ioyned to him then anie other whosoeuer whether sonne kinsman orfriende and may more confidently looke to be enriched and protected by him so the faithfull being now in the humaine nature of Christ thus espowsed made one person with GOD are more nearely ioyned to him then man was in the state of innocencie wherein God did not take vnto him selfe the nature of man and therefore did not acknowledge man to be as his beloued spouse and a part of his owne person but only as his subiect seruant scholler creature and sonne All which are distinct persons from the King maister teacher creator and father and so may more certainly and vndoubtedly looke to be not only protected and saued from death by the strength of God their new husband but also to be enriched by him with all spirituall and heauenly blessings belonging to a holy and happie estate Thus we see the manner of this new subiection the duties belonging to it are all those which a dutifull wife oweth to her husband as namely that she please him and cleaue inseparably to him For the first as the Apostle writeth 1 Cor. 7. 34. As she that is maried careth for worldly things how she may please her husband so ought the faithfull endeauour by all meanes to please their heauenly husband by being pure both in bodie and soule doing all those things which they know are acceptable in his sight especially by performing the second duty to wit that they renounce all other things in the world and cleaue fast to God without separation euen as the wife forsaketh father mother sisters brethren kinred acquaintance and betaketh her selfe wholly to her husband This dutie of the church to Christ is notably described Psal 45. 11. 12. Heare ô daughter encline thine care forgette thy people and thy fathers house so shall the King haue pleasure in thy beautie for he is thy Lord and worshipp thou him Yea there can no wife haue so good cause to performe all loyall dutie to her husband as the faithfull haue in respect of God For if it should please some greate prince to aduance some base poore and miserable woman to the dignitie of being his wife all men would say that she could not by any duties of subiection shew her selfe sufficiently thankfull how then shall sinfull man who of himselfe is the most wretched creature in the world but is now espowsed to God the King of Kings behaue himselfe in any measure so dutifully as he oâ—â—ht The second part of this treatise wherein is handled the second part of mans holinesse and sinfulnesse to wit his conformitie or likenesse to God with the contrarie vnlikenesse or defermitie CHAP. I Sect. 1. Of the image of God in man in his pure estate IT hath bene declared that the good estate of the reasonable creature whether man or Angel consisteth in this that he be ioyned to God the fountaine of all goodnesse both personally or locally in happinesse and also spiritually in perfect holinesse The which holinesse hath two partes Subiection and Conformitie For so it hath pleased God in greate wisdome to ioyne these two together in his reasonable creatures least that they should be too much either debased by the one or lifted vp by the other For if they had beene made like to God without subiection they woulde easely haue bene brought to thinke theÌ„selues â—quall to God and if they had bene subiect to â—od without any likenes or reseÌ„blance to him â—ey should haue lacked that wherein their â—hole excellencie and dignitie doth consist â— haue bene in the same condition with the â—ute beastes Thus God hath created the â—ule of man in an equal temperament â—f contrarie qualities that so the one might â—ualifie and preserue the other The subâ—ection of man is already declared nowe â—olloweth his conformitie which is that â—arte of mans holinesse wherein he resembleth God or is like vnto God vsuallie â—alled in scripture the image of God for as there is a likenesse and similitude betwixt â—n image and that whereof it is the image so there is in respect of this parte of mans holinesse a likenesse betwixt God and man For the better vnderstanding of this matter and the easier resoluing of those manifolde doubtes which are moued about it it is needfull that we declare what God is to whom we make man to be like The essence of God is so infinite secrete and hidden that it cannot be conceaued in our mindes much lesse expressed in words to the capacitie of others For whereas it is saide Iohn 4. 24. That God is a spirite the meaning is that the nature of God is not visible and sensible but mysticall and wonderfull as are spirites For otherwise the name of spirite as it is giuen to Angels is too grosse to expresse the essence of God Yet it hath pleased God in mercie to make himselfe knowen vnto vs by his properties vsually called by the diuines the attributes of God as his knowledge wisdome iustice mercy loue power eternitie and such other For as we in common speache going about to describe any man doe mention his vertues qualities and conditions saying that he is honest gentle faithfull liberall iust and learned so we haue reuealed vnto vs in scripture no other essence or nature of God but the aforesaide attributes and therefore if we woulde describe God we must say that he is a certaine essence most simple without any manner of composition existing of it selfe and from whom all creatures and actions doe exist being eternall without beginning or ending infinite in knowledge wisdome iustice mercie loue strength power and in all goodnesse holinesse and puritie Thus we see in part what God is now the image of God in the creature is whenas it is like to God in some of the aforesaid â—espectes as when the creature is endued with knowledge wisdome iustice power â—oue mercie or any other of the attributes of God But it may be here obiected that â—f the attributes of God which are his essence may be giuen to any creature then â—t shoulde be partaker of gods nature and so be a God We answere that the attributes of God may be in the creature although not so as they are in God for example God hath strength and the creature hath strength euery one more or lesse Yet there is this difference that the strength of God is essentiall vnto him and a part of his nature but the strength of the creature is a qualitie or accidental thing which may be spared as when we see two sunnes the one is a true substance but the other is onely the reflexion of the beames of the true sunne In God it is primarelie as in the fountaine but the creature hath his strength from God in God it is infinite in the creature it is finite God hath all strength the creature hath but some yea the strength of the mightiest creature is great weakenesse in comparison of the
yea tried to be sound in the profession of the faith and corrected for their former misdemeanour Nowe these afflictions are of their owne nature as bitter as galle vnto vs and therefore it is impossible that flesh and bloude being not strengthened with some speciall grace of God shoulde receaue this loathsome potion without repining murmuring distruste despaire and many such inconueniences For the auoiding whereof it hath pleased God to giue vnto his faithfull seruantes this gift of patience whereby they do quietly constantly yea chearefully and ioyfully suffer any affliction as comming from God who is not to them a cruell enimie but a louing and tender hearted father remembring mercie in the midst of anger euen as a father spareth his owne naturall sonne making his mone vnto him This doctrine is declared at large Heb. 12. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. the wordes are many but being very fit for this purpose it shall not be irkesome to sette them downe Forgette not the exhortation which speaketh to you Prou. 3. 12. as vnto children My sonne despise not the correction of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him For whome the Lorde loueth him he chasteneth and scourgeth euerie sonne whom he receaueth If you endure chastening God offereth himselfe to you or declareth himselfe to be your father for what sonne is there whom his father doth not correct But if ye be without this chastening then truly ye are not right sonnes but bastards Moreouer we haue had our carnall fathers our correctours and haue stoode in awe of them shall we not then much more obey our spirituall father and so liue for they chastised vs for a few daies according to their pleasure but God chasteneth vs for our profit that so we might be made partakers of his holynesse Nowe all chastisement bringeth with it for the present time sorrowe not ioy but afterwarde it giueth the fruite of peace and righteousnesse to those who are exercised with it And therefore let vs lift vp our faint handes and our weake knees c. Lastly as touching this dutie of filiall subiection it had not so greate vse in the state of innocencie in the which man was not subiect to crosses afflictions and miseries so as the faithfull are in the state of regeneration Yet man in his innocencie was not altogether destitute of this grace or without some vse of it For it was his duty to take in good parte whatsoeuer it pleased God to do vnto him if not in laying any euil vpon him whereof his happy estate was not capable yet in withholding or withdrawing from him some particular blessing whereof he had great desire and which woulde be very pleasant vnto him CHAP. VIII Sect. 1. Of seruile subiection BEsides the aforesaid kinds of subiection man oweth to God all such duties as the seruant is bound to performe to his lord or maister as namely to obey to serue or minister vnto him and lastly to profit him for man according to his first creation is Gods seruant the which is not to be accounted a base condition derogating from the dignitie of this his glorious estate seeing that the holy Angels which doe farre excell man in glory are not ashamed to weare Gods liuery and to be called his seruantes The first duety is obedience the which is to be performed of all inferiours to those who haue any authority ouer them whether kinges magistrates fathers or teachers but especially it is to be performed by seruantes to their masters Ephe. 6. 5. Seruantes be obedient to your maisters in simplicity of heart as vnto Christ. So was man affected to God in his innocent state as doth euidently appeare in that his innocencie is nothing else but perfect obedience to God to his word lawes and commaundements Whereof it followeth that he did performe vnto God the second duety to wit faithfull seruice in performing with all care and diligence whatsoeuer worke it pleased God to imploy him in Thus did Adam before his fall serue God in doing those thinges which were enioyned him and thus do the Angels in heauen continually waiting and attending in the presence of God ready to goe whither he sendeth and to come when he calleth as we reade Heb. 1. 14. They are ministring spirits sent out for the electes sake and more plainely Psal. 103. 20. Blesse the Lord ye his Angels which excelling in strength doe his commaundement and obey his voice blesse the Lord all ye his hoastes his seruants which doe his will But there may some doubt be made as touching the last duety how man should profit God we answere that Gods riches consist in his glory the which the more that it is encreased and enlarged the more is Gods aduantage procured This we may see in the parable of the talents Mat. 25. 14. the meaning whereof is this that God giueth his graces to men to this ende that they should vse and encrease them for his aduantage Yea God there compareth himselfe to a couetous vsurer that is so greedie of gaine that he reapeth where he did not sowe and gathereth where he did not scatter that is he laboureth by all meanes to gaine glory to himselfe But what shall we say to Elephaz Iob. 22. 1. 2. who seemeth to deny this saying shall man profit God is it any gaine to the almighty that thou art iust and walkest in a perfect way The meaning of those wordes is this that God is not so tyed to man but that he can set forth his glory without him or his righteousnesse yea he can glorifie himselfe in the vnrighteousnesse and destruction of man but mans goodnesse it doth profit himselfe and other men like to himselfe as we read Psal. 16. 1. My goodnesse doth not extend it selfe to thee O Lorde but to the saintes heere on earth And yet it pleaseth God in mercy that so he might stirre man vp to all holinesse to count only that glory gained which is gotten by the obedience and saluation of his seruantes Sect. 2. Of the want of the aforesaid subiection MAN by falling from the obedience of God became a fugitiue and as it is saide of Cain the first of this sinfull generation Gen. 4. 14. being cast forth from the presence of God for his sinne is now a vagabond on the earth And as is this his miserable and viâ—e condition so is his disposition For he hath cleane lost all the properties of a good seruant and all abilitie of performing any acceptable duety to God In steede of obedience he doth continually breake all Gods commaundementes in all his thoughtes wordes deeds and in the whole course of his life Neither doth he waite on God to doe seruice vnto him for he serueth Sathan sinne and his owne corrupt desires Iohn 8. 34. Verely I say to you saith Christ that euery one who committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne in that he doth not
hearing And therefore men muste be taught religion as children are taught to reade learning one letter to daie and another to morrowe one poynte nowe and the rest hereafter as the prophet complaineth of the dulnesse of the Iewes Esay 28. 13. But it may be heere obiected that if naturall men be so dull and vnable to vnderstande Gods worde they are not to be blamed for not learning and for not doing that which they cannot doe Whereunto we answere that this dulnes of men commeth through their owne defaulte in that they cannot by any meanes be brought to bestowe their naturall giftes their time and labour in learning The which thing if they would once carefully and heartely doe and so continue without being wearie in seeking to knowe GOD and in vsing the meanes of their saluation ioyning with their endeuours heartie prayer to God for his blessing they woulde soone see that it is an easie matter to learne these thinges the which are of that nature that one poynt of them being well learned all the reste will followe of their owne accorde so that all the hardnesse is in beginning to learne Yea GOD is harde at hande and easie to be founde of all that seeke him howsoeuer it be impossible for man by his owne wit or industry without the grace of God to attaine the true and sauing knowledge of God Sect. 3. Of the renewed subiection of man to God his teacher In the third place we are to consider the contrary disposition of those who being renewed by the spirit of God giue thēselues vnto his discipline to be instructed by him in all things For although they attaine to their knowledge by the means and ministerie of man whereby it hath pleased God rather then by his owne voice or by immediate reuelation that the saluation of his elect should be wrought yet not man but God himselfe is the author and worker of this knowledge who as he did in the state of mans innocencie so doth he in his regeneration reueale himselfe and his will vnto them by his holy spirit Iob. 32. 8. There is indeede a spirit iu man but it is the spiration of the almightie that giueth vnderstanding Math. 13. 8. 10. Callnot any man Rabbi maister or doctor For you haue one doctor euen Christ and all ye are brethren That is you are not to thinke that because you heare men preach vnto you that therefore your mindes are enlightned by them for they are your brethren that is men like to your selues who cannot without the speciall worke of my spirit learne any thing themselues much lesse teach others so that Christ is the heade maister in the schoole of his Church who although he be absent from it according to his humaine nature yet he is present in it by his spirit by the which he teacheth the faithfull all things needefull and that without any errour or shaddow of any For as hath bene declared it is impossible that God should deceiue or be deceiued and therefore the holy ghost is called The spirit of truth Ioh. 14. 16. and 15. 26. Christ promiseth that When he commeth he shall leade them into all truth Ioh. 17. 13. And as God is the teacher so the faithfull are his scholers as all those who did beleeue the gospell are vsually in the booke of the actes called Disciples 1 Thess. 4. 9. Men taught by God Ineede not saith the Apostle to write to you of brotherly loue for you are taught of God to loue one another That is the spirit of God hath alreadie engrauen the doctrine of loue in your mindes and heartes and ther fore ye haue not so greate neede and vse of my ministery in this behalfe as they whome God hath not taught after this manner Thus the prophet Dauid often praieth to God that it would please him to instruct him in his commaundements as we may reade often Psal. 119. Lastly they performe to God the second dutie of this subiection which is to beleeue his word in all things reiecting whatsoeuer is contrarie thereunto Yea tho an Angel did preach it frō heauen all antiquitie Churches councels all the wise and learned men in the world do maintaine affirme it yea tho their owne wittes and senses do witnesse the truth of it so that the faithfull may in this respect be cōpared to the scholers of a certaine philosopher named Pythagoras who if they once hearde any thing vttered by their maister they held that as a most certain truth without inquiring any further into it And so among the true disciples of Christ his holy word is of so absolute authoritie as that no doubt is made of anie thing therein contained CHAP. X. Sect. 1. Of mans subiection to his creator THe last and greatest kind of mans subiection is that which he oweth to God as to the creator of all things whereof there is no question to be made and therefore we neede not stand to proue it The duties of this subiection are three The first is to glorifie God the second to be wholly moued in him or by him the third to rest contented in his will For the first as the chiefe and last ende of the creation of the world and of al things therein contained is the glorie of God so it is meete and needefull that all creatures iointly seuerally do performe this dutie of glorifying him Yea there is no creature either so base or so excellent that it should be exempted from this dutie The greatest and mightiest creature must stoupe to the performance of it as the weakest and seelyest thing in the world is able to set forth the glorie of God Psal. 145. 9. 10. The Lord is good to all and his mercie is ouer all his workes All thy workes O Lord shall praise thee They shall shew the glorie and beautie of thy kingdome Thus we see that it belongeth to all creatures to praise GOD as they are exhorted particularlie Psalme 148. and as we reade Reuel 5. 13. And all the creatures which are in heauen on the earth vnder the earth and in the sea all thinges that are in them I hard saying praise honour glory and power be vnto him that sitteth on the throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore Yet they do not all performe this duety after the same manner for those creatures which are void of reason do it onely by giuing to men and Angels matter of the actuall setting foorth of Gods glory For the reasonable creatures are as it were the trumpeters of Gods glory which they do enlarge and publishe as by all other their actions so cheifly by those which tende directly to God himselfe are vsually called the worship of God For although al the actions of man in his pure estate euen the common actions of life as eating and drinking did make for the glory of God yet these do not make the worship of God because
did Sathan know verie well that man was like to God in nothing so much as in his vnderstanding therefore he perswaded Eua to eate of the forbidden fruite by promising that by that meanes shee should attaine to a greater measure of knowledge and so consequentlie greater likenesse to God then she had For so he saith Gen. 3. 5. God knoweth that when ye shall eate of this fruite your eyes shalbe opened and ye shalbe as gods knowing good and euil But to leaue the dignitie of the minde to them who take in hand the naturall description of man we are here to consider the spirituall state of it in respect of God to wit the holinesse of it That the minde was created holy no man can denie but he who sticketh not to reproch his maker as hauing erred in the most excellent part of his worke and therefore it is more needfull that we declare the particulars of this holinesse First what it is or wherein it consisteth secondly the seuerall partes of it for the first The holinesse of the minde consisteth in the perfect knowledge of God and so it may be briefely defined Where we saye perfect we meane that perfection measure of knowledge whereof the nature of man is capable for there is a more perfect and excellent knowledge in the Angels then can be in any man Againe there is more perfect knowledge of God in God then in any Angell For God is knowen perfectly and essentially to himselfe only These transcendent kindes of knowledge which are without the compasse of humaine nature are not required at the handes of man and therefore he wanteth them without sinne Againe we doe not meane by perfection the highest degree or the greatest measure of knowledge which may be attained vnto by man for in this innocent estate one man may want that great measure of knowledge which an other man hath and yet want no part or iot of the holinesse of his minde onely by perfection we meane that knowledge wherein there is no parte wanting which is any way needfull for the holy and happie estate of man that is whenas a man knoweth all those duties which he oweth to God and whatsoeuer thing belongeth necessarilie to his owne good estate The second worde of the definition is knowledge whereby we meane both actuall and potentiall knowledge Actuall knowledge is that which is already really in the minde Potentiall knowledge is that vertue or facultie which conceaueth thinges offered to the minde by any meanes The first is to haue knowledge or the habite of knowledge the second is to be able to gette that knowledge which as yet is wanting of these two heereafter in particular Lastly by the knowledge of God we meane all manner of knowledge whereof although there be diuerse kindes as there are many thinges in the worlde besides God to be knowen yet the holines of the minde consisteth in this that it knoweth all thinges in God and nothing any otherwise then as it commeth from God and hath relation to him For God is all things in all and all thinges do exist in God and therefore euerie thing may be knowen in God and God knowen yea seene and felte in euerie thing euen in the least and basest creature The wicked Angels are in this their corrupt estate endued with a great measure of knowledge but this their knowledge is voide of all holynesse because it hath no relation to God and his glory for this onely is to be accounted the holinesse of the minde not barely to knowe the natures properties and differences of thinges but to see and acknowledge the wisdome power goodnesse and glorie of God in them For holinesse hath relation to God onely it seeth God through the meanest thinges and doth not rest in any thing till it come to God Yet we are not to thinke that the minde of man is in this his innocencie a confused chaos or heape of knowledge for God the maker of man is not the author of confusion And therefore we are to distinguish this knowledge into the seuerall kindes and partes of it whereof the first and cheife is the knowledge of God that is of the proper nature attributes and actions of God the second is the knowledge of the creatures The first kind may be called diuine be cause it tendeth directly and immediatelie to God himselfe Where we doe not meane that man could possiblie comprehend within the narrow compasse of his shallow braine the infinite and vnsearchable essence of God the which thing the Angels cannot doe Yet we are not to doubt but that he did thinke aright without any errour of the nature of God And no maruaill seing he did see God face to face as the scripture speaketh that is was daily conuersant in the presence and company of God as the Angels in heauen are although not in the same measure from this knowledge as from a fountaine springeth the knowledge of the creatures commonlie called humaine knowledge because all the creatures belonging to man and seruing for his vse are knowen for his good onely For as a man may easely see all thinges being there where the sunne shineth clearely so man liuing in Gods presence coulde not haue the nature of any creature hid from his sight From both these kindes of knowledge came the knowledge of euill for Rectum est index sui et obliqui a streight rule or line sheweth the crokednesse of any thing and so all trueth good and right shining in God and in his creatures did shewe to man what was false wrong hurtfull vnlawfull or any way euill for although Sathan did promise to man a greater measure of the knowledge of good and euill then he had Gen. 3. 5. as if his knowledge had bene imperfect in that behalfe yet he knewe what was euill better before his fall then afterwarde although by his fall he gottâ— the sense and experience of euill which he wanted before Thus much in general of mans knowledge the which is nowe to be considered more particularlie in the two kindes of it Potentiall and Actuall Potentiall knowledge is the aptnesse and abilitie of the minde to conceaue and comprehende whatsoeuer it shoulde please God to reueale Here iâ— may be asked by what meanes man in his innocent estate did attaine to knowledge We answere that Adam the first man was created in perfection as of body and soule so also of actuall knowledge not gotten by sense experience obseruation and by his owne industrie and yet it was afterwarde to be encreased by these meanes but engrauen in his minde by the finger of God and inspired by God together with his mind But his children were not to come so lightly to knowledge to whom he could not propagate his actuall knowledge but onely his potentiall for they were to be borne as in weakenesse of bodie so with mindes voide of all actuall knowledge not hauing the formes similitudes and vniuersall notions of thinges called
often to passe that the infirmities and sinnes appeareing in the life of a faithfull man make the sinceritie of his religion doubtfull to others yet he himselfe feeling the inwarde worke and motions of Gods spirite is vndoubtedly perswaded that he is the childe of God We confesse that a man truly regenerate may haue his faith sore shaken and the holinesse of his life greatly blemished by the force of temptation and so may for a time want in part or wholly this assurance of saluation Yet this doth not hinder him from hauing it at an other time yea all the daies of his life as may be seene in most of the faithfull Lastly we are not to thinke that this assurance of saluation is or can be to a faithfull man a motiue to sinne and dissolutenesse of life with the which it cannot stand For as it is gotten by holynesse whereby a man seeth that he is endued with the spirite of God and effectuallie called to beleeue the Gospell so it is lost by a sinfull and wicked life the which sheweth plainlie that a man is destitute of true faith and of Gods spirite for by the fruite the tree is knowen nay there is nothing of greater froce in restraining the faithfull from sinne then this that they knowe that the committing of any one wilfull sinne doth wound their owne consciences and diminish this notable treasure of assurance of saluation For as he that taketh one or a fewestones out of a wall although he doe not ouerthrow the building yet he maketh it the weaker so a fewe sinfull actions in the life of a faithfull man although they can not depriue him of this assuraunce it hauing bene gathered and as it were builded vp with the holinesse of many yeares yet they doe diminishe it and can not but trouble his conscience CHAP. IIII. Sect. 1. Of the created holinesse of mans memorie IT had bene little auailable for the holy and happie estate of man that he was endued with those notable faculties of conceauing vnderstanding and knowing Gods will and word when God did reueale himselfe vnto him if he had not bene made able to retaine the saide knowledge for the time following For otherwise God shoulde haue powred his graces into a bottomlesse or broken vessell which coulde not keepe or containe any thing and man shoulde haue reaped little profit by that which woulde be as soone lost as gotten For this cause God in great wisdome did endue the soule of man with a speciall facultie vsually called memory by vertue whereof man in this state of innocencie doth safelie keepe whatsoeuer the minde doth truely conceaue and so when occasion serueth doth giue the saide knowledge backe againe to the minde to be thought vpon meditated vttered in worde and followed in peed so that the memory is the storehouse of the soule wherin thinges both newe and old are carefully laide vp and faithfullie preserued and as it were the register of the minde taking a note of euery thing which commeth into it This facultie as all the other of mans soule was in the state of innocencie so perfect and of such strength as that by it man might at any time call to minde not euerie trifling thing which he had heard and seene a thousand yeares past for so his memorie shoulde haue bene confounded and in a manner infinite but whatsoeuer thing had at any time bene reuealed vnto him by God or was conceaued by his naturall faculties if so be it were a matter of any importance the knowing and remembring whereof might serue to some notable vse and profite vnto him As for other common matters of life which it was more gaine to loose then to keepe in these humaine infirmitie preuailed to forgetfulnesse For we are not to thinke that man was in this respect or any other as God is whose nature being euerie way infinite doth in one moment and with one motion of mind remember or rather knowe all particulars that haue bene done at any time For God doth thinke of all thinges together without confusion but the minde of man being not onely finite but also hauing in it a kinde of weaknesse if we compare him with the Angels can not thinke of many much lesse of infinite thinges at once but of one thing after an other and so doth the memorie remember those particulars which were committed to the custody of it letting goe matters of no vse that there may be place for thinges of importance as are the actions comaundementes apparitions reuelations and worde of God In the knoweing and remembring whereof the happinesse and holinesse of man did consist and therefore it stood him in hande to commit these thinges to sure custodie the which we are not to doubt but that he did so as that after many thousand yeares he was able to remember that which might any way serue for his good Neyther â—â—ede we maruaile thereat considering the frailtie of our owne memories which are neuer good when they are at the best and are soone cleane lost by sicknesse age or any such meanes For as is the strength of the bodie whereby as by an instrument the soule worketh so are the faculties of the minde and therefore as the body of man did continue in perfect vigour for many thousand yeares yea for euer so did his minde or memorie retaine the first vigour without being diminished Whereby we see that man in this facultie of memorie whereby his knowledge was made eternall did notablie resemble God whose nature is eternall Sect. 2. Of the sinfulnesse of mans memory AS in all other respectes so also in regard of this faculty man since the fall is so changed from his first estate that he scarse seemeth to be the same creature that he was hauing as wholly lost this faculty of a reasonable soule as if he had neuer beene endued with it For howsoeuer in regard of earthly worldlie and sensible things this faculty is after a sort remaining in man yet it hath no manner of force or power to retaine heauenlie and spirituall matters and the true knowledge of God and no maruaile for how shal the memory keepe when as the mind cannot conceiue it But mans corruption cannot so be cloaked in this behalf as if it it were wholly in the minde and not in this and other faculties For although the fountaine of it be in the minde which is the moouer and gouernour of the other faculties yet each faculty hath his peculiar fault the which may plainely be seene in the memory For suppose that which doth daily come to passe that a carnall man doth not onely heare the word of God for fashions sake but also marke and in some measure vnderstand it a man would thinke that all were safe and brought to a good passe the minde hath done his duety in conceiuing the trueth of the word as the body hath done in hearing so that now the word of God is come to the memory and
desireth to be laide vp there and preserued But doth the vnregenerate man lay vp in the treasure of his memory that which he hath heard and vnderstood of the word of God surely nothing lesse but as we may plainely see in most men doth straight waies forget and as the prouerbe is he letteth it come in at the one eare and so passing through the minde out at the other without troubling himselfe any more about it Whereby it commeth to passe that many hauing beene continuall hearers of Gods word for the space of many yeares doe not remember any part or iot of it no more then if they had neuer heard of any such matter The reason why the memory is thus wanting in her duety where the minde doth that which belongeth to her part is because diligence care and affection all which are wanting in carnal men in respect of God and his word are needfull for the safe preseruing of things in the memory For as it is truely said by one Senes quae curant meminerunt the oldest man that is doth remember where he laid his golde and no man forgetteth that which he thinketh any way to concerne his good But men thinke that there is no good to begotten by the word of God and therefore as soone as they come from the place where the worde was preached they giue themselues wholly to thinke and talke of worldly matters whereas they should call their memories to account for that which was committed vnto them and so by repeating it and conferring with others about it imprint it firmely in their mindes and memories Sect. 3. Of a renewed memory BVt it is otherwise in the faithfull to whome God giueth as an vnderstanding minde to conceiue so also a firme memory to keepe that knowledge which he doth by any meanes reueale vnto them Hence it is that they are vsually in the scripture distinguished from hypocriticall hearers by this note of laying vp in their heartes that is in their memories For the hypocrite he heareth the worde vnderstandeth it and receiueth it with ioy but goeth no further whereas the faithfull man taketh better holde of it and putteth it into his memory in safe custody as it were vnder locke and key and so maketh it his owne for euer Thus did Dauid remember that God had somtime deliuered him from a Beare and a Lion and hath this ready at hande for his vse 1. Sam. 17. 34. Thus did Mary the mother of Christ lay vp in her heart all the sayings and actions of Christ. Luke 2. 51. And thus ought euery Christian to keepe carefully in his memory whatsoeuer thing he hath seene hearde or red which is of any moment for the increase of holinesse As first and chiefly the whole scripture not the wordes or syllables of it as do the Iewes who greatly brag of their cunning in this behalfe as knowing how oft euerie worde is in the olde testament for that is and endlesse labour and impossible but the chiefe precepts and examples contained in it the which may easely be brought to passe by the daily reading hearing and remembring of some part of it Secondly he ought to keepe in memory all the actions of God which he himselfe or any other hath obserued from time to time as namely his fearfull iudgements vpon sinners his prouidence watching ouer the godly preseruing them from euill yea his fatherly chasticements afflictions laid vpon them in brief whatsoeuer thing may any way further him in the way of godlines For the which purpose he ought to vse all those helpes which are of force for the deep imprinting of these things in his mind as namely the daily remembring of them the applying of them to his present vse the rehearsing of them to others for so they will be made familiar vnto him and his owne foreuer Yea he ought to goe yet further and suspecting the frailty of his memory which being very narrowe and shallow cannot containe many things together and therefore being full it is constrained to let one thing goe as it receiueth another to haue his note booke and therein as in a sure storehouse to register those things which he would remeÌ„ber For if men be so carefull in worldly matters that they wil not trust their memories with their reckonings and matters of moment but wil be sure to note them downe and so make sure worke what a shame is it that we should be so negligent or slothfull in spirituall matters as not to vse this and all other helpes CHAP. V Sect. 1. Of the created holinesse of the will BEsides these faculties of the soule which haue alreadie beene declared and which may be called speculatiue there is an other kinde coÌ„monly called practicall because they are exercised in action as the other are in contemplation This latter kinde is necessarilie in regard of the perfection of mans soule added to the former that as by the one he seeth knoweth what ought to be done so by the other he might moue himselfe to the doing performing of it For howsoeuer they be ioyned to the other not as superiours in authoritie for they are blinde of themselues and therefore must not leade the way or sit at the helme nor as equals for so there might discorde and contention be raised in the soule of man but as inferiours to be guided and gouerned by the light of the minde yet if we speake properly we must confesse that all the outward actions come directly from them and not from the other Whereby it may be easelie gathered that these practicall faculties hauing the greatest stroke in our actions do conteine in them a greate part of mans holinesse and that whereon all the rest doth depend For the will which is the chiefe of these practicall faculties compelleth the members of the bodie to any action but cannot be compelled by the minde For a man doth this or that thing not because he thinketh that it ought to be done but because he will do it so that the will is the absolute monarch in aman and the minde is his wise counseller to whome although this monarch ought to yeelde and in some fort to obey yet he neede not except he list For he hauing the whole authoritie in his owne handes cannot be compelled by any The holinesse of these practicall faculties which is vsuallie in the scripture called loue is their due subiection to the faculties of the mind whereby they are moued to the doinge of those things only which the minde commandeth or rather counselleth For although in the corrupt state of man the holinesse of these faculties cannot be defined by their conformitie to the minde which being it selfe sinfull and out of order cannot be a rule of holinesse to any other part yet in this state of innocencâ—e the minde propoundeth nothing as good to these faculties but that which is indeede good and to be imbraced by them These practicall faculties