unto you both how it hath been wieh mee formerly and how it is with me for the present wherefore I would intreat you to tell me plainly and truly what you think of my condition Evan. Why truly I must tell you it appears to me by your relation that you have gone as far in the way of the Covenant of works as the Apostle Paul did before his conversion but yet for ought I see you have not gone the right way to the truth of the Gospell and therefore I question whether you be as yet come truly to Christ. Neo. Good Sir give me leave to speak a few words By the hearing of your discourse concerning the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace I was moved to feare that I was out of the right way but now having heard my neighbour Nomista make such an excellent relation and yet you to question whether hee bee come truly to CHRIST or no makes me to conclude absolutely that I am far from Christ surely if he upon whom the Lord hath bestowed such excellent gifts and graces and who hath lived such a godly life as I am sure he hath done be not right then woe be unto me Evan. Truly for ought I know you may be in Christ before him Nom. But I pray you Sir consider that though I am now throughly convinced that till of late I went on in the way of the Covenant of works yet seeing that at last I came to see my need of Christ and have verily believed that in what I come short of fulfilling the Law hee will help mee out me thinks I should be come truly to Christ. Evan. Verily I doe conceive that this gives you no sure evidence of your being come truly to Christ then some of your strict Papists have for it is the doctrine of the Church of Rome that if a man exercise all his power and doe his best to fulfill the Law then God for Christs sake will pardon all his infirmities and save his soule and therefore you shall see many of your Papists very strict and zealous in the performance of duties morning and evening so many Avie-Maries and so many Pater-nosters yea and many of them doe great deeds of charity and great works of hospitality and all upon such grounds and to such ends as these the Papists sayth Calvin cannot abide this saying by faith alone for they think that their own works are in part a cause of their salvation and so they make a hotch potch and mingle mangle that is neither fish nor flesh as men use to say Nom. But stay Sir I pray you are mistaken in me for though I hold that God doth accept of my doing my best to fulfill the Law yet doe I not hold with the Papists that my doings are meritorious for I believe that God accepts not of what I doe either for the work or workers sake but onely for Christs sake Evan. Yet doe you but still goe hand in hand with the Papists for though they doe hold that their works are meritorious yet they say it is by the merit of Christ that they become meritorious or as some of the moderate sort of them say our works sprinkled with the bloud of Christ become meritorious but this you are to know that as the justice of GOD requires a perfect obedience so doth it require that this perfect obedience be a personall obedience viz. it must bee the obedience of one person onely the obedience of two must not bee put together to make up a perfect obedience So that if you desire to be justified before God you must either bring to him a perfect righteousnesse of your own and wholy renounce Christ or else you must bring the perfect righteousnesse of Christ and wholy renounce your own Ant. But believe me Sir I would advise him to bring Christs and wholy renounce his own as I thank the Lord I have done Evan. You say very well for indeed the Covenant of Grace terminates it selfe onely on Christ and his righteousnesse God will have none to have a hand in the justification and salvation of a sinner but Christ onely and to say as the thing is neighbour Nomista Christ Jesus will either be a whole Saviour or no Saviour hee will either save you alone or not save you at all for among men there is given no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved sayth the Apostle Peter and Jesus Christ himselfe sayth I am the way the truth and the life and no man commeth to the father but by mee so that as Luther truly sayth besides this way Christ there is no way but wandering no verity but hypocrisie no life but eternall death and verily sayth another godly writer We can neither come to God the Father bee reconciled unto him nor have any thing to doe with him by any other way or means but onely by Jesus Christ for we shall not any where finde the favour of God true innocency righteousnesse satisfaction for sin help comfort life or salvation any where but onely in Jesus Christ he is the summe and centre of all divine and evangelicall truths and therefore as there is no knowledge or wisdome so excellent necessary or heavenly as the knowledge of Christ which made the Apostle tell the Corinthians that he determined to know nothing amongst them but onely Jesus Christ and him crucified so is there nothing to be preached unto men as an object of their faith or necessary element of their salvation which doth not some way or other either meet in Christ or refer unto Christ. Ant. O Sir you doe please me wonderous well in thus attributing all to Christ and surely Sir though of late you have not been so evangelical in your teaching as some others in this City which hath caused me to leave off hearing you to hear them yet have I formerly perceived and do now also perceive that you have more knowledge of the doctrine of free grace then many other Ministers in this City have and to tell you the truth Sir it was by your means that I was first brought to renounce mine owne righteousnesse and to cleave onely to the righteoasnesse of JESUS CHRIST and thus it was After that I had been a good while a legall professour just like my friend Nomista and heard none but your legall Preachers who built me up in works and doings as they did him and as their manner is At last a familiar acquaintance of mine who had some knowledge of the doctrine of free grace did commend you for an excellent Preacher at last prevailed with me to goe with him to hear you and your text that day I wel remember was Tit. 3.5 Not by the works of righteousnesse that we had done but according to his own mercie he saved us whence you observed and plainly proved that mans own righteousnesse had no hand in his justification and salvation whereupon you dehorted us
M. Gray junior H Bishop Hall M. Thomas Hooker L Doctor Luther M. Lightfoot M Wolfangius Musculus Peter Martyr Doctor Mayor M. Marshall O Barnardine Ochine P M. Perkins Doctor Preston R M. Rollock M. Reynolds M. Rouse S Doctor Smith Doctor Sibbs M. Slater T M. Tyndall M. Robert Towne V Doctor Vrban Regius Doctor Vrsinus M. Vaughan W Doctor Willet Doctor Williams M. Wilson M. Ward THE MARROVV OF Modern Divinity Interlocutors EVANGELISTA a Minister of the Gospel NOMISTA a Legalist ANTINOMISTA an Antinomian NEOPHYTUS a young Christian. Nomista SIR My neighbour Neophytus and I having lately had some conference with this our friend and acquaintance Antinomista about some points of Religiâ—n wherein he differing from us both at last â—id he would be contented to be judged by â—ou our Minister therefore have we made bold to come unto you all three of us to pray you to heare us and judge of our differences Evan. You are all of you very welcome to me and if you please to let me heare what your differences are I will tell you what I think Nom. The truth is Sir he and I differ in very many things but more especially about the Law for I say the Law ought to be a rule of life to a believer and he saith it ought not Neo. And surely Sir the greatest difference betwixt him and I is this He would perswade me to believe in Christ and bids me rejoyce in the Lord and live merrily though I feel never so many corruptions in my heart yea though I be never so sinfull in my life the which I cannot do nor I think ought not to do but rather to feare and sorrow and lament for my sins Anti. The truth is Sir the greatest difference is betwixt my feiend Nomista and I about the Law and therefore that is the greatest matter we come unto you about Evan. I remember the Apostle Paul willeth Titus to avoyd contentions and strivings about the Law because they are unprofitable and vain and so I feare me yours have been Nom. Sir for mine own part I hold it very meet that every true Christian should be very zealous for the holy Law of God especially now when a company of these Antinomians do set themselves against it and do what they can quite to abolish it and utterly to root it out of the Church surely Sir I think it not meet they should â—ive in a Christian Common-wealth Evan. I pray you neighbour Nomista be not so hot neither let us have such unchristianlike expressions amongst us and let us reason together in love and with the spirit of meeknesse as Christians ought to do I confesse with the Apostle it is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing But yet as the same Apostle said of the Jews so I feare me I may say of some Christians that they are zealous of the Law yea some would be Doctors of the Law and yet neither understand what they say nor whereof they affirm Nom. Sir I make no doubt but that I both know what I say and whereof I affirm when I say and affirm that the holy Law of God ought to be a rule of life to a believer For I dare pawn my soule of the â—ruth of it Evan. But what Law do you mean Nom. Why Sir what Law do you think I mean Is there any more Lawes then one Evan. Yea in the New Testament theâ— is mention made of a three-fold Law 〈◊〉 wit the law of works the law of faith anâ— the law of Christ and therefore I pray yoâ— tell me when you say the Law ought to bâ— a rule of life to a believer which of their three Lawes you mean Nom. Sir I know not the difference betwixt them but this I know that the Law of the Ten Commandements commonly called the Morall Law ought to be a rule of life to a believer Evan. But the Law of the Ten Commandements or Morall Law may be either said to be the matter of the law of works or the matter of the law of Christ and therefore I pray you tell me in whether oâ— these senses you conceive it ought to be â— rule of life to a believer Nom. Sir I must confesse I do not know what you mean by this distinction but thiâ— I know that God requires that every Christian should frame and lead his life according to the rule of the Ten Commandements the which if he do then may he expect the blessing of God both upon his soule and body and if he do not then can he expect nothing else but his wrath and curse upon them both Evan. The truth is neighbour Nomista â—he Law of the Ten Commandements as it 〈◊〉 the matter of the Law of Works ought not to be a rule of life to a believer but in thus saying you have affirmed that it ought and therefore therein you have erred from the truth And now friend Antinomista that I may also know your judgement when you say the Law ought not to be a rule of life to a believer I pray you tell me what Law you mean Ant. Why I mean the Law of the Ten Commandements Evan. But whether do you mean that Law as it is the matter of the law of works or as it is the matter of the Law of Christ Ant. Surely Sir I do conceive that the Ten Commandements are no way to be a rule of life to a believer for Christ hath delivered him from them Evan. But the truth is the law of the Ten Commandements as it is the matter of the law of Christ ought to be a rule of life to a believer and therefore you having affirmed the contrary have therein also erâ—ed from the truth Nom. The truth is Sir I must confesse 〈◊〉 never took any notice of this three-fold â—aw which it seems is mentioned in the New Testament Ant. And I must confesse if I took any notice of them I never understood them Evan. Well give me leave to tell you that so far forth as any man comes short of the true knowledge of this threefold Law so far forth he comes short both of the true knowledge of God and of himself And therefore I wish you both to consider of it Nom. Sir if it be so you may do well to be a means to inform us and help us to the true knowledge of this threefold Law and therefore I pray you first tell us what is meant by the law of works Evan. The law of works opposed to the law of faith Rom. 3.27 holds forth as much as the covenant of works for it is manifest saith Musculus that the word which signifieth covenant or bargain is put for law so that you see the Law of works is as much to say as the Covenant of works the which Covenant the Lord made with all mankinde in Adam before his fall the summe whereof was Do this and thou shalt live And If
behalfe of all his chosen perfectly fulfilled the Law as it is the covenant of works divine justice delivered that bond in to Christ who utterly cancelled that hand-writing so that none of his chosen were to have any more to doe with it nor it with them and now you by your believing in Christ having manifested that you are one that was chosen in him before the foundation of the world his fulfilling of that covenant and cancelling of it is imputed to you and so you are acquitted and absolved from all your transgressions against that covenant either past present or to come and so you are justified as the Apostle saith Freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Ant. I pray you Sir give mee leave to speake a word by the way was not he justified before this time Evan. If he did not believe in Christ before this time as I conceive hee did not then certainly he was not justified before this time Ant. But Sir you know as the Apostle saith It is God that justifieth and God is eternall and as you have shewed Christ may be said to have fulfilled the covenant of works from all eternity and if he bee Christs now then was he Christs from all eternity and therefore as I conceive hee was justified from all eternity Evan. Indeed God is from all eternity and in respect of Gods accepting of Christs undertaking to fulfill the covenant of works he fulfilled it from all eternity and in respect of Gods electing of him he was Christs from all eternity and therefore it is true in respect of Gods decree hee was justified from all eternity and hee was justified meritoriously in the death and resurrection of Christ but yet he was not justified actually till he did actually believe in Christ for saith the Apostle By him all that believe are justified so that in the act of justifying faith and Christ must have a mutuall relation and must always concur and meet together faith as the action which apprehendeth and Christ as the object which is apprehended for neither doth Christ justifie without faith neither doth faith except it bee in Christ. Ant. Truly Sir you have indifferently well satisfied me in this point and surely I like it marvellous well that you conclude no faith justifieth but that whose object is Christ. Eva. The very truth is thuogh a man believe that God is mercifull and true of his promise and that he hath his elect number from the beginning and that he himselfe is one of that number yet if this faith doe not eye Christ if it be not in God as he is in Christ it will not serve turn for God cannot be comfortably thought upon out of Christ our mediator for if we finde not God in Christ saith Calvin salvation cannot bee known wherefore neighbour Neophytus I will say unto you as sweet Master Bradford said unto a gentlewoman in your case Thus then if you would be quiet and certain in conscience then let your faith burst forth through all things not onely that you have within you but also whatsoever is in heaven earth and hell and never rest untill it come to Christ crucified and the eternall sweete mercie and goodnesse of God in â—hrist Neo. But Sir I am not yet satisfied concerning the point you touched before and therefore I pray you proceed to shew me how far forth I am delivered from the Law as it is the covenant of works Evan. Truly as it is the covenant of works you are wholy and altogether delivered and set free from it you are dead to it and it is dead to you and if it be dead to you then it can doe you neither good nor hurt and if you be dead to it you can expect neither good nor hurt from it consider man I pray you that as I said before you are now under another covenant to wit the covenant of grace and you cannot bee under two covenants at once neither wholy nor partly and therefore as before you believed you were wholy under the covenant of works as Adam left both you and all his posterity after his fall so now since you have believed you are wholy under the covenant of grace Assure your selfe then that no Minister or Preacher of Gods Word hath any warrant to say unto you hereafter either doe this and this dutie contained in the law and avoid this and this sin forbidden in the Law and God will justifie thee and save thy soule or doe it not and Hee will condemne thee and damne thee no no you are now set free both from the commanding and condemning power of the covenant of works so that I will say unto you as the Apostle saith unto the believing Hebrews You are not come to Mount Sinai that might not be touched and that burned with fire nor unto blacknesse and darknesse and tempests but you are come unto Mount Sion the City of the living God and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant so that to speak with holy reverence God cannot by vertue of the covenant of wotks either require of you any obedience or punish you for any disobedience no he cannot by vertue of that covenant so much as threaten you or give you an angry word or shew you an angry look for indeed he can see no sin in you as a transgression of that covenant for saith the Apostle Where there is no Law there is no transgression And therfore though hereafter you doe through frailty transgresse any or all the ten Commandements yet doe you not thereby transgresse the covenant of works there is no such covenant now betwixt God and you and therefore though you shall hereafter heare such a voice as this if thou wilt be saved keep the commandements or cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are writen in the book of the Law to doe them nay though you heare the voice of thunder and a fearfull noyse nay though you see blacknesse and darknesse and feel a great tempest that is to say though you heare us that are Preachers according to our commission Lift up our voice like a trumpet in threatning hell and damnation to sinners and transgressors of the Law though these be the words of God yet are you not to thinke that they are spoken to you no no the Apostle assures you â—hat there is no condemnation to them that â—â—re in Christ Jesus believe it man God never threatens eternall death after he hath once given to a man eternall life nay the truth is God never speaks to a believer out of Christ and in Christ hee speaks not a word in the terms of the covenant of works and if the Law of it selfe should presume to â—ome into your conscience and say herein and herein thou hast transgressed and broken â—â—e and therefore thou owest so much and â—o much to divine Justice which must be
he first loved us the Lord doth pay them or at least giveth them a sure earnest of their wages before hee bid them work and therefore the contest of a believer according to the measure of his faith is not what will God give mee but what shall I give God What shall I render unto the Lord for all his goodnesse for thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth Nom. Then Sir it seems that holinesse of life and good workes are not the cause of eternall happines but onely the way thether Evan. Doe you not remember that our Lord Jesus himself sayth I am the way the truth and the life And doth not the Apostle say to the believing Colossians As ye have received Jesus Christ the Lord so walk in him that is As you have received him by faith so goe on in your faith and by his power walk in his Commandements so that good works as I conceive may rather be called a believers walking in the way to eternal happinesse then the way it self but however this wee may assuredly conclude that the summe and substance both of the way and walking in the way consist in the receiving of Jesus Christ by faith and in yielding obedience to his law according to the measure of that receiving Neo. Sir I am perswaded that through my neighbour Nomistas asking you these questions you have been interrupted in your discourse in shewing how faith doth enable a man to exercise his christian graces and performe his christian duties aright And therefore I pray you go on Evan. What should I say more for the time would fail me to tell how that according to the measure of any mans faith is his true peace of conscience for sayth the Apostle being justified by faith wee have peace with God yea sayth the Prophet Isaiah Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee here there is a sure and true grounded peace therfore it is of faith sayth the Apostle that it might be by grace and that the promise might be sure to all the seed and answerably to a mans believing that hee is justified fully by Gods grace through that redemption that is in Jesus Christ is his true humility of spirit so that although he be endued with excellent gifts and graces and though he performe never so many duties he denyes himselfe in all hee doth not make them as ladders for him to ascend up into Heaven by But desires to be found in Christ not having his own righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ he doth not think himselfe to be one step neerer to Heaven for all his works and performances and if hee heare any man prayse him for his gifts and graces hee will not conceit that he hath obteined the same by his own industry and pains taking as some men have proudly thought neyther will hee speak it out as some have done saying these gifts and graces have cost mee something I have taken much pains to obtain them but he sayth Not I but by the grace of God I am that I am and not I but the grace of God that was with me And if he behold an ignorant man or a wicked liver he will not call him carnall wretch or prophane fellow nor say stand by thy selfe come not neere to mee for I am holier then thou as some have said but he pitieth such a man and prays for him and in his heart he sayth concerning himself who maketh thee to differ And what hast thou that thou hast not received And thus I might goe on and shew you how according to any mans faith is his true joy in God and his true thankfulnesse to God and his patience in all troubles and afflictions and his contentednesse in any condition and his willingnesse to suffer and his cheerfulnesse in suffering and his contentednesse to part with any earthly thing yea according to any mans faith is his ability to pray aright to heare or read the Word of God aright to receive the Sacrament with profit and comfort and to do any duty either to God or man after a right manner and to a right end yea according to the measure of any mans faith is his love to Christ and so to man for Christs sake and so consequently his readinesse and willingnesse to forgive an injury yea to forgive an enemy and to doe good to them that hate him and the more faith any man hath the lesse love he hath to the world or the things that are in the world to conclude the greater any mans faith is the more fitter he is to die and the more willing he is to die Neo. Well Sir now I doe perceive that faith is a most excellent grace and happie is that man that hath a great measure of it Evan. The truth is faith is the chief grace that Christians are to be exhorted to get and exercise and therefore when the people asked our Lord Christ what they should doe to worke the worke of God he answered and said this is the work of God That ye believe on him whom he hath sent speaking as if there were no other duty at all required but onely believing for indeed to say as the thing is believing includeth all other duties in it and they spring all from it and therefore sayth one Preach Faith and preach all Whilst I bid man believe sayth learned Rollock I bid him doe all good things for sayth Doctor Preston truth of belief will bring forth truth of holinesse if a man believe works of sanctification will follow for faith draws after it inherent righteousnesse and sanctification wherefore sayth he if a man will goe about this great worke to change his life to get victory over any sin that it may not have dominion over him to have his conscience purged from dead works and to bee made partaker of the divine nature let him not goe about it as a morall man that is let him not consider what Commandements there are what the rectitude is which the Law requires and how to bring his heart to it but let him goe about it as a Christian that is let him believe the promise of pardon in the bloud of Christ and the very believing the promise will be able to cleanse his heart from dead works Neo. But I pray you Sir whence hath faith its power and vertue to doe all this Evan. Even from our Lord Jesus Christ for faith doth ingraft a man who is by nature a wild olive branch into Christ as into the naturall olive and fetcheth sap from the root Christ and thereby makes the tree bring forth fruit in its kind yea faith fetcheth a supernaturall efficacie from the death and life of Christ by vertue whereof it metamorphoseth the heart of a
they will bee guided by the word of truth and all seeme to bring Scripture which indeed is but one as God is but one yet by reason of their severall constructions and interpretations of Scripture and conceits of their own humane wisdome they are many And are there not others of this sort of men that are readie to embrace any new way of worship especially if it come under the cloake of Scripture learning and have a shew of truth founded upon the letter of the Bible and seeme to bee more zealous and devout then their former way specially if the teacher of that new way can but frame a sad and demure countenance and with a grace lift up his head and his eyes towards heaven with some strong groane in declaring of his newly conceived opinion and that hee frequently use this phrase of the glory of GOD ô then these men are by and by of another opinion supposing to themselves that God hath made known some farther truth to them for by reason of the blindnesse of their understanding they are not able to reach any supernaturall truth although they doe by literall Learning and Clerklike cunning dive never so deepe into the Scriptures and therefore they are ready to entertaine any forme of Religious Exercise as shall bee suggested unto them And are there not a third sort much like to these men that are excessive and mutable in the performance of Religious Exercises Surely Saint PAUL did perceive that this was the very GOD of some men in his time and therefore hee willeth TIMOTHY to instruct others that bodily exercise profiteth little or as some read it nothing at all and doth oppose thereunto godlinesse as being another thing then bodily exercise and sayth that it is profitable c. And doe not you thinke there are some men at this day that know none other good then bodily exercise and can hardly distinguish betwixt it and godlinesse Now these bodily exercises are mutable and variable according to their conceits and opinions for all Sects have their severall services as they call them yet all bodily and for the most part onely bodily the which they performe to establish a rest to their soules because they want rest in God and hence it is that their peace and rest is up and down according to their working better or worse so many Chapters must be read and so many Sermons must bee heard and so many times must pray in one day and so many dayes in the weeke or in the yeare they must fast c. or else their soules can have no rest but mistake mee not I pray in imagining that I speake against the doing of these things for I doe them all my selfe but against resting in the doing of them the which I desire not to doe And thus you see that mans blinde understanding doth not onely present unto the sensuall appetite sensuall objects but also to the rationall appetites rationall objects so that mans poore soule is not onely kept from rest in God by means of sensuality but also by means of formality if Satan cannot keep us from seeking rest in God by feedeing our senses with our mother Evahs apple then he sets us to seeke him in away where wee shall never finde him if he cannot doe it more grosely then hee attempts to doe it more closely Nom. But Sir I am perswaded that many men that are so religiously exercised and doe performe such duties as you have mentioned doe finde true rest for their souls in God Evan. Ineeed I am perswaded there are some men that are carefull to performe such duties in obedience to the will of God in Christ as conceiving them to be the way wherein he is accustomed to meete his people and give them an extraordinary visit as also conceiving them to be the meanes whereby hee doth ordinarily beget and increase faith whereby they are enabled to draw neer to God in Christ and so to have peace and rest in him and therefore if they doe omit any of these duties when they conceive that God calls them thereunto they are troubled in their mindes and vexed at themselves for being disobedient to the will of God and for missing his kinde visit and omitting the meanes of increasing their faith now such men as these may and doubtlesse doe finde true rest to their soules in God in the performance of Religious Exercises But alas I feare me that the most part of such men as are so religiously exercised and are of such dispositions as I have shewed doe rather conceive that as they have offended and displeased God by their former disobedience so they must pacifie and please him by their future obedience and therefore they are carefull to exercise themselves in this way of duty and that way of worship and all to that end yea and they conceiving that they have corrupted defiled and polluted themselves by their falling into sin they must also purge clense and purifie themselves by rising out of sin and walking in new obedience and so all the good they doe and all the evill they eschew is to pacifie God and appease their own consciences and if they seeke rest to their soules this way why it is the way of the Covenant of works where they shall never be able to reach God nay it is the way to come to God out of Christ where they shall never be able to come neere him he being a consuming fire Neo. Then Sir it seemeth to me that God in Christ apprehended by faith is the onely true rest for mans soule Evan. I there is the true rest indeed there is that rest which David invites his soule unto when he sayth Returne unto thy rest ô my soule for we which have believed have entred into his rest saith the Authour to the Hebrews And come unto me sayth Christ all yee that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest And truly my neighbours and friends believe it wee shall never finde a hearts happinesse and a true soules rest untill we finde it here for howsoever a man may thinke if hee had this mans wit and that mans wealth this mans honour and that mans pleasure this wife or that husband such children and such servants his heart would be satisfied and his soule would be contented yet which of us hath not by our own experience found the contrary for not long after that we have obtained the thing we did so much desire and wherein we promised our selves so much happinesse rest and content we have found nothing but vanity and emptinesse in it Let a man but deale plainly with his own heart and hee shall finde that notwithstanding he hath many things yet there is ever one thing wanting for indeed mans soule cannot be satisfied with any creature no not with a world of creatures And the reason is because the desires of mans soule are infinite according to that infinite goodnesse which it once
content with what is most repugnant to its desire as with hunger cold nakednesse yea and with death it self such is the wonderfull working of the hearts quiet and rest in God So that although such a mans senses be still exerâ—ised in and upon their proper objects yet is not his life sensuall for his heart taketh no contentment from any such exercise but is still for the most part exercised in a more transcendent communion even with God in Christ so that he useth the world and the things of the world as though hee used them not and receiveth no cordiall contentment from any sensuall exercise whatsoever and that because his heart is withdrawne from them which withdrawing of the heart is not unaptly pointed at in the speech of the Spouse Cant. 5.2 I sleep sayth she but my heart waketh so that it may be sayd that such a man he is sleeping looking hearing tasting eating drinking feasting c. but his heart is withdrawne and is rejoycing in God his Saviour and his soul is magnifying the Lord so that in the midst of all sensuall delights his heart and secretly sayth I but my happinesse is not here Nom. But Sir I pray you why do you call rationall and religious exercises a wildernesse Evan. For two reasons first because that as the children of Israel when they were got out of Egypt did yet wander many yeers in the wildernesse before they came into the land of Canaan even so doe many men wander long in rationall and religious exercises after they have left a sensuall life before they come to rest in God whereof the land of Canaan was a type Secondly because as in a wildernesse men often lose themselves and can finde no way out but supposing after long travell that they are neere the place whither they would goe are in truth further off even so fareth it with many yea with all such as walk in the way of reason they lose themselves in the woods and bushes of their works and doings so that the longer they travell the further they are from God and true rest in him Nom. But Sir you know that the Lord hath endued us with reasonable souls would you not then have us to make use of our reason Evan. I pray you doe not mistake mee I do not contemn nor despise the use of reason onely I would not have you to establish it to the chief good but I would have you to keep it under so that if with Hagar it attempt to beare rule and Lord it over your faith then would I have you in the wisdome of God like Sarah to cast it out from having dominion in few words I would have you more strong in desire than curious in speculation and to long more to feele communion with God then to be able to dispute of the genus or species of any question eyther humane or divine And presse hard to know God by powerfull experience and though your knowledge be great and your obedience surpassing many yet would I have you to be truly nullified anihilated and made nothing and become fools in all fleshly wisdome and glory in nothing but only in the Lord and I would have you with the eye of faith sweetly to behold all things extracted out of one thing in one to see al in a word I would have in you a most profound silence contemning all curious questions and discourses and to ponder much in your heart but prate little with your tongue Be swift to heare but slow to speake and slow to wrath as the Apostle James adviseth you and by this meanes will your reason be subdued and become one with your faith for then is reason one with faith when it is subjugated unto faith and then will reason keepe its true lists and limits and you will become ten times more reasonable then you were before so that I hope you now see that the hearts farewell from the sensuall and rationall life is not to be considered absolutely but respectively it doth not consist in a going out of either but in a right use of both And now for a conclusion let mee tell you when any of your souls shall thus forget her own people and her fathers house Christ her King shall so desire her beauty and be so much in love with her that like a Load-stone this love of his shall draw the soule in pure desire to him again and then as the Hart panteth after the rivers of water so will your souls pant after God yea then will your souls be so ravished with desire and so sick of love that it will bee manifest by your seeking him whom your soul loveth and so shall your soule come to have a reall rest in God and according to the measure of your faith be filled with joy unspeakable and glorious and how can it bee otherwise when your soule shall really communicate with God and by faith have a true taste and by the Spirit have a sure earnest of all heavenly preferments having as it were one foot in heaven whilst you live upon earth ô then what an Eucharisticall love will arise from your thankfull heart extending it selfe first towards God and then towards man for Gods sake because his everlasting love in his Christ is made known to your soule so that then according to the measure of your faith you shall not need to frame and force your selfe to love and doe good duties but being so assured of Gods love to you in his CHRIST your soule will stand bound ever more to love God and according to the measure thereof you will stand bound to the keeping of all his Commandements and this love of God in the heart will cut down selfe love so that now you will be for God and it will be your meat and drinke to doe his will whilst you live on earth and much more when you come to heaven the place of perfect and everlasting rest whither our Lord JESUS CHRIST bring us all in his due time Amen And now Brethren I commend you to GOD and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Neo. Well Sir at this time I will say no more but that it was a happie houre wherein I came to you and a happie conference that wee have had together surely Sir I never knew Christ before this day ô what cause have I to thanke the Lord for my comming hither and my two friends as a means of it and Sir for the payns that you have taken with me I pray the Lord to requite you and so beseeching you to pray the Lord to increase my faith and to helpe mine unbeliefe I humbly take my leave of you praying the God of love and peace to be with you Nom. And truly Sir I doe believe that I have cause to speake as much in that case as you have for
dishonoured his Father which was heaven and therefore his dayes were not prolonged in that land which the Lord his God had given him 6. He massacred himselfe and all his posterity 7. From Eve he was a virgin but in eyes and minde he committed spirituall fornication 8. He stole like Achan that which God had set aside not to be medled with and this his stealth is that which troubles all Israel the whole world 9. He bare witnesse against God when he believed the witnesse of the Devill above him 10. He coveted an evill covetousnesse like Amnon which cost him his life and alâ— his progeny Now whosoever considerâ— what a nest of evils here were committed aâ— one blow must needs with Musculus seâ— our case to be such that we be compelled every way to commend the justice of God and to condemn the sin of our first parents saying concerning all mankinde as the Prophet Hosea doth concerning Israel O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Nom. But Sir had it not been possiblâ— for Adam both to have holpen himself and his posterity out of this misery by renewing the same covenant with God and keeping it for afterwards Eva. O no he covenant of works was a covenant no way capable of renovation when he had once broke it he was gone for ever because it was a covenant between two friends buâ— fâ—llen man was become an enemy And besides it was an impossible thing for Adam to have performed the conditions which now the justice of God did necessarily require at his hands for he was now become liable to the payment of a double debt to wit the debt of satisfaction for his sin committed in time past and the debt of perfect and perpetuall obedience for the time to come and he was utterly unable to pay either of them Nom. Why was he unable to pay the debt of satisfaction for his sin committed in time past Evan. Because his sin in eating the forbidden fruit for that is the sin I mean was committed against an infinite and eternall good and therefore merited an infinite satisfaction which was to be either some temporall punishment equivalent to eternall damnation or eternall damnation it self Now Adam was a finite creature therefore between finite and infinite there could be no proportion so that it was impossible for Adam to have made satisfaction by any temporall punishment and if he had undertaken to have satisfied by an eternall punishment he should alwayes have been satisfying and never have satisfied as is the 〈◊〉 of the damned in hell Nom. And why was he unable to pay the debt of perfect and perpetuall obedience for the time to come Evan. Because his precedent power 〈◊〉 obey was by his fall utterly impaired foâ— thereby his understanding was both feebleâ— and drowned in darknesse and his will was made perverse and utterly deprived of all power to will well and his affections were quite set out of order and all things belonging to the blessed life of the soule were extinguished both in him and us so that he waâ— become impotent yea dead and thereforâ— not able to stand in the lowest terms to perâ—form the meanest condition the very truth is our father Adam falling from God diâ— by his fall so dash himself and us in peeces that there was no whole part left either 〈◊〉 him or us fit to ground such a Covenanâ— upon And this the Apostle witnesseth both when he saith We are of no strength And The Law was made weak because of thâ— flesh Nom. But Sir might not the Lord have pardoned Adams sinne without satisfaction Evan. O no for Justice is essentiall in 〈◊〉 and it is a righteous thing with God 〈◊〉 every transgression receive a just recomâ—â—nce and if recompence be just it is unâ—â—st to pardon sin without satisfaction and â—â—ough the Lord had pardoned and forgiven 〈◊〉 former transgression and so set him in 〈◊〉 former condition of amity and friendâ—â—ip yet having no power to keep the Law â—erfectly he could not have continued â—â—erein Nomista And is it also impossible for 〈◊〉 of his posterity to keep the Law perâ—â—ctly Evan. Yea indeed it is impossible for any â—eer man in the time of this life to keep it â—erfectly yea though he be a regenerate â—an for the Law requireth of man that he â—â—ve the Lord with all his heart soule and â—â—ight and there is not the holiest man that 〈◊〉 but he is flesh as wel as spirit in all parts â—nd faculties of his soule and therefore canâ—ot love the Lord perfectly yea and the â—aw forbiddeth all habituall concupiscence â—ot only saying thou shalt not consent to lust â—ut thou shalt not lust It doth not only â—ommand the binding of lust but forbids â—â—so the beeing of lust And who in this case â—an say my heart is clean Antin Then friend Nomista take notice I pray that as it was altogether impossible for Adam to return unto that holy and happy estate wherein he was created by the same way he went from it so is it for any of his posterity and therefore I remember one saith very wittily the Law was Adams lease when God made him tenant of Eden the conditions of which bond when he kept not he forfeited himself and all us God read a lecture of the Law to him before he fell to be a hedge to him to keep him in Paradise but when Adam would not keep within compasse this Law is now become as the flaming sword at Eden gate to keep him and his posterity out Nom. But Sir you know that when a Covenant is broken the parties that were bound are freed and released from their ingagements and therefore me thinks both Adam and his posterity should have been released from the covenant of works when it was broken especially considering they have no strength to perform the condition of it Evan. Indeed it is true in every Covenant if either party fail in his duty and perform not his condition the other party iâ— thereby freed from his part but the party failing is not freed tiâ—l the other release him and therefore though the Lord be freed from performing his condition that is from giving to man eternall life yet so is not man from his part no though strength to obey be lost yet man having lost it by his own default the obligation to obedience remains still so that Adam and his off-spring are no more discharged of their duties because they have no strength to do them than a debtor is quitted of his bond because he wants money to pay it And thus neighbour Nomista I have according to your desire endeavoured to help you to the true knowledge of the Law of Works Ant. I beseech you Sir proceed to help us to the true knowledge of the Law of Faith Evan. The Law of faith is as much to say as the Covenant of grace or the Gospel which signifieth good merry glad and joyfull
therefore it belongs to me yea and say with PAUL I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himselfe for mee Hee saw in mee sayth Luther on the Text nothing but wickednesse going astray and flying from him yet this good Lord had mercy on mee and of his meere mercy hee loved mee yea so loved mee that hee gave himselfe for mee who is this mee even I wretched and damnable sinner was so deerly beloved of the Son of God that hee gave himselfe for mee ô print this word me in your heart and apply it to your own self not doubting but that you are one of those to whom this me belongeth Neo. But may such a vile and sinfull wretch as I am be perswaded that God commands me to believe and that hee hath made a promise to me Evan. Why doe you make a question where there is none to be made Goe sayth Christ and preach the Gospel to every creature under Heaven that is go tell every man without exception whatsoever his sins be whatsoever his rebellions be goe and tell him these glad tydings that if hee will come in I will accept of him his sins shall bee forgiven him and hee shall bee saved if hee will come in and take mee and receive mee I will be his loving husband and hee shall bee mine owne deare Spouse let mee therefore say unto you in the words of the Apostle Now then I as an Ambassadour for Christ as though GOD did beseech you by mee I pray you in Christs stead be yee reconciled unto God for hee hath made him to be sin for you who knew no sin that you might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Neo. But doe you say Sir that if I believe I shall bee espoused unto Christ Evan. Yea indeed shall you for faith coupleth the soul with Christ even as the Spouse with her husband by which means Christ and the soule are made one for as in corporall marriage man and wife are made one flesh even so in this spirituall and mysticall marrriage Christ and his Spouse are made one spirit and this marriage of all others is most perfect and absolutely accomplished betweene them for the marriage between man and wife is but a slender figure of this union wherefore I beseech you to believe it and then you shall be sure to enjoy it Neo. Surely Sir if David sayd seemeth it to you a light thing to be an earthly Kings son-in-law seeing that I am a poore man and lightly esteemed then surely I have much more cause to say seemeth it to you a light thing to bee a heavenly Kings daughter-in-law seeing that I am such a poor sinfull wretch surely Sir I cannot be perswaded to believe it Evan. Alas man how much are you mistaken for you look upon God and upon your self with the eye of reason and so standing in relation to each other according to the tenour of the Covenant of Works whereas you being now in the case of Justification and Reconciliation you are to looke both upon God and upon your selfe with the eye of faith and so standing in relation to each other according to the tenour of the Covenant of grace for sayth the Apostle God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing their sinnes unto them as if hee had sayd because as God stands in relation to man according to the tenour of the Covenant of works and so out of Christ hee could not without prejudice to his justice be reconciled unto them nor have any thing to doe with them otherwise then in wrath and indignation therefore to the intent that justice and mercy might meet together and righteousnesse and peace might embrace each other and so God stand in relation to man according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace hee put himselfe into his Son Jesus Christ and shrowded himself there that so hee might speake peace to his people Sweetly sayth Luther because the nature of God was otherwise higher then that wee are able to attayne unto it therefore hath hee humbled himselfe to us and taken our nature upon him and so put himselfe into Christ here hee looketh for us here he will receive us and hee that seeketh him here shall finde him This sayth God the Father is my well beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 whereupon the same Luther sayth in another place We must not thinke and perswade our selves that this voice came from heaven for Christs own sake but for our sakes even as Christ himselfe sayth John 12.30 This voyce came not because of mee but for your sakes the truth is Christ had no need that it should be sayd unto him this is my well beloved sonne he knew that from all eternity and that he should still so remain though these words had not beene spoken from heaven therefore by these words God the Father in Christ his Sonne cheereth the hearts of poore sinners and greatly delighteth them with singular comfort and heavenly sweetnesse assuring them that whosoever is marryed unto Christ and so in him by faith hee is as acceptable to God the Father as Christ himselfe according to that of the Apostle Hee hath made us acceptable in his beloved wherefore if you would bee acceptable to God and bee made his deare childe then by faith cleave unto his beloved Sonne Christ and hang about his neck yea and creepe into his bosome and so shall the love and favour of God be as deeply insinuated into you as it is into Christ himselfe and so shall God the Father together with his beloved Sonne wholy possesse you and be possessed of you and so God and Christ and you shall become one entire thing according to Christs prayer That they may bee one in us as thou and I are one and by this means may you have sufficient ground and warrant to say in the matter of reconciliation with God at any time whensoever you are disputing with your selfe how God is to be found that justifieth and saveth sinners I know no other God neither will I know any other God besides this God that came dow from heaven and clothed himselfe with my flesh unto whom all power is given both in heaven and in earth Who is my Judge For the father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Sonne so that Christ may doe with mee whatsoever him liketh and determine of mee aecording to his own minde and I am sure hee hath sayd Hee came not to judge the World but to save the World and therefore I doe believe that hee will save mee Neo. Indeed Sir if I were so holy and so righteous as some men are and had such power over my sins and corruptions as some men have then I could easily believe it but alas I am so sinfull and so unworthy a wretch that I dare not presume to believe that
man and hath a new nature and is endued with new dispositions and loveth liveth speaketh and doth far otherwise then he was wont or could do before For sayth godly Tindall God worketh with his word and in his word and bringeth faith into the hearts of his elect and looseth the heart from sin and knitteth it to God and giveth him power to do that which was before impossible for him to do and turneth him into a new nature And therfore sayth Luther in another place here in works are to be extolled and commended in that they are fruits and signes of faith and therefore he that hath not regard how he leadeth his life that he may stop the mouthes of all blamers â—nd accusers and cleere himselfe before all and testifie that he hath lived spoken and done well is not yet a Christian how then sayth Tindall again dare any man thinke that Gods favour is on him and Gods Spirit within him when he feeleth not the working of his spirit nor himselfe disposed to any good thing Ant. But by your favour Sir I am perswaded that many a man deceives his own soule by these markes and signes Evan. Indeed I must confesse with Master Boulton and Master Dyke that in these times of Christianity a reprobate may make a glorious profession of the Gospell and performe all duties and exercises of Religion and that in outward appearance with as great spirit and zeale as a true believer yea hee may bee made partaker of some measure of inward illumination and have a shadow of true regeneration there being no grace effectually wrought in the faithfull a resemblance whereof may not be found in the unregenerate and therefore I say if any man pitch upon the signe without the thing signified by the signe that is if he pitch upon his graces or gifts rather and duties and conclude assurance from them as they are in him and come from him without having reference to Jesus Christ as the root and fountain of them then are they deceitfull markes and signes but if he looke upon them with reference to Jesus Christ then are they not deceitfull but true evidences and demonstrations of faith in Christ and this a man doth when hee looks upon his outward actions as flowing from the inward actions of his minde and upon the inward actions of his minde as flowing from the habits of grace within him and upon the habits of grace within him as flowing from his justification and upon his justification as flowing from his faith and upon his faith as given by and imbracing Jesus Christ thus I say if hee rests not till he come to Christ his markes and signes are not deceitfull but true Ant. But Sir if an unbeliever may have a resemblance of every grace that is wrought in a believer then it must needs be a hard matter to finde out the difference and therefore I conceive it is best for a man not to trouble himselfe at all about markes and signes Evan. Give me leave to deale plainly with you in telling you that although we cannot say every one that hath a forme of godlinesse hath also the power of godlinesse yet we may truly say that he who hath not the forme of godlinesse hath not the power of godlinesse for though all be not gold that glistereth yet all gold doth glister and therefore I tell you truly if you have no regard to make the Law of Christ your rule by endeavouring to doe what is required in the ten Commandements and to avoyd what is there forbidden it is a very evill signe and therefore I pray you consider of it Ant. But Sir You know the Lord hath promised to write his Law in a believers heart and to give him his Spirit to leade him into all truth and therefore he hath no need of the Law written with paper and inke to be a rule of life to him neither hath hee any need to endeavour to be obedient thereunto as you say Evan. Indeed saith Luther the matter would even so fare as you say if wee were perfectly and altogether the inward and spirituall men which cannot be in any wise before the last day at the rising again of the dead so long as we be cloathed with this mortall flesh we doe but begin and proceed onwards in our course towards perfection which will be consummated in the life to come and for this cause the Apostle Rom. 8. dorh call this the first fruits of the spirit which we doe enjoy in this life the truth and fulnesse of which we shall receive in the life to come and therefore saith hee in another place it is necessary so to preach to them that have received the doctrine of faith that they might be stirred up to go on in good life which they have embraced and that they suffer not themselves to be overcome by the assaults of the raging flesh for we will not so presume of the doctrine of faith as if that being had every man might doe what he listed no we must earnestly endeavour our selves that we may be without blame and when we cannot attain thereunto we must flye to prayer and say before God and man forgive us our trespasses And sayth Calvin one proper use and end of the Law concerning the faithfull in whose hearts liveth and reigneth the Spirit of God for although they have the Law written and engraven in their hearts by the finger of God yet is the Law to them a very good means whereby they may daily better and more assuredly learne what is the will of the Lord and let none of us exempt himselfe from rhis need for no man hath hitherto atteined to so great wisdom but that he hath need to be daily instructed by the Law and herein Christ differeth from us that the Father hath poured out upon him the infinite aboundance of his Spirit but whatsoever we doe receive it is so by measure that wee have need one of another now minde it I pray you if believers have the Spirit but in measure and know but in part then have they the Law written in theit hearts but in measure and in part and if they have the law written in their hearts but in measure and in part then have they not a perfect rule within them and if they have not a perfect rule within them then have they need to have a rule without them and therefore doubtlesse the strongest believer of us all had need to harken to the aduice of godly Tindall who saith seek the Word of God in all things and without the Word of God doe nothing and saith another godly and Evangelicall Writer my brethren let us doe our whole endeavour to doe the will of God as it becommeth good children and beware that we sin not as neer as we can Ant. Well Sir I cannot tell what to say but me thinks when a man is perfectly
comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned for indeed Christ paid God till hee sayd hee had enough hee was fully satisfied fully contented and therefore in Jer. 50.20 it is sayd that in those dayes and at that time the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sinnes of Judah and they shall not be found for by Christs death Satan sinne and Death were conquered and taken captive and whatsoever might bee brought against us was taken away as the least bill or scroule and yet it is sayd concerning the seed and children of Jesus Christ Psal. 89.30 If they forsake my Law and walke not in my judgements then will I visit your transgressions with the rod and their iniquities with stripes and in like manner 1 Cor. 11.30 it is sayd concerning believers For this cause many are weak and sickly amongst you and many sleepe Now though all these Scriptures speake contrary one to another yet they all speake truth for they bee all of them the words of truth and that it may appeare to you that they doe so I pray you take notice that where believers are sayd not to bee under the Law and freed from the Law it is to be understood of the Law as it is the covenant of works and where it is sayd that believers are under the Law and that faith establisheth the Law it is to bee understood of the Law as it is the law of Christ now if believers be not under but are freed from the law of works or covenant of works then though they doe transgresse the law yet they doe not transgresse the Covenant of works and if they transgresse not the covenant of works then cannot God see any transgression of theirs as a transgression against that Covenant And if he see it not then can ye neither be angry with them nor yet chastise them for it But if believers be under the Law and faith doe establish the Law as it is the Law of Christ then if they transgresse any of the ten Commandements they transgresse the Law of Christ and if they transgresse the Law of Christ then doth Christ see it and if Christ see it he will be both angry with them and chastise them for it Now then neighbour Neophytus to apply these things to you and so to give you a particular answer to your question you are to know that you are not now under the Law but are by Christ freed from it as it is the Law of works and therefore whensoever you shall hereafter through frailty transgresse any of the ten Commandements you are not to thinke you have thereby transgressed the Covenant of works neither are you to conceive that God either sees your transgressions or is angry with you or doth chastise you for them as they are any way a transgression of that Covenant for you being freed from that Covenant and so consequently from sinning against it must needs likewise be freed from all wrath anger miseries calamities and afflictions as fruits and effects of any transgression against that Covenant But yet whilst you live you are to conceive that you are under the Law of Christ and therefore whensoever you doe swerve or goe away from the rule of any of the ten Commandements you must perswade your selfe that you have thereby transgressed the Law of Christ and that hee sees it and is displeased with you for it and if you be not grieved for it and doe not reforme it Christ will chastise you for it either by hiding his face and withdrawing the light of his countenance from you and so by depriving you of peace and comfort in him for a time or else by some outward losse or crosse in this World for that is the penalty of the Law of Christ so that if you or any believer else doe transgresse the Law of Christ if need be you shall bee as sure of temporall corrections as an unbeliever that transgresseth the covenant of works shall be of eternall damnation in hell wherefore I beseech you according to my exhortation and your resolution first be carefull to exercise your faith and use all meanes to increase it that so it may become effectuall working by love for according to the measure of your faith will be your true love to Christ and to his will and commandements and according to the measure of your love to them will be your delight in them and your aptnesse and readinesse to doe them and hence it is that Christ sayth If ye love me keep my commandements and hence it is that the believing soule according to the measure of its faith sayth with the Psalmist I delight to doe thy will ô my God yea thy law is within my heart for this is the love of God sayth that loving Disciple that we keep his commandements and his commandements are not grievous nay the very truth is nothing will be more grievous to your soule then that you cannot keep them as you would ô this love of God being truly rooted in your heart will make you say with godly Joseph in case you be tempted as he was How can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God how can I doe that which I know will displease so gracious a Father and so mercifull a Saviour no I will not doe it no I cannot doe it Secondly If in case you be at any time by reason of the weaknesse of your faith strength of your tentation drawn aside and prevailed with to transgresse any of Christs Comandements then beware that you do not thereupon take occasion to call Christs love to you into question but believe as firmly that he loves you as dearly as he did before you thus transgressed for this is a certain truth as no good in you or done by you did move or can move Christ to love you the more so no evill in you or done by you can move him to love you the lesse no assure your selfe that as he first loved you freely so will he hereafter heal your backsliding and still love you freely Hosea 14.4 yee hee will love you unto the end John 13.1 And therefore as you must be nothing in your selfe in case of your most exact obedience so must you be all in Christ in case of your most imperfect and defective obedience the which if you be why then the love of Christ will constrain you to mourn with an evangelicall or Gospell mourning reasoning with your self after this manner and is it so indeed though I have thus sinned yet will the Lord love me never the lesse for all that and am I as much in his favour now and as sure of erernall happinesse with Christ as I was before I thus sinned ô what a loving Father is this ô what a gracious Saviour is this ô what a wretched man am I to sin against such
mans soule doth re-aspire towards God the Creator when as it is evident that every mans soule naturally is bent towards the creature to seeke a rest there Evan. For answer hereunto I pray you consider that naturally mans understanding is dark and blinde and therefore is ignorant what his own soul doth desire and strongly aspire unto it knoweth indeed that there is a want in the soule but till it be enlightned it knoweth not what it is which the soule wanteth for indeed the case standeth with the soule as with a child new born which child by naturall instinct doth gape and cry for nutriment yea for such nutriment as may agree with it tender condition and if the nurse through negligence or ignorance eyther give it no meat at all or else such as it is not capable of receiving the childe refuseth it and still cryeth in strength of desire after the dug yet doth not the child in this estate know by any intellectuall power and understanding what it self desireth even so mans poore soule doth cry to God as for its proper nourishment but his understanding like a blind ignorant nurse not knowing what it cryeth for doth offer to the heart a creature instead of a Creatour thus by reason of the understanding together with the corruption of the will and disorder of the affections mans soule is kept by violence from its proper centre even God himselfe ô how many souls are there in the world that are hindred if not quite kept from rest in God by reason that their blinde understanding doth present unto their sensual appetites varieties of sensuall objects Is there not many a luxurious persons soule hindred if not quite kept from true rest in God by that beauty which nature hath placed in feminine faces especially when Satan doth secretly suggest into such feminine harts a desire of an artificiall dressing from the head to the foot yea and sometimes painting the face like their mother Jezabel And is there not many a voluptuous Epicures soule hindred if not quite kept from rest in God by beholding the colour and tasting the sweetnesse of dainty delicate dishes his wine red in the cup and his beer of amber colour in the glasse in the Scripture we read of a certain man that fared deliciously very day as if there had been no more but one so ill disposed but in our times there are certain hundreds both of men and women that do not only fare deliciously but voluptuously twice every day if no more And is there not many a proud persons soul hindered if not quite kept from rest in God by the harmonious sound of popular prayse which like a load-stone draweth the vain-glorious heart to hunt so much the more eagerly to augment the eccho of such vain windy reputation And is there not many a covetous persons soule hindred if not quite kept from rest in God by the cry of great abundance the words of wealth and the glory of gain And is there not many a musicall minde hindered if not quite kept from sweet comfort in God by the harmony of artificiall concord upon musicall instruments And how many perfumed fools are there in the world who by smelling their sweet apparell and their sweet nose-gayes are kept from souls sweetnesse in Christ. And thus doth Satan like a cunning fisher beat his hooke with a sensuall object to catch men with and having gotten it into their jaws he draweth them up and down in their sensuall contentments till hee hath so drowned them therein that the peace and rest of their souls in God be almost forgotten and hence it is that the greatest part of mans life and in many their whole life is spent in seeking satisfaction to the sensuall appetite Nom. Indeed Sir this which you have sayd we may see truly verified in many men who spend their days about these vanities and will afford no time for religious exercises no not upon the Lords day by their good will Neo. You say the truth and yet let mee tell you withall that a man by the power of naturall conscience may bee forced to confesse that his hopes of happinesse are in God alone and not in these things yea and to forsake profits and pleasures and all sensuall objects as unable to give his soule any true contentment and fall to the performance of religious exercises and yet rest there and never come to God for rest and if we consider it either in the rude multitude of sensuall livers or in the more seemingly religious we shall perceive that the religious exercises of men doe strongly deceive and strangely delude many men of their hearts happinesse in God For the first sort though they be such as make their belly their best God and doe no Sacrifice but to Bacchus Apollo or Venus though their conscience doe accuse them that these things are nought yet in that they have the name of Christians put upon them in their baptisme and for as much as they doe often repeat the Lords Prayer the Apostles Creed and the ten Commandements and in that it may be they have lately accustomed themselves to goe to Church to heare divine service and a preaching now and then and in that they have divers times received the Sacrament they will not be perswaded but that God is well pleased with them and a man may as well perswade them that they are not men and women as that they are not in a good condition And for the second sort that ordinarily have more humane wisdome and humane learning then the former sort and seeme to bee more holy and devout then the former sort of sensuall ignorant people yet how many are there of this sort that never passe farther then the outward court of bodily performances feeding and feasting themselves as men in a dreame supposing themselves to have all things and yet indeed have nothing but onely a bladder full or rather a brainfull of winde and worldly conceptions Are there not some who give themselves to a more speciall searching and seeking out for knowledge in Scripture learnednesse and Clerklike skill in this Art and that Language till they come to bee able to repeate all the historicall places in the Bible yea◠and all those texts of Scripture that they conceive doe make for some private opinion of theirs concerning Ceremonies Church-government or other such circumstantiall points of Religion touching which points they are very able to reason and dispute and to put forth such curious questions as are not easily answered Are not some of these men called Sect-makers and begetters or devisers of new opinions in Religion especially in the matter of worshiping God as they use to call it wherein they finde a beginning but hardly any end for this religious knowledge is so variable through the multiplicity of curious wits and contentious Spirits that the life of man way seeme too short to take a full view of this variety for though all Sects say