wrought in and by the outward ministerie of the Gospell accompanied by the inward operation of the spirit and that not suddenly but by certaine steps and degrees as nature frameth the bodie of the infant in the mothers wombe 1. by making the brain and heart 2. by making veines sinewes arteries bones 3. by adding flesh to them all And the whole operation of the spirit stands in two principall actions First the enlightening of the minde the second the moouing of the will For the first the holy Ghost inlightens mens minds with a further knowledge of the law then nature can affoard and thereby makes them to see the sinnes of their hearts and liues with the ouglines thereof and withall to tremble at the curse of the law Afterward the same spirit opens the eye to vnderstand and consider seriously of righteousnes and life eternall promised in Christ. This done then comes the second worke of the holy ghost which is the inflaming of the will that a man hauing considered his fearefull estate by reason of sinne and the benefits of Christs death might hunger after Christ and haue a desire not so much to haue the punishments of sinne taken away as Gods displeasure and also might enioy the benefits of Christ. And when he hath stirred vp a mā to desire recōciliation with god in Christ then withall he giues him grace to pray not onely for life eternall but especially for the free remission and pardon of all his sinnes and then the Lords promise is Knocke and it shall be opened seeke and ye shall finde After which he further sendes his spirit into the same heart that desireth reconciliation with God and remission of sinnes in Christ and doth seale vp the same in his heart by a liuely and plentifull assurance thereof The differences degrees of faith are two I. a weake faith II. a strong faith Concerning the first this weake faith shewes it selfe by this grace of God namely an vnfained desire not onely of saluation for that the wicked and graceles man may haue but of reconciliation with God in Christ. This is a sure signe of faith in euery touched and humbled heart and it is peculiar to the elect and they which haue this haue in them also the ground and substance of true sauing faith which afterwardes in time will grow vp to greater strength Reasons I. Promise of life euerlasting is made to the desire of reconciliation Psal. 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore Psal. 143. 6. My soule desireth after thee as the thirstie lande Psal. 145. 19. He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied Reuelat. 21.6 I will giue vnto him which is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely II. The hungering desire after grace is a sanctified affection where one affection is sanctified all are sanctified where all are sanctified the whole man is sanctified and he that is sanctified is iustified and beleeues III. God accepts the will and desire to repent and beleeue for repenting and beleeuing indeed wherefore this desire of reconciliation if it be soundly wrought in the heart is in acceptation with God as true faith indeede But carnall men will say If faith yea true faith shew it selfe by a desire of reconciliatiō with God in Christ for all our sinnes then we are well ynough though we liue in our sinnes for we haue very good desires I answer That there be many sundrie fleeting motions and desires to doe good things which grow to no issue or head but in time vanish as they come Nowe such passions haue no soundnesse in them and must be distinguished from the desire of reconciliation with God that comes from a bruised heart◠and brings alwaies with it reformation of life therefore such whatsoeuer they are that liue after the course of this world and thinke notwithstanding that they haue desires that are good deceiue themselues Now faith is saide to be weake when a man either failes in the knowledge of the Gospell or else hauing knowledge is weake in grace to applie vnto himselfe the sweet promises thereof As for example we know that the Apostles had all true sauing faith except Iudas and when our Sauiour Christ asked them whome they thought that he was Peter in the person of the rest answered for them all and said Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God for which our Sauiour commended him and in him them all saying Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke that is vpon Christ which Peter confessed in the name of them all will I build my Church And yet about that time we shall finde in the Gospell that they are called men of little faith Now they failed in knowledge of the death of Christ and of his passion and resurrection and were caried away with a vaine hope of an earthly kingdome And therefore when our Sauiour shewed them of his going downe to Ierusalem and of his sufferings there Peter a little after his notable confession beganne to rebuke Christ and said Master haue pitie on thy selfe this shall not be vnto thee And vntill he had appeared to them after his death they did not distinctly beleeue his resurrection Again weake faith though it be ioyned with knowledge yet it may faile in the applying or in the apprehension appropriating of Christs benefits to a mans owne selfe This is to be seene in ordinarie experience For many a man there is of humble and contrite heart that serueth God in spirit and truth yet is not able to say without great doubtings and wauerings I know and am fully assured that my sinnes are pardoned Now shall we say that all such are without faith God forbid Nay we may resolue our selues that the true child of God may haue a hungering desire in his heart after reconciliation with God in Christ for all his sinnes with care to keepe a good conscience and yet be weake sometime in the apprehension of Gods mercie and the assurance of the remission of his owne sinnes But if faith faile either in the true knowledge or in the apprehension of Gods mercies how can a man be saued by it Ans. We must know that this weake faith will as truly apprehend Gods mercifull promises for the pardon of sinne as strong faith though not so soundly Euen as a man with a palsie hand can stretch it out as well to receiue a gift at the hand of a king as he that is more sound though it be not so firmely and steadfastly And Christ saith that he will not breake the bruised reede nor quench the smoking flaxe The Church of Rome beares men in hand that they are good Catholicks if they beleeue as the Church beleeues though in the meane season they can not tell what the Church beleeues And some Papists commend this faith by the example of an old deuout father
creation that it shall spring and grow so oft as it is sowed with the stalke eare blade and all so likewise though the parents be neuer so holy the children as they come of them are conceiued and borne wholly corrupt because God tooke this order in the creation that whatsoeuer euill Adam procured he should bring it not onely on himselfe but vpon all his posteritie by vertue of which decree the propagation of sinne is continued without any interruption though parents themselues be borne anew by the spirit of God And here we must not omit to speake of the quantitie or greatnesse of originall sinne for the opening wherof we must consider three points The first that originall sinne is not diuers but one and the same in kind in euery man as the generall and common nature of man is one and the same in all men The second that this sinne is not in some men more in some men lesse but in euery man equally as all men doe equally from Adam participate the nature of maÌ„ and are equally the children of wrath Some it may be will say that this can not be true because some men are of better natures then others are some of disposition cruell and seuere some againe gentle and milde some very licentious and disordered some very ciuill Answ. The differences that be in men wanting the feare of God arise not of this that they haue more or lesse originall corruption but of the restraint and limitation of mans corruption For in some God bridleth sinne more then in others in them is found ciuilitie againe in some lesse and in such the rebellion of nature breakes forth vnto all misdemeanour And indeede if God should not keepe the vntoward dispositions of men within compasse otherwhiles more otherwhiles lesse as it shall seeme good vnto his Maiestie impietie crueltie iniustice and all manner of sinnes would breake out into such a measure that there should be no quiet liuing for men in the world and no place for Gods Church And thus it is manifest that although all men be not equall in the practise of wickednesse yet that is no hindrance but they may be equal in the corruption of nature it selfe The third point is that Originall sinne is so huge and large euery way that it may truly be tearmed the root or seede not of some few sinnes but of all sinns whatsoeuer euen of the very sinne against the holy Ghost We must not imagine it to be an inclination or pronenes to one or two faults but a pronenes to all and euery sinne that is practised in the world and that in all persons young and old high and low male and female It is a most horrible villanie for a man to kill his father or his mother or his child yet some there be that doe so at the hearing whereof we vse to wonder and to testifie our dislike by saying that the doers thereof were wicked and deuilish persons and it is truly said Neuertheles we must vnderstand that although we abstaine from such hâ—inouâ— practises yet the very roote of such sinnes that is a disposition vnto them is foâ—â—d in vs also Iulian the Apostata both liuing and dying blasphemed Christâ—â—â—rod and Pontius Pilate and the wicked Iewes crucified him and Iudas 〈◊〉 ed him Men vse to say that if Christ were now aliue they would not doâ— so for all the world But let vs better consider of the matter The same naâ—â—â—â—â— corruption of heart that was in them is also in vs we being the children of Adam as well as they and by the force of this corruption if Christ were now liuing on earth thou wouldest if like occasion were offered either doe as Iudas did in betraying him or as Pilate did deliuer him to be crucified or as the soldiers thrust him through with their speares or as Iulian pierce him with all manner of blasphemies if God withheld his graces from thee and leaue thee to thy selfe In a word let men conceiue in minde the most notorious trespasse that can be though they doe it not nor intend to doe it and neuer doe it yet the matter beginning and seede thereof is in themselues This made Ieremie say The heart of man is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things who can know it It is like a huge sea the bankes whereof can not be seene nor the bottome searched In common experience we see it come to passe that men protestants to day to morrow papists of Christians heretikes now friends but presently after foes this day honest and ciuill men the next day cruell murderers Now what is the cause of this difference surely the hidden corruption of the heart that will thrust a man forward to any sinne when occasion is offered This point must be remembred and â—ften thought vpon From originall sinne springeth actuall which is nothing â—ls but the fruit of the corrupt heart either in thought word or deede Thus much touching mans fall into sinne by Gods iust permission Now followes the good vse which we must make thereof First by this we learne to acknowledge and bewaile our owne frailtie For Adam in his innocencie beeing created perfectly righteous when he was once tempted by the deuill fell away from God what shall we doe then in the like case which are by nature sold vnder sinne and in our selues a thousand times weaker then Adam was Many men there be that mingle themselues with all companies tell them of the daunger thereof they will presently replie that they haue such a strong faith that no bad companie can hurt them But alas silly people Satan bewitcheth them and makes them to beleeue falshoode to be truth they know not their miserable estate If Adam saith Barnard had a downfal in Paradise what shall we doe that are cast forth to the dunghill Let vs therefore often come to a serious consideration of our owne weaknesse and follow withall the practise of Dauid who beeing priuie to himselfe touching his owne corruption praieth to God on this manner Knit my heart to thee O Lord that I may feare thy name Secondly we learne hereby absolutely to submit our selues to the authoritie of God and simply to resolue our selues that whatsoeuer he commands is right and iust though the reason of it be not knowne to vs. For Eue condiscended to listen to the speech of the serpent and without any calling shee reasoned with it of a most weightie matter and that in the absence of Adam her head and husband namely of the truth and glorie of God and hereby was brought to doubt of Gods word and so ouerturned Thirdly if all men by Adams fall be shut vp vnder damnation there is no cause why any of vs should stand vpon his birth riches wisdome learning or any other such gifts of God there is nothing in vs that is more able to couer our vilenesse and nakednesse then figtree leaues were able to couer the offence of Adam from
giue good counsell to doe the ordinarie works of their callings The fourth Things indifferent must be vsed within compasse of our callings that is according to our abilitie degree state and condition of life And it is a common abuse of this libertie in our daies that the meane man will be in meate drinke apparell building as the gentleman the gentleman as the knight the knight as the lord or Earle Now then things indifferent are sanctified to vs by the word when our consciences are resolued out of the word that we may vse them so it be in tâ—e manner before named and according to the rules here set downe They are sanctified by praier when we craue at Gods hands the right vse of them and hauing obtained the same giue him thanks therefore Coloss. 3. 17. Whatsoeuer ye doe in word or deede doe all in the name of our Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God the father by him Thus much of Christian libertie by which we are admonished of sundrie duties I. to labour to become good members of Christ of what estate or coÌ„dition so euer we be The libertie of the citie of Rome made not onely Romanes borne but euen the men of other countries seeke to be citizens thereof Act. 22.28 The priuiledges of the Iewes in Persia made many become Iewes Hest. 8.17 O then much more should the spirituall libertie of conscience purchased by the blood of Christ mooue vs to seeke for the kingdome of heauen and that we might become good members thereof II. Againe by this we are taught to studie learne and loue the Scriptures in which our liberties are recorded We make account of our charters whereby we hold our earthly liberties yea we gladly read them and acquaint our selues with them what a shame then will it be for vs to make no more account of the word of God that is the law of spirituall libertie Iam. 2. 16. III. Lastly we are aduertised most heartily to obey and serue God according to his word for that is the end of our libertie the seruant doth all his busines more chearefully in the hope and expectation he hath of libertie Againe our libertie most of all appeares in our seruice and obedience because the seruice of God is perfect freedome as on the contrarie in the disobedience of Gods commandements stands our spirituall bondage The second propertie of conscience is an vnfallible certentie of the pardon of sinne and life euerlasting That this point may be cleared I will handle the question betweene vs and Papists touching the certentie of saluation And that I may proceede in order we must distinguish the kinds of certentie First of all Certentie is either Vnfallible or Coniecturall Vnfallible wherein a man is neuer disappointed Coniecturall which is not so euident because it is grounded onely vpon likelihoods The second all Papists graunt but the first they denie in the matter of saluation Againe certentie is either of faith or experimentall which Papists call morall Certentie of faith is whereby any thing is certenly beleeued and it is either generall or speciall Generall certentie is to beleeue assuredly that the word of God is truth it selfe and this both we and Papists allow Speciall certentie is by faith to applie the promise of saluation to our selues and to beleeue without doubt that remission of sinnes by Christ and life euerlasting belongs vnto vs. This kinde of certentie we hold and maintaine and Papists with one consent denie it acknowledging no assurance but by hope Morall certentie is that which proceedes from sanctification and good workes as signes and tokens of true faith This we both allow yet with some difference For they esteeme all certentie that comes by works to be vncerten and often to deceiue but we doe otherwise if the works be done in vprightnes of heart The question then is whether a man in this life may ordinarily without reuelation be vnfallibly certen of his owne saluation first of all and principally by faith and then secondly by such workes as are vnseparable companions of faith We hold this for a cleare and euident principle of the word of God and contrariwise the Papists denie it wholly I will therefore prooue the truth by some few arguments and then answer the common obiections Arg. 1. That which the spirit of God doth first of all testifie in the heart and conscience of any man and then afterward fully confirme is to be beleeued of the same man as vnfallibly certen but the spirit of God first of all doth testifie to some men namely true beleeuers that they are the sonnes of God and afterward confirmes the same vnto them Therefore men are vnfallibly to beleeue their owne adoption Now that the Spirit of God doth giue this testimonie to the conscience of man the Scripture is more then plaine Rom. 8. 15. Ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we crie Abba Father The same Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Answer is made that this testimonie of the Spirit is giuen onely by an experiment or feeling of an inward delight or peace which breedes in vs not an infallible but a coniecturall certentie And I answer againe that this exposition is flat against the text For the Spirit of adoption is saide here not to make vs to thinke or speake but to crie Abba Father and crying to God as to a father argues courage confidence and boldnes Againe the same Spirit of adoption is opposed to the spirit of bondage causing feare and therefore it must needs be a Spirit giuing assurance of libertie and by that meanes driuing away distrustfull feares And the ende no doubt why the holy Ghost comes into the heart as a witnes of adoption is that the truth in this case hidden therefore doubtful might be cleared and made manifest If God himselfe haue appointed that a doubtfull truth among men shall be confirmed and put out of doubt by the mouth of two or three witnesses it is absurd to thinke that the testimonie of God himselfe knowing all things and taking vpon him to be a witnesse should be coniecturall Saint Bernard had learned better diuinitie when he said Who is iust but he that beeing loued of God returnes loue to him againe which is not done but by the Spirit of God reuealing by faith vnto man the eternall purpose of God concerning his saluation in time to come which reuelation vndoubtedly is nothing else but an infusion of spirituall grace by which whilest the deedes of the flesh are mortified the man is prepared to the kingdome of God receiuing withall that whereby he may presume that he is loued and loue againe Furthermore that the Spirit of God doth not onely perswade men of their adoption but also confirme the same vnto them it is most manifest Eph. 4. 30. Grieue not the Spirit whereby ye are sealed vp to the day of redemption and 1. v. 13. After ye beleeued
this perswasion is wrought I answer againe that he auoucheth plainely the generall faith whereby the points of religion are beleeued to be but a beginning or rudiment of faith and therefore not sufficient vnlesse we goe further and applie the grace of God to our selues by faith simply without respect of any condition performed on mans part Indeed I graunt that the truth of conuersion and other workes are by him mentioned afterward but that was for this ende to shew how any man may haue a sensible and euident experience by workes as fruits of the pardon of his owne sinnes and life euerlasting which he beleeueth Arg. 3. S. Iohn penned his first epiâ—tle that he might shew vnto the church of God a way how they might ordinarily and fully be assured of the loue of God and of eternall life and therefore he affoardeth vs many pregnant testimonies for this purpose 1. Ioh. 2.3 And by this we know that we haue knowne him if we keepe his commandements And v. 5. He which keepeth his word in him is the word of God truly accomplished by this we know that we are in him chap. 3. 10. By this are manifest the children of God and the children of the deuill and v. 19. By this we know that we are of the truth and before him we shall make our hearts confident chap. 4. 13. By this we know that we dwell in him he in vs because he hath giuen vs of his Spirit chap. 5.2 By this we know that we loue the sonnes of God when we loue God and keepe his commandements v. 13. I haue written these things vnto you which beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God that ye may know that you haue life eternall To these testimonies first of all answer is made that none of them doe necessarily implie a certentie of diuine faith because we are said to know the things which we learne by coniectures Behold a sillie and poore shift Saint Iohn saith chap. 1.4 These things we write vnto you that your ioy may be full Now it is but an vncerten ioy that riseth by coniecturall knowledge Againe this knowledge brings forth confidence and boldnes euen before God c. 3. v. 19,21 and therefore it can not but include an infalible certentie and to put it out of question that the knowledge here mentioned is the knowledge of diuine faith or as vnfallible as it is or can be it is added chap. 4.16 And we haue knowne and beleeued the loue which God hath toward vs. Secondly it is answered that all these speaches are generall and not concerning particular men but it is false for when Saint Iohn saith we know he speakes of himselfe and includes the rest of the Church in the same condition with himselfe Now he himselfe was fully assured of his owne saluation For Christ a little before his departure out of the world did comfort all his disciples partly by renewing the promise of life euerlasting and of the presence of his Spirit vnto them and partly by praying vnto the father for their finall preseruation so as they could not be fully resolued of their happie estate both in this life and in the life to come Arg. 4. Abrahams faith was a full perswasion whereby he applied the promise vnto himselfe Rom. 4.21 And this faith of his is an example propounded vnto vs according to which we are to beleeue and therefore hâ— is called the father of the faithfull v. 16. and Paul hauing set downe the nature and effects of his faith saith It was written not only for him but also for vs which beleeue v. 22. It is obiected that Abrahams faith was not of saluation but it concerned his ishue in his old age as Paul saith Rom. 4. 18. Abraham aboue hope beleeued that he should be the father of many nations according to that which was spoken So shall thy seede be Ans. We must distinguish the obiect of faith which is either principall or lesse principall Principall is alwaies Christ with his benefits lesse principall are other lesse and particular benefits obtained by Christ. As of Abrahams faith the obiect lesse principall was a carnall seede or ishue and the principall obiect most of all respected as the foundation of all other blessings was the blessed seede Christ Iesus Gal. 3.16 To Abraham and his seede were the promises made He saith not And to the seedes as of manyâ— but and to thy seede as of one which is Christ. And vâ— 29. If ye be Christs then Abrahams seede Thus it is plaine that ishue was neither promised nor desired but with respect to Christ who could not haue descended of Abraham if he had beene wholly without seede Hauing thus alleadged some arguments for the truth I come now to consider the obiections of the Papists Obiect I. Iob beeing a righteous man wanted certentie of grace in himselfe Iob. 9.20 If I would iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne me if I would be perfect he shall iudge me wicked though I were perfect yet my soule shall not know it Again v. 25. I am afraid of all my works knowing that thou wilt not iudge me innocent Ans. Bildad in the former chapter extolled the iustice of God and Iob in this chapter giues assent thereto saying v. 2. I know verely it is so and he likewise spends the whole chapter in magnifying the iustice of God and hauing propounded this ende of his speach he doth not speake of himselfe and his owne estate simply as it is considered in it selfe but as he esteemed himselfe beeing compared with God specially then when he entreth into a straight examination of his creature And so must the speech be vnderstood If I were perfect my soule should not know it that is I will not acknowledge or stand vpon any righteousnes of mine owne when God shall enter into iudgement with me And thus much the very Elect angels beeing in possession of heauen and therfore hauing more then assurance thereof can not but say when they are compared with God Againe the wordes according to the originall are commonly of all and so may well be translated thus Am I perfect I know not my soule I abhorre my life that is if I thinke my selfe perfect I haue no respect of mine owne soule or thus I am perfect in respect of you and I knowe not my soule and I abhorre my life namely in respect of mine owne vprightnes And the other place is thus to be translated â— feare all my sorrowes and not all my workes for this is flat against the Hebrew text and Popish translatours themselues followe it not Obiect 2. Eccles. 9. Man knowes not whether hee bee worthie of loue or hatred For all things are kept vncerten till the time to come Ans. First I say the translation is not right the words are thus in the Hebrew and in the Seventie No man knoweth loue or hatred all things are before them As for these wordes all thinges are
kept vncerten till the time to come are thrust into the text by head shoulders and Hierome hath them not Secondly I answere that the holy Ghost doth not deny simplie the knowledge of gods loue or hatred as though there could be no certaine assurance of it in this life If wee vnderstand the wordes thus then the argument of the holy Ghost must be framed on this manner If loue or hatred were to bee knowne then it must be knowne by the outward blessings of God but it cannot be knowne by the outward blessings of God for all things come alike to all therefore loue and hatred cannot be known The proposition is false For loue may bee knowne other waies then by outward benefits and therefore the reason is not meete to be ascribed to the spirit of trueth Wherefore the true and proper sense of the wordes is that loue or hatred can not be iudged or discerned by outward blessings of God Saint Bernard speakes of this text on this manner that no man knowes loue or hatred namely by him yet that God giues most certaine testimonies thereof to men vpon earth And serm 5. de Dediâ— his words are these Who knowes if he be worthie loue or hatred who knowes the mind of the Lord Here both faith and truth must needes helpe vs that that which is hidden in the heart of the father may be reuealed vnto vs by the spirit and his spirit giuing testimony perswades our spirit that we are the sonnes of God and this perswasion is caused by his calling and iustifying vs freely by faith And S. Hierome though commonly abused to the contrarie saith no more but that men cannot knowe loue or hatred by the present afflictions which they suffer because they know not whether they suffer them for triall or punishment Obiect 3.1 Cor. 4. I iudge not my selfe I know nothing by my selfe Here Paul as not being priuie to his owne estate reâ—useth to giue any iudgement of his righteousnes Ans. It is manifest by the wordes of this epistle that certaine in Corinth boldly more then wisely censured the Apostles ministerie and withall disgraced it in respect of the ministerie of other teachers Therefore Paul in this chapter goes about to make an Apologie for himselfe speaking nothing of his owne person and the estate thereof before God but onely of his ministerie and the excellency thereof And this is the iudgement of Theodoret Aquinas Lira vpon this text And when he saith I iudge not my selfe his meaning is I take not vpon me to iudge of what value and price my ministerie is before God in respect of the ministerie of this or that man but I leaue al to God Here then Paul refuseth onely to giue iudgement of the excellencie of his owne ministerie and in other causes he refuseth not to iudge himselfe as when he said I haue fought a good fight I haue kept the saith hence sorth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous iudge shal giue me 2. Tim. 4.8 And Chrysostome on this place saith that Paul refused to iudge himselfe not simply but onely for this ende that he might restraine others and teach them modestie And where Paul saith I knowe nothing by my selfe the speech is not generall but must bee vnderstood of the negligences and offences in the compasse of his ministerie For hee was priuie to himselfe that in simplicitie and godly purenes hee had his conuersation in the worlde 2. Cor. 1.12 and he knew this by himselfe that nothing should seuer him froÌ„ the loue of God in Christ. Rom. 8.38 Obiect 4. That we may be iustified there is somewhat required in vs namely faith and repentnnce and where these are wanting a man cannot be iustified Now no man can be certen by the certaintie of faith that he repents of his sinnes with all his heart and that he hath such a faith as God requires at our hands considering there is no testimonie in the word of our faith and repentance in particular Therefore no man can be certaine by certaintie of faith that his sinnes are pardoned Ans. It is not necessarie that any man should bee certaine by faith of his faith repentance because faith is only of such things as are present whereas faith and repentance are truely preâ—ent in all that truely beleeue and repent it shall be sufficient if a man may any way be vnfallibly certaine that he hath them And though some men falsly perswade themselues that they beleeue yet he that hath true faith indeede knowes that he hath true faith euen as certainly as he that vnderstands that hee vnderstands Paul saith to the Corinthians Prooue your selues whether yee bee in the faith or no 2.13.5 hereby giuing them to vnderstand that all which beleeue haue the spirit of discerning to know certainely that they doe beleeue Againe he saith of himselfe 2. Tim. 1.12 I knowe whome I haue beleeued And S. Iohn saith 1. epist. 3. 24. By this we knowe that he dwels in vs by the spirit which he hath giuen vs making no question of it but that he which hath the spirit knowes that hee hath the same And testimonies of men are not wanting in this case August Euery one seeth faith to be in his owne heart if hee beleeue if not he seeth it to be wanting Againe A beleeuer seeth his owne faith by which hee answereth that hee beleeueth without doubt and Hee which loueth his brother more knoweth the loue whereby he loueth then his brother whome hee loueth Againe whereas it is said that hauing faith yet we know not whether it be sufficient or no I answer that faith beeing without hypocrisie is sufficient to saluation though it be vnperfect God more respects the trueth of our faith then the perfection thereof And as the hand of the child or of the palsie man though it be feeble is able to reach out it selfe and receiue an almes of a Prince so the faith that is but weake is able to apprehend and receiue Christ with all his benefits Obiect 5. Prov. 28. Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies Phil. 2. Worke your saluation with feare and trembling Ans. There is threefold feare one of nature the second of grace the third of distrust Feare of nature is that wherby the nature of man is troubled with any thing that is hurtfull vnto it and therefore auoideth it Feare of grace is that excellent gift which is called the beginning of wisdome and it is a certaine awe or reuerence vnto God in whose presence we doe whatsoeuer wee doe Feare of distrust is when men tremble at the iudgements of God for their sinnes because they haue no hope of mercie Of these three the first was good by creation therefore it was in our Sauiour Christ but since the fall it is defectiue The third is a vice called slauish feare And the second is that which is commanded in these and
the like places of Scripture the intent whereof is to make vs circumspect and feareful least we should offend God by any sinne our owne weaknesse considered and the imminent iudgements of God And this kind of feare as all the first may stand with certaintie of faith Rom. 11. Thou standest by faith be not high minded but feare Psa. 2. Serue the Lord in feare and reioice in trembling Obiect 6. Where there is no word there is no faith For faith and the worde of God be relatiues But there is no word of God that saith to particular men Cornelius or Peter or Iohn thy sinnes are pardoned excepting a fewe persons as Marie Magdalen and the palsie man c. Therefore there is no particular faith Ans. Though there be no word set down in Scripture touching the saluation of this or that particular man yet there is set downe that which is equiuolent to a particular worde and as much in effect For the promise of remission of sinnes and life euerlasting is giuen with a commandement that euery man apply the promise to himselfe as I haue before prooued and this is altogither as much as if euery mans particular name had beene put in the promise I adde further that the promises of the gospel must bee considered two waies first as they are generally set downe in Scripture without application to any person secondly as they are taught and published in the ministery of the word the end whereof is to apply them to the persons of men partly by preaching and partly by administring the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords supper which are seales of righteousnes of faith Nowe the promise applied and as I may say particularized to the members of the Church is by the vertue of Gods ordinance as much as if God himselfe had giuen the promise particularly and annexed mens names vnto it It is further aunswered that the promise of remission of sinne is preached not simply but vpon condition of mens faith and repentance which indeede cannot be certainely knowne I answere againe as I haue alreadie prooued that he which truly beleeueth and repenteth knoweth that he doth certainly beleeue and repent Obiect 7. To beleeue the pardon of a man owne sinnes is none of the articles of faith propounded in any Creed either of the Apostles or the Nicene fathers or Athanasius or any other creed Answ. This faith is contained vnder these wordes I beleeue remission of sinnes and I prooue it thus These wordes are an article of Christian faith and therefore they must in sense containe more then the deuil doth or can beleeue now the deuill beleueth thus much that God giues remission of sinnes to his Church Christian men therefore must go one step further and beleeue particularly the remission of their own sinnes Otherwise if the Papists will haue the Catholike faith to beleeue no more in this point then the damned spirits beleeue let them take it to themselues But they reply further that if there were any such article of faith then some persons must beleeue that they are iust though they willingly commit mortall sinne which is an euident falshood Ans. He that beleeues the pardon of his owne sinnes by true faith hath the spirit of God in him and a constant purpose not to sinne against God and therfore if hee sinne it is against his purpose and without any full consent of will and it is not hee that doeth it but the sinne that dwelleth in him But if it so fall out that the childe of God be ouertaken with any actuall sinne then his case standeth thus Hee hath by his fall wounded his conscience weakened his faith bereaued himselfe of Gods fauour as much as in him lieth made himselfe guiltie of a sinne and worthie of damnation and God for his part accordingly turnes the wonted signes of his fauour into signes of anger and displeasure and though it be pardoned in the purpose of God yet is it not actually pardoned till the partie repent Things standing thus we teach not that men must beleeue the pardon of their sinnes while they liue and lie in them for that were flatly to teach falshood for trueth but our doctrine is that such persons must first of al humble themselues and say with the prodigall child that they haue sinned against God and are not worthie to be called his children any more and again renue their decaied faith and repentanceâ— that they may beleeue as before their perfect reconciliation with God Obiect 8. In respect of God who is trueth it selfe we are to beleeue the promise in particular yet if we respect our owne vnworthinesse and indisposition we are to feare and in some part to doubt For the promise of remission of sinnes is not absolute but depends vpon the condition of our workes Therefore our certentie is onely coniecturall Ans. I answer first that in respect of our owne vnworthines we are not to doubt of our saluation but to be out of all doubt yea to despaire before the iudgement seat of God For they which are of the works of the law are vnder the curse Gal. 3.10 and Paul saith of his own works of grace In this I am not iustified 1. Cor. 4.4 And Dauid being out of al doubt of his owne deserued daÌ„nation in regard of his own vnworthines saith freely Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for no flesh shall bee iustified in thy sight Againe the consideration of any vnworthines in our selues doth not hinder a resolution concerning Gods mercie in Christ. For true faith makes an entrance vnto God with boldnes I say with boldnes euen for those persons that are vnworthie in themselues Eph. 4. 12. And Abraham whose faith is to be followed of vs did not vpon the consideration of his old decaied bodie rest himselfe with bare hope vpon a likelihood of the accomplishment of gods promise but he beleeued vnder hope euen against hope Rom. 4.18 Lastly I answer that the ground of the former obiection is erronious namely that the promise of saluation depends on the condition of our works because the Scripture saith it is made and accomplished on mans part freely I graunt indeede that to the promise there is annexed a condition of faith yet faith must not here be considered as a worke but as an instrument apprehending Christ with his benefits and withall repentance with the fruits thereof are on our part required yet no otherwise but as they are necessary consequents of faith and the signes and documents thereof Obieâ—t 9. No man knowes all his sinnes no man therefore can certainly knowe that all his sinnes are pardoned and that he is accepted of God Ans. The ground of this argument is false namely that a man cannot be assured of the pardon of his sinnes if some of them be vnknowne And to make this manifest I will lay downe a more certen ground which shall be this As the case is in Repentance so it is also
maner For his obedience in fulfilling the law is aboue Adams righteousnes yea aboue the righteousnes of all Angels For they were all but creatures their obedience the obedience of creatures but Christ his obedience is the obedience or righteousnes of god so tearmed Rom. 1.17 18. 2. Cor. 5.21 not only because god accepted of it but because it was in that person which is very God When Christ obeied God obeyed and when he suffered God suffered not because the godhead suffered or performed any obedience but because the person which according to one nature is God performed obedience and suffered And by this meanes his righteousnesse is of infinite value price merit and efficacie Hence also it commeth to passe that this obedience of Christ serueth not onely for the iustifying of some one person as Adams did but of all and euery one of the Elect yea it is sufficient to iustifie many thousand worldes Now to come to the point this righteousnes that is in Christ in this largenesse and measure is pertaining to vs in a more narrow skantling because it is onely receiued by faith so farreforth as it serueth to iustifie any particular beleeuer But they vrge the reason further saying If Christ his righteousnes be the righteousnes of euery beleeuer then euery man shauld be a Sauiour which is absurb Answ. I answer as before and yet more plainely thus Christ his righteousnesse is imputed to the person of this or that man not as it is the price of redemption for all mankind but as it is the price of redemption for one particular man as for example Christ his righteousnes is imputed to Peter not as it is the price of redemption for all but as it is the price of redemption for Peter And therefore Christ his righteousnesse is not applyed to any one sinner in that largenes and measure in which it is in the person of Christ but onely so farforth as it serueth to satisfie the law for the said sinner and to make his person accepted of God as righteous and no further III. Obiect If we be made righteous by Christ his righteousnes truly then Christ is a sinner truly by our sinnes but Christ is not indeed a sinner by our sinnes Ans. We may with reuerence to his maiestie in good manner say that Christ was a sinner and that truly not by any infusion of sinne into his most holy person but because our sinnes were laide on him thus saith the holy Ghost he which knew no sinne was made sinne for vs and he was counted with sinners Isa. 53. 12. yet so as euen then in himselfe he was without blot yea more holy then all men and angels On this manner saide Chrysostome 2. Cor. 3. God permitted Christ to be condemned as a sinner Againe He made the iust one to be a sinner that he might make sinners iust IV. Obiect If a man be made righteous by imputation then God iudgeth sinners to be righteous but God iudgeth no sinner to be righteous for it is abomination to the Lord. Ans. When God iustifieth a sinner by Christ his righteousnes at the same time he ceaseth in regard of guiltines to be a sinner and to whome God imputeth righteousnes them he sanctifieth at the very same instant by his holy Spirit giuing also vnto originall corruption his deadly wound V. Obiect That which Adam neuer lost was neuer giuen by Christ but he neuer lost imputed righteousnes therefore it was neuer giuen vnto him Ans. The proposition is not true for sauing faith that was neuer lost by Adam is giuen to vs in Christ and Adam neuer had this priuiledge that after the first grace should follow the second and therefore being left to himselfe he fell from God and yet this mercie is vouchsafed to all beleeuers that after their first conuersion God will still confirme them with new grace and by this meanes they perseuere vnto the ende And whereas they say that Adam had not imputed righteousnes I answer that he had the same for substance though not for the manner of applying by imputation VI. Obiect Iustification is eternall but the imputation of Christ his righteousnes is not eternall for it ceaseth in the end of this life therfore it is not that which iustifieth a sinner Ans. The imputation of Christs righteousnes is euerlasting for he that is esteemed righteous in this life by Christ his righteousnes is accepted as righteous for euer and the remission of sinnes graunted in this life is for euer continued And though sanctification be perfect in the world to come yet shall it not iustifie for we must conceiue it no otherwise after this life but as a fruit springing from the imputed righteousnes of Christ without which it could not be And a good childe will not cast away the first garment because his father giues him a second And what if inward righteousnes be perfect in the ende of this life shall we therefore make it the matter of our iustification God forbid For the righteousnes whereby sinners are iustified must be had in the time of this life before the pangs of death II. Difference about the manner of iustification All both Papists and Protestants agree that a sinner is iustified by faith This agreement is onely in word and the difference betweene vs is great indeede And it may be reduced to these three heads First the Papist saying that a man is iustified by faith vnderstandeth a generall or a Catholike faith whereby a man beleeueth the articles of religion to be true But we holde that the faith which iustifieth is a particular faith whereby we apply to our selues the promises of righteousnes and life euerlasting by Christ. And that our opinion is the trueth I haue prooued before but I wil adde a reason or twaine I. Reason The faith whereby we liue is that faith whereby we are iustified but the faith whereby we liue spiritually is a particular faith whereby we apply Christ vnto our selues as Paul saith Gal. 2.20 I liue that is spiritually by the faith of the sonne of God which faith he sheweth to bee a particular faith in Christ in the very wordes following who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me particularly and in this manner of beleeuing Paul was and is an example to all that are to be saued 1. Tim. 1.16 and Phil. 3.15 II. Reason That which we are to aske of God in praier we must beleeue it shal be giuen vs as we aske it but in praier we are to aske the pardon of our owne sinnes and the merit of Christs righteousnes for our selues therfore we must beleeue the same particularly The proposition is a rule of Gods word requiring that in euery petition wee bring a particular faith whereby wee beleeue that the thing lawfully asked shall be giuen accordingly Matth. 11.24 The minor is also euident neither can it be denied for we are taught by Christ himselfe to pray on this manner Forgiue
by which the sillie and ignorant people are notably deluded As for that other part of Astrology concerning natiuities reuolutions progressions directions of natiuities as also that which concerneth election of times the finding againe of thinges lost it is very wicked and it is probable that it is of the same brood with implicite and close Magique My reasons are these I. The word of God reckoning Astrologers amongst Magitians adiudgeth them both to one and the same punishment II. But the Astrologer saith he foretelleth many things which as he said come so to passe be it so But howe I demaund and by what meanes He saith by arte but that I denie For the precepts of his arte will appeare to such as read them not with a preiudicate affection very ridiculous VVhence then I pray you doth this curious diuiner foreshew the trueth but by an inward secret instinct from the diuell This is Augustines opinion in his 5. booke and 7. chapt of the Citie of God If we weigh all those things saith he we will not without cause beleeue that Astrologers when they doe wonderfully declare many truths worke by some secret instinct of euill spirits which desire to fill mens braines with erronious and daungerous opinions of starrie destinies and not by any arte deriued from the inspection and consideration of the Horoscope which indeed is none XII Popish consecration of water and salt to restore the minde vnto health and to chase away diuels The reformed Missal pag. 96. XIII To make iests of the Scripture phrase Esai 66.2 I will looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and which trembleth at my wordes We haue an example of such scoffing in the Tripart hist. chapter 36. booke 6. The heathen did grieuously oppresse the Christians and inflicted sometimes vpon their bodies corporall punishments The which when the Christians signified vnto the Emperour he disdained to assist them and sent them away with this scoffe You are to suffer iniuries patiently for so are ye commanded of your God XIIII Lightly to passe ouer Gods iudgements which are seene in the world Matth. 26.34 Verily verily I say vnto thee this night before the cocke crow thou shalt denie me thrise vers 35. Peter said vnto him Though I should die with thee I will not denie thee Luk. 13.1,2,3 There were certaine men present at the same season that shewed him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their owne sacrifices And Iesus answered and said vnto them Suppose ye that these Galileans were greater sinners then all the other Galileans because they haue suffered such things I tell you nay but except ye amende your liues ye shall likewise perish XV. A dissolute conuersation Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before mē that they seeing your good workes may glorifie your Father which is in heauen 2. Sam. 12.14 Because that by this deede thou hast made the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child that is borne vnto thee shall surely die The affirmatiue part In all things giue God his due glorie 1. Cor. 10.13 To this appertaine I. Zeale of Gods glorie aboue all things in the world besides Numb 25.8 When Phineas the sonne of Eleazer saw it he followed the man of Israel into his tent and thrust them both through to wit both the man of Israel and the woman through hir bellie Psal. 69.22 The zeale of thine house hath eaten me vp and the reproches of the scornefull haue fallen vpon me II. To vse Gods titles onely in serious affaires and that with all reuerence Deut. 28.58 If thou wilt not keepe and doe all the words of this law that are written in this booke and feare this glorious and fearefull name THE LORD THY GOD. Rom. 9.5 Of whome are the fathers and of whome concerning the flesh Christ came who is God ouer all blessed for euer Amen III. An holy commemoration of the creature whereby we in the contemplation and admiration of the dignitie and excellencie thereof yeeld an approbation when we name it and celebrate the praise of God brightly shining in the same Psal. 64.9,10 And all men shall see it and declare the worke of God and they shall vnderstand what he hath wrought but the righteous shall be glad in the Lord and trust in him and all that are vpright of heart shall reioyce Luke 2. 18,19 And all they that heard it wondered at the things that were told them of the shepheards but Marie kept all these things and pondered them in her heart Ierem. 5.12 Feare ye not me saith the Lord or will ye not be afraid at my presence which haue placed the sands for the bounds of the seas by the perpetuall decree that it cannot passe it and though the waues thereof rage yet can they not preuaile though they rore yet can they not passe ouer IV. An oth in which we must regard 1. How an oth is to be taken 2. How it is to be performed In taking an oth foure circumstances must be obserued I. The matter or parts of an oth the parts are in number foure 1. Confirmation of a truth 2. Inuocation of God alone as a witnesse of the truth and a reuenger of a lie 3. Confession that God punisheth periurie when he is brought in as a false witnesse 4. An obligation that we will vndergoe the punishment at Gods hand if we performe not the condition II. The forme We must sweare 1. truly least we forsweare 2. Iustly least we commit impietie 3. In iudgement for feare of rashnes Ierem. 4.2 Thou shalt sweare the Lord liueth in truth in iudgement and righteousnes Esa. 48. 1. Which sweare by the name of the Lord and make mention of the God of Israel but not in truth nor in righteousnes c. Therefore the oth of drunken furious and franticke men also othes of children they doe not impose an obseruation of them but by law are no othes III. The ende namely to confirme some necessarie truth in question Hebr. 6. 16. Men sweare by him that is greater then themselues and an oth for confirmation is among them an end of all strife I call that a necessarie truth when some doubt which must necessarily be decided can none other way be determined then by an oth as when Gods glorie our neighbours bodie or goods or the credit of the partie for whom the oth is ministred are necessarily called into question Rom. 1.9 God is my witnes whom I serue in my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you 2. Cor. 1. 23. I call God for a record into my soule that to spare you I came not as yet vnto Corinth IV. The diuers kinds or sorts of othes An oth is publike or priuate Publike when the Magistrate without any peril to him that sweareth doth vpon iust cause exact a testimonie together with an oth A priuate oth is which two or more take priuately This so
want 1. Ioh. 5.14 This is the assurance that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. In euery petition we must expresse two things I. A sense of our wants II. A desire of the grace of God to supplie those wants 1. Sam. 1. 10. Shee was troubled in her minde and praied vnto the Lord and wept sore Dan. 9. 4. And I praied to the Lord my God and made my confession saying 5. We haue sinned and haue committed iniquitie c. 16. O Lord according to thy righteousnes I beseech thee let thine anger and thy wrath be turned from thy citie Ierusalem c. to the 20. verse Psal. 130.1 Out of the deepe I called to thee O Lord. 1. Sam. 1.15 Then Hannah answered and said Nay my lord but I am a woman troubled in spirit I haue drunken neither wine nor strong drinke but haue powred out my soule before the Lord c. to the 16. verse psal 143. 6. I stretch forth mine hands vnto thee my soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land Assent is the second part of prayer whereby we beleeue and professe it before God that he in his due time will grant vnto vs those our requests which before we haue made vnto his maiestie 1. Ioh. 5. 14 15. This is the assurance that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske we kâ—â—w that we haue the petitions that we haue desired of him Math. 6.13 Lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill For thine is the kingdome thine is the power and thine is the glorie for euer and euer Amen As for the faithfull howsoeuer they in their praiers bewray many infirmities yet no doubt they haue a notable sense of Gods â—auour especially when they pray zealously and often vnto the Lord. Iam. 5. 16. Pray one for another that ye may be healed for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Luk. 1.13 The Angel said vnto him Feare not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard Ionah 4.1 It displeased Ionah exceedingly and he waâ— angrie 2. And Ionah praied vnto the Lord and saide I pray thee O Lord was not this my saying when I was yet in my countrey therefore I preuented it to flee vnto Tarshish for I knew that thou art a gratious God and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnes and repentest thee of the euill Rom. 8.26 Gen. 19.18 Lot saide vnto them Doe not so I pray you my lords c. psal 6.1 O lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastise me in thy wrath c. v. 2,3,4,5 psal 8.9 psal 20.5 psal 35.9.18.28 psal 16.7 Thanksgiuing is a calling vpon Gods name whereby we with ioy and gladnes of heart doe praise God for his benefits either receiued or promised psal 45.1 Mine heart will vtter forth a good matter I will intreat in my words of the King my tongue is as the pen of a swift writer Eph. 5.20 Giuing thanks alwaies for all things vnto God euen the father in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ. psal 36.8,9 How excellent is thy mercie O God therefore the children of men trust vnder the shadow of thy wings They shall be satisfied with the fatnesse of thine house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy pleasures Coloss. 3.16 CHAP. 46. Of Christian Apologie and Martyrdome THe profession of Christ in dangers is either in word or deede Profession in word is Christian Apologie or the confession of Christ. Rom. 10. 10. With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation psal 22.23 I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the middes of the congregation will I praise thee Christian Apologie is the profession of Christ in word when as we are readie with feare and meeknes to confesse the truth of Christian religion so often as neede requireth and the glorie of God is endangered euen before vnbeleeuers especially if they be not past all hope of repentance 1. Pet. 3. 15. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be readie alwaies to giue an answer to euery man tâ—â—t asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you 16. And that with meeknesse and reuerence hauing a good conscience that when they speake euill of you as of euill doers they may be ashamed which blame your good conuersation in Christ. Act. 7. the whole chap. Steuen there maketh an Apologie for himselfe Math. 7.6 Giue not that which is holy to dogs nor cast your pearles before swine least they tread them vnder their feete and turning againe all to rent you Profession which is in deede is called Martyrdome Martyrdome is a part of Christian profession when as a Christian man doth for the doctrine of faith for iustice and for the saluation of his brethren vndergoe the punishment of death imposed vpoÌ„ him by the aduersaries of Christ Iesus Mar. 6.18 27,28 Iohn tolde Herod It is not lawfull for thee to haue thy brothers wife And immediately the King sent the hangman and gaue him charge that his head should be brought so he went and beheaded him in the prison 2. Cor. 12. 15. I will most gladly bestow and be bestowed for your soules though the more I loue you the lesse am I loued Notwithstanding it is lawfull for Christians to flie in persecution if they finde themselues not sufficiently resolued and strengthened by Gods spirit to stand Math. 10.23 When they persecute you in one citie flee into another Verely I say vnto you ye shall not haue finished all the cities of Israel till the Sonne of man come Ioh. 10.39 Againe they studied to apprehend him but he escaped out of their hands Act. 9.30 When the brethren knew it they brought him to Cesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus 1. King 18.23 Was it not told my lord what I did when Iesabel slue the Prophets of the Lord how I hid an hundred men of the Lords Prophets by fifties in a caue and fedde them with bread and water Act. 20.22 Now behold I goe bound in the spirit vnto Ierusalem and know not what things shall come vnto me there CHAP. 47. Of Edification and Almes among the faithfull THat profession of Christ which concerneth his members namely the Saints and faithfull ones is either Edification or Almes Edification is euery particular dutie towards our brethren whereby they are furthered either to grow vp in Christ or else are more surely vnited to him Rom. 14. 19. Let vs follow those things which concerne peace and wherewith one may edifie another To Edification these things which follow appertaine I. To giue good example Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen 1. Pet. 2.12 Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that
considered it is imperfect but as God doth exact it of our frailtie it is perfect Answer This is but the fansie of some doting Iesuite For this sentence of the Law is simple eternall and immooueable Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in this booke to do them Neither may we imagine that God will not therefore exact the ful accomplishing of the law because we are fraile For we are creatures and debters now we know that the debt doth not decrease by reason of the debters pouertie Obiect The faithfull are said to be perfect in this life Ans. There is a twofold perfection the one incomplete the which is an endeauor or care to obey God in the obseruation of all his precepts the other is tearmed complet this is that iustice which the lawe requireth namely a perfect and absolute iustice according to that measure which man performed to God in his innocency In the first sense the faithfull are said to be perfect not in this latter The XVI errour Workes done in grace doe ex condigno condignely merit eternall life The Confutation I. Eternall life is the free gift of God Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Christ Iesus Therefore it is not obtained by the merit of workes II. The merit of condignitie is an action belonging to such an nature as is both God and man not to a bare creature For the Angels themselues cannot merit any thing at Gods hands yea and Adam also if he had stood in his first innocencie could haue deserued nothing of god because it is the bounden dutie of the creature to performe obedience vnto his Creator The merit therefore of condignitie doth only agree vnto Christ God and man in whome each nature doth to the effecting of this merit performe that which belongeth to it For the humanitie it doth minister matter vnto the meritorious worke by suffering and performing obedience but the Deitie of Christ whereunto the humanitie is hypostatically vnited doth conferre full and sufficient worthinesse vnto the worke Hence is it that the Father doth speake thus of his sonne Mat. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 III. In the second commandement God doth promise eternall life to the keepers of his commandements yet he saith not that they shall obtaine it by desart but that he will shew mercy to thousands of them that loue him and keepe his commandements IV. That a worke may be meritorious first there must be an equall proportion betwixt it and legall iustice or eternal life secondly merite doth presuppose this also that in God there must bee a due debt towards man for God then ought on dutie not by fauour to accept of the person of man But all our workes yea our most holy workes they cannot come neere vnto legall righteousnesse For seeing all the regenerate are partly carnall and partly spirituall all their workes in like sort are imperfectly good For looke what the causes are and such must the effects needs be So then good workes doe presuppose a due debt in man none in God V. The auncient Fathers doe not acknowledge this merite of condignitie as currant August in his manuel chap. 22. My merite is Gods mercie Bernard ser. 63. vpon the Cant. It is sufficient to knowe this that merits are not sufficient And ser. 61. Cant. Mans iustice is Gods goodnesse And epist. 190. That the satisfaction of one may be imputed to all as the sinnes of all were borne by one And as for ancient doctours merit was nothing els to them but a good worke acceptable to God Aug. epist. 105. to Sixtus If it be grace then is it not bestowed by reason of any merit but vpon free mercie What merits of his owne can he that is set at libertie bragge of who if he had his merits should haue beene condemned So the word merite doth signifie to doe wel to be acceptable to please as the old interpreter hath for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to please God vsed this Latine word promereri To merit Obiect I. Works haue attributed vnto them reward Answer Reward is not so much attributed to the work as to the worker and to him not for himselfe but for Christs merits apprehended by faith Therefore not our merit or personall merit but Christs merit and our reward are correlatiues Obiect II. 2. Thess. 1.6 It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulations c. Ans. It is righteous not because God ought so to doe of duty but because he promised now for God to stand to his word it is a part of iustice Obiect III. Christ hath merited that workes might merit Ans. I. This taketh quite away the intercession of Christ. II. It is against the nature of a legall worke to merit ex condigno condignly because both the lawe of nature and creation doe bind man to performe legall workes vnto God And further all workes are very imperfect and mixed with sinne III. This doctrine concerning works doth obscure and darken the merit of Christ because that the obtaining of eternall life is withdrawne from his death and obedience attributed vnto workes For they say thus that Christ by his passion did merit indeede for the sinner iustification but a sinner once iustified doth for himselfe by his owne merits euen condignly merit eternall life Obiect IV. The works of the regenerate are the workes of the holy Ghost therfore perfect and pure Ans. I. The workes of God are all perfect but yet in their time and by degrees therefore sanctification which is a worke of god must in this life remaine incomplete is made perfect in the world to come II. The works of God are pure as they are the workes of God alone not of God and impure man but nowe good workes they doe come immediatly from the naturall faculties of the soule namely from the vnderstanding and the wil in which they being as yet but partly regenerated some corrupt qualities of sinne doe yet remaine and are not immediatly and simply or wholly deriued from Gods spirit And hence it is that they are all stained with sinne The XVII errour Man knoweth not but by especiall reuelation whether hee be predestinated or not The Confutation The contrarie to this is a plaine trueth Reasons I. That which a man must certainly beleeue that may he also certainely know without an especiall reuelation but euery faithful man must beleeue that he is elected It is Gods commandement that we should beleeue in Christ. 1. Ioh. 3.23 Now to beleeue in Christ is not onely to beleeue that we are adopted iustified and redeemed by him but also in him elected from eternitie II. That which is sealed vnto vs by the spirit of God of that we are very sure without speciall reuelation but our adoption and so consequently our election is sealed vnto vs by the spirit of God
of all graces whereas faith is but the instrument As for the places of scripture that mention iustification and saluation by faith they are to be restrained to men of yeares whereas infants dying in their infancie and therefore wanting actuall faith which none can haue without actuall knowledge of Gods will and worde are no doubt saued by some other speciall working of Gods holy spirit not knowne to vs. Furthermore to beleeue signifieth two things to conceiue or vnderstand any thing and withall to giue assent vnto it to be true and therefore in this place to beleeue signifieth to knowe and acknowledge that all the points of religion which followe are the trueth of God Here therefore wee must remember that this clause I beleeue placed in the beginning of the Creede must bee particularly applied to all and euerie article following For so the case standes that if faith faile in one maine point it faileth a man in all and therefore faith is saide to bee wholly copulatiue It is not sufficient to holde one article but hee that will holde any of them for his good must holde them all and hee which holdes them all in shewe of wordes if hee ouerturne but one of them indeede hee ouerturnes them all Againe to beleeue is one thing and to beleeue in this or that is another thing and it containeth in it three points or actions of a beleeuer I. To knowe a thing II. To acknowledge the same III. To put trust and confidence in it And in this order must these three actions of faith be applyed to euery article following which concerneth any of the persons in Trinitie And this must bee marked as a matter of speciall moment For alwaies by adding them to the wordes following we do apply the article vnto our selues in a very comfortable manner As I beleeue in the father and doe beleeue that hee is my father and therefore I put my whole trust in him and so of the rest Nowe wee come to the obiect of generall faith which is either God or the Church in handling of both which I will obserue this order I. I will speake of the meaning of euery article II. Of the duties which we ought to learne thereby III. And lastly of the consolations which may be gathered thence Concerning God three things are to be considered And first by reason of manifolde doubtings that rise in our mindes it may be demaunded whether there be a God many reasons might bee vsed to resolue those that haue scruple of conscience otherwaies wee are bounde to beleeue that there is a God without all doubting As for those Atheists which confidently auouch there is no God by Gods lawe they ought to die the death nay the earth is to good for such to dwell on Malefactours as theeues and rebells for their offences haue their rewarde of death but the offence of those which denies that there is a God is greater and therefore deserues most cruell death The second point followeth namely what God is Answer Moses desiring to see Gods face was not permitted but to see his hinder parts and therefore no man can bee able to describe God by his nature but by his effects and properties on this or such like manner God is an essence spirituall simple infinite most holy I say first of all that God is an essence to shewe that he is a thing absolutely subsisting in himselfe and by himselfe not receiuing his beeing from any other And herein hee differeth from all creatures whatsoeuer which haue subsisting and beeing from him alone Againe I say hee is an essence spirituall because hee is not any kinde of bodie neither hath hee the partes of the bodies of men or other creatures but is in nature a spirit inuisible not subiect to any of mans senses I adde also that he is a simple essence because his nature admits no manner of composition of matter or forme or partes The creatures are compounded of diuers parts and of varietie of nature but there is no such thing in God for whatsoeuer thing he is hee is the same by one and the same singular and indiuisible essence Furthermore he is infinite and that diuers waies infinite in time without any beginning and without end infinite in place because hee is euery where and excluded no where within all places and foorth of all places Lastly hee is most holy that is of infinite wisdome mercie loue goodnes c. and he alone is rightly tearmed most holy because holines is of the very nature of God himselfe whereas among the most excellent creatures it is otherwise For the creature it selfe is one thing and the holines of the creature another thing Thus wee see what God is and to this effect God describes himself to be Iehova Elohim Paul describes him to be a King euerlasting immortall inuisible onely wise to whome is due all honour and glorie for euer The third point is touching the number of Gods namely whether there be more gods then one or no. Ans. There is not neither can there be any more Gods then one Which point the Creed auoucheth in saying I beleeue in God not gods and yet more plainely the Nicene Creede and the Creed of Athanasius both of them explaining the words of the Apostles Creede on this manner I beleeue in one God Howesoeuer some in former times haue erroniously held that two gods were the beginning of all things one of good things the other of euill things others that there was one God in the old testament another in the newe others againe namely the Valentinians that there were thirty couple of gods and the heathen people as Augustine recordeth worshipped thirtie thousand gods yet we that are members of Gods Church must holde and beleeue one God alone and no more Deut. 4.39 Vnderstand this daie and consider in thine heart that Iehouah hee is God in heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath there is none other Eph. 4.6 One God one faith one baptisme If it be alleadged that the Scripture mentioneth many gods because Magistrats are called Gods Moses is called Aarons god the deuill and all idols are called gods The answere is this They are not properly or by nature gods for in that respect there is onely one God but they are so tearmed in other respects Magistrates are gods because they be Vicegerents placed in the roome of the true God to gouerne their subiects Moses is Aarons god because he was in the roome of God to reueale his will to Aaron the deuill is a god because the hearts of the wicked would giue the honour vnto him which is peculiar to the euerliuing God idols are called gods because they are such in mens conceits and opinions who esteeme of them as of gods Therefore Paul saith an idol is nothing in the world that is nothing in nature subsisting or nothing in respect of the diuinitie ascribed vnto it To proceede forwarde
Ghost yea and more then this we must hold and beleeue that God the father is our father the Sonne our redeemer the holy Ghost our sanctifier and comforter Well then if we must in this manner beleeue in God then we must also know him for we can haue no faith in the thing which is vtterly vnknowne Wherefore if we would beleeue in the father sonne or holy Ghost we must know them in part Ioh. 17. This is life eternall to know thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Ioh. 14. 17. The world can not receiue the spirit of truth because it hath neither seene him nor knowne him 1. Ioh. 2.23 Whosoeuer denieth the sonne hath not the father Thirdly this doctrine directs vs in worshipping God aright for vnitie in trinitie and trinitie in vnitie is to be worshipped one God must be worshipped in the Father in the Sonne and in the holy Ghost and if wee worship God the father without the Sonne and the holy Ghost or if we worship the Sonne without the father and the holy Ghost and the holy Ghost without the father and the Sonne we worship nothing but an Idol Againe if we worship the three persons not as one God but as three Gods then likewise we make three Idols Note further that of all the three persons the first person the Father is set in the first place and described to vs by three things I. by his title that hee is a Father II. by his attribute that he is Almightie III. by his effect that he is maker of heauen and earth of these in order as they lie in the Creed And first of the title Father It may seeme that he hath some prerogatiue ouer the Sonne and the holy Ghost because he is set before them but wee must knowe that hee is set before them neither in regard of timeâ— nor of dignitie for therein all three are equall but in regard of order onely The Father is the first the Sonne the second and the holy Ghost the third as may appeare by this similitude If three Emperours equall in dignitie should meete all in one place beeing equall also in power and maiestie if all three should sit downe though one be no better then an other yet one of them must needes sit downe the first and an other in the second place and then the third but yet we cannot say that he which sate downe first is the chiefest And so it is in the Trinitie though none be greater or aboue another yet the Father is in the first place not because he is before the Sonne or the holy Ghost in dignitie or honour but because he is the fountaine of the Deitie the Sonne beeing from him and the holy Ghost from them both Now let vs come to the title of the first person The name Father in Scriptures is ascribed either to God taken indefinitely and so by consequent to all the three persons in Trinitie or particularly to the first person alone For the first God is a father properly and principally according to the saying of Christ Call no man father vpon earth for there is but one your father which is in heauen that is principally whereas earthly parents whome we are commaunded to worship and honour are but certaine images or resemblances of our heauenly Father hauing this blessing that they are fathers from him And hereupon this title agrees to men not simply but so farre forth as God honoureth them with fatherhoode in calling them to be fathers whereas God himselfe receiues this honour from none God is tearmed a Father in respect both of nature and grace He is a father in regarde of natureâ— because he created and gouerneth all things In this regard he is called the father of spirits and Adam is called the Sonne of God He is a father in respect of grace because we are regenerate by him and accepted to be his sonnâ—s by adoption thorough the merite of Christ. And in this respect the second person as well as the first is called a Father and saide to haue an offspring or seede and children But when the name of Father is giuen to the first person it is done vpon a speciall consideration because he is a father by nature to the fe 〈◊〉 â—erson begetting him of his owne substance before all worldes By thâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—peares that out of the title of the first person we may fetch a â—â—â—cription thereof on this manner The Father is the first person in Trinitie begetting the sonne Nowe to beget is the personall proprietie whereby he is distinguished from the other two If it be saide that creatures doe beget and that therefore to beget is not proper to the father the answer is that in this point there are many differences betweene God the father and all creatures First the father begets the sonne before all eternitie and therefore God the father begetting and the sonne begotten are equall in tâ—me whereas in earthly generation the father is before the sonne in time Secondly God the father begets his Sonne by communicating to him his whole essence or godhead which can not be in earthly parents vnlesse they should be abolished and come to nothing Whereas neuerthelesse God the Father giuing his whole nature to his sonne retaines the same still because it is infinite Thirdly the father begets the sonne in himselfe and not forth of himselfe but in earthly generation the father begetting is forth of the child and the child forth of the father And that must not trouble vs which heretiques alleadge against this doctrine namely that if the father who is of one nature with the sonne did beget the sonne then he did beget himselfe for the godhead of the father doth not beget either the godhead or the person of the sonne but the person of the father begets the person of the sonne both which in one godhead are really distinct Thus we see what the Father is Now to beleeue in the father is to be perswaded that the first person in Trinitie is the father of Christ and in him my father particularly that for this cause I intend and desire for euer to put my truâ—t in him The duties which we may learne hence are manifold And here we haue occasion offered first of all to consider who is our father by nature I shall say to corruption saith Iob thou art my father and to the worme thou art my mother seeing God vouchsafeth this great prerogatiue to them that loue him that he will be their father therefore Iob in consideration hereof would haue euery man to haue recourse to his owne naturall condition to see who is his father by natureâ— Iob saith corruption is his father but if we marke well the condition of our nature we shall further see euery man to be the childe of wrath and that Sathan is his father for so long as a man walkes in his sinnes which euery
Testament where the Lord biddeth the Israelites to come out from Idolaters and to touch no vncleane thing and the reason followeth out of Ieremie that if they doe so then God will be their father and they shall be his children euen his sonnes and daughters which reason Paul vrgeth in the next chapter to this effect considering wee haue these promises that therefore we should clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and growe vp vnto holinesse in the feare of the Lord where if we marke the place diligently we shall finde this lesson that euery man who takes God for his father must not onely in this sinne of Idolatrie but in all other sinnes separate himselfe that men by his godly life may know whose child he is But some will say this exhortation is needlesse amongst vs for we haue no cause to separate our selues from others because all among vs are Christians all beleeue in God and are baptized and hope to be saued by Christ. Answer In outward profession I confesse we carrie the shew of Christians but in deede and truth by our liues and conuersations very many among vs denie Christ for in euery place the common practise is to spend the time in drunkennes and surfetting in chambering and wantonnesse yea great is the companie of those that make a trade of it take this lewd conuersation from many men and take away their liues And on the Lords day it may be seene both publikely and priuately in houses and in the open streetes there is such reuell as though there were no God to serue In the sixe daies of the weeke many men walke very painefully in their callings but when the Lords day commeth then euery man takes license to doe what he will and because of the Princes lawes men will come formally to the Church for fashions sake but in the meane time how many doe nothing else but scorne mocke and deride and as much as in them lyeth disgrace both the word and the ministers thereof so that the common saying is this oh he is a precise fellow he goes to heare Sermons he is too holy for our companie But it stands men in hand to take out a better lesson which is if we will haue God to be our father we must shew our selues to be the children of God by repentance and newnesse of life he can not be but a gracelesse child that will lead a rebellious life flat against his fathers minde Let vs then so behaue our selues that we may honour our father which is in heauen and not dishonour him in our liues and callings rather let vs separate our selues from the filthinesse of the flesh loathing those things which our father lotheth and fleeing from those things which our father abhorreth And thus much for the duties Now follow the consolations which arise from this point But first we are to know that there are three sorts of men in the world The first are such as will neither heare nor obey the word of God The second sort are those which heare the word preached vnto them but they will not obey both these sorts of men are not to looke for any comfort hence Now there is a third sort of men which as they heare Gods word so they make conscience of obeying the same in their liues and callings and these are they to whome the consolations that arise out of this place doe rightly belong and must be applied First therefore seeing God the father of Christ and in him the father of all that obey and doe his will is our father here note the dignitie and prerogatiue of all true beleeuers for they are sonnes and daughters of God as saith Saint Iohn So many as receiued him to them he gaue a prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name This priuiledge will appeare the greater if we consider our first estate for as Abraham saith We are but dust and ashes and in regard of the depriuation of our natures we are the children of the deuill therefore of such rebells to be made the sonnes of God it is a wonderfull priuiledge and prerogatiue and no dignitie like vnto it And to inlarge it further he that is the sonne of God is the brother of Christ and fellow heire with him and so heire apparant to the kingdome of heauen and in this respect is not inferiour to the very angels This must be laide vp carefully in the hearts of Gods people to confirme them in their conuersation among the companie of vngodly men in this world Secondly if a man doe indeauour himselfe to walke according to Gods word then the Lord of his mercie will beare with his wants for as a father spareth his owne sonne so will God spare them that feare him Now a father commandes his childe to write or to applie his booke though all things herein be not done according to his minde yet if he finde a readinesse with a good indeauour he is content and falls to praise his childes writing or learning So God giueth his commaundement and though his seruants faile in obedience yet if the Lord see their heartie indeauour and their vnfained willingnesse to obey his will though with sundrie wants he hath made this promise and will performe it that as a father spareth his sonne so will he spare them If a child be sicke will the father cast him off nay if through the grieuousnes of his sicknesse he can not take the meate that is giuen him or if he take it and for faintnesse picke it vp againe will the father of the childe thrust him out of doores no but he will rather pitie him And so when a man doth indeauour himselfe through the whole course of his life to keepe Gods commandements God will not cast him away though through weakenesse he faile in sundrie things and displease God This prerogatiue can none haue but he that is the childe of God as for others when they sinne they doe nothing els but draw downe Gods iudgements vpon them for their deeper condemnation Thirdly hence we learne that the childe of God can not wholly fall away frō Gods fauour I doe not say that he cannot fall at all for he may fall away in part but he can not wholly Indeed so oft as he sins he depriues himself wholly of Gods fauour as much as in him lieth yet god for his part still keepeth the minde and purpose of a father Dauid loued his sonne Absolon wonderfully but Absolon like a wicked sonne plaied a lewd pranck would haue thrust his father out of his kingdome and Dauid although he was sore offended with Absolon and shewed tokens of his wrath yet in heart he loued him and neuer purposed to cast him off Herupon when he went against him he commāded the captains to intreat the yong man Absolon gently for his sake And whē he was hāged by the haire of the
it be with the aduenture of our liues When Dauid desired to drinke of the water of the well of Bâ—thlem three of his mightie men went and brake into the hoast of the Philistâ—ms and brought him water Thus they ventured their liues for Dauids sake and shall not we much more willingly venture our liues to doe Christ seruice in token of thankefulnesse for his continuall preseruing of vs Thus much of the highest degree of Christs exaltation in his kingeome nowe followeth the last point to be beleeued concerning Christ in these wordes From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade And they containe a proofe or a particular declaration of the former article For as on earth those that are set at the right hand of kings doe execute iustice in courts or assises â—or the maintenance of the state peace of the kingdome so Christ Iesus sitting at the right hand of his father that is being made soueraigne Lord of all things both in heauen and earth is to hold a court or assise in which hee shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead Nowe in handling the last iudgement we are to consider these points I. whether there shall be a iudgement or not II. the time of it III. the signes thereof IV. the manner of it V. the vse which is to be made thereof Of these in order For the first point whether there shall be a iudgement or not the question is needefull for as Saint Peter saith There shall come in the last daies mockers which shall walke after their lusts and say Where is the promise of his comming which daies are nowe The answer to this question is set downe in this article in which we professe that the comming of Christ to the last iudgement is a point of religion specially to be helde and auouched The reasons to prooue it are principally two first the testimonie of God himselfe in the bookes of the olde and newe testament which affoard vnto vs plentifull proofes touching the last iudgement so as he which will but lightly read the same shall not neede to doubt thereof The second reason is taken froÌ„ the iustice and goodnes of God the propertie wherof is to punish wicked and vngodly men and to honour and reward the godly but in this world the godly man is most of all in miserie for iudgement beginneth at Gods house and the vngodly haue their hearts ease Wâ—cked Diues hath the world at will but poore Lazarus is hunger bitten full of sores and miserable euery way This beeing so it remaineth that after this life therâ— must needes be a iudgement and a second comming of Christ when the godly must receiue fulnesse of ioy and glorie and the vngodly fulnesse of woe miserie This second reason may stoppe the mouthes of all gainesayers in the world whatsoeuer But it may be obiected that the whole world stands either of beleeuers or vnbeleeuers and that there is no last iudgement for either of these for the beleeuer as Christ saith hath euerlasting life and shall not come into iudgement and the vnbeleeuer is condemned alreadie and therefore needeth no further iudgement Ans. Where it is said he that beleeueth shall not come into iudgement it must bee vnderstood of the iudgement of condemnation and not the iudgement of absolution and he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie in effect and substance three waies I. in the counsell of God who did foresee and appoint his condemnation as it is a punishment of sinne and an execution of his iustice II. in the word of God where he hath his condemnation set downe III. he is condemned in his own conscience for euery vngodly mans conscience is a iudge vnto himselfe which doth euery houre condemne him and it is a forerunner of the last iudgement And notwithstanding all this there may remaine a second iudgement which is a manifestation and finishing of that which was begunne in this worlde and therefore the meaning of that place is this hee that beleeueth not is alreadie iudged in part but so as the full manifestation thereof shall be at the second comming of Christ. The second circumstance is the time of his iudgement in handling whereof first let vs see what is the iudgement of men secondly what is the trueth For the first two opinions touching this time take place The first is that the second comming of Christ shall be about sixe thousand yeares from the beginning of the worlde and that for the Elects sake some of these daies must be shortned and nowe since the beginning of the worlde are passed fiue thousand almost sixe hundred yeares so as there remaines but foure hundred The groundes of this opinion are these First the testimonie of Elias two thousand yeares before the lawe two thousand yeares vnder the lawe and two thousand yeares vnder Christ. And for the elects sake some of these yeares shall be shortened Answer This was not the sentence of Elias the Thisbite but of another Elias which was a Iewe no prophet And wheras he saith two thousand yeres before the lawe and two thousand yeares vnder the lawe he faileth From the giuing of the law to the comming of Christ was about one thousand and fiue hundred yearesâ— and from the lawe to the creation aboue two thousand Now if Elias cannot set downe a iust number for the time past which a meane man many do what shal we think that he can do for the time to come And if he deceiue vs in that which is more easie to find how shal we trust him in things that be harder The secoÌ„d reason is this How long god was in creating the world so long he shall be in gouerning the same but he was sixe daies in creating the worlde and in the seuenth he rested and so proportionally hee shall bee sixe thousand yeares in gouerning the world euery daie answering to a thousand yeares as Peter saith A thousand yeares are but as one day with God and then shall the end bee Ans. This reason likewise hath no ground in Gods word as for that place of Peter the meaning is that innumerable yeares are but as a short time with God and we may as well say two thousand or tenne thousand yeares are but as one daie with God For Peter meant not to speake any thing distinctly of a thousand yeares but of a long time Thirdly it is alleadged that within sixe thousand yeares from the creation of the world shall appeare in the heauens straunge coniunctions and positions of the starres which signifie nothing els but the subuersion of the state of the world nay some haue noted that the ende thereof should haue beene in the yeare of our Lord a thousand fiue hundred eightie eight their writings are manifest but we finde by experience that this opinion is false and friuolous and their groundes be as friuolous For no man can gather by the ordinarie course of the
body They obiect that God is omnipotent True indeede but there bee some things the doing of which agreeth not with Gods power as to make contradicentia things contradictorie to be both true of which sort these are For that Christs bodie is a true bodie and that it is in many places at once are flatte contrarie beccause as hath bin shewed it is essential to all magnitudes to be in one place and therefore to a bodie And God cannot take away that which is essentiall to a thing the essence remaining whole 2. Againe transubstantiation maketh the Accidents of bread and wine to remaine without the substance Here also is another contradiction as impossible as the former for it is a common saying in schooles Accident is esse est inesse It is of the essence of an Accident to bee in the substance Now therefore if the Accidents bee there is also the bread and wine and if there bee no substance of bread or wine neither can there be any accidents 3. It holdeth that bread is turned into the bodie of Christ and therfore it must needs holde that Christs bodie is made of bakers bread and yet it holdeth and teacheth that Christs bodie is onely made of the seede of Marie quite ouerthrowing the former Transubstantiation V. It teacheth that a man must alwaies doubt of his saluation and likewise it teacheth that in praying we are to cal GOD father which are things quite contrarie For who can truly call GOD father vnlesse hee haue the spirit of adoption and be assured that he is the child of God For if a man shall call god father yet in his heart doubt whether he be his father or not he playeth the dissembling hypocrite wherefore to doubt of saluation and to say Our father c. in truth are contrarie VI. The Church of Rome maketh praier to bee one of the chiefe meanes to satisfie for sinnes But praier indeede is an asking of pardon for sinne Now asking of pardon satisfaction for sinne are contrarie therfore by the iudgement of the Papists praier which is a satisfaction is no satisfactiō And indeed let vs consider what madnes is contained in this popish diuinitie the poore begger commeth very hungrie to the rich mans doore to craue his almes and straightwaies by his begging he will merit and deserue it The same doeth the papist he prayeth verie poorely for the thing which he wanteth yet he looketh very proudly to merit no lesse then the kingdome of heauen by it VII Doubting of saluation hope cannot agree together for hope maketh a man not to be ashamed that is it neuer disappointeth him of the thing which he looketh for And therefore it is called the anchor of the soule both sure and steadfast which entereth into that which is within the vaile So that true hope and the certaine assurance of saluation goe togither VIII True praier and iustification by works cannot stand togither For hee which prayeth truly must be touched inwardly with a liuely feeling of his owne miserie and of the want of that grace whereof he standes in neede Now this cannot be in the heart of that man that looketh to merit the kingdome of heauen by his workes for he that can doe this may iustly conceiue somewhat of his owne excellencie IX Papists teach that it is great boldnes to come immediately vnto God without the intercession of Saints and therefore they vse to pray to Marie that shee would pray to Christ to helpe them yet on the contrarie when they haue so done they pray to God immediatly that he would receiue the intercession of Marie for them And thus they are become intercessors betweene Marie and God Yea when they offer vp Christ praying God to accept their gifts and sacrifices the humble priest that wil not pray to God but by the mediation of Saints is then a mediator between Christ Iesus God the father X. It holdeth that in the masse the Priest offereth vp Christ to his father an vnbloodie sacrifice This is a thing impossible for if Christ in the masse be sacrificed for sin then he must die his blood must be shed Heb. 9.22 And in the Scriptures these two sayings Christ is dead Christ is offered vp in Sacrifice are all one So then the Papist when he supposeth that there may be an vnbloodie sacrifice in effect he saith thus much There is a sacrifice which is no sacrifice And it is not possible that a bloodie sacrifice should be offered in an vnbloodie manner XI In the Canon of the masse the Church of Rome praieth on this wise We humbly beseech thee most merciful father by Iesus Christ thy sonne and our Lord that that thou wouldest accept these gifts and oblations and these holy Sacrifices which thy Church offer to thee c. where first they offer vp Christ to God the father in the name of Christ and so they make Christ to be his owne mediatour Againe they desire God to blesse and to accept his own sonne for they offer vp Christ. If they say he needeth now the blessing of his father they make Christ a weake and imperfect Christ if he need 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 bodie is one only bodie and therefore but one sacrifice And thus they are at variance with themselues XII Papists in word they say that they beleeue put thei◠trust in God yet whereas they looke to be saued by their workes they set the confidence of their hearts in truth vpon their owne doings XIII They put such holines in matrimonie that they make it one of their 7. Sacraments which conferre grace to the partakers of them yet they forbid their Cleargie to marrie because to liue in marriage is to liue according to the flesh and the Councell of Trent opposeth marriage and chastitie XIV It teacheth that soules kept in purgatorie may be redeemed by Sacrifices and Suffrages Against this is a Canon of their lawe taken out of Saint Hierome we know that in this life we may help one another either by praiers or by good counsell but when we shall come before the iudgement seate of Christ neither Iob nor Daniel nor Noe may intreat for any but euery mā is to beare his own 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 XV. 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 him 2 Peter and Paul were two of the chiefe Apostles and it is hard to say which was aboue the other 3 Leo the fourth
and vndiscret companie that would seeme to crie out for discipline their whole talke is of it and yet they neither knowe it nor will be reformed by it and yet they are enemies to it as for the lawe of God and the promises of the Gospell they little regard they maintain vile sinnes in refusing to heare the reading or the preaching of the word and this is great contempt of Gods benefits and vnthankefulnesse to him They are full of pride thinking themselues to be full when they are emptie to haue all knowledge when they are ignorant and had neede to bee catechized the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lippes they refuse not to speake euill of the blessed seruants of God Well doe they aboue all things seeke the kingdome of GOD then let them be sincere seekers of it which they shall doe if in seeking Christs kingdome they seeke the righteousnesse thereof vnto which they can neuer come but by the applying of the threatnings of the lawe and the comforts of the gospel to their own consciences But whereas they seeke the one and not the other they giue all men to vnderstand with what spirit they speake CONSOLATIONS FOR THE TROVBLED consciences of repentant Sinners Sinner GOod sir I know the Lord hath giuen you the tongue of the learned to be able to minister a word in time to him that is wearie therefore I pray you helpe me in my miserie Minister Ah my good brother what is the matter with you and what aile you Sinner I liued a long time the Lord he knoweth it after the manner of the world in all the lusts of my filthie flesh then I was neuer troubled but it hath plesed GOD of his mercie to touch my heart and to send his owne sonne that good sheapheard Iesus Christ to fetch me home to his owne fold euen vpon his own necke and since that time it is a wonder to see howe my poore heart hath beene troubled my corruption so boyles in me and Sathan will neuer let me alone Minister Your case is a blessed case for not to be troubled of Satan is to be possessed of him that is to be held captiue vnder the power of darkenes and to be a slaue and vassall of Sathan for as long as the strong man keepes the hold all things are is peace Contrariwise hee that hath receiued any sparkle of true faith shall see the gates of hell that is the deuill and his angels in their full strengthâ— to stand vp against him and to fight with an endles hatred for his finall confusion Sinner But this my trouble of mind hath made me oftentimes feare least God would reiect me and vtterly depriue me of the kingdome of heauen Minister But there is no cause why it should so doe For how should heauen bee your resting place if on earth you were not troubled how could god wipe away your teares from your eies in heauen if on earth you shead them not You would be freâ— from miseries you looke for heauen vpon earth But if you will go to heauen the right waie is to saile by hel If you wil sit at Christs table in his kingdome you must bee with him in his temptations You are as Gods corne you must therefore goe vnder the fâ—aile the fanne the milstone and the ouen before you can be Gods bread You are one of Christs Lambes looke therefore to be fleeced and to haue the bloodie knife at your throat all the daie long If you were a market sheepe bought to be solde you should be stalled and kept in a fat pasture but you are for Gods owne occupying therfore you must pasture on the bare common abiding stormes tempests Sathans snatches the worlds woundes contempt of conscience and frettes of the flesh But in this your miserie I will be a Simon vnto you to helpe you to carrie your crosse so be it you will reueale your mind vnto me Christian. I will doe it willingly my temptations are either against my faith in Christ or against repentance for my sinnes Minister What is your temptation as touching faith Christian. Ah woe is me I am much afraid least I haue no faith in Christ my Sauiour Minister What causeth this feare Christian. Diuers things Minister What is one Christian. I am troubled with many doubtings of my saluation and so it comes into 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 he that neuer doubted of his saluation neuer beleeued and that hee which beleeueth in trueth feeleth many doubtings and wauerings euen as the sound man feels many grudgings of diseases which if he had not health he could not feele Christian. But you neuer knewe any that hauing true faith doubted of their saluation Minister What will you then say of the man that said Lord I beleeue Lord helpe mine vnbeleefe And of Dauid who made his moane after this manner Is his mercy cleane gone for euer Doth his promise faile for euermore Hath God forgotten to be mercifull Hath he shut vp his tender mercie in displeasure Yea hee goeth on further as a man in despaire And I said this is my death Hereby it is manifest that a man indued with true faith may haue not onely assaults of doubting but of desperation This further appeareth in that he saith in an other place Why art thou cast downe my soule Why art thou disquieted within me Waite on God for I will yet giue thankes he is my present helpe and my God And in very truth you may perswade your selfe that they are but vnreasonable men that say they haue long beleeued in Christ without any 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 doubtings which you feele doe you like them or doe you take any pleasure in them and doe you cherish them Christian. Nay nay they appeare very vile in mine eies and I do abhorre them from my heart and I would faine beleeue Minister In man we must consider his estate by nature and his estate by grace In the first hee and his flesh are all one for they are as man wife therfore one is accessarie to the doings of the other When the flesh sinneth the man also sinneth that is in subiection to the flesh yea when the flesh perisheth the man likewise perisheth beeing in this estate with the flesh 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 asunder This diuorcement is made when a man begins to dislike and to hate his flesh and the euil fruits of it this separation
trueth which wee affirme or denie be doubtfull or contingent then such clauses as these It is so or it is not so as I thinke as I remember as I take it are to be added If one shall say It is so and afterwards it prooue otherwise he receiueth discredit because he spake an vntruth But if he shall say I thinke it is so though it fall out otherwise yet he saueth his credit because he deceiueth not but onely is deceiued An asseueration is a forme of speech wherby one doth vehemently affirme or denie any thing as when a man shall say Verily in truth in very truth without all doubt c. These and such like are not to be vsed at euery word but then onely when a truth of greater importance is to be confirmed When the false prophets among the Iewes and the Priests would not beleeue that Ieremie was sent of God what saith he not simply The Lord hath sent me but In truth the Lord hath sent me Our Sauiour Christ when he vsed to speake any weightie matter vsed to say Amen Amen Verily verily which is a plain asseueration for Amen is more then a simple affirmation and it is lesse then an oath as the very sense of the word doth import which is no more but truly certenly The third is an oath which must not be made by any thing in heauen or earth but onely by the Name of God alone It must be vsed as the last refuge and remedie of all For when any truth of great importance is to be confirmed and all signes euidences proofes witnesses faile among men on earth then we may lawfully fetch the Lord as a witnesse from heauen who is the knower of all truth And in this case an oath may be taken either publikely before a Magistrate or priuately among priuate persons if it bee done with reuerence and consideration as it was betweene Iacob and Laban CHAP. IX What is to be done when we haue spoken AFter a man hath spoken his minde very few words more are to be added He that hath knowledge spareth his wordes In many wordes there can not want iniquitie but he that refraineth his lips is wise He that speaketh many wordes speaketh either false things or superfluous or both as when a riuer ouerflowes the water gathereth much slime so many wordes many faults When a vessell being smitten makes a great noise it is a token that it is emptie and so the sound of many wordes shewes a vaine heart The Gentiles haue said that God gaue a man one tongue and two eares that he might heare more and speake lesse Valerius Maximus reporteth of Xenocrates that beeing in the company of some that vsed railing speeches helde his tongue and beeing asked why hee did so answered That it had repented him that he had spoken but it neuer repented him that he had held his peace And the prouerb is He that will speake what he will shall heare what hee would not To the framing of our speech Ambrose requireth three things a yoke a ballance and a metwand a yoke to keepe it in staied grauitie a ballance to giue it weight of reason a metwand to keepe it in measure and moderation This rule must be practised carefully for the auoiding of chiding brawling and contention Let nothing be done by contention Phil. 2.3 Let students schollers learne to practise this for what shall an other mans opinioÌ„ hurt thee though in reasoning he be not of thy minde in euery point Here take heed of the spirit of Contradiction whereby some by thwarting and contradicting euery man at length prooue either obstinate heretickes or lewd Atheists and make no bones to contradict the holy Ghost and to call the scriptures in question and dispute that there is no God Nowe if a man speake necessarie things though he continue his speech till midnight as Paul did it can not be called immoderate or superfluous talke CHAP. X. Of writing ALL this which is set downe concerning speech must as wel be practised in writing as in speaking Whereby are condemned ballads bookes of loue all idle discourses and histories beeing nothing els but enticements and baites vnto manifold sinnes fitter for Sodome and Gomorrah then for Gods Church And it must be followed as well in speaking of latine or any other tongue as English which students haue not marked for whereas they wil not sweare in English yet in Latine they make no bones of it saying Mehercuse mediùs fidiùs aedipol per deos immortales And whereas they hold but one God in iudgement yet in their Latine exercises they speake of Iupiter and of the Godsâ— after the manner of the heathen What a shame is this that a Christian and that in Christian schooles should either be ashamed or not vse to speake as a Christian but as Atheists doe If thou haue many tongues and knowest not how to vse them well he which hath but his mother tongue ordering it aright is a better linguist then thou CHAP. XI Of silence VVIse and godly silence is as excellent a vertue as holy speech for hee knoweth not howe to speake which knoweth not howe to hold his tongue The rule of our silence must be the law of God By meanes of which wise consideration must be had whether the thing which wee haue in minde be for Gods glorie and our neighbours good which done we are answerably to speake or to be silent Here must be considered the things of which â—ilence must be vsed and the persons before whome The things are many First if any truth be to the hinderance of Gods glorie or of the good of our neighbour it must be coÌ„cealed The concealing of the truth is either in whole or in part In whole when the speaking of the least word is hurtfull As for example the father and the sonne are both sicke at once the sonne dieth first the father asketh whether his sonne be dead or not if it be said no an vntrueth is tolde if yea then the fathers griefe is increased and his death hastened therefore silence is the best In daies of persecution holy Martyrs haue chosen rather to suffer death then to reueale their brethren that haue beene of their priuate assemblies with them The concealing of a thing in part is when a man speaketh a little of the trueth and concealeth the rest Which is warranted in all good and lawefull proceedings which manifestly tend to the glory of god WheÌ„ Samuel is sent to annoint Dauid he answereth the Lord and saith Howe can I goe for if Saul heare of it he will kill me Then the Lord answered Take an heyfer with thee say I am come to doe sacrifice to the Lord and call for Ishai to sacrifice and I will shewe thee what thou shalt doe and thou shalt annoint vnto me him whome I shal name vn-thee When Ieremie had shewed king Zedekiah howe he might escape death then the king said vnto
liue here we are in the fight and as long as we are in the fight we haue no certaine victorie V. Some places speaks of the vncertentie of other mens saluation which we grant The author of the booke de vocat Gent. 1. clast saith We can pronounce of no man before his ende that he shall be in the glorie of the elect August lib. de perseuer cap. 13. Men are not with any certaine asseueration to auouch that others belong to this calling VI. Some speake of that certaintie which comes by reuelation without the word Greg. lib. 6. epist. 22. to Gregoria Whereas you adde in your epistles that you will be earnest with me till I write that it hath beene made known vnto me that your sinnes are forgiuen you haue required a hard and vnprofitable thing Hard because I am vnworthie to whome a releuation should be made Vnprofitable because you must not be made sure touching your sinnes vnlesse it bee in the last day of your life for then you should not be able to bewaile the same sinnes VII Some places denie vnto man that certentie which is proper to God which is to discerne in himselfe all things to come plainely as they shall come to passe without helpe of testimonie and outward signes Bernard â—erm 1. de Septuages Who can say I am of the Elect I am of the predestinate to life certenly we haue none as yet but the affiance of our hope comforteth vs. Conferre these words with those that follow For this cause certaine signes and manifest tokens of saluation are giuen that it may bee a thing out of doubt that hee is in the number of the elect in whome these signes are Thus I haue in some part made manifest that an vnfallible certentie of pardon of sinne and life euerlasting is the propertie of euery renued conscience Now therefore I will proceede further to consider howe this certentie is caused and imprinted in the conscience The principall agent and beginner thereof is the holy Ghost inlightning the mind and conscience with spiritual and diuine light and the instrument in this action is the ministerie of the Gospel whereby the word of life is applied in the name of God to the person of euery hearer And this certaintie is by little and little conceiued in a forme of reasoning or practicall syllogisme framed in the mind by the holy Ghost on this manner Euery one that beleeues is the child of God But I doe beleeue Therefore I am the child of God The proposition is made by the minister of the word in the publike congregation and it is nothing else but the promise of eternall life applied to the particular hearers The second part or the assumption is the voice of conscience regenerate or the voice of Gods spirit in the same Nowe Papists write and auouch that the assumption is false but the reasons which they vse to prooue the same are of small moment First they alleadge that many are deceiued in their perswasions thinking they haue that which they haue not I answer againe that many doe falsly presume of Gods mercie and imagine they haue that faith which they haue not and in all such the assumption is false yet in all them that are chosen to saluation and truely called it is vnfallibly true For such as haue receiued the gift of true faith haue also another gift of discerning whereby they see and knowe their own faith It is further obiected that Ieremie saith 17.9 The heart is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things who caÌ„ know it But the intent of this place is only to shew that no man can search his heart to the very bottome to see all and euery want infirmitie and wicked inclination that is therein For originall sin wherewith the heart of man is tainted is a pronnes or dispositioÌ„ to all the sinnes that are or may be And though men can not discerne all their sinnes yet many of them are certenly knownâ—â— why may not then many of the graces of God be certenly knowne especially those which be of the principall as faith sanctification repentance Againe it is alleadged that Peter beleeued that hee was able to lay downe his life for Christs sake and yet indeede was not as the euent declared for when the time came he denied Christ. Ans. Peter at that time was but weake in faith and hee was much carried away with a confidence of his owne strength which made him speake those wordes of presumption and though he failed in this one particular action yet failed he not in the principall that is in the perswasion of the pardon of his owne sinnes and of life euerlasting In a word it is certaine that many perswade themselues of Gods mercie and yet are deceiued neuerthelesse all such as doe truely beleeue are not deceiued The holy Ghost making them to see that in themâ—elues which by nature they cannot discerne as Paul signified when hee said I speake the trueth I lie not my conscience bearing me witnes by the holy Ghost Rom. 9.1 Againe the same testimonie is giuen otherwise thus Euery child of God hath the pardon of his sinnes saith Gods word But I am Gods child and therefore haue the pardon of my sinnes saith the renued conscience by the direction of Gods spirit Rom. 8.16 Gal. 4.6 After that this testimony is once begun it is confirmed by the same means as also by praier and the Sacraments But it may be demanded howe a bodily element as bread wine water should be able to confirme a perswasion of our adoption that is in the conscience Answ. The element in the sacrament is an outward seale or instrument to confirme faith not as a medicine restores and confirmes health whether we thinke on it or not whether we sleepe or wake and that by his owne inherent vertue but by reasoning in a syllogisme made by the good conscience that medium thereof beeing the outward signe in the Sacrament By meanes of which syllogisme the holy Ghost mooues and stirres the minde yea cherisheth and increaseth faith on this manner He which vseth the elements aright shall receiue the promises But I doe or I haue vsed the elements aright Therefore I shall receiue the promises Whereas presumption and the illusion of Satan vse as wel to tel a man that he is the child of God as the true testimonie of regenerate conscience the way to put difference between them is this I. Presumption is natural and from the very wombe but this testimonie of conscience is supernaturall II. Presumption is in them that make no account of the ordinarie meanes of saluation This testimonie comes by the reuerent and carefull hearing of Gods worde III. Presumption is in them that vse not to call on the name of God but this testimonie of conscience is ioyned with the spirit of adoption which is the spirit of praier IV. Presumption is ioyned with loosenes of life this testimonie brings with it alwaies an happy change
is that euery seruant of God must take heede howe hee trauels into such countries where Popish religion is stablished least hee partakes in the sinnes and punishments thereof Indeede to goe vpon ambassage to any place or to trauell for this end that wee may performe the necessarie duties for our speciall or generall callings is not vnlawefull but to trauell out of the precincts of the chnrch onely for pleasures sake and to see strange fashions hath no warrant And hence it is that many men which goe forth in good order well minded come home with crased consciences The best traueller of all is he that liuing at home or abroad can goe out of himselfe and depart from his owne sinnes and corruptions by true repentance FINIS An aduertisement to all fauourers of the Romane religion shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the Catechisme GReat is the number of them that embrace the religion of the present Church of Rome beeing deceiued by the glorious titles of Vniuersalitie Antiquitie Succession And no doubt though some be wilfully blinded yet many deuoted this waie neuer sawe any other trueth Nowe of them and the rest I desire this fauour that they will but weigh and ponder with theÌ„selues this one thing which I will nowe offer to their considerations and that is That the Romane religion now stablished by the councell of Trent is in the principall points thereof against the grounds of the Catechisme that haue beene agreed vpon euer since the daies of the Apostles by all Churches These groundes are foure the first is the Apostles Creed the second is the decalogue or tenne commandements the third is the forme of praier called the Lords praier the fourth is the Institution of the two Sacraments baptisme and the Lords supper 1. Cor. 11.23 That I may in some order manifest this which I say I will begin with the Symbole or Creed And first of all it must bee considered that some of the principall doctrines beleeued in the Church of Rome are that the Pope or Bishop of Rome is the vicar of Christ and the head of the Catholike church that there is a fire of purgatorie after this life that images of God and Saints are to be placed in Churches and worshipped that praier is to bee made to Saints departed their interceffion to be required that there is a propitiatorie sacrifice daily oâ—â—ered in the masse for the sinnes of the quicke the dead These points are of that moment that without them the Romane religion caÌ„not stand and in the councel of Trent the curse Anathema is pronounced vpon all such as denie these or any of them And yet marke the Apostles Creede which hath bin thought to containe all necessarie points in religion to bee beleeued and hath therefore beene called the kay rule of faith this creed I say hath not any of these points nor the Expositions made thereof by the auncient fathers nor any other Creede or confession of faith made by any councel or Church for the space of many hundred yeares This is a plaine proofe to any indifferent man that these be new articles of faith neuer knowne in the Apostolike Church that the fathers councels could not find any such articles of faith in the books of the old and new testament Answer is made that all these points of doctrine are beleeued vnder the article I beleeue the Catholike Church the meaning whereof they wil haue to be this I beleeue all things which the Catholicke church holdeth and teacheth to be beleeued If this bee as they say we must needes beleeue in the Church that is put our confidence in the Church for the manifestation and the certentie of all doctrines necessarie to saluation and thus the eternal trueth of God the Creatour shall depend on the determination of the creature and the written word of God in this respect is made vnsufficient as though it had not plainely reuealed all points of doctrine pertaining to saluation And the ancient Churches haue beene farre ouerseene that did not propound the former points to be beleeued as articles of faith but left them to these latter times 2. In this Creede to beleeue in God and to beleeue the Church are distinguished To beleeue in is pertaining to the Creatour to beleeue to the creature as Ruffinus hath noted when he saith that by this preposition in the Creatour is distinguished from the creature and things pertaining to God from things pertaining to men And Augustine saith It must be knowne that we must beleeue the Church and not beleeue in the Church because the Church is not God but the house of God Hence it followes that we must not beleeue in the Saints nor put our confidence in our workes as the learned Papists teach Therfore Eusebius saith We ought of right to beleeue Peter and Paul but to beleeue in Peter and Paul that is to giue to the seruants the honour of the Lord we ought not And Cyprian saith He doth not beleeue in God which doeth not place in him alone the trust of his whole felicitie 3. The article conceiued by the holy Ghost is ouerturned by the transubstaÌ„tiation of bread and wine in the masse into the bodie and blood of Christ. For here wee are taught to confesse the true and perpetuall incarnation of Christ beginning in his conception and neuer ending afterward and wee acknowledge the trueth of his manhood and that his bodie hath the essentiall properties of a true body standing of flesh bone hauing quaÌ„titie figure dimeÌ„sions namly length breadth thicknes hauing part out of part as head out of feet feet out of head being also circuÌ„scribed visible touchable in a word it hath al things in it which by order of creatioÌ„ beloÌ„g to a body It wil be said that the bodie of Christ may remaine a true bodie yet be altered in respect of some qualities as namely circumscription But I say againe that locall circumscription can no way be seuered from a bodie it remaining a bodie For to be circumscribed in place is an essentiall propertie of euery quantitie and quantitie is the common essence of euery bodie And therefore a bodie in respect of his quantitie must needs be circumscribed in one place This was the iudgement of Leo when hee said The â—odie of Christ is by no meanes out of the trueth of our bodâ—â— And Augustine when he said Onely God in Christ so comes that he doth not departâ—â—o returnes that he doth not leaue vs but man according to bodie is in place and goes out of the same place and when he shall come vnto another place he is not in that place whence he comes To helpe the matter they vse to distinguish thus Christs bodie in respect of the whole essence thereof may be in many places but not in respect of the whole quantitie whereby it is only in one place But as I haue