gracious God and louing Father to all such as trust in him loue him and feare him and are carefull to obserue his Lawes and are truly sorrowfull for their daily transgressions and sinnes How can it otherwise be but that the faithfull hauing by their dutifull conuersing with God in the holy exercises of hearing his holy Word and of prayer obtained these graces in some sufficient measure How can it I say otherwise be but that thereby they should be certainly perswaded that God is their louing and gracious God and that they are his beloued people For it is impossible that the promises of God made to his people concerning this matter should be void and without effect Walke saith the Lord in my Statutes and keepe Ex. 20. 19. my iudgements and do them and sanctifie my Sabbaoths and they shall be a signe betweene me and you that ye may know that I am your God Of the certainty and euidency of the truth thereof the Apostle Saint Paul was so confident that he appealeth to euery faithfull mans experience among the Romans concerning the same saying Know ye not that to Rom. 6. 16. whomsoeuer ye giue your selues as seruants to obey his seruants ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnesse The faithfull then being well witting to their own hearts that they haue giuen themselues to God and are carefull to performe the works of faith loue holinesse and righteousnesse according vnto the rule of Gods word in obedience vnto God doe so throughly know hereby that they do an acceptable seruice vnto God and that they are his obedient seruants that they doe greatly reioyce therein with the Apostle This is our reioycing euen the 2 Cor. 1. 12. testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly purenesse c. Now if it be obiected that the faithfull know not their owne hearts nor the true nature of these diuine graces nor the right notes and markes of the holy workes that proceed from them and therefore albeit they are indued with these graces and performe these works yet they cannot know that they are the seruants of God We answer first that that obiection is in direct tearmes â—lat contrary to the testimony of the Prophet before alleaged where the faithfull being commanded to do their works according to the rule of Gods Commandements being from their hearts made carefull thereof are thereby assured that they are the obedient seruants of the Lord. Secondly we answere that all men doe in part know their owne hearts and their thoughts words and workes and that the faithfull doe in some measure know the true nature of all heauenly graces and the right notes of their true fruits All men doe know themselues in part because God hath giuen to all a conscience to be a witnesse together with themselues not onely of their words and workes but also of the 1 Cor. 2. 11. very thoughts and purposes of their hearts as the names of conscience doe sufficiently declare For no man knoweth our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conscientia hearts but God and our selues and therefore conscience is a knowledge that we haue of our owne wayes together with God Euery one then by the light of his conscience knoweth Mens non potest non intelligere quod intelligit Nemo nescit se velle quod vult Prou. 14. 10. what he himselfe knoweth and vnderstandeth what he himselfe vnderstandeth and perceiueth what he himselfe thinketh desireth willeth speaketh or doeth Euery one knoweth saith Salomon for what his owne heart is sorrowfull and in what it reioyceth and none else but God onely Euen the very wicked by the meanes of their consciences are made witting to their owne wayes How much more are the faithfull by the light of the word For by the clearenesse of the heauenly doctrines their hearts are opened and they are enabled Act. 16. 14. in some good measure to know themselues and to know God Heb. 18. 11. Iohn 6. 45. Act. 2. 17. and to vnderstand what belongeth to a sound faith and to an holy and godly life For the faithfull know that such an apprehension and knowledge of Christ as causeth all things to be as dung to them in respect thereof is a sure signe of a sanctified minde lightened with the cleare sight of a true faith They know that to desire to inioy the loue of God aboue all other things whatsoeuer and to be willing and ready to conuerse with God and with Christ in the daily and religious exercises of the word of God and prayer and to loue the brethren because they loue God and are beloued of God are true tokens of true Christian loue They know also that to be truly sorrowfull for offending so louing and gracious a God as he hath declared himselfe to be in Christ and in that respect to feare to offend him and to be carefull to walke in all his righteous Lawes are sure signes of true repentance and of the right feare â—…are of God and of sincere holinesse and righteousnesse And they knowing in their owne consciences that they haue by the gracious worke of the Spirit of God such a faith loue repentance feare and righteousnesse know that they are in Gods fauour and loue and that they are his faithfull seruants We know saith St. Iohn speaking in the name of all the faithfull that we are of God 1 Iohn 5. 29. and that the whole world lieth in wickednesse We know that the Sonne of God is come and hath giuen vs a minde to know him which is true and we are in him that is true that is in his Sonne Iesus Christ this same is very God and eternall life And againe we know that we are translated from death â— Iohn 3. 14. to life because we loue the brethren And that he speaketh thus in the name of all the faithfull we may vnderstand in that in the like asseueration he changeth the person saying If ye know that God is righteous know ye that he that doth righteousnesse is â—orne of God by the which testimonies of the 1 Iohn 2. 29. Apostle it is manifest that the faithfull knowing that they are indued with the true knowledge of Christ and with true loue and with true righteousnesse know thereby that they are of God and that they are his elect and chosen children For as a true friend among men doth bestow such fauours and gifts vpon him whom he intirely and tenderly loueth as the receiuer vnderstandeth what they are and their worth also that so by manifesting his great kindnesse he may winne mutuall and reciprocall loue so God the friend of friends giueth his spirituall graces vnto all those whom he hath loued in Christ and chosen in him before the foundation of the world and maketh them to vnderstand what these his principall blessings are and the end why he giueth them euen to assure them of his
their natures and substances are the visible signes and the materiall parts of the Eucharist and therefore are not transubstantiated into the very Body and Blood Aug. de Consecra dist 2 hoc est quod dico of Christ neither in truth can they be without the destruction of the Sacrament it selfe For as Saint Austin saith euery thing while it subsisteth retaineth the nature and truth of those things whereof it consisteth At the first institution of the holy Eucharist the Euangelists and the Apostle doe testifie that 1 Cor. 11. 24. our blessed Sauiour tooke bread and when he had giuen thankes brake it and gaue it to them saying Take eate this is my Body which was giuen for you Doe this in remembrance of mee It was Bread then in nature and substance that our blessed Sauiour tooke at that time and it was the very selfe-same thing that he consecrated by thankesgiuing and brake and gaue to his Disciples saying Take eate this is my Body that is this is that I ordain to be the Sacrament or sacred signe of my Body For the word comming to the Element doth not abolish it but consecrate it to an holy vse and so maketh it to be a Sacrament seeing it doth not change it in nature and substance but in vse And verily as S. Ambrose saith If there be such force in Ambros dâ— Sacra l. 4. c. 4. the words of the Lord Iesus that the things which were not at his very word begun to be how much more can it worke this that they shal be the same in substance that they were and yet be changed into another thing in vse For this Bread saith Chrysostome is counted worthy to be called the Lords Câ—rysâ—st ad Caesar Monach. Body albeit the nature of the Bread remayneth Yea as the Diuine and Humane natures in Christ being vnited together by personall vnion remaine in their proper essence and substance Gelas cont Eutâ—…h without being confounded or changed the one into the other Euen so as the ancient Fathers haue taught in the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ the visible Elements Theodor Dialog 2. mystically ioyned vnto the inuisible grace do not depart from their former nature and substance For he that honoured the signes which we see with the names of his Body and Bloud did not change the nature of the signes but did adde grace to nature And therefore the Apostle did often call it by the same name of Bread after it was consecrated to be the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11. of his Body But for that our Romanists doe so presse the bare words of our blessed Sauiour we may iustly demaund of them in what words of our Lord shall we find that he tooke Bread either to abolish the substance of it and to make the bare and naked shewes thereof to be the outward signes in the Sacrament and and to bring his body into the place of it or to turne the whole substance of it into the substance of his Body Yea where shall we find in these words This is my Body that this doth signifie either Christs Body it selfe or an Indiuiduum vagum that is an vndetermined particular or else as their owne glosle grosly affirmeth nothing at all And verily the words of Christ and explications thereof taken out of other like places of holy Scripture are nothing with them for that vnlesse they be sowly wrested and turned they will nothing at all further their turne QVEST. VI. The righteousnesse of the Law deliuered by Moses is that true righteousnesse whereby we are iustified before God and not that righteousnesse which is said to be obtayned by the obseruation of Popish Vowes The morall Law is Gods aeternall and vnchangeable righteousnesse it commandeth vs to loue the Lord with all our heart soule and strength and our neighbour as our selues which are duties most righteous and iust To the singular excellency of the which Law Moses the first pen-man thereof beareth witnesse saying What Nation is so great that hath Deut. 4. 8. Lawes and Ordinances so righteous as is all this Law that I set before you this day And to the righteousnesse that is obtayned by the perfect obseruation thereof he likewise beareth witnesse saying This shall be our righteousnesse euen before the Deut. 6. 25. Lord our God if we take heed to keepe all these Commandements which he hath commanded vs. As to the most ample reward obtained thereby not onely the Apostle beareth witnesse saying Doe this and thou shalt liue but also our Sauiour Christ Rom. 10 5. Matth. 19. 17. himselfe If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements But this blessing is not promised but to the totall and continuall obseruation thereof seeing the failing in either bringeth Deut. 2. 29. Gal. 3. 10. the contrary curse Wherefore when all the Posterity of Adam was disabled by his fall fully to keepe all these Commandements Our most blessed Sauiour came in our nature to 〈◊〉 them for vs Gal 4 4. that so he might procure vnto vs righteousnesse and life And so our blessed Sauiour himselfe testifieth saying I came not to Matth 3 31. destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them For by the Gospell the Law is not made voyde but established For if our Rom 3 31. Sauiour Christ had not throughly fulfilled for vs that righteousnesse that is required in the Law vnto the which the promise is made he had not procured for vs righteousnesse and life Wherefore intollerable is the pride and presumption of the Founders of the Religious Orders of the Church of Rome which teach that their rules lay open a way to a more perfect righteousnesse then is contayned in the Law of God and that their superstitious Votaries can thereby not onely merit for themselues euerlasting life but also doe many workes of supererogation auaileable for the saluation of other men QVEST. VII We are not iustified by those workes of righteousnesse commanded in the Law of God which are wrought by our selues but by those which were wrought for vs by our Sauiour Christ in his owne person and are imputed to vs and made ours through faith Arguments drawne from the formall cause Moses saith the Apostle describeth the righteousnesse that is of the Law that the man that doth these things shall liue therein But the righteousnesse that is of faith speaketh on this manner Say not thou in thine heart who shall ascend it to heauen for that is to fetch Christ from aboue Or who shall descend into hell for that is to bring Christ from the dead but what saith it The Rom. 10. 5. word is neare thee euen in thy mouth and in thine heart and this is the word of Faith which we preach For if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and beleeue in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued For with the heart man
of Gods correction and a signe or token of his displeasure as all other crosses and calamities are Poore Lazarus was brought into the bosome of rich Abraham both which were rich in God and poore in spirit Marke this saith Saint Austin that ye doe not as commonly men Aug. ad Hillar Epist 89. do blame rich men and put your trust in a poore estate for if a maÌ„ should not put his trust in his riches much lesse in pouerty QVEST. LI. The people ought to be able to try and to discerne the doctrine of their Teachers Doe yee not know saith the Apostle that the Saints shall 1 Cor. 6. 2. iudge the world If the world then shall be iudged by you are yee not worthy to iudge the smallest matters Know yee not that wee shall iudge the Angels how much more then the things of this life So may we reason also that if the faithfull people of God shall iudge the world and the very Angels themselues much more may they boldly take vpon themselues to try and discerne the doctrine of their Pastors and Teachers Our most blessed Sauiour thought it no disgrace to himselfe to haue his diuine doctrine examined of the people by the rule of the Scriptures nay he that requireth the same at their hands saying Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to haue life Ioh. 5. 39. and they are they that testifie of me and beare witnesse to my doctrine that it is of God Yea the Lord so approued the Berâ—ans for that they receiued the word with all readines searched the Scriptures whether those things which Saint Paul Act. 17. â—1 taught them were agreeable thereto that thereby he brought many of them to the faith It is then no presumption in the people to examine the doctrine of their Pastors and Teachers seeing it is not onely approued but commanded by the Lord and enioyned the Corinthians also by the Apostle I speake saith he as to them that haue vnderstanding iudge yee what I say The refusall 1 Cor. 10 15. hereof by the hereticke Auxentius was sharpely reprooued by holy and Orthodoxe Saint Ambrose Auxentius saith he Amb. Ep. l. 5. in oratione cont Auxentium speaking to the people knowing you not to be ignorant of the faith hath shunned your iudgement and hath chosen foure or fiue heathen men Then in that he hath chosen Infidels he is worthy to be condemned of Christians because he reiected the Apostles precept where he saith Dare any of you hauing ought against another be iudged vnder the vniust and not rather vnder the Saints Yee see then that which he hath offered is against the authority of the Apostle But what speake I saith hee of the Apostle when the LORD himselfe proclaimeth by his Prophet Heare yee mee O my people that know what belongeth to iudgement in whose heart my Law is God saith Heare yee mee O my people that know iudgement Auxentius saith You know not â—ow to iudge Yee see then that he contemneth God in you which refuseth the sense of this heauenly Oracle For the people in whose heart the Law of God is doth iudge And doe not the Popish Priests likewise ioyne with this impious Arrian Auxentius in refusing to stand to the Oracle of God while they refuse to haue their doctrine examined and iudged by the people whether it be agreeable vnto the diuine doctrine of the Canonicall Scripture QVEST. LII Our whole Iustification and Saluation is by the free and vndeserued mercy of God in Christ The Apostles plain asseueration that we are iustified freely by Rom. 3. 24. the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus hath forced the Church of Rome to auouch that there is a double iustification The first by grace and the second by the merit of our owne workes But his doubling is flat contrary to the simplicity of the Gospell For the Apostle plainly auoucheth that not onely at the first we are reconciled vnto God by Christ and are brought into his fauour and loue and are iustified and saued by his Bloud but much more that we are brought to the end of our saluation and to our full and finall glorification by the very same meanes God saith the Apostle setteth out his loue toward vs seeing while wee were yet Rom. 5. 8. sinners Christ dyed for vs much more then being iustified by his bloud we shall be saued froÌ„ wrath by him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saued by his life In the which words of the Apostle it is manifestly and distinctly set downe that as it is the grace of God in Christ whereby we are reconciled vnto God and iustified at the first so it is the very selfe-same grace of God in Christ that doth saue vs at the last And Greg. Moral lib. 2. cap. 4. so a Bishop of Rome it selfe in her better times hath taught saying The first grace begat me in faith being naked and the very self-same grace shall saue me being naked take me vp into glory Wherefore if we desire to be partakers of the fruit of our redemption wrought for vs by Christ let vs not so meanly thinke thereof as if he should haue begun it onely by his obedience and left it to be finished by our selues Let vs not imagine that he paid but a part of our ransome and a parcell of the price that was to be tendred to God for the full purchase of the glorious inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen and left it to our selues to discharge the rest Or if we cannot but confesse that he paid the whole summe and the full price let vs not impute to the God of all mercy and the most excellent Patron and Patterne of all Pitty such an hard and vniust kind of dealing as if he should exact againe a new payment at our hands for that which was fully purchased and paid for before Vndoubtedly if our title to the heauenly inheritance by the obedience and righteousnesse of Christ be sufficient good why should we seeke after any other title Seeing Law and reason teacheth vs this that that thing Quod semel â—…eum est non potest ampliâ—… fieri meum Qui semel factus est dominus non potest ex alia causa fieri dominus Quia nemo potest acquirere dominium â—…ci suae which is once iustly mine cannot be made more mine And he that is once made a right owner of a thing cannot againe by another title be made owner of the same thing seeing no man can get againe the Dominion of that which was his own before If then our first title to our Iustification and Saluation by the free and vndeserued mercy of God in Christ be good and sufficient then we cannot afterward lay any claime thereunto by the broken and forged title of our owne workes
pledges and pawnes of Gods loue procured for vs by Christ Iesus and as the first fruites of that heauenly inheritance which he himselfe hath purchased for vs how can we but rest assured to be brought in the time appointed by the Lord to the possession of that whereof we haue so certaine an earnest and so sure a pledge In pasting ouer temporall Land from man to man we esteeme much of good securitie which highly commendeth euen an hard bargaine A sound title and a good conueyance from such and such persons to such and such other maketh the security to be sufficient The goodliest possession that can be passed ouer to any of the sonnes of men is the glorious manner of the coelestiall Paradise the true title thereunto is Christ and his righteousnesse the conueyance thereof is the Word and the Sacraments which giue Christ to all that beleeue and the sure and certaine earnest of the same is the first fruits of the Spirit But to our Romish Catholickes the righteousnesse of our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ performed for vs in his owne person and imputed vnto vs by the Lords most free and vndeserued mercy is a meere nullity and new no iustice and the apprehension thereof by faith is a phantasticall apprehension of that which is not a false faith and an vntrue imputation as our masters of Rhemes haue taught For their Rhem. in c. 3. ad Rom. title to the heauenly Paradise is the merit of that righteousnes which is wrought by themselues and their conueyances are the Popes Indulgences and Pardons and their Priests Absolutions and Masses and the deuotions of the men of their Religious orders But what is their securitie for all this verily nono at all for they are commanded to liue still in feare and doubtfulnesse because they know not how much they faile in the measure and manner of the fulfilling of this righteousnesse and whether or no they shall be enabled to perseuere And verily no maruaile that their security for their heauenly happinesse is so small or none at all seeing their pay for the same is in such light and clipt money yea in such base and counterfeit coyne and their conueyance thereof so feeble and weake The faith of our Romish Catholicks as they themselues teach is such a faith as may be in the deuils and therefore no maruaile but as the deuils beleeue and tremble so they doe beleeue and Iac. 2. 19. tremble also but wheras the pay made for the purchase of the coelestiall Paradise vnto all faithfull Christians is the absolute and perfect rigteousnesse of Christ performed for them and the conueyauce thereof vnto them is the Lords gracious grant thereof set downe in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles and sealed with the seales of the holy Sacraments both of the Old and New Testament therefore the true faithfull Christian needeth not to feare and to doubt of his saluation seeing he hath so good euidence for the same For seeing Christ hath deliuered them out of the hands of their enemies that they should serue the Lord without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse Luke 1. 74. all the dayes of their liues why should they feare or doubt to enioy the fruit of this deliuerance wrought by such a person and by such meanes Assuredly they doe not as the Apostle testifieth speaking in the name of all the faithfull Yee saith he haue not receiued Rom. 8. 16. the spirit of bondage to feare againe but yee haue receiued the spirit of adoption where by we cry Abba Father the same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the Sonnes of God if we be children wee bee also heires of God and heires annexed with Christ This ioyfull and comfortable security of all true and faithfull Christians Saint Cyprian setteth Cypr contra Demetriadem downe after this manner There is saith he with vs strength of hope and stedfastnesse of faith amidst the ruines of a decaying world a couragious minde and a constant vertue and a patience alwayes ioyfull and a soule alwayes secure of God to be our God Thus doth both Scripture and Fathers set forth that comfortable security which GOD by his Spirit hath setled in the hearts of his faithfull seruants The security then which they condemne is that whereby men are made either awlâ—sse of falling into temptations or carelesse of vsing the meanes appointed by God to withstand tentations or bold of their own strength in vsing the meanes and so negligent therby to craue continuall aide and assistance from the Lord for if we fearing to fall into tentations vse carefully the meanes appointed by God to withstand the same and distrusting our owne strength call continually to God for his aide then as the Apostle himselfe commandeth we ought in all things to be secure or without feare being Phil. 4. 6. throughly perswaded of this that the euent of all things shall be happy and that God will turne all to our good Rom. 8. 26. And verily the true Christian faith driueth away distrustfull feare out of the soule of euery true sincere Christian maketh manifest vnto him the soundnes vprightnes of his own heart seeing otherwise it could neuer leade him to true happinesse Yea as the most learned Dr. Fotherby our late most Reuerend and most louing Diocesan Lord Bishop of Sarum lib. 1. Cap. 12. Fol. 1 22. Hath shewed out of diuers of the bookes of the wisest among the Heathen true happinesse hath bin esteemed for a man to haue his soule free froÌ„ terror fearefulnesse nay without this freedome and security it is most certaine that it cannot enioy so much as a shadow of any foelicity or any sound comfort and true contentment seeing true contentment and sound comfort and ioy is founded in a couragious confidence of the heart and in the quiet security and tranquillity of the mind To be full of feare and terrour is a property belonging to a 1 Ioh. 4. 18. 〈◊〉 yea it is a 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 conâ—rary to true confidence and courage Feare saith the Apostle hath Cura quasi cor vrens painefulnesse and it brâ—edeth that care that burneth and scorcheth the heart and 〈◊〉 the soule and it hastneth those Apoc. 21. 8. that willingly entertaine it towards the horrours of hell and excludeth them from the ioyes of Heauen How then ought all the sincere Professors of the Gospell to be thankefull to God for that he hat sent his Gospell vnto them and hath opened theâ—… eyes thereby so to apprehend his vnspeakeable 〈◊〉 Christ reuealed therein that therby they are effectually stirred vp to loue God especially seeing as the Apostle saith there is no feare in loue but perfect loue 1 Ioh. 4. 18. casteth out feare For as a chast spouse is not iealous of her kind huâ—band and a dutiful sonne is not so fearefull as to think that his tender-hearted Father will withdraw his loue froÌ„
called our whole sanctification for that it worketh our whole sanctification as infidelitie is called the proper and after a sort the only sinne because it is the originall of all vnrighteousnesse Aug. cont Ep. Relag lib. 3. cap. 〈◊〉 For what good thing is there that is not obtained by faith By faith we are iustified Rom. 5. 1. By faith we are saued Ephes 2. 8. By faith we are made the sonnes of God Gal 3. 26. By faith we are incorporated into the heauenly Ierusalem and by it as by a cognizance or badge we are distinguished from all other societies The Catholike Faith saith Saint Austine doth distinguish the iust from the vniust not by the Law of workes but of faith without the Aug. ad Bonif. lib. 3. cap. 5. which those very workes which seeme to be good are turned into sinne Now if it were but in these respects faith might challenge the chiefest place of precedency and honour in the assembly of all her princely Peeres but much more may she doe it for that in her owne proper worke she is imploied in beholding imbracing and magnnifying of all the diuine excellences and perfections that be in God wherein consisteth the most proper and peculiar glory and honour of God By workes saith Chrysostome we obey God but faith Chrysost hom 8. in Ep. ad Rom. entertaineth a meet opinion of God and glorifieth him and maketh him much more to be admired then doth the shewing forth of good workes Works commend the doer but faith commendeth God only and what it is it is wholly his for it reioiceth in this that it conceiueth great things which redound to his glory Wherefore no maruell that the Lord himselfe hath such a respect to faith that all his gracious and glorious workes and wordes tend either to the begetting or strengthening of the same For why hath the Lord accomplished his most glorious workes of the Creation Redemption and sanctification but that they might be testimonies of his goodnesse mirrours of his mercy seales of his speciall Act. 14. 17. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Apoc 7. 2. Ephes 1. 14. Cant 1. 3. Hos 11. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 13. grace and fauour pawnes and pledges of his fatherly kindenesse and loue that so he might draw vs and binde vs vnto himselfe and cause vs to trust perfectly in this his fauour and grace which is thus and thus ratified and confirmed vnto vs So why did our most blessed Sauiour send forth his Apostles into the whole world to preach and publish to all creatures these so ioifull tidings of such inestimable fauours as are contained in the Gospell but that the whole woâ—ld might be conuerted to the faith and might beleeue and â—o be saued As for the same end hath he caused the same to be â—…ned for all posterities that thereby there might be wrâ—…t a sauing Marke 16. 16. Iohn 20. 31. faith in the hearts of all the children of God euâ—… to the worlds end Wherefoâ—e without 〈…〉 most singular gift of God sâ—eing 〈…〉 meaâ—es for the effecting and working thereof yea 〈◊〉 most rare blessing and hardly gotten seeing where theâ—…â—…gular meanes are best vsed euen thereof 〈◊〉 appeareth little fruit When 〈◊〉 more 〈◊〉 an Euangelist then a Prophet had published this doctrine of faith euen to the Lords own people whâ—… waâ— his owne testimony concerning his successe thereof Esay 53. 1. but thâ—… Lord who hath beleeued our report to whomis the arme of the Lord 〈◊〉 Nay when our blessed Sauiour himself came in his own person to preach these glad ridings of the Gospell euen with the mouth tongue of the Son of God after so wise and powerfull a manner that his very enemies did wonder at the gracious words that came out of his mouth and were forced to confesse That neuer man spake as he did Yea Luke 4 22. Ioh. 17. 46. after he had wrought many strange and wonderfull signes for the further confirmation thereof yet all this tooke so small effect that by the testimony of Saint Iohn being an eie witnesse of all these things then also was fulfilled the former prophesie Lord who hath beleeued our report Yea their infidelity Iohn 12. 37. Marke 6. 6. was so great that our Sauiour Christ maruelled thereat And yet behold a thing more to be maruelled at that the Apostles themselues who continually heard our Sauiours diuine and heauenly doctrine and daily saw his wonderfull workes were yet so hardly brought to the faith that our Sauiour after his resurrection forced to reprooue them most bitterly for it saying Oh ye fooles and â—low of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken No maruell then that albeit Luke 24. 25. the Gospel be published and reuiued in these last daies before the comming of Christ to iudgement by many singular and excellent instruments yet when the Sonne of man commeth he shall not finde faith on the earth Luke 18. 8. The truth is that it is an easie matter to beleeue lies because they are agreeable to our corrupt nature but the doctrine of truth teaching the assurance of Gods loue in Christ is a strange paradox contrary to the common opinion of men We saith the Apostle â—each Iesus Christ crucified a stumbling 1 Cor. 1. 23. bâ—ocke to the â—ew and foolishnesse to the Gâ—ecian Or be it that a slender assent and a formall approbation of the doctrine of faith proceeding from some slight apprehension thereof may bee somewhat generall where it hath beene long time taught by the Preacher and commanded by the Prince yet a settled perswasion proceeding from a sure and sound apprehension is vndoubtedly a strange and wonderfull worke of God Without aâ—… controuersie saith the Apostle great is 1 Tim. 3. 16. this mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh iustified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles and beleeued on in the world yea the agreement of faith with the heart of man is esteemed by Saint Austine to be one of the greatest miracles of our Christian profession And verily if either we looke vpon the prophane worldlings we shall see them scorning at the assurance of the faithfull Sap. 2. 13. which causeth them to glory that God is their Father and hath adopted them for his Sonnes Or if we cast our eyes vpon the faithfull seruant of God himselfe when he is in any great spirituall conflict we shall soone see how ready he is to let loose the sure hold of his hope and to plunge himselfe into the gulfe of despaire because he is guiltie to himselfe of offending so good and so gracious a God by his owne manifold and great iniquities and sinnes Wherefore albeit we haue attained to such a measure of faith as was giuen by Christ to his owne Apostles yet had Luke 17. 5. Marke 9 24. we need continually to pray O Lord increase our faith and to say with the Father of the possessed
any one action that the Law requireth with our whole mind will and spirit therefore we sinne in euery action therefore all our actions are stayned and polluted and to euery one of them we transgresse the Law of God how farre then are wee from the perfect obseruation thereof in all our actions QVEST. III. The ignorance and not the knowledge of the Scriptures is the cause of all errours and sinnes The Law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule from walking in the by-pathes of errours and sinnes and leading it Psal 19. 7. in the right way of truth and righteousnesse the testimonies of the Lord are sure and giue wisedome to the simple For doth pure seed breed Tares or pure Corne And doth wholesome food breed noisome or wholesome humours Vndoubtedly light and sight preserue from stumbling and falling it is Ioh 11. 9. Matth. 22. 29. darkenesse and blindnesse that cause both Yee erre saith our blessed Sauiour to the seduced Sadduces not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Euen as their seduced Fathers erred in their hearts because they knew not the Lords Psal 95. 10. Chrysost Hom. 3. de Lazaro wayes The ignorance of the Scripture saith Chrysostome brought in haeresies and a corrupt life and made a confusion of all things Wherefore it is a note of an euill person to hate the light Ioh. 3. 20. lâ—st his deeds should be reproued as it is a badge of an haereticke to accuse the Scriptures of ambiguity and obscurity as Irenaeus affirmeth for that in truth they doe without ambiguity Iren. l 3. c. 2. and obscurity giue definitiue sentence against their haeresies From the which badge and cognizance if the Romish Church will be set free let her purge out of the bookes of her deare darlings the slanderous accusations of the Scriptures which are in them and let her giue a generall liberty to the lay people to haue the Scriptures in a knowne tongue that so they may the more easily attaine to knowledge and let her not any longer commend a blinde faith nor teach that faith consisteth rather in ignorance then in knowledge QVEST. IV. Not the sufferings or righteousnesse of any mere Man but onely of our blessed Sauiour both God and Man are of sufficient worthinesse to satisfie for sinne and to merit the inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen Arguments drawne from the materiall cause As in Adam was the common nature of all men he being the roote all other the branches that so he might be a fit person with whom the legall Couenant might be made which was that if he would stand stedfast in obedience to the Law of God which was written in his heart and the which he was enabled to performe he should conueigh ouer his nature holy and pure to all his posterity and be translated from an earthly to an heauenly Paradise but if by his fall he stayned and polluted it he should conueigh it ouer to them stayned and polluted and make himselfe and all that by ordinary propagation came from him subiect to all miseries and woes So in Christ Iesus the second Adam was the common nature of man he being the roote and the faithfull the branches and vpon him Rom. 11. 17. Ioh. 15. 5. Gal. 3. 17. Act. 3. 26. was grounded the Euangelicall Couenant that the sufferings which he endured and the righteousnesse which he performed in our nature not for himselfe but for vs should be auaileable to all that are vnited vnto him by a true faith both for their deliuerance from that condemnation which was due vnto them in respect of their sinnes and for the purchasing vnto them of the glorious inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen Vnto all such as seeke to be saued and iustified by their owne workes our Sauiours answere is If yee will enter into life Matth. 19. 16. viz. by this doore keepe the Commandements but to all such as inquire and desire to enter into life by the right doore they must looke to the answere giuen by the Apostle to the Iaylor demaunding how he should be saued Beleeue said he in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy houshould that Act. 16. 31. ioyne with thee in the true faith So Saint Peter to the same demand Repent and be baptized euery one of you in the Name Act. 2. 38. of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the Holy Ghost So our blessed Sauiour himselfe The Kingdome of God is at hand repent and beleeue the Gospell Now Mar. 1. 15. what this Gospell is that Christ himselfe first preached in Iury and commanded his Apostles to preach to the whole world The Apostle Saint Paul sheweth saying God hath made Iesus 2 Cor. 3. 21. Christ sinne for vs which knew no sinne that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him In all the which Testimonies we are giuen to vnderstand that we haue great cause to repent vs for all our workes which are nothing else but sinnes which are so odious to God and so dangerous to our owne soules that vnlesse Christ had made himselfe a sacrifice for them we could not haue beene freed from death and damnation and as concerning that righteousnesse vnto the which euerlasting life was due that we could not find in our selues but Christ was to performe it for vs also otherwise wee could not bee partakers of life euerlasting For there must be a due and an equall proportion betweene the satisfaction and the debt and betweene the price and the thing purchased if in iustice the one and the other shall discharge and deserue the one and the other But there is no equall proportion between the sufferings and righteousnesse of a meere man and betweene sinne and the loue of God and aeternall happinesse consisting therein but onely betweene the sufferings and righteousnesse of our blessed and glorious Immanuel God and Man For the effect proceeding from the cause cannot exceed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eth. l. 2. c. 1. vertue and power thereof seeing the dignity and worth of the one ariseth out of the worth and dignity of the other Now the workes of Christ proceeded from his humane nature personated in his Diuine and both his natures did concurre in effecting the most gracious and glorious work of the redemption of man whereas the faithfull are not personally vnited to the Sonne of God or to the Holy Ghost nor haue the spirit aboue measure but haue the remnants of originall sinne still staying in them and stayning their best workes and therefore not the workes of Christ wrought in vs by his Spirit but those that he performed in his owne person for vs are fully satisfactory for all our sinnes and absolutely meritorious of the Crowne of Glory QVEST. V. The Bread and Wine in the Eucharist are not transubstantiated into the Body and Bloud of Christ Bread and Wine in
feet but with their affections QVEST. IX The manner of receiuing Christ in the Eucharist is not carnall but spirituall The faithfull that liued before the Incarnation of Christ as the Apostle saith sed vpon the same heauenly Manna and 1 Cor. 10. 3. bread of life as we now doe but they did not eate the flesh of Christ with their bodily mouthes neither then doe the faithfull so now And verily whereas by the ministery of the word and baptisme in our new birth and inchoation of our sanctification we receiue not Christ after a bodily manner but after a spirituall and yet are thereby regenerated and quickened to an holy life Why then is not the growth and increase of our sanctification by the ministery of the same word and Eucharist wrought and accomplished after the same manner Verily Saint Austine so thought and therefore said that Aug. in Iohn tract 26. man is inuisibly fed because he is inuisibly regenerated Hee is saith he inwardly a babe and inwardly renewed and in what part he is newly borne in that part he is also fed therefore exhorteth the faithful not to prepare their iawes but their hearts Yea saith he why preparest thou thy teeth and thy Aug. de verb. Dom secundum Luc Ser. 33. Aug. in Ioh. tract 25. De consecrat dist 2. belly Beleeue and thou hast eaten Nay it is not lawfull if their owne glosse say the truth to presle the body of Christ with our teeth and if we entertaine any such grosse conceit we erre more dangerously then euer Berengarius did And verily it was the common opinion of the ancient Fathers that Christ was not a bodily but a ghostly food So Chrysostome This food feedeth not the body but the soule Chrysost in Iob. hom 4. yea it is the proper nourishment of the soule And therefore saith he when we come to the Eucharist we whet not our teeth to bite but we breake the sanctified Bread with a sound faith So Saint Ambrose de ijs qui initiantur mysterijs cap. 9. And how can it be otherwise For seeing our coniunction with Christ is not carnall but spirituall our feeding vpon him cannot be carnall but spirituall Our coniunction with Christ saith Saint Cyprian doth not mingle persons nor vnite substances Cypr. de câ—…na viz. After a bodily manner but it doth combine affections and conioyne wils with the affection saith Saint Bernard Christ is touched and not with the hand with the Bernard in Cant. serm 26. desire and not with the eye with faith and not with the senses So Saint Ambrose We touch not Christ by our bodily hands Ambros l. 10. in 24. Luc. de hora dominicae resurrectionis but by faith and therefore neither vpon the earth nor in the earth nor after the flesh ought we to seeke Christ if we will finde him And this very lesson hee learned of the Apostle For henceforth saith he know we Christ no more after the 2 Cor. 5. 16. flesh but if any man be in Christ let him be a new creature For by the qualities of the new creature planted in our hearts whereof faith is the principall we are ioyned vnto Christ and not after a bodily manner QVEST. X. Iustification and Saluation is wrought onely by Christ and not by any other whosoeuer Arguments drawne from the finall cause Sacraments were ordayned to this end that by visible signes apt to resemble inuisible graces a plaine and euident testimony might be giuen by the one vnto the other As in the Lords Supper by Bread and Wine being the aptest creatures to nourish vs in this temporall life this doctrine is cleared and confirmed vnto vs that iustification and life euerlasting is giuen vnto vs onely by Christ who is the true Manna that came downe from heauen and the very Bread of eternall life The which thing is repeated and inculcated againe and againe in the sixt of Saint Iohn that so we might be throughly perswaded Ioh. 6. 33. of the vndoubted truth thereof As likewise in Baptisme by Water being a most fit creature to cleanse our bodily vncleannesse is shewed and ratified vnto vs that it is the most pure and precious Bloud of Christ that is able to cleanse 1 Ioh. 1. 7. vs from all our sinnes which defile our soules Whosoeuer then ascribe our iustification and saluation not onely to Christ and his Bloud doe derogate from the testimonies of the holy Sacraments Yea they which ascribe these gracious blessings to the externall Sacramentall Elements which are the proper effects of the inuisible Grace signified by them doe as much as 1 Pet. 3. 21. in them lyeth cause these outward Elements to giue testimony flat contrary to that whereunto they were ordayned by Christ himselfe QVEST. XI The faithfull ought to be certainely assured of their owne saluation The Sacraments were not onely ordayned to shew and signifie vnto the faithfull that their iustification and saluation is onely by Christ but also to be seales of the same vnto them Rom 4. 11. and to giue them the assurance thereof in their owne hearts The which thing if it be true in the Sacraments of the Old Testament much more is it so in the sacraments of the New seeing they are instruments of greater grace The cup of blessing 1 Cor. 10. 16. saith the Apostle which we blesse is it not the Communion of the Bloud of Christ The Bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ That is ought not we that beleeue in Christ be as throughly perswaded of our spirituall participation of Christ the food of our soules and of eternall life in him by faith the mouth of our soules as wee are assured that we are partakers of the outward elements of Bread and Wine and of our bodily nourishment thereby in this temporall life and especially whereas the names of the outward signes are changed by the Spirit of God and receiue the names of things signified as the Bread is called the Body of Christ and the participation of the Bread the participation of his Body and that to this end that the religious receiuers of these holy mysteries should not looke to the nature of the things that are seene but beleeue the change made by grace in that they being Sacraments are not now common creatures but holy pledges and seales of our communion with Christ and all his Theodor. dial 1. blessings therefore the faithfull receiuing the one should rest assured of their participation in the other So reasoneth Saint Bernard A Ring is simply giuen for a Bern. de Câ—…a Dom. Ring and it carrieth no further signification with it it is also giuen to aduance a man to some place of dignity and honour or else to settle one in the possession of an inheritance insomuch that he that hath receiued it may say This Ring is nothing worth but it is the inheritance that I
Sauiour in these Chrysost in Matth. Hom. 30. Hillar in Mat. cap. 9. words did not confute their opinion that God onely can forgiue sinnes but proueth vnto them by his manner of curing of bodily diseases that he himselfe was God and therefore did in no wise blaspheme when he tooke vpon him to pardon sinne Wherefote seeing by this censure of our blessed Sauiour it belongeth to the selfe-same power to cure the sickenesse both of body and soule there oâ—e seeing that neither the Pope by his Indulgences nor his Priests by their Masses can cure the diseases of the bodies much lesse can they cure thereby the sinnes of the soules seeing that also is a greater and an harder Cure QVEST. XXXIII Regeneration is not wrought by the power of our owne free will but by the operation of the Spirit of God Arguments drawne from things that be diuers Ioh. 1. 3. As many as receiued him to them he gaue this dignity to bee the Sonnes of God Euen to them that beleeued in his Name which were borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God By the which manifold denyall of the power of mans will to be of any actiuity of it selfe in the worke of regeneration our blessed Sauiour would giue vs to vnderstand that he is too too wilfull that will yet contradict the same And how doth our free-will helpe to bring vs to God seeing as our Sauiour testifieth No man commeth Ioh. 6. 44. vnto him vnlesse he be drawne Now if we must be drawne when we are brought vnto God what forwardnesse and freenesse is there in our selues Surely as Austin saith Christ therefore vttered these words that Aug. in Enchir cap. 32. we should be perswaded that there is no free-will or merit in our selues for who is drawen or forced if he be willing The truth is yet saith he that no man commeth to Christ vnlesse he be willing but he is wrought vpon by a strange manner by him that knoweth how to worke within men euen in their very hearts not that they should beleeue against their will which is impossible but that they being by nature of themselues vnwilling should by his grace and by the operation of his Spirit be made willing For it is Gods grace that doth preuent vs and of vnwilling maketh vs willing and afterward doth assist vs when wee are willing least wee will in vaine Vndoubtedly in the performance of euery good work done by vs 〈◊〉 our selues both will and worke but this wee doe not oâ— ouâ—selues for it is God that worketh in vs both the will Phil. 2. 13. and the deede and that also of his owne good will For if we take any good worke in hand It is God saith the Apostle that Phil. 1. 6. beginneth the same in vs and it is he also that doth finish the same Wherefore seeing when we are first called to the estate of grace we are vnwilling to yeeld thereunto our will then of it selfe doth not further the worke of the Spirit of God in our Regeneration vntill it be first altered and changed by God QVEST. XXXIV None are elected for their fore-seene workes It is not of him that willeth saith the Apostle nor of him Rom. 9. 16. that runneth viz. that he is elected to eternall life but of God that taketh morâ—y For so God saith to Moses I will haue mercy on him to whom I will shew mercy and I will haue compassion on him on whom I will shew compassion And this the Apostle further sheweth by the Lords different kind of dealing with Iacob and Esau being borne at the same time and of the same parents For before they were borne and when they had done neither good nor euill that the purpose of God might remaine according to election not by workes but by him that calleth it was said vnto her The Elder shall serue the younger as it is written I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau Whereby it is euident that our election doth not depend vpon fore seene Eph. 1. 4. workes but vpon the free mercy of Christ QVEST. XXXV A true sauing faith is not seated in that soule where Infidelity raigneth or any other sinne Arguments drawen from 〈…〉 A true sauing faith being an infused habite a principall grace and a singular fruit of Gods most holy Spirit doth neuer sort her selfe but with her princely Peeres shee 〈◊〉 ioyneth hands with Infidelity or any other her assocâ—… which are the corrupt fruits of the impure flesh For What fellowship 2 Cor. 6. 14. hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse What communion hath light with darkenesse What concord hath Christ with Beliall What part hath a Beleeuer with an Infidell So much more may we say what part hath faith with Infidelity or with any other raigning sinne For these are not onely so vnequall but also so contrary each to other that they cannot be mated and matched together Yee cannot saith our Sauiour Christ serue God and Matth. 6. 24. 1 Cor. 10. 21. Mammon Yee cannot saith the Apostle be pertakers of the Table of the Lord and of the table of Diuels The true sauing faith is not an idle fancy but worketh by loue It is not fruitlesse Gal. 5. 6. and dead but fruitfull and liuing and producing the operations of a spirituall life For if all things obey humane wisedome Iam. 2. 22. if a wise man frame to himselfe his owne estate if hee domineer ouer the influences of the starres if he ouer-rule his owne vnruly affections and ouer-master his owne masterlesse lusts then surely as powerfull and actiue is the true Christian faith which rightly may be called and is indeed an heauenly wisedome Now a sauing faith or heauenly wisedome is pure Iac. 3. 17. peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruit and therefore is not seated in that soule where Infidelity raigneth or any other sinnes which pollute the soule wherein they are seated and filleth it with all euill fruit QVEST. XXXVI Iustification and Saluation are not of workes neither can they be deserued by them Grace and merit fauour and desert are so contrary each to Rom. 4. 4. 11. 6. Eph. 2. 8. Audi gratis tace de meritis Primas in Ep. ad Rom. cap. 3. Bern. in Cant. Ser. 17. Aug. in praefatione in Ps 31. other that whereas Iustification and Saluation proceed from free Grace and Fauour therefore the Apostle in diuers places inferreth that they cannot proceed from the merits of our owne workes So Primasius when thou hearest grace named make no mention at all of merits For as Bernard saith there is no meanes for grace to enter where merit hath taken the possession And therefore as Saint Austin admonisheth if thou wilt needs be estranged from grace then boast thou of thy merits And this inference they had learned of the Apostle who telleth the Galathians