in the minde knowledge being put for affiaunce as the cause is often put for the effect Thus Coll. 2. 2. Faith is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the full assurance and certaine preswasion of the vnderstanding and so throughout the wholle scripture faith is made nothing else but beleefe and to haue faith nothing but to beleeue that the worde promises and threatnings of GOD are true But in trueth to make vp the full nature of fayth there must be added to this action of the minde an action of the heart and will to wit affiaunce We confesse that there is a kinde of faith which is a meere perswasion of the minde as namelie that which is called the fayth of miracles whereby a man being perswaded of the power and will of GOD for the effecting of strange thinges doth by vertue of that knowledge worke miracles but this fayth doth not concerne the saluation of man and therefore doth not belong to our purpose In the second place the definition giueth vs to vnderstand that the obiect or thing whereat fayth aimeth and where about it is conuersant is not anie particular blessing or good whatsoeuer but full and perfect happinesse which containeth in it all graces blessings pleasures and ioyes whatsoeuer doe anie waie make for the good and excellent estate of man Likewise the promises of GOD whereon faith relieth are those which are made concerning happinesse Yet sometimes it pleaseth GOD to make some one particular and temporarie blessing a signe and pledge of eternall and vniuersall happinesse and then the faith of the beleeuer relieth it selfe first and immediatly vppon the saide particular promise and on the blessing therein contained but it doth not rest there but through that particular obiect doth see and take holde of eternall happinesse Thus GOD promised to Abraham being nowe stricken in yeares a sonne this promise Abraham did fully apprehende by faith and by this meanes became happie and was accounted iust before GOD. Rom. 4. 22. Abraham beleeued God promising a sonne vnto him this his particular faith was accounted to him for righteousnesse for that in that one blessing he saw the infinite treasures of Gods mercy loue and bountie propounded vnto him Although we might answere another way saying that the obiect of Abrahams faith was not onely Isaac but also Christ the sauiour of the worlde who was to come of Isaac and to make all the nations of the earth happie Likewise Math. 9. The man sicke of a palsey vnder his bodily and temporarie health looked for eternall saluation as Christ the searcher of the harte doth witnesse saying to him thy fayth hath saued and purchased to thee thy former health withall pardon of sinnes vvhich is euerlasting happinesse Heereof ariseth a third point to be considered to vvit that this faith doth after a speciall manner both tie man to God and so bring forth all the rest of the partes of holinesse for as this is ingrafted into the nature of all liuing creatures to preserue themselues in a good estate so especially those vvhich are indued vvith reason namely Angels and men as soone as the exist they do in the first place bend all the force of their mindes to seeke out some meanes of continuing and increasing their ovvne happinesse The meanes vvhich doe in this consideration offer themselues are of tvvo sorts the first is the onely true meanes euen God the fountaine of all happines on whose word promises made touching their happy estate they by faith depend and rely themselues and so they are ioyned to God for euer The other means is the creature it selfe trusting not in God but in it selfe vvhereof hereafter Thus faith in that it ioyneth vs to God it conueyeth from God to vs as all happinesse so also all spirituall graces and holinesse the meanes of happinesse in the vvhich respect it may be called the fountaine of all the holinesse follovving euen as vvhen vvater is brought from a fountaine or spring to any place somewhat distant by pipes of wood lead or clay the first pipe which ioyneth all the rest to the fountaine may be said to giue the water to the rest so doth faith conuey the graces following to vs and that both by the immediate extraordinary blessing of God who multiplieth his graces vpon the creature cleauing vnto him in ful affiance as men vsually giue howses land and all thinges needful to those that rely themselues vpon them as also by meanes inherent in the reasonable creature the which loueth honoureth and serueth God not for nought but as the giuer of all happinesse and so doe all the rest of the affections and faculties of mans soule follow both that light of the minde which faith bringeth with it or rather which bringeth forth faith commonly called beliefe and also faith it selfe The last words of the definition which mentiō the perfect holines of man giue vs to vnderstād that the only means of being happy is to be first perfectly holy as hath been heretofore often declared Thus much of the generall doctrine of faith now we come to the kinds of faith the which are two in number the first is the faith of the first estate to wit that wherewith Adam was indued in his creation the second is the faith of the third estate to wit that wherof all the regenerate are made partakers so that the first is a created the second a recreated faith The which two kindes as they do agree in all those pointes which haue beene declared in the former section so they differ in that which followeth The difference ariseth of the diuers kinds of that perfect holines which is mentioned in the generall definition of faith For the faith of the first estate looketh for happinesse by righteousnes inherent in the person of the beleeuer and by his own natural holines but the faith of the third estate maketh men happy by imputed righteousnes supernatural holines The cause of this difference is this God created man perfectly holy therefore he might wel looke that he should retaine that holines which was bestowed vpō him but man by his fal lost his holines therefore being now sinful vnrighteous must in this third state cloth himself with the righteousnes of some other So that in both states perfit holines is the means of attaining happines but in the first state this holines is inherent in Adams person in the second it is had from another And therefore the first kind of faith is to be defined affiance in Gods promises propounding happines to the natural proper or inherent holines of the reasonable creature whether man or Angell This faith is vsually called legall faith although not properly seing that this name agreeth also to the euangelical faith the which doth require perfect obediēce the absolute fulfilling of the morall lawe for whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ fulfilleth the lawe and hath legall iustice by the death of Christ
goodnesse of God decreeing mans saluation by this meanes this naturall propertie or qualitie to appropriate to a man Christ with his righteousnesse Lastly the first kind is easie to be had and attained vnto by supposition of perfect inherent holynesse it being agreeable to naturall reason yea there being some reliques of it in the gentils themselues who know good euil and also that the punishmeÌ„t of death is due to the one the reâ—ward of happines appointed for the other Bâ— Euangelicall fayth is supernaturall yea it contrarie to our naturall disposition and câ—â— not be attained vnto without the mighty â—â—peration of the spirite of God whereof herâ—â—after This wholle doctrine may be gathered into one summe or definition in this manner Euangelicall fayth is affiaunce in Gods promises propounding eternall saluation to all those who rely themselues wholly on the mercy of God in Christ. Or more briefly thus It is affiaunce in Christ for happines Or thus It is trust or confidence in Christ whereby his death and the righteousnesse arising thereof are appropriated to the beleeuer Nowe we are out of the seuerall parts of these definitions to search out more particularly the true nature of faith to what kynd or head it is to be referred whether it be a part of regeneration and sanctification or something diuerse from both these Secondlie what is the place and subiect of it whether the minde the wil or the affections Thirdly by what meanes it may be wrought and attained Fourthly by what signes and markes it may be knowen Fiftly whether it may be lost or no. Lastly howe it hath this force that it is of it selfe able to iustifie and to saue a man For the first Regeneration and sanctification or the newe creature or recreated holynesse or thus The newe man and holynesse signifie all one thing to wit regenerate sanctitie or in plaine English renewed holynesse so that faith if it be a part of the newe man it is a part of regeneration and of holynesse and contrariwise if it be a part of mans holinesse it is a part of regeneration of the newe man and of the newe creature That it is a part of mans holynesse we cannot doubt seeing it is a holy affection euen the affiaunce and confidence of the heart relying it selfe on God the which affection was also in Adam and therefore it is a part of regeneration and of the newe man For although there be great difference betwixt legal and euangelical faith as touching the meanes of saluation the which is in the one the iustice of God in the other his mercy yet both of them are to be referred to the same heade of mans holynesse Legall faith being a part of the created holynesse of man as Euangelicall faith is a part of his regenerated or recreated holynesse The truth hereof may easely be gathered out of the section written of faith in generall for Legall and Euangelicall faith agree in a common definition and in all those points which are there mentioned The which doth also shew vs what to thinke of the subiect of faith to wit that it is in the will of man being nothing but a holy affection of confidence trust or affiaunce If it be obiected that faith is vsually in the scripture called beleefe as infidelity is vnbeleife the which is an action not of the will but of the minde giuing assent or dissent to the worde of God we answere that beleife is put for faith or affiaunce because it doth alwayes not onely accompany it but also after a sorte beget it and is the cause of it For when as a man doth without doubting beleeue Gods promises being fully perswaded of the trueth of them he cannot choose but rely himselfe vpon them so that beleife although it cannot be separated from faith yet it may and ought to be distinguished from it If it be obiected that Euangelicall fayth cannot be made a parte of mans holynesse seeing it is not commaunded in the morall law we answere that it is commaunded in the morall law as the other kind is in that it is all one in substance with naturall faith both kindes being affiaunce in God for happinesse to be attained by the meanes of perfect holynesse and therefore both kindes are commanded in the first coÌ„maundement Iehoua shall be thy God the which law doth enioyne that all the affections of man to wit his loue feare hope reuerence and with the rest his whole affiaunce or confidence be set whollie oâ— God as well after his fall to be saued by the mercy of God in Christ as in the state of innocencie to be saued by his owne righteousnesse Yea this first precept commaundeth al men to beleeue God in his word as wel in his Gospell as in his lawe and therefore whosoeuer doth not knowe beleeue and imbrace the Gospell he doth transgresse this first commandement In the third place we are to coÌ„sider that the meanes of attaining faith is to get the knowledge of the worde of God first of the lawe which shewing sinne death and damnation doth bruse and wound the harte and secondly of the gospell which teaching faith righteousnesse saluation healeth the aforesaide woundes and comforteth the sinner with pardon of his sinne and hope of eternall life This knowledge must of necessitie goe before faith for the minde of a man must be inlightned to see the trueth before the hart and affections can loue and embrace it The meanes which God doth ordinarilie vse in bringing men to knowe his wil is the publick ministery of the word performed by men indued with spirituall gifts fit for this purpose yet as hath bene said of regeneration so we are to thinke of faith all other spirituall graces that they come not by vertue of the meanes but by the power and worke of Gods spirit without the which it is impossible that any man shoulde vnderstand beleeue and imbrace the doctrine of the Gospell But howe commeth it to passe that man being a reasonable creature indued with an vnderstanding soule whereby he is able not onely to conceiue any thing that is taught but also him selfe to inuent new things not heard of before shoulde be so brutishe and blockish in learning the worde of God We answere that this commeth of the nature of the doctrine of the gospell the which being contrary to mans reason cannot be conceaued by it Yea as soone as it is hard it is straight way reiected as absurde ridiculous and foolishe so we reade 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiueth not the things of GOD for they seeme foolishnesse vnto him neither can he perceiue them because they are spiritually discerned Thus to make instance in one point of this doctrine to wit in the resurrection from death we see Act. 17. 32. that when the wise philosophers and men of Athens harde Paul mention it they mocked him And so we are to thinke of the cheife pointes of 〈◊〉 religion For
notwithstanding the opinion of men it is a great miracle yea in truth greater then is the raising of the deade to life for God hath often giuen to mortall sinfull men the glorie of restoring the dead to life but he neuer gaue to any of his prophets or Apostles the power of regenerating men So that to conclude this first point as the first so the second creation of mans holinesse ought to be acknowledged the proper worke and action of God as the scripture doth plainely teach vs in many places Gal. 2. 8. Nowe we are to consider other pointes in this wonderfull worke of God as namely these First the meanes which God vseth Secondly the manner of working Thirdly the time Fourthly the differences of regeneration Lastly the signes of it The meanes is eyther ordinary or extraordinary the ordinary meanes is as hath beene touched the ministery of the word of God appointed by God for this end and purpose the which he doth accompany with the secrete operation of his spirite in the hearts of all those whome he hath ordained to saluation And therefore whosoeuer desireth to be made partaker of this regeneration he must with all care and diligence giue himselfe to the continuall hearing of the worde of God preached in the assemblie of the Church and withall he is to vse all priuate meanes whereby hee may bee prepared for the publicke ministerie so as it may be profitable vnto him as namely the continuall companie and conference of those who haue alreadie attained to that which he desireth and who hauing trauailed in the waye of Godlinesse may the more easely direct him in the same Secondlie hee muste giue himselfe to the reading studying and meditating of the worde of GOD and to the carefull vse of all those meanes whereby hee may be made to vnderstand know and remember it But especially he is to desire this by earnest prayer at the handes of God who onely is able to graunt his desire and without whose working the most painefull vse of all meanes is altogether in vaine but hee that carefully vseth these aforesaid meanes yet not trusting in them but relying himselfe on the mercifull promise of God who hath promised to be readie at hande to all those that seeke him shall finde by experience that no man doth in vain seeke for help at the handes of God As touching the manner how regeneration is wrought Christ teacheth vs Iohn 3. 8 That no man knoweth it for euen as saith he thou hearest the noise of the wind when it bloweth but yet thou canst not see it or discerne whence it commeth or whither it goeth so although we heare the word of God sounding in our eares and knowe that God doth by that sound beget men yet no man knoweth how this is that is regeneration is not anoutward visible and sensible but an inward and secret worke For euen as a man being suddenly taken with the plague or anie infectious sicknesse saieth he knoweth not how it happened onely he seeth the effectes of it euen so the action of regeneration in it selfe is secret and vnknowen but manifest in the effectes which followe of it We may not vnfitly compare it to that suddaine and straunge change which befell Saul whereof we read 1. Sam. 10. 9. For when as God was about to aduance Saule from his priuate and base estate to the kingdome of Israell he sawe that it was needefull to make him a newe man endued with a newe minde will and affections to take from him his rude and base conditions and to endue him with an heroicall spirite of wisedome courage and of all giftes needfull for so high a calling And therefore euen as he turned his backe to goe awaie from Samuell God chaunged him and gaue him an other hearte and made him another man Euen so doth God by changing the mindes and willes of his elect so secretlie as that they themselues knowe not which way it is done make them newe men and prepare them for his euerlasting kingdome The time of regeneration are the yeares of descretion for this worke hath no place in infantes beeing not as yet endued with the actuall faculties of a reasonable minde and will The which must first existe before they can be chaunged and be actually defiled with sinne before they can be clensed Secondly in the yeares of discretion there is no set and appointed time of regeneration for as we are taught Math. 20. in the parable of the worke men some are called at the first houre of the day some in the middest of it some in the laste houre Some in their younge yeares some in their middle age and some in olde age Yet no man ought in this respect to deferre the seeking after regeneration for so he will be more and more vnfitte and vnwilling to take anie paines in this behalfe and be at length so hardned and benummed with a longe custome of sinne and of deepe hypocrisie that there wilbe farre lesse hope of winning him to the true obedience of Christe then there was before Thirdly regeneration although it doe continually encrease as long as a man liueth yet it is wrought and begun in one houre in one moment of time euen as there is but one houre of birth although there be many of life If it bee asked whether that euery regenerate manne doth knowe the speciall howre of his calling wee answere that regeneration beeing an vniuersall chaunge of all the faculties of a mans soule and so consequentlie of all the actions of his life may easely be felt and perceiued especially â—y him in whome it is wroughte and further this time of a mans conuersion ought moste carefullie to be marked and registred that so it may with continuall and vnspeakable ioy and thankesgiuing euermore be remembred For if as it is vsually thought the day of a mans naturall byrth which in it selfe is the beginning although of temporall life yet of eternall death and miserie be worthie to bee not onely diligently noted and kept in minde but also solemnly celebrated with greate ioy howe much more is it meete that men shoulde marke the day of their spirituall birth it being the most happy daye which can be seene and in deede the beginning of eternall happinesse And yet oftentimes this particular time is neyther marked when it is present nor remembred when it is past namely by them whose conuersion is not so straunge and violent but light and easie the which difference wee are nowe in the fourth place to propounde The diuersitie of regeneration is verie great for that we may vse our accustomed similitude as man in his naturall birth is brought into the worlde sometimes with greate facilitie and safetie at other times in so greate paine anguish and daunger that he may seeme to enter into life through death euen so this newe man is sometimes borne without any trouble sorrowe or delay but often with such horrour of conscience such
be taught and nurtured by him This Salomon teacheth vs in the booke of the prouerbes wherein he doth at large describe the foole refusing to heare the voyce of wisdome criing openly in the streetes that is the carnall man reiecting the knowledge of God and all godlinesse which onely is true wisedome Pro. 1. 20. But man will alleadge in his owne defence that there is good cause why he shoulde refuse to haue God to be his teacher seing that if he being nowe defiled with sinne shoulde come into the presence of God it coulde not be but that he should be consumed euen as pouder flax straw or any such matter when it meeteth with fire To this we answere that this feare of man is iust and not without cause it being impossible that he should come before God being as he is polluted with sinne and not be incontinentlie destroyed yet that this is no sufficient defence of this rebellion for so much as God that he might make the wicked more in excusable and more fitly saue his elect hath in greate mercie appointed that man being now sinfull shoulde be instructed in the knowledge of God by the ministerie of sinful men like vnto himselfe in all respectes of whose presence he need not be affraid and yet such men as are furnished by God with sufficient giftes for the performance of this worke For although there be in the men themselues much ignorance many infirmities yea oftentimes great corruption of sinne yet their ministery is by the blessing and worke of God straungly powreful and mighty in bringing men from ignorance and sinne to the knowledge and obedience of God that which they teach being the true and certaine word of the eternall God the heauenly Manna and foode of mans soules howsoeuer it be set before men in base and earthen vessels to wit in weake men consisting of flesh and bloud as the hearers themselues doe But how doe men receiue this ministery of man are they not so thankefull to God for this mercy that howsoeuer they did before altogether abhorre from learning the worde of God for feare of being destroyed by him yet they are now so desirous of knowledge so carefull to prouide themselues of able and sufficient teachers so diligent in resorting to the places of Gods worship so attentiue in hearing the worde preached and so carefull to practise it in their liues as that nothing more can be required of them nay are they not as vntoward vngratious as they were before Yes truely yea they are further off from learning then they were they did before feare to be taught by God himselfe now they disdaine to be taught by men whome they thinke no better then themselues if God were their teacher they could take no exception against him but onely of their owne sinne But now they finde a hundred faultes with their teachers sometimes they say that they haue no learning no knowledge in the artes or in the tongues they are not cunning in the antient fathers they want eloquence vtterance fit wordes to expresse their meaning sometimes they finde faultes in their liues for if they see them eate and drinke mary wiues prouide for their children build houses or purchase liuing and keepe company they call them epicures drunkardes and worldlings if they abstain from these things they say they haue no good nature want manners This naturall state of man we haue most liuelely pictured out vnto vs in the people of the Iewes who hauing God not onely for their king father and master but also for their doctor or teacher did desire that God would not speake immediately to them appearing in his glory and maiesty as he had done because that it was impossible for any man to heare the voyce of God and liue but rather would vse the ministery and mediation of Moses for the declaration of his will to them But when they had this their request graunted how they did submit themselues to this ministery of man Stephen telleth them to their faces Act. 7. 15. saying Ye stifnecked and of vncircumcised harts and eares ye haue alwaies rebelled against the holy Ghost as your fathers did so do you which of the Prophets haue not your fathers persecuted and slaine whereunto Christ giueth witnesse Mat. 21. 33. with all the Prophets of whome there is not one from Moses who was their first Prophet to Christ who was the last for in him all prophecies were fulfilled who doth not complaine that they doe continually stretch out their handes and voyces to a rebellious and gainsaying people Rom. 10. 22. Yea they reiected the ministery both of Iohn Baptist and of Christ himselfe saying of Iohn who liued an austere life that he was possessed of a diuell and of Christ who to make them inexcusable vsed their owne fashions as farre as might be done without sinne that he was a glutton a drinker of wine and a companion of publicans and sinners Thus are all vnregenerate men disposed For howsoeuer for a shew of religion and to auoyde the reproach of men and the punishment of lawes they doe goe to the Church to heare sermons yet they take no delight in hearing vnlesse it be in the eloquence of the preacher and tho their bodies be present yet their mindes are about some worldly pleasure or profit Yea it goeth in at one eare and out at another For when they come home they neuer take account of themselues their wiues children or seruantes what they haue learned but falling to their ordinarie talke of worldly matters or going about some buisinesse which they haue in hande neuer once thinke on the worde of God but forget it for euer as if they neuer heard of any such matter and so they are alwaies in learning and yet they doe neuer learne or come to the knowledge of the trueth 2. Tim. 3. 7. They doe not delight in reading the scriptures and other bookes which might helpe them forward in learning religion but if they can get a booke of stories or of some pleasant conceites finely penned there is their delight By what maruaile is it that men do not learne Gods word when as they doe not beleeue it for although they be content to say as other men say and to beleeue as the Church beleeueth Yet they say in their heartes there is no God Psal. 14 no heauen or hell let vs eate and drinke for after death there is no pleasure Neyther is it any great marueile that the vnregenerate man doth not beleeue the worde of God seeing he is so dull blockish that he cannot conceiue it 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiueth not the thinges of God neither can he because they are spiritually discerned whereof more heereafter Hence it commeth that it is so harde a matter to bring men to any true knowledge of GOD Heb. 5. 11. These spirituall mysteries are hard to be vttered because ye are dull of
suspected to be vneffectuall This the Apostle doth plainely testifie 1. Cor. 11. 19. There must be heresies that those who are approoued may be made manifest that is God doth suffer schismes and diuisions to be among you that by this meanes it may appeare whose holinesse is sounde and whose is hypocriticall or at the least light and ineffectuall Secondly men truely regenerate receiue a greater measure of particular graces as of faith loue and patience then the other doe Yea they doe daily increase in grace whereas the other doe commonly stand at a stay neuer attaining to any great measure of godlinesse but abide in a certaine indifferent kinde of mediocrity being neither hotte nor colde Besides true graces are fruitfull but the shadowes are barren eyther wholly or in part as the faith of these men doth not worke and shewe foorth it selfe by loue their loue is without workes of compassion and Christian communion their good works without alacrity Lastly the shadowe of regeneration doth often come to nothing and is turned into meere Atheisme and want of all religion but true regeneration can neuer wholly decay as Math. 3. 20. Some receiue the worde with ioy and afterwarde fall away and Heb. 6. 4. 5 we reade of those who being once made partakers of the holy Ghost doe afterwardes fall away from Christ yea while they doe retaine this resemblance of true sanctification they are not constant but variable in doing good Iam. 1. 8. A double minded man is vnconstant in all his waies that is a man halfe carnall and halfe regenerate doth not keepe throughout the course of his whole life a constant tenour of godlinesse but often changeth his minde opinions affections and practise By these and such other notes which may be obserued in the scripture and by daily experience this shadowe of holinesse may be discerned from the trueth yet we ought not peremptorely to iudge or rashly to condemne any man for there may be found euen in men truely regenerate many wants errours sinnes and alterations as afterwards will appeare Therefore we ought to thinke the best where we see any likelihoode of good and where there is none to hope for better in time to come and so leauing other men to Gods iudgement to censure our owne profession and regeneration by these rules Yet it is both lawfull and needfull that we shoulde knowe howe to distinguish trueth from falshoode right from wrong good from euill the shadowe from the bodie in the professions of our brethren The which it is the parte of euerie Christian to marke and consider to trie and thinke of it according to the trueth of the worde of GOD but in iudging and speaking to vse greate moderation and wisedome CHAP. V. Of the particulars in this supernaturall decrease of sinfulnesse THe first and most vsuall part of this supernaturall decrease of sinne is the illumination of the minde whereby a carnall man who before did not beleeue the doctrine eyther of the law or of the gospell is brought to see and acknowledge the trueth of the one or of both To beleeue the law of God to be true is to haue a sight and a sense of sinne to see sinne is for a man to know himselfe to be so sinfull in nature in soule body in life and actions as indeed he is To feele sinne is to know that for his sinne he is subiect to the wrath of God which is eternall death This first part of illumination is far more easely oftē wrought in a naturall man then is the other because by the light of nature man hath some knowledge of good and euill and that the righteous are to be rewarded as the wicked are tobe punished Hence it is that many make this first step in this shadow of regeneration and goe no further Thus Cain and Iudas with many others did see their sin the punishmēt due vnto it but yet had no beliefe of the doctrine of the gospel for remission of sinne The second part of illumination is to thinke the doctrine of the gospel to be true namely that remission of sinnes and eternall glorie is to be had by faith in Iesus Christ. Heb. 6. 4. This knowledge GOD worketh by his spirit and word in manie reprobates Act. 8. 13. Simon magus beleeued and was baptized of whose reprobation although we can affirme nothing because the Apostle doubteth of it Vers. 22. Yet it is plainely out of the 21. verse that he was not as then truly regenerated Yea many carnall men attaine to so greate a measure of knowledge that there is no point or heade of christian religion which they doe not in some sorte conceiue vnderstand and beleeue although not fully for that is impossible yet so as that they are able to performe the duty of teachers in the Church in laying open plainly and euidently to the capacitie of the hearers the mysteries of the gospel in resoluing al doubtes cōtrouersies questions obiections and arguments which are moued about anypoint of doctrine Thus did the teachers at Corinth of whome the Apostle writeth 1. Cor. 13. 2. Though I had the gift of prophecie and knew all secrets and knowledge and haue not loue I were nothing So Math 7. 22. Prophecie in Christes name whome he doth not acknowledge as his This knowledge is commonly called an historicall faith a gift common to the elect and the reprobate yet not so common as it seemeth to be Yea in truth more rare in respect of the greate multituds of professours and christians then it is common in respect of the small number of true beleeuers For to let passe those who know nothing of religion we are not to thinke that all they who are learned and as we say great clarkes in diuinitie and profound schoole-men do in their mindes and iudgments hold these things to bee true Yea it appeareth plainly in the example of Iudas who although he did preach the gospell with his tongue yet he did not beleeue it himselfe as Christ witnesseth Ioh. 6. 64 that manie doe goe about to perswade others that to bee true which they them-selues thinke to be false And no maruaile for why should it bee thought easie and common for a naturall man to beleeue that which is contrarie to naturall reason we se Ioh. 3. 12 that Christ could not or rather did not make Nicodemus a teacher in Israel beleeue the doctrin of spirituall regeneration And so we may well thinke that many otherwise learned thinke that it is no such supernaturall work but that it may be attained by natural means Likewise how many thinke wee are perswaded in their heartes that this worlde shall neuer haue an ende or that there shal be a new world wherein the bodies of men which were consumed to nothing many thousand years before shalbe raised vp liue for euer But to proceede of the decrease of ignorance commeth the decrease of infidelitie For as
giuen and hee shall haue abundaunce And it is said of diuers in the booke of the Acts that they were full of faith and of the holy ghost This abundance in the minde is called Plerophoria a certaine and vndoubted perswasion said to be in Abraham Rom. 4. 21. Hereof cometh abundaunce of faith of loue Rom. 5. 3. and 15. 13. and of all graces as 1. Thess. 1. 3. the Apostle mentioneth the worke of their faith their laborious loue and their patient hope And 2 Thess. 1. 3. that their faith superaugescit that is encreaseth aboue the common and ordinarie measure and that their loue did abounde accordingly This aboundaunce of grace is to be seene in the prophets Apostles martyrs and many other of the seruantes of God who therefore are made types and patterns for vs to imitate and set before our eyes as lanternes full of light and as shining and blazing starres that we might both admire and labour to ouertake them in their excellent graces and especially in their particular vertues For thus the scripture mentioneth the vprightnesse of Enoch who walked with God in all his waies the patience of Iob. Iam. 5. 11 the faith of Abraham the meeknesse of Moses the courage of Iosua the faithfulnesse of Samuel the absolute perfection of Dauid being a man according to Gods owne hearte the wisdome of Salomon the zeale of Phinies Iosias and many others Thus Paule mentioneth his owne painefulnesse in preaching the gospel to be farre aboue the labours of the rest of the Apostles Thus he sayeth Rom 16. 7. That Andronicus and Iunia were men notable among the Apostles and of Timothie that none was like to him in faithful labour and care for the good of the church Philip. 2. 20. The notes and markes whereby this abundaunce may be knowen are these a burning zeal of gods glorie of setting forwarde his worship and gospel a vehement hatred of idolatrie and all shadowes of superstition a tender and bountifull loue toward the godly a minde vndaunted with any torment death or miserie a constant course of godlinesse in all outward chaunges whatsoeuer as the Apostle sayeth of him selfe Philip. 4. 13. That he coulde want and abounde be full and empty and that he coulde do all thinges a life free from any grosse sinne an extraordinary contempt of all worldly pleasures Lastly a manner of freedom from being either ouercome or almost tempted by any grosse sinne For although the corruption of flesh and the impudencie of Sathan who was not ashamed to tempt Christ to commit sin be so great that no man be he nener so holy may lay away his weapons and be secure in respect of temptations yet by the blessing of God and a long practise of all godlinesse the faithfull come sometimes to such a surpassing strength in grace that as the couragious horse going into the battel scorneth the feareful sounds noyse of the trumpets so this godly man wherof we speake in this chapter laugheth at the temptations of Sathan and the entisementes of the world yet not presuming on his owne strength but relying himselfe wholly on the mighty power of the spirite of God The meanes of attaining to this high degree of holinesse is to seeke it by earnest prayer at the handes of God from whom onely commeth euery good and perfect gift But the meanes which God vseth in giuing it are diuerse some good some euil in themselues and therefore not to be vsed by vs of the first sort are all holy exercises appointed by God for the begetting continuall encrease of grace to the carefull diligent long and continuall vse whereof God doth often graunt this happie successe euen as he blesseth the diligent and painfull hand with greate plenty in temporall thinges Of the second sort is the abundaunce of sinne before regeneration the which it pleaseth God some time to chaunge into this abundaunce of grace as we see that the highest floudes follow the lowest ebbes This God doth to make manifest the great power and efficacy of his spirit in renewing the elect which is able to bringe the greatest measure of holinesse out of the greatest wickednes as cleare light out of palpable darkenes This Christ teacheth vs. Luk. 7. 41. In the parable of the two debters whereof the greater had greater cause and also a greater measure of loue And in the example of the woman verse 47. Who loued much because many sinnes were forgiuen vnto her sowhere sinne doth abound there grace aboundeth much more Yea for this purpose God doth sometimes vse the hote fiercenesse of affections and the violent disposition of nature the which as of it selfe it carieth a man headlong into the most outragious sinnes so being sanctified by Gods spirite it becommeth the whetstone of holinesse Thus was the Apostle Paule both naturally and spiritually affected and therefore being an infidell he was a most superstitious pharisie more then mad in persecuting the church and becomming a faithfull man passed all others in vnquenchable zeale of Gods spirite Lastly as touching this abundance of grace no man can attaine so high a degree of it as that he may sitte downe as being at his iorneis end but as the greater riches that a man hath the greater is his gaine desire and encrease of riches so the more holinesse that any man hath the more carefully ought and the more fruitfully may he laboure in encreasing it Phil. 3. 13. Brethren saieth the Apostle I count not that I haue attained vnto any such perfection But still I doe forget that which is behinde and endeuore my selfe to that which is before That is I doe not minde that holinesse which I haue already receaued but doe continually thinke on that which I doe want as yet CHAP. IX Of celestiall holinesse ALthough we haue now gone as far in declaring the renewed holinesse of man as any man can in this worlde either in hauing or in practising it yet we are not here to rest as being come to the end of our iorney For if the aforesaid aboundaunce of spirituall graces which be it neuer so great cannot possibly be voide of sinne be absolutelie the highest degree this inconuenience which is in no wise to be admitted would of necessitie follow that man doth not in regeneration recouer as good a state and as great a measure of holinesse by the mercy of God in christ as he had in his first creation and lost by his owne sinne in Adam And therefore we are to goe on a little further in this treatise and in our desire till we come to such an absolute perfection of renewed holinesse as is free from the least spot of sinne whatsoeuer This perfection may without all question yea must necessarely be attained vnto For man can not be perfectly happie by enioying the presence of God into the which nothing being sinfull can enter as long as he is imperfectly holy Yet he