our sinnes to god by good workes for a thousande good workes will not counteruaile the least sin before Gods iudgement seate but that as by our sinnes heeretofore committed wee haue disobeyed and dishonoured God so now wee are to obey and glorifie him by our good workes and Christian liues yet in regarde of our brethren wee may and must to the vttermost of our power make full recompence Thus dooth Zacheus in his repentance Luke 19.8 promise Christ that hee will first giue halfe his goods to the poore in a testification of his obedience thankefulnesse and faith which he had toward god and then for satisfaction of men restore foure folde to euerie one from whom hee had iniuriously taken any thing Thus wee see the first part of this renouation to wit amendement of life to the which Iohn exhorteth the Iewes in his ministerie of repentance saying Matth. 3.8 Bring foorth fruits worthy repentance or such as beseemeth them who professe themselues to haue changed their course of life and to be conuerâ—ed from sinne to God But our repentant must not stay here for then hee plaieth the hypocriticall Pharisie making the outside of the cup cleane but leauing it foule and filthie within and therefore we must desire him to trie what he can do in mending the corrupt and sinfull life of his soule and of all the faculties thereof This is no doubt a hard peece of worke passing the cunning of any creature and belonging to God onely yet man may in some sort chaunge his soule although not from sinfulnesse to holinesse yet from vice to vertue and from ignorance to knowledge Wherein our repentant is to labour vsing all good meanes of getting knowledge and vertue He is to giue himselfe carefully to the reading and studying of the Scripture and of all other bookes conteyning sounde and true doctrine gathered out of the worde of GOD. Yea although hee meete with manie poynts of doctrine which hee cannot possiblie vnderstande conceaue or beleeue yet hee is not to giue ouer but rather to ascribe the hardnesse of them to his owne dulnesse and the impossibilitie of others of them to his owne incredulitie not considering the power of God Likewise he is to labour in chaunging the inward disposition of his will and affections framing and bending theÌ„ from euill to good by reasons and perswasions takeÌ„ both out of the scripture and also out of prophane writers in whom we may find notable pattern of al vertues by the examples of Christians and also of Infidels of whom many haue so profited in these exercises that they may seeme to haue attained to the perfection of vertue Yea he is to vse great seueritie towarde himselfe in repressing the peruersenesse and rebellion of these head-strong faculties and that by denying vnto them the lawfvll vse of things that so they may be farre from vnlawfull desires To be short hee who doth desire and seeke for regeneration must by all meanes endeuour not onely to purge himselfe from all open and grosse sinnes by leading a life vnblameable before men but also from smal and secrete sinnes by keeping a good conscience in all his wayes in the sight of God yea not onely to abstaine from euill but also to perfourme all Christian and honest duties both to God and man Yea he must purge not onely his life and actions from sinne but also his minde from ignoraunce vsing all good meanes to be instructed in Religion yea his will and affections from all vices lustes and corrupt desires and so as much as lyeth in his power to renue himselfe And yet when he hath done all that he can hee is but where he was to wit a carnall man as dead in sinne as any man is in his graue Yet he hath vsed the first meanes of obtayning grace and eternall glorie and hath done that whereby that grieuous condemnation which is appointed for the wicked is auoyded and the fauour of God procured at least for temporall blessiings Sect. 3. THe second meanes of attaining to regeneration is the ministerie of the worde the which is the ordinarie meanes by the which God worketh regeneration in his elect We say ordinarie beâ—â—use some time it pleaseth God to worke without it by other meanes as namely by priuate reading instruction and exhortation by myracles by crosses and great humiliations yea sometimes by temporall blessings plentifully and straungely bestowed on men yet the vsuall and appointed meanes is the publike ministerie of his holie worde perfourmed in a plaine and simple maner as we reade 1. Pet. 1.23 Being borne againe not of mortall seede but of immortall by the worde of God enduring for euer If it be asked what needeth any meanes in regeneration it being an immediate worke of God why this meanes more then some other why the publike ministerie of the worde rather then the same doctrine priuately taught Wee answere to the first question that as in all others miracles so also in this God vseth some shewe of naturall causes that so hee may conceale his owne extraordinarie working as it is Prouâ—rb 25.1 It is a glorie to God to conceale his doings So in regeneration as great a myracle as any other yea the onely myracle in this time of the Gospel continuing in all ages of it GOD vseth ordinarilie the meanes of his worde preached in which respect it is a mediate worke of GOD yet because this meanes hath not this power inherent in it selfe in truth it is an immediate worke To the second question wee answere that God for the ende mentioned to wit the concealing of his myraculous working vseth to vse a meanes hauing in it a vertue although not able to bring foorth the effect yet helping towardes it and of some force for that purpose euen in the iudgement of a naturall man And so in regeneration it is plaine that the ministerie of the word seemeth to haue for most men thinke that it hath indeede the power of renuing men inherent in it selfe For thus they reason men being endued with reason may by teaching bee brought to knowledg by force of argumeÌ„t they may bee perswaded to vertue and moderation whereof a vertuous and honest life will easely followe yea there is no doubt but that God doth ordinarily prepare men after a sort for grace drawing them nearer to himselfe then other carnall men are and therefore the ministerie of the worde is a fit meanes of regeneration The third poynt may verie well be made a question among those who thinke that the ministerie of the worde hath the facultie of regenerating inherent in it selfe for why shoulde not a man learne and bee perswaded as well by himselfe as with others as well at home as in the Church Otherwise it is no question neither is there any other answere to bee made vnto it but onely this that so it pleaseth God to worke by publicke and not by priuate means And yet no man can denie but that it is more meete that
TWO TREATISES CONCERNING REGENERATION 1. Of Repentance 2. Of the Diet of the Soule Shewing The one how it ought to be sought after and may be attained vnto The other how it being gotten iâ— to be preserued and continued Math. 7.7 Knocke and it shall be opened LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede for Robert Dexter and Raph Iackson 1597. The occasion and argument of of the Treatise following IT is a certaine truth coÌ„firmed by experieÌ„ce and also by the word of God tâ—e which are two being both one in effect so sure witnesses that no exception can be taken against either of theÌ„ that the number of true beleeuers is very small especially in this last most corrupt age of the world wherein as we haue it foretold in Scripture faith is not to be found but iniquity doth abound and that most of those who professe themselues to be Christians deceiue both themselues with a false conceite and also others with an hypocriticall shew of religion when as in truth they know not what it meaneth For many are so far from hauing religion in their hearts that they are altogether ignoraÌ„t of the doctrine of regeneratioÌ„ wherin the substaunce of religion doth consist and without the which it is as impossible to attaine to eternall saluation as it is for the cleare sunne-shine and palpable darkenesse to be together in the same place For although according to the rule of Christian loue â—ee iudge the best of the least appearance of grace taking for pure gold whatsoeuer doth glister yet most men are so estranged from God hauing no sense of religion in tâ—eir mindes nor any sauour of it in their wordes and deedes being in their whole behauiour so farre from the practise of godlinesse making no conscience of any duety belonging either to God or man that we may bee bold hauing sufficient warrant from the word of God to thinke and say of them that they are carnall and vnregenerate men not as yet called to the knowledge and obedience of the truth howsoeuer they may bee according to Gods secret counsell in the number of his elect Thus men liue and thus they die in the most fearefull state of eternall death the which thing being duely weighed would worke griefe euen in the hardest heart and stirre it vp to a pittifull desire of amending it For if we be iustly moued to pitty by beholding the moment any miseries of men and the distressed state of tâ—eir bodies being consumed with sores and sickenesse and euen at deaths dore how much more ought we to be grieued for the eternall misery of their soules not dying but being already cleane dead in sinne and yet liuing in that state which leadeth to vnspeakable torment and the hot-burning furnace of the wrath of God But helplesse pitty encreasâ—th the euill communicating it to those who before were free from it and therefore wee are not here to rest but rather to put to our helping handes and so both with hand and heart to endeuour the releeuing of this woefull and wretched estate But it there any help for this spirituall misery in the hands of any maÌ„ can men worke this regeneration in themselues or in others and so chaunge a carnall and sinfull man into a holy and new creature No surely regeneration is the proper work of the omnipoâ—ent God impossible to bee brought to passe by man angell or any creature for althogh many creatures haue life in them selues yet none can giue naturall much lesse spirituall life to another So then belike there is not any duty looked for at mans handes in this behalfe but onely that he pitty and bewaile his oâ—ne and other mens desperate estate and the blame of mens sinfulnesse and damnation is not to be laid on men â—ho cannot helpe though they would but on God who keeping this faculty of regenerating men in his oâ—ne handes neither him selfe helpeth man neither yet maketh it possible for man to helpe him selfe This may seeme to follow of the aforesayd ground but it is not in any case to bee admitted for God doth both himselfe reneâ— men by his spirite to eternall life and also hath appointed the meaanes by the which man is to worke his owne saluation The which if he will not try and vse who can eyther deny or doubt but that the blame is in him selfe and not in God the which if he vsing cannot preuaile yet the fault is in his owne corrupt nature the which is so dead in sinne that it cannot bee recouered no not by good and sufficient means For as touching the corruption of nature the which wee confesse maketh it impossible for a man to renew himfelf God is not in any wise to be thought the author of it for he created man in perfect holines but man did carelesly wilfully loose that holines which God gaue vnto him But as for the neglect and contempt of the means which God hath appointed for the recouering of holines man can not but take that wholly to himself who although he cannot renew himself thogh he wold yet if he will hee may vse the meanes appointed for that purpose as will more plainly appeare in the particulars But maÌ„ who for the most part is carelesse of eternall saluation yea altogether vnwilling to take that paines in seeking it which is required of all those who desire to finde it will alledge in defence of this his wilfull contempt of Gods word that it were folly for him to seeke regeneration the which it is not in his power to effect VVhereunto we answer that no man ought to despaire of the truth goodnesse mercie or power of God and make his sinfulnesse the greater and his damnation the more iust and grieuous but rather doe his endeuour in the carefull and continuall vse of the means as God hath commanded and so leaue both the successe of his labour and â—is owne saluation to the wil and good pleasure of God The which that we may doe it is needefull that we knoâ— and consider the meanes whereby regeneration may be attained vnto or at the least ought to be sought after It is not gold or siluer although Simon Magus supposed that spirituall graces might be bought with money as worldly commodities are that can purchase regeneration not fauour friendship or any desert of holinesse but onely the vsing of the meanes which God hath appointed The meanes of Regeneration is the way leading vnto it called in Scripture Repentance in the Greek tong Metanoia that is an after minde or a right mind after a wrong minde for as in other matters it commeth daily to passe that men being in processe of time brought by experience to see their owne errours wherein they haue done amisse are displeased with themselues for so doing with that they had done otherwise and so are said to repent of this or that action so a carnall man â—auing all â—is life time liued in vaine and sinfull pleasures altogether carelesse of
hearing of Gods worde The third earnest and continuall praier By the first he addresseth himself to come to God casting off his filthy sinnes and putting on the new garment of a religious iust vpright and honest life by the second he standeth waiting at the gate of Gods mercy where vsually men are receyued into fauour by the third hee becommeth a little more bolde presumeth to knocke and rappe at Gods gate where we leaue him prepared wayting and knocking till it please God to open and let him in Sect. 5. ANd yet there remaineth one point to be briefly declared to wit how this repentaÌ„t being now as we are to hope iudge and suppose of a carnall made a spirituall man may know himself to be in the state of grace For although regeneration beeing so great and a totall chaunge bee vsually so euident especially to him in whom it hath place that hee can not doubt of it yet it commeth often to passe by the temptation of Sathan and that naturall infidelitie which remayneth in them that euen the faythfull are brought to this passe that they knowe not what to make of themselues but eyther thinke or at the least suspect themselues to bee in the middest of a troublesome and tempestuous Sea when as in trueth they are arryued in the Hauen This controuersie must bee taken away by comparing our present estate with our former and by considering that chaunge which wee feele to bee of a suddaine wrought in our selues in the earnest perfourmance of some Christian exercise tending to regeneration For wee are not to looke for it in our banquets pastimes sleepe recreations or while wee are busied about worldly affaires but while wee heare the worde of GOD while wee pray vnto him publikely or perhaps priuately alone or with others while wee humble our selues in fasting and vnfayned sorrowe for our sinnes In the perfourmance of the which Christian duties GOD is by his mightie power able to turne the hearts of men which way hee lifteth to change the naturall disposition of his soule whom hee then calleth making it looke towarde himselfe which before did frowardlie abhorre from all good and vppe to heauen which before had the eies fixed in earthly things Whereupon this repentaunt for wee will yet giue him his olde name because hee doubteth himselfe to bee still not a newe but the olde man feeleth all the facultyes of his soule his minde will and affections straungely chaunged For whereas before hee felt himselfe so hard hearted that although he sawe his sinnes yet hee was not greeued for them vnlesse it were for the punishment of them nowe he powreth out of his eyes Ryuers of teares in respect of the dishonor which he hath by his sins bâ—ought to the name of God Whereas before he doubted of Gods fauor and the pardon of his sinne now he is vndoubtedly perswaded of both and so he is now replenished with vnspeakable ioy heareth the spirit not of bondage and feare wherewith hee was possessed but of adoption crying in his heart Abba father He now feeleth himself able to withstand those sinnes wherevnto before he yelded continually at the first to haue a delight in praying to God and in all Christian exercises wherevnto before hee was drawn by feare of the displeasure either of men or perhaps in some conscience of sinne in feare of the wrath of God and a desire to auoyd it And to conclude hee feeleth all those parts of holinesse wrought in some measure in his soule which are requited in the faithfull FINIS The Argument of the Treatise following AS it is not sufficient for the good estate of mans bodie that it be brought into the world in the naturall perfeâ—â—â—on of it which consisteth in the equall temperature and iust proportion of the seueral parts of it for that it being left here would soone perish and come to nougâ—t and therefore it must of necessitie be continually both nourished with meate and drinke and also preserued from all hurtfull things yea carefully restored to the former state of health if by any inward or outward meanes it fall into sicknesse or bee any way hurt wounded or distempered no more will it serue for the good estate of the soule that it be both prepared by repentance for regeneration yea actually regenerated by the spirite of God but it likewise must continually be tended fed and cherished yea healed of all those maladies which by any meanes happen vnto it This we call the right dieting of the soule resembling the soule to the bodie that both the doctrine may be plaine and easie being illustrated declared by sensible familiar similitudes and also that the continuall care and paines which we take about our bodies tâ—e ordering dieting of them may alwaies be putting vs 〈◊〉 minde of perfourming the same dutie vnto our soules for the which we oght to be so much the more carefull as eternall happinesse is better theÌ„ this short and miserable life This spirituall diet hath two partes conseruatiue and restoratiue the former continueth and keepeth in the soule that measure of grace and of holinesse which it hath receiued from God the other restoreth it when it is lost and repaireth it being decaied Againe conseruatiue diet hath two parts nutritiue and preseruatiue consisting the one in the right vse of those things by the which the soule is nourished the other in the carefull auoyding of all things which are hurtfull vnto it spirituall nourishment consisteth in two tâ—ings foode and exercise whereof the one is the matter the other the meanes maner or forme of nutrition Further we are to consider how the soule hath resemblance to the state of the bodie and how it being of it selfe simple and spirituall can be subiect to alterations distempers and diseases which haue place in the bodie by reason of the contrarietie of qualities preuailing or yeelding one to another to wit that as in the bodie heate and moysture so in the soule holinesse sinfulnesse do continually fight togither the one laboring to consume and expell the other the sinfulnesse of the flesh labouring to quench all the good motions of the spirit and the spirit striuing to crucifie the flesh with all the corrupt lusts thereof Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirite against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other This is the composition temperature of the soule hauing place onely in the state of regeneration wherein the soule hath in it selfe both holinesse and sinfulnesse but not in the state of innocencie or yet since the fall of Adam in carnall men when as tâ—e soule being altogither either holy or sinful cannot be said to haue this composition or temperature These points of doctrine may profitably be considered But first we are to know that the paines and care taken in dieting and ordering the soule ought to bee continuall without any intermission for that as the body being neglected for
his company presence where they did daily see and behold his wisedome how much more shal we account our selues happie when as we are in the coÌ„panie house presence of God beholding the wonderfull misteries of his wisedome laide open before our eies the which passeth the wisedome of Salomon and of al the men in the world further then the great Ocean doth a drop of water And surely whosoeuer can and doth by the grace of God seriously consider the dealing of God with his Church from time to time the tragicall end of the reprobate liuing here for a time in all iollity and pleasure the happie estate abiding the godly who in this world are miserably afflicted the fall of man comming of his owne wilfulnesse the saluation and regeneration of the elect proceeding from the mercy loue of God He that compareth the law with the gospel the babish estate of the Church of the Iewes with the Churches vnder the Gospel being come to ripenesse and perfection the agreement of the tipes with the bodies the wisdome contained in the iudicial lawes of Moses And lastly he that coÌ„sidereth the incarnation death resurrection of Christ with the â—est of points of christian religion shal vndoutedly see wil coÌ„fesse that al the wisest lawes the deepest deuises counsels of the greatest and most subtile politicians that euer liued the learnedest works of the wittiest philosophers and schoolemen are but meere foolery seely shifts yea he shal be compelled to crie out say with the Apostle Rom. 11. O the riches of depth of the wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding And 1. Tim. 3.16 Without controuersie great is the mistery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit seene of angels preached vnto the gentiles beleeued in the world and receiued vp in glorie Neither can any man answer say I confesse indeed that there are notable points of wisedome to be seene in the word of God in the hearing coÌ„sidering wherof I haue takeÌ„ great delight but I haue heard theÌ„ so often reiterated that nowe it is irksome to me to heare the word preached for as the wise man saith euen the hony combe the sweetest thing in the world is lothsome to the ful stomacke But we cannot be thus affected toward the word of God and the wisedome of God therein contained the which is so infinit that it can neuer be sounded to the bottome and fully comprehended by the mind and therefore it commeth forth euery day new and fresh not cloying the heaâ—er but inflaming him more and more with a desire of hearing and learning Of other things it is truely said that a wonder lasteth but nine dayes for that nothing hapneth so strange but that the cause of it at length will bee found out but the wonderfull things of the law of God do more amaze him that hath spent al his time in the seâ—ious contemplâ—tion of them then him who iâ— a nouice in the schoole of Christ. Thus we are to thinke of the word of God and thus we ought to stirre vp in our selues a greedie and vnsatiâ—ble appetite of it yea great care and attention in hearing it yea they whâ—m God hath endued with most excellent spirituall gifts and the greatest measure of knowledge ought not to think themselues exempted froÌ„ this duty of continuall attentiue hearing of gods word as no man is so strong in bodie that he may abstaine from meate because hee is by the word of God both to restore that spirituall strength which is daily weakened by the corruption of sin and also to encrease his strength til he come to some ripenesse in Christ. But contrarily he is with great care ioy and pleasure to giue himselfe to the hearing of Gods word when soeuer iust occasion is giuen Sect. 3. FVrther as it is not sufficient for the feeding of the body that meate be receiued into the stomâ—cke for that if by any infirmitie thereof it be straightway voyded it doth not any iot nourish the bodie no more will it serue for the feeding of our soules that we heare the word with great ioy delight yea with care and attention vnlesse also we remember and so keepe it in our soules This point of spiritual Diet is necessarily to be regarded for that many faile in it who do in some measure heare aright as many haue an insatiable appetite in deuouring meate who cannot keepe it for any space of time This we see both in the parable of the seed Luke 8.13 and also in daily experience whereof the one saith that many heare the worde with ioy but it taketh no roote in them the other sheweth vs by the vnfruitful and barren professions of many Christians that bee daily and attentiue hearers of the word that they let it soone slip out of their mindes for that otherwise it could not possibly but bring forth some fruit in their liues The meanes of remembring the word preached are these first carefull attention for nothing caÌ„ be remembred which is not first minded marked secondly to repeate with others either with our friendes in way of conâ—erence discussing euery point seuerally to see what is doubtful or manifest what singular and excellent or vsuall for as in the word of God so in the sayings of men some are more notable then others or with those who are any way committed to our charge in way of examination as our wiues childreÌ„ seruants schollers and such others But of all other the surest way to remember the word is application when as both in and after the hearing of it we consider how it concerneth our selues or any other what experiments wee haue had of the truth of it and how it will make for our spirituall edification whereunto if practise be ioyned then we make it our owne for euer Thus we being carcful in receiuing the food of the word of God preached and as Christ warneth vs taking heed how we heare it cannot be but that by the blessing of God wee shall continue and increase the spirituall health of our soules Sect. 4. IN this publike banket which God maketh in his church for the refreshing strengthning and feeding of the soules of his children besides the ministerie of the word which hath the first the chiefe place there is a second seruice to wit the sacraments appointed for the same end being the word of God as the other althogh in another forme and is as it were prepared after another maner They nourish the soule in that they increase in vs knowledge faith mortification of sinne and all the parts of new obedience when as the true vse end and significatioÌ„ of theÌ„ is duly weighed as namely in Baptisme which is the sacrament of the lawe and of death the mortification both of our soules for the guilt of sinne and also of the corruption of sinne inherent in our soules signified
is not so grâ—euous and dangerous as is the former to wit impenitency wherein the practise and exercises of godlines are neglected for this worldly christian serueth God and performeth all good duties although seldome coldly and negligently yet in truth and sincerity of heart Yet it is more seldâ—me cured then the other for that it is not so euident and sensible and therfore not much considered regarded Yea it hath a great shew and appearance of perfect health and strength in that there is no christian dutie wholly wanting no grosse sin committed but onely such as haue a shew of Christian liberty which maketh it lawful for the faith full to seeke and enioy riches and all other worldly pleasures Whereof it coÌ„meth that men flatter themselues in this state and rest contented with it whereas no mans conscience can be so continually dead and blind but that it will sometimes checke him in regard of the other and euen driue him perforce to seeke some remedy for it The cure of it consisteth in this that we doe daily and diligently consider the vanity and basenes of all worldly pleasures that in comparison of spirituall things they are as dung in respect of the most pure and fine gold that nothing is more vnseemely then that thâ— soule of man which GOD by his spirite hath sanctified and lift vp to Heauen there to enioy his presence which is perfect happinesse should so much debase it selfe as to lie wallowing in the puddle of earthly pleasures or haue any sound ioy in the vse of them which ought rather to be loathsome and irkesome vnto him By these and such other meditations the grace of Gods spirit which now is clogd pressed downe with worldly cares is to be stirred vp the minde and affections to bee lift vp from earth to heauen and we inured to a contempt of the world a chearfull and liberall practise of all christian duties especially in giuing to our bretheren or rather in lending to the Lord for so it is indeed part of those temporall blessings which we haue receiued leauing all sensual Epicurisme wretched niggardnes to the children of this world whose God are their bellies who haue their portion in this life and eternall perdition in the life to come Sect. 6. THe third and last generall disease of the soule is distrust which is a doubting of the truth of Gods word promises made as touching the saluation and happinesse of the faithfull This although in truth it bee a particular disease of the minde yet in that force and effect it stretcheth it selfe ouer the whole soule of man working a decrease of holinesse in all the faculties of it it is to be accounted and may fitly be called a generall disease it ariseth of a supposed impossibility oâ— Gods word being fouÌ„d coÌ„trary to our own experience to mans reason Thus the propet Dauid coÌ„sidering the miseâ—able estate of the godly togither with the prosperitie of the wicked was teÌ„pted to thinke and say that it was in vaine to serue god And thus many other godly men feeling and seeing in the beginning of their conuersion that God worketh strange wonderfull things in them and for them promise to themselues the like strange experiments of Gods power and loue towards them the which when as they do no not come to passe according to their expectatioÌ„ al going on in an ordinary course happening to one as to another they fall into this doubting and distrust of Gods presence prouidence power and loue towards them and so wax dayly more and more slacke and backewarde in all the wayes of godlinesse and in seruing God But this temptation is to be resisted by considering that God for the triall of the faithfull and the hardning of the wicked worketh not openly and sensibly but secretly till the time come wherein al things shall be reuealed especially this euill sheweth it selfe in the time of aduersitie when as the loue of God is ouershadowed with crosses in the which wee see not the loue but rather the anger of God afflicting vs for our sinnes and tryall But as touching them we are to knowe that God dooth in theâ— shewe his loue more then in prosperitie and therefore wee ought by them to bee the more perswaded of his loue and the truth of his worde Yea sometymes this distrust becommeth despayre wherein the faythfull man is driuen beside his faith and hope yea beside himselfe and in a maner out of his witte supposing his sinne to exceede the mercie of God and â—o bee altogither vnpardonable He cannot be comforted by remembring his former state of faith and grace wherein sometime he stoode but is by that meanes confirmed in despaire as thinking his sinne to bee in that respect the more grieuous and vnpardonable it beeing committed agaynst so great a measure of grace And so he applying to himselfe that which is written Heb. 6.6 It is impossible that they who were once enlightned and tasted of the heauenly gift if they fall away should be renued againe by repentance seeing they crucifie to themselues the sonne of God and make a mocke of him languisheth in horrour of conscience and a fearefull sense and expectation of the wrath of God This is the most fearefull sicknesse which can happen to a faythfull man yea it is the state of the wicked spiritâ— in hell who continually liue or rather die in a desperate sense of the endlesse wrath of God The remedie is to be looked for at the hands of God who onely is able to appease these stormes and in stead thereof to giue a quiet calme yet the meanes must be vsed by our selues to wit the consideration of the examples of manie godly men to whom God hath remitted as many and as great sinnes as ours are yea hauing beeâ— committed after a greater measure of grace receaued For the which purpose we must also remember that there is no proportion betwixt then mercie of God which is infinite and our sinnes which are as nothing in respect of the sinnes of the whole world al which the mercie of God in Iesus Christ is able to do away that the place of Scripture before mentioned such other are to be vnderstood of the malicious despitefull oppugning of the Gospel once embraced And lastly that where sinne there the mercie of God aboundeth and his glorie is set forth Sect. 7. BEside these generall diseaseâ— which make a man decrease in all the partes of godlinesse there happen to the soule many particular diseases which contain themsemselues within one part or facultie of it the rest remaining whole and sound These are as many as are the parts of râ—nued holinesse or the graces of Gods sanctifying spirit the want of any one whereof maketh a spirituall disease for where any grace is wanting there the contrarie corruption of sin doth preuaile and raigne If it be asked whether that one truly regenerate can be wholy destitute of any
Gods you shal not hearken to the words of that Prophet for the Lord your GOD proueth you whither you loue the Lord with all your hart this point is to be noted for that howsoeuer few or none of the faithfull in these dayes haue occasion giuen vnto them of conceite and obstinacy in errour by extraordinary reuelation the which is not now in vse yâ—t because the Church of Rome maintaineth all her errours by this means whereas if it were granted that many of her children had this gift yet it would not thereof follow that whatsoeuer they held or thought is true and agreeable to Gods word The third last of those diseases which are most vsual in the mind which we wil here mention is the ignorance of the particular prouidence of God of his rewarding euery one euen in this life according to his works for many Christians although they be perswaded that God will in his vniuersal iudgement reward both the godly with eternall gâ—ory and the wicked with shame and misery yet they are not perswaded that he executeth iustice and mercy in this life especially in regard of matters of lesse moment either good or euill This ignorance is a petty Atheisme many wayes hurtfull to the soule and therefore by all meanes to be auoided it taketh from them the feare of Gods iudgemeÌ„ts which should be a bridle to restraine them from sin yea the hope of reward for good works by the which they should bee pulled forward to the chearfull performance of them Wheras the word of God techeth as experience also will without doubt testifie to him that will obserue the doings of God that hee noteth as it were in a day booke euen their least actions both good and euill yea the most secret motions of their mindes and suffereth none of them to go vnrecompenced yea he recompenceth euery worke in the owne kinde inflicting a punishment like vnto the sinne and giuing a blessing to the good work that it may be knowen that the one doth belong and is to bee referred to the other The diseases happening vnto the conscience are many but of them all the most vsuall is the false testimony of it excusing where it should accuse For seeing that it doth manifestly appeare that in the liues of many Christians there are many things vnlawfull and contrary to Gods word wee must of necessity graunt that either they sinne wittingly against the testimony of the conscience or which is more agreeable to charity therfore rather to be thoght that their consciences are false witnesses affirming euill to be good and good to be euill Hereof it commeth that many christians thinke it lawfull for them to dissemble lie and glose in their dealings and affaires with their bretheren when as their profit aduaÌ„tage do so require that they may giue the time appointed or at the least due to holy exercises and to the seruice of God to eating drinking sleepe pastime company trafficke and to any worldly pleasure or profite that they need not practise any duties of loue pitty or thankfulnesse to their bretheren but in all things regard and doe that onely which standeth with their owne profite And lastly when as they doe those things which they know and thinke to be vnlawfull yet this lying witnesse beareth them in hand that God will winke at these scapes and in a manner allow them to doe so and so they draw God into the society of their sinne making him as it were the receauer of their theft and thinking of him that hee is like vnto themselues This disease is diligently to be searched out by examining our consciences and liues by the rule of the word and lawe of God which will not lie And in those cases whereof we cannot attaine to any certaine knowledge of the truth to abstaine from action till GOD giue vnto vs some ground whereon to leane thinking it far better to abstaine from many things yea although it be to our trouble and losse then to doe any thing in a doubtfull wauering minde much lesse then to sin presumptuously against God by doing that which we know to be vnlawfull We must in this case learne to remoue all those props whereon this false witnes doth rely it selfe as namely First the priuiledge of Christian liberty vnder pretence wherof many take vnto them selues greater scope then is meete make vagaâ—ies beyond the limits of the law of God But we know or els we are to learne that the Gospell doth not abrogate any iot or title of the lawe that Christ hath freed vs from the curse but not from the obedience of it Yea that our liberty in things indifferent and lawfull is to be restrayned and kept within the compasse of conueniency and the spirituall edification of our selues and our bretheren in godlinesse the which if we doe neglect we transgresse the lawe euen in doing that which otherwise is permitted by the law The second proppe whereon this lying witnesse leaneth are the examples of vertuous and godly men endued with a great measure of knowledge and of all spirituall graces and therefore worthy to bee made patterns for others to behold and imitate who haue practised defended allowed or tolerated that which we alledge against the receyued opinion and practise of the godly to be lawfull But neither will this serue the turne for no mans life is a law the best men doe sometimes goe astray yet they must then goe alone and not lead others out of the way Thirdly this false excuser will bring in way of defence the manifold commodities which will ensue hereof the necessary vses redounding to our selues and to our bretheren to our soules and to our bodies and by these plausible pretences labour to iustifie that which is not warrantable by the word of God but we are straight way to stoppe his mouth with that true and knowen saying that we must not doe euill that good may come of it By these infirmities and diseases of the soule we may gather the rest and learne to auoide and heale them to our vnspeakeable comfort and eternall saluation FINIS