¶ Foure Sermons vpon the seuen chiefe vertues or principall effectes of faith and the doctrine of election wherein euerie man may learne whether he be Gods childe or no. Preached at Malden in Essex by Master George Gifford penned from his mouth and corrected and giuen to the Countesse of Sussex for a Newyeeres gift Iames 2. 18. Shewe mee thy faith by thy workes Jmprinted at Lon don for Tobie Cooke at the Tigers head in Paules Churchyard 1582. ¶ To the right honorable and my very good Lady the Lady Frauncis Countesse of Sussex R. I. her most humble and faithfull seruant in Christ wisheth all health and godlinesse long to continue with increase of vertue and zeale in religion I Haue long time wished Right Honorable that I might in some sort be able if not to recōpence which in deed I shal neuer yet at the least to shewe some token of a grateful minde for all the ancient kindnes louing fauour which I haue found at your hands this hath caused mee to foreslip no occasiō wherby I might haue somwhat to present you withall which might tend to your soules health for concerning the thinges which pertaine to the body as honours dignities and riches the high Lorde of Lords hath giuenyou so much that though I woulde neuer so faine yet I cannot benefite you in them hauing therefore of late a kinsman at home with me who being somewhat of a readie hande hath taken from the mouth of our Preacher certaine of the Sermons which hee hath preached whiche beeing againe ouerseene and corrected I thought it my dutie to offer them vnto your honor as a taste of those fruites wherewith the Lorde doth feede vs in the Countrie Beeing a great deale the more bold to doe it because I know they bee such as ye haue long time shewed a loue to taste of I trust these shal also come vnto you as ripe and timely fruites of pleasant and delightsome taste although they be set before you in no golden or siluer plate but as it were in a woodden platter for the holie Apostle Saint Paule saieth that this treasure is brought in earthen vessels I beseech your honour therefore to accept of my poore good will and to take this my small gifte in good part which nothing doubting of I pray God to multiplie his blessings and gracesvpon you to his glorie and your euerlasting comfort Amen Your honours in Christ Richard Iosua Senior To the godly Reader COnsidering that for a Christian being sicke in soule and desiring to bee made sounde sorrowfull in spirit crauing comfort vnquiet in minde and seeking to be at rest wounded in conscience and woulde bee in safetie tormented in thought and longeth for releife hauing offended God and therefore is punished visited with affliction and faine would be deliuered there is no other salue but the worde of God And knowing also that it is the dutie of euery good christian in his calling to seeke and thirst after the aduancement and increase of the kingdome of Christ the ouerthrowe vtter confusion of blindnesse errour popery superstition and to bee short of all the power of Antichrist I haue thought it my dutie the rather Gentle Reader to request here vnto by sundrie godly men my friends the Preacher hereof to publish this booke containing sundrie points of doctrine tending to the comfort of the godly the assurance of their saluation as also diuers confutations of sects and heresies which to him that readeth it with a well disposed minde shall be no lesse profitable then it is briefe Maruel not at the shortnesse of it the cause thereof is this that the repetition in the beginning of euery sermon to auoid tediousnesse is omitted Looke not for I pray thee finesse of speeche or eloquence in the reading hereof but way the matter deepely and applie it to thy selfe effectually that thou mayest reape profite hereout to thy soules health and comfort the which God graunt thee for his Sonne Iesus Christ his sake Amen Thine in Christ Richard Iosua Iunior The first Sermon vpon the first Chapter of the second Epistle of Saint Peter 1 Simon Peter a seruant and an Apostle of Iesus Christe to you which haue obtained like precious faith with vs by the righteousnes of our God and Sauiour Iesus Christ 2 Grace peace be multiplied to you through the acknowledging of god and of our Lord Iesus 3 According as his diuine power hath giuen vnto vs all things that pertaine vnto life and Godlinesse through the acknowledging of him that hath called vs vnto glory and vertue 4 Whereby most great and precious promises are giuen vnto vs that by them yee should bee partakers of the diuine nature in that yee flee the corruption which is in the world through lust BEfore we begin to handle or intreate of the wordes of this text it shall not be amisse to note to whom when this Epistle was written Concerning the first of these it appeareth by the third chap. and 1. ver that it was written vnto the same that the former Epistle was For thus he speaketh This second Epistle I write vnto you beloued in which I stirre vp your sincere minde by putting you in remembrance now these were the Iewes which were scattered abroade in the dispersiō through diuers countries as it is expressed in the first chap. of the former Epistle for the Iewes were specially his charge as the care of the Gentiles was committed vnto Paul Galathians the 2. chapter 7. and 8. verses The wordes are these when they sawe that the Gospell of the vncircumcision was committed to mee as the Gospell ouer the circumcision was vnto Peter for he was mightie by Peter in the Apostlship ouer the circumcision was also mightie by me towards the Gentiles For the 2. this Epistle was written by Peter in his extreme age when he had euen finished his course and was readie to lay downe his tabernacle as he speaketh here in the 14. vers As for the occasions which moued him to write they shall appeare in the particular handling of the matters 1 Now let vs come to the wordes of the text the 1. verse hath two members In the former he setteth foorth his own dignitie that he is not only a seruant of God but a principall seruant and one which commeth vnto them as the Ambassadour of god to the end they might knowe that they had to doe with God and not with men and so submit themselues to the doctrine message which he brought for whatsoeuer God spake by the Apostles he so guided their tong pen by his spirite that nothing which they spake or wrote was their own but altogether his In the second member he setteth forth the dignity which those to whom he writ had with himselfe in these wordes To those which haue obtained the like precious faith with vs as if he should say although I be aboue you in the Apostolik dignitie and function
yet you are equal with me with the rest of the Apostles in the chiefe and principall dignitie in that wherein all happines doth cōsist euē our precious faith Here it may bee demaunded howe Saint Peter can ascribe vnto them a faith equall or like precious with his owne seeing he did so farre excell them in giftes and graces as in knowledge strength of faith The answer is easie inough namely that this comparison is not made in the measure quātity of faith for therin some haue excelled others farre because God doth not giue his gifts to all alike but in the effect which is the apprehending of Christ with al his merits which the weak faith doth as wel as the strong and therefore in this respect is equally precious This I speake not to make any slouthfull when as the Scriptures do pricke vs forwarde so much to seeke increase of faith but for the comfort and hartening of the weake which feeling their infirmitie and weaknes of faith if it were not for this which the Apostle speaketh might doubt whether they were partakers of the same happinesse with them now hearing this they may be wel assured al though their faith should be but as a grain of mustard seed yet if it bee true faith it coupleth them to Christe and maketh them partakers of redemption to haue their sinnes washed away in his blood of righteousnes to be couered with his obediēce of life to be heires of the kingdome of glorie as wel as the faith of Peter or any other Vnto this is also ioyned that wherin the stablenes of this their faith doth stande as vpon a sure foundation euē the righteousnesse of God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christe And indeede the building of faith is so waightie and the frame so heauie that it can stande vpon no other foundation but this that is to say the righteousnesse faithfulnesse or truth of God which cannot lie For if we would perswade a man to beleeue by this reason that the thing which wee speake is that which hath been taught by diuers men of great learning singular godlines yet because we know that al men are lyers except wee bee sure that the things which they speak be those which God hath spoken wee shall still wauer and our faith shal be no faith which alone can rest in the authoritie of God and not of men 2 The seconde verse conteineth his salutation euen that which is common to him with Paul the other Apostles wishing grace and peace to those vnto whom they write And this they do because it is the chiefe scope and principal ende of their ministerie to bring men againe into Gods fauour to be reconciled vnto him Of this thing speaketh S. Paul 2. Cor. 5. chap. ver 18. saying All things are of God which hath recōciled vs to himself by Iesus Christ And hath giuen vnto vs the ministerie of reconciliation for God was in Christe and reconciled the worlde to himselfe not imputing their sinnes vnto them and hath committed to vs the word of reconciliation Now thé are we Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseeche you through vs wee pray you in Christe his steede that you bee reconciled to God This beeing the chiefe end of their trauell causeth them so earnestly to wish it for the people and to bee so serious not only in teaching them this generally but also pointing out as it were with the finger the way to the same and that not onelie in their doctrine but also in their liues Whosoeuer digresseth or casteth his eyes aside from this marke ende of his ministerie ceaseth to bee the Minister of Christe As for example If hee preach the Gospell to purchase renowme estimation wealth of case to himselfe and not to seeke this reconciliation betweene God and men and to haue grace and peace multiplied vppon them he may wel sometimes preach the truth but not truly Likewise those parentes whiche set foorth their children to learning with this minde My sonne shall liue an easie and merie life hee shal get some liuings promotions dignities in the Church do lay a corrupt and rotten foundation haue not learned this doctrine of the Apostle and therefore the building folowes agreeably for the most whē they come to haue learning not forgetting this lesson which they learned of their fathers doe become greedie cathers of benefices and promotions rather then carefull feeders of the flocke of Christ But here it may be obiected how the Apostle can wish that grace which is the free fauour of God should be multiplied vpon them seeing that Gods loue fauor doth not increase nor diminishe but hee loueth and fauoureth alwayes alike being subiect to no alteration or change This may wel be answered that Sainte Peter doeth not speake heere of grace as it is in it selfe in God towardes mē but of their feeling the same which groweth by degrees from lesse to greater and because it is a thing so precious the Apostle wisheth that it may be multiplied vpon them Hee expresseth the meane to be the knowledge acknowledging of God and of Iesus Christ our Lord. 3 According as his diuine power hath giuen vnto vs al things that perteine vnto life godlines through the acknowledging of him that hath called vs vnto glory and vertue This is fitly ioyned to the former verse to shewe that the aboundance of grace and peace is not without cause required at our handes as if the Apostle shoulde say You are not to content nor to satisfie your selues with a scant measure of Gods giftes and graces seeing that there is offred vnto you set forth in Christ vnto whom you may resort as to a storehouse fully furnished with all treasures all things which partain to life and godlinesse Secondly we haue to obserue in this verse when hee saith that all thinges are giuen vnto vs by his diuine power that here is nothing left in the worke of our saluation vnto our selues so that it must needes follow that these which defend free will doe not speake with the same spirite which the Apostle doth here For setting forth a contrary doctrine to this it must needes proceed from a contrary spirite The Apostle doth not say heere that all those thinges which wee want through the weakenesse of our nature shal be supplied but to shewe that there is nothing in vs at all but that wee are quite stript of all things which pertaine to life and godlinesse Hee speaketh not of repairing or helping in some parte but of a whole and free gifte in euerie part when he saith whithout exception that all thinges are giuen vnto vs by the diuine power which pertaine vnto life and godlines and so this doctrine doth chalenge all the praise and glory of our saluation to God alone Thirdly it may be demanded why the Apostle shoulde say that all thinges are giuen vnto vs by the diuine power or Godhead of our
Sauiour Christe when it is manifest that wee ferche all thinges from his manhood and therefore hee saith in the 6. chap. of S. Iohn verse 46. I am the bread of life and againe in the 54. verse of that same chapter Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood I will raise him vp in the last day For my fleshe is meate indeede and my blood is drink indeed by this it is manifest that life is giuen vnto the worlde by the manhood of Christe The answere is easie that Christe in his manhoode is a creature and therefore hath nothing of his owne but whatsoeuer is in him as to bee the life of the worlde and the light of men and to haue in him al the treasures of wisdom This commeth from the diuine nature which dwelleth in him bodily as Saint Paule speaketh Nowe the cause why all these are put into the manhoode of Christe is that from thence wee maye bee partakers of them for solong as they haue residence onely in God wee are so farre remoued from him that by no meanes wee can approche or come neere vnto him to drawe out of him any drop of the same Therefore though all things bee giuen vs by this meanes that GOD hath put them into the fleshe of Christ and so is come downe neere vnto vs that wee may lay fast hold of him yet neuerthelesse because the proprietie of them remaineth still in the diuine nature the gifte of them is heere ascribed vnto the power thereof Fourthly we are to note in this verse that the Apostle doeth briefly set downe the ende and summe of religion and of all these giftes when he saith which pertaine to life and godlinesse for in these two wordes vnto which the other two do answere which are set downe in the latter ende of the verse glorie and vertue all those giftes are contained For that which hee expressed first by life heere by glorie that which before he called godlinesse here he calleth vertue they are as much as to say eternall felicitie and life with glorie and the way which we must passe through to the same which is godlines and vertue Here we are to take great heede that wee doe not seuer or sunder those thinges which the Lorde himselfe hath so neerely coupled and linked together And this admonition is so much the more necessarie because there are very many carnall professors and beastly abusers of christianity which doe seeme very willingly and gladly to imbrace the promises of the Gospell concerning redemption and eternall life purchased in Christe Iesus and they make great boast that they looke for their parte in the same as well as any other yet they looke nothing at al to this godlines and vertue through which we must passe vn to it for God hath not called vs but as hee saith heere to glorie and vertue so that whom soeuer the Lorde hath called to know him aright and so to be made heires of eternall glorie he hath also garnished them with vertues and graces of the spirite of sanctification Vntill such time therefore as there shall rise vp a new Peter which with contrary pen shal write a newe and contrary gospell these men shall neuer assure them selues nor yet perswade others that they shall euer come to the kingdome of God seeing they goe a quite contrarie way 4 Whereby most great and precious promises are giuen vnto vs c. Now hee sheweth by what meanes or by what instruments the diuine power doeth bestow those giftes vpon vs and the same are as hee calleth them most great and precious promises which are giuē vnto vs whereby we are called to glorie and vertue as hee speaketh in the former verse these are called most great precious because the things which are offered vnto vs in the gospel of Christ for greatnes dignity are incōparable For what cā we seeke out to match with this that here is offered vnto vs namely the remission of our sins in the blood of his sonne deliuerance freedom from the thraldom of Satan power of darknes that of damned creatutes children of his wrath he hath giuē vs this high dignity to be his sonnes daughters as S. Iohn saith Reue. I. Christ hath washed vs in his blood and made vs kinges and priests to god his father what a change is this from the lowest misery euē in the gulf of hel to be lifted vp to the highest dignitie to be glorified with God in the kingdō of heuen Because therfore these things are the greatest most honorable S. Peter calleth the promises of the gospel most great precious But wherfore doeth the apostle ascribe all to the doctrine of the gospel for whē he saith that by these we are made partakers of the diuine nature hee includeth all because it is by the gospel that we are called home to the Lord for although hee vtter his will vnto vs in his law yet therin hee sheweth himselfe none otherwise vnto vs but as a seuere iudge we can see nothing there but the dreadful curse vengeance of eternall fire his brightnes appeareth therein but we be not able to beholde the same but are daseled with the sight therof amazed confounded so that we cannot but runne from him bicause there is nothing but that which is terrible Cōtrariwise in the Gospel he hath reuealed himselfe in the face of his sonne where hee sheweth an exceeding glory but with such fatherly loue pitie such abūdance of mercie and sweete allurements by which he calleth vs and draweth vs to himself that here wee are able to looke vpon him with open face and heere his countenance is so cheereful that the soule which hath once with the eye of faith seene but a glimse thereof is so inflamed and rauished with desire of a neerer and fuller sight that it can neuer bee satisfied For this cause Saint Paule making comparison betweene the ministerie of the Lawe and the ministerie of the Gospell 2. Corinthians 3. Termeth that the ministration of death and the letter which killeth and this the ministration of the spirit which giueth life Which by the way also is to bee obserued because there be among vs at this day many frātike braines namely those of the Family of loue which call the true sound interpreting of the word the literal sense or the letter which killeth their owne grosse and foolish allegories the spirite not knowing that S. Peter speaketh of the difference betweene the Lawe and the Gospel Here also appeareth of what price and dignitie the gospel is for who can set foorth the worthinesse of this whē he saith that by these promises we are made partakers of the diuine nature we were indeed at the first created after the Image of God and so partakers of his nature but we lost all this with our first parents in steede thereof we were made partakers of the diuelish nature bearing his Image
be chosen vnto life they say quite contrary if ye wil haue men careful of wel doing away with the doctrine of election for it will marre al thus the wisedome of fleshe doth proudly lift vp it selfe euen against God but howe foolishly a very child may see Doeth that thing which wee cannot come to the knowledge of without exceeding care of godlinesse abundance of vertue and plentie of all good woorkes destroy in men the studie and care of good workes But proud fleshe is worthily blind Some other although not thus bruitishly blinded yet greatly ouerseene when they thinke on this doctrine which is set vp vnto vs as the mark for vs to aime at in al our doings and the trial whether we haue done wel or not I meane the trial in this respecte and when a man hath done many good deedes hee shal know he hath not done them wel if hee yet doubt whether hee bee one of Gods chosen for howsoeuer hee passeth it ouer yet his conscience which doth in some sort know that he hath not dealt but for vaine glory or some other sinister respect wil not suffer him to haue this faith For God doth not woorke so darkely by his spirite in men but that they may learne to knowe whether it bee of him if they woulde make a due triall because wee must not rest in the outwarde doeing of good thinges but in the right doing Let him therefore whiche giueth him selfe to doe good woorkes and yet feeleth not this which Saint Peter saith we shal suspect that his doinges are mishapen and be careful to fashion them after the rules of the worde A thirde sort of men there be which with might and maine wil defende this doctrine that men ought to be sure of saluation that wee cannot more honour God then to giue ful credite to his promises and because the plaine testimonie of the scripture compelleth them they affirme it constantly and condemne the contrary as a foule errour that God hath chosen men and men come to feele to know this And therefore because it is a true doctrine they say also that they themselues are sure that God hath chosen them but when they take not the way to become sure which S. Peter here hath set downe but goe in a contrary path are spotted with filthie crimes wee may boldly say they be lyers for although they bragge with their tongues of that that they should bee yet there is a byrde in their brest which doth sing in a cōtrary note and telleth them plainely what they bee Another kinde of men there bee which in no case can be persuaded that any man may bee sure of his saluation and therfore with scoffs they aske of them which professe the word when God tolde them so If it were a thing whiche were not to bee or coulde not be knowne then the Apostle hath greatly ouershot himselfe in telling vs howe wee shal come to bee sure But aske a question of them whether they do not beleeue in God euery one wil answere I put al my whole trust in him reason then a little further and tel thē that the Scripture which cannot lye saith That al which trust in God shal be saued how then wil they ioyne these together that they truste in GOD and yet doubt whether they shal bee saued Can God deceiue or say they they know not what Vndoubtedly if they did know that they haue trust they shoulde also knowe they cannot perish But let vs learne by this the miserie of our time in which men doe stil thinke this doctrine to be straunge Nowe let vs come to the particuler application of this doctrine in which euery one must come home to himselfe remembring first that suche as God hath called home to himselfe and chosen to be his children hee doth also giue vnto them true faith and feeling that they bee his elect and such as perceiue no suche thinge in themselues are in a very miserable case and as yet we may say forlorne creatures therfore euerye man in him selfe must aske this question of his owne soule howe goeth the matter with thee Art thou sure GOD hath chosen thee Doest thou feele any assurance of eternal life The conscience wil answere vprightlie if wee be not negligent to make inquirie then if wee finde this within I am not sure for I doubt and stagger wee must inquire without selues thus what is the cause God is faithfull which hath promised eternal life vnto all which beleeue our heart wil make answere thou regardest not the feare of God thou art ful of foule sinnes euill lustes doe reigne in thee thou doest not studie for the knowledge of Gods word thou art vnfruiful and barren in good woorkes therfore thon canst not say I am led by the spirite of God and therefore sure I shal be saued if hee bee wise hee will not stay heere as the maner of fooles is saying I am not sure indeede neither do I thinke any man can bee I commit it to God let him doe with mee what he will these speeches may seeme to haue some wit and godlinesse in them but they are in deede diuelish and mad because God hath taught vs a contrary lesson in this place but goe this steppe further may I come to this assurance which is the way The Lorde doth answere by his Apostle thou maiest come to this assurance and pointeth him out the way euen that which you haue hard wherein hee must painefully trauel and goe forwarde not for a gird or a braide and waxe idle againe but still labour for these men had gone a great way and yet they are willed to proceede still if the Lorde giue not this assurance wee are to labour so much the more and to bee so much the more importunate to suspect our iudgement and to seeke for knowledge to call our selues to a more straite account to set a watch ouer our affections too see with what mynde wee doe things to foster no sin willingly in vs nor to bee slacke to any good worke which God hath appointed to cal and cry vnto God for faith and his spirite to guide vs to vse the meanes diligently which God hath appointed as the hearing searching meditating in the word thus in time for it is wrought in men by degrees they neuer come to the ful God will let them see that he is their God That neither life nor death height or depth thinges present or things to come Angels Principalities nor powers nor any creature shall separate vs from his loue in Christe It followeth in the next verse For by this meanes an entring shal be ministred vnto you abundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christe This is a confirmation of the last clause of the former sentence where he saith If you doe these thinges you shal neuer fall and why because you shal haue a great entrance into the eternal kingdome of Christ as that is
a confirmation of the other where he saith Make your calling and election sure as the reason foloweth there Ye shall come to bee sure howe because he which proceedeth so far that he knoweth he shal neuer fal away from God to destruction hee is as it must needes bee sure also that hee is chosen for hee speaketh not here of euery particuler fal into sinne which is the moste godly but saith Saint Peter I tell you if you doe these things yee shal neuer fall not because there is any such stablenes in our selues or in our own workes but wee know they bee the fruites of Gods spirite in vs which is his seale set vppon none but those whom he doth mark vp to life eternal he is vnchangeable so it foloweth here ye shal not fal for they that haue a rich entrance into the kingdome of Christe which is euerlasting so that Christe doth reigne in them as hee doth in all the faithful by his spirite can not fal vntil the power of Christe faile and his kingdome come to an end For we must note that the force of the reason resteth in the difference which is betweene the kingdome of Christ and the kingdomes of this worlde in which though they bee neuer so mightie ful of policie and wisedome yet they should come to and ende and therefore a man cannot rightly say vnto the subiects you haue a mightie Prince who is bountifull and gracious your peace therefore and happie estate shall endure for euer naye the mightie may bee ouercome if not by men at leastwise by death and so they may be to day in peace and good estate to morowe al in an vprore to day vnder a louing and gracious Prince to morowe vnder a fierce tyrant so vncertaine is the state of the kingdom of this worlde but in the kingdome of Christe whose power is aboue al and can neuer come to an ende but is as he saith here eternal it is farre otherwise because his state is vnchangeable so is theirs that be once entred thereinto and therefore are sure they can neuer fal Whosoeuer doth but euē streightly looke ouer these words of the apostle if he haue any sight at al he must needes confesse al this the matter is so cleere that we can but maruel how it should come to passe that this doctrine of the Lord set foorth by his apostle should finde so few friendes and so many extreeme enemies but indeed men which are lyers doe in this thing confes the truth that they feele not any such matter therfore cannot abide to heare that al true godly men faithfull Christiās haue this knowledge in themselues but let vs giue eare to the Apostle who telleth vs how we shal com to haue Christe to be our king to reigne ouer vs namely if we yeld vp our selues to the gouernance of his spirit which worketh al goodnes in our hearts subduing and vāquishing al the rebels which we beare about in vs. Cōtrariwise it must needs be graunted the such as are beastly Epicures folowing their own fleshly mind letting lose the raines giuing the swing vnto the raging lustes of the fleshe despising the knowledge of Gods wil therefore regard not his worde though with full mouth they cal Christ their king their lord yet when god saith here by his apostle that the entrance into his kingdom is by this means that mē folow after vertue knowledge and godlines they shew that they be none of his subiects being altogether void of his spirit but the bōd slaues of sin and Satan whose kingdome they vphold with tooth naile that maketh them euen as those which are of another Corporatiō to fight against the truth those which professe it deuising al the colours shifts they can to maintaine sin inuenting al the slanders that may be to discredite the godly conuersation of such as folow the way here prescribed condemning them as ouer precise curious if they do but looke this way which God willeth al his seruantes to walk if God doe open their eyes to see but euē in a glimmering that whiche he doth teach in this place they woulde be ashamed of their master and blush at that which now they boaste brag of they would also confesse that like blinde buzzards and madde beasts they haue fought against God not men finally it would make them change their waies and seeke diligently to haue the witnes within themselues that they bee the seruants of God We must marke wel one other thing which is here spoken to wit that he saith an entrāce shal be ministred vnto you abundantly or richly as if hee should say when ye haue labored trauelled to bee as it were wel soked seasoned in godlines plentifully decked with al graces gifts of the spirit ye shal by degrees proceede so far and gaine so much that your entrance into the kingdom of Christ shal be very great wherevpon it doth folow that they shal be past danger may wel warrant themselues of sure stāding in asmuch as Christ hath not onely begun to reigne in them and to bee their king but also in great measure and mightily But doth he not adde this one worde more then needeth Is it not enough to haue an entrance vnlesse wee haue a riche entrance into his kingdome doth Christ once begin to reigne in a man and to driue out the power of Satan and afterward cast him of againe to destruction I answere that this word is not added in vaine for wee be taught thereby to take heede that wee content not our selues with some litle taste and smal entrance for his purpose is to make a difference betweene suche on the one part as make some beginning and haue some good desires motions in them and do taste of the good word of God and are in some sort lightned but ouercome with sinful lustes vaine delights of the flesh they slide back againe sodenly they were but for a brunt it bringeth foorth no ripe fruite in them neither to speake properly did Christe euer reigne in them and such on the other part as proceede vnto the deepe rooting out of sinne sure and fast planting the truth in their heartes going forwarde dayly from grace to grace and from strength to strength vntil Christe haue set vp his throne in them and beare sway to the ouerthrow of the power of darknes and bereuing the Diuel of the interest hee had and thrusting him from the possession which hee helde a doctrine which must needes doe vs much good if wee bleeue it and very needefull to be vrged instantly considering the nature disposition of men at this day they are afraide of going too farre in vertue and knowledge they count it a needlesse thing to bee admonished or taught diligentlie they take great scorne to bee counted such as may bee amended yea and that which is more when as they haue