there to be found for the weake safe and assured securitie and the rest vnlesse it be in the woundes of our sauiour I doe so much the more safely remaine and dwell there by howe much he is the more mighty to saue and deliuer And in his sermon concerning the fragments of the seuen mercies in his thirde sermon I consider or behold saith he three things in which all my hope consisteth gods grace or loue of addoption the trueth of his promise and his power to yeeld and performe it Nowe let my foolish thought and immagination murmure as much as it can or will saying who art thou or hovve great is that glory or by what merit hopest thou to obtaine these things But I for my part will confidently answere I knowe whoÌ„e I haue beleeued and againe I aunswere that in exceeding charitie or loue he hath adopted me that he is true and faithfull in all his promises and most mightie in performance of what soeuer pleaseth him If we would stand vpon testimonies out of the fathers touching this point we might make a volume By these men may iudge of the rest and plainely conclude against our aduersaries that their doctrine of doubting is as well directly against the writings of the fathers as the holie Scriptures and that therefore it is not a doctrin of the true auncient Church but a new inuention deuise growing in and preuailing vpon as other corruptions when the maister of iniquity beganne to worke or was growne to his heigth And so by all this treaty or discourse framed written against this popish opinion or doctrine of doubâ—ing wee maye plainely perceiue what wee are to thinke or iudge concerning the same namely as of a pointe directly opposite and contrarie both to the trueth of the worde of God written and also to the iudgement of the sounder sorte of diuines and therefore vtterlie to be refused and reiected as a loathsome and poysonfull thing against our soules and bodies For that which is not onely not contained in the holy Scriptures of God and the sounde writinges of the fathers in what respect I ioyne them together I haue declared before and therefore desire men not to bee offended therewith but also doeth openlye and manifestly contradict the same it may not nor ought not to be accounted for the doctrine of the Scriptures or sounder sort of fathers of the Scripture I say expressely because I am sure that proceeding from one god and written by one blessed and holy spirite euen the spirite of trueth it cannot deliuer contradictorie thinges howsoeuer other writers and men may but false and not onely vnsauoury but vnsound and therefore not onely not to be receiued in the Church but to be driuen and banished as farre from it as possibly may bee Hithereto wee haue dealte against our popish aduersaries blindelye and wickedlye maintaining doubting of Gods grace of the forgiuenesse of our owne sinnes and of eternall saluation wherein surely it is greatlye to bee lamented that through their waye-wardnesse wee haue beene constrained to spende so manye wordes in a matter which is not onely plainely testified and set out vnto vs in the holie Scriptures but a sorte as it were assuredly written and ingrauen in the hearts of men And were it not indeed that wee knowe the weake had need to be strengthned and the ignorant inâ—tructed rather for any good we hope will come of the confutation answering of our aduersaries we might well inough haue spared this labour and paine And yet because in this point of doctrin ther is contained a principall foundation of christian consolation we trust it is not labour mispent as wel these that are not so well exercised in it as they ought to be may be the better instructed as also that those that are weake may the more be comforted and strengthned And yet we cannot but say that this for the most part standeth in speculation and contemplation rather then in practise appoint that in this dissolute senselesse age of the world would be more regarded pressed vpon men though withall we denie not but that ther is a profitable vse both of the one and the other according to the diuersities of states and times wherein God is pleased to place his children For as speculatioÌ„ or contemplation is good for the chaunging of the state of our darkenesse and ignorance into light and knowledge so practise is good for the altring of our senselesse or careles condition into christian care and feeling That to wit speculation beloÌ„geth wholy to the minde and vnderstanding and it aimeth as at his generall buâ—â— or 〈◊〉 at general knowledge and comprehensions And this is the reasoning or disceptation of the heart and prepared principally for consolation and comforte that is to say yeeldeth to such consciences as are terrified and afflicted in temptations in the combat against sinne and the sense and feeling of Gods wrath against them for the same some spirituall ioy and consolation Both are necessarie in this Church and yet â—â—â—s latter of speciall vse for comforte Whereof though so manie stand not in need as of instruction because there are more ignoraunt and carelesse in the congregation then humbled and afflicted yet because their case is more hard and heauie for a wounded spirite who can be are it somewhat also would be said as in that behalfe Wherein sâ—â—h we our selues are not ignorant of the sleights and suggestions of Sathan and sith God hath furnished vs with spirituall armour and weapons to beat back the fierie darts of Sathan and hath reueiled himselfe in knowledge and comforte vnto vs not for our selues onely but for others that they with vs might be made partakers of the manifold graces of God let vs assaye from our owne feelings to doe good vnto others and what we can comforte and succour all those that are afflicted Satans suggestions are as a man may say innumerable and therefore let no man thinke we will or can deale with them all Such as we take to be principall and haue our selues beene most buffered and beaten withall wee will touch and aunswere as wee can Againe Sathan is the prince of darkenesse and confusion and therefore wee can hardlie followe any method in aunswering his temptations The course therefore that wee will keepe in this behalf shal be this take them as they come one after another and consider what he obiecteth and so accordinglye as God shall be pleased to assist and direct frame out of the worde of God seuerall and particular aunswers 1 In the first place Sathan commonly setteth before vs two strong temptations or if you will doth on both sides assault vs. For one while he obiecteth against vs our sinnes and another while the exceeding great and fearefull iustice of God reasoning or concluding thus against vs â—o He that is a sinner he is vnworthie to be saued yea most worthie eternally to perish for the vvages or hire of sinne is
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
condemne our owne deedes and workes and renouncing them vtterly to rest and stay our selues vpon the mercy of God promised vnto vs for Christ our Sauiour his sake and alwaies both in minde and mouth to haue that worthy saying of the prophet rise with vs Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for then no flesh shall be righteouse in thy sight and that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 4. I knowe nothing by my selfe and yet I am not iust or iustified for all that One the other side it is not humilitie as they suppose but arrogancie and indeede contempt of God and heauenly promises not to giue credit to or not to beleeue these sweete promises And therefore Saint Iohn saith he that beleeueth not God hath made him a lier 1. Iohn 5.10 and we may see a memorable example of it in Ahaz Isaiah 7. who refused a signe giuen vnto him from god But they presse this further say it is a token of humilitie to acknowledge our infirmities and sinnes And who wil deny that that hath any fault or sauour in him of godlines But on the other side who knoweth not that humilitie and doubting differ as much as vice virtue or what man vnles he were madde not onely without reason but against godlinesse would suppose that our true humility should destroy confidēce boldnesse or faith concerning Gods grace forgiuenesse of our sinnes and eternall saluation sith our humility is as other good things in vs the fruite of the faith If mā did soundly vnderstand what humility were they would doubtlesse be of another minde thē conclude so This is humility not onely truly to feare God as a iudge and so to acknowledge in his sight our sinnes and infirmities but also to fly vnto Iesus Christ and to stay in his al sufficiēt satisfaction Doth this ouerthrowe a poore mans pouertie that he beggeth an almes for Gods sake as we say or doth this destroy a weake mans weaknesse that he seeketh for shelter and defence at the handes of the strōg or doth this take away a sicke mans sicknes that he laieth it open to the Phisition and requireth medicine no verely but rather argueth pouerty weaknesse sicknesse c. And so doth our humility But let vs go forward 9 The ninth argument is this Where there is vnworthinesse there cannot be assurance of Gods grace of forgiuenesse of sinnes and of saluation but still there must be doubting But in thē that are turned to God there is great vnworthinesse whilest they knowe not whether they haue sufficiently and worthily prepared themselues and performed all the couenants and conditions that God hath prescribed therefore c. The proposition or maior of this argument is very false because the beholding or feeling of our own vnworthinesse doth no more worke doubting much lesse distrustfulnesse in the hearts of Gods people then feeling of outward wants maketh naturall men carelesse of a supply It is a grace of God to be well acquainted with our owne vnworthinesse yea such a grace as God onely bestoweth vpon his owne children that so in the beholding and sight therof they may more earnestly seeke after and be more fruitfully made partakers of the exceeding riches of his mercy wheras the wicked of the world are either ceased with benūmednesse and senslesnesses of their owne vnworthinesse and good reason thereof because they feele not sinne or els see it in iudgement and condemnation and good reason of it also because rather they haue made no account to profit by Gods mercies but to abuse them rather to licentiousnesse and sinne And that we might be the better assured of the trueth of this point namely that the feeling of the indignity of gods people hath neither wrought doubting in themselues nor caused god the lesse but more rather to esteeme them we haue many memorable examples but for the present we will content our selues with one out of the ould testament and another out of the newe that so seeing the consent of scriptures and the confirmitie of this trueth in all ages we may the better beleeue it both for the comfort of our consciences and stopping the mouthes of the aduersaries In the 18. of Genesis the spirit presseth this in the prayer of Abraham that he made for Sodom Gomorrah c. that he said he was but dust and ashes and how could he more debase and humble himselfe and yet he cōtinueth afterwards his prayer againe againe which had his heart beene possessed with doubting and vpheld with hope he could not haue performed And in the 8. of the gospell after Mathew the Centuriō that came to intreat Christ for his seruant sicke of the palsie and grieuously pained feeling and confessing his owne vnworthinesse that he was not vvorthy that Christ should come vnder his roofe doth not only make Christ him selfe as he was mā to maruaile at it but according to truth for the better comforting of all that haue the like sense to cōmend him to say verely I haue not found so great faith no not in Israel what meaneth that generall sentēce of the word god resisteth the proud giueth grace to the humble confirmed by the example of the Pharise Publican Luke eighteene But to teach vs this point Can a man be truely humbled in himselfe without sight and sense of his owne vnworthinesse or can he tast or tell how sweet the Lord is in his mercies that is not wel acquainted with his owne miseries If anie man thinke so he is fowly deceiued Nay we will say more that where vnworthines is most felt there is offred vnto godlie men the best meanes of certainetie and assurance not onely because the Scripture saith where sinne hath aboūded ther grace hath abounded much more but because God in his purpose and indeed assured good-will calleth vs out of our selues who are altogether weaker then water that so we might wholy repose our wofull soules vpon him that is the god of our comfort and the vnmouable rock of our strength Wherefore wee see that the maior is vtterly vntrue As for the first part of the assumption or minor we will not denie it namely that euen in the faithfull there is not onely is great vnworthines but a very good tast and feeling thereof And good reason there is it should be so they best obserue their owne waies they best examine their owne hearts c. Neither will we much stick with them to yeeld them the secōd part of it namely that these are good meanes to make euen god feele their vnworthines that they doe not rightly and reuerently prepare themselus to the seruice of god that they fullfill not al nay not any in sort as they should of the couenants conditions or cōmandements of god c. but that they should worke doubting in them of gods goodnes grace towards them that is the point we deny and they cā neuer prooue for doubting is not the proper peculiar
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