alone doth see no other sense concurring to help it in that which is the proper effect of it selfe If then Faith be so excellent a thing how fearefull is their sinne who lie not careing to get beliefe to lie theeue or whore they see is an enormous crime but to liue in vnbeliefe they neither account it vncomely not dangerous to turne ones backe disdainfully and carelesly on Gods greatest loue is of all other the foulest disloyalty to neglect to take the healing medicine of Gods owne preparing what is more dangerous no other sinne could haue hurt vs had not this vnbeleefe beene adioyned vnto them QVEST. IX 9. Q. WHat is Faith A. An assurance that by the death of Christ forgiuenesse of sins and by his righteousnesse Gods fauour and life eternall are obtained for me In generall before we enter the particular explication of this answer you must know that a true iustifying faith so farre foorth as it iustifieth is here described True faith is commonly called iustifying faith not that this is the full effect of it beyond which the efficiencie of it doth not extend but because this is the principall thing in which the force of true faith is occupied as our soules are called reasonable not because they haue no other operation then what is reasonable in simple apprehension or discourse For our sensitiue and naturall actions proceed effectiuely from our soules but because this is the most principall work of the soule therefore it taketh true denomination from it and is termed reasonable Foure things are now further to be vnfolded 1. what is meante by assurance 2. How a true iustifying faith may bee said an assurance when true Beleeuers are many times doubtfull 3. The matter about which iustifying faith and the assurance of it are conuersant viz. forgiuenesse of sinne and life in the death and obedience of Christ or about Christs death righteousnesse as they are a ground of forgiuenesse of sinne for mee and life euerlasting 4. The particularitie of it assurance that my sinne is forgiuen and life obtained for me 1. For the first by assurance here is meant an assured or confident perswasion which is not onely when the vnderstanding determines that truth is spoken but when the will doth confidently rest vpon that good which is promised which as it is in degree greater or lesser so is doubting more or lesse excluded This is true beliefe a Act. 8.37 of the whole heart Looke as if you promise mee any great good matter say it be but to lend mee an hundreth pounds when my occasions require it I haue not onely a perswasion in vnderstanding that the thing you speake to me you speake it truly but because here is in the word that which is good to mee as well as that which is true therfore I haue a confidence in my will which maketh me rest on and trust to that you haue spoken If the word spoken were true but not a word any waies beneficiall to me I might haue an assured perswasion in minde without any affection or mouing of will toward it but when it is as well good to mee as true in it selfe it cannot be fully receiued by a mentall perswasion assenting to the truth of it without a godly affection imbracing it as it is a word of good tidings to mee who heare it Thus Abrahams perswasion Rom. 4. Rom. 4.17.22 Iob. 19.25 27. and Iobs in the 19. of his booke are to be vnfolded 2. For the second wee must know that faith is alwaies an assured perswasion in regard of the euent and thing beleeued not in regard of the sense and feeling of him who beleeueth whether his heart be stedfast in faith or trembling through much vnbeleefe yet beleeuing though with much vnbeleefe he shall be sure of the thing promised For it is not the manner of apprehending but the thing apprehended viz. Christ for which God doth passe his promise Now looke as a trembling palsie hand may take the same thing which a more steddie one doth take though the manner be diuers the one taketh it shaking the other without any trembling so a hart of faith which yet shaketh doubteth through much vnbeleefe may take Christ as well as a heart doth which is more fully perswaded and therfore shall haue the grace promised for his sake who is receiued by faith God then promising to euery true though weak beleefe hence it commeth that faith is a certaine perswasion in regard of the thing beleeued certainely bringing vs to receiue the thing promised For euery house is as sure as the foundation is euery thing hanging on a pin or pegge as sure as the pegge on which it hangeth A true faith being a trust to Gods faithfull promise it cannot miscary in the euent for this on which it is grounded is vnchangeable Neuerthelesse though in the euent it promiseth a certaine perswasion yet is it not so alwaies in the sense of the beleeuer It is one thing to haue a thing surely another thing to know I haue it sâ—rely Wee haue many things which we thinke we haue lost so a Beleeuer who hath a sure beleefe yet doth not know that he so beleeueth nay thinketh that hee is without faith when he hath it vnfainedly This falleth out sometimes in the first beginning and conception as it were of faith somtimes afterward Looke as childdren liue in the wombe and know not themselues that they doe liue so is it with many true beleeuing soules who long beleeue before they come to see themselues to beleeue and be able by a reflexed operation of minde to say a 2 Tim. 1.12 I know on whom I haue beleeued 2. Say that now they are come to know they haue faith and that God is pleased with them in Christ yet may this their sense be soon altered partly through a childish weaknesse of iudgement partly through other temptations For as children though they now to their feeling are well yet if they come to see their owne bloud or to be left all alone in the darke beginne to conceiue twentie strange matters so Gods children who now thinke themselues well while they are in the light and feele his gracious presence if this bee a little hidden or if they finde not their accustomed life and cheerefulnesse in Gods seruice they beginne to thinke all is turned with them and call all into question Againe looke as the wisest man may come to haue the eye of reason so depraued through distemper of braine that he shall think his friends seeke to kill him and are become his foes yea the eye of his body so depraued by a stroake or by ouer-flowing of choller that he shall think all things before him red and yellow though they be nothing so euen so by the violent stroake of some wasting sinne or the strange worke of some more sharpe temptations ouerflowing the eye of the soule as it were with spirituall gall euen the sense of Gods
the word yea the word preached for though this hath of it selfe no more efficacie then the word written yet God is so pleased that he will put out his Spirit more with this then with any other the same milke is more effectually taken immediately from the breast then it is when now it hath stood a while there is a multitude of Spirits in the one which are not in the other so it is here Againe let vs frequent the Sacraments we will attend â—o sealing in lesse maters for â—n earthly things we are not well till the bird bee in the â—age till all bee made sure Let vs pray to God vp â—oeth Prayer and downe â—omes blessings the being â—f euery thing teacheth it to â—ray after a sort to the Cretor the earth weary with â—rought will open the â—outh and cry to him the young Rauens will report â—heir hunger and a Psal 147.9 call to â—heir Creator for sustenance â—â—all not we if wee be his â—hildren report all our â—ants to him and seeke all â—ood things from him sureâ—y such as spare to speake â—re vnworthy to speede QVEST. II. 2. Q. WHat are the Sacraments A. Certain outward signes and seales appointed of God to assure vs that Christ with all his benefits are giuen to vs Rom. 4.11 1 Cor. 10.16 In which answer 1. marke the common nature of Sacraments 2. The Author 3. The end and vse of them Obserue 1. That Sacraments are for their nature signes and seales b Gen. 17.11 Circumcision is called a signe of the Couenant c Rom. 4.11 A signe and seale of the righteousnesse by Faith There are naturall Signes as smoak is a signe of fire there are ciuill ones some expressing only as Pictures some signifying the relation of one Person to another as these cognizances do signifie such as are Reteinors to those who gaue them some are signes by which that is exhibited wrought which is signified thus a ring giuen in contract of marriage so the giuing a key in token of possession so the digging a â—urfe in seazing on land some signes are sacred as the Sacraments which doe not only signifie spiritual things but testifie vs to belong vnto God and also are instruments exhibiting to vs that which they represent that looke as a man by his signe say by deliuering a key doth giue the possession of a house to another so doth God by giuing these signes giue to our faith receiuing the things signified also Hence the Scripture speaketh of them as causes d Rom. 6.3 By Baptisme wee are set into his death because God doth vse them working by them this effect though they of themselues worke not any thing of the effect Obiect Obiect But why doth God vse them as instruments if they haue no force of causing the effect for men adioyne to themselues no instrumentall cause but it worketh something of the effect Answ Answ True for mens actiue vertue is finite and cannot reach alone to those effects which by instruments are effected But God whose infinite vertue doth alone reach to the working of grace he may vse such instruments as worke to this or that but haue no vertue of producing it Yea mens signes seeme no cause of that which by signification onely they exhibit as the giuing a key is not the cause of possession for possession is no wayes in the key as a cause but as a signe onely effectually signifying of it for the Persons contracting and considerations and ends wherewith they contract are sufficient of themselues to cause this effect Secondly that all holy Obser 1 signes and seales are appointed of God all Sacraments old and new were thus ordained e Mat. 21.25 Iohns Baptisme was it from heauen or men it was not from men but God None can make a signe or passe by seale that which is not in his power to bestow Now grace both of illumination and sanctification are not in the power of any Creature and therefore hee cannot institute signes which shall signifie the conferring of these things which are aboue his compasse and as none but Kings can appoint a seale of estate which shall signe in the Common-wealth so none in the Church but Christ himselfe the Lord and King can appoint a seale which shall signifie ought in the Church Beside to bee a Teacher of my vnderstanding and an exciter of my deuotion are such effects which require vertue inherent or assistant to those things which should be causes of them but no Sacramentall signe of mans deuising such as in the Church of Rome are many hath any vertue in it for then it must come from that word put â—oorth in the Creation and so things naturall should haue a force communicated to them of teaching supernaturall or else by Gods after institution such we read not any but of Baptisme and the Lords supper onely Or by the Churches impetration But this cannot be for Prayer obteineth those effects of things to which they serue by Gods Creation and institution but not any creating or new conception of things to supernaturall vses For then the Church might aske that this or that Creature should be made a Sacrament vnto her But she should pray without all warrant of Gods will in such a case The last Circumstance is the end which is our further assurance touching Christ with his benefits bestowed on vs. Where consider first the securitie they giue vs. Secondly the things they secure to vs Though Gods word be true and cannot be made more true in it selfe yet it may bee made more credible to mee For there are two things which make a thing spoken more credible 1. The qualitie of the Person speaking 2. The manner of speaking or affirming any thing God who is truth nakedly speaking any thing it is presently credible to my beleefe but if God doe not simply speake but solemnly sweare yea not sweare a thing but set a seale the same thing though it cannot bee more true yet it is become more credible For looke as when a sure man promiseth vs any thing wee doe beleeue it yet if hee sweare it giue vs his hand and seale for it it doth much increase our confidence so it is here 2. Now the thing it doth secure vs is Christ his benefits a Ioh 4.10 that gift of God As within the outward shell of a nutte or such like which we see there is a kernell which wee cannot see so these signes haue vnder them inuisible graces Looke as the seales of men are nor set to blankes but to testamentary euidences wherein inheritances legacies lands c. are conueied so Gods seales are set to his testament to confirme all that which Christ the Testator hath giuen vnto vs Now himselfe and his benefits are that which he leaueth vs seeing then these are pictures and seales euen assuring Christ himselfe to vs how should we delight to bee in the view of these and to attend on the receiuing of
them Louing wiues are desirous often when their Husbands trauell to haue the pictures of them When great Persons doe beginne to make loue to some great Princesse in another land they send them their picture Thus Christ our Husband now absent in heauen and making loue to vs in earth doth allow vs these Sacraments as his pictures which looking on by the eye of Faith wee may see him Againe had we but any confirmation of Land to be passed by seale how would we waite on the houre appointed to such busines how much more here where Christ and all good things in Christ are assured to vs Secondly let vs rest in the vse of these seales God hath appointed For all signes of mens deuising cannot teach or helpe deuotion but delude and breed superstition Beside to doe any thing which doth derogate from the seale of Kings their prerogatiue therein wee know how dangerous it is in Common-wealth so certainely to joyne seales with Gods seales in his Church is a point will hardly bee answered QVEST. III. 3. Q. HOw many Sacraments are there A. Two Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord 1 Cor. 10.2.3.4 The Scripture doth know but 2. Sacraments which are seales of Christ and his benefits giuen to euery Beleeuer a 1 Cor. 12.13 We haue all of vs beene baptised all beene made to drinke c. And the Supper of the Lord is called b Luk. 22.20 the Couenant as the Antitypes vnder the Law were but two Circumcision and the Passouer There are no visible seales bearing witnes on earth c 1 Ioh. 5 6.8 but water and bloud as some would haue the water and blood which issued from the side of Christ to presignifie Man in his Creation was holy without sinne and hauing a power to haue continued vnto life and a power also to fall away and become guiltie of death Hence it commeth to passe that being without sin and a sonne of God by Creation hee needed no Baptisme as we doe but one Sacrament to assure him of life if he obeyed another to threaten death vnto him if he transgressed Wee being now sonnes of Gods wrath dead in sinne by nature wee haue neede of a Sacrament which may seale our Regeneration and this being the priuiledge of one that is borne of Christ that he cannot sinne to death we neede no Sacrament of Commination as Adam did but such a one as may assure vs of our being fed to life and preserued through Christ Vse 1 Wherefore Let vs hold this truth that God hath left vs no more the Papists make fiue more but without warrant of Gods word or reason either For there is nothing required to perfect our being but it may bee found in these two nothing for perfecting vs in holy vse of our Callings but by these it is performed Is meat only to preserue the state of a babe from decaying doth it not increase him and bring him to that natural strength which doth belong to his being So doth the Supper not onely keepe vs where Baptisme leaueth but bring vs on and make vs grow to strong men in Christ 2. If we by sin grow sicke the grace of Baptisme sealeth the Couenant in which all our sinnes as well to come as past were forgiuen vs so that we neede but repentantly and faithfully to looke thereto 3. If bodily sicke to death we neede no vnctions to make vs passe more easily what will make vs better appointed for death then our hauing receiued him a Ioh. 11.25 on whom who so beleeueth shall liue though he die Lastly these two as they giue vs grace to perfect vs in our Christian being so also to sanctifie vs in the vse of our seuerall states and calling 4. For the same grace which maketh a man holy doth make him vse his ministery holily 5. The same grace which maketh a man godly and temperate will make him being married vse marriage godlily and temperately We neede no Sacraments of Orders or Matrimony but as Salomons idle person who would not worke that hee ough b Pro. 6.13 yet would speake with his feete and abound in that he ought not so these Papists when powerfull preaching was laide aside then they grew to multiply their Sacraments and Sacramentals not to name particular ends in the doctrine of all these fiue which are annexed to inlarge the Episcopall fringe as confirmation to dignifie the Priesthood as Orders and vnction to vphold shriuing worke and satisfactions as Pennance to draw to their Consistories all causes and Questions matrimoniall as marriage QVEST. IV. 4 Q. WHat doth baptisme assure vs of A. That we being engraffed into Christ are washed from our sinns by his bloud and borne anew vnto God First obserue that Baptisme is a signe and seale of our vnion with Christ thence followeth our Communion in those effects following c Rom. 6.5 By Baptisme wee are sayd to be engraffed into Christ and d Gal. 3.27 so many as are baptized are sayd to put on Christ not that the first vnion is made in Baptisme for it doth presuppose a for vnion by faith which it doth more manifest and augment For looke as those who by some former absolute contract haue ioined themselues as man and wife may yet in solemne matrimony receiue a more manifest consummate coniunction then formerly they had so wee by faith being one with Christ come by Baptisme giuen and receiued to bee more manifestly and fully conioyned with him Looke as the King when by his word hee granteth this or that he doth then first bestow the thing which yet by passing his seale he doth more fully and securely giue then before it was so it is with God giuing by his bare word of promise to the beleeuer then more solemnly by his seale Christ and his benefits The vnion of Baptisme doth euer presuppose that vnion which is through faith whether persons haue faith before baptizing as a Act. 10.2.4 47. Cornelius and b Rom. 4.11 Abraham the father of the faithfull before circumcision or whether their faith be to bee wrought in them afterward as it is in most infants For as men may by deede and seale conueigh lands as well to heires which shall be borne as to these which are already brought foorth so may God giue by his Testament and seale Christ and his benefits as well to such as already haue faith as to such as shall come to haue faith and so bee begotten in their season for c Ioh. 1.12 13. 1 Ioh. 5.1 he that beleeueth is borne of God Well then let vs get faith Vse and looke to this our vnion sealed vnto vs in Baptisme The seale of the will profiteth not any who cannot shew his name written in the will now Gods couenant giuing nothing but to beleeuers hence it commeth to passe that wee cannot haue profit by this seale of the couenant till we are beleeuers To bee vnited with Christ is no small