great a chaunge in him as if the obiect did lay violent handes vpon his minde in the which respect they are called passions of the mind and therefore were disclamed by those philosophers which professed constancie and exact vertue yet they containe in them a part of mans holinesse and of the image of God who cannot suffer and in whom there is no shadow of chaunge But thus it hath pleased him to shadowe out his owne incomprehensible nature by the likenesse of our nature resembling it as to the other faculties of the soule of man so also to these affections yea so that a greate parte of his glorie reuealed to his church consisteth in them For although he hath manifested himselfe to the heathen in his wisdome and power shining in the creatures yet in his church he is most glorious and renowned in respect of his mercy compassion and loue in Christ. The which affections as also anger hatred and all the rest are euery where in the scripture attributed to God In man they are then holy whenas they are agreeable to the nature of the obiect as when a man loueth that onely which ought to be loued and hateth that which by the will and word of God ought to be hated and that with due measure and moderation Thus they being ordered by reason and the word of God are not contrary to holinesse but a part of it Yea they are as bellowes blowing vp and encreasing spirituall graces and doe cary man forward to a high degree of holinesse Nowe we are to declare these affections in particular but because the former part of this treatise wherin those affections which imply subiection as faith hope feare and reuerence are already handled is growen in length farre aboue our purpose as also that there may be some place left for the third part of this treatise which in no case may wholly be omitted we will omit the seuerall explication and onely choose out some fewe of them which are the chiefe and of most notable vse In the which ranke the first place is to be giuen to loue being taken not generally for that pleasure which is taken in the fruition of some good thing in the which sense a man is said to loue this or that thing this or that kinde of meate as it is said of Isaac Gen. 27. 9. But as the obiect of it is some reasonable thing to wit God Angels or man in the which sense it is vsually called charity and may be described A hearty and vehement desire of the good of an other arising of an inward pleasure taken in some good which we see in him This affection is first and chiefly to be set on God who onely is good in the fruition of whome there are infinite pleasures And therefore man ought to desire his good in the aduancement of his glory aboue all the thinges in the world For he that loueth father or mother sonne or brother or any creature whatsoeuer more then God is not worthy to enioy those fountaines of pleasures which the fruition of God doth yeelde to the hearty and vehement louer Math. 10. 7. From this loue of God proceedeth the loue of the reasonable creatures which being endued with the image of God are for his sake to be loued Euen as we knowe that he that beareth hearty and vehement loue to his friend cannot but loue his friends sonne being a resemblance of his father Hence it followeth that all the reasonable creatures are not to be loued alike but more or lesse as they are more or lesse endued with the image of God And therefore greater loue was due to Angels then to men and among men to those who did excell others in measure of holinesse and of spirituall graces This is the first streame of loue flowing from the loue of God as from a fountaine beside the which there is an other fountaine of loue namely the naturall affection which euery liuing thing in the world beareth to it selfe whereby it taketh more pleasure in it selfe and doth more desire the good estate of it selfe then of any other thing This naturall loue hath place in man who euen in this his innocent estate doth beare a greater measure of loue to himselfe then to any other creature The which selfeloue is not to be reprehended it being not onely in all liuing creatures but also in God himselfe who as good reason is doth delight more in himselfe then in any other thing and doth more desire his owne glory then the good of any creature From this fountaine of selfeloue flow many streames of speciall loue whereby a man is more affected to those who doe anie waie come nearer vnto himselfe then to the common sort of men In this respect he beareth a greater and as it were a partiall loue to his naturall parentes children and kinsfolkes being of the same substance flesh bloud and bone with himself to his wife who by the institution of God is vnited into one person with him Gen. 2. 24 to his speciall friend who is ioyned with him in a perpetuall couenant of loue Iohn 20. â— The disciple whome Christ loued and is to him as his owne soule Deut. 11. 6. To his acquaintance alliance companions neighbours to all those to whome he is bound by any speciall meanes this loue is to be exercised and declared in the performance of all Christian dueties to our brethren in communicating vnto them al those blessings both temporal and spirituall which we haue receaued from God so farre foorth as their necessity shall any way require If these duties be wanting our loue is eyther verie weake or rather hypocriticall and pretended Thus the Apostle saith that he exhorting the Corinthians to contribute to the Church of Ierusalem did thereby trie the naturalnesse and syncerity of their loue 2. Cor. 8. 8. likewise 1. Iohn 3. 17. 18. He that hath thinges pertaining to the maintenance of this naturall life and seeth his brother want how is the loue of God in him therefore let vs not loue in word and tongue but indeede and trueth Thus much of loue whereunto hatred is contrary the which also hath place and some vse in this state of innocency although not so great as loue hath because there were more good obiectes then euill This affection being contrary to loue is in generall an abhorring from any euill but as it is referred to those thinges which are endued with reason it is a desire of euill to happen to that person which is hated arising of some inward griefe conceiued by meanes of him But what vse could there be of this affection in the state of innocency or who was the obiect of it not God for he is pleasure and good it selfe and therefore doth neither deserue to be abhorred being in no respect euill nor yet giueth any occasion of hatred to man by grieuing him not the Angels nor man himselfe who also are
maketh a speidie gainfull and happie voiage howsoeuer if that she chaunce to meete with a rocke or to runne vpon some sand she is in greater danger then if she had made lesse hast and borne a lower saile So where the strength and force of these affections is wanting there is as lesse danger in respect of sudden falles so lesse abilitie of aspiring to any high degree of holines for that the graces of the holy spirit wanting their sailes or being be calmed for want of winde often lie floting vp and dowen and doe not make so euident or notable progresse in their course Of these renewed affections the most notable is called loue an affections so often commended vnto vs and so highly extolled in the scriripture as if it contained not one part onely but euen the wholle substance of created holinesse in the which respect it is saide to be The fulfilling of the lawe Math. 22 40. Rom. 13. 8. and the one halfe of renewed holinesse the which is vsually cōprised in these two words Faith and Loue which is sayde 1. Cor. 13. 13. To be greater then faith But that we giue neither more nor lesse to this affection then is due vnto it this is to be held that holinesse whether created or recreated doth not consist either in any one or in a fewe but in many graces amongest the which loue hath the first place assigned vnto it yea often the denomination either of the wholle holinesse of man or more commonly of the holinesse of all the practicall faculties Not as if it were the only grace for there are many distinct graces euen as many as there are distinct faculties of mans soule required in perfect holinesse or yet as if it were the chiefe grace for faith hath the first place although in nature it be not so excellent as loue which is an heroicall grace being the foundation and as it were the subiect and ground-worke not onely of loue but also of all other graces and of all holinesse whether created or renewed Why then is loue more spoken of and inculcated in the scripture then faith or any other grace We answere that the spirit of God hauing continually in enditing the scripture respect to the capacitie of men propoundeth and commendeth vnto them holinesse not so much in grosse and in generall as in some particulars which are more easely surely and certainly conceaued then the generall in the which respect loue is preferred before faith as being more euident apparant and sensible and therefore a more sure and infallible marke and note of generall holinesse The great appearance of loue ariseth of these two causes First because whereas faith hath relation to God onely loue extendeth it selfe both to God and men Secondly where as faith lieth hidden in the heart and minde loue is outward practical and therefore more apparant and sensible Againe loue is preferred before all other practicall graces because holinesse consisteth as partly in duties to be performed in respect of our selues so cheifely in duties to be perfourmed to others namely to God and to men the which a man cannot performe as he ought vnlesse he beare a loue and a harty desire of the good both of God and of man Thus much of loue in generall The particulars of it are these First the regenerate man loueth God aboue all the thinges in the worlde desiring his good in the aduancement of his glory much more then his owne saluation From the which fountaine of the loue of God springeth the loue of all men but especially of the Godly who are renewed according to the image of God in holinesse and iustice Psal. 16. 3. All my delite is in the holy ones which are here on earth and cheiflie in those which excell in vertue This loue of the saintes is an infallible signe of true regeneration and of the true loue of God namely whenas a man loueth an other hartelie and vehemently euen as it were his owne naturall sonne or brother for this cause onely he being otherwise astraunger vnto him for that he seeth in him manifest signes and argumentes of true and vnfained godlinesse 1. Ioh. 3. 14. We knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren And Ioh. 13. 35. By this shall all men knowe that ye are my disciples if ye loue one another Nowe we come to the other fountaine of loue namely selfe-loue the which also hath place in the regenerate although in an other manner then in carnall men For they loue themselues yet so as that they loue God more by infinite degrees and their brethren as themselues Againe they doe not shewe or vse this self-selfe-loue in prouiding earthly and sensuall pleasures for their bodies but in procuring the eternall saluation of their soules and yet they doe and ought to loue themselues more then they doe any other yea to be more carefull for the good estate of their owne bodies and soules then of the bodies and soules of their brethren Yet this must be vnderstood in equall comparison for a faithfull man ought not to loue his owne bodie and to desire the safetie thereof more then the eternall saluation of his brother the which ought to be procured yea with the losse of our owne temporall liues Ioh. 3. 16. As Christ laide downe his life for vs so we ought to lay downe our liues for our brethren Yet a man neede not depriue himselfe of life for the safetie of the temporall life of his brother being a priuate man nor of eternall life for the procuring of his eternall saluation If any man doe here obiect the examples of Moses Paul of whom the one desired to haue his name blotted out of the booke of life and the other to be accursed from Christ for the good of the Iewes We āswere that the Iewes were then to be cōsidered not simplie as mē but as the whol visible church of God the confusion whereof coulde not but be a great hinderaunce to Gods glory the which ought to be procured euen with the eternall confusion of our owne soules if the case doe so require For so Moses alledgeth that if God did destroy his owne people the Egiptians who were spitefull enimies to God and his worshippe would laugh at their distruction and blaspheme God himselfe And so we cannot doubte but that the glory of God shall be wonderfully enlarged by the conuersion of the Iewes and therefore it may be more desired then our owne saluation From this fountaine of selfe loue flow the afore saide streames of speciall loue whereby the faithfull man is affected more to those who doe any way come neare himselfe then to those who are estraunged from him This partial loue is good and lawefull for why shoulde not man encline and cleaue more to those whom God hath ioyned more nearely vnto him Hence commeth the speciall loue due to parentes which cannot be wanting but in him
affection consisteth in this that it be in greatnesse correspondent to the greatnesse of the euill diligently waied with the seuerall circumstances of it and also moderated and qualified with contentation in respect of the will of God by the which the said euill came to passe Sect. 2. Of corrupt ioy and sorrow THese affections ioy and sorrow doe remaine in the corrupt state of man yet after a farre diuerse manner for whereas before the ioy of man was chiefly in God in spirituall things now it is wholly in carnall sensuall and earthly pleasures before man neuer thought himselfe well but when he was praising seruing God meditating on his loue the manifold blessings receiued from him now man neuer thinketh on God if he by some outward meanes as the lawes of mē or the auoiding of the sham of the world be drawen to some spiritual exercise as is the hearing of the word praier or any other he taketh no manner of pleasure in it Yea it is irkesome tedious vnto him his minde and affections being set vpon worldly pleasures as namely in the abundance vanetie goodnesse and sweetnesse of meates and drinkes in sleepe and idlenesse in carnal and filthy lustes in pastime and merie companie in gorgeous apparrell statelie buildings large reuenewes in health strēgth riches honour and preferment in children friends and prophane knowledge or in some other of the same kind Not as if there might not a lawfull pleasure be taken in corporall and outward blessings as hath beene declared but man passing by God the giuer of all these blessinges placeth his whole ioy and felicitie in the fruition of them and so maketh them his Gods As the Apostle doth plainlie witnesse that the coueteous man is an idolatour He is not stirred vp by the sweetenesse which he feeleth in the vse of the creaturs to reioyce delight himselfe in God the giuer of them but is by them more alienated from God and being euen drunke with sensualitie forgetteth and contemneth God much more in prosperitie then in aduersitie and therefore God doth so often forewarne the people of Israel of forgetting him whenas they come into that pleasant land flowing with milke honny whither they went Hence it commeth that the ioy of a carnall man is vnconstant vncertaine and momentany euen as is the matter of his ioy For as no worldly thing is constant so the ioy which ariseth of worldly things must needes be vnconstant Yea while it doth continue it is not pure and sincere ioy but mingled with much sorrow and vexation of minde it being impossible that any man should haue such perfect ioy in this world in respect of worldly blessings as is voide of all manner of crosses and griefe And therefore Salomon saith Prou. 14. 13. That the hart of the wicked man is heauie euen while he laugheth and that sorrow is the end of his ioy Thus we see the sinfullnesse of mans ioy in this corrupt state Likewise his sorrow is not such as it ought to be he is indeede often grieued but not for the want of the fauour presence and grace of God not for his sins by the which he doth displease dishonour God not for the miserable estate of his soule rotting in ignorance atheisme infidelitie These things neuer trouble him but if he be in anie worldly miserie if in pouertie sicknesse danger prison in the displeasure of any greate and mightie man then he is ouerwhelmed and euen stricken deade with sorrow As for the miseries wherein he seeth other men to be the scripture doth often teach vs and daily experience doth testifie the same that a carnall man is cruell mercilesse voide of all pittie and compassion Sect. 3. Of holy ioy and sorrow IT now remaineth that we declare the holines of these affections in the state of regeneration wherein both ioy and sorrow haue so greate and continuall vse as that they may seeme to striue for the preheminence whether of them should beare the greater sway in the faithful Renewed ioy ariseth of the inward sense and feeling of the loue and mercie of God in Christ whereby a faithfull man knowing assuredlie that he hath attained remission of all his sinnes safetie and freedome from the anger and iudgements of God eternall happinesse with all spirituall and temporall blessings tending therevnto is and that not without good cause replenished in his soule with an exceeding and vnspeakable ioy in regard of this his happie state the greatnes whereof no man either knoweth or can expresse but he in whome it hath pleased God to worke it by his holie spirite Yea if we shall compare this renewed ioy with the ioy which man had in his first estate we shall see that the faithfull haue both greater cause of reioycing and greater ioy then man had in his perfect happinesse in that he hath not only attained to a more perfect absolute and certaine happinesse but also hath escaped the contrarie miserie euen the eternall wrath of God due vnto him for his sinnes whereof man had no taste in his first estate This ioy differeth from the ioy of the carnall man in many respectes the one reioyceth in God the other in the creatures the one in temporal vaine and momentanie the other in spirituall heauenlie and eternall things the one in the good estate of his bodie the other in the good estate of his soule The one sheweth his ioy in the vse of carnall pleasures the other in spirituall exercises Eph. 5. 18. Be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but be ye filled with the spirit speaking to your selues in psalmes and spirituall songs making melodie to the Lord in your heartes And lastly the one is continuall constant abiding yea florishing so much the more in the middest of the greatest afflictions Rom. 5. 3. Act 16. 15. The other is short and vncertaine being cleane dashed with the least crosse that doth happen This renewed ioy although it be so exceeding great as hath beene saide yet it is mixed and indeede tempered with much sorrow so it hath pleased God in great wisdome and mercy to giue to his children in this life not the absolute perfection of that ioy and happinesse which he hath prepared for them but rather to temper the exceeding sweetnesse of it with sorrow and afflictions that so the bitternesse of the one might make the other the more welcome and acceptable vnto them The causes of this sorrow are diuerse some in the faithfull themselues some in others in themselues first and cheifly their sinnes whereby they doe displease and dishonour God who hath shewed himselfe to them so gratious bountifull and mercifull Secondly the manifolde temptations crosses and afflictions which doe daily befal them these howsoeuer by the gratious assistaunce of Gods spirit they doe often encrease this spirituall ioy yet being bitter and oftentimes intollerable to flesh and bloude they doe preuaile against
is nothing but a confession of ignorance and therefore it is needfull to search out not only what God is not but also what he is but this cannot be done by any creature and therefore let vs aske counsell of the scripture and learne the nature God of God himselfe to whome onely it is fully knowen This may be done Iohn 4. 24. where it is said That God is a spirite But so are the Angels also Heb. 1. 7. howe then shall we thinke that God and the Angels which are creatures are of the same nature God forbid for that thought were no holy knowledge but a blasphemous errour yea the scripture meaneth no such thing as that God is a spirite but onely that he is of an inuisible subtile and pure nature as are the Angels and as is the winde and ayre from the which the name of spirits is taken or as is the flame of fire which is made the synonymum that is of the same signification with the name of spirite Heb. 1. 7. He maketh his Angels spirites and his ministers flames of fire If this be true as it is most true then we are but where we were for hereby we learne onely that GOD is not a visible or sensible thing And therefore we must haue recourse againe to the mouth of GOD and with Moses aske boldlie what he is and desire to haue his true name and nature reuealed vnto vs. The answere which GOD giueth is this I am that I am or I will be that I will be that is I am no chaungling but the same for euer But neyther these places nor any other in the scripture doe flatly define what the essence of GOD is what then is to be done in this case shall wee thinke that GOD who made man so happy and was so bountifull vnto him did enuie to him the knowledge of his owne nature that cannot bee Wee are rather to gather by the silence of GOD in this behalfe that this is too high a pointe of knowledge for man to reach vnto yea such an one whereof the minde of man is not capable And therefore man in his innocencie was not to busie his heade in sounding the bottomelesse depth of Gods essence or to thinke that the tongues of all the Angels in heauen were able to vtter so significant a word as shoulde containe in it the forme and substance of Gods nature How then may man knowe God or at the least come neare to some manner of knowledge of him We answere that neither God nor anie other thing can possiblie be conceiued by man but by some resemblance or Image and therefore the only way to attaine to this light and imperfect knowledge is to imagine of God by that which is of al other things most excellent in nature and so approacheth nearest to the nature of God and which all men know to be the most excellent of all others In this contemplation the nature of the reasonable creatures doth first offer it selfe as farre excelling all other natures and therefore man must be faine to gather out of himselfe or else from the Angels if they were so well knowen vnto him an Idea Image or notion of God not by thinking him like to anie creature for that were idolatry but by appyling the best highest greatest most excellent things which he findeth in himself to the nature of God This meanes of attaining to the knowledge of God is so naturall to man that it remaineth euen in his corrupt estate wherein nothing is more cōmon then to thinke and speake of God as of a man for ignorant men knowing nothing more excellent then themselues doe thinke their owne nature to be likest to the nature of God Well then let vs vse this meanes seeing we haue no other and see if we can conceiue of the greate ocean by a droppe of water What then is counted most excellent in the nature of man what but his vnderstanding knowledge wisdome counsell his reasonable wit and orderlie affections his loue fauour mercy pittie his iustice purity such other vertues his strength and power his Lordshippe ouer the creatures and his glorie arising thereof In these things doth the excellencie of man consist and therefore man as it were putting his owne coate on God is to conceiue of him in his minde as of a nature surpassing yea infinite in knowledge wisdome counsell in will loue hatred fauour and reuenge in mercie and compassion in puritie and iustice in might power dominion and glorie and no maruaile that man doth thus conceiue of God seeing GOD in regarde of the weaknesse of mans capacitie hath reuealed him selfe to man in this and in no other manner euen in the person likenesse and nature of man and yet this is the onelie nature of GOD which is reuealed Now as touching the meanes whereby man in this his innocencie attaineth to the knowledge of this nature of God which being after a sort his owne nature is familiar vnto him and may easilie be conceaued they are two The first are the naturall faculties of his soule and bodie to wit his senses outward and inward by the which he did plainly and certainly gather out of the creatures the actuall knowledge of gods attributes wherein as hath bene saide his nature being otherwise incomprehensible is reuealed as namely of his infinitenes eternity wisdome iustice power loue all which do shine so clearelie in the creatures that man euen since his fall doth by this meanes attaine to some knowledge of God as we read Rom. 1. 20. The inuisible things of God to wit his eternitie power godheade are plainele seene since the creation of the world being considered or vnderstoode in the creatures If by man being sinfull how much more by him being in his pure estate For what maruaile is it that one who hath both his eyes and is cleare sighted doth see the light of the sunne shining in his eies which is so cleare of it selfe that a blinde man maye perceiue it The second way or meanes of knowledge was immediate reuelation for as it shalbe in the seconde so in the first state of innocencie GOD did reueale himselfe and the glorie of his power wisdome loue and of the rest of his attributes immediatlie by himselfe and that diuers wayes as it seemed best vnto him vouchsafing to haue familiar conuersatiō with his reasonable creatures and to speake with them face to face as one friende vseth to doe with another This second meanes did make perfect the actuall knowledge gotten by man himselfe out of the creatures encreasing it to a farre greater measure then can be attained in the state of regeneration Thus much of the meanes whereby the potentiall knowledge of man is made actuall whereby it appeareth that there was no ordinarie ministerie appointed by GOD in the handes either of Angell or of man as it is in the state of regeneration as hath bene declared in the first part
good both in themselues and towards man and therefore there remaine the wicked spirites only the deuill with his helhoundes on whome this affection is to be exercised The which thing man might lawfully do requiting their accursed and spightfull hatred of God of his glory creatures and specially of man and his saluation with a vehement hatred desiring their eternall confusion not simply because they are sinfull and miserable for they are in that respect rather to be pittied but because of the nature of their sinne which being a desperate hatred of God hath belonging vnto it the imprecation of the Church of God Yet the deuill himselfe the Captaine of this wicked crewe is not so vehemently to be hated as God is to be loued because he is not so euill as God is good for God is simply infinitely and essentially good but the deuill is not infinitely euill because he is a creature nor absolutely for he hath some good in him as is the created might and power of his nature nor essentially for the substance of his nature remaineth vncorrupt as in the holy Angels Sect. 2. Of corrupt loue and hatred OF all the faculties of mans soule none are so much stained with the corruption of sin as are the affectiōs for as the wil is more froward frō good then the minde is ignorant of it so the affections are farre more outragious then the will is froward and no maruaile for they being of so violent a nature as cannot without much a doe be kept in due order by the force eyther of created or renewed holines how great shall we thinke their disorder sinfulnesse to be in this corrupt state wherin they may runne at random as farre as they list being not restrained by any superiour power Whereof it cōmeth that as they being sanctified and set on good doe procure a great encrease of holinesse as hath bene said so they being in a carnall and sinfull man esspecially where they are strong by natur do encrease his sinfulnesse vnto the highest degree the which as it is strong in the other faculties of the soule so in the affectiōs it may well be compared to a mad man set on horsbacke yea on a wild horse which cannot eyther stay himselfe or be staied by any other means till he haue run himselfe out of breath and life in all outrage of sinne The sinfulnesse of the affections consisteth in this that they are moued by contrarie obiectes for those which shoulde be stirred vp by the euilnesse of the obiect to abhorre it doe in that respect embrace it and moue toward it and contrarilie those which shoulde be moued by the goodnesse of the obiect to embrace it doe in that respect abhorre and auoid it as will appeare more plainly in the particulars as namely in loue and hatred the which affections are both common and strong in carnall men yet not holely rightly disposed in them for they doe rather loue that which they should hate and hate that which they shonld loue then loue and hate that which ought to be loued and hated First as touching God on whome man ought to set his whole loue a carnall man doth not know God much lesse loue him it being impossible that one should loue that which he doth not know as it is commonly saide Ignoti nulla cupido Yea if a naturall man doe by anie means attaine to some knowledge of God yet he is as farre of from louing him as he was before and which is more although God doe bestow neuer so many blessinges and pleasures vpon him as what hath he that he hath not receiued from God yet he cannot by them nor by any other meanes purchase his loue so greatly is the affection of man alienated from God Yet we cannot say that man doth by nature hate God for then his fall were as greate as the fall of the deuill and the rest of the wicked spirites which is not to be thought especially seing that we knowe that all men by the instinct of nature delight to haue a God according to their owne Imagination and him they will loue and honour Yet this may be truly-saide that it is naturall for man to encrease as in all other partes of his naturall sinfulnesse so also and especiallie in the want of the loue of God in so much that although not all yet many become haters of God as appeareth Rom 1. 30. For although men especially liuing in the church be restrained by the shame of the world and the feare of punishment from professing them-selues to be haters of God yet in that they doe hate the ministers and seruants of God which do zealously preach and professe his gospel behauing themselues spightfully contumeliously and malitiously towardes them it is euident that in their harts they doe hate God himselfe As Christ witnesseth Ioh. 7. 7. The world cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testifie of it that the workes of it are euil From this fountaine of the want of the loue of God commeth the want of loue towardes men For if the carnall man doe not loue God himselfe surelie it is not like that he loueth man for Gods sake because he is created or recreated after the likenesse of God What then doth sinfull man loue For we haue saide that this affection hath a strong and common vse in this corrupt estate surely he loueth himselfe if that may be called loue and not rather hatred which bringeth to euerlasting destruction and all manner of worldly and fleshly pleasures soft apparrell and to goe brauely sweete meates and to fare daintily faire buildings for outward pompe and vaine-glorie riche coffers without anie scarsitie new pastimes mery cōpanie sleepe ease idlenes warmnes whatsoeuer may please the minde or tickle the outward senses that is the thing which man loueth But what say ye to the streames which come from this self◠loue Doth not man in this sinful estat loue his parentes children wife friends and acquaintance We answere that he loueth all these by the instinct of nature and yet by the encrease of his naturall corruption it doth vsually come to passe as experience doth teach that most naturall men loue neither father nor mother sonne nor daughter sister nor brother wife nor friend kinsman nor neighbour nor any other saue only themselues So that man maketh himselfe an Idol loueing hinselfe wholly and only as he should doe God and bearing no heartie affection either to the godlie for gods sake or to his owne for his owne sake Sect. 3 Of the renewed holinesse of the affections and specially of loue and hatred AS the created so much more the recreated holinesse of man admitteth all the kindes of affections by the violence whereof as it is somtimes hindred and impaired so vsually it is set forward and augmented for euen as a shippe houlding her right course and hauing her sailes filled with a greate gale of wind
who is notoriously vnnaturall vnthankfull and vnholy For if a man loue the houses and places wherein he hath beene and liued sometime shall he not much more loue his parentes from whose bodies he came Secondly the loue of children with the loue of whom he that is not touched and enflamed may be accounted lesse affectionated then God himselfe and more senslesse then are the brute beastes An example of this fatherly affection we haue in Iacob of whom it is saide that he did loue his son Beniamin so dearly that his soule was so tied to the soule of Beniamin that he could not liue but would incoÌ„tinently dy for sorrow if so be he were taken from him Ge. 44. 36. This fatherly affection is so strong by nature that if it be not wel looked vnto it wil as a great riuer or streame rise aboue the bankes and due limites of it and cary a godly man beyond all due regard eyther of reason or of religion as appeareth plainely in that notable man of God king Dauid of whom it is said 1. King 1. 6. That he did cockour his sonne Adonia and could not finde in his heart to grieue him no not with a sharpe word And we know how he loued his vngratious sonne Absalon being more sorrowfull for his death who for his monstrous vnnaturalnes was not worthy to liue on the earth then he was glad for the victory which he himselfe had gotten and for his owne safety And therefore he did so bitterly lament his death saying O Absalon Absalon O my son Absalon would to God I had died for the. Thirdly from this fountaine commeth the speciall loue of those who are tied with the faithfull man in any outward bonde as in mariage or speciall friendship for the first â—o the mutuall loue which ought to be beâ—wixt the husband and the wife the scripture doth often exhort by arguments drawen from the institution of God who hath made them one person and one flesh Thus Ephe. 5. 29. No man euer hated his owne flesh but doth nourish and cherish it And therefore a man ought to loue his wife euen as his owne bodie and as Christ hath loued his Church Yea there is great reason and necessity of a great measure of mutuall loue betwixt man and wife For seeing they doe forsake their fathers mothers and kindred not dwelling any longer with them but betaking themselues to their owne house and to each other as to a perpetuall companion and partner in good and euill in ioy and misery how should not their loue be exceeding great The seconde outward bond of loue is friendship whereby we doe not meane any common good will and acquaintance but a speciall contract of perpetuall loueâ— such an one as was betwixt Ionathan anâ— Dauid whereof it is saide 1. Sam. 18. 1â— That the soule of Ionathan was tied to thâ— soule of Dauid And Dauid himselfe whâ—â— had best experience of it witnesseth thâ—â— greatnesse of Ionathaens loue 2. Sam. 1â— 26. Saying how am I grieued for thee 〈◊〉 brother Ionathan thou was sweete pleasaâ— vnto me thy loue was wonderfull to me passing the loue of women Lastly from this fountain of selfeloue commeth the loue of kinsfolks alliance acquaintance companions neighbours and of all whome God hath ioyned more nearely to vs then he hath done others CHAP. VII Sect. 1. Of ioy sorrow and pittie in the state of innocency BEside the foresaid affections of loue and hatred there were many other created in man as namely to let the rest passe ioy and sorrow which is contrary to it The first is a delight or pleasure conceiued by the present enioiing of some good thing whereby a man is mooued to seeke and embrace the said good as sorrow is the abhorring of some present euill as being bitter and vnpleasant Both these affections had place and vse in this first estate yet not equally for a great part of happinesse consisteth in ioy yea happinesse may be said to be nothing else but the ioyfull fruition of good and pleasant thinges whereas sorrowe is contrary to happinesse howe great cause and continuall vse of ioy man had in his innocency we may easely gather by those infinite blessings wherewith he was euen compassed about liuing not onely free from all troubles crosses afflictions daungers wants incumbrances and whatsoeuer thing might any way grieue or hurt him but also in abundance and superfluity of al pleasures belonging both to his body and soule in perfect strength and health in wealth peace and liberty in honour and glory and which is all in all and in trueth the fountaine of all true ioy in the fauour and loue of God The holinesse of this affection consisteth in this that it be correspondent and proportionable to the goodnesse and excellency of the obiect and that the ioy which man conceiueth by the fruition of any thing be greater or lesse as the thing it selfe is more or lesse excellent a greater or a lesse good and therefore man was chiefly to delight himselfe and to reioyce in God who is the chiefe and first yea the onely infinite goodâ— in the fruition of the presence and fauour of God in seruing praising God in meditating on the creatures workes wisedom power mercy and goodnesse of God Secondly as God hath put into euery one of his creatures a finite and proper goodnes so it was lawfull for man to be affected accordingly with the pleasure flowing from the said thing For example God created for the vse of man great variety of trees bearing sweete and pleasant fruite all which man might lawfully vse with ioy and pleasure Yea this ioyfull vse of the creatures was not onely permitted to man but also comaunded by God for so we read Deut. 26. 11. Thou shalt bowe thy selfe before the Lord thy God and thou shalt reioyce before him in all the good thinges which he hath giuen vnto thee thou and thy whole family For why he that reioiceth aright in the fruition of the creatures reioyceth in God the maker and giuer of them and by them is stirred vp to greater alacrity in seruing and praising God Now as touching sorrow it had also place in the pure nature of man which was subiect to this passion howsoeuer he being in perfect felicitie had not any great vse of it yet we may suppose some causes of sorrow euen in this happie estate both in man himselfe who might be moderately grieued for the want of some particular good and in some other respects as also in other creatures for the miserable estate of the wicked Angels hauing beene so glorious and happie especially the dishonour which they did many waies procure to the name of God could not but worke sorrow in the heart of man So that the sorrow of man in this first state being rather in regarde of others then of himselfe ought to be called pitty rather then sorrow The holinesse of this
paper they for their owne exercise or in any other good intente these in hope of some honest aduantage and both of them in a Christian desire of profiting others let not that trouble thee The losse is their owne and it is lawfull for them to doe with their owne what they list we speake of priuat censures not of publick restraint vse mennes writings and giftes if thou thinke them for thy purpose otherwise take their good meaning and ours among the rest not the worst of all others in good part and so leaue them to their likers or to their losse Lastly we desire the friendly reader to put to his helping hand to this worke which we haue taken in hande to amend what soeuer is any way amisse to adde to this imperfect and light delineation of mans soule not onely the essentiall partes which are wanting but also the sinnewes of strong proofes and argumentes yea the cleare colours of examples and other illustrations and Lastly to further our endeauours if he think them any way profitable for the Church of Christ by harty good will and earnest prayer BVt especially I do intend and commend this treatise vnto you my beloued countrimen and kinsfolke the inhabitauntes of the towne of Barwicke euen to all that in the saide towne doe call on the name of the Lorde Iesus being there vnto moued by nature it selfe which would wringe euen out of a flinty hearte speciall affection and harty loue to the natiue soyle Yea what is more meete or more needfull in all reason and equity then that we shoulde retourne the first fruites of our laboure thither from whence we came and where we had our first being and beginning Accept I pray you at my handes this poore mite in steade of some riche pledge of vnfained loue Who knoweth but that by the blessinge of God this small graine of mustardseed the simplest of a thousand bookes euery where extant being carefully receaued by you into your mindes and heartes as into good ground may sende foorth plentifull fruite of spirituall knowledge and vnfained obedience vnto eternall life and may growe to that bignesse that the birdes of the ayer may builde their nestes in the braunches of it for so I hope that you acknowledging this simple and vnlearned peece of worke to be the fruite of your owne feilde will euen in that respect the more willingly eate of it and perhaps the more happily digest it to the encrease of that stature and strength whereunto you haue already attained in Christ. In whome I doe earnestly desire that you may growe from grace to grace labouring to glorifie him by a holy and vnblameable life as he hath shewed himselfe most mercifull and bountifull vnto you He hath powred foorth his blessings both temporall and spirituall vpon you with a full hand he hath giuen vnto you greater plentie of thinges needfull for the preseruation of the body then to any other place in the land beside he hath freed you from the dregges and reliques of poperie wherewith the whole country farre and neare euen a hundred miles from you is infected as with a common plague you haue godly learned preachers of the worde of God although not many yet moe then some scores of miles in the countrey will afforde and lastly you haue leasure and opportunitie of seruing God and vsing all the meanes of your saluation greater then any other hath as all men knowe What wanteth then but onely this that you be not wanting to your selues but carefull in vsing these singular blessings to your owne edification and eternall saluation That so your Church may be renowmed in all places as florishing in the multitude not of verball professours mocking God and deceauing themselues with an outwarde shew of religion but of sincere and sounde Christians seruing God in spirite and trueth and labouring to kepe a good conscience in the wholl course of their liues both towardes God and towardes their brethren Thus crauing pardon of you for my boldnesse in this behalfe I commend you to God and to the worde of his grace which is able to builde you further and to giue you an inheritaunce among those that are sanctified The lorde be with you all now and euermore Amen Written this first of Aprill 1596 your harty well-willer and countriman T. M. The argument of the treatise following THE last and chiefe end why God in the beginning made the world with all thinges therein contained was the setting foorth of his glory the which before the creation did shine in and to himselfe onely whereas now all the creatures doe praise his holie name For the effecting whereof it was needfull that the creature should be endued with a kinde of excellencie so great as that it might manifest the glory of the power wisedome and goodnesse of God and yet so meane that it should not in any respect be comparable to the excellency of the creator Hence it is that the state of all thinges in the worlde euen of the most excellent creatures is kept downe and debased from the state of God as in many other respectes so especially in this that the one is momentanie variable and diuerse the other being eternall constant and the same for euer So we read Exod. 3. 14. whenas God would euen paint out the excellency of his owne nature and distinguish himselfe from all other thinges whatsoeuer doe any way exist he saith that his name is I will be who I wil be or who I am that is I am not a changable creature but the Almighty Iehoua in whome there is no shadowe of chaunge But it is farre otherwise with the creature wherein there is no permanent state to be found And to let passe the baser sort of them which are made for corruption and to be consumed in the vse let vs consider the state of the most excellent creatures euen those which being endued with reason were made according to the image of God to wit Angels and men of whose estate the scripture witnesseth that it is not onely chaungeable but also straungely chaunged For it being in the first creation most happie glorious and holy became afterward most impure wretched and vile Neither doth it stay here but by the mercy of God man is restored to his first excellency So we read Iob. 4. 18. 19. behold in his seruantes he will not trust no not in his Angels wil he put any confidence how much lesse in men dwelling in howses of clay whose foundation is in the dust c Neither can it be otherwise for God hath his being from himselfe but the creature dependeth on God by whome it was made and therefore can neither exist nor continue in any estate longer then the good pleasure of God doth permit This mutability of the creature appeareth chiefly in man whose diuerse states being three in number we doe indeuour to lay open in this treatise The first is the state of the first creation of
holinesse of life and all happinesse The second is the estate of the fall of sinne of death and of all miserie The third is the state of regeneration of righteousnesse of saluation and of eternall glory These three estates we desire to declare out of the word of God which entreateth plentifully of the two latter but more sparingly of the first for that it continued a verie short time Yet we may learne the doctrine of it also out of the scripture especially by these meanes first out of the example of Adam Eua and Christ the which three onely of all mankinde liued in this estate Secondly out of the state of the Angels which agreeth with the state of man in many respectes and therefore we doe often in the two first estates speake of the Angels not of set purpose but as by the way and for the further illustration of the state of man who in his creation agreeth with all the Angels and in his fall with the reprobate sort of them Thirdly we may consider the innocency of man in those thinges which the scripture speaketh of God to whom it often giueth the person of man not polluted with sinne but remaining in his first purity and lastly we may gather what was the state of the first creation by the state of regeneration the which being nothing else but the renewing of the first estate will giue vs great light for the vnderstanding of it Further this is to be marked that by the state of innocency we do not meane those fewe daies onely wherein Adam did continue innocent but also the whole progresse and course of this state as it would haue beene if man had not fallen at all the which supposed continuance of the state of innocencie differeth much from that actuall estate wherein Adam was before his fall for he was not at the first endued with any such actuall perfection of holinesse and happinesse but that he was daily to encrease in both these respectes as God should reueale himselfe more more vnto him Lastly this treatise is diuided into three parts each part into diuers chapters which in the two former partes haue each of them three Sections according to the three diuers states of man the which may be considered in the table following eyther seuerally by the reader going downe in the seuerall columnes or in comparison with the other two in the ouerthwarte lines The first part Ch Section 1. Section 2. Section 3 1 Of the state of innocency and life pag. â— Of the state of sinne and death pag. 5 Of the state of râ—â—generation saâ—â—uation pag. 1â— 2 Of the happines wherein man was created pag. 29 Of his miserable estate since the fall pag. 41 Of the eternall happinesse of maâ— pag. â— 3 Of created holinesse pag. 38 Of the sinfulnesse of man pag. 41 Of renewed hâ—â—linesse pag. â— 4 Of faith in generall and of legall faith pag. 59 Of infidelitie pag. 70 Of euangelicalâ— faith pag â— 5 Of hope pag. 106. Of desperation pag. 108 Of renewed 〈◊〉 hope pag. â— 6 Of the feare of God pag. 122. Of the want of the said feare pag. 126 Of renewed 〈◊〉 pag. â— 7 Of filiall subiection pag. 133. Of the want of filial subiectioÌ„ p. 139 Of filial subiect 〈◊〉 renewed pag. â— 8 Of seruile subiection pag. 160. Of seruâ—le rebellion pag. 163 Of seruile subiecâ—â— renewed pag. â— 9 Of mans subiection to God as to his teacher pag. 171. Of mans rebellion against God his teacher pag. 175 Of mans subieâ—â— to God his teaâ—â— renewed pag ◠〈…〉 subiection of the creature pag. 185 Of mans rebellion against his creator pag. 189 Of mans subiection to his creator renewed pag. 192  〈…〉 〈…〉 Of mans subiectioÌ„ to God as to a husband pag. 195  The second part Section 1 Section 2. Section 3. Of the image of God in man in his pure estate pa. 202 Of mans deformity or vnlikenesse to God pag. 213 Of the renewed image of God in man pag. 215 Of the created holinesse of the minde pag. 217 Of the sinfulnesse of the minde pag. 238 Of a renewed minde pag 248 Of mans conscience in his pure estate pag. 252 Of a corrupt coÌ„science pag 254 Of a renewed coÌ„science certenty of saluation pag. 263 Of the holinesse of mans memorie pag. 270 Of the sinfulnesse of the memorie pag. 274 Of a renewed memory pag. 276 Of the created holinesse of the will pag. 279 Of the sinfulnes of the will pag. â—93 Of the renewed will of man pag. 311 Of the affections specially of loue hatred pag. 318 Of corrupt affections pag. 326 Of renewed loue and hatred pag. 330 Of holy ioy and sorrow pag. 336 Of corrupt ioy sorrow pag. 342 Of renewed ioy and sorrow p. 345 The third part Of the chaunges hapning in the three estates pag. 349 Of the changes of created holinesse pag. 353 Of the naturall decrease of sinfulnesse pag. 358 Of the supernaturall decrease of sinfulnesse pag. 363 Of the particulars in this supernaturall decrease of sinfulnesse pag. 374 Of the naturall supernaturall encrease of sinfulnes pa. 380 Of the decrease of renewed holinesse pag. 388 Of the encrease of renewed holinesse pag 414 Of celestiall holinesse pag 424 OF THE THREEfold state of man The first parte of this treatise wherein is handled the first part of mans holinesse and sinfulnesse to wit his due subiection to God with the contrarie rebellion CHAP. I. Section 1. Of the state of innocency and life FOR the enlarging of Gods glory the which is the ende of the creation of the world it was needful that of the creatures some should be indued with vnderstanding For euen as the strength wisedome and beauty of a man cannot purchase vnto him any commendation or credite vnlesse some others besides himselfe doe marke knowe and acknowledge those excellent parts of nature and industrie in like maner the heauens the ayre the water and the earth although they be decked and replenished with starres birds fishes beasts and many other admirable creatures and doe containe in them infinite matter of Gods glorie yet they could not any iot encrease that glory which God had before the creation vnlesse there were some other creatures able to obserue conceiue declare admire and extoll the power wisedome and goodnesse of God shining in these thinges For this cause God after that he had made the higher and the lower world the one consisting of the heauens the other of the elements he sawe it needfull for the illustration of his glory to create Angels and men to be the inhabitants and as his tenaunts of these glorious palaces yea to behold and confesse the excellency of his workemanshippe in themselues and in the rest of the creatures For the which purpose he gaue vnto them faculties of vnderstanding and speaking with many other which he denied to the rest Thus we see the excellent state of Angels and men beeing made to be witnesses and
fearefull panges of desperation such extreame sorrowe feare and humiliation that he may truely be saide to passe to heauen through the middest of hell Againe some of these new men are borne in so greate strength and perfection as if they were not babes but growen men in Christe As was the Apostle Paule who came into this spirituall world not onely a perfect man but also a mighty giant euen an notable apostle whereas others in the beginning of their regeneration are so weake in the performance of the actions of spirituall life that it may be greatly doubted whether they haue any life or no. Lastly the signes of regeneration are as many as are the seuerall partes and heads of sanctification and therefore whosoeuer desireth to knowe whether that this new man be begotten in himselfe or no let him consider diligently that which followeth in all the third sections of this treatise applying it to himselfe see whether that he finde this straunge change in his own soul or no whether that he be fully perswaded of the trueth of Gods worde which saieth that the dead shall one day be raised vp to life and that all those who did beleeue in Christ shall enioy eternall happinesse in heauen or doe secretly in his mind doubt of the trueth of these thinges whether that for his good estate in this world he depend on GOD or vpon his owne wisdome strength riches and friends whether that he feare God or man more whether that his chiefe delight be in seruing God in praising God in hearing reading meditating on the worde of God or in worldly pleasures in eating drinking sleeping in pastime in the pompe and outwarde shewe of the worlde whether that he haue the grace to pray dayly to God for all spirituall graces distinctly and seuerally one by one or that he prayeth seldome lightly and but for fashions sake whether that he loue those who feare God as he doth his owne brethren or children or else is effected to them no otherwise then to other men by these signes and many other which are hereafter to be declared at large this regeneration may easely and certainly be knowen And therefore it standeth euery man in hand who desireth to escape the second death to examine himselfe whether that he haue anie parte in this first resurrection as the Apostle doth exhort 2. Cor. 13. 5. saying Trie your selues whether ye be in the faith or no knowe ye not that Christ is in you except ye be reprobats Lastly as the happinesse so also the holynesse of this third estate excelleth the first holynesse of man in that it is perpetuall and cannot by any meanes be lost for whereas this seed of regeneration is once sowen by the hand of God there it remaineth for euer and bringeth foorth fruite to life euerlasting 1. Ioh. 3. 10. Euery one that is borne of God doth not sinne neither can sinne because the seed of God is in him Where by sin he meaneth a totall apostasie from God not a particular sinne the which the faithfull do often commit without indaungering their saluation Which doth not depend on their owne righteousnesse as Adams did but vpon the righteousnesse of Christ. This certainty of perseuerance in the faith cōmeth not of any strength of man but of the goodnesse of God who confirmeth vnto the end all those whom he doth once effectually call Chapter 4. Sect. 1. Of faith in generall and of legall faith THe first kind of subiection which man oweth to God is that which the subiect or tennant oweth to his king or liegelord of whom he holdeth his houses lands possessions by whose fauour procured by dutifull obedience he liueth in a good and happy state whose anger would be to him extreame miserie and euen death it selfe and may be called affiance or dependaunce Thus was man in his first creation affected to God on whom onely he did depende and relie himselfe for a happie estate This subiection is in holy scripture called faith because the obiect of it is the faithfulnesse of God and the trueth of his worde and promises For as in the latin phrase habere fidem is to giue credence to another so in diuinitie to haue faith is to attribute faithfulnesse to God or to acknowledge him to be faithfull in all his promises both by beleeuing them as also by depending on them Thus Sara is saide Hebr. 11. 11 To haue had faith in that she iudged God to be faithfull in his promises This faith is of two kindes the faith wherewith Adam was endued in his first creation and the faith which God giueth in regeneration the first is called vsually legall the other Euangelicall The which two kindes although they doe differ the one from the other yet they agree in substance being of the same nature in generall and therefore we wil first declare the generall doctrine which is common to both the kindes of faith and then see what is proper to each kind and wherein the one differeth from the other Fayth in generall is thus defined Affiance in Gods promises propounding eternall happinesse to the perfect holinesse of the reasonable creature or to man being perfectly holy Or thus Faith is the trust and confidence of a mans heart relying himselfe wholly on God for eternall happinesse to be had by perfect holynesse Or thus Faith is the affiance of the hearte arising of an effectuall perswasion of the trueth of Gods worde which promiseth happinesse to man being perfectly holy and threatneth eternall misery to him being polluted with sinne Iames. 1. 19. The diuels beleeue and tremble These definitions being in substance all one offer diuerse poyntes to be considered and first what part or facultie of mans soule is the Subiect and Seate of faith whether the minde the will or the affections whether one some or all of them For answere hereof in that we say that faith is affiance trust or confidence we doe plainly put it among the affections For so it seemeth to be of the same kinde with hope loue feare and the rest of the spirituall graces al which and especiallie faith although they spring from a former knowledge and are alwaies ioyned with it yet they are in nature to be distinguished from it As in this instance faith hath the originall and beginning in the minde for a man can neuer relie himselfe wholly on God for happinesse vnlesse he be perswaded that God both can and will make him happie Yet not the bare contemplation and perswasion of the mind but the affiance and affection of the heart is faith and yet for somuch as it is impossible that a man shoulde be fullie perswaded in his minde of the trueth of Gods promises and not together set his whole affiaunce and fayth on him or that he shoulde be by faith rightly affected towarde GOD vnlesse first he haue the knowledge of GOD and of his promises hence it is that fayth is often placed
sonne who is of his owne nature and essence euen bone of his bone flesh of his flesh and bloud of his bloud who is a liuely picture yea a liuing image of his owne person representing after a most plaine manner his stature forme beauty strength complexion behauiour and conditions yea who doth raigne ioyntly and equally with him being partaker of his riches treasures glory maiesty power office and authority This death of this prince being decreed by the king his father it is needfull that for the suffering of the course of the law together with the sentence and punishment of death he should debase him to the condition of a subiect yet retaining the aforesaid prerogatiues So that there is in one person the condition and as it were the nature both of a king of a subiect the one maketh that he may be put to death the other maketh that this death tho it be the death but of one person is more then a sufficient ransom for the offence of ten thousand of his subiectes as the people of Israell doe confesse 2. Sam. 21. 17. That it were much better that ten thousand of themselues should perish then that King Dauid whome they call the light that is all the glory of Israell shoulde be in danger of death In like manner there was no way whereby God the glorious monarch of heauen and earth could preserue both his owne iustice and man but that he should giue his owne onely naturall and eternall sonne the brightnesse of his glory the expresse forme and charecter of his Godhead beeing partaker of his owne essence glory maiestie power authority wisedome iustice mercy and in breife of his whole diuine nature to be a ransome for the sinne of man For the which purpose it was needful that he should to his kingly and diuine estate take vnto himselfe the base condition of a subiect and creature and in that condition submit himselfe to the law of God and to the sentence of death pronounced by God the father as by a most iust seuere and righteous iudge By faith in this death of the sonne of God saluation is brought to mankind For it freeth the beleeuer from all manner of guilt of sin whether original or actual whether past present or to come And further as this mediator doth redeeme vs from death and indue vs with perfect righteousnesse by his death so by the vertue of the holy spirit proceeding from his diuine nature the beleeuer is endued although not at the first with perfect holinesse and preserued for euer from falling from this estate Thus wee haue summarily declared the doctrine of fayth as it hath beene published to the worlde by the ministery of the Apostles whose doctrine we doe hartely embrace and openly confesse professing that there is no other name meanes nor mediatour in heauen or earth which can giue saluation then Iesus the sonne of Mary Now that we see what is the obiect of this iustifying fayth we are in the next place to gather out of this doctrine the difference betwixt legall and euangelicall fayth betwixt that fayth wherewith Adam was indued in the state of innocencie that which hath place in this state of regeneration Both kindes are affiance in god for happinesse to be had by the meanes of perfect holynesse but the first kynde looketh directly on the godheade without any mediation the second beholdeth the godheade through the humanitie of Christ as through a vaile or couering for man being now polluted with sinne dare not looke on god without a mediatour as he did before the fall Secondly euangelicall fayth coÌ„teineth in it forgiuenes of sin which was not in the first estate Thirdly the righteousnesse whereby legall fayth trusteth for happinesse is naturall to man inherent in the person of man and his owne but the righteousnesse of the other kynde is borrowed from an other The first kinde maketh man trust in himselfe but the secoÌ„d maketh him to renounce him selfe and to fly to Christ for righteousnesse The first kinde relyeth it selfe on the equity and iustice of god the which rewardeth the righteousnesse of the creature with life But the other flyeth to his loue and mercy in Christ the which pardoneth and saueth a sinner Rom. 4. 5. Legall fayth cannot of it selfe iustify a man it being but one part of mans holynesse called by the diuines Sanctitas Fiduciae that is the holynesse of the affectioÌ„ of trust or coÌ„fideÌ„ce or a holy confidence besides the which there is required for perfect holynesse the holynesse of hope of loue of feare of reuerence and of all the affections yea the holynesse of the will and of the mynde and to be shorte the holynesse of the wholle nature and of all the actions of man so that if we should suppose that Adam did euen in the very moment of sinning and also after he had transgressed gods commaundement still retaine this part of his holinesse to wit affiance in god yet we coulde not thinke that he did continue in the state of life which is lost by one sinne but not kept by one part of holynesse But it is farre otherwise with this euangelical fayth the which although in the owne nature it be but the holynesse of one affection namelie of confidence or affiance as legall fayth is yet it bringeth with it perfect righteousnesse or iustice making the righteousnes of Christes death to belong to the beleeuer In the which respect it is called iustifying fayth not that â—his fayth can be without some measure of â—he other parts of holynesse or giue the possession of eternall glory without perfect â—olynesse but that in the matter of our iuâ—â—ification onely faith hath force in so much â—hat he who beleeueth in the last moment â—f his life as the theefe on the crosse did Luc. â—3 42. hauing neither time to doe any one â—ood worke nor yet strength to speake one â—ood worde or yet almost to thinke a good â—ought is as surely and as fully purged â—â—om all his sinnes as he who hath liued a â—ousand yeares in the greatest measure fayth godlynesse zeale loue patience soâ—ietie chastitie humilitie and of all other â—â—rituall graces whereunto any man can atâ—â—ne in this life For inherent holynesse comâ—only called sanctification be it neuer so â—at is imperfect and therefore as little auailable for our iustification as if it were none at all For imperfect holines doth no more iustify then no holinesse doth neither is there any other account made of it before the iudgment seat of God in the matter of our iustification howsoeuer there be necessary vse of sanctification for saluation as we are hereafter to consider And yet although this one part of mans holynesse doe serue for our iustification we are not thereof to gather that we are saued by it as a parte of inherent holynesse for faith doth not iustifie vs as it is a parte of holynesse but because this affection hath by the
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
who seeing or hearing of Iesus the sonne of Mary liuing in so miserable a condition and dying so shamefull a death as he did would either beleeue him to be the eternall and omnipotent God of heauen and earth or to be able to saue others who did not saue himselfe from death or what man especially if he were indued with naturall witte and humane wisdom would forsake all the commodities profites pleasures and ioyes of this present world and indure the sorrowes reproches troubles losses dangers and manyfolde crosses whereunto the godly are subiect in this life in hope of an other life which is to all reason not onely vncertaine but also incredible Hence it is that the number of beleeuers is as nothing in respect of the infinite multitudes of vnbeleeuers who are almost as many as there are men in the world and that the more a naturall man doth excell in wit and wisdome the more vncapable of faith he is 1. Cor. 1. 27. Brethren saith the Apostle beholde your calling that not many wise men after the fleshe not many noble mightie or riche are called to fayth but God hath chosen foolish and weake things to confounde the wise Yea this difficultie of beleeuing is greater in these last dayes then euer it was before as Christ himselfe teacheth vs Luc. 18. 8. saying Thinke ye that the sonne of man when he commeth shall finde fayth on the earth And to the same effect Mat. 24. 12. 22. Because iniquitie shall abound the loue of many shall wax colde insomuch that vnlesse those dayes were shortned no fleshe should be saued The cause of this defect of fayth is first the aboundance of sinne before mentioned in that the sinnes of all ages doe euen flow together into the last as into a common sinke Secondly the state of the Church vnto the which God doth not reueale himselfe so manifestly and sensibly as he did in the first ages of the world in apparitions of Angels in visions and dreames invisible formes and sensible voyces speaking familiarly with his seruants as one man doth with another in holy oracles giuing answere to euery question propounded in temporall blessings bestowed on the faithfull and in corporall punishments laid on the wicked in the extraordinary giftes of prophecy and immediate reuelation of speaking straunge languages and working miraculous things By these and diuerse other meanes God did so plainely reueale himselfe to the old world that they who did not beleeue his word may be said to haue bene such as would giue no credence to their own senses But in these last ages God hauing once reuealed himselfe in his sonne in the gospell sufficiently for the saluation of the elect yea in trueth farre more clearely then euer he did before doth not any longer reueale himself by any of the aforesaid meanes but as it were hideth himselfe in secrete insomuch that he seemeth to most men eyther not to exist at all or else to haue wholly cast off the care and gouernment of the world and therefore men cast off all faith beleife and feare of God In regard of the which difficulties it standeth euery one in hand who tendereth his owne saluation to be both watchfull in preseruing faith and also diligent and carefull in seeking for it For howsoeuer no carefulnesse can without the blessing of God work faith in the hartes of men yet it is in the power of man to vse the outward meanes of attaining it the which whosoeuer doth as he ought to doe he neede not doubt of successe for so much as God is neere at hand to al those who seeke him Yea further whenas we suppose that we are indued with a true sauing faith we are to take heede least we be deceaued with that common errour of men who when they are ignorant of God and of his word and haue in their harts scarse any shadowe of true faith yet they are not ashamed to professe that they doe and alwaies did trust in Christ whereof if anie man doe doubt and beginne to examine their faith whether it be true or counterfait then they are grieuously offended thinke they haue great iniury offred But we are to thinke farre otherwise and knowing that true faith is a very rare thing not easelie to flatter our selues in a false opinion of it but rather to take a straite examination of our faith the which that we may the better doe we will now come to the fourth point namely to the signes whereby true faith may be discerned The signes are 〈◊〉 euen so many as there are in a regenerate man spiritual graces and seuerall partes of holinesse all which come from faith as from a fountaine or roote and therefore will certainely declare the sincerity of it as good fruite and sweete water shewe the goodnesse of the tree and fountaine and therefore he that would know â—ow vnfained his faith is must looke at the sincerity of his knowledge loue feare reâ—erence and obedience which he oweth to God if these graces be plentifull in his life his heart is truely replenished with faith but if this fruit doe not appeare his faith is not a liuing tree planted by the riuers of Gods blessings but a dead stocke hauing nothing but the outward forme of a tree But we shall haue better occasion to entreate of the signes of true faith when we compare it with that temporary faith which often hath place in the reprobate The fift question is whether this faith may be lost or no whereunto we answere as hath beene said before of regeneration in generall that where it is once truely imprinted in the heart by the finger of God there it remaineth for euer and although it be subiect to many alteratioÌ„s in regard of the greatnesse or meannesse of it yea although it seem somtimes to be cleane dead at the root bringing foorth little or no fruit yet there remaineth life hidden in the heart as there doth life and sap in trees in the middest of winter when they seeme to be dead and withered For the conuersion of a maÌ„ from infidelity to faith worketh such a total strange change in him that it is impossible that one should become of a faithfull man an vnbeleeuer The last question is how it commeth to passe that of all the spirituall graces which are in the mind will and affections of man and of all the partes of mans holinesse this onely should haue in it this wonderful vertue and force to apprehend Christ and to make a man perfectly iust before the iudgement seat of Christ and why not the true knowledge of God vnfained loue the feare of God or a generall holinesse of life and conuersation should not as well iustify a man as this one affection of confidence or affiance Whereunto we answere that this meanes of iustifying men by faith onely doth most of all make for the glory of God the which is the last end of al the decrees actions
day and stood before the Lord and thus Adam is called Luke 3. 38 The sonne of Seth the sonne of Adam the sonne of GOD. This fatherhoode is the cheife and as we may say the father of all other kinds of fatherhoode Hence it is that Christ forbiddeth vs Math. 23. 9 To call any our father here on earth because we haue one father in heauen whome we must all acknowledge to be our first cheifest highest and best father And therefore looke what dueties anie sonne oweth to any terrestriall father the same ought man to performe much more to God his heauenly father as namely First that he reuerence him secondly that he imitate him and thirdly that he seeke vnto him for those thinges whereof he standeth in neede For the first to reuerence is In an ingenuous kynde of awe to giue honour as to one who is euerie way our better and superiour as the father doth excell the son in wisdome strength of bodie in age authoritie and in all other respectes This dutie God requireth Mal. 1. 6. saying by the prophet The sonne doth vse to honour his father and therefore if I be a father where is my honour Yea in truth we may well thinke that this affection of reuerence is too meane to be giuen to God whose authoritie ouer man is so greate that it requireth rather a iust feare then this modest awe as his incomparable excellencie doth deserue rather glorie then honour The second duty due to God in regarde of this fatherhoode is Imitation the which fathers doe and that iustly require of their children whome they doe not suffer to vse the fashions and behauiour of straungers but rather do conforme them to their owne conditions manners and gestures Yea children for the most part doe performe this duty of their owne accord for they being of the same constitution of bodie and disposition of minde whereof their fathers are and hauing beene continually brought vp in beholding their manner of life cannot so degenerate but that they will more or lesse tread in the steppes of their fathers Ioh. 8. 39. If ye were Abrahams children ye would doe the workes of Abraham In like manner man in this his first state did wholly fix his eyes on God as on the only perfect patterne of holynesse making his actions presidents and examples for imitation so farre forth as they might be followed by him the which caution is necessariy to be added for it were not holinesse but presumption greate impiety either for man or Angell to take vpon him to imitate God in the actions of omnipotencie and in such other respectes which are not agreeable to the condition of any creature otherwise man may ought to imitate God as Christ teacheth vs Math. 5. 45. saying Do good to them who do euill to you that so you may be or may appeare to be the sonnes of your father in heauen who suffereth the sunne to shine and the raine to fall vpon the iust and vniust be ye therefore perfect as your heauenly father is perfect The third and last dutie belonging to this heade is supplication for thinges needfull for as children in all their wantes and necessities haue straightway recourse to their parents in assured confidence of hauing their wants supplied by meanes of that tender affection which parents beare to their children so ought man vpon euerie occasion to seeke by humble praier for helpe at the handes of his heauenly father whose loue farre exceedeth the affection of any earthly father or mother to their children This Christ himselfe who in all his doctrines which he deliuereth hath recourse to the first creation of man teacheth vs Math. 7. 9. What man is there among you which if his sonne aske him bread will giue him a stone If ye then which are euill can giue to your children good giftes how much more shall your heauenly father giue good things to them that aske To this agreeth the practise of Christ who in that forme of prayer which he propounded to his disciples taught them to pray to GOD not as to their master Lord or King but as to a louing father Math. 6. 9. Praie after this manner Our father which art in heauen Lastly if it be here obiected that there could not be any vse of this duety in the state of perfect happinesse wherein nothing was wanting and therefore nothing could be asked we answere that mans happinesse although it were perfect Yet it might haue bene greater that he had not so many blessings but that he might by praier haue obtained moe at the hands of God Sect. 2. Of the want of filiall subiection It hath bene declared that of all earthly creatures man onely was created the sonne of God because he onely was endued with the image and likenesse of God the heauenly father in perfect holinesse and happinesse the which whenas he did loose by his disobedience he did together loose the name title and prerogatiue of being the sonne of God Yea withall he lost all abilitie of performing any dutie to God which the sonne oweth to his father being nowe affected to God not as a dutifull sonne but as an vngratious stubborne and lewd runnagate who hath openly forsaken and disclaimed his father For that we may insist in those duties which are named in the former section he is so far from yeelding due honour and reuerence to him that he doth euery way dishonor him he standeth in no awe neither maketh he any reuerent account of the presence of God yea farre lesse then of the presence of any sinfull man like to himselfe in whose sight he woulde be ashamed to commit any hainous sinne or to speake any filthie worde without vsing some preface of reuerence vnto him whereas the consideration of Gods presence and of the reuerence due therevnto cannot either restraine him from sinne or anie thing abash him in committing it Further whereas the sonne shoulde honour his father by yeelding humble attention and carefull obedience to his sayings and commaundements man doth in this respect so notoriously dishonor God that it is a shame to speake howe base and vile account he maketh of Gods word how he doth continually without any remorse of conscience or shame of face breake euerie one of his commaundementes But we will not stand in amplifying the irreuerent behauiour of man towards God As touching the second duty which is imitation of God we knowe that the heauens are not so farre distant from the earth or the east from the west as the waies of man are from the waies of God Yea as Christ telleth the Iewes plainely Ioh. 8. 41. man hath chaunged his father and therefore he doth the workes of his newe father the deuill his lustes raigne in man he is a liar and the father of liars He fell away from God and this his damnable rebellion man did imitate and so continueth following his example motions and
praises of God the godly count the greatest pleasure and happinesse in the worlde Psal. 62. 6. My mouth is filled euen as it were with marrowe and fatnesse that is with the most sweete and pleasant thinges when as I prayse the Lorde saith the prophet and againe Psal. 84. 5. Blessed are they that stande in thy courtes ô God for why they shall euermore be praising thee For although the faithfull might praise God though they liued out of the Church in a wildernesse yet for the greater aduancement of Gods glory they desire and labour that they may praise God not among wilde beastes and trees but in the assembly of Gods people as it were before many witnesses Nowe as touching the second duety of the creature which is to moue onely in the creator and by vertue receiued from him we knowe that as the bodies of the faithfull doe not moue themselues but are moued by the power of the soule within their bodies so neyther their bodies nor soules are moued by any other power but by the holy spirite of God for they doe not thinke their owne thoughtes desire their owne pleasures speake their owne wordes or doe their owne workes but are wholly moued and ordered by the spirite of God Lastly this property of a faithfull man is worthy to be noted that he is not onely patient in regard of the greatest euils which can be laid vpon him in in this worlde as hath beene declared in the chapter of Filiall subiection but also woulde be content if that it shoulde please God to destroy him vtterly and eternally Iob. 13. 15. If God kill me shall I not trust in him so Dauid saith 2. Sam. 15. 26. If I haue found fauour in the eies of God hee wil bring me backe againe to see the place of his worship but if he say I haue no pleasure in him what then beholde here I am let him doe to me whatsoeuer seemeth good in his owne eyes CHAP. XI Of mans subiection to God as to an husband THus wee see the diuers kindes of the renewed subiection of man correspondent to the kindes of created subiection to the which there is one other kinde of subiection to be added the which was not in the state of innocency and therefore coulde not be lost by the fall of man This is the subiection of the wife to the husband by the which bond it hath pleased God of his vnspeakable mercy and loue to tie the faithfull to himself so that they should be to him not onely as subiectes sonnes seruantes schollers and creatures but also as his espoused wife This straunge mariage is celebrated and extolled in that song of songes the which is wholly to be vnderstood of this spirituall mariage betwixt God and the faithfull likewise it is set downe Ephe. 5. verse 22. to verse 33. The husband is the wiues head as Christ is the head of the Church therefore as the Church is in subiection to Christ so ought wiues to be to their husbands This kinde of subiection is called Ephe. 5. 32 A great mysterie and therefore it needeth to be explained after this manner The riches of the loue and mercy of God redeeming man from sinne and death is so exceeding great as that he thinking it a small matter to restore him to that perfect and excellent estate from the which he fell doth aduance him to a higher degree both of holinesse of happines Hence it cōmeth that man is more nearely ioyned to God then he was before both in subiectiō in conformity But what bond of subiectiō can ioine man more neerely vnto God then the sonne is to his father after the which manner man was before ioyned to God as hath beene declared We answere that although this coniunction which is betwixt the sonne and the father be verie great yet the worde of God teacheth vs that a greater may be giuen to wit that which is betwixt the wife and the husband for this coniunction maketh two distinct persons to become one person and one flesh Mat. 19. 5 but that other coniunction hath no such strange effect And therefore it hath pleased god in mercy to tie knit man to himselfe not only with those bonds of subiection wherewith he was tied to him in the state of innocency but also with this newe and most straite bonde taking all the faithfull vnto himselfe not onely as his loyall subiectes as faithfull seruantes as toward schollers as orderly creatures and lastly as naturall sonnes but also as a most deare and beloued wife ioyned to himselfe with such an indissoluble bond of loue on his part and such loyall affection on their partes as shall neuer be broken euen as the husband taketh to himselfe his beloued spouse on whom he will bestowe all his loue riches care and whome he will defend against all euils and dangers whatsoeuer This contract made betwixt GOD and his Church is set downe Ezech. 16. the wordes are many yet worthy to be remembred Nowe when I went by thee and looked vpon thee behold◠thy time was come yea euen the time to wooe thee then spred I my clothes ouer thee to couer thy dishonesty yea I made an oth vnto thee contracted my self with thee saith the Lorde God and so thou becamest mine owne Then washed I thee with water and purged thy bloud from thee and I annointed thee with oyle I clothed thee with broidred worke and shodde thee with badgers skinne and I girded thee about with fine linnen and couered thee with silke I decked thee with costly apparrell I put braselets vpon thy handes a chaine about thy necke and I put a frontlet vpon thy face and earings vpon thine eares and a beautifull crowne vpon thine head Thus wast thou decked with gold and siluer and thy raimente was of fine linnen and of silke and of broidred worke thou diddest eate fine flowre home and oyle marueilous wast thou and thou diddest luckilie prosper into a kingdome and thy name was spread among the heathen forthy beautie c. For the further declaration hereof if we do consider the notable resemblance which is betwixt mariage and this new coniunction of man to God we shall haue greate cause to admire the wisdome of the holy ghost who in enditing the scriptures doth paint out such darke mysteries with so liuely colours and doth so fit earthly types to spirituall thinges The grounde of this newe coniunction whereby man is more nearely firmely and surely tied to God then he was before is the incarnation of Christ wherein our nature was inseparably vnited to the godheade in one person euen as the wife which before was of a diuers kinde bloude and name being now espoused to her husband becommeth one flesh bloude and bone with him yea one person called by one and the same name so that as the wife being thus as it were incorporated to her husband is more nearely
true and only happinesse appointed by God for man This holinesse is the only way which God hath appointed that man should walke in as in the way leading to that happinesse This is the onlie happinesse which I do of my selfe propound to my selfe that in this way of true holines I will walk all the daies of my life I will by cōtinuall studying and hearing the word by restraining my owne desires and auoiding all occasions of sinne and by such meanes as I can vse get the true and sound knowledge of God true faith and hope of eternall glorie and of the resurrection of the deade true repentance mortification of sin and of all my corrupt affections yea an vnfained loue of God and of all goodnesse and in summe all the spirituall graces which are the partes of mans holinesse and the means of saluation This I haue resolued with my selfe to doe not that I thinke that I am able to attaine the perfection of these things but yet my whole will inclination affection desire care studie indeauour and labour shalbe set on these things This is to haue free will to good not for a man to say I desire to be a holy man and to be in heauen after this life but to incline and bende his wholle bodie soule and all the faculties of them both to holy and heauenly things The which thing is as impossible for a naturall man to doe as it is for him to flie vppe to heauen But how can this be proued First the scripture saieth Gen. 6. 5. All the motions of the thought of man are onlie to euill 2. Cor. 3. 5. Not that we are able to think any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God Ioh 6. 44. No man can come vnto me vnlesse he that sent me doe draw him For the which doctrine of the impossibility of naturall inclination to good it is said Ver. 4. 66. of the saide Chapter that many left Christ as dispairing to attaine to that which he affirmed to be impossible in respect of the strength of man And Ioh. 8. 43. Ye do not know my doctrine because ye cannot heare it That is because ye cānot of your selues vnderstand beleeue Rom. 8. 7. The cogitations of the flesh neither are subiect to the lawe of God neither can be they that are in the flesh cannot please God And Rom. 9. 16. It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man doth not perceaue spirituall things for they are folishnesse to him neither can he perceaue them because they are spiritually discerned Gall. 2. 8. Ye are saued by grace in faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God Besides this euident voice of the scripture the authoritie whereof ought to be sufficient without any other proofe we see this error of freewill to be plainly confuted by the experience of all times and places For if man were by nature free to choose either good or euill why shoulde not the choyse of good of holinesse and of the way which leadeth to saluation be if not as common as the other yet a very common and ordinary matter But we see that of the naturall men which haue liued and doe liue in the worlde not one of a thousand haue once set foote in the right way of regeneration and saluation And no maruaile for howe shoulde a man choose that as the onely good which he did neuer knowe and whereof he neuer dreamed or hearde in the which state all men are by nature being altogether ignorant of the true God his worde worshippe and religion and so hauing no meanes of knowledge but their owne senses which doe reiect that God worshippe and religion which is not agreeable to the iudgement thereof the which doth plainely shewe the impossibilitie of this freedome of will For nothing hath freewill to that which is against the nature of it as God hath not freewill to euil a man to flie a horse to speake If it be obiected that a man may haue a desire inclination and will to that which is impossible for him to doe and accomplishe We aunswere that this is nothing to the purpose For when we deny that there is in man any freedome of will to good we doe not deny that a carnall man may wish that he were holy and happie but that he cannot accomplishe or begin the worke of his regeneration and saluation The which beginning and working of grace commeth from the will which is the fountaine of action enclining men with all the faculties of soule and body to any thinge Now regeneration is a thing contrary to the corrupt nature of man for that faith and humaine reason do fight together no lesse then doe wisdome and foolishnes 1. Cor. 1. 18. And so in all the other partes of holinesse This is confirmed also by continuall and daily experience For if regeneration were agreeable to mans nature it woulde be common and ordinarie whereas it is and alwaies hath bene a rare miracle not to be founde among many thousandes of men Nay which is more men doe neither of themselues and their owne inclination seeke after it nor can by any meanes which they can vse be brought vnto it In other studies faculties and exercises men doe daily profite and go forwarde none being so dull and blockish but that he may with paines in continuaunce of time be brought to knowledge But no paines no time no excellency of giftes in the minister can make men religious or to be endued with the true knowledge and obedience of God Yea for the most part the more that men are taught religion the more blockish and backwarde they become and so continue all their life time We confesse that God doth sometime bestow on carnall and reprobate men spirituall graces yea a shadowe of regeneration whereby both the mindes of men are inlightned to see the trueth and also their wils and affections lightly enclined to loue and embrace it As we are to declare in the last part of this treatise But this chaunge commeth not of man but from God neither is it an effectuall and totall inclination to good and therefore not that which is ment in this question of freewill But the maintainers of freewill will perhaps yeeld to this that no man can choose the right way before he doe deliberate of it and that nothing is deliberated of which is not first knowen And therefore that freewill is not actually in an ignorant man but being as it were fettered and chained by ignoraunce is stirred vp and set loose by the knowledge of the worde of God with the which whosoeuer is endued hauing the right and the wrong way propounded vnto him by the preaching of the gospell the same man hath freedome of will either to choose or to refuse eternall saluation with the meanes of it yea
perfect infinite vncreated and essentiall but this holinesse of the faithfull man is vnperfect finite and accidentall not inherent in the nature of the holy spirite which is not capable of it but in the naturall faculties of the faithfull man Yea this holinesse is now made naturall vnto him for although it be contrarie to his corrupt nature yet it is agreeable to his created and renewed nature So that the first renewing of holinesse is a supernaturall miraculous vnknowen and diuine worke But the continuall vsing of it is an ordinary euident and a humaine action For as in the first creation of man it was a maruaile to see a sensible lumpe of red earth turned into a liuing and reasonable man hauing free will to doe either good or euill but after that man was once created it was noe maruaile to see him vse those faculties which he had receiued from God So in his second creation it is as greate wonder to see a blockishe ignorant froward corrupt sinfull and earthly man to become pure holy and heauenly in al the faculties of soul body but after that he is renewed sanctified it is no maruaile to see him choose and doe newe and holy actions And therefore we are not to thinke that the holy spirite worketh the continual course of holines in the faithful as in stocks or trees although he beginne it in them in that manner but that first he giueth to them holy faculties by the which they worke the residue of their owne holinesse he created in them a holy will then by meanes and inherent power of that will they themselues choose and doe good Thus much ingenerall of the renewed holinesse of the will the which differeth from the created holinesse which it had in the state of innocencie in two respects First whereas the created will of man did for the present act incline it selfe whollie onely and perfectly to good this renewed will although it also doth actually encline itselfe to that which is truely and onely good yet it doth this imperfectlie and impurely For by reason of the reliques of sinfulnesse which are in it it doth in part encline it selfe to some particular euils as to this or that sinne we say to particular euill because it is impossible that this renewed will shoulde reiect in generall the true good consisting in true holinesse and happinesse the which maketh the second difference betwixt the created and the recreated will of man For the created wil of man might as it did indeede refuse good and choose euill in generall the which thinge cannot happen to the recreated will for it is impossible that one truely renewed shoulde euer make a generall declination from good which is a totall apostasie from God yet he may chuse and accomplishe many particular sinnes So that to conclude the will in this state of regeneration hath freedome and ability of choosing good and reiecting euill yet this libertie is not so perfect that it can wholly incline it selfe from euill to good but may be compared to one who hath bene a captiue or prisoner all his life time and is nowe set at liberty so that he may goe whither he list and doe what he thinketh good Yet hauing his fetters hanging on his heeles is so shakled and hindred with them that he cannot runne vp and downe so readely and freely as otherwise he woulde yea they make him to stumble often and sometimes to fall on the grounde so the faithfull are freed from the bondage of sinne and set at liberty by Christ yet they are so shakled with the naturall corruption of sinne remaining in them that they cannot so perfectly choose good refuse euill but that they do often stumble yea fall into great sinnes Yet as this renewed holinesse of the will is during the time of this short life inferiour to the created holinesse of it in the perfection of actuall freedome to good so it is to be preferred vnto it in respect of perpetuitie and immutabilitie For this imperfect freedome of will is so continually vpheld by the secrete and mightie grace of God that it cānot possibly be wholly lost whereas the perfect freedome of the created wil was soone brought to an end Yet this difference is not to be put in the nature of the renewed will for as the will of all creatures so also the will of regenerate men is mutable and for any inherent and naturall facultie which either is or can be in it may loose the goodnesse and liberty of it but to be ascribed to the immutable and supernaturall grace of God assisting the renewed willes of the faithfull whereas he left the created will of man to destroy it selfe that so by the weakenesse of the creature the glorie of his power might the more plainely appeare CHAPTER VI. Sect. 1. Of the created holinesse of the affections and especially of loue and hatred THe last head of mans holinesse is the holinesse of his affections which are the diuers dispositiōs of man stirred vp in him by the diuersitie of obiects and may be called so many particular wils or motions of the will for so much as they are nothinge but diuerse inclinations to apparant good or declinations from apparant euils To make the nature of them plaine by familiar examples a man going in the streete meeteth with his owne father sonne or some friende whom he loueth dearely straight way he feeleth a change of his disposition which before was quiet and setled his will enclining it selfe towards that obiect whereof commeth the affection of loue annon he meeteth with his deadlie enimie at the sight of whom his stomacke riseth he abhorreth from him as from an euill there is a contrarie disposition called the affection of hatred Afterward he espieth a poore impotent sicke lame and naked man whose extreame miserie he cannot beholde for griefe and therefore he turneth away himselfe and sigheth there is pitty mercy or compassion Not farre off there appeareth a great rich man him he enuieth although he ought not either to hate or enuie Straight way he spieth a pleasant picture or heareth some good newes there he is made glade and reioyceth but going a little further he seeth his friendes house on fire then his ioy is turned into sorrow or greife If he meete a man whom he knoweth to be wise and iust and seeth to be aged him he reuerenceth but he contemneth a base vile and lewd person an offence committed kindleth anger as a lawfull action worketh contentation Lastly if he see any thing that he standeth in neede of and is greatly for his vse that he desireth but if he chaunce to see a rotten carion or any lothsome thing that he abhorreth Thus much of the nature of the affections nowe we come to the holinesse of them For although they be so suddainly stirred vp in a man that they may seeme to come rather of foolishe rashnesse then of reason and due regard and make so
men outwardly and ciuilly honest may be reckoned yet there is no age country or story which doth not aford many examples of men who haue exceeded in impietie against God and in iniustice towarde men and in all manner of wicked behauiour the ordinarie and common sorte of sinfull men by manie degrees The cause of this encrease of sinne is the crooked and corrupt diposition of mans wil which is wholly bent and set vpon sinne and doth so greedely and insatiably pursue after it as that vnlesse it be restrained by some meanes it can not rest till it come to the highest degree of wickednes For the which purpose it imployeth all the partes and faculties of the body and soule yea all inwarde and outwarde blessings what soeuer it maketh the minde deuise newe wayes of commiting sinne newe excuses pretenses coulours and defences for it being commited so that the greater gifts of the minde and of body that a man hath ceaued the fitter instrumentes hath his will and his corrupt desires to encrease sinne Here of it commeth that not idiots simple and vnlearned men not the weakest in body or the basest in condition not the poorest nor the youngest but the most witty learned strong noble rich aged are these notorious wicked ones The most horrible monsters in all outrage of sinne which any story doth mention were greate Emperours and mighty men as Nero Caligula and such other and who are so wretched couetous worldly so peruerse and obstinate in ignoraunce superstition infidelitie yea in hatred of all goodnesse as are they who by yeares haue gotten wisedome experience riches and honour so that we may easely acknowledge the trueth of that the Apostle writeth 1. Cor. 1. 26 Not many noble wise riche or great men are called to the sincere obedience of the gospell Hence it is that sinne doth more abound in this last age of the worlde then it did in old times wherein men were more rude simple and ignoraunt then children are in these daies who are so soone ripe and expert in all wickednesse as if they had bene borne perfect men not weake infauntes and no maruaile seeing that this last age is as it were a common sinke wherein all the sinnes errours heresies superstitions all the shifts craft deceipte yea all the wicked inuentions and practises of all ages are gathered together And therefore it bringeth foorth so great multitudes of expert practitioners in sinne who besides that which their owne inuention doth afford are furnished with the examples tryed experiments of all ages This the spirit of God hath foretold in the scripture as we see it is come to passe Math. 24. 12. Because iniquity shall abound in the latter times the loue of many shall waxe colde 2. Tim. 3. 1. This knowe that in the last daies shall come perilous times for men shalbe louers of their owne selues coueteous proude cursed speakers disobedient to parentes vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce hauing no loue to those who are good traitours headie high minded louers of pleasures more then of God hauing a shew of godlinesse but denying the power thereof And againe 2. Pet. 3. 3. This first vnderstand that in the latter daies shall come mockers walking after their owne lustes saying where is the promise of his comming In these and other places of scripture the spirite of God hath foretolde and euen painted out the great corruption and sinfulnesse of these daies that we might beware least that we be drawen away by the infidelity and other hainous sinnes which raigne euerywhere so saue our selues as out of the fyer from this froward godlesse generation wherein we liue Lastly as the excellencie of naturall giftes and outward blessings being abused is the meanes of the excessiuenesse of sinne not of it selfe but by the corrupt disposition of our nature so the spirituall graces of God bestowed vpon men liuing in the Church doe often by the iust iudgement of God worke the same effect and that in far greater measure For as it is impossible that among heathen men they who are of smal wit capacity knowledge strength and riches should be wicked in so high a degree as they who excell in the foresaid respectes so it is not possible that any who hath not receiued some of the spirituall graces of God shoulde come to so high a degree of sinne as they in whome it hath pleased God to worke that shadowe of regeneration which hath beene declared in the former chapter Hence it is that none can fall into that extreame impiety which is the highest degree of sinne euen the sinne of the deuill and his Angels called in scripture the sinne against the holy Ghost which can neuer be forgiuen but they who did sometime before receiue grace from God to see loue and obey the trueth Heb. 6. 5. It is impossible that they who were once made partakers of the holy Ghost if they fall namely into this sinne which is an open wilfull and desperate hatred of God of his glory of his religion of his feruants and of all good thinges as many of the hebrewes did to whome this was written should be renewed by repentance This excellency of spirituall graces abused was the meanes whereby the wicked Angels fell into that extreamitie of sinne wherein they are and so it commeth to passe in men in whom this sinne by reason of the monstrous hugenesse of it is rare and happeneth not but in those who for their cruell spitefull desperate and malitious hatred to God and to the godly are rather to be counted diuels incarnate then reasonable men For it is harde for a Christian who hath once knowen God to cast away all feare of God and shame of men and for to burst forth into such outrage Yet as the scripture hath not for nought taught vs it so it commeth to passe although seldom yet oftner then it is well marked This encrease of sinne called supernaturall because it cannot happen but in a man after a sorte regenerate is taught by christ in the parable of the euil spirite which retourning to the place out of the which he was cast goeth not alone but taketh with him seuen other wicked spirites euerie one worse then himselfe and so the ende of that man is worse that is farre more sinfull then the beginning Euen as we see it commeth to passe in naturall thinges as namely in water which after it hath bene a little warmed becommeth more colde then if it had neuer had any heate in it And so men who haue had some heate of religion kindled in their heartes by the spirite of God if they contemne and abuse the saide graces become more wicked and irreligious then they who neuer knewe what religion ment CHAPTER VII Of the decrease of renewed holinesse ALthough the faithfull man being nowe truely regenerate by the spirit of God may boldely boast and
of God for if man were accounted righteous for his holinesse or loue he might impute his saluation to his owne desert for perfect loue deserueth loue and holinesse will chalenge life as of due debt But affiance implieth a humble loyall and duetifull subiection acknowledging the vnworthines basenesse insufficiency and weakenesse of man and together the mercy goodnesse loue fauour bounty trueth and power of God This reason is vsed for this purpose Ro. 3. 27. what law or meanes of saluation doth take away all boasting from man and so giueth all the glory of our saluation to God not the law of workes or inherent holinesse but the law of faith yea of all the graces which are in man faith onely hath in it this naturall property to make a man partaker of Christes death and righteousnes and so of saluation For euen as a tennant inioyeth his house and landes not for that he loueth or feareth his lord or for any vertue wherwith he is indued but only because he doth depeÌ„d on his Lord and so doth purchase vnto him worship and honour by relying himselfe wholly vpon his loue fauor liberality constancy ability riches so standeth the case with man in respect of his saluation For no grace saue onely this affiance on God and on his mercy in Christ can conuey vnto vs remission of sinnes and eternall life In the which respect it is commonly said in holy scripture that faith doth iustifie not as it is a parte of mans holinesse whereof no one part no not all the partes of it if any one be wanting will serue to make a man righteous before God but as it hath in it this proper vertue to make the death of Christ the death of the beleeuer so the righteousnes arising of the said death the righteousnes of the beleuer For he that hath suffered death is iustisied from sin Thus much of the obiect nature attributes of euangelical faith It remaineth that before we proceed to the rest of the partes of mans holines we should declare the relatioÌ„ which is betwixt faith them It hath bene said of faith in general that it is as it were the root froÌ„ the which other graces do spring in that it tieth vs to God the fountain of al graces as to the only giuer of all happines the which thing is true of this euangelicall faith after a special manner For in that it ioineth vs to Christ it maketh vs partakers of the spirit of Christ or rather causeth an increase of all spirituall graces For regeneratioÌ„ is although not in time yet in nature before faith Therefore this faith is made the subiect of the spirituall life of the new man euen as the hart is in the body the fountaine of heat Gal. 2. 20. I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me in that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen his life for me And Act. 15. 9. Peter saith that God did purifie the hartes of the gentils that is as it is expounded verse 8. worke sanctification in them by faith In the which respect it is compared to the foundation of a house where vpon the whole buylding standeth and to the roote of a tree which giueth heate sappe and life to all the partes of it Coll. 1. 23. If ye continue founded and established in fayth and to a fountaine of liuing water Ioh. 7. 38. He that beleeueth in me out of his bellie shall flow riuers of the water of life And therfore it is put before all other graces 2. Pet. 1. 5. Ioyne to your fayth vertue and to your vertue knowledge temperance patience godlynes brotherly loue and kyndnes Hence it is that it is vsually distinguished from the rest of the partes of sanctification they being called by the name of loue or of the holy ghost 1 Tâ—ess 3. 6. Tymothie hath brought vs tydinges of your fayth and loue So it is saide Act. 6. 5. That Stephen was a man full of fayth and of the holy spirit not that faith it selfe is not a worke of the holy spirite and a parte of the spirituall holynesse of man but because it is the first worke of Gods spirite and the foundation of mans holinesse and saluation who must be by fayth freed from sinne and death before he can be endued with positiue holynesse and life Thus the Apostle doth often exhorte vs to fanctification and holynesse of life by an argument drawen from iustification which is the proper effect of faith as we may see Ro. 6. 14. sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you because you are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace But it may be asked how iustification doth bring foorth sanctification especially seing that to mans reason it is rather a motiue to a wicked and dissolute life that by the multitude and hainousnesse of our sinnes the mercy of God whereby they are pardoned might the more appeare Rom. 3. 7. and 6. 1. We answere that iustification doth of necessitie bring foorth sanctification and that diuers wayes For first the sense of the vnspeakeable loue of God whereby we are deliuered from eternall damnation doth inflame the hart of the beleeuers with a greate loue of God the which cannot be shewed any other way then by keepeing his commaundementes and by laboring to glorifie his holy name by a holy life Secondly God doth saue the faythfull not as stockes or stones without requiring anie worke action or duety at their handes but so as that he maketh them to be his fellow workers not that man can do any thing of him selfe without the grace of God but that man being endued and renewed by grace doth after a sort worke his owne saluation not by any naturall vertue but by the power of Gods spirite and therefore as Christ taketh away the guilte of sinne being committed so the faythful ought to endeuor that sin be not coÌ„mited Otherwise if they shoulde still of set purpose committe sin they should crosse Christ in the worke of their owne redemption defiling theÌ„ selues with sin whom he hath clensed with his bloud yea they should crucifie him againe treade vnder foote his bloude as a vile thing Thirdly the faithfull doe labour for sanctification as for the onely testimony of the soundnesse of their fayth and of the truthe of their iustification For fayth without the other partes of holynesse is but adeade and vnprofitable fayth Lastly the faythfull man knoweth that fayth is not of it selfe without the rest of sanctification sufficient for the attaining of saluation For although it alone dothfully iustify that is bring perfect remission of all manner of sinne whatsoeuer yet before that a man can enter into the kingdome of heauen he must be endued with perfect positiue holinesse the which cannot be made perfect in the worlde to come vnlesse it be begun and carefullie sought after