superstition found only among some silly women but also among some of the Priests whom S. Chrysostâ—me Chrâ—s in Mat. hom 43. sharply taxeth saying Tell me thou doating Priest is not the Gospell daily read and heard of men in the Church Whom then it doth not profit being receiued by the eares can it saue being hanged about their necks For wherein consisteth the vertue of the Gospell In the formes of the letters or in the vnderstanding of the sense If in the figures then dost thou wel to hang it about thy necke but if in the vnderstanding then would it doe the more good being placed in thine heart then hanged about thy necke Neither haue the Sacraments which are visible words any supernaturall grace annexed to the outward Elements but as Aug. in Joh. hom 89. 1 Cor. 11. 29. they represent vnto the mind an invisible grace and shadow out and suggest diuine things to the vnderstanding that so they may be viewed and reviewed againe and againe and that they being once rightly apprehended may be stil apprehended better and better How is it saith S. Austin that water doth touch the body and cleanse the soule but by the means of the word Aug in Ioh hom 80. And that not because it is pronounced with the tongue but beleeued by the heart the right vse of the sacred signe being so Verba sunt signa rerum conceiued as it is opened and taught in the word And verily to what end were both Words and Sacraments Sacramentum est visibile sâ—gnuÌ„ invisibilis gratiae Aug. de doct Christian l. 4. c. 8 ordained but that they being signes of things they might open vnto vs the things whereof they are signes Insomuch as S. Austin saith it skilleth not how polished the tongue bee that we speake in but how sit it be to make manifest our minde and meaning For that as a wooden key may steed vs more then a key of gold if it be more sit to open that which is shut so a base and simple language may doe vs more good then a learned and polished if that it make knowne vnto vs that which was vnknowne And therefore the diuine seruice of God that is to be performed by the people of God is to bee deliuered in their vulgar tongue that they may vnderstand what they doe The which thing is so behoofull and necessary that the Apostle commanded that such as vttered diuine mysteries in strange tongues which were giuen euen by the miraculous operation of the Holy Ghost should keep silence in the Church vnlesse the meaning of the speech were presently expounded â— Cor. 14. 28. that so the hearers might receiue ediâ—ication thereby For all things in the Church ought to be done to edification and no word â—ught especially there to be uttered idly or in vaine And Isai 45. 9 therefore whereas wordes vttered in an vnknowne language are without proâ—it and vaine they are not to be vttered in the Church of God Yea albeit the words themselues be vnderstood Legere non intellâ—gere est negligere yet if the sense and meaning of them be not rightly conceiued they are as our Sauiour saith as seed sowne by the Mat. 13. 9. high way side which can yeeld no manner of fruit And verily as not the words but the meaning of the Law is the Law so not the words but the meaning of the Gospell of Christ is the Gospell of Christ The Scripture saith S. Ierome consisteth not in the reading but in the vnderstanding And againe Hier. advers Luciferianos Hier. in cap. 1. epist ad Gal. saith he let vs not thinke that the Gospell consisteth in the words of the Scriptures but in the sense not in the outward shew but in the marrow not in the leaues oâ— the language but in the root of the reason Wherefore Chrysostome's aduise is very behoofull that wee should diligently watch or rather saith he we haue need of Chrys in Ioh. hom 39 the grace of God that we insist not vpon the bare words seeing thereby heretickes fall into errour For as the right sense of the Word of God maketh it to be the true Word of God so a wrong sense forged by man maketh it to be the word of man yea a cursed gloze thereof made by the suggestion of that cursed serpent Satan cleane corrupteth the Text and maketh that which in the syllables and words is the very Word of God to be in the corrupt sense the very word of the Diuell And therefore such as be carefull not to fall into errour nor to turne the Word of God into the Word of the Diuell must Tertul. advers Prax. as Tertullian aduiseth exercise themselues to the sense of the matter and not to the sound of the words Yea if they will receiue any profit at all by the Word of God they must giue all diligence that they may attaine to the right sense and vnderstanding of the same For the word profiteth not vnlesse it bee Heb. 4. 2. mixed with Faith Now a right faith standeth vpon a true vnderstanding of that we beleeue For we cannot giue a right assent of â—aith to that which we doe not rightly vnderstand And therefore the weaker or stronger our apprehension of the mysteries of the Word of God is the weaker or stronger is our Faith As it appeareth in the very Apostles themselues who liuing with Christ himselfe and being oft taught by him the mysteries of godlines yet were a long time very weake in Faith for that they were very weake in knowledge But when our blessed Sauiour after his resurrection had opened their minds and had made them to vnderstand the sense of the Scriptures Luc. 24. 45 then they attained to a greater measure of Faith For growth in the right knowledge of the word of grace doth bring with 2 Pet. 3. 18. it growth in grace it selfe Wherefore it is no meane mercy when God doth bestow vpon any persons the true and certaine knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdome of God seeing it is a sure signe that he Mat. 13. 11. hath admitted all such into the couenant of grace in whose hearts hee hath written his holy Lawes by giuing them the right vnderstanding of them For the soule of man is as a Table Ier. 31. 31. 2 Cor. 3. 3. Prov. 7. 3 Apoc. 20. 12 board or as a register or a booke of records and the firme conceiuing of a thing in the minde and the sure laying vp thereof in the memory is as the drawâ—ng or grauing in a Table board or as the writing of it in a booke of record And therefore when the diuine doctrine of the Word of God is rightly apprehended by our vnderstanding and firmely layed vp and settled in our memory it is as it were printed and grauen in our soules so doth thereby assâ—râ— our Consciences that wee are the beloued people of â—od For
life are doubled and trebled in holy Scripture that they might procure of vs a fuller faith So and so good is our gracious God vnto vs which are so and so vnworthy of the least of his mercies that as he hath stored the earth with great variety of bodily food and physicke for the preseruing and recouering of the life health of our bodies so he hath prouided in the Scriptures great abundance of spirituall food and physicke for the maintenance and restitution of the life and health of our soules One kinde of bodily food and one kinde of dressing doth not sauour alike to euery stomacke and therefore God hath prouided variety of both so one motiue to faith and repentance nor the deliuery thereof after one manner doth fit euery ones spirituall taste and stomacke therefore hath the Lord ordained great abundance of both Yea as the Lord gaue sundry signes and wonders to be done by the hands of his seruant Moses before the eies of the children of Israel that therby they Exod. 4. 8. might vnderstand that he was called sent of God to be their deliuerer out of the bondage of Aegypt that to this very end and purpose that if they would not beleeue nor obey the voice of the first signe yet they might be induced thereto either by the second or the third So doth the Lord furnish the Preachers of the Gospell whom he hath appointed to bee ministers of his mercy for the deliuerance of his people out of the spirituall captiuity of sinne and Satan with great variety of forcible and powerfull motiues and perswasions to repentance and faith that if some of the same will not worke and preuaile with them yet other may For the which purpose also he hath caused the mysteries of godlinesse to be set downe not onely in common and vsuall phrases but also in Metaphores and Allegories and hath lightned them with similitudes and resemblances apparent and manifest to the most simple So the Apostle teacheth that the 1 Cor 15 36. dead shall rise to life and glory by the resemblance of seed that after a sort rotteth and death in the ground before it springeth vp and groweth to maturity and ripenesse So elsewhere he prooueth the vnprofitablenesse of speaking in an vnknowne 1 Câ—… 14. â— tongue by the trumpet which if it giue an vncertaine sound none shall be prepared to the warre and by some oâ—her the like things So he likewise proueth that the faithfull ought not to seeke for life and saluation by the works of the Law seeing Gal. 3. 15. God hath couenanted to giue it to them in Christ Iesus seeing to a mans couenant or testament when it is once made nothing ought to be added or detracted from the same much lesse to the Couenant of God So our Sauiour teacheth that they are Matth. 13. 23. the holy doctrines of his good and gratious Word that causeth our hearts to be good and gracious euen as it is pure and good feed that maketh the ground bring forth pure and good fruit And verily our blessed Sauiour did illustrate with parables all Matth. 13. 34 his diuine instructions which he gaue vnto the people as being the best meanes to bring them to the knowledge of the truth and to their euerlasting saluation which is procured thereby For as our Sauiour himselfe speaking thereof saith if I teach Iohn 3. you earthly things that is heauenly doctrines by earthly similitudes and ye beleeue not how should ye beleeue if I tell you of heauenly things that is after an high and heauenly manner It is impossible saith Saint Denis that the diuine beame Dion de coeles hierar l. 1. cap. 1. should shine vnto vs but vnder the variety of sacred couerings for parables are couerings vntill they be vnfolded and expounded but being expounded and laid open they make manifest and lay open vnto vs spirituall things Christ saith Chrsostome did set out his doctrine by parables that he might Chrys in Mat. hom 45. in Ioh. hom 33. speake more significantly and set it plainer before our eyes for by the resemblance of familiar things the minde is more stirred vp and doth apprehend the thing the better being set foorth as it were in a picture This kinde of opening things is most pleasing and sticketh faster for a similitude or relemblance if it be apt oâ— sit doth shew forth much wisedome Yea no man doubteth as saith Saint Austine but by parables Aug. de doct Christiana lib. 2. cap. 6. things are more readily learned and being sought out with some difficulty are the more acceptable when they are found Wherefore our blessed Sauiour and his Apostles vsed often parables and resemblances taken from earthly things for the better manifesting of their heauenly doctrines and other like arguments also taken out of the booke of nature well knowne to euery intelligent man that is found and entire in his outward senses As whâ—n our blessed Sauiour appeared to his Disciples after his resurrection and they supposed that they had seene a spirit our Sauiour appealeth to the outward senses saying handle me and see me for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me to haue And when Thomas would Luke 24. 39. not yet beleeue the testimony of his fellow Apostles concerning the resurrection of Christ when he appeared vnto them againe he spake vnto Thomas saying put thy finger here and see my hands and stretch foorth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but beleeue The which thing when Iohn 20. 28. Thomas had done he was so conuinced euen by the censure of his outward senses that immediatly he crieth out saying my Lord and my God So the Apostle Saint Paul to conuince the idolatrous Athenians of error for the worshipping of their gods with materiall images alleageth this naturall reason taken out of one of their Act. 17. 29. owne heathenish Poâ—ts saying Seeing we are the generation of God resembling God by our immoâ—tall spirits which cannot be resembled by any materiall image much lesse can the immortall and incorruptible God be reâ—embled by any such meanes So among the Corinthians when there was an abuse 1 Cor. 11. 14. in some of them in wearing long â—aire the Apostle to redresse the same appealeth to the iudgment of nature it selfe saying What doth not nature it selfe teach you that it is a shame for a man to haue long haire So our blessed Sauiour to perswade his Disciples to doe good to their very enemies saith that nature doth teach the Gentiles themselues to be good to their friends and that Christians being aduanced aboue them by Matth. 5. 45. grace should learne thereby to doe good to their enemies especially seeing that sense and experience did plainly teach them that God maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill and on the good and his raine to fall on the iust and vniust Wherefore errours
and vpon the perfection and merit of his obedience For all the promises of God are in him yea and in him Amen And all the faithfull are accepted in him as all their diuine graces and fruitfull workes are spirituall sacrifices well pleasing to God by the sweet odour of the sacrifice 1 Pet. 2. 5. Apocal. 8. 3. of Christ The small measure then of faith and of all other graces of sanctification ought not to discourage the faithfull nor yet their sins of ignorance and infirmitie seeing the sacrifices Leuit. 4 2. Numb 15. 24. vnder the Law appointed by God himselfe being shaddowes of the sacrifice of Christ do assure them that they shall be fully pardoned by the perfection merit of the sacrifice of Christ Yea if any one truly repent and be heartily sorry for his sinnes that haue beene willingly and wittingly committed yet there is a sacrifice of expiation and reconciliation appointed Leuit. 6. 1. Ezech. 18. 22. euen for all such sinnes and a promise of pardon to all such sinners For as no sinne is veniall if it continually please so no sinne is mortall if it heartily displease And albeit sinne remaine in the faithfull as long as they liue yet if godly sorrow woundeth it a godly death shall vtterly destroy it And if in any one sinne be deadly wounded and at the last vtterly destroyed how can it worke such a persons destruction Now albeit the faithfull many times fall yet they neuer vtterly fall away seeing the Lord ordereth a good mans going and Psal 37. 24. maketh his way acceptable to himselfe so that though he fall yet he shall not be cast away seeing the Lord vpholdeth him with his hand For God hath bound himselfe vnder the Couenant of grace that he will not leaue his faithfull seruants to stand or fall at their owne choice but that hee will stablish their wils by his grace that they shall neuer will and resolue to continue perpetually in sinne and vtterly to fall away from God as it is deliuered by the Prophet Ieremy Ier. 32. 40. Now whether this assurance be the forme or the effect of a true faith we need not to be too peremptory herein vndoubtedly the Apostle seemeth to set it downe as an effect of faith By Christ saith he we haue boldnesse and entrance with confidence Ephes 3. 12. by faith in him By faith then we haue boldnesse to come vnto God as to a louing and a gracious Father and haue confidence in him that he will assist and aide vs in all our necessities saith then breedeth boldnesse and confidence but it is nomore the one then the other seeing it is the mother of them both Verily there is a trust or a confidence whereby a faithfull man doth vndoubtedly beleeue and is confident that GOD is a gracious God to all that beleeue and embrace the Couenant of Grace repent loue and feare God and walke in his Lawes and Commandements be they Iew or Gentile Male or Female Bond or Free and this confidence iâ— the very forme of faith if it be not altogether one with it But that trust and confidence whereby a faithfull man is perswaded that God is to him in particular a gracious God and a louing Faâ—her in Christ arising vpon the action of the soule reflected vpon it selfe and vpon it's owne spirituall estate and taking notice of all the Diuine graces of the Spirit wherewithall it is endued is not faith but an effect thereof euen an habit or rather an act of a sanctified conscience lightned with a true faith as our most Reuerend Dioâ—esan now a Citizen with the Saints in Heauen hath auouched in the second part of his Defence against Dr Bishop fol. â—69 and Reuerend Mr. Perkins in his Treatise of Conscience The summe of whose doctrine is comprehended in this Syllogisme If whosoeuer beleeueth repenteth loueth and feareth God and hath a sincere care to walke in all his commandements is most assuredly in Gods loue and shall vndoubtedly be saued then whosoeuer knoweth assuredly that he beleeueth repenteth loueth and feareth God and hath a sincere care to walke in all his Commandements knoweth assuredly thereby that he is in Gods loue and that vndoubtedly he shall be saued But I know saith euery sincere and faithfull Christian by the act of mine owne conscience reflected vpon my selfe that I beleeue repent loue and feare God and haue a sincere care to walke in all his Commandements Therefore I know assuredly that I am in Gods loue and shall vndoubtedly be saued Now to giue a sure and a certaine assent to the maior proposition grounded vpon the vndoubted truth of Gods promises made to all the faithfull in Christ Iesus and to be confident of the infallibilitie thereof is of the very essence substance of faith but to assume the minor proposition and thereupon to inferre the conclusion is an act of a sanctified conscience lightned with a true faith The Church of Rome commendeth doubtfulnesse of saluation as a propertie beseeming Christian humilitie and feare and condemneth the infallible assurance thereof of haereticall security and presumption And yet this Church assiâ—eth her followers that will submit themselues to be guided by her Canons that thereby they shall be brought into fauour with God and so vndoubtedly be made happy and blessed That so we may know that she is Babel the Mother of confusion for that she doth by the contrariety of her actions and positions ouer-throw her owne principall grounds A Romish Catholicke must liue in feare and suspence of the full pardon of his sinnes by faith in Christs bloud and yet if he receiue absolution from a Romish Priest or a Pardon from the Pope he must rest assured thereof A Romish Catholicke must not rest assured of his iustification and saluation by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto him by the free and vndeserued grace and mercy of God but if he be carefull to fulfill the Law of God and the rules of their religious orders hee shall rest assured that he hath not onely merited his owne iustification saluation but also that he hath supererogated thereby for the good of other Nay by murthering of Princes ouerthrowing of states euen against their oathes alleagiance they may not onely merit heauen but deserue happily if it so please the Pope the dignity thereof a Canonized Saint But to erect so great a building as is the assurance of our iustification and saluation vpon so weake and rotten foundations is in truth presumptuous and intollerable folly and madnesse For if we would respect I say not the workes of righteousnesse wrought wholly or in part by our owne free-will but the principall fruits of the Spirit of God and the best duties that the faithfull are enabled to performe thereby are not these Gods speciall gifts making vs indebted vnto God and therefore deseruing nothing much lesse iustification and saluation at Gods hands but if we would consider them as
doctrine of the Romish Church is a provocation to sinne and not the doctrine of the Churches that professe the Gospell Popish pennance and Purgatory are contrary to the Article of the Creed I beleeue the remission of sinnes FroÌ„ such things as be coniugates Iury is not to be esteemed an holy land The will of man is not by nature free in things concerning God All the faithfull are Saints The Bishop of Rome is not the vniuersall pastour of the whole Church The Lawes of God only bind the conscience From the etymology or interpretation of the name True Religion bindeth only to the obseruation of such things as are commanded by God Whereas superstition bindeth to the obseruation of such things as are beside and aboue the former The Laity ought to haue liberty daily to read the holy Scriptures The faithfull themselues and also their Churches ought to be dedicated only to God The faithfull know their own Faith repentance and loue and their saluation in Christ Iesus An implicite that is a blinded and a folded vp Faith is not the true Christian Faith The breaking of a Popish vow is no sinne The Monkes as they now demeane themselues are not true Monkes All the faithfull are saued by the meere mercy of God in Christ. From the definition or description of a thing The faithfull haue assurance both of the Lord 's good will and loue towards themselues and also of their own sincere faith and true loue towards God The bare testimony of the Church cannot make sufficiently knowne any doctrine of Faith A Bishop may be a ciuill Magistrate From the diuision of a thing The signe of the Crosse is not a thing absolutely euill but may lawfully bee vsed at the administration of Baptisme From the whole to the parts or froÌ„ the generll to the speciall Matrimony is lawfull for the Clergy euen after the vow of single life All Ecclesiasticall persons aswell as secular ought to be subiect to the ciuill Magistrate It doth belong to the ciuill Magistrate in his owne dominions to command all such things to be obserued of all his subiects as concerne the diuine worship and seruice of God and therein he hath the highest authority The naturall man hath no free will to that which is religiously good From the parts to the whole or from the speciall to the general The Church of Rome giueth diuine honour to Angels and Saints There are no persons appointed by God for Popish Purgatory FroÌ„ diuine humane testimonies The miracles and doctrine of the Church of Rome are fabulous and false euen by the testimonies of her own vulgar people Learned Writers the ancient Fathers Canonicall Scriptures THEOLOGICALL LOGICKE CHAP. I. QVAEST 1. 1 The Gospell is the only proper and immediate instrumentall cause of our conversion to God and of our faith and loue and of all other spirituall graces and not miracles nor the holy liues and comfortable deathes of the dearest seruants of God nor temporall blessings or corrections nor the authority of the Magistrate nor the wisdome of the Law of God and therefore much lesse the reason of the naturall man THe Gospell is the propeâ— and immediate Acts 26. 18. Ioh. 8. 32. 1 Pet. 2. 23. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Rom. 10. 17. 1 Ioh. 4. 19. instrument whereby God doth open our eyes and turne vs from darknes to light and from the power of Satan to God and doth free vs from the bondage of sinne and doth beget vs againe and renew vs into his owne Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of God Faith commeth by the Gospell For what can giue vs a faithfull assurance of Gods loue but such a pledge thereof as is giuen vs in the Gospell Loue is wrought by the Gospell displaying Gods loue For if we loue them that loue Matth. 5. 47 vs what singular thing doe we Doe not the Publicanes euen the same So repentance is wrought by the Gospell and a godly sorrow Mar 1. 15. for our diuelish sinnes For what can make vs truely sorrowfull for offending so good so gracious a God and carefull from the very heart to cease from sinne and to follow righteousnes if the grieuous agony and dreadfull death of our blessed Sauiour endured for our sinnes being reuealed in the 1. Pet. 4. 1. Ioh. 12. 32. Gospell cannot effect the samâ— Verâ—ly Iohâ— tâ—e Baptist gâ—uing the knowledge of saluation vnto the people for the remission of their sinnes through the tender mercy of God whereby the day spring from an high Luc. 1. 16. hath visited vs did turne many of the children of Israel vnto the Lord their God So the Apostles going out into the whole world and preaching the Gospell to euery creature did cast down holdes and imagâ—nations and euery â—igh thing that was exalted against the knowledge of God and brought into captiuity â— Cor. 10. 4. 〈◊〉 2. 2. euery thought to the obedience of Christ and so converted the whole world vnto God But as for miracles the holy liues and comfortable deathes of the dearest seruants of God the Lord 's temporall blessings and corrections the wisdome of the Law of God and the best reason of the naturall man all and euery of these may bee as good preparatiues to cause vs more readily to receiue the Physicke of our soules but the instructions of the wholesome doctrines of the Gospell of Christ are the only right Physicke and the most soueraigne conâ—ections that are able to recouer our spiâ—ituall health and life For if we liue an holy and an heauenly â—er 46. 1. Gal. 2. 20. life we liue so by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs the whâ—ch faith is wrought by the Gospell The former may be some impellent occasions to induce such as are not yet effectually called to giue an attentiue â—are to the most wholesome doctrines of the Gospell of Christ and to moue such as are effectually called already to hearken more readily and reuerently then before they haue done But they are no helpes to the Gospell it selfe for the working out of the conversion of any Because this word of Christ is not rightly receiued nor doth worke in any one effectually but where it 1 Thess 2. 13 is receiued for it's own sake And verily concerning the power of miracles and of the Church which is a multitude of such as professe the truth they are not able to convert an Infidell but to prepare him make him ready to embrace the Gospell which is the power of God Rom. 1. 16 Aug. de utilitâ—te credendi c. 16 to saluation to all that belieue Men saith S. Austin that are not yet able to discerne the heauenly truth that they may bee lifted vp to it and suffer themselues to be purged from their impurity hindâ—ing them from it haue the benefit of direction of authority which standeth vpon two things whereof the one is
the greatnes of miracles and wondrous workes done the other is the multitude of such as beleeue Verily God would haue all men saued and come thereto by the knowledge of the truth But this knowledge of the truth is learned out of the 1 Tim. 2. 4 Ioh. 8. 32 Col. 1. â— Gospel the word of truth And therefore did the Lord cause so many strange signes and wonders to be done by the first publishers and preachers thereof that the doctrine of the same Marc. 16. 20. Hab. 2. 4. might bee embraced as diuine and heauenly whereunto the Lord himselfe did giue such testimony For the which purpose also the Lord caused so many diuine graces to shine in the liues and such admirable courage and comfort in the deathes of such as were the first Martyrs and Confessors in the Primitiue Church that that doctrine might be receiued as diuine heauenly which wrought such diuine and heauenly effects The which were so euident and apparent that the very enemy was forced to giue testimony thereto with these or the like words These be they which speake as they liue and liue as they speake this is assuredly an holy profession which bringeth forth such aâ— holy conversation this is a ioyfull comfortable faith which breedeth such ioy aâ—d comfort amidst the very terrours of death O vndâ—ubtedly great is the God of the Christians Their light did so shine before men that they seeing their Mat. 5. 16. good workes did glorifie God the Author thereof So likewise why doth the Lord sometimes cause the sweet dewes of his temporall blessings to distill downe vpon his beloued Vineyard and sometimes againe smite it with the sharpe stormes of his cotrections but that thereby he might prepare it to yeeld a fruitfull and a plentifull Vintage And why doth he suffer the Field of his Church sometimes to lye ley and vnbrâ—ken vp and to be at rest and againe at another time doth breake it vp and fallow it but that he might make it sitter to receiue and nourish the Lord's seed and in the end yeeld a better haruest Yea as a wise and prudent Schoolemaster dealeth with his young and tender Scholler sometimes speaking him faire and giuing him an apple or a fig that so he may winne him vnto his will and sometimes not only threatneth him but vseth also the rod that so he may force and compell him thereunto so dealâ—th Christ our heauenly Master and Teacher with vs his dull disciples and Schollers sometimes seeking to allure vs with a liberall largesse of his temporall blessings carefully to hearken to the holy instructions of his Word and sometimes seeking to compell vs thereto by his sharpe corrections the which yet Psal 106. 45 Luc. 14. 23 are neither our Schoole nor our Schoolemaster but the rod rather in our Schoolemasters hand The Church is our Schoole-house and Christ himselfe is our Schoolmaster and the Bible is the Booke whereby we be taught corrections are the rod in Christs hands whereby we are forced to giue an attentiue eare to the instructions of his word by the which we are made wise and learned Christians Prosperity ordinarily breedeth security and choaketh the Mat. 13. 22. Exod. 6 9. Eccle. 7. 9 Iob. 3. 3. â—…r 15. 10. good seed and maketh it vnfruitfull So aduersity maketh many to murmure against God and to stop their eares against all good admonitions yea it maketh a wise man mad as it may appeare by holy Iob and Ieremie who were thereby occasioned euen to cuâ—se the day of their nativity And therefore it is a speciall blessing of God when by prosperity we are stirred vp to thankfulnes and by aduersity to repentance and to take better heed to the wholesome instructions of God's most holy word Blessed is the man said Dauid whom thou chastnest O Lord and teachest in thy Law that thou maist giue him patience in Psal 94. 12. time of adversity vntill the pit be digged for the vngodly And verily when in our aduersity the Lord doth teach vs out of his Word the vse and end of afflictions and maketh vs seriously to lay it to our hearts then is our adversity made profitable vnto vs by the blessing of God I heard Ephraim saith the Prophet lamenting thus Thou hast corrected me and I was chastised as an vntamed Calfe convert thou me and I shal be converted for thou art the Lord my God Surely after I converted I repented and after I was instructed I smote vpon Ier. 31. 18. my thigh In which words we may perceiue that corrections of themselues cause the professed seruants of God to kicke with the heele and that vntill God by his word instruct them they are not effectually moued by their corrections vnto repentance and amendment of life Wherefore when the Lord openeth the eares of any of his Seruants by their corrections it is by sending vnto them a Messenger one of a thousand to declare vnto them the Lord 's most exact righteousnes and seuerity euen against the sinne of his Elect which cannot be satisfied for the same but by the precious Bloud of their Sauior Christ that thereby they might be brought to Faith and Repentance For then will the Lord haue mercy vpon them and say Deliuer them that they goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation Iob 33. 24. So then it is still the power of the Gospell of Christ sounding in the mouthes of his faithfull Ministers that is able to worke the conversion of a sinner afflictions may cause vs more carefully to giue attendance to the Word as in like manner may paiâ—es penalties inflicted by the Magistrates which are the Lord's Lieutenants ordained to this purpose that they should by their penall statutes euen force their subiects to harken diligently to the commandements of God Not that any can be forced to faith and repentance by any manner of penalty or paine whatsoeuer but by inforcements they may be driuen to come to the Assemblies of the Saints where the Fishers of men cast out the net of the Gospell that at one time or other they may be brought within the compasse thereof and so may be taken vp into Noah's Arke So then still it is the net of the Gospell and the hooke of the Word whereby men are taken and brought vnto God afflictions sent of God and penalties inflicted by the Magistrates are but the baites to make some bite at this hooke and poles to make them come within the compasse of this net Nay this worke of a mans vnfained conuersion to God cannot be wrought by the terrours of the Law of God For the Gal. 3. â— 2. Cor. 3. 6. spirit whereby we are begotten againe and made the children of God is not receiued by the preaching of the Law but by the hearing of faith The Law is the letter that condemneth and killeth causing a sinner to flâ—e from God as from an angry and offended Iudge
be iustified by reason but must be taken for truthes without such proofes as be without exception argueth a foolish and a blinde sophister rather then a wise and a sound discourser for to require and begge that things most controversed and wholly doubted of should be allowed of by the adversary and taken Petitio principij for vndoubted truthes is no better then to vse a grosse sophisticall fallacy It is reported prophane Gallen thus to haue censured our great Prophet Moses This man saith many things but proueth nothing As the Atheists of these our last and worst times haue beene bold to auouch that our Christian Faith is voide of all wisedome and reason For so they auouch that Ratio suadet fides fallet credere quam fidere prudens mallet But the truth is that there is more sound waighty reason in the very three first Chapters of the first booke of Moses then in all Gallen's large volumnes as there is more true wisedome and reason in the doctrines of the Christian Faith set downe in the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles then all the Atheists yea then all the very wisest men in the whole world are able to apprehend So that we may most truely auouch of our Christian Faith Ratio suadet fides compellet fidere quam vivere prudens vellet Sound reason doth perswade but true Faith will compell To such as hold faith fast lost life for it is well As it is euident in many thousand Martyres who by the most powerfull and prevailing reasons of the Gospell being setled in the Faith willingly endured the losse of their temporall goods and liues in defence of their holy and Christian profession Wherefore to conclude this quaestion seeing whatsoeuer things were written afore-time were written for our learning Rom. 15. 4. Deut. 29. 29. and are reuealed for vs and for our children for euer all wiâ—e hearted Christians may hence learne not onely to search out the bare and naked Doctrines of faith and godlinesse but also the reasons whereon they are grounded For they must not be still babes feeding vpon milke and standing in need to be Heb. 5. 12. taught the principles of the Catechisme but they must desire to be able to receiue meate meete for men and to digest strong foode They must not be still as Lambes wading in Ezek 47. 5. Psa 119. 129. the shallow places of the Riuer of the water of Life but they must be as Elephants endeauouring to diue into the deepest profundities thereof that so they may be rauished with the wonders of Gods Law For we may see an end of all perfection but the Lords Commandements are exceeding large For albeit we happily may so fully apprehend the learned discourses that be made by humane Authors that we may write nil ultra there is nothing in them that we haue not found out yet when we haue laboured to the vttermost of our power and that all the dayes of our liues to finde out the right sense of euery sentence of holy Scripture we may sit downe in the ende and write plus ultra that is that there is a farre deeper Ps 119. 96. profundity therein then the short Cables of our weake wits are any way able to reach to the bottome thereof Yea if it were possible that we had gained so much knowledge as the Apostle had which was rapt vp into the third heauen Phil. 3. â— yet if we will follow him we must labour still to know Christ and the vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions that thereby we may be more and more conformable vnto his death For vnto the fulnesse thereof we haue not as yet attained neither are we already perfect And therefore we must after a sort forget that which is past and endeauour our selues to that which is before follow hard towards the marke that at the last euen in the last end of our liues wee may apprehend that for whose sake we our selues were apprehended of Christ Iesus And thus haue we deliuered the means whereby Faith is begotten and confirmed now we are to proceed to the definition and description thereof CHAP. IIII. Saving Faith is Diuine wisedome or a certaine knowledge and a setled assent and adhaerence to all Diuine verities necessary to saluation and especially to the covenant of grace as to the meanes of our highest happinesse and our chiefest good FAith saith the Apostle is the full assurance of our vnderstanding Col. 2. 2. and knowledge in the mysterie of God euen the Father and of Christ which bringeth with it all spirituall riches and therefore causeth the faithfull to esteeme of it as of the meanes of their highest happinesse and chiefest good And againe Faith is such an excellent knowledge of Christ Iesus our Lord that maketh the faithfull to esteeme all other things as dung in respect thereof which giueth them such an assurance of their iustification glorification through Christ Phil. 3. 8. that the high price thereof is the marke that they aime at in all their indeauours This pretious Faith as Saint Peter calleth it hath two 2 Pet. 1. 1. singular effects issuing out of the same which are sanctification began in this life and an assurance of a full glorification in the life to come The which because they are the certaine signes and markes of a true faith therefore the Apostle in diuers places doth describe it by the same True Faith saith the Apostle is a gift proper to Gods Elect consisting in such Tit. 1. 1. a knowledge of the truth which is according to godlinesse And that we may know by what diuine truth in particular faith breedeth godlinesse the Apostle hath set it downe elsewhere saying We all behold as in a mirrour the glory of the 2 Cor. 3. 18. Lord with open face and are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. We all saith he that are indued with the eye of faith behold in Christ the mirrour and miracle of the Lords matchlesse mercy the glory of Gods goodnesse and loue he being neuer more glorious then in the same with open face in respect of the reuelation thereof made in former times vnder obscure types and shaddowes and by this cleere fight of the Lords most glorious loue in Christ we are renewed into his image in righteousnesse and true holinesse according as it pleaseth the Lord to begin the same by his Spirit and to inlarge it also Now concerning the other effect of faith the Apostle describeth true faith by it also saying faith is the ground of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene That is faith is such a gracious gift as enableth the faithfull euidently to behold the inuisible things of God and especially his vnspeakable goodnesse and loue and giueth them also in him a sure ground-worke for the assurance of their full glorification which as
haue beene thought by some worthy to be fathered vpon Saint Austine I come more sweetly to my Iesus then to any of the Saints So Saint Austine himselfe in his Epistle to Dardanus O good Iesu O the Redeemer of my soule wherewithall shall I requite thy clemency or satisfie thy goodnesse for not shedding better bloud for thine elect then thou diddest for my sinnes So Saint Cyrill vpon these words Let his bloud be vpon vs and our children To what end should I haue wealth and hope for the inheritance of the goods of this world seeing already I am heire of thy most precious bloud and redeemed with thy most glorious death Why should not I very much esteeme of my selfe seeing thou hast shed as much bloud for me as thou hast done for all the world So Saint Bernard vpon these words of our blessed Sauiour I haue earnestly desired to eate this Passeouer with you before I suffer O good Iesu O the loue of my soule who among mortall men doth desire to make his life perpetuall as thou didst desire to loose thine for me What delight wilt thou take in the world to come with thine elect seeing here vpon earth thou didst call that day wherein thou didst suffer Easter that is a great and solemne festiuall day O good Iesâ— O the Redeemer of my souâ—e doe not I happily owe thee as much as all the world oweth thee seeing I haue cost thee as much bloud as all the world hath done Lastly we may ioine to these Saint Ambrose as one that is ioined with them in the same faith I will not saith he glory Ambros de Iacob vita beata cap. 6. because I am iust but because I am redeemed will I glory I will not glory that I am void of sinne but for that my sinnes are remitted vnto me I will not glory for that I haue profited any or for that any hath profited me but for that Christ is an aduocate to the Father for me and for that his bloud was shed for me By all which confessions which these holy persons made of their faith we may perceiue that it is the proper worke of true faith not onely to beleeue that Christ is our Sauiour in particular and that he shed his bloud as precisely for vs as well as for any other of the residue of the faithfull but also that thereby our sinnes are forgiuen in particular vnto our selues For it is not enough as Saint Bernard saith to beleeue that Bernard Ser. 2. de Annunciat thy sinnes cannot be done away but by him against whom thou hast offended and who himselfe cannot offend but thou must proceed further and beleeue also that thy sinnes are forgiuen euen to thy selfe To doubt of the most singular vertue of the bloud of Christ to purge all the sinnes of all the faithfull were infidelity euen so for any one that beleeueth himselfe to be one of the faithfull to doubt whether his sinnes are forgiuen to himselfe is to betray his hypocrisie seeing whatsoeuer he professeth yet either he beleeueth not himselfe to be one of the faithfull or else he beleeueth not the truth of the promise of the pardon of sinne that God hath made by all the Prophets Act. 10. 43. to all that beleeue Why Manasses himselfe that was a grieuous murtherer of Gods deare Saints and a greater Idolater then many of the Heathen yet when he felt Gods mercy in giuing him repentance he was perswaded that God was his God and louing Father and had saued and delâ—uered him from all his iniquities and sinnes No maruell then that Ezechias the Father of Manasses Esay 38. 17. who walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart and did that which was good and acceptable in his sight and therefore knew himselfe to be accepted of God did make this profession after he was deliuered from his dangerous sicknesse saying Behold for felicitie I had bitter griefe but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe No maruell likewise that Dauid a man after Gods owne heart resoluing with true sorrow of soule to confesse his sinnes had a certaine assurance of the pardon of them as he himselfe testifieth saying I thought I will confesse my sinnes against my Psal 3â— 5. selfe and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne For â—he which benefit being so gratious and great he calleth vpon his soule againe and againe to be thankfull vnto God in the best manner that possibly he could doe saying Praise the Lord Psal 1â—3 1. O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities There be two things that hinder this comfortable assurance in all the faithfull more or lesse especially in the time of some grieuous tentation As first the small measure of faith and other spirituall graces and the great strength of their earthly and carnall affections And secondly the remnants of distrustfull feare of vtterly falling away from God caused by their manifold and daily fals but the small measure of faith and of other graces of sanctification ought not to hinder the assurance of the faithfull because a little faith is a true faith aswell as a great faith seeing more or lesse doth not change Magis minus non variant speciem Iohn 3 16. Apocol 3. 8. the nature of a thing a little faith then is as true a signe of Gods loue as a great the Couenant of grace being made not only with them that haue a great faith but a little also euen with all that truly beleeue The Church of Thiatyra had but a little strength yet she was accepted with God aswell as the other Churches that had greater For workes of pietie are accepted with God according to that a man hath and not according 2 Cor. 8. 12. Matth. 13. 23. to that he hath not The ground that brought forth fruit thirtie sold is commended for good ground as well as that which brought forth a great deale more And the seruant Matth. 25. 23. that gained two talents is praised by his master as well as he that gained fiue For God will not despise the day of small Zach. 4. 10. things neither will our meeke and milde Sauiour Christ break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax Matth. 12. 20. Moreouer when the Lord doth promise that he will be a gracious God to all that beleeue repent and returne vnto him loue him and feare him and walke in his waies he doth not respect the perfection of these graces nor the worth of the workes that proceed from them but these promises are all founded vpon the worthinesse of Christ who is the foundation Act. 3. 26. Gal 3. 18. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Ephes 1. 6. of the Couenant
him so the true Church of Christ being his beloued Spouse and her legitimate children being the children of God will not be fearefull distrustfull whether God will change his kind affection towards them with-draw from them his tender loue Nay vndoubtedly the true Church is alwayes ready to professe and say My beloued is mine and I am his he is my beloued and still loueth me and therefore I will continually loue him and reioyce for euer in his constant loue And so vndoubtedly the legitimate children of the true Church are ready and willing to confesse with their elder brother Saint Paul We liue yet not we now but Christ liueâ—h in vs and in that we now liue in the flesh we liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who hath loued vs and giuen himselfe for vs. And verily such a confession is set downe by the Wiseman in the name of all the Saints Though we sinne say they all Sap 15. 2. yet we are thine for we know thy power but we sinne not knowing that we are thine In which words foure remarkeable points of doctrine are deliuâ—red vnto vs First that the Saints in this life auouch that they are the Lords in his fauour and in his loue and that we may vnderstand how certainly they are assured thereof they double the same asseueration saying that they doe not goe by guesse or stand vpon blinde hope but that they know indeed that they are the Lords Secondly the meanes are â—et downe whereby they know that they are Gods euen because he hath giuen to them a true knowledge of himselfe We are thine say they for we know thy power Thirdly they auouch that their sinnes of ignorance and infirmity doe not take from them this assurance of their faith For say they though we sinne yet are we thine Fourthly they auouch that this assurance of Gods loue is a most powerfull meanes to keepe them that they doe not willingly giue themselues ouer to sinne For say they we sinne not knowing that we are thine And therefore herein also the iudgement of the Church of Rome is contrary to the plaine and direct euidence giuen in by all the Saints in that they affirme that the assurance of Gods loue is a spurre to sinne whereas the Saints auouch and that no doubt vpon their owne experience that it is a bridle to restraine from the same Grace concealed from such as are left to their owne headstrong affections may be an occasion that many are carried headlong into sinne but grace reuealed giueth grace reuoketh from sinne and prouoketh vnto all good workes The grace of God saith the Apostle that bringeth Tit. 2. 11. saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and that we should liue iustly and soberly and godly in this world Wherefore in that the Church of Rome not onely willeth coÌ„mandeth her followers to doubt of their saluation and to feare whether they be in the estate of grace but also disgraceth the security of saluation giuen to the faithfull by the Gospell of Christ being the powerfull instrument of God to worke faith grace it is euident that she is the mother of infidelity and not of faith and that she leadeth her disciples to hellish horrours and terrours the iust reward of fearefull infidelity and not to ioy vnspeakeable and glorious the happy fruit and 1 Pet. 1. 8. issue of a confident Christian faith as Saint Peter testifieth And thus haue I shewed in the clearing and demonstrating of these three last propositions what manner of knowledge that is which I affirme to be all one with sauing faith as first Phil. 1. 10. a wise discerning knowlege wher by we so apprehend Gods loue in Christ reuealed vnto vs in the Gospell as that we esteeme and embrace it as ouâ— highest happinesse and our chiefest good Secondly a sanctifying knowledge whereby we are not onely set in a right course but also are guided to walke constantly in all holy wayes that so we may be made Tit. 1. 1. meete to be partakers of Gods loue And thirdly a comforting and chearing knowledge whereby we haue a certaine assurance of Gods fatherly loue in this present life albeit not Rom. 8. 15. without many conflicts with distrustfull feares and shall at the last be brought to the quiet and peaceable possession 1 Ioh. 5. 19. thereof in the life to come CHAP. VII The vtility and dignity of faith and the great difficulty to attaine thereunto THe vtilitie and dignitie of faith doth hence appeare in that it causeth the faithfull to behold in Christ as in a miraculous mirrour of Gods matchlesse mercy an incomparable treasure of his vnspeakeable loue and to cleaue constantly to it as to their highest happinesse and chiefest good and maketh them desirous from the very bottome of their hearts to make manifest their thankfulnesse vnto him by their sincere obedience to all his Commandements and bringeth also peace of conscience vnto them by giuing them an assurance of the pardon of their sinnes and of their receiuing into grace and fauour with God And not only so but also for that it causeth them continually to fight against their spirituall enemies that would make them to breake their Couenant with God and in the end giueth them a full conquest ouer them al. This is saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5. 4. speaking to the faithfull the victory that is the principall weapon whereby the victory is gotten and the world ouercome euen your faith And therefore it is not without cause that the Apostle Saint Paul exhorteth the faithfull that aboue all they should take vnto themselues the shield of faith because thereby they Ephes 6. 16. might quench all the fiery darts of the Deuill And veriâ—y faith is the first and the chiefest of all those diuine and heauenly graces that are wrought in the hearts of Gods children by the holy Ghost and it is the fountaine and root of all the rest and therefore in diuers places where they are named together it is first named and hath the primacie and as it were the right hand of all the rest by faith Christ doth dwell in our hearts by whom God and all his blessings are made ours 2 Pet. 1. 5. 1. Thess 3. 6. Ephes 3. 17. 1 Cor. 3. 23. Faith saith Saint Austine is Christ in vs and that heauenly Sunne is impaired or increased according to our faith Aug. in Psal 12â— And againe Faith is the very soule of the soule and the life thereof Aug. in Ioh. hom 49. Because it ioineth vs to Christ the Author of life and bringeth with it all other diuine graces wherein our spirituall life consisteth Aug. de Praedest sanct cap. 7. And hence it is that the whole Law is said to appertaine to faith if a true faith be vnderstood Aug. de Fide Oper. cap. 22. And in this sense faith may be
called our whole sanctification for that it worketh our whole sanctification as infidelitie is called the proper and after a sort the only sinne because it is the originall of all vnrighteousnesse Aug. cont Ep. Relag lib. 3. cap. 〈◊〉 For what good thing is there that is not obtained by faith By faith we are iustified Rom. 5. 1. By faith we are saued Ephes 2. 8. By faith we are made the sonnes of God Gal 3. 26. By faith we are incorporated into the heauenly Ierusalem and by it as by a cognizance or badge we are distinguished from all other societies The Catholike Faith saith Saint Austine doth distinguish the iust from the vniust not by the Law of workes but of faith without the Aug. ad Bonif. lib. 3. cap. 5. which those very workes which seeme to be good are turned into sinne Now if it were but in these respects faith might challenge the chiefest place of precedency and honour in the assembly of all her princely Peeres but much more may she doe it for that in her owne proper worke she is imploied in beholding imbracing and magnnifying of all the diuine excellences and perfections that be in God wherein consisteth the most proper and peculiar glory and honour of God By workes saith Chrysostome we obey God but faith Chrysost hom 8. in Ep. ad Rom. entertaineth a meet opinion of God and glorifieth him and maketh him much more to be admired then doth the shewing forth of good workes Works commend the doer but faith commendeth God only and what it is it is wholly his for it reioiceth in this that it conceiueth great things which redound to his glory Wherefore no maruell that the Lord himselfe hath such a respect to faith that all his gracious and glorious workes and wordes tend either to the begetting or strengthening of the same For why hath the Lord accomplished his most glorious workes of the Creation Redemption and sanctification but that they might be testimonies of his goodnesse mirrours of his mercy seales of his speciall Act. 14. 17. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Apoc 7. 2. Ephes 1. 14. Cant 1. 3. Hos 11. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 13. grace and fauour pawnes and pledges of his fatherly kindenesse and loue that so he might draw vs and binde vs vnto himselfe and cause vs to trust perfectly in this his fauour and grace which is thus and thus ratified and confirmed vnto vs So why did our most blessed Sauiour send forth his Apostles into the whole world to preach and publish to all creatures these so ioifull tidings of such inestimable fauours as are contained in the Gospell but that the whole woâ—ld might be conuerted to the faith and might beleeue and â—o be saued As for the same end hath he caused the same to be â—…ned for all posterities that thereby there might be wrâ—…t a sauing Marke 16. 16. Iohn 20. 31. faith in the hearts of all the children of God euâ—… to the worlds end Wherefoâ—e without 〈…〉 most singular gift of God sâ—eing 〈…〉 meaâ—es for the effecting and working thereof yea 〈◊〉 most rare blessing and hardly gotten seeing where theâ—…â—…gular meanes are best vsed euen thereof 〈◊〉 appeareth little fruit When 〈◊〉 more 〈◊〉 an Euangelist then a Prophet had published this doctrine of faith euen to the Lords own people whâ—… waâ— his owne testimony concerning his successe thereof Esay 53. 1. but thâ—… Lord who hath beleeued our report to whomis the arme of the Lord 〈◊〉 Nay when our blessed Sauiour himself came in his own person to preach these glad ridings of the Gospell euen with the mouth tongue of the Son of God after so wise and powerfull a manner that his very enemies did wonder at the gracious words that came out of his mouth and were forced to confesse That neuer man spake as he did Yea Luke 4 22. Ioh. 17. 46. after he had wrought many strange and wonderfull signes for the further confirmation thereof yet all this tooke so small effect that by the testimony of Saint Iohn being an eie witnesse of all these things then also was fulfilled the former prophesie Lord who hath beleeued our report Yea their infidelity Iohn 12. 37. Marke 6. 6. was so great that our Sauiour Christ maruelled thereat And yet behold a thing more to be maruelled at that the Apostles themselues who continually heard our Sauiours diuine and heauenly doctrine and daily saw his wonderfull workes were yet so hardly brought to the faith that our Sauiour after his resurrection forced to reprooue them most bitterly for it saying Oh ye fooles and â—low of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken No maruell then that albeit Luke 24. 25. the Gospel be published and reuiued in these last daies before the comming of Christ to iudgement by many singular and excellent instruments yet when the Sonne of man commeth he shall not finde faith on the earth Luke 18. 8. The truth is that it is an easie matter to beleeue lies because they are agreeable to our corrupt nature but the doctrine of truth teaching the assurance of Gods loue in Christ is a strange paradox contrary to the common opinion of men We saith the Apostle â—each Iesus Christ crucified a stumbling 1 Cor. 1. 23. bâ—ocke to the â—ew and foolishnesse to the Gâ—ecian Or be it that a slender assent and a formall approbation of the doctrine of faith proceeding from some slight apprehension thereof may bee somewhat generall where it hath beene long time taught by the Preacher and commanded by the Prince yet a settled perswasion proceeding from a sure and sound apprehension is vndoubtedly a strange and wonderfull worke of God Without aâ—… controuersie saith the Apostle great is 1 Tim. 3. 16. this mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh iustified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached vnto the Gentiles and beleeued on in the world yea the agreement of faith with the heart of man is esteemed by Saint Austine to be one of the greatest miracles of our Christian profession And verily if either we looke vpon the prophane worldlings we shall see them scorning at the assurance of the faithfull Sap. 2. 13. which causeth them to glory that God is their Father and hath adopted them for his Sonnes Or if we cast our eyes vpon the faithfull seruant of God himselfe when he is in any great spirituall conflict we shall soone see how ready he is to let loose the sure hold of his hope and to plunge himselfe into the gulfe of despaire because he is guiltie to himselfe of offending so good and so gracious a God by his owne manifold and great iniquities and sinnes Wherefore albeit we haue attained to such a measure of faith as was giuen by Christ to his owne Apostles yet had Luke 17. 5. Marke 9 24. we need continually to pray O Lord increase our faith and to say with the Father of the possessed
Sauiour in these Chrysost in Matth. Hom. 30. Hillar in Mat. cap. 9. words did not confute their opinion that God onely can forgiue sinnes but proueth vnto them by his manner of curing of bodily diseases that he himselfe was God and therefore did in no wise blaspheme when he tooke vpon him to pardon sinne Wherefote seeing by this censure of our blessed Sauiour it belongeth to the selfe-same power to cure the sickenesse both of body and soule there oâ—e seeing that neither the Pope by his Indulgences nor his Priests by their Masses can cure the diseases of the bodies much lesse can they cure thereby the sinnes of the soules seeing that also is a greater and an harder Cure QVEST. XXXIII Regeneration is not wrought by the power of our owne free will but by the operation of the Spirit of God Arguments drawne from things that be diuers Ioh. 1. 3. As many as receiued him to them he gaue this dignity to bee the Sonnes of God Euen to them that beleeued in his Name which were borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God By the which manifold denyall of the power of mans will to be of any actiuity of it selfe in the worke of regeneration our blessed Sauiour would giue vs to vnderstand that he is too too wilfull that will yet contradict the same And how doth our free-will helpe to bring vs to God seeing as our Sauiour testifieth No man commeth Ioh. 6. 44. vnto him vnlesse he be drawne Now if we must be drawne when we are brought vnto God what forwardnesse and freenesse is there in our selues Surely as Austin saith Christ therefore vttered these words that Aug. in Enchir cap. 32. we should be perswaded that there is no free-will or merit in our selues for who is drawen or forced if he be willing The truth is yet saith he that no man commeth to Christ vnlesse he be willing but he is wrought vpon by a strange manner by him that knoweth how to worke within men euen in their very hearts not that they should beleeue against their will which is impossible but that they being by nature of themselues vnwilling should by his grace and by the operation of his Spirit be made willing For it is Gods grace that doth preuent vs and of vnwilling maketh vs willing and afterward doth assist vs when wee are willing least wee will in vaine Vndoubtedly in the performance of euery good work done by vs 〈◊〉 our selues both will and worke but this wee doe not oâ— ouâ—selues for it is God that worketh in vs both the will Phil. 2. 13. and the deede and that also of his owne good will For if we take any good worke in hand It is God saith the Apostle that Phil. 1. 6. beginneth the same in vs and it is he also that doth finish the same Wherefore seeing when we are first called to the estate of grace we are vnwilling to yeeld thereunto our will then of it selfe doth not further the worke of the Spirit of God in our Regeneration vntill it be first altered and changed by God QVEST. XXXIV None are elected for their fore-seene workes It is not of him that willeth saith the Apostle nor of him Rom. 9. 16. that runneth viz. that he is elected to eternall life but of God that taketh morâ—y For so God saith to Moses I will haue mercy on him to whom I will shew mercy and I will haue compassion on him on whom I will shew compassion And this the Apostle further sheweth by the Lords different kind of dealing with Iacob and Esau being borne at the same time and of the same parents For before they were borne and when they had done neither good nor euill that the purpose of God might remaine according to election not by workes but by him that calleth it was said vnto her The Elder shall serue the younger as it is written I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau Whereby it is euident that our election doth not depend vpon fore seene Eph. 1. 4. workes but vpon the free mercy of Christ QVEST. XXXV A true sauing faith is not seated in that soule where Infidelity raigneth or any other sinne Arguments drawen from 〈…〉 A true sauing faith being an infused habite a principall grace and a singular fruit of Gods most holy Spirit doth neuer sort her selfe but with her princely Peeres shee 〈◊〉 ioyneth hands with Infidelity or any other her assocâ—… which are the corrupt fruits of the impure flesh For What fellowship 2 Cor. 6. 14. hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse What communion hath light with darkenesse What concord hath Christ with Beliall What part hath a Beleeuer with an Infidell So much more may we say what part hath faith with Infidelity or with any other raigning sinne For these are not onely so vnequall but also so contrary each to other that they cannot be mated and matched together Yee cannot saith our Sauiour Christ serue God and Matth. 6. 24. 1 Cor. 10. 21. Mammon Yee cannot saith the Apostle be pertakers of the Table of the Lord and of the table of Diuels The true sauing faith is not an idle fancy but worketh by loue It is not fruitlesse Gal. 5. 6. and dead but fruitfull and liuing and producing the operations of a spirituall life For if all things obey humane wisedome Iam. 2. 22. if a wise man frame to himselfe his owne estate if hee domineer ouer the influences of the starres if he ouer-rule his owne vnruly affections and ouer-master his owne masterlesse lusts then surely as powerfull and actiue is the true Christian faith which rightly may be called and is indeed an heauenly wisedome Now a sauing faith or heauenly wisedome is pure Iac. 3. 17. peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruit and therefore is not seated in that soule where Infidelity raigneth or any other sinnes which pollute the soule wherein they are seated and filleth it with all euill fruit QVEST. XXXVI Iustification and Saluation are not of workes neither can they be deserued by them Grace and merit fauour and desert are so contrary each to Rom. 4. 4. 11. 6. Eph. 2. 8. Audi gratis tace de meritis Primas in Ep. ad Rom. cap. 3. Bern. in Cant. Ser. 17. Aug. in praefatione in Ps 31. other that whereas Iustification and Saluation proceed from free Grace and Fauour therefore the Apostle in diuers places inferreth that they cannot proceed from the merits of our owne workes So Primasius when thou hearest grace named make no mention at all of merits For as Bernard saith there is no meanes for grace to enter where merit hath taken the possession And therefore as Saint Austin admonisheth if thou wilt needs be estranged from grace then boast thou of thy merits And this inference they had learned of the Apostle who telleth the Galathians
not indure to haue it applied vnto them All meanes are nothing be they neuer so good without the speciall blessing of God as on the contrary side when it 1 Cor. 3. 7. shall please God to blesse the meanes they shall preuaile be they neuer so meane And verily as in bodily wars it is as easie with God to saue with few as with many albeit ordinarily the strongest army the best furnished winneth the field and getteth the victory so in our spirituall warfare against infidelity superstâ—…on and idolatry men of meane gifts by the Lords special blessing may more preuaile then such as are indued with greater graces And yet as the better meanes are the better blessings of God so ordinarily by his disposition and prouidence they doe obtaine the better effect As it is manifest in the Apostles who for that they were indued with the greatest measure of all diuine and heauenly wisedome conuerted more to the faith of Christ then any other of their successours As did likewise those principall men which were in thâ—se last dayes raised vp by God to be the reuiuers of his gracious Gospell spread abroad in a short time the bright beames thereof in many countreys of this West and North parts of the world Daniel and his fellowes may be better nourished with course poulse then some other with a good portion of finer food brought vnto them from the Kings owne table and so some persons may be better edified with a plaine declaration of truth lightened with one or two testimonies out of the word of God then by a great cloud of the same witnesses and by many strong forcible demonstrations but the cause hereof is either in the weaknesse of the spirituall stomacke vnto the which milke doth better agree then strong meat and in the dimnesse of the spirituall eye which can see better with a little light then with a great or in the extraordinary worke of God For ordinarily the greater number and the bigger lights doe giue the greater and bigger light as the better and stronger food doth yeeld the better and stronger nourishment Wherefore the Preachers of the word of God being the Lords stewards and the disposers of the mysteries of God who are therefore set ouer the Lords house that they shouâ—d giue to euery one their portion of food in due season had need to prouide good store of spirituall graine to be laid vp before hand in the baines of their inlarged hearts that therewith they may feed the Lords people to the full As likewise for that they are the Lords Captaines to marshall his bands and companies against the Lords and their owne enemies they ought to be furnished with all manner of spirituall armour that so they may be able to furnish other And verily for any one to take vpon him to discourse and reason without sound and apt reasons and to argue without substantiall and sufficient arguments is to take vpon him to feed without food to fight without weapon to lighten a thing without light and to build without morter timber and stone Wherefore the most wise God hath most prudently prouided for the most plentifull instruction both of Priest and people not only by setting downe in his two bookes of nature and grace all doctrines necessary for their saluation with great variety of all manner of reasons and arguments for the better clearing and confirming of the same but also by often repeating and inculcating of them yea by vrging them againe and againe he hath giuen them a plaine admonition that they should be most diligent to learne those thing ouer againe and againe which he hath beene so carefull so often to teach Verily if we were such as we should be it should be sufficient for vs that the Lord did barely and onely in the booke of the Canonicall Scriptures deliuer the seuerall doctrines of all diuine vereties giuing testimony to each of them but once by the pen of one of his vnerring Secretaries seeing when God speaketh any thing albeit it be but once we ought Chrys aduersuâ— vituperatores monasticae vitae to receiue it with all assurance as if it had beene spoken often times For although when humane testimonies are required in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word must be established and to him that bringeth not a sufficient number 1 Tim 6. 19. of deponents it is by strict law as if he had brought none yet for that God is true and cannot lie nor beare witnesse to any falshood or vntruth or command any thing that is vnrighteous or vniust therefore in his word which is the infallible foundation of truth if he giue testimony to any thing but once vnder the hand of one of his faithfull registers it is as sufficient as if he had testified the same by them all For if Pythagoras his he said it was enough to his scholers for that he was a most learned and wise Philosopher and the Ipse dixit Centurions come goe and doe this was sufficient to his souldiers Matth. 8. 9. and seruants for that he was a most conscionable Commander yea if the Kings witnesse my selfe be a full warrant Teste meipso to all his grants because of his supereminent power and authority then much more the he said it of the most high God ought to be sufficient to his disciples and all that be of his schoole and the come goe and doe this of the most righteous Commander and Iudge of the whole world ought to beenough to worke a most ready and speedy obedience in all his true and faithfull seruants and the witnesse my selfe of the King of kings and Lord of lords ought to be taken as a most full warrant to all his grants by all his loyall and faithfull subiects Wherefore herein we may behold the strange proceeding of our most great and glorious God remitting after a sort his owne â—ight and submitting himselfe in his great goodnesse to our weaknesse and in his high and endlesse wisdome prouiding a gracious remedy for our infirmity For because we are blinde to conceiue and flow to beleeue and hard to learne and ready to forget the holy mysteries of piety and godlines therefore the Lord hath caused not onely doctrines and reasons and arguments to be set downe at once in the booke of the diuine Scriptures but he hath made them to be reitterated againe and againe that thereby they may become lights to our vnderstanding stayes to our faith and helps to our fraile and weake memory So that albeit we are by nature neuer so dull and blockish yet the same lessons being often repeated and opened and cleered againe and againe we shall be thereby enabled by Gods blessing sufficiently to conceiue and faithfully keepe them in good remembrance Pharaohs dreames were Gen. 41. 32. doubled vnto him that the thing opened therein might get of him the better credit so the instructions of faith and an holy