ann 1059 that the Pope shall afterward be created by the suffrages of the Cardinall bishops of Rome with the consent of the rest of the cleargie and people and the Emperour himselfe and all Popes are excommunicate accursed as Antichristes that enter otherwise as al now doe Ioachimus Abbas saith Antichrist was long since borne in Rome and shall be yet aduanced higher in the APOSTOLIC◠SEE Petracrh saith Once Rome now Babylon And Ireneus booke 5. chap. last said before all these that Antichrist should be Lateinus a Romane Again this cōmandemēt must not so much be vnderstoode of a bodily departure in respect of cohabitatiō presence as of a spirituall seperatiō in respect of faith religion And the meaning of the holy Ghost is that men must depart from the Romish Church in regard of Iudgememt and doctrine in regard of their faith and the worship of God Thus then wee see that the words containe a commandement from God inioyning his Church and people to make a separation from Babylon Whence I obserue That all those who will be saued must depart and seperate themselues from the faith and religion of this present Church of Rome And whereas they are charged with scisme that seperate on this manner the truth is they are not scismatikes that doe so because they haue the commandement of God for their warrant and that partie is the scismatike in whome the cause of this separation lieth and that is in the church of Rome namly the cup of abomination in the whores hand which is their hereticall and scismaticall religion Nowe touching this dutie of seperation I meane to speake at large not standing so much to prooue the same because it is euident by the text as to shew the manner and measure of making this separation therin I will handle two things First how farforth we may ioyne with them in the matter of religion secondly how farforth and wherein wee must dissent and depart from them And for this cause I meane to make choice of certaine points of religion and to speake of them in as good order as I can shewing in each of them our consent and difference the rather because some harpe much vpon this string that a vnion may be made of our two religions and that we differ not in substance but in points of circumstance The first point wherewith I meane to beginne shall be the point of Freewill though it be not the principall 1. Our consent Free will both by them and vs is taken for a mixt power in the minde and will of man whereby discerning what is good and what is euill he doth accordingly choose or refuse the same I. Conclus Man must be considered in a foure-fold estate as he was created as he was corrupted as he is renewed as he shalbe glorified In the first estate we ascribe to mans will libertie of nature in which he could will or nill either good or euill in the third libertie of grace in the last libertie of glorie All the doubt is of the second estate and yet therein also we agree as the conclusions following will declare II. Conclus The matters where about freewill is occupied are principally the actions of men which be of three sorts naturall humane spirituall Naturall actions are such as are cōmon to men with beasts as to eate drinke sleepe heare see smell taste and to mooue from place to place in all which we ioyne with the Papists and holde that man hath free will and euen since the fall of Adam by a naturall power of the minde doth freely performe any of these actions or the like III. Conclus Humane actions are such as are common to all men good and bad as to speake and vse reason the practise of all mechanicall and liberall artes and the outwarde performance of civill and ecclesiasticall duties as to come to the Church to speake and preach the worde to reach out the hande to receiue the sacrament and to lende the eare to listen outwardly to that which is taught And hither we may referre the outward actiōs of civill vertues as namely Iustice temperance gentlenes liberalitie And in these also we ioyne with the church of Rome say as experience teacheth that men haue a naturall freedome of will to put them or not to put them in execution Paul saith Rom. 2. 14. The Gentiles that haue not the law doe the things of the law BY NATVRE that is by naturall strength and he saith of himselfe that before his conuersion touching the righteousnes of the law he vvas vnblame able Phil. 3. 6. And for this externall obedience naturall men receiue rewarde in temporall things Mat. 6. 5. Ezech. 29. 19. And yet here some caueats must be remēbred I. that in humane actions mans will is weake and feeble and his vnderstanding dimme darke and thereupon he often failes in them And in all such actions with Augustine I vnderstand the wil of man to be onely woūded or halfe dead II. That the will of man is vnder the will of God and therefore to be ordered by it as Ieremie saith chap. 10. v. 23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke or direct his steppes IIII. Conclus The third kind of actions are spirituall more neerely concerning the heart and conscience and these be two fold they either concerne the kingdome of darknes or else the kingdome of God Those that concerne the kingdome of darknes are sinnes properly and in these we likewise ioyne with the Papists teach that in sinnes or euill actions man hath freedome of will Some peraduenture will say that we sinne necessarily because he that sinneth can not but sinne and that freewill and necessitie can not stand togither Indeede the necessitie of compulsion or coaction and freewill can not agree but there is another kinde of necessitie which may stand with freedome of will for some things may be done necessarily and also freely A man that is in close prison must needes there abide and cannot possibly get forth and walke where he will yet can he mooue himselfe freely and walke within the prison so likewise though mans wil be chained naturally by the bonds of sinne therefore cannot but sinne and thereupon sinneth necessarily yet doth it also sinne freely V. Conclus The second kind of spirituall actions or things concerne the kingdome of God as repentance faith the conuersion of a sinner new obedience and such like in which we likewise in part ioyne with the Church of Rome and say that in the first conuersion of a sinner mans freewill concurres with Gods grace as a fellowe or co-worker in some sort For in the conuersion of a sinner three things are required the word Gods spirit and mans will for mans will is not passiue in all and euery respect but hath an action in the first conuersion and change of the soule When any
man is conuerted this worke of God is not done by compulsion but he is conuerted willingly and at the very time when he is conuerted by Gods grace he wils his coÌ„uersion To this ende saide Augustine He vvhich made thee without thee will not saue thee without thee Again that is certen that our wil is required in this that we may do any goodthing wel but we haue it not from our owne povver but God workes to will in vs. For looke at what time God giues grace at the same time he giueth a will to desire will the same grace as for exaÌ„ple when God works faith at the same time he workes also vpon the will causing it to desire faith willingly to receiue the gift of beleeuing God makes of the vnwilling will a willing will because no man can receiue grace vtterly against his will considering will constrained is no will But here we must remember that howsoeuer in respect of time the working of grace by Gods spirit and the willing of it in man goe togither yet in regard of order grace is first wrought and mans will must first of all be acted and mooued by grace then it also acteth willeth and mooueth it selfe And this is the last point of consent betweene vs and the Romane church touching freewill neither may we proceede further with them II. The dissent or difference The point of difference standeth in the cause of the freedome of mans will in spirituall matters which concerne the kingdome of God The Papists say mans will concurreth worketh with gods grace in the first conuersion of a sinner by it selfe and by it owne naturall power and is onely helped by the holy Ghost We say that mans will worketh with grace in the first conuersion yet not of it self but by grace Or thus They say will hath a naturall cooperation we denie it say it hath cooperation onely by grace beeing in it selfe not actiue but passiue willing well onely as it is mooued by grace whereby it must first be acted and mooued before it can act or will And that we may the better conceiue the difference I will vse this comparison The Church of Rome sets forth the estate of a sinner by the condition of a prisoner and so do we marke then the difference It supposeth the said prisoner to lie bound hand and foote with chaines fetters and withall to be sicke and weake yet not wholly dead but liuing in part it supposeth also that being in this case he stirreth not himselfe for any helpe yet hath abilitie and power to stirre Herevpon if the keeper come and take away his bolts and fetters and hold him by the hand and helpe him vp he can and will of himselfe stand and walke and goe out of prison euen so say they is a sinner bound hand and foote with the chaine of his sinnes and yet he is not dead but sicke like to the wounded man in the way betweene Ierico and Ierusalem And therefore doeth he not will and affect that which is good but if the holy Ghost come and doe but vntie his bands and reach him his hand of grace then can he stand of himselfe and will his owne saluation or any thing els that is good We in like manner graunt that a prisoner fitly resembleth a naturall man but yet such a prisoner must he be as is not onely sicke and weake but euen starke dead which cannot stirre though the keeper vntie his boltes and chaines nor heare though he sound a trumpet in his eare and if the said keeper would haue him to mooue stirre he must giue him not onely his hand to help him but euen soule and life also and such a one is euery man by nature not onely chained and fettered in his sinnes but starke dead therein as one that lieth rotting in the graue not hauing any ability or power to mooue or stirre and therefore he cannot so much as desire or doe any thing that is truly good of himselfe but God must first come and put a newe soule into him euen the spirit of grace to quicken and reuiue him and then beeing thus reuiued the will beginneth to will good things at the very same time wheÌ„ god by his spirit first infuseth grace And this is the true difference betweene vs and the Church of Rome in this point of free will III. Our Reasons Now for the confirmation of the doctrine we hold namely that a man willeth not his owne conuersion of him selfe by nature either in whole or in part but by grace wholly and alone these reasons may be vsed The first is taken from the nature and measure of mans corruption which may be distinguished into two parts The first is the want of that originall righteousnes which was in man by creation the secoÌ„d is a prones and inclination to that which is euill and to nothing that is truely good This appeareth Gen. 8. 21. The frame of mans heart saith the Lord is euill euen from his childhood that is the disposition of the vnderstanding will affections with all that the heart of man deuiseth fâ—rmeth or imagineth is wholly euil And Paul saith Rom. 8. 5. The wisdome of the flesh is ENMITIE against God Which wordes are very significant for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated vvisdome signifieth that the best thoughts the best desires affections and indeauours that be in any naturall man euen those that come most neare to true holines are not onely contrary to God but euen enmitie it selfe And hence I gather that the very heart it selfe that is the will and minde from whence these desires and thoughts doe come are also enmitie vnto God For such as the action is such is the facultie whence it proceedeth such as the fruite is such is the tree such as the branches are such are the rootes By both these places it is euident that in man there is not onely a want absence or deprivation of originall righteousnes but a prones also by nature vnto that which is euill which prones includes in it an inclination not to some fewe but to all and euery sinne the very sinne against the holy Ghost not excepted Hence therefore I reason thus If euery man by nature doe both want originall iustice and be also prone vnto all euill then wanteth he natural free-will to will that which is truly good But euery man by nature wants originall iustice and is also prone vnto all euil Ergo Euery man naturally wants free-will to will that which is good Reason II. 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man PERCEIVETH NOT the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnes vnto him neither CAN HE KNOVVE them because they are spiritually discerned In these wordes Saint Paul sets downe these points I that a naturall man doeth not so much as thinke of the things reuealed in the Gospell II. that a man hearing and in minde conceiuing them
him to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God namely to them that beleeue in his name In these wordes to beleeue in Christ and to receiue Christ are put for one and the same thing Now to receiue Christ is to apprehend and apply him with all his benefits vnto our selues as he is offered in the promises of the Gospell For in the sixt chapter following first of all he sets forth himselfe not onely as a Redeemer generally but also as the bread of life and the water of life secondly he sets forth his best hearers as eaters of his body and drinkers of his blood and thirdly he intends to prooue this conclusion that to eate his bodie and to drinke his blood and to beleeue in him are all one Now then if Christ be as foode and if to eate and drinke the body and blood of Christ be to beleeue in him then must there be a proportion betweene eating and beleeuing Looke then as there can be no eating without taking or receiuing of meate so no beleeuing in Christ without a spirituall receiuing and apprehending of him And as the bodie hath his hand mouth stomack whereby it taketh receiueth and digesteth meate for the nourishment of euery part so likewise in the soule there is a faith which is both hand mouth and stomacke to apprehend receiue and apply Christ and all his merits for the nourishment of the soule And Paul saith yet more plainely that through faith we receiue the promise of the spirit Nowe as the propertie of apprehending and applying of Christ belongeth to faith so it agreeth not to hope loue confidence of any other gift or grace of God But first by faith we must apprehend Christ and apply him to our selues before we can haue any hope or confidence in him And this applying seems not to be don by any affectiō of the wil but by a supernatural act of the mind which is to acknowledge set downe and beleeue that remission of sinnes and life euerlasting by the merit of Christ belong to vs particularly To this which I haue said agreeth Augustine Tract 25. on Ioh. why preparest thou teeth belly BELEEVE AND THOV HAST EATEN and Tract 50. How shall I reach my hand into heauen that I may hold him sitting there Send vp thy faith and thou laiest hold on him And Bernard saith homil in Cant. 76. Where he is thou canst not come now yet goe to followe him and seeke him beleeue and thou hast found him for TO BELEEVE IS TO FINDE Chrysost. on Mark Homil. 10. Let vs beleeue and we see Iesus present before vs. Ambr. on Luke lib. 6. cap. 8. By faith Christ is touched by faith Christ is seene Tertul. de resurrect carnis he must be chewed by vnderstanding and be digested by faith Reason II. Whatsoeuer the holy Ghost testifieth vnto vs that we may yea that we must certenly by faith beleeue but the holy Ghost doth particularly testifie vnto vs our adoption the remission of our sinnes and the saluation of our soules and therefore we may and must particularly and certenly by faith beleeue the same The first part of this reason is true and cannot be denyed of any The second part is prooued thus Saint Paul saith Rom. 8. 15. We haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare but the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba father adding further that the same spirit beareth witnes with our spirits that we are the children of God Where the Apostle maketh two witnesses of our adoption the spirit of God and our spirits that is the conscience sanctified by the holy Ghost The Papists to elude this reason alleadge that the spirit of God doth indeede witnes of our adoption by some comfortable feelings of Gods loue and fauour beeing such as are weake and oftentimes deceitfull But by their leaues the testimony of the Spirit is more then a bare sense or feeling of Gods grace for it is called the pledge and earnest of Gods spirit in our hearts 2. Cor. 1. 21. and therefore it is fit to take away all occasion of doubting of our saluation as in a bargaine the earnest is giuen betweene the parties to put all out of questistion Bernara saith that the testimony of the spirit is a most sure testimony Epist. 107. Reason III. That which we must pray for by Gods commandement that we must beleeue but euery man is to pray for the pardon of his owne sinnes and for life euerlasting of this there is no question therefore he is bound to beleeue the same The proposition is most of all doubtfull but it is proued thus In euery petition there must be two things a desire of the things we aske and a particular faith whereby we beleeue that the thing we aske shall be giuen vnto vs. So Christ saith Whatsoeuer ye desire when you pray beleeue that you shall haue it and it shall be giuen vnto you And Saint Iohn further noteth out this particular faith calling it our assurance that God will giue vnto vs. whatsoeuer vve aske according to his vvill And hence it is that in euery petition there must be two grounds a commandement to warrant vs in making a petition and a promise to assure vs of the accomplishment thereof And vpon both these followes necessarily an application of the things we aske to our selues Reason IIII. Whatsoeuer God commandeth in the Gospell that a man must and can performe but God in the Gospel commandeth vs to beleeue the pardon of our owne sinnes and life euerlasting and therefore we must beleeue thus much and may be assured thereof This proposition is plaine by the distinction of the commandements of the lawe and of the Gospel The commādements of the lawe shewe vs what we must doe but minister no power to performe the thing to be done but the doctrine commandements of the Gospel doe otherwise and therefore they are called spirit and life god with the commandement giuing grace that the thing prescribed may be don Now this is a commandement of the gospel to beleeue remission of sinnes for it was the substance of Christs ministerie repent and beleeue the Gospel And that is not generally to beleeue that Christ is a Sauiour and that the promises made in him are true for so the deuills beleeue with trembling but it is particularly to beleeue that Christ is my Sauiour and that the promises of saluation in Christ belong in speciall to me as Saint Iohn saith This is his commandement that we beleeue in the name of Iesus Christ now to beleeue in Christ is to put confidence in him which none can doe vnlesse he be first assured of his loue and fauour And therefore in as much as we are inioyned to put our confidence in Christ we are also inioyned to beleeue our reconciliation with him which standeth in the remission of our sinnes and our acceptation to life euerlasting Reason V. Whereas the Papists teach
hauing his first iustification may afterward by grace make himself more iust Therefore they hold these two things I. That good workes are meritorious causes of the second iustification which they tearme Actuall II. that good workes are means to increase the first iustificatiō which they call Habituall Now let vs see how farreforth we must ioyne with them in this point Our consent therefore stands in three conclusions I. That good workes done by them that are iustified doe please God and are approoued of him and therefore haue a reward II. Good workes are necessarie to saluation two waies first not as causes thereof either conseruant adiuvant or procreant but onely as consequents of faith in that they are inseperable companions and fruits of that faith which is indeede necessarie to saluation Secondly they are necessarie as markes in a way and as the way it selfe directing vs vnto eternall life III. We hold and beleeue that the righteous man is in some sort iustified by works for so the holy Ghost speaketh plainely and truly Iam. 2. 21. that Abraham vvas iustified by works Thus farre we ioyne with them and the very difference is this They say we are iustified by works as by causes thereof we say that we are iustified by workes as by signes fruits of our iustification before God and no otherwise and in this sense must the place of S. Iames be vnderstoode that Abraham was iustified that is declared and made manifest to be iust indeede by his obedience and that euen before God Nowe that our doctrine is the truth it will appeare by reasons on both parts Our reasons I. Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the vvorkes of the lavv Some answer that ceremoniall works be excluded here some that morall workes some works going before faith But let them deuise what they can for themselues the truth is that Paul excludeth all works whatsoeuer as by the very text will appeare For v. 24. he saith We are iustified FREELY by his grace that is by the meere gift of God giuing vs to vnderstand that a sinner in his iustification is meerely passiue that is doing nothing on his part whereby God should accept him to life euerlasting and v. 27. he saith iustification by faith excludeth all boasting and therefore all kinde of workes are thereby excluded and specially such as are most of all the matter of boasting that is good workes For if a sinner after that he is iustified by the merit of Christ were iustified more by his owne workes then might he haue some matter of boasting in himselfe And that we may not doubt of Pauls meaning consider and read Eph. 2. 8 9. By grace saith he you are saued through faith that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of vvorks least any man should boast himselfe Here Paul excludes all and euery worke and directly workes of grace themselues as appeares by the reason following For vve are his workemanship CREATED in Christ Iesus VNTO GOOD VVORKS VVHICH GOD HATH ORDAINED that vve should vvalke in them Nowe let the Papists tell me what be the workes which God hath prepared for men to walke in and to which they are regenerate vnles they be the most excellent works of grace and let them marke how Paul excludes them wholly from the worke of iustification and saluation II. Gal. 5. 3. If ye be circūcised ye are bound to the vvhole lavv and ye are abolished from Christ. Here Paul disputeth against such men as would be saued partly by Christ and partly by the workes of the lawe hence I reason thus If a man will be iustified by workes he is bound to fulfill the whole law according to the rigour thereof that is Pauls ground I now assume no man can fulfill the lawe according to the rigour thereof for the liues and workes of most righteous men are imperfect and stained with sinne and therefore they are taught euery daie to say on this manner forgiue vs our debts Againe our knowledge is imperfect and therefore our faith repentance and sanctification is answerable And lastly the regenerate man is partly flesh and partly spirit and therfore his best works are partly frō the flesh in part onely spirituall Thus then for any man to be bound to the rigour of the whole law is as much as if he were bound to his owne damnation III. Election to saluation is of grace without workes therefore the iustification of a sinner is of grace alone without works For it is a certen rule that the cause of a cause is the cause of a thing caused Now grace without workes is the cause of election which election is the cause of our iustification and therefore grace without workes is the cause of our iustification IIII. A man must first be fully iustified before he can doe a good worke for the person must first please God before his workes can please him But the person of a sinner cannot please God till he be perfectly iustified and therefore till he be iustified he can not doe so much as one good worke And thus good works cannot be any meritorious causes of iustification after which they are both for time and order of nature In a word whereas they make two distinct iustifications we acknowledge that there be degrees of sanctification yet so as iustificatiō is onely one standing in remission of sinnes and Gods acceptation of vs to life euerlasting by Christ and this iustification hath no degrees but is perfect at the very first Obiections of Papists Psal. 7. 8. Iudge me according to my righteousnesse Hence they reason thus if Dauid be iudged according to his righteousnes then may he be iustified thereby but Dauid desires to be iudged according to his righteousnes and therefore he was iustified thereby Ans. There be two kinds of righteousnes one of the person the other of the cause or action The righteousnes of a mans person is whereby it is accepted into the fauour of God into life eternall The righteousnes of the action or cause is when the action or cause is iudged of God to be good and iust Now Dauid in this psalme speaketh onely of the righteousnes of the action or innocency of his cause in that he was falsly charged to haue sought the kingdome In like manner it is said of Phineas Psal. 166. 31. that his fact in killing Zimri and Cosbie was imputed to him for righteousnes not because it was a satisfaction to the lawe the rigour whereof could not be fulfilled in that one worke but because God accepted of it as a iust worke and as a token of his righteousnes and zeale for Gods glory II. Obiect The Scripture saith in sundrie places that men are blessed which doe good workes Psal. 119. 1. Blessed is the man that is vpright in heart and walketh in the law of the Lord. Ans. The man is blessed that endeauoureth to keepe Gods commandements Yet is he not
can not giue consent vnto them and by naturall indgement approoue of them but contrariwise thinketh them to be foolishnesse III. that no man can giue assent to the things of God vnlesse he be enlightened by the spirit of God And hence I reason thus If a man by nature doth not knowe and perceiue the things of God and when he shall know them can not by nature giue assent vnto them then hath he no power to will them But the first is euidently true Ergo. For first the minde must approoue giue assent before the will can choose or will and when the mind hath not power to conceiue nor giue assent there the will hath no power to will Reason III. Thirdly the holy Ghost auoucheth Eph. 2. ◠Colloss 2. 13. that all men by nature are dead in sinnes and trespasses not as the Papists say weak sick or half dead Hence I gather that mā wāteth naturall power not to will simply but freely and franckly to will that which is truly good A dead mā in his graue cannot stirre the least finger because he wāts the very power of life sense motiō no more can he that is dead in sin will the least good nay if he could either will or do any good he could not be dead in sinn And as a dead mā in the graue cānot rise but by the power of God no more can he that is dead in sinne rise but by the power of Gods grace alone without any power of his owne Reason IV. Fourthly in the conversion and saluation of a sinner the scripture ascribeth al to God and nothing to mans freewil Iohn 3. 3. Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God Eph. 2. 10. We are his worekmanship CREATED in Christ Iesus to good workes And c. 4. v. 24. the nevv man is CREATED to the image of God Nowe to be borne againe is a worke of no lesse importance then our first creation and therefore wholly to be ascribed to God as our creation is Indeede Paul Philip. 2. 12. 13. biddeth the Philippians worke out their saluation with feare and trembling not meaning to ascribe vnto them a power of doing good by themselues And therefore in the next verse he addeth It is God that worketh both the will and the deede directly excluding all naturall freewill in things spirituall and yet withall he acknowledgeth that mans will hath a worke in doing that which is good not by nature but by grace Because when God giues man power to will good things then he can will them and when he giueth him a power to doe good then he can doe good and he doth it For though there be not in mans conuersion a naturall cooperation of his will with Gods spirit yet is there a supernaturall cooperation by grace enabling man when he is to be conuerted to will his conuersion according to which S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 15. 10. I haue laboured in the faith but least any man should imagine that this was done by any naturall power therefore he addeth yet not I that is not I by any thing in me but Gods grace in me inabling my will to doe the good I doe Reason V. The iudgement of the auncient Church August The will of the regenerate is kindled onely by the holy Ghost that they may therefore be able because they will thus and they will thus because God VVORKES IN THEM TO VVILL And We haue LOST OVR FREEVVILL to loue God by the greatnes of our sinne Serm. 2. on the words of the Apostle Man when he was created receiue a great strēgth in his freewil but by sinning HE LOST IT Fulgētius God giueth grace freely to the vnvvorthy whereby the wicked man being iustified is inlightened VVITH THE GIFT OF GOOD VVILL and with a FACVLTIE OF DOING GOOD that by mercy preventing him he may BEGIN TO VVILL VVEL and by mercy cōming after he may doe the good he will Bernard saith It is VVHOLLY THE GRACE OF GOD that we are created healed saued Council Arausic 2. cap. 6. To beleeue and to vvill is GIVEN from aboue by INFVSION and inspiration of the holy Ghost More testimonies and reasons might be alleadged to prooue this conclusion but these shall suffice now let vs see what reasons are alledged to the cōtrary III. Obiections of Papists Obiect I. First they alledge that man by nature may doe that which is good therfore will that which is good for none can doe that which he neither willeth nor thinketh to doe but first he must will and then doe Nowe say they men can doe good by nature as giue almes speake the trueth doe iustice and practise other duties of ciuill vertue and therfore will that which is good I ansvver that a naturall man may do good workes for the substance of the outwarde worke but not in regard of the goodnes of the manner these are two diuers things A man without supernaturall grace may giue almes do iustice speake the truth c. which be good things considered in themselues as God hath commanded them but he cannot doe them well To thinke good things and to doe good things are naturall workes but to think good things in a good manner and to doe them well so as God may accept the action done are works of grace And therefore the good thing done by a naturall man is a sinne in respect of the doer because it failes both for his right beginning which is a pure heart good conscience and faith vnfained as also for his ende which is the glory of God Obiect II. God hath commaunded all men to beleeue and repent therefore they haue natural free wil by vertue whereof being helped by the spirit of God they can beleeue and repent Ansvv. This reason is not good for by such commaundements God sheweth not what men are able to doe but what they should do and what they can not doe Againe the reason is not well framed it ought rather to be thus Because God giues men commaundement to repent and beleeue therefore they haue power to repent beleeue either by nature or by grace then we hold with them For when God in the Gospell commaundeth men to repent and to beleeue at the same time by his grace he inableth them both to will or desire to beleeue and repent as also actually to repent and beleeue Obiect III. If man haue no freewill to sinne or not to sinne then no man is to be punished for his sinnes because he sinneth by a necessitie not to be auoided Ansvv. The reason is not good for though man can not but sinne yet is the fault in himselfe therefore he is to be punished as a bankrupt is not therefore freed from his debts because he is not able to pay them but the bils against him stande in force because the debt comes thorough his owne default The second point of Originall sinne The next point to be handled
Peter will beleeue he shall be saued but whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued Now then comes the minister of the word who standing in the roome of God and in the stead of Christ him selfe takes the indefinite promises of the Gospell and laies them to the hearts of euery particular man and this in effect is as much as if Christ himselfe should say Cornelius beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued Peter beleeue thou and thou shalt be saued It is answered that this applying of the Gospell is vpon condition of mens faith and repentance and that men are deceived touching their owne faith and repentance and therefore faile in applying the word vnto themselues Answ. Indeede this manner of applying is false in all hypocrits heretickes and vnrepentant persons for they apply vpon carnall presumption and not by faith Neuerthelesse it is true in all the Elect hauing the spirit of grace and praier for when God in the ministerie of the word being his owne ordinance saith Seeke ye my face the heart of Gods children truly answereth O Lord I will seeke thy face Psal. 17. 8. And when God shall say Thou art my people they shall say againe The Lord is my God Zach. 13. 6. And it is a truth of God that he which beleeueth knoweth that he beleeueth and he that truly repenteth knoweth that he repenteth vnles it be in the beginning of our conuersiou and in the time of distresse and temptation Otherwise what thankfulnes can there be for grace receiued Obiect II. It is no article of the Creed that a man must beleeue his owne saluation and therefore no man is bound thereto Ans. By this argument it appeares plainely that the very pillars of the Church of Rome doe not vnderstand the Creed for in that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede euery article implieth in it this particular faith And in the first article I beleeue in God are three things contained the first to beleeue that there is a God the second to beleeue the same God is my God the third to put my confidence in him for my saluation and so much containe the other articles which are concerning God When Thomas said Ioh. 20. 28. 29. My God Christ answered Thou hast beleeued Thomas Where we see that to beleeue in God is to beleeue God to be our God And Psal. 78. v. 22. to beleeue in God to put trust in him are all one They beleeued not in God and trusted not in his helpe And the articles concerning Remission of sinnes and Life euerlasting doe include and we in them acknowledge our speciall faith concerning our owne saluation For to beleeue this or that is to beleeue there is such a thing and that the same thing belongs to me as when Dauid said I should haue fainted except I had beleeued to see the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liuing Psal. 27. 13. It is answered that in those articles we onely professe our selues to beleeue remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to be vouchsafed to the people and Church of god Ans. This indeed is the exposition of many but it staÌ„ds not with common reason For if that be â—ll the faith that is there confessed the deuil hath as good a faith as we He knoweth and beleeueth that there is a god that this god imparteth remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to his Church And to the ende that we beeing Gods children may in faith goe beyond all the deuils in hell we must further beleeue that remission of sinnes and life euerlasting belongs vnto vs and vnlesse we doe particularly apply the said articles vnto our selues we shall little or nothing differ from the deuill in making confession of faith Obiect III. We are taught to pray for the pardon of our sinnes day by day Math. 6. 12. and all this were needlesse if we could be assured of pardon in this life Ans. The fourth petition must be vnderstoode not so much of our old debts or sinns as of our present new sinnes for as we go on froÌ„ day to day so we adde sinne to sinne and for the pardon of them must we humble our selues and pray I answer againe that we pray for the pardon of our sinnes not because we haue no assurance thereof but because our assuraÌ„ce is weake smale we grow on from grace to grace in Christ as children do to mans estate by little little The heart of euery beleeuer is like a vessell with a narrowe necke which being cast into the sea is not filled at the first but by reason of the straight passage receiueth water droppe by droppe God giueth vnto vs in Christ euen a sea of mercy but the same on our parts is apprehended and receiued onely by little and little as faith groweth from age to age and this is the cause why men hauing assurance pray for more Our reasons to the contrarie Reason I. The first reason may be taken from the nature of faith on this maner True faith is both an vnfallible assurance and a particular assurance of the remission of sinns and of life euerlasting And therefore by this faith a man may be certenly and particularly assured of the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting That this reason may be of force two things must be prooued first that true faith is a certen assurance of Gods mercy to that partie in whome it is Secondly that faith is a particular assurance thereof For the first that faith is a certen assurance Christ saith to Peter Mat. 14. 31. O thou of litle faith wherfore diddest thou doubt Where he maketh an opposition betweene faith doubting thereby giuing vs directly to vnderstand that To be certen To giue assuraÌ„ce is of the nature of faith Rom. 4. 20. 22. Paul saith of Abraham that he did not doubt of the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strengthened in faith and gaue glorie to God being fully assured that he which had promised was able to doe it where I obserue first that doubting is made a fruite of vnbeleefe and therefore vnfallible certentie and assurance being contrarie to doubting must needes proceed from true faith considering that contrary effects come of contrarie causes and contrarie causes produce contrary effects SecoÌ„dly I note that the streÌ„gth of Abrahams faith did staÌ„d in fulnesse of assurance for the text saith he was strengthened in the faith being fully assured againe Heb. 11. 1. true saving faith is said to be the ground and subsistance of things hoped for the euidence or demonstration of things that are not seene but faith can be no grouÌ„d or euidence of things vnles it be for nature certentie it selfe thus the first point is manifest The second that sauing faith is a particular assurance is prooued by this that the propertie of faith is to apprehend and applie the promise and the thing promised Christ with his benefits Ioh. 1. 12. As many saith S. Iohn as receiued
that a man may be assured of his saluation by hope euen hence it followes that he may be vnfallibly assured thereof For the propertie of true and liuely hope is neuer to make a man ashamed Rom. 5. 5. And true hope followeth faith and euer presupposeth certenty of faith neither can any man truly hope for his saluation vnlesse by faith he be certenly assured thereof in some measure The popish doctors take exception to these reasons on this manner First they say it cannot be proued that a man is as certen of his saluation by faith as he is of the articles of the creed I answ First they proue thus much that we ought to be as certē of the one as of the other For looke what commandement we haue to beleeue the articles of our faith the like we haue inioyning vs to beleeue the pardon of our owne sinns as I haue proued Secondly these arguments prooue it to be the nature of essentiall propertie of faith as certenlie to assure man of his saluation as it doth assure him of the articles which he beleeueth And howesoeuer commonly men doe not beleeue their saluation as vnfallible as they doe their articles of faith yet some speciall men doe hauing Gods word applyed by the spirit as a sure ground of their faith whereby they beleeue their owne saluation as they haue it for a ground of the articles of their faith Thus certenly was Abraham assured of his owne saluation as also the Prophets and Apostles the martyrs of God in all ages wherevpon without doubting they haue bin content to lay downe their liues for the name of Christ in whome they were assured to receiue eternall happines And there is no question but there be many nowe that by long and often experience of Gods mercy and by the inward certificate of the ho◠Ghost haue attained to a full assurance of their saluation II. Exception Howesoeuer a man may be assured of his present estate yet no man is certē of his perseuerance vnto the end Ans. It is otherwise for in the sixt petition lead vs not into temptation we praie that God would not suffer vs to be wholly ouercome of the deuill in any temptation and to this petition we haue a promise answerable 1. Cor. 10. That God with the temptation will giue an issue and therefore howsoeuer the deuill may buffit molest and wound the seruants of God yet shall he neuer be able to ouercome them Againe he that is once a member of Christ can neuer be wholly cut off And if any by sinne were wholly seuered from Christ for a time in his recouery he is to be baptised the second time for baptisme is the sacrament of initiation or ingrafting into Christ. By this reason we should as often be baptised as we fall into any sinn which is absurd Againe S. Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 2. 19. They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would haue continued with vs. Where he taketh it for granted that such as be once in Christ shall neuer wholly be seuered or fall from him Though our communion with Christ may be lessened yet the vnion the bond of coniunction is neuer dissolued III. Exception They say we are indeede to beleeue our saluation on gods part but we must needs doubt in regard of our selues because the promises of remission of sinnes are giuen vpon condition of mans faith and repentance Now we cannot say they be assured that we haue true faith and repentance because we may lie in secret sinnes and so want that indeede which we suppose our selues to haue Ansvv. I say againe he that doth truly repent and beleeue doth by Gods grace know that he doth repent beleeue for els Paul would neuer haue said Proove your selues whither you be in the faith or not and the same Apostle saith 2. Cor. 12. We haue not receiued the spirit of the world but the spirit vvhich is of God that we might KNOVV THE THINGS VVHICH ARE GIVEN OF GOD which things are not onely life euerlasting but iustification sanctification and such like And as for secret sinnes they cannot make our repentance voide for he that truly repenteth of his knowne sinnes repenteth also of such as be vnknowne and receiueth the pardon of them all God requireth not an expresse or speciall repentance of vnknowne sinnes but accepts it as sufficient if we repent of them generally as Dauid saith Psal. 19. Who knowes the errours of this life forgiue me my secret sinnes And whereas they adde that faith and repentance must be sufficient I answer that the sufficiencie of our faith and repentance standes in the truth and not in the measure or perfection therof and the truth of both where they are is certenly discerned Reason VI. The iudgement of the auncient Church August Of an euill seruant thou art made a good childe therefore PRESVME not of thine ovvne doing but of the grace of Christ it is not arrogācy BVT FAITH to acknowledge what thou hast receiued is not pride but deuotion And Let no man aske an other man but returne to his owne heart if he finde charitie there he HATH SECVRITIE for his passage from life to death Hilar. on Math. 5. The kingdome of heauen vvhich our Lord professed to be in himselfe his vvillis that it must be hoped for VVITHOVT ANY DOVBTFVLNES OF VNCERTEN VVIL Otherwise there is no iustification by faith if faith it selfe be MADE DOVBTFVLL Bernard epist. 107. Who is the iust man but he that beeing loued of God loues him againe vvhich comes not to passe but by the SPIRIT REVEALING BY FAITH the eternall PVRPOSE OF GOD of his SALVATION to come Which reuelation is nothing els but the infusion of spirituall grace by which when the deedes of the flesh are mortified the man is prepared to the kingdome of heauen Togither receiuing in one spirit that whereby he MAY PRESVME that he is loued and also loue againe To conclude the Papists haue no great cause to dissent from vs in this point For they teach and professe that they doe by a speciall faith beleeue their owne saluation certenly and vnfallibly in respect of God that promiseth Now the thing which hindereth them is their owne indisposition and vnworthines as they say which keepes them from beeing certen otherwise then in a likely hope But this hindrance is easily remooued if men will iudge indifferently For first of all in regard of our selues and our disposition we cannot be certen at all but must despaire of saluation euen to the very death We cannot be sufficiently disposed so long as we liue in this world but must alwaies say with Iacob I am lesse then all thy mercies Gen. 32. and with Dauid Enter not into iudgement vvith thy seruant O Lord for none liuing shall be iustified in thy sight and with the Centurion Lord I am not worthie that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe Matth.
God that Christ did merit that our workes should merit it is a dotage of their owne deuising He died not for our good workes to make them able to satisfie Gods anger but for our sinnes that they might be pardoned Thus much saith the Scripture no more And in that Christ did sufficiently merit life eternall for vs by his owne death it is a sufficient proofe that he neuer intended to giue vs power of meriting the same vnles we suppose that at some time he giues more then is needefull Againe Christ in the office of mediation as he is a King Priest and Prophet admitteth no deputie or fellow For he is a most perfect Mediatour doing all things by himselfe without the helpe of any And the ministers that dispence the word are not his deputies but reasonable and voluntarie instruments which he vseth But if men by workes can merit increase of grace and happines for themselues then hath Christ partners in the worke of redemption men doing that by him which he doth of himselfe in procuring their saluation Nay if this might stand that Christ did merit that our works should merit then Christ should merit that our stained righteousnes beeing for this cause not capable of merit should neuertheles merit I call it stained because we are partly flesh and partly spirit and therfore in our selues deseruing the curse of the law though we be regenerate Againe for one good worke we doe we haue many euil the offence whereof defaceth the merit of our best deedes and makes them too light in the balance of the law Obiect III. Our workes merit by bargaine or couenant because God hath promised to reward them Ans. The word of God sets downe two couenants one legal the other euangelicall In the legall couenant life euerlasting is promised to workes for that is the condition of the lawe doe these things and thou shalt liue But on this manner can no man merit life euerlasting because none is able to doe all that the lawe requires whether we respect the manner or the measure of obedience In the euangelicall couenant the promises that are made are not made to any worke or vertue in man but to the worker not for any merit of his owne person or worke but for the person and merite of Christ. For example it is a promise of the Gospell Be faithfull vnto death and I vvill giue thee the crowne of life Revelat. 2. 10. Here the promise is not made to the vertue of fidelitie but to the faithfull person whose fidelitie is but a token that he is in Christ for the merit of whose obediēce god promiseth the crowne of life and therefore Christ saith further I come quicklie and will giue to euery man according to his workes marke he saith not to the worke or for the worke but to the worker according to his workes And thus the bōd of al other promises of the Gospel in which god willingly bindes himselfe to reward our workes doe not directly concerne vs but haue respect to the person and obedience of Christ for whose sake alone God bindes himselfe as debter vnto vs and giues the recompence or reward according to the measure of our faith testified by our workes And therefore it cannot be truely gathered that workes doe merit by any promise or covenant passed on Gods part to man Some may say if workes merit not why are they mentioned in the promises I answere not because they merit but because they are tokens that the doer of the worke is is in Christ for whose merite the promise shall be accomplished Obiect VI. Good works are perfect and without fault for they are the workes of the holy ghost who cannot sinne therefore they merite Ans. If workes did proceed onely and immediatly from the holy ghost there could not be any fault in them but our works come from the holy ghost in and by the will and vnderstanding of man by this meanes they are tainted with sinne as water in the fountaine is both cleare and sweete yet the streames there of passing through the filthy channell are defiled thereby Againe they reason thus That which we are bound to doe hath no fault in it but we are bound to doe good workes therefore they are perfect Ans. The proposition must be expounded that which we are bound to doe in it selfe according to the intention of the commander hath no fault or that which we are bound to doe according as we are bound to doe it hath no fault yet in regard of the intention of the doer or in regard of our manner of doing it may be faultie Obiect V. Christ saith Revel 3. 4. that the faithfull in the Church of Sardis shall walk with him in white for they are worthy therfore beleeuers merit Ans. Euery beleeuer is worthy to walke with Christ yet not worthy in himselfe but in Christ to whome he is vnited and made bone of his bone flesh of his flesh And by reason of this coniunction `it is that men are said to be worthy ' because they are inriched with Christs merits and righteousnes Obiect VII 2. Tim. 4. 8. Euerlasting life is tearmed a crowne and a crowne of righteousnes to be giuen of a iust iudge therefore man for his part by his workes deserues the same Ans. Euerlasting life is called a crowne onely in resemblance For as he which runneth a race must continue and runne to the ende and then be crowned euen so must we continue to walke in good works vnto the end and then receiue eternall life And it is called a crowne of righteousnes not because it belongs to any man by due and desert but because God hath bound himselfe by a promise to giue it in performing whereof he is tearmed iust and by vertue of this promise it is obtained and no otherwise These are the principall obiections by which we may iudge what the rest are And thus we see what is the truth namely that merit is necessarie to saluation yet neither merite of mans worke or person but the merit of Christ imputed to vs whereby we beeing in him do procure and deserue the fauour of God and life eternall The sixt point Of satisfaction Our consent Conclus I. First we acknowledge and hold Ciuill or Politike satisfaction that is a recompence for iniuries and damages offered any way to our neighbours This Zacheus practised when at his conuersion he restored foure-fold things gotten by forged cauillation Againe by ciuill satisfaction I vnderstand the imposition of fines mulcts and penalties vpon offenders and the inflicting of death vpon malefactours For all these are satisfactions to the lawe and societies of men when they are wronged All these we maintaine as necessarie for neither Church nor common wealth can well be without them considering they are notable meanes to vphold ciuill peace and otherwhiles they are fruites of true faith as the satisfuction of Zacheus was Conclus II. We acknowledge canonicall or Ecclesiasticall
onely serueth to supply the absence of the principall whereas Christ is alwaies present with his Church by his word and spirit for where two or three be gathered together in his name he is in the middest among them It may be saide that the ministers in the worke of the ministerie are deputies of Christ I answer that they are no deputies but actiue instruments For in the preaching of the word there be two actions the first is the vttering or propounding of it to the eare the second is the inward operation of the Holy Ghost in the heart which indeede is the principall and belongs to Christ alone the action of speaking in the minister being onely instrumentall Thus likewise the church of God in cutting off any member by excommunication is no more but an instrument performing a ministerie in the name of Christ and that is to testifie and pronounce whome Christ himselfe hath cut off from the kingdome of heauen whome he also will haue for this cause to be seuered from the company of his own people till he repent And so it is in all ecclesiasticall actions Christ hath no deputie but onely instruments the whole intire actioÌ„ being personal in respect of Christ. This one conclusion ouer throwes not onely the Popes supremacy but also many other points of popery Reason II. All the Apostles in regard of power and authoritie were equall for the commission apostolicall both for right and exequution was giuen equally to them all as the very wordes import Math. 28. v. 19. Goe teach all nations baptizing them c. and the promise I will giue to thee the kâ—â—es of the kingdome of heauen is not priuate to Peter but is made in his person to the rest according as his confession was in the name of the rest Thus saith Theophylact. They haue the power of committing binding that receiue the gift of a bishop as Peter And Ambr. saith What is said to Peter is said to the Apostles Therfore Peter had no supremacy ouer the rest of the Apostles in respect of right to the coÌ„mission which they say beloÌ„ged to him onely and the execution thereof to the rest But let all be granted that Peter was in commissioÌ„ aboue the rest for the time of his life yet hence may not any superioritie be gathered for the Bishopps of Rome because the authoritie of the Apostles was personall consequently ceased with them without being conueyed to any other because the Lord did not vouchsafe the like honour to any after them For first of all it was the priuiledge of the Apostles to be called immediatly and to see the Lord Iesus Secondly they had power to giue the gift of the holy ghost by the imposition of handes Thirdly they had such a measure of the assistance of the spirit that in their publike sermons and in writing of the word they could not erre and these things were all denied to those that followed after them And that their authoritie ceased in their persons it stands with reason also because it was giuen in so ample a manner for the founding of the Church of the new Testament which being once founded it was needfull onely that there should be pastours and teachers for the building of it vp vnto the ende of the world Reason III. When the sonnes of Zebedeus sued vnto Christ for the greatest roomes of honour in his kingdome deeming hee should be an earthly king Christ answers them againe ye knovv that the Lords of the Gentiles haue dominion and they that are great exercise authoritie over them but it shall not be so vvith you Bernard applieth these very wordes to Pope Eugenius on this maner It is plaine saith he that here dominion is forbidden the Apostles Goe to then dare if you will to take vpon you ruling an Apostleship or in your Apostleship rule or dominion if you will haue both alike you shall loose both Otherwise you must not thinke your selfe exempted from the number of them of vvhome the Lord complaineth thus they haue raigned but not of me they haue beene and I haue not knowne them Reason IV. Eph. 4. mention is made of gifts which Christ gaue to his Church after his ascension whereby some were Apostles some prophets some Euangelists some pastours and teachers Now if there had beene an office in which men as deputies of Christ should haue gouerned the whole Church to the ende of the world the calling might here haue beene named fitly with a gift thereto pertaining and Paul no doubt would not here haue concealed it where he mentioneth callings of lesser importance Reason V. The Popes supremacie was iudged by sentences of Scripture and condemned long before it was manifest in the world the spirit of prophesie foreseeing and foretelling the state of things to come 2. Thess. 2. v. 3 4. The man of sinne which is that Antichrist shall exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God c. Now this whole chapter with all the circumstances thereof most fitly agrees to the sea of Rome and the Head thereof and the thing which then staied the reuealing of the man of sinne vers 6. is of most expounded to be the Romane Emperour I will alleadge one testimonie in the roome of many Chrysostome saith on this place As long as the Empire shall be had in awe no man shall straitly submit himselfe to Antichrist but after that the Empire shall be dissolued Antichrist shall invade the state of the Empire standing voide and shall labour to pul vnto himselfe the Empire both of man and God And this we finde now in experience to be true for the See of Rome neuer flourished till the Empire decaied and the seat thereof was remooued from the citie of Rome Againe Rev. 13. mention is made of two beasts one comming out of the sea whome the Papists confesse to be the heathenish Romane Emperour the second coÌ„ming out of the earth which doth all that the first beast could doe before him and this fitly agreeth to the Popes of Rome who doe and haue done all things that the Emperour did or could doe and that in his vety sight Reason VI. The iudgement of the auncient Church Cyprian saith Doubtlesse the same were the rest of the Apostles that Peter was indued vvith EQVAL fellowshippe both of honour and of POVVER but a beginning is made of vnitie that the Church may appeare to be one Gregorie saith If one be called vniversall Bishop the vniversall Church GOETH TO DECAY And chap. 144. I say boldly that whosoeuer calleth or desireth to call himselfe vniuersall priest in his pride is a FORERVNNER OF ANTICHRIST And Beholde in the preface of the Epistle which ye directed vnto me you caused to be set a PROVVD TITLE calling me vniversall Pope Bernard Consider that thou art not a lord of Bishops but one of them Churches are MAIMED in that the Romane Bishop draweth all povver to himselfe Again Gregorie himselfe being
Pope saith to the Emperour I which AM SVBIECT TO YOVR COMMANDEMENT haue euery way discharged that which was due in that I haue performed mine allegiance to the Emperour and haue not concealed vvhat I thought on Gods behalfe And Pope Leo the fourth after Gregorre 200. yeares acknowledged the Emperour Lotharius for his soueraigne prince and professed obedience without gainsaying to his Imperial commandemeÌ„ts To conclude whereas they say that there is a double head of the Church one imperiall which is Christ alone the other ministerial which is the Pope gouerning the whole Church vnder Christ I answer this distinction robbeth Christ of his honour because in setting vp their ministeriall head they are faine to borrow of Christ things proper vnto him as the priuiledge to forgiue sinnes properly and the power to gouerne the whole earth by making of lawes that shall as truly binde conscience as the lawes of God c. The nineteenth point Of the efficacie of the sacraments Our consent Conclus I. We teach and beleeue that the sacraments are signes to represent Christ with his benefits vnto vs. Conclus II. We teach further that the sacraments are indeede instruments whereby God offereth and giueth the foresaid benefits vnto vs. Thus farre we consent with the Romane Church The difference The difference betweene vs standes in sundrie points First of all the best learned among them teach that sacraments are phisicall instruments that is true and proper instrumentall causes hauing force and efficacie in them to produce and giue grace They vse to expresse their meaning by these comparisons When the scriuener takes the pen into his hande and writes the action of writing comes from the penne mooued by the hand of the writer and in cutting of wood or stone the diuision comes from the sawe mooued by the hand of the workman euen so the grace say they that is giuen by God is conferred by the sacrament it selfe Nowe we for our parts holde that Sacraments are not physicall but meere voluntarie instruments Voluntarie because it is the will and appointment of God to vse them as certen outward meanes of grace Instruments because when we vse them aright according to the institution God then answerably conferres grace from himselfe In this respect only take we them for instruments and no otherwise The second difference is this They teach that the very action of the Minister dispensing the sacrament as it is a worke done giues grace immediatly if the partie be prepared as the very washing or spâ—inkling of water in baptisme and the giuing of bread in the Lords supper euen as the orderly moouing of the penne vpon the paper by the hand of the writer causeth writing We hold the contrarie namely that no action in the dispensation of a Sacrament conferreth grace as it is a worke done that is by the efficacie and force of the very sacramentall action it selfe though ordained of God but for two other waies First by the signification therof For God testifies vnto vs his will and good pleasure partly by the word of promise and partly by the sacrament the signes representing to the eyes that which the word doth to the eares beeing also types and certen images of the very same things that are promised in the worde and no other Yea the elements are not generall and confused but particular signes to the seuerall communicants and by the vertues of the Institution for when the faithfull receiue the signes from God by the handes of the Minister it is as much as if God himselfe with his owne mouth should speake vnto them seuerally and by name promise to them remission of sinnes And things said to men particularly doe more affect and more take away doubting then if they were generally spoken to an whole companie Therefore signes of graces are as it were an applying and binding of the promise of saluation to euery particular beleeuer and by this meanes the oftener they are receiued the more they help our infirmitie and confirme our assurance of mercie Againe the sacrament conferres grace in that the signe thereof confirmes faith as a pledge by reason it hath a promise annexed to it For when God commaundes vs to receiue the signes in faith and withall promiseth to the receiuers to giue the thing signified he bindes himselfe as it were in bonde vnto vs to stand to his owne word euen as men binde themselues in obligations putting to their handes and seales so as they cannot go backe And when the signes are thus vsed as pledges that often they greatly increase the grace of God as a token sent from one friend to another renews and confirmes the perswasion of loue These are the two principall waies wherby the sacraments are said to conferre grace namely in respect of their signification and as they are pledges of Gods fauour vnto vs. And the very point here to be considered is in what order and manner they confirme And the manner is this The signes and visible elements affect the senses outward and inward the senses conuay their obiect to the minde the minde directed by the holy Ghost reasoneth on this manner out of the promise annexed to the sacramenâ— He that vseth the elements aright shall receiue grace thereby but I vse the elements aright in faith and repentance saith the minde of the beleeuer therefore shall I receiue from God increase of grace Thus then faith is confirmed not by the worke done but by a kind of reasoning caused in the minde the argument or proofe whereof is borrowed from the elements beeing signes and pledges of Gods mercy The third difference The Papists teach that in the sacrament by the worke done the very grace of iustification is conferred We say no because a man of yeares must first beleeue and be iustified before he can be a meete partaker of any sacrament And the grace that is conferred is onely the increase of our faith hope sanctification c. Our reasons Reason I. The word preached and the sacrameÌ„ts differ in the maÌ„ner of giuing Christ and his benefits vnto vs because in the word the spirit of God teacheth vs by a voice convaied to the minde by the bodily cares but in the sacraments annexed to the word by certen sensible and bodily signed viewed by the eye Sacraments are nothing but visible words and promises Otherwise for the giuing it selfe they differ not Christ himselfe saith that in the very word is eaten his owne flesh which he vvas to giue for the life of the vvorld and what can be saide more of the Lords supper Augustine saith that beleeuers are partakers of the bodie blood of Christ in baptisme and Hierome to Edibia that in baptisme vve eate and drinke the bodie and blood of Christ. If thus much may be saide of baptisme why may it not also be saide of the word preached Againe Hierome vpon Ecclesiastes saith It is profitable to be filled with the bodie
when they are dying they should hold practise euery day while they are liuing In the last cōclusiō they teach that we must not onely beleeue in generall but also apply vnto our selues the promises of life euerlasting But they differ from vs in the very manner of applying They teach that the promise is to be applied not by faith assuring vs of our owne saluation but onely by hope in likelihood coniecturall We hould that wee are bound in dutie to apply the promise of life by faith without making doubt thereof and by hope to continue the certentie after the apprehension made by faith We doe not teach that all and euerie man liuing within the precincts of the Church professing the name of Christ is certen of his saluation and that by faith but that he ought so to be and must indeauour to attaine thereto And here is a great point in the mysterie of iniquitie to be considered for by this vncerten application of the promise of saluatiō and this wauering hope they ouerturne halfe the doctrine of the gospell For it inioynes two things first to beleeue the promises therof to be true in themselues secondly to beleeue by faith to applie them vnto our selues And this latter part without which the former is voide of comfort is quite ouerturned The reasons which they alleadge against our doctrine I haue answered before now therfore I let them passe To conclude though in coloured tearmes they seeme to agree with vs in doctrine concerning faith yet indeed they deny abolish the substance therof namely the particular certen application of Christ crucified and his benefits vnto our selues Again they faile in that they cut off the principall dutie office of true sauing faith which is to apprehend and to applie the blessing promised The XXI point Of Repentance Our consent Conclus I. That repentance is the conuersion of a sinner There is a twofold conuersion passiue and actiue passiue is an action of God whereby he conuerteth man beeing as yet vnconuerted Actiue is an action wherby man beeing once turned of God turnes himselfe and of this latter must this conclusion be vnderstood For the first cōuersion considering it is a worke of God turning vs vnto himselfe is not the repentance whereof the Scripture speaketh so oft but it is called by the name of regeneration and repentance whereby we beeing first turned of God doe turne our selues and doe good works is the fruit thereof Conclus II. That repentance standes specially for practise in contrition of heart confession of mouth satisfaction in work or deede Touching contrition there be two kinds thereof Legal and Euangelical Legal contrition is nothing but a remorse of conscience for sinne in regard of the wrath and iudgement of God and it is no grace of God at all nor any part or cause of repentance but onely an occasion thereof and that by the mercie of God for of it selfe it is the sting of the law and the very entrance into the pit of hell Euangelical contrition is when a repentant sinner is greeued for his sinnes not so much for feare of hell or any other punishment as because he hath offended displeased so good mercifull a God This contrition is caused by the ministerie of the Gospell and in the practise of repentance it is alwaies necessarie and goes before as the beginning thereof Secondly we holde and maintaine that confession is to be made and that in sundrie respects first to God both publikely in the congregation and also priuately in our secret and priuate prayers Secondly to the Church when any person hath openly offended the congregation by any crime and is therefore excommunicate Thirdly to our priuate neighbour when we haue vpon any occasion offended and wronged him Mat. 5. 23. If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee goe first and be reconciled to him now reconciliation presupposeth confession Lastly in all true repentance we holde and acknowledge there must be satisction made first to God and that is when wee intreate him in our supplications to acecpt the death and passion of Christ as a full perfect and sufficient satisfaction for all our sinnes Secondly it is to be made vnto the Church after excommunication for publike offences and it stands in duties of humiliatiō that fitly serue to testifie the truth of our repentance Thirdly satisfaction is to be made to our neighbour because if he be wronged he must haue recompence and restitution made Luc. 19. 8. and there repentance may iustly be suspected where no satisfaction is made if it lie in our power Conclus III. That in repentance we are to bring forth outward fruites worthie amendment of life for repentance it selfe is in the heart and therefore must be testified in all manner of good workes whereof the principall is to endeauour day by day by Gods grace to leaue and renounce all and euery sinne and in all things to doe the will of God And here let it be remembered that we are not patrones of licentiousnes and enemies of good workes For though we exclude them from the acte of our iustification and saluation yet we maintaine a profitable and necessarie vse of them in the life of euery Christian man This vse is threefold in respect of God of man of our selues Workes are to be done in respect of God that his commandements may be obeied 1. Ioh. 5. 12. that his will may be done 1. Thess. 4. 3. that we may shew our selues to be obedient children to God our father 1. Pet. 1. 14. that we may shewe our selues thankefull for our redemption by Christ Tit. 2. 14. that we might not grieue the spirit of God Eph. 4. 30. but walke according to the same Gal. 5. 22. that God by our good workes may be glorified Math. 5. 16. that we may be good followers of God Eph. 5. v. 1. Againe workes are to be done in regard of men that our neighbour may be helped in worldly things Luc. 6. 38. that he may be wonne by our example to godlines 1. Pet. 3. 14. that we may preuent in our selues the giuing of any offence 1. Cor. 10. 32. that by doing good wee may stop the mouthes of our aduersaries Thirdly lastly they haue vse in respect of our selues that we may shew our selues to be new creatures 2. Cor. 5. 17. that we may walke as the children of light Eph. 5. 8. that we haue some assurance of our faith and of our saluation 2. Pet. 1. 8 10. that we may discerne deade and counterfait faith from true faith I am 2. 17. that faith and the gifts of God may be exercised and continued vnto the ende 2. Tim. 1. 6. that the punishments of sinne both temporall eternall may be preuented psal 89. 32. that the rewarde may be obtained which God freely in mercie hath promised to men for their good works Gal. 6. 9. The