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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08188	A day-starre for darke-wandring soules shewing the light, by a Christian controuersie: or briefely and plainely setting forth the mysterie of our saluation. Diuided into principles, obiections, and answeres. By Richard Niccolls, th'elder, of the Inner Temple London, Gent. deceased. Published for the generall benefit of all those who heartily, and with a true path desire their owne saluation: by I.C.	Niccols, Richard, of the Inner Temple.; I. C., fl. 1613.	1613 (1613)	STC 18526.5; ESTC S119830	27,183	96

not thinke that Christ and his members are ioyned together by imagination as the minde of man and the thing whereof he thinketh or by consent of heart as one friend is ioyned with another as Ionathan and Dauid or by mingling together of substances as when many ingrediences are mingled together to make one medicine or by corporall coniunction in touching as Sea and Land are both ioyned together to make one Globe and the part of a Building coupled together to make one Building For although this misticall vnion betwixt Christ and all them who truely beleeue in him is a most reall a most neere a most straight and a most sure and indissoluble vnion and coniunction Yet is the same rather by experience felt in the heart of the true beleeuer then conceiued in his braine The Iewes require Miracles and the Grecians Arguments vvhich they may comprehend with their wit and wisedome But God giueth the grace of vnderstanding his Mysteries to the simple and true of heart and regardeth not the Wisedome of the wise nor the Vnderstanding of the prudent in which things the proud doe glory Therefore the true Beleeuer when hee findeth this Vnion to be aboue his capacitie yet because he is taught it by the Scriptures hee beleeueth it as it were vpon Gods bare word and by experience hee feeleth that by Faith wrought in his heart by the Holy Ghost Christ with all his Merits Benefits and Graces is actually made his owne and himselfe Christs according to the Couenant of Grace made vnto Abraham and often repeated by the Prophets Ier. 32. 38. 39. 40. Ier. 31. 31. 32. Hos. 2. 19. 20. Moreouer in the Scriptures we are taught three kindes of vnions the first is a Naturall vnion or coniunction in nature vvhen sundry things are conioyned and coupled by one and the same nature as the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost being three distinct subsistences are all one and conioyned in one God-head and diuine nature but Christ and the true beleeuer are not one as conioyned in nature for then they twaine should be one body and soule The second vnion is a Personall Union or an vnion in person when things in nature different are so conioyned together that they make one person as the body and the soule make one man and the God-head of the sonne and his manhood make one Christ but Christ and the true beleeuer are not ioyned in person for Christ is one person and Peter a second person and Paul a third person and so many men as be true Christians or members of Christ so many seuerall persons are they The third kinde of vnion taught in the Scriptures is in the spirit and this is the mysticall vnion whereby Christ and his members are spiritually ioyned together into one mysticall body by the operation of his diuine spirit descending from him the head to vs his members applying Christ vnto vs and creating faith in our hearts whereby as by our onely instrument on our parts wee apprehend and receiue Christ and are vnited vnto him and this vnion whereby Christ and the true beleeuer are thus actually ioyned together because it is wrought and made by the spirit is called a Spirituall vnion In this Union the things vnited are the whole person of the true beleeuer to●…rds his Body and Soule and the vvhole person of Christ God and Man but yet they be so vnited that the true beleeuer is first and immediately vnited to the humane nature or man-hood of Christ and then by reason of the manhood to the word it selfe or diuine nature For saluation and life and the merits of Christes obedience depend vpon the fulnesse of the Godhead which is in Christ but yet it is not communicated vnto vs but in the flesh and by the flesh of Christ. This misticall vnion may be in some sort conceiued more plainely by the consideration of the vnion of the naturall man and his members when vvee consider how his soule sendeth forth from his head sense and motion to all his other members of his naturall body and that although the soule cannot from the head send sense and motion to the other members of his naturall bodie without the meanes of Arctures and Ligaments whereby the members of the naturall man are tied together that by that meanes sense and motion may be conueyed from his head to the other members and that yet the head and other members of the naturall body are not so fitly coneyed and said to be the naturall mans members because they be tied and as it were souldred together by arctures and ligaments of the body as for that they receiue life sense and motion from his soule then how much more may we conceiue and say That Christ our Head and we our selues be one mysticall body euen mysticall Christ's and that we be members of his mysticall body by the communion preparation of Christs spirit which being by nature infinit standeth in no need of any carnal meanes to make this spiritual vnion by communicating himselfe from Christ our Head vnto vs his members although Christ and we his members be distinct persons and farre distance each from other as in the naturall man the head and the foote Hence it is that Saint Iohn saith Heereby wee know that wee dwell in him and he in vs because hee hath giuen vnto vs of his spirit And hence it is that Saint Paul saith If any man hath not the spirit of Christ the same is not his Wouldest thou then know that Christ is thine and thou Christs as a true member of his mysticall body then laying aside all carnall conceits haue recourse into thine owne selfe and trie whether with the Apostle Saint Paul thou feelest thy selfe both Body and Soule to liue of Christs spirit for as thou knowest that the members of thine owne naturall bodie are thine owne members because they receiue life sense and motion from thine owne soule so euery true beleeuer doth know that he ●…s a member of Christ because that by experience he feeleth that his owne person to wit his Soule and Bodie hath receiued and doth liue of the spirit of Christ and againe as certaine thou dost know that thy members doe not liue of my soule nor my members of thy soule and that whatsoeuer members liue of thine owne soule are the members of thine owne body and whatsoeuer members liue of my Soule are the members of my owne body Euen so dost thou know that nothing doth or can liue of the spirit of Christ but Christ and the members of his body and that whatsoeuer liueth not of Christs spirit is no member of his Hence the Apostle Saint Paul as comprised in the mysticall body of Christ and by experience feeling the spirituall life vvhich hee receiued from the spirit of Christ saith I am crucified with Christ but I liue yet not I any more but Christ liueth in mee and in that I

now liue in the flesh I liue by Faith in the Sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen himselfe for mee This mysticall vnion is in both the Sacraments acknowledged for in the Sacrament of Baptisme all true beleeuers who are partakers of the outward Sacrament of Baptisme and thereby made and acknowledged to be members of Christs visible Body to wit his visible Church are by one spirit to wit by the only spirit of Christ working faith in them made members of his mysticall body the inuisible Church and in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as in token or remembrance that wee are made members of his visible Bodie the visible Church whose Body was broken and his Blood shed for vs wee communicate and participate our Bread and our Wine So also by this outward action wee acknowledge the mysticall vnion vvhich wee haue vvith Christ and one with another by the participation and communion of his spirit of which wee spiritually liue But the question may be yet further asked how a man may discerne and know when himselfe or any other is spiritually dead and when spiritually liuing and indued with the spirituall life here spoken of To vvhich it may be answered that as vvee be naturall men although wee eate and drinke and performe all other actions and vvorkes of men vvho are naturally liuing in bodily health yet vntill by our vnion with Christ vntill by our effectuall calling vntill by our Iustification and vntill by our Sanctification wee be made new Creatures in Christ wee are dead in our sinnes because vvee be no more able to doe any the workes of new creatures liuing vnto God in Christ that is to say we are no more able to doe any works acceptable vnto GOD then the man naturally dead is able to eate or drinke or to doe any other worke or action of the man who is naturally liuing because the vvhole naturall man and euery part of him is wholy corrupted with sinne and therefore dead in sinne for First in his minde there is nothing but blindnesse and ignorance concerning heauenly matters Secondly his conscience is defiled being alwayes either benummed with sinne or else turmoyled with inward accusations and terrours Thirdly his will willeth and lusteth after that onely which is euill Fourthly the affections of his heart as Loue Ioy Hope Desire c. are stirred and moued to that onely vvhich is euill and neuer to that which is good Lastly the members of his body are Tooles and Instruments of his minde for the execution of sinne All which corruptions and deadnesse in sinne are then onely cured and wee made spiritually liuing vnto God When in Christ we be made new creatures by our effectual vnion with Christ by our effectuall calling by our Iustification and Sanctification which foure degrees of our regeneration howsoeuer they in nature goe one before the other yet too make vs new creatures in Christ doe so concurre that the true beleeuer or regenerate person finding himselfe to haue the one of them may assure himselfe hee hath them all for First the true beleeuer may assure himselfe of this vnion vvith CHRIST when hee findeth that Christ of his loue preuenting him doth begin the vnion by communicating vnto him his holy Spirit dwelling in his man hood through the ministerie of his holy Word and by the cooperation of the same Spirit vvith his word doth beget in him a liuely faith by which the true beleeuer on his part as by his onely instru ment is actually vnited vnto Christ but this vnion is not perceiued by the regenerate person before he be called Secondly therefore the true beleeuer may assure himselfe that he hauing a liuely faith is effectually called to the knowledge of the things he beleeueth for no man can effectually consent vnto the thing conteined in the Word much lesse by a liuely faith beleeue the things herein conteined vnlesse hee be first by the ministery of the Word instructed and called to the knowledge thereof to wit by hauing his vnderstanding inlightned with the knowledge of the truth and his vvill thereunto perswaded Thirdly the true beleeuer being by faith as aforesaid vnited vnto Christ and called by the ministery of the Word to the knowledge of that which by a liuely faith hee beleeueth hee may assure himselfe of his Iustification because that the faithfull are iustified before GOD by the onely imputation of Christs righteousnesse for in what manner Christ was made a sinner for vs in the same manner are wee made righteous by him but Christ was made a sinner for vs by imputation of our sinnes vnto him and therefore wee are made righteous before God by imputation of his righteousnesse vnto vs. Againe as vvee are made sinners that is guiltie of the first Adams transgression so are wee made not guiltie and iustified by the obedience of the second Adam but wee are made guiltie of the first Adams transgression by imputation and therefore wee are iustified by the imputation of the obedience of the second Adam Now the imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs doth as vpon the onely cause and reason therof depend vpon our vnion with Christ made on our parts by faith onely Fourthly the true beleeuer finding himselfe vnited vnto Christ and Called and liuely Iustified hee may assure himselfe of his Sanctification for a liuely faith is not of our selues but it is of GOD. By it wee are in diuers respects both iustified and sanctified by it wee are iustified not formally as by a meritorious vertue or part of righteousnesse inherent in vs but relatiuely in respect of the Object it apprehendeth to wit as by it wee apply to our selues the righteousnesse inherent in Christ Iesus man-hood which of his owne meere mercie is imputed vnto all who lay holde therevpon by faith but by it wee are sanctified as by a grace inherent in vs as are also the graces of hope and charitie and other sanctifying graces which being in the man-hood of CHRIST without measure are by his spirit from thence infused vnto vs in measure to sanctifie vs and make vs fit for the Kingdome of Heauen and to speake both briefely and plainely of this matter Faith is a chiefe part of our Sanctification being as it vvere the roote both of other inward graces and outward obedience which concurre to our Sanctification The fift PRINCIPLE BY the outward Ministery of the Word is conuayd vnto vs Christs diuine spirit which also by the same Ministerie of the Word begetteth in vs Faith whereby wee are actually vnited vnto Christ and made one with him Notes vpon the fift Principle THE Doctrine of the fift Principle is taught and confirmed vnto vs by the whole Booke of the Ac●… of the Apostles for through out that whole Booke examples are expresly and plainely shewed vnto vs how the Holy Ghost and Faith are giuen to the hearers by attentiue and reuerent hearing of the Word of GOD preached by his

God the true expounders hereof are the Prophets and Apostles and also particularly apply euery one to himselfe all the Articles of our Creed which is an abridgement of all things by vs to be beleeued for our soules comfort and defence against euery temptation and assault of the World the Flesh and the ●…ell The reason of this seauenth Principle doth rise from the consequence of the fourth Principle for as in the naturall man the soule doth communicate his eff●…cts to the body with which it is coupled and maketh his residencie in the body to be knowne by the outward workes and actions of the naturall man Euen so doth Christ vvith whom wee are one spirit communicate the force and fruits of his Spirit vnto all them whom he hath vnited vnto himselfe as himselfe testfieth For saith hee I am the Viae yee are the branches hee that abideth in mee and I in him bringeth forth much fruit Moreouer seeing God doth of right exp●…ct at our hands to be glorified by vs in the fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse for the innumerable and vnspeakable mercies and benefits we receiue of him and seeing to take away from vs all excuse of insufficiencie and weakenesse that wee are not able of our selues to performe the things hee doth expect at our hands he hath by our vnion with Christ according to his oath made vnto Abraham giuen vs power to serue him in holinesse and righteousnes before him all the dayes of our liues no weaknesse can excuse our vnwillingnesse and intollerable vnthankefulnesse if wee neglect to glorifie him in the fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse according to the power and measure of Gods grace giuen vnto vs in all singlenesse and willingnesse of heart being the proper end of all his gifts and graces bestowed vpon vs. For wherefore hath God elected vs that we might be saued howsoeuer wee should liue No but he hath elected vs that wee should be holy and without blame before him in loue Why hath CHRIST redeemed vs from the hands of our spirituall Enemies that being free from them wee might sinne more freely No but that wee bein●… d●…liuered from the hands of our spirituall Enemies might worship him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our liues Wherefore hath hee freed vs from the s●…ruitude of sinne that we might haue the more freedome to sinne No hee hath freed vs from the seruitude of sinne that wee might be the seruants of righteousnesse Wherefore doth hee regenerate vs by his Spirit and create vs a new that we should doe nothing our selues No Wee are the workmanship of God created in Christ Iesus to good workes which God hath prepared that wee should walke in them Why doth he bestow temporall benefits vpon vs that like pamperd Horses wee should kicke against our Lord and Master No hee crowneth vs with his manifold blessings to the end wee should keepe his Statutes and obserue his Lawes Let him not therefore say or thinke that he is a Christian or regenerate man who bringeth forth no good workes to testifie his faith and on the contrary side who so bringeth forth the fruits of sauing ●…aith may assure himselfe that hee is a true Christian and a ●…ull Branch of the Vine Christ Iesus which cannot but bring forth fruit to the glory of God Many in the time of Saint Iohn the Apostle did vvith vaine confidence sav that they had fellowship with Christ and yet they walked in darknesse But the Apostle the 1 Epist 1. 6. w●…teth plain●…ly that they did 〈◊〉 and dealt not tru●…y and in like sort many an outward professor of the Gospell in our dayes who is in the Church but not of the Church doth boldly boast and say that hee hath as sted●…st ●…aith and Hope in God and his Mercies as any man and that if in all the world there were but onely two to bee saued that himselfe should bee one of them two and that not of any merit of his owne but for Christs sake and for his sake onely and yet by confe●…nce with such and by their vain●… and w●…cked liues and conuersation they doe b●…ay themselues that they walk●… in darkn●…sse and haue no true sauing knowledge of Gods me●… in Christ and that all their goodly words of Faith and Hope are grounded vpon fleshly Presumption and not vpon Gods word inwardly taug●…t them by the Spirit of God which teacheth that the me●…e and louing kindn●…sse of God s●…ould leade them to Repentance Rom. 2. 4 and to become n●…w Creatures 2 Co●… 〈◊〉 1●… and to c●…ucifie the ●…lesh vvith the aff●…tions and lusts thereof 〈◊〉 5. 24. and to die to sinne and liue to righteousnesse R●…m 6. 14. and to liue after the vvill of GOD. 1 Peter 4. 2. For cleane contrarily their conuersation and spee●…es if you haue conf●…rence vvith them sauoureth on●…ly of lewde ignorance and the lusts of the fl●…sh and that they make Gods mercy in Christ but a cloake for their sinnes that they may sinn●… the more franck●…ly and securely and set all vpon Christs score they tast nothing of the Vnion which euery true Christian hath with Christ nor of the effectuall Ca●…ng Iustification and Sanct●…fication which are vnseperable to all and euery one vvho hath true and sauing Faith The eight PRINCIPLE THe Workes of the regenerate person or true Bel●…euer doc not me rit or deserue or are worthy of grace in this life or Glory in the world to come Rom. 17. 10. Rom. 8. 18. Notes vpon the eight Principle I●… wee note the nature of the word Merit or Desert we●… may easily finde that merit or desert may haue place with men but not with God for in me●…iting or descruing a thing we must be nothing in debt for it vnto him of whom wee will be said to deserue it Secondly that the things wee bring to deserue by be not his but our owne Thirdly that the things we bring to deserue by be at the least equall or as much in value or worth as the thing wee will be said to deserue But if any one of these conditions doe faile there can be no merit or des●…rt much lesse then can the regenerate man by his vvorkes merit or deserue at Gods hands grace in this life or glory in the world to come seeing in the same are wanting all these conditions For first whatsoeuer good works may be performed of the regenerate man are due to GOD by a double right namely by the right of Creation and by t●…e right of regeneration Hereupon Christ giueth warning vnto his Disciples When yee haue done all thin●…s which are commanded you for yee Wee are vnprofitable Seruants we haue done that which was our dutie to doc Secondly whatsoeuer good thing can be done of the regenerate man is certainely of God who worketh in vs both the wi●…l and th●… dec●… And Saint Paul in another place saith What hast thou that

A DAY-STARRE FOR Darke-wandring Soules Shewing the Light by a Christian Controuersie OR Briefely and plainely setting forth the Mysterie of our SALVATION DIVIDED INTO Principles Obiections and Answeres BY RICHARD NICCOLLS th' elder of the Inner Temple London Gent. deceased PVBLISHED For the generall benefit of all those who heartily and with a true path desire their owne Saluation by I.C. LONDON Printed for Iohn Budge and are to be solde at the great South-doore of Paules 1613. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE and truely religious Lady the Lady ANNE GLEMHAM I. C. wisheth encrease of all godlinesse and vertue with the fruition of eternall HAPPINESSE Right Honourable AS euery good Artist laboureth with much paines to rectifie and bring into due forme and order the Art which hee himselfe professeth and seeketh all possible wayes and meanes to attaine to the perfection thereof adding thereto his owne practice and experience thereby to make it more facile and easie to be attained vnto by future Posterities and vnto them conueying it as it were a matter hereditarie and which by succession they ought to enioy Euen so ought euery true Christian with his best endeauours industrie and trauaile labour to finde out the true Principles and Grounds of Christian Religion and therein through his owne industry directed by the Spirit of the Highest daily seeke to attaine to the perfection of that blessed Truth which is the sole Directresse to eternall Happinesse and the profits of his Christian Labours to participate to all succeeding Ages And as none can profit in any Science without first knowing the Fundamentall Reasons and Grounds thereof so it is impossible for any man to attaine to the perfection of Christian Religion vnlesse hee be first instructed in the certaine and infallible Grounds and Principles of the same with which this worthy and religious Author was well furnished as by this ensuing discourse or Treatise made for the priuate vse of himselfe and his Wife who being a godly and religious Gentlewoman imparted the same to some few of her friends amongst whom my selfe as vnworthiest of those few had a written Copie which most Vertuous Lady remayning in my custody and the Author being a Gentleman vnder whom I had part of my Education and fearing lest this Orphant turned naked into the World without a Protector and Patron might by sinister and fatall occasion happen into the hands of some professed though priuate enemies and there be smothered by those irremarkable persons mentioned in the Reuelation to haue receiued the marke of the Beast depriuing the Author of his due and well deserued commendations and the World of so honest and religious a worke I could doe no lesse then cause it to be published as well for the generall good of the well-affected and religious as also for an Example and President vnto all men to imploy their labours in godly exercise for the benefit of their Christian Brethren And considering with my selfe where to bestow it I was embold●…ed by the inducement of diuers reasons to select your Ladiship as one most worthy to be the sole Patronesse and Protector of this godly Treatise knowing your Honourable Virtues and sinceritie of Religion to be such as are of force enough to make that commendable which onely by your Honours name is graced in respect of which and diuers other Honourable Curtesies for which I am oblieged to your Ladiship I most humbly present vnto your fauourable view and Honourable protection the zealous and truely religious labours of this godly Gentleman challenging nothing to my selfe but the imperfections in the harsh composure of the stile which if your Honour vouchsafe to receiue it may be that although in the perusing thereof your Ladiship shall not finde any matter which you are ignorant of yet may it confirme that which otherwise your Honour may doubt in or at least make it more euident by deliuering the Circumstances in more particular termes And as in the Author it deserueth a generall and perpetuall remembrance so doth it argue in him a most godly and good minde in labouring to finde out that which gaue a comfortable end to all his Labours for the which doubtlesse he now possesseth an vncorruptible and immortall Crowne of Glory in the World which shall neuer end To the which after many long and happy yeeres with much honor in this life liued to the glory of God and to the comfort and reliefe of his poore and afflicted Members the Lord bring your Honour with peace and quiet Conscience Your Honours solely deuoted in all seruiceable duty and dutifull Affection I. C. To the READER CHristian Reader how intricate and difficult a matter it is to content the various conceits of the generall multitude I doubt not but is well enough knowne to thee and how curious seeming Schollers are in perusing the labours of euery one daily experience makes it manifest who notwithstanding the benefit which they might reape vnto themselues by obseruation if without affectation of their owne inuention they would with mature Iudgement and aduised patience diligently read the good and godly Workes of Religious Persons doe studie with all diligence to lay some scandalous imputation not onely on the Author but the poore innocent Booke who would if it were possible laugh at their ignorance How then shall this poore Booke dare to aduenture it selfe among so many enemies but in hope of the kinde censure of the Learned godly and zealous Christians In expectation of which with their louing acceptance of the Fruits of the Authors Labours it dares oppose it selfe to the generall view of the world without fearing any the Calumnies of carping Zoilists or those which beare the irremarkable marke of the Beast mentioned in the Reuelation of S. Iohn And so rests thine to vse and peruse CERTAINE Grounds or Principles of Christian Religion briefely and plainely setting forth the Mysterie of our SALVATION The first PRINCIPLE EVery one of vs who by generation descend of Adam of our selues by Nature cannot so much as thinke any good thoughts much lesse doe any good deede but all our thoughts words and workes are onely euill continually Gen. 6. 5. Rom. 3. 9. Iohn 15. 5. Notes vpon the first Principle THE first cause of this our corruption is because that euery one of vs who come of Adam sinned in the same sinne that Adam sinned viz. In eating the forbidden fruis and are guiltie thereof before God Rom. 5. 12. Heb. 7. 9. 10. The reason hereof is because that Adam as our common Procurator or Factor Tam ad perdendum quam ad lucrandum did beare the person of vs all being then in his loynes Therefore looke what hee gained hee gained for himselfe and vs and looke what hee lost hee lost for himselfe and vs then being in his loynes 1 Cor. 15. ●…2 The second cause of this our continually sinning is because that euery one of vs who come of Adam are by Gods decree manifested and pronounced to Adam fallen