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
without it euery man is more miserable and wretched then the most vile creature that euer was We loâ—th the serpent or the toad but if a man haue not the pardon of his sinns procured by the death and passion of Christ he is a thousand fold worse then they For when they die there is the ende of their woe and miserie but when man dieth without this benefit there is the beginning of his For first in soule till the day of iudgement and then both in bodie and soule for euermore he shall enter into the endlesse paines and torments of hell in which if one should continue so many thousand yeares as there are drops in the Ocean sea and then be deliuered it were some ease but hauing continued so long which is an vnspeakable length of time he must remaine there as long againe and after that for euer and euer without release and therefore among all the benefits that euer were or can be thought of this is the greatest and most pretious Among all the burdens that can befall a man what is the greatest Some will say sicknesse some ignominie some pouertie some contempt but indeede among all the heauiest and the greatest is the burden of a mans owne sinnes lying vpon the conscience and pressing it downe without any assurance of pardon Dauid beeing a king had no doubt all that heart could wish and yet he laying aside all the royalties and pleasures of his kingdome saith this one thing aboue all that he is a blessed man that is eased of the burden of his sinnes A lazar man full of sores is vgly to the sight and we can not abide to looke vpon him but no lazar is so lothsome to vs as all sinners are in the sight of God and therfore Dauid counted him blessed whose sinnes were couered It may be some wil say there is no cause why a man should thus magnifie the pardon of sinne considering it is but a common benefit Thus indeede men may imagine which neuer knew what sinne meant but let a man onely as it were but with the tip of his finger haue a little feeling of the smart of his sinnes he shall finde his estate so fearefull that if the whole world were set before him on the one side and the pardon of sinnes on the other he would choose the pardon of his sinne before ten thousand worldes Though many drousie Protestants esteeme nothing of it yet to the touched conscience it is a treasure which when a man findes he hides it and goes home and sells all that he hath and buies it Therefore this beneâ—it is most excellent and for it the members of Gods Church haue great cause to giue God thankes without ceasing The duties to be learned hence are these And first of all here comes a commoÌ„ fault of men to be rebuked Euery one wil say that he beleeueth the remission of sinnes yet no man almost laboureth for a true and certen perswasion hereof in his owne conscience and for proofe hereof propound this question to the common Christian Doest thou perswade thy selfe that God giues remission of sinnes vnto his Church The answer will be I know and beleeue it But aske him further Doest thou beleeue the pardon of thine owne sinnes then comes in a blind answer I haue a good hope to God-ward but I can not tell I thinke no man can say so much for God saith to no man thy sinnes are pardoned But this is to speake flat contraries to say they beleeue and they can not tell it bewraies exceeding negligence in matter of saluation But let them that feare God or loue their owne soules health giue all diligence to make sure the remission of their owne sinnes withall auoiding hardnesse of heart and drowsines of spirit the most fearefull iudgements of God which euery where take place The foolish virgins went forth to meete the bridegroome with lamps in their hands as well as the wise but they neuer so much as dreamed of the horne of oyle till the comming of the bridegroome So many men liue in the Church of God as members thereof holding vp the lampe of glorious profession but in the meane season they seeke onely for the things of this life neuer casting how they may assure themselues in conscience touching their reconciliation with God till the day of death come Secondly if we be here bound to beleeue the pardon of all our sinnes then we must euery day humble our selues before God and seeke pardon for our daily offences for he giues grace to the humble or contrite he fills the hungrie with good things when the rich are sent emptie away When Benhadad the King of Syria was discomfited and ouercome by the king of Israel by the counsell of his seruants who told him that the kings of Israel were mercifull men he sent them cloathed in sackcloath with ropes about their neckes to intreat for peace and fauour Now when the king saw their submission he made couenant of peace with him We by our sinnes most iustly deserue hell death and condemnation euery day and therefore it standeth vs in hand to come into the presence of God and to humble our selues before him in sackcloath and ashes crauing and intreating for nothing in the world so much as for pardon of our sinnes and that day by day without ceasing till the Lord giue this blessed answer to our consciences that all our sinnes are put out of his remembrance We must not thinke that God putteth grace into mens hearts when they lie snurting vpon their elbowes and either not vse or despise the meanes but we must first vse the meanes partly by making confession of our sinnes to God and partly by crying to heauen for pardon and then when by his grace we beginne to desire grace he giues further grace Lastly if we beleeue the pardon of our sinnes then we must change the tenour and course of our liues and take heede of breaking Gods commandements by doing any of those things whereof our consciences may accuse vs and tell vs that by them we haue displeased God heretofore A man that for some misdemeanour hath beene cast into prison and lien there many yeares winter and sommer in cold irons when he obtaines libertie he will often bethinke himselfe of his old miserie and take heede for euer least he fall into the same offence againe and he which hath seene his owne sinnes and â—elt the smart of them and withall by Gods goodnes obtained assurance touching the pardon of them will neuer wittingly and willingly commit the like sinneâ— any more but in all things change the course of his life As for such as say that they haue the pardon of their sinnes and yet liue in them still they deceiue themselues and haue no faith at all Thus much for the second benefit which God bestoweth on his Church namely remission of sinnes now followeth the third in these wordes The resurrection of the
suffereth for his sinne It is true indeede there bee other causes of the wantes of the bodie and of sickenesse beside sinne and though they be not knowne to vs yet they are knowne to the Lord. Hereupon Christ when he sawe a certaine blind man and was demaunded what was the cause of the blindnesse answered neither hath this man sinned nor his pareÌ„ts but that the work of God should be shewed on him Yet wee for our parts who are to goe not by the secret but by the reuealed will of God must make this vse of our sickenes that it is sent vnto vs for our sinnes When Christ healed the man sicke of the palsie he saieth bee of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and when he had healed the man by the poole of Bethesda that had bin sicke thirtie eight yeares he bids him sinne no more least a worst thing happen vnto him giuing them both to vnderstand that their sickenesse came by reason of their sinnes And thus should euery sicke man resolue himselfe Nowe when wee haue proceeded thus farre and haue as it were laid our finger vpon the right and proper cause of our sicknes three things concerning our sinnes must bee performed of vs in sickenesse First we must make a new examination of our heartes and liues and say as the Israelites said in affliction Let vs search and â—ry our waies and turne againe to the Lord. Secondly we must make a newe confession to God of our new and particular sinnes as God sends new corrections and chastisements When Dauid had the hand of God verie heauie vpon him for his sinnes so as his verie bones and moisture consumed within him he made confession of them vnto God and thereupon obtained his pardon and was healed The third thing is to make newe praier and more earnest the euer before with sighes and grones of the spirit and that for pardon of the same sins and for reconciliation with God in Christ. In the exercise of these three duties standes the renouation of our faith and repentance whereby they are increased quickened and reuiued And the more sickenesse preuailes and takes place in the bodie the more should we bee carefull to put them in vre that spirituall life might increase as temporall life is decaied When King Ezechias lay sicke as he thought vpon his death-bed hee wept as for some other causes so also for his sinnes and withall he praied God to cast them behind his backe Dauid made certaine Psalmes when he was sicke or at the least vpon the occasion of his sickenes as namely the 6. the 32. the 38. the 39 c. they all are psalmes of repentance in which we may see howe in distresse of bodie and minde he renewed his faith and repentance heartely bewailing his sinnes and intreating the Lord for the pardon of them Manasses one that fell from God and gaue himselfe to many horrible sinnes when hee was taken captiue and imprisoned in Babylon he praied to the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers and praied vnto him and God was intreated of him and heard his praier and brought him againe into Ierusalem into his kingdome and then Manasses knewe that the Lord was God Nowe looke what Manasses did in this tribulation the same thing must wee doe in the time of our bodily sickenesse Here I haue occasion to mention a notorious fault that is very common in this age euen among such as haue long liued in the bosome of the Church that is this Men nowe a daies are so farre from renuing their faith and repentance that when they lie sicke and are drawing toward death they must bee Catechised in the doctrine of faith and repentance as if they had beene but of late receiued into the Church Whosoeuer will but as occasion is offered visit the sicke shall finde this to bee true which I say What a shame is this that when a man hath spent his life and daies in the Church for the space of twentie or thirtie or fourtie yeares he should at the verie ende of all and not before begin to inquire what faith and what repentance is and howe his soule might bee saued This one sinne argues the great securitie of this age and the great contempt of God and his worde Well let all men hereafter in time to come be warned to take heede of this exceeding negligence in matters of saluation and to vse all good meanes before hand that they may be able in sicknesse and in the time of death to put in practise the spirituall exercises of inuocation and repentance Nowe if so be it fall out that the sicke partie cannot of himselfe renewe his owne faith and repentance he must seeke the helpe of others When the man that was sicke of the dead palsie could not goe to Christ himselfe hee got others to beare him in his bed and when they could not come nere for the multitude they vncouered the roofe of the house and let the bed downe before Christ euen so when sicke men can not alone by themselues do the good duties to which they are bound they must borrowe helpe from their fellowe members who are partly by their counsel to put to their helping hand and partly by their praiers to present them vnto God and to bring them into the presence of God And touching helpe in this case sundrie duties are to bee performed Saint Iames sets down foure two wherof concerne the sicke patient and other two such as be helpers The first dutie of the sicke man is to send for helpe where two circumstances must be considered who must be sent for and when For the first Saint Iames saith Is any sicke among you let him call for the elders of the Church Whereby are meant not onely Apostles and all ministers of the gospell but others also as I take it which were men ancient for yeares indued with the spirit of vnderstanding and praier and had withall the gift of working miracles and of healing the sicke For in the primitiue Church this gift was for a time so plentifully bestowed on them that beleeued in Christ that souldiers cast out deuills and parents wrought miracles on their children Hence we may learne that howesoeuer it be the dutie of the ministers of the word principally to visit and comfort the sicke yet is it not their dutie alone for it belongs to them also which haue knowledge of Gods worde the gift of praier Exhort one another saith the holy Ghost while it is called to daie And againe Admonish them that are disordered and comfort those that are weake And indeede in equitie it should be the duty of euerie Christian man to comfort his brother in sickenesse Here wee must needes take knowledge of the common fault of men and women when they come to visit their neighbours and friends they can not speake a work of instruction and
we see how Gods word bindes conscience now conscience beeing thus bound againe bindes the man in whome it is The bond of conscience is called guiltines Guiltines is nothing else but a worke of the conscience binding euery sinner to the punishment of euerlasting death before God for this or that sinne Thus much of the proper binder of the conscience now followes the improper The improper binder is that which hath no power at all or vertue in it selfe to binde conscience but doth it onely by the authoritie and vertue of Gods word or some part thereof It is threefold Humane lawes an Oath a Promise Touching humane lawes the speciall point to be considered is In what manner they binde That this may in part be cleared I will stand a while to examine and confute the opinion that the very pillars of the Popish Church at this day maintaine namely that Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction haue a coactiue power in the conscience and that the lawes made thereby doe as truly and properly binde as they speake to mortall and veniall sinne as Gods law it selfe The arguments which they commonly vse are these Argum. 1. Deut. 17. That man that will doe presumptuously and not obey the authoritie of the Priest or Iudge shall die and thou shalt take away euill from Israel Here say they the precepts of the high Priest are Imperia not admonitions or exhortations they bind in conscience otherwise the transgressours therof should not haue bin punished so seuerely Ans. The intent of this law as a very child may perceiue is to establish the authoritie and right of the highest appeales for all matters of controuersie in the Synedrium or great court at Ierusalem Therefore the words alleadged doe not giue vnto the Priest a soueraigne power of making laws but a power of giuing iudgemēt of controuersies that according to laws alreadie made by God himself frō which iudgemēt there might be no appeale Now this power of determining doth not cōstraine conscience but the outward man to maintain order peace For what reason is there that that sentence which might be either a gainsaying of Gods law or a mistaking of it should bind the conscience to a sinne Again not euery one that refused to subiect themselues to the sentence of this court were straightway guiltie of sinne for this did Ieremie the Prophet and Christ our Sauiour when the Iewes condēned them for wicked persons but he that presumptuously despised the sentence and by consequent the authoritie it selfe which was the ordinance of God was guiltie Lastly the seueritie of the punishment which is temporall death doth not argue any power in the iudge of binding conscience this they might haue learned of their owne Doctor Gerson who holdeth that they that bind any man to mortall sinne must be able to punish him with answerable punishment which is eternall death Arg. 2. Matth. 16. Whatsoeuer ye shall bind in earth shall be bound in heaven Here say they to binde is to make lawes constraining conscience according to Matth. 23.4 They binde heauie burdens and lay them on mens shoulders Ans. The soueraigne power of binding and loosing is not belonging to any creature but is proper to Christ who hath the keyes of heauen and hell he openeth and no man shutteth he shutteth and no man openeth Reuel 3.5 As for the power of the Church it is nothing but a ministerie or seruice whereby men publish and pronounce that Christ bindeth or looseth Againe this binding stands not in the power of making lawes but in remitting and retaining of mens sinnes as the words going before declare v. 18. If thy brother sinne against thee c. and Christ sheweth his owne meaning when he saith Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained Ioh. 20. 23. hauing before in the person of Peter promised them this honour in this forme of words Math. 16. I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shall be bound in heauen This which I say is approoued by consent of auncient Diuines August Psal. 101. serm 2. Remission of sinne saith he is loosing therefore by the law of contraries binding is to hold sinne vnpardoned Hilar. vpon Matth. cap. 18. Whome they binde on earth that is saith he leaue vntied of the knottes of their sinnes Lumberd the popish master of sentences The Lord saith he hath giuen to Priests power of binding and loosing that is of making manifest that men are bound or loosed Againe both Origen Augustine and Theophylact attribute the power of binding to all Christians and therefore they for their parts neuer dreamed that the power of binding should be an authoritie to make lawes Lastly the place Matth. 23.4 ouerturnes the argument for there the Scribes and Pharises are condemned because they laid vpon mens shoulders the burdens of their traditions as meanes of Gods worship and things binding conscience Argum. 3. Act. 15. It seemes good vnto vs and the holy Ghost to lay no more burden on you then these necessarie things that ye abstaine from things offered to idols and blood and that which is strangled and fornication Here say they the Apostles by the instinct of the holy Ghost make a new law not for this or that respect but simply to bind consciences of the Gentiles that they might be exercised in obedience And this is prooued because the Apostles call this law a burden and call the things prescribed necessarie and S. Luke tearmes them the commandements of the Apostles and Chrysostome calls the Epistle sent to the Church Imperium that is a lordly charge To this they adde the testimonies of Tertullian Origen Augustine Ans. Though all be graunted that the law is a burden imposed a precept of the Apostles a charge againe that things required therein are necessarie yet will it not follow by good consequent that the law simply bindes conscience because it was giuen with a reseruation of Christian libertie so as out of the case of scandall that is if no offence were giuen to the weake Iewes it might freely be omitted And that will appeare by these reasons First of all Peter saith that it is a tempting of God to impose vpon the Gentiles the yoke of Iewish ceremonies he therefore must needs be contrarie to himselfe if he intend to binde mens consciences to abstinence from strangled blood and things offered to idols A replie is made that this abstinence is prescribed not by the auncient law of Moses but by a new Ecclesiasticall or Apostolicall authoritie I answer againe that a Mosaicall ceremonie is still the same thing though it be stablished by a new authoritie And whereas Christ by his death put an ende to the ceremoniall lawe it is absurd to thinke that the Apostles by their authoritie reuiued some part of it againe bound mens consciences thereto Secondly the Church of God in
praier and humiliation are practised in fasting And I doe now specially intreat of this kind Conclus II. We ioyne with them in the allowance of the principall and right endes of a religious fast and they are three The first is that thereby the minde may become attentine in meditation of the duties of godlinesse to be performedâ— The second is that the rebellion of the flesh may be subdued for the flesh pampered becomes an instrument of licentiousnes The third and as I take it the cheefe ende of a religious fast is to professe our guiltinesse and to testifie our humiliation before God for our sinnes aud for this ende in the fast of Nineue the very beast was made to abstaine Conclus III. We yeeld vnto them that fasting is an helpe and furtherance to the worship of God yea and a good worke also if it be vsed in a good maner For though fasting in it selfe beeing a thing indifferent as eating drinking are is not to be tearmed a good worke yet beeing applied and considered in relation to the right ends before spoken of and practised accordingly it is a worke allowed of God and highly to be esteemed of all the seruants and people of God The difference or dissent Our dissent from the Church of Rome in the doctrine of fasting stands in three things I. They appoint and prescribe set times of fasting as necessarie to be kept but we hold and teach that to prescribe the time of a religious fast is in the libertie of the Church and the gouernours thereof as speciall occasion shall be offered When the disciples of Iohn asked Christ why they and the Pharises fast often but his disciples fasted not he answered Can the children of the marriage chamber mourne as long as the bridegroome is with them but the daies will come when the bridegroome shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast Math. 9.15 where he giues them to vnderstand that they must fast as occasions of mourning are offered Where also I gather that a set time of fasting is no more to be enioyned then a set time of mourning It was the opinion of Augustine that neither Christ nor his Apostles appointed any times of fasting And Tertullian saith that they of his time fasted of their owne accordes freely without law or commandement as occasions and times serued And Eusebius saith that Montanus was the first that made lawes of fasting It is obiected that there is a set time of fasting prescribed Leuit. 16.29 Ans. This set and prescribed fast was commanded of God as a part of the legall worship which had his ende in the death of Christ therefore it doth not iustifie a set time of fasting in the new testament where God hath left man to his owne libertie without giuing the like commandement It is againe alleadged that Zacharie 7.5 there were set times appointed for the celebration of religious fasts vnto the Lord the fifth and the seauenth moneths Ans. They were appointed vpon occasion of the present afflictions of the Church in Babylon and they ceased vpon their deliuerance The like vpon like occasion may we appoint It is further obiected that some Churches of the Protestants obserue set times of fasting Ans. In some Churches there be set daies and times of fasting not vpon necessitie or for conscience or â—eligions sake but for politicke or ciuill regardes whereas in the Romish Church it is helde a mortall sinne to deferre the set time of fasting till the next day following Secondly we dissent from the Church of Rome touching the manner of keeping a fast For the best learned among them allow the drinking of wine water electuaries and that often within the compasse of their appointed fast yea they allow the eating of one meale on a fasting day at noone-tide and vpon a reasonable cause one houre before the time of fasting not yet ended But this practise indeede is absurd and contrarie to the practise of the olde testament yea it doth frustrate the ende of fasting For the bodily abstinence is an outward meanes and signe whereby we acknowledge our guiltinesse and vnworthinesse of any of the blessings of God Againe they prescribe a difference of meates as whit-meate onely to be vsed on their fasting daies and that of necessitie and for conscience sake in most cases But we holde this distinction of meates both to be foolish and wicked Foolish because in such meates as they prescribe there is as much filling and delight as in any other meates as namely in fish fruites wine c. which they permit And it is against the ende of a religious fast to vse any refreshing at all so farre as necessitie of health and comelinesse will permit Thus the Church in times past vsed to abstaine not onely from meate and drinke but from all delights whatsoeuer euen from soft apparell and sweete oyntments Ioel 2.15 Sanctifie a fast let the bridegroome goe forth of his chamber and the bride out of her bride chamber Dan. 10.3 I ate no pleasant breade neither came flesh nor wine within my mouth neither did I annoint my selfe at all till three weekes of daies were fulfilled 1. Cor. 7.5 Defraud not one an other except it be with consent for a time that ye may giue your selues to fasting and prayer Againe we holde this practise to be wicked because it taketh away the libertie of Christians by which vnto the pure all things are pure And the Apostle Gal. 5. biddes vs to stand fast in this libertie which the Church of Rome would thus abolish For the better vnderstanding of this let vs consider how the Lord himselfe hath from the beginning kept in his owne handes as a master in his owne house the disposition of his creatures for the vse of man that he might depend on him and his word for temporall blessings In the first age he appointed vnto him for meaâ—e euery hearb of the earth bearing seede and euery tree wherein there is the fruit of a tree bearing â—eede Gen. 1.29 And as for flesh whether God gaue vnto him libertie to eate or not to eate we hold it vncerten After the flood the Lord renewed his graunt of the vse of the creatures and gaue his people libertie to eate the flesh of liuing creatures yet so as he made some things vncleane and forbad the eating of them among the rest the eating of blood But since the comming of Christ he hath inlarged his word and giuen libertie to all both Iewes and Gentiles to eate of all kinds of flesh This word of his we rest vpon holding it a doctrine of deuills for men to commaund an abstinence from meates for conscience sake which the Lord himselfe hath created to be receiued with thanksgiuing Socrates a Christian historiagrapher saith that the Apostles left it free to euery one to vse what kinde of meate they would on fasting daies and other times Spiridion in lent dressed swines flesh and set
mysticall vnion pag. 483 The communion of Saints pag. 500 The forgiuenes of sinnes pag. 506 The Resurrection of the bodie pag. 509 Life euerlasting pag. 516 AN EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAIER THE CONTENTS The exposition of the Lords prayer pag. 525 The vse of the Lords prayer pag. 561 Of the circumstances of praying pag. 562 Of Gods hearing our prayers pag. 563 The prayers of Paul pag. 564 A TREATISE TENDING VNTO a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace THE CONTENTS 1 How farre a Reprobate may goe in Christian religion pag. 574 2 The estate of a true Christian in this life which also sheweth how farre the Elect beeing called goe beyond all reprobates in Christianitie pag. 584 3 A Dialogue to the same purpose gathered out of the sauorie writings of M. Tyndal and Bradford pag. 617 4 How a Reprobate may performe all the religion of the church of Rome pag. 642 5 The conflicts of Sathan with a Christian pag. 756 6 How the word of God is to be applied aright vnto the conscience pag. 663 7 Consolations for the troubled consciences of weake Christians pag. 666 8 A Declaration of certaine spiritual Desertions pag. 674 A case of Conscience THE CONTENTS A case of conscience resolued out of the word of God How a man may know whether he be the child of God or no. pag. 685 A Discourse taken out of the writings of Hier. Zanchius wherein the aforesaid Case of conscience is disputed and resolued A Direction for the gouernment of the tongue according to Gods word THE CONTENTS 1 The generall meanes of ruling the tongue pag. 713 2 The matter of our speech pag. 714 3 The manner of our speech what must be done before our speech pag. 716 4 What is to be done in speaking and of wisdome ibid. 5 Of trueth and reuerence in speech pag. 718 6 Of modestie and meekenes pag. 722 7 Of sobrietie vrbanitie fidelitie and care of others good name pag. 725 8 Of the bonds of trueth pag. 729 9 What is to bee done when wee haue spoken pag. 730 10 Of writing ibid. 11 Of silence pag. 731 12 An exhortation to keepe the tongue TWO TREATISES I. Of the nature and practise of Repentance THE CONTENTS 1 What Repentance is pag. 738 2 Of the causes of Repentance pag. 740 3 How Repâ—ntance is wrought pag. 741 4 Of the partes of Repentance pag. 742 5 Of the degrees of Repentance pag. 743 6 Of the persons which must repent ibid. 7 Of the practise of repentance ibid. 8 Of lâ—gall motiues to Repentance pag. 752 9 Of motiues Euangelicall pag. 755 10 Of the time of Repentance pag. 756 11 Of câ—rtaine cases in repentance pag. 758 12 Of the contraries to repeÌ„tance pag. 757 13 Of corruptions in the doctrine of repentance pag. 761 II. Of the combat of the flesh and Spirit pag. 762 The treatise of Dying well p. 773. The treatise of the right knowledge of Christ crucified p. 815. A Discourse of Conscience THE CONTENTS 1 What conscience is pag. 831 2 The actions or duties of conscience where the point is handled Howe any thing is saide to binde the conscience pag. 832 3 The kinds and differences of conscience where is handled libertie of conscience and the question disputed whether a man may in conscience bee vnfallibly certain of his saluation pag. 867 4 Mans duty touching conscience which is to get and keepe it pag. 900 A Reformed Catholike OR A DECLARATION SHEWing how neare we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of Religion and wherein we must for euer depart from them THE CONTENTS 1 Of free will pag. 910 2 Of Originall sinne pag. 915 3 Assurance of saluation pag. 918 4 Iustification of a sinner pag. 925 5 Of merits pag. 940 6 Of satisfactions for sinne pag. 945 7 Of Traditions pag. 950 8 Of Vowes pag. 955 9 Of Images pag. 961 10 Of reall presence pag. 966 11 The sacrifice of the Masse pag. 972 12 Of Fasting pag. 977 13 Of the state of perfection pag. 980 13 Of the worshipping of saints departed pag. 985 15 Of Implicite faith pag. 991 16 Of Purgatorie pag. 995 17 Of the supremacie pag. 996 18 Of the efficacie of the sacraments pag. 1000 19 Of Faith pag. 1003 20 Of Repentance pag. 1006 21 The sinnes of the Romane Church pag. 1014 An aduertisement to Romane Catholikes pag. 1018 The foundation of Christian Religion gathered into sixe principles p. 1029. A Graine of Musterd-seede THE CONTENTS A man that doth but beginne to be conuerted is euen at that instant the very child of God though inwardly hee be more carnall then spirituall pag. 1046 2. Conclusion The first materiall beginning of the conuersion of a sinner or the smallest measure of renewing grace haue the promises of this life and the life to come pag. 1047 3. Conclusion A constant and earnest desire to be reconciled to God to beleeue and to repent if it bee in a troubled heart is in acceptation with God as reconciliation faith repentance it selfe pag. 1048 4. Conclusion To see and feele in our selues the want of any grace and to be grieued therfore is the grace it selfe pag. 1053 5. Conclusion He that hath begunne to subiect himselfe to Christ and his word though as yet hee be ignorant in most points of religion yet if he haue care to increase in knowledge and to practise that which he knoweth hee is accepted of God as a true beleeuer pag. 1053 6. Conclusion The aforsaide beginnings of grace are counterfeite vnlesse they encrease pag. 1054 The bodie of holy Scripture is distinguished into sacred sciences whereof One is principall Theologie is a science of liuing well and blessedly for euer Other attendants or handmaids I. Ethiques a doctrine of liuing honestly and ciuilly II. Oeconomickes a doctrine of gouerning a familie well III. Politiques a doctrine of the right administration of a common weale IIII. Ecclesiasticall discipline a doctrine of well ordering the Church V. The Iewes commonweale In as much as it differeth from Church gouernement VII Academie the doctrine of gouerning Schooles well especially those of the Prophets CHAP. 1. Of the bodie of Scripture and Theologie THe bodie of Scripture is a doctrine sufficient to liue well It comprehendeth many holy sciences whereof one is principall others are handmaids or retainers The principall science is Theologie Theologie is the science of liuing blessedly for euer Blessed life consisteth in the knowledge of God Ioh. 17 3. This is life eternall that they know thee to be the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Christ Iesus Esai 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant viz. Christ iustifie many And therefore it consisteth likewise in the knowledge of our selues because we know God by looking into our selues Theologie hath two parts the first of God the second of his workes CHAP. 2. Of God and the nature of God THat there is a God it
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
whereby men are iustified in the sight of God The Confutation We doe contrarily hold that the materiall cause of mans iustification is the obedience of Christ in suffering fulfilling the law for vs but as for the formall cause that must needes be Imputation the which is an action of God the Father accepting the obedience of Christ for vs as if it were our owne Reasons I. Looke by what we are absolued from all our sinnes and by which we obtaine eternall life by that alone are we iustified But by Christs perfect obedience imputed vnto vs we are absolued from all our sinnes and through it we are accepted of God to eternall life the which we cannot doe by inherent holinesse Therefore by Christs perfect obedience imputed vnto vs are we alone iustified This will appeare to be true in the exercises of inuocation on Gods name and also of repentance For in tentation and conflicts with sinne and Satan faith doth not reason thus Now I haue charitie and inherent grace and for these God will accept of me But faith doth more rightly behold the sonne of God as he was made a sacrifice for vs and sitteth at the right hand of his Father there making intercession for vs to him I say doth faith flie and is assured that for this his sonne God will forgiue vs all our sinnes and will also be reconciled vnto vs yea and account vs iust in his sight not by any qualitie inherent in vs but rather by the merit of Iesus Christ. Rom. 5.19 II. As Christ is made a sinner so by proportion such as beleeue are made iust But Christ was by imputation onely made and accounted a sinner for vs. 2. Cor. 5. 21. For he became a suretie for vs and a sacrifice for our sinnes vpon which all both the guiltinesse of Gods wrath and punishment for vs was to be laide Hence is it that he is said to become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a curse for vs Therfore we againe are made iust only by imputation III. The contrarie to condemnation is remission of sinnes and iustification is the opposite of condemnation Rom. 8. 33. It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne Therefore iustification is the remission of sinnes Now remission of sinnes dependeth onely vpon this imputation of Christs merits IV. Albeit infused and inherent iustice may haue his due place his praise and also deserts yet as it is a worke of the holy Ghost it is not in this life complete and by reason of the flesh◠whereto it is vnited it is both imperfect and infected with the dregges of sinne Esai 64. Therfore before Gods iudgement seate it cannot claime this prerogatiue to absolue any from the sentence of condemnation Obiect I. This imputation is nothing els but a vaine cogitation Answ. I. Yes it is a relation or diuine ordinance whereby one relatiue is applied to his correlatiue or as the Logitians say is as the foundation to the Terminus II. As the imputation of our sinnes vnto Christ was indeede something so the imputation of Christs iustice vnto vs must not be thought a bare conceit III. Againe the Church of Rome doth her selfe maintaine imputatiue iustic◠namely when as by Ecclesiasticall authoritie shee doth applie the merits and satisfactions of certain persons vnto other members of that Church Whence it is apparant that euen the Popes indulgences they are imputatiue Obiect II. Imputatiue iustice is not euerlasting but that iustice which the Messiah bringeth is euerlasting Ans. Although after this life there is no pardon of sinnes to be looked for yet that which is giuen vs in this life shall to our saluation continue in the life to come Obiect III. If iustification be by imputation he may before God be iust who indeede is a very wicked man Ans. Not so any waies for he that is once by imputation iustified he is also at that same instant sanctified The XIII errour There is also a second iustification and that is obtained by workes The Confutation That popish deuice of a second iustification is a fantasticall delusion For I. The word of God doth acknowledge no more but one iustification at all and that absolute and complete of it selfe There is but one iustice but one satisfaction of God being offended therefore there cannot be a manifold iustification II. If by reason of the increase of inherent iustice iustification should be distinguished into seuerall kindes or parts we might as well make an hundreth kinds or parts of iustification as two III. That which by order of nature doth follow after full iustification before God it cannot be said to iustifie But good workes doe by order of nature follow mans iustification and his absolution from sinnes because no worke can please God except the person it selfe that worketh the same doe before please him But no mans person can please God but such an one as beeing reconciled to God by the merits of Christ hath peace with him IV. Such workes as are not agreeable to the rule of legall iustice they before the tribunall seat of God cannot iustifie but rather both in and of themselues are subiect to Gods eternall curse For this is the sentence of the Law Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things written in the booke of the Law to doe them Now the works euen of the regenerate are not squared according to the rule of legall iustice wherefore Dauid being as it were stricken with the cōsideration of this durst not once oppose no not his best works to the iudgement of God that by them he might plead pardon of his sinnes whence it is that he crieth out and saith Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for then no flesh liuing shall be iustified in thy sight The like doth Iob 9.3 If he namely such an one as saith he is iust contend with God he cannot answer him one of a thousand And Dan. 9. 18. We doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies V. Iustification by works let them be whatsoeuer they can be doth quite ouerturne the foundation of our faith Gal. 5.2 If ye be circumcised Christ will profit you nothing and v. 4. Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law ye are fallen from grace In this place the Apostle speaketh of them not which did openly resist Christ and the Gospel but of such as did with the merit of Christ mingle together the workes of the Law as though some part of our saluation consisted in them Exception This place doth onely exclude such morall works of the flesh as doe goe before faith or the workes of the law of Moses Ans. This is vntrue For euen of Abraham being already regenerated and of those his works which were done when he was iustified Paul speaketh thus To him not which worketh but which beleeueth is faith imputed Those works which God hath prepared that the regenerate should walke in
whereby the Reprobate I. doth acknowledge his sinne II. Is pricked with the feeling of Gods wrath for sinne III. Is grieued for the punishment of sinne IV. Doth confesse his sinne V. Acknowledgeth God to be iust in punishing sinne VI. Desireth to be saued VII Promiseth repentance in his miserie or affliction in these words I will sinne no more Math. 27.3 Then when Iudas which betraied him saw that he was condemned he repented himselfe and brought againe the thirtie pieces of siluer to the chiefe Priests and Elders Heb. 12.17 For yee know how that afterward also when hâ— would haue inherited the blessing he was reiected for he found no place to repentance though he sought the blessing with teares 1. King 21.27 Now when Ahab heard those wordes he rent his clothes and put sackcloath vpon him and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went softly Numb 23.10 Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last ende be like his Psal. 78.32 For all this they sinned still and beleeued not his wondrous workes 33. Therefore their daies did he consume in vanitie and their yeares hastily 34. And when he slue them they sought him and they returned and sought God earely 35. They remembred that God was their strength and the most high God their redeemer The third degree is a temporarie faith whereby the reprobate doth confusedly beleeue the promises of God made in Christ I say confusedly because he beleeueth that some shall be saued but he beleeueth not that he himselfe particularly shall be saued because he beeing content with a generall faith doth neuer applie the promises of God to himself neither doth he so much as conceiue any purpose desire or endeuour to applie the same or any wrastling or striuing against securitie or carelesnes and distrust Iam. 2. 19. Thou beleeuest that there is one God thou doest well the deuils also beleeue it and tremble Math. 13.20 And he that receiued seede in the stony ground is he which heareth the word and incontinently with ioy receiueth it 21. Yet hath he no roote in himselfe and dureth but a season Ioh. 2.23 Now when he was at Ierusalem at the Passeouer in the feast many beleeued in his Name when they saw his miracles which he did 24. But Iesus did not commit himselfe vnto them because he knew them all The fourth is a tasting of heauenly gifts as of Iustification and of Sanctification and of the vertues of the world to come This tasting is verely a sense in the hearts of the Reprobates whereby they doe perceiue and feele the excellencie of Gods benefits notwithstanding they doe not enioy the same For it is one thing to tast of dainties at a banquet and another thing to feede and to be nourished thereby Heb. 6.4 For it is impossible that they which were once lightened and haue tasted of the heauenly gifts and were made partakers of the holy Ghost The fifth degree is the outward holines of life for a time vnder which is comprehended a zeale in the profession of religion a reuerence and feare towards Gods ministers and amendment of life in many things Mark 6.20 For Herod feared Iohn knowing that he was a iust man and an holy and reuerenced him and when he heard himâ— he did many things and heard him gladly Act. 18.13 Then Simon himselfe beleeued also and was baptized and continued with Philip and wondred when he saw the signes and great miracles which were done Hos. 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I doe vnto thee O Iudah how shall I entreate thee for your goodnes is as a morning cloud and as the morning dewe it goeth away The second degree of the execution of Gods counsel of reprobation in meÌ„ of ripe age which are called is a falling away againe which for the most part is effected and wrought after this manner First the reprobate is deceiued by some sinne Secondly his heart is hardened by the same sin Thirdly his heart being hardened it becommeth wicked and peruerse Fourthly then followeth his incredulitie and vnbeleefe whereby he consenteth not to Gods word when he hath heard and known it Fiftly an Apostasie or falling away from faith in Christ doth immediately follow this vnbeleefe Hebr. 3.12,13 Take â—eed brethren least at any time there be in any of you an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart awaie from the liuing God 1. Tim. 1.19 This Apostasie is sometimes sinne against the holy Ghost In the sinne against the holy Ghost we haue haue these seuerall points to be considered I. The Name it is called a sinne against the holy ghost not because it is done against the person or deitie of the holy Ghost for in this respect he that sinneth against the holy Ghost sinneth in like sort against both the father the Sonne but it is so called because it is done contrarie to the immediate action namely the illumination of the holy Ghost For albeit this be an action common to the whole Trinitie yet the Father and the sonne doe effect the same by the holy Ghost II. The efficient cause of it which is a set obstinate malice against God and against his Christ. Therefore when a man doth in the time of persecution either for feare or rashly denie Christ he doth not commit this sinne against the holy Ghost as may appeare by the example of Peter who denied Christ. Mat. 26.73.74.75 Neither doth he which persecuteth Christ and his Church vpon ignorance fall into this sinne Paul persecuted the Church of Christ and yet God had mercie on him because he did it ignorantly 1. Tim. 1.13 Many of the Iewes crucified our Sauiour Christ who afterward because they committed that grieuous fact vpon ignorance repenting at Peters sermon they did obtaine remission of their sinnes Act. 3.17 37. III. The Obiect namely God himselfe and the Mediatour Christ Iesus For the malice of this sinne is directed against the very maiestie of God himselfe and against Christ. Hebr. 10.29 Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall he be worthie which treadeth vnderfoote the Sonne of God and counteth the blood of the Testament as an vnholy thing wherewith he was sanctified and doth despise the spirit of grace Therefore this sinne doth directly respect the first table of the morall law and is not some particular slipping aside from the obseruation of those commandements which are contained in this first table such as are some doubtings concerning God or of the truth of the scriptures or of Christ c. but it is a generall defection apoâ—tasie from God and that totally IV. The subiect in which it is This sin is found in none at al but such as haue been enlightened by the holy Ghost and haue tasted of the good gift of God Heb. 6.5,6 Neither is it in him a bare cogitation alone but an externall action or rather such a blasphemie against God as proceedeth from a malitious and obstinate heart Matth. 12. 31. V. The Elect cannot commit this sinne and
therfore they who feele in themselues a sure testimonie of their election neede neuer to despaire nay this sinne is not in euery reprobate for many of them die before they haue this illumination by Gods spirit VI. This sinne cannot be forgiuen not because it is greater then that Christs merit can satisfie for it but because after a man hath once committed this sinne it is impossible for him to repent For the gift of repentance proceedeth from the holy Ghost and the holy ghost remaineth in vs through Christ apprehended by faith now no man doth apprehend Christ that doth malitiouslie despise and contemne him VII It is very hard to knowe when a man committeth this sinne because the roote thereof namely set malice lurketh inwardly in the heart and is not so easily discerned Out of all this which hath bene spoken we may thus define this sinne The sinne against the holy Ghost is a voluntarie and obstinate deniall of and blasphemie against the Sonne of God or that trueth which was before acknoweledged concerning him so consequently an vniuersall defection from God and his true church We haue an example of this sinne partly in the diuel who albeit he knewe well inough that Iesus was that Christ yet he neuer ceased both wittingly and willingly with all his power to oppugne the sacred Maiestie of GOD togither with the kingdome of Iesus Christ and as farre forth as he could vtterly to supplant the same partly in the Pharises Matth. 12.32 Ioh. 3.2 After Apostasie followeth pollution which is the very fulnesse of all iniquitie altogether contrarie to sanctification Gen. 15.16 And in the fourth generation they shall come hither againe for the wickednesse of the Amorites is not yet full The third degree is damnation whereby the Reprobates are deliuered vp to eternall punishment The execution of damnation beginneth in death and is finished in the last iudgement Luk. 16.22 And it was so that the begger died and was carried by the Angel into Abrahams bosome the rich man also died and was buried 23. And being in hell torments he lift vp his eies and sawe Abraham a farre off and Lazarus in his bosome The execution of the decree of reprobation in Infidels which are not called is this First they haue by nature ignorance and vanitie of minde After that followeth hardnesse of heart whereby they become voide of all sorrowe for their sinnes Then commeth a reprobate sense which is when the naturall light of reason and of the iudgement of good and euil is extinguished Afterward when the heart ceaseth to sorrowe then ariseth a committing of sinne with greedinesse Then commeth pollution which is the fulnesse of sinne Lastly a iust reward is giuen to all these to wit fearefull condemnation Eph. 4. 18. Hauing their cogitations darkened and beeing strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnes of their hearts Rom. 1.28 For as they regarded not to know God euen so God deliuered them vp to a reprobate minde to doe those things which are not conuenient CHAP. 54. Concerning a newe deuised doctrine of Predestination taught by some new and late Diuines CErtaine newe Diuines of our age haue of late erected vp a new doctrine of Predestination in which fearing belike least they should make God both vniust and vnmercifull they doe in the distribution of the causes of saluation and damnation turne them vpside down as may appeare by their description in this table But this their doctrine hath some foule errours and defects the which I according as I shall be able will briefly touch The I. errour There is a certaine vniuersall or generall election wherby God without any either restraint or exception of persons hath decreed to redeeme by Christ and to reconcile vnto himselfe all mankind wholly fallen in Adam yea euery singular person as well the Reprobate as the Elect. The Confutation The very name of Election doth fully confute this for none can be said to be elected if so be that God would haue all men elected in Christ. For he that electeth or maketh choice cannot be said to take all neither can he that accepteth of all be said to make choice onely of some Obiect Election is nothing els but dilection or loue but this we know that God loueth all his creatures therefore he electeth all his creatures Answer I. I denie that to elect is to loue but to ordaine and appoint to loue Rom. 9.13 II. God doth loue all his creatures yet not all equally but euery one in their place Furthermore this position doth flatly repugne the most plaine places of holy Scripture Tit. 2.14 Who gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all iâ—iquitie and purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe Ioh. 10. I giue my life for my sheepe Exception All men are the sheepe of Christ. Answer Iohn addeth And my sheepe heare my voice and I knowe them and they followe me and I giue vnto them eternall life neither shall they perish Eph. 5.23 Christ is the head of the Church and the same is the Sauiour of his body vers 25. Christ loued the Church and gaue himselfe for it Redemption and remission of sins is the inheritance of the Saints and of such as are made heires of the kingdome of Christ. Coloss. 1.13 Againe looke for whom Christ is an Aduocate and to them onely is he a Redeemer for redemption and intercession which are parts of Christs priesthood the one is as generall and large as the other and are so surely vnited and fastened togither as that one cannot be without the other But Christ is only an Aduocate of the faithfull Ioh. 17. in that his solemne praier he first praieth for his own namely his disciples elected not only to the Apostleship but also to eternall life and then vers 20. he praieth likewise for them that should beleeue in him by their worde Nowe against these he opposeth the worlde for which he praieth not that it may attaine eternall life And Rom. 8. Who shall accuse Gods elect Christ sitteth at the right hand of the father and maketh intercessâ—on for vs. Furthermore the members of Christs Church are called the Redeemed of the Lord Psalme 87. Therefore this priuiledge is not giuen to all alike Exception This vniuersall reconciliation is not in respect of man but God himselfe who both made it for all and offereth it to all Ans. If Christ became once before God a reconciliation for all mens sinnes yea and also satisfied for them all it must needes followe that before God al those sinnes must be quite blotted out of his remembrance For the actuall blotting out of sinnes doth inseparably depend vpon reconciliation for sinnes and satisfaction doth infer by God and that necessarily the very reall and generall abolishment of the guilt and punishment of sinne Obiect I. Christ tooke vpon him mans nature therefore he redeemed mans nature generally Answer I. It followeth
L Labour commanded 88 Labourers must be paid 74,91 Law of God morall 36 the Lawe can not be fulfilled in this life 160 vse of the Law 101 vse of it in the regenerate 102 Church Lawes by Christ. 33 Lawe 95 Lawyers sinne 91 Leagues which are lawfull 78 Leagues with infidels 79 Leagues with the godly 54 Lenitie in correction 72 Lending freely 94 Life vnoffensiue 81 vnordinate 88 long Life promised to children 67 Lordships distinguished 23 Lottes 56 Loue of God 39,41 markes of it 40 Loue of God in Christ. 113 Loue of the creature more then god 41 the Lords supper 111 Lower roome at table 87 Lying 54,96 Lucke good and bad 56 Lust of heart 82 Lutherans consubstantiation 112 M Madnes a punishment of sinne 23 Magistrates fathers 66 Magistrates winking at sinne 21 Magistrates to be obeyed 68 Magicke 49 Magitians 35,41,49 Magitians not to be sought vnto 51 Malice 95 Man and wife abusing their libertie 84 Mans creation with circumstances 12 13 created mutable 13 his fall 15 Man Gods image 45,56 pleasures with Men. 82 Manichees condemned 41 Mariage to be sanctified with praier 60 Mariage without parents consent 71 with infidels 46 Marie Christs mother continued a virgine 27 Marcion 41 Martyrdome 139 Marchandise solde to an idolatrous vse 46 Masse may not be heard 45 Mayming of the bodie 74 Meditation of the creation on the Sabbath 65 Meditation of Christs passion 31 Meditation in the promises of the Gospel 118 Meanes of Gods worship 52 Members of Christ. 116 Gods mercie aboue his iustice 44 Merit of congruitie 154 of condignitie 161 the Minde corrupted 17 MINISTERS fathers 66 Ministers sinnes 21 Ministers dutie 52 Mirth at meate 87 Miseries of our neighbour 77 Modestie 85 Monasticall vowes 47 Monkes 91 Monuments of idolatrie 46 Mortification 124 Mourning 80 Mother what 67 Mothers must nurse their owne children 72 Musicke lawfull 81 Musicke in Churches 47 Murder vnpardonable 75 N Naamans worship in the Temple of Rimmon 45 Name of God 54 good Name 99 Necromancie 50 Neglect of Gods seruice 48 Neighbours who and how to be loued 66,74 Non-residencie reprooued by scripture and councels 76,77 Notions of the minde 17 O Obedience to god how measured by him 48 Obedience to superiours 69 Obedience to the law 20 euangelicall Obedience 129 Occasiōs of strife how ministred 76 Offences against superiours 71 equalls 72 inferiours 72,77 Old men fathers 67 Operation of God 9 Oppression 89 Originall sinne 17 not taken away by baptisme 152 Outward actuall sinne 20 Originall sinne deserueth death 173 Othes 59 lawfull ibid. vnlawfull ibid. P Particular perswasion of saluation 119 Paines in childbirth 23 a Punishment for sinne 23 Parents how said to be holy 108 Parents prolong their childrens life 67 Patience in perils 39 Patience with preseruatiues 137 Peace of God 148 Perfection of sinne 21 Permission of euill 14 Periurie 5 Peoples dutie in Gods seruice 52 petition 60 Peters fall 22 Pirats 91 philosophie 81 phisicke 81 pictures 44 plague 81 plaies 85 Pledges to be restored 75,90 to be redeemed 93 strange Pleasures 82 pollution 197 pollution by night 84 the Pope Antichrist 35 Popish superstitions 47,58 popish fasting 48 popish traditions 48 power of the law 102 of Christs death 126 preaching of the Gospel an image of Christ. 45 it begetteth faith 33 praier 138 praiers of the faithful 139 to creatures 49 a meanes to sanctifie Gods creatures 60 praiers on particular occasions 60 praising of God in heauen 145 Predestination 10,167 it is both of the Elect and reprobate 149 immutable 150 not by foreseene workes in man 172 it may be knowne 177 what it is to the Papists 146 Predestination applied 176 preseruatiues against assaults of temptation 131 vocation 131 faith 132 sanctification 134 presumption 22,42 pride 42 promises of God and man 36 promises must be kept 94 pronenesse to diseases a punishment 22 pronouncing vniust sentence 96 propagation of sinne 17 profession of God commanded 39 138 processions 45 prognostications 56 prophesies 50 prophanations of sabbaths 64 punishments of sinne 22 punishments inflicted by superiours to be borne 69 punishments how to be inflicted 70 Q Quarrellings 74 R Railings forbidden 74 Raising of prises in wares 89 Remission of sinnes 122 reioycing at our neighbors good 77 Rebaptizing 110 Rebellion inward 20 Recreation 81 Relikes of idols vnlawfull 46 Reliefe of such as are godly 140 Remember what it signifieth 61 Representing of God in an image 44 Reprobates 165 how farre they may go in godlines 164 Reprobates may know the lord 165 haue temporary faith 165 a tast of the heauenly gifts ibid. outward holines ibid. their falling from God ibid. death 175 condemnation ibid. estate in hell 176 Reprobation 163 Reprobate sense 17 Reuerence to superiours with many branches 68 Reuenge 74 Restitution 89,94 Repentance 129 howe in Reprobates 165 howe in God 2 Resurrection 143 Reading sometimes begetteth faith 103 to rise early on the Sabbath 63 Rogues 91 Robberies ibid. the Romish Hierarchie 48 Rules for the communion of properties 7,26 Rules for vowes 52 Rules for equalitie in contracts 93 Rules for the interpretation of the decalogue 37 Rules for such as would be saued 103 S Sabellius condemned 41 Sabbath commanded in Paradice 63 Sabbath 61 how sanctified 63 how morall and ceremoniall 63,64 why changed 64 a Sabbath daies worke 62 preparation to the Sabbath 64 how prophaned 65 Sacraments 104 how necessarie 107 Sacrifice and Sacrament differ 107 Saluation 146,171 Saluation according to the Church of Rome 146 Saints not to be praied for 49 Samuel raised vp not true Samuel 50,51 Sanctuaries 76 to Sanctifie what 61 Sanctification of Gods creatures 60 Sanctification with the effects thereof 124 Satans shifts to cause infidelitie 132 Satan Gods ape 50 his Sacraments 50 Scandals 76 Scriptures only expoūded by Christ. 34 Serpents head bruised 171 Second causes are not frustrate by Gods decree 8 Securitie 20,42 Seruice of God in heauen 145 Sellers sinne 89 Seruants eie seruice 72 Shame of nakednes a punishment 22 Shooting 81 Signes in the sacraments 105 Sinne what 13 mortall Sinne. 160 why it raigneth in man 102 one Sinne forgiuen all forgiuen 134 Sinne corrupteth onely faculties 17 Sinnes of omission and commission 20 Sinne against the holy ghost 22,166 Sixe daies to worke 62 Single life 87 Sobrietie 86 Soule punished 23 Sorrow for sinne 136 Societie with infidels 46 Soules in heauen 142 Southsaying 50 christian Souldier 129 Spirit of slumber 18 Spirituall drunkennes ibid. Sports on the Sabbath 65 Starres what force they haue 57 Stealing 88 Step-parents to be honoured 66 Strangers not to be iniuried 78,80 the Sting of death 142 Subiect to satan 35 Subiection to Satan a punishment 23 Suretiship 94 Suites in law 47 Supremacie in the Pope a note of Antichrist 35 Superstition 56 Suspitions 96 Superiours dutie to inferiours 70 Superiours to be reuerenced 67 they must speake first 68 Subiects are freed from their allegiance to their prince by the Pope 72 Swearing any way 55 T
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
head in pursuing his father theÌ„ Dauid wept and cried O my sonne Absolon my sonne Absolon would God I had died with thee Absolon my sonne And so it is with God our heauenly father when his children sinne against him and thereby loose his loue and fauour and fall from grace he forsakes them but how farre Surely he shewes signes of anger for their wickednes and yet indeede his loue remaines towards them still and this is a true conclusion the grace of God in the adoption of the elect is vnchaÌ„geable and he that â—s the child of God can neuer fall away wholly or finally On the contrarie that is a bad and comfortlesse opinion of the Church of Rome which holdeth that a man may be iustified before God and yet afterward by a mortall sinne finally fall from grace and be condemned Fourthly the childe of God that takes God the father for his father may freely come into the presence of God and haue libertie to pray vnto him We know it is a great priuiledge to come into the chamber of presence before an earthly prince and fewe can alwaies haue this prerogatiue though they be great men yet the kings owne sonne may haue free entrance and speake freely vnto the king himselfe because he is his sonne Now the children of God haue more prerogatiue then this for they may come into the presence not of an earthly king but of Almightie God the King of kings and as they are the sonnes of God in Christ so in him they may freely speake vnto God their father by praier And this ouerthrowes the doctrine of such as be of the Church of Rome which teach and hold that a man must come to speake to God by by praier through the intercession of Saints for say they the presence of God is so glorious that we may not be so bold as of our selues to speake vnto him but needes must haue the intercession of others Lastly God will prouide for all his Church and children all things needefull both for their bodies and soules so our Sauiour Christ bids his disciples take no thought what they should eate or what they should drinke or wherewith they should be clothed adding this reason for your heauenly Father knoweth all your wants And if we take thought it must be moderate and not distrustfull it is a part of the fathers dutie to prouide for his familie and children and not the children for the father Now shall an earthly father haue this care for his children and shall not our heauenly father much more prouide for those that feare and loue him Nay marke further in Gods Church there be many hypocrites which receiue infinite benefits from God by reason of his elect children with whome they liue and we shall see this to be true that the wicked man hath euer fared better for the godly mans cause Sodome and Gomorrha receiued many benefits by reason of righteous Lot and when the Lord was purposed to destroy Sodom he was faine to pull Lot forth of the citie for the text saith the Angel of the Lord could not doe any thing till he was come out of it So also in Pauls dangerous voyage towardes Rome all the men in it fared better for Pauls company for the Lord tolde Paul by an angel that there should be no losse of any mans life for the Lord had giuen to him all that sailed with him And vndoubtedly if it were not for some fewe that feare God he would powre downe his vengeance vpon many nations and kingdomes there is such excesse of wickednesse in all sorts Againe if the Lord doe thus carefully prouide for his children all kinde of benefits what a wonderful wickednesse is this for men to get their liuing by vngodly meanes as vsury carding dicing and such like exercises If a man were perswaded that God were his father and would prouide sufficiently both for his bodie and soule so that vsing lawfull meanes he should eueâ— haue enough out of all doubt he would neuer after the fashion of the world vse vnlawefull and prophane meanes to get a liuing But this prooueth that howesoeuer such men say God is their father yet indeede they denie him And thus much of 〈◊〉 tiâ—le Father the first thing whereby the first person is described Nowe followeth the second point namely his attribute of omnipotencie in the word almightie And whereas the father is said to be almightie it is not so to bâ— vnderstood as though the Sonne were not almightie or the holy ghost noâ—â—lmightie for euery propertie and attribute saue the personal properties is câ—mmoÌ„ to all the three persons For as God the father doth impart his godhead vnto the sonne and to the holy ghost so doth he communicate the proprietâ—es of the godhead to them also God is omnipotent two waies I. Because hee is able to doe whatsoeuer hee will II. Because he is able to doe more then he will doe For the first that god is able to doe whatsoeuer he will Dauid saith Our God is in heauen and he doth whatsoeuer he will for there is nothing that can hinder God but as he willeth so euery thing is done Secondly that God can doe more then he willeth to be done it is plaine where Iohn Baptist saith God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham for though God can doe thus much yet he will not doe it So likewise when Christ was betraied the Father could haue giueÌ„ him more then 12. legions of angels to haue deliuered him out of their handes but yet he would not the like may be said of many other things The father is was able to haue created another world yea a thousand worldes but he would not nor will not And likewise Christ being vpon the crosse was able at their bidding to haue come downe and saued himselfe from death but he would not and therefore this is true the Lord can doe any thing that he willeth to bee done actually yea and more then he will But some will say God can not doe some things which man can doe as God cannot lie nor denie himselfe and therefore he is not omnipotent Answere Although some haue thought that God coulde doe euen these things and that he did them not because hee would not yet wee must knowe and beleeue that God can neither lie nor denie himselfe indeede man can doe both but these and many other such things if God could doe them hee could not bee God God indeede can doe all things which shewe foorth his glory and maiestie but such things as are against his nature he cannot doeâ— as for example God can not sinne and therefore cannot liâ— and because he cannot doe these things for this very cause he is omnipotent for these and such like are workes of impotencie which if god could doe he should euen by his owne word be iudged impotent Secondly he cannot doe that which implies contradiction
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
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
sheepe of the house of Israel Christ Iesus came to poure oile into our woundes Christ came to set them at libertie which are in prison and to place them in freedome that are in bondage Now a man cannot poure oile into a wound before there be a wound or before it be opened and we feele the smart of it And how can wee be set at libertie by Christ except we feele our selues to be in bondage vnder hell death and damnation When the Disciples of Christ were vpon the sea in a great tempest they cried Master saue vs we perish So no man can hartily say I beleeue Iesus Christ to be my Sauiour before he feele that in himselfe he is vtterly lost and cast away without his helpe But after that we perceiue our selues to be in danger and to be ouerwhelmed in the sea of the wrath of God then we crie out with the disciples Lord Iesus saue vs we perish Many protestants in these daies hold Christ to be their Sauiour but it is onely formably from the teeth outward and no further for they were neuer touched with the sense of their spirituall miserie that they might say with Daniel Shame and confusion belongeth vnto vs and with the Publicane I am a sinner Lord be mercifull to me And therefore the conclusion is this that if we will haue Christ to be our Sauiour we must first beleeue that in our selues we are vtterly lost and so must that place be vnderstood where Christ saith he is not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel that is to those which in their owne sense and feeling are lost in themselues Secondly if Christ be a Sauiour then we must acknowledge him to bee so But howe shall we doe this I answer Thus A man is taken to be a skilful Phisition by this that many patients come vnto him and seeke for helpe at his hands And so should it be with Christ. But alas the case is otherwise Euery man can talke of Christ but fewe acknowledge him to be a Sauiour by seeking to him for their saluation because they iudge themselues righteous and feele not themselues to stand in need of the helpe of Christ. Nay which is more If a man be knowne that can cure straunge diseases men will seeke to him by sea and land and sell both goods and landes to get helpe at his hands Euen so if men were perswaded that Christ were a perfect Sauiour and that they were sicke and vtterly vnable to be saued without him they would neuer rest nor be in quiet but seeke vnto him for his help and crie with Dauid O Lord say vnto my soule that thou art my saluation The womaÌ„ that was diseased with an issue of blood came behinde our Sauiour Christ and when shee had but touched him shee was healed In the same maner if we shal seeke to come to Christ and doe but touch his pretious bodie and bloode by the hand of faith the issues the bleeding wounds of our soules shall be dried vp When a man that had beene sicke eight and thirtie yeres was come to the poole of Bethesda he was faine to lie there vncured because when the angel troubled the water euermore some stept before him but if we will seeke to Christ for the saluation of our soules no man shall preuent vs or steppe before vs. And if we finde our selues to be so laden with the burden of our sinnes that we can not drawe neere vnto him let vs then doe as the palsie man did he got foure men to carrie him on their shoulders to the place where Christ was and when they could not by reason of the prease of people enter into the house they opened the roofe and let him downe in his bed by cordes to Christ that hee might be healed And so let vs vse the helpe of such as be godly that by their instructions and consolations they may as it were put to their shoulders and by their praiers as with cordes bring vs to Christ that we may receiue eternall saluation beeing otherwise dead in sinne and subiect to damnation Lastly whereas Ioseph and Marie gaue this name not at their owne pleasure but at the appointment of God himselfe this ministers a good instruction to all parents touching the naming of their children when they are baptised that they are with care and deliberation to giue conuenient names vnto them which may put them in minde of duties either to God or men This is worthie of our obseruation for many care not howe they name their children yea it is at this day and euer hath beene that some giue such names to them as that at the very rehearsing thereof laughter ensueth But this ought not to be so for the name is giuen vnto children at the time of their baptisme in the presence of God of his Church and angels euen then when they are to be entred into the Church of God and that in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy ghost therefore though we doe not place religion in titles or names yet neuerthelesse a wise godly choice in this matter is to be had that the names imposed may be in steade of instructions and admonitions to the parties named and for this cause in the olde Testament names were giuen either by propheticall instinct or according to the euent of things which came to passe about the time of the birth of children or they were borrowed from the holy ancetours to put the posteritie in mind to follow their steps And thus much of the duties Now followe the consolations that Gods Church people râ—ape from this that the sonne of god is our Sauiour WheÌ„ as all mankind was included vnder sin and condemnation then the Lord had mercy vpon vs and gaue vnto man the couenant of grace in which he promised that his owne sonne should be our redeemer This is a great and vnspeakable comfort as may appeare in that the angels so greatly reioiced herein wheÌ„ Christ was born Behold say they I bring you tidings of great ioy that shall be to all the people that is that vnto you is borne in the citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the lord Now if they reioice thus exceedingly at Christs birth who was not their Sauiour because they stood not in need to be redeemed then much more ought the Church of God to reioyce herein whome it doth principally concerne and no maruel for if we had wanted this blessed Sauiour it had bin better to haue bin a bruit beast or any other creâ—ture then a man for the death of a beast is the ende of his woe but the death of a man without a Sauiour is the beginning of endlesse miserie Satan and his angels are fallen and haue no Sauiour but when man was fallen God of his mercie dealt not so with him but gaue his owne sonne to restore him to a better
estate whereas he might as iustly haue damned all men for the fall of our first parents as he did the wicked angels for theirs for God is not bound to any creature behold then a matter of vnspeakeable ioy let vs therefore receiue and embrace Christ our Sauiour flie to him for the pardon of all sinnes and praise his name therefore Now we come to the second title of the sonne of God whereby he is tearmed Christ which title is as it were the surname of the second person as some doe thinke yet according to the opinion of some others it is no name at all but onely a meere appellation as when in the like case a particular man is called a Duke or a King It is all one with Messiah in Hebrewe wherewith the redeemer was named in the old Testament and both signifie annointed Among the Iewes before the comming of Christ three estates or orders of men were annointed with oile First of all Kings as Saul Dauid and the rest of the Kings of Iuda Secondly the priests that serued in the Tabernacle and Temple before the Lord when they were ordained and as it were installed into the priesthood were annointed with oyle as first of all Aaron and his sonnes but afterward the high priests alone Thirdly Prophets were thus annointed as Elisha Nowe this legall annointing was a type and figure of the annointing of Christ which was not with bodily oile but by the spirit and it was more excellent then all other annointings were For Dauid saith he was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue all his fellowes signifying that neither king priest nor prophet was euer annointed in the same manner as he was Christs annointing is according to both his natures for in what nature â—e is a Mediatour in the same he is annointed but according to both his natures ioyntly he is a Mediatour the godhead is no mediatour without the manhood nor the manhood without the godhead and therefore his annointing extends it selfe both to his godhead and to his manhood Christs annointing hath two parts both of them figured by the annointing of the Iewes The first is his consecration whereby he was set apart to do the office of a Mediatour betweene God and man and therfore to be a king a priest a prophet a king to gather and withall to gouerne his Church and people a priest to make satisfaction and intercession for the sinnes of the elect a prophet to reueale and teach his people the will of God his father And though it be true that Christ is set apart to the work of mediation as he is mediatour or as he is man yet as he is God he doth designe and set himselfe apart to the same worke For to designe the mediatour is a common action of the three persons the father the sonneâ— and the holy ghost and yet considering the father is first in order and thâ—refore hath the beginning of the action for this cause he is said especially to designe as when S. Iohn saith Him hath God the father sealed The second part of Christs annointing is the powring out of the fulnesse of the spirit or grace into the manhood of Christ and it was particularly figured by the holy oile For first that oile had no man but God alone to bee the author of it so the most excellent and vnspeakeable graces of the manhood of Christ haue their beginning from the godhead of Christ. Againe though the same oile was most precious yet was it compounded of earthly substances as myrrhe calamus and Casia and such like to signifie that the spirituall oile of grace whereof the manhood of Christ was as it were a vessell or storehouse did not consist of the essentiall properties of the godhead as Eutiches and his followers in these daies imagine but in certaine created gifts and qualities placed in his humaine nature otherwise we should not haue any participation of them Thirdly the sweete sauour of the holy oile figured that the riches of all grace with the effect thereof in the obedience of Christ doth take away the noisome sent of our loathsome sinnes from the nosthrilles of God and withal doth make our persons and al our actioÌ„s acceptable vnto him as a sweete perfume as Paul saith we are vnto God the sweete sauour of Christ c. And Christs death is for this cause tearmed a sacrifice of sweete smelling sauour And we must further vnderstand that theâ—e gifts of Christs manhood are not conferred in a small scantling or measure for Iohn saith God giueth the spirit not by measure because the graces which are in Christ are farre more both in number and degree then all men or angels haue or shall haue though the good angels and the saints of God in heauen are very excellent creatures stored with manifold graces and gifts of God For this cause Christ is called the head of man because he is euery way the most principal and glorious man that euer was Yet for all this are not the gifts of Christs manhood infinite any way because it is a creature and finite in nature and therefore not capable of that which is infinite By Christs annointing the people of God reape great benefit comfort because they are to be partakers thereof For this cause the oile wherewith he was annointed is called the oyle of gladnes because the sweete sauour of it gladdeth the hearts of all his members and brings the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding The holy oyle poured vpon Aarons head came downe to his beard and to the very skirts of his garments and it signified that the spirituall oyle of grace was first of all poured vpon our head Christ Iesus from thence consequently deriued to al his members that by that meanes he might be not onely annointed himselfe but also our annointer Nowe the benefits which we receiue by his annointing are two The first is that all the elect when they are called to the profession of the Gospell of Christ are in and by him set apart and made spirituall kings priests and prophets as S. Iohn saith He hath made vs kings and priests vnto his father And S. Peter out of Ioel I will poure saith the Lord my spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and daughters shall prophesie The second benefit it that all the faithfull receiue the same oile that is the same spirit of God in some little conuenient measure which he receiued aboue measure as Saint Iohn saithâ— The annointing which ye haue receiued of him dwelleth in you and teacheth you all things where by annointing is meant the holy Ghost And hence it is that men are called Christians of the name of Christ that is annointed with the same oyle wherewith Christ was annointed And the holy oyle might not be giuen to a straunger to signifie that to haue the spirit of Christ and to be guided by it is peculiar
Adam lastly as it is a farre greater matter by death to ouercome death and to turne it into eternal life then to commaunde that to exist and be which was not before so is the worke of redemption begunne in the birth of Christ more vnspeakable and admirable then the first creation of man Hereupon not 6. cherubims as in the vision of Isaiah not 24. elders as in the Apocalyps but a great multitude of Angels like armies were heard to praise God at the birth of Christ and no doubt the like sight was not seene since the beginning of the worlde And the Angels by their example put vs in minde to consider aright of this benefit and to praise God for it But alas this practise is very rare in this fruitlesse and barren age of the worlde where sinne and iniquitie abounds as may be seene by experience for by an old custome we retaine still in the Church the feast of the natiuitie of Christ so commonly called which neuerthelesse is not spent in praising the name of God who hath sent his sonne from his owne bosome to be our redeemer but contrariwise in rifling dicing carding masking mumming and in all licentious libertie for the most part as though it were some heathen feast of Ceres or Bacchus Secondly Christ was conceiued and borne in bodily manner that there might be a spirituall conception and birth of him in our hearts as Paul saith My little children of whome I trauell till Christ he formed in you and that is when we are made newe creatures by Christ and performe obedience to our creatour When the people said to Christ that his mother and his brethren sought him he answered He that doth the will of God is my brother my sister and mother Therefore let vs goe with the sheapheards to Bethlehem and finding our blessed Sauiour swadled and lying in the cratch let vs bring him thence and make our owne hearts to be his cradle that we may be able to say that we liue not but Christ liues in vs and let vs present vnto him our selues our bodies soules as the best gold mirrhe and frankincense that may be and thus conceiuing him by faith he remaining without chaunge wee shall be chaunged into him and made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh The world I know neuer so much as dreameth of this kinde of conception and birth for as Dauid saieth Men trauell with wickednesse conceiue mischiefe and bring forth a lie And S. Iames saith Men are drawne away by their owne concupiscence which when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne And these are the ougly and monstrons birthes of these daies But let vs I pray you contrariwise waile and mourne for the barrennes of our hearts that doe so little conceiue the grace of Christ in heart and bring it forth in action The mother of Christ vndoubtedly was a blessed woman but if shee had not as well conceiued Christ in her heart as shee did in her wombe shee had not bin saued and no more can wee vnlesse doe the same The birth of Christ to them that haue touched hearts is the comfort of coÌ„forts and the sweetest balme or confection that euer was Behold say the Angel to the sheâ—pheards we bring tidings of great ioy that shall be to all people but wherein standes the ioy they adde further vnto you this daie is borne in the citiâ— of Dauid a Sâ—uiour which is Christ the Lord. And no maruel for in that birth is manifested the good will of God to man and by it we haue peace first with God secondly with our selues in conscience thirdly with the good Angels of God fourthly with our enemies lastly with al the creatures For this cause the Angels sang Peace on earth good will towards men In the last place the Creede notes vnto vs the parent or mother of Christ the Virgine Mary And here at the verie first it may be demanded howe hee could haue either father or mother because he was figured by Melchisedech who had neither father nor mother Ans. Melchisedech is said to be without father and mother not because he had none at all For according to the ancient and receiued opinion it is very likely that he was Sem the sonne of Noe but because where hee is mentioned vnder this name of Melchisedech in the 14. chapter of Genes there is no mention made of Father or Mother and so Christ in some sort is without father or mother as he is man he hath no father as he is God he hath no mother And whereas Christ is called the sonne of Ioseph it was not because hee was begotten of him but because Ioseph was his reputed father or which is more because he was a legall father namely according to the Iewes lawes in that as sundrie diuines think he was the next of his kin and therefore to succeede him as his lawfull heire Mary became the mother of Christ by a kind of calling thereto which was by an extraordinarie message of an angel concerning the conception birth of Christ in and by her to which calling and message shee condescended saying Behold the handmaid of the Lord be it vnto me according to thy worde And hereupon she conceiued by the holy ghost This being so it is more then sensles folly to turne the salutatioÌ„ of the angel Haile freely beloued c. into a praier For it is as much as if we should stil call her to become a mother of Christ. And shee must be held to be the mother of whole Christ God and man therfore the ancient Church hath called the mother of God yet not the mother of the godhead Furthermore the mother of Christ is described by her qualitie a virgin and by her name Mary Shee was a virgine first that Christ might be conceiued without sinne and be a perfect Sauiour secondly that the saying of the prophet Esay might be fulfilled Behold a virgine shall conceiue beare a sonne according as it was foretold by God in the first giuing of the promise the seede of the woman not the seede of the man shall bruise the serpents heade Nowe the Iewes to elude the most pregnant testimonie of the prophet saie that Alma signifies not a virgin but a young woman which hath knowne a man But this is indeede a forgerie For Esay there speakes of an extraordinary worke of God aboue nature whereas for a woman hauing knowne man to conceiue is no wonder And the word Alma through the whole bible is taken for a virgin as by a particular search will appeare As Maâ—ie conceiued a virgin so it may be well thought that shee continued a virgine to the ende though wee make it no article of our faith When Christ was vpon the crosse hâ—e commended his mother to the custodie of Iohn which probably argueth that she had no child to whose care and keeping shee might be coÌ„meÌ„ded
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
this temple and in three daies I will build it vp againe more plainly I haue saith he power to lay downe my life and I haue power to take it againe From whence we learne diuers instructions First whereas Christ raiseth himselfe from death to life it serueth to prooue that he was not onely man but also true God For the bodie beeing dead could not bring againe the soule and ioyne it selfe vnto the same and make it selfe aliue againe neither yet the soule that is departed from the bodie can returne againe and quicken the bodie and therefore there was some other nature in Christ namely his godhead which did revnite soule and bodie togither and thereâ—y quicken the manhood Secondly if Christ giue life to himselfe beeing dead in the graue then much more nowe beeing aliue and in heauen glorified is hee able to raise vp his members from death to life Wee are all by nature euen starke dead in sinne as the deade bodie rotten in the graue and therefore our duty is to come to Christ our Lord by humble prayer earnestly intreating him that he would raise vs vp euery day more and more from the graue of our sinnes to newnesse of life He can of men deade in their sinnes make vs aliue vnto himselfe to liue in righteousnes and true holines all the daies of our life The third thing is that Christ rose againe with an earthquake And this serueth to prooue that he lost nothing of his power by death but still remained the absolute Lord and King of heauen and earth to whome therefore the earth vnder his feete trembling doth him homage This also prooueth vnto vs that Christ which lay dead in the graue did raise himselfe againe by his owne almightie power Lastly it serueth to conuince the keepers of the graue the women which came to embalme him and the disciples which came to the sepulchre and would not yet beleeue that he was risen againe But how came this earthquake Ans. Saint Matthew saith there was a great earthquake For the Angel of the Lord descended from heauen c. This shewes that the power of angels is great in that they can mooue and stirre the earth Three angels destroied Sodom and Gomorrha An angel destroied the first borne of Egypt in one night In the hoast of Senacherib one angel slue in one night an hundreth fourescore and fiue thousand men Of like power is the deuill himselfe to shake the earth and to destroy vs all but that God of his goodnesse limits and restraines him of his libertie Well if one angel be able to shake the earth what then will Christ himselfe doe when he shall come to iudgement the second time with many thousand thousands of angels oh how terrible and fearefull will his comming be Not without cause saith the holy Ghost that the wicked at that day shall crie out wishing the hills to fall vpon them and the mountaines to couer them for feare of that great and terrible day of the Lord. The fourth thing is that an Angel ministred to Christ beeing to rise againe in that he came to the graue and rolled away the stone and sate vpon it Where obserue first how the angels of God minister vnto Christ though dead and buried whereby they acknowledge that his power maiestie and authoritie is not included within the bonds of the earth but extends it selfe euen to the heauens themselues and the hosts thereof and that according to his humanitie Wicked men for their parts laboured to close him vp in the earth as the basest of all creatures but the angels of heauen most readily accept him as their soueraigne Lord and king as in like manner they did in his temptation in the wildernes and in his agonie in the garden Secondly that the opinion of the Papists and others which thinke that the bodie of Christ went through the graue-stone when he rose againe is without warrant For the end no doubt why the angel rolled away the stone was that Christ might come forth And indeed it is against the order of nature that one body should passe through another without corruption or alteration of either considering that euery bodie occupies a place and two bodies at the same instant can not be in one proper place Furthermore it is saide that when the angel sate on the stone his countenance was like lightening and his rayment as white as snow and this serued to shew what was the glorie of Christ himselfe For if the seruant and minister be so glorious then endles is the glorie of the lord and master himselfe Lastly it is saide that for feare of the angel the watchmen were astonied and became as dead men which teacheth vs that what God would haue come to passe all the world can neuer hinder For though the Iewes had closed vp the graue with a stone and set a band of souldiours to watch least Christ should by any meanes be taken away yet all this auaileth nothing by an angel from heauen the seale is broken the stone is remooued and the watchmen at their wittes endes And this came to passe by the prouidence of God that after the watchmen had testified these things to the Iewes they might at length be conuicted that Christ whome they crucified was the Messias The fifth and last point is that Christ rose not alone but accompanied with others as S. Matthew saith that the graues opened and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of the graues and went into the holy citie and appeared vnto many after Christs resurrection And this came to passe that the church of God might know and consider that there is a reuiuing and quickning vertue in the resurrection of Christ wherby he is able not onely to raise our dead bodies vnto life but also when we are dead in sinne to raise vs vp to newnesse of life And in this very point stands a maine difference betweene the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of any other man For the resurrection of Peter nothing auailes to the raising of Dauid or Paul but Christs resurrection auailes for all that haue beleeued in him by the very same power whereby he raised himselfe he raiseth all his members and therfore he is called a quickning spirit And let vs marke the order obserued in rising First Christ riseth and theÌ„ the Saints after him And this came to passe to verefie the Scripture which saith that Christ is the first borne of the dead Now he is the first borne of the deadâ— in that he hath this dignitie and priuiledge to rise to eternall life the first of all men It is true indeed that Lazarus and sundrie others in time rose before Christ but yet they rose to liue a mortall life and to die againe Christ he is the first of all that rose to life euerlasting and to glorie neuer any rose before Christ in this manner And the persons that
Answ. The reason may be this it was his good pleasure that the points of faith and religion wherof this article is one should rather be learned by hearing then by seeing Indeede Christs owne disciples were taught the same by sight that they might the better teach others which should not see wheras now the ordinarie meanes to come by faith is hearing The vses to be made of Christs ascension are of two sorts some are comforts to Gods Church and people and some are duties The comforts are especially foure The first is this Christ Iesus did ascend vp into heauen to lead captiuitie captiue a most worthie benefit By captiuitie is meant first sinne and Satan which did and doe lead men captiue into perdition secondly death and the graue which held him captiue and in bondage for the space of three daies And he leads them all captiue two waies first in himselfe in that he beganne his triumph vpon the crosse as I haue shewed and continued the same till his very ascension secondly in all his members because by his mightie power being now ascended he doth subdue and weaken the power of sinne and Satan which he manifesteth euery day by killing the corruption of their natures and the rebellion of their flesh But it may be demaunded how Christ doth lead his enemies captiue considering the deuill raignes euery where and the world and death and hell Answ. Christs victorie ouer his and our enemies hath fiue degrees First it is ordained by God secondly it is foretold thirdly it is wrought fourthly it is applied lastly it is accomplished The ordaining of it was before all worlds the foretelling of it was in all the ages of the olde testament the working of it was vpon the crosse and afterward the applying hath beene since the beginning of the world more or lesse and it is onely in part in this life that while Christ is in bruising of the head of Satan he againe may bruise his heele the accomplishment shall not be before the last iudgement From this great benefit bestowed on Gods Church there are many duties to be learned First here is an instruction for all ignorant persons and impenitent sinners which abound among vs in euery place Whosoeuer they be that liue in the blindnesse of their mindes and hardnes of their hearts they must know this that they are captiues and bondslaues of sinne and Satan of hell death and condemnation and let no man flatter himselfe of what state or degree soeuer he be for it is Gods truth if he haue not repented of all his sinnes he as yet is no better then a seruant or vassall yea a very drudge of the deuill Now then what wilt thou doe in this case The best thing is to lay to thy heart this benefit of Christ. He is ascended vp to heauen to lead captiue and to vanquish the deuil and all his angels vnder whome thou liest bound and that not onely in himselfe but in his members Now then if thou wilt become a true member of Christ he will free thee from this bondage Therefore take heede how thou continuest longer in thy old sinnes and in thy grosse ignorance seeing Christ hath made a way to libertie let vs seeke to come out of this spirituall bondage he is ascended for this end and purpose to free vs frō it therfore if we refuse this benefit our state will be the more damnable A man lies bound hand and foote in a darke dungeon and the keeper comes and sets open the prison dore and takes off his bolts and bids him come out if he refuse and say that he is well may it not be thought that he is a madde man and will any be sorie for his case No surely Well this is the state of all impenitent sinners They lie fast fettered and bound vnder the power of sinne and Satan and Christ it is who is ascended into heauen to vnloose them of this bondage he hath set open the prison dore and hath vnlocked our fetters if we refuse to come out and lie still in our sinnes there remaineth nothing for vs but euerlasting thraldome Let vs therefore in the feare of God if we haue a care of our owne soules receiue and imbrace this benefit which redoundes vnto vs by Christs ascension Secondly in that Christ is ascended to heauen to lead captiue sinne and Satan here is a good consolation for all those that are afflicted in conscience for their sinnes There is no man in this case but he hath great cause to feare yet must he not be discouraged For Christ by his ascension like a noble captaine hath taken sinne and Satan prisoners and hath pinnioned them fast so as all the power they haue is in Christs hand and therefore for this cause although they are suffered to exercise and afflict vs yet by his grace they shall neuer be able to preuaile against vs. Therefore we may safely cast our care vpon God and not feare ouermuch Hence also we may learne a third dutie There is no man that knoweth what sinne meaneth and what the bloode of Christ meaneth but in regard of the corruption of his owne nature he will say with Paul that he is sold vnder sinne and in regard thereof will crie out with him also O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death yea it will make his heart to bleede within him Nowe what shall he doe in this case surely let him remember the ende of Christs ascension which is to vanquish and subdue the rebellion of his nature and labour to feele the benefit thereof and then he shall no doubt finde that Christ will dissolue in him the works of the deuill and tread Satan vnder his feete And thus also those that feele in themselues the law of their members rebelling against the law of their minde must come to Christ and he will helpe and sree them The second benefit of Christs ascension is that he ascended vp to heauen to bestow gifts vpon his Church as it is saide in the place before mentioned He ascended vp an high c. he gaue gifts vnto men that is the gift of the knowledge of Gods word the gift of preaching and prophecie and all other gifts needefull for the good of his Church The consideration of this that Christ who is the fountaine of grace and in whome are hidde all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge should be mindfull of vs and vouchsafe such speciall fauour to his Church must cause euery one of vs who haue receiued any gift of God as there is no man but he hath receiued his portion to be humbled in his owne eyes for the same There is no cause why we should be proud of our gifts seeing we haue nothing but that which we haue receiued For to this ende Christ ascended to giue gifts vnto men and therefore our gifts whatsoeuer they be are not our owne but we had them from
Christ and we are stewards of them a while for the good of others The more the Lord giueth to a man the more he requireth at his hands and as for such as hauing good gifts abuse the same their sinne is the more grieuous and their daunger the greater Men of great gifts vnlesse they vse them aright with humbled hearts shall want Gods blessing vpon them For he giueth grace to the humble The high hills after much tillage are often barren whereas the low vallies by the streames of waters passing through them are very fruitfull and the gifts of God ioyned with a swelling heart are fruitlesse but ioyned with loue and the grace of humilitie they edifie Secondly if Christ ascend vp to heauen to giue gifts vnto men here we may see how many a man and woman in these our daies are ouerseene in that they plead ignorance and say that they hope God will haue them excused for it seeing they are not learned they haue dull wittes and it is not possible to teach them now they are past learning and hereupon they presume they may liue in grosse ignorance as blinde almost in religion as when they were first borne But marke I pray you who it is that is ascended vp to heauen namely Christ Iesus our Lord who made thee of nothing Now was he able to giue thee a beeing when thou was not and is he not likewise able to put knowledge into thy soule if so be thou wilt vse the meanes which he hath appointed and the rather seeing he is ascended for that end but if thou wilt not vse the meanes to come to knowledge thy case is desperate and thou art the cause of thine owne condemnation and thou bringest confusion vpon thine owne head Therfore let ignorant men labour for knowledge of Gods word Ignorance shall excuse none it will not stand for paiment at the day of iudgement Christ is ascended to this ende to teach the ignorant to giue knowledge and wisdome vnto the simple to giue gifts of prophecie vnto his ministers that they may teach his people Therefore I say againe let such as be ignorant vse the meanes diligently and God will giue the blessing Thirdly whereas it is thought to be a thing not possible to furnish a whole Church with preaching ministers it seemes to be otherwise For wherefore did Christ ascend to heauen was it not to giue gifts vnto his Church what is Christs hand now shortned vndoubtedly we may resolue our selues that Christ bestowed gifts sufficient vpon men in the Church but it is for our sinnes that they are not imploied The fountaines of learning the Vniuersities though they are not dammed vp yet they streame not abroad as they might Many there be in them indued with worthie gifts for the building of the Church but the couetousnes of men hindereth the comfortable entrance which otherwise might be Lastly seeing Christ ascended to giue gifts needefull for his Church as the gift of teaching the gift of prophecie the gift of tongues of wisdome and knowledge the dutie of euery man is especially of those which liue in the schooles of learning to labour by all meanes to increase cherish and preserue their gifts and as Paul exhorteth Timothie to stirre vp the gift of God that is as men preserue the fire by blowing it so by our diligence we must kindle and reuiue the gifts and graces of God bestowed on vs. Christ hath done his part and there is nothing required but our paines and fidelitie The third benefit that comes by Christs ascension is that he ascended to prepare a place for all that should beleeue in him In my fathers house saith Christ are many dwelling places if it were not so I would haue told you I goe to prepare a place for you For by the sinne of Adam our entrance into heauen was taken away If Adam by his fall did exclude himselfe from the earthly paradise then how much more did he exclude himselfe from heauen And theâ—efore all mankind sinning in him was likewise depriued of heauen The people of Israel beeing in woe and miserie cried out that they had sinned and therefore the Lord had couered himselfe with a cloud that their praiers could not passe through And Esai saith that our sinnes are a wall betwixt God and vs. And S. Iohn that no vncleane thing must enter into the heauenly Ierusalem Now seeing we haue shut our selues out of heauen by our sinnes it was requiâ—ite that Christ Iesus our Sauiour should goe before vs to prepare a place and to make readie a way for vs. For he is king ouer all he hath the keies of heauen he openeth and no man shutteth therfore it is in his power to lâ—t vs in though we haue shut our selues out But some may say if this be the ende of his ascension to prepare a place in heauen then belike such as died before the comming of Christ were not in heauen Ans. As there are two degrees of glorie one incomplete and the other complete or perfect for the faithfull departed are in glorie but in part and there remaineth fulnesse of glory for them at the day of iudgement when soule and bodie shall be both glorified together so answerably there are two degrees of preparation of places in heauen The places of glorie were in part prepared for the faithfull from the beginning of the world but the full preparation is made by Christs ascension And of this last preparation is the place of Iohn to be vnderstood The vse of this doctrine is very profitable First it ouerthroweth the fond doctrine of the church of Rome which teacheth that Christ by his death did merit our iustification and that we beeing once iustified doe further merit saluation and purchase for our selues a place in heauen But this is as it were to make a partition betweene Christ and vs in the worke of our redemption whereas in truth not onely the beginning and continuance of our saluation but also the accomplishment thereof in our vocation iustification sanctification glorification is wholly and onely to be ascribed to the meere merit of Christ and therefore hauing redeemed vs on earth he also ascends to prepare a place in heauen for vs. Secondly this serueth to condemne the fearefull lamentable and desperate securitie of these our daies Great is the loue of Christ in that he was content to suffer the pangs of hell to bring vs out of hell and withall to goe to heauen to prepare a place for vs there and yet who is it that careth for this place or maketh any account therof who forsaketh this world seekes vnto Christ for it And further least any maÌ„ should say alas I know not the way therfore Christ before he ascended made a new liuing way with his own blood as the Apostle speaketh And to take away all excuses froÌ„ men he hath set markes and bounds in this way and hath placed guides in it
is his house of grace heauen is his house of glorie Nowe if thou wouldst bring thy child to a place in the house of glorie then thou art first of all to get him a place in the house of grace bringing him vp so in the feare of God that both in life and conuersation he may shew himselfe to be a member of the Church and then assure thy selfe that after this life he shall be remooued to the second house of God which is the house of glorie and there be freeman for euer in the kingdome of heauen And if thou shalt thus prouide for thy childe thou shalt not leaue him as an orphan when thou diest but he shall haue God for his father and Christ for his brother and the holy Ghost his comforter And therefore first of all and aboue all remember to make thy child a member of Gods Church Let the example of Dauid excite all parents hereunto I had rather saith he be a dore keeper in the houâ—e of God then to dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse For a day in thy courts is better then a thousand â—lse where Lastly hence we may finde remedâ—e against the tediousnes of sicknes and feare of death Thou which fearest death remember that Christ is gone to heuen to prepare a place for thy bodie where it must be glorified and liue for euer with the blessed Trinitie and all the Saints and angels though for a while it lie dead and rot in the graue Remember this also thou which continuest in any lingring sicknesse Christ Iesus hath prepared a place for thee wherein thou shalt rest in ioy and blisse without all paine or faintnes The fourth benefit is that Christ ascended vp to heauen to send the comforter vnto his Church This was a speciall ende of his ascension as appeares by Christs owne wordes It is saith he expedient that I goe away for if I goe not the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will sende him vnto you And againe I will pray vnto the Father and he shall giue you another comforter which shall abide with you for euer euen the spirit of trueth But some wil say howe can Christ send his spirit vnto his Church for the person sending and the person sent are vnequall whereas all three persons in trinitie are equall none greater or lesser then another none inferiour or superiour to other Ans. It is true indeede but we must knowe that the action of sending in the Trinitie makes not the persons vnequall but onely shewes a distinction and order among equalls The father sends the sonne the father and the sonne both send the Holy Ghost yet the father is not aboue the sonne neither the father or the sonne aboue the holy Ghost but all are equall in degree though in regarde of order one is before another and it standeth with reason For two men that are equall in degree may vpon mutuall consent one send another But it may be further demanded howe the holy Ghost can be sent which is euery where Ans. The Holy Ghost indeed is euery where therefore he is sent not so much in regard of the presence of his essence or substance as of his operation whereby he renueth guideth the members of Christ. Nowe then this beeing so here first we haue occasion to consider the miserie of the world When a man is troubled in his minde as no vngodly man but sometime he feeleth the terrour of conscience for his sinnes then hee labours to remooue it by merie company and pleasant bookes whereas Christ at his ascension sent his holy spirit to bee the comforter of his Church and therefore when wee are troubled in conscience for our sinnes we should not seeke ease by such slender meanes but rather seeke for the helpe and comfort of the holy ghost and labour to haue our sinnes washed away and our hearts purified and clensed by the bloode of Christ. As for wine and mirth and such like meanes of comfort neither at the day of death nor at the day of iudgement shall they stand vs in stead or bee able to comfort vs. Againe when crosses and calamities fall the counsell of the minister is not sought for but the helpe of such as are called cunning men and cunning women is that is of charmers inchanters and figure-casters a badde practise Christ at his ascension sent his holy spirit vnto his Church and people to be their guide and comforter in their calamities and miseries and therfore when any man is in distresse he should haue recourse to the right meanes of comfort namly the word and Sacraments and there he should find the assistance of the holy Ghost Thus the prophet Isai informeth the Iewes when they shall say vnto you inquire at them which haue a spirit of diuination and at the southsayers which whisper and murmure Should not a people inquire at their God from the liuing to the dead to the lawe and to the testimonie Rebecca when the two twinnes stroue in her wombe what did shee the text saith shee sent to aske the Lord. Yet commonly the men of these daies leaue God seeke to the instruments of the deuill To goe yet further god vseth for sundrie causes most of all to afflict his dearest children Iudgement saith Peter beginnes at Gods house S. Luke saith that a certaine woman was bound of Satan eighteene yeeres but what was shee a daughter of Abraham that is a child of God When the like condition shall befall any of vs let vs remember the ende why Christ ascended vp to heauen and pray vnto God that he will giue vs his spirit that thereby we may be eased and deliuered or else inabled to perseuere continue in patience and this is the true way and meanes to lighten ease the burden of all afflictions And for this cause Paul praieth that the Colossians might be strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse For to whomesoeuer God giueth grace to beleeue to them also he giues power to suffer affliction by the inward worke of his spirit Secondly if Christ haue sent vnto his church the holy spirit to be our comforter our dutie is to prepare our bodies and soules to bee fitte temples and houses for so worthie a guest If a man were certified that a prince would come to his house he would dresse it vp and haue all things in as good order as might bee and shall not wee much more endeauour to purifie and clense our soules and bodies from all sinne that they may be fitte temples for the entertainment of the Holy Ghost whome Christ Iesus hath sent to be our comforter The Shunamite was carefull to entertaine the man of God Elisha for shee said to her husband Let vs make him a little chamber I pray thee with walls and let vs set him there a bed and a stoole a table and
of this world but eternall and spirituall respecting the very conscience of man In the administration whereof he hath absolute power to commaund and forbidde to condemne and absolue and therefore hath the keyes of heauen and hell to open and shut which power no creature beside no not the angels in heauen can haue For the better vnderstanding of this which I say we are to consider first the dealing of Christ toward his owne Church secondly his dealing in respect of his enemies And his dealing toward his owne Church stands in foure things The first is the collecting or gathering of it and this is a speciall end of his sitting at the right hand of his father Christ said to his disciples I haue chosen you out of this world and the same may truly be saide of all the Elect that Christ in his good time will gather them all to himselfe that they may be a peculiar people to God And this action of his in collecting the Church is nothing els but a translation of those whome he hath ordained to life euerlasting out of the kingdome of darknes in which they haue serued sinne Satan into his own kingdom of grace that they may be ruled guided by him eternally And this he doth two waies first by the preaching of the word for it is a powerfull outward meanes whereby he singleth and forteth his owne seruants from the blind and wicked world as Paul saith He gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some pastours and teachers for the gathâ—ring togither of Saints And hence we learne two things The first that euery minister of Gods word and euery one that intendeth to take vpon him that calling must propound vnto himselfe principally this end to single out man from man and gather out of this world such as belong to the Church of Christ and as Ieremie saith to separate the pretious from the vile The second that all those which will be good hearers of Gods word must shew themselues so farre forth conformable vnto it that it may gather them out of the world and that it may worke a change in them and make them the seruants of Christ and if the preaching of the word doe not worke this good worke in our hearts then the ende will be a separation from the presence of God Christ when he came neere Ierusalem and considered their rebellion whereby they refused to be gathered vnto him wept ouer it and saide O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou which stonest the Prophets and killest them that are sent vnto thee How often would I haue gathered thy children togither as the henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and thou wouldest not And by this he teacheth that if the preaching of the word turne not vs to Christ it turnes to our destruction The other meanes of gathering the Church and that the more principall is the inward operation of the spirit whereby the minde is inlightened the heart is mollified and the whole man is conuerted to God And this ordinarily is ioyned with the ministerie or preaching of the word as appeares by the example of Lydia Saint Luke saith God opened her heart to be attentiue to the doctrine of the Apostle And by the example of Paul when Christ saith Saul Saul why persecutest thou me at this very speech he is conuerted and saide Who art thou Lord what wilt thou that I doe And this is manifest also by experience There is nothing in the world more contrarie to the nature of man then the preaching of the word for it is the wisdome of God to which the flesh is enimitie Here then it may be demanded how it can be in force to turne any man to God Ans. The word preached is the scepter of Christs kingdome which against the nature of man by the operation of the holy Ghost ioyned therewith doth bend and bow the heart will and affections of man to the will of Christ. The second worke of Christ is after the Church is gathered to guide it in the way to life euerlasting He is the shepheard of his Church which guideth his flocke in and out and therefore Paul saith They that are Christs are guided by his spirit And by Esai the Lord saith those his seruants which are turned from idolatrie he will guide in the way and their eares shall heare a voice behinde them saying This is the way walke in it when thou turnest to the right hand and to the left Which voice is nothing els but the voice of the holy Ghost in the mouth of the ministers directing them in the waies of God The children of Israel were trauelling from Egypt to the land of Canaan full fourtie yeares whereas they might haue gone the iourney in fourtie daies Their way was through the wildernes of Arabia their guides were a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night the manner of their iourney was this when the pillars mooued they mooued when the pillars stood still they stood still and so long as the pillars either mooued or stoode still they likewise mooued or stood still And by all this a further matter namely the regiment of Christ ouer his Church was signified Euery one of vs are as passengers trauailers not to any earthly Canaan but to the heauenly Ierusalem and in this iourney we are to passe through the wild and desert wildernes of this world our guide is Christ himselfe figured by the pillar of fire and the cloud because by his word and spirit he sheweth vs how farre we may goe in euery action and where we must stand and he goes before vs as our guide to life euerlasting The third worke of Christ is to exercise his Church vnto spirituall obedience by manifold troubles crosses temptations and afflictions in this world as earthly kings vse to traine and exercise their subiects When our Sauiour Christ was with his disciples in a shippe there arose a great tempest vpon the sea so as the shippe was almost couered with waues but he was asleepe and his disciples came awoke him saying Saue vs master we perish Behold here a liuely picture of the dealing of Christ with his seruants in this life His manner is to place them vpon the sea of this world and to raise vp against theâ— bleake stormes and flaes of contrarie windes by their enemies the flesh the deuill the world And further in the middest of all these dangers he for his owne part maketh as though he lay asleepe for a time that he may the better make triall of their patience faith and obedience And the endes for which he vseth this spirituall exercise are these The first to make all his subiects to humble themselues and as it were to goe crooked and buckle vnder their offences committed against his maiestie in times past Thus Iob after the Lord had long afflicted him and laid his hand sore vpon
we pollute our soules and bodies with any manner of sinne we make them euen stables and styes for our wretched enemie the deuill to harbour in For when Satan is once cast out if afterward we fall againe to our old sinnes loosenes of life and so defile our bodies they are then most cleane and neat for them to dwell in whereupon he will come and bring seuen other deuills worse then himselfe so a mans last end shall be worse then his beginning Now what a fearefull thing is this that the bodie which should be a temple for the holy Ghost by our sins should be made a stable for the deuil Furthermore S. Paul biddeth vs not to quench the spirit The graces of the holy spirit in this life are like sparkes of fire which may soone be quenched with a little water Now so oft as we sinne we cast water vpon the grace of God and as much as we can put out the same therefore it stands vs in hand to make conscience of euery thing wherein we may offend and displease God And we may assure our selues that so long as we liue and lie in our corruptions and sinnes the holy Ghost will neuer come and dwell with vs. He is a spirit most pure and chast and therefore must haue an vndefiled temple to dwell in Thus we haue heard what is to be beleeued concerning the Father Sonne and holy Ghost Now looke as we beleeue in God distinguished into three persons so we must remember that when we performe diuine worship to him we may distinguish the persons but we are not to seuer them when we pray to the Father we must not omit the Sonne or the holy Ghost but make our prayers to them all for as in nature they are one and in person not deuided but distinguished so in all worship we must neuer confound or seuer the persons but distinguish them and worship the Trinitie in vnitie and vnitie in trinitie one God in three persons and three persons in one God Hitherto we haue intreated of the first part of the Creede concerning God now followes the second part thereof concerning the Church and â—t was added to the former vpon speciall consideration For the right order of a confession did require that after the Trinitie the Church should be mentioned as the house after the owner the temple after God and the citie after the builder Againe the Creede is concluded with points of doctrine concerning the Church because whosoeuer is out of it is also forth of the number of gods children and he can not haue God for his father which hath not the Church for his mother Question is made what the words are which are to be supplied in this article the holy Catholike Church whether I beleeue or I beleeue in and ancient expositours haue sufficiently determined the matter One saith In these words in which is set forth our faith of the godhead it is saide In God the father in the Sonne and in the holy Ghost but in the rest where the speech is not of the Godhead but of creatures aud mysteries the preposition In is not added that it should be in the holy Church but that we should beleeue there is an holy Church not as God but as a companie gathered to God And men should beleeue that there is remission of sinnes not in the remission of sinnes and they should beleeue the resurrection of the bodie not in the resurrection of the bodie therefore by this preposition the Creatour is distinguished from the creatures and things pertaining to God from things pertaining to men Another vpon these words This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him saith If ye beleeue in him ye beleeue him not if ye beleeue him ye beleeue in him for the deuills beleeued God but did not beleeue in him Againe of the Apostles we may say we beleeue Paul but we doe not beleeue in Paul we beleeue Peter but we beleeue not in Peter For his faith that beleeueth in him which iustifieth the vngodly is imputed to him for righteousnes What is it therefore to beleeue in him by beleeuing to loue and like and as it were to passe into him and to be incorporated into his members Now the reasons which some Papists bring to the contrarie to prooue that we may beleeue in the creatures in the church are of no moment First they alleadge the phrase of Scripture Exod. 14.31 They beleeued in God and in Moses 1. Sam. 27. 12. And Achis beleeued in Dauid 2. Chron. 20.20 Beleeue in the Prophets and prosper Ans. The Hebrewe phrase in which the seruile letter Beth is vsed must not bee translated with a preposition that ruleth an accusatiue or ablatiue case but with a datiue case on this manner Beleeue Moses Dauid the Prophets and it doth not impart any affiance in the creature but onely a giuing of credance by one man to another Secondly they alleadge that ancient fathers read the article on this manner I beleeue in the holy Catholike Church Answ. Indeede some haue done so but by this kind of speech they signified no more but thus much that they beleeued that there was a Catholike Church Thus hauing found what words are to be supplied let vs come to the meaning of the article And that we may proceede in order let vs first of all see what the Church is The Church is a peculiar companie of men predestinate to life euerlasting and made one in Christ. First I say it is a peculiar company of men for Saint Peter saith Ye are a chosen generation a royall priesthood an holy nation and a peculiar people He speakes indeede of the Church of God on earth but his saying may be also extended to the whole Church of God as well in heauen as in earth Nowe because there can be no companie vnlesse it haue a beginning and a cause whereby it is gathered therefore I adde further in the definition predestinate to life euerlasting Noting thereby the ground and cause of the Catholike Church namely Gods eternall predestination to life euerlasting and to this purpose our Sauiour Christ saith Feare not little flocke for it is your fathers will to giue you the kingdome signifying thereby that the first and principall cause of the Church is the good pleasure of God whereby he hath before all workes purposed to aduance his elect to eternall saluation Therefore one saith well onely the elect are the Church of God And further because no companie can continue and abide for euer vnlesse the members thereof be ioyned and coupled together by some bond therefore I adde in the last place made one with Christ. This vnion maketh the Church to be the Church and by it the members thereof whether they be in heauen or in earth are distinguished from all other companies whatsoeuer Now this coniunction betweene Christ and the Church is auouched by Saint Paul when
We are carefull to flie the infection of the bodily plague oh then how carefull should we be to flie the common blindnesse of minde and hardnes of heart which is the very plague of all plagues a thousand fold worse then all the plagues of Egypt And it is so much the more fearefull because the more it takes place the lesse it is perceiued When a malefactour on the day of assise is brought forth of the iayle with great bolts and fetters to come before the iudge as he is going all men pitie him and speake comfortably vnto him but why so because he is now to be arraigned at the barre of an earthly iudge Now the case of all impenitent sinners is farre more miserable then the case of this man for they lie fettered in bondage vnder sinne and Satan and this short life is the way in which they are going euery houre to the barre of Gods iustice who is the King of kings and Lord of lords there to be arraigned and to haue sentence of condemnation giuen against them Now canst thou pitie a man that is before an earthly iudge and wilt thou not be touched with the miserie of thine owne estate who goest euery day forward to the barre of Gods iustice whether thou be sleeping or waking sitting or standing as a man on the sea in a shippe goes continually toward the hauen though he himselfe stirre not his foote Begin now at length to lay this point to your hearts that so long as ye runne on in your blind waies without repentance as much as ye can yee make post hast to hel-ward and so long as you continue in this miserable condition as Peter saith Your iudgement is not farre off and your damnation sleepeth not Thirdly seeing those whom God hath purposed to refuse shall be left vnto themselues and neuer come to repentance we are to loue and embrace the word of God preached taught vnto vs by the ministers of the Gospell withall submitting our selues vnto it and suffering the Lord to humble vs thereby that we may come at length out of the broad way of blindnes of mind and hardnes of heart leading to destruction into the strait way of true repentance and reformation of life which leadeth to saluation For so long as a man liues in this world after the lusts of his owne heart he goes on walking in the very same broad way to hell in which all that are ordained to condemnation walke and what a fearefull thing is it but for a little while to be a companion in the way of destruction with them that perish and therefore I say once againe let vs all in the feare of God lay his word vnto our hearts and heare it with reuerence so as it may be in vs the sword of the spirit to cut downe the sinnes and corruptions of our natures and worke in vs a reformation of life and true repentance The third point concerning the decree of Reprobation is the Iudgement to be giuen of it This iudgement belongeth to God principally and proâ—erly because he knoweth best what he hath determined concerning the estate of euery man and none but he knowes who they be which are ordained to due and deserued damnation And againe he onely knoweth the hearts and wills of men and what grace he hath giuen them what they are and what all their sinnes be and so doth no angel nor creature in the world beside As for men it belongs not to them to giue iudgement of reprobation in themselues or in others vnlesse God reueale his will vnto them and giue them a gift of discerning This gift was bestowed on sundrie of the Prophets in the olde testament and in the newe testament on the Apostles Dauid in many psalmes makes request for the confusion of his enemies not praying onely against their sinnes which we may do but euen against their persons which we may not doe No doubt he was guided by Gods spirit and receiued thence an extraordinarie gift to iudge of the obstinate malice of his aduersaries And Paul praies against the person of Demetrius saying The Lord reward him according to his doings And such kind of praiers were lawful in them because they were carried with pure and vpright zeale and had no doubt a speciall gift whereby they were able to discerne of the finall estate of their enemies Againe God sometimes giues this gift of discerning of some mens finall impenitencie to the Church vpon earth I say not to this or that priuate person but to the bodie of the Church or greater part thereof S. Iohn writing vnto the Churches saith There is a sinne vnto death that is against the holy Ghost I say not that thou shouldest praie for it in which wordes he takes it for graunted that this sinne might be discerned by the Church in those daies And Paul saith If any man beleeue not the Lord Iesus let him be had in execration Mara-natha that is pronounced accursed to euerlasting destruction Whence it appeares that the Church hath power to pronounce men reiected to euerlasting damnation vpon some speciall occasions though I dare not say ordinarily and vsually The primitiue Church with one consent praied against Iulian the Apostata and the praiers made were not in vaine as appeared by the euent of his fearefull ende As for priuate and ordinarie men for the tempering and rectifying of their iudgements in this case they must followe two rules The one is that euery member of the Church is bound to beleeue his owne election It is the commandement of God binding the very conscience that wee should beleeue in Christ. Nowe to beleeue in Christ is not onely to put our affiance in him and to be resolued that we are iustified and sanctified and shall be glorified by him but also that we were elect to saluation in him before the beginning of the worlde which is the foundation of the rest Againe if of things that haue necessarie dependance one vpon another we are to beleeue the one then we are to beleeue the other Nowe election and adoption are things conioined and the one necessarily depends vpon the other For all the elect as Paul saith are predestinate to adoption and wee are to beleeue our owne adoption and therefore also our election The second rule is that concerning the persons of those that be of the Church we must put in practise the iudgement of charitie and that is to esteeme of them as of the elect of God till God make manifest otherwise By vertue of this rule the ministers of Gods worde are to publish and preach the gospel to all without exception It is true indeed there is both wheate and darnell in Gods fielde chaffe and corne in Gods barne fish and drosse in Gods net sheepe and goates in Christs folde but secret iudgements belong vnto god the rule of loue which is to think wish the best of others is to be followed
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
miserie to the vngodly as S. Iohn saith they that haue done euill shall come forth to the resurrection of condemnation If they might cease to liue after this life and die as the beast doth O theÌ„ it would be well with them for then they might haue an ende of their miserie but the wicked must after this life rise againe to condemnation which is the accomplishment of their eternall woe and wretchednes a rufull and dolefull case to consider and yet is it the state of all vnbeleeuing and vnrepentant sinners If a man were bidden to goe to bed that after hee had slept and was risen again he might go to execution it would make his heart to ake within him yet this yea a thousand fold worse is the state of all impenitent sinners they must sleep in the graue for a while theÌ„ rise againe that a secoÌ„d death may be inflicted vpon theÌ„ in bodie soule which is the suffering of the full wrath of God both in bodie soule eternally This being so let vs imbrace the good counsel of S. Peter who saith AmeÌ„d your liues turne that your sinnes may be done away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. If a man die repeÌ„tant for his sinnes it is a day of refreshing but if he die in his sinnes impetent and hard hearted it is a day of eternal horrour desperation confusion Againe if we beleeue that our bodies shall rise againe after this life stand before God at the last daie of iudgement wee must daily enter into a serious consideration of this time and haue in minde that one daiâ— we must meet the Lord face to face A traueller comes into an Inne hauing but a penny in his purse he sits downe and cals for all store of prouision and dainties now what is to be thought of him surely in the iudgement of all men his behauiour betokens folly or rather madnes But why because he spendes freely and hath no regard to the reckening which must follow howe foolish then mad is the practise of euery man that liueth in his sinns bathing himselfe in his pleasures in this world neuer bethinking how he shal meet god at the last day of iudgement and thâ—re make reckening for all his doings An ancient diuine wâ—ites of himselfe that this saying ran in his minde and sounded alwaies in his eares Arise ye dead and come vnto iudgement And this ought alwaies to be sounding in our eares that while we haue time wee should prepare our selues to meete God at the last day Thirdly if we beleeue the resurrection of the bodie we are not to weepe mourne immoderatly for our friends deceased Our Sauiour Christ did weep for Lazarus and when Steuen was stoned to death certaine men that feared God buried him and made great lamentation for him and therefore mourning is not condemned and wee must not be as stockes that are bereft of all compassion yet remember we must what Saint Paul saith to thâ— Thessalonians I would not brethren haue you ignorant concerning those which are asleepe that ye sorrowe not as others which haue no hope For the godlie man properly dieth not but laies himselfe downe to take a sleepe after his manifolde labours in this life which beeing ended hee must rise againe to ioyes euerlasting and therefore we must needes moderate and mingle our mourning for the deceased with this and such like comforts Fourthly we are taught hence to labour and striue against the natural feare of death for if there be a resurrection of our bodies after this life then death is but a passage or middle way from this life to eternall life If a begger should be commanded to put off his old rags that he might be cloathed with rich costly garments would he be sorrie because he should stand naked a while til he were wholly bestripped of his rags No surely well thus doeth God when he calls a man to death he bids him put off his old rags of sinne and corruption and be cloathed with the glorious robe of Christs righteousnes and our abode in the graue is but for a space while corruption be put off This is Pauls argument saying Wee knowe that when our earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolued we haue a building giuen of God which is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens Fifthly whereas the godly are subiect to manifold afflictions and miseries both in bodie and minde in this life here they shall finde a sufficient staie to quiet and calme their mindes if they consider that after this short life is ended there will ensue a ioyfull resurrection Iob in the extremitie of all his temptations made this the comfort to his soule that one daie he should rise again in which he should enioy the glorious presence of his Creatour And the Holy Ghost saith that the seruants of God in the daies of Antiochus were racked and tormented and would not bee deliuered why so because they looked for a better resurrection Lastly the consideration of this point serueth to be a bridle to restraine a man from sinne and a spurre to make him goe forward in all godlines of life and conuersation Saint Paul had hope toward God that the resurrection of the dead should be both of the iust and vniust Nowe what did this mooue him vnto Marke Herein saith he that is in this respect I endeauour my selfe alwaies to haue a cleare conscience towards God and towards man And let vs for our partes likewise remember the last iudgement that it may bee a meanes to mooue vs so to behaue our selues in all our actions that wee may keepe a good conscience before God and before men and let it also be a bridle vnto vs to keepe vs backe from all manner of sinne For what is the cause why men daily defile their bodies soules with so many damnable practises without any remorse of conscience Surely they neuer seriously remember the daie of the resurrection after this life wherein they must stand before Christ to giue an account of that which they haue done in this life whether it be good or bad Thus much of the duties nowe marke it is further said The resurrection of the bodie If the bodie rise it must first fall Here then this point is wrapped vp as a confessed trueth that all men must die the first death And yet considering that the members of the Church haue the pardon of their sinns which are the cause of death it may bee demaunded why they must die Ans. Wee are to know that when they die death doth not seaze vpon them as it is in his own nature a curse for in that respect it was borne of Christ vpon the crosse and that for vs but for two other causes which we must thinke vpon as being speciall meanes to make a man willing to die I. They must
meditation of life eternall must be as sugar in our pockets to sweeten the cup withall Lastly if this be true that God of his goodnesse and endles mercy towards mankind hath prepared life euerlasting yet not for all men but for the elect whose names are written in the booke of life we must aboue all things in this world seeke to be partakers of the same Let vs receiue this as from the Lord and lay it to our hearts whatsoeuer we doe euening or morning day or night whether we be young or old rich or poore first we must seeke for the kingdome of heauen and his righteousnes If this benefit were common to all and not proper to the Church lesse care might be had but seeing it is proper to some alone for this very cause let all our studies be to obtaine the beginnings of liâ—e euerlasting giuen in this life For if we haue it not whosoeuer we be it had beene better for vs that we had neuer beene borne or that we had beene borne dogges and toades then men for when they die there is an ende of their miserie but man if he loose euerlasting happinesse hath ten thousand millions of yeares to liue in miserie and in the torments of hell and when that time is ended he is as farre from the end of his miserie as he was at the beginning Wherefore I pray you let not the deuill steale this meditation out of your hearts but be carefull to repent of all your sinnes and to beleeue in Christ for the pardon of them all that by this meanes yee may come to haue the pawne and earnest of the spirit concerning life euerlasting euen in this world What a miserable thing is it that men should liue long in this world and not so much as dreame of another till the last gaspe Let vs not suffer Satan thus to abuse and bewitch vs for if we haue not eternall life in this world we shall neuer haue it Hitherto by Gods goodnes I haue shewed the meaning of the Creede now to draw to a conclusion the generall vses which are to be made of it follow And first of all we learne by it that the Church of Rome hath no cause to condemne vs for heretickes for we doe truly hold and beleeue the whole Apostolicall Symbole or Creede which is an epitome of the Scriptures and the very key of faith It will be said that we denie the Popes supremacie iustification by workes purgatorie the sacrifice of the Masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead the inuocation and intercession of Saints c. which arâ— the greatest points of religion It is true indeede we denie and renounce them as doctrines of deuills perswading our selues that if they indeede had beene Apostolicall and the very grounds and pillars of religion as they are now auouched to be they should in no wise haue beene left forth of the Creede For it is an ouersight in making a confession of faith to omit the principall points and rules of faith It will be further saide that in the Creede we beleeue the Church and so consequently are to beleeue all these former points which are taught and auouched by the Church but this defence is foolish For it takes this for graunted that the Church of Rome is the Church here meant which we denie vnlesse they can prooue a particular Church to be vniuersal or Catholike Nay I adde further that the principall grounds of popish faith for which they contend with vs as for life and death are not mentioned in any other Creedes which were made by the Churches and Councells for many hundred yeares after Christ. Secondly the Creede serues as a storehouse of remedies against all troubles and temptations whatsoeuer I. If a man be grieued for the losse of earthly riches let him consider that he beleeues God to be his Creatour who will therefore guide and preserue his owne workmanship and by his prouidence minister all things needefull vnto it And that he hath not lost the principall blessing of all in that he hath God to be his father Christ to be his redeemer and the holy Ghost to be his comforter and that considering he lookes for life eternall he is not to be ouer much carefull for this life and that Christ being our Lord will not forsake vs beeing the seruants in his owne house but will prouide things needefull for vs. II. If any man be grieued in respect of outward disgrace and contempt let him remember that he beleeues in Christ crucified and that therefore he is to reioyce in contempt for righteousnes sake III. They which are troubled for the decease of friendsâ— are to comfort theÌ„selues in the communion of Saints and that they haue God the Father and Christ and the holy Ghost for their friends IV. Against bodily captiuitie let men consider that they beleeue in Christ their Lord whose seruice is perfect libertie V. Against the feare of bodily diseasesâ— we must remember the resurrection of the bodie in which all diseases and infirmities shall be abolished VI. If a man feare death of the bodie let him consider that he beleeues in Christ which died vpon the crosse who by death hath vanquished death VII The feare of persecution is restrained if we call to remembrance that God is a Father Almightie not onely able but also willing to represse the power of the aduersarie so farre forth as shall be for the good of his children VIII Terrours arising of the consideration of the last iudgement are delaied by remembrance of this that Christ shall be our iudge who is our redeemer IX Feare of damnation is remedied by consideration that Christ died to make satisfaction for vs and now sitts at the right hand of his father to make intercession for vs and by the resurrection of the bodie to life euerlasting X. Terrours of conscience for sinne are repressed if we consider that God is a Father and therefore much in sparing and that it is a prerogatiue of the Church to haue remission of sinnes Trin-vni Deo gloria AN EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAYER In the way of Catechising seruing for ignorant people Corrected and amended Hereunto are adioyned the prayers of Paul taken out of his Epistles By W. Perkins Printed for Iohn Porter and Ralph Iackson 1600. To the right Honourable Edward Lord Russell Earle of Bedford Grace and peace be multiplied RIght Honourable if you consider what is one of the chiefest ornaments of this Noble state vnto which God hath aduanced you it wil appeare that there is none more excellent then the spirit of grace and prayer For what doth your heart affect would you speake the languages Behold by prayer you may speak the most heauenly tongue that euer was euen the language of Canaan Would you haue the valor of knighthood By prayer you may stand in place where Gods hande hath made a breach and doe as much as all the chariots and
spirit If we shall consider the conuersation of the wicked and the godly and their corrupt hearts togither we shall see little difference but in this that the wicked is delighted and glad to sinne but the godly doe wrestle as for life and death with their temptations and doe resist the deuill and doe desire the grace of Gods spirit and crie to heauen to bee freed from this bondage howesoeuer their hearts are alwaies readie to rebel against God 2. Forasmuch as the kingdome of grace is erected in Gods Church here vpon earth in this petition we are coÌ„manded to pray for the Chruch of God and the parts thereof Psal. 122.6 Praie for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee Esay 62.7 Ye which are the Lords remembranceâ—s giue him no rest vntill he set vp Hierusalem the praise of the world And that Gods Church may flourish and be in good estate we are to pray for Christian Kings and Princes that God would blesse them and increase the number of them For they are as nursing fathers and nursing mothers to the Church And wee especially are bound to pray for the Queenes most excellent maiestie as also for the French king that they may be blessed and Gods kingdome by them aduanced And againe because ministers are the Lords watchmen in the Church we are here also put in minde to seeke their good and to praie that their hearts may be set for the building of Gods kingdome for the beating downe of the kingdome of sinne and Satan and for the sauing of the soules of his people And the rather because the deuill laboureth night and daie to ouerthrow theÌ„ in this glorious worke and to resist them in their ministerie as appeareth in Zachaâ—ie 3.1 When Ioshua the high priest stood before the Angell of the Lord Satan stood at his right hand namely to resist him Therefore also wee are to praie for them that the Lord would keepe them and furnish them with gifts and with all make them faithfull For where vision faileth the people are left naked saith Salomon 2. Thess. 3. 1. Brethren pray for vs that the word of the Lord may haue a free passage and be glorified Thirdly we must pray for all Christian Schooles of learning Howsoeuer some thinke but basely of them yet they are the ordinarie meanes to maintaine the ministerie and so the Church of God A man that hath diuers orchards wil also haue a seminarie ful of young plants to maintaine it Schooles they are as Seminaries to Gods church without which the Church falles to decay because they serue to make supplie of ministers 3. Thirdly we are to desire that the Lord would hasten the second comming of Christ as the Saints in heauen praie Come Lord Iesus come quicklie and therefore the godly are said to loue the comming of Christ. 2. Tim. 4.8 A penitent sinner so abhors his own corruptions and the irkesome temptations of Satan that in this respect he desires that Christ would hasten his particular comming to him by death for no other cause but that he might make an end of sinning and displeasing of God Thy will be done 1. The Coherence IN the second petition we desired that God would let his kingdome come vz. That he would rule in our hearts If he then must raigne we must be his subiects and therefore here we craue that beeing his subiects wee may obey him and doe his will Mal. 1.6 If I be a father where is my honour If I be a master where is my feare 2. The meaning VVIll Here it signfieth Gods word written in the olde and new Testament For in his word his will is reauealed Of the whole will of God there be three speciall points which are in this place meant 1. To beleeue in Christ Ioh. 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that euery one which seeth the Sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life 2. Sanctification of body soule 1. Thess. 4.3 This is the will of God euen your sanctification c. 3. The bearing of affliction in this life Rom. vers 29. Those which he knew before he did predestinate to be made like to the image of his owne sonne Phil. 3.10 That I might knowe him and the vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions and be made conformable to his death Thy will Not mine for mans owne will is wicked and corrupt yea it is flat enmitie to God Rom. 8. v. 5. Done That is obeyed and accomplished of men Then the effect of the prayer is this O Lord seeing thou art our King giue vs grace to shewe our selues good subiects in obeying thy will 3. The wants to be praied against 1. HEre first we are to bewaile this that our hearts are so prone to rebellioÌ„ and disobedience of Gods commandements Put a match to a heape of gun-powder on a sudden it will be all on a flame and as long as we adde matter to the fire it burnes so by nature we are most readie to sinne so soone as the least occasion is giuen Dauid had experience of this when hee praied Knit my heart to thee O Lord c. Psal. 86. 11. and incline my heart to thy commandements Psal. 119.37 Those which finde not this want in themselues and the like affection to bewaile it are in a miserable and dangerous case euen as a man that hath a great disease vpon him and knowes not of it 2. Againe wee must here bewaile the sinne of the worlde as ignorance schismes hipocrisie pride ambition contempt of Gods word couetousnes oppression want of loue of God and his word c. 2. Peter 2.7 Lot was vexed and his righteous heart was vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites from day to day so ought our soules to bee vexed and grieued continually at the wickednesse of our time and we are to send vp our praiers to God for vnbeleeuing vnrepentant sinners that they may be brought to the obedience of Gods will Ezech. 9.4 In a common iudgement vpon Ierusalem They are marked in the forhead that mourne and crie for all the abominations that be done in the middest of it 3. Here also we must humble our selues for our vnquietnesse of mind impatience wheÌ„ god laies any crosse on vs. It is Gods wil that we should suffer affliction and withall humble our selues vnder his mightie hand Our Sauiour praied that the cup might be taken away but with submission to his Fathers will Luk. 22.42 And this Dauid had learned when he said But if he thus say behold I haue no delight in thee behold here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies 2. Sam. 15.26 4. Graces to be desired 1. THe first thing which we are here to desire is that we may haue grace to denie our selues wils and affections because herein wee are vnlike to God and like the deuill This is the first lesson that our Sauiour doth
Lead vs not Or carrie vs not into temptation To be led is to be ouercome of the temptation when it preuâ—iles and wholly gets the victorie so as men tempted are brought to perdition Then the meaning is thisâ— When wee are mooued or entised to sinne Lord keep vs that we bee not ouercome and giue thou an issue with the temptation Quest. God is iust and cannot sinne but if he lead men into temptation shal he not be the author of sinne Ans. Indeed many fearing to charge God with sinne read the words thus Suffer vs not to be ledde But the text is very plaine Lead or carrie vs not And the scriptures elsewhere vse the like phrases of god Exod. 7.3 God is said to harden Pharaohs heart 2. Sam. 24. 1. The Lord mooued Dauid to number the people 2. Thess. 2.11 God sent strong delusions that men might beleeue lies These and such like places haue a speciall meaning thus to be gathered There is no action of man or of the deuill absolutely euill but although in some respects it be euill yet in some other it is good for wee are not to thinke that as there is a maine or absolute good so also there is a maine or absolute euill Thus then temptation being an action it is not in euery respect euill but in some good in some euill And so farre forth as it is good the Lord workes it but as it is euill he doth not worke it but willingly permits it to be done by man and Satan 1. And there be foure respects in which God may be a worker in temptations and yet be free from sinne I. First he tempteth by offering occasions obiects to trie whether a man will sinne or not A master suspecting his seruant which in word professeth fidelitie laies a purse of money in his way to trie if he will steale it which if he steale he hath found by watching him a secret thiefe and so hath laid him open for deceiuing any more Nowe this trying of him is no sinne though he sinne in stealing In the same manner tempteth God his owne seruants to prooue and trie them Deut. â—3 3 Thou shalt not harken vnto the wordes of the prophet or dreamer of dreames for the Lord thy God prooueth you to knowe whether ye loue the Lord your God with all your heart 2. Secondly God leades into temptation by withdrawing his grace Neither can this be a sinne in God because he is bound to no man to giue him grace And here is a difference between the tempting of God and Satan God holds backe grace when he tempts the deuill suggests euill motions 3. Euery action so farre forth as it is an action is good and of God Act. 17. 28. In him we liue mooue and haue our being Therfore god is a worker in temptations so farre forth as they are actions One man kils another the very moouing of the bodie in the doing of this villanie is of God but the wickednes of the actioÌ„ is from man and the deuil A man rides vpon a lame horse and stirs him the rider is the cause of the motion but the horse himselfe of the halting in the motion So God is authour of the action but not of the euill of the action 4. The fourth way is in regard of the end God tempts his seruants onely to correct and humble them for their sinnes and to trie howe they will abide the crosse and to mooue them the more to loue him Deut. 8.2 God afflictes the children of Israel to trie them whether they would keepe his commandements 2. Chr. 31.31 He trieth Ezechias to see what was in his heart The deuils ende in tempting is onely to bring the partie to destruction Thus we neede not feare to say that God in some respects doth tempt his owne seruants Deliuer vs from euill That is free vs from the power of the flesh the deuil and the world Some take euill in this place onely for the deuill but wee may take it more largely for all spirituall enemies 1. Ioh. 5.19 The whole world lieth in euill vz. Vnder the power of sinne and Satan These words as I haue said are a proofe and explanation of the former for when a man is deliuered from euill he is not led into temptation the cause being taken away the effect ceaseth 3. The vses 1. HEnce we learne what a righteous God Iehoua is that can worke in euill actions and yet be void of sinne 2. Whereas we say lead vs not c. Wee note that the deuill in temptationâ— can goe no further then God permits him 3. We are not to pray that temptations be quite taken from vs or that wee be wholly freed from them but that they doe not ouercome vs. For it is the Lords wil that his Church should be tempted Nay Dauid desired some kind of temptations Psal. 26.1 Prooue me O Lord. And Iames saith Account it for exceeding ioy when ye shall fall into diuers temptations Iam. 1.2 4. Note also that euery man by nature is the bondslaue of sinne and Satan For where is deliuerance there was a bondage first This confutes the Papists who maintain free wil for we are dead in sinne by nature as a man in a graue and we must still pray thus till we be fully deliuered 4. Wants to be bewailed THe corruption which in this petition we ought to mourne for is the coÌ„tinuall rebellion of our wicked natures and our pronenesse to yeeld vp our selues in euery temptation to sinne Satan And the remnants of the old bondage vnder Satan must be grieuous and irkesome vnto vs and wee must bewaile them bitterly The Iewes in a bodily captiuitie wept when they remembred Sion Psal. 1.27 How much more should wee weepe when wee feele the lawe of our members rebelling against the lawe of our mindes and leading vâ— captiue to sinne 5. Graces to be desired THe contrarie blessing to be desired is that God would stablish vs by his free spirit Psal. 51.12 Which is so called because it sets vs euery day more and more at libertie out of the reach of sinne and Satan For thine is the kingdome the power and glorie for euer 1. The meaning THese wordes containe a reason of all the former petitions whereby wee are mooued to craue things needfull at Gods hand Thine is Earthly kings haue kingdome power and glorie Dan. 2.37 Yet not from themselues but from God whose vicegerents they are on earth Therefore to make a difference betweene Gods kingdome power and glorie and those of earthly kings it is said Thine is the kingdome c. that is that God hath all these in himselfe and from himselfe and men from him The kingdome These words 1. Chro. 26.11 are fully expounded Thine O Lord is greatnesse power and victorie and praise and all that is in heauen earth is thine thine is the kingdome and thou excellest as head ouer all c. The kingdome is said to bee Gods
feele themselues forlorne and vtterly reiected of God according to the sense and iudgement of the flesh yet by faith they can apprehend his hidden mercie and behold it a farre off in the glasse of his promise And so they doe often shew contrarie affections in their praiers as Dauid doth Iacob when he wrastled with the Angel for life and death neuer gaue ouer and when he was foild he would not cease before the Lord had blessed him This his wrastling is a type of the conflicts which the faithfull are to haue with the Lord himselfe who vseth to bring his owne children as it were to the field and he assaileth them with the one hand and with the other he holdeth them vp that so he may prooue and exercise their faith And for this cause the Church is called by the name of Iacob An example may be had in the woman of Canaan First our Sauiour Christ gaue her faith and by that faith shee was mooued to seeke to him but when shee was once come to him he gaue her three repulses First by saying nothing Secondly by denying her Thirdly by calling her dogge Thus Christ in appearance made shew as though he would neuer haue graunted her request But shee at euery repulse was more instant crying more earnestly vnto him and shee plainly opposed her selfe to him would take no deniall for such is the nature of true faith Wherefore the faithfull when they feele themselues ouerwhelmed with sinne turmoiled with cōflicts of Satan when they feele the anger of God offended with them yet they can euen then lift vp their eye lids and giue a glimps at the brasen serpent Iesus Christ and can fling themselues into the armes of Gods mercie and catch hold of the hand of God buffeting them and kisse it LX. By these temptations it comes to passe that a Christian though he can not fall finally from Christ yet he may fall very dangerously from his former estate First the graces of God may be by his default lessened in him else Paul would not haue giuen out these exhortations quench not the spirit Grieue not the holy spirit of God by whome ye are sealed vnto the day of redemption Secōdly the graces of God may be buried in him and couered for a time so that he may be like a man in a traunce who both by his owne sense and by the iudgement of the Physitian is taken for dead This was the estate of Peter who though he confessed that Christ was the Sonne of the liuing Lord yet he denied him and forswore him at the voice of a damsell Thirdly he may fall againe into the same sinne after repentance Indeede this is a daungerous case yet it may befall a true christian Otherwise when as the Israelites Gods people had fallen away from him by their sinnes and idolatries he would not stil haue offered them mercie as he doth by his Prophets And Paul praieth the Corinthians in Christs stead that they would be reconciled to God who neuerthelesse were before reconciled to God Fourthly he may commit a sinne of presumption which is a fearfull sinne beeing done wittingly of knowledge and willingly and with some wilfulnesse Therefore Dauid praied Keepe thy seruant from presumptuous sinnes and to shew himselfe to be in daunger of it he praieth further let them not haue dominion ouer me Lastly he may fall into despaire of Gods mercie for a time and this is a dangerous sinne For he which despaires makes all the promises of God to be false and this sinne of all other is most contrarie to true sauing faith In this estate was Dauid when beeing in trouble he saide this is my death And Paul shewes that the incestuous man might haue fallen into desperation when he saith Comfort him least he be swallowed vp of ouermuch heauines And it must be remembred that the church of Rome erreth in this that she teacheth desperation to be a sinne against the holy Ghost This sinne against the holy ghost is a blasphemie spoken against the knowne truth of Gods word or a deniall of Christ of a wilfull and obstinate malice But desperation may arise through ignorance of a mans owne estate through horrour of conscience for sinne through an often relapse into some sinne through the ouerdeepe consideration of a mans owne vnworthines lastly by abiuration of the truth through compulsion and feare This befell Francis Spira who after his Apostasie despaired Yet they are much ouerseene that write of him as a damned creature For first who can tell whether he despaired finally or no. Secondly in the very midst of his desperation he complained of the hardnes of his heart which made him that he could not pray no doubt then he felt his hardnes of heart and the feeling of corruption in the heart is by some contrarie grace so that we may conueniently thinke that he was not quite bereft of all goodnes though he neuer felt it then nor shewed it to the beholder LXI The cause why a Christian cannot quite fall away from grace is this after that he is sanctified he receiueth from God another speciall grace which may be called Corroboration For he hath in him not onely the sanctifying but also the strengthening power of Christ. Therfore Paul praieth for the Ephesians that they may be strengthened in the inner man for the Colossians that they might be strengthened with the glorious power of Christ. And of himselfe he saith that he is able to doe all things through the power of Christ that strengtheneth him Dauid saith that God renueth them that feare him as the eagle renueth her decaied strength From hence as from a speciall cause ariseth patience and perseuerance vnto the ende for when a man is supported by the power of Christ he may be able to beare many crosses patiently with a contented mind and perseuer in bearing of it how long soeuer the crosse endureth LXII Thus much of the estate of a Christian in this life Now I will adde some reasons in the way of perswasion to all men but especially to worldlings and to loose professours of the Gospel that they would vtterly denie themselues and vse all meanes to become true Christians by being made new creatures in Christ and by leading such a life as may adorne the Gospel of Christ. My first reason is this the man that liueth in this world not beeing a true Christian is farre more vile then the basest creature of all euen the dogge or toade For first he is nothing els but a filthie dunghill of all abomination and vncleannes the stink whereof hath infected heauen earth no perfumes could euer delay it in the nostrils of God but onely the suffering of Christ beeing a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God We make it very daintie to come neere a lazar man that
wil I shewe it you And first of al the dealing of God towards me is a good argumēt to me In the first commandement God hath commanded me to take him to be my God and in the Lords prayer he teacheth me to call him father he hath created the world generally and euery creature particularly for man and so for me to serue for my commoditie necessitie admonition Also he hath made me for his owne image hauing a reasonable soule bodie shape where hee might haue made me a Toad a Serpent a swine deformed franticke Moreouer he hath wonderfully preserued me in my infancie childhood youth middle age hitherto from manifold dangers and perils all which doe confirme in me a perswasion of Gods fatherly loue and that I should not doubt hereof where I might haue beene borne of Turkes loe it was the will of God that I should be borne of Christian parents and be brought into Gods Church by baptisme which is the Sacrament of adoption and requireth faith as well of the remission of my sinnes as of sanctification and holinesse to be wrought of God in me by his grace and holy spirit where I might haue beene borne in an ignorant time and religion God would that I should be borne in these daies and in this countrie where is more knowledge reuealed then euer was here or in many places els is Where I might haue beene of a corrupt iudgement and intangled with many errours of Papistrie and of the Familie of Loue and of the schisme of Browne by Gods goodnes my iudgement is reformed and he hath lightened mine eies to see and my heart to imbrace his sincere trueth By all which things I doe confirme my faith of this that God alwaies hath bin is and will be for euer my father and at my departing forth of this worlde will giue me the crowne of euerlasting glorie Secondly when as man is euermore doubting of the promises of God be they neuer so certaine God of his infinit mercie to preuent al occasions of doubting promiseth to giue his own spirit as a pledge pawne or earnest pennie vnto his children of their adoption election to saluation Nowe since it pleased God to call me from hypocrisie to be a member of his Church I feele that in my selfe which I neuer felt or heard of before In times past I came to praiers and to the preaching of gods word euen as a Beare commeth to the stake nowe the word of God is meate and drinke to me and praier is no burden vnto me but my ordinarie exercise If I rise in the morning I am not well till I haue praied and giuen thankes to God if I do any thing it commeth into my mind to pray In my praiers I find great ioy and comfort and exceeding fauour of God I neuer thinke I can wel take my rest or doe any thing els except first I aske it at Gods hand in Christ. Lastly when my mind and heart is wholly occupied in worldly matters I am stirred vp and as it were drawn to pray vnto god for the remission of my sins and the assurance of my saluation in praier I haue had those grones which for their greatnes cannot be expressed Now from whence commeth all this From the deuil No. In these actions I haue found him my enemie and a continuall hinderer of them For he by his craft when I haue beene heauie and weake hath assailed to prouoke me to some sinnes whereunto my cursed nature was most giuen and I hauing yeelded to him haue beene so hardened blinded by those sinnes that for a time I haue made light account of the word of God and praier Well then peraduenture this came from mine owne selfe No neither This cursed nature of mine hath beene more pleased and delighted with sinne and with the pleasures of the world then with such exercises from which it draweth me and presseth me downe as lead I cannot think that such a poysoning Cockatrice can lay such good egs or that wilde crab trees such as all men are in Adam can bring foorth sweete fruites according to the will of God except God plucke them forth of Adam and plant them in the garden of his mercie and stocke them and graft the spirit of Christ in them Wherefore these are the workes of Gods spirit and my conscience is thereby certified that God hath giuen me the spirit of adoption and therefore that his fauour and mercie shal continue towards me for euer For the gifts of God are without repentance and whome God once loueth him hee loueth for euer Thirdly there be certaine fruits of Gods children which I find in me by which I am confirmed in Gods fauour S. Iohn in his first Epistle saith that hereby we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Truely I feele in my heart a burning loue towards them which are good Christians though I neuer knew them nor saw them and I am very desirous to doe any good for them and if drops of my heart blood would doe them good they should haue them Moreouer I hate all sinne and wickednes with a bitter hatred and I long to see the comming of my Sauiour Christ to iudgement I am grieued and disquieted because I cannot fulfil the law of god as I ought all which I haue learned forth of Gods word to be tokens of Gods children And thus you see what euidence I haue to shewe that I am a true member of the Church militant and in the fauour of God Timoth. Haue you a steadfast faith in Christ as these arguments seeme to prooue without all wauering doubting and distrusting of Gods mercy Euseb. No no. This my faith which I haue in Christ is euen fought against with doubting and euer assailed with desperation not when I sinne only but also in tentations of aduersitie into which God bringeth me to nurture me to shewe me mine owne heart the hypocrisie and false thoughts that there lie hidde my almost no faith at all and as little loue◠euen then happely when I thought my selfe most perfect of all for when temptations come I cannot stand when I haue sinned faith is feeble when wrong is done vnto me I cannot forgiue in sickenesse in losse of goods in all tribulation I am vnpatient when my neighbour needeth my helpe that I must depart with him of mine owne then loue is cold And thus I learne and feele that there is no power to do good but of god only And in al such tēptations my faith perisheth not vtterly neither my loue and consent to the law of God but they be weake sick wounded and not cleane dead As I dealt with my parents being a childe so nowe deale I towards God my louing father When I was a childe my father and mother taught me nurture and wisdome I loued my father and all his commandements and perceiued the goodnes he shewed me that my father loued me
The first argument HE which may in truth be made partaker of the chiefe points of the Popish religion may be made partaker of all but a Reprobate may be made partaker of the chiefe poinâ—s of the Popish religion therefore a Reprobate may be made partaker of all The proofe of the Argument THe proposition is plaine and euery Papist will graunt it all the controuersie is of the assumption wherefore I prooue it thus The Sacrament of Pennance as they call it is one of the chiefe things in the religion of the Church of Rome for it is such a Sacrament that by the power efficacy of it the blood of Christ is deliuered to vs to wash away our sins they say it hath such vertue that the kingdome of heauen is promised to it in the Scriptures and that it is not regeneration but an healing of a man regenerate and that it pardoneth sinne as baptisme And as touching Contrition Papists write it hath power to doe away sinne and to obtaine pardon at Gods hand the same they speake of Confession which they say deliuereth from death openeth paradise and giueth hope of saluation and hereby it may appeare that pennance is one of the greatest points of the popish religion But a reprobate may be truly made partaker of the popish sacrament of penance and indeede performe all in it There be three parts of penance Contrition of the heart Confession of the mouth Satisfaction in the deede All these three Iudas performed first he had Contrition for when he saw that our Sauiour was condemned then he saw his owne finne and was stricken with a griefe for his owne treacherie and repented and presently after he confessed his sinne openly vnto the chiefe Priests and Elders Also he made Satisfaction when he brought againe the thirtie pieces of siluer which he tooke to betray his master Againe Contrition of the heart is the ground of penance and Papists say it is not an act of the holy Ghost but an act of mans free wil proceeding from it and therefore a reprobate may haue it And as for Satisfaction if a reprobate cannot doe it by himselfe yet he may performe it by another for so they say that one may satisfie by anothâ—r wherefore for any thing I can see a reprobate may haue all that is contained in the popish sacrament of penance Faith is another of the chiefest points that is in the religion of the Church of Rome for they say it is the foundation and ground worke of Iustification But reprobates may haue that faith which they meane For they say that it is nothing els but a gift of God and a certaine light of the minde wherewith a man beeing enlightened giuâ—th sure and certen assent to the reuealed word of God And the Rhemists say it is onely an act of the vnderstanding and Andradius saith that Faith is onely in generall actions and cannot come to the particular applying of any thing now all this reprobates may haue for their minds are inlightned to know the truth and to be perswaded of it and therefore they haue this act of the vnderstanding this is a generall faith yea the deuill himselfe can doe thus much who beleeueth and trembleth And their implicite faith which saueth the lay man what reprobate cannot haue it for there is nothing els required but to beleeue as the Church beleeueth though he know not how the Church beleeueth And the Papists themselues say as much for their Councels hold that a wicked man and an heretike may haue confidence in Christ and that an heathen man by the naturall knowledge of God and by the workes of creation might haue faith and in a generall maner beleeue in Christ. The second argument THat religion whose precepts are no directions to attaine peace of conscience leaueth a man still in a damnable case but the precepts of the religion of the Churcâ— of Rome are not directions to attaine peace of conscience therefore it leaueth a man in a damnable case which if it be true a reprobate may be as sound a professour of â— as any other The proofe THe proposition is certen because as long as any man hath his conscience to accuse him of sinne before God he is in state of damnation as Saint Iohn saith If our heart condemne vs God is greater then our heart knoweth all things And this is peculiar and proper to the elect children of God to receiue these gifts and graces from God the enioyning of which bringeth peace of conscience True it is indeede that reprobates receiue many graces and gifts at Gods hand but they are no other then such as may be ioyned with the trembling of the conscience as the deuill is said to beleeue but withall to tremble The assumption namely that the religion of the church of Rome can not pacifie the conscience may be easily prooued on this wise A man whose conscience must be truely quieted must first of all be truely humbled Come vnto me saith our Sauiour Christ all ye which are wearied and burdened and I will ease you Whereby it appeareth that they who are to haue their consciences refreshed in Christ must first of all be afflicteâ— with the sense of Gods iudgement yea they must be pressed downe to helward with the weight and burden of their sinnes that they may see and from their hearts confesse that in themselues there is no way to escape damnation The good Phisitian Christ Iesus cannot heale vs before he hath lanced our woundes to the very bottome he neuer can finde any of his sheepe before they be quite lost he neuer powreth into vs the liuing waters of his spirit before we be barren and drie ground void of all moysture and that man must condemne himselfe that would not haue Christ to pronounce sentence of damnation against him Now this true humiliation of a sinner can not be wrought in any mans heart by the religion of the Church of Rome True and sound humiliation is wrought by two means first by making a man to see the greatnes of his sinne and wickednesse secondly by making him to acknowledge that he is destitute and quite bereft of all goodnes For if a man either see not the greatnes of his sinne or haue confidence of any thing in himselfe he can not be humbled but neither of these two things are performed in the church of Rome As touching the first the Romish religion is so farre from amplifying enlarging the greatnes of mens sinnes that it doth extenuate them and lessen them out of measure for it maketh some sinnes to be venial when as the least sinne that can be against Gods law deserueth damnation it teacheth that lesser sinnes are done away by an humble accusation of a mans selfe by saying the Lords praier by knocking vpon the breast and by such like the greater sinnes may be
done away by almes deeds and such like satisfactions But how can any sinne be great that may be done away with such easie and sleight meanes Furthermore it teacheth that euill thoughts and desires and motions of the heart without consent are no sinnes and this opinion cutteth off all true humiliation for Paul neuer repented before he vnderstood the meaning of the last commaundement and perceiued thereby that the desires and lusts of his heart to which he did not yeeld his consent were sinnes damnable before God and knowing this he then saw himselfe to be most miserable and renouncing his owne righteousnes he sought for righteousnes in Christ. Lastly it teacheth that originall sinne is done away in Baptisme and that it is the least sinne of al other What is this but to extenuate mans corruption for whē the roote of corruption is taken away and it is made so little a sinne actuall sinnes cannot be taken for such heinous matters And for the second point the Church of Rome doth too too much extoll the power of man and his naturall strength It saith that all actions of men vnregenerate are not sinnes and that originall sinne needeth no repentance that a man hath some freewill to doe spirituall things that a man by meere naturals may loue God aboue all things feare God beleeue in Christ if we respect the very act of the worke that the Gentiles might gather out of philosophie knowledge sufficient for saluation that a man without the helpe of the holy Ghost may performe things acceptable to God that the minde of man vnderstandeth of it selfe many things which be spirituall and heauenly that a man regenerate may fulfill the whole law of God that a man may prepare himselfe to receiue grace and after preparation merit grace at Gods hand that he may doe workes of supererogation c. By this it appeareth that the church of Rome ascribeth too much to man which in himselfe is onely and altogether euill dead in sinne chained vp in miserable bondage vnder Sathan the prince of darknes and therefore it is euident that all the preaching that is vsed in that church will not humble a sinner and make him deny himselfe and therefore their preaching may peraduenture benumme a corrupt conscience and make it secure but it cannot pacifie the troubled conscience nor disquiet it by the threatning of the law that by the promises of the gospel it may be quieted Againe this religion teacheth that a man must doubt of his saluation as long as he is in this life behold a Racke or gybbet erected by the Church of Rome for the tormenting of tender consciences for when a man doubteth of his saluation he also doubteth of Gods loue and mercie to him and he which doubteth of Gods loue cannot loue God againe for how can any man loue him of whose good will he doubteth and when a man hath not the loue of God in him he hath no grace in him and therfore his conscience must needs be defiled and voyd of true peace yea he must needes be a wicked man and that saying of Salomon must needes agree to him The wicked flieth when no man pursueth by reason of the guiltines of his conscience but the godly is bold as a Lyon Againe Blessed is the man saith Dauid whose sinnes are pardoned where he maketh remission of sinnes to be true felicitie now there is no true felicitie but that which is enioyed and felicitie can not be enioyed vnlesse it be felt and it cannot be felt vnlesse a man know himself to be in possession of it and a man cannot know himselfe to be in possession of it if he doubt whether he hath it or not and therefore this doubting of the remission of sinnes is contrarie to true felicitie and is nothing els but a torment of the conscience For a man cannot doubt whether his sinnes be pardoned or not but straite way if his conscience be not feared with an hote yron the very thought of his sinne will strike a great feare into him for the feare of eternall death and the horror of Gods iudgements will come to his remembrance the cōsideration of which is most terrible Vndoubtedly this religion must needs be comfortlesse Alas poore soules we are no better then passengers in this world our way it is in the middle of the sea where we can haue no sure footing at all and which way soeuer we cast our eyes we see nothing but water euen opening it selfe to deuoure vs quicke the deuill and our rebellious flesh raise vp against vs infinite thousands of tempests stormes to ouerthrow vs but behold God of his great endles mercie hath brought vs to Christ as to a sure anchor-hold he biddeth vs to vndo our gables fling vp our anchors within the vaile and fasten them in Christ we doe it as we are commaunded but a sister of ours I meane the Church of Rome passing in the ship with vs as it seemeth who hath long taken vpon her to rule the helme dealeth too too vnkindly with vs she vnlooseth our anchors and cutteth in pieces our gables she telleth vs that we may not presume to fastē our anchor on the rock she will haue vs freely to roue in◠the middle of the sea in the greatest fogges and the fearefullest tempests that be if we shall follow her aduise we must needes looke for a shipwracke for the least flaw of wind shall ouerturne vs and our poore soules shall be plunged in the gulfes of hell Lastly Iustification by works causeth trouble and disquietnes to the conscience No mans conscience can be appeased before Gods wrath be appeased and Gods wrath can not be appeased by any workes for the best works the regenerate can doe are imperfect and are stained with some blemish of corruption as may appeare both in the prophet Esay in Paul both which had a great misliking of that good which they did because it was mingled with sinne And againe euery man is bound by dutie to keepe the whole law so that if a man could keepe it perfectly he should doe no more then he is by dutie inioyned to doe and therefore he which looketh to merit eternall life at Gods hand by keeping the law trusteth but to a broken staffe and is like the bankrout that will pay one debt by another for by his sinne euery man is indebted to the Lord and is bound to answer to the Lord the full punishment of all his sinnes this debt the Papist saith we may discharge by obedience to the law that is by a new debt which we are as well bound to pay to our God as the former To ende this point let a man looke to be saued by works and therefore let a man imploy himselfe to doe the best workes he can yet he shall neuer come to know when he hath done sufficient to satisfie Gods wrath and this
vncertaintie all his life but especially in the houre of death must needes disquiet him And truly when a man shall haue done many thousand workes yet his heart can neuer be at quiet as it appeareth in the yong man who though he had laboured all his life to fulfill the law thereby to be saued yet distrusting all his doings he asketh further of our Sauiour Christ what he might doe to be saued Furthermore it is the doctrine of the church of Rome that there is nothing in the regenerate that God can hate and that they are inwardly pure and without spot A doctrine that will make any Christian conscience despaire For if a man shall fall to examine himselfe he shall find that he is solde vnder sinne compassed about of sinne he shall see his particular sinnes to be as the haires of his head at the sight and feeling of which he shall finde that there is much matter in him worthie of hatred and damnation too He beeing in this case will beginne to doubt whether he be the child of God or not and perseuering in this doubting he shall be driuen to despaire of Gods loue towardes him considering that he cannot find any such purenesse in himself as the doctrin of the church of Rome requireth Lastly experience it selfe teacheth that the Romish religion can bring no peace to the conscience in that some for the maintaining of it haue despaired As Francis Spira who against his owne conscience hauing abiured the truth and subscribed to the doctrine of the Romish Church most fearefully despaired of his saluation which could not haue beene if that doctrine had beene agreeable to Gods word which is spirit and life to the receiuer For the same cause Latomus a doctor of Louane despaired crying that he was damned because he had opposed himselfe to the knowne truth This also befell Gardner at his death as the booke of Acts and Monuments declareth The third argument THat religion which agreeth to the corruption of mans nature a Reprobate may truly professe it the religion of the Church of Rome agreeth to the corruption of mans nature therefore a reprobate may truly professe it The proofe I Neede not stand to prooue the proposition the assumption is rather to be confirmed which first I will prooue by induction of particulars First that a man should be iustified by works is an opinion setled in nature as may appeare in them that crucified our Sauiour Christ for when they were pricked in their hearts at Peters sermon they saide Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saued and this said the yong man before named not what should I beleeue but what should I doe to be saued So then in them it appeareth that it is a naturall opinion of all men to thinke that they must be saued by doing of somewhat A Papist will say though this be naturall thus to thinke yet it may be good for there is some goodnes in nature I answer that the wisdome of the flesh is enmitie to Gods wisdome Rom. 8.7 and aâ—l men by nature are nothing but flesh for naturally they are the children of wrath Secondly the worshipping of god in images is a great matter in the Church of Rome but this manner of worshipping is nothing but a worke of the flesh which thus I prooue Idolatrie is naturall and a worke of the flesh but to worship God in images is idolatrie The children of Israel when they erected the golden calfeâ— they did commit idolatrie and yet they did not worship the calfe it selfe bâ—â— God in the calfe For when the calfe was made they proclaimed an holy day not to the calfe but to the Lord. And Baal that detestable idol was nothing but the image of God as appeareth in Hosea the prophet At that day saith the lord thou shalt calme no more Baal It remaineth therfore that to serue God in an image is a work of the flesh and altogether agreeth to the vile corruption of nature Thirdly pride and a desire to be a aduanced aboue other is a naturall corruption to this agreeth the Popes primacie his double sword and triple crown yet the outragious pomp of that seate is as a paire of bellowes to kindle the concupiscence and to make the hidden sparkes of pride to breake out into a great flame Fourthly Doubting of Gods prouidence mercie is a naturall corruption in all men to this agreeth and from hence issueth that foolish and vaine opinion concerning doubting of our saluation and of the remission of sinnes Fiftly selfe-loue and selfe-liking are naturall corruptions to this agreeth that doctrine of the Papists not ouermuch to abase our selues but to maintaine freewill by nature and to thinke that we haue so much goodnes that we are able to prepare our selues to receiue and in some sort to merit grace Sixtly idlenes and riotousnes is a naturall corruption and to it very fitly answereth the great number of feasts of holy daies of halfe holy daies which the Church of Rome vseth Seuenthly Couetousnes is a naturall corruption and to the feeding of this vice serueth Purgatorie a fire of great gaine which in very truth if it had not burned very hot the fire in the Popes kitchin had burned very colde hitherto serue Pilgrimages saying of Masses and selling of pardons for money Eightly to be at libertie is the desire of nature answerable to this is that opinion that the spiritualtie is to be exempted from subiection to Magistrates Ninthly to commit adulterie is naturall to this agreeth the Stewes and the permission of simple fornication Tenthly ignorance is a filthy corruption in nature this the Church of Rome maketh the mother of deuotion and it is inioyned the lay man as a meanes of his saluation for he must beleeue as the church beleeueth he is not bound to know XI Infidelitie is naturall and to this agreeth that they call vpon Saints and Angels the Lord hauing commanded them to call vpon him in the name of Christ what argueth this els but hearts distrusting Gods goodnes and guiltie consciences XII Images in the Church of Rome came from infidelitie because men in reason could not perswade themselues that God was present vnlesse that were made manifest by some signe and image Which thing the Israelites declared when they said to Aaron in the wildernes in Moses absence Make vs gods to goe before vs. XIII Satisfactions for sinne are naturall for wicked men when they haue offended God they haue alwaies vsed some ceremonies to pacifie God with which when they haue performed then they thinke they haue done enough XIV The church of Rome saith that the Scriptures are darke obscure the blind man findeth fault with the darknes of the sunne If the Scriptures appeare to any to be obscure the fault is not in the Scriptures but in the blindnes of the minde of him which readeth and heareth them XV. Lastly pardons open
body They obiect that God is omnipotent True indeede but there bee some things the doing of which agreeth not with Gods power as to make contradicentia things contradictorie to be both true of which sort these are For that Christs bodie is a true bodie and that it is in many places at once are flatte contrarie beccause as hath bin shewed it is essential to all magnitudes to be in one place and therefore to a bodie And God cannot take away that which is essentiall to a thing the essence remaining whole 2. Againe transubstantiation maketh the Accidents of bread and wine to remaine without the substance Here also is another contradiction as impossible as the former for it is a common saying in schooles Accident is esse est inesse It is of the essence of an Accident to bee in the substance Now therefore if the Accidents bee there is also the bread and wine and if there bee no substance of bread or wine neither can there be any accidents 3. It holdeth that bread is turned into the bodie of Christ and therfore it must needs holde that Christs bodie is made of bakers bread and yet it holdeth and teacheth that Christs bodie is onely made of the seede of Marie quite ouerthrowing the former Transubstantiation V. It teacheth that a man must alwaies doubt of his saluation and likewise it teacheth that in praying we are to cal GOD father which are things quite contrarie For who can truly call GOD father vnlesse hee haue the spirit of adoption and be assured that he is the child of God For if a man shall call god father yet in his heart doubt whether he be his father or not he playeth the dissembling hypocrite wherefore to doubt of saluation and to say Our father c. in truth are contrarie VI. The Church of Rome maketh praier to bee one of the chiefe meanes to satisfie for sinnes But praier indeede is an asking of pardon for sinne Now asking of pardon satisfaction for sinne are contrarie therfore by the iudgement of the Papists praier which is a satisfaction is no satisfactiō And indeed let vs consider what madnes is contained in this popish diuinitie the poore begger commeth very hungrie to the rich mans doore to craue his almes and straightwaies by his begging he will merit and deserue it The same doeth the papist he prayeth verie poorely for the thing which he wanteth yet he looketh very proudly to merit no lesse then the kingdome of heauen by it VII Doubting of saluation hope cannot agree together for hope maketh a man not to be ashamed that is it neuer disappointeth him of the thing which he looketh for And therefore it is called the anchor of the soule both sure and steadfast which entereth into that which is within the vaile So that true hope and the certaine assurance of saluation goe togither VIII True praier and iustification by works cannot stand togither For hee which prayeth truly must be touched inwardly with a liuely feeling of his owne miserie and of the want of that grace whereof he standes in neede Now this cannot be in the heart of that man that looketh to merit the kingdome of heauen by his workes for he that can doe this may iustly conceiue somewhat of his owne excellencie IX Papists teach that it is great boldnes to come immediately vnto God without the intercession of Saints and therefore they vse to pray to Marie that shee would pray to Christ to helpe them yet on the contrarie when they haue so done they pray to God immediatly that he would receiue the intercession of Marie for them And thus they are become intercessors betweene Marie and God Yea when they offer vp Christ praying God to accept their gifts and sacrifices the humble priest that wil not pray to God but by the mediation of Saints is then a mediator between Christ Iesus God the father X. It holdeth that in the masse the Priest offereth vp Christ to his father an vnbloodie sacrifice This is a thing impossible for if Christ in the masse be sacrificed for sin then he must die his blood must be shed Heb. 9.22 And in the Scriptures these two sayings Christ is dead Christ is offered vp in Sacrifice are all one So then the Papist when he supposeth that there may be an vnbloodie sacrifice in effect he saith thus much There is a sacrifice which is no sacrifice And it is not possible that a bloodie sacrifice should be offered in an vnbloodie manner XI In the Canon of the masse the Church of Rome praieth on this wise We humbly beseech thee most merciful father by Iesus Christ thy sonne and our Lord that that thou wouldest accept these gifts and oblations and these holy Sacrifices which thy Church offer to thee c. where first they offer vp Christ to God the father in the name of Christ and so they make Christ to be his owne mediatour Againe they desire God to blesse and to accept his own sonne for they offer vp Christ. If they say he needeth now the blessing of his father they make Christ a weake and imperfect Christ if he need not the blessing of his father their praier is needelesse Also they desire God to accept not one gift or one sacrifice but in the plurall number these gifts and sacrifices whereas they hold that Christs bodie is one only bodie and therefore but one sacrifice And thus they are at variance with themselues XII Papists in word they say that they beleeue put thei◠trust in God yet whereas they looke to be saued by their workes they set the confidence of their hearts in truth vpon their owne doings XIII They put such holines in matrimonie that they make it one of their 7. Sacraments which conferre grace to the partakers of them yet they forbid their Cleargie to marrie because to liue in marriage is to liue according to the flesh and the Councell of Trent opposeth marriage and chastitie XIV It teacheth that soules kept in purgatorie may be redeemed by Sacrifices and Suffrages Against this is a Canon of their lawe taken out of Saint Hierome we know that in this life we may help one another either by praiers or by good counsell but when we shall come before the iudgement seate of Christ neither Iob nor Daniel nor Noe may intreat for any but euery mā is to beare his own burthen And according to another Canon going vnder the name of Gelasius Bishop of Rome Either there is no Purgatorie or the soules which goe thither shall neuer returne XV. And to conclude the most points of their religion are contrarie to their Canons as by searching may appeare in these examples 1 The dead cannot heare the praiers of them which call vpon him 2 Peter and Paul were two of the chiefe Apostles and it is hard to say which was aboue the other 3 Leo the fourth
become so impenitent as that they must be giuen vp to Sathan yet for no other cause but that the flesh may be killed and the spirit made aliue in the daie of the Lord. The third end is the preueÌ„ting of sin to come This appeareth in Paul Least saith he I should be exalted out of measure through the aboundance of reuelations there was giuen vnto me a pricke in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buffet me because I should not be exalted out of measure In the former times when the Lord among many others had set out Cranmer for the maintenance of his blessed trueth against his and Gods enemies hee left him for a while to fall from his religion and to make a dangerous recantation but so as thereby he preuented many sinnes and prepared him to a glorious martyrdom As some of his own wordes may testifie which he spake a little before his end And now saith hee I come to the great thing that so much troubleth my conscience more then any thing that euer I did or said in all my life that is the setting abroad of a writing contrarie to the trueth which nowe here I renounce as things written with my hand coÌ„trary to the trueth which I thought in my heart that for feare of death and to saue my life c. and for as much as my hand offended writing contrary to my heart my hand shall be first punished therefore for may I come to the fire it shall be first burned Answerablie when he was at the fire first he burnt his right hand which subscribed his body suffered the flame with such constancy stedfastnes as he neuer almost mooued his eies lift vp to heauen often he repeated his vnworthy right hand Thus death which he most feared he most desired that he might take reuenge of himselfe for his sinne The vse that all good Christian heartes are to make of these their desertions is manifold First if they haue outward rest and walke in the feare of God be filled with the ioy of the holy Ghost let them not be high minded but feare least a forsaking follow Secondly if in any temptation they iudge themselues forsaken let them consider this wonderfull worke of spirituall desertions which God exerciseth vpon his own children very vsually and then it may please the Lord they shal find it to be a restoratiue against many a quame swoune of spirit and conscience into which otherwise they would certainly fall Thirdly seeing God for their triall doth often withdraw himselfe from them let theÌ„ againe draw neere to God and presse vnto him euen as a man that shiuers of an agne is alwaie creeping to the fire If it be demaunded howe a man should come neere God the answer is by the vse of his worde and praier For by his word he speakes to thee and by praier thou speakest to him Lastly seeing by desertions God wil take experience of his seruants let euery man try searcâ— his waies and euer be turning his feete to the waies of Gods commandements let him endeauour to keepe a good conscience before God before all men that so hee may with Dauid say Iudge me O Lord for I haue walked in mine innocencie my trust hath bin alwaies in the Lord I shal not slide prooue me O Lord and trie me examine my raines and my heart FINIS A CASE OF CONSCIENCE THE GREATEST THAT EVER WAS HOW A MAN MAY KNOW whether he be the child of God or no. Resolued by the word of God Whereunto is added a briefe Discourse taken out of Hier. Zanchius 2. Pet. 1.10 Giue all diligence to make your Election sure for if ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall Printed for Thomas Man and Iohn Porter 1600. To the godly Reader IN Gods Church commonly they who are touched by the spirit begin to come on in Religion are much troubled with feare that they are not Gods children and none so much as they Therefore they often thinke on this point and are not quiet till they finde some resolution The spirit of God as best knowing the estate of Gods children hath penned two parcels of holy scripture for the full resoluing of this case namely the 15. Psalme and â—he first Epistle of Saint Iohn And for the helping of the simple and vnlearned who desire to bee informed concerning their estate I haue propounded these two parts of scripture in the forme of a Dialogue and haue ioyned thereunto a little discourse concerning the same matter penned in Latin by H. Zanchius a learned Diuine and now englished Vse this labour of mine for thy benefite and comfort the Lord increase the number of them which may reioyce that their names are written in heauen W. Perkins THE FIRST EPISTLE OF IOHN IN forme of a Dialogue The Speakers Iohn Church CHAP. I. Church MAny among vs denie the Godhead and many the manhood of Christ. Iohn That which was from the beginning and therefore true God which we haue heard namely speaking which wee haue seene with these our eies which we haue looked vpon and these hands of ours haue handled of that word not the sounding but the essentiall word of the Father of life liuing of himselfe and giuing life vnto all other Ch. Before you goe any further this word of life is inuisible how then could it bee seene Ioh. Yes for that life was made manifest to wit in the flesh and we I with many others haue seene it and beare witnesse and publish vnto you that eternall life which was with the father eternally before this manifestation and was made manifest vnto vs. Ch. Menander Ebion and Cerinthus hauing beene teachers among vs confidently denie these things which you say and they beare vs in hand that they seeke our good Ioh. That which I will repeat againe for more certainties sake which we haue seene and heard declare we vnto you they ye may haue fellowship with vs and that our fellowship also may bee with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ. And these things write we vnto you that your ioy might bee full i. might haue sound consolation in your consciences Ch. Well then lay vs downe some ground wherby we may come to be assured that we haue fellowship one with another and with Christ. Ioh. This then is the message which wee haue heard of him declare vnto you that God is light i. purenesse it selfe and blessednes whereas men and Angels are neither but by participation and in him is no darkenes Ch. Some that make profession among vs continue still in their olde course and conuersation and yet they say they haue fellowship with God Ioh. If we say that we haue fellowship with him and walke lead the course of our liues in darkenesse i. ignorance errour impietie wee lie dissemble and doe not truely deale not sincerely Ch. What then is the true marke of one
marriage in conuenient time 1. Cor. 7.37 That makes marriages of young children That punisheth adulterie with small punishments That marieth more wiues then one at once Gen. 2.24 That loues his pleasure more then God 2. Tim. 3.4 That takes care to fulfil the lusts of the flesh Rom. 13.14 That maintaines and frequents stewes Deut. 23.17 That is giuen to drunkennesse and surfetting Eph. 5.18 That giues himselfe to wine sleepe and ease Pro. 20.13 That for the auoiding of fornication marries not 1. Cor. 7.2 That puts away his wife for other causes then for fornication Mat. 19.9 VIII COM. Thou shalt not steale He breakes this commandement THat thinkes but a thought tending to the least hinderance of his neighbours welfare and good estate That liues in no calling 1. Thess. 3.11 That neglects his calling Ier. 48.10 That spends his wealth in riot and prouides not for his family 1. Tim. 5.8 That is not content with his estate but seekes to be rich 1. Tim. 6.10 That sels the goods of the Church or buyes them Mal. 3.8 That sels such things as are meanes to further idolatrie or any other sinne That vseth powdering starching blowing darke shops to set a glosse on his wares and make them more saleable That conceales the fault of his wares That vseth false weights and measures Lev. 19.35 That vseth wordes of deceit Pro. 20.14 That takes more for his wares then the iust price Mat. 7.12 That oppresseth his tenants by racking his rents Habac. 2.11 That vseth ingrossing of wares That raiseth the price onely in consideration of a daie of paiment That either giues or takes bribes Isai. 1. 33. Psal. 82. That writes letters of affection in wrong suites That holdes backe things borrowed Ezech. 18.7 That holds backe things found or pawned Levit. 6.3 That beeing lustie liues by begging That releeueth such 2. Thess. 3.10 That for gaine defends bad causes and delaies suites in lawe That laies burdens on the people without measure Isai. 1.23 Ezech. 22.17 That spendes the Church goods in riot 1. Tim. 6.9 That makes marchandize of Gods word and sacraments Mich. 3. 11. 2. Cor. 2. last That gets his liuing by casting of figures and by plaies Eph. 4.28 That is rash in suretiship Prov. 11.15 17.18 That steales mens children to dispose them in marriage 1. Tim. 1.10 That takes by stealth the least pinne though it be for the best end That is a receiuer of things stolne and giues consent to the fact any way Rom. 1.29 That vseth deceit in bargaining 1. Thess. 4.6 That restores not things euill gotten Ezec. 33.15 That keepes backe goods giuen to the Church Act. 5.3 That waites for a death to sell his things dearer Amos 8.5 IX COM. Thou shalt not beare c. He breakes this commandement THat doth but conceiue a thought of disgrace against his neighbour That enuies at the prosperitie of his neighbour 1. Tim. 6.4 That seekes onely his owne good report That is suspitious 1. Cor. 13.5 That giues hard or rash sentence against others Math. 7.1 That taketh mens sayings and doings in worse part Math. 26.60 That accuseth one falsely 1. King 21. That maketh or reporteth tales openly or in a whispering maner Lev. 19.16 That receiueth tales Exod. 23.1 That speakes the truth of malice Psal. 52.1,2 That blazeth abroad mens infirmities Math. 18.17 That vseth quipping and taunting Eph. 5.4 That vseth flatterie Prou. 26.19 That lyeth though it be for neuer so good an ende Zach. 13.3 That defends an euill cause and impugnes the contrarie That writes or spreads libels X. COM. Thou shalt not lust He breakes this commandement THat thinkes an euill thought against his neighbour though he meane not to doe it That conceiues some inward delight in some euill motion though he giue not consent to practise it SINNES DIRECTLY AGAINST THE GOSPEL He sinnes against the Gospel THat denies either directly or by consequent that Christ is come in the flesh 1. Ioh. 43.8 That treades vnder foote the blood of Christ. Heb. 10.29 That beleeues not the remission of his owne sinnes and acceptation to life euerlasting 1. Ioh. 3.23 That repents not but hardens himselfe in all his badde waies Rom. 2.4,5 Ierem 8.6 THus much of examination now followes the second dutie which is confession of sinne vnto God which is very necessarie For the right way to haue our sinnes couered before God is to vncouer and acknowledge them vnto him For he will iustifie vs if we condemne our selues he will pardon vs if we as beeing our owne enemies accuse our selues he forgets our sinnes if we remember them when we are vile in our owne eyes we are pretious in his and when we are lost to our selues we are found of him That confession may be rightly performed a notable dutie is to be put in practise in it namely the arraignment of a repentant sinner whereby he iudges himselfe that he may not be iudged of the Lord. This arraignment hath three speciall points in it First of all he must bring himselfe forth to the barre of Gods iudgement which thing he doth when he sets himselfe in the presence of God as though euen now the day of iudgement were As S. Hierome did who alwaies thought with himselfe that he heard this voice sounding in his eares Rise ye dead and come to iudgement Secondly he must put vp an inditement against himselfe by accusing himselfe before God by acknowledging his knowne sinnes particularly and his vnknown generally without any excuse or extenuation or defence or hiding of the least of them Example of Dauid I know mine iniquity and my sinne is euer before me against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy â—ight c. behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me And I haue sinned greatly because I haue done this thing but now I beseech thee remooue the iniquitie of thy seruant for I haue done very foolishly Of Ezra O my God I am ashamed and confounded to lift vp mine eyes vnto thee my God for our iniquities are increased ouer our heads and our trespasse is growne vp vnto heauen Thirdly he must with heauinesse of heart as a Iudge vpon the bench giue sentence against himselfe acknowledging that he is worthie of euerlasting hell death and damnation As the prodigall child Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and am not worthie to be called thy child And Daniel We haue sinned and committed iniquitie and haue done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and haue departed from thy precepts and from thy iudgements c. O Lord righteousnes belongeth vnto thee and vnto vs open shame Of Iob Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand vpon my mouth And I abhorre my selfe and I repent in dust and ashes Of the Publicane Who standing a farre off would not lift vp so much as his eyes to heauen but smote his breast saying Lord be mercifull
restore Ans. Let him acknowledge the fault and God will accept the will for thee deede As Paul sayeth in the like case If there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that which a man hath and not according to that which a man hath not Quest. When a man by restoring shall discredit himselfe howe shall he restore and keep his credit Ans. Let him if the thing to be restored be of small moment make choice of some faithfull or honest friend who may deliuer the thing in the behalfe of the partie concealing his name Quest. Howe if the parties bee dead Ans. Let him restore to the heires and successors if there be none let him restore to God that is the Church and the poore IV. Case of teares VVHether doth repentance alwaies goe with teares or not Answer No For verie pride and hypocrisie will drawe foorth teares And some there are that can weep for their sins in the presence of others whereas being alone they neither will nor can Some againe are of that constitution of bodie that they haue teares at commaund And a godly man with drie cheekes may mourne to God for his sinnes and intreat for pardon and reâ—â—ue iâ— Yet in all occasions of deeper griefe for sin teares will follow vnles men haue stonie flinty hearts And yet againe though the greatest cause of sorrowe be offered the softest heart that is sheds not teares at the first but afterwards it wil. When the bodie receiues a deepe wounde at the first ye shall see nothing but a white line or dint made in the flesh without any blood staie but a while then comes blood from the wound in great aboundance So at the first the minde is astonished giues no teares but after some respite or consideratioÌ„ teares follow V. Case of death VVHether the repentant sinner can alwaies shewe himselfe comfortable on his death bed Ans. Though the comfort of Gods spirit shal neuer be abolished from his heart yet he can not alwaies testifie it For he may die of a burning ague and by reason of the extremitie of his fits bee troubled with idlenesse of head and breake out into raging speeches and blasphemies Likewise he may die of a sicknesse in the braine and be troubled with grieuous convulsions so as his mouth shall be writhen to his eares his necke turned behind him and the verie place where he lies shall shake through his treÌ„bling as daily experience will testifie Neither is any to thinke this straunge for Salomon saith All things in outward matters come alike to all and the same condition is to the iust and to the wicked to the good and to the pure and to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not CHAP. XII Of the contraries to Repentance COntrary to repentance is Impenitencie whereby men continue in one estate neither sorrowing for sinne nor turning from it It is one of the most grieuous iudgements that is if it be final For as a sicke man then is most sicke when he feeles the least sicknes and saith he is well so miserable man is in most miserie when he feeles no miserie and thinkes himselfe in good estate This sin befalls them that iudge themselues righteous needing no repentance As the Pharises in the daies of Christ the Catharists in the primitiue Church the Anabaptists in our age Adde vnto these such as haue hardened their hearts so as they can discerne betweene good and euill nor tremble at Gods iudgements but rather fret rage against them till God in his wrath either destroy them or cast them to final despaire As it befell Iulian the Apostata who died blaspheming and casting his owne blood into the aire Betweene the two extreames Repentance and Impenitencie is placed couÌ„terfeit repentance For the wicked nature of man can dissemble and counterfeit Gods grace as the Lord complaines of the Iewes Her rebellious sister Iudah hath not returned vnto me with her whole heart but fainedly saith the Lord Ier. 3.10 Counterfeit repentance is either ceremoniall or desperat Ceremoniall wheÌ„ meÌ„ repeÌ„t in outward shew but not in the truth of heart As Saul Then said Saul to Samuel I haue sinned for I haue transgressed the commandemeÌ„ts of the Lord thy words because I feared the people and obeyed their voice Now therfore I pray thee take a way my sin turne again with me that I may worship the Lord c. Again I haue sinned but honour me I pray thee before thâ— elders of my people Of Ahab When Ahab heard these words he rent his cloathes and put on sackcloath and fasted and went softly And the word of the Lord came to Elijah saying Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me Dissembled repentance may be discerned because men after a time returne to their old byas againe Pharao king of Egypt saide vnto Moses and Aaron Pray vnto the Lord that he may take away the frogges from me and from my people And When Egypt was smitten with hayle he said I haue now sinned and the Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked Pray yee vnto the Lord that there be no more mightie thunders and hayle Again troubled with grashoppers he saide I haue sinned against the Lord your God and against you and now forgiue me my sinne onely this once c. Now marke the issue of all when Pharao saw that he had rest giuen him he hardened his heart and hearkened not vnto them as the Lord had said This is the ordinarie and common repentance that most men practise in the world Desperate repentance commonly called Penitencie is when a man hauing onely Gods iudgements before his eyes is smitten with horror of conscience and wanting assurance of Gods mercie despaires finally This was Iudas repentance who when he had brought againe the thirtie pieces of siluer confessed his fault and went and hanged himselfe CHAP. XIII Of corruptions in the doctrine of Repentance THe Church of Rome at this day hath corrupted the ancient doctrine of Repentance beeing one of the speciall points of religion The corruptions are specially sixe The first that they make repentance or penance to be a sacrament which cannot be because it wants an outward signe And though some say that the words which the priest rehearseth in absolution are the signe yet that can not be because the signe must be not onely audible but also visible The second that a sinner hath in him a naturall disposition which beeing stirred vp by Gods preuenting grace he may and can worke together with Gods spirit in his owne repentance But indeed all our repentance is to be ascribed to Gods grace wholly The soule of man is not weake but starke dead in sinne and therefore it can no more prepare it selfe to repentance then the bodie beeing dead in the graue can dispose it selfe to the last resurrection The third corruption that contrition in
and right iudgement of the estate of any man without a particular rehearsall of his sinnes For he which soundly and truly repents of one or some few sinnes repents of all Secondly this confession is ouerturned by the practise of the Prophets Apostles who not onely absolued particular persons but also whol churches without exaction of auricular coÌ„fession WheÌ„ Nathan the Prophet had rebuked Dauid for his two great horrible crimes Dauid touched with remorse said I haue sinned and Nathan presently without further examination declared vnto him in the name of God that his sins were forgiuen him Thirdly it can not be prooued by any good and sufficient proofes that this confession was vsed in the Church of God till after fiue or sixe hundred yeares were expired For the confession which was then in vse was either publicke before the Church or the opening of a publicke fault to some priuate person in secret Therefore to vrge sicke men vnto it lying at the point of death is to lay more burdens on them then euer God appointed And whereas they make it a necessary thing to receiue the Eucharist in the time of sicknes toward death and that priuately of the sicke partie alone they haue no warrant for their practise and opinion For in the want of the sacrament there is no danger but in the contempt and the verie contempt it selfe is a sinne which may be pardoned if we repent And there is no reason why wee should thinke that sicke men should bee depriued of the comfort of the Lords supper if they receiue it not in death because the fruite and efficacy of the Sacrament once receiued is not to bee restrained to the time of receiuing but it extends it selfe to the whole time of mans life afterward Againe the supper of the Lord is no priuate action but meerely Ecclesiasticall and therefore to be celebrated in the meeting and assembly of Gods people as our Sauiour Christ prescribeth when he saith Doe ye this and Paul in saying When ye come togither But it is alleadged that the Israelites did eate the Paschal lambe in their houses when they were in Egypt Answ. The Israelites had then no libertie to make any publike meeting for that end god commanded that the Paschal lambe should be eaten in all the houses of the Isaraelites at one the same instant and that in effect was as much as if it had beene publike Againe they alleadge a Canon of the Council of Nice which decreeth that men beeing about to die must receiue the Eucharist not be depriued of the prouision of food necessarie for their iourney Ans. The Council made no decree touching the administration of the Sacrament to all them that die but to such onely as fall away from the faith in persecution or fell into any other notorious crime and were thereupon excommunicate and so remained till death either then or somewhat before testified their repentance for their offences And the Canon was made for this ende that such persons might bee assured that they were againe receiued into the Church and by this meanes depart with more comfort Thirdly it is obiected that in the primitiue Church part of the Eucharist was carried by a ladde to Serapion an aged man lying sicke in his bedde Ansvv. It was indeede the custome of the auncient Church from the very beginning that the elemeÌ„ts of bread wine should be sent by some of the Deacons to the sicke which were absent from the assembly And yet neuerthelesse here is no footing for priuate communions For the Eucharist was only then sent when the rest of the Church did openly communicate and such as were then absent onely by reason of sickenes and desired to bee partakers of that blessed comâ—union were to be reputed as preâ—ent Lastly it is obiected that it was the manner of men and women in former times to carrie part of the SacrameÌ„t home to their houses and to reserue it till the time of necessitie as the time of sicknes such like Ans. The reseruatioÌ„ of the sacrament was but a superstitious practise though it be ancient For out of the administration that is before it begin and after it is ended the sacrament ceaseth to be a sacrament and the elements to be elements As for the practise of them that vsed to cramme the Eucharist into the mouth of them that were deceased it is not only superstitious but also verie absurd As for the Annoiling of the sicke that is the annointing of the bodie specially the organes or instruments of the senses that the partie may obtaine the remission of his sinnes and comfort against all temptations of the deuill in the houre of death and strength more easily to beare the pangs of sickenesse and the pangs of death and be againe restored to his corporall health if it bee expedient for the saluation of his soule it is but a dotage of mans braine hath not so much as a shewe of reason to iustifie it The fifth of Iames is commonly alleadged to this purpose but the annointing there mentioned is not of the same kinde with this greasie sacrament of the Papists For that annointing of the bodie was a ceremonie vsed by the Apostles and others when they put in practise this miraculous gift of healing which gift is nowe ceased Secondly that annointing had a promise that the partie should recouer his health but this popish annointing hath no such promise because for the most part the persons thus annointed die afterward without recouerie wheras those which were annointed in the primitiue Church alwaies recouered Thirdly the auncient annointing serued onely for the procuring of health but this tendes further to the procuring of remission of sinnes and strength in temptation Thus hauing seene the doctrine of the Papists I come nowe to speake of the true and right manner of making particular preparation before death which containes three sorts of duties one concerning God the other concerning a mans owne selfe the third concerning our neighbour The first concerning God is to seeke to be reconciled vnto him in Christ though wee haue beene long assured of his fauour All other duties must come after in the second place and they are of little or no effect without this Nowe this reconciliation must bee sought for and is obtained by a renewing of our former faith and repentance and they must be renewed on this manner So soone as a man shall feele any manner of sickenesse to seaze vpon his bodie hee must consider with himselfe whence it ariseth and after serious consideration hee shal find that it comes not by chance or fortune but by the special prouidence of God This done he mâ—st goe yet further and consider for what cause the Lord should afflict his bodie with any sickenesse or disease And he shal find by Gods word that sicknesse comes ordinarily and vsually of sinne Wherefore is the liuing man sorrowfull man
as giue themselues to swearing want religion and good conscience and that those families in which there is rifenesse of oathes abandon all care of religion and banish God out of their houses And indeede it is a very hard thing for the common swearer to auoide common periurie If we see a man hold vp his hand at the barre of an earthly iudge wee pitie him and are sorrie for him oh then why doe we not pittie blasphemers and common swearers For with God they are no better then rebels that hold vp their hands at the barre of his iudgement seat as guiltie malefactours Exod 20.7 Augustine saith well They that worship stocks stones feare to sweare fasly by stones and doest thou not feare God that is present God that liueth God that knoweth God that taketh reuenge of contemners but of bad custome when thou art beleeued thou swearest when none requires it thou swearest and when men cannot abide it thou swearest Thus much of an Oath nowe followes a promise which is either to God or man the first is called a vowe the second a single promise A vowe is taken three waies First generally for a promise of morall obedience and this vowe is first made in Baptisme and continued in the Lords supper as also in the spirituall exercises of inuocation and repentance It is called of Peter 1. epist. 3.21 the stipulation which a good conscience makes to God This kinde of vowe bindes all and euery member of the Church of God And the not keeping of it is the common sinne of the world for most men make not conscience to performe that which they haue promised to God in Baptisme and therefore their Baptisme is become vnto them the sacrifice of fooles Eccl. 4.17 But considering we are bound in conscience by this vow let vs hereafter indeauour to be as good as our word and that shall bee when we begin to die to our sinnes and rise to newnesse of life There is no man almost but will seeme to haue care to keepe touch with men what a shame is it then for vs not to keepe couenant with God Againe a vowe is taken for a promise of ceremoniall obedience whereof read Num. 6. and 30. and Leuit. 27. This vow is peculiar to the old testament and did not bind all men but onely such as had peculiar occasion to vow and thereupon bound themselues as the Nazarites and others Thirdly a vowe is taken for the performance of some outward and bodily exercises taken vp of a mans owne accord as beeing things in a mans owne libertie without any commandement of god as the keeping of set times of fast of praying or reading the performance of set taskes almes giuing abstinence from certaine meates and drinkes in the vse whereof through our own weaknesse we feare any occasion of sinne And this kind of vowe is more peculiar to the new testament dieth but alwaies lies gnawing and grabbling and pulling at the heart of man Mark 9.24 causeth more paine and anguish then any disease in the world can doe The time when conscience performes these actions is not before the sinne or in the act of sinning but especially after the sinne is done and past Reason I. Before a man sinneth the deuill doth extenuate the fault and make sinne to be no sinne II. Corrupt affections doe for a time so blind and ouercast iudgment that it doeth not see or at the least consider what is good or badde till afterward Neither doth conscience accuse and condemne onely for time present but also long after a thing is done The consciences of Iosephs brethren accused them 2â— yeares after they had sold him into Egypt Gen. 42.21 The effect of the accusing and condemning conscience is to stirre vp sundrie passions and motions in the heart but specially these fiue The first is shame which is an affection of the heart whereby a man is grieued and displeased with himselfe that he hath done any euill and this shame sheweth it selfe by the rising of the blood from the heart to the face Yet wee must here remember that euen such as haue the pardon of their sinnes and are not guiltie may be ashamed and blush Rom. 6. 21. What fruite had ye in those things whereat yee nowe blush or hee ashamed Yet for all this euen those which are most guiltie may be without all shame Ier. 6.15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination nay nay they were not ashamed neither could they haue any shame because they are growne to some great height in sinne Eph 4.18 The second passion is sadnes and sorrowe which is commonly thought to be nothing else but melancholie but betweene them twaine there is great difference Sorrow that comes by melancholy ariseth only of that humour annoying the bodie but this other sorrow ariseth of a mans sinnes for which his coÌ„science accuseth him Melancholly may be cured by physicke this sorrow can not be cured by any thing but by the blood of Christ. The third is feare in causing whereof conscience is very forcible If a man had all the delights and pleasures that heart can wish they can not doe him any good if conscience be guiltie Belshazzar when hee was in the middest of all his delights and sawe the hand writing vpon the wall his countenance changed his thoughts troubled him his ioynts loosed and his knees smote togither Dan. 5.9 Yea the guiltie conscience will make a man afraid if hee see but a worme peepe out of the ground or a silly creature to goe crosse his way or if hee see but his owne shadow on a suddain or if he doe but forecast an euil with himselfe Prou. 28.1 The wicked flieth when no man pursueth him Terrours of conscience when they are more vehement cause other passions in the body as exceeding heate like that which is in the fitte of an ague the rising of the entralls towardes the mouth and souning as experience hath often shewed And the writer of the booke of wisdome saith truely cap. 17.10 It is a fearefull thing when malice is condemned by her owne testimony and a conscience that is touched doeth euer forecast cruell things For feare â—â— nothing else but the betraying of the succours that reason offereth c. they that did endure the might that was intollerable c. sometimes were troubled with monstrous visions and sometimes they swouned as though their owne soules should betray them for a sudden feare not looked for came vpon them The fourth is desperation whereby a man through the vehement and constant accusation of his conscience comes to be out of all hope of the pardon of his sinnes This made Saul Achitophel and Iudas to hang themselues this makes many in these daies to doe the like as appeareth by the declarations of such as haue beene preuented when they were about to hang or drowne theÌ„selues or to cut their owne throates The last is a perturbation or disquietnesse of the
whole man whereby all the powers and faculties of the whole man are forth of order Esa. 57.20 The wicked are like the raging of the sea that cannot rest whose waters cast vp mire and dirt Thus much of the two first actions of conscience which are to accuse and condemne the second followeth to excuse and absolue To excuse is an action of the conscience giuing iudgement that the thing is well done To absolue is an action of the conscience giuing iudgement that a man is free and cleare from fault and so from punishment From these two actions arise some speciall affections I. boldnes and confidence Prou. 28.1 The righteous are bold as a lyon II. Ioy and reioycing 2. Cor. 1. 12. Our reioycing is the testimonie of my conscience that in all simplicitie and godly purenes I haue had my conuersation in the world Hence it is said that a good conscience is a continuall feast Hitherto I haue spoken how conscience giues iudgement of things done and past now followeth hir iudgement of things to be done Conscience giues iudgement of things to come by foretelling and as it were saying inwardly in the heart that the thing may be well done Of this kind of iudgement euery man may haue experience in himselfe when he is about to enterprise any busines either good or bad By this we may see the goodnes of God to all men If a man beeing to make an vnknowne iourney should finde one that would goe with him and shew him the way and all the turnings thereof he could not but take it for a point of curtesie Well we are pilgrimes in this world our life is our iourney God also hath appointed our conscience to be our companion and guide to shew vs what course we may take and what we may not And here it must be noted that in all things to be done conscience is of great force and beares a great stroke For this is the beginning of a good worke that the conscience first of all giue her iudgement truly that the thing may be done and is acceptable to God Rom. 14.23 Whatsoeuer is not of faith that is whatsoeuer is not done of a setled perswasion in iudgement conscience out of Gods word howsoeuer men iudge of it is sinne Againe God regards not the outward pompe of the action of the doer but obedience and especially the obedience of the heart therfore vnles the coÌ„science first of all approoue the thing to be good and agreeable to Gods will it can be nothing els but a sinne And he that shall doe a thing because it is good in his owne eyes not knowing that God doth allowe of it preferres himselfe before God disobeies as the seruant that in his masters house will not doe his masters will but his owne will From this former rule arise three other the first whatsoeuer is done with a doubting conscience is a sinne For example some beleeuers in the Primitiue Church held that still after the ascension of Christ there remained a differeÌ„ce betweene meate and meate and therefore it was a scruple to them to eate of sundrie kind of meates now put the case that by example they are drawne on to eate swines flesh or some other thing which they thinke is forbidden this done there is no question but they haue sinned as Paul prooueth Rom. 14. 14. I knowe and am perswaded through the Lord Iesus that there is nothing vncleane of it selfe but vnto him tâ—at iudgeth any thing vncleane it is vncleane and v. 23. He that doubteth is condemned if he eate because he eateth not of faith The second whatsoeuer thing is done in or with an erronious conscience it is a sinne For example in the Primitiue Church diuers of the gentiles held this errour that fornication was a thing indifferent and therefore conscience tolde them that they might doe it and yet neuerthelesse fornication in them was a sinne because conscience erred in her iudgement And euill remaines euill though conscience say the contrarie a thousand times The third what is done against conscience though it erre and bee deceiued it is sin in the doer Example An Anabaptist holding it vtterly vnlawful to sweare is brought before a magistrate and vrged either through feare or some like cause takes an oath and that against his owne conscience nowe the question is whether he hath sinned or no Ans. Hee hath indeede sinned not so much because hee hath taken an oath for that is the ordinance of God but because hee hath taken an oath in a bad manner that is against his conscience therfore not in faith Thus it is manifest that conscience beares a great stroke in all things that are to be said or done And hereby we are aduertised of many things First if a thing done without good direction of conscience bee a sinne then much more that which is done without good direction of Gods word is a flat sinne for without direction of Gods word conscience can giue no good direction And if God will hold that for a sinne which is done without direction of his word then no doubt Gods word ministers sufficient direction for all actions whatsoeuer so as if a man be but to receiue a morsel of bread into his mouth it can so farre forth direct him that in doing of it hee shall be able to please God If this were not true maÌ„s case were most miserable For then we should sinne in manifold actions and that without remedie And hereby the Word I meane nothing but the Scriptures of the olde and newe testament which containe in themselues sufficient direction for all actions As for the lawe of nature though it affoard indeede some direction yet is it corrupt imperfect vncerten whatsoeuer is right and good therein is contained in the written word of god And as for the best vnwritten traditions let all the Papists in the world answer if they can howe I may in conscience be perswaded that they are the word of God If they say that the auncient fathers of the Primitiue Church auouch in their writings that they are Apostolicall traditions I aunswer againe howe shall I knowe and be certaine in conscience that the fathers subiect to errour in saying so haue not erred Againe we learne hence that a good intention is not sufficient to make a good work vnles withall conscience giue iudgement that God doth approue the action This shewes the ignorance of our people that when as in their dealings they runne vpon a good meaning then alwaies they thinke they do well and please God Thirdly hence it appeares that all things deuised by man for the worship of God are flat sinnes because conscience cannot say of them that they please God Esay 29.13 Mar. 7.7 Lastly we learne here that ignorance of Gods will and word is a dangerous thing and makes the life of man to abound yea to flowe with a sea of offences against God Men commonly thinke that if
the like places of Scripture the intent whereof is to make vs circumspect and feareful least we should offend God by any sinne our owne weaknesse considered and the imminent iudgements of God And this kind of feare as all the first may stand with certaintie of faith Rom. 11. Thou standest by faith be not high minded but feare Psa. 2. Serue the Lord in feare and reioice in trembling Obiect 6. Where there is no word there is no faith For faith and the worde of God be relatiues But there is no word of God that saith to particular men Cornelius or Peter or Iohn thy sinnes are pardoned excepting a fewe persons as Marie Magdalen and the palsie man c. Therefore there is no particular faith Ans. Though there be no word set down in Scripture touching the saluation of this or that particular man yet there is set downe that which is equiuolent to a particular worde and as much in effect For the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting is giuen with a commandement that euery man apply the promise to himselfe as I haue before prooued and this is altogither as much as if euery mans particular name had beene put in the promise I adde further that the promises of the gospel must bee considered two waies first as they are generally set downe in Scripture without application to any person secondly as they are taught and published in the ministery of the word the end whereof is to apply them to the persons of men partly by preaching and partly by administring the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords supper which are seales of righteousnes of faith Nowe the promise applied and as I may say particularized to the members of the Church is by the vertue of Gods ordinance as much as if God himselfe had giuen the promise particularly and annexed mens names vnto it It is further aunswered that the promise of remission of sinne is preached not simply but vpon condition of mens faith and repentance which indeede cannot be certainely knowne I answere againe as I haue alreadie prooued that he which truly beleeueth and repenteth knoweth that he doth certainly beleeue and repent Obiect 7. To beleeue the pardon of a man owne sinnes is none of the articles of faith propounded in any Creed either of the Apostles or the Nicene fathers or Athanasius or any other creed Answ. This faith is contained vnder these wordes I beleeue remission of sinnes and I prooue it thus These wordes are an article of Christian faith and therefore they must in sense containe more then the deuil doth or can beleeue now the deuill beleueth thus much that God giues remission of sinnes to his Church Christian men therefore must go one step further and beleeue particularly the remission of their own sinnes Otherwise if the Papists will haue the Catholike faith to beleeue no more in this point then the damned spirits beleeue let them take it to themselues But they reply further that if there were any such article of faith then some persons must beleeue that they are iust though they willingly commit mortall sinne which is an euident falshood Ans. He that beleeues the pardon of his owne sinnes by true faith hath the spirit of God in him and a constant purpose not to sinne against God and therfore if hee sinne it is against his purpose and without any full consent of will and it is not hee that doeth it but the sinne that dwelleth in him But if it so fall out that the childe of God be ouertaken with any actuall sinne then his case standeth thus Hee hath by his fall wounded his conscience weakened his faith bereaued himselfe of Gods fauour as much as in him lieth made himselfe guiltie of a sinne and worthie of damnation and God for his part accordingly turnes the wonted signes of his fauour into signes of anger and displeasure and though it be pardoned in the purpose of God yet is it not actually pardoned till the partie repent Things standing thus we teach not that men must beleeue the pardon of their sinnes while they liue and lie in them for that were flatly to teach falshood for trueth but our doctrine is that such persons must first of al humble themselues and say with the prodigall child that they haue sinned against God and are not worthie to be called his children any more and again renue their decaied faith and repentanceâ— that they may beleeue as before their perfect reconciliation with God Obiect 8. In respect of God who is trueth it selfe we are to beleeue the promise in particular yet if we respect our owne vnworthinesse and indisposition we are to feare and in some part to doubt For the promise of remission of sinnes is not absolute but depends vpon the condition of our workes Therefore our certentie is onely coniecturall Ans. I answer first that in respect of our owne vnworthines we are not to doubt of our saluation but to be out of all doubt yea to despaire before the iudgement seat of God For they which are of the works of the law are vnder the curse Gal. 3.10 and Paul saith of his own works of grace In this I am not iustified 1. Cor. 4.4 And Dauid being out of al doubt of his owne deserued daÌ„nation in regard of his own vnworthines saith freely Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for no flesh shall bee iustified in thy sight Againe the consideration of any vnworthines in our selues doth not hinder a resolution concerning Gods mercie in Christ. For true faith makes an entrance vnto God with boldnes I say with boldnes euen for those persons that are vnworthie in themselues Eph. 4. 12. And Abraham whose faith is to be followed of vs did not vpon the consideration of his old decaied bodie rest himselfe with bare hope vpon a likelihood of the accomplishment of gods promise but he beleeued vnder hope euen against hope Rom. 4.18 Lastly I answer that the ground of the former obiection is erronious namely that the promise of saluation depends on the condition of our works because the Scripture saith it is made and accomplished on mans part freely I graunt indeede that to the promise there is annexed a condition of faith yet faith must not here be considered as a worke but as an instrument apprehending Christ with his benefits and withall repentance with the fruits thereof are on our part required yet no otherwise but as they are necessary consequents of faith and the signes and documents thereof Obieâ—t 9. No man knowes all his sinnes no man therefore can certainly knowe that all his sinnes are pardoned and that he is accepted of God Ans. The ground of this argument is false namely that a man cannot be assured of the pardon of his sinnes if some of them be vnknowne And to make this manifest I will lay downe a more certen ground which shall be this As the case is in Repentance so it is also
said religion is against the Catholike principles and groundes of the Catechisme PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT PRINTER to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPfull Sir William Bowes Knight c. Grace and peace RIght Worshipful it is a notable pollicie of the deuil which he hath put into the heades of sundrie men in this age to thinke that our religion and the religion of the present Church of Rome are all one for substance and that they may be reunited as in their opinion they were before Writings to this effect are spread abroad in the French tongue and respected of English protestants more then is meete or ought to be For let men in shew of moderation pretend the peace and good estate of the Catholike Church as long as long as they will this Vnion of the two religions can neuer be made more then the vnion of light darknes And this shall appeare if we doe but a little consider howe they of the Romane Church haue rased the foundation For though in wordes they honour Christ yet in deed they turne him to a Pseudo-Christ and an Idol of their owne braine They call him our Lord but with this condition that the Seruant of Seruants of this Lord may chaunge and adde to his commandements hauing so great a power that he may open and shut heauen to whome he will and bind the verie conscience with his owne lawes and consequently be partaker of the spiritual kingdome of Christ. Againe they call him a Sauiour but yet in Vs in that hee giues this grace vnto vs that by our merits wee may be our owne Sauiours and in the want of our own merits wee may pertake in the merits of the Saints And they acknowledge that he died and suffered for vs but with this caueat that the Fault beeing pardoned wee must satisfie for the temporall punishment either in this world or in Purgatorie In a word they make him our mediatour of Intercession vnto God but withal his Mother must be the Queene of Heauen and by the right of a Mother commaund him there Thus in worde they crie Osunna but in deede they crucifie Christ. Therefore wee haue good cause to blesse the name of God that hath freed vs from the yoke of this Romane bondage and hath brought vs to the true light libertie of the gospel And it should be a great height of vnthankfulnesse in vs not to stand out against the present Church of Rome but to yeeld our selues to plottes of reconciliation To this effect and purpose I haue penned this little Treatise which I present to your Worship desiring it might be some token of a thankfull mind for vndeserued loue And I craue withall not onely your Worshipfull which is more common but also your learned protection beeing well assured that by skill and arte you are able to iustifie whatsoeuer I haue truely taught Thus wishing to you and yours the continuance and the increase of faith and good conscience I take my leaue Cambridge Iun. 28. 1597. Your Worships in the Lord William Perkins THE AVTHOR TO THE Christian Reader BY a Reformed Catholike I vnderstand any one that holdes the same necessarie beads of religion with the Romane Church yet so as he pares off and reiects all errours in doctrine whereby the said religion is corrupted Howe this may be done I haue begun to make some little declaration in this small Treatise the intent whereof is to shewe how neere wee may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion and wherein we must for euer dissent My purpose in penning this small discourse is threefolde The first is to confute all such Politikes as hold and maintaine that our religion and that of the Romane Church differ not in substance and consequently that they may be reconciled yet my meaning is not here to condemne any Pacification that tends to perswade the Romane Church to our religion The second is that the Papists which thinke so basely of our religion may be wonne to a better liking of it when they shall see howe neere we come vnto them in sundrie points The third that the common protestant might in some part see and conceiue the point of difference betweene vs and the Church of Rome and know in what manner and how farre forth we condemne the opinions of the said Church I craue pardon for the order which I vse in handling the seuerall points For I haue set them downe one by one as they came to mind not respecting the lawes of method If any Papist shall say that I haue not alleadged their opinions aright I answer that their bookes be at hand and I can iustifie what I haue saide Thus crauing thine acceptation of this my paines and wishing vnto thee the increase of knowledge and loue of pure and sound religion I take my leaue and make an ende The places of doctrine handled are 1 Of Free-will 2 Of Originall sinne 3 Assurance of saluation 4 Iustification of a sinner 5 Of merits 6 Satisfactions for sinne 7 Of Traditions 8 Of Vowes 9 Of Images 10 Of Reall presence 11 The sacrifice of the Masse 12 Of Fasting 13 The state of perfection 14 Worshipping of Saints departed 15 Intercession of Saints 16 Implicite faith 17 Of Purgatorie 18 Of the supremacie 19 Of the efficacie of the Sacraments 20 Of faith 21 Of Repentance 22 The sinnes of the Romane Church REVELAT 18. 4. And I heard another voice from heauen say Goe out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and receiue not of her plagues IN the former chapter S. Iohn sets downe a description of the whore of Babylon that at large as he saw her in a vision described vnto him In the sixteenth verse of the same chapter he foretels her destruction and in the three first verses of this 18. chapter hee goeth on to propound the said destruction yet more directly and plainely withall alleadging arguments to prooue the same in all the verses following Nowe in this fourth verse is set downe a caueat seruing to forewarne all the people of God that they may escape the iudgement which shal befall the whore and the words containe two parts a commandement and a reason The commandement Come out of her my people that is from Babylon The reason taken from the euent least ye be partakers c. Touching the cōmandement first I will search the right meaning of it and then set downe the vse thereof and doctrine flowing thence In historie therefore are three Babylons mentioned one is Babylon of Assyria standing on the riuer Euphrates where was the confusion of Languages and where the Iewes were in captiuitie which Babylon is in Scripture reproched for Idolatrie and other iniquities The second Babylon is in Egypt standing on the riuer Nylus and it is now called Cayr of that mention is made 1. Pet. 5.13 as some thinke though indeede it is as likely and more commonly thought
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
Gospell is vpon condition of mens faith and repentance and that men are deceiued touching their owne faith and repentance and therefore faile in applying the word vnto themselues Ans. Indeede this manner of applying is false in all hypocrites heretickes and vnrepentant persons for they applie vpon carnall presumption and not by faith Neuerthelesse it is true in all the Elect hauing the spirit of grace and praier for when God in the ministerie of the word beeing his owne ordinance saith Seeke ye my face the heart of Gods children truly answereth O Lord I wil seeke thy face Psal. 17.8 And when God shall say Thou art my people they shall say againe The Lord is my God Zach. 13.6 And it is a truth of God that he which beleeueth knoweth that he beleeueth and he that truly repenteth knoweth that be repeÌ„teth vnles it be in the beginning of our conuersion in the time of distresse and temptation Otherwise what thankfulnesse can there be for grace receiued Obiect II. It is no article of the Creede that a man must beleeue his owne saluation and therefore no man is bound thereto Ans. By this argument it apâ—â—â—res plainely that the very pillars of the Church of Rome doe not vnderstand the Creede for in that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede euery article implieth in it this particular faith And in the first article I beleeue in God are three things contained the first to beleeue that there is a God the second to beleeue the same God to be my God the third to put my confidence in him for my saluation and so much containe the other articles which are concerning God When Thomas said Ioh. 20.28 My God Christ answered Thou hast beleeued Thomas Where we see that to beleeue in God is to beleeue God to be our God And Psal. 78. 22. to beleeue in God and to put trust in him are all one They beleeued not in God and trusted not in his helpe And the articles concerning Remission of sinnes and Life euerlasting do include and we in them acknowledge our speciall faith concerning our owne saluation For to beleeue this or that is to beleeue there is such a thing and that the same thing belongs to me as when Dauid said I should haue fainted except I had beleeued to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing Psal. 27.13 It is answered that in those articles wee onely professe our selues to beleeue remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to be vouchsafed to the people Church of God Ans. This indeede is the exposition of many but it standes not with common reason For if that bee all the faith that is there confessed the deuill hath as good a faith as we He knoweth and beleeueth that there is a God that this God imparteth remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to his church And to the end that wee beeing Gods children may in faith goe beyond all the deuills in hell we must further beleeue that remission of sinnes and life euerlasting belongs vnto vs and vnlesse we doe particularly apply the said articles vnto our selues we shall little or nothing differ from the deuill in making confession of faith Obiect III. We are taught to pray for the pardon of our sinnes day by day Matth. 6.12 and all this were needlesse if we could bee assured of pardon in this life Answ. The fourth petition must be vnderstood not so much of our olde debts or sinnes as of our present and newe sinnes for as we goe on from daie to daie so we adde sinne to sinne and for the pardon of them must wee humble our selues and pray I answer againe that wee pray for the pardon of our sinnes not because we haue no assurance thereof but because our assurance is weake and small wee growe on from grace to grace in Christ as children doe to mans estate by little and little The heart of euery beleeuer is like a vessell with a narrow necke which beeing cast into the sea is not filled at the first but by reason of the straight passage receiueth water drop by drop God giueth vnto vs in Christ euen a sea of mercie but the same on our parts is apprehended and receiued onely by little and litte as faith groweth from age to age and this is the cause why men hauing assurance pray for more Our reasons to the contrarie Reason I. The first reason may be taken from the nature of faith on this manner True faith is both an vnfallible assurance and a particular assurance of the remission of sinnes and of life euerlasting And therefore by this faith a man may be certenly and particularly assured of the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting That this reason may bee of sorce two things must be prooued first that true faith is a certaine assurance of Gods mercie to that partie in whome it is Secondly that faith is a particular assurance thereof For the first that faith is a certaine assurance Christ saith to Peter Mat. 14.31 O thou of litle faith wherefore didst thou doubt Where he maketh an opposition betweene faith and doubting whereby giuing vs directly to vnderstand that to be certen and to giue assurance is of the nature of faith Rom. 4.20.22 Paul saith of Abraham that he did not doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but vvas strengthened in faith and gaue glory to God being fully assured that he which had promised was able to doe it where I obserue first that doubting is made a fruit of vnbeleefe and therefore vnfallible certentie and assurance being contrarie to doubting must needes proceede from true faith considering that coÌ„trarie effects come of contrarie causes and contrarie causes produce contrary effects SecoÌ„dly I note that the strength of Abrahams faith did stand in fulnes of assurance for the text saith he was strengthened in the faith being fully assured and againe Heb. 11.1 true sauing faith is said to be the ground and subsistance of things hoped for the euidence or demonstration of things that are not seene but faith can be no ground or euidence of things vnlesse it bee for nature certenty it selfe and thus the first point is manifest The second that sauing faith is a particular assurance is prooued by this that the propertie of faith is to apprehend and apply the promise and the thing promised Christ with his benefits Ioh. 1.12 As many saieth S. Iohn as receiued him to them hee gaue power to be the sonnes of god namely to them that beleeue in his name In these words to beleeue in Christ and to receiue Christ are put for one and the same thing Nowe to receiue Christ is to apprehend and apply him with all his benefits vnto our selues as he is offered in the promises of the gospell For in the sixt chapter following first of all he sets forth himselfe not onely as a Redeemer generally but also as the bread of life and the water of life secondly he sets
vs our debts and to it we say Amen that is that our petitions shall without doubt be graunted vnto vs. Aug. serm de Temp. 182. And here note that the Church of Rome in the doctrine of iustification by faith cuts off the principall part and propertie thereof For in iustifying faith two things are required first Knowledge reuealed in the word touching the meanes of saluation secondly an Applying of things knowne vnto our selues which some call affiance Nowe the first they acknowledge but the second which is the very substance and principall part thereof they denie III. Reason The iudgement of the auncient Church August I demande nowe doest thou beleeue in Christ O sinner Thou saiest I beleeue What beleeuest thou that all thy sinnes may freely be pardoned in him Thou hast that which thou beleeuest Bernard The Apostle thinketh that a man is iustified freely by faith If thou beleeuest that thy sinnes cannot bee remitted but by him alone against whome they were committed but goe further and beleeue this too that by him thy sinnes are forgiuen thee This is the testimonie which the holy Ghost giueth in the heart saying thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Cyprian God promiseth thee immortalitie when thou goest out of this world and doest thou doubt This is indeed not to know God and this is for a member of the Church in the house of faith not to haue faith If wee beleeue in Christ let vs beleeue his wordes and promises and wee shall neuer die and shall come to Christ with ioyfull securitie with him to raigne for euer The II. difference touching faith in the act of iustification is this The Papist saith we are iustified by faith because it disposeth a sinner to his iustification after this manner By faith saith he the mind of man is inlightened in the knowledge of the lawe and gospell knowledge stirs vp a feare of hell with a consideration of the promise of happines as also the loue feare of God hope of life eternall Now when the heart is thus prepared God infuseth the habit of charitie other vertues wherby a sinner is iustified before god We say otherwise that faith iustifieth because it is a supernaturall Instrument created by God in the heart of man at his conuersion whereby he apprehendeth and receiueth Christs righteousnes for his iustification In this their doctrine is a twofold error I. that they make faith which iustifieth to goe before iustification it selfe both â—or order of nature as also for time whereas by the worde of God at the very instant when any man beleeueth first he is then iustified and sanctified For he that beleeueth eateth and drinketh the bodie and blood of Christ and is alreadie passed from death to life Ioh. 6.54 The second is that faith beeing nothing else with them but an illumination of the minde stirreth vp the will which beeing mooued helped causeth in the heart many spirituall motions and thereby disposeth man to his future iustification But this indeed is as much as if we should say that dead men onely helped can prepare themselues to their future resurrection For we are all by nature dead in sinne and therefore must not onely be inlightened in mind but also renued in will before we can so much as wil or desire that which is good Nowe we as I haue said teach otherwise that faith iustifieth as it is an instrument to apprehend and apply Christ with his obedience which is the matter of our iustification This is the trueth I prooue it thus In the couenant of grace two things must be considered the substance thereof and the condition The substance of the couenant is that righteousnes and life euerlasting is giuen to Gods Church and people by Christ. The condition is that we for our parts are by faith to receiue the foresaid benefits and this condition is by grace as well as the substance Now then that we may attaine to saluation by Christ he must be giuen vnto vs really as he is propounded in the tenour of the foresaid couenant And for the giuing of Christ God hath appointed speciall ordinances as the preaching of the word and the administration oâ—â—â—e Sacraments The word preached is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeues and the end of the sacraments is to communicate Christ with all his benefits to them that come to be partakers thereof as is most plainely to be seene in the supper of the Lord in which the giuing of bread and wine to the seuerall communicants is a pledge and signe of Gods particular giuing of Christs bodie and blood with all his merits vnto them And this giuing on Gods part cannot be effectuall without receiuing on our parts and therfore faith must needes be an instrument or hand to receiue that which God giueth that we may find comfort by this giuing The III. difference concerning faith is this the Papist saith that a man is iustified by faith yet not by faith alone but also by other vertues as hope loue the feare of God c. The reasons which are brought to maintaine their opinion are of no moment I. Reason Luke 7.47 Many sinnes are forgiuen her because shee loued much Whence they gather that the woman here spoken of was iustified and had the pardon of sinnes by loue Ans. In this text loue is not made an impulsiue cause to mooue God to pardon her sinnes but onely a figne to shew and manifest that God had alreadie pardoned them Like to this is the place of Iohn who saith 1. Ioh. 3. 14. We are translated from death to life because wee loue the brethreÌ„ where loue is no cause of the chaÌ„ge but a signe consequent therof II. Reason Gal. 5.6 Neither circumcision nor vncircumeision auaileth any thing but faith that worketh by loue Hence they gather that faith doeth iustifie togither with loue Ans. The propertie of true faith is to apprehend and receiue something vnto it selfe and loue that goes alwaies with faith as a fruite and an vnseparable companion thereof is of another nature For it doeth not receiue in but as it were giue out it selfe in all the duties of the first and second table towards God and man and this thing faith by it selfe cannot doe and therefore Paul saieth that faith worketh by loue The hand hath a propertie to reach out it selfe to lay hold of any thing and to recâ—â—ue a gift but the hand hath no propertie to cut a peece of wood of it selfe without saw or knife or some like instrument yet by help of theÌ„ it can either deuide or cut Euen so it is the nature of faith to goe out of it selfe to receiue Christ into the heart as for the duties of the first and second table faith cannot of it selfe bring them forth no more then the hand can deuide or cut yet ioyne loue to faith then can it practise duties commended concerning God and man
And this I take to be the meaning of this text which speaketh not of iustification by faith but onely of the practice of common duties which faith putteth in execution by the helpe of loue III. Reason Faith is neuer alone therefore it doth not iustifie alone Ans. The reason is naught and they might as well dispute thus The eie is neuer alone from the head and therefore it seeth not alone which is absurd And though in regard of substance the eie be neuer alone yet in regard of seeing it is alone and so though faith subsist not without loue and hope and other graces of god yet in regard of the act of iustification it is alone without thē al. IV. Reason If faith alone doe iustifie then we are saued by faith alone but we are not saued by faith alone and therefore not iustified by faith alone Ans. The proposition is false for more things are requisite to the maine ende then to the subordinate meanes And the assumption is false for wee are saued by faith alone if we speake of faith as it is an instrument apprehending Christ for our saluation V. Reason We are saued by hope therefore not by faith alone Ans. Wee are saued by hope not because it is any cause of our saluation Pauls meaning is onely this that we haue not saluation as yet in possession but waite patiently for it in time to come to be possessed of vs expecting the time of our full deliuerance that is all that can iustly be gathered hence Nowe the doctrine which we teach on the contrarie is That a sinner is iustified before God by faith yea by faith alone The meaning is that nothing within man and nothing that man can do either by nature or by grace concurreth to the act of iustification before God as any cause thereof either efficient material formal or final but faith alone all other gifts graces as hope loue the feare of God are necessarie to saluation as signes thereof cōsequents of faith Nothing in mā cōcurs as any cause to this work but by faith alone And faith it selfe is no principall but onely an instrumentall cause whereby we receiue apprehend and apply Christ and his righteousnesse for our iustificatiō Reason I. Ioh. 3.14,15 As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life In these words Christ makes a comparison on this maner when any one of the Israelites were stung to death by fierie serpents his cure was not by any phisicke surgerie but onely by the casting of his eies vp to the brasen serpent which Moses had erected by Gods commandement euen so in the cure of our soules when we are stung to death by sinne there is nothing required within vs for our recouery but onely that we cast vp and fixe the eye of our faith on Christ and his righteousnes Reason II. The exclusiue formes of speech vsed in scripture prooue thus much We are iustified freely not of the lawe not by the lawe without the lawe without workes not of workes not according to workes not of vs not by the workes of the lawe but by faith Gal. 2.16 All boasting excluded onely beleeue Luk. 8.50 These distinctions whereby workes and the lawe are excluded in the work◠of iustification doe include thus much that faith alone doth iustifie Reason III. Very reason may teach thus much for no gift in man is apt fit as a spirituall hand to receiue apply Christ and his righteousnes vnto a sinner but faith Indeede loue hope the feare of God and repentance haue their seuerall vses in men but none serue for this ende to apprehend Christ and his merits none of them all haue this receiuing propertie and therefore there is nothing in man that iustifieth as a cause but faith alone Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church Ambr. on Rom. 4. They are blessed to whome without any labour or worke done iniquities are remitted and sinne couered no workes or repentance required of them but onely that they beleeue And cap. 3. Neither working any thing nor requiting the like are they iustified by faith alone through the gift of God And 1. Cor. 1. this is appointed of God that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ shall be saued without any worke by faith alone freely receiuing remission of sinnes Augustine There is one propitiation for all sinnes to beleeue in Christ. Hesyc on Leuit. lib. 1. c. 2. Grace which is of mercy is apprehended by faith alone and not of workes Bernard Whosoeuer is pricked for his sinnes and thirsteth after righteousnes let him beleeue in thee who iustifieth the sinner and beeing iustified by Faith alone he shall haue peace with God Chrysost. on Gal. 3. They said he which resteth on faith alone◠is accursed but Paul sheweth that he is blessed which resteth on faith alone Basil. de Humil. Let man acknowledge himselfe to want true iustice and that he is iustified onely by faith in Christ. Origen on c. 3. Rom. Wee thinke that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe and he saith iustification by faith alone sufficeth so as a man onely beleeuing may be iustified And therefore it lieth vpon vs to search who was iustified by faith without works And for an exāple I thinke vpon the theife who beeing crucified with Christ cried vnto him Lord remember me when thou cōmest into thy kingdome and there is no other good worke of his mentioned in the Gospell but for this alone faith Iesus saith vnto him This night thou shalt be with me in paradise III. Difference The third difference about iustification is concerning this point namely how farreforth good workes are required thereto The doctrine of the Church of Rome is that there be two kinds of iustification the first and the second as I haue said The first is when one of an euill man is made a good man and in this workes are wholly excluded it beeing wholly of grace The second is when a man of a iust man is made more iust And this they will haue to proceede from workes of grace for say they as a man when he is once borne can by eating and drinking make himselfe a bigger man though he could not at the first make himselfe a man euen so a sinner hauing his first iustification may afterward by grace make himselfe more iust Therefore they hold these two things I. that good works are meritorious causes of the second iustification which they tearme Actual II. that good works are means to increase the first iustificatiō which they cal habitual Now let vs see how farforth we must ioyne with them in this point Our consent therefore stands in three conclusions I. That good workes done by them that are iustified doe please God and are approoued of him and therefore haue a reward II. Good workes are necessarie to saluation two
and therefore will either exact an euerlasting punishment or satisfaction for the same The dissent or difference The point of our difference and dissent are these The Church of Rome teacheth and beleeueth that Christ by his death hath made a satisfaction for all the sinnes of men and for the eternall punishment of them all yet so as they themselues must satisfie the iustice of God for the temporall punishmeÌ„t of their offences either on earth or in purgatorie We teach and beleeue that Christ by his death and passion hath made a perfect and all sufficient satisfaction to the iustice of God for all the sinnes of men for the whole punishment thereof both eternall and temporall Thus we differ and herein we for our parts must for euer stand at difference wiâ—h them so as if there were no more points of variance but this one it should be sufficieÌ„t to keepe vs alwaies from vniting our religions and cause vs to obey the voice of Christ Come out of her my people For as in the former points so in this also the Papists erre not in circumstance but in the very foundation and life of religion Our reasons I. A satisfaction that is made imperfect either directly or by consequent is indeede no satisfaction at all But the Papists make Christs satisfaction imperfect in that they doe adde a supplie by humane satisfactions thus much a learned schooleman Biel in plaine words confessed Although saith he the passion of Christ be the principall merit for which grace is conferred the opening of the kingdome and glorie yet is it neuer the alone and totall meritorious cause it is manifest because alwaies with the merit of Christ there concurreth some worke as the merit of congruitie or condignitie of him that receiueth grace or glorie if he be of yeares and haue the vse of reason or of some other for him if he want reason For that which admits a supplie by an other is imperfect in it selfe Therefore humane satisfactions can not stand Learned Papists make answer that Christs satisfaction and mans may stand well together For say they Christs satisfaction is sufficient in it selfe to answer the iustice of God for all sinne and punishment but it is not sufficient to this or that man till it be applied and it must be applied by our satisfaction made to God for the temporall punishment of our sinnes But I say againe that mans satisfaction can be no meanes to applie the satisfaction of Christ and I prooue it thus The meanes of applying Gods blessings and graces vnto man are two-fold some respect God himselfe and some respect man Those which respect God are such whereby God on his part doth offer and conuay his mercies in Christ vnto man of this sort are the preaching of the word Baptisme and the Lords supper and these are as it were the hand of God whereby he reacheth downe and giueth vnto vs Christ with all his benefits The other meanes of applying on mans part are those whereby the saide benefits are receiued Of this sort there is onely one namely faith whereby we beleeue that Christ with all his benefits belong vnto vs. And this is the hand of man whereby he receiueth Christ as he is offered or exhibited by God in the word and sacraments As for other meanes beside these in Scripture we finde none Foolish therefore is the answer of the Papist that make mens satisfactions meanes to applie the satisfaction of Christ vnto vs for by humane satisfactions Christ is neither offered on Gods part nor yet receiued on mans paâ—t let them prooue it if they can Others not content with this their former answer say that our satisfactions doe nothing derogate from the satisfaction of Christ because our workes haue their dignitie and merit from Christs satisfaction he meriting that our workes should satisfie Gods iustice for temporall punishments But this is also absurd and false as the former was For if Christ did satisfie that man might satisfie then Christ doth make euery beleeuer to be a Christ a Iesus a Redeemer and a Priest in the same order with his owne selfe But to make sinnefull man his owne redeemer though it be but from temporall punishments is a doctrine of deuills For the holy Ghost teacheth that the priesthood of Christ is incommunicable and can not passe from him to any other Now to make satisfaction for sinne or any part of the punishment thereof is a dutie or a part of Christ his priesthood and therefore to make satisfaction is a worke that can not passe from his person to the person of any man Againe if Christ by his satisfaction giue power to man to satisfie then man doth satisfie by Christ and Christ beside his owne satisfaction vpon the crosse must daily satisfie in man to the ende of the world but this can not be for Christ vpon the crosse when death was vpon him saide It is finished that is I haue fully satisfied for all the sinnes of mankinde both in respect of the fault and punishment As for Christs buriall and resurrection which followed his death they serued not to satisfie but to confirme the same Againe Paul saith 2. Cor. 5.12 He that knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that is the punishment of sinne for vs but if the Church of Rome say true that Christ doth daily satisfie then Paul spake too short and should haue saide further that Christ was made sinne for vs and in vs too and that God was not onely in Christ but also in vs reconciling the world to himselfe But Paul neuer knew this learning and therefore let them turne themselues which way they will by putting a supplement to Christs satisfaction they doe indeede annihilate the same Reason II. In sundrie places of Scripture especially in the Epistles of Paul we are said to be redeemed iustified and saued freely which word freely doth import that we are iustified and saued without any thing done on our part or by our selues in the matter of our saluation and if this be so then can we doe nothing at all that may satisfie the iustice of God for the least punishmenâ— of our sinnes If we satisfie in our owne persons we are not saued freely and if we be saued freely we make no satisfaction at all Reason III. We pray daily forgiue vs our sinnes now to plead pardon and to satisfie for our sinnes be contrarie and for all things for which we can make satisfaction we neede not craue a pardon but we are taught in the foresaide petition wholly and onely to vse the plea oâ— pardon for our sinnes and therefore we acknowledge that we can not make any satisfaction at all Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church Tertul. de Baptism Guiltinesse beeing taken away the punishment is also taken away Augustine Christ by taking vpon him the punishment and not the fault hath done away both fault and the punishment Tom. 10. hom 5. he
saith When we are gone out of this world there will remaine no compunction or satisfaction Some new Editions haue foisted in the word aliqua and so haue turned the sense on this manner There will remaine no compunction or some satisfaction But this is flat against Augustines meaning who saith a little before that when the way is ended there is no compounding of our cause with any Chrysost. proem in Esa. Say not to me I haue sinned how shall I be freed from so many sinnes Thou canst not but thy God can Yea and he will so blot out thy sinnes that there shall remaine no print of theÌ„ which thing befalls not the bodie for when it is healed there remainâ—s a skarre but God as soone as he exempts thee from punishment he giueth thee iustice Ambrose saith I read of Peters teares but I read not of his satisfaction Againe Let vs adore Christ that he may say vnto vs Feare not thy sinnes of this world nor the waues of bodily sufferings I haue remission of sinnes Hierome saith in Psal. 31. The sinne that is couered is not seene the sinne that is not seene is not imputed that which is not imputed is not punished Chrysostome in Matthew hom 44. Among all men some indure punishment in this life and the life to come others in this life alâ—ne others alone in the life to come others nâ—ither in this life nor in the life to come There alone as Dives who was not lord so much as of one droppe of water Here alone the incestuous man among the Corinthians Neither here nor there as the Apostles and Prophets as also Iob and the rest of this kinde for they indured no sufferings for punishment but that they might be knowne to be conquerours in the fight Obiections of Papists I. Obiect Leuit. 4. Moses according to Gods commandement prescribed seuerall sacrifices for seuerall persons and they were meanes of satisfaction for the temporall punishments of their daily sinnes Ans. Those sacrifices were onely signes and types of Christs satisfaction to be offered to his father in his alone sacrifice vpon the crosse and whosoeuer offered any sacrifice in the old testament did thus and no otherwise esteeme of it but as a type and figure of better things Secondly the saide sacrifices were satisfactions to the Church whereby men did testifie their repentance for their offences and likewise their desire to be reconciled to God and men And such kinde of satisfactions we acknowledge II. Obiect Men whose sinnes are all pardoned haue afterward sundrie crosses and afflictions laide vpon them vnto the ende of their daies therefore in all likelihood they make satisfaction to God for temporall punishments As for example the Israelites for murmuring against the Lord in the wildernes were barred all from the land of promise and the like befell Moses and Aaron for not glorifying God as they should haue done at the waters of strife Ans. Man must be considered in a two-fold estate as he is vnder the law and as he is vnder grace In the first estate all afflictions are curses or legall punishments be they little or great but to them that are in the second estate and beleeue in Christ though the same afflictions remaine yet doe they change their habite or condition and are the actions of a Father seruing to be trialls corrections preuentings admonitions 1. Cor. 11.32 When we are iudged we are nurtered of the Lord. and Heb. 12.7 If ye indure chastisment God offereth himselfe vnto you as children and Chrysostome saith 1. Cor. hom 28. When we are corrected of the Lord it is more for our admonition then damnation more for a medicine then for a punishment more for a correction then for a penaltie And whereas God denied the beleeuing Israelites with Moses and Aaron to enter into the land of Canaan it cannot be prooued that it was a punishment or penaltie of the law vpon them The scripture saith no more but that it was an admonition to all men in all ages following to take heede of like offences as Paul writeth All these things came vnto them for ensamples and were written for our admonition 1. Cor. 10.11 III. Obiect Dauid was punished after his repentance for his adulterie for the child died and he was plagued in his owne kind in the incest of Absolon and when he had numbred the people he was yet punished in the death of his people after his owne repentance Ans. I answer as before that the hand of God was vpon Dauid after his repentance but yet the iudgements which befell him were not curses vnto him properly but corrections for his sinnes and trialls of his faith and meanes to preuent further sinne and to renew both his faith and repentance as also they serued to admonish others in like case for Dauid was a publike person and his sinnes were offensiue both within the Church of God and without IV. Obiect The prophets of God when the people are threatned with the plague famine sword captiuitie c. exhort them to repent and to humble themselues in sackcloath and ashes and thereby they turned away the wrath of God that was then comming forth against them Therefore by temporall humiliation men may escape the temporall punishments of the Lord. Answ. Famine sword banishment the plague and other iudgements sent on Gods people were not properly punishments of sinne but onely the corrections of a father whereby he humbleth them that they might repent or thus they were punishments tending to correction not seruing for satisfaction And the punishments of God are turned from them not because they satisfie the iustice of God in their own sâ—fferings but because by faith they lay hold on the satisfaction of the Messias testifie the same by their humiliation repentance Obiect V. Dan. 4.24 Daniel giueth this counsel to Nabuchadnezar redeeme thy â—innes by iustice and thine iniquities by almes deedes Beholde say they almes deeds are made a meanes to satisfie for mans iniquities Ans. The word which they translate to redeeme as the most learned in the Chalde tongue with one consent auouch doth properly signifie to breake off as if the Prophet should say O King thou art a mightie Monarch and to inlarge thy kingdome thou hast vsed much iniustice and crueltie therefore now repâ—â—â— of thine iniquitie and breake off these thy sinnes testifie thy repentance by doing iustice and giue almes to the poore whome thou hast oppressed Therefore here is nothing spoken of satisfaction for sinne but onely of testification of repentance by the fruits thereof Obiect VI. Matth. 3.2 Doe penance and bring forth fruits worthy of penance which say they are workes of satisfaction inioyned by the priest Ans. This text is absurd for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth thus much change your mindes from sinne to God and testifie it by good workes that is by doing the duties of the morall lawe which must bee done not because they are meanes to
must be gathered to his fathers and put in his graue in peace that his eies may not not see all the euill which God would bring on this place Therefore the Saints departed see not the state of the Church on earth much lesse doe they know the thoughts and praiers of men This conclusion Augustine confirmeth at large III. Reason No creature Saint or Angel can be a mediatour for vs to God sauing Christ alone who is indeede the onely Aduocate of his church For in a true and sufficient Mediatour there must be three properties First of all the word of God must reueale and propound him vnto the Church that we may in conscience be assâ—red that praying to him to God in his name we shall be heard Now there is no Scripture that mentioneth either Saints or Angels as mediatour in our behalfe saue Christ alone Secondly a mediatour must be perfectly iust so as no sinne be found in him at all 1. Ioh. 2.1 If any man â—inne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righâ—eous Now the Saints in heauen howsoeuer they be fully sanctified by Christ yet in themselues they were conceiued and borne in sinne and therefore must needes eternally stand before God by the mediation and merit of an other Thirdly a mediatour must be a propitiatour that is bring something to God that may appease and satisfie the wrath and iustice of God for our sinnes therfore Iohn addeth and he is a propitiation for our sinnes But neither Saint nor Angel can satisfie for the least of our sinnes Christ onely is the propitiation for them all The virgin Marie and the rest of the Saints beeing sinners could not satisfie so much as for themselues IV. Reason The iudgement of the Church Augustine All Christian men commend each other in their prayers to God And who praies for all and for whom none praies he is that one and true mediatour And This saith thy Sauiour thou hast no whither to goe but to me thou hast no way to goe but by me Chrysostome Thou hast no neede of Patrons to God or much discourse that thou shouldest sooth others but though thou be alone and want a Patron and by thy selfe pray vnto God thou shalt obtaine thy desire And on the saying of Iohn If any sinne c. Thy praiers haue no effect vnlesse they be such as the Lord commends vnto thy father And Augustine on the same place hath these words He beeing such a man said not ye haue an Aduocate but if any sinne we haue he saide not ye haue neither saide he ye haue me Obiections of Papists I. Reu. 5.8,9 The foure and twentie Elders fall downe before the lambe hauing euery one harpes and golden vyals full of odours which are the praiers of the Saints Hence the Papists gather that the Saints in heauen receiue the praiers of men on earth and offer them vnto the Father Ans. There by praiers of the Saints are meant their owne praiers in which they sing praises to God and to the Lambe as the verses following plainely declare And these praiers are also presented vnto God onely from the hand of the Angel which is Christ himselfe II. Obiect Luk. 16.27 Diues in hell praieth for his brethren vpon earth much more doe the Saints in heauen pray for vs. Ans. Out of a parable nothing can be gathered but that which is agreeable to the intent and scope thereof for by the same reason it may as well be gathered that the soule of Diâ—es beeing in hell had a tongue Againe if it were true which they gather we may gather also that the wicked in hell haue compassion and loue to their brethren on earth and a zeale to Gods glorie all which are false III. Obiect The angels in heauen know euery mans estate they know when any sinner repenteth and reioyceth thereat pray for particular men therefore the Saints in heauen doe the like for they are equall to the good angels Luk. 20.36 Ans. The place in Luke is to be vnderstood of the estate of holy men at the day of the last iudgement as appeares Math. 22.30 where it is saide that the seruants of God in the resurrection are as the angels in heauen Secondly they are like the angels not in office and ministerie by which they are ministring spirits for the good of men but they are like them in glorie Secondly we diâ—â—ent from the Papists because they are not content to say that the Saints departed pray for vs in particular but they adde further that they make intercession for vs by their merits in heauen New Iesuits denie this but let them here Lumbard I thinke saith he speaking of one that is but of meane goodnes that he as it were passing by the fire shall be saued by the merits and intercessions of the heauenly Church which doth alwaies make intercession for the faithfull by request and merit till Christ shall be compleate in his members And the Romane Catechisme saith as much Saints are so much the more to be worshipped and called vpon because they make praiers daily for the saluation of men and God for their merit and fauour bestowes many benefits vpon vs. We denie not that men vpon earth haue helpe and benefit by the faith and pietie which the Saints departed shewed when they were in this life For God shewes mercie on them that keepe his commandements to a thousand generations And Augustine saith it was good for the Iewes that they were loued of Moses whome God loued But we vtterly denie that we are helped by merits of Saints either liuing or departed For Saints in glorie haue receiued the full reward of all their merits if they could merit and therefore there is nothing further that they can merit The 16. point Of implicite or infolded faith Our consent We hold that there is a kind of implicite or vnexpressed faith yea that the faith of euery man in some part of his life as in the time of his first conuersion and in the time of fome grieuous temptation or distresse is implicite or infolded The Samaritans are saide to beleeue Ioh. 4. 14. beâ—ause they tooke Christ for the Messias and thereupon were content to learne and obey the glad tidings of saluation And in the same place v. 51 the Ruler with his familie is said to beleeue who did no mâ—â—e but generally acknowledge that Christ was the Messias and yeelded himselfe to beleeue and obey his holy doctrine beeing mooued thereunto by a miracle wrought vpon his yong sonne And Rahab Heb. 11.13 is said to beleeue yea shee is commended for faith euen at the time when shee receiued the spies Now in the word of God we cannot finde that shee had any more but a confused generall or infolded faith wherby shee beleeued that the God of the Hebrewes was the true God and his word to be obeied And this faith as it seemes was wrought in her by the
compunction or satisfaction And Here is all remission of sinne here be temptations that mooue vs to sinne lastly here is the euill from which we desire to be deliuered but there is none of all these And We are not here without sinne but we shall goe hence without sinne Cyril saith They which are once dead can adde nothing to the things which they haue done but shall remaine as they were left and waite for the time of the last iudgement Chrysost. After the ende of this life there be no occasions of merits Secondly we differ from them touching the meanes of Purgation They say that men are purged by suffering of paines in Purgatorie whereby they satisfie for their veniall sinnes and for the temporal punishment of their mortall sinnes We teach the contrarie holding that nothing can free vs from the least punishment of the smallest sinne but the sufferings of Christ and purge vs from the least taint of corruption sauing the blood of Christ. Indeede they say that our sufferings in themselues considered doe not purge and satisfie but as they are made meritorious by the sufferings of Christ but to this I oppose one text of Scripture Heb. 1. 3. where it is said that Christ hath purged our sinnes by himselfe where the last clause cuts the throat of all humane satisfactions and merits and it giueth vs to vnderstand that whatsoeuer thing purgeth vs from our sinnes is not to be found in vs but in Christ alone otherwise it should haue bin saide that Christ purgeth the sinnes of men by themselues as well as by himselfe and he should merit by his death that we should become our owne Sauiours in part To this place I may well referre praier for the dead of which I will propound two conclusions affirmatiue and one negatiue Conclus I. We hold that Christian charitie is to extend it selfe to the very dead and it must shew it selfe in their honest buriall in the preseruation of their good names in the helpe and releefe of their posteritie as time and occasion shall be offered Ruth 1.8 Ioh. 19.23 II. Conclus We pray further in generall manner for the faithfull departed that God would hasten their ioyfull resurrection and the full accomplishment of their happines both for the bodie and the soule and thus much we aske in saying Thy kingdome come that is not onely the kingdome of grace but also the kingdome of glorie in heauen Thus farre we come but nearer the gates of Babylon we dare not approch III. Conclus To pray for particular men departed and to pray for their deliuerance out of purgatorie we thinke it vnlawfull because we haue neither promise nor commandement so to doe The eighteenth point Of the Supremacie in causes Ecclesiasticall Our consent Touching the point of Supremacie Ecclesiasticall I will set downe how neare we may come to the Romane Church in two conclusions Conclus I. For the founding of the primitiue Church the ministerie of the word was distinguished by degrees not onely of order but also of power and Peter was called to the highest degree Eph. 4.11 Christ ascended vp on high and gaue gifts vnto men for the good of his Church as some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastours and Doctours Now howsoeuer one Apostle be not aboue an other or one Euangelist aboue an other or one Pastour aboue an other yet an Apostle was aboue an Euangelist and an Euangelist aboue all pastours and teachers And Peter was by calling an Apostle and therefore aboue all Euangelists and Pastors hauing the highest roome in the ministerie of the newe testament both for order and authoritie Conclus II. Among the twelue Apostles Peter had a threefold priuiledge or prerogatiue I. The prerogatiue of authoritie II. Of primacie III. Of principalitie For the first by the priuiledge of authoritie I meane a preheminence in regard of estimation wherby he was had in reuerence aboue the rest of the twelue Apostles for Cephas with Iames and Iohn are called Pillars seemed to be great Gal. 2.6.9 Againe hee had the preheminence of primacie because he was the first named as the foreman of the quest Math. 10.2 The names of the twelue Apostles are these the first is Simon called Peter Thirdly hee had the preheminence of principality among the twelue because in regard of the measure of grace he excelled the rest for when Christ asked his disciples whome they said he was Peter as beeing of greatest abilitie and zeale answered for them all Math. 16.16 I vse this clause among the twelue because Paul excelled Peter euery way in learning zeale vnderstanding as far as Peter excelled the rest And thus neere we come to popish supremacie The difference The Church of Rome giues to Peter a supremacie vnder Christ aboue all causes and persons that is full power to gouerne and order the Catholike Church vpon the whole earth both for doctrine and regiment This supremacie standes as they teach in a power or iudgement to determine of the true sense of all places of Scripture to determine all causes of faith to assemble generall counsels to ratifie the decrees of the said councels to excommunicate any man vpon earth that liues within the Church euen princes and nations properly to absolue and forgiue sinnes to decide causes brought to him by appeale from all the parts of the earth lastly to make lawes that shall bind the conscience This fulnes of power with one consent is ascribed to Peter the Bishops of Rome that followe him in a supposed succession Nowe we holde on the contrarie that neither Peter nor any Bishop of Rome hath any supremacie ouer the Catholike Church but that al supremacie vnder Christ is pertaining to kings and princes within their dominions And that this our doctrine is good and theirs false and forged I will make it manifest by sundrie reasons I. Christ must be considered of vs as a king two waies First as he is God and so is he an absolute king ouer all things in heauen and earth with the Father and the Holy Ghost by the right of creation Secondly he is a king as hee is a redeemer of mankind and by the right of redemption he is a soueraigne king ouer the whole Church and that in speciall manner Nowe as Christ is God with the father and the holy ghost hee hath his deputies on earth to gouerne the world as namely kings and princes who are therefore in Scriptures called Gods But as Christ is Mediatour and consequently a king ouer his redeemed ones hee hath neither fellowe nor deputie No fellowe for then hee should be an imperfect mediatour No deputie for no creature is capable of this office to doe in the roome and steade of Christ that which hee himselfe doth because euery work of the Mediatour is a compound worke arising of the effects of two natures concurring in one and the same action namely the godhead and the manhood and therefore to the effecting of
called vniuersall Bishop the vniuersall Church goeth to decaie And chap. 144. I say boldely that whosoeuer calleth or desireth to call himselfe vniuersall priest in his pride is a forerunner of Antichrist And beholde in the preface of the Epistle which ye directed vnto me you caused to be set a proud title calling me vniuersal Pope Bernard Consider that thou art not a Lord of Bishops but one of them Churches are maimed in that the Romane bishop draweth all power to himselfe Againe Gregorie himselfe beeing Pope saith to the Emperour I which am subiect to your commandement haue euery way discharged that which was due in that I haue performed mine allegiance to the Emperour and haue not concealed what I thought on Gods behalfe And pope Leo the fourth after Gregorie 200. yeares acknowledged the Emperour Lotharius for his soueraigne prince and professed obedience without gainsaying to his imperiall commandements To conclude whereas they say that there is a donble head of the Church one imperiall which is Christ alone the other ministeriall which is the pope gouerning the whole Church vnder Christ I answer this distinction robbeth Christ of his honour because in setting vp their ministeriall heade they are faine to borrow of Christ things proper vnto him as the priuiledge to forgiue sinnes properly and the power to gouerne the whole earth by making of lawes that shall as truely bind conscience as the lawes of God c. The 19 point Of the efficacie of the sacraments Our Consent Conclus I. We teach and beleeue that the sacraments are signes to represent Christ with his benefits vnto vs. Conclus II. We teach further that the Sacraments are indeede instruments whereby God offereth and giueth the foresaid benefits vnto vs. Thus farre we consent with the Romane Church The difference The difference betweene vs standes in sundrie points First of all the best learned among them teach that sacraments are phisicall instruments that is true and proper instrumentall causes hauing force and efficacie in them to produce and giue grace They vse to expresse their meaning by these comparisons When the scriuener takes the pen into his hand and writes the action of writing comes from the penne mooued by the hand of the writer and in cutting of wood or stone the diuision comes from the sawe mooued by the hand of the workeman euen so the grace say they that is giuen by God is conferred by the sacrament it selfe Now we for our parts hold that sacraments are not phisicall but meere voluntarie instruments Voluntarie because it is the will and appointment of God to vse them as certaine outward meanes of grace Instruments because when we vse them aright according to the institution God then answerably conferres grace from himselfe In this respect onely take we them for instruments and no otherwise The secōd difference is this they teach that the very action of the minister dispēsing the sacrament as it is a work done giues grace immediatly if the party be prepared as the very washing or sprinkling of water in baptisme and the giuing of bread in the Lords supper euen as the orderly moouing of the pen vpon the paper by the hand of the writer causeth writing We hold the contrarie namely that no action in the dispensation of a Sacrament conferreth grace as it is a worke done that is by the efficacie and force of the very sacramentall action it selfe though ordained of God but for two other waies First by the signification thereof For God testifies vnto vs his will and good pleasure partly by the word of promise and partly by the sacrament the signes representing to the eyes that which the word doth to the eares being also types and certen images of the very same things that are promised in the word and no other Yea the elements are not general and confused but particular signes to the seuerall communicants and by the vertues of the Institution for when the faithfull receiue the signes from God by the hands of the Minister it is as much as if God himselfe with his owne mouth should speake vnto them seuerally and by name promise to them remission of sinnes And things said to men particularly doe more affect and more take away doubting then if they were generally spoken to an whole companie Therefore signes of graces are as it were an applying and binding of the promise of saluation to euery particular beleeuer and by this meanes the oftner they are receiued the more they helpe our infirmitie and confirme our assurance of mercie Againe the sacrament conferres grace in that the signes thereof confirmes faith as a pledge by reason it hath a promise annexed to it For when God commands vs to receiue the signes in faith and withall promiseth to the receiuers to giue the thing signified he bindes himselfe as it were in bond vnto vs to stand to his owne word euen as men binde themselues in obligations putting to their hands and seales so as they cannot go backe And when the signes are thus vsed as pledges and that often they greatly increase the grace of God as a token sent from one friend to an other renewes and confirmes the perswasion of loue These are the two principall waies whereby the sacraments are said to conferre grace namely in respect of their signification and as they are pledges of Gods fauour vnto vs. And the very point here to be considered is in what order and manner they confirme And the manner is this The signes and visible elements affect the senses outward and inward the senses conuay their obiect to the mind the mind directed by the holy Ghost reasoneth on this manner out of the promise annexed to the sacrament He that vseth the elements aright shall receiue grace thereby but I vse the elements aright in faith and repentance saith the minde of the beleeuer therefore shall I receiue from God increase of grace Thus then faith is confirmed not by the worke done but by a kind of reasoning caused in the minde the argument or proofe whereof is borrowed from the elements beeing signes and pledges of Gods mercie The third difference The Papists teach that in the sacrament by the work done the very grace of iustification is conferred We say no because a man of yeares must first beleeue and be iustified before he can be a meete partaker of any sacrament And the grace that is conferred is onely the increase of our faith hope sanctification c. Our Reasons Reason I. The word preached and the sacraments differ in the manner of giuing Christ and his benefits vnto vs because in the word the spirit of God teacheth vs by a voice conueied to the minde by the bodily eares but in the sacraments annexed to the word by certaine sensible and bodily signes viewed by the eie Sacraments are nothing but visible words and promises Otherwise for the giuing it selfe they differ not Christ himselfe faith that in the very worde
commaundement we are taught what opinion to carrie of the present church of Rome It is often demaunded whether it be a church or no and the answer may hence be formed on this manner If by this church be vnderstood a state or regiment of the people whereof the Pope is head and the members are all such as doe acknowledge him to be their head and doe beleeue the doctrine established in the Councell of Trent we take it to be no church of God Because Babylon which I haue prooued to be the church of Rome is here opposed to the church or people of God and because we are commanded to come out of it whereas we may not wholly forsake any people till they forsake Christ. Some will happily say the church of Rome hath the Scriptures and the Sacrament of baptisme I answer first of all they haue indeede the bookes of holy Scripture among them but by the rest of their doctrine they ouerthrow the true sense thereof in the foundation as I haue prooued before And though they haue the outward forme of baptisme yet they ouerturne the inward baptisme which is the substance of all standing in the iustification and sanctification of a sinner Againe I answer that they haue the word and baptisme not for themselues but for the true church of God among them like as the lanterne holdeth the candle not for it selfe but for others Secondly it may be and is alleadged that if the Pope be Antichrist he then sittes in the temple that is the church of God and by this meanes the Romane church shall be the true church Ans. He sittes in the temple of God but marke further how as God that is not as a member but as a manifest vsurper like as the theefe sittes in the true mans house For the popish church and Gods church are mingled like chaffe and corne in one heape and the church of Rome may be saide to be in the church of God and the church of God in the church of Rome as we say the wheat is among the chaffe and the chaffe in the wheat Againe he is said to sit in the temple of God because the Romane church though falsly takes vnto it selfe the title of the true catholike church Some goe about to delay and qualifie the matter by comparing this church to a man lying sicke full of â—oares hauing also his throat cut yet so as bodie and soule are ioyned together and life is remaining still But all things well considered it is rather like a dead carkasse and is void of all spirituall life as the popish errours in the foundation doe manifest Indeede a knowne harlot may afterward remaine a wife and be so tearmed yet after the bill of diuorcement is giuen shee ceaseth to be a wife though shee can shew her marriage ring now the church hath receiued the bill of her diuorcement in the written word namely 2. Thess. 2. and Reu. 13.11,12 c. Furthermore in this commandement we may see a liuely portraiture of the state of all mankind Here we see two sorts of men some are pertaining to Babylon a people running on to their destruction some againe are a people of God seuered from Babylon and reserued to life euerlasting If any aske the cause of this distinction I answer it is the very will of God vouchsafing mercy to some forsaking others by withdrawing his mercy from them for the better declaration of his iustice Thus saith the Lord Rom. 11.4 I haue reserued seuen thousand that neuer bowed the knee to Baal the prophet Esai saith Vnles the Lord had reserued a remnant we had bin as Sodome and Gomorrha By this distinction we are taught aboue al things to seeke to be of the number of Gods people and to labour for assurance of this in our owne consciences For if all should be saued lesse care would snffice but this mercie is not common to all and therefore the more to be thought vpon Lastly here I notâ— the speciall care that God hath ouer his own children He first giueth theÌ„ warning to depart before he begin to execute his iudgement vpon his enemies with whome they liue that they might not be partakers of their sinnes or punishments Thus before God would punish Hierusalem an angel is sent to marke them in the forehead that mourned for the abominatious of the people And in the destructioÌ„ of the first borne of Egypt the angel passed ouer the houses of the Iewes that had their posts sprinkled with the blood of the paschal lamb this passing ouer betokeneth safety preseruation in the coÌ„mon destruction to those that haue their hearts sprinkled with the blood of Christ. This blessing of protectioÌ„ should mooue vs all to become true hearty seruants of God Men vsually become members of those societies corporations where they may inioy many freedoÌ„es priuiledgesâ— Wel behold in the societie of the Saints of god which is the true Church there is the freedom from danger in all coÌ„mon destructions from eternall vengeance at the last day When Hester had procured safetie for the Iewes and libertie to reuenge themselues vpon their enemies it is said that many of the people of the land became Iewes EueÌ„ so considering Christ hath procured freedom froÌ„ hell death and damnation for all that beleeue in him we should labour aboue all things to becom new creatures ioyning our selues alwaies to the true church of God Hitherto I haue spoken of the commandement now followeth the reason thereof drawne from the end that they be not partakers of her sins and that they receiue not of her plagues Here I might stand long to shew what be the sins of the church of Rome but I wil only name the principal The first sin is Atheisme and that I prooue on this manner Atheisme is twofold open coloured Open Atheisme is when men both in word and deed denie God and his word Coloured Atheisme is not so manifest and it hath two degrees The first is when men acknowledge God the creator and gouernour of heauen and earth and yet deny the father sonne and holy Ghost Thus the EphesiaÌ„s before they receiued the gospell are said to bee without God whome in their naturall iudgement they acknowledged because they denied Christ and coÌ„sequently worshipped an idol of their owne braine in that they worshipped God out of Christ. And in this respect though the Samaritans worshipped the God of Abraham yet our Sauiour Christ saith they worshipped they knewe not what And the Psalmist saith of all the Gentiles that their Gods are Idols In this degree of Atheisme are placed Turkes and Iewes at this day the Anti-Trinitaries and Arians and all that conceiue and worship God out of the Trinitie The 2. degree is wheÌ„ men do rightly acknowledge the vnitie of the godhead in the Trinitie of persons yet so as by other necessarie consequents partly of their doctrine and partly of the seruice of
God they ouerturne that which they haue well maintained And thus I say that the very religion of the Church of Rome is a kinde of Atheisme For whereas it makes the merit of the works of men to concurre with the grace of god it ouerthrowes the grace of God Rom. 11. In worde they acknowledge the infinite iustice and mercie of God but by consequent both are denied How can that be infinite iustice which may any way be appeased by humane satisfactions And howe shall Gods mercie bee infinite when wee by our satisfactions must adde a supply to the satisfaction of Christ Againe He that hath not the sonne hath not the father and he that hath neither father nor sonne denies God Nowe the present Romane religion hath not the sonne that is Iesus Christ God and man the Mediatour of mankind but hath traâ—sformed him into a fained Christ. And I shew it thus For one Iesus Christ in al thingâ— like vnto vs in his Humanitie sinne onely excepted they haue framed a Christ to whome they ascribed two kindes of existing one naturall whereby he is visible touchable and circumscribed in heauen the other not onely aboue but also against nature by which he is substantially according to his flesh in the handes of euery priest in euery host and in the mouth of euery communicant inuisible vntouchable vncircumscribed And thus in effect they abolish his manhood Yea they disgrade him of his offices For one Iesus Christ the onely king lawgiuer and head of the Church they ioyne vnto him the Pope not onely as a Vicar but also as a fellowe in that they giue vnto him power to make lawes binding conscience to resolue and determine vnfallibly the sense of holy scripture properly to pardon sin both in respect of fault and temporall punishment to haue authoritie ouer the whole earth and a part of hell to depose kings to whome vnder Christ euery soule is to be subiect to absolue subiects from the oath of allegiance c. For one Iesus Christ the onely reall priest of the new testament they ioyne many secondary priests vnto him which offer Christ daiely in the masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead For one Iesus Christ the al-sufficient Mediatour of intercession they haue added many fellowes vnto him to make request for vs namely as many Saints as be in the Popes Kalender Lastly for the onely merits of Christ in whome alone the Father is well pleased they haue deuised a treasurie of the Church containing beside the merits of Christ the ouerplus of the merits of Saints to be dispensed to men at the discretion of the Pope And thus wee see that Christ and coâ—sequently God himselfe to bee worshipped in Christ is transformed into a phantasie or idol of mans conceit Againe there is alwaies a proportion betweene the worship of God our perswasion of him and men in giuing vnto God any worshippe haue respect to his nature that both may be sutable and he well pleased Let vs then see what manner of worship the Romane religion affoardeth It is for the greatest part meere wil-worship without any allowance or commandement from God as Durande in his Rationale in effect acknowledgeth It is a carnall seruice standing of innumerable bodily rites and ceremonies borrowed partly from the Iewes and partly from the heathen it is diuided betweene God and some of his creatures in that they are worshipped both with one kind of worship let them paint it as they can Thus then if by their manner of worshipping God we may iudge howe they conceiue of him as we may they haue plainely turned the true God into a phantasie of their owne For God is no otherwise to be conceiued then hee hath reuealed himselfe in his creatures word and specially in Christ who is the ingrauen image of the person of the Father The second sin is Idolatrie and that as grosse as was euer among the heathen And it is to be seene in two things First that they worshippe the Saints with religious worship which without exception is proper to God Yea they transforme some of them into detestable idols making them in trueth mediatours of redemption specially the Virgin Marie whome they call a Ladie a Goddesse a queene whom Christ her sonne obeyeth in heauen a mediatresse or life hope the medicine of the diseased and they pray vnto her thus Prepare thou glory for vs defende vs from our enemies in the houre of death receiue vs loose the bonds of the guiltie bring light to the blind driue away all deuils Shewe thy selfe to be a mother Let him receiue the prayers Againe their idolatrie is manifest in that they worship God in at before images hauing no commandement so to do but the contrarie They alleadge thâ—t they vse and worship images only in a remembrance of God But this is al one as if an vnchast wife should receiue many louers into her house in the absence of her husbandâ— and beeing reprooued should answer that they were the friendes of her husband and that shee kept them onely in remembrance of him Thirdly their Idolatrie exceedes the Idolatrie of the heathen in that they worship a Breadengod or Christ in and vnder the formes of bread and wine And if Christ according to his humanitie be absent froÌ„ the earth as I haue prooued the Popish hoste is as abominable an idol as euer was The third sinne is the maintenance of Adulterie And that is manifest first of all in the Toleration of the stewes flat against the commandement of God Deut. 23.17 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel neither shal there be a whore keeper of the sonnes of Israel And this toleration is an occasion of vncleannes to many young men women that otherwise would abstaine from all such kinde of filthines And what an abomination is this when brother and brother father and sonne nephew and vncle shall come to one and the same harlot one before or after the other Secondly their Lawe beyond the fourth degree allowes the marriage of any persons and by this meanes they sometime allowe incest For in the vnequall collaterall line the person next the common stock is a father or mother to the brothers or sisters posteritie as for example Here Anne and Nicholas are brother and sister and Anne is distant from Iames sixe degrees he being her neecca farre off and the mariage between them is allowed by the Church of Rome they not beeing within the compasse of foure degrees which neuerthelesse is against the law of nature For Anne beeing the sister of Nicholas is in stead of a mother to all that are begotten of Nicholas euen to Iames and Iames posteritie Yet thus much I graunt that the daughter of Anne may lawfully marrie Iames or Anthonie the case beeing altered because they are not one to an other aâ— parents and children The fourth sin is Magicke â—orcerie or witchcraft in the
consecration of the host in which they make their Breaden-god in exorcismes ouer holy bread holy water and salt in the casting out or driuing away of deuils by the signe of the crosse by solemne coniurations by holy water by the ringing of bels by lighting tapers by reliques and such like For these things haue not their supposed force either by creation or by any institution of God in his holy word and therefore if any thing be done by theÌ„ it is from the secret operation of the deuill himselfe The fift sinne is that in their doctrine they maintaine periurie because they teach with one consent that a papist examined may answer doubtfully against the direct intention of the examiner framing an other meaning vnto himselfe in the ambiguitie of his wordes Aâ— for example when a man is asked whether he said or heard Masse in such a place though hee did they affirme he may say no and sweare vnto it because he was not there to reueale it to the examiner whereas in the very lawe of nature he that takes an oath should sweare according to the intention of him that hath power to minister an oath and that in trueth iustice â—â—â—gement Let them cleere their doctrine from all defence of periurie if they can The sixâ— sinne is that they reuerse many of Gods commaundements making that no sinne which Gods word makes a sinne Thus they teach that if any man steale some little thing that is thought not to cause any notable hurt it is no mortall sinne that the officious lie the lie made in sport are veniall sinnes that to pray for our enemies in particular is no precept but a counsell and that none is bound to salute his enemie in the way of friendship flat against the rule of Christ Mat. 5.47 where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth al manner of dutie and curtesie that rash iudgement though consent â—â—me thereto is regularly but a veniall sin that it is lawfull otherwhiles to faine holines that the painting of the face is ordinarily but a veniall sinne that it is not lawfull to forbid begging wheras the Lord forbade there should be any beggar in Israel Againe they teach that men in their choller when they are chiding and sweare woundes and blood are not indeede blasphemers Lastly their writers vse manifest lying to iustifie their doctrine They plead falsely that all antiquitie is on theâ—r side whereas it is as much against them as for them and as much for vs as them Againe their manner hath bin and is still to prooue their opinions by forged and counterfeit writings of men some whereof I will name 1 Saint Iames Liturgie 2 The Canons of the Apostles 3 The bookes of Dionysius Ariopagita and namely De Hierarchia Ecclesiastica 4 The Decretall Epistles of the Popes 5 Pope Clements workes 6 Some of the Epistles of Ignatius 7 Origens booke of repentance His homelies in diuersos sanctos Commentaries â—â— Iob and booke of Lamentation 8 Chrysostomes Liturgie 9 Basils liturgie and his Ascetica 10 Augustines booke de 8. quest Dulcity A booke of true and false repentance Ser. de festo commemorationis animarum booke de dogm Ecclesiast Sermon ad fratres in Heremo Sermon of Peters chaire Booke of visiting the sicke c. 11 Iustin Martyrs Questions and Answ. 12 Athanasius epistle to Pope Foelix 13 Bernards sermons of the Lords supper 14 Hieromes epistle ad Demetriadem sauouring of Pelagius 15 Tertullian de Monogamia 16 Cyprian de Chrismate de ablutione pedum 17 In the Councell of Sardica the 3,4 and 5. canons are forged 18 In the Councell of Nice all saue 20. are forged 19 Certaine Romane Councels vnder Sylvester are forged For he was at this time dead and therefore could not confirme them Sozom. lib. 2. 20 To the sixt canon of the Councell of Nice are patched these words That the Romane church hath alwaies had the Supremacie 21 Lastly I will not omit that Pope Sozimus Bonifacius and Coelestinus falsified the canons of the councell of Nice to prooue appeales from all places to Rome so as the Bishops of Africke were forced to send for the true copies of the said councell from Constantinople and the Churches of Greece I might here rehearse many other sinnes which with the former call for vengeance vpon the Romane Church but it shal suffice to haue named a few of the principall Now in this reason our Sauiour Christ prescribes another maine dutie to his owne people and that is to be carefull to eschew all the sinnes of the Church of Rome that they may withall escape her deserued plagues and punishmeÌ„ts And froÌ„ this prescribed dutie I obserue two things The first is that euery good seruant of God must carefully auoid contracts of marriage with professed Papists that is with such as hold the Pope for their head and beleeue the doctrine of the Councell of Trent For in such matches men hardly keepe faith and good conscience and hardly auoid communication with the sinnes of the Romane church A further ground of this doctrine I thus propound In Gods word there is mentioned a double league betweene man and man countrie and countrie The first is the league of concord when one kingdome bindes it selfe to liue in peace with another for the maintenance of trafficke without disturbance and this kind of league may stand betweene Gods church and the enemies thereof The second is the league of amitie which is when men people or countries binde themselues to defend each other in all causes and to make the warres of the one the warres of the other and this league may not be made with those that be enemies of God Iehosaphat otherwise a good king made this kind of league with Ahab and is therfore reprooued by the prophet saying Wouldest thou helpe the wicked and loue them that hate the Lord 2. Chr. 19.2 Now the mariages of Protestants with Papists are priuate leagues of amitie betweene person and person and therefore not be allowed Againe Malac. 2.11 Iudah hath defiled the holinesse of the Lord which he loued and hath married the daughters of a strange God where is â—latly condemned marriages made with the people of a false god nowe the papists by the consequents of their doctrine and religion turne the true Iehoua into an idol of their own braine as I haue shewed the true Christ reuealed in the writteÌ„ word into a fained Christ made of bread Yet if such a marriage be once made and finished it may not be dissolued For such parties sinne not simply in that they marrie but because they marrie not in the Lord being of diuers religions The fault is not in the substance of marriage but in the manner of making it and for this cause the Apostle commaundes the beleeuing partie not to forsake or refuse the vnbeleeuing partie beeing a very infidel which no Papist is if he or shee will abide 1. Cor. 7.13 The second thing
is that euery seruant of God must take heede howe hee trauels into such countries where Popish religion is stablished least hee partakes in the sinnes and punishments thereof Indeede to goe vpon ambassage to any place or to trauell for this end that wee may performe the necessarie duties for our speciall or generall callings is not vnlawefull but to trauell out of the precincts of the chnrch onely for pleasures sake and to see strange fashions hath no warrant And hence it is that many men which goe forth in good order well minded come home with crased consciences The best traueller of all is he that liuing at home or abroad can goe out of himselfe and depart from his owne sinnes and corruptions by true repentance FINIS An aduertisement to all fauourers of the Romane religion shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the Catechisme GReat is the number of them that embrace the religion of the present Church of Rome beeing deceiued by the glorious titles of Vniuersalitie Antiquitie Succession And no doubt though some be wilfully blinded yet many deuoted this waie neuer sawe any other trueth Nowe of them and the rest I desire this fauour that they will but weigh and ponder with theÌ„selues this one thing which I will nowe offer to their considerations and that is That the Romane religion now stablished by the councell of Trent is in the principall points thereof against the grounds of the Catechisme that haue beene agreed vpon euer since the daies of the Apostles by all Churches These groundes are foure the first is the Apostles Creed the second is the decalogue or tenne commandements the third is the forme of praier called the Lords praier the fourth is the Institution of the two Sacraments baptisme and the Lords supper 1. Cor. 11.23 That I may in some order manifest this which I say I will begin with the Symbole or Creed And first of all it must bee considered that some of the principall doctrines beleeued in the Church of Rome are that the Pope or Bishop of Rome is the vicar of Christ and the head of the Catholike church that there is a fire of purgatorie after this life that images of God and Saints are to be placed in Churches and worshipped that praier is to bee made to Saints departed their interceffion to be required that there is a propitiatorie sacrifice daily oâ—â—ered in the masse for the sinnes of the quicke the dead These points are of that moment that without them the Romane religion caÌ„not stand and in the councel of Trent the curse Anathema is pronounced vpon all such as denie these or any of them And yet marke the Apostles Creede which hath bin thought to containe all necessarie points in religion to bee beleeued and hath therefore beene called the kay rule of faith this creed I say hath not any of these points nor the Expositions made thereof by the auncient fathers nor any other Creede or confession of faith made by any councel or Church for the space of many hundred yeares This is a plaine proofe to any indifferent man that these be new articles of faith neuer knowne in the Apostolike Church that the fathers councels could not find any such articles of faith in the books of the old and new testament Answer is made that all these points of doctrine are beleeued vnder the article I beleeue the Catholike Church the meaning whereof they wil haue to be this I beleeue all things which the Catholicke church holdeth and teacheth to be beleeued If this bee as they say we must needes beleeue in the Church that is put our confidence in the Church for the manifestation and the certentie of all doctrines necessarie to saluation and thus the eternal trueth of God the Creatour shall depend on the determination of the creature and the written word of God in this respect is made vnsufficient as though it had not plainely reuealed all points of doctrine pertaining to saluation And the ancient Churches haue beene farre ouerseene that did not propound the former points to be beleeued as articles of faith but left them to these latter times 2. In this Creede to beleeue in God and to beleeue the Church are distinguished To beleeue in is pertaining to the Creatour to beleeue to the creature as Ruffinus hath noted when he saith that by this preposition in the Creatour is distinguished from the creature and things pertaining to God from things pertaining to men And Augustine saith It must be knowne that we must beleeue the Church and not beleeue in the Church because the Church is not God but the house of God Hence it followes that we must not beleeue in the Saints nor put our confidence in our workes as the learned Papists teach Therfore Eusebius saith We ought of right to beleeue Peter and Paul but to beleeue in Peter and Paul that is to giue to the seruants the honour of the Lord we ought not And Cyprian saith He doth not beleeue in God which doeth not place in him alone the trust of his whole felicitie 3. The article conceiued by the holy Ghost is ouerturned by the transubstaÌ„tiation of bread and wine in the masse into the bodie and blood of Christ. For here wee are taught to confesse the true and perpetuall incarnation of Christ beginning in his conception and neuer ending afterward and wee acknowledge the trueth of his manhood and that his bodie hath the essentiall properties of a true body standing of flesh bone hauing quaÌ„titie figure dimeÌ„sions namly length breadth thicknes hauing part out of part as head out of feet feet out of head being also circuÌ„scribed visible touchable in a word it hath al things in it which by order of creatioÌ„ beloÌ„g to a body It wil be said that the bodie of Christ may remaine a true bodie yet be altered in respect of some qualities as namely circumscription But I say againe that locall circumscription can no way be seuered from a bodie it remaining a bodie For to be circumscribed in place is an essentiall propertie of euery quantitie and quantitie is the common essence of euery bodie And therefore a bodie in respect of his quantitie must needs be circumscribed in one place This was the iudgement of Leo when hee said The â—odie of Christ is by no meanes out of the trueth of our bodâ—â— And Augustine when he said Onely God in Christ so comes that he doth not departâ—â—o returnes that he doth not leaue vs but man according to bodie is in place and goes out of the same place and when he shall come vnto another place he is not in that place whence he comes To helpe the matter they vse to distinguish thus Christs bodie in respect of the whole essence thereof may be in many places but not in respect of the whole quantitie whereby it is only in one place But as I haue
said they speake contraries for quantitie by all learning is the essence of a bodie without which a bodie cannot be 4. In the Creede wee confesse that Christ is ascended into heauen and there after his ascension sits at the right hand of his father and that according to his manhood Hence I conclude that Christs bodie is not really and locally in the sacrament and in euery Host which the priest consecrateth This argument was good when Vigilius against Eutiches said When it the flesh was on earth it was not in heauen and because it is nowe in heauen it is not on earth and he addes afterward that this is the Catholike faith and confession And it was good when Fulgentius said According to his humane substance hee was absent from earth when he was in heauen and he left the earth when he ascended into heauen And The same inseparable Christ according to his whole manhood leauing the earth locally ascended into heauen and sits at the right hand and according to the same whole manhood he is to come to iudgement And it was good when Cyril said No man doubts but that when hee ascended into heauen though hee be alwaies present by the power of his spirit he was absent in respect of the presence of his flesh And it was good when Augustine said According to the flesh which the Word assumed he ascended into heauen he is not here there he sits at the right haÌ„d of the father and he is here according to the presence of his maiestie And Hee went as hee was man and he aboad as he was God he went by that whereby he was in one place he aboad by that whereby he was euery where 5. Againe in that we beleeue the Catholike church it followes that the Catholike church is inuisible because things seene are not beleeued And the answer commonly vsed that we beleeue the holinesse of the Church will not serue the turne For the wordes are plaine and in them we make confession that we beleeue not onely the holinesse of the Church but also the Church it selfe 6. Lastly the articles Remission of sinnes Resurrection of the bodie and Life euerlasting containe a confession of speciall faith For the meaning of them is thus much I beleeue the remission of mine own sins the resurrection of mine own body to life euerlasting that by the iudgement of learned antiquitie August saith If thou also beleeue that thou shalt rise again ascend into heauen because thou art sure of so great a patrone thou art certen of so great a gift And Make not Christ lesse who brings thee to the kingdoÌ„e of heauen for remission of sins Without this faith if any come to baptisme he shuts the gate of mercie against himselfe And Whosoeuer faithfully beleeueth holds this profession of his faith in which all his sins are forgiueÌ„ him let him prepare his wil to the will of god not feare his passage by death And The whole Sacrament of baptisme standes in this that we beleeue the resurrectioÌ„ of the body remission of sins to be giuen vs of God And He gaue these keies to the Church that whosoeuer in his church should not beleeue his sins to be forgiuen they should not be forgiuen vnto him and whosoeuer beleeued turned froÌ„ theÌ„ abiding in the lap of the said church at length shal be healed by faith amendment of life And That which thou hast heard to be fulfilled in the glorious resurrection of Christ beleeue that the very same shall bee fulfilled in thee in the last iudgement and the resurrection of thy flesh shall restore thee for all eternitie For vnlesse thou shalt beleeue that thou art to bee repaired by death thou canst not come to the reward of life eternall And in ancient time the article of the resurrection hath beene rehearsed on this manner The resurrection of this flesh and the last applyed vnto it To euerlasting life Hence then two maine opinions of the Church of Rome are quite ouerthrowen one that we cannot by speciall faith be certaine of the remission of our sinnes and the saluation of our soules the other that a man truly iustified may fall away and be damned Nowe this cannot bee if the practise of the auncient Church bee good which hath taught vs to beleeue euerlasting life ioyntly without remission of sinnes To come vnto the Decalogue first of all it is a rule in expounding the seuerall commandements that where any vice is forbidden there the contrarie vertue is commanded and all vertues of the same kinde with all their causes occasions furtherances This rule is graunted of all and hence it followes that counsels of perfection if they haue in them any furtherance of vertue are inioyned in and by the law and therefore prescribe no state of perfection beyond the scope of the lawe Secondly the commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image c. hath two seuerall parts The first forbids the making of carued or graued images the second forbids the adoratioÌ„ of them Now the first part is notably expounded by Moses Deut. 4.16 Take good heed vnto your selues that ye corrupt not your selues and make you a grauen image or representation of any figure in the likenesse of male or female Marke the reason of this prohibition in the same place for saith he ye saw no image in the day the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb and v. 15. Yee heard the voice of the wordes but sawe no similitude saue a voice Nowe the reason beeing vnderstood of the image of God himselfe the prohibition must needes be so vnderstood Againe there is no question that God directs his commandement against a â—inne in speculation but against some common and wicked practise of the Iewes and that was to represent God himselfe in likenesses and bodily formes Esai 40. 1â— And that was also the practise of the Gentiles that were farre more grosse in this kinde then the Iewes Rom. 1.23 This then is plaine to any indifferent man that the first part of the commandement forbiddes the making of grauen images or likenesses of the true Iehoua and thus the Romane Catechisme vnderstands tâ—â— wordes As for the second part it must be vnderstood according to them eaning of the first and therefore it forbids vs to bow downe to any image of God Hence then it followes that to worship God or Saints in or at images and to worship images with religious worship is abominable idolatrie And common reason might teach vs thus much For they that adore and worship the true God in images doe binde the presence of God his operation grace and his hearing of vs to certen things places signes to which he hath not bound himselfe either by commandement or promise and that is otherwise to worship God and to seeke for his blessings then he hath commaunded himselfe to be worshipped or promised to heare vs. Vpon this ground
is plainely ouerthrowne the excuse which they make that they worshippe not images but God and Saints in images for neither God nor the Saints doe acknowledge this kinde of honour but they abhorre it Whence it followes necessarily that they worship nothing beside the image or the deuise of their owne braine in which they faine to themselues such a god as will be worshipped and receiue our praiers at images It will be saide that the Papists doe no otherwise tie the worship and inuocation of God to images then God tied himselfe to the sanctuarie and the temple of Salomon And I say againe it was the will of God that he would shew his presence and be worshipped at the Sanctuarie and the Iewes had the warrant of Gods word for it but we haue no like warrant either by promise or commandement to tie Gods presence to an image or crucifix Againe reason yet further may discouer their idolatrie They which worship they know not what worship an idol but the Papists worship they know not what I prooue it thus To the consecration of the host there is required the intention of the Priest at the least vertually as they say and if this be true it followes that none of them can come to the Masse or pray in faith but he must alwaies doubt of that which is lifted vp by the hands of the priest in the masse whether it be bread or the bodie and blood of Christ. For none can haue any certentie of the intention of the priest in consecrating this bread and this wine but rather may haue a iust occasion of doubting by reason of the common ignorance and loosenesse of life in such persons Thirdly the commaundement touching the Sabbath giues a libertie to worke sixe daies in the ordinarie affaires of our callings and this libertie cannot be repealed by any creature The Church of Rome therefore erreth in that it prescribeth set and ordinarie festiuall daies not onely to God but also to Saints inioyning them as straitly and with as much solemnitie to be obserued as the Sabbath of the Lord. Fourthly the third commaundement or as they say the fourth inioynes children to obey father and mother in all things specially in matters of moment as in their marriage and choice of their callings and that euen to death and yet the church of Rome against the intent of this commaundement allowes that clandestine marriages and the vowe of religion shall be in force though they be without and against the consent of wise and carefull parents Fiftly the last commandement of lust forbiddes the first motions to sinne that are before consent I prooue it thus Lusting is forbidden in the former commandements as well as in the last yea lusting that is ioyned with consent as in the commandement Thou shalt not commit adulterie is forbidden lusting after our neighbours wife in the next lusting after our neighbours goods c. Now if the last commandement also forbid no more but lust with consent it is confounded with the rest and by this meanes there shall not be ten distinct words or commandements which to say is absurd it remaines therefore that the lust here forbidden goes before consent Againe the Philosophers knew that lust with consent was euill euen by the light of nature but Paul a learned Pharise and therefore more then a Philosopher knew not lust to be sinne that is forbidden in this commandement Rom. 7. Lust therefore that is forbidden here is without consent Wicked then is the doctrine of the Romane Church teaching that in euery mortall sinne is required an act commaÌ„ded of the will and hence they say many thoughts against faith and vncleane imaginations are no sinnes 6 Lastly the words of the second commandement And shew mercie to thousands on them that loue me and keepe my commandements ouerthrowes all humane merits For if the reward be giuen of mercie to them that keepe the law it is not giuen for the merit of the worke done To come to the third part of the Catechisme the Lords praier is a most absolute and perfect forme of praier For which cause it was called of Tertullian The breuiarie of the Gospel and Coelestinus saith the law of praying is the law of beleeuing and the law of working Now in this prayer we are taught to direct our praiers to God alone Our father c. and that onely in the name and mediation of Christ. For God is our father onely by Christ. It is needelesse therefore to vse any inuocation of Saints or to make them our mediatours of intercession vnto God and it is sufficient if we pray onely vnto God in the name of Christ alone 2 In the fourth petition we say thus Giue vs our daily bread In which words we acknowledge that euery morsell of bread is the meere gift of God What madnes then is it for vs to thinke that we should merit the kingdome of heauen by works that can not merit so much as bread 3 In the next petition Forgiue vs our debts foure opinions of the Romane religion are directly ouerthrowne The first is concerning humane Satisfactions For the child of God is here after his conuersion taught to humble himselfe day by day and to pray for the pardon of his daily sinnes now to make satisfaction and to sue for pardon be contrarie The second opinion here ouerthrowne is touching merits For we doe acknowledge our selues to be debters vnto God yea bankrupts and that beside the maine summe of many thousand talents we daily increase the debt therefore we can not possibly merit any of the blessings of God It is meere madnes to thinke that they which cannot pay their debts but rather increase them day by day should deferue or purchase any of the goods of the creditours or the pardoÌ„ of their debts if any fauour be shewed theÌ„ it comes of meere goodwil without the least desert In a word this must be thought vpon that if all we can doe will not keep vs froÌ„ increasing the maine summe of our debt much lesâ—e shall we be able by any merit to diminish the same By good right therfore do al gods seruaÌ„ts caâ—t downe themselues and pray Forgiue vs our debts The third opinion is that punishment may be retained the fault beeing wholly remitted but this can not stand for here sinne is called our debt because by nature we owe vnto God obedience and for the defect of this paiment we further owe vnto him the forfiture of punishment Sinne then is called our debt in respect of the punishment And therefore when we pray for the pardon of sinne we require the pardon not onely of fault but of the whole punishment And when a debt is pardoned it is absurd to thinke that the least paiment should remaine The fourth opinion is that a man in this life may fulfill the law whereas in this place euery seruant of God is taught to aske a daily pardon for the breach of the
Christ. 1. Cor. 3.1 II. Conclusion The first material beginnings of the conuersion of a sinner or the smallest measure of renewing grace haue the promises of this life and the life to come The exposition THE beginnings of conuersion must bee distinguished some are beginnings of preparations some beginnings of composition Beginnings of preparation are such as bring vnder tame and subdue the stubburnenesse of mans nature without making any change at all of this sort are the accusations of the conscience by the ministerie of the lawe feares and terrors arising thence coÌ„punction of heart which is the apprehension of gods anger against sin Now these and the like I exclude in the conclusion for though they goe before to prepare a sinner to his conuersion followingâ— yet are they no graces of God but fruites of the law that is the ministerie of death of an accusing conscience Beginnings of composition I tearme all those inwarde motions and inclinations of Gods spirit that follow after the worke of the law vpon the conscience and rise vpon the meditation of the Gospel that promiseth righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ out of which motions the conuersion of a sinner ariseth and of this it consisteth what these are it shall afterward appeare Againe grace must be distinguished it is twofold restraining grace or renuing grace Restraining grace I tearme certaine common giftes of God seruing onely to order and frame the outward conuersation of men to the lawe of God or seruing to bereaâ—e men of excuse in the daie of iudgement By this kind of grace heathen men haue beene liberall iust sober valiant By it men liuing in the Church of God haue beene inlightened and hauing tasted of the good worde of God haue reioyced therein and for a time outwardly conformed themselues thereto renewing grace is not common to al men but proper to the elect and it is a gift of Gods spirit whereby the corruption of sinne is not onely restrained but also mortified and the decaied Image of God restored Now then the conclusion must onely be vnderstood of the second and not of the first for though a man haue neuer so much of this restraining grace yet vnlesse he haue the spirit of Christ to create faith in the heart and to sanctifie him he is as farre from saluation as any other Now then the sense and meaning of the conclusion is that the very least meanes of sauing grace and the very beginnings or seedes of regeneration doe declare and after a sort giue title to men of all the mercifull promises of God whether they concerne this life or the life to come and therefore are approoued of God if they be in trueth and accepted as greater measures of grace That which our Sauiour Christ saieth of the worke of miracles â—f you haue faith as a graine of Musterd seede ye shall say vnto this mountaine remooue hence to yonder place and it shall remooue must by the lawe of equall proportion be applyed to faith repentance the feare of God and all other graces if they bee truely wrought in the heart though they bee but as small as one little graine of musterd-seede they shall be sufficiently effectuall to bring forth good workes for which they were ordained The Prophet Esay 42.3 saith that Christ shall not quench the smoaking flaxe nor breake the bruised reede Let the comparison be marked fire in flaxe must be both little and weake in quantitie as a sparke or twaine that cannot cause a flame but onely a smoake specially in a matter â—o easie to burne Here then is signified that the gifts and graces of Gods spirit that are both for measure and strength as a sparke or twaine of fire shall not be neglected but rather accepted and cherished by Christ. When our Sauiour Christ heard the young man make a confession of a practise but of outward and ciuill righteousnes he looked vpon him and loued him and when he heard the Scribe to speake discreetely but one good speach that to louâ— God with all his heart is aboue all sacrifices he said vnto him That he was not farre from the kingdome of heauen Therefore no doubt hee will loue with a more special loue and accept as the good subiects of his kingdome those that haue receiued a further mercie of God to be borne anew of water and of the spirit III. Conclusion A constant and earnest desire to be reconciled to God to beleeue and to repent if it be in a touched heart is in acceptation with God as reconciliation faith repentance it selfe The Exposition LVst or desire is twofold naturall and supernaturall Naturall is that whose beginning and obiect is in nature that is which ariseth of the naturall will of man and anecteth such things as are thought to be good according to the light of nature And this kind of desire hath his degrees yet so as they are all limited within the compasse of nature Some desire riches honours pleasures some learning and knowledge because it is the light and perfection of the minde some goe further and seeke after the vertues of iustice temperance liberalitie c. and thus many heathen men haue excelled Some againe desire true happinesse as Balaam did who wished to die the death of the righteous because it is the propertie of nature to seeke the preseruation of it selfe But here nature staies it selfe for where the minde reueales not the will affects not Supernaturall desires are such as both for their beginning and obiect are aboue nature for their beginning is from the holy Ghost and the obiect or matter about which they are conuersant are things diuine and spirituall which concerne the kingdome of heauen and of this kind are the desires of which I speake in this place Againe that we may not be deceiued in our desires but may the better discerne them from flittering fleeting motions I adde three restraints First of all the desire of reconciliation the desire to beleeue or the desire to repent c. must be constant and haue continuance otherwise it may iustly be suspected Secondly it must be earnest and serious though not alwaies yet at sometimes that we may be able to say with Dauid My soule desireth after thee O Lord as the thirstie laÌ„d And as the heart braieth after the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God euen the liuing god Thirdly it must be in a touched heart for when a man is touched in conscience the heart is cast down and as much as it can it withdrawes it selfe from God For this cause if then there be any spirituall motions whereby the heart is lift vp vnto God they are without doubt from the spirit of God Thus then I auouch that the desire of reconciliation with God in Christ is reconciliation it selfe the desire to beleeue is faith indeede and the desire to repent repentance it selfe But marke how A desire to be reconciled is not
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
exhorted him constantly to sticke to the same to play the man nothing doubting but the Lord in his good time would visit him satisfie his desire with plentie of consolation c. The next day when the time came of the martyrdome as he was going to the place and was now come to the sight of the stake although all the night before praying for strength and courage he could feele none suddenly hee was so replenished with the holy Ghost that he cried out clapping with his handes to Austine saying with these wordes Austine he is come he is come c. and that with such ioy and alacritie as one seeming rather to be risen from some deadly danger to libertie of life then as one passing out of the world by any paines of death Desertion in sinne is when God withdrawing the assistance of his spirit a man is left to fall into some actuall and grieuous sin And for all this no man is to thinke that God is the author of sin but onely man that falleth Satan A resemblance of this trueth we may see in a staffe which if a man shall take set vpright vpon the ground so long as he holds it with his hand it stands vpright but so soone as he withdrawes his hand though he neuer push it down it falls of it selfe In this desertion was the good king Hezechiah of whom the holy Ghost speaketh thus Hezechiah prospered in all his waies therefore dealing with the Ambassadours of the Princes of Babel which set to him to enquire of the wonder which was done in the land God left him namely to the pride of his heart to exalt himselfe in tempting him that hee might trie out all that was in his heart To this place appertaine Noes drunkennes Dauids adulterie Peter deniall of Christ. The reason of such desertions may be this If a patient shal be grieuously sicke the phisition will vse all manner of meanes that can be deuised to recoâ—er him if he once come to a desperate case the phisition rather then hee will not restore him will imploy all his skill he will take poyson and so temper it and against the nature thereof he will make a soueraigne remedie to recouer health The elect children of God are diseased with an inward hidden and spirituall pride whereby they affect themselues and desire to bee something in themselues forth of Christ and this sinne is very dangerous firstâ— because when other sinnes die in a man this secret pride gets strength for Gods grace is the matter of pride in such wise that a man will be proude because he is not proud for example if any shall be tempted of the deuill to some proud behauiour and by Gods grace get the victorie then the heart thus thinketh Oh thou hast done well thou hast foiled the enemie neither pride nor any other sinne can preuaile against thee such and such could neuer haue done so and a very good man shall hardly be free from such kinde of motions in this life Secondly there is no greater enemie to faith then pride is for it poisoneth the heart and maketh it vncapable of that grace so loÌ„g as it bereth any sway for he that will beleeue in Christ must be annihilated that is he must be bruised and battered to a flat nothing in regard of any liking or affection to himself that he may in spirit mount vp to heauen where Christ sits as the right hand of the father as it were with both the handes of faith graspe him with all his blessed merits that he may be wisdome righteousnes sanctification redemption life good works whatsoeuer good thing he is neither in nor by nor for himself but euery way forth of himself in Christ. Now this blessed coÌ„ditioÌ„ of a beleeuing heart by naturall selfe-loue and self-liking is greatly hindered God therefore in great mercy to remedie this dangerous corruption lets his elect seruantes fall into trouble of mind and conscience if they happily be of greater hardnes of heart into some actuall sinne and so declaring his wonderfull mercie in sauing them he is faine against his mercie to bring them to his mercie by sinne to saue them from sinne By this meanes the Lord who can bring light out of darknes makes a remedie of sinne to slay pride that inuincible monster of many heads which would slay the soule Though this be so yet none must hereupon venter to commit any sinne against Gods commandements least in so doing they cast awaie their soules For the godly man though he fall into sinne yet it is against his purpose and it makes his heart to bleede and the course of his life shall bee alwaies vpright and pleasing vnto God because he is led by the spirit of God The ends for which god vseth desertioÌ„s are three the first is the chastismeÌ„t of sins past in the former part of mans life that he may search them out consider theÌ„ be hartily sorrowfull for theÌ„ for this end was Iobs triall Trou writest saith he bitter things against me makest me to possesse the sins of my youth The second end is that God may make triall of the present estate of his seruants not that he is ignorant what is in man but because hee would haue all men know themselues To this effect saith Moses And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee in the wildernesse for to humble thee and to prooue thee to knowe what was in thine heart whether thou wouldst keepe his coÌ„mandements or no. This also was the end why the Lord left Ezechias to proue and trie what was in his heart This trial by desertion serueth for two purposes for otherwhiles the Lord vseth it for the manifestation of some hidden sin that the godly may be deeplier humbled and craue more earnestly pardon of that and other sins For as the begger is alwaies mending and peecing his garment where he findes a breach so the penitent and beleeuing heart must alwaies bee exercised in repairing it selfe where it findes a want Againe ofttimes this triall serues to quicken and reuiue the hidden graces of the heart that men may be thankefull for them and feele an increase of theÌ„ in the heart The good husbandmaÌ„ cuts the branches of the Vine not that he hath a purpose to destroy them but to make them beare more fruit In the CaÌ„ticles when Christ left his spouse then shee riseth out of her bed shee opens the doore her hands drop mirrhe on the barre of the doore then further she seekes calls for him and praiseth him more then euer before Dauid testifieth the like of himselfe In my prosperitie I said I shall neuer be mooued c. but thou didst hide thy faâ—e and I was troubled Then cried I to thee O Lord praied to my Lord. Lastly men that liue in the Church beeing for a time left of God