upon them any speciall benefit tending that way Quest Wherefore doth God call and exhort all men to repent seeing all cannot attaine thereunto Answ Hee doth it for these Reasons First because his elect are mingled amongst others and therefore he doth send his Word and call upon all men to repent Secondly he doth it to manifest to all the freenesse of his grace that he is ready to receive all that come to him Thirdly to leave all men without excuse and that their condemnation might more manifestly appeare to be just seeing that grace and mercy was offered them and they willingly refused and rejected it and at that great day of Judgement every mouth shall bee stopped and every one appeare culpable before God Quest But seeing that God hath elected sonne and rejected others is it not therefore in vaine to heare or reade the word of God to pray unto him or to use any meanes to come to the knowledge of the way of life and salvation Answ No verily for seeing these things are required of all men all are bound to take knowledge thereof and to reject or refuse them is to reject and refuse God who offers his grace therein and doth by them worke grace in his elect now seeing some there are that reape benefit by the use of them and that no man can conclude of himselfe that God hath not elected him it is not in vaine to use the meanes but it is meere madnesse and folly to refuse and reject them Quest But by this meanes men may come to such a measure of knowledge and to bee so farre inlightned that they may be in danger to commit the sin against the holy Ghost and so make their condemnation the greater Answ This commeth not by the carefull use of the meanes but by the abuse thereof and light esteeme of the grace offered and therefore they are to take heed of those things that may be any occasion thereunto Quest Is it necessary that this doctrine concerning Gods Predestination should bee made knowne seeing that it may bee hurtfull to many making some secure and carelesse in using any meanes of salvation and also causing others to despaire Answ It is necessary to bee knowne and therefore hath the Lord beene pleased to reveale it and doubtlesse no hurt shall come thereby to any of the elect but exceeding much good for it serves greatly to humble them and to let them see that it is no defert of theirs but the free grace of God who might have chosen others and rejected them And as for the rest they will abuse every truth though it be never so good and profitable and therefore seeing God hath been pleased to reveale it the Elect are not to be deprived of this Benefit because of the abuse of them by the Reprobate Quest Wherefore is it that in Scripture our Justification is attributed unto Faith Answ We are said to be justified by Faith not that Faith justifieth of it selfe but because it is a gift of God whereby man believeth that which the Spirit declareth and evidenceth to the conscience namely the pardon of sinne and assurance of grace through the blood of Christ Secondly because all our owne workes are excluded in the matter of Justification before God and there is no cause of boasting for our salvation is onely of the Lord Hosea 13.9 Quest If good workes doe not justifie before God to what end are they so often required Answ They are required for divers ends First because by them we shall glorifie God and adorne our holy profession Math. 5.16 Secondly we shall by them be a means to win others to love our profession and give good examples to others to doe the like and to follow us 1 Pet. 2.12 Thirdly by this means we shall stop the mouthes of the adversaries 1 Pet. 2.15 Fourthly we shall have comfort if we be brought to suffer and be accused as evill doers wrongfully 1 Pet. 2.19 Fifthly we shall by them make tryall of the truth of our faith and of the graces that are in us by the exercise of them as occasion is offered Quest But doe not good workes deserve nothing at the hands of God Answ No certainly no workes that we can doe can possibly deserve any thing at the hands of God for when we have done all that we can we may truly say we are unprofitable servants Luke 17.10 Quest If good workes deserve nothing wherefore is it that so many promises are made in Scripture unto good workes Answ God hath thereby set forth his bounty to stir us up who are backward of our selves adding thereunto promises of reward But such is our weakenesse and great imperfections in our best workes that we haue cause rather to be humbled for our wants in the performance of them then to challenge any thing at the hands of God for the same yet certaine it is that the good workes of Gods Children shall be rewarded though not for the worthinesse of the worke yet for the truth of the promiser who hath promised to reward the gift of a cup of cold water to one of those that belong to him so that we have no cause to be backward in good workes but to be forward in the doing of them Math. 10.42 Quest Are all men rewarded for their good workes Answ Yes certainly the righteous God rewardeth all either here in this life or after this life but he in a more especiall manner rewardeth the good workes of his Children even those workes of love and mercy extended towards the Saints their Brethren Math. 25. Quest Are there Saints now upon the earth Answ Yes verily there have been are and ever shall be Saints upon the earth Psal 16.3 Quest But seeing all men are corrupted and even after regeneration the remnants of Sinne still continue in them can the name of Saints be properly given unto them Answ Yes it may be well given unto them for God so accounts of them as being without Sinne beholding no iniquity in them Numbers 23.21 Canticles 4.7 Ephes 5.27 Quest If God behold all things and nothing be hid from his all-seeing eye how can it be but that he should see those Sinnes which his elect doe daily and continually fall into Answ It is true that God beholdeth all things and cannot be ignorant of those Sinnes which they fall into yet notwithstanding God doth looke upon them in Christ and beholds them all righteous and holy in him imputing the rigteousnesse of Christ unto them Rom. 4.6.7 1 Cor. 1.30 2 Cor. 5.21 Quest What is that righteousnesse of Christ which is imputed unto the Saints and for which they are accounted holy Answ All the righteousnesse of Christ whatsoever his active obedience performed to the law his passive obedience in suffering whatsoever was due unto them for Sinne and what the Justice of God could require at their hands yea all the holinesse that is in Christ either of his nature as hee was man or of his
nothing Answ But this is more then order in setting it downe in the first place for I say it is required in the first place and the holy Ghost doth not require that first of us which it pleaseth him to worke last but requires that first which he pleaseth first to worke Quest VVhat is your next Reason Answ Because untill we have true Repentance wrought in us we have no right unto any speciall promise for the speciall promises of Grace and Mercy are made only to the Penitent and Broken-hearted and therefore before Repentance they cannot have faith in any of those speciall promises Esay 61.1 2 3. Acts 3.19 Quest VVhat is your next Reason Answ Because no man before he have Repentance truly wrought in him can receive the forgivenesse of his sinnes for Repentance is required that men may have their sinnes done away and therefore forgivenesse of sinnes doth follow Repentance and so consequently Faith doth follow Repentance Acts 2.38 and 3.19 Quest But doth it follow that because Remission of Sinnes doth follow Repentance that therefore Iustifying Faith doth follow Repentance Answ Yes it doth because whosoever is Justified by Faith his Sinnes are forgiven at the same instant but no mans Sinnes are forgiven untill he have true Repentance wrought in him therefore no Man is Justified by Faith before his heart be broken and true Repentance be wrought in him Rom. 5.1 Quest What other reason have you for to prove this point Answ Because whosoever is Justified by Faith is at peace with God Rom. 5.1 But no Man is at peace with God untill he have truly repented therefore no Man is Justified by Faith untill he have truly repented Quest But are not Men first at peace with God and assured of his love and afterwards come to true Repentance for their former Sins Answ No certainly it cannot be for the speciall thing that the party repenting doth seeke for is the pardon of Sinnes and peace with God and to be assured of his love and therefore it cannot be that he doth enjoy peace seeing it is that which above all other things he so earnestly seeketh and desireth Luke 15.18.19 Quest Doth not this seeking of peace with God and desire to be reconciled unto him argue that he doth enjoy peace and that he is reconciled unto God Answ No certainly for the desire of a thing doth argue the want of the thing desired and not the having of it and so this desire of peace doth plainly shew the want of it Quest What is Repentance Answ Repentance is a powerfull worke of Gods Spirit wrought in the hearts of such as shall be saved whereby the heart is broken and turned from the pleasing delights of Sinne into a great feare and sorrow for them and Confession of them unto God and into an exceeding desire of peace and reconcilliation with God Luke 15. Acts 11.18 2 Tim. 2.25 Ioel 2.12.13 Heb. 6.1 Proverbs 28.13 Quest Is this Repentance that you have here described of necessity to salvation Answ It is of absolute necessity as Christ himselfe testifieth where he saith except ye repent you shall all perish Luke 13.5 Quest But is it of necessity that all those parts described in the definition of Repentance should be effected before a Man can be capable of the promise Answ This is that constant order which God hath and ever will keepe in effecting this great worke of his to humble them for their Sinnes to cause them to see and to confesse and acknowledge their misery and also earnestly to long and desire after peace and reconcilliation with God which are indeed the very substance and severall parts of Repentance Quest But is not leaving of all knowne evill and doing of all knowne good the parts of Repentance Answ No it is not these are indeed the efects of fruits ever following Faith and commonly called by the names of mortification and vivification which is a dying unto Sinne and a rising to newnesse of life Quest What reason can you give to proove that this is not Repentance Answ Because Repentance must of necessity alwayes goe before Justifying Faith as is formerly proved but this leaving of all evill and doing of Good ever followes after Justifying Faith Quest But it may seeme that if that be repentance which you have described then Iudas had true repentance for he was both sorowfull and also confessed his Sin Answ No he never had that Repentance for then he should have been received to mercy for although he was sorrowfull and confest he had sinned he never attained that broken heart nor he never sought or desired pardon and reconciliation with God for hee knew it was in vaine for he had sinned against the holy Ghost Quest But is not Repentance and Faith wrought both at one and the same instant of time Answ No for Repentance is that worke of the Spirit which prepares the heart and makes it fit to receive the assurance of grace and peace which is by faith and therefore that which is a preparation to a thing must alwaies goe before the thing for which the preparation is made Quest But is there any distance of time betweene Repentance and justifying faith Answ There is not any thing passeth betweene Repentance and Faith for they do not cease repenting and bewailing their lost condition nor seeking and desiring after Grace and mercy untill such time as they be satisfied But where God doth bestow this grace of faith he doth alwaies find them Repentant and repenting sinners Quest VVhat is Justifying faith Answ It is a gracious worke of Gods Spirit wrought in the hearts of such as are penitent whereby they are assured of the free pardon and remission of all their sinnes and of peace and reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1.5 Quest VVhy doe you in your definition of Faith adde these words wrought in the hearts of such as are penitent seeing they are not of the definition of Faith Answ I adde those words to shew forth the only objects in whom it pleaseth the Lord to worke this excellent worke of Faith Quest Doth Iustifying faith give assurance to the Penitent and broken heart of peace with God Answ Yes it doth as St. Paul testifieth Romans the fift and the first verse being Justified by Faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ Quest But may not this Faith bee lost at no time after the receiving of it An. It cannot be lost but it may be greatly weakned through carelesnesse by falling into sinne as David did Psal 51. Quest But may they not be deprived of the Assurance of Gods love for a time Answ Yes they may want the comfortable assurance thereof but they have then a promise to rest upon which is That whom the Lord loveth he loveth to the end and therefore David in his extremity said hee remembred the Lords mercies of old Quest But is not the beleeving of a mans sins to be pardonable justifying faith Answ No it
it consists not in his owne power and strength but in the unchangeablenesse of Gods love for they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation wherein consisteth some part of mans happinesse for now by Grace he is set into a better estate and condition then Adam was by his Creation who was subject to change 1 Peter 1.5 Quest Doth not the knowledge of this Doctrine concerning mans stedfastnesse in grace make men secure and carelesse in the committing of sinne Answ No certainly it is not possible that any of those that are regenerate should make such an use of it but rather they considering Gods rich mercy and abundant grace showed towards them doe labour to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and doe endeavour to live soberly righteously and godly seeing the grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men hath so plentifully appeared unto them Titus 2.11.12 Rom. 12.1 Quest Doe not many of the regenerate fall into great sinnes after their regeneration Answ Yes certainly wee have examples thereof in Noah David and Peter who did fall into great sinnes after they were regenerate Gen. 9.21 2 Sam. 11.4.13 14 15. Chap. 12.9 Mat. 26.70.72.74 Quest What great dammage doth come unto them by their Falls seeing they cannot fall away and perish for ever Answ The dammage is very great for besides the dishonour of God whose glory ought to be deare unto them they deprive themselves of their sweet peace joy and comfort which they did enjoy and doe cast themselves into great trouble of mind sorrow and feare and many times cause the Lord to punish them for their sinne with some temporall punishment 2 Sam. 12. Psal 51. Quest What is required of men falling into Sinne after Iustification Answ That they should repent of their Sins and seeke earnestly at the hand of God for the pardon of them as David did Psal 51. Quest Is it in mans power to repent Answ No it is not it is the gift of God 2 Tim. 2.15 Quest Wherefore then doth the Lord require of man to repent and beleeve seeing he is unable to performe the same Answ The Lord requires of us to repent and beleeve becauâ—e they are workes to be performed by us and that we seeing our selves unable to performe them might be mooved to seeke for them at the hands of God who is the only giver of them Quest What need is there for them to repent who have formerly received pardon of their Sinne and cannot possibly perish because Christs death was a full satisfaction not only for their Sinnes past but for all that ever they should commit during this life Answ Yes certainly Repentance is very needfull for them and therefore the Apostle councelleth them amongst the rest of their spirituall armour Ephesians 6. to have their feet shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace which is Repentance for by their sinne they having dishonoured God and greeved his Spirit and having also deprived themselves of their sweet Communion they had with God there is no other way to obtaine their peace joy comfort and sweet Communion with God againe but by Repentance as we may see by the example of David Psal 51. Quest Then Repentance doth not cease in men assoone as they are justifyed and reconciled unto God Answ No assuredly for although they have attained the thing their soules so much desired in the day of their trouble and their wounded soules be healed and refreshed yet doe they still retaine their soft and melting heart which doth daily mourne and lament for the body of Sin and remnant of Corruption that is left in them whereby they are led Captive to Sinne and to offend their Lord and Redeemer who hath been so rich and abundant in mercy towards them Rom. 7.23.24 Quest Then it seemes that the estate of a true Christian in this life is a very sorrowfull and mournfull estate Answ It is true indeed their life is full of sorrow this is their time of mourning and weeping they of all others are subject to many persecutions disgraces and reproaches besides the corruption that is within them which pursues their soules daily so that if their hope were only in this life they were of all men the most miserable But yet notwithstanding in the midst of their afflictions and persecutions the Lord doth give them inward joy and comfort by his Spirit farre exceeding all worldly Joy that this world can afford and none but they have any sound Joy but they only doe possesse that Joy which is unspeakable and full of glory and which shall never be taken from them Io. 16.22 Quest From whence proceedeth that unspeakeable Ioy which the faithfull doe enjoy Answ It proceedeth from the apprehension of Gods love unto them who hath remitted their Sinnes and assured them of peace and reconciliation with him 1 Io. 4.10.19 Quest What is the first and principall cause of mans salvation Answ The first and principall cause is the Infinite love and mercy of God Io. 3.16 So God loved the world c. Quest Was there no other moving cause to moove him â—o pitty man but his owne love Answ No certainely neither needed there any other nor could possibly be a greater cause then his owne love goodnesse and mercy to moove him thereunto Quest Was not Christ the principall cause of man salvation Answ No assuredly he was indeed the materiall cause but not the efficient or principall mooving cause for howsoever it be true that every person in the Godhead did our of their infinite love decree from all eternity the salvation of man yet in the effecting and accomplishing of the same every person hath his distinct operation and worke appropriated unto him so that we cannot without confusion attribute that to one person which is proper and peculiar to another Quest Declare unto me briefly the severall worke of every person in the Godhead distinctly and severally in the working of the Redemption of man Answ The worke appropriated in Scriptures to the first person namely the Father is of his meere love to have sent his onely Sonne and the worke of the Son is to be sent and to take mans nature upon him to suffer death to satisfie the Justice of God and to effect and bring to passe that great worke of mans Redemption and the worke of the third person the Holy Ghost is to inlighten the understanding of the elect in this great mistery and to make effectuall unto them this Redemption which Christ hath wrought for them Quest Might not the Lord have saved mankind out of his owne love and goodnesse without the sending of his Son to take upon him our nature and to suffer death Answ Whether he might or no we will not dare to conclude but that which may be profitable for us we will affirme that certaine it is that this way which the Lord hath ordayned and also made knowne unto us did best stand with his Iustice and doth serve the