of God for if man were accounted righteous for his holinesse or loue he might impute his saluation to his owne desert for perfect loue deserueth loue and holinesse will chalenge life as of due debt But affiance implieth a humble loyall and duetifull subiection acknowledging the vnworthines basenesse insufficiency and weakenesse of man and together the mercy goodnesse loue fauour bounty trueth and power of God This reason is vsed for this purpose Ro. 3. 27. what law or meanes of saluation doth take away all boasting from man and so giueth all the glory of our saluation to God not the law of workes or inherent holinesse but the law of faith yea of all the graces which are in man faith onely hath in it this naturall property to make a man partaker of Christes death and righteousnes and so of saluation For euen as a tennant inioyeth his house and landes not for that he loueth or feareth his lord or for any vertue wherwith he is indued but only because he doth depeÌ„d on his Lord and so doth purchase vnto him worship and honour by relying himselfe wholly vpon his loue fauor liberality constancy ability riches so standeth the case with man in respect of his saluation For no grace saue onely this affiance on God and on his mercy in Christ can conuey vnto vs remission of sinnes and eternall life In the which respect it is commonly said in holy scripture that faith doth iustifie not as it is a parte of mans holinesse whereof no one part no not all the partes of it if any one be wanting will serue to make a man righteous before God but as it hath in it this proper vertue to make the death of Christ the death of the beleeuer so the righteousnes arising of the said death the righteousnes of the beleuer For he that hath suffered death is iustisied from sin Thus much of the obiect nature attributes of euangelical faith It remaineth that before we proceed to the rest of the partes of mans holines we should declare the relatioÌ„ which is betwixt faith them It hath bene said of faith in general that it is as it were the root froÌ„ the which other graces do spring in that it tieth vs to God the fountain of al graces as to the only giuer of all happines the which thing is true of this euangelicall faith after a special manner For in that it ioineth vs to Christ it maketh vs partakers of the spirit of Christ or rather causeth an increase of all spirituall graces For regeneratioÌ„ is although not in time yet in nature before faith Therefore this faith is made the subiect of the spirituall life of the new man euen as the hart is in the body the fountaine of heat Gal. 2. 20. I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me in that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen his life for me And Act. 15. 9. Peter saith that God did purifie the hartes of the gentils that is as it is expounded verse 8. worke sanctification in them by faith In the which respect it is compared to the foundation of a house where vpon the whole buylding standeth and to the roote of a tree which giueth heate sappe and life to all the partes of it Coll. 1. 23. If ye continue founded and established in fayth and to a fountaine of liuing water Ioh. 7. 38. He that beleeueth in me out of his bellie shall flow riuers of the water of life And therfore it is put before all other graces 2. Pet. 1. 5. Ioyne to your fayth vertue and to your vertue knowledge temperance patience godlynes brotherly loue and kyndnes Hence it is that it is vsually distinguished from the rest of the partes of sanctification they being called by the name of loue or of the holy ghost 1 Tâ—ess 3. 6. Tymothie hath brought vs tydinges of your fayth and loue So it is saide Act. 6. 5. That Stephen was a man full of fayth and of the holy spirit not that faith it selfe is not a worke of the holy spirite and a parte of the spirituall holynesse of man but because it is the first worke of Gods spirite and the foundation of mans holinesse and saluation who must be by fayth freed from sinne and death before he can be endued with positiue holynesse and life Thus the Apostle doth often exhorte vs to fanctification and holynesse of life by an argument drawen from iustification which is the proper effect of faith as we may see Ro. 6. 14. sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you because you are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace But it may be asked how iustification doth bring foorth sanctification especially seing that to mans reason it is rather a motiue to a wicked and dissolute life that by the multitude and hainousnesse of our sinnes the mercy of God whereby they are pardoned might the more appeare Rom. 3. 7. and 6. 1. We answere that iustification doth of necessitie bring foorth sanctification and that diuers wayes For first the sense of the vnspeakeable loue of God whereby we are deliuered from eternall damnation doth inflame the hart of the beleeuers with a greate loue of God the which cannot be shewed any other way then by keepeing his commaundementes and by laboring to glorifie his holy name by a holy life Secondly God doth saue the faythfull not as stockes or stones without requiring anie worke action or duety at their handes but so as that he maketh them to be his fellow workers not that man can do any thing of him selfe without the grace of God but that man being endued and renewed by grace doth after a sort worke his owne saluation not by any naturall vertue but by the power of Gods spirite and therefore as Christ taketh away the guilte of sinne being committed so the faythful ought to endeuor that sin be not coÌ„mited Otherwise if they shoulde still of set purpose committe sin they should crosse Christ in the worke of their owne redemption defiling theÌ„ selues with sin whom he hath clensed with his bloud yea they should crucifie him againe treade vnder foote his bloude as a vile thing Thirdly the faithfull doe labour for sanctification as for the onely testimony of the soundnesse of their fayth and of the truthe of their iustification For fayth without the other partes of holynesse is but adeade and vnprofitable fayth Lastly the faythfull man knoweth that fayth is not of it selfe without the rest of sanctification sufficient for the attaining of saluation For although it alone dothfully iustify that is bring perfect remission of all manner of sinne whatsoeuer yet before that a man can enter into the kingdome of heauen he must be endued with perfect positiue holinesse the which cannot be made perfect in the worlde to come vnlesse it be begun and carefullie sought after
generall renouation of their mindes and also sin it selfe by the infirmitie of the flesh And therefore they haue an accusing conscience which is nothing else but the sight or knowledge of sinne in themselues Hereof follow diuers effectes in them as namely feare in respect of those temporall punishments whervnto they by their sins haue layde themselues open Secondly an encrease of humiliation in regard thereof And lastly this accusing conscience is as a bit to restraine the faithful from sinne checking them as it were in the teeth with the iudgments of God which they doe by committing sin pull vppon thēselues Thus we see what is the accusing conscience of the faithfull which then worketh when they fall by force of temptation into some greate sinne otherwise it doth not greatly vex and trouble them Yet as sinne is neuer wanting so it is neuer altogether idle Now let vs consider the contrarie worke of the conscience excusing the faithfull before God the which it doth first in regard both of their owne inherent righteousnesse and also of the imputed righteousnesse of Christ. In the first respect their conscience excuseth them not as being perfectly iust but as those who are Gods faithfull seruants performing vnto him tho imperfect yet true vnfained and heartie obedience Thus doth the Prophet Dauid often in the psalmes offer his innocencie and integritie to the triall of God This excusing conscience dare not shewe his face before the iudgment seate of God where it would be found as a filthie and defiled clout but it commeth into the court of Gods mercie and loue who rewardeth the Godlinesse of his seruants with temporall blessinges and security from temporall iudgments But the true excusing conscience loketh on the perfect righteousnes of Christ by vertue whereof it doth iustifie and absolue the faithfull as being fully and perfectly iust and free from all guilt of sinne This excuser is he who only can abide the triall of Gods iustice who maketh the faithfull reioyce in all miseries yea secure in regard of danger It maketh them triumph ouer sinne Sathan hell death and damnation and replenisheth their heartes with such a perfect peace whereby they feele the ioyes of heauen euen whilst they liue vpon earth wherof whosoeuer hath once tasted may counte himselfe thrise happie This kinde of excusing conscience commeth of a true faith as doth the former kinde of the other partes of sanctification and of holinesse of life the one freeth the faithfull from the feare of temporarie euils as the other doth from the feare of eternall death Of both of them ariseth the assurance of saluation which is the vndoubted perswasiō and certaine knowledge of a faithfull man that he is one of those who shalbe made partakers of eternall glorie But against this doctrine many do obiect say that it is impossible for any man to attaine to any such knowledge seing that the eternall counsels and decrees of God are so secret that no man hath at any time knowen the minde of God or beene of his counsell in that behalf Againe that this knowledge is to be gotten if by any meanes then either by immediate reuelation or by arguments drawen from a mans owne estate as from some fayth or holinesse which he fyndeth in himselfe The first meanes is generallie reiected The other being vncertaine cānot be a sure foundatiō whereon to build this certaine perswasions Lastly that by this meanes there would a dore be set open to all licentiousnesse Godlesse securitie For what neede he who knoweth certainly that he shal be saued take paines and sustaine trouble griefe in working his owne saluatiō by a Godly holy life To this we answer confessing that the number of the reprobate or elect cānot be knowen and also that this knowledge is not gotten by any immediate reuelation yet affirming that euery faithfull man may be and ought to be assured of his owne saluation and that by that wounderfull worke of regeneration wrought in him by the holy spirite the which doth euen leade the faithfull man as it were by the hande into the secrete counsell of GODS eternall election and doth there let him see not the state of other men but his owne name written in heauen For they who are truelie regenerate are truely called they who are truely called are iustified they who are iustified are that is they shalbe as certainly certainely as if they were already glorified Rom. 8. 29. 30. And therefore the scripure speaketh of the faithfull as of those who haue already attained eternall saluation Ioh. 3. 8. Yea this is done not without good cause For the regeneration of this life and the eternall glorie of the life to come are not two diuerse states or conditions but onely diuerse degrees of the same condition eternall saluation being nothing else but the perfection of holinesse and happinesse whereof the faithfull haue in this life receaued some parte as a pledge and earnest-pennie of the whole So that they hauing alreadie as we say one foote in heauen and gotten possession of it neede not doubt of their saluation but may confidently say as it is 1. Ioh. 3. 14. We knowe not we hope or gresse that we are translated already not that we shalbe hereafter from death to life not by any immediate reuelation but because we loue the brethren that is because we feele our selues endued with renewed holinesse whereof the loue of the Godly is a notable part And with the Apostle Rom. 8. 38. I am perswaded that neither death nor life neither Angels nor principalities neither thinges present nor thinges to come can separate me from the loue of God in Christ. But it may be further obiected that although true regeneration be a certaine signe and forerunner of saluation yet it is hard for a man to knowe whether his regeneration be true or onely a shadow and resemblance which is often in the reprobate and although he haue true faith and holinesse at one time yet he may loose and lack them at an other and so dispossesse himselfe of that estate of saluation wherein he was In both which respectes He that thinketh that he standeth ought to feare least he fall rather then to boast of the certaintie of his saluation We answere that true regeneration is not so small a matter neither maketh so light a chaunge in a man but that it may be plainely discerned where it is present Neither is it any vncertaine thing which may be lost but wheresoeuer it is there it doth euidently appeare at one time or at an other and where it once appeareth there it alwaies abideth For regeneration being a totall and a supernaturall change of the minde will affections thoughtes wordes and dedes of a man cannot be hid or doubtfull for any long time but will shewe it selfe both to the eyes of other men and much more to the conscience of the beleeuer himselfe For all though it commeth
honour and all manner of worldly things such a one may become a vertuous and holy man but vsually he is so in euery respect that a man may see plainly in him a patterne of the encrease of naturall sinfulnesse Lastly spie out one of a gentle nature and ingenuous countenance vertuously brought vp from his first infancie hauing neuer vsed any euill companie but being continually giuen of himselfe to get learning and all manner of knowledge yea carefully inured by his parents tutors and teachers to the dayly practise and exercise of what soeuer thing is honest good right any way cōmendable lastly who hath no tru touch of religion is indued with a competent portion measure of the giftes of nature of fortune as they are ignorantly termed this man although he may by the peruersnesse of his corrupt nature treade all these things vnder his feete and become verie vitious yet vsually he may be an example of the decrease of naturall sinfulnesse These three men are all carnall and sinfull yet there is greate difference among them the which that it may the more plainly appeare we will compare them their diuers degrees of sinfulnesse together The first is the right naturall man The second is on his left hand hauing augmented his sinfulnesse The third on his right hand hauing diminished it The first is altogether ignorant of the true God and of his worship yet he thinketh that there is a God in heauen and doth worshipe his God verie diligently one way or other after his fashion The second is fully resolued in his mind by arguments inuented by him selfe and suggested by the deuill and other Atheists like to himselfe that there is no GOD and therefore that it is but follie to worship any The third man is persuaded by manie reasons that there is a God yea he knoweth the true God and performeth some parte of his true worshipe The first knoweth not what to thinke of God or to what thing to resemble him yet he thinketh him to be powerfull mightie and bountifull ascribing all his mishapes and his good lucke to his false God The second giueth all to blinde fortune wise counsell hardie aduentures yea he defieth God in his hart thinking that to trust in him is the next way to all mishap The third knoweth acknowledgeth that all thinges both good euill come from that only true GOD who is euery way infinite and incomprehensible yet knoweth not God in Christ as he ought to doe Likewise for the sinfulnesse of the will the mere naturall man cannot choose and incline himselfe to anie God religion or worshipe which is not sensible and therefore he cannot choose the true God and true holinesse the which are spirituall and contrarie to sense no not if these were propounded to his will either by his owne mind or by some other but chooseth for his part eating drinking sleeping ease pastime pleasure and voluptuousuesse The second man who is supernaturall in sinfulnesse detesteth and abhorreth the name of God and of any thing that is good but the third may haue an inclination to good Lastly the first man doth not in his life commit horrible sinnes such as are murther incest adulterie robberie or periurie being restrained euen by his owne conscience condemning these hainous sinnes and although he beare no loue to any but to himself to his owne yet he meaneth harme to no man As for the second he abstaineth from no sinne tho neuer so hainous wherevnto he is intised by any meanes Whereas the third man leadeth a life without all spot shew or suspition of any such matter yea he is good to euerie one as occasion is offered being farre from hurting any So that to be short the first man may be called a brute beast which is giuen to al sensualitie yet without either knowledge or practise of good or euill The second a deuil incarnate the third a carnall and sinfull saint Thus we see both by the naturall state of sinne as also by the increase of it what is the decrease of it Whereof we are to thinke and holde first that although it may be generall in any or in all the partes of mans sinfulnesse yet it can not be totall in any one much lesse in all for no part of it can be wholly diminished in an vnregenerate man Secondly this decrease doth take away the corruption of sinne more then it doth put the contrarie grace in the roome of it being in schoole termes rather pruatiue then positiue And therefore the carnall man in this decrease of sinfulnesse doth not so much knowe approue embrace and follow the true God and his worshippe as he knoweth all false gods to be no goddes condemning and detesting all idolatry And so in life although he can refraine himselfe from doing euil yet he is not able to performe the contrary Christian duties For the light of nature being increased by such meanes as a naturall man may vse will teach and may enable him to abstaine from grosse sinnes But the true knowledge and practise of good commeth onlie from the worke of gods spirite whereof it commeth that this decrease of sinfulnesse is not to be counted true holinesse neither any parte of it and so it is not effectuall to saluation Thus much in generall of the decrease of sinfulnesse nowe we come to the seuerall kindes of it the which are two in number naturall and supernaturall The first kinde whereof the third of the aforesaide carnall men may be a shadow we call naturall not that it is a naturall thing for a man to decrease in sinfulnesse in the which he groweth as naturally as the smoke goeth vpwarde and therefore it is a violent motion contrarie to his naturall inclination but because it may be attained by a naturall man in whom there is neither true regeneration nor any shadowe of it and that by naturall meanes without the worke of the holy spirite and therefore it may be seene not onely in carnall men liuing in the Church but also and that more plainly in many heathen and professed infidels who neuer heard tel of the true religion worshippe of God of whom many as it were laying violent handes on themselues and their naturall dispositions enclined to all vice and sinfulnesse haue gotten the habite that is the constant and permanent disposition of morall vertues as namely of iustice temperaunce sobriety and chastitie in somuch that they haue not onely led a life pure from the spottes of grosse sinnes but also haue after a sort chaunged their wils mindes and affections from an euil and vitious to a good and vertuous disposition This the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 2. 19. The gentils hauing not the written lawe of God doe by nature that is without spirituall grace the thinges contained in the lawe and so are a lawe vnto themselues Of this decrease we haue many and manifold examples euen some of all sortes of men