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
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
Father 10 It holdeth that in the Masse the Priest â—ffereth vp Christ to his Father an vnbloudie â—acrifice This is a thing impossible for if Christ in the Masse be sacrificed for sin theÌ„â—…e must die his bloud must be shed Heb. 9 〈…〉 2. And in the Scriptures these two sayings 〈…〉 Christ is dead Christ is offered vp in sacriâ—ice are all one So then the Papist when he â—upposeth that there maie be an vnbloudie sacrifice in effect he saith thus much therâ— is a sacrifice which is no Sacrifice 8 In the Canon of the Masse the church of Rome praieth on this wise We humblie beseech thee most mercifull father by Iesus Christ thy son our Lord y t thou wouldest accept these gifts and oblations these holy Sacrifices which we thy Church offeâ— to thee c. where first they offer vp Christ to God the Father in the name of Christ so they make Christ to be his owne mediator Againe they desire God to blesse to accept his owne Sonne for they offer vp Christ. If they say he needeth now the blessing of his Father they make Christ a weak and imperfect Christ if hee neede not the blessing of his Father their praier is needelesse Also they desire GOD to accept not one gift or one sacrifice but in the plurall number these gifts and sacrifices whereas they hold that Christs body is one only bodie and therfore but one sacrifice And thus they are at variance with themselues 9 Papists in word they say that they beleeue and put their trust in God yet wheras they looke to be saued by their workes they set the confidence of their hartes in truth vpon their owne doings 10. They put such holines in Matrimoâ—ie that they make it one of their 7. Sacraâ—eÌ„ts which confer grace to the partakers â—f them yet they forbidde their Cleargie to â—arrie because to liue in marriage is to â—ue according to the flesh and the Counâ—el of Trent opposeth marriage chastitie 11. It teacheth that soules kept in Purâ—atorie maie bee redeemed by Sacrifices â—nd Suffrages Against this is a Canon of â—heir lawe taken out of Saint Hieromes We â—nowe that in this life wee maie helpe one â—nother either by Praiers or by good â—ounsell but when wee shall come beâ—ore the iudgement seate of Christ neiâ—her Iob nor Daniel nor Noe maie intreate â—or anie but euerie man to beare his owne burthen And according to another Canon going vnder the name of Gelasius Bishop of Rome Either there is no Purgatorie or the soules which goe thither shall neuer returne 12. And to conclude the most points of their religion are contrarie to their Canons as by searching may appeare in these examples 1. The dead cannot heare the praiers of them which call vpon them 2. Peter and Paule were two of the chieâ— Apostles and it is hard to saie which was aboue the other 3. Leo the fourth liuing in the yere 846â— acknowledged Lotharius the Emperour for his Prince 4. No Bishop maie be called vniuersall 5. The Church of Rome hath no more authority ouer other Churches than other Churches ouer it 6 A Priest and a Bishop were in timeâ— past all one 7 The Pope hath no power to giue oâ— sell Pardons 8. There can be no merite by fasting oâ— abstinence from flesh 9. The Masse is nothing but the forme of diuine sacrifice By this which hath beene saide it doth in part appeare that the religion of the Church of Rome is repugnant to it self and it could not so be if it were from the worde of God A Corollarie gathered out of the former assertion 1. A man beeing indued with no more grace then that which he maie obteine by the religion of the Church of Rome is still in the state of damnation ⧠A Dialogue containing the conflictes betweene Sathan and the Christian. Sathan OVile helhound thou art my slaue and my vassall why then shakest thou off my yoke Christian. By nature I was thy vasal but Christ hath redeemed me Sathan Christ redeemeth no Reprobates such as thou art Christian. I am no Reprobate Sathan Thou art a Reprobate for thou â—halt be condemned Christian. Lucifer to pronounce damâ—ation belongeth to God alone thou art no Iudge it is sufficient for thee to bee an accuser Sathan Though I cannot condemne thee yet I know God will condemne thee Christian. Yea but God will not condemne me Sathan Goe too let vs trie the matter Is not God a Lorde and a King ouer thee and maie he not therefore giue thee a lawe to keepe and punish thee with hell fire if thou breake it Christian. Yes Sathan And hast thou kept the lawe oâ— this thy Lord and King Christian. No. Sathan Let vs proceede further Is not the same Lord also a most righteous iudge therfore a most sharpe reuenger of sinne Christian. Yes truelie Sathan Why then wilt thou flatter thy selfe thou hypocrite God cannot winke aâ— thy sins except he should be vniust Wherâ—fore there is no remedie thou art sure to bâ— damned hell was prouided for thee now it gapeth to deuoure thee Christian. There is remedie inough to deliuer me from condemnation For God iâ— not onelie as thou affirmest a Lord and Iudge but also a sauing and a most mercifull Father Sathan But thou fire brande of hell fire and childe of perdition looke for no mercie at Gods hands because thou art a most grieuous sinner for 1. Originall sinne runneth whollie ouer thee as a lothsome botch or leprosie 2. Thy minde knoweth not the thinges that be of God 3. In the lawe of God thou art starke blinde sauing that thou hast a fewe principles of it to make thee inexcusable 4. The Gospel is foolishnes and madnes vnto thee thou makest no better accompt of it then of thine owne dreame 5. Thy conscience is corrupt because it flattereth thee and excuseth thy sinne 6. Thy memorie keepeth and remembreth nothing but that which is against Gods word but thinges abhominable and wicked it keepeth long 7. Thy will hath no inclination to that which is good but onelie to sinne and wickednesse 8. Thy affections are set onelie on wickednes they are as mighty Giants and Princes in thee they haue thee at commandement Remember that for verie anger thou â—ast beene sicke that the lust of thy flesh hath driuen thee to madnes forget not thy Atheisme thy contempt of Gods worde thy inward pride thy enuie hatred malice thy couetousnes and infinite other wicked desires which haue led thee captiue and made thee outragious in all kind of naughtines 10. Thy actuall sinnes committed partlie in secrete partlie in publike are most filthie and most infinite Remember howe in such a place at such a time thou didst commit fornication in another place thou diddest steale c. God saw this I warrant theeâ— yea all thy sinnes are written in his bookeâ— wherefore thou cursed wretch all hope of mercie is
spoken that which God out of his holie word hath opened vnto me if you finde anie helpe thereby giue God the praise therfore and carrie this with you for euer that by manie afflictions both in the bodie and the mind you must enter into the kingdome of heauen Rawe flesh is noisome to the stomacke and is no good nourishment before it be sodden and vnmortified men and women be no creatures fit for God and therefore they are to be soaked and boiled in afflictions that the fulsumnes rancknes of their corruption maie be delaied and they maie haue in them some rellish acceptable vnto God And to conclude for the auoiding of all these temptations vse this sweet praier following which that godlie saint Maister Bradford made Oh Lorde God and deere Father what shall I saie that feele all thinges to bee in manner with me as in the wicked Blind is my minde crooked is my will and peruerse concupiscence is in me as a spring of stinking puddle O howe faint is faith in mee how little is my loue to thee or thy people how great is my selfe loue how hard is my heart by reason whereof I am mooued to doubt of thy goodnes towards me whether thou art my mercifull father and whether I be thy childe or no indeed worthilie might I doubt if that the hauing of these were the cause and not the fruit rather of thy children The cause why thou art my father is thy mercifull goodnes grace and truth in Christ Iesus which cannot but remaine for euer In respect whereof thou hast borne mee this good will to bring mee into thy Church by Baptisme and to accept me into the number of thy children that I might be holie faithfull obedient and innocent and to call me diuers times by the ministerie of thy word into thy kingdome besides the innumerable other benefites alwaies hitherto powred vpon me All which thou hast done of this thy good will which thou of thine owne mercie barest to me in Christ before the world was made The which thing as thou requirest straitlie that I shoulde beleeue without doubting so wouldest thou that I in all my deedes shoulde come vnto thee as to a father and make my mone without mistrust of being heard in thy good time as most shall make to my comfort Lo therefore to thee deere father I come through thy sonne our Lorde our mediatour and Aduocate Iesus Christ who sitteth on thy right hand making intercession for mee I praie thee of thy great goodnes and mercie in Christ to be mercifull to mee a sinner that I maie indeede feele thy sweet mercie as thy childe the time oh deere father I appoint not but I praie thee that I maie with hope still expect and looke for thy helpe I hope that as for a little while thou hast left me so thou wilt come and visite me that in thy great mercie wherof I haue great need by reasoÌ„ of my great miserie Thou art wont for a little season in thine anger to hide thy face from them whome thou louest but surelie O Redeemer in eternall mercies thou wilt shewe thy compassions For when thou leauest vs Oh Lord thou doest not leaue vs very long neither doest thou leaue vs to our losse but to our lucre and aduantage euen that thy holie spirite with bigger portion of thy power and vertue maie lighten and cheere vs that the want of feeling of our sorrowe maie be recompenced plentifullie with the liuelie sent of hauing thee to our eternall ioie and therefore thou swearest that in thine euerlasting mercie thou wilt haue coÌ„passion on vs Of which thing to the ende wee might be most assured thine oath is to be marked for thou saiest as I haue sworn that I will neuer bring anie more the waters to drowne the worlde so haue I sworne that I will neuer more be angrie with thee nor reproue thee The mountaines shall remooue and the hilles shall fall downe but thy louing kindnes shal not mooue and the bond of thy peace shall not faile thee thus saiest thou the Lorde our mercifull Redeemer Deere father therefore I praie thee remember euen for thine owne truth mercies sake the promise and euerlasting couenant which in thy good time I praie thee to write in my heart that I maie know thee to bee the onelie true GOD and Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent that I maie loue thee with all my heart for euer that I maie loue thy people for thy sake that I maie bee holie in thy sight through Christ that I maie alwaies not onelie striue against sinne but also ouercome the same dailie more and more as thy children doe aboue all things desiring the sanctification of thy name the comming of thy kingdome the doing of thy will on earth as it is in heauen c. through Iesus Christ our Redeemer Mediatour and Aduocate Amen FINIS Faultes to be corrected PAg. 12. lin 8. for or reade are Pa. 15. l. 28. Autonius Antonius Pa. 21. l. 27. or are Pa. 32. l. 27. word world Pa. 46. l. 6. sowing sauing Pa. 87. l. 24. first fift P. 90. l. 17. performed perfumed p. 91. l. 8. face force p. 92. l. 22. quietnes disquietnes p. 97. l. 22. first fifth p. 121. l. 4. wise weake p. 122. l. 25. soule saile p. 124. l. 10. entire center p. 149. l. 12. worketh wotteth p. 160. 8. seduce subdue p. 160. l. 26. exhortation experience p. 161. l. 13. burned buried p. 165. l. 3. babbling bibbing p. 182. l. 25. â—â—uetous conuerted p. 183. l. 3. dimisse diminish a Mat. 25. 1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Luk. 13. 24. A caueat to all Protestants of what estate or coÌ„dition soeuer b 2. Cor. 13. 5. Psa. 119. 59 c Act. 20. 32. 1. 2. 3. 4. Mark that there is a true faith wrought by the holie Ghost verie like sauing faith yet no sauing faith a Ro. 1. 21. Psal. 19. 1. 3. b Ro. 7. 15. c Psal. 14. 1. Rom. 3. 10. 11. d Psal. 49. 20. e Act. 14. 71. Rom. 1. 21. f Heb. 6. 4. 2. Pet. 2. 23. g Matt. 22. 14. Luk. 13. 34. Prov. 1. ver 24. Iohn 9. 41. Luke 14. 6. h Psa 27. 8. i He. 10. 26 Act. 1. 16. 17. k 1. Sam. 29 21. l Gen 4. 13. m Eus. li. 8. cap. 17. 18. Socrat. lib. 3. ca. 11. o Act 2. 37. Rom. 8. 15. p Mark 6. 20. 26 q Mat. 27. 19. 24. r Mat. 27. 3. Heb. 12. 17 s Gen. 27. 38. 27. 41. 28. 9 t Exo. 8. 8. Math. 7. 7. u Gen. 4. 4. 1. Sa. 31. 4. Mat. 27 5. x 1 Re. 21. 27. 29. y Ex. 9. 27. Num. 22. 34. z Num. 23. 10. a Num. 11. 13. b Num. 11. 33. Psa. 78. 31. c Isa. 7. 11. 1 d Luk. 8. 13 2 3 e Iob. 13. 15 f Hâ—b 6. 4. Math. 13. 20. g 2. Pet. â— 14. 1. Ioh. â— â— Luke 1. 〈◊〉 Esa. 60.