your whole demeanes Say you couenant for foure or fiue hundred pounds per annum Your Farmer at the making of the bargaine is an able substantiall sober man well able to pay you your annuall rent But so it fals out that soone after he is with-drawne to lewd and riotous courses and spends both time and estate vpon luxurie and vanity So that now hee is Bankerupt not worth fiue pence in all the world and consequently altogether vnable to pay you fiue hundred pound What then may not you in equity and iust law require of him your annuall rent although it be impossible for him to pay it I know you may Iust so it is betwixt God and man At the first man was created in perfect righteousnes and so was a person fitted to the obseruance of all good duties but soone after hee turned bankrupt hee fell vpon riotous and disobedient courses being tempted by the woman and shee by the Serpent to eat the forbidden fruit Before he was the seruant of God now he is become the slaue of sin So that he hath no strength to runne in those good wayes wherein at first God set him What then Because hee is not able to do any good may not God in equity exact of him the keeping of his commandements I trow hee may yea I am sure he doth and that rightly because the thing is become impossible to man meerly through his owne default 3 The exhortations and dehortations the promises and threatnings which haue annexed conditions are not in vaine neither is there any mockery in them although we be not able of our selues to fulfill the exhortation or performe the condition For it must be obserued that there are in the visible state of the Church both elect and reprobate and these two will grow together in the field vntill the haruest when they shall bee separate by the Angels the wheat that is the elect gathered into Gods barne the tares that is the reprobate gathered into sheaues to be burnt So then the precepts of God in the Word and the exhortations of the Ministers according to the Word are directed either to the reprobate or to the elect and not one iot of the Word of God shall fall to the ground For to the one it becomes the sauour of death vnto death to the other the sauour of life vnto life I open my selfe thus The exhortations threatnings promises warnings c. set downe in the Word of God and published by the mouth of his Ministers being directed to the reprobate make them the more inexcusable that their mouths may be stopped and that they may not say another day that if they had beene exhorted to such a good duty they would haue imbraced it if they had beene admonished of such a fault they would haue forsaken it For here there consciences shall conuict them and they shal know then that there hath beene a Prophet among them If they be directed to the elect they bee eyther such as are not yet effectually called and then the holy Spirit enwrapping himselfe in his Word worketh an admirable change in their hearts and begets those good things in them whereunto they are exhorted for the Word of the Lord is mightie in operation as the Apostle saith and the Law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule as the Psalmist speaketh or else they bee actually called and then by those denunciations of iudgement they become more wary in their carriage by those exhortations to godlinesse they become more liuely and forward in all good courses tending and striuing after perfection So that in all this here is no mockage at all neither can God without blasphemy be said to doe any thing in vaine This because it is the most substantiall doubt and most stood vpon by your Author therefore I haue endeauoured to cleere it thus at large as you see and to afford it a full answere Ob. For the other they are either impertinent as that out of Ecclus 15.14 which speakes of man in his first estate of creation before the fall Sol. wherein we deny not man freewil besides I say not that the Booke is Apocryphall although that might serue for a sufficient answere or they be friuolous Ob. as that of Cain Gen. 4 7 wherin it is not said that he shall haue dominion ouer sin Sol. but there God vrgeth an argument to coole the heat of his anger taken from the subiection of his brother Abel Ob. Of this Bran is that testimony taken out of Iosuah 24. Sol. wherein hee giues them their choice whether they will serue the true God or not not as if it had been in their power to haue chosen but only that hee might draw from them a confession of the true worship of God by which protestation they might the more be tied to Gods seruice after Iosuahs death and held the more inexcusable if they fell to Idols after this solemne profession to feare God and to abiure all idolatrous worship And that instance of Ananias Ob. Act. 5. is like because it speaketh onely of an humane and ciuill matter Sol. the sale of a piece of land which was in his owne power Ob. The first demonstratiue reason which is argumentum cornutum carries some better shew with it but concludes nothing against the truth Haec Pelagii quoque arma erant ad impetēdum Augustinum Calv. Instit l. 2. c. 5. §. 1 Sol. It is this Sin is either necessary or voluntary if necessary thē it is not sin if voluntary then it may be auoyded The hornes of this argumentation are too short and weake to push down the truth If sinne be necessary then it is no sinne How proue you that argument You must remember which you also learned in morall Philosophy that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluntarium inuitum are opposed not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluntarium necessarium God and his Angels are good necessarily and yet they are voluntarily good The Deuill and his Angells are euill necessarily and yet they are euil most willingly too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oportet there must be heresies sayes the Apostle Necesse est It is necessary that offences come sayes our Sauiour and of Iudas his bloudy sinne and the Iewes malicious conspiracy against Christ it is expresly said That they did nothing but what the mighty hand of God had decreed long afore to be done Briefly then sinne is both voluntary and necessary Voluntary in respect of mans will for we say that a man may bee carried freely and with a full swing to the workes of darknesse euen to commit wickednesse with greedinesse neither is it necessity but compulsion which takes away the liberty of the will And it is also Necessary in respect of Gods decree which is immutable For this is a most certaine and vndoubted truth that nothing can bee done in the
Commandements Which sorrow of heart for by past sinne and good purpose of mind to preuent sinne hereafter if we shall find in vs then may wee perswade our selues of true and vnfained Repentance Touching our Faith in this manner Sinne was that by which man became miserable and because he brake the commandements of God lightly regarded the behests of the most High therefore was hee not onely turned out of his most blissefull and happy estate but stood guilty of eternall death coÌ„demnation both of body and soule for sin When man sinfull man stood in this dolefull case destitute of all helpe and succour either from himselfe or other creature liuing in the world it pleased God of his owne loue and free mercy graciously to behold wretched man and to send him a Sauiour euen Iesus Christ the righteous promising remission of sinnes liberty from the snare of the Diuell and in stead of condemnation euerlasting life to all those which with a true faith and stedfast beliefe lay hold on Christ merits applying the promises of God in Christ to their owne soules in particular This when wee shall haue diligently weighed in our mindes then let vs turne to our hearts 1. AppreheÌ„siue perswasion and see whether we 1. feele our consciences assured by the Spirit of God that the punishment of our sinne is fully in Christ discharged and that 2. 2. Particular Application whatsoeuer hee hath done for man appertaineth not onely vnto others but even to vs also And thus if we shall perceiue our hearts affected wee may perswade our selues of a true and liuely faith Touching Charitie on this wise As Charity is the fruit and effect of a true and liuely faith so that it is impossible we should have a sound faith but wee must bee fruitfull in good workes and deeds of Charity for as the light can in no wise be separated from the Sunne Ego non credam veram fidem esse intra nisi bona opera videam extra Ioh. Huss nor heat from the fire nor breath from a liuing body so neither can these two inseparable vertues bee disioyned but if faith bee the root good workes and charitable deeds will bee the fruit insomuch that hereby may we more then probably iudge of the purenesse and sincerity of our faith So likewise many be those fruits and effects of true Charity and Christian loue which if by our search wee shall find in vs wee may certainly assure our hearts of the possession of that rich gemme and precious vertue Charity 1. Reconciliation which wee must affect and seeke after Mat. 5.23 Eph. 4.32 2. Entire affection which wee must harbour towards our neighbour Rom. 12.17 20. They bee set downe by Gods own Spirit the Pen-man is the Apostle Paul 1. Cor 13.4.5 c. Loue suffereth long is bountifull loue enuieth not loue doth not boast it selfe it is not puffed vp it disdaineth not it seeketh not her owne things it is not prouoked to anger it thinketh not euill c. This place when wee haue read distinctly and discreetly let vs enter into a serious cogitation and examine our selues first Cui semel ignoueris cura vt ille sentiat bona fide id esse actum si qua in re illum iuuare potes experiatur te amicum Lud. Vines whether wee be reconciled vnto such as wee haue offended and heartily forgiue such as haue offended vs and secondly bee ready withall to doe them all the good wee can And this affection if we shall find in our selues vpon our suruey and examination wee may perswade our selues of true and sound Charity III. The forme of our Scrutinie is after a iudiciall manner of proceeding First 1. Examination as Iustices we must examine our selues and take a Catalogue of our sinnes the Diuell himselfe hath in store against vs by which wee haue offended Gods iustice Secondly 2. Enditement as Clerkes then according to the ten words of the Law we may frame ten seueral actions and inditements as for instance because I would speak to the capacitie of my weakest Brethren muster vp before thee all thy Atheisticall conceits or at least so many as thou canst remember and then indite thy selfe for the first Commandement looke and see whether thou hast not set vp an Image or an Idoll in thine heart and so indite thy selfe for the second Commandement Call to mind thirdly whether thou hast not by swearing and blaspheming taken Gods Name in vaine remember fourthly whether thou hast not often prophaned Gods holy Sabbath fiftly whether thou hast not been disobedient and refractary to Parents and Gouernour sixtly whether thou hast not harboured in thy breast murthering malice and enuie seuenthly whether thou hast not set open thine eyes to vncleannesse and vanity eightly whether thou hast not iniured thy neighbour in his goods ninthly whether thou hast not wronged him in his good name nay whether tenthly thou hast not giuen the reines loose to all concupâ—scence See the particular sinnes against euery Commandement in my Lord of Landasses Preparation Pag. 18. et seqq and in Perkins his Treatise of the nature an practice of Repâ—â—taâ—e 3. Verdict â—f condenâ—ation a 〈◊〉 and so for the breach of euery commandement frame a seuerall inditement and plead guilty This maist thou doe by thy seâ—fe yet if thou art weake and desirest helpe thou shalt find the inditement drawne at large for thee in the Practice of Piety Pag. 565. 566. seqq of the eighth Edition For further helpe see Maister Theologus schooling Asunetus in Dents Plaine Mans Path way to Heauen Pag. 332 seqq of the fifteenth Impressâ—on Thirdly tâ—â—n adde thereto so many seuerall sentences of condemnation And so forthwith fourthly 4. Sentence as Iudges pronounce a perpetuall confusion due to vs with a shame for that which is past with a griefe for that which is present and with a feare of that may come heereafter And when we can thus bring our selues into the worst taking that can be Tunc optimè habet saith Buâ—er qui possimè habet For hauing thus pronounced this shame of face dew vnto vs God will cease from his sentence of anger nay he will say This man hath condemned himselfe I need not to condemne seeing hee hath straitly examined himselfe I remit all I will examine him no further hee is free let him come and so let him eat of my Bread drink of my Cup. Then being constrained to conclude wee are vnworthy wee must in the next place goe out of our selues faint after the righteousnes can make vs worthy which cannot be effected but by Faith M Greeneham which commeth by the blessing of the Gospell whereby we being conscious of our owne vnworthinesse doe seeke wisedome out of our selues and sue for obedience in the Sonne of God Christ Iesus our Lord. These are those duties which we must thinke vpon before we come to the Lords holy Table
now for our behauiour there obserue thus much The duties which are required of vs in the celebration of the holy Communion are of two kinds either Generall See Master Brinsleys true Watch 1 part page 183. of the eight Edition or common to this and other times or Peculiar and proper to this seruice I. The generall and common duties are to ioyne with the Congregation in confessing of sinnes in singing of Psalmes and Hymnes in hearing with reuerence and deuotion Gods holy word preached in praying and the like Secondly touching the proper duties more peculiarly belonging to this seruice Corpus Christi dicimus esse caâ—auer nosque opporiere esse aquilas vt intelligamus in altum subuâ—landum esse si velimus ad Christi corpus accedere haec â—nim aquilaruÌ„ mensaâ— est non graculorum Chrys and our behauiour in the receiuing of those holy Mysteries as the Church hath retained it there is a commandement giuen that wee lift vp our hearts to the Lord. And wee must indeed be as Eagles soaring vp to heauen by hauing carefull meditations on heauenly and iâ—uisible things a rising from the due consideration of the things themselues offered vnto vs that is the outward elements of bread wine as also from a regard full contemplation of euery action in that holy ministration First therfore when we see the bread and wine set before vs on the Lords Table wee know that they are appointed for the nourishing and strengthning of our bodies but here wee must not stay Our hearts hereby are to bee led to meditate on the body and blood of Christ which is appointed to bee our soules nourishment to feede vs to eternall life for so he profâ—sseth of himselfe Ioh. 6.55 My flesh is meate indeed and my blood is drinke indeed Secondly when wee see the breaking of the bread and powring out of the wine our hearts are to be led to the meditation of the câ—uell death of the Crosse which Christ suffâ—red for the remission of our sinns when his most blessed body was broken and his most precious blood shed for the redemption of mankind Againe when we see that the bread which is broken giueÌ„ vnto vs by the Minister is all of the same loafe or at the least of the same graine and the wine whereof we drinke that it commeth from the same grape and receiued by vs in the same Cup wee are hereby to be led to the meditation on that communion which wee haue with all Gods Saints which are partakers of those holy mysteries and to the consideration of that vnion which we haue or should haue among our selues as members of one mysticall body whereof Christ Iesus is the head Lastly when wee eate that holied bread and drinke that consecrated wine wee know that they turne to nutriment for our bodies so coÌ„sequeÌ„tly that they grow into one substance with vs hereby are we led to a further meditation on our incorporation into Christ Iesus to bee made one with him and hee with vs so that hereby wee may assure our hearts of our reconciliation with God and of all the benefits of Christs death and passion for seeing Christ is become ours how shall not God with Christ giue vs all things And these are those holy Meditations whereupon we must bestow the best of our thoughts in that so sacred a businesse now as touching the triall of our soules after the receiuing of those holy mysteries note but this After that the Lord hath fed our soules so graciously at his owne Table we must take heede that wee proue not vnthankefull to the louing kindnesse of the Lord. And therefore it is required of vs that not for a day or a weeke or some small time but euen for euer continually to retaine a thankfull remeÌ„brance of those blessings wherof we are made partakers in Christ Iesus as also neuer to let sl p out of our mind that interchaÌ„geable promise which hath past betwixt God vs. The Lord promising to be our God we promising henceforth to become Gods faithfull obedient seruants to serue him in holinesse all the remainder of our life Whence the ordinary custome in these daies may worthily be reprehended for howsoeuer men for a day or a short space seeme to haue a Christian sense of that holy duty whereto they haue bound themselues by their pâ—omise yet notwithstanding within a while they returne with the Dogge to the vomit and with the Sow to wallowing in the mire Wherefore to good purpose it is that wee propose to our hearts a triall of our selues euen after our receiuing For though a man by the sight of the soyle may gather by some guesse what fruite will come vp yet when hee sees rhe fruite the matter is farre more sure And therefore because those Accidents Antecedent as repentance from dead workes faith in Christ and loue towards men may sometime deceiue vs it is good to put the matter out of all doubt to trie our selues afterward if wee can heare the Word more ioyfully if we trauell for the righteousnes of faith more soundly and make the score of our sinnes lesse then they were before And these indeed are comfortable fruites of the truth of our holinesse FJNIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR Recapitulation of the chiefe Points handled in this Treatise CHristian Religion is the seruing of God in Christ The actions thereof are most eminently 1. Meditation of Gods Word which testifies of Christ 2. Prayer vnto God through Christ 3. The vse of the Sacraments instituted by Christ Of the two first elsewhere here onely of the third Page 1. seqq That we may vse the Sacraments aright we haue neede of Preparation which in this Booke is both largely deciphered and concisely proposed â—reparation largely deciphered consists in 2. things Knowledge and Deuotion Our knowledge is either generall in points of Religion or particular about a Sacrament Our generall knowledge is either primarie and independant or secondarie and deriued The primarie and independant consists of a double doctrine I. Of God according to the Essence which is one and Persons which are three Pag 6. II. Of Gods Word or the Scripture of which see the definition Pag. 14. The diuision which is threefold Pag. 15. The Proprieties which are 3.1 It deriues its authority from God alone Pag. 21. â—2 It is perfect and sufficient to saluation Pag. 26. 3. In the Articles of Faith and matters necessary to saluation it is easie and perspicuous Pag. 30. The secondarie and deriued knowledge consists of two parts I. Of the End it selfe Saluation considered in respect of the life to come perfect or this present life inchoâ—te Pag. 38. Iâ— Of the Meanes to come by that End and that 's a double knowledge I. Of thy Miserie II. Of the Remedie for thy miserie Pag. 41. Thy misery is throughly knowne by the consideration of 4. things I. That which went before thy misery the Image of God
Predestination p. 53. 10. Of Redemption p. 55 11. Of Christ our Redeemer his Person his Office his sufferings p. 56. seqq 12. Of the Church redeemed p. 93. seqq 13. Of Iustification by Faith 137. seqq 14. Of the certaintie of saluation p. 151 seqq 15. Of Repentance p. 159. 16. Of Sanctification p. 162. 17. Of Good Works Praier p. 165. seqq Where also of Jmages p. 181. 18. Of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper where of the Masse of Trans CoÌ„substantiation p. 185. seqq 19. Of the often worthy and deuout receiuing of the holy Communion p. 209. seqq In the III. namely The Briefe Directions for Communicants you haue these particulars 1. The subiect of our Examination who The matter of it wherein The manner how it must bee performed p. 223. seqq 2. The duties required of vs at the Lords Table p. 233. 3. The duties to bee practised after the Communion p. 238. Jn the IV. namely The Sum of Diuinity you haue the Analysis of the whole and methodicall coÌ„catenation of the parts of Diuinity p. 241. seqq Jn the V. namely The Controuersie touching Freewill you haue 1. the termes of the Controuersie opened and the question stated p. 251. seq 2. The truth confirmed with impregnable reasoÌ„s p. 260. seq 3. The maine arguments of the Papists answered p. 274. seq Jn the VI. namely The method of Preaching you haue a few rules concerning Preaching not impertinent nor vnprofitable for young Diuines p. 292. seqq Jn the VII namely The Gospel of S. Thomas you haue the Authors Motto and his Song vpon it p. 306. Errata IN the Title page Vickars for Vicars In the Praface p. 6. for Portayed read pourtrayed p. 7. r. preciosos p. 9. r. but entangleth p. 11. r. bastardly p. 17 r. detrimenti and instead of lib 1. r. lib. 2. de verbo p. 18. r. wretches p. 22. r. Apostolos p. 23. r. misled p. 26. r. aduertendum Cypriani p. 27. r. earth-bred p. 28 r pertinacious p. 29. r great p 32. r. misericordia p 33. r. too too headie in the pursuit of error and too too headstr c. p. 34. r of those vipers p. 35. r parentum p. 37. r. for the merits of Christ p 38 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Manuduction p. 2. for Thologia r. Theologia for Philosophia r. Philosophiae for Pâ—racels r. Paracles p. 23. for Profitts r. Prophets for a dictum r addictum p. 25. for her Church r. the Church p. 38 for former former p. 40. for 115 r. 151 p. 41. dele Nazianzen p. 43. for â—epended r. depended for libro r. libero arbit p. 48. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for had r. and. p. 51. for life r. life for com r. tom for Saith r. Saint Matth p. 54. dele Psal p. 55 for os r. of for Sonne of our Redeemer r the Sonne of God our Redeemer p. 63. for Silua r. Salua p. 192. r. ground of that holy admonit The Attestation of a friend touching this Booke inserted in a Letter to the Translator In your Translation you haue laboured that they that will read may haue delight and that they that are desirous to commit to memory might haue ease and that all into whose hands it commeth might haue profit 2. Mac. 2.25 Adam Airay S. S. Theol. Bac M. D. Esquire To his good Friend T. V. WHat Thou do'st teach by others heretofore Hath likewise bin But yet by no man more To the true life That by thy godly care Thou and thine Authour equally doe share Thou praisest him Translating but if he Vnderstood English he would more praise thee Thou to our Nation ha'st his Doctrine showne Which to our vulgar else had not beene knowne As much by this thou get'st as ere he wanne England praise Vicars Dantsk her Keckerman Mich. Drayton AN ACROSTICKE To his as duely beloued as truly Louing Learned and Religious COVSIN Mr. Truth may triumph Religion iustly ioy Hauing so many faithfull forward Friends Obseruant Seruants ready to employ Maugre Romes rage their loue their labors ends Against the Force and Fraud oâ— Errour bace Sincerely soundly to display Truths Grace Vpon which sacred Subiect thou hast spent Iudiciously industriously thy paines Choyce Pearles of learned Keckerman to vent Amongst vs vs t' enrich with godly Gaines Romes pedling Parsons Errors Trash may sell Sound Wares of Truth our Vicars vttreth wel The true embracer of your Piety and Familiarity IOHN VICARS