come to Christ the Dignation and Grace which he giueth to Infantes Which Vocation is the introduction into our state of saluation in this present life Wherfore vsually the Apostles in the frontispire forehead of their letters to the Churches speake of this Vocation Rom. 1.7.8 1. Cor. 1.2 inscribing and entitling them Saintes by calling Therefore it must needes be that whosoeuer be Elected in Christ be at their appoynted time effectually called and drawne vnto him 3. The third benefite of God and effect and proofe of our Predestination proper onely to the Elect is Fayth without which Heb. 11.6 in the testimonie of the Apostle it is impossible to please God For by this we are incorporated into Christ we are made members of his body without which Fayth no flesh can be saued In Infantos the action of Fayth which is a knowledge of Christ and confidence in him is not as not capable thereof in respect of their age but they haue notwithstanding the Spirit and life of Fayth which in processe of time will breake foorth as those Scripture pâ—aces prooue which teach That Saluation commeth to all by Fayth and how that without Fayth it is altogeather impossible for any to please God That this is the effect and fruite of Election the Apostle perspiciously and openly deliuereth 1. Cor. 7.25 where he witnesseth of himselfe that hee obtained mercie of the Lord that is in his sacred and secret decree of Predestination to be faythfull Wherefore whosoeuer are Predestinated to eternall life in Christ they are elected to this Fayth the effect thereof and therefore perforce they must at last beleeue in Christ 4. The fourth benefite and effect is Justification that is the free remission of our sinnes and the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ So that the forme of Iustification is as it were a kind of translation of our sinnes to Christ and of Christs righteousnesse to vs by reason of this diuine imputation It is stiled The Righteousnesse of Christ because it is out of vs and it is in the humanitie of Christ as in the subiect This naturally followeth Fayth at the heeles inasmuch as those that are endowed with this Fayth are therewithall also Iustified That this Iustification is an effect of Election Rom. 8.30 the Apostle insinuateth by setting it vpon the head of our Vocation adioyned to Predestination immediatly before Now this is not effected in vs while wee are in this world but in the Pardon of our sinnes and in the imputation of his perfect obedience to vs. 5. The fift benefit and effect is Regeneration and Sanctâ—fication by the Spirit while we become New creatures by him and so the Sonnes of God not onely by Adoption but by regeneration also For Christ when he Iustifieth vs he not onely remitteth our vnrighteousnesse and imputeth his obedience vnto vs but also taketh away our heart of Stone giueth vs his owne heart of Flesh vnto vs putteth off our Old man and cloatheth vs with his New one and strippeth vs of our inward corruption and maketh vs pertakers of his owne Nature and so indeed of the Sonnes of Men maketh vs the Sonnes of God and Brethren vnto him Wherefore wee are sayd to be Predestinated by Iesus Christ Ephes 1.4.5 Ioh. 8.6 That wee should be holy and without blame befo e him And hence is this saying of our Sauiour That which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit 6. From this roote springeth the sixth Branch of our Election which is The loue of Righteousnesse and hatred of Sinne For in Regeneration there is Toâ—mâ—â—rs a quo et termanus aâ— qâ—m An auersion from sinne and a conuersion to God the mortification of the old â—â—â—am and the viuification of the New the alteration of affections of Nature corrupted into the affections of Diuine nature by the Holy ghost sanctified which is noted in their Walke of which the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8 1. which is Nâ—â— aâ—ter the flesh but after the spirit And in the distaste their Stomackes take of carnalities They saâ—â—ur not the thâ—â—â— of the Flesh but of the spirit Now the first affectes of the Flesh are Loue of sinne which is the Câ—ncupiscence of the fl sh and so on the contrarie side The hatred of Righteousnesse and of the Law of â—oâ— which are not of the Father but of the World For that which properly is spoken of Christ 〈◊〉 5 8. Thou hast loued Righteousnesse and hated â—â—quitie is not improperly vnderstood of all that are the members of Christ wherefore Dauid who beareth the person of all the Elect and expresseth their disposition 〈◊〉 3. saith of himselfe J haue â—oued thy Law Thy Lâ—◠〈◊〉 within my heart J hate all these that are workers of iniquitie J will not sit among the Wicked Such affections S. Paul deliuereth vs. J delight in the Law of God concerning the Inner man that is Rom. 7.23 as I haue an inward and a better birth 7. Now these two Affections the first fruites of Regeneration beget the seuenth Effect Aâ— endeaâ—our to doe Good workes that is to forsake Sinne and to fulfill the Law For hee that hateth any thing from his heart hee shunneth and auoydeth it all that he may And so of the other side hee that inwardly loueth a thing hee pursueth it with the hottest contention that can be This distinctioÌ„ of theirs in these two opposite coÌ„ditions the Apostle thus speaketh of He that doth righteousnes is righteous 1. Ioh 3.7 as he is righteous Hee that committeth sinne is of the Devill For the Deuill sinneth from the beginning Now Christ came into the World to dissolue the workes of the Deuill in the Elect But in the Reprobate he suffereth them to remaine still as they are because he was neuer stated in them they were not giuen him of his Father to be purged regenerated saued Wherefore Christ being preordinated to performe all these workes and no good thing is done in vs which was not in Christ prepared for vs from all eternitie it is more then manifest that our sollicitude of good works is the effect of our Election This the Apostle sheweth plainely where he sayth Eâ—liâ— 2 1â— Wee are creâ—ted in Christ Iesus vnto goâ—◠〈◊〉 which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them This duetie as more then necessarie is commended and commaunded vs by Saint Pâ—ter 2. Pet. 1.10 in this precept hee prescribeth vs Giue diligence to make your Calling and Election sure that is by Good workes as many coppies haue it For to whom should we make it sure Not to God for it was sure to him before all worldes but to our selues and neighbours 8. Now because while we seeke the glorie of God and are carefull of Good works and we refuse to fashion our selues according to this world in the lustes and sinnes thereof the Flesh the World and the Deuill combine and hange togeather like the Skales
is Fallacia non cauâ—ae in the Minor For we are commaunded to feare not by doubting of Grace but by auoyding of sinne pride and displeasure of God Thirdly those threates and terrours are indefinite peculiarly respecting Hipocrites lurking in the Church who beleeue and stand by that Fayth onely Quae creatur which is beleeued in the profession of the doctrine but they doe not beleeue stand in the Fayth Qua creaâ—tur in the which it is beleeued that is in the assuraunce of the heart Now of such onely is the Minor to be taken and so wee giue them the whole argum nt of such as are truely faythfull it is false The Consequent raysed out of this sentence to the Pâ—â—iapâ—â—ta 〈◊〉 VVorke your situation with feare and trembling Therefore the faythfull may feare their fall Beeing applyed to the feare that is cautelous and carefull is not to be denied For the faythfull must feare that is take heed they fall not and foresee that they plunge not themselues through securitie into vtter perdition This feare Fayth it selfe naturally doth beget and this Care is the Tribute that is due vnto it But as it considereth the feare of doubt and distrust of Gods grace the Antecedent is vntrue for the Apostle by exhorting men to such feare should derogate from the Promises of God and to giue the lye vnto him Therefore both Bellarmine and Stâ—pleton doe but wrangle with the Apostles argument This feare of working of our saluation is not in respect of Gods mercie forgiuing our sinnes but in respect of vs and our nature which is euer apt to turne aside from God There is a threefold feare 1. Of Nature 2. Grace 3. Distrust 1. That of Nature is that whereby the nature of man is troubled with that which any way striueth against it and therefore auoydeth it 2. Feare of Grace is that mother Grace of all others which Salomon calleth The beginning of Wisedome and it is a kind of awe or reuerence vnto God as considering how wee are in the presence of God in all thinges wee doe 3. Feare of Distrust is that melancholie and cruell feare that stabbeth the heart with the sword of Gods Iudgements in the sense and sight men haue of their sinnes without hope of recouerie The first of these three was good by Creation Marc. 14. and therefore our Sauiour was not free of this for it is written of him Hee began to feare The third is naught called a Seruile feare The second is that which is so often commended and commaunded vnto vs in these and such like authorities of Scripture whose nature is onely to make vs more warie and heedfull of our selues that wee runne not into sinne while we consider our owne Infirmities and Gods eternall Iudgementes And this kind of feare as well as the first agree well enough with the certaintie of Fayth and can stand togeather In one and the same respect they will not combine but in some diuersitie of Nature and Reason they goe hand in hand togeather The Saintes of God on the one side are smitten with feare while they recount their so manie and so fearefull falles and withall consider how the mouth of the Law condemneth sinne the hand of God striketh it how he spared not Angels Kingdomes Cities nay not his owne Sonne being in the similitude of sinfull flesh On the other side while they regard the Promises of God and called to minde the tender mercies of God which haue been euer of old they receiue comfort and expell all feare and they set sure foote in the Sanctuarie of the Lord. Diuerse causes breed diuerse effectes in the mindes of men A man that is in the toppe of an exceeding high Tower while his minde is intent vnto nothing else but how he may be in danger to fall and so wholly looketh downeward he cannot but feare but while hee considereth that the place where he standeth hath such Battlementes about and that hee is so mured in with a Wall that hee can not fall hee easily doth ridde himselfe of this feare 6. The sixt Obiection is thus mooued To beleeue that our sinnes are forgiuen vs is no Article of our Beliefe and therefore wee haue nothing to doe to beleeue it I answere them it is vnder these words I beleeue the forgiueness of sinnes I conclude it thus The Diuell beleeueth generally and ingrosse that God pardoneth the Church their sinnes but we are to wade further into the Fayth then the Diuell and apply this remission of sinnes euerie one of vs particulerly to our owne soules If the Papistes will not haue their Catholicke sayth to be better then the Diuels let them for all vs keepe their Fayth to them selues 7. The seuenth Obiection standeth thus In respect of Gods Mercie wee must hope for Saluation but in respect of our vnworthinesse wee must doubt the Promise of the Remission of our sinnes not being independant but conditionall thereafter according as our workes be Wee answere first Wee may not at all lawfully doubt of Gods Mercie because doubtfulnesse is not of the nature of Fayth but rather a naturall corruption 2. If wee consider our owne vnworthinesse it is out of all doubt we must be out of all hope and despaire of our saluation S. Paul teacheth Gal. 5.10 They which are of the workes of the Law are vnder the curse And so he speaketh in his owne case of his owne workes of grace 1. Cor. 4.4 Jn this I am not iustified So Dauid being out of all doubt of his owne deserued damnation sayth ingeniously thus Enter not into Iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for no flesh shall be iustified in thy sight Also the regard of our owne vnworthinesse is no preiudice to the resolutioÌ„ of Gods mercie in Christ For true Fayth maketh an entrance vnto God with boldnesse euen for those persons that are vnworthy in themselues The Centurion that confessed himselfe vnworthy vnder whose roose Christ might enter Math. 8.8 Luc. 15.1 yet is a suppliant to Christ for his Seruant The Prodigall Sonne that acknowledged himselfe a capitall sinner against Heauen Luc. 18.10.13 and his father yet tooke vp good heart went to his father The Publicane smote his heart pronouÌ„ced him selfe a sinner at al hands yet doubted he not to goe into the Temple to pray that his sinnes might be forgiuen him Our Fayth should be as the Fayth of Abraham Who beleeued vnder hope against hope whatsoeuer our vnworthinesse be neuer to cast downe the Sheild of the Fayth which we haue towardes God which defendeth the place where the heart doth lie and the Helme of Saluation which couereth our head in the day of Battell Fayth consisteth not so much in the sense of Gods mercie as in the apprehension of it which apprehesion may be when there is no sense of it Iob. 13.13 This appeareth by Jobes example where he sayth Though he slay mee yet I will trust in him Where
certaintie of fayth boldly Heb. 10 35. that we may receiue Mercie find Grace to helpe in time of need Ioh. 3. And wee Cast not away that confidence which hath great recompence of reward Our Fayth is not onely in Cognitio a but in Agnition likewise in acknowledgement as well as in knowledge Inquisitiue fellowes like Nichodemus â—oh 3. puts vp questions How can this thing be or as the Jewes that came in properly with their spoake â—oh 6. How can he giue vs his flâ—sh to eate by beeing thus busie euidently doe bewray themselues that they doe not beleeue Wee may lawfully aske of the virgin Marie how this may bee that wee may be instructed But we may not come with Interrogatories in the case to nourish doubtinges 3. Thirdly albeit Fayth it selfe be the same and common to all yet is it not so in the measure of it But in some it is of greater in some of lesser quantitie As God hath dealt to euery man the measure of Fayth Rom. 12.3 The Seede that was throwne vpon the good Ground came not vp alike but in seuerall plottes verie disproportionably in some thirtie in some sixtie in some an hundred fold It is with Fayth as it is with the body of man First we are Infantes then we increase in yeares and strength We are first Infants in Christ Iesu and by degrees grow from Grace to Grace vntill wee come at last to that height strength as wee grow strong in the Fayth with Abraham There is a Positiue and a Superlatiue Fayth The Positiue is that which otherwise is tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A litle Fayth Qâ—â—â—dâ—â— rather then Quantum sampled by our Sauiour to the graine of Mustard seed the least of all Seedes Math. 17.20 which being put into the ground groweth into First an Hearbe 2. the greatest of all Hearbes 3. yea into a Tree 4. into such a broad Tree as the Birdes of the Heauen make their nestes in the branches thereof compared by the Prophet Isay to smoakie Flaxe Isa 42.3 The Superlatiue Fayth is that which is otherwise stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An absolute Assurance as not being onely a certaine and true perswasion but plenarie compleate But this least degree of Fayth of this Positiue kind this beginning or rudiment of Fayth this smoakie Flaxe which hath no Fire in it of that weaknesse as it giueth neither heate nor light Christ will not quench but will make it gather strength and waxe into a Fire so that we will doe our part and vse the meanes that serue to increase it by diligent meditation vpon the word of God earnest and ardent Prayer and such other holy exercises appertaining to the furtheraunce of our Fayth This litle Fayth may be thus described when one in the humilitie of his heart hath not yet a sense of the certaintie of the remission of his sinnes and yet notwithstanding perswadeth him selfe that they are such as may be forgiuen him his soule desyring forgiuenesse of them and therefore prayeth vnto God that he would forgiue them and giue him strength euer after to forsake theÌ„ The Superlatiue Fayth is the full strength and maturitie of Fayth which dissolueth all doubtes and is not onely in nature certaine but also a large and plentifull perswasion of Gods mercie in Christ of which we gaue you examples before in Abraham and Paul By the first Fayth intricated with doubts men doe as certainly beleeue their Adoption as the Articles of their Fayth but not so firmely and fully By this larger Fayth remission of sinnes is not onely as certainely but also as fully beleeued as any Article of Fayth To end Obiections so our first Question we will iustifie our Doctrine by suffrages of Fathers because it is obiected to vs by our Aduersaries that this poynt of the infallible and speciall certaintie of â—â—â—ction is generally disauowed and conâ—â—mned by the Fathers though otherwise 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ters of Fayth wee hang not on their sâ—â—enes the word of God being the onely rule and square of our beliefe Securâ— estote 〈◊〉 et sanguis sayth Tertullian Tertull de 〈◊〉 â—â—ctione Let flesh and blood be secure and take out their Quiâ—â—â—s est Would ye know why wee should be secure Ambrose telleth you that you haue good cause so to be Ambros iâ— cap. 4. et 5. ad Rom. Securj quia credunt securj â—xemplo Abrahamae They are secure because they doe beleeue they are secure after the example of Abraham So doth S. Augâ—stine Aug. de vâ—rbâ— domini sermâ—â— Sâ—â—â—es 〈◊〉 reâ—â—oâ—e seâ—uâ—â— de proâ—â—ssiâ—â—e Secure in our Pardon secure in the Promise that is made to vs. To whom subscribeth 〈◊〉 De quadrip in tit pag. 2. 3 as he is cited by Cassalius In paâ—â—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 de â—â—â—â—â—mtione veniae s◠〈◊〉 In the penitent person a certaine securitie is begotten out of the presumption of a Pardon And Augustine August in Psal 39. liketh well this Presumption Thou praesumpâ—â— â—ed mo erata It is a good Presumption but moderate Heare further what Augustine Aug. de verbiâ— Dominâ— sermo 7. sayth Jnterâ—â—go te peccator credis ne Christo velnoâ— Dâ—câ—â— credo quia creus Quod liberè â—otest tibere â—ttiâ—re omnia tua peâ—catâ— â—aâ—os quod 〈◊〉 I demaund of thee O sinner Beleeuest thou in Christ or not Thou tellest me thou beleeuest I aske next what doest thou beleeue Thou answerest that hee can pardon thee all thy sinnes Thou hast that which thou beleeuest Bernard speaketh effectually to our cause in hand Bernard serm â—e Anâ—a nuat Maâ—â—e thus Si creâ—as peccata tua non pâ—sse obâ—uâ—â— rasi percunt contre qâ—â—â— peccasi 〈◊〉 ages sed vlâ—â—rius progredeâ—â— et creâ—â— cum remisiss tibi pâ—â—cata titâ— Hoc est testâ—â—omiuÌ„ qâ—od spiritus stâ—ctus dat in cordibus nostâ—is dicens peccatâ— tua remittuntur tibi Nam sic Apostolus putat hominem Justificaâ—j gratis per si emâ— If thou beleeuest that thy sinnes can not be blotted out but onely by him against whom thou hast sinned thou doest well But proceed further and beleeue that hee hath forgiuen thee thy sinnes For this is this witnesse that the Spirit of God maketh in our hearts saying Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee for so the Apostle taketh a man to be iustified freely by Fayth The Papistes beeing choked with this place fuâ—â—ble vp this answere that Bernard doth not say that we ought to beleeue the remission of our sinnes absolutly withouâ— respect of workes but that he requireth our repentance as a signe by which this Perswasion is wrought But wee answere them that he doth perspicuously auerre that the generall Fayth by which the fundamentall matters of Religion are beleeued is onely the Beginning and Rudiment of Fayth and therefore sufficeth not vnlesse we goe further and apply by Fayth this Grace of God vnto our selues simply without reference to any tradition of our side Mâ—â—ut