and faggot If it be thought that yet this need not bee feared amongst vs I know it well yet we may see by the former considerations what is like to be the successe and we are not quite without experience in those disputes betwixt Mounsieur de Moulin and the Iesuites of France with whom he had to doe who had still the vpper hand in the report of their faction when time soone after hath brought other truth to light Fourthly though they dispute not by proclamation yet they dispute by print for their bookes doe daily flie abroad and they are occasioned in this kinde to doe more than they doe As B. Abbot D. Whitâ— Parâ—râ— c. while they suffer themselues to be beaten backe after their first assault and leaue our champions triumphing in the field Thus we must watch for those things which they plead against vs that so we may preserue our doctrine next wee must watch for those things which they plead for themselues which otherwise may shrewdly shake vs and moue vs in our minds before we are aware But what are these Marke I pray you They will tell you of their Scripture What the Papists plead for themselues Walsingh search out of the defence of the censure holinesse humilitie learning miracles dangers and other wonderfull conueniences of their religion And oh how plausible are these in the sight of a naturall man First they wâ—ll tell you that they haue expresse Scriptures for a great number of their doctrines which they hold against vs which wee cannot auoid without glosses Scriptures and wee haue no expresse Scripture against them And how faire doth this appeare to him that is willing to rule his conscience by the word of God therefore watch I pray you Concerning the supremacie of Peter and so of the Pope they will tell you that Christ said to Peter Marth 16.18 Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church But these words are not plaine to that end for hee doth not say Thou art rocke and vpon thee rocke I will build my Church but Thou art Peter and answerable to thy name which signifieth a stone thou hast made a confession of Christ which shall be and is a rocke whereupon I will build my Church But as for vs we haue plaine Scripâ—ures against that proud supremacie 1 Cor. 3.11 for other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Iesus Christ And if it be said that Peter and the Pope are successiuely ministers and supporters in the same foundation then the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 12.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there are diuersities of administrations but the selfe-same Lord and for matter of ministerie wee haue it plainly that the Church of God is built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Ephes 2.20 as well as vpon Peter that is vpon their doctrines and confessions Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone For their breaden-god in the Sacrament they will tell you that they haue expresly the words of Christ Matth. 26. saying This is my bodie Yet our Sauiour doth not say This is my naturall bodie which was borne of the Virgin Marie or This is my bodie as it shall be when I am glorified because we know that he had his mortall bodie sitting at the table with his Disciples which had not yet suffered death But as for vs though we need not any such phantasticall place as should say This is the signe of my bodie because we doe beleeue that in those words of promise Christ doth expresse his plaine meaning according to the nature of the thing that he hath in hand which is the Sacrament and that hee had not spoken so plainly and so fitly if hee should haue said This is a signe of my bodie because he was to represent in those words vnto his Church that in the faithfull receiuing of those signes and seales they should haue whole Christ with all his merits conueyed and setled vpon them Yet this wee haue in plaine words against Christs corporall presence that the heauen must containe him till the time that all things be restored Act. 3.21 Againe for their iustification by works they will tell you that they haue expresly the words of Iames which say that of workes a man is iustified Iam. 2.24 and not of faith onely Which yet are not so expresse as they dreame for by works the Apostle must needs vnderstand the cause with the effect or a liuing and working faith made manifest by works both because otherwise the Apostle would neuer bring in the Scripture which proueth iustification by faith and say Vers 23. that the worke of his offering vp of his sonne was the fulfilling of that Text which speaketh of faith as also Gen. 15.6 because otherwise it would be an absurd inference to say that because Abraham beleeued God Vers 24. therfore ye see that man is iustified of workes and not of faith onely Any man may see that the Apostle to cut the combes of Securitanes who rested in a naked idle and vnprofitable faith saith that we cannot be saued but by that faith which worketh out our saluation Phil. 2. or proceedeth in the way to heauen by loue because it is onely such a faith that iustifieth vs which of necessitie goeth before saluation But for vs wee haue plaine words which tell vs euen when the Apostle speaketh of purpose of iustification that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Law therefore by faith onely Rom. 3.28 Rom. 4.5 and that we must renounce in this case euen the works of righteousnesse which we haue done Tit. 3.5 Ephes 2.9 10. and those workes whereunto we are built in Christ Iesus that we should walke in them Againe for the keeping of the Law they will tell you that they haue the plaine words of Paul which say Rom. 2.13 that the doers of the Law shall be iustified which yet are not so plaine as they pretend because they speake no other but with vs that the Law containeth a patterne of perfect righteousnesse and that if we could doe it we should be iustified by the deed Suppositivè But for vs we heare the Scriptures speake plainly that in many things we sinne all Iam. 3.2 1 Iohn 3.4 and that if we sinne we doe transgresse the Law Againe for that proud and cursed doctrine of merit they will tell you that the Scripture often saith plainly Rom. 2.6 that God will reward euery man according to his works Rom. 4.4 yet we see plainly that there is wages counted by fauour as well as by debt in which respect Gods reward may argue Gods free loue and mercy and promise and not our desert especially considering what Christ who teacheth vs not to lie doth teach vs to say that when we haue done all things Luk. 17.10 which are commanded
in dressing What euer they be the defects are mine what euer it be the good is Gods and for your with other of Gods peoples goods Let God haue your praise to whom it is due let me haue your prayers who need and craue them that I may still continue Your faithfull Shepherd wishing and striuing for your eternall good ROBERT ABBOT THE NEW MANS New Life GALAT. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ neuerthelesse I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God WE reade that the tombe wherewith the carkasse of proud Sennacherib was couered had this inscription Jntuens me aliquis discat essâ— piuâ— Let him that lookes vpon me learne to be godly Much more may a spirituall eye see this ingrauen vpon this golden saying of the Apostle Let no man dare looke vpon me except he resolue to be godly For the Apostle presenteth vs himselfe and all the children of God in his person vnder such an one as is dead vnto the world and sinne and liueth not the life of nature but of grace and godlinesse Neither is it needlesse for vs to behold such draughts in these dayes we being not onely cast asleepe through our securitie but dead in sinnes and trespâ—sses and buried vnder the clots of this world to the wofull miserie of our soules and the dishonour of our Maker How needfull therefore is it for vs to vse all meanes for a ioyfull resurrection and amongst the rest deeply to consider this speaking patterne of Paul in these words which in the naturall language of them doe make some such out-cry as this Lift vp your heads yee gates and be yee lift vp yee euerlasting doores that the King of glory may come in and dwell in your hearts by faith To which that we may haue the more hearing eares and from which that by the blessing of God wee may reape the more comfort let vs with humble hearts carry along with vs the context sense and seuerall obseruations setled by application vpon our soules Context As for the context and coherence with the words foregoing conceiue it thus The Apostle being to dispute against the Galatians Galat. 1.6 who had made a defection from the doctrine of the Gospell to iustification by works doth plainly set downe this proposition That we are not iustified by the works of the Law Galat. 2.16 but by the faith of Iesus Christ Which being proued by a reason drawne from the feeling iudgement and conscience of the best Iewes in these words we know as also as it is thought by this testimonie Psal 143.2 that by the works of the Law no flesh shall be iustified in Gods sight he fore-seeing that this doctrine of free iustification without our works might by false Apostles be charged with carnall libertie doth propound an obiection to that purpose Is Christ the minister of sinne and doth with a secret detestation answer it God forbid As if he should say Farre be it from the doctrine of the Gospell to giue libertie vnto sinne for as I will at no hand build againe iustification by workes which I haue destroyed because I can finde no comfort in the Law I being dead vnto it and it driuing mee to Christ so I doe know that Christ is not onely my price but my purger that Christ doth not onely say Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee but sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee For I account my selfe crucified with Christ neuerthelesse I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God Thus I haue brought you vnto the Text. Sense In the consideration whereof I would next intreat you to stay a while vpon the meaning of the words lest the hard and difficult phrases thereof like Asahels body 2 Sam. 2.23 doe hinder the passing of the people by The hard phrases are fiue The first is when he saith I am crucified with Christ for how can this be true when hee was not conuerted to Christianitie before Christs ascension was past For the opening of this you must know that thâ—re is a double crucifying spoken of in the Scriptures The first is Actuall and so according to a double custome it may signifie two things for according to the custome of the Iewes it is to be stoned to death Alsted in Theol. Catech. and aâ—terwards with cords to be bound vnto a crosse and to be set vp as vpon a gibbet for a terrifying example to the like offendors but thus neither Paul nor Christ was crucified Ioh. 18.31 for it was nor lawfull for the Iewes at that time to put any man to death But according to the custome of the Gentiles it is to bee racked and fastned to a crosse with nailes driuen through the hands and feet of a liuing man and so to continue vnto death Thus Christ was crucified but not Paul or we The second is a virtuall crucifying and thus the children of God are said to bee crucified with Christ when they by vertue of that communion and fellowship which they haue with him in his sufferings and death as the members of him their head doe behaue themselues as those that are dead to their corruptions and finde no sauour in the courses of sinne and vanities of this world but spend all their liuelihood in denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and liuing vnto God And of this crucifying doth the Apostle speake in this place The second phrase or manner of speech is in these words I liue I liue not How can both these bee true I answer they may both be true in diuers respects I liue the life of grace and godlinesse I liue not the life of sinne and corrupted nature As if hee should say It is true indeed I haue the same naturall organs or instruments the same head tongue hands and feete but as there is great difference betweene a well-tuned Cymball and a loud Cymball so is there betweene all my parts when they doe receiue actiuitie from God and from nature As the gracious life is a death in respect of the glorious life which is the cause that that life which wee shall haue in glory is for excellencie sake called Life so the naturall life is no better than a death in respect of the life of grace The third phrase is in these words Christ liueth in me that is Christ is my life If you aske me how that can be I answer that it is by vertue of that communion and fellowship which we haue with him For as wee haue a naturall fellowship with him by his assuming and sanctifying our natures and becomming flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone and as we haue a sacramentall fellowship with him when in the Sacrament Christ is exhibited and giuen to the faithfull receiuer as he
Diana for Ephesus So Rome hath Saint Iames for Spaine Saint Dennis for France Saint Peter and Paul for Rome Saint Ambrose for Millane Saint Marke for Venice the three Kings for Collen Saint Lewis for Pannonia and Saint Mary for Heluetia And as the Heathens had guardians for the Elements as Iupiter for the Heauen and Fire Iuno for the Aire Neptune for the Sea and Pluto for the Earth So Rome hath Saint Agatha for the Fire Saint Nicholas for the Sea and Saint Theodulus for Tempests And as the Heathens had guardians for the Fruits of the earth as Bacchus for Wine and Ceres for Fruit So Rome hath Saint Iodocus for Fruits and Saint Vrbanus for Wine And as the Heathens had guardians for their Cattell as Apollo and Pan So Rome hath Saint Wendaline for Sheepe Saint Eulogius for Horse Saint Pelagius for Oxen and Saint Anthony for Swine And as the Heathens had their protectors for Trades Arts and Sciences as Minerua for Learning Vulcan for Smiths Aesculapius for Physitians Mars for Warriours Diana for Hunters Castor and Pollux for Sea-faring-men and Flora Venus and Lupa for Harlots So Rome hath Saint Catherine and Gregorie for Schollars Saint Luke for Painters Saint Cosmas for Physitians Saint Maurice for Souldiers Saint Eulogius for Carpenters Saint Crispine for Shoo-makers Saint Gutmane for Taylors Saint Magdalen and Afra for Harlots And lastly as the Heathens had their guardians against Diseases as Apollo against the Plague Lucina against the paines of Womens trauailes and Hercules against the Falling-sicknesse So Rome hath Saint Sebastian against the Plague Saint Petronel against an Ague Saint Marke against sudden Death Saint Margaret against the paines of Womens labours S. Otilia against the diseases of the Eyes S. Apollonia against the Tooth-ache and the like The consideration of all these and many other obiects of Idolatrie none of which were of Gods making hath made me many times to search into the cause of Religion and to striue both with my selfe and others that all insinuating Idolatrie being laid aside and abhorred the truth may take place both in our heads and hearts I know that deepe decisions of controuersies are not so easily apprehended in our ordinary assemblies I haue sought therefore to bring the truth vnto the easiest triall in remouing such ordinary exceptions as it is subiect vnto by the wise men of the world Whatsoeuer it be I doe offer it vnto both your hands desiring God that it may confirme you in the truth of our true Religion It shall be my reioycing to see you and yours alwaies walking in the truth and so humbly resigning your selues to the diuine wisdome of Gods word both for the direction of your soules and bodies that God may neuer haue iust cause to giue you ouer to Schisme Heresie Vanitie or any other wickednesse whatsoeuer Euen so humbly prayeth he who hath some few yeeres had experience of your great loue and who desireth to continue Your faithfull Shepherd ROBERT ABBOT THE TRIAL OF True Religion IAMES 1.27 Pure Religion and vndefiled before God euen the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world IT is well obserued by Diuines that the Apostles in planting and watering the Churches of Christ laboured two things especially First the plaine and powerfull deliuerie of the mysteries of Faith both by word and writing thaâ— so both Iewes and Gentiles might be brought to embrace them Secondly the plaine and powerfull expressing and pressing of the obedience of Faith and such a life as becommeth the Gospell of Christ Iesus In both these kindes Paul was excellent but in the latter he was more briefe thorow all his Epistles The other Apostles were more briefe in the doctrine of Faith and in the duties of Christian profession more large and plentiful Saint Peter principally laboureth for pietie patience and constancie against false apostles Saint Iohn for the loue of God and of the Saints Saint Iude against false teachers and hypocrites And this our Apostle Iames laboureth for patience vnder the Crosse and a Christian life In the performance whereof as Dâ—uines doe well agree wee meet with something which doth not occurre in the writings of the other Apostles None doth so clearely deliuer the cause of sinne the necessary issue of workes from iustifying faith the concatenation and vnion of the whole Law the imperfection of humane righteousnesse from the miscariage of the tongue our dependance vpon the prouidence of God euen in ciuill things and the carriage of sicke persons in those miraculous times In these points I say this Apostle carrieth away the bell from the rest The principall point in this Epistle doth seeme to be this That with the faith of Christ Christian workes are to be ioyned Wherein we must walke to the end of our Faith which is the saluation of our soules The principall reason whereby he vrgeth it is this because the faith of Christ which in securitanes is falsely so called without Christian life is but a dead carkasse or vaine shadow of faith and not a liuing faith or that Spirit of Faith which the Apostle speaketh of Hence therefore doth he take occasion to vrge to diuers parts of Christian life and good conuersation In this Chapter he treateth of three points First of the temptations of Christians both outward by afflictions and inward by lusts Secondly of the hearing and doing of the Word of God and thirdly in the two last verses of true and false religion In the first of which hee shewes what religion is in vaine in the second of which he shewes what religion will beare the touch and triall Wee haue to doe with the second at this time wherein religion is described First by the affections properties or adiuncts of it when it is said to be pure and vndefiled before God And secondly by the fruits and effects of it and those both towards others while it workes vs to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in aduersitie as also in our selues who haue it while it workes vs to keepe our selues vnspotted of the world To conceiue aright of these things for our further vse and benefit I must open vnto you First the thing spoken of and secondly that which is spoken of it The thing spoken of is Religion and is so called either from our reading againe the defaced or new written law in our hearts Relegendo of which writing Ieremy speaketh saying Ier. 31.33 I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts or from our knitting to God againe from whom wee had made a cursed defection Religando because in our regeneration wee are by faith vnited vnto him againe in Christ Iesus or else from our choosing of God againe to bee our God and master Reeligendo when we doe renounce the world the flesh and the deuill This religion signifieth here that worship and seruice which is