it is false and pepish doctrine to make obedience anie cause of our election when as Christ plainly sheweth their hearing following of him to be signes of their election putting the only cause of it in his fathers gift in the 29. verse Then also a childe may see this is nothing to the question for wee enquire not of the causes but of the certaintie of our election The latter part of his answere is in these words When as therefore we doo heare the voice of Christ and follow him then may we be sure that wee are his chosen sheepe which can neuer bee plucked out of his hand nor perish but that wee shall haue eternall life But when as we refuse to heare his voice and will not follow him but our owne fancies and euill lusts then may we be sure that we are not his chosen sheepe How this agreeth with the former part of his answere I refer it to the reader and what his crasie head here ran vpon I will not determine Only this sufficeth he granteth in these words an euerlasting certaintie of the state of those that are Christes chosen shéep therefore he granteth the argument of the place and so consequently the question Thus the Lord can make the enemies of his trueth to wound themselues Another of the places hee bringeth I acknowledge which is this The gifts and callings of God are without repentance His answere to this is That it was written to proue that though the Iewes were reiected and reprobated for a time yet at the last they should bee conuerted vnto Christ because God had from the beginning chosen them for their fathers sakes A lier is best knowne by his shifting and it is their propertie if they can possibly auoide it by circumstances they will neuer speake directly to the purpose as knowing they shal then be taken tardie So E. G. being pressed with the place aforesaid telleth vs a tale of the verse going before it in the text that of the Jewes shall also some be saued because they were chosen for their fathers and so cunningly passeth ouer the proofe of that reason which the Apostle yeldeth and which was now the question For the Apostle hauing rendred this reason why of y â— Jewes there should be saued to wit because there was of them elected for their fathers sakes hée sawe this néeded further proofe séeing men might think their election to be a matter of nothing to them that folowed not the footsteps of their godlie fathers Therefore in the 29. verse he confirmeth his former reason by this vniuersall and perpetuall principle For the gifts and calling of God are such as he cannot repent him of As though he should haue answered the former obiectioÌ„ in mens minds on this sort The gifts of God in the 9. Ch. 4. v. and his calling wherby he tooke vnto him this nation for his people in times past are not the gifts and calling of a man who is apt to repent him of his facts but they are of God who cannot be changed and is subiect to no repentance whereupon it followed that their election stood certaine and could not be disanulled by anie meanes Yet E. G. who presumed so much of his quicke sight that hee durst set downe these points and interprete diuers scriptures contrarie to the receiued iudgement and sense of the whole Church of GOD was so blinde in espying the consequence of this place that he asketh how this doeth prooue that he can neuer fall away from God that is once truely called and sanctified Certeinly hée shall neuer iudge colours for me that is not able to discerne one inch before his eies But lest he haue left any as dim eids as himselfe behinde him I will lend them these spectacles to make the letters greater Whatsoeuer is done not to be repented of for abideth euer vnremoueably but the gifts that God giueth and the calling wherewith he calleth his are done not to be repented of therefore they abide for euer vnremoueably And so consequently there is no breaking of anie more The parts are plaine and the argument I doubt not to auouch it against anie heretike inumcible Now to these arguments I wil adde two or three me not as my store for I protest I could fil a 〈◊〉 treatise with the proofes for this purpose nor yet as a thing verie needfull considering what hath béen said But for the desire I haue to satisfie all such as are not wilfully bent to contention E. G. hath granted before That they are certainly Christes chosen sheepe which heare his voice and follow him Now we take all the truely sanctified to be such therfore those whom we vnderstaÌ„d here for truely sanctified are all one with those E.G. accounteth the chosen sheep of Christ Herevpon let this be the third argument for the perseuerance of the saints They that cannot be seduced cannot fall awaie but the elect cannot be seduced if the word of Christ may bee taken 24. Math. 24. verse therefore the elect cannot fall away 4. Christ saith 4. 10. 14. verse Whosoeuer shall drink of the water that I wil giue him he shall not thirst for euer but that same water which I will giue him shall become in him a fountaine of water springing vnto eternall life Now what hee vnderstood by that water is explaned in the 7. of John 39. verse where it is said to be the spirite which Christ wold giue those that beleeued in him Wherhence I reason thus Whosoeuer haue the holy Ghost promised to abide in them for euer shall neuer fall away but all that truely beléeue in Christ haue this promise therfore they shal neuer fall away and so consequently the state of the saints is vnchaungeable 5. That blasphemous absurditie which before hée foolishly charged our doctrine withall touching the inward man of the regenerate shall most necessarily bée found the consequence of this his srensie For if the spirite of God may bee cleane put out in the saints as he most grosâ—y granteth how can it be auoyded but that he maketh the deuill mightier then God himselfe Christ indéed is that strong man that many times that is in all that are ordemed to life entreth by force and driueth Sathan out of his kingdom And although Sathan also cease not to assault the Cities of Christ that is the saints in whoÌ„ Christ owelleth by his spirite yea to batter some pinnacles or towers of the same yet that hee should be able to take the spoile of it â—â— cast out Christ the king and raign himself in hissteed is abhominable to be thought and ouermatcheth in measure the greatest blasphemie of the Papists 6. The golden chaine of so sure a making as the linkes can neuer be sundred in 8. Rom. 29. 30. verses warranteth vndoubtedly this doctrine vnto vs sith that iustification the lowest linke by the order of working is indissolubly coupled with glorification the highest linke for the assurance of
assailed of Sathan with diuers stormes of doubtfulnesse dreades and discomfortes and amongst the rest with the terrour of the remembrance of some speciall time wherein the fruites of their faith appeared not with which terrour so soone as euer he hath dumpped them he slacketh no time presentlie to waielaie them with this two-fold snare to wit either that their faith which before they had stoode vpon was no true faith but a counterfeit saith he because it was not fruitfull by workes or els though it were at first a true faith yet now they had lost it by their owne negligence by one of which hookes it commeth often to passe that the humbled soule is hurried as it were to the gates of hell before it obtaine deliuerance In which case when the minister of Christes glad tidinges finding anie shall say to him this argument that Sathan opposeth you withall is sophisticall and false and he doth it but in the rage of his malice to drowne you in doubtfulnesse and despaire For the intermitting of good workes doth not necessarilie conclude a voidnes of faith no more then you can truelie say of fire vnder the ashes or of a tree whose sappe as in winter is withdrawne to the rootes either that the one is quite put out or the other vtterlie deade By this similitude I say if the minister of the gospel shall detect the fraud of the diuel and reach a hand for the distressed soule to bee lifted out of the mire by what doth he worthie blame therein or not warrantable by the eternall word of trueth Thus let the faithfull reader in this place obserue that this shamelesse mouth hath brought nothing by this place but one vnaltouchable slaunder to maintaine another After this he retnrneth to his issue againe as though he would shew how our preachers peruert the holie scriptures for the end aforesaid though with no better successe then before Thus he setteth downe the places Christes sheepe say they can neuer perish neither cā any man plucke them out of his hands for whom he loueth he loueth to the end and in whomsoeuer he hath begon this good worke of regeneration in them he will performe it for the gifts and callings of God are without repentance Were it not for the simple soules sakes which by this confident writing you suppose to carrie away no man would file his handes with so senseles an aduersarie for as a man that hath a feuer relisheth the thinges he taketh manie times according to the humor that afflicteth him so that sometime the most pleasant supping is bitter in his mouth in like sorte fareth it with you E. G. that can heare of our preachers neither the scriptures alledged to proue the regenerate subiect to sinne manie times or that the elect can not vtterlie fall away but straightwaies you must needs conclude that they maintaine grosse wickednes to raigne in the children of God warrant them of saluation notwithstanding vpon most light conditions But would you were no further gone that I might stay with comparing you to a simple feuerish man I would your ague had not affected the originall of sense and hurt your vnderstanding so that now euen as a man frantike is no longer ruled and kept in order by anie but reiecing the counsaile of his best friendes accuseth them most as otherwise ill minded because they most restraine him in all his will that might hurt him in like sort you being troubled inwardlie with some heriticall frensies woulde make men belieue that the doctrine of our preachers tendeth to some generall euil because in trueth it most notoriously laboureth against your errours and will not suffer you peaceably to broach neither your heresie of free will nor y ◠against the Lords eternal predestinatiō Otherwise I say were it not that you are caried in the rage of these frensies maliciously to kill their credit with so odious an accusation whiles you in the meane time may get placing for your pestilence all indifferent men see that neither these your last places nor all the instances you haue hetherto vrged do anie more iustifie you for an honest man of your worde that said you would shew how they peruert holie scriptures to iustifie the wicked then the fruite of the crab-tree answereth the beautie of his blossomes wherewith before both for colour plentie and largenes he had giuen greater expectation then anie aple trees yea so much lesse tollerable are you herein then the crabtrée inasmuch as his fruite yeldeth commoditie to the vse of mans life but this your booke bane and poyson to destroy as manie soules as embrace it This your shamelesse slaunder you haue deuised to make seeme likelie by patching vnto it some foolish conditions of your owne forging as though the preachers of the gospel should make open sale of the graces of God to all the vncleane beastes of the fielde euen for their owne promotion and bellies sake which hauing alike both proofe and trueth with all the rest I am sorie that the father of lyes could obtaine so much libertie to leade you THE SECOND PART against his hereticall doctrine HEtherto I haue detected your impudent slaunder E. G. now I come to the pointes of doctrine betweene vs. And to beginne at your first instance I confesse we are taught by the preachers of the Gospel that the regenerat whilest they liue are not free from sinne and that this is an argument whereby they proue it namely because that speciall vessel S. Paule confesseth so much by himselfe You hauing a quarrel to the question flatlie denie that Paule confessed anie such thing of him selfe touching his regenerate state but only of his estate when he was a carnal mā solde vnder sin c. Your reasons such as they are let vs first examine Because Paule in that Chapter confessed him selfe a carnall man sold to be subiect to sin therefore he meant not there of his regenerate estate If to be regenerate and yet carnall in diuers respectes could not possibly be verified of one man your reason were good but now because there is no man so perfectlie regenerate but that still he is withall partlie vnregenerate and carnall therefore Paule in regarde of this might well call him selfe carnall though so farre forth as he was regenerate hee was otherwise And this he declareth plainely afterwarde when hee saith I do not the good that I would but the euil that I would not that doe I. Now no man doth anie euil vnwillingly but by reason of a contrarie power that is in him resisting euil Wherefore also the Apostle accounteth it not absurd according to those diuers respects to call himselfe in the 25. verse both the seruant of the law of God and of sinne And the rather I must enforce this argumēt because although you denie al the rest of y ◠chapter to cōcerne Paul as a regenerate man yet the 25. verse you acknowledge to that effect And
in y ◠same verse if your eyes had not dazled you might haue seene that the Apostle after his thankes giuing for his deliuerance from the danger of that same bodie of death against which he had exclamed confesseth that euen then as touching his minde he serued the law of God but in his flesh the law of sinne Which place is as cleare as the sun-shine not onelie to shew the falshood of your first reason against our interpretation of the 7. to the Rom. but also to proue so your great shame the trueth of the generall assertion aforesaide namelie that The regenerate are not free frō sinne Yet these are not all the foiles you receiue by it for it cutteth likewise the throte of your second reason before it haue time to draw one breath of life for where you say Therefore after this he thanketh God in Christ that he was deliuered from that bodie of sinne which made him to doe that euil he would not and to leaue vndone the good he would You would make vs belieue that Paul in this place was a changed man so as he could no more sin vnwillinglie as before which purpose of yours now you sée is preuented and therefore your reason spoilde yet ere I passe I must admonish the Reader to consider of what spirite this sauoureth that in alledging the 25. verse which soundeth thus I thanke my God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Now therefore euen I in my minde doe serue the law of God but in my flesh the law of Sinne. He bringeth it out thus He thanketh God in Christ and so cutteth off all the rest but chopping into the roome thereof these wordes that he was deliuered from that bodie of sin which made him to do that euil he would not and to leaue vndone the good he would A sentence I confesse of like length but neither of like nature nor trueth If anie say for E. G. For now I vnderstand he is dead that he added that part not as to haue it taken for the wordes of scripture but the sense of the place I could easely admit that answere were it not for the sakes of some of his sect who as I vnderstand can not read at all and yet are very stiffe in his opinions I know not how they haue béene this way abused Besides it is not comuenient in citing of scripture to sow anie peeces of our owne into it without putting some partition wall betwixt or bringing in the seruant in some differing weed from his maister that the one be not taken for the other of the commers in Moreouer if hee bring those wordes for the meaning of the place yet hee is too impudent and blasphemous presuming to speake directlie against the spirite of God which it is cleare that hee doth when the text saith Paule had yet such an enimie of flesh about him as serued the law of sinne and this man saith Paule was now deliuered from that bodie of sinne as made him do the euil he would not Two thinges in their substance flat contrarie though chaunge of wordes at first would seeme to couer it But lest we should maruaile at this dealing he makes a custome of the matter for the next place he bringeth out of the beginning of the 8. chap. where hee would faine make S. Paule speake according to his humor for whereas the text is There is now therefore no condemnation to those that are in Christ Iesus which walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirite You must vnderstand it as it is thus paraphrasticallie deliuered by him To them which are in Christ Iesus there is no condemnation or no such bodie of death which is the cause of our condemnation for they walke not after the flesh as he was forced to doe by the law of sinne when as he did the euil he would not and left vndone the good hee would but they walke after the spirite and so doe the good they would His bolonesse here as before whether it sauour of Babilon or no I leaue it to the christian Reader to iudge But three thinges must be obserued and examined wherein beyond al reason warrant he abuseth this place of the Apostle First for the worde condemnation by that he wil haue vnderstoode the bodie of death therein without anie necessitie transforming the effect into the cause as though he would cōpel the holie ghost to speake for his purpose but without all probabilitie both forasmuch as that word is no where vsed in that sense as also this verse repeating the argument of the 5. chap. 1. verse of the same Epistle concerning iustification by faith onely proued by an argument drawne from the effectes toucheth nothing at all that speciall obiection which hee answereth in the latter ende of the 7. chapter whereby he was occasioned so to handle that conflict of the flesh and the spirite So that then we sée if E. G. would haue taken this worde condemnation in his naturall sense and not malitiously peruerted it as one that would wilfullie runne into the pit he should haue béene so farre off finding his bodie of death in it as that much rather the sunne shine of comfort would appeared vnto him to haue banished the night of dark discomfort that came vpon him in his sicknesse when as this place rather would haue told him there is no condemnation towardes thee if thou be Christes agréeably whereto the spirite saith in the 33. and 34. verses afterwarde who shall laye anie faultes against the elect of God It is God that iustifieth who is hee that shall condemne It is Christ that is dead yea rather that is risen againe who sitteth also at the right hand of God and entreateth for vs. The second thing I obserue is concerning these wordes They walke not after the flesh which walking he taketh to be al one with that S. Paule calleth the law of sinne in his members whereas he might aswell haue compared a beast vnto a man for by that other law in his members it is manifest he meant the power of sinne which gate oportunities manie times against him although in his inner man to his might he made resistance as all open eyes may sée both by the opposing of the law in the members to the inner man as also by the whole suite and circumstances of the text Contrariewise in the other place Paule speaketh of the minde giuing obedience to the law of the members which he calleth To walke according to the flesh as when there is no resistance made to sinne So that her◠the holie Ghost speaketh of a whole man willingly going after sin there of a man falling but sometimes through infirmitie also there he sheweth in what respect the law hath a worke of death in our mortal bodies according to the obiection in the 13. verse but here he teacheth a note to know our selues truly iustified by euen our sanctification according to the matters handled from
vpon his first begetting by the spirit the Apostles themselues are a president who whilest our Sauiour walked with them fell sundry times not only in vnséemely behauiour worthie rebuke as wée in extenuating will speake but also some into foule ambition Peter into grosse deniall of his maister Christ And if we follow them further in their perfect state when they had had the excéeding measure of the spirit poured vpon them we shall find Peter a chief Apostle to haue committed such a sin in Antioch as for which our Sauiour had pronounced that it should be better for a man that a milstone were hāged about his neck and he throwne into the midst of the sea then to commit it What Paul hath confessed of himselfe many places haue béen shewed Iames saith to quench the ambitious controlling of some opinionatiue brethren In many things we sin all And Iohn confesseth vs all himselfe yet sinners when he saith If any man sin wee haue an aduocate with the Father euen Iesus Christ the righteous Yea these words of Iames Iohn freely acknowledging a subiection to sin without any restraint or limitation of time for y ◠ceassing therof in this life doo at one lash cut off all y e interest of the regenerate mans full power dominiō in this life And besides when we consider our daily prayer which Christ our carefull teacher left all his saints to say what shall wée think of that wée are therein commanded euerie day to aske for giuenes of our sinnes If wée be regenerate so as we sin no more what néede we If to stop vp this breach for E. G. any of his disciples haue a liking to bring in his popish distinction of veniall and mortal sinnes let them not spare I could here bring it in to make them blush if it were possible for I haue it written by his owne hand as I am persuaded mentioning the conference betwéene M. Whitaker and him but for that I know of what spirit they are and am loth to loose labour vpō written papers I will not now stand vpon it Thus first wee finde that the regenerate person by no warrantable right in himselfe can take this title vpon him But because some men looke not vpon the right and worthines of a Prince so hée haue the place by the forcible decrée of some mightie monarch that hath power to establish him let vs examine in like maner whether this kingly cōdition of the regenerate man be by the will and appointment of the eternall God or no for by the places I finde quoted some such thing se'emeth to haue béen by E. G pretended and especially his confident spéech declareth it where hee saith This being proued authorised by the word of God c. For the former part that The regenerate man is able to doo what God commandeth though flesh and blood striue neuer so much against him hee coateth thrée places The first is in the 2. Cor. 3. 5. in these words Not that we are fit of our selues to thinke anie thing as of our selues but that we are fit it is of God This text teacheth vs plainly that we are in no wise to ascribe any thing to our selues no not in those works wherin our labor hath chiefest successe for asmuch as there is not the least thought of good that riseth in vs that may in any truth be referred to our selues as the fountaine but to God only Wherehence we drawe these lessons to carry with vs First that no man by nature hath anie thing in him toward the seruice of God Secondly That wee must seeke to him for fitnes in euerie particuler seruice and dutie and return the praise of the successe therof to him alone These things by the grace of God we sée and learne in this text Only how the regenerate should herehence be warranted to haue full strength to kéepe the law this wee shall neuer sée so long as there is one hereticke vpon the face of the earth His second place is Ephes 3. 16. where the Apostle prayeth for the Ephesians That God would giue them euen for his rich glory sake to be mightely strengthened by his spirit in their inner man The effect of the petition is this that there might be a continuing growth of their inward man enlargement of their knowledge in Christ they euery way fulfilled euen to the high measure that God hath appointed This place therefore giueth vs this lesson for our instructiō verie profitably To wit That no regenerate man ought to staie in anie measure of his gifts but to labour and looke continually for the encrease of them Which is so far of from enstalling the regenerate man in any kingdom of absolute power as that with one hand it disrobeth him of all perfection and with the other casteth his glorious crowne of frée-will to the ground For if encrease must bee sought for continually then is there no perfection in this life And if no perfection where is that sufficiencie to doo the commandements Miserable is that case when a man ministreth a sword to cut his own throat withall His third place is Phil. 2. 13. For it is God that woorketh in you both to will and to do according to his franke beneuolence These words preuented a certaine secret obiection or scruple which might be in the mindes of the Philippians vpon the vehemency of the exhortation which Paul made vnto them concerning the accomplishing of their saluation in the 12. verse For that they might not slothfully lye down vnder the burthen as men out of hope and heart to go through with so great an enterprise he putteth them in mind that they haue it from the Lord both to will and also to be able to performe Whereby they had to obserue these two points First that they had not the rightnes of their will of themselues but from y ◠Lord. Secōdly that he was also disposed to giue them abilitie if they sought it Which doctrine necessarily vrgeth this vse therof first humilitie and reuerence in all our behauiour Secondly carefull diligence in continuall séeking of the Lord by praier in euerie thing wee néed he hauing verie well confirmed this last vnto them by his own practise and example in the first Chapter Where he had with feruent affection praied the Lord to giue them more and more abundance of knowledge and iudgement and still to clear the whole course of their life vntill the verie day of Christ Now to cōclude thus from the text The regenerate hath full power to keep the commandements because the Lord dooth giue them both to wil and to doo is not to deale truly with the word of trueth but sophistically to adulterate the same vnto the perill of soules If that be sound reasoning I may in like maner conclude thus Whosoeuer honoreth his father and mother shal liue long in this life because God hath
possession To conclude what is more firme or can giue greater securitie for the possession of anie couenant then dooth the receiuing of an earnest pennie vpon the same Doubtles he that receiueth it reckoneth himselfe as sure of his bargaine as if hée now enioyed it and he that giueth it goeth not againe from that he hath said If the case bée so with men who haue no faith or credence in their word if they be compared with the euerlasting truth himselfe then how much more is the perseuerance of the Saints euen to the possessioÌ„ of the euerlasting inheritance certain and sure vnto them seeing God that cannot be chaÌ„ged hath giuen them the holie Ghost in their harts not only for a seale but for an earnest peny to abide with them till the day of their full redemption and libertie Thus I hope this cause shall néed litle labour of me hereafter From hence E. G. ascendeth to the high palace of predestination there taketh vpon him like a wanton childe more cockedly then with any modestie can be declared For besides the generall view of the glorious buildings comming to the marble of Gods vnchangeable couÌ„sell and reading the writing of his secret decrée he first insolently condemneth the iudgement euen of the chiefest of al such as God hath hitherto giuen vnto his Church to be interpreters of his reuealed will and next that presumptuously setteth foorth himself to be the only true expounder of the same And thus he babbleth First God hath from the beginning purposed appointed elected and chosen in Christ such onely to bee in the state of saluation the children of God and heires of euerlasting life which are in the state of true repentance and amendment of life holie and blamelesse before God in loue and charitie and so made according to the likenes and Image of Christ Secondly God hath from the beginning purposed appointed predestinate elect and chosen all such to bee condemned to eternall death which are not in that state of true repentance and amendment of life Whereupon saith hee it must needs follow that Dauid a murtherer and an adulterer was elect and praedestinate of God from the beginning to be the seruant of sin the child of the deuill and in state of eternall death But on the contrarie Dauid a true penitent a righteous holy man blamelesse before God in loue and charitie hee was elect of God in Christ from the beginning to bee the sonne of God and fellowheire with Christ of his heauenly kingdom To my remembrance I neuer read so short a spéech so full of vnsoundnes If a man would examine euerie word to the farthest diligently gather euerie absurditie that falleth the words would sâ—arse surmount the faultes in number To all that haue their senses exercised they are plaine inough only for the simpler sort I will point at the chiefest First he calleth Dauid the sonne of God which is a fault in that he durst so boldly vse this phrase contrarie to the custome of the scriptures which doo no where giue that title by those words vnto anie but to the onely begotten sonne of God who is called the sonne of God by an excellencie Secondly so déepe was his ignorance that he knew no difference betwéene election and reprobation wheras the former euer tendeth to life and the latter euer to death So that whereas he saith God hath elected chosen all such to bee condemned c. Hee might as well haue said The Prince hath pardoned such a man to be hanged Or The father hath made such a sonne his heire to disinherite him A man would thinke fire and water could not be ioyned togither Thirdly pretending that this point of doctrine hath been hitherto corruptly taught that he would teach the trueth he neglected to set downe what predestination is the discription whereof notwithstanding he ought most exactly to haue set down seeing therupon resteth y â— whole waight of the building Fourthly in the former part of his words he either maketh works the cause of our election or els maketh election nothing els but an appointment or decrée of God concerning such signes as should tell vs who is in the state of saluation As though a decrée were not rather directly of such thinges as shoulde bee brought to passe the things incident thereto hauing a more remote consideration Els can there be an adiunct without his subiect Now in the contrarie member he saith God hath praedestinate all such to bee condemned to eternall death which are not in the state of true repentance Who then is not condemned in the beginning of his life And if euerie one of vs receiue Gods speciall condemnation one time of our life where haue we our dispensatioÌ„ for that sentence afterwarde Againe a little wit might haue serued him to haue put it downe thus rather God hath praedestinate all such to be in the state of eternall death c. For so the contrarietie of his members shuld haue stood at least in some proportion Fiftly if when a man dooth well he be the childe of God when hee sinneth any actuall sin for so I vnderstande his meaning he forthwith become the childe of the deuil and thus again and again as oft as he riseth vp and falleth down it followeth necessarily that the spirite of God dispossesseth y e deuill and againe the deuill dispossesseth the spirite of God from time to time What raging blasphemie is this These shall suffice the reader in respect of my labour for it is easier to enter into moe then to know when to make an end And it is suffiâ—ient confutation thus to haue opened him for a man in this high point both vnskilful inconstant absurd and presumptuous The first two whereof shewed him to lack teaching the third earnest rebuking but the fourth seuere whipping that he might haue learnd how he climed any more so high till the ioynts of his knowledge had béen better knit and the sinews of his vnderstanding got more sense The rest of that diuision is nothing but a continued course of his old shamelesse lying and a begging of that which no bodie will grant him In his next diuision where he saith Because they surmise that Gods praedestination and election should be sure and certaine vnto vs although we doo euill I aske them whereunto men are said of the hoâ—â—e Ghost to be praedestinate and elect in Christ from the beginning If by doing euill hée ment as hée sheweth in all other places presumptuous and raigning sinnes then he is here in his old vaine of lying for we are so far from this iudgement to call any elect that haue sin raigning in them as that we are taught the flat contrarie to wit that the elect after they are called are no more wholly subiect vnto sin to yeld willing obedience thereunto and to serue sin Otherwise if he ment by doing euill any kinde of euill then belike he held that euerie kind of fall
know he practiseth some proofes to the contrarie afterwarde but as one miserably ignoraunt of the difference of the two couenants 5. He accounteth discipline the ground-worke of the church in which doing you know he putteth it in y â— place of Christ himself whereby therefore it is become an Idoll vnto him 6. So far he procéedeth in seducing that he saith the wife ought to go away from her husband if he wil not go with her in y â— case of want of this discipline and which maketh his fault y â— worse he pretendeth ground for this in the 1. Cor. 7. 13 Which place giueth libertie onely against an vnbeléeuing partie which will not be persuaded to embrace the Gospell of Christ nor in anie wise to depart from Idolatrous worship Now what is this to enforce her going froÌ„ him only vpon want or bondage of the outward discipline where they dwell But of this mans absurdities hitherto his time commeth shortly to be better knowne I heare besides that there is one amoÌ„g you who whispereth alreadie in corners that we must not belieue in the holie Ghost Is this to encrease beloued and to abound more more in al iudgement according as the Apostle exhorteth vs Or is it not rather to go backward and to loose euen that you had attained vnto Now to the last point concerning your peace I mean not here the outward peace but I offer again to your view the peace of your conscience eueÌ„ the inward rest and repose of your soules with God in respect of this strange course you haue lately vndertaken Whereof because you are best priuie in your selues I refer it also most vnto your selues Only of those things that in this respect haue bin apparant to all mens eies I wil briefremember you This is easily granted of al that know God what course of life soeuer hath the approbation of Gods chearful countenance shining into the conscience of the practiser thereof it is such as being founded on the sure word of God is the more constantly held on and continued vnto the ende For the spirit within the word without ioyning to the testifying teaching of anie trueth vnto vs bring vs to such peace and comfort with the Lord in the practise of it as maketh vs more and more assured therof and so the firmelier to perseuere therein euen vnto the end Contrariwise that course or demeanour of life that hath any other foundation then this as it shall neuer be confirmed by that inward approbation so is it excéedingly subiect to continuall changes reuoltings If we shall therefore coniecture of your inward peace by the stedfastnes of your outward deporting and carying your selues in this your separat course I suppose we cannot deeme that y â— peace of God hath possessed your minds this while This as you know your great leader hath writ and not hitherto recanted that lodgick is an vnlawfull Art for Christians being forbidden by the scriptures so that hée calleth it a Heathenish fopperie and exhorteth to leaue and beware of it as though the end of it led vnto death Mean time himself vseth it as wel as he can in al his booke Of the life maners of true Christians And in his answere to M. Cartwrightes letter yea and of late admitted reasoning by Sillegismes in his own order put downe in writing before for the forme of the coÌ„ference Let him not here bleare your eies with this foolish saluing of the sore That where hee hath practised logicke himselfe anie way there he hath done it but to foile vs with our own weapons and as forced therevnto by our subtilties It dooth but declare his diuinitie to be pitifull for whatsoeuer is indéed vnlawfull and simply forbidden by the word of God y e same by no circumstance time nor occasion can be made tollerable while that word endureth Secondly whereas he once prouoked you all to flée out of England if you loued as he said your saluation and safetie and would not be guiltie of tempting God Of later time again by priuater writings and his owne practise hée hath counselled a resorting to our Sermons How many of you haue been distracted thereby I leaue it vnto your consciences whilest some perhaps receiued it othersome thought straunge and refused to giue eare vnto that counsell Looke also vpon his late subscribing by your selues Lastly that I excéede not my purpose in length be think your selues what glew he may haue to set these two togither No part of church discipline can be wanting but the church dooth straightway goe to ruine therby for he saith it is the life of the church And againe There may bee a true church of God without the presbyterie Now therefore beloued in Christ Jesu sith your going out with this man hath had so hard eueÌ„t in many of you as to bring you to the vnrecouerable rocks of E. G. and leadeth eueÌ„ the better sort whom Gods iudgement hath not as yet hunted foorth so far to a manifest decaie of true iudgement and vnderstanding ioyning therunto the fearful companion of vncertaintie and restlesse course of life forsake whilest yet there is time such accursed leading and returne to vs your brethren againe who whilest you hold firme the foundation with vs will neuer shrinke you And of this it standeth you in hand the rather to haue care as your contrarie dealing hitherto hath so apparantly damnified the iust cause of Christian discipline Men of anie iudgement and exercise in the scriptures may easily perceiue and doo report with what spirit Browne hath cride for discipline The greater number being of little iudgement condemne all for him O deep reach of Sathan the father of subuerting subtilties But hereof I meane not to make this my place of complaint Thus much therfore vnto those of whom there remaineth hope The rest I haue nothing to say vnto but this there will be a day wherein the Lord will make it manifest he neuer sent you require the blood of his saints which you haue caused to be spilt at your hands again and that most iustly PSAL. 8. 2. Out of the mouth of babes sucklings hast thou ordeined strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemie and auenger Praise and thanks bee vnto the Lord our God for euermore Faultes escaped Page 53. Line 30. for while read whie Page 93. Line 29. read abideth for Page 103. Line 3. for worke read word LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe 1586. 1. Cor. 9. 24. Hebr. 12. 1. Psalme 1. Zeph. â— Deut. 1â— 1. Cor 11. 1â— Math. 24. â—4 verse 25. Mat. 24. 12. Mat. 10. 24. Gen. 21. 9. Mat. 10. 25. Heb. 12. 6. 7. â— Ioh. 16. 20. verse 21. Rom. 8. 17. verse 18. Apoc. 2. 10. Mat. â—â— 4â— verse â—â— verse 43. Mat. 16. 24. Mat. 10. 37. 38. 2. Pet. 3. â— â— Gal. 5. 17. Prou. 14. 25. Prou. 15. 21. Verse 14. Rom.