haue beene thought by some worthy to be fathered vpon Saint Austine I come more sweetly to my Iesus then to any of the Saints So Saint Austine himselfe in his Epistle to Dardanus O good Iesu O the Redeemer of my soule wherewithall shall I requite thy clemency or satisfie thy goodnesse for not shedding better bloud for thine elect then thou diddest for my sinnes So Saint Cyrill vpon these words Let his bloud be vpon vs and our children To what end should I haue wealth and hope for the inheritance of the goods of this world seeing already I am heire of thy most precious bloud and redeemed with thy most glorious death Why should not I very much esteeme of my selfe seeing thou hast shed as much bloud for me as thou hast done for all the world So Saint Bernard vpon these words of our blessed Sauiour I haue earnestly desired to eate this Passeouer with you before I suffer O good Iesu O the loue of my soule who among mortall men doth desire to make his life perpetuall as thou didst desire to loose thine for me What delight wilt thou take in the world to come with thine elect seeing here vpon earth thou didst call that day wherein thou didst suffer Easter that is a great and solemne festiuall day O good Iesâ— O the Redeemer of my souâ—e doe not I happily owe thee as much as all the world oweth thee seeing I haue cost thee as much bloud as all the world hath done Lastly we may ioine to these Saint Ambrose as one that is ioined with them in the same faith I will not saith he glory Ambros de Iacob vita beata cap. 6. because I am iust but because I am redeemed will I glory I will not glory that I am void of sinne but for that my sinnes are remitted vnto me I will not glory for that I haue profited any or for that any hath profited me but for that Christ is an aduocate to the Father for me and for that his bloud was shed for me By all which confessions which these holy persons made of their faith we may perceiue that it is the proper worke of true faith not onely to beleeue that Christ is our Sauiour in particular and that he shed his bloud as precisely for vs as well as for any other of the residue of the faithfull but also that thereby our sinnes are forgiuen in particular vnto our selues For it is not enough as Saint Bernard saith to beleeue that Bernard Ser. 2. de Annunciat thy sinnes cannot be done away but by him against whom thou hast offended and who himselfe cannot offend but thou must proceed further and beleeue also that thy sinnes are forgiuen euen to thy selfe To doubt of the most singular vertue of the bloud of Christ to purge all the sinnes of all the faithfull were infidelity euen so for any one that beleeueth himselfe to be one of the faithfull to doubt whether his sinnes are forgiuen to himselfe is to betray his hypocrisie seeing whatsoeuer he professeth yet either he beleeueth not himselfe to be one of the faithfull or else he beleeueth not the truth of the promise of the pardon of sinne that God hath made by all the Prophets Act. 10. 43. to all that beleeue Why Manasses himselfe that was a grieuous murtherer of Gods deare Saints and a greater Idolater then many of the Heathen yet when he felt Gods mercy in giuing him repentance he was perswaded that God was his God and louing Father and had saued and delâ—uered him from all his iniquities and sinnes No maruell then that Ezechias the Father of Manasses Esay 38. 17. who walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart and did that which was good and acceptable in his sight and therefore knew himselfe to be accepted of God did make this profession after he was deliuered from his dangerous sicknesse saying Behold for felicitie I had bitter griefe but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe No maruell likewise that Dauid a man after Gods owne heart resoluing with true sorrow of soule to confesse his sinnes had a certaine assurance of the pardon of them as he himselfe testifieth saying I thought I will confesse my sinnes against my Psal 3â— 5. selfe and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne For â—he which benefit being so gratious and great he calleth vpon his soule againe and againe to be thankfull vnto God in the best manner that possibly he could doe saying Praise the Lord Psal 1â—3 1. O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities There be two things that hinder this comfortable assurance in all the faithfull more or lesse especially in the time of some grieuous tentation As first the small measure of faith and other spirituall graces and the great strength of their earthly and carnall affections And secondly the remnants of distrustfull feare of vtterly falling away from God caused by their manifold and daily fals but the small measure of faith and of other graces of sanctification ought not to hinder the assurance of the faithfull because a little faith is a true faith aswell as a great faith seeing more or lesse doth not change Magis minus non variant speciem Iohn 3 16. Apocol 3. 8. the nature of a thing a little faith then is as true a signe of Gods loue as a great the Couenant of grace being made not only with them that haue a great faith but a little also euen with all that truly beleeue The Church of Thiatyra had but a little strength yet she was accepted with God aswell as the other Churches that had greater For workes of pietie are accepted with God according to that a man hath and not according 2 Cor. 8. 12. Matth. 13. 23. to that he hath not The ground that brought forth fruit thirtie sold is commended for good ground as well as that which brought forth a great deale more And the seruant Matth. 25. 23. that gained two talents is praised by his master as well as he that gained fiue For God will not despise the day of small Zach. 4. 10. things neither will our meeke and milde Sauiour Christ break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax Matth. 12. 20. Moreouer when the Lord doth promise that he will be a gracious God to all that beleeue repent and returne vnto him loue him and feare him and walke in his waies he doth not respect the perfection of these graces nor the worth of the workes that proceed from them but these promises are all founded vpon the worthinesse of Christ who is the foundation Act. 3. 26. Gal 3. 18. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Ephes 1. 6. of the Couenant
Lord of Plessis in his bookes of the truth of Christian Religion Zegedine in his Common places and to Reckerman in his Systema Theologicum But if any one on the contrary side iudge that these few are too many I would request him to pardon me herein seeing if I had produced no reasons for the 〈◊〉 of this truth I had failed in the chiefe point of this 〈◊〉 wherein is auouched that all quaestions 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 may be cleared iustified with arguments and 〈◊〉 And that the truth of this assertion may ye◠〈◊〉 appearâ—… let vs proceed to the quaestion concerning the resurrection of the dead which is also supernaturall and take a view how by great variety of arguments and reasons the Spirit of God doth open the same in the Diuine Scriptures The Doctrine of the Resurrection is strange absurde and almost yea altogether incredible in the iudgement of the naturall man but most wise and reasonable vnto the Christian Act. 17. 18. The Apostle Saint Paul in the fifteenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians proueth the same by many arguments Fides Christianorum resurrectio mortuorum and reasons As first Christ is rison from the dead therefore there is a Resurrection Now that Christ is risen he prooueth it first for that his Psal 16. 10. Rom. 9. 6. resurrection was fore-tolde in the word of God the which that it should not take effect it was impossible Secondly he proveth it by the testimony of those that saw and handled his wounds that were made in his body both before and after his death Thirdly he proueth it by the effect of Christs sufferings and death which was a full satisfaction for sinne and an abolishing of death and therefore an introduction of a Resurrection For where there is no sinne there is no death at least as it is a paine and punishment for sin but onely as it is an entrance vnto life euerlasting which cannot be enioyed by our whole maÌ„ vnlesse theâ—e be a Resurrection Now the Apostle hauing thus proued the Resurrection of the dead by our Sauiours owne Resurrection hee proceedeth to proue the same by diuers other arguments and reasons If saith hee there be no resurrection to a better estate asâ— this life then this world doth afford then are the godly of all men most miserable for that in this life they are subiect to so many outward and inward crosses Yea then let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die and let vs labour to enioy the pleasures of this life if there be no resurrection nor hope to inioy better things in the world to come But it is absurd to imagine that the godly are in the worst case and that godlesse Epicures and Atheists are in the best therefore it cannot be but there shall be a Resurrection Moreouer whereas God doth raise vp his faithfull seruants here in this life in their soules from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse whereof Baptisme is not onely aâ—liuely representation but also an assured pledge why should they doubt but that he can and will deliuer their bodies out of the bonds of bodilie death seeing the one is a farre greater and harder worke then the other and specially seeing he hath giuen his word also that all such that haue their part in the first Resurrection shall not be hurt by the second death much Apoc. 20. 6. lesse be kept for euer vnder the power of the same Furthermore if these intelligible motiues will not prevaile with vs the Apostle sendeth vs to sensible things that we may be convinced by the censure of our sense For saith he if hearbes and graine after a sort die in the Winter and receiue life againe in the Spring why may not the bodies of men doe so likewise Surely Saint Austin auoucheth that he that quickneth putrified and dead graine by the which mans life is maintained in this world wil much more quicken man himself that he may liue with him for euer The which truth is most solemnly auouched by the Prophet Esay Thy dead shall arise with Isa 26. 19. my bodie shall they arise awake and sing yee that dwell in the â—ust for thy dew is as the dew of the hearbes and the earth shall cast out the dead The earth saith the Prophet doth bring out her hearbes in the Spring which were dead in the Winter and why may she not doe so with our bodies at the generall iudgement Wherefore as our blessed Sauiour Mar. 22. 29. testifieth all such as are contrarie minded erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God nor yet his constant and vnchangeable goodnesse For first the Scriptures doe plainelie testifie that there shall be a Resurrection of some of them that sleepe in the dust to Dan. 12. 2. glorie and of some to perpetuall shame and contempt Secondlie the power of God doth teach that as he made all things out of a confused Chaos at the first and gaue to each thing their distinct and seuerall beings so he can doe the like againe if al lthings should returne to their former confusion Thirdlie the constant and vnchangeable goodnesse of God doth likewise assure vs of the truth hereof For God is the God of Abraham and of all the spirituall children of Abraham Exod. 3. 15. Prou. 17. 17. Isa 49. 15. 2 Tim. 2. 13. for euer For a true friend loueth alwaies much more God the faithfullest friend of all friends For if we be vnfaithfull yet he will not be vnfaithfull he cannot denie himselfe 1 Thess 4. 17 And therefore albeit that sin may suffer a full death hee causeth the faithfull to sustaine the anguish of a bodily death yet he will raise them vp again to life that they may euer liue with him and inioy the fruit of his most constant and immutable goodnesse and loue For the bodies of the faithfull as they haue beene co-workers with their soules in the Lords seruice so they shall be ioynt possessors with them in that happinesse and blisse wherewith he will reward all his faithfull seruants Yea whereas our blessed Sauiour Christ tooke vnto him an humane body as well as a humane soule and suffered in the one as well as in the other vndoubtedly the faithfull shall be partakers of their saluation and redemption as well in the one as in the other Now by these things that haue beene deliuered it is euident that holy Scripture giuen by diuine inspiration is able by such sufficient arguments and reasons in all the mysteries of piety and godlinesse to teach truth and to convince errour 2 Tim. 3. 15. that the man of God may be made thereby wise to saluation by faith in Christ that is that the sincere and sound Christian the true seruant of God may obtaine a wise faith and so may be saued Yea that a professor of any Religion should voluntarily confesse that the points of his profession cannot
gracious God and louing Father to all such as trust in him loue him and feare him and are carefull to obserue his Lawes and are truly sorrowfull for their daily transgressions and sinnes How can it otherwise be but that the faithfull hauing by their dutifull conuersing with God in the holy exercises of hearing his holy Word and of prayer obtained these graces in some sufficient measure How can it I say otherwise be but that thereby they should be certainly perswaded that God is their louing and gracious God and that they are his beloued people For it is impossible that the promises of God made to his people concerning this matter should be void and without effect Walke saith the Lord in my Statutes and keepe Ex. 20. 19. my iudgements and do them and sanctifie my Sabbaoths and they shall be a signe betweene me and you that ye may know that I am your God Of the certainty and euidency of the truth thereof the Apostle Saint Paul was so confident that he appealeth to euery faithfull mans experience among the Romans concerning the same saying Know ye not that to Rom. 6. 16. whomsoeuer ye giue your selues as seruants to obey his seruants ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnesse The faithfull then being well witting to their own hearts that they haue giuen themselues to God and are carefull to performe the works of faith loue holinesse and righteousnesse according vnto the rule of Gods word in obedience vnto God doe so throughly know hereby that they do an acceptable seruice vnto God and that they are his obedient seruants that they doe greatly reioyce therein with the Apostle This is our reioycing euen the 2 Cor. 1. 12. testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly purenesse c. Now if it be obiected that the faithfull know not their owne hearts nor the true nature of these diuine graces nor the right notes and markes of the holy workes that proceed from them and therefore albeit they are indued with these graces and performe these works yet they cannot know that they are the seruants of God We answer first that that obiection is in direct tearmes â—lat contrary to the testimony of the Prophet before alleaged where the faithfull being commanded to do their works according to the rule of Gods Commandements being from their hearts made carefull thereof are thereby assured that they are the obedient seruants of the Lord. Secondly we answere that all men doe in part know their owne hearts and their thoughts words and workes and that the faithfull doe in some measure know the true nature of all heauenly graces and the right notes of their true fruits All men doe know themselues in part because God hath giuen to all a conscience to be a witnesse together with themselues not onely of their words and workes but also of the 1 Cor. 2. 11. very thoughts and purposes of their hearts as the names of conscience doe sufficiently declare For no man knoweth our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conscientia hearts but God and our selues and therefore conscience is a knowledge that we haue of our owne wayes together with God Euery one then by the light of his conscience knoweth Mens non potest non intelligere quod intelligit Nemo nescit se velle quod vult Prou. 14. 10. what he himselfe knoweth and vnderstandeth what he himselfe vnderstandeth and perceiueth what he himselfe thinketh desireth willeth speaketh or doeth Euery one knoweth saith Salomon for what his owne heart is sorrowfull and in what it reioyceth and none else but God onely Euen the very wicked by the meanes of their consciences are made witting to their owne wayes How much more are the faithfull by the light of the word For by the clearenesse of the heauenly doctrines their hearts are opened and they are enabled Act. 16. 14. in some good measure to know themselues and to know God Heb. 18. 11. Iohn 6. 45. Act. 2. 17. and to vnderstand what belongeth to a sound faith and to an holy and godly life For the faithfull know that such an apprehension and knowledge of Christ as causeth all things to be as dung to them in respect thereof is a sure signe of a sanctified minde lightened with the cleare sight of a true faith They know that to desire to inioy the loue of God aboue all other things whatsoeuer and to be willing and ready to conuerse with God and with Christ in the daily and religious exercises of the word of God and prayer and to loue the brethren because they loue God and are beloued of God are true tokens of true Christian loue They know also that to be truly sorrowfull for offending so louing and gracious a God as he hath declared himselfe to be in Christ and in that respect to feare to offend him and to be carefull to walke in all his righteous Lawes are sure signes of true repentance and of the right feare â—…are of God and of sincere holinesse and righteousnesse And they knowing in their owne consciences that they haue by the gracious worke of the Spirit of God such a faith loue repentance feare and righteousnesse know that they are in Gods fauour and loue and that they are his faithfull seruants We know saith St. Iohn speaking in the name of all the faithfull that we are of God 1 Iohn 5. 29. and that the whole world lieth in wickednesse We know that the Sonne of God is come and hath giuen vs a minde to know him which is true and we are in him that is true that is in his Sonne Iesus Christ this same is very God and eternall life And againe we know that we are translated from death â— Iohn 3. 14. to life because we loue the brethren And that he speaketh thus in the name of all the faithfull we may vnderstand in that in the like asseueration he changeth the person saying If ye know that God is righteous know ye that he that doth righteousnesse is â—orne of God by the which testimonies of the 1 Iohn 2. 29. Apostle it is manifest that the faithfull knowing that they are indued with the true knowledge of Christ and with true loue and with true righteousnesse know thereby that they are of God and that they are his elect and chosen children For as a true friend among men doth bestow such fauours and gifts vpon him whom he intirely and tenderly loueth as the receiuer vnderstandeth what they are and their worth also that so by manifesting his great kindnesse he may winne mutuall and reciprocall loue so God the friend of friends giueth his spirituall graces vnto all those whom he hath loued in Christ and chosen in him before the foundation of the world and maketh them to vnderstand what these his principall blessings are and the end why he giueth them euen to assure them of his
that wee may thereby obtaine our Iustification especially seeing he was 1 Cor. 1. 30. made as well righteousnesse for vs as he was redemption Nay may not his righteousnesse which was subiect to the Law Gal. 4. 4. for vs be imputed vnto vs by the Lords endlesse goodnesse and mercy that we may be made righteous thereby as well as the surplussage of the righteous workes of the Saints who yet were not crucified for vs may bee imputed by the Popes 1 Cor. 1. 13. Pardons and Indulgences to all such as will pay well for them QVEST. XL. The faithfull may as well know themselues to be indued with true loue as with true faith Doctor Bishop auoucheth that the faithfull cannot so well know themselues to be indued with true loue as with true faith for that faith is seated in the vnderstanding which is the lighter and loue in the will which is the darker part of the soule As if the spirituall soule had situation of parts as well as the materiall body Or as if the distinct powers of the soule were not therefore said to be placed in the distinct members of the body because in them there are diuers originalls of her manifold Organicall instruments whereby she produceth her manifold and different operations whereas shee her-selfe is wholly in the whole body and in euery part thereof But be it so that the soul as wel as the body may be coÌ„pared to an house or Temple in the which there may be Roomes some lightes and some darker yet may not the same cleare Candle of Gods word lighten our will as well as our vnderstanding and so make knowne vnto vs our loue as well as our faith Yea whereas the will is reasonable by participation from the vnderstanding the vnderstanding hiding nothing from the will whereof it hath notice it selfe why then is not the will lightened with that selfe-same lustre as the vnderstanding it selfe is nay whereas the light of naturall reason addeth her axiomes to the instructions of the word of God for the opening of the nature of loue rather then of faith why Dilectic est siâ—…ul viuendi fruendâ—que electio Anima est non vbi aâ—…at sed vbi amâ—t Prou. 14. 10. should not loue be better known then faith The heart saith Solomon knoweth the bitternesse of his soule and the stranger shall not intermeddle with his ioy The heart of a man knoweth what it loueth and ioyeth in as well as what it haâ—eth and is offended withall Verily if our Sauiour Christ had not well vnderstood that Simon Peters owne heart was well witting to it selfe of his great loue that he bare vnto him he would not haue demaunded of him againe and againe Simon Iohannah louest thou me Ioh. â—1 15. more then these neither would Peter haue so confidently answered him Lord thou knowest that I loue thee So if the Church had not knowen and felt euen the vehement paâ—gs of her loue towards her Bridegroome shee would not haue sent word vnto him by her Messengers that she was euen Cant. 5. 8. Aug in Ps 49. sicke of loue There is saith Saint Austin a kinde of glorying in the conscience when thou knowest that thy faith is sincere thy hope certaine and thy loue without dissembling In Saint Austins iudgement then our hope and loue may be knowne as well as our saith seeing otherwise wee could not reioyce in them When Abraham was ready at the commandement of GOD to haue slâ—ine his sonne Isaacke Gen. 22. 12. GOD calleth vnto him saying Now I know that thou fearest mee viz. with a filiall feare that proceedeth from loue seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely Sonne GOD saith Saint Austin knoweth all things Aug cont Maximin lib 3 c. 19. before they come to passe it was not then that GOD first knew that Abraham feared him But as the Spirit of GOD is said to pray and to groane because hee maketh vs to pray and to groane so GOD is said to know when hee maketh vs to know Now I know then is as much as if hee had saide Now I haue made thee to know or I haue made it knowne to others also that thou fearest mee The which truth may further appeare by the very name that Abraham gaue to the place where the Lord spake vnto him at that time and by the addition ioyned thereto For Abraham called the name of the place The Lord will see as it is said this day In the mount will the Lord be seene Now the Lord doth see his faithfull seruants by taking notice of their sincere minds towards him and by prouiding for them and bestowing on them all necessary blessings and the Lord is seene of them in the spirituall gifts of faith and loue and all other graces giuen vnto them for the manifestation of his fatherly loue and affection towards them For when God by the light of the Gospell doth so make manifest vnto the faithfull his fatherly loue in Christ that they esteeme it as their highest happinesse and doe in all sincerity desire to inioy it as their greatest good they cannot but know that they beleeue and loue God seeing these are the most certaine properties of them both Now as a faithfull man may know that he loueth God so he may also know that he loueth the brethren By this saith Saint Iohn we know that 1 Iohn 3. 14. we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Wherupon Saint Austin speaketh after this manner Let a Aug. in 1. Ep. Ioh. tract 3. man looke into his heart and see if he haue loue and then let him say I am borne of God Now to what end doth Saint Austin command a man to looke into his owne heart and to seeke to find loue there if in seeking he cannot find and know whether it be there or no If then the Lord hath giuen to any one the sincere loue of God and of his Christian Brethren hee may know that he is indued therewith and thereby he may know himselfe to be in Gods loue to his owne vnspeakeable comfort and ioy the which being a great griefe and corrasiue to the Diuell he therefore seeketh by all meanes to hinder the same QVEST. XLI The Cup in the Eucharist is not to be taken away from the Lay people A man may as well ordaine a Sacrament or any essentiall part thereof as he may take away the one or the other but no man nor Angell can ordaine a Sacrament or any essentiall part thereof seeing he cannot make any grant or giue any assurance of these spiritual blessings and gifts which are only in the Lords hands and at his owne disposition neither ought he then to mangle or maime any part of the euidence that God hath giuen to the faithfull for their better assurance thereof But the Cup of the New Testament is an essentiall part of the Sacrament of the Body and Bloud
dreadfull execution of Gods vengeance due to the same Our conscience saith Saint Cyprian would be afraid if it did beleeue but because it Cypr. de simpl Praelatorum beleeueth not therefore it feareth not If it did beleeue it would take heed and if it did take heed it would auoid both the euill of sinne and the punishment thereof Wherefore as saith Saint Ambrose the wicked goe hence to hell that there they Am. in 1. ep ad Thess cap. 4. may learne that to be true which here they would not The persons indued with a temporary faith draw nearest to such as haue obtained a true sauing and iustifying faith For they come gladly vnto the holy assemblies and heare the word willingly and incontinently with ioy receiue the same but this they doe vpon some sinister respect as for curiosity of knowledge or for vaine-glory or for profit and preferment and while they obtaine thereby their desires they will seeme to be zealous and â—eruent professors but when they are crossed in their purposes then their zeale draweth cold and the heat thereof is vtterly extingnished whereas they that are endued Luke 8. 13. with a true â—aith receiue the word with a simple honest and good heart and in all sincerity imbrace the Gospel for the Gospels sake euen because it openeth the way to true happinesse The Temporisers happinesse whatsoeuer outward profession he maketh to the contrary is to enioy earthly things and therefore he will forsake faith and a good conscience and God also rather then he will forsake them but such as be faithfull men indeed will not leaue the grant of Gods endlesse loue in Christ made ouer to them in the Gospell no not to gaine a vast world of glorie or to escape a whole hell of miserie And this commeth to passe for that the word of God is of the one but superficially receiued and therefore at the last withereth and dieth Whereas in the other it taketh deepe roote and therefore liueth and flourisheth in them continually In the one it possesseth as it were the vnfensed suburbes of their senses and the weake sconses of their phantasies but in the other it seateth it selfe in the well-defenced Cities of their soules and in the vnconquerable Castle of a good conscience In the one it is entertained as a passenger for a night or as a soiourner Acts 8. 37. Coll. 3. 16. for a season In the other it is receiued as an inhabitant and as an owner in his owne home In the one it is as the Ioh. 2. ep 3. Iude v. 13. Pro. 4. 18. 2 Pet. 1. 9. Ioh. 9. 39. Heb. 6. 3. Ioh. 6. 35. flashing of a falling Starre in the other it is as the light of the Sunne which shineth more and more vntill the perfect day In the one it is as the darke glimpse of a purblind eye in the other it is as the sight of the eye that is begun to be well cleared in good part made sound and whole Lastly in the one it is as the dainty dishes of a sumptuous feast tasted of but a little in the other it is as food so well chewed ruminated and digested that they which eate thereof neuer hunger after any other food of their soules but content themselues with this only And verily he that hath once found this pretious pearle Mat. 13. 46. Gen. 15. 1. will be ready to sell all to buy the same he will with Abraham the Father of the faithfull leaue his Countrey and kindred and all things else that he may haue God his buckler and his exceeding great reward yea in respect of the invaluable recompence of this inestimable reward he will with Moses refuse to be called the sonne of Pharaoh's daughter and chose Heb. 11. 24. rather to suffer adversity with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season and will esteeme the very rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Aegypt It is then a sound and certaine knowledge of the Gospell that breedeth a stable and a setled faith it is such a receiuing of the words of Christ as whereby we surely know that Ioh. 17. 18. Col. 3. 6. hee came from God and so beleeue that he was sent from him And hereof it is that as vnstaiednesse and instability is set Iac. 1. 6. 2 Pet. 3. 10. Rom. 14. 22. Col. 2. 5. 2 Pet 3. 15. Col. 2. 7. Eph. 2. 20. Heb. 6. 18. Eph. 6. 13. Gal 5. 1. 1 Cor. 15. 58. 16. 13. 1 Pet. 5. 9. Psal 81. 12. downe by the Spirit of God as a true note of an vnsound Faith so stability and stedfastnesse is deliuered as a sure token of a sound beliefe And therefore it is not without cause that the faithfull are so often exhorted to labour to be rooted and built vpon Christ and to lay sure Anchor-hold vpon him and to be stedfast and to stand fast in faith and to seeke to be established therein by the which so often inculcating of one and the same exhortation the Spirit of God laboureth to beat in throughly into our hearts this perswasion that a sure knowledge and a resolute assent to the doctrines of Faith maketh a true faithfull Christian Wherefore seeing the true Christian faith is a setled and stedfast assent to all diuine verities necessary to saluation proceeding from a right and wise apprehension of the arguments and reasons whereon they are grounded then the implicite vailed and blinde faith commended so highly by the Church of Rome is not the true Christian faith that proceedeth from God the Father of Light but Ioh. 11. 9. from the Diuell the Prince of darkenesse because it maketh men to fall into the pit of errour and sinne and so casteth Ioh. 12 35. them downe headlong into the dungeon of destruction CHAP. V. A sauing Faith is alwayes accompanied with all other sanctifying graces and namely with constancy and perseuerance as being the fruitfull mother and continuall nurse of them all THe blessed Apostle S. Paul describeth the faith of Gods Elect or sauing faith by calling it the knowledge of the Tit. 1. 1. 1 Tim. 3. 16. truth which is according to godlinesse for that it is the fruitfull mother thereof As he calleth the Diuine doctrine of the Gospell the mysterie of godlinesse because it is the powerfull instrument of God to procreate the same For it openeth the vnspeakable vnsearchable riches of the loue and goodnesse of God in Christ and giueth light and sight to apprehend the same and thereby begetteth true godlinesse The cause procreating and preseruing of all holinesse and happinesse both of Angels and men either in this life or in the life to come is the Vision contemplationâ— and Apprehension of the Lords vnspeakeable goodnesse and loue The plaine and euident revelation and manifestation thereof in the Gospell openeth the eyes of a blinded sinner and giueth to him the sight of a true
Christian sauing saith whereby he turneth from darkenesse to light and from the power of Satan to God and Acts 26. 18. 2 Cor. 3. 18. worketh in him a reuerent feare to offend the Lord and a louing care to performe all duties that doe belong to piety and godlinesse Behold saith Saint Iohn what loue the Father hath shewed vs that we should be called the sonnes of God For this cause the world knoweth vs not because it knowoth not him Dearely beloued now we are the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare what we shall be but this we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for wee 1 Ioh. 3. 1. shall see him as hee is And euery one that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as he is puâ—e In which words the Apostle auoucheth that the Lord making himselfe knowne by the doctrine of the Gospell not to the world but to his Elect and causing theÌ„ therby not onely faithfully to beleeue and embrace his great loue whereby hee hath adopted them for his sonnes in Christ but also by hope firmely to expect their full and finall glorification at his comming to iudgement doth thereby purge euery one of them from the pollutions of sinne and so doth reforme and renew them The which reformation because it doth begin in the minde and from thence proceedeth to the whole man is called a renewing or a changing of the minde and a returning to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resipiscentia wiser course For when the vnderstanding is truely rectified and reformed by the sure and certaine knowledge and apprehension of heauenly things it will master and ouer-rule the will and the affections and cause them to be imployed about Coll. 3. 2. heauenly actions The illumination of the minde saith a learned Author Morton of the three fold estate of man being the first part of regeneration is the cause of all the rest of that holinesse that is to be seene in the regenerate man euen as our Saviour Christ himselfe teacheth saying The light of the Mat. 6. 22. body is the eye if then thine eye be single thy whole body shall be light but if thine eye be wicked all thy bodie shall be darke So likewise if the minde which is the eye of the soule Coll. 3. 10. be truely sanctified and renewed with knowledge there followeth holinesse in all the faculties of the soule but if it be darkened with blindnesse and ignorance there is nothing but sinne in the whole man Neither can it be otherwise For as it is impossible that a man should either trust or hope in God loue feare and obey him or performe any other duty of holinesse to God whom hee doth not know in his loue mercy goodnesse power iustice and the rest of his attributes so it is no lesse impossible that a man should know and be fully perswaded that God is true in his promises mercifull gratious and iust and not be affected to him accordingly He that knoweth thee O God saith Austin louâ—th thee more then himselfe August soliloq cap. 1. and leaueth himselfe that he may come vnto thee and delight in thee Wherefoâ—e if any one make profession of true wisedome and Iac 3. 13. knowledge we may will him with Saint Iames to make demonstration thereof by his good conversation and by his workes performed in meeknesse of wisedome or which is all one if he make profession of the true Christian Faith we may say vnto him Shew mee thy faith by thy workes and I will Iac. 2. 26. shew thee my faith by my workes seeing that faith that is without workeâ— is not a liuing but a dead faith For a liuing faith doth engraffe vs into Christ and so maketh vs good trees Rom. 11. 19. which cannot be without good fruit And verily so farre forth Mat. 7. 17. Tantum possumus quantum credimus Cyp. ad Quirit Tantum diligimus quantum credâ—mus Orig. in Eze. hom 22. 1 Ioh 2. 4. Qui non facit bonum non credâ—t bonum Isa 11. 6. Pro. 2. 10. as the grace of God enableth vs to beleeue so farre it enableth vs also to worke and so farre forth as it enableth vs to apprehend Gods loue towards vs so farre forth it enableth vs to loue God and to make the same euident and manifest by our carefull endeauour to doe such things as are well pleasing in his sight He therefore that saith I know God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him For he that doth not well beleeueth not well and he whose knowledge bridleth not in some good measure his brutish affections he hath not attained to that wisedome and knowledge which the Spirit of God fore-told should be in all true and sincere Christians For when wisedome entreth into thine heart and knowledge delighteth thy soule then shall counsell preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee and deliuer thee from the euill way Of the infallible certainty and truth whereof Lactantius was so throughly perswaded that he was bold to make this challenge to any that would except against the same by instancing in the most vnbridled affections of all Giue me saith hee Lact. diuin Instit l. 3. c. 26. a wrathfull man and a slanderer and one that is of vnbridled affections and with a few words of God I will make him as weake as a Lambe Giue me a greedy and a couetous pinch-penny and I will make him liberall giuing out his money with whole handfuls giue me one that is afraid of griefe and death and he shall presently contemne the Gallowes and the fire and the Bull of Phalaris also giue me a libidinous and an adulterous person and thou shalt see him straight way sober chast and continent giue me a cruell and a blood-thirsty person and presently his fury shall be turned into mercy giue me an vniust person and an vnwise and a sinner and by and by he shall be made iust prudent and innocent and with one washing all his sinfulnesse shall be clensed Such is the force of divine wisedome that it being once admitted into the heart of man it will at once dispossesse folly the very mother of all trangressions This truth was knowne to the Heathen themselues who not onely auouched that Pallas the Lady of wisedome subdued the giants when they rebelled against God but also that Persâ—us by the helpe of Minerva the Lady of learning and all one with Pallas did cut off the head of Medusa who by her lookes did turne men into stones Vnder the which fabulous fictions this truth was deliuered that they are the most powerfull instructions of diuine wisedome that can subdue our rebellious and Giant-like affections and can make soft and meeke our hard and stony hearts If ye continue in my word saith our blessed Sauiour ye shall know the truth Ioh. 8. 31. and the truth shall make you
called our whole sanctification for that it worketh our whole sanctification as infidelitie is called the proper and after a sort the only sinne because it is the originall of all vnrighteousnesse Aug. cont Ep. Relag lib. 3. cap. 〈◊〉 For what good thing is there that is not obtained by faith By faith we are iustified Rom. 5. 1. By faith we are saued Ephes 2. 8. By faith we are made the sonnes of God Gal 3. 26. By faith we are incorporated into the heauenly Ierusalem and by it as by a cognizance or badge we are distinguished from all other societies The Catholike Faith saith Saint Austine doth distinguish the iust from the vniust not by the Law of workes but of faith without the Aug. ad Bonif. lib. 3. cap. 5. which those very workes which seeme to be good are turned into sinne Now if it were but in these respects faith might challenge the chiefest place of precedency and honour in the assembly of all her princely Peeres but much more may she doe it for that in her owne proper worke she is imploied in beholding imbracing and magnnifying of all the diuine excellences and perfections that be in God wherein consisteth the most proper and peculiar glory and honour of God By workes saith Chrysostome we obey God but faith Chrysost hom 8. in Ep. ad Rom. entertaineth a meet opinion of God and glorifieth him and maketh him much more to be admired then doth the shewing forth of good workes Works commend the doer but faith commendeth God only and what it is it is wholly his for it reioiceth in this that it conceiueth great things which redound to his glory Wherefore no maruell that the Lord himselfe hath such a respect to faith that all his gracious and glorious workes and wordes tend either to the begetting or strengthening of the same For why hath the Lord accomplished his most glorious workes of the Creation Redemption and sanctification but that they might be testimonies of his goodnesse mirrours of his mercy seales of his speciall Act. 14. 17. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Apoc 7. 2. Ephes 1. 14. Cant 1. 3. Hos 11. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 13. grace and fauour pawnes and pledges of his fatherly kindenesse and loue that so he might draw vs and binde vs vnto himselfe and cause vs to trust perfectly in this his fauour and grace which is thus and thus ratified and confirmed vnto vs So why did our most blessed Sauiour send forth his Apostles into the whole world to preach and publish to all creatures these so ioifull tidings of such inestimable fauours as are contained in the Gospell but that the whole woâ—ld might be conuerted to the faith and might beleeue and â—o be saued As for the same end hath he caused the same to be â—…ned for all posterities that thereby there might be wrâ—…t a sauing Marke 16. 16. Iohn 20. 31. faith in the hearts of all the children of God euâ—… to the worlds end Wherefoâ—e without 〈…〉 most singular gift of God sâ—eing 〈…〉 meaâ—es for the effecting and working thereof yea 〈◊〉 most rare blessing and hardly gotten seeing where theâ—…â—…gular meanes are best vsed euen thereof 〈◊〉 appeareth little fruit When 〈◊〉 more 〈◊〉 an Euangelist then a Prophet had published this doctrine of faith euen to the Lords own people whâ—… waâ— his owne testimony concerning his successe thereof Esay 53. 1. but thâ—… Lord who hath beleeued our report to whomis the arme of the Lord 〈◊〉 Nay when our blessed Sauiour himself came in his own person to preach these glad ridings of the Gospell euen with the mouth tongue of the Son of God after so wise and powerfull a manner that his very enemies did wonder at the gracious words that came out of his mouth and were forced to confesse That neuer man spake as he did Yea Luke 4 22. Ioh. 17. 46. after he had wrought many strange and wonderfull signes for the further confirmation thereof yet all this tooke so small effect that by the testimony of Saint Iohn being an eie witnesse of all these things then also was fulfilled the former prophesie Lord who hath beleeued our report Yea their infidelity Iohn 12. 37. Marke 6. 6. was so great that our Sauiour Christ maruelled thereat And yet behold a thing more to be maruelled at that the Apostles themselues who continually heard our Sauiours diuine and heauenly doctrine and daily saw his wonderfull workes were yet so hardly brought to the faith that our Sauiour after his resurrection forced to reprooue them most bitterly for it saying Oh ye fooles and â—low of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken No maruell then that albeit Luke 24. 25. the Gospel be published and reuiued in these last daies before the comming of Christ to iudgement by many singular and excellent instruments yet when the Sonne of man commeth he shall not finde faith on the earth Luke 18. 8. The truth is that it is an easie matter to beleeue lies because they are agreeable to our corrupt nature but the doctrine of truth teaching the assurance of Gods loue in Christ is a strange paradox contrary to the common opinion of men We saith the Apostle â—each Iesus Christ crucified a stumbling 1 Cor. 1. 23. bâ—ocke to the â—ew and foolishnesse to the Gâ—ecian Or be it that a slender assent and a formall approbation of the doctrine of faith proceeding from some slight apprehension thereof may bee somewhat generall where it hath beene long time taught by the Preacher and commanded by the Prince yet a settled perswasion proceeding from a sure and sound apprehension is vndoubtedly a strange and wonderfull worke of God Without aâ—… controuersie saith the Apostle great is 1 Tim. 3. 16. this mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh iustified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles and beleeued on in the world yea the agreement of faith with the heart of man is esteemed by Saint Austine to be one of the greatest miracles of our Christian profession And verily if either we looke vpon the prophane worldlings we shall see them scorning at the assurance of the faithfull Sap. 2. 13. which causeth them to glory that God is their Father and hath adopted them for his Sonnes Or if we cast our eyes vpon the faithfull seruant of God himselfe when he is in any great spirituall conflict we shall soone see how ready he is to let loose the sure hold of his hope and to plunge himselfe into the gulfe of despaire because he is guiltie to himselfe of offending so good and so gracious a God by his owne manifold and great iniquities and sinnes Wherefore albeit we haue attained to such a measure of faith as was giuen by Christ to his owne Apostles yet had Luke 17. 5. Marke 9 24. we need continually to pray O Lord increase our faith and to say with the Father of the possessed
QVEST. LIII The going on pilgrimage to see or to touch the true reliques of the Holiest of the Saints doth not bring any sanctification at all The seeing and touching of holy persons themselues doth not sanctify any much lesse the seeing or touching of their reliques They that receiue Christ by faith are made the Sonnes Ioh. 1. 12. of God and are renewed to his image in righteousnesse and true holinesse and not such as imbrace and kisse him with their bodily hands and mouthes for then Iudas the Traitor should haue been made a Saint Wherefore if we desire to haue any benefit by visiting the Saints we ought daily and diligently to visite the Scriptures wherein the pictures of their piety are most liuely painted out that so we may be rauished with the admiration thereof and be stirred vp to follow them by an holy imitation And so concerning the Saints which liued since the Apostles times if we be desirous to visite them also wee ought to get their learned bookes which are the best Images of their A maÌ„s speech is the image and glasse of his minde Erasm in praefat Hieron ad Guili Warraâ—…um holy soules that by their sound and Orthodoxe doctrines which are set downe therein we may be directed in the right way of piety and godlinesse But so it is saith Erasmus complayning of the superstitious folly of many of his time we kisse the shooes of the Saint and their handkerchers albeit loathsome for filth but as for their Bookes which are their best reliques we relinquish hauing little regard of them Their Coat or Shirt we lay vp in a chest adorned with gold and precious stones but as for their writings vpon the which they bestowed much labour and in the which still liueth here with vs that which is in them their chiefest good we leaue them to be consumed with wormes and rust QVEST. LIV. The faithfull that are sanctified by Regeneration may and ought to assure themselues of their full and finall glorification If God was found of the faithfull when they sought him not and made himselfe manifest vnto them when they asked Rom. 10. 20. not after him much more when they turne vnto him hee will turne to them when they draw nigh to him he wil draw nigh Iac. 4. 8. Matth. 7. 7. to them when they seeke him he will be found of them For if when they were enemies they were reconciled vnto God by the death of his Sonne much more may they rest assured of his loue being reconciled vnto him and made his stedfast friends If God for Christs sake offered them a pardon being Traitors and Rebels and standing vp in armes against him certainly he will suffer them to enioy the benefit of that pardon when they haue humbly submitted themselues and are become his loyall subiects If God doth forgiue vnto his all their grieuous sinnes which they willingly and wittingly committed before their effectuall Calling to the estate of grace will he not forgiue their sinnes of infirmity which they afterward commit against the resolute purpose of their owne hearts if he did deliuer them from domineeâ—ing and raiguing sinnes will he not in the end deliuer them fully from all such sinnes whose power and strength are already in part weakened by their daily repentance and stedfast faith The Lord said Dauid that deliuered 1 Sam. 17. 37. me out of the hand of the Lyon and the Beare will also deliuer me out of the hand of this Philistin Vnto the whiâ—h words happily the Apostle alluding saith of himselfe And I also was deliuered out of the hand of the Lion And thereupon was confident that the Lord would deliuer him from euery euill worke and would preserue him to his heauenly Kingdome 2 Tim. 4. 15. God hath promised thee O man saith Saint Austin speaking Aug in Ps 148. to all such as are sanctified by regeneration that thou shalt liue for euer and doest not thou beleeue it Oh saith he beleeue it beleeue it For that which he hath done for thee already is a greater matter then that which he hath promised For he hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne who is farre more excellent then thousands of heauens at the dearest rate that may be to purchase for thee euerlasting life and doest thou think that this purchase made by such a person at such an high rate can euer possibly be made voide Especially whereas for his Sonnes sake be hath adopted thee which wert by nature the slaue of Satan the child of wrath and inheritor of euerlasting destruction into the number of his sonnes and heires and renewed thee in part to his owne image in holinesse and true righteousnesse and doest thou yet doubt whether he will giue thee the inheritance of a sonne Vndoubtedly he that for thy Sauiours sake hath in part sanctified thee to liue a sober iust and a godly life in this world will for his sake bring thee to an eternall and an euerlasting life in the world to come QVEST. LV. Our least sinnes are damnable and mortall Arguments drawne from the lesser proportion of reason to the greater If all our righteousnesse be as a menstruous Cloath loathsome and odious to God and deserue Gods curse because it wanteth that fulnesse of faith feruency of loue simple sincerity and full freenesse from all sinister respects which the Law of God requireth at our hands then what doe those thoughts words and workes which are meerely sinfull deserue albeit Esay 64. 6. Iob 9. 31. Gal. 3. 10. they be neuer so small Vndoubtedly no sinnes that are meerly so can be smaller or lesse hurtfull then the imperfections of our best workes and yet these being transgressions of the Law of God deserue Gods curse and malediction and therefore all sinnes that are meerely so cannot but deserue the like woe So reasoneth our blessed Sauiour If the light which is Matth. 6. 23. in thee bee darkenesse how great is the darkenesse it selfe And so Saint Bernard If all our righteousnesse be as vnrighteousnesse Bern. Serm. in fest Sanct. then by a stronger reason what shall our sinnes be QVEST. LVI All things necessary to saluation are plainly deliuered in the Ganonicall Scriptures There is no wise man among men but that he will be carefull in his last Will and Testament that all things therein be set downe plainly distinctly and fully which concerne either the legacies which he bequeatheth to his childreÌ„ or the duties that he requireth at their hands that so all occasion of discord and debate may be cleane taken away And can we then imagine that our heauenly Father being so wise and so prouident as he is and so desirous to preserue vnity and peace among his deare children would not set downe plainly distinctly and fully in his Will and Testament what be those great and gracious gifts that he doth in his tender kindnesse and loue bestow vpon them with the meanes whereby they
power For his goodnesse being vnchangeable and his power vncontrouleable if hee ordained all to life why did he not bring them all to that happy estate whereunto he had ordayned them all To say that he could not disableth his power to say that he would not impeacheth his goodnesse to say that he desposeth of them neither this way nor that way but left them to their owne disposition derogateth from his supreame wisedome yea that he being the Potter should not dispose of his owne Clay but leaue it to the Clay to dispose of it selfe himselfe being as a neuter neither bending this way nor that way taketh away from him all diuine prouidence Wherefore it ought not to be denyed but that as God electeth some to saluation in Christ and calleth them to be partakers thereof by a true faith and preserueth them thereby through his mighty power that they neuer fall away from that happy estate to the end that they should ascribe vnto him the whole glory of their eternall blessednesse so likewise it cannot be iustly denyed but that God leaueth other in their Inâ—idelity and sinne to runne on wilfully and obstinately in their owne damnable wayes that so they might be forced to acknowledge and confesse God to be most iust herein and themselues to be the totall cause of their owne destruction Sap. 5. 5. For as euents which in themselues may or may not come to passe are called coÌ„tingent for that they proceed froÌ„ contingent causes albeit they could not but come to passe as they were fore-seene and fore-appointed by the vnchangeable wisedome and will of God euen so all sinfull actions albeit they be ordained of God to come to passe by his permission yet they are not to be said to be wrought by his operation and albeit they may be said to be willed by him yet none of them all is instilled by him For God made man according to his owne image and instilled into his soule all diuine and heauenly graces and gaue him hability to continue therein and left him to his owne choice to stand or to fall at his owne free will but he did not so stablish him with his grace that he could not become willing to fall away because he was no way indebted vnto him and bound to performe vnto him that fauour Much lesse when all mankinde fell away in Adam was God bound to restore all but some according to his owne good pleasure he calleth by his Spirit and Word to the estate of Grace and giueth them faith to embrace his endlesse goodnes in Christ Iesus so maketh them partakers of euerlasting blessednes other he iustly leaueth in their own wretchednesse whereinto they are fallen by their owne fault and suffereth them to perish in their owne sinnes And why might not the Lord iustly doe so An earthly Father may giue to his son some Stock to Trade withall then leaue him to his own gouernment to try whether he will play the good husband or no and might not our heauenly Father giue to Adam and in him to vs all that were then in his loynes some portion of his heauenly grace and so leaue him and vs in him to our selues to try whether we would settle our selues to continue in his loue or whether we would set light by his goodnesse and fall from him to sinne and Satan to our vtter ruine and destruction Vndoubtedly as God in his eternall Counsell did appoint that bodily diseases should come into the world to detect on the one side the weakenesse of the creature and his folly in abusing many things to his hurt and destruction that are of themselues profitable for his preseruation and on the other side to make manifest his owne wisedome and goodnesse in that he hath prouided great variety of helpes to man both for the preuenting and also for the full curing of all manner of noisome maladies so did hee in like manner decree that hee would permit man to cast himselfe into many spirituall diseases to detect on the one side his frailty and weaknesse who taketh occasion many times thereby to fall whereby he might haue been staied vpright and on the other side to make manifest his owne wisedome and goodnesse by appointing many Antidotes against sinne and such a strange restoratiue to cure sinnes as man himselfe could noâ— so much as dreame thereof There must be Haeresies saith the Apostle that they which are approued may be knowne euen that they may be knowne 1 Cor. 11. 19. whether they be as chaffe which will be carried away with euery blast of vaine doctrine or whether they be as found and good Corne and will abide setled and constant in the truth And verily the grounds of truth are neuer better sifted by her followers and friends nor sound and solide reasons more diligently sought out for truthes defence then when she is most mightily and cunningly oppugned with many erronious and haereticall vntruthes Neither are the Lords spirituall Captaines and Souldiers euermore watchfull ouer their owne soules and carefull to prouide all manner of spirituall munition and to giue themselues to all manner of holy and religious exercises and to craue continually in their feruent prayers the helpe of God then when they fâ—ele most of all their owne weakenesse and the great force of Satans temptations and his powerfull prouocations to draw them into sinne Yea they are neuer more grieued and offended with themselues for their sinnes then when they feele themselues most grieuously wounded with the dangerous strokes thereof And verily the Lord would neuer haue suffered the euill of sinne to haue been vnlesse he had knowne it meet and conuenient to make manifest his great wisdome and power in drawing good out of euill yea the greatest good out of the greatest euill The Lord I say would not haue suffered man to haue fallen into sinne vnlesse he had purposed to haue magnified his goodnesse towards his Elect to the highest extent that possibly could be by giuing his onely Sonne to take mans nature vpon him that therein he might make satisfaction for their sinnes and after that manner recouer them to Gods fauour and loue that they should neuer fall away from the same In respect of this so matchlesse a mercy that God should giue his onely Sonne to be such a supersufficient satisfaction for all our sinnes and to be such an vnaâ—â—erable pledge of his endlesse loue we may with that ancient Father make this strange exclamation saying O vnhappy sinne how happy hast thou been to vs in that thou hast been the occasion that such a Sauiour hath been giuen vnto vs Wherefore God forbid that it should be thought to be any disparagement to God to say that God decreed in his eternall counsell to permit sinne to come into the world seeing in his eternall Counsell Christ was a Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world that in him all the faithfull might haue a most soueraigne remedy