grauen image Ex. 20.4 neither shalt thou bow downe to worship it The church of Rome saith it is godly to haue the church ful of images and to kneele downe before them to sette vp candels vnto them and with incense to honor them The scriptures teach vs that Christ by once offering himselfe on the crosse made perfecte for euer all them that be sanctified He. i0 i4 yet by the Church of Roome are they horrible heritickes that say there is not dayly sacrifice propitiatory for our sinnes in their Masse The scripture saith in the vse of the Lords supper Ma. 26.27 Drinke yee all of this The Papists say it is heresie to affirme that the laye people shoulde drinke of the Lords cuppe Moreouer our Sauiour Christ instituted a sacramente of thankesgiuing as he saieth doe this in remembraunce of me They make it a sacrifice propitiatorye for the quicke and the dead hauing not one sillable of Gods word for the same Christe gaue breade they say there is no breade Christ gaue wyne they saye the substance of the wine is cleane vanished away Christ sayd when he gaue bread this is my body and when he gaue wine this is my bloud they say when the one or the other is giuen that it is both the bodie bloud I omit their mixing of diuerse corrupt doctrines their vnfruitefull and dangerous ceremonies I omit that they haue made it a common marchandice to buy◠soules out of purgatorie and how◠they haue made of this heauenly mysterie a perpetuall matter of idolatrie by leading the people in their eleuations to worship the creature in steede of the creator For if it should be throughly declared how they haue wrested and wroung the wordes of Christes institution it might seeme to al men that haue the feare of God very maruelous but this which hath beene spoken may suffice 247 The keyes of the kingdome of heauen are all one with the power of binding and loosing of remitting and reteining sinnes AS God to teach Pharao what he would doe in Egypt by 7. yeeres of plentie 7. yeeres of famine did vse two sundry dreames of kine and eares of corne the surer to resolue him of his purpose in the same so Christ to teach vs what he doth for mankind in ordeyning the ministerie of the worde and Sacramentes vseth two similitudes the one of keies the other of binding and loosing that we may knowe the better the fruite and force of it Touching the keyes he speaketh of heauen as of a house whereinto there is no entraunce for men vnlesse the doore be opened Mat. 16.19 Nowe we all of Adams race are shut out of heauen as Adam our progenitor was out of Paradice through our offences and sinnes For no vncleane thing shall enter into it Reu. 21.27 Io. 3.16 But God of his loue and fauour towardes vs hath giuen vs his Sonne his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life which is the inheritance reserued in heauē for vs. 1. Pet. 1.4 Ro. 10.14 We cannot beleeue vnlesse wee heare his word We heare not his word vnlesse it be preached Wherefore when God the father sent his sonne Christ and Christ sent his Apostles Luk. 4.18 Esay 61.1 Mar. 16.15 Lu. 24.27 as his father sent him to preach his worde to men that they who repented and beleeued in Christ should haue their sinnes forgiuen them the faithlesse and vnrepentant should not be forgiuen then he gaue authoritie as it were to open heauen to the faithfull and to shutte it against the wicked Which office to shut and open because in mens houses it is exercised by keyes 2. Kin. 18.18 Esa 22.22 the stewarde of the house is said to haue the keye of it to open it to shut it therefore Christ the principall steward of Gods house is said to haue the keye of Dauid Reu. 3.7 he gaue his Apostles the keyes as it were of the kingdom of heauē when he made thē his stewardes to shut out to let in 1. Co. 4.1 Ro. 5.12 Ro. 6.23 Pro. 5.22 The other similitude of binding loosing is to like effect For we are al by nature the children of sin therfore of death Nowe sins are in a manner the same to the soule that cordes to the bodie the endlesse paynes of death that is 2. Pet. 2.4 1. Pet. 3.19 the wages of sinne are like to chaines wherewith the wicked are bound in hell as in prison Frō these cordes of sin chaynes of death eternal mē are loosed by christ whē their sins be remitted their sins are remitted if they beleeue in him If they beleue not their sins are reteined whose sins are reteined they cōtinue bound For he that beleeueth not shal be condemned Io. 3.18 he that beleeueth shal be saued None shal be cōdemned but they whose sins are reteined to bind them with the chaynes of darknes none saued but they whose sins are remitted and the cordes vnlosed by which they were holden 2. Co. 2.16 Wherefore sith the gospell is preached to this end a sauour of life to life vnto beleeuers Esay 61.1 vnto the vnbeleeuers a sauor of death to doth as we reade of Christ that the Lord sent him to preach deliuerance to the captiues and opening of prison to them that are bounde in like sort his ministers whom he sent to preach it are saide to binde and loose Mat. 16.19 18.18 Io. 20.23 to retain and remit sinnes So that both these kinds of speech import the same that is signified by keyes For to bind and to reteyne sinnes is to shut to loose and to remit sinnes is to open the kingdome of heauen 248 There dwelleth no goodnesse at all in our flesh IT is the part of a good Christian and a wise man to know himselfe and to knowe the nature of this flesh which we beare about with vs which fighteth alwayes so mightely against the spirite to know the waywardnes of our heart and the weakenes of our minde But many which neither knowe God nor thēselues are so far frō this that they thinke al their ability is of thēselues that they haue iudgemēt the light of reason and the ordering of their owne ways c. But we must humble our selues vnder the mightie hande of God and acknowledge that we are nothing Ro. 7.18 We must confesse with S. Paule I knowe that in me that is to say in my flesh dweleth no good Our Sauiour Christ sayth Io. 3.6 that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirite Gen. 8.21 is spirite And God sayth The imaginatiō of mans hart is euill from his youth He hath made vs not we our selues he knoweth vs and not we our selues This is his saying and his iudgement of vs and this wee finde true For our will is froward and our
from him finally his power wherby he executeth the decrees and ordinances of his counsell By this reason wee say that the sonne coÌ„meth onely of the Father but that the holy ghost is of the Father of the sonne together Although theÌ„ that we can not consider the wisedome of God but as it proceedeth froÌ„ the father as it is engendred of him yet we must take heede that in this generatioÌ„ we inuent nothing temporall carnall or humaine but rather lette vs worship the same beholding it by faith let vs take heede froÌ„ searching further theÌ„ scriptures do teach vs thereof otherwise we should deserue to be blinded and punished for our ouer great curiositie 152 The vnitie of essence is not taken away by the distinction of persons AS the Sunne that shineth hath three distinct thinges of which euerie one differeth from another the globe the light and heate and although euerie one of these keepe seueraly their properties yet is it but one sun is not deuided into 3. suns So in the Deity the vnitie of essence is not takeÌ„ away by the distinction of persons yet for all that is there no confounding of persons nor chaunginge of one into another The doctrine of the Trinitie is euerie where certainly taught in the Prophetes but more plainely in the writinges of the Euangelistes and Apostles For the Angell Gabryell speaketh vnto Marie the mother of the Lorde in these wordes Luk. 1.35 The holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most highest shall ouershadowe thee wherfore the holy thing also which shal be borne shal be called the sonne of god We haue here truly the Father which is the highest the sonne of God which is borne of the Virgin and the holy Ghost which ouershadoweth the virgin Mat. 3.16 At what time also Christ our Lord was baptized in the riuer Iordan of Iohn the Baptist Iohn sawe the holy Ghost comming downe like a Doue and lighting vppon him and there was also a voyce hearde from heauen 2. Pet. 1.17 saying This is my dearely beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased Io. 5. 14. Furthermore Christe our Lorde hath often and sundrie wayes taught that there is a holy Trinitie and lastly he commaundeth all thâ—se that trust in him to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost Wherefore seeing that in the holy scriptures Mat. 28.18 Mar. 16.16 in the Trinitie the vnitie of the Deitie is plainely clearely taught it is mete that we doe simply rest therein not curiously search nor lust after anye further knowledge in this life then which God hath reuealed 153 Gods grace is the only staye and repayrer of all thinges WHen we haue well considered howe brittle our life is wee must also marke howe wee be repayred againe by the grace of god and specially howe we be susteyned vpheld by the same according also as these two pointes are matched togeather in the 104. Psalme Ps 104.29.30 For it is sayd there that assoone as God withdraweth his spirite working al goeth to decay but the Prophet addeth also that if God spread forth his power all is renewed in this worlde and al thinges take their liuelinesse of him And thus wee see what wee haue to marke as namely that when we knowe our selues to be weake and so subiect vnto death as that we must run thither whether we will or no we must also vnderstaÌ„d that in this so great frailtie God holdeth vs by the hand so as we be maintayned by his power and strengthened by his grace But the chief point is that we should haue an eye to the benefite and good grace which God hath giuen vs aboue the order of nature in restoring vs by his worde as sayeth the Prophet Esaye Esay 40.6.7.8 All flesh is as grasse and all the glorie of man is as the flower of grasse the grasse withereth and the flower falleth away whereas the worde of the Lorde endureth for euer 1. Pet. 1.24.25 yea not onely to continue in heauen but also to the ende that by it we may haue euerlasting life and be redeemed out of the vniuersall corruption of this earthly life that God may dwel in vs and make vs pertakers of his euerlastingnesse 154 God is the creator of all things THe Lorde by his eternall woorde hath made and created al things conteyned within the compasse of heauen earth as Moses at larg describeth Ge. 1. By the word of the Lord saith the Prophet were the heauens made Ps 33.6 al the hoste of theÌ„ by the breath of his mouth The Lord herein hath shewed his wisedome power goodnes for by his infinite most excelleÌ„t works which make al men to wonder at them we may in a manner iudge how wonderful the wisedome power goodnes of this workemaster is The Lord hath not only created al things but by his euerlasting spirite preserueth gouerneth theÌ„ Who is like vnto the Lorde our God Ps 113.5.6 that hath his dwelling on high who abaseth himselfe to behold things in heaueÌ„ in earth He hath established theÌ„ for euer hee hath made an ordinance which shall not passe Ps 148.6 All thinges that the circuit of this world conteineth whether they be visible or inuisible all thinges I say were created of God for the vse of man as the Prophet Dauid likewise witnesseth Ps 8. and 23. Ps 8. 23 and also the Apostle Paule It is therefore meete that men be thankeful vnto God and keepe in perfect memory the creation neuer call it into doubt forasmuch as the Sabboth was therefore ordeined of God that the memorie of this benefite might be kept Ex. 20.11 against al aduersaries that denie and despise the creation 155 Of the fall of man GOd at the first created man after his owne similitude likenesse that is to saye righteous vertuous holy iust and good but by his owne fault he fell from the grace which hee receaued and so separated himself from God Eccl. 7.31 Gen. 1.26 insomuch that his nature became full of corruption being blinde in spirite and depriued of all perfectnesse As by one man sinne entred into the worlde death by sin Ro. 5.12 and so death went ouer all forasmuch as all meÌ„ haue sinned Man was created of God and made of two partes the soule and the bodie of which the body was made of the earth but the soule which is spirit and life was inspired by God Gen. 2.7 and thus was man made a liuing creature who afterward although hauing receiued a iust lawe from God and enioying innumerable benefites at his hande yet notwithstanding he was vnthankfull and disobedient vnto his creator beecause that hearing the woordes of the wicked spirit he gaue more credit vnto them then vnto the words of God and was brought vnto this poynt that
the gilt and filthinesse from our soules As bread and wine by naturall effecte nourisheth our bodies and strengthneth and comforteth our spirites so doth the heauenly foode of Chriestes bodie and bloud Io 6.48 c. broken and shed for vs vpon the crosse nourish our soules and quicken our spirites to eternall life with GOD. In the olde time the Sacramentes and Ceremonies were profitable for the bodily nourishment as the water gushing out of the rocke Manna and the Pascall lambe but in our Sacramentes Exo. 17.6 God smally or nothinge considereth our bodies but most principally and wholly the releefe Ex. 16.15 c. 12.14 ease and comfort of our soules Therefore as in the olde Testament so nowe much more in the Sacramentes is to bee considered some spirituall and internall thing to the vnderstanding whereof the likenesse of the outwarde signes doe leade vs as in Baptisme our regeneration and new birth and the washing away of our sinnes by the death and passion of Christ In the Lordes supper the heauenly foode of our soules with the bodie that was broken his bloud that was shed vpon the crosse Wherefore good christians in receuing the sacramēt must not haue so much regard to the signe as to the spiritual thing it self for which the outwarde token was ordeined For the efficacie of the Sacraments doth not consist in the visible signe but wholy in the working of the spirite of God Io. 6.63 according as it is Gods pleasure to woorke by meanes by him ordeyned without any derogation thereby to his glorious power 216 The beginning of Sacramentes is from God THE Author and ordeyner of Sacramentes is none other but God himselfe neither Patriarch nor Prophete nor Father nor the whole Church hath autoritie to ordeine any Sacrament The Sacramentes are belonging to the worshippe of God they are signes tokens and witnesses of Gods will And who can make vs certaine of Gods will but God himselfe As also the Apostle teacheth in the first to the Corinth 1. Cor. 2.11 And who can appoint gods worship but God himself According as he saith by his Prophet In vaine they worship mee teaching the traditions of men Esay 29.13 The sacraments were not so ordeyned by God that afterwarde he would haue no more care or regard of them but he alwaies worketh and bringeth to passe al things in the faithfull which keepe his ordinaunce the which he hath promised in his worde Wherefore as the faithfull heare the word of God 1. Tim. 2.4 not as the word of anye mortall man but as proceeding from the mouth of the most highest so also when they receaue the sacraments at the handes of the Ministers they acknowledge that this is the ordinance of GOD 1. Th. 2. i3 Esa 1.20 and that he worketh in the beleeuers and therefore they receaue and vse the sacraments as at the verie hand of God vnto whom they directe the eies of their faith 217. Why Sacramentes were ordeined THe first cause why it was christs pleasure to ordeine sacraments in his Churche is partlye our owne infirmity and weakenesse 1. Cor. 2.14 being dull and slowe in the vnderstanding of heauenly thinges partly the great goodnesse and loue of God that would vouchsafe to attemper himselfe to our simple capacity and to seeke meanes by outward things to ease and helpe the same Secondly that the sacrament might be to vs a blessed exercise whereby we call to our remembrance the benefite of our redemption in Christ and yeelde vnto him moste harty praise and thanks for the same Luk. 22.19 1. Cor. 11.26 according as Christ teacheth vs in the institution of his last supper And as Saint Paule also sayeth in the first to the Corinthians Thirdly that we by the vse and practise thereof might bee traded to the obedience of Gods holy will and commaundements though the things seeme to our selues neuer so simple and meane also that thereby we might openly before God and the world protest and acknowledge that we are his people and of the number of them that looke to be saued preserued and defended by the benefit of Christ only So that the open vse of the sacrament is a parte of that confession wherunto the Apostle Paule Ro. 10.9 Romanes 10. attributeth saluation An other cause end of the Sacramentes is Io. 13.35 that they might be as handes and links of loue vnity and concorde among our selues For the which cause Saint Paule when he exhorted the Ephes to vnitye and loue Eph. 4.5 among other things hee addeth we haue one faith one baptisme And again in an other place wee are one body saith he as many as be pertakers of one life 1. Cor. 10.17 Finally that by the sacraments as by blessed meanes the holy Ghoste working with them hee might impart vnto vs and bestow vpō vs his vnestimable graces and benefits together with al the fruits of our redēption in Christ For as his word is so are his sacraments instruments and means by the working of his holy spirite to bring vnto vs the whole benefit of our saluation 218 The right applying of Christs sufferings and sacraments to our benefit WHeras it is said that the sonne of God was crucified we must not only think that the same was done for the redemption of the worlde but also euery one must on his own behalf ioyne himselfe to Christ and conclude it is for him that he hath suffred So whē we be baptised as it is not for any one man alone so is not the water sprincled vppon al men in common but euery man is baptised seuerally in his owne behalf to the end that euery one of vs may apply it particulerly vnto himself 1. Cor. 6 15. Ep. 5.30 to say that we be al members of our Lord Iesus Christ Also when we receaue the holy supper euery man taketh his owne portion to shewe vs that our Lord Iesus Christ is communicated vnto vs yea euen to euery one of vs. For when we once know the the thing which was done for the redemption of the whole worlde pertaineth to euery one of vs seuerallye it behoueth euery one of vs to say also on his behalfe that the sonne of God hath loued him so dearlie that hee hath geuen himselfe to death for him And that therefore we be of all creatures the most miserable if we accept not such a benefite when it is offered vnto vs. For it is a common doctrine in the holy scriptures that GOD so loued the world that he spared not his onely sonne but gaue him to death for vs Io. 3.16 and also that our Lorde Iesus Christ at such time as we wer his deadly enemies did confirme a maruelous loue towards vs in that he offered himself in sacrifice to make attonement betwen God and vs and to do away al our sins as they might no more come to accompt This is the warrant of our saluation
stoutly in sight against all the impedimentes of their Faith Thus also Paule commaundeth vs to doe 2. The. 3 13. that wee bee not weary of well doing And in an other place he saith 2. Tim 2.5 that no man is crowned except hee striue lawfully Wee must therefore beare all things with a bolde minde and stoute courage which the Lord shall lay vpon vs. 109 The dutie of Christians IT is the parte of Christians so to liue so to behaue themselues and so to suffer all thinges that Christ onely may be the cause of the hatred and persecution which they suffer and then this is and ought to bee a comforte vnto vs that if wee suffer for Christ then are wee his then shall wee say with the Apostle Paul Wee labour and are rebuked because wee trust in the liuing God 1. Tim. 4.10 which is the sauiour of all men especially of those that beleeue This is a great consolation and comfort that how great soeuer the dangers bee if faith bee present it is able to lift vp a discouraged harte For hee that onlye continueth to the ende committing himselfe vnder the tuition and protection of the Lord He I say at length shal be safe although he bee deliuered to the deathe and hated of all men Ma. 10.22 This safetye and health is promised not by resisting but by suffering as the Lorde doeth plainely declare Luk. 21.19 By your pacience saith he possesse your soules The which containeth a woonderfull consolation They whith fight vnder princes are doubtfull of the victorye but Christe promiseth victory without all doubte to them that fight to the ende Let vs not therefore feare or doubt to fight for the glorie of the Lorde Mar. 13.13 althoughe the whole world rise against vs beecause an happye and prosperous ende is promised vnto vs of Iesus Christ the sonne of God which is a faithfull keeper of our saluation if wee continue 110 The Fruite of our communion with the death of Christ IF Wee bee Christians then muste appeare in vs the signe of our Communion with the deathe of Christe whose fruite is that the flesh be crucified with all our concupiscences Ro. 6.8 Howbeit we may not therefore count this communion as none because as yet wee doe feele some reliques of the flesh to liue in vs But wee are continually to study for the encrease therof vntil we are come vnto the marke For it is well if our flesh bee continually mortified and wee haue well profited when the fleshe being subdued hath yeelded to the holye Spirit And there is an other communion of the deathe of Christ whereof the Apostle Paule speaketh in diuerse places 2. Cor. 4 10 and namely to the Corinthians as touching the bearing of the Crosse after whiche followeth the participation of eternall life Newnesse of life muste bee followed after of Christians the whole course of their whole life for if they ought to represent in themselues by the mortification of the fleshe the Image of Christ and life of the spirit That muste bee done once for all but this muste continue still Not as though the fleshe were mortified in vs in a moment but beecause wee muste not reuolte or go backe in mortifying the fleshe For if wee turne backe vnto our filthines we denie Christe Ro. 8.10 of whom wee cannot be partakers but by newnes of life 111 God is not the authour of sinne ALthough God giueth the firste mouing power and strength in all manner of actions which wee must confesse to be good as proceeding from him and ordereth and disposeth all euill Ro. 9.14 which is a peruerting of the good that commeth from God and proceedeth from Sathan and the corruption of mans nature so that he cōuerteth the same alwaies in the end to his glory and the benefit of his elect as we see in the persecution of the wicked and the infirmities of the godlye Ps 19.9 yet is hee by no meanes to be charged as the authour and cause of sinne and euill When it pleased the almightie to shewe foorth his infinite power wisedome goodnes in the creation of thinges visible and inuisible bodily and spiritually it pleased him for the illustration and setting forth of the glory of his goodnes to ordeyne that euil shoulde proceede out of the freewill of his reasonable creatures And this his ordinance is good For although euill bee naught and cursed be he that saith euill is good Esay 5.20 yet that there shoulde bee euill which is Gods ordinaunce it is excellent good The excellencie of goodnes cannot so well appeare and be knowne as by the comparison of the contrarie which is euill Therfore it is perfect good that euill should be the manifestation of that which is good we see that in all the creatures and workes of the worlde God hath ordeyned that his glorie should shine in contraries As to the intent that the beautie and glorie of light should be seene and knowne to bee such as it is he hath ordeyned darkenes For if he had created light to be perpetuall without anye chaunge of darkenes howe had it bene possible for men although liuing in the light to haue knowne the excellencye of light and so should God haue bene defrauded of the glory of so beautiful profitable and comfortable a creature Therfore euen as by darkenes we learne howe to esteeme light and by bitter that which is sweet and euery other thing by his contrarie euen so by the deformity of euil we are taught how great is the excellent comelines of that which is good and so the ordinance of God that there should be euil is perfect good 112 God cannot be accounted the cause of sinne THat the glory of gods mercy might appeare in the saluation of his elect and his iustice in the condemnation of the reprobate Ro. 9.22.23 it was necessary that there should be euil and so necessarie that otherwise there shoulde haue bene no matter for the mercye iustice of God to worke vpon for if there should haue bene no sinne nor euil Ps 19.9 wherein then should the mercie of God haue bene seene in pardoning forgiuing sinnes if there should haue bene no transgression how should the glory of Gods iustice haue shined in punishment And thus it is euident that god by no means may be coūted the author of euil which he hath not created made or wrought but ordeined that it should proceede from the freewill of his reasonable creatures for the illustration of his glory Let vs therefore tremble at his righteous iudgements who doth al thinges according to the good pleasure of his will and hath made the wicked man for the daye of his wrath and yet by no meanes is the cause of his wickednes If any man be not satisfied with this aunswere Ro. 11.33.34 he may enter further vnto the vnmeasurable depth of Gods iudgement into the which he maye rather finde an
beare If a poore silly sparrow as Christ assureth theÌ„ falleth not to the grounde without their father that is in heauen 1. Cor. 10.13 Mat. 10.29 they are perswaded that they are far more pretious in the sight of god theÌ„ all the sparrowes in the worlde and therefore that an haire shall not fall from their head without his wil and pleasure The example hereof euidently appeareth in Iob and in the Apostles of Christ The deuel couldâ— not vexe Iob vntil it was graunted him by God Sathan desired to sifte the Apostles as men vse to sifte corne but Christ prayde for them that their faith might not fayle Yea a legion of deuils were not able to hurte a heard of hogges Luk. 12.32 but by the permission of Christ This comfort neuer faileth and when the faithfull betake themselues to this defence they maye be truely sayd to rest vnder the shadowe of the most highest Mat. 19.29 They which refuse persecution offered for Christ his sake cannot be his true disciples but shewe them selues to haue been hypocrites and dissemblers 147 The fauour of God the onelye foundation of consolation EXcept God be gratious vnto vs although all thinges looke pleasantly vpon vs yet no certaine trust can be conceaued And on the contrarie part his onely fauour is a sufficient solace in all sorrowe and a strong defence against all tempestes of aduersities And hereunto appertaine many testimonies of the scriptures where the Sainctes trusting to the only power of God dare despise what soeuer thing commeth againste them in this world Though I should walke through the valley of the shadowe of death I will feare no euill saith the prophet for thou art with me In the Lorde put I my trust Ps 11.1 how say yee then to my soule flye to your mountaine as a byrde I will not saith hee be afrayde of ten thousand of people that shoulde beset mee rounde about Ps 3.6 For there is no power vnder heauen or aboue heauen that can resiste the arme of the Lord therefore he being our defender noe harme at all is to be feared 148 The will of God is alwaye iuste although we see not the reason thereof THe wil of God although the reason therof be vnknowne vnto vs is to be counted iust For the Lord hath his right takeÌ„ from him if he be not at liberty to doe with his creatures as he seemeth best This seemeth hard to the eares of many And there are also some who alleadge that God is put to great reproch if such libertie be geuen vnto him as though they with their disdainefulnes were better diuines then the holy Ghost who hath appointed this rule of humility to the faithfull that they shoulde wonder at the power of God and not esteme it after their own iudgement The Apostle Paule represseth this arrogancie of striuing with God in his Epistle to the Ro. by a most fiue similitude wherein he seemeth rather to haue alluded vnto Esay then Ieremie Ro. 9.20 Esay 5.9 Ier. 18.9 6. For nothing else is taught in Ieremie then that Israel is in the hand of the lord so that for his sinnes he may breake him in peeces as a potter may his earthen vessell But Esay goeth higher saying wo bee to him the gainesayeth his maker namely to the pot that striueth with the potter shall the clay say to the potter what makest thou c. And surely there is no cause why a mortall man shoulde preferre himselfe before an earthen vessel wheÌ„ he compareth himselfe with God 149 Through faith our sinnes are forgiuen WHo soeuer beleeueth in Christ is not iudged that is to saye by the grace and mercy of God he is saued the sentence of deserued condemnation also being taken awaye So the Apostle sayth there is noe condemnation to those that are in Christe Iesus Ro. 8.1 Mar. 16.16 And whereas our sauiour Christe affirmeth that al the faithfull are out of perill of death we may therby gather howe necessarie the certainety and stability of faith is to take away the trembling and oppressing feare of conscience Hee pronounceth that there is no condemnation Io. 3.18 so soone as we beleeue and therfore if for faithes sake a man is not iudged as the truth it selfe plainely affirmeth where is then indulgences and pardons Where are the Romish satisfactions And where is the fayned fyre of purgatorie and such like humaine imaginations and deuises Surely they are vanished away and perished for euer For the truth hath said which ought neuer to be forgotten that who soeuer beleeueth in him hath euerlasting life Io. 6.47 150 Of the true knowledge of God THere is but one God in essence or nature which is the father of whom are all thinges and we in him Ier. 23.33 The same God is inuisible and immartall 1. Tim. 17. He is in al places seeth all thinges and filleth the heauen and the earth He is almightie infinite and eternall he is the maker and preseruer of all thinges He is onely wise gentle iust true merciful The Lorde Exo. 34.6 the Lorde sayeth Moses is stronge mercifull and gracious flowe to anger and aboundaunt in goodnesse and trueth In this deuine essence three persons doe subsist Mat. 3.16 28.9 being truely distinguished from euerlasting in their seuerall properties the Father the Sonne and the holye Ghost But the comforter which is the holy Ghost whome the Father will sende in my name hee shall teach you all thinges and bring all thinges to your remembraunce which I haue tolde you Io. 14.26 These three persons are not three Gods but they are coeternall and coequall 1. Io. 5.7 Act. 17.23 distinct concerning their properties and yet without any manner of inequalitie being by nature so vnited togeather that they be but one God eternall infinite and most perfect in it selfe 151 The power and godhead of God are seene and howe AMongest the properties and persons which are in God which is one there is such distinction that to the Father we must attribute the beginning of working and creating we must holde him for the fountaine and spring of all things To the son we must attribute wisedome couÌ„sell Ps 33.6 the gouernment of things that are made To the holy Ghost we must attribute the power and efficacie of working executing And although that the eternitie of the Father is also the eternity of the sonne and of the holy Ghost for God could neuer be without his wisedome power and in the eternitye there ought neither first nor last to be sought yet is it not a vaine thing nor superfluous to obserue this order in the eternitie â—â— namely that we set the Father first in order and in the second place the sonne which commeth of him in the third place the holy ghost which proceedeth from them both For also the mind of euery one inclineth to consider first God afterwards his wisdome which springeth
inwardlye required of him which receaueth it What shall bee further sayd of the prophane wicked abusing of Christes sacrament to the baptizing of belles the curing of sicknesses and the driuing awaye of spirites and deuils by the water therof This is most certaine that in vsing this one outward sacramēt of Christ by water they practised fiue or sixe of their owne ordinaunce without anye warrant of Gods word at all as their salte spittle breathing annoynting of the breast annoynting of the shoulders and crowne of the head blasphemously attributing vnto euery of them the like effectes that in truth do belong to the mightie and most gratious working of the holye Ghost through the merites of Christ our sauiour and not to the deuises and fantasies of man 224 Why we are baptised and eate the supper WHen the scripture speaketh vnto vs of Baptisme and of the supper of our Lord Iesus Christ it sheweth vs that it is not in vayne that we are baptised with water For because God hath appointed that signe and will haue vs to vse it hee will surely make it auayleable it shal be a good witnes to vs that we shall bee washed and clensed from our spottes and filthines by the bloud of his sonne and shall be renewed by the vertue of his holy spirite and that by that meanes also the naughtines of our flesh and nature shall be killed in vs. For he is the author of it his promise is ioyned thereunto Mar. 16.16 and it is he onely that can binde himselfe vnto vs And so standeth the case also in the Lordes supper For seeing that the minde of our Lord Iesus Christ is Luk. 22.19 that we should keepe it in remēbrance of him and to be certified and assured that he is our meat and drinke wee must not come to the table barely to eate bread and drinke wine but to shew forth the death 1. Cor. 11.26 and to be pertakers of the life of our Lorde Iesus Christ to be fostered and fed with his very substaunce and to feele that wee are made pertakers of his life Thus doth the Lord worke by the vertue of his holy spirite in these signes which hee hath appointed to th' end they should be effectuall and pithy instrumentes 225 Of the Lordes supper THe supper of the Lord is a testimonie vnto vs that god wil nourish and refresh vs with foode euen as a good maister of an house studieth to sustaine and feede such as be of his housholde It is a reuerend and blessed memoriall of the death of Christ in celebrating whereof wee shew our selues thankefull for his great vnestimable benefites towards vs according to these wordes do this in remembrance of me It is also as it were a cognizance or badge of our religion Luk. 22.19 1. Cor. 11.25 whereby we bee seperated and distinct from Turkes Iewes and al other infidels and by the vse thereof confesse before God and the world that we are of the number of them that looke to be saued by the death of Christ And therefore saith S. Paule Ye cannot drinke of the cup of the Lord of the cup of deuils Our Lord ordeined his Sacrament to put vs in assurance that by the disstribution of his body and bloud our soules are nourished in the hope of life euerlasting His body is represēted vnto vs by the bread his bloud by the wine to signifie that what property the bread hath towards our bodies that is to feede and sustaine thē in this transitorie life the selfe same propertie also his body hath touching our soules that is to nourish them spiritually And in like manner as the wine doth strengthen comfort and reioyce the hart of man euen so his bloud is our full ioy comfort and spirituall strength 226 How the true body of Christ must be receiued OVr Lord Iesus Christ whē he gaue in his supper the bread the cup vnto his disciples cōmanding them to eate and to drinke he said This is my body this is my bloud c. For it is an vsuall thing to giue vnto the sacramentall signes the names of those thinges which they do signify As in this sacrament the bread and wine are the signes of the body bloud of Christ and therefore Christ nameth them his body bloud Matth. 26.26.27.28 The like also is to be said of baptisme circūcisiō the passeouer other sacrifices And they are thus called to the ende we should not depend vpon the signes that is on the bread or on the wine but being by these visible signes put in minde of thinges inuisible wee might lifte vp our minde vnto heauen to the thinges signified that is to the body of Christ which was geuen for vs and to his bloud which was shed for vs. Now the bodye and bloud of Christ wee receaue spirituallye by faith so as outwardly with our bodily mouth we eate and drink the bread and the wine and inwardly with the mouth of our soule that is to say by faith we receaue the body and bloud of Christ For like as with our mouth we receaue meates to sustaine our body soe likewise by faith in Christ is his body and bloud which he offered vpon the crosse made meat vnto vs to eternall life For the body of Christ which was geuen for vs and his bloud that was shed for our sinnes is our life or life is thereby purchased to vs and these do wee receaue by faith so as thereby Christ doth liue in vs and we in him In the supper of our Lord Iesus Christ therefore wee do not eate bread and drinke wine onely but his bodie and bloud also but yet as it was sayde before spiritually by faith so as the presence of Christ in this supper is spirituall as the eating thereof is also spirituall 227 Howe the body and bloud of Christ is truely receaued THe body and bloud of Christe is not carnall meate and drinke for our bodies but spirituall meate and drinke for our soules and for that cause the Apostle sayeth that the olde Fathers did eate of the same spirituall meate 1. Cor. 10.3.4 drinke of the same spirituall drinke And yet it must needes be confessed that this spirituall meate is profitable not to the soule only but to the body also For Christ dyed for preseruation both of soule and bodie But this benefite of nourishment is not first receaued of the body and through it passeth into the soule for that were monstrous but beeing first receaued of the soule it profiteth the body Mat. 15.11 For as Christ sayth That which entereth into the bodily mouth defileth not the man but that which commeth out of the mouth from the corrupt heart and minde So contrariwise not that good thing that entereth by the body doth profit the soule but that which entereth first by the soule and is receaued by it profiteth also the bodie For the body and bloud of Christe being indeede