the assumption wherefore I prooue 〈…〉 thus The Sacrament of Penaunce as they all it is one of the chiefe thinges in the â—…ligion of the Church of Rome for it is such a sacrament that by the power efficacie of it the bloude of Christ is deliuered to vs to washe awaie our sinnes and they saie it hath such vertue that the kingdome of heauen is promised to it in the scriptures and that it is not regeneration but an healing of a man regeneration but an healing of a man regenerate that it pardoneth sin as Baptisme And as touching Contrition Papistes write it hath power to do away sinne and to obtein pardon at Gods hand the same they speake oâ— Confession which they saie deliuereth from death openeth Paradise and giueth hopâ— of saluation and hereby it maie appeare that Penance is one of the greatest pointe of the popish religion But a reprobate maie be truely made partaker of the popish sacrament of Penance indeed performe all in it There be three partes of Penaunce Contrition of the heart Confession of the mouth Satisfaction in thâ— deed All these three Iudas performed firâ— he had Contrition for when he saw that oâ— Sauiour Christ was condemned then he saw his owne sinne and was striken with griefe for his owne treacherie repenteâ— and presentlie after he confessed his sinâ— openly vnto the chiefe Priestes and Elder Also he made Satisfaction when he brought againe the thirtie peeces of siluer which he tooke to betraie his maister Again Contrition of the hart is the ground of Penaunce Papists saie it is not an act of the holy ghost but an act of mans freewil proceding froÌ„ it therfore a reprobate may haue it And as for Satisfaction if a reprobate caÌ„not do it by himself yet he may performe it by another for so they saie that one may satisfie by an other wherfore for anie thing I caÌ„ see a reprobate may haue al that is coÌ„teined in the popish sacrameÌ„t of penance Faith is an other of the chiefest points that is the religioÌ„ of the Church of Rome for they saie it is the foundatioÌ„ ground-work of IustificatioÌ„ But reprobats may haue that faith which they meane For they say that it is nothing els but a gift of God a certain light of the mind wherwith a maÌ„ be ing enlightned giueth sure certain assent to y e reuealed word of god And the Rhemists say it is onely an acte of the vnderstanding and Andradius saith that Faith is onely in generall actions and can not come to the particular applying of anie thing now all this reprobates maie haue for their minds are englightened to know the trueth and to be perswaded of it and therfore they haue this acte of the vnderstanding and this generall faith yea the Diuell himselfe can do thus much who beleeueth trembleth And the implicite faith which saueth the laye man what reprobate cannot haue it for there is nothing else required but to beleeue as the Church beleeueth though he know not howe the Church beleeueth And the Papistes themselues say as much for their Councels hold that a wicked maÌ„ and an heretike maye haue confidence in Christ and that an heathen man by the naturall knowledge of God and by the works of creation might haue faith and in a generall manner beleeue in Christ. The second Argument THat religion whose precepts are no directions to attaine peace of conscience leaueth a maxâ—still in a damnable case but the precepts of the religion of the church of Rome are no directions to attaine peace of conscience therefore it leaueth a man in a damnable case which if it be true a reprobate may bee as sound a professor of it as anye other The proofe THe proposition is certaine because as long as any man hath his conscience to accuse him of sinne before God hee is in state of damnation as S. Iohn saith If our hart condemne vs God is greater than our hart and knoweth all things And this is peculiar and proper to the elect children of God to receiue these gifts and graces froÌ„ God the enioying of which bringeth peace of conscience True it is indeed that reprobates receiue many graces and giftes at Gods hand but they are no other then such as may be ioyned with the trembling of the conscience as the deuill is said to beleeue but withall to tremble The Assumption namely that the religion of the Church of Rome cannot pacifie the conscience may be easily prooued on this wise A man whose conscience must be truely quieted must first of all be truely humbled Come vnto me saith our Sauiour Christ all yee which are wearied and burdened and I will ease you Whereby it appeareth that they who are to haue their consciences refreshed in Christ must first of all be afflicted with the sense of Gods iudgement yea they must be pressed down to helward with the weight burden of their sins that they may see it from their hearts confesse it that in theÌ„selues there is no way to escape damnation The good Phisition Christ Iesus cannot heale vs before he hath laÌ„ched our wounds to the very bottom he neuer can find any of his sheepe before they be quite lost hee neuer powreth into vs the liuing waters of his spirit before we be barren dry ground voide of all moisture that maÌ„ must condeÌ„ne himself that wold not haue Christ to pronounce senteÌ„ce of daÌ„natioÌ„ against him Now this true humiliation of a sinner caÌ„ not be wrought in any mans hart by the religion of the Church of Rome True souÌ„d humiliation is wrought by two meanes first by making a man to see the greatnes of his sinne and wickednesse secondly by making him to acknowledge that he is destitute quite bereft of all goodnes For if a man either see not the greatnes of his sin or haue confideÌ„ce of any thing in himself he caÌ„not be humbled but neither of these 2. things are performed in the Church of Rome As touching the first the Romish relâ—gion is so farre froÌ„ amplifying enlarging the greatnes of mens sins that it doth extenuate theÌ„ and lessen them out of measure for it maketh some sinnes to be veniall when as the least sinne that can bee against Gods lawe deserueth damnation it teacheth that lesser sinnes are doone away by an humble accusation of a mans self by saying the Lords praier by knocking vpon the breast and by such like that greater sinnes may be doone away by almes deeds and such like satisfactions But how can any sinne be great that may bee doone awaie with such easie and sleighr meanes Furthermore it teacheth that euill thoughts desires and motions of the heart without consent are no sinnes and this opinion cutteth off all true humiliation for Paule neuer repented before he vnderstood the meaning
A Treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first how he may in time come out of it if in the second how he maie discerne it and perseuere in the same to the end The points that are handled are set downe in the page following Giue all dilligence to make your calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall neuer fall 2. Pet. 1. ver 10. Printed at London by R. Robinson for T. Gubbin and I. Porter The Contents of the Booke 1 How farre a reprobate may go in Christian Religion 2 The estate of a true Christian in this life which also sheweth how farre the Electe being called go beyond all Reprobates in Christianitie 3 A Dialogue to the same purpose gathered out of the sauorie writings of Maister Tindall and Bradford 4 How a Reprobate may performe all the religion of the Church of Rome 5 The conflicts betweene Sathan and a Christian. 6 How the word of God is to bee applyed aright vnto the conscience 7 Consolations for the troubled consciences of weake Christians To the right Worshipfull and my Christian friend Maister Valentine Knightlie Esquire one of her Maiesties Iustices of Peace in Northampton-shire SIR I pray you consider with mee an especial point of Gods word carefullie to be waied it is this Manie professors of Christ in the day of grace perswade them selues that they are in the estate of grace and so the true Church esteemeth of thē too yet when the day of grace is past they contrariwise shall find themselues to bee in the estate of damnation remedilesse A dolefull case yet a most resolute trueth and the reason is playne Men that liue in the Church are greatly annoyed with a fearefull securitie and deadnes of hart by which it comes to passe that they thinke it inough to make a common protestatiō of the faith not once in al their life times examining themselues whether they be in the estate of grace before the eternall God or not And indeed it is a grace peculiar to the man Electe to trie himselfe whether he be in the estate of grace or not The further opening of the trueth of this point as also the danger of it I haue enterprised in this treatise which I am willing to bestowe on you both for the profession of the faith which you make as also for that Christian friendship you haue shewed to me Accept of it I pray you vse it for your edification Thus I commend you to God and to the word of his grace that is able to build you vp further and giue you an inheritance among them which are sanctified From Cambridge this 24. of Nouember 1589. Your Worships to command William Perkins To the Christian Reader GOod Reader it is a thing to be considered that a man may seeme both vnto himself and to the Church of God to bee a true professour of the Gospel and yet indeede be none All professours that are of this sort are excellently described Luke 8. vers 13. in these words And they which are vpon the stonie ground are they which when they shall heare receiue the word with ioy but hauing no roote beleeue for a time and in the time of temptation goe awaie where are to bee noted three thinges First their faith in that they are saide to beleeue for a season Secondly the fruits of that faith in that they are said to receiue the word preached with ioy Thirdly their vnsoundnes in that they are compared to stony ground and in the time of temptation goe away Concerning their faith whereas the spirit of God saith that they doe beleeue these thinges are to bee considered first that they haue the knowledge of the word of God secondly that they both can and doe giue assent vnto the worde of God that it is most true Thirdly in more speciall manner they giue assent vnto the couenant of grace made in Christ that it is most certaine and sure and they are perswaded in a generall and confused manner that God will verifie the same couenant in the members of his Church I his is all their faith which indeede proceedeth from the holie Ghost but yet it is not sufficient to make them sound professours For albeit they doe generally beleeue Gods promises yet herein they deceiue themselues that they neuer applie and appropriate the same promises to their owne soules An example of this faith wee haue Iohn 2. vers 24. where it is said that when our Sauior Christ came to Ierusalem at the feast of Easter manie beleeued in his name yet he would not commit himselfe vnto them because he knew them al and what was in them To come to the second thing those professours which are indewed with thus much grace as to beleeue in Christ in a confused manner goe yet further for this their faith though it be not sufficient to saluation yet it sheweth it selfe by certaine fruites which it bringeth forth for as a tree or a braunch of a tree that hath no deepe rooting but either is couered with a few moules or els lieth in the water at the season of the yeare bringeth forth leaues and blossomes and some fruite too and that for one or two or mo yeares so one that is an hearer of the worde may receiue the word and the word as seed by this generall faith may bee somewhat rooted in his heart and setled for a season and may bring forth some fruits in his life peraduenture very faire in his owne and other mens eies yet indeede neither sound nor lasting nor substantiall What these fruits are it may be gathered forth of these words where it is saide that they receiue the word with ioy when they heare it for here may be gathered First that they doe willingly subiect themselues to the ministerie of the word secondly that they are as forwarde as any and as ioyfull in frequenting Sermons thirdly that they reuerence the Ministers whom they so ioyfully heare lastly they condemne them of impietie which will not bee hearers or bee negligent hearers of the word Now of these and such like fruites this may bee added though they are not sound yet they are voide of hypocrisie For the mindes of those professours are in part inlightened and their hearts are indued with such a faith as may bring forth these fruites for a time and therefore herein they dissemble not that faith which they haue not but rather shewe that which they haue Adde hereunto that a man being in this estate may deceiue himselfe and the most godly in the worlde which haue the greatest giftes of discerning how they and their bretheren stand before the Lorde like as the fig tree with greene leaues deceiued our Sauiour Christ as hee was man for when in his hunger hee came vnto it to haue had some fruit he found
separation must bee made before the ende of this life For this is the order which God taketh hee will haue all them to be in his kingdome in this life that shall bee in the kingdome of heauen after this life And the time of their calling is termed in scriptures the day of visitation the day of saluation the time of grace III This seuering and choosing of the elect out of the worlde is then performed when God by his holy spirite indueth them with true sauing faith a wonderfull gift peculiar to the elect For the better knowing of it there is to be considered First what faith is Secondly howe God doth worke it in the hearts of the Elect Thirdly what degrees there bee of faith Fourthly what are the fruits and benefites of faith IIII Faith is a wonderfull grace of God by which the Elect doe apprehende and apply Christ and all his benefites vnto themselues particularly Here first it is to bee considered that the verie nature of faith standeth in a certaine power of apprehending applying Christ. This is declared by Paule when hee saith ye are buried with him through Baptisme by whome ye are also risen againe with him by the faith of the power of God who raised him from the deade Where it appeareth that faith is made a meanes to communicate Christ himselfe his death and buriall and so all other benefites to the beleeuer Againe to beleeue in Christ and to receiue or to laie holde on Christ are put one for an other by S. Iohn which declareth that there is a speciall applying of Christ. euen as we see when a man hath any thing giuen him hee reacheth out his hand and pulleth it to himself and so makes it his owne Moreouer faith is called the putting on of Christ Which cannot bee vnlesse Christs righteousnes bee specially applyed to the heart as the garment to the backe when it is put on Lastly this may appeare in that faith is called the eating and drinking of Christ for there is no eating of meate that nourisheth but first it must bee tasted and chawed in the mouth then it must be conueyed into the stomack and there digested Lastly it is to be applied to the partes of th◠body that are to bee nourished And Paul praieth for the Ephesians that Christ ma◠dwell in their hearts by faith which plainly importeth this apprehending and applying of Christ. I adde further that faith is a wonderfull grace of God which may appear First in that Paule calleth it the faith of Gods power because the power of God is especially seene in the begetting of faith Secondly experience sheweth it to bee a wonderfull gift of God when a man neither seeth nor feeleth his sinnes then to say he beleeueth in Gods mercie it is an easie matter but when a man shall feele his heart pressed downe with the weight of his sinnes and the anger of God for them then to applie Gods free mercie to his owne soule it is a most hard matter for then it is the propertie of the cursed nature of man to blaspheme God and to dispaire of mercie Iudas who no doubt often preached mercy and redemption by Christ in the security of his hart when Gods hand was vpon him and the Lorde made him see the vilenes of his treachery hee coulde not comfort himselfe in Christ if one woulde haue giuen him ten thousand worlds but in an hellish horror of conscience hanged him selfe desperately which sheweth what a wonderfull harde thing it is at the same instant when a man is touched for his sinnes then to apply Gods mercie to himselfe Yet a true Christian by the power of faith can doe this as it may appeare in Dauid In the daie of my trouble saith he I sought the Lorde my sore ranne and ceased not in the night my soule refused comfort I did thinke vpon God and was troubled I praied and my spirite was full of anguish and hee addeth the worde Selah a note of some wonderfull thing Againe he being almost in the gulfes of hell euen then cried to the Lord for help Iob saith If God should destroy him yet he would for all that beleeue in him still Vndoubtedly strang is the bād of faith knitting Christ and his members together that the anguish of spirite cannot and the strokes of Gods hand doe not vnloose V. This apprehending of Christ is not done by anie corporall touching of him but spirituallie by assurance which is when the Elect are perswaded in their harts by the holie ghost of the forgiuenesse of their owne sinnes and of Gods infinite mercie towards them in Iesus Christ. According to that of Paul Nowe we haue receiued not the spirit of the word but the spirit which is of God that wee might know the things which are giuen vs of God The things which the spirit of GOD maketh knowen to the faithfull particularlie are their iustification adoption sanctification eternall life And thus when anie are perswaded of these things concerning themselues they doe in their heartes distinctlie applie and appropriate Christ and his benefites to them selues VI. The manner that God vseth in the begetting of faith is this First he prepareth the heart that it maie be capable of faith Secondlie he causeth faith by little and little to spring and to breed in the heart The preparation of the heart is by humbling and softening of it and to the doing of this there are foure things requisite The first of them is the knowledge of the word of God both of the lawe and of the Gospell without the which there can bee no faith according to that saying of Esaiah By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie manie And that of Iohn This is eternall life that they knowe thee to bee the onely verie God and whome thou haste sent Iesus Christ. The onelie ordinarie meanes to attaine faith by is the word preached which must bee heard remembred practised and continuallie hid in the heart The least measure of knowledge without which a man cannot haue faith is the knowledge of Elements or the fundamentall doctrines of a Christian religion A fundamentall doctrine is that which being once denied all religion and all obtaining of saluation is ouerthrowen This knowledge hath a generall faith going with it which is an assent of the heart to the knowne truth of Gods word This faith when it is growen vp to some great measure it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the full assurance of vnderstanding and it is to be seene in the Martyrs who maintained Gods truth against the persecutions of the false Church vnto death VII Although both elect and reprobate may be enlightened to know the word of God yet the elect in this thing goe farre beyond all reprobates for it is speciallie said of thē that God is their schole-master that he softeneth their stonie heartes maketh
his grace and holie spirite where I might haue been borne in an ignorant time and region God would that I shoulde be borne in these daies and in this countrie where is more knowledge reuealed then euer was here or in manie places els is Where I might haue beene of a corrupt iudgement entangled with manie errours of Papistrie of the familie of loue of that hypocritical Brown by Gods goodnes my iudgement is reformed and he hath lightened mine eies to see my heart to imbrace his sincere truth By all which things I doe confirme my faith of this that God alwaies hath beene is and wil be for euer my father at my departing forth of this world will giue me the crowne of euerlasting glorie Secondlie when as man is euermore doubting of the promises of God be they neuer so certain God of his infinite mercie to preuent all occasions of doubting promiseth to giue his owne spirit as a pledge pawne or earnest pennie vnto his children of their adoption election to saluation Now since it pleased God to call me from hypocrisie to bee a member of his Church I feel that in my self which I neuer felt or heard of before In times past I came to praiers and to the preaching of Gods word euen as a Beare commeth to the stake now the word of God is meate and drinke to me and praier is no burden vnto me but my ordinarie exercise If I rise in the morning I am not well till I haue praied and giuen thankes to God if I doe any thing it commeth into my minde to pray In my praiers I finde great ioy and comforte and the exceeding fauour of God I neuer think I can well take my rest or doe anie thing else except first I aske it at Gods hande in Christ. Lastlie when my minde and heart is whollie occupied in worldlie matters I am stirred vp and as it were drawne to pray vnto God for the remission of my sinnes and the assurance of my saluation and in praier I haue had those grones which for their greatnes cannot bee expressed Nowe from whence commeth all this From the Diuell No. In these actions I haue found him my enemie and a continuall hinderer of them For he by his craft when I haue beene heauie and weake hath assailed to prouoke me to some sinnes whereunto my cursed nature was most giuen and I hauing yeelded to him haue beene so hardened and blinded by those sinnes that for a time I haue made light account of the worde of God and praier Well then peraduenture this came from mine owne selfe No neither This cursed nature of mine hath beene more pleased and delighted with sinne and with the pleasures of the world then with such exercises from which it draweth mee presseth me down as lead I cannot think that such a poisoning Cockatrice can laie such good egges or that wild crabbe trees such as all men are in Adam can bring foorth sweete fruites according to the will of God except God plucke them foorth of Adam and plant them in the garden of his mercie and stocke them and graft the spirite of Christ in them Wherefore these are the workes of Gods spirit and my conscience is thereby certified that God hath giuen me the spirite of adoption and therefore that his fauour and mercie shall continue towardes me for euer For the giftes of God are without repentance and whome God once loueth him hee loueth for euer Thirdlie there bee certaine fruites of Gods children which I finde in mee by which I am confirmed in Gods fauour Saint Iohn in his first epistle saith that hereby wee know that wee are translated from death to life because we loue the bretheren Truelie â— feele in my heart a burning loue towardes them which are good Christians though I neuer knewe them nor saw them and I am verie desirous to doe anie good for them and if drops of my heart bloude would doe them good they should haue them Moreouer I hate all sinne and wickednesse with a bitter hatred and I long to see the comming of my sauiour Christ to iudgement I am grieued and disquieted because I cannot fulfill the law of God as I ought all which I haue learned foorth of Gods word to be tokens of Gods children And thus you see what euidence I haue to shewe that I am a true member of the Church militant and in the fauour of God Timoth. Haue you a stedfast faith in Christ as these arguments seeme to proue without all wauering doubting and distrusting of Gods mercie Euseb. No no. This my faith which I haue in Christ is euen fought against with doubting euer assailed with desperation not when I sinne onely but also in tentations of aduersitie into which God bringeth me to nurture me to shew me mine owne heart the hypocrisie false thoughts that there lie hid my almost no faith at al and as litle loue euen then happily wheÌ„ I thought my self most perfect of all for when tentations come I cannot stand when I haue sinned faith is feble when wrong is done vnto mee I cannot forgiue in sicknes in losse of goods in al tribulation I am vnpatient wheÌ„ my neighbor needeth my helpe that I must depart with him of mine owne then loue is cold And thus I learne feele that there is no power to do good but of God only And in al such tentations my faith perisheth not vtterlie neither my loue and consent to the law of God but they be weake sicke wounded not cleane dead As I dealt with my parents being a child so now deal I towards God my louing father When I was a child my father and mother taught me nurture wisedome I loued my father all his commaundements and perceiued the goodnes he shewed mee that my father loued mee and all his precepts are vnto my wealth and profit and that my father commandeth nothing for anie need he hath thereof but seeketh my profit onelie and therefore I haue a good faith vnto all my fathers promises and loue all his commaundements and doe them with good will and with good will goe euerie daie to the schoole And by â—he waie happilie I sawe companie plaie and with the sight was taken and rauished of my memorie and forgot my selfe and stoode and beheld and fell to plaie also forgetting father and mother all their kindnes all their lawes and mine owne profite also How beit the knowledge of my fathers kindnes the faith of his promisses and the loue that I had againe vnto my father and the obedient minde were not vtterlie quenched but laie hid as all things doe when a man sleepeth or lieth in a traunce And as soone as I had plaied out all my listes or else by some had been warned in the meane season I came againe to my olde profession Notwithstanding manie temptations went ouer my heart and the lawe as a right hangman tormented
my conscience and went nie to perswade mee that my father would thrust me awaie and hang me if hee catched me so that I was like a great while to runne away rather then to returne to my father againe Feare and dread of rebuke and of losse of my fathers loue and of punishment wrastled with the trust which I had in my fathers goodnesse and as it were gaue my faith a fall But I rose againe as soone as the rage of the first brunt was past and my minde was more quiet And the goodnes of my father and his olde kindnes came vnto my remembrance either by mine owne courage or by the comfort of another And I beleeued that my father would not put me away or destroie me and hee hoped that I woulde doe no more so And vpon that I got me home againe dismaied but not altogether faithlesse the olde kindnes would not let me dispaire how beit all the worlde coulde not set mine heart at rest vntill the paine had beene past and vntill I had heard the voice of my father that all is forgotten Timoth. Seeing that you haue thus plainelie and truelie shewed the weaknes of yours and consequentlie of all mens faith shewe mee I praie you howe by the weakenes of faith a Christian is not rather discomforted then comforted and assured of his saluation Euseb. God doth not so much regarde the quantitie of his graces as the truth of them hee approoueth a litle faith if it bee a true faith yea if faith in vs were no more but a graine of mustard seede which is the least of al other seedes it should be effectual and God would haue respect vnto it The poore diseased beggar with a lame hande hauing the palsie also is able neuerthelesse to reach out the same and receiue an almes of a king and so in like manner a weake and languishing faith is sufficieÌ„tly able to reach out it selfe and to apprehende the infinite mercies of our heauenlie king offered vnto vs in Christ. Faith in the 3. of Iohn is compared vnto the eie of the Israelite which although it were of dimme sight or looked a squint yet if it could neuer so little beholde the brasen Serpent it was sufficient to cure the stings of the fiery serpeÌ„ts to saue life Timoth. Seing that you satisfie me in euery point so fully shew me I pray you whether a man may be wicked haue faith whether faith entring expelleth wickednes For I haue heard some saie that a maÌ„ might beleeue the word of God and yet be neuer the better in his life or holier theÌ„ before he was Euseb. Many there are which when they heare or read of faith at once they consent thereunto haue a certain imagination opinioÌ„ of faith as wheÌ„ a man telleth a storie or a thing done in a straÌ„ge land that perteineth not to theÌ„ at al which yet they beleeue tel as a true thing this imagination oâ— opinion they call faith Therfore as soone as they haue this imagination or opinion in their heartes they saie verilie this doctrine seemeth true I beleeue it euen so theÌ„ they thinke that the right faith is there but afterward when they feele in themselues no maner of working of the spirite neither the terrible sentence of the law the horrible captiuity vnder Satan neither can perceiue any alteration in theÌ„selues that any good works follow but find they are altogether as before abide in their old state theÌ„ think they y t faith is not sufficient but that works must be ioined with faith to iustificatioÌ„ but true faith is only the gift of God is mightie in operation euer working being full of vertue it renueth man begetteth him a fresh altreth him changeth him turneth him altogether into a new creature conuersatioÌ„ so that a maÌ„ shal feel his hart clean changed far otherwise disposed then before hath power to loue y t which before he could not but hate delighteth in that which before he abhorred hateth y t which before he could not but loue And it setteth the soul at liberty maketh hir free to follow the wil of god is to the soul as health to y e body after y t a maÌ„ is pined with loÌ„g sickâ—es the legs cannot bear him he cannot lift vp his hands to help him his tast is corrupt sugar is better in his mouth his stomacke longeth after slubbersauce and swash at which a whole stomacke is ready to cast his gorge when health commeth shee changeth and altereth him cleane giueth him strength in all his members lust and will to doe of his owne accorde that which before he could not doe neither coulde suffer that anie man should exhort him to doe hath now lust in wholsome things and his members are free and at libertie and haue power to doe all things of his owne accord which belong to a sounde and whole man to doe And faith worketh in the same manner as a tree bringes foorth fruite of his owne accorde and as a man neede not bidde a tree bring foorth fruite so is there no lawe put to him that beleeueth and is iustified through faith neither is it needefull For the lawe is written and grauen in his heart his pleasure is dailie therein and as without commaundement euen of his owne nature he eateth drinketh seeth heareth talketh goeth euen so of his owne nature without anie compulsion of the lawe bringeth foorth good workes and as an whole man when hee is a thirst tarrieth but for drinke and when he hungreth abideth but for meate and then drinketh and eateth naturallie Euen so is the faithfull euer a thirst and an hungred after the will of God and tarrieth but for an occasion and whensoeuer an occasion is giuen hee worketh naturallie the will of God For this blessing is giuen them that trust in Christs bloude that they thirst and hunger to doe Gods will He that hath not this faith is but an vnprofitable babler of faith and workes and neither worketh what hee bableth nor whereunto his words pretend For he feeleth not the power of faith nor the working of the spirit in his heart but interpreteth the scriptures which speake of faith and workes after his owne blinde reason and foolish fantasies not hauing any experience in himselfe Timoth. Euerie member of Christs congregation is a sinner and sinneth daily some more some lesse for it is written 1. Ioh. 1. If we saie we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. And Paule Rom. 7. That good which I would that do I not but that euill which I would not that doe I. So it is not I that doe it saith hee but sinne that dwelleth in mee So the Christian man is both a sinner and no sinner which how it can be shew it me by your experience Euseb. I being one man in substance and two men in qualitie flesh and
my sinnes Minister What is your temptation as â—ouching faith Christian. Ah woe is mee I am much â—fraide least I haue no faith in Christ my Sauiour Minister What causeth this feare Christian. Diuerse things Minister What is one Christian. I am troubled with manye doubtings of my saluation and so it comes â—nto my minde to thinke that by my incredulitie I should quite cut off my selfe from the fauour of God Minister But you must knowe this one thing that hee that neuer doubted of his saluation neuer beleeued that he which beleeueth in trueth feeleth manie doubtings wauerings euen as the â—ound man feeles manie grudgings of diseases which if he had not health he could not feele Christian. But you neuer knewe anie that hauing true faith doubted of their saluatioÌ„ Minister What will you then saie of the man that saide Lorde I beleeue Lorde helpe my vnbeleefe And of Dauid who made his moane after this manner Is his mercie cleane gone for euer Doth his promise faile for euermore Hath GOD forgotten to bee mercifull Hath he shutt vp his tender mercie in displeasure Yea hee goeth on further as a man in dispaire And I saide this is my death Hereby it is manifest that a man indued with true faith maie haue not onelie assaults of doubting but of desperation This further appeareth in that he saith in another place Why art thou cast downe my soule Why art thou disquieted within mee Waite on God for I will yet giue thankes hee is my present helpe and my God And in verie truth you maie perswade your self that they are but vnreasonable men that say they haue long beleeued in Christ without anie doubting of their saluation Christian. But Dauid had more in him then I haue for me thinkes there is nothing in this wicked heart of mine but rebellion against God nothing but doubting of his mercie Minister Let me know but one thing of you these doubtinges which you feele do you like them or doe you take anie pleasure in them and doo you cherish them Christian. Naie naie they appeare verie vilde in mine eyes and I doe abhorre them from my hearte and I woulde faine beleeue Minister In man wee must consider his estate by nature and his estate by grace In the first he and his flesh are all one for they are as man and wife therefore one is necessarie to the doings of the other When the flesh striueth the man also striueth that is in subiection to the flesh yea when the fleshe perisheth the man likewise perisheth being in this estate with the fleshe a louing couple they are they liue and die together But in the estate of grace though a man haue the flesh in him yet hee and his flesh are diuorced a sunder This diuorcement is made when a man beginnes to dislike and to hate his flesh and the euill fruites of it this separation beeing made they are no more one but twaine and the one hath nothing to doo with the other In this case though the flesh beget sin and perish therefore yet the Christian man shall not incuâ— damnation for it To come more neere the matter you saie the fleshe begettes in you wauerings doubtinges and distrustinges what then it troubleth you but feare not remember your estate you are diuorced from the flesh and you are newe married vnto Christ if these sinnes be laide at youâ— doore accompt them not as your children but renounce them as Bastards saie with Paul I doubt indeede but I hate my doubtings and I am no cause of these but the the flesh in mee which shall perish when I shall be saued by Christ. Christian. This which you haue saide doeth in part content mee one thing more I praie you shewe mee concerning this point namelie how I maie be able to ouercome these doubtings Minister For the suppressing of doubtings you are to vse three meditations The first that it is Gods commandement that you should beleeue in Christ So saint Iohn saith This is his commandement that wee beleue in the name of his sonne Iesus Christ. Thou shalt not steale is Gods commandement you are loth to breake it least you should displease God and pull his curse vpon your head This also is Gods commandement Thou shalt beleeue in Christ and therefore you must take heede of the breach of it â—east by doubting and wauering you bring â—he curse vpon you Secondlie you must â—onsider that the promises of saluation in Christ are generall or at the least indefinite â—xcluding no particular man as in one for â—ll maie appeare God so loued the worlde that â—e gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer â—eleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlaâ—â—ing life Nowe then so often as you shall â—oubt of Gods mercie whereas hee excluâ—eth you not And as when a Prince giues â— pardon to all theeues euerie one can apâ—lie the same vnto himselfe though his â—ame bee not set downe in the pardon So â—â—e king of kings hath giuen a generall parâ—on for free remission of sinnes to them that â—ill receiue it Beleeue therefore that God 〈◊〉 true in his promise doubt not of your â—wne saluation chalenge the pardon to your selfe In deede your name is not set downe or written in the promise of grace yet let not anie illusion of Sathan or the consideration of your owne vnworthinesse exclude you from this generall free mercie of God which hee also hath offered to you particularlie first in Baptisme then after in the Lords supper and therefore you are not to wauer in the applying of it to your selfe Thirdlie you are to consider that by doubting and dispairing you offend god as much almost as by anie other sinne Yoâ— do not aboue hope beleeue vnder hope as you shoulâ— doo Secondlie you robb God of his glorie is that you make his infinite mercie to bee lesse then your sinnes Thirdlie you make him a lier who hath made such a promisse vnto you And to these three meditations adde this practise When your hart is toiled with vnbeliefe and doubtings then in all hast drawe your selfe into some secrete place humble your selfe before God powre out your hart before him desire hiâ— of his endles mercie to worke faith and tâ— suppresse your vnbeliefe and you shall see That the Lord ouer all is rich vnto all that call vpon his name Christian. The Lord reward you for your kindnes I will hereafter doo my endeuour to practise this your counsell Nowe I will make bold to shew another that makes me to feare least I haue no faith And it is because I doe not feele the assurance of the forgiuenesse of my sinnes Minister Faith standeth not in the feeling of Gods mercie but in the apprehending of it which apprehending maie bee when there is no feeling for faith is of inuisible things and when a man once commeth to enioy the thing beleeued then hee ceaseth to beleeue