hauing greater means of knowing beleeuing and obeying God then man had on earth yea their sinne came from themselues by the suggestion of their owne mindes and the inclination of their wils but man sinned by their prouocation temptation and delusion who as if they had committed a small offence in sinning themselues did adde to their owne sinne the sinne of mankind Moreouer it was not needfull that God should restore these rebels to their former state for the illustration of his loue towardes this creature forsomuch as there are yet in heauen in the state of happinesse many thousands of holy Angels which are so many witnesses and preachers of the endlesse loue of God towards them Againe it was needfull for the working of the saluation of the elect that there shoulde be some aduersarye power opposing it selfe and labouring by all meanes to hinder it that so both the graces bestowed on men might be stirred vp and exercised and the power of God preseruing them from so great danger made manifest Lastly by this vncurable state of these Angels it appeareth that there neither is nor yet can be in any creature any such absolute perfection as that it might be able of it selfe by any proper inherent and naturall vertue and strength beeing not supported by the grace of God eyther to keep for euer or to recouer any good happy estate If it be obiected that the Angels may repente and so obtaine saluation wee answere first that it is vnpossible by reason of the nature of their sinne beeing the sinne against the holie Ghost that they shoulde euer truely repent and secondly that if they coulde after some sorte repente yet they are altogether vncapable of saluation because God hath not taken vnto himselfe the nature of Angels as he hath done the nature of man and so by ioyning it to himselfe who is life it selfe made it a liuing and holy nature the which is needfull for saluation as will appeare more at large in the treatise of iustifying faith Chap. 4. Sect. 3. But to leaue these foule spirits in the bottomlesse pit of hell let vs returne to the consideration of this third state of man the which although in substance it be nothing but the first estate restored yet it is to be preferred before it in these respectes First because it is certaine immutable and eternall it being impossible that any who is once brought from death to this state of saluation should returne backe againe but the first state of man was not onely variable but very short and momentanie as hath beene declared This ariseth not of any naturall and inherent strength of man but of the meere grace and loue of God supporting all his elect seruants in this state and watching ouer them least at any time they should fall away Secondly both the partes of the goodnesse of this estate which are the outward and inward coniunction of man with God or more plainely his happinesse and holinesse are greater then they were before The increase of happinesse the next section doth declare and for the other we cannot doubt but that the loue of man yea all the other partes of his holinesse are increased and doubled towardes God who nowe is not onely his Lorde and creator but also his sauiour and redeemer As he must needes loue more to whome manie sinnes are forgiuen then he who is saued by his owne holinesse for life is not of it selfe so acceptable at any time as it is after death Whereof more at large in the laste Chapter of the third parte of this treatise CHAP. II. Sect. 1. Of the happinesse wherein man was created HAppinesse is the enioying of the greatest highest and chiefest good to wit that which is fully perfectly primarely eternally essentially and onely good as is God onely Math 19. 17. There is none good but God onely Thus doe the Angels in heauen enioy God whose face or more plainely whose glory shining as clerely as the grace of a man doth in his face they doe continually behold Likewise man before his fall liued thus happily in the presence of God with whome he had daily and as wee may say familiar conuersation yea God did many waies reueale himselfe and his glory to him especially in the garden wherein he placed him This is perfect felicitie for hee who hath God who is the fountaine of all blessings ioy and pleasures hath all thinges belonging to happinesse Psal. 16 11. Thou shalt make me knowe the path of life for there is fulnesse of ioy in thy face or presence and in thy right hande there are pleasures for euermore From this fountaine of happinesse there flowed many streames euen all blessings whatsoeuer the preseruation or dignitie of the body soule or of the whole person of man did any way require first for his body it was in respect of the outwarde forme and proportion maiesticall beautifull gracious purchasing feare and reuerence of the other baser creatures and fauour euen in the sight of God for whose glory maketh whatsoeuer is any way commendable in the creature this remaneth in parte euen in the corrupt estate 1. Chro. 12. 8. Dauids men of warre had faces like Lyons Act. 7. 20. Moses being new borne was gratious in the sight of God Secondly the body of man was immortall whereof there is no question to be made seing that the scripture doth euery where teach vs that death came in by sinne 1. Cor. 25. 56. the sting whereby death killeth is sinne Rom. 5. 12. by Adam sinne came into the worlde and by sin death If we shoulde examine this doctrine by naturall reason it woulde be found very doubtfull for it may seeme that the body of man being made of earth shoulde of necessitie at length be resolued into earth againe as well as the bodies of all other cretures yea that it consisting of contraries continually fighting and consuming one another coulde not possibly but be at length destroyed For nothing that is deuided in it selfe can continue for euer Yea besides this naturall death mans body may seeme to haue bene subiect to outward violence as if it shoulde haue bene pierced with a sword or throwen downe from a high rocke no reason can shewe howe the immortality of it shoulde be preserued Whereunto we answere first that we are not to doubt of the word of God howsoeuer our shallow heads are not able to sound the depth of it Secondly that we may as wel suppose man to be immortall as to liue almost a thousand yeares as we read Gen. 5. 27. that Methuselā did for we may well thinke that those long liues of the fathers before the flood were euen the reliques of that immortalitie wherewith Adam was endued at the first neither are we to think it impossible to God to endue mans body with such an exact equall temperature as should continue for euer As for violent deaths although we cannot deny but man was
rams as a sufficient ransome for the sinne of mans soule Mich. 6. 7. so that we finding no succor in this worlde are constrained to fly to the holy Angels and to craue their helpe in this behalfe But what can be hoped for at their hands whose righteousnes be it neuer so greate is no more then they doe owe to God for themselues being bounde to serue him with their whole mind hearte and the whole strength and power of their nature If it be imagined that their death might deliuer vs from death we answere first that no man can finde such fauour in their sight as that they will suffer themselues to be accursed for him from the happy and glorious presence of God which they haue enioyed in heauen euer since the first creation thereof Secondly if that we shoulde suppose such an impossible and inordinate loue in them yet the death of many angels coulde not satisfie Gods iustice for the sinne of mankinde but onely for the sins of some number much lesse performe all those things which are needfull for the effecting of our saluation and therefore euery one may say of him selfe O miserable man that I am whom no creature either in heauen or earth can deliuer from sinne and from the punishment of eternall death due vnto it Seing therfore that no creature can satisfie Gods iustice for the sin of man it remaineth that God shoulde either saue man without takeing any satisfaction for his sinne or else himselfe be this mediator for it hath already bene declared that God hath certainly decreed the saluation of man but both these are impossible for God can no more saue man without satisfaction made to his iustice then he can cease to be iust or to be God Againe it is no lesse impossible for God himselfe to make this satisfaction for first sinne cannot be imputed to the godhead but onely to some nature which is capable of sinne but the diuine nature cannot any way be made or imagined the subiect of sin no more then the fire can be made the subiect of extreame cold secondly if this impossibilitie were supposed that God could some way take the sinne of man vpon himselfe yet he could suffer no punishment for it for his nature is such that it can no way suffer much lesse sustain the punishment of eternall death due vnto our sinne What then can all the wit wisedome pollicie and inuention of man say to this case but onely acknowledge that mankind is in a most wretched miserable case quem ipsa salus seruare non potest whom God himselfe cannot saue But when man is brought to a bay and euen at his wits ende there the wisedome of God doth most appeare and that which seemeth impossible to man is possible with God who as he hath decreed mans saluation so he is able to bring it to passe and that not by taking away his owne iustice and essence but by satisfying and establishing it not by polluting the Godhead with the sin of man but by purging man from sin by the infinite power of the Godhead not by translating sinne from man to God but by making the nature of man able to beare the own burden by ioyning it to the nature of God not impairing his owne iustice but punishing the sinne of man more then it deserued and yet not consuming man in his wrath but declaring the endlesse riches of his mercy in sauing him from death that so all the praise glorie and thankesgiuing of our saluation might redound to God who is the beginner worker and finisâ—â—r yea the very meanes of it and who as he did in the beginning without the helpe or meanes of any creature create man in perfect holinesse and happinesse so againe he himselfe and that by himselfe doth restore him to perfect righteousnesse holinesse and eternall glory But it is needfull that we make a more plaine declaration of this mysticall and wonderfull doctrine especially it being the most happy and ioyfull doctrine which euer sounded in the eares or was at any time vttered by the tongue of man the summe of it is this The onely meanes whereby God coulde restore man to his first estate was that he himselfe should take vnto his diuine nature the nature of man so that he might in that nature take vpon him both the guilt also the punishmeÌ„t of our sin For this cause the sonne of God euen God himself did take vpon him our nature consisting of a body a soule indued with al the naturall powers faculties which are in man yea subiect to all humane infirmities yet without sinne This humane nature was begotten not by maÌ„ but by God it being formed fashioned not by the seed of maÌ„ but by the power of the godhead in the wombe of the virgin Mary who was of the linage of Dauid of part of her substance it being first sanctified by the holy Ghost from the inherent corruption of sinne so this nature being from the first moment of the conception vnited to the godhead in one person called Iesus the Sauiour of the worlde the promised Messias or the annointed or holy one of God and consisting of the diuine and a humane nature was brought foorth into the world in Bethlem in the land of Iury according as the prophets had foretold in the raigne of Augustus Caesar and so liued about 33. yeares till that in the daies of Tiberius Caesar it suffered a shamefull and violent death the which death of this humane nature was more then a sufficient ransome for the sinnes of the whole worlde because it was the death of God tho not of the Godhead and therefore it was of infinite merite and dignity yea it was more then the eternall death of all the men in the world although it had lasted but one moment of time as it continued but three daies For it is and that in the iudgement of any reasonable man a farre lesse matter that all the creatures in the world should die for euer then that God himselfe the creator of all things the Lord of glory and giuer of life yea who is glory and life it selfe should suffer death one minute of an houer So that the humanity of Christ gaue the possibility of suffering death as the diuinitie gaue the sufficiency excellency merite of this ransome or paiment made to God for the debt of man This incomprehensible mysterie of Gods wisedome and eternall counsell may be declared after this manner Suppose that there is in this or that countrey an absolute maiesticall and glorious monarch or king against whome many thousands of his subiectes rebell refusing to performe loyall obedience to his lawes The King seeing this rebellion purposeth so to deale in reuenging it as that not onely his iustice but also and especially his mercy and loue towards his naturall subiectes may appeare and therefore he meaneth to punishe their offence in himselfe by putting to death his owne onely
of God for if man were accounted righteous for his holinesse or loue he might impute his saluation to his owne desert for perfect loue deserueth loue and holinesse will chalenge life as of due debt But affiance implieth a humble loyall and duetifull subiection acknowledging the vnworthines basenesse insufficiency and weakenesse of man and together the mercy goodnesse loue fauour bounty trueth and power of God This reason is vsed for this purpose Ro. 3. 27. what law or meanes of saluation doth take away all boasting from man and so giueth all the glory of our saluation to God not the law of workes or inherent holinesse but the law of faith yea of all the graces which are in man faith onely hath in it this naturall property to make a man partaker of Christes death and righteousnes and so of saluation For euen as a tennant inioyeth his house and landes not for that he loueth or feareth his lord or for any vertue wherwith he is indued but only because he doth depeÌ„d on his Lord and so doth purchase vnto him worship and honour by relying himselfe wholly vpon his loue fauor liberality constancy ability riches so standeth the case with man in respect of his saluation For no grace saue onely this affiance on God and on his mercy in Christ can conuey vnto vs remission of sinnes and eternall life In the which respect it is commonly said in holy scripture that faith doth iustifie not as it is a parte of mans holinesse whereof no one part no not all the partes of it if any one be wanting will serue to make a man righteous before God but as it hath in it this proper vertue to make the death of Christ the death of the beleeuer so the righteousnes arising of the said death the righteousnes of the beleuer For he that hath suffered death is iustisied from sin Thus much of the obiect nature attributes of euangelical faith It remaineth that before we proceed to the rest of the partes of mans holines we should declare the relatioÌ„ which is betwixt faith them It hath bene said of faith in general that it is as it were the root froÌ„ the which other graces do spring in that it tieth vs to God the fountain of al graces as to the only giuer of all happines the which thing is true of this euangelicall faith after a special manner For in that it ioineth vs to Christ it maketh vs partakers of the spirit of Christ or rather causeth an increase of all spirituall graces For regeneratioÌ„ is although not in time yet in nature before faith Therefore this faith is made the subiect of the spirituall life of the new man euen as the hart is in the body the fountaine of heat Gal. 2. 20. I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me in that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen his life for me And Act. 15. 9. Peter saith that God did purifie the hartes of the gentils that is as it is expounded verse 8. worke sanctification in them by faith In the which respect it is compared to the foundation of a house where vpon the whole buylding standeth and to the roote of a tree which giueth heate sappe and life to all the partes of it Coll. 1. 23. If ye continue founded and established in fayth and to a fountaine of liuing water Ioh. 7. 38. He that beleeueth in me out of his bellie shall flow riuers of the water of life And therfore it is put before all other graces 2. Pet. 1. 5. Ioyne to your fayth vertue and to your vertue knowledge temperance patience godlynes brotherly loue and kyndnes Hence it is that it is vsually distinguished from the rest of the partes of sanctification they being called by the name of loue or of the holy ghost 1 Tâ—ess 3. 6. Tymothie hath brought vs tydinges of your fayth and loue So it is saide Act. 6. 5. That Stephen was a man full of fayth and of the holy spirit not that faith it selfe is not a worke of the holy spirite and a parte of the spirituall holynesse of man but because it is the first worke of Gods spirite and the foundation of mans holinesse and saluation who must be by fayth freed from sinne and death before he can be endued with positiue holynesse and life Thus the Apostle doth often exhorte vs to fanctification and holynesse of life by an argument drawen from iustification which is the proper effect of faith as we may see Ro. 6. 14. sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you because you are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace But it may be asked how iustification doth bring foorth sanctification especially seing that to mans reason it is rather a motiue to a wicked and dissolute life that by the multitude and hainousnesse of our sinnes the mercy of God whereby they are pardoned might the more appeare Rom. 3. 7. and 6. 1. We answere that iustification doth of necessitie bring foorth sanctification and that diuers wayes For first the sense of the vnspeakeable loue of God whereby we are deliuered from eternall damnation doth inflame the hart of the beleeuers with a greate loue of God the which cannot be shewed any other way then by keepeing his commaundementes and by laboring to glorifie his holy name by a holy life Secondly God doth saue the faythfull not as stockes or stones without requiring anie worke action or duety at their handes but so as that he maketh them to be his fellow workers not that man can do any thing of him selfe without the grace of God but that man being endued and renewed by grace doth after a sort worke his owne saluation not by any naturall vertue but by the power of Gods spirite and therefore as Christ taketh away the guilte of sinne being committed so the faythful ought to endeuor that sin be not coÌ„mited Otherwise if they shoulde still of set purpose committe sin they should crosse Christ in the worke of their owne redemption defiling theÌ„ selues with sin whom he hath clensed with his bloud yea they should crucifie him againe treade vnder foote his bloude as a vile thing Thirdly the faithfull doe labour for sanctification as for the onely testimony of the soundnesse of their fayth and of the truthe of their iustification For fayth without the other partes of holynesse is but adeade and vnprofitable fayth Lastly the faythfull man knoweth that fayth is not of it selfe without the rest of sanctification sufficient for the attaining of saluation For although it alone dothfully iustify that is bring perfect remission of all manner of sinne whatsoeuer yet before that a man can enter into the kingdome of heauen he must be endued with perfect positiue holinesse the which cannot be made perfect in the worlde to come vnlesse it be begun and carefullie sought after
preachers of the glorie of God and so being admitted into the presence of God are there to beholde his glorie yet with this differēce that the Angels doe behold it more clearely in heauen and man more obscurely in earth Heerein consisteth the good estate of these creatures in that they are thus made partakers of the glorious presence of God and so ioyned to God For heereof it commeth that they are both happy and holy it being impossible that any thing which is ioyned to God who is happinesse and holinesse it selfe shoulde eyther lacke any good and pleasant thing or be any way polluted so that this coniunction of the reasonable creature with God wherein the excellency of this first estate consisteth is of two sortes the first may be called externall personall or locall whereby Angels and men enioying the presence of God are in place and after an outwarde manner ioyned to God this kinde of coniunction is perfect happinesse the other kinde is inwarde and spirituall when as the inwarde faculties of the creature as his minde and will doe wholly cleaue to God alone This kinde of coniunction is perfect holinesse and it is the meanes or the condition of the former coniunction for as soone as the creature ceaseth to be holie in the same moment it ceaseth to be happy and is straight way cast out of the presence of God So that the goodnesse of this first state consisteth in two things happinesse and holinesse from both which it hath the denomination from the first it is called the state of life for the scripture speaking to man speaketh after the manner of men vnto whome nothing is so acceptable as life because in it all pleasures are enioyned From the second it is called the state of innocencie because in it man stoode righteous and free from all guilt of sinne before God Sect. 2. Of the state of sin and death IN the next place we are to consider the seconde state of man as farre different from the first as is death from life sinne from innocencie darkenesse from light wretchednesse from happinesse vsually and fitly called the fall of mankinde Forvnto the absolute perfection o◠the aforesaid felicity this onely was wanting that it was mutable First of the causes authors and workers of this lamentable ruine secondly of the manner of it The actors in this tragedie are three God Sathan and Man all which haue a stroke in this action yet after a farre diuerse manner euen as their natures are diuerse For the first as the holy glorious and happy state of man so this sinful vile and miserable condition commeth from God yet not after the same sort for the good estate is properly directly immediately and wholly wrought by God but he doth onely suffer the euill state to be brought to passe by euill instruments yet this his permission is not idle but effectuall and working for God is not an idle looker on as if he had cast off the care of the world and of his creatures and left all at sixe and seauen as we vse to speake but hee hath a parte in this worke in that he did in his eternall counsell make an immutable decree of this fal of man and the meanes therof and that for the setting forth of his glorie which is the ende of all his decrees and actions whatsoeuer For howsoeuer it may seeme to derogate from the glorie of God that the reasonable creature beeing the fairest floure in his garden and the most excellent parte of his workmanshippe shoulde so soone be troden vnder foote and brought to nought yet in trueth GOD is greatly glorified by this meanes for hereby it appeareth first that God onely is constant eternall and the same for euer in that his most excellent creatures are so variable Rom. 3. 4. Let God be true and euerie man a lyar as it is written that thou mightest bee iustified in thy sayings and ouercome when thou art iudged For the which purpose the consideration of the shortnesse of the first state maketh very much for although it cannot be certainly defined howe long it continued yet this is agreed vpon by all that neither the Angels themselues nor yet man continued many daies in their innocency but fell away from God soone after that they were created Secondly the fall of these creatures doth shewe that God is iust in punishing sinne Thirdly it maketh a way for the state of saluation and so doth illustrate the mercy of God whereby he is most of all glorified yea the power wisedome trueth patience and in briefe the whole glory of God is by this meanes set forth and enlarged Thus much of the first actor The other two are the instruments whereby God bringeth his eternall counsell to passe and yet to all reason of man considering the whole storie of mans fall and the particulars thereof they are the onely agents the first authors and chiefe workers of this woefull state God hauing no hande or dealing in this matter but onely barely permitting them to doe what they list For the further declaration whereof it is needfull that wee make a narration of the particulars of this action and that by supposing GOD to speake to his reasonable creatures to witte Angelles and men in this manner You see howe that I haue made you the most excellent of all my creatures indueing you onely with a reasonable mind and will whereby you may knowe loue obey and honour me and so consequently enioy my presence wherein happinesse doth consist As long as you continue holy by obeying my worde so long shall you continue happie by enioying my presence But if at any time you doe by disobeying my commaundement loose this your holinesse you can no longer haue anie place in my presence or any fellowship with mee no more then darknesse and light can be together but shall incontinently be cast out of my sight and so become most wretched and miserable And therefore looke vnto your selues and to your owne estate beleeue these my promises and threatnings to be true content your selues with that state and degree wherein I haue placed you obey all my commaundements for the perfourmance whereof you are endued with all graces and faculties needfull so shal you be happie otherwise you shall die for euer In this most louing and fatherly counsell which God in the beginning gaue to his children being created after his owne similitude the reasonable creature resteth for some shorte time but afterward maketh this reply although not in word yet in minde and heart yea in deed and in outward action Wee hauing considered your wordes and our present state do see and find that neither the one is wholly true nor the other so happy as you doe make it we confesse that we are in betrer state then other creatures yet we cannot heerein rest for we see a higher degree of honour glory pleasure and happinesse yea a greater measure of knowledge whereof we knowe that
our nature is capable and whereunto we willby all meanes aspire notwithstanding your commaundement to the contrary not doubting but that by our own strength wit endeauours and inuentions we shall become farre more happy then we are by this your creation Vpon this resolution the creature disobeyeth the expresse commaundement of God and so falleth from God into extreame misery Now whether the blame of this fall be to be imputed to God or to the creature it self let any reasonable creature iudge for God did neither commaund nor counsell it but did carefully forewarne them of it yea he did neither put any euill motion into their mindes nor yet withdrawe from them any naturall grace whereby they shoulde haue beene vpholden but left it to their free choise whither they would be cleane and obey him or else rebell against his worde If it be obiected that the necessitie of Gods decree did compell the creature to fall wee answere affirming that to be vtterly vntrue For God did decre that the fal of man should com to passe by his free will and therefore his decree did not take away but establishe mans free will If it bee thought impossible that the same action shoulde bee both necessary and contingent as wee make this action to be we answere that to man it is impossible but not to God For man cannot bring any thing certainly to passe by vncertaine and contingent meanes but God can worke necessarily by those meanes which to mans reason fall out by chaunce and at hap hazard For there is no thing contingent or vncertaine to God whodoth foresee al the euents of thinges and so doth build his immutable decree vppon the euentes themselues which are necessary not vppon the contingencie of the causes As in this instance how easy a thing was it for God foreseing that man being indued with free will whereby he might doe either good or euill woulde choose the euill part to decree the fall of man by his freewill and yet to leaue man in the very action free either to stand or to fall Againe if it be obiected that God might haue vpholden man by some extraordinary grace we confesse that to be true but yet it doth not thereof follow that God was the cause of this fall for the naturall grace wherewith man was endued and which was inherent in himselfe was sufficient if he woulde haue vsed it aright and for supernaturall grace God was neither bounde to giue any neither did he thinke the creature worthy of anie newe supplie of grace which did so vnthankefully abuse his former bountie or that the continuance of this pure estate woulde illustrate his glory so much as woulde the fall of man Lastly it may be thought that God might and ought to haue made these his exellent creatures in a firme and permanent estate and that by takeing from them all possibilitie of falling and all freedome of will in respect of euill as he doth to the elect Angels and men and as his owne nature is vncapable of euill Wherevnto we answer that this which is alleaged is a thing altogether impossible for the fredome of will doth not derogate anie thing from the perfection of the creature the which could not haue bene made excellent without it For where no will is there is no vnderstanding As for the elect both men and Angels they are vpholden by the supernatural grace of God not by any such natural strength disposition of wil as cannot chuse euil the which if they had they were not reasonable creatures but either as brute beasts and senslesse trees or els as God himselfe who onely cannot be tempted with any euil So then the cause why the wicked angels and man kind fell from their first state was their owne free will choosing sinne and refusing life offerd by God but God is no other wayes the cause of this fal then he is the cause of all actions in the worlde both good and euil namely in that he is the cause of the cause For in that he made the freewil of man he did in some sort make the fal which came of it secondly in that he gaue an effectual occasion of it But that is not the question for we enquire the true and proper cause of this fall The whol matter may not vnfitly be declarred by this similitude A wise father purposing to let his sonne see his owne wilfulnes and intēperancie together with his loue fatherly affection toward him resolueth with himselfe to make him fall into some mortal sicknesse out of the which he knoweth himselfe to be able to recouer him This he wil effect not by giuing him poyson to drinke for thē he should be the cause and beare the blame of that euil but by laying it in his way as it were a baite in some sweete meate which he knoweth that his sonne loueth and will eate as soone as he seeth it And least that he shoulde plead ignorance and so auoide the blame of wilfulnesse he forewarneth him of that kind of meate charging him very instantly to abstaine from it as being vnholsome and hurtfull vnto him yet he doth not tell him what he intendeth This young man coming where this pleasant meat is remēbreth his fathers counsell commandement yet is by the entisement of euil companions and his owne appetite moued to eate of it perswading himselfe that there is no such daunger in it as his father woulde make him beleeue aud therfore no cause he shoulde obey him in that matter So hee eateth of it and poysoneth himselfe now no man can denie but that both the father and the sonne haue a hand and play their in this tragedy yet not the father who giueth the occasion only but the young man himselfe who doth willingly or rather wilfully take that hurtfull meat is to be blamed counted the cause of this euill In like manner God dealeth with man he decreeth his fall yet doth not throwe him downe but only layeth a stumbling blocke in his way He doth not infect man with the poyson of sin but putteth it into a goodly apple which he knoweth that man will deuoure greedely whensoeuer occasion is offred this he did by forbidding man to eat of that fruite by the which meanes he made the eating of it to be sinne that is deadely poyson which otherwise was good and pleasant So then God is the cause of mans fall so as he who layeth a baite for fish is the cause of their death he vsing no violence towards thē but only suffring them to followe their naturall appetite But Sathan who is the second actor playeth a farre diuers part labouring by promises pretences entisements perswasions and by all meanes possible to bring man into the state of sinne and death God sitteth still on the banke holding an angle rod in his hand with baite hooke hanging at it waiting til man come of his owne accord and bite But Sathan pursueth man vp and
downe with a nette to entangle him man flyeth from sathans nett as from a most hurtfull thing in that he resisteth his temptations for a while But he commeth willingly to Gods baite yea not only vncalled but also flatly forbidden eateth of it greedely for he being once caught and entangled changeth his minde and will thinkeing that to be good and holsome which before he knewe to be hurtfull by al meanes to be auoided So that the fall of man came as hath been declared of the freedome or rather of the preuersnesse of his owne will according to the eternall decree purpose of God by the malitious instigation of sathan who hauing before fallen himselfe did vehemently desire the fall of man that for these reasons First for that he had now coÌ„ceaued a vehemeÌ„t desperate hatred of God hauing iustly for his sin cast him out of his presence the which before his fall he enioyed in heauen And for so much as he did easely see that his malice could not reach to God himselfe therfore he thought that the next way was to despite dishonor him in his creatures by defacing maÌ„ who only of al the creaturs in this world was made according to Gods owne image yea further to depriue god of al that glory ship that man should performe vnto him Secondly Sathan desired to effect the fall of man that so he might haue the more company both in his sinne and in his punishment He being thus affected towards Gods glorie and mans saluation ceased not till that by his faire promises and plausible pretenses he brought man out of the true paradise into a fooles paradise making him beleeue that the â—ransgression of Gods commaundement was the onely way for him to become a God and so he perswaded Eua in the forme of a serpent and Adam in the forme of Eua to eate of the forbidden fruite It is doubted how Adam being in the state of innocency and knowledge could be so palpably deceiued as to beleeue such a notorious lie especially seeing the Apostle saith that Adam was not deceiued but Eua. But he meaneth that Eua was first yea more easely and grosly deceiued for as her knowledge was lesse so we must thinke that her infidelitie was greater then was Adams who although he was made to distrust in part the word of God yet he was not nor could be so blinded by Eua as she was by the delusion of the diuell and therefore he sinned more of wilfulnesse then of blindnesse choosing rather to disobey God then to displease Eua by reiecting her importunate request and refusing to take such part as she tooke who being his wife yea his onely companion was no doubt a great pleasure ioy and delight vnto him Thus much of the fall of Adam which is the fall of all mankind For Adam being the father of al men did sustaine the publike person of mankind both in his innocencie and also in his fall in his happinesse and in his misery If it be asked why all mankind fell seeing not all but some of the Angels did fal wee answere that all men were in the very moment of the fall in Adams loynes and therefore did both stande and fall with him but the Angels doe not be get one another being all created immediately by God himselfe and therefore the sin of one Angell doth not take holde of another vnlesse that one by consenting to the sinne deuised by another doe make himselfe sinful as it was in the fal of the Angels wherin one or some few were the chief authors of this conspiracy the rest approued it took part with them as may be gathered by that distinction which is made of them one being made chiefe or head the rest his inferiours Mat. 25. 41. Goe ye into eternall fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels Sect. 3. Of the state of regeneration and saluation THE third state followeth which is the recouering of the first state of life wherein man was created in the beginning For God in suffering man to fall did not purpose the finall ouerthrow and destruction of so excellent a creature but rather the illustration of his owne vnspeakable mercy and goodnesse towards man in pardoning his sinne and in restoring him to life This state we call the state of saluation for that man in it is not onely indued with life as he was before but also saued and deliuered from eternall death whereunto he fell by his sinne Yet not all mankind is restored to life but onely a fewe that it might appeare both how vnapt man is to do any good how vncapable of saluation he is made by sinne in that he cannot attaine vnto it no not now when as God hath appointed the meanes and the way of it and as it were setting heauen gates wide open doth offer saluation to all men and lastly that the iustice of God might be declared in punishing the reprobate for their sinne And yet the state of mankind is happy in respect of the Angels which fell for none of them are or shal euer be restored to their former state and that for these causes First and chiefly because their fall was so great as that it is impossible that they shoulde recouer their first estate the greatnesse of their fall commeth of that greate measure of knowledge light and grace wherewith they were endued and the which they did tread vnder their feete and despise for if they had fallen onely from some small measure of grace a greater measure would haue recouered them but they hauing alreadie reiected and made of no force so much grace as any meere creature is capable of haue no remedy left for their saluation And as they fell from the highest degree of grace so they fell into the lowest sinke of sinne euen to the highest degree of sinne that can be imagined which is a most desperate deadly cruell fierce contumelious shamelesse open professed wilfull and spitefull hatred against God and all goodnesse yea against all his creatures both good and euill This came of the exceeding great strength of their nature which being once let loose to sinne coulde not stay or rest but in the highest degre of it Like vnto this remedilesse fall of the wicked Angels is that sinne which is in the scripture called the sin against the holy Ghost when as one being endued with a great measure of grace doth fall into this fearefull and desperate hatred of God and of all goodnesse for as hee who falleth from a steepe and high rocke into a deepe pit or gulfe can not possibly escape death whereas one whose fall is lesse may haue hope of life so it is with these wicked Angels whose sinne we may truely call that vnpardonable sinne committed against the holy Ghost Further the sin of the Angels deserued more seuere punishment in that they were better able to resist it seeing the glory of God in heauen therefore
which he did enioy whilst he liued in alleagance to his lorde so the case standeth with man when as by infidelitie he falleth from God For then he looseth all manner of blessings belonging either to his happinesse or to his holynesse yea it is impossible that a man shoulde either loue feare honor or obey God from whome he looketh for neither good nor euil and therefore infidelitie is to be accounted the roote of all euill Heb. 3. 12. Take heed brethren least that there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeleefe to depart away from the liuing God Thus much in generall of infidelity the which as hath bene said of faith is of two sorts Legall and Euangelicall legall infidelitie is to distrust Gods promises propounding happinesse to the inherent holinesse of the creature as did the wicked Angels who were perswaded that they coulde not become happy by continuing in holynesse Likewise Euangelicall infidelitie is to distrust Gods promises propounding happinesse to man relying himselfe on the mercie of God in Christ as most of all the men in the worlde haue alwaies done do at this day and will do as long as the world endureth Sect. 3. Of the faith of the gospell vsually called iustifying fayth IT hath been declared that the renewed holynesse of a man regenerate hath two parts Subiection and Conformity The first kinde of renewed Subiection being opposed to infidelity is called as in the first state by the name of faith The nature and force whereof is to repaire that breach which infidelity hath made betwixt God and man and to ioyne man to God in due subiection as he was in his first creatioÌ„ so that it is as it were the haÌ„d whereby man being before separated from God doth lay holde on him by beleeuing his promises and by putting all his trust and affiaunce therein But what bond can be imagined so strong as to be able to knitte God and man being nowe polluted with originall and actuall sinne together in any manner of coniunction being far more conâ—â—ary repugnant the one to the other then 〈◊〉 fire to water or light to darknesse or any oâ—her thing in the world All which doe only in qualitie fight one against another but sinne is contrary to the very nature and essence of God and therefore although that affiance in God which was in Adam were renued in vs yet it woulde not serue to ioyne vs to God because we want that perfect holynesse without the which no faith can ioyne any creature to him So that before that faith can either ioyne vs to God or be any thing auailable for our saluation it is needefull that we shoulde haue perfect holynesse the which whosoeuer goeth about to effect in himselfe will finde it a thing altogether impossible and that in these respects First because man in the very moment of sinning doth make himselfe guilty of eternall death and so he being once deade cannot raise himselfe vp againe or make himselfe capable of holynesse muchlesse worke it fully and perfectly in himselfe Secondly if that this be attributed to the patience and longe suffering of God that man is not straight way as soone as he sinneth vtterly destroyed and so consumed to nought by the anger of God but that he doth still exist in nature and so consequently is not altogether vncapable oâ— holynesse Yet it is impossible for him either to shake off that originall sinne which cleaueth inseperably to his nature or yet to fulfill the lawe of God by actuall obedience both which are needfull for perfect holynesse Lastly if man coulde not onely doe away his sinne already committed but also restore himselfe to his first integritie yet this woulde not serue for his eternall saluation because he were as like to fall away againe from GOD as he was before So that before man can be ioyned againe to God in hapinesse he must do foure things whereof euery one is altogether impossible to be performed either by man himselfe or by any other creature First he must by sustayning eternall death satisfie the iustice of God for his sinne already committed the which if he doe as he must doe if God be iust that is if he be God howe can he euer liue who must dy for euer Secondly he must wholly change his own nature create in himselfe a newe minde harte will and euen a new man the which thing belongeth to God onely Thirdly he must performe absolute and perfect obedience to the lawe of God And lastly he must continew in the saide obedience for euer Howe then is there no meanes of saluation left for man can there no way of performing these impossibilities be inuented Let all the men in the worlde lay their heades together and consult of this weightie matter let them haue the wisdome of Salomon the counsell of Achitophel the naturall wit of Aristotle the learning of the greatest Philosophers the diuining spirits of the southsayres what can they all say to the first question howe will they make man to liue who must dy for euer they will confesse that death and life cannot be together and therefore they must come to this last refuge that man shall not die in his owne person but get some other to dy for him and so satisfie Gods iustice Well this is good paiment if he who dyeth for man be in nature and dignitie equiualent to him but where shall this mediatour be founde As touching man euerie one desireth to liue and abhorreth death yea no man will dy for a iust man much lesse for a sinner But yet perhaps some one wil find such a friend as will not refuse to dy eternally for him Will this serue the turne no truely except he haue moe liues then one because he must first dy for his owne sinne and what then is left to discharge other mens debts But we may fly to some saint or holyman to S. Peter S. Paule S. Mary whose righteousnesse is so great as that it wilbe a ransom both to doe a way their owne sinne and the sinne of others also But there is no merite or righteousnesse which can proceede from any of the sons of Adam no more then sweet water can flowe from a corrupt fountaine yea no righteousnesse of any saint whosoeuer will serue for himselfe or satisfie Gods iustice for his owne sinne but when he hath done all that he can he is an vnprofitable seruant and for any helpe he can haue by his own holynesse in the same state of eternall death wherein others are his greatest righteousnes comming in the name of merite being in the sight of God no better then a filthy and defiled clout So then there is no meanes of mans saluation in man Neither can the oblation of brute beastes serue the turn or stand in the place of a reasonable creature for sinne is not purged by the bloud of bulles and gotes Heb. 10. 4. neither will God accept a thousand
sonne who is of his owne nature and essence euen bone of his bone flesh of his flesh and bloud of his bloud who is a liuely picture yea a liuing image of his owne person representing after a most plaine manner his stature forme beauty strength complexion behauiour and conditions yea who doth raigne ioyntly and equally with him being partaker of his riches treasures glory maiesty power office and authority This death of this prince being decreed by the king his father it is needfull that for the suffering of the course of the law together with the sentence and punishment of death he should debase him to the condition of a subiect yet retaining the aforesaid prerogatiues So that there is in one person the condition and as it were the nature both of a king of a subiect the one maketh that he may be put to death the other maketh that this death tho it be the death but of one person is more then a sufficient ransom for the offence of ten thousand of his subiectes as the people of Israell doe confesse 2. Sam. 21. 17. That it were much better that ten thousand of themselues should perish then that King Dauid whome they call the light that is all the glory of Israell shoulde be in danger of death In like manner there was no way whereby God the glorious monarch of heauen and earth could preserue both his owne iustice and man but that he should giue his owne onely naturall and eternall sonne the brightnesse of his glory the expresse forme and charecter of his Godhead beeing partaker of his owne essence glory maiestie power authority wisedome iustice mercy and in breife of his whole diuine nature to be a ransome for the sinne of man For the which purpose it was needful that he should to his kingly and diuine estate take vnto himselfe the base condition of a subiect and creature and in that condition submit himselfe to the law of God and to the sentence of death pronounced by God the father as by a most iust seuere and righteous iudge By faith in this death of the sonne of God saluation is brought to mankind For it freeth the beleeuer from all manner of guilt of sin whether original or actual whether past present or to come And further as this mediator doth redeeme vs from death and indue vs with perfect righteousnesse by his death so by the vertue of the holy spirit proceeding from his diuine nature the beleeuer is endued although not at the first with perfect holinesse and preserued for euer from falling from this estate Thus wee haue summarily declared the doctrine of fayth as it hath beene published to the worlde by the ministery of the Apostles whose doctrine we doe hartely embrace and openly confesse professing that there is no other name meanes nor mediatour in heauen or earth which can giue saluation then Iesus the sonne of Mary Now that we see what is the obiect of this iustifying fayth we are in the next place to gather out of this doctrine the difference betwixt legall and euangelicall fayth betwixt that fayth wherewith Adam was indued in the state of innocencie that which hath place in this state of regeneration Both kindes are affiance in god for happinesse to be had by the meanes of perfect holynesse but the first kynde looketh directly on the godheade without any mediation the second beholdeth the godheade through the humanitie of Christ as through a vaile or couering for man being now polluted with sinne dare not looke on god without a mediatour as he did before the fall Secondly euangelicall fayth coÌ„teineth in it forgiuenes of sin which was not in the first estate Thirdly the righteousnesse whereby legall fayth trusteth for happinesse is naturall to man inherent in the person of man and his owne but the righteousnesse of the other kynde is borrowed from an other The first kinde maketh man trust in himselfe but the secoÌ„d maketh him to renounce him selfe and to fly to Christ for righteousnesse The first kinde relyeth it selfe on the equity and iustice of god the which rewardeth the righteousnesse of the creature with life But the other flyeth to his loue and mercy in Christ the which pardoneth and saueth a sinner Rom. 4. 5. Legall fayth cannot of it selfe iustify a man it being but one part of mans holynesse called by the diuines Sanctitas Fiduciae that is the holynesse of the affectioÌ„ of trust or coÌ„fideÌ„ce or a holy confidence besides the which there is required for perfect holynesse the holynesse of hope of loue of feare of reuerence and of all the affections yea the holynesse of the will and of the mynde and to be shorte the holynesse of the wholle nature and of all the actions of man so that if we should suppose that Adam did euen in the very moment of sinning and also after he had transgressed gods commaundement still retaine this part of his holinesse to wit affiance in god yet we coulde not thinke that he did continue in the state of life which is lost by one sinne but not kept by one part of holynesse But it is farre otherwise with this euangelical fayth the which although in the owne nature it be but the holynesse of one affection namelie of confidence or affiance as legall fayth is yet it bringeth with it perfect righteousnesse or iustice making the righteousnes of Christes death to belong to the beleeuer In the which respect it is called iustifying fayth not that â—his fayth can be without some measure of â—he other parts of holynesse or giue the possession of eternall glory without perfect â—olynesse but that in the matter of our iuâ—â—ification onely faith hath force in so much â—hat he who beleeueth in the last moment â—f his life as the theefe on the crosse did Luc. â—3 42. hauing neither time to doe any one â—ood worke nor yet strength to speake one â—ood worde or yet almost to thinke a good â—ought is as surely and as fully purged â—â—om all his sinnes as he who hath liued a â—ousand yeares in the greatest measure fayth godlynesse zeale loue patience soâ—ietie chastitie humilitie and of all other â—â—rituall graces whereunto any man can atâ—â—ne in this life For inherent holynesse comâ—only called sanctification be it neuer so â—at is imperfect and therefore as little auailable for our iustification as if it were none at all For imperfect holines doth no more iustify then no holinesse doth neither is there any other account made of it before the iudgment seat of God in the matter of our iustification howsoeuer there be necessary vse of sanctification for saluation as we are hereafter to consider And yet although this one part of mans holynesse doe serue for our iustification we are not thereof to gather that we are saued by it as a parte of inherent holynesse for faith doth not iustifie vs as it is a parte of holynesse but because this affection hath by the
goodnesse of God decreeing mans saluation by this meanes this naturall propertie or qualitie to appropriate to a man Christ with his righteousnesse Lastly the first kind is easie to be had and attained vnto by supposition of perfect inherent holynesse it being agreeable to naturall reason yea there being some reliques of it in the gentils themselues who know good euil and also that the punishmeÌ„t of death is due to the one the reâ—ward of happines appointed for the other Bâ— Euangelicall fayth is supernaturall yea it contrarie to our naturall disposition and câ—â— not be attained vnto without the mighty â—â—peration of the spirite of God whereof herâ—â—after This wholle doctrine may be gathered into one summe or definition in this manner Euangelicall fayth is affiaunce in Gods promises propounding eternall saluation to all those who rely themselues wholly on the mercy of God in Christ. Or more briefly thus It is affiaunce in Christ for happines Or thus It is trust or confidence in Christ whereby his death and the righteousnesse arising thereof are appropriated to the beleeuer Nowe we are out of the seuerall parts of these definitions to search out more particularly the true nature of faith to what kynd or head it is to be referred whether it be a part of regeneration and sanctification or something diuerse from both these Secondlie what is the place and subiect of it whether the minde the wil or the affections Thirdly by what meanes it may be wrought and attained Fourthly by what signes and markes it may be knowen Fiftly whether it may be lost or no. Lastly howe it hath this force that it is of it selfe able to iustifie and to saue a man For the first Regeneration and sanctification or the newe creature or recreated holynesse or thus The newe man and holynesse signifie all one thing to wit regenerate sanctitie or in plaine English renewed holynesse so that faith if it be a part of the newe man it is a part of regeneration and of holynesse and contrariwise if it be a part of mans holinesse it is a part of regeneration of the newe man and of the newe creature That it is a part of mans holynesse we cannot doubt seeing it is a holy affection euen the affiaunce and confidence of the heart relying it selfe on God the which affection was also in Adam and therefore it is a part of regeneration and of the newe man For although there be great difference betwixt legal and euangelical faith as touching the meanes of saluation the which is in the one the iustice of God in the other his mercy yet both of them are to be referred to the same heade of mans holynesse Legall faith being a part of the created holynesse of man as Euangelicall faith is a part of his regenerated or recreated holynesse The truth hereof may easely be gathered out of the section written of faith in generall for Legall and Euangelicall faith agree in a common definition and in all those points which are there mentioned The which doth also shew vs what to thinke of the subiect of faith to wit that it is in the will of man being nothing but a holy affection of confidence trust or affiaunce If it be obiected that faith is vsually in the scripture called beleefe as infidelity is vnbeleife the which is an action not of the will but of the minde giuing assent or dissent to the worde of God we answere that beleife is put for faith or affiaunce because it doth alwayes not onely accompany it but also after a sorte beget it and is the cause of it For when as a man doth without doubting beleeue Gods promises being fully perswaded of the trueth of them he cannot choose but rely himselfe vpon them so that beleife although it cannot be separated from faith yet it may and ought to be distinguished from it If it be obiected that Euangelicall fayth cannot be made a parte of mans holynesse seeing it is not commaunded in the morall law we answere that it is commaunded in the morall law as the other kind is in that it is all one in substance with naturall faith both kindes being affiaunce in God for happinesse to be attained by the meanes of perfect holynesse and therefore both kindes are commanded in the first coÌ„maundement Iehoua shall be thy God the which law doth enioyne that all the affections of man to wit his loue feare hope reuerence and with the rest his whole affiaunce or confidence be set whollie oâ— God as well after his fall to be saued by the mercy of God in Christ as in the state of innocencie to be saued by his owne righteousnesse Yea this first precept commaundeth al men to beleeue God in his word as wel in his Gospell as in his lawe and therefore whosoeuer doth not knowe beleeue and imbrace the Gospell he doth transgresse this first commandement In the third place we are to coÌ„sider that the meanes of attaining faith is to get the knowledge of the worde of God first of the lawe which shewing sinne death and damnation doth bruse and wound the harte and secondly of the gospell which teaching faith righteousnesse saluation healeth the aforesaide woundes and comforteth the sinner with pardon of his sinne and hope of eternall life This knowledge must of necessitie goe before faith for the minde of a man must be inlightned to see the trueth before the hart and affections can loue and embrace it The meanes which God doth ordinarilie vse in bringing men to knowe his wil is the publick ministery of the word performed by men indued with spirituall gifts fit for this purpose yet as hath bene said of regeneration so we are to thinke of faith all other spirituall graces that they come not by vertue of the meanes but by the power and worke of Gods spirit without the which it is impossible that any man shoulde vnderstand beleeue and imbrace the doctrine of the Gospell But howe commeth it to passe that man being a reasonable creature indued with an vnderstanding soule whereby he is able not onely to conceiue any thing that is taught but also him selfe to inuent new things not heard of before shoulde be so brutishe and blockish in learning the worde of God We answere that this commeth of the nature of the doctrine of the gospell the which being contrary to mans reason cannot be conceaued by it Yea as soone as it is hard it is straight way reiected as absurde ridiculous and foolishe so we reade 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiueth not the things of GOD for they seeme foolishnesse vnto him neither can he perceiue them because they are spiritually discerned Thus to make instance in one point of this doctrine to wit in the resurrection from death we see Act. 17. 32. that when the wise philosophers and men of Athens harde Paul mention it they mocked him And so we are to thinke of the cheife pointes of 〈◊〉 religion For
morall lawe and therefore it belonged to man in the state of innocencie This the heathen oratour witnesseth saying All they who are in the handes and iurisdiction of any other doe feare For although they be perswaded of their loue and mercy yea of their owne innocency yet they doe consider not onely what they will doe but also what they may doe The second cause of this feare was the surpassing and incomprehensible glorie and maiestie of God the which being fully reuealed hath force not onely to astonishe and amase but also to confound and consume any creature whatsoeuer yea although the saide creature be not stained with sinne and so not subiect to the anger of God For euen as a brittle glasse being filled with some extreame strong liquor cannot but burst in sunder not because of any antipathie which is betwixt them but because the glasse is not of sufficient strength to containe the liquor So is it with the creature when God doth appeare in perfect glory in regard whereof the Angels themselues are said to couer their faces least they shoulde behold it howe much more then hath man who is but dust and ashes and whose life is in his nosethrilles iust cause of feare Yea the brute beastes and senslesse creatures themselues who neither doe nor can sinne are sayd to be affected with this feare of the glorious maiestie of God Thus we read Psal. 29. The voyce of the Lord shewing it selfe foorth in power and glory doth breake the cedars of Libanus It maketh them skip like young calues yea it maketh the desert to quake the hindes to calue the mountaines to smoke and in breife all creatures what soeuer to melte away before his face And thus did man feare God in the state of innocencie for although he had daily conuersation with God yet he knewe that as a vessel of glasse clay or any brittle matter often meeting with vessels of brasse or yron may easely get a knock and so be broken to shiuers so might he be confounded by the glory of God if God did at any time reueale the same fully vnto him Thirdly man being in his first state had iust cause to feare God in regard of the weaknes and mutability of his owne nature which might easely be ouercome with some temptation and that in regard of the freedome of his will which might easely forsake God and imbrace euill by the which meanes he should not onely be subiect to the anger of God and to eternall death but also displease and dishonor God who had shewed him selfe so louing and bountifull a father and creator vnto him Thus we see the causes of this feare nowe we are to consider the vses of it First it serued as a bridle to restraine man from falling from God by disobedience For although man in this holy estate did obey God more for loue then for feare of punishment yet it pleased God to vse all meanes possible to keepe him from sinne and therefore he propounded not onely the rewarde of life to his obedience but also the punishment of eternall death to his disobedience whensoeuer it should happen as we read Gen. 2. 17. In the day wherein thou shalt eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt incontinently die Secondly this feare serued to keepe man as froÌ„ sin so from all presumptuous bold vndecent behauiour in respect of God For we know as it is commonly saide Familiar conuersation will easelie breede contempt Lastly man was by this feare put in minde and made to acknowledge as the basenesse infirmity mutability of his owne nature so also the infinite power authority and maiesty of God Sect. 2. Of the want of feare THe third heade of mans rebellion is the want of the aforesaide feare of God for since the fall man hath no regard either of the power might and maiesty of God or yet of the weakenesse of his owne nature as he had before but conceiueth amisse both of God and of himselfe But what maruaile is it that man doth not feare in consideration of the weakenesse and mutabilitie of his nature which may fall into sinne when as he feareth not the iustice of God and his eternall anger due vnto him selfe for sinne already committed For if man in his innocencie had iust cause of feare as hath bene declared howe much more ought he being sinfull For if he being righteous is scarslie saued howe shall he nowe appeare before the iudgment seate of God being guiltie of sinne And yet man in this sinfull state hath although greater cause of feare â—et lesse feare then he had before yea in truth â—one at all but is benummed with a senselesse securitie hauing no remorse of conscience nor feare of punishment for sinnes â—ommitted neither standeth in awe of the glorious presence of God This appeareth â—oth by the testimony of scripture in many â—laces as namely Rom. 3. 18. where a carnall â—an is described by this note That he hath 〈◊〉 feare of God before his eyes as also by â—ayly experience which sheweth vs that â—ery few in the worlde doe in their actions regarde whether they be good or bad whether pleasing or displeasing to God and so whether they be such which will bring vppon the doers some heauie iudgement or no whereas if mens hartes were possessed with the feare of God they would thinke him to be alwaies present with them and to beholde their doings and so they woulde be both restrained from euill and pricked forwarde to doe good but we see it to be farre otherwise for in committing sinne men thinke that they are safe and all is well if they can doe it so secretlie as that they may auoyd the shame slaunder reproch and anger of men together with the punishment prescribed by humane lawes But we need not stand in the inlarging of this point which is so manifest Sect. 3. Of renewed feare THe third head of renewed subiection is the feare of God the which is a singular grace and hath great vse in regeneration howsoeuer it may seeme to fight with fayth and hope morâ— then it did in the state of innocency seeing that the faithfull can not loose that holy and happy state wherein they are placed and therefore need not feare any euill being not only happy but also sure to coÌ„tinue so for euer To this we answere that although the feare of eternall death and misery cannot stand with perfect faith and hope whereby life and happinesse is certainely expected yea although the faithfull neede not feare the mutability and freedome of will beeing certaine of their finall perseuerance in faith yet there are many causes by the which they ought to be moued to feare God Hither we are to referre the causes of feare in the state of innocency whereof the most ought to be of more force to moue the faithfull to feare God then they were to man in his pure estate For shall man
being in happy innocency the holy Angels being in perfect glory yea the brute and senselesse creatures feare in regard of the glorious maiesty of God and shall the faithfull being sinful and miserable not be affected therewith But we know that the seruants of God haue alwaies feared his glorious presence Thus the people of Israell make it an impossible thing that a man shoulde see the glorie of God and liue And Manach Sampsons fafather saith Iudg. 13. 22. We shall die because we haue seene God Further the faithfull are not freed from the feare which the committing of sinne bringeth with it for although they know that no sin tho neuer so hainous can depriue them of the eternal loue of God in Christ or of eternall saluation yet they ought so much the more to feare to displease or dishonour God then Adam did in his innocency because God hath shewed himselfe more louing gratious and bountifull to them in their regeneration then he did to Adam in his first creation for God sheweth his loue farre more in bringing some fewe from the common death of mankind to eternall saluation then he did in creating all in a common state of life Neyther are we to thinke that the faithfull liuing in this worlde are so exempted from sustaining the punishment of sinne as that they doe not in this regard also feare God for although if we speake properly it cannot stand with the iustice and equity of God to punish the faithfull for their sinnes the which he hath already punished to the full in the death of Christ yet the fatherly chastisements which he layeth vpon them for their great presumptuous sinnes to keepe them and others from committing the like are often so sharpe as that they doe not without cause seeme to be grieuous and fearefull punishmentes Hence it is that this sentence is annexed to those grieuous iudgementes which befell any of the people That all Israell may heare and feare the Lord. The vses of this grace are as before to restraine the faithfull from sinne for although that be true which the heathen poet saith Odâ—runt peccare boni virtutis amore oderunt peccare mali formidine poenae yet two motiues are more effectuall then one especially in this corrupt state wherein the faithfull retaining some reliques of their corrupt nature are often frayed from sinne by feare when as the loue of God is not able to restraine them Pro. 16. 6. and 3. 7. and 14. 16. A wise man feareth and escheweth euil In this respect The feare of God is called the beginning of wisedome that is of an holy and vnblameable life Psal. 10. 10. Pro. 11. 7. because the godly man doth alwaies behaue himselfe as in the presence of the great and fearefull God of heauen Hitherto the rest of the vses mentioned in the first section of this chapter are to be referred which it is not needfull to repeate Yet there is one speciall commodity which the faithfull reape by this grace to wit immunity from temporall plagues for euen as it is said of a fierce and roring Lion that in the heate of his rage he spareth those beastes which yeelding themselues to his power doe by feare and trembling aske mercy at his handes so when as God is so prouoked to anger by the sinnes of his seruantes that no praiers or vowes can pacify him yet this submisse feare of his wrath doth quench the burning heat of it by the which meanes it commeth to passe that this feare of God doth not breed any trouble or disquietnes in the minds of the godly but rather freeth them from the feare of all euill whatsoeuer and therefore to conclude this chapter euery faithfull man ought to labour with all care both to haue in his heart and to expresse in his whole life and behauiour this singular grace of the feare of God that so he may call God his feare as he is called the feare of Isaac Gen. 31. 42. 53. where Iacob doth sweare to Laban by the feare of his father Isaac that is by God whom onely and no other thing in the world Isaac feared Thus we are exhorted Heb. 12. 28. Let vs labour to please God with reuerence and feare For euen our God is a consuming fire CHAP. VII Sect. 1. Of the subiection which man in his innocency did owe to God as to his father THus we see the first part of mans subiection with the particular dueties thereof the second kind of subiection is that which the sonne oweth to the father for God was to man in the state of innocency not onely a liege Lord and soueraigne King but also a gracious and louing father and that by vertue of the first creation the which is a kinde of generation For the creator giueth being and existence to the creature as the father doth to the sonne Yet not all the creatures are in this respect to be accounted or called the sonnes of God no more then men doe account those senselesse things which they fashion and make of clay woode or any such matter to be their children although they be their workemanship and therefore there is somewhat else in man which maketh him the sonne of God to wit the likenesse or similitude of man to God for man doth resemble God so as we see the sonne doth his father not in the outward shape of his body for God hath no shape neyther can be resembled to any thing that either is or can be imagined but in the inward holines of his soule the which is called in scripture The image of God whereof more hereafter Yet this is here to be noted that although man be by his originall and naturall state the sonne of God yet he is not so his sonne as is the second person of the Godhead who partaketh the very essence of the father whereas man hath not in him any part of gods essence but onely a shadow or light resemblance of it So that the second person is the sonne of God as is the natural sonne begotten by any man and therefore is of the substance of his father not differing from him in any respect saue only that the one is the father the other the sonne but man is the sonne of God so as he who is a son by some accidentall meanes as by law by adoption by tuition by susception or by any other way beside natural procreation For these sonnes do not participate the nature essence of their fathers but only do resemble them perhaps in countenaÌ„ce conditions name or in some such outward respect whereas in nature kinde and substance they are far differing from them But to proceed Man being not a senselesse or brutish but a reasonable creature is the son of God not he onely but also all the holy Angels who being likewise indued with the image of God are called the sonnes of God Iob. 1. 6. The sonnes of God came on a
entisements in all things Lastly as touching supplication which we make the third filial duty man is so wholly alienated from God that what necessitie soeuer do pinche him he hath not either the minde or the will and as we vse to speake neither the heart nor the face once to go to God by humble prayer for helpe He flyeth to worldly meanes as to his own wisdome strength riches and friendes and if all faile yet he will rather seeke for helpe by sorcery and witchcraft at the hands of his newe father the diuell then he will by prayer call vpon the name of God Thus are all vnregenerate men affected howsoeuer in a shew of religion or as a common prouerbe they will somtimes say God helpe me or God be mercifull to me whereas in trueth they being destitute of faith haue no confidence in God neither any hope of obtaining any thing at his hand Neither is there any cause why they shoulde thinke otherwise for God doth not heare and helpe but detest and plague vnbeleeuers Sect. 3. Of filiall subiection renewed THus we see how man is altogether spoiled by the malice of Sathan of this excellent dignitie of being the sonne of God but by the mercie of God he recouereth it in the state of regeneration in as ample manner as he had it in his first creation For as all naturall men are in Adam vngratious bastardes so they become the sonnes of God in Christ not by partaking his eternall and essentiall filiation whereof no creature is capable but by being renewed and made conformable to the holinesse of his humaine nature For as man lost this dignitie by loosing the image of God to wit his perfect holinesse by vertue whereof he onely of all earthly creatures was the sonne of God so being nowe by the spirite of God restored to the saide image of God he is together restored to the dignitie of being the sonne of God Ioh. 1. 12. As many as beleeued in him to those he gaue power to be the sonnes of God For as we read 2. Pet. 1. 4. We are made partakers of his diuine nature that is of the image or resemblaunce of the diuine nature in that we fly the corruption of lust which is in the world From this prerogatiue of being the sonnes of God the scripture speaking to men according to the manner of men whose sonnes do in time enioy their fathers possessions stirreth vp the faithfull to an vndoubted expectation of eternall glory Gal. 4. 7. We are no more seruantes but sonnes and the heires of God through Christ Rom. 8. 17. If we be sonnes then are we heires the heires truly of God and the fellow heires of Christ and 1. Iohn 3. 2. We are nowe the sonnes of God although our inheritaunce doth not appeare till Christ appeare Nowe to proceed As the faithfull are restored to this dignitie so they are indued by the spirite of God with the disposition belonging to it being so affected to God as children ought to be to their naturall fathers They reuerence him aboue al thinges in the worlde in worde and deed in minde harte and in all their behauiour The great securitie and certainty which they haue of their owne good estate doth not make them any way presumptuous neither doth the familiarity which God vouchsafeth to haue with them as with freindes Ioh. 15 15. Breed in them any contempt of God but they stand continually in awe of him and of his glorious presence yeelding to him his due honour both in word deed and affection whensoeuer they haue any occasion to deale with him This we may obserue as in the other seruants of God so especially in Abraham who although he was the friend of God as he is called Iam. 2. 23. And had familiar conuersation and talke with God as one friende vseth to haue with another yet he durst not speake the second time to God in the behalfe of the Sodomites without vsing some preface of reuerence saying Gen. 18. 27. Behold I haue taken vpon me to speake to God who am but dust and ashes And againe Vers. 30 let not my lord be angrie if I speake for them This affection of the faithfull is described Psal. 123 As the eyes of the seruant are vpon his lord and as the handmaid doth modestly waite in presence of her mistris so are we affected to God Likewise for the second duty which is Imitation the faithfull man endeuoureth by all meanes to conforme himselfe to the absolute puritie and holinesse of God Whereof the Apostle hauing wise consideration vseth the examples of Christes death and resurrection as most forcible argumentes to enforce the mortification of sinne and the viuification of all holynesse in vs Rom. 6. and Eph. 5. 1. Be ye followers of God as beloued children Lastly As a sonne being pinched with any griefe or want doth straight way run to his father for reliefe so doe the faithfull in the manifolde miseries and crosses of this present life seeke for helpe at the handes of their heauenly father For the which purpose they are indued with a notable gift of God called the spirit of prayer that is the grace ability or faculty of praying wrought in them by the holy spirite This grace of God is diligently to be declared and considered for that of all the partes of mans holinesse none is a more vnfallible signe of true regeneration then is this gift of prayer whereby a man is made able willing and ready to pray aright vnto God as the present occasion doth require For this gifte consisteth of many particular graces of Gods spirit the which are needfull for the right performance of this duety and cannot be founde in any carnall man First there is required the true knowledge of those things which belong vnto the good happy state of man which is not attained but by the worke of the holy spirite Rom. 8. 26. We know not for what to pray as we ought but the spirit helpeth our infirmity For all men generally and naturally feele their temporall wants as pouerty sicknesse shame and whatsoeuer belongeth to the maintenance of this present life but as for spirituall graces as the knowledge and feare of God faith loue patience and the rest which concerne their eternall saluation they neuer trouble themselues in seeking them or are greeued for the want of them nay for the most part they neuer thinke of any such matter or knowe what these thinges meane Besides none can pray aright yea although he be enlightned with some knowledge of the spirituall state of man and haue a glimmering of the thinges belonging vnto it as a carnal man may haue vnlesse he haue true faith wherby he may be assured that god both loueth him and wil graunt his requests Rom. 10. 14. The Apostle maketh it impossible for him who doth not beleeue in God to call vpon him But the
obey the voyce of God commanding a holy life but the vnlawfull motions of his sinfull flesh Rom. 6. 16. Know ye not that to whomesoeuer you giue your selues to obey his seruantes you are whether of sinne to death or of holinesse to life Yea a carnall man is a bondslaue solde into the iurisdiction of sinne Rom. 7. 14. that looke as a slaue whome they vsed in old times as they doe still in some countries to buy with money as horse sheepe and oxen was no more his owne man as we say then were the aforesaid brute beastes but was compelled to fulfill his masters will in all thinges whether good or euill so it fareth with man who of the seruant of God is become a most vile slaue of Sathan alwaies attending his will and pleasure and performing the same with all his might and strength yea with all the faculties of his minde and the members of his body The particular functions whereof are by the Apostle cited Rom. 3. 13. Out of the olde Testament His throte is an open sepulchre his tongue speaketh nothing but deceipt his lips whereby he pretēdeth frindship haue vnder thē the poyson of Aspes his mouth full of cursing his feet swift to shed blood so all the rest of the members of a mans body haue their taske allotted vnto them the which they do not grudgingly and vnwillingly as vsually bondslaues do but most readely greedely ioyfully delighting in nothing but in that which they know pleaseth the humour of their master So that all men naturally are in a greater bondage vnder sinne then any of them is vnder their temporall maisters or owners For there is no slaue of so base a minde the which cannot be found among the brute beastes but that tho his body be oppressed and kept vnder chaines yet he desireth freedome and so he being detained against his will keepeth a free minde and will but man being in this most filthy and wretched thraldome thinketh himselfe to be in the most happy state that may be and therefore neither doth nor can desire to be freed from it Lastly as touching the third duety of a seruāt man doth not bring any aduantage of glory to God but doth dishonour him by all meanes leading his life so as if there were no God or as if he neyther could punish sinners for their wickednes nor yet doe any good to the righteous mā yet wil he nil he he shal one day glorify God in being an open spectakle of his wrath and iustice when as he shal heare that sentence pronounced againe by Christ Take this slouthfull and vnprofitable seruant and cast him into vtter darkenesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Sect. 3. Of seruile subiection renewed THus we see the wretched estate of man beeing the vassall and slaue of sinne with whome it fareth as it did with Pharaohs seruantes which had sinned against their Lord Gen. 40. For some as they liue so they die in that slauery and therfore they die eternally others to wit the faithful are pardoned restored to their former dignity insomuch that being by Christ reconciled to God they doe boldly enter againe into his presence in the which they doe alwaies stande attending his pleasure obeying his commaundements performing whatsoeuer seruice is enioyned them and so procuring Gods aduantage as good and faithfull seruants do to their earthly maisters Yet not al after the same manner in like measure For as among earthly seruantes so also in the house of God which is his church there are diuers functions and degrees of ministrations and as some seruing immediately directly about the person of their maister are in higher estimation with him so some of the faithfull do serue God in publicke functions and do in greater measure glorifie him then others do In this order are to be accounted the faithfull patriarches preistes prophets Kings magistrates Apostles and ministers whose seruice commeth neare to God and doth directly and properly enlarge his glory and therefore in lue of their long and faithfull seruice God doth rewarde them with this most honorable title calling them his seruantes Thus God calleth Abraham Gen. 26. 24. I will blesse thee for Abraham my seruants sake And Moses Iosu. 1 7. On whome this epitaphe is written Deut. 34. 5. There died Moses the seruant of the Lord. Thus God calleth Dauid often sparing Ierusalem in the midest of his anger For his seruant Dauids sake and thus are Iosua Daniell and others called And all they whose godlinesse faith and loue was greate and notable as Iob others Iob. 1. 8. Yea of late daies the church imitating God herein hath most thankfully and worthily giuen this glorious title to those who haue bene zealous in beating downe superstition and in aduancing the gospell kingdome and glory of Christ. These are gods cheife seruants and as it were the golden vessels of his house besides the which he hath other vessels of honour wherewith he is serued euen all true beleeuers true harted christians who also are Gods faithfull seruants yea although they spende all the daies of their liues in such callings as may seeme to appertaine nothing to God neither any way to set forth his glory For example in the first ages of the gospell manie Christians were bond seruants to infidels whereby it came to passe that they were continually imployed in their maisters affaires the which had no more to do with the seruice of God then darknesse hath with light yet these Christians were accounted Gods faithfull seruants in that they performed faithfull seruice to those infidels Thus we read Col. 3. 22. Seruants obey your maisters in all things not with eye seruice but in simplicitie of heart as those that feare the Lord Yea he addeth and what soeuer ye do do it not as to men but as to God knowing that ye shall receiue a reward for it of the Lord so that a godly and vpright life in what kinde soeuer it be is the true seruice of God Rom. 6. 17. Thankes be vnto God that although ye were once the seruants of sinne yet now ye are made the seruants of righteousnesse and therefore as you did before present your bodies before vncleannesse and all manner of sin readie to commit sin so now present your bodies before righteousnesse as being readie to all holynesse of life This exhortation is carefully to be followed of all that desire to be accounted the seruants of God that as whilst they were in the seruice of sinne they did no manner of seruice to God so now being the seruants of God they labour to shake cleane from their neckes the yoke of sinne For as Christ saith Math. 6. 24. We cannot serue two maisters both God and Mammon but must of necessitie cleaue to the one and forsake the other The which we cannot but do if that we consider that this new seruice is
their holinesse is imperfect 1. Cor. 13. 14. While I am a child that is while the faithfull liue in this worlde I vnderstand like a childe I thinke and speake as a childe nowe I knowe in part but then I shall knowe euen as I am knowen CHAP. III Sect. 1. Of the conscience of man in his pure estate BEside the generall knowledge whereof we haue spoken in the former chapter there is in the mind of man a particular knowledge the which for the great vse which it hath in the spirituall state of man hath a proper name giuen vnto it being called Conscience as if it were a distinct facultie of the soule whereas if we speake properlie it is nothing els but an action of the minde and the knowledge of one partilar thing to witte of mans estate before God whether he be righteous or sinfull and so consequently whether he be in the state of life or of death as the worde doth plainly signifie For conscience is sui scientia or scientia cum vel coram deo that is conscience is a mans knowledge of himselfe or a knowledg with God before God or in the presence of God And therefore we may define it thus Conscience is the opinion or perswasion of a mans minde concerning his estate before God Or thus It is the testimony or iudgmēt that the mind giueth of innocency or guiltines of righteousnes or sinfulnes of life or death So it is de fined Rom. 2. 15. To be the accusing or excusing of a mans thoughts or of his minde So that we may call the conscience the witnesse which before the tribunall seate of God being in the iudgment hall of a mans minde doth either excuse and iustifie his seuerall actions and whole life and person and so pronounce the sentence of life vnto him or else doth accuse condemne him in regard of sin committed and so adiudge him to eternall death Thus much of conscience ingenerall now as touching the conscience of man in his pure estate we cannot doubt but that it did wholly iustifie him being as then without any spot of sinne from this true excusing conscience commeth confidence whereby man is imboldened to conuerse in the presence of God to heare him speake to see his glory and so to haue a kinde of familiaritie with him as man had in his innocencie where as an accusing conscience breedeth feare shame as we see plainlie in Adam who so soone as he had sinned was compelled by this accusing witnesse for there was no other to accuse him to runne into a hole and hide himselfe among the trees when he perceaued God to be present but hereof more in the next section Lastly if it be asked how conscience can be made a part of mans conformitie to God seing as it may seeme there is no such thing in God we anwere that conscience to wit this clearing conscience hath place in God who in him selfe and before himselfe doth see and knowe himselfe to be puritie and holinesse it selfe and so free from all shadow of sinne Sect. 2. Of a corrupt conscience AS touching mans conscience in his corrupt estate this must of necessitie be granted that where the whole is corrupted there euerie seuerall part is corrupted and therfore seing the whole knowledge of mans minde is darkned with blindnesse this particular knowledge must needs be in the same case so that nowe the conscience is a false witnes and doth iudge of right and wrong of life and death so as a blind man iudgeth colours saying that blacke is white and white is blacke that euill is good and good euill and yet as the minde is not so wholly blinded but that there remaine in it some reliques of knowledge trueth and light So the conscience hath his part as well of this light as of the aforesaide darknesse and by vertue thereof doth sometimes speake the trueth euen as the greatest liers vse to doe First of the false witnesse of the conscience because this is more common then of the true testimony of it The false testimonie of the minde or conscience is of two kindes the first and most vsual kinde is when as it doth falsly excuse the second is when it doth falsly accuse The first hath place in all those who thinke that to be no sinne which is a sinne in the sight of God And it is of two kindes for either it doth not accuse a man where it shoulde accuse him or else it doth iustifie and absolute him for that for the which it shoulde condemne him The first may be seene in all those in whose opinon and iudgment that is no sinne which is accounted sinne in the sight of God as namely in them who being therefore called libertines but as it is saide of them are too shamefully licentious thinke that there is no sinne and that they may doe what they list And so are not checked by their consciences no not when they commit most hainous sinnes This kinde of a false excusing conscience is in those also who thinke originall sinne to be no sinne or not to deserue eternal death or who doe any way extenuate the hainousnesse of sinne thinking some sins to be veniall in their owne nature And also in them who thinke wicked thoughtes or vaine wordes to be no sinnes Lastly this conscience is in a manner in all vnregenerate men especially in those who liuing a ciuill and honest life free from grosse sinnes as adulterie murther theft periurie and such other thinke themselues iust before the iudgment seate of god This presumptuous opinion was in the pharisies who had a great conceite and made no smal bragges of their owne righteousnesse as we may see Luc. 18. 20. And also Mar. 10. 20. in one of their schollers who was not ashamed to affirme and that before the face and visible presence of God that he had kept all the commaundements of the morall lawe and that not onely in some part of his life but continually euen from his youth vp Yea this is the fond opinion of most men who thinke themselues to be no sinners because they are not notorious malefactors to fulfill the law of God because they doe keepe the lawes of men to be innocent and iust before God because they liue irreproouably as very fewe doe in the eyes of men But this is a very fearefull and dangerous estate and that which is the cause of most mens destruction for they neuer seeke to know the gospel and to haue remission of their sinnes in Christ because this their flattering and lying conscience doth beare them in hande that they are righteous enough of themselues and therefore neede not to be clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ as we read Reuel 3. 17. They say with themselues euery one in his owne minde I am rich want nothing where as indeed they are wretched poore blind naked altogether sinfull and in the state of eternall
sins being thereto caried by the force of tēptation as in a great tempest by a mightie gale of winde before they could be thinke themselues what they were about to doe or what would be the issue of it Whereof it commeth that this decrease of holinesse staying it selfe in one or a few actions doth not necessarily argue any inward want of the contrarie grace or anie inward decrease of holinesse either going before or following after because a man may fall into it as of a sudden before he be aware and immediatly recouer his former station by true and vnfained repentance As we are not to iudg either Dauid voide of continencie for that adulterie committed with Berseba or Peter to haue wanted faith because he did at one time renounce the faith or Noah to haue beene an intemperate person because he was once drunke no more then we are to thinke him a weake man who stumbleth by chaunce at a blocke lying in his way and yet doth streight way saue himselfe from falling Yea sudden sinne may be with greater graces then they haue who are free from the aforesaide sinnes of Noah Lot Dauid Peter being farre inferior in holinesse to them Yet it is the dutie of all who professe themselues the seruāts of God to labour by all meanes to keepe themselues pure and free as from the least and most secret sin so especially from open grosse sins and that for these causes First because by them they dishonour God his religion worshippe and name opening the mouthes of Atheistes and infidels to blaspheme his holy name the which thing ought to be more grieuous and bitter vnto them then a thousand deathes and torments Secondly they prouoke God to lay some fearefull punishment vppon them who howsoeuer he suffereth the reprobate ones to goe on all their life time in sinne yet he neuer suffereth any notorious sinne of his seruantes to goe vnpunished Thirdly they wound their owne consciences by a feareful expectation of Gods heauie iudgmentes they grieue the holy spirite against whose will they commite that sinne they offend their brethren shewing themselues to be if not wholly destitute of that speciall grace wherewith they shoulde haue bene restrained from sinne yet but weake Christians in that respect as we may be bold to iudge that the faith of Peter the continency of Dauid the temperaunce of Noah were at the time of their falles but weake howsoeuer they were endued with a great measure of other graces Lastly one hainous sin is to be auoyded because vsually it draweth moe after it for when as a man hath once taken a tast of sinne and felt the sensuall sweetnes of it he is farre more easely drawen to it then he was before and so he goeth frō the first degree of the decrease of holynes to the second namely to an habit of some one sin or the want of some particular grace the which appeareth by the often committing and iterating of the same sinne yea after that the faithfull man hath often by repentaunce laboured to purge himselfe from that sinne and by prayer to obtaine the contrarie grace at the handes of God This decrease also hath somtimes place in a man truely regenerate especially in that kinde of sinne whereunto he is either by the naturall constitution of his body and minde or an euill custome gotten before his conuersion naturally enclined whether it be pride anger couetousnesse or any other sinne But as it is farre more grieuous then the first degree so it is with greater care to be avoyded for it doubleth and tripleth the wrath and heauy iudgementes of God the offence of the godly the reproach of the gospell the dishonour of God and the corsiue of a gnawing conscience and Lastly it maketh a ready way for higher degrees of decrease to wit the habites of diuers sinnes the want of many particular graces and so to the highest and most fearefull degree which is a generall decrease of holynesse which is nowe briefly to be declared Where first we are to put a difference betwixt a generall and a totall decrease A generall decrease is when all the partes of renewed holynesse and of spirituall graces receaued are diminished but a totall decrease is an vtter decay of holinesse as whereby nothing is left This can not happen to any one who is truely regenerate who in the greatest extremitie and depth of his fall retaineth some reliques of Gods spirite and of grace receaued yea somelife of faith whereby he liueth to God in christ howsoeuer he be to the eyes of all men and euen in his owne coscience a deade rotten stocke Euen as we know that the trees haue heate and life in their rootes in the middest of the coldest and sharpest winter yea as many beastes ly all the winter long in holes of the earth without eating drinking stirring or hauing any iotte of heate sense or life in any of their outwarde partes and yet there is a remnant of life and of heat lurking in the hearte which being in sommer stirred vppe doth reuine the beast so that it is able to go or runne vp and downe and to performe all naturall actions in the same manner as it did before This Christ doth plainely teache Ioh. 4. 14. saying Whosoeuer drinketh of the water which I shall giue him that is whosoeuer beleeueth in me as it is expounded Iohn 7. 38 shall neuer be more a thirst but the water that I will giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life and 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not totally for the seed of God remaineth in him and therefore he can not fall cleane away from God because he is borne of God yet a man regenerate may decrease not onely in one in a fewe or in many graces but also generally in all spirituall graces This decrease of renewed holynesse is of two kindes for as of bodilie diseases some begin at the hart which is the roote and fountaine of life in the body and so spreade themselues ouer all the members of the body others haue their beginning in some outwarde and inferiour partes and pierce in till that they come to the hearte so of these generall decreases of holynesse which are as grieuous diseases of the soule some begin at faith which is the roote and fountaine of spirituall life and so hauing stopt the fountaine doe easily drie vp the streames issuing from it others begin at the meaner and baser partes of sanctification and so first kill the fruite then the braunches and the body of the tree til at length they take hold of the roote it selfe Both these waies doth sathan vse to destroy this wounderfull worke of regeneration wrought in the faithfull by the spirite of God The first way is the nearest and readiest for if faith once faile all holinesse falleth to the grounde whereas faith may stand in some sorte although most of the
worldly polices and shifts by the which a man flattereth himselfe in that palpable decrease as if he were in as good an estate as euer he was So that we may compaire the decrease of faith to a violent feuer the which as it may soone kill a man so it may soone be amended but this latter kinde is like vnto a lingering consumption wherein as a man pineth away by little and little not on a suddaine but liuing in it for the space of many yeares so he cannot be cured of it but in some longe space because it is so confirmed in all the members of his body Yet both these kindes of decreases are most fearefull conditions and those from the which it standeth euery Christian in hande dayly to desire the Lorde for his mercy sake in Christ to deliuer him and rather to take him out of this world being in the state of perfect godlinesse then to suffer him to fall so grieuously as no doubt he doth to many of his deare seruauntes Lastly it may here be asked what is the issue of these great falles which happen to the faithfull whether they continue in them till death or else recouer their former estate We aunswer that God as he doth for a time humble them vnder the tiranny of sinne Sathan and their owne corrupt fleshe so he doth in his good time shewe forth the powerfull and mighty vertue of his holy spirit which all this while lyeth lurking in the heartes of the faithfull being in the first moment of their regeneration giuen vnto them as an vnseparable guide and ruler to bring them through the manifolde temptations of Sathan and the hinderaunces of their saluation to the glorious presence of God in heauen By this meanes it commeth to passe that the faithful man doth after long struggling with his enimies yea after that he hath bene a long time in bondage vnder them yea cleane dead in outward appearaunce not onely recouer his former degree of holinesse but also become more strong in all spirituall graces then he was before as we reade Es. 40. 29. God will giue strength to him that is cleane wearied so that he shal goe from strength to strēgh renew his age as doth the eagle he shall bring fourth more fruite in his age and become more zealous in seruing God then he was at any time before Yet sometime it pleaseth God to make an end of these spirituall conflictes not by withdrawing the force of the temptation from the faithfull but by taking them frō it out of this worlde which is the kingdom of sathan to that state wherein they shall no more be troubled with any such temptation as may endaunger their saluation So that the faithfull doe sometimes departe this life as in the middest of temptation so in the decrease of holinesse Yet we are not to doubt of their saluation for he that is once engrafted and vnited to Christ by a true faith as all the regenerate are whether he dy in a holy life or in some sinne whether in repentaunce or in impenitency whether in full assuraunce of faith or in much doubting yea although he seeme to despaire of himselfe alwaies he dieth in Christ and therefore in the fauour of God and in the state of eternall life For in the greatest decrease of holinesse which can befall to a faithfull man there remaineth some sparkes of grace but especially the loue of God of his glory and of his children will shewe it selfe and also the roote of faith otherwise perhaps inuisible in the greatest agonie or tempest of temptation whatsoeuer CHAP. VIII Of the encrease of renewed holinesse AS in the naturall birth of man his body commeth into the worlde not so greate and strong as afterwarde it becommeth but little weake and impotent so in the spirituall birth of regeneration the soule of man is not in the first moment indued with perfection but with a small measure of renewed holinesse from the which it is to growe and goe on forwarde to a perfect estate For the first act of regeneration doth put into the faculties of the soule not the actuall habit of spirituall graces but the seedes and beginning of them which are continually to be increased by the worde and spirit of God Hence it is that the newe man in the faithfull hath his infancie wherein the graces of gods spirite are as yet in small measure In the which respect it is compared to a graine of mustard seede which being at the first the least of all seeds becommeth verie great and to leauen which at the first is in some one parte onely of the dowe but in time spreadeth it selfe ouer the whole lump This meannesse of spirituall strength appeareth euen in the Apostles themselues whome being as yet his disciples and schollers Christ doth often put in minde of the weakenesse of their faith Ioh. 6. 12. I haue many thinges to say vnto you but ye can not beare them now And Act. 19. 2. There were at Ephesus certaine beleeuing disciples who were so weake in knowledge that they were ignoraunt of the holy Ghost Likewise the Apostle writeth to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 3. 1. 2. That he coulde not speake vnto them but as vnto babes in Christ not in knowledge but in practise and there fore coulde not giue vnto them any stronge meate but onely milke to drinke Of this weakenesse in capacitie and knowledge there is mention made Gal. 4. 19. Rom. 6. 19. Hereof commeth weaknesse in faith Rom. 14. And also necessarily the weaknesse of all the other partes of holinesse wherein no Christian ought to rest as contenting himselfe with that small measure of grace but ought rather to be caried forwarde to perfection Especially seing that this state of spirituall infancy is easely ouerthrowne and brought to nothing by the malice of sathan it being weake and not able to resiste the force of temptation And therefore although some doe abide longe in this weake estate and perhaps end their dayes in it yet vsually God giueth to those who are truely regenerate a daily increase a newe supply of grace insomuch that in a competente time they become of ripe age and of perfect strength in Christ. Wherevnto a christian is then come when as he is not destitute of any grace needfull for the performance of any christian duty but leadeth a life in euery respect holie and vnblamable proceeding from those spirituall graces which haue bene described in the third Sections of the first and second partes of this treatise And yet this perfect estate of a christian is not the highest degree of grace which may be attained in this life for besides and beyond that measure of grace which the faithfull doe ordinarely attaine vnto it pleaseth God to endue some of his seruantes with a more plentifull abundaunce of all spirituall graces as he promiseth Math. 25. 29. That to him that hath there shall more be
giuen and hee shall haue abundaunce And it is said of diuers in the booke of the Acts that they were full of faith and of the holy ghost This abundance in the minde is called Plerophoria a certaine and vndoubted perswasion said to be in Abraham Rom. 4. 21. Hereof cometh abundaunce of faith of loue Rom. 5. 3. and 15. 13. and of all graces as 1. Thess. 1. 3. the Apostle mentioneth the worke of their faith their laborious loue and their patient hope And 2 Thess. 1. 3. that their faith superaugescit that is encreaseth aboue the common and ordinarie measure and that their loue did abounde accordingly This aboundaunce of grace is to be seene in the prophets Apostles martyrs and many other of the seruantes of God who therefore are made types and patterns for vs to imitate and set before our eyes as lanternes full of light and as shining and blazing starres that we might both admire and labour to ouertake them in their excellent graces and especially in their particular vertues For thus the scripture mentioneth the vprightnesse of Enoch who walked with God in all his waies the patience of Iob. Iam. 5. 11 the faith of Abraham the meeknesse of Moses the courage of Iosua the faithfulnesse of Samuel the absolute perfection of Dauid being a man according to Gods owne hearte the wisdome of Salomon the zeale of Phinies Iosias and many others Thus Paule mentioneth his owne painefulnesse in preaching the gospel to be farre aboue the labours of the rest of the Apostles Thus he sayeth Rom 16. 7. That Andronicus and Iunia were men notable among the Apostles and of Timothie that none was like to him in faithful labour and care for the good of the church Philip. 2. 20. The notes and markes whereby this abundaunce may be knowen are these a burning zeal of gods glorie of setting forwarde his worship and gospel a vehement hatred of idolatrie and all shadowes of superstition a tender and bountifull loue toward the godly a minde vndaunted with any torment death or miserie a constant course of godlinesse in all outward chaunges whatsoeuer as the Apostle sayeth of him selfe Philip. 4. 13. That he coulde want and abounde be full and empty and that he coulde do all thinges a life free from any grosse sinne an extraordinary contempt of all worldly pleasures Lastly a manner of freedom from being either ouercome or almost tempted by any grosse sinne For although the corruption of flesh and the impudencie of Sathan who was not ashamed to tempt Christ to commit sin be so great that no man be he nener so holy may lay away his weapons and be secure in respect of temptations yet by the blessing of God and a long practise of all godlinesse the faithfull come sometimes to such a surpassing strength in grace that as the couragious horse going into the battel scorneth the feareful sounds noyse of the trumpets so this godly man wherof we speake in this chapter laugheth at the temptations of Sathan and the entisementes of the world yet not presuming on his owne strength but relying himselfe wholly on the mighty power of the spirite of God The meanes of attaining to this high degree of holinesse is to seeke it by earnest prayer at the handes of God from whom onely commeth euery good and perfect gift But the meanes which God vseth in giuing it are diuerse some good some euil in themselues and therefore not to be vsed by vs of the first sort are all holy exercises appointed by God for the begetting continuall encrease of grace to the carefull diligent long and continuall vse whereof God doth often graunt this happie successe euen as he blesseth the diligent and painfull hand with greate plenty in temporall thinges Of the second sort is the abundaunce of sinne before regeneration the which it pleaseth God some time to chaunge into this abundaunce of grace as we see that the highest floudes follow the lowest ebbes This God doth to make manifest the great power and efficacy of his spirit in renewing the elect which is able to bringe the greatest measure of holinesse out of the greatest wickednes as cleare light out of palpable darkenes This Christ teacheth vs. Luk. 7. 41. In the parable of the two debters whereof the greater had greater cause and also a greater measure of loue And in the example of the woman verse 47. Who loued much because many sinnes were forgiuen vnto her sowhere sinne doth abound there grace aboundeth much more Yea for this purpose God doth sometimes vse the hote fiercenesse of affections and the violent disposition of nature the which as of it selfe it carieth a man headlong into the most outragious sinnes so being sanctified by Gods spirite it becommeth the whetstone of holinesse Thus was the Apostle Paule both naturally and spiritually affected and therefore being an infidell he was a most superstitious pharisie more then mad in persecuting the church and becomming a faithfull man passed all others in vnquenchable zeale of Gods spirite Lastly as touching this abundance of grace no man can attaine so high a degree of it as that he may sitte downe as being at his iorneis end but as the greater riches that a man hath the greater is his gaine desire and encrease of riches so the more holinesse that any man hath the more carefully ought and the more fruitfully may he laboure in encreasing it Phil. 3. 13. Brethren saieth the Apostle I count not that I haue attained vnto any such perfection But still I doe forget that which is behinde and endeuore my selfe to that which is before That is I doe not minde that holinesse which I haue already receaued but doe continually thinke on that which I doe want as yet CHAP. IX Of celestiall holinesse ALthough we haue now gone as far in declaring the renewed holinesse of man as any man can in this worlde either in hauing or in practising it yet we are not here to rest as being come to the end of our iorney For if the aforesaid aboundaunce of spirituall graces which be it neuer so great cannot possibly be voide of sinne be absolutelie the highest degree this inconuenience which is in no wise to be admitted would of necessitie follow that man doth not in regeneration recouer as good a state and as great a measure of holinesse by the mercy of God in christ as he had in his first creation and lost by his owne sinne in Adam And therefore we are to goe on a little further in this treatise and in our desire till we come to such an absolute perfection of renewed holinesse as is free from the least spot of sinne whatsoeuer This perfection may without all question yea must necessarely be attained vnto For man can not be perfectly happie by enioying the presence of God into the which nothing being sinfull can enter as long as he is imperfectly holy Yet he