those things which the worde doth both suggerate and teach vs. S. With whom we must talke With whom must I confer talke F. With the learned godly and such as feare God S. Of what thing must we talke F. Of God of Gods worde of the kingdome of heauen S. How must I confer thereof F. In what sort we ought to talke of those matters Not arrogantly as they vse to do which endeauour to maintaine vaine arguments and friuolous questions but with all reuerence sobrietie wisdome and the feare of God S. How faith is fructified How is this faith fructified and made fruitfull both in my selfe and others F. Partly by godly examples partly by deuout praier religious meditatioÌ„s S. Whose examples must I place before me to be followed F. The holy examples of the faithfull whom it behoueth thée to follow and thereby also to exhibit thy selfe an example of godlinesse vnto others S. How is fayth fructified by prayer F. In thy selfe as fayth is furthered strengthened and made frutefull in thy hart in others as fayth is strengthened and propagated in them by thine holy life and religion to the glory of God S. Thus haue ye right wel instructed me in the one part of that seruice which God requireth namely faith now what say ye of the second point F. The second part of this seruice is obedience Obedience what it is S. What is that which ye cal obedience F. Obedience is that submission of the minde whereby a man yéeldeth himselfe to the worde will of him that coÌ„mandeth and doth without any contradiction performe the same to his powre obedience towards God is that submission whereby the faithfull minde gladly yéeldeth himselfe to the word and will of God and this is that new obedience which otherwise is called the fruit of righteousnesse or good works comaunded by the certaine and expresse worde of God wrought in them that be regenerated by the helpe of Gods spirit faith shining in their harts to this end that therein God may be glorified and our neighbour benefited and they are the testimonies of a true fayth S. Where are these works to be learned F. In that written word of God wherin they are prescribed is for our learning S. Then haue I throughly learned wherein this seruice of God consisteth Now teach me also the maner of this seruice I beseech you my father F. How we must serue God God béeing a spirit will be serued in spirite and truth S. How may that be F. In holinesse and righteousnesse euen before him without feare all the dayes of thy life S. Declare this more plainly I pray you F. It behooveth thée to serue God purely because he is pure iustly because he is iust that is with a faythfull hart and sound life that not onely before men but also before God himselfe and that not doubtingly nor negligently but constantly continually vnto thy liues end S. And is a man able in this sort to serue God F. He hath not of himselfe any power so to do A man hath not the power to serue God yet may well serue him by faith and yet is it possible that he may serue him S. How can that be F. By that liuely fayth whereby it pleaseth Christ to imparte vnto man his righteousnesse and sufficiencie and thereby granteth him to walke in his vocation S. But seeing I haue none habilitie of my selfe but that which enableth me must come from Christ by what meanes shall I obtayne it F. By a good faith as I haue before said but so that as faith is strengthened and fructified by praier so is obedience by inuocaâ—ion S. And doth the Lord command this to be done F. Yea Isa 44. Forget me not and the same we finde among other things included within this commaundement Forget me not S. How many things requireth the Lord by this F. Two the first wherof is this that knowing his goodnes towards vs our duty towards him we should neither ingratfully forget the one nor negligently omit the other To be thankfull to God but alwayes gratefully remember his goodnesse and serue him in our liues in holynes and righteousnesse the second is To craue helpe of God that we desire of him aide and things necessary for vs for the sake of Christ our sauiour and these two points are contayned in deuout prayer S. VVhat is that prayer F. Prayer what it is It is a part of diuine addoration wherin we haue both conuersation and familiar talke with God Or it is the same whereby the godly minde is turned vnto God with a certaine humble and spirituall affection or according to the words of our theme it is the same whereby the faithfull minde is humblie and feruently powred foorth vnto God either in praising him for his benefits receiued or in crauing of him those good things which are thought necessary for vs. S. To whom ought we to pray F. To whome we must pray To God in the Trinitie in the vnitie to God I say which is thrée one S. And may we turne our selues to none other in praier F. No indéed for in so doing we derogate from the Lord that which to him is due and giue it vniustly to another S. VVhat forme of prayer hath hee prescribed me F. That which Christ hath appointed vs for an example The forme of a ChristiaÌ„ prayer and hath commnded his Apostles and disciples with all dilligence to obserue S. Teach me to know that forme of praier F. When ye pray said our Lord Christ vnto them say yée Our Father which art in heauen The Lordes prayer hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen giue vs this day our dayly bread and forgiue vs our tresspasses as we forgiue them that trespasse agaynst vs and leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill for thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for euer Amen S. VVhat do we in this prayer F. First The Sum of this prayer we lift vp our mindes to God with whome we haue familiar talke 2 Secondly we call and reuerently acknowledge him for our heauenly father 3 Thirdly we confesse his highest excellencie and power 4. Fourthly we prayse and glorifie his most holy name 5 Fiftly we desire the encrease of his supreame kingdome euery where both in our selues and others 6 Sixtly we relie wholy on his good will and pleasure 7 Seauenthly we craue of him such things as we want in this world both in bodie and soule 8 Eightly we humbly desire pardon of al our sinnes as we are ready to pardon them that offend agaynst vs. 9 Ninthly we beséeth him not to deliuer vs ouer into the hands of our deadly enemie the Diuell but to deliuer vs from his tyrannie 10 Tenthly we adde the reason that moueth vs to run vnto him with these our petitions the
kingdome of Christ fayth remission of sinnes righteousnesse holinesse and to a new life and life euerlasting S. How then am I called F. God béeing merciful vnto thée allureth thée externally by his worde preached and inwardly by the motion of his spirite S. Are both these namely the outward inward calling necessary for a christiā F. Yea and therefore we ought not to neglect the one nor contemne the other S. Thus farre haue you disputed in order touching the sonne howbeit one thing remayneth yet doubtfull my father the which I would gladly ye should discusse F. What is that my sonne S. Ye said that the father the sonne and the holy Ghost are one thing and that the diuine Nature cannot essentially be diuided and yet that neither the father nor the holy Ghost was made flesh but the sonne onely which also was the alone redeemer of mankinde Not the father nor the holy Ghost was incarnate but the sonne August de incarna cohu Iudaeos how I pray you may this be F. Let him resolue this questiō who hath for an example thereof so elegantly produced the harmonie of a musicall instrument consider sayth hée the musical instrument as it yéeldeth the harmonical sound therein thrée things séeme to be present together as namely the arte or cunning the hand and the corde the arte doeth suggerate or indite the hand striketh and the corde soundeth three here worke together yet onely the corde soundeth neyther the arte nor the hand yéeldeth sound but then only when they worke together with the corde euen so neyther the father nor the holy ghost hath taken flesh yet haue both wrought together with the sonne the corde onely yéeldeth the sound Christ onely hath béene incarnate The operation consisted of all the three but as the yéelding of the sound appertayneth onely to the corde so the taking of flesh appertayneth onely to Christ S. Ye haue excellently resolued me in this doubt and so haue sufficiently instructed me touching the sonne the second person of the diuine Trinitie Now at length I remember that to the third person ye attributed illumination regeneration and sanctification F. The workes of the holy Ghost It is true for these three things are proper to the holy ghost albeit that in the same the whole Trinitie hath his operation S. What meane ye by this illuminatiō Illumination F. Illumination as it is generally taken noteth sometimes the new birth sometimes the viuification sometimes the fréedome sometimes the iustification of a man but in this place by Illumination is meant that lightning of reason and iudgement wrougth in the faithfull by the diuine vertue whereby the eyes of the soule béeing opened they both sée God and learne to walke in his waies S. Then it appeareth that sometimes they haue beene darkened in their vnderstanding and know not at all how to order themselues F. It is most certaine thereof did men runne into so many grosse errours in the world as a punishment for their sinnes S. Right needefull then was it that Christ after his departure from his disciples sent the holy Ghost vnto them F. Thou hast sayd the truth for by the vertue thereof they were lightned and led into all trueth S. How is this holy spirit sayd to be giuen or receiued F. How the holy Ghost is said to be giuen As concerning his graces vertues operations and effects for otherwise being God incomprehensible and replenishing al things he is neither giuen nor taken nor said properly to remoue to go or to come from one place to another S. Ye also attributed to the holy ghost regeneration what meane ye by that F. Regeneration Regeneration is of that which is engendred againe or new borne S. Shew me this more plainely F. Euery man is spiritually dead by reason of sin therefore it is néedeful that he be reduced to that Image of God which is in him defaced by a new birth and hereof is he made a new man S. The old man VVhat is the olde man F. It is the fleshlie man S. VVho is that fleshlie man F. It is he which is not indued with the spirit of God but by nature without the holy spirit which is also called the outward man that is he which consisteth of the body and the sences which is giuen to affections and is mortall The same is also called the body of sin that is a body subdued to sinne flesh sensuall and earthly S. VVhat is that new man The new man F. It is that spirituall man S. VVho is he F. The man inspired with the graces of gods spirit whereof he is a new creature and spirit or the spirituall and inward man that is one regenerated by the worke of the holy ghost that very soule and the image of God which through faith and grace doth flourish euen in the middest of afflictions neither may he be by any meanes extinguished to this also belongeth the first and second man Ro. 5.8 1. cor 15. Adam is that first Christ is that second the first is terrene or earthly the second is celestiall or heauenly S. How doth the holy Ghost worke this in vs. F. He conuerteth vs vnto God conforming vs to the image of his sonne in the renewing of our mindes the which in the scriptures is often vnderstood in the worde Repentance S. It was not then for nought that both God and his prophets in the old Testament and Christ and his apostles in the new haue so often excited and called the people to repentance F. Well sayde neither without this can a man enter into the kingdome of heauen Io. 3.5 S. What oportunitie taketh the holy ghost in the working of this regeneratiō F. The hearing of the worde of God whereof fayth is engendred in the hart of man S. Ye also attributed as I remember to the holy spirit sanctification and what is that F. Sanctification Sanctification is the purifying of a man from all prophanitie the cleansing of a man by the mortificatiō of the flesh and the confirmation and application of vs to God by the viuification of the spirit the which indeede is the end of our deliuerance from hell death the diuell S. Thus haue I learned what are the chiefe attributes or properties of those three distinct persons in the diuine Trinitie now what remayneth els for me to learne my good father F. What God requireth of vs. Yea thou hast hard what Iehouah hath done for thée Now also must thou learne what he requireth thée to yéelde vnto him S. And what is that my good father F. Repeate the Theme or argument of our talke thou shalt therby know it S. I made thee saith Iehouah that thou shouldest be my seruant therefore thou Israell forget me not F. Well then The end of our creation redemption and regeneration to what end did Iehouah make thée aunswere me to the wordes of our Theme S.
also how this Fayth commeth F. Faith commeth by hearing of Gods word As faith is a frée gift of God as I said before so God will that this fayth should come by hearing and namely of the worde of God S. How is that wrought F. By the operation of the holy ghost which engendreth faith right happely in the hart of him who is a fruitfull hearer of the worde of God S. What is that word of God VVhat is that which ye call the worde of God F By the worde of God in this place is vnderstoode the holy scriptures both of the old new Testaments the which with many strong arguments doth demonstrate the will and workes of God and especially those promises which concerne the redéemer and eternall life for those scriptures we call the worde of God which béeing comfortable happie effectuall sufficient to man doth both instruct him in his dutie in this life also derect him to that euerlasting word of God which was with god before al worlds S. How must this worde be vnto me applied F. By the ministrie of the preachers How this word is to be applyed vnto vs. and ministers of the same S. Who be the preachers and ministers of this worde F. Those parsons The Preachers and ministers of the word whom the Lord sendeth foorth furnished with méete gifts lawfully called into the church which chiefly regard to celebrate to praise to commend with feuencie of spirit that openly before all men the name of God and the worde of his grace the kingdome of God S. What shal I do wheÌ„ ther is not a preacher nor a meete minister of the word F. First thou must pray the Lord of the haruest to send foorth labourers into his haruest then What is to be done there where the pastor is absent it is meete that thou read both dilligently reuerently the worde of God and meditate therein with a pure minde euery day S. VVhat if I cannot reade F. It behoueth thée to repayre to them that can reade and instruct thée concerning God and thy duty towards him S. How must this worde be preached and read F. How this word is to be preached and heard Faythfully distinctly discréetely wholy diligently coÌ„stantly reuerently S. How must this worde be heard F. With faith diligence reuerence feare of the Lord and harty desire to learne it to vnderstand it and to reforme this life thereby S. Thus haue ye taught me the ordinary meanes to obtayne faith now tell me also how this faith is confirmed F. How faith is conformed Ioh. 4. There was a time when that faith which came by hearing was confirmed by miracles and workes of wonder S. In what time was it confirmed F. In the time of Christ and his Apostles and in the primitiue church and néedfull it was then when the truth of the Gospell began to be published the which béeing now sufficiently confirmed vnto vs miracles are no longer néedfull S. Wherby is faith coÌ„firmed in vs now F. The vse of â— Sacraments Euen in the exercise of the same word by the which it was begon but chiefely in the true vse of the Sacraments S. How may I beter vnderstand this F. As the Sacraments themselues are the seales of Gods promises made to vs so the right vse of them ratifieth in vs that faith by the which we apprehend that which is promised S. What is that which ye cal a sacrameÌ„t What is a Sacrament F. Not only the seale of those things of which God hath promised vs as I haue before sayd but also an externall signe of some internall vertue or grace S. VVhereof is a Sacrament made F. Of these two things Whereof a sacrament is made namely the worde of God and the Element S. VVhereunto serueth the worde F. To the eare in the lawfull ministetrie thereof and to the inward man by the operation of the diuine spirite S. VVherunto serueth the Element F. To the eye the fast the féeling and eternall man for as a man is of two natures namely of the soule and body of the spirite and flesh so is he of the grace mercie of god edified in either of them S. How many Sacraments be there in christian vse There be two â—acramentes F. Two which are called Sacraments of the new Testament S. VVhat are those two F. Babtisme and the Supper of the Lord both the which are also signified in that water and bloud which issued from the side of Christ on the crosse S. Baptisme What is that sacrament of Baptisme F. This sacrament of baptisme or washing is diuersly defined for it is said to be either the badge of regeneration into a new life 1 Ioh. 2. and eternall health or the signe of our purgation in Christs bloud or the scale of the promise of remission of sinnes in the name of Iesus Christ S. The elemeÌ„t in Baptisme What is the Element whereunto the word adioineth to make this sacrament F. Water which washeth onely the bodie without S. VVhat is the inward grace which is therein signified F. The cleansing of vs from our sins S. And are they throughly cleansed which are washed in that water F. No for that inward washing commeth not of that worke wrought but of the holy ghost in the faythfull which vse this element as a simbole of this washing and not as the cause S. Who instituted and commaunded this to be done and vsed in the church F. Our Lord Iesus Christ who hath promised life vnto them which beléeue and be baptised and hath threatned death to them which beléeue not Mat. 16. S. What is that sacrament of the Lords supper F. The Supper of the Lord is a spirituall banquet The Lordes Supper whereby Christ witnesseth himselfe to be the bread of life by the which our soules are fed to the true imortalitie of the soule or it is an holy Simbole or signe wherein Christ offereth and communicateth his body and bloud thereby to certifie vs of the remission of sinnes and life euerlasting or it is the happy memoriall of the death of Christ and an whoalsome and memorable signe of that Sacrifice which hée made once for all on the Altar of the crosse S. VVhat is the outward Element of this sacrament The elemeÌ„t F. Bread and wine which féedeth and cheareth the bodie S. What is the inward grace which is signified thereby and giuen to the worthy receiuers thereof F. The body and bloud of Christ by the which we are nourished and cheared to eternall life S. Thus haue I hapely learned how saith is conformed in me Now also would I gladly learne how the same is encreased F. How faith is increased This faith which commeth by hearing and is confirmed in the vse of the Sacraments is also happely encreased by godly cogitations and meditations but chiefly by good conference and talke of