sorrows and vpon the heart of this wofull and trembling penitent that confidence of grace which wee enquire after is imprinted by the same Spirit whereby he assuredly beleeueth that all his sinnes which oppressed him so are now forgiuen vnto him and that God whose goodnesse and fauour hee once so greatly longed after now beareth good wil and hath a loue vnto him not onely for the present but for euer And this is that third effect or worke of the holy ghost viz. the sanctification of faith which finisheth or maketh vp our regeneration which B. himselfe also calleth the third effect of the Spirit and which he so much endeauoureth to commend vnto his hearers miserablie begging it as it were from other mens coffers This is Gods stedfast and immutable order whereof hee will neither repent nor change it for euer Hereof giueth he assurance vnto all by his owne testimonie who alone is asmuch as all other being a faithfull witnesse and Lord ouer all who preaching his own kingdome to men in expresse words speaketh after this manner Mar. 1.15 Mar. 6. Repent and beleeue the gospel Likewise the Apostle being sent forth to preach going forth they admonish all men euery where to repent Repentance is it indeede which in the first place they euer proclaimed for hereby as by a ladder wee must ascend to Christ The same Apostle when the Iewes asked Acts 2.37.38 Men and brethren what shall wee doe Peter answered Repent and bee baptised in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sins And good reason because the Baptisme of the holy ghost for the remission of sinnes can bee vouchsafed to none but such as repent The same Peter exhorteth those which murdered the Lord of life to repent and bee conuerted Acts 3.19 that your iniquities saith hee maybe done away And very rightly for no mans sinne can bee taken away vnlesse hee repent and bee conuerted Isay thus prophecieth concerning the Sauiour of Israel Isai 61.1 The spirit of the Lord is vpō me that I should preach the gospel viz. The ioy full and happie embassage of the free grace fauour of God for Christs sake to bee vouchsafed But vpon whom To the captiues the poore the broken viz. The penitent for the kingdome of heauen pertaineth to none but the humble the poore the lowly little ones viz. The penitent Stayest thou stil whilest I ouersway thee with the authoritie of the scriptures art thou not rather amazed that these things should either bee vnknowne or denied of such a one as thou art To goe a little further I will demand this one thing of thee wherfore I pray thee did the Lord giue such an honorable testimonie of his seruant Iohn assuring Namely Luke 7. that hee was a Prophet yea and more then a Prophet and that amongst all the sonnes of women there was not his greater Beware thou answere not with Babylon either because hee was neuer maried or for his austere and hard kinde of liuing lest thou make the vvhole cope of heauen laugh at thy folly Why stickest thou at it man I will rid thee of this trouble it was indeede for the dignitie and necessity of his ministery and the ministerie of Iohn was the baptisme of Repentance wherewith except a man bee first washed hee can by no meanes put on Christ for which cause the Prophet calleth Iohn Mal. 3.1 Jsai 40.3 The forerunner appointed to prepare the ways of the Lord for in very truth euen as a field is not fit for seede vnlesse it be tilled so the hearts of sinners are neuer made ready prepared to receiue the promise of faith but by Repentance as it were by diuine and heaueniy tillage And that thou maist neuer make more doubt but know past question that this is both the ordinance of God and also euerlasting heare what the Baptiser himself speaketh I saith hee baptise you with water With the water namely Luke 3.16 of regeneration viz. with Repentance But hee that commeth after shal baptise you with the Spirit and with fire viz. shall sanctifie you vvith faith Therefore Faith meeteth or taketh a place with Repentance that hath bin before it for by these two only is made of a sinner a new creature John 3.5 as it is written Except a man be borne againe of water and the Spirit hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God Yea but I saiest thou do not so vnderstand these things And saiest thou so indeede Thou so great a man Dector of the chaire that as it were lettest out to farme thy learning in the Scriptures teaching from an higher place heauenly matters and yet vnderstandest not earthly and such as are farre beneath the chaire for so our Sauiour calleth these principles and rudiments as it were or first beginnings of christianitie But let vs dispatch that vvhich remaineth and consider what this true repentance towards GOD is indeed Concerning the name therof in another place may bee spoken Now wee will insist vpon the thing it selfe Wee say therefore that repentance is an effectuall operation of the holy Ghost whereby a man returneth from his owne waies and conuerteth himselfe vnto GOD. Now to returne from his owne waies is to bewaile his sinnes and the transgressions of his life in which as in wandring pathes hee hath gone astray Wherefore his returning comprehendeth the mollifying of his heart or contrition and to bee conuerted vnto God is to confesse our sinnes vnto God and most earnestly to seeke peace and reconciliation with him Therefore conuersion vnto God conteineth in it confession detesting and praying against the offence and a certaine incredible desire or longing after Peace Requirest thou further proofe B. of this repentance looke then vpon that prodigall and forlorne sonne of a very exceeding good Father in whose example our Sauiour teacheth both thee and mee and all sinners what to doe Hearken therefore what the Lord saith concerning him Luke 15.17 But when saith he hee came to himselfe viz. When be was returned from his owne waies which was by bethinking himselfe more seriouslie how rashly and vnaduisedly he had dealt in sinning against God his most bountifull and kinde father then was hee in an vtter dislike of himselfe and with a broken heart he sorrowed amaine continually Thus hast thou his contrition Now listen after what manner hee conuerteth himselfe vnto God I will returne Luke 15.18 saith he vnto my Father There thou hast his conuersion Now hearken further what confession hee maketh vnto his Father And I will say vnto him Father I haue finned against heauen and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thine In this thou hast the guilty confessing his fault with detestation of it and strong requests against it knocking his wofull brest in rufull manner with his guilty hand Last of all hearken vnto his incredible desire of Peace and reconciliation Make me as one of thy hired seruants as if
is B. confidently affirmeth that it is the very soule or life of faith the truest difference of it that can be giuen Because saith he none can trust in the promise of God but such a one as earnestly longeth after God viz. by B. exposition loueth God Wherin he shamefully faileth both in mistaking the word and the matter it selfe Hee is deceiued in the word because hee calleth this earnest longing or desire by the name of loue hee erreth in the matter because hee saith it is a part of faith for although wee grant that this feruent desire and wonderfull seeking after God must needs goe before faith yet wee auouch that it is no part of faith but of repentance as hereafter shal be declared And furthermore to call this desire by the name of loue proueth him to bee a most erroneous fellow For to speake properly in things diuine there is great difference betwixt desire and loue for wee desire such things as wee haue not but exceedingly faine would haue Againe we are said in matters diuine to loue those things which wee haue already and which wee seeke to enioy for euer which points though some others might misse yet to thee so great a doctor this should not haue bin vnknown Namely that none can loue God vnlesse hee bee first sanctified by faith and by that very meanes doe indeede possesse God whom hee loueth for vntill thou art perswaded in thine owne heart that all thy sinnes are remitted and that thou art eternally beloued of God thou canst not possibly loue God againe as it is written Therefore wee loue God because hee loued vs first 1. Joh. 4.19 Now it followeth that we speake of this third effect or worke of the holy Ghost which B. calleth trust or confidence Where that none may mistake him he vnderstandeth the confidence of Grace wherein J cannot but bewaile the wofull blindnesse of this Nicodemus because hee hath placed and set the last and highest stone of our regeneration before euer hee once laid the foundation of repentance especially seeing that it is most vnpossible for any one to obtaine this confidence of Grace except hee first repent himselfe of his former life seriously and from the bottome of his heart for euen as the faith of knowledge namely to beleeue without all doubt that God is and that hee is a rewarder of all them that doe seeke him in Christ Iesus and contrarily one that taketh vengeance on all those which turne away from him for all their sinnes and wicked deeds that euer they committed euen as I say this faith must of necessitie goe before true repentance towards God So our repentance viz. that wee conuerting from our own waies vnto God should returne into the right way must needs goe before the faith of Iesus Christ Therefore this is the difference betwixt the Gospell of God and the Gospell of B. The beginning of the Gospell of God is Repentance as it is written The beginning of the Gospell of Iesus Christ prepare ye the way of the Lord viz performe Repentance on the contrarie B. bestoweth faith vpon his elect neuer so much as once naming Repentance I can easily imagine why it is namely because according to fleshly wisedome he perhaps supposeth that repentance is a companion of none but fooles Therefore hee hath vtterly reiected it as not well beseeming the dignitie or credit of one that is wise O vile and vngratious fellow surely I can scarse hold in my selfe yet I will refraine Oh wretched man J say how darest thou so seditiouslie disturb that most holy order which the wisedome of God hath established First therefore I will enforme this erroneous doctor that true repentance towards God must of necessitie goe before the faith of Iesus Christ Then what this true repentance towards GOD is shall likewise in order be declared But to the end that these things more clearely may bee vnderstoode it behooueth vs not onely to call to minde those things which haue bin abouesaid but to make somewhat a further repetition of the whole matter The first benefit therefore which God vouchsafeth I speake onely of those blessings which pertaine to saluation is the seede and ministery of the Word vnto this outward benefit and ministerie of the Word there is sometimes added a certaine inward vertue and efficacie of the holy ghost who as he leaueth some in vnbeliefe so he inclineth others and causeth them to cleaue fast vnto the truth with the whole assent of their minds and to beleeue it And this kind of faith because it is a solitarie or barren exercise of the vnderstanding only wee call the faith of knowledge and such like faithfull because they professe the faith of Christ we call by a common and generall name Christians Now after this the holy ghost causing his wheele as it were to run about the second time goeth to his worke againe and of those vvhich are beleeuers some hee reformeth and maketh new creatures others he reserueth to their more iust condemnation because the truth which they knew they obeied not But betwixt these generall Christians and those which bee regenerated there is no lesse difference then betwixt the Altar and the Temple the Sanctuarie and the Porch betwixt him the foreskin of whose heart is circumcised and him whose house onely is cleane swept and garnished viz. as betwixt those that are bid to the supper of the lambs marriage and those which are without Dogs Witches Couetous Murderers whoremongers and such as take pleasure in lies But in the reforming of these or making them new creatures the holy Ghost obserueth this order First hee mollifieth or softneth them and causeth them to bewaile their sinnes and by earnest praier to make sure for pardon and with restlesse and vnspeakeable desire to seek the fauour of that GOD whom without all reason they haue offended And this is that second effect or worke of the holy Ghost which is the beginning of our regeneration which B. himselfe calleth the second effect of the spirit but hee is so far from teaching the same perfectly that hee doth not so much as name it rightly for hee calleth it a certain motion or action of the will vnfitly and philosophically The scripture contrarily calleth it repentance which is not onely a certaine motion of the will but a full change altogether of the whole man vvhen that which before was pleasant and delightfull to the sinner is now become nothing but greefe and sorrow of heart vnto him when that which before hee chiefely sought after now hee most of all abhoireth and whereas formerly he reioiced in his falling from God now he incredibly seeketh intreateth thirsteth longeth euen as the Hart panteth after the riuers of water desiring to haue his tedious thirst satisfied To this man now like a woman vvith child labouring of sorrow the holy Ghost doth the third time reach forth his hand and administreth vnto him comforts according to the multitude of his
whole confidence and hope of saluation in me Here therefore saith he is faith commanded As if B. these pronounes Mine Thine are notes alwaies and necessarily of a fatherly power and not rather of Lordship and superioritie What authoritie is this Or what are you haue you power ouer words that thus make and marre them at your pleasure But you say Not I only but many learned men before mee Melanct. Martyr and other As if it skilled whether you of your owne accord and of your selfe erred or following other suffer your selfe to bee seduced euen as cattle goe headlong after the flocks of cattle going before them The 2. reason of B. is thus framed All pietie towards God is commanded in the Decalogu but in faith onely all pietie is conteined therefore faith only is commanded in the lawe Here this Proteus doth delude vs by ambiguitie for if by all pietie towards God hee ineane all those duties of godlinesse which respect the perfect righteousnesse of the lawe viz the righteousnesse of workes then his proposition is true and agreeing to the maiestie of the Lawe but his assumption is manifestly false for faith neither conteines nor performes that spirituall obedience of the lawe viz. the righteousnesse of workes for it cannot it onely laies hold vpon the righteousnesse of God viz. the grace of Iesus Christ Wherby it no lesse attaines the inheritance then if hee had performed the spirituall righteousnesse of the law But if by all pietie towards GOD hee vnderstand all those duties of pietie which the faithfull their nature being now sold vnder sinne doe performe from faith and that no other obedience is required in the lawe besides this of faith if this hee hold I say then his proposition is erroneous no lesse opposite to the maiestie of the lawe then is the furthest part of the East to the vttermost corner of the West for the decalogu requireth that piety of the faithfull which none of them can fulfill neither doth it by the righteous sentence thereof condemne that righteous man that falleth 7. times a day lesse then any wicked one that neuer beleeued for the lawe is deliuered to the delinquent and transgressor not to this or that particular but to all of what mould so euer thou art made that sinnest of what stock vertue pietie saith in what fauour with God it passeth not if thou fault neuer so little it adiudgeth thee to death for the lawe of the decalogue is a spirituall lawe contrariwise euery one euen the most holy is sold vnder sin and so that if God had not found out another lawe of grace and promise by which hee might freelie giue the inheritance to holy Abraham and his seede then blessed Isaak should aswel haue been dishinherited as abiect Ismael and Iacob beloued had perished with Esau that was hated What then wil some say is God vniust that hath giuen such a law to men as none can performe God forbid What is God vnrighteous because thou art wicked made hee not thee holy and graced thee with that perfection that thou mightest easily if thou wouldest performe those things which the lawe commandeth contrariwise thou wittingly and wilfully casts thy selfe headlong into such a forlorne estate as that novv thou art vtterly vnable to pay the debt I will somewhat asswage the sadnesse of this argument by the lenitie of a similitude A certaine master committed to two of his seruants 1000. peeces of siluer vpon a bill at a certaine day in the meane space the seruants through idlenesse aboūding in riot excesse wasted al The day comes the master calls one of them sheweth the bill requires the siluer The seruant on the other side confesseth the bill of his hand but saith that all the money is spent and accuseth his master of vnmercifulnesse and cruelty because hee doth so hardly exact a 1000. peeces of siluer of a poore miserable man that hath not one penny to pay To whom his master wondering at the shamelesse boldnesse of the man answeres Aske I thee any thing but mine owne may I not by right require of thee that which freely and of my owne bounty I put into thy hands am I vnrighteous because thou art riotous or am I cruell because thou art prodigall So his master angerly bids that hee be carried to prison there to bee punished and takes a great oath he shall not come from thence till hee haue paide the vttermost farthing Also hee cals for his fellow with whom after the same manner hee deales by his bill But hee beeing priuie to his riot and prodigalitie quakes euery ioint and hanging down his head saith I acknowledge the bill indeed and confesse all the debt to bee due But my sinne hath brought mee to that extremitie of misery that I am not able to discharge it ô master haue pitie on mee saith hee and weeping falleth at his feete This was the controuersie This also is the issue of it Now B. bee Iudge your selfe for this Lord and master dreadeth not to commit his matter to any vmpire Nay I thinke there can scarce any debtor bee found so impudent and past shame that durst speake in this manner against any couetous base lawe-breaking vsurer as that wicked minded debtor and desperat spend-thrift spoke against his master But B. goeth on God saith hee would first of all haue his people beleeue in him which is the principall part of religion Therefore it followes that hee commanded them faith in his most perfect law ô poore blind cōscience as if forsooth hee had not from the beginning giuen another law viz of promise and life no lesse perfect then this most perfect law of the Decalogue whereby he commanded his people to beleeue place all their affiance in him Here then by the doubtfull termes of the lawe hee deludes both himselfe and others for God in this Decalogue hath inioined that righteousnesse to vs alone which the worthinesse of the worker obtaineth as it is writtē The man that doth these things shal liue in them But by the lawe of grace he hath first twice thrice yea alwaies commended to vs that righteousnesse which is onely obtained by the faith of the beleeuers as it is written Hee that beleeueth in him shall not be ashamed But B. still proceedes to speake perplexedly If saith hee God haue not commanded faith in the law why hath hee commanded other things which without faith are vaine friuolous I would know B. what you meane by this word Other things meane you the ceremonies Thē master Doctor you dispute not the point for the controuersie is not of the ceremoniall but of the moral law for we know and euery one doth thinke except I bee deceiued that the law is Synec vsed for the ceremonies that was our schoolmaster to Christ and that howsoeuer it set not out Christ in expresse tearmes yet in obscurer sort it shadowed him out But if by that word Other things you vnderstand the duties