in respect of them for that their number is alwaies the greater â—as shee is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy in respect of the godly for that they are the better part Wherfore all vngodly and faithlesse dissembling hypocrites as they seeme onely to be holy and are not so they seeme also but are not in deed the true members of the holy catholike church For how can they haue the church to be their mother which are not begotten againe of the immortal seede of the word of God which liueth and lasteth for euer How can I say those bee members of the holy catholicke church and haue her for their mother vvho haue not God for their father who as they honour not God as a father neither endevour to resemble his image so he doth not acknowledge them for his sonnes nor accept them as inheritours of his heavenly kingdome And doth not our creede reach vs also that this holy catholike church of Christ is a communâ—on of saintes who haue in this life remission of sinnes and shall attaine in the life to come to a glorious resurrection and to lâ—e everlasting But the wicked vngodly dissembling hypocrites the sonnes of the bond woman which are base-borne and bastarde brethren they haue no part nor portioÌ„ in these blessings of God with the sonnes Gal. 4. 30. of the free woman which are the elect chosen children of God and the true members of the holy catholicke church of Christ Wherefore the church of Rome greatly disgraceth this holy catholike church of Christ in that shee would allowe an interest in her to impuâ—e and vngodly dissembling hypocrites as on other respectes shee advaunceth her to high in assigning her that priviledge that shee cannot erre and graunting that ability vnto her children whereby they may perfectly fulfill the law of God Div. 4. That the church may erre in matters of faith THe Apostles prophets had their doctrine from God not onely mediately by instruction but also immediatly by revelation Holy but revelations are now ceased and the church hath her doctrine now mediatly onely by instruction out of the divine and sacred scriptures and therefore the church may erre albeit the Apostles and Prophets were free from errour For in learning out of the scriptures the dulnesse and blindnes of our capacity oftentimes misseth of the true sence and meaning thereof which is no impediment when as the spirite of God by revelation vseth not the blockishnesse of our vnderstanding to bring vs to the knovvledge of God but doth immediately by his power shâ—dde it in our heartes or else teacheth vs by such as are instructed immediately 〈…〉 2. Div. 3. That every member of the church breaketh the law and doeth not perfectly fulfill the same NO man loveth the Lorde with all his heart power and strength so that all his â—ffections cogitations thoughts are only employed in the Lords service and in obedience to his commandementes and therefore no man perfectly fulfilleth the whole law For our loue doth so follow ouâ— knowledge that no man can perfectly loue God that perfectly knoweth not his loue and goodnes towardes vs but in this life wee knowe but in 〈◊〉 13. 9 parte vvee vnderstande but in parte wee see as through a glasse and in a darke speaking and so our loue also is but in parte it is no wise so perfect as it ought to be VVherefore that perfect loue beeing not in any which the lawe requireth that which wanteth thereof is sinne â—…p 29. and a breach of the lawe and commaundementes of God For to loue the Lorde withall our hearte soule and strength is not a point of perfection counselled onely in the gospell aboue the lawe but a necessary duety commaunded in the lavve and therefore our Saviour calleth it in slâ—tte tearmes not onely a commaundement 〈◊〉 â—…2 38. but also the first of the commaundementes VVherefore all being guilty of the breach of this commaundement there is none that is able to fulfill the vvhole lawe much lesse to doe any worke of supererogation more then is commaunded in the law of God Many prowde debtours hauing not as yet wasted their whole stockes but beeing only declining and ready to fall conceaue so well of themselues and of their owne ability that when they looke but vpon the particular billes of their debt they conceaue some hope to recover and to bee able in time to discharge all but vvhen they cast them all togither and so take a viewe of the totall summe that appeareth by and by to bee so great that thereby they are cleane dismaide and discouraged and vtterly excluded from all hope But the pride of our Romish banke-ruptes is in a farre higher degree in that the summe of all the commandements contayning the summe of our vvhole debte bee it neuer so great and neuer so huge yet it doeth not mooue them to acknowledge their inhabilitie but they still imagine themselues to be able to fulfil the whole lavve and so to discharge their vvhole debte yea and more also vvith the surplussage vvhereof beeing due vnto them The meanest in the church of Rome are taught that they may fulfil al the commandementes whereas the very best in the church of Christ more or lesse faile in all vppon a reckoning and an accountes they thinke themselues able to helpe tovvardes the dischardge of the debtes of others also VVhereas in trueth if vvee vvoulde duely looke into the greatnesse of the duety that is required at our handes in any one of the commaundementes wee should perceiue the very debte of every one of these particular billes to amounte and grovve to so great a summe that as long as vvee liue heere in this life such is our spirituall penury and beggary vvee are neuer able to discharge the same 1. CoÌ„mand For vvho is there euen amonge the most perfecte and iust that neuer preferreth profite or pleasure or the satisfying of one affection or other before iustice and righteousnesse and before his loue and obedience to God thereby placing them after a sort in Gods throne 2 who alvvaies so highly conceiveth of the incomprehensible maiesty of the almighty Iehovah as hee ought to doe and of his incomparable and vnmatchable glory that cannot be resembled by any similitude without great impeachment and derogation to the same 3 Who conceiveth so reverently of the infinite power of the most mighty creator of heaven earth that hee neuer taketh his glorious and dreadfull name in vaine but euer vseth it with such reverence and feare as is due vnto it 4 VVho sanctifieth on that manner the Sabaoth day that ceasing altogither from satisfying his owne vvill hee suffereth the Lord by his holy spirite and sacred vvorde vvholy to vvoâ—ke in himselfe and so employeth himselfe only in his service Yea who is it that keepeth a perpetuall Sabaoth vnto the LORDE 5 VVho is it that so honoureth his pâ—rentes and the rest of his
I haue provoked thy wrath saith he and haue done evill before thee I did not thy will neither kept I thy commaundements I haue set vp abominations and multiplied offences I haue sinned O Lord I haue sinned I acknowledge my transgressions O Lord forgiue O Lorde forgiue me and destroy me not with mine iniquities And verily vntill we haue some sight and sense assurance of the mercy of God in Christ pardoning our sins the ougly sight of our owne deformities will driue vs more and more from God and wrappe vs faster and faster in the bands of sinne and be ready to drowne vs in the gulfe of despaire as it may be seene in Caine Iudas the like But when Christ shall once looke vpon vs with the eyes of his mercy shall giue vs some assurance of the remission of our sinnes as he did vnto Peter whome he mercifully forewarned not only of his fall but also of his pardon of his recovery and of his duety in regard of the same I haue praied for thee Peter Luk. 22. 31. that thy faith faile not and thou being converted strengthen thy brethre this favourable aspect of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse will cause vs with Peter to loue him the more and not only to single out some solitary place that we may bewaile our vnthankfulnes with bitter teares but also to be more feareful and careful for the time to come least we be overtaken againe with the like offence For a reverent regard and feare least we offende so good a God Feare whom we can never endevour sufficiently to please is caused also by the due apprehension of the Lordes mercies There is mercy Psal 130. 4. with thee O God saith David therfore shalt thou be feared For as the naturall and kind child reverenceth his father and feareth to offend him not so much for dread of the rod or for hope of the inheritance as for that he hath had already manifold experience of his fathers kindnes and care for him even so the deare children of God having had in former times very good experience of the Lords loue do reverence feare him from the very bottome of their harts and are thereby made watchfull and wary not to offend Behold saith S. Iohn what loue the father hath shewed vs that 1 Ioh 3. 1. we should be called the sonnes of God Now we are the sonnes of God but it doth not appeare what we shall be but this we know that when he doth appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And he that hath this hope purgeth himselfe even as he is pure In which words it is manifest that hope rising out of faith and the expectation of future blessednes out of the apprehension of former loue doth cause the faithfull to purge clense their harts least they offend their holy and pure God with their impurities Though we sinne say all Sap. 15. 2. the godly as it were with one voice that is though wee sinne through infirmity which cannot be avoided in these daies of infirmity yet we are thine for we know thy power but we sinne not that is presumptuously or we giue not over our selues to sinne knowing that we are thine for to know thee is perfect righteousnes and to know thy Ioh 3. 14. power is the roote of immortality For as the childreÌ„ of Isâ—ael were healed of the sting of fierie serpents by looking vp to the brasen serpent even so the faithful looking vp vnto CHRIST crucified are cured of al their spiritual maladies and haue their sinne slaine in them and are raised vp to newneâ— of life Zache desiring but to see CHRIST was immediatly converted and made a Christian Olde father Simeon beholding Christ desired presently to departe out of this life thinking that hee had lived long inough seeing hee had liued to see his Saviour with his bodely eies All the faithfull that haue had some true view of our Our whole conversion to God is wrought by his loue in Christ apprehended by faith Ioh. 17. Saviour Christ do more more desire to behould him still and that not without very great cause For the more they see him the more they loue him and the more they feele themselues to liue in him and by him This is everlasting life saith the auctor thereof to knowe the onely true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ For rightly to know faithfully to embrace the endles vnspeakable loâ—e of God in Christ who hath consecrated himselfe both in his life and death to the working of our deliverance out of the hands of sin death damnation doth worke in the faithfull the death of sin and life of righteousnes and so layeth the foundation of that life heere which shal be made perfect in the world to come Now saith the Apostle I liue not but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now liue I liue by the faith of the sonne of Eph. 6. 15. The loue of God revealed in the Gospel is as shoes wherby we are enabled to walke on readily in the Lordes waies be they never so full of sharpe stones and pricking thornes God who hath loued me given himselfe for me The Apostle lived not he was dead in himselfe but Christ by hiâ— spirit word lived and raigned in him and that because he beheld with the eies of faith that great endles loue of Christ who both had lived and died for him And hereof it is that the Gospel of Christ the powerful instrumeÌ„t ordained by God both to begett streÌ„gthen faith is compared to shoes is part of that furniture wherwithal the souldiers of Christ haue neede to bee armed in their most hard daungerous fight against al the powers of the kingdome of darknes And verely there are so many thorns pricks of worldly cares and so many sharpe stones of crosses and persecutions lying so thicke in that straight and narrow way that leadeth to life that the passage of the faithful would be greatly stayed if not altogither stopped therin were they not al well shodde with the preparation of the Gospel of peace and had not that gladsome ioyful tidings of their recoÌ„ciliation with God made them most resolute to passe on along for al those sharpe stoÌ„es to endure al withal patience Now then by these things that haue bin delivered it is evident and cleare that not onely faith ariseth out of the true apprehension of the inestimable loue of God in Christ but also loue hope patience confession praier repeÌ„tance feare a religious care both to liue to die vnto God to devote our selues wholy to his service And yet we must not so conceaue heereof as if this one blessing All the Lords gratious giftes and blessings are furtherers of faith obedience in the godly Ier. 14. 20. of our redemption wrought by CHRIST did not onely
vertue of CHRISTS bloode to vvash and clense the staines of all the sinnes of the faithfull were infidelitie or not to doubt thereof but to doubt vvhether it bee availâ—able to purge and clense THINE iniquities sinnes is to bewray thine infidelity in another degree even in that thou beleevest not thy selfe to belong to that number nor yet to bee partaker vvith them of their mercie VVherefore to teach the faithfull that they shoulde bee persvvaded of the remission of their ovvne sinnes through the death of Christ is to plucke vp the rootes of infidelity it is not to teach pride but faith nor to open a gappe to all â—inne and vvickednesse but contrarivvise most effectuallie to provoke to repentance loue and thankefulnesse and to the practise of all other christian dueties Aâ—d in truth we cannot bee rightly offended with our selues for offending so merciful and gracious a God vntill he hath given vs some sense feeling of his vnspeakeable mercy towardes vs in assuring vs of the pardon of our offences and sinnes Neither can vve vnfainedly loue the Lord and desire to be thankfull vnto him as we ought to be vntil we be perswaded that he loueth vs and beareth a kinde affection tovvards vs. Neither yet can we wholy resigne our selues to God vntil we perceiue that we are not our ovvn but that we are bought with a price that so we should 1. Cor. 6. 20 sanctifie the Lorde both in our bodies and in our spirites which are the Lordes My beloued sâ—ith the spouse is mine and I am his he hath Cant. 2. 16. giuen himselfe to me and hath assured me of his loue and therefore I giue my selfe to him and assure him of mine obedience VVee loue him saith Saint Iohn because he loved vs first For as 1. Ioh. 4 19. one fire kindleth another and one heate raiseth vp another so the â—iâ—…y heate of the Lords kindnes and loue felt in the hearts of the faithful doth kindle againe the fiâ—e of their loue and thankefulnesse towards God causing them to busie all their thoughtes and cogitations how they may after the best manner perfourme this there bouâ—den duety and service to God When the Lord by the prophet had mentioned his great mercies bestowed vpon his people of Israel the prophet straâ—t-waies in the person of the people breaketh out into these words Wherewithall shall I come before Mich 6. 6. the Lorde and bowe my selfe before the high God Likevvise David vppon the like consideration VVhat shall I render vnto the Psa 116. 12. 103. 1. Lorde for all his benefites bestovved on mee and againe Praise the LORDE O my soule and all that is within mee praise his holy name praise the LORDE O my soule and forget not all his benefites vvho forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities vvhâ— saueth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindnes In which words we may perceaue that the sence and feeling of the Lords mercies in reâ—…tting to the prophet David his manifold sinnes was in him as a great vehement flame kindling in his very hart soule a most fervent zealous desire of magnifying and extolling the Lords mercies So Mary loved Luc. 7 47. much because manie sinnes vvere forgiven her â—eeling first the great aboundance of Gods loue tovvardes her selfe in pardonâ—ng her manifolde and grievous sinnes vvhich caused in her as it vvâ—re a reflexion and reciprocation of her loue towards God for those his great and endlesse mercies And surely if the small kindenes of a man and that towardes his enimy doth oftentimes â—eape coales of fire on his heade turning malice into meekenesse Rom. 12. 20 and currishnes into kindenes and so overcomming evill with goodnes how much more the infinite loue of God in pardoning our manifold and grievous sinnes being once felt within vs vvill it not possesse our soules with his loue and winne al our affections to his obedience Surely it vvil cause vs to reioyce if wee may suffer any tribulation for his names sake or performe any other duety whatsoeuer that may be grateful and acceptable vnto him We reioice saith the Apostle in tribulations knowing that tribulation Rom. 5. 4. bringeth foorth patience and patience experience and experience hope hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shedde abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost And to say the truth who euer were greater enimies to carnal security and dissolutenes of life more zealous followers of Christ more religious embracers of true piety and godlines then such as aboue all other haue felt the loue of God most aboundantly towardes themselues in assuring them most vndoubtedly of the forgiuenes of all thâ—ir sinnes of their inheritance in the kingdome of glory Wherefore this doctrine which teacheth the faithful to raise vp themselues to a stedfast assurance of Gods mercies tendeth neither to pride noâ— to dissolutnes of life but that doctrine which teacheth to doubt of Gods favour is no better then a flat stepmother to faith and a naturall nurce to infidelity For he that wil rightly come vâ—to God must come vnto him without doubting whereby we see that faith Iac. 1. 6. and doubtfulnesse cannot wel agree together So vvhen God promised Abraham a sonne in his old age adding further that Rom 4. 2â— in his seed al the nations of the earth should be blessed Mâ—t â—4 31. Rom. 14 23 In Gen 4â— The popish faith â—…ke to the Infidell Poets he doubted not saith the Apostle through vnbeliefe shewing thereby that doubtfulnes ariseth of infidelity Wherefore for any that professeth himselfe to belong to the number of the faithfull to doubt of the performance of any of the Lordes promisâ—s in generall or in particular of the promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life made to al that beleeue doth argue a very small faith at the least if it doe not convince the party of â—latte infidelity Non si mihi Iuppiter ipse sâ—…n â—…at â—…am sâ—crem hoc contingere ponâ—… Wherefore as Martin Luther truely avouched if there were no other errors and heresies in the doctrine of the church of Rome but euen this that they teach that the faithful which are iustified before God ought not yet assure themselues of 〈◊〉 owne iustification and of their owne vndoubted calling vnto the estate of grace but remaine stil pensiue and doubtful of the remission of their sinnes and of their interest in the kingdome of glory yet this alone were a sufficient motâ—ue to make a separation from her as being the mother of infidelity and not of faith Div. 3. That we ought to beleeue onlie in God and not in the church or in anie creature THose things which the Gentiles offer vp in sacrifice they I beleeue in God I beleeue the church offer to devils not to God the Iews all hereticks beleeue not in the true God but
pride presuÌ„ption or else abuse it to the hardening of their harts by hartening theÌ„selus therby in their sinnes declare theÌ„selus to be bastards not sons being so farre of both froÌ„ the affectioÌ„ also froÌ„ the duty of natural sonnes Why If but a frieÌ„d having testified his loue towards vs â—y some fewe favours should vnderstand that wee stil stoode in doubt either of his sinceriâ—y or coÌ„stancy towards vs did imagm that either he did but disseÌ„ble with vs orelfe that he were vsriable quickly changed would he not thinke himselfe much wroÌ„ged seing he had so wel deserved before had giveÌ„ vs good cause to conceaue better of him And doth God bestowe any gift vpon any of his faithful servaÌ„ts but in al sincerity setled coÌ„stancy with a stedfast purpose to do them good And shal they stil doubt either whether he ever loued theÌ„ at al or else whether he wil ever coÌ„tinue to loue theÌ„ stil Surely they cannot do him a greaten dishonor seing therby as much as in theÌ„ lieth they rob him of â—is sincerity endlea goodnes of his eterâ—al mercy loue Wherfore the most sincere servaÌ„tes of God as they acknowledge themselues to be most highly honoured of God in that hee hath vouchsafed to cast vpon them so vnworthy wretches the eies of his loue and to haue testified the same by the manifold giftes of his mercy eveÌ„ so they are mostâ— desirous to magnify GOD by ascribing every good gifte vnto his most free and vndeserved goodnes and by receiving them al from him as pledges of his great loue and confirmations of his gratious favour yea the more they feele the heate of Gods loue cherishing and comforting them with his gratious blessings the more is the fire of their loue kindled towardes God and the greater is the flame of their obedience and thankfulnes That debteâ— loued most which receiued Luk. 7. 43. the greatest frendship having his whole debt most freely forgiveÌ„ him albeit it was never so great And Mary loued much for that her many sinnes were remitted vnto her albeit they had bin before never so grievous So Peter loued Christ more theÌ„ his fâ—llowes for that he had greater favour to be received the sooner to grace to be streÌ„gthened in the faith before his fellowes albeit he had sinned aboue his fellows And verely Gods grace revealed Gods grace revealed is no cause of sinne but Gods grace concealed and so contemned 1. â—or 2 8. Luk. 19. 42. doth not cause sin but Gods grace coÌ„cealed so conteÌ„ned Gods grace revealed giveth grace soone winneth allowance approbatioÌ„ so causeth al obedieÌ„ce thankfulnes but Gods grace vnknowen is easily coÌ„temned causeth stubbornes rebellioÌ„ that cried out so eagerly crucify him crucify him if they had knowen it they would never haue crucified the Lord of glory if they had knowen those things that did beloÌ„g to their peace they would hever haue so long stood out haue shewed themselues such wilfull obstinat recufaÌ„ts against their God against their owne good If that supersâ—itious carnal woman of Samaria had knowen the gift of God who it was that theÌ„ coÌ„muned with her Ioh. 4. 10. she would not haue stoode pelting with him for a draught of her water but she would without delay haue asked of him the water of life Wherfore the most louing Lord of Abraham Izaak Iacob of al the faithful of what kindred country soever albeit hee doth not vouch safe to shew this mercy to the world of the reprobatâ— as to shew himselfe to theÌ„ yet hee cannot long keepe close his loue from his chosen but doth manifest the same more and more vnto them as hâ—e knoweth it best for them in his divine and heavenly wisedome For if Ioseph could not long keepe in the tender bowels of his brotherly loue towards his vnkinde and vnnatural brethren but that it brake out with streames of teares and disclosed it selfe to their great astonishment and if David could not conceale his fatherly affection towards his most vndutiful and rebellious sonne Absolom no not at that time when he had behaved himselfe so lewdely and had so attempted his vtter overthrow but that it brake out in his straight charge to Ioab his general and to the residue of the captaines of the armie O â—e good to the young man for my sake the which petition whoÌ„ it did not prevaile with Ioab but that he stretched forth his owne hand to take away his life how doth that teÌ„der harted father take on vpon the â—elatioÌ„ therof O my soâ—ne Absolom my sonne my soâ—ne Absolom would God I had died for thee ô Absolom my sonne my sonne And yet the kindneâ— of earthly brethren and parents and that towards their most kind louing brethren children is but as a sparke of the great fire as a droppe to the huge sea of the loue of Christ our elder brother of God our heaveÌ„ly caelestial father CaÌ„ he theÌ„ altogeather coÌ„ceale his loue froÌ„ vs keepe vs froÌ„ that ioy vnspeakable glorious which we are to receive by the revelatioÌ„ therof The foure leapers that came into the Sirians tents whoÌ„ God had caused to flie in al hast to leave their tentes ful of al treasure store when they had wel eaten drunken and hidde also good store of treasure for theÌ„selues considering weighing the great necessity of their prince people by reason of the extreame famine that was among them could reason betweene themselues and say We â—… not well this day is a day of good tydinges wee hould our peace come therfore let vs goe tell the kings â—ousholde They thought 2. King 7. 9. it an offeÌ„ce to coÌ„ceale from their countrey being in extreme misery the remedy that God had appointed for their delivery And shal we thinke that whereas the Lordes owne deare and chosen children without some sence and assurance of his favour loue testified by his manifolde and gratious blessings are ready still to be overwhelined with the horrors of despaire the Lord will not cause the light of his countenance to shine vnto them that so the clouds of distrust that keepe from them the bright beames of his favour may be dispersed and the tempest of dispaire aswaged allayed In deede when they beginne to waâ—e waÌ„ton with peace and plentie and to neglect their duety vnto their good GOD and being at rest heere in this world slacke their passage towards their passagâ— to wordes their heavenly countrey and beeing filled with earthly delights become slow to seek after the true treasure God seemeth for a time to withdraw his favor from them after a sort to hide himselfe to suffer them to bee beaten with many rods â—yea he doth seeme to be grievously offended displeased with theÌ„ himselfe â—o correct chasten them with his owne hands And
this wrathfull countenance of God of al other calamities crosses is most grievous burdensome vnto them and doth aboue al other miseries vexe and torment their tender harts casteth theÌ„ downe to the gates of hell Then in anguish of soule and bitternes of spirit they powre forth whole streames of complaineâ— crying out and saying Will the Lord absent himselfe forever and will he be no more entreated Is his mercy cleane gone for ever Psal 77. 7. and is his goodnes come vtterly to an end far evermore â— hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he shut vp his loving kindnes in displeasure TheÌ„ said I this is my death againe O Lord how long wilt thou be angrie Psal 80. 4. with thy people that praieth Thou hast fed them with the bread of teares and hast given them plentâ—…snes of teares to drinke thou haste made vs to be a very strife vnto our neighbours our enemies laugh vs to scorne Turne vs againe O God of hosts shew vs the light of thy countenance and we shall be safe And yet in truth when the Lorde most sharply chasteneth his God is nearest to his servants in their asstictions albeit he seemeth to be then farthest of he sheweth then most of all the effect of his loue allthough they for the present feele it not Psa 119. 71. 75 ver own deare children he is not in wrath offended with them but in great loue most of all then tendreth their good his grace and favour is not absent but then especially is present with them albeit they for the very instaÌ„t feele not the same For what is it that in and by their afflictions worketh in them humility repentaÌ„ce patience obedience an earnest desire to feele the Lord gracious and favourable vnto them aboue all things to behold the light of his countenaÌ„ce Are not al these the most evident effects of the favourable presence of God with theÌ„ of the most neere assistance of his grace Doth he not herein shew theÌ„ the light of his couÌ„tenance make manifest vnto them his loue to their great benefit good Surely David did most thaÌ„kfully acknowledge so much saying It is good for me that I haue beene in trouble that I might learne thy statutes And againe I know O Lorde that thy iudgements are righteous and that thou not of wrath but of very faithfulnes hast caused me to be troubled And therfore Ieremy praied for the Ier. 10 24. same as for a thing beneficiall and good Correct vs O Lord yeâ— in thy iudgement not in thy fury For God chastiseth his children in loue albeit he punisheth the wicked in wrath And therfore both Iob. 5. 17. Iob David iudge not that the godly when they are afflicted are in a bad but in a right good and blessed estate Blessed is the man say they whom thou chastenest O Lorde and teachest in thy lawe that thou maiest giue him patience in time of adversitie vntill the â—it bee digged vp for the vngodly And therefore the Apostles did reioice in Rom. 5. 3. tribulations knowing that tribulations bring forth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shedde abroade in our heartes by the holy Ghost The loue of God then apprehended by faith not only engendereth Hope Patience ConfessioÌ„ in vs loue towardes God but also hope that maketh not ashamed and patience that maketh vs to reioice in tribulations and to be couragious and constant in the confession of his truth albeit all manner of crosses accompanye the same For out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and therfore if vvith the hearte wee beleeue to righteousnesse wee will bee ready vvith the mouth to confesse vnto salvation I beleeved saith David Rom. 10. 10 Psal 116. 10 2. Cor. 4. 13 and therefore haue I spoken so vvee also saith the Apostle beleeue and therefore speake And verily if wee doe beleeue that GOD from everlasting hath acknowledged vs and hath written our names in the booke of life howe can it bee but that wee shoulde thankefully acknowledge him before the greate congregation and willingly confesse him before the whole worlde Yea how can it bee but that wee shoulde continually make our resorte to Praier him by praier in all our necessities and craue his gracious aide to assiste and strengthen vs in all those afflictions and crosses which vvee endure for his most holy name sake The vnfaithfull vvho vvill not bee persvvaded of the fatherly loue and favour of God towardes them cannot come with any cheerefulnes to make their praiers vnto God for howe can they call vppon him Rom 10. 14 on whom they haue not beleeved but the faithfull that beleeue that God is become their loving father in Christ that by him they haue such interest in God in al his blessings must needs coÌ„e to him with great coÌ„fideÌ„ce hope powre out their whole harts continually before him and present vnto him all their petitions and requests And verily they need not to be ashamed to come into his presence seeing they are cloathed with the most precious garments of Christ their elder brother and haue him to bee their continuall advocate solliciter to pleade their cause In deed the more they behold their owne nakednes and shame take a true view of the rotten ragges fained garments of their owne righteousnes and the more deepely therewithal they meditate vpon that strange and admirable goodnesse of God that would cast the eies of his loue vpoÌ„ such loathsome wretches they haue great cause as to be ashamed of their abominable corruption so to be waile and lament their intollerable vnthankfulnesse And so the prophet Ezechiel hath testified that the faithful shal Eze. 16. 63. be confounded in themselues and hange downe their heads never open their mouthes for shame when they shal behold the loue of God towards them in Christ which hath freely pardoned all their iniquities and sinnes when I say they shal see on the one side how gracious God is to them on the otherside how grievous they themselues haue bin vnto God An ensample wherof In the praier of Manasse affixed at the end of the bookes of the Chronicles we haue in Manasse king of Iudah vnto whoÌ„ when the Lorde had given a little taste of his promise of mercy and had giveÌ„ him some assurance of the remission of his sinnes and of his receiving into favour how doth he debase and cast himselfe downe as if he were the only offender among all the servants of God and all other were as it were no sinners in comparison of him And how doth he exaggerate and amplifie his own transgressions as if they were more then the sande of the sea and togither withall so odious and abominable that he was not worthy to behold the heavens for the same
east them into an holie extasie and carried them after a sorte out of themselues and made them to haue little regard Cyrill in haec verbâ— sanguis â—ius sit super noset filios nostros of this present vvorlde and of the pompe and glorie thereof vvhich yet are so glorious in earthly mens eies To vvhat ende saith Cyrill shoulde I have vvealth and hope for the inheritance of the goodes of this vvorlds seeing alreadie I am made heire of thy most precious bloode and redeemed vvith thy most glorious death Why should I not verie much esteeme of my selfe seeing thou hast shedde as much bloode for mee alone as thou hast done for all the vvorld So Bernard O good Iesus O the loue of my soule vvho Bern. in haec verbai desiderio desideravi c. amongest mortall men doth so desire to make his life perpetuall as thou didst desire to loose thine for mine What pleasure vvilte thou take on the vvorld to come vvith thine elect seeing heere vppon earth thon didest call that day vvherein thou didest suffer Easter that is a great and solemne feastivall daie And againe O good Iesus O the redeemer of my soule doe I not happely owe thee as much as all the vvorlde ovveth thee seeing I have cost thee as much bloode as all the vvorlde hath done By the which testimonies of these holie men it is evident and plaine that an holie assurance of the great loue of CHRIST vvho hath died for our sinnes in particular and rose againe for our iustification is the strongest purgation to cleanse our soules from deade workes and to quicken them vp to an heavenly life and to strengthen vs in the ready preformance of all such duties as are most gratefull and acceptable to God And verely all manner of good vertuous works seeme they never so glorious in the eies of mortall men are most vile and base in the sight of God vnlesse the loue of Christ be the worker of them al and vnlesse they are performed as well deserved dueties for his sundry and manifold vndeserved mercies How then can there bee any true devotion at al in any of the children of the Church of Rome if they followe the doctrine â—f the assurance of the loue of God in Christ be the strongest band to binde vs to God then the doubtting therof must needs lette vs loose to runne a stray at random out of the Lordes waies as if we were at our owne liberty to liue as wee list The base borne bastardes of the church of Rome condemne in the legitimate children of God the holy assurance of his fauour and loue as Sap. 2. their former brethrren the elder sons of Satan haue done before theÌ„ Eph. 3. 18. of their mother who teacheth them to bee still in doubt of the loue of Christ in particular towards themselues of their effectuall calling into the state of grace and of the remission of their sins and eternall glory seeing the faithfull apprehension sence assuraÌ„ce of Christs loue the fruits therof is the only effectuall worker of all true devotion Howe can either the church of Rome be the faithful spouse of Christ seeing shee stil standeth in doubt of the loue of her bridegrome or her children bee the children of God our heavenly father seeing they are and must be still in doubt whether he beareth a fatherly affection towards them Surely a faithful spoufe cannot still stand in doubt of the loue of her most kind and carefull husband neither can the naturall and kinde childe alwaies feare whether his natural kind father beareth a louing and a fatherly affection towards him seeing hee hath testified the same by his manifold blessinges And therfore the church of Rome caÌ„not be the true spouse of Christ seeing shee knoweth not assuredly whether shee is his beloued neither can her children be the true children of God our heaveÌ„ly father seeing they are and must be stil vncertaine and doubtfull of his kind and fatherly loue of the most principal effectes thereof Nay in that they condemne the true children of God of pride presuÌ„ption for that they are not abashed to make a bold confession of their knowledge of God and of their assurance of his loue and to glory that he is their father and they his sonnes heereby they declare themselues to belong to the congregatioÌ„ of them alignant yea that they are the children of the devil himselfe in that after the very selfesame manner they condemne the holy faith of the children of God as their elder brethren haue done before theÌ„ in the second chapter of the booke of wisdome VVherfore all ye our deere brethren which are as yet covered with the blacke and darke doctrine of the church of Rome which came out of the bottomles pitte from the very prince of darkenes himselfe even as many of you as belong to the number of Gods elect defraud not your selues any longer of the comfort and fruit of Christs loue by continuing still doubtful of the same with the children of vnbeleife but rather labour with al saints that yee may comprehend what is the bredth depth length heigth to knovv the loue of Christ that passeth knowledge that so yee maÌ„y be filled with all fulnes of God Be ye not desirous to continue any longer doubtful of the remission of your sins of your election to eternal life according vnto the doctrine of the teacher of infidelity which yet boasteth himselfe to be the successour of St. Peter but striue yee 2. Pet. 1. 10 rather to make your election sure by your workes according vnto the most holy doctrine of St. Peter himselfe And as I doubt not but that yee vnfainedly desire to bee fruitful and plentifull in all good workes so labour yee by al meanes possible to compreheÌ„d the loue of Christ and to feele in your harts the coÌ„fortable fruits thereof which are the strongest motiues not onely to perswade but after a sort to constraine force vnto the ready persormaÌ„ce of al good workes Be ye not so foolish still to imagine that your workes which are the fruites of the loue of Christ the effectes of your election and iustification bee the causes of the loue of Christ of your election iustification Especially whereas it is God that worketh in you the wil and the deede and that of his owne meere mercy and good wil in Christ and thereby maketh you more endebtted vnto him by the continuance encrease of his blessings take yee heede of that grievous and intollerable pride wherwith the Devill the defacer of the grace and glorie of Christ hath hitherto beguiled you by making you thinke that God is endebtted vnto you by meanes of your good workes and that by them you merite at his hands remission of sins eternal glory For verely if the kissing of our owne handes that is the ascribing The ascribing to our owne witte industry
of Gods temporall giftes is a deniall of God and therefore much more the ascribinâ— of eternall life to our own merites but of our temporal goods and possessions vnto our owne industry and witte be an iniquity to be condemned because it is a deniall of God then is it a greater iniquity more to be condemned and a more heinous deniall of God to robbe him of the glory of his greatest giftes by ascribing them vnto our owne merites But herein is fulfilled the prophesie of Saint Peter * 2. Pet. 2. 1. who hath plainely foretolde that as there were then false prophets among the people so there shoulde bee false teachers among vs who shoulde prively bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lorde that bought them The truth is that the children of the Church of Rome confesse in word their redemption wrought by Christ but wheÌ„ they theÌ„ selues labour to purchase heaven by their ovvn merites do they not plainely disallowe the sufficiencie of the purchase thereof made by Christ Yea whereas our Rhemistes are so bolde as to call the iustice of God which is residenâ— in Christ appreheÌ„ded by our faith and so imputed to vs because it was wrought for vs a new no iustice a phant asticall apprehension of that which is not a falsâ— faith and an vntrue imputation and to affirme that there is no righteousnes Rhem in c. 3. ep ad Rom. whereby we are iustified before God but that which is inherent in vs being giveÌ„ to vs of God by Christ that therby we might merit for our selues our iustification salvation doe they not in flat tearmes deny Christs own inhereÌ„t righteousnes wherby we are iustified saved ascribe the same to our own inherent righteousnes If a friend should procure of a father some portion of a stocke for his son by the which being well emploied encreased the son should in some spate of time purchase a good farme were the friend or the father or the son to be tearmed the purchaser thereof It is plaine and manifest that none but the son Why then if Christs own righteousnes inherent in himselfe and imputed to vs be a new no righteousnes not the price of our redemption but our owne inherent righteousnesse procured of God our heavenly Father by the death of Christ as by the mediation of our dearest friend then wee our selues are the purchasers of everlasting life and so our owne Saviours and redeemers and are no surther beholding to Christ for the same then for that he hath procured for vs some portion of loue repentaÌ„ce obedience and the like the which being well emploied and encreased by our owne free will is the only price that is given for that heavenly purchase But far be this blâ—sphemous doctrine from the heartes of all true and faithfull Christians let it bee enough for vs to enioy the fruite of our salvation purchased by Christ let vs giue to his owne most pure and perfect obedience this glory that we esteeme it bee the only price that is or could bee equivalent vnto that so great and worthy a purchase And whereas the great endlesse loue of God our Father electing iustifying vs freely in Christ are the steppes vvhereby God descendeth to vs to finish his worke heere begunne in vs by bringing vs heere in this lâ—…e to our sanctification and to our glorification in the life to come and vvhereas also the Lorde in his high and admirable vvisedome hath appointed that this his greate and endlesse loue in electing and iustififying vs freely in Christ should bee the only effectuall meanes to worke our conversion and sanctification and the most strong and forcible motiue to in duce vs to the ready performaunce of all such holy vvorkes as are the steppes and staires to our glorification let vs not presume to perverte this order and course ordayned by God in his greate wisedome by setting the cart before the horse by turning all â—opsie turvey by chaunging the effectes into the causes and the causes into the effectes by placing the highest steppes in the lowest roomes and the lowest in the highest by altring the first into the last and the last into the first and yet all this is done by vs if vvee make our sanctification and good vvorkes the merit orious causes of the loue of God and of our election iustification by CHRIST vvhich are but the effectes and fruites of the same Nay rather seeing God hath not only loved vs but also hath made manifest the same vnto vs by his manifold blessinges by giving our selues vnto our selues and all this glorious vvorlde to our vse and service by giving vs his ovvne deare sonne to iustifie vs by his bloode and to sanctifie vs by his spirite and to leade vs by his worde in the right way to our full and finall glorification howe oughte wee to serue him that hath thus served vs and honour him that hath honoured vs and loue him that hath loved vs to be most desirous to testifie the same by our careful continual emploiment in all those works which he himselfe hath ordained for vs to walk in that in most ready and humble obedience vnto his will not onely because it is holy iust acceptable welpleasing vnto himselfe and the wil of him vnto whom we owe all obedience in respect of his supreme auctority over vs but much more for that we are so deeply endebtted vnto him in respect of his infinite endlesse mercies Seing theÌ„ the wil of God must be the rule squier of al our workes or else they will grow much out of square therfore it coÌ„cerneth vs most nearely to make most diligent inquiry by what meanes we may attaine to the assured knowledge therof that so we may conforme our selues wholy therevnto The knowledge of the most certaine and vndoubted will of The sure certaine â—…ill of God â—s onely to â—e learned â—ut of the Canonical scriptures God is now to be found only in the word of God revealed to the Prophets Apostles by the spirit of God sette downe by theÌ„ in the Canonical Scriptures For as words are given to vs of God that therby we might signify each to other the seÌ„ce meaning of our minds eveÌ„ so hath the Lord himselfe revealed to vs by his written word what is the meaning of his wil hath coÌ„manded vs to seeke for the same onely from thence This commandement Deut. 30. 11. saith Moses which I command thee this day is not hidde froÌ„ thee neither is it farre of It is not in heaven that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp into heaven and bring it vnto vs and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it Neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say vvho shall goe over the sea to bring it to vs to cause vs to heare it that vvee may doe it But the word is neere vnto thee even
and condemnation the which he came into the world to sustaine that so he might procure our absolution The which agony continued with him no doubt also on the crosse where he sustaining the punishment of our sinnes which had deserued to be forsaken cried out my God my God why hast thou forsaken mee So great is the weight and burden of sinne howsoever to a foole it seemeth to be but a pastime that it being laide vpon our Saviour himselfe pressed and bruised him so sore that it caused him in the griping griefe of his heavy hart and in the bitter anguish of his sorrowfull soule thus and thus to complaine vnto his God So infinite vnspeakable was the kindnes and loue of our most gratious mercifull redeemer towards vs such vnthankefull and wretched sinners that he tooke from vs this so weighty a burden and laide it vpon his owne shoulders O what great comfort doth come vnto every faithfull christian out of these discomforts of our blessed Saviour What a glorious life doth arise out of his most shamefull death and what an endles blisse out of his most exâ—crable curse O what strong assurance haue we hereby that all our debtes are discharged to the vttermost mite and all our sinnes so punished even to the full that we neede not stand in feare now to bee punished our selues for the same or to be forced again to make satisfaction either in the Popish rigorous coÌ„sistory or the fire of painfull purgatory So great a price doe we iustly set vpon our Saviours most dolefull sufferings and so highly do we esteeme of his most pretious and invâ—luâ—ble paines and yet our masters of Rhemes are not ashamed to lay to our charge that we doe not so much Rhem. in Math. c. 27. disgrace as blaspheâ—e the same for that we teach that not onely in body but also in soule he sustained the paines that were proportionable to our sinnes Div. 6. That Christes obedience and suffeâ—…nges 〈…〉 excellency of his person but also 〈…〉 selues were meritorious of eternall â—…ory THe value of Christs actions albeit 〈…〉 â—…cy of his person yet it resteth not 〈…〉 deriued from theÌ„ce into the very actions and subsisteth as it were habitually in the workes themselues For the more excelleÌ„t and perfect the worke-master is the more excellent and perfect is the worke in it selfe that proceedeth from him And therefore that obedience and righteousnes which our Saviour Christ performed for vs being done in and by his humane nature which was endued with the spirite of holines aboue measure and also by the wil power efficacy of his divine nature which is inâ—…t holines purity perfectioÌ„ it selfe how can it be but that in it selfe it should be of inestimable holines purity and perfection and truely meritorious of eternall glorie For albeit a man might weigh all the droppes of his most pretious blood and counte the â—ust and full number of all his anguishes and paines yet his most fervent zeale tovvardes the glorie of GOD and his infinite loue to manes salvation vvhich mooued him thereto hath a bredth length depth heigth vvhich passeth knowledge and cannot Eph. 3. 18. be measured it is endles infinite and vnsearcheable and therefore being laide in the ballance with the crowne of eternall glory it is able to couÌ„terpoize yea to weigh downe the same The workes of Gods saintes here in this life come shorte of this perfection albeit they proceede from GODS most holie spirit for they are vvrought also by man that hath many imperfections 2. Cor. 12. 7 1. Cor. 13 9 and wantes and are never performed either with that fervency of zeale to the glorie of God or with such aboundance of loue See Mysteryes of mouÌ„â— Calvâ—… the Preface to our neighbours good as they ought to be therefore they are neither satisfactory for sinne nor yet meritorious of eternall glorie as are the most vvorthye vvorkes of our onely redeemer In thee and in mee saith Augustine are of greater or lesse value and weight the perfume of our workes because aâ— some time we doe them with greater devotion then at other times but in the sonne of God it is not so For his loue and charitie was so great to redeeme vs that neither time did encrease it nor trouble made it colâ—e Likevvise the vvorkes of one holy man and the torment of one holy Martyr may bee measured and vveighed vvith the workes and torments of an other because there is no man so holy in this world but by Gods grace there may be an other as holy yea holier to The heire of eternity doth not enter into this accounte neither doth he come vnder this scaâ—tling he is not vveighed as we are weighed nor measured as vvee are measured because it vvould bee a farre easier matter to poâ—ze the mountaines then to bounde out the limites of his merites Howe is it possible to measure his merites vvhose holines puritie and perfection doth exceed all measure Aboue in the resting place of the Trinitie and in the depth of the Divinitie the sonne of GOD hath his measure and vveight for that his merites are so greate and the doloures vvhich he suffred so grievous that there are no doloures of martyres to compare vvith him nor holines of angels to measure him by And howe can it otherwise be seeing that â—…r blessed Saviour did merite more by feasting in the wedding and with Zachoeus then the greate Saint Iohn the Baptist did by fasting in the wildernes Moreover it being granted that the workes which the sonne of God did as man had their limites and end yet the charity by which he did them had no end and if to that which he did suffer there was found a measure yet to the loue wherewith he did suffer there was founde no measure Thou mightest O my IESVS measure and vveigh the bloode vvhich in the mounâ— of Calvary thou didest shedde but vvho can be able to measure and weigh the loue vvith vvhich thou didest shedde it And although the bloode shoulde bee vveighed vvith powndes and ounces yet vvho is able to finde out vveightes to weigh thy bovvels In the ballance of the sanctuarie nothing vvas vveighed but that vvhich vvas of the sanctuarie so in the ballance and vveight of CHRIST nothing is vveighed but the vvorkes of CHRIST for if thou vvouldest vveigh any other thinge vvith him all the holines of the Angelles and all the tormentes of the Martyrs would not weigh so much as one dâ—oppe of his blood Seeing then that we cannot weigh our selues in the ballance of CHRIST he câ—…e to weigh himselfe in ours where in one ballance we did put our Fâ—…ites in the other hee did put his paines which before his Father was of so great weight that it was sufficient to sâ—isfie for our offence VVho could satiâ—fie for our fault if he shoulde not lende vs his paine and punishment to pay our debt And yet the members of the
superiors in the Lord that hee neuer so much as murmureth and â—…dgeth at their lawfull authority 6 7 8 9 Who is so far of from murder adultery thefâ—â—nd from bearing false witnes that he neuer transgresseth in any of these not so much as by hatred carnall lusts covetous desires or lieâ— 10 Lastly who hath his whole heart so possessed with the loue of God and his neighbour that he neuer delighteth no not for a moment of time in any thought or desire coÌ„trary the evnto David a man after Gods owne heart who is said after a manner to haue fulfilled all his wil and whose posterity is commeÌ„ded for walking in his steppes after that he had most highly magnifiâ—d the law of God as holy and righteous altogether and had testified thâ—t in keeping thereof there vvas great revvarde addeth immediatly but vvho can tell howe of te hee offendeth O clense â—…l 19. 12. thou me from my secret sinnes As if he had said I know that I even I my selfe not seldome but often offende against this righteous and perfect â—avv yea further I acknowledge my frailty to be so great that I am perswaded how that some times I commit also faults some or other which escape my knowledge and are secret from me Wherfore if we say we haue no sin we cannot but be charged â—oh 1 8. as transgressors of this law we deceaue our selues and the trueth is not in vs. For not only Saint Ambrose hath confessed of himselfe â—…b de saâ—…mentis li â—…â—ap 6. that he did sinne continually but the Apostle Saint Iames hath testified of all that in many thinges wee offende all not some of vs saith he but all of vs offende and that not in a fewe but in many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 2. thinges from the number of which offenders hee excepted not himselfe albeit he was had in great admiration even of the enemies of the christian faith for his most iust and vpright life nor any of the rest of his fellow Apostles Yea Adam himselfe before his fall being entrenched as it were within the fortification castle of his owne complete and perfect innocency the vvalles whereof being as walles of yron and the gates thereof as of pure brasse a may den-hold that was neuer taken neuer shaken by any shot neuer weakened by any battery having neuer sustained any manner of breach in any part or parcell thereof our greate grand-father Adam himselfe I say being here set vpon withstoode the assault a very shorte time but straite-waies yeelded suffering the same to be soone surprised and himselfe to be taken prisoner by the enemies force Nowe this holde of innocencie vvhich is restored vnto vs againe by our most powerfull redeemer and vvherein vvee the posterity of Adam are seated and placed is nothing so strong and sure in it selfe as it vvas at the first vvhen it vvas delivered vnto Adam The gates thereof are very vveake and the vvals thereof of small strength to keepe out the force and fury of the enemy For novv he entreth in at the gate of the eies by pride and covetousnesse of the tongue by lying and slaundring of the handes by bribing and stealing of the tast by gluttony drunkennesse and excesâ—e novve hee attempteth to take the same by carnall security and at another time by murmuring grudging and impatiencie hee putteth it still in daunger by idle vvordes vaine imaginations carnall lustes and earthly affections Many breaches are quickely made and the whole hold soone battered vnlesse it be continually succoured by the Lordes power and still rescued by his aide For how can the weake Lambe stande against the bloody wolfe or the silly sheepe against the roaring Lyoâ— No mervaile then that we be sometimes vvounded and sometimes forced to giue ground and be driuen from our place and standing in these our ghostly and spirituall skirmishes No mervaile though oftentimes we transgresse the most holy and righteous lawe of God and turne out of the direct way of his commandements VVell may it agree with the church triumphant in heauen resting in the place where righteousnesse dwelleth and enioying the security of the full conquest victory to be free from the danger of al wounds to attaine to the fulnesse of all righteousnes and to be most glorious without spot without wrinckle how beit surely the church militant remaining in this wicked and sinfull world where shee is still so fiercely assaulted is sure neuer long to escape without blowes neuer to be pure from all staines neuer to be free from all sinnes Now sinne being a transgression of the law and a breach 1 Ioh. 3. 4. of the commandement therefore there is none to be founde that perfectly keepeth the whole lavve and exactly fulfilleth all the commandementes Div. 6. That the spirite of God the spirite of truth is not alvvaies annexed to the outvvard face of the visible church and to such as haue the cheife roomes therein much lesse to any particular church as to the church of Rome or to any other .. BEFORE the ascension of our Saviour Christ it was true â—…olike that the Psalmist saith In Iurie GOD vvas knovven his name vvas greate in Israell hee had not dealt so vvith any 〈◊〉 75. 47. 20 other nation neither had the Heathen knovvledge of his lavves And therefore the Apostles vvere vvilled for a time not to 〈◊〉 10. 5. goe into the vvaie of the Gentiles nor to enter into the cities of the Samaritanes but to goe onely to the lost sheepe of the house 〈◊〉 15. 26. of Israell Yea it vvas tolde the vvoman of Canaan by our Saviour himselfe that it vvas not meete to take the childrens bread and to cast it vnto dogges VVhereby hee signifyed that the Israelites onely vvere receaued by GOD into the number of his elect and chosen children and that all other nations vvere as hogges and svvine vvallovving in the mire of ignorance and sinne and therefore most odious and abominable before GOD. But novv by the death of CHRIST 〈◊〉 2 14. 〈◊〉 28. 19. 〈◊〉 10 34. 〈◊〉 3. 28. 〈◊〉 â—… 10. 12 the partition vvalle is broken downe and the Apostles commission is enlarged to goe and teach all nations and to preach the gospell to every creature For there is novve no more respect of Iewe then of Grecian but all are one in Christ Iesus and Gods favor is so procured to all that as he is Lord of all so he is rich vnto all 〈…〉 23. that call vpon him And now is the houre come that the true worshippers worshippe not God in the mount of Samaria nor yet at Ierusalem but worshippe him euery where in spirite and truth For now the true service of God and the sincere faith of Christ is not tied to any one place or countrey but lieth open to all nations and the church of Christ is now catholike not annexed any more to any one people but dispersed abroad
gospell of Christ may encounter herein euen their stoutest champions For if either we respect the sounde doctrine or the sincere practise of good workes for good words bring forth good manners not only at their birth but also in their growth it shal be declared in the treatise following that the holsome doctrin of good workes is most soundly delivered by vs and not by them and as for the practise let vs nowe briefly take a true view thereof euen in the fowre cardinal vertues wisedome fortitude temperance and iustice and let vs in a word see whether we haue iust cause to giue ground vnto them and to yeeld backe one foote Concerning wisedome which is the Lady and M is The professors of the gospell are no whit behind the papists but a great way before them in the holy exercise of all vertues to all the residue of the vertues not onlâ— our doctrine but our practise also is that both priest and people haue their dayly resort to the word of God the full fountaine welspring of true wisedome and meditate thereon day and night that their harts being continually moistened with the sweete droppes thereof they may be made partakers of her fruits And is it not a point of true wisdome for one that cannot of himselfe wisely iudge of al thinges to make choise of a wise instructer teacher But the doctrine the practise of the church of Rome is to cause the people for the most parte to reiect the daylie reading of the word of God and therfore what wisedome can there be in theÌ„ Ier. 8. 9. yea it hath not bin required much lesse practised by their priestes and great Bishops to be much busied in the Lords bookeâ— it hath beene thought to haue bin inough for them to haue biâ— skilfull in their portuise and in their pontificall It may shame indeede the priestes of Italy who truelie Aenaeas Silvius coÌ„ment de dict fact Alphon. regis 1. 2. 17 Eras 1. 9. ep ad Natal Bedd as it is wel knowen haue no not so much as once read over the new testament whereas among the Thaborites that is the Gospellers yee can hardly finde any woman which cannot aunswere both out of the olde testament and the new And a proveâ—be went currant in Scotland not many yeares since testifieng the blindnes and brutishnes of some of their great Bishops ye are like the Bishops of Dunkelden who knew neither new nor olde lawe Now concerning true Christian courage and manhood it hath beene so great in many thousands of the professors of the Gospel of Christ that even among such as were of the meanest trades and occupations that they haue willingly lost both their liberties and liues to giue testimony vnto the truth of their most holy faith and the paucity of the seedsmen of rebellion that haue bin executed for treason against their prince and country and for the defence of the vsurped iurisdiction of the Romish Antichrist may no way bee compared and matched with them And as for the exercise of temperance and chastity it is well knowne to the whole world how we reverence the divine institutioÌ„ of holy matrimony and keepe our selues within the bounds of this ordinance of the Lord Wheras among our Romish votaries simple fornication hath beene accounted no sinne and it hath beene thought to goe well with them if they liued Si noÌ„ castè â—ameé cautè charily though not chastly And howe chastly some of their religious persons liued among themselues some of their fishpondes haue testified sufficiently and concerning their secular priestes the toÌ„gues of such as liued with them haue witnessed that very few wives in their parishes were left at the least vnattempted by these their ghostlie Fathers that I may omitte the vowed trotting on pilgrimage by many that the barren wombe might so be made fruitfull Lastly concerning iustice equity conscience and an vnspotted and vnblameable life as it hath beene reported by Reinerius an inquisitor and that no doubt vpon sufficient inquiry of our brethren the poore men of Lions that they had a great shew of godlines lived iustly with men and beleeved al things well concerning God and all the articles of the creede saue only saith he that they hated blasphemed the church of Rome so I doubt not but that the like testimony may be given of al the sincere professors of the Gospel and that by the mouth of the very enemy if that he wil lay aside blind malice as Reinerius did and simplie and plainely declare the truth At least suppose his conscience wil not make vs worse then those of his religious orders of whoÌ„ it hath bin testified long since that they haue fallen from conscience to science and from Petr. Rodulph Tossian histor Seraph religion 1. â— science to be bareences And what conscience I pray you and what regard to Gods commandements was in those that apprehended Thomas Sanpaulinus at Paris vpoÌ„ suspition of heresie for that he reproved one for swearing in vaine and never left him vntil they had brought him from the tortures of the racke to end his life in fiery torments And yet these things are not spoken to this end as if we meant to detract al ciuil carriage from all the members of the church of Rome nay that the Deuill himselfe may haue his right we ingenuously confesse and acknowledge the outward exercise of many civill politicke vertues in many of them especiallie the most profitable works of piety liberality and mercy in founding Colledges Hospitals and the like But yet so that if they would take from their Faulcons eies the hood of selfe loue and partiality look into one little corner of the glasse of that paineful labourer in the Lords vineyard Master Doctor VVillet they might Andrew-Willet controv gener 19. error 104. see that the professours of the gospel are nothing behinde them in those so goodly and glorious workes How beit although we were not altogither matchable with theÌ„ in the outwarde worke of these vertues for that wee are no way matchable with them in those great dignities priviledges offices and honors and in those large and ample possessions which they enioied to the ful yet they may know that the poore widdowes mite is as much and more also with Christ then al the large summes which were cast into the treasury by the Scribes Pharisies especially if they were giuen as parte of that pray which vnder pretence of long praier they got from poore widdowes And from whence I pray you did most of those greate Donatiues proceede that were cast into the treasurie by our popish Pharisies Is it not likelie that they were either part of that bootie that they gained by thesale of their Masses and pardons or at the least some portion of the fleeces which they tooke froÌ„ the sheepe for their little and course yea no feeding at all of the flocke of Christ And what
then was this but to rob Peter and to pay Paule or it may be it was the bringing in of the price of an whore yea perhaps of many whores into Hagg. 2. 15. Deut. 23. 18 the temple of God and the offering vp of the vncleane in sacrifice vnto him And here by the way I would demande also of them whether it be not as good and as profitable a worke both to church and common-weale to bring vp our owne natural children begotten in holy matrimony at our owne cost and charges in some honest calling according to our habilitie and carefullie to provide for them convenient portions as to leaue large summes to our base children kinsfolke servants or any other whosoeuer of whose good education as wee haue not the like care so of their good conversation we cannot conceiue the like hope But yet here least we be mistaken protestation is to bee made that as we thinke not that we are borne only for our selues and for our children so wee teach not any to employ their goods to the benefit of themselues and their children only but also to the seruice of God Prince country and of al other also who are our neighbours if they may bee succoured and relieved by our meanes Yea we constantly avouch that the more in wisedome discretion we imploy that way the greater treasure wee lay vp in the safest place not onlie to our owne best gaine but also to the greatest commoditie of our children And as for those which haue no children at al there is no doubt but that the more is required at their haÌ„ds to be emploied to the benefit of other if they wil shew their fidelitie to him whose bailiffes they are in al that they possesse and bee esteemed of him as his faithful servants And yet here it is to be remembred that liberality is but one duty amoÌ„g many that are required in the commandements of God it is but one branch among manie other also that are to spring out of vs if we wil bee good and fruitfull trees it is but parte of that seruice that we must performe vnto God if we wil be acknowledged of him for his faithful seruants Neither must we esteeme him to be a good christian albeit the world like neuer so well of him who is a swearer drunkard or whoremaster if so bee he be a good almes man and careth not who eateth of his Liberality no fitte cloake to cover sinne meate as if this were a cloake to couer al faultes and a sufficient amends for al sinnes for this is but a counterfeit a shaddow of liberality it is not true liberality indeede For shee is not an whore but a chast matrone shee vseth not to sorte her selfe with such base companions shee sorteth her selfe only with her princely peeres and keepeth companie with all the residue of divine and heauenly vertues Neither doth her beauty so much consist in the great glorie of the outward work that is wrought as in the readines and willingnes of the minde of the giuer seeing not many rich noble mighty are effectually called but the poore base weake of this world which are more glorious within with spiritual graces then beautified with the shew and pompe of outward works And yet whereas God hath denied mercy to no state or condition those which are called being rich and noble must know that the more that is given vnto them the more shal be required at their hands and that they that sowe sparingly shal reape sparingly and seeing that God is so liberal and bountiful in all respectes towardes them they ought to be liberal and bountiful for his sake especially towards his sincere faithful servants that so their Lord Master may say vnto them goe too yee good and faithfull servants ye haue bin faithfull in a little I wil make you Lordes over much enter yee into the ioy of the Lord. And againe Come yee blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world for I was hungry and yee fedde me Wherfore to conclude it is evident in part by those things which haue bin hitherto delivered that our doctrine of the Gospel is no provocation to sin and that our life is not vtterly void of the exercise of all good workes for then wee should haue greatly provoked the Lord to haue pulled downe the hedge of this our vineyard and to haue remoued his candlesticke out of the midst of vs. But blessed be the Lord the wal of this our vineyard staÌ„deth as yet the bright candle of the sound doctrine of faith and good works burneth in the candlesticke of this our Church of England the which is loÌ„g since put out in the Church of Rome and therfore howsoever they greatly boast of the workes of light there can indee de abound among them nothing but the vnfruitfull workes of the kingdome of darknes The which I beseech those duely to consider of who among them belong to the number of Gods elect that so vnto them in all holy humility and godly sincerity taking a due view of the doctrine of light god may shew so much mercy as to lighteÌ„ the eies of their spiritual vnderstanding and so translate them out of the kingdome of darkenes into the kingdome of light The which thing I beseech thee Christian Reader to helpe forward with thy devout and daylie praiers vnto God especially that the caÌ„dlesticke of this our Church may stand stedfast and vnremoved vnto the worldes end that Gods glorie may more and more be manifested in all the quarters and corners of this little Iland and many children in all succeeding ages may heere be continually begotten borne vnto God Amen Amen Thine in the Lord IOHN TERRIE The summe of two of the most principall pointes of this second part contained in this short prayer Conforme vs O Lord to thy wil and then wil thou whatsoever thou wilt giue vs a true tast of the sweetenes of thy loue in Christ and then let all other thinges be either sweete or sowre vnto vs as thou seest it to be best for vs in thine heavenly wisedome THE SECOND PART of the triall of truth THe pearle of truth is so precious and the treasure thereof so inestimable that God himselfe not only maketh challendge thereto to be the author thereof but also taketh it vnto himselfe as one of his titles of highest honour For as it is braÌ„ded as a note of â—nfamy in the foreheade of the Devill that he is a lying spirit and a spirit of errour yea that hee is a lyar and Ioh. 8. 44. the father of lies so it is an honorable title wherewith Gods name is sanctified God is true and every man a lyar and that as nothing Rom. 3. 4. Heb. 6. 18. Ioh. 14. 6. 17. is more possible to man then to lie so nothing is more impossible to God Neither is it a smal dignity
vnto our Saviour Christ that he is called by the name of truth and his spirit is said to be the spirit of truth and that it is testified of him that one of the principal causes why he came downe from the father was that hee might beare vvitnes to the truth and why he ascended againe vp to the Ioh. 18. 13. father even that he might send downe his spirit vpon his A postles to lead them into all truth and by the voice of truth to gather Ioh. 16. 13. to himselfe a church and congregation which should be a lover embracer maintainer and pillar of truth For all such as Christ 1. Tim. 3 15 would haue to be saued hee would haue them come thereto by the knowledge of the truth And therfore he sendeth vnto them the 1. Tim. 2. 4. light of his word causeth them with all constancy to embrace the same whereby they are enabled to know the truth and the truth Ioh. 8. 32. doth make them free Free from the slavery of sinne and Satan from all the powers of the kingdome of darknes and the same truth doth sanctifie them being before polluted with blind infidelity Ioh. 17. 17. and ignorance of God and so maketh them fellowe cittizens of the Saintes and enrolleth them into the Lords family So then the faithful embracing professing of the truth being the bādes of our communion fellowship with God and an assured note of the Lords people no marvaile though all nations of the earth of what profession soever they be be they Pagans Turks Iewes or Heretikes make so bold a claime to the possession of truth and be at open defiance with al other which wil not yeeld vnto their pretended title And yet there is but one truth one faith which The greatest chalengers are not the rightest owners of truth The testimony of God is the best evidence for truth is the sure anchor of our hope in God the direct way vnto his heavenly kingdome Neither are they seased of the possession therof who make the stoutest claime and chalenge thereto and seeme to be most earnest in the defence of the same but rather such as can shew for it the best evidence Now the best evidēce for truth is the testimony of God who is onely true and cannot lie who cannot erre be deceiued himselfe or in any wise deceiue others And this is acknowledged by all as it may appeare by the pretence made by the autors and inventors of every devotion who haue fained either conference with some God or goddesse or some revelation from some divine power to get the greater credit to their profession So dealt Numa among the Romans Licurgus amōg the Lacedemonians and Solon among the Athenians The truth is that God who dwelleth in a light that no man can approach vnto whom no man hath 1. Tim 6. 16. seene nor can see whose voice is so terrible and glorious that no man can heare it and liue who is onely knowen vnto himselfe and who onely knoweth what is truth what belongeth to his owne worshippe and service hath revealed his wil vnto his faithfull servants and hath made them his penmen and scribes and as it were the publike notaries of his heavenly wisdome And these publike notaries we that be Christians beleeue not to be Solon Lygurgus Numa Mahomet or the like but the Prophets Apostles and Evangelistes even the penmen and scribes of the word The pen-men of the bookes of the olde new testament are the onelie sure and infallible witnesses of truth of God contained in the bookes of the olde and newe testamēt For as for those lawgiuers among the heathē it is acknowledged that they were great learned and politicke men as being trained vp in those artes and sciences which did florish in those ages wherein they liued wherby they were enabled to set down many witty and skilfull rules for the better managing of humane affaires But as for the most of our Prophets Apostles they were simple and ignorant men brought vp not in famous places and schooles of learning but in meane poore and base occupations and therefore the divine knowledge of all heavenly wisedome wherewithal they were endued most plentifully must needes be extraordinarily derived vpon them from God himselfe the foūtaine and wel-spring of all wisedome seeing they obtained not the same by any ordinarie meanes and the miraculous gifte of tongues bestowed vpon them whereby they were enabled in all languages to open to all nations the wonderfull workes of God could not proceede but frō him who is the author of all languages and tongues as likewise the quicke and speedy prevailing of this heavenly doctrine the strong effectual working therof in the harts of the faithful which made them yong old most desirous to testifie their exceeding great loue to the same with the sheading of their decrest blood doth manifestly convince it to be the most mighty powerfull word of the most mighty powerful God Now as the persons from whom the bookes of the olde new testament proceeded by whom the doctrine thereof was so louingly embraced declare them to be divine so doth the matter also in them contained For where are the deformities of all iniquities and sinnes so liuely drawen forth sette out in their coloures to moue to a through dislike and hatred of them and to vnfained repentance and amendement of life as they are described in these divine bookes And where else may we find such a gratious mediator to reconcile vs to God so great a price given for the purchase of the kingdome of heaven so ample and full a satisfaction for the discharge of al our sinnes such a soveraigne salve for the curing of al our maladies such an effectual meanes to relieve our distresled consciences and to secure vs of the loue and favour of God as are offered vnto vs in the holie scriptures And wheras the penmen of these holy bookes lived in diverse ages countries doth not the perfect cōsent agreement of their precepts and instructions manifestly declare by whom they were directed even by him who is alwaies one and the same never differing or disagreeing from himselfe So doth the perfect accomplishment of so many strange predictions foretolde so many ages before they came to passe evidently cōvince that these books proceeded frō him vnto whō only were known al his own decrees works before the foūdatiō of the world was Veritas docendo suadet Tertul. cōt Valēt laide Lastly the perfect purity holines of all points of faith set down in these bookes that absolute equity righteousnes of all the precepts of piety and godlines therein contained doeth plainely declare also that they proceeded from the holy of holies euen from him whose wil is the rule of all equity and righteousnes So that Moses the first penman of this holy write mighte
of him as his most faithful loyal servants The which thing because the children of the church of Rome list not to performe therefore the Lord will not be their Lord not accept of them as of his servantes nor yet allow of any of their workes as good and as a part of his worship and service 4 All obedience is to be yeelded by vs to the will of god for that we haue received all froÌ„ him and therefore are most straitely bound to yeeld to him our whole service Neither ought we only to be respectiue to the Lords good wil pleasure in al our works for that he of right ought to raigne over vs â—s being our only spiritual Lord king for that he will protect defend vs impart vnto vs the commodities of his kingdome but much rather for that he hath bestowed vpoÌ„ vs already so many favors hath shewed vnto vs so great kindnes hath bound vs vnto himselfe with such a multitude of his inestimable invaluable blessings For giftes benefits testifying kindnes loue do oftentimes much prevaile even with the natural vnregenerate maÌ„ yea with the very beasts theÌ„selues that want the light of vnderstanding reason The oxâ— knoweth his owner the asse his masters crib as the law doth allow a grouÌ„d bird to the owner of the ground where the swan is permitted quietly to make her nest without disturbance to hatch and breede vp her young so doth meere kindnes cause the thankfull storke to performe the same without law without constraint But amoÌ„g all other beastes voide of reason strange and wonderfull thinges are reported of the kindnesses of dogges towardes their masters for their simple breeding and for the sorry mainetenaunce they haue received at their hands yea the setled malice of a most caÌ„kered enimy of a most spitefull sycophant who of all savage and fierce beastes is thought by the Philosopher to be the worst hath beene conquered by kindnesse and loue and the most violent pertuâ—bations of rage and sury haue beene turned into the most tender affections of pitty and mercy And therfore it is not without cause that the Apostle exhorteth saying If thine enemie Rom 12. 2â— hunger feede him if he thirst giue him drinkâ— for in so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire vpon his head Be not evercome of evill but evercome evill with good For oftentimes the streames of kindnes loue do quench the flames of malice and hatred and kindle the coales of kindnesse and loue And therefore we ought not to suffer our selues to be taken prisoners of malice or to yeelde our selues captiues to her to execute herrage but couragiouslie to encounter her and to beate backe all her assaultes and to suffer her not to enter one foote much lesse to surprize the castle of our harts and not only so but also to pursue her manfully being entred into the heartes of our enemies and by the powerfull assistaunce of kindnesse and loue to beate her out of the plaine field and to dispossesse her of her owne castles and forteâ— vvherein shee hath beene before most strongly seated For so did Elizeus and 2. King 6. 23. David and the residue of the Lordes worthies who haue most couragiously fought these spirituall battles and haue most manfully vanquished both their owne of and the Lordes enemies When the bandes of the Aramites that were sent out to apprehend the Prophet Elizeus and to bring him to their king beeing brought into danger not only to be taken prisoners themselues but also to haue had their owne liues taken from them were not only rescued out of danger by meanes of Elizeus but also kindly friendly entertayned this kindnes so far prevailed with them that albe it there was opeÌ„ war between their nation Israel yet after their returne into their own laÌ„d they never returned to vex Israell But who was ever a more malicious enemy to any maÌ„ theÌ„ was wicked Saul to innoceÌ„t David yet astone as he perceived that himselfe beeing shut vp by the providence of God into Davids haÌ„ds he was spared by him his life preserved he was so throughly moved therewith that hee did not only presently withdrawâ— his forces from his pursuite but also most earnestly praied vnto 1. Sam. 24. 20. God and that he would giue him a reward for the same Yea wheÌ„ before having given a speciall charge to all his housholde to kill David lonathan had dehorted him from the same saying Let not the king sinne against his servant against David for he hath not sinned against thee but his workes towardâ—s thee haue beene very good for he did put his life in danger and slow the Philâ—stine the Lord wrought a greaâ— salvation for all Israell thou sâ—west it and thou reioicest Wherefore wilâ— thou then sinne against innocent bloode and slay David without a cause The only mention and recitall of the which matter did so alter Saules malitious hart that he did not only recal his former edict but also confirmed the revocation thereof with a solemne oath saying as the Lord loveth he shall not die Now if kindnes receaved 1. Sam. 19. 6 from our vnderlings and from such as we haue hated and sought their destruction doth even vpon a suddaine alter our affections and compell vs to vow their good to sweare their safety how much more any pleasure beeing done vnto vs by our superiours will glad and cheere vs at the very hart and cause vs to busie all our thoughts how we may in some measure recompence and requite the same What a credite do we thinke it to be vnto vs if the prince shall but take notice of vs and call vs by our name shew vs but some countenance and favour Or if a noble man or a man of state shall steede vs in a matter of some moment howe are we ready to cast our selues after a sort downe at his feete and to make most solemne protestation saying your honours to coÌ„mande yours according to bounden duty for ever your most obedient beadesman and servant as long as life lasteth Now the king of kings and state of states hath not only vouchsafed to haue takne notice of vs to haue provided for our vse service and comfort this so glorious and bountiful world furnished with such variety of all manner of earthly blessings but also hath prepared for vs treasures of farre greater price and value in the life to come how ought we then to be astonished amazed at such kindnes that proceedeth from so high and worthy a state how ought our hearts to be euen rapt and ravished beside themselues at the least apprehension of such invaluable favours Why even Publicanâ—s and sinners loue their lovers and shew kindnes to them of whoÌ„ they receiue kindnes yea the Devill himselfe will in some sort serue them that serue him and will be at the commandemeÌ„t
in his seruice The bondslaues of Satan seeme sometimes to drawe nigh vnto God to seeke the advauÌ„cemeÌ„t of his honor glory but it is either afflictioÌ„ that forceth theÌ„ to cry that they might be delivered Psal 78. 34. Hos 7. 14. Ioh. 6. 26. out of the haÌ„d of the oppressor or they howle vpoÌ„ their beds for corne wine and follow Christ for more bread the gratious gifts of God already receiued do not allure them to come in sincerity to God For they say not in their heartes O let vs feare the Lord which giueth vs raine â—arely late in due season and reserveth Ierem. 5. 24. for vs the appointed weekes of harvest Neither doe they say vvhere Iob. 35. 10. is the God that made vs that giveth vs songes in the night vvhich teacheth vs more then the beastes of the earth and giveth vs more wisedome then the fowles of the heavens But the sincere servantes of Thankfulnes for benefits already received bringeth the faithfull to God wheras hope of profite to come and their owne necessities force hypocrites sometimes to flie vnto him 2 Reg. 5. 17 Is 38. 20. The contemplation of Gods mercies our owne defectes vnworthines is the proper cause of all sincere devotion especially the manifestation of the endles loue of God in Christ is the peculiar cause of faith by faith of all other parts of piety godlines Christ knowing that God hath advaunced them with honour aboue al the residue of his creatures seeke to advaunce his honour aboue al other yea they most duly weighing with theÌ„selues how deeply they are endebted vnto his divine maiesty for his gracious gifts already receiued desire rather to discharge some of the billes of their former debtes then more more stil to grow in arearages Naaman the Syrian being al his life long brought vp in most grosse blindnes Idolatry when he was cured of his leprosy by the goodnes of the God of Israel that is by the goodnes of the only true God Now saith he I know that there is no God but only in Israel therfore wil I not heÌ„ceforth offer any burnt offring or sacrifice to any other God saue to the Lord. So wheÌ„ Ezechias had obtained of God a great deliverance froÌ„ his most dangerous disease howe doth he sing vnto the Lord reioice in his goodnes vow vnto God perpetual homage service The graue saith he caÌ„not coÌ„fesse thee death caÌ„not praise thee but the liuing shall coÌ„fesse thee as I doe this day the father to the children shall declare thy truth The Lord was ready to saue me therfore wil I sing my songs in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life The like may be said of al the residue that haue vnfeinedly given themselues vnto God For how were they drawen therevnto but by the linkes of his loue by the chaine of his blessings Devotion saith Aquinas is a special act of religion importing nothing else but the devoting of a mans hearte to the prompt service of the almighty God the cause wherof is the contemplation meditation of the Lords benefits of our owne defects For if we would duly weigh coÌ„sider with our selues the Lords most bountiful largesse towards vs which are vnworthy of the leasts of his mercies deserue nothing but vengeance and wrath especially if we would religiously record that one invaluable gift of God who so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoever beleeved in him should not perish but haue life everlasting it would not otherwise be but that we should be wounded and pricked at the very hearte for our former contempts disloyalties and rebellions against so good and gratious a GOD and should also be made more careful for the time to come to looke better vnto our steppes and to be more respectiue serviceable vnto our God For so wrought this heavenly phisike in Peter Paule with al the residue of the servants of Christ it purged a way the putrified humours of corrupted affections recovered theÌ„ to spiritual health life It is sufficieÌ„t saith St. Peter that wee haue speÌ„t the time past of our life after the lustes of the GeÌ„tiles walking in 1. Pet. 4 2. Our defectes Gods loue Our dutie or devotioÌ„ vvantonnes lustes drunkennes and in abominable Idolatries But nowe seeing we knowe that Christ hath suffered for sinne we ought also to suffer in the flesh and to cease from sinne and henceforward to liue as much time as remaineth in the flesh not after the lustes of men but after the vvill of God So likewise the Apostle St. Paule Wee also our selues vvere in Tit. 3. 3. Our defectes Gods loue times past vnwise disobedient deceiued serving dâ—verse lustes and vâ—lâ—ptuousnes living in malitiousnes and eâ—vy hatefull and hating oâ—… another but when the boâ—…tâ—fulnes and loue of God our Saviour toward man appeared he not onely saved vs from the guilte of our sinnes by giving himselfe a ransome for our soules but also hee destroyed the power Our dutie or devotioÌ„ of sinne in vs and so raysed vs vp to newnes of life For albeit the wicked turne the grace of God into wantonnes saying let vs sinne that grace may abound yet the saying grace of God teacheth the godly another lesson even to deny vngodlines and worldly lustes and to live Tit. 2. 11. iustly soberlie and godly in this present world looking for the blessed hope appearing of the mighty God and of our Sâ—viour Iesus Christ vvho gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all â—…iquitiâ— and purge vs to be a peculiar people to himselfe zealous of good workes So likewise albeit the LORDES temporall blessinges are to the wicked as thornes choaking vp the good seedes of pietie and godlines and as baites to snare them and to drawe their heartes from God and as chaines to binde them fast vnto the varities of this wicked world yet to the godlie they are as sweete sauce to make them â—eede more eagerly vppon the foode of their soules and as spurres to make them runne more readilie in the way of Gods commaundementes and as ladders to lifte them vp vnto GOD that so they may come to the fruition of his greater blessinges For to the pure all thinges are pure in so much that their verie sinnes make them to hate sinne the more and the little tast of the LORDES mercies causeth them more vehemently to thirst after a full cuppe of the same mercies yea the more they see their owne wantes and the LORDES fulnes the more they are stirred vp to renouÌ„ce themselues to cleaue Eph. 5. 8. Our de fectes Gods loue Our duty or devotioÌ„ vnfainedly vnto the Lord. Yee were darknes saith the Apostle but now yee are light in the Lord Walke as children of the light as if he should haue said vnto them Remember your
wretched estate when yee sate in darknes and in the shaddow of death and forget not Gods mercy that hath translated you out of darknes into the kingdome of light and so see that yee walke worthy of God and of your high calling in Christ Iesus This due consideratioÌ„ of the Lords endlesse mercy in Christ and their owne vnworthines hath beene the only effectual motiue from the beginning of the world to draw the faithful out of the slavery of Satan vnto God and to confirme and establish them in his feare The seede of the woman shall breake the serpentes head made Adam who before hid himselfe from God afterward with boldnes to come into his presence In thy seede shall all the â—ations of the earth be blessed made Abraham who before was bred vp in Idolatry to forsake kindred and countrey and to endure many annoyances in a strange land that so he might shew his humble obedience vnto God Yea by the eies of this faith all the holy men of God before the comming of Christ in the flesh beholding the great goodnesse and loue of God as the Apostle testifieth Hebr. 11. haue offered vp their sacrifices acceptable to God performed all dueties and endured all crosses for the constant confession of this their holy faith And now since the comming of Christ in the flesh wherby was the whole world converted froÌ„ dumbe Idols to serue the living God Was it by the promulgation of the law of Moses or by the preaching of the gospel of Christ Surely the preaching and publishing of the glad tydings of the gospell of the yeare of Iubile of the acceptable day wherein the Lord for his Christes sake had graunted a free full and generall pardon and release of all debts trespasses and sins to all such as would willingly accept and faithfully embrace this vnspeakeable loue and make it the matter of their daily meditation and consolation and the rocke and foundation of their faith and hope was that warrelike chariot wherein the faith of Christ got the full victorie over falshoode and lies and trod vnder foote all infidelity and Idolatry and triumphed most gloriously against all the power and puissaunce of hell it selfe By the sounde of this doctrine did the servauntes of the great shepheard and Bishoppe of our soules call home all his straying and wandring sheepe and gathered them into the folde of Christ by this net did the fishers of men dravve into the arke of Christs Church all such as were before ready to bee drowned in the sea of their sinnes and to bee overwhelmed with the most terrible tempest of the Lordes wrath by this key did the Lords potters open the doore of the kingdome of heauen to them that vvere before most worthely driven out and dispossessed of that celestiall paradise With this ensigne did the Lordes standard bearers gather together all his companies and bandes which before had revolted became fugitiues fighting vnder the Devils colours by this boxe of ointmeÌ„t powred forth did the Lordes Apothecaries reviue and quicken the spirites of all the Lords patients who were before not only in a sound but also starke dead by the most noysome stincke of their abominable sinnes Lastly by this seed of faith sowen in the most drie and barren wildernes of the peoples hearts by the hand of the Lordes painefull and skilfull husbandmen vvas there raysed vppe a most plentifull and fruitefull harvest vnto the Lorde For faith commeth by hearing the word of faith Neither doeth this worde of faith revealing the vnspeakeable loue of God shining in the face of Christ beget faith only but by faith loue praier confession patience repentance feare obedience thankefulnes even all sounde and sincere devotion with all the partes and parcels thereof By faith we haue accesse to God and are admitted into his Church which is therefore called the family of Faith And Baptisme the sacrament of our Baptisme cleanseth as it doth fâ—…her make manifest vnto va and causeth vs to embrace the word of faith initiation and the seale of faith is added to the worde of faith for the further manifestation of the cause of this our admission into so honourable an estate and calling by setting after a sorte before our eies the loue of God who hath given vs his sonne with his owne most precious bloode to wash and cleanse our sinnes whereby there was before a seperatioÌ„ betweene vâ— God Now from whence saith Austine hath the water of Baptisme this vertue that it doth touch the body cleaâ—se the soul but by means of the word whervnto it is added that it might togither with the same not only represent the washing away of our sinnes by the blood of Christ but also â—atifie and coÌ„firme the same for the further strengthning of our fraile faith Not saith hee for that the word is vttered but for that it is beleeved not for that there is such vertue in the letters and sillables or in the pronunciation of the very wordes but for that they are the powerfull instrument ordained of God so to open the Lordes good and gracious meaning towardes vs and to assure vs of his vnchaungeable loue in Christ that thereby we might attaine to a sure faith For as long as we remaine in our naturall blindnes and ignorance either we fly from God as Adam did beeing touched with the pricke of a guilty conscience or else we embrace an Idol in steed of the true God being misled by the wrongful guiding of a blind coÌ„science as now naturally do all the posterity of Adam But wheÌ„ the Lord hath once revealed vnto vs the glory of his endlesse goodnes in Christ and hath made vs to behold the dignity of his death that he endured for our sins and the worthines of his obedience that he performed for our righteousnes thereby we are made bold to enter Heb. 10. 19. into the holy place by the newe and living way which he hath prepared for vs by his flesh and are encouraged to draw nigh with a true hart in assurance of faith being fully perswaded of the perfect purgation of all our sins and of our entire and absolute righteousnes I am saith our Saviour Christ the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the father but by me He then that is set in this way and walketh therein he vndoubtedly walketh in the right way and he cannot misse but come directly vnto God Hee that buildeth on this rocke buildeth on a sure foundatioÌ„ his faith cannot faile he cannot be vanquished his hope is sure he cannot be coÌ„founded He may be bold to triumph with the Apostle saying If God be on our side who can be against vs who spared not his owne sonne but Rom. 8. 31. gave him for vs all how shall he not with him giue vs all things also Who shall lay anie thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth Who shall condemne It is Christ that is dead
or rather that is risen again who is also at the right handâ— of God and maketh request to God for vs. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or â—…kednes or perill or sword As it is written for thy sake are we killed all the day long and are as sheepe appointed for the slaughter Neverthelesse in all these things we are more then conquerours in him that loued vs. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor thinges to come are able to seperate vs from the loue of God vvhich is in Christ Iesus our Lord. In which words it is manifest that the apprehension of the loue of God in Christ doth breede such a strong faith and confidence in God that the faithfull are thereby fully perswaded that they shal be never finally forsakeÌ„ of God not vaÌ„quished cleane overthrowen by the force and furie of all their enemies Now as this loue of God breedeth faith in God so also it engendreth 1. Ioh. 4. 19. loue towards God We loue God saith S. Iohn because he loved vs first and hath revealed this his loue vnto vs hath made vs to apprehend it with the eies of our faith and to be assured Ignoti nulla cupido Tantfi diligimus quantum credimus Gre. in Ez. ho. 22. perswaded of the same For if God loue vs and we be ignorant of it how can we loue him againe for the same For our charity doth so depend vpoÌ„ our faith that so much we loue God as we know and beleeue his loue and goodnesse towards vs. A strong faith a strong loue a weake faith a weake loue For God worketh not in vs as he doth in those creatures which are vtterly voide of al vnderstanding and reason and so haue no sense and feeling of the Lords working in them but in the worke of our regeneratioÌ„ first he informeth the vnderstanding with knowledge and thereby moveth the affections and will Now faith beeing the eie of our spirituall vnderstanding whereby with Abraham the father of Ioh. 8. 56. the faithfull we behold the day of Christ and reioice therein first in him apprehendeth the loue of God towards vs then kindleth in our harts our loue towards him For true faith is not idle 1. Tim. 1. 5. Gal. 5. 6. and vnfruitful but first worketh loue and then worketh by loue shee is the mother of loue in that shee first breedeth it and then Aug de fide operibus c 22. Greg. in Ezek. ho. 9. Faith is the life of loue not loue the soule of faith by loue bringing foorth all good works shee is the grandmother of all good workes And hereof it is that Austine saith that it may rightly be said that all the commandements of God pertaine to faith if not a dead but a living faith that worketh by loue be vnderstoode For as Gregory teacheth Faith is the doore and entrance vnto good workes not good workes vnto faith Neither is loue the soule of faith that quickneth it and giveth it life but faith is the very life of loue and maketh it liuely and industrious in her worke And therfore the Lord vseth to sette before the eies of his faithfull servants his owne loue testified by his sundry and manifold blessings and so causeth them to manifest their loue towards him by their readie obedience to all his commandements And hereof it is that they are called the friendes of God Abraham the friend of God Moseâ— Iac. 2. 23. the friend of God So our louing Saviour vnto his deare disciples HeÌ„ceforth cal I you not servaÌ„ts for the servaÌ„t knoweth not what the master Ioh. 15. 15. The faithfull are accepted of God as his frendes therfore are put in assurance of his loue doth but I haue called you friends for what soever I haue heard of the father I haue made manifest vnto you And what is true and sincere frendshippe but a mutual and interchangeable ben evolence and good wil not lying hidde or kept secret within the closette of the hart but breaking forth and manifesting it selfe by the effectes And therfore in that the â—aithfull are called the frendes of God it is evident both that they feele the loue of God towards themselues â—oÌ„finned vnto them by his gracious blessings that they likewise are stirred vp to loue him to testifie the same by their ready obedience to his will yea this is one sure signe of the speciall loue of Christ towards his that he doth shew himselfe not vnto Ioh. 14. 21. the world but vnto them and so raiseth vp in them faith and loue and strengtheneth them in his feare If a prince favour his subiect and he knoweth it not he must needes loose a great part of the benefit and comfort that he might receiue therby if that he did perfectly vndestand so much And verely that favour caÌ„â— not be great that can be altogeather concealed and kept close A little fire may be covered vnder ashes so preserved for some time but if it be kept so long it wil be extinguished cleane put out but a great fire wil not bee covered but wil shewe it selfe by heate smoke flame even so the great fire of the Lordes loue towards his elect cannot long be hidde but it will make it selfe manifest vnto them sooner or later by the effectes therof Earthlie parents conceale in part their loue from their children beeing in their tender yeares least they should waxe wanton and be made the worse for the same but when they are once come to ripenes of age and to yeares of discretion then they commonly seeke to make it manifest vnto theÌ„ by al the meanes that possibly they caÌ„ and they desire nothing more then that they should be through ly perswaded therof and he is a bastard a very vnnatural child worthy to loose both his name and inheritance which either will not be perswaded of the kind tender affection of his parents towards him or else is made therby more careles negligent to do his duty Even so our heavenly father whose tender loue affectioÌ„ towards his elect so far exceedeth the kindnes of al earthly pareÌ„ts as God exceedeth man testifieth his loue kindnes and care towards his continually either by his gifts or by his corrections or by both albeit he doth not at al times make theÌ„ feele so much it is for this end that wheÌ„ he doth so they should be more throughly moved to mislike theÌ„selues the more for their formet vnkindnes also to loue the Lord the more for his coÌ„stant and coÌ„tinual loue towards such as theÌ„selues were who before had so little regard so much as to take notice of such loue And therfore aâ— such as either wil not be perswaded of the fatherly affectioÌ„ of God towards theÌ„selues condeÌ„ning the same of
beginne but also finish our regeneration and new birth seeing all the residue of the gratious giftes of GOD testifying and witnessing his fatherly loue are ayders also and assisters herein being all of them fitte fewel for this heavenly fire and do cause it to burne more fervently to breake out into a greater flame Wee acknowledge O Lord say the penitent Israelites our wickednes and the wickednes of our forefathers for we haue sinned against thee doe not abhorre vs for thy names sake cast not downe the throne of thy glory remeÌ„ber and breake not thy covenant with vs. Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can giue rainâ—…r can the heavens give showers It is not thou O Lord our God Therfore we will waite vpoÌ„ thee for thou hast made al these things In which words we may perceive that it was the due consideration of the covenant of God made vnto them in Christ whereby GOD after a sorte had bounde himselfe to bee merciful vnto them whensoever they did repent that caused this people to returne vnto their GOD and to acknowledge and bewaile their owne corruptions and sinnes the which also was vvell forvvarded by the remembrance of the LORDES smaller blessinges even by the due consideration of this that raine and truitfull seasons came onelie from him and all other giftes and blessinges vvhatsoever So Hos 14. vvhere the Prophet exhorteth the people to returne to the LORDE and say Take avvaie all iniquitie and remoove is gratiouslie so vvill vvee render to thee the calues of our lippes Ashur shall not Ho. 14. 3. sâ—… vs neyther vvill vvee ride vppon horses neither vvill we say any more to the workes of our hands yee are our Gods for in thee the fatherles findeth mercy Now they could not truly hope for pardon fot their sins and iniquities but onely in the promise of the the Messias it was that then that first ledde them vnto God the which was seconded by the due consideration of this that al aide and helpe is also found at his hands who is the helper of the helples And verely we haue no right at al vnto any of the Lords blessings as loÌ„g as we be at warre at emnity with God we must be first recoÌ„ciled vnto God made heires by Christ before we can lay iust claime to a childes part to haue our portion in that inheritaÌ„ce that doth descend vnto vs froÌ„ our heavenly father And therfore when the Lord would giue vnto Ahaz king of Iudah assurance but of this one temporal blessing even of his bodely deliveraÌ„ce froÌ„ his bodely enemies behould saith he this shal be your The loue of God in Christ is the fountaine and foundatioÌ„ of all other blessings signe that I wil bring to passe this thing for you A virgine shall concâ—aue beare a sonne she shall call his name Immanuel As if the Lord should haue said I haue bouÌ„d my selfe by promise even froÌ„ the beginning of the world to giue you my son to be a pledge of my loue to be the conduite of my mercies how shal I not theÌ„ with him by him convey them vnto you particularly howe shal I not nowe performe this my promise made in him for your deliverance from these your bodely enemies For the cause that moued God to make this glorious world at the first and to store it with such variety of al manner of blessings was his owne most free and vndeserved loue towards his elect in Christ and therfore when they are actually bestowed vpon them the same proceedeth from the very selfe-same spring The which wheÌ„ they The Lords gratious giftes are blessings to the faith full onely for to the vnfaithfull they are turned into curses are bestowed vpon the vnfaithful they are not blessings but curses for that they make them more earthly covetous licentious riotous proud cruel vnthaÌ„kful the like and so encrease their most grievous condeÌ„nation whereas to the faithful who are the right heires vnto them they are not curses but blessings for they make them the more to reioice in the Lord to be more obedient thaÌ„kfull vnto him more beneficial helpful vnto their neighbours and so further their faith repentance and loue and encrease in them all sincere devotion When David was remembred by the Prophet Nathan of his foule faulte committed with Bethshebah the wife of Vrias and of the great dishonour that redounded to God by that his most odious and grievous crime how that the Lord had not so deserved at his hands who had advaunced him from the shepheards crooke to the scepter of the king and had given into his bosome his masters wiues and could would haue done him more honor if that had not bin inough howe did even these smaller blessings worke most effectually in the hart of David peircing wounding his most tender soul causing him with many most bitter teares to bewaile his former most grievous vnthankfulnes And howe did the remembrance of the same mercies cause him also at another time to reioyce in the Lord and to triumph and most vehemently and earnestly to 2. Sam. 7. 18 1. Chro. 17. 16. pray vnto God for an obedient thankful hart What am I ô Lord saith he what is my fathers house that thou hast brought me hitherto And what is this thy people Israel that thou didst after a sorte muster togither al thy armies for their deliveraÌ„ce out of Aegipt What sawest thou in vs or in our progenitors that thou hast thus laden vs with thy loue and filled vs with such abundance of thy mercies O lett our harts therfore be filled with thy loue and let our hands stil be employed in thy service keepe this in the purpose thoughts of our harts for ever and so prepare our soules to feare thee Neither was he himselfe only thus stirred vp to imploy himselfe al his autority wealth to the promoting furthering of the Lordes service but also with the selfe same argument doth he endevour to perswade his principal subiects servantes to be helpers to his son Solamon in the same worke Is not saith he the Lord your God with you hath given you rest on every side For 1. Chro. 22. 18. he hath given the inhabitantes of the land into mine hand and the lande is subdued before the Lord and his people Now then set your harts and your soules to seeke the Lord your God arise build the Lords sanctuarie So likewise when the Lord had brought the children of Israel into the promised lande and had placed them in the quiette and peaceable possession thereof howe doth godly Iosuah hauing a greate care that after his death they should bee true and faithfull to their GOD who had beene so true and faithful to them make a large recitall of their manifolde mercies so lately receaved and then proposeth this option and choice vnto
each one the other therein then how much more ought they to doe it which are appointed to be publik officers for the same purpose How ougâ—t they especially most carefully to put in practise the exhortation of the prophet by calling continually vnto the people and saying Praise the Lord and call vpon his name and declare his workes among the people Sing vnto him sing praises vnto him and let your talking be of all his wondrous works Reioice in his holy name let the harts of them reioice that seâ—ke the Lord. Seeke the Lord and his strength seâ—ke his face continually Remember the maâ—veâ—lous works that he hath done the wonders and the iudgments of his mouth â—h yee seede of Abraham his servant ye châ—ldren of Iacob his chosen he is the Lord our God â— The 〈…〉 â—…ssistance accordâ—… to his own covenant And yet if all men faile in their duety the Lorde himselfe will not faile in that covenant which he hâ—th made with all his chosen wherein hee hath promised that hee himselfe will write his lawes in their heartes and plant them in their mindes and that he will doe the same so sufficiently that it shall not be a matter of absolute necessity for every one to exhort and to admonish his neighbor saying know the Lord for they shall all know me saith the Lord even Ier. 31 34. from the greatest vnto the least So and so beneficiall it is vnto all the Lords people to know the Lord and his gracious blessings to keepe a continuall remembrance of the same and therefore so and so many meanes hath the Lord appointed in his vnspeakeable wisedome and goodnesse for the stirring vp of every one of his faithful servants to the ready and careful performance of this so beneficiall and necessary a worke So and so carefull hath the Lord been that the people devoted vnto his service should want no meanes to strengthen further them in the holy exercise of sincere devotion Now let vs see how the church of Rome which boasteth so highly of her owne great devotions land of the huge multitude of all manner of good works which so and so abounde among her children religiously extolleth the Lords mercies what a carefull remembraunce shee keepeth of his goodnes seeing as it hath beene shewed that is the mother and the nurce of all sound and sincere devotion and the fountain welspring of all good workes The word of God in setting downe the great gracious blessings of God doth declare vnto vs these three pointes First the cause of them even his owne goodnesse and loue secondly the end which is the manifestation of his goodnes and loue thirdly the effect which is the working therby in the harts of his chosen of al inward graces outward dueties also both to God to our neighbour The grace goodnes loue and mercy of God is the full fountaine froÌ„ whence all his blessings doe issue flow The great blessed worke of mans redemption issueth from thence as our Saviour testifieth So God loved the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but haue Ioh. 3. 16. life everlasting The great blessed worke of the creation and all the residue of his gracious blessings many of the particulars wherof are set down by the prophet Ps 136. come also from thence even because his mercy enduâ—eth for ever This mercy loue of God is not oâ—ly most ample large but also most free vndeserved For every good gift and every perfect giving commeth downe froÌ„ Iac. 1. 17. aboue froÌ„ the father of light we hold all that wee enioy from this grand vniversal lâ—ndlord therefore we must pay our whole rent to him performe only to his court our suit service we are endebted vnto him alone for the loane of al that we possesse therfore to him alone we must discharge all our debt His loue also is most free vndeserved he seeketh therin not to gain any thing to himselfe but only to do good to benefit other this doth farther set forth the greatnes of his loue so doth enlarge the bil of our debt SecoÌ„dly the end why God bestoweth his blessings is that they might be vnto vs most plaine demoÌ„strations of his loue most certain testimonies of his goodnes Shew me saith St. Iams thy faith by thy works I wil shew thee my faith by my works Iac 2. 18. 1. Ioh. 3. 18. My childreÌ„ saith St. Iohn let vs not loue in word in toÌ„gue but in work in truth That loue theÌ„ is in truth that is effectual in works and that faith is souÌ„d right that sheweth it selfe in the fruits Wherfore god who would haue his choseÌ„ know be fully perswaded that he loveth theÌ„ in truth sheweth it forth to them by his most gracious and manifold blessings as by the effects fruits therof and this is also a great addition vnto his loue Thirdly the Lord maketh his loue manifested by his blessings the meanes to beget and to encrease faith loue repentance and the like in the hearts of his elect and chosen children he putteth them not out to vse nor taketh any encrease for them for his estate cannot be bettered nor his blessednes encreased the profite and encrease accrueth to vs and therefore by them we merite nothing at the hands of God nor make him thereby any way endebted to vs but wee our selues are more and more still in his debt for the free lone francke gift of all his blessings Now then to returne againe to the first point The loue of God is the ful fountaine of all manner of his blessings both bodyly and ghostly and he himselfe is not only the author but also the disposer and bestower of them all the blessings themselues and the meanes are of him and the working also of the one and the other Temporal meanes are in themselues nothing without the speciall power of God working in them by them Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God And life consiseth not in the great aboundance of all such thinges aâ— doe belong to the maintenance of life The horse is counted but a vaine thing to saue a man neither can he deliver any one by his much strength the watchman also waketh but in vaine vnlesse the Lord keepe the citty So spirituall meanes also are nothing without the effectuall power of the almighty working by them for that is the very soule and life of all He that planteth is nothing and hee that watereth is nothing but God that giveth the encrease Iohn the Baptist can baptise but with water Austine can but speake to our bodyly eares Christ baptiseth only with the holy Ghost and he that hath his chaire in heaven is he only that can teach the heart The water in baptisme can