Apoc. 9.8 by Saint Iohn in the Reuelation Where we may beholde a most notable â—nd ample description of their pompes riotes â—nd all their royall magnificences Apo. 17.4 vnder the figure of the great Whore arayed in purple â—nd scarlet and guilded with gold and pretious â—ones and pearles hauing a cuppe of golde in her hand sull of abhominations and filthines of her fornication And the mortall hatred likewise which they al beare vnto the truth which they caÌ„not abide to be published without woÌ„derfull griefe passion of minde nor without spilling cruelly the blood of the faithfull witnesses of Iesus Christ and that in such aboundance that they and the whole earth are drunken and ouercharged therewith All the world seeth euery daye the attempts and practisâ— which they worke by their Ambassadors whome they sende forth into all quarters like a companie of Furies to shake all the cornerâ— of heauen and earth to stir vp by all meaneâ— they may the great Princes Potentates thaâ— they should hinder their abuses from being descried and that the trueth shoulde not bâ— knowen nor the kingdome of Christ establiâ—shed Seeing then that the Apostates are reâ—turned to the worlde and are gone againe tâ— the campe of Antichrist and doe employe aâ— their fetches and forces to quench the light 〈◊〉 the Gospell and to hinder the aduancement 〈◊〉 the truth may we not iustly say of them thaâ— they are the enemies of Christ For those thaâ— are of his flocke and are his sheepe 〈◊〉 Ioh. 10.3 heare hâ—voice and obey him acknowledging him foâ— their sheepeheard follow him as their lighâ— They are neither afraid nor ashamed to confesse his name publikely by their testimony to confirme the whole doctrine which he hath preached and are not held backe from following of him by the remembrance of the hatred of the world which might be set before their eâ—es of the losse of their goods of the danger of their life of a thousand other incoÌ„modities which doe accompany all those that make a true and right profession of the gospell The Apostates then who wil not beare these burdens nor submite themselues to these condiciâ—ons can not be the disciples of Iesus Christ neither can he receiue them otherwise into his schoole and companie Moreouer did he not say that no man could be his disciple except he were resolued indeede to abide constant and â—table in his doctrine vnto the end those then who for a time haue receiued followed and apâ—roued it tentations comming haue slidde â—acke from it haue they not shewed thereby â—hat it had neuer taken roote in theire heartes that the profession thereof which they made for a tyme was but in shewe and outward apâ—earance onely which action he hath in abhoâ—ination aboue al other things which he doth â—eclare by effectie when departing from Ieruâ—lem Math. 21.19 finding by the citâ—e a figge tree without fruite which had but leaues only cursed it at the same time Neither ought it to be marueiled at if god who is for euer true who loueth a rouÌ„dnes sincerity in al things caÌ„ not suffer long in his house such hypocrites disguised persons without discouering and making them knowen When a branche of the vine is shred of shall we say it is yet of the vine or any member to be yet of the bodie after it is cut of If then the Apostates not staying the censure or iudgement of the Church haue preueÌ„ted it haue excoÌ„municated themselues seâ—uering theÌ„selues of their owne accord not only from the body but also from the head what caÌ„â— they looke or hope for at Iesus Christ his haÌ„dâ— from whom they are altogether separated did they not euedently shewe by that that they were not the plantes which God the Fatheâ— had planted Mat. 15.13 For if they had bene of the number he woulde not haue rooted them vp Ioh. 10. And that likewise they were neuer of the fould oâ— Iesus Christ for who were able to plucke oâ— take them out of his handes by force and also that they were neuer well grounded for thâ— house which hath not his grounde vppon thâ— sande but vpon a stronge rocke can not fall oâ— be beaten downe by anie winde that blowetâ— vpon it nor by any tempest or waue that beaâ—teth teth against it To conclude Mat. 7.24 they haue shewed by this their reuoulting that they were neuer of the seede or of the children of Abraham to whom the promises of saluation and blessings doe belonge Gen. 15.5 For such are as the starres of heauen which are so fastened and fixed within the firmament that they can neuer be moued out of the place wherin they were set in the beginning So likewise the children of God being â—nce in the kingdome of heauen they do abide â—n it as in their houses and dwell therein withâ—out euer departing from thence as the Prophet saieth Psal 65.4 Blessed is he whome thou choosest and cauâ—est to come to thee he shall dwell in thy Courtes Psal 23.5 And in an other place Thou doest annointe my â—eadwith oile and my Cuppe runneth ouer Doutâ—s kindnes and mercy shall follow me all the dayes 〈◊〉 my life and I shall remaine a long season in the â—use of the Lord. Wherunto that agreeth which â— spoken by our Sauiour Christ in S. Iohn Ioh. 6.37 all â—ut the Father giueth me shall come to me and â—m that cometh to me I cast not away Whereby â— appeareth plainely that when the chosen are â—nce entred into the fould of the shepeheard it â— to abide therein and to be nourished in the â—me for euer and therefore S. Iohn speaking â—f those who in his time had reuolted and forâ—ken the church saide they were not of vs 1. Ieh 2.19 for if they had bene of vs Iud. 13 they would haue continewed with vs. What shall we saye then of those wandring starres which could not stay themselues in the house of God to be coÌ„tinually partakers therein of the brightnes of the Sonne of righteousnes which doth shine daye night without end and for euer but that they are all eclipsed and haue loued darkenes rather then light the company of the deuill who is the Father a murtherer from the beginning more theâ— Iesus Christes Ioh. 8.4 who is the waye the life and the trueth That the Apostates being departed from Iesus Christ are miserable Chap. 8. BY the reasons and argumentes which wâ— haue heretofore rehearsed we haue sufficiâ—ently proued that as the Apostates are without God so also they are without Christ Whereof it may be inferred that they are moâ—miserable for who can be happy without Goâ— who is the welspringe and fountaine of liâ—â— and all happines and without whome all othâ—â— goodes are nothing but a curse and miserie Fâ—â— the temporall goodes as are riches possessioâ— and frends the corporall goods as helth streÌ„gâ—anâ—â— beauty the goodes
authoritie or power ouer them for notwithstanding their defection and Apostacie he doth not cease to be still their Lord and their Iudge as he is also vnto the Deuils and vnâ—o other reprobates But this is it whiche wee â—olde that they be not the children of God Gal. 3. nor comprehended within his couenant Rom. 9.8 that â—o them the promises of saluation concerning their efficacye and operation doe not â—ppertaine Gal. 4.6 and that they haue not the spirite of adoption which hath ingrauen and â—ealed the grace of God in their heartes and maketh them to cry Abba father But now to speake properly God is God onely of those who by faith are ingrafted into the family of Abraham and made the children of the promise by reason whereof ten tribes of Israell hauing seuered themselues from the couenant of God vnder the crowne of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat God doth denounce vnto theÌ„ by his Prophet that he doth not acknowledge them any more for his people And to assurr â—n better therof he commandeth the Prophet to call his last sonne his name Locrian for ye are not sayth he my people Hos 1.9 therefore will I not be your God To the Iewes also who made their boast that they had God to be their father Iesus Christ who knew verie well that they had broken his couenant reiecting and persecuting him so obstinately as they did he I say who is the onely meanes and grounde thereof sayd vnto them Ioh. 8.42 Ioh. 8.44 If God were your father then would you loue me for I proceded forth and came from God neither came Iâ— my selfe but he sent me Ye are of your father the Deuill and the lusts of your father ye will doe 〈◊〉 hath beene a murtherer from the beginning â— aâ— abode not in the truth because there is no truthâ— him When he speaketh a lye then speaketh heâ— his owne for he is a lyer and the father thereoâ— By this speech which Iesus Christ had witâ— the Iewes it may well be thought that theâ— were farre ouer-shot in their reckoning tâ— thinke they were the children of God becauâ— they were circumcised and bare about theâ— the tokens of his couenant seeing they were so farre of from being accounted for such as â—he doth rather esteeme them the seed and progenie of the Deuill because they yelded themselues wholly obedient to his hests which are to loue vntrueth and to seeke the death of all those who loue preach or fauor in what sort soeuer the truth We must not then iudge by outward apearance of those that are of the house and family of God For there are many of whom his name is called vpon and who say vnto him Lorde Lorde Math. 7.21 which shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen but he onely that doth his will Many sayth Iesus Christ speaking to the Iewes will say to me in that day Lord Lord haue we not by thy name prophesied and by thy name cast out Deuils And by thy name done many great workes And then will I professe to them I neuer knew you depart from me ye that worke iniquity And Saint Paule speaking to the Iewes in the same sorte who thought theÌ„selues to be vnited vnto God because they had receiued the law the circumcision and other badges of the couenant Did he not say vnto them reprehending that vaine considence which they put in these outward things Beholde thou art called a Iewe Rom. 2.17 and restest in the law and gloriest in God and knowest his will allowest all things that are excellent in that thou art instructed by the law and perswadest thy selfe that thou art a guide of the blinde a light of them which are in darkenesse an instructor of them which lacke discretion a teacher of the vnlearned which hast the forme of knowledge of the truth in the law Thou therefore which teachest another teachest not thou thy selfe Thou that preachest a man should not steale doest thou steale Thou that sayest a man shoulde not commit adultery doest thou commit adultery Thou that abhorrest Idoles committest thou sacrilege Thou that gloriest in the lawe through breaking the law dishonourest thou God And a litle after he doth conclude verse 28. For he is not a Iewe which is one outward neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Iew which is one within c. If then the onely obseruation of the ceremonies of the lawe though they were ordained of God and auctorised by his worde were neuerthelesse vnable to knit the people vnto God howe commeth it to passe that the Apostates are so foolishe as to thinke that for hauing betaken themselues to papistry againe that is to say for hauing returned to their owne vomit and abhomination they are entred againe into the couenant of God who is the God of them onely that by faith words and workes doe professe and shewe that they are and will continue his people for euer If â—hen thou hast withdrawne thee from it and â—o cause thy selfe to be in account amongest â—hine owne thou doest declare openly and blamely with a shamelesse face that thou wilt neuer be of that number againe Art thou so vnwise as to beleue that God will be a father â—nto him by force who doth disdaine him and doth refuse to be of his people and to be accounted in his house among his children Moreouer since there is no agreemeÌ„t betwene Christ and Beliall 2. Cor. 6.15 1. Cor. 10.21 and that No man can be partaker of the Lorde his table and of the table of Deuils Hauing reiected Iesus Christ his part â—n betaking himselfe to Antichrist and his company and returning to the masse renounced the death sacrifice of the sonne of God Art thou so brutish as to thinke that denying Iesus Christ to be thy brother Iohn 1. his father can account thee for his sonne considering that â—e is the onely author meane of our adoption and that with out him God doth not onely not hold vs for his freindes and confederates but doth esteeme vs for his mortall foes And therefore S. Rom. 5. Paule doth exhort vs to withdraw our selues from the companye of Idolaters and Infidels if we desire that God should adopt vs to be his children 2. Cor. 6.17 Come oâ— sayeth he from among them and seperate youâ— selues sayth the Lorde and touch no vnclean thing and I will receiue you and I will be a father vnto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters sayth the Lord almighty 1. Ioh. 2.23 Saint Iohn sayeth that whosoeuer confesseth the sonne hath also the father and contrarily whosoeuer denieth the sonne the same hath not the father that iâ— the reason wherefore when he was circumcised the name of Immanuell was giuen him to leâ— vs vnderstand that there is none but he alone that can cause vs to come neere vnto God and set vs into his
of the hope of men which doeth depende of it which Iesus Christ our sole onely mediator hath done and suffered for vs. 1. Tim. 2.5 What then can these poore wretches finde there that can serue either to the glory and seruice of God or to their owne saluation I did not stand to prooue that which I said of it because there are whole treatises thereof wherein the impieties horrible blasphemies wherof it is full are touched particularly and so well by the grace of God laid open that there is not this day any childe in our Churches who is not already resolued readily to giue an answer thereof and to satisfie all those who will be content with reason That the Apostates haue no faith Chap. 12. LEt vs passe on further come to the faith which is the chiefest instrument that God doth vse to our saluatioÌ„ Rom. 10. which is waÌ„ting in the Apostats as wel as the other two aboue named for considering the word of the Gospel which is the word of the promise 2. Cor. 4. is called theword of faith becaus it is the seed therof without which it can not be brought forth seing that the spirit of God is called the spirit of faith because he is the author thereof as wel as of other vertues 1. Pet. 1. how can the Apostates be faithfull being destitute of the spirite of God who is the husbandman that watereth the heart as it were a peece of ground to receiue faith of the word which is the seed that is sown to bring it forth if they think that true faith consisteth only in the approbation of the truth of the scriptures they deceiue themselues and haue no more faith then the Deuils or Simon Magus of whome it is written Acts. 8.9 that he beleued and was baptized though in deede he had onely a shew and an appearance of faith For the true faith is in the hart Rom. 10.10 as the Apostle sayth With the hart man beleeueth vnto righteousnes with the mouth man confesseth to saluation And is as well knowen by her effects as by the circumstances which do accompany her whereof the one is a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. and the feare of God without which it can not stand for the mercy and grace of God which faith setteth before it selfe in his promises and wherupon she resteth as vpon her true ground is promised onely to those who walke aright before his face and who feare to offende and disobey him as the Prophet sayth Psal 103. verse 17. The louing kindnes of the Lorde endureth for euer and euer vpon them that feare him and his righteousnes vpon childrens children vnto them that keepe his couenant and thinke vpon his commandements to do them Furthermore in another place he sayth Psal 119.1 Blessed are those that are vpright in their waies and walke in the lawe of the Lord blessed are they that keepe his testimonies Psal 73.1 and seeke him with their whole heart Also in another place Yet God is good to Israell euen to the pure in hart Now I would willingly knowe whether the conscience of the Apostates can be good hauing left God and broken so villanously the allegiance which they had an hundred and an hundred times openly and solemnly sworne vnto him infringed the holy couenant which they had made with him stamped with their feete the pretious blood of Iesus Christ which had beene spilt to ratifie the same reiecting his word and the admonitions and reproofs that could possibly be made vnto them in his name blaspheming this day the trueth and religion which they haue followed a thousande thousande waies and afterwarde seruing Idoles without any ende and omitting no kinde of superstition whereto they do not adioine themselues making the cruellest war that they can to all good persons only for this cause that they are purposed to be more loial towards God and more constant in his seruice then they haue bene applying them selues vnto those whome they knowe to be weake to seduce them and cause them to stumble like themselues Finally making open profession of all impieties blasphemies sacrileges and abhominations of Antichrist being altogether resolued as they themselues say to â—liue and die in that estate I aske whether these resolutions be not of such persons as are altogether lost impenitent and desperat And who can not looke for any thing els at Gods hands but his wrath and terrible iudgement with a heat of fire which shal deuour them and all his aduersaries And if they yet haue any conscience which is not altogether seared with an hot iron I appeale vnto themselues whether it serue for any thing els theÌ„ in stead of an apparitor or tormentor or Deuill to vexe greeue theÌ„ day night not suffering them to take any rest at all which thing the good conscience doth not but comforteth resolueth the man that hath it in all his affaires and suffreth him not to become pale or wanne in his aduersities yea though it shoulde chaunce that the world were dissipated and the heauen shoulde flye here and there in shiuers and peeces yet woulde it maintaine him constant stable and vnmoueable in all these tumults For as the Apostle sayeth Rom. 2.15 As it is good or euill so it doeth accuse or excuse vs and as he whom it acquitteth can not giue ouer when it is good 〈◊〉 when as it is euill and doth accuse vs none can stande or abide before it The Apostates theâ— hauing an ill conscience can not haue a good faith and so being not good it is not any longer faith 1. Tim. 1. Ephe. 4.5 For there is but one true faith aâ— there is but one true God and one onely true Church And being without faith howe can they liue Seeing the iust liueth only by faith Abac. 2. How can they be in the fauour of God seeing without faith it is impossible to please him Heb. 11.6 How can they be iust seeing without faith no righteousnesse can be approued before God Rom. 3. What place can they haue in the kingdome of God Ioh. 3.3 Seeing none is admitted vnto it that is not borne anew and none can be borne anew but by faith which doeth purifie our heartes Act. 10. and make vs newe creatures Moreouer what good workes or good fruites can they bring foorth without faith Eph. 2. Which doth ingraft vs into Iesus Christ that we may be well able to beare fruite howe can they defende themselues from the Deuill 1. Pet. 5.18 who walketh about as a roaring lyon to espye howe he may ouertake vs without our armor that is to say without faith which is the onely target wherewith we couer â—ur selues that we may auoide the shot of his â—iery dartes What stedfastnes or ioy can they â—aue in temptations when they are assaulted either of prosperitie or aduesitie of the world â—r
their coÌ„sultations The first shal be that ther is no saluation but in the church As the Prophet sayth Ioel. 2.32 And it shal come to passe that whosoeuer shal cal one the name of the Lord shal be saued for in mouÌ„t Sion in IerusaleÌ„ shal be deliueraÌ„ce as the Lord hath said in the reÌ„â—ant whom the Lord shal cal Esay 4.5 Esay saith as much The Lord shal create vpoÌ„ euery place of mouÌ„t SioÌ„ vpoÌ„ the assemblyes therof a cloud smoke by day the shining of a flaming fire by night for vpon al the glory shal be a defence a couering shal be for a shadow in the day for the heat a place of refuge a couer for the storme for the rayne So doth Zachary in his song Luc. 1.68 Blessed be the Lord god of Israel because he hath visited redeemed his people That we may theÌ„ be made partakers of the saluation which god the Father doth offer vnto vs in his sonne we must be vnited vnto him made members of his body that is to saye that we be adopted into the houshold of Abraham with whom the couenant hath bene made and associated by faith with the holy vniuersall church which caÌ„ not be done except we beleue the communion of the Sainctes and vntil such time as we be ioyned with theÌ„ in the publicke assemblyes wherein the word of God is preached the Sacramentes administred the order kept in confessions prayers and open thankes geuinges and in the discipline and censures which are made of maners to put in authoritie the practise and vse of the worde of God and to meete with those corruptions which otherwise easily enter into the Church and alter it The second Axiome is Luke 12. that in thinges which God doth commaunde we ought not to delaye nor to be slowe to put them in execution But alwayes to haue our loynes girded vp and houlde in our handes the burning lampe to be readye to goe euery where whether it shal please him to send vs. And to do readily that which he coÌ„maundeth vs Rom. 1. Heb. 11. Gen. 12.4 For true faith is euer accompanied with this ready obedience as we see by experience in Abraham the Father of the beleeuers who was ready to departe out of his countrey and leaue all his commodities yea and to sacrifice his owne sonne in whom he put the effect and truethe of the promise Gen. 22.3 as soone as God had commaunded him And that is it which Iesus Christ teacheth vs to aske of his Father to wit Mat. 6.10 that his will should be done in earth as it is in heauen That is to say that he do graunt vs the grace that we be as ready and willing to doe his will as the Angells which are in heauen who haue no sooner receaued the commandement of God but euen in the verye instaunt they put it in execution for God loueth not those dodgers which bargayne and aske still more dayes of aduise to deliberate vpon that which he commaundeth them whether they should do it or not For sithens he is the Soueraigne Lord commandeth nothing but that which is reasonable and for the profit of those whome he will employ in his seruice must we take counsell whether we should obey him or no in that which he doth commaunde vs and to be more hastie or slower in accomplishing his will then are senseles creatures which doe not come short or go beyonde in anie one litle point of that which the creatour doth command them Psal 23.5 Exod. 4.14 Ier. 1.7 The Scripture teacheth how God was greeuously prouoked against Moses Ieremy and Ionas in that they were wayward in taking the charge and commission which he was to giue them in obeying that which he commaunded them And the great daunger wherein Ionas fell because because he would haue fledde away Ion. 1.4 to the end he might haue exempted himself from going to Niniuye whether God would haue sent him doth shew plainly enough the iminent perill to which they lay open themselues who delay so long to enter into the Church to obey in that the calling of god who doth summone inuite them so willingly vnto him Esay 65. hauing euery day from morning to night his armes stretched forth to receaue and embrace them comming vnto him And are they not amased at that which Iesus Christ spake vnto him that would haue followed him but vpon that condition that he would suffer him Luk. 9.62 first to go bid them farewell which were at his house No maÌ„ sayeth he to him that putteth his hand to the plowe and looketh backe is apt for the kingdome of God The thirde Axiome that we ought neuer to let flippe the occasion of weldoing nor a receauing the benefite that God doth set before vs when occasion offreth it selfe but apply our selues immediatly vnto it and vse it lest that it being once lost it cannot be possiblye recouered againe That is it which Christ Iesus sayde speaking vnto the Iewes Yet a litle while is the light with you Ioh. 12 35. walke while ye haue light least the darknesse come vpon you for he that walketh in the darke knoweth not whether he goeth admonishing them thereby that they should take heede of reiecting of the grace which God offred vnto them in him by him that if they did it being taken from theÌ„ they could no more come by it which they haue fouÌ„d in deed for hauing not receiued the light then when it was offred they haue bene vtterly depriued therof and are yet at this day So that since fifteene hundred yeares ago there hath not beene in the whole world a people more wretched than that because they haue not knowne the time of their visitation Luk. 19 44 and haue not receyued the great benefites which God would haue bestowed on them then wheÌ„ they were offered those that were bidden to the wedding of the kings son did excuse them selues Matt. 22 5. the one alledging their merchandize the other their domesticall busines and the rest those impediments which they had they were so farre from satisfiyng and contenting the king by these excuses that contrariwise his anger beeing more extremely kindled against those that had not made any account of the honor fauour that he did vnto them he pronounced them vnworthy of his liberalitie and of euer being receiued into his house Mat. 25.10 The foolish virgines because they had not the care to light their lamps in due time were ouertaken by the comminge of the bridegroome and excluded out of the hall where the banket was made which dothe teache vs not to imitate the slouthefull who gaspe and wringe their handes or hange downe their armes then when they shoulde worke in the time of neede But to followe the example of the Ant who earelie and betimes maketh her prouision foreseeing that in