preaching of the word and the inward worke of the spirit Father By what signes may a man knowe that hee is borne againe iustified and sanctified Child By the worke of grace in his heart By his loue to the word of God By his loue to the children of God By his hatred of sinne By his loue of righteousnesse By the change of his thoughts By the change of his actions By his mortification of the flesh By his sanctification of the spirit By his walking no more after the fleshe but after the spirit and such like Father Sith man in himselfe is so cursed and miserable as you haue declared shew mee what is his best course to take and first of all tell mee which is the first steppe to eternall life Child The first steppe to eternall life is for a man to know and féele his misery and then labour to gette out of it Father How doth a man come to know and feele his misery Child By the sound vnderstanding of the law contained in the ten commandements Father What is the Law Child The perfect rule of righteousnesse teaching vs what wée should doe and forbidding the contrarie Father By whom was the Law giuen Child By Moyses Father To whom was it giuen Child To the children of Israell Father When was it giuen Child In mount Sinai Father How was it giuen Child With great feare and terror Father To what end was it giuen Child To lette vs sée our sinnes that by the sight thereof wée might bée constrayned to flye vnto Christ Father Is any man able to keepe the Law Child No and therefore no man can bée iustified by the law Father Sith then the law doth condemne and not saue Sith it sheweth our diseases but can giue vs noe remedie wherefore then serueth it or what is the vse of it both in the regenerate and vnregenerate Child As concerning the vnregenerate First it discouereth their sinnes Secondly it stirreth vp the affections of sinne in them not of it selfe but through their default Thirdly it worketh in them a féeling of the wrath of God of death and damnatiō without offering any hope of pardon and therefore to them it is the minister of death Lastly it doth increase and augment sin in them accidentarily that is by reason of their great corruption which declineth from that which is commanded but inclineth to that which is forbidden Father Lay open this last point somewhat more fully Child Euen as a waterbrooke being stopt with a damme euerwart it doth surg and swell the more till it breake ouer the damme so sinne being restrayned by the Law doth increase and rage more in men not regenerate for their will béeing not reformed doth euer tend to that which is forbidden Therefore the Apostle sayth that without the Law sinne is dead that is though sinne bée in men before the publishing of the Law yet it is not knowne felt nor perceiued as the corrupt humours in mans bodies which lye close and are not felt till the purgation come but then they humble and stirre mightely to resist the medicine or as vnslaked lyme which sléepeth as it were quietly and stirreth not till the water bée throwne vpon it but then it smooketh burneth and is in an extreame heate Or as a Snake which lurketh close in her hole all winter as if shée were deade but when the hote Sunne shineth vpon her then shée reuiueth writheth and stingeth and sheweth her venemous nature And thus you see what is the workinge of the Law in vnregenerate men But in the regenerate that is such as are vnder grace it is otherwise For they doe consent vnto the Law and their nature doth not take occasion any more by the Law to bring foorth sinne Father What is then the speciall vse of the Law of the regenerate Child First it is a rule for them to direct their liues by Secondly it teacheth them not to trust in thēselues Thirdly it humbleth them continually in the sight of God Lastly it is their schoolemaster to Christ Father Whether are the regenerate vnder the law or no Child The children of God are vnder the obedience and institution of the law but not vnder the curse of it for they being in Christ are fréed from that Father Whether are the vnregenerate vnder the law or no Child All wicked and vngodly men are vnder the curse of the Law which is all one as to bée vnder the captiuitie of Sathan and sinne For their case is this they must perfectly kéepe the Law or else bée damned For they haue no right to Christ in whom onely the Law is satisfied Wée sée therefore what a pittiful case al men are in till they come to Christ and be found in him Father What difference is there betwixt the Law and the Gospell Child The Law condemneth but the gospell saueth the law casteth down but the Gospell raiseth vp Father What difference is there betwixt the couenant of the law and the couenant of the Gospell Child The Legall couenant doth really differ from the Euangelicall or new couenant of Grace For the old couenant of the Lawe was conditionall and did no otherwise giue life and saluation vnto men but if they did performe it and therefore it was nothing else but a repetition of that which GOD made to Adam to wit if hée did eate of the forbidden fruite hée should dye if not he should liue euen so if we kéepe the Lawe wée shall liue thereby If not wée shall dye But the couenant of the Gospell is frée that is it doth fréely giue life to those that beléeue though they faile in doing Father But what comfort then is there in the couenant of the Gospell more then in the couenant of the Law sith men of themselues are as vnable to beleeue the Gospell as to keepe the Law Child God hath promised to giue power to his elect to beléeue the promises of the Gospell But hée hath made no promise to giue power to performe the Law Father Are not the Law and the Gospell contrary Child They are not contrary in themselues for the same God is the author of them both the same Christ the substance of them both the same promises of eternall life the end of both but the contrarietie is in vs for to vs the Law saith Doe this and thou shalt liue But the Gospell sayth Beleeue and thou shalt be saued These then bée contrary to bée made righteous by our selues and to bée made righteous by another for these cannot stand together Father What say you to the Euangelicall couenant or new couenant of grace was it not of two sorts Child Yes The first was that which was made to the olde people the other was that which was made to the people of Christs newe kingdome Father What difference is here betwixt these two Child These two bée all one in substance but differ onely in the manner of dispensation that is
speciall interest in Christ that you shall be saued by his merits sith thousands shal perish which will say as much as you and in words make great brags that they hope to bee saued as well as the best of them all Child I doe certainely know it by the worke of grace in my soule I doe certainely know it because I féele it for this I am sure of that I féele that wrought in me from aboue which cannot bée in any but those whom God will saue Father What is that I pray you Child A liuely féeling of his grace a féeling of his loue a féeling of his mercie assured faith in the promises a féeling of the spirit of adoption a chaunge of my heart an alteration of my wayes an vnfained hatred of all euill and a syncere loue of all righteousnesse Father May not a wicked man haue all this Child No He may haue certaine shewes and shadowes of these things but in déed and in truth these things can be in none but the very elect Father Cannot the wicked and vnregenerate man be fully perswaded that Christ is his and that he shall be saued Child He cannot whatsoeuer he saith because hée cannot possibly receiue the spirit of adoption whereby this inward assurance full perswasion is wrought whereby also the merits of Christs death are sealed to euery particular conscience Father What other reason haue you Child Because none of the wicked haue that liuely and iustifying faith which maketh Christ and all his righteousnesse ours Father But there is none so wicked but he will say he hath faith and for the most part they thinke that they haue all the faith in the world and that there is no want in their faith Child Alas poore soules In these matters of GOD they say and thinke they know not what For Faith is a mystrrie and all heauenly things are such mysteries as they men of this world cannot vnderstand they are hid from their eyes Father Tell me then what is the heauenly and iustifying faith Child A full perwasion and inward assurance of Gods particular loue to vs in Christ with a sence and féeling of the same in our hearts Father May not this be in the wicked Child No It is not possible Father How farre then may a wicked man goe in faith Child A wicked man may goe thus farre to haue knowledge of the truth An assent to the same a ioy both in hearing and speaking of it and an outward profession of it for a time but the inward assurance of Gods loue and sensible féeling of it in their heart they can neuer haue which is indéede the very life of faith Father Is not this knowledge and assent sufficient If a man know the word of God and consent to the truth of it in his heart is not this faith Child No For the diuels may goe so farre and further too For the diuels doe beléeue the Scriptures to bée true They beléeue all the articles of the faith They haue excéeding great knowledge of the will of God and of the whole Scripture they beléeue that there is a God and that there is a reward for the righteous and torments to come for the wicked and as Saint Iames saith The diuels beleeue tremble and yet I hope no man will say the diuels shall bée saued Therefore wée must séeke a difference béetwixt their faith and ours or esse our faith is no better then the faith of diuels Father If this be true then Lord haue mercy vpon vs For out of doubt thousands are deceiued in this matter of faith and most men content themselues with a shadow of it stead of faith indeed And assuredly the faith of many carnal protestants is little better then the faith of diuels Child It is true the more is the pittie for the faith that now a dayes goeth for currant in the world is but an idle dead barren fruitlesse and fantasticall faith or rather an opinion conceit and mathematicall Imagination of the braine Father Hovv many parts be there of the true and liuely faith Child Two Father Which be they Child Iustification and sanctification Father What is iustification Child A setting of vs frée from the guilt of sinne by the blood of Christ Father What is sanctification Child A clensing renuing of our nature by the spirit of God Father How many parts be there of iustification Child Two That is to say remission of sinne and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse for when our sinnes are forgiuen Christs righteousnesse imputed to vs then are wée truly and indéed iustified Father How many parts be there of sanctification Child Two Father Which be they Child Mortification and viuification Father What is mortification Child A dying to sinne Father What is viuification Child A liuing to righteousnesse Father How many parts be there of viuification Child Two Father Which be they Child Regeneration and repentance Father What is regeneration Child A repairing of our nature which was corrupted by Adams fall Father What is repentance Child An inward change of the soule and a conuersion of the whole man vnto God Father Cannot a wicked man haue this repentance which is in the change of the soule and the conuersion of the whole man vnto God Child This is neuer wrought in y e wicked Father How far then may the vvicked goe in repentance Child The wicked may goe thus farre to haue a sight of sin and a féeling of it a confession of it a sorrow for it A great pensiuenesse and terrour after some horrible fact for feare of shame Law punishment hell fire c. as had Iudas Cain Saule Esau Ahab and such like They may haue also a resolution for the time to sinne noe more But that part of repentance which hath the promise of mercy annexed vnto it that is the conuersation of the whole man vnto God they can neuer haue Father How many parts be there of repentance Child Thrée Father Which be they Child Inward sorrow confession new obedience Father Whether is faith before repentance or repentance before faith Child If we respect time then they goe together for so soone as there is fire ther is heat so soone as a man hath faith so soone hée repents but in the order of nature faith goeth before repentāce before all other graces because it is the roote of all things that please God But if we respect the outward manifestation then repentance goeth béefore faith and regeneration and all other vertues Because it first of all appeareth outwardly For Faith is like the sappe of a trée that lyeth hid within the barke But repentance is like the bud that spéedily sheweth it selfe before either blossome fruit or leafe appeare Faith is like the fire and repentance like the smooke for though fire bée béefore smooke yet the smooke sheweth it selfe before the fire Father You defined repentance to bee an inward change of the soule how vnderstand you
with Christ for they doe continually groane vnder this corruption as vnder a most heauie burthen and fetch many a sorrowfull sigh to thinke of it and are euer complaining of it as of a most deadly enemie of theirs And all this wée many clearely sée as it were in a glasse in the example of the Apostle Paule himselfe that most rare and excellent Seruant of God Who taketh vp most pittifull and lamentable complaintes of this poysoned and infected nature I know sayth hée That in mee that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing I allow not that which I doe for what I would that I doe not but what I hate that I doe I doe not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not that doe I. Now if I doe that I would not it is no more I that doe it but the sinne that dwelleth in mee I finde then that when I would doe good I am thus yoaked that euill is present with mee For I delite in the Law of God concerning the inner man but I see an other Law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and leading me captiue vnto the Law of sinne which is in my members And in the end hée breaketh out into an out-cry saying O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Father Doe not Vngodly and vnregenerate men likewise mourne vnder this corruption and complaine much of it Child No you shall seldome or neuer heare them cōplaine of it or mourne vnder it For they walke after the foolish and fulfill the lusts thereof with all delight and gréedines being wholly caried after the swing and sway of their owne corrupt affections and desires Father What is the cause hereof Child Because they are forsaken of God and giuen ouer to a great blindnesse of heart and hardnesse of affections so that though their miserie is excéeding great yet they haue little sight and lesse féeling of it Father Doe you not thinke that a man in the state of nature cannot so feele his misery Child Sure it is that a méere naturall man can haue no true sight or liuely féeling of his misery or any sounde desire to come out of it but doth greatly please himselfe in it and is loath to come out of it for the Apostle sayth plainely that the naturall man perceiueth not the thinges of the spirit of God For they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can hée know them béecause they are spiritually discerned Father But may not a naturall and vnregenerate man haue the knowledge of God and the vnderstanding of his wil and so consequently a sight of heauenly things Child Yes a naturall man hath a kinde of knowledge and vnderstanding of God and of his will but it is onely a confused and braine knowledge and a literall vnderstanding of the Scriptures for hée cannot possibly haue the liuely and sauing knowledge which is ioyned with quickening grace Nor that sound vnderstanding and sight which doth lineally descend from the spirit of sanctification Father May not man in the state of nature haue feeling also of God and of heauenly things Child The Scriptures doe teach that a reprobate may haue a kinde both of sight and féeling of heauenly things for hée may bée lightened and tast of the heauenly gift and of the powers of the world to come and also tast of the good woord of God and bée made partaker of the holy Ghost But his sight and tast and féeling can neuer bée sound and good before regeneration So then all the cunning is to know whether the worke of grace in a mans soule bée sounde and currant or no for vnregenerate men are much deceiued with a false light for they doe blindly Imagine y t because they haue some kind of sight and féeling of heauenly things therefore they haue all and the same that is in euery elect Father What difference then doe you make betwixt the knowledge of the elect the reprobate Child The knowledge of the reprobate doth puffe vp The knowledge of the elect doth humble The knowledge of the reprobate is generall and confused The knowledge of the elect is particular and certaine The knowledge of the reprobates is onely literall and historicall The knowledge of the elect is spirituall and experimentall The knowledge of the reprobate is speculatiue The knowledge of the elect is practiue that is ioyned with obedience For howsoeuer a naturall and vnregenerate man may know much yet hath hée not nor can haue any power to doe I meane chearfully and aright till his heart bée enlarged by Christ his will renued by grace The knowledge of the reprobate is like y e knowledge which a mathematicall geographer hath of the earth and all places in it which is but a generall notion and speculatiue comprehension of them But the knowledge of the elect is like the knowledge of a traueller which can speake of experience and féeling and hath béene there and séene and knowen the particulars Father Now tell me further what difference you make betwixt the feeling of the elect and the reprobate Child The reprobate hath a kinde of naturall féeling of sinne but it is without the true hatred of it for in his heart hée loueth it The elect doth so féele his sin that hée hateth it taketh councell against it and praieth against it The féeling of the reprobate is from naturall faculties for hée is not as a blocke without all sence The féeling of the elect is from the spirit of sanctification The féeling of the reprobate ariseth from naturall feare diffidence for man naturally féeleth and feareth dangers so the reprobates féele and feare the wrath of God the accusations of their consciences the punishment of sinne hell fire c. But haue no true féeling of Gods loue towardes them But the elect haue a liuely féeling of Gods loue towards them The reprobate hath sometimes at starts a féeling of spiritual ioy but it vanisheth incontinently The féeling of the ioy of the spirit in the elect is more lasting and often Father As you haue told me much of mans misery in nature so tell mee yet one poynt further whether a man in the state of nature can do any thing that pleaseth God Child A méere naturall man cannot please GOD in any thing he doth but euen his best actions are turned into sinne For the Apostle sayth They which are in the flesh cannot please GOD. And againe hée saith To them that are defiled and vnbéeléeuing is nothing pure but euer their mindes and consciences are defiled Father How long doth a man continue in this wofull and cursed estate wherein he was borne Child Till hée bée regenerate and borne againe For our Lord Jesus affirmeth that except a man bée borne againe hée cannot sée the kingdome of God Father By what meanes doth a man come to be regenerate and borne againe Child By the outward
all this without any mingling or growing together of our persons and substance with his for as the vnion of the faithfull one with another as members of one body is not by any reall mingling or growing in theyr persons together but by the bond of the spirit so it is in this our spirituall coniunctiō with Christ Father Sith the Sacraments are seales as you say tell me what it is that they seale vnto vs Child The Sacrament of Baptisme sealeth vnto our consciences the remission of sinnes which is the first part of our iustification The Sacrament of the Lords Supper sealeth Christs righteousnesse which is the second part of our iustification and to say all in a word whatsoeuer the holy Ghost teacheth by the Gospell the sacraments doe confirme and seale the same vnto vs but especially that our whole saluation standeth in the onely sacrifice of Christ offered for vs vpon the crosse Father Which be the principall vses of a sacrament Child There be seuen principall ends and vses of a Sacrament Father Which be they Child First to be seales of the new couenant betwixt God vs. Secondly to assure vs of y e truth of gods promises Thirdly to vnderprop the weaknesse of our faith Fourthly to seale vnto our consciences the certaintie of the forgiuenesse of sins Fiftly to distinguish the Church from Infidels heathen as it were by certaine visible markes and brands Sixtly to witnesse our loue and fellowship one with another and therefore they are as it were the bands of the Church Lastly to put vs in a fresh memory of the sufferings of Christ and the benefits which we haue by his death Father Are our Sacraments of the new couenant the same with those of the old Child They are the same in substance for the same Christ the same faith the same promises and the same hope of eternall life are contained vnder both the couenants but the signes were changed according to the circūstance of time some other differences there be in regard of rites clearnesse nomber and time Rites because their outward forme of administration was diuers from ours clearenesse because that which was obscurely shadowed is now clearely reuealed Nomber béecause they had a great multitude of Sacramentall figures wée as few in number as effectuall in signification as may bée In time because there is nourished in them the faith of Christ to come and ours confirme vnto vs the faith of Christ which is already come and hath accomplished all things which are necessary for our redemption Father How many parts be there of a Sacrament Child Two that is to say the outward signe the inward thing signified Father What is the reason that God vseth outward signes Child Because of our babishnes dulnes in conceiuing of heauenly things for if we were altogether spirituall and angelicall wée should not néede such grosse elements but séeing our spirit is drowned in our body and our flesh doth make our vnderstanding dull therefore the Lord is content to apply himselfe to our capacitie and to teach vs by visible signes and sensible things as sometimes he did Abraham Gideon Ezechiah other his most excellent seruants for this cause the sacramēts are as it were mirrors or glasses wherin we may behold the riches of the grace of god which he bestowed vpon vs wherin also God doth more expresly in a more visible manner testifie his loue good will towards vs then by his word Father Which is the outward signe in baptisme Child Water Father Which is the inward thing signified Child The washing away of sin by the blood of Christ Father Which is the proper end of Baptisme Child The proper end of baptisme is that by this solemne and holy action wée might be knowen by the testimony of men and angels to bée in the number of y e visible Church Father Expresse your mind more fully touching the end and vse of Baptisme Child Baptisme is ordained of God not only to bée a sacrament of our regeneration new birth of the burial of the old man but also to bée a visible testimony of our admission into the houshold of god which is his Church for in baptisme we do giue our names to god put on his liuery coat cognizance and take the oath of allegiance to be true subiects to y e crown of heauen to set our selues with al might and maine against the enemies of our Lord king that is the world the flesh the diuill to bée all for him y t is for his credit and honour not regarding our selues so we may bring glory to him whose we are to whom wée haue sworne allegiance giuen vp our selues wholy to serue him faithfully as our speciall good Lord and master Father Is there not yet some further vse of baptisme besides this you haue spoken of Child Yes there is yet somewhat more for Baptisme is a seale of the couenant betwixt God vs for in Baptisme a couenant is made betwéen the Lord and the party baptised solemnly in the assembly of the Church In which couenant God for his part promised Christ with al blessings that come by him as that he wil be our God forgiue vs our sins remēber our iniquities no more c. The partie baptised for his part entreth himselfe as a couenant seruant vnto God promiseth faithfull seruice with a renouncing of sathan sin and whatsoeuer is against the honor and glory of God and so standeth bound to these couenants and conditiōs Then this couenant being thus solemnly made betwixt God his new seruant is forthwith sealed by the sprinkling or dropping on of water and thus you sée that Baptisme doth confirme and seale the couenant betwixt God and vs. Father But yet wee see there be very few that haue any care to keepe couenants and to performe that solēne promise which they haue made in baptisme before many witnesses yea before God and Angels Child The greater is their condemnation assuredly they shal one day know to their rost what it is to dally with God and to breake couenants with so great a king as all they doe which follow their owne wayes their owne lusts not regarding the commandements of God Father What is the reason that infants are baptised sith they can make no profession of faith and repentance Child There be foure reasons hereof First because they are the séed of the Church Secondly because they are within the outward couenant Thirdly because the promises belong vnto them Fourthly because of such is the kingdome of heauen For to bée borne in the wombe of the Church is vnto infants in stead of faith and repentance for faithfull parents do according to the condition of the couenant apprehend the promise both to themselues their children though not all for wée must leaue vnto God his secret iudgements Father Hauing thus far spoken