newnesse of life then we must walke in the spirite Now to walke in the spirite is to leade our liues in shewing forth the fruites of the spirite In Esai the holy ghost is compared unto water powred foorth on the drie land which maketh the willowes to blossome and to beare fruite wherefore those that haue the giftes of the spirit must be trees of righteousnes bringing forth the fruits of the spirit which as they are set downe by Paul are principally nine The first fruit is love which respects both God and man Loue unto God is an inwarde and spirituall motion in the heart whereby God is loued absolutely for himselfe This loue shewes it selfe in two things I. when a mans heart is set and disposed to seeke the honour and glorie of God in all thinges II. when a man by all meanes strives and endeauours himselfe to please God in euery thing counting it a most miserable estate to liue in the displeasure of God and the hearte that is thus affected can haue no greater torment then to fall into sinne whereby God is offended and his displeasure prouoked By these two signes a man may know whether he loue God or no and by them also must hee testifie his loue Now our loue to man is a fruite of this loue of God for God is to be loued for himselfe man is loued for God This loue must not be in shew onely but in deede and action Saint Iohn biddeth us not to loue in worde and tongue onely but in deed and trueth Brotherly loue doth not alwaies lie hid but when an occasion is offered it doeth breake forth into action it is like fire which though for a time it be smothered yet at length it breakes forth into a flame And so much loue a man sheweth to his neighbour as he hath and where none is shewed none is The second fruite is Ioy when a man is as glad at the good of his neighbor as at his own good this is a speciall worke of the holy ghost For the nature of man is to pine away and to grieue at the good of another and it is a worke of grace to reioyce thereat Paul saieth Reioyce vvith them that reioyce And this was the holy practise of the friendes and neighbours of Zacharias and Elizabeth when Iohn Baptist was borne They came and reioyced with them The third fruit of the spirit is Peace Of this Paul speaketh most excellently saying If it be possible as much as in you is have peace with all men It is nothing else but coÌ„cord which must be kept in an holy manner with all men both good bad so farre forth as can be Isai the Prophet speaking of the fruits of the gospell saieth The woolfe shall dwell with the lamb the leopard with the kid c. Where note that in the kingdome of Christ when a man is called into the state of grace howsoeuer by nature he be as a wolfe as a leopard as a lyon or as a beare yet he shal then lay away his cruell nature and become gentle and liue peaceably with all men Now for the practising of this peace there are three duties especially to be learned perfourmed I. rather then peace shoulde be broken a man must yeeld of his owne right When Publicanes came to our Sauiour Christ for tribute he had a lawfull excuse for howsoeuer he liued in lowe estate among them yet hee was the right heire to the kingdome therefore was free neuerthelesse he stood not on his priuiledge but calleth Peter saying Least wee offend them goe to the sea and cast in an angle and take the first fish that câ—mmeth up and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt finde a peece of twentie pence take it and give it to them for thee and me Here we see that our Sauiour Christ rather then he woulde breake the common peace yeeldes of his owne right and so we must doe if we will be good followers of him Secondly when any man shall sinne either in worde or in deed specially if it be upon infirmitie wee must auoide bitter invectiues and mildely tell him of his fault and in all meekenesse and loue labour for his amendment So Paul teacheth us saying If any man be fallen into any fault by occasion restore such an one with the spirite of meekenesse considering thy selfe least thou be also tempted c. Beare yee one anothers burden Thirdly euery man within the compasse of his calling must be a peace-maker betweene them that are at variance This is a speciall duty of godlines and christianitie and therefore our Sauiour Christ doeth highly commend such and pronounceth this blessing upon them that they shall be called the children of God The fourth fruite of the spirit is long suffering and it standeth in two pointes I. when a man deferreth his anger and is hardly brought to it II. being angrie doth yet moderate the same and stay the hotnesse of that affection For the first to bridle anger it is a speciall work of the H. ghost and the meanes to attaine vnto it are these I. not to take notice of the iniuries and wrongs done unto us if they be not of great moment but to let them passe as not knowing them Salomon saith It is a mans discretion to deferre his anger Now how is that done It is added in the next words It is the glory of a man to passe by infirmitie that is when a man shall ouershoote himselfe either in word or in deede to let it passe either wholly or till a time convenient as though we knew not of it The second way to deferre and bridle anger is when a man hath iniuried us either in word or deede to thinke with our selues that wee haue iniured others in the same maner and for this cause Salomon saith Give not thine heartâ— to all the vvordes that men speake least thou doe heare thy servant cursing thee For oftentimes thine heart also knoweth that thou hast cursed others A man must not listen to euerie mans wordes at all times but hee is to thinke that he hath spoken or done the same to other men and that now the Lord meeteth with him by the like as it is saide With what measure yee meete it shalbe measured to you againe This is a thing which few consider Euill men desire good reporte and woulde haue all men speake well of them whereas they can speake well of none but indeede they must begin to speake well of others before others shall speake well of them Thirdly a man must consider how God dealeth with him For so often as he sinneth hee prouoketh god to cast him away and to confound him eternally yet the Lorde is mercifull and long suffering Euen so when men doe offend and iniury us wee must doe as God doth not be angry but fight against our affections endeauouring to become patient
which can appertaine to none but to the elect Ioh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke hee that beleeveth in me as saieth the scripture out of his bellie shall flow rivers of water of life Rev. 21.6 I will give unto him which is a thirst of the vvell of the water of life freely Now if hee that thirsteth drinke of these waters marke what followeth Ioh. 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never be more a thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life The second is a straunge affection wrought in the heart by the spirit of God whereby a man doth so esteeme value and as it were set so high a price on Christ his righteousnesse that hee accounts euen the most pretious things that are to be but as dung in regard thereof This affection was in Paul and it is expressed in the parable in which after a man hath found a treasure he first hides it and the selles all hee hath and makes a purchase of the fielde where it is Now euery man will say of himselfe that he is thus affected to Christ and that hee more highly esteemes the least drop of his blood then all things in the world beside wheras indeed most men are of Esaus minde rather desiring the red broth then Isaaks blessing and of the same affection with the Israelites which liked better the onyons and flesh pots of Egypt then the blessings of God in the land of promise Therefore that no man may deceiue him selfe this affection may bee discerned by two signes The first is to loue and like a christian man because hee is a Christian. For hee that doth aright esteeme of Christ doth in like manner esteeme of the members of Christ. And of this very thing our Sauiour Christ saith He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophets revvarde and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive the revvarde of a righteous man And Saint Iohn saieth Hereby vvee knovve that vvee are translated from death to life because vvee love the breethren that is such as are members because they are so The second signe of this affection is a loue and desire to the comming of Christ whether it be by death unto any man particularly or by the last iudgement universally and that for this ende that there may be a full participation of fellowship with Christ. And that this verie loue is a note of adoption it appeares by that which S. Paul saieth that the crowne of righteousnes is laid vp for all them that love the appearing of Christ. The outwarde token of adoption is New-obedience whereby a man endeauours to obey Gods cōmandements in his life and conuersation as S. Iohn saith Hereby wee are sure that we know him if wee keepe his commandements Now this obedience must not be iudged by the rigour of the morall lavv for then it should be no token of grace but rather a meanes of damnation but it must be esteemed and considered as it is in the acceptation of God who spares them that feare him as a father spares an obedient sonne esteeming things done not by the effect and absolute doing of them but by the affection of the doer And yet least any man should heare be deceiued wee must knowe that the obedience which is an infallible marke of the child of god must be thus qualified First of all it must not be done unto some fewe of Gods commaundements but unto them all without exception Herod heard Iohn Baptist willingly did many things and Iudas had excellent things in him as appeares by this that he was content to leaue all and to followe Christ and hee preached the Gospell of the kingdome in Iurie as well as the rest yet alas all this was nothing for the one could not abide to become obedient to the 7. commandement in leauing his brother Philips wife and the other would not leaue his couetousnes to die for it Vpright sincere obedience doth inlarge it selfe to all the commandements as Dauid saith I shall not be confounded when I haue respect to all thy commandements And S. Iames saith hee which faileth in one law is guiltie of all that is the obedience to many commandements is indeed before god no obedience but a flat sinne if a man wittingly and willingly faile in any one thing He that repents of one sinne truly doth repent of all he that liues but in one known sinne without repentāce though he pretend neuer so much reformation of life indeed repents of no sinne Secōdly this obedience must extend it selfe to the whole course of a mans life after his conversion and repentance We must not iudge of a man by an action or two but by the tenour of his life Such as the course of a mans life is such is the man though he through the corruption of his nature faile in this or that particular action yet doth it not preiudice his estate before God so be it he renew his repentance for his seuerall slippes and falles not lying in any sinne and withall from yere to yere walke unblameable before God men S. Paul saith The foundation of God remaineth sure the Lorde knowes who are his Now some might hereupon say it is true indeed god knowes who are his but how may I be assured in my selfe that I am his to this demaund as I take it Paul answers in the next words Let euery one that calleth on the name of the Lord depart from iniquity that is let men invocate the name of God praying seriously for things whereof they stand in need withall giuing thanks departing frō all their former sinnes and this shall be unto them an infallible token that they are in the election of God Thirdly in outward obedience it is required that it proceede from the whole man as regeneration which is the cause of it is thorough the whole man in bodie soule and spirit Againe obedience is the fruite of loue and loue is from the pure heart the good conscience and faith unfained Thus we haue heard the testimonies and tokens wherby a man may be certified in his conscience that be was chosen to saluation before all worldes If any desire further resolution in this point let them meditate upon the 15. Psal. and the first Epistle of Saint Iohn being parcels of scripture penned by the holy ghost for this ende Here some will demaund how a man may be assured of his adoption if he want the testimony of the spirit to certifie him thereof Ansvvere Fire is knowen to be no painted but a true fire by two notes by heate and by the flame now if the case fall out that the fire want a flame it is still knowen to be fire by the heate In
the Gospell besides they giue an assent to it to be true and they do more yet in that they tremble and feare And many a man hath not so much For amongst vs there is many a one which hath no knowledge of God at all more then he hath learned by the common talke of the world as namely that there is a God and that he is mercifull c. and yet this man will say that he beleeueth with all his heart but without knowledge it can not be that any should truly beleeue therfore he deceiveth himselfe Quest. But whence haue the devils historicall faith were they illuminated by the light of the spirit Answ. No but when the Gospell was preached they did acknowledge it and beleeued it to be true that by vertue of the reliques of Gods image which remained in them since their fall And therefore this their faith doeth not arise from any speciall illumination by his spirit but they attaine to it by the light of nature which was left in them from the beginning The second kind of faith is Temporary faith so called because it lasteth but for a time and season and commonly not to the end of a mans life This kind of faith is noted unto us in the parable of the seede that fell in the stony ground And there be two differences or kinds of this faith The first kinde of temporary faith hath in it three degrees The first is to know the word of God and particularly the Gospell The second to giue an assent unto it The third to professe it but to goe no further and all this may be done without any loue to the word This faith hath one degree more then historicall faith Examples of it we haue in Simon Magus Acts. 8.13 who is said to beleeue because he held the doctrine of the Apostle to be true and withall he professed it and in the devils also who in some sort professed that Christ was the sonne of the most highest yet looked for no saluation by him Mark 5.7 Act. 19.14 And this is the common faith that abounds in this land Men say they beleeue as the prince beleeueth and if religion chāge they will change For by reason of the authoritie of princes lawes they are made to learne some litle knowledge of the word they beleeue it to be good they professe it thus for the space of thirtie or fourtie yeres they will heare the word preached and receiue the sacraments and yet be as void of grace as euer they were at the first day the reason is because men doe barely professe it without either liking or loue of the same The second kinde of temporarie faith hath in it fiue degrees For by it first a man knows the word Secondly he assenteth unto it III. he professeth it IIII. he reioyceth inwardly in it V. he bringeth forth some kind of fruit and yet for all this hath no more in him but a faith that will faile in the end because he wanteth the effectuall applicatiō of the promise of the gospel is without all maner of sound conversiō This faith is like corne in the house top which groweth for a while but when heate of sommer cōmeth it withereth And this is also set forth vnto vs in the parable of the seede which fell in a stony ground which is hastie in springing up but because of the stones which will not suffer it to take deepe roote it withereth And this is a very common faith in the Church of God by which many reioyce in the preaching of the worde and for a time bring forth some fruits accordingly with shewe of great forwardnesse yet afterward shake of religion and all But some will say howe can this be a temporary faith seeing it hath such fruits Answ. Such a kind of faith is temporary because it is grounded on temporarie causes vvhich are three I. A desire to get knovvledge of some straunge pointes of religion For many a man doth labour for the fiue former degrees of temporarie faith onely because he desires to get more knovvledge in scripture then other men haue The second cause is a desire of praise among men which is of that force that it will make a man put on a shevve of all the graces vvhich God bestoweth on all his children though otherwise he want them and to go very farre in religion vvhich appeareth thus Some can very bitterly weepe for the sinnes of other men and yet haue neither sorrowe nor griefe for their owne and the cause hereof is nothing else but pride For he that sheddes teares for another mans sinnes should much more vveepe for his owne if he had grace Yet thus are many men disposed euen of pride and nothing else Againe a man for his owne sinnes vvill pray very slackly and dully when he prayeth priuately and yet when he is in the company of others will pray very fervently and earnestly From vvhence is this difference surely often it springeth from the pride of heart and from a desire of praise among men The third cause of temporarie faith is profit commodity the getting of wealth and riches These make man to receive religion and if other religion come they vvill receiue it asvvell as this But such studies not the gospell because it is the gospell but because it brings wealth peace and riches with it And these are the three causes of temporarie faith The third kind of faith is the faith of Miracles vvhen a man grounding himselfe on some speciall promise or revelation from God doeth beleeve that some straunge extraordinarie thing vvhich he hath desired or foretold shall come to passe by the vvork of God This must be distinguished from historicall temporarie faith For Simon Magus had both these kindes of faith but yet wanted this faith of miracles therfore would haue bought the same of the Apostles for mony Yet this faith of miracles may be in hypocrites as it vvas in Iudas at the last iudgement it shall be found to haue bin in the wicked reprobate which shal say to Christ Lorde in thy name we haue prophesied and cast out deuils and done many great miracles And thus much for the three sorts of common faith Now we must come to the true faith which is the faith of the elect It is thus defined Faith is a supernaturall gift of God in the mind apprehending the sauing promise with al the promises that depend on it First I say it is a gift of God Phil. 1.29 to confute the blind opiniō of our people that think that the faith wherby they are to be saued is bred borne with thē I adde that it is a gift supernaturall not onely because it is aboue that corrupt nature in which we are borne but also because it is aboue that pure nature in which our first parents were created For in the state of innocencie they wanted this faith neither
God to serve In the sixe dayes of the weeke manie men vvalke verie painefully in their callings but when the Lordes day commeth then every man takes license to doe what hee will and because of the princes lawes men will come formally to the Church for fashions sake but in the meane time how many do nothing else but scorne mocke and deride and as much as in them lieth disgrace both the worde and the ministers thereof so that the cōmon saying is this oh he is a precise fellow he goes to heare Sermons he is too holy for our cōpanie But it stands men in hand to take out a better lesson which is if we will haue God to be our father wee must shewe our selues to be the children of God by repentance and newnesse of life he can not be but a gracelesse child that will lead a rebellious life flat against his fathers minde Let us then so behaue our selves that we may honour our father which is in heauen and not dishonour him in our liues and callings rather let us separate our selues from the filthinesse of the flesh loathing those things which our father lotheth and fleeing from those things which our father abhorreth And thus much for the duties Now follow the consolations which arise from this point But first we are to know that there are three sortes of men in the world The first are such as will neither heare nor obey the word of God The second sort are those which will heare the word preached vnto them but they will not obey both these sortes of men are not to looke for any comfort hence Now there is a third sort of men which as they heare Gods worde so they make conscience of obeying the same in their liues and callings and these are they to whome the consolations that arise out of this place doe rightly belong and must be applyed unto First therefore seeing God the father of Christ and in him the father of all that obey and doe his will is our father here note the dignitie and prerogative of all true beleeuers for they are sonnes and daughters of God as saith S. Iohn So many as received him to them he gaue a prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name This priviledge will appeare the greater if we consider our first estate for as Abraham saith We are but dust and ashes and in regard of the deprauation of our natures we are the children of the deuill therefore of such rebels to be made the sonnes of God it is a wonderfull priviledge and prerogative no dignitie like unto it And to enlarge it further he that is the sonne of God is the brother of Christ fellow heire with him and so heire apparant to the kingdom of heauen and in this respect is not inferiour to the verie angels This must be laid vp carefully in the hearts of Gods people to confirme them in their conversation among the companie of vngodly men in this world Secondly if a man doe indeauour himselfe to walke according to Gods worde then the Lord of his mercie will beare with his wants for as a father spareth his owne son so will God spare them that feare him Now a father commaunds his child to write or to apply his booke though all things herein be not done according to his mind yet if he find a readinesse with a good indeavour he is content and falls to praise his childs writing or learning So God giueth his commandement and though his servants faile in obedience yet if the Lord see their heartie indeavour and their vnfeigned willingnesse to obey his will though with sundry wants hee hath made this promise and will performe it that as a father spareth his sonne so will he spare them If a child be sicke will the father cast him off nay if thorough the grievousnesse of his sicknesse he can not take the meat that is giuen him or if he take it for faintnesse pick it up againe will the father of the childe thrust him out of dores no but he will rather pitie him And so when a man doth indeauour himselfe through the whole course of his life to keepe Gods commandements God will not cast him away though through weakenesse he faile in sundry things and displease God This prerogatiue can none haue but he that is the child of God as for others when they sinne they doe nothing else but draw downe Gods iudgements upon them for their deeper condemnation Thirdly hence we learne that the childe of God can not wholly fall away from Gods fauour I doe not say that hee can not fall at all for he may fall away in part but hee can not wholly and so oft as he sinnes he depriues himselfe in part of Gods fauour David loued his sonne Absolon wonderfully but Absolon like a wicked sonne played a lewde pranck would haue thrust his father out of his kingdom And David although he was sore offended with Absolon shewed tokens of his wrath yet in heart he loued him and neuer purposed to cast him off Hereupon when he went against him he commanded the Captaines to intreat the yong man Absolon gently for his sake And when he was hanged by the haire of the head in pursuing his father then David wept and cried O my sonne Absolon my sonne Absolon would God I had dyed with thee Absolon my sonne And so it is with God our heauenly father when his children sinne against him and thereby loose his loue and fauour and fall from grace he forsakes them but how farre Surely he shewes signes of anger for their wickednesse yet indeed his loue remaines towards them still and this is a true conclusion the grace of god in the adoptiō of the elect is unchāgeable he that is the childe of God can neuer fall away wholly or finally On the contrary that is a bad and comfortlesse opinion of the Church of Rome which holdeth that a man may be iustified before God and yet afterward by a mortall sinne finally fall from grace and be condemned Fourthly the child of God that takes god the father for his father may freely come into the presence of god haue liberty to pray unto him We know it is a great priviledge to come into the chamber of presence before an earthly prince and fewe can alwaies haue this prerogatiue though they be great men yet the kings owne sonne may haue free entrance speake freely vnto the king himselfe because he is his sonne Now the children of God haue more prerogative then this for they may come into the chamber of presence not of an earthly king but of Almightie God the king of kings and as they are the sonnes of god in Christ so in him they may freely speake unto God their father by prayer And this ouerthrowes the doctrine of such as be of the Church of Rome which
angel had slaine him VVhereby it appeares that when we rush on into the practise of any sinne we doe as much as in vs lieth to cause God to send downe his iudgements vpon vs for our sinnes and that by the ministerie of his angels Secondly we are taught another lesson by Christ himselfe See saith he that you despise not one of these little ones now marke his reason for I say vnto you that in heauen their Angels doe alwaies behold the face of my father By little ones he meaneth young infants which are within the couenant or others which are like to young infants in simplicitie and innocencie of life and humilitie And Christ will not haue them to be despised A duetie very needefull to be stoode vpon in these times For now adaies if a man carrie but a shewe of humilitie of good conscience and of the feare of God he is accoūted but a sillie fellow he is hated mocked despised on euery hand But this ought not to be so For him whome God honoureth with the protection of his good angels why should any mortall man despise And it stands mockers and scorners in hand to take heede whome they mock For though men for their parts put vp many abuses and iniuries yet their angels may take iust reuenge by smiting them with plagues and punishments for their offences Thirdly seeing angels are about vs serue for the good of men we must doe whatsoeuer we doe in reuerent and seemely manner as Paul giues counsell to the Philippians Brethren saith he whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest iust pure and pertaine to loue of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise thinke on these things many men doe all their affaires orderly for auoiding shame but we must do the same vpon a further ground namely because Gods holy angels wait on vs. And considering that men haue care to behaue themselues well when they are before men what a shame is it for a man to behaue himselfe vnseemely either in open or in secret he then beeing before the glorious angels Paul saith that the woman ought to haue power on her head because of the Angels that is not onely the ministers of the Church but Gods heauenly angels which daily wait vpon his children and guard them in all their waies Fourthly this must teach vs modestie and humilitie for the angels of God are very notable and excellent creatures and therefore they are called in the Psalmes Elohim gods yet how excellent so euer they be they abase themselues to become guardiens and keepers vnto sinneful men Nowe if the angels doe so abase themselues then much more ought euery man to abase and humble himselfe in modestie and humilitie before God and what so euer our calling is we must not be puffed vp but be content This is a necessarie dutie for all but especially for those which are in the schooles of the Prophets whatsoeuer their gifts or birth be they must not thinke themselues too good for the calling of the ministerie And if God haue called vs thereunto wee must be content to become seruants vnto all in the matter of saluatiō though the mē be neuer so base or simple for no mā doth so farre excell the basest person in the world as the glorious angels of God doe exceede the most excellent man that is therefore seeing they vouchsafe to become seruants vnto vs we must not think our selues to good to serue our poore brethren And thus much of the duties Nowe follow the consolations that arise from this that God hath giuen his glorious angels to serue for the protection safegard of his Church and people If mens spirituall eyes were open they should see the deuill and his angels and all the wicked of this world to fight against them and if there were no meanes of comfort in this case then our estate were most miserable But marke as Gods seruant hath all these wicked ones to be his enemies so he hath garrisons of angels that pitch their tents about him and defend him from them all So Dauid saith He shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee and they shall keepe thee in all thy waies that thou dash not thy foote against a stone where the Angels of God are compared to nurces which carie litle children in their armes feede them and are alwaies readie at hand to saue them from falls and many other dangers When the king of Syria sent his horses chariots to take Elisha the Lords prophet because he reuealed his counsell to the king of Israel his seruant saw them round about Dothan where he was and he cried Alas master what shall we doe then Elisha answeared Feare not for they that be with vs are more then they that be with them and he besought the Lord to open his seruants eyes that he might see the Lord opened his eyes he looked behold the mountains were full of horses and charriots of fire round about Elisha So likewise not many yeares agoe our land was preserued from the inuasion of the Spainyards whose huge Navie lay vpon our sea coasts but how were we deliuered from them surely by no strength nor power nor cunning of man but it was the Lord no doubt by his Angels that did keepe our coasts and did scatter our enemies and drowne them Let enemies rage and let them doe what they will if a man keepe himselfe in the waies which God prescribeth he hath gods angels to guide and preserue him which thing must mooue men to loue and imbrace the true religiō to cōforme thēselues in all good conscience to the rule of Gods word For when a man doth not so all the angels of God are his enemies and at all times readie to execute Gods vengeance vpon him but when mē carrie themselues as dutifull children to God they haue this prerogatiue that Gods holy Angels doe watch about them and defend them day and night from the power of their enemies euen in common calamities and miseries Before God sends his iudgements on Ierusalem an angel is sent to marke them in the foreheads that mourne for the abominations of the people And this priuiledge none can haue but he whose heart is sprinkled with the blood of Christ and that man shall haue it vnto the end And thus much of the creation of Angels Nowe it followes to speake of the creation of Man wherein we must cōsider 2. things I. the points of doctrine II. the vses For the points of doctrine First Man was created and framed by the hand of God and made after the image of God for Moses brings in the Lord speaking thus Let vs make man in our image c. in the image of God created he them which also must be vnderstood of Angels The image of God is nothing els but a conformitie of man vnto God whereby man is holy as God
answeare is that although it be so yet the worke of sanctification agrees to the holy Ghost in speciall maner The father sanctifieth by the Sōne and by the holy Ghost the Sonne sanctifieth from the father and by the holy Ghost the holy Ghost sanctifieth frō the father and from the sonne by himselfe immediatly and in this respect is the third person tearmed holy Againe the third person is tearmed a Spirit not only because his nature is spirituall for in that respect the father is a spirite and the sonne is a spirit but because he is spired or breathed frō the father and from the sonne in that he proceeds from thē both Thus we see there is speciall cause why the third person is called the holy Ghost Now the action of faith which concernes the third person is to beleeue in him Which is I. to acknowledge the H. Ghost as he hath reuealed himselfe in the word II. In speciall to beleeue that he is my sanctifier and comforter III. To put all the confidence of my heart in him for that cause In these words are comprised foure points of doctrine which are to be beleeued concerning the H. Ghost The first that he is very God For we are not to put our affiance or confidence in any but in God alone And no doubt the pennars of the Creed in that they prefixed these words I beleeue in before the article of the third person meant thereby to signifie that he is true God equall with the father and the sonne according to the tenour of the Scriptures themselues Peter saith to Ananias Why hath satan filled thine heart that thou shouldest lie vnto the holy Ghost and continuing the same speach he chaungeth the tearme onely and saith Thou hast not lied vnto men but vnto God Whereby he insinuateth that the holy Ghost is very God In the vision of the Prophet Isai the wordes by him set down are thus I heard the voice of Iehoua saying whome shall I send c. and he said go and say to this people Ye shall heare in deede but ye shall not vnderstand But Paul quoting the same place spake on this maner Well spake the H. Ghost by Esay the Prophet saying goe vnto this people and say vnto them Now these places being compared together make it plaine that the title of Iehovah agreeth to the holy Ghost But yet the enemies of this truth which thinke that the holy Ghost is nothing else but the action or operation of God obiect out of the Scriptures to the contrarie I. God knoweth the Sonne the holy Ghost knoweth not the Sonne for none knoweth the sonne but the father ergo the holy Ghost is not God Answer That place excludeth no person in Trinitie but onely creatures and false gods and the meaning is this None that is no creature or idole god knoweth the sonne of God but the father And the opposition is made to exclude creatures not to exclude the holy Ghost Againe they obiect that the holy Ghost maketh request for vs with groanes and sighes that cannot be vttered ergo the holy Ghost is not God but rather a gift of God For he that is true God can not pray groane or sigh Answer Pauls meaning is thereby to signifie that the holy Ghost causeth vs to make requests and stirreth vp our heartes to groane and sigh to God for he said before we haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father Yet further they obiect the wordes of the angel Gabriel to the virgin Marie saying The vertue of the most high hath ouershadowed thee and hence they gather that if the holy Ghost be the vertue of God then he is not God indeede Answ. As Christ is called the word of God not a word made of letters or syllables but a substantiall word that is beeing for euer of the same substance with the father so in this place the holy Ghost is called the vertue of the most highest not because he is a created qualitie but because he is the substantiall vertue of the Father the sonne therfore God equal with them both Furthermore they alledge that neither the Scriptures nor the practise of the Primitiue Church doth warrant vs to pray to the holy Ghost Ans. It is not true For whensoeuer we direct our praier to any one of the three persons in him we pray to them all Besides we haue example of praier made to the holy Ghost in the word of God For Paul saith to the Corinthians The grace of our Lord Iesus the loue of God the father and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with you all And the words are as if Paul had said thus O father let thy loue O sonne let thy grace O holy Ghost let thy fellowship be with them all And therefore this first doctrine is true and as wel to be beleeued as any other that the holy Ghost is God The second point is that the holy Ghost is a distinct person from the father and the sonne Hereupon the articles touching the three persōs are thus distinguished I beleue in the father I beleeue in the sonne I beleeue in the H. Ghost This point also is consonant to the Scriptures which make the same distinctiō In the baptisme of Christ the father vttereth a voice from heauen saying This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased not the Sonne or the holy Ghost Secondly the Sonne stoode in the water and was baptised by Iohn and not the Father or the holy Ghost Thirdly the holy Ghost descended from heauen vpon Christ in the forme of a doue and not the father or the sonne but the holy Ghost alone Christ in his commission vnto his disciples saith Goe teach all nations baptizing them into the name of the father the sonne and the holy Ghost Now if the holy Ghost had beene the same person either with the father or with the sonne then it had beene sufficient to haue named the father and the sonne onely And the distinction of the third person from the rest may be conceiued by this that the holy Ghost is the holy Ghost and not the father or the sonne The third point to be beleeued is that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the father and the sonne For a further proofe hereof consider these places Paul saith Ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit for the spirit of God dwelleth in you But if any mā haue not the spirit of Christ he is not his againe Because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of the sonne into your hearts where we may obserue that the holy Ghost is the spirit both of the father and of the sonne Now the holy Ghost is called the spirit of the father not onely because he is sent of him but because hee proceedeth from the father as Christ saith to his disciples When the comforter will come whome I
penned by the Prophets and Apostles the answear is that they doe it with adding to the Canon and by corrupting the natiue sense of the Scriptures in the very foundation and therefore they are but as a lanthorne that shews light to others and none to it selfe Fourthly it is further said that they hold the Creede of the Apostles and make the same confession of faith that we doe I answeare that in shew of wordes they doe so indeede but by necessarie consequents in the rest of their doctrine they ouerturne one of the natures and all the offices of Christ and therewithall most of the articles of the Creede And herein they deale as a father that in outward shew tenders the bodie of his child and will not abide the least blemish vpon it and yet by secret conveiances inwardly annoies the heart the braine or the liuer and so in truth destroies the same Fifthly it is alledged that Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God that is the Church therefore say some that desire an vnion between vs and the Papists popish assemblies are true Churches but the argument is not good For it is one thing to be in the Church an other thing to be of it And Antichrist is said to sit in the Church not as a member thereof but as an vsurper or as the pyrate in the ship of the marchant heÌ„ce it cannot be prooued that assemblies of Papists are Churches but that in them and with them there is mingled an other hidden Church in the midst whereof Antichrist the Pope ruleth though himselfe hath no part therein Lastly whereas some being no Papists think their Churches to be like a bodie diseased and full of soares and wounds froÌ„ the head to the foot the throat also cut yet so as life is still remaining we may better thinke their foule errours considered their worship of God which is nothing els but a mixture of Iudaisme and Paganisme that it is a rotten and dead corps void of spirituall life And therefore we haue seuered our selues from the Church of Rome vpon iust cause neither are we schismaticks in so doing but they rather because the grouÌ„d the proper cause of the schisme is in theÌ„ As for the Assemblies of Anabaptists Libertines Antinomies Tritâ—eits Arrians Samosaâ—eniaÌ„s they are no churches of God but conspiracies of monstrous heretikes iudicially condemned in the primitiue Church and againe by the malice of Satan renewed and revived in this age The same we are to thinke and say of the Familie of loue As for the Churches of Germanie commonly called the Churches of the Lutheranes they are to be reputed of vs as the true Churches of God Though their Augustane Confession haue not satisfied the expectation of other Reformed Churches yet haue they all the same enemies in matter of religion and doe alike confesse the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and of the office of the Mediatour of faith and good works of the Word the Church and the Magistrate are all of one iudgement They differ indeede from vs in the question of the Sacrament but it is no sufficient cause to induce vs to hold theÌ„ as no Church for that there is a true or reall receiuing of the bodie and blood of Christ in the Lordes supper wee all agree and wee ioyntly confesse that Christ is there present so farre forth that hee doth truly feede vs with his very bodie and blood to eternall life and all the controuersie lies in the manner of receiuing we contenting our selues with that spirituall receiuing which is by the hande of faith they adding therto the corporall whereby they imagine themselues to receiue Christ with the hand and mouth of the bodie And though to maintaine this their opinion they be constrained to turne the ascension of Christ into a dispaâ—ition whereby his bodie being visible becomes invisible yet in the maine points we agree that Christ ascended into heauen that he entred into his kingdome in our name and for vs that we are gouerned and preserued by his power and might and that whatsoeuer good thing we haue or doe proceeds wholly from the grace of his spirit Indeede the opinion of the Vbiquitie of the bodie of Christ reviveth the condemned heresies of Eutiches and Nestorius and it ouerturneth by necessarie consequent most of the articles of faith but that was priuate to some men as Brentius and others and was not receiued of whole Churches and whereas the men were godly and learned and we are vncerten with what affection and how long they held this errour we rest our selues in condemning it leauing the persons to God Againe Popish Transubstantiation and Lutherian Consubstantiation are both against the truth of the manhoode of Christ yet with great difference Transubstantiation is flat against an article of faith for if Christs bodie be made of bread and his blood of wine which must needes be if there be a conuersion of the one into the other then was not he conceiued and borne of the Virgin Marie for it can not both be made of bakers breade and of the substance of the Virgin Againe it abolisheth the outwarde signe in the Lordes supper and the analogie betweene the signe and the thing signified but Consubstantiation doth not so neither doeth it ouerturne the substance of any article of Religion but onely a maine point in Philosophie which is that A body doth occupy only one place at once Furthermore the Churches of Heluetia Savoie the free cities of France the low Countries Scotland are to be reuereÌ„ced as the true churches of God as their ConfessioÌ„s make manifest And no lesse must we thinke of our owne Churches in England and Ireland For we hold beleeue and maintaine and preach the true faith that is the auncient doctrine of saluation by Christ taught and published by the Prophets and Apostles as the Booke of the articles of faith agreed vpon in open Parliament doe fully shewe withal now we are and haue bin ready to testifie this our faith by venturing our liues euen in the cause of religion against forraigne power and especially the Spainard and hereupon all the Churches in Europe giue vnto vs the hand of fellowship And whereas sundrie among vs that separate and indeed excommunicate themselues giue out that there is no Church in England no Ministers no Sacraments their peremptorie asseuerations wanting sufficient grounde are but as paper-shot They alleadge that our assemblies are full of grieuous blottes and enormities Ansvv. The defects and corruptions of Churches must be distinguished and they be either in doctrine or manners Againe corruptions in doctrine must be further distinguished some of them are errours indeed but beside the foundation some errors directly against the foundation and these ouerturne all religion wheras the former do not Now it can not be shewed that in our Churches is taught any one errour that raceth the foundation and consequently annihillateth the