Iewell in his hand knoweth that he hath it For if a man that beleeueth an other man on his word doth know that he beleeueth him how much more shall hee whose heart is inspired with true Fayth by the worke of the holy Ghost to beleeue the Gospell know that hee beleeueth it If a man might not know whether hee hath this true Fayth or noe how is it that the Apostle perswadeth vs thus Prooue your selues whether yee be in the Fayth 2. Cor. 13.5 thereby insinuating that it is to be discerned prooued and knowne whether we do beleeue So that as hee that vnderstandeth knoweth that he vnderstandeth So he that beleeueth knoweth that hee beleeueth Wherfore Saint Paul thus speaketh of himselfe I know whom I haue beleeued 2. Tim. 1.12 A poynt which Saint Iohn thus concludeth 1 Ioh. 3.24 saying 1. Ioh. 3.24 Hereby wee know that he abideth in vs euen by that spirit which he hath giuen vs. Augustine is plentifull in this cause I will charge you August lib. de Trinit 13. c. 1. Quisque vidit fidem esse in corde suo si credat si non videt cam deesse Euery one perceiueth that hee hath fayth in his heart if he beleeueth If not he findeth that he is without it Epist 112. Againe where he sayeth Credens videt propriam suam fidem per quam respondet se credere sine dubitatione The beleeuer feeleth his owne Faith by which he beleeueth without doubtinges Lib. 8. de Triâ—it c. 8. In an other place thus Qui diligit Fratrem suum magisscit dilectionem per quam diligit quam Fratrem quem diligit Hee that looueth his Brother knoweth the loue wherewith he loueth him better then he knoweth his Brother whom hee loueth This and such like effects of Gods Predestination are not simply effects but such effects thereof as they also may be saide to be Seales of it For God to vsward is like to the Sunne The Sunne when it shineth on vs and in a manner looketh vs on the face printeth in such sort the Image of his light in our eyes as wee also are made partakers of the same light and are enabled to looke vpon the Sunne the light thereof For the beames of the Sunne striking vpon vs haue a repercussion and reflexe towards the Sunne So the Lord the Sonne of Righteousnesse looketh vpon vs and knoweth vs to be his And then the Elect being made partakers of his Light and Knowledge hee maketh vs likewise to know him Heereto serue these words of our Sauiour J know my sheepe Iohn 10.14 Inferring therevpon in the next place And J am knowne of mine So the first is the cause of the latter and the latter alwayes followeth the former as if he should haue sayd While I acknowledge them for mine I make them to haue my light knowledge to acknowledge mee their Shephearde Both these are put togeather by Saint Paul Gal. 49. where hee sayth Seeing yee know God or rather are knowne of God Where hee teacheth that therefore because God knew the Galathians who first acknowledged them for his hee consequently imparted this his owne Wisedome to them and brought them to that passe to acknowledge the true God to be their God The like may be sayd of the Loue of God wherewith he loued vs in Christ to eternall life before the groundworke of the World was laide God in louing vs hath left an impression and obsignation of his loue in our heartes by which wee returne and retorte this loue and loue him againe and as it were by the reflexion of these Sun-beames striking into our heartes are prouoked to loue him For Gods loue towardes vs beeing by nature eternall bringeth foorth at his full appoynted time a certaine loue in vs seruing to the eternitie of his glorie 1 Ioh. 4.19 Hence it is that Saint John sayth Not that we loued him but that he first loued vs. As if hee should thus say By setting the Seale of his Loue vpon our heartes hee effecteth thus much that wee in the rereward should loue him as a Father Wherefore by the soliditie of that loue by which wee haue a feeling that wee loue God wee are made to know how large the dimensions of that loue of God are by which from all eternitie in Christ hee hath embraced vs. Now what is this loue else but Predestination So our Election by which we are put apart in Christ from the residue of the World setteth a kind of Image of God himselfe vpon vs that is it begetteth an other Election by which wee renounce all other Gods and know no other else but the true God to be adored and worshipped and not onely as wee gather the cause from the effect but as wee draw a Picture from the president and as from the forme of the Seale in the Waxe we easily conceiue what is the Image of the Seale it selfe And thus much of this first Seale which respecteth God in these wordes The Lord knoweth who are his The other Seale followeth which concerneth our selues in the sequell thus Let euery one that calleth vpon the Name of the Lord depart from iniquitie To Fayth the proper indument of the Elect a speciall Seale of Election Good workes an other Seale thereof is immediatly adioyned Good workes can neuer be sundred from Fayth as Scriptures and Fathers teach and our Church beleeue The Apostle speaking of such who making great wordes of Christ Tit. 1.16 but denie him in their workes sayth They prefesse they know God but by workes they denie him and are abominable and disobedient and to euery good worke reprobate Where to denie God is to denie the Fayth In an other place hee sayth 1. Tim. 5.5 if there be any that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his household he hath denied the Fayth Now hee that denieth the Fayth can not haue Fayth Also Saint Iohn sayth Hee that sayth 1. Ioh. 2.4 I know him and keepeth not his commaundementes is a lyar Where hee concludeth that to be a lying and a false Fayth which hath not ioynt commerce with the performaunce of his preceptes but a counterfait Fayth is no Fayth at all Therefore they goe both hand in hand togither Fayth Good workes and will not part company Iam. 2. Fayth without Good workes is dead It is Saint Iames his theoreme and case diuinitie But dead Fayth is no more Fayth then a dead Man is a Man The Fathers with one consent teach the same Orig. in Ezech. Hom. 9. Origen sayeth Male credit quicunque peccat Hee that is a sinner is but a simple beleeuer In epist ad Rom. l. â— c. 10. In his Scholie vpon the Romans hee prooueth the same thus Omnis qui credit in eum non erubescit erubescit autem omnis qui peccat ergo qui adhuc ruboreÌ„ peccati incurrit credere non videtur Euery one that
beleeueth in him is not ashamed but euery one that sinneth is ashamed therefore hee that falleth into the shame of sinne seemeth as yet not to beleeue Cyprian Cyprian singeth the same song where he saith Quomodo dixit se credere in Christum qui non facit quod Christus facere praecepit How doth hee say that hee beleeueth in Christ who doth not that which Christ hath commaunded him Ambrose is as peremptorie in the Point Amb. lib. 6. Epist 36. where he saith Vbi quis caeperit luxuriart incipit deuiare a vera fide Hee that swaggereth swarueth from the Fayth Aug. in Ioh. serm 61. Augustine hereunto performeth testimonie in sundry places as where hee sayth Qui fidem habet sine spe et dilectione Christum esse credit non in Christum credit Whosoeuer hath Fayth without Hope and Loue beleueth that Christ is but hee beleeueth not in Christ Aug. de fide et operib c. 23. Againe where he sayth Insoperabilis est bona vita a fide quae per dilectionem operatur immo ueró ipsa est bona vita Good life is not to be seuered from Fayth which worketh by Loue yea Fayth is of it selfe good life Wherefore the 12. Article of the Christian confession of the Church of England is most sound which professeth in this wise Good workes are the fruites of Iustifying fayth and doe necessarily spring and grow from thence Wherefore Fayth beeing the badge of the Elect and Workes inseparably being the effectes thereof the sequell must needes bee that Good workes must be also the Liuerie of the Elect whereby they may be knowne Which stoppeth the mouth of our carnall Epicures who vpon the foundation of Gods immutable decree of our election would lay the structure and composition of a dissolute conuersation while they reason thus Wee may liue as wee list because if wee be predestinated vnto life wee can not be lost But such are to know that the End and the Meanes that make to the end must needes goe togeather Fayth and Good Workes inseparably accompanie the worke of our Election God glorifieth not the Elect before hee hath Called and Iustified them yea before they Beleeue and declare by their Workes that they doe beleeue Ephes 2.10 Hence is it that the Apostle sayth Wee are created in Christ Iesu vnto good Workes which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them Ephes 1.4 And hereto serue these inferences of Saint Paul of Loue vnfaigned 1. Tim. 1.19 vnto whic h we are chosen and of a good Conscience which as an impartible companion is of the Fayth of the Elect. This endeauour to performe Good works is to all the Elect necessarie 2. Pet. 1.10 as Peter teacheth where he willeth vs that wee make sure our Election and Vocation by good workes as many Copies haue it not to God our vocation being certaine vnto him before the Worldes creation but to our selues to our neighboures This is one of the chiefest vses we make of Good workes that by them not as causes but effectes of our Election and Fayth wee our selues and our brethren are assured and secured of our saluation Where the mouthes of the Pelagians are stopped who make the foresight of our Fayth and Workes in God the cause of our Saluation when as of the quite contrary-side God hath predestinated vs to Fayth and Good workes because he hath chosen vs to eternall life 1. Cor. 7.25 Wherefore Paul speaketh cautelously where he sayth Jobtained mercy of the Lord to be faythfull he saith not Because I was to be faithfull As where he speaketh in the same manner thus That we should be vnblamable not because we were to bee such As againe where hee sayth Ephes 1.4 Wee are created in Christ Iesu vinto Good workes which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them not because wee did them As finally where he saith Tit. 2.11 The Grace of God hath appeared that wee should liue soberly righteously godly not because wee were so to doe It can not be rightly said that God first foreseeth that men are to beleeue and afterward predestinateth them to beleeue Because whom hee foreknew should beleeue therefore hee foreknew it Contra. Tryphon because hee decreed it Wherefore Iustine Martyr calleth them The Elect who are foreknowne that they should beleeue wherefore such as by Gods grace are delighted in Good workes in them there is a certaine signe and seale that they beleeue in Christ and so that they are elected in Christ vnto eternall life Fayth is of the nature of a Tree in operation which naturally of it selfe bringeth foorth fruites so that there is no need that the Tree be commaunded to yeeld her encrease So the faythfull man without coaction disposeth himselfe to be fruitfull in Good workes the Law of God being grafted in his heart so that his delight is dayly in the same So that of his owne accord he doth Good workes as of him selfe hee cateth hee drinketh seeth heareth and performeth such faculties as are incident to Nature As hee that is thirstie doth but stay vntill drinke come and as hee that is hungrie expecteth his meate and then willingly and naturally hee taketh them both So the Faythfull man hungrie and thirstie of Righteousnesse taketh the aduantage of all occasions to doe the Workes thereof Although Fayth alone iustifieth and knitteth the Marriage knotte betweene the Soule Christ and is properly the Wedding garment and the signe Tau which must Protect vs from the power of the euill Angels yet Fayth is neuer seuered from Charitie Wherefore the Faythfull are resembled to Orchardes Vines and Trees that bring foorth Fruite in season The Church by Isaiah is resembled to a Vine Isai 5.7 furnished with a Wine-presse and Towre for the purpose wherefore Christ sayth Ioh. 15.1 I am the Vine and my Father is the Husbandman euery Branch that beareth not fruite in mee hee taketh away and euery one that beareth fruite he purgeth it that it may bring foorth more fruite Wherefore God is sayd to haue come downe to the Garden of Nuttes Cant. 6.10 to see the fruites of the Valley to see if the Vine budded and the Pomegranats flourished Moreouer we are to Bring foorth Fruites in patience For God Luk. 8.15 the Lord of the Vineyard commeth to his Vine with a pruning Knife in his hand to toppe and cutte off the luxurious Branches that we might bring foorth more Fruite and be in better liking Christians are Trees of righteousnesse Ezech. 47.4.12 grewing by the Riuers of the Sanctuarie But not such Trees as ours are for they take roote vpwarde in Heauen in Christ and their branches grow downeward and fructifie among men Wherefore theoricall Religion is not enough It serueth not our turnes to beare the name of Christians if wee liue not as Christians True Pietie challengeth a departure frō Iniquitie Jacobs smooth Voyce and Esaus rough
Incarnate Deuill and his end was most fearefull but without the greater supportation of Gods grace wee should not onely betray Christ with Judas but worser then the Jewes wee should a thousand wayes crucifie him Consider we with our selues whether there be not now in Hell such who were of better conuersation then wee while wee liued heere on earth Isai calleth the people of his time Isai 1.10 The people of Sodom and the people of Gomorah 9 Finally from the clause and conclusion of this sentence Let euery one who calleth on the Name of the Lord depart from Iniquitie direction vnto Sanctification aryseth because whom God hath chosen vnto life hee hath also chosen vnto newnesse of life Ephes 1.4 Hee hath chosen vs sayth Saint Paul before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him in loue Whereto answereth that which hee hath else-where in the same Letter Ephes 2.10 Wee are created in Christ Jesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them Wee haue the same Diuinitie deliuered vs in his writing to the Thessalonians 2. Thess 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the Spirit and the Fayth of trueth Rom. 8. The Elect are stiled Vessels of honour Wherefore such as will be of that nature 2. Tim. 2.21 for that high seruice and not be Disshes of disgrace must so carrie themselues as they may be numbred among such But while wee soake our selues in our Sinnes and lie wallowing in our Wickednesse we are worse then Treen Trayes Vessels of the vildest vse whatsoeuer It is so set downe and established by order that the Sunne should giue vs his light by day and the Moone by night and this standing wherein they were primitiuely placed they still keepe Yea euery Creature in her kinde keepeth the course at the first prefixed them in the creation of all things The Grasse groweth Trees fructifie according to the blessing pronounced by the mouth of God vpon them when they were first in beeing the verie ende and purpose of their beeing thus are all Christians Trees that are planted by the right hand of God to giue their fruite in due season this beeing the period and ende of their election their holy conuersation If thou shouldst passe by a ground wherein thou shouldst see a beautifull Vine prudently kept enclosed with a wall that nothing could hurt it thou wouldest conclude that the owner thereof was a carefull man a good Husband indeed so is euery one of vs to keepe our bodyes and soules in that godly and holy manner as the verie aduersarie to our Religion be hee an Infidell beholding vs may haue occasion to reuerence our Religion and to say Great is the God of the Christians In the setting vp of an House first we lay the Foundation then the Sides and Walles round about and then the Roofe the vppermost part thereof Fayth is the Foundation of this our House Good workes are the Walles and the rest of the Building that is to be ioyned to this Foundation To the pulling downe of an House the course is quite contrarie to that which was taken when it was first erected for that which was set vp last was the Roofe and with the Roofe we beginne to reaue it and we come to the Foundation at the last So the Deuill seeking the ruine of vs all hee first assaulteth our Good workes the vppermost of our Building our Almes our Fastes our Prayers our Charitie and then he layeth at the Foundation of our Fayth and sayth Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground Finally this parcell of Scripture is the very Period of all the Scripture as the purport of all the Workes of God done and yet in doing towardes vs. They haue many endes and purposes beside the principall whereof is the Glorie of God the rest come in at the second hand and are seruantes vnto this as ordinated and sequestred to this seruice and office of furthering and setting soorth the excellencie of this Glorie Now among those of the secondarie sort this easily is the chiefe A zeale to Pietie a diligent endeauour to depart from Iniquitie The whole Scripture is resolued into Law and Gospell Historie is a midling betweene both and an appurtenaunce vnto them The whole Law is abridged and summed in this sentence Declina a malo et fac bonum Eschew that is euill and ensue that is good The whole knowledge of the Law is in the knowledge of our three-folde estate 1. Of that we had by Creation 2 Of that wee haue now by Nature 3. Of that wee ought to be now this one end to Depart from Iniquitie is Finis vltimis alwayes at the ende of all of them three Wee are told what we were by Creation that we should striue by Departing from iniquitie to recouer our primitiue condition Wee are shewed what wee are now by corruption that wee might runne from the Law to Christ and lead a holy conuersation 3. Lastly it lessoneth vs what wee ought to bee namely Conformable to our first Image of Righteousnesse and holinesse by renouncing all Wickednesse This is the onely Tribute siluer he requireth at our handes as Moses thus expresly telleth vs in Deuteronomie Deut. 10.12 What doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God and to walke in his wayes The same is the consideration of the Law of the Gospell signified by Zacharie Luke 1.75 That wee being deliuered out of the hands of our enimies might serue him without feare in righteousnesse and holinesse before him all the dayes of our life as by Paul in like manner where he sayth Tit. 2. The Grace of God that bringeth saluation to all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should denie all vngodlinesse and worldly lusts that we should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and appearing of that glorie of that mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe zelous of Good workes The like respect there is of all the Workes of God and his Sonne Christ already wrought or to be wrought for vs. The scope at which they driue is the renuntiation of our Sinnes All the Workes of God whatsoeuer they bee must be of these three kindes 1. Such as concerne our Creation Preseruation Protection 2. Or such as belong to our Redemption by Christ 3. Or such as appertaine to our communicate Redemption and Grace 1 The Creation of the World was for mans sake to the end that man might know God and by knowing glorifie him This is plaine by this the Apostle sayth Rom. 1.20.21 The inuisible thinges of him that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation
Apostles except Iudas was lost because he was so preordinated to be lost Whosoeuer therefore are truely giuen to Christ by the Father they are in such safe protection vnder Christ as they cannot perish because they are Elected that is Iohn 13.18 giuen to Christ Elsewhere foretelling vs that one of the Colledge of Apostles should betray him he prefaceth to the poynt in hand in this wise I speake not of you all J know whom J haue chosen but it is that the Scripture might be fulfilled Hee that eateth bread with me hath lift vp his heele against mee Hee giueth the cause to Gods eternall Election that none of the Apostles was to admit such a prodigious sinne of prodition but onely Iudas as proposed to perdition Thus hauing heard Christ him selfe speaking for vs what need wee more witnesses Rom. 8.30 Yet wee please to heare what Saint Paul can say for vs. In his golden Chaine twined with his foure indiuiduall linckes the person Predestinated is proclaymed at the Standard therewithall Called Iustified Glorified And hee is in his expostulatorie Scrutinie Inquirie after him that dare stand out aduersarie to this his positiue Diuinitie Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that Iustifieth who shall condemne As if he should haue disputed it thus They are Elected therefore can they not be Condemned Yea he prouoketh the proudest Enimie to the field for the triall of this trueth as Affliction Tribulation and all the vnited forces of Temptations telling vs how these when they haue done their worst can neuer be of power to raise our Foundation and to sunder vs from Christ Lastly he would haue vs beleeue this as a sure word of prophecie that neither Angels Dominations or Powers future nor present thinges altitudes or deapthes nor any thing else from the Center to the Circumference can vndoe this Foundation of our eternall and infallible Election Destroy this Foundation and all these rowes of spirituall Stones layde herevpon must needs come tumbling downe As this saying of Saint Paul Rom. 5.1 Being iustified by Fayth wee haue Peace towards God Which peace of conscience towards God we can not haue so long as we hoouer as the Rauen betweene Heauen and Earth and are in perplexitie about our Election As this other his ghostly Aphorisme Fayth maketh not ashamed Rom. 5.5 because the loue of God is shed abroad in our heartes by the holy Ghost which is giuen vs If fully and finally this loue may be lost of vs whereby we are couered with shame and confusion as it were with a Cloake As this his other peece of Lecture Rom. 8.16 The spirit of God witnesseth with our spirit that we are the children of God So be it that wee yeeld that the Spirit may be quite extinguished in vs. It is Saint Iohns assertion 1. Ioh. 2.19 and the marke indeed of those of reprobate condition They went from vs but they were not of vs for if they had been of vs they should haue continued with vs For it is flatte which Saint Paul sayth The giftes and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11.29 and so by course of consequence he cannot repent that he hath predestinated vs. Thus doe our Popelinges fall before the Scriptures as Dagon before the Arke and the foundation of our Election standeth sure And now we will deale with them by dinte and force of reason and thus dispute for the soliditie of this our Foundation 1. First a posteriorj Gods purpose to saue the Elect in this world is absolutly constant Therefore he so Calleth Iustifieth Regenerateth them so qualifieth them with the Induments and Ornaments of his spirit so gouerneth them and giueth them the guift of perseuerance as he neuer repenteth himselfe of these collated benefites inasmuch as repentance cannot fall vpon him as Scripture before taught vs. God followeth his chosen with an indiuiduall vnwearisome and eternall loue So sayeth God in Jeremie Ierem. 31.3 J haue loued thee with an euerlasting loue So sayeth Christ in John For as much as he loued his owne which were in the world vnto the end he loued them Iohn 13 1. But he willeth and worketh nothing now which was not willed and determined by him from all eternitie wherfore this foundation is of absolute stabilitie 2. A priorj we pleade thus Election is only in God and not in man in as much as Election was before the Creation and so before man Ephes 1.4 Wee were chosen saieth the Apostle before the worlds foundation Againe if Eection be a part of diuine Prouidence and Prouidence is Gods the Sequence is naturall that Election must be in God and no part thereof may cleaue to mans thumbes And hence also the deduction is as needfull that it is eternall and immutable as consisting in God onely in whom all thinges are according to his nature without variablenesse or shaddow of change Stood the Foundation of our Election vpon no surer ground then Man it would soone be turned vp For Euripus changeth not oftner then Man And what may Man doe simply by himselfe towards his owne saluation He that is a reprobate can lay to himselfe a sure Foundation wherevpon he may build his owne damnation in asmuch as not beeing sufficiently supported by the hand of God God not beeing bounde vnto him thereunto he simply can bring foorth nothing but fruites vnto death with willfullnesse enough and so vndoe himselfe But Election cannot so bee made sure of the part of the Elect as by nature mutable and as so continually and grieuously sinfull So as so farre as it layeth in them they quite strip themselues of the graces of God and if doome should be denounced according to their deedes there were no foundation made for them in Heauen The effects of Election are in the persons themselues that are elected as their vocation passiue and so their Iustification and regeneration in this sense also faith and the workes of faith and at last their glorification in like manner Wherefore these effects in vs that are of the Elect admitte an alteration in respect of our selues Wherevpon by nature faith and regeneration may be lost of vs and of righteous wee may become vnrighteous and so fall from grace and perish But in regard of predestination and diuine decree which is in God so immutable it can not be that these guiftes of God and these effectes of Predestination should be quite without effect and therefore hauing dependance on God our saluation is most safe Haue a view heereof in the course of the world led by the hand of heauenly prouidence For Saeculum Speculum The World is a Looking-glasse in this case For how is it that it is so well ordered so as the Heauens keepe their stations appointed thē the Sunne knoweth his vprising and the Moone her going downe the alternall entercourse of the day and the night is not to bee disturbed and all