force then the blood of Christ The Apostle would not haue vs to praye for them that be a liue 1. Io. 5.16 which do sinne vnto death much lesse for them that be deade For whose sinnes sake they are rewarded with vnbaylable death Question But some in saying Lord haue mercie vppon him or God take him to his mercie when their freind is deade do say that it hurteth not but is a word of charitie Aunswere It hurteth in that it continueth ignorance in the speaker giueth a boldnes yl example to the weaker who in their ignorāce taketh euery thing for a president that is agréeable to their owne mind neyther can it be a woord of charity because it is fruitlesse for charitie ought to haue eyther pittie remorse ayde or good assistant action as féeding the hungrie clothing the naked assisting them that want or such lyke but this worde helpeth not neyther assisteth any thyng at all therefore no charitie Question How shall we vse the Sacraments Aunswere Reuerently penitently and faythfully according to gods institution set foorth in his holy word Question vvhat is a Sacrament Aunswere A Sacrament is the pledge of gods mercy and loue towards vs which being receyued and vsed of vs reuerently and worthely is as a comely and decent ornament to fashion and shape vs to the forme of Christ Iesus Question How many Sacraments be there Aunswere Two Question vvhich be they Aunswere Baptisme and the Lords Supper Question vvhat is Baptisme Aunswere It is a signe of our newe byrth and regeneration that as we were conceyued and borne in sinne by Adam and continue the course of our nature vnto the full age of man so are we new shaped in Christ and continue to growe vnto the full age of Christ in righteousnesse and holynesse not that the water in Baptisme hath the force to do it but as with water we wash away the spots and filth of our garment so by the holy Ghost whose figure the water is we washe our inwarde man from all the corruption of Adam as appartayning to death and put on the fresh and cleane garment of holinesse and newe conuersation by the which as God hath made a perpetuall league and couenaunt of his mercy with man vnder the figure of Circumsition which represented Baptisme so is there a couenaunt in man in the which is required fayth newe obedience and newe conuersation and the putting off of the olde man and putting on of the newe which is shaped in true holinesse and righteousnesse Question vvhat benefite haue we by Baptisme Aunswere First remission of our sinnes secondly the planting of gods grace and all good vertues in vs thirdely the vniting of vs into Christ and fourthly our saluation as appeareth by these testimonies of scripture following Acts. 2.38 Amend your liues and be Baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receyue the gift of the holye Ghost Rom. 5.2 By whome also wee haue accesse through fayth vnto this grace wherein we stand By one spirite are we all Baptized into one bodie 1. Cor. 12.13 whether we be Iewes or Grecians Goe ye into all the worlde Mark 1.6.6 and preach the Gospell to euery creature and he that shall beleeue and be Baptized shall be saued Question Is there nothing required of vs in baptisme Aunswere Yes fayth for it is sayde whosoeuer beléeueth and is baptized shal be saued and agayne Saint Paul sayth Knowe that a man is not iustified by the works of the lawe Gal. 2.16 but by fayth in Iesus Christ Question vvhie then are Infants Baptized in whom there can be no faith because they haue not heard the word of God Aunswere It is necessary that Infants shoulde be Baptised assoone as they are borne because at their first entrance they shoulde take possession of the Lordes couenaunte which he graunted to our forefathers and to all the posteritie yet vnborne when he gaue the signe of Circumsition Deut. 29.13 which is the signe of Baptisme vnder which league and couenaunt all Infantes are enclined and as they dyd in circumsition circumcise Infantes So in Baptisme ought we to Baptize Infantes To whome as vnto the posteritie of our forefathers this couenaunt extended And as touching their fayth Saint Paul calleth the same the seake of righteousnesse of fayth The fayth of Infants which is as muche to say that the same signe of Circumsition which was a figure of Baptisme Rom. 4.11 and nowe Baptisme it selfe was that couenaunt wherein was sealed the righteousnesse of fayth which in déede worketh from the beginning by grace In the electe secretely and in ryper yéeres apparauntly otherwise it should be thought that fayth sprang from our selues whiche cannot be least there myght followe an error that we Iustifie our selues because fayth iustifieth Howe be it in our selues we take the better holde thereof because it is the better strength of lyfe like good children which estéeme the best thinges and leaue the worst and direct our selues according vnto the same Besides all this in the innocencie of our infancie we must beléeue touching the very ceremonie it selfe that the beléeuing parent sanctifieth the childe which is as much to say that God hath blessed the posteritie of the faythfull with fayth 1. Pet. 3.21 by giuing that figure of saluatiō which to all the godly generation 1. Cor. 12.15 is called the figure of fayth and if among them any be reprobated as some of the godly affirmeth that is not vnto vs but we must leaue it vnto God who hath reserued his secret iudgemēt to him selfe not acquainting man with it and yet hath left Christ to be the swéete sauour of life to them that are saued Rom. 3.22 and the sauour of death vnto death For as in the elected Christ hym selfe is for them faythfull and by his fayth God hath shewed his righteousnesse vnto all and vpon all so is he vnto the reprobate and wicked the sauour and taste of death vnto death Question Then Baptisme is nothing worth but vnto the faithfull Aunswere No for Symon the sorcerer was Baptised Acts. 8.21 but because he receiued not the holy Ghost which was for lacke of fayth he was damned Question VVhat is the Lordes Supper Aunswere It is a gage of our resurrection and a mainteynaunce of that lyfe which is begun in Baptisme whereby we féeding by fayth on the bodie and bloud of Christe receyue a strong nourishment to eternill lyfe Or it is the sound ioyning togeather of the Churche into the body of Christ spiritually whereby the head and members may be knit togeather in vnitie And this supper of the Lorde cannot be a perfect Sacrament without two speciall meanes whereof the one is the holy Ghost working in vs effectually and opening our mindes to sée the trueth and féele the consolatiō of the participation of Christ his death and passion The other is the
the holy Ghost We receyue an inward féeling quickening and stirring vp of our mindes That whereas the fleshe sinne death and Sathan do séeke dayly to suppresse vs and burthen vs with manye miseries infirmities and leade vs euen vnto the gate of desperation the holye Ghost doth certifie our spirite that we are gods children he will preserue vs that the gates of hell shall not preuaile Question Why then fayth is a knowledge and an assuraunce sent from God to vs and nothing els It requireth nothing in vs Aunswere Yes It is a louing consent and embrasing of the same knowledge and assuraunce on our part yea and doth require in vs a framing of our selues agréeable to all those dueties and seruices as are expressed in the worde of God and as do become good Christians Question VVhat benefite haue you by fayth Aunswere By fayth we are iustified that is we are accepted of God as righteous because of his sonne Iesus Christe and shal be restored agayne into his fauour and haue the felowship of the blessed saintes in euerlasting ioye and blisse Question If then by faith we are iustified we neede not good workes Aunswere Fayth onely doth iustifie but this woord onelie doth not exclude good works For fayth is not a perfect faith vnlesse it be of it selfe fuller of good workes so that fayth and the workes procéeding from that fayth are not diuers but one As a trée and his twiggs or lymmes is but all a trée and such a fayth is accepted and knowen to God And yet many deceyue man For the hippocrite may do good works and yet haue no fayth so likewise fayth it selfe generally is not allowed For the Diuelles beléeue and yet they tremble that maketh their fayth to be nothing woorth Wherefore we must neither iudge nor learne faith by imagination vnlesse it procéede from the woorde of of God For that fayth which is sowen in our hearts by the holy Ghost and watred by the same spirite cannot staÌ„d as an idle and frâ—â—tlesse trée but bringeth foorth abundance of fruite for wée may not thinke that the gyftes of the holy ghost wherof faith is the chiefest are barren but fruitfull Question Then by your comparison and meaning vnlesse God water the tree which he him selfe hath graffed There is no fruit so that in him is all and he is all in all what neede heere anie thing to be required in vs Aunswere We are likened to good trées not too badde for our capacitie not for a captiousnes for in vs there is affection reason and will which are not in trées therefore we should gouerne and direct our selues according vnto the rule of fayth Euen as the ship-maister coming with his vessell on the Seas letteth not the ship to runne whether shée list but looketh to the North starre and is guided by the windes and with all diligence and care auoydeth the sandes and the Rockes and yet all this is in gods handes And so we may reason infinitely God doth sende vs abundance of Corne and victualls but we receiue it order it and vse it or els we maye starue Question What good workes be there best knowen and seene in a perfect faith Aunswere Many both spiritual temporal the spiritual works are loue prayer patieÌ„ce in affliction hearing and daylie exercising of gods holye woorde vsing the Sacraments and such lyke The temporall workes are generally to do good to all men to giue Almes to Fast to pittie the poore and helpe their necessities to do equitie and iustice to vse our selues honestly faythfully and orderly in obedience to our Prince Maiestrates Parents and superiours Question Then if we haue fayth we neede no more but to leaue of by the same Aunswere If we haue a good father it is ynough but we may not leaue of by the same for as the lyfe of man is not mayntayned by one meale and as he ought not afterward to be carelesse for his maintenaunce but to haue a care for the daylie prouision thereof Euen so should he alwayes mayntaine and strengthen fayth that it might liue vnto lyfe for in our corrupt nature it may weaken and sterue if the fleshe or the enemies reigning in the flesh shoulde haue the vpper hand A spirituall thing cannot be maintayned with a carnall thing although it be mayntained in a carnall thing fayth being a spirituall thing may not be mayntayned neyther with vs nor of vs but in vs and that thing or thinges that are agréeable to the proprietie of fayth is the sufficient maynteynaunce our nature is not agréeable to the propertie of fayth and therefore our nature cannot be the maintenance and vnlesse this fayth be maynteyned it will be ouergrowen with the wéeds of the flesh and so wil dye and then we perish with it Question What is the true maintenaunce of fayth Aunswere The exercising of gods holy word continuall prayer and vsing the Sacramentes Question How shall we exercise gods worde Aunswere Not onely by reading it but by hearing learned preachers to expounde it and not by hearing it expounded but by vnderstanding it wheÌ„ it is expounded and not onely by hearing and vnderstanding it but afterward by applying and vsing it vnto the honour of God and our euerlasting comfort and reformation Question How shall we praye Aunswere Not with the lipps but with our hart not ignorauntly 1. Co. 14.15 but with vnderstanding hauing alwayes in the very bottome of our harte the sorrofulnesse of our sinne and the ioyfulnesse of Gods mercy shaking of the one with defiance neuer to put it on agayne and embracing the other with affiaunce alwayes to holde it fast Psal 25.1.2 lifting vpp our hartes chéerefully and beléeuing verely that the Lord doth heare vs when we call vnto hym and wyll helpe vs. Question vvhy should we pray continually Aunswere Luke 21.36 Ro. 12.11.12 Eph. 6.18.19 Mat. 26.41 1. Pet 5.8 Because we are so commaunded and for that our enimies do coÌ„tinually hang about vs and tempt vs and séeke euery day and euery houre to bring vs to destruction both of body and soule Question Should we pray but for our selues onelye and for none els Aunswere Yes we ought to pray one for an other Acts. 7.60 Ex. 23.11 Acts. 12.5 Nu. 47.48 aswel our enimies as our fréends that the vertue and force of the prayer which shall procéede from the mouth of the godly may extend aswell vnto the vngodly for their amendement as also to the oppressed for their ease and also to the néedefull for their helpe Question Ought we to pray for the deade Aunswere No. Question vvhye Aunswere Their estate is not such as néedeth our prayers for God in his secret wisedome hath elected whom he wyll and his determination will he not alter wherefore those which are appoynted to saluation cannot be in better state by our praiers and those that are damned can we not redéeme by our praiers vnlesse we will make our praiers of greater
Ierusalem which yet is called Ben-hinnom which is asmuch to say by interpretation as the sonne of Hinnom afterward for the filthy abuse of the place for the conteÌ„pt therof Iosiah caused dead carions to be cast there Nowe Topheth taketh his deriuation froÌ„ Toph which signifieth TimphanuÌ„ a Tabret Psa 81 or dromslade which they vsed as I said in this vally to take away the pittiful cry of the child frying in this Images hote hollow place And in our owne capacities we sée a certaine description of hell by this figure a place full of torments in the which the tormented shall suffer such paines Mat 13 42 as shall prouoke wéeping and gnashing of teeth yea such as are intollerable on the otherside the children of God shall not be moued to compassion to behold them no although they sée their father mother children kinsfolke or such like for as the Tabret and timbrell tooke away the childs cry in the Idol Moloch so shall the ioy and swéete melody of heauen stop their pittye or compassion of them which shall dwell in heauen And although this similitude holdeth not in all parts to the reason of them that would discourse vpon it yet so farre it holdeth as we must conceiue the matter although we omit the manner As the vally of Hinnom was a place néere Ierusalem wherein afterward Iosiah caused all the filth and carions of the citty to be layd as fit for no better thing because of the horrible abuse and Idolatry therin sometimes doone Euen so the heauenly Ierusalem doth purge it selfe of all those filthy carions I meane the reprobate that stincke of their sinne before the face of God and are ordayned to bee caste out into thys Topheth as a place fitte for such a receypt Nowe as there is a damnable place wherin the fire is neuer quenched and the worme neuer dyeth Euen so there are some men whose sinnes are so many offences so greate that neuer séeketh the grace and fauour of almightye God neuer repent them of their sins these I say shal be possessors and inheritours of thys place of torments Math. 13.41 42 as our sauiour Christ sayth The sonne of man shall sende foorth hys Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all thinges that offend and them which doo iniquity and shall cast them into a Fornace of fire there shal be wayling and gnashing of téeth Lykewise Saint Paule to the Hebrewes If we sinne wyllingly Heb 10 26 27 after that we haue receiued the knowledge of the trueth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shal deuoure the aduersaries Also it is sayd in the seconde Epistle of Peter 2 Pe 2 9. The Lorde knoweth to deliuer the godly out of temptation and to reserue the vniust vnto the daye of iudgement to be punished Also in S. Iohn hys Reuelation Reu. 20 15 And who soeuer was not found in the Booke of life was cast into the Lake of fire Howe woefull and terrible shall the dreadfull day of iudgement bee vnto the wycked and reprobates when Christ Iesus shall sit and make diuision the Goates from the Shéepe when he shall say to the shéepe Come yee blessed receyue the kingdome prepared for you c. Math 25 34 And to the Goats that is to say the wicked he shal say Verse 41 Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his aungells Wherfore while we are héere in thys worlde let vs with terror beholde the dreadfull sentence of damnation with all diligence and care call our selues to account Eph 5 redéeming and purchasing againe the time which we haue wickedly spent and become not onely new but stedfast members and then if thy hand or eye cause thée to offend cut them off and cast them from thée Mat 18 8 9 It is better for thée to enter into life halt maymed or blind then hauing two handes two féete or two eyes to be cast into hell fire And because sathan goeth on styll so busily with his worke and all the world in a manner séemeth wyllinglye to be his workmanship It is necessary that now euen nowe we reclaime our selues according to the caueat of the Euangelist Nowe is the axe layde to the roote of the trées Luk. 3.9 therefore euery trée which bringeth not foorth good fruit shal be hewen downe and cast into the fire Thus haue I bréefely layde downe the most gréeuous enimies to mankind which preuaile the more against him by reason of the sinne which he séemeth to nourish and make ripe in his ready wyll and wylling inclination I would it mought be so surueyed that it may be lothed and so lothed that it may bée thâ—oughly mortified wherby these enemies may not so lay siege vnto the soule of man that in the ende he may be taken captiue and led to an vnbailable gaole the Lord grant it for his Christes sake The prayer O Lord God full of all pittie compassion looke downe vppon vs miserable wretches and sinners who are not onely laden ouerladen with the multitude of sinnes and wickednes but are ready to be swallowed vp and vtterly destroyed vnles thou of thy pitty and mercy which haue beene euer of olde vouchsafe to gard and defend vs for the enimies are at hand ready to ouerthrow vs thy vengeaunce hangeth ouer our heads ready to fall vpon vs our conscience burneth in vs ready to consume vs. Death wayteth daylie vpon vs and calleth vs hel gate is open and we shall be vtterly consumed If thou O most mercifull God extend not thine accustomed fauoure Although we haue sinned O Lord and that most greeuous in thy sight wee are hartely sorry for it and forasmuche as thou requirest a humble harte and a penitent minde accept O Lord the repentaunt teares of thy humble seruaunts and vouchsafe to restore thy Israell agayne which hath gone a a stray and though we bee wylling to cast away our selues yet O Lorde bee thou our guyde and director we see not the deepenes of our owne sinne not yet the sweetenes of thy mercy nor yet the bitternes of the scourges which thou hast ordeyned for sinne open our eyes O Lord and giue vs thy holy spirite to mollifie our harts that we may wholy become thine saue vs for thy mercy sake at the last for syn is so rype and the time so corrupted that vengeaunce is at hand and when it is ready to fall we are not able to abide it wherefore O Lord call thy whole flock speedily and deliuer them out of Sodome as thou diddest thy seruaunt Lot that they may not be partakers with the infidels which know not thy name nor come when thou callest but are gon to the worlde and followed the concupiscence of their owne harts Graunt vnto vs O Lorde the sweete consolation of thy spirite for Iesus Christ