Law which was foure hundred and Gen. 22. 18. thirty yeares after cannot disanull the Couenant that was confirmed a fore of God in respect of Christ that the promise should be of none effect And therefore all such of our Romanists which will needes adde to eternall blessednesse giuen freely in Christ the meriting thereof by their owne workes are iustly chargeable as guilty of grieuous sacriledge because they adde to the couenant of God QVEST. LXVII Vngodly persons are no true members of the Church of Christ As Botches and Sores and all corrupt humours are to the body of Man so are all vngodly persons to the Church Isay 1. 5. which is the mysticall Body of Christ But Botches and Sores and corrupt humors are no members of mans Body but when they are taken away the Body is eased and made whole and sound also So vngodly persons are no true members of the Church of Christ But as Saint Iohn saith are the limbes and 1 Ioh. 3. 8. members of the Deuill howsoeuer they themselues are perswaded to the contrary QVEST. LXVIII The testimony of God set downe in the Canonicall Scriptures and not receiued from vnwritten Traditions is the onely sure euidence and ground of truth As in buying and selling of temporall commodities euery honest subiect will bee content to stand to the measures weights and ballances that are marked and sealed with the marke and seale which is allowed by the Kings Law and to receiue for currant all such coine as beareth the Image and Matth. 22. 20. superscription of the Prince and to refuse all other so euery good Christian is religiously to embrace that doctrine that beareth the stampe of the Canonicall Scriptures and is liable to those measures weights and ballances and hath iust cause to refuse all that which will not hold weight by them So reasoneth Saint Austin Let vs not bring forth deceitfull Aug cont Denat l. 2. c. 6. ballances whereinto we may put what we will after our owne lust say this is heauy or this is light but let vs produce the diuine ballance out of the holy Scriptures as out of the Lords store-house and into it let vs put that which hath weight or rather let vs not put in any thing there but let vs reuise and recognise that which is there weighed already Verily before the Scriptures were written the people of God were to receiue all those doctrines which God reuealed to his seruants the Patriarches by visions and dreames and were deliuered by vnwritten Tradition from the father to the sonne and from the Predecessor to the Successor But when such as had the place and credit euen of Prophets deliuered our trepasse bringeth vs very great danger yea the very ouerthrow of our whole state but where we can easily make an amends or the party trespassed is as much or more in our debt there we are not so carefull for the speedy auoiding of euery trespasse Now the doctrine of such as professe the Gospell is that the very least sinne is mortall and cannot be purged but by the most precious Bloud of our Sauiour Christ whereas the Church of Rome teacheth that there are but seauen that are principally to be called mortall sinnes and that the residue then are veniall and so small that they may be done away by paenance Purgatory Pardons Masses and Trentals yea by a little sprinkling of holy water and by saying of Aue-Maryes and Pater-Nosters and the like Yea they auouch that the works of their Saints are so many and of so great price and worth that by the surplussage of them satisfaction may be made for the sinnes and trespasses of other men according as it shall please the Pope in his Indulgences and Pardons to dispence the same Wherefore their followers need not to be ouer fearefull to offend God and to transgresse his Commandements at the least by small and light offences seeing they are able so many wayes and after so easie a manner to tender a satisfaction vnto God and to render to him a sufficient amends QVEST. LXX Popish paenance and Purgatory cannot stand with this Article of our Christian Creed I beleeue the remission of sinne As the Lord of a Mannor is not said to forgiue a trespasse when he setteth an amercement vpon the head of the trespasser and as the Creditor cannot be said to forgiue the Debtor when for the debt he casteth him into prison no more could God be said to forgiue our trespasses and to remit our debts if either in this life hee require satisfaction at our hands by the workes of Popish paenance or after this life cast vs into the prison of Purgatory there to endure the punishment due to our sinnes QVEST. LXXI Iurie is not now to be esteemed an holy Land The Iewes themselues are now an vnholy and a detested Arguments drawen from the Coniugates that is from such things as agree in nature and in name Nation and therefore Iury is now to be esteemed to be an vnholy and detested Land While the Iewes were an holy people and did faithfully performe those holy duties that their most holy God required in his most holy Lawes then Iury where this holy people inhabited was worthily accounted an holy Land but when they became an vnholy people and defiled their hands with the bloud of Christ and his Martyres those their vncleane workes polluted and defiled their very name and caused it to be had in detestation And why also did they not as well defile their very Land and cause it to be had in execration Surely God himselfe had it in execration when he sent into it the abomination of desolation that is Mat. 24. 15. Luke 21. 20. as Saint Luke expoundeth and explaineth it A destroying army to bring it to vtter desolation that being an euident argument that the Lord had that Land in extreame abomination Now if God himselfe had Iury in extreame abomination then vndoubtedly it is no holy Land QVEST. LXXII The will of man is not by nature free The faithfull themselues are not free indeed vntill by Christ Ioh. 8. 36. they are made free how then can their will be free as long as they continue in the state of nature So reasoneth Saint Austin Aug. ad Bonif. l. 1. c. 3. Why do miserable men dare to be proud of their free will before they themselues be made free or of their own strength Aug. de corrept grat cap. 13. if now they be made free seeing free will not freed is free from righteousnesse and a slaue to sinne QVEST. LXXIII All the faithfull are Saints Such onely are Saints in the Church of Rome that are Canonised by the Popes or at the least are thought by them to be worthy to haue their names put into the Romish Calender But all the faithfull whereof an huge number are not thus dignified by the Pope are sanctified by the Holy Ghost and 1 Cor. 6. 11.
is commended for good ground as well as that which brought forth a great deale more And the seruant Matth. 25. 23. that gained two talents is praised by his master as well as he that gained fiue For God will not despise the day of small Zach. 4. 10. things neither will our meeke and milde Sauiour Christ break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax Matth. 12. 20. Moreouer when the Lord doth promise that he will be a gracious God to all that beleeue repent and returne vnto him loue him and feare him and walke in his waies he doth not respect the perfection of these graces nor the worth of the workes that proceed from them but these promises are all founded vpon the worthinesse of Christ who is the foundation Act. 3. 26. Gal 3. 18. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Ephes 1. 6. of the Couenant and vpon the perfection and merit of his obedience For all the promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen And all the faithfull are accepted in him as all their diuine graces and fruitfull workes are spirituall sacrifices well pleasing to God by the sweet odour of the sacrifice 1 Pet. 2. 5. Apocal. 8. 3. of Christ The small measure then of faith and of all other graces of sanctification ought not to discourage the faithfull nor yet their sins of ignorance and infirmitie seeing the sacrifices Leuit. 4 2. Numb 15. 24. vnder the Law appointed by God himselfe being shaddowes of the sacrifice of Christ do assure them that they shall be fully pardoned by the perfection merit of the sacrifice of Christ Yea if any one truly repent and be heartily sorry for his sinnes that haue beene willingly and wittingly committed yet there is a sacrifice of expiation and reconciliation appointed Leuit. 6. 1. Ezech. 18. 22. euen for all such sinnes and a promise of pardon to all such sinners For as no sinne is veniall if it continually please so no sinne is mortall if it heartily displease And albeit sinne remaine in the faithfull as long as they liue yet if godly sorrow woundeth it a godly death shall vtterly destroy it And if in any one sinne be deadly wounded and at the last vtterly destroyed how can it worke such a persons destruction Now albeit the faithfull many times fall yet they neuer vtterly fall away seeing the Lord ordereth a good mans going and Psal 37. 24. maketh his way acceptable to himselfe so that though he fall yet he shall not be cast away seeing the Lord vpholdeth him with his hand For God hath bound himselfe vnder the Couenant of grace that he will not leaue his faithfull seruants to stand or fall at their owne choice but that hee will stablish their wils by his grace that they shall neuer will and resolue to continue perpetually in sinne and vtterly to fall away from God as it is deliuered by the Prophet Ieremy Ier. 32. 40. Now whether this assurance be the forme or the effect of a true faith we need not to be too peremptory herein vndoubtedly the Apostle seemeth to set it downe as an effect of faith By Christ saith he we haue boldnesse and entrance with confidence Ephes 3. 12. by faith in him By faith then we haue boldnesse to come vnto God as to a louing and a gracious Father and haue confidence in him that he will assist and aide vs in all our necessities saith then breedeth boldnesse and confidence but it is nomore the one then the other seeing it is the mother of them both Verily there is a trust or a confidence whereby a faithfull man doth vndoubtedly beleeue and is confident that GOD is a gracious God to all that beleeue and embrace the Couenant of Grace repent loue and feare God and walke in his Lawes and Commandements be they Iew or Gentile Male or Female Bond or Free and this confidence is the very forme of faith if it be not altogether one with it But that trust and confidence whereby a faithfull man is perswaded that God is to him in particular a gracious God and a louing Father in Christ arising vpon the action of the soule reflected vpon it selfe and vpon it's owne spirituall estate and taking notice of all the Diuine graces of the Spirit wherewithall it is endued is not faith but an effect thereof euen an habit or rather an act of a sanctified conscience lightned with a true faith as our most Reuerend Diocesan now a Citizen with the Saints in Heauen hath auouched in the second part of his Defence against Dr Bishop fol. 269. and Reuerend Mr. Perkins in his Treatise of Conscience The summe of whose doctrine is comprehended in this Syllogisme If whosoeuer beleeueth repenteth loueth and feareth God and hath a sincere care to walke in all his commandements is most assuredly in Gods loue and shall vndoubtedly be saued then whosoeuer knoweth assuredly that he beleeueth repenteth loueth and feareth God and hath a sincere care to walke in all his Commandements knoweth assuredly thereby that he is in Gods loue and that vndoubtedly he shall be saued But I know saith euery sincere and faithfull Christian by the act of mine owne conscience reflected vpon my selfe that I beleeue repent loue and feare God and haue a sincere care to walke in all his Commandements Therefore I know assuredly that I am in Gods loue and shall vndoubtedly be saued Now to giue a sure and a certaine assent to the maior proposition grounded vpon the vndoubted truth of Gods promises made to all the faithfull in Christ Iesus and to be confident of the infallibilitie thereof is of the very essence substance of faith but to assume the minor proposition and thereupon to inferre the conclusion is an act of a sanctified conscience lightned with a true faith The Church of Rome commendeth doubtfulnesse of saluation as a propertie beseeming Christian humilitie and feare and condemneth the infallible assurance thereof of haereticall security and presumption And yet this Church assiâ—eth her followers that will submit themselues to be guided by her Canons that thereby they shall be brought into fauour with God and so vndoubtedly be made happy and blessed That so we may know that she is Babel the Mother of confusion for that she doth by the contrariety of her actions and positions ouer-throw her owne principall grounds A Romish Catholicke must liue in feare and suspence of the full pardon of his sinnes by faith in Christs bloud and yet if he receiue absolution from a Romish Priest or a Pardon from the Pope he must rest assured thereof A Romish Catholicke must not rest assured of his iustification and saluation by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto him by the free and vndeserued grace and mercy of God but if he be carefull to fulfill the Law of God and the rules of their religious orders hee shall rest assured that he hath not onely merited his owne iustification saluation
graces as being the fruitfull mother tender nurse of them all 6 The Christian Faith only doth giue vndeeeiuable assurance of the loue of God of aeternall happines obtained thereby to all the sincere embracers thereof 7 The dignity and vtility of Faith and the difficulty of obtaining and encreasing the same THE QVAESTIONS THAT ARE handled in the second part which are declared by arguments taken from all the Topick places Quaestions handled by argumente drawn from the efficient Cause The Church is not alwayes glorious notorious as a Citty set vpon a high hill All the workes of the most holy in this life are stained with sinne The ignorance and not the knowledge of holy Scripture is the cause of all errours and sinnes From the materiall Cause Not the sufferings and righteousnes of any meere man but onely of our most blessed Sauiour both God and Man are of sufficient worthines to satisfie for sinne or to purchase the inheritance of the kingdome of Heauen The Bread and Wine in the Eucharist are not transubstantiated into the very Body Blood of Christ The righteousnes prescribed in the Law deliuered by Moses is that true righteousnes whereby we are iustified before God and not that righteousnes which is said to be obtained by the vndertaking of Popish vowes From the formall cause We are not iustified by those workes of righteousnesse commanded in the Law which are wrought by our selues but for those which were done by our Sauiour Christ in his owne person for vs and are made ours by the Lord 's gracious imputation The forme and manner to attaine to true sanctification is not to receiue the holy Word of God and the Sacraments onely with our bodily senses but rather with the powers of our Soules nor to trauaile farre and neare on pilgrimage to see and kisse holy Reliques but to see and touch holy things by the inward powers of our mindes which are the proper subiects of sanctification From the finall cause Saluation and aeternall life is from our blessed Sauiour and not from any other person or thing The outward Elements in the Eucharist are not Bread and Wine in shew but in substance There is no miraculous turning of Bread Wine in the Eucharist into the very Body and Blood of Christ nor any other the like miracle Iustification is by faith alone not by faith and workes ioyned together in that worke The faithfull after this life are not punished in the fire of Purgatory From the effects The carnall eating of Christ's Body is nothing auaileable to aeternall life but only the spirituall eating thereof by faith Concupiscence is sinne euen in the Regenerate The workes of God reuealed in the Scriptures doe manifestly declare them to bee the word of God especially the worke of Regeneration wrought by the wise and powerfull doctrine thereof in the hearts of all the sincere embracers of the same and therefore they are not to be receiued for such only vpon the testimony of the Church The Soule of our Sauiour Christ descended locally into hell From the Subiect Fasting or any outward thing doth not sanctifie any but only the inward graces of the spirit and such things as doe breed strengthen the same There is no such place appointed for the faithfull as Purgatory is faigned to be Christ is not corporally in the Eucharist but only in Heauen The City of Rome is the mysticall Babylon and the titulary Catholick Roman Church is the certaine seat of the great Antichrist of the latter times From the adiuncts The Word of God rightly vnderstood doth giue credit to it's selfe and doth cause it selfe to bee beleeued and embraced as the Word of God for the excellency of the diuine doctrine contained therein and not only for the bare testimony of the Church Kneeling is the fittest gesture of the body at the reuerent receiuing of the holy Eucharist Holines doth not consist in vowing to abstain from riches meates and marriages but rather in the holy and lawfull vse of them The Body of Christ is at one time but in one place Christ's Body and Blood ought not and in truth cannot bee often offered vp to God by the Masse Priests as a propitiatory sacrifice for the sinnes of quicke and dead Christ's flesh is not eaten with our bodily mouthes It is a property only belonging to God to forgiue sinne Enoch and Elias cannot come in their owne persons to resist Antichrist and to be slain of him Frō things that be diuerse Regeneration is not wrought by the power of free-will but by the operation of the spirit of God None are elected for foreseene workes Frō things that be contrary A true faith is not seated in that soule where infidelity raigneth or any other sinne Saluation is not merited by our own workes Frō things that bee opposite priuatiuely The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiousty good Frō things depending vpon relation No diuine worship or seruice is to be giuen to any Angell or Saint Frō things that haue the same proportion of reason The faithfull are made righteous before God by the righteousnes of Christ imputed vnto them The faithfull may aswell know themselues to be endued with true loue as with true faith The Cup in the Eucharist is not to bee taken away from the Lords people The paines of Popish pennance or Purgatory cannot be satisfactory for the least sinne Matrimony is lawfull for the ministers of the Gospell The nailes and speare wherewith our blessed Sauiours most precious Body was tormented grieuously are not to bee worshipped with diuine worship Frō things that haue the greater proportion of reason The sinnes of the faithfull shall not be punished in the fire of Purgatory The Sacraments be not instruments of grace vnlesse their vses be rightly vnderstood Images are not to be worshipped with diuine worship The word of God is not to be read vnto the simple people in a strange tongue In all matters that concerne the diuine worship and seruice of God no doctrine is to be receiued which is not warranted by the authority of the Canonicall Scripture Frō things that haue the lesse proportion of reason The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiously good Not the suffering much lesse the vowing of voluntary pouerty is the way to perfection The people ought to be able to discerne the doctrine of their teachers Our whole iustification is by the free vndeserued mercy of God in Christ The going on pilgrimage to visit the relickes of the Saints doth not sanctifie The faithfull haue the assurance of their own saluation giuen vnto them The least sinnes are mortall and damnable All things necessary to saluation are plainly deliuered in the Bookes of the Canonicall Scriptures The faithfull embrace the Scriptures as the Word of God for it selfe not only for the testimony of the Church The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiously
vnder the grace of Christ for the effecting of this so worthy a worke And verily as the ignorance of the powerfull truths of the Gospell breedeth folly and folly leadeth into all iniquity and Eccl. 7. 27. is the porter that openeth the doore to all impiety so the true knowledge of the mysteries of godlines breedeth wisedome 2 Tim. 3. 15. wisedome deliuereth from the euill way and from the man that speaketh froward things and from them that leaue the Prov. 2. 10. wayes of righteousnes to walke in the wayes of darknes and so is an entrance and portall to piety and to all other diuine Prov. 4. 7. vertues So then in the worke of regeneration deliuerance from the being and bondage of sinne both the saithfull teacher of 1 Cor. 3. 9. 2 Cor. 6. 1 Phil. 2. 12. the Gospell and hearer also are co-workers with God and yet hereof they are not to be proud For what hast thou that 1 Cor. 4. 7 thou hast not receiued And if thou hast receiued it why gloriest thou as if thou hadst not receiued it Of our selues we are dead in our sinnes and altogether vnable to moue our selues to the working out of Faith and an holy life but are meerely passiue Eph 2. 1. Rom. 5. 6 in our spirituall resurrection vntill God by his Spirit put good thoughts into our mindes and holy desires into our hearts yet then we our selues beginne to thinke well and to desire that which is good albeit not of our selues but by the gracious working of God's most holy Spirit By the grace of God saith the Apostle I am that I am and his grace which is in me was not in vaine but I laboured more abundantly then 1 Cor. 15. 10. they all yet not I but the grace of God which is with me I laboured saith the Apostle more abundantly then they all in working out the worke of the saluation of many but yet not I as of my selfe or by any naturall power that was in me but by the worke of the grace of God which was with me For so he doth declare his meaning to be in the third chapter of his second Epistle where for that some among them called in question the truth of his Apostleship hee boldly auoucheth that their regeneration and conversion to God wrought by his ministery but by the power of Christ was a most euident demonstration thereof Such trust saith hee haue wee through Christ to God not that we are sufficient of our selues to thâ—nke any thing belonging to the worke of our owne saluation or to the saluation of any other as of our selues but 2 Cor. 3. 5 our sufficiency is of God The Faithfull then must haue an holy minde and an holy will before they can be the holy ones of God yet it is neither of these that they haue of themselues but of the pâ—werfull grace of God We will saith S. Austin but it is God that worketh in vs to will we worke but it is God that Aug. de gratiae libero arâ— c. 16 worketh in vs to worke and that of his owne good will Thus to beleeue and to professe is behâ—ofull and expedient for vs this is according to godlines and truth that an humble and lowly confession be made by vs and that all be giuen and ascribâ—d to God seeing our life is in greater security when we ascribe all to God and doe not commit our selues in part to our selues and in part to God So then it is a most certain truth that in our regeneration and deliuerance from the being and bondage of sinne it is God that worketh in vs euery good thought word and worke and also that herein we our selues are co-workers with God as it may appeare by this euen for that this worke proceedeth after so slow and slacke a manner Adam indeed was made perfectly holy and righteous and that in a moment euen at his first being and existing because the Lord Almighty and all-sufficient wrought himselfe and by himselfe that holinesse and righteousnesse that was in him but now the Faithfull are herein ioint-workers with God and therefore this worke goeth forward slowly because of the small measure of grace that is giuen to them the great power of the remnants of their inbred corruptions which continually striue against the worke of grace and hinder greatly the proceedings thereof The faithfull in diuers places of Scriptures are compared to starres in respect of their profitable and fruitfull vses but may they not also be likened vnto them in respect of their manifold imperfections and aberrations Their proper motions are but slow yea some of them very slow For some of them finish â—heir course in a yeare one in two yeare one in twelue yeare one in thirty yeare and all that be fixed in the fitmament in forty nine thousand yeares Neither keep they their right course always vnder the Ecliptick line but somtimes turne to one side thereof sometimes to the other neither are these their courses still direct and forward but also sometimes retrograde and backward in their cycles epcicycles towards their apogeïon and towards their perigeïon giuing sometimes a cheerefull aspect and sometimes an opposite and disastrous stowne So is it with the faithfull they are slow in the entire accomplishing of any one holy motion yet the motions of all the powers of their soules and bodies will not be made perfite vntill the glorious commâ—ng of Christ vnto iudgement Verily while they liue here in this world they follow not continually the streight course of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse vnder the Eclipticke line of his holy Word but somettimes they turne to one side and sometimes to the other neither doe they alwayes keep a direct course and goe on forward in the way of godlines but sometimes they are retrograde and goe backward and sometimes running in a maze being doubtfull and vncertaine which way to take sometimes they are in their apogeion and sometimes in their perigeïon that is sometimes they are lifted vp with heauenly meditations and sometimes pressed downe with earthly cares and sometimes they giue a cheerefull aspect to the good proceedings of others and somtimes they become their cleane opposites and cast vpon them a disastrous frowne Wherefore it behooueth the faithfull to giue all diligence to worke out their saluation not only with hearts trembling at their owne imperfections but also by being fearefull to ascribe to themselues the glory of willing or working any thing that is good seeing as the Apostle adioyneth it is God that worketh Phil. 2. 13. in you the will and the deed and that of his own goodwill And yet they themselues must vnderstand desire and accomplish that which belongeth to the honour of God and to their owne and the Churches good if they will be the accepted seruants of God The Church of Rome doth lay this as an hainous offence vnto our charge that
Apostles being the expounders thereof to set downe in their Canonicall writings many most forcible and effectuall argument for the procuring of a more ready obedience to the same And verily experience it selfe doth shew Veritas docendo suadet that truth doth teach by perswasion that is by arguments and reasons as being such motiues and inducements as best befitthe reasonable and generous nature of man Whereas brute Generosus animus poti us ducitur quam trahitur beasts that want reason are to be compelled by force and violence And therefore the Law of God in the originall is called Thorah that is a Doctrine or Teaching for that it doth teach and instruct the people of God by the Divine aequity and reason that is contained therein Now if the Law of God which is in part naturally knowne had need to be further opened by arguments and reasons how much more had the doctrine of the Gospell which is aboue the reach of naturall reason St. Austin hath deliuered certaine reasons why it was iust and right that God should willingly suffer the fall of the first man whereof the principall one is the manifestation of his infinite and endlesse mercy and goodnesse in providing that strange and admirable meanes of mans recovery which is reuealed in the Gospell We saith St. Austin Aug. de corr grat ca. 10. most soundly confesse and most firmely beleeue that God who created all things exceeding good and did fore-see that euill things would arise out of good and did iudge that it did beseeme his omnipotent goodnesse euen out of the euill to draw that which is good rather then not to permit euill did so ordaine the estate of Men and Angels that in the same he might make manifest First after what sort their free-will would worke and then what the benefit of his owne grace could effect and also how farre the seuerity of his Iustice would extend it selfe In which words three things are deliuered why God permitted the fall of man First that it might be knowne that the most excellent among the creatures being but in a measure capable of goodnesse may fall away from the same Whereas the Creator onely being infinitely good cannot but continue so for euer Secondly that it might be made manifest that there is no euill so great but that the Lord can prouide in his endlesse goodnesse a remedy for the same Thirdly also that it might be knowne that there is no sinne committed by any one whatsoeuer but that God in his Iustice will punish the same with all severity So then God appointed this strange meanes of mans recouery that is reuealed in the Gospell both that he might make manifest the seuerity of his Iustice in that rather then the sinnes of his Elect and chosen children should escape vnpunished he punished them with that severity vpon their kind suerty that it made him sweat water and blood as likewise that he might make known the vnsearchable riches of his endlesse goodnesse in that to spare vs most wicked Traitors and Apostataes he spared not his owne most dearely beloued Sonne That herein we might behold the omnipotent power wisedome and goodnesse of God in that out of sinne the euill of all euils procured by the most wicked suggestion of Satan to this end that God might be dishonoured in the highest degree and man vtterly ouerthrowne and destroyed the Lord hath not onely drawne vnto himselfe the highest measure of most admirable glory in his strange Iustice and vnspeakeable mercy but also the greatest happinesse to man by binding him most nearely vnto himselfe by the strongest bonds of the greatest loue that could be and in giuing him the greatest assurance of his euerlasting saluation So that in respect thereof we may rightly breake out with that ancient Father into this strange exclamation O happy fall of Adam which was the cause of ordayning so strange and admirable a meanes for mans recouery And how can wee thinke that the truthes of the Law and the Gospell want sound and sufficient arguments and reasons to iustifie their holy and heauenly Doctrines seeing no Idolaters Haereticks or Schismaticks will seeme so absurd and void of iudgement but that they will pretend some shew of reason for the better colouring of their erronious vntruthes As it is apparant by the common practise of all the professors of euery blind devotion and wicked superstition The Idolatrous Iewes Ier. 44. 17. alleadged in the defence of their Idolatries So haue done both we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Iudah and in the streets of Ierusalem and then had we plenty of victuals and felt none euill but since wee left off to burne incense to the Queene of heauen and to poure out drinke offerings vnto her we haue had searcenesse of all things and haue beene consumed by sword and by famine And at another time the Temple of the Lord the Temple of Ier. 7. 4. Ier. 18. 18. the Lord. And againe the Law shall not perish from the Priest nor counsell from the wise nor the word frō the Prophets So Ioh. 4. 20. the Schismaticall Samaritans alleadged for themselues our Fathers worshipped in this mount Like as the Idolatrous Heathē Aug. de Ciuit. Dei l. 10. c. 32. Orig. contra Celsum vsed most commonly thus to reason That which is more ancient and long before our dayes cannot be false And againe hath God at the last after so many ages bethought himselfe And doe not the Idolatrous Papists in these times stand vpon the like shewes As the Church the Church Christs Vicar Peters Successor our Fathers our Ancienters O they were good men and did many good workes and who seeth not what manner of men these new Gospellers are So the meere Mal. 3 14. Worldling Epicure and Atheist It is in vaine to serue God for what profit is it that we haue kept his Commandements and haue walked humbly before the Lord of hostes Therefore we count the proud blessed for they that worke wickednesse Wisd 2. 1. are set vp and they that tempt God are deliuered And againe our life is short and tedious and in the death of a man there is no recouery neither was any knowne to haue returned from the graue For we are borne at all peraduenture and we shall be hereafter as if we had neuer beene for the breath is as a smoake in the Nostrils and the words are as a sparke raised out of the heart which being extinguished the body is turned into ashes and the spirit vanisheth as the soft ayre Come therefore let vs enioy the pleasures that are present c. Yea the very Omnifidian who followeth faith not for conscience but for company who will take no manner of paine to seeke out the true faith by searching after the grounds thereof is not thus madde without some shew or shadow of reason For saith he I am an vnlearned man and am to follow
he was not righteous and true and that the euils wherewith he threatned them if they brake his Commandement should not come vpon them By which misse perswasion they misconceiuing of Gods goodnesse and righteousnesse were hardened with all their posterity in this misconceit In so much that now by nature there is none that vnderstandeth and seeketh after God there Rom. 3. 10. is none that beleeueth his goodnes and imbraceth the meanes whereby they may be made partakers thereof nor feareth his iustice and ceaseth to stirre vp his indignation and wrath They beleeue not Gods goodnesse but scorne the faithfull as the wise man testifieth that doe the same thinking it to be a thing impossible that any can haue the assurance of Gods fatherly loue They beleeue not Gods iustice for then they Sap. 2. 13. would auoid sinne if it were but to escape the dreadfull execution of Gods vengeance due to the same Our conscience saith Saint Cyprian would be afraid if it did beleeue but because it Cypr. de simpl Praelatorum beleeueth not therefore it feareth not If it did beleeue it would take heed and if it did take heed it would auoid both the euill of sinne and the punishment thereof Wherefore as saith Saint Ambrose the wicked goe hence to hell that there they Am. in 1. ep ad Thess cap. 4. may learne that to be true which here they would not The persons indued with a temporary faith draw nearest to such as haue obtained a true sauing and iustifying faith For they come gladly vnto the holy assemblies and heare the word willingly and incontinently with ioy receiue the same but this they doe vpon some sinister respect as for curiosity of knowledge or for vaine-glory or for profit and preferment and while they obtaine thereby their desires they will seeme to be zealous and seruent professors but when they are crossed in their purposes then their zeale draweth cold and the heat thereof is vtterly extinguished whereas they that are endued Luke 8. 13. with a true faith receiue the word with a simple honest and good heart and in all sincerity imbrace the Gospel for the Gospels sake euen because it openeth the way to true happinesse The Temporisers happinesse whatsoeuer outward profession he maketh to the contrary is to enioy earthly things and therefore he will forsake faith and a good conscience and God also rather then he will forsake them but such as be faithfull men indeed will not leaue the grant of Gods endlesse loue in Christ made ouer to them in the Gospell no not to gaine a vast world of glorie or to escape a whole hell of miserie And this commeth to passe for that the word of God is of the one but superficially receiued and therefore at the last withereth and dieth Whereas in the other it taketh deepe roote and therefore liueth and flourisheth in them continually In the one it possesseth as it were the vnfensed suburbes of their senses and the weake sconses of their phantasies but in the other it seateth it selfe in the well-defenced Cities of their soules and in the vnconquerable Castle of a good conscience In the one it is entertained as a passenger for a night or as a soiourner Acts 8. 37. Coll. 3. 16. for a season In the other it is receiued as an inhabitant and as an owner in his owne home In the one it is as the Ioh. 2. ep 3. Iude v. 13. Pro. 4. 18. 2 Pet. 1. 9. Ioh. 9. 39. Heb. 6. 3. Ioh. 6. 35. flashing of a falling Starre in the other it is as the light of the Sunne which shineth more and more vntill the perfect day In the one it is as the darke glimpse of a purblind eye in the other it is as the sight of the eye that is begun to be well cleared in good part made sound and whole Lastly in the one it is as the dainty dishes of a sumptuous feast tasted of but a little in the other it is as food so well chewed ruminated and digested that they which eate thereof neuer hunger after any other food of their soules but content themselues with this only And verily he that hath once found this pretious pearle Mat. 13. 46. Gen. 15. 1. will be ready to sell all to buy the same he will with Abraham the Father of the faithfull leaue his Countrey and kindred and all things else that he may haue God his buckler and his exceeding great reward yea in respect of the invaluable recompence of this inestimable reward he will with Moses refuse to be called the sonne of Pharaoh's daughter and chose Heb. 11. 24. rather to suffer adversity with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season and will esteeme the very rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt It is then a sound and certaine knowledge of the Gospell that breedeth a stable and a setled faith it is such a receiuing of the words of Christ as whereby we surely know that Ioh. 17. 18. Col. 3. 6. hee came from God and so beleeue that he was sent from him And hereof it is that as vnstaiednesse and instability is set Iac. 1. 6. 2 Pet. 3. 10. Rom. 14. 22. Col. 2. 5. 2 Pet 3. 15. Col. 2. 7. Eph. 2. 20. Heb. 6. 18. Eph. 6. 13. Gal 5. 1. 1 Cor. 15. 58. 16. 13. 1 Pet. 5. 9. Psal 81. 12. downe by the Spirit of God as a true note of an vnsound Faith so stability and stedfastnesse is deliuered as a sure token of a sound beliefe And therefore it is not without cause that the faithfull are so often exhorted to labour to be rooted and built vpon Christ and to lay sure Anchor-hold vpon him and to be stedfast and to stand fast in faith and to seeke to be established therein by the which so often inculcating of one and the same exhortation the Spirit of God laboureth to beat in throughly into our hearts this perswasion that a sure knowledge and a resolute assent to the doctrines of Faith maketh a true faithfull Christian Wherefore seeing the true Christian faith is a setled and stedfast assent to all diuine verities necessary to saluation proceeding from a right and wise apprehension of the arguments and reasons whereon they are grounded then the implicite vailed and blinde faith commended so highly by the Church of Rome is not the true Christian faith that proceedeth from God the Father of Light but Ioh. 11. 9. from the Diuell the Prince of darkenesse because it maketh men to fall into the pit of errour and sinne and so casteth Ioh. 12 35. them downe headlong into the dungeon of destruction CHAP. V. A sauing Faith is alwayes accompanied with all other sanctifying graces and namely with constancy and perseuerance as being the fruitfull mother and continuall nurse of them all THe blessed Apostle S. Paul describeth the faith of Gods Elect or sauing
faith by calling it the knowledge of the Tit. 1. 1. 1 Tim. 3. 16. truth which is according to godlinesse for that it is the fruitfull mother thereof As he calleth the Diuine doctrine of the Gospell the mysterie of godlinesse because it is the powerfull instrument of God to procreate the same For it openeth the vnspeakable vnsearchable riches of the loue and goodnesse of God in Christ and giueth light and sight to apprehend the same and thereby begetteth true godlinesse The cause procreating and preseruing of all holinesse and happinesse both of Angels and men either in this life or in the life to come is the Vision contemplationâ— and Apprehension of the Lords vnspeakeable goodnesse and loue The plaine and euident revelation and manifestation thereof in the Gospell openeth the eyes of a blinded sinner and giueth to him the sight of a true Christian sauing saith whereby he turneth from darkenesse to light and from the power of Satan to God and Acts 26. 18. 2 Cor. 3. 18. worketh in him a reuerent feare to offend the Lord and a louing care to performe all duties that doe belong to piety and godlinesse Behold saith Saint Iohn what loue the Father hath shewed vs that we should be called the sonnes of God For this cause the world knoweth vs not because it knowoth not him Dearely beloued now we are the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be but this we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for wee 1 Ioh. 3. 1. shall see him as hee is And euery one that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure In which words the Apostle auoucheth that the Lord making himselfe knowne by the doctrine of the Gospell not to the world but to his Elect and causing theÌ„ therby not onely faithfully to beleeue and embrace his great loue whereby hee hath adopted them for his sonnes in Christ but also by hope firmely to expect their full and finall glorification at his comming to iudgement doth thereby purge euery one of them from the pollutions of sinne and so doth reforme and renew them The which reformation because it doth begin in the minde and from thence proceedeth to the whole man is called a renewing or a changing of the minde and a returning to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resipiscentia wiser course For when the vnderstanding is truely rectified and reformed by the sure and certaine knowledge and apprehension of heauenly things it will master and ouer-rule the will and the affections and cause them to be imployed about Coll. 3. 2. heauenly actions The illumination of the minde saith a learned Author Morton of the three fold estate of man being the first part of regeneration is the cause of all the rest of that holinesse that is to be seene in the regenerate man euen as our Saviour Christ himselfe teacheth saying The light of the Mat. 6. 22. body is the eye if then thine eye be single thy whole body shall be light but if thine eye be wicked all thy bodie shall be darke So likewise if the minde which is the eye of the soule Coll. 3. 10. be truely sanctified and renewed with knowledge there followeth holinesse in all the faculties of the soule but if it be darkened with blindnesse and ignorance there is nothing but sinne in the whole man Neither can it be otherwise For as it is impossible that a man should either trust or hope in God loue feare and obey him or performe any other duty of holinesse to God whom hee doth not know in his loue mercy goodnesse power iustice and the rest of his attributes so it is no lesse impossible that a man should know and be fully perswaded that God is true in his promises mercifull gratious and iust and not be affected to him accordingly He that knoweth thee O God saith Austin loueth thee more then himselfe August soliloq cap. 1. and leaueth himselfe that he may come vnto thee and delight in thee Wherefore if any one make profession of true wisedome and Iac 3. 13. knowledge we may will him with Saint Iames to make demonstration thereof by his good conversation and by his workes performed in meeknesse of wisedome or which is all one if he make profession of the true Christian Faith we may say vnto him Shew mee thy faith by thy workes and I will Iac. 2. 26. shew thee my faith by my workes seeing that faith that is without workeâ— is not a liuing but a dead faith For a liuing faith doth engraffe vs into Christ and so maketh vs good trees Rom. 11. 19. which cannot be without good fruit And verily so farre forth Mat. 7. 17. Tantum possumus quantum credimus Cyp. ad Quirit Tantum diligimus quantum credimus Orig. in Eze. hâ—m 22. 1 Ioh 2. 4. Qui non facit bonum non credâ—t bonum Isa 11. 6. Pro. 2. 10. as the grace of God enableth vs to beleeue so farre it enableth vs also to worke and so farre forth as it enableth vs to apprehend Gods loue towards vs so farre forth it enableth vs to loue God and to make the same euident and manifest by our carefull endeauour to doe such things as are well pleasing in his sight He therefore that saith I know God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him For he that doth not well beleeueth not well and he whose knowledge bridleth not in some good measure his brutish affections he hath not attained to that wisedome and knowledge which the Spirit of God fore-told should be in all true and sincere Christians For when wisedome entreth into thine heart and knowledge delighteth thy soule then shall counsell preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee and deliuer thee from the euill way Of the infallible certainty and truth whereof Lactantius was so throughly perswaded that he was bold to make this challenge to any that would except against the same by instancing in the most vnbridled affections of all Giue me saith hee Lact. diuâ—n Instit l. 3. c. 26. a wrathfull man and a slanderer and one that is of vnbridled affections and with a few words of God I will make him as weake as a Lambe Giue me a greedy and a couetous pinch-penny and I will make him liberall giuing out his money with whole handfuls giue me one that is afraid of griefe and death and he shall presently contemne the Gallowes and the fire and the Bull of Phalaris also giue me a libidinous and an adulterous person and thou shalt see him straight way sober chast and continent giue me a cruell and a blood-thirsty person and presently his fury shall be turned into mercy giue me an vniust person and an vnwise and a sinner and by and by he shall be made iust prudent and innocent and with one washing all his sinfulnesse shall be
teach the will doth euer follow the last iudgement and conclusion of the practicke reason and that which the minde by the aduise of reason iudgeth and determineth to be acted that must the will endeauour to act As if the minde resolue that our chiefest happines consisteth in the plentifull possession and fruition of all earthly profits and pleasures then will the will and affections be wholly set vpon earthly things but if it resolue that our highest happinesse and our chiefest good consisteth in our communion with God and in the cleere manifestation of his loue in Christ then will our hearts be lifted vp to God and fixed on Christ and settled vpon heauen and heauenly things For as Saint Austine saith free-will is a seruant to sinne or to grace An euill minde maketh an euill will a minde indued with grace communicateth grace to the will For doth folly set all things Mala mens malus animus out of frame and doth not wisedome frame and order all things aright Doth darknesse cause men to stumble and fall Iohn 11. 9. Heb. 3. 12. and doth not light keepe men vpright and preserue them from falling Doth infidelity withdraw mens hearts from God and corrupt their wils and affections and doth not faith ioyne men neerely vnto God and sanctifie their wils and affections with all manner of diuine and heauenly graces Wherefore as all carnall Gospellers and loose Libertines so our Romane Catholikes are greatly deceiued in that they thinke that a sauing and iustifying faith may stand with raigning sinnes for then should the selfe-same persons at the selfe-same time be the children of God in respect of their mindes sanctified with the knowledge of the truth and with sauing faith and the children of the Deuill in their wils being polluted with dominering sins but where sauing faith getteth the sure and safe possession of the minde it not only expelleth infidelity out of the castle of the vnderstanding but also casteth out all sinne and iniquity out of the forts of the will and affections that they shall no longer rule and raigne there For sauing faith doth regenerate vs and make vs the sons of God Gal. 3. 26. as the Apostle affirmeth and so reneweth vs to his image in holinesse and crue righteousnesse and therefore will not suffer vs to giue place to wilfull and raigning sinnes and presumptuous transgressions Whosoeuer saith Saint Iohn is borne 1 Iohn 3. 9. of God sinneth not for his seed remaineth in him neither can he sinne because he is borne of God that is whosoeuer is borne of God committeth no such sinnes whereby the Word of God is choaked and extinguished in him because it is an immortall seed which liueth and indureth for euer where it is 1 Pet. 1. 23. once rooted and settled neither can hee sinne because hee is borne of God That is sinne which is the worke of the Deuill cannot so farre forth preuaile as to annihilate his regeneration which is the worke of God because God is stronger then the Deuill and will maintaine his owne proper worke in his owne children against the malice and mischiefe of Satan For let the Deuill set his chiefest instruments on worke to draw Gods children from their faith and obedience to God yet they shall not finally preuaile against them So Saint Iohn Little children ye are of God and haue ouercome them for 1 Iohn 4. 4. greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world For albeit they be little and weake in themselues yet they are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and are enabled thereby to stand against all the assaults of the Deuill Ephes 6. 10. And verily he that truly beholdeth and duly considereth what this great dignity is to be translated out of the bondage of Satan into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God he cannot with purpose of heart serue sinne any longer and enthrall himselfe againe vnto the tyranny of Satan but he will resigne himselfe wholly ouer to God How can we saith the Aposte Rom. 6. 2. that are dead to sinne liue any longer therein When Ioseph that of a poore slaue being made chiefe ruler ouer all Gen. 39. 9. Fixum etenins quicu ique geret noâ— hunc â—go nolle crediderim Christo cum mâ—ricate mori Coster that great estate which his master was possessed withall was tempted by his lewd mistrisse to defile his masters bed How can I said he doe this wickednesse and sinne against God How much more then will all such as are indued with true Christian faith resolue and say when they duly consider their great dignity in that of the bondslaues of Satan they are made the sonnes of God and inheritours of the kingdome of heauen How can we giue ouer our selues to wilfull and presumptuous sinnes to the great dishonour of our louing and most gracious God who hath aduanced vs to so great dignity and honor Vndoubtedly they cannot but thus resolue with themselues their sure beleefe of so great a fauour throughly settled in their hearts will not suffer them to giue themselues ouer to the seruice of sinne but will cause them fully to resolue to continue and perseuere in constant and continuall obedience vnto God And in this respect the estate of all such as are reconciled vnto God by Christ albeit it be subiect to many infirmities is farre more happy then Adams was in his absolute and perfect purity For as Saint Austine saith the first liberty was a Aug. de corrept grat cap. 2. possibility not to sinne but ours is much greater being such as that we cannot possibly sinne that is giue our selues ouer to be bondslaues to raigning sinnes For to Adam was giuen grace to persist in grace if he would but to vs it is giuen that we be made willing and that by our will we conquer our concupiscence to him was giuen ability if he himselfe would haue vsed it but to vs is giuen not only to be able but also to be willing to vse our ability For the will of the Saints is so forcibly mooued by the Spirit of God that therefore they are able because they will and therefore they will because it is God that worketh in them that they be willing For if in so great infirmity wherein perfect vertue was requisite for the suppressing of pride they were left to their owne will that by the helpe of God they might persist if they would themselues and that God himselfe did not worke in them the very will that they would among so many and so great tentations the will by reason of her weaknesse would soone relent and giue ouer A remedy therefore was prouided for the infirmity of mans will that it should be so mooued by diuine grace that it should neuer decline or separate it selfe from the same and therefore albeit it were weake yet it should neuer vtterly faile Now that Saint Austine did
for him by Christ being in particular his Redeemer and Sauiour who hath tendred to God a full satisfaction for the discharge of his sinnes So protesteth the mother in the name of all her children My beloued Cant. 2. 16. is mine and I am his and whom may we ioyne next to the mother but her best and deerest daughter My soule saith Luk 1. 47. he doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit reioiceth in God my Sauiour So Iob I am sure that my Redeemer liueth So Dauid Iob 19 25. Psal 19. 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be alwaies acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer So Saint Paul I liue by the faith of the Gal. 2. 20. Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me So an ancient Peere of the Church whose workes haue beene thought by some worthy to be fathered vpon Saint Austine I come more sweetly to my Iesus then to any of the Saints So Saint Austine himselfe in his Epistle to Dardanus O good Iesu O the Redeemer of my soule wherewithall shall I requite thy clemency or satisfie thy goodnesse for not shedding better bloud for thine elect then thou diddest for my sinnes So Saint Cyrill vpon these words Let his bloud be vpon vs and our children To what end should I haue wealth and hope for the inheritance of the goods of this world seeing already I am heire of thy most precious bloud and redeemed with thy most glorious death Why should not I very much esteeme of my selfe seeing thou hast shed as much bloud for me as thou hast done for all the world So Saint Bernard vpon these words of our blessed Sauiour I haue earnestly desired to eate this Passeouer with you before I suffer O good Iesu O the loue of my soule who among mortall men doth desire to make his life perpetuall as thou didst desire to loose thine for me What delight wilt thou take in the world to come with thine elect seeing here vpon earth thou didst call that day wherein thou didst suffer Easter that is a great and solemne festiuall day O good Iesi O the Redeemer of my souâ—e doe not I happily owe thee as much as all the world oweth thee seeing I haue cost thee as much bloud as all the world hath done Lastly we may ioine to these Saint Ambrose as one that is ioined with them in the same faith I will not saith he glory Ambros de Iacob vita beata cap. 6. because I am iust but because I am redeemed will I glory I will not glory that I am void of sinne but for that my sinnes are remitted vnto me I will not glory for that I haue profited any or for that any hath profited me but for that Christ is an aduocate to the Father for me and for that his bloud was shed for me By all which confessions which these holy persons made of their faith we may perceiue that it is the proper worke of true faith not onely to beleeue that Christ is our Sauiour in particular and that he shed his bloud as precisely for vs as well as for any other of the residue of the faithfull but also that thereby our sinnes are forgiuen in particular vnto our selues For it is not enough as Saint Bernard saith to beleeue that Bernard Ser. 2. de Annunciat thy sinnes cannot be done away but by him against whom thou hast offended and who himselfe cannot offend but thou must proceed further and beleeue also that thy sinnes are forgiuen euen to thy selfe To doubt of the most singular vertue of the bloud of Christ to purge all the sinnes of all the faithfull were infidelity euen so for any one that beleeueth himselfe to be one of the faithfull to doubt whether his sinnes are forgiuen to himselfe is to betray his hypocrisie seeing whatsoeuer he professeth yet either he beleeueth not himselfe to be one of the faithfull or else he beleeueth not the truth of the promise of the pardon of sinne that God hath made by all the Prophets Act. 10. 43. to all that beleeue Why Manasses himselfe that was a grieuous murtherer of Gods deare Saints and a greater Idolater then many of the Heathen yet when he felt Gods mercy in giuing him repentance he was perswaded that God was his God and louing Father and had saued and delâ—uered him from all his iniquities and sinnes No maruell then that Ezechias the Father of Manasses Esay 38. 17. who walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart and did that which was good and acceptable in his sight and therefore knew himselfe to be accepted of God did make this profession after he was deliuered from his dangerous sicknesse saying Behold for felicitie I had bitter griefe but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe No maruell likewise that Dauid a man after Gods owne heart resoluing with true sorrow of soule to confesse his sinnes had a certaine assurance of the pardon of them as he himselfe testifieth saying I thought I will confesse my sinnes against my Psal 3â— 5. selfe and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne For the which benefit being so gratious and great he calleth vpon his soule againe and againe to be thankfull vnto God in the best manner that possibly he could doe saying Praise the Lord Psal 1â—3 1. O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities There be two things that hinder this comfortable assurance in all the faithfull more or lesse especially in the time of some grieuous tentation As first the small measure of faith and other spirituall graces and the great strength of their earthly and carnall affections And secondly the remnants of distrustfull feare of vtterly falling away from God caused by their manifold and daily fals but the small measure of faith and of other graces of sanctification ought not to hinder the assurance of the faithfull because a little faith is a true faith aswell as a great faith seeing more or lesse doth not change Magis minus non variant speciem Iohn 3 16. Apocol 3. 8. the nature of a thing a little faith then is as true a signe of Gods loue as a great the Couenant of grace being made not only with them that haue a great faith but a little also euen with all that truly beleeue The Church of Thiatyra had but a little strength yet she was accepted with God aswell as the other Churches that had greater For workes of pietie are accepted with God according to that a man hath and not according 2 Cor. 8. 12. Matth. 13. 23. to that he hath not The ground that brought forth fruit thirtie sold
be one of the greatest miracles of our Christian profession And verily if either we looke vpon the prophane worldlings we shall see them scorning at the assurance of the faithfull Sap. 2. 13. which causeth them to glory that God is their Father and hath adopted them for his Sonnes Or if we cast our eyes vpon the faithfull seruant of God himselfe when he is in any great spirituall conflict we shall soone see how ready he is to let loose the sure hold of his hope and to plunge himselfe into the gulfe of despaire because he is guiltie to himselfe of offending so good and so gracious a God by his owne manifold and great iniquities and sinnes Wherefore albeit we haue attained to such a measure of faith as was giuen by Christ to his owne Apostles yet had Luke 17. 5. Marke 9 24. we need continually to pray O Lord increase our faith and to say with the Father of the possessed childe Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeleefe Yea as Saint Austine admonisheth Tota opera nostra in hac vita est sanare oculum cordis vnde videtur Deus Aug. de verb. Dom. ser 18. Our whole worke in this life must be continually imploied about the cure of the eye of our heart whereby God is seene that is our faith The which lesson he learned of our Sauiour Christ who when the people demanded of him What they should doe that they might worke the workes of God Answered them saying This is the worke of God that ye beleeue Iohn 6. 26. on him whom he hath sent and so his beloued Disciple hath taught vs also This is the commandement of God 1 Iohn 3. 23. that ye beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God and loue one another as he gaue commandement Wherefore the calumination of the carnall professour and of the Romane Catholike made against the doctrine of the Gospell is vniust and vntrue which is that an easie way is laid open by the professours of the Gospell to life euerlasting and heauen set at a very small rate for that they teach that God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten Sonne to the end that Ioh. 3. 16. whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting Yea our Catholike Romanists may iustly bee challenged for doing great and intollerable wrong to our Christian saith in that they so vilisie and debase the same that they make it common not onely to the reprobate but also to the very Deuils themselues whereas in Tit. 1. 1. Act. 13. 43. very truth it is proper and peculiar to Gods elect yea euen to such as are ordained to life euerlasting THE SECOND PART OF THEOLOGICALL LOGICKE The questions that are handled in this second part concerning the doctrines of faith and are cleered by arguments drawne from all Topicke places Are these QVEST. I. The Church is not alwayes glorious and notorious as a City seated vpon an high hill GOD would haue all men saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Arguments drawne from the efficient cause 1 Tim. 2. 4. 1 Tim. 3. 15. and by the voice of truth vttered by the Church the pillar and ground of truth he doth call to him such as are to be of the truth doth cause thē to hearken vnto the truth and to be led thereby into the euerlasting habitations Psal 43. 3. Now truth and falshood are nigh neighbours and dwell neere each to other for where God hath his Church the deuill hath his Chappell and their houses in outward shew differ little sauing that for the most part the fore-front of falshoodes habitation is gloriously set out garnished and trimmed whereas the doore of truth is plaine and homely Whereby it commeth to passe that falsehood in the right way of truth and righteousnesse the testimonies of the Lord are sure and giue wisedome to the simple For doth pure seed breed Tares or pure Corne And doth wholesome food breed noisome or wholesome humours Vndoubtedly light and sight preserue from stumbling and falling it is Ioh 11. 9. Matth. 22. 29. darkenesse and blindnesse that cause both Yee erre saith our blessed Sauiour to the seduced Sadduces not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Euen as their seduced Fathers erred in their hearts because they knew not the Lords Psal 95. 10. Chrysost Hom. 3. de Lazaro wayes The ignorance of the Scripture saith Chrysostome brought in haeresies and a corrupt life and made a confusion of all things Wherefore it is a note of an euill person to hate the light Ioh. 3. 20. lest his deeds should be reproued as it is a badge of an haereticke to accuse the Scriptures of ambiguity and obscurity as Irenaeus affirmeth for that in truth they doe without ambiguity Iren. l 3. c. 2. and obscurity giue definitiue sentence against their haeresies From the which badge and cognizance if the Romish Church will be set free let her purge out of the bookes of her deare darlings the slanderous accusations of the Scriptures which are in them and let her giue a generall liberty to the lay people to haue the Scriptures in a knowne tongue that so they may the more easily attaine to knowledge and let her not any longer commend a blinde faith nor teach that faith consisteth rather in ignorance then in knowledge QVEST. IV. Not the sufferings or righteousnesse of any mere Man but onely of our blessed Sauiour both God and Man are of sufficient worthinesse to satisfie for sinne and to merit the inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen As in Adam was the common nature of all men he being Arguments drawne from the materiall cause the roote all other the branches that so he might be a fit person with whom the legall Couenant might be made which was that if he would stand stedfast in obedience to the Law of God which was written in his heart and the which he was enabled to performe he should conueigh ouer his nature holy and pure to all his posterity and be translated from an earthly to an heauenly Paradise but if by his fall he stayned and polluted it he should conueigh it ouer to them stayned and polluted and make himselfe and all that by ordinary propagation came from him subiect to all miseries and woes So in Christ Iesus the second Adam was the common nature of man he being the roote and the faithfull the branches and vpon him Rom. 11. 17. Ioh. 15. 5. Gal. 3. 17. Act. 3. 26. was grounded the Euangelicall Couenant that the sufferings which he endured and the righteousnesse which he performed in our nature not for himselfe but for vs should be auaileable to all that are vnited vnto him by a true faith both for their deliuerance from that condemnation which was due vnto them in respect of their sinnes and for the purchasing vnto them of the glorious inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen Vnto all
such as seeke to be saued and iustified by their owne workes our Sauiours answere is If yee will enter into life Matth. 19. 16. viz. by this doore keepe the Commandements but to all such as inquire and desire to enter into life by the right doore they must looke to the answere giuen by the Apostle to the Iaylor demaunding how he should be saued Beleeue said he in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy houshould that Act. 16. 31. ioyne with thee in the true faith So Saint Peter to the same demand Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the Name Act. 2. 38. of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the Holy Ghost So our blessed Sauiour himselfe The Kingdome of God is at hand repent and beleeue the Gospell Now Mar. 1. 15. what this Gospell is that Christ himselfe first preached in Iury and commanded his Apostles to preach to the whole world The Apostle Saint Paul sheweth saying God hath made Iesus 2 Cor. 3. 21. Christ sinne for vs which knew no sinne that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him In all the which Testimonies we are giuen to vnderstand that we haue great cause to repent vs for all our workes which are nothing else but sinnes which are so odious to God and so dangerous to our owne soules that vnlesse Christ had made himselfe a sacrifice for them we could not haue beene freed from death and damnation and as concerning that righteousnesse vnto the which euerlasting life was due that we could not find in our selues but Christ was to performe it for vs also otherwise wee could not bee partakers of life euerlasting For there must be a due and an equall proportion betweene the satisfaction and the debt and betweene the price and the thing purchased if in iustice the one and the other shall discharge and deserue the one and the other But there is no equall proportion between the sufferings and righteousnesse of a meere man and betweene sinne and the loue of God and aeternall happinesse consisting therein but onely betweene the sufferings and righteousnesse of our blessed and glorious Immanuel God and Man For the effect proceeding from the cause cannot exceed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eth. l. 2. c. 1. vertue and power thereof seeing the dignity and worth of the one ariseth out of the worth and dignity of the other Now the workes of Christ proceeded from his humane nature personated in his Diuine and both his natures did concurre in effecting the most gracious and glorious work of the redemption of man whereas the faithfull are not personally vnited to the Sonne of God or to the Holy Ghost nor haue the spirit aboue measure but haue the remnants of originall sinne still staying in them and stayning their best workes and therefore not the workes of Christ wrought in vs by his Spirit but those that he performed in his owne person for vs are fully satisfactory for all our sinnes and absolutely meritorious of the Crowne of Glory QVEST. V. The Bread and Wine in the Eucharist are not transubstantiated into the Body and Bloud of Christ Bread and Wine in their natures and substances are the visible signes and the materiall parts of the Eucharist and therefore are not transubstantiated into the very Body and Blood Aug. de Consecra dist 2 hoc est quod dico of Christ neither in truth can they be without the destruction of the Sacrament it selfe For as Saint Austin saith euery thing while it subsisteth retaineth the nature and truth of those things whereof it consisteth At the first institution of the holy Eucharist the Euangelists and the Apostle doe testifie that 1 Cor. 11. 24. our blessed Sauiour tooke bread and when he had giuen thankes brake it and gaue it to them saying Take eate this is my Body which was giuen for you Doe this in remembrance of mee It was Bread then in nature and substance that our blessed Sauiour tooke at that time and it was the very selfe-same thing that he consecrated by thankesgiuing and brake and gaue to his Disciples saying Take eate this is my Body that is this is that I ordain to be the Sacrament or sacred signe of my Body For the word comming to the Element doth not abolish it but consecrate it to an holy vse and so maketh it to be a Sacrament seeing it doth not change it in nature and substance but in vse And verily as S. Ambrose saith If there be such force in Ambros dâ— Sacra l. 4. c. 4. the words of the Lord Iesus that the things which were not at his very word begun to be how much more can it worke this that they shal be the same in substance that they were and yet be changed into another thing in vse For this Bread saith Chrysostome is counted worthy to be called the Lords Câ—rysâ—st ad Caesar Monach. Body albeit the nature of the Bread remayneth Yea as the Diuine and Humane natures in Christ being vnited together by personall vnion remaine in their proper essence and substance Gelas cont Eutich without being confounded or changed the one into the other Euen so as the ancient Fathers haue taught in the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ the visible Elements Theodor Dialog 2. mystically ioyned vnto the inuisible grace do not depart from their former nature and substance For he that honoured the signes which we see with the names of his Body and Bloud did not change the nature of the signes but did adde grace to nature And therefore the Apostle did often call it by the same name of Bread after it was consecrated to be the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11. of his Body But for that our Romanists doe so presse the bare words of our blessed Sauiour we may iustly demaund of them in what words of our Lord shall we find that he tooke Bread either to abolish the substance of it and to make the bare and naked shewes thereof to be the outward signes in the Sacrament and and to bring his body into the place of it or to turne the whole substance of it into the substance of his Body Yea where shall we find in these words This is my Body that this doth signifie either Christs Body it selfe or an Indiuiduum vagum that is an vndetermined particular or else as their owne glosle grosly affirmeth nothing at all And verily the words of Christ and explications thereof taken out of other like places of holy Scripture are nothing with them for that vnlesse they be sowly wrested and turned they will nothing at all further their turne QVEST. VI. The righteousnesse of the Law deliuered by Moses is that true righteousnesse whereby we are iustified before God and not that righteousnesse which is said to be obtayned by the obseruation of Popish Vowes The morall Law is Gods
your selues it is the gift of God not of workes lest any man should boast And againe All haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God and are iustified freely by his Rom. 3. 24. grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus that our glorying in our owne workes should be vtterly excluded and that we should glory onely in Christ QVEST. XV. The faithfull after the end of this life are not punished in the fire of Purgatory The end that moueth a kind and a tender-hearted Father to chastise his deare child is his amendment insomuch that if hee Pro magno peccato paululum supplicij satis est Patri teri estri quanto magis Caelesti Esay 40. 2. Luke 15. 31. once perceiue that he is amended indeed then doth hee immediately cease from punishment but the deare children of God immediately vpon their deathes cease wholy from sinne and are throughly reformed therefore their heauenly Father which doth greatly reioyce euen at the first beginning of the amendment of his prodigall children here in this life doth not cause them when they are fully reformed after death to bee further grieued with the long induring of extreame torments in the fire of Purgatory For as Saint Bernard saith if all sinne be perfectly taken Bern. in Ps qui habitat Ser. 10. away which is the cause of all euill the effect that is the punishment thereof must needes cease In the Primitiue Church whē grieuous pennances were imposed vpō enormous sins by the Church Gouernours they were imposed to this end that therby the parties offending might be brought to true serious repentance Insomuch that when the offendor was found to be truely humbled for his sinne were it neuer so hainous none or very little pennance was imposed vpon him or if it were imposed it was soone released As it may appeare not onely by the Apostles readinesse to forgiue the incestuous Corinthian 2 Cor. 2. 4. vpon his serious repentance albeit his sinne was very haynous but also by the history of an incestuous woman who had bin brought with child by her owne sonne of whom it is recorded that she was so deepely displeased with her selfe for this her enormous and monstrous crime that taking in her armes the very child which was both the fruit and witnesse of her wickednesse she went openly to the Bishop as he passed along to the Church with a great traine and kneeling downe before him confessed her fact and craued for it at his hands condigne punishment The Bishop perceiuing by the outward demeanour of this paenitent person the great anguish of her heart for her great sinne inioyned her some abstinence for some forty dayes and so departed but the poore paenitent person thinking this paenance to be too too light for her so haynous and capitall a crime repaireth to the Bishop at another place and with bitter teares putteth him in minde againe of her most odious and enormous sinne and requireth at his hands a more heauy punishment but the Bishop well perceiuing her great sorrow and vnfained repentance lightneth the sentence of her former paenance and inioyneth her some abstinence for some three dayes How much more when we iudge our selues euen in this 1 Cor. 11. 31. life we shall not be iudged of the Lord but when wee cease from sinning the Lord will cease from punishing Wherefore if in this life when other may take encouragement to sinne by the impunity of others and besides the most paenitent sinner that is doth not wholly and fully cease from all sinne yet God and his Ecclesiasticall Ministers doe remit both sinne and punishment vpon the sight of the sinners vnfained repentance and amendment of life without all doubt the Lord of all mercy will much more doe the same in the life to come and not extreamely torment his owne seruants in Purgatory fire QVEST. XVI The carnall eating of Christs Body is nothing auaileable to eternall life but the spirituall When our blessed Sauiour had taught his Auditors that Arguments drawne from the effects vnlesse they did eate his flesh and drinke his bloud they could haue no life in them and the carnall Capernaits were greatly offended therewith because they thought that he had commended vnto them a bodily and a carnall eating of his flesh he answered It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing Ioh. 6. 63. not intending hereby to recall his former words My Flesh is meate indeed and my Bloud is drinke indeed but to giue them to vnderstand that it is a spirituall eating of his flesh that is auaileable to euerlasting life and not a carnall seeing that profiteth nothing And verily it is not the bodily seeing touching or eating of Christ that can doe vs any good but the spirituall seeing touching or eating of him by faith which is the eye the hand and the mouth of the soule For when a woman hauing an issue of bloud came behinde Christ and touched the hemme of his Luke 8. 49. garment and was immediately healed of her issue at that very time the people thronged him and trod vpon him and receiued no benefit thereby And why the woman touched him with the hand of her faith and was healed thereby as our Sauiour testified saying Oh womā great is thy faith be it vnto thee euen as thou wilt but the people were maimed and lacked that hand And so Saint Ambrose vnderstood our Sauiours words Christ saith he healed them that touched him by faith Amb. in Luc. l. 6. cap. 8. whereas to them that wanted faith the touching of Christ or his garments was no benefit at all Yea the blessed Virgine her selfe was more happy in conceauing the faith of Christ in her heart then in conceauing his flesh in her wombe as Austin saith And so he had learned of our blessed Sauiour himselfe Aug. de sancta Virgine cap. 3. Luke 11. 27. for when it was said vnto Christ Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the Pappes that thou hast sucked Nay rather said he Blessed is he that heareth the word of God and keepeth it For by the Word reuerently receiued we obtaine faith and by faith Christ is receiued into our hearts and taketh Apoc. 3. 20. vp his habitation there Now if by our bodily mouthes to receiue Christ into our bodies be a thing altogether vnprofitable then our most wise Sauiour commanded it not to be done at the celebration of the holy Eucharist for he commandeth nothing to be done in the Lords seruice that is vnprofitable Why then doth the Church of Rome so eagerly contend for their transubstantiating of Bread into the Body of Christ and receiuing of it into their bodies by their bodily mouthes but for that albeit this thing be vnprofitable to Gods seruants yet it is not vnprofitable to them not onely by magnifying of their power for that they are able to create their Creator but also by enlarging their reuennewes
Apostle The Law saith he saith sinne not at all and thou needest not at all feare not the graue but hell the prison appointed for the punishment of sinne and fulfill all righteousnesse and thou needest not to doubt of thy comming to heauen where righteousnesse dwelleth and raigneth for euer But the righteousnes performed for vs by Christ obtained by faith saith No more doubt of thine ascension into heauen then of Christs ascension nor of thy deliuerance from hell then of Christs deliuerance seeing whatsoeuer Christ hath done he hath done it for them that are vnited vnto him by a true faith and thereby haue full interest both in his sufferings and in his righteousnesse which he hath endured and performed for them Now then let me demand of any faithfull man what greater assurance he can haue of his ascension into heauen then the ascension of Christ who ascended thither there to prepare a place for all his as he himselfe plainely testifieth Ioh 14. 2. So vpon the like consequence may it also be demaunded what greater assurance can a faithfull man haue for his deliuerance from hell then this that Christ being in hell before the grand executioner of the Lords vengeance for sinne in the prison that was ordayned for those debtors that were no way able to make satisfaction that Christ I say that was made sinne for vs and our surety and a debter in our roome was deliuered from thence what stronger assurance I say can there possibly be to all the faithfull for the cleare discharge of all their debts and the full satisfaction for all their sinnes and their most certaine deliuerance both from the place and also from all the torments of hell Verily that reuerend man Mr. Perkins is of this iudgement as he hath deliuered in the exposition of the Creed that there cannot be any stronger euidence giuen vnto the faithfull to assure them of their deliuerance from hell then this that Iesus the Sonne of the Virgin Mary that went downe into the place of the damned returned after this death from thence to liue in all heauenly happinesse for euer Obiect 1. But saith he I cannot be of that opinion that Christ locally in soule descended into hell seeing the Euangelists who set downe the whole history of his sufferings and actions make no mention of any such thing Solut. I might answere that whereas an history is a relation of things visible and seene therefore as Moses in the history of the creation made no mention of the creation of Angels being a thing not to be seene so the Euangelists in the history of the redemption might make no mention of the locall descending of the soule of Christ into hell and yet both these are most certaine truths But we may rather resolue that both our Sauiour Christ being well witting to the weaknesse of the faith of his dearest seruants would not omit the performance of that action that he knew to be most auaileable to the confirmation thereof nor the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists the relation of the same in their Canonicall writings For doth not the Prophet Dauid making mention of Christs resurrection auouch that his soule was not left in hell the receptacle of soules as well as that his body was not left in the graue being the place appointed for bodies subiect to corruption And doth not the Apostle Saint Peter teaching the same truth alleadge the same place of the Psalmist for the confirmation thereof Psal 16. 10. Act. 2. 27. For albeit it belongeth to the body properly to arise yet that there may be a resurrection of any dead person from death to life the soule departed must also be brought from the place whither it was before conueyed and placed againe in the body or else there can be no resurrection thereof to life Wherefore the Apostle to proue the truth of our Sauiours resurrection sheweth out of the Prophet that as his body was raised out of the place of corruption so his soule was not left in hell but brought backe againe from thence that his resurrection might be wrought thereby For Nephesh properly and principally signifying the soule why should it not be so taken in this place where there Analogum per se positum flat pro famosiori significatione is nothing to restraine it to a signification that is lesse proper And specially seeing the Apostle Saint Peter who well knew the meaning of the Prophet and was to expound him in a plaine manner for all the New Testament is but a plainer explication of the doctrines that were before deliuered more darkly in the Old interpreteth Nephesh not by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not by person body or dead body but by soule Act. 2. 27. Obiect 2. But it is auouched that Christs soule was presently vpon his death carried vp into heauen and therefore could not descend into hell because Christ saith to the penitent theife To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Luc. 23. 43. Solut. I answere that our Creed teacheth vs that Christ dyed and then when he was dead and his soule was departed out of his Body what became of them both viz. that his Body was buried and that his soule descended into hell And now must this plaine Article be inuerted both in words and in sense and we willed to belieue that at that very time he ascended into heauen when our Creed saith that he descended into hell But some will say doth not our Sauiour say to the thiefe To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise With me therefore with my soule How followeth that The inference rather should be this With me therefore with my Diuine Nature Seeing the principall Denominatio sequitur principalem partem part giueth the name and not the lesse principall And especially whereas concerning the humane nature of Christ he himselfe after this time wherein these words were spoken testifyeth saying I haue not as yet ascended to my Father Ioh. 20. 17. Moreouer how should our blessed Sauiour haue so fitly parallel'd his type Ionah who was both in body and soule in the belly of the Whale if he had not beene after the same manner as well in soule as in body in the belly of hell and in the bowels of the earth Matth. 12. 40. Obiect 3. Now if it be further obiected that our Sauiour needed not in soule to descend into hell seeing all things belonging to mans saluation were finished by him when he hanged on the Crosse Solut. the answere is that when our blessed Sauiour spake these words all things are finished all his very sufferings were not then ended For he was not then dead nor buried nor had continued three dayes and three nights in the bowels of the earth in the state of a dead man Besides the circumstance of the place doth plainly conuince that
and when they had done neither good nor euill that the purpose of God might remaine according to election not by workes but by him that calleth it was said vnto her The Elder shall serue the younger as it is written I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau Whereby it is euident that our election doth not depend vpon fore seene Eph. 1. 4. workes but vpon the free mercy of Christ QVEST. XXXV A true sauing faith is not seated in that soule where Infidelity raigneth or any other sinne A true sauing faith being an infused habite a principall Arguments drawen from such things as are contrary grace and a singular fruit of Gods most holy Spirit doth neuer sort her selfe but with her princely Peeres shee neuer ioyneth hands with Infidelity or any other her associates which are the corrupt fruits of the impure flesh For What fellowship 2 Cor. 6. 14. hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse What communion hath light with darkenesse What concord hath Christ with Beliall What part hath a Beleeuer with an Infidell So much more may we say what part hath faith with Infidelity or with any other raigning sinne For these are not onely so vnequall but also so contrary each to other that they cannot be mated and matched together Yee cannot saith our Sauiour Christ serue God and Matth. 6. 24. 1 Cor. 10. 21. Mammon Yee cannot saith the Apostle be pertakers of the Table of the Lord and of the table of Diuels The true sauing faith is not an idle fancy but worketh by loue It is not fruitlesse Gal. 5. 6. and dead but fruitfull and liuing and producing the operations of a spirituall life For if all things obey humane wisedome Iam. 2. 22. if a wise man frame to himselfe his owne estate if hee domineer ouer the influences of the starres if he ouer-rule his owne vnruly affections and ouer-master his owne masterlesse lusts then surely as powerfull and actiue is the true Christian faith which rightly may be called and is indeed an heauenly wisedome Now a sauing faith or heauenly wisedome is pure Iac. 3. 17. peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruit and therefore is not seated in that soule where Infidelity raigneth or any other sinnes which pollute the soule wherein they are seated and filleth it with all euill fruit QVEST. XXXVI Iustification and Saluation are not of workes neither can they be deserued by them Grace and merit fauour and desert are so contrary each to Rom. 4. 4. 11. 6. Eph. 2. 8. Audigratis tace de meritis Primas in Ep. ad Rom. cap. 3. Bern. in Cant. Ser. 17. Aug. in praefatione in Ps 31. other that whereas Iustification and Saluation proceed from free Grace and Fauour therefore the Apostle in diuers places inferreth that they cannot proceed from the merits of our owne workes So Primasius when thou hearest grace named make no mention at all of merits For as Bernard saith there is no meanes for grace to enter where merit hath taken the possession And therefore as Saint Austin admonisheth if thou wilt needs be estranged from grace then boast thou of thy merits And this inference they had learned of the Apostle who telleth the Galathians that as many as would ioyne the workes of the Law to the grace of Christ in the matter of Iustification They were abolished from Christ and fallen from Gal. 5. 4. grace Yea if we had not sinned but continued in our innocency and had kept all the Commandements of God whereunto God had bound himselfe by his promise to render the reward of eternall life yet in confidence of the merit of our workes we could not haue said rightly vnto the Lord Pay that thou Aug. in Ps 83. Aug. de verb. Apost Ser. 15. owest but performe that which thou hast promised For as the same Father saith God hath not made himselfe a debtor to vs by receiuing any thing froÌ„ vs but by promising vs that which best pleased himselfe But now since our best actions are so stayned by some sinister respect or other in the doing of them that as Gregory saith euen an holy man doth see his Greg. in Ioh. l. 9. c. 1. very vertuous workes to be vicious if they come to be scanned by a iust Iudge then they are so farre off from deseruing of any reward at Gods hands much lesse of Iustification and Saluation that rather in strict Iustice they merit condemnation For so Saint Austin is bold to pronounce of them Woe Aug. confess lib. 9. cap. 13. worth the commendable life of man if thou Iudge it without mercy In what a wofull case then are all proud Papists which will not be iustified and saued but by the merit of their owne workes seeing thereby they be abolished from Christ and are fallen from grace and from the fruit and benefit of both QVEST. XXXVII The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiously good By nature we are all spiritually dead in trespasses and sinnes Arguments drawne from that which is opposite priuatiuely Ephes 2. 1. And therefore as a man that is bodily dead is able to performe no action that belongeth to a naturall life so cannot we performe any action that belongeth to a spirituall and supernaturall life vntill we be quickned and raised vp againe by the Spirit of Christ We are now all by nature depriued of all Rom. 5. 6. spirituall power and strength We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any good thing as of our selues Much lesse to will or 2 Cor. 3. 5. to worke any such thing We are saith one Prophet foolish Ier. 4. 22. children and haue no vnderstanding we are wise to doe euill but to doe will we haue no knowledge We are now all by nature the Gal. 4. 25. children of the bond woman and not of the free The time was when in Adam we had all freedome of will to make choice either of good or euill but since that in him we made choice of that which was euill we are so hardned therein and in such Rom. 6. 20. bondage and slauery to our corrupt lusts that we haue no inclination at all or free motion vnto righteousnesse For as Aug. de correp grat c. 13. Austin saith our will as it is now by nature free and not made free by grace is free from righteousnesse only in bondage to sin For liberty without race as the same Father teacheth Aug. Ep. 89. is not liberty but contumacy that is a wilfull obstinacy in that onely which is euill QVEST. XXXVIII No religious worship or seruice is to be giuen to any Angell or Saint Let not saith Saint Austin the worship of the dead be Arguments drawen from such things as depend vpâ—n relation Aug. de Vera Reâ—ig c 55 Aug contra Faust Manich. lib. 23. c. 21. Synod MoguÌ„t c. 46. vnto vs a matter of Religion For
2 Tim. 4. 15. God hath promised thee O man saith Saint Austin speaking Aug in Ps 148. to all such as are sanctified by regeneration that thou shalt liue for euer and doest not thou beleeue it Oh saith he beleeue it beleeue it For that which he hath done for thee already is a greater matter then that which he hath promised For he hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne who is farre more excellent then thousands of heauens at the dearest rate that may be to purchase for thee euerlasting life and doest thou think that this purchase made by such a person at such an high rate can euer possibly be made voide Especially whereas for his Sonnes sake be hath adopted thee which wert by nature the slaue of Satan the child of wrath and inheritor of euerlasting destruction into the number of his sonnes and heires and renewed thee in part to his owne image in holinesse and true righteousnesse and doest thou yet doubt whether he will giue thee the inheritance of a sonne Vndoubtedly he that for thy Sauiours sake hath in part sanctified thee to liue a sober iust and a godly life in this world will for his sake bring thee to an eternall and an euerlasting life in the world to come QVEST. LV. Our least sinnes are damnable and mortall Arguments drawne from the lesser proportion of reason to the greater If all our righteousnesse be as a menstruous Cloath Ioathsome and odious to God and deserue Gods curse because it wanteth that fulnesse of faith feruency of loue simple sincerity and full freenesse from all sinister respects which the Law of God requireth at our hands then what doe those thoughts words and workes which are meerely sinfull deserue albeit Esay 64. 6. Iob 9. 31. Gal. 3. 10. they be neuer so small Vndoubtedly no sinnes that are meerly so can be smaller or lesse hurtfull then the imperfections of our best workes and yet these being transgressions of the Law of God deserue Gods curse and malediction and therefore all sinnes that are meerely so cannot but deserue the like woe So reasoneth our blessed Sauiour If the light which is Matth. 6. 23. in thee bee darkenesse how great is the darkenesse it selfe And so Saint Bernard If all our righteousnesse be as vnrighteousnesse Bern. Serm. in fest Sanct. then by a stronger reason what shall our sinnes be QVEST. LVI All things necessary to saluation are plainly deliuered in the Ganonicall Scriptures There is no wise man among men but that he will be carefull in his last Will and Testament that all things therein be set downe plainly distinctly and fully which concerne either the legacies which he bequeatheth to his childrē or the duties that he requireth at their hands that so all occasion of discord and debate may be cleane taken away And can we then imagine that our heauenly Father being so wise and so prouident as he is and so desirous to preserue vnity and peace among his deare children would not set downe plainly distinctly and fully in his Will and Testament what be those great and gracious gifts that he doth in his tender kindnesse and loue bestow vpon them with the meanes whereby they shall attaine to the same as likewise what be all those necessary duties which he requireth at their hands So reasoneth Optatus Christ hath Optat. l 5. cont Parm. Donat. dealt with vs as an earthly Father is wont to doe with his children who searing least they should fall out after his decease doth set downe his Will in writing vnder witnesses that if there arise any doubt among them they should goe to his Testament He whose word must end our Controuersies is Christ let vs then goe to his Testament QVEST. LVII The faithfull for the diuine wisedome of the holy Scriptures rightly vnderstood beleeue them to be the Word of God and not onely for the bare authority of the Church If the Gentiles instructed by the light of naturall reason did certainly perceiue the booke of the creatures to be Gods booke by the glorious attributes of God made manifest therein much more the faithfull lightned with the Lampe of Rom. 1. 19. diuine grace may plainly perceiue the booke of the Scriptures wherein God as a familiar friend without casting of a mist doth speak to the heart not onely of the learned but of the vnlearned also as Austin saith to be Gods booke by the diuine Aug. Ep. 3 ad Vol. and heauenly wisedome deliuered therein and therefore they need not build their faith vpon the bare testimony onely of the Church And so reasoneth the Prophet Dauid The Psal 19. 1. heauens saith he declare themselues to be the workes of the glorious God euen by their heauenly influences and diuine operations How much more doth the Law of the Lord by the diuine wisedome and righteousnesse thereof and by the most powerfull and excellent workes that are wrought thereby declare and demonstrate it selfe euidently to be the most wise and righteous word of the most wise and righteous God QVEST. LVIII The naturall man hath no free will in heauenly things Mans will is but feeble and weake for the compassing of earthly businesses that are of any weight or moment therfore in heauenly matters the strength thereof is small or rather as the Apostle saith it is none at all So reasoneth the Wiseman Rom. 5. 6. Sap. 9. 13. What is man that he can know the counsell of God or who can thinke what the will of the Lord is For the thoughts of mortall men are fearefull and their forecasts vncertaine because a corruptible body is heauy to the soule and the earthly mansion keepeth downe the minde that is full of cares and hardly can wee discerne the things that are on earth and with great labour finde we out the things that are before vs Who can then seeke out the things that are in heauen who can know thy counsell except thou giue him wisedome and send thy holy Spirit from aboue So Saint Austin It is an absurd thing that we should thinke Aug. de predest Sanct. cap. 26. that God frameth the wils of men for the setling of earthly Kingdomes and that men frame their owne wils for the obtayning of the Kingdome of heauen The Prophets complaint taken vp against the Iewes with whom he liued and who tooke themselues to be Gods people is true against all men as they are naturally corrupted My people are foolish and haue Ierem. 4. 22. no vnderstanding they are wise to doe euill but to doe well they haue no knowledge Now if we haue no vnderstanding of that which is good then doubtlesse we haue no will thereunto and if we be so foolish that we will not be perswaded of the truth hereof it commeth from him that so befooled our first parents Adam and Eue that he made them beleeue that if they would forsake the direction of the most wise God and fall from him
sifted by her followers and friends nor sound and solide reasons more diligently sought out for truthes defence then when she is most mightily and cunningly oppugned with many erronious and haereticall vntruthes Neither are the Lords spirituall Captaines and Souldiers euermore watchfull ouer their owne soules and carefull to prouide all manner of spirituall munition and to giue themselues to all manner of holy and religious exercises and to craue continually in their feruent prayers the helpe of God then when they fâ—ele most of all their owne weakenesse and the great force of Satans temptations and his powerfull prouocations to draw them into sinne Yea they are neuer more grieued and offended with themselues for their sinnes then when they feele themselues most grieuously wounded with the dangerous strokes thereof And verily the Lord would neuer haue suffered the euill of sinne to haue been vnlesse he had knowne it meet and conuenient to make manifest his great wisdome and power in drawing good out of euill yea the greatest good out of the greatest euill The Lord I say would not haue suffered man to haue fallen into sinne vnlesse he had purposed to haue magnified his goodnesse towards his Elect to the highest extent that possibly could be by giuing his onely Sonne to take mans nature vpon him that therein he might make satisfaction for their sinnes and after that manner recouer them to Gods fauour and loue that they should neuer fall away from the same In respect of this so matchlesse a mercy that God should giue his onely Sonne to be such a supersufficient satisfaction for all our sinnes and to be such an vnauferable pledge of his endlesse loue we may with that ancient Father make this strange exclamation saying O vnhappy sinne how happy hast thou been to vs in that thou hast been the occasion that such a Sauiour hath been giuen vnto vs Wherefore God forbid that it should be thought to be any disparagement to God to say that God decreed in his eternall counsell to permit sinne to come into the world seeing in his eternall Counsell Christ was a Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world that in him all the faithfull might haue a most soueraigne remedy against all their sinfull maladies For the remedy could not haue been thus decreed vnlesse the malady had been so also QVEST. LXIII No Image ought to be made to represent God Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image nor the Arguments drawen from things that be vnlike likenesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the waters vnder the earth For an Image is made to be a similitude or likenesse and so to resemble that for the representation whereof it is made But no creature that may be represented by a bodily Image is like vnto God and therefore no Image of any such creature is meete to be made to represent God thereby So reasoneth the Prophet Behold the Esay 40. 15. Nations are to God as the drop of a Bucket and are counted as the dust of the ballance Yea all Nations are before him as nothing they are counted to him lesse then nothing yea as meere vanity To whoÌ„ then will ye liken God or what similitude will ye set vp vnto him Among all the creatures of this inferiour world the nearest to God and the meetest representation of him is the spirit and soule of the regenerate man indued with holinesse and true righteousnesse the which things cannot well be represented by any bodily shape and therefore much lesse the vnmatchable Maiesty of the incomparable Deity And so the Apostle hath taught saying For as much as we are the generation Act. 1â— 29. of God representing him by our spirituall nature which cannot well be resembled by any bodily shape we ought not to thinke that the Godhead is like vnto gold siluer or stone grauen by the art or inuention of man Wherefore no Image or bodily shape ought to be made to represent God QVEST. LXIIII. All the workes of Infidels are sinnes Nature is common to all men but not grace By grace the faithfull are ingrafted into Christ and are made good Trees bringing forth good fruit But the best among the Infidels is as a Bryer and the most vpright sharper then a thorne hedge Mich. 7. 4. Rom. 11. 24. they are by nature wilde Oliues yea they are as Trees twice dead plucked vp by the roots the which if they seem to bring Iude v. 12. forth fruit that fruit of theirs soone withereth away coÌ„meth to no thing and so the end proueth that they are altogether without good fruit Wherefore all the works of Infidels are fruitlesse and sinfull workes QVEST. LXV The true seruants of God know themselues to be the true seruants of God As any one that is admitted into another mans seruice and Arguments drawne from such things as are like hath a setled purpose to discharge his duty faithfully vnto his Lord and Master must needes know that he is such an ones seruant yea that he is his faithfull seruant euen so euery true beleeuer that is entred into the Lords family and hath this grace giuen vnto him to be carefull in all simplicity and sincerity 2 Cor. 1. 12. to performe all those duties that the Lord requireth at his hands cannot be ignorant that he is the seruant of God yea that he is his faithfull and sincere seruant So reasoneth the Apostle Know yee not to whomsoeuer yee giue your selues as Rom. 6. 1â— seruants to obey his seruants yee are to whom yee obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnesse And this the Apostle spake of all true Christians in the Church of Rome that had but ordinary gifts and not of such onely that had this comfortable knowledge giuen vnto them by an extraordinary reuelation if there were any such there QVEST. LXVI God giueth saluation to the faithfull in Christ and not in any other As it is sacriledge to add to a maÌ„s Testament or solemn Couenant so much more is it to adde vnto Gods Now Gods Testament Act. 3. 25. or Couenant is this that he giueth saluation to the faithfull for the obedience of one that is of Christ And therefore all such are not better then sacrilegious persons which adde to this Couenant the workes of the Law performed by themselues as the meritorious causes of Gods fauour and loue and of their owne happinesse and blessednesse So reasoneth the Apostle saying Brethren I speake after the manner of men if it Gal. 3. 15. be but a mans Testament or Couenant when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate there from or adde thereunto To Abraham and his seed were the promises made viz. In thy seed shall all Nations be blessed he saith not saith the Apostle and to thy seeds speaking of many but to thy seed as of one which is Christ And this I say the