kingdome of Christ fayth remission of sinnes righteousnesse holinesse and to a new life and life euerlasting S. How then am I called F. God béeing merciful vnto thée allureth thée externally by his worde preached and inwardly by the motion of his spirite S. Are both these namely the outward inward calling necessary for a christiā F. Yea and therefore we ought not to neglect the one nor contemne the other S. Thus farre haue you disputed in order touching the sonne howbeit one thing remayneth yet doubtfull my father the which I would gladly ye should discusse F. What is that my sonne S. Ye said that the father the sonne and the holy Ghost are one thing and that the diuine Nature cannot essentially be diuided and yet that neither the father nor the holy Ghost was made flesh but the sonne onely which also was the alone redeemer of mankinde Not the father nor the holy Ghost was incarnate but the sonne August de incarna cohu Iudaeos how I pray you may this be F. Let him resolue this questiō who hath for an example thereof so elegantly produced the harmonie of a musicall instrument consider sayth hée the musical instrument as it yéeldeth the harmonical sound therein thrée things séeme to be present together as namely the arte or cunning the hand and the corde the arte doeth suggerate or indite the hand striketh and the corde soundeth three here worke together yet onely the corde soundeth neyther the arte nor the hand yéeldeth sound but then only when they worke together with the corde euen so neyther the father nor the holy ghost hath taken flesh yet haue both wrought together with the sonne the corde onely yéeldeth the sound Christ onely hath béene incarnate The operation consisted of all the three but as the yéelding of the sound appertayneth onely to the corde so the taking of flesh appertayneth onely to Christ S. Ye haue excellently resolued me in this doubt and so haue sufficiently instructed me touching the sonne the second person of the diuine Trinitie Now at length I remember that to the third person ye attributed illumination regeneration and sanctification F. The workes of the holy Ghost It is true for these three things are proper to the holy ghost albeit that in the same the whole Trinitie hath his operation S. What meane ye by this illuminatiō Illumination F. Illumination as it is generally taken noteth sometimes the new birth sometimes the viuification sometimes the fréedome sometimes the iustification of a man but in this place by Illumination is meant that lightning of reason and iudgement wrougth in the faithfull by the diuine vertue whereby the eyes of the soule béeing opened they both sée God and learne to walke in his waies S. Then it appeareth that sometimes they haue beene darkened in their vnderstanding and know not at all how to order themselues F. It is most certaine thereof did men runne into so many grosse errours in the world as a punishment for their sinnes S. Right needefull then was it that Christ after his departure from his disciples sent the holy Ghost vnto them F. Thou hast sayd the truth for by the vertue thereof they were lightned and led into all trueth S. How is this holy spirit sayd to be giuen or receiued F. How the holy Ghost is said to be giuen As concerning his graces vertues operations and effects for otherwise being God incomprehensible and replenishing al things he is neither giuen nor taken nor said properly to remoue to go or to come from one place to another S. Ye also attributed to the holy ghost regeneration what meane ye by that F. Regeneration Regeneration is of that which is engendred againe or new borne S. Shew me this more plainely F. Euery man is spiritually dead by reason of sin therefore it is néedeful that he be reduced to that Image of God which is in him defaced by a new birth and hereof is he made a new man S. The old man VVhat is the olde man F. It is the fleshlie man S. VVho is that fleshlie man F. It is he which is not indued with the spirit of God but by nature without the holy spirit which is also called the outward man that is he which consisteth of the body and the sences which is giuen to affections and is mortall The same is also called the body of sin that is a body subdued to sinne flesh sensuall and earthly S. VVhat is that new man The new man F. It is that spirituall man S. VVho is he F. The man inspired with the graces of gods spirit whereof he is a new creature and spirit or the spirituall and inward man that is one regenerated by the worke of the holy ghost that very soule and the image of God which through faith and grace doth flourish euen in the middest of afflictions neither may he be by any meanes extinguished to this also belongeth the first and second man Ro. 5.8 1. cor 15. Adam is that first Christ is that second the first is terrene or earthly the second is celestiall or heauenly S. How doth the holy Ghost worke this in vs. F. He conuerteth vs vnto God conforming vs to the image of his sonne in the renewing of our mindes the which in the scriptures is often vnderstood in the worde Repentance S. It was not then for nought that both God and his prophets in the old Testament and Christ and his apostles in the new haue so often excited and called the people to repentance F. Well sayde neither without this can a man enter into the kingdome of heauen Io. 3.5 S. What oportunitie taketh the holy ghost in the working of this regeneratiō F. The hearing of the worde of God whereof fayth is engendred in the hart of man S. Ye also attributed as I remember to the holy spirit sanctification and what is that F. Sanctification Sanctification is the purifying of a man from all prophanitie the cleansing of a man by the mortificatiō of the flesh and the confirmation and application of vs to God by the viuification of the spirit the which indeede is the end of our deliuerance from hell death the diuell S. Thus haue I learned what are the chiefe attributes or properties of those three distinct persons in the diuine Trinitie now what remayneth els for me to learne my good father F. What God requireth of vs. Yea thou hast hard what Iehouah hath done for thée Now also must thou learne what he requireth thée to yéelde vnto him S. And what is that my good father F. Repeate the Theme or argument of our talke thou shalt therby know it S. I made thee saith Iehouah that thou shouldest be my seruant therefore thou Israell forget me not F. Well then The end of our creation redemption and regeneration to what end did Iehouah make thée aunswere me to the wordes of our Theme S.
and sauor to the glorie of God the benefit of his Church and your owne health Neither ought yee so much as imagine that the holy Contemplation of diuine things nothing belongeth to young children Moreouer consider what is taught you in the sacred Scriptures Solomon the wifest of all the Kings thus counsaileth you Remember thy maker in the dayes of thy youth And omitting other places Christ Iesus saith Suffer little Children to come vnto me and forbid them not Habel beeing thus schooled by his Parents Adam and Heuah being yet but young offered vp vnto God a right acceptable Sacrifice So Enoch in his childhood walked with God and pleased him so Isaack the son of Abraham and Iacob the sonne of Isaack were religious and godly affected euen in their yong and tender yeares Samson being a Nazarite was an absteiner from his birth sanctified vnto God Samuell as yet but a little boye was by Hannah his mother brought forth and dedicated to the Lord. Thus also both Dauid and Solomon thus Iosiah and Daniel and Ieremy and Tobiah and many others the children of God whiles they were very young sauoured of the holy religioÌ„ Lastly for a perfect example of your imitation Christ Iesus being yet but twelue yeares of age exhibited and declared himselfe most learned in the diuine contemplation euen in the middest of the learned doctors in Ierusalem Therefore haue I the sooner on these my briefe Institutions imposed the title of contemplation the same being indeede godly contemplations with the which if yee shal be first seasoned yee shall by the grace of God prosper and proue more able to all vertues in the same Iesus who beeing the true vnderstanding wisdome Immanuell is to bee sought for imitated and followed of all aswell children as elder persons towardes the father Almighty in godly contemplation Wherefore good Christian children vse you these contemplatioÌ„s both godly and happily to your natural good and to the eternall glory of the highest Iehouah And if it shall follow that this my laboures shall be any thing profitable vnto you by the which the sooner yee shall prosper through the operation of the blessed Spirite in the right Seruice of God and holye religion I shall be during my life most glad and ioyfull thereof and I will withall both freelie and thankefully acknowledge that I haue receiued that recompence and reward for those my labours which thereof I might haue expected And thus fare yee well and prosper in all Godlinesse in the Author of our saluation and finisher of our faith More yours then mine owne in Christ Iesu IOH CARPENTER Christian Contemplations †THE Childe being called of his father asketh the question to learne his father briefly answereth and teacheth him Father Come hither my sonne and learne of me Sonne I am here present my father what will ye that I should learne F. I would that thou shouldest learne the feare of the Lord. S. What is that feare of the Lord. F. The feare of the Lord is that reuerence of God and godlinesse The feare of the Lord. psal 111.10 p 10.1.7 wherein God is worshipped and the same is the beginning of wisedome S. Most gladly would I be learned in that feare of the Lord that thereby I may attaine to wisedome therefore I pray you father teach me the same F. The duty of a father and of a son Most willingly will I teach thee my Sonne that thou maiest learne for thus it becommeth me to instruct thee and it is no lesse thy dutye to learne of me S. Well then my father As I am here present before you harkning vnto your wordes of instruction so am I ready to learne and obserue the same accordingly wherefore speake in the name or God F. The holy Scriptures are full of good lessons The holye Bible is a plentifull Sea of wholesome lessons of the which I haue chosen one especiall place for the Theme or Argument of our present talke S. What haue yee found there written F. Thus saith Iehouah to his people the Children of Israell consider this O Iacob The Argument Isa 44.21 and Israell for thou art my seruaunt I made thee that thou shouldest serue me O thou Israell forget me not Sonne Out of what place of the Scriptures haue yee taken this Argument Fa. Out of the prophesie of Isayah chap. 44. verse 21. S. And are those the wordes of God my father F. Yea doubtlesse my sonne they are the wordes of God Sonne How spake God to his people Father God hath vsed in those tymes to speake unto the people by the happye meanes and Ministerie of his seruants How God â—peaketh to hâ—s people Sonne Who are Gods seruants Father God hath many seruauntes Who are the seruants of God for all the creatures serue him in their kinde but in this he hath vsed the holy Prophets Apostles Euangelists and Martyres Sonne Whome vseth hee in this time F. The faithfull preachers and ministers of this word S. How must wee esteeme of them and of their wordes F. The estiemation of the minister of the word 1. Cor. 4.1 We must estéeme of them as of the ministers of Christ and disposers of the Senets of God S. How speaketh God to them and by them to the people F. Mat. 10.20 God speaketh to them in the Spirit inspiring them which Spirit also speaketh in them with the tonge of man vnto the people S. Then he that heareth them in this their ministery heareth God himselfe and who so contemneth them contemneth God F Thou hast rightly said it as they are the ministers of Gods word S. Thus farre I vnderstand you but how appertaine these wordes to mee which were spoken to the Isralites F. The application of the Prophets wordes to vs. Although they were spoken to the Israelites as chiefly appertaining vnto them yet do they likewise belong vnto all the people of God from whose number and society I would not thou shouldest be excluded S. Who are Gods people Heb. 4.9 But who are those people of God F. By this name I vnderstand all them which doe confesse the name of God haue dedicated themselues wholy vnto him especially the Elected sons of God new borne in Christ by the holy Ghost whom the Lord himselfe possesseth for his owne eternall inheritaunce and chosen lot for euer S. So I acknowledge those wordes of the Lord to be both spoken to them and to me likewise to appertaine perswading my selfe to be one of that nuÌ„ber and holy society but what shall I learne out of those wordes F. There be many good things to be learned thereof and namely foure most notable things S. What is the first tell me I beseech you F. Thou must learne to know thy selfe to be made and formed S. And that is very needefull to be knowne what is the second point F. That thou consider wel who made and formed thée S. And this is no lesse necessary to be
Godhead be distinguished into three distinct persons S. Then ye would that I should beleeue Trinitie in Vnitie three to be in one and one to be in three that is three persons in one diuine Essence and one diuine Essence in three persons F. Yea truly and that in this Trinitie there is the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost but in the vnitie onely one God and the same foreuer S. I like well of your plaine maner of teaching wherof I haue taken no meane instruction and comfort Now tell me father I beseech you how God is called the father F. God is called the father Although God be the common father the creator the author the gouernour and the susteyner of all things yet here he is called a father in respect of the sonne whom he hath begotten before all worldes very God of very God S. How is he called the sonne F. God the Sonne He is called the sonne in two respects first as hauing a relation to the father of whom he was begottē to whō and with whom he is coessentiall coequall and coeternall Secondly in that he became man and was borne of the virgin Mary S. The sonne was made a perfect man And was the sonne a perfect man as he was a perfect God F. Yea for as he is perfect God of the substance of God his father so is he perfect man of the substance of the virgin Mary his mother S. So then ye say that he had a reasonable soule as he had a humane bodie for this necessarily followeth F. Yea for as a perfect man consisteth both of a humane body and a reasonable soule so thou must beléeue that this second person in the Trinitie had not onely such a bodie but also such a soule as he was man S. And was that his diuine nature combined with his humane nature in this person F. Yea doubtlesse The godhead and manhood conioyned in one Christ and thereof béeing God and man he became one Christ S. VVho was his mother as he is God and who was his father as he is man F. Is he is God he hath no mother and as he is man he hath no father S. And yet he hath both father and mother must I not beleeue so Father Yes for as he is Christ he hath God his Father in heauen and the Virgin his Mother on earth S. How then was he begotten as he was man F. Of the holy spirite inspiring the holy virgin without the knowledge of any man Luke 1.35 S. This is a wonderfull conception F. So is it indeede howbeit with God it was nothing impossible S. The holy Ghost How is God called the holy spirite F. Not onely in that he is that spirituall Essence but also in that he powreth foorth of his vertues and graces wherein he is sayd to procéede from the father and the sonne S. What is that holy spirite then F. That diuine person in the Trinitie which procéedeth from the father and the sonne to whom and with whom he he is both coeternall and coessenciall which replenisheth the faythfull with all good things S. Then this I learne that the father is the first person in the diuine Trinitie not made nor created The sonne is the second person begotten of the father the holy Ghost is the third person proceeding from the father and the sonne F. Thou sayest well and it is needefull that thou thus beléeue as touching the Trinitie S. VVhat do you distinctly attribute to those three distinct persons F. Although that neither the Godhead is diuided nor the persons seperated in substāce or working Distinct operations of the three distinct persons howsoeuer they be distinguished yet to euery one of those persons is attributed a proper worke in and for the good of the chosen S. VVhat is that which is properly attributed to God the father F. Election and creation S. What is there attributed to the son F. Redemption iustification saluatiō S. VVhat may we attribute to the holy Ghost F. Illumination regeneration and sanctification S. What is that which ye call election Election F. Election is that diuine choyse and sure mercie of God whereby before he made the world he did foreknow them whom he wold glorifie that they might stand before him without blame and become his adopted children through Christ according to the good pleasure of his owne will Ephe. 1. S. VVas there no good thing then in man which God foresaw to merite or deserue this choyse F. Nothing at all for whatsoeuer he did therein God elected his of his own accord and that freely was of his owne accorde S. And is not man able to deserue for this F. Never albeit he should liue tenne thousand yeares neyther indeede dath God expect it for God elected him of his owne will so he elected him fréely knowing well that man could neuer be of power to requite him S. Then we haue no merite whereof to challenge heauen or to iustifie our selues before God F. None at all therefore we are said to be seruants vnprofitable and sinners S. The approbation of man before God By whom are we accepted and iustified then F. By Christ Iesus our Lord who dyed for them whom the father had known before and chosen S. Creation Ye attributed also to God the worke of creation what hath God created and of what matter hath he created the same F. God hath created heauen and earth yea and that of no former matter for to create is properly to make something of nothing S. Then so in them hath God created me F. Yea and he hath made and formed thee S. Of what matter hath he made mee The matter whereof man was made F. As touching thy body of the dust of the earth as touching thy soule of the breath of life S. VVhat thing was I then made F. A liuing soule S. In whose image was I formed F. In the Image of God Gen. 1.27 S. VVhat Image is that for God is a spirite F. Wisdome holinesse righteousnes The image of God and all perfection S. Now what say ye of the proper office of the sonne The proper office of Christ F. As God the father elected and created so the sonne redéemeth iustifieth and saueth S. VVhat is that which ye call redemption redemption F. The recouering agayne buying fréeing of that which was sold the price thereof béeing paied so he redemptiō of mankinde is the recouering fréeing and taking home agayne of mankinde from the bondage of hell death and the diuel his ransome béeing payed S. How was man sold away into that miserie F. Through his owne sinne and rebellion agaynst the law of God S. The malice of the diuel Who moued him to that rebellion F. The Diuel by his subtill temptatiō S. How did the Diuell tempt him F. He abused the bodie of the serpent in whom he spake thereby beguiled first