concerning the forgiuenesse of our sinnes or the sauing of our soules or concerning any other grace whatsoeuer and approoueth not of doubting at any hand the reason whereof is plaine because Gods promise manifested vnto vs in his word and the faith that he hath wrought in our hearts by his word and spirit and not our naturall doubting distrust they are relatiues that is to say such things as one presupposeth another namely that a promise implieth faith or els the promise is of no force as in regard of men and faith implia promise as the proper and peculier obiect of it or els it cannot be counted faith And sith the promise indeed cannot otherwise be either seene but by the eye of faith or apprehended and laid hold of but by the hand of faith which point the Apostle sheweth Ro. 4. when he saith therefore it is by faith that it might come by grace the promise might be sure to all the seede c. it must needes followe that faith as Gods worke in his children and Gods promises as from himselfe not doubting or distrust are relatiues as we call them And good reason both for the affirmation and negation for such as the promises are such must the instrument be apprehending the same but the promises are spirituall and from God and so is faith in vs and not doubting for that is from the corruption of our owne nature which hath no acquaintance with God or goodnesse till it be altered and changed from aboue And therefore we may safely conclud and say establish gods promise or faith is established and put doubting on Gods promise is euacuated for therfore is it of faith as was said before out of Rom. 4. that the promise might be sure then if it be not of faith but of doubting the promise is not firme or sure to wit to vs though as in regard of it selfe and God the giuer of it it is alwaies certaine And this is that also which I thinke Saint Iohn meaneth when he saith he that beleeueth not God as he hath reuealed him selfe in his worde and specially in his promises hath made him a lier because he beleeueth not the record that God witnessed of that his sonne But against this our popish aduersaries put many exceptions as first they say that men must doubt not as in respect of Gods promises but as in regard of their own indignity or vnworthinesse because we are worthy to obtaine or haue that which God hath promised For it may so fall out that because a man hath failed in the conditions annexed to Gods promises he may rightly doubt whether he shall haue that which god hath promised that is to say men should not doubt whether God will faile in accomplishing of his graces and promises made vnto vs but lest we performe not the conditions adioyned thereto because god hath not promised eternall life nor any thing else but vnder condition or else they meane that doubting is not to be referred to gods promises but to our defects and the impediments of our infirmities least happily we want the accomplishment of the conditions ioyned with Gods promises This is their exception but we answer that both their affirmation in their exception and their explanation of it also for of these two parts doeth it consist are starke nought for whatsoeuer they say or howsoeuer they interpret their owne speaches yet if they enioyne and teach men to doubt whether God for Christs sake will be mercifull to such as beleeue in him they appointe or instruct them to doubt of the grace of God because Gods grace Christs merits mans faith being gods worke in vs are not nor cannot be disioyned which they are if men doubt or do teach others to doubt of all or of any of them specially if that doctrine of doubting be receiued But wee will more particularly looke into the wordes and matter of this exception They tell vs that we should not doubt as in respect of Gods promises who would doubt of that or thinke or say so vnlesse he were some notable Atheist or blasphemer who for his thoughts but wordes especially should rather haue his tongue pulled out of his head and be iustly executed by death then be suffered to liue amongst men But that we should doubt of our owne vnworthinesse because we are vnworthie to obtaine or to haue accomplished Gods promises vnto vs that we are indeed vtterly and altogether vnworthy of all or any good thing from god no godly man I thinke wil deny nay and if it will pleasure our aduersasaries we will graunt them more then that namely that we are worthy of all punishmēt both temporall and eternall in body and soule Howebeit this will not followe that because we are vnworthy of the graces god should not bestowe his mercies and graces where as pleaseth him or this that therefore we should not doubt or distrust God and his mercies For this is no vse of our own vnworthinesse either in the sight or sense of it to make vs to call into question or to controuert the trueth of gods promises nay rather if there be any vse of it that way ouer and besides the vnfained humiliation of vs at the feet of god it serueth rather to instruct and teach vs that which the Apostle doth deliuer in his epistle to the Romanes that where sine hath abounded there grace hath abounded much more Yea we say further concerning this point of our vnworthinesse that we should not therefore doubt of gods fauour or the forgiunesse of sinnes the reason is because the trueth and cerenty of gods promise dependeth not vpon our owne worthinesse ot vnworthinesse for that were to subiect vnto man but on the power fidelity and free fauour of god towards vs neither is it confirmed vnto vs because we are worthy of it or made voide and of no effect because we are vnworthy for that shall neuer be found true both in mercy and iudgement that the Apostle saith If we beleeue not yet abideth he faithfull he cannot deny himselfe but therfore was the promise both giuen and published therefore is Christ also become our Mediatour because we are vnworthy and that the father for his sake might become mercifull gratious vnto vs according to which it is said Rom. 8. Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus c. Whereas had not our vnworthinesse beene neither had gods grace so plainly and plentifully appeared neither indeede could Christ haue become our intercessor or Mediatour And therefore our vnworthinesse should bee soe farre off to worke in vs any doubting of gods goodnesse Christs merits howsoeuer as in regard of our selues it may iustly humble vs and hold vs from presumption opiniō of desert c. that it should rather make vs make speed thereto to labour the steedfast apprehension thereof and indeed we are to set against the greatnesse of our vnworthinesse the infinite
man hath prouided for vs and prescribed vnto vs in the worde of trueth For plaine proofe whereof we may beholde if we can the bad effects and bitter fruits that either the ignorance or neglect hereof bringeth forth in our age And if there were no more but this the continuall carnalitie and carnall securitie that euerie where raigneth til it be discouered and felt and the distrust yea desperation that then rageth when the Lord is pleased to lay it open and to presse it hard and home as we saie to to the heart these were sufficient enough not onely to prooue the point but also to cause vs in time to leaue our great and grieuous corruptions and in in a good and acceptable seasoÌ„ euen while it is called to day as the scripture saieth to looke to better courses assuring our selues that as for poperie it can neuer be repelled but by the sounde knovvledge of Gods will reuealed in his vvord this trueth beeing as coÌ„trary to that errour and falsehood as daye is to darknesse and as for assured comforte in distresse or distrust it is no where to be found but generally in the same word also and particularly in the sweet promises thereof which as God alone that is altogether faithfull hath plentifullye made so vvill he that is onely almightie and doth vvhatsoeuer pleaseth him both in heauen and earth in an acceptable time graciously performe for his glorie and the good of his people And that therefore vve should endeuour by all the good meanes that possibly we can that the word of Christ might dvvell in vs plenteously in all vvisedome teaching and admonishing our ovvne selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songues singing with a grace in our hearts to the Lord and doing vvhat soeuer vve shall do in vvord or in deede either towards God in the cause of his vvorship or in the dueties of charitie towards men in the name of the Lord Iesus Now vvhat experience you right honourable and right vvorshipfull haue had in this behalfe I knovv not This I am sure of that belonging to the Lord as vpon good grounâ—â— I doubt not I perswade my selfe you do you either haue had heretofore or hereafter before the day of your dissolution dravv nigh shall haue your portion and part of triall both the one and the other vvaye And though it may be that you haue through gods mercie in Christ bestowed vpon you the grace of a stedfast perswasioÌ„ yet he that is now strong through Gods grace may hereafter through his owne wickednesse and vvants become weake God hauing not onely ordeined that as a meane so to humble vs least in the excellent aboundance of graces we might be exalted aboue measure but prouided one of vs to support and helpe an another according to any measure of mercie that we haue receiued from him Wherein if I may either soundly comfort you for that vvhich is past and duetifully prouoke christian care minister strong consolation for that which is to come and may perceiue either the one or the other or both not onely to dwell in your selues but as by and and from you to bee communicated to others specially those whose case and state is distressed either waye I shall right hartely reioyce aâ— one in this comfortablie feeling the forgiuenesse of our sinnes that God hath beene pleased to make his trueth effectuall and powerfull in vs aswel for the obedience of his holie commaÌ„dementes as for the vnfeigned beleefe of his blessed promises And in this respect principally I assure you is it that hauing sometime since written a discourse against all manner of doubting whether it be from others as popish doctrine and Sathans suggestions or from the diffidence and distrustfulnesse of our owne hearts and being much and often requested by some deare friends of mine vvhome I could not vvell denie to publish it I am bold vnder your patronages to let it passe to the presse and to come forth to behold the light and from you to cause it to come to the vievv of others for yours and their spirituall benefite especially And in this dedication of my poore trauailes vnto you I could not but ioyne you all together as one because that though as in respecte of your several states degrees and callings in the common vvealth you do somewhat differ yet God by many gracious meanes of his mercy particularly by open and religious profession of his trueth and holie bande of christian mariage hath made you as it were to become one that so growing alltogether in this life by the power of the spirite to the vnitie of faith and obedience of the goodwill of God you might in that time that God hath set vvith himselfe from before all tines come all together likewise to that one euerlasting life blessednes vvhich is the ende of that one faith and hope wh rewith we are and shall be both sealed and susteined euen vntill and in the day of Iesus Christ And so humblie beseeching good acceptance of this that is done in the singlenesse and sinplicitie of my soule vvhich I trust you will not denie me because I desire nothing but that is right and reasonable and directly tending to your owne good specially spiritual and vvithall hartilie praying the Lord to giue it a blessing in your seuerall soules for the glorie of his name and your euerlasting comforte whereof also I conceiue good hope because God is large in loue and bountifull in giuing specially vnto his people in vvhich number I trust you are not without cause accounted before me I do ende for this present and vvith that submission that is fitt for my selfe and belongeth to persons of so great place and calling take my leaue At Wooburne the 14. of Aprill 1598. Your Hon. and Worship euer ready and that in all things to be commaunded in Christ Thomas Wilcocks the Lords vnworthy seruant Lord Iesus begin and make an ende ALL popery generally is full of vanity and vntrueth being druÌ„ke vp and receiued in infecteh defileth both body and soule Howbeit this cannot be denied but that some points are more deadly discomfortable by much then other some For as in the great varietie of naturall sickenesses diseases all are not alike dangerous but some are more pestilentiall and infectiue as more assaulting the heart and the head other vitall partes then other some are as we may see in the messels pocks hot burning agues plauges or pestilences and such like So is it in the huge heape and infectiue lumpe of popish opinions and doctrines some being more high and heinous then other some and as if it were not only taking the crowne of glory and eternall life from the head or out of the hands of our Sauiour Christ and setting it vpon the headlesse or handlesse bodie of mans corrupt nature tainted with all manner of vngratiousnes and sinne but euen labouring to take by the throat and to straÌ„gle that little
these words that thy faith faile not or if you wil this being the end that Christ aimed at in his praiers or the fruit effect that followeth thē in all Christ shewing that is through his most feruent and continual praiers that the whole Church and the particular members of it are so vpheld that they do neuer vtterly nor neuer shall vtterly fal away from the faith which thing spoken here as it should seeme particularly to of Peter and yet notwithstanding in truth vprightnes to be extended to all the faithfull because there is in their measure manner a like cōsideratiō of them in al euery faithfull person is more at large described prooued in the 17. of Iohn Where we may see that Christs praier was frō the beginning is now and shal be to the end of the worlde the very foundation and groundwork of the stability and continuance of the Church of God Another sore assault that after the former yea and indeede at the least wise in outward shew vpon the former Satan maketh against vs or giueth vnto vs is this If thy sinnes harm thee not neither indeed cā hurt thee as thou saiest thou maiest after thou beleeuest once sinne without feare of punishment Thou dealest Sathan like a Sathan now that in a double respect first in the end of thy temptations labouring euery way if it may be to ouerthrow my faith and obedience In the former thou didst assaye to drawe me to despaire In this latter thou labourest to throwe me headlong into securitie So that thou effect my ruine thou carest not by what meane by either of these or by both of them together or by any other God hath discouered this vnto me I hūblie thanke him hoping that he that hath giuen me grace to espie thy subtletie wil also graunt me strength to ouercome it Secōdly herein thou shewest thy selfe an aduersary in that thou doest falsifie peruert my words Where did I say simply that sinne could not hurt or harme This I beleeue in my heart haue and will confesse it vnto the end with my mouth that being ingrafted into Christ my sinnes past or present cannot condemne me no more then they haue done the faithfull which haue gone before me in the flesh and in faith And what haue I saide here but that which the Scripture speaketh euery where The Apostle telleth vs. Rom. 8. in termes that cannot be corrupted with false glosses there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus That againe that the spirit speaketh out of the Prophet Ieremie as a parte and peece of the newe couenant Hebrewes 8. tendeth to the same ende saying I will be mercifull to their vnrighteousnes I will remember their sinnes their iniquities no more That our sinnes offend our most gracious heauenly father that they grieue the holy ghost within vs yea that we by thē not only as it were with cartrops but with gable ropes pul vpon vs though not eternall yet tēporary corporall punishments so indeed do harme hurt vs I neuer denied nor will deny because the truth and certenty of al euery one of these things is propounded vnto vs in the worde of God But in what sense I haue saide thus I haue shewed before and let that suffise As for that that thou woldst haue me to infer thervpon namely that therefore I might liue as I list sinne without controulment it is most false in it self most irreligious before God most vnseasonable in the sight iudgement of men Doth not the Apostle tell vs Rom. 8 that they that are led by the spirit of God are the childēr of God what meneth he thereby any thing els but this that they that are by the grace of God through the worke of regeneration in the power of the spirit and the exercises of the word freed frō sinne do not remaine or continue therein And is not the same that he expresseth in an other place in other tearmes saying our olde man is crucified with Christ that the bodie of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serue sinne If we knowe any thing in Christ or of Christ we knowe this that so many as are iustified from their sinns by faith in his blood are also by the spirit of Christ sāctified vnto obedience of his wil for these are the two fruits that we haue in by the death and rising againe of our Sauiour from whēce also there followeth this comfort to the faith full that they doe many times in some good measure withstand and ouercome sinne not in others only but in themselues principally And sure we are of these that that sanctification which we haue in and from Christ by obedience of his will can no more be seperated from free iustificatiō from all our vnrighteousnesse through his blood then heat from fire or light and warmeth from the body of the sunne And therefore euen this declareth Satā that thou art a falsifier of all good words and workes But besides I tel thee that sith we may by effects gather arguments to our selus touching the saluation of our soules that therfore thou canst not or shalt not herein shake my faith I take it to be the generall drift of the Apostle 2. Cor. 13. to prooue that by effects we may iudge of our owne and other mens good estates before God Sith therfore God giueth vs that leaue it behoueth vs with all careful indeauour as to vphold these good things in vs so carefully to see whether we can truely finde them in our selues or no or the more in number the more great and excellent in qualitie and the more assured we shall after due examination finde them to be in vs the more assured we may be concerning our owne saluatiō so much the more valiantly oppose our selues against Sathat in this same dangerous combate Whereof also as seemeth to me there is great reason For if our sinnes which are from Sathans malice or our owne corruption do grieue vs possesse our hearts with feare why shall not the fruits of our faith and obedience which are from God yeeld vs comfort fill our hearts with hope not because they are in vs for so we doe many times weaken them at the lest if not impaire or hurt them but as they are in vs from God who we are sure will accept of his owne good workes and graces vouchsafed vnto vs. Lastly I say that as we abstaine not from meate and drinke and other necessarie aides of naturall life because we knowe that the tearme and time of the said life is limited by God so there is no man vnles he be wittingly and wilfully wicked that therefore will giue himselfe ouer to sinne because he is assured of his owne saluation for that were to turne the grace of God into wantonesse to abuse the best grace that euer God gaue vs nay rather a good mā wil therefore the more heedily beware of sinne abstaine frō it because he knoweth that sinne in it own nature grieueth god make the seperatiō between the Lord and vs and cleaue fast vnto righteousnes well doing because our forsaking euill or departing from it as also our accomplishment and performance of good thinges is a pledge of our electiō as the Apostle saith The strong foundation of God remaineth sure hauing this seale set vnto it first the Lord knoweth them that are his and secondly let euery one that calleth vpō the name of the lord Iesus Christ depart from iniquitie And there fore I tell thee Satan I cannot harken to any of thy voices much lesse to this by which thou labourest to thrust me headlong into loose life which wil prouoke god hurt mine owne soule and hinder other men from faith full obedience but detest thee and it wil by gods grace flie from these and all other corruptions whatsoeuer thou wouldst stirre me vnto FINIS
A DISCOVRSE TOVCHING THE DOCTRINE OF DOVBTING In which not onely the principall arguments that our popish aduersaries vse for the establishing of that discomfortable opinion are plainely and truely aunswered But also sundrie suggestions of Sathan tending to the maintenance of that in the mindes of the faithfull fully satisfied and that with singuler comfort also VVritten long since by T. W. and now published for the profit of the people of God PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1598. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND HIS VERIE GOOD LORD AND LADIE THE LORD EDWARD EARLE OF BEDFORD AND THE LADIE LVCIE HIS WIFE AND TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND HIS VERIE GOOD FRIENDS SIR IOHN HARRINGTON KNIGHT AND THE LADIE HIS WIFE T. W. vvisheth the aboundant riches of all Gods mercies in this life and the full fruition of the Lord himselfe and all his fauours in that vvhich is to come through Christ THe life of christian men womē here vpon earth is not without cause right honourable and right worshipfull neither yet vnfitely compared by the holye ghost in the canonicall Scriptures to a continuall combate and warfaire Of which as the written vvord it selfe in the sound doctrine and approoued examples thereof concerning this point doth beare faithfull witnes so if god would giue vs grace carefullie to obserue either other men or our selues in such sorte as vve ought or could not but quicklie finde good warrantise for it in the vvorld likewise For confirmation whereof if vve had no more but on the other side the darke doctrine of poperie euerie vvhere assaying to persvvade yea to driue men to doubting and on the other side the diffidence and distrustfulnesse that naturally we carrie about with vs in our hearts it were as a man might say more then sufficiēt Touching the popish opinion it is certainelie pitifull that they can see no other vvaye or meane to preuent proude presumption but to incurre the daunger of distrust and doubting And it is the more pitifull doubtlesse by hovv much both in Gods religion yea and in mans reason also they can not but know confesse that euery singular vertue or good worke hath two sins set against it the one as disagreeing from it the other as contrarie to it The vertue or good worke as we nowe call it here is trust in God then what can be a more excellent vvorke sith our Sauiour saith This is the worke of Christ that ye beleeue in him whō he hath sent And vvhat is more contrarie to it then to doubt or distrust and vvhat is more disagreeing from it thē Lucifer-like presūption And yet euen againe I say it is the more pitifull by howe much it crosseth euen their ovvne opinion practise For how can that cōceit of theirs touching merit before Christ and specially of meriting eternall life stand with the doctrine of doubting seeing that merite or absolute obedience specially if men deale with one that is iust as Christ who is iustice it selfe must needes shutt out doubting touching that we are sure we haue deserued and he cannot choose but of iustice giue and graunt But such vaine fantesies must they fall into that fall avvaie from the faith and trueth of the worde and vvill lift vp thēselves against Christ our Sauiour that so refusing grace offered and feeling it where it is not to bee found they might vanish avvay through the disquietnes of their spirits in the vaine imaginations of their ovvne mindes Concerning the other it is verie lamentable that in so large aboundance of Gods gracious promises and in so faithfull and continuall performance of them speciallie to his owne people whereof not onely the vvord but the vvorld doth yeeld vs an infinite cloude of vvitnesses mens mindes should yet be replenished vvith fearefulnesse and doubting But such and so great is Sathans malice against vs and so dull and slow of heart are vve to beleeue speciallie when we regard our manifold vnworthinesse our grieuous transgressions or the seueritie and iustice of the Lords iudgements that it is more then marueilous if anie man be found in better estate considering I say either vvhat we are by nature or regarding withall what after our inlighting and regeneration begunne in vs a world there is of reliques remainder of corruption in vs which though they doe not vtterly deface and put out the good worke of God in vs because it is to maiesticall and povverfull to be battered and beaten downe by so weake an aduersarie yet do they so backward and hinder the same that in this life vvee can not attaine to that fulnesse of faith which we greatly hunger and thirst after and though through gods goodnes we haue gained somewhat yet many times we finde those graces so eclipsed and darkened in vs that they seeme to be as if they vvere not But what meane we to trauaile in the strengthning of these points vvhich in euerye mans minde and mouth almost are so cleare and vsuall as nothing more The thing rather that we should striue vnto is this namely that sith by corrupt opinions we are or may be dayly assaulted outwardly and by Sathans subtle suggestions and our owne cursed corruptions vve are continually prouoked inwardly as to euerie other euill generally so particularly to this sore sicknesse of our soules distrust or doubting we should in the holy wisedome cleare light of Gods vvorde and also by the all sufficient strength and power of the blessed spirite so labour to looke vnto our selues as that we suffer not our selues either to be infected vvith the pleasaunt poyson of false doctrine or to bee drawne to discomfort through the doubtfullnesse of our hearts For as the former hazerdeth what saie I nay ouerthroweth the health of our soules that more dangerously by much then any bodily poison doth or can doe the state of our outward man for in the middest of this the minde may be safe and sure whereas in the other specially persisted in there insueth euerlasting destruction both of bodie and soule so the latter strongly haleth downe vpō vs and violently bringeth vnto vs all heauinesse of heart and fearefull disquitnesse and togeather with the same as a peculiar effect thereof all manner of vnwillingnesse vnfitnesse and disabilitie in and about the seruice of Christ whether publikely in the congregation or priuately in the familie as also for the carefull accomplishment of our Christian duties either at home or abroad For what likelihood or probability is there that he shall appeare before god or doe good vnto mē whose spirit is disquieted within him seeing that a quiet spirit is a thing much set by before god and fitteth vs also for naturall duties These great difcfiulties dangers are not nay cannot be discerned but by the light of the word neither indeede can the euill of them be preuented and beatē backe but by carefull taking vnto vs and dailie vsing of all the armour that Christ himselfe and not
God and is the worke of his owne grace in vs and appointed indeede amongst other fruits of our faith notwithstanding the weakenes and wants of it which are from our selues not from god or his work in vs and therefore may indeed comfort vs for as this is a sure rule that whatsoeuer is of or from our selues may iustly discourage vs and cause vs to hang downe our heads for shame and to cast downe our hearts for feare So this is as certaine that whatsoeuer is from God may and ought as in and of it selfe specially when it is reuerently receiued and rightly vsed notwithstanding there be imperfections in them that take and vse the same yeeld vnto vs singular consolation Hitherto concerning the maior Nowe for the minor Wherevnto we answer that in the gospell the measure of repentance that is of contrition faith and new obediēce is not prescribed my meaning is that there is not shewed how great or howe much our repentance should be but rather the thing it selfe in it selfe the soundnesse of it exacted or required So that we may safelie say not the quantitie of it as whether it be litle or great suffiseth but the soundnesse truth of it suffiseth though not before God neither for there is want in vs our good works that way yet as in regard of our selues and our owne assurāce for though it be not sufficient for our purpose or before God yet it may suffice for another and as in regard of our selues For euen as not the quātity so much as the quality of faith in the truth and stedfastnesse of it is it that in some sorte commendeth vs to God but specially ministreth much comfort to our owne consciences And as not long and many praiers but short and sweet as we may say yea so do wee say and beleeue also touching all other fruits of our faith and namely our repentance And let this suffice for this point 8 Their eight argument they make thus Pride is a vice displeasing God on the other side humilitie and modestie is a vertue that he taketh delight in But for a man to say that he is in Gods fauour and is assured of eternall saluation is a point of arrogancie as againe to doubt whether he be in Gods fauour a token of modestie and humilitie Therefore for a man to say that he is sure he is in Gods fauour is a soule fault and to doubt of it is a goodlie vertue The maior of this proposition is as cleare as possible can bee and to bee prooued by manie places of the Scripture and particularly by this God resisteth the prouds and giueth grace to the humble And therefore we say nothing to it but willinglie yeeld and submit our selues to the truth thereof But the minor is corrupt and false and therefore wee denie it in both the parts or propositions of it For it is not arrogancie to be assured generallie of Gods fauour for all mercies and particularly of his grace concerning eternall saluation sith god himselfe for the better vpholding of our hearts and hopes that way hath beene pleased to giue vnto vs many gratious both proppes and promises in his worde which also in good time he will performe vnto vs as he hath done to many of his faithfull seruantes who haue gone before vs in the flesh and in the faith For this and not that is arrogancie indeede to take that which doth not belong vnto vs or to presume of this or that which we haue not and yet deceiued in our owne hearts imagine we haue it or els hauing it to be puffed vp with a conceite of hauing more then we inioy or els inioying it to be proud of it either as though we had not receiued it or as though God had giuen it vs to that end to make vs swell ouer others But to assure our selues of Gods grace and of eternall life is a doctrine that God hath deliuered in his word for the good and stay of his owne people as we haue already heard heretofore and should againe hereafter heare it prooued more at large and therefore we can not arrogate or take any more vnto our selues then that that in regard of the free fauour of God belongeth vnto vs and presume here we cannot or be proud whether we haue it or haue not for it were madnesse to be lifted vp with that we haue not and sith we haue it not of our selues but frō another we may say as the Apostle saith what hast thou that ihou hast not receiued if thou hast receiued it why reioycest thou as though thou hadest not receiued it And again we knowe God giueth no graces to any euill ende howesoeuer man in his owne corruption and Satan in his malice against him abuse them many times thereto but as the graces themselues are good so both he in his purpose doth and we in our practise ought to aime at good endes and effects that so the one answering the other he might haue glory other mē good and our selues cōfort On the other side it is not humilitie to doubt of Gods fauour but distrustfulnes or doubting rather for humilitie respecting not God or not reaching vnto him though it be acceptable in his eyes as other good thinges are but concerning men who when he considereth either himselfe his sinne and misery thereby or els God in his maiestie might iustice c. as a sharp reuēger of the same hath iust occasiō to be thrown downe is a holy blessed virgine whereas distrustfulnesse or doubting arising from the corruption of our hearts and an imagination touching the height or heinousnes of our iniquities or ignorance of gods diuine nature and holy word as though he could not or would not forgiue vs is a foule vice because it dishonoureth God in the riches of his mercie and addeth affliction vnto a fearefull and distressed soule And both these points me thinketh we may see plaine by and earthly comparison For as when a great prince or person that both hath largenesse of power and soundnesse of good will shal promise vs much and wil vs in the word of a prince to assure our selues and be bolde then to doubt were folly in our selues and discredit to the person that offereth would performe such singular fauour so is it in this behalfe betweene vs and God whose power we cannot doubt of not onely because it is absolute and infinite but also because he hath effectually in all ages and to euery person performed whatsoeuer he hath faithfully promised and whose good will we may not call into question he hauing giuen vs so many assurances thereof as his sweete promises the death of his sonne the pledge of his spirit and many particular graces both outward and inward as he hath beene pleased to bestowe vpon vs. So that we may see it is not pride but Christian humilitie not onely to thinke or speake lowely of but as it were to distrust yea