become hotte water So men that wish some things and want by reason of that want still blow the cole of this grieuous discention amongst vs though while they retaine such iudgement resolutely ther be small hope of peace yet may they by Gods gracious working sée either some fault in matter wished or in manner vsed to attain their wish and so become otherwise inclined to peace then earst they were God is able and God is good and therefore wishing but what God willeth and my persuasion being but the Lords message deliuered to me in his worde I will not dispaire what so many good Christians ioyne with me in begging at Gods hands I hope that of Salomon shall 〈◊〉 déepe 〈◊〉 that It is a mans honor to cease from 〈◊〉 but euery foole will be medling 〈◊〉 the holy Ghost censureth to be fooles they are like to proue no lesse what soeuer they think of themselues Haue solt in your selues sayth the holy Ghostby and by ioynes◠Peace one with an other For Sal 〈…〉 est virtutis donum sed damnationis argumentum Salt without peace is not a vertue but an argument rather of damnation sayd he truely that sayd it Let vs consider one an other sayth the Apostle to prouoke vnto loue and to good works not forsaking the felowship that we haue among our selues as y e manner of some is but let vs exhort one an other that so much the more because y e daye draweth neere I will conclude with Austen and so trouble you no more in this matter Si vultis viuere de Spiritu Sancto tenete charitatem amate veritatem desiderate vnitatem vt perueniatis ad aeterminatem If you will liue according to the holy Spirit then imbrace loue make much of truth and desire vnitie that you may come to aeternitie God in his swéete mercy giue vs vnitie May reuerence to superiors as holow as euer was Iudas his to his master proue vnto our soules that we are come to Christ by the fathers giuing No no neither cap nor kisse nor crouching curtesie without faithfull honor within can euer be testimonie of true pietie And if séeming to reuerence them both by gesture and title as Iudas did cannot make me better thē a Iudas except there be truth within me how much lesse may open wayward and wilful withstanding malitious and spitefull denying both of title and gesture yeld my soule comfort in the day of féeling what all sinne meriteth at the hand of God I read quoted out of Chrisostome a complaint which may fitly be thought of in our dayes Vt diabolus ita inquit etiam quilibet facit haereticus vehementissimus in tempore persecutionis Loquens cum pontifice nec eum vocat pontificem nec archiepiscopum nec Religiosissimum nec sanctum Sed quid Reuerentia tua Sapientia tua Prudentia tua Iustitia tua nomina illi adducit communia eius negans authoritatem Diabolus hoc tunc fecit in deo As the diuell so saith he doth euery earnest and vehement heretike when once he is touched or troubled for his fault Speaking with y e Bishop he neither calleth him Byshop nor Archbishop nor most religious nor holy But what Common names he giueth vnto him as your Reuerence your wisedome your Prudence your Iustice denying his authoritie This then did the diuell in God Which whether some come very néere vnto in our dayes or rather be not all out so good as this I appeale to your knowledge and say no more Certainly beloued it is worthy marking and may make vs wise séeing Satan to run ouer his olde lessons againe to such as will learne them at his hand An other man saith thus Sicut rem ipsam ita in scribendo morem obseruare nostrarum partiū ducimus esse As we obserue the matter of mens writings so is it our part to obserue the manner also And what hath bene the manner of reuerencing men with titles in olde tyme Surely not sparingly not grudgingly but fully largely hartely Ignatius who liued in y e apost time writing but to a Deacon vseth all these tytles Honorato a deo exoptatissimo ornatissimo Christo spirituque pleno germano filio in fide charitate Diacono Christi famulo dei To the honored of God to y e most Wished most Excellent full of Christ and the holy ghost his true sonne in faith loue the Deacon of Christ the seruant of God And what was y e custom then thinke we to men of higher place I could easely show if it were my purpose Quod aijt Paulus Apostolus Iesu Christi tale mihi videtur quasi dixisset praefectus Praetorio Augusti Caesaris magister exercitus Tyberij Imperatoris That Paule intitleth himselfe an Apostle of Iesu Christ saith Hierome it semeth to me asmuch as if he should haue writ the chiefe ruler of Augustus Caesars palace or the master of y e host of Tyberius the Emperour Meaning he thought y ◠one as great and honorable as the other as lawful for Ministers to haue titles of honor to worke reuerence and submission to their places as for others Which he insinuateth after whēhe saith he intitled himselfe thus highly Vt lecturos nominis autoritate deterreret That he might feare the readers with the authoritie of his name Wherefore beloued let vs neuer enuie any man nor for malice denie any man what his place yeldeth vnto him Neither let vs giue it with holow hart For surely such hart towards men in place ouer vs yeldeth no comfortable testimonie vnto our consciences y ◠we are come vnto Christ if we examine it The Lord hath sayd measure vnto all men good measure heaped vp and pressed downe And what we giue we shall receiue againe in his promise If we grudge other men what is due to their places some shall rise vp and requite vs in our places for God is iust and God is true who hath vowed that as we measure to others we shall receiue againe good and bad Neither may then beloued pride outward or pride inward pride of body or pride of minde assure our harts that we are come to Christ No more can a false faith to the state we liue in nor that lamentable diuisiō amongst vs as it is maintained this day ne yet a holow hart to superiours by gréeuing at either gesture or title due to them do it What should I say of one thing mo so passe away from this examination and that is a lusting longing coueting minde to haue the spoyle of Church and Church liuing ordayned at the first and to this day continued to the maintaināce of learning and knowledge amongst vs may that proue vnto him that hath it that he is the childe of God come vnto Christ by the fathers giuing Then would not God haue visited with so strange a sight the Sonne of that notable church robber Belshazzar
his barbar caused him to shaue him euery way contynued his receiued liking of a faithfull falsely accused friend to his great honor Sura his great commfort and the accusers great griefe that saw it This againe was constancie worthie prayse in a noble Emperour A glasse for all noble men and great men to looke in y â— the like vertue may win the like prayse and their poore faithfull true friends seruants like comfort The very same honor for constancie in his affection got Alexander the great in his life and kepeth it yet to this day in y â— monuments of learning for giuing no credit to such as accused Philip his phisition y t he ment to poyson him being hired so to doe by Darius For the next phisicke he had néede of he caused the same Philip to make him a pâ—tion and taking the same with one hand deliuered Philip the letter that accused him with the other drinking of the potion without any stay or doubt either then or euer afterward But what shold I trouble you with many of these examples my text is in stéed of ten thousands thousands of them Jesus Christ our Sauiour is constant loueth to the end whome he once loueth casting not away for malice of man or diuill whom once he receiueth being come vnto him Thinke therfore of this let this reforme our wauering wills our tottering loue vnstable affectioÌ„s together with that of Salomon if you will Omni tempore diligit qui amicus est He loueth euer that is a true friend And let this suffice I might note a true comfort in this constancie of our Sauiour against the blustering threats and thundering excommunications of Pope and papists sectaries and â—nabaptists who shal neuer be able to hurt such as haue the true comfort of their comming to Christ by a liuely faith in their consciences But the time is past The God of heauen giue this which hath béene spoken his blessing that it may be a sauour of life vnto life to vs and neuer a sauour of death vnto death to the prayse of his name and our eternall comfort through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Amen Iohn 8. 47 Iho. 10. 26. Act. 13. 48. a Act 13. 48 b IhoÌ„ 8. 47 c Iho. 10. 26 The Fathers giueing is our election Ver. 6. Ver. 9. Ver. 11. Ver. 12. Our dutie bindeth vs to coÌ„sider this doctr Deutro 29. 29. A second reason A third reason Ro. 1. 14. Euidence of Scripture First for the doctr Ro. 8. 30. Ro. 9. 22. 23. Eph. 1. Mat. 13. 11. Math. 25. Luke 2. 34 Ro. 9. De verbis Apost Ser. 20. De spir lit cap. 34. The cause of electioÌ„ Ephese 1. 5. Ver. 4. 1. Cor. 7. 25. Ro. 11. 5. Ro. 4. Aug. in Ihon. 6. The stabilitie of our election 2. Tim. 2. 19. Ro. 11. 25. A reason proouing the stabilitie of Gods decree 2. Cor. 2 16. Ro. 2. 4. Galat. 5. 13 1. Cor. 11. 1 Peter 2. 8. Tit. 1. 15. Rom. 8. * The nuÌ„ber of the elect and knowledg of them in God Luc. 12. 7. 2 Tim. 2. 19. Lucke 10. 20. Iho. 10. 13. Aug. de Cor. Gra. to 3. cap. 12. 13. Knowledg in vs of the same Ihon. 16. 9. The second reason The first vse of this doctrine Lucke 12. 32. Lucke 10. 20. Ro. 8. 33. 34. 35. 38. 39. Another vse A third vse Cupit omnis dilectio redamari A fourth vse A fift vse 1. Ihon. The 6. vse Act. 4. 27. 28. Cauils against Gods predestinatioÌ„ The first obiection Act 27. ver 30. Math. 2. Lucke 2. 51. Ro. 1. 〈◊〉 2. Obiection The 3. obiection The doctrine of predestination is not to high c. Tit. 1. 1. Act. 13. 48. Ro. 8. How to know whether we be the children of God or no. Dâ—uers sortes of commers to Christ Lamen 3 40. 2. Cor. 13 The degrees of our estate to be obserued of vs. Pride in aparel no proof y â— we are come to Christ Greg. ho. vlt. in â—uaÌ„ Hom. 6. Sopho. 1. 8 Hier. epist ad Laetam Eccle. 19 Such as our apparell is such are we A vaine garmeÌ„t is like Westminster papers Back papers hat papers Note this well Inward pride of minde no token of our comming to Christ Examples of such as haue falne by pride of minde Dan. 4. 28 Ezek. 28. 2 Psal 91. 5 Episcopi funct fugient Vt crescuÌ„t dona sic rationes donorum Greg. A holow hart to the state no proofe of our election RemeÌ„ber Rodulphe absolued by Greg. The iudge ment of God euer vpon traytors A prayer 1. Sam. 25 29. ContentioÌ„ diuision amongst brethren Philip. 2 1. Iohn 4 Math. 5. 9 Ephes 4. 4 Why we haue two hands two eyes c. An embleme declaring the dutie of brethren Psal 50. 16 19 20 Note 21 22 Pro. 6. 19 Aug 2. dis Fortunatum Pro. 20. 3 Marc. 9. 50. Heb. 10. 24 O Note it Aug. Ser. 186. Annales eccles Baronij pag. 576 Epist â—o ad Hiero. Ex Annalibus predict loco predict Sacriledge no proofe of our comming to Christ Dan. 5 Feare this iudge meÌ„t you church robbers Sublatis studioruÌ„ pretijs etiam studia pereuÌ„t Corn. Tacit Annal. 11 Mar. 6. 34 Act. 5. 2. Kings 4 10 Preface to my booke vpon the com Other sins amongst vs. Yet ther is time to repentance 2. Peter 1. 10. 11. A comfort against despisers of reformation The first vse Comfort against vn worthines Psal 51 The second vse Comfort against disdaine The third vse A paterne for gouernors Be mercicifull as your heauenly Father is merciful The 4. vse to proue y e certaintie of our saluation Psal 1 Iere. 32. 40 Math. 24. Ihon. 10. 28. Note Psal 51. The storie of master Glouer Ihon 13. 1 Hebr. 13. 8 To beleue God is farre from presumption Constancie in God teacheth vs to be constant one to an other Ruth 1. 16 Yet said he well Tua cautio O princeps nostra cautio est Cic. pro Marcell Pro. 17. 17. Sectaries excommunication
the increase of true faith in them yet the wicked eate drink it vnworthely to their owne damnation and regard not as they ought the Lords bodie What should I saye Is not Christ himselfe our déere and blessed Sauiour good and full of life and saluation to all that beléeue Yet euen this Lambe of God sonne of the most high to these cursed castawaies is a stone to stumble at a rock of offence they being disobedient and euen ordeigned to this thing Finally in a word vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing nothing is pure but euen their mindes and consciences are destled Contrarywise to the godly which are pure all things are pure and euen all things all things I say worke to y â— best to them that loue God Yea saith Austen Ipsa etiam peceata The very sinnes falls of the godly turne vnto their good some way or other though thereby they may not be imboldned to offend Therefore we sée how firme this decrée of God is the wicked cannot be saued turning all things to their wo and the elect cannot finally be cast away reaping through the assisting grace of Gods spirit good from all things that befall them For number and knowledge of God of these his elect and chosen the scripture againe is not silent but telleth vs thus much that the haires of our heads are nuÌ„bered Then certainly our persons God knoweth who be his Then certainly he knoweth the number and the number is certaine Our names are written in the booke of life Therefore we are knowne and the number is certaine He calleth his by their names therefore he knoweth them both who they are and how many With which proofes and many mo that might be named Saint Austen ioyneth when he saith Praedestinatorum ita certus est numerus vt eis nec addatur nec minuatur The number of the elect is so certaine that neither addition can be made vnto them nor diminution from them Lastly the word instructeth euen vs also to knowe and to beléeue this matter in perciculer of our selues For the Spirit shall rebuke the world of sinne saith Saint Ihon because it beléeueth not and what is it to beléeue but in my soule and conscience to be assured that Christ died not onely for others but euen for me and that by his death and passion as well I my selfe my poore body and soule shalbe saued as any others And what is this I pray you but to beléeue that amongst others with others as well as others God hath chosen you to be an heire of his Kingdome Want this faith in your selfe the place I aledged saith the spirit shall rebuke you and as many as want it for sinne because ye do not beléeue this Therefore we are all bound you sée euen by the will of God to beléeue our particuler election predestination he that doubteth or waueretd must be rebuked and is rebuked euen of Gods spirit for so doing Why againe should so much and so many things be spoken of the mercie goodnesse of God as is in y â— scripture but that you I and all flesh should catch hold of it and conclude out of y â— same that to vs particulerly such so euer God wilbe Looke we then at the light of y â— word of God both for election for y â— causes of the same for the firmenesse stabilitie of it for nuÌ„ber knowledge in God in our selues and sée whether these mad men that cannot away with this doctrine of Gods election do not oppose themselues directly plainely against the euidence of Gods holy sacred Scriptures striuing against the streame and kicking against the prick to their fearfull confusion if they leane not The third last thing which I said they oppose themselues against is the swéet vse of this holy doctrine which it yeldeth suÌ„dry waies to as many as rightly with vnderstanding meditate vpon it As first by confirming most strongly this féeble faith of ours against despayre when troubles crosses do euery way beset vs as it were ouerwhelme vs. For truely may it be saide of the afflictions often of the godly as one saide of an other matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one labour begâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—her one sorow foloweth an other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—iue godly in Christ 〈…〉 the troubles 〈…〉 But â—eare not litle flock saith our Sauiour Christ for it is your Fathers will to giue you a kingdom as if he should say whatsoeuer befalleth you bitter in this world dispaire not but comfort your selues and soules with this that you are of the flock that is elect chosen for a kingdome which your fathers will is w tout all faile to giue you Reioyce that your names are written in the booke of life that is stay your selues vpon your election euer feare not Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword No I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angells nor Principalities nor powers nor things preseÌ„t nor things to come nor height nor depth nor ani other creature shalbe able to seperate vs from y â— loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Sed superatis omnibus pro cellis tandem in portu c. But all storms waues of wo being passed ouer well broken of at last in y â— quiet hauen of euerlasting comfort I shall haue my rest for euer euer In a word how can a man dispaire of Gods mercie in due time that findeth his election in the meane time Swéete therefore euer against finall feare is this doctrine Secondly it cooleth and quencheth the proud puffe of sinfull flesh telling vs that be we neuer so mightie neuer so Honorable and high by place and calling in the world yet we were made of the same masse and mould that the poorest man and most wretched caitife to see to in the world was we haue stode before the potter no better matter then he to receiue a choise to such vse and ende as might please him What difference is in vs if any be touching election it hath come by mercy and not from merit therefore no pride but thankes no disdaine of any but humilitie toward all and euer in our selues bewtifieth adorneth vs most He that gloryeth let him glorie in the Lord saith this doctrine of election For fauour in God is the fountaine of our grace whatsoeuer it is that we reioyse in Shall I hoyse sayle and looke bigge vpon others when onely by grace I am that I am It may not be Thirdly it â—â—réth our harts with a féeling of loue in God towards vs that is swéeter then hony or the
hony combe and â—â—â—â—eth our soules to loue againe except we be dead yea to loue most earnest according to the mercie that we haue tasted of Some shadowing of it we may sée in men that stand all condemned iustlie for matter of trespasse committed and expect a sentence of bitter death accordingly Let the Prince in this case release one pardoning in mercie and giuing life when paritie of trespasse called for equall punishment O how leapeth the hart of that released one when be knoweth it crying mercy mercy O swéetest mercy how bound am I for this release Can I loue can I thinke can I honor euer condignly the fountaine of this fauour towards me I cannot I cannot and therefore I will dye with this O mercy aboue merit and hope of requit all in me So it is in our election where onely grace hath made the difference saued vs. The loue is great we cannot but sée it what is due we may not deney it If all loue destre loue againe God forbid but such loue should be euer thought of as the Lord inableth Fourthly it prouoketh vs to all good works we neuer think obediene to much y t redounneth to the good liking of him y t thus hath loued vs. If men in this world shall stede vs any way how wish we how will we how care we how seeke we to do the thing that may content auoyd the thing that may offend them what comparison is there betwixt the loue of men and this loue of God towards vs before the world was made Can then the knowledge and true regard of it be without fruite in our conuersation It cannot be Fiftly it stayeth vs against offence that wold grow by such as fall away if this wer not For it telleth vs some stand in show and some stand in truth some stand for tyme and some stand for euer If any had bene of vs saith y e Apostle Ihon. They would haue continued with vs. Feare we not therfore when men start aside but stand we fast whosoeuer shake remembring wel that all being not apointed to the end they neither are apointed to the meanes Lastly most swéetly this doctrine of our election profiteth vnto patience telling vs y t no tiranny in this cursed worlde no malice nor moods of mortall men can or shall euer preuaile beyond the limits and lists of his counsell y t hath decréed their pitch And therefore indure it and indure it patiently for he moderateth This comforted the Apostles for their Lord master in that notable place of the Acts worthy reading a thousand times O Lord say they against thy holy Sonne Iesus whome thou hadst anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentills and the people of Israel gathered themselues together But what could they doe Surely they haue done nothing but what thy hand and thy counsell had determined before to be done This comfort our Sauiour himselfe pleased to apply to himself against the cruel enemy lifting him selfe vp vaÌ„ting as though he had all power of life death against our Sauiour Thou couldst haue no power against me saith he except it were giuen thee from aboue True in the head and true in the members euer to our great stay and comfort These and such like are y â— fruits of this doctrine of our election Which they neuer tasted nor euer knew that so wickedly condemne it Let it suffice that we féele it to the prayse of God our comfort and let them perish with their error that so cast away a doctrine of such heauenly vse if they will not repent and be perswaded Away then with those cursed Cauils that flye vp downe against this doctrine For it is holy it is swéete it is the Lordes It maketh no man set all at six and seuen as carelesse what he doth saying if I be predestinate to be saued I cannot be damned and if I be apointed to death I cannot be saued But contrarywise it maketh men rather carefull to vse meanes as knowing that the decrée of God taketh his effect by meanes And therefore such as rightly vnderstand this doctrine cary in themselues a care not to speake prophanely of any truth of God howbeit they knowe that the decrée of God standeth euer in it selfe vnchangeable and cannot be altered yet looke they not at that but at the meanes that God hath apointed all men to vse either for the obtaining or auoyding of any thing wished or feared And those meanes they vse with all care and diligence séeking the ende by the way ordeyned not any way made retchlesse in the meanes by the end As for example that I may be plaine Rebecca knew that GOD had apointed her sonne Iacob to liue to be a greater man then Esau because God himselfe had tould her that he would make two mightie nations of her two sonnes the elder should serue the yonger yet did she not conclude hérevpon as these men do that therfore it skilled not what she did when Esau threatned to kill Iacob for being apointed to liue he could not be killed But contrarywise she most carefully deuised and most spéedely vsed meanes to kéepe him from danger by sending him away to her brother Laban till Esau his anger should be as waged Knowing as I say that the decrée of God did not preiudice meanes but rather binde vnto the same as being to take his effect in time by the same And so she ran not rashly to the counsell of GOD as these men doe but looked what her owne dutie was and vsed that By which meanes her Sonnes both liued and all came to passe well as God had decréed Take an other example as plaine as this In the Acts of the Apostles we read that Paule and his company were in great danger vpon y t sea In so much that they were faine to throw all their lading out and in the end the ship burst in two Before the extremitie of the perill God that is euer carefull to comfort his by his Angel in y t night foretould Paule of all y t should happen had him not feare for he should escape and for his sake all likewise that were with him which were in number 276. soules Héere was Gods couÌ„sell knowen his decree and purpose reuealed which Paule beléeued and exhorted all theÌ„ most firmely to be persuaded of What now Did Paule vpon this coÌ„clude as these men speak why then it skills not what we do For God hauing determined to saue vs we cannot be drowned No such matter but leauing y â— decrée of God looketh streight at the meanes that must be vsed the industrie of y â— Mariners who wold haue stolne away had not Paule preuented them the streÌ„gthning of their bodies by taking some meat Which being don such as could swim threw themselues first into the Sea y t getting to land they might helpe