sharpnes of the oblation of Christ to wast and consume the superfluities of sinne and the corruptions of our natures And we must withall indeauour that the whole course of our liues and our speech it selfe be gratious and poured with salt least God at length spue vs out of his mouth To this ende hath God appointed his ministers to be the salt of the earth that by their ministerie they might apply the death of Christ and season the people And it hath pleased God to be sprinkle this land with more plentie of this salt then hath beene heretofore But alas small is the number of them that giue any relish of their good seasoning The more lamentable is their case For as flesh that cannot be seasoned with salt putrifies so men that cannot bee sweetned and changed by the sacrifice of Christ doe rot and perish in their sinnes The waters that ishued from vnder the threshold of the Sancturie when they came into the dead sea the waters thereof were holesome but myrie places and marishes which could not be seasoned were made saltpits Now these waters are the preching of the gospel of Chrtst which flowing through all the parts of this I le if it doe not season change our nation it shal make it as places of nettles saltpits at length be an occasion of the eternal curse of god Thirdly Christs priesthood serues to make euery one of vs also to be priests And being priests we must likewise haue our sacrifice and our altar Our sacrifice is the cleane offering which is the lifting vp of pure handes to God without wrath or doubting in our prayers also our bodies and soules our hearts and affections the workes of our liues and the workes of our callings all which must be dedicated to the seruice of god for his glorie and the good of his Church The altar wheron wee must offer our sacrifice is Christ our redeemer both God and man because by the vertue of his death as with sweete odours he perfumes all our obedience and makes it acceptable to God The ministers of the Gospell are also in this manner priests as Paul insinuateth when hee calleth the Gentiles his offering vnto God And the preaching of the word is as it were a sacrificing knife wherby the old Adam must be killed in vs we made an holy acceptable sweete smelling oblation vnto God sanctified by the holy Ghost Therefore euerie one that heareth Gods worde preached and taught must indeauour that by the profitable hearing thereof his sinnes and whole nature may be subdued and killed as the beast was slaine sacrificed vpon the altar by the hand of the Leuite Lastly the exhortation of the holy ghost must here be considered Seeing saith he we haue an high priest which is ouer the house of god let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water the meaning of the wordes is this that if Christ haue offered such a sacrifice of such value and price which procureth pardon of sinne iustification sanctification and redemption then we must labour to be partakers of it to haue our bodies and soules purified and clensed by his blood and sanctified throughout by the holy ghost that thereby we may be made fitte to doe sacrifice acceptable to God in Christ. This is the vse which the Apostle maketh of the doctrine of Christs priesthood in that place which also euery man should apply vnto himselfe for why should we liue in our sinnes and wicked waies euery houre incurring the danger of Gods iudgements seeing Christ hath offered such a sacrifice whereby we may be purged and clensed and at length freed from all woe and miserie Thus much of Christs sacrifice now followes his triumph vpon the crosse That Christ did triumph when he was vpon the crosse it is plainly set downe by the Apostle Paul where he saieth that putting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against vs which was contrarie to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse and hath spoiled the principalities and powers and hath made shewe of them openly and hath triumphed ouer â—hem in the same crosse This triumph is set forth by signes and testimonies of two sorts I. By signes of his glorie and maiestie II. By signes of his victorie on the crosse The signes of his glorie and maiestie are principally seuen The first is the title set ouer his head vpon the crosse Iesus of Nazareth king of the Iewes The ende why titles were set ouer the heads of malefactours was that the beholders might knowe the cause of the punishment and bee admonished to take heede of like offences and be stirred vp to a dislike of the parties executed for their offences And therfore no doubt Pilate wrote the title of Christ for the aggrauating of his cause and that with his owne hand Yet marke the straunge euent that followed for when Pilate was about to write the superscription God did so gouerne and ouer-rule both his heart and hand that in stead of noting some crime he sets downe a most glorious and worthie title calling him Iesus of Nazareth king of the Iewes which wordes containe the very summe and pith of the whole gospel of Christ deliuered by the Patriarches and prophets from age to age We must not thinke that Pilate did this of any good minde or vpon any loue or fauour that he bare to Christ but onely as he was guided and ouerruled by the power of God for the aduancement of the honour and glorie of Christ. The like did Caiphas who though a sworne enemie to Christ yet he vttered a prophecy of him saying that it was necessarie that one should die for the people not that he had any intent to prophecy but because the Lord vsed him as an instrument to publish his trueth And when Balaam for the wages of vnrighteousnesse would haue cursed the Lords people for his life he could not nay all his cursings were turned into blessings By this then it appeares that it is not possible for any man doe what he can to stoppe the course of
will teach you the feare of the Lord shewing his desire that the same benefits which it had pleased God to bestow on him might also in like manner be conueied to others Therfore it is a great shame to see men professing religion carried away with euery company and with the vanities and fashions of the world whereas they should rather drawe euen the worst men that be to the fellowship of those graces of God which they haue receiued That which the Lord spake to the prophet Ieremie must be applied to all men Let them returne vnto thee but returne not thou vnto them In instruments of musicke the string out of tune must be set vp to the rest that be in tune and not the rest to it Againe in that he checkes hi fellowe it shewes that those which be touched for their owne sinnes are also grieued when they see other men sinne and offend God But to goe further in this point let vs diligently and carefully marke the manner of his reproofe Fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same condemnation In which words he rips vp his lewdnes euen to the quicke and giues him a worthie item telling him that the cause of all their former wickednesse had beene the want of the feare of God And this point must euery one of vs marke with great diligence For if we enter into our hearts and make a through search wee shall finde that this is the roote and fountaine of all our offences Wee miserable men for the most part haue not grace to consider that we are alwaies before God and to quake and tremble at the consideration of his presence and this makes vs so often to offend God in our liues as we doe Abraham comming before Abimelech shifting for himselfe saide that Sara was his sister and being demanded why he did so answered because he thought the feare of God was not in that place insinuating that he which wants the feare of God wil not make conscience of any sinne whatsoeuer Would we then euen from the bottome of our hearts turne to God and become new creatures then let vs learne to feare God which is nothing els but this when a man is perswaded in his owne heart and conscience that wheresoeuer he be he is in the presence and sight of God and by reason therof is afraid to sinne This we must haue fully settled in our hearts if we desire to learne but the first lesson of true wisdome But what reason vseth the theefe to draw his fellow to the feare of God Thou art saith he in the same condemnation that is by thy sinnes manifold transgressions thou hast deserued death and it is now most iustly inflicted vpon thee wilt thou not yet feare God Where we are taught that temporall punishments and crosses ought to be meanes to worke in vs the feare of God for that is one end why they are sent of God It is good for me saith Dauid that I haue been chastised that I may learne thy statutes And Paul saith When we are chastised we are nurtured of the Lord. And the Iewes are taught by the prophet Micah to say I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him The second fruit of his conuersion is that he condemneth himselfe and his fellow for their sinnes saying Indeede we are righteously here for we receiue things worthie for that we haue done that is we haue wonderfully sinned against Gods maiestie and against our brethren and therefore this grieuous punishment which we beare is most iust and due vnto vs. This fruit of repentance springs and growes very thinne among vs for fewe there be which doe seriously condemne themselues for their owne sinnes the manner of men is to condemne others and to crie out that the world was neuer so bad but bring them home to themselues and you shall find that they haue many excuses and defences as plaister-worke to cast ouer their foule and filthie sinnes and if they be vrged to speake against themselues the worst will be thus God helpe vs we are all sinners euen the best of vs. But certen it is that he which is thoroughly touched in conscience for his sinnes both can and will speake more against himselfe for his manifold offences then all the world besides Thus Paul when he was conuerted calls himselfe the chiefe of all sinners And the prodigall childe confessed that he had sinned against heauen and against his father and was not worthie to be called his child The third fruit of his conuersion is that he excuseth our Sauiour Christ and giueth testimonie of his innocencie saying But this man hath done nothing amisse Marke here Pilate condemned Christ Herod mocked him all the learned Scribes and Pharises condemned him and the people crie away with him let him be crucified and among his owne disciples Peter denied him and the rest ranne away there remaines onely this poore silly wretch vpon the crosse to giue testimonie of Christs innocencie whereby we learne that God chooseth the simple ones of this world to ouerthrow the wisdom of the wise and therefore we must take heede that wee be not offended at the Gospell of Christ by reason that for the most part simple and meane men in the world embrace it Nay marke further this one theife beeing conuerted had a better iudgement in matters concerning Gods kingdome then the whole bodie of the Iewes And by this all students may learne that if they desire to haue in themselues vpright iudgement in matters of religion first of all they must become repentant sinners and though a manâ—haue neuer so much learning yet if he be carried away with his owne blind affections and lusts they will corrupt and darken his iudgement Men which worke in mines and coale-pits vnder the earth are troubled with nothing so much as with damps which make their candle burne darke and sometimes put it quite out Nowe euery mans sinnes are the damps of his heart which when they take place doe dim the light of his iudgement and cast a mist ouer the mind and darken the vnderstanding and reason and therefore a needefull thing it is that men in the first place should prouide for their own conuersion The fourth fruit of his repentance is that he praieth for mercy at Christs hands Lord saith he remember me when thou commest into thy kingdom in which praier we may see what is the propertie of faith This theife at this instant heard nothing of Christ but the scornings and mockings of the people and he saw nothing but a base â—state full of ignominie and shame and the cursed death of the crosse yet neuerthelesse hee nowe beleeues in Christ and therefore intreats for saluation at his hand Hence we learne that it is one thing to beleeue in Christ and another to haue feeling and experience and that euen then when we haue no sense or experience we must beleeue
the souldiours of the Moabites they cast him for hast into the sepulchre of Elisha Nowe the dead man so soone as hee was downe and had touched the bodie of Elisha hee reuiued and stood vpon his feete so let a man that is dead in sinne bee cast into the graue of Christ that is let him by faith but touch Christ dead and buried it will come to passe by the vertue of Christs death and buriall that he shall be raised from death and bondage of sinne to become a newe man Secondly the buriall of Christ serues to be a sweete perfume of all our graues and burials for the graue in it selfe is the house of perdition but Christ by his buriall hath as it were consecrated and perfumed all our graues and in stead of houses of perdition hath made them chambers of rest and sleepe yea beds of downe and therefore howesoeuer to the eie of man the beholding of a funerall is terrible yet if wee could then remember the buriall of Christ and consider howe he thereby hath changed the nature of the graue euen then it would make vs to reioice Lastly wee must imitate Christs buriall in beeing continually occupied in the spirituall buriall of our sinnes Thus much of the buriall Nowe followeth the third and last degree of Christs humiliation He descended into hell It seemes very likely that these words were not placed in the Creede at the first or as some thinke that they crept in by negligence because aboue threescore Creeds of the most ancient counsels and fathers want this clause and among the rest the Nicene Creede But if the auncient and learned fathers assembled in that Counsell had beene perswaded or at the least had imagined that these words had bin set down at the first by the Apostles no doubt they would not in any wise haue left them out And an auncient writer saith directly that these wordes he descended into hell are not found in the Creede of the Romane Church nor vsed in the churches of the East and if they be that then they signifie the buriall of Christ. And it must not seeme straunge to anyâ— that a worde or twaine in processe of time should creepe into the Creed considering that the originall copies of the bookes of the olde and new testament haue in them sundrie varieties of readings and wordes otherwhiles which from the margine haue crept into the text Neuerthelesse considering that this clause hath long continued in the Creede and that by common consent of the Catholike Church of God and â—t may carrie a fitte sense and exposition it is not as some would haue it to bee put forth Therfore that we may come to speake of the meaning of it we must know that it hath foure vsuall expositions which we will rehearse in order and then make choice of that which shall be thought to be the fittest The first is that Christs soule after his passion vpon the crosse did really and locally descend into the place of the damned But this seemes not to be true The reasons are these I. all the Euangelists and among the rest S. Luke intending to make an exact narration of the life and death of Christ haue set downe at large his passion death buriall resurrection and ascension and withall they make rehearsall of small circumstances therefore no doubt they would not haue omitted Christ locall descent into the place of the damned if there had beene any such thing And the ende why they penned this historie was that wee might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God and beleeuing wee might haue life euerlasting Nowe there could not haue beene a greater matter for the confirmation of our faith then this that Iesus the sonne of Marie who went downe to the place of the damned returned thence to liue in happines for euer II. If Christ did goe into the place of the damned then either in soule or in bodie or in his godhead But his Godhead could not descend because it is euery where and his bodie was in the graue And as for his soule it went not to hell but presently after his death it went to paradise that is the third heauen a place of ioy and happinesse Luk. 23.43 This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise which wordes of Christ must be vnderstoode of his manhood or soule and not of his Godhead For they are an answere to a demand and therefore vnto it they must be sutable Nowe the thiefe seeing that Christ was first of all crucified and therefore in all likelihood should first of all die makes his request to this effect Lord thou shalt shortly enter into thy kingdome remember me then to which Christs answere as the very wordes import is thus much I shall enter into paradise this day and there shalt thou bee with me Now there is no entrance but in regard of his soule or manhood For the Godhead which is at all times in all places cannot be said properly to enter into a place Againe when Christ saith thou shalt be with me in Paradise he doth intimate a resemblance which is betweene the first and second Adam The first Adam sinned against God and was presently cast forth out of paradise Christ the second Adam hauing made a satisfaction for sinne must immediately enter into paradise Nowe to say that Christ in soule descended locally into hell is to abolish this anolagie between the first second AdaÌ„ III. Auncient councels in their confessions and Creeds omitting this clause shew that they did not acknowledge any reall descent and that the true meaning of these words he desceÌ„ded was sufficieÌ„tly included in some of the former articles and that may appeare because when they set downe it they omit some of the former as Athanasius in his Creede setting downe these words he descended c. omits the buriall putting them both for one as he expoundes himselfe elsewhere Now let vs see the reasons which may be alleadged to the coÌ„trary Obiect I. Matth. 12.40 The sonne of man shall be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth that is in hell Ans. I. This exposition is directly against the scope of the place for the Pharises desired to see a signe that is some sensible and manifest miracle and hereunto Christ answers that he will giue them the signe of Ionas which cannot be the descent of his soule into the place of the daÌ„ned because it was insensible but rather his buriall and after it his manifest and glorious resurrection II. The heart of the earth may as well signifie the graue as the center of the earth For thus Tyrus bordering vpon the sea is said to be in the heart of the sea III. This exposition takes it for graunted that hell is seated in the middest of the earth whereas the scriptures reueale vnto vs no more but this that hell is in the lower parts but where these
see in the vision of the waters that ranne out of the temple First a man must wade to the ankles then after to the knees and so to the loynes then after the waters growe to a riuer that cannot be passed ouer and so the Lord conueyeth his graces by little and little till at the last men haue a full measure thereof Thirdly the resurrection of Christ serues as an argument to prooue vnto vs our resurrection at the day of iudgement Paul saith If the spirit of Christ that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies Some will say that this is no benefit for all must rise againe as well the wicked as the godly Answ. True indeed but yet the wicked rise not againe by the same cause that the godly doe They rise againe by the power of Christ not as hee is a Sauiour but as hee is a iudge to condemne them For God had said to Adam at what time he should eate of the forbidden fruite hee should die the death meaning a double death both the first and the second death Nowe then the vngodly rise againe that God may inflict vpon them the punishment of the second death which is the reward of sinne that so Gods iustice may be satisfied but the godly rise againe by the power of Christ their head and redeemer who raiseth them vp that they may be partakers of the benefit of his death which is to enioy both in bodie and soule the kingdome of heauen which he hath so deerely bought for them Thus much for the comforts Nowe followe the duties and they are also three First as Christ Iesus when he was dead rose againe from death to life by his owne power so wee by his grace in imitation of Christ must endeauour our selues to rise vp from all our sinnes both originall and actuall vnto newenesse of life This is worthily set downe by the Apostle saying Wee are buried by baptisme into his death that as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the father so wee also should walke in newnesse of life and therefore we must endeauour our selues to shewe the same power to be in vs euery day by rising vp from our owne personall sinnes to a reformed life This ought to be remēbred of vs because howesoeuer many heare and knowe this point yet very fewe doe practise the same For to speake plainly as dead men buried would neuer heare though a man should speake neuer so loud so vndoubtedly amōg vs there be also many liuing men which are almost in the same case The ministers of God may crie vnto them daily and iterate the same thing a thousand times and tell them that they must rise vp from their sinnes and lead a newe life but they heare no more then the dead carkas that lieth in the graue Indeede men heare with their outward eares but they are so farre from practising this dutie that many iudge it to bee a matter of reproch and ignominy And those which make any conscience of this dutie how they are laden with nicknames and taunts who knoweth not I neede not to rehearse them so odious a thing nowe a daies is the rising from sinne to newnesse of life Sound a trumpet in a dead mans eares he stirs not let vs crie for amendment of life till breath go out of our bodies no man almost saith What haue I done And for this cause vndoubtedly if it were not for cōscience of that duty which mē owe vnto God wee should haue but fewe ministers in England For it is the ioy of a minister to see the vnfained conuersion of his people whereas alas men generally lie snorting in their corruptions and rather goe forward in them still then come to any amendment such is the wonderful hardnesse that hath possessed the hearts of most men He which hath but halfe an eie may see this to be true Oh! howe exceedes Atheisme in all places contempt of Gods worship prophanation of the sabbath the whordomes fornications the crueltie and oppression of this age crie to heauen for vengeance By these such like sinnes the world crucifies Christ againe For looke as Pilats souldiers with the wicked Iewes tooke Christ and stripped him of his garments buffeted him and slue him so vngodly men by their wicked behauiour strip him of al honour and slaie him againe If an infidel should come among vs yeeld himselfe to be of our religiō after he had seene the behauiour of men he would peraduenture leaue all religion for hee might say surely it seemes this God whome these men worship is not the true God but a God of licentious libertie And that which is more whereas at all times wee ought to shewe our selues newe creatures and to walke worthie of our Sauiour and redeemer and therefore also ought to rise out of our sinnes and to liue in righteousnes and true holinesse yet we for the most part goe on still forward in sinne and euery day goe deeper then other to hel-ward This hath beene heretofore the common practise but let vs nowe learne after the example of Christ beeing quickened and reuiued by his grace to endeauour our selues especially to come out of the graue of sinne and learne to make conscience of euery bad action True it is a Christian man may vse the creatures of God for his delight in a moderate and godly manner but Christ neuer gaue libertie to any to liue licentiously for he that is free is yet seruant vnto Christ as Paul saith and therefore we must not enterprise any thing but that which may be a worke of some good dutie vnto God to which ende the Apostle saith Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee life If this will not mooue vs yet let the iudgements of God drawe vs hereunto Blessed is he saith the holy Ghost that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power where mention is made of a double death the first is the separation of soule and bodie the second is the eternal condemnation of soule and bodie in hell fire Would we nowe escape the second death after this life we must then labour in this life to be partakers of the first resurrection and that on this manner Looke what sinnes we haue liued in heretofore we must endeauour to come out of them all and lead a better life according to all the commandements of God But if it be so that ye wil haue no care of your own soules goe on hardly to your owne perill and so yee shall be sure to enter into the second death which is eternall damnation Secondly we are taught by the example of Saint Paul to labour aboue all things to know Christ and the vertue of his resurrection And this we shall doe when we can say by
He must not vtterly despaire but be resolued of this that though he want assurance nowe yet he may obtaine the same hereafter And such must he aduertised to heare the word of God preached and beeing outwardly of the Church to receiue the Sacraments When we haue care to come into the Lords vine-yarde and to conuerse about the wine-presse wee shall finde the sweete iuyce of heauenly grace pressed forth vnto vs plentifully by the word and sacraments to the comfort of our consciences concerning gods election This one mercy that God by these meanes in some part reueales his mercy is vnspeakeable When sickenesse or the day of death comes the dearest seruants of God it may bee must encounter with the temptations of the deuill and wrastle in conscience with the wrath and displeasure of God as for life and death and no man knowes howe terrible these things are but those which haue felt them Nowe when men walke thus through the valley of the shadowe of death vnlesse God should as it were open heauen and streame downe vnto vs in this world some lightsome beames of his loue in Christ by the operation of his spirit miserable were the case euen of the righteous Thus much of Election nowe followes Reprobation in handling whereof we are to obserue three things I. what it is II. howe God doth execute this decree III. how a man may iudge of the same For the first Reprobation is Gods decree in which because it so pleased him he hath purposed to refuse some men by meanes of Adams fall and their owne corruptions for the manifestation of his iustice First I say it is a decree and that is euident thus If there be an eternall decree of God whereby he chooseth some men then there must needes be another decree whereby he doth passe by others and refuse them For election alwaies implies a refusall Againe what God doth in time that he decreed to doe before time as the case falls out euen with men of mean wisdome who first of al intend with themselues the things to be done and after do them But god in time refuseth some men as the scripture testifieth and it appeareth to be true by the euent Therefore God before all worlde 's decreed the reiecting of some men Nowe in this decree foure points are to be considered The first is the matter or obiect thereof which is the thing decreed namely the reiection of some men in respect of mercie or the manifestation of his iustice vpon them This may seeme strange to mans reasonâ— but here wee must with all submission strike our top-sailes for the worde of God saieth as much in plaine tearmes The Apostle Iude speaking of false Prophets saith that they were of olde ordained to this damnation And Paul saith in emphaticall tearmes that God makes vessells of wrath prepared to destruction and that some are reiected whome he opposeth to them which are elected to saluation The second point is the impulsiue cause that mooued God to set downe this decree concerning his creature that was nothing out of himselfe but his verie will and pleasure Hee hardened Pharaoh with finall hardenesse of heart because he would and therefore he deceed to doe so because he would And our Sauiour Christ saith I thanke thee O father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto babes But vpon what cause did God so It followes in the next wordes It is so O father because thy good pleasure is such And if it be in the power and libertie of a man to kil an oxe or a sheepe for his vse to hunt kill the hare and partridge for his pleasure then much more without iniustice may it be in the will and libertie of the creator to refuse and forsake his creature of his glorie Nay it standes more with equitie a thousand folde that all the creatures in heauen and earth should ioyntly serue to set forth the glorie and maiestie of God the creator in their eternall destruction then the striking of a slie or the killing of a slea should serue for the dignitie of all men in the worlde For all this it is thought by verie many to be very hard to ascribe vnto God who is full of bountie and mercy such a decree and that vpon his very wil but let vs see their reasons First of all they say it is a point of crueltie for God to purpose to create a great part of the world to damnation in hell fire the answer is that by the vertue of this decree God cannot be said to create any man to damnation but to the manifestation of his iustice and glorie in his due and deserued damnation and the doing of this is absolute iustice Secondly it is alleadged that by this meanes God shall hate his owne creature and that before it is but it is an vntrueth Wee must distinguish betweene Gods purpose to hate and actuall hating Now indeede God before all worlds did purpose to hate some creatures and that iustly so farre forth as his hating of them will serue for the manifestation of his iustice but he neither hates them indeed nor loues them before they are and therefore actuall hatred comes not in till after the creation Whome God hath decreed to loue them when they are once created he beginnes to loue in Christ with actuall loue and whome hee hath decreed to hate them being once created he hates in Adam with actuall hatred Thirdly it is obiected that by this doctrine God shall be the author of sinne for he which ordaines to the ende ordaines to the meanes of the end but God ordaines men to the ende that is damnation therefore he ordaines them to the meanes thereof that is sinne Ans. The proposition beeing thus vnderstood he which ordaines a man to an ende in the same order and manner ordaines him to the meanes is false For one may be ordained to the end simply the ende beeing simply good and yet not be simply ordained to the meanes because they may be euill in themselues and onely good in part namely so far forth as they haue respect of goodnesse in the minde of the ordainer Secondly the assumption is false for the supreame ende of Gods counsell is not damnation but the declaration of his iustice in the iust destruction of the creature neither doth God decree mans damnation as it is damnation that is the ruine of man and the putting of him forth to perishment but as it is a reall execution of iustice Thirdly wee must make distinction betweene sinne it selfe and the permission thereof and betweene the decree of reiection and actual damnation nowe the permission of sinne and not sinne it selfe properly is the subordinate meanes of the decree of reiection For when God had decreed to passe by some men he withall decreed the permission of sinne to which permission men were
ordained and sinne it selfe is no effect but onely the consequent of the decree yet so as it is not onely the antecedent but also the efficient and meritorious cause of actuall damnation The third point is the reall foundation of the execution of this decree in iust condemnation and that is the voluntarie fall of Adam and of all his posteritie in him with the fruite thereof the generall corruption of mans nature For howesoeuer God hath purposed to refuse men because it so pleased him yet when his purpose comes to execution he condemneth no man but for his sinnes and sinne though it were not in the counsel of God an impulsiue cause that mooued him to purpose a declaration of iustice and iudgement yet was it a subordinate meanes of damnation God in wonderfull wisdome ordering disposing the execution of this decree so as the whole blame and fault of mans destruction should be in himselfe And therefore the Lord in the Prophet Ose saith One hath destroyed thee but I will helpe thee that is saluation is of God and the condemnation of men is from themselues Nowe whereas many deprauing our doctrine say that wee ascribe vnto God an absolute decree in which he doth absolutely ordaine men to damnation they may here bee answered If by absolute they vnderstand that which is opposed to conditional then we hold and auouch that all the eternall decrees of God are simple or absolute and not limited or restrained to this or that condition or respect If by absolute they vnderstande a bare and naked decree without reason or cause then we denie Gods decrees to be absolute For though the causes therof be not knowne to vsâ— yet causes there be knowne to him and iust they are yea the very will of God it selfe is cause sufficient it beeing the absolute rule of iustice And though men in reason can not discerne the equitie and iustice of Gods will in this point yet may wee not thereupon conclude that therefore it is vniust The sunne may shine clearely though the blinde man see it not And it is a flatte mistaking to imagine that a thing must first of all be iust in it selfe and then afterward be willed of God Whereas contrarise God must first will a thing before it can be iust The will of God doth not depend vpon the qualitie and nature of the thing but the qualities of things in order of causes followe the will of God For euery thing is as God wills it Lastly if it be called an absolute decree because it is done without al respect to mans sinne then we still denie it to be absolute For as God condeÌ„nes man for sinne so he decreed to condemne him for and by his sinne yet so as if the question be made what is the cause why he decrees rather in his iustice to condemne this man then that man no other reason can be rendred but his will The last point is the ende of Gods decree namely the manifestation of his iustice as Salomon saith The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake and the wicked for the day of euill And Paul saith that God made vessels of wrath to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne Thus we haue seene what Reprobation is nowe followes the execution thereof for that which God decrees before time in time hee executes And here a speciall rule to be remembred is this Those which are ordained to iust daÌ„nation are likewise ordained to be left to themselues in this worlde in blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart so as they neither shall nor will repent of their sinnes The trueth of this we may see in Gods word For S. Peter speaking of the priests and Doctours and cheife of the people among the Iewes saith plainly They stumbled at the word and are disobedient Why so the reason is there set downe because they were ordained to it of olde And so Paul saith to the Corinthians that he handled not the word of God deceitfully but in the declaration of the trueth he approoued himselfe to euery mans conscience in the sight of God Nowe hereupon it might be saide howe then comes it to passe that all receiue not the Gospel in Corinth and to this hee answers with a terrible sentence If saith he our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that perish giuing vs to vnderstand that God leaues them to themselues in this world whome he purposeth to refuse And the Lord by the Prophet Esai saith of the Iewes By hearing they shall heare and not vnderstand and by seeing they shall see not perceiue least they should heare with their eares and see with their eies and vnderstand with their hearts and so turne and be saued The vse of this is manifolde first it serueth to ouerthrowe the opinion of carnall men which reason thus If I be ordained to damnation let me liue neuer so godly and well I am sure to be damned therefore I will liue as I list for it is not possible for me to alter Gods decree Blasâ—hemous mouthes of men make nothing of this and like speeches and yet they speake flatte contraries For whome God hath purposed in his eternal counsell to refuse them also he hath purposed for their sinnes to leaue to the blindenesse of their mindes and hardnes of their hearts so as they neither will nor can liue a godly life Secondly this rule doth as it were lead vs by the hand to the consideration the fearefull estate of many people among vs. We haue had for the space of thirtie yeares and more the preaching of the Gospel of Christ and the more plentifully by reason of the schooles of learning But what hath bin the issue of it I doubt not but in many it hath beene the meanes of their conuersion saluation but to speake generally of the greater part there is little or no fruite to be seene The most after this long preaching remaine as blinde as impenitent as heard hearted and as vnreformed in their liues as euer they were though they haue heard the Lord calling them to repentance from day to day and from yeare to yeare Well if this rule bee the trueth of God as no doubt it is then I say plainely that there is a most fearefull iudgement of God among vs. My meaning is not to determine or giue sentence of any mans person of any towne or people neuerthelesse this may be auouched that it is a terrible and dangerous signe of the wrath of God that after this long and daily preaching there is still remaining a generall hardnesse of heart impenitencie and want of reformation in the liues of men The smithes stithie the more it is beaten the harder it is made and commonly the hearts of men the more they are beaten with the hammer of Gods worde the more dull secure and senselesse they are This beeing so it standes euery man in hand to looke to his owne estate
we should walke in them And God hath chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirit and faith of the truth The Elect are vessells of honour and therefore all those that will be of the number of the Elect must carrie themselues as vessells of honour For so long as they lie in their sinnes they be like vessells of dishonour imploying themselues to the most base seruice that can be euen to the seruice of the deuill The sunne was ordained to shine in the day and the moone in the night and that order they keepe yea euery creature in his kinde obserueth the course appointed vnto it by creation as the grasse to grow and trees to bring forth fruit now the elect were ordained to this ende to lead a godly life and therefore if we would either perswade our selues or the world that we are indeede chosen to saluation we must be plentifull in all good workes and make conscience of euery euill way and to doe otherwise is as much as to chaunge the order of nature and as if the sunne should cease to shine by day and the moone by night Thirdly when God shall send vpon any of vs in this world crosses and afflictions either in bodie or in minde or any way else as this life is the vaile of miserie and teares and iudgement must beginne at Gods house we must learne to beare them with all submission and contentation of minde For whome God knew before them he hath predestinate to be made like vnto his sonne But wherein is this likenes Paul saith in the fellowship of his afflictions and in a conformitie to his death And the consideration of this that afflictions were ordained for vs in the eternall predestination of God must comfort our hearts and restraine our impatience so oft as we shall goe vnder the burden of them Hence againe we learne that they which perswade themselues that they are in the fauour of God because they liue at ease in wealth and prosperitie are farre deceiued For Saint Paul saith God suffereth with long patience the vessells of wrath prepared to destruction to make knowne his power and to shew forth his wrath on them This beeing so no man then by outward blessings ought to plead that he hath the loue of God Sheepe that goe in fat pastures come sooner to the slaughterhouse then those which are kept vpon the bare common and they which are pampered with the wealth of this world sooner forsake God and therefore are sooner forsaken of God then others Salomon saith No man knoweth loue or hatred that is by outward things for all things come alike to all the same condition is to the iust and to the vniust to the wicked and good to the pure and polluted Lastly it may be an offence vnto vs when we consider that the doctrine of the Gospel is either not knowne or else despised and persecuted of the whole world but we must stay our selues with this consideratiō that nothing comes to passe by chance that God knowes who are his and that there must be some in the world on whome God hath in his eternall counsell purposed to manifest his power and iustice Againe Ministers of the Gospel may be discouraged when after long preaching they see little or no fruit of their labours the people whome they teach remaining as blind impenitent and vnreformed as euer they were But they must also consider that it is the purpose of God to choose some to saluation and to refuse others and that of the first some are called sooner some later and that the second beeing left to themselues neuer come to repentance To this Paul had regard when he said If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish And againe We are vnto God the sweete sauour of Christ in them that are saued and in them that perish Hitherto I haue deliuered the truth of this weightie point of religion which also is the doctrine of the church of England now it followeth that we should consider the falshoode Sundrie Diuines haue deuised and in their writings published a new frame or platforme of the doctrine of Predestination the effect whereof is this The nature of God say they is infinite loue goodnesse and mercie it selfe and therefore he propounds vnto himselfe an ende answerable thereunto and that is the communication of his loue and goodnesse vnto all his creatures Now for the accomplishing of this supreame and absolute ende he did foure things First he decreed to create man righteous in his owne image secondly he foresaw the fall of man after his creation yet so as he neither willed nor decreed it thirdly he decreed the vniuersall Redemption of all and euery man effectually by Christ so be it they will beleeue in him fourthly he decreed to call all and euery man effectually so as if they will they may be saued This beeing done he in his eternall counsel foreseeing who would beleeue in Christ did thereupon elect them to eternall saluation and againe foreseeing who would not beleeue but contemne grace offered did thereupon also decree to reiect them to eternall damnation This platforme howsoeuer it may seeme plausible to reason yet indeed it is nothing els but a Deuise of mans braine as will appeare by sundrie defects errours that be in it For first whereas it is auouched that Adams fall came by the bare prescience of God without any decree or will of his it is a flat vntruth The putting of Christ to death was as great a sinne as the fall of Adam nay in some respects greater Now that came to passe not onely by the foreknowledge of God but also by his determinate counsell And therefore as the Church of Ierusalem saith Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done so may we say that Adam in his fall did nothing but that which the hand of God and his counsell had determined before to be done And considering the will of God extends it selfe to the least things that are euen to sparrowes whereof none doe light vpon the ground without our heauenly father how can a man in reason imagine that the fall of one of the most principall creatures that are shall fall out altogether without the will and decree of God And there can be nothing more absurd then to seuer the foreknowledge of God from his counsel or decree For by this meanes things shall come to passe God nilling or not knowing or not regarding them Now if any thing come to passe God nilling it then that is done which God would not haue done and to say so is to bereaue him of his omnipotencie And if we shall say that things fall out God not knowing of them we make him to be imprudent and denie his omniscience lastly if we shall say that
a thing is done God not regarding it we bring in an idol of our owne braines and stablish the idle-god of the Epicures But it is obiected to the contrarie that if God any way decreed and willed the fall of Adam then he was the author of sinne which once to say is blasphemie Ans. The argument followes not There be three actions in the will of God one whereby he doth absolutely will any thing and delight in it and of all such things God himselfe is the author The second is wholly or absolutely to Nill a thing and all things thus nilled can not possibly come to passe or haue the least beeing in nature There is also a third action which comes as a meane betweene the two former which is remissely or in part both to nill and will a thing wherby though God approoue not euill as it is euill and therefore doth it not yet he willeth the permitting of it to be done by others or the being of it because in respect of God that decreeth the permitting of euill it is good that there should be euill And on this manner and no otherwise God willed the fall of Adam and therefore in the reason of any indifferent man though he decreed the fall yet shall he be free from the blame thereof which lies wholly vpon the doer these two caueats alwaies remembred first that God by his will did not constraine or force the will of Adam to sinne or infuse into it any corruption and that therefore he sinned willingly and freely onely by the necessitie of immutabilitie and not by the necessitie of coaction secondly that God willed the fall for a most worthie ende which was to lay downe a way tending to the manifestation both of iustice and mercie Againe it is alleadged that if God willed Adams fall then his will is flat contrarie to it selfe because he wills that which he had by expresse commandement forbidden Answ. Indeede if God should both will and forbid one and the same thing in one and the same respect there should be a contradiction in Gods will but that God doth not He forbad Adams fall as it was sinne for so in euery commandement sinne as it is sinne is condemned and punished and yet because it was in a new respect a meanes of manifesting his glorie who is able to bring light out of darknesse therefore he willingly decreed the permission of it Incest as it is sinne it is condemned in the seuenth commandement and punished with death yet as incest was a punishment of Dauids adulterie God is said to take his wiues and to giue them to his sonne Absolom Some againe as it appeares by their writings feare to ascribe vnto God so much as a permission of Adams fall but no doubt they are deceiued For if these rules be true that God is omnipotent that he works all things that are by the counsell of his will and gouernes them that he hath care and regard ouer man that nothing is hid from him that he is vnchangeable there must needes be permission of euill If the deuill could not enter so much as into an heard of swine without Christs permission shall we thinke that he could compasse the fall and ouerthrow of man without a permission Indeede to permit is not to hinder euill when one may and with men it is a fault but not with God because he is not bound to hinder the euill which he permits The second fault is that they make the Prescience of mans faith and vnbeleefe to be the impulsiue cause of Gods decree For they say that God eternally decrees to saue or refuse men because he did foresee that they would beleeue or not beleeue But indeede it is a manifest vntruth Among the causes of all things that are there is an order set downe by God himselfe in which order some causes are highest some lowest some in the midst Now the highest cause of all is that which ouerrules all and is ouerruled of none and that is Gods will beyond which there can be no higher cause for God is placed aboue all and subiect to none And this very will of his is the cause of all things that haue beeing for we must not imagine that a thing first of all existeth and then afterward is willed of God but first of all God wills a thing and then afterward it comes to haue a beeing Now to say that foreseene faith or vnbeleefe are the moouing causes whereby God was induced to ordaine men either to saluation or to iust damnation is to vndoe this diuine order of causes and to displace the linkes in that Gods will is made a secondarie or middle cause subordinate to other causes placed aboue it yea this is to make the will of God to depend vpon the qualitie and condition of the creature whereas contrariwise all things depend vpon Gods will Againe Paul saith that God hath opened the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed to himselfe whereby he makes a distinction betweene the creature and the Creatour Men when they purpose the doing of any thing borrow reasons of their purposes and wills out of themselues from thâ— things to be done because mans bare will is no sufficient cause to warrant the doing of this or that in this or that manner vnlesse there be iust reason But Gods will is a simple and absolute rule of righteousnesse and a thing is good so farre forth as God wills it Therefore there is no cause why he should goe forth of himselfe for externall inducements and reasons of his eternall counsell his very will in himselfe is a sufficient reason of all his purposes and decrees And hereupon Paul saith that Gods purpose was in himselfe to shew that there is no dependance of his will vpon the creature and that in ordering and disposing of his decrees he had no reference or respectiue consideration of the qualities and workes of men Thirdly by this doctrine there is fastened vpon God want of wisdome who is wisdome it selfe and that is very absurd A simple man that hath in him but a sparke of the wisdome of God first of all intends with himselfe the ende and euent of the businesse to be done and then afterward the means whereby the ende is accomplished but in this platforme God is brought in in the first place to foresee and consider with himselfe the meanes which tende to the ende namely faith and vnbeleefe of men and then afterward to determine with himselfe what shall be the ende and finall condition of euery man either in life or death as if a man should purpose with himselfe to build an house without any consideration of the ende why and afterward conceiue with himselfe the particular vses to which he will applie it Fourthly hence it followeth that faith shall not onely be an instrument but also an efficient cause in the acte of
ministery that Iesus Christ was the true Messias Thus wee see where at this day wee may finde the true Church of God Nowe I come to the third question and that is at what time a man may with good conscience make separation from a Church Ans. So long as a Church makes no separation from Christ we must make no separation from it and when it separates from Christ we may also separate from it and therefore in two cases there is warrant of separation The one is when the worship of God is corrupt in substance And for this we haue a commandement Be not saith Paul vnequally yoked with infidels for what fellowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnesse or what communion hath light with darknesse or what concord hath Christ with Belial or vvhat part hath the beleeuer vvith the infidel or vvhat agreement hath the temple of God with idols wherefore come out from among them and separate â—our selues saith the Lord. And we haue a practise of this in the old testament When Ieroboam had set vp idols in Israel then the priests and Leuites came to Iudah and Ierusalem to serue the Lord. The second is when the doctrine of religion is corrupt in substance as Paul saith If any man teach otherwise and consent not to the wholesome words of our Lord Iesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse he is puffed vp from such separate your selues A practise of this we haue in the Apostle Paul who beeing in Ephesus in a Synagogue of the Iewes spake boldly for the space of three moneths disputing and exhorting to the things which concerne the kingdome of God but when certaine men were hardened and disobeyed speaking euill of the way God he departed from them and separated the disciples of Ephesus and the like hee did at Rome also As for the corruptions that be in the manners of men that be of the Church they are no sufficient warrant of separation vnlesse it be from priuate companie as we are admonished by the Apostle Paul and by the examples of Dauid and Lot By this which hath beene said it appeares that the practise of such as make separation from vs is very badde and schismaticall considering our Churches faile not either in the substance of doctrine or in the substance of the true worship of God Nowe to proceede in the Creede The Church is further set foorth by certaine properties and prerogatiues The properties or qualities are two holines and largenes That the Church is holy it appeares by Peter which cals it an holy nation and a chosen people and by S. Iohn who cals it the holy cittie And it is so calledâ— that it may be distinguished from the false Church which is tearmed in Scriptures the synagogue of Satan and the malignant Church Nowe this holinesse of the Church is nothing else but a created qualitie in euery true member thereof whereby the image of God which was lost by the fall of Adam is againe renued and restored The author of it is God by his worde and spirit by little and litle abolishing the corruption of sinne and sanctifying vs throughout as Christ saith Father sanctifie them in thy truth thy word is trueth And holines must bee conceiued to bee in the Church on this manner it is perfect in the Church Triumphant and it is onely begunne in the Church militant in this life and that for speciall cause that we might giue all glorie to God that we might not be high minded that we might work our saluation with feare and trembling that we might denie our selues and wholly depend vpon God Hence we learne three things first that the Church of Rome erreth in teaching that a wicked man yea such an one as shall neuer be saued may be a true member of the Catholike Church for in reason euery man should be answerable to the qualitie and condition of the Church whereof he is a member if it be holy as it is he must be holy also Secondly we are euery one of vs as Paul saith to Timothie to exercise our selues vnto godlines making conscience of all our former vnholy waies endeauouring our selues to please god in the obedience of all his commandemeÌ„ts It is a disgrace to the holy Church of God that men professing themselues to be meÌ„bers of it should be vnholy Thirdly our duty is to eschew the society of Atheists drunkards fornicatours blasphemers and all wicked and vngodly persons as Paul saith Be no companions of them and haue no fellowship with vnprofitable workes of darknes And he chargeth the Thessalonians that if any man among them walke inordinately they haue no companie with him that he may be ashamed The largenes of the Church is noted in the word Catholicke that is generall or vniuersall And it is so called for three causes For first of all it is generall in respect of time because the Church hath had a beeing in all times and ages euer since the giuing of the promise to our first parents in Paradise Secondly it is generall in respect of the persons of men for it stands of all sorts and degrees of men high and low rich and poore learned and vnlearned c. Thirdly it is Catholicke or vniuersall in respect of place because it hath beene gathered from all parts of the earth specially now in the time of the new Testament when our Sauiour Christ saith that the Gospell shall be preached in the whole world To this purpose Iohn saith in the Reuelation I beheld and loe a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kinreds and peoples and tongues stood before the throne and before the lambe cloathed with long white robes and palmes in their hands And the Church which we here professe to beleeue is called Catholicke that we may distinguish it from particular Churches which are not beleeued but seene with eye whereof mention is made often in the Scriptures Rom. 16.5.1 Cor. 16.19 the Church in their house and the Churches of Asia Coloss. 4.15 Salute Nymphas and the Church in his house Act. 11.22 the Church of Ierusalem Act. 13.1 the Church at Antioche c. That the Church is Catholicke in respect of time place person it ministers matter of endlesse comfort vnto vs. For hereby we see that no order degree or state of men are excluded from grace in Christ vnlesse they will exclude themselues Saint Iohn saith If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous Now it might be answered it is true indeede Christ is an aduocate to some men but he is no aduocate to me Saint Iohn therefore saith further and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for our sinnes onely but for the whole world that is for all beleeuers of what condition or degree soeuer Thus much of the properties of the Church now follow the prerogatiues or
of the miseries of the poore Church and seruants of God elsewhere in affliction which euery man ought to shew forth in the practise of all duties of loue and therefore Paul saith Pray alwaies with all manner of prayers and supplications in the spirit and watch thereunto with all perseuerance and supplications for the saints And he highly commendeth the Philippians for communicating to his afflictions And further he biddeth Philemon to comfort Onesimus his bowels in the Lord. And S. Iohn saith If a mans life would saue his neighbours soule he must lay it downe if neede require We haue all of vs daily occasion to practise this dutie towards the afflicted members of Gods Church in other countries For howsoeuer we enioy the Gospel with peace yet they are vnder persecution for the same and so oft as we heare report of this we should suffer our hearts to be grieued with them and pray to God for them We must here be admonished not to seeke our owne things but to referre the labours of our callings to the common good especially of the Church whereof we are members As for them that seeke for nothing but to maintain their owne estate and wealth and therfore in their trades vse false weights and measures the ingrossing corrupting mingling of wares glozing lying smoothing swearing forswearing dissembling griping oppressing of the poore c. they may plead for themselues what they will but in truth they neuer yet knew what the communion of Saints meant Lastly considering we are all knit into one mystical body haue mutuall fellowship in the same our dutie is both to redresse the faults of our brethren and to couer them as the hand in the body laies plaister vpon the sore in the foot or in the legge and withal couers it Loue couers the multitude of sinnes And when men disgrace their bretheren for their wants and blase them to the world they doe not the dutie of fellow members Thus much for the first benefit bestowed on the Church the second is Forgiuenesse of sinnes which may be thus described Forgiuenesse of sinnes is a blessing of God vpon his Church procured by the death and passion of Christ whereby God esteemes of sinne as no sinne or as not committed In this description I haue couched fiue points which we are seuerally to consider The first who is the author of forgiuenes of sinnes Ans. God whose blessing it is for sinne is onely committed against God the violating of his laws and commandements are properly sinnes And the offence done to any man or creature is no more in it selfe but an offence or iniurie yea the breach of mans commandement is no sinne vnlesse it doe imply withall the breach of Gods commandement Therfore it is a prerogatiue belonging to God alone to pardon sinne and when we are taught to say Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs the meaning is not that we forgiue sinnes as they are sinnes but onely as trespasses that is losses hurts and damages done vnto vs by men It may be further said God hath giuen this power and commandement to his ministers to forgiue sinnes saying Whose sinnes yee remit they are remitted Ans. Gods ministers doe not properly forgiue sinnes but onely in the name of God according to his word pronounce to a penitent sinner that his sinnes are pardoned and forgiuen of God and therefore it is a most certen truth that none can forgiue sinnes but God onely it was auouched by the Pharisies and not denied by Christ. Hence it followes that remission of sinne beeing once graunted remaines for euer because Gods loue vnto the elect is vnchangeable and his decree concerning their saluation can not be altered The second point is to whom remission of sinnes is giuen Ans. To the Catholike church that is to the whole companie of men predestinate to saluation as Esai saith The people that dwell therein that is the Church shall haue their sinnes forgiuen And they shall call them the holy people the redeemed of the Lord and thou shalt be named a citie sought out and not forsaken And if there had beene an vniuersall remission of sinnes to all men as some doe dreame it should not here haue beene made a peculiar prerogatiue of the Church The third point is what is the meanes whereby pardon of sinne is procured at Gods hand Ans. The death and passion of Christ so Paul saith Christ died for our sinns that is Christ died to be a paiment and satisfaction to Gods iustice for our sinnes And S. Iohn saith The blood of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne And Peter saith Knowing that yee were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gâ—ld from your vaine conuersation c. but with the pretious blood of Christ as of a â—â—mbe vndefiled and without spot The fourth point is after what manner sinne is forgiuen Ans. By an action of God whereby for the merit of Christ he esteemes and accounts sinne as no sinne or as if it had neuer beene committed Therefore Dauid saith Blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne And in Esai the Lord saith I haue put away thy transgressions like a cloud and thy sinnes as a myst Now we know that cloudes and mystes which appeare for a time are afterward by the sunne vtterly dispersed And King Hezekias when he would shew that the Lord had forgiueÌ„ him his sinnes saith God hath cast them behinde his backe alluding to the manner of men who when they will not remember or regard a thing doe turne their backes vpon it And Micheas saith that God doth cast all the sinnes of his people into the bottome of the sea alluding to Pharao whome the Lord drowned in the bottome of the redde sea And Christ hath taught vs to pray thus Forgiue vs our debts as we forgiue our debters in which words is an alluding to creditours who then forgiue debts when they account that which is debt as no debt crosse the booke Hence it appeares that damnable and vile is the opinion of the church of Rome which holdeth that there is a remission of the fault without a remission of the punishment and here withall fall to the ground the doctrines of humane satisfactions and indulgences and purgatorie and prayer for the dead built vpon this foundation are of the same kinde Moreouer we must remember to adde too this clause I beleeue and then the meaning is this I doe not onely beleeue that God doth giue pardon of sinne to his Church and people for that the very deuills beleeue but withall I beleeue the forgiuenes of mine owne particular sinnes Hence it appeares that it was the iudgement of the Primitiue Church that men should beleeue the forgiuenesse of their owne sinnes By this prerogatiue we reape endlesse comfort for the pardon of sinne is a most wonderfull blessing and
that by reason of this confusion men can not possibly rise with their owne bodies Ans. Howesoeuer this is impossible with men yet it is possible with God For he that in the beginning was able to create all things of nothing is much more able to make euery mans bodie at the resurrection of his owne matter and to distinguish the dust of mens bodies from the dust of beasts and the dust of one mans bodie from another The goldsmith by his art can sunder diuers mettals one frō another some men out of one mettall can drawe another why then should we thinke it vnpossible for the almightie God to doe the like It may bee further obiected thus A man is eaten by a woolfe the woolfe is eaten by a Lyon the Lyon by the foules of the aire the foules of the aire eaten againe by men againe one man is eaten of another as it is vsuall among the Cannibals Nowe the bodie of that man which is turned into so many substances especially into the bodie of another man cannot rise againe and if the one doeth the other doeth not Ans. This reason is but a cauill of mans braine for wee must not thinke that whatsoeuer entreth into the bodie and is turned into the substance thereof must rise againe and become a part of the bodie at the daie of iudgement but euery man shall then haue so much substance of his owne as shall make his bodie to be entire and perfect though another mans flesh once eaten bee no part thereof Againe it is vrged that because flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdome of God therefore the bodies of men shall not rise againe Ans. By flesh and blood is not meant the bodies of men simply but the bodies of men as they are in weaknesse without glorie subiect to corruption For flesh and blood in Scripture signifies sometime the originall sinne and corruption of nature and sometime mans nature subiect to miseries and infirmities or the bodie in corruption before it be glorified and so it must bee vnderstood in this place Lastly it is obiected that Salomon saith The condition of the children of men and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition Nowe beasts rise not againe after this life and therefore there is no resurrection of men Ans. In that place Salomon expoundeth himselfe They are like in dying for so he saith as the one dieth so dieth the other he speaketh not of their estate after death The second point to be considered is the cause of the resurrection In mankind we must consider two parts the Elect and the Reprobate and they both shall rise againe at the day of iudgement but by diuers causes The godly haue one cause of their resurrection and the vngodly another The cause why the godly rise againe is the resurrection of Christ yea it is the proper cause which procureth and effecteth their resurrection In the scripture Adam and Christ are compared togither and Christ is called the second Adam these were two rootes The first Adam was the roote of al mankinde and he conueieth sinne and by sinne death to all that sprang of him Christ onely excepted the second Adam which is the roote of all the Elect conueieth life both in bodie and soule to all that are vnited to him and by the vertue of his resurrection they shal rise againe after this life For looke as the power of the godhead of Christ when he was dead in the graue raised his bodie the third day so shall the same power of Christ his godhead conuey it selfe vnto all the faithfull which euen in death remaine vnited vnto him and raise them vp at the last daie And for this cause Christ is called a quickening spirit Nowe the cause why the wicked rise againe is not the vertue of Christs resurrection but the vertue of Gods curse set downe in his word In the daie that thou shalt eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death that is a double death both of bodie and soule And therefore they arise onely by the power of Christ as hee is a iudge that this sentence may be verified on them and that they may suffer both in bodie and soule eternall punishment in hell fire Furthermore S. Iohn setteth downe the outward meanes whereby the dead shal be raised namely the voice of Christ The houre shall come saith he in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice and they shall come forth For as hee created all things by his word so at the day of iudgement by the same voice all shall be raised againe This may bee a good reason to mooue vs to heare the ministers of God reuerently for that which they teach is the very word of God and therefore we are to pray that it may be as effectuall in raising vs vp from the graue of sinne in this life as it shall bee after this life in raising vs vp from the graue of death vnto iudgement Thirdly we are to consider what manner of bodies shall rise at the last day Ans. The same bodies for substance this Iob knew well when he said I shall see him at the last daie in my flesh whome I my selfe shall see and none other for me with these same eies Neuerthelesse the bodies of the elect shall be altered in qualitie being made incorruptible and filled with glorie The last point to be considered is the ende why these bodies shall rise againe The principall end which God intendeth is his owne glorie in the manifestation of his iustice and mercie Nowe at the last daie when all men shall be raised to iudgement by the voice of Christ the godly to life and the wicked to condemnation there shal be a full manifestation both of his mercy and iustice and therefore by consequent a full manifestation of his glorie Thus much for the doctrines touching the Resurrection now followe the vses First it serueth wonderfully for the comfort of all Christian hearts Dauid speaking not onely of Christ but also of himselfe saith most notably Mine heart is glad my tongue reioiceth and my flesh also doth rest in hope Why so For saith he thou shalt not leaue my soule in graue neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption Though the daies of this life be daies of woe and miserie yet the day of the resurrection shall bee vnto all the children of God a time of reioicing and felicitie as Peter saith it is the time of refreshing Whosoeuer is now an hungred shall then eate and be filled with the fruite of the tree of life and whosoeuer is now naked shall be then cloathed with the white garments dipped in the blood of the Lambe and whosoeuer is nowe lame shall haue all his members restored perfectly And as this daie is ioyfull to the godly so on the contrarie it is a daie of woe and
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
of God For this blessing is giuen them that trust in Christs bloode that they thirst and hunger to doe Gods wil. He that hath not this faith is but an vnprofitable babler of faith and works and neither wotteth what he bableth nor whereunto his words tende For he feeleth not the power of faith nor the working of the spirit in his heart but interpreteth the Scriptures which speak of faith and works after his owne blind reason and foolish fantasies not hauing any experience in himselfe Timoth. Euery member of Christs congregation is a sinner and sinneth daily some more and some lesse for it is written 1. Ioh. 1. If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. And Paul Rom. 7. That good which I would that doe I not but that euill which I would not that doe 1. So it is not I that doe it saith he but sinne that dwelleth in me So the Christian man is both a sinner and no sinner which how it can be shew it me by your experience Euseb. I beeing one man in substance and two men in qualitie flesh and spirit which in me so fight perpetually the one against the other that I must goe either backward or forward and cannot stand long in one estate If the spirit ouercome in tentations then is she stronger and the flesh weaker But if the flesh get a custom then is the spirit none otherwise oppressed of the flesh then as though she had a mountaine on hiâ— backe and as we sometime in our dreames thinke we beare heauier then a milstone on our breasts or when we dreame now and then that we would runne away for feare of some thing our legges seeme heauier then lead euen so is the spirit oppressed and ouerladen of the flesh through custome that shee struggleth and striueth to get vp and to breake loose in vaine vntill the God of mercie which heareth my groane through Iesus Christ come and loose her with his power and put something on the backe of the flesh to keepe her downe to minish her strength and to mortifie her So then no sinner I am if you regard the Spirit the profession of my heart towarde the Lawe of God my repentance and sorrow that I haue both because I haue sinned and am yet full of sinne and looke vnto the promises of mercie in our Sauiour Christ and vnto my faith A sinner am I if you looke to the frailtie of my flesh which is a remnant of the old Adam and as it were the stocke of the olde oliue tree euer and anon when occasion is giuen shooting forth his braunches leaues budde blossome and fruit also which also is as the weaknesse of one which is newly recouered of a great disease by the reason whereof all my deedes are imperfect and when occasions be great I fall into horrible deedes and the fruit of the sin which remaineth in my members breaketh out Notwithstanding the Spirit leaueth me not but rebuketh me and bringeth me home againe vnto my profession so that I neuer cast off the yoke of God from off my necke neither yeelde vp my selfe vnto sinne to serue it but fight a fresh and beginne a newe battaile And I had rather you should vnderstand this forth of the Scriptures by the example of Ionas and the Apostles Ionas was the friend of God and a choseâ— seruant of God to testifie his will vnto the world He was sent from the land of Israel where he was a Prophet to goe amongst an heathen people and the greatest citie of the world then called Niniue to preach that within fourtie daies they should be destroied for their sinnes which message the free will of Ionas had as much power to doe as the weakest hearted woman in the world had power if she were commanded to leape into a tubbe of liuing snakes and adders as happily if God had commanded Sara to sacrifice her sonne Isaac as he did Abraham shee would haue disputed with God ere shee had done it aâ— though shee were strong enough Well Ionas hartened by his owne imagination and reasoning after this manner I am here a Prophet vnto Gods people the Israelites which though they haue Gods word testified vnto them daily yet despise and worship God vnder the likenesse of calues and after all manner of fashions saue after his owne word and therefore are of all nations the worst and most worthie of punishment And yet God for loue of a fewe that are among them and for his names sake spareth and defendeth them how then shall God take so cruell vengeance on so great a multitude of them to whome his name was neuer preached and therefore are not the tenth part so euill as these If I therefore shall goe preach I shall lie and shame my selfe and God too and make them the more to despise God Vpon this imagination he fled from the presence of God and from the countrey where God is worshipped When Ionas entred into the ship he laid him downe to sleepe for his conscience was tossed betweene the commandement of God which sent him to Niniue and his fleshly wisdome which disswaded and counselled him to the contrarie and at last preuailed against the commandement and caried him another way as a shippe caught betweene two streames as the Poets faine the mother of Meleager to be betweene diuers affections while to auenge her brothers death she sought to slay her owne sonne whereupon for very paine and tediousnes he lay down to sleepe to put the commandement out of mind which did so gnaw and fret his conscience as also the nature of all the wicked is when they haue sinned in earnest to seeke all meanes with ryot reuell and pastime to driue the remembrance of sinne forth of their hearts as Adam did to couer his wickednes with aprons of figleaues But God awoke him out of his dreame and set his sinnes before his face for when the lot had caught Ionas then be sure that his sinne came to remembrance againe and that his conscience raged no lesse then the waters of the sea And then he thought he onely was a sinner and thought also that as verily as he had fled from God as verily God had cast him away for the sight of the rod maketh the naturall child not onely to see and acknowledge his fault but also to forget al his fathers old mercy and goodnes And then he confessed his sinne openly and of very desperation to haue liued any longer he had cast himselfe into the sea betimes except they would be lost also for all this God prouided a fish to swallow Ionas When Ionas had beene in the fishes bellie a space the rage of his conscience was somewhat quieted and he came to himselfe againe and had receiued a little hope and the qualmes and pangs of desperation which went ouer his heart were halfe ouercome then he praied to God and gaue thanks vnto him When Ionas was cast
him Let no man know of these wordes c. but if the princes vnderstand that I haue talked with thee and they come vnto thee and say vnto thee Declare vnto vs what the king hath said vnto thee c. then shalt thou say vnto them I humbly besought the king that hee would not cause me to returne to Iehonathans house to die there And afterward he so answered and the matter was not perceiued The like practised by Paul Acts 23.6 Secondly thou art to conceale thine owne secrets Sampson reuealing his owne secret Iudg. 14. ouerthrew himselfe If thou desire ease by reuealing thē tell them but to few and to such as are faithfull That which thou wouldest not haue knowne tell no man for howe shall another keepe thy counsell when thou canst not doe it Keepe thy friends secret likewise if it be not hurtfull and let ministers conceale the sinnes wants that trouble the cōscience of such as are dying Let magistrats conceale things done in the Senate especially concerning warre least they bee reuealed to the enemie If God bring any strange thing to passe speake not boldly of it but rather in silence wonder Iob at the consideration of Gods maiesty in his works saith Beholde I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand vpon my mouth Nadab and Abihu for offering incense with strange fire before the Lord were both destroyed with fire which beeing done Moses told Aaron that god would be sanctified in thē that come nere him be glorified before all the people and then the text saith but Aaron held his peace When Peter had taught the Gentiles and after returned to Hierusalem they of the circumcision contended with him he then rendreth a reason of his fact which beeing made they were silent For so the text is When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God When Gods iudgements befal men among vs if we speake any thing we must iudge charitably Blessed is he that iudgeth wisely of the poore the Lord shall deliuer him in the day of trouble Thirdly the infirmities and sinnes of our neighbour are alwaies to be concealed vnlesse it be in the case before named that we finde our selues called of God to speake He that couereth a transgression seeketh loue If god in mercy couer his sinnes why shouldst thou reueale them Salomon saith It is the glory of a man to passe by an infirmitie Fourthly all vnseemely matters al things vnknown things which concerne vs not things aboue our reach are in silence to be buried The persons before whome silence must bee vsed are these I. Malitious enemies of religion Giue not that which is holy vnto dogs neither cast your pearles before swine This was among the rest one cause of the silence of Christ before Caiphas and Pilate II. Before Magistrates in their open courtes where such as come before them are not to speake till they be bidden Then Paul after that the gouernour had beckened vnto him that he should speake answered III. In the presence of our elders and betters who must haue leaue and libertie to speake first and must of others be heard with silence The practise of this was in Elihu to Eliphaz and Bildad A company of men as some say is like to the Alphabet in which are vowels halfe vowels mutes vowels are old men learned wise expert halfe vowels are young men and women who are then only to speake when they are asked mutes are the same parties who being not occasioned are in silence to heare their betters And here all seruants and childrē must remember when they are iustly reproued to be silent and not to answer any thing againe IV. Fooles and pratlers are not to be answered vnlesse it be to let them see their folly CHAP. XII An exhortation to keepe the tongue THus haue I in part set downe howe the tongue is to bee gouerned and I hartily desire that all Christians would put these rules in practise Reasons I. If any man seeme to be religious and restraine not his tongue hee deceiueth himselfe and his religion is in vaine II. The man of an euill tongue is a beast in the forme of a man for his tongue is the tongue of a serpent vnder which lieth nothing but venim and poison nay he is worse then a serpent for it cannot hurte vnlesse it bee present to see a man or to bite him or to strike him with his taile but he which hath not the rule of his tongue hurteth men as well absent as present neither sea nor land nor any thing can hinder him And againe his throat is like a graue that hath a vent in some part and therefore sendeth forth nothing but stincke and corruption III. As the holy men of God when they preached had their tongues as it were touched with a cole from the altar of God and as godly men when they speake graciously haue their tongues enflamed with the fire of Gods spirit so contrariwise whē thou speakest euill thy tongue is kindled by the fire of hell and Sathan comes from thence with a cole to touch thy lipps and to set them on fire to all manner of mischeife Chrysostome saith that when men speake good things their tongue is the tongue of Christ but all manner of vngodly and cursed speaking is the deuils language IV. The moderating of the tongue is a matter of great difficultie S. Iames saith The whole nature of beasts of birds and of creeping things c. but the tongue can no man tame it is an vnruly euill Pambus one without learning came to a certain man to be taught a Psalme who when he had hard the first verse of the 38. psalme I said that I will keepe my waies that I offend not in my tongue would not suffer the next verse to be read saying this verse is enough if I could practise it And whē his teacher blamed him because he saw him not in sixe moneths after he answered that he had not yet done the verse And one that knew him many yeres after asked him whether he had yet learned the verse I am forty yeres old saith he haue not yet learned to fulfil it Now thē the harder it is to rule the tongue the more care is to be had therein V. The strange iudgements of God for the abuse of the tongue especially in blasphemies periuries are many feareful Three men conspired togither against Narcissus Bishop of Ierusalem a man that led a godly and blamelesse life and they charged him with a most hainous crime all three confirme their accusation by oath The first wisheth if it were not so that he were burnt The second that he might die of the iaundise The third that hee might loose his eies Afterward in processe of time the first had his house set on fire in the night and he with
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
I answer that they to whome Christ came not neither hath spoken vnto them haue an excuse not of euery sinne but of this sinne that they haue not beleeued in Christ. Againe It remaines to inquire whether those who before Christ came in his Church to the Gentiles and before they heard his Gospell haue bin or are preuented by death may vse this excuse Doubtles they may but they shall not therefore escape damnation For whosoeuer haue sinned without the law shall perish without the law As for the reasons which some of the schoolemen haue alleadged to the contrarie they are answered all by men of the same order and I will briefly touch the principall First it is obiected that the holy Ghoâ—t shall iudge the world of sinne because they haue not beleeued in Christ Ioh. 16.9 I answer that by the world we must not vnderstand all and euery man since the creation but all nations and kingdomes in the last age of the world to whome the Gospel was reuealed Thus hath Paul expounded this word Rom. 11.12 The fall of them is the riches of the world and the diminishing of them is the riches of the Gentiles v. 15. The casting of them away is the reconciling of the world Secondly it is obiected that the law binds all men in conscience though the greatest part of it be vnknowne to them Answ. The law was once giuen to Adam and imprinted in his heart in his first creation and in him as beeing the roote of all mankind it was giuen to all men and as when he sinned all men sinned in him so when he was enlightened all were enlightned in him and consequently when his conscience was bound by the law all were bound in him And though this knowledge be lost by mans default yet the bond remaines still on Gods part Now the case is otherwise with the Gospel which was neuer written in mans nature but was giuen after the fall and is aboue nature Here a further replie is made that the couenant made with Adam The seede of the woman shal bruise the serpents head was also made with his seede which is all mankind and was afterward continued with Abraham to all nations I answer again that Adam was a root of mankind onely in respect of mans nature with the gifts and sinnes thereof he was no roote in respect of grace which is aboue nature but Christ the second Adam And therefore when God gaue the promise vnto him and faith to beleeue the promise he did not in him giue them both to all mankinde neither if Adam had afterward fallen from faith in the Messias should all mankind againe haue fallen in him Moreouer that the promise of grace was not made to Adams seede vniuersally but indefinitely it appeares because when God did afterward renew the couenant he restrained it to the familie of Noe and Abrahamâ— and in Abrahams familie it was restrained to Isaac In Isaac saith the Lord shall thy seede be called yea in the very tenour of the couenant there is a distinction made of the seede of the woman and the seede of the serpent which seede of the serpent is a part of mankind and it is excluded from the couenant And whereas the Lord promised to Abraham that in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed the promise must not be vnderstood of all men in euery age but of all nations in the last age of the world And thus Paul hath cleared the text Gal. 3. 8. The Scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Gentiles through faith which was done after Christs ascension he preached before the Gospel to Abraham In thee shall nations be blessed Lastly it may be obiected that if any man be ignorant of the doctrine of saluation by Christ it is through his owne fault it is true indeede that all ignorance of the doctrine of saluation comes through mans fault sinne but sinne must be distinguished it is either personall or the sinne of mans nature Now in them that neuer heard of Christ their ignorance in this point proceedes not of any personall sinne in them but onely from the sinne of mans nature that is the first sinne of Adam common to all mankinde which sinne is punished when God leaues men wholly to themselues Now many things there be in men proceeding from this sinne which neuerthelesse are no sinnes as the manifold miseries of this life and so I take the ignorance of things aboue mans nature altogether vnreuealed to be no sinne but a punishment of originall sinne Thus much of the persons which are bound by the Gospel now let vs see how farre forth they are bound by it God in the Gospell generally reueales two points vnto vs the first that there is perfect righteousnes and life euerlasting to be obtained by Christ the second that the instrument to obtaine righteousnes and life eternall is faith in Christ. Moreouer when this Gospel is dispensed and preached vnto vs God reueales vnto vs two points more the first that he will make vs particularly to be partakers of true righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ the secoâ—d that he will haue vs without doubting to beleeue thus much of our selues And for this cause euery man to whome the Gospel is reuealed is bound to beleeue his owne election iustification sanctification and glorification in and by Christ. The reasons and grounds of this point out of the word of God are these I. 1. Ioh. 3.23 This is his commandement that we beleeue in the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ and loue one another as he gaué vs commandement Now to beleeue in Christ is not confusedly to beleeue that he is a Redeemer of mankind but withall to beleeue that he is my Sauiour and that I am elected iustified sanctified and shall be glorified by him This is graunted of all men yea of the Papists themselues which otherwise are enemies of this doctrine For Lumberd saith To beleeue in God is by beleeuing to loue and as it were to goe into God by beleeuing to cleaue vnto him and as it were to be incorporate into his members II. Paul Gal. 2. 16. â—irst of all propounds a generall sentence That a man is not iustified by the workes of the law but by the faith of Christ. Afterward he addes a speciall application Euen we namely Iewes haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Iesus Christ and in v. 20. he descends more specially to applie the Gospel to himselfe I liue saith he by the faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me And in this kinde of application there is nothing peculiar to Paul for in this very action of his he auoucheth himselfe to be an example vnto vs 1. Tim. 1. 16. For this cause saith he was I receiued to mercie that Iesus Christ should shew first on me all long suffering vnto the ensample of them which
before God must satisfie the iustice of the law which saith doe these things and thou shalt liue Now there is nothing can satisfie the iustice of the law but the righteousnes obedience of Christ for vs. If any alleadge ciuill iustice it is nothing for Christ saith Except your righteousnes exceede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharises you can not enter into the kingdome of heauen What shall we say that workes doe make vs iust that cannot be for all mens workes are defectiue in respect of the iustice of the law Shall we say our sanctification whereby we are renewed to the image of God in righteousnes and true holines that also is imperfect and can not satisfie Gods iustice required in the law as Isai hath said of himselfe and the people Al our righteousnes is as a menstruous cloth To haue a cleere conscience before God is a principall part of inward righteousnes and of it Paul in his owne person saith thus I am priuie to nothing by my selfe yet am I not iustified thereby 2. Cor. 4.4 Therefore nothing can procure vnto vs an absolution and acceptance to life euerlasting but Christs imputed righteousnes And this will appeare if we doe consider how we must come one day before Gods iudgement seat there to be iudged in the rigour of iustice for when we must bring some thing that may counteruaile the iustice of God not hauing onely acceptation in mercie but also approbation in iustice God beeing not onely mercifull but also a iust iudge II. Reason 2. Cor. 5.21 He which knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnes of God which is in him Whence I reason thus As Christ was made sinne for vs so are we made the righteousnes of God in him but Christ was made sinne or a sinner by imputation of our sinnes he beeing in himselfe most holy therefore a sinner is made righteous before God in that Christs righteousnesse is imputed and applied vnto him Now if any shall say that man is iustified by righteousnes infused then by like reason I say Christ was made sinne for vs by infusion of sinne which to say is blasphemie And the exposition of this place by Saint Hierome is not to be despised Christ saith he beeing offered for our sinnes tooke the name of sinne that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him Not ours nor in vs. If this righteousnesse of God be neither ours nor in vs then it can be no inherent righteousnesse but must needes be righteousnesse imputed And Chrysostome on this place saith It is called Gods righteousnesse because it is not of workes and because it must be without all staine or want and this cannot be inherent righteousnes Anselme saith He is made sinne as we are made iustice not ours but Gods not in vs but in him as he is made sinne not his owne but ours not in himselfe but in vs. Reason III. Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous marke here is a comparison betweene the first and second Adam And hence I reason thus As by the disobedience of the first Adam men were made sinners so by the obedience of the second Adam are we made righteous Now we are not onely made sinners by propagation of naturall corruption but by imputation For Adams first sinne was the eating of the forbidden fruit which very act is no personall offence but is imputed to all his posteritie in whō we haue all sinned The Fathers call this very sinne Adams hand-writing making vs debters vnto God And therefore in like manner the obedience of Christ is made the righteousnes of euery beleeuer not by infusion but by imputation IV. Reason A satisfaction made for the want of that iustice or obedience which the law requires at our hands is accepted of God as the iustice it selfe But Christs obedience is a satisfaction made for the want of that iustice or obedience which the law requires as the Papists themselues auouch Therfore this satisfaction is our iustice And me thinkes the Papists vpon this consideration haue little cause to dissent from vs. For if they make Christs obedience their satisfaction why should they not fully close hands with vs and make it their iustice also V. Reason The consent of the ancient Church Bernard saith epist. 190. The iustice of an other is a assigned vnto man who wanted his owne man was indebted and man made paiment The satisfaction of one is imputed to all And why may not iustice be from an other as well as guiltines is from an other And in Cant. serm 25. It sufficeth me for all righteousnes to haue him alone mercifull to me against whome I haue sinned And Not to sinne is Gods iustice mans iustice is the mercifulnes of God And serm 61. Shall I sing mine owne righteousnes Lord I will remember thy righteousnes alone for it is mine also in that euen thou art made vnto me righteousnes of God What shall I feare least that one be not sufficient for vs both it is not a short cloke that cannot couer two it will couer both thee and me largely beeing both a large and eternall iustice August on Psal. 22. He praieth for our faults and hath made our faults his faults that he might make his iustice our iustice Obiections of Papists Obiections of the Papists proouing inherent righteousnesse to be in the matter of our iustice before God are these I. Obiect It is absurd that one man should be made righteous by the righteousnes of an other for it is as much as if one man were made wise by the wisdome of an other Ans. It is true that no man can be made righteous by the personall righteousnes of an other because it pertaines onely to one man And because the wisdome that is in one man is his altogether wholly it can not be the wisdome of an other no more then the health and life of one bodie can be the health of an other But it is otherwise with the righteousnes of Christ it is his indeede because it is inherent in him as in a subiect it is not his alone but his and ours together by the tenour of the Couenant of grace Christ as he is a Mediatour is giuen to euery beleeuer as really and truly as land is giuen from man to man and with him are giuen all things that concerne saluation they beeing made ours by Gods free gift among which is Christ his righteousnes By it therefore as beeing a thing of our owne we may be iustified before God and accepted to life euerlasting II. Obiect If a sinner be iustified by Christ his righteousnes then euery beleeuer shall be as righteous as Christ and that can not be Ans. The proposition is false for Christ his righteousnes is not applied to vs according as it is in Christ neither according to the same measure nor the same
it before a stranger eating himselfe and bidding the stranger also to eate who refusing and professing himselfe to be a Christian therefore saith he the rather must thou doe it for to the pure all things are pure as the word of God teacheth vs. But they obiect Ier. 35. where Ionadab commanded the Rechabites to abstaine from wine which commandement they obeyedâ— and are commended for doing well in obeying of it therefore say they some kinde of meates may lawfully be forbiddenâ— Ans. Ionadab gaue this commandement not in way of religion or merit but for other wise and politicke regardes For he inioyned his posteritie not to drinke wine not to build houses not to sow â—eed or plant vineyards or to haue any in possession but to liue intents to the ende they might be prepared to beare the calamities that should befall them in time to come But the Popish abstineâ—ce from certaine meates hath respect to conscience and religion and therefore is of an other kinde and can haue no warrant thence II. Obiect Dan. 10.3 Daniel beeing in heauines for three weekes of daies abstained from flesh and his example is our warrant Ans. It was the manner of holy men in auncient times when they fasted many daies together of their owne accords freely to abstaine from sundrie things and thus Daniel abstained from flesh But the popish abstinence from flesh is not free but stands by commandement and the omitting of it is mortall sinne Againe if they will follow Daniel in abstaining from flesh why doe they not also abstaine from all pleasant bread and wine yea from oyntments and why will they eate any thing in the time of their fast whereas they can not shew that Daniel ate any thing at all till euening And Molanus hath noted that our ancetours abstained from wine and dainties and that some of them ate nothing for two or three daies together Thirdly they alleadge the diet of Iohn Baptist whose meate was Locusts and wild honie and of Timothie who abstained from wine Ans. Their kind of diet and that abstinence which they vsed was onely for temperance sake not for conscience or to merit any thing thereby let them prooue the contrarie if they can Thirdly and lastly we dissent from them touching certaine ends of fasting For they make abstinence it selfe in a person fitly prepared to be a part of the worship of God but we take it to be a thing indifferent in it selfe therfore no part of Gods worship and yet withall being well vsed we esteeme it as a proppe or furtherance of the worship in that we are made the fitter by it to worship God And hereupon some of the more learned sort of them say Not the worke of fasting done but the deuotion of the worker is to be reputed the seruice of God Againe they say that fasting in or with deuotion is a worke of satisfaction to Gods iustice for the temporall punishment of our sinnes Wherein we take it they doe blasphemously derogate from Christ our Sauiour who is the whole and perfect satisfaction for sinne both in respect of fault and punishment Here they alleadge the example of the Nineuites and Achabs fasting whereby they turned away the iudgements of God denounced against theÌ„ by his Prophets We answer that Gods wrath was appeased towards the Nineuites not by their fasting but by faith laying hold on Gods mercie in Christ thereby staying his iudgement Their fasting was onely a signe of their repentance their repentance a fruit and signe of their faith whereby they beleeued the preaching of â—onas As for Ahabs humiliation it is nothing to the purpose for it was in hyprocrisie if they get any thing thereby let them take it to themselues To conclude we for our parts doe not condemne this exercise of fasting but the abuse of it and it were to be wished that fasting were more vsed of all Christians in all places considering the lord doth daily giue vs new and speciall occasions of publike and priuate fasting The XIII point Of the state of perfection Our consent Our consent I will set downe in two conclusions I. All true beleeuers haue a state of true perfection in this life Matthew 5.48 Be you perfect as your father in heauen is perfect Gen. 6.9 Noah was a iust and perfect man in his time walked with God Gen. 17.1 Walke before me and be perfect And sundrie kings of Iuda are said to walke vprightly before god with a perfect heart as Dauid Iosias Hezekias c. And Paul accounteth himselfe with the rest of the faithfull to be perfect saying Let vs all that are perfect bee thus minded Phil. 3.15 Nowe this perfection hath two parts The first is the imputation of Christs perfect obedience which is the ground and fountaine of all our perfection whatsoeuer Heb. 10.14 By one offering that is by his obedience in his death passion hath he consecrated or made perfect for euer them that beleeue The second part of Christian perfection is synceritie or vprightnes standing in two things The first is to acknowledge our imperfection and vnworthines in respect of our selues and hereupon though Paul had said he was perfect yet he addeth further that he did account of himselfe not as though he had attained to perfection but did forget the good things behinde and indeauoured himselfe to that which was before Here therefore it must be remembred that the perfection whereof I speake may stand with sundrie wants and imperfections It is said of Asa that his heart was perfect with God all his daies and yet hee pulled not downe the high places and beeing diseased in his feete he put his trust in the phisitians and not in the Lord. Secondly this vprightnes standes in a constant purpose endeauour and care to keepe not some fewe but all and euery commandement of the lawe of God as Dauid saith Psal. 119.6 Then shall I not bee confounded when I haue respect to all thy commandements And this endeauour is a fruite of perfection in that it proceedes from a man regenerate For as all men through Adams fall haue in them by nature the seedes of all sinne none excepted no not the sinne against the holy ghost so by grace of regeneration through Christ all the faithfull haue in them likewise the seedes of all vertues needfull to saluation and hereupon they both can and do endeauour to yeeld perfect obedience vnto God according to the whole lawe And they may bee tearmed perfect as a child is called a perfect man though it want perfection of age and stature and reason yet hath it perfection of parts because it hath all and euery part and facultie both of bodie and soule that is required to a perfect man Conclus II. There be certaine works of supererogation that is such works as are not onely answerable to the law and thereupon deserue life euerlasting but goe beyond the lawe and merit more then the law by
all things were cheape 20 That drinking and bezeling in the alehouse or tauerne is good felowship and shewes a good kind nature and maintaines neighbourhoode 21 That a man may sweare by the Masse because it is nothing now and by r Ladie because shee is gone out of the countrie 22 That euery man must be for himselfe and God for vs all 23 That a man may make of his owne whatsoeuer he can 24 That if a man remember to say his praiers in the morning though hâ— neuer vnderstand them he hath blessed himselfe for all the day following 25 That a man praieth when he saith the ten Commandâ—ments 26 That a man eates his maker in the Sacrament 27 That if a man be no adulterer no thiefe nor murderer and doe no man harme he is a right honest man 28 That a man neede not haue any knowledge of Religion because he is not booke-learned 29 That one may haue a good meaning when he saith and doth that which is euill 30 That a man may goe to wizards called wisemen for counsell because God hath prouided a salue for euery sore 31 That ye are to be excused in all your doings because the best men are sinners 32 That ye haue so strong a faith in Christ that no euill companie can hurt you These and such like sayings what argue they but your grosse ignorance Now where ignorance raigneth there raignes sinne and where sinne raignes there the deuill rules and where he rules man are in a damnable case Ye will replie vnto me thus that ye are not so bad I would make you if neede be you can say the Creede the Lords prayer and the ten Commandements and therefore ye will be of Gods beleefe say all men what they will and you defie the deuill from yours hearts I answer againe that it is not sufficient to say all these without booke vnlesse ye can vnderstand the meaning of the words and be able to make a right vse of the Commandements of the Creede of the Lords prayer by applying them inwardly to your hearts and consciences and outwardly to your liues and conuersations This is the very point in which ye faile And for an helpe in this your ignorance to bring you to true knowledge vnfained faith and sound repentance here I haue set downe the principall point of Christian religion in sixe plaine and easie rules euen such as the simplest may easily learne and hereunto is adioyned an exposition of them word by word If ye doe want other good direction then vse this my labour for your instruction In reading of it first learne the sixe principles and when ye haue them without the booke and the meaning of them withall then learne the exposition also which beeing well conceiued and in some measure felt in the heart ye shall be able to profit by Sermons whereas now ye cannot and the ordinarie parts of the Catechisme namely the ten Commaundements the Creede the Lords prayer and the institution of the two Sacraments shall more easily be vnderstood Thine in Christ Iesus William Perkins The foundation of Christian religion gathered into sixe Principles The first Principle Question VVHat doest thou beleeue concerning God A. There is one God creator and gouernour of all things distinguished into the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Prooues out of the word of God 1. There is a God For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the world beeing considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse Neuerthelesse he left not himselfe without witnesse in that he did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnes 2. This God one Concerning therefore meat sacrificed to idols we knowe that an idol is nothing in the worlde and that there is none other God but one 3. He is creatour of all things In the beginning God created the heauen and the earth Through faith wee vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God so that the things which we see are not made of things which did appeare 4. He is gouernour of all things The eies of the Lord in euery place behold the euill and the good Yea and all the haires of your head are numbred 5. Distinguished into the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And Iesus when he was baptized came straight out of the water and loe the heauens were opened vnto him and Iohn sawe the spirit of God descending like a Doue and lighting vpon him And loe a voice came from heauen saying This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased For there are three which beare record in heauen the Father the word and the holy Ghost and these three are one The second Principle Q. What dost thou beleeue coÌ„cerning man coÌ„cerning thine own selfe A. All men are wholly corrupted with sinne through Adams fall and so are become slaues of Sathan and guiltie of eternall damnation 1. All men are corrupted with sinne As it is written there is none righteous no not one 2. They are wholly corrupted Nowe the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and bodie may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. This I say therefore and testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in vanitie of their minde Hauing their cogitation darkened and beeing strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their heart When the Lord sawe that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onely euill continually 3. Through Adams fall Wherefore as by one man sinne entred into the worlde and death by sinne and so death went went ouer all men for so much as all men haue sinned 4. And so are become slaues of Sathan Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of the worlde and after the prince that ruleth in the aire euen the spirit that nowe worketh in the children of disobedience For as much then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood he also himselfe likewise tooke part with them that hee might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the deuill In whome the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that is of Infidels that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the image of God should not shine vnto them 5. And guiltie of eternall damnation For as many as are of the workes of the Lawe are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Lawe to doe them Likewise then as by the offence of
hand depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angels The Scriptures for proofe were onely quoted by the author to moue thee to search them the wordes themâ—elues I haue expressed at the earnest request of many that thou maiest more easily learne them if yet thou wilt be ignoraÌ„t thy malice is euident if thou gaynest knowledge giue God the glorie in doing of his will Thine T. S. THE EXPOSITION OF THE PRINCIPLES The first Principle expounded Question WHat is God A. God is a spirit or a spirituall substance most wise most holy eternall infinite Q. How doe you perswade your selfe that there is such a God A. Besides the testimonie of the Scriptures plaine reason will shew it Q. What is one reason A. When I consider the wonderfull frame of the world me thinks the silly creatures that be in it could neuer make it neither could it make it selfe and therefore besides all these the maker of it must needes be God Euen as when a man comes into a strange country and sees faire and sumptuous buildings and yet findes no liuing creatures there besides birds and beasts he will not imagine that either birdes or beasts reared those buildings but he presently conceiues that some men either were or haue beene there Q. What other reason haue you A. A man that commits any sinne as murder fornication adulterie blasphemie c. albeit he doth so conceale the matter that no man liuing know of it yet oftentimes he hath a griping in his conscience and feeles the very flashing of hell fire which is a strong reason to shew that there is a God before whose iudgement seat he must answer for this fact Q. How many Gods are there A. No more but one Q. How doe you conceiue this one God in your minde A. Not by framing any image of him in my minde as ignorant folks doe that thinke him to be an old man sitting in heauen but I conceiue him by his properties and workes Q. What be his chiefe properties A. First he is most wise vnderstanding all things aright and knowing the reason of them Secondly he is most holy which appeareth in that he is most iust and mercifull vnto his creatures Thirdly he is eternall without either beginning or ende of daies Lastly he is infinite both because he is present in all places and because he is of power sufficient to doe whatsoeuer he will Q. What be the workes of God A. The creation of the world and of euery thing therein and the preseruation of them beeing created by his speciall prouidence Q. How know you that God gouerneth euery particular thing in the world by his speciall prouidence A. To omit the Scriptures I see it by experience Meate Drinke and clothing beeing void of heate and life could not preserue the life of man vnlesse there were a speciall prouidence of God to giue vertue vnto them Q. How is this one God distinguished A. Into the Father which begetteth the Sonne into the Sonne who is begotten of the Father into the holy Ghost who proceedeth from the Father the Sonne The second Principle expounded Q. Let vs nowe come to ours selues and first tell me what is the naturall estate of man A. Euery man is by nature dead in sin as a loathsome carrion or as a dead corps lyeth rotting and stincking in the graue hauing in him the seede of all sinnes Q. What is sinne A. Any breach of the Lawe of God if it be no more but the least want of that which the Lord requireth Q. Howe many sortes of sinne are there A. Sinne is either the corruption of nature or any euill actions that proceede of it as fruites therof Q. In whome is the corruption of nature A. In all men none excepted Q. In what part of man is it A. In euery part both of body and soule like as a leprosie that runneth from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foote Q. Shew me howe euery part of man is corrupted with sinne A. First in the minde there is nothing but ignorance and blindenes concerning heauenly matters Secondly the conscience is defiled being alwaies either benummed with sinne or else turmoyled with inward accusations and terrors Thirdly the will of man onely willeth and lusteth after euil Fourthly the affections of the heart as loue ioy hope desire c. are mooued and stirred to that which is euill to imbrace it and they are neuer stirred vnto that which is good vnlesse it be to eschewe it Lastly the members of the body are the instruments and tooles of the mind for the execution of sinne Q. What be those euill actions that are the fruites of this corruption A. Euill thoughts in the minde which come either by a mans owne conceiuing or by the suggestion of the deuill euill motions and lusts stirring in the heart and froÌ„ these arise euill words and deeds when any occasion is giueÌ„ Q. Howe commeth it to passe that all men are thus defiled with sinne A. By Adams infidelitie and disobedience in eating the forbidden fruite euen as we see great personages by treason doe not only hurt themselues but also staine their blood and disgrace their posteritie Q. What hurt comes to man by his sinne A. He is continually subiect to the curse of God in his life time in the end of his life and after this life Q. VVhat is the curse of God in this life A. In the bodie diseases aches paines in the soule blindnesse hardnesse of heart horrour of conscience in goods hinderances and losses in name ignominie and reproach lastly in the whole man bondage vnder Sathan the prince of darkenes Q. VVhat manner of bondage is this A. This bondage is when a man is the â—laue of the deuill and hath him to raigne in his heart as his God Q. How may a man know whether Sathan be his God or not A. He may knowe it by this if he giue obedience to him in his heart expresse it in his conuersation Q. And howe shall a man perceiue this obedience A. If he take delight in the euill motions that Sathan puts into his heart doe fulfill the lusts of the deuill Q. What is the curse due to man in the ende of this life A. Death which is the seperation of bodie and soule Q. What is the curse after this life A. Eternal damnation in hel fire whereof euery man is guiltie and is in as great danger of it as the traitour apprehended is in danger of hanging drawing and quartering The third principle expounded Q. If damnation be the reward of sinne then is a man of all creatures most miserable A dog or a toade when they die all their miserie is ended but wheÌ„ a man dieth there is the beginning of
Gods eyes We are vnder the wrath of God by nature and can not attaine to euerlasting life of our selues Wherefore it doth stand euery one of vs in hand to abase our selues vnder the mightie hand of God in that we are become by our sinnes the very basest of all the creatures vpon earth yea vtterly to dispaire in respect of our selues and with bleeding hearts to bewaile our owne cases There is no daunger in this it is the very way to grace none can be a liuely member of Christ till his conscience condemne him and make him quite out of heart in respect of himselfe And the want of this is the cause why so fewe perceiue any sweetnesse or comfort in the Gospell and why it is so little loued and embraced now a daies Lastly if all mankind be shut vp vnder vnbeleefe the dutie of euery man is to labour in vsing all good meanes whereby we may be deliuered from this bondage and to pray to God with Dauid Create in me a â—lâ—an heart O God and renew a right spirit within me And crie out with Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death And we must neuer be at rest till we haue some assurance in conscience that in Christ we haue freedome from this bondage and can with the Colossians giue thanks that we are deliuered from the power of darknesse and translated into the kingdome of Christ. This should be the affection of euery man because the spirituall thraldom vnder sinne is of all miseries most loathsome and burdensome And in this respect the day of death should be vnto vs most welcome because it doth vnloose vs from this miserable estate in which we doe almost nothing but displease God For this is the greatest griefe that can be to such as are indeed the children of God by their sinnes to offende their mercifull father As for those which feele not the weight of their natural guiltinesse and corruption but lie slumbring in the securitie of their owne hearts they are therefore the more miserable in that beeing plunged in the gulfe of all miserie yet they feele no miserie Thus much of the permission of the fal of man Now we come to the Couenant of grace Which is nothing els but a compact made betweene God man touching reconciliation and life euerlasting by Christ. This couenant was first of all reuealed and deliuered to our first parents in the garden of Eden immediately after their fall by God himselfe in these wordes The seede of the woman shall bruise the serpents head and afterward it was continued and renued with a part of Adams posteritie as with Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid c. but it was most fully reuealed accomplished at the comming of Christ. In the Couenant I will consider two things the parties reconciled between whome the Couenant is made and the foundation thereof The parties are God and man God is the principal and he promiseth righteousnesse and life eternall in Christ Man againe bindes himselfe by Gods grace to beleeue and to rest vpon the promise Here it may be demanded why man is more in the couenant then angels Ans. The will of God in this point is not reuealed vnlesse it be because angels fell of themselues not mooued by any other but man did fall by them Againe it may be asked whether all mankind were euer in the couenant or no Ans. We can not say that all and euery man hath bin and nowe is in the couenant but onely that little part of mankinde which in all ages hath bin the Church of God and hath by faith embraced the couenant as Paul plainly auoucheth The scripture saith he hath concluded all vnder sin that the promise of the saith of Iesus Christ should be giueÌ„ not vnto all men but to theÌ„ that beleeue Without faith no man can please God and therefore God makes no couenant of reconciliation without faith Againe since the beginning of the world there hath bin alwaies a distinction betweene man and man This appeares in the very tenour of the words of the couenant made with our first parents where God saith he will put difference betweene the seede of the woman and the seede of the serpent meaning by the seede of the woman Christ with all the elect whome the father hath giuen vnto him who shall bruise the serpents head and tread Satan vnder their feete And by the seede of the serpent he meaneth wicked men that liue die in their sinnes as S. Iohn saith he that committeth sinne is of the deuil And according to this distinction in times following was Abel receiued into the couenant and Cain reiected some were the sonnes of God in the daies of Noe some the sonnes of men In Abrahams family Ismael is cast out and the couenant established in Isaac Iacob is loued Esau is hated And this distinction in the families of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Paul approoueth when he maketh some to be the children of the flesh and some other the children of the promise And againe the Iewes a people of God in the couenant the Gentiles no people For Paul makes it a priuiledge of the Iewes to haue the adoption and couenants and the seruice of God and the promises belonging vnto them whereas he saith of the Ephesians that they were alients from the common wealth of Israel and were straungers from the couenants of promise and had no hope and were without Christ and without God in the world And the same may be said of the whole bodie of the Gentiles excepting here and there a man who were conuerted and became Proselytes And this is manifest in that they wanted the word and the Sacraments teachers And this saying of the prophet Ose I will call them my people which were not my people and her belooued which was not beloued is alleadged by Paul to prooue the calling of the Gentiles Some doe alleadge to the contrarie that when the couenant was made with our first parents it was also in them made with al mankind not one man excepted that the distinction and difference betweene man and man ariseth of their vnbeleefe and contempt of the couenant afterward Ans. Indeed in the estate of Innocency Adam by creation receiued grace for himselfe and his posteritie and in his fall he transgressed not onely for himselfe but for all his posteritie but in receiuing of the couenant of grace it cannot be prooued that he receiued it for himselfe and for all mankind nay the distinction betweene the seede of the woman and the seede of the serpent mentioned in the very first giuing of the couenant shewes the contrarie for if after the fall all and euery part of mankinde were receiued into the couenant then all men without restraint should be the seed of the woman bruising the serpents head and the serpent should haue no seede at all And againe
of their soules But some thinke rather that this potion was to shorten and ende his torments quickly Some of vs may peraduenture thinke hardly of the Iewes for giuing so bitter a potion of Christ at the time of his death but the same doth euery sinner that repenteth not For whensoeuer wee sinne we doe as much as temper a cup of gall or the poison of aspes and as it were giue it to God to drinke for so God himselfe compareth the sinne of the wicked Iewes to poyson saying There vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the vines of Gomorrha their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters be bitter their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruell gall of aspes And for this cause we ought to thinke as hardly of our selues as of the Iewes because so oft as we commit any offence against God we doe as much as mingle ranke poison and bring it to Christ to drink Now afterward when this cup was giuen him he tasted of it but dranke not because he was willing to suffer all things that his father had appointed him to suffer on the crosse without any shortening or lessening of his paine Thus we see in what manner Christ was brought â—orth to the place of execution Now followeth his crucifying Christ in the prouidence of God was to be crucified for two causes one that the â—igures of the old testament might be accomplished and verified For the heaue-offering lifted vp and shaked from the right hand to the left and the brasen serpent erected vpon a pole in the wildernesse prefigured the exalting of Christ vpon the crosse The second that we might in conscience be resolued that Christ became vnder the law and suffered the curse thereof for vs and bare in his owne bodie and soule the extremitie of the wrath of God for our offences And though other kinds of punishments were notes of the curse of God as stoning and such like yet was the death of the crosse in speciall manner aboue the rest accursed not by the nature of the punishment not by the opinions of men not by the ciuill lawes of countries and kingdomes but by the vertue of a particular commandement of God foreseeing what maner of death Christ our redeemer should die And hereupon among the Iewes in all ages this kind of punishment hath beene branded with speciall ignominie as Paul signifieth when he saith He abased himselfe to the death euen to the death of the crosse and it hath beene allotted as a most grieuous punishment to most notorious malefactours If it be said that the repentant thiefe vpon the crosse dyed the same death with Christ and yet was not accursed the answer is that in regard of his offences he deserued the curse and was actually accursed and the signe of this was the death which he suffered and that in his owne confession but because he repented his sinnes were pardoned and the curse remooued It may further be said that crucifying was not knowne in Moses daies and therefore not accursed by any speciall commandement of God in Deuteronomie Answ. Moses indeede speakes nothing in particular of crucifying yet neuerthelesse he doth include the same vnder the generall For if euery one which hangs vpon a tree be accursed then he also which is crucified for crucifying is a particular kinde of hanging on the tree Lastly it may be alleadged that Christ in his death could not be accursed by the law of Moses becavse he was no malefactour Answ. Though in regard of himselfe he was no sinner yet as he was our suretie he became sinne for vs and consequently the curse of the law for vs in that the curse euery way due vnto vs by imputation and application was made his Furthermore Christ was crucified not after the manner of the Iewes who vsed to hang malefactours vpon a tree binding them thereto with cords and that when they were dead but after the vsuall maner of the Romanes his bodie being partly nayled to the crosse and partly in the nayling extreamely racked otherwise I see not but that a man might remaine many daies togither aliue vpon the crosse And here we haue occasion to remeÌ„ber that the Papists who are so deuout and zealous towardes crucifixes are farre deceiued in the making of them For first of all the crosse was made of three pieces of wood one fastened vpright in the ground to which the bodie back leaned the second fastened towards the top of the first ouerthwart to which the haÌ„ds were nailed the third fastened towards the bottome of the first on which the feete were set and nailed whereas contrariwise popish caruers and painters fasten both the feet of the crosse to the first secondly the feete of Christ were nailed asunder with two distinct nailes and not nailed one vpon another with one naile alone as Papists imagine and that to the very bodie of the crosse for then the souldiers could not haue broken both the legges of the theeues but onely the outmost because one of them lay vpon the other Let vs now come to the vse which may be made of the crucifying of Christ. First of all here we learne with bitternesse to bewaile our sinnes for Christ was thus cruelly nailed on the crosse and there suffered the whole wrath of God not for any offence that euer he committed but beeing our pledge and suretie vnto God he suffered all for vs and therefore iust cause haue we to mourne for our offences which brought our Sauiour Christ to this lowe estate If a man should be so farre in debt that he could not be freed vnlesse the suretie should be cast into prison for his sake nay which is more be cruelly put to death for his debt it would make him at his wits end and his very heart to bleed And so is the case with vs by reason of our sinnes we are Gods debters yea bankrupts before him yet haue we gotten a good suretie euen the son of God himselfe who to recouer vs to our former libertie was crucified for the discharge of our debt And therefore good cause haue we to bewaile our estate euery day as by the prophet it is said They shall looke on him whome they haue pearced they shall lâ—ment for him as one mourneth for his owne sonne they shall be â—orie for him as one is sorie for his first borne Looke as the blood followed the nailes that were stricken through the blessed hands and feete of Christ so should the meditation of the crosse and passion of our Redeemer be as it were nayles and speares to pierce vs that our hearts might bleed for our sinnes and we are not to thinke more hardly of the Iewes for crucifying him then of our selues because euen by our sinnes we also crucified him These are the very nayles which pierce his hands and feete and these are the speares which pierce through his side For the losse
of a little worldly pelfe oh how are we grieued but seeing our transgressions are the weapons whereby the sonne of God was crucified let vs I say it againe and againe learne to be grieued for them aboue all things and with bleeding and melting hearts bow and buckle vnder them as vnder the crosse Secondly Christ saith of himselfe as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernes so must the sonne of man be lifted vp the comparison is excellent and worthie the marking In the wildernes of Arabia the people of Israel rebelled against God and thereupon he sent fierie serpents among them which stung many of them to death now when they repented Moses was commanded to make a brasen serpent and to set it vpon a pole that as many as were stung might looke vnto it and recouer and if they could but cast a glaunce of the eye on the brasen serpent when they were stung euen to death they were restored to health and life Now euery man that liueth is in the same case with the Israelites Satan hath stung vs at the heart and giuen vs many a deadly wound if we could feele it and Christ who was figured by the brasen serpent was likewise exalted on the crosse to conferre righteousnesse and life eternall to euery one of vs therefore if we will escape eternall death we must renoūce our selues and lift vp the eyes of our faith to Christ crucified and pray for the pardon of our sinnes and then shall our hearts and consciences be healed of the wounds and gripes of the deuill and vntill such time as we haue grace to doe this we shall neuer be cured but still lie wounded with the stings of Satan and bleeding to death euen at the very heart although we feele no paine or griefe at all But some may aske how any man can see him crucified now after his death Ans. Wheresoeuer the word of God is preached there Christ is crucified as Paul saith Oh foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth to whome before Iesus Christ was described in your sight and among you crucified meaning that he was liuely preached among them We neede not to goe to wodden crosses or to golden crucifixes to seeke for him but where the Gospel is preached thither must we goe and there lift vp our eyes of faith to Christ as he is reuealed vnto vs in the word resting on him and his merits with all our hearts and with a godly sorrow confesse and bewaile our sinnes crauing at his hands mercie and pardon for the same For till such time as we doe this we are grieuously stung by Satan and are euery moment euen at deaths dore And if we can thus behold Christ by faith the benefits which come hereby shall be great for as Paul saith the old man that is the corruption of our nature and the bodie of sinne that raigneth in vs shall be crucified with him for when Christ was nailed on the crosse all our sinnes were laid vpon him therefore if thou dost vnfainedly beleeue all thy sinnes are crucified with him and the corruption of thy nature languisheth and dieth as he languished and died vpon the crosse Thirdly we must learne to imitate Christ as he suffered himselfe to be nayled to the crosse for our sinnes so answerably must euery one of vs learne to crucifie our flesh and the corruption of our nature and the wickednesse of our owne hearts as Paul saith They that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof And this we shall doe if for our sinnes past we waile and mourne with bitternesse and preuent the sinnes to come into which we may fall by reason of the corruption of our natures by vsing all good meanes as praier and fasting and the word of God preached and by flying all occasions of offence We are not to destroy our bodies or to kill our selues but to kill and crucifie sinne that liueth in vs and to mortifie the corruption of our nature that rebels against the spirit Christianitie stands not in this to heare the word of God and outwardly to professe the same and in the meane season still to liue in our sinnes and to pamper our owne rebellious flesh but it teacheth vs alwaies to haue in readines some speare or other to wound sinne and the sword of the spirit to cut downe corruption in vs that thereby we may shew our selues to be liuely followers of Christ indeede Fourthly by this wee may learne that the wrath of God against sinne is wonderfull great because his owne Sonne bearing our person and beeing in our place was not onely crucified and racked most cruelly but also bare the whole wrath of God in his soule and therefore we must leaue off to make so little account of sinne as commonly we doe Fifthly whereas the person crucified was the sonne of God it sheweth that the loue of God which he bare vnto vs in our redemption is endlesse like a sea without banke or bottome it can not be searched into and if we shall not acknowledge it to be so our condemnation will be the greater Sixtly in this that Christ bare the curse of the law vpon the crosse we learne that those that be the children of God when they suffer any iudgement crosse or calamitie either in bodie or in minde or both doe not beare them as the curses of God but as the chastisments of a louing father For it doth not stand with the iustice of God to punish one fault twise and therefore when any man that putteth his whole confidence in God shall either in his owne person in his good name or in his goods feele the heauie hand of God God doth not as a iudge curse him but as a father correct him Here then is condemned the opinion of the Church of Rome which hold that we by our sufferings doe in some part satisfie the iustice of God but this can not stand because Christ did make a perfect fatisfaction to the iustice of his father for all punishment And therefore satisfaction to God made by man for temporall punishment is needlesse and much derogates from Christs passion In the crucifying of Christ two things specially must be considered The manner of the doing of it and his continuance aliue vpon the crosse Touching the manner the spirit of God hath noted two things The first that Christ was crucified between two theeues the one vpon his left hand the other vpon his right in which action is verefied the saying of the Prophet Esai He was numbred among the wicked and the Iewes for their parts doe hereby testifie that they esteemed him to be not some common wicked man but euen the captaine and ringleader of all theeues and malefactours whatsoeuer Nowe whereas Christ standing vpon the crosse in our roome and stead is reputed the head and prince of all sinners it serueth to teach euery one of vs