light of truth and smale strength of perswasion that God by his word outwardly and by his spirit inwardly hath bene pleased to worke in the hearts of them that belong vnto him And of this sort are their imaginations of iustification before God by workes of the Popes absolute supremacy authority ouer all of the sufficiency of the sacrifice of the masse of inuocation of dead Saints and Angels with a thousand such like abhominations and sinnes all which do both derogate and deface the excellency and sufficiency of our Sauiour Christs person nature offices names and all and also snare intangle mens mindes for whose safety and good they would seeme to prouide in this such other conceits of their owne forgery for though it be pleasant to flesh and blood to heare much of mans merits mans freewil and many such like that they hould all tending to puffe vp man that against God yet indeede to speake the truth what peace or coÌ„fort can there be in these things when man 's owne knowledge both before after regeneratioÌ„ shal within himselfe in others directly staÌ„d vp against the same To take one or two of theÌ„ that so by theÌ„ we may iudge of the rest What maÌ„ that knoweth or feeleth not onely his backwardnes to good things but his inclination ready good will to all euill and that not onely before inlightening but after also will so much as suppose that he can deserue any thing before god especially if he do well diligently obserue his owne waies workes in thoughts in desires in word in deed he euery day yea euery houre of a day yea I wil say more euery minute of an houre sinning highly and heinously all these waies Again what hope caÌ„ the heart haue in invocating any other theÌ„ the true euerliuing god Where first men knowe not whether they heare their praiers or no secondly they may doubt of their good will towards them as of a thing very vncerten thirdly be past al doubt of their ability to help And what vncertenty is this nay what a dangerous and deadly rocke is it to fling men vpon not only as in regard of things appertaining to this life which is much but as in regard of their soules that that is to come which is more And yet of all other most heauy for a Christian man as in regard of his owne particular to thinke vpon this is one that they teach all men in euery place to doubt of their iustification and saluation As though forsooth mans heart were not â—o much inclined to diffidence distrustfulnes either by their own corruption or Satans malice against them but that these as the deuills bellowes and blowefiers must make it to burne and to flame out euen to the vtter wasting what in theÌ„ lieth of all those that are infected with this poison And least they should seeme to be madde without reason and to thrust an other into spirituall madnes also they alleadge scriptures lash out reasons pretend authority of fathers and doctours and I cannot tell what as though with a mightie voice of great waters they would carrie all downe hand smooth as we say before them These things when I considered I did not onely in holy zeale against the common adversary but in care of the peace for mine owne soule and in love towards other men thinke vpon some thing that might serue for the confutation of the aduersarie and for the confirmation and establishing of vs in the present truth And though it be true that the ouerthrowe of errour and falshood be in some sort the vnderpropping of truth and veritie yet haue not I assaied for the staâ—e of my selfe and others onely to supplant corruption an vntruth but also to defend that truth that God hath propounded in his word and we heare sounded in our Churches namely that euery faithfull man ought to be certenly assured of his free iustification and euerlasting saluation through Christ And herein I haue purposed and mind through Gods goodnes to performe and obserue this order following that is first to answere whatsoeuer they say and obiect against this truth And then afterwards to ratifie and confirme it And this I take to be necessarie not onely because our aduersaries forces being weakened yea vtterly ouerthrown our own may be found to be the more strong and better able to staÌ„d in the day of a newe assault if euer the aduersary should dare to attempt the giuing thereof but also because euill and corruption being first remooued out of the heads hearts of men the truth tendered might finde the better entertainment there For euen as a good gardiner or husbandman laboureth first to fit the ground for seed and hearbe by digging and tilling of it and in rooting out noysome and bad things assaieth to make it meet for the good seed â—e purposeth to sow or set there So must we doe then when we offer or mind to make fruitful in meÌ„s mindes the seede of the truth and word of God not onely doing what we can to remooue and take away the naturall blindenesse and ignorance of God and good things that is in men yea and that same seede of errour and heresie that Satan by himselfe and his supposts in malice against God and mischiefe towards men hath cast and spread abroad in the world but also to plant cause to thriue the word of truth and life All our aduersaries arguments are drawne either from diuine authoritie as the holy scriptures and word of God foulie wrested and misvnderstood as when we come to the handling of the places which they obiect shall I doubt not through Gods goodnes plainely appeare or els froÌ„ humane testimonies and reason of which sure we need make no great reckoning not onely because they are as easily reiected as alleadged but also because we acknowledge no other obiect or ground of our consciences to stay ourselues vpon but the holy scriptures or writteÌ„ word of God And therefore sauing that we would haue all to vnderstand yea euen the very adversaries themselues that they are not able for the defence of falshood through the malice of Satan and their owne corruption to alleadge any thing which through the grace of God shed abroad into our hearts and the light of truth vouchsafed vnto vs we are not able both plainely to discrie and sufficieÌ„tly to coÌ„fute we might let al that passe without any maÌ„ner of touch at all we wil begin first with those things they alleadge out of scriptures because they onely indeed are materiall so afterwards come to humane authorities Nowe because the scriptures of God are not vnrightly deuided into the old and newe Testament and they alleadge somewhat out of both for the maintenance of this corrupt point we will first answere the places of the old Testament and after of the newe Places out of the old Testament They commonly alleadge from thence such places as
Apostle my grace is sufficient for thee my strength shall be persected through weakenes And why should I make anie doubt of this sith Gods election which is grounded vpon the mutable purpose and decree of God is alwaies firme and sure And sith the word not of man but of god assureth me that those whome the Lord loueth euen vnto the ende he loueth them sith that he that is for vs with vs within vs is stronger and greater then al. And sith euē the verie articles of our faith teach vs to beleeue as the Father to be Almightie whose power no creature is able to withstand so Iesus Christ to be our Lord into whose hands sith the father hath eiuen vs wee are sure no aduersarie power shall pull vs out of the same for he also is not onely constant and firme as the father but almightie also And that saluatiō which he hath wrought for me through his blood and inabled me in the power of the spirite to applye vnto mine owne hearte he will preserue and vpholde in mee together with the gift and grace of perseueraunce so that not fall euen vnto the end and in the end Wherein I am the more setled confirmed not onely by this that he dealeth not with his seruants as men do who beginne and leaue of in the turning of a hand or the twinckling of an eye but looke what worke he beginneth in his he perfecteth the same Neither yet by this that he hath giuen me and the rest of his seruantes gracious promises as that he wil be with vs vnto the ende of the worlde that his spirite shall bring vnto our remembrance the sweet and comfortable wordes of trueth and life but also by this that he hath graciouslye performed it vnto his seruants not onely vpholding them that they haue not beene carried away either with the swaye of sinne in the world or strength of corruption in them selues but euen then when they haue beene fallen in raysing them vp againe as wee see particularly in Dauid who confesseth of himselfe and in himselfe that to bee true through gods goodnesse thou hast deliuered my soule from death mine eies from teares and my feet from falling Psalme 116. And likewise in Peter whom though our Sauiour Christ foretold of Sathans malice against him and the rest of the faithfull vnder this metaphoricall or borrowed terme of desiring to winnowe them as men doe winnowe wheate yet doth withall most comfortably tell him and the rest of the faithfull in him I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not wherefore when thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren And what though others in outward shewe farre better and more stronge then my selfe haue fallen awaye Doeth it therefore followe that I shall doe so likewise I tell thee no Sathan God is aboue all lawe and therefore beyonde all example And what if God to let proude fleshe and bloode vnderstande that they stande not by themselues woulde make some fearefull examples of humaine inconstancie weakenesse and waueringe to the ende that the parties themselues might bee humbled and other learne to feare wilt thou then from thence gather an vniuersall course Or on the other side if God for the comforte of al them that are feeble and weak hearted and handed in Sion would make the meanest of his seruantes most worthye instrumentes to manifeste his strength in their owne weakenesse wilt thou crosse his purpose whose power no creature is able to resist and darest thou discomfort where God goeth about to giue all consolations yea such comforts as no man can giue but he and none can haue but those that belong vnto him Ouer and besides all this god in his word hath giuen me other strong consolations against this temptation or assault of thine for in the second epistle of Timothy and the second chapter against the backe sliding and falling away of others he giueth me these two speciall comforts namely that the elect of which number I am one are out of all danger of any such falling away and againe that such hypocriticall backsliders are knowne to god and not to vs when he saith The strong foundation of god remaineth sure hauing this seale the Lord knoweth who are his And in the second chapter of Saint Iohns first epistle the holy ghost laboureth the same point that so in the mouth of two or three witnesses this as all other trueth might be established and made sure and giueth sundry consolations against it as first that none should be terrified or offended with their faultes because though such had or might haue a place in the Church yet were they neuer of the Church because the Church is the company of the elect which cannot perish and therefore also cannot fall from the grace of God in Christ Secondly because they are annointed of the holy Ghost not onely with true knowledge of saluation and eternal life but with all other graces from the same and namely with the gift of perseuerance but his owne words are most excellent and therefore let vs marke them They went out from vs saith he but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they should haue continued with vs. But this commeth to passe that it might appeare that they are not all of vs but ye haue an ointment frō the holy one and knowe all things And nowe with what reason or face cā Irefuse this truth of God so plainely and plentifully propounded and imbrace the lies of Sathan I tell thee I cannot fall away from the grace of god nor fall away from the faith that he hath planted in me vnles I would make God a changeling and vncertaine and that cannot be for the scripture telleth me there is not so much as a shadow of turning in his maiestie which yet that I might be the better perswaded thereof he hath alwaies by performance shewed him selfe at all times and to all his people to be such a one Shewe thou the contrary if thou canst But Sathā further presseth this temptation of mans weaknesse and abilitie to fall away from the acts indeede thereof and the effects following frō the same saying after this sort Thou hast fallen diuers vvaies and at sundry times also and therefore hast lost the faith grace that God gaue thee and so art becōe gods enimie Aud howe canst thou then be assured of fauour at his hand Herevnto I answere that I cannot or will not deny but that I haue fallen and fallen fouly yea diuers waies and sundry times and of this I haue better witnesse then thy word Sathan For first that obseruation of mine own waies that God of his grace hath wrought in me doth testifie vnto me euery day when I rise vp and euery night when I lie down that I haue and doe heinously offend and secondly the texts of holy scripture doth witnes the same as for example 1. king 8. there is not a man but he sinneth and
man hath prouided for vs and prescribed vnto vs in the worde of trueth For plaine proofe whereof we may beholde if we can the bad effects and bitter fruits that either the ignorance or neglect hereof bringeth forth in our age And if there were no more but this the continuall carnalitie and carnall securitie that euerie where raigneth til it be discouered and felt and the distrust yea desperation that then rageth when the Lord is pleased to lay it open and to presse it hard and home as we saie to to the heart these were sufficient enough not onely to prooue the point but also to cause vs in time to leaue our great and grieuous corruptions and in in a good and acceptable seasoÌ„ euen while it is called to day as the scripture saieth to looke to better courses assuring our selues that as for poperie it can neuer be repelled but by the sounde knovvledge of Gods will reuealed in his vvord this trueth beeing as coÌ„trary to that errour and falsehood as daye is to darknesse and as for assured comforte in distresse or distrust it is no where to be found but generally in the same word also and particularly in the sweet promises thereof which as God alone that is altogether faithfull hath plentifullye made so vvill he that is onely almightie and doth vvhatsoeuer pleaseth him both in heauen and earth in an acceptable time graciously performe for his glorie and the good of his people And that therefore vve should endeuour by all the good meanes that possibly we can that the word of Christ might dvvell in vs plenteously in all vvisedome teaching and admonishing our ovvne selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songues singing with a grace in our hearts to the Lord and doing vvhat soeuer vve shall do in vvord or in deede either towards God in the cause of his vvorship or in the dueties of charitie towards men in the name of the Lord Iesus Now vvhat experience you right honourable and right vvorshipfull haue had in this behalfe I knovv not This I am sure of that belonging to the Lord as vpon good grounâ—â— I doubt not I perswade my selfe you do you either haue had heretofore or hereafter before the day of your dissolution dravv nigh shall haue your portion and part of triall both the one and the other vvaye And though it may be that you haue through gods mercie in Christ bestowed vpon you the grace of a stedfast perswasioÌ„ yet he that is now strong through Gods grace may hereafter through his owne wickednesse and vvants become weake God hauing not onely ordeined that as a meane so to humble vs least in the excellent aboundance of graces we might be exalted aboue measure but prouided one of vs to support and helpe an another according to any measure of mercie that we haue receiued from him Wherein if I may either soundly comfort you for that vvhich is past and duetifully prouoke christian care minister strong consolation for that which is to come and may perceiue either the one or the other or both not onely to dwell in your selues but as by and and from you to bee communicated to others specially those whose case and state is distressed either waye I shall right hartely reioyce aâ— one in this comfortablie feeling the forgiuenesse of our sinnes that God hath beene pleased to make his trueth effectuall and powerfull in vs aswel for the obedience of his holie commaÌ„dementes as for the vnfeigned beleefe of his blessed promises And in this respect principally I assure you is it that hauing sometime since written a discourse against all manner of doubting whether it be from others as popish doctrine and Sathans suggestions or from the diffidence and distrustfulnesse of our owne hearts and being much and often requested by some deare friends of mine vvhome I could not vvell denie to publish it I am bold vnder your patronages to let it passe to the presse and to come forth to behold the light and from you to cause it to come to the vievv of others for yours and their spirituall benefite especially And in this dedication of my poore trauailes vnto you I could not but ioyne you all together as one because that though as in respecte of your several states degrees and callings in the common vvealth you do somewhat differ yet God by many gracious meanes of his mercy particularly by open and religious profession of his trueth and holie bande of christian mariage hath made you as it were to become one that so growing alltogether in this life by the power of the spirite to the vnitie of faith and obedience of the goodwill of God you might in that time that God hath set vvith himselfe from before all tines come all together likewise to that one euerlasting life blessednes vvhich is the ende of that one faith and hope wh rewith we are and shall be both sealed and susteined euen vntill and in the day of Iesus Christ And so humblie beseeching good acceptance of this that is done in the singlenesse and sinplicitie of my soule vvhich I trust you will not denie me because I desire nothing but that is right and reasonable and directly tending to your owne good specially spiritual and vvithall hartilie praying the Lord to giue it a blessing in your seuerall soules for the glorie of his name and your euerlasting comforte whereof also I conceiue good hope because God is large in loue and bountifull in giuing specially vnto his people in vvhich number I trust you are not without cause accounted before me I do ende for this present and vvith that submission that is fitt for my selfe and belongeth to persons of so great place and calling take my leaue At Wooburne the 14. of Aprill 1598. Your Hon. and Worship euer ready and that in all things to be commaunded in Christ Thomas Wilcocks the Lords vnworthy seruant Lord Iesus begin and make an ende ALL popery generally is full of vanity and vntrueth being druÌ„ke vp and receiued in infecteh defileth both body and soule Howbeit this cannot be denied but that some points are more deadly discomfortable by much then other some For as in the great varietie of naturall sickenesses diseases all are not alike dangerous but some are more pestilentiall and infectiue as more assaulting the heart and the head other vitall partes then other some are as we may see in the messels pocks hot burning agues plauges or pestilences and such like So is it in the huge heape and infectiue lumpe of popish opinions and doctrines some being more high and heinous then other some and as if it were not only taking the crowne of glory and eternall life from the head or out of the hands of our Sauiour Christ and setting it vpon the headlesse or handlesse bodie of mans corrupt nature tainted with all manner of vngratiousnes and sinne but euen labouring to take by the throat and to straÌ„gle that little
speaking of heauenly matters and particularly of the forgiuenesse of sinnes do vse tearmes of doubting seeme doubtfully to promise fauoure to penitēt persons Amongst whcih I remember not that they haue alleadged any more then 2. Samuel 16.12 Amos 5.15 Ioel 2.14 Ion. 3.9 Sauing that they haue produced a place out of Daniel 4. ver 24. where indeede in the greeke text in Ieroms latine translation there is vsed a article of doubting as perhaps or it may be there will be a healing of thy sinnes Whereas the word that the Prophet vseth doth in the hebrewe signifie rather a manifest asseueration or affirmation as though he should say loe there shall be an healing of thine errour This not onely agreeing better with the Prophets purpose which as it was in the first part of the verse to instruct the king by holy coūsell to breake off his sinnes through righteousnes his iniquities by shewing fauour to the afflicted so in this part he performing that that was prescribed in the former to comfort him This also being an vsual thing in duties of obedience and holy precepts deliuered to adioyne sweete and comfortable promises that so they might see their labour and loue in the Lord should not be lost Neither may we thinke the Prophet either to be ignorant of this in himselfe or vnwilling to propound it to others that vpon obedience of Gods will and sincere repentance men should certenly finde fauour with the Lord which he might haue called into question if he should haue spoken so doubtfully But les vs graunt that the words were commonly or for the most part vsed to expresse doubting or distrust wil this followe therevpon that they would faine inferre namely that therefore Gods children should doubt of the forgiuenes of their sinnes and eternall life Nay for first it is not cleare and certen whether Nabuchadnezer to whome these words were directed were an elected chlid of God yea or no and we knowe that the question concerneth them that are called and iustified and sanctified in some measure and so shall be eternally saued Besides whether can we tell that that which was in him of terrour and feare were sound or hypocriticall or whether he continued or whether Daniel hauing extraordinary and many personall things also reuealed vnto him foresawe what should become of him In such cases we see and to such persons many things may be deliuered as if it were doubtingly whereas with persons of other qualities and callings other courses must be obserued But put the hardest we haue yet another aunsweare vnto this place namely that the Prophet vseth this manner of speach both to note the difficultie and the excellencie of the things he required at the kings hands men imagining repentance conuerting to God taking away of sinnes c. to be a very easie and sleight matter which indeede causeth them not to esteeme the grace according to the worthinesse thereof nor to striue therevnto as they should and also to cause him and in him all others the more to indeauoure the attaining thereof and strengthening of themselues therein because things so hardly atcheiued and of such dignity indeed would not be sleightely or lightly let goe And let this suffice or satisfie for this place Let vs come to the rest already quoted and examine them 1 The first place is the 2. Sammuel 16.12 It may be that the Lord will looke on mine affliction and doe me good for his cursing this day They are the wordes of Dauid to Abishai who would very willingly haue slaine Shimei rayling vpon the king his master and nowe flying from the face of his sonne Abshalon where vnto ouer and besides that that hath bin said before touching the place of Daniel we may adde this it is hard vpon all the wordes of good men to inferre either the lawefulnesse of their speaches or a doctrine either contrary to the truth of the word in other places or not warranted thereby For as that is true in Salomon that where there are many vvords there is much sinne so that is likewise true that the Apostle Iames saith he is a iust man that hath not offended with his tongue Many times feare griefe hastines hatred worldly loue and other passions carrie them very farre as we may perceiue not onely in Dauid himselfe but in sundry other of Gods children as Ieremy Woe is me my mother c. chap. 15. 10. and Peter M. fauour or be good vnto thy selfe Math. 16. Lastly he speaketh here but of an outward mercie of which many a good man considering his owne vnworthinesse and how they are but promised vpon condition may easily doubt and yet offer no iniury to Gods grace for he giueth these things as pleaseth him indifferently to the good and the badde nor much discomfort to his owne heart And what is this to spirituall heauenly geaces all which as they do proceed frō the free fauour of god toward vs in Iesus Christ so are they promised vnto vs and propounded vnto vs absolutely and without condition and therefore they nowe assured in themselues ministring the more hope vnto the hearts of the faithfull And if there be a condition annexed as I deny not but sometimes there is it is but for the better strengthening of vs therein whilest that he that promiseth vs giueth vs strength to performe the couenants and condition and so both we in his grace haue the more certaine assurance and he might the more plainely and fully crowne his owne graces in vs. 2 The next place is Amos 5.15 Hate the euill and loue the good and establish iudgemēt in the gate it may the Lord God of Hostes will be mercifull to the remnant of Ioseph which place though it may in some sort be answered by that which is put downe already if men will well viewe and marke that which hath beene deliuered yet it shall not be amisse to adde some particular thing for the further declaration and explanation thereof The Prophet had to deale with a straunge kinde of people not onely such as were giuen ouer to idolatrie and other particular iniquities hatred of the Prophets oppressing of the poore c. But such as yet notwithstanding iustified themselues and said that the Lord of hosts was with them No doubt but they that were thus exalted in themselues and that without anie cause had neede by all good meanes to be humbled And they that were thus hypocriticall not onely to deceiue others but to dallie with their owne hearts and to thinke that God and iniquitie could stand well together had need to be sent back to be instructed to soūd their owne soules well And that causeth the Prophet to deale with them as he doth in this place But what is this to gods people who through his grace are restrained from these high and hainous iniquities who are so farre of from deceiuing their owne hearts in a vaine imagination that notwithstanding their sinne God is
any grace in himselfe from god but also to speake of them as time and occasion serued he foūd by experience that he was so farre of to shutt God out from ordering and disposing of all these men and their matters that he tooke it rather for fury and madnesse in men to think otherwise specially seeing both men matters plainely say that there is nothing be it neuer so smale but that all and euery one of them are gouerned according to the becke and good pleasure of almighty God And as for mā himselfe he was so far of frō guiding gouerning these things that either he knewe not his owne estate in the things themselues or els if he had them whether they were things worthy either to be beloued or to be hated he could not tell howe to vse them Nowe what will this auaile to prooue doubting for our good estate and forgiuenesse of our sinnes before God whereas it speaketh that the vnregenerate whose beastly blindnesse and blockishnes is so great that neither can they discerne of Gods administration gouernment of their owne estate and condition nor of the things that God in mercy or iudgement hath beene pleased to lay vpon them Surely they are so wide and indeede vnnaturall vnreasonable that from meere naturall men will iudge of those that are inlightened and sanctified from God But we will leaue this and proceed to the sifting examining and answering of such places as they produce and alleadge out of the newe Testament specially such as they make most account of and presse most as they that must beare the stresse of this cause Places out of the newe Testament 1 The first place which they obiect out of the newe Testament is Rom. 3. verse 28. which they turne thus We thinke that a man is iustified by faith without workes and therevpon they inferre and inforce that sith the Apostle vseth the worde of thinking that therefore no man can certenly affirme concerning his owne iustification But we haue many exceptions against this interpretations as first that though it be so in the old latine translation yet the word that the Apostle vseth in the originall is of a more sure and certen signification For the vvord signifieth to reason or to gather togeather or out of the premises to put downe a collected or sure assertion and the same to deliuer also in wordes or speech And this almost all the greeke interpreters the best expositors of their owne words haue obserued and specially Theophilactus who turneth the simple verbe that the Apostle vseth by a compound which signifieth by reasoning to euince together and out of such thinges as were not onely probablie but trulie put downe necessarilie to effect and conclude But suppose we had not this in iust and sufficient answer yet we know and beleeue that there is great difference betweene doubting and thinking the one alwaies containing in it and vnder it vncertaintie and the other manie times hauing certaintie adioyned with it For though we will not denie but that sometimes in the latin tongue the word to thinke is doubtingly vsed yet we shall finde in good and approued authors that very often it signifieth after the propounding of diuers opinions and sentences to choose out that which a man will affirme and mainteine And so we doubt of it in this place it implieth not a doubtfull and vncerten imagination for in a matter of so great importance the Apostle would not deale so sleightely with the Chuch and the members of it but an assured and steadfast affirmation which as yet may appeare by the nature of the greeke word aboue mentioned so me thinketh it is confirmed by the weight of the cause or matter the the Apostle hath in hand which is free iustification through faith in Christ of which howsoeuer sometimes some good men in the weaknesse of their faith and beholding of their owne vnworthinesse may or doe doubt yet the doctrine of it was is and euer shall be most sure and stable And therefore vnlesse they would cōtinually confound the tearmes of doubting and thinking this text or testimony will doe them no good And if it should be of such a doubtfull signification alwaies then must it so likewise in all places for that which is so at all times is the same euery where and cannot be varied as in respect of difference or distāce of place But that cannot be so for we shall see this word in other places namely in some places of this epistle cannot admit or receiue this doubtful sense and therefore not heare neither we will but take one in stead of all namely Rom. 8. verse 18. For I thinke that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glorie which shal be shewed vnto vs. What shall we thinke that the Apostle doubted of this point whether that our sufferings here and the glory to be reuealed in the life to cōe were vnequal surely he knewe and felt well enough the great oddes and difference that is betwixt them and that maketh him in another place to say our light affliction which is hut for a while causeth vnto vs a far more excellent and eternall weight of glory And I suppose verily the grossest papist in the world and greatest merite-monger amongst them would not defend this that there is a partie betweene the sufferings of all or any of the Saints and the infinite and incomprehensible ioyes of eternall life Besides what Logitian is there that seeth not that there is in this argument falacia homo nymias that is as we may say of the equivocatiō or doubtfull and diuers signification of the word to thinke which though sometimes in some places it may signifie to doubt yet that hath bin shewed on this part yet here for the reasons aboue alleadged it must signifie certenty and assurednes though not of the feeling of this truth alwaies in the hearts and mindes of the godly who somtimes feele it and sometimes not yet of truth and certenty of the doctrine it selfe which can be no more vncerten then God himselfe from whome it cōmteh or thē the spirit it selfe by which the Apostle preached deliuered the same To conclude this is the plaine meaning of the Apostle that from the former disputation or points that before had bin handled he did necessarily gather finely cōclude that a christian or faithfull man was iustified through faith in Christ and not by the workes of the law And good reason he should conclude so out of the premisses for he had before euinced proued this that all men whether they were Iewes or Gentiles the Gentiles without the lawe the Iewes by vnder the lawe were sinners and transgressors of the lawe therefore destitute void of righteousnes in of themselues righteous they must be if they would be saued but that they could not be without Christs righteousnes the same apprehēded by faith only And therefore
the grace of God for that can they neuer cōe into that are his for those whome the Lord loueth he loueth vnto the ende but slipping or sliding into sinnes and transgressions and those neither not of the highest degree but of the meanest nature which he calleth afterward temptations appertaining to mā which though in their owne nature as any other sinne should may dismay vs much yet should they not worke as in respect of God and his goodnesse towards vs doubtfulnesse in vs because those whome he loueth he loueth as we haue heard already vnto the ende notwithstanding the weakenesses and wants that be in them And the drift of the place will as little availe them For by that which goeth before as also by that which followeth after we may see that the spirit laboureth nothing more then this to drawe the Corinthians from security to heed and carefulnesse which he doth as by propunding vnto thē auncient examples of Gods wrath against a people that had very great priuiledges and tokens of Gods fauour so by this also that they hauing a more plaine declaration of Gods will then the other should thereby learne to be more wary least otherwise not the like but greater iudgemēts should breake forth against them by howe much Christ was more plainely manifested amōgst them And yet least one side they might flatter thēselues to much so not so carefully withstād Satans subtilities as they ought for men that imagine more of thēselues then there is cause why are cōmonly carelesse or on the other side thinke that this dealing of the Apostle was somewhat rough hard into which fault when men are friendly admonished by them that loue and care for them they easily fall he doth so with one hand by admonition labour to preuent security that be doth with the other raise them vp to comfort least they might imagine or thinke that he made them altogeather like to those wicked people of Israel that perished in the wildernesse Now what is there either in the one or in the other that fauoureth of vpholding doubting For carefulnesse one the one side and comfort one the other both which are the thinges he propoundeth here are such as haue no familiaritie or acquaintance with distrustfulnesse or doubting In a word the Apostle here dealeth against carnall confidence and securitie enioyning vs that we rely not to much vpon the graces that God hath bestowed vpon vs or flatter our selues in carelesse securitie or stay our selues vpon our present estate or foolish conceite and opinion that we haue of our selues but rather that ackowledging our weakenesse faintnesse and vnworthinesse and also Gods grace and goodnesse towards vs we should labour to liue in the feare of God and combating against our corruption and flesh we should craue Gods aide and asistance against sinne and Satan If the Apostle here then had forbidden the Corinthians to trust in the promises of God it had beene somewhat but he is so farre frō that that here he blameth them for being so much puffed vp in the vaine confidence of flesh and blood and provoketh them rather to modesty and lowelinesse And what is this to distrust or doubting which is that they must prooue or els nothing 4 They alleadge a fourth place out of Phil. 2. verse 12. Worke out your owne saluatiō with feare and trembling therefore say they men must doubt of saluation c. But this hath no more pith or marrowe in it then the former Why may we not as safely alleadge it for free will and power not onely to doe good but to merite also as for maintenance and vpholding of doubting ad distrust The commandement seemeth to be plaine for the one but the wordes of feare and trembling are not so sufficient for the other As therfore the commandement implieth not abilitie in parties commaunded to doe the thing or things enioyned but rather sheweth what God requireth so the wordes of feare and trembling doe rather tend to breed carefulnes and circumspection then doubtfulnes or distrust And indeed if we should respect the words themselues specially the commandement wee shall see that the place rather yeeldeth argument of confidencie and boldnes then of doubting and distrust For if the commandement will inferr power in our selues to do the thing commanded and we knowe that that which is in our owne hands we easilie trust vnto and make no scruple or doubt of it it will follow therevpon that howsoeuer feare and trembling may seeme in their sense to implie doubting yet power to work saluation being in men thēselues will quickly expell that conceit vnlesse they mind to hold that a man at one and the selfe same time ocupied about one and the selfe same obiect and hauing but one trueth or waye to leade him thereto may yet doubt of himselfe and presume of himselfe But the truth is that the self same spirite that for taking away the conceit of mans freewill and power presently addeth it is God that worketh in vs both the will the deed according to his good pleasure doth in manie places of other his writings particularly in this epistle say for the remoouing of doubting that he is assuredly perswaded that god that had begunne this worke in thē would make it perfect euen vntill the day of Iesus Christ Nowe what worde is there in this text that will implie doubting If it be anie it is feare and trembling but they as wee haue heard already import no such matter but rather signifie reuerence of God and a certaine kind of childlike awe and loathsomnes to offend or displease so gratious a father as our heauenly father is Me thinketh wee may well expound this place by a sentence of the Prophet Psal 2. Where he saith serue the Lord in feare and reioyce before him in trembling what doeth he meane thereby doubting no surely for the Apostle Iames telleth vs that he that wauereth or doubteth receiueth nothing at all but as he is inconstant in all his waies so he is sent away emptie harted and handed from God but he vnderstandeth childlike feare which is alwayes adioyned with faith and is opposed not to doubting as we haue noted already but to carnall securitie and carelesnes which vaine cōfidence in and of our selues worketh in vs. These men belike suppose that faith and feare cannot stand together but they are deceiued for the faithfull may both feare and beleeue also yea and enioy comfort and consolation to according as they respect either themselues or God or cōsider in God a supreame Maiestie which may cause them to feare or tremble or behold in him largenes in promise faithfulnes in performing and so not onely beleeue in him but reioyce also In a word the Apostle mindeth not to cōmaūd mē to doubt of gods grace their owne saluation for that had bin directly contrary to the truth that he had in other places deliuered and all comming from one spirite and the same
they must needes be disquieted that are subiect to it for how can it be that he that knoweth he hath God for his iudge and not for his father as the faithfull people onely haue him so cā be quiet in minde beeing in his owne heart guiltie of horrible sinne as against God himselfe in heauen so against men vpō earth And therefore we may safely say that a wicked person is either not at all quiet or els the grace that he would seme to haue is nothing els but securitie or senselesnes and this feare is amplified by comparison of the greater namely God and his iudgement into which amplification he entreth not so much for thē to whome he wrote though it may be true they had some need and vse of it as for others that would not easily be brought to feeling that so stong either with the testimony of their owne heart or with the greatnesse of Gods wrath and iudgement against them for sinne or with this terrible and heauy threatning or with some one thing or other they might stoupe learne to be humbled Now what is this to doubting specialy in the faithfull whome Iohn laboureth to raise vp to an assured hope by their faith towards God and love to the Saints or brethren or if you will to the wicked what is it to them who for the most part are so farre from doubting that they almost feare no euill either here or els where but as if it were being in a letargie or dead sleepe or senslesnes passe three daies without feare yea without conscience But if this either doe not please or satisfie we may say further that he speaketh here of a set purpose that men haue to doe euill or to sinne as we say against consciēce he meaning that such manner of persons so long as they continue in that perswasion and practise also that they can hardly or not at all determine touching the certenty of our saluation by the testimony of their owne hearts because they haue a sting within them that witnesseth the contrary For this we must knowe that faith and a good conscience are vnseperable companions and goe as it were arme in arme togeather as the Apostle sheweth 1. Tim. 1.19 Yea and that the fruites accompanying them are neuer vtterly sundred from them but at some one time or another are to be found in their measure where the thinges themselues are and that therefore they that haue a good conscience haue boldnesse towards God and are well certified of his grace and their owne saluation thereby And that this in his meaning indeed it may appeare by sundry words before going as when he saith By this that is true and sincere loue to our brethren we knowe that we are of the truth that is belong vnto God whome he signifieth also in the words following when be saith and shall before him assure our hearts which assurance bringing with it peace and tranquillitie cannot but shut out and kill as it were all doubting And againe in the words following when he saith hereby we knowe that he abideth in vs euen by the spirit which he hath giuen vs. And therefore we may see that this place weakeneth our aduersaries doctrine rather then that it doth any manner of way confirme strengthen it But if they will further vrge it as some of them doe and say there is no man but he is accused in his heart and conscience and therefore no man can haue confidence or boldnesse before God We tell them first that the argument followeth not for though the antecedent be trve that euery good man especially is stung more or lesse yet the consequent is not good because thouhh it be tru that as in regard of himselfe and of his sinne and vnworthines thereby he can haue litle or no assurance yet as in respect of God his word his spirite Christs absolute obedience c. he may haue hope and boldnes Secondly we say that it is no good or sound reasoning to reason from the facts of men to or for the doctrine of God For mans facts for the most part are euill and vnlawfull whereas all the doctrines of God are true and holie euen as he himselfe though men either in practise or perswasion would condemne him or thē yet shall he be iust when he speaketh and pute when he iudgeth Facts expresse or shewe things done but neuer declare much lesse proue the lawefulnes of the things practised Besides though wee denie not but that euen the faithful are not onely conuinced but condemned in their heart and perswasion when they consider their vnworthinesse yet feare we not also to affirme that euen then they are absolued and cleared also for so often as they looke vnto themselues and sinne they must of necessitie be pricked and terrified because sinne seene and felt indeed can bring forth as in respect of it selfe no better fruite But on the other side when they behold Christ crucified and runne vnto the sacrifice of his death not onely of absolute but of infinite merite they finde in themselues an assured peace as the Apostle also declareth Romaines 5. where he saith Then beeing iustified by faith vve haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ and in another place he affirmeth that through Christ we haue boldnes and entrance with confidence by faith in him And let this suffice for aunswer to the testimonies and texts of Scripture which our aduersaries for the establishing of doubting and distrust in the minds of the godlie doe vsually bring out of the old new Testamēt With which we haue dealt first answered them because they make them the principall bullwarks and butteresses of this tottering wall And indeed had they beene truely alleadged such as wee might haue rested and relied our selues vpon but beeing produced as they are we see there is nothing in them but vanity they that will accept them beeing so offred are like to be bound vp in the winges of the winde carried away through the fcircenes of the iudgement of God against them to eternall destruction Now we come to their arguments drawne from humane authoritie which are of two sortes that is to saye either reasons and arguments or authoritie testimonies of ecclesiasticall writers The reasons are manie as mans heart is cunning to deuise and his braine busilie beating vpon vanitie lies euen to vphold the same what he can For our owne parts we will deale no otherwise here then as wee haue done in the texts they haue alleadged namely amongst manie take those that are most materiall and confute thē which beeing once fully and sufficiently aunswered all the rest beeing weaker then water will fall to the ground and euen be spilt as it were of their owne accord 1 Their first argument is couched or framed thus He that cannot know all his sinnes he cannot know whether he please God and of this proposition they render this reason for it may
we haue some speciall or particular reuelation therefore we are vncerten and by consequent doubt also concerning Gods grace of forgiuenesse of sinnes saluatiō c. Herevnto we answere that we deny the antecedent of this Enthymenie or maimed syllogisme and we haue good reason so to doe yea many good reasons indeed For first this is false which they say that we cannot by Gods word be assured of predestination or election For God hath as plainely and plētifully propoūded that point as possibly may be and that not onely by affirming it here there in some short sentēces but by large deductions and as it were discourses and treatises made of purpose concerning it as may appeare from the middle of the eight chapter of the epistle vnto the Romanes to the ende of 11. chapter of the same epistle and also Eph. 1. and sundry other places But if they will say they meane it of persons elected and not of the doctrine and indeed so their exposition seemeth to lead that way yet then we tel them also that is false and faulty as the former For by the word of God we are able not onely rightly to iudge of that which is past concerning the reiection of the Iewes the election of the Gentiles c. but also both probably togeather and charitably to iudge of others as we see the Apostle Peter doth of the straungers that dwelt here and there 1. Pet. 1. verse 2 Yea and of some naturall persons also as Iohn doth in his second Epistle to the elected Ladie and certenly also to determine concerning our owne estates that way whether we cōsider our selues by our selues singularly or as we are ioyned with the rest of Gods elect we saying of our selues and of them in our measure touching the forgiuenesse of our sinnes as Saint Iohn saith for himselfe and the faithfull in that behalfe If any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteouse and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes c. And concerning gods loue towards vs in Iesus Christ for eternall life as Saint Paule speaketh of himselfe and the sound members of the Church saying I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heigth nor depth nor anie other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of god which is in Christ Iesus our Lord And in another place We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens And this wee iudge not so much by Gods eternall election it selfe though we know beleeue perswade our owne hearts that such a thing there is in God because that is alwaies hidd in himselfe euen as we may say in the bosome and brest of his euerlasting free knowledge though by manie good meanes as wee shall heare anone he discouereth the same vnto vs but by certain and assured infallible notes that he hath giuen vs in his word by which wee may know and be assured for our selues and according to truth and charitie may iudge of others and that without any speciall reuelation as these men fantasie that we are of the number of gods elect as if god giue vs an effectuall calling through the ministerie of the word and working of the spirit and make vs comfortably to feele the imputation of Christs righteousnesse and a stedfast hope of eternall glorification wee may assure our selues of our election as we may perceiue by that the Apostle saith Rom. 8. Whom he hath predestinate thē also he hath called whome he hath called them also he hath iustified and them whome he hath iustified them he hath also glorified and 2. Timoth. 1. God hath saued vs and called vs with an holie calling not according to our works but according to his owne purpose and grace vvhich vvas giuen to vs through Ieses Christ before the world vvas as also if he giue vs care and conscience of well-doing it pleadgeth the same grace vnto vs according to which Saint Peter saith giue diligence to make your calling and election sure And therfore we see that gods election euen as it is manifested vnto vs in gods word is farr of from ouerthrowing our certainety hope of saluation that looking vpon it and into it as he would haue vs iudge of it it doth indeed confirme and establish the same both as in respect of it selfe because so it is alwaies sure and certaine and also as in regard of our fainting hearts and feeble hope which by this meanes are vpheld as the Churches Canticl 2. was staied with flagons and comforted with appells As for that which they speake of particular and speciall reuelation it is against the truth of holy Scriptures and grounds of christian religion for God hauing in these latter daies spokē vnto vs in the person of his sonne and absolutely and fully reuealed his will in his word with this threatning that whosoeuer addeth therevnto vpon him shal be powred forth all the plagues written therein he hath taught vs thereby to cast away and reiect as diuelish and abhominable all such conceits besides that it strongly sauoureth of Anabaptistrie which for manie fond fantasies of their owne haue nothing to say but onely pretend odd reuelations or visions But yet our aduersaries vrge this pointe further and say that men must beware of rash entring into hādling or hearing of that same reuerend hidd misterie of gods predestination And who will not say so as well as they But let vs see whether this be a good argument Gods predestination must not be rashlie rushed into either for hearing or handling therefore men must doubt of Gods fauour that way euery other way besides it followeth not No more then this The sacred authority of princes and magistrates must not be esteemed or violated as a light thing therefore subiects must doubt whether their princes fauour or affect them me thinketh it would rather followe There is in god such high and heauenly things therefore we should be better perswaded of his might goodwill fauour c. as in princes their maiestie authoritie c. should assure their subiects of loue care and all for their defence But we will come to the point wee take that to be rash presumption in the matter of this misterie when either we looke into this same hidden secret coūcel of god as it is in it selfe or in him alone separated frō those testimonies and tokens that he hath giuen vs to discerne it by or when we will be more curious in it then he hath bin pleased to manifest in his word Nowe that this is to be auoided and to be taken heed of as a high sin the infectiō of our soules euery mā will cōfesse because it is to be wise aboue measure in the things that God would not haue
though that this may suffice for full answere vnto all yet it liketh vs a little further to inlarge our selues herein If our iustification before God and reconciliation with God did depend either of the lawe it selfe or of the dignitie and worthinesse of our workes then the maior proposition should of necessitie be true but that cannot be because the lawe is not giuen to iustifie but to condemne rather and we knowe that all our righteousnes is as a defiled cloath so indeed we should neuer surely conclude with our selues touching our saluatiō or finde peace of conscience at home in our hearts So that neither of those beeing true the maior or propositiō cannot be soūd or right But sith our iustificatiō before God reconciliation with God is not of the law or of the dignitie of our workes but is from Christs absolute obediēce the holy gospell which euery where teacheth that Christ was therefore sent and came into the world that he might saue sinners and redeeming vs from the curse of the lawe might make vs righteouse through faith in him The maior or proposition separated as we see it is from Christ and vnderstood as it must be and may appeare by the minor not of Christs but of our obedience can not be true Besids sith the worde generally and more particularly the Gospel a speciall part of it euery where instructeth vs not to respect our owne dignity or worthinesse which indeed is none but all manner of vnworthines nor yet to beholde our owne vnworthinesse otherwise then to humble vs before God and in our selues and to make vs to runne vnto Christ and to his righteousnes more earnestly speedily then we do but sendeth vs vnto Christ and to his merite and worthinesse that so for his sake we may be reconciled vnto God that is to say both iustified and sanctified before him and receiued vnto eternall life there is no reason to receiue but much and greate reason to refuse this minor as vnsound insufficient either vtterly excluding or els no whit at all mentioning Christ who of god is made vnto vs wisdome righteousnes sanctification and saluation and in whome being iustified through faith we haue peace towards god c. Yea we say further that sith by the lawe righteousnes cannot come vnto men as the Apostle sheweth in many places of his writings and namely in his epistles to the Romanes and Galathians the doctrine of the Gospell was therefore made manifest that both it might discouer vnto vs a meane a manner yea and matter of iustification that in the lawe could not be found out and also teach vs howe to appropriate and apply the same vnto our owne hearts Lastly concerning the minor we answere and say that no man hath in himselfe as of himselfe that perfect and obediēce of the lawe that they speake of Howebeit we are assured that all that haue Christ haue it because they doe by faith lay hold of Christ and his perfect obedience the want or lacke of then owne in themselues being so farre of frō hindring Christs righteousnes to them and in them that it rather furthereth them thereto For he that is filled with his owne can haue no part of Christs the reason is because he that is full though it be but of airy and windie matter or as we say bad repletions can hardly or not at all till he be purged of that admit any more but also because there is such a flat opposition betweene Christs righteousnesse and mans that they cannot both be at one and the selfe same time in one and the selfe same subiect but the hauing of the one is the priuation of the other as the Apostle sheweth in many places of his writings and namely Rom. 10. verse 3. and also Rom. 11. verse 5.6 Psal 3.6 And this me thinketh might satisfie any reasonable mā yea stoppe his mouth from barking or bellowing against the trueth of God Howebeit our aduersaries yet presse this point further and obiect saying Christ saith in the Gospell If any man loue me he will keep my commandements or sayings or wordes But no man keepeth his word therefore say they no man knoweth whether God loue him yea or no. First for the forme of the syllogysmo and then for the matter In the conclusion there is more then is in the promises For whereas the maior teacheth vs that obedience to Christs word is a signe vnto other and a pledge vnto our selues of some loues that God hath wrought in our hearts towards him the conclusion turneth it vp side downe and saith no man can know whether God loue him yea or no as though our loue Gods loue were all one or as though God loued not many I will not say vnto eternall life for that loue onely belongeth to the elect but in many outward respects from which also as it should seeme Christ himselfe Math. 5. inferreth this doctrine loue thē that hate you c. And maketh this comfortable vse of it that you may be the children of your heauēly father who can set his sunne to shine his raine to raine vpon the iust and vniust Nowe to the matter All the doubt resteth in the true and naturall meaning of this phrase keepe my words and sayings That our sauiour should meane thereby absolute obedience and performance thereof there is no likelyhood for he that knewe the hearts of al knew also that euen in the best there were great defects and wants and to haue deliuered such a speech I meane in that sense and meaning had beene by his owne wordes to haue crossed and thuarted his owne knowledge and to haue spoken more indeede then truth was Why thē what is it that he would signifie and set out vnto vs therby surely this much that the care and conscience that the faithfull had to obey his will and these good beginnings and proceedings that they had made therein by his spirit he would accept them as absolute and couered with the fulnes of righteousnes and obedience that was and is in himselfe and so present them in the sight of his heauenly father Neither doth that dislike me that one aunswere hereto namely that this beeing a sentence or saying of the Gospell must not be vnderstood of the perfect fulfilling of the lawe of God for that is a manner of speech belōging rather to the law then to the Gospell but of faith and a good conscience or as we haur heard already the beginning and grooth in goodnesse that god by his word and spirit hath wrought in the heart of the regenerate For in this sentence as it is a part and peece of the voice of the gospell these tearmes to keepe Christs saying or word signifie nothing els but by faith to imbrace and to hold fast the trueth and puritie of that doctrine that in the Gospell is commended vnto vs concerning Christ and as sound members of the Church to professe it openly and as faithfull
ministers to publish it spread it abroad and all as men mindeful of and carefull for the glory of our God to addorne and beutifie it and to doe what we can in holy life to make it honourable And so is it that Christ saith and meaneth also Ioh. 17. where speaking of his Apostles he affirmeth That they kept the word of his heauenly father And therefore also to such as after this manner imbrace the doctrine of the Gospell and professe it beleeue it and obey it in some measure are very large and excellent graces promised as iustification sanctification and glorification c. not because imperfect workes can merite or deserue any more at Gods handes then grosse corruptions for as in regard of his absolute iustice no imperfect thing can please him but because that God through his mercie and Christs obedience is pleased as to forgiue and forget our defects so to crowne his owne graces in vs and by these large promises and performances also to whett vs vnto perfection in this life though indeed we can neuer here attaine thereto Now the maior beeing thus expounded and these words to keep Christs sayings beeing taken in this sense in the minor or assumption we doe not denie the minor as vntrue because Christ saieth of his Apostles Iohn 17. They haue kept thy word and all that they haue and doe in sort as before is expressed imbrace and hold fast the doctrine of the gospell keeping faith and a good conscience as the Scripture saith may rightly bee termed in their measure to keep Christs sayings though he will not or dare not affirme they do it so well and in such a large measure as the Apostle did 7 Another argument they frame as followeth He that by the Gospell cannot know whether wee haue sufficient repentance for his sinnes he cannot be assured touching iustification or the grace of God towards him or concerning saluation for God in the gospell requireth repentance of vs. But no man by the gospell can tell whether he haue sufficient repentance yea or no therefore no man no not by the Gospell knoweth or can knowe concerning Gods grace towards him his owne saluation There are many things in the maior proposition that had need of explanation First that word of sufficient repentance is not onely ambiguous and doubtfull but full of vnsoundnesse as though forsooth our iustification before god or reconciliation with him stood vpon the dignitie sufficiēcie and merite of our repentance that is of our contrition faith and new obedience whereas we know it dependeth not vpon all or any of these things but vpon the absolute obedience of our Sauiour Christ which as it is sufficient indeede to take away all sinne so it is much more powerfull to supply the defect of the fruits of our faith Or as though againe we could sufficiently and inough sorrow for our sinnes whereas if we weigh not onely all our sinnes but any of them in it owne nature and according to the grieuous effects it bringeth forth or the heauie iudgement of god against vs for the same we shall finde in our consciences and in truth before god that though wee would or could do nothing else all the daies of our liues but repent vs of that one yet wee could not sufficiently performe it therefore Or as though we had some sufficiēcie in our selues to all or any good thing whereas the Apostle telleth vs in plaine euident tearms that vve are not sufficient of our selues as of our selues to thinke anie thing much lesse sufficiently to repēt but that all our sufficiencie is of god who worketh in vs both the will and the deed according to his good pleasure Secondlie wheras the maior affirmeth that vnles a man haue sufficient repentance for his sinnes he cannot be assured of iustification c. Wee aunswer that is false For though as in regard of that which is wanting in himselfe he cānot be assured yet as in regard of that which for him is supplied by another and accepted of him to whome that supplie was due he may conceiue comfort and certainty also for euen as when the debt that a man oweth is satisfied by his brother the partie to whome it was due acknowledgeth himselfe contented and paid he that ought the debt neede not doubt much lesse distrust so is the case betweene god and vs through the death obedience of Christ his sonne our elder brother For God confesseth cōtentment and acknowledgeth satisfaction when he saith This is my wellbe loued sonne in whome I am vvell pleased c And Christ hath paied the debt because he hath put out the hand vvriting of ordinances that vvas against vs vvhich was contrarie to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse and hath spoiled principalities and powers and hath made a shevv of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the same crosse And why then should we distrust or doubt vnles we would suspect the suffiencie of Christs obedience or the absolutenes of gods worke in giuing him to the death for vs all Thirdly this is faulty in the maior that it maketh it a principall part of the office of the Gospell to certifie mens hearts of repentance whereas the chiefe duetie of the gospell is to publish forgiuenesse of sinnes and by consequent eternall life also for where the first is the latter cannot choose but followe in the name and obedience of Iesus Christ And though we will not or cannot denie but that repentance is a part of the gospell and ioyned with the remission of sinnes yet is not therefore annexed therevnto that in the worthines or suffiencie of it we might merite assurance but that in the hauing of it it might pledge vp in our hearts the forgiuenesse of all our transgressions and yet not as though it were of our selues though it be in our selues but as it is Gods worke in vs he giuing this glorie to his owne worke to testifie this fauour vnto our hearts of reconciliation and peace Indeede if repentance were of and from man it were somewhat that they say but beeing simplie and onely from God who if he doe not effectually batter mens stonie and hard hearts they cannot return vnto him they cannot think or speake thus but with great sinne against God and their owne soules Lastly concerning the cōfirmation of the proposition in these words For God in the gospell requireth repentance of vs we confesse the truth of the sentēce but not in their sense for that God demaundeth it no man I thinke will denie because euerie where almost it is said repent and beleeue the Gospell But he that requireth it for these ends purposes that these men imagine as namely that it should puffe vs vp in pride and presumption of merit that we should thinke we haue it of our selues and so therein assure our hearts that is most false but rather because it commeth from
effect of the sight and sense of vnworthines in the Saints of God but hastening rather vnto the Lord that so in him that accounteth them worthy of euery thing and froÌ„ him alone they may bee replenished with his aboundant mercy Onely that word sufficiently worthily which here els where they vrge so much in the sense that they vse it to the purpose that they apply it we vtterly mislike for the grace of God in our iustification saluation c. doth not depend vpon our sufficiency worthines which indeed is none if we respect our selus as we haue heard sundry times already but vpoÌ„ the free gracious promise of god vpoÌ„ the absolut infinite merite of Christs obedience For therefore indeed are the promises published and therefore also is the sonne of God become made our mediatour intercessour because we are vtterly vnworthy of al or any fauour whereas if we had worthines in and of our selues these things had bin needles that for his sake through his obedience the father might declare himself to be gracious mercifull vnto vs according vnto which it is said Romaines the 8. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus c. So that we may see that a godlie hart will easilie confesse yea ought indeed to acknowledge both that he is vnworthie which he cannot choose but doe if he consider well Gods iustice his owne daylie and hourely transgressions euerie manner of way c. and that yet notwithstanding he ought stedfastly to beleeue the promises of the Gospell and namely this that beeing truely penitent wee are for Christs sake receiued into fauour whereof if he respect gods faithfulnesse Christs obedience his owne comfort and good thereby he cannot but be rightly and assuredly perswaded of the same 10 Their tenth argumeÌ„t they frame thus where there is infirmitie and weakenesse of faith there cannot be an assured perswasion hope and boldnesse But in them that are turned to God there is great infirmitie and weakenesse of faith therefore men cannot be assuredly certified of Gods fauour the forgiuenesse of their sinnes eternall saluation c. We cannot but deny the maior proposition of this sillogisme And least we should seeme to do it without good cause why I beseech you marke that that followeth Weaknes of faith and certainety of faith are not opposite or contrary for weakenesse and certaintie of one and the selfe same thing may be in one and the selfe same subiect at one and the selfe same time because they are diuerse and not contrarie but the opposite or contrarie to infirmitie and weakenes is strength The father of the childe that hath a dumbe spirite whome the disciples could not cast out and Christ told him that if he could beleeue al things were possible vpon the speach of Christ cried out with teares and as he confessed the weakenes of his faith so he earnestly prayed for vnderpropping and vpholding of it said Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe Mark the ninth And of the same nature is the praier that the Apostles make when they praye and saye Lord increase our faith c. For though faith in it selfe bee alwaies one as there is but one god one faith one Baptisme c. Ephesians the fourth And that it hath but one obiect to wit God as he hath reueâ—led himselfe in his word and in the face of his Sonne Iesus Christ yet as in regard either of the dailie increases of it through the powerfull working of Gods holie spirite or the cooling or weakening of it by the remainder of our owne sinnes or Satans malice against vs wee may be said sometimes to bee strong and sometimes to be weake in it and sometimes to grow in it and sometimes to be at a stand as it were And this is that that the Apostle saieth The iust proceedeth from faith to faith and againe the spirite of and withstanding Satan saieth Whom resist strong in faith As also this that the Apostle Saint Paule saieth of Abraham the father of the faithfull and friend of God that he not weake in faith c. Romaines the fourth Yea one and the selfe same godlie man as in respect of sundrie times and diuerse occasions may be said to be strong in this holie vertue and weake also What a faith was this in Peter by Christs comfortable wordes not onely to expell feare but in the strength and power of Christs speach vnto him and saying Come to vvalke vpon the vvater And yet what weakenesse was this in seeing of a winde to be afraied c. God making vs in him to beehold this trueth that while wee looke vpon him through Christ we are strong and bold as a lion but when we leaue vpon our selues or the arme of flesh and blood or regard calamities wee are as weake as water and readie to sinke Therefore in the maior proposition wee may well and easilie perceiue that they neither deale plainely with the cause For as in that behalfe they should not haue vsed infirmitie or weakenes of faith but doubting because the question is not of weakenes and wants in Gods Saints which they carrie about with them not onely in their faith but in all other good graces besides but of doubting and distrustfulnesse which indeede is wickednesse and euill these two differing as much as good and badd light and darkenesse and that not onely in their manner and natures but in their effects also Weakenesse working in vs running vnto God for strength and doubting driuing vs for the time and in some measure from him to others that indeed can not steed vs though it may bee wee may deeme otherwise I say they neither deale plainely with the cause it selfe nor with the trueth of religion and the word For faith or coÌ„fidence in God through Iesus Christ whether it be firme or vnfirme strong or weake may be assured and certainlie determine concerning Gods grace forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall saluation though not as in regard of the strength or certainetie of it selfe yet as in respect of the strength power and assurance of the obiect whereabout it is occupied to wit gods mercie manifested in his Sonne Iesus Christ and declared by the sweete and comfortable promises of the word the reason is because faith though weake doeth laye hold of as much and appropriate or apply as much as a firme or strong faith that is Iesus Christ wholie with all his benefits and merits though it doe not so stronglie or as we may say somewhat more weakely apprehend and applie him So that the difference is not in the certainetie and assurance of faith for he that is weake therein may for 〈◊〉 measure bee as well and certainely assured as he that is strong but for the manner or measure of apprehending or applying Iesus Christ Therefore as he that layeth fast hold of a thing though it bee but weake or feeble is yet for himselfe as well assured
sound and steadfast faith there followeth a certaine sense and feeling of comfort and ioy according to which it is said 2. Chro. 20. Put your trust in the Lord your god and yee shall be assured And these motions senses or feelings are not certainely of humane reason or of flesh and blood as we say for then they should be in all men alike or els nature should be an vnequall distributer of her fauours and they should be propped also vp with some outward experiēce but that is not so for they are staied vpon the word promise of God that not only without respect of outward and naturall things but euen contrary to the reason of nature and flesh which as we may see in the sufferings of the Saintes and Martyrdome of Gods people who rūne through fire and water being supported with the power of a mighty perswasion from God of which the wise mē of this world know nothing or vnderstād so we may behold it likewise in Abraham the friend of God and the father of the faithful who not once and away as we say in the matter of his owne withered body and his wife Sarahs barren wombe cōceiued hope of hauing a sonne according to promise Rom. 4.19.8 but also in the offering of Isaac his sonne he beleeuing that God was able to raise him vp from the dead from whence after a sort he receiued him as the Apostle noteth in the 11. chap. of his epistle to the Hebrewes verse 19. 13 There remaineth the thirteenth or last argument which they vsually make for the maintenance of their corrupt doctrine touching doubting which though it come in the last place hath as little force as any of the former if not lesse And they frame it after this māner The doctrine that begetteth or brinforth carnall carelesnesse and fleshly security is not to be commonly propounded and deliuered to the people The doctrine that teacheth certainty and assurance of saluation and Gods grace concerning the same and manifold fauours besides in very many begetteth and bringeth forth carnall security therefore though it were true in it selfe yet it is not to deliuered vnto the people We aunswere first vnto the maior that look what doctrine in and of it selfe breedeth or bringeth forth such badde effects it should at no hand be deliuered because men through their corruption and Satans malice prone ready enough to sinne and condemnation should not by false erronious opinions in themselues or by dangerous consequences from them be thrust headlongly into eternal iudgement As for example the doctrine of mens merites amongst Papists and the satisfying of sinne deliuerie of soules specially out of purgatory by masses diriges trentalles c. because in their owne nature they make men presumteous and carelesse also whilest by other mē their sinnes may be answered Gods iudgement satisfied should not be either publikely or priuatly propounded and the same may we affirme of all other doctrines of the like nature But if there be any true and holy doctrine vpon which this blame lighteth or is said through the malice and transgression of men or by occasion as we say or through the fault negligence or ignorance of them that abuse it or are offended at it or by it there is no reason it should be silent or dumme as we may say then that the sunne should be taken from vs because it annoyeth sore eyes yea sometime increaseth th infectiō of the plague by reason of the badde bodies that be tainted therewith or that meate and drinke should be with held from all because some eate to surffetting and drinke to drunkennesse To make this plain by some examples out of the word What is more sweete then the doctrine of Gods grace And yet because some turne it into wantonnesse as in the Apostles time and our daies shall it not therefore be heard sound in the Churches of God what is more comfortable then the doctrine of forgiunesse of sinnes through Christs obediēce And yet because some then and nowe adaies also hearing this that where sinne hath aboūded there grace hath abounded much more did and doe shamelesly and gracelesly vtter these wordes let vs continue in sinne that grace may abound shall not therefore this be propounded vnto the people The like may we saie of this point controuerted It were to much indignity and dishonour offered vnto God to make his truth subiect vnto mēs corruption And it were to much iniury and iniustice to men specially to the Godly and amongst them to those that mourne in Sion to haue with held from their eies eares and hearts the very life of their soules and the better halfe as we may say of the gospel the doctrine I meane of the forgiuenesse of sinnes For as this is true that the abusing of true doctrine doth not abolish the doctrine it selfe because it is sure and permanent euen as God the author thereof is cānot be bettered or made worse be humane corruption specially as in regard of it owne nature so this is certē also that in al godly wisdome and vnderstanding rather the abuse of it should be taken away then the doctrine it selfe with held or if that cannot be yet the same deliuered with such holy cautions as in respect of the vngodly that they be charged in the name of the Lord Iesus but to lay vncleane or violent handes vpon the sacred trueth of God not belonging vnto them and such comfort to the godly that it should rather speake in a cleare and loud voice then be mute and dumbe as we say in the Church And this besides that it is gods owne ordinance and therfore should preuaile it is more equall in all vpright iudgement and therefore also to be imbraced To the minor affirming that the doctrine teaching certenty of saluation c. maketh men secure and carelesse we answere that it is not so if they consider the doctrine either as it commeth from God or in it selfe or owne nature for so it giueth great glory vnto God to whome alone belongeth mercy and forgiuenesse of sinnes and ministreth much cōfort vnto vs whilest the assurance of these things as we see by the truth of the doctrine dependeth not vpon our selues but vpon God alone otherwise if they regard it in the fault of men abusing the same as we will not deny but that some there are that so abuse it so yet we cannot consent vnto this that for this their foule fault and sinne other men that haue better grace should be punished with the wante or lacke of this trueth of God no more then we would approoue of this that because in some great persons house one is giuen to drunkennesse and another to gourmandise therfore they that soberly and temperatly vse the plēty of the family should not haue meate or drinke or that daiely alloweance which they were wont to inioy But indeed it were much more safe and equall either to expell them that
doe so sinne in superfluitie least their euill example might infect others or else to haue some when they eate and drinke to put them in minde to put a knife vnto their throats or to allowe them lesse that so they might not by abusing of Gods creatures increase their owne sinne and hale iudgement vpon the whole house And the like maye wee affirme of the doctrine of God which is or at the least should bee the spirituall foode and drinke of our soules And thus hitherto wee haue not onely largelie but truelie I am sure aunswered whatsoeuer they haue obiected at the least wise the most materiall and forcible argumentes that they make either to vpholde their owne vanitie or errour or to assault the inuiolable and inuincible trueth of God Nowe there remaineth an aunswer to such places as they cite or quoate out of the auncient Fathers or Doctours of the Church which labour specially as in regard of the ignorant who are not well acquainted with their writinges wee might verie well spare were it not that wee would glady stoppe the mouthes of their aduersaries in all that they do or can bring for themselues whether it be in substance or shew How be it herein to put downe euery particular place doctor that they vse or abuse rather I minde not for besides that it would bee infinitely tedious it would bee also vnnecessarie or superfluous for the aunswering of one or two all the rest saying nothing at the least-wise for matter though now and then they varie in the manner but what others haue said shall be the answering of them all And therefore it shall be best herein to be as short as wee may conueniently yet as plaine as possiblie we can that so the trueth of the Lord may breake forth and be imbraced in her glorie 1 The first father that they doe alleadge is Augustine and out of him a place in his 23. tractat vpon Iohn wher he saith The minde is tossed betweene hope and despaire It is to be feared least hope hurt or kill thee that whilest thou hopest much concerning gods mercy thou shouldst fall into his iudgement And againe it is to be feared least desperation should destroy thee that whilest thou thinkest the great and grieuous sinnes vvhich thou hast committed are not pardoned thou shouldst not repent and so incurre his iudgement We may frame diuerse aunswers to this place As for example when he saith it is to be feared least hope hurt thee c. He vseth the name of hope not in his good and naturall meaning as it is both vsed and pressed vpon vs in the holie Scripturs but by abusion as S. Iames doth the word of faith in his second chapter or else according to that conceit or imagination that these secure men had of that which in themselues they tooke to be hope And though this bee true and may sufficiently aunswer the place yet further I say that Augustin in these words doth not speak simply against christian hope for that had beene to haue condemned that which the holy ghost hath commended and to haue disprooued that which he approoueth in many places of the word but against such a conceited hope if I maye giue it the name of hope or idle conceit rather swimming imagination as maketh men secure carelesse and negligent in the obedience or keeping of gods commaundements For first this is Augustins drift and purpose namely to admonish men of boldnes or licenciousnes in sinning which ariseth in men either frō a false hope of easily obtaining pardon or els frō the contrary that is distrust of saluation or from imagination that sinne is but some light and trifling thing And that this is his meaning indeed it may appeare by some speaches that goe not much before these that our aduersaries alleadge as whē he saith wherefore from either of them that is to say both hoping and despairing which are contrarie affections men are in daunger By hoping a man is deceiued when he saieth God is good God is mercifull I will doe whatsoeuer pleaseth me or liketh me I will giue my lusts the reines and lay the bridle in their necke Why so because God is mercifull gracious c. These men are in daunger of hope As they on the other side of desperation who when they haue fallen into grieuous sinnes c. as it followeth in the father By which we may see what manner of hope it is that he condemneth not the certainetie which wee according to the Scriptures teach is to bee fixed in Christ alone and his merits or Gods mercie through him and which for the certainetie and assurednesse of it is said in the word to bee as it were the anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast but such a one as al they that abuse Gods grace vnto wantonnes and sinne do wickedly forge frame vnto themselues To bee short he shutteth vp in this place or matter with the wordes of Christ vnto the adulterous woman Neither doe I condemne thee But beeing made sure for that which is past be heedy for things to come neither will I cōdēne thee for some smale good that thou hast omitted keep that which I haue cōmaūded thee that so thou maist haue performed that which I haue promised thee By which wordes appeareth that he mindeth not here to establish doubting or distrustfulnesse touching saluation neither yet to deliuer any thing against the assured hope of our soules for if he had done so he had spoken against the trueth of God and his word but that he laboureth to remooue the one and indeed to establish confirme the other whilest he assaieth as to humble the hard stony harted so to instruct the tender and afflicted conscience which he would not or could not haue done if he had meant to haue approoued of distrust or doubting for how can the conscience buffeted and beaten with feare receiue consolation thereby 2 Secondly they alleadge another saying which the same Augustine hath in his second booke of the city of god chap. 12. Where he saith speaking euen of good and holie men as it should seeme who though they be assured of the reward of their perseuerance yet are become vncertaine concerning perseuerance it selfe For vvhat man is he that knoweth he shall continue in the action of vvelldoing and proceeding in righteousnesse vnto the ende vnlesse by some speciall or particular reuelation he be thereof certified from him who in his iust iudgement doeth not instruct all men concerning this matter and yet for all that faileth or deceiueth none Here say our aduersaries Augustine plainely denieth that the Saints are sure of their perseuerance and continuance euen vnto the ende But none shall be saued but he that continueth vnto the ende Augustine therefore denieth that men are or can be assured concerning their saluation To all this we aunswer that Augustine speaketh here of such an vncertaintie and ignorance as is opposite not vnto
workes of righteous men indeede are in the hand of God and yet that they cannot nowe know whether they be beloued of God or no and that they are tossed to and fro whether the things which they indure they doe indure for triall or for punishment And a little after whosoeuer they are that suffer aduersitie it is nowe vncertaine whether they suffer them through the loue of God as did Iob or through his hatred as very many sinners doe But to this place of Ierome we answere that be speaketh here not of that iudgement which is to be giuen or gathered out of Gods word generally and more particularly out of the promises thereof vpon which indeede both for the remouing of doubting and the better assurance of their owne hearts Gods children doe comfortably relie and stay themselues but of that iudgement which is or may be takē from the present distressed estate or afflictions of men specially of the Godly from which because God afflicteth or striketh them for diuers and sundry causes best knowne vnto his wisdome as to try their faith to prooue their patience to make his strength to appeare and be made perfect in their weakenes c. there can be no certaine conclusion made or iudgement giuen And it seemeth to me that he meaneth no other thing but that which Ecclesiastes or the preacher himselfe doth namely that by the outward euent and successe of thinges we cannot certainely conclude or knowe touching the loue or hatred of God towards vs. This is my meaning that he speaketh not here of euery knowledge or ignorance of the loue or hatred of God or of al the means whereby these things may be manifested or discerned but of that onely and simply which is to be felt or drawne from the present euēt or successe of affliction or punishmēts which may appeare not onely by the reasons before alleadged because God hath so many endes which he aimeth at in the striking of his people but euen by Ieromes owne wordes if they be well weighed or els why doth he so much mention induring and suffering for triall or punishment and alleadgeth to that end the loue of God Iobs example c. To which we may adde this that no doubt but Ierome knewe this trueth also that though there were in men euen in the best men matter sufficient to mooue God to strike or punish sinne that yet he did not alwaies do it to that ende but that sometime as it is said of the blinde man in Iohn 9. that neither he nor his parents had sinned but that it was done that God might be glorified so he dealeth nowe a daies If this wil not satisfie we say we may aunswere further thus namely that he speaketh not of or against the assurance of faith but of the trouble that many times the more simple sort haue in them-selues by that same equal state as in regard of outward things specially that is betweene the good the bad And this may sufficiently enough appeare euen by such wordes as Ierome himselfe afterward addeth saying such things as of themselues are neither good nor euill but are called by the wise mē of this world meane or indifferent which fall out alike to the iust and vniust doe much trouble all simple persons why they should so fall out By which wordes it appeareth that Ierome did neither attribute to all the beleeuers that ignorance of Gods loue towards them neither that he did attribute it simply vnto them to whome he doth attribute but as in respect though not of the persons yet of the things nor meāt that it was in them at all times and seasons but onely in the time of triall and great affliction for those indeede that doe truely beleeue in Christ and that are not ceased with that grieuous temptation that fell vpon Iob and vpon Dauid Psal 37. and vpon Ieremie Iere. 12. and is discribed in these places concerning the outward felicitie of the wicked and the miseries of the godly they both may and are wont to reioice in afflictions as we may perceiue both by the doctrine of the word Rom. 5. and by the examples of it also Act. 14. and 16. yea euen those before named Dauid Iob and Ieremie and they that are or may be troubled as they were though in and for the time of their temptation they doe it not yet afterwards they beleeue as the rest of Gods people and reioyce as the rest of the Saints in their faith and hope 4 Fourthly they bring out of Hierome certaine words that he hath vpon the fourth chap. of Daniels prophecie saying when Daniell that foreknew of things to come doubteth concerning the iudgement of god saying It may be god will pardon thy sinnes surely they must commit a verie rash action that dare boldly promise pardon to sinners Wherevnto we say first that Ierome doth not here doubt whether God will graunt pardon of sinne to such sinners as doe truly repent For he knew it to be the doctrine of the word and a free promise of god in the gospell that repentance and forgiuenes of sinnes should bee preached in the name of Christ his sonne but he iustly disliketh their boldnesse that to vnrepentant sinners did boldly and freely promise pardon not sufficiently considering whether they did truely repent yea or no which fact or doctrin of theirs was then is now if it should be vsed iustlie to bee disliked because it is against the doctrine and practis of God in his word which will not haue remission of sins to be deliuered or propounded but to the penitent and beleeuing sinners And this is Hieroms meaning as appeareth by this where he saith they dare boldly promise pardon to sinner◠Besides what if we should grant that Ierome saith as much as they would haue him to say must we because he speaketh vnseasonably or vnsauourely and indeede so as doth not well agree with the Scriptures therefore embrace it No no we must in all things but specially in the matters of our faith and perswasion stand vnto the sentence and iudgement of the holy Scriptures not the words of Hierom or any other of the fathers whatsoeuer And how rightly if it should bee vnderstood as they would haue it this is gathered from Daniels wordes either in the bare letter or in the meaning thereof may appeare by that which hath beene spoken concerning the true and naturall meaning of the place of the Prophet that we may say nothing of the weakenesse of the words in them selues and of the collection that is made thervpō for how hangeth this together or what strength is there in it Daniell was acquainted with foreknew things that were to come therefore he must also bee assured either of the generall repentance of whole people or of the sound conuersion of some particular persons Indeed if we were assured that he that had receiued one grace were indewed withall or if that could be prooued as true
sound or that god may not distribute his graces as he will to some more to some lesse to none all it were somewhat But these things being as they are Hieroms collection cannot be very good But let it be as may be wee say nothing to deface him or to puffe vp our selues but to shewe that the aduersaries haue not nor cannot any maÌ„ner of way haue such hold of him or from him as they suppose And the like may we say of al the rest whose authorities we cease further to answer as we because that which hath beene said to these will suffice to satisfie the other as also because we would auoid tediousnesse not onely in matter vnnecessarie but euen also in that which is necessary and so make hast to more materiall points and matter of more weight and importance Hitherto wee haue bin busied and I hope not vnprofitably in aunswering whatsoeuer our aduersaries haue beene able to alleadge either out of Scripture or from reason or fathers against the certainetie of faith in the fauour of God touching our saluation c. or for the maintenance and vpholding of that doubtfulnesse and distrust which they hold in themselues and would obtrude or thrust vnto others By all which it plainely and euidently appeareth that that doctrine of theirs concerning doubting is not conteined in the word of God or the writings of the fathers rightly vnderstood or is grounded vpon anie sound or religious reason and that therefore indeede it is not to be accounted a Scripture doctrine or a doctrine conteined in the bookes and writinges of holie men indued with sound and vpright iudgement but is taken rather as a dreame and fantasie of their owne which together with with them will vanish awaye they beeing so farre of their preiudising the trueth which they haue seemed to oppugne and impugne that they haue rather established and confirmed the same so true here and else where euen in all respects must that be that the Apostle Saint Paule speaketh in the second to the CorinthiaÌ„s the thirteene where he saith We cannot do any thing against the truth but for the trueth Now we are in as few words as possiblie wee can to declare that this their doctrine of doubting directly striueth against gods holy word the writings of the founder fathers religions reason and whatsoeuer else we can recken vp that so when wee see it hath not onely nothing for it but all against it wee may cast it away with bissing and so more soundlie cleaue and stick to the truth of God and his word 1 This doctrine of the papists concerning doubting of Gods grace our owne saluation c. is first directlie contrarie to two sorts of testimonies contained in the holie Scriptures or writinges of God The first sort is of them that doe manifestlie and plainely instruct vs coÌ„cerning the assurednesse of faith and the certainetie confidencie and boldnes of beleeuers shewing also withall that by faith and the sound fruites thereof we may safelie iudge and determine concerning election specially our owne The second sort is of them in which God himselfe by his word and spirite hath sharpely reprooued and iustly condemned doubting concerning himselfe his goodnesse power word promises therin contained To put downe all the particular places of both kindes in the verie words of the text would bee tedious and indeed vnnecessarie because the trueth of the doctrin of the word standeth not in the multitude and conformitie of places but vpon God and that sufficient credit in it selfe that God hath giuen to it Notwithstanding wee will touch some and by quotation onely referre the godlie and studious reader to the the rest that we thinke meet for this purpose and to his continuall reading of the word by which we may doubtlesse add many more of the like nature In the epistle to the Hebreues there are two worthy places The 1. is chap. 4. v. 16. where he saith Let vs boldly go therefore vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercie and finde grace to help in time of neede Wee may perceiue that it is an exhortation inferred vpon the premises containing in them a reason of this our christian boldnes namely this that howsoeuer Christs priesthood was farre more excellent and glorious then that of Aaron because he is the sonne of God placed in heauen c. Yet that glorie of his should not hinder vs from approching vnto him but rather further vs indeed not onely because he hath the fulnes of all power in his hand as v. 14. but also because he is our eldest brother and is not onely sensibly touched with the feeling of out infirmities and miseries but accounteth them all euen as his owne and therefore wee may come with coÌ„fidence and boldnes vnto him The 2. place is chap. 10. ver 22. where he saith Let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith our harts being pure from an euill conscience It is an exhortation as the former drawne indeed froÌ„ the maiestie dignitie of Christs priesthood set out and described verse â—â— in which the Apostle sheweth not onely how that all sufficient sacrifice which Christ hath offred once for al vpon the altar of the crosse may be applyed vnto vs to wit by a liuely stedfast faith which he câ—leth here assuraÌ„ce of faith but also how we may be persuaded we haue that faith namely through the sanctification of the spirit which he meaneth by hauing our hearts purged from an euill conscience c. all which causeth vs also assuredly to hope and trust in god and to be assured of his grace because wee see we haue not receiued his grace in vaine To which wee may adde a place out of the first epistle of Peter chap. 1. ver 15. Wherefore gird vp the loynes of your minde bee sober and trust perfectly on that graâ—â— that is brought vnto you in the reuelation of Iesus Christ In which words we may not onely see a transition from one vertue to another that is from faith which he had spoken of before to hope which he now dealeth with they being indeede inseparable companions such as go arme in arme as we may 〈◊〉 but also he doeth very briefly declare what manner of hope that is that we should haue namely that it should be sound sincere continuall and to our vttermost perfect yea he teacheth vs whereon that hope staieth it selfe or what it respecteth grace saith he either the grace of the fauour of God in Christ or els free saluation reuealed vnto vs in the Gospell which also is called grace because it proceedeth from the free fauour and grace of God which is wrought vnto vs in this life through Christ manifested in his word and shall be fully accoÌ„plished when he that is our head shal appear for to ether of these or both of these may these words of the reuelation of Christ be referred though I thinke principally to the
latter meaning But the place is alleadged to shewe that we should perfectly hope and is strong indeede against popish doubting He that lusteth to see more places let him looke vpon Rom. 4. v. 16.17.18.19.20.21 also Rom. 5. v. 2. chap. 8. v. 38. Ephe. 3. v. 22. 2. Tim. 1. v. 12. Heb. 11. throughout Ioh. â— v. 14. 1. Ioh. 5. v. 13. with sundry such like not only in the new TestameÌ„t but the old also where we shal see the doctrine it selfe propounded confirmed by many memorable and worthy examples The other sort of Testimonies standing vpon reproofe for weaknes of faith or waÌ„t of faith doubting come nowe to be alleadged and considered of whereof we haue store In the first chapter of the Epistle of Saint Iames he saith let him aske in faith and wauer not for he that wauereth is like a waue of the sea tossed of the wind and carried away neither let him thinke that he shall receiue any thing of the lord by which we may perceiue that he condemneth as particularly praiers proceeding from or conceiued with a doubting minde whether is a certaine promise of God going before so all oâ—her manner of doubting whether is the like proppes of faith namely promises from God whereabout soeuer it be as Gods fauour our owne saluation c. and good reason it should be so for of like thinges there is the like consideration And in the twelfth of Luke when he will perswad men to depend vpon Gods prouidence for meate drinke cloath c and all other fauours and blessings whatsoeuer he thinketh it not enough to say aske not what ye shall eate or what ye shall drinke but he addeth more neither hang ye in suspense the word by which he expresseth this matter is very significant for it is as much as if he should say be not of a suspended or doubtfull heart For it is metaphoricall taken or borrowed from things that hang in the aire which are so vncertaine that no man knoweth whether they will fall or hang there still Euen so they that are carefull for this wordly life and hang vpon the arme of maÌ„ haue alwaies wauering doubt ful mindes swaying some times this way sometimes that way neither they themselues nor other men knowing what will become of them or which way they will fall In the 14. of Matthew though Peter had done well and in strength of faith had walked a while vpon the water and Christ had stretched forth his hand and caught him saued him from sinking yet he saith vnto him O thou of little faith vvherefore didest thou doubt which if doubting had not beene euill he would not haue done or had it beene a vertue he could not haue done for so he should either haue iustified that which is corrupt or condemned that which is good and Christ was as free from all other sinne so particularly from that He that will see more let him read Math. 6.30 Rom. 14.23 Hebr. 12. verse 12.13 and specially of Rom. 14. where he saith what soeuer is not of faith that is to say a grounded perswasion out of the word but is done the conscience doubting of it or repugning against it is sinne And good reason there is it should be so for faith and trust in God his word and promises is contrary to doubting and distrustfulnesse and if faith be a vertue then doubting is a vice and therefore faith and trust beeing once established doubting which is contrary or opposite vnto it is remoued But though this trueth be as cleare as the Sunne yet our adversaries put some exception against it as first thus the faithfull or Godly haue alwaies doubting in them or cleauing vnto them What and if we graunt that they haue the seed of this sinne as of others dwelling within them is it therefore good or must it be fostered and fooded So a man might say they haue the reliques and remainders of other transgressions in them therefore they are good or they must not be striuen against This were indeed to let men liue as they list and when they haue done soddenly to goe downe into the graue For the obiection it selfe it selfe it is not true that the faithfull haue alwaies doubting in them as we may perceiue by the hope of their hearts their prayers to God and other duties of obedience to God and sanctificatioÌ„ which they could not forme at any time if they had at al times doubting in them That the faithfull doe sometimes doubt I doubt not Howbeit if they could tell from whence it came the question would be cleared It springeth from the corruption of nature and from a heart that without respect of Gods mercy promises is ceased with the sense of sinne and apprehension of Gods iudgement against them for the same which though it may be many times in the wicked but without fruit yet is it more rife euen in the godly who are this way more liuely and powerfully affected This doubting is not faith neither indeed doth it flow from faith neither is it of the notice or nature of faith but commeth from our weakenesse as before hath beene said fighteth against faith though it be true in that coÌ„bat and conflict faith doth ouercome and get the victorie at the last as we may perceiue Mark 9. where it is said by the father of the possessed child I beleeue Lord help my vnbeleefe For in this question we speake not of such an imagination or conceit of faith as during the infirmitie or weaknesse of our flesh hath by reason of the remainders of maÌ„s corruptioÌ„ no doubting at al adioyned with it in the person that hath receiued that precious gift of faith but we mean it of such a faith as stestdfastly though weakely laieth hold assuredly of the obiect of it For we knowe and confesse that faith as it is Gods worke is exquisite and absolute and yet as it is in vs to be imperfect and to haue as we may say his degrees and increasings And yet we feele and perceiue that this faith though neuer so imperfect then when it laieth hold of the true and onely obiect of it namely Christ our mediatour and his merites is true and sound and from the obiect which our faith though it be weake laieth hould of we haue much firme and assured comfort And if this were not true we could not comfort our selues neither in our knowledge patience prayer or any othergood worke beside because we knowe in part we prophesie in part c. Secondly some except further say that Paul and the Apostles in the places aboue mentioned speake of that certainty of their own saluation which they had by speciall reuelation and not that they affirme that all the faithfull haue the like assurance But the aunswere is easy The Apostles doe or did not speake only of themselues but of all the faithfull and not of their owne faith and saluation only but of
bounty of god in his promises which god would haue vs as we may perceiue by by his commanding of vs to beleeue to giue free and full consent vnto As for the conditions they speake of we tell theÌ„ that are adioyned to the promises not as to make the promises more strong in themselus or as in respect of God for so they are alwaies sure and certain but the better to seale vp the faithfull performance of them in our hearts while wee are inabled by God in some measure to accomplish performe the same we assuring our owne hearts that sith we cannot perfectly fulfill theÌ„ our selues yet being fulfilled by another for vs we shal in his absolute accomplishment therof righteousnes haue a plentifull supply for all our defects whatsoeuer we knowing further that if many a compassionate man in the world doe not take all aduantages of breach of couenants or conditions that another hath made with him God who is compassion it selfe will not deale so with his seruantes whome he hath singled out vnto himselfe and separated to eternall life notwithstanding their weakenesse and wants And conditions in this case God propoundeth none vnto vs by the Gospell but to repent and beleeue the gospel both which are wrought in vs in some measure by his owne hand and grace and therfore we comfort our selues that being his owne work he wil not reiect it but accept it rather notwithstanding our weakenesses and wants by reason of the remainders of our corruption adioyned thereto As for the explanation or exposition following it hath receiued a full aunswere before and therfore we let it passe and come to a second exception that they make against this trueth thus We are not sure say they whether we performe these conditions that is whether we sufficiently repent vs of our sinnes or doe sufficiently beleeue the promises of God and therefore that wee are not assured concerning Gods promises But this we aunswere is the same poyson that hath beene propounded in some of their arguments before put downe and answered whether we might remit the reader How be it in a word or two we will saye somewhat And first we giue them to vnderstand that their consequent were good and forcible if they had prooued or could prooue that the trueth certâ—inetie of gods holy and heauenly promises did depend vpoÌ„ the sufficiencie of our faith repentance but that being not prooued is of no importance Nay we say further that it caÌ„not be prooued because God in his word hath not prescribed a limited and determined measure of faith and repentance which whosoeuer hath not attained vnto he cannot be certified or assured of gods grace and his owne saluation but therin onely requireth at our hands faith and repentance both which graces as all other fruits of the spirite are in some more and in some lesse according to the measure thereof giuen vnto men from God And this may appeare because Christ simply and plainely saith He that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life not expressing how much or how litle faith is requisite to that worke so it be sound and true And we are taught in the Scriptures to pray for augmentation and increase of faith and to vse all good meanes whereby we may bee builded vp therein and so proceed from faith to faith c. So may we yea so ought wee to pray for increase of repentance other fruits of graces of the spirit and yet when we haue attained through Gods goodnesse towards vs a good measure yet wee shall haue our lacks And what can be more plaine then that Christ saith to the woman Luke 7. thy saith hath saued thee although wee doubt not the place and circumstances of it considered to affirme that she had not sufficient either faith or repentance And therefore we may safely conclude that though we beleeue weakelie yet so it be truely and rightly al our sinnes are forgiuen vs for Iesus Christ sake we made partakers of all the fruites and merits of his death and passion Besids what an absurditie will follow this conceit of sufficiencie of faith and repentance for sith no man liuing can either sufficiently bee sorrowfull for his sinnes or make any answer or satisfaction vnto god for them or surely determine concerning the sufficiencie of his faith and repentance because God hath reuealed no such thing in his word and to fetch it from his owne head or heart will not be fit for that is deepe and deceitfull aboue all things it will follow that no man should hope for saluation but rather despaire of it which besides that it is absurde is both ungodly and vncomfortable also But if they will yet further obiect and say that no man knoweth whether he doth truly repent and beleeue or els whether he ascribe vnto himselfe the things he hath not We answer that it is an vntrue assertion to say that no man can tell whether he doe truely repent beleeue c. For though the scripture haue not taught vs to knowe whether our faith is sufficient or our repentance weighty ennough yet hath it giuen vs certaine infallible notes by which we may discerne and iudge of the sinceritie and trueth both of our faith and repentance For as alll the fruites of our faith generally are sure seales and pledges of the trueth that is in vs and more particularly our holy prayers to God according to that which is said Rom. 10. How shall they call vpon him in whome they beleeue not so in the fruits and effects following our repentance seales vp also the sinceritie and soundnesse thereof in our seuerall soules Nowe what these are we may see largely recited 2. Cor. 7. as great care clearing of our selues indignation feare desire zeale reuenge c. And why should we not or may we not say that if in the little light of nature that remaineth in vs vntainted we may be able to discerne of some sinnes we may by the light of the word and spirit beginning and aduauncing our regeneration be able in some measure to iudge of our owne faith repentance c. That a beleeuing man may know that he doth beleeue the Apostle me thinketh doth plainely shewe it in his own example when he saith 2. Tim. 1.2 I know whom I haue beleeued And when Philip Act. 8. said vnto the Eunuch if thou doest beleeue with all thy heart c. and he answered I beleeue that that Iesus Christ is that sonne of God did not the Eunuch both know and feele faith The Apostle telleth vs. Rom. 10. that with the heart wee beleeue to iustification and with the mouth make confession to saluation And 2. Cor. 13. why doth the Apostle commaund or exhort to trye our selues whether we be in the faith Surely he would not haue enioyned or prouoked men to this duetie vnlesse they might through the power and grace of the holie ghost in some measure and manner certainely know it
And 1. Cor. 2. he saith we haue receiued not the spirite of the world but the spirite of God For which purpose also see Ephes 1.17.18 and Ephes 3.16 c. and 1. Ioh. 4.15 sundry other from all which we may conclude that true faith knoweth it selfe and doubteth not of euerlasting saluation which it apprehendeth or laieth hold of Although we denie not nether but that the flesh many times intermingleth that which is in and of it selfe that is to say doubting concerning the word and promises of God Yea our faith in Christ though it be neuer so smale yet if it be true both holdeth fast this certainetie concerning Gods grace and our owne eternall saluation and also knoweth and feeleth that according to the measure of mercie from God it holdeth the same fast And yet we are not ignorant of this neither that manie times it is very infirme weak then especially when manie sore doubtings do tosse and turmoile yea make wearie our faint minds which doubtings indeed are not from faith neither of the nature of faith but flow from the flesh of our old Adam in vs which point if we know well we shall be made able the better and more easily to cleare and voide this point But yet they persist and say that Epicures and prophane men euen in the midst of their iniquities may suppose that they haue such a perswasion of certainetie assurance But we tell them first that our question of true faith and of them that do indeed beleeue and not of epicures and prophane persons or of a dead faith which many hypocrites yea diuels may haue as S. Iames plainly sheweth and that therefore they do euill and misse the mark when they compare not onely diuerse but contrarie both men and matters together Secondly that we are hartilye sorie for their blindnesse and ignorance that cannot as yet make a difference betweene the imaginations and conceits of the wicked which commonly breed and bring forth in them senselesse and carelesnesse and the perswasions of the godly which as they worke comfort for the sinnes already past so do they breed care of conuersation for that which is to come Thirdly we say that howsoeuer the world may fantasie and imagine some such matter yet they cannot feele it or be indeede throughly perswaded of it not onely because God saith by the Prophet There is no peace to the wicked who are like the raging sea that can not rest whose vvaters cast vp mire and dirt but also because wanting faith without which also it is impossible to please god they must lack this effect of it euen the quiet fruite of righteousnesse and a good conscience before God and men But let vs proceed to some further exceptions they make against this truth Some of them say that is not presently performed which is promised therefore from this that God hath promised vs saluation it will not follow that wee presently laye hold thereon and therefore we cannot from the promise that is made vnto vs concerning our saluation conclude that we ought to bee sure concerning it as if it were already accomplished and performed There are many things to be said to this exception or obiection We denie not this that God doth not alwaies presently performe the things he hath promised but that this should be inferred that therefore we should doubt of the accomplishment of them in that time that god hath set with him selfe from before all times is neither sauourie in it selfe nor will follow from the antecedēt I will put one case that shall make it as plaine as possibly can be Our Sauiour Christ was promised to our first parents presently after the fal to be the person by whōe God would reconcile the world vnto himself And yet he was not manifested in the flesh many thousands of yeares after What should they then or those that did succeede them after haue doubted of the accomplishment of this most sweet comfortable promise because it was not presently performed Away with such wickednes I would faine see a reason for this why wee should not as well doubt of that which is past so many hūdred or thousand of yeares if you will because it is not presently performed or we behold it not with our eies or haue the rest of our senses satisfied therin as doubt of that which in the strēgth power of gods promise is to be performed in time because it is not presently done why may not a man as safely infer euen by the contrary and that also as in respect of the godly that if they wil haue them to doubt of the accōplishment of gods promises because they ar differred they must not feare but tremble with the diuel dāned as in regard of the iudgmēt vengeance that is for to come Nay I will say more if this be right that they propound as in regard of the faithfull that they should doubt because it is not by and by performed that is promised that thē the wicked need not feare or doubt as in respect of the wrath that is threatned because it is delaied for of contrary things there is the contrary reason or consideration and we know that to be true which the holy ghost speaketh in the booke of the preacher Though a sinner doe euill a hundreth times and God prolong his daies yet I know it shall be well with them that feare the Lord and do reuerence before him but it shall not be well to the wicked neither shall he prolong his daies but shall be like a shaddowe because he feareth not before God Me thinketh rather this would follow God manie times for causes reasons best knowne vnto himselfe differreth the performance of his promises and the execution of his wrath therefore they will certainelie come because he is no changling Can we say in reason that which is differred is not taken away and can we not much more saye in christian religion wherein this is taught vs to be the nature of faith and hope not so much to regard things present as those that are to come for faith that is seene is no faith and therefore is here commended Hebre. 11. that being warned of God concerning thinges which were as yet not seene and mooued with the reuerence he prepared the arke to the sauing of his houshold affirme the same wee haue a by word amongst vs that were it not for hope the heart would breake Let vs labour herein according to trueth and godlinesse able with patience and comfort to support vs euen vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ to end all our miseries and to make perfect our felicitie and ioy Whatsoeuer it be this is certaine that whatsoeuer god promiseth vnto his people he doeth assuredly and without fayling accomplish and perform the same vnto them though happily not so soone as the word hath passed him for so it might be they would make no great account of the fauour promised
bodie vnto the edifying of it selfe in loue And Cor. 2. We are rooted built in him and stablished in faith whereof all the body furnished and knit togeather by ioints and bandes increaseth with the increasing of God Lastly in as these sinnes doe not raign in me or ouer rule by that but that they are mastered and beaten downe by the grace of the spirit plentifully shed abroad in into my heart and powerfully prevailing against my corruption one while whilest it doth in a notable measure subdue iniquitie present in me and another while whilest after sinne committed it raiseth me vp to repeÌ„tance and amendement so that I lie not sleeping and snorting in sinne as the wicked but theese sinnes are through the mightie operation and working of the holy Chost daily by little and little more and more purged in me scoured from me in this life by beginning if I may so say here and by consummation perfection in the life that is to be reuealed 4 And therefore the assault that he maketh against vs is by an argumeÌ„t framed thus Innumerable men and women perish and are condemned as whom Christ and righteousnes doth no whit at all profit but thou art of that number as appeareth by this because thou art no whit better then they that worsest rather therefore thou art damned Hereunto I answer that the truth of this proposition I willingly consent vnto namely that innumerable persons perish and are condemned but yet with this exception that the cause thereof is not in any impotencie or weaknes of Christs death and righteousnes for that is of most large yea of infinite merit as hath bin shewed alreadie but by reason that they themselues doe not beleeue Fos as that is true in the faithfull which our Sauiour vttereth in a most vehement affirmation saying Ioh. 5. Verily verily I saie vnto you he that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life So that againe must be verified in the vnbeleeuers which he saith els where Ioh. 3.18 He that beleeueth not is coÌ„demned alreadie because he hath not beleeued in the name of the onely begotten sonne of God And for the minor I charge it with two faults first that it is false as when he saith thou art one of that number and very vncerten in the other words or if thou wilt reason of the assertion because thou art no whit better then they but worse rather For first when he saith I am one of them he doth not onely euill as in regard of himselfe taking Gods office vpon him to whom alone as vengeance so all true sound iudgement appertaineth but affirmeth falsly that which he can neuer prooue nay the contrarie whereof I am able to shewe and that not onely by mine owne iudgement which happily might be suspected in mine owne cause and yet speaking the truth I see no reason why I should not as well be beleeued for my selfe as Satan against me but euen from the testimonie and witnes of Gods holy word I know I am faithful and I am confirmed in the truth and certentie of the perswasion because I doe not in an euil or idle opinion but in true and certen faith lay hold of Christ and stay and settle my selfe wholly and onely vpon him This no heatheÌ„ Idolater can doe because he is not only without Christ but without God in the worlde This no Mahometist or Iewe can performe because they denye him and defie him from their heartes This no counterfeited or corrupt christian can accomplish For the false christian as papistes ioyne their workes at the least with him and the carnall professour in the corrupt course of his conuersation denies his power to mortification and sanctification Therefore I separated from all and euerye one of them in strength of perswasion in particular application and the fruites of faith and blessed obedience cannot perish But maye truelye and effectuallye saye that Christ Iesus dwelling in my hearte and making me fruitefull to good workes and I againe beeing thereby in him there is no condemnation to me nor anye such yea I am throughly and certainelye perswaded That neither life nor death heigth nor breadth thinges present nor thinges to come are able to separate me from the loue of God tovvards me vvhich is in Christ Iesus As for the vncertaintie of the coÌ„firmation it is apparant by this that though Sathan knowe vs all to bee tainted in AdaÌ„ yet he knoweth not in whom the power of corruption preuaileth most or more The wicked cannot discerne of them of another no not one of them well of their hearts as we see euen particularly by this that many times they are not only blind but senselesse also and yet a man would thinke that they should be as wel able either to know the heigth and hainousnesse of one anothers corruption or their owne as Sathan should bee acquainted with theirs And if Sathan cannot tell whether I bee worse then they he lesse knoweth whether I bee in anye measure of mercie better then they for by reason of the fulnesse of his owne corruption he can much better discerne of euill then any whit at all of good by reason of his aduersnesse and waye-wardnesse and vnto wardnesse thereto But be it as it may be we will yeeld him the hardest that I am such a one to wit by nature yet am I another man by grace and adoption which varieth the state And though I were in my selfe of my selfe no whit better then others nay I will say more worse then others if god be pleased to account otherwise of me what is that to Sathan sith God will haue mercy vpon whomsoeuer he will haue mercy wil cause me and others to feele and finde that true in our selues that the Apostle saith in the generall doctrine of the word where sin hath abounded there grace hath ouer abounded and freelye confesseth of himselfe that God had mercie on him the chiefe of all sinners And therfore I am so farre of from despâ—ire in my selfe though it be true that in that respect I may couer my face with shame that I may rather greatly comforte my selfe because in this life Gods fauour and good will doth not in any thing so plainely appeare as in the forgiuenesse of my sinns But Sathan will yet againe presse and vrge this further thus The faithfâ—â— verily are not damned but saued by Christ But thou art not faithfull or hast not faith therefore thou canst not be saued by Christ but must notwithstaÌ„ding for the want of thy faith remaine stil vnder condemnation For aunswer whereto I say still notwithstanding all thy oppositioÌ„s Sathan that I haue faith and doe beleeue And if thou wilt aske how I know it or can be assured of it I will shew thee Christ our Sauiour telleth vs that we shall know the tree by the fruite from the effects
A DISCOVRSE TOVCHING THE DOCTRINE OF DOVBTING In which not onely the principall arguments that our popish aduersaries vse for the establishing of that discomfortable opinion are plainely and truely aunswered But also sundrie suggestions of Sathan tending to the maintenance of that in the mindes of the faithfull fully satisfied and that with singuler comfort also VVritten long since by T. W. and now published for the profit of the people of God PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1598. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND HIS VERIE GOOD LORD AND LADIE THE LORD EDWARD EARLE OF BEDFORD AND THE LADIE LVCIE HIS WIFE AND TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND HIS VERIE GOOD FRIENDS SIR IOHN HARRINGTON KNIGHT AND THE LADIE HIS WIFE T. W. vvisheth the aboundant riches of all Gods mercies in this life and the full fruition of the Lord himselfe and all his fauours in that vvhich is to come through Christ THe life of christian men womē here vpon earth is not without cause right honourable and right worshipfull neither yet vnfitely compared by the holye ghost in the canonicall Scriptures to a continuall combate and warfaire Of which as the written vvord it selfe in the sound doctrine and approoued examples thereof concerning this point doth beare faithfull witnes so if god would giue vs grace carefullie to obserue either other men or our selues in such sorte as vve ought or could not but quicklie finde good warrantise for it in the vvorld likewise For confirmation whereof if vve had no more but on the other side the darke doctrine of poperie euerie vvhere assaying to persvvade yea to driue men to doubting and on the other side the diffidence and distrustfulnesse that naturally we carrie about with vs in our hearts it were as a man might say more then sufficiēt Touching the popish opinion it is certainelie pitifull that they can see no other vvaye or meane to preuent proude presumption but to incurre the daunger of distrust and doubting And it is the more pitifull doubtlesse by hovv much both in Gods religion yea and in mans reason also they can not but know confesse that euery singular vertue or good worke hath two sins set against it the one as disagreeing from it the other as contrarie to it The vertue or good worke as we nowe call it here is trust in God then what can be a more excellent vvorke sith our Sauiour saith This is the worke of Christ that ye beleeue in him whō he hath sent And vvhat is more contrarie to it then to doubt or distrust and vvhat is more disagreeing from it thē Lucifer-like presūption And yet euen againe I say it is the more pitifull by howe much it crosseth euen their ovvne opinion practise For how can that cōceit of theirs touching merit before Christ and specially of meriting eternall life stand with the doctrine of doubting seeing that merite or absolute obedience specially if men deale with one that is iust as Christ who is iustice it selfe must needes shutt out doubting touching that we are sure we haue deserued and he cannot choose but of iustice giue and graunt But such vaine fantesies must they fall into that fall avvaie from the faith and trueth of the worde and vvill lift vp thēselves against Christ our Sauiour that so refusing grace offered and feeling it where it is not to bee found they might vanish avvay through the disquietnes of their spirits in the vaine imaginations of their ovvne mindes Concerning the other it is verie lamentable that in so large aboundance of Gods gracious promises and in so faithfull and continuall performance of them speciallie to his owne people whereof not onely the vvord but the vvorld doth yeeld vs an infinite cloude of vvitnesses mens mindes should yet be replenished vvith fearefulnesse and doubting But such and so great is Sathans malice against vs and so dull and slow of heart are vve to beleeue speciallie when we regard our manifold vnworthinesse our grieuous transgressions or the seueritie and iustice of the Lords iudgements that it is more then marueilous if anie man be found in better estate considering I say either vvhat we are by nature or regarding withall what after our inlighting and regeneration begunne in vs a world there is of reliques remainder of corruption in vs which though they doe not vtterly deface and put out the good worke of God in vs because it is to maiesticall and povverfull to be battered and beaten downe by so weake an aduersarie yet do they so backward and hinder the same that in this life vvee can not attaine to that fulnesse of faith which we greatly hunger and thirst after and though through gods goodnes we haue gained somewhat yet many times we finde those graces so eclipsed and darkened in vs that they seeme to be as if they vvere not But what meane we to trauaile in the strengthning of these points vvhich in euerye mans minde and mouth almost are so cleare and vsuall as nothing more The thing rather that we should striue vnto is this namely that sith by corrupt opinions we are or may be dayly assaulted outwardly and by Sathans subtle suggestions and our owne cursed corruptions vve are continually prouoked inwardly as to euerie other euill generally so particularly to this sore sicknesse of our soules distrust or doubting we should in the holy wisedome cleare light of Gods vvorde and also by the all sufficient strength and power of the blessed spirite so labour to looke vnto our selues as that we suffer not our selues either to be infected vvith the pleasaunt poyson of false doctrine or to bee drawne to discomfort through the doubtfullnesse of our hearts For as the former hazerdeth what saie I nay ouerthroweth the health of our soules that more dangerously by much then any bodily poison doth or can doe the state of our outward man for in the middest of this the minde may be safe and sure whereas in the other specially persisted in there insueth euerlasting destruction both of bodie and soule so the latter strongly haleth downe vpō vs and violently bringeth vnto vs all heauinesse of heart and fearefull disquitnesse and togeather with the same as a peculiar effect thereof all manner of vnwillingnesse vnfitnesse and disabilitie in and about the seruice of Christ whether publikely in the congregation or priuately in the familie as also for the carefull accomplishment of our Christian duties either at home or abroad For what likelihood or probability is there that he shall appeare before god or doe good vnto mē whose spirit is disquieted within him seeing that a quiet spirit is a thing much set by before god and fitteth vs also for naturall duties These great difcfiulties dangers are not nay cannot be discerned but by the light of the word neither indeede can the euill of them be preuented and beatē backe but by carefull taking vnto vs and dailie vsing of all the armour that Christ himselfe and not