of the old and new Testament Reason I. He which is the Lord of conscience by his word and lawes binds conscience but God is the onely Lord of conscience because he once created it and he alone gouernes it and none but he knowes it therefore his word and lawes onely binde conscience properly II. He which hath power to saue or destroy the soule for the keeping or breaking of his lawes hath absolute power to bind the soule and conscience by the same lawes but the first is true of God alone Iam. 3. 12. There is one Lawgiuer which is able to saue and destroy Esa. 33.22 The Lord is our iudge the Lord is our lawgiuer the Lord is our King and he will saue vs. Therefore the word of God alone by an absolute and soueraigne power binds conscience Because this point is cleare of it selfe further proofe is needlesse Hence we are taught sundrie points of instruction I. Such as are ignorant among vs must labour to get knowledge of Gods word because it binds conscience Neither will the plea of ignorance serue for excuse because whether we know Gods lawes or know them not they stil bind vs And we are bound not onely to doe them but when we know them not we are further bound not to be ignorant of them but to seeke to know them If we had no more sinnes our ignorance were sufficient to condemne vs. II. Gods word is to be obeyed though we should offend all men yea loose all mens fauour and suffer the greatest domage that may be euen the losse of our liues And the reason is at hand because Gods word hath this prerogatiue to bridle binde and restraine the conscience III. Whatsoeuer we enterprise or take in hand we must first search whether God giue vs libertie in conscience and warrant to doe it For if we doe otherwise conscience is bound presently to charge vs of sinne before God Lastly we doe here see how daungerous the case is of all Time-seruers that will liue as they list and be of no certen religion till differences and dissentions therein be ended and they haue the determination of a generall Councill for whether these things compasse or no certen it is that they are bound in conscience to receiue and beleeue the auncient Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine touching the true worship of God and the way to life euerlasting which is the true religion The same is to be said of all drowsie Protestants and luke-warme gospellers that vse religion not with that care and conscience they ought but onely then and so farre forth as it serues for their turnes commonly neglecting or despising the assemblies where the word is preached and seldome frequenting the Lords table vnlesse it be at Easter Like silly wretches they neither see nor feele the constraining power that Gods word hath in their consciences Gods word is either Law or Gospell The Law is a part of Gods word of things to be done or to be left vndone And it is threefolde Morall Iudiciall Ceremoniall Morall lawe concernes duties of loue partly to God and partly towards our neighbour it is contained in the Decalogue or ten commandements and it is the very law of nature written in all mens hearts for substance though not for the manner of propounding in the creation of man and therefore it bindes the consciences of all men at all times euen of blind and ignorant persons that neither knowe the most of it nor care to knowe it Yet here must be remembred three exceptions or cautions I. When two commandements of the morall law are opposite in respect of vs so as we cannot doe them both at the same time then the lesser commandement giues place to the greater and doth not binde or constraine for that instant Example I. God commaunds one thing and the magistrate commands the flat contrarie in this case which of these two commandements is to be obeyed Honour God or Honour the Magistrate the answer is that the latter must giue place to the former and the former alone in this case must be obeyed Act. 4.19 Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather then God iudge ye II. The fourth commandement prescribes rest on the Sabbath day now it falls out that at the same time a whole towne is set on fire and the sixt commandement requires our help in sauing our neighbours life and goods Nowe of these two commandements which must be obeied for both cannot The answer is that the fourth commandement at this time is to giue place and the sixt commandement alone bindes the conscience so as then if neede should require a man might labour all the day without offence to God Math. 9.13 I will haue mercie and not sacrifice And the rule must not be omitted That charitie towards our neighbour is subordinate to the Loue of God and therefore must giue place to it For this cause the commandement concerning charitie must giue place to the cōmandement concerning loue to God and when the case so falls out that wee must either offend our neighbour or God we must rather offend our neighbour then God II. Caution When God giues some particular commandement to his people therein dispensing with some other commandement of the moral law for that time it bindes not For euen the morall commandements must be cōceiued with this condition Except God command otherwise Example I. The sixt commandement is Thou shalt not kill but God giues a particular commandement to Abraham Abraham offer thy sonne Isaac in sacrifice to me And this latter commandement at that instant did binde Abraham and he is therefore commended for his obedience to it II. And when God commanded the children of Israel to compasse Ierico seuen daies and therefore on the Sabbath the fourth commaundement prescribing the sanctifying of rest on the Sabbath for that instant and in that action did not bind conscience III. Caution One and the same commandement in some things binds the conscience more straitly and in doing some other things lesse Gal. 6.10 Doe good to all men but specially to them which are of the houshold of faith Hence it ariseth that though all sinnes be mortall and deserue eternal death yet all are not equall but some more grieuous then others Iudiciall lawes of Moses are all such as prescribe order for the executiō of iustice and iudgement in the common wealth They were specially giuen by God and directed to the Iewes who for this very cause were bound in conscience to keepe them all and if the common wealth of the Iewes were nowe standing in the old estate no doubt they should cōtinue stil to bind as before But touching other nations and specially Christian common wealths in these daies the case is otherwise Some are of opinion that the whole iudiciall lawe is wholly abolished and some againe runne to the other extreame holding that iudiciall lawes bind Christians as straightly as Iewes but no
sufficient to comfort and direct him All this argues that poperie denied with the mouth abides still in the heart and therefore we must learne to reuerence the written word by ascribing vnto it all manner of perfection The eight point Of Vowes Our Consent Touching Vowes this must be knowne that we doe not condemne them altogether but onely labour to restore the puritie of doctrine touching this point which by the Church of Rome from time to time hath beene corrupted and defaced Wee holde therefore that a vowe is a promise made to God touching some duties to be performed vnto him and it is twofold generall or speciall The generall vowe is that which concerns all beleeuers and it is made in the couenant both of the lawe and of the Gospell I will here onely speake of the vowe which is made in the couenant of the Gospel in which there be two actions one of God the other of man God in mercie on his part promiseth to men the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting and man againe for his part promiseth to beleeue in Christ and to obey God in all his commandements Al men euer made this vowe vnto God as the Iewes in circumcision which also they renued so often as they receiued the Passeouer in the newe testament all that are baptized doe the like And in Baptisme this vowe is called the stipulation of a good conscience whereby we purpose to renounce our selues to beleeue in Christ and to bring forth the fruites of true repentance and it ought to be renued so oft as we are partakers of the supper of the Lord. This vowe is necessarie and must bee kept as a part of the true worship of God because it is a promise wherein we vowe to performe all duties commanded of God either in the law or in the Gospell It may be demanded considering we are bound to obedience how we binde our selues in baptisme thereto Ans. Though we be alreadie bound partly by nature and partly by the written worde yet may wee renue the same bond in a vowe and hee that is bound may further bind himselfe so it be for this ende to helpe his dulnesse for want of zeale and to make himselfe more forward in duties of loue to men and the worshippe of God to this ende Dauid sware to keepe the lawe of God Psal. 119.116 though he were bound vnto it by nature and by the written lawe it selfe The speciall vowe is that which doeth not reach to the person of all beleeuers but onely concerns some speciall men vpon some special occasions And this kind of vowe is two-fold The first is the vowe of a ceremoniall dutie in the way of seruice to God and it was in practise in the Church of the Iewes vnder the old testament examples hereof are two especially the first was the vowe of the Nazarites whereto no kinde of men were bound by Gods commandement but they bound themselues God onely prescribing the manner and order of keeping the same with rites pertaining thereto as abstinence frō wine the not cutting of their haire and such like The second example is of the Iewes when of their own accords they vowed to giue god house or land sheepe or oxen or any like things for the maintenance of the legall worship and of this also God prescribeth certaine rules Leuit 27. Nowe these vowes were part of the Iewish pedagogue or ceremonial lawe wherein God trained vp the Iewes in the old testament and beeing obserued of them they were parts of Gods worship but nowe vnder the Gospell they are not beeing all abolished with the ceremoniall lawe to which Christ put an ende at his death vpon the crosse It is true Paul made a vowe and since kept the same in the time of the newe testament Act. 18. yet not as a part of Gods worship but as a thing indifferent for the time wherein he onely condescended to the weaknesse of the Iewes that by this meanes he might bring them the better vnto Christ. And whereas Christ is called a Nazarite Matth. 2.23 wee may not thinke he was of that very order because he did not abstaine from wine but he was so tearmed because he was the veritie accomplishment of this order For by it was signified that Gods Church was a peculiar people seuered or chosen out of the world and that Christ in respect of holinesse was also seperated from all sinners And the words in S. Mathew he shall be called a Nazarite are borrowed from the booke of Iudges cap. 13. where they are properly spoken of Sampson and in type or figure of Christ. For as Sampson saued Israel by his death so did Christ saue his Church And as Sampson killed his enemies more by death then by life so did Christ. It is plaine therefore that this kind of vowe bindeth not vs for there are no more ceremonies to be kept vnder the gospell for parts of Gods worship but the outward rites of baptisme and the Lords supper Vowes concerning meates drinkes attire touching tasting times places daies were proper to the Iewes The second kind of speciall vowe is that whereby a man promiseth freely to performe some outward and bodily exercise for some good ende and this vow also if it be made accordingly is lawful and belongs both to the Church of the old and newe testament In the old we haue the example of the Rekabites Ier. 35. who by the appointment of Ionadab their father abstained from strong drinke and wine from planting vineyards and orchards whereby Ionadab intended onely to breake them before hand and to acquaint them with their future condition and state that they should bee strangers in a forraine land that so they might prepare themselues to indure hardnes in the time to come And nowe in the newe testament wee haue warrant in like manner to vowe as if a man by drinking of wine or strong drinke finde himselfe prone to drunkennes he may vow with himselfe to drink no more wine nor strong drinke for so long time as he feeles the drinking thereof wil stirre vp his infirmitie and minister occasion of sinning Of this kinde also are the vowes in which we purpose and promise to God to keepe set times of fasting to taske our selues in praier and reading of holy scriptures and to giue set almes for speciall causes knowne to our selues and to doe sundrie like duties And that we be not deceiued in making such vowes certen rules must be remembred I. that the vowe be agreeable to Gods will and worde for if it be otherwise the making as also the keeping thereof is sinne Vowes must not be the bonds of iniquitie II. It must so bee made that it may ftand with Christian libertie For we may not make such things necessarie in conscience which God hath made free Now Christian libertie allowes vnto vs the free vse of all things indifferent so it be out of the case of offence Hence it followes that vowes must be
done away by almes deeds and such like satisfactions But how can any sinne be great that may be done away with such easie and sleight meanes Furthermore it teacheth that euill thoughts and desires and motions of the heart without consent are no sinnes and this opinion cutteth off all true humiliation for Paul neuer repented before he vnderstood the meaning of the last commaundement and perceiued thereby that the desires and lusts of his heart to which he did not yeeld his consent were sinnes damnable before God and knowing this he then saw himselfe to be most miserable and renouncing his owne righteousnes he sought for righteousnes in Christ. Lastly it teacheth that originall sinne is done away in Baptisme and that it is the least sinne of al other What is this but to extenuate mans corruption for whē the roote of corruption is taken away and it is made so little a sinne actuall sinnes cannot be taken for such heinous matters And for the second point the Church of Rome doth too too much extoll the power of man and his naturall strength It saith that all actions of men vnregenerate are not sinnes and that originall sinne needeth no repentance that a man hath some freewill to doe spirituall things that a man by meere naturals may loue God aboue all things feare God beleeue in Christ if we respect the very act of the worke that the Gentiles might gather out of philosophie knowledge sufficient for saluation that a man without the helpe of the holy Ghost may performe things acceptable to God that the minde of man vnderstandeth of it selfe many things which be spirituall and heauenly that a man regenerate may fulfill the whole law of God that a man may prepare himselfe to receiue grace and after preparation merit grace at Gods hand that he may doe workes of supererogation c. By this it appeareth that the church of Rome ascribeth too much to man which in himselfe is onely and altogether euill dead in sinne chained vp in miserable bondage vnder Sathan the prince of darknes and therefore it is euident that all the preaching that is vsed in that church will not humble a sinner and make him deny himselfe and therefore their preaching may peraduenture benumme a corrupt conscience and make it secure but it cannot pacifie the troubled conscience nor disquiet it by the threatning of the law that by the promises of the gospel it may be quieted Againe this religion teacheth that a man must doubt of his saluation as long as he is in this life behold a Racke or gybbet erected by the Church of Rome for the tormenting of tender consciences for when a man doubteth of his saluation he also doubteth of Gods loue and mercie to him and he which doubteth of Gods loue cannot loue God againe for how can any man loue him of whose good will he doubteth and when a man hath not the loue of God in him he hath no grace in him and therfore his conscience must needs be defiled and voyd of true peace yea he must needes be a wicked man and that saying of Salomon must needes agree to him The wicked flieth when no man pursueth by reason of the guiltines of his conscience but the godly is bold as a Lyon Againe Blessed is the man saith Dauid whose sinnes are pardoned where he maketh remission of sinnes to be true felicitie now there is no true felicitie but that which is enioyed and felicitie can not be enioyed vnlesse it be felt and it cannot be felt vnlesse a man know himself to be in possession of it and a man cannot know himselfe to be in possession of it if he doubt whether he hath it or not and therefore this doubting of the remission of sinnes is contrarie to true felicitie and is nothing els but a torment of the conscience For a man cannot doubt whether his sinnes be pardoned or not but straite way if his conscience be not feared with an hote yron the very thought of his sinne will strike a great feare into him for the feare of eternall death and the horror of Gods iudgements will come to his remembrance the cōsideration of which is most terrible Vndoubtedly this religion must needs be comfortlesse Alas poore soules we are no better then passengers in this world our way it is in the middle of the sea where we can haue no sure footing at all and which way soeuer we cast our eyes we see nothing but water euen opening it selfe to deuoure vs quicke the deuill and our rebellious flesh raise vp against vs infinite thousands of tempests stormes to ouerthrow vs but behold God of his great endles mercie hath brought vs to Christ as to a sure anchor-hold he biddeth vs to vndo our gables fling vp our anchors within the vaile and fasten them in Christ we doe it as we are commaunded but a sister of ours I meane the Church of Rome passing in the ship with vs as it seemeth who hath long taken vpon her to rule the helme dealeth too too vnkindly with vs she vnlooseth our anchors and cutteth in pieces our gables she telleth vs that we may not presume to fastē our anchor on the rock she will haue vs freely to roue in◠the middle of the sea in the greatest fogges and the fearefullest tempests that be if we shall follow her aduise we must needes looke for a shipwracke for the least flaw of wind shall ouerturne vs and our poore soules shall be plunged in the gulfes of hell Lastly Iustification by works causeth trouble and disquietnes to the conscience No mans conscience can be appeased before Gods wrath be appeased and Gods wrath can not be appeased by any workes for the best works the regenerate can doe are imperfect and are stained with some blemish of corruption as may appeare both in the prophet Esay in Paul both which had a great misliking of that good which they did because it was mingled with sinne And againe euery man is bound by dutie to keepe the whole law so that if a man could keepe it perfectly he should doe no more then he is by dutie inioyned to doe and therefore he which looketh to merit eternall life at Gods hand by keeping the law trusteth but to a broken staffe and is like the bankrout that will pay one debt by another for by his sinne euery man is indebted to the Lord and is bound to answer to the Lord the full punishment of all his sinnes this debt the Papist saith we may discharge by obedience to the law that is by a new debt which we are as well bound to pay to our God as the former To ende this point let a man looke to be saued by works and therefore let a man imploy himselfe to doe the best workes he can yet he shall neuer come to know when he hath done sufficient to satisfie Gods wrath and this
the sacrament So the 29. canon of the Councill of Gangres must be vnderstood As for the Canons of the Apostles so falsly called and the 8. Councill of Toledo I much respect not what they say in this case Arg. 14. Gods authoritie binds conscience magistrates authoritie is Gods authoritie therefore magistrates authoritie binds conscience properly Ans. Gods authority may be taken two waies first for that soueraigne and absolute power which he vseth ouer all his creatures secondly for that finit and limited power which he hath ordained that men should exercise ouer men If the minor namely that magistrates authoritie is Gods authoritie be taken in the first sense it is false for the soueraigne power of God is incommunicable If it be taken in the second sense the proposition is false For there be sundrie authorities ordained of God as the authoritie of the father ouer a child of the master ouer the seruant the authority of the master ouer his scholler which doe bind in conscience as the authoritie of Gods lawes doth By these arguments which I haue now answered and by many other beeing but lightly skanned it will appeare that necessarie obedience is to be performed both to ciuill and Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction but that they haue a constraining power to bind conscience and that properly as Gods laws doe it is not yet prooued neither can be as I will make manifest by other arguments Arg. 1. He that makes a law binding conscience to mortall sinne hath power if not to saue yet to destroy because by sinne which followes vpon the transgression of his law comes death and damnation But God is the onely Lawgiuer that hath this priuiledge which is after he hath giuen his law vpon the breaking or keeping thereof to saue or destroy Iam. 4. 12. There is one Lawgiuer that can saue or destroy Therefore God alone makes lawes binding conscience properly and no creature can doe the like Answer is made that S. Iames speakes of the principall Lawgiuer that by his owne proper authoritie makes laws and doth in such manner saue and destroy that he neede not feare to be destroied of any and that he speakes not of secondarie lawgiuers that are deputies of God make laws in his name I say againe that this answer stands not with the text◠For S. Iames speakes simply without distinction limitation or exception and the effect of his reason is this No man at all must slaunder his brother because no man must be iudge of the law and no man can be iudge of the law because no man can be a lawgiuer to saue or destroy Now then where be those persons that shall make lawes to the soules of men and bind them vnto punishment of mortall sinne considering that God alone is the sauing and destroying Lawgiuer Argum. 2. He that can make lawes as truly binding conscience as Gods lawes can also prescribe rules of Gods worship because to binde the conscience is nothing else but to cause it to excuse for things that are well done and therefore truly please God and to accuse for sinne whereby God is dishonoured but no man can prescribe rules of Gods worship and humane lawes as they are humane lawes appoint not the seruice of God Esa. 29. 13. Their feare towards me was taught by the precept of men Mat. 15.6 They worship me in vaine teaching doctrines which are the commandements of men Papists here make answer that by lawes of men we must vnderstand such lawes as be vnlawfull or vnprofitable beeing made without the authoritie of God or instinct of his spirit It is true indeed that these commandements of men were vnlaweful but the cause must be considered they were vnlawfull not because they commanded that which was vnlawefull and against the wil of God but because things in themselues lawefull were commanded as parts of Gods worship To wash the outward part of the cup or platter and to wash handes before meate are things in respect of ciuil vse very lawfull and yet are these blamed by Christ and no other reason can be rendred but this that they were prescribed not as things indifferent or ciuil but as matters pertaining to Gods worship It is not against Gods word in some politicke regards to make distinction of meates and drinkes and times yet Paul calls these things doctrines of deuills because they were commaunded as thinges wherein God should be worshipped Arg. 3. God hath now in the new Testament giuen a libertie to the conscience whereby it is freed from all lawes of his owne whatsoeuer excepting such lawes and doctrines as are necessarie to saluation Col. 2. 10. If ye be dead with Christ ye are free from the elements of the world Gal. 5.1 Stand yee in the libertie wherewith Christ hath freed you and be not againe intangled with the yoke of bondage Now if humane lawes made after the graunt of this libertie binde conscience of themselues thē must they either take away the foresaid liberty or diminish the same but that they cannot doe for that which is graunted by an higher authoritie namely God himselfe cannot be reuoked or repealed by the inferiour authoritie of any man It is answered that this freedome is onely from the bondage of sinne from the curse of the morall lawe from the ceremoniall and iudiciall lawes of Moses and not from the lawes of our superiours And I answer againe that it is absurb to thinke that God giues vs liberty in conscience from any of his owne lawes and yet will haue our consciences still to remaine in subiection to the lawes of sinnefull men Argum. 4. Whosoeuer bindes conscience commandes conscience For◠the bond is made by a commandement vrging conscience to doe his dutie which is to accuse or excuse for euill or well doing Now Gods lawes command cōscience in as much as they are spirituall commanding bodie and spirit with al the thoughts will affections desires and faculties and requiring obedience of them all according to their kind As for the lawes of men they want power to command conscience Indeed if it were possible for our gouernours by lawe to command mens thoughts and affections then also might they command conscience but the first is not possible for their lawes can reach no further then the outward man that is to body and goods with the speeches and deedes thereof and the end of them all is not to maintaine spirituall peace of conscience which is betweene man and God but onely that externall and ciuill peace which is betweene man and man And it were not meete that men should command conscience which cannot see conscience and iudge of all her actions which appeare not outwardly and whereof there be no witnesses but God and the conscience of the doer Lastly men are not fitte commaunders of conscience because they are no Lordes of it but God himselfe alone Argum. 5. Men in making lawes are subiect to ignorance and errour and therefore when they haue made a lawe as neere
as possibly they can agreeable to the equitie of Gods lawe yet can they not assure themselues and others that they haue failed in no point or circumstance Therefore it is against reason that humane lawes beeing subiect to defects faults errours and manifold imperfections should truely bind conscience as Gods lawes doe which are the rule of righteousnes All gouernours in the world by reason that to their old lawes they are constrained to put restrictions ampliations and modifications of all kinds with new readings and interpretations vpon their daily experience see and acknowledge this to bee true which I say sauing the Bishop of Rome so falsly tearmed which perswades himselfe to haue when he is in his consistorie such an infallible assistance of the spirit that he cannot possibly erre in iudgement Argum. 6. If mens lawes by inward vertue bindes conscience properly as Gods lawes then our dutie is to learne studie and remember them as well as Gods laws yea ministers must be diligent to preach them as they are diligent in preaching the doctrine of the gospell because euery one of them bindes to mortall sinne as the Papists teach But that they should be taught and learned as Gods lawes it is most absurd in the iudgement of all men Papists theÌ„selues not excepted Argum. 7. Inferiour authoritie cannot bind the superiour nowe the courts of men and their authority are vnder conscience For God in the heart of euery man hath erected a tribunall seate and in his stead hee hath placed neither Saint nor Angell nor any other creature whatsoeuer but conscience it selfe who therefore is the highest Iudge that is or can be vnder God by whose direction also courts are kept and lawes are made Thus much of the Popish opinion by which it appeares that one of the principall notes of Antichrist agrees fittely to the Pope of Rome Paul 2. Thess. 2. makes it a speciall propertie of Antichrist to exalt himselfe against or aboue all that is called God or worshipped Now what doth the Pope els when he takes vpon him authoritie to make such lawes as shall bind the coÌ„science as properly and truely as Gods lawes and what doth he els when hee ascribes to himselfe power to free mens consciences froÌ„ the bond of such laws of God as are vnchangeable as may appeare in a Canon of the Councill of Trent the words are these If any shal say that those degrees of consanguinitie that be expressed in Lâ—uiticus doe onely hinder matrimonie to be made and breake it being made and that the Church cannot dispense with some of them or appoint that more degrees may hinder or breake marriage let him be accursed O sacrilegious impietie considering the lawes of affinitie and consanguinitie Leuiticus 18. are not ceremoniall or iudiciall lawes peculiar to the Iewes but the very laws of nature What is this Canon else but a publike proclamation to the world that the pope church of Rome do sit as lords or rather idols in the hearts conscieÌ„ces of men This wil yet more fully appeare to any man if we read popish bookes of practicall or Case-diuinitie in which the common manner is to binde conscience where God looseth it and to loose where he binds but a declaration of this requires long time Now I come as neere as possibly I can to set down the true manner how mens lawes by the common iudgement of Diuines may be said to binde conscience That this point may be cleared two things must be handled By what meanes they binde and How farre forth Touching the meanes I set downe this rule Wholesome lawes of men made of things indifferent so farre forth bind conscience by vertne of the generall commaÌ„dement of God which ordaineth the Magistrates authoritie that whosoâ—uer shall wittingly and willingly with a disloyall minde either breake or omit such lawes is guiltie of sinne before By wholesome lawes I vnderstand such positiue constitutions as are not against the lawe of God and withall tend to maintaine the peaceable estate and common good of men Furthermore I adde this clause made of things indifferent to note the peculiar matter whereof humane lawes properly intreat namely such things as are neither expressely commanded or forbidden by God Now such kind of laws haue no vertue or power in theÌ„selues to constraine conscience but they binde onely by vertue of an higher commandement Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers Rom. 13.1 or Honour father and mother Exod. 20. which commandements binds vs in conscience to performe obedience to the goodlawes of men As S. Peter saith Submit your selues to euery humane ordinance for the Lord. 1. Pet. 2.13 that is for conscience of God as he sayeth afterward v. 19. whereby he signifieth two things first that God hath ordained the authoritie of gouernours secondly that he hath appointed in his word and thereby bound men in conscience to obey their gouernours lawful commandements If the case fall out otherwise as commonly it doeth that humane lawes bee not inacted of things indiffereÌ„t but of things that be good in themselues that is commanded by God then are they not humane properly but diuine lawes Mens lawes intreating of things that are morally good and the parts of Gods worship are the same with Gods lawes and therefore bind conscience not because they were inacted by men but because they were first made by God meÌ„ beeing no more but instruments and ministers in his name to reuiue renewe and to put in exequution such precepts and lawes as prescribe the worship of God standing in the practise of true religion and vertue Of this kinde are all positiue lawes touching articles of faith and the duties of the morall law And the man that breakes such lawes sinnes two waies first because he breaks that which is in conscience a lawe of God secondly because in disobeying his lawfull Magistrate he disobeyes the generall commandement of God touching magistracie But if it shall fall out that mens lawes bee made of things that are euill and forbidden by God then is there no bond of conscience at al but contrariwise men are bound in conscience not to obey Act. 4.19 And hereupon the three children are commended for not obeying Nabuchadnezzar when he gaue a particular commandement vnto them to fall downe and worship the golden image Dan. 3. Moreouer in that mans law bindes not but by the authoritie of Gods law hence it followes that Gods law alone hath this priuiledge that the breach of it should be a sinne S. Iohn saith 1. epist. 3. Sinne is the anomie or transgression of the law vnderstanding Gods law When Dauid by adulterie and murder had offended many men and that many waies he saith Psal. 51. Against thee against thee haue I sinned And Augustine defined sinne to be some thing said done or desired against the lawe of God Some man may say if this bee so belike then we may breake mens laws without sinne I answer that men in breaking
mysticall vnion pag. 483 The communion of Saints pag. 500 The forgiuenes of sinnes pag. 506 The Resurrection of the bodie pag. 509 Life euerlasting pag. 516 AN EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS PRAIER THE CONTENTS The exposition of the Lords prayer pag. 525 The vse of the Lords prayer pag. 561 Of the circumstances of praying pag. 562 Of Gods hearing our prayers pag. 563 The prayers of Paul pag. 564 A TREATISE TENDING VNTO a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace THE CONTENTS 1 How farre a Reprobate may goe in Christian religion pag. 574 2 The estate of a true Christian in this life which also sheweth how farre the Elect beeing called goe beyond all reprobates in Christianitie pag. 584 3 A Dialogue to the same purpose gathered out of the sauorie writings of M. Tyndal and Bradford pag. 617 4 How a Reprobate may performe all the religion of the church of Rome pag. 642 5 The conflicts of Sathan with a Christian pag. 756 6 How the word of God is to be applied aright vnto the conscience pag. 663 7 Consolations for the troubled consciences of weake Christians pag. 666 8 A Declaration of certaine spiritual Desertions pag. 674 A case of Conscience THE CONTENTS A case of conscience resolued out of the word of God How a man may know whether he be the child of God or no. pag. 685 A Discourse taken out of the writings of Hier. Zanchius wherein the aforesaid Case of conscience is disputed and resolued A Direction for the gouernment of the tongue according to Gods word THE CONTENTS 1 The generall meanes of ruling the tongue pag. 713 2 The matter of our speech pag. 714 3 The manner of our speech what must be done before our speech pag. 716 4 What is to be done in speaking and of wisdome ibid. 5 Of trueth and reuerence in speech pag. 718 6 Of modestie and meekenes pag. 722 7 Of sobrietie vrbanitie fidelitie and care of others good name pag. 725 8 Of the bonds of trueth pag. 729 9 What is to bee done when wee haue spoken pag. 730 10 Of writing ibid. 11 Of silence pag. 731 12 An exhortation to keepe the tongue TWO TREATISES I. Of the nature and practise of Repentance THE CONTENTS 1 What Repentance is pag. 738 2 Of the causes of Repentance pag. 740 3 How Repâ—ntance is wrought pag. 741 4 Of the partes of Repentance pag. 742 5 Of the degrees of Repentance pag. 743 6 Of the persons which must repent ibid. 7 Of the practise of repentance ibid. 8 Of lâ—gall motiues to Repentance pag. 752 9 Of motiues Euangelicall pag. 755 10 Of the time of Repentance pag. 756 11 Of câ—rtaine cases in repentance pag. 758 12 Of the contraries to repeÌ„tance pag. 757 13 Of corruptions in the doctrine of repentance pag. 761 II. Of the combat of the flesh and Spirit pag. 762 The treatise of Dying well p. 773. The treatise of the right knowledge of Christ crucified p. 815. A Discourse of Conscience THE CONTENTS 1 What conscience is pag. 831 2 The actions or duties of conscience where the point is handled Howe any thing is saide to binde the conscience pag. 832 3 The kinds and differences of conscience where is handled libertie of conscience and the question disputed whether a man may in conscience bee vnfallibly certain of his saluation pag. 867 4 Mans duty touching conscience which is to get and keepe it pag. 900 A Reformed Catholike OR A DECLARATION SHEWing how neare we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of Religion and wherein we must for euer depart from them THE CONTENTS 1 Of free will pag. 910 2 Of Originall sinne pag. 915 3 Assurance of saluation pag. 918 4 Iustification of a sinner pag. 925 5 Of merits pag. 940 6 Of satisfactions for sinne pag. 945 7 Of Traditions pag. 950 8 Of Vowes pag. 955 9 Of Images pag. 961 10 Of reall presence pag. 966 11 The sacrifice of the Masse pag. 972 12 Of Fasting pag. 977 13 Of the state of perfection pag. 980 13 Of the worshipping of saints departed pag. 985 15 Of Implicite faith pag. 991 16 Of Purgatorie pag. 995 17 Of the supremacie pag. 996 18 Of the efficacie of the sacraments pag. 1000 19 Of Faith pag. 1003 20 Of Repentance pag. 1006 21 The sinnes of the Romane Church pag. 1014 An aduertisement to Romane Catholikes pag. 1018 The foundation of Christian Religion gathered into sixe principles p. 1029. A Graine of Musterd-seede THE CONTENTS A man that doth but beginne to be conuerted is euen at that instant the very child of God though inwardly hee be more carnall then spirituall pag. 1046 2. Conclusion The first materiall beginning of the conuersion of a sinner or the smallest measure of renewing grace haue the promises of this life and the life to come pag. 1047 3. Conclusion A constant and earnest desire to be reconciled to God to beleeue and to repent if it bee in a troubled heart is in acceptation with God as reconciliation faith repentance it selfe pag. 1048 4. Conclusion To see and feele in our selues the want of any grace and to be grieued therfore is the grace it selfe pag. 1053 5. Conclusion He that hath begunne to subiect himselfe to Christ and his word though as yet hee be ignorant in most points of religion yet if he haue care to increase in knowledge and to practise that which he knoweth hee is accepted of God as a true beleeuer pag. 1053 6. Conclusion The aforsaide beginnings of grace are counterfeite vnlesse they encrease pag. 1054 The bodie of holy Scripture is distinguished into sacred sciences whereof One is principall Theologie is a science of liuing well and blessedly for euer Other attendants or handmaids I. Ethiques a doctrine of liuing honestly and ciuilly II. Oeconomickes a doctrine of gouerning a familie well III. Politiques a doctrine of the right administration of a common weale IIII. Ecclesiasticall discipline a doctrine of well ordering the Church V. The Iewes commonweale In as much as it differeth from Church gouernement VII Academie the doctrine of gouerning Schooles well especially those of the Prophets CHAP. 1. Of the bodie of Scripture and Theologie THe bodie of Scripture is a doctrine sufficient to liue well It comprehendeth many holy sciences whereof one is principall others are handmaids or retainers The principall science is Theologie Theologie is the science of liuing blessedly for euer Blessed life consisteth in the knowledge of God Ioh. 17 3. This is life eternall that they know thee to be the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Christ Iesus Esai 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant viz. Christ iustifie many And therefore it consisteth likewise in the knowledge of our selues because we know God by looking into our selues Theologie hath two parts the first of God the second of his workes CHAP. 2. Of God and the nature of God THat there is a God it
doting women who through the diuels delusion suppose that they themselues doe that which indeede the diuell doth alone albeit they endeauour cunningly to cloake this sinne yet by the same meanes they may defend murther adulterie and what other sinne soeuer II. Those which doe consult with Magitians they doe also worship the diuel for they reuolt frō God to the diuell howesoeuer they plaister vp their impietie with vntempered morter that they seeke Gods helpe though by the meanes of Magitians 1. Sam. 28.13 The woman said to Saul I saw gods ascending from the earth Leu. 20.6 If any turne after such as worke with spirit◠and after soothsayers to goe a whoring after them then will I set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people Esay 8.19 20. When they shall say to you Enquire at them which haue a spirit of diuination and at the soothsayers which whisper and murmure Should not a people enquire as their God from the liuing to the dead to the law and to the testimonie The affirmatiue part Thou shalt worshippe God in spirit and trueth Iohn 4. 24. God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and trueth For so soone as any man beginneth to worship God after an ouerthwart and vnlawefull manner he then adoreth an idoll howsoeuer he seemeth to colour his impietie Paul therefore Rom. 1.23 saith that such as worshipped the creature and turned the glorie of the incorruptible God to the similitude of a corruptible man did forsake the Creator v. 25. and 1. Cor. 10.20 Those things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to diuells and not vnto God To this part therfore appertaine such things as respect the holy solemne seruice of God I. The true and ordinarie meanes of Gods worshippe as calling vpon the name of the Lord by humble supplication and hartie thanksgiuing and the ministerie of the Word and Sacraments Act. 2.41,42 They that gladly receiued his word were baptized the same day there were added to the Church about three thousand soules And they continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and of prayers 1. Tim. 2.1 I exhort you especially that praiers supplicatiōs be made for all men for kings all in authoritie Act. 20.7 The first day of the weeke the Disciples being come togither to breake bread Paul preached vnto them readie to depart on the morrow and continued the preaching vnto midnight Tertul. Apolog. chap. 39. We come into the assemblie and congregation that with our praiers as with an armie we might compasse God This kind of violence offered to God is acceptable to him If any man so offend that he must bee suspended from the publike place of praier and holy meetings all ancient men that be of any account beare rule being aduanced to this honour not by bribes but by their good report c. read the rest II. An holy vse of the meanes First in the ministers who ought to administer al things belonging to Gods worship according to his word Math. 28. 20. Teaching them to obserue all things which I haue commaunded 1. Corinthians 11. 23. I haue receiued of the Lord that which also I haue deliuered Secondly in the rest of the assemblie whose dutie is in praying vnto God in hearing the word preached and read and in receiuing the Sacraments to behaue thēselues outwardly in modestie and without offence 1. Corinth 14.40 Let all things be done honestly and by order Inwardly they must take heede that their hearts be well prepared to serue God Eccles. 4.17 Take heede to both thy feete when thou entrest into the house of God c. and chap. 5.1 Be not rash with thy mouth nor let thine heart he hastie to vtter a thing before God Againe wee must looke that wee approch neere God in confidence of his mercie togither with a contrite and repentant heart for all our sinnes Heb. 4. 2. The word that they heard profited not because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it Psal. 26.6 I will wash mine hands in innocencie O Lord and so come before thine altar III. The helps and furtherances of the true worship are two Vowes and Fasting and they are not to be takē as the worship of God it selfe For we may not obtrude any thing to God as good seruice and as though it did binde the conscience except he haue ordained it for that end and purpose A vow in the New Testament is a promise to God with a full intent to obserue some corporall and externall duties which a Christian hath on his owne accord without iniunction imposed vpon himself that he may thereby the better be excited vnto repentance meditation sobrietie abstinence patience and thankfulnes towards God Gen. 28.20 Then Iaakob vowed a vow saying If God will be with me and will keepe me in this iourney which I goe and will giue me bread to eate and cloathes to put on so that I come againe to my fathers house in safetie then shall the Lord be my God and this stone which I haue set vp as a pillar shall be Gods house and of all that thou shalt giue me I will giue the tenth to thee In vowing we haue these things to obserue 1. We must not vow that which is vnlawfull 2. We ought not to vowe the performance of that which is contrarie to our vocation 3. Vowes must be of that which we can doe 4. They must be farre from so much as a conceit of merit or worship of God 5. We must so performe our vowes as that they encroch not vpon Christian libertie giuen vs in Christ for we are bounden to pay our vowes no longer then the causes thereof either remaine or are taken away Deut. 23.18 Thou shalt neither bring the hire of a whore nor the price of a dogge into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow v. 21. When thou shalt vow a vow vnto the Lord thy God thou shalt not be slacke to pay it for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee but when thou abstainest from vowing it shal be no sinne vnto thee c. v. 23. Psal. 66.14 I will pay thee my vowes which my lips haue promised Fasting is when a man perceiuing the want of some blessing or suspecting and seeing some imminent calamitie vpon himselfe or other abstaineth not onely from flesh for a season but also from all delights and sustenance that he thereby may make a more diligent search into his owne sinnes or offer most hūble praiers vnto God that he would withhold that which his anger threatned or bestow vpon vs some such good things as we want Matth 9.15 Can the children of the marriage chamber mourne so long as the bridegrome is with thē 1. Cor. 7.5 Defraud not one another except for a time that ye may the better fast and pray Ioel 2.12 Wherefore euen now saith the Lord be ye turned
want 1. Ioh. 5.14 This is the assurance that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. In euery petition we must expresse two things I. A sense of our wants II. A desire of the grace of God to supplie those wants 1. Sam. 1. 10. Shee was troubled in her minde and praied vnto the Lord and wept sore Dan. 9. 4. And I praied to the Lord my God and made my confession saying 5. We haue sinned and haue committed iniquitie c. 16. O Lord according to thy righteousnes I beseech thee let thine anger and thy wrath be turned from thy citie Ierusalem c. to the 20. verse Psal. 130.1 Out of the deepe I called to thee O Lord. 1. Sam. 1.15 Then Hannah answered and said Nay my lord but I am a woman troubled in spirit I haue drunken neither wine nor strong drinke but haue powred out my soule before the Lord c. to the 16. verse psal 143. 6. I stretch forth mine hands vnto thee my soule desireth after thee as the thirstie land Assent is the second part of prayer whereby we beleeue and professe it before God that he in his due time will grant vnto vs those our requests which before we haue made vnto his maiestie 1. Ioh. 5. 14 15. This is the assurance that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske we kâ—â—w that we haue the petitions that we haue desired of him Math. 6.13 Lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill For thine is the kingdome thine is the power and thine is the glorie for euer and euer Amen As for the faithfull howsoeuer they in their praiers bewray many infirmities yet no doubt they haue a notable sense of Gods â—auour especially when they pray zealously and often vnto the Lord. Iam. 5. 16. Pray one for another that ye may be healed for the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Luk. 1.13 The Angel said vnto him Feare not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard Ionah 4.1 It displeased Ionah exceedingly and he waâ— angrie 2. And Ionah praied vnto the Lord and saide I pray thee O Lord was not this my saying when I was yet in my countrey therefore I preuented it to flee vnto Tarshish for I knew that thou art a gratious God and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnes and repentest thee of the euill Rom. 8.26 Gen. 19.18 Lot saide vnto them Doe not so I pray you my lords c. psal 6.1 O lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastise me in thy wrath c. v. 2,3,4,5 psal 8.9 psal 20.5 psal 35.9.18.28 psal 16.7 Thanksgiuing is a calling vpon Gods name whereby we with ioy and gladnes of heart doe praise God for his benefits either receiued or promised psal 45.1 Mine heart will vtter forth a good matter I will intreat in my words of the King my tongue is as the pen of a swift writer Eph. 5.20 Giuing thanks alwaies for all things vnto God euen the father in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ. psal 36.8,9 How excellent is thy mercie O God therefore the children of men trust vnder the shadow of thy wings They shall be satisfied with the fatnesse of thine house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuer of thy pleasures Coloss. 3.16 CHAP. 46. Of Christian Apologie and Martyrdome THe profession of Christ in dangers is either in word or deede Profession in word is Christian Apologie or the confession of Christ. Rom. 10. 10. With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation psal 22.23 I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the middes of the congregation will I praise thee Christian Apologie is the profession of Christ in word when as we are readie with feare and meeknes to confesse the truth of Christian religion so often as neede requireth and the glorie of God is endangered euen before vnbeleeuers especially if they be not past all hope of repentance 1. Pet. 3. 15. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be readie alwaies to giue an answer to euery man tâ—â—t asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you 16. And that with meeknesse and reuerence hauing a good conscience that when they speake euill of you as of euill doers they may be ashamed which blame your good conuersation in Christ. Act. 7. the whole chap. Steuen there maketh an Apologie for himselfe Math. 7.6 Giue not that which is holy to dogs nor cast your pearles before swine least they tread them vnder their feete and turning againe all to rent you Profession which is in deede is called Martyrdome Martyrdome is a part of Christian profession when as a Christian man doth for the doctrine of faith for iustice and for the saluation of his brethren vndergoe the punishment of death imposed vpoÌ„ him by the aduersaries of Christ Iesus Mar. 6.18 27,28 Iohn tolde Herod It is not lawfull for thee to haue thy brothers wife And immediately the King sent the hangman and gaue him charge that his head should be brought so he went and beheaded him in the prison 2. Cor. 12. 15. I will most gladly bestow and be bestowed for your soules though the more I loue you the lesse am I loued Notwithstanding it is lawfull for Christians to flie in persecution if they finde themselues not sufficiently resolued and strengthened by Gods spirit to stand Math. 10.23 When they persecute you in one citie flee into another Verely I say vnto you ye shall not haue finished all the cities of Israel till the Sonne of man come Ioh. 10.39 Againe they studied to apprehend him but he escaped out of their hands Act. 9.30 When the brethren knew it they brought him to Cesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus 1. King 18.23 Was it not told my lord what I did when Iesabel slue the Prophets of the Lord how I hid an hundred men of the Lords Prophets by fifties in a caue and fedde them with bread and water Act. 20.22 Now behold I goe bound in the spirit vnto Ierusalem and know not what things shall come vnto me there CHAP. 47. Of Edification and Almes among the faithfull THat profession of Christ which concerneth his members namely the Saints and faithfull ones is either Edification or Almes Edification is euery particular dutie towards our brethren whereby they are furthered either to grow vp in Christ or else are more surely vnited to him Rom. 14. 19. Let vs follow those things which concerne peace and wherewith one may edifie another To Edification these things which follow appertaine I. To giue good example Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen 1. Pet. 2.12 Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that
considered it is imperfect but as God doth exact it of our frailtie it is perfect Answer This is but the fansie of some doting Iesuite For this sentence of the Law is simple eternall and immooueable Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in this booke to do them Neither may we imagine that God will not therefore exact the ful accomplishing of the law because we are fraile For we are creatures and debters now we know that the debt doth not decrease by reason of the debters pouertie Obiect The faithfull are said to be perfect in this life Ans. There is a twofold perfection the one incomplete the which is an endeauor or care to obey God in the obseruation of all his precepts the other is tearmed complet this is that iustice which the lawe requireth namely a perfect and absolute iustice according to that measure which man performed to God in his innocency In the first sense the faithfull are said to be perfect not in this latter The XVI errour Workes done in grace doe ex condigno condignely merit eternall life The Confutation I. Eternall life is the free gift of God Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Christ Iesus Therefore it is not obtained by the merit of workes II. The merit of condignitie is an action belonging to such an nature as is both God and man not to a bare creature For the Angels themselues cannot merit any thing at Gods hands yea and Adam also if he had stood in his first innocencie could haue deserued nothing of god because it is the bounden dutie of the creature to performe obedience vnto his Creator The merit therefore of condignitie doth only agree vnto Christ God and man in whome each nature doth to the effecting of this merit performe that which belongeth to it For the humanitie it doth minister matter vnto the meritorious worke by suffering and performing obedience but the Deitie of Christ whereunto the humanitie is hypostatically vnited doth conferre full and sufficient worthinesse vnto the worke Hence is it that the Father doth speake thus of his sonne Mat. 3.17 This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 III. In the second commandement God doth promise eternall life to the keepers of his commandements yet he saith not that they shall obtaine it by desart but that he will shew mercy to thousands of them that loue him and keepe his commandements IV. That a worke may be meritorious first there must be an equall proportion betwixt it and legall iustice or eternal life secondly merite doth presuppose this also that in God there must bee a due debt towards man for God then ought on dutie not by fauour to accept of the person of man But all our workes yea our most holy workes they cannot come neere vnto legall righteousnesse For seeing all the regenerate are partly carnall and partly spirituall all their workes in like sort are imperfectly good For looke what the causes are and such must the effects needs be So then good workes doe presuppose a due debt in man none in God V. The auncient Fathers doe not acknowledge this merite of condignitie as currant August in his manuel chap. 22. My merite is Gods mercie Bernard ser. 63. vpon the Cant. It is sufficient to knowe this that merits are not sufficient And ser. 61. Cant. Mans iustice is Gods goodnesse And epist. 190. That the satisfaction of one may be imputed to all as the sinnes of all were borne by one And as for ancient doctours merit was nothing els to them but a good worke acceptable to God Aug. epist. 105. to Sixtus If it be grace then is it not bestowed by reason of any merit but vpon free mercie What merits of his owne can he that is set at libertie bragge of who if he had his merits should haue beene condemned So the word merite doth signifie to doe wel to be acceptable to please as the old interpreter hath for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to please God vsed this Latine word promereri To merit Obiect I. Works haue attributed vnto them reward Answer Reward is not so much attributed to the work as to the worker and to him not for himselfe but for Christs merits apprehended by faith Therefore not our merit or personall merit but Christs merit and our reward are correlatiues Obiect II. 2. Thess. 1.6 It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulations c. Ans. It is righteous not because God ought so to doe of duty but because he promised now for God to stand to his word it is a part of iustice Obiect III. Christ hath merited that workes might merit Ans. I. This taketh quite away the intercession of Christ. II. It is against the nature of a legall worke to merit ex condigno condignly because both the lawe of nature and creation doe bind man to performe legall workes vnto God And further all workes are very imperfect and mixed with sinne III. This doctrine concerning works doth obscure and darken the merit of Christ because that the obtaining of eternall life is withdrawne from his death and obedience attributed vnto workes For they say thus that Christ by his passion did merit indeede for the sinner iustification but a sinner once iustified doth for himselfe by his owne merits euen condignly merit eternall life Obiect IV. The works of the regenerate are the workes of the holy Ghost therfore perfect and pure Ans. I. The workes of God are all perfect but yet in their time and by degrees therefore sanctification which is a worke of god must in this life remaine incomplete is made perfect in the world to come II. The works of God are pure as they are the workes of God alone not of God and impure man but nowe good workes they doe come immediatly from the naturall faculties of the soule namely from the vnderstanding and the wil in which they being as yet but partly regenerated some corrupt qualities of sinne doe yet remaine and are not immediatly and simply or wholly deriued from Gods spirit And hence it is that they are all stained with sinne The XVII errour Man knoweth not but by especiall reuelation whether hee be predestinated or not The Confutation The contrarie to this is a plaine trueth Reasons I. That which a man must certainly beleeue that may he also certainely know without an especiall reuelation but euery faithful man must beleeue that he is elected It is Gods commandement that we should beleeue in Christ. 1. Ioh. 3.23 Now to beleeue in Christ is not onely to beleeue that we are adopted iustified and redeemed by him but also in him elected from eternitie II. That which is sealed vnto vs by the spirit of God of that we are very sure without speciall reuelation but our adoption and so consequently our election is sealed vnto vs by the spirit of God
Ghost yea and more then this we must hold and beleeue that God the father is our father the Sonne our redeemer the holy Ghost our sanctifier and comforter Well then if we must in this manner beleeue in God then we must also know him for we can haue no faith in the thing which is vtterly vnknowne Wherefore if we would beleeue in the father sonne or holy Ghost we must know them in part Ioh. 17. This is life eternall to know thee the onely God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Ioh. 14. 17. The world can not receiue the spirit of truth because it hath neither seene him nor knowne him 1. Ioh. 2.23 Whosoeuer denieth the sonne hath not the father Thirdly this doctrine directs vs in worshipping God aright for vnitie in trinitie and trinitie in vnitie is to be worshipped one God must be worshipped in the Father in the Sonne and in the holy Ghost and if wee worship God the father without the Sonne and the holy Ghost or if we worship the Sonne without the father and the holy Ghost and the holy Ghost without the father and the Sonne we worship nothing but an Idol Againe if we worship the three persons not as one God but as three Gods then likewise we make three Idols Note further that of all the three persons the first person the Father is set in the first place and described to vs by three things I. by his title that hee is a Father II. by his attribute that he is Almightie III. by his effect that he is maker of heauen and earth of these in order as they lie in the Creed And first of the title Father It may seeme that he hath some prerogatiue ouer the Sonne and the holy Ghost because he is set before them but wee must knowe that hee is set before them neither in regard of timeâ— nor of dignitie for therein all three are equall but in regard of order onely The Father is the first the Sonne the second and the holy Ghost the third as may appeare by this similitude If three Emperours equall in dignitie should meete all in one place beeing equall also in power and maiestie if all three should sit downe though one be no better then an other yet one of them must needes sit downe the first and an other in the second place and then the third but yet we cannot say that he which sate downe first is the chiefest And so it is in the Trinitie though none be greater or aboue another yet the Father is in the first place not because he is before the Sonne or the holy Ghost in dignitie or honour but because he is the fountaine of the Deitie the Sonne beeing from him and the holy Ghost from them both Now let vs come to the title of the first person The name Father in Scriptures is ascribed either to God taken indefinitely and so by consequent to all the three persons in Trinitie or particularly to the first person alone For the first God is a father properly and principally according to the saying of Christ Call no man father vpon earth for there is but one your father which is in heauen that is principally whereas earthly parents whome we are commaunded to worship and honour are but certaine images or resemblances of our heauenly Father hauing this blessing that they are fathers from him And hereupon this title agrees to men not simply but so farre forth as God honoureth them with fatherhoode in calling them to be fathers whereas God himselfe receiues this honour from none God is tearmed a Father in respect both of nature and grace He is a father in regarde of natureâ— because he created and gouerneth all things In this regard he is called the father of spirits and Adam is called the Sonne of God He is a father in respect of grace because we are regenerate by him and accepted to be his sonnâ—s by adoption thorough the merite of Christ. And in this respect the second person as well as the first is called a Father and saide to haue an offspring or seede and children But when the name of Father is giuen to the first person it is done vpon a speciall consideration because he is a father by nature to the fe 〈◊〉 â—erson begetting him of his owne substance before all worldes By thâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—peares that out of the title of the first person we may fetch a â—â—â—cription thereof on this manner The Father is the first person in Trinitie begetting the sonne Nowe to beget is the personall proprietie whereby he is distinguished from the other two If it be saide that creatures doe beget and that therefore to beget is not proper to the father the answer is that in this point there are many differences betweene God the father and all creatures First the father begets the sonne before all eternitie and therefore God the father begetting and the sonne begotten are equall in tâ—me whereas in earthly generation the father is before the sonne in time Secondly God the father begets his Sonne by communicating to him his whole essence or godhead which can not be in earthly parents vnlesse they should be abolished and come to nothing Whereas neuerthelesse God the Father giuing his whole nature to his sonne retaines the same still because it is infinite Thirdly the father begets the sonne in himselfe and not forth of himselfe but in earthly generation the father begetting is forth of the child and the child forth of the father And that must not trouble vs which heretiques alleadge against this doctrine namely that if the father who is of one nature with the sonne did beget the sonne then he did beget himselfe for the godhead of the father doth not beget either the godhead or the person of the sonne but the person of the father begets the person of the sonne both which in one godhead are really distinct Thus we see what the Father is Now to beleeue in the father is to be perswaded that the first person in Trinitie is the father of Christ and in him my father particularly that for this cause I intend and desire for euer to put my truâ—t in him The duties which we may learne hence are manifold And here we haue occasion offered first of all to consider who is our father by nature I shall say to corruption saith Iob thou art my father and to the worme thou art my mother seeing God vouchsafeth this great prerogatiue to them that loue him that he will be their father therefore Iob in consideration hereof would haue euery man to haue recourse to his owne naturall condition to see who is his father by natureâ— Iob saith corruption is his father but if we marke well the condition of our nature we shall further see euery man to be the childe of wrath and that Sathan is his father for so long as a man walkes in his sinnes which euery
as Adam was and therefore his sinne is personall whereas Adams is not Yet this which I say must not be vnderstood of all the sinnes of Adam but onely of the first From the fall of Adam springeth originall sinne so commonly called not onely as a fruit thereof but also as a iust punishment of it And after the foresaid fall it is in Adam and his posteritie as the mother and roote of all other sinne yet with this distinction that actuall sinne was first in Adam and then came originall but in vs first is originall sinne and then after followes actuall Originall sinne is tearmed diuersly in Scriptures as the flesh the old man because it is in vs before grace concupiscence sinne that is readie to compasse vs about the sinning sinne and it is tearmed originall because it hath beene in mans nature euer since the fall and because it is in euery man at the very instant of his conception and birth as Dauid plainely saith Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me not meaning properly his parents sinne for he was borne in lawfull marriage but his owne hereditarie sinne whereof he was guiltie euen in his mothers wombe But let vs a little search the nature of it Considering it hath place in man it must be either the substance of bodie or soule or the faculties of the substance or the corruption of the faculties Now it cannot be the substance of man corrupted for then our Sauiour Christ in taking our nature vpon him should also take vpon him our sinnes and by that meanes should as well haue neede of a redeemer as other men and againe the soules of men should not be immortall Neither is it any one or all the faculties of man For euery one of them as namely the vnderstanding will affections and all other powers of bodie or soule were in man from the first creation whereas sinne was not before the fall Wherefore it remaines that originall sinne is nothing else but a disorder or euill disposition in all the faculties and inclinations of man whereby they are all caried inordinately against the law of God The subiect or place of this sinne is not any part of man but the whole bodie and soule For first of all the naturall appetite to meate and drinke and the power of nourishing is greatly corrupted as appeares by diseases aches surfets but specially by the abuse of meate and drinke Secondly the outward senses are as corrupt and that made Dauid to pray that God would turne his eyes from beholding of vanitie and Saint Iohn to say whatsoeuer is in the world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life Thirdly touching the vnderstanding the spirit of God saith that the frame of the heart of man is onely euill continually so as we are not able of our selues to thinke a good thought And therefore withall the will of man and his affections are answerably corrupt and hereupon the doctrine of Christ is that we must renounce our own wills Lastly all mans strength in good things is nothing out of Christ. The propagation of this sinne is the deriuing of it from Adam to all his posteritie whereby it runneth as a leprosie ouer all mankind But in what maner this propagation is made it is hard to define The common opinion of Diuines is that it may be done two waies The first is this God when he created Adam in the beginning set downe this appointment and order touching the estate of man that whatsoeuer Adam receiued of God he should reâ—â—iue it not onely for himselfe but for his posteritie and whatsoeuer grace of God he lost he should loose not onely to himselfe but to all his posteritie And hereupon Adam when he sinned he depriued first of all himself and then secondly all his posteritie of the image of God because all mankind was in â—is loines when he sinned Now then vpon the former appointment when the soules of men are created and placed in the bodie God forsakes them not in respect of the substance of the soule or the faculties but onely in respect of his owne image wherof the soules are depriued after which followes the defect or want of righteousnesse which is originall sinne And God in depriuing man of that which AdaÌ„ lost is not therefore to be thought to be the author or maintainer of sinne but a iust iudge For this depriuation of the image of God so farforth as it is inflicted by him vpon mankind it must be conceiued as a deserued punishment for the sinne of Adam and all men in him which punishment they pulled vpon themselues The second way is that the corruption of nature is deriued from the parents in generation by the bodie for as sweete oyle powred into a fustie vesâ—ell looseth his purenesse and is infected by the vessell so the soule created good put into the corrupt bodie receiues coÌ„tagion theÌ„ce And this coniunction of the pure soule with the corrupt bodie is not against the goodnes of God because it is a iust punishment of the sin of all men in AdaÌ„ It may be this which hath bin said wil not satisfie the minds of all yet if any will be curious to search further into this point let them know that there is an other matter which more concernes them to looke vnto When a mans house is on fire there is no time then to inquire how and which way and whence the fire came but our dutie is with all speed and expedition to vse all good means to stay it And so considering that our whole natures are really infected and poisoned with the loathsome contagion of originall sinne which is a weight sufficient to presse downe the soule to the gulfe of hell it standes vs in hand a thousand fold more to vse the meanes whereby it may be taken away then to dispute how it came Some may alleadge against the propagation of sinne that holy parents beget holy children which are void of originall sinne because it stands not with reason that parents should conuey that to their children which they theÌ„selues want namely the guilt and the punishment and the fault of sinne in part Answ. I. Men are not in this life perfectly holy For sanctification is but in part and therefore they can not possibly beget children pure from all sinne Secondly parents beget children as they are men and not as they are holy men and by generation they deriue vnto their children nature with the corruption thereof and not grace which is aboue nature Take any corne yea the finest wheate that euer was winow it as cleane as possibly may be afterward sow it weede it also when it is sowen and reape it in due time and carie it to the barne when it is thresht you shall finde as much chaffe in it as euer was before and why because God hath set this order in the
of blood but Christ as he is God cannot die For no passion can befall the Godhead Therefore it was needefull that he should become man that in mans nature he might die and fully satisfie Gods iustice for mans offence Lastly he that must make reconciliation betweene God and man must be such an one as may make request or speake both to God and man For a Mediatour is as it were a middle person making intercession betweene two other persons the one offended the other offending Therefore it is necessarie that Christ should not onely be God to speake vnto the father for vs and to present our prayers vnto him but also man that God might speake to vs and we to God by Christ. For howsoeuer before the fall man could speak to God euen face to face yet since the fall such feare possesseth mans corrupt nature that he cannot abide the presence of God but flyeth from it Nowe whereas I say that it was necessarie that the sonne of God for the causes before alleadged must become man the necessitie must be vnderstood in respect of Gods will and not in respect of his absolute power For if it had so pleased God he was able to haue laid downe an other kind of way of mans redemption then by the incarnation of the sonne of God and he appointed no other way because he would not Thus much of the Incarnation in generall Nowe followe the duties which arise of it And first we are taught hereby to come to Christ by faith and with all our hearts to cleaue vnto him Great is the deadnesse and sluggishnesse of mans nature for skarse one of a thousand care for him or seeke vnto him for righteousnesse and life euerlasting But wee shoulde excite our selues euery way to drawe neare to him as much as possibly we may for when he was incarnate he came neere vnto vs by taking our nature vpon him that wee againe whatsoeuer we are might come neere vnto him by taking vnto vs his diuine nature Againe when Christ was incarnate he was made bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh and therefore proportionally wee must labour to become bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh which we shall bee when we are mystically vnited vnto him by faith and borne anewe by his spirit Moreouer Christ by his incarnation came downe from heauen to vs that we being partakers of his grace might ascend vp to heauen by him And thus we see how the meditation of Christs incarnation should be a spurre to prick vs forward still more and more to come to Christ. Secondly Christs incarnation must be a patterne vnto vs of a most wonderfull and straunge humilitie For as Paul saith Being in the forme of God and thinking it no robberie to bee equall with God made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him forme of a seruant and humbled himselfe and became obedient to death euen to the death of the crosse Yea so farre forth he abased himselfe that as Dauid saith he was a worme and no man And this teacheth vs to lay aside al selfe-loue and pride of heart and to practise the duties of humility as the Apostle exhorts the Philippians in the same place and that shall we doe when we beginne to cast off that high opinion which euery man by nature conceiueth of himselfe and become vile and base in our owne eies Secure drowsie protestants thinke themselues blessed and say in their hearts as the Angel of the Church of Laodicea said I am rich increased with goods and haue need of nothing whereas indeed they are most miserable and wretched and poore and naked and blind And the same fond opinion possesseth the mindes of our ignorant people who chant it in the very same tune saying that God loues them and that they loue God with al their hearts and their neighbours as themselues that they haue perfect faith in Christ and euer had not once so much as doubting of their saluation that all is well with them and that they are past all danger whatsoeuer in the matter of their saluation and therefore neede not take so much care for it Thus yee may see howe men are commonly carried away with vaine and fond conceits of their owne excellencie And truely so long as this ouerweening of our owne righteousnesse raignes in our hearts let preachers speake and say what they will we can neuer become followers of Christ in the practise of humilitie Some will say peraduenture that they neuer had any such opinion of their owne righteousnes but I answere againe that there was neuer yet any man descending of Adam saue Christ but he had this proud phantasie ruling and raigning in him till such time as God gaue grace to chaÌ„ge alter his heart this inward pride the lesse we discern it the more it is and the more we discerne it the lesse it is Therefore though as yet thou see it not in thy selfe yet labour both to see it to feele it to striue against it casting down thy selfe for thy own miserie after Christs own example who being God abased himselfe to the condition of a miserable man For thou shalt neuer be filled with the good things of god till thou be emptied of selfe-loue and selfe-liking For this cause let vs purge and emptie our selues of all conceit of our own righteousnes that god may fil our hearts with his grace Furthermore the incarnation of Christ is the ground and foundation of all our comfort as the names of Christ seruing to expresse the same doe testifie Iâ—akob in his last Testament saith that the scepter shall not depart from Iudah in Shilo that is the Messias come Nowe the name Shilo signifieth the tunicle or skinne that lappeth the infant in the mothers wombe called by the Phisitians the secundine and by a kind of figure it is put for the Sonne of God in the wombe of the virgine made man And Iob to comfort himselfe in his affliction saith I knowe that my redeemer liueth Nowe the word which he vseth to signifie his redeemer by is verie emphaticall for it signifieth a kinsman neere allied vnto him of his owne flesh that will restore him to life And the Lord by the prophet Esay calleth Christ Immanuel that is God with vs which name importeth very much namely that whereas by nature we haue lost our fellowshippe with God because our sinnes are a wall of partition seuering vs from him yet neuerthelesse the fame is restored to all that beleeue by the Mediatour Christ Iesus because his diuine nature is coupled to mans nature and so the word is made flesh And this strait coniunction of two natures into one person ioynes God to men and men to God yea by Christ we are brought to God and haue free accesse vnto him and againe in him we apprehend God and are made one with him And further whereas Christ beside
of the world Secondly all oblations and meate offerings were sprinkled with salt and euery sacrifice of propitiation which was to be burned to ashes was first salted and hereby two things were signified The first that euery one of vs in our selues are loathsome or vile in the sight of God like vnto stinking carrion or raw-flesh kept long vnpoudered A dead and rotten carkeise is loathsome vnto vs but we in our selues are a thousand times more loathsome vnto God The second that we are as it were salted and made sauorie and acceptable to God by the vertue of the sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse Our dutie then is to labour that we may feele in our selues the biting and sharpnes of the oblation of Christ to wast and consume the superfluities of sinne and the corruptions of our natures And we must withall indeauour that the whole course of our liues and our speech it selfe be gratious and poured with salt least God at length spue vs out of his mouth To this ende hath God appointed his ministers to be the salt of the earth that by their ministerie they might apply the death of Christ and season the people And it hath pleased God to be sprinkle this land with more plentie of this salt then hath beene heretofore But alas small is the number of them that giue any relish of their good seasoning The more lamentable is their case For as flesh that cannot be seasoned with salt putrifies so men that cannot bee sweetned and changed by the sacrifice of Christ doe rot and perish in their sinnes The waters that ishued from vnder the threshold of the Sancturie when they came into the dead sea the waters thereof were holesome but myrie places and marishes which could not be seasoned were made saltpits Now these waters are the preching of the gospel of Chrtst which flowing through all the parts of this I le if it doe not season change our nation it shal make it as places of nettles saltpits at length be an occasion of the eternal curse of god Thirdly Christs priesthood serues to make euery one of vs also to be priests And being priests we must likewise haue our sacrifice and our altar Our sacrifice is the cleane offering which is the lifting vp of pure handes to God without wrath or doubting in our prayers also our bodies and soules our hearts and affections the workes of our liues and the workes of our callings all which must be dedicated to the seruice of god for his glorie and the good of his Church The altar wheron wee must offer our sacrifice is Christ our redeemer both God and man because by the vertue of his death as with sweete odours he perfumes all our obedience and makes it acceptable to God The ministers of the Gospell are also in this manner priests as Paul insinuateth when hee calleth the Gentiles his offering vnto God And the preaching of the word is as it were a sacrificing knife wherby the old Adam must be killed in vs we made an holy acceptable sweete smelling oblation vnto God sanctified by the holy Ghost Therefore euerie one that heareth Gods worde preached and taught must indeauour that by the profitable hearing thereof his sinnes and whole nature may be subdued and killed as the beast was slaine sacrificed vpon the altar by the hand of the Leuite Lastly the exhortation of the holy ghost must here be considered Seeing saith he we haue an high priest which is ouer the house of god let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water the meaning of the wordes is this that if Christ haue offered such a sacrifice of such value and price which procureth pardon of sinne iustification sanctification and redemption then we must labour to be partakers of it to haue our bodies and soules purified and clensed by his blood and sanctified throughout by the holy ghost that thereby we may be made fitte to doe sacrifice acceptable to God in Christ. This is the vse which the Apostle maketh of the doctrine of Christs priesthood in that place which also euery man should apply vnto himselfe for why should we liue in our sinnes and wicked waies euery houre incurring the danger of Gods iudgements seeing Christ hath offered such a sacrifice whereby we may be purged and clensed and at length freed from all woe and miserie Thus much of Christs sacrifice now followes his triumph vpon the crosse That Christ did triumph when he was vpon the crosse it is plainly set downe by the Apostle Paul where he saieth that putting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against vs which was contrarie to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse and hath spoiled the principalities and powers and hath made shewe of them openly and hath triumphed ouer â—hem in the same crosse This triumph is set forth by signes and testimonies of two sorts I. By signes of his glorie and maiestie II. By signes of his victorie on the crosse The signes of his glorie and maiestie are principally seuen The first is the title set ouer his head vpon the crosse Iesus of Nazareth king of the Iewes The ende why titles were set ouer the heads of malefactours was that the beholders might knowe the cause of the punishment and bee admonished to take heede of like offences and be stirred vp to a dislike of the parties executed for their offences And therfore no doubt Pilate wrote the title of Christ for the aggrauating of his cause and that with his owne hand Yet marke the straunge euent that followed for when Pilate was about to write the superscription God did so gouerne and ouer-rule both his heart and hand that in stead of noting some crime he sets downe a most glorious and worthie title calling him Iesus of Nazareth king of the Iewes which wordes containe the very summe and pith of the whole gospel of Christ deliuered by the Patriarches and prophets from age to age We must not thinke that Pilate did this of any good minde or vpon any loue or fauour that he bare to Christ but onely as he was guided and ouerruled by the power of God for the aduancement of the honour and glorie of Christ. The like did Caiphas who though a sworne enemie to Christ yet he vttered a prophecy of him saying that it was necessarie that one should die for the people not that he had any intent to prophecy but because the Lord vsed him as an instrument to publish his trueth And when Balaam for the wages of vnrighteousnesse would haue cursed the Lords people for his life he could not nay all his cursings were turned into blessings By this then it appeares that it is not possible for any man doe what he can to stoppe the course of
thy sight Thus laying to his owne heart and making vse of Gods iudgements he humbled himselfe and was spared with his fiftie And Habaccuk saith When I heard the voyce namely of Gods iudgements rottennes entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe that I might be safe in the day of the Lord. Now what this feare of the Centurion was there is a further question and it is very like that it was but a sudden motion or a certaine preparatiue to better things For he was but an heathen man and had as yet no knowledge of Christ and whether he repented or not it is vncerten and we must not maruell at this for there are many suddaine motions in shew very good that vpon like occasions rise in the hearts of naturall men When God plagued the land of Egypt then Pharaoh sent for Moses and confessed that the Lord was righteous but he and his people were wicked and desired Moses to pray to God to take away the plague who did so but so soone as the hand of God was stayed he returned to his old rebellion againe And as a dogge that commeth out of the water shaketh his cares and yet returneth into it againe so is the manner of the world when crosses and calamities befall men as sicknesse losse of friends or goods then with Ahab they outwardly humble themselues and goe softly they vse to frequent the place where the word is preached and Gods name called vpon but alas common experience shewes that these things are but fittes arising of vncerten and flittering motions in the heart For so soone as the crosse is remooued they returne to their old by as againe and become as bad and as backeward as euer they were beeing like to the tree that lies in the water which for a while is greene but afterward withereth And therefore we for our parts when any good motions come into our hearts as the beginnings of further grace we I say must not quench them but cherish and preserue them remembring that the kingdome of heauen is like a graine of mustard seede which when it is sowne is the least of all seedes but afterward it groweth vp into a tree that the soules of the heauen may build their nests in it and like to this are the first motions of Gods spirit and therefore they must be cherished and maintained And thus much for the seuen signes of the power of Christs godhead Now followes the second part of the triumph of Christ which containeth signes of his victorie vpon the crosse notably expressed by Paul when he saith And putting out the hand writing of ordinances which was against vs which was contrarie to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse and hath spoiled the principalities and powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed openly in the same In which words he alludeth to the manner of heathen triumphs for it was the custome of the heathen princes when they had gotten the victorie ouer their enemies first to cause a pillar of stone or some great oke to be cut downe and set vp in the place of victorie vpon which either the names of the chiefe enemies were set or their heads were hanged or words were written in the pillar to testifie the victorie This beeing done there followed an open shew in which first the conquerour prepares for himselfe a chariot of victorie wherein he was himselfe to ride and then the chiefe of his enemies bound and pinioned were led openly after him Now on the same manner vpon the crosse there was a pitched field the Emperour on the one side was Christ his enemies on the other side were the world the flesh hell death damnation the deuill and all his angels all which banding themselues against him were all subdued by him vpon the same crosse and he himselfe gaue two signes of his triumph one was a monument of the victorie the other an open shew of his conquest Now the monument of Christs victorie was the crosse it selfe whereon he nailed the obligation or bill which was against vs whereby satan might haue accused and condemned vs before God For we must consider that God the father is as a creditour and we all debters vnto him he hath a bill of our hands which is the law in that it giueth testimonie against vs first by the legall washings which did shew and signifie that we were altogether defiled and vncleane secondly by the sacrifices that were daily offered for the propitiation for our sinnes Now Christ was our suretie and paid euery iotte of the debt which we should haue paide and requiring the acquittance taketh the ceremoniall law and the curse of the morall law and nailes them to the crosse Furthermore in the shew of conquest the chariot is the crosse likewise for it was not onely a monument of victorie but also a chariot of triumph And the captiues bound and pinioned which follow Christ are the principalities and powers that is the deuill and his angels hell death and condemnation all which are as it were taken prisoners their armour and weapons are taken frō them and they chained and bound each to other The meditation of this point serueth to admonish vs to abandon all manner of sinne and to make conscience of euery good dutie if we will aright professe the gospel of Christ for when we sinne we doe as it were pull Christ out of his chariot of triumph and vntie Sathans bonds giue him weapons and as much as we can make him valiant and strong againe Now for any man to make Sathan and sinne valiant and strong against himselfe whereas Christ hath weakned him and euen bruised his head is no better then to become an enemie to the crosse of Christ. Againe hereby we are taught to pray vnto God that our blinde eyes may be opened that we may discerne aright of the passion of Christ. It is a wonder to see howe men are carried away with a liking of vaine shewes games and enterludes how they spende euen whole daies in beholding them and their money also that they may come to the places where they are oh then how exceedingly ought our hearts to be rauished with this most admirable shew in which the sonne of God himselfe rides most gloriously in his chariot of triumph and leades his and our most cursed enemies captiue yea treades them vnder his foote This triumph is set forth vnto vs in the preaching of the Gospel and may be seene of vs all freely without money or money-worth What wretches then shall we be if we suffer our hearts to be filled with earthly delights and in the meane season haue little or no desire to behold with the eyes of our minde this goodly spectacle that is to be seene in the passion of Christ that serues to reuiue and refresh our soules to life eternall Thirdly if Christ when he was most weake and base
Answ. The reason may be this it was his good pleasure that the points of faith and religion wherof this article is one should rather be learned by hearing then by seeing Indeede Christs owne disciples were taught the same by sight that they might the better teach others which should not see wheras now the ordinarie meanes to come by faith is hearing The vses to be made of Christs ascension are of two sorts some are comforts to Gods Church and people and some are duties The comforts are especially foure The first is this Christ Iesus did ascend vp into heauen to lead captiuitie captiue a most worthie benefit By captiuitie is meant first sinne and Satan which did and doe lead men captiue into perdition secondly death and the graue which held him captiue and in bondage for the space of three daies And he leads them all captiue two waies first in himselfe in that he beganne his triumph vpon the crosse as I haue shewed and continued the same till his very ascension secondly in all his members because by his mightie power being now ascended he doth subdue and weaken the power of sinne and Satan which he manifesteth euery day by killing the corruption of their natures and the rebellion of their flesh But it may be demaunded how Christ doth lead his enemies captiue considering the deuill raignes euery where and the world and death and hell Answ. Christs victorie ouer his and our enemies hath fiue degrees First it is ordained by God secondly it is foretold thirdly it is wrought fourthly it is applied lastly it is accomplished The ordaining of it was before all worlds the foretelling of it was in all the ages of the olde testament the working of it was vpon the crosse and afterward the applying hath beene since the beginning of the world more or lesse and it is onely in part in this life that while Christ is in bruising of the head of Satan he againe may bruise his heele the accomplishment shall not be before the last iudgement From this great benefit bestowed on Gods Church there are many duties to be learned First here is an instruction for all ignorant persons and impenitent sinners which abound among vs in euery place Whosoeuer they be that liue in the blindnesse of their mindes and hardnes of their hearts they must know this that they are captiues and bondslaues of sinne and Satan of hell death and condemnation and let no man flatter himselfe of what state or degree soeuer he be for it is Gods truth if he haue not repented of all his sinnes he as yet is no better then a seruant or vassall yea a very drudge of the deuill Now then what wilt thou doe in this case The best thing is to lay to thy heart this benefit of Christ. He is ascended vp to heauen to lead captiue and to vanquish the deuil and all his angels vnder whome thou liest bound and that not onely in himselfe but in his members Now then if thou wilt become a true member of Christ he will free thee from this bondage Therefore take heede how thou continuest longer in thy old sinnes and in thy grosse ignorance seeing Christ hath made a way to libertie let vs seeke to come out of this spirituall bondage he is ascended for this end and purpose to free vs frō it therfore if we refuse this benefit our state will be the more damnable A man lies bound hand and foote in a darke dungeon and the keeper comes and sets open the prison dore and takes off his bolts and bids him come out if he refuse and say that he is well may it not be thought that he is a madde man and will any be sorie for his case No surely Well this is the state of all impenitent sinners They lie fast fettered and bound vnder the power of sinne and Satan and Christ it is who is ascended into heauen to vnloose them of this bondage he hath set open the prison dore and hath vnlocked our fetters if we refuse to come out and lie still in our sinnes there remaineth nothing for vs but euerlasting thraldome Let vs therefore in the feare of God if we haue a care of our owne soules receiue and imbrace this benefit which redoundes vnto vs by Christs ascension Secondly in that Christ is ascended to heauen to lead captiue sinne and Satan here is a good consolation for all those that are afflicted in conscience for their sinnes There is no man in this case but he hath great cause to feare yet must he not be discouraged For Christ by his ascension like a noble captaine hath taken sinne and Satan prisoners and hath pinnioned them fast so as all the power they haue is in Christs hand and therefore for this cause although they are suffered to exercise and afflict vs yet by his grace they shall neuer be able to preuaile against vs. Therefore we may safely cast our care vpon God and not feare ouermuch Hence also we may learne a third dutie There is no man that knoweth what sinne meaneth and what the bloode of Christ meaneth but in regard of the corruption of his owne nature he will say with Paul that he is sold vnder sinne and in regard thereof will crie out with him also O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death yea it will make his heart to bleede within him Nowe what shall he doe in this case surely let him remember the ende of Christs ascension which is to vanquish and subdue the rebellion of his nature and labour to feele the benefit thereof and then he shall no doubt finde that Christ will dissolue in him the works of the deuill and tread Satan vnder his feete And thus also those that feele in themselues the law of their members rebelling against the law of their minde must come to Christ and he will helpe and sree them The second benefit of Christs ascension is that he ascended vp to heauen to bestow gifts vpon his Church as it is saide in the place before mentioned He ascended vp an high c. he gaue gifts vnto men that is the gift of the knowledge of Gods word the gift of preaching and prophecie and all other gifts needefull for the good of his Church The consideration of this that Christ who is the fountaine of grace and in whome are hidde all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge should be mindfull of vs and vouchsafe such speciall fauour to his Church must cause euery one of vs who haue receiued any gift of God as there is no man but he hath receiued his portion to be humbled in his owne eyes for the same There is no cause why we should be proud of our gifts seeing we haue nothing but that which we haue receiued For to this ende Christ ascended to giue gifts vnto men and therefore our gifts whatsoeuer they be are not our owne but we had them from
is manifest in Pharao for though God sent most grieuous plagues both vpon him and all the land of Egypt yet would he not submit himselfe saue onely for a fit while the hand of God was vpon him for after he returned to the former obstinacie in which he continued till he was drowned in the sea And this iudgement of God is the more fearefull because when a man is in the midst of all his miserie he feeles no miserie And as in some kinde of sicknes a man may die languishing so where hardnes of heart raignes wholly finally a man may descend to the pit of hell triumphing reâ—oycing And to come neere to our selues it is to be feared least this iudgement of all iudgements be among vs in these our daies For where is any â—uâ—ning to God by repentance Still men goe forward in sinne without remorse We haue had the word preached among vs a long time but it taketh no place in mens hearts They are not softned with the hammer of Gods word nay they are like the smiths stithy or anuil which the more it is beat with the haÌ„nmar the harder it is But in the feare of God let vs seeke to be changed and take heede the deceitfulnes of sinne is wonderfull Let vs not be caried away with an ouerweening of our selues a man may haue good gifts of God as the gift of knowledge the gift of prophecie the gift of conceiuing a prayer I say not of praying truly and hereupon thinke himselfe in good case and yet for all this haue nothing but an impenitent and flintie heart For this cause it standeth euery man vpon to looke vnto it least this iudgement of God take hold on him And that we may auoid the same we must labour for two things I. to feele the heauy burden of our sinnes and be touched in conscience for them euen as we are troubled in our bodies with the aches and paines thereof this is a token of grace II. We must labour to feele in our owne soules the want of Christ we say indeede that we feele it but it is a very great matter to haue an heart that doth open it selfe and as it were gape after Christ as the drie and thirstie land where no water is Though we haue knowledge and learning neuer so much and many other gifts of God yet if we haue not broken hearts that feele the burden of our sinnes and the want of Christ and that we stand in neede of euery droppe of his bloode for the washing away of all these our sinnes our case is miserable And the rather we must preuent this hardnesse of heart because Christ Iesus in heauen sits at the right hand of his father in full power and authoritie to kill and confound all those that be his enemies and will not submit themselues to beare his yoke The second way is by finall desperation I say finall because all kind of desperation is not euill For when a man despaireth of himselfe and of his owne power in the matter of his saluation it tends to his eternall comfort But finall desperation is when a man vtterly despaires of the pardon of his owne sinnes and of life euerlasting Examples hereof we haue in Saul that slue himselfe and in Achitophel and Iudas that hanged themselues This sinne is caused thus So many sinnes as a man committeth without repentance so many most bloodie wounds he giueth vnto his owne soule and either in death or life God makes him feele the smart and the huge waight of them all whereby the soule sinkes downe into the gulfe of despaire without recouerie God said to Cain If thou doe amisse sinne lyeth at â—hy doore Where he vseth a borrowed speech from wild beasts who so long as they are sleeping stirre not but beeing awaked they flie in a mans face and rend out his throat In like maner the sinnes which thou committest lie at the doore of thine heart though thou feele them not and if thou doe not preuent the danger by speedy repentance God will make thee to feele them once before thou die and raise vp such terrours in thy conscience that thou shalt thinke thy selfe to be in hell before thou art in hell and therefore it is good for euery man to take heede how he continues an enemie to Christ. The best course is to turne betime from our â—innes and become the friends of Christ that so we may escape these fearefull iudgements And whereas Christ in this manner gouernes all things in heauen earth we are bound to performe vnto him three duties reuerence obedience thankfulnes For the first Paul saith God hath exalted him and giuen him a name aboue all names that at the name of Iesus which name is his exaltation in heauen in full power and glorie should euery knee bowe We dare not so much as speake of an earthly king vnreuerently what reuerence then do we owe vnto Christ the king of heauen and earth Dauids heart was touched in that he had cut off but the lap of Sauls garment when he might haue slaine him because he was the Lords annointed On then howe much more ought our hearts to be touched if we shall in the least measure dishonour Christ Iesus our Lord and king SecoÌ„dly we are here taught to performe obedience to him to do him all the homage we can The master of the family in all his lawefull commandements must be obeyed nowe the Church of Christ is a family and we are members thereof therefore we must yeeld obedience to him in all things for all his commandements are iust When Saul was chosen king ouer Israel certaine men which feared God whose hearts God had touched followed him to Gibea and brought him presents but the wicked despised him the same is much more to be verified in vs toward Christ our Lord. Wee must haue our hearts touched with desire to performe obedience vnto him if not we are men of Belial that despise him If this obedience were put in practise the Gospel would haue better successe in the hearts of the people and the Lords sabbath would be better kept and men would beare greater loue both to God and to their neighbours then nowe they doe The third dutie which we owe vnto him is thankfulnesse for the endlesse care which he sheweth in the gouerning and preseruing of vs. When Dauid waxed olde and had made Salomon his sonne king in his stead al the people shouted and cried God saue king Salomon God saue king Salomon so as the earth rang againe Shall the people of Israel thus reioice at the crowning of Salomon and shall not we much more reioice when as Christ Iesus is placed in heauen at the right hand of his father and hath the euerlasting scepter of his kingdome put into his hand And we are to shewe this thankfulnesse vnto him by doing any thing in this world that may tend to his honour and glorie though
haue certen assurance to be heard For he that praieth must steadfastly beleeue that God in Christ will grant his petition This affiance being wanting it maketh praier to be no praier For how can he pray for any thing effectually who doubteth whether hee shall obtaine it or no. Wherefore it is an especiall point of praier to be perswaded that God to whome praier is made not onely can but also will grant his request Mar. 11. 24. Whatsoeuer ye desire when ye praie beleeue that yee shall haue it and it shall bee done vnto you Here wee see two things required in praier the first a desire of the good things which we want the second is faith whereby we beleeue that God will grant the things desired The ground of this faith is reconciliation with God and the assurance thereof For vnlesse a man bee in conscience in some measure perswaded that all his sinnes are pardoned and that he standes reconciled to God in Christ he cannot beleeue any other promises reuealed in the word nor that any of his praiers shall be heard Thus much of the definition of praier nowe let vs see what vse may beâ— made of â—his commandement Pray ye thus Seeing our Sauiour commands his diâ—â—iplesâ— and so euen vs also to pray to God it is our dutie not onely to present our praiers to God but also to doe it cheerefully and earnestly Rom. 15. 30. Also brethren I beseech you that yee would striue with me by prayers to God for me What is the cause why the Lord doth oft deferre his blessings after our prayers No cause but that he might stirre vs vp to be more earnest to crie vnto the Lord. Exod. 32. 10. When Moses praied to God in the behalfe of the Israelites the Lord answers Let me alone as though his praiers did binde the Lord and hinder him from executing his iudgements Wherfore this is good aduise for all Christian men to continue and to bee zealous in praier If thou be an ignorant man for shame learn to praie seeing it is Gods coÌ„mandement make conscieÌ„ce of it We see that there is no man vnles he be desperately wicked but will make some conscience of killing and stealingâ— and why is this Because it is Gods commaundement Thou shalt not kill thou shalt not â—teale Well then this also is Gods commandement to pray Let this consideration breed in thee a conscience of this dutie and although thy corrupt nature shall draw thee away from it yet striue to the contrarie and know it certainly that â—he breach of this commandement makes thee as well guilty of damnation before God as any other Furthermore this must be a motiue to pricke thee forward to this dutie that as God commands vs to praie so also he giues the spirit of praier whereby the commandement is made easie vnto vs. If the Lord had commaunded a thing impossible then there had beene some cause of discouragement but commaunding a thing through the grace of his spirit very easie and profitable how much more are we bound to obedience of the same Againe praier is the key whereby we open the treasures of GOD and pull down his mercies vpon vs. For as the preaching of the word serues to declare and to conuey vnto vs Gods graces so in praier wee come to haue a liuely feeling of the same in our hearts And further this must mooue vs to praier seeing in that we haue familiaritie with Gods maiestie It is an high fauour for a man to be familiar with a prince howe much more then to bee familiar with the king of kings the mightie Iehoua This then can be no burthen or trouble vnto vs being one of the many prerogatiues that god bestows on his church For in the preaching of the word it pleased God to talke to vs and in praier God doth vouchsafe vs this honour to speake and as it were familiarly to talk with him not as to a fearefull Iudge but as to a louing and mercifull God Consider also that praier is a worthy meanes of defence not only to vs but also to the Church theÌ„ that are absent By it Moses stood in the breach which Gods wrath had made into the people of Israel and staied the same Psal. 106. 23. By this Christian men fight as valiant champions against their owne corruptions and all other spirituall enemies Eph. 6. 18. Infinite were it to shewe how many blessings the Lord had bestowed on his seruants by praier In a word Luther whom it pleased God to vse as a worthie instrument for the restoring of the gospel testifieth of himselfe that hauing this grace giuen him to call vpon the name of the Lord he had more reuealed vnto him of gods truth by praier then by reading and studie The second point of the commandement is to praie after the manner propounded in the Lords praier Where it is to be noted that the Lords praier is a direction and as it were a samplar to teach vs how and in what manner wee ought to praie None is to imagine that we are bound to vse these words only none other For the meaning of Christ is not to bind vs to the word but to the matter and to the manner and to the like affections in praying If this were not so the praiers of Gods seruants set downe in the bookes of the olde and new Testament should all be faultie because they are not set downe in the very same words with the Lords praier nay this praier is not set downe in the same words altogither by Matthew and Luke And whereas sundrie men in our Church hold it vnlawfull to vse this very forme of words as they are set downe by our Sauiour Christ for a praier they are farre deceiued as will appeare by their reasons First say they it is scripture and therefore not to bee vsed as a prayer I answer that the same thing may be the scripture of God also the praier of man els the praiers of Moses Dauid and Paul being set downe in the scriptures cease to be prayers Againe say they that in praier we are to expresse our wants in particular the graces which we desire now in these words all things to be praied for are only in generall propounded I answere that the maine wantes that are in any mâ—n and the principall graces of God to be desired are set downe in the petitions of this praier in particular Thirdly they plead that the patterne to make all praiers by should not be vsed as a praier I answer that therefore the rather it may be vsed as a prayer and sure it is that ancient and worthy Diuines haue reuerenced it as a prayer choosing rather to vse these wordes then any other as Cyprianus Sermone de orat Dominic And Tertullian lib. de fuga in persequntione And August Sermone 126. de tempore Wherefore the opinion is full of ignorance and errour Well whereas our Sauiour first giues a
God a member of Christ in respect of coniunction with him and shall be restored to his former estate after serious repentance And God permits these foiles for weightie causes first that men might be abashed and confounded in themselues with the consideration of their vile natures and learne not to swell with pride because of Gods grace Paul â—aith thâ—t after he had beene rapt into the third heauen the angel Satan was sent to buâ—fet him and as we say to beate him blacke and blew that he might not be exalted out of measure The second that we may learne to denie our selues cleâ—ue vnto the Lord froÌ„ the bottom of our hearts Paul saith that he was sick to death that he might not trust in himselfe but in God who raiseth the dead Thus much of the manner of the combat now followes the cause of it The cause is the contrarietie that is betweene the flesh and the spirit As Paul saith The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie to God Hence we are taught that since the fall there is no free-will in man in spirituall matters concerning either the worship of God or life euerlasting For flesh is nothing else but our naturall disposition and man is nothing else but flesh by nature for the spirit comes afterward by grace and the flesh is flatte contrarie to the spirit which makes vs doe that which is pleasing vnto God Wherefore the will naturally is a flat bondslaue vnto sinne Againe hence we may learne that it is not an easie matter to practise religion which is to liue according to the spirit to which our naturall disposition is as contrarie as fire to water wherefore if we will obey God we must learne to force our natures to the duties of godlines yea euen sweate and take paines therein Lastly here we may learne the nature of sinne The spirit is not a substance but a qualitie and therefore the flesh which is nothing else but originall sinne and is contrarie to the spirit must also be a qualitie for such as the nature of one contrarie is such is the other There is in euery man the substance of bodie and soule this can not be sinne for then the spirit also should be the substance of man There is also in the substance the faculties of bodie and soule and they can not be sinne for then euery man should haue lost the faculties of his soule by Adams fall Lastly in the faculties there is a contagion or corruption which carieth them against the law and that is properly sinne and the flesh which is contrarie to the spirit The fourth point is touching the persons in whome this combate is Paul shewes who they are when he saith So that ye can not c. where it appeares that such as haue this combat in them must be as the Galatians men iustified and sanctified and yet not all such but onely they that be of yeares for the infants of the faithfull howsoeuer we must repute them to belong to the kingdome of heauen and therefore to be iustified and sanctified yet because they doe not commit actuall sinne they want this combat of the flesh and spirit which stands in action As for those which be vnregenerate they neuer felt this fight If any say that the worst man in the world when he is about to commit any sinne hath a strife and fight in him It is true indeede but that is an other kinde of combat which is betweene the conscience and the heart The conscience on the one part terrifying the man from sinne the will and the affections hailing and pulling him thereunto the will and the affections wishing and desiring that sinne were no sinne and Gods commandement abolished whereas contrariwise the conscience with a shrill voice proclaimes sinne to be sinne This fight was in Pilate who by the force of his conscience feared to condemne Christ and yet was willing and yeelded to condemne him that he might please the people Furthermore this combat is in the regenerate but during the time of this life For they which are perfectly sanctified feele no strife If any shall say that this combat was in Christ when he said Father if it be thy will let this cuppe passe from me yet not my will but thine be done Indeede here is a combat but of an other sort namely the fight of two diuerse desires the one was a desire to doe his fathers will in suffering the death of the crosse the other a naturall desire which was no sinne but a meere infirmitie of humane nature whereby he in his manhood desires as the manner of nature is to seeke the preseruation of it selfe to haue the cursed death of the crosâ—e remooued from him The fifth point is the effect of this combat which is to make the man regenerate that he can not doe the things which he would and this must be vnderstood in things both good and euill And first he can not doe the euill which he would for two causes First because he can not commit sinne at what time soeuer he would Saint Iohn saith He that is borne of God sinneth not neither can he sinne because he is borne of God that is he can not sinne at his pleasure or when he will Ioseph when he was assaulted by Putiphars wife to adulterie because the grace of God abounded in him whereby he answered her saying Shall I doe this and sinne against God he could not then sinne Lot because his righteous heart was grieued in seeing and hearing the abominations of Sodom could not then sinne as they of Sodom did Hence it appeares that such persons as liue in the daily practise of sinne against their own consciences though they be professours of the true religion of Christ haue no soundnes of grace in them Secondly the man regenerate can not sinne in what manner he would and there be two reasons thereof First he can not sinne with full consent of will or with all his heart because the will so farre forth as it is regenerate resisteth and and draweth backe yea euen then when a man is carried headlong by the passions of the flesh he feeles some contrarie motions of a regenerate conscience It is a rule that sinne doth not raigne in the regenerate For so much grace as is wrought in the minde will affections so much is abated proportionally of the strength of the flesh Wherefore when he commits any sinne he doth it partly willingly and partly against his will As the marriners in the tempest cast Ionas into the sea willingly for otherwise they had not done it and yet against their wills too which appeares because they praied and cast their goods out of the shippe and laboured in the rowing against the tempest and that very long before they cast him out And herein lies the difference betweene two men committing one and the same sinne the one of them beeing regenerate the other vnregenerate For the latter sinnes
suffereth for his sinne It is true indeede there bee other causes of the wantes of the bodie and of sickenesse beside sinne and though they be not knowne to vs yet they are knowne to the Lord. Hereupon Christ when he sawe a certaine blind man and was demaunded what was the cause of the blindnesse answered neither hath this man sinned nor his pareÌ„ts but that the work of God should be shewed on him Yet wee for our parts who are to goe not by the secret but by the reuealed will of God must make this vse of our sickenes that it is sent vnto vs for our sinnes When Christ healed the man sicke of the palsie he saieth bee of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and when he had healed the man by the poole of Bethesda that had bin sicke thirtie eight yeares he bids him sinne no more least a worst thing happen vnto him giuing them both to vnderstand that their sickenesse came by reason of their sinnes And thus should euery sicke man resolue himselfe Nowe when wee haue proceeded thus farre and haue as it were laid our finger vpon the right and proper cause of our sicknes three things concerning our sinnes must bee performed of vs in sickenesse First we must make a new examination of our heartes and liues and say as the Israelites said in affliction Let vs search and â—ry our waies and turne againe to the Lord. Secondly we must make a newe confession to God of our new and particular sinnes as God sends new corrections and chastisements When Dauid had the hand of God verie heauie vpon him for his sinnes so as his verie bones and moisture consumed within him he made confession of them vnto God and thereupon obtained his pardon and was healed The third thing is to make newe praier and more earnest the euer before with sighes and grones of the spirit and that for pardon of the same sins and for reconciliation with God in Christ. In the exercise of these three duties standes the renouation of our faith and repentance whereby they are increased quickened and reuiued And the more sickenesse preuailes and takes place in the bodie the more should we bee carefull to put them in vre that spirituall life might increase as temporall life is decaied When King Ezechias lay sicke as he thought vpon his death-bed hee wept as for some other causes so also for his sinnes and withall he praied God to cast them behind his backe Dauid made certaine Psalmes when he was sicke or at the least vpon the occasion of his sickenes as namely the 6. the 32. the 38. the 39 c. they all are psalmes of repentance in which we may see howe in distresse of bodie and minde he renewed his faith and repentance heartely bewailing his sinnes and intreating the Lord for the pardon of them Manasses one that fell from God and gaue himselfe to many horrible sinnes when hee was taken captiue and imprisoned in Babylon he praied to the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers and praied vnto him and God was intreated of him and heard his praier and brought him againe into Ierusalem into his kingdome and then Manasses knewe that the Lord was God Nowe looke what Manasses did in this tribulation the same thing must wee doe in the time of our bodily sickenesse Here I haue occasion to mention a notorious fault that is very common in this age euen among such as haue long liued in the bosome of the Church that is this Men nowe a daies are so farre from renuing their faith and repentance that when they lie sicke and are drawing toward death they must bee Catechised in the doctrine of faith and repentance as if they had beene but of late receiued into the Church Whosoeuer will but as occasion is offered visit the sicke shall finde this to bee true which I say What a shame is this that when a man hath spent his life and daies in the Church for the space of twentie or thirtie or fourtie yeares he should at the verie ende of all and not before begin to inquire what faith and what repentance is and howe his soule might bee saued This one sinne argues the great securitie of this age and the great contempt of God and his worde Well let all men hereafter in time to come be warned to take heede of this exceeding negligence in matters of saluation and to vse all good meanes before hand that they may be able in sicknesse and in the time of death to put in practise the spirituall exercises of inuocation and repentance Nowe if so be it fall out that the sicke partie cannot of himselfe renewe his owne faith and repentance he must seeke the helpe of others When the man that was sicke of the dead palsie could not goe to Christ himselfe hee got others to beare him in his bed and when they could not come nere for the multitude they vncouered the roofe of the house and let the bed downe before Christ euen so when sicke men can not alone by themselues do the good duties to which they are bound they must borrowe helpe from their fellowe members who are partly by their counsel to put to their helping hand and partly by their praiers to present them vnto God and to bring them into the presence of God And touching helpe in this case sundrie duties are to bee performed Saint Iames sets down foure two wherof concerne the sicke patient and other two such as be helpers The first dutie of the sicke man is to send for helpe where two circumstances must be considered who must be sent for and when For the first Saint Iames saith Is any sicke among you let him call for the elders of the Church Whereby are meant not onely Apostles and all ministers of the gospell but others also as I take it which were men ancient for yeares indued with the spirit of vnderstanding and praier and had withall the gift of working miracles and of healing the sicke For in the primitiue Church this gift was for a time so plentifully bestowed on them that beleeued in Christ that souldiers cast out deuills and parents wrought miracles on their children Hence we may learne that howesoeuer it be the dutie of the ministers of the word principally to visit and comfort the sicke yet is it not their dutie alone for it belongs to them also which haue knowledge of Gods worde the gift of praier Exhort one another saith the holy Ghost while it is called to daie And againe Admonish them that are disordered and comfort those that are weake And indeede in equitie it should be the duty of euerie Christian man to comfort his brother in sickenesse Here wee must needes take knowledge of the common fault of men and women when they come to visit their neighbours and friends they can not speake a work of instruction and
thou and the rest deserued rather to be swallowed of the earth and to goe downe into the pit aliue then to haue any part in the merit of Christ crucified When thou readest of his buriall thinke that it was to ratifie his death and to vanquish death euen in his owne denne Applie this buriall to thy selfe and beleeue that it serues to make thy graue a bedde of doune and to free thy bodie from corruption Lastly pray to God that thou maist feele the power of the spirit of Christ weakning and consuming the bodie of sinne euen as a dead corps rottes in the graue till it be resolued to dust When thou hast thus perused and applied to thy selfe the historie of the Passion of Christ goe yet further and labour by faith to see Christ crucified in all the workes of God either in thee or vpon thee Behold him at thy table in meate and drinke which is as it were a liuely sermon and a daily pledge of the mercie of God in Christ. Behold him in all thine afflictions as thy partner that pitieth thy case and hath compassion on thee Behold him in thy most dangerous temptations in which the deuil thundreth damnation behold him I say as a mightie Sampson bearing away the gates of his enemies vpon his owne shoulders and killing more by death then by life crucifying the deuill euen then when he is crucified by death killing death by entrance into the graue opening the graue and giuing life to the dead and in the house of death spoiling him of all his strength and power Behold him in all the afflictions of thy brethren as though he himselfe were naked hungrie sicke harbourles and do vnto them all the good thou canst as to Christ himselfe If thou wouldest behold God himselfe looke vpon him in Christ crucified who is the ingrauen image of the fathers person and know it to be a terrible thing in the time of the trouble of thy conscience to thinke of God without Christ in whose face the glorie of God in his endlesse mercie is to be seene 2. Cor. 4.6 If thou wouldest come to God for grace for comfort for saluation for any blessing come first to Christ hanging bleeding dying vpon the crosse without whome there is no hearing God no helping God no sauing God no God to thee at all In a word let Christ be all things without exception vnto thee Coloss. 3. 11. for when thou praiest for any blessing either temporall or spirituall be it whatsoeuer it will be or can be thou must aske it at the hands of God the father by the merit and mediation of Christ crucified now looke as we aske blessings at Gods hand so must we receiue them of him and as they are receiued so must we possesse and vse them daily namely as gifts of God procured to vs by the merit of Christ which gifts for this very cause must be wholly imploied to the honour of Christ. FINIS A DISCOVRSE OF Conscience Wherein is set downe the nature properties and differences thereof as also the way to Get and keepe good Conscience The second Edition PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT PRINTER to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1600. The Contents Chap. 1. What Conscience is 2. The actions or duties of conscience Where this point is handled How any thing is said to bind conscience 3. The kindes and differences of conscience Where is handled Libertie of conscience and the question disputed whether a man may in conscience be vnfallibly certen of his saluation 4. Mans dutie touching conscience which is to get and to keepe it TO THE RIGHT HONOVABLE SIR WILLIam Piryam Knight Lord chiefe Baron of her Maiesties Exchequer Grace and peace RIght Honourable it can not be vnknowne to your selfe or to any man of a daies experience that it is thought a smal matter to commit a sinne or to lie in sinnes against a mansâ— owne conscience For many when they are told of their dutie in this point replie and say What tell you me of Conscience Conscience was hanged long agoe But vnlesse they take better heede and preuent the danger by repentance Hanged conscience will reuiue and become both gibbet hangman to them either in this life or the life to come For Conscience is appointed of God to declare and put in execution his iust iudgement against sinners and as God cannot possibly be ouercome of man so neither can the iudgement of Conscience beeing the iudgement of God be wholly extinguished Indeede Satan for his part goes about by all meanes he can to benumme the conscience but all is nothing For as the sicke man when he seemes to sleepe and take his rest is inwardly full of troubles so the benummed and arousie conscience wants not his secret pangs and terrours and when it shall be roused by the iudgement of God it waxeth cruell and fierce like a wild beast Againe when a man sinnes against his conscience as much as in him lieth he plungeth himselfe into the gulfe of desperation for euery wound of the conscience though the smart of it be little felt is a deadly wound and he that goes on to sinne against his conscience stabbes and woundes it often in the same place and all renewed woundes as we know are hardly or neuer cured Thirdly he that lieth in sinnes against his conscience can not call vpon the name of God for guiltie conscience makes a man flie from God And Christ saith God heareth not sinners vnderstanding by sinners such as goe on in their owne waies against conscience and what can be more dolefull then to be barred of the inuocation of Gods name Lastly such persons after the last iudgement shall haue not onely their bodies in torment but the worme in the soule and conscience shal neuer die and what will it profit a man to gaine the whole world by doing things against his owne conscience and loose his owne soule Now that â—â—en on this manner carelesse touching conscience may see their foâ—lie and the great danger thereof and come to amendment I haue penned this small treatise and according to the auncient and laudable custome as also according to my long intended purpose I now dedicate and present the same to your Lordship The reasons which haue imboldened me to this enterprise all by-respects excluded are these Generall doctrine in points of religion is darke and obscure and very hardly practised without the light of particular examples and therefore the doctrine of conscience by due right pertaines to a man of conscience such an one as your Lordship is who others of like place not excepted haue obtained this mercie at Gods hand to keepe faith and good conscience Againe considering that iustice and conscience haue alwaies bin friends I am induced to thinke that your Lordship beeing publikely set apart for the execution and maintenance of ciuill iustice will approoue and accept a Treatise propounding rules and prâ—cepts of conscience Thus therefore crauing pardon for my boldnes and
lesse importance and not vttered precisely in commanding tearmes doth onely declare and shew what is to be done or conditionally require this or that with respect to the punishment on this manner If any person doe this or that then he shall forfeit thus or thus This kind of law bindes especially to the punishment and that in the very intent of the lawgiuer and he that is readie in omitting the law to pay the fine or punishment is not to be charged with sinne before God the penaltie beeing answerable to the losse that comes by the neglect of the law Here a question may be demanded whether a man that hath taken his oath to keepe all the laws or orders of any towne or corporation and yet afterward omits the doing of some of them be periured or no. The answer may be this that the lawes of euery societie and corporation must be distinguished Some are very weightie as I haue said beeing of the very foundation and state of a bodie so as it can not well stand without them and whosoeuer wittingly and willingly breakes any of these they beeing good and lawfull can not be freed from periurie Againe there be lawes of lesser importance that tend onely to maintaine decent order and comelines in the societies of men and they are of that nature that the estate of the corporation or towne may stand without them and whosoeuer vpon occasion omits the doing of any of these is not therefore periured so be it he carrie a loyall mind and be content to pay the fine or penaltie For such kind of orders and constitutions require first of all obedience and if that be omitted they require a mulct or fine which if it be willingly paied the law is satisfied Thus we see how farre forth mens lawes bind conscience The vse of this point is this I. Hence we learne that the immunitie of the Popish cleargie whereby they take themselues exempted from ciuill courts and from ciuill authoritie in criminall causes hath no warrant because Gods cōmandements binds euery man whatsoeuer to be subiect to the magistrate Rom. 13.1 Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers II. Hence we see also what notorious rebells those are that beeing borne subiects of this land yet choose rather to die then to acknowledge as they are bound in conscience the Queenes Maiestie to be supreame gouernour vnder God in all causes ouer all persons III. Lastly we are taught hereby to be willing to giue subiection obedience reuerence and all other duties to Magistrates whether they be superiour or inferiour yea with chearefulnes to pay taxes and subsidies and all such lawfull charges as are appointed by them Giue to Cesar that which is Cesars to God that which is Gods Giue to all men their duties tribute to whom tribute custome to whome custome Rom. 13.7 Now follows the Oath which is either assertorie or promissorie Assertorie by which a man auoucheth that a thing was done or not done Promissorie by which a man promiseth to doe a thing or not to doe it Of both these I meane to speake but specially of the second And here two points must be considered the first by whāt meanes an oath bindeth the second when it bindeth An oath bindeth by vertue of such particular commandements as require the keeping of othes lawfully taken Num. 30.3 Whosoeuer sweareth an oath to binde his soule by a bond he shall not breake his word but shall doe according to all that proceede out of his mouth This beeing so a question may be made whether the oathes of Infidels bind conscience and by what vertue cōsidering they neither know the Scriptures nor the true God Ans. They doe bind in conscience For example Iacob and Laban make a couenant confirmed by oath Iacob sweares by the true God Laban by the gods of Nachor that is by his idols Now Iacob though he approoue not the forme of this oath yet he accepts it for a ciuill bond of the couenant and no doubt though Laban beleeued not Gods word reuealed to the Patriarkes yet he was bound in conscience to keepe this oath euen by the law of nature and though he knew not the true God yet he reputed the false god of Nachor to be the true God Gen. 31.53 Againe if a lawfull oath by vertue of Gods commandements bind conscience then it must needes be that the Romane Church hath long erred in that shee teacheth and maintaineth that gouernours as namely the Pope and other inferiour Bishops haue power to giue relaxations and dispensations not onely for oathes vnlawfull from which the word of God doth sufficiently free vs though they should neuer giue absolution but from a true and lawfull oath made wittingly and willingly without error or deceit of a thing honest and possible as when the Pope frees the subiects of this land as occasion is offered from their sworne allegiance and loyaltie to which they are bound not onely by the law of nature but also by a solemne and particular oath to the Supremacie which none euer deemed vnlawfull but such as carrie traytours hearts Now this erronious diuinitie would easily be reuoked if men did but consider the nature of an oath one part whereof is Inuocation in which we pray vnto God first that he would become a witnes vnto vs that we speake the truth and purpose not to deceiue secondly if we faile and breake our promise that he would take reuenge vpon vs and in both these petitions we bind our selues immediatly to God himselfe and God againe who is the ordainer of the oath accepts this bond and knits it by his commandement till it be accomplished Hence it follows that no creature can haue power to vntie the bond of an oath that is truly and lawfully an oath vnlesse we will exalt the creatures aboue God himselfe And the Iewish teachers gaue better counsell when they commanded the people to performe their oathes to the Lord for the preuenting of periurie and our Sauiour Christ in that gainesaies them not Math. 5.33 Next let vs consider the time when an oath bindeth or bindeth not An oath bindeth then when it is made of things certen and possible in truth iustice iudgement for the glorie of God the good of our neighbour Quest. I. Whether doth an oath bind conscience if by the keeping of it there follow losses and hindrances Ans. If it be of a thing that is lawfull and the damages be priuate to him that sweareth then doth it bind conscience For example A man makes a purchase of land at the sea side his bargaine is confirmed onely by oath and it falls out that before he doe enter possession the sea breakes in and drownes a part of that purchase Now he is in conscience to stand to his bargaine because the thing is lawfull and the damage is priuate and great reuerence must be had of the name of God which hath bin vsed in the bargaine making Dauid
good and euill Now the heart of man beeing exceedingly obstinate and peruerse carrieth him to commit sinnes euen against the light of nature and common conscience by practise of such sinnes the light of nature is extinguished and then commeth the reprobate minde which iudgeth euill good and good euill after this followes the seared conscience in which there is no feeling or remorse and after this comes an exceeding greedines to all manner of sinne Eph. 4.18 Rom. 1.28 Here it may be demanded how mens consciences shall accuse them in the day of iudgement if they be thus benummed and seared in this life Ans. It is said Rev. 20.12 that at the last iudgement all shall be brought before Christ and that the bookes then shall be opened among these bookes no doubt conscience is one Wherefore though a dead conscience in this life be as a closed or sealed booke because it doth either little or nothing accuse yet after this life it shall be as a booke laide open because God shall inlighten it and so stirre it vp by his mightie power that it shall be able to reueale and discouer all the sinnes that a man euer committed Stirring conscience is that which doth sensibly either accuse or excuse And it hath foure differences The first which accuseth a man for doing euill This must needes be an euill conscience Because to accuse is not a propertie that belongs to it by creation but a defect that followeth after the fall And if the conscience which truly accuseth a man for his sinnes were a good conscience then the worst man that is might haue a good conscience which can not be When the accusation of the conscience is more forcible and violent it is called a wounded or troubled conscience which though of it selfe it be not good nor any grace of God yet by the goodnes of God it serueth often to be an occasion or preparation to grace as a needle that drawes the threed into the cloath is some meanes whereby the cloath is sewed togither The second is that which accuseth for doing well And it is to be found in them that are giuen to idolatrie and superstition As in the Church of Rome in which because mens consciences are iâ—snared and intangled with humane traditions many are troubled for doing that which is good in it selfe or at the least a thing indifferent As for exaÌ„ple let a priest omit to say masse to say his canonical houres his conscieÌ„ce will accuse him therfore though the omitting of the canonicall houres and of the idolatrous masse be indeed by-Gods word no sinne The third is the conscience which excuseth for doing that which is euill This also is to be found in them that are giuen to idolatrie and superstition And there is a particular example hereof Ioh. 16. â— Yea the time shal come that whosoeuer killeth youâ— will thinke that he doth God good seruice Such is the conscience of Popish traytours in these daies that are neuer touched at all though they intend and enterprise horrible villanies and be put to death therefore The fourth is that which excuseth for well doing at some times in some particular actions of carnall men When Abimelech had taken Sarai from Abraham God said vnto him in a dreame I know that thou diddest this with an vpright minde Gen. 20.6 This may be tearmed good conscience but is indeede otherwise For though it doe truly excuse in one particular action yet because the man in whom it is may be vnregenerate and as yet out of Christ and because it doth accuse in many other matters therefore it is no good conscience If all the vertues of naturall men are indeede but certaine beautifull sinnes and their righteousnes but a carnall righteousnes then the conscience also of a carnall man though it excuse him for well doing is but a carnall conscience CHAP. IIII. Mans dutie touching conscience MAns dutie concerning conscience is two-fold The first is if he want good conscience aboue all things to labour to obtaine it for it is not giuen by nature to any man but comes by grace For the obtaining of good conscience three things must be procured a preparation to good conscience the applying of the remedie the reformation of conscience In the preparation foure things are required The first is the knowledge of the law and the particular commandements thereof whereby we are taught what is good what is badde what may be done and what may not be done The men of our daies that they may haue the right knowledge of the law must lay aside many erronious and foolish opinions which they hold flat against the true meaning of the law of God otherwise they can neuer be able to discerne betweene sinne and no sinne Their speciall and common opinions are these I. That they can loue God with all their hearts and their neighbours as themselues that they feare God aboue all and trust in him alone and that they euer did so II. That to rehearse the Lords praier the beleefe and ten Commandements without vnderstanding of the wordes and without affection is the true and whole worship of God III. That a man may seeke to wizzards and soothsaiers without offence because God hath prouided a salue for euery sore IV. That to sweare by good things and in the way of truth is not a sinne V. That a man going about his ordinarie affaires at home or abroad on the Sabbath day may as well serue God as they which heare all in the sermons in the world VI. That religion and the practise thereof is nothing but an affected precisenes that couetousnes the roote of euill is nothing but worldlines that pride is nothing but a care of honestie and cleanlines that single fornication is nothing but the tricke of youth that swearing and blaspheming argue the couragious minde of a braue gentleman VII That a man may doe with his owne what he will and make as much of it as he can Hence arise all the frauds and bad practises in trafficke betweene man and man The second thing required is the knowledge of the iudiciall sentence of the law which resolutely pronounceth that a curse is due to man for euery sinne Gal. 3.10 Very few are resolued of the truth of this point and very few doe vnfainedly beleeue it because mens minds are possessed with a contrarie opinion that though they sinne against God yet they shall escape death damnation Dauid saith The wicked man that is euery man naturally blesseth himselfe Psal. 10.3 and he maketh a league with hell and death Esa. 28.15 This appeareth also by experience Let the ministers of the Gospell reprooue sinne and denounce Gods iudgements against it according to the â—ule of Gods word yet men will not feare stones will almost as soone mooue in the walls and the pillars of our Churches as the flintie hearts of men And the reason hereof is because their mindes are forestalled with
falshood I will make manifest by sundrie reasons and then answer their arguments to the contrarie Our reasons The first shall bee taken from the properties and conditions that must bee in a worke meritorious and they are foure I. A man must doe it of himselfe and by himselfe for if it be done by another the merit doeth not properly belong to the doer II. A man must doe it of his owne freewill and pleasure not of due debt for when wee doe that which wee are bound to doe wee doe no more but our dutie III. The worke must bee done to the profit of another who thereupon must be bound to repay the like IV. The reward and the work must be in proportion equall for if the reward be more then the work it is not a reward of desert but a gift of good will Hence followes a notable conclusion That Christs manhood considered a part from his Godhead cannot merit at Gods hand◠though it be more excellent euery way then all both men and angels For beeing thus considered it doth nothing of it selfe but by grace receiued from the godhead though it also be without measure Secondly Christs manhood is a creature and in that regard bound to doe whatsoeuer it doth Thirdly Christ as man cannot giue any thing to God but that which hee receiued from God therfore cānot the manhood properly by it selfe merit but onely as it is personally vnited vnto the godhead of the Sonne And if this bee so then much lesse can any meere man or any angell merit yea it is a madnes to thinke that either our actions or persons should be capable of any merit whereby we might attaine to life eternall Reason II. Exod. 20. ◠And shew mercie vpon thousands in them that loue me and keepe my commandements Hence I reason thus where reward is giuen vpon mercie there is no merit but reward is giuen of mercie to them that fulfill the law therefore no merit What can we any way deserue when our full recompence must be of mercie And this appeares further by Adam if he had stood to this day he could not by his continuall and perfect obedience haue procured a further increase of fauour at Gods hand but should onely haue continued that happie estate in which he was first created Reason III. Scripture directly condemneth merit of workes Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. The proportion of the argument required that S. Paul should haue said The reward of good works is eternall life if life euerlasting could be deserued which cannot because it is a free gift Againe Tit. 3.5 We are saued not by workes of righteousnes which we haue done but according to his mercie he saued vs. And Eph. 2.8 10. By grace you are faued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes which God hath prepared that we should walke in them If any works be crowned it is certen that the sufferings of Martyrs shall be rewarded now of them Paul saith Rom. 8.18 The sufferings of this life are not worthie of the glorie to come Where then is the value and dignitie of other works To this purpose Ambr. saith The iust man though he be tormented in the brasen bull is still iust because he iustifieth God and saith he suffereth lesse then his sinnes deserue Reason IV. Whosoeuer will merit must fulfill the whole law but none can keepe the whole law For if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues 1. Ioh. 1. And he that sinnes against one commandement is guiltie of the whole law And what can he merit that is guiltie of the breach of the whole law Reason V. We are taught to pray on this manner Giue vs this day our daily bread wherein we acknowledge euery morsell of bread to be the meere gift of God without desert and therefore must we much more acknowledge life eternall to be euery way the gift of God It must needes therefore be a satanicall insolencie for any man to imagine that he can by his workes merit eternal life who can not merit bread Reason VI. Consent of the auncient Church Bernard Those which we call our merits are the way to the kingdome and not the cause of raigning August Manuali chap. 22. All my hope is in the death of my Lord. His death is my merit my merit is the passion of the Lord. I shall not be void of merits so long as Gods mercies are not wanting Basil on Psal. 114. Eternall rest is reserued for them which haue striuen lawfully in this life not for the merits of their doings but vpon the grace of the most bountifull God in which they trusted August on Psal. 120. He crowneth thee because he crowneth his owne gifts not thy merits And Psal. 142. Lord thou wilt quicken me in thy iustice not in mine not because I deserued it but because thou hast compassion Obiections of Papists Obiect I. In sundrie places of Scripture promise of reward is made to them that beleeue and doe good workes therefore our workes doe merit for a reward and merit be relatiues Answ. Reward is two-fold of debt and of mercie Life euerlasting is not a reward of debt but of mercie giuen of the good will of God without any thing done of man Secondly the kingdome of heauen is properly an inheritance giuen of a father to a child and therefore it is called a reward not properly but by a figure or by resemblance For as a workeman hauing ended his labour receiueth his wages so after men haue lead their liues and finished their course in keeping faith good conscience as dutiful children God giueth them eternall life And hereupon it is tearmed a reward Thirdly if I should graunt that life euerlasting is a deserued reward it is not for our works but for Christs merit imputed to vs causing vs thereby to merit and thus the relation stands directly betweene the Reward and Christs Merit applied vnto vs. Ob. II. Christ by his death merited that our works should merit life euerlasting Ans. That is false all we finde in Scripture is that Christ by his merit procured pardon of sinne imputation of righteousnes life euerlasting it is no where saide in the word of God that Christ did merit that our workes should merit it is a dotage of their owne deuifing He died not for our good works to make them able to satisfie Gods anger but for our sinnes that they might be pardoned Thus much saith the Scripture and no more And in that Christ did sufficiently merit life eternall for vs by his own death it is a sufficient proofe that he neuer intended to giue vs power of meriting the same vnles we suppose that at some time he giues more then is needfull Again Christ in the office of mediation as he is a king Priest and prophet admitteth no deputie or fellow For
satisfie Gods iustice for mans sinne but because they are fruits of that faith and repentance which lies in the heart Obiect VII 2. Cor. 7.10 Paul setteth downe sundrie fruits of repentance whereof the last is reuenge whereby repentant persons punish themselues thereby to satisfie Gods iustice for the temporall punishment of their sinnes Ans. A repentant sinner must take reuenge of himselfe and that is onely to vse all meanes which serue to subdue the corruption of his nature to bridle carnal affections and to mortifie sinne and these kinde of actions are restrainments properly and not punishments and are directed against the sinne and not against the person Lastly they make three workes of satisfaction praier fasting and almes deedes For the first it is meere foolishnes to thinke that man by praier can satisfie for his sinnes It is all one as if they had said that a begger by asking of almes should deserue his almes or that a debter by requesting his creditor to pardon his debt should thereby pay his debt Secondly fasting is a thing indifferent of the same nature with eating drinking and of it selfe conferreth nothing to the obtainment of the kingdome of heauen no more then eating and drinking doth Thirdly and lastly almes deedes cannot bee workes of satisfaction for sinnes For when we giue them as we ought we doe but our dutie whereunto we are bound And wee may as well say that a man by paying one debt may discharge another as to say that by doing his dutie hee may satisfie Gods iustice for the punishment of his sinnes These we confesse bee fruites of faith but yet are they no workes of satisfaction but the onely and alsufficient satisfaction made to Gods iustice for our sinnes is to be found in the person of Christ beeing procured by the merit of his death and his obedience And thus our doctrine touching satisfaction is cleared and it is to bee learned carefully of our common people because the opinion of humane satisfaction is naturall and stickes fast in the heart of naturall men Hereupon when any haue sinned and feele touch of conscience any way their manner is then to performe some outward humiliation and repentance thinking therby to stoppe the mouth of conscience and by doing some ceremoniall duties to appease the wrath of God for their sinnes Yea many thinke to satisfie gods iustice by repeating the Creed the Lords praier and then tenne commandements so foolish are they in this kind The seuenth point Of Traditions Traditions are doctrines deliuered from hand to hand either by word of mouth or by writing beside the written word of God Our Consent Conclus I. We hold that the very word of God hath beene deliuered by tradition For first God reuealed his will to Adam by word of mouth and renued the fame vnto the Patriarkes not by writing but by speech by dreames other inspirations and thus the word of God went from man to man for the space of two thousand and foure hundred yeres vnto the time of Moses who was the first pen-man of hoâ—y Scripture For as touching the prophesie of Enoch we commonly hold it was not penned by Enoch but by some Iewe vnder his name And for the space of this time men worshipped God and held the articles of their faith by tradition not from men but immediately from God himselfe And the historie of the newe testament as some say â—or eightie yeares as some others thinke for the space of twentie yeares and more went from hand to hand by tradition til penned by the Apostles or beeing penned by others was approoued by them Conclus II. We hold that the Prophets our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles spake and did many things good and true which were not written in the scriptures but came either to vs or to our ancetours onely by tradition As 2. Tim. 3.8 it is said Iannes and Iambres were the Magitians that withstood Moses nowe in the bookes of the old testament we shall not find them once named and therefore it is like that the Apostle had their names by tradition or by some writings then extant among the Iewes So Heb. 12.21 the author of the Epistle recordeth of Moses that when hee sawe a terrible sight in Mount Sinai he said I tremble and am afraide which wordes are not to be found in all the bookes of the old testament In the epistle of Iude mention is made that the deuill stroue with Michaell the Archangel about the bodie of Moses which point as also the former considering it is not to be found in holy wine it seemes the Apostle had it by tradition from the Iewes That the prophet â—say was killed with a fullers club is receiued for trueth but yet not recorded in scripture and so likewise that the virgine Marie liued and died a virgine And in Ecclesiasticall writers many worthy sayings of the Apostles and other holy men are recorded and receiued of vs for trueth which neuerthelesse are not set downe in the bookes of the old or newe testament And many things wee holde for trueth not written in the worde if they bee not against the word Conclus III. We hold that the Church of God hath power to prescribe ordinances rules or traditions touching time and place of Gods worship touching order and comelines to be vsed in the same and in this regard Paul 1. Cor. 11.2 commendeth the Church of Corinth for keeping his traditions and Act. 15. the Councel at Ierusalem decreed that the Churches of the Gentiles should abstaine from blood and from things strangled This decree is tearmed a tradition and it was in force among them so long as the offence of the Iewes remained And this kinde of traditions whether made by generall Councels or particular Synods we haue care to maintaine and obserue these caueats being remembred first that they prescribe nothing childish or absurd to be done secondly that they be not imposed as any parts of Gods worship thirdly that they be seuered from superstition or opinion of merit lastly that the Church of God be not burdened with the multitude of them And thus much we hold touching Traditions The difference Papists teach that beside the written word there be certaine vnwritten traditions which must be beleeued as profitable and necessarie to saluation And these they say are twofold Apostolicall namely such as were deliuered by the Apostles and not written and Ecclesiasticall which the Church decreeth as occasion is offered We hold that the Scriptures are most perfect containing in them all doctrines needfull to saluation whether they concerne faith or manners and therefore we acknowledge no such traditions beside the written word which shal be necessarie to saluation so as he which beleeueth them not cannot be saued Our Reasons Testimonie I. Deut. 4.2 Thou shalt not adde to the wordes that I commande thee nor take any thing thing therefrom therefore the written word is sufficient for all doctrines pertaining to saluation If it be
though we keepe not the lawe yet we may doe things of counsell aboue the lawe and thereby merit But by their leaues they speake absurdly for in common reason if a man faile in the lesse he cannot but faile in the greater Nowe as I haue said in popish doctrine it is easier to obey the morall lawe then to performe the counsells of perfection Obiections of Papists 1. Isay 56.4 The Lord saith vnto Eunuches that keep his sabbath and choose the thing that pleaseth him will hee giue a place and name better then the sonnes and daughters Nowe say they an Eunuch is one that liues a single life and keepes the vowe of chastitie and hereupon hee is saide to deserue a greater measure of glorie Answ. If the wordes bee well considered they prooue nothing lesse for honour is promised to Eunuches not because they make performe the vowe of single life but because as the text saith they obserue the Lords sabbath and choose the thing that pleaseth God and keepe his couenant which is to beleeue the word of God and to obey the commandemēts of the morall lawe Obiect II. Mark 16.12 Christ saith There are some which haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen therefore the vowe of single life is warrantable and is a worke of speciall glorie in heauen Ans. The meaning of the text is that some hauing receiued the gift of continencie do willingly content themselues with single estate that they may with more liberty without distraction further the good estate of the Church of God or the kingdome of grace in themselues others This is all that can be gathered out of this place hence therefore cannot be gathered the merit of euerlasting glorie by single life Obiect III. Math. 9.21 Christ saith to the young man If thou wilt be perfect goe sell that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen Therefore say they a man by forsaking all may merit not onely heauen but also treasure there that is an exceeding measure of glorie Ans. This yong man beeing in likelihood a strickt Pharise thought to merit eternall life by the workes of the law as his first question importeth Good master what shall I doe to be saued and therefore Christ goeth about to discouer vnto him the secret corruption of his heart And hereupon the wordes alleadged are a commandement of triall not common to all but especially to him The like commandement gaue the Lord to Abraham saying Abraham take thine onely sonne Isaac and offer him vpon the mountaine which I shall shew thee Gen. 12.2 IV. Obiect 1. Cor. 7.8 Paul saith It is good for all to be single as he was and v. 38. he saith it is better for virgins not to marrie and this he speakes by permission not by commandement v. 26. Answ. Here single life is not preferred simply but onely in respect of the present necessitie because the Church was then vnder persecution and because such as liue a single life are freed from the cares and distractions of the world V. Obiect 1. Cor. 9.15,17,18 Paul preached the gospell freely and that was more then he was bound to doe and for so doing hee had a reward Answ. It was generally in Pauls libertie to preach the gospel freely or not to doe it but in Corinth vpon special circumstances he was bound in conscience to preach it freely as he did by reason of the false teachers who would otherwise haue taken occasion to disgrace his ministery and haue hindred the glorie of God Now it was Pauls dutie by all means to preuent the hinderances of the gospel and the glory of god and if he had not so done he had abused his liberty v. 18. Therefore he did no more in that case then the lawe it selfe required For an action indifferent or an action in our libertie ceaseth to bee in our libertie and becomes morall in the case of offence What is more free and indifferent then to eate flesh yet in the case of offence Paul said he would not eate flesh as long as the world stood 1. Cor. 8.13 The XIV point Of the worshipping of Saints specially of Inuocation Our consent Conclus I. The true Saints of God as Prophets Apostles and Martyrs and such like are to be worshipped and honoured and that three waies I. by keeping a memorie of them in godly manner Thus the Virgin Marie as a prophetesse foretelleth that all nations shall call her blessed Luk. 1.48 When a certaine woman poured a boxe of oyntment on the head of Christ he saith this fact shall be spoken in remembrance of her wheresoeuer that Gospell should be preached throughout the world Mark 14.9 This dutie also was practised by Dauid toward Moses Aaron Phineas and the rest that are commended Psal. 105. and 106. and by the author of the epistle to the Ebrewes vpon the Patriarkes and Prophets and many others that excelled in faith in the times of the old and new testament II. They are to be honoured by giuing of thankes to God for them and the benefits that God vouchsafed by them vnto his Church Thus Paul saith that when the Churches heard of his cōuersion they glorified God for him or in him Gal. 1.13 And the like is to be done for the Saints departed III. They are to be honoured by an imitation of their faith humilitie meeknes repentance the feare of God and all good vertues wherein they excelled For this cause the examples of godly men in the old and new testament are called a cloud of witnesses by allusion for as the cloud did guide the Israelites through the wildernes to the land of Canaan so the faithfull now are to be guided to the heauenly Canaan by the examples of good men that haue beleeued in God before vs and haue walked the strait way to life euerlasting Concl. II. Againe their true Reliques that is their vertues and good examples left to all posteritie to be followed we keepe and respect with due reuerence Yea if any man can shew vs the bodily relique of any true Saint and prooue it so to be though we will not worship it yet will we not despise it but keepe it as a monument if it may conueniently be done without offence And thus farre we consent with the church of Rome Further we must not goe The dissent Our difference standes in the manner of worshipping of Saints The Papists make two degrees of religious worship The highest they call Latria whereby God himselfe is worshipped and that alone The second lower then the former is called Doulia whereby the Saints and Angels that be in the speciall fauour of God and glorified with euerlasting glorie in heauen are worshipped This worship they place in outward adoration in bending of the knee and bowing of the body to them being in heauen in inuocation whereby they call vpon them in dedication of Churches and houses of religion vnto them in sabbaths and festiuall
vnto thee that thou hast deserued damnation say Lord I oppose the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene thee and my euill merits and I offer his merit for the merit which I should haue and haue not If he shall say that he is angrie with thee say Lord I oppose the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene me and thine anger Here we see what Papists doe and haue done in the time of death And that which they hold and practise when they are dying they should hold and practise euery day while they are liuing In the last conclusion they teach that we must not onely beleeue in generall but also applie vnto our selues the promises of life euerlasting But they differ from vs in the very manner of applying They teach that the promise is to be applied not by faith asâ—uring vs of our own saluation but only by hope in likelihood coniecturall We hold that we are bound in dutie to applie the promise of life by faith without making doubt thereof and by hope to continue the certentie after the apprehension made by faith We doe not teach that all and euery man liuing within the precincts of the church professing the name of Christ is certen of his saluation and that by faith but that he ought so to be and must indeauour to attaine thereto And here is a great point in the mysterie of iniquitie to be considered for by this vncerten application of the promise of saluation and this wauering hope they ouerturne halfe the doctrine of the Gospel For it inioynes two things first to beleeue the promises thereof to be true in themselues secondly to beleeue and by faith to applie them vnto our selues And this latter part without which the former is voide of comfort is quite ouerturned The reasons which they alleadge against our doctrine I haue answered before now therefore I let them passe To conclude though in coloured tearmes they seeme to agree with vs in doctrine concerning faith yet in deede they denie and abolish the substance thereof namely the particular and certen application of Christ crucified and his benefits vnto our selues Againe they faile in that they cut off the principall dutie and office of true sauing faith which is to apprehend and to applie the blessing promised The 21. point Of Repentance Our consent Conclus I. That repentance is the conuersion of a sinner There is a two-fold conuersion passiue and actiue passiue is an action of God whereby he conuerteth man beeing as yet vncoÌ„uerted Actiue is an action whereby man being once turned of God turnes himselfe and of this latter must this conclusion be vnderstood For the first conuersion considering it is a worke of God turning vs vnto himselfe is not the repentance whereof the Scripture speaketh so oft but it is called by the name of regeneration and repentance wherby we beeing first turned of God doe turne our selues and doe good workes is the fruit thereof Conclus II. That repentance stands specially for practise in contrition of heart confession of mouth and satisfaction in worke or deed Touching contrition there be two kinds thereof Legal and Euangelical Legal contrition is nothing but a remorse of coÌ„science for sinne in regard of the wrath iudgemeÌ„t of God it is no grace of God at all nor any part or cause of repeÌ„tance but onely an occasion thereof that by the mercie of God for of it selfe it is the sting of the law and the very entrance into the pit of hel Euangelical contrition is when a repentant sinner is grieued for his sinnes not so much for feare of hell or any other punishment as because he hath offended and displeased so good and mercifull a God This contrition is caused by the ministerie of the Gospell and in the practise of repentance it is alwaies necessarie and goes before as the beginning thereof Secondly we hold and maintaine that confession is to be made and that in sundrie respects first to God both publikely in the congregation and also priuately in our secret and priuate praiers Secondly to the Church when any person hath openly offended the congregation by any crime and is therefore excommunicate Thirdly to our priuate neighbour when we haue vpon any occasion offended and wronged him Math. 5.23 If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee goe first and be reconciled to him now reconciliation presupposeth confession Lastly in all true repentance we hold and acknowledge there must be satisfaction made first to God and that is when we intreat him in our supplications to accept the death and passion of Christ as a full perfect and sufficient satisfaction for all our sinnes Secondly it is to be made vnto the Church after excommunication for publike offences and it staÌ„ds in duties of humiliatioÌ„ that fitly serue to testifie the truth of our repeÌ„taÌ„ce Thirdly satisfaction is to be made to our neighbor because if he be wronged he must haue recoÌ„pence and restitution made Luk. 19.8 there repentance may iustly be suspected where no satisfaction is made if it lie in our power Conclus III. That in repentance we are to bring outward fruits worthie amendment of life for repentance it selfe is in the heart and therefore must be testified in all manner of good workes whereof the principall is to indeauour day by day by Gods grace to leaue and renounce all and euery sinne and in all things to doe the will of God And here let it be remembred that we are not patrons of licentiousnes and enemies of good workes For though we exclude them from the act of our iustification and saluation yet we maintaine a profitable and necessarie vse of them in the life of euery Christian man This vse is three-fold in respect of God of man of our selues Workes are to be done in respect of God that his commandements may be obeied 1. Ioh. 5.12 that his will may be don 1. Thess. 4.3 that we may shew our selues to be obedient children to God our Father 1. Pet. 1.14 that we may shew our selues thankefull for our redemption by Christ Tit. 2. 14. that we might not grieue the spirit of God Eph. 4.30 but walke according to the same Gal. 5. 22. that God by our good workes may be glorified Math. 5.16 that we may be good followers of God Eph. 5.1 Againe workes are to be done in regard of men that our neighbour may be helped in worldly things Luk. 6.38 that he may be woon by our example to godlines 1. Pet. 3.14 that we may preuent in our selues the giuing of any offence 1. Cor. 10.32 that by doing good we may stoppe the mouthes of our aduersaries Thirdly and lastly they haue vse in respect of our selues that we may shew our selues to be new creatures 2. Cor. 5.17 that we may walke as the children of light Eph. 5.8 that we haue some assurance of our faith and of our saluation 2. Pet.
consecration of the host in which they make their Breaden-god in exorcismes ouer holy bread holy water and salt in the casting out or driuing away of deuils by the signe of the crosse by solemne coniurations by holy water by the ringing of bels by lighting tapers by reliques and such like For these things haue not their supposed force either by creation or by any institution of God in his holy word and therefore if any thing be done by theÌ„ it is from the secret operation of the deuill himselfe The fift sinne is that in their doctrine they maintaine periurie because they teach with one consent that a papist examined may answer doubtfully against the direct intention of the examiner framing an other meaning vnto himselfe in the ambiguitie of his wordes Aâ— for example when a man is asked whether he said or heard Masse in such a place though hee did they affirme he may say no and sweare vnto it because he was not there to reueale it to the examiner whereas in the very lawe of nature he that takes an oath should sweare according to the intention of him that hath power to minister an oath and that in trueth iustice â—â—â—gement Let them cleere their doctrine from all defence of periurie if they can The sixâ— sinne is that they reuerse many of Gods commaundements making that no sinne which Gods word makes a sinne Thus they teach that if any man steale some little thing that is thought not to cause any notable hurt it is no mortall sinne that the officious lie the lie made in sport are veniall sinnes that to pray for our enemies in particular is no precept but a counsell and that none is bound to salute his enemie in the way of friendship flat against the rule of Christ Mat. 5.47 where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth al manner of dutie and curtesie that rash iudgement though consent â—â—me thereto is regularly but a veniall sin that it is lawfull otherwhiles to faine holines that the painting of the face is ordinarily but a veniall sinne that it is not lawfull to forbid begging wheras the Lord forbade there should be any beggar in Israel Againe they teach that men in their choller when they are chiding and sweare woundes and blood are not indeede blasphemers Lastly their writers vse manifest lying to iustifie their doctrine They plead falsely that all antiquitie is on theâ—r side whereas it is as much against them as for them and as much for vs as them Againe their manner hath bin and is still to prooue their opinions by forged and counterfeit writings of men some whereof I will name 1 Saint Iames Liturgie 2 The Canons of the Apostles 3 The bookes of Dionysius Ariopagita and namely De Hierarchia Ecclesiastica 4 The Decretall Epistles of the Popes 5 Pope Clements workes 6 Some of the Epistles of Ignatius 7 Origens booke of repentance His homelies in diuersos sanctos Commentaries â—â— Iob and booke of Lamentation 8 Chrysostomes Liturgie 9 Basils liturgie and his Ascetica 10 Augustines booke de 8. quest Dulcity A booke of true and false repentance Ser. de festo commemorationis animarum booke de dogm Ecclesiast Sermon ad fratres in Heremo Sermon of Peters chaire Booke of visiting the sicke c. 11 Iustin Martyrs Questions and Answ. 12 Athanasius epistle to Pope Foelix 13 Bernards sermons of the Lords supper 14 Hieromes epistle ad Demetriadem sauouring of Pelagius 15 Tertullian de Monogamia 16 Cyprian de Chrismate de ablutione pedum 17 In the Councell of Sardica the 3,4 and 5. canons are forged 18 In the Councell of Nice all saue 20. are forged 19 Certaine Romane Councels vnder Sylvester are forged For he was at this time dead and therefore could not confirme them Sozom. lib. 2. 20 To the sixt canon of the Councell of Nice are patched these words That the Romane church hath alwaies had the Supremacie 21 Lastly I will not omit that Pope Sozimus Bonifacius and Coelestinus falsified the canons of the councell of Nice to prooue appeales from all places to Rome so as the Bishops of Africke were forced to send for the true copies of the said councell from Constantinople and the Churches of Greece I might here rehearse many other sinnes which with the former call for vengeance vpon the Romane Church but it shal suffice to haue named a few of the principall Now in this reason our Sauiour Christ prescribes another maine dutie to his owne people and that is to be carefull to eschew all the sinnes of the Church of Rome that they may withall escape her deserued plagues and punishmeÌ„ts And froÌ„ this prescribed dutie I obserue two things The first is that euery good seruant of God must carefully auoid contracts of marriage with professed Papists that is with such as hold the Pope for their head and beleeue the doctrine of the Councell of Trent For in such matches men hardly keepe faith and good conscience and hardly auoid communication with the sinnes of the Romane church A further ground of this doctrine I thus propound In Gods word there is mentioned a double league betweene man and man countrie and countrie The first is the league of concord when one kingdome bindes it selfe to liue in peace with another for the maintenance of trafficke without disturbance and this kind of league may stand betweene Gods church and the enemies thereof The second is the league of amitie which is when men people or countries binde themselues to defend each other in all causes and to make the warres of the one the warres of the other and this league may not be made with those that be enemies of God Iehosaphat otherwise a good king made this kind of league with Ahab and is therfore reprooued by the prophet saying Wouldest thou helpe the wicked and loue them that hate the Lord 2. Chr. 19.2 Now the mariages of Protestants with Papists are priuate leagues of amitie betweene person and person and therefore not be allowed Againe Malac. 2.11 Iudah hath defiled the holinesse of the Lord which he loued and hath married the daughters of a strange God where is â—latly condemned marriages made with the people of a false god nowe the papists by the consequents of their doctrine and religion turne the true Iehoua into an idol of their own braine as I haue shewed the true Christ reuealed in the writteÌ„ word into a fained Christ made of bread Yet if such a marriage be once made and finished it may not be dissolued For such parties sinne not simply in that they marrie but because they marrie not in the Lord being of diuers religions The fault is not in the substance of marriage but in the manner of making it and for this cause the Apostle commaundes the beleeuing partie not to forsake or refuse the vnbeleeuing partie beeing a very infidel which no Papist is if he or shee will abide 1. Cor. 7.13 The second thing