exāples out of the scripturs A. The scriptures are plentiful in this point but a few examples may suffice in this behalfe Ioseph was solde into Aegypt by a wicked hatred of his brethrē n. Gen. 37.28 yet the holy Ghost saith God sent him thither o. Psa 105.17 and hee saith to his brethren you meant euil against me but God meant it for good p. Gene. 50. God in a righteous iudgement to punishe Dauid for his murther and adulterie threatned to raise vp the sword in Dauids house and also that he would take Dauids wiues and giue thē to his neighbours He addeth thou didst this secretely but I wil do it openly in the sight of Israel and in the sight of the sunne q. 2. Sam. 12 9.10.11.12 All this was good as God did it but moste abhominable in Absolon and Achitophell which were the instruments God appointed his sonn Iesus Christ to be crucified a most glorious work of God The heigh priests with Pilate did nothing but that whiche was the determinate counsell of God r Act. 4.28 and yet they did commit a most horrible sinn and are iustly damned for it Q. Al the doubt is not yet taken away for when we affirme that the will of God is executed by those wicked instrumentes in suche actions as he hath in his lawe which is his expresse wil flatly forbidden it may seem that he should haue a double wil one secret another reuealed which is a thing farre disagreeing frō the nature of God A. That it seemeth there should be two willes in God because of this it is to be ascribed to the weakenesse and imperfection of our vnderstanding for looke howe a daselled disturbed eye sight doth suppose there be two candles when there is but one euen so fareth our mynde when it looketh vppon the will of God Q. Yee conclude then that not onlie the motions of things without life or without vnderstanding are guided by God as stormes tempestes sicknesses warres famines but also the actions of the diuel and al the wicked are measured and directed by his prouidence to proceede so farre as hee doth appoynt A. Or els it were wide with vs for how euill were our case if the Diuels could goe any further then God letteth out the chaine in which hee hath tyed them or the wicked coulde put in practise any more then he doth let loose the bridle with whiche hee doeth restraine them Q. The common opinion is that the diuel doth raise vp great winds with tempests and thunders A. It is the common opinion but is contrary vnto the faith which we must haue in Gods prouidēce and gouernment and the Diuel doth deale craftily in the matter For to the end that he woulde make men beleeue that he doeth beare a greate stroke when the Lord doth sende any straunge and woonderfull tempest he doeth conueye himselfe into it and come with it that so they may thinke it is his Q. Proceede vnto the second part of our beliefe first what is the summe of it in generall A. The summe of it in general is how our Lorde Iesus Christe hath redeemed vs from destruction brought vs home againe to God Q. We cannot perceiue how great and wonderfull this grace of redemption is vntil we know the greeuousnes of our fal and decay A. By the fall disobedience of our first parents we were al vtterly cast away For we haue not onely lost the glory and happinesse of our first creation but also we are become by nature the childrē of wrath ſ. Ephe. 2.3 which is no lesse then to be the very children of hell and destructiō Q. Was the decay so great that there was no help at al left in vs A. It was an vtter downfall a perfect breach For although there remained some litle sparks of light as it wer some litle peeces of a sumptuous buylding pulled down should be found in the dust yet the same are no further auaileable then to make men void of al excuse t. Rom. 10.1 Q. Then ye affirme that it is not in the power of man to recouer him selfe out of this miserie A. I doe not only affyrme that but also that man is not able so much as to help to recouer himself nor once to moue towards it Q. That seemeth much seeing ye cōfesse that in the decaied estate of man there remaine some sparkes of light and of excellent gifts A. I confesse so much but yet those do not auaile so far as to giue him any help to recouer or any motion but he doth so choak and peruert this light that it thrusteth him further from God because it lifteth him vp in pride and this is the cause why the scripture dooth set forth the inwardes of man which seeme most gay to be so corrupt that it doth not affoord him a good thought v. Gen. 6.5 When al the thoughts of his heart are onely euill frō his youth how could he haue any motion to help himself Q. This point is hard to perswad some men in and therefore needeth a more manifest declaration and proofe A. To set forth the depth of our miserie the scripture doth not onely affirme that we are dead in our sinnes but also shut vp inclosed vnder the dominion of the prince of darknes w. Ephe. 2.12 Rom. 11.32 Gal. 3.22 We are then far from any motion of life not onely because we are dead deade men can not stir but also that we are holdē vnder by the power of the deuil For this cause the holy scripture saith no man can enter into the kingdōe of God except he be borne again x. Iohn 3.3 Likewise it affirmeth a new creation y. 1. Cor. 5 1◠and that we must be raised frō the dead z. Col. 3.1 None of these speeches could be vsed if there had beene any thing at al to helpe left in man Q. How may this be said of the soule which neuer dieth A. In respect of the true life whiche is called the life of God a Eph. 4.18 the soule is dead beeing separated from God The soule by nature hath stil a kind of life in it as the diuels and damned shall liue for euer but their life is no more but a continuall death a man hath no life in him vntill he be partaker of the spirite of life Q. You seeme to make the woorke of God in bringing men to saluation to be euen as a Carpenter worketh vpon a blocke A. Not so for men differ from blockes because they haue reason wil and affections which God frameth for they be all against God vntill hee frame them so they feele the worke of God and are moued to put to their consent and indeuour Q. Now yee haue set foorth the fall and decay shew the recouery A. The recouerie is onelie by our Lord Iesus Christ Q. All were cast away in Adam shall
Sauiour Christ doth therein but as it were borowe his speeches from outward thinges in the worlde to set foorth vnto vs thinges spirituall not that the soules did speake one to another For then it may as well be gathered that soules haue eyes tongues and fingers Q. If the speeches of Christ be but in parables then yee can bring no certaine proofe out of this place that the soules of the godly before Christ were in ioy A. If all his speeches were in Parables wee might say so But that there is hell and torments in it where the riche man was is no parable Abraham the father of the faithfull and the place of ioy and the soules carried thither by the angels are no Parables Q. But it seemeth by S. Peter that his soule went downe into hel and preached vnto the soules there b. 1. Pe. 3.19 A. They doe wrest and abuse that place of Peter when they woulde proue by it that the soule of Christe went downe into hell and preached there to the soules because hee saith he suffered in the flesh but was quickened in the spirite in which hee went and preached vnto the spirites in prison For this spirite in which hee went and preached was not his soule but the Godhead which did quicken him or raise him from the dead For the wordes are that he went and preached in that spirite which did quicken him It was not the soule of Christe that did quicken rayse him to life Further it is said that hee went to the spirites which are in prison whiche were disobedient in the time of Noah If he had gone downe into hell to what purpose should those few of the damned be mentioned which did liue in the dayes of Noah and not rather all the whole multitude and especially the godly It is manifest therefore that Christ in his eternall Godhead did preach in Noah vnto spirites that are nowe in prison which were men liuing vpon the earth when they were preached vnto Q. How proue yee that the Apostle doth cal them spirits because they were so then when hee wrote and not when they were preached vnto A. It is plainely prooued by the like speech of the same Apostle when he saith the Gospel was preached vnto the dead c. 1. Pet. 4.6 It is most manifest that he calleth them the dead not because they were dead when they were preached vnto but when hee wrote For can this bee fulfilled in dead men when he saith it was that they might be condemned according to men in the fleshe but might liue according to God in the spirite are the dead called to repentance Q. Is satisfaction of Christe a full perfect discharge for all sin and is it the only way to discharge vs from it A. It is the full and perfect discharge of all the sinnes which God will pardon and ther is no other thing which is able to make satisfaction and to discharge sinne and therfore the Papists deface the glory of Christes death when they set vp any thing with it to be of that strength to take away or to haue any part of this glory whē he is called the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde d. Iohn 1.29 They haue so many things to take away sinne that by suche time as all are serued there remaineth little vnto Christe Q. Doe ye then account the papistes heretikes in this part of the articles of our belieefe A. They are in this matter most detestable heretikes Q. Shall all haue pardon and remission of sinnes which doe acknowledge Christe curcified A. All those shall haue pardon and remission of sinnes whiche beleeue a right in Christ crucified Q. What meane yee by beleeuing aright in Christ crucified A. It is not enough to beleeue that by the offering of himselfe vpon the crosse hee hath satisfied the iustice of God and appeased his anger vnlesse a man doe so beleeue that hee bee also crucified with him for to beleeue in Christe crucified is to bee crucified with him Q. Declare your meaning in this point A. Saint Paul saith that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that hence foorth wee shoulde not serue sinne for hee that is dead is freed from sin e. Rom. 6.6.7.8 Also Saint Peter doth inferre vpon this that Christe hath suffered fro vs in the flesh wee should arme our selues with the same minde that he which hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne f. 1. Pet. 4.1.2 The thing is this Christe vpon the crosse dyd slay sinne and abolishe it not his owne for hee had none but the sinne of those whiche are coupled vnto him by faith Q. What reason is there to bee shewed that the power of the death of Christe which was long sithence should bee in vs A. The power of his death in slaying sinne doth continue and all those which are in him must needes feele the same spred vpon them There is nothing in the worlde besides this which is able to slay sinne or to rid vs of it Q. What followeth next A. The third day he rose againe from the dead Q. What doe yee gather of this A. This is so principall an article of our faith that the Apostle saith the preaching of the Gospell were in vaine and our faith were in vaine without it g. 1. Cor. 15.14 Q. Shew the cause of this A. If hee had not risen againe it must needes haue followed that he had been ouercome But in that hee rose hee declared himselfe to be a most mightie conquerour to haue spoyled and led captiue all the mightie enemies And this victorie is most glorious beeing accomplished by a man in our fleshe For as the Diuell did bring vs all into thraldome and captiuitie by ouercommyng a man so also a man entred euen into the very castle and priuie chambers of death that by death hee might destroy him whiche had the power of death that is the Diuell h Heb. 2.14 and set vs at libertie againe Q. Howe doth this appeare that such a conquest is made for vs seeing wee bee styll subiect vnto death A. That is no hiderance at all because the dominion of death and the Diuell are abolished the bitternesse and terrour of it are taken away in as much as our death is but a passage vnto life and wee bee assured by the resurrectiō of Christ that we shall rise againe i. 1. Cor. 15.16 Q. Is there any further thing to be considered in this article A. Yea that there is for as the Scripture doeth teach that we are crucified with Christe so also wee must while wee liue heere bee raysed vppe with him And for this cause it is saide that they bee blessed which haue their part in the first resurrection for the seconde death shall not hurt them k. Reue. 20.6 Q. Expresse your minde more fully and plainely A. As the death
with the spyrit were also burthened with infirmities and sinnes A. I coulde shewe that at large by many examples but one testimonie of the Apostle is sufficient where he saieth to the godlye that the fleshe lusteth against the spirite and the spirite against the fleshe so that yee cannot doe the thinges whiche yee would x. Gala. 5.17 Q. What followeth next A. The fourth parte of the Articles of our faith yet remaineth the holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints c. Q. What is it which yee call the Church A. The whole company of those whō God hath chosen vnto life euerlasting Q. Wherfore doe yee call it the holy Church A. Beecause euery member of it is holy being sanctified by the holy Ghost for whosoeuer hath not the spirite of Christe is none of Christs y. Rom. 8.9 Q. Doe yee affyrme that such men as be vngodly and wicked be not of the Church A. Whosoeuer they be which holde that although men liue an vnholye and an vncleane life yet they be Christians and of the Church they denye this article in this poynt that wee beleeue the Church is holye For if a couetous man a drunkard and an adulterer or one that liueth in any such vice shal affirme that he is of the church thē he must say that he beleeueth the vnholy church Q. In what respect do yee call the Church Catholike A. In that it is vniuersall for Catholike is that whiche goeth through out the hole Q. Hath it respect vnto time or place A. It respecteth both for the Churche hath beene alwaye in the woorlde from the beginning and shal be to end and in all places of the world while it pleaseth God to call any Q. Then that is not the Catholike Church which is but in some countries and at some time A. It is but a company of Heretikes and Schismatikes how many soeuer they be or how long soeuer they continue For those whiche bee of the Catholike Church are suche as are coupled vnto that Mother Church which hath beene from the beeginning Q. What say yee to the Church of Rome which doth chalenge this title to bee called the Catholike Church A. They doe falsly vsurpe the name both beecause theyr fayth is newe and such as Moses and the Prophetes neuer did knowe For they cannot shewe that the holye Patriarches Abraham and the reste did beleeue as they doe They teache doctrine quite contrary to Christ and his Apostles and also because many nations of the world where the Ghospell hath bin taught haue neuer acknowledged their Pope nor obeyed their doctrine Therfore it doth follow that seeing they be thus departed from the true Church they be but a swarm of waspes and a rout of Heretikes Q. By what reasons can ye shewe that wee bee of the true Catholyque Church For they call vs Heretiques A. Wee hold that doctrine and faith which is moste auncient and olde taught by Moses and the Prophetes and also by the Apostles we beleeue it in euery poynt and none other and therfore being ioyned with them in the vnitie of fayth we be also of the same body that they be and therefore of the Catholike Church Q. Yee saye that the Church is Catholike beecause it hath beene at all tymes in the woorlde although at some time in small number as in the dayes of Noah then it followeth that those bee not of the Catholike Churche of whom it may be sayde that there was a tyme when theyr Churche was not in the world A. That is out of controuersie that there hath neuer beene so much as one day in the which the true Church hath not beene in the world although at many times in very small number Q. The Papistes doe demaunde where our Churche was an hundred yeeres a-gone and so for the space of fiue or sixe hundred yeeres before A. At suche time as the Man of sinne was exalted and did sitte in the Temple of God z 2. The. 2.3 and all kinredes and people and tongues did wonder and worship the beast a. Reue. 13.8 then the woman persecuted by the Dragon which is the Church was driuen into the wildernesse and was secrete but yet not altogether destroyed For the remnaunt of her seede which had the testimonie of Iesus were persecuted b. Reuel 12. This therefore I answere that our Church which is the true Catholike Church did lye as it were buryed and hidde in the Papacy euen as a fewe wheate Corns in a great heape of Chaffe Yet some of them did euer appeare and were persecuted by the Beast and the Dragon Q. What proofe haue ye of the word to confirme al this A. Euen those places which I haue already recited Antichriste should sit in the Temple of GOD and there beare suche rule that he should boast himself to be God by taking that power and authoritie which doth belong onely to God yet it remaineth stil the temple of God which could not bee vnlesse the Church were there still Q. Yea but you must shew that the Catholike Church shoulde at anye tyme be without a visible gouernment A. The place cited doth most playnelye prooue it for the woman driuen into the desarte and yet her seede remaininge doeth shewe that the outwarde face of the Churche was gone while the glorious trimme whoore was gotte into her place And yet shee coulde not bee destroyed for the remnaunt of her seede coulde neuer bee rooted out Q. Howe doe yee vnderstande the next woordes the Communion of Saintes A. This clause is added as a declaratiō of the other in this wise I beleeue there is an holy Catholike Church which is the Communion of Saints Q. In what sense is the Church called a Communion A. As there is one head Iesus Christ so are al the faithful knit together by one spirite and made one body in him This is the cause that there is such a Communion and fellowshippe amonge them one with an other as there is betweene the members of the natural body Q. What is the effecte of this Communion or fellowship A. The entire loue and sincere affection which they beare one towardes an other euen as the members of the same body And out of this also doth spring the making common of all good thinges which they haue and the care to defend each other For looke what good thing any member of the bodye hath it doth willingly imploy it to the benefit of all the rest and the loue is suche that euery member doth cheerfully apply it self to relieue the rest and no one of them doth hurt or seeeke to destroy an other Euen so is it in this Communion of Saintes which are al the members of one body c. Cor. 12.12 14. Q. Do ye meane that no one doth possesse any thing by himselfe but the possession in commune when yee saye they make all good thinges common among them A. That were absurde the possession is priuate the vse
respectes which are to bee had A. In the one place where he saith The lawe is not giuen for a iust man the sense is this that it is not giuen against him which consenteth with it In the other place wee are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace is to be restrayned vnto this that we are not vnder the law as it is the strength of sin b. 1. Cor 15.56 And so the Apostle coupleth them together sin shal not haue dominion ouer yee for yee are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace Q. How is that to bee vnderstood A. Saint Paul compareth the law to the husband our corrupt nature to the wife the affections of sinnes which are brought foorth betweene them vnto the children c. Rom. 7. Q. Doe yee not charge and accuse the law and blame it when ye make it to be the strength of sinne and to bring foorth sinne A. The Apostle sheweth that there is no blam at al to be laied vpō the law for the law saith he is holy the commandement is good but our corrupt nature taketh occasion by the law to bring foorth euill d. Rom. 7.8 For the law shewing manifesting sin giuing no power to rid vs from it is called the dead letter which killeth e. 2. Cor. 3.6 and the heat of sin being kindled by it to become more sinnefull it is called the strength of sinne But when a man is vnder grace that is to say regenerate led by the spirite then doth he consent vnto the law his nature doth not take occasion any longer by the law to bring foorth sinne Q. If we be not freed from the law but in such sort then doe those wickedly whiche woulde not haue the law opened A. Doubtles they doe it of a very wicked mind euen because they loue to walk at libertie to fufill the lusts of the flesh which the law sharply rebuketh Their doctrine is libertie to the flesh when as they onely speake of redemption in Christ let sinne abound so they holde that Q. Ye say we cannot be iustified by the law because wee are of a corrupt nature and cannot fulfill it to what purpose then should it be preached seeing it doth but curse and condemne vs A. There is great cause why the lawe should bee seuerely sharply preached euen to that ende that men may see them selues to bee accursed and condemned in thēselues and so bee forced and driuen to seeke helpe els where for looke howe a man careth not for the Phisition so long as hee feareth no daungerous disease euen so no man feeleth the sweetnesse of Christe and his Gospell vntill hee feele himselfe by the knowledge of the law to be vtterly lost and condemned This is the cause why Christe saide The hole neede not the Phisition but the sick I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance f. Mat. 9.13.14 Mark 2.17 Luk. 5.31.32 Likewise hee calleth none vnto him but such as trauell and be heauie laden g. Mat. 11.28 Those which vnderstande not the law thinke themselues iolly fellowes and in good health and care little to knowe the Gospel Q. This vse of the lawe is chieflye before a man be in Christe but to what purpose is it when we know and beleeue the gospel A. When a man doth knowe and beleeue the gospel then is he called by repentance vnto true holines godlinesse of life euen so farre that he ought to striue hard for perfection to indeuour himself to come as nigh it as he can h. Phil. 3.13.13 And therfore now hee is deepely to search into the law which doth conteine the perfect doctrine of obedience Q. Yee haue shewed the vse of the lawe vnto those whom God doth conuert but is it for any purpose to the reprobate A. It is to this purpose in them that it maketh them void of all excuse for whereas they cannot performe any part of it they are hardened and sinne doth more abound in them i. Rom. 1.20 5.20 7.9 Q. Yee confesse that those whome God leaueth vnto themselues haue no power at all to performe any part of the law The law being spirituall they carnall altogether sold vnder sin k. Rom. 7.14 How cā they thē be iustly condēned vnto eternal fier Shal they be cast away for breaking those lawes which they were not able to keepe If the prince should commaund a subiect vnder paine of death to doe a thing vnpossible as to remoue a mountaine and then put him to execution for not doing the same who would not say this were extreeme tyrannie it is as possible for a man to remoue a moūtaine as to keepe the law And yet God doth damne him both bodie and soule for breaking it A. The answere vnto this is easie God doth iustly require at mans hand the perfect obedience vnto his law because in his first creatiō he made him perfect gaue him power to fulfil it We must not consider what we haue now but what was giuen vs in our first parents Q. Our first parents in whō we were created with whose flesh we are cloathed did loose all we cannot doe with it We be vncleane before we are borne are cast into a necessitie of sinning and so it may seeme still great rigour to condemne where there is a necessitie of trāsgression A. The necessitie doth not excuse because mā cast himself into the bands thereof And because men do willingly with a glad consent cōmit sin before they be regenerate if it did greeue him if he did hate vncleannesse struggle against it there were som pitie to be had But whē he doth ioy take delite in it greedily swallow it vp euē as a sweete poyson what cōpassiō is to bee shewed Q. Let vs proceed vnto the words of the law how do ye deuide it A. The whole law of the ten precepts was deliuered vnto Moses written in two tables of stone l. Exod. 31.18 the one table in 4. cōmandements containing al duties which are required towards god himselfe And the other in 6. commandements all things towards mē Q. Do yee affirme that God neuer required any duty of mā saue that which he requireth in the ten cōmandements A. God hath neuer required more of any man then to walke in those duties which are conteined in these commandements Q. How say ye then vnto those precepts which were giuen vnto certain persons as to Abrahā to slay his son m. Gen. 22.2.3 To the Israelites to rob the Aegyptiās n Exod. 3.22 to the yoūg man which came vnto Christ to sell away al that he had to giue to the poore o. Mat. 19 2◠21.22 A. There was no more commanded vnto anye of these but that which the lawe did binde them to shew their obedience in Q. The lawe is giuen generallie vnto all men and therefore if the law did