Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	believe_v	love_n	see_v	2,286	5	3.2960	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12211	A friendly advertisement to the pretended Catholickes of Ireland declaring, for their satisfaction; that both the Kings supremacie, and the faith whereof his Majestie is the defender, are consonant to the doctrine delivered in the holy Scriptures, and writings of the ancient fathers. And consequently, that the lawes and statutes enacted in that behalfe, are dutifully to be observed by all his Majesties subjects within that kingdome. By Christopher Sibthorp, Knight, one of his Maiesties iustices of his court of chiefe place in Ireland. In the end whereof, is added an epistle written to the author, by the Reverend Father in God, Iames Vssher Bishop of Meath: wherein it is further manifested, that the religion anciently professed in Ireland is, for substance, the same with that, which at this day is by publick authoritie established therein.	Sibthorp, Christopher, Sir, d. 1632.; Ussher, James, 1581-1656.	1622 (1622)	STC 22522; ESTC S102408	494,750	610

chiefly in respect of the world to come For it hath as you see Gods owne expresse commandement bidding all his people to depart from that mysticall Babylon Popish Rome When therefore God himselfe thus speaketh and would have none that bee his people to adhere to such a Mother as the Whore of Babylon is but cleane contrariwise would have them to depart from her and utterly to renounce abhorre and detest her as being indeed the Mother of VVhoredomes and abhominations of the Earth as she is intitled is it not good reason and your bounden dutie to give eare unto him and to obey his voyce herein as you tender your owne salvations and desire to be His People It appeareth that ye have been of a long time mistaken as touching the right Mother-Church For not Popish Rome but Hierusalem which is from above is the Mother of us all as S. Paul expressely witnesseth Yea what maner of Mother Popish Rome is I trust yee now sufficiently perceive Bee no longer therefore so much abused or so extreamely deluded as to take the wrong Mother for the right and him that is the grand Antichrist to bee Christs Vicar the head of his Church S. Peters successor and the Bishop that cannot erre in matter of Faith For what christian charitable and good minde doth not grieve to see so manie honourable and honest-hearted men to bee so farre carried away and misled to their owne perdition Howbeit if anie amongst you rest not satisfied herewith but thinketh that hee can answer this Booke and will take upon him so to doe I desire him first that hee will doe it not by parts or peece-meales but wholly and entirely from the beginning of it to the end Secondly I desire him to doe it not superficially or sophistically but substantially soundly and satisfactorilie if hee can Thirdly as I would haue him to doe it in love and charity and with an affection onely to follow Gods truth so doe I also desire him to set his name unto it as I have done here to this But if none amongst you can make anie solid sound sufficient and satisfactorie Answere unto it as I rest assured before hand none can or will bee able For who was or ever will be able to Answer or confute that Word of God whereupon the Protestants Doctrine Religion is apparantly grounded then is there so much the more reason for you all to yeeld to that which you see to bee evident unanswerable and irrefutable God Almightie if it bee his will open all your eies to see his splendent and invincible truth in his sacred Canonical Scriptures conteined and grant both to you and to us that wee may all acknowledge professe and observe it to his glorie the discharge of our duties and our owne everlasting comforts and salvation through Iesus Christ. Amen VVisdome is iustified of all her Children Luk. 7.35 Vnto the King everlasting Immortal Invisible unto GOD onely wise be honor and glorie for ever and ever AMEN 1. Tim. 1.17 FINIS AN EPISTLE VVRITTEN BY THE REVEREND FAther in God James Vssher Bishop of Meath concerning the religion anciently professed by the IRISH and SCOTTISH Shewing it to be for substance the same with that which at this day is by publick authoritie established in the Church of ENGLAND WORTHY SIR I Confesse I somewhat incline to be of your minde that if unto the authorities drawen out of Scriptures and Fathers which are common to us with others a true discoverie were added of that religion which anciently was professed in this kingdome it might prove a speciall motive to induce my poore countrey-men to consider a little better of the old and true way from whence they have hitherto beene misledd Yet on the one side that saying in the Gospell runneth much in my minde If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neyther will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead and on the other that heavie judgement mentioned by the Apostle because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve lyes The wofull experience whereof wee may see daily before our eyes in this poore nation where such as are slow of heart to beleeve the saving truth of God delivered by the Prophets and Apostles doe with all greedinesse imbrace with a most strange kinde of credulitie intertaine those lying Legends wherwith their Monks Friars in these latter dayes have polluted the religion and lives of our ancient Saints I doe not denie but that in this countrey as well as in others corruptions did creepe in by little and little before the Divell was let loose to procure that seduction which prevayled so generally in these last times but as farre as I can collect by such records of the former ages as have come unto my hands eyther manuscript or printed the religion professed by the ancient Bishops Priests Monkes and other Christians in this land was for substance the verie same with that which now by publick authoritie is maintayned therein against the forraine doctrine brought in thither in later times by the Bishop of Romes followers I speake of the more substantiall points of doctrine that are in controversie betwixt the Church of Rome and us at this day by which only wee must judge whether of both sides hath departed from the religion of our ancestours not of matters of inferior note much lesse of ceremonies and such other things as appertaine to the discipline rather than to the doctrine of the Church And whereas it is knowne unto the learned that the name of Scoti in those elder times whereof we treate was common to the inhabitants of the greater and the lesser Scotland for so heretofore they have beene distinguished that is to say of Ireland and the famous colonie deduced from thence into Albania I will not follow the evill example of those that have of late laboured to make dissension betwixt the daughter and the mother but accompt of them both as of the same people Tros Rutulúsve fuat nullo discrimine habebo That wee may therefore fall upon the matter in hand without further preambles two excellent rules doth S. Paul prescribe unto Christians for their direction in the wayes of God the one that they be not unwise but understanding what the will of God is the other that they be not more wise then behoveth to be wise but be wise unto sobriety and that wee might know the limits within which this wisedome and sobrietie should be bounded hee elsewhere declareth that not to be more wise then is fitting is not to bee wise above that which is written Hereupon Sedulius one of the most ancient writers that remaineth of this countrey birth delivereth this for the meaning of the former rule Search the Law in which the will of God is contayned and this for the later He would be more wise then

end to bee glorified So on the other side those that bee the Reprobates doe after their transgression in Adam lye dead in their sinnes without being quickened renewed or regenerated and without having anie Saviour or Redeemer appointed for them and bee blinded in their errors and hardened in their transgressions untill they come at last through their owne default to their due and deserved iust Condemnation For as touching saving graces the Elect onely have obtained them but the rest have beene hardened as S. Paul expresly affirmeth There is then a Remnant as he againe speaketh according to the election of grace And consequently not all in a generalitie be chosen but some onely Yea Manie bee called externally and by the outward preaching and ministerie of the word but for all that few be chosen as Christ himselfe also witnesseth And for further proofe hereof it is expresly said of some kinde of sinners namely of Reprobate sinners that it is a thing impossible that such should bee renewed by repentance for which cause it is also said of Esau that He found no place for repentance though he sought the blessing with teares And againe it is said of some that they did not beleeve yea that non poterant credere they could not beleeve And the reason is there yeelded because God had blinded their eyes by his not giving them light and hardened their hearts by his not mollifying of them so that by reason of their owne naturall blindenesse and corruption attracted to themselves by the fall of Adam remayning unaltered they could neither see with their eies nor understand with their hearts nor be Converted that hee might heale them Wherefore not of Reprobate sinners but of such as be unfained true and sound converts unto God and godlines which none be but the Elect is that sentence in the Prophesie of Ezechiel meant and to be intended which saith that God willeth not the death of a sinner For if he bee not such a true convert but a counterfeit or one that continueth to the end in his wickednes and unrighteousnes shall he live he shall not live sith he hath done all these abhominations but he shall die the death and his blood shall be upon him saith God himselfe by the same Prophet Ezechiel in the verie same Chapters In those two Chapters then of Ezechiel if you well consider them you may readily and easilie finde two sorts of sinners to be comprised and mentioned namely the one sort such as turned from their righteousnes that is from that course of righteousnesse and godlinesse which they seemed at first to hold to a course of unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse continuing in that wicked course unto the end such sinners saith God in those places shall surely die and the other sort of sinners such as repent and returne by a sound conversion unto God and unto the waies of righteousnesse persevering in those good godly waies unto the end which none doe but such as be the Elect such sinners shall not die the death but such shall surely live as is likewise said in the same Chapters So that even by those two Chapters it appeareth that God doth will the death and destruction of some kinde of sinners But this is yet further evident by those wicked and ungodly sonnes of Eli the Priest who when their father gave them good counsell and godly admonition they neverthelesse obeyed not the voyce of that their Father because saith the Text the Lord vvould Destroy them Observe well those words Agreeably whereunto S. Peter also speaking of certaine which stumbled at the vvord and vvere disobedient saith that they were thereunto even ordayned Againe speaking of certaine godlesse men hee saith they were as bruite beasts led vvith sensuality and made to be taken and to be destroyed Wherewith agreeth that of Solomon also in his Proverbs saying The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake yea even the wicked for the day of evill And so likewise testifieth S. Iude for speaking of certaine ungodly men that turned the grace of God into vvantonnesse he saith that they were before of old ordeyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to this Iudgement or to this condemnation By all which it is infallibly manifest that God seeing all men to have sinned in the transgression of Adam hath ordained and decreed to permit and suffer some of them to run on in the course of wickednesse and ungodlinesse untill they come in the end to their iustly deserved destruction and perdition 2 In vaine then and most untruly is it obiected against the Protestants that they make God the Author of sinnes and high time it is for all to cease their slandering of them in that behalfe For the Protestants in their doctrine cleane contrariwise doe teach that although God decreed to permit sinne to come into the world yet he never made it nor was the Author or worker of it yea God made man good at the first yea all things that he made were in their creation very good as is expressely written in Genesis The corruption of man and the sinne that came unto him was brought in and procured another way namely after his creation by the perswasion and temptation of the Divell that subtill Serpent and by mans will consenting thereunto as is likewise declared in Genesis so that not God but the Divell and man together consenting to that temptation and perswasion of the Divell were the Author and efficient cause of sinne in man at the first and so continue Authors and workers of sinne in men unto this day And therefore is it said that Sathan entred into Iudas Iscariot to stirre him up to betray Iesus And likewise doth S. Iames write thus Let no man say vvhen he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted vvith evill neither tempteth he any man c. Yea it is the Divell even that wicked Spirit That vvorketh in the children of disobedience as S. Paul witnesseth And againe he saith that Men are ensnared by the Divell and held captive by him to doe his vvill untill such time as God set them free and doe deliver them by his grace and power For God doth not put instill or infuse wickednesse into anie but withholdeth his graces from Reprobates and so they not onely sinne by reason of their owne concupiscence and nature corrupted and depraved thorough the transgression of Adam but doe further by degrees grow obdurate in their sinnes and so in the end come to their iust condemnation Wherefore God appeareth to be in sinnes committed not a cause efficient but deficient or wanting in that he leaveth some men to themselves and giveth not unto them those sanctifying and saving graces which he giveth to his elect For neither indeed is hee bound or compellable to give those graces to anie but to whom he pleaseth nor doe they properly or

unto them and which they heard profited them not why because it vvas not mixt vvith faith in them that heard it Which faith is Gods gift and bestowed where hee pleaseth Againe it is written that at the word and preaching of Christ Iesus and most wonderfull and mightie Miracles which hee did manie beleeved yet some beleeved not yea They could not beleeve saith the Text. Againe it is written of some men that they have such hardnesse of heart that it is a thing impossible for them to be renewed by repentance And what is the great and supreme reason of all this difference amongst men but this that some are Elect and some Reprobate some are ordeyned to salvation and some to damnation and according to that diversitie of men God either giveth or withholdeth his saving graces 4 It is a thing well knowne to all true Christians that none can be saved unlesse they have an unfained and heartie repentance and a true and lively faith in Christ Iesus which is alwaies accompanied with a care to walke in Gods waies and in obedience to his commandements Now this repentance and faith be both the gift of God and be not in mens powers to have them at their owne commands or at their owne wills and pleasures and consequently it must be granted that Mens salvation doth consist not in their owne wills and pleasures but in Gods will and pleasure That Repentance is the gift of God S. Peter and the rest of the Apostles expressely witnesse affirming that it is God that gave repentance to Israel and remission of sinnes And so againe doth S. Paul expressely declare that Repentance is the gift of God Therfore is it said also in the Lamentations of Ieremy Turne thou us O Lord unto thee and we shall be turned And likewise in the prophecie of Ieremy thus Convert thou mee and I shall be converted And that Faith also is the gift of God the Scriptures doe cleerely witnesse For which cause S. Paul saith expressely that Not by vvorkes but by grace men are saved through faith and that they have this faith not of themselves for it is saith he the gift of God Seeing then that none can be saved without this faith and repentance and that faith and repentance be both the gift of God and that men have them not of themselves nor within their owne power it must of necessitie be granted that mens salvation consisteth not in the power will of men but in the power and will of God who is the giver of those saving graces Where withall you may perceive how erroneous and false that doctrine and conceit of mens free-will is as touching things celestiall and divine For what freedome of will in things appertaining to Gods service and kingdome can he have that is ensnared by the Divell and held captive by him to doe his will as Saint Paul speaketh untill it please God to deliver and set him free Or what freedome or forwardnesse hath anie man since the fall of Adam and mans nature corrupted and depraved by that meanes to come unto God or godlinesse of his owne naturall powers and abilities especially when Christ Iesus himselfe also saith thus No man can come unto mee except the father which sent mee doe draw him For if he must be drawne before he can come as here it appeareth that hee must it sheweth that hee hath backwardnesse enough but no forwardnesse at all of himselfe to come unto God And this againe the Scripture witnesseth in Gen. 6.5 and Gen. 8.21 that untill God worke in a man the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart be only evill continually And so also witnesseth S. Paul saying in 2. Cor. 3.5 that vvee are not sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing as of our selves but our sufficiencie is of God Yea S. Paul saith further expressely that The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neyther can he know them because they are spiritually discerned If the corrupt naturall man cannot so much as perceive or understand the things of God untill hee be enlightned by Gods Spirit and have received from him supernaturall grace how can he possibly will or affect those things which he understandeth not For the understanding power or facultie must goe before as being the directer of the will and affections Againe doe not the Scriptures require the old man to be put off and the new man to be put on and men to be regenerate and borne anew to become new creatures to be enlightned to be changed by the renewing of their mindes and such like What doe all these phrases and manner of speeches declare but that mans nature since the transgression of Adam is horribly polluted defiled and corrupted and that they have now none of these supernatural qualities within them by vertue of their owne natural powers and abilities S. Paul againe directly sheweth that these and all other good graces and Christian vertues whatsoever be wrought in a man by Gods spirit and be the fruits of the same his spirit And S. Iames also teacheth the same as likewise all the rest of the Scriptures doe Yea S. Paul saith expressely that Men are dead through their sinnes and corruptions untill they be quickned and made alive by the operation and working of God within them If then since the fall of Adam we be all Dead men in respect of our owne selves untill God by his spirit worke in us to quicken us it is cleere that in respect of our owne natural abilities wee have no more power to come unto God then a dead man hath power in himselfe to rise againe or to walke stirre move go or to doe anie action of life for which cause also Regeneration is called The first resurrection Rev. 20.6 It is true that men have an understanding and a will but to understand well and rightly the word of God and things perteyning to Gods kingdome or to will and affect the same divine things commeth not from men but from God who enlightneth that their understanding which was before darke and maketh their will and affections enclined and to consent unto godlinesse which were before perverse and enclining another way And therefore doth S. Paul say againe most plainely thus It is God which vvorketh in you both the vvill and the deed even of his owne good pleasure Agreeably whereunto God himselfe also speaketh thus A new heart vvill I give you and a new spirit vvill I put vvithin you and I vvill take away the stonie heart out of your body and I vvill give you an heart of flesh that is a soft and mollified heart and I vvill put my spirit vvithin you and cause you to vvalke in my Statutes and ye shall keepe my Iudgements and doe them Where likewise you see that Gods working and grace doth frame make mens

of the Order of the Ecclesiasticall Ministerie and yet did he reade Esaias the Prophet which is a part of the holy Scriptures as hee was returning homeward and sitting in his Chariot and was in no sort reproved for the same but well allowed therein and had a blessing therupon sent unto him from God Is it not likewise recorded of those noble Christians at Berea to their great honour that they received the Word of God with all readinesse of minde quotidie scrutantes Scripturas searching the Scriptures Daily And were not Lay persons also comprised amongst those to whom Christ Iesus himselfe said thus Scrutamini Scripturas Search the Scriptures Yea doth not God himselfe further give a direct commandement that the Booke of his Law and of the Religion and ordinances therein conteyned should be read published and made knowne to All even to Men Women and Children And doth hee not moreover say of that his Word commandements and ordinances in this sort They shall be in thy heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest up Yea is he not pronounced blessed that hath his delight in the Law of the Lord and that doth meditate therin Day Night Timothy even whilst he was a childe was conversant in this Booke of God the holy Scriptures for so S. Paul expresly testifies of him that he knew the holy Scriptures of a childe and for his further encouragement therein saith that those holy Scriptures be able to make him Wise unto Salvation S. Iohn also writeth one of his Epistles which is a part of the sacred and canonical Scriptures expressely and by name to an elect Lady and her children which hee would never have done if it had not beene both lawfull and laudable even for vvomen and children also that be of capacitie as well as for others to reade the Scriptures and to know them How shall a young man clense his Way even by taking heed thereunto according to Gods Word saith the Psalmist According whereunto it is againe required of all that they remember their Creator in the dayes of their youth Origen also from his childehood was taught in the Scriptures and learned them without Booke and questioned with his father Leonides an holy Martyr who ioyed therin about the difficult sentences of the same Macrina S. Basils Nurse likewise taught him the Scriptures of a childe And S. Hierome writeth of Paula a Gentlewoman how shee set her maides to learne the Scriptures Yea manie of his writings be directed to women commending their diligence and labour in the Scriptures and encouraging them therein as namely to Paula Eustochium Salvina Celantia c. Theodoret also testifieth of the Christians that lived in those ancient times thus You shall everie where see saith he these points of our faith to be knowne and understood not onely by such as be Teachers in the Church but even by Coblers and Smiths and Websters and all kinde of Artificers Yea all our vvomen not onely they which are Booke-learned but they also that get their living with their Needle yea ●●●id-servants and vvaiting vvomen and not citizens onely but husbandmen also of the countrey be verie skilful in these things Yea you may heare amongst us Ditchers and Neatheards and Wood-setters discoursing of the Trinitie and of the creation c. S. Chrysostome likewise exhorteth all sorts of men to reade the Scriptures and to call their neighbours to the hearing of them Hee also taketh away the vaine pretences and excuses of them who alledged that they were secular and Lay men and had wife children and family to looke to and desireth them that they would not so deceive themselves saying that They which be entangled with such cares have the more need to seeke remedie by reading the holy Scriptures Againe he saith It is no excuse but a fault to say I have not read what S. Paul saith And therefore hee saith further Audite obsecro seculares omnes c. Heare I beseech you all yee that be secular or lay-men provide you Bibles which be medicines of the soule if you will nothing else yet at least wise get the New Testament the Apostle the Acts the Gospels which be continuall and diligent Teachers It is then more then manifest that the reading searching and knowledge of the Divine Scriptures is permitted and belongeth not only to those that be of the Order of the Ecclesiasticall Ministerie but even to those also that be not of that Order as namely to Kings Princes civill Magistrates to old to yong to men to women to children and generally to all sorts of people and that to this end to benefite others aswell as themselves as they shall be able For as God giveth not worldly wealth or earthly blessings and gifts to anie man for his owne private use and behoofe onely but that he should communicate and distribute of the same unto others so neither doth hee give his spirituall gifts or graces to anie to hide or keepe the● only to himselfe but to extend and impart them to the profit also of others As likewise no man lighteth a candle to put it under a bushell but on a candlestick that it may give light to others that be in the house aswell as to himselfe Yea the manifestation of the Spirit is given to everie one to this verie end to profit others withall aswell as himselfe as S. Paul again directly teacheth Although then everie man cannot be a professed Divine yet it is evident that eveey man ought to be a professed Christian Yea Whosoever shall be ashamed of mee and of my words saith Christ of him shall the Sonne of man be ashamed when he shall come in his own glory and in the glorie of his Father and of the holy Angells And S. Paul saith likewise that With the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confesseth unto salvation So that we must not onely beleeve in Christ with our heart but wee must also confesse or professe him and his religion with our mouth and which is yet more we must practise Christianitie in our lives and conversations and endevour also so much as in us lyeth to have the same observed and practised by others Wherein there is no cause to feare those proverbes of Ne sutor ultra crepidam and Tractant fabrilia fabri and such like which cannot here be rightly used or applied because the knowledge of God and of his Word and Religion is not like the case of other arts sciences trades and occupations in the world but is a thing to be learned and professed by all sorts of people of what worldly calling or profession soever they be as now I trust you sufficiently perceive But consider yet further

the Church of the Gentiles to continue untill the second comming of Christ. It is true that the Church of Christ shall never bee extinguished But is there anie such promise that the Church of Christ shall never be hidden For persecutions even of the Christian Church have sometimes beene so great and cruell as that the Christians by reason thereof have beene enforced to lye hid and to be unseene and unknowne to the wicked world as in the daies of Dioclesian and Maximian persecuting Emperors who impiously boasted that they had utterly abolished the superstition of Christ and name of Christians The like divelish boasting also made Nero in his time Yea it is indeed expresly foretold in the Scriptures that such should be the state of the church sometime as that shee should be enforced to flie into the desert or wildernesse where shee should have a place prepared of God to cherish hide and keepe her from all her persecutors And therefore the church is not alwaies conspicuous and openly shining and shewing her selfe to the malignant world Neither doth that Text which yee alledge of Dic Ecclesiae tell it to the Church prove the church to bee alwaies openly conspicuous to the ungodly world It onely sheweth an order of Ecclesiasticall discipline for sinnes and offences how they should be proceeded in amongst brethren and such as professe one and the selfe same religion of Christ which order of discipline may well be observed even in a Christian church and among themselves though the wicked world neither see them nor the exercises of their religion nor know where they are But you say that if they make profession of their faith and religion as all Christians ought then the world cannot choose but take notice of them It is true that they are to make profession of their faith with their Mouth when cause so requireth aswell as to beleeve with their heart yea and to answer everie one in authoritie before whom they shall be convented and called and that with mildenesse and reverence concerning the same their faith and hope as S. Peter declareth But it doth not continually evermore so fal out that Christians be brought before Kings Princes and Magistrates of the earth to be examined and to make answer of their faith but at sometimes it so falleth out and at some other times againe it sufficeth that they make profession of their faith among themselves Neither were it indeed safe or a pointe of christian wisdome in them whom Christ willeth To bee as wise as Serpents though as innocent as Doves and to whom hee giveth an expresse caveat to take heede of men rashly or unadvisedly or without good and urgent cause to manifest and lay open themselves unto the view rage and furie of the malicious and persecuting world But you alledge further that Christ said to his Disciples Yee are rhe light of the world A Cittie that is set on a hill cannot be hid Neither doe men light a candle and put it under a Bushell but on a candlesticke and it giveth light to all that are in the house But none of these words doe proove the Church to be alwaies and evermore apparant to the eies of the wicked world though sometimes it bee For first though it be called the Light of the world yet thereupon it followeth not that therefore it is alwaies and at all times to bee seene Inasmuch as the Sunne and the Moone which be the great lights of the World and so appointed of GOD in the begining be not alwaies brightshining and appearing unto us but are sometimes unseene and covered with clouds and darkened and suffer strang Eclipses And therefore doth S. Augustine compare the Church to the Moone which is often obscured and hid yea he acknowledgeth that the Church may be so hid and secret as that the very members therof shal not know one another And whereas ye further alledge that it is like a Citty set upon a hill neither doth it thereupon follow that it is alwayes to be seene For in a great Mist or a darke night an Hill or Mountaine be it never so great will not be seene So if men be stricken with blindnesse it cannot be seene of them as the Aramites were that could not see the mountaine that was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha nor knew that they were in the midst of Samaria till God opened their eies Likewise though a Candle be set on a Candlesticke and giveth light to all that are in that house yet neither doth it give light to them that be in another house nor to anie that be blinde or shut their eies against it And yet the candle-light it selfe also will somtimes be much dimmed darkned with sundrie occurrents accidents that doe befall it When therfore the world either by reason of their own blindnesse or by reason of fierce and terrible persecutions or by reason of clowdie smoakie and mistie errors raised up bee not able to see and discerne the Church of Christ Is that anie iust cause for anie to quarrell against her as if therefore she had no being at all Yea when the fift Angell blew the Trumpet and the Bishop of Rome being in that time as a Starre fallen from heaven to the earth had no longer the keies of heaven in his custodie but the keies of hell even of the bottomlesse pit and that the smoake of the pit arose as the smoake of a great furnace so that the Sunne and the ayre were darkened by reason of the smoake Is it anie marvaile that the Church was then obscured Your selves doe grant that in the daies and times of the grand Antichrist foretold by S. Paule the church should lye obscured and be hidden And wee say and proove vnto you that those daies and times be come long since and therefore this ought not to seeme anie new or strange thing unto anie in these dayes Yea in the Revelation of S. Iohn you further reade that the Temple of God that is his Church which is there said to be in heaven because from thence she is descended and hath her minde treasure and affection there with Christ her head Phil. 3.20 Coloss. 3.1.2 was sometime shut and sometime opened For in that it is there said sometime to be opened therein is included that it was at other sometimes shut and closed and not open to the view of the world So that the Church of God is not alwaies openly and splendently seene to the persecuting World but is sometimes patent and sometimes latent as I trust you now sufficiently perceive and withall I trust you perceive that the Church was then in esse and had a continuance even when it was most latent For unlesse they even then had been in esse and in being they could not have beene à latent oppressed or persecuted Church Now as touching unitie I must tell you

for us In which words you see that although some bee appointed to wrath yet othersome bee appointed to obtaine salvation by the meanes of their Lord Iesus Christ vvhich died for them and these which were thus predestinated and appointed not to wrath but to Salvation he sheweth that even for this verie cause they should be the more vigilant warie and circumspect as touching their lives and conversations to walke as Children of the light and of the day and not to be like unto those that be appointed to wrath and be of the night and of darknesse Againe S. Paul in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians speaking of some To whom God sent strong delusion to beleeve lies that they might all be damned which beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnes distinguishing those that were of the Elect number from them he saith thus But wee ought to give thanks alway for you brethren beloved of the Lord because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation And there hee sheweth further how after this their election they be brought to salvation namely through sanctification of the spirit and beleefe of the truth So that you here still perceive that all bee not elect to salvation but some onely and that those that be thus elected bee such as bee afterward sanctified by the spirite of God and beleeve the Gospell and word of truth and so come in the end to the salvation appointed for them S. Paul againe to the same effect in his Epistle to the Ephesians saith thus Blessed be God even the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ as he hath chosen us in him before the foundations of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him in love In which words you likewise see that not all in a generalitie but some onelie bee elected and that those which be thus ordained and elected to life and salvation were in Gods purpose and decree so ordained and elected antequam iacerentur fundamenta mundi before the foundations of the world were laid But then here observe withall that those which be thus elected and predestinated of God to Salvation bee not so predestinate and elected to the end they should live licentiously wickedly or carelesly but to the end They should be holy and without blame before him in love for so be the very direct words of the Apostle Wherefore it is apparant that S. Paul from this matter and doctrine of Predestination and electing of men to salvation gathereth not anie argument of Licentiousnesse for neither can such argument from thence be rightly deduced what soever Atheists Papists or others thereupon untruly inferre but cleane contrariwise from hence he gathereth as likewise all the rest of Gods children doe matter to blesse praise and thanke God for ever and ever and therby provoketh men to shew forth the fruites of that their thankefulnesse by a continuall godly life and an holy conversation For indeed what will move a man to thankfulnesse and to shew his obedience towards God both in his thoughts and affections and in his words and in his workes and everie manner of way if his election to salvation decreed and purposed with God before the foundations of the world were laid will not moove him unto it seeing hee was then in Gods hand to have disposed of him as of a vessell either to honour or dishonour at his owne good and free pleasure there being then no matter of merit or desert in him why God should cho●se him more then another yea at that time of his ordaining and appointing of him to salvation hee might if hee had so pleased have otherwise disposed of him and might have left and refuse● him as he did others to goe with them to everlasting wrath and eternall horrour and damnation Infinite and unspeakeable therefore must such a one needes conceive the love of God to be towards him in this case and such as can never be suficiently magnified Yea thus againe from this predestination and election of God doth S Paul in his Epistle to the Colossians likewise inferre as it is indeed most forcible thereunto matter of argument to perswade to all Christian vertues and to all godlines and holines of life for thus he saith Novv therefore as ●he elect of God holie and beloved put on tender mercie kindenes humblenes of minde meekenes long suffering forbearing one another and forgiveing one ano●her if anie man have a quarrell to another even ●s Christ forgave you even so doe yee c. Marke here also how from this that they were the Elect of God he gathereth this Argument to perswade to all goodnes godlines and Christian vertues And so likewise doth S. Peter also frame an Argument from thence to perswade to all holinesse of life Yee saith hee are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shevv forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkenes into his marveilous light By all which you see I hope sufficiently that out of this doctrine of Predestination can no Argument for licentiousnes or carelesnes of life be rightly deduced but the cleane contrarie For although God hath predestinated and foreordained what shall become of all men as he hath likewise of all things else wee are not therefore to grow carelesse and dissolute but all our chiefe care studie endeavour should be this namly to examin our selves our harts waies affections works thereby see whether we be of the number of those that be elected predestinated to salvation yea or no And if wee finde that we are therin to reioyce with powring forth everlasting praise and thankes unto God for so speciall ineffable and incomparable a favour and during all our life to shew forth the fruites of that thankefulnes by a continual endeavour to walke in the waies of God godlines And if anie upon examination of himselfe doe not yet finde the marks tokens of Gods children within him and of such a one as is predestinated to salvation hee is not therefore to be discouraged utterly or to dispaire but to know that he may be for all that of the number of Gods Children if hee neglect not to use the meanes which God hath appointed in that case inasmuch as God may hereafter at some one time or other before his death call him to faith and repentance and regenerate and sanctifie him by his spirit so testifie and make known the same unto him For as it is true that VVhom God hath predestinated them also hee calleth so no lesse true is it that God hath also set his appointed times and meanes when and how he will call them unto himselfe whom hee hath so predestinated which thing Christ Iesus also himselfe sheweth in the Parable namely that some were called