of your comming to receiue the Sacrament Asune To receiue my maker Theol. What is the principall vse of a Sacrament Asune The body and bloud of Christ Theol. What profit and comfort haue you by a Sacrament Asune In token that Christ died for vs. Theol. I can but pitie you for your ignorance for it is excéeding grosse and palpable Your answers are to no purpose and bewray a wonderful blindnesse and senselesnesse in matters of Religion I am sory that now I haue not time and leasure to let you sée your folly extreame ignorance as also to lay open vnto you the sense and meaning of the Articles of the faith the Lords prayer and the Sacraments al other the grounds of Christian Religion Asune What course would you wish me to take that I may come out of ignorance and attaine vnto the true knowledge of God Theol. Surely I would wish you to be diligent in hearing of Sermons and reading the Scriptures with praier and humility Also that you would peruse Catechismes and other good bookes and especially Viâ—els grounds of Religion and the workes of the two worthy seruants of God Master Gyffard and Master Perkins and other mens that haue done great seruice to the Church and for whom thousands are bound to giue God thanks If you take this course you shall by Gods grace within a short time grow to some good measure of knowledge in all the maine grounds of Christian religion Phila. I had not thought any man had beene so ignorant as I now perceiue this man is Theo. Yes verily there be thousands in his case And I doe know by experience that many will vse the very same answers or at least very little differing Phila. I warrant you if you had questioned with him of kine or sheepe purchasing of lands taking of Leases or any other matter vnder the sunne you should haue found him very ripe and ready in his answers Theol. I am so perswaded too For let a man talke with worldly men of worldly matters and their answer is neuer to seeke They will talke very freshly with you of such matters if it be all the day long For they haue a déepe insight into earthly things and doe wholly delight to talke of them being neuer weary For it is their ioy their meate and their drinke But come once to talke with them of Gods matters as of faith repentance regeneration c. you shall finde them the veriest dullards dunces in the world For when spéech is had of these things they are so befogged that they can not tell where they are nor what they say Phil. In my iudgement such mens case is very pitifull and dangerous And so is this mans case also if God doe not very speedily pull him out of it Theol. Questionles For God saith My people perish for want of knowledge Our Lord Jesus saith that ignorance is the cause of all errours Yee erre saith he not knowing the scriptures The Apostle saith that ignorance doth alienate vs from the life of God For saith he The gentiles were darkened in their cogitation being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them So then it is cleare that ignorance is not the mother of deuotion as the Papists doe auouch but it is the mother of errour death and destruction as the Scripture affirmeth Our Lord foreséeing the great danger of ignorance how thereby thousands are carried headlong into Hell doth admonish al men to search the Scriptures which do testifie of him that so they might get out of the most dangerous gulfe of ignorance wherein multitudes are implunged Therefore the Noble men of Berea are commended by the holy Ghost because they receiued the word with all readinesse and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Oh therefore that men would earnestly séeke after the knowledge of God in time and as the Prophet saith Seeke the Lord whilest he may be found call vpon him whilest he is neere Phila. I do see that all ignorance in matters of faith is dangerous but I thinke wilfull ignorance is of all other most dangerous Theol. Wilfull ignorance no doubt is a plaine prognostication and demonstratiue argument of eternal death For it is a most horrible and feareful thing for men to refuse instructions despise counsels harden their hearts stop their eares and close vp their eies against God This is the very vp-shot of our decay Phila. I pray you what call you hardnesse of heart Theol. An heard heart is that which is neither mooued with Gods mercies nor scared with his iudgements neither feareth the law nor regardeth the Gospel neither is holpen by threatnings nor softned by chastenings which is vnthankful for Gods benefits and disobedient to his counsels made cruell by his roddes and dissolute by his fauours vnshamefast to filthinesse and fearelesse to perils vncurteous to men and retchlesse to God forgetfull of things past negligent in things present and improuident in things to come Phila. Lay foorth yet more plainely the state of ignorant and hard hearted men and shew how lamentable it is Theol. If a man be outwardly blind we do pity him and say There goeth a poore blinde man but if he be both blind and deafe doe wée not more pity him and say Oh in how miserable a case is that man But if he bée both blinde deafe and dumbe doe we not most of all pity him and say Oh that man is in a most wofull taking and in a most pittifull plight How much more then are they to be pitied which as concerning their soules are both blinde deafe and dumbe For the diseases of the soule are far more dangerous and more to be pittied then those of the body Would it not pitty a mans heart to see a poore shéepe in a Lions mouth whilest he teareth him renteth him pulleth out his guts Euen such is the case of ignorant men in the clawes of the diuell For the diuell hath them vnder him rideth them at his pleasure and teareth their soules in péeces the gronings of souldiers wounded the doleful sighes and gronings of many Captaines and Coronels giuing vp the ghost were not this a most wofull spectacle Euen so when wée doe clearely sée Sathan wound and murther thousand thousands soules is it not a farre more tragicall lamentable sight and ought it not euen to kill our hearts to behold it But alas men haue no eies to sée into these things And yet certaine it is that Sathan doth continually and in most fearefull maner massacre innumerable soules Thus haue I shewed you the wofull estate of prophane and ignorant men Phila. If it be so you that be Ministers and Preachers of the Gospell haue taken vpon you the cure and charge of soules haue need to looke about you and to doe what in you lieth to saue soules as good shepheards in great pittie and compassion to labour to
he may will and commaund But the abundant mercy of God towards mankind doth most of all consist in this that he hath giuen his onely sonne for vs when we were his enemies As it is written God so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Againe God setteth out his loue towards vs seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs much more then being now iustified by his bloud we shal be saued frō wrath through him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saued by his life In all this then wée may cléerely behold the infinite mercy of God towards vs poore sinners For is it not a great matter that the sonne of God should take our nature vpon him should be so abased as he was should humble himself to death euen to the death of the Crosse For as the shadow of the Diall went backe ten degrées that Ezechias might receiue length of daies much happinesse so Christ the sonne of righteousnesse hath gone backe many degrées that we might haue eternall life His humiliation therefore is our exaltation his sufferings our ioy his death our life For we haue no other remedy or refuge but onely his merits righteousnes He is our city of refuge whither we must fly where we must take sanctuary He is the Balme of Gilead whereby our soules are cured He is that poole of Bethesda where euery man may bée cured of what disease so euer hée hath He is the riuer of Iordan where Naaman may wash away all his Leprosie He is that Pellican who by pecking a hole in his owne brest doth restore his yong to life againe by his blood Yet one thing we must note by the way which hath béene partly touched before that al the mercy of God and merits of Christ are to be restrained onely to the elect only to the true members of the Church As plainely appeareth in the 103. Psalm Where the mercies of God which there are largely described are restrained onely to them that feare him kéepe his couenant thinke vpon his Commandements to do them And touching Christ it is said that he is a prince a Sauiour vnto Israel that he shall redéeme Israel from all his iniquities Againe it is written That Christ being consecrate was made the author of eternall saluation to them that obey him None do or can obey him but onely the Elect therefore he is the authour of saluation onely to the Elect. And consequently the prophane world whatsoeuer they say whatsoeuer they brag boast haue no true title or interest in him This thing was figured in the law in this that the mercy seate which was a type of Gods mercy in Christ the Arke which was a figure of the Church were by the expresse commandement of God fitted each to other both in length and breadth For as the Arke was two cubits and a halfe long a cubit and a halfe broad iust so was the mercy seate Noting thereby that the mercy of God in Christ should onely bée fitted to his church belong only to the Church so as not one without the Church should be saued For he that hath not the church for his mother cannot haue God for his father Lastly we are to obserue that as God is infinit in mercy of great compassion towards penitent sinners so also is he most constant in the course of his mercies towards his children And therefore one of the Psalmes carrieth this foote His mercy endureth for euer his mercy endureth for euer his mercy endureth for euer Noting thereby both the constancy and eternity of Gods mercy To the same purpose it is thus written It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed it is because his compassions faile not Let vs know therefore that God as touching his mercy to his children is of a most constant and vnchangable nature As he saith I am the Lord I change not For if God were of a changeable nature as we are and subiect to passions then were we in a most miserable case Then must he néeds smite vs downe and take vengeance of vs euery day and euery houre in the day because we prouoke him euery day euery houre in the day But the God of heauen is not as a man that he should be subiect to passions and affections he is of a most constant and immutable nature For though wée prouoke him euery day with new sinnes yet is he so farre off from taking reuenge that the next day he rewardeth vs with new mercies and breaketh through all our vnkindenesse to shew kindnesse vnto vs and through all our naughtinesse to doe vs good All our infirmities cannot make him breake off with vs or cease to loue vs. He is content to take vs with all faults and to loue vs dearely though we haue great faults He regardeth not our infirmities though we be oftentimes waiward and eluish yet for all that he loueth vs neuerthelesse Euen as a louing mother though her young suckling crie all night and be excéeding treafe and weiward so as she cannot rest an houre in the night yea though she endure much loathsomnesse trouble with it yet in the morning when she ariseth she loueth it neuerthelesse but dandles it plaieth with it smileth and laugheth vpon it so the God of all mercies whose loue towards vs far passeth the loue of mothers though we gréeue him with our infirmities continually yet loueth vs neuerthelesse and is content to put vp all to forget and forgiue all for he is a most constant louer Where he once sets and settles his loue he loueth most constantly nothing can alter him nothing can remoue him Euen as a Father when his little childe catcheth a fall breaketh his shinnes and hurteth his face is so far from being offended or displeased with him therefore that he doth pity him and bemone him séeking remedies for his hurt so our mercifull Father is so farre off from being angry displeased with vs for some slips and falles that he doth the more pity vs and lament our case Euen as a louing and wise husband though his wife haue many infirmities yet knowing that she loueth him dearely and that her heart is with him he is well content to winke at all her faults to hide them to beare with them yea and to make nothing of them louing her neuerthelesse for them So our deare husband and Spouse Jesus Christ because he knoweth we loue him and that he hath our hearts is content to beare with all our infirmities and to make light of them For this cause it is that he saith to his Spouse in the Canticles Though she was blacke and full of infirmities behold thou art faire my loue behold thou
certaintie of saluation and speake somewhat of that Theo. The ground-worke of our saluation is laide in Gods eternall election and in respect thereof it standeth fast and vnmoueable as it is written The foundation of God standeth fast And againe He is faithfull that hath promised though we cannot beleeue yet he abideth faithfull So then as we know it certainely in our selues by the consequents of election so it standeth most firme in respect of God and his eternall and immutable decrée And a thousand infirmities nay all the sinnes in the world nor all the diuels in hell cannot ouerthrow Gods election For our Lord Jesus saith All that the Father hath giuen me shall come vnto me And againe This is the Fathers will that hath sent me that of all which he hath giuen me I should lose nothing but should raise it vp againe at the last day And in another place our Sauiour Christ saith My sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand My Father which gaue them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand Wée ought therefore to be as sure of our saluation as of any other thing which God hath promised or which we are bound to beléeue For to doubt thereof in respect of Gods truth is blasphemous against the immutability of his truth Philag But are there not some doubts at some times euen in the very Elect and in those which are growen to the greatest perswasion Theol. Yes verily For he that neuer doubted neuer beléeued For whosoeuer beléeueth in truth féeleth sometimes doubtings and wauerings Euen as the sound body féeleth many grudgings of diseases which if hée hath not health hée could not féele so the sound soule féeleth some doubtings which if it were not sound it could not so easily féele For wée féele not corruption by corruption but we féele corruption by grace And the more grace we haue the more quicke are we in the féeling of corruption Some men of tender skinnes and quicke féeling will easily féele the lightest feather in softer manner laide vpon the ball of their hands which others of more slow féeling and hard flesh cannot so easily discerne So then it is certaine that although the children of God féele some doubtings at sometimes yet the same doe no whit impeach the certainety of their saluation but rather argue a perfect soundnesse and health of their soules For when such litle grudgings are felt in the soule the childrē of God oppose against them the certaintie of Gods truth and promises and so doe easily ouercome them For the Lords people néed no more to feare them then he that rideth thorow the stréets vpon a lusty gelding with his sword by his side néeds to feare the barking and bawling of a few little curres and whappets Phila. Shew yet more plainly how or in what respects the childe of God may both haue doubtings and yet be fully assured Theol. Euen as a man set in the top of the highest stéeple in the world and so fast bound vnto it that he cannot fall though he would yet when hée looketh downeward hee feareth because mans nature is not acquainted nor accustomed to mount so high in the aire and to behold the earth so farre beneath but when he looketh vpward and perceiueth himselfe fast bound and out of all danger then hée casteth away all feare Euen so when wée looke downeward to our selues wée haue doubts and feares but when wée looke vpward to Christ and the truth of his promises wée féele our selues cocke-sure and cease to doubt any more Phila. Declare vnto vs what is the originall of these doubts and feares and from whence they spring in the children of God Theol. They spring from the imperfection of our regeneration and from that strife which is in the very minde of the elect betwéene faith and infidelity For these two do mightily fight together in the most regenerate and striue to ouer master and ouershadow one another By reason wherof sometimes it commeth to passe through the preuailing of vnbeliefe that the most excellent seruants of God may fal into fits and pangs of despaire as Iob and Dauid in their temptations did And euen in these daies also some of Gods children at sometimes are shrewdly handled this way and brought very lowe euen vnto deaths doore but yet the Lord in great mercie doth recouer them both from totall and finall despaire Onely they are humbled and tried by these sharpe fits for a time and that for their great good For as we vse to say that an Ague in a young man is a signe of health so these burning fits of temptations in the elect for the most part are signes of Gods grace and fauor For if they were not of God the diuell would neuer be so busie with them Phila. Is it not meere presumption and an ouermuch trusting to our selues to bee perswaded of our saluation Theol. Nothing lesse For the ground of this perswasion is not laid in our selues or any thing within vs or without vs but onely in the righteousnesse of Christ and the mercifull promises of God For is it any presumption for vs to beléeue that which God hath promised Christ hath purchased and the holy Ghost hath sealed No verily it is not any presumption but a thing which we all stand bound vnto as we will answere it at the dreadfull day of iudgement As for our selues we do fréely confesse that in Gods sight we are but lumps of sinne and masses of all misery and cannot of our selues mooue hand or foot to the furtherance of our saluation But being iustified by faith we are at peace with God and fully perswaded of his loue and fauour toward vs in Christ Phila. Cannot the Reprobates and vngodly be assured of their saluation Theo. No. For the Prophet saith There is no peace to the wicked Then I reason thus They which haue not the inward peace cannot be assured But the wicked haue not the inward peace Therefore they cannot be assured Stedfast faith in the promises doth assure But the wicked haue not stedfast faith in the promises Therefore they cannot be assured The spirit of adoption doth assure But the wicked haue not the spirit of adoption Therefore they cannot be assured To conclude when a man féeleth in himselfe an euill conscience blindnesse prophanenesse and disobedience he shal in despite of his hart sing this dolefull song I know not whether I shall be saued or damned Phila. Is not the doctrine of the assurance of saluation a most comfortable doctrine Theol. Yes doubtlesse For except a man bée perswaded of the fauour of God and the forgiuenesse of sinnes and consequently of his saluation what comfort can he haue in any thing Besides this the perswasion of Gods loue towards vs is the root of
all our loue and chearefull obedience towards him For therefore wée loue him and obey him because we know hée hath loued vs first and written our names in the booke of life But on the contrarie the Doctrine of the Papists which would haue men alwaies doubt and feare in a seruile sort is most hellish and vncomfortable For so long as a man holds that what encouragement can he haue to serue God What loue to his Maiestie What hope in the promises What comfort in trouble What patience in aduersity Antil Touching this point I am flat of your minde For I thinke verily a man ought to bee perswaded of his saluation And for mine owne part I make no question of it I hope to bee saued as well as the best of them all I am out of feare for that For I haue such a stedfast faith in God that if there should be but two in the world saued I hope I should be one of them Theol. You are very confident indéed You are perswaded before you know I would your ground were as good as your vaine confidence But who is so bold as blinde Bayard Your hope is but a fancie and as a sick mans dreame You hope you can not tell what You haue no ground for that you say For what hope can you haue to be saued when you walke in no path of saluation What hope can a man haue to come to London spéedily that trauelleth nothing that way but quite contrary What hope can a man haue to reape a good crop of corne that vseth no meanes neither ploweth soweth nor harroweth What hope can a man haue to be fat and well liking of his body that seldome or neuer eateth any meat What hope can a man haue to escape drowning which leapeth into the Sea Euen so what hope can you haue to be saued when you walke nothing that way when you vse no meanes when you doe all things that are contrary vnto the same For alas there is nothing in you of those things which the Scriptures doe affirme must bée in all those that shall be saued There be none of the fore named signes and tokens in you You are ignorant prophane and carelesse God is not worshipped vnder your roofe There is no true feare of God in your selfe nor in your houshold You seldome heare the word preached You content your selfe with an ignorant Minister You haue no praiers in your family no reading no singing of psalmes no instructions exhortations or admonitions or any other Christian exercises You make no conscience of the obseruation of the Sabbaths you vse not the name of God with any reuerence you breake out sometimes into horrible dathes and cursings you make an ordinary matter of swearing by your faith your troth Your wife is irreligious your children dissolute and vngratious your seruants prophane carelesse You are an example in your owne house of al Atheisme and conscienceles behauiour You are a great gamester a rioter a spend-thrift a drinker a common ale-house-haunter an whoore hunter and to conclude giuen to all vice and naughtinesse Now then I pray you tell me or rather let your conscience tell mée what hope you can haue to be saued so long as you walk and continue in this course Doth not S. Iohn saie If wee say wee haue fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we are liers Doth not the same Apostle auouch that such as say they know God and kéepe not his commandements are liers Againe doth he not say Heth at committeth sin is of the Diuell And whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God Doth not our Lord Jesus flatly tell the Jewes which bragged that Abraham was their father that they were of their father the diuell because they did his works Doth not the Apostle Paul say His seruants we are to whom we obey whether it be of sin vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnes Doth not the scripture say Hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous Doth not our Lord Jesus affirme that nor euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in Heauen Therefore I conclude that forasmuch as your whole course is carnall carelesse and dissolute you can haue no warrantable hope to be saued Phila. I doe verily thinke that this mans case which now you haue laied open is the case of thousands Theo. Yea doubtles of thousand thousands the more is the pity Asune Soft and faire sir you are very round indeed Soft fire maketh sweet mault I hope you know wee must be saued by mercy and not by merit If I should doe all my selfe wherefore serueth Christ I hope that which I cannot doe hee will doe for me And I hope to be saued by Iesus Christ as well as the best of you all Theol. Oh now I sée which way the game goeth You would faine make Christ a cloake for your sinnes You will sinne that grace may abound You will sinne frankly and set all vpon Christs score Truely there be many thousands of your minde which hearing of Gods abundant mercie in Christ are thereby made more bold to sin But they shall know one day to their cost what it is so to abuse the mercie of God The Apostle saith The mercy and louing kindnesse of God should leade vs to repentance But we sée it leadeth manie to further hardnesse of heart The Prophet saith With him is mercy that hee may bee feared But many thereby are made more secure and carelesse But to come néerer the marke you say you hope to be saued by Jesus Christ And I answer that if those things be found in you which the Scriptures do auouch to be in all that shall be saued by him then you may haue good confidence and assured hope otherwise not Now the Scriptures do thus determine it and set it downe That if a man bée in Christ and looke to be saued by him he must be indued with these qualities following First he must be a new creature Secondly hee must liue not after the lusts of men but after the will of God Thirdly he must be zealous of good works Fourthly hee must die to sinne and liue to righteousnesse Fiftly he must be holy and vnblameable Sixtly he must so walke as Christ hath walked Seuenthly hee must crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts Eigthly he must walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Last of all he must serue God in righteousnesse and true holinesse all the daies of his life Loe then what things are required of all that shal be saued by Christ Now therefore if these things be in you in some measure of tenth then your hope is currant sound good otherwise it is nothing worth For in vaine doe men say they hope to be saued by Christ when as they walke dissolutely The reason hereof is because the
heauen and wide gates into hell I pray you therefore proue them out of the Scriptures and lay them forth somewhat more largely Theol. The first which is Infidelity is proued out of the fourth chapter to the Hebrewes where it is written Vnto vs was the Gospell preached as vnto them but the word which they heard profited them not because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it And againe They could not enter in because of vnbeliefe Héere we sée that vnbeliefe did barre out the old people from entring into the land of promise which was a figure of Gods eternall kingdome And sure it is that the same vnbeliefe doth barre out thousands of vs. For many will beléeue nothing but their owne fansies They will not beléeue the word of God especially when it is contrary to their lustes and likings profits pleasures Though things be manifestly prooued to their faces and both the Chapter and the Uerse shewed them yet will they not beléeue or though they say they beléeue yet will they neuer goe about the practise of any thing but reply against God in all their actions And for the most part when God saith one thing they will say another When God saith yea they will say no and so giue God the lie Some againe will say if all bée true that the Preachers say then God helpe vs. Thus you sée how Infidelity doth barre men out of Heauen and cast them into hell Phila. Let vs heare of the second gate which is Presumption of Gods mercy Theol. This is set downe in the 29. of Deuteronomy where the Lord saith thus When a man heareth the words of this curse and yet flattereth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace although I walke according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart thus adding drunkennesse to thirst that is one sinne to another the Lord will not be mercifull vnto him but the wrath of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and euery curse that is written in this booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen Héere we sée how the mightie God doth thunder downe vpon such as goe on in their sins presuming of his mercy and saying in their hearts If I may haue but a Lord haue mercy vpon me thrée houres before death I care not But it is iust with God when those thrée hours come to shut them vp in blindnesse and hardnesse of heart as a iust plague for their presumption Therefore the Prophet Dauid seeing the grieuousnesse of this sin praieth to be deliuered from it Keepe me ô Lord saith he from presumptuous sins let them not raigne ouer me Let all men therfore take héed of presumptuous sins For though God be full of mercy yet will he shew no mercy to them that presume of his mercy But they shall once know to their cost that iustice goeth from him as well as mercy Phila. Let vs come to the third gate which is the Example of the multitude Theol. This is prooued in the 23. of Exod. where the Lord saith flatly Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe euill In another place the Lord saith After the doings of the land of Egypt wherein yee dwelt shall yee not doe and after the manner of the land of Canaan whither I will bring you shall yee not doe neither walke in their ordinances Against this Law did the Children of Israel offend when they said in the stubbornnesse of their heart to the Prophet Ieremy The word that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord wee will not heare But we will doe whatsoeuer goeth out of our owne mouth and we will doe as we haue done both we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the cities of Iudah and in the streets of Ierusalem Note héere how they doe altogether refuse the word of the Lord and how to follow the example of the multitude Wée sée in these our daies by lamentable experience how thousands are violently carried down this streame and for defence of it some will say Doe as the most men doe and the fewest wil speake of you Which is a very wicked speach For if wée will follow the course of the most we shall haue the reward of the most which is eternall perdition Let vs therefore take héed of bending with the sway For the sway of the world doth waigh downe all things that can bée spoken out of the word of God and openeth a very wide passage into Hell Phila. Proceed to the fourth gate into Hell which is the Long custome of sinne Theol. This is noted by the Prophet Ieremy to be a very dangerous thing For he saith Can the blacke More change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may yee also doe good which are accustomed to doe euill Noting thereby that it is as hard a matter to leaue an old custome of sinne as to wash a black-more white or to change the spots of a Leopard which because they are naturall are most impossible So when men through custom haue made swearing lying adultery and drunkennesse as it were naturall vnto them oh how hard it is to leaue them For custome maketh another nature and taketh away all sense and féeling of sinne Phila. Let vs heare of the fift gate which is the Long escaping of punishment Theol. This is auouched by the wise man in these words Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are set in them to doe euill Where he sheweth that one cause why men are so hardned in their sinnes is because God winketh at them and letteth them alone not punishing them immediately after they haue sinned For if God should forthwith strike downe one and raine fire and brimstone vpon another and cause the earth to swallow vp the third then men would feare indéed But it hath béene shewed before that God taketh not that course but though he méet with some in this life yet he lets thousands escape and that makes them more bold thinking they shall neuer come to their answer Euen as an olde théefe which hath a long time escaped both prison and gallowes thinkes he shall alwaies so escape and therefore goeth boldly on in his thefts But let men take héed For as the prouerbe saith Though the pitcher goeth long to the well yet at last it commeth broken home So though men escape long yet they shall not escape alwaies For there will come a day of reckoning a day that will pay it home for all Thus you sée how impunity leadeth numbers to destruction That is when men are let alone and neither smitten by the hand of God nor punished by the law of the Magistrate Phila. Let vs come to the sixt gate which is the Hope of long life Theol. This is affirmed by our Lord Iesus concerning that rich worldling who
their superiours whereof prayer and instructions are a part Moreouer I demand whether you were neuer angry or no Asune Yes an hundred times in my daies And I thinke there is no body but will be angry at one time or other especially when they haue cause Theol. Then you haue broken the sixt commandemēt which chargeth vs to auoid wrath anger malice desire of reuenge and all such like fore-runners vnto murther Further I aske you whether you did neuer looke vpon a woman with a lust in your heart Asune Yes For I thinke there is no man free from thoughts that way I had thought thoughts had beene freee Theol. No thoughts are not frée before God For God knoweth our thoughts wil punish vs arraigne vs condemne vs for thoughts Men know not thoughts and therefore can make no Lawes against thoughts but because God is priuy to all our most secret thoughts therefore hée hath made Lawes against them and will condemne them Therfore I conclude that if you haue nourished adulterous thoughts in your heart you are guilty of the breach of the seuenth commandement which forbiddeth all secret thoughts and prouocations whatsoeuer to adultery But further I demaund whether you did neuer pilfer purloine and steale some small things from your neighbour as pasture poultry conies apples and such like Asun I cannot cleare my selfe in these things For I had thought they had bin no sinne Theol. Then haue you broken the eight commandement and stand guilty of eternall death For God in this commandement chargeth vs to haue as great care of our neighbours goods as of our owne and not to iniure him any maner of way in thought word or déed Therefore all deceit pilfering oppressing and all vniust dealing with our neighbours goods is héere condemned Moreouer let me aske you whether you did neuer lie or dissemble Asune Yes assuredly Theo. Then haue you broken the ninth commandement wherein God chargeth vs both in witnesse-bearing and all other matters to speake the plaine truth from our heart without lying or dissembling Last of all I demand whether you did neuer in your hart desire somthing that was not your owne as your neighbours house or ground kine or shéepe c. therein bewraying the discontentment of your heart Asune I am as guilty in this as in any thing For God forgiue me I haue often desired and lusted after this and that which was none of mine owne and so haue bewraied my discontentment Theol. Then I perceiue by your owne confession that you are guilty of the breach of all the Commandements Asune I must needs confesse it For I see now more into that matter then euer I did I neuer heard so much before in my life nor was euer asked any such questions as you aske me I had thought many of those things which you asked me had beene no sinnes at all Theol. I could haue conuicted you in a thousand other particulars wherein you doe daily and hourely breake the Law of God But my purpose was onely to giue you a taste of some particular transgressions and there withal some little light by the way into the meaning of the law that thereby you might be brought to some better fight of your selfe and might a little perceiue in what case you stand before God and by that little conceiue a great deale more Asune Well now I doe plainely see that I haue beene deceiued and am not in so good estate before God as I thought I had beene Moreouer I see that thousands are out of the way which thinke they are in a good case before God whereas indeed they are in blindnesse and in their sins But Lord haue mercy vpon vs. I doe now plainely see that I am farre from keeping the commandements and I thinke no man doth keepe them Theol. You may swear it I warrant you For neither S. Paul Dauid or the virgin Mary could euer kéepe any one of the Commandements I am glad you begin to sée into the law of God and to haue some taste that way For as a mans knowledge and insight is into the law so is the knowledge and insight into himself He that hath a déepe insight into the law of God hath also a déepe insight into himselfe He that hath no sight into the law can haue no insight into himselfe For the law is that glasse wherein we do behold the face of our soules before God The Apostle saith By the law commeth the knowledge of sinne Therefore those which are altogether ignorant of the law and neuer behold themselues in this glasse do commit an hundred sinnes a day which they know not of and therefore are not gréeued for them For how can a man be gréeued for that which he knoweth not But now further I pray you giue me leaue to aske you some moe questions of the principles of religion to the end that you knowing and féeling your ignorance may bée humbled therwith bewaile it in time séeke after the true knowledge of God But yet by the way I will aske Antilegon a question or two because I desire to vnderstand what knowledge he hath in the grounds of religion Tell me therefore Antilegon what was the reason why Christ was conceiued by the holy Ghost Antil I could answer you but I will not What authority haue you to examine me Shew your Commission When I see your warrant I wil answer you In the meane time you haue nothing to doe to examine me Meddle with that you haue to doe withall Theol. I perceiue you are not only ignorant but wilfull and obstinate and refuse all instructions Therefore I will leaue you to God and to your galled conscience But I pray you Asunetus answer that question What thinke you what is the reason that Christ was conceiued by the holy Ghost Asune Beleeue me Sir that is an hard question You may aske a wise man that question For I cannot answer it Theo. What say you then to this Who was Christs mother Asune Mary Sir that was our blessed Lady Theol. What was Pontius Pilate Asun I am somwhat ignorant I am not book-learned but if you will haue my simple opinion I thinke it was the diuell For none but the diuell would put our sweet Sauiour to death Theo. What is the holy Catholicke Church which you say you doe beléeue Asune The Communion of Saints the forgiuenesse of sinnes Theol. What doe you pray for when you say Thy Kingdome come Asune I do pray that God would send vs all of his grace that we may serue him do as we ought to do keepe vs in a good mind to God ward and to haue him much in our mind For som God blesse vs haue nothing but the diuell in their minde they do nothing a Gods name Theol. What is a Sacrament Asune The Lords Supper Theol. How many Sacraments be there Asune Two Theol. Which be they Asune Bread and Wine Theo. What is the principall end
presence of God Secondly that it is an eternall fellowship with the diuell and his angels Thirdly it is a féeling of the horrible wrath of God which shall seize vpon body and soule shall feed on them as fire deth vpon pitch and brimstone for euer The scriptures do note the extremity of it in calling it a lake that burneth with fire brimstone for euer in saying there shal be weeping gnashing of teeth in affirming that their worme dieth not meaning the worme that gnaweth their cōscience or their torment of conscience the fire neuer goeth out in tearming it Tophet which is deepe and large the burning thereof is fire and much wood and that the breath of the Lord as a riuer of brimstone doth kindle it All these things hée terrible to our senses and yet can they not fully expresse the thing as it is indéed For no heart can conceiue or tongue expresse the greatnesse and extreamity of the torments of hell As the ioyes of heauen neuer entred into the heart of man no more did the torments of hell All the torments and troubles that fall vpon men in this life are but as sparkles of the fornace of Gods totall wrath All fires are but as it were pictures of fire in comparison of hell fire For as one writeth Hell fire is so extreamely hot that it wil burne vp a man seuen mile before he come at if Yet the reprobates being alwaies in it shall neuer be consumed of it As the Salamander is alwaies in the fire and neuer consumeth so the wicked shall be alwaies in the fire of hell neuer consume For hell is a death alwaies liuing an end alwaies beginning It is a grieuous thing to a man that is very sick to lie vpon a featherbed how much more vpon a hot gridiron but how most of all to burne alwaies in hell fire neuer be consumed An other extreamity of it consisseth in this that the torments of hell are vniuersall that is in euery memberat once head eies tongue téeth throat stomacke backe belly heart sides c. All punishments of this life are particular For some are pained in their head some in their backe some in their stomacke c. Yet some particular paines are such as a man would not suffer to gaine all the world But for a man to be tormented in all parts at once what sight more lamentable who could but take pity of a dog in the stréet in that case Thus then wée sée that the extremity of Hell torments is greater then can be conceiued or vttered For who can vtter that which is incomprehensible We can go no further in comprehending that which is incomprehensible then to know it to be incomprehensible Phila. As you haue shewed vs the extremitie of Hell torments so now proceed to the perpetuity Theol. The Scriptures do set forth the perpetuity of hell torments in saying they are for euer The wicked shall be cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for euer The fire neuer goeth out When as many hundred thousand yéeres are expired as there be stones by the Sea side yet still there be so many more to come For that which hath no end can neuer come to an end If all the Arithmeticians in the world were set a worke to do nothing but number all the daies of their life euen the greatest numbers that they could possibly set down and should in the end adde all their numbers together yet could they neuer come any thing néere to that length of time wherein the wicked shal be tormented If the whole circumference of the heauens were writtē about with figures of Arithmeticke from the East to the West and from the West to the East againe yet could it not containe that infinite time and innumerable yéeres wherein all vnbeléeuers shal suffer eternall torture For in things infinite time hath no place For time is the measure of those things which are subiect to measure Therefore because Hell torments are infinite they cannot be measured by any time neither can that which is infinite be diminished For if you subtract from that which is infinite ten thousand thousand millions of milions yet it is thereby nothing diminished or made lesse Put case a man should once in an hundred thousand yéeres take a spooneful of water out of the great Ocean Sea how long would it be ere hée had so emptied it Yet shall a man sooner empty the Sea by taking out a spoonfull once in a hundred thousand yéeres then the damned soule shall haue any ease Therfore a certain writer saith If a damned soule might be tormented in Hell but a thousand yeeres and then haue ease there were some comfort in it sor then there would be hope it would come to an end but saith he this word euer killeth the hart Oh consider this yée that forget God! O yée carnall worldlings thinke on this in time For if you will not now be moued in hearing you shal be thē crushed in péeces in feeling What auaileth it to liue in all possible pleasures and carnall delights héere for some 60. yéeres and then to suffer this eternall torment What shal it profit a man to win the whole world lose his soule they be more then mad which will hazard their soules for a little profit and a few stinking pleasures But this is the nature of men they will haue the present swéet come of it what wil though they pay neuer so deare for it though they goe to the highest price though hey lose their soules for it Oh the vnspeakeable blindnes madnes of the men of this world The diuell hath put out their eies therfore leadeth them whither he list For who cannot lead a blind man whither he list Nahash the Ammonite would make no couenant with the Israelites but vpon condition that he might put out all their right eies So the diuel doth couenāt with al the wicked to put out both their eies that he may lead them directly into Hell Phila. Now sir a word or two more of the remedilesnesse of hell fire Theol. The scriptures do affirme that as the torments of hel are extreme so they are without all hope of remedy as it is written A man can by no meanes redeeme his brother he can not giue his ransome vnto God so precious is the redemption of the soule and the continuance for euer To this purpose Abraham said to the rich man being in hell torments Betwixt you and vs there is a great gulfe set so that they which would goe from hence to you cannot neither can they come from thence to vs. Our Lord Jesus also saith What shall a man giue for the recompence of his soule Where our Sauiour doth plainely affirme that there is no ransome or recompence though neuer so great to be giuen for a damned soule For the soule being in Hell can neuer be released it is