denomination of faith and is accepted with God for faith For as euery graine of gold is gold so euery quantity of faith is faith and the imperfections and failings in true faith doe no more take away the name and nature of it then a great mountaine of chaffe doth take away the name and nature from the corne contained in it or the drosse in a great mine of gold doth take away the name of it albeit the gold be the lesser part for God accepteth it for the better part Thirdly no man is absolutely perfect in faith for the most regenerate haue but the first fruites of the spirite i. some small portion of it and hereupon the Apostles themselues besought Christ to encrease their faith wherefore in this case we must not be daunted nor discouraged but beséech God to confirme our â—aith and be frequent in hearing and reading of the scripture for the Word preached that begat it will encrease and strengthen it Obiection But my calling is very laborious and many difficult works offer themselues to bee performed which I cannot see how I can vndergoe A. First God that hath giuen thée thy calling and fitted thee for it wil blesse thee so long as thou walkst in his waies hee will prosper thy handy worke and perfite his power in thy infirmity 2. Cor. 12. Secondly God according to giftes and graces receiued measureth out to euery man his calling and the labours thereof for he obserueth a Geometrical proportion in distributing his temptations according to his seruants strength and in employing them in seruices answerable Thirdly the holy Ghost is the spirite of strength who enableth thee to dispatch and absolue the most weighty and dangerous workes of thy calling as he did Abraham Dauid Paul c and by the help of him that strengthneth vs we shall be able to doe all things Fourthly no excellent worke can be performed or notable act atchieued at home or abroad without labour paines diligence continuance Lastly God hath promised to blesse and assist vs in the workes of our lawfull calling wherefore let vs depend vpon Gods commandement and desire strength of him and wee shall obtaine our desire Q. But the sacred Scriptures are so diuersly yea and contrarily in sundry points and places expounded that I cannot be perswaded that they are Gods word A. First the diuersity or variety of interpretation doth not preiudice the truth of Scripture for many scriptures as for example the Canticles diuers Psalmes of Dauid as the 2. the 45. the 73. the 91. c haue both a literall and an allegoricall sense Secondly diuers places may bee diuersly expounded and yet nothing expounded against Faith Hope Charity and then the exposition is not euill Thirdly they that expound the scriptures in an absurd or contrarie sense are but meere naturals and carnall men who for want of spirituall vnderstanding cannot discerne the things of the spirit For as the eye in the body cannot see without the light of the sunne so the naturall man be he neuer so acute and criticall cannot without the light of the spirit iudge of heauenly thinges Fourthly though many parts of scripture be hard obscure to the most regenerate man yet this darkenes is not in the scriptures for they are light it selfe but in our blindnes ignorance infirmity Lastly no man vnderstandeth all things but some man one thing some another according to the measure of grace receiued and euery day the truth is and will be more fully reuealed Q. But how can the scriptures bee Gods vndoubted word seeing that by the preaching interpretation and application of them many are offended and made worse A. First the pure powerfull eternal and holy word of God is not the cause hereof for it is in it own nature the wisdome of God and power of saluation the immortall séed and food of the soule but the fault is altogether in the hearers who either doe not vnderstand it or belieue it not or else contemn it to them alone it is the sauor of death vnto death they are owles and cannot endure the light of the sunne they are sicke of a burning feuer and cannot abide the wine of the Gospel they are filthy swine and therfore cannot abide this delicious muskadell but are thereby swelled vnto death Secondly the vaine and Atheisticall hearers doe conceiue of the Scriptures as of a mans inuention and not as it is indeed the sauing word of God hereupon they being offended at it are accidentally made worse And herein they are like to Samuel who when God began to call him as he did seuerall times heare the voice of God and not knowing it so to bee but supposing it to bee the voice of Elie returned to his naturall sléepe and rest So the greatest sort of them that are outwardly called because they heare Gods word as the word of men and so estéeme it they like dogs and swine returne to their former filth and vomit of their sins Lastly as we must not contemne nor condemn Iewels pretious stones artes and sciences because the ignorant know not their worth and so regard them not so though some or many ignorantly or contemptuously refuse to be bettered by Gods word we must not be offended at their abusing and despising of it but rather condemne their madnes make benefite of it and thanke God that hee hath giuen better light and more grace Q. Why doth God suffer the faith of his children to labor of so many doubts wants and imperfections A. First to bring them to a true touch and sense of their sinne that they may perceiue in what need they stand of Christ and of euery drop of his bloud that so they may sue seeke vnto Christ for recouery Secondly to correct abate and pull downe pride humour and selfe conceite in them to which they are so lyable and enclinable Thirdly to traine and practise them in the daily fight and battaile against sinne and to make them such expert soldiers that Satan though seeking an occasion to sift them shall be wholy disappointed of his expectation Fourthly to perfect his power in their infirmity he will enable them to performe all for his grace is sufficient for them Q. What vse are we to make hereof A. First wee must bee thankefull vnto God for the seedes and beginnings of grace and for the least measure of true faith lest otherwise wee prouoke God either to depriue vs of or at least to diminish his graces bestowed vpon vs. Secondly we must bewaâ—le our manifold defects wants and back slidings and diligently vse all holy meanes to cherish further and confirme our begun faith such as are the ministery of the word and sacraments preaching praier conference meditation and the holy practise of all good works Lastly hauing a true faith though for the present borne downe with the winter of affliction let vs perswade
THE CHRISTIAN ARMORIE WHEREIN IS CONTAINED ALL manner of spirituall munition fit for secure Christians to arme themselues withall against Satans assaults and all other kind of crosses temptations troubles and afflictions CONTRIVED IN TWO Bookes and handled pithily and plainly by way of Questions and Answers BY THOMAS DRAXE Bachelar in Diuinitie Hereunto is adioined a Table of all the principall heads and branches comprised in each Chapter of the whole Treatise EPHES. 6.13 Take vnto you the whole armor of God that yee may be able to resist in the euill day and hauing finished all things to stand fast ¶ Imprinted at London by William Hall for Iohn Stepneth and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of S. Paul at the West end of Pauls Church 1611. not perpetual and they in the meaâ—â—time are not exempted froÌ„ all euils And what if in the greatest danger some Iosephs some Daniels and some Hesters are both fauoured and aduanced yet this is very rare and extraordinarie Therfore it behooued euery seruant of God while she hatâ— time and meanes to prepare anâ— arme himselfe against all future euents and temptations and for thâ— end to put on the girdle of constancie and in the truth to bee ready to confesse the Gospell of peace to take vnto himselfe the Shield of faith triumphant in Christ to couer his head with the hope of saluation instead of an helmet and with the sword of the spirit .i. with testimonies of the scriptures to offend and foile these spirituall Amalekites and hereunto to adioyne feruent and continuall prayers without which all this spirituall armour will little auaile Thus doing hee shall find light in darknes consolation in tribulation power in weakenesse and in all his trials he shall bee more then a triumpher in Christ. And for his further encouragement let him remeÌ„ber that in this warfare the Lord Iesus is the Generall godly Kings and Princes the Coronels the Nobles Iudges and Iustices are the Captaines the Ministers of the Church the Trumpetters and Centinels the Angels the assistants God the Iudge and Rewarder and eternall glory the monument trophy of triumph This preparation being so necessary and the comforts so needfull and so abundantlie set forth in the sacred scriptures I haue according to my mediocrity from thence chiefly borrowed my spirituall armorie and haue reduced and contriued the whole doctrine of it into certaine chapters and pithy grounds propositions And to the intent that the Church of God should find coÌ„fort and profit by it I thought good to publish it And because you most excellent Lady are the Phoenix oâ— your sexe a glorious starre in our firmament and so ful of princely piety vertue and clemency I haue presumed to offer these my labours to your Graces view and to commend them to your Graces patronage For wherein should so noble a Lady in her young and flourishing yeares more labour to excell then to bee a conqueresse ouer sinne and satan For such holie beginnings cannot but bring forth blessed conclusions Vouchsafe therefore most gratious Lady to pardon my bold enterprise and to shelter these my meditations vnder the wings of your Graces fauour In humble desire and comfortable expectation whereof I commit your Grace to the blessed gouernement of the highest Maiesty Couentry March 30. 1611. Your Graces ready to be commanded in all duty and seruice THOMAS DRAXE THE CHRIstian Armorie CHAP. I. Of Mans offence and fall Question HOw came man that was originally and by his first creation so honourable holy and happy to be so sinnefull vile and miserable Answere By reason of sinne and the transgression of Gods commaundement whereby he fell away from God and lost his former dignity holinesse and happines Rom. 3.23 Q. What is sinne A. It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the breach of Gods law or it is a declination reuolt and apostasie from the loue nature communion and will of God Eph. 4. v. 18. Q. Who is the subiect or continent of sinne A. The reasonable creature that is many of the Angels for they kept not their first estate and purity and mankind vniuersally no man excepted for all men haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God Rom. 3.23 Q. Who is the author or committeâ— of sinne A. Not God for hee is holinesse it selfe and there is in him no darknes nor sinne at all for he doth not commaund nor commend much lesse instil and suggest sinne but condemne and punish it as that which is most aduerse and contrary to his owne will and word but man onely who in mind will and affections is wholy corrupted with sinne by this meanes is become a vassall of Satan and guilty of euerlasting damnation Q. Jnto how many kinds is sinne diuided and distinguished A. Into two kinds principally namelie that poisonfull corruption wherein man is conceiued and borne which we call Originall sinne and that offence of action which we terme Actuall transgression Q. What is Originall sinne A. It is the leprous contagious pestilent infection of nature or an hereditary and naturall corruption which is successiuely by carnall generation deriued and conueied from Adam the roote and common beginning of all mankind vnto all his posterity Q By what names and epithetes is it called in the scriptures A. Amongst others these are speciall names of it First it is called sinne absolutely because it is the fountaine of al sinnes Secondly it is termed The body of Sinne because all sinnes are included in it and as it were in league with it for vpon occasion offered they breake out Thirdly it is named The Law of the members because of the dominion of it in and ouer all our members for all the parts and powers of our bodies and soules before regeneration obey it as a law and it is intituled Rebellion in our members because it doth by a continuall practise striue and rebell against the law of God Lastly it hath the denomination of Flesh Gen. 6.3 of the old Adam and of Concupiscence which is an euill and inordinate desire and inclination Q. What are the maine parts of originall corruption A. Two first losse and want of the first and originall holines in the whole man Secondly the presence of euill or a contagion and distempered disposition of all the parts and powers of soule and body Q. What are the causes of originall sinne A. Thrée the one inward and the other two outward Q. What is the inward cause of it A. The very law of nature passing originally and conueied by carnall generation from one person to another Q. What are the outward causes of it A. Two First the actuall sinne of Adam and Eue the first instruments foundation of mans nature Secondly Gods iustice imputing the transgression of our first parents to al their ofspring and posterity Q. Doth originall sinne or concupiscence remaine in the regenerate A. Yes for though
and couetousnesse for it choaketh the seede of the word and as for worldly riches though a man haue aboundance of them yet his life standeth not in them Lastly to chastice and correct them and to cause them to see and be sorry for their error for that they in their prosperity were puffed vp and withall slacke and negligent in reléeuing the necessities of their brethren and also as all earthly things are changeable and vaine to make them more seriously to séeke the things aboue and that enduring substance that is laid vp for them in the heauens Q. How and wherein shal they comfort themselues that are despoiled of their worldly goods A. By considering first that all these outward things to speak properly are none of our own and none of the true spirituall riches which can neuer be taken from vs for they are subiect to the danger of théeues robbers fire shipwracke and therefore these temporals are to be had in the lesse regard Secondly they shal nourish no parasites flatteres and smel-feasts and all such vermine and vulturs shall neuer hurt them Thirdly by the losse of them they are fréed from all thoughtfull care in getting and in keeping them Fourthly he that enioyeth them the longest must of necessity part with them in death and then he knoweth not what will be come of them nor into whose hands they will fall Fifthly God can make vs gainers by our losses and restore our goods double vnto vs as he did vnto patient Iob. Sixthly al necessities and wants shal be abundantly supplied at the day of the general Resurrection and therefore they must in the meane time possesse their soules by their patience Seuenthly God hath but taken away his owne and therefore wee must not be discontent with Gods doings but be patient and thankeful Eightly ill gotten goods shall not prosper nor long continue in the theeues or robbers hands Ninthly if they be learned they must comfort themselues in that for they carie it about them and it cannot be lost Héereupon Bias wisely said omnia mea mecum porto So also their vertues cannot be taken from them whereupon Stilpon the Philosopher when his Countrey was taken and his wife and children perished in the common fire when Demetrius the Tyrant asked him whether he had lost ought he answered that he had lost nothing for saith he all my goods 1. learning vertu are in me Lastly as saith an ancient Philosopher qui se imo qui Christum habet nihil perdidit Q. What vses are we to make hereof A. First wee must perswade our selues that all these losses and dammages fall out for our good for God disposeth them to the best aduantage of them that loue him Secondly Christ our blessed Sauiour was stript of all that he had and became poore to make vs rich and therefore let vs not take it scornfully to bee made conformable to our blessed Sauiour Let vs learne and practise patience that after that we haue done the will of God we may receiue the promise Thirdly we must looke to receiue euill things from God as well as good and to obey God as well when he correcteth vs as when he comforteth and bestoweth good things vpon vs. Fourthly let vs not trust in goods lands liuings money for these wil faile vs and may soone be lost but let vs trust in the Lord who wil neuer faile nor forsake vs and let vs whiles wee enioy these earthly things like good stewards and disposers of Gods gifts with which we are betrusted bestow a good part of them on the poore and needy and then we shall not loose them Fiftly the losse of our pretious time which wée ought to redéeme and of our good name should more trouble vs then the losse of our worldly wealth and wee must much more bewaile our sinnes the causes of our miseries thē our hinderances and losses Sixtly it is certaine that the wicked that be the instruments of our decay or vndoing shall not long enioy that which they haue vniustly gotten from vs but pay swéetely for them in the end Lastly wee must not so much looke vpon the outward instruments of our woe as vnto God who doth order turn all to our solace and saluation in the end CHAP. VIII Of cosenage falshood and deceit Question HOw shall they that in bargaines coine couenants promises are gulled coosened and ouerwraught comfort themselues A. First it is better to be deceiued then to deceiue and to bee a patient in this point then an agent for it is simplicity rather then sinne to be deceiued in outward matters Secondly as it is a signe of a man truely regenerate to haue his spirit without guile viz. in duties towards God men so it is the brand of a wicked man and of a corrupt disposition to be a deceiuer and hereupon they are compared in the Scriptures to Foxes They are lyars and therfore children of the Diuell who is the father of lies Thirdly there is no man especially if he be an honest and a good man that is not in this false and cunning world deceiued beguiled deluded for now craft raigneth deceit dominereth faith is fled out of the country Fourthly the wicked by their cunning fetches and crafty collusions shew that they haue no faith in God nor truth of grace in their hearts for in scripture crafty and deceitfull men are branded and noted alwaies for euill men Fiftly God neuer blesseth the crafty man but crosseth and curseth in the end all his vndermining and subtle practises whereas contrarily some liue simply and vse no deceit and these prosper in all things Lastly they that deale falsly with vs were neuer our friends for then they would not collogue with vs nor cosen vs but deale plainly and iustly with vs and why then should the displaying of falshood so trouble vs Q. What vse are wee to make hereof A. First we must striue against the streame of the worlds corruption our hearts and words must accord we must not make shew of one thing and doe another like him that roweth in a boate that turneth his face one way and goeth and is carried another way Secondly God our heauenly Father is true plaine simple in his nature attributes words promises c. and deceiueth no man therefore as children borne of God wee must imitate our heauenlie Father Farre be it then from vs to conuert that wit and vnderstanding that God hath giuen vs for the good of mankind to the hurt and vndoing of others for this is to bée like the Diuell and to become his flaues and schollers Thirdly the more glosing and deceitfull that men are the more let vs beware of them and haue no familiar conuersement with them they haue hony in their mouthes but poison in their hearts and wiles in their works Fourthly let vs not beleeue any whose faith is suspected and by the losse of