Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	know_v	word_n	2,143	5	3.8658	3	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15336	A discourse touching the doctrine of doubting In which not onely the principall arguments, that our popish aduersaries vse, for the establishing of that discomfortable opinion, are plainely and truely aunswered: but also sundrie suggestions of Sathan tending to the maintenance of that in the mindes of the faithfull fully satisfied, and that with singuler comfort also. VVritten long since by T.W. and now published for the profit of the people of God.	T. W. (Thomas Wilcox), 1549?-1608.	1598 (1598)	STC 25621; ESTC S102154	130,155	343

we haue some speciall or particular reuelation therefore we are vncerten and by consequent doubt also concerning Gods grace of forgiuenesse of sinnes saluatioÌ„ c. Herevnto we answere that we deny the antecedent of this Enthymenie or maimed syllogisme and we haue good reason so to doe yea many good reasons indeed For first this is false which they say that we cannot by Gods word be assured of predestination or election For God hath as plainely and pleÌ„tifully propouÌ„ded that point as possibly may be and that not onely by affirming it here there in some short senteÌ„ces but by large deductions and as it were discourses and treatises made of purpose concerning it as may appeare from the middle of the eight chapter of the epistle vnto the Romanes to the ende of 11. chapter of the same epistle and also Eph. 1. and sundry other places But if they will say they meane it of persons elected and not of the doctrine and indeed so their exposition seemeth to lead that way yet then we tel them also that is false and faulty as the former For by the word of God we are able not onely rightly to iudge of that which is past concerning the reiection of the Iewes the election of the Gentiles c. but also both probably togeather and charitably to iudge of others as we see the Apostle Peter doth of the straungers that dwelt here and there 1. Pet. 1. verse 2 Yea and of some naturall persons also as Iohn doth in his second Epistle to the elected Ladie and certenly also to determine concerning our owne estates that way whether we coÌ„sider our selues by our selues singularly or as we are ioyned with the rest of Gods elect we saying of our selues and of them in our measure touching the forgiuenesse of our sinnes as Saint Iohn saith for himselfe and the faithfull in that behalfe If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteouse and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes c. And concerning gods loue towards vs in Iesus Christ for eternall life as Saint Paule speaketh of himselfe and the sound members of the Church saying I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heigth nor depth nor anie other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of god which is in Christ Iesus our Lord And in another place We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens And this wee iudge not so much by Gods eternall election it selfe though we know beleeue perswade our owne hearts that such a thing there is in God because that is alwaies hidd in himselfe euen as we may say in the bosome and brest of his euerlasting free knowledge though by manie good meanes as wee shall heare anone he discouereth the same vnto vs but by certain and assured infallible notes that he hath giuen vs in his word by which wee may know and be assured for our selues and according to truth and charitie may iudge of others and that without any speciall reuelation as these men fantasie that we are of the number of gods elect as if god giue vs an effectuall calling through the ministerie of the word and working of the spirit and make vs comfortably to feele the imputation of Christs righteousnesse and a stedfast hope of eternall glorification wee may assure our selues of our election as we may perceiue by that the Apostle saith Rom. 8. Whom he hath predestinate theÌ„ also he hath called whome he hath called them also he hath iustified and them whome he hath iustified them he hath also glorified and 2. Timoth. 1. God hath saued vs and called vs with an holie calling not according to our works but according to his owne purpose and grace vvhich vvas giuen to vs through Ieses Christ before the world vvas as also if he giue vs care and conscience of well-doing it pleadgeth the same grace vnto vs according to which Saint Peter saith giue diligence to make your calling and election sure And therfore we see that gods election euen as it is manifested vnto vs in gods word is farr of from ouerthrowing our certainety hope of saluation that looking vpon it and into it as he would haue vs iudge of it it doth indeed confirme and establish the same both as in respect of it selfe because so it is alwaies sure and certaine and also as in regard of our fainting hearts and feeble hope which by this meanes are vpheld as the Churches Canticl 2. was staied with flagons and comforted with appells As for that which they speake of particular and speciall reuelation it is against the truth of holy Scriptures and grounds of christian religion for God hauing in these latter daies spokeÌ„ vnto vs in the person of his sonne and absolutely and fully reuealed his will in his word with this threatning that whosoeuer addeth therevnto vpon him shal be powred forth all the plagues written therein he hath taught vs thereby to cast away and reiect as diuelish and abhominable all such conceits besides that it strongly sauoureth of Anabaptistrie which for manie fond fantasies of their owne haue nothing to say but onely pretend odd reuelations or visions But yet our aduersaries vrge this pointe further and say that men must beware of rash entring into haÌ„dling or hearing of that same reuerend hidd misterie of gods predestination And who will not say so as well as they But let vs see whether this be a good argument Gods predestination must not be rashlie rushed into either for hearing or handling therefore men must doubt of Gods fauour that way euery other way besides it followeth not No more then this The sacred authority of princes and magistrates must not be esteemed or violated as a light thing therefore subiects must doubt whether their princes fauour or affect them me thinketh it would rather followe There is in god such high and heauenly things therefore we should be better perswaded of his might goodwill fauour c. as in princes their maiestie authoritie c. should assure their subiects of loue care and all for their defence But we will come to the point wee take that to be rash presumption in the matter of this misterie when either we looke into this same hidden secret couÌ„cel of god as it is in it selfe or in him alone separated froÌ„ those testimonies and tokens that he hath giuen vs to discerne it by or when we will be more curious in it then he hath bin pleased to manifest in his word Nowe that this is to be auoided and to be taken heed of as a high sin the infectioÌ„ of our soules euery maÌ„ will coÌ„fesse because it is to be wise aboue measure in the things that God would not haue

though that this may suffice for full answere vnto all yet it liketh vs a little further to inlarge our selues herein If our iustification before God and reconciliation with God did depend either of the lawe it selfe or of the dignitie and worthinesse of our workes then the maior proposition should of necessitie be true but that cannot be because the lawe is not giuen to iustifie but to condemne rather and we knowe that all our righteousnes is as a defiled cloath so indeed we should neuer surely conclude with our selues touching our saluatioÌ„ or finde peace of conscience at home in our hearts So that neither of those beeing true the maior or propositioÌ„ cannot be souÌ„d or right But sith our iustificatioÌ„ before God reconciliation with God is not of the law or of the dignitie of our workes but is from Christs absolute obedieÌ„ce the holy gospell which euery where teacheth that Christ was therefore sent and came into the world that he might saue sinners and redeeming vs from the curse of the lawe might make vs righteouse through faith in him The maior or proposition separated as we see it is from Christ and vnderstood as it must be and may appeare by the minor not of Christs but of our obedience can not be true Besids sith the worde generally and more particularly the Gospel a speciall part of it euery where instructeth vs not to respect our owne dignity or worthinesse which indeed is none but all manner of vnworthines nor yet to beholde our owne vnworthinesse otherwise then to humble vs before God and in our selues and to make vs to runne vnto Christ and to his righteousnes more earnestly speedily then we do but sendeth vs vnto Christ and to his merite and worthinesse that so for his sake we may be reconciled vnto God that is to say both iustified and sanctified before him and receiued vnto eternall life there is no reason to receiue but much and greate reason to refuse this minor as vnsound insufficient either vtterly excluding or els no whit at all mentioning Christ who of god is made vnto vs wisdome righteousnes sanctification and saluation and in whome being iustified through faith we haue peace towards god c. Yea we say further that sith by the lawe righteousnes cannot come vnto men as the Apostle sheweth in many places of his writings and namely in his epistles to the Romanes and Galathians the doctrine of the Gospell was therefore made manifest that both it might discouer vnto vs a meane a manner yea and matter of iustification that in the lawe could not be found out and also teach vs howe to appropriate and apply the same vnto our owne hearts Lastly concerning the minor we answere and say that no man hath in himselfe as of himselfe that perfect and obedieÌ„ce of the lawe that they speake of Howebeit we are assured that all that haue Christ haue it because they doe by faith lay hold of Christ and his perfect obedience the want or lacke of then owne in themselues being so farre of froÌ„ hindring Christs righteousnes to them and in them that it rather furthereth them thereto For he that is filled with his owne can haue no part of Christs the reason is because he that is full though it be but of airy and windie matter or as we say bad repletions can hardly or not at all till he be purged of that admit any more but also because there is such a flat opposition betweene Christs righteousnesse and mans that they cannot both be at one and the selfe same time in one and the selfe same subiect but the hauing of the one is the priuation of the other as the Apostle sheweth in many places of his writings and namely Rom. 10. verse 3. and also Rom. 11. verse 5.6 Psal 3.6 And this me thinketh might satisfie any reasonable maÌ„ yea stoppe his mouth from barking or bellowing against the trueth of God Howebeit our aduersaries yet presse this point further and obiect saying Christ saith in the Gospell If any man loue me he will keep my commandements or sayings or wordes But no man keepeth his word therefore say they no man knoweth whether God loue him yea or no. First for the forme of the syllogysmo and then for the matter In the conclusion there is more then is in the promises For whereas the maior teacheth vs that obedience to Christs word is a signe vnto other and a pledge vnto our selues of some loues that God hath wrought in our hearts towards him the conclusion turneth it vp side downe and saith no man can know whether God loue him yea or no as though our loue Gods loue were all one or as though God loued not many I will not say vnto eternall life for that loue onely belongeth to the elect but in many outward respects from which also as it should seeme Christ himselfe Math. 5. inferreth this doctrine loue theÌ„ that hate you c. And maketh this comfortable vse of it that you may be the children of your heaueÌ„ly father who can set his sunne to shine his raine to raine vpon the iust and vniust Nowe to the matter All the doubt resteth in the true and naturall meaning of this phrase keepe my words and sayings That our sauiour should meane thereby absolute obedience and performance thereof there is no likelyhood for he that knewe the hearts of al knew also that euen in the best there were great defects and wants and to haue deliuered such a speech I meane in that sense and meaning had beene by his owne wordes to haue crossed and thuarted his owne knowledge and to haue spoken more indeede then truth was Why theÌ„ what is it that he would signifie and set out vnto vs therby surely this much that the care and conscience that the faithfull had to obey his will and these good beginnings and proceedings that they had made therein by his spirit he would accept them as absolute and couered with the fulnes of righteousnes and obedience that was and is in himselfe and so present them in the sight of his heauenly father Neither doth that dislike me that one aunswere hereto namely that this beeing a sentence or saying of the Gospell must not be vnderstood of the perfect fulfilling of the lawe of God for that is a manner of speech beloÌ„ging rather to the law then to the Gospell but of faith and a good conscience or as we haur heard already the beginning and grooth in goodnesse that god by his word and spirit hath wrought in the heart of the regenerate For in this sentence as it is a part and peece of the voice of the gospell these tearmes to keepe Christs saying or word signifie nothing els but by faith to imbrace and to hold fast the trueth and puritie of that doctrine that in the Gospell is commended vnto vs concerning Christ and as sound members of the Church to professe it openly and as faithfull

condemne our owne deedes and workes and renouncing them vtterly to rest and stay our selues vpon the mercy of God promised vnto vs for Christ our Sauiour his sake and alwaies both in minde and mouth to haue that worthy saying of the prophet rise with vs Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for then no flesh shall be righteouse in thy sight and that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 4. I knowe nothing by my selfe and yet I am not iust or iustified for all that One the other side it is not humilitie as they suppose but arrogancie and indeede contempt of God and heauenly promises not to giue credit to or not to beleeue these sweete promises And therefore Saint Iohn saith he that beleeueth not God hath made him a lier 1. Iohn 5.10 and we may see a memorable example of it in Ahaz Isaiah 7. who refused a signe giuen vnto him from god But they presse this further say it is a token of humilitie to acknowledge our infirmities and sinnes And who wil deny that that hath any fault or sauour in him of godlines But on the other side who knoweth not that humilitie and doubting differ as much as vice virtue or what man vnles he were madde not onely without reason but against godlinesse would suppose that our true humility should destroy confideÌ„ce boldnesse or faith concerning Gods grace forgiuenesse of our sinnes and eternall saluation sith our humility is as other good things in vs the fruite of the faith If maÌ„ did soundly vnderstand what humility were they would doubtlesse be of another minde theÌ„ conclude so This is humility not onely truly to feare God as a iudge and so to acknowledge in his sight our sinnes and infirmities but also to fly vnto Iesus Christ and to stay in his al sufficieÌ„t satisfaction Doth this ouerthrowe a poore mans pouertie that he beggeth an almes for Gods sake as we say or doth this destroy a weake mans weaknesse that he seeketh for shelter and defence at the handes of the stroÌ„g or doth this take away a sicke mans sicknes that he laieth it open to the Phisition and requireth medicine no verely but rather argueth pouerty weaknesse sicknesse c. And so doth our humility But let vs go forward 9 The ninth argument is this Where there is vnworthinesse there cannot be assurance of Gods grace of forgiuenesse of sinnes and of saluation but still there must be doubting But in theÌ„ that are turned to God there is great vnworthinesse whilest they knowe not whether they haue sufficiently and worthily prepared themselues and performed all the couenants and conditions that God hath prescribed therefore c. The proposition or maior of this argument is very false because the beholding or feeling of our own vnworthinesse doth no more worke doubting much lesse distrustfulnesse in the hearts of Gods people then feeling of outward wants maketh naturall men carelesse of a supply It is a grace of God to be well acquainted with our owne vnworthinesse yea such a grace as God onely bestoweth vpon his owne children that so in the beholding and sight therof they may more earnestly seeke after and be more fruitfully made partakers of the exceeding riches of his mercy wheras the wicked of the world are either ceased with benuÌ„mednesse and senslesnesses of their owne vnworthinesse and good reason thereof because they feele not sinne or els see it in iudgement and condemnation and good reason of it also because rather they haue made no account to profit by Gods mercies but to abuse them rather to licentiousnesse and sinne And that we might be the better assured of the trueth of this point namely that the feeling of the indignity of gods people hath neither wrought doubting in themselues nor caused god the lesse but more rather to esteeme them we haue many memorable examples but for the present we will content our selues with one out of the ould testament and another out of the newe that so seeing the consent of scriptures and the confirmitie of this trueth in all ages we may the better beleeue it both for the comfort of our consciences and stopping the mouthes of the aduersaries In the 18. of Genesis the spirit presseth this in the prayer of Abraham that he made for Sodom Gomorrah c. that he said he was but dust and ashes and how could he more debase and humble himselfe and yet he coÌ„tinueth afterwards his prayer againe againe which had his heart beene possessed with doubting and vpheld with hope he could not haue performed And in the 8. of the gospell after Mathew the CenturioÌ„ that came to intreat Christ for his seruant sicke of the palsie and grieuously pained feeling and confessing his owne vnworthinesse that he was not vvorthy that Christ should come vnder his roofe doth not only make Christ him selfe as he was maÌ„ to maruaile at it but according to truth for the better comforting of all that haue the like sense to coÌ„mend him to say verely I haue not found so great faith no not in Israel what meaneth that generall senteÌ„ce of the word god resisteth the proud giueth grace to the humble confirmed by the example of the Pharise Publican Luke eighteene But to teach vs this point Can a man be truely humbled in himselfe without sight and sense of his owne vnworthinesse or can he tast or tell how sweet the Lord is in his mercies that is not wel acquainted with his owne miseries If anie man thinke so he is fowly deceiued Nay we will say more that where vnworthines is most felt there is offred vnto godlie men the best meanes of certainetie and assurance not onely because the Scripture saith where sinne hath abouÌ„ded ther grace hath abounded much more but because God in his purpose and indeed assured good-will calleth vs out of our selues who are altogether weaker then water that so we might wholy repose our wofull soules vpon him that is the god of our comfort and the vnmouable rock of our strength Wherefore wee see that the maior is vtterly vntrue As for the first part of the assumption or minor we will not denie it namely that euen in the faithfull there is not onely is great vnworthines but a very good tast and feeling thereof And good reason there is it should be so they best obserue their owne waies they best examine their owne hearts c. Neither will we much stick with them to yeeld them the secoÌ„d part of it namely that these are good meanes to make euen god feele their vnworthines that they doe not rightly and reuerently prepare themselus to the seruice of god that they fullfill not al nay not any in sort as they should of the couenants conditions or coÌ„mandements of god c. but that they should worke doubting in them of gods goodnes grace towards them that is the point we deny and they caÌ„ neuer prooue for doubting is not the proper peculiar

cause by reason of their badd dealing to suspect feare doubt doubting there or theÌ„ can not be said to be sinne or euil yet as in respect of God who not onely in his owne nature is alwaies like vnto himself free from the least shaddow or shew of turning that may be but as in regard of his action and practise towards all his people in all ages hath manifested himselfe powerful and faithful as their is no reason to doubt so wee cannot doe it but with dishonour to his maiesty and so by consequent also with sinne to our owne soules But let vs proceed 12 Their 12. argument is this No man can certainely conclude that the holy ghost hath kindled or wrought in him faith and other vertues the reason is because they may likewise spring from humane reason Therefore no man can certainely determine that he is in Gods fauour or that he pleaseth God The antecedent of this Enthymeme or imperfect syllogisme as also the confirmation or proofe of the same adioyned thereto are as false as possible may be and as directly thwarting the light and trueth of the word as can bee for out of the word we may reason thus first coÌ„cerning faith It is either the gift of God or it is of nature because betweene there is no meane but it is not of nature for then all men should haue it though not happilie all alike because there is now and then some defect in nature but that is false as the Apostle sheweth 2. Thess 3. saying all men haue not faith therefore it is naturall or of nature and then by consequent it must needs be of God which yet also is warranted vnto vs by plaine texts of Scripture as Philipp 1. Vnto you it is giuen for Christ that not onely yee should beleeue in him but also suffer for his sake And againe Rom. 10. where he saith how they call on him in vvhome they haue not beleeued hovv shall they beleeue in him of vvhome they haue not heard how shall they heare without a preacher c. And if faith from whence all good works flow be the gift of god then must also good workes themselues come from him also because if the first be from him the second likewise And yet least we should thinke that this were not Gods owne and according to his truth but a humane inuention the Scripture that attributeth the worke of faith vnto God ascribeth also al other vertues in vs vnto him For that must euer be true the Apostle speaketh Philip. 2. It is God who worketh in vs both the will the deed according to his good pleasure and Ephes 2. We are his workemanshippe created in Christ Iesus vnto good works which god hath ordained that we should walke in theÌ„ For otherwise if we respect our selues in this behalfe I meane of doing good works as from nature wee must say as the Psalmist saith there is none that doeth good no not one they are become all corrupt and abhominable or as the Apostle saith else where not that we are sufficient of our selues to thinke a good thought which is the beginning of a good work but all our sufficieÌ„cy is from god Nay which is more when God hath begunn good thinges in vs wee doe what wee can through the remainders of our corruption either vtterly to deface them or so by imperfectioÌ„s cleauing vnto them to taint them that were they not ouershadowed with the absolute righteousnes of Christ we and they both might iustly be reiected from god And there fore he that knoweth either nature or grace God or man his word or the world cannot but certenly conclude that faith and all other vertues are from God by his spirite and not from man in his nature euen as Saint Iames chap. 1. in a generall sentence affirmeth it Euerie good giuing and euerie perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the father of lights And the proofe or confirmation adioyned to this proposition it selfe for neuer was it heard in the schoole of god or among sound christians that faith and good works might spring froÌ„ humane reason For which purpose notable is that speach of our Sauiour Christ vnto Peter after the worthy confessioÌ„ that he had made saying thou art that Christ that sonne of the liuing God vnto whome Christ saieth againe Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionah for flesh and blood hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my father which is in heauen Matth. 16. To the same ende also tendeth that that the Apostle saith 1. Corinth 2. But the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they ar spiritually discerned And what should Saint Paule meane else when Rom. 8. he sayeth the wisdome of the flesh is death and againe the wisdome of the flesh is emnitie against god for it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indeed can be but that it is not in the vnderstanding will or power of man to knowe loue or obey the good things of god till he be inlightned strengthened and inabled from aboue And if it were so that these good thinges doe spring from humane reason why doe we not refuse or forsake the worde and resist the working of gods holy spirit as thinges needlesse and vnnecessarie or why doe we say the Heathen and Gentiles are voide of faith and good workes seeing they haue as much of nature and humane reason as we or any other And besides the obseruatioÌ„ of our own hearts will shewe vs the vanity falshood both of the propositioÌ„ coÌ„firmatioÌ„ of it for in our coÌ„uersioÌ„ to god or repeÌ„taÌ„ce we sensibly feele both the one the other namely faith without which we could not convert it sealing vp in our hearts the forgiuenes of our sinnes for Christs sake the holy ghost quickening stirring vs vp as to that so to other good works besides according to which S. Paul faith Rom. 5 that beeing iustified through faith we haue peace towards God And Rom. 8. The spirit that is the holyghost witnesseth vnto our spirits that we are the children of god And therefore Augustine though indeed I doe not greatly delight in allegation of humane authorities in a certaine place saith well he that beleeueeth knoweth that he beleeueth to witte whilest that in the feares terrours of his heart and conscience God is pleased to make him feele consolation and comfort for they that acknowledge and consent vnto the trueth of Gods word and by serious thinking vpon and coÌ„fortable feeling of the promises of the Gospel vphold their hearts and hope they in whatsoeuer estate or disteesse they be yea though they walke in the valley of the shadowe of death or as we say in the middest of death it selfe they haue experience of and sensibly feele consolation Whereby we may see that when a man hath an assured perswasion or a

bodie vnto the edifying of it selfe in loue And Cor. 2. We are rooted built in him and stablished in faith whereof all the body furnished and knit togeather by ioints and bandes increaseth with the increasing of God Lastly in as these sinnes doe not raign in me or ouer rule by that but that they are mastered and beaten downe by the grace of the spirit plentifully shed abroad in into my heart and powerfully prevailing against my corruption one while whilest it doth in a notable measure subdue iniquitie present in me and another while whilest after sinne committed it raiseth me vp to repeÌ„tance and amendement so that I lie not sleeping and snorting in sinne as the wicked but theese sinnes are through the mightie operation and working of the holy Chost daily by little and little more and more purged in me scoured from me in this life by beginning if I may so say here and by consummation perfection in the life that is to be reuealed 4 And therefore the assault that he maketh against vs is by an argumeÌ„t framed thus Innumerable men and women perish and are condemned as whom Christ and righteousnes doth no whit at all profit but thou art of that number as appeareth by this because thou art no whit better then they that worsest rather therefore thou art damned Hereunto I answer that the truth of this proposition I willingly consent vnto namely that innumerable persons perish and are condemned but yet with this exception that the cause thereof is not in any impotencie or weaknes of Christs death and righteousnes for that is of most large yea of infinite merit as hath bin shewed alreadie but by reason that they themselues doe not beleeue Fos as that is true in the faithfull which our Sauiour vttereth in a most vehement affirmation saying Ioh. 5. Verily verily I saie vnto you he that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life So that againe must be verified in the vnbeleeuers which he saith els where Ioh. 3.18 He that beleeueth not is coÌ„demned alreadie because he hath not beleeued in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God And for the minor I charge it with two faults first that it is false as when he saith thou art one of that number and very vncerten in the other words or if thou wilt reason of the assertion because thou art no whit better then they but worse rather For first when he saith I am one of them he doth not onely euill as in regard of himselfe taking Gods office vpon him to whom alone as vengeance so all true sound iudgement appertaineth but affirmeth falsly that which he can neuer prooue nay the contrarie whereof I am able to shewe and that not onely by mine owne iudgement which happily might be suspected in mine owne cause and yet speaking the truth I see no reason why I should not as well be beleeued for my selfe as Satan against me but euen from the testimonie and witnes of Gods holy word I know I am faithful and I am confirmed in the truth and certentie of the perswasion because I doe not in an euil or idle opinion but in true and certen faith lay hold of Christ and stay and settle my selfe wholly and onely vpon him This no heatheÌ„ Idolater can doe because he is not only without Christ but without God in the worlde This no Mahometist or Iewe can performe because they denye him and defie him from their heartes This no counterfeited or corrupt christian can accomplish For the false christian as papistes ioyne their workes at the least with him and the carnall professour in the corrupt course of his conuersation denies his power to mortification and sanctification Therefore I separated from all and euerye one of them in strength of perswasion in particular application and the fruites of faith and blessed obedience cannot perish But maye truelye and effectuallye saye that Christ Iesus dwelling in my hearte and making me fruitefull to good workes and I againe beeing thereby in him there is no condemnation to me nor anye such yea I am throughly and certainelye perswaded That neither life nor death heigth nor breadth thinges present nor thinges to come are able to separate me from the loue of God tovvards me vvhich is in Christ Iesus As for the vncertaintie of the coÌ„firmation it is apparant by this that though Sathan knowe vs all to bee tainted in AdaÌ„ yet he knoweth not in whom the power of corruption preuaileth most or more The wicked cannot discerne of them of another no not one of them well of their hearts as we see euen particularly by this that many times they are not only blind but senselesse also and yet a man would thinke that they should be as wel able either to know the heigth and hainousnesse of one anothers corruption or their owne as Sathan should bee acquainted with theirs And if Sathan cannot tell whether I bee worse then they he lesse knoweth whether I bee in anye measure of mercie better then they for by reason of the fulnesse of his owne corruption he can much better discerne of euill then any whit at all of good by reason of his aduersnesse and waye-wardnesse and vnto wardnesse thereto But be it as it may be we will yeeld him the hardest that I am such a one to wit by nature yet am I another man by grace and adoption which varieth the state And though I were in my selfe of my selfe no whit better then others nay I will say more worse then others if god be pleased to account otherwise of me what is that to Sathan sith God will haue mercy vpon whomsoeuer he will haue mercy wil cause me and others to feele and finde that true in our selues that the Apostle saith in the generall doctrine of the word where sin hath abounded there grace hath ouer abounded and freelye confesseth of himselfe that God had mercie on him the chiefe of all sinners And therfore I am so farre of from despâ—ire in my selfe though it be true that in that respect I may couer my face with shame that I may rather greatly comforte my selfe because in this life Gods fauour and good will doth not in any thing so plainely appeare as in the forgiuenesse of my sinns But Sathan will yet againe presse and vrge this further thus The faithfâ—â— verily are not damned but saued by Christ But thou art not faithfull or hast not faith therefore thou canst not be saued by Christ but must notwithstaÌ„ding for the want of thy faith remaine stil vnder condemnation For aunswer whereto I say still notwithstanding all thy oppositioÌ„s Sathan that I haue faith and doe beleeue And if thou wilt aske how I know it or can be assured of it I will shew thee Christ our Sauiour telleth vs that we shall know the tree by the fruite from the effects

A DISCOVRSE TOVCHING THE DOCTRINE OF DOVBTING In which not onely the principall arguments that our popish aduersaries vse for the establishing of that discomfortable opinion are plainely and truely aunswered But also sundrie suggestions of Sathan tending to the maintenance of that in the mindes of the faithfull fully satisfied and that with singuler comfort also VVritten long since by T. W. and now published for the profit of the people of God PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1598. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND HIS VERIE GOOD LORD AND LADIE THE LORD EDWARD EARLE OF BEDFORD AND THE LADIE LVCIE HIS WIFE AND TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND HIS VERIE GOOD FRIENDS SIR IOHN HARRINGTON KNIGHT AND THE LADIE HIS WIFE T. W. vvisheth the aboundant riches of all Gods mercies in this life and the full fruition of the Lord himselfe and all his fauours in that vvhich is to come through Christ THe life of christian men womeÌ„ here vpon earth is not without cause right honourable and right worshipfull neither yet vnfitely compared by the holye ghost in the canonicall Scriptures to a continuall combate and warfaire Of which as the written vvord it selfe in the sound doctrine and approoued examples thereof concerning this point doth beare faithfull witnes so if god would giue vs grace carefullie to obserue either other men or our selues in such sorte as vve ought or could not but quicklie finde good warrantise for it in the vvorld likewise For confirmation whereof if vve had no more but on the other side the darke doctrine of poperie euerie vvhere assaying to persvvade yea to driue men to doubting and on the other side the diffidence and distrustfulnesse that naturally we carrie about with vs in our hearts it were as a man might say more then sufficieÌ„t Touching the popish opinion it is certainelie pitifull that they can see no other vvaye or meane to preuent proude presumption but to incurre the daunger of distrust and doubting And it is the more pitifull doubtlesse by hovv much both in Gods religion yea and in mans reason also they can not but know confesse that euery singular vertue or good worke hath two sins set against it the one as disagreeing from it the other as contrarie to it The vertue or good worke as we nowe call it here is trust in God then what can be a more excellent vvorke sith our Sauiour saith This is the worke of Christ that ye beleeue in him whoÌ„ he hath sent And vvhat is more contrarie to it then to doubt or distrust and vvhat is more disagreeing from it theÌ„ Lucifer-like presuÌ„ption And yet euen againe I say it is the more pitifull by howe much it crosseth euen their ovvne opinion practise For how can that coÌ„ceit of theirs touching merit before Christ and specially of meriting eternall life stand with the doctrine of doubting seeing that merite or absolute obedience specially if men deale with one that is iust as Christ who is iustice it selfe must needes shutt out doubting touching that we are sure we haue deserued and he cannot choose but of iustice giue and graunt But such vaine fantesies must they fall into that fall avvaie from the faith and trueth of the worde and vvill lift vp theÌ„selves against Christ our Sauiour that so refusing grace offered and feeling it where it is not to bee found they might vanish avvay through the disquietnes of their spirits in the vaine imaginations of their ovvne mindes Concerning the other it is verie lamentable that in so large aboundance of Gods gracious promises and in so faithfull and continuall performance of them speciallie to his owne people whereof not onely the vvord but the vvorld doth yeeld vs an infinite cloude of vvitnesses mens mindes should yet be replenished vvith fearefulnesse and doubting But such and so great is Sathans malice against vs and so dull and slow of heart are vve to beleeue speciallie when we regard our manifold vnworthinesse our grieuous transgressions or the seueritie and iustice of the Lords iudgements that it is more then marueilous if anie man be found in better estate considering I say either vvhat we are by nature or regarding withall what after our inlighting and regeneration begunne in vs a world there is of reliques remainder of corruption in vs which though they doe not vtterly deface and put out the good worke of God in vs because it is to maiesticall and povverfull to be battered and beaten downe by so weake an aduersarie yet do they so backward and hinder the same that in this life vvee can not attaine to that fulnesse of faith which we greatly hunger and thirst after and though through gods goodnes we haue gained somewhat yet many times we finde those graces so eclipsed and darkened in vs that they seeme to be as if they vvere not But what meane we to trauaile in the strengthning of these points vvhich in euerye mans minde and mouth almost are so cleare and vsuall as nothing more The thing rather that we should striue vnto is this namely that sith by corrupt opinions we are or may be dayly assaulted outwardly and by Sathans subtle suggestions and our owne cursed corruptions vve are continually prouoked inwardly as to euerie other euill generally so particularly to this sore sicknesse of our soules distrust or doubting we should in the holy wisedome cleare light of Gods vvorde and also by the all sufficient strength and power of the blessed spirite so labour to looke vnto our selues as that we suffer not our selues either to be infected vvith the pleasaunt poyson of false doctrine or to bee drawne to discomfort through the doubtfullnesse of our hearts For as the former hazerdeth what saie I nay ouerthroweth the health of our soules that more dangerously by much then any bodily poison doth or can doe the state of our outward man for in the middest of this the minde may be safe and sure whereas in the other specially persisted in there insueth euerlasting destruction both of bodie and soule so the latter strongly haleth downe vpoÌ„ vs and violently bringeth vnto vs all heauinesse of heart and fearefull disquitnesse and togeather with the same as a peculiar effect thereof all manner of vnwillingnesse vnfitnesse and disabilitie in and about the seruice of Christ whether publikely in the congregation or priuately in the familie as also for the carefull accomplishment of our Christian duties either at home or abroad For what likelihood or probability is there that he shall appeare before god or doe good vnto meÌ„ whose spirit is disquieted within him seeing that a quiet spirit is a thing much set by before god and fitteth vs also for naturall duties These great difcfiulties dangers are not nay cannot be discerned but by the light of the word neither indeede can the euill of them be preuented and beateÌ„ backe but by carefull taking vnto vs and dailie vsing of all the armour that Christ himselfe and not

man hath prouided for vs and prescribed vnto vs in the worde of trueth For plaine proofe whereof we may beholde if we can the bad effects and bitter fruits that either the ignorance or neglect hereof bringeth forth in our age And if there were no more but this the continuall carnalitie and carnall securitie that euerie where raigneth til it be discouered and felt and the distrust yea desperation that then rageth when the Lord is pleased to lay it open and to presse it hard and home as we saie to to the heart these were sufficient enough not onely to prooue the point but also to cause vs in time to leaue our great and grieuous corruptions and in in a good and acceptable seasoÌ„ euen while it is called to day as the scripture saieth to looke to better courses assuring our selues that as for poperie it can neuer be repelled but by the sounde knovvledge of Gods will reuealed in his vvord this trueth beeing as coÌ„trary to that errour and falsehood as daye is to darknesse and as for assured comforte in distresse or distrust it is no where to be found but generally in the same word also and particularly in the sweet promises thereof which as God alone that is altogether faithfull hath plentifullye made so vvill he that is onely almightie and doth vvhatsoeuer pleaseth him both in heauen and earth in an acceptable time graciously performe for his glorie and the good of his people And that therefore vve should endeuour by all the good meanes that possibly we can that the word of Christ might dvvell in vs plenteously in all vvisedome teaching and admonishing our ovvne selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songues singing with a grace in our hearts to the Lord and doing vvhat soeuer vve shall do in vvord or in deede either towards God in the cause of his vvorship or in the dueties of charitie towards men in the name of the Lord Iesus Now vvhat experience you right honourable and right vvorshipfull haue had in this behalfe I knovv not This I am sure of that belonging to the Lord as vpon good grounâ—â— I doubt not I perswade my selfe you do you either haue had heretofore or hereafter before the day of your dissolution dravv nigh shall haue your portion and part of triall both the one and the other vvaye And though it may be that you haue through gods mercie in Christ bestowed vpon you the grace of a stedfast perswasioÌ„ yet he that is now strong through Gods grace may hereafter through his owne wickednesse and vvants become weake God hauing not onely ordeined that as a meane so to humble vs least in the excellent aboundance of graces we might be exalted aboue measure but prouided one of vs to support and helpe an another according to any measure of mercie that we haue receiued from him Wherein if I may either soundly comfort you for that vvhich is past and duetifully prouoke christian care minister strong consolation for that which is to come and may perceiue either the one or the other or both not onely to dwell in your selues but as by and and from you to bee communicated to others specially those whose case and state is distressed either waye I shall right hartely reioyce aâ— one in this comfortablie feeling the forgiuenesse of our sinnes that God hath beene pleased to make his trueth effectuall and powerfull in vs aswel for the obedience of his holie commaÌ„dementes as for the vnfeigned beleefe of his blessed promises And in this respect principally I assure you is it that hauing sometime since written a discourse against all manner of doubting whether it be from others as popish doctrine and Sathans suggestions or from the diffidence and distrustfulnesse of our owne hearts and being much and often requested by some deare friends of mine vvhome I could not vvell denie to publish it I am bold vnder your patronages to let it passe to the presse and to come forth to behold the light and from you to cause it to come to the vievv of others for yours and their spirituall benefite especially And in this dedication of my poore trauailes vnto you I could not but ioyne you all together as one because that though as in respecte of your several states degrees and callings in the common vvealth you do somewhat differ yet God by many gracious meanes of his mercy particularly by open and religious profession of his trueth and holie bande of christian mariage hath made you as it were to become one that so growing alltogether in this life by the power of the spirite to the vnitie of faith and obedience of the goodwill of God you might in that time that God hath set vvith himselfe from before all tines come all together likewise to that one euerlasting life blessednes vvhich is the ende of that one faith and hope wh rewith we are and shall be both sealed and susteined euen vntill and in the day of Iesus Christ And so humblie beseeching good acceptance of this that is done in the singlenesse and sinplicitie of my soule vvhich I trust you will not denie me because I desire nothing but that is right and reasonable and directly tending to your owne good specially spiritual and vvithall hartilie praying the Lord to giue it a blessing in your seuerall soules for the glorie of his name and your euerlasting comforte whereof also I conceiue good hope because God is large in loue and bountifull in giuing specially vnto his people in vvhich number I trust you are not without cause accounted before me I do ende for this present and vvith that submission that is fitt for my selfe and belongeth to persons of so great place and calling take my leaue At Wooburne the 14. of Aprill 1598. Your Hon. and Worship euer ready and that in all things to be commaunded in Christ Thomas Wilcocks the Lords vnworthy seruant Lord Iesus begin and make an ende ALL popery generally is full of vanity and vntrueth being druÌ„ke vp and receiued in infecteh defileth both body and soule Howbeit this cannot be denied but that some points are more deadly discomfortable by much then other some For as in the great varietie of naturall sickenesses diseases all are not alike dangerous but some are more pestilentiall and infectiue as more assaulting the heart and the head other vitall partes then other some are as we may see in the messels pocks hot burning agues plauges or pestilences and such like So is it in the huge heape and infectiue lumpe of popish opinions and doctrines some being more high and heinous then other some and as if it were not only taking the crowne of glory and eternall life from the head or out of the hands of our Sauiour Christ and setting it vpon the headlesse or handlesse bodie of mans corrupt nature tainted with all manner of vngratiousnes and sinne but euen labouring to take by the throat and to straÌ„gle that little

light of truth and smale strength of perswasion that God by his word outwardly and by his spirit inwardly hath bene pleased to worke in the hearts of them that belong vnto him And of this sort are their imaginations of iustification before God by workes of the Popes absolute supremacy authority ouer all of the sufficiency of the sacrifice of the masse of inuocation of dead Saints and Angels with a thousand such like abhominations and sinnes all which do both derogate and deface the excellency and sufficiency of our Sauiour Christs person nature offices names and all and also snare intangle mens mindes for whose safety and good they would seeme to prouide in this such other conceits of their owne forgery for though it be pleasant to flesh and blood to heare much of mans merits mans freewil and many such like that they hould all tending to puffe vp man that against God yet indeede to speake the truth what peace or coÌ„fort can there be in these things when man 's owne knowledge both before after regeneratioÌ„ shal within himselfe in others directly staÌ„d vp against the same To take one or two of theÌ„ that so by theÌ„ we may iudge of the rest What maÌ„ that knoweth or feeleth not onely his backwardnes to good things but his inclination ready good will to all euill and that not onely before inlightening but after also will so much as suppose that he can deserue any thing before god especially if he do well diligently obserue his owne waies workes in thoughts in desires in word in deed he euery day yea euery houre of a day yea I wil say more euery minute of an houre sinning highly and heinously all these waies Again what hope caÌ„ the heart haue in invocating any other theÌ„ the true euerliuing god Where first men knowe not whether they heare their praiers or no secondly they may doubt of their good will towards them as of a thing very vncerten thirdly be past al doubt of their ability to help And what vncertenty is this nay what a dangerous and deadly rocke is it to fling men vpon not only as in regard of things appertaining to this life which is much but as in regard of their soules that that is to come which is more And yet of all other most heauy for a Christian man as in regard of his owne particular to thinke vpon this is one that they teach all men in euery place to doubt of their iustification and saluation As though forsooth mans heart were not â—o much inclined to diffidence distrustfulnes either by their own corruption or Satans malice against them but that these as the deuills bellowes and blowefiers must make it to burne and to flame out euen to the vtter wasting what in theÌ„ lieth of all those that are infected with this poison And least they should seeme to be madde without reason and to thrust an other into spirituall madnes also they alleadge scriptures lash out reasons pretend authority of fathers and doctours and I cannot tell what as though with a mightie voice of great waters they would carrie all downe hand smooth as we say before them These things when I considered I did not onely in holy zeale against the common adversary but in care of the peace for mine owne soule and in love towards other men thinke vpon some thing that might serue for the confutation of the aduersarie and for the confirmation and establishing of vs in the present truth And though it be true that the ouerthrowe of errour and falshood be in some sort the vnderpropping of truth and veritie yet haue not I assaied for the staâ—e of my selfe and others onely to supplant corruption an vntruth but also to defend that truth that God hath propounded in his word and we heare sounded in our Churches namely that euery faithfull man ought to be certenly assured of his free iustification and euerlasting saluation through Christ And herein I haue purposed and mind through Gods goodnes to performe and obserue this order following that is first to answere whatsoeuer they say and obiect against this truth And then afterwards to ratifie and confirme it And this I take to be necessarie not onely because our aduersaries forces being weakened yea vtterly ouerthrown our own may be found to be the more strong and better able to staÌ„d in the day of a newe assault if euer the aduersary should dare to attempt the giuing thereof but also because euill and corruption being first remooued out of the heads hearts of men the truth tendered might finde the better entertainment there For euen as a good gardiner or husbandman laboureth first to fit the ground for seed and hearbe by digging and tilling of it and in rooting out noysome and bad things assaieth to make it meet for the good seed â—e purposeth to sow or set there So must we doe then when we offer or mind to make fruitful in meÌ„s mindes the seede of the truth and word of God not onely doing what we can to remooue and take away the naturall blindenesse and ignorance of God and good things that is in men yea and that same seede of errour and heresie that Satan by himselfe and his supposts in malice against God and mischiefe towards men hath cast and spread abroad in the world but also to plant cause to thriue the word of truth and life All our aduersaries arguments are drawne either from diuine authoritie as the holy scriptures and word of God foulie wrested and misvnderstood as when we come to the handling of the places which they obiect shall I doubt not through Gods goodnes plainely appeare or els froÌ„ humane testimonies and reason of which sure we need make no great reckoning not onely because they are as easily reiected as alleadged but also because we acknowledge no other obiect or ground of our consciences to stay ourselues vpon but the holy scriptures or writteÌ„ word of God And therefore sauing that we would haue all to vnderstand yea euen the very adversaries themselues that they are not able for the defence of falshood through the malice of Satan and their owne corruption to alleadge any thing which through the grace of God shed abroad into our hearts and the light of truth vouchsafed vnto vs we are not able both plainely to discrie and sufficieÌ„tly to coÌ„fute we might let al that passe without any maÌ„ner of touch at all we wil begin first with those things they alleadge out of scriptures because they onely indeed are materiall so afterwards come to humane authorities Nowe because the scriptures of God are not vnrightly deuided into the old and newe Testament and they alleadge somewhat out of both for the maintenance of this corrupt point we will first answere the places of the old Testament and after of the newe Places out of the old Testament They commonly alleadge from thence such places as

speaking of heauenly matters and particularly of the forgiuenesse of sinnes do vse tearmes of doubting seeme doubtfully to promise fauoure to peniteÌ„t persons Amongst whcih I remember not that they haue alleadged any more then 2. Samuel 16.12 Amos 5.15 Ioel 2.14 Ion. 3.9 Sauing that they haue produced a place out of Daniel 4. ver 24. where indeede in the greeke text in Ieroms latine translation there is vsed a article of doubting as perhaps or it may be there will be a healing of thy sinnes Whereas the word that the Prophet vseth doth in the hebrewe signifie rather a manifest asseueration or affirmation as though he should say loe there shall be an healing of thine errour This not onely agreeing better with the Prophets purpose which as it was in the first part of the verse to instruct the king by holy couÌ„sell to breake off his sinnes through righteousnes his iniquities by shewing fauour to the afflicted so in this part he performing that that was prescribed in the former to comfort him This also being an vsual thing in duties of obedience and holy precepts deliuered to adioyne sweete and comfortable promises that so they might see their labour and loue in the Lord should not be lost Neither may we thinke the Prophet either to be ignorant of this in himselfe or vnwilling to propound it to others that vpon obedience of Gods will and sincere repentance men should certenly finde fauour with the Lord which he might haue called into question if he should haue spoken so doubtfully But les vs graunt that the words were commonly or for the most part vsed to expresse doubting or distrust wil this followe therevpon that they would faine inferre namely that therefore Gods children should doubt of the forgiuenes of their sinnes and eternall life Nay for first it is not cleare and certen whether Nabuchadnezer to whome these words were directed were an elected chlid of God yea or no and we knowe that the question concerneth them that are called and iustified and sanctified in some measure and so shall be eternally saued Besides whether can we tell that that which was in him of terrour and feare were sound or hypocriticall or whether he continued or whether Daniel hauing extraordinary and many personall things also reuealed vnto him foresawe what should become of him In such cases we see and to such persons many things may be deliuered as if it were doubtingly whereas with persons of other qualities and callings other courses must be obserued But put the hardest we haue yet another aunsweare vnto this place namely that the Prophet vseth this manner of speach both to note the difficultie and the excellencie of the things he required at the kings hands men imagining repentance conuerting to God taking away of sinnes c. to be a very easie and sleight matter which indeede causeth them not to esteeme the grace according to the worthinesse thereof nor to striue therevnto as they should and also to cause him and in him all others the more to indeauoure the attaining thereof and strengthening of themselues therein because things so hardly atcheiued and of such dignity indeed would not be sleightely or lightly let goe And let this suffice or satisfie for this place Let vs come to the rest already quoted and examine them 1 The first place is the 2. Sammuel 16.12 It may be that the Lord will looke on mine affliction and doe me good for his cursing this day They are the wordes of Dauid to Abishai who would very willingly haue slaine Shimei rayling vpon the king his master and nowe flying from the face of his sonne Abshalon where vnto ouer and besides that that hath bin said before touching the place of Daniel we may adde this it is hard vpon all the wordes of good men to inferre either the lawefulnesse of their speaches or a doctrine either contrary to the truth of the word in other places or not warranted thereby For as that is true in Salomon that where there are many vvords there is much sinne so that is likewise true that the Apostle Iames saith he is a iust man that hath not offended with his tongue Many times feare griefe hastines hatred worldly loue and other passions carrie them very farre as we may perceiue not onely in Dauid himselfe but in sundry other of Gods children as Ieremy Woe is me my mother c. chap. 15. 10. and Peter M. fauour or be good vnto thy selfe Math. 16. Lastly he speaketh here but of an outward mercie of which many a good man considering his owne vnworthinesse and how they are but promised vpon condition may easily doubt and yet offer no iniury to Gods grace for he giueth these things as pleaseth him indifferently to the good and the badde nor much discomfort to his owne heart And what is this to spirituall heauenly geaces all which as they do proceed froÌ„ the free fauour of god toward vs in Iesus Christ so are they promised vnto vs and propounded vnto vs absolutely and without condition and therefore they nowe assured in themselues ministring the more hope vnto the hearts of the faithfull And if there be a condition annexed as I deny not but sometimes there is it is but for the better strengthening of vs therein whilest that he that promiseth vs giueth vs strength to performe the couenants and condition and so both we in his grace haue the more certaine assurance and he might the more plainely and fully crowne his owne graces in vs. 2 The next place is Amos 5.15 Hate the euill and loue the good and establish iudgemeÌ„t in the gate it may the Lord God of Hostes will be mercifull to the remnant of Ioseph which place though it may in some sort be answered by that which is put downe already if men will well viewe and marke that which hath beene deliuered yet it shall not be amisse to adde some particular thing for the further declaration and explanation thereof The Prophet had to deale with a straunge kinde of people not onely such as were giuen ouer to idolatrie and other particular iniquities hatred of the Prophets oppressing of the poore c. But such as yet notwithstanding iustified themselues and said that the Lord of hosts was with them No doubt but they that were thus exalted in themselues and that without anie cause had neede by all good meanes to be humbled And they that were thus hypocriticall not onely to deceiue others but to dallie with their owne hearts and to thinke that God and iniquitie could stand well together had need to be sent back to be instructed to souÌ„d their owne soules well And that causeth the Prophet to deale with them as he doth in this place But what is this to gods people who through his grace are restrained from these high and hainous iniquities who are so farre of from deceiuing their owne hearts in a vaine imagination that notwithstanding their sinne God is

wheras on the other side they shall haue good successe that feare god and are loth wittingly on willingly as we say to offend and displease him And this I take to be not onely the meaning of this sentence here but almost in euery place of the word where it is said Blessed is the man that feareth that Lord. Where also we are to know further that such sentences are propounded vnto vs not to strike doubtfulnes or distrust into the hearts of beleeuers which beeing in them naturally through the remainders of sinne God laboureth by so many meanes to remoue from them as the promises of the word the participation of his Sacraments the pledge powerful working of his spirite c. For so god in his words and deeds should be contrary to himselfe and we must so expound his word as we find no coÌ„tradition in the places themselues nor loade him with any opposition who in his owne nature in his word also is alwayes but one But in them that setting before their eyes on the one side their owne weaknes and wants and on the other side the good that God requireth of them they might not onely depeÌ„d wholy of his mercy and no way swell with the coÌ„fidence of any gift that they haue receiued but also striue according to the measure of grace vouchsafed vnto them to doe that that the Lord requireth at their hands And what will this serue to vphold doubtfullnes or distrust of hart in Gods children 6 The last place that they alleadge out of the old testameÌ„t which hath any marrow or strength in it is in Ecclesiastes or the booke of the preacher cha 9. ver 1. which they turn and expound after this manner Man knovveth not whether he be worthie loue or hatred that is to say in the popish laÌ„guage as they interpret it whether he be in the grace or fauour of God yea or no. Where first we may not dissemble this that as in other places so here they dissent froÌ„ the original verity both in their translation in their sense For these words are in Hebrew thus EueÌ„ or either loue eueÌ„ or either hatred knoweth not maÌ„ al which is before their faces VVhereas we may perceiue in their translation they adde the word worthie which is not there to be found and in their interpretation or sense they add God and his fauour or hatred there beeing not in this part of the text any of the names wherby god is called in the old Testament But before we come to deliuer that which we take to be the true meaning of the spirite here me thinketh that euen the text as they turne it will not euince that for which they aleadge it For though we should graunt them that loue and hatred should in this place be vnderstood of gods loue hatred towards men yet this me thinketh we may say of it namely that wee must needs vnderstaÌ„d it either of men that are ignorant of Gods word and vnbeleeuers or else of his loue and hatred towards such as of whose faith we doubt not for betwene these two there is no meane neither are there anie other sorts of people in the world To refer it to the incredulous to vnderstaÌ„d it of them there is no reason Because he that cannot lie hath told vs he that beleeueth not is condeÌ„ned already because he beleeueth not in the name of the onely sonne of god sith he hath giueÌ„ the iudgemeÌ„t we iudge not according to our selues but according to his truth that cannot erre And besids he that beleueth not the gospell as he knoweth not god himselfe with effect and fruite so he knoweth not neither for himselfe nor for others those whome God loueth or hateth or of what force his loue and hatred is VVe must therefore vnderstaÌ„d of the faithfull beleeuers who though they cannot iudge of other men specially by their outward estate of which it seemeth Salomon speaketh here whether God loue any man or hate him yet concerning himselfe or for Gods loue or hatred towards him he cannot either be ignorant or doubtfull of it because he knoweth and feeleth the loue of god towards him as an adopted child and that by better proofes and pledges then outward mercies as we may perceiue not onely by the 7. verse of this chapter where he saieth go eate thy bread with ioy c. for god novv accepteth thy works but also by this of Iohn in his first epistle fourth chapter Heerin was the loue of God made manifest amongst vs because God sent that his onely begotten sonne into this vvorld that we might liue through him and sundry such other places And therefore this is a non sequitur as we say in the schooles or an euill fauoured argument By outward things men cannot determine of Gods loue or hatred and therefore we cannot conclude of it out of Gods word What and if a man should reason thus In the same bookes Salomon saith we cannot by outward euents see a sensible difference betwixt mans soule and beasts life because the end of either is alike therfore we can by no other meanes discerne the difference it were false and indeed would not hould or followe By all these things then we may perceiue that howesoeuer we vnderstand this place of the loue or hatred of God towards men that yet it will make nothing for the Papists to establish their doctrine of doubting touching the grace of God and the free pardon and ful forgiuenesse of our sinnes That we may take no aduantage of this that Papists affirming that such as offend against their consciences doe wel inough knowe that they are vnder gods hatred and God is angrie with them doe by this doctrine crosse their owne sense and interpretation And againe it that be true in offending parties why should they enioyne such as are turned to God and doe vnfainedly repent them of their sinnes to doubt of the grace and loue of God towards them But let vs returne and deliuer the true and naturall meaning and see whether that will helpe any whit at all I knowe that both Iewes and Christian expositors also doe giue diuers seÌ„ses of this one place but to me this following seemeth most right In this chapter as I take it he dealeth with such a sort or kind of administration or ordering of thinges in this world as is beyond mans reach he setteth it out by sundry particulars the first whereof is conteined in this first verse and some of the verses following and indeede respecteth meÌ„s persons and the seuerall euents and successes that followe them And yet in this first verse he doth not onely declare the iudgement of flesh blood concerning the persons themselues but also expresseth what he himselfe conceiued of it according to truth and godlinesse This is it then that he meaneth that hauing set his heart not onely to search into these things so farre forth as he could by

be might safely infer coÌ„clude that he did 2 The second place which they bring out of the new Testament is out of the 9. chap. of the Epistle to the Romans ver 20. where it is said Be not high minded but feare therfore say they we are to doubt of Gods grace and fauour towards vs. But we answere First that this is such a falacie of homo nymie or equivocation of words as the former For feare doth neither alwaies nor yet for any thing that they haue said for the most part implie doubting What difference there is betwixt these two tearmes hath in part bene shewed already neither neede we to insist therevpon nowe The badnesse of this reason may appeare by this We must feare alwaies therefore we must doubt continually If any should say so it were a badde conclusion vnlesse a man would or could prooue feare and doubting to be tearmes coÌ„uertible Feare we know is vrged pressed vpon vs in the word not so much to work doubting in vs either concerning god or our selues supported by him as to cause vs vnfainedly to reuerence his maiestie carefully and circumspectly to walke as in regard of ourselues and by reason of our spirituall and bodily enemies also And he that either knoweth the nature and signification of the words or obserueth his own heart or waies well shall find this to be the thing that God aimeth at when he so much calleth vpon vs for feare rather then to intangle the hearts of his people with doubtfulnesse or distrust But concerning the place it selfe we are to know that the drift and purpose of the spirit by the Apostle is to humble the Gentiles whose election from before all times and vocation in time God hath bene pleased in those daies the age of the world to manifest vnto themselues and others which fauour as they behold practised to themselues so with all the same a iudgement of casting of from God exercised and executed agaist the Iewish nation who not long before of all the natioÌ„s of the world in the generalitie or body of it had beene the onely peculier people and inheritance of God Nowe knowing that the Gentiles on the one side with their owne graces vouchsafed vnto them and on the other side with the iudgement of the Lord exercised vpon the Iewes might easily be puffed vp aboue measure he assaieth to keep them vnder and to preuent the extremitie of presumptioÌ„ or pride which he doth by these words saying Be not high minded but feare Vsing feare not for doubting for that had beene to haue drawne them from one vice to another but for reuerent and humble carying of themselues in the midest and multitude of those mercies that God hath vouchsafed them for the better effecting whereof he vseth in that place and inferreth also many arguments drawne both from the Iewes and Gentiles as if the fall of the Iewes were the riches of the Gentiles how much more shall their fulnesse be it and their assuming againe and those legall and metaphoricall speeches of the holy first fruits attributed to the Iewes of wild oliue trees grafted in their stead spoken of the Gentiles and such like doe plainely shewe the same So that here we may see we are not commaunded or exhorted to doubt of Gods grace and fauour towards vs touching our election saluation forgiuenes of sinnes c. For they are all sure and certaine in God euen as he is in his owne nature and in the trueth of his promises as they are manifested vnto vs in his word and sealed vp in Christs death though we sometimes come short by reason of our weakenesse feeblenesse and wants in the apprehension and application of them to our selues but this rather we are admonished of not proudly to be puffed or stirred vp as in nature we are wont to be neither yet to leane vnto our owne wisdome righteousnesse holinesse c. which is nothing that we take and thinke it to be neither yet to reioyce of it as before God for all in his sight is as a filthy and stained cloath nor to be puffed vp in it as in respect of other men because we haue nothing but we haue receiued it and hauing receiued it there is no reason why we should bragge of it and besides that which we haue is farre short both of that it should be and that many other haue receiued aboue vs. But rather that we should confesse as our owne weakenesse and vnworthinesse on the one side so Gods grace and goodnesse towards vs one the other side And this may we perceiue by the words which the Apostle had vsed a little before saying Boast not thy selfe against the braunches and if thou boast thy selfe thou bearest not the roote but the roote thee And therefore this feare that the Apostle commendeth and commandeth here is not the same that doubting is but is opposed to contempt pride in as much as if he should say modestly soberly and carefully feare and reuerence god least otherwise through carelesnes contempt pride or otherwise thou that art a Gentile prouoke him to manifest iudgement against them as he hath done against the people and nation of the Iewes his first beloued ones 3 A third place obiected is 1. Corinth not the 12. as some of theÌ„ say but the 10. ver 22. in these words Wherfore let him that thinketh he staÌ„deth take heed least he fall Therfore say they we may doubt of gods grace towards vs c. But I beseech them to tell vs from wheÌ„ce they will fetch this conclusion as whether from the particular wordes or from the generall drift of the place If from the wordes which are they that will prooue this woddeÌ„ conclusion by these wordes him that thinketh he standeth he meaneth doubtlesse such a one as is wise in his owne eies and hauing confidence in himselfe imagineth he is stroÌ„g and able to stand when other men are weak and ready to fall So that he signifieth and setteth out here by proud and presumptious persons who haue no familiarity or acquaintance with doubting or distrust nay are so farre remooued from that that they are traÌ„sported to another extreme namely to hautie and proud imaginations concerning themselues and their owne strength And where he saith take heed ye fall it would be marked that he said not so much as feare much lesse let him doubt but let him beware or circumspectly looke vnto himselfe And good reason there is he should do so For none are more nigh danger then those that are wise in their own eies and presume vpon their own strength because when they thinke best of themselues they thinke least of that which may betide them and so be soonest intrapped in sinne through security and carelesnesse of their owne estate or the malice and power of their enemies that rise vp against them Besides it is not onely probable but certaine that by falling he meameth not vtter falling from

they must needes be disquieted that are subiect to it for how can it be that he that knoweth he hath God for his iudge and not for his father as the faithfull people onely haue him so caÌ„ be quiet in minde beeing in his owne heart guiltie of horrible sinne as against God himselfe in heauen so against men vpoÌ„ earth And therefore we may safely say that a wicked person is either not at all quiet or els the grace that he would seme to haue is nothing els but securitie or senselesnes and this feare is amplified by comparison of the greater namely God and his iudgement into which amplification he entreth not so much for theÌ„ to whome he wrote though it may be true they had some need and vse of it as for others that would not easily be brought to feeling that so stong either with the testimony of their owne heart or with the greatnesse of Gods wrath and iudgement against them for sinne or with this terrible and heauy threatning or with some one thing or other they might stoupe learne to be humbled Now what is this to doubting specialy in the faithfull whome Iohn laboureth to raise vp to an assured hope by their faith towards God and love to the Saints or brethren or if you will to the wicked what is it to them who for the most part are so farre from doubting that they almost feare no euill either here or els where but as if it were being in a letargie or dead sleepe or senslesnes passe three daies without feare yea without conscience But if this either doe not please or satisfie we may say further that he speaketh here of a set purpose that men haue to doe euill or to sinne as we say against conscieÌ„ce he meaning that such manner of persons so long as they continue in that perswasion and practise also that they can hardly or not at all determine touching the certenty of our saluation by the testimony of their owne hearts because they haue a sting within them that witnesseth the contrary For this we must knowe that faith and a good conscience are vnseperable companions and goe as it were arme in arme togeather as the Apostle sheweth 1. Tim. 1.19 Yea and that the fruites accompanying them are neuer vtterly sundred from them but at some one time or another are to be found in their measure where the thinges themselues are and that therefore they that haue a good conscience haue boldnesse towards God and are well certified of his grace and their owne saluation thereby And that this in his meaning indeed it may appeare by sundry words before going as when he saith By this that is true and sincere loue to our brethren we knowe that we are of the truth that is belong vnto God whome he signifieth also in the words following when be saith and shall before him assure our hearts which assurance bringing with it peace and tranquillitie cannot but shut out and kill as it were all doubting And againe in the words following when he saith hereby we knowe that he abideth in vs euen by the spirit which he hath giuen vs. And therefore we may see that this place weakeneth our aduersaries doctrine rather then that it doth any manner of way confirme strengthen it But if they will further vrge it as some of them doe and say there is no man but he is accused in his heart and conscience and therefore no man can haue confidence or boldnesse before God We tell them first that the argument followeth not for though the antecedent be trve that euery good man especially is stung more or lesse yet the consequent is not good because thouhh it be tru that as in regard of himselfe and of his sinne and vnworthines thereby he can haue litle or no assurance yet as in respect of God his word his spirite Christs absolute obedience c. he may haue hope and boldnes Secondly we say that it is no good or sound reasoning to reason from the facts of men to or for the doctrine of God For mans facts for the most part are euill and vnlawfull whereas all the doctrines of God are true and holie euen as he himselfe though men either in practise or perswasion would condemne him or theÌ„ yet shall he be iust when he speaketh and pute when he iudgeth Facts expresse or shewe things done but neuer declare much lesse proue the lawefulnes of the things practised Besides though wee denie not but that euen the faithful are not onely conuinced but condemned in their heart and perswasion when they consider their vnworthinesse yet feare we not also to affirme that euen then they are absolued and cleared also for so often as they looke vnto themselues and sinne they must of necessitie be pricked and terrified because sinne seene and felt indeed can bring forth as in respect of it selfe no better fruite But on the other side when they behold Christ crucified and runne vnto the sacrifice of his death not onely of absolute but of infinite merite they finde in themselues an assured peace as the Apostle also declareth Romaines 5. where he saith Then beeing iustified by faith vve haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ and in another place he affirmeth that through Christ we haue boldnes and entrance with confidence by faith in him And let this suffice for aunswer to the testimonies and texts of Scripture which our aduersaries for the establishing of doubting and distrust in the minds of the godlie doe vsually bring out of the old new TestameÌ„t With which we haue dealt first answered them because they make them the principall bullwarks and butteresses of this tottering wall And indeed had they beene truely alleadged such as wee might haue rested and relied our selues vpon but beeing produced as they are we see there is nothing in them but vanity they that will accept them beeing so offred are like to be bound vp in the winges of the winde carried away through the fcircenes of the iudgement of God against them to eternall destruction Now we come to their arguments drawne from humane authoritie which are of two sortes that is to saye either reasons and arguments or authoritie testimonies of ecclesiasticall writers The reasons are manie as mans heart is cunning to deuise and his braine busilie beating vpon vanitie lies euen to vphold the same what he can For our owne parts we will deale no otherwise here then as wee haue done in the texts they haue alleadged namely amongst manie take those that are most materiall and confute theÌ„ which beeing once fully and sufficiently aunswered all the rest beeing weaker then water will fall to the ground and euen be spilt as it were of their owne accord 1 Their first argument is couched or framed thus He that cannot know all his sinnes he cannot know whether he please God and of this proposition they render this reason for it may

as vnto a menstruous and polluted thing depart hence and get away 4 In the fourth place they reason thus S. Paul saith 1. Corinth 4. I knowe nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified for he that iudgeth me is the Lord. Therefore Paul was not assured concerning his owne iustification But herevnto we answere first that this argumeÌ„t euen as the former also would rather haue beene placed with the reasons drawne from holy scripture because as we see they are taken therefrom then placed amongst the arguments that men make to establish that errour but we will easily omit that scape and not insist vpon that point as not much materiall Secondly we say that the reason is but from example which though here it may be good and in some other particular cases yet is not alwaies good no not in good men because nowe we may say euen as the Apostle saith in an other place another case also vve knovve no more nowe after the flesh no not Christ Iesus And when they are at the best and highest they are rather arguments of perswasion to lead men to do the like then sound sufficieÌ„t reasons to prooue the lawfulnesse of the thing for which they are alleadged But we will let this also goe followe that which is of more weight and importaÌ„ce As for this argument if we know or vnderstand rightly what the Apostle meaneth by these wordes it is or will be easily absolued for the knot is not so hard tvvisted or tied as they imagine It seemeth vnto men that as verse 1. of the 4. chap. he had put the people in minde of their duties towards their ministers namely that though they might not account them Lords and rulers yet they should esteeme them as such whome Christ had sent euen by their hands to deliuer vnto them the treasures hidden secrets of Gods kingdome and saluation So in the next verse he had told the ministers preachers of the word what was their duety namely that in the executioÌ„ of their charge they should cary themselues not as Lords but as seruants yea as faithfull seruantes who must one day reÌ„der an accouÌ„t for the discharge of their dutie to God And because he had set forth himselfe as an example yet many of the Corinthians regarded him not but esteemed him as a base person he doth verse 3. vse a preuention that he litle or nothing at all stayeth vpon the contrarie iudgement that they had of him And least he might be thought to haue spoken this without reason he sheweth diuers reasons why he esteemeth not their peruerse and corrupted iudgements concerning himselfe The first is that when men iudge in these matters according to their own braine and vnderstanding it ought to be accounted of no greater weight then if ignorant men should take vpon them to iudge of learning and wisedome or of wise and learned men this is conteined in the latter part of verse 3. The second is taken from his owne person and theirs together as if he should say How are yee able to iudge what manner of man I am in the execution of my ministerie sith I my selfe who by all probability should in that behalfe better knowe my selfe then yee can yea in a good conscience can testifie before God and men that in that charge I haue in some good measure vprightly behaued my selfe dare not yet therfore arrogate any thing to my selfe For I know that yet I am not for all that vnblameable specially before God or that I should please and flatter my selfe as yee doe and this is the argument that the Apostle vseth in this 4. verse What is here against the certainetie of Paul iustification before God or the assurednes of his heart as in that respect He sheweth they could not iudge him because he himself was not able throwly and exactly to discerne himselfe must he therefore doubt of his righteousnesse and saluation before God Surely it will not follow for first besides that god and man differ it is not safe to inferr vpon a godly mans debasing of himselfe for some respect before men his doubting in the sight of God or his distrustfulnesse of his mercies towards him Manie a man debaseth himselfe before God and yet hath hope in his heart yea the more for that because God resisteth the proud presumptuous and giueth grace to the lowlie and meeke as the scripture saith And though we should vnderstand it of iustification before God yet other places of scripture and some thing in this for the spirit is not coÌ„trary to it selfe should declare it For surely the Apostle here doubteth not whether the newenes of life good works which he being renewed had done were seales pledges vnto him of this that he was iustified before God but plainely simply denieth that by theÌ„ he was iustified which as we may confirme by an other place of the Apostle Phil. 3. wheÌ„ he saith that he hath no confidence in the flesh that if any other maÌ„ thinketh he hath ought wherof he might trust in the flesh much more he who touching the righteousnes which was in the law was vnrebukeable some thinketh it standeth vpon religious reason because all our righteousnesse are as filthy and stained cloathes and when we haue done all that we can doe we are vnprofitable seruaÌ„ts so many defects yea corruptions cleaue vnto our best and most religious duties as we performe theÌ„ yea it should seeme that he in this very place rendreth a reason of it because that though he were vnblameable before men yet he could not by his workes stand before Gods iudgements or God himselfe who requireth such perfect obedience that if a man performe not all things commanded in his lawe he subiecteth him to the curse thereof or as Saint Ieames saith chap. 2. He that offeÌ„deth in one is guiltie of them al And so if you will needes vnderstand it of this iustification the Apostle sheweth that he had need of another righteousnes then his owne namely the absolute and perfect righteousnes of Christ the mediatour which he may safely oppose against gods wrath iudgemeÌ„t be therby iustified and accepted euen vnto eternall life And of this iustification because it is absolute infinite he neuer speaketh doubtfully but alwaies resolutely as Rom. 5. Being iustified by faith we haue peace towardes God through our Lord Iesus Christ And againe Romanes 8 It is god that iustifieth who shall condemne So that we see may say that take it which way they will or can it can not or will not in the truth of the spirit speake that they would haue it or prooue that for which they produce it 5 A fifth argument they frame thus we are vncerten say they concerning predestination or election that is as they themselues expound it or must expound it we cannot out of Gods word shew whome God hath chosen vnto himselfe vnlesse besides and without the word

ministers to publish it spread it abroad and all as men mindeful of and carefull for the glory of our God to addorne and beutifie it and to doe what we can in holy life to make it honourable And so is it that Christ saith and meaneth also Ioh. 17. where speaking of his Apostles he affirmeth That they kept the word of his heauenly father And therefore also to such as after this manner imbrace the doctrine of the Gospell and professe it beleeue it and obey it in some measure are very large and excellent graces promised as iustification sanctification and glorification c. not because imperfect workes can merite or deserue any more at Gods handes then grosse corruptions for as in regard of his absolute iustice no imperfect thing can please him but because that God through his mercie and Christs obedience is pleased as to forgiue and forget our defects so to crowne his owne graces in vs and by these large promises and performances also to whett vs vnto perfection in this life though indeed we can neuer here attaine thereto Now the maior beeing thus expounded and these words to keep Christs sayings beeing taken in this sense in the minor or assumption we doe not denie the minor as vntrue because Christ saieth of his Apostles Iohn 17. They haue kept thy word and all that they haue and doe in sort as before is expressed imbrace and hold fast the doctrine of the gospell keeping faith and a good conscience as the Scripture saith may rightly bee termed in their measure to keep Christs sayings though he will not or dare not affirme they do it so well and in such a large measure as the Apostle did 7 Another argument they frame as followeth He that by the Gospell cannot know whether wee haue sufficient repentance for his sinnes he cannot be assured touching iustification or the grace of God towards him or concerning saluation for God in the gospell requireth repentance of vs. But no man by the gospell can tell whether he haue sufficient repentance yea or no therefore no man no not by the Gospell knoweth or can knowe concerning Gods grace towards him his owne saluation There are many things in the maior proposition that had need of explanation First that word of sufficient repentance is not onely ambiguous and doubtfull but full of vnsoundnesse as though forsooth our iustification before god or reconciliation with him stood vpon the dignitie sufficieÌ„cie and merite of our repentance that is of our contrition faith and new obedience whereas we know it dependeth not vpon all or any of these things but vpon the absolute obedience of our Sauiour Christ which as it is sufficient indeede to take away all sinne so it is much more powerfull to supply the defect of the fruits of our faith Or as though againe we could sufficiently and inough sorrow for our sinnes whereas if we weigh not onely all our sinnes but any of them in it owne nature and according to the grieuous effects it bringeth forth or the heauie iudgement of god against vs for the same we shall finde in our consciences and in truth before god that though wee would or could do nothing else all the daies of our liues but repent vs of that one yet wee could not sufficiently performe it therefore Or as though we had some sufficieÌ„cie in our selues to all or any good thing whereas the Apostle telleth vs in plaine euident tearms that vve are not sufficient of our selues as of our selues to thinke anie thing much lesse sufficiently to repeÌ„t but that all our sufficiencie is of god who worketh in vs both the will and the deed according to his good pleasure Secondlie wheras the maior affirmeth that vnles a man haue sufficient repentance for his sinnes he cannot be assured of iustification c. Wee aunswer that is false For though as in regard of that which is wanting in himselfe he caÌ„not be assured yet as in regard of that which for him is supplied by another and accepted of him to whome that supplie was due he may conceiue comfort and certainty also for euen as when the debt that a man oweth is satisfied by his brother the partie to whome it was due acknowledgeth himselfe contented and paid he that ought the debt neede not doubt much lesse distrust so is the case betweene god and vs through the death obedience of Christ his sonne our elder brother For God confesseth coÌ„tentment and acknowledgeth satisfaction when he saith This is my wellbe loued sonne in whome I am vvell pleased c And Christ hath paied the debt because he hath put out the hand vvriting of ordinances that vvas against vs vvhich was contrarie to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse and hath spoiled principalities and powers and hath made a shevv of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the same crosse And why then should we distrust or doubt vnles we would suspect the suffiencie of Christs obedience or the absolutenes of gods worke in giuing him to the death for vs all Thirdly this is faulty in the maior that it maketh it a principall part of the office of the Gospell to certifie mens hearts of repentance whereas the chiefe duetie of the gospell is to publish forgiuenesse of sinnes and by consequent eternall life also for where the first is the latter cannot choose but followe in the name and obedience of Iesus Christ And though we will not or cannot denie but that repentance is a part of the gospell and ioyned with the remission of sinnes yet is not therefore annexed therevnto that in the worthines or suffiencie of it we might merite assurance but that in the hauing of it it might pledge vp in our hearts the forgiuenesse of all our transgressions and yet not as though it were of our selues though it be in our selues but as it is Gods worke in vs he giuing this glorie to his owne worke to testifie this fauour vnto our hearts of reconciliation and peace Indeede if repentance were of and from man it were somewhat that they say but beeing simplie and onely from God who if he doe not effectually batter mens stonie and hard hearts they cannot return vnto him they cannot think or speake thus but with great sinne against God and their owne soules Lastly concerning the coÌ„firmation of the proposition in these words For God in the gospell requireth repentance of vs we confesse the truth of the senteÌ„ce but not in their sense for that God demaundeth it no man I thinke will denie because euerie where almost it is said repent and beleeue the Gospell But he that requireth it for these ends purposes that these men imagine as namely that it should puffe vs vp in pride and presumption of merit that we should thinke we haue it of our selues and so therein assure our hearts that is most false but rather because it commeth from

effect of the sight and sense of vnworthines in the Saints of God but hastening rather vnto the Lord that so in him that accounteth them worthy of euery thing and froÌ„ him alone they may bee replenished with his aboundant mercy Onely that word sufficiently worthily which here els where they vrge so much in the sense that they vse it to the purpose that they apply it we vtterly mislike for the grace of God in our iustification saluation c. doth not depend vpon our sufficiency worthines which indeed is none if we respect our selus as we haue heard sundry times already but vpoÌ„ the free gracious promise of god vpoÌ„ the absolut infinite merite of Christs obedience For therefore indeed are the promises published and therefore also is the sonne of God become made our mediatour intercessour because we are vtterly vnworthy of al or any fauour whereas if we had worthines in and of our selues these things had bin needles that for his sake through his obedience the father might declare himself to be gracious mercifull vnto vs according vnto which it is said Romaines the 8. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus c. So that we may see that a godlie hart will easilie confesse yea ought indeed to acknowledge both that he is vnworthie which he cannot choose but doe if he consider well Gods iustice his owne daylie and hourely transgressions euerie manner of way c. and that yet notwithstanding he ought stedfastly to beleeue the promises of the Gospell and namely this that beeing truely penitent wee are for Christs sake receiued into fauour whereof if he respect gods faithfulnesse Christs obedience his owne comfort and good thereby he cannot but be rightly and assuredly perswaded of the same 10 Their tenth argumeÌ„t they frame thus where there is infirmitie and weakenesse of faith there cannot be an assured perswasion hope and boldnesse But in them that are turned to God there is great infirmitie and weakenesse of faith therefore men cannot be assuredly certified of Gods fauour the forgiuenesse of their sinnes eternall saluation c. We cannot but deny the maior proposition of this sillogisme And least we should seeme to do it without good cause why I beseech you marke that that followeth Weaknes of faith and certainety of faith are not opposite or contrary for weakenesse and certaintie of one and the selfe same thing may be in one and the selfe same subiect at one and the selfe same time because they are diuerse and not contrarie but the opposite or contrarie to infirmitie and weakenes is strength The father of the childe that hath a dumbe spirite whome the disciples could not cast out and Christ told him that if he could beleeue al things were possible vpon the speach of Christ cried out with teares and as he confessed the weakenes of his faith so he earnestly prayed for vnderpropping and vpholding of it said Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe Mark the ninth And of the same nature is the praier that the Apostles make when they praye and saye Lord increase our faith c. For though faith in it selfe bee alwaies one as there is but one god one faith one Baptisme c. Ephesians the fourth And that it hath but one obiect to wit God as he hath reueâ—led himselfe in his word and in the face of his Sonne Iesus Christ yet as in regard either of the dailie increases of it through the powerfull working of Gods holie spirite or the cooling or weakening of it by the remainder of our owne sinnes or Satans malice against vs wee may be said sometimes to bee strong and sometimes to be weake in it and sometimes to grow in it and sometimes to be at a stand as it were And this is that that the Apostle saieth The iust proceedeth from faith to faith and againe the spirite of and withstanding Satan saieth Whom resist strong in faith As also this that the Apostle Saint Paule saieth of Abraham the father of the faithfull and friend of God that he not weake in faith c. Romaines the fourth Yea one and the selfe same godlie man as in respect of sundrie times and diuerse occasions may be said to be strong in this holie vertue and weake also What a faith was this in Peter by Christs comfortable wordes not onely to expell feare but in the strength and power of Christs speach vnto him and saying Come to vvalke vpon the vvater And yet what weakenesse was this in seeing of a winde to be afraied c. God making vs in him to beehold this trueth that while wee looke vpon him through Christ we are strong and bold as a lion but when we leaue vpon our selues or the arme of flesh and blood or regard calamities wee are as weake as water and readie to sinke Therefore in the maior proposition wee may well and easilie perceiue that they neither deale plainely with the cause For as in that behalfe they should not haue vsed infirmitie or weakenes of faith but doubting because the question is not of weakenes and wants in Gods Saints which they carrie about with them not onely in their faith but in all other good graces besides but of doubting and distrustfulnesse which indeede is wickednesse and euill these two differing as much as good and badd light and darkenesse and that not onely in their manner and natures but in their effects also Weakenesse working in vs running vnto God for strength and doubting driuing vs for the time and in some measure from him to others that indeed can not steed vs though it may bee wee may deeme otherwise I say they neither deale plainely with the cause it selfe nor with the trueth of religion and the word For faith or coÌ„fidence in God through Iesus Christ whether it be firme or vnfirme strong or weake may be assured and certainlie determine concerning Gods grace forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall saluation though not as in regard of the strength or certainetie of it selfe yet as in respect of the strength power and assurance of the obiect whereabout it is occupied to wit gods mercie manifested in his Sonne Iesus Christ and declared by the sweete and comfortable promises of the word the reason is because faith though weake doeth laye hold of as much and appropriate or apply as much as a firme or strong faith that is Iesus Christ wholie with all his benefits and merits though it doe not so stronglie or as we may say somewhat more weakely apprehend and applie him So that the difference is not in the certainetie and assurance of faith for he that is weake therein may for ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ measure bee as well and certainely assured as he that is strong but for the manner or measure of apprehending or applying Iesus Christ Therefore as he that layeth fast hold of a thing though it bee but weake or feeble is yet for himselfe as well assured

doe so sinne in superfluitie least their euill example might infect others or else to haue some when they eate and drinke to put them in minde to put a knife vnto their throats or to allowe them lesse that so they might not by abusing of Gods creatures increase their owne sinne and hale iudgement vpon the whole house And the like maye wee affirme of the doctrine of God which is or at the least should bee the spirituall foode and drinke of our soules And thus hitherto wee haue not onely largelie but truelie I am sure aunswered whatsoeuer they haue obiected at the least wise the most materiall and forcible argumentes that they make either to vpholde their owne vanitie or errour or to assault the inuiolable and inuincible trueth of God Nowe there remaineth an aunswer to such places as they cite or quoate out of the auncient Fathers or Doctours of the Church which labour specially as in regard of the ignorant who are not well acquainted with their writinges wee might verie well spare were it not that wee would glady stoppe the mouthes of their aduersaries in all that they do or can bring for themselues whether it be in substance or shew How be it herein to put downe euery particular place doctor that they vse or abuse rather I minde not for besides that it would bee infinitely tedious it would bee also vnnecessarie or superfluous for the aunswering of one or two all the rest saying nothing at the least-wise for matter though now and then they varie in the manner but what others haue said shall be the answering of them all And therefore it shall be best herein to be as short as wee may conueniently yet as plaine as possiblie we can that so the trueth of the Lord may breake forth and be imbraced in her glorie 1 The first father that they doe alleadge is Augustine and out of him a place in his 23. tractat vpon Iohn wher he saith The minde is tossed betweene hope and despaire It is to be feared least hope hurt or kill thee that whilest thou hopest much concerning gods mercy thou shouldst fall into his iudgement And againe it is to be feared least desperation should destroy thee that whilest thou thinkest the great and grieuous sinnes vvhich thou hast committed are not pardoned thou shouldst not repent and so incurre his iudgement We may frame diuerse aunswers to this place As for example when he saith it is to be feared least hope hurt thee c. He vseth the name of hope not in his good and naturall meaning as it is both vsed and pressed vpon vs in the holie Scripturs but by abusion as S. Iames doth the word of faith in his second chapter or else according to that conceit or imagination that these secure men had of that which in themselues they tooke to be hope And though this bee true and may sufficiently aunswer the place yet further I say that Augustin in these words doth not speak simply against christian hope for that had beene to haue condemned that which the holy ghost hath commended and to haue disprooued that which he approoueth in many places of the word but against such a conceited hope if I maye giue it the name of hope or idle conceit rather swimming imagination as maketh men secure carelesse and negligent in the obedience or keeping of gods commaundements For first this is Augustins drift and purpose namely to admonish men of boldnes or licenciousnes in sinning which ariseth in men either froÌ„ a false hope of easily obtaining pardon or els froÌ„ the contrary that is distrust of saluation or from imagination that sinne is but some light and trifling thing And that this is his meaning indeed it may appeare by some speaches that goe not much before these that our aduersaries alleadge as wheÌ„ he saith wherefore from either of them that is to say both hoping and despairing which are contrarie affections men are in daunger By hoping a man is deceiued when he saieth God is good God is mercifull I will doe whatsoeuer pleaseth me or liketh me I will giue my lusts the reines and lay the bridle in their necke Why so because God is mercifull gracious c. These men are in daunger of hope As they on the other side of desperation who when they haue fallen into grieuous sinnes c. as it followeth in the father By which we may see what manner of hope it is that he condemneth not the certainetie which wee according to the Scriptures teach is to bee fixed in Christ alone and his merits or Gods mercie through him and which for the certainetie and assurednesse of it is said in the word to bee as it were the anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast but such a one as al they that abuse Gods grace vnto wantonnes and sinne do wickedly forge frame vnto themselues To bee short he shutteth vp in this place or matter with the wordes of Christ vnto the adulterous woman Neither doe I condemne thee But beeing made sure for that which is past be heedy for things to come neither will I coÌ„deÌ„ne thee for some smale good that thou hast omitted keep that which I haue coÌ„mauÌ„ded thee that so thou maist haue performed that which I haue promised thee By which wordes appeareth that he mindeth not here to establish doubting or distrustfulnesse touching saluation neither yet to deliuer any thing against the assured hope of our soules for if he had done so he had spoken against the trueth of God and his word but that he laboureth to remooue the one and indeed to establish confirme the other whilest he assaieth as to humble the hard stony harted so to instruct the tender and afflicted conscience which he would not or could not haue done if he had meant to haue approoued of distrust or doubting for how can the conscience buffeted and beaten with feare receiue consolation thereby 2 Secondly they alleadge another saying which the same Augustine hath in his second booke of the city of god chap. 12. Where he saith speaking euen of good and holie men as it should seeme who though they be assured of the reward of their perseuerance yet are become vncertaine concerning perseuerance it selfe For vvhat man is he that knoweth he shall continue in the action of vvelldoing and proceeding in righteousnesse vnto the ende vnlesse by some speciall or particular reuelation he be thereof certified from him who in his iust iudgement doeth not instruct all men concerning this matter and yet for all that faileth or deceiueth none Here say our aduersaries Augustine plainely denieth that the Saints are sure of their perseuerance and continuance euen vnto the ende But none shall be saued but he that continueth vnto the ende Augustine therefore denieth that men are or can be assured concerning their saluation To all this we aunswer that Augustine speaketh here of such an vncertaintie and ignorance as is opposite not vnto

sound or that god may not distribute his graces as he will to some more to some lesse to none all it were somewhat But these things being as they are Hieroms collection cannot be very good But let it be as may be wee say nothing to deface him or to puffe vp our selues but to shewe that the aduersaries haue not nor cannot any maÌ„ner of way haue such hold of him or from him as they suppose And the like may we say of al the rest whose authorities we cease further to answer as we because that which hath beene said to these will suffice to satisfie the other as also because we would auoid tediousnesse not onely in matter vnnecessarie but euen also in that which is necessary and so make hast to more materiall points and matter of more weight and importance Hitherto wee haue bin busied and I hope not vnprofitably in aunswering whatsoeuer our aduersaries haue beene able to alleadge either out of Scripture or from reason or fathers against the certainetie of faith in the fauour of God touching our saluation c. or for the maintenance and vpholding of that doubtfulnesse and distrust which they hold in themselues and would obtrude or thrust vnto others By all which it plainely and euidently appeareth that that doctrine of theirs concerning doubting is not conteined in the word of God or the writings of the fathers rightly vnderstood or is grounded vpon anie sound or religious reason and that therefore indeede it is not to be accounted a Scripture doctrine or a doctrine conteined in the bookes and writinges of holie men indued with sound and vpright iudgement but is taken rather as a dreame and fantasie of their owne which together with with them will vanish awaye they beeing so farre of their preiudising the trueth which they haue seemed to oppugne and impugne that they haue rather established and confirmed the same so true here and else where euen in all respects must that be that the Apostle Saint Paule speaketh in the second to the CorinthiaÌ„s the thirteene where he saith We cannot do any thing against the truth but for the trueth Now we are in as few words as possiblie wee can to declare that this their doctrine of doubting directly striueth against gods holy word the writings of the founder fathers religions reason and whatsoeuer else we can recken vp that so when wee see it hath not onely nothing for it but all against it wee may cast it away with bissing and so more soundlie cleaue and stick to the truth of God and his word 1 This doctrine of the papists concerning doubting of Gods grace our owne saluation c. is first directlie contrarie to two sorts of testimonies contained in the holie Scriptures or writinges of God The first sort is of them that doe manifestlie and plainely instruct vs coÌ„cerning the assurednesse of faith and the certainetie confidencie and boldnes of beleeuers shewing also withall that by faith and the sound fruites thereof we may safelie iudge and determine concerning election specially our owne The second sort is of them in which God himselfe by his word and spirite hath sharpely reprooued and iustly condemned doubting concerning himselfe his goodnesse power word promises therin contained To put downe all the particular places of both kindes in the verie words of the text would bee tedious and indeed vnnecessarie because the trueth of the doctrin of the word standeth not in the multitude and conformitie of places but vpon God and that sufficient credit in it selfe that God hath giuen to it Notwithstanding wee will touch some and by quotation onely referre the godlie and studious reader to the the rest that we thinke meet for this purpose and to his continuall reading of the word by which we may doubtlesse add many more of the like nature In the epistle to the Hebreues there are two worthy places The 1. is chap. 4. v. 16. where he saith Let vs boldly go therefore vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercie and finde grace to help in time of neede Wee may perceiue that it is an exhortation inferred vpon the premises containing in them a reason of this our christian boldnes namely this that howsoeuer Christs priesthood was farre more excellent and glorious then that of Aaron because he is the sonne of God placed in heauen c. Yet that glorie of his should not hinder vs from approching vnto him but rather further vs indeed not onely because he hath the fulnes of all power in his hand as v. 14. but also because he is our eldest brother and is not onely sensibly touched with the feeling of out infirmities and miseries but accounteth them all euen as his owne and therefore wee may come with coÌ„fidence and boldnes vnto him The 2. place is chap. 10. ver 22. where he saith Let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith our harts being pure from an euill conscience It is an exhortation as the former drawne indeed froÌ„ the maiestie dignitie of Christs priesthood set out and described verse â—â— in which the Apostle sheweth not onely how that all sufficient sacrifice which Christ hath offred once for al vpon the altar of the crosse may be applyed vnto vs to wit by a liuely stedfast faith which he câ—leth here assuraÌ„ce of faith but also how we may be persuaded we haue that faith namely through the sanctification of the spirit which he meaneth by hauing our hearts purged from an euill conscience c. all which causeth vs also assuredly to hope and trust in god and to be assured of his grace because wee see we haue not receiued his grace in vaine To which wee may adde a place out of the first epistle of Peter chap. 1. ver 15. Wherefore gird vp the loynes of your minde bee sober and trust perfectly on that graâ—â— that is brought vnto you in the reuelation of Iesus Christ In which words we may not onely see a transition from one vertue to another that is from faith which he had spoken of before to hope which he now dealeth with they being indeede inseparable companions such as go arme in arme as we may ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ but also he doeth very briefly declare what manner of hope that is that we should haue namely that it should be sound sincere continuall and to our vttermost perfect yea he teacheth vs whereon that hope staieth it selfe or what it respecteth grace saith he either the grace of the fauour of God in Christ or els free saluation reuealed vnto vs in the Gospell which also is called grace because it proceedeth from the free fauour and grace of God which is wrought vnto vs in this life through Christ manifested in his word and shall be fully accoÌ„plished when he that is our head shal appear for to ether of these or both of these may these words of the reuelation of Christ be referred though I thinke principally to the

bounty of god in his promises which god would haue vs as we may perceiue by by his commanding of vs to beleeue to giue free and full consent vnto As for the conditions they speake of we tell theÌ„ that are adioyned to the promises not as to make the promises more strong in themselus or as in respect of God for so they are alwaies sure and certain but the better to seale vp the faithfull performance of them in our hearts while wee are inabled by God in some measure to accomplish performe the same we assuring our owne hearts that sith we cannot perfectly fulfill theÌ„ our selues yet being fulfilled by another for vs we shal in his absolute accomplishment therof righteousnes haue a plentifull supply for all our defects whatsoeuer we knowing further that if many a compassionate man in the world doe not take all aduantages of breach of couenants or conditions that another hath made with him God who is compassion it selfe will not deale so with his seruantes whome he hath singled out vnto himselfe and separated to eternall life notwithstanding their weakenesse and wants And conditions in this case God propoundeth none vnto vs by the Gospell but to repent and beleeue the gospel both which are wrought in vs in some measure by his owne hand and grace and therfore we comfort our selues that being his owne work he wil not reiect it but accept it rather notwithstanding our weakenesses and wants by reason of the remainders of our corruption adioyned thereto As for the explanation or exposition following it hath receiued a full aunswere before and therfore we let it passe and come to a second exception that they make against this trueth thus We are not sure say they whether we performe these conditions that is whether we sufficiently repent vs of our sinnes or doe sufficiently beleeue the promises of God and therefore that wee are not assured concerning Gods promises But this we aunswere is the same poyson that hath beene propounded in some of their arguments before put downe and answered whether we might remit the reader How be it in a word or two we will saye somewhat And first we giue them to vnderstand that their consequent were good and forcible if they had prooued or could prooue that the trueth certâ—inetie of gods holy and heauenly promises did depend vpoÌ„ the sufficiencie of our faith repentance but that being not prooued is of no importance Nay we say further that it caÌ„not be prooued because God in his word hath not prescribed a limited and determined measure of faith and repentance which whosoeuer hath not attained vnto he cannot be certified or assured of gods grace and his owne saluation but therin onely requireth at our hands faith and repentance both which graces as all other fruits of the spirite are in some more and in some lesse according to the measure thereof giuen vnto men from God And this may appeare because Christ simply and plainely saith He that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life not expressing how much or how litle faith is requisite to that worke so it be sound and true And we are taught in the Scriptures to pray for augmentation and increase of faith and to vse all good meanes whereby we may bee builded vp therein and so proceed from faith to faith c. So may we yea so ought wee to pray for increase of repentance other fruits of graces of the spirit and yet when we haue attained through Gods goodnesse towards vs a good measure yet wee shall haue our lacks And what can be more plaine then that Christ saith to the woman Luke 7. thy saith hath saued thee although wee doubt not the place and circumstances of it considered to affirme that she had not sufficient either faith or repentance And therefore we may safely conclude that though we beleeue weakelie yet so it be truely and rightly al our sinnes are forgiuen vs for Iesus Christ sake we made partakers of all the fruites and merits of his death and passion Besids what an absurditie will follow this conceit of sufficiencie of faith and repentance for sith no man liuing can either sufficiently bee sorrowfull for his sinnes or make any answer or satisfaction vnto god for them or surely determine concerning the sufficiencie of his faith and repentance because God hath reuealed no such thing in his word and to fetch it from his owne head or heart will not be fit for that is deepe and deceitfull aboue all things it will follow that no man should hope for saluation but rather despaire of it which besides that it is absurde is both ungodly and vncomfortable also But if they will yet further obiect and say that no man knoweth whether he doth truly repent and beleeue or els whether he ascribe vnto himselfe the things he hath not We answer that it is an vntrue assertion to say that no man can tell whether he doe truely repent beleeue c. For though the scripture haue not taught vs to knowe whether our faith is sufficient or our repentance weighty ennough yet hath it giuen vs certaine infallible notes by which we may discerne and iudge of the sinceritie and trueth both of our faith and repentance For as alll the fruites of our faith generally are sure seales and pledges of the trueth that is in vs and more particularly our holy prayers to God according to that which is said Rom. 10. How shall they call vpon him in whome they beleeue not so in the fruits and effects following our repentance seales vp also the sinceritie and soundnesse thereof in our seuerall soules Nowe what these are we may see largely recited 2. Cor. 7. as great care clearing of our selues indignation feare desire zeale reuenge c. And why should we not or may we not say that if in the little light of nature that remaineth in vs vntainted we may be able to discerne of some sinnes we may by the light of the word and spirit beginning and aduauncing our regeneration be able in some measure to iudge of our owne faith repentance c. That a beleeuing man may know that he doth beleeue the Apostle me thinketh doth plainely shewe it in his own example when he saith 2. Tim. 1.2 I know whom I haue beleeued And when Philip Act. 8. said vnto the Eunuch if thou doest beleeue with all thy heart c. and he answered I beleeue that that Iesus Christ is that sonne of God did not the Eunuch both know and feele faith The Apostle telleth vs. Rom. 10. that with the heart wee beleeue to iustification and with the mouth make confession to saluation And 2. Cor. 13. why doth the Apostle commaund or exhort to trye our selues whether we be in the faith Surely he would not haue enioyned or prouoked men to this duetie vnlesse they might through the power and grace of the holie ghost in some measure and manner certainely know it

And 1. Cor. 2. he saith we haue receiued not the spirite of the world but the spirite of God For which purpose also see Ephes 1.17.18 and Ephes 3.16 c. and 1. Ioh. 4.15 sundry other from all which we may conclude that true faith knoweth it selfe and doubteth not of euerlasting saluation which it apprehendeth or laieth hold of Although we denie not nether but that the flesh many times intermingleth that which is in and of it selfe that is to say doubting concerning the word and promises of God Yea our faith in Christ though it be neuer so smale yet if it be true both holdeth fast this certainetie concerning Gods grace and our owne eternall saluation and also knoweth and feeleth that according to the measure of mercie from God it holdeth the same fast And yet we are not ignorant of this neither that manie times it is very infirme weak then especially when manie sore doubtings do tosse and turmoile yea make wearie our faint minds which doubtings indeed are not from faith neither of the nature of faith but flow from the flesh of our old Adam in vs which point if we know well we shall be made able the better and more easily to cleare and voide this point But yet they persist and say that Epicures and prophane men euen in the midst of their iniquities may suppose that they haue such a perswasion of certainetie assurance But we tell them first that our question of true faith and of them that do indeed beleeue and not of epicures and prophane persons or of a dead faith which many hypocrites yea diuels may haue as S. Iames plainly sheweth and that therefore they do euill and misse the mark when they compare not onely diuerse but contrarie both men and matters together Secondly that we are hartilye sorie for their blindnesse and ignorance that cannot as yet make a difference betweene the imaginations and conceits of the wicked which commonly breed and bring forth in them senselesse and carelesnesse and the perswasions of the godly which as they worke comfort for the sinnes already past so do they breed care of conuersation for that which is to come Thirdly we say that howsoeuer the world may fantasie and imagine some such matter yet they cannot feele it or be indeede throughly perswaded of it not onely because God saith by the Prophet There is no peace to the wicked who are like the raging sea that can not rest whose vvaters cast vp mire and dirt but also because wanting faith without which also it is impossible to please god they must lack this effect of it euen the quiet fruite of righteousnesse and a good conscience before God and men But let vs proceed to some further exceptions they make against this truth Some of them say that is not presently performed which is promised therefore from this that God hath promised vs saluation it will not follow that wee presently laye hold thereon and therefore we cannot from the promise that is made vnto vs concerning our saluation conclude that we ought to bee sure concerning it as if it were already accomplished and performed There are many things to be said to this exception or obiection We denie not this that God doth not alwaies presently performe the things he hath promised but that this should be inferred that therefore we should doubt of the accomplishment of them in that time that god hath set with him selfe from before all times is neither sauourie in it selfe nor will follow from the antecedeÌ„t I will put one case that shall make it as plaine as possibly can be Our Sauiour Christ was promised to our first parents presently after the fal to be the person by whoÌ„e God would reconcile the world vnto himself And yet he was not manifested in the flesh many thousands of yeares after What should they then or those that did succeede them after haue doubted of the accomplishment of this most sweet comfortable promise because it was not presently performed Away with such wickednes I would faine see a reason for this why wee should not as well doubt of that which is past so many huÌ„dred or thousand of yeares if you will because it is not presently performed or we behold it not with our eies or haue the rest of our senses satisfied therin as doubt of that which in the streÌ„gth power of gods promise is to be performed in time because it is not presently done why may not a man as safely infer euen by the contrary and that also as in respect of the godly that if they wil haue them to doubt of the accoÌ„plishment of gods promises because they ar differred they must not feare but tremble with the diuel daÌ„ned as in regard of the iudgmeÌ„t vengeance that is for to come Nay I will say more if this be right that they propound as in regard of the faithfull that they should doubt because it is not by and by performed that is promised that theÌ„ the wicked need not feare or doubt as in respect of the wrath that is threatned because it is delaied for of contrary things there is the contrary reason or consideration and we know that to be true which the holy ghost speaketh in the booke of the preacher Though a sinner doe euill a hundreth times and God prolong his daies yet I know it shall be well with them that feare the Lord and do reuerence before him but it shall not be well to the wicked neither shall he prolong his daies but shall be like a shaddowe because he feareth not before God Me thinketh rather this would follow God manie times for causes reasons best knowne vnto himselfe differreth the performance of his promises and the execution of his wrath therefore they will certainelie come because he is no changling Can we say in reason that which is differred is not taken away and can we not much more saye in christian religion wherein this is taught vs to be the nature of faith and hope not so much to regard things present as those that are to come for faith that is seene is no faith and therefore is here commended Hebre. 11. that being warned of God concerning thinges which were as yet not seene and mooued with the reuerence he prepared the arke to the sauing of his houshold affirme the same wee haue a by word amongst vs that were it not for hope the heart would breake Let vs labour herein according to trueth and godlinesse able with patience and comfort to support vs euen vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ to end all our miseries and to make perfect our felicitie and ioy Whatsoeuer it be this is certaine that whatsoeuer god promiseth vnto his people he doeth assuredly and without fayling accomplish and perform the same vnto them though happily not so soone as the word hath passed him for so it might be they would make no great account of the fauour promised

there to be found for the weake safe and assured securitie and the rest vnlesse it be in the woundes of our sauiour I doe so much the more safely remaine and dwell there by howe much he is the more mighty to saue and deliuer And in his sermon concerning the fragments of the seuen mercies in his thirde sermon I consider or behold saith he three things in which all my hope consisteth gods grace or loue of addoption the trueth of his promise and his power to yeeld and performe it Nowe let my foolish thought and immagination murmure as much as it can or will saying who art thou or hovve great is that glory or by what merit hopest thou to obtaine these things But I for my part will confidently answere I knowe whoÌ„e I haue beleeued and againe I aunswere that in exceeding charitie or loue he hath adopted me that he is true and faithfull in all his promises and most mightie in performance of what soeuer pleaseth him If we would stand vpon testimonies out of the fathers touching this point we might make a volume By these men may iudge of the rest and plainely conclude against our aduersaries that their doctrine of doubting is as well directly against the writings of the fathers as the holie Scriptures and that therefore it is not a doctrin of the true auncient Church but a new inuention deuise growing in and preuailing vpon as other corruptions when the maister of iniquity beganne to worke or was growne to his heigth And so by all this treaty or discourse framed written against this popish opinion or doctrine of doubâ—ing wee maye plainely perceiue what wee are to thinke or iudge concerning the same namely as of a pointe directly opposite and contrarie both to the trueth of the worde of God written and also to the iudgement of the sounder sorte of diuines and therefore vtterlie to be refused and reiected as a loathsome and poysonfull thing against our soules and bodies For that which is not onely not contained in the holy Scriptures of God and the sounde writinges of the fathers in what respect I ioyne them together I haue declared before and therefore desire men not to bee offended therewith but also doeth openlye and manifestly contradict the same it may not nor ought not to be accounted for the doctrine of the Scriptures or sounder sort of fathers of the Scripture I say expressely because I am sure that proceeding from one god and written by one blessed and holy spirite euen the spirite of trueth it cannot deliuer contradictorie thinges howsoeuer other writers and men may but false and not onely vnsauoury but vnsound and therefore not onely not to be receiued in the Church but to be driuen and banished as farre from it as possibly may bee Hithereto wee haue dealte against our popish aduersaries blindelye and wickedlye maintaining doubting of Gods grace of the forgiuenesse of our owne sinnes and of eternall saluation wherein surely it is greatlye to bee lamented that through their waye-wardnesse wee haue beene constrained to spende so manye wordes in a matter which is not onely plainely testified and set out vnto vs in the holie Scriptures but a sorte as it were assuredly written and ingrauen in the hearts of men And were it not indeed that wee knowe the weake had need to be strengthned and the ignorant inâ—tructed rather for any good we hope will come of the confutation answering of our aduersaries we might well inough haue spared this labour and paine And yet because in this point of doctrin ther is contained a principall foundation of christian consolation we trust it is not labour mispent as wel these that are not so well exercised in it as they ought to be may be the better instructed as also that those that are weake may the more be comforted and strengthned And yet we cannot but say that this for the most part standeth in speculation and contemplation rather then in practise appoint that in this dissolute senselesse age of the world would be more regarded pressed vpon men though withall we denie not but that ther is a profitable vse both of the one and the other according to the diuersities of states and times wherein God is pleased to place his children For as speculatioÌ„ or contemplation is good for the chaunging of the state of our darkenesse and ignorance into light and knowledge so practise is good for the altring of our senselesse or careles condition into christian care and feeling That to wit speculation beloÌ„geth wholy to the minde and vnderstanding and it aimeth as at his generall buâ—â— or ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ at general knowledge and comprehensions And this is the reasoning or disceptation of the heart and prepared principally for consolation and comforte that is to say yeeldeth to such consciences as are terrified and afflicted in temptations in the combat against sinne and the sense and feeling of Gods wrath against them for the same some spirituall ioy and consolation Both are necessarie in this Church and yet â—â—â—s latter of speciall vse for comforte Whereof though so manie stand not in need as of instruction because there are more ignoraunt and carelesse in the congregation then humbled and afflicted yet because their case is more hard and heauie for a wounded spirite who can be are it somewhat also would be said as in that behalfe Wherein sâ—â—h we our selues are not ignorant of the sleights and suggestions of Sathan and sith God hath furnished vs with spirituall armour and weapons to beat back the fierie darts of Sathan and hath reueiled himselfe in knowledge and comforte vnto vs not for our selues onely but for others that they with vs might be made partakers of the manifold graces of God let vs assaye from our owne feelings to doe good vnto others and what we can comforte and succour all those that are afflicted Satans suggestions are as a man may say innumerable and therefore let no man thinke we will or can deale with them all Such as we take to be principall and haue our selues beene most buffered and beaten withall wee will touch and aunswere as wee can Againe Sathan is the prince of darkenesse and confusion and therefore wee can hardlie followe any method in aunswering his temptations The course therefore that wee will keepe in this behalf shal be this take them as they come one after another and consider what he obiecteth and so accordinglye as God shall be pleased to assist and direct frame out of the worde of God seuerall and particular aunswers 1 In the first place Sathan commonly setteth before vs two strong temptations or if you will doth on both sides assault vs. For one while he obiecteth against vs our sinnes and another while the exceeding great and fearefull iustice of God reasoning or concluding thus against vs â—o He that is a sinner he is vnworthie to be saued yea most worthie eternally to perish for the vvages or hire of sinne is

death as the Apostle Saint Paule sheweth in the sixt to the Romaines vers 23. But thou art a sinner yea euen couered as if it were with thy sinne and that thyne ovvne conscience doth testifie against thee Therefore thou art worthie of eternall death yea thou canst looke for nothing but death and euerlasting punishment A sore reason and it will no doubt much shake the minde vnlesse it be well aunswered and therefore good reason that we should looke wel throughly into it and the rather because Sathan that otherwise of himselfe is the father of lyes and lyers and therefore can speake nothing doth at the least in outwarde shewe speake the trueth here VVherein first for this and all other his suggestions let vs mark that whensoeuer he speaketh the trueth yet he doth it not with a true minde neither in the same aymeth at a true or right ende The trueth of these thinges are propounded in the worde and indeed from thence also to be prooued if need be Howbeit they are there deliuered by God with one affection and to one end hereby Satan pressed vrged with another minde and to another end God reuealeth the with a minde to humble men in themselus in their owne corruption that so they might be exalted through his goodnes But Sathan setteth out their sinne with a hart purpose to swallow them vp with distrust coÌ„deÌ„natioÌ„ This if we know not being deceiued through the outward shew appearance of truth we shal easily be ouerthrown but if we vnderstaÌ„d beleeue it it shall be so far off froÌ„ hurting vs that it shall rather teÌ„d to our furtheraÌ„ce in the faith of gods mercies to the feeling of our vnworthines that so we may haue iust occasion to say of our selues that where sin hath abounded there grace hath ouer abounded also But more particularly to aunswer the seueral parts of this subtle sillogisme of Satan For the proposition we answer by distinction or respect as we may say He that is a sinner is vnvvorthy to be saued yea most vvorthy euerlastingly to perish This is true we confesse it if we consider man in himself or in his own nature or as he persisteth remaineth or vnles he haue through the satisfactioÌ„ obedience of Christ his sinnes pardoned because in the 1. we know our sinns withhold good things from vs and make a separation betwixt god and vs and wee are by nature the children of wrath as other men And in the second we are sure that the righteousnesse satisfaction and obedience of Christ being of infinite merite is able powerfull and sufficient inough to alter the state and condition because Christs satisfaction and the worthinesse of his suffrings is in such sorte imputed to euerie one that beleeueth that it is accouÌ„ted indeed be come his own CoÌ„cerning the assumption or minor I saye for my selfe in particular that I am not such a one as thou Satan saist I am for my nature is changed I haue in some measure put of the old man and am renued into knowledge acccording to the image of him that hath created me so also haue my sinnes through Christs obedience bin defaced blotted out staÌ„d euen before god in the coÌ„munication of righteousnes as though I had neuer transgressed Therefore though I will not deny but in respect of my self I am vnworthy to be saued and indeede most worthy to perish and therefore may truely say as the prophet doth Psal 143.2 Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified Yet in Christ for Christs sake who is the onely beloued of God and in whome alone the father is well pleased who also hath absolutely satisfied the wrath of God and answered for me whatsoeuer was against me sure I am I am worthy to be saued and vtterly vnworthy to perish or to be cast away The reason is because Christs worthynes which is most perfect pure is imputed vnto me and is indeede become mine as effectually yea I am perswaded more effectually by howe much he is more excellent and effectuall then my selfe though I were neuer so innocent and righteous as if I my selfe fulfilled all righteousnes For this I am sure of looke what Christ did he did it not for himselfe for he stood in no need of any such obedience because he neuer transgcessed but accomplished it for me and for my saluation and therefore I may in my measure safely say as the Apostle doth Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ but I liue yet not I any more but Christ liueth in me and in that that I novve liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in that sonne of God who hath loued me and hath giuen himselfe for me Which indeede is the euerlasting and vnmooueable voice of the Gospell that being conuerted to God I might assuredly resolue this with my selfe that I shall for Christ Iesus sake my Mediatour and redeemer be certainly receiued into fauour and for his worthinesse though not for any of mine owne for indeede I haue none but all vnworthinesse and accepted before him In confidence whereof also I can in some sort and sense say for my selfe others as the holy prophet of God Daniel doth chapter 9. we doe not present our supplicatioÌ„s before thee for our righteousnesse but for thy great and tender mercies yea heare vs for the Lords sake It may be that notwithstanding this full fit answere Satan who goeth about continually like a roaring Lion seeking alwaies to deuoure vs will not giue ouer to presse vs further saying he that is exceedinly iust cannot or will not leaue thing vnpunishmed but will haue his iustice fully and wholly satisfied But God is exceedingly iust and a most grieuous reuenger and punisher of all sinnes yea his iustice is altogether vnchangeable Therefore God will leaue nothing vnpunished but will haue his iustice absolutely satisfied and will cast thee away not comformable to his iustice To this we may aunswere in some sort before to the obiection touching the greatnesse and grieuousnes of our transgressions He presseth vpoÌ„ vs Gods iustice not with a mind that he hath to commend it for he rather condemneth it and all other good things in God euen as he doth the dietie it selfe but of a purpose to ouerwhelme vs and swallow vs vp therewithall if it may be But why may not we in some sort speake to Satan in this behalfe eueÌ„ as God shall speake to the wicked his imps What hast thou to doe to declare my ordinances that thou shouldst take my couenaÌ„t in thy mouth or why may we not say vnto him assaulting our selues or tempting others and labouring thereby to let the good work of the Lord in vs. The Lord rebuke thee O Sathan euen the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem reprooue thee Is not this a brand takeÌ„ out of the fire But we say more particularly He that is exceedingly

it consisteth of two natures the godhead and the manhood therfore is his obedience an absolute and full satisfaction for the sinnes of all the world euen as it is plainely said 1. Ioh. 2. He is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world meaning it of the efficacie of Christs death in the excellencie and absolutenesse of it as in regard of it selfe and as in respect of men of al sorts and of all ages and all places so that this benefite belongeth not to the Iewes only as many might imagine but also to other nations And for this cause is it indeed that Christ is said Rom. 10. to be the ende and fulfilling of the lawe for righteousnes and saluation to euerie one that beleeueth Euen as he saith in another place to the Iewe first and also to the graecian for there is no respect of persons vvith God Romaines the second And this Christ indeed hath God set out to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloode that so we might he iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in him To be short he was by the very decre and counsel of all the persons of the diety sent into the world and made subiect for a while vnto the law that he might redeeme vs from the lawe and the curse due vnto vs contained therein according to which the Apostle saith Gal. 4. when the fulnes of time was come God sent his sonne made of a womaÌ„ made vnder the law that he might redeeme theÌ„ that were vnder it so we receiue the adoptioÌ„ of sonns Him therefore and his obedience and satisfaction when by the eye of a true and a liuely faith I looke vpon by the stroÌ„g haÌ„d of the same faith I apply vnto my selfe then there is nothing in the world or out of the world be it from mine owne diffidence and distrustfulnesse or Satans malice that can either accuse me or condeÌ„ne me For I haue alwaies in readines by me yea within me by the suggestion of the spirit out of the rich treasure of the word which I may oppose against all the accusations of the lawe whatsoeuer and by meanes whereof I may stand euen in the very face and presence of the iudgement of God as comfortably and boldly as if I my selfe had in all respects satisfied the lawe of God nay I will say more coÌ„fortably boldly by much by howe much God and man ioyned togeather in one person hath for me wrought a more absolute obedience and righteousnes then I or al flesh could haue done had we coÌ„tinued in our first estate of innocency and holinesse Of which if any doubt and would be satisfied for it let him read the whole seuenth chapter of the epistle to the Romans there he shall finde this point confirmed and many other singular matters of sound and strong consolation propounded 3 But all this notwithstanding Satan will obiect against thee the imperfections and deserts that cleaue vnto thee and thy best works saying Though thou haue in Christ a thorow satisfaction made for the punishment of thy sinnes perfect righteousnesse yet sinne rest and remaine in thee as for example both thy originall and many actuall transgressions for which God will set himselfe against thee And then howe canst thou appeare or stand before God the iust iudge of the world yea such a one as hateth all manner of filthinesse though neuer so smale This is a strong temptatioÌ„ I confesse howbeit not such but that it may be fully satisfied and aunswered by trueth out of the worde And first I say marke this still that Sathan speaketh true things but not to a true right ende For that we haue yet sinne within vs both originall and actuall it is as cleare certaine as the Suune shineth at noone day But why hath god left them within vs is it to depresse our consciences aboue measure or in the memorie and sight of them to throw vs downe to damnation No verely Sathan indeede setteth them before vs to that purpose But God doth it to humble vs in our selues before him and to adde an edge vnto our supplications and praiers that so they may be more piercing then otherwise And this we may see in Paul who saith of himsefe that lest he should be puffed vp through aboundance or excellencie of reuelations there was giuen vnto him a pricke in the flesh and Sathan as an Angel to buffet him and for the remouing of theÌ„ he praied the Lord thrise yet receiued no other answere but this gods grace was sufficient for him and the Lords strength should be perfected through mans weaknes Yea this is that that the Apostle speaketh in his owne name and of himselfe as also in the names of the regenerate and of them Rom. 7. saying I alone not that which I doe for what I would that doe I not but what I hate that doe I If I doe then that I would not I consent to the lawe that it is good Howebeit it is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me For this I am sure of that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for though to will be present with me yet I find no means in my selfe to performe that which is good And in this notable discourse he holdeth on euen vnto the end of the chap. which I would intreat the godly reader carefully to to viewe and thinke vpon for surely he shall find there much tending to the answering of this temptation And to the same end he saith Gal. 5. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are one contrary one to another so that ye cannot doe the same things that ye would To all which we may adde for the further satisfaction of this dout in our hearts and the stopping of Sathans mouth if it may be that these our sinnes whether they be originall or actuall past or present many or fewe come not into accouÌ„t or reckoning before God neither are they neither shall be laid vnto our charge the reason is because they are omitted through the death and obedience of Christ I am now through Gods goodnesse and faith in Christ incorporated as it were into his body and be come flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones yea as I may say made one with him so that nowe this great grace beeing bestowed vpon me and I hauing that precious gift of faith wrought in me to apply it to my selfe the Lord can or wil no more refuse or condeme then Iesus Christ himselfe which I think the Apostle meaneth by these notable and comfortable speeches namely Ephâ—siaÌ„s the fourth By Christ all the wholle body beeing coupled and knit togeather by euery ioint for the furniture thereof according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of euery part receiueth increase of of the

these words that thy faith faile not or if you wil this being the end that Christ aimed at in his praiers or the fruit effect that followeth theÌ„ in all Christ shewing that is through his most feruent and continual praiers that the whole Church and the particular members of it are so vpheld that they do neuer vtterly nor neuer shall vtterly fal away from the faith which thing spoken here as it should seeme particularly to of Peter and yet notwithstanding in truth vprightnes to be extended to all the faithfull because there is in their measure manner a like coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of them in al euery faithfull person is more at large described prooued in the 17. of Iohn Where we may see that Christs praier was froÌ„ the beginning is now and shal be to the end of the worlde the very foundation and groundwork of the stability and continuance of the Church of God Another sore assault that after the former yea and indeede at the least wise in outward shew vpon the former Satan maketh against vs or giueth vnto vs is this If thy sinnes harm thee not neither indeed caÌ„ hurt thee as thou saiest thou maiest after thou beleeuest once sinne without feare of punishment Thou dealest Sathan like a Sathan now that in a double respect first in the end of thy temptations labouring euery way if it may be to ouerthrow my faith and obedience In the former thou didst assaye to drawe me to despaire In this latter thou labourest to throwe me headlong into securitie So that thou effect my ruine thou carest not by what meane by either of these or by both of them together or by any other God hath discouered this vnto me I huÌ„blie thanke him hoping that he that hath giuen me grace to espie thy subtletie wil also graunt me strength to ouercome it SecoÌ„dly herein thou shewest thy selfe an aduersary in that thou doest falsifie peruert my words Where did I say simply that sinne could not hurt or harme This I beleeue in my heart haue and will confesse it vnto the end with my mouth that being ingrafted into Christ my sinnes past or present cannot condemne me no more then they haue done the faithfull which haue gone before me in the flesh and in faith And what haue I saide here but that which the Scripture speaketh euery where The Apostle telleth vs. Rom. 8. in termes that cannot be corrupted with false glosses there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus That againe that the spirit speaketh out of the Prophet Ieremie as a parte and peece of the newe couenant Hebrewes 8. tendeth to the same ende saying I will be mercifull to their vnrighteousnes I will remember their sinnes their iniquities no more That our sinnes offend our most gracious heauenly father that they grieue the holy ghost within vs yea that we by theÌ„ not only as it were with cartrops but with gable ropes pul vpon vs though not eternall yet teÌ„porary corporall punishments so indeed do harme hurt vs I neuer denied nor will deny because the truth and certenty of al euery one of these things is propounded vnto vs in the worde of God But in what sense I haue saide thus I haue shewed before and let that suffise As for that that thou woldst haue me to infer thervpon namely that therefore I might liue as I list sinne without controulment it is most false in it self most irreligious before God most vnseasonable in the sight iudgement of men Doth not the Apostle tell vs Rom. 8 that they that are led by the spirit of God are the childeÌ„r of God what meneth he thereby any thing els but this that they that are by the grace of God through the worke of regeneration in the power of the spirit and the exercises of the word freed froÌ„ sinne do not remaine or continue therein And is not the same that he expresseth in an other place in other tearmes saying our olde man is crucified with Christ that the bodie of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serue sinne If we knowe any thing in Christ or of Christ we knowe this that so many as are iustified from their sinns by faith in his blood are also by the spirit of Christ saÌ„ctified vnto obedience of his wil for these are the two fruits that we haue in by the death and rising againe of our Sauiour from wheÌ„ce also there followeth this comfort to the faith full that they doe many times in some good measure withstand and ouercome sinne not in others only but in themselues principally And sure we are of these that that sanctification which we haue in and from Christ by obedience of his will can no more be seperated from free iustificatioÌ„ from all our vnrighteousnesse through his blood then heat from fire or light and warmeth from the body of the sunne And therefore euen this declareth SataÌ„ that thou art a falsifier of all good words and workes But besides I tel thee that sith we may by effects gather arguments to our selus touching the saluation of our soules that therfore thou canst not or shalt not herein shake my faith I take it to be the generall drift of the Apostle 2. Cor. 13. to prooue that by effects we may iudge of our owne and other mens good estates before God Sith therfore God giueth vs that leaue it behoueth vs with all careful indeauour as to vphold these good things in vs so carefully to see whether we can truely finde them in our selues or no or the more in number the more great and excellent in qualitie and the more assured we shall after due examination finde them to be in vs the more assured we may be concerning our owne saluatioÌ„ so much the more valiantly oppose our selues against Sathat in this same dangerous combate Whereof also as seemeth to me there is great reason For if our sinnes which are from Sathans malice or our owne corruption do grieue vs possesse our hearts with feare why shall not the fruits of our faith and obedience which are from God yeeld vs comfort fill our hearts with hope not because they are in vs for so we doe many times weaken them at the lest if not impaire or hurt them but as they are in vs from God who we are sure will accept of his owne good workes and graces vouchsafed vnto vs. Lastly I say that as we abstaine not from meate and drinke and other necessarie aides of naturall life because we knowe that the tearme and time of the said life is limited by God so there is no man vnles he be wittingly and wilfully wicked that therefore will giue himselfe ouer to sinne because he is assured of his owne saluation for that were to turne the grace of God into wantonesse to abuse the best grace that euer God gaue vs nay rather a good maÌ„ wil therefore the more heedily beware of sinne abstaine froÌ„ it because he knoweth that sinne in it own nature grieueth god make the seperatioÌ„ between the Lord and vs and cleaue fast vnto righteousnes well doing because our forsaking euill or departing from it as also our accomplishment and performance of good thinges is a pledge of our electioÌ„ as the Apostle saith The strong foundation of God remaineth sure hauing this seale set vnto it first the Lord knoweth them that are his and secondly let euery one that calleth vpoÌ„ the name of the lord Iesus Christ depart from iniquitie And there fore I tell thee Satan I cannot harken to any of thy voices much lesse to this by which thou labourest to thrust me headlong into loose life which wil prouoke god hurt mine owne soule and hinder other men from faith full obedience but detest thee and it wil by gods grace flie from these and all other corruptions whatsoeuer thou wouldst stirre me vnto FINIS

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