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 â—eed 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 eteniâ—… quicunque geret non hunc â—go nolle crediâ—…erim 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 râ—lent 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 not mistake herein it is manifest by the testimony of God himselfe set downe by the Prophet Ieremie in most direct words to that purpose I will Ier. 32. 40. saith the Lord make an euerlasting Couenant with them meaning his faithfull ones vnder the time of grace that I will not turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me So then now vnder the Couenant of grace diuine grace is not so offered to the faithfull that they may either chuse or refuse it if they will but thereby they are made both willing to receiue it at the first and resolute also to perseuere therein constantly euen to the end and therefore by the Spirit of God they are called trees which shall not cease from yeelding fruit Ier. 17. 8. Whereby it is manifest that grace
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 iâ—putation 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 â—ternall 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 FroÌ„ 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 FroÌ„ 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 FroÌ„ things that bee opposite priuatiuely The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiousty good FroÌ„ things depending vpon relation No diuine worship or seruice is to be giuen to any Angell or Saint FroÌ„ 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 FroÌ„ 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 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 FroÌ„ things that haue the lesse proportion of reason 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 aâ— 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 good No man can make satisfaction to God for any one sinne The people ought not to embrace the doctrine of their teachers without tryall The faithfull are saued by their owne faith not by the faith works of any other God did praedestinate before all worlds some to aeternall saluation in Christ Iesus and others to aeternall damnation through their owne sinnes FroÌ„ things that be vnlike No image ought to be made to represent the Diuine Maiesty All the workes of Inâ—idels are sinnes FroÌ„ things that bee like The true seruants of God doe know themselues to be the true seruants of God God giueth saluation in Christ and not in any other Vngodly Hypocrites are no true members of the Church of Christ The testimony of God deliuered in the Canonicall Scripture and not receiued by bare tradition is the sure euidence ground of truth The
doctrine of the Romish Church is a provocation to sinne and not the doctrine of the Churches that professe the Gospell Popish pennance and Purgatory are contrary to the Article of the Creed I beleeue the remission of sinnes FroÌ„ such things as be coniugates Iury is not to be esteemed an holy land The will of man is not by nature free in things concerning God All the faithfull are Saints The Bishop of Rome is not the vniuersall pastour of the whole Church The Lawes of God only bind the conscience From the etymology or interpretation of the name True Religion bindeth only to the obseruation of such things as are commanded by God Whereas superstition bindeth to the obseruation of such things as are beside and aboue the former The Laity ought to haue liberty daily to read the holy Scriptures The faithfull themselues and also their Churches ought to be dedicated only to God The faithfull know their own Faith repentance and loue and their saluation in Christ Iesus An implicite that is a blinded and a folded vp Faith is not the true Christian Faith The breaking of a Popish vow is no sinne The Monkes as they now demeane themselues are not true Monkes All the faithfull are saued by the meere mercy of God in Christ. From the definition or description of a thing The faithfull haue assurance both of the Lord 's good will and loue towards themselues and also of their own sincere faith and true loue towards God The bare testimony of the Church cannot make sufficiently knowne any doctrine of Faith A Bishop may be a ciuill Magistrate From the diuision of a thing The signe of the Crosse is not a thing absolutely euill but may lawfully bee vsed at the administration of Baptisme From the whole to the parts or froÌ„ the generll to the speciall Matrimony is lawfull for the Clergy euen after the vow of single life All Ecclesiasticall persons aswell as secular ought to be subiect to the ciuill Magistrate It doth belong to the ciuill Magistrate in his owne dominions to command all such things to be obserued of all his subiects as concerne the diuine worship and seruice of God and therein he hath the highest authority The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiously good From the parts to the whole or from the speciall to the general The Church of Rome giueth diuine honour to Angels and Saints There are no persons appointed by God for Popish Purgatory FroÌ„ diuine humane testimonies The miracles and doctrine of the Church of Rome are fabulous and false euen by the testimonies of her own vulgar people Learned Writers the ancient Fathers Canonicall Scriptures THEOLOGICALL LOGICKE CHAP. I. QVAEST 1. 1 The Gospell is the only proper and immediate instrumentall cause of our conversion to God and of our faith and loue and of all other spirituall graces and not miracles nor the holy liues and comfortable deathes of the dearest seruants of God nor temporall blessings or corrections nor the authority of the Magistrate nor the wisdome of the Law of God and therefore much lesse the reason of the naturall man THe Gospell is the propeâ— and immediate Acts 26. 18. Ioh. 8. 32. 1 Pet. 2. 23. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Rom. 10. 17. 1 Ioh. 4. 19. instrument whereby God doth open our eyes and turne vs from darknes to light and from the power of Satan to God and doth free vs from the bondage of sinne and doth beget vs againe and renew vs into his owne Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of God Faith commeth by the Gospell For what can giue vs a faithfull assurance of Gods loue but such a pledge thereof as is giuen vs in the Gospell Loue is wrought by the Gospell displaying Gods loue For if we loue them that loue Matth. 5. 47 vs what singular thing doe we Doe not the Publicanes euen the same So repentance is wrought by the Gospell and a godly sorrow Mar 1. 15. for our diuelish sinnes For what can make vs truely sorrowfull for offending so good so gracious a God and carefull from the very heart to cease from sinne and to follow righteousnes if the grieuous agony and dreadfull death of our blessed Sauiour endured for our sinnes being reuealed in the 1. Pet. 4. 1. Ioh. 12. 32. Gospell cannot effect the samâ— Verâ—ly Iohâ— tâ—e Baptist gâ—uing the knowledge of saluation vnto the people for the remission of their sinnes through the tender mercy of God whereby the day spring from an high Luc. 1. 16. hath visited vs did turne many of the children of Israel vnto the Lord their God So the Apostles going out into the whole world and preaching the Gospell to euery creature did cast down holdes and imagâ—nations and euery â—igh thing that was exalted against the knowledge of God and brought into captiuity â— Cor. 10. 4. 〈◊〉 2. 2. euery thought to the obedience of Christ and so converted the whole world vnto God But as for miracles the holy liues and comfortable deathes of the dearest seruants of God the Lord 's temporall blessings and corrections the wisdome of the Law of God and the best reason of the naturall man all and euery of these may bee as good preparatiues to cause vs more readily to receiue the Physicke of our soules but the instructions of the wholesome doctrines of the Gospell of Christ are the only right Physicke and the most soueraigne conâ—ections that are able to recouer our spiâ—ituall health and life For if we liue an holy and an heauenly â—er 46. 1. Gal. 2. 20. life we liue so by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs the whâ—ch faith is wrought by the Gospell The former may be some impellent occasions to induce such as are not yet effectually called to giue an attentiue â—are to the most wholesome doctrines of the Gospell of Christ and to moue such as are effectually called already to hearken more readily and reuerently then before they haue done But they are no helpes to the Gospell it selfe for the working out of the conversion of any Because this word of Christ is not rightly receiued nor doth worke in any one effectually but where it 1 Thess 2. 13 is receiued for it's own sake And verily concerning the power of miracles and of the Church which is a multitude of such as professe the truth they are not able to convert an Infidell but to prepare him make him ready to embrace the Gospell which is the power of God Rom. 1. 16 Aug. de utilitâ—te credendi c. 16 to saluation to all that belieue Men saith S. Austin that are not yet able to discerne the heauenly truth that they may bee lifted vp to it and suffer themselues to be purged from their impurity hindâ—ing them from it haue the benefit of direction of authority which standeth vpon two things whereof the one is
the greatnes of miracles and wondrous workes done the other is the multitude of such as beleeue Verily God would haue all men saued and come thereto by the knowledge of the truth But this knowledge of the truth is learned out of the 1 Tim. 2. 4 Ioh. 8. 32 Col. 1. â— Gospel the word of truth And therefore did the Lord cause so many strange signes and wonders to be done by the first publishers and preachers thereof that the doctrine of the same Marc. 16. 20. Hab. 2. 4. might bee embraced as diuine and heauenly whereunto the Lord himselfe did giue such testimony For the which purpose also the Lord caused so many diuine graces to shine in the liues and such admirable courage and comfort in the deathes of such as were the first Martyrs and Confessors in the Primitiue Church that that doctrine might be receiued as diuine heauenly which wrought such diuine and heauenly effects The which were so euident and apparent that the very enemy was forced to giue testimony thereto with these or the like words These be they which speake as they liue and liue as they speake this is assuredly an holy profession which bringeth forth such aâ— holy conversation this is a ioyfull comfortable faith which breedeth such ioy aâ—d comfort amidst the very terrours of death O vndâ—ubtedly great is the God of the Christians Their light did so shine before men that they seeing their Mat. 5. 16. good workes did glorifie God the Author thereof So likewise why doth the Lord sometimes cause the sweet dewes of his temporall blessings to distill downe vpon his beloued Vineyard and sometimes againe smite it with the sharpe stormes of his cotrections but that thereby he might prepare it to yeeld a fruitfull and a plentifull Vintage And why doth he suffer the Field of his Church sometimes to lye ley and vnbrâ—ken vp and to be at rest and againe at another time doth breake it vp and fallow it but that he might make it sitter to receiue and nourish the Lord's seed and in the end yeeld a better haruest Yea as a wise and prudent Schoolemaster dealeth with his young and tender Scholler sometimes speaking him faire and giuing him an apple or a fig that so he may winne him vnto his will and sometimes not only threatneth him but vseth also the rod that so he may force and compell him thereunto so dealâ—th Christ our heauenly Master and Teacher with vs his dull disciples and Schollers sometimes seeking to allure vs with a liberall largesse of his temporall blessings carefully to hearken to the holy instructions of his Word and sometimes seeking to compell vs thereto by his sharpe corrections the which yet Psal 106. 45 Luc. 14. 23 are neither our Schoole nor our Schoolemaster but the rod rather in our Schoolemasters hand The Church is our Schoole-house and Christ himselfe is our Schoolmaster and the Bible is the Booke whereby we be taught corrections are the rod in Christs hands whereby we are forced to giue an attentiue eare to the instructions of his word by the which we are made wise and learned Christians Prosperity ordinarily breedeth security and choaketh the Mat. 13. 22. Exod. 6 9. Eccle. 7. 9 Iob. 3. 3. â—…r 15. 10. good seed and maketh it vnfruitfull So aduersity maketh many to murmure against God and to stop their eares against all good admonitions yea it maketh a wise man mad as it may appeare by holy Iob and Ieremie who were thereby occasioned euen to cuâ—se the day of their nativity And therefore it is a speciall blessing of God when by prosperity we are stirred vp to thankfulnes and by aduersity to repentance and to take better heed to the wholesome instructions of God's most holy word Blessed is the man said Dauid whom thou chastnest O Lord and teachest in thy Law that thou maist giue him patience in Psal 94. 12. time of adversity vntill the pit be digged for the vngodly And verily when in our aduersity the Lord doth teach vs out of his Word the vse and end of afflictions and maketh vs seriously to lay it to our hearts then is our adversity made profitable vnto vs by the blessing of God I heard Ephraim saith the Prophet lamenting thus Thou hast corrected me and I was chastised as an vntamed Calfe convert thou me and I shal be converted for thou art the Lord my God Surely after I converted I repented and after I was instructed I smote vpon Ier. 31. 18. my thigh In which words we may perceiue that corrections of themselues cause the professed seruants of God to kicke with the heele and that vntill God by his word instruct them they are not effectually moued by their corrections vnto repentance and amendment of life Wherefore when the Lord openeth the eares of any of his Seruants by their corrections it is by sending vnto them a Messenger one of a thousand to declare vnto them the Lord 's most exact righteousnes and seuerity euen against the sinne of his Elect which cannot be satisfied for the same but by the precious Bloud of their Sauior Christ that thereby they might be brought to Faith and Repentance For then will the Lord haue mercy vpon them and say Deliuer them that they goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation Iob 33. 24. So then it is still the power of the Gospell of Christ sounding in the mouthes of his faithfull Ministers that is able to worke the conversion of a sinner afflictions may cause vs more carefully to giue attendance to the Word as in like manner may paiâ—es penalties inflicted by the Magistrates which are the Lord's Lieutenants ordained to this purpose that they should by their penall statutes euen force their subiects to harken diligently to the commandements of God Not that any can be forced to faith and repentance by any manner of penalty or paine whatsoeuer but by inforcements they may be driuen to come to the Assemblies of the Saints where the Fishers of men cast out the net of the Gospell that at one time or other they may be brought within the compasse thereof and so may be taken vp into Noah's Arke So then still it is the net of the Gospell and the hooke of the Word whereby men are taken and brought vnto God afflictions sent of God and penalties inflicted by the Magistrates are but the baites to make some bite at this hooke and poles to make them come within the compasse of this net Nay this worke of a mans vnfained conuersion to God cannot be wrought by the terrours of the Law of God For the Gal. 3. â— 2. Cor. 3. 6. spirit whereby we are begotten againe and made the children of God is not receiued by the preaching of the Law but by the hearing of faith The Law is the letter that condemneth and killeth causing a sinner to flâ—e from God as from an angry and offended Iudge
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 belâ—eue 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 â—uill dâ—d 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 â—ight 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 thâ— 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 deâ—ence 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 victualâ— 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 searcâ—…nesse of all things and haue beene consumed by sword and by â—amine And at another time the Temple of the Lord the Temple of Ier. 7. 4. â—er 18. 18. the Lord. And againe the Law shall not perish from the Priest nor counsell from the wise nor the word froÌ„ the Prophets So Ioh. 4. 20. the Schismaticall Samaritans alleadged for themselues our Fathers worshipped in this mount Like as the Idolatrous HeatheÌ„ Aug. de Ciuit. Dei l. 10. c. 32. Orig. contra â—…um 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 madâ—e without some shew or shadow of reason For saith he I am an vnlearned man and am to follow my Calling and to leaue the discussing of quaestions of learning to the learned I am ready to come to Church and to doe my duty to God and to liue iustly and peaceably with my neighbours Why the learned themselues cannot agree about the points of Faith and how then shall such an one as I am be able to discerne it and to finde it out The truth is that God wrote his Law in the heart of Adam and thereby set in his minde such a light of reason that he had a right iudgement in all things But Adam was not contented with this treasure of wisdome and this measure of knowledge extending it selfe to all that was good but he would needes know euill also that he might by experience try what would be the event thereof And thereupon he forsooke God the Father of light and betooke
enabled them to vse more diligence in their weaker meanes and thereby aduanced them to greater gifts Now if against these things which haue beene deliuered it be obiected that faith doth not produce her actions by meanes of discourse but by the immediate operation and reuelation of the Spirit of God albeit this hath beene most abundantly confuted in all the former part of this Chapter yet if it were not so this one reason is fully sufficient to conuince the same For where is faith is that to the minde which the eye is to the body then it followeth that as the eye doth not apprehend his obiect immediately but as it is made conspicuous by meanes of some bodily light so faith which is the sight of the soule doth not apprehend truth which is her generall obiect vnlesse it be made manifest by the light of reaâ—on and meanes of discourse The which is so sure and certaine a truth that the Apostles themselues who had the knowledge of all diuine and humane verities necessary for such as should be teachers and instructers of the whole world giuen vnto them not by their owne labours and studdy but by the immediate reuelation of the Spirit of God yet had not this their knowledge without discourse As it is manifest by manner of handling and deciding the question that was brought vnto them which was whether the workes of the Law were to be ioyned with faith in Christ in the case of iustification and saluation For it is recorded that after the question had beene debated among them with great disputation and discourse the Apostle Saint Peter determined the same and that not without the allegation Act. 15. 7. of many arguments and reasons As Saint Iames caused some clauses to be added thereto but not without the producing of iust grounds for the same So when the people of God were to be carried into captiuitie among the heathen how did the Lord fore-seeing that they should be intised to Idolatry strengthen them in the Faith and Seruice of the true God and arme them against all contrary perswasions but by deliuering vnto them such reasâ—ns as whereby they might be fully perswaded that their owne God was the onely true God Ier. 10. 11. and that the gods of the Heathen were but titularie gods that Isa 41. 21. is gods in name and not in deed It is a truth confessed euen by some of the chiefe pillars of the Church of Rome that all the greatest mysteries of Faith that are necessary to saluation are plainely set down in the Canonicall Scriptures Now I would demand whether these doctrines there deliuered are treated and discoursed of there verbally and in bare words onely or really with sufficient waight of sound reason And verily how can any one reason without reason and discourse without discourse That there is but one true God euen the God of Abraham Isaac and Israel the Prophets Isay and Ieremy proue by most sound and sufficient arguments in the places cited a little before That this one God is distinguished into three persons The Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost why may it not be both iustified and illustrated and made euident by sound and sufficient arguments and reasons For whereas God is essentially good yea goodnesse it selfe seeing it is the property of that which is good to communicate it selfe to other why Bonum est sui communicativum Pro. 8. 22. Ioh. 5. 26. Ioh 16. 15. Ioh 15. 26. may it not be beleeued as an vndoubted truth that God the Father gaue his aeternall essence to God the Sonne begotten of him before all worlds and that God the Father and the Sonne gaue their aeternall essence to God the Holy Ghost proceeding from them both from all aeternity Hath God giuen to some of his mortall creatures power to beget things of the same essence and substance with themselues And may not the aeternall God beget an aeternall Sonne of the very selfe-same essence and substance with himselfe And hath God giuen to some other of his creatures as to graine of all sorts this power that things of the same essence and substance doe proceed from them And hath not the aeternall Father and the Sonne power that an aeternall Spirit of the same essence and substance should proceed from them both from all aeternity Is not this world with the creatures therein contained a most liuely glasse wherein the most glorious Creator is shadowed out vnto vs And euery good thing that hath a reall and an absolute being in the creature hath it not a reall existence in God For God is most absolutely and fully perfect and therefore the perfection of all good things is in God in the highest degâ—ee of absolute and full perfection And therefore seeing that paternitie and siliation and procession are good things in the creature why may they not rightly be 〈◊〉 to be in God in whom is the fulnesse of all good things Of all the creatures of this inferiour world the soule of man is most principall as the Sunne is the chiefest of all those goodly lights that are planâ—ed aboue in the heauenly spheâ—…es and therefore they are the fittest among all the noble creatures in some sort to resemble vnto vs the glorious Trinâ—tie The reasonable soule of man hath a reasonable substance which be â—etteth a reasonable vnderstanding from which proceedeth a reasonable will and yâ—t this is but one soule So Anima mundi est Deus God the soule of the world and the life of all things being aeternall begate his aeternall vnderstanding and wisedome before all worlds from whom proceedeth from all aeternity the holy Spirit with whom and by whom they will and worke all things and this aeternall soule wisedome and will is but one God So in the Sunne there is a most singular pure substance and a most excellent lustre and brightnesse begotten thereof and residing in the same and glorious beames issuing from both So in the most glorious Deity wee may behold God the Father the Father of Light God the Sonne the Iac. 1. 17. brightnesse of his Fathers glory God the Holy Ghost by whose beames the Light of the Gospell is made manifest Heb 1 3. vnto vs and yet this Father of Light this brightnesse of his Fathers glory and this glorious beame issuing out of both 1 Cor. 2. 10. is but one and the selfe-same God This euen the greatest mystery of our Christian profession was in part knowne vnto very Heathens themselues For they auerred that Minerua the Goddesse of Wisedome was begotten of their great God Iupiter without the helpe of Iuno which came in all likelihood from this vndoubted truth that the second person of the Trinity the essentiall wisedome of God was begotten of the true Iehovah before all worlds Now if any one being of a moâ—e metaphysicall apprehension desireth to see concerning that high mysterie other reasons that are more metaphysicall let him repaire to the
be iustified by reason but must be taken for truthes without such proofes as be without exception argueth a foolish and a blinde sophister rather then a wise and a sound discourser for to require and begge that things most controversed and wholly doubted of should be allowed of by the adversary and taken Petitio principij for vndoubted truthes is no better then to vse a grosse sophisticall fallacy It is reported prophane Gallen thus to haue censured our great Prophet Moses This man saith many things but proueth nothing As the Atheists of these our last and worst times haue beene bold to auouch that our Christian Faith is voide of all wisedome and reason For so they auouch that Ratio suadet fides fallet credere quam fidere prudens mallet But the truth is that there is more sound waighty reason in the very three first Chapters of the first booke of Moses then in all Gallen's large volumnes as there is more true wisedome and reason in the doctrines of the Christian Faith set downe in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles then all the Atheists yea then all the very wisest men in the whole world are able to apprehend So that we may most truely auouch of our Christian Faith Ratio suadet fides compellet fidere quam vivere prudens vellet Sound reason doth perswade but true Faith will compell To such as hold faith fast lost life for it is well As it is euident in many thousand Martyres who by the most powerfull and prevailing reasons of the Gospell being setled in the Faith willingly endured the losse of their temporall goods and liues in defence of their holy and Christian profession Wherefore to conclude this quaestion seeing whatsoeuer things were written afore-time were written for our learning Rom. 15. 4. Deut. 29. 29. and are reuealed for vs and for our children for euer all wiâ—e hearted Christians may hence learne not onely to search out the bare and naked Doctrines of faith and godlinesse but also the reasons whereon they are grounded For they must not be still babes feeding vpon milke and standing in need to be Heb. 5. 12. taught the principles of the Catechisme but they must desire to be able to receiue meate meete for men and to digest strong foode They must not be still as Lambes wading in Ezek 47. 5. Psa 119. 129. the shallow places of the Riuer of the water of Life but they must be as Elephants endeauouring to diue into the deepest profundities thereof that so they may be rauished with the wonders of Gods Law For we may see an end of all perfection but the Lords Commandements are exceeding large For albeit we happily may so fully apprehend the learned discourses that be made by humane Authors that we may write nil ultra there is nothing in them that we haue not found out yet when we haue laboured to the vttermost of our power and that all the dayes of our liues to finde out the right sense of euery sentence of holy Scripture we may sit downe in the ende and write plus ultra that is that there is a farre deeper Ps 119. 96. profundity therein then the short Cables of our weake wits are any way able to reach to the bottome thereof Yea if it were possible that we had gained so much knowledge as the Apostle had which was rapt vp into the third heauen Phil. 3. â— yet if we will follow him we must labour still to know Christ and the vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions that thereby we may be more and more conformable vnto his death For vnto the fulnesse thereof we haue not as yet attained neither are we already perfect And therefore we must after a sort forget that which is past and endeauour our selues to that which is before follow hard towards the marke that at the last euen in the last end of our liues wee may apprehend that for whose sake we our selues were apprehended of Christ Iesus And thus haue we deliuered the means whereby Faith is begotten and confirmed now we are to proceed to the definition and description thereof CHAP. IIII. Saving Faith is Diuine wisedome or a certaine knowledge and a setled assent and adhaerence to all Diuine verities necessary to saluation and especially to the covenant of grace as to the meanes of our highest happinesse and our chiefest good FAith saith the Apostle is the full assurance of our vnderstanding Col. 2. 2. and knowledge in the mysterie of God euen the Father and of Christ which bringeth with it all spirituall riches and therefore causeth the faithfull to esteeme of it as of the meanes of their highest happinesse and chiefest good And againe Faith is such an excellent knowledge of Christ Iesus our Lord that maketh the faithfull to esteeme all other things as dung in respect thereof which giueth them such an assurance of their iustification glorification through Christ Phil. 3. 8. that the high price thereof is the marke that they aime at in all their indeauours This pretious Faith as Saint Peter calleth it hath two 2 Pet. 1. 1. singular effects issuing out of the same which are sanctification began in this life and an assurance of a full glorification in the life to come The which because they are the certaine signes and markes of a true faith therefore the Apostle in diuers places doth describe it by the same True Faith saith the Apostle is a gift proper to Gods Elect consisting in such Tit. 1. 1. a knowledge of the truth which is according to godlinesse And that we may know by what diuine truth in particular faith breedeth godlinesse the Apostle hath set it downe elsewhere saying We all behold as in a mirrour the glory of the 2 Cor. 3. 18. Lord with open face and are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. We all saith he that are indued with the eye of faith behold in Christ the mirrour and miracle of the Lords matchlesse mercy the glory of Gods goodnesse and loue he being neuer more glorious then in the same with open face in respect of the reuelation thereof made in former times vnder obscure types and shaddowes and by this cleere fight of the Lords most glorious loue in Christ we are renewed into his image in righteousnesse and true holinesse according as it pleaseth the Lord to begin the same by his Spirit and to inlarge it also Now concerning the other effect of faith the Apostle describeth true faith by it also saying faith is the ground of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene That is faith is such a gracious gift as enableth the faithfull euidently to behold the inuisible things of God and especially his vnspeakable goodnesse and loue and giueth them also in him a sure ground-worke for the assurance of their full glorification which as
yet they inioy but in hope Now in this Chapter we are to intreate of the definition of faith and of the singular effects in the two next following Assent doth follow apprehension and therefore as a slight and a light apprehension begetteth opinion which is an vnsettled and an vnstable assent so a sure and certaine assent of the mysteries of godlinesse ingendereth faith that is a resolute and settled perswasion For a settled assent proceeding from a well grounded knowledge is all one with sauing faith and diuine wisedome As it may appeare in that when the Word of God is said either seuerally to giue the knowledge of saluation to the Lords people Luke 1. 77. or to giue faith Rom. 10. 17. or to giue wisedome vnto the simple Psal 19. 7. or ioyntly to bring to the vnity of faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God Ephes 4. 13. Tit. 1. 2. Iob. 6. 60. 7 8. 1 Ioh. 4. 16. or to bring the vnderstanding of wisedome and knowledge Prou. 1. 2. 9. 10. Col. 1. 9. Iac. 3. 13. or to make wise to saluation by faith in Christ Iesus 2 Tim. 3. 15. one and the selfe-same effect is deliuered vnder these diuers names Which may also further appeare in this that the Spirit of God which calleth this diuine gift the full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. calleth it also the full assurance of the vnderstanding Col. 2. 2. The minde and the vnderstanding is the eye of the soule and a sure and settled knowledge of the mysteries of godlinesse or sauing faiâ—h or diuine wisedome is the right sight of this eye And hereof it is that our blessed Sauiour not onely in his owne person calling men to repent and to beleeue the Gospell is said to preach recouering of sight to the blinde Luke 4. 18. But also sending out his Apostles to goe into the whole world and to preach the Gospell to euery creature is said to send them out to open their eyes that they might turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that they Act. 26. 18. might receiue remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in him And therefore the opening of the eyes of the faithfull whereby they truly apprehend the mysteries of godlinesse is called Vision as the Spirit of God which worketh this vision is called Prou. 19. 18. Iohn 2. 20. 1 Sam. 9. 9. an eye salue and as the Reuealers of this doctrine in old time were called Seers And verily the true fight apprehension and knowledge of the Couenant of grace and of all other diuine doctrines of the word of God is as Origen saith a speciall gift of God proper to such onely as are predestinated to this euen to walke Orig. lib. 7. cont Celsum worthy of God who hath made himselfe knowne vnto them To theÌ„ only it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen to others it is not giuen For they seeing do see and Matth. 13. 11. do not perceiue and hearing do heare and not vnderstand lest they should returne so be healed The vaile of corrupt opinions 2 Cor. 3. 14. is not taken from their eyes but onely from theirs which are effectually called and turned to Christ by the preaching of the Gospell For they all bohold as in a mirrour the glory of God with open face the vaile or couer being taken from their eyes Now if the faithfull be those vnto whom God hath reuealed Iohn 9. 39. himselfe and hath opened their eyes and hath made them to see by giuing to them a true faith then faith is a true â—ight apprehension and knowledge of God and of his goodnesse and loue in Christ and of all other diuine verities which are necessary to the saluation of a faithfull man And so was Faith defined by the ancient Fathers both Greeke and Latine as Doctor Benfield testifieth in his third Chapter concerning sauing Faith The Deuils and all obstinate and impenitent sinners as they haue neither sauing Faith nor diuine wisedome so neither haue they any such sight apprehension and knowledge of the diuine verities of Gods most holy Word as causeth them to yeeld a sure and certaine assent thereunto The Deuils in their creation were Angels of light and were sanctified with the cleere knowledge of all diuine verities but now they haue lost Iohn 17. 17. Chrys hom 19. in Psal 118. sanctity by falling away from God the Father thereof and from truth the mother and nurse of the same The Deuill saith our Sauiour abode not in truth but is a liar and the father of lies he made choice to misconceiue of God that he Iohn 8. 44. was vniust hard and cruell and he is so blinded and hardened therein that he cannot nor will not be remooued from the same As it may appeare in that he refused to stand to the censure of our Sauiour Christ laying euer to his charge iniustice and cruelty saying What haue we to do with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth Art thou come to torment vs before the Matth. 8. 29. time And verily from that which preserued at the first and still preserueth the elect Angels as Isidore testifieth that is from the vision and contemplation and settled perswasion of all those diuine perfections that be in God especially of his infinite and endlesse goodnesse and loue the reprobate Angels fell and wholly depriued themselues thereof and therefore doe not now know and acknowledge that God is righteous gracious and good nor honour him by ascribing vnto him these glorious perfections Now as the old Serpent hath thus inuenomed himselfe so hath he with the same poison infected the nature of Adam and Eue of al vs which by ordinary generation descend from theÌ„ For he perswaded our first parents not only that God was not good vnto them for that he forbad them the vse of the fruit of one of the trees of Paradise and withheld from them the knowledge of good and euill lest thereby they should become as Gods but also that 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 â—eruent professors but when they are crossed in their purposes then their zeale draweth cold and the heat thereof is vtterly extingnished whereas they that are endued Luke 8. 13. with a true â—aith 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
gracious God and louing Father to all such as trust in him loue him and feare him and are carefull to obserue his Lawes and are truly sorrowfull for their daily transgressions and sinnes How can it otherwise be but that the faithfull hauing by their dutifull conuersing with God in the holy exercises of hearing his holy Word and of prayer obtained these graces in some sufficient measure How can it I say otherwise be but that thereby they should be certainly perswaded that God is their louing and gracious God and that they are his beloued people For it is impossible that the promises of God made to his people concerning this matter should be void and without effect Walke saith the Lord in my Statutes and keepe Ex. 20. 19. my iudgements and do them and sanctifie my Sabbaoths and they shall be a signe betweene me and you that ye may know that I am your God Of the certainty and euidency of the truth thereof the Apostle Saint Paul was so confident that he appealeth to euery faithfull mans experience among the Romans concerning the same saying Know ye not that to Rom. 6. 16. whomsoeuer ye giue your selues as seruants to obey his seruants ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnesse The faithfull then being well witting to their own hearts that they haue giuen themselues to God and are carefull to performe the works of faith loue holinesse and righteousnesse according vnto the rule of Gods word in obedience vnto God doe so throughly know hereby that they do an acceptable seruice vnto God and that they are his obedient seruants that they doe greatly reioyce therein with the Apostle This is our reioycing euen the 2 Cor. 1. 12. testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly purenesse c. Now if it be obiected that the faithfull know not their owne hearts nor the true nature of these diuine graces nor the right notes and markes of the holy workes that proceed from them and therefore albeit they are indued with these graces and performe these works yet they cannot know that they are the seruants of God We answer first that that obiection is in direct tearmes â—lat contrary to the testimony of the Prophet before alleaged where the faithfull being commanded to do their works according to the rule of Gods Commandements being from their hearts made carefull thereof are thereby assured that they are the obedient seruants of the Lord. Secondly we answere that all men doe in part know their owne hearts and their thoughts words and workes and that the faithfull doe in some measure know the true nature of all heauenly graces and the right notes of their true fruits All men doe know themselues in part because God hath giuen to all a conscience to be a witnesse together with themselues not onely of their words and workes but also of the 1 Cor. 2. 11. very thoughts and purposes of their hearts as the names of conscience doe sufficiently declare For no man knoweth our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conscientia hearts but God and our selues and therefore conscience is a knowledge that we haue of our owne wayes together with God Euery one then by the light of his conscience knoweth Mens non potest non intelligere quod intelligit Nemo nescit se velle quod vult Prou. 14. 10. what he himselfe knoweth and vnderstandeth what he himselfe vnderstandeth and perceiueth what he himselfe thinketh desireth willeth speaketh or doeth Euery one knoweth saith Salomon for what his owne heart is sorrowfull and in what it reioyceth and none else but God onely Euen the very wicked by the meanes of their consciences are made witting to their owne wayes How much more are the faithfull by the light of the word For by the clearenesse of the heauenly doctrines their hearts are opened and they are enabled Act. 16. 14. in some good measure to know themselues and to know God Heb. 18. 11. Iohn 6. 45. Act. 2. 17. and to vnderstand what belongeth to a sound faith and to an holy and godly life For the faithfull know that such an apprehension and knowledge of Christ as causeth all things to be as dung to them in respect thereof is a sure signe of a sanctified minde lightened with the cleare sight of a true faith They know that to desire to inioy the loue of God aboue all other things whatsoeuer and to be willing and ready to conuerse with God and with Christ in the daily and religious exercises of the word of God and prayer and to loue the brethren because they loue God and are beloued of God are true tokens of true Christian loue They know also that to be truly sorrowfull for offending so louing and gracious a God as he hath declared himselfe to be in Christ and in that respect to feare to offend him and to be carefull to walke in all his righteous Lawes are sure signes of true repentance and of the right feare â—…are of God and of sincere holinesse and righteousnesse And they knowing in their owne consciences that they haue by the gracious worke of the Spirit of God such a faith loue repentance feare and righteousnesse know that they are in Gods fauour and loue and that they are his faithfull seruants We know saith St. Iohn speaking in the name of all the faithfull that we are of God 1 Iohn 5. 29. and that the whole world lieth in wickednesse We know that the Sonne of God is come and hath giuen vs a minde to know him which is true and we are in him that is true that is in his Sonne Iesus Christ this same is very God and eternall life And againe we know that we are translated from death â— Iohn 3. 14. to life because we loue the brethren And that he speaketh thus in the name of all the faithfull we may vnderstand in that in the like asseueration he changeth the person saying If ye know that God is righteous know ye that he that doth righteousnesse is â—orne of God by the which testimonies of the 1 Iohn 2. 29. Apostle it is manifest that the faithfull knowing that they are indued with the true knowledge of Christ and with true loue and with true righteousnesse know thereby that they are of God and that they are his elect and chosen children For as a true friend among men doth bestow such fauours and gifts vpon him whom he intirely and tenderly loueth as the receiuer vnderstandeth what they are and their worth also that so by manifesting his great kindnesse he may winne mutuall and reciprocall loue so God the friend of friends giueth his spirituall graces vnto all those whom he hath loued in Christ and chosen in him before the foundation of the world and maketh them to vnderstand what these his principall blessings are and the end why he giueth them euen to assure them of his
fatherly fauour and loue Yea he maketh them sensible of this gracious worke of his Spirit in their owne hearts when he effecteth the same by the powerfull operation of his owne holy Spirit and worketh a true sense and feeling thereof in the receiuers themselues as it hath already beene declared in the opening of the second question of the first part of this treatise and shall bee further cleared also in the second part hereof For that the faithfull should not doubt of Gods loue toward themselues he giueth his owne sanctifying Spirit and their owne sanctified spirits to testifie the same that against the sufficiency of their testimonies no man can take any iust Rom. 8. 16. exception In the Law saith our Sauiour it is written that the testimony Iohn 8. 17. of two men is true Of what an vndoubted truth then is that thing which is witnessed by a sanctified conscience whereas the testimony of conscience without this qualification Conscientia mille testes is in stead of a thousand witnesses Now if the witnesse of a sanctified conscience be of such validity which yet is but an humane testimony what is the witnesse of God himselfe Now this is the witnesse of God saith the Apostle that not 1 Iohn 5. 9. onely he hath giuen vnto vs eternall life but also that he hath by his Spirit giuen vnto vs our faich to testifie the same to our owne soules and that to this end that we might know that we haue eternall life and that we might beleeue viz. by a faith daily growing stronger and stronger in the name of the Sonne of God The which thing cannot be but effectually wrought if the faithfull would daily and duly consider that the promise of blessednesse made by Christ to all that beleeue was by God deliuered not onely by word of mouth but also by an oath Iohn 5. 24. and after the same maner was redeliuered to Christ and that to this end that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible Heb. 6. 17. that God should lie we might haue strong consolation and not only so but also was set downe vnder his own hand againe and againe in all the bookes of the old and new Testament and further yet was ratified and confirmed by many feales of diuers Sacraments Wherefore no maruell though the faithfull in former ages haue often openly made profession of this their comfortable assurance of Gods loue publishing and proclaiming that God was their God and they his seruants and that Christ was their Christ in particular and that by his Bloud shed precisely for themselues they were iustified from all their sinnes O my soule saith Dauid thou hast said and said it againe and Psal 16. 2. againe vnto the Lord thou art my God for so it followeth in the same Psalme and in diuers others The Lord is the poâ—tion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou shalt maintaine my lot my lot is fallen vnto me in a very good ground I haue a goodly heritage So Psal 18. I will loue thee deerely O Lord my strength the Lord is my rocke and my fortresse and my deliuerer my God and my strength in whom I will trust my shield and the horne also of my saluation So Esay O Lord thou art my God So Thomas My Lord my God Esay 25. 1. Ioh. 20. 28. Hos 2. 23. So all the faithfull since the comming of Christ in the flesh I will say vnto them that were not my people thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God And verily as when Ahab said to Benhadads seruants Is my brother Benhadad yet 1 Kings 20. 33. aliue they tooke aduantage thereby saying thy brother Benhadad so whereas God calleth himselfe in particular the God of the faithfull and them in like manner his people and his seruants why may not the faithfull call not God only their God but themselues also his seruants after a speciall maner making thereby a thankfull confession of their own high dignity which the Lord their God hath bestowed vpon them It was not pride then and presumption but a thankfull and dutifull acknowledgement of Gods most singular goodnesse towards himselfe that made Dauid sound out with a loud voyce and double the same againe and againe Behold Lord I am thy seruant I am thy seruant and the sonne of thine handmaid thou hast broken my bonds that is thou hast deliuered me from the bondage of sinne and Satan and hast made me the seruant of righteousnesse and therefore I may safely assure my selfe that I am thy seruant So old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy Luke 2. 29. seruant depart in peace according to thy word So Elias O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel let it be knowne 1 Reg. 18. 36. this day that thou art the God of Israel and that I am thy seruant that I haue done al these things at thy commandement So the Apostles Simon Peter a seruant and an Apostle of Iesus 2 Pet. 1. 1. Iac 1. 1. Iude 1. Rom. 1. 1. Christ Iames a seruant of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ Iude a seruant of Iesus Christ Paul a seruant of Iesus Christ They knew that they serued Christ faithfully in the preaching of the Gospell and in all other duties inioyned to Act. 27. 23. them by Christ and therefore they were bold to publish and proclaime themselues to be his seruants and Christ himselfe to be their Lord. So Tertullian writing in the defence of the Tert. in Apol. Christian saith against the Gentiles The religious saith he among you seeke for safety where it cannot be had c. but I cannot pray for it but to him of whom I know that I shall obtaine it because it is hee that is able to doe it and I am thâ— party to whom it is to be granted because I am his seruant and doe worship him alone Now as euery faithfull man knoweth that God is â—is God in particular and that he himselfe is Gods seruant so he knoweth the same blessing to be wrought 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 Lukâ— 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
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 iâ— 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 Faâ—her 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 Dioâ—esan now a Citizen with the Saints in Heauen hath auouched in the second part of his Defence against Dr Bishop fol. â—69 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 but also that he hath supererogated thereby for the good of other Nay by murthering of Princes ouerthrowing of states euen against their oathes alleagiance they may not onely merit heauen but deserue happily if it so please the Pope the dignity thereof a Canonized Saint But to erect so great a building as is the assurance of our iustification and saluation vpon so weake and rotten foundations is in truth presumptuous and intollerable folly and madnesse For if we would respect I say not the workes of righteousnesse wrought wholly or in part by our owne free-will but the principall fruits of the Spirit of God and the best duties that the faithfull are enabled to performe thereby are not these Gods speciall gifts making vs indebted vnto God and therefore deseruing nothing much lesse iustification and saluation at Gods hands but if we would consider them as
pledges and pawnes of Gods loue procured for vs by Christ Iesus and as the first fruites of that heauenly inheritance which he himselfe hath purchased for vs how can we but rest assured to be brought in the time appointed by the Lord to the possession of that whereof we haue so certaine an earnest and so sure a pledge In pasting ouer temporall Land from man to man we esteeme much of good securitie which highly commendeth euen an hard bargaine A sound title and a good conueyance from such and such persons to such and such other maketh the security to be sufficient The goodliest possession that can be passed ouer to any of the sonnes of men is the glorious manner of the coelestiall Paradise the true title thereunto is Christ and his righteousnesse the conueyance thereof is the Word and the Sacraments which giue Christ to all that beleeue and the sure and certaine earnest of the same is the first fruits of the Spirit But to our Romish Catholickes the righteousnesse of our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ performed for vs in his owne person and imputed vnto vs by the Lords most free and vndeserued mercy is a meere nullity and new no iustice and the apprehension thereof by faith is a phantasticall apprehension of that which is not a false faith and an vntrue imputation as our masters of Rhemes haue taught For their Rhem. in c. 3. ad Rom. title to the heauenly Paradise is the merit of that righteousnes which is wrought by themselues and their conueyances are the Popes Indulgences and Pardons and their Priests Absolutions and Masses and the deuotions of the men of their Religious orders But what is their securitie for all this verily nono at all for they are commanded to liue still in feare and doubtfulnesse because they know not how much they faile in the measure and manner of the fulfilling of this righteousnesse and whether or no they shall be enabled to perseuere And verily no maruaile that their security for their heauenly happinesse is so small or none at all seeing their pay for the same is in such light and clipt money yea in such base and counterfeit coyne and their conueyance thereof so feeble and weake The faith of our Romish Catholicks as they themselues teach is such a faith as may be in the deuils and therefore no maruaile but as the deuils beleeue and tremble so they doe beleeue and Iac. 2. 19. tremble also but wheras the pay made for the purchase of the coelestiall Paradise vnto all faithfull Christians is the absolute and perfect rigteousnesse of Christ performed for them and the conueyauce thereof vnto them is the Lords gracious grant thereof set downe in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles and sealed with the seales of the holy Sacraments both of the Old and New Testament therefore the true faithfull Christian needeth not to feare and to doubt of his saluation seeing he hath so good euidence for the same For seeing Christ hath deliuered them out of the hands of their enemies that they should serue the Lord without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse Luke 1. 74. all the dayes of their liues why should they feare or doubt to enioy the fruit of this deliuerance wrought by such a person and by such meanes Assuredly they doe not as the Apostle testifieth speaking in the name of all the faithfull Yee saith he haue not receiued Rom. 8. 16. the spirit of bondage to feare againe but yee haue receiued the spirit of adoption where by we cry Abba Father the same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the Sonnes of God if we be children wee bee also heires of God and heires annexed with Christ This ioyfull and comfortable security of all true and faithfull Christians Saint Cyprian setteth Cypr contra Demetriadem downe after this manner There is saith he with vs strength of hope and stedfastnesse of faith amidst the ruines of a decaying world a couragious minde and a constant vertue and a patience alwayes ioyfull and a soule alwayes secure of God to be our God Thus doth both Scripture and Fathers set forth that comfortable security which GOD by his Spirit hath setled in the hearts of his faithfull seruants The security then which they condemne is that whereby men are made either awlâ—sse of falling into temptations or carelesse of vsing the meanes appointed by God to withstand tentations or bold of their own strength in vsing the meanes and so negligent therby to craue continuall aide and assistance from the Lord for if we fearing to fall into tentations vse carefully the meanes appointed by God to withstand the same and distrusting our owne strength call continually to God for his aide then as the Apostle himselfe commandeth we ought in all things to be secure or without feare being Phil. 4. 6. throughly perswaded of this that the euent of all things shall be happy and that God will turne all to our good Rom. 8. 26. And verily the true Christian faith driueth away distrustfull feare out of the soule of euery true sincere Christian maketh manifest vnto him the soundnes vprightnes of his own heart seeing otherwise it could neuer leade him to true happinesse Yea as the most learned Dr. Fotherby our late most Reuerend and most louing Diocesan Lord Bishop of Sarum lib. 1. Cap. 12. Fol. 1 22. Hath shewed out of diuers of the bookes of the wisest among the Heathen true happinesse hath bin esteemed for a man to haue his soule free froÌ„ terror fearefulnesse nay without this freedome and security it is most certaine that it cannot enioy so much as a shadow of any foelicity or any sound comfort and true contentment seeing true contentment and sound comfort and ioy is founded in a couragious confidence of the heart and in the quiet security and tranquillity of the mind To be full of feare and terrour is a property belonging to a 1 Ioh. 4. 18. 〈◊〉 yea it is a 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 conâ—rary to true confidence and courage Feare saith the Apostle hath Cura quasi cor vrens painefulnesse and it brâ—edeth that care that burneth and scorcheth the heart and 〈◊〉 the soule and it hastneth those Apoc. 21. 8. that willingly entertaine it towards the horrours of hell and excludeth them from the ioyes of Heauen How then ought all the sincere Professors of the Gospell to be thankefull to God for that he hat sent his Gospell vnto them and hath opened theâ—… eyes thereby so to apprehend his vnspeakeable 〈◊〉 Christ reuealed therein that therby they are effectually stirred vp to loue God especially seeing as the Apostle saith there is no feare in loue but perfect loue 1 Ioh. 4. 18. casteth out feare For as a chast spouse is not iealous of her kind huâ—band and a dutiful sonne is not so fearefull as to think that his tender-hearted Father will withdraw his loue froÌ„
called our whole sanctification for that it worketh our whole sanctification as infidelitie is called the proper and after a sort the only sinne because it is the originall of all vnrighteousnesse Aug. cont Ep. Relag lib. 3. cap. 〈◊〉 For what good thing is there that is not obtained by faith By faith we are iustified Rom. 5. 1. By faith we are saued Ephes 2. 8. By faith we are made the sonnes of God Gal 3. 26. By faith we are incorporated into the heauenly Ierusalem and by it as by a cognizance or badge we are distinguished from all other societies The Catholike Faith saith Saint Austine doth distinguish the iust from the vniust not by the Law of workes but of faith without the Aug. ad Bonif. lib. 3. cap. 5. which those very workes which seeme to be good are turned into sinne Now if it were but in these respects faith might challenge the chiefest place of precedency and honour in the assembly of all her princely Peeres but much more may she doe it for that in her owne proper worke she is imploied in beholding imbracing and magnnifying of all the diuine excellences and perfections that be in God wherein consisteth the most proper and peculiar glory and honour of God By workes saith Chrysostome we obey God but faith Chrysost hom 8. in Ep. ad Rom. entertaineth a meet opinion of God and glorifieth him and maketh him much more to be admired then doth the shewing forth of good workes Works commend the doer but faith commendeth God only and what it is it is wholly his for it reioiceth in this that it conceiueth great things which redound to his glory Wherefore no maruell that the Lord himselfe hath such a respect to faith that all his gracious and glorious workes and wordes tend either to the begetting or strengthening of the same For why hath the Lord accomplished his most glorious workes of the Creation Redemption and sanctification but that they might be testimonies of his goodnesse mirrours of his mercy seales of his speciall Act. 14. 17. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Apoc 7. 2. Ephes 1. 14. Cant 1. 3. Hos 11. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 13. grace and fauour pawnes and pledges of his fatherly kindenesse and loue that so he might draw vs and binde vs vnto himselfe and cause vs to trust perfectly in this his fauour and grace which is thus and thus ratified and confirmed vnto vs So why did our most blessed Sauiour send forth his Apostles into the whole world to preach and publish to all creatures these so ioifull tidings of such inestimable fauours as are contained in the Gospell but that the whole woâ—ld might be conuerted to the faith and might beleeue and â—o be saued As for the same end hath he caused the same to be â—…ned for all posterities that thereby there might be wrâ—…t a sauing Marke 16. 16. Iohn 20. 31. faith in the hearts of all the children of God euâ—… to the worlds end Wherefoâ—e without 〈…〉 most singular gift of God sâ—eing 〈…〉 meaâ—es for the effecting and working thereof yea 〈◊〉 most rare blessing and hardly gotten seeing where theâ—…â—…gular meanes are best vsed euen thereof 〈◊〉 appeareth little fruit When 〈◊〉 more 〈◊〉 an Euangelist then a Prophet had published this doctrine of faith euen to the Lords own people whâ—… waâ— his owne testimony concerning his successe thereof Esay 53. 1. but thâ—… Lord who hath beleeued our report to whomis the arme of the Lord 〈◊〉 Nay when our blessed Sauiour himself came in his own person to preach these glad ridings of the Gospell euen with the mouth tongue of the Son of God after so wise and powerfull a manner that his very enemies did wonder at the gracious words that came out of his mouth and were forced to confesse That neuer man spake as he did Yea Luke 4 22. Ioh. 17. 46. after he had wrought many strange and wonderfull signes for the further confirmation thereof yet all this tooke so small effect that by the testimony of Saint Iohn being an eie witnesse of all these things then also was fulfilled the former prophesie Lord who hath beleeued our report Yea their infidelity Iohn 12. 37. Marke 6. 6. was so great that our Sauiour Christ maruelled thereat And yet behold a thing more to be maruelled at that the Apostles themselues who continually heard our Sauiours diuine and heauenly doctrine and daily saw his wonderfull workes were yet so hardly brought to the faith that our Sauiour after his resurrection forced to reprooue them most bitterly for it saying Oh ye fooles and â—low of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken No maruell then that albeit Luke 24. 25. the Gospel be published and reuiued in these last daies before the comming of Christ to iudgement by many singular and excellent instruments yet when the Sonne of man commeth he shall not finde faith on the earth Luke 18. 8. The truth is that it is an easie matter to beleeue lies because they are agreeable to our corrupt nature but the doctrine of truth teaching the assurance of Gods loue in Christ is a strange paradox contrary to the common opinion of men We saith the Apostle â—each Iesus Christ crucified a stumbling 1 Cor. 1. 23. bâ—ocke to the â—ew and foolishnesse to the Gâ—ecian Or be it that a slender assent and a formall approbation of the doctrine of faith proceeding from some slight apprehension thereof may bee somewhat generall where it hath beene long time taught by the Preacher and commanded by the Prince yet a settled perswasion proceeding from a sure and sound apprehension is vndoubtedly a strange and wonderfull worke of God Without aâ—… controuersie saith the Apostle great is 1 Tim. 3. 16. this mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh iustified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles and beleeued on in the world yea the agreement of faith with the heart of man is esteemed by Saint Austine to 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
himselfe and therefore he onely is able to reueale them Wherefore seeing the works of the creation redemption and Sanctification which are the most gracious and glorious workes of God are plainely reuealed in the bookes of the Holy Scriptures therefore the doctrines of the holy bookes are faithfully to be embraced as vndoubtedly proceeding from diuine reuelation And verily who could so distinctly and particularly set downe the manner of the creation of man and of all the rest of the creatures but he that hauing the fulnesse of being in himselfe could giue such a manner and measure of being to them all as should manifest his great power wisedome and goodnesse towards man for whose sake principally the world was made And who could lay open the fall of man from his estate of holinesse and happinesse wherein he was created and the manner thereof but he onely from whose obedience albeit man could depart yet he could not depart from his presence nor so much as dazle his sharpe and cleare eyes albeit he could cleane put out his owne but who could open a meanes of mans recouery from this his miserable and wretched estate whereinto he is fallen by his owne folly but he that was onely able to worke his recouery It is euident that sinne being an offence committed against the infinite Maiesty of the most glorious Deity requireth a satisfaction no lesse then infinite Now who could so much as imagine that God being so grieuously prouoked and so highly offended with man should send his owne Sonne to become man that in mans nature he might suffer death for mans deliuery from death and condemnation For doubtlesse one will scarce die for a righteous man for a good Rom. 5. 7. man it may be that one dare dye that then such a person who when he was in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God should die for such persons as were not onely neither righteous nor good but aboue measure vnrighteous and euill and that he should die such a death as proceeded from the intollerable wrath of so highly incensed a God against most execrable and cursed sinnes Isay 53. 1. Who hath beleeued our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed Surely the Gospell wherein this worke is reuealed is Diuine and supernaturall exceeding all humane and naturall apprehension and could not be reuealed but by him that could worke beyond the power of nature The which thing doth more euidently appeare hereby in that wheresoeuer it is plainely reuealed and sincerely imbraced it doth deliuer all such from the most grieuous bondage of sinne and Satan and doth most effectually bring them backe againe vnto God For as Lactantius saith Let humane wisedome stretch it selfe to the vttermost yet it can but cause men to couer their sinnes it cannot enable them to cast them out whereas the Gospell which is the Law of the Spirit of Life not onely freed Saint Paul from the Law of sinne and death but also conuerted Rom. 8. 2. the world and that in short time from infidelity to faith from sinne to righteousnesse from Satan to God albeit it was most mightily resisted not onely with all the wisedome and learning but also with all the power and authority of all the wisest and greatest men of the world and therefore it cannot be denyed but that it is the most mighty and powerfull word of the most mighty and powerfull God The heauens declare themselues to be the workes of God in that they cause the earth which is so bare and barren at Winter to be cloathed in Summer with all manner of hearbes flowers and graine and to abound with all variety of fruit and doth not the doctrine of the holy Scriptures much more euidently declare it selfe to be the most powerfull word of the most powerfull God in that it beautifieth the bare and barren soile of our soules with true wisedome righteousnesse and holinesse and with all manner of spirituall graces It was an euident effect of the diuine power of the mighty word of the omnipotent God that thereby in the Creation all things receiued their essence and being but of an euill man to make a good man yea to make one that is bruitish and diabolicall to become reasonable and Angelicall is a farre greater worke then the Creation of the whole heauen and earth as Saint Austin teacheth And therefore seeing this so strange a Aug. in Iob. tract 72. Isay 11. 9. worke is wrought as Isayas saith by the doctrine of the Canonicall Scriptures hereby it is sufficiently proued that the booke of the Scriptures is the booke of God Wherefore no maruell that the Apostle Saint Paul when 2 Cor. 3. 1. the truth of his Apostleship and Apostolicall doctrine was questioned by some among the Corinthians so confidently auoucheth that he standeth not in need of any testimoniall from men for his approbation and iustification seeing their owne conuersion wrought by that word which was written in their hearts by his Ministery was a most sufficient demonstration that his Apostleship and doctrine was from God The great works wrought here by our blessed Sauiour in the time of his being on earth did sufficiently declare him to be the true Matth. 11. 5. Ioh. 5. 36. Messiah and shall not the greater workes wrought by his word since his departure out of this life plainely demonstrate it to be the very word of the Sonne of God himselfe Wherefore if the blind Papists the most sightfull and spitefull enemies of the sincere Professors of the Gospell of Christ shal still auouch that they cannot know that the doctrine of the Scriptures is the doctrine of God but by the testimony of the Church we answer them as the man cured of his blindnesse by our most blessed Sauiour answered the blind Pharisies when they made protestatiō that they knew not whence our Sauiour was Doubtlesse saith he this is a maruellous thing that yee Ioh 9. 30. know not whence he is and yet he hath opened mine eyes So doe we also answere Doubtlesse this is a maruellous thing that ye know not whence the Scriptures are but by the testimony of the Church and yet they haue doe and shall open the eyes of the mindes and sanctifie the affections of the hearts of all Ioh. 17. 17. Ioh. 7. 17. such as haue beene are or shall be the people of God and shall thereby make them know that they are of God Wherefore hereby these blind Papists plainly manifest themselues to be none of the Lords people seeing they openly professe that they neither know nor can know the graces of sanctification wrought in their hearts by the Spirit and word of God giuing thereby testimony to it's selfe and to the conscience sanctified therewith that it it of God but that they receiue the same so to be onely vpon the testimony of the Church QVEST. XX. That the soule of our blessed Sauiour after his death
power For his goodnesse being vnchangeable and his power vncontrouleable if hee ordained all to life why did he not bring them all to that happy estate whereunto he had ordayned them all To say that he could not disableth his power to say that he would not impeacheth his goodnesse to say that he desposeth of them neither this way nor that way but left them to their owne disposition derogateth from his supreame wisedome yea that he being the Potter should not dispose of his owne Clay but leaue it to the Clay to dispose of it selfe himselfe being as a neuter neither bending this way nor that way taketh away from him all diuine prouidence Wherefore it ought not to be denyed but that as God electeth some to saluation in Christ and calleth them to be partakers thereof by a true faith and preserueth them thereby through his mighty power that they neuer fall away from that happy estate to the end that they should ascribe vnto him the whole glory of their eternall blessednesse so likewise it cannot be iustly denyed but that God leaueth other in their Inâ—idelity and sinne to runne on wilfully and obstinately in their owne damnable wayes that so they might be forced to acknowledge and confesse God to be most iust herein and themselues to be the totall cause of their owne destruction Sap. 5. 5. For as euents which in themselues may or may not come to passe are called coÌ„tingent for that they proceed froÌ„ contingent causes albeit they could not but come to passe as they were fore-seene and fore-appointed by the vnchangeable wisedome and will of God euen so all sinfull actions albeit they be ordained of God to come to passe by his permission yet they are not to be said to be wrought by his operation and albeit they may be said to be willed by him yet none of them all is instilled by him For God made man according to his owne image and instilled into his soule all diuine and heauenly graces and gaue him hability to continue therein and left him to his owne choice to stand or to fall at his owne free will but he did not so stablish him with his grace that he could not become willing to fall away because he was no way indebted vnto him and bound to performe vnto him that fauour Much lesse when all mankinde fell away in Adam was God bound to restore all but some according to his owne good pleasure he calleth by his Spirit and Word to the estate of Grace and giueth them faith to embrace his endlesse goodnes in Christ Iesus so maketh them partakers of euerlasting blessednes other he iustly leaueth in their own wretchednesse whereinto they are fallen by their owne fault and suffereth them to perish in their owne sinnes And why might not the Lord iustly doe so An earthly Father may giue to his son some Stock to Trade withall then leaue him to his own gouernment to try whether he will play the good husband or no and might not our heauenly Father giue to Adam and in him to vs all that were then in his loynes some portion of his heauenly grace and so leaue him and vs in him to our selues to try whether we would settle our selues to continue in his loue or whether we would set light by his goodnesse and fall from him to sinne and Satan to our vtter ruine and destruction Vndoubtedly as God in his eternall Counsell did appoint that bodily diseases should come into the world to detect on the one side the weakenesse of the creature and his folly in abusing many things to his hurt and destruction that are of themselues profitable for his preseruation and on the other side to make manifest his owne wisedome and goodnesse in that he hath prouided great variety of helpes to man both for the preuenting and also for the full curing of all manner of noisome maladies so did hee in like manner decree that hee would permit man to cast himselfe into many spirituall diseases to detect on the one side his frailty and weaknesse who taketh occasion many times thereby to fall whereby he might haue been staied vpright and on the other side to make manifest his owne wisedome and goodnesse by appointing many Antidotes against sinne and such a strange restoratiue to cure sinnes as man himselfe could noâ— so much as dreame thereof There must be Haeresies saith the Apostle that they which are approued may be knowne euen that they may be knowne 1 Cor. 11. 19. whether they be as chaffe which will be carried away with euery blast of vaine doctrine or whether they be as found and good Corne and will abide setled and constant in the truth And verily the grounds of truth are neuer better 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 vnaâ—â—erable 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
are not to be receaued as such onely vpon the testimony of the Church 1. 19. p. 150. 20 That the soule of our blessed Saviour after his death descended locally into Hell q. 20. p. 153. 21 Fasting or any outward thing doth not sanctifie any but only the inward graces of the spirit and all such things as doe enter into the heart of man q. 21. p. 158. 22 Our blessed Saviour is not corporally present in the Eucharist but in Heaven q. 23. p. 160. 23 The Citty of Rome is the mysticall Babylon and the pretended titulary 〈◊〉 Church is the most certaine seat of the great Antichrist of these last times q. 24. p. 161. 25 The word of God rightly vnderstood doth giue credit vnto it selfe and doth cause it selfe to bee beleeued and imbraced as the word of God for the excellency of the divine doctrines contained therein and not onely for the bare testimonie of the Church q. 25. 57. p. 162. 193 26 Kneeling is the fittest gesture of the body at the reverent receaving of the holy Communion q. 26. p. 165. 27 Holinesse doth not consist in vowing to abstaine from riches meats and marriage but in the lawfull and holy vse of them all q. 27. p. 165 28 The Bodie of Christ is at one time but in one place q 28. p. 166. 29 Christs Body and Blood ought not and in truth cannot be often offered vp to God by the Masse-Priests as a propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke and the dead q. 29. p. 167. 30 Christs flesh is not eaten with our bodily mouths q. 30. p. 168 31 Enoch and Elias cannot come in their owne persons to resist Antichrist and to be slaine of him q. 31. p. 169. 32 It is a property only belonging to God to forgiue sinne q. 32. p. 169. 33 Regeneration is not wrought by the power of our owne free will but by the operation of the Spirit of God q. 33. p. 170 34 None are elected for their fore-seene works Q. 34. p. 171. 35 A true sauing faith is not seated in that soule where Infidelity raigneth or any other sinne Q. 35. p. 171. 37 The naturall man hath no free-will to that which is religiously good Q. 37. 49. 58 72. 91. p. 173. 185. 193. 209. 224. 38 No religious worship or seruice is to be giuen to any Angell or Saint Q. 38. p. 174. 40 The faithfull may as well know themselues to bee indued with true loue as with true faith Q 40 p 176. 41 The Cup in the Eucharist is not to be taken away from the Lay people Q. 41. p. 179. 42 Matrimony is lawfull for the Ministers of the Gospell Q. 42. 88. p. 180. 221. 43 The Nailes Speare and Crosse wherewith Christs pretious body was tormented are not to be worshipped Q. 43. p. 180. 45 The Sacraments doe not conferre grace by the worke wrought vnlesse their vses be vnderstood Q. 45. p. 182. 46 No Images are to be worshipped with diuine worship Q. 46. p. 183. 47 The word of God is not to be read to people in an vnknown tongue Q. 47. p. 184. 48 In all matters that concerne the worship and seruice of God nothing ought to be taught or to be beleeued which is not warranted by the testimony of the Canonicall Scriptures Q. 48. 68. p. 184. 205. 50 Not the suffering much lesse the vowing of wilfull pouerty is the way to perfection Q. 50. p. 186. 51 The people ought to be able to try and to discerne the doctrine of their Teachers Q. 51. 60. p. 186. 195. 53 The going on pilgrimage to see or touch the true Reliques of the holiest of the Saints doth not bring any Sanctification at all Q. 53. p. 189. 54 The faithfull that are sanctified by regeneration may and ought to assure themselues of their full and finall glorification Q. 54. p. 190. 55 Our least sinnes are damnable and mortall Q. 55. p. 191. 56 All things necessary to saluation are plainely deliuered in the Canonicall Scriptures Q. 56. p. 192. 59 No man can make satisfaction to God for transgressing of any of his holy Lawes Q. 59. p. 194. 61 It is not safe to trust to the Priests Masses nor to the Fryers prayers nor to the Popes pardons pretending to disburse the surplussage of the Saints workes and to neglect to seeke after such a faith of our owne as may make vs fruitfull in all good workes and giue vs interest in Christ and in all his gifts Q 61. p. 196. 62 God did predestinate before all worlds some to euerlasting saluation in Christ and others to perish through their owne sinnes Q. 62. p. 197. 63 No Image ought to be made to represent God Q. 63. p. 202 64 All the workes of Infidels are sinnes Q. 64. p. 203. 65 The true seruants of God know themselues to be the true seruants of God Q 65. p. 203. 67 Vngodly persons are no true members of the Church of Christ Q. 67. p. 204. 69 The doctrine of the Church of Rome ministreth occasion and prouocation to sinne and not the doctrine of such as professe the Gospell Q 69. p. 207. 71 Iurie is not now to be esteemed an holy Land Q. 71. p 209. 73 All the faithfull are Saints Q. 73. p. 210. 74 The Bishop of Rome is not the Vniuersall Pastour of the whole Church Q. 74. p. 210. 75 The Lawes of God only bind the conscience Q. 75. p. 210. 76 True religion bindeth only to the obseruation of such Canons and rules as are made by God himselfe in matters of substance whereas superstition imposeth other also which are aboue and beside the former Q. 76. p. 211. 77 The Laitie ought to be admitted to the dayly reading of the holy Scriptures Q 77. p. 212. 78 The Faithfull themselues and also their Churches ought onely to be dedicated vnto God Q. 78. p. 213. 79 The faithfull are witting to their faith and loue and to their saluation in Iesus Christ Q. 97. 84. p. 213. 217. 80 An implicite faith that is a blind and a folded vp faith is not the true Christian faith Q. 80. p. 215. 81 The breaking of a Popish vow is no sinne Q. 81. p. 216. 82 Popish Monkes as now for a long time they haue demeaned themselues are no Monkes Q. 82. p. 216. 85 The bare testimony of the Church cannot make knowne vnto the people any doctrine of Faith Q 85. p. 218. 86 A Bishop may be a Ciuill Magistrate or any other sufficient Ecclesiasticall person Q 86. p. 219. 87 The signe of the Crosse is not absolutely euill but may be lawfully vsed at the administration of Baptisme q. 87. p. 220. 88 Matrimony is lawfull for the Cleargy euen after the vow of single life q. 88. p. 221. 89 All Ecclesiasticall persons are subiect to the Ciuill Magistrate q. 89. p. 222. 90 It doth belong to the Ciuill Magistrate in his owne dominions to command all such things to bee obserued of his subiects that concerne Gods diuine seruice and his subiects happinesse and herein he hath highest authority q. 90. p. 223. 91 The naturall man hath no free will in diuine and heauenly things q. 91. p. 224. 92 The Church of Rome giueth to the Saints diuine honour q. 92 p. 224. 93 There are no persons appointed by God for Popish Purgatory q. 93. p. 224. 94 The miracles and doctrine of the Romish Church are fabulous and false by the testimonies of her owne vulgar people learned Writers the ancient Fathers Canonicall Scriptures q. 94. p. 225. Faults escaped in some Copies PAg 3. line 20. for shame read shunne p. 9 l. 22 for iustificable r. iustifiable p. 31. marg for P◠r. 11. p. 40. l. 23. for yet r. yea p. 42. l. 13. for house r. horse p. 45. l. 36. euldent r. euident p. 47 in marg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 64 l. 30. is in some copies left out p. 86. l. 25 for began r. begun p. 102. for Chap. 4. r. 6. p. 138. l. 1◠for possion r. possession p. 175. in mar for 29. r. 19. FJNJS
may be confuted and faith and piety perswaded not onely by arguments taken out of the booke of grace but also out of the booke of nature For neither sense nor reason are contrary to religion or enemies to faith nay rather right reason is a most fast friend to faith and a most valiant Champion for true Religion But yet here this most reasonable caution must be added that when question is of the extraordinary and supernaturall workes of God we take not vpon vâ— to measure them with the short line of naturall reason seeing that is not able to reach vnto the height or to found the depth thereof And therefore Sarah and Zachary cannot be excused in that when a childe Gen. 18. 11. was promiâ—ed to each of them by the Lord almighty at that time when by the course of nature it was vnlikely if not impossible Luke 1. 18. that they should haue had any they cast their eyes vpon the disabled power of nature and not vpon the almighty power of God and thereby offended through vnbeleefe Whereas the blessed Virgin Mary in a case more improbable cast her eyes vpon the power of the promiser and so sanctified Luke 1. 49. his holy name As Abraham also in the former case doubting not through vnbeleefe but resting fully assured that he that promised him a childe would and could performe it glorified God aboue that hope that nature could yeeld but vnder that hope that God which is supernaturall is able to satisfie Rom. 4. 19. to the full Wherefore it is not impossible by reason to ascend aboue reason and by the principles of an higher science to haue that selfe-same thing confirmed for a truth which by the grounds of an inferiour Art cannot be proued Neither is faith it selfe then most commendable when she hath fewest reasons to assist her for then the Colliers faith were better then the wise hearted Christians and the learners better then the teachers yea to grow from faith to faith by growing from knowledge to knowledge were to grow from the better to the worse much lesse when she is resisted with all the forces thereof The truth is that faith is neuer at open warre no not so much as at the least â—arre with true reason neither is she at any time thereby resisted but continually assisted with all her might Yea to say that faith is contrary to reason is to say that the sight is contrary to the light whereby it seeth and that an house is contrary to the foundation whereon it is built Nay rather we may truly auouch that where there is no reason conceiued there is no light to make manifest the truth nor motiue to perswade to faith and therefore no truth nor faith at all As likewise where there is reason only in shew and not in substance there is a false light and a wrong perswasion and therefore a false and erronious opinion rather then a true faith But wheresoeuer true reason appeareth indeed there is a true light and a right perswasion and so a true and right faith In so much that where true reasons be the fewer and the more weakelie apprehended there is a weaker and feebler faith but where they be the more and the more strongly apprehended there is the stronger and fuller faith And this is manifest by the different degrees of faith that are to be seene euen in the true and sincere seruants of God For at the first imbracing of the sauing doctrines of faith the faithfull may be ignorant of many forcible reasons that doe belong to the further strengthening thereof and that in those very points which yet in some measure already they vnderstand beleeue and in some other points of that diuine doctrine they may be without knowledge altogether vâ—till that by continuing in the schoole of Chrâ—st they enlarge their knowledge strengthen their faith So Saint Austine when we beleeue viz. Aug. cont epist â—…dam ca. 14. at the first being now viz. by continuance made more strong in the faith we vnderstand viz better that which we beleeue not now men but God himselfe inwardly strengthening and lightening our minde Whereby we may vnderstand that at our first calling to the faith of Christ we may happily haue but some small measure of knowledge whereas by continuing in the state of grace as God doth lighten our mindes with a greater measure of knowledge in the mysteries of godlinesse so doth the strength of our faith grow greater and greater This is also apparent by the diuersities of the degrees of faith that were in the people of God before the comming of Christ in the flesh and in Iohn the Baptist his immediate fore-runner and in all wise hearted Christians since his ascention into heauen For the people of God that liued before the incarnation of Christ being further off from the appearing of the Sunne of righteousnesse and hauing a darker Word and obscurer Sacraments had by these meaner meanes a lesse light and so a weaker and a feebler faith Whereas Iohn Baptist being neerer to the rising of this glorious Sunne both saw a greater light and obtained a greater faith then in his time was to bee found among the children of women And yet all such Christians as are throughly instructed in the mysteries of the Gospel and so haue seene this Sunne after a sort shining in his might and reuealing himselfe by a more plaine Word and more familiar Sacraments haue receiued of God as a greater measure of light so also an higher degree of faith then Iohn the Baptist himselfe was indued withall Matth. 11. 11 And hereof it is that the knowledge of the people of God that liued before the incarnation of Christ is compared by Saint Peter to a light shining in a darke place or to the light 2 Pet. 1. 19. of a small starre that shineth in the night Whereas the knowledge that is giuen to all wise-hearted Christians is likened to the greater light of the day starre yea to the light of the day it selfe Wherefore it was not without cause that by the ancient Fathers the faith of the Iewes is compared to a child in his infancy to corne in the grasse and to fruit in the bud and blossome whereas the faith of all such Christians as are sufficiently instructed in the doctrine of the Gospel is likened to a man in his strength to corne in the fulnesse of the eare and to fruit that is come to maturity and ripenesse The which is so certaine and an vndoubted a truth that if any instance may bee giuen against the same in any singular person that liued vnder the Synagogue as in Abraham Moses Dauid and the like we may be bold to stand to this resolution that if in these persons there was any eminency of faith aboue that which is to be found in such as liue vnder the Gospell the cause thereof was in the extraordinary working of the Spirit of God which
lightning the vnderstanding with a true faith doth sanctifie the will with all other vertues and establish it also with constancy and perseuerance Wherefore a well-grounded knowledge of the mysteries of godlinesse diuine wisdome and sauing faith doe neuer goe alone but take their traine with them and are alwaies accompanied with all other diuine and heauenly vertues And thus much concerning the necessary combination of sauing faith with all other diuine vertues Now it remaineth that we make manifest what comfortable assurance of Gods fauour and loue faith also giueth to all that truly beleeue CHAP. IIII. The diuine doctrine of the Christian faith doth giue to the sincere imbracers thereof a sauing faith and an assurance thereby of Gods fauour and loue and of eternall happinesse and blessednesse THat which all erronious professions doe promise that the Gospell of Christ doth performe euen a sure faith and a faithfull assurance of the fauour and loue of God and of eternall happinesse and blessednesse For herein is reuealed the Couenant of grace grounded vpon a strong foundation euen vpon him that is Immanuell God with vs a most powerfull Reconciler of men vnto God and a most gracious procurer of Gods fauour and loue For mans sinne being committed against the infinite maiesty of the most glorious Deity could not be done away but by an infinite satisfaction and Gods loue and euerlasting happinesse consisting therein being blessings of an inualuable worth could not haue beene purchased but by an inualuable price Now this infinite satisfaction and inualuable price could not haue beene tendred but by such an one that was true man ioyned in one person to the true God that so he might be a meet Mediatour betweene God and man And so he himselfe testifieth saying I am the way the truth Iohn 14. 6. and the life no man commeth vnto the Father but by me It is then by Christs meanes that wee beleeue in God and haue an assurance of his fauour and loue For to him God gaue after his shamefull death which he suffered for our sins a glorious resurrection as an ample testification of his full satisfaction made for them all and of his victorious conquest ouer death that so we might haue faith and hope in God Wherefore if 1 Pet. 1. 21. God hath plainly opened vnto vs the worke of our redemption and reconciliation wrought by Christ which is the foundation of the Couenant of grace wherein God offereth himselfe to be a gracious God and a louing Father to all such as imbrace it with a true faith it cannot be but if that with a true faith we apprehend this gracious Couenant we should rest thereby throughly perswaded of the Lords inestimable fauour and loue towards vs. Now that the vndoubted truth therof may euidently appeare let vs obserue these three circumstances First the time when this assurance is giuen Secondly the meanes whereby it is wrought Thirdly the witnesses that giue euidence to the certainty and infallibility thereof Now concerning the first when God by the light of the Gospel doth open our eies make vs to behold the light of his couÌ„tenance shining vnto vs in Christ Iesus and thereby doth not only informe our vnderstanding but also reforme our will and affections euen then in some measure he giueth vnto vs this comfortable assurance that he hath admitted vs among the number of his children and hath matriculated vs into the Vniuersity of his Saints and hath entred our names into his booke of life For that which our blessed Sauiour auouched of Zacheus when he willingly receiued by loue Christs person into his house and his doctrine by faith into his heart This day is saluation come to this house for as much as this man is become Luke 19. 9. the sonne of Abraham that is to be auerred of all persons whatsoeuer that readily imbrace the faith that was in Abraham seeing all such as haue their hearts purged by faith are Rom. 4 12. Gal. 3. 26. 2 Tim. 2. 21. vndoubtedly thereby made the sonnes of God and vessels of honour sanctified and meet for the Lord. Now saith Saint Iohn we are the sonnes of God euen as many as by an 1 Iohn 3. 2. effectuall calling are brought to a wise and vnderstanding faith and to an holy and vpright life So Saint Bernard At Bern. ep 107. the rising of the Sunne of righteousnesse at our iustification that is when we are made inberently iust and righteous for so he taketh the word in this place the secret that was hidden from the beginning concerning those that are predestinate and shall be blessed beginneth to appeare out of the depth of eternity whilest a man called by the feare of God and framed to righteousnesse by loue presumeth that he is of the number of the blessed knowing that whom he hath iustified them also he hath glorified In the which very place that we may come to our second circumstance Saint Bernard aduiseth the person that is made an holy and iust man to take for the opener of this mystery of his saluation the Spirit making him righteous and iust and thereby testifying to his spirit that he is the child of God For saith he who is a iust man but he that being beloued of God loueth him againe Which commeth not to passe but by the Spirit of God reuealing by saith the eternall promise of God for his saluation to come the which reuelation that is the ground or meanes of the which reuelation is nothing else but the infusion of spirituall grace by the which the deedes of the flesh are mortified and the man that hath it is prepared to the kingdome of heauen together receiuing by one spirit that whereby he may presume that he is beloued and loueth againe So then when the Apostle auoucheth that the Spirit of God beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the children Rom. 8. 16. of God that he doth saith Saint Bernard by nothing else but by the infusion of spirituall grace whereby the deedes of the flâ—sh are mortified and the man of God is quickened vnto an holy and heauenly life So Origen The testimony of the spirit Oâ—ig in 8. Cap. ad â—…om is an hability giuen by the Spirit not to doe all things for feare but for loue towards God So Ambrose also vpon the same words of the Apostle calleth it an hability giuen by the Spirit of God to leade a life fitting the name of the sonnes of God whereby our heauenly Fathers marke is seene in vs. And this these holy men learned of the holy Apostle Saint Peter Giue saith he all diligence to ioyne to your 2 Pet. 1. 10. faith vertue to your vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance to temperance patience to patience brotherly kindnesse to brotherly kindnesse loue c. and hereby make your calling and election sure for if you doe such things ye shall neuer fall For whereas God hath promised to be a