into the vvhole vvorlde and preach Mar. 16. 15. the gospell to everie creature hee that shall beleeue and bee baptized shall bee saved hee that shall not beleeue shall bee condemned And this graunt being thus proclaimed he signed it as it vvere vvith his ovvne hand by giuing testimony thereto by diverse strange signes and vvonders vvhich coulde not bee vvroughte but by his ovvne singer and further ratified the same by his holy Sacramentes as it vvere with his owne sacred seale â—dding therenuto the blood of all his holy Martyrs and vvitnesses vvhich they most willingly shedde for the full confirmation of the trueth of the same Neither wanteth it also the testimony of the sonne of God giuen after a sorte vppon his solemne oath Verily verily I say vnto you hee that heareth my Ioh. 5. 24. vvorde and beleeueth in him that sent mee hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life vnto all which testimonies wee may adde also the vvitnesse that hath beene giuen thereto euen by all the prophets For to Christ giue all the prophets witnesse that through his name all that beleeue Act. 10. 43. in him shall receaue remission of sinnes Now then seeing this doctrine of the gospell of Christ is ratified vnto vs by so many witnesses we ought not only to be fully perswaded of the truth thereof in generall that whosoever beleeveth shall be saued but also in particular that I and thou and he which beleeue shall assuredly also bee partakers of eternall salvation For the generall is no otherwise true then it may bee verified in all the particulars And if I and thou and hee which beleeue cannot bee assured of our saluation then it cannot bee true that vvhosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued seeing the drift and purpose of the generall was to containe vnder it al the particulars If a Prince in the time of a â—utiny or rebellion shoulde cause a generall pardon to be proclaymed to all that woulde submit themselues and accepte of mercy who is so simple that doeth nor vnderstande that the scope of the generall pardon is to assure every one of the rebels in particular that he may enioy the benefite thereof if that hee will submit himselfe and accept of mercy The most mighty Lorde of heauen and earth hath caused to be proclaimed a great Iubile the acceptable yeere an yeare of release and pardon euen to all disloyal and rebellious sinners whoseuer they bee and vvhatsoeuer their offences haue beene if that they will accepte and faithfully embrace his mercy offered vnto them in Christ Iesus ought not then euery particular christian to whom the Lord hath giuen grace faithfully to embrace mercy in CHRIST assuredly perswade himselfe of the remission of his owne sins and of life euerlasting It is vvritten saieth Cyprian the iust shall liue by faith there is the generall Nowe saith he if thou bee iust and livest by faith and if thou rightly beleeuest in GOD why doest thou not vvillingly embrace death vvhereas thou art to bee vvith CHRIST and oughtest to be SVRE of the promise therein there is the vse and benefite which every faithfull christian ought to embrace and to apply particularly to his owne conscience Doth God saith he Cyp serm 4. de mortalitate promise vnto THEE at thy departure out of this life eternall life and doest thou vvauer and doubte of the same in which wordes we may perceaue that the generall promise doeth belong to every faithful maÌ„ in particular as well as if his own name had bin set down in the same that he ought in no case to doubt but assuredly to perswade himselfe of the benefit therof for to be doubtful not fully assured were to be vtterly saith he ignoraÌ„t of God to offend Christ the teacher of faith with the sin of infidelity for one which hath a place in the church not to haue faith in the house of faith Wherefore it is not a falling a way by presumption but aâ— standing by faith for every faithfull christian to striue to assure himselfe particularely of the remission of his owne sinnes and of life everlasting Otherwise why did the Apostle assure the Iaylor in particular of his eternall salvation if he did faithfully embrace the glad â—idings of the gospell Beleeue than in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued thy house holde Act. 16. 31. And why else did our Saviour himselfe thâ— teache giver of faith seeing their faith which brought vnto him the man sicke of the paulsy with the faith no doubt of the sicke party himselfe assure the sicke party in particular of the remission of his owne sinnes man thy sinnes are forgiuen thee So likewâ—se to the penitent Luc. 5. 20. Luc. 7. 48. woman thy sinnes are forgiuen thee thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace As also to the faithfull and penitent the se to day shalâ— Luc. 23. 43. thou be with mee in Paradise And why eâ—se â—…cheth the church of Rome her selfe that her preists in hearing auricular confession can Conc. trid de part fructu poenit c. 3. and doe by the authoritie of the keyes committed vnto them in their sacrament of penance vpon the viewâ— belike of that faith and repentance of such as open their sinnes vnto them giue vnto them the remission of their sinnes in particular assuring them thereof to the great consolation of their spirites and to the peace and quietnes of their consciences For if other men which cannot looke into my heart and conscience so well as my selfe can vpon the view of my repentance and faith remiâ—te vnto me my sinnes or at the least but assure me thereof vnto the peace oâ— my conscience and consolation of my spirite then no doubt but my selfe which can farre better looke into mine owne conscience and behold mine owne faith and repentance then any other especially when Ihâ—uâ—receaued instruction of such aâ— know how to minister a wordâ— in due season may thereby assure my selfe of the remission of mine owne sinnes and of my deliverance from eternall Hebr. 2. 4. Mark 16. 20. condemnation And why did the Lord himselfe with signes and wonders and with â—…vers miracles and giftes of the holy ghost giue testimonie vnto the gospell when it was first preached and confirme this ioyfull â—idings of salvation in Christ sent to all that beleeue but that every faithfull man thereby might vndoubtedly be assured of the remission of his owne sinnes and of his iust title to the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven What shall we thinke that the divine power of God would as it were subscribe to that doctrine which was not heavenly and divine or that the truth it selfe would warrant a lie and that with such strange signes and wonders Neither hath the Lord onely confirmed this doctrine of the gospell of his sonne with straunge wonders wrought by his owne hande but also
vertue of CHRISTS bloode to vvash and clense the staines of all the sinnes of the faithfull were infidelitie or not to doubt thereof but to doubt vvhether it bee availâ—able to purge and clense THINE iniquities sinnes is to bewray thine infidelity in another degree even in that thou beleevest not thy selfe to belong to that number nor yet to bee partaker vvith them of their mercie VVherefore to teach the faithfull that they shoulde bee persvvaded of the remission of their ovvne sinnes through the death of Christ is to plucke vp the rootes of infidelity it is not to teach pride but faith nor to open a gappe to all â—inne and vvickednesse but contrarivvise most effectuallie to provoke to repentance loue and thankefulnesse and to the practise of all other christian dueties Aâ—d in truth we cannot bee rightly offended with our selues for offending so merciful and gracious a God vntill he hath given vs some sense feeling of his vnspeakeable mercy towardes vs in assuring vs of the pardon of our offences and sinnes Neither can vve vnfainedly loue the Lord and desire to be thankfull vnto him as we ought to be vntil we be perswaded that he loueth vs and beareth a kinde affection tovvards vs. Neither yet can we wholy resigne our selues to God vntil we perceiue that we are not our ovvn but that we are bought with a price that so we should 1. Cor. 6. 20 sanctifie the Lorde both in our bodies and in our spirites which are the Lordes My beloued sâ—ith the spouse is mine and I am his he hath Cant. 2. 16. giuen himselfe to me and hath assured me of his loue and therefore I giue my selfe to him and assure him of mine obedience VVee loue him saith Saint Iohn because he loved vs first For as 1. Ioh. 4 19. one fire kindleth another and one heate raiseth vp another so the â—iâ—…y heate of the Lords kindnes and loue felt in the hearts of the faithful doth kindle againe the fiâ—e of their loue and thankefulnesse towards God causing them to busie all their thoughtes and cogitations how they may after the best manner perfourme this there bouâ—den duety and service to God When the Lord by the prophet had mentioned his great mercies bestowed vpon his people of Israel the prophet straâ—t-waies in the person of the people breaketh out into these words Wherewithall shall I come before Mich 6. 6. the Lorde and bowe my selfe before the high God Likevvise David vppon the like consideration VVhat shall I render vnto the Psa 116. 12. 103. 1. Lorde for all his benefites bestovved on mee and againe Praise the LORDE O my soule and all that is within mee praise his holy name praise the LORDE O my soule and forget not all his benefites vvho forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities vvhâ— saueth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindnes In which words we may perceaue that the sence and feeling of the Lords mercies in reâ—…tting to the prophet David his manifold sinnes was in him as a great vehement flame kindling in his very hart soule a most fervent zealous desire of magnifying and extolling the Lords mercies So Mary loved Luc. 7 47. much because manie sinnes vvere forgiven her â—eeling first the great aboundance of Gods loue tovvardes her selfe in pardonâ—ng her manifolde and grievous sinnes vvhich caused in her as it vvâ—re a reflexion and reciprocation of her loue towards God for those his great and endlesse mercies And surely if the small kindenes of a man and that towardes his enimy doth oftentimes â—eape coales of fire on his heade turning malice into meekenesse Rom. 12. 20 and currishnes into kindenes and so overcomming evill with goodnes how much more the infinite loue of God in pardoning our manifold and grievous sinnes being once felt within vs vvill it not possesse our soules with his loue and winne al our affections to his obedience Surely it vvil cause vs to reioyce if wee may suffer any tribulation for his names sake or performe any other duety whatsoeuer that may be grateful and acceptable vnto him We reioice saith the Apostle in tribulations knowing that tribulation Rom. 5. 4. bringeth foorth patience and patience experience and experience hope hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shedde abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost And to say the truth who euer were greater enimies to carnal security and dissolutenes of life more zealous followers of Christ more religious embracers of true piety and godlines then such as aboue all other haue felt the loue of God most aboundantly towardes themselues in assuring them most vndoubtedly of the forgiuenes of all thâ—ir sinnes of their inheritance in the kingdome of glory Wherefore this doctrine which teacheth the faithful to raise vp themselues to a stedfast assurance of Gods mercies tendeth neither to pride noâ— to dissolutnes of life but that doctrine which teacheth to doubt of Gods favour is no better then a flat stepmother to faith and a naturall nurce to infidelity For he that wil rightly come vâ—to God must come vnto him without doubting whereby we see that faith Iac. 1. 6. and doubtfulnesse cannot wel agree together So vvhen God promised Abraham a sonne in his old age adding further that Rom 4. 2â— in his seed al the nations of the earth should be blessed Mâ—t â—4 31. Rom. 14 23 In Gen 4â— The popish faith â—…ke to the Infidell Poets he doubted not saith the Apostle through vnbeliefe shewing thereby that doubtfulnes ariseth of infidelity Wherefore for any that professeth himselfe to belong to the number of the faithfull to doubt of the performance of any of the Lordes promisâ—s in generall or in particular of the promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life made to al that beleeue doth argue a very small faith at the least if it doe not convince the party of â—latte infidelity Non si mihi Iuppiter ipse sâ—…n â—…at â—…am sâ—crem hoc contingere ponâ—… Wherefore as Martin Luther truely avouched if there were no other errors and heresies in the doctrine of the church of Rome but euen this that they teach that the faithful which are iustified before God ought not yet assure themselues of 〈◊〉 owne iustification and of their owne vndoubted calling vnto the estate of grace but remaine stil pensiue and doubtful of the remission of their sinnes and of their interest in the kingdome of glory yet this alone were a sufficient motâ—ue to make a separation from her as being the mother of infidelity and not of faith Div. 3. That we ought to beleeue onlie in God and not in the church or in anie creature THose things which the Gentiles offer vp in sacrifice they I beleeue in God I beleeue the church offer to devils not to God the Iews all hereticks beleeue not in the true God but
out of the same The spirit of God sendeth him not to a second table of penance to tâ—ke holde thereof that by the power thâ—rof he might be deliuered but remember saith he how thoâ— hast received and hearde and holde fast and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 3. repent Now no doubt but he had receiued and heard aâ—d therefore was to hold fast that to the peniteÌ„t humble sinner Christs blood is the purgation of all his sins that by the mediatioÌ„ of his death he doth obtaine remission of theÌ„ not only when he is received into favor at the first but even to his liues end being thereby still pâ—eâ—erued in the same grace obtaining the forgiuenesse of hiâ— dayâ—y offences For so S. Iohn setting downe the meanes whereby the faithfull themselues are continually cured of their dailie infirmities If any man sinne saieth hee vvee haue Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. â—0 our Advocate and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes So the Apostle Saint Paul sheweth that not onely when wee were enemies we were reconciled at the first by the death of Christ and obtained the release of our grosser offences but much more beeing once reconciled and made the children of God by CHRIST wee are still preserued in the same grace and obtaine the forgiuenesse of ouâ—…maller offences by the same meanes The trueth is that none are cured of their sinnes by Christ vvhich continue stil in the same and doe not dayly fight against them vvith dayly repentaunce but yet the physicke is one thing vvhereby the soule is cured and the disposition of the soule another thing vvhereby the soule is prepared that so the physicke may effectually vvorke The preparatiue is one thing and the physicke is another thing the physicke is onely the physicke and nothing else Our Saviour CHRIST is our onely physicke and physition also Repentance after a sort may bee called the preparatiue and the Minister of the vvorde may be to vs in steede of the Apothecarie or as â—he physitions man that is sent to vs vvith the purgation The purgation it selfe is made of none other ingredientes but of the most bitter panges of our Saviours owne passion not of the rootes of our hearty repentaunce neither yet of the fruites of our christian faith that is vvhatsoeuer our sinnes bee and vvhensoeuer they bee committed we obtaine not the forgiuenesse of them by our owne merites nor by the satisfactions of any other but onely by the free and vndeserued mercy of GOD and by the most precious satisfaction of the death of CHRIST All haue sinned saith the Apostle and are deprived of the glory of GOD but are iustified from their sinnes freelye Rom 3. 23. by his grace through the redemption that is in CHRIST IESVS And in trueth otherwise our case were most miserable For in the parable of the debtour the summe of one thousande Mat. 18 24. talents declaring the infinitenesse of our debt doth openly proclaime our insufficiency and inabilitie to discharge the same as also the wordes annexed vvhen he had nothing to pay and I forgaue Psal 130. 3. Iob. 93. Psa 143. 2. thee all thy debt For verily if God should marke what were done amisse vvho vvere able to abide it And if hee shoulde call vs to an accounte vvho vvere able to aunsvvere one for a thousande And therefore our best plea is Enter not into iudgement with thy servants O Lord cal vs not to reckoning put not our billes in suite for we are no way able to make payment we are no way able to make satisfaction Div. 10. That Purgatory is no article of the Christian faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resurâ—…on of â—…sh IF the deliverance of the soules out of Purgatorie had beene an article of the christian faith as it is iudged to be by the church of Rome then it had beene convenient that after mention made of the resurrection of the body out of the custodie of the graue there shoulde haue beene adioyned the deliveraunce of the soule out of the prison of Purgatory the tormentes there being so greate as they say they be the deliverance from thence being as great a blessing at the lest as the raising of the bodies out of their graues should not haue beene altogeather vnremembred especially sinne verie much abounding before the day of the generall resurrection and the Popes pardons nothing so much regarded and his charitie without a fee being not vsual and ordinary Purgatory then must needes be well filled and so the deliverance from thence a great benefite to many Div. 11. That everlasting life is the free gifte of God through CHRIST and noway purchased by the merite of our owne vvorkes 〈◊〉 ever â—…ng IF any thing be bestowed vpon vs by free gift froÌ„ God theÌ„ surely everlasting life is so bestowed as the greatest gift proceeding froÌ„ the most bouÌ„tifull giuer the most excelleÌ„t effect from the most excelleÌ„t cause And why is God else accouÌ„ted a most liberall bountifull free franke and gracious benefactor but that most liberally bountifully frankely and freely he bestovveth vpon his faithfull servantes the most precious crovvne of eternall glory VVhen that bountifulnes saith the Apostle and that loue of GOD our Saviour tovvardes man appeared not by the vvorkes of righteousnes vvhich wee had vvrought but of his ovvne mercie he Tit. 3. 4. saued vs. And verely the glory of this greate bountifulnes must needes haue beene much dimmed if vvee had attained to salvation by our owne merites and not by the LORDES onely mercy The vvages in deede of sinne is death but everlasting life is the gifte of GOD through IESVS CHRIST our Lorde Rom. 6. 23. For our evill vvorkes are perfectly evill and therefore deserue eternall death but our good workes are not perfectly good and therefore eternall life is the free gift of GOD through CHRIST and not a vvages due to the merite of our vvorkes Othervvise vvhy did the Wiseman say Beholde the righteous are here recompenced vpon earth hovve much more the vvicked and the sinner VVhat doth not the LORD as well loue righteousnes Pro 11. 31. to recompence it as he hateth vnrighteousnesse to punish the same Yes verely but this is heere spoken to this end by the VViseman that vve shoulde vnderstand that the sinner most iustly deserueth this punishment vvhereas the righteous deserueth not the revvard And therefore it is not without cause that iust Iob thus speaketh of himselfe If I haue done evill vvoe vnto mee if I haue done righteously yet vvill I not Iob. 10 15. lifte vp my heade being full of confusion because I see mine affliction And vvhy The evill vvorkes of the best are in an higher degree evill then their good vvorkes are in themselues good and therefore in respect of the one they may be rustly cast dovvne vvith the feare of eternall confusion and vvoe but in
that beleeue is the onely meanes not onely to erect but also to establish this kingdome of grace And therefore Saint Paul taking his fare-well of the pastors of Ephesus saith Now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to builde further and to giue you an inheritance amonge them that are sanctified The which word of grace when it was committed to the Apostles they were saide to haue receaued the keies of the kingdome of heaven the which also when it was reiected of the Iewes they reiected together with it the kingdome of heaven The which Worde of grace seing that it is kept by the church of Rome vnder the locke and keie of a strange tongue from the common sort of christians what is it but a ready way to exclude them also out of the kingdome of God 3. In the thirde petition all the faithfull are taught to desire that Gods will may be done of them all after that manner in earth as it is done in heaven of the holy angels all of them according vnto their measure of grace tending and striuing to this perfection The which contending to the estate of perfectioÌ„ the church of Rome reserueth onely for her holy Votaries and for such as be of her Relâ—gious orders who that they may obtaine a greater opinion of holines then any other are saide to be onely in the way to this Angelicall perfection all other estates and degrees of men belike being out of that vvay 4 Now concerning the fourth and fifte petitions if we haue our very breade by free gift from Godâ— giue vs this day our daily bread and not by the merite of our owne vvorkes how then can we deserue remission of sinnes and eternall glory 5 yea if by our dayly sinnes vvee adde continually to the summe of our debts must continually sue for the forgiuenesse of all our dayly and smaller offences how can we then make satisfaction for our grosser sins and merite also more of our creditors goods 6 Lastly in the sixth petition the faithfull acknowledging their great frailty and weakenes to withstand the temptations of sinne and Satan are taught to flie continually to the Lords protection to fence themselues vnder the shield of his power that he may either keepe them from the force of the combate or els deliver them by giving them strength to overcome But the church of Rome feareth no such frailty in her religious Votaries and therfore â— Cor. 7. 2. leaueth them in the hands of their owne lustes by taking from theÌ„ the meanes ordained by God for the avoiding of the same thereby causing them to tempt God by refusing the holesome water ordained by him for the cooling of these their fiery flames CHAP. 12. That the graunt of eternall life is given to the faithfull onely in Christ and not partly through him and partly through their owne workes THe holy and sacred word of God doeth lay open The new Testament â—r Gospell â—…at is the â—oyfull tyâ—ings of â—…lvation 〈◊〉 Christ â—esus Gen. 3. 24. vnto vs two covenauntes of life made betweene God man the oue legall the other Evangelicall The first whereof was made with man presently after his creation and had for the further confirmation thereof the fruite of the tree of life for an holy sacrament and a sacred assurance of the same from the most comfortable vse wherof he was vtterly excluded after the breach of that covenant The articles of this covenant were at the first written in the hart of man and after set downe in the law of God which declareth that it depended vpon our owne deedes And therefore vvhen the Pharisie vvhich looked to bee saued by the vvorks of the lavv demaunded of our blessed Saviour what hee should doe to be saued it was aunswered him that seeing by the works of the law he looked to be saued he should perfectly fulfil the commaundementes of the lavv doe this and thou shalt lâ—… But Luk. 10. 28. vvhen man by his fall had broken this covenaunt and so had stepped out of this vvay that leadeth to life and had gotten into the most daungerous vvaies of sinne and death the LORDE vvho is rich in mercy and of endlesse goodnesse suffered him not long to wander therein but soone reclaimed him and made with him a second covenaunt of life in the seede of the woman that shoulde Act. 3. 25. bruise the serpentes head and in whom all the families of the earth shoulde be blessed And hee appointed vnto him certaine sacrifices at the first for the further strengthening and confirming of his faith as aftervvard he gaue to Abraham the father of the faithfull the signe of Rom 4 11. circumcision as a seale of the righteousnesse before obtained by faith The articles of this covenant are more at large set dovvne in the Apostles Creede but most briefly comprised in the Apostles answere to the â—aylors demande what shall I do to be saved beleeue thou Act. 16. 31. say they in the Lorde Iesus and thou shalt bee saved and thy housholde The opposition of these covenants is set dovvne by the Apostle Moses saith he writeth of the righteousnes of the lawe that hee vvhich doth the same shall liue therein but the righteousnes which is of faith speaketh Rom. 10. 5. on this wise Say not thou in thine â—eart who shall ascende into heaueÌ„ that is to fetch Christ from aboue either vvho shall descende into the deepe that is to fetch vppe Christ againe from the deade For if thou acknovvledge vvith thy mouth that Iesus is the Lorde and beleeue in thine hearte that God raised vppe him from the dead thou shalt be saved For vvith the heart man beleeveth vnto righteousnes and with the mouth confession is made vnto salvation For the scripture saith vvhâ—soever beleeveth in him shall not be confounded So theÌ„ the first covenaÌ„t was fouÌ„ded on our owne obedience the secoÌ„d on the obedience of Christ the first dependeth on works the second on faith not on workes And therfore it is certaine that our deliuery froÌ„ death our recovery to life by the secoÌ„d covenaÌ„tis only by Christ appreheÌ„ded by faith vnles we wil add some third covenaÌ„t of life partly in Christ and partly in our selues partly by faith partly by workes so overthrowe that covenant of life vvhich vvas made vnto vs onely in CHRIST Iesus For as the making of the second Heb. 8. 7. covenant vvas a disanulling of the first so an establishing of a third must needes be a disanulling of the second VVherefore let all true Christians vvay vvell vvith themselues this blasphemous doctrine of the church of Rome vvho hath coyned another nevve gospell vvhich bringeth to vs the ioyfull tidinges of remission of sinnes and eternall life partly through Christ and partly through our selues and so hath disanulled that covenant of mercy which was made vnto vs only in Christ Iesus Neither
be any cause or provocation to sin as it is vniustly charged by the enemies of grace and by the favourites and patrons of their owne merites In this question of Iustification there are these three pointes to be considered First before our effectual calling vnto the state of grace the great sufficiency of our natural corruptions to procure wrath and the great insufficiencie of our best workes to prepare vs and to make vs meete to be partakers of the Lordes loue Secondly after our effectual calling the great inhability of our faith repentance loue and of the residue of our works of grace to merite remission of sinnes and eternal glorie Lastly the onely sufficiency of the obedience of Christ for the perfect accomplishing of this great and weighty worke of mans redemption When the scripture teacheth that man by originall sinne is wholy corrupt and that in vs that is in our flesh Rom. 3. 1â— Rom. 7. 18. dwelleth no good thing the purpose therof is not to detract from man al manner of good for the substance and the naturall powers workes both of body soule are good in that they are the Lordes creatures and the workemanship of his owne handes and the light of reason whereby we are taught that there is a God and that iustice equitie is to be observed in the ordering of our publike private affaires is also good and was preserved by God in the soule of man when he fell from God that therby he might be directed and guided for the better managing of al such thinges as belong to the preservation of this present life and therefore there are yet remaining in man since his fal some things that are naturally and civilly good But there There is nothing in man by nature that is religiously good is nothing remaining in him by nature that is religiouslie good that can prepare fitte vs to the readier receaving of faith repentance further vs to the performing of any such thing as belongeth to the true worship service of God For the very wisedome of the flesh is enmitie to God Rom. 8. 7. and therefore is no friend or furtherer of his service yea it is not subiect to the lawe of God neither indeede can bee So that vntill we condemne our owne wisedome of follie we cannot yeeld over our selues to be guided and ruled by the wisedome of God and vntill wee wholy renounce our selues we cannot be admitted into the Lordes family and houshould Neither is it to be feared least the regenerate man being lightned by the word of God to behould to condemne his owne vniversall corruption and embrace salvation only by faith should therby be induced as Campian CaÌ„p rat 8. The doctrine of iustification is no provocation or spur but a strong bridle to all iniquity sinne avoucheth to wallow still in the stinking and loathsome sincke of all iniquitie and sinne to accuse nature to despaire of vertue to withdraw himselfe froÌ„ the obedience of God Nay the more great grievous his sins haue beene before his conversion the more clearely he seeth and behouldeth the same the more they will stinke in his own nostrels the sooner he wil loath leave them also And howsoever he be tempted to returne with the dogge to his vomite with the hogge to the wallowing againe in the mire either by the remnaÌ„ts of his owne corrupt nature or by the instigations and ensamples of others yet he doth not yeelde himselfe captiue to these temptations but casting his eies backe vpon his former corruptions both originall actual he doth with David most severely condemne them and himselfe also for the same doth thereby sharpen and increase his vnfayned harty repentaÌ„ce and his setled purpose of amendement of life as it is to be seene in the one and fiftieth psalme He taketh not liberty hereby to offend againe and to adde vnto the multitude of his former corruptions but rather protesteth with St. Peter to the contrarie Oh it is sufficient that we haue spent 1. Pet. 4. 3. the time past of our life according vnto the lustes of the Gentiles Now seing that the Lord hath made vs to behould to abhorre our former rebellioÌ„s we must resigne the time of our life to come wholy to God Yea the greater hath bin the number of our former sinnes and the more the Lords mercy in pardoning the same the greater must be our care that we offend not any more so gracious a God and merciful a father by adding vnto the huge heap of our former iniquities Indeed there haue bin some carnall libertines in al ages who hearing that the greater our sins are the greater is the mercy of God in pardoning the same haue turned the grace of God into â—antonnes and haue said let vs continue in sinne that grace may abound But as to the vncleane al thinges are vncleane yea the most holy and pure grace of God is an occasion to encrease their vncleane impure lusts so to the pure al things are pure yea the multitude greatnes of their vncleane sins causeth them to loath and abhorre them the more to loue him the more also that hath most franckly and freely pardoned them all There was saith our Saviour to Simon the Pharisee a certaine lender that had two debtours the one owed him 500. Luk. 7. 41. pence and the other 50. VVhen they had nothing to pay hee forgaue them both which of them therefore tell me saith he will loue him most Simon answered and said I suppose that he to whom he forgaue most And he said vnto him thou hast truely iudged Wherby it is evideÌ„t that the faithful the more they perceiue the greatnes of their sinnes and how much they are endebted and endangered vnto God for the same togither with the great mercy of God in pardoning them all will not take occasion thereby to contemne God to cast themselues againe into the like dangerous sinnes but will loue God the more and take the greater care to testifie the same by their duetifull obedience to his commaundements Now concerning the second and third pointes that are to be considered in this question it is most true that the Psalmist testifieth that no man may deliver his brother no Psal 49. 7. not so much as from temporal death nor make atonement vnto God for him for it cost more to redeeme soules in so much that the Son of God himselfe was to become man that he might giue himselfe a ransome for many And therfore The all insufficiency of any thing that is in man and the all suffiâ—iency of the death of Christ to perâ—orme the worke of mans redâ—mption the scripture displaying the insufficiency of any thing whatsoever that can be giuen by man him selfe for the satisfaction of his sinnes and for the redemption of his soule giveth present testimony vnto the most ample sufficiency of
and mercies vpon them Iudge me O Lord saith David according vnto my righteousnes and according vnto the innocencye that is in mee and againe Iudge mee O Lorde for I haue vvalked innocently c. and verse the eight of the same Psalme O Lorde I haue loued the habitation of thy house and the place vvhere thine honour dwelleth O shut not vp my soule with sinners nor my life with the blood-thirsty in whose hands is wickednes their right hand is ful of gifts and coÌ„cerning the assuraÌ„ce that he had of his own faith the spring fouÌ„taine of al good works he likwise testifieth saying Haue mercy vpoÌ„ me O God haue mercy vpoÌ„ me for my soule trusteth in thee vnder the shaddowe of thy winges shal be my refuge vntill this tirannie bee over Isa 38. 3. past So Ezechias Remember now O Lorde how I haue waâ—ked before thee with an vpright hearte and haue done that which is acceptable in thy sight Remember me saith Nehemiah O my God in goâ—dnes according Neâ— 5. 9. 13 22. to all that I haue done for this people And againe Remember me O God concerning this and pardon mee according vnto thy great mercie Pray for vs saith the Apostle for we are assured that wee haue a good Heb. 13. 18. conscience desiring to liue honestly in all things And in truth how could the actions of the faithful haue beene pure and good except they had beene done in faith and in obedience to God and vpon an assured knowledge that they were wel pleasing vnto him How otherwise could they haue beene so bold and that in lue of that service which then they performed vnto him to haue required at the Lords hands that reward which he hath promised to his faithful servaÌ„ts Or if they theÌ„selues were not fully perswaded of their most comfortable faith godly life of the sincerity of an vpright conscience how came it to passe that the light therof was so great that their most deadly malicious enimies were 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 holie profession which bringeth forth so holie a conversation this is a ioyfull and comfortable faith which yeeldeth such ioy and comfort amidst so great and grievous torments and in the very terrors of death it selfe O truely great is the God of these christians Their light did so shine before meÌ„ that they did see their goods works and glorifie their father which was in heaven and therefore they did much more assuredly see them themselues Wherfore to conclude this first question A true a faithful christian man is not ignorant of the estate of his own soul nor standeth in feare of al his actions he â—s not in doubt of the purity of his cogitations nor yet vncertaine of his obtained grace he cleerely beholdeth the light of his owne holy life and conversation and both by the markes fruits of his christian faith groweth into a stedfast assurance thereof being thereby enabled to make an vndoubted profession of the same according vnto the direction of this our christian creede I beleeue Novv the first question being thus determined the second follovveth whether a faithfull christian knowing assuredlie that hee hath obtained a true saving and iustifying faith may know also assuredlie that â—e is in the favour of God hath remission of sinnes and a iust title to the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven Andradius the maintainer of the Trâ—dentine faith seemeth to yeeld thus much that if we could assuredly knovv that we had faith repentance loue we might also assuredly knovv that vve vvere in the favour of God had al our sins remitted vnto vs. But of the former he greatly doubteth nay he boldly avoucheth with * Duraeus li. 8. de paradoxiâ— other of his fellovvs that we cannot attaine to any stedfast and certaine assurance of the same Now theÌ„ seeing that the meÌ„bers of the church of Rome know not assuredly whether they beleeue or no or belong to the nuÌ„ber of the faithful servaÌ„ts of Christ it is no mervaile that they know not that they are in the favor of God neither acknovvledge the great mercy of Christ tovvardes themselues in remitting vnto them their iniquities and sinnes Whereas no doubt the faithfull servauntes and children of GOD feeling his lavv written in their Heb. 8. 10. 1 Ioh. 5. 20. heartes and knovving that he hath giuen them a minde to knovv him aright and to perfourme in some measure the vvell deserved duety of obedient servauntes and loving children and that according vnto his ovvne prescription in his most sure and vndoubted vvord do knovv also assuredly thereby that they themselues are vnder the covenant of mercy and in the estate of grace that God is become their loving father in Christ hath cast al their sinnes into the bottome of the sea This question then concerneth not the vnfaithfull and vnbeleeuers whether such may knovv whether they are in Gods favor for doubtlesse they may perswade themselues the cleane contrary but the faithful beleeuers only vnto whoÌ„ for the better streÌ„gthning of their stedfast assurance diverse helpes are ministred by the Lord in his word For as in the coÌ„veiancâ— of earthly lands possessions vvhen any thing is to passe from man to man the graunt is set dovvne in vvriting and signed and sealed vvith the hand and seale of the party that maketh the graunte and subscribed vvith the handes or markes of the vvitnesses present for the same purpose that so the party to vvhome the graunte is made may haue good security for those landes vvhich are after this manner passed over vnto him and as in those evidences the cause of the graunte is sometime signified for the better confirmation of the conveiance even so our most gracious and mercifull GOD purposing of his infinite and endlesse mercy in Christ to giue assuraunce to the faithfull of remission of sinnes and euerlasting life hath caused not only the graunt thereof to be set dovvne in the holy scriptures vnder the handes of diverse as it vvere publike Notaries but also the cause of the saide graunt as So GOD loved the vvorlde not so and so had vve deserued and such or such a summe had vvee giuen but So Ioh. 3. 16. God loved the vvorlde that hee gaue his only begotten sonne vvho is the onely purchaser and price of the purchase also that vvhosoeuer beleeueth in him shoulde not perish but haue life everlasting And that vve might bee most throughly persvvaded of the vnchaungeable vvil of the LORDE concerning this his grant he commaunded it to be proclaimed not in Iurie alone nor any one corner of the world nor to one people onely but gaue in charge to his embassadors to publish the same throughout the vvhole vvorld and to entreate thereof vvith every creature Goe yee saith our Saviour
as all the Lords blessings so especially these of the greatest value descende vnto the â—aithful only by gift and what is so free as gift and flovv meerely from the full fountaine of the Lordes most free and vndeserued mercy in Christ and not from themselues and their owne merites All haue sinned saith the Apostle and are deprived of the glorie of God Rom. 3. 23. but are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus And againe the wages of sinne iâ— death but everlasting life Rom. 6. 23. is the gift of God through IESVS CHRIST our Lord. â—astly by grace yee are sâ—ved through faith and that not of your selues it is the Eph. 2. 8. gifâ—e of GOD not of vvorkes least any â—an shoulde bâ—ast himselfe The which with the like testimonies being so evident for our iustification salvation bestowed vpon vs freely in Christ haue as it may be thought forced the childreÌ„ of the church of Rome to devise a double iustification the first proceeding from Gods free mercy in Christ the second from our own merite and deserts But this distinction they learned not of the Apostle who affirmeth that not only at the first we are brought into favor with God by Christ and freely iustified by his blood but also that much more wee are brought to the end of our salvation and to our full and final glorification by the same free vndeserued mercy of God in Christ For so is the Apostles â—llation God saith hee setteth out his loâ—e rewards Rom 5. 8. vs seeing whose we were yet sinners Christ died for vs Much more then being now iustified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath by him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shall bee saved by his life By vvhich wordes it is evident not that the faithfull which are at the first â—ustified by Christes blood are made able to iustifie themselues aftervvard by their ovvne vvorkes and to procuâ—e their ovvne salvation by their owne merites but much more saith he shall they bee preserued in the same grace and broughte to their salvation by CHRIST and by his life And verily if our first iustification by Christ bee sufficient vvhat neede vve seeke for a second iustification by our ovvne vvorkes And if our title vvhich vve haue to the kingdome of heaven by our Saviours death be good enough vvhat neede haue we to speake for any other title Can that vvhich is once iustly mine be made Quod semel 〈…〉 potest mihi â—…quiri pluribus causia by any other title morâ— mine Either can a man haue many â—ust titles to one thing Surely there bee tvvo heavens and tvvo salvations as vvel as there be tvvo iustâ—fications For hovvsoeuer it be avouched in the vvord of truth that God will rewarde our vvorkes vvith the inheritaunce of his heauenly kingdome yet vve must not thinke that so great a revvarde being bestovved vpon so sory a service doth proceede from the merit and worthines of our owne vvorkes but from the meere mercy of him that doth so accept of vs and of our vvorks in Christ as that he doth crowne them with eternall glory The which being bestowed vpon our workes of charity is yet still called an inheritaunce Came yee blessed Mat. 25. 34. of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the worlde that we may still knowe and acknowledge that it is not a purchase made by our owne workes but an inheritaunce freely bestowed vpon such as are adopted into the number of the sons of God by faith in Christ For as for the straitest of our workes if they were squared by the levell of the law they would be fouÌ„d in some respect crooked and those things which seeme in vs to carry most weight if they were weighed in the ballance of Gods iustice they would appeare too light our best righteousnes being in some force vnrighteous and our greatest perfection stayned vvith imperfection Our knovvleâ—ge saith the Apostle is vn 1 Cor. 13. 9 perfect and our charity is vnperfect and therefore to be done away in the place of perfection not that the invvarde graces themselues are then vtterly abolished for they followe vs in death and Apo. 14. 13. neuer faile vs when all earthly treasures bâ—dde vs adevv but that the imperfections vvhich remaine in the greatest graces of the most perfect heere in this vvorlde are to bee done avvay in the vvorlde to come and the foundation of the kingdome of GOD vvhich is begunne to bee laide heere in this life to bee made perfect in the life to come The perfection sayeth Sainte Hierome of all the iust in Hie. l. 1. câ—… Pelag. this life is imperfecte perfection yea all our righteousnesse as faith the prophet is as a menstruous cloth and therefore the most Esa 64 6. holy that liue here should wash themselues with snow water and make Iob. 9. 30. August de tempore â—erm 49. themselues most cleane yet their owne cloathes would make them filâ—hy In the resurrection as saith an ancient father we beleeue that we shall fulfill all righteousnes in respect whereof all that we doe in this life is but very dounge Our humble righteousnes saith Bernard of vve haue Bern. serm 5 de verb. Es They of the Councell of TreÌ„t haue thought themselues better then these fathers cursing al such as be of their iudgment Ses 6. c. 16. c. 25. any at all is perhappes sincere but not pure except perchaunce vve imagine our selues to be better then our fathers who affirmed no less truely then humbly that alour righteousnes was aâ— a stained cloth for how saith he can that righteousnes be pure which caÌ„not be without faulte Where first we may obserue that he tearmeth our righteousnes which we attaine vnto here in this life humble secondly he thinketh it to be so small that he seemeth to doubt whether there be any such thing at all thirdly he calleth it sincere perhaps fourthly noâ— purâ— without all doubt fiftly he affirmeth this even of the best lastly hee avoucheth it to be a meere impossibility to be otherwise hovve can that be pure VVherefore it may not seeme stâ—ange that vvhich Gregorie teacheth that the holy man doth see his very vertuous worke to bee vicious if it come to bee scanned of a iust iudge And that Austin threatneth vengeance and woe against the same VVoe worth the commendable life of man if God should iudge it without mercy Now if Greg. in Iob. l. 9. c 1. Aug. l. 9. Confes c. 13. our very perfection be imperfect and our purity impure our righteousnes as a menstruous cloth and as very dounge if our vertue be vicious and our commendable life deserue a Woe theÌ„ when the Lord doth reward his faithfull servantes he doth not the same for the worthines of their
pride presuÌ„ption or else abuse it to the hardening of their harts by hartening theÌ„selus therby in their sinnes declare theÌ„selus to be bastards not sons being so farre of both froÌ„ the affectioÌ„ also froÌ„ the duty of natural sonnes Why If but a frieÌ„d having testified his loue towards vs â—y some fewe favours should vnderstand that wee stil stoode in doubt either of his sinceriâ—y or coÌ„stancy towards vs did imagm that either he did but disseÌ„ble with vs orelfe that he were vsriable quickly changed would he not thinke himselfe much wroÌ„ged seing he had so wel deserved before had giveÌ„ vs good cause to conceaue better of him And doth God bestowe any gift vpon any of his faithful servaÌ„ts but in al sincerity setled coÌ„stancy with a stedfast purpose to do them good And shal they stil doubt either whether he ever loued theÌ„ at al or else whether he wil ever coÌ„tinue to loue theÌ„ stil Surely they cannot do him a greaten dishonor seing therby as much as in theÌ„ lieth they rob him of â—is sincerity endlea goodnes of his eterâ—al mercy loue Wherfore the most sincere servaÌ„tes of God as they acknowledge themselues to be most highly honoured of God in that hee hath vouchsafed to cast vpon them so vnworthy wretches the eies of his loue and to haue testified the same by the manifold giftes of his mercy eveÌ„ so they are mostâ— desirous to magnify GOD by ascribing every good gifte vnto his most free and vndeserved goodnes and by receiving them al from him as pledges of his great loue and confirmations of his gratious favour yea the more they feele the heate of Gods loue cherishing and comforting them with his gratious blessings the more is the fire of their loue kindled towardes God and the greater is the flame of their obedience and thankfulnes That debteâ— loued most which receiued Luk. 7. 43. the greatest frendship having his whole debt most freely forgiveÌ„ him albeit it was never so great And Mary loued much for that her many sinnes were remitted vnto her albeit they had bin before never so grievous So Peter loued Christ more theÌ„ his fâ—llowes for that he had greater favour to be received the sooner to grace to be streÌ„gthened in the faith before his fellowes albeit he had sinned aboue his fellows And verely Gods grace revealed Gods grace revealed is no cause of sinne but Gods grace concealed and so contemned 1. â—or 2 8. Luk. 19. 42. doth not cause sin but Gods grace coÌ„cealed so conteÌ„ned Gods grace revealed giveth grace soone winneth allowance approbatioÌ„ so causeth al obedieÌ„ce thankfulnes but Gods grace vnknowen is easily coÌ„temned causeth stubbornes rebellioÌ„ that cried out so eagerly crucify him crucify him if they had knowen it they would never haue crucified the Lord of glory if they had knowen those things that did beloÌ„g to their peace they would hever haue so long stood out haue shewed themselues such wilfull obstinat recufaÌ„ts against their God against their owne good If that supersâ—itious carnal woman of Samaria had knowen the gift of God who it was that theÌ„ coÌ„muned with her Ioh. 4. 10. she would not haue stoode pelting with him for a draught of her water but she would without delay haue asked of him the water of life Wherfore the most louing Lord of Abraham Izaak Iacob of al the faithful of what kindred country soever albeit hee doth not vouch safe to shew this mercy to the world of the reprobatâ— as to shew himselfe to theÌ„ yet hee cannot long keepe close his loue from his chosen but doth manifest the same more and more vnto them as hâ—e knoweth it best for them in his divine and heavenly wisedome For if Ioseph could not long keepe in the tender bowels of his brotherly loue towards his vnkinde and vnnatural brethren but that it brake out with streames of teares and disclosed it selfe to their great astonishment and if David could not conceale his fatherly affection towards his most vndutiful and rebellious sonne Absolom no not at that time when he had behaved himselfe so lewdely and had so attempted his vtter overthrow but that it brake out in his straight charge to Ioab his general and to the residue of the captaines of the armie O â—e good to the young man for my sake the which petition whoÌ„ it did not prevaile with Ioab but that he stretched forth his owne hand to take away his life how doth that teÌ„der harted father take on vpon the â—elatioÌ„ therof O my soâ—ne Absolom my sonne my soâ—ne Absolom would God I had died for thee ô Absolom my sonne my sonne And yet the kindneâ— of earthly brethren and parents and that towards their most kind louing brethren children is but as a sparke of the great fire as a droppe to the huge sea of the loue of Christ our elder brother of God our heaveÌ„ly caelestial father CaÌ„ he theÌ„ altogeather coÌ„ceale his loue froÌ„ vs keepe vs froÌ„ that ioy vnspeakable glorious which we are to receive by the revelatioÌ„ therof The foure leapers that came into the Sirians tents whoÌ„ God had caused to flie in al hast to leave their tentes ful of al treasure store when they had wel eaten drunken and hidde also good store of treasure for theÌ„selues considering weighing the great necessity of their prince people by reason of the extreame famine that was among them could reason betweene themselues and say We â—… not well this day is a day of good tydinges wee hould our peace come therfore let vs goe tell the kings â—ousholde They thought 2. King 7. 9. it an offeÌ„ce to coÌ„ceale from their countrey being in extreme misery the remedy that God had appointed for their delivery And shal we thinke that whereas the Lordes owne deare and chosen children without some sence and assurance of his favour loue testified by his manifolde and gratious blessings are ready still to be overwhelined with the horrors of despaire the Lord will not cause the light of his countenance to shine vnto them that so the clouds of distrust that keepe from them the bright beames of his favour may be dispersed and the tempest of dispaire aswaged allayed In deede when they beginne to waâ—e waÌ„ton with peace and plentie and to neglect their duety vnto their good GOD and being at rest heere in this world slacke their passage towards their passagâ— to wordes their heavenly countrey and beeing filled with earthly delights become slow to seek after the true treasure God seemeth for a time to withdraw his favor from them after a sort to hide himselfe to suffer them to bee beaten with many rods â—yea he doth seeme to be grievously offended displeased with theÌ„ himselfe â—o correct chasten them with his owne hands And
them saying if it seeme evill in your eies to serue the Lorde then chuse ye this day Ios 24. 15. vvhome yee vvill serue c. I and mine house vvill serue the Lorde VVhere vnto they answere as it were with one voice God â—orbid that vvee shoulde forsake the Lorde to serue other Gods for the Lorde our God hath brought vs and our Fathers out of the lande of Aegypt and out of the house of bondage and hee did those greate miracles in our sighte and preserved vs in all the vvaie that vvee vvent and amonge all the people through vvhome vvee came And the LORDE did cast out before vs all the people even the Amorites vvhich dvvelte in the lande therefore vvill vvee also serue the Lorde for hee is our GOD. In vvhich wordes it is evident howe these faithfull servauntes of GOD vvell vveighing vvith themselues that the Lorde vvas their good and gracious God who had â—atified his loue towardes them by his manifolde blessings doe take themselues thereby to bee most straightlye bounde to his service and therevpon doe make a most solemne promise and vow to continue his loyall and obedient people The which promise and vowe beeing made by them vpon so iust and sufficient cause they as faithfully and truely kept and perfourmed For it is reâ—orded of them not only in the same Chapter but also Iudges the second to their eternall glory and renowne that they served the Lorde all the daies of Iosuah and all the daies of the elders that everlived Iud. 2. 7. Iosuah vvhich had seene all the greate vvorkes that the LORD had As the religious remeÌ„brance of the Lordes merâ—ies is the cause of all sincere obedience so the wretchlesse forgetfulnes therof is the cause of al rebellious vngodlines ver 10. done for Israell The cause then that kepte this people sound and vprighte in the service of GOD vvas for that they religiouslie kept an holy remembraunce of the Lordes manifold and greate mercies Now on the contrary side if wee will beholde and see vvhy the bad children of so good parentes revolted and fell away so quickely from the GOD of their fathers and continued not in his service and feare see vvhat followeth in the same Chapter VVhen Iosuah was deade and all that generation vvas gathered to their fathers then there arose another generation after them which neither knevve the Lorde nor yet the vvorkes that hee had done for Israell then they did vvickedlie and served Baalim and forsooke the God of their Fathers vvhich had broughte them out of the lande of Aegypt So in the dayes of the Prophet Ieremie the cause also why the badde posteritie of this backeslyding people departed likewise from the Lorde and vvalked after vanitye and became vaine is this for that none saide in their heartes vvhere is the Lord that broughte vs out of the lande of Aegypt that sedde vs through the Ier. 2. 6. vvildernesse through a desâ—rte and vvaste lande and through the shaddâ—vve of death and broughte vs into a good and plentifull land and made vs eate of the fruite thereof So likewise Psalme 78. and the hundred and sixt a like revolte of the same nation and namely of the Ephraemites who descended from holy Ioseph being meÌ„tioned the same cause is added of their revolte They forgate God Psal 78. 106. 21. their Saviour vvho had done so greate thinges for them vvonderfull thinges in the lande of Ham and fearefull thinges by the redde sea For as it fared vvith the children of Ioseph and the residue of the Israelites vvhen there arose a nevve king in Aegypt which Exod. 1. 8. knevve not Ioseph nor did remember those greate commodities vvhich all Aegypte enioyed by his meanes then they dealte most vnkindly vvith them and vsed them with all extremitie even so dealte the vngracious and vnthankefull posterity of Ioseph with the GOD of Ioseph who had advaunced him to bee a father to Pharaoh and the greatest state in all his kingdome vvhen thâ—y forgate the greate mercies of GOD both tovvardes him and tovvardes themselues also then they started aside from his service and fell away from his feare Yea Hos 2. 5. vvhen they ascribed their Corne and VVine and VVooll to Bâ—alim and the fruites of the earth to the hoast of heaven and their deliveraunce from their bodyly enemies to Ashur and Aegypte and their greate plentye to their ovvne pollicie then they forsooke God and followed Baalim and vvorshipped the host of heaven and sente giftes to Ashur and Aegypte and burnt incense to their owne yarne highly magnifying and extolling themselues and leaving of to magnifie God of whom they had not only received all these thinges but theÌ„selues also The which thing also vvhen it vvas forgotten by the wicked Sap. 2. Cap. When they did not beleeue that GOD was their creator that al maÌ„ner of coÌ„modities which they enioied were his giftes but imagined that they were borne at al adventure and left to their owne hands to shift for themselues then like filthy swine they trod vnder foote all feare of God gaue themselues over to wallowe in the mire of their owne sensual and vncleane lusts Come said they lâ—t vs enioie the pleasures that are present Sap. 2. 6. let vs cheerefully vse the creatures as in youth let vs fill our selues with costly wine and ointment and let not the flower of our life passe from vs let vs crowne our selues with rose buds before they be withered and let vs leaue some token of our wantonnes in every place for this is our portioÌ„ and this is our lot So daungerous a thing it is either to forget the Lords mercies or not to beleeue him to be the only fountaine of al good things but to ascribe ' theÌ„ either to our selues or to chaÌ„ce fortune or to the dispositioÌ„ of any creature for it causeth God to withdraw his favour wholy from vs and to giue vs cleane over to a reprobate sense and to suffer vs vtterly to fall away from his feare Yea it not only maketh the Lord to be most grievously offended with such an abominable sinne but after a sort to be vtterly astonished and amased for that there coulde come to passe any such impiety O yee heavens be astonished at this be afraide and vtterly confounded saith the Lord For my people haue committed two evilles Ier. 2. 12. they haue forsaken mee the founetaine of living waters to digge to themselues pits even broken pits that can hold no water And in the very beginning of Isay Heare O heavens and harken O earth for the Lorde Isa 1. 1. hath spoken I haue nourished and brought vp children and they haue rebelled against me The oxe knoweth his owner the asse his masters crib but my people hath not knowne Israell hath not vnderstoode The oxe the asse albeit they be voide of al reason yet haue so much sense as to be serviceable to them by whom
auctority over vs and yet heerein it doth exceede all this and is made most sinfull even in the highest degree for that it is committed against him vvhose mercies haue so farre exceeded towardes vs and haue made vs so deepelie endebted vnto him that if we should most frankely and freely giue our selues and all that vve haue to bee prest and ready continually to doe him service if I saie wee shoulde doe this againe and againe yea ten thousande times more then we are any way able yet we can no way match his vnspeakeable kindnes or be answerable vnto his endles loue To forget him then that hath so remembred vs hath given vs such cause to remember him coÌ„tinually casteth vs downe below all maÌ„ner of â—enceles liveles creatures yea it maketh vs in some sort worse then the very devils theÌ„selues For they in sinning forgate God their Creator saÌ„ctifier but we adde also thervnto the forgetting of God our Saviour redeemer WheÌ„ we defile our selues with the pollutions of the vvorlde vvee forgette that we vvere ever clensed from our olde sinnes and former vncleanes we tredde vnder foote the sonne of God count the blood of the covenant 2 Pet. 1. 9. Heb. 10. 29. as a vile thing of no price and after a sort crucifie againe the Lord of glory We contemne and despise this blessing of blessinges and cleane sette at naught this mercy of mercies or else wee would not so wretchlesly forgette the same We forgett it for if we did carefully embrace remember it it would not be without fruit But we contemne and forget it and neglect the meanes wherby we should be put in continual remembrance of it yea by little little we are drawen on eveÌ„ to hate to persecute these meanes and so draw nearer nearer vnto that sin of sins which maketh vs vncapeable of all mercie From the which sin from al other that we might be preserved The manifold means that God hath ordaned to preserve the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of his endlesse loue in Christ and the residue of his manifolde mercies as 1. the word the Lord hath given vs his holy word to bee alwaies before our eies and so to keepe in vs a faithful remembrance of all his mercies wherin we may record his gracious merciful covenaÌ„t in Christ by the which he hath giveÌ„ himselfe to vs to be our God and hath taken vs to himselfe to be his people wherein we may reade his will and testament in the which he hath adopted vs for his sonnes in Christ made vs heires to all his treasures hath bequeathed vnto vs besides al other gifts that grand legacy of eternal glory wherin we may pervse that autheÌ„tical charter of al these priveledges immunities which we preseÌ„tly do are hereafter more fully to enioy being already made fellow citizeÌ„s with the saints of the houshold of God and incorporated into the heavenly caelestial Ierusalem wherin we may take a true view of the large plenary pardon of all our trespasles and debtes of that great graunt of the free remission of al our sins signed after a sort with the Lords owne hand ratified coÌ„firmed with 2. The Sacraments Doe this in remeÌ„braÌ„ce of me the seale of his sacraments For they were also ordained for the same principal end vse that by the outward resemblaÌ„ce of the visible signes vvith the invisible grace they might togither vvith the word not only represent and sette before our eies the Lords spiritual giftes and graces for Sacramentes if they had no resemblance they should be no Sacramentes but also to assure vs by the bodely receiving of the outvvard signes of the invvard participation of the invisible giftes The Church hath also appointed vnto vs certaine principall feastes as the feast of the nativity of the LORD and of his resurrection and ascension and the like that they might likewise be a meanes vnto vs to 3. Festivall daies continue an holy remembrance of his principall mercies And therefore on those daies there are appointed also to bee opened vnto the Lordes people such speciall parcelles of holy Scripture as do more clearly sette forth the same And for that these feasts come but once in the yeare there is one special day appointed in 4 The Saboth or the Lords day every vveeke that vve should not onely call to minde that God made the vvorld in sixe daies and rested the seaventh blessed it and consecrated it to the holie remembrance of the glorious worke of the creatioÌ„ but much more that we which are ChristiaÌ„s haue the Iewes Saboth traÌ„slated into the day of the Lords resurrection should most carefully record especially on that daie that he both died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification And therefore as vpon the Iewes Sabboth there were certaine Psalmes appointed to be redde publikely to the people for Read these Psalmes hymnes not cursorely for fashion but with relligious and devout attention thou shalt soone finde the fruite thereof the calling to their remeÌ„brance of the blessings of the Lord so in the churches of the ChristiaÌ„s the same haue bin coÌ„tinued even to this day other holy hymmes added therto for the further manifestation of the same mercies And for as much as this publike meeting of the whole coÌ„gregation to record the Lords mercies is appointed by the Lord himselfe to be but one day in the weeke therfore there is a most strait charg giveÌ„ also by the Lord hiÌ„selfe that every one of the Lordes people shoulde privatly every day haue their resort to the word of God and meditate therin day night that so they might keepe a coÌ„tinual remeÌ„braÌ„ce of al those things which never can be too much remembred And least any of the more simple ignorant should pleade either simplicity in vnderstaÌ„ding or weaknes in remembring the Lord in his great goodnes hath provided a remedy also for the same by causing diverse short plaine senteÌ„ces to be sett down in his holy word which are both easie to be vnderstood to be remembred also These and the like seÌ„tences may easily be learned without booke and ought to be remembred when we are by our selues continually 5. The office of the Lords Ministers Psal 105 1. that so eveÌ„ they might haue no preteÌ„ce at al to faile in so behovful necessary a duty As Iob 35. 10. Ier. 2. 6. 5. 24. 14. 20. Ho. 14. 2. And yet least any of the Lords servaÌ„ts should discontinue in this the Lords worke he hath appointed also the ministers of his word to be his faithful remeÌ„braÌ„cers therin to cal coÌ„tinually vnto their remembrance both the Lordes manifold mercies and their manifold dueties that they owe vnto him for the same For if all the Lords people ought not only themselues to be employed diligeÌ„tly about the Lords works but also to further
and prefermentes of this world will growe out of tail with vs and become vnsavoury in respect of the same And therefore as it is a note of a man of earth to haue his heart glued to the thinges of this eaâ—…n and to be greedy to devour the draffe thereof so to haue our heartes set vpon heaveÌ„ly things is a token and marke of an heavenly minde and of a Aug. de Charitate person that belongeth to the kingdome of heaven Let every one saith Austine examine himselfe what he loueth and thereby he shall perceaue to what city he belongeth if he loue the world and worldly things as flâ—…lenes riches and honour he is a citizen of Babylon but if he loue God he is a citizen of Ierusalem 5. The last is in respect of that infinite and endles loue of God which is confirmed vnto vs in Christ Iesus to desire by all meanes possible to shewe a dutifull thankefulnes vnto him both by louing the thinges which he loueth and by honouring the persons which he honoureth If yee know saith S. Iohn that God is righteous knowe yee also that he which 1. Ioh. 2. 29. doth righteously is torne of him For if we resemble Gods image in holines wisedome and righteousnes then assuredly we are Gods children if our fruite be good we are good trees if the streames of our actions runne cleare and pure then it is certaine and sure that the fountaine of our harts is purified by faith and that so wee belong to the number of the faithfull So likewise that a louing affection towardes our brethren in Christ is an infallible marke of a true christian our Saviour Christ himselfe teacheth by this saith he shall all men knowe that ye are my desciples if ye loue one another Ioh. 13. 36. 1. Ioh. 3. 14. Aug in ep Ioh Tract 5 So S. Iohn by this we knowe that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Let everie one saith S. Austine returne home into his owne hart and if he finde there brotherly loue let him be secure for he is already passed from death to life he is already vpon the right hande To loue a man for that he is a man is a pointe of humanity to pitty a man because he is in misery is the duety of mercy but to embrace a man for that he is a christian man is a point of christianity Math. 11. 41. He that receiueth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall haue a prophetes rewarde and he that receaueth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall haue a righteous mans rewarde and whosoever shall giue to one of these little ones to drinke a cuppe of colde vvater onlye in the name of a disciple verely I say vnto you hee shall not loose his reward For he that honoureth Gods graces which he bestoweth vpon his children declareth thereby that he himselfe hath his part portion in those graces and he that loueth Gods servantes for that they are beloued of God shevveth himselfe also to be beloued of God So then these being the sure and certaine signes of a true sauing and iustifying faith if vve may assuredly knovve that they bee in vs albeit they bee in vs but in some measure that is to say If vvee assuredly knowe whether we vnfeignedly loue the most precious word of God and place our vvhole trust and faith onely in God taking the incomparable dignity of the death of CHRIST duely pondered weighed to be the mother â—urce of this our stedfast faith if we reioyce in our gracious calling to the estate of salvation in Christ as in our greatest and chiefest blessednes and in respect therof are ready willing to loue the things which he loueth to honour the persons which â—e honoureth theÌ„ we may also assuredly know that we haue obtained a true sauing iustifying faith that we beloÌ„g to the nuÌ„ber of the faithful But these things we may assuredly know whether they be in vs or otherwise especially vpoÌ„ due examinatioÌ„ triall 1. Cor. 2. 21 Rom. 2. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conscientia I knowe what I know For howsoever we may counterfeite deceaue others who canot looke into the secrete corners of our heartes yet we cannot deceaue our owne spâ—rites consciences whereby we are wâ—…ting to our owne waies as the very names thereof do sufficiently declare vnlesse we will wilfully claspe them and close them vp And yet the couÌ„cel of Trent hath peremptorily defined Con. Trid. c. 9. de fide iustified that none can know by the certainty of â—aith but that he may be deceaued that hee hath obtained grace that is as I take it that he hath attained to the estate of grace Yea our Rhemistes are so shameles Rhe. in 4 c. 1. ep ad Cor. that they are bold to avouch that the very Apostle S. Paul duâ—st not assure himselfe that he was iustified neither could take vpon him to be iudge of his owne heart and cogitations whether they were pure 2. Tim. 4 7. 2. Cor. 1. 12 11. 23. Rom 7. 25. or no contrary to the most evident plaine asseveâ—ations of the Apostle himselfe in diverse places of his own epistles yea coÌ„trary to the plaine words of that very verse whereon they ground this their observation where the Apostle testifieth that he had fouÌ„d his conscience cleare and his cogitations pure I am not saith he guiltie in conscience of anye thinge And vvith as greate vntruth is that iust and holy man Iob charged with the ignorance of the estate of his owne soule and with a doubtful feare even of all his works For albeit hee might feare both in respect of the imperfections of his best vvorkes and also in respecte of his vnknowne and secrete sinnes for vvho knovveth hovve ofâ—e heâ— offendeth and especially at that time vvhen the Lordes hande vvas so heavie vpon him yet what an assured testimonie he had in himselfe of a good conscience and vvhat an vndoubted assuraunce of his ovvne righteousnesse iustice fortitude chastitie puritie equitie vprightnesse compassion mercye liberalitie bountiâ—ulnes magnanimitie and humility he himselfe testifieth most excellentely and at large and if such as know the same would not giue testimony thereto yet Iob. 29. 31. he assureth himselfe that God will witnesse the same and therevpon resteth as fully contented And verily it hath been an ordinary practise of the dearest saintes and servantes of God bâ—ing best vvitting to themselues of their owne innocencye sinceritie and vprightnesse in performing their dutyes both to God and to man not onely vvhen they haue beene falsely accused and slaundered but otherwise also to make protestation thereof even before the Lorde to mooue him to take their cause being the cause of his faithfull servants into his owne handes to cleare them and to succour them and to encrease Psal 7. 8. 26. 1. his graces
the very fountaine it selfe For therefore saith shee he descended and tooke our flesh vpon him and became man that I might be bold to speake vnto him himselfe For as Ambrose also teacheth wee neede not make friends to come vnto God as a Amb. in ep ad rom ca. 1. man must doe that will come vnto a Prince we neede not a spokes-man to procure Gods favour who knoweth right well every ones good deeds but we must bring vnto him a devout minde Where his meaning is that the faithful who are reconciled vnto God by Christ haue no need of any other mediatour to procure theÌ„ Gods favor not that they do not still stand in neede of Christ to be their mediatour be they neuer so righteous or never so holy For as he himselfe else where testifieth Amb. lib. de Isaac animâ—… Christ is our mouth still whereby we speake to the father our eie by the which we see the father cur right hand which presenteth vs vnto the father without whose intercessioÌ„ neither we nor any of the saints haue any communion with God So saith Cyrill also none commeth to the father Cyrill in Ioh. ca. 16. but by the sonne by whoâ— we are brought to the father by the spirite therefore he calleth himselfe a dore and a way and saith none commeth to the father but by me For as there is but one God so there is but one 1. Tim. 2. 5. mediatour betweene God and man even the man Iesus Christ therefore if any man sin we haue not Peter or Paul or the glorious virgin but we haue Iesus Christ our advocate and hee is the propitiation for our 1 Ioh. 2 1. Heb. 7. 27. sins For it is he that hath an eternall priesthoode alwaies living to make intercession for vs and it is he that is ascended into heaven there to appeare on our behoofe before God to be as it were our Lawyer in that celestial court to preferre our petitions to sollicite our suits continually Yea it is he that is that Angell of the covenaunt thâ—… Apoc. 8. 3. doth put the sweete odours of his obedience vnto our praiers whereby they are accepted before God and made a sacrifice of a sweet savour vnto his divine maiesty And verily in whom should we be accepted before God but in his dearely beloved son in whom hee is well Mat. 3. 17. pleased And for whom should our Saviour make intercession but for them whose redemption he hath wrought by his own blood vvho surely vvill not novv post them of to any other advocate not coÌ„mend their suites to any other sollicitour therfore thrice wretched vvere they if they vvould seeke to any other then only to him vvho hath taken their causes into his owne hands Wherefore if vve looke for a good effect in all our praiers and an happy successe in all our affaires we must commend vs and ours only to God and that in the name of our only mediatour and not in the mediation of any other Div. 5. That it would be an impeachment to the Lordes omnipotency if sinâ—… shoulde be done himselfe in no respect willing but altogeather nillinge the samâ—e THe almighty creator and governour of heaven and earth Almighty Iob 9. 12. Ma h. 8. 8. Eccl. 3. 14. Esa 14 24. Gen. 50 20. Rom. 8. 28. whose wil hath his forth in al things whatsoever whose decrees cannot be reversed noâ— his power resisted who is even in that selfe same thing most singularly good wherein man is most notoriously evil who can drawlight out of darkenes and turne evill into good hath made sinne it selfe that proceedeth not from himselfe but from the devill not only an occasion to destroy Aug. coâ—… Pet. l. 3. c. 13 pride and to plant humility in the heartes of his saints but also a way for the manifestation of his most severe iustice in the punishment thereof and of his endles mercy in pardoning the same and of his infinite wisedome in appointing such a meanes for mans delivery from sinne whereby he sheweth himselfe both perfectly merciful and perfectly iust And in these respectes it may be saide that God willeth albeit he never iustâ—fieth sinne but disalloweth hateth and interdicteth the same and that vpon the Aug. Ench. ad Laur. c. 100. paine of eternall damnation Greate are thâ— workes of the LORD saith S. Austine and most exquisite in regard of the * in omnes voluntates â—ius manifolde respectes of his will so that by a straunge and vnspeakable manner that is not done BESIDES which is done AGAINST his vvill because it should not be done if he did not suffer it neither doth he suffer it nilling but willing And yet the church of Rome teacheth that God in no respect willeth sinne but that the sinner performeth the same wholy and altogether against his will Contrary to the iudgmeÌ„t of the wiseman How might any thing endure if it were not thy vvill Wisd 11. 22. Rom. 9. 19. Aug. Ench. ad Laâ—… c. 96. Contrary to the Apostle who hath resisted his will and greatly preiudicing thereby the Lordes omnipotency according vnto the plaine and direct censure of S. Austine in this very case It is not to be doubted saith he but that God doth well in suffering whatsoever is done evill in that he doth not suffer it but in his iustice now verely that which is iust is good Wherefore albeit these thinges which are evill in that they are evill are not good yet notwithstanding it is a good thing that not only good but that evill should BE also For vnlesse it were good that eâ— should BE it should not be permitted to BE of the omnipotent good to whoÌ„ without all doubt as it is an easie matter to doe whatsoever hee will so it is as easye a matter to stay whatsoever he will not The which thinge vnlesse vve firmely beleeue the very first foundation of our christian faith will be greatly shaken wherein we make profession that we beleeue in GOD the father almighty Neither is he for any other cause truely called omnipotent or almighty but for that hee is able to to doe whatsoever he will and the effect of his will is not hindred by the will of any other creature whatsoever So then God willeth the actions of the wicked for he could stay them if he willed them not and had not appointed to draw good out of them by making them a meanes to manifest his iustice in the authors destruction And so the Apostle teacheth in plaine wordes that the wicked and reprobate which are hardened in their sinnes by the malice of Satan and by the corruption of their owne nature are not hardened by the bare permission onely but also by the will and appointment of God He hath mercy saith the Apostle Rom. 9. 18. Nihil siâ— frâ—sâ—ra Frustra fiâ— quod fine carâ—t on whome he WILL and whome he WILL he hardeneth
themselues many also of the râ—probaâ—e beleeue the mystery of the Trinity the truth of the doctrine coÌ„cerning the vvorkes of the creation redemption and sâ—…ctification but they looke for â—o benefite to redounde to themselues by the fame therefore they beleeue and tremble beeing excluded from all hope But this true catholike faith teacheth the faithfull so to beleeue the doctrine concerning God and his vvorkes that they beleeue also in particular that the benefite thereof belongeth to themselues beeing already receiued into the housholde of faith and made members of the holy catholike church For otherwise then by this faithfull perswasion how could they be induced to beleeue in God and to place their assured hope and confideÌ„ce in him For to beleeue that God is a father redeemer and sanctifier to other and to doubt whether he be such a one to me also were but a cold comfort and a very faint and feeble motiue to induce me to beleeue in God to devote my selfe to his service and to associate my selfe to his church VVherefore it is not to be doubted but that the liuely members of the holy catholike church hauing an holy assurance of the grace and favour of God towardes themselues and being resolued that he is now become their louing father in Christ and hath cast all their sinnes into the bottome of the sea doe thereby beleeue and reioyce in Gods mercies and so grow daily by little and little into a stedfast aâ— assured perswasion of their full and finall glorification But the church of Rome teacheth her children not to seeke for any assurance in particular of the favour of God and of the remission of their sinnes by the death of Christ but still to doubt and to be in suspence thereof so by keeping them from the true faith excludeth them out of the number of the faithfull and so by consequent out of the true church Whereas the true church the spouse of Christ hauing a stedfast assurance of the loue of her bridegrome is thereby induced not onely to trust confidently in him and to loue him againe but also to testifie the same by harkening most reverently vnto his vndoubted will and resting her selfe onely vpon his most sure word and yeelding all â— Pet. 1. 19. obedience to the same And hereof it is that this true church is sometime called Gods feilde wherein the most pure seede of his Math. 13. 3. holy worde is sowen and not the darnell and cockell of mens inventions sometime his sold wherein are his sheepe which harken onely Ioh 10 5. to the voice of their sheepheard not to the voice of a stranger sometimes Gods family and housholde wherein he ruleth alone all autority Eph 2. 19. of commanding being yeelded to him sometime the mother of the faithfull hauing her children begotten by the immortall seede of the worde of God and nurced also by the sincere milke thereof drawen out of her two brestes which are the olde and the newe testament Lastly Aug in ep Ioh. tract 3. Apoc. 8. 20. she is called a goldeÌ„ candlesticke for that she resteth not on her own light but holdeth out the candle of the word of God to al such as are of his family houshold to direct them therby in the waies of the Lorde and to detect vnto them all stumbling blockes by pathes which might cause them either to stumble or fall or else to wander out of the right way And the verie name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a convocation or congregation doth signifie a company wakened by the shrill call of the voice of a crier out of the drowsie sleepe of ignorance and sinne emploied in the workes and the waies of piety and godlines By all which appellations is signified that the true church hath her children begotten onely of the immortall seede of the word of God and nourished with the sincere milke of the same directed by the light thereof and alwaies ruled by that autority wakened thereby when they fall a sleepe and reclaimed when they beginne to wander made fruitfull also to all good workes Now the church of Rome hath her children begotten also of the corruptible seede of mens traditions and ruled by her owne decrees and decretals for shee will not haue them harken onely to the voice of the true shephearde vttered in the sacred scriptures nor to be obedient to the commaundement of the master of the family onely therein contained nor to be guided by the candle onely of that vndoubted will of God shee deemeth that foode to be to harde meate for them and therefore shee setteth before them the festivityes of her golden legend so causing the prophecy of the Apostle to be fulfilled who saide that the time should come that men shoulde turne away their eares from the truth and 2. Tim 44. should be turned vnto fables Moreover shee addeth to the Canonicall scriptures the bookes Apocrypha and her vnwritten verities to the written word and whereas the holy scripture is profitable after so sufficient a manner to teach that the faithfull christian the man of 2. Tim. 3. 17 God may thereby be made absolute and perfect shee denieth this sufficiency and perfection thereof and whereas the spirit of truâ—h calleth this word a light she calleth it darke and whereas hee avoucheth it to be easie to him that will vnderstand she chargeth it to be an obscure and hidden doctrine even to the Lords owne chosen and peculiar people yea whereas our blessed Saviour the very wisedome of God speaking to the multitude commandeth them to search the scriptures yet shee very flatly forbiddeth the same Ioh. 5 39. Where by it is evident that seeing shee thus disgraceth the holy scriptures inspired of God that vndoubted worde of the bridegrome and his last will and testament sealed with his own blood calling light darkenes and darkenes light harkeneth not wholy â—sa 5. 20. to his decrees therein contained neither suffereth him to strike the stroke only to rule therewith in his owne family repealing disanulling his direct coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts that therefore shee is not to be esteemed the chast faithfull spouse of Christ but a cursed harlot a faithles adulteresse The which thing that it may more evidently appeare I wil here set downe sixteene distinct direct oppositions betweene the true church and the false betweene the faithfull servantes of Christ and the Sinagogue of Satan the limbes of Antichrist Opposit 1. The faithfull especially vnder the raigne of Antichrist flye only to the scriptures as to the onely sufficient iudge for the deciding of all controversies and that according vnto the precise commandement of Christ and the ensample of his faithfull servantes whereas seducing and seduced heretikes take away this key of knowledge and shut the gates against the truth not onely defaming the faithfull for the study of holy scripture but also disgracing those most holy bookes
it came to the full So that albeit the spouse of Christ remained a pure virgine whiles the Apostles Euseb l. 3. Cap 32. Niceph. l. 3. Cap 16. liued yet assoone as they were dead shee began to be corrupted and wicked erroures beganne then not onely to be sowen but also to take roote in the Lordes fielde The which erroures albeit they were sometimes withstoode and for a time repressed by the learned and religious fathers that liued in those dayes yet being countenanced out by the blinde zeale and superstitious deuotion of the multitude and by the cunning plots and pollicies of their autors and abettors at the length beganne to be receaued for catholike as it may in particular more evidently appeare by the historicall observation of the rising encreasing and growing to the full of that one presumptuous heresie of their Papal supremacy Whereas the strange and wonderfull prevailing of the gospell of Christ as at the first publishing thereof by the Apostles themselues even so at the renevvinge of the same in these last times albeit it vvas vvithstoode vvith all the learning of the greate Rabbyes and Doctors through out all nations and persecuted by the sword of such as were in authority and defamed also with all manner of shameful and ignominious reportes doth manifestly declare that it is the most powerfull doctrine of the almighty â—…b 4. â—4 â— Esd 4. 4â— GOD and that strong and puissant trueth that must prevaile according as it vvas most liuely set foorth in the prophesie of Daniell by the little stone cut out vvithout handes vvhich â—…n 2. 34. brake that goodly and glorious image in pieces and became it selfe a great mountaine so that it filled the vvhole earth wherefore if quicke and speedy prevailing be an argument of the miraculous power of God giuing thereby testimony vnto the truth according vnto Augustines opinion and Bellarmines also then is the doctrine 〈◊〉 22. de 〈◊〉 dei c. 5. of such as embrace the gospell the very truth and the doctrine of Popery a fardell of lyes for that the one prevailed with speed and the other crept in by little and little Opposit 6. The powerfull trueth of the gospell breaketh of all familiar vse vvith the Devill and stoppeth the course of his Satanicall illusions vvhich haue great foorth in his kingdome of darkenesse hee being very familiar with his familiars IN the night Lyons Beares and other savage beastes with the venemous serpentes doe bestirre themselues seeking their pray but when the day appeareth they hide themselues in their dennes and holes and so man hath the safer passage to betake himselfe to his labour euen so in the night of ignoraunce and errour the roaring Lyon redde Dragon and subtile Serpent beareth the svvay and the spirites of darkenesse mightely bestirre themselues to establish and strengthen their kingdome of darkenesse but when the lighte of the gospell beginneth to breake foorth and the day-starre of righteousnesse once ariseth then the powers of the kingdome of darkenesse are shaken and the captaines thereof put to flight For Satan is no vvay able to vvithstande Christ Dagon cannot stand before the arke nor superstition endure the strength and power of true religion So that vvhere the trueth openeth her mouth and teacheth there the Devill is driuen out of the chaire and put to silence VVhen CHRIST sent foorth his seuenty disciples to preach the gospell vnto the Iewes hee testifieth of the effecte thereof saying Loe I savve Satan likâ— Luk 10. 18. lightning fall downe from heaven So vvhen the Apostles vvent foorth to preach the gospell to euery creature the oracles of the Deuill vvere stroken dumbe and his common apparitions restrained and hee vvas bounde for a thousande yeares Likevvise Apoc 2. 1. vvhen Paule had preached two yeares at Ephesus the vvorde of Act. 19 19. GOD so mightely grewe and prevailed that many that vsed curious artes brought their bookes and burned them before all men After the same manner vvhen the gospell beganne to bee preached againe in these last daies the apparition of spirites hath ceased and the arte of coniuring hath decayed vvhich was so common in former ages vnder the popish kingdome that the bookes of that blacke science lay open in some libraries publikely to bee reade and the mysteries thereof vvere almost knowen and practised also of euery priest that was but meanely learned And vvhat ordinary apparitions of spirites then were vvhat familiarity with Robin-good-fellovve the Faires and the like all olde mens and womens tongues can yet testifie sufficiently VVhereby it is evident that it was the truth of God that was first taught by the Apostles amongst the Gentiles and nowe renewed againe in these last daies and that both Gentilisme and Papisme are the very proppes and pillars of the Devils kingdome and the professours thereof his great familiars and friendes Opposit 7. The faithfull haue their fierce and furious affections cooled and softned by the Lords most meeke spirit and milde word and of tygers beares wolues are turned into doues lambes and sheepe but the vnfaithfull delight in cruelty and blood WHeÌ„ the Samaritans refused to entertaine Christ Iames Iohn said vnto him Lord wilt thou that we commaunde Luk. 9 54. fire to come downe froÌ„ heauen to consume them as did Elias but Iesus rebuked them saying yee know not of what spirite yee are for the son of man came not to destroy mens liues but to saue them And the wisedome that is from aboue euen froÌ„ the spirit of wisedome is first pure â—ac 3. 17. then peaceable gentle easie to bee entreated full of mercy c. yea so ful of mercy that it mooveth the righteous to shewe mercy to his verie Pro. 12. 10. beast whereas the very bowels of the wicked are cruell And therefore as Salomon discerned the true mother from the false for that she chose rather to loose her deare childe then that her childe should â— King 3. â—3 loose his life so may we discerne the church the true mother of the faithfull from the false church their cruell hard harted stepmother For in that the church of Rome when shee ruled the sworde among vs spared neither age sexe nor calling but brought al to the fire that defied her impieties yea many also that relented froÌ„ the truth coÌ„sented with her in her Idolatries as it is to be seene in diverse places of the Actes and Monumentes of the church of England in that her associats yet for al this yea for all their deep dangerous conspiracies treasons so often attempted against our Prince country enioy both life liberty also amoÌ„g vs all that haue eies may easily discerne who resemble the savage and blood â—hirsty wolues who the milde meeke sheepe who the tigerlike hardhearted stepmother who the natural kinde mother of the faithfull who the cruell and mercilesse whoore of Babylon embrued with the blood of
only doth this their doctrine of satisfaction and merites greate wrong vnto our Saviour Christ by disanulling the covenant of life made in him and by defacing of the sufficiency of his death but otherwise also it is most iniurious vnto God and tendeth highly to the dishonour of his sacred maiesty 1. First it maketh him like to a very vniust and hard Land-lord whoe hauing graunted an estate in a bargaine vnto a yonger brother vpon a sufficient fine tendered by the elder yet will not let the yonger enioy it vnlesse he fine for it againe himselfe 2. Secondly it maketh him like to a cruell Creditour who hauing the debt discharged to the vttermost by a frieÌ„d yet casteth the poore debtour himselfe into prison vntill he there also in parte make some satisfaction 3. Thirdly it maketh him like to a mercilesse Iudge who hauing punished an ofâ—ence with condigne punishment yet will haue the offender punished againe as if he delighted in the tormentes of the miserable 4. Fourthly it maketh him lesse mercifull then man who doth remitte to his penitent brother all manner of offence and all manner of revenge also 5. Lastly it â—inistreth matter to the malitious to the satisfying of his malicious humor to the full seeing as GOD doth pardon vs so vve are to deale one vvith an other and therefore if GOD doth so forgiue vs our sinnes in CHRIST as that we must yet still either afflict our selues vvith the rigorous vvorkes of Penance or else bee cast into the extreame tormentes of Purgatorie then we may also so forgiue our brother as that we may yet procure his most greavous punishment Wherefore let all true and faithfull Christians abhorre those aboâ—inations of the whore of Babylon yea let all such as looke for forgiuenes of sinne and eternal life by the covenant of mercy in CHRIST Iesus giue the glory thereof not to themselues or their owne workes but onely to the death of our al-sufficient Redeemer And yet let them haue a most earnest care to shew forth their most holy faith by their godly workes not as if they were part of the satisfaction made for sinne or anie parcell of the price giuen for the purchase of eternall glorie but thereby to testifie their thankefulnes to him who hath paide the whole price for that purchase himselfe and hath made for them a perfect and full satisfaction For true faith is not idle nor deade but a living faith working by loue albeit this mother iustifieth vvithout the Fides iustificat ante partum Roffensis helpe of her daughters yea before their very birth as the truth hath forced an enimie to confesse For workes do follovve the iustified man they go not before our iustification even as good fruits proceede from a tree which is already good declaring and not making the tree good Wherfore if we which by nature are wilde oliues being ingraffed in Christ are made good oliues and if we which of our selues bringe forth sowre grapes being planted into the true vine yeeld a sweete liquor if we be made good trees and pleasant plantes such as are setled in the caelestiall paradise we owe that wholy to our engraâ—…ing into Christ by a true faith and not in any vvise to the fruites of our faith the vvhich are only requisite and necessary duties vvhich are carefully to be performed of all such as are called to be pertakers of so greate mercies For as in those landes and liuinges vvhich are holden of temporall Lords ther are besides the fines paide for the purchase of the first estates certaine rentes services and other duties vvhich are also to be performed for the quiet and peaceable possessing of the same liuinges and yet he were but a simple tenante that vvoulde imagine those rentes and seruices to be his whole fine or any part or parcell thereof even so the faithfull which haue their estates purchased for them by the death of Christ in the kingdome of heaven must as it vvere pay their rents performe their services submit theÌ„selues to the custoÌ„e of that heavenly mannour and yet they must neither be so proud nor so simple as to thinke that these rentes services and duties are any part or parcell of that fine that was paid for the first purchase of that heavenly inheritance Chap. 13. That the very end and scope of the sacramentes also is to teach the faithfull that remission of sinne and eternall life is obtained onely by faith in Christ VNTO the preaching of the gospell and Bap isme Eucharist doctrine of the new testament vvere adioyned by our Saviour Christ the sacramentes of the newe TestameÌ„t For it pleased our louing and gracious father not only to giue vs eternall life in his onely begotten sonne but also by certaine external rites and ceremonies to take vs as it were by the hand and to put vs into possession thereof If vvee had beene saith Chrysostome spirituall GOD Chrys in Math. hom 83. vvoulde haue giuen vs these thinge nakedly and spiritually but now for that our soules dvvell in bodies hee giueth spirituall thinges vnder visible creatures Visible sacramentes saith another vvere In quaest ve teris testamenti ordained for such as are environed vvith flesh that by the steppes thereof vvee mighte ascende from such thinges as are seene to thinges that are vnderstoode Saint Austine calleth the sacraments Aug. â—ont Faustum Lib. 19. Cap. 16. in generall a visible vvorde as our Saviour calleth the cuppe in particular the nevve Testament in his bloode because as the worde and testament doth teach our eares that the blood of Christ is the purgation of all our sinnes and his body the bread of eternall life even so doe the sacramentes represent the same doctrine visibly to our eies For certaine it is that in the right vse of thâ—se holy mysteries by the reverent receauinug of the bodely creatures God doth ratifie to the faithfull his graunt and donation of spirituall thinges that is of remission of sinnes and of eternall life in CHRIST IESVS and the faithfull in the religiouâ— vse thereof do againe for their part after a sort vow vnto GOD that they will seeke for the same blessinges onely by Christ and not by any other meanes whatsoever VVherefore the members of the church of Rome seeking for remission of sinnes and eternall life not onely by CHRIST but also by their owne merites and satisfactions may worthely be charged not onely as transgressors of the new TestameÌ„t but also as violaters of the holy sacraments and breakers of that solemne and sacred vovve made at thereceauing of these holy mysteries Yea vvhereas in the religious vse of the sacramentes GOD giueth vs CHRIST vvith all his blessinges according vnto the plaine vvordes of the institution of the LORDES supper take yee eate yee this is my body the church of Rome hath turned this tipsie turvy and vvill not so much receaue CHRIST therein as a sacrifice already offered to GOD for them
his owne most free and vndeserved goodnes in Christ he hath bound himselfe by promise to giue them a reward And as for the least sin that is bee it but a desire to The most heavy burden even of the lightest sinne and the great deformity of the least iniquity steale a sticke out of thy neighbours hedge or to eate an apple of the forbidden tree seeing in doing the same either we set God so at naught that we vtterly forget him his holy commandements Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house c. Cursed is he that continueth not in every point of the law to doe it wheras we ought most religiouslie to keepe a constant and continual remembrance thereof Or if we remembring the coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of God the heavy curse annexed to the transgression of the same yet blesse our selues and promise our selues peace when God menaceth warre and so giue more credit to the suggestions of Satan then to the sacred testimonies and oracles of God harkening to the devil rather then to God and preferring the devil before God seeing herein as much as in vs lieth we robbe God of his truth and iustice of his soveraigne auctority over vs by refusing him to raigne over vs and making choice of the devil to be ruled by him taking after a sort the scepter out of the Lordes hand and the crowne from his head giuing them vnto the Devill if the Lord for this so intollerable an indignity should depriue vs vtterly of his favour and loue and of all his gracious giftes blessinges and deliver vs cleane over vnto the devill to bee partakers with him of al maÌ„ner of curses plagues what should he doe heerein but that in al iustice right is most due vnto vs And how should he herein serve vs also but even according vnto our owne choice For the lesser the commodity or pleasure is for the which wee are so soone perswaded to cast away God and to set his coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts at naught the more manifestly is our vile corruption convicted in that we are so quickly hyred to so wicked a workâ— vpon so base and meane wages And heereof it is that Samuel is bold to cal the traÌ„sgression of Saul in sparing the Gigantum more bellare cum deo best of the sheepe oxen at the earnest motion as it seemeth of the people that to this end to offer sacrifice vnto God rebellion for that therin he did rebel against God ioyne himselfe to that notorious rebell Satan not only so but he further likeneth it to the most odious and abominable sin of Idolatrie and witchcraft And verely as the witch renounceth God giveth her selfe vnto the devil and the Idolater forsaketh the worship and service of God and betaketh himselfe to the service of the Deuill euen so every sinner euen in the smallest and least sinne as much as in himselfe lieth casteth away God and maketh choice of the deuil and therefore if the Lord shoulde vtterly cast him of for the same deliuer him ouer to that cursed serpent to haue his part with him in his torments plagues he should do no other thing therin theÌ„ that which is most iustly deserued And verelie had not our alsufficient Savior made full satisfaction by his most precious bloode for the least as wel as for the greatest of the sinnes of the elect theÌ„selues had not he procured a pardon for the same they woulde haue beene so heauy and burdensome vnto them that they would haue pressed them downe to the bottomlesse pit of hel Neither would their holy life either past or to come haue beene able to haue diâ—charged them of the burden thereof For if one otherwise a very good subiect and of most ciuil and vpright conversation falling into the company of loose and lewd persons by their counsell and perswasion do but ioine with them in one robbery and so commit a trespasse if it bee but against one of the Princes subiects and but against one of the lawes of the common weale it is not his honest life past and the keeping of al the rest of the lawes and the doing good to many of the princes It is a thing worthy to be condeÌ„ned iustly to be grievous to meÌ„ what an offence theÌ„ is it to be grievous vnto God subiects and his duety neuer so well performed before to prince and country nor yet his harty repentance his sincere promise of amendment that can discharge him froÌ„ the same but that law must proceede against him and execution must be done accordingly vnlesse a pardoÌ„ be procured from the prince how much more if one sin against the incomprehensible maiesty of the most glorious deitie by treading vnder foote the least of his commandements shal the seâ—tence of eternal condeÌ„nation proceede against him vnlesse hee obtaine the forgiuenesse thereof by the blood of Christ For if one man sinne against another the 1. Sam. 2. 25 Rom. â— 23. Ezeâ— 10. 20 iudâ—e may iudge it but if one sin against God who shall plead for him The wages of sin saith the Apostle â—… death That soule saith the prophet that sinneth that soule shall die Bas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hier. ep 14 What sin is it saith Basill that any daâ—… cal light I knowe not saith Hierome whether we may cal any sinne light or small the which is done with the contempt of God This then is our doctrine of iustification that our best workes are stained and stand in need of mercy and therefore can neither merite eternal glory nor make satisfaction to God for the least of our sins and that the lightest of our transgressions would haue beene too heauy for vs to beare yea they would haue pressed vs downe to the bottomlesse pit of hel had not our most mercifull Sauiour succoured vs herein by removing them also graciously from vs and by laying them vpon his owne shoulders And if this doctrine provoke to sin I know not what can revoke from the same But now let vs proceede to that other part of the slaunder wherewith all the enemies of the gospel do charge the profession thereof euen with the great penury and want of al good workes For not only the Rhemists do take from vs for the most part the sheepes cloathing that is the very outwarde shew of good workes but also the composer of the VVard word vpon occasion of some civil behaviour acknowledged to be in some of our Recusants taketh vpon him with the prowd Pharisie not only to advance himselfe and his farre aboue vs base and vile Publicanes but also he woulde haue the worlde beleeue that if question were betweene them and vs of good works our chiefest captaines would straight waies relinquish the field not bee so bold as to strike one stroke But this is but one of their Thrasonical brags For I doubt not but a meane souldier fighting vnder the ensigne of the
Appius Claudius for fidelity Fabritius for abstinence Scaevola for courage Cato for severity Cimon the Plut. in vita Cimonis Athenian for liberality Of whom it is recorded that he tooke away the moundes and fences from his groundes that the stranger and poore might take what fruite they would to refresh and satisfie themselues there withall besides he prepared a large supper ordinarily to the which any poore man might come and receiue sustenance and if he mette any auncient citizen in ragged and torne attire he commaunded one or other of his follovvers to chaunge his apparell with him and of his retinue that accompanied him some carried large suÌ„mes of mony that if they mette with any honest poore man they might giue vnto him all that he needed And yet vvhat vvere all these so glorious and goodly workes but bare shadowes counterfeites of vertuous actions rather then vertuous actions indeede Yea what were they but Splendid a peccata The best workes of the vnfaithâ—ull aâ—e no better then sinnes Rom. 11. 20. beautiful sinnes And as for the parties themselues shal we therfore esteeme them to haue beene good trees for that they had such an outward shew of good fruite Surely the spirit of truth doth testifie of vs that we are all by nature brambles breers wild â—…ues vntill we be grasled into the true oliue Nowe it is faith that doth grafte vs into the true olive as infidelity doth breake vs of Without saith then we are no better then brambles briars and wilde olives And whâ—… Dee men gather grapeâ— of thorâ—es figges Math. 7. 16. of brâ—arâ— Or doth the wilde oliue bring forth a kinde and natural olive Wherfore all these before named so famous and worthy personages in the eies of flesh bloud for al their glorious shew of goodly fruite living without faith without Christ vvithout God being Ephes 2. 12. alâ—ans from the â—ommâ—n wealâ—h of Israell and from the covenants of grace must needes vndergoe that heavy but iâ—st sentence of the Lord of the vineyard Cutte downe the vnprofitable trees for why Luke 13 7. Math. 3 10. cumber they the grounde And againe Now is the aâ—e laide vnto the roote of the treesâ— therfore every tree that bringoth not forth good fruite is bowâ—n downe and cast into the fire For if I giue al my goods to the poore 1. Cor. 13. 3 and haue not loue it profiâ—…th me nothing that is if this liberall fact of mine proceede not from a sincere harty affection to the good of my neighbour as likevvise if this harty affection towarde my neighbour come not from a sincere loue towardes God vvho is loued for himselfe and in whom also I love my neighbour yea if this my loue towardes God flow not from his loue in Christ towardâ— me embraced and apprehended by a true and lively faith all this my releiving of the poore cannot releiue my selfe and all this my mercy toward the needy cannot be a meanes to convey over vnto me the Lordes mercy For vnlesse all my goodnes be after this manner derived from God the onely fountaine of all goodnes well it may vnto men seeme to be goodnes yet it shall not haue his allowance from God But now let vs returne againe vnto our Saviours rule Beware of false Prophots which come vnto you in sheepes cloathing but inwardlie are ravening wolves ye shall know them by their fruites True teachers which with their harts sincerely embrace that holesome doctrine which they professe with their mouthes togither with their faith full disciples and schollers are as trees planted in the paradise of God and watered with the pure streames of the river of the vvater of life that floweth throughout the paradise of God and so receiving the blessing of God doe there by bring forth fruit good in truth and substance and not in shewe onely or outward appearance whereas false teachers as bastard plantes setled in the wildernes of this barren and vnfruitful world and wette with the venemous drops of the infected and deadly puddles of humane devices and dreames doe thereby bring forth fruit sometimes holesome and good in shew but never in substance For an infected fountaine cannot yeeld forth holesome water neither can a corrupt faith bring forth an vncorrupt life For the mind and vnderstanding are the leaders and guides vnto the will and the affectious and therefore if they be misledde with falshood errour and wander and goe astray in the bye pathes of impiety vngodlines howe can they direct the will and affections in the right way of piety and godlines Verily vnto whomsoever God in his iustice hath denied the knowledge of the groundeâ—and principles of a sound faith to them also he doth deny the gift and blessing of an holy life seeing that selfesame holy doctrine that is the cause of an holy faith is also the cause of an holy life as it is made manifest in the fourth motiue As on the contrary side vnto whom God in his mercy hath given the faithful acknowledging embracing of the grounds and principles of a sounde faith vndoubtedly to them hee doeth likewise graunt the practicall knowledge of an holy life For true faith and sincere loue which are the mother and nurce of all good workes are as Hypocrates twinnes borne togither and living without separation so that if one of them be strengthned the other receiveth strength also and if one of them be weakned the other is weakned they go alwaies hand in hand and bee inseparable companions and never breake company giue entertainement to the one thou must giue entertainment to the other sâ—ut the one of them out of thy dores and the other will in no wise be thy guest nor abide vvith thee the least moment of time For albeit a bare naked knowledge of the grounds of faith may be severed from the practise of a godly life yet a faithfull embracing and a sincere reâ—oiceing in them can never be idle and vnfruitfull but alwaies is accompaned with good works which giue witnesse vnto the sincerity Qui non fac it bonuÌ„ non credit bonum soundnes of faith and do sufficiently declare the holinesse of the doctrine from whence â—hey proceede Holy doctrine embraced but in shew and in hypocrisie may be vnfruitfull but being sinâ—…ly received it maketh good trees which cannot bee without gâ—…d fruite Now then this being evident that good workes are the infalhble notes of a good faith it remaineth that as in the former part of this treatise we declared that faith to be only sounde and catholike which was agreeable to the grounds of faith more briefly abridged in the Apostles Creede and set downe more at large in the canonicall seripture so now we set downe those divine rules of an holy life which are delivered in the same books wherevnto we must frame all our works if that wee desire to bee assured that they shall
this wrathfull countenance of God of al other calamities crosses is most grievous burdensome vnto them and doth aboue al other miseries vexe and torment their tender harts casteth theÌ„ downe to the gates of hell Then in anguish of soule and bitternes of spirit they powre forth whole streames of complaineâ— crying out and saying Will the Lord absent himselfe forever and will he be no more entreated Is his mercy cleane gone for ever Psal 77. 7. and is his goodnes come vtterly to an end far evermore â— hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he shut vp his loving kindnes in displeasure TheÌ„ said I this is my death againe O Lord how long wilt thou be angrie Psal 80. 4. with thy people that praieth Thou hast fed them with the bread of teares and hast given them plentâ—…snes of teares to drinke thou haste made vs to be a very strife vnto our neighbours our enemies laugh vs to scorne Turne vs againe O God of hosts shew vs the light of thy countenance and we shall be safe And yet in truth when the Lorde most sharply chasteneth his God is nearest to his servants in their asstictions albeit he seemeth to be then farthest of he sheweth then most of all the effect of his loue allthough they for the present feele it not Psa 119. 71. 75 ver own deare children he is not in wrath offended with them but in great loue most of all then tendreth their good his grace and favour is not absent but then especially is present with them albeit they for the very instaÌ„t feele not the same For what is it that in and by their afflictions worketh in them humility repentaÌ„ce patience obedience an earnest desire to feele the Lord gracious and favourable vnto them aboue all things to behold the light of his countenaÌ„ce Are not al these the most evident effects of the favourable presence of God with theÌ„ of the most neere assistance of his grace Doth he not herein shew theÌ„ the light of his couÌ„tenance make manifest vnto them his loue to their great benefit good Surely David did most thaÌ„kfully acknowledge so much saying It is good for me that I haue beene in trouble that I might learne thy statutes And againe I know O Lorde that thy iudgements are righteous and that thou not of wrath but of very faithfulnes hast caused me to be troubled And therfore Ieremy praied for the Ier. 10 24. same as for a thing beneficiall and good Correct vs O Lord yeâ— in thy iudgement not in thy fury For God chastiseth his children in loue albeit he punisheth the wicked in wrath And therfore both Iob. 5. 17. Iob David iudge not that the godly when they are afflicted are in a bad but in a right good and blessed estate Blessed is the man say they whom thou chastenest O Lorde and teachest in thy lawe that thou maiest giue him patience in time of adversitie vntill the â—it bee digged vp for the vngodly And therefore the Apostles did reioice in Rom. 5. 3. tribulations knowing that tribulations bring forth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shedde abroade in our heartes by the holy Ghost The loue of God then apprehended by faith not only engendereth Hope Patience ConfessioÌ„ in vs loue towardes God but also hope that maketh not ashamed and patience that maketh vs to reioice in tribulations and to be couragious and constant in the confession of his truth albeit all manner of crosses accompanye the same For out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and therfore if vvith the hearte wee beleeue to righteousnesse wee will bee ready vvith the mouth to confesse vnto salvation I beleeved saith David Rom. 10. 10 Psal 116. 10 2. Cor. 4. 13 and therefore haue I spoken so vvee also saith the Apostle beleeue and therefore speake And verily if wee doe beleeue that GOD from everlasting hath acknowledged vs and hath written our names in the booke of life howe can it bee but that wee shoulde thankefully acknowledge him before the greate congregation and willingly confesse him before the whole worlde Yea how can it bee but that wee shoulde continually make our resorte to Praier him by praier in all our necessities and craue his gracious aide to assiste and strengthen vs in all those afflictions and crosses which vvee endure for his most holy name sake The vnfaithfull vvho vvill not bee persvvaded of the fatherly loue and favour of God towardes them cannot come with any cheerefulnes to make their praiers vnto God for howe can they call vppon him Rom 10. 14 on whom they haue not beleeved but the faithfull that beleeue that God is become their loving father in Christ that by him they haue such interest in God in al his blessings must needs coÌ„e to him with great coÌ„fideÌ„ce hope powre out their whole harts continually before him and present vnto him all their petitions and requests And verily they need not to be ashamed to come into his presence seeing they are cloathed with the most precious garments of Christ their elder brother and haue him to bee their continuall advocate solliciter to pleade their cause In deed the more they behold their owne nakednes and shame take a true view of the rotten ragges fained garments of their owne righteousnes and the more deepely therewithal they meditate vpon that strange and admirable goodnesse of God that would cast the eies of his loue vpoÌ„ such loathsome wretches they haue great cause as to be ashamed of their abominable corruption so to be waile and lament their intollerable vnthankfulnesse And so the prophet Ezechiel hath testified that the faithful shal Eze. 16. 63. be confounded in themselues and hange downe their heads never open their mouthes for shame when they shal behold the loue of God towards them in Christ which hath freely pardoned all their iniquities and sinnes when I say they shal see on the one side how gracious God is to them on the otherside how grievous they themselues haue bin vnto God An ensample wherof In the praier of Manasse affixed at the end of the bookes of the Chronicles we haue in Manasse king of Iudah vnto whoÌ„ when the Lorde had given a little taste of his promise of mercy and had giveÌ„ him some assurance of the remission of his sinnes and of his receiving into favour how doth he debase and cast himselfe downe as if he were the only offender among all the servants of God and all other were as it were no sinners in comparison of him And how doth he exaggerate and amplifie his own transgressions as if they were more then the sande of the sea and togither withall so odious and abominable that he was not worthy to behold the heavens for the same
I haue provoked thy wrath saith he and haue done evill before thee I did not thy will neither kept I thy commaundements I haue set vp abominations and multiplied offences I haue sinned O Lord I haue sinned I acknowledge my transgressions O Lord forgiue O Lorde forgiue me and destroy me not with mine iniquities And verily vntill we haue some sight and sense assurance of the mercy of God in Christ pardoning our sins the ougly sight of our owne deformities will driue vs more and more from God and wrappe vs faster and faster in the bands of sinne and be ready to drowne vs in the gulfe of despaire as it may be seene in Caine Iudas the like But when Christ shall once looke vpon vs with the eyes of his mercy shall giue vs some assurance of the remission of our sinnes as he did vnto Peter whome he mercifully forewarned not only of his fall but also of his pardon of his recovery and of his duety in regard of the same I haue praied for thee Peter Luk. 22. 31. that thy faith faile not and thou being converted strengthen thy brethre this favourable aspect of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse will cause vs with Peter to loue him the more and not only to single out some solitary place that we may bewaile our vnthankfulnes with bitter teares but also to be more feareful and careful for the time to come least we be overtaken againe with the like offence For a reverent regard and feare least we offende so good a God Feare whom we can never endevour sufficiently to please is caused also by the due apprehension of the Lordes mercies There is mercy Psal 130. 4. with thee O God saith David therfore shalt thou be feared For as the naturall and kind child reverenceth his father and feareth to offend him not so much for dread of the rod or for hope of the inheritance as for that he hath had already manifold experience of his fathers kindnes and care for him even so the deare children of God having had in former times very good experience of the Lords loue do reverence feare him from the very bottome of their harts and are thereby made watchfull and wary not to offend Behold saith S. Iohn what loue the father hath shewed vs that 1 Ioh 3. 1. we should be called the sonnes of God Now we are the sonnes of God but it doth not appeare what we shall be but this we know that when he doth appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is And he that hath this hope purgeth himselfe even as he is pure In which words it is manifest that hope rising out of faith and the expectation of future blessednes out of the apprehension of former loue doth cause the faithfull to purge clense their harts least they offend their holy and pure God with their impurities Though we sinne say all Sap. 15. 2. the godly as it were with one voice that is though wee sinne through infirmity which cannot be avoided in these daies of infirmity yet we are thine for we know thy power but we sinne not that is presumptuously or we giue not over our selues to sinne knowing that we are thine for to know thee is perfect righteousnes and to know thy Ioh 3. 14. power is the roote of immortality For as the childreÌ„ of Isâ—ael were healed of the sting of fierie serpents by looking vp to the brasen serpent even so the faithful looking vp vnto CHRIST crucified are cured of al their spiritual maladies and haue their sinne slaine in them and are raised vp to newneâ— of life Zache desiring but to see CHRIST was immediatly converted and made a Christian Olde father Simeon beholding Christ desired presently to departe out of this life thinking that hee had lived long inough seeing hee had liued to see his Saviour with his bodely eies All the faithfull that haue had some true view of our Our whole conversion to God is wrought by his loue in Christ apprehended by faith Ioh. 17. Saviour Christ do more more desire to behould him still and that not without very great cause For the more they see him the more they loue him and the more they feele themselues to liue in him and by him This is everlasting life saith the auctor thereof to knowe the onely true God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ For rightly to know faithfully to embrace the endles vnspeakable loâ—e of God in Christ who hath consecrated himselfe both in his life and death to the working of our deliverance out of the hands of sin death damnation doth worke in the faithfull the death of sin and life of righteousnes and so layeth the foundation of that life heere which shal be made perfect in the world to come Now saith the Apostle I liue not but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now liue I liue by the faith of the sonne of Eph. 6. 15. The loue of God revealed in the Gospel is as shoes wherby we are enabled to walke on readily in the Lordes waies be they never so full of sharpe stones and pricking thornes God who hath loued me given himselfe for me The Apostle lived not he was dead in himselfe but Christ by hiâ— spirit word lived and raigned in him and that because he beheld with the eies of faith that great endles loue of Christ who both had lived and died for him And hereof it is that the Gospel of Christ the powerful instrumeÌ„t ordained by God both to begett streÌ„gthen faith is compared to shoes is part of that furniture wherwithal the souldiers of Christ haue neede to bee armed in their most hard daungerous fight against al the powers of the kingdome of darknes And verely there are so many thorns pricks of worldly cares and so many sharpe stones of crosses and persecutions lying so thicke in that straight and narrow way that leadeth to life that the passage of the faithful would be greatly stayed if not altogither stopped therin were they not al well shodde with the preparation of the Gospel of peace and had not that gladsome ioyful tidings of their recoÌ„ciliation with God made them most resolute to passe on along for al those sharpe stoÌ„es to endure al withal patience Now then by these things that haue bin delivered it is evident and cleare that not onely faith ariseth out of the true apprehension of the inestimable loue of God in Christ but also loue hope patience confession praier repeÌ„tance feare a religious care both to liue to die vnto God to devote our selues wholy to his service And yet we must not so conceaue heereof as if this one blessing All the Lords gratious giftes and blessings are furtherers of faith obedience in the godly Ier. 14. 20. of our redemption wrought by CHRIST did not onely
beginne but also finish our regeneration and new birth seeing all the residue of the gratious giftes of GOD testifying and witnessing his fatherly loue are ayders also and assisters herein being all of them fitte fewel for this heavenly fire and do cause it to burne more fervently to breake out into a greater flame Wee acknowledge O Lord say the penitent Israelites our wickednes and the wickednes of our forefathers for we haue sinned against thee doe not abhorre vs for thy names sake cast not downe the throne of thy glory remeÌ„ber and breake not thy covenant with vs. Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can giue rainâ—…r can the heavens give showers It is not thou O Lord our God Therfore we will waite vpoÌ„ thee for thou hast made al these things In which words we may perceive that it was the due consideration of the covenant of God made vnto them in Christ whereby GOD after a sorte had bounde himselfe to bee merciful vnto them whensoever they did repent that caused this people to returne vnto their GOD and to acknowledge and bewaile their owne corruptions and sinnes the which also was vvell forvvarded by the remembrance of the LORDES smaller blessinges even by the due consideration of this that raine and truitfull seasons came onelie from him and all other giftes and blessinges vvhatsoever So Hos 14. vvhere the Prophet exhorteth the people to returne to the LORDE and say Take avvaie all iniquitie and remoove is gratiouslie so vvill vvee render to thee the calues of our lippes Ashur shall not Ho. 14. 3. sâ—… vs neyther vvill vvee ride vppon horses neither vvill we say any more to the workes of our hands yee are our Gods for in thee the fatherles findeth mercy Now they could not truly hope for pardon fot their sins and iniquities but onely in the promise of the the Messias it was that then that first ledde them vnto God the which was seconded by the due consideration of this that al aide and helpe is also found at his hands who is the helper of the helples And verely we haue no right at al vnto any of the Lords blessings as loÌ„g as we be at warre at emnity with God we must be first recoÌ„ciled vnto God made heires by Christ before we can lay iust claime to a childes part to haue our portion in that inheritaÌ„ce that doth descend vnto vs froÌ„ our heavenly father And therfore when the Lord would giue vnto Ahaz king of Iudah assurance but of this one temporal blessing even of his bodely deliveraÌ„ce froÌ„ his bodely enemies behould saith he this shal be your The loue of God in Christ is the fountaine and foundatioÌ„ of all other blessings signe that I wil bring to passe this thing for you A virgine shall concâ—aue beare a sonne she shall call his name Immanuel As if the Lord should haue said I haue bouÌ„d my selfe by promise even froÌ„ the beginning of the world to giue you my son to be a pledge of my loue to be the conduite of my mercies how shal I not theÌ„ with him by him convey them vnto you particularly howe shal I not nowe performe this my promise made in him for your deliverance from these your bodely enemies For the cause that moued God to make this glorious world at the first and to store it with such variety of al manner of blessings was his owne most free and vndeserved loue towards his elect in Christ and therfore when they are actually bestowed vpon them the same proceedeth from the very selfe-same spring The which wheÌ„ they The Lords gratious giftes are blessings to the faith full onely for to the vnfaithfull they are turned into curses are bestowed vpon the vnfaithful they are not blessings but curses for that they make them more earthly covetous licentious riotous proud cruel vnthaÌ„kful the like and so encrease their most grievous condeÌ„nation whereas to the faithful who are the right heires vnto them they are not curses but blessings for they make them the more to reioice in the Lord to be more obedient thaÌ„kfull vnto him more beneficial helpful vnto their neighbours and so further their faith repentance and loue and encrease in them all sincere devotion When David was remembred by the Prophet Nathan of his foule faulte committed with Bethshebah the wife of Vrias and of the great dishonour that redounded to God by that his most odious and grievous crime how that the Lord had not so deserved at his hands who had advaunced him from the shepheards crooke to the scepter of the king and had given into his bosome his masters wiues and could would haue done him more honor if that had not bin inough howe did even these smaller blessings worke most effectually in the hart of David peircing wounding his most tender soul causing him with many most bitter teares to bewaile his former most grievous vnthankfulnes And howe did the remembrance of the same mercies cause him also at another time to reioyce in the Lord and to triumph and most vehemently and earnestly to 2. Sam. 7. 18 1. Chro. 17. 16. pray vnto God for an obedient thankful hart What am I ô Lord saith he what is my fathers house that thou hast brought me hitherto And what is this thy people Israel that thou didst after a sorte muster togither al thy armies for their deliveraÌ„ce out of Aegipt What sawest thou in vs or in our progenitors that thou hast thus laden vs with thy loue and filled vs with such abundance of thy mercies O lett our harts therfore be filled with thy loue and let our hands stil be employed in thy service keepe this in the purpose thoughts of our harts for ever and so prepare our soules to feare thee Neither was he himselfe only thus stirred vp to imploy himselfe al his autority wealth to the promoting furthering of the Lordes service but also with the selfe same argument doth he endevour to perswade his principal subiects servantes to be helpers to his son Solamon in the same worke Is not saith he the Lord your God with you hath given you rest on every side For 1. Chro. 22. 18. he hath given the inhabitantes of the land into mine hand and the lande is subdued before the Lord and his people Now then set your harts and your soules to seeke the Lord your God arise build the Lords sanctuarie So likewise when the Lord had brought the children of Israel into the promised lande and had placed them in the quiette and peaceable possession thereof howe doth godly Iosuah hauing a greate care that after his death they should bee true and faithfull to their GOD who had beene so true and faithful to them make a large recitall of their manifolde mercies so lately receaved and then proposeth this option and choice vnto
each one the other therein then how much more ought they to doe it which are appointed to be publik officers for the same purpose How ougâ—t they especially most carefully to put in practise the exhortation of the prophet by calling continually vnto the people and saying Praise the Lord and call vpon his name and declare his workes among the people Sing vnto him sing praises vnto him and let your talking be of all his wondrous works Reioice in his holy name let the harts of them reioice that seâ—ke the Lord. Seeke the Lord and his strength seâ—ke his face continually Remember the maâ—veâ—lous works that he hath done the wonders and the iudgments of his mouth â—h yee seede of Abraham his servant ye châ—ldren of Iacob his chosen he is the Lord our God â— The 〈…〉 â—…ssistance accordâ—… to his own covenant And yet if all men faile in their duety the Lorde himselfe will not faile in that covenant which he hâ—th made with all his chosen wherein hee hath promised that hee himselfe will write his lawes in their heartes and plant them in their mindes and that he will doe the same so sufficiently that it shall not be a matter of absolute necessity for every one to exhort and to admonish his neighbor saying know the Lord for they shall all know me saith the Lord even Ier. 31 34. from the greatest vnto the least So and so beneficiall it is vnto all the Lords people to know the Lord and his gracious blessings to keepe a continuall remembrance of the same and therefore so and so many meanes hath the Lord appointed in his vnspeakeable wisedome and goodnesse for the stirring vp of every one of his faithful servants to the ready and careful performance of this so beneficiall and necessary a worke So and so carefull hath the Lord been that the people devoted vnto his service should want no meanes to strengthen further them in the holy exercise of sincere devotion Now let vs see how the church of Rome which boasteth so highly of her owne great devotions land of the huge multitude of all manner of good works which so and so abounde among her children religiously extolleth the Lords mercies what a carefull remembraunce shee keepeth of his goodnes seeing as it hath beene shewed that is the mother and the nurce of all sound and sincere devotion and the fountain welspring of all good workes The word of God in setting downe the great gracious blessings of God doth declare vnto vs these three pointes First the cause of them even his owne goodnesse and loue secondly the end which is the manifestation of his goodnes and loue thirdly the effect which is the working therby in the harts of his chosen of al inward graces outward dueties also both to God to our neighbour The grace goodnes loue and mercy of God is the full fountaine froÌ„ whence all his blessings doe issue flow The great blessed worke of mans redemption issueth from thence as our Saviour testifieth So God loved the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but haue Ioh. 3. 16. life everlasting The great blessed worke of the creation and all the residue of his gracious blessings many of the particulars wherof are set down by the prophet Ps 136. come also from thence even because his mercy enduâ—eth for ever This mercy loue of God is not oâ—ly most ample large but also most free vndeserved For every good gift and every perfect giving commeth downe froÌ„ Iac. 1. 17. aboue froÌ„ the father of light we hold all that wee enioy from this grand vniversal lâ—ndlord therefore we must pay our whole rent to him performe only to his court our suit service we are endebted vnto him alone for the loane of al that we possesse therfore to him alone we must discharge all our debt His loue also is most free vndeserved he seeketh therin not to gain any thing to himselfe but only to do good to benefit other this doth farther set forth the greatnes of his loue so doth enlarge the bil of our debt SecoÌ„dly the end why God bestoweth his blessings is that they might be vnto vs most plaine demoÌ„strations of his loue most certain testimonies of his goodnes Shew me saith St. Iams thy faith by thy works I wil shew thee my faith by my works Iac 2. 18. 1. Ioh. 3. 18. My childreÌ„ saith St. Iohn let vs not loue in word in toÌ„gue but in work in truth That loue theÌ„ is in truth that is effectual in works and that faith is souÌ„d right that sheweth it selfe in the fruits Wherfore god who would haue his choseÌ„ know be fully perswaded that he loveth theÌ„ in truth sheweth it forth to them by his most gracious and manifold blessings as by the effects fruits therof and this is also a great addition vnto his loue Thirdly the Lord maketh his loue manifested by his blessings the meanes to beget and to encrease faith loue repentance and the like in the hearts of his elect and chosen children he putteth them not out to vse nor taketh any encrease for them for his estate cannot be bettered nor his blessednes encreased the profite and encrease accrueth to vs and therefore by them we merite nothing at the hands of God nor make him thereby any way endebted to vs but wee our selues are more and more still in his debt for the free lone francke gift of all his blessings Now then to returne againe to the first point The loue of God is the ful fountaine of all manner of his blessings both bodyly and ghostly and he himselfe is not only the author but also the disposer and bestower of them all the blessings themselues and the meanes are of him and the working also of the one and the other Temporal meanes are in themselues nothing without the speciall power of God working in them by them Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God And life consiseth not in the great aboundance of all such thinges aâ— doe belong to the maintenance of life The horse is counted but a vaine thing to saue a man neither can he deliver any one by his much strength the watchman also waketh but in vaine vnlesse the Lord keepe the citty So spirituall meanes also are nothing without the effectuall power of the almighty working by them for that is the very soule and life of all He that planteth is nothing and hee that watereth is nothing but God that giveth the encrease Iohn the Baptist can baptise but with water Austine can but speake to our bodyly eares Christ baptiseth only with the holy Ghost and he that hath his chaire in heaven is he only that can teach the heart The water in baptisme can
in theÌ„selues in their own righteousnes reiected the righteousnes of God in Christ so caused theÌ„selues to be vtterly reiected of God Wherby it came to passe that the kingdome of God was taken froÌ„ them was translated vnto the Gentiles and the true worshippe and service of the onely true God vvas made common to all the nations of the whole earth But it did not with them neither continue pure and vncorrupte any longe time For the Church that vvas a chast virgine vvhiles the Apostles lived beganne shortely in many countries to play the adultresse and to defile her lelfe with spiritual whordomes and I dolatries The Apostle Saint Paule testified vnto the Elders of Ephesus that he knew ful well that after his departure there should enter in among them grievous woluet not sparing the Act 20. 29. 1. Ioh. 4. 1. flockâ— And Saint Iohn that lived longest of al the Apostles testifieth that even in his time manie false Prophets vvere gone out into the vvorlde and that the spirite of the greate Antichrist that was to come in the latter times vvas alreadie vvorking and laying of the foundation of the great apostasie from GOD and his truth and brevving the cuppe of that deadly poison vvherevvithall was to bee made drunken all the kingdomes of the vvorlde and practising those spirituall fornications and adulteries vvherevvithall the whole earth vvas to be defiled And vvhat vvere those spirituall fornications and adulteries but an Idolatrous worshipping of the creature in steede of the Creator a superstitious serving of the Saintes in place of the Saviour an vnchast vnshamefast embracing of the freindes of the bridegrome in steede of the faithful cleaving vnto the onely bridegrome himselfe And how was this brought to passe but whiles the world was taught that CHRIST the bridegrome of the Church was not the onely mediator and patrone of his people but the saintes also the friendes of the bridegrome that God had after a sorte passed away from himselfe his interest and right in the bestowing of his owne gracious giftes and blessinges and had delivered them over vnto his servantes to be in their handes and at their disposition had made some of them patrones over one countrie some over an other some over men of this calling and some over men over of that some over this kind of cattle and some over that some deliverers from this disease and some from that and some disposers of this blessing some of that And hereof it came to passe that so many devotions were done vnto the saintes and so fewe vnto Christ so many churches and relligious houses founded to the honour of the saintes and so fewe vnto Christ so much praying to the saintes and so little to God the very Ave-Maryes much exceeding the Pater-Nosters and yet great contentioÌ„ also to bestowe them too vpon the saints such gadding on pilgrimage to offer to the image of this saint and that saint and so little regarde of the sincere serving of God in spirit and truth which is no waies bettered by altering of places but by changing of our corrupt and sleshly affections such publishing of the fabulous legend of the saintes miracles and such debarring of the people from Gods owne booke where the glorie of Christ is most sett forth such buying of pardons wherein the merites of the saintes vvere sette out to sâ—le and such evacuating annihilating of the death of CHRIST whereby our salvation vvas onely vvrought such magnifying of the rules of their owne relligious orders and such a meane reckoning made of the Lavves of CHRIST These honours vvhich vvere given by the vvhore of Babilon to her louers vvere parte of those spirituall fornications and adulteries vvherevvithall shee did infecte all the nations of the earth and the greate giftes that vvere pretended to bee given by the saintes to such as did most devoutely honour them vvere the meanes to perswade them to this Idolatry even as the Gentiles and Iewes had in former ages beene drawen a longe into the like actions vppon the like motiues and perswasions Wherefore if wee desire to bee delivered from such a fall even from departing from God to followe after vanity yea from falling from his service into open and impious I dolatry let vs beware of this stumbling blocke which Satan casteth in our vvay to make vs fall vvhile hee parswadeth vs to begge for that blessing at the hande of any creature vvhich onely is in the gifte and disposition of the Creator and let vs acknowledge that GODS most large ample loue is the only ful fountaine of all good thinges whatsoever be the conduite to convey them vnto vs and that all this water that thus or thus serveth our vse springeth onely out of this fountaine and not out of the conduite and that the conduite it selfe is made by this founder and doth convery vnto vs such so much water as he himselfe doth dispose of to our benefite and good Neither must we onely acknowledge that God is the onely auctor disposer of his owne giftes but also that he bestoweth them all vpon vs most frankely and freely even of his owne meere mercy favour loue He did not predestinate vs to everlasting life nor bestowe vpon vs any other of his blessinges for that he foresawe that we would deserue the same For he did not foresee any thing that should proceede from our selues but a flatte conspiracy with sinne and Satan and an apostacy and a revolt from God all goodnes Whatsoever good thing he foresaw in vs he foreappointed both to begin the same by his ovvne grace and to continue it and to bring it to a good issue and end of his owne vndeserved favour and loue And nowe to come to the second poâ—nt All the gratious blessings The end of all Gods blessings is the manifestation of his loue of God are bestowed vpon the faithfull to this ende even that by them he might make declaration proofe of his loue giue them assurance of his fatherly affection towards them And verely as none among men bestoweth any gifte vpon another but that hee will at one time or other give him notice thereof neither vvill hee bestow it vppon such an one as knoweth not the vse thereof nor vnderstandeth it to bee a gifte least it bee takeÌ„ as a mockery or returned backe without acceptance much lesse doth God bestowe any of his gracious giftes vpon his servaunâ—es but that sooner oâ— later hee giveth them noâ—ice therof and shevveth them the vles of the same that so they may receiue benefite thereby sering otherwise they will doe them â—…is taken 〈◊〉 an vnâ—…ubted â—…ritie in â—…finite â—…aces of â—oly scripâ—…re that â—ods loue 〈◊〉 assuredly â—…owen to â—is owne â—eople â—…lt of theÌ„â—…specially 〈◊〉 those â—…essinges â—hich â—re most â—roper and â—eculiar â—nto them â—nd thereâ—pon are â—hey so ofâ—en and â—arnestly â—rged to â—hew themâ—elues thaÌ„kâ—ull and duetifull to
God for those his so wel known and manifest mercies Exod. 20. 2. no good but needs must be without al fruite And especially he vvill not enter into covenant and league vvith any to become their gracious God in Christ and to accept them for his peculiar people to giue them remission of sins eâ—ernal life and the first fruits of the spirit as the pledge of their caelestial heavenly inheritance but that he will make knowen vnto them this his gracious league and covenant vvith the articles and conditions belonging to the same for othervvise hovve can they performe the conditions And if they knowe not that they haue such and such giftes from God howe can they be thankefull to God for them and employ them to their owne good If they beleeue not that God is their God how can they honour him as their God If they bee not perswaded that they are beloued of God how can they be stirred vp to loue God If they be not assured that God hath accepted of them as of his trusty faithful servants what encouragement can they haue to demeanâ— themselues as his trusty and faithfull servants Surely the spirit of God which knoweth the deepest misteries of the Lords own most privy secret counsels therfore much more searcheth the harts raines of al men and vnderstandeth all their thoughtes taketh it as a thing well knowen acknowledged of all the faithsul servants of God that God louâ—th them and hath manifested the same vnto them by his manifold giftes and that he hath declared himselfe to be their God and hath taken them to be his people and therevpon inferreth that they should honour him aâ— their God and walke worthy of their high and heavenly calling that they should loue him be thankfull vnto him and bee ready continually to testifie the same by their duetifull regard vnto his service and by their humble obedience to all his commaundementes I am the Lord thy God saith God himselfe vnto his true and faithfull servantes among the whole natioÌ„ of Israel That brought you out of the land of Aegypâ—… out of the house of boâ—dage and therevpon requireth to bee accepted of them as their onely GOD and to haue humble obedience yeelded to all his commaundementes And so the holie posterity of these faithfull servants of God doe in most plâ—ine wordes acknowledge los 24. Even that God is their God and hath done thus thus for them therfore that they are bound to seâ—ue him alone to honour him as their only God The same moâ—iue God vrgeth to Abraham the father of the faithfull I am Gen. 17. 1. thy God alsufficient walke before me and be thou perfect that is I am â—ntred into covenant with thâ—e to be thy God I haue and vvill supply all thy wantes and haue wilsticke vnto thee in all thy necessities theâ—fore see that thou throughly sticke vnto me and cleaue perfectly vnto my service The Apostle St. Paule writing to the saints at Ephesus that is to the faithfull in Christ Iesus Eph. 3 1. beginneth with Blessed bee God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ and presently annexeth the cause thereof which vvas The blessing of them vvith all sperituall blessinges in CHRIST Iesus their election predestination redeÌ„ption the revelation of the mysteries of the will of God vnto them their hope faith and their sealing with the spirit of promise these blessings he remembreth not as things doubtfull and vncertaine but as things most manifest well knowen vnto theÌ„ Likwise he exhorteth the Theslalonians to keepe their vesselles in holines honor not to defraud 1. Thess 4. 2 or oppresle one another because they knew what commandements were given vnto them in Christ and that they were not called to vncleanes but to holinesse So to the Coâ—…nthians havinâ— remâ—mbred 1. Cor. 6. 11. them what they were before their calling even such as were desiled with most filthie and abhominable sinnes then hee addeth as a thing vvell knovven and acknovvledged by them all but yee are vvashed but yee are senctâ—fied but yee are iustified in the name of our LORDE Iesus and by the spirâ—te of our GOD and therevpon farther vrgeth as thinges also fullie knovven and confessed both the fruite and the benefite of this formes grace and the duetie also that is to bee performed â—or the same Knovve yee not saith hee that your bodies are the meÌ„bers of Christ Shal I then Ver. 15. take the members of Christ make them the members of an harlette GOD forbidde Yea Ver. 19. Know yee not that your bodies are the temples of the holy Ghost which is in you whom ye haue of God and that ye are not your owne but are bought with a price Therefore glorifie God in your bodie your spirit which are Gods So likewise to the Romanes chiefly considering the season saith the Apostle and knowing that the night is passed and the day is nigh therefore let vs cast away the works of 〈◊〉 13. 11. darknes and let vs put on the armour of light let vs walke honestly as in the day time And againe to the faithful among the Thessalonians Yee are all the children of the light and of the day we are not of the night Thes 5. 5. neither of darknes Therfore let vs not sleepe as other â—o but let vs watch be sober For they that sleepe sleepe in the night and they that are druÌ„ken are drunken in the night but let vs which are of the day be sober putting on the brestplate of faith and loue and the hope of salvation as an helmet For God hath not appointed vs to wrath but to obtaine salvation in Christ Iesus who died for vs that whether wee wake or sleepe wee shoulde liue togither with him Wherefore comfort your selues togither and edifie one another even as yee doe And in deed what greater comfort can there come to the faithfull then to be assured that they are not the children of the night neither of darknes but the children of the light and of the day And what more availeable for edification in godlines then to knowe that they are not appoinâ—ed to wrath but to salvation and therefore that they ought to bee employed wholy in all such dueties as do concerne all such as are to be saved Neither is this argument proper to S. Paule alone but coÌ„mon with him to al the Prophets Apostles who tasted with him of the sweete blessings of the same Saviour and were made partakers of the same comfortable spirit Beholde saith Moses the heaven 〈◊〉 10. 14. and the heaven of heavens is the Lords the earth also and all that is therein Notwithstanding he hath set his delight on vs and hath loved vs and hath chosen vs to be his people and hath preferred vs before many other nations that are farre greater and mightier then we that we also might learne to make
vs of the most deadly sting of the spirituall serpent the Devill It may seeme strange that the beholding of a deade man should have such vertue efficacy as to giue life to the behoulders yet so it is for that this dead body is a quickning spirit and the word of his crosse is the power of God to salvation to all that beleeue And indeede you cannot duely thinke vpon this shamefull ignominious crosse but that yee shall be moved thereby to call to mind the most glorious and admirable loue of God who so loved the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but haue life everlasting Now if God loue vs be on our side who can be against vs if he hath confirmed his loue towards vs in that he spared not his only begotten sonne but gaue him for vs all how may wee be most fully assured that he will with him giue vs al things also Hereby saith S. Iohn haue we perceived loue in that hee layed downe his life for vs. 1. Ioh. 3. 16. So S. Paules Herein saith hee Christ setteth out his love towards vs that while we were sinners therefore not worthy of the least mercie hee died for vs and so shewed vs the greatest mercy Rom. 3. 8. If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith vnto thee give mee drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and he would haue given vnto thee the water of life Ioh. 4. 10. In teaching the ignoraÌ„t we must labour especially to worke in them a thirst of the water of life the sweetnes wherof if we had once tasted al other thiÌ„gs would grow out of tast with vs and we would after a sort thirst only after this water This water of life then aboue al other things is to be made knowen to the people of God the vertue therof is continually to be sette forth seeing it is not condemned but where it is vnknowen And hereof it is that Christ himselfe his spirit his spouse and all his faithfull members bestow so much labour in pointing to this full fountaine of the water of life and in commending the vertues therof I am the living bread saith our Saviour Christ that Ioh. 6. 51. came downe from heaven hee that eateth of this bread shall liue for ever And againe If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke he that beleeveth Ioh. 7. 37. in me as saith the Scripture out of his belly shall flowe rivers of water of life And againe I am the dore if any man enter by mee he Ioh. 10. 9. shall be saved and goe in and out and finde pasture And againe I am the Vine yee are the branches every braunch that beareth fruite in me my Ioh. 15. 2. father purgoth that it may beare more fruite And againe I am the way the truth and the life no man commeth to the father but by me By all which figuratiue speeches one and the selfesame thing is sette forth vnto vs even that Christ is the doore wherby we haue entrance to God in the enioying of whose favour presence consisteth life that he is the way to the caelestiall IerusaleÌ„ where true life is to be enioyed in the greatest perfection that he is the true propitiatory sacrifice wherby the wrath of God is throughly pacified all other in respect thereof beeing either meere shadowes or false counterfeites that he is the bread water meat and foode of life whereby life is not onely bredde at the first but also still maintained and preserved for ever Likewise our Saviour testifieth of the spirit of God that he shall testifie of him and shall receive Ioh. 15. 26. Ioh. 16. 14. of his shall glorifie him by giving testimony vnto the holines of his doctrin vnto the dignity of his death the Angel setteth downe the same as a sure note of the spirit of a true Prophet The Apoc. 19. 10. Ioh. 5. 39. testimony of Iesus is the spirite of prophesie that is is a sure marke of the spirit of prophecy Yea what is the scope and end of all the scriptures but to give testimony vnto Christ What is the continuall exercise of the spouse of Christ and all her legitimate children but to haue their eies fast bent vpon Christ their mouth continually open in his praise The whol booke of the Canticles is principally spente in the extolling of the excellencies of the bridegrome by his louing spouse vnder diverse semblances and similitudes And wherein especially laboured Iohn the Baptist the friend of the Bridegrome but in preparing the peoples hartes to embrace Christ Behoulde the Lambe of God saith he that taketh Ioh. 1. 29. 26. away the sinnes of the vvorld I baptise vvith water vnto repentance but there is one among you who albeit he came after mee yet hee was before mee whose shoe-latchet I am vnworthy to vnloose he shall baptise vvith the holy Ghost and with fire And againe He must encrease but I must Ioh. 3. 30. decrease Lastly what did all the Apostles teach They preached Iesus and in him and by him the resurrection of the dead and all other benefites and blessinges whatsoever they preached Iesus to be the Lord and themselues the servants of all men for Iesus sake And verely al other waters are but draffe durte in respect of the most pure waters of this fountaine all other riches are but 〈…〉 of this inestimable and invaluable treasures 〈…〉 dishes are but as the scrappes of a beggars 〈…〉 of the most sweete and comfortable both tast 〈…〉 Mannaâ— and bread of life the feeding 〈…〉 to â—…ke the best of it is but the Iuglers feast 〈…〉 by feeding on Christ The children of 〈…〉 Synagogue howsoever they pretend that they care 〈…〉 they haue never indeed fedde vpon him truly 〈…〉 should haue had by him health strength and life to 〈◊〉 that they would never haue fedde vpon masses and 〈◊〉 and vpon their owne or other mens merites for the furâ—…â—…ing of everlasting life But if these meÌ„ wil by no means 〈◊〉 â—…ded to come togeather with vs to feede onely vppon 〈…〉 bread of life at the Lords table let them feed still at the 〈…〉 vpon that deadly poison which is sette before them 〈…〉 â—…mous serpent But let vs feed vpon Christ Io◠〈…〉 for his flesh 〈…〉 and his blood is drinke indeede His patience is the only price wherby our soules are fully ransomed his righteousnes the onely roabes whereby our nakednes is wholy covered wherby we are presented most perfectly pure righteous holie 〈◊〉 before the tribunal seat of the Lords iustice His death is only able to kill sinne in vs and his resurrection is onely of force to raise vs vp to newnes of life They that being moved by other reason seeme to abstain froÌ„ sin to work righteousnes do the same but outwardly in shew
workes but of his meere mercy grace and favour And so our Saviour himselfe teacheth vs in the parable of the husbandman that went and sent labourers into Math. 20. 1. his vineyard whereof some vvere hired at the beginning some at the middle and some at the end of the day and yet each of them receaued the same wages the same hire Vpon occasioÌ„ of which parable Saint Ambrose saith that such as were hired at the latter end Amb de vocat Genâ— l 1. c. 5 of the day do represent vnto vs those which are called to the Lords service at the end and vpshotte of their liues whom he hath chosen without works and vpon whome he doth rather powre forth the riches of his grace then yeelde a rewarde vnto their labours that they also who haue laboured swette the whole day and continued their whole life in the service of God and yet receaue but their penny with the other may thereby vnderstand that they also rather receiue a gift of grace then wages oâ— hâ—râ— due to their workes For there is but one waâ— to liâ—e for all thâ—… are saued and therefore if any of the faithfull be saued by meere merâ—y 〈…〉 without the merite of their owne workes then no dâ—ubt but all are saued after the same manner And verely it would goe verie harde even with the best if they should be put to wâ—…e the gâ—rlande of glory by theâ—… owne worthines before they should weaâ—e iâ— Loose it in deede we could easily and that in the sâ—…te of our greatest innocency and perfection but recover it againe we never could but onely by the meanes of our powerfull Redeemer VVhen Fabitu Maximus had wonne the city Tarentum which Cicero dâ— senecâ—…te Salinator before had lost being forced by the enemy to hide his head in the castle Salinator mette him and saide vnto him By my helpâ— Fabiâ—… thou hast wonne Tarentum True quoth Fabius smiling For if thou hadst not lost it I could not haue recovered it and even so may it be replied to the proude and vaine glorious Papists that are not ashamed to boast that by the meanes and merite of their owne workes Christ hath restored to them againe the kingdome of heâ—ven that in verie deede vnlesse we by our own workes had lost the same he should haue had no neede to haue recovered it A certaine noble mans sonne as it is reported comming to his father for maintenance was sent by him to demise certaine landes to such whose estates were now expired who comming to the place appointed and sitting in court demised to each one his estate for a penny Now might these men iustly boast of the fruite of their penny or of the kindenes of that noble gentleman who lette them renewe their coppies for so small a sine Surely he hâ—d beene a verie vngratefull tenante that would haue done so and altogether vnworthy of so great a favour VVe had all in Adam forfeited our estates in the kingdome of heauen whatsoever the best of vs can giue towardes the renewing of the same it is but as a penny to a good coppy-hold Seeing then our most gratious God hath so tenderly loued vs that he hath giuen vs his onely begotten sonne who hath purchased it againe for vs by his owne death and so hath renewed againe our estates therein wilwilling vs that we should earnestly endeavour to shew our selues dutifull and thankefull vnto him that hath beene so mercifull and gracious to vs telling vs also againe and againe that this our labour shall not be in vaine in the LORD and that it shall not be lost which we employ in his service but that he will crown it with eternall glory shall we nowe ascribe this crowne of glorye to our simple endevours vvhich vve employ in his service or to his infinite and endles goodnes vvho hath purchased it for vs vvith his ovvne blood Verely he vvere too too vnthankfull a vvretch vvho vvoulde ascribe it to the merite of his owne vvorkes and not to the meere mercy of his gracious redeemer The Apostle Saint Paul who if any had to glorie in the merite of his owne vvorkes yet disclaymeth them all in the matter of salvation saying GOD forbid that I shoulde glorie in any thing saue in the crosse of â—ESUS CHRIST For hee Gal. 6. 14. knewe that GOD had made him vnto vs vvisedome righteousnes 1. Cor. 1. 30 sanctification and redemption that hee vvhich glorieth should glory in the LORD He knevve that there vvas no other foâ—dation of his salvation to bee laide then Iesus CHRIST and him 1 Cor. 3. 11. crucified and that there vvas no other name giuen vnder heaven vvhereby vvee might bee saued but onely the name of our blessed Act. 4. 12. Saviour Not the name of our owne or other mens workes oâ— Masses Dirigesses Pardons or the like seeing if it might haue beene vvrought by any such meanes CHRIST had died in vaine he might then haue spared all his paines and avoided Gal. 2. 21. all those most grievous torments vvhich hee endured for mans redemption Especially if it be true vvich they teach that the good vvorkes of the regenerate if not in themselues yet in respect of the spirite vvhose fruites they are are of infinite price satisfactorie for sinne vvhich is infinitely heinous and aunsvvereable to the ioyes of the kingedome of heaven then it had beene sufficient for our Saviour CHRIST to haue bestovved his spirite vpon the faithfull by vvhose infinite purity their vvorkes being sanctified they might haue beene thus enabled to saue themselues and so his ovvne death had beene but superfluous for the vvorking out of mans salvation But if it bee a most heinous impietie to avouch Christes death to be superfluous and that he died in vaine then let vs all which looke for any benefite by his death ascribe the glorie of eternall life onely to him vvho is therefore called Ioh. 6 35. Apoc. 22. 2 1 Ioh. 5. 20. Col. 33. the bread of life the tree of life autor of life yea life it selfe for that our life resteth onely in him that is our onely iust title to eternall life Take hold then of CHRIST take hold of life reach forth thine hand to any other thing and thou reachest it to vanitie and takest holde as it vvere of thornes and of fire Looke not for life but vvhere it dwelleth Our life is hidde in CHRIST vvith GOD death reigneth in the vvhole vvorlde beside and leadeth every creature to the bondage of corruption If thou looke vp into heaven vvithout this reconciler there vvill appeare nothing but displeasure and vvrath if thou cast dovvne thine eyes vppon the earth there thou shalt see nothinge but fearefull confusion If thou call to Abraham hee knovveth thee not if to the wise virgines their oile is not sufficient for themselues and for thee also if to Saint Paule hee vvas not crucified for thee if to the most