is expressed in the morall law The Morall Law is that part of Gods word which commandeth perfect obedience vnto man as well â—n his nature as in his actions and forbiddeth the contrarie Rom. 10.5 Moses thus describeth the righteousnes which is of the Law that the man which doth these things shall liue thereby 1. Tim. 1.5 The end of the commandement is loue out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and faith vnfained Luk. 16.27 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength Rom. 7. We know that the law is spirituall The Law hath two parts The Edict commanding obedience and the condition binding to obedience The condition is eternall life to such as fulfill the law but to transgressours euerlasting death The Decalogue or ten Commandements is an abridgement of the whole Law and the couenant of workes Exod. 34.27 And the Lord said vnto Moses Write thou these words for after the tenour of these words I haue made a covenant with thee and with Israel And was there with the Lord fourtie daies and fourtie nights and did neither eate bread nor drinke water and he wrote in the Tables the words of the covenant euen the tenne Commandements 1. King 8.9 Nothing was in the Arke saue the two Tables of stone which Moses had put there at Horeb where the Lord made a couenant with the children of Israel when he brought them out of the land of Egypt Matth. 22.40 On these two commandements hangeth the whole Law and the Prophets The true interpretation of the Decalogue must be according to these rules I. In the negatiue the affirmatiue must be vnderstood and in the affirmatiue the negatiue II. The negatiue bindeth at all times and to all times and the affirmatiue bindeth at all times but not to all times and therefore negatiues are of more force III. Vnder one vice expressely forbidden are comprehended all of that kind yea the least cause occasion or entisement thereto is as well forbidden as that 1. Ioh. 3.15 Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a manslayer Matth. 5.21 to the ende Euill thoughts are condemned as well as euill actions IV. The smallest sinnes are entituled with the same names that that sinne is which is expressely forbidden in that commandement to which they appertaine As in the former places hatred is named murther and to looke after a woman with a lusting eye is adulterie V. We must vnderstand euery commandement of the law so as that we annex this condition vnlesse God command the contrarie For God being an absolute Lord and so aboue the law may command that which his law forbiddeth so he commanded Isaac to be offered the Egyptians to be spoiled the brasen Serpent to be erected which was a figure of Christ c. The Decalogue is described in two Tables The summe of the first Table is that we loue God with our mind memorie affections and all our strength Matth. 22. 37. This is the first to wit in nature and order and great commandement namely in excellencie and dignitie CHAP. 20. Of the first commandement THe first table hath foure commandements The first teacheth vs to haue and choose the true God for our God The words are these I am Iehouah thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage Thou shalt haue none other God but me The Resolution I am If any man rather iudge that these words are a preface to al the commandements then a part of the first I hinder him not neuerthelesse it is like that they are a perswasion to the keeping of the first commandement that they are set before it to make way vnto it as being more hard to be receiued then the rest And this may appeare in that the three commandements next following haue their seuerall reasons Iehouah This word signifieth three things I. Him who of himselfe and in himselfe was from all eternitie Reuel 1.8 Who is who was and who is to come II. Him which giueth being to all things when they were not partly by creating partly by preseruing them III. Him which mightily causeth that those things which he hath promised should both be made and continued Exod. 6.1 Rom. 4. 17. Here beginneth the first reason of the first commandement taken from the name of God it is thus framed He that is Iehouah must alone be thy God But I am Iehouah Therefore I alone must be thy God This proposition is wanting the assumption is in these words I am Iehouah the conclusion is the commandement Thy God These are the words of the couenant of grace Ier. 32.33 wherby the Lord promiseth to his people remission of sinnes and eternall life Yea these words are as a second reason of the commandements drawne from the equalitie of that relation which is betweene God and his people If I be thy God thou againe must be my people and take me alone for thy God But I am thy God Therefore thou must be my people and take me alone for thy God The assumption or second part of this reason is confirmed by an argumeÌ„t taken from Gods effects when he deliuered his people out of Egypt as it were from the seruitude of a most tyrannous master This deliuerie was not appropriate onely to the Israelites but in some sort to the Church of God in all ages in that it was a typâ—â—f a more surpassing deliuerie from that fearefull kingdome of darkenes 1. Cor. 10.1,2 I would not haue you ignorant brethren that all our Fathers were vnder the cloude and all passed through the red sea and were all baptized vnto Moses in the cloude and in the sea Coloss. 1.13 Who hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenes and translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne Other Gods or strange gods They are so called not that they by nature are such or can be but because the corrupt and more then diuelish heart of carnall man esteemeth so of them Phil. 3.19 Whose God is their bellie 1. Cor. 4.4 Whose mindes the God of this world hath bewitched Before my face That is figuratiuely in my sight or presence to whom the secret imaginations of the heart are knowne and this is the third reason of the first commandement as if he should say If thou in my presence reiect me it is an heinous offence see therfore thou doe it not After the same manner reasoneth the Lord. Gen. 17.1 I am God almightie therefore walke vpright The affirmatiue part Make choice of Iehouah to be thy God The duties here commanded are these I. To acknowledge God that is to know and confesse him to bee such a God as he hath reuealed himselfe to be in his worde and creatures Col. 1.10 Increasing in the knowledge of God Ierem. 24. 7. And I will giue them an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I will be their God for they
to come these shew that he is come III. They were appropriate vnto the posteritie of Abraham but these are common to the whole Church culled out of the Iewes and Gentiles CHAP. 33. Of Baptisme THere are two Sacraments 1. Cor. 10. 1. I would not haue you ignorant that all our fathers were vnder the cloude and all passed through the sea 2. And were all baptized vnto Moses in the cloude and in the sea 3. And did all eate the same spirituall meate 4. And dranke all the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spirituall rocke that followed them which rocke was Christ. Tertull 4. booke contra Marcion August de Symbol ad Catechum 4. booke 6. chap. The first Sacrament is that whereby Christians are initiated and admitted into the Church of God and this is Baptisme The second Sacrament whereby the Church is preserued and nourished is the Lords Supper Baptisme is a Sacrament by which such as are within the couenant are washed with water in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost that beeing thus engraffed into Christ they may haue perpetuall fellowship with him Matth. 28.19 Goe teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Matth. 16.16 He that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be condemned 1. Cor. 1.13 Is Christ deuided was Paul crucified for you â—iâ—her were ye baptized into the name of Paul 14. I thanke God I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius 15. Least any should say I had baptized into mine owne name Within the couenant are all the seede of Abraham or the seede of the faithfull These are either of riper yeares or infants Those of riper yeares are all such as adioyning themselues to the visible Church doe both testifie their repentance of their sinnes and hold the foundations of religion taught in the same Church Matth. 3. 6. And they were baptized of him in Iorden confessing their sinnes Act. 8.36 As they went they came to a water then the Eunuch saide See here is water what hindreth me to be baptized 37. Then Philip said If thou beleeue with all thine heart thou maist he said I beleeue that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God 38. And they went downe into the water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptized him Exod. 12.48 If a stranger dwell with thee and will observe the Passeouer of the Lord let him circumcise all the males that belong vnto him and then let him come and obserue it and then he shall be as one that is borne in the land for none vncircumcised person shall eate thereof Infants within the Couenant are such as haue one at the least of their parents faithfull 1. Cor. 7.14 The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by the wife and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children vncleane but now they are holy Rom. 11.16 If the first fruits be holy so is the whole lumpe and if the roote be holy so are the branches Gen. 17.7 I will establish my couenant betweene me and thee and thy seede after thee in their generations for an euerlasting couenant to be God vnto thee and thy seede after thee 13. He that is borne in thine house and he that is bought with money must needes be circumcised so my couenant shall be in your flesh for an euerlasting couenant Act. 16.31 They said Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy whole houshold Quest. How are the children of faithfull parents in the couenant Answer Holy parents are two waies to be considered First as they were the sonnes of the first Adam and so are as yet partly carnall In this estate they in like sort doe beget their sonnes the children of wrath For the father begetteth a sonne not as he is a good man but simply as a man and therefore beeing impure he must needes beget that which is impure Secondly we must consider the parents as they are the sonnes of God engraffed into the second Adam In this estate though they cannot deriue faith vnto their posteritie for the sonnes of God are not made such by naturall generation but by the adoption of God the Father yet may they beleeue both for themselues and others according to the tenour of the couenant of grace as Adam did sinne both for himselfe and others and as parents in bargaines doe couenant both for themselues and their heires after them Hence it is that Paul saith that the parents are like vnto the first fruits which doe sanctifie the whole lumpe So then the faith of the parents maketh those their sonnes to be accounted in the couenant which by reason of their age doe not yet actually beleeue To be baptized into the name of the Father c. after the receit of the outward signe of washing is to be made one of Gods familie which is his church and to be partaker of the priuiledges thereof Gen. 48.16 The Angel which hath deliuered me from all euill blesse the children and let my name be named vpon them and the name of my fathers Abraham and Izhak that they may grow as fish into multitude in the middest of the earth Esai 4. 1. In that day shall seuen women take hold of one man saying We will eate our owne bread and we will weare our owne garments onely let vs be called by thy name and take away our reproch By this it is manifest that in this washing of Baptisme there is sealed and propounded a marueilous solemne couenant and contract first of God with the baptized in that God the Father vouchsafed to receiue him into fauour the Sonne to redeeme him the holy Ghost to purifie and regenerate him secondly of the baptized with God who promiseth to acknowledge inuocate and worship none other God but the true Iehouah which is the Father Sonne and holy Ghost The externall and visible matter of baptisme is water for the minister may not baptize with any other liquor but onely with naturall water This was the iudgement of the Primitiue Church For when as a certaine minister for want of water tooke sande and baptized one with that the partie thus besanded was further baptized the former beeing esteemed of none effect Niceph. histor 3. booke 33. chapter The externall forme of baptisme is the ministers washing of the baptized according to the prescript rule of Gods word Rom. 10. 4. The ancient custome of baptizing was to dippe and as it were to diue all the bodie of the baptized in the water as may appeare in Paul Rom. 6. and the Councels of Laodicea and Neocaesarea but now especially in cold countries the Church vseth onely to sprinkle the baptized by reason of childrens weaknesse for very few of ripe yeares are now a daies baptized We need not much to marueile at this alteration seeing charitie and necessitie may dispense with ceremonies and mitigate in equitie the sharpnes of them
The Sacramentall vnion of the parts of baptisme is on this sort The element of water whereby the vncleannesse of the body is purified by a most conuenient proportion shadoweth out the blood of Christ and by the figure Synecdoche taking the part for the whole whole Christ. 1. Ioh. 1.7 And the blood of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne The action of the Minister is his washing of the partie baptized with the element of water This sealeth and confirmeth a double action of God I. The engrafting or incorporating of the baptized into Christ. Gal. 3.27 As many as are baptized into Christ haue put on Christ. 1. Cor. 12.13 By one spirit we are all baptized into one bodie II. Our spirituall regeneration Tit. 3.5 Not by the workes of righteousnes which we had done but according to his mercie he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost Of washing there be three parts The putting into the water the continuance in the water and the comming out of the water The putting into or the sprinkling of water doth ratifie I. the shedding of the blood of Christ for the remission of all our sinnes and the imputation of his righteousnesse Act. 22.16 Arise and be baptized and wash away thy siâ—nes in calling on the name of the Lord. 1. Cor. 6. 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God II. The mortification of sinne by the power of Christs death Rom. 6.3 Know ye not that all we which haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ haue beene baptized into his death 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the bodie of sinne might be destroied that henceforth we should not serue sinne for he that is dead is freed from sinne The continuance in the water it noteth the buriall of sinne namely a continuall increase of mortification by the power both of Christ his death and buriall Rom. 6.4 We are buried then with him by baptisme into his death The comming out of the water doth confirme our spiritual viâ—ification to newnesse of life in all holinesse and iustice the which we attaine vnto by the power of Christs resurrection Rom. 6. 4. Like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the Father so we also should walke in newnesse of life 5. For if we be graffed with him to the similitude of his death euen so shall we be to the similitude of the resurrection The action of the partie to be baptized is two-fold The first is to offer himselfe to be baptized before the minister and that in the presence of the congregation This signifieth that he doth consecrate himselfe vnto the Lord and that he vtterly renounceth the flesh the world and the diuell 1. Pet. 3.21 To the which also the figure which now saueth vs euen baptisme agreeth not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but in that a good conscience maketh request vnto God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ. The second is to receiue the externall washing by water this signifieth that the partie baptized doth receiue the internall washing which is by the blood of Christ or at the least that it is offered vnto him Rebaptizing is at no hand to be admitted for as in naturall generation man is once onely borne so must he be in the spiritual regeneration Therfore they that are baptized of a minister which is an heretike not yet degraded from that calling if the externall forme of administration be obserued must not be baptized againe of the Church of God especially if after baptisme they haue beene made partakers of the Lords Supper onely they ought to be instructed in the true faith Euseb. Eccles. hist. lib. 7. c. 8. saith There was in our Prouince an ancient professour of the faith yea before I was created Bishop nay before my predecessour Heraclas who when he was present at the baptisme of some heard what questions they were asked what answer they returned forthwith came weeping vnto me and humbling himselfe before me confessed that he was baptized by an heretike yet in regard of that administration which he saw in our Church he accouÌ„ted that no baptisme in that the confession there vsed was fraught with blasphemies This also he added that he was for this offence so sore grieued that he durst not so much as lift vp his eyes to heauen wherefore he most earnestly besought me that â—e might be clensed and purified with the baptisme of our Church and so receiue the gift of the holy Ghost The which notwithstanding I durst not presume to administer but said it was sufficient for him that he had beene so long a professour amongst vs that at the receit of the Lords Supper he answered Amen These things I told him were of force enough to purge him And therefore I aduised him to rest himselfe in his former faith and conscience alreadie sufficiently purified especially in that he so long was partaker with vs in the Sacraments Aug. lib. 3. c. 2. contra Petil. literas The right vse of baptisme is this When inwardly in thine heart thou sensibly feelest that through the heat of concupiscence thou art mooued to commit some sinne then beginne to haue some holy meditation of that solemne vow which thou diddest make to God in baptisme Againe if through infirmitie thou fallest once or often into some sinne stil haue recourse vnto baptisme that there thou maist receiue courage to thy soule For although baptisme be but once onely administred yet that once testifieth that all mans sinnes past present and to come are washed away 1. Pet. 3.20 Eph. 5. 25 26 27. Therefore baptisme may be truly tearmed the Sacrament of repentance and as it were a board to swimme vpon when a man shall feare the shipwracke of his soule Mark 1.4 1. Tim. 1.19 Rom. 6.4,6 Last of all see thou neuer rest till such time as thou haue a feeling of that renuing power signified in baptisme namly the power of Christs death mortifying sinne and the vertue of his resurrection in the renouation of the Spirit CHAP. 34. Of the Lords Supper THe Lords Supper is a Sacrament wherewith in the signes of bread and wine such as are engraffed into Christ are in him daily in a spirituall manner nourished to eternall life 1. Cor. 11.23,24,25 Rom. 6.5 The proportion of the parts of the Lords Supper is on this wife The Elements of bread and wine are signes and seales of the bodie and blood of Christ. The action of the Minister is a note of Gods action The Ministers action is fourefold The first is his taking the bread and wine into his owne handes this doth seale the action of God the Father by which he from all eternitie did separate and elect his Sonne to performe the duetie of a Mediatour betwixt God and man Ioh.
and made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the crosse he ouercame the deuill and all his angels by the power of his almightie father and by his owne power as he is God And euen so must Christian men labour to finde the same power in themselues of this almightie father by which Christ did triumph ouer Satan that by it they may tread him vnder their feete which men can neuer doe by any power in themselues Againe Christ praieth that that cup might passe from him and yet hee saith Not my will but thy will be fulfilled For it was necessary that Christ should suffer And this request was heard not because he was freed from death but because God his father Almightie gaue him power and strength in his manhood to beare the brunt of his indignation Nowe looke as this power was effectuall in Christ Iesus the head to make him able and sufficient to beare the pangs of hell so the same power of God is in some measure effectuall in al the members of Christ to make them both patient of sufficient strength to beare any affliction as Saint Paul saith beeing strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioifulnesse And this is a notable point which euery one ought to learne that whereas they confesse God to be their Almightie father they should herewithall labour to feele and haue experience in themselues that hee is almightie in the beginning and continuing of grace vnto them and in giuing them power and patience to suffer afflictions Further Christ Iesus when the worke of our redemption was accomplished was lifted vp into heauen and set at the right hand of God in heauenly places farre aboue all principalities and powers c. euen by the power of his father well as this power was made manifest in the head so must it bee in the members thereof Euery childe of God shall hereafter see and feele in himselfe the same power to translate him from this vale of misery in this life to the kingdome of heauen Wherefore to conclude we haue great cause to bee thankefull and to praise God for this priuiledge that hee sheweth his power in his childrē in regenerating thē in making them die vnto sin and to stand against the gates of hel and to suffer afflictions patiently as also that he translates them from death to life And euery one should shew his thankefulnesse in labouring to haue experience of this power in himselfe as Paul exhorteth vs in his Epistles to the Colossians and Ephesians yea read all his epistles and we shal find he mentioneth no point so often as this namely the mighty power of God manifested first in Christ and secondly in his members and he accounteth all things losse that he might knowe Christ and the vertue of his resurrection This point is the rather to be marked because his power in the matter of grace is not to be seene with eye and fewe there be in respect that haue felt the vertue thereof in themselues for the diuell doth mightily shewe his contrary power in the greatest part of the world in carrying them to sinne and wickednesse Secondly hence we learne that which Paul teacheth namely to knowe that all thinges worke togither for the best vnto them that loue God God is almightie and therefore able to doe whatsoeuer he will he is also a father and therefore is willing to doe that which is for our good But some will say we are subiect to many crosses yea to sinne what can our sinnes turne to our good Ans. If God almightie be thy father he will turne thine afflictions yea thy sinnes which by nature are euil beyond all expectation vnto thy saluation And thus much God will doe to all such as be obedient vnto him yet no man must hereupon presume to sinne Thirdly whereas we beleeue that God is a mightie father it serues to confirme gods children in the promises of mercy reuealed in his word The chiefest whereof is that if men will turne from their sinnes and beleeue in Christ they shall not perish but haue life euerlasting I knowe some men will make it an easie thing to beleeue especially those which neuer knewe what faith meant But such persons neede no meanes of confirmation of faith therefore let all those which haue tasted of the hardnes of attaining vnto it learne howe to establish their wauering hearts in the promises of God by the consideration of these two points God is a father and therefore he is willing he is also almightie and therefore he is able to performe his promises He that will bee truely resolued of Gods promises must haue both these setled in his heart and build on them as on two foundations It followeth Creatour of heauen earth We haue spoken of the title of the first person and of his attributes nowe we come to speake of his effect namely the creation but before we come to it we are to answer a certaine obiection which may be made At the first it may seeme strange to some that the worke of creation is ascribed to the first person in Trinitie the father whereas in the Scripture it is common to them all three equally And first that the father is Creatour it was neuer doubted as for the second person the Sonne that hee is Creatour it is euident All things are made by it that is by the Sonne who is the substantiall worde of the father and without it was made nothing that was made And againe it is saide that God by his sonne made the worlde As for the holy Ghost the worke of creation is also ascribed vnto him and therefore Moses saith The spirit mooued vpon the waters and Iob saieth His spirit hath garnished the heauens Howe then is this peculiar to the father beeing common to all the three persons in trinitie I answer The actions of God are twofold either inward or outward The inwarde actions are those which one person doth exercise towards another as the father doth beget the sonne and this is an inward action peculiar to the father and all inward actions are proper to the persons from whome they are So the Sonne doth receiue the Godhead by communication from the Father and the holy Ghost from them both and these are inward actions peculiar to these persons So likewise for the father to send his sonne it is an inward action proper to the father and cannot be communicated to the holy ghost and the sonne to bee sent by the father onely is a thing proper to the Sonne and not common to the father or to the holy Ghost Now outward actions are the actions of the persons in the Trinitie to the creatures as the worke of creation the worke of preseruation and of redemption These and all such actions are common to al the three persons the father createth the sonne createth and the holy
If any further alleadge that such as walke according to the commandements of God though their obedience be imperfect yet they haue the promises of this life and of the life to come The answer is that they haue so indeede yet not for their works but according to their works which are the fruites of their faith wherby they are ioyned to Christ for whose merits onely they stand righteous and are acceptable before God And whereas it is said by Peter that baptisme saueth vs his meaning is not to signifie that there is any vertue in the water to wash away our sinnes and to sanctifie vs but that it serues visibly to represent and confirme vnto vs the inward washing of our soules by the blood of Christ. It may further be said that others haue beene Sauiours beside Christ as Iosuah the sonne of Nun who for that cause is called by the same name with Christ. Ans. Iosua after the death of Moses was appointed by God to be a guide to the children of Israel which might defend them from their enemies and bring them to the land of Canaan but this deliuerance was onely temporal and that onely of one people Nowe the Sonne of God is called Iesus not because hee deliuereth the people of the Iewes onely or because he saueth the bodies of men onely but because he saueth both body and soule not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentiles from hell death and damnation And whereas Prophets and ministers of the word are called Sauiours it is because they are the instruments of God to publish the doctrine of saluation which is powerfull in mens hearts not by any vertue of theirs but onely by the operation of the spirit of Christ. Lastly it may bee obiected that the father and the holy Ghost are Sauiours and therefore not onely the sonne Ans. True it is that in the worke of saluation all the three persons must bee ioyned together and in no wise to bee seuered the Father saueth the Sonne saueth the holy Ghost saueth yet must we distinguish them in the manner of sauing the father saueth by the Sonne the Sonne saueth by paying the ransome and price of our saluation the holy Ghost saueth by a particular applying of the ransome vnto men Nowe therefore whereas the sonne paies the price of our redemption and not the Father or the Holy Ghost therefore in this speciall respect he is called in Scriptures and intituled by the name of Iesus and none but he By this which hath beene saide the Papists are faultie two waies First that they giue too much to the name of Iesus for they write in plaine tearmes that the bare name it selfe beeing vsed hath great power and doth driue away deuils though the parties that vse it be void of good affection whereas indeed it hath no more vertue then other titles of God or Christ. Secondly they are faultie that they giue too little to the thing signified For Christ must either be our alone and whole Sauiour or no Sauiour Now they make him but halfe a Sauiour and they ioyne others with him as partners in the worke of saluation when they teach that with Christs merits must be ioyned our workes of grace in the matter of iustification and with Christs satisfaction for the wrath of God our satisfaction for the temporall punishment and when they adde to Christs intercession the intercession and patronage of Saints especially of the Virgin Marie whome they call the Queene of heauen the mother of mercie withall requesting her that by the authoritie of a mother she would commaund her sonne If this doctrine of theirs may stand Christ can not be the onely Sauiour of mankinde but euery man in part shall be Iesus to himselfe But let vs goe on yet further to search the special reason of the name which is notably set downe by the Angel Thou shalt saith he call his name Iesus for he shall saue his people from their sinnes In which words we may consider three points I. Whome the Sonne of God shall saue II. By what III. From what For the first he shall saue his people that is the elect of the Iewes and Gentiles and therefore he is called the Sauiour of his bodie We must not here imagine that Christ is a Sauiour of all and euery man For if that were true then Christ should make satisfaction to Gods iustice for all and euery mans sinnes and Gods iustice beeing fully satisfied he could not in iustice condemne any man nay all men should be blessed because satisfaction for sinne and the pardon of sinne depende one vpon an other inseparably Againe if Christ be an effectuall Sauiour of all and euery particular man why is any man condemned It will be saide because they will not beleeue belike then mans will must ouerrule Gods will whereas the common rule of diuines is that the first cause ordereth the second The meanes of saluation by Christ are two his merit and his efficacie His merit in that by his obedience to the law and by his passion he made a satisfaction for our sinnes freed vs from death and reconciled vs vnto God Some may obiect that the obedience and the passion of Christ beeing long agoe ended can not be able to saue vs now because that which he did 1500. yeares agoe may seeme to be vanished and come to nothing at this day Ans. If Christs obedience be considered as an action and his passion as a bare suffering they are both ended long agoe yet the value and price of thē before God is euerlasting as in Adams fall the action of eating the forbidden fruit is ended but the guilt of his transgression goes ouer all mankind and continues still euen to this houre and shall doe to the end of the world in those which shall be borne hereafter The efficacie of Christ is in that he giues his spirit to mortifie the corruption of our natures that we may die vnto sinne and liue to righteousnesse and haue true comfort in terrours of conscience and in the pangs of death The euils from which we are saued are our owne sinnes in that Christ freeth vs from the guilt and the punishment and fault of them all when wee beleeue Thus much for the meaning of this title Iesus Nowe follow the vses which arise of it First of all whereas we are taught to make confession that the sonn◠of God is Iesus that is a Sauiour hence it must needes followe that wee are lost in our selues And indeed before we can truly acknowledge that Christ is our Sauiour this confession must needes goe before that we are in truth and therewithall doe feele our selues to bee miserable sinners vnder the wrath of God vtterly lost in regard of our selues for Christ came to saue that which was lost And when he talked with the woman of Cannan he checked her said he was not sent but to the lost
ye did it to the least of those my brethren you did it to me A most notable sentence and it serueth to teach vs how we should behaue our selues in doing works of mercie which are duties to be performed in this life We are not to doe them of any sinister respect as for praise of men or commoditie but we must propound vnto our selues the partie to whome we doe any good and in him looke on Christ and so doe it as vnto Christ and for Christs sake onely and this is a good worke indeede Christ saith Whosoeuer shall giue a cuppe of cold water to a disciple in the name of a disciple shall not loose his reward It is but a small gift but yet the manner of doing it namely in the name of a disciple that is in respect that he is a member of Christ doth make it an excellent worke of mercie It is a speciall marke of a child of God to shew mercie on a christian because he is a Christian. If any would know whether he be a christian or no let him search himselfe whether he loue a man and can doe good vnto him because he is a child of God and a member of Christ. For this is a plaine argument that he also is the child of God Many can loue because they are loued againe but to loue for Christ his sake is a worke of Christ in vs and a speciall gift of God The sentence of condemnation followes in the second place and it containes foure points I. the reiection of the vngodly II. the reason of their reiection III. the defence which the wicked make for themselues lastly the answer of Christ to them againe The reiection of the wicked is vttered by a terrible sentence Away from me ye cursed into hell fire The vse hereof in generall is twofold First it serues to awake and excite all men and women in the world whosoeuer they be that shall heare it to looke vnto their owne estates It is wonderfull to see what great securitie reigneth euery where in these our daies Men goe on in sinne from day to day and from yeare to yeare without repentance nothing at all fearing the sentence of condemnation at the last day like vnto many which for the obtaining of other mens goods are neither by the feare of arraignment or imprisonment kept in good order The occasions of securitie are twofold I. the prosperitie of the wicked who of all men liue most at ease without trouble either in bodie or in minde II. Gods patience and long suffering as Salomon saith Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to doe euill But to awake all those which liue in this securitie they must remember that howsoeuer the Lord God doth now deferre his iudgement yet there is a day wherein he will no way shew mercie and long suffering when they shall heare this fearefull sentence of condemnation pronounced against them Away from me ye cursed The second vse is to the godly It serues to nurture them to keepe them in awe before God and no doubt this was a principall cause why this sentence was here penned by the holy Ghost A wise master of a family will check his seruant if the cause require correct him in his childs presence that the child it selfe may learne thereby to feare stand in awe of his father so Christ the most carefull and wise gouernour of his Church hath set downe this sentence of condemnation against the wicked that the children of God in this world whensoeuer they shall heare or read the same might be mooued thereby to stand in feare of God and more dutifully performe obedience vnto his commandâ—ments Away from me Here we may learne what a blessed thing it is for a man to haue true fellowshippe with Christ in this world For in the day of iudgement the punishment of the wicked is to be cut off from him and driuen away from his presence Now he that would haue fellowship with God after this life escape that punishmeÌ„t must seeke to haue it in this life and he that will not seeke to haue fellowship with him in this life shall neuer haue it after in the day of iudgement Againe let vs marke that it is nothing to draw neere vnto Christ with our lippes if the heart be not with him for such as come neere with the lippe and keepe aloofe in the heart shall heare the sentence pronounced Away from me ye cursed and shall be seuered as farre from Christ as hell from heauen Therefore let vs not content our selues with formall profession but open the doores of our hearts that the king of glorie may come in Ye cursed They are cursed who are borne in sinne and liue in their sinnes and all the daies of their liues so perseuere to the last gaspe without seeking recouerie Whosoeuer he be that is in this estate the curse of God hangeth ouer his head and will so doe till he get reconciliation with God in Christ. This beeing so aboue all things in this world we must labour to be at peace with God and neuer cease nor be quiet with our selues till we haue the same wrought and sealed in our hearts For before such time as we be in Gods fauour his fearefull curse hangs ouer our heads and if we so perseuere without repentance the day will come when we shall heare this fearefull sentence pronounced against vs Away from me yee cursed into hell fire What hell fire is we must not curiously search but rather giue our whole endeauour to learne how we may auoid it as when a mans house is on fire his care must be not to search how it came but rather how to quench it yet we are to know thus much that by hell fire is not meant any bodily flame but it signifies the seazing of the fearefull and terrible wrath of God both on bodie and soule for euer For howsoeuer the bodie be subiect to burning with bodily fire yet the soule beeing spirituall can not burne and therefore hell fire is not a materiall fire but a grieuous torment fitly resembled thereby Prepared for the deuill and his angels There is in euery mans heart by nature this corruption whereby when he sinneth he thinks that there is no danger but all is well hauing as Esai saith made a couenant with hell But here consider that although the deuill was once an angel of light yet when he had sinned he could not escape hell it was prepared euen for him How then shall vngodly men which are not halfe so wily thinke to escape Now followeth the reason of their reiection in these wordes For I was an hungred and ye gaue me no meate c. Hence we learne these two points I. that all mans religion and seruing of God is in vaine if so be we shew no compassion toward the poore members
creatures some are proper to men The benefit of the Holy Ghost common to all creatures is the worke of creation and preseruation For all things were created and made and afterwarde perserued by the holy Ghost So Elihu saith The spirit of God hath made me And Moses saith In the beginning the spirit mooued vpon the waters The phrase is borrowed from a bird who in hatching of her young ones sits vpon the egges mooues her selfe vpon them and heats them And so likewise the holy Ghost in the beginning did by his own power cherish and preserue the masse or lumpe whereof all things were made and caused it to bring forth the creatures This beeing euident that the Holy Ghost hath a stroke in the worke of creation and preseruation wee must vnfainedly acknowledge that we were first created and since that time continually preserued by the benefit euen of the third person The benefits proper vnto men are of two sorts some are common to all men both good and bad and some proper to the elect and faithfull The benefits common to all men are diuers I. the gift of practising a particular calling As in the bodie seuerall members haue seuerall vses so in euery societie seuerall men haue seuerall offices and callings and the gifts whereby they are inabled to performe the duties thereof are from the holy Ghost When Gedeon became a valiant captaine to deliuer the Israelites it is said he was clothed with the spirit Bezaleel and Aholiab beeing set apart to build the tabernacle were filled with the spirit of God in wisdome and in vnderstanding and in all workemanship to finde out curious works to worke in gold and in siluer in brasse also in the art to set stones and to carue in timber c. By this it is manifest that the skill of any handicraft is not in the power of man but comes by the holy Ghost And by this we are taught to vse al those gifts wel wherby we are inabled to discharge our particular callings that they may serue for the glorie of God and the good of his Church and those that in their callings vse fraud and deceit or else liue inordinately doe most vnthankfully abuse the gifts of God and dishonour the spirit of God the author of their gifts for which thing they must giue an account one day The second gift common to all is Illumination whereby a man is inabled to vnderstand the will of God in his word The Iewes in the reading of the old testament had a vaile ouer their hearts and the like haue all men by nature to whome the word of God is foolishnes Paul at his conuersion was smitten blind skales were vpon his eyes the like also be ouer the eyes of our mindes and they must fall away before we can vnderstand the will of God Now it is the worke of the holy Ghost to remooue these skales and filmes from our eyes And for this very cause he is called the annointing and eye-salue for as it doth cleare the eyes and take away the dimmenes from them so doth the holy Ghost take away blindnes from our mindes that we may see into the truth of Gods word This beeing a common gift and receiued both of good and bad it standeth vs in hand not to content our selues with the bare knowledge of the word but therewithall we must ioyne obedience and make conscience thereof or else that will besall vs which Christ foretold that he which knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes The third gift of the holy Ghost is the gift of prophecie whereby a man is made able to interpret and expound the Scriptures Now albeit this gift be very excellent and not giuen to euery man yet is it common both to good and badde For in the day of iudgement when men shall come to Christ and say Master we haue prophecied in thy name he shall answer againe I neuer knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquitie Hereupon those that are in the calling of the ministerie and haue receiued the gift of prophecie must not herewithall be puffed vp For if they be not as well doers of Gods will as teachers their gifts will turne to their further condemnation As the carpenters that built Noahs arke when the flood came were drowned because they would not obey Noahs preaching so those that haue the gifts of prophecie and are builders in Gods house if they build not themselues as well as others for all their preaching at the day of iudgement they shall be condemned and therefore it standeth them in hand not to content themselues with this that they know and teach others Gods will but they themselues must be the first doers of the same The fourth common gift of the Holy Ghost is Abilitie to bridle and restraine some affections so as they shall not breake out into outragions behauiour Haman a wicked man and an enemie to Gods Church when he sawe Mordecai the Iewe sitting in the kings gate and that hee would not stand vp nor mooue vnto him he was full of indignatiō neuertheles the text saith that he refrained himselfe And when Abimelech an heathen king had taken Sara Abrahams wife God said vnto him I knowe that thou didst this with an vpright heart and the text addeth further I haue kept thee that thou shouldest not sinne against me And thus the Lord giueth to men as yet without the spirit of sanctification this gift to bridle themselues so as in outward action they shall not practise this or that sinne For why did not Abimelech commit adulterie surely because God kept him from it Againe in the histories of the heathen we may read of many that were iust liberall meeke continent c. and that by a generall operation of the holy Ghost that represseth the corruption of nature for the common good Here then if any man aske howe it commeth to passe that some men are more modest and ciuil then others seeing all men by nature are equally wicked the answer may be not as the common saying is because some are of better nature then others for all the sonnes of Adam are equall in regard of nature the child newe borne in that respect is as wicked as the eldest man that euer liued but the reason is because God giues this common gift of restraining the affections more to some then to others This must be considered of vs all For a man may haue the spirit of God to bridle many sinnes and yet neuer haue the spirit to mortifie the same and to make him a newe creature And this beeing so we must take heede that we deceiue not our selues For it is not sufficient for a man to liue in outward ciuility and to keepe in some of his affections vpon some occasion for that a wicked man may doe but we must further labour to feele in our selues the spirit
in more speciall manner they giue assent vnto the couenant of grace made in Christ that it is most certaine and sure and they are perswaded in a general and confused manner that God will verifie the same couenant in the members of his Church This is all their faith which indeede proceedeth from the holy Ghost but yet it is not sufficient to make them sound Professors For albeit they doe generally beleeue Gods promises yet herein they deceiue themselues that they neuer applie and appropriate the same promises to their own soules An example of this faith we haue Ioh. 2.24 where it is said that when our Sauiour Christ came to Ierusalem at the feast of Easter manie beleeued in his name and yet hee would not commit himselfe vnto them because he knewe them all and what was in them To come to the second thing those professors which are indued with thus much grace as to beleeue in Christ in a confused maner goe yet further for this their faith though it be not sufficient to saluation yet it sheweth it selfe by certaine fruites which it bringeth forth for as a tree or a branch of a tree that hath no deepe rooting but either is couered with a few moules or els lieth in the water at the season of the yeare bringeth forth leaues and blossomes and some fruite too and that for one or two or moe yeares so one that is an hearer of the word may receiue the word and the worde as seed by this generall faith may bee somewhat rooted in his heart and setled for a season and may bring foorth some fruites in his life peraduenture very faire in his owne and other mens eies yet indeede neither sound nor lasting nor substantiall What these fruites are it may be gathered forth of these wordes where it is said that they receiue the word with ioy when they heare it for here may be gathered First that they doe willingly subiect themselues to the ministerie of the word Secondly that they are as forward as any and as ioyfull in frequenting sermons Thirdly that they reuerence the Ministers whome they so ioyfully heare Lastly they condemne them of impietie which will not be hearers or be negligent hearers of the word Now of these and such like fruâ—ts this may be added though they are not sound yet they are void of that grosse kind of hypocrisie For the mindes of those Professors are in part enlightened and their hearts are indued with such a faith as may bring forth these fruits for a time and therefore herein they â—issemble not that faith which they haue not but rather shew that which they haue Adde hereunto that a man beeing in this estate may deceiue himselfe and the most godly in the world which haue the greatest gifts of discerning how they and their brethren stand before the Lord like as the figtree with greene leaues deceiued our Sauiour Christ as he was man for when in his hunger he came vnto it to haue had some fruit he found none If this be so it may be then required how these vnsound professours differ from true professours I answer in this they differ that they haue not sound hearts to cleaue vnto Christ Iesus for euer Which appeareth in that they are compared to stonie ground Now stonie groundes mingled with some earth are commonly hot and therefore haue as it were some alacritie and hastinesse in them and the corne as soone as it is cast into this ground it sprouteth out very speedily but yet the stones will not suffer the corne to be rooted deepely beneath and therefore when sommer commeth the blade of the corne withereth with rootes and all So it is with these professours they haue in their hearts some good motions of the holy Ghost to that which is good they haue a kind of zeale to Gods word they haue a liking to good things and they are as forwards as any other for a time and they doe beleeue But these good motions and graces are not lasting but like the flame and flashing of straw and stubble neither are they sufficient to saluation With the true professours it is farre otherwise for they haue vpright and honest hearts before the Lord Luk. 8. 15. And they haue faith which worketh by loue Gal. 5.6 And that Christian man which loueth God whatsoeuer shall befall yea though it were a thousand deaths yet his heart can neuer be seuered from the Lord and from his Sauiour Christ as the spouse speaketh vnto Christ of her owne loue Cant. 8.6 Set me as a seale on thy heart as a signet vpon thy arme for loue is as strong as death iealousie is as cruell as the graue the coales thereof are fierie coales and a vehement flame Much water cannot quench loue neither can the flouds drowne it if a man should giue all the substance of his house for loue they would greatly contemne it Wherefore good Reader seeing there is such a similitude and affinitie betweene the temporarie professor of the Gospell and the true professor of the same it is the dutie of euery Christian to trie and examine himselfe whether he be in the faith or not 2. Cor. 13.5 And whereas it is an hard thing for a man to search out his own heart we are to pray vnto God that he would giue vs his spirit to discerne betweene that which is good and euill in vs. Now when a man hath found out the estate of his heart by searching it he is further to obserue and keepe it with all diligence Prou. 4. 23. that when the houre of death or the day of triall shall come he may stand sure and not be deceiued of his hope And for this purpose I haue described the most of these small treatises which follow to minister vnto thee some helpe in this examining and obseruing of thine own heart Read them and accept of them and by the blessing of God they shall not be vnprofitable vnto thee And if they shall any whit helpe thee helpe me also with thy prayer 1595. FINIS CERTAINE PROPOSITIONS DECLARING HOW FARRE A MAN MAY goe in the profession of the Gospel and yet be a wicked man or a Reprobate I. A Reprobate hath in his mind a certain knowledge of God of common equitie among men of the difference of good from bad and this is partly from nature partly from the contemplation of Gods creatures in which the wisdome the power the loue the mercie the maiestie of God is perceiued II. This knowledge is only generall and imperfect much like the ruines of a Princes pallace it is not sufficient to direct him in doing of a good work For example he knoweth that there is a God and that this God must be worshipped come to particulars who God is what a one he is how he must be worshipped Here his knowledge faileth him and he is altogither vncertain what to doe to please God III. By reason of this knowledge the Reprobate doeth
redemption you must waite for it till after this life you would bee kissed with the kisses of Christs mouth but here in this worlde you must bee content if you may with Marie Magdelen kisse his feete For the perfection of a Christian mans life standes in the feeling and confession of his imperfections And as Ambrose saith obedience due to God standes more in the affection then in the worke Christian. But why will God haue those whome hee hath sanctified labour still vnder their infirmities Minister The causes are diuers First hereby he teacheth his seruants to see in what great neede they stand of the righteousnes of Christ that they may more carefully seeke after it Secondly he subdueth the pride of mens heartes and humbleth them by counteruailing the graces which they haue receiued with the like measure of infirmities Thirdly by this meanes the godly are exercised in a continuall fight against sinne and are daily occupied in purifying themselues Christian. But to goe on forward in this matter there is another cause that makes me feare least I haue no true repentance Minister What is that Christian. I oftentimes find my selfe like a very timberlog voide of all grace and goodnes froward and rebellious to any good worke so that Iâ— feare least Christ haue quite forsaken me Minist As it is in the strait seas the water ebs and flowes so is it in the godly in them as long as they liue in this worlde according to their owne feeling there is an accesse recesse of the spirit Otherwhiles they be troubled with deadnes and dulnes of heart as Dauid was who praied to the Lord to quickeâ— him according to his louing kindnes that he may keepe the testimonies of his mouth And in another place he saith that Gods promises quickened him Which could not be vnles he had beene troubled with great dulnes of heart Againe sometimes the spirit of God quite withdraweth is selfe to their feeling as it was in Dauid In the day of my trouble saith he I sought the Lord and my soule refused comfort I did think vpon god and was troubled I praied and my spirit was ful of anguish Againe Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he shewe no more fauour hath God forgotten to be mercifull c. The Church in the Canticles complaineth of this In my bed I sought him by night whome my soule loued I sought him but I found him not And againe My wellbeloued put in his hand by the hole of the doore and my heart was affectioned towards him I rose vp to open to my welbeloued and my hands did drop down mirrhe my fingers pure mirrhe vpon the handles of the barre I opened to my welbeloued but my welbeloued was gone and past mine heart was gone when he did speake I â—ought him but I could not finde him I called but he answered me not Contrariwise God at some other times sheds abroad his loue most aboundantly in the hearts of the faithfull and Christ lieth betweene the breasts of his Church as a posie of myrrhe giuing a strong smell Christian. But how can he bee a Christian that feeles no grace nor goodnes in himselfe Minister The child which as yet can vse no reason is for all that a reasonable creature and the man in a swowne feeles no power of life and yet hee is not dead The Christian man hath many quames come ouer his heart and he fals into many a swown that none almost would looke for any more of the life of Christ in him yet for all that he may bee a true Christian. This was the state of Peter when he denied our Sauiour Christ with cursing and banning his faith onely fainted for a time it failed not Christian. I haue now opened vnto you the chiefe things that troubled me and your comfortable answers haue much refreshed my troubled minde The God of all mercie and consolation requite you accordingly Minister I haue spoken that which God out of his holy word hath opened vnto me if you find any helpe thereby giue God the praise therfore carrie this with you for euer that by many afflictions both in the bodie and the minde you must enter into the kingdome of heauen Raw flesh is noysome to the stomack is no good nourishment before it be â—odden and vnmortified men and womeÌ„ be no creatures fit for God and therefore they are to be soaked and boyled in afflictions that the fulsomnes and rankenes of their corruption may be delayed and that they may haue in them some relish acceptable vnto God And to conclude for the auoiding of all these temptations vse this sweete praier following which that godly Saint Master Bradford made Oh Lord God and deere father what shall I say that feele all things to bee in manner with me as in the wicked Blind is my minde crooked is my will peruerse concupisceÌ„ce is in me as a spring of stinking puddle O how faint is faith in me how little is my loue to thee or thy people how great is my selfe loue how hard is my heart by reason whereof I am mooued to doubt of thy goodnesse towards me whether thou art my mercifull father and whether I be thy child or no indeed worthily might I doubt if that the hauing of these were the cause not the fruit rather of thy children The cause why thou art my father is thy merciful goodnesâ— grace trueth in Christ Iesus which cannot but remaine for euer In respect whereof thou hast borne me this good wil to bring me into thy Church by baptisme and to accept me into the number of thy children that I might be holy faithfull obedient and innocent and to call me diuers times by the ministerie of thy word into thy kingdome besides the innumerable other benefits alwaies hitherto powred vpon me All which thou hast done of this thy good will which thou of thine owne mercie barest to me in Christ before the world was made The which thing as thou requirest straightly that I should beleeue without doubting so wouldest thou that I in all my needs should come vnto thee as to a father make my mone without mistrust of beeing heard in thy good time as most shall make to my comfort Loe therefore to thee deare father I come through thy sonne our Lord our Mediatour and Aduocate Iesus Christ who sitteth on thy right hand making intercession for me I pray thee of thy great goodnes and mercie in Christ to be mercifull to me a sinner that I may indeed feele thy sweet mercie as thy child the time oh deare father I appoint not but I pray thee that I may with hope still expect and looke for thy helpe I hope that as for a little while thou hast left me so thou wilt come and visit me and that in thy great mercie whereof I haue great neede by reason of my great miserie Thou
another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shal deliuer me from this bodie of death The second maner of Gods forsaking his Elect is when he hides his graces for a time not by taking them quite away but by couering them and by remoouing all sense and feeling of them And in this case they are like the trees in the winter season that are beaten with winde and weather bearing neither leafe nor fruit but looke as though they were rotten and dead because the sap doth not spread it selfe but lies hid in the roote Dauid often was in this case as namely when he saith Will the Lord absent himself for euer And will he shew no more fauour is his mercie cleane gone for euer doth his promise faile for euermore Hath God forgotten to be mercifull Hath he shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure Selah This comes to passe because the Lord very often in and by one contrarie works another Clay and spittle tempered togither in reason should put out a mans eies but Christ vsed it as a meanes to giue sight to the blinde Water in reason should put out fire but Elias when he would shew that Iehoua was the true God poures water on his sacrifice and fils a trench therewith to make the sacrifice burne The like appeareth in the worke of grace to saluation A man that hath liued in securitie by Gods goodnes hath his eyes opened to see his sinnes and his heart touched to feele the huge and loathsome burden of thē and therefore to bewaile his wretched estate with bitternes of heart Hereupon he presently thinkes that God will make him a firebrand of hell whereas indeede the Lord is now about to worke and frame in his heart sanctification and sound repentance neuer to be repented of The man which hath had some good perswasions of Gods fauour in Christ comes afterward vpon many occasions to be troubled and to be ouerwhelmed with distrustfulnes grieuous doubtings of his saluation so as he iudgeth himselfe to haue beene but an hypocrite in former times and for the time present a cast-away But indeed hereby the Lord exerciseth fashioneth and increaseth his weake faith In one word marke this point That the graces of God peculiar to the elect are begunne increased and made manifest in or by their contraries A man in this desertion cap discerne no difference betweene himselfe and a cast-away and the rather if with this desertion be ioyned a feeling of Gods anger for then ariseth the bitterest temptation that euer befell the poore soule of a Christian man and that is a wrastling and strugling in spirit and conscience not with the motions of a rebelling flesh nor the accusations of the deuill which are oftentimes very irksome and terrible but against the wrath of a reuenging God This hidden and spirituall temptation more tormenteth the spirit of man then all the rackes or gibbets in the world can doe And it hath his fittes after the manner of an ague in which euen Gods own seruants ouercarried with sorrowe may blaspheme God and crie out that they are dāned Iob was in this estate as he testifieth Oh that my griefe were waied saith he and my miseries were laid togither in the ballance for it would be heauier then the sand of the sea therefore my words are swallowed vp for the arrowes of the Almightie are in me the venome therof doth drink vp my spirit and the terrours of god fight against me And further he complaines that the Lord is his enemie that he writes bitter things against him and that he sets him as a But to shoote at This was Dauids tēptation when he said O Lord rebuke me not in thy anger neither chastise me in thy wrath haue mercy vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed my soule is also sore troubled but Lord howe long wilt thou delay Returne O Lord deliuer my soule saue me for thy mercies sake Hence it follows that when any that hath beene a professour of the gospel shall despaire at his end that men are to leaue secret iudgements to God and charitably to iudge the best of them For example one Master Chambers at Leicester of late in his sicknes grieuously despaired and cried out that he was damned and after died yet it is not for any to note him with the blacke marke of a reprobate One thing which hee spake in his extremitie O that I had but one drop of faith must mooue all men to conceiue well of him For by this it seemeth that he had an heart which desired to repent beleeue therefore a repentant and beleeuing heart indeed For God at all times but especially in temptation of his great mercy accepts the will for the deed Neither is it to be regarded that he said he was damned for mē in such cases speak not as they are but as they feele themselues to be Yea to goe further when a professour of the gospell shall make away himselfe though it be a fearfull case yet stil the same opiniō must be carried First Gods iudgements are very secret Secondly they may repent in the very agony for any thing we know Thirdly none is able to comprehend the bottomlesse depth of the graces and mercies which are in Christ. Thus much of the manner which God vseth in forsaking his elect Nowe followe the kindes of desertion which are two desertion in punishment desertion in sinne Desertion in punishment is when God deferreth either to mittigate or to remooue the crosse and chastisement which hee hath laid vpon his children This befell Christ on the crosse My God saith he my God why hast thou forsaken me This was the complaint of Gedeon Did not the Lord bring vs out of Egypt But now the Lord hath forsaken vs and deliuered vs into the hands of the Midianites Iudg. 6. 13. Master Robert Glouer Martyr at Couentrie after he was condemned by the Bishop and was nowe at the point to bee deliuered out of the worlde it so happened that two or three daies before his death his heart beeing lumpish and desolate of all spirituall consolation felt in himselfe no aptnesse nor willingnesse but rather a heauinesse and dulnesse of spirit full of much discomfort to beare the bitter crosse of martyrdome ready now to be laid vpon him whereupon he fearing in himselfe least the Lord had withdrawn his wonted fauour from him made his mone to one Austine his friend signifying vnto him how earnestly he had praied day night vnto the Lord and yet could receiue no motion nor sense of any comfort from him vnto whome the said Austine answered againe willing him patiently to waite the Lords pleasure and howesoeuer his present feeling was yet seeing his cause was iust and true he
with all his heart and with full consent and so doth not the first Secondly though he fall into any sinne yet he doth not lie long in it but speedily recouers himselfe by reason of grace in his heart Hence it is manifest that sinnes of infirmitie are committed onely of such as are regenerate As for the man vnregenerate he can not sinne of infirmitie whatsoeuer some falsly thinke For he is not weake but starke dead in sinne And sinnes of infirmitie are such onely as rise of constraint feare hastinesse and such like sudden passions in the regenerate And though they sin of weaknes often by reason of this spirituall combat yet they doe not alwaies for they may sinne against knowledge and conscience of presumption To come to the second point the regenerate man can not doe the good which he would because he can not doe it perfitly and soundly according to Gods will as he would Paul saith To will is present with me but I finde no meanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfitly to doe that which I would In this point the godly man is like a prisoner that is gotten forth of the gayle and that he might escape the hand of the keeper desires and striues with all his heart to runne an hundred miles in a day but because he hath straight and waightie bolts on his legges cannot for his life creepe past a mile or twaine and that with chasing his flesh tormenting himselfe So the seruants of God doe heartily desire and endeauour to obey God in all his commaundements as it is saide of King Iosias That he turned to God with all his heart with all his soule with all his might according to all the lawes of Moses c. yet because they are clogged with the bolts of the flesh they performe obedience both slowly and weakely with diuers slippes and falls Thus much of the combat now let vs see what vse may be made of it First of all by it we learne what is the estate of a Christian man in this life A Christian is not one that is free from all euill cogitations from rebellious inclinations and motions of will and affections from all manner of slips in his life and conuersation for such an one is a meere deuise of mans brain and not to be found vpon earth But indeed he is the sound Christian that feeling himselfe laden with the corruptions of his vile and rebellious nature bewailes them from his heart and with might and maine fights against them by the grace of Gods spirit Againe here is ouerthrowne the Popish opinion of merit and iustification by workes of grace on this manner Such as the cause of workes is such are works themselues The cause of works in man is the mind will and affections sanctified in which the flesh and the spirit are mixt together as hath beene shewed before Therefore works of grace euen the best of them are mixt workes partly holy and partly sinnefull Whereby it is euident to a man that hath but common sense that they are not answerable to the righteousnes of the law and that therefore they can neither merit life or any way iustifie a man before God If any reply that good works are the works of Gods spirit and for that cause perfectly righteous I answer it is true indeede they come from the H. Ghost that can not sinne but not onely or immediatly For they come also frō the corrupt minde will of man and in that respect become sinnefull as sweete water issuing out of a pure fountaine is by a filthy channell made corrupt Thirdly we doe hence learne that concupiscence or originall sinne is properly and indeede sinne after baptisme though it please the Councill of Trent to decree otherwise For after baptisme it is flat contrarie to the spirit and rebells against it Papists obiect that it is taken away by baptisme Answ. Originall sinne or the flesh is taken away in the regenerate thus In it there be three things the guilt the punishment the corruption the first two are quite abolished by the merit of Christs death in baptisme the third that is the corruption remaines still but marke in what manner it remaines weakned it remains not imputed to the person of the beleeuer Lastly hereby we are taught to be watchfull in praier Watch and pray saith Christ c. for the spirit is readie but the flesh is weake Rebecca when two twins stroue in her wombe was troubled and saide Why am I so wherefore shee went to aske the Lord namely by some Prophet So when we feele this inward fight the best thing is to haue recourse to God by praier and to his word that the spirit may be strengthened against the flesh As the children of Israel by compassing the citie of Ierico seuen daies and by sounding rammes hornes ouerturned the walls thereof so by serious inuocation of Gods name the spirit is confirmed and the turrets and towres of the rebellious flesh battered The voice of a man 1. Carnall of Euill I doe that which is euill and I will doe it Good I do not that which is good and I will not do it 2. Regenerate of Euill I doe the euill which I would not Good I doe not doe the good which I would 3. Glorified of Euill I doe not that which is euill and I will not doe it Good I doe that which is good and I will doe it A salue for a sicke man OR A TREATISE CONTAINING THE NATVRE DIFFERENCES AND KINDES OF DEATH AS ALSO THE right manner of dying well And It may serue for spirituall instruction to 1. Marriners when they goe to sea 2. Souldiers when they goe to battell 3. Women when they trauell of child PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT PRINTER to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND VERTVOVS LAdie the Ladie Lucie Countesse of Bedford THe death of the righteous that is of euery beleeuing and repentant sinner is a most excellent blessing of God and brings with it many worthie benefits which thing I proue on this maner I. God both in the beginning and in the continuance of his grace doeth greater things vnto his seruants then they do commonly aske or thinke and because he hath promised aide and strength vnto them therefore in wonderfull wisdome hee casteth vpon them this heauie burden of death that they might make experience what is the exceeding might power of his grace in their weakenes II. Iudgement beginnes at gods house the righteous are laden with afflictions temptations in this life therefore in this worlde they haue their deaths and hells that in death they might not feele the torments of hell and death III. When Lazarus was dead Christ said He is not dead but sleepeth hence it followeth that the christian man can say My graue is my bedde my death is my sleepe in death I die not but onely sleepe It is thought that of all terrible things death is most
he is a most perfect Mediatour doing all things by himselfe without the helpe of any And the ministers that dispence the word are not his deputies but reasonable and voluntarie instruments which he vseth But if men by works can merit increase of grace happines for themselues then hath Christ partners in the work of redeÌ„ption men doing that by him which he doth of himselfe in procuring their saluatioÌ„ Nay if this might staÌ„d that Christ did merit that our workes should merit then Christ should merit that our stained righteousnes being for this cause not capable of merit should neuertheles merit I cal it stained because we are partly flesh partly spirit therfore in our selues deseruing the curse of the law though we be regenerate Again for one good work we do we haue many euil the offeÌ„ce wherof defaceth the merit of our best deeds maks theÌ„ too light in the balaÌ„ce of the law Obiect III. Our works merit by bargaine or couenant because God hath promised to reward them Ans. The word of God sets downe two couenants one legall the other euangelical In the legall couenant life euerlasting is promised to workes for that is the condition of the law doe these things thou shalt liue But on this manner can no man merit life euerlasting because none is able to doe all that the law requires whether we respect the manner or the measure of obedience In the euangelicall couenant the promises that are made are not made to any worke or vertue in man but to the worker not for any merit of his owne person or worke but for the person and merit of Christ. For example it is a promise of the Gospell Be faithfull vnto death and I will giue thee the crowne of life Reuelat. 2.10 Here the promise is not made to the vertue of fidelitie but to the faithfull person whose fidelitie is but a token that he is in Christ for the merit of whose obedience God promiseth the crowne of life and therefore Christ saith further I come quickly and will giue to euery man according to his workes marke he saith not to the worke or for the worke but to the worker according to his workes And thus the bond of all other promises of the Gospel in which God willingly binds himselfe to reward our workes doe not directly concerne vs but haue respect to the person and obedience of Christ for whose sake alone God bindes himselfe as debter vnto vs and giues the recompence or reward according to the measure of our faith testified by our works And therefore it cannot be truly gathered that workes do merit by any promise or couenant passed on Gods part to man Some may say if workes merit not why are they mentioned in the promises I answer not because they merit but because they are tokens that the doer of the worke is in Christ for whose merit the promise shall be accomplished Obiect IV. Good workes are perfect and without fault for they are the workes of the holy Ghost who cannot sinne therefore they merit Ans. If workes did proceede onely and immediatly from the holy Ghost there could not be any fault in them but our works come from the holy Ghost in and by the will and vnderstanding of man and by this meanes they are tainted with sinne as water in the fountaine is both cleare and sweete yet the streames thereof passing through the filthie channell are defiled thereby Againe they reason thus That which we are bound to doe hath no fault in it but we are bound to doe good workes therefore they are perfect Ans. The proposition must be expounded that which we are bound to doe in it selfe according to the intention of the commander hath no fault or that which we are bound to doe according as we are bound to doe it hath no fault yet in regard of the intention of the doer or in regard of our manner of doing it may be faultie Obiect V. Christ saith Reuel 3.4 that the faithfull in the Church of Sardis shall walke with him in white for they are worthie therefore beleeuers merit Ans. Euery beleeuer is worthie to walke with Christ yet not worthie in himselfe but in Christ to whome he is vnited and made bone of his bone flesh of his flesh And by reason of this coniunction it is that men are said to be worthie because they are inriched with Christs merits and righteousnes Obiect VI. 2. Tim. 4.8 Euerlasting life is tearmed a crowne and a crowne of righteousnes to be giuen of a iust iudge therfore man for his part by his works deserues the same Ans. Euerlasting life is called a crowne onely in resemblaÌ„ce For as he which runneth a race must continue and runne to the end and then be crowned euen so must we continue to walke in good workes vnto the ende and then receiue eternall life And it is called a crowne of righteousnes not because it belongs to any man by due and desert but because God hath bound himselfe by a promise to giue it in performing whereof he is tearmed iust and by vertue of this promise it is obtained and no otherwise These are the principall obiections by which we may iudge what the rest are And thus we see what is the truth namely that merit is necessarie to saluation yet neither merit of mans worke or person but the merit of Christ imputed to vs whereby we beeing in him doe procure and deserue the fauour of God and life eternall The sixt point Of satisfaction Our consent Conclus I. First we acknowledge and hold Ciuill or Politike satisfaction that is a recompence for iniuries and damages offered any way to our neighbours This Zacheus practised when at his conuersion he restored foure-fold things gotten by forged cauillation Again by ciuill satisfaction I vnderstand the imposition of fines mulcts and penalties vpon offenders the inflicting of death vpon malefactours For all these are satisfactions to the law and societies of men when they are wronged All these we maintaine as necessarie for neither Church nor common-wealth can well be without them considering they are notable meanes to vphold ciuill peace and otherwhiles they are fruits of true faith as the satisfaction of Zacheus was Conclus II. We acknowledge canonicall or Ecclesiasticall satisfaction and that is when any hauing giuen offence to the Church of God or any paâ—t thereof doe make an open publike testimonie of their repentance Mirian for murmuring against Moses was stricken with leprosie and afterward by his praier shee was clensed and yet for all that shee must goe seuen daies out of the tent and congregation that shee might make a kind of satisfaction to the people for her trespasse And in the olde testament sackcloth and ashes were signes of their satisfaction Conclus III. We holde that no man can be saued vnlesse he make a perfect satisfaction to the iustice of God for all his sinnes because God is infinite in iustice
called vniuersall Bishop the vniuersall Church goeth to decaie And chap. 144. I say boldely that whosoeuer calleth or desireth to call himselfe vniuersall priest in his pride is a forerunner of Antichrist And beholde in the preface of the Epistle which ye directed vnto me you caused to be set a proud title calling me vniuersal Pope Bernard Consider that thou art not a Lord of Bishops but one of them Churches are maimed in that the Romane bishop draweth all power to himselfe Againe Gregorie himselfe beeing Pope saith to the Emperour I which am subiect to your commandement haue euery way discharged that which was due in that I haue performed mine allegiance to the Emperour and haue not concealed what I thought on Gods behalfe And pope Leo the fourth after Gregorie 200. yeares acknowledged the Emperour Lotharius for his soueraigne prince and professed obedience without gainsaying to his imperiall commandements To conclude whereas they say that there is a donble head of the Church one imperiall which is Christ alone the other ministeriall which is the pope gouerning the whole Church vnder Christ I answer this distinction robbeth Christ of his honour because in setting vp their ministeriall heade they are faine to borrow of Christ things proper vnto him as the priuiledge to forgiue sinnes properly and the power to gouerne the whole earth by making of lawes that shall as truely bind conscience as the lawes of God c. The 19 point Of the efficacie of the sacraments Our Consent Conclus I. We teach and beleeue that the sacraments are signes to represent Christ with his benefits vnto vs. Conclus II. We teach further that the Sacraments are indeede instruments whereby God offereth and giueth the foresaid benefits vnto vs. Thus farre we consent with the Romane Church The difference The difference betweene vs standes in sundrie points First of all the best learned among them teach that sacraments are phisicall instruments that is true and proper instrumentall causes hauing force and efficacie in them to produce and giue grace They vse to expresse their meaning by these comparisons When the scriuener takes the pen into his hand and writes the action of writing comes from the penne mooued by the hand of the writer and in cutting of wood or stone the diuision comes from the sawe mooued by the hand of the workeman euen so the grace say they that is giuen by God is conferred by the sacrament it selfe Now we for our parts hold that sacraments are not phisicall but meere voluntarie instruments Voluntarie because it is the will and appointment of God to vse them as certaine outward meanes of grace Instruments because when we vse them aright according to the institution God then answerably conferres grace from himselfe In this respect onely take we them for instruments and no otherwise The secōd difference is this they teach that the very action of the minister dispēsing the sacrament as it is a work done giues grace immediatly if the party be prepared as the very washing or sprinkling of water in baptisme and the giuing of bread in the Lords supper euen as the orderly moouing of the pen vpon the paper by the hand of the writer causeth writing We hold the contrarie namely that no action in the dispensation of a Sacrament conferreth grace as it is a worke done that is by the efficacie and force of the very sacramentall action it selfe though ordained of God but for two other waies First by the signification thereof For God testifies vnto vs his will and good pleasure partly by the word of promise and partly by the sacrament the signes representing to the eyes that which the word doth to the eares being also types and certen images of the very same things that are promised in the word and no other Yea the elements are not general and confused but particular signes to the seuerall communicants and by the vertues of the Institution for when the faithfull receiue the signes from God by the hands of the Minister it is as much as if God himselfe with his owne mouth should speake vnto them seuerally and by name promise to them remission of sinnes And things said to men particularly doe more affect and more take away doubting then if they were generally spoken to an whole companie Therefore signes of graces are as it were an applying and binding of the promise of saluation to euery particular beleeuer and by this meanes the oftner they are receiued the more they helpe our infirmitie and confirme our assurance of mercie Againe the sacrament conferres grace in that the signes thereof confirmes faith as a pledge by reason it hath a promise annexed to it For when God commands vs to receiue the signes in faith and withall promiseth to the receiuers to giue the thing signified he bindes himselfe as it were in bond vnto vs to stand to his owne word euen as men binde themselues in obligations putting to their hands and seales so as they cannot go backe And when the signes are thus vsed as pledges and that often they greatly increase the grace of God as a token sent from one friend to an other renewes and confirmes the perswasion of loue These are the two principall waies whereby the sacraments are said to conferre grace namely in respect of their signification and as they are pledges of Gods fauour vnto vs. And the very point here to be considered is in what order and manner they confirme And the manner is this The signes and visible elements affect the senses outward and inward the senses conuay their obiect to the mind the mind directed by the holy Ghost reasoneth on this manner out of the promise annexed to the sacrament He that vseth the elements aright shall receiue grace thereby but I vse the elements aright in faith and repentance saith the minde of the beleeuer therefore shall I receiue from God increase of grace Thus then faith is confirmed not by the worke done but by a kind of reasoning caused in the minde the argument or proofe whereof is borrowed from the elements beeing signes and pledges of Gods mercie The third difference The Papists teach that in the sacrament by the work done the very grace of iustification is conferred We say no because a man of yeares must first beleeue and be iustified before he can be a meete partaker of any sacrament And the grace that is conferred is onely the increase of our faith hope sanctification c. Our Reasons Reason I. The word preached and the sacraments differ in the manner of giuing Christ and his benefits vnto vs because in the word the spirit of God teacheth vs by a voice conueied to the minde by the bodily eares but in the sacraments annexed to the word by certaine sensible and bodily signes viewed by the eie Sacraments are nothing but visible words and promises Otherwise for the giuing it selfe they differ not Christ himselfe faith that in the very worde
is eaten his owne flesh which he was to giue for the life of the worlde and what can be said more of the Lords supper Augustine saith that beleeuers are partakers of the bodie and blood of Christ in baptisme and Hierome to Edibia that in baptisme we eate and drinke the body and blood of Christ. If thus much may be said of baptisme why may it not also be said of the word preached Again Hierom vpon Ecclesiastes saith It is profitable to be filled with the bodie of Christ and drinke his blood not onely in mysterie but in knowledge of holy Scripture Nowe vpon this it followes that seeing the worke done in the word preached conferres not grace neither doth the worke done in the sacrament conferre any grace Reason II. Math. 3.11 I baptize you with water to repentance but he that cōmeth after me is stronger then I hee shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Hence it is manifest that grace in the sacrament proceedes not from any action in the sacrament for Iohn though he doe not disioyne himselfe his action from Christ and the action of his spirit yet doth he distinguish thē plainely in number persons and effect To this purpose Paul who had said of the Galathians that he trauelled of them and beget them by the Gospell saith of himselfe that he is not any thing not onely as hee was a man but as hee was a faithfull Apostle thereby excluding the whole Euangelicall ministerie wherof the Sacrament is a part from the least part of diuine operation or efficacy in conferring of grace Reason III. The blessed Angels nay the very flesh of the sonne of God hath not any quickning vertue from it selfe but all this efficacie or vertue is in and from the godhead of the sonne who by meanes of the flesh apprehended by faith deriueth heauenly and spirituall life from himselfe to the members Now if there be no efficacie in the flesh of Christ but by reason of the hypostatical vnion how shall bodily actions about bodily elements conferre grace immediatly Reason IV. Paul Rom. 4. stands much vpon this to prooue that iustification by faith is not conferred by the sacraments And from the circumstance of time he gathereth that Abraham was first iustified and then afterward receiued circumcision the signe and seale of his righteousnes Nowe we knowe that the generall condition of all sacraments is one and the same and that baptisme succeeded circumcision And what can be more plaine then the example of Cornelius Act. 10. who before Peter came vnto him had the commendation of the feare of God and was indued with the spirit of praier and afterward when Peter by preaching opened more fully the way of the Lord hee and the rest receiued the holy Ghost And after all this they were baptised Now if they receiued the holy Ghost before baptisme then they receiued remission of sinnes and were iustified before baptisme V. Reason The iudgement of the Church Basil. If there bee any grace in the water it is not from the nature of the water but from the presence of the spirit Hierome saith Man giues water but God giues the holy Ghost Augustine saide Water toucheth the bodie and washeth the heart but he shewes his meaning else where There is one water saith he of the sacrament another of the spirit the water of the Sacrament is visible the water of the spirit inuisible That washeth the bodie and signifieth what is done in the soule By this the soule is purged and healed Obiect Remission of sinnes regeneration and saluation is ascribed to the sacrament of baptisme Act. 22.21 Eph. 5. Gal. 3.27 Tit. 2. Ans. Saluation and remission of sinnes is ascribed to baptisme and the Lords supper as to the word which is the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue and that as they are instruments of the holy ghost to signifie zeale and exhibite to the beleeuing minde the foresaid benefits but indeede the proper instrument whereby saluation is apprehended is faith and sacraments are but proppes of faith furthering saluation two waies first because by their signification they helpe to nourish and preserue faith secondly because they seale grace and saluation to vs yea God giues grace and saluation when we vse them well so be it we beleeue the word of promise made to the sacrament whereof also they are seales And thus we keepe the middle way neither giuing too much nor too little to the sacraments The XX. point Of sauing faith or the way to life Our Consent Conclus I. They teach it to bee the propertie of faith to beleeue the whole whole word of God and especially the redemption of mankind by Christ. Conclus II. They auouch that they beleeue looke to be saued by Christ and by Christ alone and by the meere mercy of God in Christ. Conclus III. Thirdly the most learned among them hold confesse that the obedience of Christ is imputed vnto them for the satisfaction of the lawe and for their reconciliation with God Conclus IV. They auouch that they put their whole trust and confidence in Christ and in the meere mercy of God for their saluation Concl. V. Lastly they hold that euery man must apply the promise of life euerlasting by Christ vnto himselfe and this they grant we are bound to doe And in these fiue points doe they and we agree at least in shewe of wordes By the auouching of the fiue conclusions papists may easily escape the handes of many magistrates And vnlesse the mysterie of popish doctrine bee well known any common man may easily be deceiued take such for good protestants that are but popish priests To this end therefore that we may the better discerne their guile I will shew wherein they faile in each of their conclusions and wherein they differ from vs. The difference Touching the first conclusion they beleeue indeed all the written word of God and more then all for they also beleeue the bookes Apocryphal which antiquitie for many hundred yeares hath excluded from the canon yea they beleeue vnwritten traditions receiued as they say from Councills the writings of the Fathers and the determinations of the Church making them also of equall credit with the written worde of God giuen by inspiration of the spirit Now we for our parts despise not the Apocrypha as namely the books of the Machabees Ecclesiasticus and the rest but wee reuerence them in all conuenient manner preferring them before any other bookes of men in that they haue beene approoued by an vniuersall consent of the Church yet wee thinke them not meete to bee receiued into the Canon of holy scripture and therfore not to be beleeued but as they are cōsenting with the written word And for this our doing we haue directiō from Athanasius Origen Hierom and the Councel of Laodicea As for the vnwriten Traditions they come not within the compasse of our faith neither can
they because they come vnto vs by the hands of men that may deceiue and be deceiued And we hold and beleeue that the right Canon of the bookes of the old and newe Testament cōtaines in it sufficient direction for the Church of God to life euerlasting both for faith and maners Here then is the point of difference that they make the obiect of faith larger then it should be or can be and we keepe our selues to the written word beleeuing nothing to saluation out of it In the second conclusion touching saluation by Christ alone there is a manifest deceit because they craftily include and couch their owne works vnder the name of Christ. For say they works done by men regenerate are not their owne but Christs in them and as they are the workes of Christ they saue and no otherwise But we for our parts looke to be saued onely by such workes as Christ himselfe did in his owne person and not by any worke at all done by him in vs. For all workes done are in the matter of iustification and saluation opposed to the grace of Christ Rom. 11.6 Election is of grace not of workes if it be of workes it is no more of grace Againe whereas they teach that wee are saued by the works of Christ which he worketh in vs and maketh vs to work it is flatte against the word For Paul saith Wee are not saued by such workes as God hath ordained that men regenerate should walke in Eph. 2.10 And hee saieth further that hee counted all things euen after his conuersion losse vnto him that he might be found in Christ not hauing his owne righteousnes which is of the lawe Phil. 3.8 Againe Heb. 1.3 Christ washed away our sinnes by himselfe which last wordes exclude the merit of all workes done by Christ within man Thus indeede the Papists ouerturne all that which in word they seeme to hold touching their iustification and saluation We confesse with them that good works in vs are the workes of Christ yet are they not Christs alone but ours also in that they proceede from Christ by the minde and will of man as water from the fountaine by the channell And looke as the channell defiled defiles the water that is without defilement in the fountaine euen so the minde and will of man defiled by the remnants of sinne defile the works which as they come frō Christ are vndefiled Hence it is that the works of grace which we doe by Christ or Christ in vs are defectiue and must be seuered from Christ in the act of iustification or saluation The third conclusion is touching the imputation of Christs obedience which some of the most learned among them acknowledge and the difference betweene vs stands on this manner They hold that Christs obedience is imputed onely to make satisfaction for sinne and not to iustifie vs before God We hold and beleeue that the obedience of Christ is imputed to vs euē for our righteousnesse before God Paul saith 1. Cor. 1.30 Christ is made vnto vs of God wisdome righteousnes sanctification and redemption Hence I reason thus If Christ be both our sanctification and our righteousnes then he is not onely vnto vs inherent righteousnes but also righteousnes imputed But he is not onely our sanctification which the Papists themselues expound of inherent or habituall righteousnesse but also our righteousnes for thus by Paul are they distinguished Therefore hee is vnto vs both inherent and imputed righteousnesse And very reason teacheth thus much For in the ende of the world at the barre of Gods iudgement wee must bring some kinde of righteousnes for our iustification that may stand in the rigour of the law according to which we are to be iudged But our inherent righteousnesse is imperfect stained with manyfold defects and shall be as long as we liue in this worlde as experience tels vs and consequently it is not sutable to the iustice of the lawe and if we goe out of our selues we shall find no righteousnesse seruing for our turnes either in men or angels that may or can procure our absolution before God and acceptation to life euerlasting We must therefore haue recourse to the person of Christ and his obedience imputed vnto vs must serue not onely to be a satisfaction to God for all our sinnes but also for our perfect iustification in that god is content to accept of it for our righteousnes as if it were inherent in vs or performed by vs. Touching the fourth conclusion they holde it the safest and surest course to put their trust and confidence in the mercie of God alone for their saluation yet they condescend that men may also put their confidence in the merit of their owne workes and in the merits also of other men so it be in sobrietie But this doctrine quite marres the conclusion because by teaching that men are to put confidence in the creature they ouerturne al confidence in the Creatour For in the very first commandement wee are taught to make choice of the true God for our God which thing we doe when wee giue to God our hearts and we giue our hearts to God when we put our whole confidence in him for the saluation of our soules Now then to put confidence in men or in workes is to make them our Gods The true and auncient forme of making confession was on this manner I beleeue in God the father in Iesus Christ and in the holy ghost without mention making of any confidence in workes or creatures the auncient Church neuer knew any such confession or confidence Cyprian saith He beleeueth not in God who putteth not affiance concerning his saluation in God alone And indeede the Papists themselues when death comes forsake the confidence of their merits and flie to the meere mercie of God in Christ. And for a confirmation of this I alleadge the testimonie of one Vlinbergius of Colen who writeth thus There was a booke founde in the vestrie of a certaine parish of Colen written in the dutch tongue in the yeare of our Lord 1475. which the Priests vsed in visiting of the sicke And in it these questions be found Doest thou beleeue that thou canst not be saued but by the death of Christ The sicke person answered Yea. Then it is said vnto him Go too then while breath remaines in thee put thy confidence in this death alone haue affiance in nothing else commit thy selfe wholly to this death with it alone couer thy selfe diue thy self in euery part into this death in euery part pearse thy selfe with it infold thy selfe in this death And if the Lord will iudge thee say Lord I put the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene me and thy iudgement and by no other meanes I contend with thee And if he shall say vnto thee that thou art a sinner say Lord the death of my Lord Iesus Christ I put betweene thee and my sinnes If he shall say