downe with a nette to entangle him man flyeth from sathans nett as from a most hurtfull thing in that he resisteth his temptations for a while But he commeth willingly to Gods baite yea not only vncalled but also flatly forbidden eateth of it greedely for he being once caught and entangled changeth his minde and will thinkeing that to be good and holsome which before he knewe to be hurtfull by al meanes to be auoided So that the fall of man came as hath been declared of the freedome or rather of the preuersnesse of his owne will according to the eternall decree purpose of God by the malitious instigation of sathan who hauing before fallen himselfe did vehemently desire the fall of man that for these reasons First for that he had now coÌ„ceaued a vehemeÌ„t desperate hatred of God hauing iustly for his sin cast him out of his presence the which before his fall he enioyed in heauen And for so much as he did easely see that his malice could not reach to God himselfe therfore he thought that the next way was to despite dishonor him in his creatures by defacing maÌ„ who only of al the creaturs in this world was made according to Gods owne image yea further to depriue god of al that glory ship that man should performe vnto him Secondly Sathan desired to effect the fall of man that so he might haue the more company both in his sinne and in his punishment He being thus affected towards Gods glorie and mans saluation ceased not till that by his faire promises and plausible pretenses he brought man out of the true paradise into a fooles paradise making him beleeue that the â—ransgression of Gods commaundement was the onely way for him to become a God and so he perswaded Eua in the forme of a serpent and Adam in the forme of Eua to eate of the forbidden fruite It is doubted how Adam being in the state of innocency and knowledge could be so palpably deceiued as to beleeue such a notorious lie especially seeing the Apostle saith that Adam was not deceiued but Eua. But he meaneth that Eua was first yea more easely and grosly deceiued for as her knowledge was lesse so we must thinke that her infidelitie was greater then was Adams who although he was made to distrust in part the word of God yet he was not nor could be so blinded by Eua as she was by the delusion of the diuell and therefore he sinned more of wilfulnesse then of blindnesse choosing rather to disobey God then to displease Eua by reiecting her importunate request and refusing to take such part as she tooke who being his wife yea his onely companion was no doubt a great pleasure ioy and delight vnto him Thus much of the fall of Adam which is the fall of all mankind For Adam being the father of al men did sustaine the publike person of mankind both in his innocencie and also in his fall in his happinesse and in his misery If it be asked why all mankind fell seeing not all but some of the Angels did fal wee answere that all men were in the very moment of the fall in Adams loynes and therefore did both stande and fall with him but the Angels doe not be get one another being all created immediately by God himselfe and therefore the sin of one Angell doth not take holde of another vnlesse that one by consenting to the sinne deuised by another doe make himselfe sinful as it was in the fal of the Angels wherin one or some few were the chief authors of this conspiracy the rest approued it took part with them as may be gathered by that distinction which is made of them one being made chiefe or head the rest his inferiours Mat. 25. 41. Goe ye into eternall fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels Sect. 3. Of the state of regeneration and saluation THE third state followeth which is the recouering of the first state of life wherein man was created in the beginning For God in suffering man to fall did not purpose the finall ouerthrow and destruction of so excellent a creature but rather the illustration of his owne vnspeakable mercy and goodnesse towards man in pardoning his sinne and in restoring him to life This state we call the state of saluation for that man in it is not onely indued with life as he was before but also saued and deliuered from eternall death whereunto he fell by his sinne Yet not all mankind is restored to life but onely a fewe that it might appeare both how vnapt man is to do any good how vncapable of saluation he is made by sinne in that he cannot attaine vnto it no not now when as God hath appointed the meanes and the way of it and as it were setting heauen gates wide open doth offer saluation to all men and lastly that the iustice of God might be declared in punishing the reprobate for their sinne And yet the state of mankind is happy in respect of the Angels which fell for none of them are or shal euer be restored to their former state and that for these causes First and chiefly because their fall was so great as that it is impossible that they shoulde recouer their first estate the greatnesse of their fall commeth of that greate measure of knowledge light and grace wherewith they were endued and the which they did tread vnder their feete and despise for if they had fallen onely from some small measure of grace a greater measure would haue recouered them but they hauing alreadie reiected and made of no force so much grace as any meere creature is capable of haue no remedy left for their saluation And as they fell from the highest degree of grace so they fell into the lowest sinke of sinne euen to the highest degree of sinne that can be imagined which is a most desperate deadly cruell fierce contumelious shamelesse open professed wilfull and spitefull hatred against God and all goodnesse yea against all his creatures both good and euill This came of the exceeding great strength of their nature which being once let loose to sinne coulde not stay or rest but in the highest degre of it Like vnto this remedilesse fall of the wicked Angels is that sinne which is in the scripture called the sin against the holy Ghost when as one being endued with a great measure of grace doth fall into this fearefull and desperate hatred of God and of all goodnesse for as hee who falleth from a steepe and high rocke into a deepe pit or gulfe can not possibly escape death whereas one whose fall is lesse may haue hope of life so it is with these wicked Angels whose sinne we may truely call that vnpardonable sinne committed against the holy Ghost Further the sin of the Angels deserued more seuere punishment in that they were better able to resist it seeing the glory of God in heauen therefore
subiect to them if violence had bene offred yet there could none happen in this pure state For then there were no wilde beasts to deuoure teare in peeces no euill constitutiō of the aier to distemper or infect no inordinate affections in a mans minde whereby he himselfe might be the cause of sickenes hurt or death to himselfe but all the creatures were so disposed as that they should euery way further and by no meanes impaire the good estate of man Lastly if it be granted that Adams body had no such strange temperature which coulde continue for euer no one qualitie getting the vpper hand ouer-any other neither any such immunity against violent deaths but that he might by ouersight forgetfulnesse or some humane infirmitie be ouertaken with hurt sicknesse age and death the which opinion is rather to be receaued yet he had this supernaturall priuiledge of immortalitie granted vnto him by the worde of God and confirmed by the tree of life the fruite whereof being taken and eaten had this vertue in it not by nature but by the miraculous and extraordinary worke of God to make man liue for euer by freeing him from all daungers hurts woundes sicknesse and age Likewise this happines was in regard of the soule of Adam exceeding greate he hauing not onely a mind illuminated with the true knowledge of God of all other thinges which did any way belong vnto him but also his wil affections free from al immoderate desires or greiuous passiōs which might any way molest or trouble him The which state of the soule as it is a part of mans holines in that it is agreeable to the will worde and image of God so in regarde of the incomparable pleasure and ioy arising of the true contemplation of God of a quiet conscience and orderly affections it containeth in it a great parte of mans felicity Likewise the whole person of man was adorned with this crowne of glory that he was a monarch here on earth hauing the Lordshippe and dominion of these inferior creaturs giuen vnto him So that to conclude this point the happinesse of man was very wonderfull in that he enioyed all good things whatsoeuer euen God himselfe with all the creatures This was the happinesse of mans first estate whereof this question may be asked whether it was appointed by God to continue for euer or else to be but an entrance to a greater happinesse in heauen whither some doe thinke that man should at length haue bene translated although without death yet not without some change of his earthly body But hereof we cannot say any thing haueing learned nothing in the worde of any other happinesse of this first estate then this which hath in some sort bene described and which although it may seeme to come much short of true happinesse and to be rather a terrestrial then a celestial yet in trueth it was perfect happines although not absolute because it was mutable for wheresoeuer God vouchsafeth to the creature the fruition of his presence there is full perfect happinesse whether it be in heauen or on the earth Sect. 2. Of the miserable state of man since the fall of Adam MAn by his sinne did separate himselfe from God lost the coniunction which he had with him both spiritual which is perfect holinesse and personall or local which is happinesse and was cast out of the presence of God and out of paradise in the which place being a terrestriall garden God did reueale himselfe and his glory to man after a speciall manner and so he loosing the fountaine of happinesse he did withall loose all the streames which flowed from thence belonging either to his body or soule his body which was before beautifull and maiesticall became deformed and contemptible being as the experience of all ages doth teach vs often many waies crooked ridiculous foul yea somtimes horribly monstrous and vgly For continuall health he hath infinite diseases infirmities sickenesses sores For his former felicitie he is subiect to as many daungers as there are thinges in the worlde there being almost nothing which may not become mortall vnto him by some meanes or other his immortalitie he hath chaunged with death often dying before he be borne to liue sometimes in the flower of his age if he liue many years yet al his life is nothing but misery yea euen death it selfe it being the beginning of eternall death Likewise in regard of his soule he is most miserable his vnderstanding which before was as cleare as is the sun at noone day is now ouershadowed and filled with palpable darkenesse grosse errours blockishe ignoraunce and an accusing conscience His will is become peruerse abhorring whatsoeuer is good cleauing to that which is euill His affections are raging in ordinate lusts and in briefe there is nothing in the whole nature of man but horrible confusion For the outward dignity of his person he is now cast out from the company of God of his holy angels who before were his familiar friends but nowe are armed with a sword against him Again he is not now Lord of the creatures for they do oftener tyrannise ouer him deuouring him tearing him in peeces thē perform any seruice vnto him vnlesse they be constrained Yea he is that by his own iudgment more base thē the earth therefore is often sold to perpetual slauery for a little gold siluer brasse or any baser mettall yea he setteth his whole mind bestoweth al his labour vpon them he prostrateth himselfe before the wedge of gold as before his God he loueth it as his life accounteth al his happines to consist in it Besides many miseries do happen in this life which might becounted a kind of happines if that they might haue an end with death but how can we look that that should be the end of it which is but the beginning of that vnspeakable misery which hath no end but shal cōtinue for euer For al the miseries of this life whatsoeuer death it selfe are but an entrāce to that eternal misery which is prepared for sinners The greatnes wherof cōsisteth in ◠things first in that intolerable griefe which is cōceiued by the lack of the cōtrary happines prepared for the faithfull in which respect it is called vtter darknes the lowest pit Secondly in the sustaining of those paines where with the wicked shal be tormēted in body soule the which are vsually compared to a burning fier or Furnace because there is no thing so fearefull to man as is fire which consumeth all thinges where of it can gette holde but in trueth there is no fire yea although it be augmented by infinite riuers of brimstone that burneth so hote is so vnquenchable as is the anger of God which in the day of wrath shall be powred foorth vpon the wicked Sect. 3. Of the renewed happinesse of man THe renewed happines of man is partly in
sonne who is of his owne nature and essence euen bone of his bone flesh of his flesh and bloud of his bloud who is a liuely picture yea a liuing image of his owne person representing after a most plaine manner his stature forme beauty strength complexion behauiour and conditions yea who doth raigne ioyntly and equally with him being partaker of his riches treasures glory maiesty power office and authority This death of this prince being decreed by the king his father it is needfull that for the suffering of the course of the law together with the sentence and punishment of death he should debase him to the condition of a subiect yet retaining the aforesaid prerogatiues So that there is in one person the condition and as it were the nature both of a king of a subiect the one maketh that he may be put to death the other maketh that this death tho it be the death but of one person is more then a sufficient ransom for the offence of ten thousand of his subiectes as the people of Israell doe confesse 2. Sam. 21. 17. That it were much better that ten thousand of themselues should perish then that King Dauid whome they call the light that is all the glory of Israell shoulde be in danger of death In like manner there was no way whereby God the glorious monarch of heauen and earth could preserue both his owne iustice and man but that he should giue his owne onely naturall and eternall sonne the brightnesse of his glory the expresse forme and charecter of his Godhead beeing partaker of his owne essence glory maiestie power authority wisedome iustice mercy and in breife of his whole diuine nature to be a ransome for the sinne of man For the which purpose it was needful that he should to his kingly and diuine estate take vnto himselfe the base condition of a subiect and creature and in that condition submit himselfe to the law of God and to the sentence of death pronounced by God the father as by a most iust seuere and righteous iudge By faith in this death of the sonne of God saluation is brought to mankind For it freeth the beleeuer from all manner of guilt of sin whether original or actual whether past present or to come And further as this mediator doth redeeme vs from death and indue vs with perfect righteousnesse by his death so by the vertue of the holy spirit proceeding from his diuine nature the beleeuer is endued although not at the first with perfect holinesse and preserued for euer from falling from this estate Thus wee haue summarily declared the doctrine of fayth as it hath beene published to the worlde by the ministery of the Apostles whose doctrine we doe hartely embrace and openly confesse professing that there is no other name meanes nor mediatour in heauen or earth which can giue saluation then Iesus the sonne of Mary Now that we see what is the obiect of this iustifying fayth we are in the next place to gather out of this doctrine the difference betwixt legall and euangelicall fayth betwixt that fayth wherewith Adam was indued in the state of innocencie that which hath place in this state of regeneration Both kindes are affiance in god for happinesse to be had by the meanes of perfect holynesse but the first kynde looketh directly on the godheade without any mediation the second beholdeth the godheade through the humanitie of Christ as through a vaile or couering for man being now polluted with sinne dare not looke on god without a mediatour as he did before the fall Secondly euangelicall fayth coÌ„teineth in it forgiuenes of sin which was not in the first estate Thirdly the righteousnesse whereby legall fayth trusteth for happinesse is naturall to man inherent in the person of man and his owne but the righteousnesse of the other kynde is borrowed from an other The first kinde maketh man trust in himselfe but the secoÌ„d maketh him to renounce him selfe and to fly to Christ for righteousnesse The first kinde relyeth it selfe on the equity and iustice of god the which rewardeth the righteousnesse of the creature with life But the other flyeth to his loue and mercy in Christ the which pardoneth and saueth a sinner Rom. 4. 5. Legall fayth cannot of it selfe iustify a man it being but one part of mans holynesse called by the diuines Sanctitas Fiduciae that is the holynesse of the affectioÌ„ of trust or coÌ„fideÌ„ce or a holy confidence besides the which there is required for perfect holynesse the holynesse of hope of loue of feare of reuerence and of all the affections yea the holynesse of the will and of the mynde and to be shorte the holynesse of the wholle nature and of all the actions of man so that if we should suppose that Adam did euen in the very moment of sinning and also after he had transgressed gods commaundement still retaine this part of his holinesse to wit affiance in god yet we coulde not thinke that he did continue in the state of life which is lost by one sinne but not kept by one part of holynesse But it is farre otherwise with this euangelical fayth the which although in the owne nature it be but the holynesse of one affection namelie of confidence or affiance as legall fayth is yet it bringeth with it perfect righteousnesse or iustice making the righteousnes of Christes death to belong to the beleeuer In the which respect it is called iustifying fayth not that â—his fayth can be without some measure of â—he other parts of holynesse or giue the possession of eternall glory without perfect â—olynesse but that in the matter of our iuâ—â—ification onely faith hath force in so much â—hat he who beleeueth in the last moment â—f his life as the theefe on the crosse did Luc. â—3 42. hauing neither time to doe any one â—ood worke nor yet strength to speake one â—ood worde or yet almost to thinke a good â—ought is as surely and as fully purged â—â—om all his sinnes as he who hath liued a â—ousand yeares in the greatest measure fayth godlynesse zeale loue patience soâ—ietie chastitie humilitie and of all other â—â—rituall graces whereunto any man can atâ—â—ne in this life For inherent holynesse comâ—only called sanctification be it neuer so â—at is imperfect and therefore as little auailable for our iustification as if it were none at all For imperfect holines doth no more iustify then no holinesse doth neither is there any other account made of it before the iudgment seat of God in the matter of our iustification howsoeuer there be necessary vse of sanctification for saluation as we are hereafter to consider And yet although this one part of mans holynesse doe serue for our iustification we are not thereof to gather that we are saued by it as a parte of inherent holynesse for faith doth not iustifie vs as it is a parte of holynesse but because this affection hath by the
for any to enter who is not perfectly holy then it is for palpable darkenesse to be there whereas the sunne shineth clearely at noone day and therefore seeing holinesse is tyed to happinesse by such an vnspeakable bond it is needfull that wee do heere speake of holinesse wherewith as with a wedding garment euery one must be clothed who desireth to enter into Gods paradise Holinesse therfore is as hath beene before touched The spirituall coniunction of the reasonable creature with God as happinesse is his personall or locall coniunction with him For then eyther Angell or man is perfectly holy when as in his spirite or soule in his vnderstanding will affections and all the actions proceeding from them he cleaueth to God in perfect obedience knowing beleeuing choosing louing fearing and obeying him aboue all thinges so as not onely the outward actions but also the inward faculties yea the whole nature be pure in the sight of God without any spot or blemish of sinne Both which to wit the holinesse of the natural faculties and of the outward actions we will ioyne together in this treatise for the greater euidence of the doctrine This holinesse although it might be handled according to the order of the seuerall partes and faculties of mans soule yet we will rather distinguish it into these two parts Subiection to God and Conformity to God whereof the first containeth all those parts of mans holines which he oweth to God as to his superiour and which haue no resemblance to any part of Gods nature for that God is in no respect subiect to any the other those wherein man is like to God resembling some part of Gods nature so as that he may be said to haue those faculties in common with God although after a farre diuerse manner for man is then truely holy when as he is subiect to God in conformitie and like to God in due subiection For so it pleased God to put in man his owne image or the similitude and resemblance of his own nature yet not making him his mate or equall but euery way subiect and inferiour to him Mich. 6. 8. O man God sheweth thee what is good that is wherein thy holinesse doth consist namely in this that thou humble thy selfe to walke with thy God For the first the subiection which man oweth to God is not of one kind but generall containing in it all kindes of subiection whatsoeuer to wit that which the loyall subiect oweth to his prince the sonne to his father the seruant to his master the scholer to his teacher the creature to the creator in all which respectes man ought to be subiect to God performing all those dueties to him which any inferiour oweth to his superiour as in particular consideration will more plainly appeare Sect. 2. Of the sinfulnesse of man MAn by that one offence committed against God in eating the forbidden fruite did wholly loose both the iustice of his person and also the inherent purity of his nature For the first we knowe that disobedience and rebellion against God appeareth as well in one wilfull transgression as in many for no man is to be counted iust and innocent who is stained with any one grieuous crime and therefore as we read Iam. 2. 10. whosoeuer keeping the whole lawe beside transgresseth any one part or precept he is guilty of the breaking of the whole lawe But the resolution of the other question is much harder for it is not so easy to shew howe that one sinne did cleane take away the holynesse which was inherent infixed and euen ingrauen by the finger of God in the nature of man as we know that the transgression of Adā depriued both him and his posterity of that light of the minde of the actuall in clmation of his will to good onely and of whatsoeuer else was good in him For as the Poets doe fable of certaine men who by drinking a charmed potion were made of reasonable men brute and sauage beasts so we know that the eating of the forbidden fruite did make as great a metamorphosis or change in Adam who by this meanes was stript naked of all and euery parte of that holynesse wherewith he was before endued But whence came this wonderfull altertion whether from God spoling man of all those holy garmentes wherewith he had decked him before or from man himselfe makeing a totall apostasie from God Not from God whose giftes are without repentance and whose nature is farre from any such inconstancie but from man Yet not from any wilfull desire or purpose of renouncing God and all holynesse but by the craft of sathan and the nature of sinne which as leauen once getting place neuer resteth till that it soure the wholle lumpe be it neuer so great So man after that he had once inclined his will to disobey God and admitted vnbeleefe into his minde coulde not keepe his affections and actions from the contagion of sinne Adam perhaps thought that to eate the forbidden fruite was but a single and small offence but sathan knewe very well that it was a grieuous and an vniuersall Apostasie from God as it prooued in the euents For whilest the sweetnesse of the fruite was yet in the mouth of Adam the venim and poyson of it did pierce into the most secret partes of his soule leauing no part vncorrupted or free from the filthynesse of sinne For when as once the light of his minde was darkned by the delusion of the diuell in somuch that he thought euill to be good and the way leading to extreame miserie to be the onelie meanes of the greatest happinesse it coulde not be but that his will affections actions and all the faculties both of body and soule should be corrupted for that one of them doth followe the disposition of an other so that a corrupt minde bringeth a peruerse will and a sinnefull will maketh inordinate affections both which encrease the darkenesse of the minde and also defile all the outward actions Thus Adam lost the puritie of his nature by continuing in his sin whereinto he had fallen adding one measure of sinfulnesse to an other till at length he came to a constant habit naturall disposition of sinfullnesse And as he was himselfe sinfull so he left his sinfulnesse to his posteritie the which in respect of him is called originall corruption Ps. 51. 7. I was fashioned in sinne and in inquitie did my mother conceaue me This originall sinne is that corrupt estate of mans nature wherein all the faculties and powers of it are altogether vnapt and impotent to the doing of any good and wholly disposed and enclined to the committing of sin or more briefly the spiritual separation of man from God whereby it commeth to passe that he neither doth nor can either knowe or beleeue either loue or feare either obey or honour God or be in any respect so affected towards him as he ought to be This spirituall
which he did enioy whilst he liued in alleagance to his lorde so the case standeth with man when as by infidelitie he falleth from God For then he looseth all manner of blessings belonging either to his happinesse or to his holynesse yea it is impossible that a man shoulde either loue feare honor or obey God from whome he looketh for neither good nor euil and therefore infidelitie is to be accounted the roote of all euill Heb. 3. 12. Take heed brethren least that there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeleefe to depart away from the liuing God Thus much in generall of infidelity the which as hath bene said of faith is of two sorts Legall and Euangelicall legall infidelitie is to distrust Gods promises propounding happinesse to the inherent holinesse of the creature as did the wicked Angels who were perswaded that they coulde not become happy by continuing in holynesse Likewise Euangelicall infidelitie is to distrust Gods promises propounding happinesse to man relying himselfe on the mercie of God in Christ as most of all the men in the worlde haue alwaies done do at this day and will do as long as the world endureth Sect. 3. Of the faith of the gospell vsually called iustifying fayth IT hath been declared that the renewed holynesse of a man regenerate hath two parts Subiection and Conformity The first kinde of renewed Subiection being opposed to infidelity is called as in the first state by the name of faith The nature and force whereof is to repaire that breach which infidelity hath made betwixt God and man and to ioyne man to God in due subiection as he was in his first creatioÌ„ so that it is as it were the haÌ„d whereby man being before separated from God doth lay holde on him by beleeuing his promises and by putting all his trust and affiaunce therein But what bond can be imagined so strong as to be able to knitte God and man being nowe polluted with originall and actuall sinne together in any manner of coniunction being far more conâ—â—ary repugnant the one to the other then 〈◊〉 fire to water or light to darknesse or any oâ—her thing in the world All which doe only in qualitie fight one against another but sinne is contrary to the very nature and essence of God and therefore although that affiance in God which was in Adam were renued in vs yet it woulde not serue to ioyne vs to God because we want that perfect holynesse without the which no faith can ioyne any creature to him So that before that faith can either ioyne vs to God or be any thing auailable for our saluation it is needefull that we shoulde haue perfect holynesse the which whosoeuer goeth about to effect in himselfe will finde it a thing altogether impossible and that in these respects First because man in the very moment of sinning doth make himselfe guilty of eternall death and so he being once deade cannot raise himselfe vp againe or make himselfe capable of holynesse muchlesse worke it fully and perfectly in himselfe Secondly if that this be attributed to the patience and longe suffering of God that man is not straight way as soone as he sinneth vtterly destroyed and so consumed to nought by the anger of God but that he doth still exist in nature and so consequently is not altogether vncapable oâ— holynesse Yet it is impossible for him either to shake off that originall sinne which cleaueth inseperably to his nature or yet to fulfill the lawe of God by actuall obedience both which are needfull for perfect holynesse Lastly if man coulde not onely doe away his sinne already committed but also restore himselfe to his first integritie yet this woulde not serue for his eternall saluation because he were as like to fall away againe from GOD as he was before So that before man can be ioyned againe to God in hapinesse he must do foure things whereof euery one is altogether impossible to be performed either by man himselfe or by any other creature First he must by sustayning eternall death satisfie the iustice of God for his sinne already committed the which if he doe as he must doe if God be iust that is if he be God howe can he euer liue who must dy for euer Secondly he must wholly change his own nature create in himselfe a newe minde harte will and euen a new man the which thing belongeth to God onely Thirdly he must performe absolute and perfect obedience to the lawe of God And lastly he must continew in the saide obedience for euer Howe then is there no meanes of saluation left for man can there no way of performing these impossibilities be inuented Let all the men in the worlde lay their heades together and consult of this weightie matter let them haue the wisdome of Salomon the counsell of Achitophel the naturall wit of Aristotle the learning of the greatest Philosophers the diuining spirits of the southsayres what can they all say to the first question howe will they make man to liue who must dy for euer they will confesse that death and life cannot be together and therefore they must come to this last refuge that man shall not die in his owne person but get some other to dy for him and so satisfie Gods iustice Well this is good paiment if he who dyeth for man be in nature and dignitie equiualent to him but where shall this mediatour be founde As touching man euerie one desireth to liue and abhorreth death yea no man will dy for a iust man much lesse for a sinner But yet perhaps some one wil find such a friend as will not refuse to dy eternally for him Will this serue the turne no truely except he haue moe liues then one because he must first dy for his owne sinne and what then is left to discharge other mens debts But we may fly to some saint or holyman to S. Peter S. Paule S. Mary whose righteousnesse is so great as that it wilbe a ransom both to doe a way their owne sinne and the sinne of others also But there is no merite or righteousnesse which can proceede from any of the sons of Adam no more then sweet water can flowe from a corrupt fountaine yea no righteousnesse of any saint whosoeuer will serue for himselfe or satisfie Gods iustice for his owne sinne but when he hath done all that he can he is an vnprofitable seruant and for any helpe he can haue by his own holynesse in the same state of eternall death wherein others are his greatest righteousnes comming in the name of merite being in the sight of God no better then a filthy and defiled clout So then there is no meanes of mans saluation in man Neither can the oblation of brute beastes serue the turn or stand in the place of a reasonable creature for sinne is not purged by the bloud of bulles and gotes Heb. 10. 4. neither will God accept a thousand
rams as a sufficient ransome for the sinne of mans soule Mich. 6. 7. so that we finding no succor in this worlde are constrained to fly to the holy Angels and to craue their helpe in this behalfe But what can be hoped for at their hands whose righteousnes be it neuer so greate is no more then they doe owe to God for themselues being bounde to serue him with their whole mind hearte and the whole strength and power of their nature If it be imagined that their death might deliuer vs from death we answere first that no man can finde such fauour in their sight as that they will suffer themselues to be accursed for him from the happy and glorious presence of God which they haue enioyed in heauen euer since the first creation thereof Secondly if that we shoulde suppose such an impossible and inordinate loue in them yet the death of many angels coulde not satisfie Gods iustice for the sinne of mankinde but onely for the sins of some number much lesse performe all those things which are needfull for the effecting of our saluation and therefore euery one may say of him selfe O miserable man that I am whom no creature either in heauen or earth can deliuer from sinne and from the punishment of eternall death due vnto it Seing therfore that no creature can satisfie Gods iustice for the sin of man it remaineth that God shoulde either saue man without takeing any satisfaction for his sinne or else himselfe be this mediator for it hath already bene declared that God hath certainly decreed the saluation of man but both these are impossible for God can no more saue man without satisfaction made to his iustice then he can cease to be iust or to be God Againe it is no lesse impossible for God himselfe to make this satisfaction for first sinne cannot be imputed to the godhead but onely to some nature which is capable of sinne but the diuine nature cannot any way be made or imagined the subiect of sin no more then the fire can be made the subiect of extreame cold secondly if this impossibilitie were supposed that God could some way take the sinne of man vpon himselfe yet he could suffer no punishment for it for his nature is such that it can no way suffer much lesse sustain the punishment of eternall death due vnto our sinne What then can all the wit wisedome pollicie and inuention of man say to this case but onely acknowledge that mankind is in a most wretched miserable case quem ipsa salus seruare non potest whom God himselfe cannot saue But when man is brought to a bay and euen at his wits ende there the wisedome of God doth most appeare and that which seemeth impossible to man is possible with God who as he hath decreed mans saluation so he is able to bring it to passe and that not by taking away his owne iustice and essence but by satisfying and establishing it not by polluting the Godhead with the sin of man but by purging man from sin by the infinite power of the Godhead not by translating sinne from man to God but by making the nature of man able to beare the own burden by ioyning it to the nature of God not impairing his owne iustice but punishing the sinne of man more then it deserued and yet not consuming man in his wrath but declaring the endlesse riches of his mercy in sauing him from death that so all the praise glorie and thankesgiuing of our saluation might redound to God who is the beginner worker and finisâ—â—r yea the very meanes of it and who as he did in the beginning without the helpe or meanes of any creature create man in perfect holinesse and happinesse so againe he himselfe and that by himselfe doth restore him to perfect righteousnesse holinesse and eternall glory But it is needfull that we make a more plaine declaration of this mysticall and wonderfull doctrine especially it being the most happy and ioyfull doctrine which euer sounded in the eares or was at any time vttered by the tongue of man the summe of it is this The onely meanes whereby God coulde restore man to his first estate was that he himselfe should take vnto his diuine nature the nature of man so that he might in that nature take vpon him both the guilt also the punishmeÌ„t of our sin For this cause the sonne of God euen God himself did take vpon him our nature consisting of a body a soule indued with al the naturall powers faculties which are in man yea subiect to all humane infirmities yet without sinne This humane nature was begotten not by maÌ„ but by God it being formed fashioned not by the seed of maÌ„ but by the power of the godhead in the wombe of the virgin Mary who was of the linage of Dauid of part of her substance it being first sanctified by the holy Ghost from the inherent corruption of sinne so this nature being from the first moment of the conception vnited to the godhead in one person called Iesus the Sauiour of the worlde the promised Messias or the annointed or holy one of God and consisting of the diuine and a humane nature was brought foorth into the world in Bethlem in the land of Iury according as the prophets had foretold in the raigne of Augustus Caesar and so liued about 33. yeares till that in the daies of Tiberius Caesar it suffered a shamefull and violent death the which death of this humane nature was more then a sufficient ransome for the sinnes of the whole worlde because it was the death of God tho not of the Godhead and therefore it was of infinite merite and dignity yea it was more then the eternall death of all the men in the world although it had lasted but one moment of time as it continued but three daies For it is and that in the iudgement of any reasonable man a farre lesse matter that all the creatures in the world should die for euer then that God himselfe the creator of all things the Lord of glory and giuer of life yea who is glory and life it selfe should suffer death one minute of an houer So that the humanity of Christ gaue the possibility of suffering death as the diuinitie gaue the sufficiency excellency merite of this ransome or paiment made to God for the debt of man This incomprehensible mysterie of Gods wisedome and eternall counsell may be declared after this manner Suppose that there is in this or that countrey an absolute maiesticall and glorious monarch or king against whome many thousands of his subiectes rebell refusing to performe loyall obedience to his lawes The King seeing this rebellion purposeth so to deale in reuenging it as that not onely his iustice but also and especially his mercy and loue towards his naturall subiectes may appeare and therefore he meaneth to punishe their offence in himselfe by putting to death his owne onely
goodnesse of God decreeing mans saluation by this meanes this naturall propertie or qualitie to appropriate to a man Christ with his righteousnesse Lastly the first kind is easie to be had and attained vnto by supposition of perfect inherent holynesse it being agreeable to naturall reason yea there being some reliques of it in the gentils themselues who know good euil and also that the punishmeÌ„t of death is due to the one the reâ—ward of happines appointed for the other Bâ— Euangelicall fayth is supernaturall yea it contrarie to our naturall disposition and câ—â— not be attained vnto without the mighty â—â—peration of the spirite of God whereof herâ—â—after This wholle doctrine may be gathered into one summe or definition in this manner Euangelicall fayth is affiaunce in Gods promises propounding eternall saluation to all those who rely themselues wholly on the mercy of God in Christ. Or more briefly thus It is affiaunce in Christ for happines Or thus It is trust or confidence in Christ whereby his death and the righteousnesse arising thereof are appropriated to the beleeuer Nowe we are out of the seuerall parts of these definitions to search out more particularly the true nature of faith to what kynd or head it is to be referred whether it be a part of regeneration and sanctification or something diuerse from both these Secondlie what is the place and subiect of it whether the minde the wil or the affections Thirdly by what meanes it may be wrought and attained Fourthly by what signes and markes it may be knowen Fiftly whether it may be lost or no. Lastly howe it hath this force that it is of it selfe able to iustifie and to saue a man For the first Regeneration and sanctification or the newe creature or recreated holynesse or thus The newe man and holynesse signifie all one thing to wit regenerate sanctitie or in plaine English renewed holynesse so that faith if it be a part of the newe man it is a part of regeneration and of holynesse and contrariwise if it be a part of mans holinesse it is a part of regeneration of the newe man and of the newe creature That it is a part of mans holynesse we cannot doubt seeing it is a holy affection euen the affiaunce and confidence of the heart relying it selfe on God the which affection was also in Adam and therefore it is a part of regeneration and of the newe man For although there be great difference betwixt legal and euangelical faith as touching the meanes of saluation the which is in the one the iustice of God in the other his mercy yet both of them are to be referred to the same heade of mans holynesse Legall faith being a part of the created holynesse of man as Euangelicall faith is a part of his regenerated or recreated holynesse The truth hereof may easely be gathered out of the section written of faith in generall for Legall and Euangelicall faith agree in a common definition and in all those points which are there mentioned The which doth also shew vs what to thinke of the subiect of faith to wit that it is in the will of man being nothing but a holy affection of confidence trust or affiaunce If it be obiected that faith is vsually in the scripture called beleefe as infidelity is vnbeleife the which is an action not of the will but of the minde giuing assent or dissent to the worde of God we answere that beleife is put for faith or affiaunce because it doth alwayes not onely accompany it but also after a sorte beget it and is the cause of it For when as a man doth without doubting beleeue Gods promises being fully perswaded of the trueth of them he cannot choose but rely himselfe vpon them so that beleife although it cannot be separated from faith yet it may and ought to be distinguished from it If it be obiected that Euangelicall fayth cannot be made a parte of mans holynesse seeing it is not commaunded in the morall law we answere that it is commaunded in the morall law as the other kind is in that it is all one in substance with naturall faith both kindes being affiaunce in God for happinesse to be attained by the meanes of perfect holynesse and therefore both kindes are commanded in the first coÌ„maundement Iehoua shall be thy God the which law doth enioyne that all the affections of man to wit his loue feare hope reuerence and with the rest his whole affiaunce or confidence be set whollie oâ— God as well after his fall to be saued by the mercy of God in Christ as in the state of innocencie to be saued by his owne righteousnesse Yea this first precept commaundeth al men to beleeue God in his word as wel in his Gospell as in his lawe and therefore whosoeuer doth not knowe beleeue and imbrace the Gospell he doth transgresse this first commandement In the third place we are to coÌ„sider that the meanes of attaining faith is to get the knowledge of the worde of God first of the lawe which shewing sinne death and damnation doth bruse and wound the harte and secondly of the gospell which teaching faith righteousnesse saluation healeth the aforesaide woundes and comforteth the sinner with pardon of his sinne and hope of eternall life This knowledge must of necessitie goe before faith for the minde of a man must be inlightned to see the trueth before the hart and affections can loue and embrace it The meanes which God doth ordinarilie vse in bringing men to knowe his wil is the publick ministery of the word performed by men indued with spirituall gifts fit for this purpose yet as hath bene said of regeneration so we are to thinke of faith all other spirituall graces that they come not by vertue of the meanes but by the power and worke of Gods spirit without the which it is impossible that any man shoulde vnderstand beleeue and imbrace the doctrine of the Gospell But howe commeth it to passe that man being a reasonable creature indued with an vnderstanding soule whereby he is able not onely to conceiue any thing that is taught but also him selfe to inuent new things not heard of before shoulde be so brutishe and blockish in learning the worde of God We answere that this commeth of the nature of the doctrine of the gospell the which being contrary to mans reason cannot be conceaued by it Yea as soone as it is hard it is straight way reiected as absurde ridiculous and foolishe so we reade 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiueth not the things of GOD for they seeme foolishnesse vnto him neither can he perceiue them because they are spiritually discerned Thus to make instance in one point of this doctrine to wit in the resurrection from death we see Act. 17. 32. that when the wise philosophers and men of Athens harde Paul mention it they mocked him And so we are to thinke of the cheife pointes of 〈◊〉 religion For
of God for if man were accounted righteous for his holinesse or loue he might impute his saluation to his owne desert for perfect loue deserueth loue and holinesse will chalenge life as of due debt But affiance implieth a humble loyall and duetifull subiection acknowledging the vnworthines basenesse insufficiency and weakenesse of man and together the mercy goodnesse loue fauour bounty trueth and power of God This reason is vsed for this purpose Ro. 3. 27. what law or meanes of saluation doth take away all boasting from man and so giueth all the glory of our saluation to God not the law of workes or inherent holinesse but the law of faith yea of all the graces which are in man faith onely hath in it this naturall property to make a man partaker of Christes death and righteousnes and so of saluation For euen as a tennant inioyeth his house and landes not for that he loueth or feareth his lord or for any vertue wherwith he is indued but only because he doth depeÌ„d on his Lord and so doth purchase vnto him worship and honour by relying himselfe wholly vpon his loue fauor liberality constancy ability riches so standeth the case with man in respect of his saluation For no grace saue onely this affiance on God and on his mercy in Christ can conuey vnto vs remission of sinnes and eternall life In the which respect it is commonly said in holy scripture that faith doth iustifie not as it is a parte of mans holinesse whereof no one part no not all the partes of it if any one be wanting will serue to make a man righteous before God but as it hath in it this proper vertue to make the death of Christ the death of the beleeuer so the righteousnes arising of the said death the righteousnes of the beleuer For he that hath suffered death is iustisied from sin Thus much of the obiect nature attributes of euangelical faith It remaineth that before we proceed to the rest of the partes of mans holines we should declare the relatioÌ„ which is betwixt faith them It hath bene said of faith in general that it is as it were the root froÌ„ the which other graces do spring in that it tieth vs to God the fountain of al graces as to the only giuer of all happines the which thing is true of this euangelicall faith after a special manner For in that it ioineth vs to Christ it maketh vs partakers of the spirit of Christ or rather causeth an increase of all spirituall graces For regeneratioÌ„ is although not in time yet in nature before faith Therefore this faith is made the subiect of the spirituall life of the new man euen as the hart is in the body the fountaine of heat Gal. 2. 20. I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me in that I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne of God who hath loued me and giuen his life for me And Act. 15. 9. Peter saith that God did purifie the hartes of the gentils that is as it is expounded verse 8. worke sanctification in them by faith In the which respect it is compared to the foundation of a house where vpon the whole buylding standeth and to the roote of a tree which giueth heate sappe and life to all the partes of it Coll. 1. 23. If ye continue founded and established in fayth and to a fountaine of liuing water Ioh. 7. 38. He that beleeueth in me out of his bellie shall flow riuers of the water of life And therfore it is put before all other graces 2. Pet. 1. 5. Ioyne to your fayth vertue and to your vertue knowledge temperance patience godlynes brotherly loue and kyndnes Hence it is that it is vsually distinguished from the rest of the partes of sanctification they being called by the name of loue or of the holy ghost 1 Tâ—ess 3. 6. Tymothie hath brought vs tydinges of your fayth and loue So it is saide Act. 6. 5. That Stephen was a man full of fayth and of the holy spirit not that faith it selfe is not a worke of the holy spirite and a parte of the spirituall holynesse of man but because it is the first worke of Gods spirite and the foundation of mans holinesse and saluation who must be by fayth freed from sinne and death before he can be endued with positiue holynesse and life Thus the Apostle doth often exhorte vs to fanctification and holynesse of life by an argument drawen from iustification which is the proper effect of faith as we may see Ro. 6. 14. sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you because you are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace But it may be asked how iustification doth bring foorth sanctification especially seing that to mans reason it is rather a motiue to a wicked and dissolute life that by the multitude and hainousnesse of our sinnes the mercy of God whereby they are pardoned might the more appeare Rom. 3. 7. and 6. 1. We answere that iustification doth of necessitie bring foorth sanctification and that diuers wayes For first the sense of the vnspeakeable loue of God whereby we are deliuered from eternall damnation doth inflame the hart of the beleeuers with a greate loue of God the which cannot be shewed any other way then by keepeing his commaundementes and by laboring to glorifie his holy name by a holy life Secondly God doth saue the faythfull not as stockes or stones without requiring anie worke action or duety at their handes but so as that he maketh them to be his fellow workers not that man can do any thing of him selfe without the grace of God but that man being endued and renewed by grace doth after a sort worke his owne saluation not by any naturall vertue but by the power of Gods spirite and therefore as Christ taketh away the guilte of sinne being committed so the faythful ought to endeuor that sin be not coÌ„mited Otherwise if they shoulde still of set purpose committe sin they should crosse Christ in the worke of their owne redemption defiling theÌ„ selues with sin whom he hath clensed with his bloud yea they should crucifie him againe treade vnder foote his bloude as a vile thing Thirdly the faithfull doe labour for sanctification as for the onely testimony of the soundnesse of their fayth and of the truthe of their iustification For fayth without the other partes of holynesse is but adeade and vnprofitable fayth Lastly the faythfull man knoweth that fayth is not of it selfe without the rest of sanctification sufficient for the attaining of saluation For although it alone dothfully iustify that is bring perfect remission of all manner of sinne whatsoeuer yet before that a man can enter into the kingdome of heauen he must be endued with perfect positiue holinesse the which cannot be made perfect in the worlde to come vnlesse it be begun and carefullie sought after
power of God Againe some man may obiect if all thinges be infinite in God and finite in the creature there can be no proportion or similitude betwixt them We answerâ— that there may be tho no proportion yeâ— similitude betwixt an infinite and a finitâ— thing as for example one drop of water iâ— like to the great Ocean both being of thâ— same matter and of the same forme both being water and rounde Againe to take our first similitude the body of the sunne may be said to be of an infinite greatnesse although no creature be simplie infinite for philosophers doe teach that it is far greater then the whole earth and yet a man may see the likenesse image of it in a little dishfull of water Lastlie not all the attributes of God but onely some of them can be giuen to the creature for no creature is eternall infinite or existing of it selfe In the which respect we call this resemblance which the creature hath to God rather a likenesse then an image for we know that an image is like to the thing it selfe in euery respect as the image of a man seemeth to be a man the image of the sunne or moone in the water seemeth to be the sunne or moone it selfe But no creature seemeth to be God because it is vnlike to God in moe respects then it is like for a beast may be like a man in many respects as is an Ape yet we doe not say that it is the image of man because the vnlikenesse and difference is greater then the likenesse But to applie these thinges to the matter in hand It will be here said why then doth the scripture say that man was created according to the image of God we answere that the holy Ghost in enditing the scripture hath more regard to our capacitie then to the exact proprietie of speache and therefore calleth the likenesse of man to God by the name of Gods image that he might distinguish it as being farre greater from the likenesse which other creatures haue to God For as a man speaking of beastes may say that a horse or any other beast is like to a man because it hath a heade eyes mouth breast and bellie as a man hath but when he commeth to the Ape or to the Satyre there he findeth so great likenesse that he sticketh not to call it though vnproperly the verie image and picture of a man So the scripture sayeth that euerie thinge hath some likenesse to God For the starres are glorious the heauens are simple the fire is pure the ayer is subtill the thunder is fearefull the winde is mighty the raine is good the rockes and many other things in a manner eternall the birdes of the aire and the beastes of the field are carefull to preserue those which they bring into the worlde and are louing and pittifull towards them as God is affected towardes all his creatures and therefore euerie creature hath alikenes to God Whereof it commeth that God doth often in the scripture compare himselfe euen to his senslesse and brutish creatures as may be seene Esa. 5. 29. Hosea 5. 14. yea we read Gen. 1. 31. That God looking on his creatures saide That they were all good Whereof it followeth that they are all like to God who is goodnesse it selfe and is saide to be onely good Math. 19. 17. But when as the holie ghost in the scripture commeth to speake of a man being endued with reason vnderstanding knowledge wisdome and memory with iustice equitie courage temperance chastity loue pitty and all manner of holynesse with a beautifull proportion of body and excellent giftes of the minde yea with lordshippe and dominion ouer all these earthly creatures he sayeth of him that he is the very image of God as if he were a finite and a created God And yet he doth not meane that man is either a God or the image of God for there can be no image of God eyther found in any creature or imagined by the minde of any man or Angell onely Christ the eternall and essentiall sonne of God is the expresse character and engrauen forme of the father being so much more his image then any man or Angell is as a naturall sonne begotten of the body of his father being of the same substance flesh bloud bone stature colour and conditions with his father is more his image then is an ape horse or any other beast Thus we see that the image of God in man is that greate similitude which he hath to God whome he doth resemble not onely in one or in a fewe respectes as other creatures doe but in many yet not in all In this sense God after that he had made all other creatures saith Gen. 1. 26. Let vs make man in our owne image according to our owne similitude Where we see that the image and similitude of God are all one both signifying the difference of excellencie which is betwixt man and other creatures there named In like manner if we compare man with the Angels we shall finde that as he doth farre exceede the other creatures so the Angels doe farre exceede him in bearing the image of God For they are indued with a greater measure of vnderstanding knowledge wisedome strength purity holinesse and of all goodnesse then any man is capable of and so they approach nearer to the nature of God and are liker to God then man is Againe of men they who haue a greater measure of the aforesaid attributes haue more of the image of God as the magistrate who hath greater power and authoritie then priuate men therefore are in the scripture called Gods the man who hath greater strength then the woman and therefore is said to be the image of God whereas the woman is made the image of the man 1. Cor. 11. 7. and so the rich noble learned wise aged man in respect of him who hath a smaller measure of these giftes may be called the image of God So that if we goe from the basest worme creeping on the earth to the most glorious Angell in heauen as each one is more excellent then other so it is liker to God yet the scripture vouchsafeth this title of Gods image to none saue onely to man and Angels This is the generall acception and in this sense the image of God is also vsually taken by diuines writing of mans holinesse Thirdly it may be vsed yet more specially to signifie not all the holinesse of man but onely that part of it whereby he resembleth God more notably then in the other for as touching all those partes of mans holinesse which haue beene declared in the first part of this treatise they cannot be properly said to be any part of the image of God because there is no such thing in God he being ouer all and therefore ackngwledging no manner of subiection to any neither any duety of subiection as affiance hope feare
reuerence imitation inuocation seruice worship thankes or any other of that kinde But if we speake of mans vnderstanding knowledge wisedome loue hatred or any other of the faculties of his minde or will we may call these very fitly the image of God because man doth in these pointes resemble God in whome the like thinges are founde Yet the scripture those learned men which follow the phrase of the scripture doe not speake improperly in calling the whole holinesse of man by this name seeing that holinesse in generall is gods image who is perfectly holy and therefore he that looseth the first part of his holinesse namely the due subiection of man to God or is wanting in the performance of any duety belonging vnto it as the wicked Angels rebelling against God and yet keeping a great part of their conformitie to God in knowledge and wisedome strength and many other respectes haue done he is vnlike to God who is not perfectly holy hath lost the image of god So that to conclude we are in this seconde parte to entreate of the image of God in this third sense it signifying the second part of mans holinesse wherein he doth more specially resemble God and which for the excellency of it hath the name of the whole giuen vnto it But because the image of God is vsually taken more generally therefore we will call this second part of mans holinesse the likenesse similitude or conformitie of man to God the which is the right and orderly disposition of those faculties of mans soule wherein he doth resemble God to wit of his minde and will whereof hereafter in particular Sect. 2. Of mans deformity or vnlikenesse to God AS God created man so like vnto himselfe in perfect happinesse and holinesse that he might in some sorte be said to beare about with him the image of the great and glorious God of heauen so man by his fall lost that pretious iewell which was vnto him as a chaine of golde about his necke yea as it is called Psal. 8. 6. A crowne of honour and glory And so became miserable and vnholie as vnlike to God as darknesse to light and hell to heauen And yet the image of God is not so cleane abolished but that there are some reliques of it to be seene in man for looke in how many respectes eyther of happinesse or holinesse man since his fall doth excell the rest of the creatures so much of the image of God doth remaine in him As for example one part of mans happinesse was the outward dignity of his bodie the vse of Gods creatures in the which respectes man hath euen in this his corrupt estate euident reliques of Gods image Likewise for the other part of Gods image there remaineth in the minde of man some small knowledge of God of good euill the which if it were perfect were the holinesse of the minde Yet these reliques doe not make that any one part of Gods image doth remaine the which is wholly defaced although not vtterly abolished It may now be compared to a fayre picture of some beautifull mā whereof euery part is blemished stained and mangled Yet not so but that the proportion of it may be discerned and each part distinguished from other or as it is commonly to the ruines of some stately pallace or lastly to a dead childe wherein although we may discerne the likenesse and image of the Father yet it is but a vile lothsom rotten carcasse Therefore these reliques do not make man to be eyther happie or holy in part only they serue for these vses First to be monuments of the great bounty and goodnes of God shewed to man in creating him after his owne likenesse Secondly to be as meanes whereby God might worke the saluation of his elect and suffer the reprobate who by this meanes become inexcusable to work their own eternal damnation Thus we see the general deformity of man consisting in wretchednes and sinfulnes the particulars whereof we are not here to declare because the former part hath shewed both the wretchednesse of man and the first part of his sinfulnesse onlie we are here to entreate of that speciall deformitie of man wherby some partes of his holinesse are defaced namely those wherein he did so resēble God as that he might haue bene said to haue thē in cōmon with God as are the minde memorie will manie of the affections and in briefe the chiefe faculties of the soule of man all which are strangelie corrupted whollie peruerted from that good holie and orderly disposition wherein they were created Sect. 3. Of the renewed Image of God in man AS the fall of man defaced the Image of God in man so the grace of God doth wholly restore the same both in happinesse and also in holinesse as hath beene declared in parte alreadie onlie there remaineth that part of renewed holinesse to be handled which may most properlie be called the image of God consisting in the renouation of the reasonable minde and will euen the faculties of mans soule not that God hath a soule or any such faculties of a soule as man hath but only it hath pleased him to resemble his incomprehensible essence to our nature for our capacitie for the faculties of a reasonable soule being in due order doe greatly resemble the nature of God which is reasonable or rather reason it selfe And therefore although in truth not like to any created nature yet liker to reasonable creatures then to any other Yet we haue rather chosen to call it the conformitie of man to God because the image of God is vsually taken more generally sometimes for the wholle coniunction of man with God both outward in happinesse and spirituall in holinesse And sometime only for one part of it namely for renewed holynesse Col. 3. 10 and for renewed happinesse 2. Cor 3. 18. But the image of God is taken more specially for the speciall coniunction of man to God in holinesse especially in the writings of the Apostles who doe not speake so much of the renouation of mans happinesse because that is not present but to come in the world to come as of his holinesse the renouation whereof the faithfull are to labour for in this life leauing their happinesse to the time appointed by God CHAP. II. Sect. 1. Of the created holinesse of the minde Among the faculties of mās soule the first and chiefe place is giuen to the mind or vnderstanding parte it being the first both in nature and also in dignity for it is the beginning and fountaine from the which the other faculties yea all the motions and actions of the whole man do flow and is of so greate dignitie that by reason of it man doth not only farre excell all other visible creatures without comparison but also approacheth very near to the excellencie of the Angels and doth in some sort resemble the all-knowing essence of God This
did Sathan know verie well that man was like to God in nothing so much as in his vnderstanding therefore he perswaded Eua to eate of the forbidden fruite by promising that by that meanes shee should attaine to a greater measure of knowledge and so consequentlie greater likenesse to God then she had For so he saith Gen. 3. 5. God knoweth that when ye shall eate of this fruite your eyes shalbe opened and ye shalbe as gods knowing good and euil But to leaue the dignitie of the minde to them who take in hand the naturall description of man we are here to consider the spirituall state of it in respect of God to wit the holinesse of it That the minde was created holy no man can denie but he who sticketh not to reproch his maker as hauing erred in the most excellent part of his worke and therefore it is more needfull that we declare the particulars of this holinesse First what it is or wherein it consisteth secondly the seuerall partes of it for the first The holinesse of the minde consisteth in the perfect knowledge of God and so it may be briefely defined Where we saye perfect we meane that perfection measure of knowledge whereof the nature of man is capable for there is a more perfect and excellent knowledge in the Angels then can be in any man Againe there is more perfect knowledge of God in God then in any Angell For God is knowen perfectly and essentially to himselfe only These transcendent kindes of knowledge which are without the compasse of humaine nature are not required at the handes of man and therefore he wanteth them without sinne Againe we doe not meane by perfection the highest degree or the greatest measure of knowledge which may be attained vnto by man for in this innocent estate one man may want that great measure of knowledge which an other man hath and yet want no part or iot of the holinesse of his minde onely by perfection we meane that knowledge wherein there is no parte wanting which is any way needfull for the holy and happie estate of man that is whenas a man knoweth all those duties which he oweth to God and whatsoeuer thing belongeth necessarilie to his owne good estate The second worde of the definition is knowledge whereby we meane both actuall and potentiall knowledge Actuall knowledge is that which is already really in the minde Potentiall knowledge is that vertue or facultie which conceaueth thinges offered to the minde by any meanes The first is to haue knowledge or the habite of knowledge the second is to be able to gette that knowledge which as yet is wanting of these two heereafter in particular Lastly by the knowledge of God we meane all manner of knowledge whereof although there be diuerse kindes as there are many thinges in the worlde besides God to be knowen yet the holines of the minde consisteth in this that it knoweth all thinges in God and nothing any otherwise then as it commeth from God and hath relation to him For God is all things in all and all thinges do exist in God and therefore euerie thing may be knowen in God and God knowen yea seene and felte in euerie thing euen in the least and basest creature The wicked Angels are in this their corrupt estate endued with a great measure of knowledge but this their knowledge is voide of all holynesse because it hath no relation to God and his glory for this onely is to be accounted the holinesse of the minde not barely to knowe the natures properties and differences of thinges but to see and acknowledge the wisdome power goodnesse and glorie of God in them For holinesse hath relation to God onely it seeth God through the meanest thinges and doth not rest in any thing till it come to God Yet we are not to thinke that the minde of man is in this his innocencie a confused chaos or heape of knowledge for God the maker of man is not the author of confusion And therefore we are to distinguish this knowledge into the seuerall kindes and partes of it whereof the first and cheife is the knowledge of God that is of the proper nature attributes and actions of God the second is the knowledge of the creatures The first kind may be called diuine be cause it tendeth directly and immediatelie to God himselfe Where we doe not meane that man could possiblie comprehend within the narrow compasse of his shallow braine the infinite and vnsearchable essence of God the which thing the Angels cannot doe Yet we are not to doubt but that he did thinke aright without any errour of the nature of God And no maruaill seing he did see God face to face as the scripture speaketh that is was daily conuersant in the presence and company of God as the Angels in heauen are although not in the same measure from this knowledge as from a fountaine springeth the knowledge of the creatures commonlie called humaine knowledge because all the creatures belonging to man and seruing for his vse are knowen for his good onely For as a man may easely see all thinges being there where the sunne shineth clearely so man liuing in Gods presence coulde not haue the nature of any creature hid from his sight From both these kindes of knowledge came the knowledge of euill for Rectum est index sui et obliqui a streight rule or line sheweth the crokednesse of any thing and so all trueth good and right shining in God and in his creatures did shewe to man what was false wrong hurtfull vnlawfull or any way euill for although Sathan did promise to man a greater measure of the knowledge of good and euill then he had Gen. 3. 5. as if his knowledge had bene imperfect in that behalfe yet he knewe what was euill better before his fall then afterwarde although by his fall he gottâ— the sense and experience of euill which he wanted before Thus much in general of mans knowledge the which is nowe to be considered more particularlie in the two kindes of it Potentiall and Actuall Potentiall knowledge is the aptnesse and abilitie of the minde to conceaue and comprehende whatsoeuer it shoulde please God to reueale Here iâ— may be asked by what meanes man in his innocent estate did attaine to knowledge We answere that Adam the first man was created in perfection as of body and soule so also of actuall knowledge not gotten by sense experience obseruation and by his owne industrie and yet it was afterwarde to be encreased by these meanes but engrauen in his minde by the finger of God and inspired by God together with his mind But his children were not to come so lightly to knowledge to whom he could not propagate his actuall knowledge but onely his potentiall for they were to be borne as in weakenesse of bodie so with mindes voide of all actuall knowledge not hauing the formes similitudes and vniuersall notions of thinges called
is nothing but a confession of ignorance and therefore it is needfull to search out not only what God is not but also what he is but this cannot be done by any creature and therefore let vs aske counsell of the scripture and learne the nature God of God himselfe to whome onely it is fully knowen This may be done Iohn 4. 24. where it is said That God is a spirite But so are the Angels also Heb. 1. 7. howe then shall we thinke that God and the Angels which are creatures are of the same nature God forbid for that thought were no holy knowledge but a blasphemous errour yea the scripture meaneth no such thing as that God is a spirite but onely that he is of an inuisible subtile and pure nature as are the Angels and as is the winde and ayre from the which the name of spirits is taken or as is the flame of fire which is made the synonymum that is of the same signification with the name of spirite Heb. 1. 7. He maketh his Angels spirites and his ministers flames of fire If this be true as it is most true then we are but where we were for hereby we learne onely that GOD is not a visible or sensible thing And therefore we must haue recourse againe to the mouth of GOD and with Moses aske boldlie what he is and desire to haue his true name and nature reuealed vnto vs. The answere which GOD giueth is this I am that I am or I will be that I will be that is I am no chaungling but the same for euer But neyther these places nor any other in the scripture doe flatly define what the essence of GOD is what then is to be done in this case shall wee thinke that GOD who made man so happy and was so bountifull vnto him did enuie to him the knowledge of his owne nature that cannot bee Wee are rather to gather by the silence of GOD in this behalfe that this is too high a pointe of knowledge for man to reach vnto yea such an one whereof the minde of man is not capable And therefore man in his innocencie was not to busie his heade in sounding the bottomelesse depth of Gods essence or to thinke that the tongues of all the Angels in heauen were able to vtter so significant a word as shoulde containe in it the forme and substance of Gods nature How then may man knowe God or at the least come neare to some manner of knowledge of him We answere that neither God nor anie other thing can possiblie be conceiued by man but by some resemblance or Image and therefore the only way to attaine to this light and imperfect knowledge is to imagine of God by that which is of al other things most excellent in nature and so approacheth nearest to the nature of God and which all men know to be the most excellent of all others In this contemplation the nature of the reasonable creatures doth first offer it selfe as farre excelling all other natures and therefore man must be faine to gather out of himselfe or else from the Angels if they were so well knowen vnto him an Idea Image or notion of God not by thinking him like to anie creature for that were idolatry but by appyling the best highest greatest most excellent things which he findeth in himself to the nature of God This meanes of attaining to the knowledge of God is so naturall to man that it remaineth euen in his corrupt estate wherein nothing is more cōmon then to thinke and speake of God as of a man for ignorant men knowing nothing more excellent then themselues doe thinke their owne nature to be likest to the nature of God Well then let vs vse this meanes seeing we haue no other and see if we can conceiue of the greate ocean by a droppe of water What then is counted most excellent in the nature of man what but his vnderstanding knowledge wisdome counsell his reasonable wit and orderlie affections his loue fauour mercy pittie his iustice purity such other vertues his strength and power his Lordshippe ouer the creatures and his glorie arising thereof In these things doth the excellencie of man consist and therefore man as it were putting his owne coate on God is to conceiue of him in his minde as of a nature surpassing yea infinite in knowledge wisdome counsell in will loue hatred fauour and reuenge in mercie and compassion in puritie and iustice in might power dominion and glorie and no maruaile that man doth thus conceiue of God seeing GOD in regarde of the weaknesse of mans capacitie hath reuealed him selfe to man in this and in no other manner euen in the person likenesse and nature of man and yet this is the onelie nature of GOD which is reuealed Now as touching the meanes whereby man in this his innocencie attaineth to the knowledge of this nature of God which being after a sort his owne nature is familiar vnto him and may easilie be conceaued they are two The first are the naturall faculties of his soule and bodie to wit his senses outward and inward by the which he did plainly and certainly gather out of the creatures the actuall knowledge of gods attributes wherein as hath bene saide his nature being otherwise incomprehensible is reuealed as namely of his infinitenes eternity wisdome iustice power loue all which do shine so clearelie in the creatures that man euen since his fall doth by this meanes attaine to some knowledge of God as we read Rom. 1. 20. The inuisible things of God to wit his eternitie power godheade are plainele seene since the creation of the world being considered or vnderstoode in the creatures If by man being sinfull how much more by him being in his pure estate For what maruaile is it that one who hath both his eyes and is cleare sighted doth see the light of the sunne shining in his eies which is so cleare of it selfe that a blinde man maye perceiue it The second way or meanes of knowledge was immediate reuelation for as it shalbe in the seconde so in the first state of innocencie GOD did reueale himselfe and the glorie of his power wisdome loue and of the rest of his attributes immediatlie by himselfe and that diuers wayes as it seemed best vnto him vouchsafing to haue familiar conuersatiō with his reasonable creatures and to speake with them face to face as one friende vseth to doe with another This second meanes did make perfect the actuall knowledge gotten by man himselfe out of the creatures encreasing it to a farre greater measure then can be attained in the state of regeneration Thus much of the meanes whereby the potentiall knowledge of man is made actuall whereby it appeareth that there was no ordinarie ministerie appointed by GOD in the handes either of Angell or of man as it is in the state of regeneration as hath bene declared in the first part
their holinesse is imperfect 1. Cor. 13. 14. While I am a child that is while the faithfull liue in this worlde I vnderstand like a childe I thinke and speake as a childe nowe I knowe in part but then I shall knowe euen as I am knowen CHAP. III Sect. 1. Of the conscience of man in his pure estate BEside the generall knowledge whereof we haue spoken in the former chapter there is in the mind of man a particular knowledge the which for the great vse which it hath in the spirituall state of man hath a proper name giuen vnto it being called Conscience as if it were a distinct facultie of the soule whereas if we speake properlie it is nothing els but an action of the minde and the knowledge of one partilar thing to witte of mans estate before God whether he be righteous or sinfull and so consequently whether he be in the state of life or of death as the worde doth plainly signifie For conscience is sui scientia or scientia cum vel coram deo that is conscience is a mans knowledge of himselfe or a knowledg with God before God or in the presence of God And therefore we may define it thus Conscience is the opinion or perswasion of a mans minde concerning his estate before God Or thus It is the testimony or iudgmēt that the mind giueth of innocency or guiltines of righteousnes or sinfulnes of life or death So it is de fined Rom. 2. 15. To be the accusing or excusing of a mans thoughts or of his minde So that we may call the conscience the witnesse which before the tribunall seate of God being in the iudgment hall of a mans minde doth either excuse and iustifie his seuerall actions and whole life and person and so pronounce the sentence of life vnto him or else doth accuse condemne him in regard of sin committed and so adiudge him to eternall death Thus much of conscience ingenerall now as touching the conscience of man in his pure estate we cannot doubt but that it did wholly iustifie him being as then without any spot of sinne from this true excusing conscience commeth confidence whereby man is imboldened to conuerse in the presence of God to heare him speake to see his glory and so to haue a kinde of familiaritie with him as man had in his innocencie where as an accusing conscience breedeth feare shame as we see plainlie in Adam who so soone as he had sinned was compelled by this accusing witnesse for there was no other to accuse him to runne into a hole and hide himselfe among the trees when he perceaued God to be present but hereof more in the next section Lastly if it be asked how conscience can be made a part of mans conformitie to God seing as it may seeme there is no such thing in God we anwere that conscience to wit this clearing conscience hath place in God who in him selfe and before himselfe doth see and knowe himselfe to be puritie and holinesse it selfe and so free from all shadow of sinne Sect. 2. Of a corrupt conscience AS touching mans conscience in his corrupt estate this must of necessitie be granted that where the whole is corrupted there euerie seuerall part is corrupted and therfore seing the whole knowledge of mans minde is darkned with blindnesse this particular knowledge must needs be in the same case so that nowe the conscience is a false witnes and doth iudge of right and wrong of life and death so as a blind man iudgeth colours saying that blacke is white and white is blacke that euill is good and good euill and yet as the minde is not so wholly blinded but that there remaine in it some reliques of knowledge trueth and light So the conscience hath his part as well of this light as of the aforesaide darknesse and by vertue thereof doth sometimes speake the trueth euen as the greatest liers vse to doe First of the false witnesse of the conscience because this is more common then of the true testimony of it The false testimonie of the minde or conscience is of two kindes the first and most vsual kinde is when as it doth falsly excuse the second is when it doth falsly accuse The first hath place in all those who thinke that to be no sinne which is a sinne in the sight of God And it is of two kindes for either it doth not accuse a man where it shoulde accuse him or else it doth iustifie and absolute him for that for the which it shoulde condemne him The first may be seene in all those in whose opinon and iudgment that is no sinne which is accounted sinne in the sight of God as namely in them who being therefore called libertines but as it is saide of them are too shamefully licentious thinke that there is no sinne and that they may doe what they list And so are not checked by their consciences no not when they commit most hainous sinnes This kinde of a false excusing conscience is in those also who thinke originall sinne to be no sinne or not to deserue eternal death or who doe any way extenuate the hainousnesse of sinne thinking some sins to be veniall in their owne nature And also in them who thinke wicked thoughtes or vaine wordes to be no sinnes Lastly this conscience is in a manner in all vnregenerate men especially in those who liuing a ciuill and honest life free from grosse sinnes as adulterie murther theft periurie and such other thinke themselues iust before the iudgment seate of god This presumptuous opinion was in the pharisies who had a great conceite and made no smal bragges of their owne righteousnesse as we may see Luc. 18. 20. And also Mar. 10. 20. in one of their schollers who was not ashamed to affirme and that before the face and visible presence of God that he had kept all the commaundements of the morall lawe and that not onely in some part of his life but continually euen from his youth vp Yea this is the fond opinion of most men who thinke themselues to be no sinners because they are not notorious malefactors to fulfill the law of God because they doe keepe the lawes of men to be innocent and iust before God because they liue irreproouably as very fewe doe in the eyes of men But this is a very fearefull and dangerous estate and that which is the cause of most mens destruction for they neuer seeke to know the gospel and to haue remission of their sinnes in Christ because this their flattering and lying conscience doth beare them in hande that they are righteous enough of themselues and therefore neede not to be clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ as we read Reuel 3. 17. They say with themselues euery one in his owne minde I am rich want nothing where as indeed they are wretched poore blind naked altogether sinfull and in the state of eternall
are of two sorts to wit the will and the affections First of the will then of the affection As touching this facultie of mans soule called the will although it be proper to reasonable things for a reasonable will cannot be seuered from a reasonable minde yet there is a resemblāce of it in all those creatures which being indued with sense haue by it a naturall appetite choosing one thing and refusing an other the which may fitly be called a brutish will And therefore that we may the more plainlie see what force this facultie hath in mā we will consider define it in generall as it agreeth both to reasonable and to vnreasonable things that in this manner Will is the free inclination of any thing which hath in it selfe the whole fountaine of naturall motion to that which is apparently good agreable to the owne nature Frst we say that will is an inclination for the proper action of it is to bende the thing wherein it is to that thing which it liketh wherein is contained or rather insinuated vnto vs the contrarie action of the will which is to withdraw the thing wherein it is from that thing which it disliketh Secondly this inclination is free that is it commeth of the thing it selfe and is not extorted by any outward force for although the will be stirred vp and set forward by motiues both inward and outward yet it cannot be compelled compulsion and willingnesse being contrarie each to other If any man do here obiect that manie are constrained by force to doe that which is sore against their willes We answere that the outward action may be constraned but not the will for violence may make one do that which he is vnwilling to doe but it cannot make him willing to do that which he is vnwilling to do Thirdly we are to consider what thinges maybe said to haue wil not stocks or stones but onely those which haue in them life and motion neither all such thinges but onely those which hauing in themselues the wholle fountaine of motion doe perfectly liue and moue For trees haue life and motion but not will because their life motion is imperfect not comming wholly of any facultie and vertue inherent in themselues but depending of some other outward force Whereof it commeth that their motion is not free but forced for the motion or action of a tree in bringing forth fruite commeth not wholly from it selfe but chiefely from the Sunne the heat whereof forceth the tree to turne the moisture of the earth into leaues flowers and fruite But it is farre otherwise with beastes birdes and all thinges which haue sense in them For these haue perfect life and motion hauing within themselues the whole fountaine beginning abilitie and facultie of motion not depending on any other outwarde thinge but being entire in themselues do moue and performe all naturall actions of themselues And therefore being free from all outward force may either doe or not doe moue or rest go or stand eate or drinke goe hither or thither when themselues list As when a birde flyeth toward the east rather then towarde the west it is not blowen that way by force of the winde but caried by the proper and free inclination of it selfe But when it being taken is caried vp and downe in a mans hand this motion commeth not from it selfe but from an other not of inherent will but of outward violence and compulsion Againe man hath will because he is of perfect life and motion hauing in himselfe the whole fountaine of action and power of mouing himselfe without the helpe of any other thing and therefore he also can sitte downe or rise vp speake laugh go about this or that businesse or worke thinke of this or that thing as he himselfe listeth and is disposed Thirdly the Angels both good and euill haue will for they are natures of perfect life and motion in that they haue in themselues the wholle fountaine of motion and therefore they are free in all their naturall actions Thus we see what creatures haue free-will where we are to thinke that this freedome of will is as great in the least and weakest of these creatures as in the greatest in a sely flie as in a man or Angel If any man do heare obiect that all creatures moue in God and without him are not able to doe any thing We answere that God hath put into euerie creature a naturall vertue and power of doing all thinges belonging to it selfe by the which being not withdrawen or hindered by God the creature is able to performe all naturall actions without any extraordinarie helpe from God as when any creature doth this or that thing the action commeth of it selfe in that the facultie of performing it is inherent in it selfe and yet the same action commeth from God But ro retourne to the matter Lastly God hath will because he is such a nature as hath in it selfe the whole fountaine of perfect motion yea that which is the fountaine of all fountains and therefore he doth al things of his own free will the which differeth from the will of the creatures as in other respectes so also in that it cannot be hindred by any force but can hinder the will of any creature as we knowe that God brideleth the will euen of the deuill and his Angels the which otherwise are mightie creatures Thus we see the subiect of will now we come to the obiect of it or that wherevnto the will of any thinge inclineth First therefore the will of any thing inclineth it selfe to that which is good and in any respect conuenient pleasant and profitable as we knowe that euerie thinge doth abhor and decline from that which is any way euill hurtfull daungerous grieuous inconuenient and vnprofitable Yet the will doth not incline it selfe to any good but onelie to that which is apparantly good for although the will of God inclineth alwaies to that onely which is good indeed and in trueth because he cannot be deceaued in any thing yet the creature doth often thinke euill to be good and good euill and so abhorreth that which is good and inclineth to that which is in trueth euill yet good in shewe and appearance Lastly not any apparant good is the obiect of the will but that which euery thing thinketh to be good for it selfe for a man doth not incline himselfe to that which he thinketh to be good for a beast vnlesse he thinke it good for himselfe also Yea euery thing followeth the naturall disposition of it selfe desiring those thinges onely which are agreeable to the owne nature Thus much ingenerall of will the which is of two kindes brutishe and reasonable the which hath place in all those natures which are inducd with reason as namely in God in Angels and in man But to let passe the will of God and of Angels as being no part of the matter in hand we are to consider the created
great a chaunge in him as if the obiect did lay violent handes vpon his minde in the which respect they are called passions of the mind and therefore were disclamed by those philosophers which professed constancie and exact vertue yet they containe in them a part of mans holinesse and of the image of God who cannot suffer and in whom there is no shadow of chaunge But thus it hath pleased him to shadowe out his owne incomprehensible nature by the likenesse of our nature resembling it as to the other faculties of the soule of man so also to these affections yea so that a greate parte of his glorie reuealed to his church consisteth in them For although he hath manifested himselfe to the heathen in his wisdome and power shining in the creatures yet in his church he is most glorious and renowned in respect of his mercy compassion and loue in Christ. The which affections as also anger hatred and all the rest are euery where in the scripture attributed to God In man they are then holy whenas they are agreeable to the nature of the obiect as when a man loueth that onely which ought to be loued and hateth that which by the will and word of God ought to be hated and that with due measure and moderation Thus they being ordered by reason and the word of God are not contrary to holinesse but a part of it Yea they are as bellowes blowing vp and encreasing spirituall graces and doe cary man forward to a high degree of holinesse Nowe we are to declare these affections in particular but because the former part of this treatise wherin those affections which imply subiection as faith hope feare and reuerence are already handled is growen in length farre aboue our purpose as also that there may be some place left for the third part of this treatise which in no case may wholly be omitted we will omit the seuerall explication and onely choose out some fewe of them which are the chiefe and of most notable vse In the which ranke the first place is to be giuen to loue being taken not generally for that pleasure which is taken in the fruition of some good thing in the which sense a man is said to loue this or that thing this or that kinde of meate as it is said of Isaac Gen. 27. 9. But as the obiect of it is some reasonable thing to wit God Angels or man in the which sense it is vsually called charity and may be described A hearty and vehement desire of the good of an other arising of an inward pleasure taken in some good which we see in him This affection is first and chiefly to be set on God who onely is good in the fruition of whome there are infinite pleasures And therefore man ought to desire his good in the aduancement of his glory aboue all the thinges in the world For he that loueth father or mother sonne or brother or any creature whatsoeuer more then God is not worthy to enioy those fountaines of pleasures which the fruition of God doth yeelde to the hearty and vehement louer Math. 10. 7. From this loue of God proceedeth the loue of the reasonable creatures which being endued with the image of God are for his sake to be loued Euen as we knowe that he that beareth hearty and vehement loue to his friend cannot but loue his friends sonne being a resemblance of his father Hence it followeth that all the reasonable creatures are not to be loued alike but more or lesse as they are more or lesse endued with the image of God And therefore greater loue was due to Angels then to men and among men to those who did excell others in measure of holinesse and of spirituall graces This is the first streame of loue flowing from the loue of God as from a fountaine beside the which there is an other fountaine of loue namely the naturall affection which euery liuing thing in the world beareth to it selfe whereby it taketh more pleasure in it selfe and doth more desire the good estate of it selfe then of any other thing This naturall loue hath place in man who euen in this his innocent estate doth beare a greater measure of loue to himselfe then to any other creature The which selfeloue is not to be reprehended it being not onely in all liuing creatures but also in God himselfe who as good reason is doth delight more in himselfe then in any other thing and doth more desire his owne glory then the good of any creature From this fountaine of selfeloue flow many streames of speciall loue whereby a man is more affected to those who doe anie waie come nearer vnto himselfe then to the common sort of men In this respect he beareth a greater and as it were a partiall loue to his naturall parentes children and kinsfolkes being of the same substance flesh bloud and bone with himself to his wife who by the institution of God is vnited into one person with him Gen. 2. 24 to his speciall friend who is ioyned with him in a perpetuall couenant of loue Iohn 20. â— The disciple whome Christ loued and is to him as his owne soule Deut. 11. 6. To his acquaintance alliance companions neighbours to all those to whome he is bound by any speciall meanes this loue is to be exercised and declared in the performance of all Christian dueties to our brethren in communicating vnto them al those blessings both temporal and spirituall which we haue receaued from God so farre foorth as their necessity shall any way require If these duties be wanting our loue is eyther verie weake or rather hypocriticall and pretended Thus the Apostle saith that he exhorting the Corinthians to contribute to the Church of Ierusalem did thereby trie the naturalnesse and syncerity of their loue 2. Cor. 8. 8. likewise 1. Iohn 3. 17. 18. He that hath thinges pertaining to the maintenance of this naturall life and seeth his brother want how is the loue of God in him therefore let vs not loue in word and tongue but indeede and trueth Thus much of loue whereunto hatred is contrary the which also hath place and some vse in this state of innocency although not so great as loue hath because there were more good obiectes then euill This affection being contrary to loue is in generall an abhorring from any euill but as it is referred to those thinges which are endued with reason it is a desire of euill to happen to that person which is hated arising of some inward griefe conceiued by meanes of him But what vse could there be of this affection in the state of innocency or who was the obiect of it not God for he is pleasure and good it selfe and therefore doth neither deserue to be abhorred being in no respect euill nor yet giueth any occasion of hatred to man by grieuing him not the Angels nor man himselfe who also are
good both in themselues and towards man and therefore there remaine the wicked spirites only the deuill with his helhoundes on whome this affection is to be exercised The which thing man might lawfully do requiting their accursed and spightfull hatred of God of his glory creatures and specially of man and his saluation with a vehement hatred desiring their eternall confusion not simply because they are sinfull and miserable for they are in that respect rather to be pittied but because of the nature of their sinne which being a desperate hatred of God hath belonging vnto it the imprecation of the Church of God Yet the deuill himselfe the Captaine of this wicked crewe is not so vehemently to be hated as God is to be loued because he is not so euill as God is good for God is simply infinitely and essentially good but the deuill is not infinitely euill because he is a creature nor absolutely for he hath some good in him as is the created might and power of his nature nor essentially for the substance of his nature remaineth vncorrupt as in the holy Angels Sect. 2. Of corrupt loue and hatred OF all the faculties of mans soule none are so much stained with the corruption of sin as are the affectiōs for as the wil is more froward frō good then the minde is ignorant of it so the affections are farre more outragious then the will is froward and no maruaile for they being of so violent a nature as cannot without much a doe be kept in due order by the force eyther of created or renewed holines how great shall we thinke their disorder sinfulnesse to be in this corrupt state wherin they may runne at random as farre as they list being not restrained by any superiour power Whereof it cōmeth that as they being sanctified and set on good doe procure a great encrease of holinesse as hath bene said so they being in a carnall and sinfull man esspecially where they are strong by natur do encrease his sinfulnesse vnto the highest degree the which as it is strong in the other faculties of the soule so in the affectiōs it may well be compared to a mad man set on horsbacke yea on a wild horse which cannot eyther stay himselfe or be staied by any other means till he haue run himselfe out of breath and life in all outrage of sinne The sinfulnesse of the affections consisteth in this that they are moued by contrarie obiectes for those which shoulde be stirred vp by the euilnesse of the obiect to abhorre it doe in that respect embrace it and moue toward it and contrarilie those which shoulde be moued by the goodnesse of the obiect to embrace it doe in that respect abhorre and auoid it as will appeare more plainly in the particulars as namely in loue and hatred the which affections are both common and strong in carnall men yet not holely rightly disposed in them for they doe rather loue that which they should hate and hate that which they shonld loue then loue and hate that which ought to be loued and hated First as touching God on whome man ought to set his whole loue a carnall man doth not know God much lesse loue him it being impossible that one should loue that which he doth not know as it is commonly saide Ignoti nulla cupido Yea if a naturall man doe by anie means attaine to some knowledge of God yet he is as farre of from louing him as he was before and which is more although God doe bestow neuer so many blessinges and pleasures vpon him as what hath he that he hath not receiued from God yet he cannot by them nor by any other meanes purchase his loue so greatly is the affection of man alienated from God Yet we cannot say that man doth by nature hate God for then his fall were as greate as the fall of the deuill and the rest of the wicked spirites which is not to be thought especially seing that we knowe that all men by the instinct of nature delight to haue a God according to their owne Imagination and him they will loue and honour Yet this may be truly-saide that it is naturall for man to encrease as in all other partes of his naturall sinfulnesse so also and especiallie in the want of the loue of God in so much that although not all yet many become haters of God as appeareth Rom 1. 30. For although men especially liuing in the church be restrained by the shame of the world and the feare of punishment from professing them-selues to be haters of God yet in that they doe hate the ministers and seruants of God which do zealously preach and professe his gospel behauing themselues spightfully contumeliously and malitiously towardes them it is euident that in their harts they doe hate God himselfe As Christ witnesseth Ioh. 7. 7. The world cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testifie of it that the workes of it are euil From this fountaine of the want of the loue of God commeth the want of loue towardes men For if the carnall man doe not loue God himselfe surelie it is not like that he loueth man for Gods sake because he is created or recreated after the likenesse of God What then doth sinfull man loue For we haue saide that this affection hath a strong and common vse in this corrupt estate surely he loueth himselfe if that may be called loue and not rather hatred which bringeth to euerlasting destruction and all manner of worldly and fleshly pleasures soft apparrell and to goe brauely sweete meates and to fare daintily faire buildings for outward pompe and vaine-glorie riche coffers without anie scarsitie new pastimes mery cōpanie sleepe ease idlenes warmnes whatsoeuer may please the minde or tickle the outward senses that is the thing which man loueth But what say ye to the streames which come from this self◠loue Doth not man in this sinful estat loue his parentes children wife friends and acquaintance We answere that he loueth all these by the instinct of nature and yet by the encrease of his naturall corruption it doth vsually come to passe as experience doth teach that most naturall men loue neither father nor mother sonne nor daughter sister nor brother wife nor friend kinsman nor neighbour nor any other saue only themselues So that man maketh himselfe an Idol loueing hinselfe wholly and only as he should doe God and bearing no heartie affection either to the godlie for gods sake or to his owne for his owne sake Sect. 3 Of the renewed holinesse of the affections and specially of loue and hatred AS the created so much more the recreated holinesse of man admitteth all the kindes of affections by the violence whereof as it is somtimes hindred and impaired so vsually it is set forward and augmented for euen as a shippe houlding her right course and hauing her sailes filled with a greate gale of wind
who is notoriously vnnaturall vnthankfull and vnholy For if a man loue the houses and places wherein he hath beene and liued sometime shall he not much more loue his parentes from whose bodies he came Secondly the loue of children with the loue of whom he that is not touched and enflamed may be accounted lesse affectionated then God himselfe and more senslesse then are the brute beastes An example of this fatherly affection we haue in Iacob of whom it is saide that he did loue his son Beniamin so dearly that his soule was so tied to the soule of Beniamin that he could not liue but would incoÌ„tinently dy for sorrow if so be he were taken from him Ge. 44. 36. This fatherly affection is so strong by nature that if it be not wel looked vnto it wil as a great riuer or streame rise aboue the bankes and due limites of it and cary a godly man beyond all due regard eyther of reason or of religion as appeareth plainely in that notable man of God king Dauid of whom it is said 1. King 1. 6. That he did cockour his sonne Adonia and could not finde in his heart to grieue him no not with a sharpe word And we know how he loued his vngratious sonne Absalon being more sorrowfull for his death who for his monstrous vnnaturalnes was not worthy to liue on the earth then he was glad for the victory which he himselfe had gotten and for his owne safety And therefore he did so bitterly lament his death saying O Absalon Absalon O my son Absalon would to God I had died for the. Thirdly from this fountaine commeth the speciall loue of those who are tied with the faithfull man in any outward bonde as in mariage or speciall friendship for the first â—o the mutuall loue which ought to be beâ—wixt the husband and the wife the scripture doth often exhort by arguments drawen from the institution of God who hath made them one person and one flesh Thus Ephe. 5. 29. No man euer hated his owne flesh but doth nourish and cherish it And therefore a man ought to loue his wife euen as his owne bodie and as Christ hath loued his Church Yea there is great reason and necessity of a great measure of mutuall loue betwixt man and wife For seeing they doe forsake their fathers mothers and kindred not dwelling any longer with them but betaking themselues to their owne house and to each other as to a perpetuall companion and partner in good and euill in ioy and misery how should not their loue be exceeding great The seconde outward bond of loue is friendship whereby we doe not meane any common good will and acquaintance but a speciall contract of perpetuall loueâ— such an one as was betwixt Ionathan anâ— Dauid whereof it is saide 1. Sam. 18. 1â— That the soule of Ionathan was tied to thâ— soule of Dauid And Dauid himselfe whâ—â— had best experience of it witnesseth thâ—â— greatnesse of Ionathaens loue 2. Sam. 1â— 26. Saying how am I grieued for thee 〈◊〉 brother Ionathan thou was sweete pleasaâ— vnto me thy loue was wonderfull to me passing the loue of women Lastly from this fountain of selfeloue commeth the loue of kinsfolks alliance acquaintance companions neighbours and of all whome God hath ioyned more nearely to vs then he hath done others CHAP. VII Sect. 1. Of ioy sorrow and pittie in the state of innocency BEside the foresaid affections of loue and hatred there were many other created in man as namely to let the rest passe ioy and sorrow which is contrary to it The first is a delight or pleasure conceiued by the present enioiing of some good thing whereby a man is mooued to seeke and embrace the said good as sorrow is the abhorring of some present euill as being bitter and vnpleasant Both these affections had place and vse in this first estate yet not equally for a great part of happinesse consisteth in ioy yea happinesse may be said to be nothing else but the ioyfull fruition of good and pleasant thinges whereas sorrowe is contrary to happinesse howe great cause and continuall vse of ioy man had in his innocency we may easely gather by those infinite blessings wherewith he was euen compassed about liuing not onely free from all troubles crosses afflictions daungers wants incumbrances and whatsoeuer thing might any way grieue or hurt him but also in abundance and superfluity of al pleasures belonging both to his body and soule in perfect strength and health in wealth peace and liberty in honour and glory and which is all in all and in trueth the fountaine of all true ioy in the fauour and loue of God The holinesse of this affection consisteth in this that it be correspondent and proportionable to the goodnesse and excellency of the obiect and that the ioy which man conceiueth by the fruition of any thing be greater or lesse as the thing it selfe is more or lesse excellent a greater or a lesse good and therefore man was chiefly to delight himselfe and to reioyce in God who is the chiefe and first yea the onely infinite goodâ— in the fruition of the presence and fauour of God in seruing praising God in meditating on the creatures workes wisedom power mercy and goodnesse of God Secondly as God hath put into euery one of his creatures a finite and proper goodnes so it was lawfull for man to be affected accordingly with the pleasure flowing from the said thing For example God created for the vse of man great variety of trees bearing sweete and pleasant fruite all which man might lawfully vse with ioy and pleasure Yea this ioyfull vse of the creatures was not onely permitted to man but also comaunded by God for so we read Deut. 26. 11. Thou shalt bowe thy selfe before the Lord thy God and thou shalt reioyce before him in all the good thinges which he hath giuen vnto thee thou and thy whole family For why he that reioiceth aright in the fruition of the creatures reioyceth in God the maker and giuer of them and by them is stirred vp to greater alacrity in seruing and praising God Now as touching sorrow it had also place in the pure nature of man which was subiect to this passion howsoeuer he being in perfect felicitie had not any great vse of it yet we may suppose some causes of sorrow euen in this happie estate both in man himselfe who might be moderately grieued for the want of some particular good and in some other respects as also in other creatures for the miserable estate of the wicked Angels hauing beene so glorious and happie especially the dishonour which they did many waies procure to the name of God could not but worke sorrow in the heart of man So that the sorrow of man in this first state being rather in regarde of others then of himselfe ought to be called pitty rather then sorrow The holinesse of this
For as he did cary about with himselfe the infirmity of humane nature consisting of flesh and bloud and was outwardly subiect to the temptations of Sathan so we cannot doubt but that by these meanes his faith and withall all the other partes of holines might receiue some wounde although not be cleane ouercome and mingled with doubting wauering although not wholly turned into it Likewise the loue of God and of his glory might be abated for some space of time by force of temptation and he made lesse zealous of Gods glory and lesse chearefull in seruing him yea dull and lumpish and without his wonted alacrity The trueth hereof appeareth in the example of Christ whose humane nature although it were endued with farre more firme and plentifull holinesse then was man in his innocency yet in that it was a humane that is a created and weake nature it could not be freed from this mutabilitie whereunto all creatures are subiect Whereof it came that the vnspeakable force of his last agony wherein he felt the infinite anger of God due to the sinne of mankinde did giue his faith a great blow yea it made an euident decrease of it for a short time insomuch that he burst foorth into these wordes My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Where we are not to thinke that his faith did faile which appeareth plainely in those wordes my God my God But as the most valiant champion receiuing a mighty blow is made to reele and stagger by the force of it so was the faith of Christ shaken by this temptation as is a strong house by a greate blast of winde yet without daunger of being ouerturned now to proceede As mans holinesse might haue beene diminished in regard of the measure of particular graces so it might also haue beene encreased in the same respect not that we suppose it to haue beene imperfect but for that that which is already perfect may become more perfect As namely that we may make instance in some particular the knowledge wherewith man was endued in his innocency was exceeding great as hath beene shewed yet no man can doubt but that the same would in processe of time haue beene continually encreased as God did reueale himselfe his word counsels and actions daily more and more This encrease of holinesse in the vnderstanding all the otheir faculties do follow for the more that man knoweth God the more he trusteth loueth feareth obeyeth worshippeth and honoreth him the oftner that man were deliuered from danger by the goodnesse and power of God the greater woulde be his affiance in God the more blessings that he doth receiue the greater is his thankfulnes So that the life both of man and of the Angels in their innocency being a continuall exercise of holinesse cannot but haue a continuall encrease of it Yea we may well thinke that both many of the Angels and all mankinde were so easelie drawen from God and brought to a fearefull ruine because they were tempted to this Apostasie in the beginning of their liues immediately after their creation before they could encrease and confirme their holinesse by obseruation and holy experience By the which meanes we are to thinke that euen the holy Angels themselues which doe continually behold the face of God in heauen haue since their first creation continually encreased their holinesse and so are a great deale further from falling and sinning against God then they were in the beginning being vpheld in all temptations suggested eyther by their owne thoughtes or by the wicked Angels although by the supernaturall grace of God yet not without the means of this naturall encrease of their created holinesse Againe this encrease of holinesse hath place as in particular men so also generally in the ages of this innocent state for as in this sinfull estate wherein we liue the latter ages are more sinful then the former because they partake the sins of all the former ages so if the state of innocency had continued the latter ages being taught by the first would haue exceeded them in knowlege in all other partes of holinesse Lastly this is to be noted that we do not here speake of that increase of holinesse which was in the childhood of man in his innocency during which time he did grow both in stature of body in holines of soule as it is said that Christ did in his innocency infancy Luke 2. 25. But of the progresse in holinesse after that he was come to ripenes of age the ordinary state measure and degree of holinesse to wit that wherein Adam the first and the last man of this innocent generation was created Chap. 3. Of the naturall decrease of sinfulnes IN the next place we are to consider the changes which happen in the sinfull state of man the which being the worst of all states ought not in constancy to excell all other First of the decrease then of the increase of sinne By the decrease of sinne we meane the increase of the reliques of Gods image and so consequently the decrease of the corruption of sinne which is contrary thereunto as namely when as the light and knowledge remaining in the minde of man after his fall is by any meanes encreased and so the contrary blindnesse and ignorance in part expelled This decrease may happen in al the parts of mans sinfulnesse for by it the dulnesse and ignorance of the minde the peruersenesse of the will and affections the wickednesse of life in outward actions may be diminished For the better vnderstanding of this point it is needfull that we set downe what is the naturall state and degree of sinfulnesse the which is sometimes diminished and sometimes augmented in men that by the mediocrity the extreames may be knowen It is hard to giue any real example of it because the nature of man being in continuall motion is alwaies either vnder or aboue this state of sinfulnesse yet it may be described after this manner Suppose a man of ripe yeares of a soft and simple disposition the which is to be founde in men whose bodies are of some cold complexion for hote and fierie natures haue strong quicke vehement and vnconstant motions able to change themselues without any outward meanes and therefore doe alwaies runne into the one or the other extreame hauing liued in some solitarie place not acquainted with the fashions corruptions and sinnes of the world not hauing giuen himselfe either to continuall meditation or beene instructed by others in the knowledge of religion looke what measure of sinfulnesse is in this man the same or there aboute is the naturall sinfulnesse which all men take from Adam and bring with them out of their mothers wombes into the world Againe suppose or rather beholde with your eyes for the liuing examples of the encrease of sinne are infinite one brought vp in the companie of lewde and wicked men and indued with wit beutie strength of nature riches
honour and all manner of worldly things such a one may become a vertuous and holy man but vsually he is so in euery respect that a man may see plainly in him a patterne of the encrease of naturall sinfulnesse Lastly spie out one of a gentle nature and ingenuous countenance vertuously brought vp from his first infancie hauing neuer vsed any euill companie but being continually giuen of himselfe to get learning and all manner of knowledge yea carefully inured by his parents tutors and teachers to the dayly practise and exercise of what soeuer thing is honest good right any way cōmendable lastly who hath no tru touch of religion is indued with a competent portion measure of the giftes of nature of fortune as they are ignorantly termed this man although he may by the peruersnesse of his corrupt nature treade all these things vnder his feete and become verie vitious yet vsually he may be an example of the decrease of naturall sinfulnesse These three men are all carnall and sinfull yet there is greate difference among them the which that it may the more plainly appeare we will compare them their diuers degrees of sinfulnesse together The first is the right naturall man The second is on his left hand hauing augmented his sinfulnesse The third on his right hand hauing diminished it The first is altogether ignorant of the true God and of his worship yet he thinketh that there is a God in heauen and doth worshipe his God verie diligently one way or other after his fashion The second is fully resolued in his mind by arguments inuented by him selfe and suggested by the deuill and other Atheists like to himselfe that there is no GOD and therefore that it is but follie to worship any The third man is persuaded by manie reasons that there is a God yea he knoweth the true God and performeth some parte of his true worshipe The first knoweth not what to thinke of God or to what thing to resemble him yet he thinketh him to be powerfull mightie and bountifull ascribing all his mishapes and his good lucke to his false God The second giueth all to blinde fortune wise counsell hardie aduentures yea he defieth God in his hart thinking that to trust in him is the next way to all mishap The third knoweth acknowledgeth that all thinges both good euill come from that only true GOD who is euery way infinite and incomprehensible yet knoweth not God in Christ as he ought to doe Likewise for the sinfulnesse of the will the mere naturall man cannot choose and incline himselfe to anie God religion or worshipe which is not sensible and therefore he cannot choose the true God and true holinesse the which are spirituall and contrarie to sense no not if these were propounded to his will either by his owne mind or by some other but chooseth for his part eating drinking sleeping ease pastime pleasure and voluptuousuesse The second man who is supernaturall in sinfulnesse detesteth and abhorreth the name of God and of any thing that is good but the third may haue an inclination to good Lastly the first man doth not in his life commit horrible sinnes such as are murther incest adulterie robberie or periurie being restrained euen by his owne conscience condemning these hainous sinnes and although he beare no loue to any but to himself to his owne yet he meaneth harme to no man As for the second he abstaineth from no sinne tho neuer so hainous wherevnto he is intised by any meanes Whereas the third man leadeth a life without all spot shew or suspition of any such matter yea he is good to euerie one as occasion is offered being farre from hurting any So that to be short the first man may be called a brute beast which is giuen to al sensualitie yet without either knowledge or practise of good or euill The second a deuil incarnate the third a carnall and sinfull saint Thus we see both by the naturall state of sinne as also by the increase of it what is the decrease of it Whereof we are to thinke and holde first that although it may be generall in any or in all the partes of mans sinfulnesse yet it can not be totall in any one much lesse in all for no part of it can be wholly diminished in an vnregenerate man Secondly this decrease doth take away the corruption of sinne more then it doth put the contrarie grace in the roome of it being in schoole termes rather pruatiue then positiue And therefore the carnall man in this decrease of sinfulnesse doth not so much knowe approue embrace and follow the true God and his worshippe as he knoweth all false gods to be no goddes condemning and detesting all idolatry And so in life although he can refraine himselfe from doing euil yet he is not able to performe the contrary Christian duties For the light of nature being increased by such meanes as a naturall man may vse will teach and may enable him to abstaine from grosse sinnes But the true knowledge and practise of good commeth onlie from the worke of gods spirite whereof it commeth that this decrease of sinfulnesse is not to be counted true holinesse neither any parte of it and so it is not effectuall to saluation Thus much in generall of the decrease of sinfulnesse nowe we come to the seuerall kindes of it the which are two in number naturall and supernaturall The first kinde whereof the third of the aforesaide carnall men may be a shadow we call naturall not that it is a naturall thing for a man to decrease in sinfulnesse in the which he groweth as naturally as the smoke goeth vpwarde and therefore it is a violent motion contrarie to his naturall inclination but because it may be attained by a naturall man in whom there is neither true regeneration nor any shadowe of it and that by naturall meanes without the worke of the holy spirite and therefore it may be seene not onely in carnall men liuing in the Church but also and that more plainly in many heathen and professed infidels who neuer heard tel of the true religion worshippe of God of whom many as it were laying violent handes on themselues and their naturall dispositions enclined to all vice and sinfulnesse haue gotten the habite that is the constant and permanent disposition of morall vertues as namely of iustice temperaunce sobriety and chastitie in somuch that they haue not onely led a life pure from the spottes of grosse sinnes but also haue after a sort chaunged their wils mindes and affections from an euil and vitious to a good and vertuous disposition This the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 2. 19. The gentils hauing not the written lawe of God doe by nature that is without spirituall grace the thinges contained in the lawe and so are a lawe vnto themselues Of this decrease we haue many and manifold examples euen some of all sortes of men
suspected to be vneffectuall This the Apostle doth plainely testifie 1. Cor. 11. 19. There must be heresies that those who are approoued may be made manifest that is God doth suffer schismes and diuisions to be among you that by this meanes it may appeare whose holinesse is sounde and whose is hypocriticall or at the least light and ineffectuall Secondly men truely regenerate receiue a greater measure of particular graces as of faith loue and patience then the other doe Yea they doe daily increase in grace whereas the other doe commonly stand at a stay neuer attaining to any great measure of godlinesse but abide in a certaine indifferent kinde of mediocrity being neither hotte nor colde Besides true graces are fruitfull but the shadowes are barren eyther wholly or in part as the faith of these men doth not worke and shewe foorth it selfe by loue their loue is without workes of compassion and Christian communion their good works without alacrity Lastly the shadowe of regeneration doth often come to nothing and is turned into meere Atheisme and want of all religion but true regeneration can neuer wholly decay as Math. 3. 20. Some receiue the worde with ioy and afterwarde fall away and Heb. 6. 4. 5 we reade of those who being once made partakers of the holy Ghost doe afterwardes fall away from Christ yea while they doe retaine this resemblance of true sanctification they are not constant but variable in doing good Iam. 1. 8. A double minded man is vnconstant in all his waies that is a man halfe carnall and halfe regenerate doth not keepe throughout the course of his whole life a constant tenour of godlinesse but often changeth his minde opinions affections and practise By these and such other notes which may be obserued in the scripture and by daily experience this shadowe of holinesse may be discerned from the trueth yet we ought not peremptorely to iudge or rashly to condemne any man for there may be found euen in men truely regenerate many wants errours sinnes and alterations as afterwards will appeare Therefore we ought to thinke the best where we see any likelihoode of good and where there is none to hope for better in time to come and so leauing other men to Gods iudgement to censure our owne profession and regeneration by these rules Yet it is both lawfull and needfull that we shoulde knowe howe to distinguish trueth from falshoode right from wrong good from euill the shadowe from the bodie in the professions of our brethren The which it is the parte of euerie Christian to marke and consider to trie and thinke of it according to the trueth of the worde of GOD but in iudging and speaking to vse greate moderation and wisedome CHAP. V. Of the particulars in this supernaturall decrease of sinfulnesse THe first and most vsuall part of this supernaturall decrease of sinne is the illumination of the minde whereby a carnall man who before did not beleeue the doctrine eyther of the law or of the gospell is brought to see and acknowledge the trueth of the one or of both To beleeue the law of God to be true is to haue a sight and a sense of sinne to see sinne is for a man to know himselfe to be so sinfull in nature in soule body in life and actions as indeed he is To feele sinne is to know that for his sinne he is subiect to the wrath of God which is eternall death This first part of illumination is far more easely oftē wrought in a naturall man then is the other because by the light of nature man hath some knowledge of good and euill and that the righteous are to be rewarded as the wicked are tobe punished Hence it is that many make this first step in this shadow of regeneration and goe no further Thus Cain and Iudas with many others did see their sin the punishmēt due vnto it but yet had no beliefe of the doctrine of the gospel for remission of sinne The second part of illumination is to thinke the doctrine of the gospel to be true namely that remission of sinnes and eternall glorie is to be had by faith in Iesus Christ. Heb. 6. 4. This knowledge GOD worketh by his spirit and word in manie reprobates Act. 8. 13. Simon magus beleeued and was baptized of whose reprobation although we can affirme nothing because the Apostle doubteth of it Vers. 22. Yet it is plainely out of the 21. verse that he was not as then truly regenerated Yea many carnall men attaine to so greate a measure of knowledge that there is no point or heade of christian religion which they doe not in some sorte conceiue vnderstand and beleeue although not fully for that is impossible yet so as that they are able to performe the duty of teachers in the Church in laying open plainly and euidently to the capacitie of the hearers the mysteries of the gospel in resoluing al doubtes cōtrouersies questions obiections and arguments which are moued about anypoint of doctrine Thus did the teachers at Corinth of whome the Apostle writeth 1. Cor. 13. 2. Though I had the gift of prophecie and knew all secrets and knowledge and haue not loue I were nothing So Math 7. 22. Prophecie in Christes name whome he doth not acknowledge as his This knowledge is commonly called an historicall faith a gift common to the elect and the reprobate yet not so common as it seemeth to be Yea in truth more rare in respect of the greate multituds of professours and christians then it is common in respect of the small number of true beleeuers For to let passe those who know nothing of religion we are not to thinke that all they who are learned and as we say great clarkes in diuinitie and profound schoole-men do in their mindes and iudgments hold these things to bee true Yea it appeareth plainly in the example of Iudas who although he did preach the gospell with his tongue yet he did not beleeue it himselfe as Christ witnesseth Ioh. 6. 64 that manie doe goe about to perswade others that to bee true which they them-selues thinke to be false And no maruaile for why should it bee thought easie and common for a naturall man to beleeue that which is contrarie to naturall reason we se Ioh. 3. 12 that Christ could not or rather did not make Nicodemus a teacher in Israel beleeue the doctrin of spirituall regeneration And so we may well thinke that many otherwise learned thinke that it is no such supernaturall work but that it may be attained by natural means Likewise how many thinke wee are perswaded in their heartes that this worlde shall neuer haue an ende or that there shal be a new world wherein the bodies of men which were consumed to nothing many thousand years before shalbe raised vp liue for euer But to proceede of the decrease of ignorance commeth the decrease of infidelitie For as
men outwardly and ciuilly honest may be reckoned yet there is no age country or story which doth not aford many examples of men who haue exceeded in impietie against God and in iniustice towarde men and in all manner of wicked behauiour the ordinarie and common sorte of sinfull men by manie degrees The cause of this encrease of sinne is the crooked and corrupt diposition of mans wil which is wholly bent and set vpon sinne and doth so greedely and insatiably pursue after it as that vnlesse it be restrained by some meanes it can not rest till it come to the highest degree of wickednes For the which purpose it imployeth all the partes and faculties of the body and soule yea all inwarde and outwarde blessings what soeuer it maketh the minde deuise newe wayes of commiting sinne newe excuses pretenses coulours and defences for it being commited so that the greater gifts of the minde and of body that a man hath ceaued the fitter instrumentes hath his will and his corrupt desires to encrease sinne Here of it commeth that not idiots simple and vnlearned men not the weakest in body or the basest in condition not the poorest nor the youngest but the most witty learned strong noble rich aged are these notorious wicked ones The most horrible monsters in all outrage of sinne which any story doth mention were greate Emperours and mighty men as Nero Caligula and such other and who are so wretched couetous worldly so peruerse and obstinate in ignoraunce superstition infidelitie yea in hatred of all goodnesse as are they who by yeares haue gotten wisedome experience riches and honour so that we may easely acknowledge the trueth of that the Apostle writeth 1. Cor. 1. 26 Not many noble wise riche or great men are called to the sincere obedience of the gospell Hence it is that sinne doth more abound in this last age of the worlde then it did in old times wherein men were more rude simple and ignoraunt then children are in these daies who are so soone ripe and expert in all wickednesse as if they had bene borne perfect men not weake infauntes and no maruaile seeing that this last age is as it were a common sinke wherein all the sinnes errours heresies superstitions all the shifts craft deceipte yea all the wicked inuentions and practises of all ages are gathered together And therefore it bringeth foorth so great multitudes of expert practitioners in sinne who besides that which their owne inuention doth afford are furnished with the examples tryed experiments of all ages This the spirit of God hath foretold in the scripture as we see it is come to passe Math. 24. 12. Because iniquity shall abound in the latter times the loue of many shall waxe colde 2. Tim. 3. 1. This knowe that in the last daies shall come perilous times for men shalbe louers of their owne selues coueteous proude cursed speakers disobedient to parentes vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce hauing no loue to those who are good traitours headie high minded louers of pleasures more then of God hauing a shew of godlinesse but denying the power thereof And againe 2. Pet. 3. 3. This first vnderstand that in the latter daies shall come mockers walking after their owne lustes saying where is the promise of his comming In these and other places of scripture the spirite of God hath foretolde and euen painted out the great corruption and sinfulnesse of these daies that we might beware least that we be drawen away by the infidelity and other hainous sinnes which raigne euerywhere so saue our selues as out of the fyer from this froward godlesse generation wherein we liue Lastly as the excellencie of naturall giftes and outward blessings being abused is the meanes of the excessiuenesse of sinne not of it selfe but by the corrupt disposition of our nature so the spirituall graces of God bestowed vpon men liuing in the Church doe often by the iust iudgement of God worke the same effect and that in far greater measure For as it is impossible that among heathen men they who are of smal wit capacity knowledge strength and riches should be wicked in so high a degree as they who excell in the foresaid respectes so it is not possible that any who hath not receiued some of the spirituall graces of God shoulde come to so high a degree of sinne as they in whome it hath pleased God to worke that shadowe of regeneration which hath beene declared in the former chapter Hence it is that none can fall into that extreame impiety which is the highest degree of sinne euen the sinne of the deuill and his Angels called in scripture the sinne against the holy Ghost which can neuer be forgiuen but they who did sometime before receiue grace from God to see loue and obey the trueth Heb. 6. 5. It is impossible that they who were once made partakers of the holy Ghost if they fall namely into this sinne which is an open wilfull and desperate hatred of God of his glory of his religion of his feruants and of all good thinges as many of the hebrewes did to whome this was written should be renewed by repentance This excellency of spirituall graces abused was the meanes whereby the wicked Angels fell into that extreamitie of sinne wherein they are and so it commeth to passe in men in whom this sinne by reason of the monstrous hugenesse of it is rare and happeneth not but in those who for their cruell spitefull desperate and malitious hatred to God and to the godly are rather to be counted diuels incarnate then reasonable men For it is harde for a Christian who hath once knowen God to cast away all feare of God and shame of men and for to burst forth into such outrage Yet as the scripture hath not for nought taught vs it so it commeth to passe although seldom yet oftner then it is well marked This encrease of sinne called supernaturall because it cannot happen but in a man after a sorte regenerate is taught by christ in the parable of the euil spirite which retourning to the place out of the which he was cast goeth not alone but taketh with him seuen other wicked spirites euerie one worse then himselfe and so the ende of that man is worse that is farre more sinfull then the beginning Euen as we see it commeth to passe in naturall thinges as namely in water which after it hath bene a little warmed becommeth more colde then if it had neuer had any heate in it And so men who haue had some heate of religion kindled in their heartes by the spirite of God if they contemne and abuse the saide graces become more wicked and irreligious then they who neuer knewe what religion ment CHAPTER VII Of the decrease of renewed holinesse ALthough the faithfull man being nowe truely regenerate by the spirit of God may boldely boast and
separation hath tow parts Rebellion Deformity in the which tow thinges the whole sinfulnesse of man consisteth being nothing else but a defection from all subiection due to God and from that image of God wherein he was created Sect. 3. Of the renewed holinesse of man AS God hath in great mercy decreed that man should not vtterly perish by Adams fall but rather by his mercy recouer that happinesse which he both had and lost so he hath in wisdome and iustice appointed the same meanes of attaining it to wit the perfect holinesse of man without the which it is impossible that any creature shoulde see God And therefore as god did in the beginning create in man perfect holynesse as the meanes of attaining happinesse so he doth for the same end recreate holynesse in him This action of God is called in the Scripture regeneration and the holynesse it selfe the new man or the newe creature because the former holynesse is so cleane decayed and abolished no one parte of it remaining that the restoring of it againe doth make man to be a newe yea almost another creature working in him a totall chaunge of his nature and giuing him a newe minde a newe will new affections and a newe course of life not that this change is in the substance of the soule or bodie of the minde or will of a man for that is the same both in a carnall and in a regenerate man but onely in quality and cōdition and yet it is truely called a second creation because there is no roote left in man from the which holynesse might be produced no in clination to good whereby it might be furthered no facultie remaining in him whereby it might be effected For howsoeuer some do erroneously thinke and teach that some part of regeneration is to be ascribed to the naturall faculties of mans soule as if men did of themselues see choose embrace loue the truth yet the scripture teacheth vs to thinke farre otherwise to wit that man hath no hand in this worke but onely the spirite of God For euen as in the naturall generation of any liuing creature there must two thinges concurre first the agent or worker the which the philosophers call principium actiuum and it may be resembled to the workman in artificiall thinges the which giueth the forme and being to the creature secondly the matter whereof the thing is made and framed called principium passiuum the which cannot be saide to worke but onely to suffer the operation of the other so it is in regeneration First the spirite of God is the workman in it he is the begetter of this new-man the fashioner of this newe creature Secondly the minde and will of man are the matter whereof this newe creature is made not working together with the spirite of God but onely suffering the working of it For regeneration is nothing but a sanctified or renewed minde and will The begetter of this new man is God himselfe euen the holy spirite of God changing our minds and heartts and framing in them all holinesse Ioh. 3. 6. That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirite And that although by the ministerie of man and the preaching of the worde of God as it is 1. Pet. 1. 23. Being borne againe not of corruptible seede but of incorruptible euen of the worde of God which abideth for euer yet by a straunge and supernaturall worke which no witte eloquence deuise strength or power of man or Angell but onely the finger of GOD himselfe is able to bringe to passe Math. 19. 26. With man it is impossible but not with God it being not in the power of anie creature to chaunge in one moment the minde will affections and the whole nature of a man espceially to that state which is repugnant and cleane contrary to his naturall disposion as regeneration is to the nature of a carnall man for it is not so in this spirituall work as it is in the carnal generation wherein one thing begetteth another like to it selfe by a naturall vertue and power which God hath put into each liuing creature without any extraordinary worke or blessing from God And therefore it is able being in the naturall disposition whensoeuer it listeth to bring forth the effect without failing But no minister of the word although endewed with most excellent giftes can beget this new man by the sole vertue of his mimisterie for then regeneration woulde be a common and an ordinarie thing as is the preaching of the worde But we knowe it to be farre otherwise and that vsually of a hundred hearers there is scarce one truely conuerted So that in the begetting of this new man the ministery of the word is but the instrument whereby the spirit of God worketh without the which it is no more able to forme this newe creature then the tooles belonging to any worke are able to bring the same to passe without the hand of the artificer And therefore as the first creation so also the regeneration of mans holinesse ought to be acknowledged to be the hand and worke of God yea in trueth an immediate supernaturall and miraculous worke we say immeditate not that he vseth no meanes in regenerating the faithfull but for that the force vertue and abilitie of working is not any iot in the meanes but wholly and onely in GOD. Againe it is a supernaturall worke for euen as sinne yea the retayning exercising and increasing of it is naturall to man so the resisting renouncing and forsaking of it and especially the seeking attaining keeping exercising and encreasing of the contrarie holinesse is no lesse contrarie to the nature of man then it is for him to flie vp to heauen Hence it followeth that this regeneration is a miraculous worke for whatsoeuer is so contrary to the naturall disposition and ordinarie course of thinges as that the reason of man can not finde out and comprehende the cause of it that driueth men to admiration and astonishment and so becommeth a miracle vnto them If it be heere obiected that regeneration is an ordinarie matter which commeth to passe daily and vsually in the Church and hath done in all ages and therefore is no miracle we answere confessing that it is not so much wondred at as it ought to bee For carnall men doe not beleeue that there is any such matter as we may see in the example of Nicodemus Iohn 3. 4. Howe can a man be borne which is old can he enter into his mothers wombe againe and be borne And therefore doe not wonder but rather laugh at it and they who by experience know it are not for the most part so affected with the serious cogitation of it as they should be Yet this doth not chaunge the nature of it for if God should often raise vppe men from the dead men would at length cease from wondering at it But
notwithstanding the opinion of men it is a great miracle yea in truth greater then is the raising of the deade to life for God hath often giuen to mortall sinfull men the glorie of restoring the dead to life but he neuer gaue to any of his prophets or Apostles the power of regenerating men So that to conclude this first point as the first so the second creation of mans holinesse ought to be acknowledged the proper worke and action of God as the scripture doth plainely teach vs in many places Gal. 2. 8. Nowe we are to consider other pointes in this wonderfull worke of God as namely these First the meanes which God vseth Secondly the manner of working Thirdly the time Fourthly the differences of regeneration Lastly the signes of it The meanes is eyther ordinary or extraordinary the ordinary meanes is as hath beene touched the ministery of the word of God appointed by God for this end and purpose the which he doth accompany with the secrete operation of his spirite in the hearts of all those whome he hath ordained to saluation And therefore whosoeuer desireth to be made partaker of this regeneration he must with all care and diligence giue himselfe to the continuall hearing of the worde of God preached in the assemblie of the Church and withall he is to vse all priuate meanes whereby hee may bee prepared for the publicke ministerie so as it may be profitable vnto him as namely the continuall companie and conference of those who haue alreadie attained to that which he desireth and who hauing trauailed in the waye of Godlinesse may the more easely direct him in the same Secondlie hee muste giue himselfe to the reading studying and meditating of the worde of GOD and to the carefull vse of all those meanes whereby hee may be made to vnderstand know and remember it But especially he is to desire this by earnest prayer at the handes of God who onely is able to graunt his desire and without whose working the most painefull vse of all meanes is altogether in vaine but hee that carefully vseth these aforesaid meanes yet not trusting in them but relying himselfe on the mercifull promise of God who hath promised to be readie at hande to all those that seeke him shall finde by experience that no man doth in vain seeke for help at the handes of God As touching the manner how regeneration is wrought Christ teacheth vs Iohn 3. 8 That no man knoweth it for euen as saith he thou hearest the noise of the wind when it bloweth but yet thou canst not see it or discerne whence it commeth or whither it goeth so although we heare the word of God sounding in our eares and knowe that God doth by that sound beget men yet no man knoweth how this is that is regeneration is not anoutward visible and sensible but an inward and secret worke For euen as a man being suddenly taken with the plague or anie infectious sicknesse saieth he knoweth not how it happened onely he seeth the effectes of it euen so the action of regeneration in it selfe is secret and vnknowen but manifest in the effectes which followe of it We may not vnfitly compare it to that suddaine and straunge change which befell Saul whereof we read 1. Sam. 10. 9. For when as God was about to aduance Saule from his priuate and base estate to the kingdome of Israell he sawe that it was needefull to make him a newe man endued with a newe minde will and affections to take from him his rude and base conditions and to endue him with an heroicall spirite of wisedome courage and of all giftes needfull for so high a calling And therefore euen as he turned his backe to goe awaie from Samuell God chaunged him and gaue him an other hearte and made him another man Euen so doth God by changing the mindes and willes of his elect so secretlie as that they themselues knowe not which way it is done make them newe men and prepare them for his euerlasting kingdome The time of regeneration are the yeares of descretion for this worke hath no place in infantes beeing not as yet endued with the actuall faculties of a reasonable minde and will The which must first existe before they can be chaunged and be actually defiled with sinne before they can be clensed Secondly in the yeares of discretion there is no set and appointed time of regeneration for as we are taught Math. 20. in the parable of the worke men some are called at the first houre of the day some in the middest of it some in the laste houre Some in their younge yeares some in their middle age and some in olde age Yet no man ought in this respect to deferre the seeking after regeneration for so he will be more and more vnfitte and vnwilling to take anie paines in this behalfe and be at length so hardned and benummed with a longe custome of sinne and of deepe hypocrisie that there wilbe farre lesse hope of winning him to the true obedience of Christe then there was before Thirdly regeneration although it doe continually encrease as long as a man liueth yet it is wrought and begun in one houre in one moment of time euen as there is but one houre of birth although there be many of life If it bee asked whether that euery regenerate manne doth knowe the speciall howre of his calling wee answere that regeneration beeing an vniuersall chaunge of all the faculties of a mans soule and so consequentlie of all the actions of his life may easely be felt and perceiued especially â—y him in whome it is wroughte and further this time of a mans conuersion ought moste carefullie to be marked and registred that so it may with continuall and vnspeakable ioy and thankesgiuing euermore be remembred For if as it is vsually thought the day of a mans naturall byrth which in it selfe is the beginning although of temporall life yet of eternall death and miserie be worthie to bee not onely diligently noted and kept in minde but also solemnly celebrated with greate ioy howe much more is it meete that men shoulde marke the day of their spirituall birth it being the most happy daye which can be seene and in deede the beginning of eternall happinesse And yet oftentimes this particular time is neyther marked when it is present nor remembred when it is past namely by them whose conuersion is not so straunge and violent but light and easie the which difference wee are nowe in the fourth place to propounde The diuersitie of regeneration is verie great for that we may vse our accustomed similitude as man in his naturall birth is brought into the worlde sometimes with greate facilitie and safetie at other times in so greate paine anguish and daunger that he may seeme to enter into life through death euen so this newe man is sometimes borne without any trouble sorrowe or delay but often with such horrour of conscience such
perfect infinite vncreated and essentiall but this holinesse of the faithfull man is vnperfect finite and accidentall not inherent in the nature of the holy spirite which is not capable of it but in the naturall faculties of the faithfull man Yea this holinesse is now made naturall vnto him for although it be contrarie to his corrupt nature yet it is agreeable to his created and renewed nature So that the first renewing of holinesse is a supernaturall miraculous vnknowen and diuine worke But the continuall vsing of it is an ordinary euident and a humaine action For as in the first creation of man it was a maruaile to see a sensible lumpe of red earth turned into a liuing and reasonable man hauing free will to doe either good or euill but after that man was once created it was noe maruaile to see him vse those faculties which he had receiued from God So in his second creation it is as greate wonder to see a blockishe ignorant froward corrupt sinfull and earthly man to become pure holy and heauenly in al the faculties of soul body but after that he is renewed sanctified it is no maruaile to see him choose and doe newe and holy actions And therefore we are not to thinke that the holy spirite worketh the continual course of holines in the faithful as in stocks or trees although he beginne it in them in that manner but that first he giueth to them holy faculties by the which they worke the residue of their owne holinesse he created in them a holy will then by meanes and inherent power of that will they themselues choose and doe good Thus much ingenerall of the renewed holinesse of the will the which differeth from the created holinesse which it had in the state of innocencie in two respects First whereas the created will of man did for the present act incline it selfe whollie onely and perfectly to good this renewed will although it also doth actually encline itselfe to that which is truely and onely good yet it doth this imperfectlie and impurely For by reason of the reliques of sinfulnesse which are in it it doth in part encline it selfe to some particular euils as to this or that sinne we say to particular euill because it is impossible that this renewed will shoulde reiect in generall the true good consisting in true holinesse and happinesse the which maketh the second difference betwixt the created and the recreated will of man For the created wil of man might as it did indeede refuse good and choose euill in generall the which thinge cannot happen to the recreated will for it is impossible that one truely renewed shoulde euer make a generall declination from good which is a totall apostasie from God yet he may chuse and accomplishe many particular sinnes So that to conclude the will in this state of regeneration hath freedome and ability of choosing good and reiecting euill yet this libertie is not so perfect that it can wholly incline it selfe from euill to good but may be compared to one who hath bene a captiue or prisoner all his life time and is nowe set at liberty so that he may goe whither he list and doe what he thinketh good Yet hauing his fetters hanging on his heeles is so shakled and hindred with them that he cannot runne vp and downe so readely and freely as otherwise he woulde yea they make him to stumble often and sometimes to fall on the grounde so the faithfull are freed from the bondage of sinne and set at liberty by Christ yet they are so shakled with the naturall corruption of sinne remaining in them that they cannot so perfectly choose good refuse euill but that they do often stumble yea fall into great sinnes Yet as this renewed holinesse of the will is during the time of this short life inferiour to the created holinesse of it in the perfection of actuall freedome to good so it is to be preferred vnto it in respect of perpetuitie and immutabilitie For this imperfect freedome of will is so continually vpheld by the secrete and mightie grace of God that it cānot possibly be wholly lost whereas the perfect freedome of the created wil was soone brought to an end Yet this difference is not to be put in the nature of the renewed will for as the will of all creatures so also the will of regenerate men is mutable and for any inherent and naturall facultie which either is or can be in it may loose the goodnesse and liberty of it but to be ascribed to the immutable and supernaturall grace of God assisting the renewed willes of the faithfull whereas he left the created will of man to destroy it selfe that so by the weakenesse of the creature the glorie of his power might the more plainely appeare CHAPTER VI. Sect. 1. Of the created holinesse of the affections and especially of loue and hatred THe last head of mans holinesse is the holinesse of his affections which are the diuers dispositiōs of man stirred vp in him by the diuersitie of obiects and may be called so many particular wils or motions of the will for so much as they are nothinge but diuerse inclinations to apparant good or declinations from apparant euils To make the nature of them plaine by familiar examples a man going in the streete meeteth with his owne father sonne or some friende whom he loueth dearely straight way he feeleth a change of his disposition which before was quiet and setled his will enclining it selfe towards that obiect whereof commeth the affection of loue annon he meeteth with his deadlie enimie at the sight of whom his stomacke riseth he abhorreth from him as from an euill there is a contrarie disposition called the affection of hatred Afterward he espieth a poore impotent sicke lame and naked man whose extreame miserie he cannot beholde for griefe and therefore he turneth away himselfe and sigheth there is pitty mercy or compassion Not farre off there appeareth a great rich man him he enuieth although he ought not either to hate or enuie Straight way he spieth a pleasant picture or heareth some good newes there he is made glade and reioyceth but going a little further he seeth his friendes house on fire then his ioy is turned into sorrow or greife If he meete a man whom he knoweth to be wise and iust and seeth to be aged him he reuerenceth but he contemneth a base vile and lewd person an offence committed kindleth anger as a lawfull action worketh contentation Lastly if he see any thing that he standeth in neede of and is greatly for his vse that he desireth but if he chaunce to see a rotten carion or any lothsome thing that he abhorreth Thus much of the nature of the affections nowe we come to the holinesse of them For although they be so suddainly stirred vp in a man that they may seeme to come rather of foolishe rashnesse then of reason and due regard and make so