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
away the equalitie of essence and power but declareth the order of the persons Ioh. 5â—18 Therefore the Iewes sought the more to kill him not onely because he had broken the Sabboth but said also that God was his Father and made himselfe equall with God Phil. 2.6 Who being in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God Although the Son be begotten of his Father yet neuertheles he is of by himselfe very God for he must be considered either according to his essence or according to his filiatioÌ„ or Sonship In regard of his essence he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. of and by himselfe very God for the Deitie which is commoÌ„ to all the tâ—ree persons is not begotten But as he is a person and the sonne of the Father he is not of himselfe but from another for he is the eternall Sonne of his father And thus he is truely said to be very God of very God For this cause also he is the WORD of the father not a vanishing but an essentiall word because as a word is as it were begotten of the mind so is the Sonne begotten of the Father and also because hee bringeth glad tydings from the bosome of his Father Nazian in his Oration of the Sonne Basil in his preface before Iohns Gospel The propertie of the Sonne is to be begotten His proper manner of working is to execute actions from the Father by the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 8. 6. Our Lord Iesus Christ by whome are all things and we by him Ioh. 5.19 Whatsoeuer things he doth the same doth the Sonne also The holy Ghost is the third person proceeding from the Father and the Sonne Ioh. 15. 26. But when the Comforter shall come whom I will send vnto you from the Father euen the Spirit of truth which proceedeth of the Father he shall testifie of me Rom. 8. 9. But ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit seeing the spirit of God dwelleth in you But if there be any that hath not the spirit of Christ he is not his Ioh. 16.13,14 But when the Spirit of truth shall come he shall conduct you into all truth for he shall not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer he heareth he shall speake and shall declare vnto you such things as are to come He shall glorifie me for he shall receiue of mine and shew it vnto you What may be the essentiall difference betwixt proceeding and begetting neither the Scriptures determine nor the Church knoweth The incommunicablâ— propertie of the holy Ghost is to proceed His proper manner of working is to finish an action effecting it as from the Father and the Sonne And albeit the Father and the Sonne are two distinct persons yet are they both but one beginning of the holy Ghost CHAP. 6. Of Gods workes and his decree THus farre concerning the first part of Theologie the second followeth of the workes of God The workes of God are all those which he doth out of himselfe that is out of his diuine essence These are common to the Trinitie alwaies reserued the peculiar manner of working to euery person The end of all these is the manifestation of the glorie of God Rom. 11.36 For him are all things to him be glorie for euer The worke or action of God is either his decree or the execution of his decree The decree of God is that by which God in himselfe hath necessarily and yet freely from all eternitie determined all things Eph. 1. 11. In whome also we are chosen when we were predestinate according to the purpose of him which worâ—eth all things after the counsell of his owne will and vers 4. As he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world Matth. 10.29 Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing and not one of them falleth on the ground without your Father Rom 9. 21. Hath not the potter power on the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell â—â— dishonour and another to honour Therâ—fore the Lord according to his good pleasure hath most certainely decreed eâ—ery both thing and action whether past present or to come together with their circumstances of place time meanes and ende Yea he hath most iustly decreed the wicked workes of the wicked For if it had not so pleased him they had neuer beene at all And albeit they of theiâ— owne nature are and remaine wicked yet in respect of Gods decree they are to be accounted good For there is not any thing absolutely euill 1. Pet. 3.17 For it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well doing then for euill doing The thing which in the owne â—ature is euill in Gods eternal counsel comes in the place of a good thing in that it is some occasion and way to manifest the glorie of God in his iustice and his mercie God his foreknowledge is conioyned with his decree and indeâ—â—e is in nature before it yet not in regard of God but vs because knowledge goeth before the will the effecting of a worke For we doe nothing but those things that we haue before willed neither doe we will any thing which we know not before God his foreknowledge in it selfe is not a cause why things are but as it is conioyned with his decree For things doe not therefore come to passe because that God did foreknow them but because he decreed and willed them therefore they come to passe The execution of Gods decree is that by which all things in their time are accomplished which were foreknowne or decreed and that euen as they were foreknowne and decreed The same decree of GOD is the first and principall working cause of all things which also is in order and time before all other causes For with Gods decree is alwaies his will annexed by the which he can willingly effect that he hath decreed And it were a signe of impotencie to decree any thing which he could not willingly compasse And with Gods will is conioyned an effectuall power by which the Lord can bring to passe whatsoeuer he hath freely decreed This first and principall cause howbeit in it selfe it be necessarie yet it doth not take away freedome of will in election or the nature and propertie of second causes but onely brings them into a certaine order that is it directeth them to the determinate ende whereupon the effects and euents of things are contingent or necessarie as the nature of the second cause is So Christ according to his Fathers decree died necessarily Act. 17.3 but yet willingly Math. 25. 39. And if we respect the temperature of Christs bodie he might haue prolonged his life and therefore in this respect may be said to haue died contingently The execution of Gods decree hath two branches his operation and his operatiue permission Gods operation is his effectuall producing of all good things which either haue beeing or moouing or which are done Gods operatiue permission is that
doting women who through the diuels delusion suppose that they themselues doe that which indeede the diuell doth alone albeit they endeauour cunningly to cloake this sinne yet by the same meanes they may defend murther adulterie and what other sinne soeuer II. Those which doe consult with Magitians they doe also worship the diuel for they reuolt frō God to the diuell howesoeuer they plaister vp their impietie with vntempered morter that they seeke Gods helpe though by the meanes of Magitians 1. Sam. 28.13 The woman said to Saul I saw gods ascending from the earth Leu. 20.6 If any turne after such as worke with spirit◠and after soothsayers to goe a whoring after them then will I set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people Esay 8.19 20. When they shall say to you Enquire at them which haue a spirit of diuination and at the soothsayers which whisper and murmure Should not a people enquire as their God from the liuing to the dead to the law and to the testimonie The affirmatiue part Thou shalt worshippe God in spirit and trueth Iohn 4. 24. God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and trueth For so soone as any man beginneth to worship God after an ouerthwart and vnlawefull manner he then adoreth an idoll howsoeuer he seemeth to colour his impietie Paul therefore Rom. 1.23 saith that such as worshipped the creature and turned the glorie of the incorruptible God to the similitude of a corruptible man did forsake the Creator v. 25. and 1. Cor. 10.20 Those things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to diuells and not vnto God To this part therfore appertaine such things as respect the holy solemne seruice of God I. The true and ordinarie meanes of Gods worshippe as calling vpon the name of the Lord by humble supplication and hartie thanksgiuing and the ministerie of the Word and Sacraments Act. 2.41,42 They that gladly receiued his word were baptized the same day there were added to the Church about three thousand soules And they continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and of prayers 1. Tim. 2.1 I exhort you especially that praiers supplicatiōs be made for all men for kings all in authoritie Act. 20.7 The first day of the weeke the Disciples being come togither to breake bread Paul preached vnto them readie to depart on the morrow and continued the preaching vnto midnight Tertul. Apolog. chap. 39. We come into the assemblie and congregation that with our praiers as with an armie we might compasse God This kind of violence offered to God is acceptable to him If any man so offend that he must bee suspended from the publike place of praier and holy meetings all ancient men that be of any account beare rule being aduanced to this honour not by bribes but by their good report c. read the rest II. An holy vse of the meanes First in the ministers who ought to administer al things belonging to Gods worship according to his word Math. 28. 20. Teaching them to obserue all things which I haue commaunded 1. Corinthians 11. 23. I haue receiued of the Lord that which also I haue deliuered Secondly in the rest of the assemblie whose dutie is in praying vnto God in hearing the word preached and read and in receiuing the Sacraments to behaue thēselues outwardly in modestie and without offence 1. Corinth 14.40 Let all things be done honestly and by order Inwardly they must take heede that their hearts be well prepared to serue God Eccles. 4.17 Take heede to both thy feete when thou entrest into the house of God c. and chap. 5.1 Be not rash with thy mouth nor let thine heart he hastie to vtter a thing before God Againe wee must looke that wee approch neere God in confidence of his mercie togither with a contrite and repentant heart for all our sinnes Heb. 4. 2. The word that they heard profited not because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it Psal. 26.6 I will wash mine hands in innocencie O Lord and so come before thine altar III. The helps and furtherances of the true worship are two Vowes and Fasting and they are not to be takē as the worship of God it selfe For we may not obtrude any thing to God as good seruice and as though it did binde the conscience except he haue ordained it for that end and purpose A vow in the New Testament is a promise to God with a full intent to obserue some corporall and externall duties which a Christian hath on his owne accord without iniunction imposed vpon himself that he may thereby the better be excited vnto repentance meditation sobrietie abstinence patience and thankfulnes towards God Gen. 28.20 Then Iaakob vowed a vow saying If God will be with me and will keepe me in this iourney which I goe and will giue me bread to eate and cloathes to put on so that I come againe to my fathers house in safetie then shall the Lord be my God and this stone which I haue set vp as a pillar shall be Gods house and of all that thou shalt giue me I will giue the tenth to thee In vowing we haue these things to obserue 1. We must not vow that which is vnlawfull 2. We ought not to vowe the performance of that which is contrarie to our vocation 3. Vowes must be of that which we can doe 4. They must be farre from so much as a conceit of merit or worship of God 5. We must so performe our vowes as that they encroch not vpon Christian libertie giuen vs in Christ for we are bounden to pay our vowes no longer then the causes thereof either remaine or are taken away Deut. 23.18 Thou shalt neither bring the hire of a whore nor the price of a dogge into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow v. 21. When thou shalt vow a vow vnto the Lord thy God thou shalt not be slacke to pay it for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee but when thou abstainest from vowing it shal be no sinne vnto thee c. v. 23. Psal. 66.14 I will pay thee my vowes which my lips haue promised Fasting is when a man perceiuing the want of some blessing or suspecting and seeing some imminent calamitie vpon himselfe or other abstaineth not onely from flesh for a season but also from all delights and sustenance that he thereby may make a more diligent search into his owne sinnes or offer most hūble praiers vnto God that he would withhold that which his anger threatned or bestow vpon vs some such good things as we want Matth 9.15 Can the children of the marriage chamber mourne so long as the bridegrome is with thē 1. Cor. 7.5 Defraud not one another except for a time that ye may the better fast and pray Ioel 2.12 Wherefore euen now saith the Lord be ye turned
howsoeuer the ministers of God publish the Gospell to the outward eares of men yet is it the proper worke of Christ alone to touch and inflame the heart by the fire of his holy spirit and to quicken and raise men vp to the life of righteousnes true holines it is he onely that baptizeth with the holy Ghost and with fire And it further admonisheth vs that we should heare the word preached from the mouth of Gods ministers with burning and melting hearts but alas the ordinarie practise is flatte contrarie mens eyes are drousie and heauie and their hearts dead and frozen within them and that is the cause why after much teaching there followes but little profit The third thing is that Christ did eate with the two disciples and was knowne of them in breaking of bread It is very like that our Sauiour Christ did in some speciall manner blesse the bread which he brake whereby his disciples discerned him from others And in like maner we must by blessing our meates and drinkes distinguish our selues though not from such as are the seruants of God yet from all vngodly and carelesse men Many beeing silent theÌ„selues doe make their children to giue thanks and to blesse their meates And indeede it is a coÌ„mendable thing if it be done sometimes to nurture the child but for men to disburden themselues wholly of this dutie is a fault And it is a shame that that mouth which openeth it selfe to receiue the good creatures of God should neuer open it selfe to blesse and praise God for the same Therefore in this action of eating and drinking let vs shew our selues followers of Christ that as by blessing the same he was knowne from all other so we may also hereby distinguish our selues from the profane and wicked of this world Otherwise what difference shall there be betweene vs the very hogge that eates mast on the ground but neuer lookes vp to the tree from whence it falls And as Christ reuealed himselfe vnto his disciples at that time when they caused him to eate meate with them so let vs suffer Christ to be our guest and let vs entertaine him in his members and no doubt he will blesse vs and withall reueale himselfe vnto vs. The fourth thing is that hauing eaten he is taken out of their sight And this came to passe not because the bodie of Christ becâ—me spirituall but because either he held their eyes as before or he departed with celeritie and speede according to the properties of a bodie glorified The fourth appearance of Christ was to Peter alone mentioned onely by S. Paul He was seene of Cephas The fifth appearance was to all the disciples together saue Thomas In it we must consider three things which are all effectuall arguments to prooue Christs resurrection The first that he came and stood in the middest among them the dores beeing shut Now it may be demaunded how this could be Ans. The Papists say his bodie was glorified and so passed through the dore but as I haue saide it is against the nature of a bodie that one should passe through an other as heate doth through a piece of yron both bodies remaining intire sound therfore we may rather think that wheras Christ came in when the dores were shut it was either because by his mightie power he caused the dores to giue place the disciples not knowing how or else because he altered the very substance of the dores that his bodie might passe through as he thickned the waters to carrie his bodie when he walked vpon the sea Now if this be true as very like it is that these dumbe creatures gaue place to Christ and became plyable vnto his commandement then much more ought we to carrie our hearts conformable and pliant to the wil of our Lord Iesus in all his commandements The second point is that when as the disciples thought Châ—ist to haue beene a spirit he to prooue the truth of his manhood sheweth vnto them his hands and his feete and the wound in his side and calls for meate and eates it among them But it may be asked how this could be considering that a glorified bodie hath no blemish and needes not to eate but is supported by God without meate for if this be true in our bodies when they shall be glorified then much more was it true in Christ. Ans. True it is a glorified bodie hath no blemishes but our Sauiour Christ had not yet entred into the fulnesse of his glorie If he had beene fully glorified he could not so sensibly and plainely haue made manifest the truth of his resurrection vnto his disciples and therefore for their sakes and ours he is content after his entrance into glorie still to retaine in his bodie some remnants of the ignominies and blemishes which if it had pleased him he might haue laid aside he is also content to eate not for neede but to prooue that his bodie was not a bodie in shew but a true bodie This teacheth vs two lessons I. if Christ for our good and comfort be content to retaine these ignominious blemishes then answerably euery one of vs must as good followers of Christ referre the workes of our callings to the good of others as Paul saith He was free from all men yet he was content to become all things vnto all men that by all meanes he might winne the moe Secondly we learne that for the good of our neighbour for the maintaining of loue charitie we must be content to yeeld from our owne right as in this place our Sauiour Christ yeeldes of his owne glorie for the good of his Church The third point is that he then gaue the disciples their Apostolicall commissions saying Goe and teach all the nations of which three points are to bee considered the first to whome it is giuen Ansvvere To them all as well to one as to another and not to Peter onely And this ouerthrowes the fonde and forged opinions of the Papists concerning Peters supremacy If his calling had beene aboue the rest then he should haue had a speciall commission aboue the rest but one and the same commission is giuen alike to all The second that with the commission he giues his spirit for whome he appointeth to publish his will and word them hee furnisheth with sufficient gifts of his holy spirit to discharge that great function therefore it is a defect that any are set apart to be ministers of the gospell of Christ which haue not receiued the spirit of knowledge the spirit of wisdome and the spirit of prophesie in some measure The third point is that in conferring of his spirit he vseth an outward signe for the text saith He breathed on them and said receiue the Holy Ghost The reasons hereof may be these First when God created Adam and put into him a liuing soule it is said he breathed in his face And so our Sauiour Christ in
and that is Christ and therefore we are said to be chosen to saluation in Christ. He must be considered two waies as he is God we are predestinate of him euen as we are predestinate of the father and the holy Ghost As he is our Mediatour we are predestinate in him For when God with himselfe had decreed to manifest his glorie in sauing some men by his mercie hee ordained further the creation of man in his owne image yet so as by his owne fall hee should infold himselfe and all his posteritie vnder damnation this done he also decreed that the Word should bee incarnate actually to redeeme those out of the former miserie whome he had ordained to saluation Christ therefore himselfe was first of all predestinate as he was to bee our head and as Peter saith ordained before all worlds and wee secondly predestinate in him because God ordained that the execution of mans Election should be in him Here if any demand howe wee may be assured that Christ in his passion stood in our roome and steade the resolution will be easie if we consider that he was ordained in the eternall counsell of God to bee our suretie and pledge and to be a publike person to represent all the elect in his obedience and sufferings and therefore it is that Peter saith that he was deliuered by the foreknowledge and determinate counsell of God And Paul that grace was giuen vnto vs through Christ Iesus before the world was The fifth point is concerning the number of the Elect. And that I expressed in these words hath chosen some men to saluation If God should decree to communicate his glorie and his mercie to all and euery man there could bee no election For he that takes all cannot be said to choose Therefore Christ saith Many are called but fewe are chosen Some make this question howe great the number of the elect is and the answer may bee this that the Elect considered in themselues be innumerable but considered in comparison to the whole world they are but fewe Hence it followes necessarily that sauing grace is not vniuersall but indefinite or partiâ—â—lar vnlesse we will against common reason make the streames more large plentifull then the very fâ—untain it selfe And this must excite vs aboue all thiâ—gs in the world to labour to haue fellowship with Christ to be partakers of the special mercie of God in him yea to haue the same sealed vp in our hearts Benefits coÌ„mon to all as the light of the sunne c. are not regarded of any Things common to fewe though they be but temporall blessings are sought for of all God giues not riches to all men but to some more to some lesse to some none And herupon how doe men like drudges toile in the world from day to day and from yere to yere to inrich themselues Therefore much more ought men to seeke for grace in Christ considering it is not common to all We must not content our selues to say God is mercifull but we must goe further and labour for a certificate in the conscience that we may be able to say that God is indeede mercifull to vs. When the Disciples would haue knowne how many should be saued he omitting the question answers thus Striue to enter in at the straight gate The last point is the ende of Gods election and that is the manifesting of the praise and excellencie of the glorious grace of God Thus hauing seene what Election is let vs come to the Execution thereof Of which remember this rule Men predestinate to the ende that is glorie or eternall life are also predestinate to the subordinate meanes whereby they come to eternall life and these are vocation iustification sanctification glorification For the first he that is predestinate to saluation is also predestinate to be called as Paul saith Whome he hath predestinate them also he calleth Secondly whome God calleth they also were predestinate to beleeue therefore sauing faith is called the faith of the elect And in the Actes as many as were ordained to life euerlasting beleeued Thirdly whome God hath predestinate to life them he iustifieth as Paul saitâ— whome he hath predestinate them he calleth and whome he calleth them he iustifieth Fourthly whome he hath predestinate to life them he hath predestinate to sanctification and holinesse of life as Peter saith that the Iewes were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father vnto sanctification of the spirit Lastly they that are predestinate to life are also predestinate to obedience as Paul saith to the Ephesians Yee are the workemanship of God created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them This rule beeing the truth of God must be obserued for it hath special vse First of all it serues to stoppe the mouthes of vngodly profane men They vse to bolster vp themselues in their sinnes by reasoning on this manner If I be predestinate to eternall life I shall be saued whatsoeuer come of it how wickedly and lewdly soeuer I liue I will therefore liue as I list and follow the swinge of mine owne will But alas like blinde bayards they thinke they are in the way when as they rush their heads against the wall and farre deceiue themselues For the case stands thus all men that are ordained to saluation are likewise ordained in the counsell of God to vse all the good meanes whereby they may come to saluation And therefore all the elect that liue in this world shall be called iustified sanctified and lead their liues in all good conscience before God and men and they that liue and continue in their own wicked waies disputing on this manner If I be ordained to saluation I shall not be damned ouershoote themselues and as much as they can plunge themselues headlong into the very pit of hell And for a man to liue and die in his sinnes let the world dispute as they will it is an infallible signe of one ordained to damnation Secondly there be others that thinke that the preaching of the word the administration of the Sacraments admonitions exhortations lawes good orders and all such good meanes are needlesse because Gods counsels be vnchangeable if a man shall be condemned nothing shall helpe if a man be saued nothing shall hinder But we must still for our part remember that God doth not onely ordaine the ende but also the meanes whereby the ende is compassed and therefore the very vse of all prescribed meanes is necessarie And for this cause we must be admonished with diligence to labour and vse all good meanes that we may be called by the ministerie of the Gospell and iustified and sanctified and at length glorified If a king should giue vnto one of his subiects a princely pallace vpon condition that he shall goe vnto it in the way which he shall prescribe oh what paines would the man
Christ these words as I take it are an exposition of the former for to comprehend the loue of God is nothing els but to know the loue of Christ considering that all whome the father loueth he loueth them in Christ which passeth knowledge that is which for the greatnes of it no man can fully know The fourth thing is the fulnesse of Gods graces v. 19. Here the fulnesse of God doth not signifie fulnesse of the Godâ—ead or diuine nature but the perfection of the inner man which shall not be till after this life Now followes the thankesgiuing or the praise of God v. 20 21. containing these points The matter of praise his power and bountifulnes wherby he can worke exceeding aboundantly aboue all we aske or thinke and both these are not onely to be conceiued in minde but also may be felt in the heart according to the power that worketh in vs. 2. The forme of praise glorie vnto God by Christ as all benefits are receiued from the father by Christ. 3. The proper place of true praise of God the Church 4. The continuance of his praise thorow all generations for euer Philip. 1. 9. ANd this I pray that your loue may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all sense 10. That ye may discerne things that differ to the ende ye may be pure and without offence to the day of Christ. 11. Filled with fruits of righteousnesse which are by Iesus Christ vnto the praise and glorie of God The Exposition THis praier containes three parts In the first Paul praieth for increase of loue in the Philippians whether it be to God or men v. 9. and he shewes the meanes of increase which are two knowledge and sense or feeling For to goe backeward the more a godly man feels Gods loue and hath experience of Gods word in himselfe the more he knowes of Gods word and perceiues his loue vnto him the more he loues God againe and his neighbour for his sake The second thing praied for is the gift of discerning whereby men know what is true what false what is to be done what to be left vndone the endes of this gift are two The first that by meanes of it they may be pure and sincere that is keepe a good conscience before God and men in their liues and calings The second is to be without offence that is innocent giuing no occasion of euill to any and not taking them offered by others and the continuance of those is noted to the day of Christ which is the time in which he commeth to vs either by our death or by the last iudgement Thirdly he praieth that they might abound in good workes which are described by a similitude fruits of righteousnes Christians beeing fruitfull trees Ezech. 47. 12. Esay 61.3 2. By the cause efficient which are by Christ. 3. By the end vnto the glorie and praise of God Coloss. 1. 9. I Cease not to pray for you to desire that ye might be filled with knowledge of his will in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding 10. That ye might walke worthie of the Lord and please him in all things fructifying in all good works and increasing in the acknowledgement of God 11. Strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse 12. Giuing thanks to the father which hath made vs â—it to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light 13. Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darknes and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his owne sonne The Exposition THese words containe a prayer and a thankesgiuing In the prayer three things are asked The â—irst is the increase of the knowledge of Gods reuealed will in his word and he deuides it into two parts wisdome which is not onely to know Gods word but also to applie it to euery action for the right and holy performing thereofâ— and spirituall vnderstanding which is when men by the assistance of Gods spirit doe conceiue the will of God in generall without applying Secondly Paul praies for the fruits of this knowledge which are foure 1. To walâ— worthie of God as good seruants doe who in their apparell gesture and all their doings so behaue themselues that they may credit their masters 2. To please God in all things by approouing their hearts vnto him 3. To be plentifull in all good workes 4. To increase in the acknowledgement of God For the more any increase in knowledge and experience in Gods word the more shall they acknowledge God the father to be their father Christ to be their redeemer and the holy Ghost their sanctifier Thirdly he praies that the Colossians may be strengthened v. 11. where he notes the cause Gods glorious power and the effects which are three 1. Patience because it is necessarie that the godly suffer many afflictions 2. Long suffering because oftentimes the same afflictions continue long 3. Ioyfulnesse because the crosse is bitter The thankesgiuing is for a benefit that God had made the Colossians fitte for the kingdome of glorie and the reason is because he had made them members of the kingdome of grace 1. Thess. 3. 12. THe Lord increase you and make you abound in loue one towards an other and towards all men euen as we doe towards you 13. To make your hearts stable and vnblameable in holinesse before God euen our father at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all his Saints 2. Thess. 2. 16. IEsus Christ our Lord and our God euen the father which hath loued vs and hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation and good hope through grace 17. Comfort your hearts and stablish you in euery word and good worke 1. Thess. 5. 23. NOw the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that you whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. A Song gathered out of the Psalmes containing the sobbes and sighs of all repentant sinners LOrd heare my prayer hearke the plaint that I doe make to thee Lord in thy natiue truth and in thy iustice answer mee Regard O Lord for I complaine and make my suit to thee Let not my words returne in vaine but giue an eare to mee Behold in wickednes my kind and shape I did receiue And lo my sinfull mother eke in sinne did me conceiue And I with euills many one am sore beset about My sinnes increase and so come on I cannot spie them out For why in number they exceede the haires vpon my head My heart doth faint for very feare that I am almost dead Thus in me in perplexitie is mine accombred spright And in me in my troubled heart amazed and afflight The wicked workes that I haue wrought thou setst before thine eye My secret faults yea eke my thoughts thy countenance doth espie O Lord my God if thou shalt weigh my sinnes and them
our loue should be a signe of Gods dwelling in vs Ioh. God is loue and therefore he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God God in him Ch. God is loue we grant but how may we know that God is loue to vs Ioh. Hereby is that loue perfect i. fully made manifest in vs that we may haue boldnesse to stand before him without feare in the day of iudgement for euen as he is euen so are we in the world not in equalitie but in conformitie of holinesse As may appeare by the contrarie there is no feare in loue i. when a man is assured of Gods loue to him he doth not distrust nor seruilely feare him in respect of his sinnes but perfect loue casteth out feare for feare hath painfulnes checkings and torments of conscience and he that feareth is not perfect in loue Ch. What other signe is there that God is loue to vs Ioh. We loue him because he loued vs first as when a man warmes him the heat of his bodie is because the fire is first hote Ch. If this be so then they which loue not their brethren are loued of God in Christ seeing all generally say they loue God Ioh. If any man say I loue God and hate his brother he is a lyar for how can he that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene loue God whome he hath not seene And this commandement haue we of him that he that loueth God should loue his brother also CHAP. V. VVHosoeuer beleeueth that Iesus is that Christ true Messias is borne of God and euery one that loueth him which did beget i. God the father loueth him also which is begotten of him the child of God a true Christian Ch. This being manifest that they are hypocrites which say they loue god yet shew no loue to their brethren teach vs how we may know that we loue our brethren Ioh. In this we know that we loue the children of God when we loue God and keepe his commandements that is endeauour to keepe the beginning of the action beeing put for the whole For this is the loue of God the dutie of loue to God that we keepe his commandements Ch. But no man can keepe the Law Ioh. His commandements are not burdenous to them that are in Christ and are freed from the curse of the law which makes the law grieuous and are also guided by his holy spirit And this is apparant for all that is borne of God ouercommeth the world Sathan with all corruptions and workes of darknes Ch. By what meanes Ioh. And this is the victory which hath ouercome the world euen our faith which is the instrument and hand whereby we lay hold on him that he in vs and so we by him might ouercome the world Who is that ouercommeth this world but he which beleeueth that Iesus is that Sonne of God Ch. How may we be resolued that Iesus of Nazareth the sonne of Mary was the sonne of God and the Messias he came but basely into the world Ioh. This is that Iesus Christ which came by water sanctificatiō signified by the legal washings blood imputation of Christs righteousnes or the sprinkling of his bloode not by water onely but by water and blood because Christ worketh both iustification and sanctification togither and it is that spirit a mans owne conscience inwardly purified that beareth witnesse for that spirit is truth that is that the testimonie of the Spirit of adoption certifying vs that we are the sonnes of God is true For that I may speake yet more plainly there are three which beare record in heauen the Father the Word the Sonne and the holy Ghost and these three are one namely in testimonie And there are three which beare record in earth the Spirit and the water and blood and these three agree in one Ch. How shew you that these witnesses be authenticall and to be beleeued Ioh. If we receiue the witnes of men the witnes of God is greater for this is the witnes of God i. that was said to come from heauen which he testifieth of his Sonne Againe he that beleeueth in that Sonne of God hath the witnes in himselfe the peace of conscience which he may feele in himselfe And further he that beleeueth not God maketh him a lyar because he beleeued not the record that God witnessed of his Sonne Ch. What is the effect of that which these witnesses testifie Ioh. And this is that record to wit that God hath giuen vnto vs eternal life and this life is in his Sonne He which hath the Sonne hath life and he which hath not the sonne of God hath not life And to conclude these things haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the name of the sonne of God that ye may know that ye haue life eternal and that ye may beleeue i. increase in faith in the name of that sonne of God Ch. How can we haue life eternal now that are so miserable and so ful of wants Ioh. And this is that assurance that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. Ch. How may we know that God graunteth our prayers made according to his will Ioh. If we know that he heareth that is as it were to giue an eare to our prayers whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the petitions which we haue desired of him though the things which we asked be not giuen vs in that measure and manner and time in which we asked them Ch. Let vs heare an example of those things which God will graunt when we pray Ioh. If a man see his brother sinne a sinne that is not vnto death that is which may be pardoned let him aske pardon in his behalfe and he shall giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death there is a sinne vnto death after which necessarily damnation followeth as the sinne against the holy Ghost I say not that thou shouldest pray for it Ch. But is not euery sinne a sinne to death Ioh. All vnrighteousnes is sinne and therefore deserueth death but there is a sinne not vnto death namely that which is pardoned in Christ. Ch. We feare least we haue committed this sinne which is to death Ioh. We know that whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one Sathan toucheth him not i. doth him no violence or he can not giue him a deadly wound We know that we are of God and this whole world lieth in euill that is in seruitude vnder Sathan and sinne Ch. How shew you that we are of God Ioh. We know that the sonne of God is come and hath giuen vs a minde to know him that is true and we are in him that is true that is in his Sonne Iesus Christ this same is that
last remedie as a desperate medecine is the last remedie the Physitian vseth We must assay all meanes possible before we vse this especially to a brother 1. Cor. 6.7 There is vtterly a fault among you because ye goe to law one with another why rather suffer ye not wrong why rather sustaine ye not harme III. In all suites of law we must be mindfull of the law of charitie and not so much indeauour to maintaine our owne right as to recall our brother which erreth into the right way CHAP. 28. Concerning the ninth Commandement THe ninth Commandement belongeth to the preseruation of our neighbours good name The words are these Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour The Resolution Thou shalt not beare That is answer when thou art asked before a Iudge Deutr. 19.17 Then both the men which striue together shall stand before the Lord euen before the Priests and the Iudges which shall be in those daies 18. And the Iudges shall make diligent inquisition and if the witnesse be found false and hath giuen false witnesse against his brother Witnesse By a figure signifieth euery word whereby the credit and estimation of our neighbour is either impaired or diminished The negatiue part Thou shalt not diminish or hurt the good name and estimation of thy neighbour Here is forbidden I. Enuie disdaine of others desire of a mans owne glorie 1. Tim. 6.4 He is puft vp and knoweth nothing but doteth about questions and strife of words whereof commeth enuie strife railings 1. Pet. 2.1 Wherefore laying aside all maliciousnes and enuie and all guile and euill speaking Math. 21.15 But when the chiefe Priests and Scribes saw the marueiles that he did and the children crying in the Temple and saying Hosanna the sonne of Dauid they disdained II. Euill suspicions 1. Tim. 6.4 1. Sam. 17.28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake vnto the men and Eliab was angrie with Dauid and said Why camest thou downe hither and with whome hast thou left those few sheepe in the wildernesse I know thy pride and the malice of thine heart Act. 28.4 Now when the Barbarians saw the worme hang on his hand they said among themselues This man surely is a murtherer whom though he hath escaped the sea yet vengeance hath not suffered to liue Here are condemned hard censures and sinister iudgements against our neighbour Matth. 7. 1. Iudge not that yee be not iudged 2. For with what iudgement yee iudge ye shall be iudged and with what measure yee mete it shall be measured to you againe These iudgements which Christ forbiddeth are priuate and reprochfull or slaunderous iudgements namely when either a good or an indifferent action is interpreted to the worse part or when a light offence is made hainous through euill will without all desire either to amend or to couer the same Act. 2.13 And other mocked and saide They are full of new wine 14. But Peter standing with the eleuen lift vp his voice and said vnto them Ye men of Iudea and all ye that inhabite Ierusalem be this knowne vnto you and hearken vnto my words 15. For these are not drunken as ye suppose since it is but the third houre of the day 1. Sam. 1.13 For Hannah spake in her heart her lips did mooue onely but her voice was not heard therfore Eli thought she had beene drunken But we must know that there are three kinds of iudgements which are not forbidden by this commandement of Christ. The first is the ministerie of the Gospel which iudgeth reprooueth sinne The secōd is the iudgement of the Magistrate The third is the iudgement of a friend admonishing vs as when he saith Abstaine from the companie of such a man for I know him to be a drunkard c. III. A relation of the bare words onely and not of the sense and meaning of our neighbour Math. 26.59 Now the chiefe Priests and the Elders and all the whole Councell sought false witnes against Iesus to put him to death 60. But they found none and though many false witnesses came yet found they none but at the last came two false witnesses 61. And said This man saide I can destroy the Temple of God and build it in three daies Indeede Christ saide some such thing in wordes as appeareth Ioh. 2.19 Iesus answered and said vnto them Destroy this temple and in three daies I will raise it vp againe IV. A lie whereby euery falshood with purpose to deceiue is signified whether in wordes or in deedes or concealing the truth or any other way whatsoeuer be it for neuer so great a good to our neighbour V. To pronounce vniust sentence in iudgement to rest in one witnesse to accuse another wrongfully to bewray a mans cause by collusion 1. King 21.12 They proclaimed a fast and set Nabaoth among the chiefe of the people 13. And there came two wicked men and sate before him and the wicked men witnessed against Nabaoth in the presence of the people saying Nabaoth did blaspheme God and the King then they caried him away out of the citie and stoned him with stones that he died Deut. 17.6 At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he that is worthie of death die but at the mouth of one witnesse he shall not die VI. Openly to raise forged and hurtfull tales and reports of our neighbour or priuily to deuise the same Rom. 1.29 Whisperers 30. Backbiters haters of God proud boasters inuenters of euill things Leuit. 19.16 Thou shalt not walke about with tales among thy people thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy neighbour I am the Lord. 1. Tim. 5.13 And likewise also beeing idle they learne to goe about from house to house yea they are not onely idle but also pratlers and busi-bodies speaking things which are not comely To spread abroad flying tales or to faine and adde any thing vnto them Prou. 26.20 Without wood the fire is quenched and without a talebearer strife ceaseth 21. As a coale maketh burning coales and wood a fire so the contentious man is apt to kindle strife 22. The wordes of a talebearer are as flatterings and they goe downe into the bowels of the belly 2. Cor. 12.20 For I feare least when I come I shall not finde you such as I would and that I shall be found to you such as I would not and least there be strife enuying wrath contentions backbitings whisperings swellings and discord among you To receiue or beleeue those tales which we heare of others Exod. 23.1 Thou shalt not receiue a false tale neither shalt thou put thine hand with the wicked to be a false witnesse 1. Sam. 24.10 And Dauid said to Saul Wherefore giuest thou an eare to mens wordes that say Behold Dauid seeketh euill against thee VII To accuse our neighbour for that which is certaine true through hatred and with intent to hurt him 1. Sam. 22.9 Then answered Doeg the Edomit◠who was appointed
say then the Gentiles which followed not righteousnesse haue attained vnto righteousnesse euen the righteousnes which is of faith Christ is receiued when euery seuerall person doth particularly apply vnto himselfe Christ with his merits by an inward perswasioÌ„ of the heart which commeth none other way but by the effectuall certificate by the holy Ghost concerning the mercy of God in Christ Iesus 1. Cor. 2.12 Wee haue receiued not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of GOD that we might knowe the things that are giuen to vs of GOD. Ezech. 12.10 I will poure the spirit of grace vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem and they shall looke vnto me whome they haue wounded Rom. 8.16 His spirit beareth witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God Eph. 1.13 In whom also ye haue trust after that ye heard the word of truth euen the Gospell of your saluation wherein also after that ye beleeued ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise 2. Cor. 1.22 In the worke of faith there are foure degrees or motions of the heart linked and vnited togither and are worthy the consideration of euery Christian. The first is knowledge of the Gospell by the illumination of gods spirit Esay 53.11 By his knowledge shall my seruant iustifie many Ioh. 7.3 This is life eternall that they knowe thee to be the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. To this in such as are truely humbled is annexed a serious meditation of the promises in the Gospell stirred vp by the sensible feeling of their owne beggerie And after the forsaid knowledge in all such as are enlightened commeth a generall faith whereby they subscribe to the trueth of the Gospell Heb. 4.2 Vnto vs was the Gospell preached as also vnto them but the word that they heard profited not them because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it 1. Tim. 1.19 Hauing faith and a good conscience which some haue put away and as concerning the faith haue made shipwracke 1. Tim. 2.4 Who will that all men should bee saued and come vnto the knowledge of the trueth This knowledge if it be more full and perfect is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the full assuraÌ„ce of vnderstâ—Ì„ding Col. 2.2 That their hearts might be comforted and they knit togither in loue and in all riches of the full assurance of vnderstanding to knowe the mysterie of God euen the father and of Christ. Rom. 14.14 I knowe and am perswaded through the Lord Iesus that there is nothing vncleane of it selfe Luk. 1.1 For as much as many haue taken in hand to set forth the storie of those things whereof we are fully perswaded 1. Thes. 1.5 Our gospell was vnto you not in word onely but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance The second is hope of pardon whereby a sinner albeit he yet feeleth not that his sinnes are certainly pardoned yet he be beleeueth that they are pardonable Luk. 15.18 I will goe vnto him father and say Father I haue sinned against heâ—uen and against thee and am no more worthie to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruants The third is an hungring and thirsting after that grace which is offered to him in Christ Iesus as a man hungreth and thirsteth after meate and drinke Ioh. 6.35 and 7.37 Reu. 21.6 And he said vnto me It is done I am A and Ω the beginning and the ende I will giue to him that is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousnes for they shall be satisfied The fourth is the approching to the throne of Grace that there flying from the terror of the Law he may take hold of Christ and finde fauour with God Heb. 4.16 Let vs therefore goe boldly to the throne of grace that we may receiue mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of neede This approching hath two parts The first is an humble confession of our sinnes before God particularly if they be knowne sinnes and generally if vnknowne this done the Lord forthwith remitteth all our sinnes Psalm 32.5 I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne Selah 2. Sam. 12. 13. Dauid said to Nathan I haue sinned against the Lord wherefore Nathan said to Dauid The Lord hath taken away thy sinne thou shalt not die Luk. 15.19 The secoÌ„d is the crauing pardon of some sinnes with vnspeakable sighes and in perseuerance Luk. 15.21 Act. 8.22 Repent of this wickednesse and pray God that if it be possible the thought of thine heart may be forgiuen thee Rom. 8. 26. The spirit helpeth our infirmities for we knowe not what to pray as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed Hos. 14.2,3 O Israel returne vnto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie Take vnto you wordes and turne to the Lord and say to him take away al iniquitie and receiue vs gratiously The fift arising of the former is an especiall perswasion imprinted in the heart by the holy Ghost whereby euery faithful man doth particularly apply vnto himselfe those promises which are made in the Gospell Matth. 9.2 They brought vnto him a man sicke of the palsie and when Iesus saw their faith he saide vnto the sicke of the palsie Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Mat. 15.28 O woman great is thy faith bee it vnto thee as thou desirest Gal. 2.20 I liue yet not I nowe but Christ liueth in me and in that I nowe liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for me This perswasioÌ„ is ought to be in euery one eueÌ„ before he haue any experieÌ„ce of Gods mercies Mat. 15.22 A womaÌ„ a Canaanite came out of the same coasts and cried saying vnto him Haue mercie on me O Lord the sonne of Dauid my daughter is miserably vexed with a deuill c. 23,24,25,26,27 Ioh. 20.29 Iesus said vnto him Thomas because thou hast seene me thou beleeuest blessed are they which haue not seene and haue beleeued Hebr. 11. 1. Faith is the ground of things hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene In philosophy wee first see a thing true by experience and afterward giue our assent vnto it as in naturall philosophy I am perswaded that such a water is hot because when I put mine hand into it I perceiue by experience an hot qualitie But in the practise of faith it is quite contrarie For first we must consent to the word of God resisting all doubt and diffidence and afterward will an experience and feeling of comfort followe 2. Chron. 20.20 Put your trust in the Lord your God and ye shall be assured beleeue his
If any further alleadge that such as walke according to the commandements of God though their obedience be imperfect yet they haue the promises of this life and of the life to come The answer is that they haue so indeede yet not for their works but according to their works which are the fruites of their faith wherby they are ioyned to Christ for whose merits onely they stand righteous and are acceptable before God And whereas it is said by Peter that baptisme saueth vs his meaning is not to signifie that there is any vertue in the water to wash away our sinnes and to sanctifie vs but that it serues visibly to represent and confirme vnto vs the inward washing of our soules by the blood of Christ. It may further be said that others haue beene Sauiours beside Christ as Iosuah the sonne of Nun who for that cause is called by the same name with Christ. Ans. Iosua after the death of Moses was appointed by God to be a guide to the children of Israel which might defend them from their enemies and bring them to the land of Canaan but this deliuerance was onely temporal and that onely of one people Nowe the Sonne of God is called Iesus not because hee deliuereth the people of the Iewes onely or because he saueth the bodies of men onely but because he saueth both body and soule not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles from hell death and damnation And whereas Prophets and ministers of the word are called Sauiours it is because they are the instruments of God to publish the doctrine of saluation which is powerfull in mens hearts not by any vertue of theirs but onely by the operation of the spirit of Christ. Lastly it may bee obiected that the father and the holy Ghost are Sauiours and therefore not onely the sonne Ans. True it is that in the worke of saluation all the three persons must bee ioyned together and in no wise to bee seuered the Father saueth the Sonne saueth the holy Ghost saueth yet must we distinguish them in the manner of sauing the father saueth by the Sonne the Sonne saueth by paying the ransome and price of our saluation the holy Ghost saueth by a particular applying of the ransome vnto men Nowe therefore whereas the sonne paies the price of our redemption and not the Father or the Holy Ghost therefore in this speciall respect he is called in Scriptures and intituled by the name of Iesus and none but he By this which hath beene saide the Papists are faultie two waies First that they giue too much to the name of Iesus for they write in plaine tearmes that the bare name it selfe beeing vsed hath great power and doth driue away deuils though the parties that vse it be void of good affection whereas indeed it hath no more vertue then other titles of God or Christ. Secondly they are faultie that they giue too little to the thing signified For Christ must either be our alone and whole Sauiour or no Sauiour Now they make him but halfe a Sauiour and they ioyne others with him as partners in the worke of saluation when they teach that with Christs merits must be ioyned our workes of grace in the matter of iustification and with Christs satisfaction for the wrath of God our satisfaction for the temporall punishment and when they adde to Christs intercession the intercession and patronage of Saints especially of the Virgin Marie whome they call the Queene of heauen the mother of mercie withall requesting her that by the authoritie of a mother she would commaund her sonne If this doctrine of theirs may stand Christ can not be the onely Sauiour of mankinde but euery man in part shall be Iesus to himselfe But let vs goe on yet further to search the special reason of the name which is notably set downe by the Angel Thou shalt saith he call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes In which words we may consider three points I. Whome the Sonne of God shall saue II. By what III. From what For the first he shall saue his people that is the elect of the Iewes and Gentiles and therefore he is called the Sauiour of his bodie We must not here imagine that Christ is a Sauiour of all and euery man For if that were true then Christ should make satisfaction to Gods iustice for all and euery mans sinnes and Gods iustice beeing fully satisfied he could not in iustice condemne any man nay all men should be blessed because satisfaction for sinne and the pardon of sinne depende one vpon an other inseparably Againe if Christ be an effectuall Sauiour of all and euery particular man why is any man condemned It will be saide because they will not beleeue belike then mans will must ouerrule Gods will whereas the common rule of diuines is that the first cause ordereth the second The meanes of saluation by Christ are two his merit and his efficacie His merit in that by his obedience to the law and by his passion he made a satisfaction for our sinnes freed vs from death and reconciled vs vnto God Some may obiect that the obedience and the passion of Christ beeing long agoe ended can not be able to saue vs now because that which he did 1500. yeares agoe may seeme to be vanished and come to nothing at this day Ans. If Christs obedience be considered as an action and his passion as a bare suffering they are both ended long agoe yet the value and price of thē before God is euerlasting as in Adams fall the action of eating the forbidden fruit is ended but the guilt of his transgression goes ouer all mankind and continues still euen to this houre and shall doe to the end of the world in those which shall be borne hereafter The efficacie of Christ is in that he giues his spirit to mortifie the corruption of our natures that we may die vnto sinne and liue to righteousnesse and haue true comfort in terrours of conscience and in the pangs of death The euils from which we are saued are our owne sinnes in that Christ freeth vs from the guilt and the punishment and fault of them all when wee beleeue Thus much for the meaning of this title Iesus Nowe follow the vses which arise of it First of all whereas we are taught to make confession that the sonn◠of God is Iesus that is a Sauiour hence it must needes followe that wee are lost in our selues And indeed before we can truly acknowledge that Christ is our Sauiour this confession must needes goe before that we are in truth and therewithall doe feele our selues to bee miserable sinners vnder the wrath of God vtterly lost in regard of our selues for Christ came to saue that which was lost And when he talked with the woman of Cannan he checked her said he was not sent but to the lost
we should walke in them And God hath chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirit and faith of the truth The Elect are vessells of honour and therefore all those that will be of the number of the Elect must carrie themselues as vessells of honour For so long as they lie in their sinnes they be like vessells of dishonour imploying themselues to the most base seruice that can be euen to the seruice of the deuill The sunne was ordained to shine in the day and the moone in the night and that order they keepe yea euery creature in his kinde obserueth the course appointed vnto it by creation as the grasse to grow and trees to bring forth fruit now the elect were ordained to this ende to lead a godly life and therefore if we would either perswade our selues or the world that we are indeede chosen to saluation we must be plentifull in all good workes and make conscience of euery euill way and to doe otherwise is as much as to chaunge the order of nature and as if the sunne should cease to shine by day and the moone by night Thirdly when God shall send vpon any of vs in this world crosses and afflictions either in bodie or in minde or any way else as this life is the vaile of miserie and teares and iudgement must beginne at Gods house we must learne to beare them with all submission and contentation of minde For whome God knew before them he hath predestinate to be made like vnto his sonne But wherein is this likenes Paul saith in the fellowship of his afflictions and in a conformitie to his death And the consideration of this that afflictions were ordained for vs in the eternall predestination of God must comfort our hearts and restraine our impatience so oft as we shall goe vnder the burden of them Hence againe we learne that they which perswade themselues that they are in the fauour of God because they liue at ease in wealth and prosperitie are farre deceiued For Saint Paul saith God suffereth with long patience the vessells of wrath prepared to destruction to make knowne his power and to shew forth his wrath on them This beeing so no man then by outward blessings ought to plead that he hath the loue of God Sheepe that goe in fat pastures come sooner to the slaughterhouse then those which are kept vpon the bare common and they which are pampered with the wealth of this world sooner forsake God and therefore are sooner forsaken of God then others Salomon saith No man knoweth loue or hatred that is by outward things for all things come alike to all the same condition is to the iust and to the vniust to the wicked and good to the pure and polluted Lastly it may be an offence vnto vs when we consider that the doctrine of the Gospel is either not knowne or else despised and persecuted of the whole world but we must stay our selues with this consideratiō that nothing comes to passe by chance that God knowes who are his and that there must be some in the world on whome God hath in his eternall counsell purposed to manifest his power and iustice Againe Ministers of the Gospel may be discouraged when after long preaching they see little or no fruit of their labours the people whome they teach remaining as blind impenitent and vnreformed as euer they were But they must also consider that it is the purpose of God to choose some to saluation and to refuse others and that of the first some are called sooner some later and that the second beeing left to themselues neuer come to repentance To this Paul had regard when he said If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish And againe We are vnto God the sweete sauour of Christ in them that are saued and in them that perish Hitherto I haue deliuered the truth of this weightie point of religion which also is the doctrine of the church of England now it followeth that we should consider the falshoode Sundrie Diuines haue deuised and in their writings published a new frame or platforme of the doctrine of Predestination the effect whereof is this The nature of God say they is infinite loue goodnesse and mercie it selfe and therefore he propounds vnto himselfe an ende answerable thereunto and that is the communication of his loue and goodnesse vnto all his creatures Now for the accomplishing of this supreame and absolute ende he did foure things First he decreed to create man righteous in his owne image secondly he foresaw the fall of man after his creation yet so as he neither willed nor decreed it thirdly he decreed the vniuersall Redemption of all and euery man effectually by Christ so be it they will beleeue in him fourthly he decreed to call all and euery man effectually so as if they will they may be saued This beeing done he in his eternall counsel foreseeing who would beleeue in Christ did thereupon elect them to eternall saluation and againe foreseeing who would not beleeue but contemne grace offered did thereupon also decree to reiect them to eternall damnation This platforme howsoeuer it may seeme plausible to reason yet indeed it is nothing els but a Deuise of mans braine as will appeare by sundrie defects errours that be in it For first whereas it is auouched that Adams fall came by the bare prescience of God without any decree or will of his it is a flat vntruth The putting of Christ to death was as great a sinne as the fall of Adam nay in some respects greater Now that came to passe not onely by the foreknowledge of God but also by his determinate counsell And therefore as the Church of Ierusalem saith Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gathered themselues together to doe whatsoeuer thine hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done so may we say that Adam in his fall did nothing but that which the hand of God and his counsell had determined before to be done And considering the will of God extends it selfe to the least things that are euen to sparrowes whereof none doe light vpon the ground without our heauenly father how can a man in reason imagine that the fall of one of the most principall creatures that are shall fall out altogether without the will and decree of God And there can be nothing more absurd then to seuer the foreknowledge of God from his counsel or decree For by this meanes things shall come to passe God nilling or not knowing or not regarding them Now if any thing come to passe God nilling it then that is done which God would not haue done and to say so is to bereaue him of his omnipotencie And if we shall say that things fall out God not knowing of them we make him to be imprudent and denie his omniscience lastly if we shall say that
second point is in what thing this communion consisteth Ans. Saint Paul openeth this point to the very full when hee saith that after Christ hath subdued all things vnto him then God shall be all in all that is God himselfe immediatly shall bee all good things that heart can wish to all the elect But some men may say What is not God all in all vnto vs euen in this life for whatsouer good things wee haue they are all from him Ans. It is true indeed God is all in all euen in this life but howe not immediatly but by outwardâ— meanes and that also in small measure For he conueies his goodnes and mercie vnto vs so long as we liue on earth partely by his creatures and partly by his word and Sacraments but after this life is ended all helpes and outwarde meanes shall cease Christ shall giue vp his kingdome and as he is Mediatour shall cease to put in execution the office of a priest a prophet or a king all authoritie and power shall be abolished and therefore all callings in the three maine estates of the Church the Common-wealth the familie shall haue an ende there shall be no more magistrate and subiect Pastor and people master and seruant father and sonne husband and wife there shall be no more vse of meate drinke cloathing respiration physicke sleepe and yet for all this the condition of men shall bee many thousand folde more blessed then euer it was For the Godhead in the Trinitie immediately without all meanes shall be all things to all the chosen people of God in the kingdome of heauen worlde without ende This may seeme strange to mans reason but it is the very â—lat trueth of the word of God S. Iohn in the description of the heauenly Ierusalem saith that there shall be no temple in it Why how then shall God bee worshipped marke what followeth the Lord God almightie and the Lambe are the temple of it Whereby is signified that although now we vse the preaching of the word and the administration of the Sacraments as meanes of our fellowship with God yet when this life is ended they must all cease God and Christ beeing in stead of al these meanes vnto vs. And he addes further The citie hath no neede of the sunne neither of the moone to shine in it What then will some say must there be nothing but darkenes Not so For the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lambe is the light of it Againe he saith that in the Paradise of God there is the riuer of water of life and the tree of life bearing fruit euery moneth and that is Christ. And therefore we shall haue no neede of meate drinke apparell sleepe c. but Christ himselfe our head and redeemer shall be in stead of them all vnto vs on whome all the elect shall feede and by whome both in bodie and soule they shall be preserued euermore If a man would haue glorie the father sonne and holy ghost shall be his glorie if a maÌ„ desire wealth and pleasure God himselfe shall be wealth and pleasure vnto him and whatsoeuer else the heart of man can wish Hence it appeares that this communion is most admirable and that no tongue can tel nor heart conceiue the least part of it The third point is touching the benefits or prerogatiues that proceede of this communion and they are in number sixe The first is an absolute freedome from all wants In the minde there shall be no ignorance no vnbeleefe no distrust in God no ambition no enuie anger nor carnall lust nor terrour in conscience or corrupt affection In the bodie there shall be no soare no sicknes nor paine for God shal wipe away al teares from their eies nay theÌ„ all defects or wants in bodie or soule or in both shall be supplied and the whole man made perfect euery way The second is perfect knowledge of God In this life the Church and all the seruants of god know him but in part Moses would haue seene gods face but he was permitted to see onely his hinder parts and as Paul saith now wee know in part and darkely as through a glasse In this life we can no otherwise discerne but as an old maÌ„ through spectacles the creatures but specially the word of God and the Sacraments are the spectacles of our minde wherein we behold his iustice mercie loue c. and without them we can discerne little or nothing yet after this life when that which is perfect is come and that which is imperfect is abolished we shall see God as he is to be seene not as through a glasse but face to face and we shall knowe him as we are knowne of his maiestie so farre forth as possibly a creature may God indeede is infinite and therefore the full knowledge of his maiestie can no more bee comprehended by the vnderstanding of a creature which is finite then the sea by a spoone yet neuerthelesse God shall be knowne euery way of man so farre forth as a creature may know the Creator Now vpon this that the elect haue such fulnesse of knowledge it may be demaunded whether men shall knowe one another after this life or no. Ans. This question is oftener mooued by such as are ignorant then by them that haue knowledge and oftentimes it is tossed in the mouthes of them that haue little religion in their hearts and therefore I answer first men should rather haue care to seeke howe they may come to heauen then to dispute what they shal do when they are there the common prouerb is true it is not good counting of chickins before they bee hatched Secondly I say that men in heauen shall knowe each other yea they shall knowe them which were neuer knowne or seene of them before in this life which may be gathered by proportion out of Gods word Adam in his innocencie knewe Eve whome he had neuer seene before gaue her a fit name so soone as shee was created And when our Sauiour Christ was transfigured in the mount Peter knewe Moses and Elias whome before he had neuer seene and therefore it is like that the elect shall knowe each other in heauen where their knowledge and their whole estate shall bee fully perfited But whether they shall knowe one another after an earthly manner as to say this man was my fatherâ— this was mine vncle this my teacher c. the word of god saith nothing and therefore I will be silent and we must be content a while to bee ignorant in this point The third prerogatiue of euerlasting blessednes is that the Elect shall loue God with as perfect loue as a creature possibly can The manner of louing God is to loue him for himselfe and the measure is to loue him without measure and both shall be found in heauen For the Saints of God shall haue an actuall fruition of God himselfe and bee
nothing to say but this The Lord increase the number of them And the Lord fullfill them with the knowledge of his will in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding that they may walke worthie of him and please him in all things being fruitfull in all good works and increasing in the knowledge of God And wheras they are at continual warre against the flesh the world and the deuil Lord Iesus strengthen them with all might through thy glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnes And deare father of all mercie plant that gouernment in thy Church euery where which thou hast reuealed in thy worde that thy Saints may worship thee in those means in that order and comelines which thou hast appointed abounding in righteousnesse peace of conscience and ioy of the holy ghost Amen Amen A DIALOGVE OF THE STATE OF A CHRISTIan man gathered here and there out of the sweet and sauorie writings of Master Tindall and Master Bradford TImotheus Because of our ancient acquaintance and familiaritie deare friend Eusebius I will make bold with you to aske such questiōs as may be for my edification cōfort and of no other matters but euen of religion whereof I see you are an olde professour And the first of all let me bee bold to aske this question of you howe it pleased God to make you a true Christian and a member of Christ Iesus whome I see you serue continually with a feruent zeale Eusebius For that old acquaintance that was betweene vs and for that you are desirous to liue a godly life in Christ Iesus I will not conceale the good worke of my God in me therfore I pray you marke a little what I shall say I will declare vnto you the trueth euen forth of the feeling of mine own conscience The fall of Adam did make me the heire of vengeance and wrath of God and heire of eternall damnation and did bring mee into captiuitie and bondage vnder the deuil and the deuill was my Lord my ruler my head my gouernour and my prince yea and my God And my will was locked knit faster vnto the will of the deuil then could a hundred thousand chaines binde a man vnto a poast Vnto the deuils will did I consent with all my heart with all my mind with all my might power strength will and life so that the Lawe and will of the deuil was written as well in my heart as in my members and I ran headlong after the deuill with full saile and the whole swing of all the power I had as a stone cast into the aire commeth downe naturally of it selfe with all the violent swing of his own weight O with what a deadly and venemous heart did I hate mine enemies With how great malice of mind inwardly did I sley and murther With what violence and rage yea with what feruēt lust committed I adulterie fornication and such like vncleannes With what pleasure and delectation like a glutton serued I my bellie With what diligence deceiued I How busily sought I the things of the world Whatsoeuer I did work imagine or speake was abominable in the sight of God for I could referre nothing vnto the honour of God neither was his law or will written in my members or in my heart neither was their any more power in me to followe the will of God then in a stone ascend vpward of it selfe And besides that I was asleep in so deep blindnes that I could neither see nor feele in what miserie thraldome and wretchednesse I was till Moses came and awaked me and published the lawe When I heard the law truely preached howe that I ought to loue and honour God with all my strength and might from the lowe bottome of the heart because he did create me Lord ouer it and my neighbor yea mine enemies as my selfe inwardly from the groūd of my heart because God hath made them after the likenesse of his owne image and they are his sonnes as well as I and Christ hath bought them with his blood and made them heires of euerlasting life as wel as I and how I ought to do whatsoeuer God biddeth and to abstaine from whatsoeuer God forbiddeth with all loue and meekenes with a feruent and burning lust from the center of the heart Then began my conscience to rage against the Lawe and against God No sea be it neuer so great a tēpest was so vnquiet for it was not possible for me a naturall man to consent to the Law that it should bee good or that God should be righteous which made the law in as much as it was contrarie vnto my nature and damned me and all that I could doe and neuer shewed mee where to fetch helpe nor preached any mercie but onely set me at variance with God prouoked stirred me to raile on god and to blaspheme him as a cruel tyrant And indeed it was not possible to doe otherwise to thinke that God made me of so poysoned a nature and gaue me an impossible law to performe I being not borne againe by the spirit and my wit reason and will being so fast glewed yea nailed and chained vnto the will of the deuil This was the captiuitie and bondage whence Christ deliuered me redeemed and loosed me His blood his death his patience in suffering rebukes wronges and the full wrath of God his prayers and fastings his meekenes fulfilling the vttermost points of the law appeased the wrath of God brought the fauour of god to me againe obtained that God should loue me first and bee my father and that a mercifull father that would consider my infirmitie and weaknes would giue me his spirit againe which he had taken away in Adam to rule gouerne and strengthen me and to breake the bands of Satan wherein I was so straight bound When Christ was on this wise preached and the promises rehearsed which are contained in the booke of God which preaching is called the Gospell or glad tydings and I had deepely considered the same then my heart began to waxe soft and melt at the bounteous mercie of God and kindnes shewed of Christ. For when the gospel was preached the spirit of God mee thought entred into my heart and opened my inwarde eies and wrought a liuely faith in me and made my woofull conscience feele and tast how sweet a thing the bitter death of Christ is and how mercifull and louing God is through Christs purchasing and merits and made me to beginne to loue againe and to consent to the lawe of God how that it is good ought so to be and that God is righteous that made it lastly it wrought in me a desire to be whole and to hunger and thirst after more righteousnesse and more strength to fulfill the law more perfectly and in all that I do or leaue vndone to seeke Gods honour and his will with meekenesse euermore condemning the imperfectnes of my deedes
a gap to all licentiousnes therefore they agree to mans corrupt nature for who almost will not sinne when he may get a pardon for his sinnes for a little peece of money as twentie shillings or foure nobles And what is it but cosonage to sell pardons which shall be in force many yeares after the ende of the world as the Pope doth It is naturall to a man to serue God in certaine ceremonies without the power of godlines and this seruice is prescribed by the religion of the Church of Rome which standeth only in outward and corporall ceremonies as the outward succession of Bishops garments vestures gestures coloures choice of meat difference of daies times and places hearing seeing saying touching tasting numbring of beads gilding and worshipping of images building Monasteries rising at midnight silence in cloysters abstaining from flesh and white meat Fasting in Lent keeping Imber daies hearing Masse and diuine seruice seeing and adoring the bodie in forme of bread receiuing holy water and holy bread creeping to the crosse carrying Palmes taking ashes bearing Candles Pilgrimages going censing kneeling knocking altars superaltars candlestickes pardons In orders crossing annointing shauing forswearing marriage In baptisme salting crossing spatling exorcising washing of hands At Easter confession penance dirge satisfaction and in receiuing with beards new shauen to imagine a bodie where they see none and though he were there present to be seene yet the outward seeing and touching of him of it selfe without faith conduceth no more then it did the Iewes At Rogation daies to carrie banners to followe the Crosse to walke about the fieldes After Pentecost to goe about with Corpus Christi plaie At Hollowmasse to watch in the Church to say Dirge or commendation and to ring for all soules to pay tithes truly to giue to the hie Altar And if a man will be a priest to say Masse and Mattens to serue the Saint of that daie and to lift well ouer the head In sickenes to be anneled to take his rites after his death to haue funerall and Obites said for him and to be rung for at his Funerall moneths minde and yeare minde This is the summe of the catholike religion standing in bodily actions not in any motions or worke of the holy Ghost working in the heart The morall law containing perfect righteousnes is flat opposite to manâ— corrupt nature therfore whatsoeuer Religion shall repeale and make of none effect the commandements of the morall lawe that same religion must needs ioyne hands with the corruption of nature and stand for the maintenance of it This doth the religion of the Church of Rome it may be it doth not plainly repeale them yet in effect it doth if it shall frustrate but any one point of any one commandement yea the whole lawe thereby is made in vaine 1. The first commandement requireth that we haue the true Iehoua for our only God Church of Rome maketh other gods beside this true God it maketh the body of Christ to be god because they hold it may bee in many places in heauen in earth at the same time which thing is only proper to God It maketh euery Saint departed to bee God because it holdeth that Saints doe heare vs now being vpon the earth that they know our thoughts when we pray to them which none but the true God can doe It maketh the Pope to be God and that in plaine words Pope Nicholas saith Constat summum Pontificem à pio principe Constantino Deum appellari It is well known that the Pope of the godly prince Constantine was called God Againe in the extraâ—agants of the same Cannon law it is written Dominus Deus noster Papa Our Lord God the Pope And againe Christopher Marcellus said to the Pope Tu es alter Deus in terris Thou art another God vpon earth and the Pope tooke it to himselfe As the Pope in plaine wordes is made God so the power giuen to him declareth the same He can make holy that which is vnholy and iustifie the wicked and pardon sinnes hee may dispense contrarie to the saying of â—n Apostle he can change the nature of things and of nothing make somewhat What is all this but to place the Pope in Gods roome and to robbe the Lord of his Maiestie Againe the Church of Rome maketh Marie the mother of Iesus to bee as God In the Breuiary reformed and published at the commandement of Pius the V. shee is called a Goddesse in expresse words and she is further tearmed the Queene of heauen the Queene of the world the gate of heauen the mother of grace and mercy Yea shee is farre exalted aboue Christ and he in regard of her is made but a poore vnderling in heauen for papists in their seruice vnto her pray on this manner saying Shew thy selfe to be a mother and cause thy sonne to receiue our praiers set free the captiues and giue light to the blind Lastly the very crosse is made as a God For they salute it by the name of their only hope and pray it to increase iustice to the godly and to giue sinners pardon Wherfore the Church of Rome beside the one true God distinguished into three persons the father the sonne and the holy ghost maketh also many other and so in trueth hath repealed his first commandement And they haue very plainely repealed the second commandement in that they teach it lawfull to make images of the true God and to worship him in them For the flat contrarie is the very scope of this commandement namely that no image must be made of the true Iehoua nor any worship be performed vnto him in an image which appeareth thus In Deutronomie Moses maketh a large Commentarie of this commandement and this very point he sets down expressely saying take heed to your selues for ye sawe no image in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middest of the fire that ye corrupt not your selues and make you a grauen image or representation of any figure c. His argument I set downe thus As God appeared in mount Horeb so he is to be conceiued and represented but hee appeared in no image in mount Horeb only his voice was heard therefore he is not to be conceiued or represented in any image but men are to be content if they may heare his voice Againe that sin to which the people of Israel were specially giuen euen that doth the Lord specially forbid but to this were the people of Israel specially giuen not so much to make images of false gods as to make images of the true God and to worship him in them which I prooue thus In the booke of Iudges it is said that the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim Now these Baalims what are they Surely Idols resembling the true God as the Prophet Hosea declareth
one the fault came on all men to condemnation so by the iustifying of one the benefit abounded toward all men to the iustification of life The third Principle Q. What meanes is there for thee to escape this damnable estate A. Iesus Christ the eternall sonne of God beeing made man by his death vpon the crosse and by his righteousnes hath perfectly alone by himselfe accomplished all things that are needfull for the saluation of mankind 1. Iesus Christ the eternall sonne of God And the word was made flesh and dwelt among vs and we sawe the glory thereof as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father full of grace and trueth 2. Being made man For he in no sort tooke the angels but he tooke the seede of Abraham 3. By his death vpon the crosse But he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed 4. And by his righteousnes For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous For he hath made him to be sinne for vs which knewe no sinne that wee should be made the righteousnes of God in him 5. Hath perfectly Wherefore he is able also perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them 6. Alone by himselfe Neither is there saluation in any other for among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued 7. Accomplished all things needefull for the saluation of mankind And he is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole worlde The fourth Principle Q. But how maiest thou be made partaker of Christ and his benfits A. A man of a contrite and humble spirit by faith alone apprehending applying Christ with all his merits vnto himselfe is iustified before God and sanctified 1. A man of a contrite and humble spirit For thus saith hee that is high and excellent he that inhabiteth the eternitie whose name is the holy one I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and to giue life to thē that are of a contrite heart The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit a contrite and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise 2. By faith alone As soone as Iesus heard that word spoken he said vnto the Ruler of the Sinagogue be not afraid onely beleeue So Moses made a serpent of brasse and set it vp for a signe and when a serpent had bitten a man then he looked to the serpent of brasse and liued And as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the sonne of man bee lifted vp That whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life 3. Apprehending and applying Christ with all his merits vnto himselfe But as many as receiued him to them he gaue power to bee the sonnes of God to them that beleeue in his name And Iesus said vnto them I am the bread of life hee that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst 4. Is iustified before God For what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnes Euen as Dauid declareth the blessednes of the man vnto whome God imputeth righteousnes without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered 5. And sanctified And he put no difference betweene vs and them after that by faith he had purified their hearts But ye are of him in Christ Iesus who of God is made vnto vs wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption The fift Principle Q. What are the ordinarie or vsuall meanes for the obtaining of faith A. Faith commeth only by the preaching of the word and increaseth daily by it as also by the administration of the Sacraments and praier 1. Faith cōmeth only by the preaching of the word increaseth daily by it But howe shal they cal on him in whom they haue not beleeued how shal they beleeue in him of whome they haue not heard and howe shall they heare without a preacher Where there is no vision the people decay but he that keepeth the lawe is blessed My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge because thou hast refused knowledge I will also refuse thee that thou shalt bee no priest to mee and seeing thou hast forgotten the lawe of thy God I will also forget thy children 2. As also by the administration of the Sacraments After he receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnes of the faith which he had when he was vncircumcised that he should bee the Father of all them that beleeue not beeing circumcised that righteousnes might be imputed to thē also Moreouer brethren I would not that yee should bee ignorant that all our Fathers were vnder the cloud and all passed through the sea c. 3. And Praier For whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued The sixt Principle Q. What is the estate of all men after death A. All men shal rise againe with their owne bodies to the last iudgement which beeing ended the godly shall possesse the kingdome of heauen but vnbeleeuers and reprobates shall bee in hell tormented with the diuell and his angels for euer 1. All men shall rise againe with their owne bodies Maruell not at this for the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice And they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation 2. To the last iudgement For God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery secret thing whether it be good or euill But I say vnto you that of euery idle worde that men shall speake they shall giue account thereof at the day of iudgement 3. VVhich beeing ended the godly And deliuered iust Lot vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the wicked And the Lord said vnto him goe through the middest of the cittie euen through the middest of Ierusalem and set a marke vpon the foreheads of them that mourne and crie for all the abominations that be done in the middest thereof 4. Shall possesse the kingdome of God Then shall the king say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father inherit ye the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world 5. But vnbeleeuers and rebrobates shall bee in hell tormented with the deuill and his angels Then shal he say vnto them on the left
slaine a thousand men at one and the same time nowe if we consider the time of their births it may be they were borne at a thousand sundrie times and therefore vnder so many diuers positions of the heauens and so by the iudgement of all Astrologers should haue all diuers and sundrie liues and endes but we see according to the determination of the counsell of God they haue all one and the same end and therefore this must admonish all those that are brought vp in schooles of learning to haue care to spend thâ—â—r times in better studies and it teacheth those that are fallen into any manneâ— of distresse not to haue recourse vnto these fonde figure-casters For their astrologicall iudgements are false and foolish as wee may see by the two former examples Thirdly the knowledge of God is one of the most speciall points in Christian religion therefore the Lord saith Let him that reioice reioice in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me For I am the Lord which shewe mercy and iudgement in the earth And our Sauiour Christ saith This is life eternall to knowe thee the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Now Gods predestination is a glasse wherein we may behold his maiestie For first by it we see the wonderfull wisdome of God who in his eternall counsell did foresee and most wisely sette down the state of euery man secoÌ„dly his omnipotencie in that he hath power to saue and power to refuse whome he will thirdly his iustice and mercy both ioyned togither in the exequution of election his mercy in that he saueth those that were vtterly lost his iustice in that he ordained Christ to bee a mediatour to suffer the curse of the lawe and to satisfie his iustice for the elect fourthly his iustice in the exequution of the decree of Reprobation for though hee decreed to holde backe his mercie from some men because it so pleased him yet he condemneth no man but for his sinnes Now the consideration of these and the light points bring vs to the knowledge of the true God The vses which concerne our affections are these First the doctrine of predestination ministers to all the people of God matter of endlesse consolation For considering Gods election is vnchangeable therefore they which are predestinate to saluation can not perish though the gates of hell preuaile against them so as they be hardly saued yet shall they certenly be saued therefore our Sauiour Christ saith that in the latter daies shall arise false Christs and false prophets which shal shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the verie elect In which wordes he takes it for granted that the elect of God can neuer finally fall away And hereupon he saith to his disciples when they reioyced that the deuils were subiect to them rather râ—ioice that your names are written in heauen And S. Paul speaking of Hymeneus and Alexander which had fallen away from the faith least the church would be discouraged by their fall because they were thought to be worthy men and pillars of the Church he doth comfort them from the very gounde of electâ—on saying The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Loâ—d kâ—â—â—eth who are his Where Gods election is compared to the foundation of an house the building whereof may be shaken but the groundworke standeâ—h fast and therefore Paul saith further Who shall lay any thing to the chaâ—ge of Gods elect Nowe then that wee may haue comfort in distresse and some thing to stay vpon in all our troubles we in this world are as straungers in a farre countrie our passage homeward is ouer the sea of this worlde the shippe wherein we saile is the Church and Satan stirres vp many blasts of troubles and temptationsâ— and his purpose is to sinke the shippe or to driue it on the rocke but we must take the anchor of hope and fasâ—en it in heauen vpon the foundation of Gods election which beeing done wee shall passe in sâ—fetie and reioice in the midst of all stormes and tempests Secondly wheras God refuseth some men and leaues them to themselues it serues to strike a feare into euery one of vs whatsoeuer we lie as S. Paul saith in the like caâ—e the Iewes beeing the naturall branches are broken off through vnbeleefe and thou standest by faith be not high mâ—nded but feare This indeede was spoken to the Romanes but we must also lay it vnto our hearts For what is the best of vs but a lumpe of clay and howsoeuer in Gods counsell we are chosen to saluation yet in our selues we are all shut vp vnder vnbeleefe and are fit to make vessels of wrath Our Sauiour Christ calleth Iudas a deuill and we know his leud life and fearefull end now what are we better then Iudas by nature If we had bin in his stead without the speciall blesâ—ing of God we should haue done as he did he betraied Christ but if God leaue vs to our selues we shal not onely betray him but by our sinnes euen crucifie him a thousand waies Furthermore let vs bethinke our selues of this whether there be not already condemned in hell who in their liues were not more grieuous ofâ—endours then we Esai calleth the people of his time a people of Sodom Gomorrha giuing the Iewes then liuing to vnderstand that they were as bad as the Sodomites as the people of Gomorrha on whome the Lord had shewed his iudgements long before If this be true then let vs with feare and trembling be thankfull to his maiestie that he hath preserued vs hitherto from deserued damnation The vses which respects our liues and conuersations are manifold First seeing God hath elected some to saluation hath also laid downe the meanes in his holy word wherby we may come to the knowledge of our particular election we must therfore as Saint Peter counselleth vs giue all diligence to make our election sure In the world men are carefull and painefull ynough to make assurance of landes and goods to themselues and to their posteritie what a shame is it then for vs that we should be slacke in making sure to our selues the election of God which is more worth then all the world beside and if we shall continue to be slacke herein the leases of our lands and houses and all other temporall assurances shall be bills of accusation against vs at the day of iudgement to condemne vs. Secondly by this doctrine we are taught to liue godly and righteously in this present world because all those whome God hath chosen to saluation he hath also appointed to liue in newnesse of life as Saint Paul saith God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him And againe We are created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that